A/N: I worked extremely hard to get this out sooner rather than later because I am on vacation. Thank you everyone who has reviewed, fallowed or favourited. A special thanks to my beta, angela who's really supportive and gives amazing ideas.
Warning this chapter is a little long (the longest yet) and is somewhat Damon focused. Also the only medical knowledge I have is from nine seasons of grey's anatomy, so don't take the medical parts too seriously because they may not be accurate.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Eleven
One of Caroline's first memories was of her and Stefan playing outside. It was always at his house, always making up games to play outside. One day in particular stuck out from the others, it was the first day she saw Damon, his older brother, in another light.
Caroline had spent the whole day playing multiple games such as tag and hide and seek outside with Stefan in his expansive backyard. Stefan at one point however got a little bit too excited and got himself into a nasty fall, tripping over his feet, scraping his knees on the patio cement.
She of course being the responsible one insisted on accompanied him inside, guiding him into the kitchen where his mother was no doubt baking. Mrs. Salvatore was her favourite person, always taking good care of her when she was around.
Being five years old, Caroline didn't understand why her mother was never around. Or where her father was, or why there were always people coming in and out of her life. But she had one thing, and that was the Salvatore family.
They comprised of Mister and Missus Salvatore, Damon and Stefan. Mrs. Salvatore was another mother to her with Stefan as a brother. She never saw much of his father, always busy working. Damon was a pest who would always bug them, so she would always try and stay away from him. He was Stefan's older brother, only a year older than Stefan, but decided that because he was the eldest he got the privilege of bossing the two around, never letting them forget who's older.
Caroline stood by Stefan, holding his hand, as his mother treated the wound. Not two seconds later, Damon came running into the room.
"What happened to you?" He asked Stefan.
"Nothing, just a little fall," his mother replied, sending Damon a look as to not antagonize his brother.
"Caroline, do you want to go outside and play?" Damon questioned.
She looked at Stefan who was still getting bandaged up and knew he wouldn't be able to play anytime soon. She really didn't want to but at that moment, Damon didn't look too harmful and Stefan probably couldn't play. She still had energy left, so she shrugged, "okay."
Damon grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him back out into the backyard. As soon as they stepped outside and Damon let go of her, she shot her hand out, touching him. "Tag, you're it!"
Caroline ran as fast as she could, running past the boundaries of the Salvatore property and into the forest. She and Stefan would occasionally run down to the lake at the bottom of the small hill.
She made it there without being caught, though Damon was close behind. Caroline stopped when she reached the water's edge, allowing Damon to catch up to her.
It was a small pond, filled with sea weed and fish. Caroline never dared to go swimming but Stefan had on occasion. Damon stopped behind her, "we're not allowed to be down here."
"I know, but look!" She waved her hands around, getting his attention to look at their surroundings.
The sun filtered through the trees that encased the lake, with long grass and flowers. Vibrant yellows, purple and blue stood out against the green grass. It was a sight to see, something truly beautiful.
Damon grabbed her hand, looking down smiling at her. "It's beautiful."
Caroline smiled up at him, watching as he took in the view. He was quiet, calculating, studying every inch of nature. In that moment, he wasn't the annoying older brother, but a friend.
Caroline awoke from a deep sleep; she was dreaming about Damon and the lake behind their property they liked to visit through the years. She rolled over to go back to sleep but heard noises coming from the main bathroom. It was early morning, light barely slipping through the blinds, the sun just beginning to make its assent into the sky.
She took a few minutes to assess the situation, figuring it was most likely Stefan. She heard the distinct sounds of metal clinking against metal, like a tool being thrown into a tool box.
Caroline ran her hand down her face, deciding on what she needed to do. She threw the covers off her, slowly getting out of bed and throwing on a robe and tying it tight around her body.
She made her way into the hallway, the door to the bathroom open letting the florescent light flood into the hall. Caroline pushed forward, entering the main bathroom to see Stefan standing in the shower, wrench in hand.
He muttered a few curse words under his breath, trying to stop the flow of water that was spraying out of the shower nozzle. "Stefan, what are you doing?" He turned to look at her and then returned to the task at hand. "You're supposed to turn the water off first."
"I forgot," he shrugged.
"The shower doesn't need fixing, it's six a.m."
"Caroline," Stefan growled, still trying to cease the flow of water.
Caroline turned on her heel, marching downstairs to turn off the water. When she returned, Stefan was still prying at the nozzle, trying to fix what wasn't broke, inevitably breaking it himself.
"I don't understand what happened," he growled in frustration, hitting the tile wall with his palm.
She stepped forward, into the shower, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Reaching down, Caroline slid the wrench out of his hand and dropped it into the toolbox nearby.
"Stefan."
His head fell onto his hands, leaning against the wall. His pajamas were soaked and he began to shiver from the coldness of air drifting through the room from the vents.
Caroline grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the shower. "I'll call a plumber in the morning to fix the shower."
Stefan nodded, and allowed her to lead him back into his room. She sat him down on his bed, Caroline sitting beside him, and laced her fingers through his. "What's going on Stefan?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Damon?"
