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Chapter Text

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Caroline had gone through a lot in her life and a lot of it seemed to involve a certain doppelganger that was the 'damsel in distress' extraordinaire.

Until she became pregnant with Alaric's twins and everything changed. She loved her daughters more than anything in the world.

And it broke her heart to see Hope lose both her parents in just a small span of time, and she wanted to help the girl that was suffering far too much for a child of her age but that did not happen.

No, instead, she woke up the Junior Year of high school as a human.

Yeah, that wasn't going to work, if she was experiencing her past again, she was not going to be vulnerable.

It was time to start planning - sorry, Elena but you're on your own this time - She was no longer a pawn to be used at Elena’s beck and call.

Caroline was going to survive to see her daughters again. And she was going to do it her way.

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Chapter Text

Caroline closed her eyes, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.

Klaus was dead.

He sacrificed himself for his daughter and while it hurt to know he was gone, she was proud of him.

Proud of who he had become for his child.

A part of her regretted that she never gave him a chance when she was younger but she was practically a child then.

Someone who struggled with her insecurities and with life in general. And that's not to say she had it all figured out now, she could admit that she still had problems.

She was forever 17 both physically and mentally but she had been forced to grow up for her daughters.

For herself.

She knew why Klaus did what he did. She would do the same for the twins.

They were her babies. Maybe they weren't hers biologically but she gave birth to them. She raised them.

She watched them develop their personalities and watched them learn their powers.

Not to say it wasn't difficult because it was. Having kids was difficult but it was also rewarding.

And now, they were 13 and were shaping up to be amazing young women.

But in the end, Caroline was scared.

She was scared that she wouldn't be able to stop the merge. That she would lose one of her daughters.

That terrified her more than anything else. So, yes, she knew why Klaus sacrificed himself.

If she learned that she would have to die to save the twins from death, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Caroline walked into the twins' shared room. And saw them both laying together.

"Mom," Lizzie said in greeting from where her head rested on her twin.

"Girls," Caroline replied, softly.

Josie frowned at her mom, sensing her distress. "Mom, are you okay?" She asked, sitting up as she stared at her with a concerned look.

"I'm okay," Caroline said, reassuringly.

"Why are you lying?" Lizzie asked, bluntly. Josie's eyes widened and she whacked her sister on the back of her head. "Ow! Mom, Josie hit me!"

"Don't be insensitive then," Josie said, giving her twin a look.

Lizzie sent Josie an offended look, "I was not-"

"Girls," Caroline interrupted, sternly. "Enough."

They both gave her sheepish looks. "Sorry, mom," They chorused together.

Caroline just smiled, shaking her head.

"I am okay, I'm just a little stressed is all," Caroline said, lying.

"Why?" Josie asked, worriedly. "Is something wrong with the school? Or-"

"Josie, everything's okay, I promise," Caroline said, giving her eldest daughter a soft look.

"Maybe, you should have a spa day in Hawaii, that will help with your stress," Lizzie said, giving her a speculative glance. "And you should bring us along because we're your amazing daughters."

Josie facepalmed.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at Lizzie. "Are you telling me to vaca in Hawaii for my stress or because you want to go to Hawaii so you can avoid your finals?" She asked, feeling amused.

Lizzie gave her an innocent look.

"Because you're feeling stressed, of course," Lizzie said, blinking up at her.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure," Caroline said, humor shining in her eyes but then, she shook her head. "I'm fine, girls. I think I'm just a little tired."

"If you're sure," Josie said, softly.

Caroline smiled, "I am," She replied.

"Mom, can we go on a shopping spree sometime soon?" Lizzie asked, hopefully, and Josie nodded excitedly in agreement with her twin.

Caroline gave her youngest an amused look.

"How about this, you do well on your finals, we go on a shopping spree?" Caroline suggested."Deal?"

"Deal," The twins agreed.

"Ok, good night, girls," Caroline said, kissing them both on their foreheads.

"Night, mom," Josie whispered, laying back down.

"Night," Lizzie said, laying down next to her twin.

Caroline smiled down at them as she got up. She left the room, turning off the light. She headed back to her room and got ready for bed.

When she laid down, she stared up at the ceiling, plotting for ways to help Hope maneuver this new world without her parents.

It was going to be difficult but she would help her to the best of her abilities as would Ric.

Caroline turned off the lights and went to sleep.

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Caroline's eyes opened slowly as she tried to push past how tired she was.

Wait, she was tired? Sure vampires could get tired but not to this extent.

Caroline paused as she realized that her bed wasn't her bed and her room wasn't her room.

She sat up abruptly.

The room she was in was something from her memories. It was the room she grew up in.

"What the fuck?" Caroline whispered in disbelief as she looked around.

The next thing that caught her attention was her hunger but not for blood.

That wasn't possible.

Caroline stumbled out of bed as the horror of her situation set in.

She felt weak. She couldn't smell anything or hear anything.

"This can't be happening," Caroline muttered as ran to the mirror.

The person in the mirror was her. It was her reflection yet there was something different about it.

Acne - she could see fucking acne on her face. She was human.

"No no no no no," Caroline clutched her head in her hands. "This isn't real, I'm dreaming, I have to be fucking dreaming."

Caroline closed her eyes and pinched herself as hard as she could. Nothing happened. The panic began to set in.

Caroline moved away from the mirror and backed up until her back was against the wall. She slowly slid down it.

She was in the past - she was human . Did she somehow time travel?

But nothing happened. Something would have had to happen to cause this, right?

Did she piss off a witch or something? Or-

Her daughters. They were siphoners and witches despised their kind. What if she was sent back, so that way she was out of the way, and they could kill her kids?

Caroline put her face in her hands. She didn't know what to do.

She couldn't stop wondering if this was on purpose or not.

If there was no foul play, why did this happen to her? What if she couldn't return to the future? What the hell would she do then?

Live out this time and hope she doesn't die? But she could also try to change things.

And to be honest, Caroline wasn't sure that she could stay on the sidelines and let all the people who died, die again. But she also wanted to survive so she could see her daughters again.

Caroline looked up with a determined look on her face. It wasn't an easy choice. Hope's face flickered in her mind.

But there wasn't another option. She would survive but she would also change things.

Klaus wouldn't die and neither would Hayley. Hope would not be left without her parents. She wouldn't allow it.

