Caroline's side of her and Bonnie's dorm room was empty. Stefan was on speaker, from whose phone Abigail didn't know, relaying the same message from the Forbes house in Mystic Falls. Still, she opened and closed every drawer as if she was going to find something.
"So, what? She just flipped her humanity switch, came back to the dorm, took all of her clothes and thank you notes, and just left town?" Abigail slammed another drawer closed. "I left everything because it didn't matter. Why did she take it?"
Elena turned away from the window between the beds. "Do you guys think she's trying to cut off all ties to her past?"
Stefan's voice, louder than before, came with an answer, "I certainly don't think she's having a yard sale, Elena."
"Okay, why are you getting mad at me?" She asked. "I'm not the one who did this."
"I know," he sighed. "I'm sorry."
Abigail took a step toward Elena and then another one when stopping didn't seem like something she could do. She and Stefan were coming up with a plan, half of one at least, but their voices had faded. The back wall had always been blank, mostly because of the fireplace, she'd never realized that.
"Abigail, this isn't any more your fault than mine. She was going to do it whether or not you followed her. Whether or not I went to her house. Her mind was made up." Elena paused, giving Abigail the time she needed to face her. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I might have accepted all that I did when my humanity was off, but I don't know what to do about it." She stepped past her again. "All I know is that nothing that I do will ever be enough. And I-"
A voice came from behind her, "Looks like you could use a friend."
"Bonnie," she whispered. "Bonnie!"
Laughing, their arms found a way around each other.
"Oh, my God," Elena exclaimed. "How are you..."
"Alive? You think I'd be used to this part by now..." Bonnie walked toward her chest of drawers. "Just like how I got so used to flannel that I really, really missed my not-flannel blouse, my not-flannel t-shirts, and, oh! Oh! I really missed my not-flannel V-neck."
"Suck it, 1994!" Elena popped open a bottle of champagne. "So, we bought this the day we thought Damon and I were going to rescue you, but, obviously, we didn't, so we couldn't drink it." Their glasses were filled expertly before being raised in a toast. "So, this is to you. You were stuck there all by yourself while we were back here, living our lives. And this is the worst toast ever."
Bonnie smiled. "I'm back home. That's all that matters. Cheers!"
The clink of their glasses was followed by several refills, all of which brought them one step closer to filling Bonnie in on all that had happened while she was gone.
"Can we talk about the fact that I drove Jeremy away to art school?"
"So, does that make you his muse?" Abigail poured Bonnie another glass. "Because, well, that's not driving him away, that's inspiring him."
Bonnie's sip turned into a gulp. "Do me a favor? Don't tell him I'm back yet."
"You haven't called him?"
"I just... I want to give him a chance at normalcy." Bonnie sat down on her bed. "Before we just drag him back into all of this, you know?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"I-" Elena sat down next to her. "We do, too, but, Bonnie, you should at least tell him you're okay."
"And I will, I'll tell him. Coming back to life is complicated. Trust me, I've done it before," Bonnie said. "Besides, we have a friend without her humanity and in need of a severe intervention."
The door opened and all at once they were on their feet. "Caroline! Um, you're here."
"And you're perceptive." She set the countless shopping bags she'd carried into the room on her bed. "Ah! I'm starting over. New everything! New sheets, new clothes. Hey, I even got us a new blow-dryer." She turned around to face them. "Oh, my God. Bonnie's back. Hi. I thought you were trapped in 1994."
"I got out."
She shrugged. "Huh."
"We-" Abigail cut herself off when Caroline met her eyes. "We've been worried about you, Care."
"You mean, you were worried if I followed in your footsteps? Like, if I killed a bunch of people? Okay, funny story. You remember Liam?" She turned to Bonnie. "Oh, Elena dated this pre-med hottie, but then realized she still had feelings for Damon, so she compelled him to forget that they ever had a thing."
"What did you do to him?" Elena asked.
"I ate him! He was delicious." The look they shot in her direction was the same one, shocked and angry, but she didn't seem to notice. "I mean, you know how cute guys just naturally taste better?"
Bonnie's expression was the only one to change, shifting into disbelief as she asked, "You killed Elena's ex?"