He nodded, "you know it's been five years right?"
"I know," she responded, solemnly. "What's wrong?"
"I dreamt about the time we were teenagers and went to the cabin without our parent's permission. It was right before their death and they came and picked us up but ended up staying the night. It was the first time in a long time we felt like a family. Now they're all dead."
Caroline turned, facing Stefan. "You still have a family; me, Nate, and Rebekah."
"But, it's not the same."
"You're starting your own family, you're going to have a beautiful wife and maybe even kids someday."
"I know."
"How about we go visit him in the morning? We haven't been in a while, and we'll take Nate." She suggested.
Stefan managed a smile, "okay."
"Change your clothes and try and get some sleep, brother."
He nodded, "thanks, Care."
Caroline threw her arms around his neck, bringing him in for a hug. She pulled back and kissed his cheek before leaving his room and made her way back to her own.
As she laid down in bed, thoughts of Damon ran through her head. It was the fifth anniversary of his death. Five years Stefan went without a brother and five years Nate has been without a father.
It got easier as time went on; she adjusted to being a single mother. However, on the day of his death, not only Stefan but Caroline had a hard time. She would reminisce in old memories or simply wonder what life would have been like if he lived.
Caroline felt herself begin to drift back to sleep, memories of Damon flying around. Their first 'unofficial' date being at the forefront of her memories.
As Caroline grew older, Stefan and Damon were always there for her, never leaving her side. Stefan had always felt like a brother, but Damon? He felt like so much more.
Their first date wasn't even a date, so to say. Caroline was with Stefan at The Grill, the only place to eat in their little hometown of Mystic Falls. They frequented their everyday after school, to either play pool, get dinner or to just hang out.
One particular afternoon was different than the others, they had company. Bonnie, Elena and Damon had joined them. At the time, Elena was happily dating Stefan.
Damon, Caroline and Bonnie on one side with Stefan and Elena on the other. The group of five talked about school, gossiped and enjoyed their dinner.
Things between her and Damon had been heating up, lingering stares and careful touches. She wasn't sure but she thought Damon was beginning to feel something for her and if Caroline was completely honest with herself, she had feelings for him too.
Stefan left early, Bonnie following close behind. Caroline not wanting to return home, stayed to talk longer with Elena, Damon offering to drive her home.
The minute that Stefan left, Elena was all over Damon. "So, Damon, you think the football team is going to make it to State this year?" She questioned, leaning over the table.
Caroline scoffed at the ridiculous question, "The team probably won't even win a game this year."
Damon laughed, "blondie's right, have you seen our team?"
Everyone knew the answer to that question. Elena Gilbert had not once in her life watched a football game. Elena just shrugged, "you never know."
An awkward silence settled over the table, Elena keeping her eyes on Damon while he tried to look anywhere but at her. Caroline sighed, realizing she had to get home. "I should probably get going," she said, sliding out of the booth and dropping a twenty onto the table.
Caroline was halfway out the door, when she was stopped by someone pulling on her arm. She turned around quickly, finding Damon. "Let me walk you home."
She looked over her shoulder to where Elena was sitting looking royally pissed off, arms folded across her chest. Turning her attention back to Damon, she smiled. "Sure."
He held out his hand, "lead the way."
Caroline began to walk through the streets of Mystic Falls but instead of heading to her house, she began making her way to her favourite place. Damon silently followed her lead, not questioning where she was going.
"You know she was flirting with you right?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.
Damon stuffed his hands in his pocket, shrugging. "I know, but she's with Stefan."
Caroline snorted, "like that's stopping her." She told herself that she wasn't jealous and that she was trying to be a good friend to Stefan. Yet, deep down, Caroline was the slightest bit jealous.
"I don't have feelings for Elena, I would never do that to my brother, and you should know that," he replied seriously, trying to get his point across. Caroline nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Besides I have feelings for another girl who is just as beautiful."
"Oh," she squeaked, feeling her throat close up. Caroline did not feel her heart drop, just like she wasn't disappointed or jealous. She grew up with Damon, knew him better than anyone, how could she have feelings for him?
They made their way to their final destination, Damon smirking at her, "if you wanted to come over, all you had to do was ask."
Caroline rolled her eyes, walking around the side of the house to the backyard. They hadn't spent time at the pond in ages but it was exactly how she remembered it. As they grew older, they added a small dock, a rope swing, and wooden chairs. A majority of their summers were spent at the swimming hole.
"I haven't been here in years," Damon remarked, sitting down on the dock beside her.
"I know, I miss it here."
Caroline was completely mesmerized by her surroundings as she watched a frog jump into the water, tress swaying to the warm spring breeze. The two of them sat there together in a peaceful silence, soaking in the sun.
"I don't want to go home," she admitted, well aware that her mother was most likely at work and wasn't in the mood to be home alone.
"Then stay," Damon said, putting his hand over top of hers.
She looked up at him, seeing his blue eyes sparkle in the light. His dark hair fell over his forehead and his lips curved into a smirk. "Thank you."
"Anytime, blondie," he replied, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent.