She also had to help Enzo because he was one of her greatest friends, no matter how reckless and impulsive he was.

Caroline would also not allow Kol to die by Jeremy's hand. While the two had never interacted before the first time he died, he had run into her on a recruiting mission for the school once and the two became rather good friends if you could believe it.

Then, Caroline's thoughts turned to her daughters' biological mother and their crazy-ass coven.

To be honest, she felt conflicted.

She had raised the twins and given birth to them. A part of her didn't know if she could give them up. And if she didn't that would mean Jo would die.

Was that sacrifice worth it?

She wished she could say that she would save her but she wasn't sure. God, that made her such a terrible person.

Then, there was the Gemini Coven. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that they needed to die but first, she would use them to fish for information about stopping the merge.

Caroline was very aware that they were extremely dangerous, especially with her daughters being siphoners.

But her daughters’ safety mattered above all else. Even herself.

And then there was Kai.

A part of Caroline didn't want to let him out but at the same time, she knew that he did try to become a good person after he merged with Luke but no one was willing to give him a chance. Then, they stupidly locked him away with a bunch of hungry vampires in the 1903 prison world.

It was no surprise that he snapped again.

Caroline kind of wanted to give him a chance. If he proved to be too dangerous she could lock him back up in order to protect the twins but everyone deserves a second chance.

Except for Elena.

Caroline paused as she realized that she was going to have to deal with her and all her bullshit again. This was going to be hell, wasn't it?

Caroline used to love Elena like a sister but then they had a falling out about the twins.

It was a long and complicated story but the cliff notes were that Elena was worried that because the twins were siphoners, they would be as crazy and dangerous as Kai. She also went on to say when they found out that Lizzie was bipolar that it was no surprise.

And that wasn't all, no, Elena couldn't keep her opinions to herself and had to constantly remind Caroline that they weren't hers. That Jo was their real mother.

It took everything in her not to snap her little perfect neck in half.

Thankfully, Bonnie immediately took her side against Elena. Which would have been surprising, when they were younger because let's be real, Elena and Bonnie were far closer than Caroline was with either of them.

Funny how things turned out.

Maybe it was because Bonnie realized that Elena constantly guilt-tripped her and used her for her own purposes without any thanks in return. While Caroline never did that, and the times she did ask for help, she actually thanked Bonnie for it.

God, she was getting heated but could anyone blame her?

Elena was a problem. Maybe not in the beginning but eventually, she was.

And Caroline wasn't going to let her use Bonnie or herself to help with all her bullshitty problems.

Caroline pushed herself to her feet and looked out the window, it was early morning.

Did she have school? Well shit.

High school. She had to go back to fucking high school.

Would anyone be angry if she just graduated because this was going to suck?

Caroline grabbed her flip phone. Oh god, she was going to miss iPhones so much.

She looked down at the flip phone in confusion. How the hell did it work again?

She began pressing buttons hoping it would turn on.

It worked. Thank god.

Caroline looked at the date. It was the first day of school of her junior year.

Oh shit, she was going to be late.

Caroline considered putting on what she wore the first time around before deciding against it. She would wear something more her original age -or the age of where she was at mentally in the future- but she wouldn't go as professional.

She was no longer the headmistress after all.

Caroline threw on a red spaghetti strap top with black jeans and a pair of red heeled ankle boots. She grabbed a black leather jacket to go over the top.

She made sure she had everything in her bag and got headed downstairs to grab some cereal. When she reached the kitchen, she froze as she was hit with the realization that her mom was alive.

Caroline felt a familiar ache in her chest as she realized that while she'll get to see her again, she would also have to go through losing her again.

Even if she stopped her cancer, one day she would die and Caroline didn't want to think about that.

Caroline took a deep breath. She wouldn't focus on that right now. She could figure out how to handle that later.

She grabbed the cereal and quickly ate it as she plotted.

Caroline needed to save Enzo, that was the first thing that was necessary but the question was how.

She was a human. How could she rescue him?

He would either be at Whitmore College being experimented on or the Whitmore house in a cage.

She wasn't sure which one.

Caroline was also planning to convince Enzo to turn her.

There was no way she was staying a human.

Becoming a vampire was one of the best things to ever happen to her, along with her daughters. And she wasn't going to become Damon's toy this time around. Although if he tried it with anyone else, she would kick his ass and convince Enzo to help, which shouldn't be that hard seeing as he hated him right about now.

Caroline put her dishes in the sink, then left the house, and drove to school. When she arrived, she looked at the flood of students around the campus.

This was going to suck.

Caroline got out and had her backpack on one of her shoulders as she began walking towards the school. She ignored the looks she got because of what she was wearing.

After all, Caroline Forbes was the pretty and bubbly cheerleader that fit every fucking stereotype of a mean girl.

God, she was so vain back then.

She knew that everyone was confused by her clothes. She could just imagine the shock when they learned that she was quitting cheerleading.

Caroline paused, noticing Jeremy Gilbert by Vicki - God, Vicki, she completely forgot about her - and she noticed Tyler approaching quickly, most likely planning on being a bully.

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

Caroline quickly made her way over.

As she got closer she heard Tyler speak, "I knew I'd find you here with the crackheads," He said, giving Vicki a kiss, then he glanced at Jeremy. "Hey, Pete Wentz called. He wants his nail polish back."

"Hey," Caroline called, cutting off Jeremy's reply.

The three turned in surprise.

All of them looked surprised by her outfit and the fact that she was over there.

"Forbes?" Tyler said, looking confused.

"Lockwood, I see you're still an ugly dick with zero personality and to think, I thought you would grow up over the summer, clearly I was wrong," Caroline said, tone mocking as Jeremy laughed in disbelief.

"Watch it, Forbes. If you aren't careful, I'll have my dad fire your mom," Tyler threatened and Jeremy straightened as he glared at Tyler.

Caroline laughed, ignoring their confused looks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I bruise your male ego?" Caroline asked, amused. "It's funny to me how you hide behind your daddy's title like a petty child. We both know that the only reason you have money is because of inheritance that your family stole from others. Is any of your money self-earned?"

Caroline could feel Jeremy staring at her in awe.

"Get lost, Lockwood. Trust me when I say, you don't want to pick a fight with me," Caroline said, openly fingering the pocketknife she grabbed that her mom gave her years ago.

Tyler glanced at the knife, then to her face, and backed off.

