A/N: Look at that! I managed to write a new chapter! I feel like I need to apologize one more time for not updating like I should, but I am having a hard time to get into the Vampire Diaries writing mood lately. However, a photoset of Caroline just happened to come across my tumblr dash and it made me wanna write Caroline. I'm working on the next chapter, but have no idea when it'll be finished. Until then, enjoy the update!

"How do you think your brother's going to be able to help Rebekah?" Damon asked that Friday afternoon. He was killing time with Caroline at the shop, watching her while she was stitching a dress together. Caroline licked her lips before looking up at him.

"Elijah's a private investigator," Caroline answered. "I mean, he has resources. He can help her in ways that other people can't, in ways that I can't. And he'll be really great moral support for her, because she needs someone else to lean on besides just me. He'll talk her into going to therapy and he'll generally be there for her."

"She has you."

"Yeah, I know that, Damon," Caroline answered, looking back down and continuing to sew at the dress. "I know she has me, but have you ever been in a difficult situation and needed someone to lean on?"

"Kinda," Damon answered. "I don't like to talk about it, but my dad…he and I didn't get along. He…well, he liked Stefan a hell of a lot more than me, and I was a really big disappointment to him. He used to say things."

"Oh, Damon," Caroline said softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's okay," Damon said. "I don't like to talk about it, and I don't like to think about it. I don't like the looks of pity I get."

"Believe me, Damon, I can totally understand that," Caroline answered. "But can you understand why Rebekah needs the support of her family right now?"

"Yeah," Damon answered. "But what happens when her ex shows up and tries to kill her or something?"

"I don't think that's gonna happen," Caroline answered. "But after Nik knows about her situation, she's going to come and stay with us. I'm going to let her have the spare room until she's ready to live on her own again. After Tyler and I broke up, it took forever for me to be able to live on my own again."

"You don't live on your own," Damon pointed out. Caroline nodded.

"I know," she said, getting out a needle and thread to do some hand-sewing on the dress. "I was never really up to living alone after everything I went through with Tyler. But I've lived in my house since before Nik got out of the service, and he just moved in with me after a few months. But I lived at Mother's house for the longest time. And I refused to live in my house until I got my security system."

"And Lizzie?" Damon asked.

"Well, I got her on my way out of Chicago with Elijah," Caroline answered. "And I know she's trained and everything, but I needed the extra security."

"I'm sorry," Damon said, after a moment of silence. "I know I've never said it, and I know you probably don't wanna hear it, but I'm sorry for everything you had to go through. Nobody should have to go through it, especially someone as compassionate as you."

"Thanks, I guess," Caroline said.

"I mean it. You've been through hell in your life, and nobody should have to go through that. I wish I had been there – I would've never let you go through any of that."

"There wouldn't have been much that you could've done," Caroline answered honestly. "But promise me that you won't feel guilty for not helping. You couldn't have helped me the way that I needed to be helped. I mean, I was ten when I went into the system, and you were only twelve. Stefan told me that your dad kinda shut down after your mom died, and he couldn't have helped me, either. You guys were dealing with your own shit at the time, and I get that."

"I know," Damon answered.

When the clock struck four, Caroline put the dress away and started getting ready to leave. Esther usually came into the shop on the weekends, but since April was still staying with Caroline, she had told her she'd come into the shop this weekend to be there. Whenever Esther came in, she usually just took orders and didn't really sew, mostly because her arthritis had gotten pretty bad as of lately. But Caroline knew that April could help her fill orders. She was out today because she was going through a depressive day. Caroline understood that completely.

Caroline already had her duffel bag in her car, and Damon followed her home so he could park his car there. They decided to take Caroline's car, and she started the drive to DC.

The drive lasted an hour and a half, and it was almost six o'clock when they arrived at Elijah and Rose's house. Damon wasn't sure what the house would look like, but he was still surprised. The house was rather small. Big enough for a couple who had only been married a few years, he supposed, but he had pictures Elijah living in a bigger place.

"Care!" Rose greeted Caroline at the door, giving her a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Are you drunk?" Caroline asked her. Rose just laughed.

"No. I got the best news today," she said. "Hey, Damon," she greeted him, hugging him too. Damon just froze.

"Don't be like that," Rose said. "I can still be your friend…right?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah. This just seems kinda weird to me."

Rose laughed.

She led them into the spare room, where they were going to be sleeping, and Damon and Caroline put their things in there. Then they met Elijah in the den.

"Hey, guys," Elijah greeted them, closing his laptop. "It's good to see you guys together."

"Yeah, things are better," Caroline said, settling on the loveseat that Elijah kept in there. Damon settled down beside her.

"Would you like a drink, Damon?" Elijah asked. Damon looked over at Caroline nervously.

"You should," Caroline said. "Elijah only gets the best bourbon, and I know how much you like it."

"But what about you?" Damon asked.

Caroline shook her head, "I don't drink."

"Well, duh," Damon answered, "I know that. What I meant was, do you mind if I do?"

Caroline shook her head again, "Nope. As long as you don't drink enough to get drunk, I'm good."

Damon nodded before looking back at Elijah, "Sure, then, I'll take a drink."

