Stefan was just quietly tiptoeing past Caroline's bedroom door and to the large guest bathroom when it cracked open and Caroline's blonde head of hair popped out from the room. Stefan quickly turned to look at her and smiled, tilting his head.

"What are you doing?"

She shrugged and stepped into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her. She leaned back against the wood wall and looked down at her bare toes that she was digging into the carpet. "I'm suffocating, Stef. I need. To. Go. Out."

Stefan snorted. "Have you asked Rebekah to take you out?"

"No," Caroline sighed. "I want to go out with you! My best friend! Come on, there's that little café down the street from the club that we never got to go to! Please, Stef? Just us! We can get a Danish and coffee and then go hunting?"

Caroline was bouncing up and down on her toes and she reached forward to grasp Stefan's arm in her hands. She pulled his arm up and down with her as she hopped and Stefan finally started to chuckle, extracting his arm from her grip.

"Fine, fine," he acquiesced, holding his hands out in front of him. "Get dressed and I'll tell Rebekah."

Caroline giggled excitedly and clapped as she spun around to run back into her bedroom. The door clicked behind her and Stefan listened to her rustle through clothing that was undoubtedly all over her floor. He turned away from the door and walked back towards Rebekah's room where he knocked quietly against the grain and waited for her to tell him to enter.

He found Rebekah sitting at her vanity and stringing her hair into pins on the sides of her head. She smoothed the bright blonde waves against her scalp and used some clear jelly like substance against the curls to keep them in place.

"You look beautiful," Stefan said in quiet awe.

Rebekah turned around to smile at Stefan and she stood, crossing the room. She thread her arms over his shoulder and stared into his deep green eyes, slowing trailing down the bridge of his nose until her gaze landed on his lips

"Thank you," she murmured, licking her lips.

Stefan's breath slowed as Rebekah lightly placed her mouth against his, tilting her head and closing her eyes. She combed her fingers through silky brown hair and held on as he gently backed her up against the vanity. She slid onto the table top until she was sitting with her legs dangling off, Stefan between them. He had his hands on her hips and was kneading the skin of her sides as her hands slid from his hand to wrap around his torso.

"Mm," she murmured into his mouth, pulling away.

She trailed a light smattering of kisses down the side of his cheek and to his throat where she sucked hard against his skin. Stefan's knees buckled and he held himself up against the vanity behind Rebekah with hands on either side of her thighs, fingers digging into the wood.

Stefan felt Rebekah's teeth nip his skin and he ripped her lips away from his throat to attach his lips to hers, stealing the breath from her lungs.

They kissed for what felt like hours but could only have been a few minutes before Stefan pulled away to lean his forehead against Rebekah's. He was breathing harshly and running his hands down her sides in awe of her and the emotions that were swirling around in his heart, unsure of what to say.

"Stefan," Rebekah whispered, cupping his cheeks. "Look at me."

Stefan's eyes peeled open and he gazed drunkenly into Rebekah's blue orbs. "Rebekah, I – "

"I need to say something," she interrupted him, shaking her head. "I know that some men are afraid to admit their feelings." Stefan raised an eyebrow and Rebekah giggled, embarrassed. "That failed to come out the right way. What I'm trying to say is that, based off of how I feel for you, I can only hope that you feel the same way. I think in these short days, I've fallen for you. There was once something I heard: a vampire loves stronger and falls faster than any other kind. It's true, Stefan, we do – and I have."

Stefan stared in shock as Rebekah gazed into his eyes. "I – I don't - ," Stefan started, shaking his head. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Rebekah's again, breathing deeply. "Rebekah, I wish speaking was my forte but that quality seems to have skipped my generation." He opened his eyes and tilted his head with a smile. "I feel the same way for you, Rebekah."

Rebekah choked on a watery laugh and she threw her arms around Stefan's shoulders, crushing herself to his chest. She buried her nose in his neck and breathed deeply as she pressed a small, open mouthed kiss to the side of his throat. "You're mine, Stefan Salvatore."

There was a sudden knock on the door and Stefan pulled away from Rebekah to smooth her mussed curls from her face, cupping her cheeks. "That'll be Caroline. She wants to go out this morning for coffee."

Rebekah's face softened and she smiled. "That sounds like a fun time."

"Stefan?" Caroline called through the door. "Are you ready?"

Stefan pulled away from Rebekah and fixed his clothing before walking to the door and pulling it open. Caroline peeked her head in and saw Rebekah sitting on the vanity with smeared lipstick and glassy eyes, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Ooh," Caroline grinned knowingly. She cleared her throat and turned back to Stefan to lightly punch him in the arm proudly. "Ready to go?"

Stefan nodded and threw a glance over his shoulder to Rebekah. "We'll be back later."

Stefan shut the door behind him and twined his arm through Caroline's to pull her down the hallway. The two of them we're going to spend quality best friend time together for the first time in days and Caroline felt her heart swell with happiness. She'd missed Stefan, even though he'd never really left. Stefan would always be her first best friend.

Caroline drained the last of the coffee in her cup and stretched, feeling the satin of her skirt brush against her leg as it slipped over her thigh to dangle. She sighed and stared off into the woods where she could hear the scurrying of small animals as they ducked under the brush.

"Hungry?" Stefan whispered, gesturing. "We can hunt now. "

Caroline hopped up from her seat and Stefan grabbed her hand as they ducked behind the back of the building and into the trees. They hunted for half an hour before Caroline sighed and peeked at Stefan out of the corner of her eye.

