Just as Caroline's body hit the ground Stefan sped to her side, he wasn't quick enough to catch her body before it hit the ground but he did manage to soften the blow to her head with his arms as he propelled his body to hers. He held her gently, searching her eyes for any sign of life.

"Caroline" he urged while rocking her gently but a bit frantically from side to side.

"Hang in there Caroline" he whispered soothingly. This poor innocent girl, she was used because Stefan was careless with his actions. Because he chose to come back to this town and pursue something that would make him happy. But now, everything was ruined, it wasn't just Damon in his constant insistence and carelessness with bringing Katherine back, Stefan didn't trust himself anymore. He could already feel the tingle of hunger under his skin begging him to take a sip from Caroline's delicate neck.

Please don't let her die. He spoke these words to himself over and over again like a mantra, for himself, for his soul, for Elena.

And with that Stefan took a bite from his wrist and fed it to Caroline's mouth.

"Drink Caroline, you can do it, you're safe now" Stefan pressed his wrist to Caroline's mouth and hoped it wasn't too late, hoped she hadn't slipped away because he was weak, because he couldn't get to her fast enough.

Still nothing, he could hear her heartbeat barely murmur against her chest and Stefan began to panic, but then Caroline, with what seemed like her last shred of fight sucked weakly at Stefan's skin. And her face creased as the blood began to work from her tongue to her pours. Stefan never knew what this feeling was like, to have your body cleansed and healed with a potion. He only knew of his own body which he only considered a vessel, a vessel that would never let him die unless wood struck his heart, a vessel that would carry him through the ages with the shame he knew would never leave him.

"Shhhh, drink, keep drinking" Stefan lulled as he held her close while his exultation coursed through him and Stefan let out a pained laugh watching the colour return to Caroline's cheeks.

"Stefan?" he heard a low whisper come from behind him, if it wasn't for his formidable hearing he may not have heard it at all. Stefan's body froze as the realization of whose voice it was registered.

"Come Elena" he coaxed hearing her reluctant footsteps approach him, he could tell Elena was still shaken if not by her breathing, than by her worried lip that was clamped between her teeth.

"Caroline" she gasped watching her friend who looked as though she was still inches from life in Stefan's arms, when only a few minutes ago Caroline had been alive and well in her home.

"It's okay it's alright Elena" he hushed her, reaching for her hand; Elena quickly grabbed it as she muffled a sob into the sleeve of her jumper.

"She's ok I promise, she will be ok" Elena nodded and watched as Stefan removed his wrist and wiped it on his black jeans, when he reached for Caroline's legs to lift her she noticed it was almost healed.

Suddenly realization pricked her memory, Stefan's wrist at Wickory Bridge. Had she drank Stefan's blood too? Does his blood have magic healing powers? After this crazy week she would not doubt it, but all of these new pieces of information were becoming overwhelming and Elena felt light headed suddenly.

"Elena? Will you help me?" Stefan's calm voice broke Elena from her reverie.

"Yes" Elena's voice was shaky.

"Damon won't hurt Caroline any longer, I spoke with him. I'm going to keep her here until the blood passes through her system, she should be okay by morning" Elena tried to gather her wits as she followed Stefan from the stairs, studying his face as they walked. Stefan looked like he was furious with himself, he looked like he was on the brink of a meltdown as he held Caroline in his arms whom actually looked quite healthy now, and comfortable in Stefan's large arms carrying her like she weighed nothing at all.

"Is she?...how?" Elena motioned to Caroline and Stefan sighed.

"Our blood can heal humans, it has the power to heal wounds, even the ones inflicted by our kind" he hesitated on the last two words. Stefan turned for the door.

"She should stay here until the blood leaves her system, it's not safe for her to be alone right now"

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Because if she dies, she will come back...like me" Elena continued to follow him as this new information sunk in. So vampires are changed through the exchange of blood, but only if they are killed with the blood in their system. Sheish that's complicated.

Stefan continued walking up winding stairs to what seemed like the highest story in the boarding house, when he kicked open a door Stefan placed Caroline on a large king sized bed.

Elena stood in front of the bed admiring the room, it was open, bright, with lots of windows, there were many books, old parchments, scribbles of drawings on an old antique phone table. It was cosy, unlike the rest of the decor around the house.

