Author's Note: Apologies that this took so long to post. Real life got in the way big style. I've decided I shouldn't do multi chapter fics anymore because I can't keep them updated as often as I would like. I'm going to work on one-shots instead. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed. I would really appreciate if you could leave feeback so I know where I'm gonig wrong and what to put right next time. Thanks for your time!

Epilogue

It was exactly as she had always imagined it. Fairy lights twinkled over head, a band played softly in the corner and all their friends and family lined the aisle. Every seat filled. Not a dry eye in sight. He stood at the front, beaming from ear to ear as walked gracefully up the aisle.

All the planning, all the sleepless nights, all the arguments, they had been worth it. She was a married woman. She was his and he was hers and nothing was ever going to change that.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sound jarred the peacefulness, bringing her back to reality. For a moment she was unsure of her surroundings. Two deep breaths and she readjusted. It was happening more often. The dreams were starting to creep back in. Becoming longer, more real. Yet she refused to get lost again. In part, that was the reason for the alarm. She went out and found the most obnoxious sounding one. It was set for the same time everyday so no matter what was happening in her other life, she would always be brought back home.

All the same, it made her sad. That life, the dreams, they were how she had always envisioned her life. Before the vampirism of course. The perfect job, perfect husband, perfect life. It was happy. But she understood why she went there. Her reality had been falling apart and she needed to escape that. So at first, she struggled to understand why the dreams were returning. Everything was going perfectly for her. She had took proper time to grieve for Bonnie. She had reconnected with her mom after the distance the dreams had caused. And more importantly, she was back in college and doing well. Then she realised, she had let months go past and hadn't even sent so much as a text message to him. She hadn't meant for so much time to pass, life had simply got in the way. The more she thought about him, the guiltier she felt and the more vivid the dreams became.

It some ways it became comforting. That there was a version of theirselves who were happy. Without the worries of supernatural tragedies. At least this time she knew they were just dreams, and more importantly, how to stop them consuming her; she just had to reach out to him.

But after so long, how? Email? Text message? Both seemed so distant. Phone calls and visits could be inconvenient to him. In the end she decided a simple text message would suffice as the first step. Nothing too demanding and he could reply at his own convenience.

But what to say?

She sat phone in hand for an hour staring at the black screen of the text message before the words came to her. They weren't perfect but they were a start.

Too long has passed. Maybe I could visit Nola now that college has finished...?

She regretted sending it instantly. What if she had been too forward? What if he had moved on? It had to happen sometime. Despite what he said, she doubted he would actually wait forever.

She quickly stuffed her phone in her bedside drawer, vowing not to look at it all day.

She was weak though and it was merely two hours before she dared look. She cursed herself for not being able to resist for longer.

She tapped the side button and Bonnie's smiling face lit up the home screen in front of her and sitting at at the bottom was the telltale speech bubble. A couple of quick yet shaky taps and the message was open in front of her.

Be ready to leave tomorrow. A car is on its way to you. And Caroline, I cannot wait to see you.

She should have been annoyed that he didn't consult her about when she should visit but in truth, she didn't care. She just knew she had to see him. If only to make the dreams stop. She knew she couldn't keep hoping for a new dream each night, a new chapter in their story. It had to end.

She was still packing when the car arrived the next day. Her room was strew with clothes. Never had she put so much thought into her outfits. Nor had she ever been so unorganised. She squashed her suitcase shut and said a rushed goodbye to her mom, promising to call as soon as she was in New Orelans. She didn't know how long that would take. The lack of details she actually had scared her a little. She always had everything planned to the last detail.

It was a short drive to the airport where a private plane was awaiting her. Someone was there to take her bags. A glass of champagne was waiting for her next to her seat. and a stack of gossip magazines lay on the seat opposite. He had thought of everything she would need to make the journey quicker. She couldn't help but smile. She sipped the champagne as she flicked through on the magazine while the plane took off. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy and before she knew it the magazine had slipped from her hand and she had nodded off.

When she awoke, they had landed. The cabin crew were stood around, as if waiting for her. How long had she been out? And then something struck her, she hadn't dreamt. Or at least not that she could remember. No glimpse into her alternative life with him.

She barely had time to process what it meant before she was bundled into another car with blacked out windows. She was pretty certain that the driver was a werewolf; he definitely wasn't a vampire. There was a resentment in his eyes like he wasn't an overly willing servant of Klaus.

It was only a short drive to his mansion. She could see it all the way down the street. She just knew it was his the moment she laid eyes on it. As she climded out of the car, it towered above her. It was beautiful. And terrifying. All her life she had dreams of a small, family home. not something this grandeur. And for a moment she wondered if all this was a mistake.

And then he walked out. He slowly descended the steps of the porch. No vampire speed used, no need to rush. Just time to really appreciate that they were finally in the same place.

"Caroline." It was breathy and full of disbelief.

She was speechless but the fear she had felt had vanished instantly.

He gently twirled a lock of her hair round his finger, tugging at it slightly before bringing both of his hands to her face and pulling her in for a kiss.

It was long and slow and nothing like any she had shared him in her dreams.

He was the reason the dreams had stopped. Being with him was all she needed.