She didn't know how long they sat like that, neither one saying a word but feeling comfortable enough to sit in silence. The sun began to set and Caroline knew she had to head home, her mother would be finished working soon and she didn't like coming home to an empty house.
"I better get home," she whispered, not wanting to end the afternoon.
She felt Damon nod and drop his arm from around her. He stood up, offering his hand, which she took and stood up. Damon didn't drop it, but rather held onto it and leading her back up the hill and out of the forest to the backyard.
Caroline tried walking away but Damon pulled her back towards him. "I need to ask you something before you go."
She cleared her throat, nervous of his impending question. "Sure."
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Caroline didn't know what to say, her mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out. She blinked repeatedly, "say that again?"
Damon just chuckled, "Would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Are you serious?"
"Caroline," he groaned.
She smiled, "I would love to."
"Great, how about next Friday? I'll pick you up at seven."
"Okay!" She exclaimed, unable to stop smiling or hide her excitement.
Damon winked at her, smiling himself, as he headed back into his house.
Caroline practically skipped home, her excitement bubbling. There she was, little miss Caroline Forbes, fourteen years old, being asked out by Damon Salvatore.
Caroline awoke the second time that morning to loud noises, this time coming from within her room. She slowly opened her eyes, fighting herself to wake up. Nate was at the end of her bed, playing with two cars, rolling them over the covers.
"Nathanial," she groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight.
"Morning, mama," he said, jumping up on top of her to give her a kiss.
"Good morning," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his body. "Where's Uncle Stefan?"
"I don't know."
"Alright, well how about we go make some breakfast?"
Nate jumped off the bed, taking his cars with him and yelling down the stairs. Caroline grumbled, rolling over in her warm bed, not wanting to get up just yet.
After hearing Nate holler through the whole house, she finally dragged herself out of bed and slowly made her way downstairs to her awaiting son.
Caroline was not a morning person and her son was definitely one, running around the kitchen with endless amount of energy as he rolled his cars across every surface. She moaned as she ran her fingers through her hair, the day had barely begun and already she wanted it over.
She turned the coffee on, needing a cup as soon as possible. Nate settled down at the breakfast bar, happily playing with his cars. "What's for breakfast?"
"I don't know, Nate."
"When's Uncle Stefan coming back?"
"I don't know."
"Can we go to the park today?"
Caroline turned around to look at her son, oblivious to everything that was going on around him. Unaware of what today really meant to the rest of them.
"Sure, honey," she smiled, pouring a glass of milk for him and a cup of coffee for her. Caroline was in no mood for making breakfast and hoped Stefan came home soon with something edible.
Not a second after that thought, the front door opened, "I came bearing breakfast," Stefan yelled.
"Yes!" Nate cheered, jumping off the stool to grab breakfast from Stefan. The pair returned with bags of delicious smelling food in their hands.
Caroline got to work, setting the table with plates, utensils and condiments. Nate climbed into his chair between Stefan and Caroline, while she distributed the food evenly. Everyone dug in, enjoying waffles and sausages from their favourite breakfast place down the street.
Caroline finished first; she was more tired than hungry. She gently placed her fork on her plate that was still half full of food. "Nate," she said, grabbing his attention. "Before we go to the park today, your Uncle Stefan and I would like to take you with us to the cemetery."
He looked up at her, confusion written all over his face. "Why?"
"Because there's someone we would like to visit," Stefan replied, speaking up.
"Is it my dad?"
Stefan and Caroline looked at each other, both with very shocked expressions. "Yes, we're going to visit your father," Caroline finally managed.
Nate shrugged his shoulders, "Okay," and continued on eating.
"That was easy," Caroline murmured to herself.
She knew Nate didn't exactly know what a cemetery was or what was held there nor the importance of it. He did, however, know that his father had died and that he would grow up without one. He had asked on several occasions where his father and what happened to him.
Caroline told him the truth, she wasn't going to lie to her child. She told him that daddy was up in heaven watching over him, that he wouldn't be around to watch him grow up. Nate had been young then but understood for the most part.
Breakfast went by quickly, the boys finishing up their meals. Caroline took to cleaning up the kitchen, letting Stefan get Nate ready for the day. They had decided to go to the cemetery in the morning and then the park before coming home so Nate could have his mid-afternoon nap.
"Come on, Nate, let's go get you cleaned up," Stefan suggested, getting up from the table. As always, Nate leaped into the air, flying out of the room and up the stairs, not a single care in the world.
"How does he always have so much energy?" Caroline pondered, picking the dirty dishes from the table and walking over to the sink for them to be washed.
"Probably because he wasn't up at five a.m. trying to fix the shower," Stefan chuckled, trying to make light of their earlier situation.
"Stefan-"
He held up his hand, interrupting her. "I was just trying to take my mind of things."
"Then go for a run, exercise, or watch a movie. Don't break my shower."
"I tried all that," he replied, shaking his head. "Look, let's just get through today."
Caroline nodded, letting it drop. Today would be the day to let Stefan off the hook. She knew he would be a wreck, just like he was at this time every other year.
"I better go see what Nate is up to," he said before walking out of the kitchen, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts.