"Whatever, bitch," He spat as he walked away, pulling an impressed looking Vicki with him.

"Whoa," Jeremy whispered. "Why did you do that?"

Caroline turned to him, calmly. "Tylers a dick that needs to learn that his father's title and inheritance isn't going to give him free passes in this world," She said, calmly.

"Thanks, I guess," Jeremy said, hesitantly.

"You're welcome," Caroline replied and glanced down at the drugs in his hands. Jeremy tensed as he spotted what she was looking at.

"What?" He asked, defensively as she looked back up, meeting his eyes.

"The pain is never going to go away," Caroline said softly. Jeremy froze. "I know everyone says it does but it doesn't. However, it does get easier to manage, even if it doesn't feel like it now. And I'm not going to tell you to stop. I don't blame you for wanting to numb it out but all I ask is that you be careful, I don't want to see you hurt."

Caroline gave him a sad smile and turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving.

She turned back around and paused as she realized that there was a vulnerable expression on his face.

"Why did you tell me that?" He asked, pain obvious in his eyes.

Caroline sighed. "Because you needed to hear the truth for once," Was all she said.

Jeremy looked down, "Thanks," He whispered.

Caroline nodded. "If you ever need something or need to get away from Elena's overbearing presence, come find me, I'll help you out," She promised and walked away, ignoring his surprised eyes on her back.

It was time to go back to high school.

Caroline entered the school, immediately spotting Matt by his locker and Elena with Bonnie at their lockers.

However, she didn't approach any of them, instead, she walked past them to the office.

She heard the gasp of surprise from both Elena and Bonnie when they saw her but she continued past.

When she reached the office, she waited behind the familiar back of Stefan Salvatore as he compelled the desk lady.

She felt amused as he tried to do it as discreetly as he could because he knew she was right behind him.

He got his schedule and moved to the side so she could pass but she noticed he didn't leave. He was probably waiting for his locker number or something.

"Ms. Forbes, what can I do for you?" The desk lady asked.

Caroline noticed Stefan looking at her curiously from the sidelines.

"Hi, Mrs. Smith, I was wondering if I could quit cheerleading?" Caroline asked, shifting her backpack.

"But you're the captain," Mrs. Smith said, staring at her in surprise.

"I know, but I'm not feeling it anymore, so could you fix my schedule?" Caroline asked or more like ordered, tapping her finger on the desk.

"Yes, but who will be the new captain? As the old captain, you have to name them, also what would you do instead?" Mrs. Smith said.

"Bonnie Bennett or April Young," Caroline said simply, as she raised a single eyebrow. "And I would like to take psychology instead."

"Very well," Mrs. Smith said, tapping on the keyboard. Then something began printing. Once it was done, she handed her a new schedule. "And Ms. Forbes?"

"Yes?' Caroline said feeling impatient as she wanted to leave.

"This is the new student, could you show him around?" Mrs. Smith asked.

Caroline turned to Stefan just in time to see him be handed his locker number, he then turned her and gave her a polite smile.

That was when Caroline remembered that he had been stalking Elena since the accident, and probably was aware that she was desperate when it came to guys.

Time to quickly get rid of that image.

"Hi, my name is Caroline," She introduced, holding out a hand.

"Stefan Salvatore," He replied, shaking her hand.

"Salvatore? As in Zack?" Caroline asked as they began walking. Caroline grabbed his schedule from him as she figured out where he needed to go.

"He's my uncle," Stefan said, glancing at her.

"Hmm," Was her only reply as she tried to remember where these classes were. "Alright, first, we'll go to your locker then I'll show you where your first class is."

"Sounds good," Stefan said in agreement.

Caroline ignored the pain she felt at seeing him again. Instead, she pulled him in a different direction than he went the first time around, so that way he wouldn't run into Elena.

She really wanted to save him from the hurt he went through from Elena rejecting him. He was her best friend, even if he didn't know it yet.

And she would do anything to protect him.

Chapter Text

Caroline led Stefan to his locker, leaning against the locker next to it as she waited for him to handle his stuff.

"So, why'd you move to Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked, watching students pass by. She saw them all trying to catch a glance at the bad boy new student.

Caroline bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Stefan wasn't even close to a bad boy, at least not in the way they're thinking of.

"Uh, wanted a new start," Stefan said, glancing at her as he grabbed his book.

"Makes sense. Although, I should warn you, Mystic Fall can be a bit boring," Caroline said, trying to keep a straight face at the bald-faced lie.

Mystic Falls wasn't even close to boring. How can it be when it's a literal supernatural hotspot? Caroline watched Stefan from the corner of her eye.

"I'm okay with a little boring," Stefan commented as he shut his locker.

Caroline nodded. "Hmm, hey Stef?" Stefan paused and glanced at her, raising an eyebrow in question. "Can you let Zach know I'm going to be stopping by later today, there's something I need to talk with him about?"

Stefan looked confused but agreed.

After that Caroline dropped him off at his first class, then headed to her own.

Her first two classes went by quickly with Caroline lost in her thoughts as she plotted how to handle her chaotic future in her school notebooks.

When she got to her third period, she took her seat and watched the vaguely familiar English teacher set the typical guideline for the class.

Caroline suppressed a sigh as she realized that she would have to sit through two more years of this.

This was going to be exhausting.

Caroline rested her head on her hand as she glanced around the classroom, pausing as she noticed that Bonnie had been staring at her, trying to get her attention.

She felt her heart constrict at seeing the youthful unburdened face of her sister in all but blood. Her best friend, who gave everything she had for Mystic Falls, even as she lost everybody she cared about.

And while Caroline couldn't pinpoint the exact reason that made her come to the decision that she would tell Bonnie everything, she found it really didn't matter in the end.

Bonnie didn't deserve to go into everything blind, stumbling into her heritage like a newborn chick.

With that in mind, Caroline pulled out her phone and sent Bonnie a text that she would talk to her after class.

Bonnie nodded slightly towards her and the two turned back to the teacher - or Bonnie did - Caroline was trying to decide whether she should test out or just fail because she really didn't want to redo all these assignments.

She didn't care that it would be easier, it still took way too much effort that she wasn't willing to exert.

Besides it's not like she's staying human, if she wants to go to college, she could just compel herself in.

When the bell finally rang, Caroline hefted herself up, and exited the classroom, nodding at the teacher.

