End And Beginnings

Chapter One - Endings

"Nooooo!" Stefan yelled desperately as he reached the clearing too late, he was just in time to watch Elena thrust the branch into Caroline's chest.

"Oh..." Caroline gasped eyes wide as she took her last breath and slumped to the ground her body greying and veins blackening.

Damon grabbed hold of Elena from behind, eyes widened as he took in Caroline's dead body, "What have you done?"

Elena shrugged indifferent, "She was annoying me. She kept trying to tell me what to do."

"And so you kill her?"

"Better than having to listen to her annoying voice," Elena smirked, "or watch her and Stefan flirt. Isn't she supposed to be in love with Tyler? Or is it Klaus? I can't keep up."

"Oh god Klaus," Damon tightened his hold on Elena as realisation hit him, "you just killed the woman he's obsessed with."

"So? I'm the doppelganger he's not going to hurt me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You're a vampire Elena, you can't help Klaus make anymore Hybrids, you are useless to him now. We need to get you out of town." Damon said panicked.

"Get her away from here." Stefan whispered huskily as he removed the branch from Caroline's heart and cradled her in his arms tears streaking unreservedly down his cheeks.

"Brother..." Damon felt his heart break at his brothers devastated face.

"I don't want to hear it Damon!" Stefan glared at both of them, "Get her the hell away from us. Take her and leave Mystic Falls, leave the country I really don't care anymore." Stefan choked on a sob as he looked once more at Caroline, "I need to take care of my best friend."

"Take care brother." Damon flashed away with Elena, leaving behind two parting words whispered on the wind, "Good luck."

As his brother and ex-girlfriend left Stefan let the sobs he had been holding in out, burying his face in Caroline's blonde curls as he wept for losing yet another friend at the hands of someone he loved. First Damon killed Lexi and now Elena killed Caroline, one of the few remaining lights in his life.

Was it only a few hours ago that Caroline had been giggling as he carried her on his shoulder at the party, laughing with her as they danced together. Before Elena tried to kill Sheriff Forbes and then succeeded at killing Caroline.

"I'm sorry Caroline," Stefan whispered brokenly against her hair, Why didn't I protect you? Elena had been gunning for you all day, I should of seen this coming. "I'm so, so sorry."

After allowing himself some time to grieve Stefan decided it was time to take Caroline away from here. He wrapped an arm under her legs, the other around her shoulders and stood up cradling her close. He argued with himself for a few moments before deciding to bring her to the boarding house.

Stefan walked slowly to his home hoping the party goers, Damon and Elena would be gone by the time he arrived. Thankfully that proved true as he arrived the house was silent and empty. He opened the door and walked in closing it with his foot, he walked to the couch and carefully laid Caroline on it.

Stefan poured himself a drink and downed it trying to prepare himself for what he had to do next. Taking a deep breath he pulled out his cell phone and dialled.

"Hello?"

"Sheriff Forbes it's Stefan."

"Oh Stefan, is Caroline with you?" Liz asked panicked, "Elena just left me in the woods and ran off."

Stefan swallowed thickly as he looked at Caroline, "I need you to come to the boarding house."

Hearing Stefan's tone fear gripped her, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Please Liz just come here."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." Liz hung up and made her way there.

Stefan contemplated whether to call Klaus as he waited for Sheriff Forbes to arrive, he knew he couldn't hide Caroline's death from him for long. What would Klaus do when he found out? He knew he was in love with her, would he rip this town apart in his rage? Hunt Elena to the ends of the Earth and rip her heart out? Tyler was already running from him, what was one more to the list. Stefan balked as he thought of Tyler, how the hell am I going to tell Tyler when we can't get a hold of him. We haven't even told him about Jeremy! Stefan had to stop and take a breath as the pain hit him again. First Jeremy and now Caroline, would his eternity be forever filled by people he cared about dying? If so he didn't think he'd survive it.

