Because you're you-and I'm me

A/N: I had no idea this story would get such amazing feedback! I love you all. And to answer some people's questions, Klaus will be out of the picture for a while. So…time for Daroline goodness! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own the vampire diaries. *pout*

~VD~

"Damon? Where have you been?" Stefan asked, hugging him. Damon was shellshocked, to say the least. He blinked at him.

"Took a little roadtrip." He said, still staring at Stefan curiously. "What has gotten into you?"

"I was worried." Stefan admitted, grudgingly. Damon couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thought I might have offed it?" Damon asked empathetically.

"I do love you, you know? You're not completely alone." Stefan tried.

"Thanks Stefan." Damon couldn't help but smile. "Thank God I still have you." He sighed. Stefan's brow furrowed.

"So you didn't find Caroline?" He asked, sadly. Damon shook his head.

"It's been a week. I haven't seen her beautiful face in over a week." Damon sighed. Stefan just shook his head.

"Didn't she want to go to some kind of a concert with Jeremy and Lucas?" Stefan asked, skeptically.

"If she had, she'd have been back 5 days ago. They were planning to spend the weekend there. Because of school, you know?" Damon sighed. Internally, he was shocked that he remembered so much about their conversations.

"So…what are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I'm going to ask around if anybody has heard of how she's doing. Simple as that." Damon shrugged.

"You're not going to give up?"

"Not yet."

"When will you?"

"I don't know." Damon shrugged.

~VD~

Caroline's eyes flew open, and she gasped. She couldn't hear or see anything yet, but every part of her body ached. She blinked a couple of times, feeling numb. She tried to take in her surroundings, but was instead met with a searing pain. What had happened? She tried recalling the last thing she remembered. In her mind, visions of Casper in pain seared past her. She had killed him. How long ago had that been? She wondered, feeling unsure. She blinked again, finally seeing some hard edges, and outlines. All around her was dust, rubble and piles of stones. As she blinked more, her vision became clearer, but she couldn't speak. Her throat was bone dry. And as she looked herself down, she didn't see a single part of her body that was left rid of blood. She was drenched. Caroline wasn't sure how much of it was her own, but she was surprised she had lived. The question was, would she survive any longer, staying out here? She had no way to go back but to walk. She was damn sure Klaus had taken their car when he left her.

Klaus. It drifted back to her. The way he had betrayed her. She didn't want to cry. She was done crying, and even if she wanted to, it would have died in her mouth. She was alone. She was still going to die. Even if she had killed Lucifer and all his men, she'd still die alone. All alone. She tried moving her arm, but found she couldn't. She had no more strength at all. She couldn't scream, she couldn't move, she could only watch. Watch, and feel the pain. Involuntarily, her eyes started to water.

~VD~

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Jeremy asked, confused. Bonnie shrugged.

"If she had to channel me, it means she was very close to death. Now the fact that I haven't heard from her isn't helping…but I think she…didn't survive." Bonnie mumbled, feeling tears well up.

"But…wouldn't you get some kind of 'witchy vibe' if she was dead? Caroline explained something about that once."

"I have no idea what you mean." Bonnie wrinkled her forehead.

"She said…ugh…never mind."

"I'd get used to a long period of time without Caroline, if I were you." Bonnie said, locking eyes with him. She was shocked when she saw a tear in his eye. Since when did Jeremy cry? That was new.

"Are you crying?" Bonnie asked, astounded. Jeremy shrugged.

"Whatever…" He shook his head, trying to turn his head away. She cupped his cheek.

"I think it's adorable you miss her." She smiled. Jeremy's lip quivered.

"She was my best friend." He stuttered. She caressed him further, until he calmed down.

"Relax. She is your best friend." Bonnie soothed. Now it was Jeremy's turn to wrinkle his forehead.

"But you said…you think she…you." He stuttered. Bonnie smiled.

"She'll find her way back to us. It'll take her a while. She'll come back. I just know it." Bonnie smiled. Jeremy looked at her, full of hope. She felt terrible, lying to him. Truthfully, she had no idea when or if she'd see Caroline again. But she couldn't stand to see Jeremy sad.

"Okay. You want to head to the grill?" He asked, trying to change the subject. Bonnie nodded, enthusiastically. He wrapped an arm around her, guiding her away from the schoolyard.

~VD~

"Alaric. Tell me one thing. Why be a history teacher? Your other job is so much cooler." Damon said, sighing, before sitting down on the bar stool next to him. Alaric looked at him, condescendingly. Then he snorted.

"You're kidding me, right Damon?" He asked.

"Uh…no. I'm bored." He said, while winking at the bartender, who came rushing.

