AN: Okay, so this was sooner than I expected. It's a very dear chapter to me and I hope it will be for you too. Writing Caroline's and Stefan's POV is refreshing and it makes me smile throughout the writing process. I don't know why, but their story just flows naturally. I know that they don't get too many chapters in their POV and that's not because I don't like to write them, because I love doing that, but it's because this story is Damon's and Elena's. However, there are going to be some more Steroline chapters in the future of this story and I can only hope that you're excited about it. As always, I'm amazed by the number of followers and reviews I've gotten so far because I didn't think this story would be appreciated. You guys are truly amazing and I hope you're going to stick with me and this story until the very end because I honestly couldn't have put together this story without you. Thank you! Enjoy this chapter and drop a review!

Don't let go

Never give up, it's such a wonderful life

Don't let go

Never give up, it's such a wonderful life

It was just past eight in the morning when Caroline's phone rang and she stirred nervously in her bed. Well, not exactly her bed. She was in Elena's apartment, as she insisted not to sleep with Stefan for the last week before the wedding. And finally it was the big day! She jumped out of bed and before doing anything else, she smiled a big and authentic smile that reached her eyes.

She was so happy. She was marrying the man of her dreams and nothing and nobody could take this away from her. Not that something could be taken away from Caroline Forbes. No sir, she was so sure of herself, that it was impossible for someone to fool her.

She danced to the bathroom and flashed herself a smile in the mirror. Looking around, she wondered which product she should apply on her flawless skin first. She had been staying at Elena's place for only a week, though she carried her bag with at least fifty products in it. She couldn't allow a zit or something else to appear on her face.

After doing her routine, Caroline wandered back to the bedroom and grabbed her bag, deciding to wear a pair of ripped jeans and a t-shirt. She was taking a cab to the hotel anyway. Giuseppe insisted that their wedding take place at The Plaza, which was one of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels in New York City. Caroline was more than happy to agree with him; she and his son, Stefan, weren't getting married everyday after all.

Caroline fished out her phone and dialed a number as she bit her lower lip in anticipation as she waited for Stefan to pick up. After it rang six times, she hung up and frowned. Why wasn't he answering? He always answered for her and now he didn't. She dialed another number and this time she was successful.

"Elena. Thank God!" She let out a stressed breath as she heard her friend's voice.

"What's wrong, Caroline? I had another hour scheduled for my sleep." Elena's voice was hoarse and she knew she woke her up. "Hang up, 'Lena..." Damon mumbled annoyed.

"Tell your boyfriend to shut up. Listen, can you come and pick me up?" The blonde asked as she applied some lipstick on her already pinkish lips.

"You said you'd take a cab." Elena mumbled and to Caroline, she seemed annoyed but she couldn't care less. She was her maid of honor and she had to be by her side.

"Please, 'Lena. Plus, you're my maid of honor, you can at least do that." She practically begged, and Caroline Forbes, soon to be Salvatore, did not beg!

"Okay, I'll take Damon's car. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Caroline pressed another button on her phone and hoped that Stefan would answer this time, but when he didn't, she threw her phone on the bed and let herself succumb into the soft mattress, sighing as she did so. Something was definitely wrong.

"Hey, are you ready?" Elena said as she made her way into the bedroom almost thirty minutes later. She was late but for the first time, Caroline didn't notice.

"Yeah. Elena, sit! I want to talk to you." The blonde patted the place next to her on the bed and she noticed Elena's frown as she did as she asked.

"What is it, Care? Are you okay?" Elena asked and she seemed worried for her. But she had no reason to be. Not yet, at least. Not until she talked to Stefan and make sure everything's okay.

"Stefan's not answering his phone. I called several times and he just doesn't. He's never done something like that, Elena." Caroline ran a hand through her perfectly curled hair.

"He's probably sleeping or on his way to the hotel. Don't make such a big deal of this, Care."

"What if he doesn't want to marry me anymore?" She asked, her lower lip trembling as tears started to prick her green-blue eyes.