"Okay, can I just tell my story, please?" She scoffed. "Remind me why we're glad she's back again?"
Abigail spoke when Elena couldn't, "Please just say, 'Liam is not dead.'"
"Fine. Liam is not dead." If there was emotion on her face, it would have been amusement. "I was feeding and then, that little voice inside my head that tells me to stop? He never piped up. I mean, I was going to drain him of his blood, but I was not really in the mood to drag his corpse through the woods. Definitely not in these heels. I could have thrown him in a dumpster, but then everyone's always being found in dumpsters. And since I was the last person to be seen with him, I would have been questioned by the police, and what if one of them reminded me of my dead mother?"
Elena looked from one side of the room to the other. "So, you didn't kill him because it would be inconvenient?"
She drank straight from the champagne bottle. "Elena, I shut off my humanity. I didn't turn into an idiot. The last thing I want to do is give you a reason to ruin my life."
"It's so weird," Bonnie said. "It's like she's Caroline, but she's not."
"Oh, Bonnie, how we all just missed your commentary." Half of her attention was on unpacking her things and the other half was split between them. "Anyway, in return for my good behavior, I want a year where I don't have to feel any pain or grief or remorse. You're not gonna lock me in a cell and dry me out, and you're definitely not gonna try to trigger some latent emotion, hoping to snap my humanity back on."
"So, all you want is for us to leave you alone, and then you promise not to kill anyone?"
"That's all I want. Now, if anyone tries anything to flip my switch back on, and I mean anything, I'll become your worst nightmare." Her face became serious for a long moment, a threat, forcing their eyes away from her to each other. "Great! I'm gonna get a latte. See ya."
The Warehouse party was a kickoff party, one that sent students their separate ways before spring break. One that started at the same time Abigail's flight took off. One that she found herself working her way through with Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie.
"Okay, not exactly the Welcome Home party we were planning for you." Elena scanned the crowd. "I think we should split up and look for Caroline."
Having not heard her, Bonnie shouted over the music, "Maybe we should split up and look for Caroline."
Elena laughed. "Good idea!"
Bonnie was by Abigail's side and then she wasn't. It was hard to spot anyone the moment the bouncers pulled back the white sheet to reveal painted faces and glow-stick jewelry, but as the crowd surrounded her, she could see everyone. Every face. She could hear everyone. Every voice. And none of them were really there.
"No. No, it's not real." She forced her eyes closed, shaking her head vigorously right in the middle of the dance floor. "Come on, Bea. Come on."
A hand wrapped around her arm, Elena's hand. "Where's Bonnie?"
The screams returned to laughs as she opened her eyes. "I-I lost her in the crowd."
"I'll text her." Elena cast an anxious glance over her shoulder. "Stefan is talking to Caroline right now."
"Elena, I-"
Stefan approached her from behind. "Hey. It worked."
"It worked?" Elena looked surprised; an emotion Abigail couldn't bring herself to feel. "You're Caroline's emotional trigger?"
"I saw it in her eyes. She's still in there. We just have to find her."
Abigail looked up at him. "Wait, she's gone? Stefan, she made it very clear that if we mess with her, she's gonna retaliate."
"Then we find her, we lock her up, and I push until I break through." His eyes bore into hers. "I can get her back."
They had just stepped foot outside when Stefan's phone rang. "Enzo, do you really think I want to hear from you right now?"
"Aw, is someone having a bad night?"
They froze at the sound of Caroline's voice.
Stefan did not catch the eyes of either one of them. "What are you doing with Enzo's phone?"
"I stole it, but that's not the question that you should be asking right now. You should be asking, 'Why does Enzo have Sarah Salvatore's number in his phone?' Or maybe, 'Where is Sarah Salvatore?'" Finally, that eye contact he'd been looking for was made. "And ultimately, 'What the hell are you going to do to her, Caroline?'"
Another voice, one that Abigail had never heard, entered Scull Bar. "Hello? Enzo?"
With a fake British accent, Caroline called, "Over here, love."
"Oh, um, actually, I'm looking for-"
"Enzo. Yeah, I heard you. He's not here right now. But I am."
