The Vampire Diaries One Shots

New Orleans

Caroline's POV

Everything is going to change. I felt it the moment I woke up, in the same house that I woke up in every day. It was quiet, so I assumed that Rick had already left to pick up the girls from school. They had been so excited for their first day of year one, and were still buzzing about it a week later.

Running a hand through my blonde hair, slightly curly from crushing it in the night, I sighed as I got out of bed. My life has been a repetitive stream of days, weeks, months, almost two years. But it had slowly been going away, and today, I knew that I could call myself okay.

The chain around my neck rested against my skin, and looked down to see the Salvatore daylight ring, just where it always was. Damon had given it to me after Stefan died, giving me something to hold onto.

Now I realised that I hadn't needed it for months, but I had been so used to it being there that I hadn't taken it off. With hands that didn't hesitate, I reached up and took the chain off, and then took the ring off the chain, but put the empty chain back around my neck. I slid the ring onto my finger for a bit, and then got dressed.

I wore normal jeans and a blue blouse, and tied my hair up into a ponytail. I would get on with my life today, exactly what Stefan would have wanted.

Leaving the house and locking the door behind me, I got into my car and started driving. Pulling up at the Salvatore house, I saw Damon's car in the driveway. Getting out of the car, I walked up to the door and knocked. It opened after a long moment.

"You know you don't have to knock Blondie." Damon jerked his head to see if I could come in. "You're welcome anytime. Just call out when you come in though." He winked. I ignored his joke.

"I came here to give you this." I held out my right hand, where Stefan's ring sat on my finger. Damon looked down at it, and his face dropped. Pulling the ring off my finger, I clasped it tightly one last time, and then dropped it into his hand.

"You're okay?" He asked, slipping the ring into a pocket. I smiled and nodded.
"I'm okay." I said, and I was. "There's just one last thing."

Unclipping the chain from around my neck, I took off my engagement ring and my wedding ring, slipping them both into the chani and hanging it back around my neck. I looked back up at Damon, who was looking sad, but I knew that he was okay too.

I knew what he needed, but I also knew he wouldn't ask. Stepping forward, I hugged him. Damon didn't move for a moment but then he hugged me back. Only he understood exactly the loss I had felt when Stefan had sacrificed himself, and we healed together. This created a bond I knew would never go away.

"Care?" A voice asked. I let go of Damon and we saw Elena standing in the doorway.

"Hey." I sighed. "I was just giving Damon back Stefan's ring." Elena's eyes flickered down to my rings on the chain around my neck.

"Oh Care." She shook her head slightly, coming over and wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I know." I clung to her, but I didn't cry. I didn't need to anymore.

"Thank you Elena." I whispered. "I couldn't have done it without you." She nodded, and we let each other go.

"I was asked to give you this, the day that you were okay again." Elena pulled out an envelope, my name written in swirly writing.

"Who from?" I took the envelope. Elena just shrugged, and I knew she wouldn't tell me. I laughed and tucked it into my hand. "I think I've actually been okay for months." I admitted. "Just..."

"Yeah." Damon and Elena said.

"You live your life Blondie." Damon said. "You've deserved it."

Elena smiled up at him, and he looked back at her like she was the only girl in the world. Her hand circled around his, their fingers twisting together. I smiled at them, at how in love they were. I missed that.