Stefan's thoughts were interrupted by a frantic knocking on his door, rubbing a hand over his eyes he made his way over to the door and opened it dread filling him as he looked at Sheriff Forbes.

"Where is Caroline, Stefan?" Liz asked frantic with worry.

"She's in here," Stefan answered in a tear filled voice, "but there's something I need to tell you first."

"I don't care," Liz pushed past him, "I need to see my daughter." She walked through the hallway and as she looked to the couch she sobbed, "Oh god." There was her daughter lying on the couch, from all appearances Caroline looked just like she was resting, if it wasn't for the greyed skin and veins.

"I tried to tell you Liz." Stefan said as he came up behind her.

"What happened?" Liz asked as she knelt down beside Caroline and stroked her hair.

Stefan stared at his hands as he recalled the nights events, "Elena was going for Caroline all day. First at the cheerleader competition she purposely didn't catch Caroline after she called her out for feeding on the competition. Then when Elena threw the party she became jealous because I was dancing and having a good time with Caroline, she took you and we went looking for you and Caroline," his voice broke on her name but he continued, "she and Elena fought and I," tears began rolling down his cheeks so he looked at the floor, "I was too late. I arrived just as Elena staked her. I am so sorry Liz."

Liz gasped, "Elena did this?"

Stefan nodded, "I didn't realize how far she'd go. I never thought she would actually kill one of her friends." Stefan shook his head, "I still can't grasp it, Caroline was older! Elena shouldn't of been able to over power her."

"Knowing my daughter she would of held back not wanting to hurt her."

"I told her to do whatever it took to stop her." Stefan cried.

Liz looked at Stefan, "She would of still seen her as a friend," She kissed Caroline's forehead, "my daughter is loyal above all." Liz looked at her daughter one more time before getting up, "I have to arrange a funeral, somehow without anyone knowing she was a vampire."

Stefan gently took her shoulders, "No what you need is to go home and rest. I will take care of her." Stefan gazed upon Caroline, "I owe her that."

Liz took Stefan's hand in hers, "Caroline loved you Stefan, you were her best friend. I know you helped her so much since she became a vampire," She squeezed his hand, "and I'm grateful she had you to make sure she stayed as human as possible."

"She was the best one of us," Stefan whispered brokenly furiously wiping his tears away, "out of all of us she didn't deserve this, she was the most human vampire I have ever met."

"That's my daughter for you," Liz tearfully chuckled, "always exceeding expectations."

Stefan bashfully smiled, "Yeah. Always striding for perfection."

"Never realizing she was perfect just the way she was." Liz swallowed her tears back, "Goodbye Stefan, I'll be back tomorrow after I've had time to process."

Stefan walked her to the door and saw her out, "Goodnight Liz." Shutting the door he made his way back to the couch and sat down in front of it, turning to face Caroline he layed his head against it and laced his fingers with hers, "I loved you too Caroline, you were my best friend and without you I think I would of gone crazy, especially with the whole Damon and Elena thing." Stefan let the tears fall once again, "Why'd it have to be you? I need you Caroline, I need you." He layed his forehead against Caroline's as he sobbed, even in death her presence gave him comfort.

All of a sudden he felt a warmth embrace him and he could of sworn he heard a faint whisper of, "Oh Stefan." Whipping his head around he scanned the room and finding nothing he looked down at Caroline whispering, "Caroline?" He shook his head at his stupidity. Caroline was dead! He'd never hear her voice again.

The other side

"I'm here Stefan." Caroline answered, sitting beside Stefan on the floor her arms wrapped around him from behind, giving him what little comfort she could as he grieved for her, "I'm right here."

Earlier that night

Caroline gasped as she woke, looking around she saw it was the clearing where she and Elena were fighting, her last memory was of a sharp pain in her chest, "Elena staked me!" Looking at her chest she saw no mark in her clothes, lifting her top her chest was unmarked, no hole where she was stabbed, "But how?"

