Thank you to the people who have Favorited and reviewed the story. It means a lot. :) This chapter is a little shorter than the rest. I lost a little inspiration, but i hope its okay.

xxx

Chapter 3

A young boy answered the door. Caroline thought he must have been around ten years old. He had pale white skin, bright natural red hair and his face was covered in freckles. He looked up at Caroline and Stefan not saying anything.

"Hi, um... Does Danielle live here?" Caroline questioned him.

"MOM" the boy shouted. "There's someone at the door." he left the doorway to be replaced by a women. She too had pale skin, long curly red hair tied in a loose pony tale. She had a very pretty face, her nose splashed with freckles. She looked tired but she smiled friendly.

"Can i help you?" the red head asked.

"Yes. Are you Danielle? Josette Laughlin's friend?" Caroline replied.

"Yes i am. Do i know you?" Danielle looked at Caroline and Stefan questioningly. Not sure if she was supposed to recognize them.

"No. Sorry, im Caroline and this is Stefan." Caroline smiled. Stefan stepping beside Caroline so Danielle could get a better view of him.

"We were friends with Jo. I actually stepped in to help her with her wedding because you where unwell." Caroline spoke softly. Danielle looked mournful and said "If i had known that Jo was going to... I... I would have done anything to be there for her... I miss her." Caroline patted Danielle's arm trying to bring her some comfort.

Caroline's eyes locked onto Danielle's eyes and Compelled her. "I need to ask you a few questions Danielle. And i want you to be completely honest with me. Can you invite us in please."

"Yes. Please would you both come in." Danielle said in a distant voice.

Caroline and Stefan stepped over the threshold. The house was well kept. Family photos hung on every wall. Pictures of Danielle, her son and a man, who had a kind face, blonde hair and brown eyes. Must be the husband. Caroline thought.

"Would you like some tea?" Danielle called over her shoulder. Walking into the kitchen area. After she had guided Caroline and Stefan to the living room.

"Yes please" Stefan and Caroline called in unison. The living room was a warm homely room. Caroline sat in one of the arm chairs and Stefan sat in the one next to her. Danielle brought the tea's through smiling. "Sam you need to finish your homework." Danielle shouted to her son, who was upstairs in his room. "I will be up to help you soon."

"Yes Mom!" Sam shouted back sounding bored. Danielle smiled sweetly.

"So what can i help you with?" Danielle asked her visitors as she sat down in the chair opposite and sipped her cup of tea.

Caroline told Danielle everything. About the Gemini coven magically transporting Jo's unborn babies into Caroline. About the twins not being able to control their magic. And how she thought Danielle could help. She skipped the part about Caroline and Stefan being Vampires.

Danielle looked distant, as if she was thinking of an old memory. "One time Jo and I where in class, We must have been about twelve - thirteen. Anyway there was this nasty girl, who would constantly bully Jo... Sadie was her name... And this time Jo had had enough. In class Sadie would throw books at her, because Jo loved to read. After the third book was thrown and after countless times of me telling her to stop. Sadie's desk was on fire!" Danielle stopped to sip some more tea.

Caroline looked to Stefan worriedly. She didn't want her daughters to ever be in that position. Danielle continued. "Her parents found out about Jo using her magic at school. So they sent her to see a women three times a week. Jo said that she helped her control her powers."

"And where is she? Do you know her name?" Caroline asked impatiently. Stefan remained silent. "Well it was twenty seven years ago but... I think her name was... Bennett something... Sheila Bennett." Danielle nodded, she was sure that was her name.

Caroline and Stefan instantly looked at each other with wide eyes. "Oh. My. God" Caroline whispered. "Bonnie's Grandmother!" She needed to talk to Bonnie ASAP. Caroline made a made a mental note to call Bonnie as soon as they where done here.

"What happened to the father? Ric was it?" Danielle asked confused.

"Erm.. Im actually engaged to him" Caroline answered sheepishly. Stefan looked away, closing his eyes. He didn't want to have to hear this conversation.

"Oh really? I thought you two were..." Danielle points to both of them. "Sorry... I didn't realize. Well.. Congratulations. When is the big day?"

Caroline ducked her head. She didn't want to be talking about this with Stefan a few feet away.

"Erm... Its three weeks from now actually" Caroline reluctantly answered. She kept her eyes on Danielle. She could feel Stefan glaring at her. Danielle noticed the uncomfortable tension between them. "Well.. Um.. I hope you have a wonderful day. Ric deserves to be happy. I met him a couple of times. Your a lucky girl." Danielle said sincerely to Caroline. "My husband, Josh, died two years ago... One day he was doing his normal routine, driving home from work, and suddenly had a heart attack. And... He was gone. Just like that." Danielle said sadly looking down to her mug. Her eyes filling up with tears.

