Yes, I know I'm in the middle of a really long hiatus from 'Resilient' and a lot of people will probably wonder 'what the hell is she doing?'. The answer is: way too much. Studying, working, living... So, while I'm doing my best at getting the last chapters of my beautiful fic out there for you, I just had some ideas during my various writer's block periods that I felt the need to put online. This is the first of them. Hope you like it, and that it helps with the long wait. Thank you for reading, xx.
Save me in a year
AU Humanity-free Caroline, set from canon in TVD 6x16 but takes off from there. Stefan and Elena agree to let Caroline have her one year of a humanity-free life after she threatened to kill Sarah Salvatore. But Stefan has one last trick up his sleeve and he hopes that will be enough to bring Caroline back once and for all; calling Klaus Mikaelson.
Just kind of had this idea and couldn't stop thinking about it until I wrote it down... So, here it is. Will probably be short, just a handful of chapters. But I had to upload it so that it would stop occupying my mind.
- Klaroline, Carenzo, the rest tbd.
- No Steroline
- Maybe Bonkai, maybe heretics, haven't decided yet
I do not own the characters nor plot or anything else from the TVD or TO universe, this is only a fiction based on them - meaning that some things will follow the storylines initially set both pre and post this fic's timeline. Aside from those parts, the story is mine alone. This will be the only time I write such a disclaimer but the same goes for the entire story.
Chapter 1: Give me a year
Ugh, empty.
She turned the glass upside-down, catching the final drop with a groan as she waited for the bartender to turn her way. Needing her distractions to continue, needing something to keep her busy… Before her emotions tried to get to her conscious and convince her that she had made a horrible mistake.
The only entertainment she had for the time being was the words etched into the wooden banister above her.
"Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die."
She recognized it as a saying from the bible, but found it was not enough to still her mind. The humanity switch had worked just as planned, having put up a wall between herself and her emotions. But that was the problem with walls, they could be climbed, broken down… And those pesky feelings she was so desperately pushing back? They could come flooding in at any moment.
Which was why she had to keep her focus, to actively shut off the parts of herself that wanted to feel. The parts of her that wanted to call Stefan…
And that was something she definitely couldn't do. Because the moment she saw that stupid head of hero-hair and those kind eyes and the sweet smile - he would work as the wrecking ball necessary to tear her wall right down.
Checking the time on a clock nearby in the bar, she noted that it had barely been a few hours since she left Elena at the floor of her mother's house.
Or… She supposes it would be her house now.
Shaking herself quickly, she ignored the echo of a shudder from the bare reminder. No, she was determined not to be brought back from the brink so soon. The day of her mother's funeral hadn't even passed yet and she would be damned if she didn't make it through her planned timeline. Having decided that she would ask her friends for one year, and one year exactly.
It would be perfectly poetic, really; for a year, she would be young and free and careless and then she would start dealing with her mother's passing.
Made sense, right?
One year. One year to simply be, to not feel anything. Not the shame about kissing Stefan, nor the loss for her mom, no guilt over being a vampire - nothing. And hell, she not only needed it, she deserved it. After the past few years, she was overdue with a break.
Why couldn't Elena get that?
Gritting her teeth, she immediately forced herself to stop thinking. Because her tendency to over-think would inevitably lead to her tendency to feel - and we couldn't have that.
"Hello…" she sing-songed as the bartender finally turned away from the current patrons and glanced around the bar. "I'm empty." she declared as he met her eyes, shaking her glass in the air for demonstration. "Fill, please."
The young man grimaced at her as he fidgeted with the towel in his hands. "I think you've had enough." he decided as he stepped closer, bringing her to put the glass down firmly.
"Look at my face." she told him before he could move away, pointing to her expression as she spoke. "This is me straining to care less about what you think." she said, taking a moment to give him the poutiest frown she could possibly manage. Only to straighten up with a chuckle. "Nope! I can't." she revealed as she raised her hands and grinned.
The guy joined in shortly with a snicker before his face turned concerning and serious. "Okay, I'm gonna call you a cab." he said, eager to walk away but stopping as she grabbed his arm and turned her to her again.
"Here's the thing." she began as she let him go, sure that he was focused on her now. "My mom just died. As in I just put her dead, cancer-riddled body into the ground…" she did the math quickly from double-checking the time again. "… Four hours and thirty-two minutes ago."
He stared at her with a suffering sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss." he said, sounding genuine as he did. But he was clearly missing the point, she didn't want his pity - she wanted alcohol.