Looking around she could make out Stefan in the distance carrying what looked like a body. Getting up Caroline yelled out, "Stefan. Stefan wait up." Nothing, he didn't even flinch it was like he couldn't hear her. Running over to him she was about to say his name again when she saw what he was holding. Her. He was holding her dead body in his arms, tears streaking down his cheeks as he moved.

Caroline stopped in shock and fell to her knees, "I'm dead." She clutched her chest as she remembered the feel of the stake impaling her heart, "Elena killed me." Her eyes grew wet as she thought about those she would leave behind without saying goodbye; her mom, Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, oh god Tyler and Klaus. Caroline sobbed as she realized she'd never see then again, never tell then how much she loved them, even Klaus had wormed his way in to her heart.

Caroline screamed in to the silence of the dark night. 'Why? Why did Elena do this to me? I'm her friend.' She thought in anger. "Why?" She yelled out, crying so hard she was gasping, "Stefan. I need Stefan."

All of a sudden she felt a shift in the air and the clearing was replaced by the parlor of the boarding house, in front of her stood Stefan with phone in hand as he spoke to her mom and behind him laying on the couch was her body. Walking over she took in the bloody hole in her chest and her desiccated remains.

"Wow," Caroline murmured staring transfixed at the sight before her, "it is so strange to see your own body."

As Stefan hung up his phone Caroline watched him think to himself, hating the look of pain on his face knowing it was because of her, she came to stand beside him, "I should of listened to you Stef," she tightened her fists as fury filled her, "I should of just snapped that bitches neck."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door, Caroline followed Stefan as he answered the door and seeing who was on the other side made everything hit her again, "Mommy." She followed them and watched her mother react to her death, Caroline cried with her mom as Stefan told her what happened. She cringed as Stefan expressed his disbelief of how Elena overpowered her as she was older, hearing her mothers explanation touched her heart at the fact her mother did know her, "I'm so so sorry I didn't listen."

Caroline listened in awe as her mom told Stefan about how much he had meant to her, hearing Stefan calling her the best one of them and how she didn't deserve this made her want to wrap in her arms. Hearing them calling her perfect made the tears fill her eyes again, as she watched them say goodbye she walked over to her mom and smiled regretfully at her, "Goodbye mom, I will always love you." And watched her walk away.

Caroline watched Stefan sit beside her body and lace their fingers together, she sat beside him and listened to his heartfelt speech, "I love you too Stefan." Hearing him sob out that he needed her broke her heart, she wrapped her arms around him sighing, "Oh Stefan." She saw him whip his head around searching the room before looking at her body again whispering, "Caroline?"

Caroline's eyes widened, 'could he hear her?' Keeping her arms around trying to bring him comfort she replied, "I'm here Stefan, I'm right here."

Stefan could still feel the warmth surrounding him, looking at Caroline he smiled gently, "Your here aren't you Caroline?" Hearing no reply he shook his head, "Oh how I wish Jeremy was here."

There was a knock on the door causing Stefan to furrow his brow, who could that be? Reluctantly he stood up hating to leave Caroline, he went an answered the door standing in shock at who was on the other side, "Klaus."

"Ripper." Klaus greeted smirking at his old friends, "May I come in? We have much business to discuss."

Panic filled Stefan, Oh god, what do I do? What do I do? How can I let him see Caroline. Stefan tried to school his features in to a calm expression as he replied, "Can we do this in the morning Klaus? I'm not in the mood to discuss what I'm sure will be cure business."

Noting the panic on Stefan's face before he tried to hide it Klaus grew suspicious, narrowing his eyes at him a dangerous gleam entered his eyes, "I wasn't asking for permission Stefan," Klaus pushed past him ignoring his protests, "are you trying to plot...my...demise..." Klaus couldn't believe what was before his eyes, "Caroline..."

TBC

AN - So what you guys think? This has been rattling around my head since I watched 4.16. I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next chapter X X X