"Uncle Stefan, why aren't you at work?" Nate asked while Stefan helped him changed into a clean shirt.
"Because I wanted to spend the day with my favourite nephew," he smirked, pulling the shirt over his head.
Nate put his hand on his hips, giving him a very Caroline look. "I'm your only nephew."
Stefan just laughed, "I guess you're right."
When Nate was finished getting dressed he sat on the bed, "why do we have to go to the cemetery?"
"We're going to visit your father, pay our respects."
"Why?"
Stefan sighed, "Because today is the anniversary of his death. Remember last year we went to the cemetery?"
"No, I was only three last year!"
"It will be painless, just going to say hello and to bring flowers. It won't be scary at all."
"Okay, Uncle Stefan."
"Why don't you go play downstairs while your mom and I get ready?"
Nate nodded, running off again downstairs. Stefan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. From the moment he woke up this morning, he knew it would be a hard day.
Granted, every day was hard living without his brother, but the anniversary of his death was much harder than any other. It brought back memories of the two of them; it was always them against the world. No one thing could come between them, yet he was wrong.
Cancer stole Damon away from not only Stefan but from Nate and Caroline. His selfless brother, too concerned with Caroline and their child that was soon to be born that he didn't notice the signs. The signs that he was slowly dying.
Stefan shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts from his head. He needed to take things one step at a time, starting with getting dressed so they could go visit his brother.
He couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Damon was supposed to be living with Caroline, raising their son together. Stefan would come visit them on weekend mornings and take Nate on trips to the zoo or the park.
Stefan had forever with Nate and Damon never got one day, never got to see or hold his son. That pained Stefan more than anything.
It started out with a stomach ache from time to time, nothing more. It quickly developed into a sharp pain ripping through his abdomen, vomiting non-stop. Only then, once it had progressed to extreme lengths, did he go see a doctor.
He was diagnosed with terminal Cancer. Stomach cancer to be exact. He was given a few months at the most to live; there was no treatment available, nothing that could cure him of the disease.
If only he had been in to see the doctor when it all began, then maybe there would be some hope of his survival. But no, Damon had to be stubborn; refusing to see any doctors, claiming it was the stomach flu.
Caroline nagged, stating that the flu wouldn't last for a month. He brushed it off, telling her she wasn't his mother. His careless mistake cost him his life.
He was forced into the hospital, his girlfriend eight months pregnant. Damon was going to die at twenty, his only hope was to live long enough to see his child, to hold him, to love him.
After a month of diagnosis, they had a call from a doctor, wanting to attempt a new procedure, a clinical trial that had only been done a handful of times. Hopeful that it would prolong his life for another few months, Damon took to it, desperate for additional time. Caroline and Stefan agreed, wanting the same things as him.
While off school for the summer, Caroline took it upon herself to visit Damon all day and every day. Stefan visited at night when he was off work. They had no other family to visit him so it was just the two of them keeping him company.
She sat by his bed while he slept which was a majority of the time. The times he was awake, they talked about their baby. Damon wanted to know the sex but Caroline convinced him it was more fun not knowing.
After dating for four years, Caroline found out she was expecting. It was rather unexpected, but Damon was excited. They already lived together, moving to the city into the brownstone house he inherited from his parents. They both attended the same college, Damon for business and Caroline for journalism.
Damon had just finished medical tests which took all morning for surgery that he was expected to have surgery the next day. Caroline sat beside him, reading a parenting book while Damon slept. He was lucky to be in his own private room; white, empty walls surrounding them. It was daunting being in such a room, to be reminded daily of where you were.
They hadn't said much to each other for most the day, Damon being too tired from his exciting morning causing him to sleep for most of the day. There was a soft knock on the door to the hospital room, Caroline looked up to see Stefan standing there. "He sleeping?" he whispered.
She nodded, waving for him to join her. She figured Damon wouldn't mind waking up to talk to his brother. Caroline leaned forward, running her hand over his hair and whispering in his ear.
Damon slowly woke up, blinking rapidly to catch his bearing of where he was. "Hey, man," Damon said, addressing Stefan who was sitting on the end of the hospital bed. Even though Damon slept for a majority, he still looked pale with dark circles under his clear blue eyes.
"How you feeling?" Stefan asked, brows knitted together in concern.
"Peachy. I feel like I could go run a marathon if it wasn't for these tubes sticking out of me, and you know, the cancer." He replied, jokingly.
"Damon," Caroline chided, rolling her eyes.
"Well it's true!"
"Good to hear, brother," Stefan smiled.
"I go in for surgery tomorrow, hopefully they can do whatever their supposed to do and remove a good portion of the tumor. Then I'll do radiation after, enough time to see this little guy," he said, rubbing Caroline's belly.
At that moment, she felt a hard kick against her ribs, right under where Damon's hand was placed. Her hand instinctively flew up over top of his, feeling another, hard kick.
"She's kicking hard!" Caroline exclaimed.
Damon raised an eyebrow, "how do you know it's a she? I personally think it's a boy."
"Same here," Stefan added in. "I would much rather a nephew than a niece."