"Caroline, Stefan loves you more than anything in the world. Everyone can see it. And the way he looks at you, I wish someone would look at me like that. You two are more than perfect together, you're born for each other. So don't think like that. I'm sure he's just nervous and busy." Elena put her hand over Caroline's and smiled softly.

"Do you really think that?" Caroline blinked a few times, as if to let her friend's words sink in. Stefan had to love her, otherwise he wouldn't have proposed to her. Hell, what was not to love about her? She was witty, dazzling, beautiful, classy and she had a smart mouth. Everybody loved Caroline Forbes.

"Of course I do." Elena nodded her head and a smile soon danced on Caroline's lips. Yes, Stefan loved her. He was just busy. "Oh my god!" Elena jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Caroline frowned and looked after her friend for a moment, before shrugging. Well, that was weird.

Five minutes later, Elena emerged from the bathroom and retook her seat next to the blonde. Her eyes were narrowed and watching Elena carefully, like she always did whenever something was wrong. Her radar was beeping and on red.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"Nothing. I think it's Damon's food that made me sick. He wanted me to try out a new recipe from the Internet. I don't even know." She made a disgusted face and Caroline rolled her eyes at her.

"Elena, you got to stop letting the asshole put whatever he wants in your mouth!"

"Caroline!" Elena gasped and the blonde giggled, amused by her joke.

"'Lena, earlier, when you said you wish someone would look at you the way Stefan looks at me...you meant Damon, didn't you?" Caroline raised an eyebrow as she watched Elena twiddling with her fingers.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You love him, don't you?" The blonde asked and this time she was as serious as she could about it. She could see how Elena looked at him and not just lately, but from the first few weeks since she had seen them together. And as much as she hated to admit it, the two of them looked good together and Damon wasn't that bad. She could even get to love him as a brother someday.

"Yes." Elena's answer was more a whisper, but Caroline didn't need more. "But I don't think he will ever feel that way about me. He just wants me for sex."

"I don't think that. He's asked you to move in with him, it can't be just sex." Caroline rolled her eyes.

Well, it was obvious that Damon loved her too, but she couldn't just open her mouth this time and tell Elena that. She would just give her more hopes and what if Damon wouldn't admit it to her? She would have to do something about it, sooner rather than later. And what better chance than at a wedding, where love was in the air? The blonde hugged herself with glee as she knew now what she had to do.

"Well, I know that he cares about me but I also think it's far from love. Whatever, let's go. This is your day, not mine." Elena said as she stood up but Caroline jumped right into her friend's arms, soothing her as she knew better.

"Thank you so much, Elena. You'll see, everything is going to be all rainbows for you. Soon." The blonde smirked her fabulous smile and grabbing her bag, followed Elena outside the apartment.

"No, Damon, I can't do it!" Stefan paced around the room, running his hands through his now tousled brown hair.

"Stefan! Shut the fuck up and compose yourself." Damon hissed through gritted teeth. Stefan felt like the air didn't fill his lungs. He sat on the big couch in the hotel suite and stared at the wall.

"Damon, I can't marry her. What if you're right? What if she's a gold digger who doesn't love me? I don't want that for myself."

"No, she's not!" Damon snapped and Stefan looked at his brother and frowned.

"Since when do you like Caroline? And how do you know she's not?"

"I don't particularly like her, but I can live with her being my sister-in-law. Oh, Stefan, do you really think I haven't learned anything after Katherine?" Damon rolled his eyes and Stefan sighed.

"I don't want to ruin my life by marrying someone that doesn't love me like I love her." Stefan said and he felt the chains in his head stinging.

"You better go out there and marry Caroline, Stefan. You are not going to hurt her like this just because you're an idiot who doesn't think his future wife loves him. Do not fucking dare to hurt her!" Damon shouted.

His brother was right. Caroline wasn't like that. She wasn't a gold digger and he loved her more than anything. He couldn't live without her and of course he was going to marry her. Yes, she was the right one for him.

"Damon?"

"What, Stef?" Stefan saw his brother running a hand through his hair and he knew he was angry with him.

"Why are you defending Caroline like this? You don't like her."