She only went a few feet out as she waited for Bonnie to catch up.

"Caroline," Bonnie greeted as they fell in step together.

"Hey Bon," Caroline said, smiling slightly.

Bonnie considered her for a moment, before blurting out, "What the hell happened? You have a completely different style. You didn't say anything to us this morning. And I heard from one of the others that you quit cheerleading."

Bonnie was staring at Caroline in confusion.

"It's...complicated," Caroline said with a hesitant look on her face.

Bonnie paused, then put herself in front of Caroline, stopping her in her tracks.

"What's complicated?" Bonnie asked. "Caroline, what happened?"

Caroline bit her lip. "Something insane kind of happened but I can't tell you here, can I come over before we head to the grill later today?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure," Bonnie agreed, then paused. "My grams will be home though."

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

"What-" Bonnie tried to ask but Caroline shook her head.

"I'll explain later, and what I'm going to say is going to be a bit unbelievable," She said and Bonnie hesitantly nodded, looking nervous.

"Right, anyways, what's the tea on the new guy you were showing around?" Bonnie asked with a mischievous smile.

Caroline laughed, feeling a sense of normalcy for the first time since coming back in time.

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly and Caroline managed to prevent herself from strangling Tanner.

Which was something she actually congratulated herself on, seeing as it was her last class, and she was on her wit's end with school in general.

God, there was no way she was to prevent herself from ripping Tanner's throat out if her plan to turn as soon as possible worked.

Eh, not like it that big of a loss.

Caroline made her way through the hallway looking at her notes that she had been working on during class.

They were a questionably remembered timeline of how shit hit the fan.

Caroline was flipping the page when she bumped into someone, running face-first into leather.

Her notes fell from her hands and onto the floor.

And clear to the world, were the words 'vampires' and 'witches'. Caroline's heart dropped to her stomach.

"Shit," Caroline muttered aloud, dropping down, hoping with her entire being that the person she bumped wasn't who she thought it was, even though her gut was telling her that she fucked up.

Caroline felt, rather than saw, the Ripper of Montgomery kneeling down beside her, helping her pick her papers up.

"I'm so sorry," Stefan said as he quickly helped her gather the papers.

Caroline's heart was pounding as she saw him grab the paper about vampires and slowly rose to her feet.

"No, it's my fault, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Caroline replied, watching him straighten the paper.

He looked down at the papers, about to hand them over when he froze.

Fuck.

Caroline held her breath as his eyes slowly lifted up to meet hers. His eyes were full of shock before he managed to school his expression and his eyes turned unreadable.

Neither spoke as they stood unmoving, the air around them felt heavy and uncomfortable.

And despite how much Caroline was cursing herself for screwing up, she also felt a sense of relief that she wouldn't have to hide from her best friend.

Caroline had become a good liar over the years but even she knew that Stefan would see through her. He always could. He did it when he had no memories of hers and he would be able to do it now.

She cleared her throat. "Well this is awkward," Caroline commented.

"You know," He finally said.

"I do."

Stefan slowly handed over the papers and Caroline took them.

"How?" Stefan asked, looking like he was fighting the urge to flee.

"It's complicated," Caroline said, feeling tired of using that sentence. Even if it was true, it didn't really encompass the insanity of what had happened. "Look, I'll explain to the best of my abilities but it's a fucked up story with a lot of twists, turns, and circles."

Stefan narrowed his eyes, trying to decide how to process that.

"Where?" Stefan said, instead of addressing her strange statement.

Caroline relaxed. "Come with me to my house right now, my mom's working at the moment, so I'll be able to talk freely there," She said, looking at him hopefully.

Stefan nodded and Caroline smiled, shifting her notes in her arms.

She motioned for him to follow her and they left the school together. They headed for her car and when Caroline looked off to the side, she noticed Bonnie and Elena watching them from where they were heading to cheerleading practice.

She sent a quick wave towards them as she got to her car. Caroline got in with Stefan following her example.

After the quick drive to her house, they pulled up and got out.

"Come on," Caroline led him to the front door at entered, turning back to him. For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of shutting the door in his face but decided against it, knowing that Stefan would probably have a heart attack. "Come in."

Stefan stepped past the threshold of her house and they migrated to the living room. Once they got settled, Caroline turned to look at him, contemplatively.

"I'm gonna tell you a story and I'm gonna ask you to not interrupt," Caroline started. "Can you do that?"

Stefan nodded and so Caroline began, feeling like she was telling a bedtime story to her daughters.

"A long time ago, there was once a shallow and stupid girl, whose only worry were boys and what she was going to wear the next day, but then, everything changed," Caroline said, remembering the past. "Vampires came to town and the start of the supernatural chaos began."

Stefan frown, listening quietly as she spoke.

"In the beginning, the girl wasn't involved in what was happening at the time, not truly. She wasn't aware of when one of her best friends learned she was a witch or when the other learned that she was a doppelganger. Nor was she a part of any of the vampire chaos that overtook the town. Her life continued like normal until the day she got into a car accident and was going to die," Caroline said, remembering the simple days.

She shook her head and looked at Stefan, who was probably trying to figure out what this had to do with her.

"One of the girl's friends asked one of the vampires to save the girl using vampire blood," Caroline saw Stefan's eyes widen in realization. "During the night, a doppelganger that wasn't her best friend came to visit and killed the girl."

"The girl went through with the transition, changing everything for her. A lot of crazy shit happened after that, some good and some bad," She said. "Everything that could happen, happened."

"Like what?" Stefan wondered aloud.

"Like the Original vampires; vampire-wolf hybrids; more doppelgangers, travelers; vengeful dead witches; vampire-witch hybrids; the first immortal; crazy-ass covens; sirens; hell and the devil himself; and miracle babies," Caroline listed easily, ignoring the inner voice that reminded her that there were even more than that.

Stefan stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

"Yeah," Caroline said with a bitter laugh. "You wanna know the worst part?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"All that happened or will happen," She said, dryly.

Stefan stared at her, not comprehending.

"The girl? She's me," Caroline said, ignoring the look of pure shock on Stefan's face. "And all the stuff I just said, happened for me. Except something happened that I can't explain. I went to bed after putting my 13-year-old surrogate daughters to bed and when I woke up, I was human and starting my junior year."

"I-" Stefan shook his head in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, my guess, a witch from beyond the grave decided to fuck with me, so they can go after my daughters," Caroline suggested with a shrug.