"I do not want to have your son," she said to Damon. "He would be rambunctious, off the walls and no way to control him!"
"A true Salvatore," he smirked. "I think Nathanial is a good name for a boy. Nathanial Salvatore."
"I think that," she agreed. "Nathanial for a boy, Eva for a girl."
"Deal!"
"With my luck, it'll be a boy and just like you were when you were younger," she groaned, causing both men to laugh.
Damon's laugh, however, turned into a harsh cough. Stefan jumped from the bed when blood came sputtering out of his brothers mouth and onto the bed.
Caroline quickly pressed the call button, watching in horror at the sight before her. A nurse came rushing in, shoving a basin under his mouth to catch the blood.
Stefan walked around to Caroline, practically dragging her out of the room. "You don't want to see that," he whispered into her ear. Caroline fought against him, wanting to go back to Damon, to help him or just be there to support him. "Let's go get something to eat."
They returned a few hours later, everything cleaned up and Damon fast asleep. Visiting hours were close to over, so Caroline and Stefan snuck up into his room to say their goodbyes.
Caroline was on one side of the bed, Stefan on the other. Damon opened his eyes, feeling their presence. "Feeling better?" She asked.
"Yup."
"Good," she replied, kissing his cheek. As she pulled away, Damon reached out, his hand curling around her neck and pulling her back in. His lips pressed softly to hers, in a sweet embrace.
"I love you," he whispered, pulling back slightly so they were nose to nose.
She pecked his lips once more, "I love you too."
"Take care of my son, for me."
She laughed, pulling back as she wiped at a few stray tears. Their goodbyes were always the same, her ending up in tears with him making a joke.
Stefan stepped forward, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Damon reached forward, pulling him into a hug. "I love you, little brother."
"Love you too," he whispered, hugging him back.
"Take care of her, and take care of my son for me?"
Stefan nodded, pulling back from Damon, his eyes watery with unshed tears. Damon smiled at them before sleep took over, allowing Caroline and Stefan to leave the hospital.
Stefan drove Caroline back to their house. She offered him the spare bedroom, being a weekend and the next day they would both go over to the hospital together in the morning.
They retreated to their rightful places, Caroline sleeping with one of Damons' old shirts that smelt like him. From the eventful day, she drifted off as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Her sleep was interrupted by the phone ringing at three in the morning. Caroline ignored it, her sleep induced haze not allowing her to think properly.
Her cell phone rang next and with it being in a close range to the bed, Caroline answered it. The call brought nothing but unexpected news. She thanked the person on the other end, tears falling down her face.
"Stefan!" She yelled, hearing it echo through the empty house.
He was at her bedroom door within seconds, his face dropping when he caught sight of Caroline. Her hand at her mouth, trying to quiet the sobs. She shook her head and that was when Stefan fell to the floor in a heap, allowing himself to cry.
Damon was gone. She lost her lover, her best friend, her everything while Stefan lost a brother. Her baby lost a father. Damon lost his future. It was a night of unexpected loss.
Caroline, Stefan and Nate stood in front of a grey tombstone. A bouquet of yellow flowers laying on the grass in front. The stone read three lines:
Damon Salvatore
January 5, 1987 -August 10, 2007
Loving father, brother, friend
Hundreds of tombstones surrounding them, not a single person in sight. Cemeteries always gave Caroline goose bumps, feeling she was being watched and in the company of others.
Caroline and Stefan stood beside each other, Nate in front. They watched as he cautiously stepped forward, towards the stone. He traced his fingers, first over the name then the dates and finally coming to rest on the second word of the third line, 'father'.
She kneeled down beside him, "he loved you very much."
"But he never even knew me," he stated. "How can you love someone you never met?"
"Even though you weren't born yet, you were still in my tummy and your daddy talked to you every day. He didn't have to meet you to love you."
"Did you love me before you met me?"
Caroline laughed, "Of course I did,"
"Did you love him?" Nate questioned, still tracing the engravings of the gravestone.
"I loved him with my whole heart, almost as much as I loved you," she winked.
Nate nodded, lost in thought. He turned around, facing her. "I think I love him too."
Stefan bent down, joining the two. "I think he would have loved to hear that."
Nate smiled happily, turning around to study the stone once more. Stefan and Caroline stood back up, letting Nate take his time processing all the information he had received.
Half an hour later, of Stefan and Caroline watching Nate, they decided it was time to go. They had paid their respects and were getting antsy, though they hated ripping Nate away so soon.
"Nate, honey, you ready to go?" Caroline asked sweetly.
"Are we going to the park now?"
"Yup."
"Okay," he replied, smiling back at them.
Nate stepped closer to the grave, throwing his little arms around it. "Bye, daddy; I love you," he whispered.
Caroline stepped forward, behind Nate, kissing her fingers and placing them on the top of the gravestone. Stefan stood stoic behind them, no doubt, saying goodbye in his own way. Damon knew what he was thinking; Stefan didn't have to say anything out loud.
"Ready?" Caroline asked when Nate was done.
He nodded, already walking through the row of gravestones. Caroline took one last look, taking in her surroundings before following after him. She was right, Nate was exactly like Damon when he was younger, a true Salvatore.