"Because I know how it feels when someone leaves you and you're in love with that person. It sucks, Stefan, big time. And you're not going to do this to Caroline. As bad as she can be sometimes, I know she loves you."

"You're right. I am going to marry her. I don't know what got into me. I guess I'm just nervous about the wedding. You don't get married everyday." Stefan said and he stood up, facing his brother. Damon walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"That's true. I wish you the best, brother."

"When am I going to see you do the same thing?" Stefan asked. He really wondered when his brother would have the guts to admit that he loves Elena. It was crystal clear and everybody who looked at him could tell it, just not Elena, or so it seemed.

"When she's ready." The words echoed in Stefan's head like they had been said at least three times.

"You mean...Elena?" Damon nodded shortly and Stefan couldn't help but smile. His brother was finally happy with a great woman. Seriously, what more could he ask for?

"I love her, Stef. And she told me she loves me."

"Does she know?" Stefan asked.

"No. I couldn't tell her. But she'll find out when I give her this." Damon reached into his pocket and held a black velvet box in his left hand. Stefan already knew what that was.

"You're going to propose."

"Yes, soon." Damon admitted and Stefan shook his head, suddenly realizing something.

"You know what happened the last time you walked around with an engagement ring in your pocket, right?" When he saw Damon's smile fall, Stefan realized he made a mistake by reminding him of Katherine.

It was a rainy night when Damon stormed into Stefan's room at the Salvatore mansion, anger boiling inside him and pain written all over his face. He was on the edge of crying when he told him he was ready to propose to Katherine right when she told him that she doesn't love him, that she never did. That night was the night when Stefan saw a part of Damon fading, a part of his own flesh breaking and hurting. And that night, Stefan started to hate; to hate Katherine for breaking his brother the way she did.

"Elena's not like that." Damon sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Stefan pulled Damon into a hug and he reciprocated. "I'm happy for you, brother."

"Let's get you married, big guy."

"You look perfect!" Elena stared in awe at Caroline as she did a pirouette. The blonde was so happy, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She was getting married in less than an hour. The blonde dragged Elena into a hug, brushing her hands over her back.

"I am so happy, Elena!"

"I know. And I'm happy for you." Just when Caroline was about to open her mouth, her mother entered the room and stared at her daughter like she couldn't believe she was there, in a wedding gown.

"Care Bear..." Tears started to prick at the woman's eyes and Caroline jumped into her arms.

"Don't, Mom, don't cry! No one's going to cry at this wedding." Caroline pointed a stern finger at her mother as she pulled away from her hug. If she kept doing this, her dress would be crumpled when she got to the altar.

"You're right. I am just so happy. Elena, sweetie, it's such a long time since I last saw you."

"It is, isn't it? Like an year and a half. I'm sorry I couldn't come see you when we were in Mystic Falls, Liz, I had a little accident." Elena said as she hugged Caroline's mother. The blonde couldn't stop smiling and mostly, she couldn't stop staring at the big clock on the wall.

She walked over to the immense window and leaned against it. For the first time in her life, she had New York at her feet. And not just New York, but the whole world. It was all she had ever dreamt of; to be successful and to marry a handsome, smart man. And she was getting all these things today and she couldn't help but let her heart beat frantically in addition to the huge smile that she had plastered on her flawless face. She was getting married. She was actually getting married in…minutes! She turned her head to the door just in time to see her father waiting for her.

She stepped away from the window and before she could walk out the door with her father, Damon entered the room smiling and for a moment, she wanted to go and hug him. But then, she wondered, what was he doing there, right before the wedding? The beat of her heart slowed down and she was yet again afraid.

"Caroline..." He mumbled as he stepped closer to her.

"No Blondie? Oh god, this is bad." She whispered and she noticed a smile playing on his lips.

"No, not bad. No Blondie right now. Look, I have something for you. I talked to Elena and she told me you girls must have something blue at your wedding. I figured I could take care of this." He said as he pulled out a red velvet bag and out of it, a hair comb with dark blue little diamonds. She let out a gasp.

"It was my mother's. I'm sure she would be proud to see you wearing it."