Elijah poured Damon a drink, and Rose came in and sat down beside Caroline. Elijah handed Damon the drink and then poured one for himself. Caroline looked at Rose, "So, what's your good news?"

Rose looked at Elijah and then grinned, "You're gonna be an aunt."

Caroline lit up, "Really? You're gonna have a baby?"

Rose grinned again, "Yeah, isn't it great?"

"That's really great, Rose!" Caroline said, leaning over to hug her sister-in-law. Rose laughed.

"Dinner should be ready soon," she said. "I've got a lasagna in the oven."

"So," Elijah said, once the excitement had died down, "You said this visit was about Rebekah. Did she come with you?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. She wanted me to do this, so I told her I would."

Damon cleared his throat, "She's at my house, with Stefan and Elena."

Elijah nodded as he took a seat in the arm chair kiddie corner from the couch. "What happened?"

"Uh, you know that guy she was seeing? Kyle?"

Elijah nodded, so Caroline went into the whole story. She told him about how she helped Rebekah cover up the bruises at the party at their mother's house and told the whole story up to when Rebekah was put into the hospital. She talked about how Rebekah had been staying with the Salvatores for a few weeks, and they had been watching over her as she healed. When Caroline was finished talking, Elijah was quiet for a few moments, mulling everything over.

"So, she was being abused," Elijah said softly. Caroline nodded.

"Why confide in you, I wonder?" Elijah wondered aloud. Caroline licked her lips nervously.

"I caught her covering up the bruises. I would've told you sooner, but she made me promise not to. I'm sorry I kept it a secret, but she was afraid."

"To tell me? Why?"

Caroline took a deep breath, "She was afraid that you were going to be disappointed in her."

Elijah's features softened, "Really?"

Caroline nodded, "I tried to tell her you wouldn't be, but she hates disappointing anyone, let alone you."

"Why me?"

"Because of the fact that you practically raised her after your father left. She looks at you like a father figure, even though you're her brother. Elijah, we need to do something to make her safe."

"And have you thought about inviting her to move in with you?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, but first we need to explain things to Nik. I'm just worried."

"You're worried that Niklaus is going to do something stupid, like try to kill the bastard, right?" Elijah asked. Caroline nodded silently.

"Don't worry about Niklaus," Elijah said after a moment. "I'll take care of everything."

-x-

They had a really great weekend at with Elijah and Rose. Caroline was happy to spend time with her family, and Damon was always happy when Caroline was happy. Caroline spent Saturday afternoon with Rose at the flea market, just looking. While Caroline and Rose were out, Damon thought it was a good idea to connect with Elijah.

"I'm glad Caroline came to her senses," Elijah said to Damon while the football game was on. Damon looked at him quizzically.

"I mean," Elijah continued, taking a swig of the beer next to him, "I knew Caroline loved you. Hell, everybody sort of knew. But nobody in our family knows Caroline better than Niklaus and I. We could see the signs for a long time."

"Then why'd she run?" Damon asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"When we first got Caroline, she was fourteen. Everybody she had known had hurt her in one way or another. Has she opened up to you about anything that happened in foster care?"

"A little," Damon answered.

"Well, Caroline learned early on that people are nice to her when they want something, but after that…well, it isn't so great. She had been really hurt, and she learned a long time ago that she needs to separate her emotions. She's really great at it, if you haven't noticed already." Damon nodded, so Elijah continued, "Caroline's turned into a great person. She doesn't like to hold grudges, even though she would be justified in doing so. When she realized that she was in love with you, she went with her instincts, and her first instinct was to run."

"I love her, too," Damon said. Elijah nodded.

"I figured as much. You know, I'm really proud of Caroline for giving you a chance. Mother was so worried that Caroline would never try to date again after what happened with Tyler Lockwood. He really hurt her."

"How do you do it?" Damon asked suddenly. Elijah just watched him, so Damon elaborated, "I mean, she's been hurt pretty badly. She's scared most of the time. She's got all those locks on her doors, that dog, that alarm system, and can't even live alone. You must be angry with the people who hurt her the way that they did."

"It does," Elijah admitted. "It angers me very much. Did she tell you that the father of the first foster family had been a pastor?"

Damon was shocked, "No, she didn't."

"Yeah. The thing is, he's supposed to be one of the good guys, you know? And if you can't trust a pastor, then who can you trust?"

Damon nodded.

"It took a long time for her to open up to us, and even longer for her to trust us. I think about what she went through sometimes. I wish there was a way I could do something to make the foster care system so much safer than what it is right now. I mean, there are going to be bad people out there, there's nothing you can do about that. But kids need more people they can trust, especially when most of the kids go into foster care for abuse in the first place."

Again, Damon nodded.

"I guess I just try not to think about it. I have something in the works, though, when it comes to Tyler."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

Elijah shook his head, "I'm not sure of anything yet, but if my investigation goes through, you'll be the first to know."

"I thought that you closed your last case. That's what Caroline told me."

"That's true," Elijah admitted, "but this is more of a side project. Something I'm doing for my family. You see, Damon," Elijah said, looking at him carefully, "Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it."