"Bottle of bourbon. Give me the strongest you got." He asked, smiling. She smiled back. She was pretty. She'd make a nice meal. Alaric obviously saw his thoughts written across her face, and smacked his arm for it.

"She's somebody's Caroline." He said. Damon stared at him, feeling mad. How did Alaric know?

"What did you say to me?" He asked, skeptically. Alaric stared him down.

"You heard me. Somebody loves her too. It would be wrong to kill her."

"Sheesh. Caroline's gone. She's not coming back. She hates me. Why should I care if somebody else's
'Caroline' lives another day or not?" He asked, to humor Alaric. He was already sure he wasn't going to kill her. But Alaric needn't know that. Alaric sighed as he tried to explain morals to Damon. Damon just sipped his bourbon.

~VD~

Caroline was still lying in beds of rubble. She was sure she was getting closer to death every second. She could feel the life drain from her. Never had she felt this weak before. Even when she was tortured, she always had the ability to move, to scream. Now all she was, was a bystander, having to watch as she was fading away, powerless to do anything. At least no one would see her. But no one would come to help her either. She sighed.

Then she heard it.

A gasp. A female clearing her throat. Caia. She hadn't killed her. She'd only knocked her out. That wasn't good. Caroline tried to be as still as possible, maybe she wouldn't notice her. Maybe she'd just leave. But Caia was a witch. She'd had to know if there was a heartbeat, that it was hers. Still, Caroline begged, begged to an unknown power. She had never been religious, not since she found out about the supernatural, but maybe somebody would hear her.

She was wrong. She heard footsteps, walking her way, and a voice clearing her throat.

"Well, lookie here." A dark, Rumanian voice said.

~VD~

"Where's Elena? Don't you have a date with her today?" Damon asked, when Stefan was sitting in the parlor, reading. Stefan looked up at him, sadly.

"She broke up with me." He sighed.

"Why? Oh, let me guess. She found the picture. Told you, you should have burned it." He shrugged, pouring himself some bourbon.

"She got back together with her ex. Said a human would be better for her." He rolled his eyes.

"Caroline said you're just like a human. You only heal faster." Damon said, trying to be encouraging. But thinking of Caroline only made him feel terrible. He needed to mask it.

"I know you miss her like hell." Stefan said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I got over Katherine, I'll get over Caroline." He shrugged.

"Good." Stefan said, and then left the room, leaving Damon standing by himself. He sighed, in frustration. He didn't want to get over Caroline. He wanted her to come back, so he could apologize for being so stupid, and beg her to forgive him. But she wouldn't come back, would she? This sucked.

~VD~

Caroline kept her eyes closed, trying to not let Caia see the pain, and also to let it be over with quickly. She couldn't move, after all.

"Not so tough now, are we?" She smiled, slapping Caroline in the face. Why was she still alive? Why was her death going to be so painful? Why couldn't she just go down with the house? She coughed up some blood. She felt terrible. Every damn part of her body ached. She was paralyzed. She was completely powerless.

She wanted to think of a way to find, focus her mind, but all she could think about was Damon. She was inevitably going to die, no one was going to save her but herself, and yet she thought about the stupid vampire.

Damon.

I love Damon.

It hit her with a massive amount of force. She felt her soul leaving her body, only thinking about him. He was the guy she loved. The one she wanted to be with. She loved him.

Caroline Forbes loved Damon Salvatore.

And he was going to live forever, thinking she didn't, because she hadn't been ready. She was ready now, but she was going to die. Why did fate hate her so much? Why couldn't they ever let her be happy? She didn't know.

But it was all going to be over soon. Her vision started to blur again, but Caia slapped her. She blinked a couple of times.

"You're so dead bitch. You killed him! You killed Casper." She yelled in her face. "Any last words before I blow your head off?" She asked, seething. Caroline coughed some more, then whispered hoarsely.

"I'd do it again." She closed her eyes, hoping for it to be quick and painless, keeping her mind on Damon. She wondered if she'd ever see him again. Damon. His blue eyes. All she could think about was Damon. He'd never take her back. So, in a way, death was welcomed.

But nothing happened. What was taking Caia so long?

"You shouldn't have said that, now I'll have to make it hurt more." She whispered, angry.

"You're not going to kill her." Caroline heard someone say. Her eyes flew open one last time, and then she lost consciousness.

Caroline knew what she saw. How had this happened? What was he doing here?

In the back of her unconscious mind, she registered being picked up, and carried away. She didn't know whether it was for the better, or if she'd only be brought to a worse place. But something lit up inside her. Hope.

Hope for a future with Damon.

~VD~

This chapter is done. Who do you think is Caroline's savior? It's not Damon, I'll tell you that much.