"Damon, I...I can't take it. You should give it to the woman that's going to be your wife." And she damn sure was looking at Elena as she said that, but her friend didn't notice or she was just faking it.

"Don't argue with me about it. I don't think I'm getting married any time soon, Caroline. So you go there and marry my brother, wearing this." Damon said and she couldn't help but smile as she hugged him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He wasn't as bad as he wanted to seem. He was just a man who's been hurt too many times to trust people.

"Thank you." She whispered and the next thing she knew, Elena was behind her, arranging the comb in her hair.

"Ready?" Her father asked as he came closer to her and extended his arm for her to take.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She sucked in a big breath and locking her elbow with her father's, they exited the suite and walked behind Elena, Damon and her mother.

The doors opened and Caroline was faced with her biggest dream as her father slowly led her down the aisle, towards the man she loved. Stefan's smile was big and genuine and she couldn't wait to get to him and just hear his breath accelerating as the priest read their vows. And just when she blinked, she was standing in front of him and was putting her tiny hand into his. Like a gentleman, he stooped and gently brushed his lips against her hand. She smiled and felt her legs weakening under his stare, but turned to face the priest as Stefan held her hand, his thumb drawing circles inside her palm from time to time.

"We've gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two young men, Caroline Anastasia Forbes and Stefan Antonio Salvatore."

Caroline glanced at Stefan and the look he gave her was the only reassurance she needed to know she was, indeed, making the right choice by marrying him.

"And you begin your journey of life shared, separate beings that have come together into one light, one love. Many are the years you will share if you keep your vows, your sacred trust. May the sacred winds whisper joy into your life. May you take delight in each other for all your days. You are forever changed from this day forward. May this fire of love kindle your passions for each other throughout all your years. May your love rise anew, an eternal flame to light the day. May you grow old together and share a happy home." The minister said as everybody in the room was quiet, listening to the beautiful ceremony.

"Do you, Caroline Anastasia Forbes, take Stefan Antonio Salvatore to be your partner in all things, to love and trust, care for and cherish?"

"Yes, with all my heart."

"Do you, Stefan Antonio Salvatore, take Caroline Anastasia Forbes to be your partner in all things, to love and trust, care for and cherish?"

"Yes, with all my soul."

They turned to face each other and Caroline's eyes were full with tears, but she couldn't care less about it. She was happy and no one and nothing could take that away from her.

"Caroline," Stefan started his vows, "when I first saw you, I was mesmerized by your beauty and by your intelligence. Although I thought that you were insane at first, you totally swept me off my feet with every little gesture of yours and every single thing you said. You brought light into my life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, cherishing and adoring you. I love you."

"Stefan, from the very first time I laid my eyes on you, I knew that you were the right man for me. Your charm, the way you talk, the way you look at me like I'm the only girl in the universe, all these things made me fall in love with you. You've dug and keep digging your way inside my soul and you've settled there and I want to keep you there forever. I love you."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The minister said as the two of them exchanged rings. "You may kiss the bride."

Stefan's arms circled around Caroline's waist as he sustained her fragile body into his arms and brought his lips to hers in a gentle, full of love and adoration and everything they felt for each other kiss. Soon, the people in the church started to clap their hands and breaking the kiss, they turned to face everyone. Caroline's bridesmaids, Bonnie and Elena were sitting near her, smiling and wiping away their tears and the blonde couldn't help but notice how Elena was looking at Damon. She was lovestruck and it was crystal clear and though she knew that this was her wedding day, Caroline needed to do something about it. She couldn't just stand by and keep her friend in the dark.

Stefan's eyes traveled around to everyone and they stopped on his brother, who smiled at him and nodded his head shortly, reassuring him that marrying Caroline was the best thing he could've done. If it weren't for Damon earlier in the day, he probably would've ran for the hills. And then, next to Damon, there was his father, Giuseppe, smiling and looking really happy for him. Stefan never doubted his father. Though he knew that he never treated Damon well, Stefan loved him and had a very good relationship with him.