Elena turned and was faced with a very pale, very worried looking Stefan. Even now in this crisis she wanted to straighten the lines the formed when he frowned. Still, she felt the urge to run her fingers through his hair and re assure him things would work out. Elena wondered how she had acquired all of this hope and compassion for a moment, but when she saw the look reflected in Stefan's eyes she saw that he brought that out in her somehow. She believed together, they would be good, and could do good.

"I know that I've asked so much of you already Elena, and please believe me when I say I am beyond sorry for ev-" Elena interrupted him as she quickly placed her arms tightly around his waist and her head snuggled into his chest.

"No Stefan please don't say that" Stefan's arms remained by his sides as Elena rubbed his back and lingered with her arms around his body for a long moment. Her hair was close; he could smell the lavender and kiwi radiating from her skin. She was sublime; having her so close was torture. Leaving was going to be the hardest thing he was going to do.

When she pulled away, Elena's breath was slightly out of place, her reaction to him was so foreign she blushed and looked at her feet.

"Could you" clear's throat "Could you ring Caroline's mother and say she is staying with you tonight?"

Stefan looked up to meet her eyes reluctantly "I will take care of the rest, it is best if Caroline doesn't remember what happened to her, it is too traumatic" Elena nodded.

"Sure ill ring her now, and ill ring my mom to say I'm staying in hers"

"What?" Stefan looked at her confused, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"I want to stay with her Stefan she's my friend, I won't make a peep, ill stay here and watch her with you"

"It's not that it's-" Stefan stopped abruptly not sure what to say. The prospect of spending more time with her, to listen to her sleep, on his bed. It would torture him to have her here.

"I mean, that's fine I understand" Stefan bowed his head.

A while later, Stefan returned with some herbal tea and placed it on the bed side table where Elena was seated next to a sleeping Caroline. Elena smiled before taking a sip from the raspberry flavoured tea.

"Thanks"

"It should take the edge off" Stefan spoke just above a whisper "You're probably still in shock" Stefan sighed deeply before shuffling next to his desk and leaned against it.

"Stefan-"

"Elena let me say this" he placed his own mug down and swiped his hand down his face "I have to leave" he said very quietly and looked up at her pain stricken eyes.

"Stefan liste-" Elena tried.

"If I hadn't come here this never would have happened" he hung his head and shook it in despair, what will she think of me now? Coward.

Elena got up from the bed and walked slowly up to Stefan

"No!" suddenly Elena was angry, she wanted to fight, she wanted to fight for what she felt was right and she knew deep down Stefan wasn't being fair to himself, he seemed to pull away when things got a little bumpy, she wouldn't let him do it. After everything, how could he think that? How could he regret ever coming back to Mystic Falls.

"Stefan" she closed the gap between them but Stefan refused to meet her eyes.

"Stefan" she placed her hands on either side of his jaw and turned his head to look into her eyes.

"If you hadn't come back, you wouldn't have saved me" she told him, as he voice shook and the lump in her throat got bigger.

"You wouldn't have saved my family, you wouldn't have saved me. What happened that day Stefan? Why did you give me your blood Stefan?" Stefan looked away immediately. This wasn't going to happen, he had to walk away from her, before Elena got hurt. Or worse, if Damon got to her.

"Stefan, tell me, I remember" she urged.

"It doesn't matter Elena, too much has happened because I'm here, too many people can get hurt"

"Stefan the only person that will get hurt if you leave is me!" Elena's voice broke on the last few words that were said much louder than she intended.

Suddenly both Stefan and Elena turned their heads at Caroline who was stirring on the bed. Stefan rushed over and placed his hand on her head.

"Caroline?" he whispered and her eye's flew open and panic set in, Caroline sat up and began breathing rapidly, her heart was pounding at a frantic rate and tears were beginning to spill down her eyes.

"Oh. My. god" Caroline breathed in between distressed pants.

"Shhhh" Stefan shushed her and laid her back down.

"Caroline look at me" Stefan sat in front of her and placed his hand on either side of her head "You are fine, you went to school and are staying in Elena's for the night, relax, breathe, you're safe"

Caroline still breathing heavily turned her eyes to Stefan as he spoke the words her body stilled.