"Oh, no no no. I don't care about that." she insisted firmly. "I'm just saying that my feet have been crammed in the world's most uncomfortable heels for an entire day and your tequila is the only thing that seems to be helping."
The mildly startled look in his eyes as he blinked in surprise made her raise her eyebrows impatiently. "Okay." he muttered, putting the towel away and giving her a short glance before nodding to himself. "I'll grab you another drink."
"Thank you." she said with as much sincerity she could muster up, sitting back in her stool just as someone approached her from the side.
"Caroline Forbes… The girl from the swimming hole." a voice said as a young man in red showed up beside her.
"Liam!" she announced with an amused scoff, leaning into her palm as she rested against the bar-top. "The boy I totally forgot existed."
"Ouch, and I was just about to tell you how sexy you looked…" he teased with a smirk, making her chuckle as she grinned up at him in reply.
And just like that, it seemed that the universe was giving her the distraction she was looking for. "You are drunk." she announced with a cheeky scoff.
"Slightly buzzed." he admitted. "I'm getting my ass whooped in shuffle board upstairs."
"Oh, lucky you; I stood all day at my mom's funeral." she started leisurely as she adjusted herself in her seat, appraising him as she continued. "God, you're cute!" said, wondering how she could have missed that. "Are you a doctor yet?"
"Hang on…" he let out with a somber face. "Your mom just died?" he asked, the tone in his voice not at all what she was aiming for. Why had she mentioned the whole funeral-thing? Why weren't everyone else also humanity-less? They were all focusing on the wrong things here!
"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked, leaning closer as she eyed him seductively, the question seemed to throw him off as he visibly squirmed at that.
"I…" he drawled slowly. Was he looking for an excuse?
"What? Girlfriend?" she pressed. "We all know you're not dating Elena Gilbert…"
He chuckled in reply, glancing away shortly. "Why would I be dating Elena?" he asked, reminding her then that she once again had spoken out-of-turn.
Damn, this not-caring-thing was turning out to be kind of not great for her conversation-skills.
She shook her head in a snicker. "You wouldn't." she grinned in an attempt to smooth things over. "But even if you were, it wouldn't matter." she added, leaning in to play with the buttons of his shirt as she continued. "Because nothing matters. Not a thing…"
Her eyes turned up to meet his hooded gaze, smiling widely as she knew she had reeled him in then. Grabbing his hand as she pulled him with her out of the bar, moving across the street before pushing him into a shop window. He grunted in surprise before she tugged at him, drawing him back to her as she crashed her lips to his eagerly, holding onto his collar tightly.
Breaking away from the kiss, she took a deep breath as she had a vague sense that she should be doing something. Or thinking something… feeling something? But before she could come up with what, he was nipping at her neck as her hand braided into his hair. The scent of him suddenly making everything turn blurry as she felt his blood draw her in.
She pulled back with a dark grin, her face itching as she felt her vampire features displayed. Shock registering on him quickly as he gaped at her. "Caroline… What?" he began in surprise before she swiftly moved in and ripped into his neck with her fangs.
The sounds of protests eluded her as the blood quickly filled her mouth. Bringing her body to hum in approval as she dug in deeper, feeding aggressively and enjoying the way it felt. To completely let go. To be free.
His body grew heavy as she continued, pulling back with a smile as she looked at him. However, the logical part of her crept in. Reminding her of the dangers of acting so sloppy, to run around dropping bodies all over Whitmore… And just like that, she got an idea. This strange balance she seemed to be doing on the wall between her humanity and herself, feeling like the slightest wind could knock her over and make her feel again, it didn't have to be like that.
Because she was smart. She could go through this year entirely emotionless, all the while remaining fully in control.
So, she pushed off of Liam and compelled him to forget. Giving him the tiniest bit of blood, just enough to heal him - but not so much that she would accidentally turn him, she hoped. Turning away as she continued down the dark street, deciding that if she wanted to have her fill of her first humanity-free life - she would need to spread it out on various victims. A sip here and there, and no one would be left drained on the pavement.
It was the perfect plan.
"… besides, we have a roommate without humanity and in severe need of an intervention."
The voice nearly brought Caroline to a stop as she overheard the conversation from the hall. Making sure to push back the tapping on that brick wall of emotions, she straightened her back and entered the dorm room without giving either of her friends as much as a glance their way. Even the recently resurrected one that she knew she should be excited about having back. She just couldn't feel it. She didn't want to.