"Brother," Damon stepped towards Stefan as everybody walked around, trying to congratulate them. "Congratulations. I wish you all the best, you'll need it."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked as he stepped aside from Damon's hug.

"Oh, didn't you hear that after the wedding the sex is close to nothing? Enjoy it while you still can." Damon smirked and Stefan shook his head, amused.

"Elena's coming. She looked really emotive about the wedding. And she was also looking at you in a way that cannot be explained. She loves you."

"Congratulations, Stefan. I wish you all the best in the world. Take care of Caroline and make her happy." Elena said as she hugged Stefan and he reciprocated.

"I will, thank you. You take care of my brother." Stefan whispered into her ear as he saw Damon stepping aside, walking towards Caroline. Elena flushed as she nodded her head shortly, not saying anything else.

"Blondie," Damon smirked as he pulled his sister-in-law into a warm and sincere hug. Caroline smiled. For a while, she thought that Damon had hit his head. It was good he was being back to the way he was, she liked him better this way.

"Salvawhore. I need a word with you."

"Sure." Damon frowned as Caroline said this and she dropped her arm from his. "What is it?"

"Later. I have to get all the good wishes now. You go and find Elena. We're going upstairs in a few minutes." Caroline smirked and by the way Damon looked at her, she knew that he understood what she was saying; the party was getting started.

Caroline and Stefan were out there, on the dance floor, being watched by everyone in awe as they swirled round and round into a set of sensual, slow and perfectly synced movements. Stefan's arms were around her tiny waist, gently squeezing it from time to time during the first dance of the evening, while her head was leaned against his shoulder. She could feel everyone's eyes burning into the back of her head but she could only smile and embrace herself with glee; they were all there tonight to see how happy she and Stefan were.

Stefan couldn't hide his happiness as he heard Caroline whisper into his ear soft and full of tenderness I love you as they stopped dancing when the song ended. His grin was from ear to ear and his eyes were illuminated by all the love he felt for the woman in front of him. She was finally his wife, he could finally love her the way he wanted, cherish her like she deserved and have a family of his own. A new future arose for them and this was only the beginning of a long and beautiful life together with their loved ones.

"May I?" Caroline and Stefan broke their stare at the same time to look at Damon who had his hand extended to the blonde, requesting a dance.

"No shenanigans, Damon." Stefan warned, but the smile never left his face.

"I figured I could play nice for one night." Damon returned his smile and when Caroline put her tiny hand into his, she was swirled off on the dance floor and was lost in a crowd formed now by people dancing enthusiastically.

"You're a beautiful bride." Damon stated and Caroline smiled fondly. He could actually be sweet when he wanted to, she realized. Elena was right.

"You're not bad yourself, Salvatore."

"Hey, you're a Salvatore too, now. Don't mess with our name." He winked playfully and she couldn't stop grinning like an idiot when he said that; she was truly married to Stefan, the most mesmerizing and amazing man she had ever met.

"Listen, Damon, I need to talk to you...about Elena." Caroline pulled a serious expression on her face and Damon started to roll his eyes when she playfully stepped on his foot.

"Look, if you're going to bash on our relationship again, I'm asking you not to. I'm not in the mood for fights, especially with you, on your wedding day."

"Damon, shut up and listen to me, before Elena comes around and I cannot talk anymore." Caroline hushed him and for the first time since she knew him, he didn't comment.

"Whatever you two have, figure it out. I can see how Elena is looking at you; she watches you like you're God, and let's be serious, we all know you're anything but that. And I also notice how you look at her. It's obvious that you feel something for her, Damon. And you must act on it, before she makes a bad choice and thinks that you're not into her, because you are." Caroline sighed. It was so hard to explain to someone, much less to Damon or Elena, how loved they were.

"But while you're into her, or whatever you feel for her, Elena...Elena loves you, Damon. She's utterly and completely in love with you. And she cries about it, and she is actually tearing her own heart apart by staying with you and expecting that one day, you'll tell her what she needs to hear. You have no idea how hard it was for her to come back to you and take that big of a step. It might have been a joke for you when you asked her to move in with you, but it wasn't for her." Caroline's words seemed to have gotten to him because the blonde noticed how his face changed, from surprise to shock and from shock to awe.