"Wait, you were a vampire?" Stefan asked, eyeing her with uncertainty.

"Yep, you actually taught me. Although you tried to get me to eat thumper, which didn't work out," Caroline commented, humorously.

Stefan's mouth dropped open.

"What were we?" Stefan asked, hesitantly.

Caroline smiled slightly. "You were my best friend." And we dated and got married but let's ignore that part.

"Were?" Stefan repeated and Caroline felt the smile slip from her face as he caught the use of past tense.

"You sacrificed yourself to save Mystic Falls," Caroline said with a sad smile. "But it won't come to that this time, not if I have anything to say about it."

And with that, Stefan began asking a series of questions that Caroline did her best to answer. Although, they mainly pertained to the multiple different supernatural species that he had no idea existed as well as Caroline's daughters.

Over time the conversation turned more light-hearted, and slowly but surely, Caroline could feel the bond they once shared, start to return.

When the two were done with for the day, they headed over to the Salvatore Boarding House and Caroline convinced Zach to give her vervain as well the stuff needed to make her own supply.

After that, Caroline said goodbye to Stefan and headed over to meet up with Bonnie at her Gram's house.

This was going to be an eventful conversation.

Chapter Text

Caroline got out of her car and looked up at Bonnie’s gram’s house. It had been a long time since she had last been there. She walked up to the front door and hesitantly knocked.

She only had to wait a few moments before the door opened revealing Sheila, making Caroline freeze momentarily as she processed the no longer dead woman who had been a large part of her childhood.

“Caroline,” She said, looking her over. “Bonnie told me to expect you.”

“Hi, Ms. Bennett, It’s good to see you,” She said as Sheila motioned for her to come in.

“You as well, dear,” Sheila said, smiling warmly. Then she looked her over in consideration. “You seem different.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the reason I need to talk to Bonnie,” Caroline said as she looked around the house. It was familiar but also felt like a distant memory.

Sheila looked at her, tilting her head as she nodded. “Are you okay?” She said, concerned.

Caroline swallowed. “As okay as I can be,” She said, rubbing her arm.

However, before Sheila could reply, Bonnie entered. “Care, you’re here,” She said, smiling.

“Yeah,” Caroline replied, still taken back by how different Bonnie looked.

“We can go to my room to talk,” Bonnie said pointing behind her.

Caroline paused. “Actually, I kind of want your grams here for this conversation,” She said, her gaze going to the age-old witch, who was watching her curiously.

“Oh, okay,” Bonnie said, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. “Then, the living room?”

“Sure.”

The three made their way over and took a seat. “So Caroline, what’s going on?” Bonnie asked, fingers tapping on the edge of the couch.

“What do you know about witches?” Caroline said, awkwardly. 

Sheila went still as Bonnie gave Caroline a confused look. “Witches aren’t real,” She said slowly.

“Aren’t they?” Caroline said, looking at Sheila.

“What is going on? What is this?” Bonnie said abruptly. “I thought you were going to tell me the truth, not some nonsense.”

“It is not nonsense,” Sheila said, turning to her granddaughter. “I have told you before, I am a witch.”

“You were drinking, it was all lies,” Bonnie said, shaking her head.

“No, baby, it wasn’t,” Sheila said, watching Bonnie stand up moving away from them.

Caroline frowned. This wasn’t working and if she didn’t get control of the situation it would start to become derailed.

“Ms. Bennett, you can prove it, can’t you?” She asked, pointedly.

Sheila glanced at her, raising her eyebrows with a look of realization. Suddenly, all the candles in the room lit up.

Bonnie stumbled back in shock. “What the fuck? No, no, this isn’t real. It can’t be,” She said, staring at the candles in disbelief. Her gaze turned to Caroline. “Why are you not freaking out?”

“It’s-I...It’s hard to explain,” Caroline said, standing up as well. “I know you're really confused but it’s true. Witches exist. It’s a bloodline thing.”

“Bloodline?” Bonnie repeated, softly. Her eyes went straight to her grams.

Sheila nodded. “Yes, baby,” She said, her face as smooth as stone.

Bonnie turned to look at the candles again. “What-how? I’m a witch?” She asked in disbelief. “Like witch as in broomstick and pointy hat?”

“Please, that’s all bullshit, the only true thing in those shows was the Latin for spells, if they even used that,” Sheila said, waving a hand dismissively.

Caroline choked back a laugh, making Sheila smile at her. 

“Now sit down girls, Caroline seems to have a story to tell,” Sheila ordered, motioning to the couch. The young Bennett witch sat with Caroline beside her. “Now, explain.”

“Right,” Caroline said, swallowing. “Ms. Bennett-”

“Call me Sheila, my dear,” She corrected, making Caroline nod. 

“Okay, Sheila,” Caroline made a face. That sounded so wrong to say. “You know how in movies they have time travel, did you wonder if it could be possible in real life?”

Bonnie made a confused noise beside her. “There’s no way time travel’s real.” When she looked at Caroline, she paused. “Right?”

“Yeah, about that,” Caroline said, biting her cheek. 

Sheila eyed her as she thought. “I have never seen or heard of it existing, but much is possible with magic, I suppose. Do you believe you have time traveled, child?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caroline nodded. “Over a decade in the future, I went to bed, but when I woke up…” She trailed off.

“It was the past,” Sheila said in understanding. Bonnie was just staring between them like they were insane, which was potentially possible.

“Yeah, It’s been very strange,” She said, running a hand through her hair.

“There’s something else you are not saying, dear,” Sheila said, nodding at her to continue. 

Caroline hesitated. She knew that the Bennett witch was a fair woman but if she knew she was previously a vampire, how would she react? It could go either way. 

She doubted that she would ever hurt her unless she hurt Bonnie, but Caroline had known nice grandma Sheila, not witch Sheila.

“I was a vampire in my previous timeline,” She admitted, quietly as she watched the surprise wash over Sheila’s face.

Bonnie jerked from beside her, making her look over in concern. Her best friend’s eyes were wide with disbelief and a part of her wondered if she was going to have a heart attack.

That’d be ironic - killed because she went into shock. 

“Vampires?” Bonnie said, her face was extremely pale.“That’s a joke, right?”

Was she going to pass out? Maybe, Caroline shouldn’t have brought Bonnie into this. But at the same time, she didn’t want her to go in blind and end up dead as a result.