Let in the good feelings and the bad ones will follow.
"Caroline." Elena said in surprise, stammering a little as the blonde in question struggled with the door. "You're… here."
"And you're perceptive." she scoffed as she passed them in long strides. Placing the shopping bags in her hands on the bed and letting out a sigh.
"What are you doing?" Elena tried then, the insecure voice really getting on Caroline's nerves.
Had it always sounded like that?
"Starting over. New Everything… " she announced as she began digging through the bags absentmindedly. "New sheets, new clothes… Hey, I even got us a new blow dryer."
She turned to show the box off and blinked shortly as she quickly schooled herself to stay calm. "Oh my god. Bonnie's back." she said matter-of-factly. "Hi… I thought you were trapped in 1994."
"I got out." Bonnie chuckled lightly, shrugging as she looked her over.
"Huh." Caroline said at that, nodding in thought as she wondered when the rest of them had stopped filling her in on things like that… Or had they always kept it that way? Had she always been the last to know?
"Uh, we-we've been worried about you, Care." Elena stammered silently.
"Me?" she scoffed as she held up some other findings from her long shopping tour this morning. "You mean you were worried about those around me. Like, if I killed them?" she concluded, looking over her shoulder as she continued. "Okay, funny story. You remember Liam?" she began, turning to Bonnie as she felt the need to be polite and clue her in.
"Oh, Elena dated this pre-med hottie but then realized she still had feelings for Damon. So, she compelled him to forget they ever had a thing." she explained.
"What did you do to Liam?" Elena pressed with the hints of a scowl on her face.
"I ate him." she said leisurely. "And he was delicious…" she smiled at the memory. "You know how cute guys just naturally taste better?
"You killed Elena's ex?" Bonnie asked, sounding like she had just heard Caroline tell them that she had grown a second head and wings or something.
She scoffed with irritation then. "Okay, can I tell my story, please?" she pressed as she sat down and looked over at Elena pointedly. "Remind me why we're glad she's back again?" she asked, barely holding back an eye-roll as the doppelganger spoke then.
"Please, tell me that Liam is not dead."
"Fine!" she let out as she got both of their attention again. "So, I was feeding. And then that little voice inside my head that tells me when to stop? He never piped up." she said as she re-told the story. About how Liam had fallen into her arms, weak and stiff… Having considered draining him of his blood but couldn't quite think of the best way to dispose of his body. Leaving her inner epiphany out of it, she explained how she didn't kill the guy after all.
"I shut off my humanity, I didn't turn into an idiot." she pointed out at Elena's confused look, grabbing a bottle of champagne that the girls must have opened earlier - without her. "The last thing I want to do is give you a reason to ruin my life." she concluded as she sipped the champagne, gaining a 'huh' from the returned witch then.
"It's so weird. It's like she's Caroline. And she's not."
"Oh, Bonnie. How we all just missed your commentary." the blonde snickered in response. Standing up as she put the bottle down and continued. Making the demands she had decided upon last night.
"Anyway, in return for my good behavior; I want a year where I don't have to feel pain, or grief, or remorse." she told him with a friendly smile. "You're not gonna lock me in a cell and dry me out… And you're definitely not gonna try to trigger some latent emotion hoping to snap my humanity back on. "
"So, all you want is for us to leave you alone and then you promise not to kill anyone?" Elena pushed, looking skeptical - and of course she would, because in Elena's mind; no vampire was capable of that kind of control.
But Caroline knew that she was. And she felt she was being very reasonable and more than generous with her offer.
"That's all I want." she promised before continuing with a little more seriousness to her voice. "Now, granted, if anyone tries anything to flip my switch back on… And I mean anything… I'll become your worst nightmare." she told them firmly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Looking to both of her long-time friends as her words sunk in, she shrugged and smiled as she decided the matter was done with. "Great." she said. "I'm gonna get a latte." she decided and grabbed her purse as she started to head out. "See ya!" she called out on her way, letting the conversation to be finished with the door as it closed behind her.
She heard his voice and smiled, realizing that if anyone would not only understand but also aid in her newest life-changes; it would be Enzo.
Interrupting the conversation he was having at the sofas, she walked up and listened as they spoke of vampires. A part of her sounding like an alarm as it questioned why Enzo was exposing himself to a stranger this way.
What was his game?