"You're okay, you're tired, you are staying here with Elena, you are safe" and with that Caroline turned to Elena and nodded. A smile appearing on her lips.

"Elena hi" Caroline greeted with a large smile.

Elena held her tight as the relief washed over her, she hadn't noticed how her stomach was tied up in knots since she had gotten to Stefan's house and seen Caroline in between life and death. But now suddenly Elena felt ill about something else, Stefan was leaving.

After a few hours of sitting with Caroline and eating a delicious Carbonara that Stefan had dished up, Elena was lying beside a sleeping Caroline feeling very lonely and unresolved after an awkward evening.

Caroline was physically well again, but thought (since it was a girls night) that it was necessary to watch 'the notebook' and suggested playing truth or dare one too many times before she tired and went to bed. Stefan and Elena exchanged embarrassed looks from one to the other at the thought entertaining that idea and decided to humour her with the notebook but avoid any truth or dare situations.

Elena found it strange that Caroline was acting as though this was a normal slumber party. It was as though they were really in Caroline's drinking coco with bonnie and talking boys. But then again, she noticed Stefan speaking with her in 'that way' whenever she asked a question. It was the compulsion, and Elena was grateful that Stefan was able to save Caroline from herself. If Caroline had a notion of what Damon really was and what he had really done to her, she would have run for the hills. But Elena knew, Stefan wasn't like Damon, Stefan would never hurt anyone. And the thought of Stefan leaving made something inside her feel sick.

Is this what love is? Is this what it feels like? This deep intense feeling when I see him, that attraction, this connection, it's just something I know I won't be able to ignore for much longer.

With that Elena crept out of the bed and made her way down the stairs, Elena walked with a certainty she had never felt before, courage she had never found with anything else. She needed to do something with this deep longing that was inside her. Looking at her phone, she hadn't realised how late it was, 3:40, crap! Do vampires even sleep?

Elena made her way through the dark house; all of the many windows around the house provided very little illumination for her to see where she was going.

As she entered the vast living room, she could see a figure in the dark sprawled out on the leather couch. She held her breath as she tip toed to him. Stefan looked angelic as he slept, one arm supporting his head and the other bent over his head just above his ruffled hair. She could see his pectorals, she could see his muscular arms protruding from his shirt. Stefan really was a marvel, a Greek god, from his golden brown hair to his flawless sallow skin and his lean muscular form.

He looked as though he was climbing a mountain in the way he was lying without any blanket or pillow to comfort him. Elena couldn't resist any longer, those arms; so inviting and so comforting, looked like they were made to hold her. She didn't want to deny it any more, didn't want to ignore that she wanted him. Dangerous or not, her mind was telling her to leave, but her heart warmed as she moved over to the couch and began lying beside him, there was plenty of room for two without having to touch but Elena scooted closer until her head was near his chest.

Stefan stirred and started before realising it was Elena. He sat up quickly and composed himself before looking down at her big brown sad eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked stroking her cheek with his thumb instinctively.

"I couldn't stay away" she whispered and Stefan's heart jumped, how pained she sounded just saying that to him.

How in the world was he going to leave Elena now? He loved her; there was no doubt about it. He loved her the moment he pulled her from the car wreck at Wickory Bridge, he loved her the moment her eye's met his as she held on to her precious life in the car. He loved her even when he knew he would probably never have her. When she probably would never love him back because of what he really was. Stefan had never been so torn in his life, he needed to keep Elena safe, even if it hurt her that he left. Stefan dropped his fore head to hers and closed his eyes.

"I know" he whispered sweetly and kissing her hair chastely before lying back and letting her head rest on his chest. He cradled her, one hand at the small of her back while the other held her head near his chest. Elena wound her arm around his waist, as they lied on their sides. Lost in each other's eyes for what seemed like hours. An understanding passing through them. I can't stay away, but I know I have to.

Elena was going to say more, she wanted to tell him to stay, that she needed him, that they would find a way. But as the tears finally dried out, sleep overtook her, and the fuzziness of the day was beginning to close in as she found comfort in Stefan's arms, a profound comfort that she had never felt before. She snuggled closer to his chest and listened to him sigh in content as he ran his fingers through her hair with his lips pressed to her head.