The sun had come back to the South and it was a nice day. The wedding was being held on the Birch grounds, outside. Caroline guessed that the town's chapel couldn't house the amount of people that were invited. Did the bride and groom really know all these people? And Caroline felt, despite being in debt to Stefan, relief that she was wearing a beautiful dress. She wouldn't have fit in if she wore one of her Forever 21 ones.

"So, are we're friends of the bride" she mumbled to Stefan. "Does that mean we sit on the right or left side?"

He shrugged.

She looked out over the grounds. Rows and rows of white chairs, flowers, trees, a band. Everybody smiled. Everyone looked happy.

"Let's just sit."

They sat down on the edge of a row, next to an elderly couple. Caroline smiled pleasantly and the man smiled back. She could tell he was looking down her cleavage and she quickly turned away. Perv.

"If you're over 65, you should stop looking at people's boobs" she muttered.

Stefan raised one eyebrow.

"Can you really blame him? You bent down to pick up the program and…"

"Shut up."

She tried to smack him, but he caught her hand.

"Hey, Care. If we're supposed to be married, maybe you should put your ring on the right finger."

She rolled her eyes, but did as he suggested. Her blue ring fit better on ring finger anyway.

"What's our story?" she asked. "How do we know…"

She opened her program to check the bride's name.

"Marissa. How do we know Marissa?"

"Maybe she's your friend" Stefan suggested.

"From where?"

"I don't know. College."

"Not believable. I think you should be one of her exes."

"Why would she invite her ex to her wedding?"

Caroline shook her head at him.

"To make you jealous."

"Oh."

Caroline was just about to add something, but just then, the music begun to play. She turned around in her seat, feeling butterflies.

…

Marissa Settlebridge (soon to be Birch) looked beautiful. She wore a huge dress with a 15 feet train, a thick veil and a corset so tight she looked anorectic. She carried a bouquet of fresh flowers. And she looked happy. Stefan had attended many weddings over the years. He had seen sad brides and nervous brides and doubting brides and regretful brides. Anyone could carry a wedding dress, but only some could shine with joy. And that Marissa did.

"She's gorgeous" Caroline exhaled in his ear.

He turned his head an inch to look at her. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright.

"Yeah" he exhaled.
Caroline looked beautiful too. That dress did something to her that Stefan didn't understand.

Celine Dion sang "My Heart Will Go On" and Stefan decided he liked Caroline singing "Songbird" better. But Caroline cried. She had clamped his hand between hers and sobbed uncontrollably. He patted her cheek as the minister freed 25 white doves that flew away. Then it was the vows. They were very none spontaneous and cliché, but Caroline continued to cry. When Marissa said, "I do", he himself felt something inside him. A flutter of something. Those words meant so much. Three letters would change this couple's lives.

"I love weddings" Caroline whispered as they got up to leave.

Next stop was toasting the couple in the sun room.

"I have to warn you, every wedding doesn't have Canadian pop stars and white doves" Stefan told her kindly.

"That isn't the point" she sighed.

"You have mascara under your eye."

"Oh, shit."

"It's okay. I'll wipe it off."

Caroline stopped and looked up at him. Stefan carefully placed his finger close her eye and rubbed softly. Her eyes were the bluest he had ever seen. The tears had made them deeper. Her hair blew in her face, across her lips, over her chin.

"There" he said. "It's gone."

He cradled her face in his hands, holding her face to his. He didn't know why. He couldn't explain it, he just wanted to look at her.

"Are you happy?" he asked softly. "Was this a good wedding to crash?"

She bit her lip.

"Yes."

"Good."

He let go of her and blinked against the sun. He didn't feel like himself.

…

"What a wonderful service" the young woman said.

Caroline nodded.

"Yes, wonderful."

"I'm Kat Nelson. Jason's wife."

Caroline smiled. She had no idea who Jason was, but tried to look informed.

"Caroline" she said and extended her hand.

They had just sat down to dinner. The appetizers looked dreadful, but tasted alright. And they were probably very expensive.

"And this is your boyfriend?" Kat asked, gesturing to Stefan who was talking to the old man who had looked down Caroline's dress.

"My husband" she replied. "Stefan Salvatore."

"Oh" Kat said, raising her eyebrows.