Stefan and Caroline sat on a park bench watching Nate play with a dozen other kids on the jungle gym. She was content, things at the cemetery went pretty well, or as well as they could have.
Stefan hadn't said much the whole day, staying more to himself. She understood, Damon was his brother and he was still a bit off by it all. Caroline reached over, taking a hold of his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
He looked over at her, a little taken off guard, like he suddenly realized that he wasn't alone. "Thanks for being there for me today," he said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," she smiled.
They sat in silence, hands locked, watching Nate. His brown hair ruffled as he ran up a set of stairs to get to the slide. He stopped mid-step, looking over to where they sat. He looked lost in thought, his eyebrows furrowed and he looked like a smaller version of Stefan.
She noticed he didn't seem in the mood to play, lost in his own little world, not noticing any child around him. Nate finished the rest of the way up the stairs and slid down the slide but instead of climbing back up, he walked towards them. He stopped in front of them, "can you tell me about him?"
Caroline was about to ask what he was talking about but realized she was talking about Damon. "Sure," she replied, sliding over so he could sit beside her and Stefan.
"What do you want to know?" Stefan asked.
"What happened to him?"
Caroline took a glance at Stefan, seeing his pained expression she decided to answer on his behalf. "He was sick, very sick. There's this disease, called cancer and some people live and survive, they are the lucky ones. But there are some, not so fortunate, who try everything and fight with all their might and don't survive. Do you understand?"
Nate nodded, "my daddy had cancer?"
"Yes and he passed away before you were born. Do you remember what happens to people when they pass away?"
"They go up to heaven?"
Caroline smiled, "yeah, and they live with God and we don't get to see them again. But we know that they are always watching over us. He will always be with us, in here," she said, pointing to the left side of her chest, where her heart sat.
"In my heart?" he asked, looking up at her and then Stefan.
He nodded, "yeah, buddy, in your heart."
Nate looked lost in thought before he asked another question, "What was he like?"
Caroline smiled, eager to answer. "Well, he was funny, always telling jokes and making anyone that he could laugh. He was very smart and kind, a lot like you actually."
"Really?" he questioned, looking up at her with wide blue eyes.
"Yup, you are just like him when he was younger." Stefan said, speaking up. "One time, when we were kids, he convinced me that dragonflies ate little children, was scared of them for years."
Caroline laughed, remembering that day clearly. She too believed it, but luckily she was smarter and realized little things like that couldn't eat a whole child. "You forgot the time he caught a mouse and put it on top of your mom while she was sleeping."
Nate burst out laughing, "That sounds like a good prank!"
"It was, until my mom came at us with a wooden spoon," Stefan laughed.
"No!" Nate exclaimed, unwilling to believe it.
"Yes, Italian mothers back then were a little violent; so be thankful your mom only yells at you when you get in trouble." Stefan warned.
Nate turned to look up at Caroline, "thank you!"
"Just don't be leaving any mice in my bed."
He shook his head, "I won't, promise!"
After a long day at work Klaus just wanted to get home and relax but it seemed that his sister had other plans. The second he walked through the door to his apartment, Rebekah pounced on him already inside.
"Nik, I need to talk to you about something," she demanded.
He slowly closed the door behind him, throwing his keys on the side table. "I gave you a key for emergencies, not to barge in here whenever you please."
Klaus was exhausted and was not in the mood for one of his sisters crazy tirades that she so often liked to go on. Grabbing a bottle of beer, he sat down on the couch, lifting his feet up on the coffee table. Rebekah joined him instantly, sitting up expectedly like she was about to tell some great story or beg him of something.
"What, Bekah?" he asked.
"How's it going? With Caroline?"
He sighed, unsure of what to actually tell her. Things with Caroline were complicated and difficult at best. He knew he had feelings for her, intense feelings that he wasn't going to give up on. There was Nate too and he was beginning to be a big part of his life.
Yet, he was unsure where he stood with Caroline. She always seemed to act indifferently towards him making him believe like he was doing something wrong.
Klaus had stepped up, visiting Nate almost every other day at the request of the little boy. They often spent their time playing with Percy, or his toy trains and cars or simply just colouring. Caroline didn't seem to mind but avoided him most of the time when he was over, especially lately.
"Things with us are…complicated," he managed to say, trying to find the right word to describe his situation.
"What does that mean?" Rebekah pushed.
"It means that I like her, a lot but she always acts so indifferent towards me and I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, "well what are you doing?"
"I don't know, Rebekah!" He exclaimed frustrated. "I visit a few times a week to hang out with Nate and she just ignores me. I made it perfectly clear weeks ago that I was all in and I got nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing," he confirmed.
"Strange," she mused.
Klaus was beyond angry now, it felt like his sister was pulling teeth to get information out of him and she wasn't giving him anything in return. "What's strange?" He asked, playing into whatever game she was playing.
"It's just I overheard Bonnie and Caroline talking last month and she kind of admitted she had feelings for you."
"What?" He choked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"I think she has feelings for you and you obviously have feelings for her, which is good." She smiled, pleased with herself for finally getting the truth out of him. "Anyways, what do you have planned for Nate's birthday, it's on Sunday, you know."