"I have a question," she began nervously, picking her cuticles.

Stefan glanced at her. "Yes?"

"I spoke to Klaus about this after the discussion the four of us had and he thinks it's a great idea. I'm sure Rebekah would like it, too. Umm - ," Caroline smiled shyly. "Will you move into the mansion? They have another guest room that Klaus said you're more than welcome to move into and I'm more than positive Rebekah would be pleased."

Stefan opened his mouth to speak but Caroline continued.

"Please, Stef," she pleaded quietly, stepping around a branch that was in her way. "It would make me feel safer. I don't want you to get hurt by Elena and I just – I need you there."

Stefan sighed and closed his eyes, unsure. "Caroline, I bought this house and it would be a shame for it to go to waste."

"You were anonymously persuaded to buy that house and it should go to someone who actually wants it by their own discovery. It's got – got bad feelings in it, Stefan."

Stefan raised an amused eyebrow at her and grinned, shaking his head. "If it means that much to you, then sure, I'll move into the mansion. But please, please, don't let me walk in on your and Klaus."

Caroline blanched and she shook her head. "Not that I'm against your relationship with Rebekah, but please don't let me walk in on you and Rebekah, either."

Stefan hooked his arm through Caroline's as they began to stroll through the woods towards Stefan's home. "Deal."

Stefan and Caroline were just putting the rest of Stefan's meager belongings into a box when Caroline cleared her throat and began to scratch the back of her neck. "Stef, I have another question."

Stefan rolled his eyes to her and grinned. "Yes?"

"Is it wrong to love Klaus so soon?"

Stefan felt his stomach drop and he stared at Caroline incredulously. "You love him? Already? It's only been a matter of days, Caroline!"

"I know!" she argued. "But – you love Rebekah! You've known her for less time than I've known Klaus!"

"While that's true, knowing her hasn't nearly gotten me killed!"

Caroline paled and took a step away from Stefan in retreat. "Klaus hasn't gotten me hurt."

"No?" Stefan was hysterical. "You don't know that! We've never made enemies, Care! You've barely been alive along enough to anger someone so greatly and I've kept a low profile for my entire life! They have told us, Care, that they have enemies - that they'd be surprised if it wasn't one of them. Yet you love Klaus." Stefan threw his hands in the air and shook his head. "If that's true then you're an idiot."

Caroline gasped as pain surged her heart and her hand flew to her chest. She whimpered in surprise and fled from the room and down the stairs, bolting to the front door. She leaned her forehead against the grain of the front door and sobbed quietly, the pain from Stefan's words cutting her open like a knife.

She knew he had a point. She knew – but she desperately wanted the truth to be different.

Caroline pulled Stefan's front door open hard and slammed it shut, turning around just as she bumped into a soft chest. She bounced back in surprise and flattened her back against the wood of the door as her breath caught in her throat. Her heart started to beat wildly and her vision clouded with tears as Elena Gilbert grinned at her, twirling a long lock of straight russet hair around her finger.

"Caroline Forbes," she as her fangs elongated. The veins protruded from her skin and she looked like a feral animal. "I'm so relieved I found you."

Caroline shook her head violently and blonde waves fell into her eyes. "What do you want from me? What did I ever do to you?"

Elena's face became human again and she shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about? I have nothing against you, Caroline."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Elena's eyes went blank and that's when Caroline realized there was a man a few yards behind her. He stood with his hands buried deep in his pockets and a smile etched onto his painfully familiar face. He stepped into the light of the glimmering moon and his blue eyes glared into hers as a smirk lit his face.

"No," Caroline murmured, clawing behind her back for the doorknob.

She had just wrapped her fingers around the metal knob when this man sped forward and braced his forearm against her neck, shoving her hard into the door. The knob bit into her back and she cried out in shocked pain as those oh so familiar cerulean eyes smiled down at her.

"We meet again, sweetheart," he said with a flowing British that tugged at her memory. "You've changed in the last 20 years."

Caroline's brow furrowed and she choked for air as his forearm began to crush her windpipe. "Who – who are you?"

He grinned and raised his eyebrows. "That's right – we've not properly met. I do apologize for our first encounter, it was rather quick and I'm sure you were plenty scarred. I just couldn't help myself, you see. You looked so beautiful in the moonlight as you strolled home from your friend's house that night. You failed to see me coming, I'm afraid, for I had to sneak up behind you."

Caroline's heart skipped a beat and she felt the air as it was crushed from her lungs. "You." Her eyes widened and she whimpered in terrified pain. "You turned me. You're my sire."

He cocked his head and smiled, smoothing the blonde waves against her cheek. "Yes, sweetheart, I am."

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered frantically as he momentarily released her throat. "What did I do?"

"It is not what you did, Caroline. It is who you are friends with. Did the note not tell you anything?"

"What did the Mikaelson's ever do to you!? They're kind people! They're my family!"

"No!" his hand reared back and he grabbed a handful of Caroline's hair, pulling her head back until her neck was in the air. "They are my family."

Caroline was stunned speechless as he sniffed her throat, humming in pleasure. "You're…?"

His familiar eyes. The familiar accent. The blonde hair.

Caroline sobbed once and closed her eyes. "You're Mikael."

He chuckled, skimming the skin of her throat with his nose. "Yes, I am."

Thank you for reading and please review! 4 more chapter until the end and then I'll be posting a new AU/AH fic!