She was surprised. She didn't believe that someone like Stefan could be married to someone like Caroline. Of course. It wasn't a big shock.

"You make a very beautiful couple" Kat said, smiling.

"Thank you."

"So, are you friends of Marissa or Patrick or their dads?"

Caroline laughed.

"Stefan went to college with Marissa."

"Oh, really? Did they date?"

"No" Caroline answered a bit too quickly. "Well, I don't think so."

Kat smiled.

"They probably didn't, Marissa didn't date much back then. She just slept with guys."

Caroline giggled in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she looks like perfect little princess today, but she wasn't always" Kat sighed. "She was much more fun back then, though."

"You've been friends a long time?"

"Yeah, since High School."

"Well, I hope Stefan didn't sleep with her" Caroline concluded.

"Who didn't I sleep with?" Stefan said.

He had appeared behind her. She felt a tingle in stomach.

"Marissa."

"Nope" Stefan said.

Caroline shook her head. This was an absurd situation.

"Stefan, this is Kat. Kat, this is Stefan."

They shook hands.

"I'm Jason's wife" Kat said.

"Oh, right. Marissa's brother."

Caroline caught his eye. He looked proud of himself. She wondered how he figured it out.

"We better eat" Kat said. "The next course will be in soon."

…

The dancing began around eleven. And it was formal. Very formal. Caroline guessed that suited the attire. She stood against one wall and watched the flowing dresses over the dance floor. Kat, who turned out to be an excellent guide the life of the rich, pointed out who was married to who and who were cheating on their wives. Stefan stood on Caroline's other side. His shoulder brushed hers.

"Excuse me" someone screamed in their ears. "I must dance with you."

They turned it. It was the bride. And she was drunk. Caroline could smell it on her skin as she reached out past her to grab Stefan.

"Guess I can't say no the bride" Stefan smiled.

They disappeared into the crowd. Caroline watched them.

"How long have you two been married?" Kat asked.

"Not long" Caroline answered vaguely.

"No, I would guess not. You both look so young."

Caroline smiled.

"Stefan's not that young" she said, hoping he was listening into their conversation from the dance floor.

Only he would understand the humor in that statement.

"How did you meet?"

Caroline met Kat's eyes. And her mind went blank. She couldn't come up with a single story that would end with someone like Stefan marrying someone like her. The seconds went by. She started to panic. And then she decided to go the truth. Or something like that.

"He used to date my best friend" she said.

"And you stole him?" Kat asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.

"No, God, no. You can't steal anyone from Elena. She broke up with him. They had been dating for a really long time, we all thought they would get married and be together forever."

Caroline saw an image of Elena and Stefan together in her head, the perfect couple.

"What happened?"

"She fell in love with his brother."

Caroline's flicked the dance floor, but she couldn't see Stefan anymore. He probably wasn't listening to her. He had his hands full with a drunk bride.

"Ouch" Kat said empathetically.

"Yeah, I know."

"Who would dump him though? His brother must be a real catch."

"Damon's good looking in a dark, brooding way, I guess."

"Not your type?"

"No, not really."

She found Stefan with her eyes. Marissa was hanging over his shoulder.

"And then what happened?" Kat asked.

Caroline dragged her gaze away from him.

"I was going to visit my dad, he lives in Memphis, and I made Stefan go with me. I thought it would be good for him to get out of our small town" she began. "So we took his car and drove away. After visiting my dad we decided to make it into a road trip and we drove all over the South for a few weeks."

"And you fell in love?"

Caroline swallowed. Everything she told about this story had been true so far, here came the lies.

"I guess so" she said and smiled weakly.

"And this Elena girl, how did she take it?"

Caroline bit her lip.

"Not well."

Kat snorted.

"She should have known better. The grass isn't always greener on the other side!"

Caroline agreed. She turned her head to watch Stefan again. He smiled at the drunk Marissa and she laughed at him. No, Caroline thought, the grass could never be greener than Stefan.

…

Stefan handed over Marissa to her new husband.

"Sorry" Patrick said.

"It's okay" Stefan smiled.

He left Patrick to give Marissa some coffee or something. If he didn't, she would probably fall asleep any second.

"Did she puke on you?" the girl named Kat asked when he had made his way back to Caroline.