"Im so sorry" Caroline said as she held onto Danielle's hand. Danielle smiled back at her in response. "I just wish i could tell him i loved him one last time." Danielle squeezed Caroline's hand and looked to both Stefan and Caroline. "Just always remember to tell the people you love, that you love them... Not in a text or over the phone but face to face. Because one day you might be like me... Wishing you had told them how much you loved them... One last time."

Caroline sat back in her chair. Her eyes frozen on Danielle's teary eyes. She could feel Danielle's pain. It felt like a stabbing pain right in the heart. The same feeling she had when her mother died...When Stefan left.

"Thank you Danielle." Caroline said taking her hand again. Gazing into her eyes to compel her. "You will now go on living, knowing that Josh knew how much you loved him. Your son too. You will no longer feel any guilt or regret, only happiness when you think of him. Knowing that your short lives together where beautiful and filled with so much love."

Danielle sat frozen in her seat, closed her eyes, breathing a large sigh of relief. She opened her eyes and smiled.

Stefan and Caroline left silently as Danielle dreamily walked upstairs to help her son with his homework. Stefan and Caroline walked slowly to the car. She was lost in thought.

"Caroline" Stefan said softly.

"I know what your going to say Stefan" Caroline said throwing her hands in the air. "I shouldn't mess with people's minds. But she looked so sad Stefan..."

"Caroline" Stefan attempted to interrupt her, failing.

"...And i just thought that if i compelled her it would help... I just wanted her to not feel any guilt..."

"Caroline!" Stefan shouted, grabbing Caroline's arms, to get her full attention. She looked up to him shocked. But he was smiling down at her. Being this close to him again made her head go dizzy. His voice shook her out of her dizziness and she focused on his face. "I was going to say that what you did in there was amazing" he was smiling down at her admiringly. Stroking her arms ever so slightly. He didn't want to overwhelm her but he just couldn't help touching her.

Caroline remained silent. Staring into his beautiful green eyes. Feeling the warmth of his body, it was so close. The smell of the woods in Mystic Falls enveloping her whole body. Stefan locked eyes on Caroline. The words of Danielle playing on his mind. "Caroline look... I know you're feelings for me have changed. But... I can't let you marry Ric" he was trying to be cautious with his words but they where spilling out of him, he couldn't stop. "You.. are the only good thing that has ever happened to me Caroline." he said softly as he held her face. "And I know im being selfish but i don't care. I love you Caroline. I never stopped." he looked at her with a serious face. "I will do anything to get back to how we where before. I miss you. I miss my best friend."

She was in shock. She didn't know what to say. The way he was looking at her lips. As if he was drunk by the sight of them. She could feel the space between them getting smaller. The heat from his body radiating. Her mind was on overdrive. She jumped away from Stefan. "I need to call Bonnie!" she shrieked waving her hands in the air. She turned away from him searching from her phone in her bag.

"Caroline. Please just talk to me." He pleaded as his hands where reaching for her to turn around. But Caroline pulled away.

"You can't expect me to just forgive you so easily Stefan. You broke my heart." her brow was furrowed. She kept fer voice stern. "I would sit waiting for you every night. Wondering if you would call. If i would see your face again. Wondering why? Blaming myself for driving you away."

He moved forward to try and reach her again. "Care" But she stopped him. "But eventually i had to stop. I had to stop waiting for you and focus on my children." Stefan looked down feeling ashamed. "Im so sorry Care" a tear rolling down his cheek. The sight of him was breaking her heart and her first impulse was to comfort him. She smiled softly as she gently wiped his tear away. "I know that you never wanted to hurt me. And deep down i always knew that. But i need time.. You can't just expect me to jump straight into your arms."

"What about the Ric? The wedding?" he asked through gritted teeth. Caroline took a step away from him. "I... I don't know Stefan" she answered honestly. Stefan nodded, not wanting to push her.

"Please. Can we just go home." she said rubbing her head. "I need to talk to Bonnie about the whole Grams thing."

"You go ahead. I need to find Damon anyway." Stefan replied.

"Please Stefan. Don't be mad at me" she cried out.

"I'm not Caroline" he answered softly as he slowly moved towards her kiss her softly on her cheek. "Im just going to give you some space." He smiled sincerely, taking in the sight of her. And with that he was gone.

Caroline gasped and touched the spot where Stefan had kissed her. She was so confused. Her life was going fine before Stefan came back. She had a fiance, great job, a house and two beautiful children. Although she knew things were not perfect between her and Alaric, how could she think of breaking up their little family? It would break the girls hearts. Maybe even Ric's.

She made her way to her car, sitting down, she exhaled. She turned on the engine and made her way home. What am i going to do?