Stefan chose from the questions she presented him with as he turned away. "Caroline, what the hell are you doing with Sarah?"
"There! An appropriate question. Thank you for asking. As a matter of fact..." Only five more words were spoken before she hung up, "I'm going to kill her."
Slowly, he faced them. "The Sarah you met wasn't Sarah. Her name was-"
Elena furrowed her eyebrows. "Was?"
"Her name was Monique. Enzo killed her." They got into Elena's car, their movements never breaking up the story. "Monique met Sarah Nelson, Salvatore, at summer camp. She grew up bouncing from foster home to foster home, all she wanted was a family. And when she found out Sarah had no interest in finding her biological family-"
"Sorry, I'm still processing Salvatore..."
He nodded understandingly, looking into the rearview mirror to meet Abigail's eyes. "Zach's daughter."
"Zach had a baby?"
"Yes. H-he didn't know. I compelled him." Any regret that might have been there disappeared. "Damon killed the mother while she was pregnant, I let him believe that the baby died. I wanted to protect her. For her to live a good life in a nice home, where she felt safe and loved. And now all of that is at risk because of me."
Caroline was behind the bar, so her view to the door was a rather clear one. "Hey! I'm making margaritas. You want one?"
Elena was the first one to ask, "Where's Sarah?"
"I see Stefan filled you in on his big secret."
"Where is she, Caroline?"
"Not here. That would be stupid." She rimmed the glasses with salt. "She's with Liam. Say hi!"
Liam's voice came through the speaker of Enzo's phone, "Hello!"
"Sarah is helping Liam with his surgical skills."
"Please," Sarah yelled, "please don't hurt me!"
Two screams formed one.
The fright in Liam's voice transformed into words, "I don't want to do this!"
"Duh." She looked down at the phone. "You're probably gonna get expelled, and then found guilty of murder. That's why I compelled you to do what I wanted."
"Look, Caroline, I'm sorry," Stefan said. "I shouldn't have pushed you."
"Obviously, I was pretty clear about that."
Elena took a hesitant step forward. "Look, I know that you can't feel it right now, Care, but if you kill Sarah, it's gonna haunt you forever. Trust me. I did it, and it sucks."
Pouring the margarita mix into the glasses, she raised her eyebrows. "I compelled a student to perform surgery on Stefan's niece, and you found a way to make this about you? God, you truly have a gift, Elena."
"Caroline," Abigail finally said, "Please, just-"
"Honestly, Abigail, what are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in New Orleans, bouncing around the French Quarter with the Originals and their dead, not dead baby? Tell me, did they invite you to read a book, babysit, or to plot the murder of another one of your friends' moms?" Her words did not pass through her, they stuck to her. "I mean, you made that deal with Elijah and literally helped turn the woman you're named after into a vampire, and, well, if I try hard enough, I think I could figure out how to trace Carol's death back to something you did, too."
"I'm here for you."
"Oh, really? And how am I supposed to believe that?"
"Look at me, Caroline." Stefan took another step toward her. "What do you want me to do? You want me to leave town? I'll leave town. I'll stay as far away from you as possible. Just please let Sarah go."
"That's the problem, Stefan. It doesn't really matter how far away you are. You're still you. Kind and loyal." She put cocktail umbrellas into the glasses lining the bar. "You, who with one look, can convince me that I'm not crazy. That's the Stefan that I fell for, and that's the Stefan who can bring me back."
"Killing Sarah isn't gonna change that."
"I know, that's why I'd rather just change you. Let go of that part of you, Stefan."
Elena looked from Abigail to Caroline. "What are you talking about?"
"If Stefan wants to save Sarah's life, all he has to do is shut off his humanity." She lifted two glasses: one for her, one for him. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I need to repeat myself?"
"He is not turning his humanity off."
She slammed the glasses back onto the bar. "Elena, Stefan unleashed himself from you months ago. He can think for himself now."
He shook his head, so differently from the way Abigail shook hers on the dance floor. "It's not gonna happen, Caroline."
"Hey, Liam? Cut out her spleen."
At the same time, Abigail and Elena yelled her name.
"Relax! She can live without a spleen, you know." She smirked. "It's really the infection you should be worried about."
