"STEFAN," CAROLINE'S DISAPPOINTED SIGH FILLED IN the silence of Stefan's bedroom, her figure approaching his as he sat on the bed, eyes refusing to leave Aurelia's sleeping figure. "Have you had anything to drink the last couple days?" At his refusal for an answer, she scoffed, taking a seat next to him. "You're gonna make me use Damon to hunt for a bunny so you can feed on it."
"I'm not movingβnot until she wakes up." Stefan only repeated the same phrase he'd been repeating for the last few hours. Caroline assumed he'd been up all night again, watching the sleeping blonde for any changes.
"Stefan..."
"Caroline," He finally looked up at his friend. "The color's returnedβeven if she looks a little paler than after she started drinking from people, she doesn't look grey, or desiccated anymore."
"This has happened a couple of times alreadyβ" After several outbursts from the overwhelming concern she had for her sister's wellbeing, Caroline had calmed down, beginning to accept that whatever would happen was going to be out of her control. "It's sign, a good sign, but we have to let her take her time. I had to convince Klaus to stop exactly what you were doing just yesterday."
"He only stopped sitting by her side and yelling at anyone who disturbed him because I was doing it, too." Stefan retorted with an annoyed glance at her. "You think he would've left Aurelia's side if he didn't think someone else would be there to do it in his absence?" His hand gently trailed up and down her forearm. "She's got the color of her skin backβit means she's alive, and that she will wake up. You don't get it."
She scoffed at the insensitive comment, and he muttered an apology. "I do get it. I understand your hope, but neither of us have control over when she's going to wake up. All we can do is make sure we don't look like ghosts when she wakes up. Don't you think she'd chew our brains out if she found out we avoided eating and drinking while she was unconscious?"
"I'll deal with that when that happens." Stefan's stubbornness was truly something few people could rival, and though Caroline was one of them, she didn't have the energy to argue. "I know she's been fluctuating between being dead and being asleep for the last few days, but she's been asleep for the longest period ever since that witch killed her. The ring's workingβit's just taking some time." He flinched slightly at the memory of when her skin turned grey for the first time after she came back to lifeβthough still asleep.
"I know, and I know you care deeply for her." Caroline reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Why wouldn't you? You're in love with the girl."
"Iβ"
"Oh, cut the crap." Caroline's voice cut him off with a small laugh. "Anyone with eyes will confirm it for me. Why do you think Klaus kept glaring at you when we were deciphering the triangle in Shane's office? It was pretty damn obvious that whatever was going on between you and her made his big-brother attitude kick in."
"That's only because he caught us in the library hugging each other."
"That was only the final straw, Stefan." She said. "You're clearly feeling something romantic for her, and I get itβyou have a bond that's basically unshakeable. You loved each other to no end so long ago, and chose new beginnings with each otherβeven without the romance, it's clear that you have a unique relationship with her." She laughed lightly again. "If you throw in the fact that you have feelings for herβ" She hid what she thought Aurelia's feelings would be, figuring that her sister would want to eventually tell him herself. "I remember calling Elena your epic love, but as vampires, we have many, and it's... undeniable that Aurelia was your epic love, too. You don't just... lose that." She then smiled, her gaze falling to the even rises and falls of Aurelia chest. "And now that I'm thinking about itβAurelia may have been an even more epic love than Elena."
"You really know us well, Caroline." The first smile she'd seen cross Stefan's face in the last few days finally began to settle on his lips. "You're right. But now's not the time for all of thatβwe gotta find something to stop her from dying permanently because of Expression, and then we can consult these feelings."
"Whatever you choose." Caroline said with finality. "I'm sure you two will figure each other out when the time's right. But remember, I'm gonna say 'I told you so' when Aurelia wakes up and beats your ass for not having any blood in the days she was out."
"I'm sure you will." Stefan looked at her, heart feeling lighter at her ability to calm him down.
"Well, I should goβI have to meet up with Bonnie to get my dress." She finally stated, slowly getting up to her feet. "I don't know if she'll wake up by then... but I really wanted her to comeβ" And she reached out to hold Aurelia's hand. "Bye, Stefan."