"Yes, Bekah, I know."
"So? What are you getting him?"
"I have a few ideas, but something tells me you already know what I'm getting him." He said, knowing his sister all too well. She had that smirk plastered across her face, like she had a plan.
"Pancake breakfast for Nate, he would love you forever. Make it a surprise and maybe make some of your famous French toast and Caroline would love you forever." She winked.
"I can't intrude."
"Oh, nonsense, Nik! I'll be there too and I'm sure Stefan would like another guy around and Nate would love it."
"Fine, but make sure you tell Stefan that I'll be stopping by."
"I will, I'm sure he'll be thankful he won't have to cook breakfast for a morning."
Klaus smiled, liking the idea of surprising Nate and Caroline with breakfast. He had an idea of what he was going to get Nate for his birthday but had been putting it off. He made a mental note that he would go out tomorrow to retrieve the birthday present.
The day seemed to fly by, everything blurring together. That morning they went to the hospital to identify the body which would then be transferred to the funeral home for appropriate services.
Organ failure was the cause of death. His organs too tired and spent to work a second longer or even a day more. Damon passed away in his sleep, most likely not feeling a thing.
From the hospital, Stefan and Caroline went to the funeral home to plan the funeral. It was simple, Damon luckily already had everything planned out and they were just there to confirm everything.
Appropriate calls had been made to what family Stefan had left. There were a few aunts and cousins which were all surprised to hear the news, not knowing Damon was even sick in the first place.
When they arrived home, Caroline dragged herself up to the bed she once shared with Damon. She curled up into a ball, letting go and just allowing herself to cry.
She had remained strong, not shedding a tear in public. Stefan was the same, they leaned on each other for support, always courteous of the other through the day.
A soft knock on the door cause Caroline to look up through clouded eyes. "Stefan?"
"Hey, Care," he whispered, coming into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "How you feeling?"
"Fine."
"You should really eat something," he suggested, knowing that like him she hadn't been able to eat all day.
She shook her head, "I can't"
"Let me call your mom then," he tried.
"No!" Caroline sobbed. Her mother was the last person she wanted to talk to at that moment, she had been anything but supportive with her relationship and impending motherhood.
"Caroline?"
"Ow!" She yelled, feeling a tightening in her stomach along with a sharp pain. Caroline shot up, her hands wrapped around her belly.
"Care?" Stefan leaned forward, concerned, his hands cupping her face. "What's wrong?"
She paused, her tears stopped momentarily, as she felt a gush of water between her legs. "I think the baby's coming," she smiled.
Stefan shot up off the bed, "We have to go to the hospital, but it's too early, you're only eight months. Do you even have your hospital bag packed?" He was pacing back and forth in the bedroom, hands tugging at his hair.
Caroline sat on the bed, amused at his state of distress. "It's fine, Stefan. The bag is already pack and in the closet." She managed to get herself off the bed and passed Stefan who was still pacing mumbling things to himself.
After changing her clothes and grabbing the bag, she made her way downstairs to call a cab. "Where are you going?" Stefan called down to her from the top of the stairs.
"To have a baby, you coming?"
"Yes!" he shouted, running down the stairs after her.
On August Twelfth at Two Fifteen, Nathanial Michael Salvatore was born, weighing five pounds four ounces. He had a little tuff of light brown hair at the top of his head with all ten fingers and toes. Stefan counted multiple times to reassure himself that his nephew had the right amount.
"He's perfect," Caroline whispered, astonished at the sleeping baby nestled in her arms. "I wish Damon was here."
"He is, just not in person," Stefan said, sitting on the bed beside her staring down at his nephew. "It's amazing if you think about it, everyday we'll have this baby as a reminder that Damon was here, he lived and loved. He's not gone, we'll see him every day in Nathanial."
"Stefan," Caroline sobbed, tears beginning to flow freely. She wiped at them furiously, tired of crying. "What a whirlwind of the past few days we've had."
"We lost a family member but gained another one," he mused, smiling. "Let me hold my nephew now."
"Alright," Caroline relented, handing over the sleeping baby to Stefan. "Careful."
"I got him." He said, hugging the infant close to his chest. "Hi Nathanial, I'm your Uncle Stefan. You don't know me yet, but you will soon." He cooed. "I am going to love you and spoil you. I'll teach you how to throw a football or baseball, whichever you choose. Your dad may not be around anymore, but I'll always be there for you, I promise."
Caroline smiled, listening to everything Stefan had to say. She rubbed his back in comfort knowing how hard it was for him to say that.
"I love you, Nathanial," he finally said, letting a lone tear slip past his eye lid and slide down his cheek. "And your father loves you too and he'll always be watching over you."
Caroline rolls over in bed, waking from her dream of the night Nate was born. It was just coming up to two a.m.; she still couldn't believe he was turning five.
It felt like time flew by and he was growing up before her eyes. She slowly snuck out of bed, carefully navigating her way down the hall and into his bedroom.
Nate was curled up in a little ball, hugging his stuffed animal to his chest. As quietly as she could she slipped in behind him, laying down on her side, facing him.