It didn't seem like she was all that impressed by his confession, though, which only made Caroline smile even more. "It's okay." she said as she reached them. "The whole vampire thing is over anyway."
"Caroline." Enzo chimed as they both turned to her. Ignoring his smirk, she decided to dive right into it.
"Who is this nice girl we're divulging all of our deepest, darkest secrets to?" she pressed with a smirk.
"I'm Sarah." the girl introduced herself, the name ringing in her ears as the blonde recognized it.
"Sarah…" she said as she thought it over, spotting the camera equipment spilling out of the bag on the floor and putting it all together. "Photographer Sarah?" she perked up. "Stefan's-"
"Darling." Enzo cut in, bringing the brunette's attention to him as he swiftly compelled her to leave them. "You need a drink from the bar."
The act only made Caroline more curious, shaking her head slightly as she spoke even before Sarah was fully out of earshot. "It is so nice not to care what you're up to with that poor girl." she noted, finding it boring if it did not give her something. Entertainment being the first thing she had hoped to gain from walking up to the vampire in the first place.
Chuckling as she continued, she watched him with a shrug. "Old me would've been in such a moral quandary right now."
"Old you?" he echoed, looking her over as he seemed to already have noticed something different about her. She smiled at him, the look of realization in his eyes bringing her to grin even wider. "No, you didn't…" he muttered, sounding genuinely disappointed.
Too bad she didn't care.
"I did. Right after my mom's funeral. " she confirmed. "Thanks for coming, by the way." she quipped before turning amused again.
"Kidding!" she chuckled, waving a hand in the air. "I don't really care about that either."
"You're a laugh riot, aren't you?" he quipped back.
"I'm actually a little bored." she shared honestly. "Which is why I'm recruiting cute boys to come to Whitmore's warehouse party tonight. You like to dance, right?"
"Yeah, I love it." he said flatly, seeming very unimpressed with her new attitude on life.
"See you there." she smirked as she turned away, moving to carry on for now and leaving him behind.
This was exactly what she needed.
Loud music. Neon lights. So many dancing people that it was impossible not to bump into one.
And she'd found a particularly good-looking body rather easily as the party went on. Feeling like everything was right and good in the world as she enjoyed the heated glances from the guy she was grinding up against. He had nice arms and an equally nice smile… But she spied a face over his shoulder that made her narrow her eyes in warning.
Elena.
She had come, and Caroline could see the plan from a mile away as the brunette analyzed her from across the dancefloor.
Showing her dark features, she let her eyes change as she wrapped her arms around her dance partner. Showing a clear warning to her friend as she kept her from moving closer by easing back to her human face again. "I'm fine." she whispered, sure that Elena would catch it. Continuing to dance as it seemed her friend would leave her be for now.
And it seemed she was right about the cease-fire not lasting for long either, because soon she was being joined at the bar by none other than Stefan Salvatore.
He dropped a couple of shots before her, leaning back against the bar with a relaxed smile that bothered her deeply.
What did he want?
Following his motion, she accepted the shot and downed it quickly. Feeling pleased to see that he did as well, and that he wasn't saying anything. Yet.
One shot quickly turned into three. And so far, it seemed he wasn't planning on breaking her party-bubble. But she knew Stefan better than he knew himself, and she could easily see through the mask he held by her side.
Stefan Salvatore wasn't fun. He didn't party. He was a brooding, guilt-filled martyr with a hero-complex. And she wasn't going to buy any of his lies that easily. She just had to keep an eye open, and make sure he didn't try to lure her in.
If he did, she had a back-up plan already in store. One Enzo had incidentally delivered right to her all on his own.
Noticing his eyes following a student passing by in a kind of crazy cloud-looking onesie, she leaned back and snickered to herself. "Well, that's certainly a look." she scoffed.
"Don't be jealous." he smirked, sounding smug and flirty - and it was already making her angry.
Who did he think he was? Coming over with all this new swagger and being all charming all of a sudden? Did he hit his head and get short-term amnesia? Did he not remember how he literally chewed up and spit out her heart the second she offered it to him?
If Caroline wasn't already convinced that he had some tricks up his sleeve, she surely would be now.
But hey, he wasn't the only one who could flirt.
Chuckling with a wide grin as he smiled in return, she leaned in. "You know, you should smile more." she pointed out. "You're hot."
"Oh, thank you." he chimed, but she wasn't going to let him drag this out if he wasn't here to have some actual and real fun.
