It had been exactly 50 years since the last time Caroline set foot in this house. It all looked the same, though. The fireplace, the golden couch, the paintings on the wall, the hardwood floor and, most importantly, the smell. This was home for her, and she was beyond glad to be back.

They had visited so many places. They saw the statue of liberty first, roughly 48 years ago, and that was the last time Caroline ever saw her mother. Stefan didn't want to meet her mother, but Caroline made him do it anyway. She told her mother they were in love, and that Caroline was done with being an ordinary New Yorker with no aims in life. Her mother tried to keep her near, but she knew Caroline too well to insist on the matter. After that, there were only skype sessions and, eventually, when she couldn't hide her ever-lasting youth any longer, phone calls and texts. Her mother died 20 years later, at the age of 68, but Caroline had to visit her grave only once, with no one around. It was still too early.

She never heard of Matt again, or April, for that matter. She knew it would happen, yet she still fell a little betrayed. She thought they were her family. She was wrong.

Still, she wondered where they were. Wondered what they were doing, how they looked, if they were happy, if Matt had found someone good enough to fit his standards, if April finished college and followed her dreams... It was always Stefan who had to pull her out of all that wondering. "They're in your past now. Thinking about them won't do or change anything."

As usual, he was right.

They visited Paris, then. But their visits weren't really visits. They would stay for 3 to 5 years in one place, or until they got bored, which happened quite often. They kept to themselves and never got into any long-lasting friendships. Never the same country twice in a row, that was their rule. Paris had been their favorite place, though. At first it was only Caroline's favorite place, but just like it happened with Caroline, Stefan ended up in love with the city before he even realized what happened.

They even changed their names sometimes. Once, in Rio de Janeiro, Caroline decided she wanted to be called Liz, after her mother, at least to people she had to introduce herself to. To Stefan, she was Caroline, no matter where they were or how they had gotten there, but it was nice anyway.

Caroline talked to Elena every week. They stayed in Mystic Falls for 8 more years, and then they had to leave after people started complimenting her on how young she still looked despite being over 30. She decided to turn Jeremy after all. He didn't complain. He had a life with Bonnie, though, and they were all living in New Orleans, but not together as they used to.

Bonnie used spells to keep her youth. Witches didn't have immortality, but they did have their words and chants and magic. It'd catch up to her eventually, she said. "So far, so good." She told Caroline last time they spoke. She didn't look more than 20 years old.

"Do you think we should go back to Mystic Falls now?" Caroline asked Stefan one day, while they looked down the world on top of the Eiffel Tower.

Stefan shrugged. "Do you want to?"

"I miss it." Caroline admitted. "I didn't think I would, but I do. It felt like home to me."

"It is home." He said, and his hands moved to hold Caroline by the waist. "Our home."

She smiled, then, and he kissed her. Every time they kissed it felt like the first time, and Caroline never got enough. She thought that magic they had, that passion, would wear off one day. It always does, eventually, but that happened to humans and she was not a human anymore. She felt the same way she did that night she told him she loved him before she gave up her humanity to keep him safe.

Somehow, she knew it would never change.

They agreed to go back to Mystic Falls, then, even if for just a little while. They had seen and done so much Caroline once could only dream of, and now it was time to come back home.

A few of the human people of Mystic Falls that knew about Stefan made sure his house was kept the way the left it. Caroline always said she would compel anyone she found living there, and Stefan only laughed and said it would not be necessary.

And he was right. If not for the way the little town had changed outside, Caroline would be sure no time had passed at all.

Stefan walked in after her. He set the luggage down on the floor and watched intently as Caroline looked around the house. She could feel his eyes on her, and to this day, that alone made a warmth creep up her neck. "Stop staring at me like that."

Stefan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. She tilted her head to the side, resting it on his chest. "You're beautiful, that's all. I like to stare at you like that."

"Hmm." She closed her eyes. "It feels like we never left."

"I know." He said, and she put her hands over his. "We did, though. And it was amazing."

She laughed and turned her face to his. "It was, wasn't it?" He smiled. "I love you, Stefan. I'm so happy. All thanks to you."

"All thanks to you." He said, touching her nose lightly. She chuckled. "I love you, too."

She kissed him then, a soft, tender kiss, the kind of kiss they always shared like something as normal as brushing your teeth when you wake up. Being with him felt so effortless, so natural, like they were meant to be all along. Maybe it was destiny. Still to this day she couldn't understand why Klaus chose to kidnap her instead of just feeding off her and leaving her be. But every time she kissed Stefan, woke up with his arms around her, heard him laugh and looked into his eyes, the more she was convinced it was destiny that brought them together and everything that happened was already written a long time before she met him.

They broke apart after awhile, both breathless. "We should call Elena." She said, playing with his hair.

He sighed. "I know. I just really wanted to hold you for a little while longer." He said. Caroline's heart sped up. He still had that effect.

"We're gonna have a lot of time for that!" She said, giving him one last kiss before walking away of his grasp. "She wanted me to call her the moment we got here."

"Are they coming, too?" Stefan asked.

"I don't think so. I mean, I didn't really invite her... I wanted us to be alone here for a while." She gave him a shy smile despite herself.

"Oh." He raised his eyebrows. "Alright, then." She rolled her eyes at that.

After she called Elena and got the confirmation they would be all alone at least for a while, they both sat on the couch, snuggled up under a blanket, watching the fireplace crack and burn.

"I missed this house." Stefan admitted. "I fell in love with you here."

She smiled. "Yeah," She started, "We had some pretty good times in here."

"We really did."

"We'll have more, too."

"Of course we will." Stefan planted a kiss on her cheek. "If you don't get tired of me, of course."

"I promise I won't if you promise you won't get tired of me either."

"Never." He said.

She kissed him. "Never."

They sat there, then. For how long Caroline could not tell. She lost track of time in Stefan's arms, with Stefan's kisses, with Stefan's voice and words and body. Her love for him grew stronger every day, every minute, every second. He was everything she ever wanted.

Sometimes, in moments like those, Caroline had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Sometimes she felt like it was all too good to be true. She was afraid something would go wrong and take away all that happiness, all that love.

Thankfully, Stefan was always there to kiss the fear away.

This story is done! I got a little lazy with the last chapters there. Sorry!

Please let me know if you liked the story, if you'd like to read more of my stuff, or whatever else you think. This has been fun, thank you for the reviews, they are greatly appreciated!