Hesitating on her reply, Caroline reached out grabbing Bonnie’s hand. “No, vampires are real, and so are werewolves,” She said nervously.

“What does that even mean?” Bonnie whispered, squeezing her hand tightly.

“Well, it’s kind of similar to some movies,” Caroline said, awkwardly. “We burn in the sun if we don’t have a special ring spelled by a witch.”

“Burn?” Bonnie repeated, looking at her with fear.

“Yeah, one wrong move and poof,” She said as she smiled reassuringly at her. “Ashes on the wind.”

“Did you ever…” Bonnie looked too horrified to finish.

“No, I’ve seen it happen though,” Caroline said, making a face. “Does not look fun.”

“I would imagine not,” Sheila said, speaking up for the first time. “They do burst into flames after all.”

“That’s what happens?” Bonnie asked, eyes wide.

“Yep,” Caroline said, thinking back in time. “It’s one barbecued vampire right up.”

“Care,” Bonnie gasped.

“Sorry, shouldn’t have said that,” She said, wincing.

“What else is there?” Bonnie said, making Caroline look over at her. “About vampires?”

“Um, vampires can compel humans, which is basically mind control,” Caroline said, thinking.

Bonnie stared at her, so Caroline quickly explained more.

“Witches can’t be compelled. There’s a herb called vervain that if ingested or is on a person will prevent compulsion,” She said, leaning on her knees. “It’s also poisonous to vampires.”
“Oh, so since I’m a...witch, I can’t be mind controlled,” Bonnie said, hesitantly.

“Basically, yes, but I would still drink vervain because they still feed on you,” Caroline suggested, swallowing.

“Anything else?” Bonnie said, looking like she was done.

“Vampire blood heals people, but if you die with it in your system that is how you become a vampire,” Caroline said, meeting her eyes.

Bonnie blinked. “So biting doesn’t turn you,” She asked, confused.

“It does not, and if you die with vampire blood in your system, you have twenty-four hours to drink human blood to complete the transition,” Caroline said, picking at the cuff of her jacket.

“And if you don’t?”

Caroline looked at Bonnie. “You die.”

“Is that it?” She asked, swallowing.

“Um, there are the ways to kill a vampire, but I’m sure your grams can fill you in on that,” Caroline said, nodding at Sheila. “There are also werewolves, but that’s a whole other situation.”

Bonnie nodded, sitting back as she stared into space. Caroline left her to it and focused on the other Bennett witch in the room.

Sheila eyed her contemplatively. “So you were a vampire before you came here,” She said, face unreadable.

“Yes, but I only drank from blood bags,” Caroline said, letting the honesty show on her face. “Let’s just say I know what it’s like to be used by a vampire and I would never do it myself.”

Understanding flickered around the old woman’s face and Caroline instinctively knew it she had nothing to worry about from her.

“You had control, dear,” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, apparently being a control freak as a human has some advantages,” Caroline said with a short laugh.

Sheila hummed as Bonnie seemed to return to the real world. “I don’t know what’s going on,” Bonnie said, running a hand down her face.

Caroline looked at her, trying to figure out the best way to approach this.

“I know it’s a lot, Bon, but with everything that’s going to happen in this town, you deserve to know the truth,” She said, trying to make sure she heard her.

“Everything that’s going to happen?” Bonnie asked, looking confused.

“It all kind of involves a certain doppelgänger,” Caroline said, sighing.

“What the hell is a doppelgänger?” Bonnie said, staring at her.

Sheila was watching the time traveler intently as she replied.“Someone born as a replica of someone from two thousand years ago,” Caroline said, shrugging.

“That number is very specific,” Sheila said, looking at her in consideration.

“Yeah, all I’ll say is I’ve met the first ones to carry the face, or technically, faces,” At the look of confusion on Bonnie's gram’s face. “There's a male doppelgänger as well.”

The three sat in silence for a moment as the information got processed. 

“What happens besides that?” Bonnie asked, looking down.

Caroline paused, thinking.“Um, stuff with the originals-“

“What are the originals?” Bonnie asked, cutting her off.

“The original vampires,” Caroline said as a way of explanation.

“So the first ones?” Bonnie said, forehead permanently scrunched. 

“Yes, they are a bunch of siblings,” Caroline explained with a wave of her hand. “But, they aren’t as bad as they seem.”

Caroline then mentioned the other stuff she thought of at that moment. “Then there was stuff with travelers, the Gemini Coven, a Phoenix stone, and hell itself.”

“Gemini Coven?” Sheila said, suddenly looking at her with intense eyes.

“Yeah, that was actually what resulted in my daughters,” Caroline said, holding her gaze.

“Vampires can have children?” Bonnie asked, confused.

“No,” Caroline said, shaking her head. Then, she paused. “Well, they can’t unless they're vampire-werewolf hybrids.”

“That’s possible?” Bonnie said, eyes wide.

“Yep, don’t ask,” Caroline said, making a face. “Anyways, the twins weren’t biologically mine, but I was their surrogate mother and became the only mom they knew,”

“How old were they,” Sheila asked her. “At the time you end up back in time?

“Thirteen,” Caroline said, a smile slipping from her face at the reminder that she may never see them again.

“So you were a mom?” Bonnie wondered in surprise. “And a vampire?”

“Yep, to two baby witches,” Caroline said, a smile reappearing at the look on her best friend's face.

“Holy shit,” Bonnie said, mouth open. “Did I know them?”

“Yeah, you were their aunt,” She said, giving her a warm look.

“Cool,” Bonnie breathed out.

“So do you know what caused you to end up in the past?” Sheila asked, redrawing her attention.

“I don’t know,” Caroline said, shrugging. “I went to bed, then woke up.”

Sheila nodded and gave her a look. “So what’s your plan here,” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I want to become a vampire again,” Caroline said, immediately before she could stop herself.

“You have a chance to be a human again, but you’d rather be a vampire?” Sheila asked, frowning.

“Yes,” Caroline said without hesitation, “In the future, I had the chance to become human too, but I would never take it.”

“Why?” The old witch asked.

“I love being a vampire,” She said simply. “It's who I am.”

“And what is your plan after that?” Sheila wondered with a contemplative look on her face.

“Stop people I care about from dying,” Caroline replied, determined.