Which, of course, was very much not on par with the younger Salvatore lifestyle.
"Obviously you're here to babysit me." she pointed out, ready to test him further. "But I've had less attractive baby-sitters. Granted, they were old women and I was eight…"
"I'm not here to baby-sit you, Caroline." he shrugged, and she saw right through it.
"Yes, you are." she told him calmly. "You, Elena, Bonnie. You don't think that I can live a normal, humanity-less vampire existence without killing anyone." she concluded. "And you feel guilty for being such a royal ass at my mom's funeral."
"You're right. I was." he said with a nod. "Then, when I came to apologize and tell you how I really felt… you were gone."
"And now I don't care." she quipped, ignoring the tiny ray of hope that seemed to try and shine through her inner wall.
"But I do." he countered. "So let me tell you how I really feel."
Oh, no. He was not going to do this.
"I said, I don't care." she repeated firmly.
"I like you, Caroline." he told her.
"Stop." she insisted, looking at him with a serious look as she barely kept herself from pleading. But he wasn't done yet.
"I don't know when it became more than friendship, but it did." he continued on. "And it scared me, so I pushed it away. But here we are."
She shook her head slowly in disbelief… The nerve of him. To use her feelings in this way, and all to control her. To get her to do what he wanted, to live like he did… But they weren't all rippers, and it seemed he couldn't believe anyone able to not become one when having their humanity off.
And frankly, it was insulting.
"Wow." she drawled with a cold chuckle. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" she bit out. "Only took a couple of years, cancer to devour my mom, me to flip my humanity off… But you finally spit it out."
"That's good. Anger." he began with a nod. "That means you want to feel."
"No, Stefan, you know... It just means that I'm pissed." she gritted. "Now leave me alone."
"Hey, hey…" he said as he gripped her arm and tugged her back to him. "Let it in." he told her, imploring. "It'll hurt and you'll wanna die, but I will be here. I will help you through this. But you have to give me a chance."
She studied him in silence as emotions flashed across his eyes, his hand coming up to cup her cheek as he leaned in closely. "Please." he whispered softly as he stroked her skin. "Come back."
And god, was it tempting. She turned her head into his touch, moved closer as she felt the echo. The whispers of the love she held locked up deep inside for this man…
Until she glanced up and saw something else on his face, something that looked like triumph. He seemed genuinely pleased with having succeeded in reaching her. And it pissed her off.
Him too?
Pushing his hand away, she scowled at him darkly. "You shouldn't have done that." she spat out before hurrying away.
It was time to show all of them, once and for all, that she was being serious. And that they needed to back the hell off.
Caroline decided that her friends did not fear her quite as much as they should. But she knew how to remedy that, a phone call here and another there… And soon she had Sarah Salvatore walking into a trap.
"Enzo?" the young girl called out.
"Over here, love." she chimed, giving the accent her best possible attempt.
"Oh, sorry… I was looking for-" Sarah began, disappointing the vampire as she thought she had better imitation skills then that.
"Yeah, Enzo. I know." she sighed in her normal dialect. "He's not here right now, but we are."
"We?"
Getting off the bar-top, she walked over and dragged Liam out of the shadows of the dark and empty student hall. Having compelled him not to speak without her permission. "Yes, me and pretty little Liam here." she explained, noting the girl's impulse to walk out of there and hurrying to flash forward before she could.
"Ah ah ah…" Caroline sang tauntingly as she blocked Sarah's path. "I need you to help me send a message. Since apparently, the one I've made on a loop since last night doesn't seem to quite do the trick."
"What do you mean?" Sarah pressed, shaking her head in confusion.
"Well, if you're going to be such a buzzkill then I guess we can get straight to the matter at hand…" she snickered as she stepped closer, locking in on her eyes. "Follow me and don't speak until I tell you to."
With that, she showed them both through the corridor and to where the Augustine labs where hidden. Having prepared everything necessary, she soon got Sarah to lie down on a stretch and ordered Liam to grab the surgical tools and to stay ready for her signal.
The dark and pleased smile remained on her lips even as she called Stefan and made him meet her on the other side of the campus. Far enough from the impromptu surgery soon taking place that she was sure he couldn't swoop in and save the day. Not unless she allowed it.
She was opening a bottle of champagne when she heard their arrival. Apparently Stefan had brought Elena with him. Good, she thought. Maybe she could help him see reason.
"Where is Sarah?" he immediately asked as he scanned the dorm room closely.