"So you better do something about it, Salvawhore, before she slips through your fingers like sand."

"Caroline, I-" Damon started and soon was interrupted by Caroline, who eyed him suspiciously.

"I don't care how you're going to handle it, but you got her here, you get her out. If you hurt her, I swear, I'll cut you."

"I love her!" Caroline's eyes widened as she heard the words; surely, she shouldn't have been so surprised about it, she already knew he felt something for Elena, but she didn't expect him to admit it, and much less to admit it to her.

"Then tell her! You two love each other and don't even have the courage to admit it? Silly people." She rolled her eyes, surprised of how idiotic people in love could be. She was nothing like that. She didn't lose chances, she took it moment by moment.

"It's not that easy." Damon shook his head and Caroline wanted to shake some sense into him.

"Love's easy when it's shared. Remember that." She said, grinning from ear to ear as she winked playfully to her brother-in-law. She should be a matchmaker!

"I think Elena's going to give her speech now." Damon said as the clinking of a glass was heard. Elena rose to her feet a few meters away from where Caroline was with Damon and smiled widely.

"Oh, about that. Don't you ruin my wedding by saying something you shouldn't say!" Caroline hissed but she couldn't help to burst into a fit of giggles. Before getting an answer from Damon, Stefan was by her side, holding her hand and Damon left and took his place next to Elena, who took a big breath and started talking.

"I've known Caroline my whole life. We've shared every single moment of happiness, every heartbreak, every pain caused by whatever reasons there were. She's been by my side whenever I needed it, and I needed it most of my life. I may have failed her a couple of times or I might not have noticed when she was sad or in need of her best friend. Caroline is beautiful, intelligent, emotive, understanding; she has all the qualities a woman should have. She's also a perfectionist and likes to do things perfectly. She can be mean sometimes, but it's part of her charm. I must say that most of the times, she's an inspiration to me. She's always been the strong one, the one who was always first on everything. You might think that I'm jealous of her, but I am not. I am so proud that she's become this kind person and I hope that she will never change."

"When Stefan appeared into her life, I thought she would change, but she never did. I knew that they were made for each other and they accept each other with their flaws and their problems and everything that comes with the rest of the package. It's amazing to see that she's met a man who loves her more than anything and who is ready to give up everything to see her happy, because I know that Stefan is capable of that and much more for the woman of his dreams." Tears started to flow freely down Caroline's cheeks as she listened to her friend talk about her and she couldn't not notice that Elena was crying too.

"Please, Caroline, never change, because you're beautiful and amazing just like this, like you are now. Don't ever let someone tell you that you're less than special, because you're not. I hope you live a long and happy life with the one you chose to spend the rest of your life with. I love you." As Elena finished her speech, everyone started to applaud and the blonde ran and hugged her friend, like she did so many times before. She was so lucky to have her in her life. Elena had helped her so many times, when she needed it the most and she couldn't picture a life without her sister in it.

As Stefan was ready to have another dance with his wife, Damon cleared his throat behind them and announced that he was going to give a speech himself. Stefan's eyes widened at the news, because last he heard, Damon didn't want to talk at his wedding.

"I'm not going to take much of your time. I won't be speaking about my little brother and how much I love him, because that's probably obvious and let's be honest, he's not the newest addition to the Salvatore family. The first time I met Caroline, I thought we weren't going to be able to stand next to each other without throwing daggers at each other, but with time passing, I've realized that she's a great girl and honestly, the best one that there is for my brother. She makes him happy in a way that I've never seen and I hope to see him like this for the rest of his life. Whatever you are doing, Caroline, don't stop it, because you two are amazing together and I know that my mother would've loved to see you two together. Welcome to the family, sister!" Damon finished his speech by raising his glass towards Caroline and Stefan and they couldn't do anything else but smile and enjoy the rest of the wedding.

They couldn't have asked for more in their lives. Everything was perfect in the way they wanted it to be, and they would now have forever to love and take care of each other.