His single bed had just enough room for the both of them. He stirred awake, rolling over to face her. After rubbing his eyes, he looked up at her. "Mommy?"
She never made a habit of sneaking into his bed and forbid him from sharing hers but on special occasions she just couldn't help it. "Happy birthday, my boy," she beamed.
Nate smiled up at her and snuggled into her chest. "I love you," he whispered.
Caroline wrapped an arm around his back, hugging him. "I love you, too."
As soon as he had been awake he had drifted back off to sleep. Caroline couldn't leave him so she settled into his little bed and eventually fell off to sleep.
Caroline woke up that morning to an empty bed and voices coming from downstairs. She noticed the clock on the bedside table only read eight o'clock and Nate was most likely up and had gotten into something.
Taking a few seconds to herself, Caroline got up and followed the sounds coming from downstairs. She entered the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks, stunned at the sight in front of her.
Klaus was standing in her kitchen, wearing a frilly pink and purple apron, making pancakes. Nate was chattering away at the breakfast bar while Stefan and Rebekah was hunched over her wedding book, no doubt talking about the wedding.
"Morning, love," Klaus smirked when he noticed she had entered the kitchen.
Nate turned in his seat, "morning, mamma."
"Morning," she said, confused, walking into the kitchen to get a better look.
On the stove looked was pancakes, bacon and hash browns frying in a pan. The smell was overwhelming, better than what Stefan usually made for breakfast.
"Hope you don't mind my intrusion, Rebekah sort of volunteer me to make breakfast," he shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.
"It's totally fine, man," Stefan spoke up, probably happy to get a day off from cooking breakfast.
"It's okay, I guess," she replied, taking a seat beside Nate. Klaus handed her a cup of coffee, black and just the way she like it. "Thank you," she smiled.
"Nik makes the best pancakes; these one's are peanut butter and chocolate chip and makes them into shapes of anything I want!" Nate explained, pointing down at his pancakes which were in the shape of a dinosaur.
"Nik?"
"Yeah, Nik, he only lets his family call him that, but he said I'm allowed. Personally, I like it better than Klaus," Nate rattled off, shrugging.
Klaus turned around, looking almost guilty. "He heard Rebekah call me it and insisted he call me that too and I couldn't resist."
"It's fine," she smiled, liking how close they were.
"What would you like for breakfast this morning?" Klaus asked her.
"Try the pancakes!" Nate chimed in, shoving another forkful into his mouth.
Caroline smiled, "I'll try the pancakes, I guess."
"What flavour? Blueberry, chocolate chip, peanut butter?"
"Blueberry!" She exclaimed.
Klaus set to work, preparing fresh blueberry pancakes. Everyone was served their breakfast, all that was left was her and Klaus. A few moments later a plate of pancakes, bacon and hash browns were placed in front of her.
Her mouth watered at the sight and the smell was heavenly. "This looks so good," Caroline commented.
Klaus smirked, nodding down at the plate, "try it first and tell me how you like it."
Caroline nodded, taking a bit first of the pancakes and her eyes widened, "oh my god, these are amazing! Better than Stefan's pancakes!" After realizing her mistake, she turned to Stefan, "no offense."
"None taken, I agree with you on this one, these are really good," he agreed, eating his own chocolate chip pancakes.
"Thanks," Klaus said, slightly blushing at the compliment.
Caroline finished her breakfast, fully satisfied, and pushed her plate away from her. "That was so good," she groaned.
"Thanks, love," Klaus smiled, pushing his own plate away.
"I liked the dinosaur shaped pancakes the best!" Nate exclaimed from beside her.
"So who's the better cook?" Stefan questioned.
Nate raised a finger to his lips, thinking carefully on how he responded to that question. "I like when you make spaghetti, that's my favourite, Uncle Stefan and I like Nik's pancakes."
Everyone laughed lightly. "Fair enough," Stefan resigned.
Caroline got up from her spot and began to clean up the kitchen, Klaus followed her lead and began to help but she swatted his hand away. "You made breakfast so you don't have to help clean."
He held his hands up in surrender, "alright, I'll go sit back down."
"Good," she chuckled, beginning to collect the dishes to put in the dishwasher. "So excited for your party this afternoon, Nate?"
"Yes!" Nate beamed. "You'll be there, right, Nik?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
"So what's on the agenda for today?" Caroline asked Rebekah who had planned the whole birthday party even though she was in the midst of planning her own wedding.
Caroline stayed away, knowing not to mess with her and her party planning. The other girl knew Nate well so she no doubt would make it spectacular. She liked planning his parties, but Rebekah wanted something over the top this year, stating 'you only turn five once.'
"Party starts at one and it's themed, the rest is a surprise!"
A/N: So what'd you think? Wasn't too sad? Looking forward to the next chapter?
Next chapter will be Nate's birthday so that'll be really fun! Feel free to leave suggestions on what you want to see happen!
And one last thank you for MyNewPenName, I took your advice and hopefully it was better in this chapter. If not, could you be so kind and let me know? I'm always open for ways to improve my writing.