“Who dies?” Bonnie asked, looking up.

“Everyone,” She looked at Sheila. “You.”

“What?” Bonnie had a look of fear on her face. “What do you mean she dies?”

“I don’t know what exactly happened,” Caroline said with a grimace. “I wasn’t involved at that point, but what I do know is it’s something about too much magic being used.”

“Grams…” Bonnie looked at the older woman. 

“It’s okay, baby, I’m right here,” Sheila said, reaching out to grab Bonnie’s hand. “That hasn’t happened and it won’t.”

“She’s right, Bonnie,” Caroline said, looking over. “Besides, now that she knows, she can be more careful.”

“Okay,” Bonnie said, releasing her gram’s hand as she suddenly looked at her phone with dread. “We’re supposed to be going to the grill soon.”

“Oh, right, I forgot about that,” Caroline said, making a face.

“Do we have to go?” Bonnie wondered, exhaustion and uncertainty written all over her face. “I really don’t feel like it, right now.”

“Of course not, we cancel if you want?” Caroline said, eyeing her as she leaned back, closing her eyes. “I wasn’t looking forward to going again.”

When Bonnie didn’t say anything, Caroline sighed and looked at Sheila.

“I’m gonna go, there’s some stuff I have to take care of,” She said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Very well, be careful, child,” Sheila said with a nod and a warning look that made Caroline pause. “You’re playing a very dangerous game.”

“I know,” She said, looking down briefly. “But I’m going to win it because I have to.”

With that, Caroline returned home, collapsing onto her bed with a sigh. She was so fucking tired. Not used to the limited energy that humans had. Despite her best efforts, she drifted off, falling into a dreamless sleep.

<><><>

When she got up the next day, she already knew what she had to do. She wasn’t putting it off another day. And if it all went to plan, she wouldn’t have to worry about missing school, because she would be able to compel her problems away.

She was also partly avoiding Bonnie. She wanted to give her space to breathe. It also had to do with her being scared that Bonnie would completely dismiss her and write her off as crazy.

Even if she now believed the witch stuff, it didn’t mean she believed everything else.

Caroline drove the distance to the place where Enzo St. John was currently being held. She had quickly stopped at her house to grab one of her mom’s emergency guns that she wasn’t supposed to know existed.

She also made sure to grab a stake in the event that there were other vampires that could potentially be hostile.

As she continued to drive her thoughts seemed to dwell on her conversation with Bonnie despite her best effort. She was holding out hope that her grams would be able to help her understand.

To be honest, Caroline wasn’t completely sure what she was doing. So far she fucked up by letting Stefan know the truth, but she couldn’t find it in her to regret it. It had been nine years since he died.

Nine years of missing the ghost of her best friend. She hadn’t been completely sure until she saw him again, but she wasn’t in love with him. 

At least, not in that way. Caroline loved him and would always love him - he was family, but things were different. She was different and this was another version of him that didn’t know her.

Seeing him, in real life, standing before her. Those all-consuming feelings had disappeared. She had moved on. Maybe in another life, she and Stefan would have been something. Had a happy ending. The twins may have grown up with him as a second dad, but that wasn’t in the cards.

Don’t get her wrong, she would do anything to make sure he ended up okay. He deserved some good. She would make sure he got it. Who knows, maybe if he didn’t see the originals as the enemy from the start, he and Rebekah might be something.

She knew him as well as she knew herself. He, if he could, would choose to be human, and so would Rebekah. She wondered what could have been if they hadn’t been on opposing sides.

If Caroline played her cards right, this might be the universe where that love thrives. If it will happen, it will happen, but that doesn't mean she can’t nudge a few things into position.

Looking up as she pulled up to the college, Caroline pulled the gun from the glove box and put it in the back of her waistline. Then, putting the stake in her jacket, she got out. 

She walked into the college, feeling a twinge of nostalgia as she remembered her days going here. Out of the corner of her eye, two people caught her attention. Two blondes.

Liv and Luke. She had forgotten that they would’ve been just starting here. Her eyes focused on Luke, the twin that risked his life to save the sister he barely knew. Not that it mattered in the end.

Looking away before they could catch her staring, she focused on a bulletin board. Another problem to think about. If Kai didn’t get released, they would be forced to merge and one would die. 

Was it inevitable? No matter how she looked at it, one of them would die. The only scenario that she couldn’t predict was if Liv merged with Kai instead. It was unlikely she would win, but that was the only way she could see both of them surviving. 

Gemini’s twins really are just doomed from the moment they are born. Whoever it was that cursed the coven, had something to answer for.

Continuing on, she made her way to the secret hallways where, if she remembered correctly, would lead to where they experimented on the vampires. 

And seemed her memory was intact, yay. Would suck if being human ruined that, she’d be screwed. Her memory was everything right now.

If that’s wrong. The game’s over before it’s even become. That was something she had no desire to think about.

Caroline picked up her pace as the flickering lights that gave off barely any light put her on edge even more. It was a fucking horror movie.

Which would be fine, but she currently was in a position where she wasn't the predator - no, she was the prey.

Reaching a creepy looking door, she hesitated. God, why was she hesitating? She’d done way worse things than this.

Hell, she was tortured multiple times. This should be easy, but it wasn’t.

Screw human instincts. They’re fucking bullshit.

Grabbing the gun, she slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open. It creaked. The door fucking creaked. Since when does that actually happen in real life?

Who isn’t oiling their doors when they start making noises? Do they not realize how annoying it is?

Seriously, though. She understood in certain horror movies - when it’s an abandoned building - things aren’t gonna be pretty. But these humans really don’t want to take care of their torture dungeon.

It honestly pissed her off. What was the purpose of it? Maybe, warn the vampire you’re torturing that you're coming so they feel fear? It was dumb and lazy.

Slowly entering the darkroom, she felt around for the light switch. When she found it, she flicked it on. Her eyes instantly went to the back corner where cells were. 

Only one had a person in it. She recognized him immediately. Bolting over, she knelt next to where he was laying unmoving next to the bars.

“Enzo?” Caroline called out. “Enzo, can you hear me?”

A groan escaped the weak vampire, but there was no other reaction. Standing back up, she looked around, searching for something. Anything. Just something that could open the cell.

Turning to stare at the lock, she felt frustration burn in her chest. She took a deep breath. Breathe and think. 