"Hey, Liam," Stefan's voice broke through, "remember that conversation we had earlier about being honest? Where are you?"
"Don't answer him, Liam."
"Whitmore Medical-"
"Hey!"
When Sarah's pleas became unintelligible, Stefan turned to the Gilbert sisters. "Go! Get her out of there!"
Red and blue ambulance lights flashed through the dark hallways, sirens blared to and from the emergency bay, a woman's voice over the PA system overhauled the chatter, and nurses moved past them with a different kind of desperation. Their shoulders bumped into each other's more than anyone else's as their search turned frantic. And, finally, they made it to the stairwell.
"We should split up." Abigail took the first step down to the lower levels. "You go up."
"Okay." Elena pulled her phone from her pocket. "I-I'm going to call Caroline."
Abigail listened for any sign of Liam and Sarah as she looked from room to room. A clatter. That was all she needed. And it was what she got.
Liam was covered in blood, Sarah's chest was open, and the instruments split between a table and the floor told her that his job was not done yet.
"Stop!"
"Abigail, I am so sorry." Liam looked down at his hands. "I don't know what I am doing."
"Just stop!"
She bit her wrist as she sped to the operating table, but he was already moving toward her again. "I have to take out her heart."
Her hands wrapped around his arms, sending a crack through the room. One of bone. Then a scream. One of pain. And a thud. One of life.
She bit her wrist again, drawing her blood to the surface of her skin. Sarah. Liam. Heal. Compel. One after the next.
Slumping against the doorframe of the room, she drew out her phone. She was out of breath, but she could not take what little time it would take for her to catch it. With her eyes closed, she dialed Stefan's number.
"Hello?"
"Stefan, hey, thank God. I found her. She's going to be okay."
Something was wrong, she knew it the moment he said, "Oh, really?"
"Please don't tell me that you shut it off." He didn't respond. "Stefan, don't you dare tell me that you shut it off!"
"Okay," he said, "I won't."
The phone changed hands to Caroline. "He shut it off."
Outside of Sarah's hospital room, Abigail watched Jo tend to her. "You're at Whitmore Medical Center. I'm Dr. Laughlin. You had a little too much to drink. A professor found you passed out in the Quad and brought you in."
"I sort of remember that. It was like a spring break kickoff rave." Sarah moved to get out of bed. "I should get home."
"Actually, I need you to sit tight. We need to look after you for a while. You lost a lot of..." Jo put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "Fluids."
Laying back down, Sarah sighed, "Oh, okay..."
Jo closed the door, put Sarah's chart behind her back, and faced Abigail. "For the record, I am not okay with turning my hospital into a supernatural holding cell."
"Okay, look, the campus is like a ghost town. I just need you to help me keep her out of harm's way until my blood passes through her system. She doesn't really have anyone else looking out for her in that way." She rubbed at her eyes, to clear the tears away, to keep them open, or both. "Not right now."
Jo stepped down the hall. "I have rounds."
"Jo, wait. I compelled her to forget what happened. And soon she'll be back at Duke, safe, with no idea what happened and no one the wiser. Please..." She looked down at her blood-stained shoes. "Please just help me with this."
"I'm going to. I just have a feeling that she's not going to be the only one you need help with."
"I know. I'm sorry." As she watched her walk away, she called, "Thank you."
"Just doing my job."
Alaric's name flashed across her phone screen. She stared at it, the only beam of light in her entire apartment, until the final ring. It was fast, the way she answered it, so fast that the shuffle of papers on the other line told her that he wasn't even expecting her to.
"H-Hey."
"Damon called me."
"He shouldn't have done that." She sniffled. "I'm fine."
"You're a good liar, Abigail, but we both know you've never been able to lie to me."
"Well, what am I supposed to do? Show up on your doorstep? Call you drunk at two o'clock in the morning?" Her voice became quiet. "Ask you to do one more thing for me?"
She hung up just as fast as she answered, the tears coming from her eyes the same as the last time he was standing in the room. Her questions were harsh, the way she asked them even worse, but she already knew the answers he was going to give her and the ones he should have. So, she sank to the floor with them unspoken.