"I see Stefan filled you in on his big secret…" Caroline noted with a casual shrug in Elena's direction. "She's not here, obviously. That would be stupid."
"Caroline…" Elena began, her eyes landing on the stack of suitcases by the floor. "What are you doing?"
"I'm teaching you a lesson." she smiled as she poured the champagne into three glasses. "Now, you have a choice to make here. Either you both take a sip of this presumably expensive bottle of champagne - which I snatched from the bar - and wish me good luck on my endeavors…" she began with a slow drawl, tapping at the phone at the dresser as she continued. "Or, our dear, sweet Liam is going to perform surgery on Sarah."
The dark-haired vampires both gaped at her as she smiled and spoke into the phone. "Say hi, Liam." she ordered, the compulsion making him stutter as he soon responded.
"I-I don't know what I'm doing here…" he stammered in fear.
"Well, that's what practice is for. Right?" she scoffed.
"Please, don't hurt me…" Sarah's voice echoed through the speaker as Liam's quickly followed.
"I don't want to do this!"
"Well, duh." Caroline snickered. "You'll probably get expelled and found guilty of murder. As long as you screw up, that is… But that's why I compelled you to do what I wanted."
Further protests and cries filled the background as Sarah tried to make Liam listen, clearly not understanding how compulsion works.
"Look, Caroline…" Stefan began as he took slow steps towards her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you."
"Obviously." she muttered, looking at the both of them with a cold smile. "I was pretty clear about that."
"I know you can't feel it right now, Care…" Elena chimed in gently. "But if you kill Sarah, it's going to haunt you forever. Trust me, I did it. And it sucks."
Wow, she thought as she looked up at her old friend.
"I compelled a student to perform surgery on Stefan's niece, and you found a way to make this about you?" she drawled in disbelief, laughing as she shook her head. "God, you truly have a gift, Elena."
"Look at me, Caroline…" Stefan pressed. "What do you want me to do? You want me to leave town? I'll leave town. I'll stay as far from you as possible. Just please, let her go."
"That's the problem, Stefan." she sighed in reply. "I already offered you all a reasonable deal. You're the one who decided not to live up to it."
"And I'm sorry about it, I thought-" he began, his voice really beginning to piss her off.
"Oh, I know, Stefan! You thought you were helping me by going against my wishes. Am I right?" she countered with raised eyebrows. "And clearly, you think you know me better than I do. And why wouldn't you? What with being a deer-eating ripper on the brink of mass-destruction every time you smell human blood. That so sounds like a person who can relate to someone like me."
"Okay, listen, Care." Elena sighed as she took a slow step forward. "It's not too late to go back to our deal, alright? Just, let Sarah go and we'll do what you say. We won't try anything. We'll give you your year."
Stefan turned to the doppelganger with a scowl. "What?" he spat out. "No! I told you we can't do that to her!"
"Oh, you've already talked about this then, have you?" Caroline noted with a chuckle. "Let me guess, Elena was the one who convinced you to try and get to me?"
"Actually, no." he said, surprising her as he turned to the blonde again with a frown. "I was the one who decided to try and break through to you. Elena wanted to leave you like this."
Now, that she wasn't expecting.
"Really?" she smiled, looking at her friend as those sad brown eyes were filled with guilt and sympathy. "I can't believe you did that, Elena… I'm actually glad to hear that you decided to listen to what someone else wanted for a change."
She turned to Stefan again at that. "Because that has always been the issue here, hasn't it?" she asked, walking over to him with narrowed eyes. "I remember a time where you would do anything Elena told you to. Even if it meant saving Matt from drowning and leaving her to die… Even if it meant letting her spend time, and then ultimately falling in love, with your own brother…" she relayed with a wistful sigh. "But for some reason, you can't seem to show me the same kind of respect. Why is that, Stefan?"
"I don't want you to ruin your life, Caroline." he said through gritted teeth.
"Then don't make me!" she growled, irritation filling her stomach with fire. "God! I am asking you for this one simple thing, just leave me alone for a year and I will come back. I will be sweet, caring, neurotic little Caroline again…" she offered once more, raising the glasses to them as she nodded to the phone pointedly. "So, what's it going to be, Stefan? Bid me a 'bon voyage', or plan a funeral for your last living relative?"
He looked torn as he studied her, staying silent a little too long for her taste and prompting her to call out then. "Hey, Liam!" she said through the speaker. "Do me a favor and cut out Sarah's spleen."