She can’t break the bars. As a human that wouldn’t be possible, her body was too weak. So she needed another approach.

There was a lock. If she could find something that could fit, she may be able to pick it and get open. That was the best plan she could think of.

Moving to the other side of the room, she began going through the drawers. 

She wasn’t leaving until she got him out. Finally, in one of the last drawers, she found some scalpels and wire. Nausea had her hesitating to grab one of the scalpels, knowing what they were likely used for - and who on. 

It was so fucking disgusting. After she got him out and feeling well, they were returning to this place and raising so much fucking hell. Heading back over, she began jiggling the makeshift lockpick in the hole. 

It took a few moments, but then she heard a click and relief flooded her. Pulling it open, she fell to knees beside Enzo. The smell of vomit and blood was overwhelmingly strong but she pushed past it, 

Bringing the scalpel to her wrist, she drew a small cut, then pressed her wrist to the vampire's mouth. It took a moment for there to be a response.

Fangs sunk into her skin and she gritted her teeth at the familiar pain that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Ignoring her own discomfort, she brushed his hair out of his face.

“Enzo?” She whispered, blinking as she got a little woozy. 

The teeth were suddenly gone from her wrist and the previously down vampire was on his feet. He was clearly unsteady as he turned to focus on her.

Caroline leaned against the bars as she tried to regain her senses. Yeah, he definitely took a little too much. Looking up at him, she met his gaze.

“Who are you?” He asked, his voice low and uncertain.

“I’m Caroline,” She introduced with an awkward wave of her hand. “I’m here to get you out of here.”

“Out of here?’ He repeatedly, slowly in a confused way.

Caroline nodded. “Yeah, this is kind of a rescue mission, so I’d suggest we get a move on soon,” She said, blinking at him as she felt another wave of dizziness go over her.

“You gave me your blood,” Enzo said, pausing to look at her with new eyes.

“Yeah, and I think I gave you a little too much because I am not steady right now,” She said, putting a hand to her head. 

Suddenly, Enzo was on the other side of her, biting his wrist and putting it in her mouth. Caroline choked for a moment as the overwhelming taste of iron made her want to throw up. 

He didn’t let up and the blood made its way down her throat. Caroline felt herself relax as everything became a lot more clear. Vampire blood was a miracle worker.

“Thanks,” She said, before pushing herself to her feet. “We need to go soon. I don’t know their schedule but I don’t risk a meeting.”

Enzo nodded, giving her an unreadable look.“Very well, gorgeous.”

Caroline fought the smile that wanted to appear at the nickname she hadn’t heard in so long. God, had she missed him.

“Come on,” She said, and the two began a slow journey out of the torture dungeon. When they reached the outside world, Caroline grabbed a random blanket to prevent the sunlight from touching him.

Getting to the car without being seen was difficult, but eventually, they made it. Enzo had to keep the blanket on as Caroline quickly drove to a building with minimal windows that she had spotted driving over. 

If what she saw earlier was correct, there should be a small gathering of college students drinking at this exact moment. Ignoring the part of her that knew what would happen if she brought Enzo there, she drove there. 

Caroline helped Enzo out of the car and led him into the building. Once they were in, she was able to pull the blanket off him.

Enzo looked around curiously. The sound of conversation and cheering was not far away. Caroline motioned towards the sound.

“Have at it?” She said, looking at him.

Enzo paused. Then, he was gone in a blur, and sounds of screams started. Caroline flinched slightly. Regret and guilt pooled in her stomach.

If only she had found a way to get blood bags before going to get him, but she didn’t know how to do it without compulsion. Navigating a hospital would’ve been hell and Caroline didn’t want to risk getting caught.

Besides, the later in the day she waited, the higher the chance that Enzo wouldn’t have been alone. She had timed it this way on purpose. And it worked perfectly.

Still, the guilt festered.

When Enzo finally returned, he was covered in blood, and Caroline fought to keep her expression neutral.

“Why did you help me?” He asked, his eyes narrowed on her.

Caroline sighed, with the number of people that already knew, Enzo would one hundred percent learn eventually. And she’d rather not deal with an angry Enzo, mad that she didn’t tell him the truth.

“It's a long story and I’ll tell it to you, I promise, but short story? Accidental time travel,” Caroline said, staring at him honestly.

“Time travel?” He said confused. “I am not familiar with that?”

“Okay, so what happened was that I was at a certain point in my life in the future. Then, suddenly I woke up and in the past.”

At the look on his face, Caroline considered how to explain this. “You know you’ve been held a prisoner for many many years, right?”

When he nodded, Caroline continued. “Imagine, that if you, from this point in time, woke up suddenly back right before they got a hold of you. That’s time travel. Does that make sense?” She said, watching him.

“Yes, so that happened to you?” Enzo said, understanding appearing on his face.

“Yes,” She nodded. “And in this future time, I knew you. You were a friend of mine. So when I landed here, I came to get you out.”

Enzo was silent as he considered this information. “A friend?” He said, looking at her with his head tilted slightly.

“Yeah, you were one of my best friends, and I could leave you in that hell,” Caroline said, anger flashing in her eyes as she thought about the shit he went through.

“Thank you,” Enzo said, after a moment.

“No problem,” Caroline said, smiling at him. 

Enzo paused as he seemed to realize something. “You befriended me despite me being a vampire,” He said, giving her a puzzled look.

“No, not exactly.” At his confused look, she explained. “I was a vampire as well. I just went back in time to a period from before I turned.”

“That makes more sense, gorgeous,” Enzo said, nodding slightly.

“Yeah, and about that, I was wondering if you could turn me,” Caroline said, watching as he went still in surprise.

“You want to turn into a vampire, again?” He asked, a questioning look on his face.

“God yes,” Caroline said, running a hand through her hair. “I hate being human so much.”

Enzo considered for a moment. “Very well, you rescue me from that prison, it is the least I can do, gorgeous,” He said.

“Thanks, Enzo,” She said, feeling relief filling her.

“How do you wish to do this?” He asked, looking at her.

“I already have your blood in my system, so you just need to snap my neck,” Caroline said, no hesitation in her reply.

Enzo nodded and was suddenly in front of her. He placed his hands on either side of her neck and Caroline took a deep breath.

“You ready?” He asked, looking down at her.

Caroline smirked. “Do it.”

He twisted her head to the side and a sharp pain went through her as everything went dark and her body went limp.