And she left the two alone, shutting the door behind her with a soft 'click'. Stefan eventually held onto Aurelia's hand as well, raising it to press his lips to her knuckles with shut eyes, practically praying for her quick recovery.
As seconds turned to minutes, he could no longer resist her voice in his head, telling him to take care of himself before anything elseβand he stood up slowly, eyes fixed on her form for a last look at any movement.
When he saw none, he took his leave as well.
WITH EVERY STEP SHE TOOK, AURELIA COULD FEEL something grasp onto her ankles with ever-growing strength, like hands wrapping around her feet to stop her from running away from the terror chasing her. The terror that could only be described as some sort of inky darkness, rushing towards her as it enveloped everything in its pathβeven the light that she used to look around the ambiguous and clouded landscape.
It marched towards her like it was some pyroclastic cloud, ready to swallow her before plummeting her body, her soul, into absolute nothingness. If this was how she was going to die, she wasn't having it.
It had caught her a few times already, the smoke seeping into her through her ears and noseβand then her open mouth as she tried to scream, to shout, to yell in order to call for help, to give herself some strength to fight this abstract beast.
And whatever was holding onto her ankles, making every step ever more difficult for her to take, they began to morph horrifically into literal hands, scratching at the skin of her leg, leaving black marks and imprints of their nails.
When she tried to scream again, eyes widening in horror, all that left her mouth was a quiet groanβwhen she tried again, nothing, no sound came from her voice box, and she began to sob, tripping finally and plummeting to the ground roughly.
She'd tried to crawl even, feeling hopelessly desperate to escape from the quickly approaching darkness, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she pulled herself forward with her hands using every last ounce of strength she had.
It would take her eventually, it wouldβbut damn her if she let it take her before she was ready.
And as she found a fierce sense of determination encase her mind, strengthen itβshe forced herself to scream once more, allowing it to push her to take the final stepβthe scream now rippled loudly from her throat, a desperate last attempt to fight her approaching fate.
"Stay," She began, nails digging into the texture of the surface she crawled on, her voice growing once again. "Away from me!" And she shut her eyes, feeling the strong pull on her body evaporate in an instant, and she began to fall, twist, mind lurching, stomach twisting at the uncomfortable feeling of her body tumble around in whatever space she'd been thrust into.
And when she opened her eyes with a gasp, shooting up in the bed that materialized underneath her body, she looked around, eyes darting around to absorb the features and decorations of Stefan Salvatore's bedroom.
That was when she lost her balance in surprise and leant over to one side entirely, body slipping as she rolled right off the bed, hitting the floor with a harsh 'thud!'. "Oh, freakβ" She swore after that, expression contorting at the immediate soreness spreading across her butt.
A HARSH 'THUD' ON THE CEILING ABOVE THEM STOPPED Damon's and Stefan's conversationβor rather, quickly escalating argumentβand they looked up, confused expressions and frowns crossing their faces at the sudden noise. "What was that?" Damon asked, annoyance lacing his tone.
Stefan, however, quickly relaxed his eyebrows, raising them instead as a thought, optimistic as it was, popped up in his mind. "Aurelia!" He called out, ears practically craning in order to listen to any noise.
Upstairs, Aurelia's head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Stefan!" She practically yelled, processing more and more that this was reality, not another sick variation of her nightmareβand her feet began to move on instinct, lifting her up to slip, stumble, run out his bedroom door and the top of his stairs.
At the sight of him standing there, at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for a glimpse of her, a large smile appeared on her lips, a laugh escaping as she ran her hands through her hair. "Aurelia." Was all he could say before she ran down the steps, practically slipping down a fewβuntil she skipped the last ones bridging the pairβjumping right into his arms with a relieved laugh. "Oh my God." As he expressed his surprised relief, he securely held onto her, body jerking backwards at the force of the impact.
"You'reβyou're real." She could only cry out, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "Finally. You wouldn't believe the crap dream I was having."