"No, I left the privileged to her hubby."

"Caroline just told me how you two met" Kat said.

Stefan smile politely and tried to catch Caroline's eye. She looked away. He wondered what she had said. Probably something from a chick flick. Maybe he was in a band and she was a groupie. He would ask her later.

"Hi darling" a man said.

It was Jason. Stefan had spoken to him for a second earlier. He seemed nice enough, even if his suit probably cost more than Stefan's car.

"Hi dear" Kat replied, kissing him.

"How 'bout a dance?" he asked.

"I'm good. But Caroline might be up for it."

Caroline shook her head.

"I can't dance" she said quickly. "Well, not waltz or whatever it is."

Jason smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll lead."

She looked pained as he led her onto the dance floor. Stefan smiled.

…

"So, a road trip?" Kat asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Caroline told me that you two fell in love on a road trip. That's very romantic. Jason and I met a work meeting, very boring."

Stefan smiled politely. Caroline had told the truth. No, he corrected himself. Not the truth. They weren't in love. But she had taken events from their life. Maybe she had just done it make it easier for him, he didn't have to lie.

"Yeah" he replied, he didn't know what else to say.

"She's really something."

Stefan sighed. Caroline was giggling, holding onto Jason and trying to look like she knew what she was doing. He felt the tingle of something again.

"She really is."

"You really love her, don't you?"

He looked away. Away from Caroline. Away from Kat. He nodded.

"I can tell. She really loves you too, she couldn't keep her eyes off you."

Stefan stole a look at Caroline. Her beautiful dress moved as she danced with Jason.

"I always feel like being with husband when I see that kind of love" Kat said. "I'm going to steal him back from your wife."

Stefan nodded. He felt strange. He needed some fresh air.

"Want to go out for a bit?" he asked Caroline when she reached him.

She nodded.

…

Caroline felt hot as she sat down on the green bench. The estate had its own lake. She wondered if they had built it or if it was natural. It looked nice in the moonlight. She wanted to dip her feet in the cold water.

"You okay?" she asked.

Stefan had looked more worried that usual.

"Yeah" he breathed. "Just needed some air."

She nodded.

"Kat's nice."

"She seems great."

Caroline nodded. She didn't know what to do. Something had changed between them, she could tell. It was tension. And she didn't understand it.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

She shook her head, but he removed his jacket anyway and placed around her shoulders. She didn't object. She liked having his smell on her.

¨You told her about the road trip" he said softly.

Caroline tilted her head.

"Yeah. It just seemed easier."

"Easier, how?"

"Easier than coming up with some story."

"No" he said. "I don't buy that, Care. You're good a lying, good at improvising. You made a couple in Nashville believe that we were looking for a departed mother, but you can't make up some love story?"

She watched him carefully. He didn't look worried, she realized. He looked something else, she had never seen this look on his face before.

"Julie and Bill were easy, they wanted to buy that story. Kat wouldn't have believe if I told her that we met at the grocery store and you immediately fell in love with me and we kissed by the milk."

"Why not?" he replied quickly.

His stare was so intense that she had to blink. His face was sharp in this light. She wanted to touch him.

"Because people like you, don't fall in love with people like me."

Silence fell between them. Caroline stood up. The jacket fell off her. She just couldn't stand that statement, the truth of it. She needed to get away. Maybe they should just go home right now, not to their guest room, but to Mystic Falls. Elena was single again. She and Stefan would get back together. Caroline could throw them a engagement party. Everything could be just like before. Before Caroline had fallen in love with him.

"Who do people like me fall in love with?" he asked.

He stood up too and handed her the jacket. She took and slipped her bare arm into the soft sleeves

"People like Elena."

They hadn't said her name out loud in so many weeks that it felt weird. They had ignored her existence, but she was always there. She could tell that by the look on Stefan's face. Caroline wanted to scream.

"Sorry" she whispered. "I shouldn't have brought her up."

"It's okay."

"No, I'm sorry. I keep messing up."

"No, Care" he said. "You're doing everything right."

He leaned in and kissed her. Caroline didn't understand, but she kissed him back. She wrapped herself around him and let her mouth meet his. She didn't get why, but he was kissing her and she was far too in love with him to stop.