"Caroline!" Elena hissed in response.
"Oh, relax." she scoffed, rolling her eyes at her. "She can live without a spleen. You know, it's really the infection you should be worried about…"
The screams grew louder as they listened to Liam whisper apologies to the girl before following his orders. "No! Please, please! No, no…"
"Hey, Liam. Remember that conversation we had about being honest?" Stefan called then, confusing Caroline as he continued. "Tell me the truth, where are you right now?"
"No." she gritted just as Liam tried to reply. But Caroline's movements were quicker as she turned the phone off and looked at the vampires with a nod. "Last chance." she said with a dangerous voice. "Agree to my terms or collect your niece sans a few more vital organs. I'm thinking something a bit more poetic next… Like her heart."
"Okay, okay…" Elena stammered pleadingly, tugging at Stefan's arm. "We agree. Right, Stefan?"
He kept his eyes on Caroline as he thought it over, perhaps assessing his chances of convincing her… But he seemed to understand that it was futile, and with a slow nod and closed eyes. He wore a pained expression as he finally replied. "Fine." he said in a harsh whisper. "We'll let you go."
She grinned widely at that and pushed a glass of champagne each into their hands. "Well, cheers to me then!" she chimed as she raised her own before drinking it swiftly.
"Care-" Elena began with wide eyes.
"Oh, right." she chuckled as she re-dialed Liam's number. "Forgot." she snickered with a shrug before giving the phone to Elena then. "Go save them, I'll be gone before you know it."
The doppelganger acted immediately, taking the phone as she heard Liam answer and rushed out of the door to go after him. Leaving only Stefan as he brooded in silence - a look much more fitting for the Salvatore, Caroline couldn't help but think.
"Where are you going?" he asked silently, not touching his glass and causing her to frown before grabbing it and swallowing his drink.
"I don't know." she replied with a shrug as she finished off the last remaining glass and grabbed her bags. "But I do know that it's none of your business." she smirked, leaning into his ear on her way out of the dorm. "Do me a favor and water my plants for me, hm?" she chimed gently, patting his shoulder before passing him.
Smiling the entire way, she walked outside and got into the 'borrowed' car. Taking out her phone and writing an address in the GPS as she turned the engine. Ready to do what she had been dreaming of ever since she was young - and leaving Whitmore along with Mystic Falls in the rearview mirror.
"I'll see you in a year." she called out happily as she drove past the 'Leaving Whitmore' sign. Her heart thrumming with excitement as she glanced at the map open on her phone. "Next stop: Broadway."
Stefan sighed as he heard Elena enter the bar, walking to sit beside him where he nursed a glass of bourbon. "They're both safe now." she informed him. "Healed and compelled. Won't remember anything."
He nodded mutely, sipping his drink as he couldn't bring himself to respond. Not ready to accept how gravely he had messed up, the mess he had made… The hurt he had caused.
"This is all my fault." he sighed, closing his eyes in a frown as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's one year." she tried softly. "She'll come back to us. We just have to wait."
He shook his head at that. "She's going to hate me." he muttered.
"Caroline could never hate you, Stefan."
"She will." he scoffed. "After she finds out."
Elena became silent as she watched him then, taking her hand away as she tilted her head to the side. "Stefan… What did you do?"
He gulped down the last of his drink and stood up, leaving some money on the bar-top as he met her glance shortly. "I called someone." he explained. "Someone who will probably be able to help her in a way that I clearly can't…"
"Who?" she pressed, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Not after everything the person in question had done to the young vampire. To every one of them, really…
He was the villain after all.
To all but one.
"Stefan?" she said, imploring him to answer as she hurried after him through the bar. Stopping him in his path and looking up at him with wide eyes. "Who did you call?"
A frown formed his face as he felt the guilt and shame strike him. He had failed the one person that he cared the most about in this entire world… He deserved the hurt that would follow now. He had to let her go and he would. But the worst part was knowing, being certain, that she would respond to him instead.
It had been so long… It was possible that she didn't have feelings for the man anymore. Right?
But yet, even if he couldn't reach Caroline emotionally. He was the strongest of them all, and he would be able to fix her some other way. Of that he was sure.
"Klaus." he finally admitted, earning a look of terror from Elena as he did. "I called Klaus."
Like I said, this idea just kind of got stuck in my head. If you like where it's going or if you see the potential in it that I do - let me know in the reviews. It really helps break through the writer's block. xx.