Opting not to push her past her mental limit, Stefan, simply raised an arm around her back, cradling the back of her head as it rested on his shoulder. "Oh, you're alive, you're okay." He murmured into her hair, the rippling waves of anxiety finally coming to a still, the mere feeling of her in his arms serving as a calming agent in itself.
"Aurelia." Aurelia finally lifted her head, moments and moments later, to see Damon standing there with something of a smile itching to show itself on his face. "You're alive." As Stefan unwillingly let her go from his arms, she cackled and went into Damon's, internally admiring how far him and her had come as people that were once best friends. "You absolute idiotβwho told you to take on 12 witches by yourself in your state?" He scolded quickly as she hit his chest.
"Oh, shut up." She huffed. "We're having a moment."
"And that moment counts me yelling at you for the bullshit you did." And he hugged his best friend tightly, ignoring her protests at the pressure he was putting around her shoulders.
"Caroline's going to be jumping around with joy once I tell her how you are." Stefan said from behind the pair, as they let go of each other. "Well, I dropped her a text, so I guess I already told herβscrew prom dress shopping, I guessβ"
"Prom dress shopping?" Aurelia looked confused. "How long have I been out of commission for?"
"A few days is allβdid you know about Prom?" Damon asked, head tilting at the blonde's sudden curiosity over something he thought she'd found unimportant. "How did you know about Prom?"
At the mention of Caroline's name, he muttered a quiet 'ah.' Of course Caroline told her about it. "Just so you know, she's making me go, and I think it's a well-known fact that I can't say no to the girl." Aurelia looked between the two men as she spoke. "So, I declare that you two numbnuts are going as well." With a satisfied smirk that grew even more at the annoyed groans that emitted in response, she stubbornly folded her arms.
"Well, we needed to go anywayβwhatβwith Elena's bullshit taking over all that's good in this world." Damon mumbled, getting a little tired of the woman's latest actions. "Which we, you know, could use your help on..." Aurelia raised an eyebrow.
"I can't cast any magicβI don't feel it in my body like I did that night."
"But you're almost four centuries old, raised by the Original Family, and undeniably... terrifying for anyone who isn't close to you." Stefan listed out all the reasons on his fingers as if he was planning to go grocery shopping. "You're the best option we have who won't straight up murder her." Aurelia narrowed her eyes skeptically.
"You think I can't kill her?" She poked a finger roughly in his chest. "Excuse youβI'm just as malicious with this Expression crap as I am withoutβ"
"I know you won't." Stefan quickly interrupted, raising his arms in surrender. "It'll make a mess, and I know you don't like those." Aurelia continued to glare at him as she retracted her hand. "Please? I'm saying please."
Perhaps Caroline was no longer the only person Aurelia couldn't say 'no' to. "Fineβbut I want compensation."
"Whatever you'd like." Stefan smiled, and Aurelia had to blink several times as a comet of the word 'charming' began to boomerang through her mind. "Oh, Caroline respondedβ" When she came back to her senses, he was looking at his phone, focused on an array of texts that contained several exclamation points and capital letters. "Yep, she's jumping around in that store, I just know it."
As he read through the texts, Aurelia spared a glance towards a creepily smirking Damon, who stood there like he was all-knowing, eyes flickering back and forth between the pair. "What?" She aggressively mouthed, glaring at his stupid overconfidence.
"You're so obvious." His damn sass still came through, even when he was mouthing words. "Just grab him by the collarβ" He made a motion with his fist dragging itself back to his form. "And press your lipsβ" Aurelia elbowed him in the ribcage swiftly after that, making him double over with a loud groan.
"What are you two doing...?" Stefan suddenly asked, suspiciously eyeing the pair as if they'd grown four heads.
"Don't worry about it, Stef." Damon waved off, finishing his dramatic reaction to Aurelia's light (not really) nudge. "What's Caroline saying?"
"She's sent her address, asking Aurelia to comeβ" Stefan tapped on his screen a couple of times. "Yeah, I just sent it to you." Aurelia nodded, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. "Are you up for prom dress shopping?"
"If it's with Caroline, then yeah, of course." She sweetly smiled at the thought of her sister. "Plus, I'm not buying one from there, so it's not going to take long."
"Then... what are you wearing to prom?" Stefan asked again. "Caroline's going to kill you if you show up in a leather jacket and jeans."
"Darling, I've been alive for nearly four centuries, and been a part of the lavish Original FamilyβI have plenty of dresses that have and haven't been tailored to fit the century I live in." Aurelia reassured. "Is my bike here? I thought I saw it through a window on my way down here."
"Ah yes," The familiar sound of her keys jingling made her look at Damon, cockily holding up the keys of her bike. "I took it out for a spin while you were outβ" A quick snatch of the keys made him blink several times.
"Go get your own bikeβmy child does not deserve to be sat on by the likes of you." Aurelia huffed, jabbing a light kick at the man's shin. "Anyway, I'm off. Toodle-oo. See you two tonight!" The last words of her goodbye became less and less audible as she left through the front door.
Once she reached her beloved motorcycle, she grinned, preparing to take out the helmet to wearβonly to stop as she pressed a hand to her chest to cough and heave her chest twiceβtightness quickly spreading across its expanse.
Paying no attention to it, she started the two-wheeler, quickly speeding away in the direction of the dress store.
"ARE YOU SURE IT FITS PROPERLY, BONNIE?" Caroline felt gorgeous in the beautiful dress adorning her bodyβgracing her slender figure with its pink-red hue, tinged with bits of blood-red (a theme she found hilariously apt for her personality), and its pretty sweetheart neckline. "I just want it toβ"
"Look like it flatters you the best." Bonnie completed, smile saying that she'd heard Caroline's overthinking for well over an hour. "Caroline, it looks great. You're going to turn heads at the dance." Caroline hesitantly smiled, turning around slightly to look at the back of the dress, and how it decorated the planes of her waist and lower back.
However, when she fully spun around to meet the grinning visage of her dear sister, she only squealed in joy, grabbing Aurelia to pull into a tight hug. "Oh my God! You're okay!" She almost shrieked from the relief and excitement coursing through her veins. "Stefan told you to come here, rightβ" She began to push a barrage of questions towards the elder vampire. "Did he tell you tonight's Prom night? Do you have a dress? I saw one and instantly thought of you because it's pretty and a dark blueβ" Aurelia placed both of her hands on Caroline's cheeks to stop her from speaking.
"Caroline," She said sweetly, eyes full of reverence for the girl who resembled her own sister so much. "Yes, Stefan was the one who sent me here at your requestβI'm well aware that tonight's Prom nightβand yes, I have a dress in mindβI'll just have to visit Klaus to get it from the vast collectionβand I'm glad you know I love that color, but I won't be needing it." Only and only, Aurelia could keep up with Caroline's personality with this level of fluency, a characteristic that defined their relationship so well. Aurelia didn't even see it as keeping up, always full of admiration and adoration for the younger. "Your dress is absolutely beautiful, sweetie. No one else could wear it as well as you do."
She then looked towards Bonnie, who courteously smiled back at the vampire she'd become acquainted with when she first met herβthough said acquaintanceship had gone through severely rough patches on and off over the last few months, the Bennett Witch was willing to open her heart to the person that cherished Caroline as much as she did. "Hey, Aurelia."
"Bonnie," Aurelia smiled gently. "I'm happy to see you healthy. How have you been?" Bonnie had to pause before she answered, recalling how her recent use of Expression was the reason for Aurelia's slightly paling featuresβand then she was even more grateful to the Original Heretic for aiming to protect her despite the direct danger it posed to herself.
"I'm better. How are you?" Aurelia clicked her tongue and shrugged casually once, finally letting go of Caroline's face.
"Doing alrightβdo you have a dress, yet?" Bonnie quickly nodded her head, preparing a verbal answer when the bell at the entrance of the store rang, making the three heads turn to spot none other than Elena Gilbert, who walked in with a sly smile, head tilting at the three girls she'd run into at the store.
"Pretty dress, Caroline." She eyed up and down Caroline's dress with more than just simple admiration. "And Aurelia. You're back from the dead.
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