HEY GUYS

I am beyond sorry about the delay in updates. Two things contributed to it. I had a lot that I wanted to do with this chapter, and I couldn't get it to go where I wanted it to, but it did turn out pretty okay. The other thing is that my personal life has just been really crappy! But I want you guys that I love you all for hanging in there and sending me encouraging reviews.

I might be slow in posting, but I'll see this through, I promise.

I also wanted to note that this takes place in either season four or five of SPN (nowhere in particular.) Just cause with all the age differences, I figure that it's the least strange.

Also this chapter skips around a bit, but it's also a little longer than normal, yay!

Enjoy!

Two Hours Previous

Caroline hesitated outside the doors of the Grill.

Her blue eyes had fallen on the old black impala, and she had been rooted in place mid step. She felt all of her confidence drain from her in that moment and all she was left with a wave of nostalgia and second thoughts that threatened to overwhelm and swallow her whole. Maybe she had acted too soon.

Images of Elena's tired eyes flashed through, cries of pains echoed in her mind, Caroline knew all too well what that torture was like, and the feelings behind it when it was her own father pulling the blinds open and closed.

The thought had the blonde barreling through the double doors without another moment's hesitation. She took a minuet to scan the room, looking for the pair of brothers she had called in. She heard them first, rather than seeing them, and she didn't even need to hone in on her vampire hearing.

"You mind telling me just what the hell we're doing here?" A familiar voice demanded gruffly.

"Working a job, same as always," A second and equally familiar voice answered much more casually. Caroline imagined a shrug accompanied the statement.

"Same as always?" The first voice repeated, "It is never 'same as always' not with us, and definitely not in Mystic Falls- and since we're on that subject, when exactly, were you planning on letting me in on this job?"

"Not my fault you fell asleep before I could tell you any details."

"Well, I'm awake now!"

That was her cue, with her heart thumping wildly in her own ears Caroline swiftly made her way to the table, "Well look who it is." She smiled at them, "Long time."

Presently

"I'm sorry but- what?" Damon all but shouted with heavily knitted brows.

Dean's expression was tight, just barely repressing his urge to punch the guy's lights out, "Elena?" He continued, "You know, long brown hair, big Bambi eyes, about yay high-" He held his hand just under his chin, his flippant tone just earned him a deeper scowl from Damon.

That seemed to ring some sort of bell with Stefan however, "You're who Caroline called?"

"Yeah." This time it was Sam who answered, "We're old family friends."

The older Salvatore crossed his arms, eyes flickering back and forth "Funny, neither Elena nor Barbie mentioned you two."

Sam shuffled from one foot to the other, exchanging a look with his brother, "It's complicated-"

"Complicated doesn't even cover it, Gigantor" Damon fumed, "You come into my home and expect me to believe some fairytale about how you four grew up together? News Flash; this is Mystic Falls everyone knows everyone and that everyone does not include you."

"We moved around a lot, but our dad and her parents were close, and we know Alaric Saltzman." Sam explained shortly.

Damon's attention snapped dangerously to the tall man, "How?"

Sam shrugged, "We, uh, ran into him a few years ago. He got into some trouble at a bar and we were there to help him. It was after his wife disappeared."

Bright blue eyes widened at his words, "You're hunters?" Next to him he felt Stefan's whole body tense up. "Where's Caroline?" He felt panic start to rise.

"It's not like that." Sam said quickly, raising hands defensively, feeling this go south fast "We're-"

"Caroline." Stefan clearly demanded this time. They were one wrong footstep away from bloodshed.

"I'm fine." The blonde herself said coming through the front door, shutting it quickly behind her and looking out of breath, "They're fine."

Damon fixed her with a stare, "Where the hell have you been? And what the hell is this?"

"I was talking to-" She stopped, looking for the right words before shaking her head, "I… It doesn't matter, and they're here to help, Damon."

The older vampire scoffed, but her ramblings didn't go completely unnoticed, ""Help," okay. You don't call an exterminator to befriend the rats, Blondie."

Both hunters made a face at the comparison.

"We're not here to gank her." Dean said sourly, "And buddy, whether you like it or not we're here now and you need us."

The look on Damon's face was pure fury "Let's get one thing straight here, pal. We do not need you. Elena does not need you. She's been through years of hell and managed just fine without either one of you showing up. So don't think you can just come marching in and telling me what's best for her."

Dean nearly shouted back, but instead he let out a breath of air, Damon wasn't completely wrong "Look, I get it- we weren't there when she needed us."He said lowly, "And... nothing will make up for it. But I'm- we're here now. We can help."

"Caroline wouldn't have called us if she didn't think we'd be useful in some sort of way." Sam told them.

"He's right." She nodded, sighing, "I know this isn't ideal, but it's worth trying."

Damon turned his cross look onto her, "A heads up would have been nice."

"Right. Cause you would have totally agreed to any of this."

"Guys." Stefan broke in loudly, it was bad enough that his brother was fighting with the two hunters, he didn't need to be fighting with Caroline either.

"You're still not going to see her." Damon spoke up again, directing his conversation back to the other two men, "She's a starved vampire who's lost it. We're not going to throw in a warm meal topped with memories she's trying to suppress."

"He has a point." Stefan agreed, trying to keep him calm, "With everything that's happened Elena is in no shape to see anyone."

"Besides you and your brother, you mean." Dean countered, crossing his arms.

Stefan tiled his head before sighing, "Even in a weakened state she's dangerous-"

"We can handle it." Dean pressed, it was clear he wasn't to be moved, "Trust us, we've dealt with things much uglier than teenaged vampire and the Twilight crew."

Sam chimed in then, "Why don't you supervise it? If things get too intense you can pull us out."

Stefan looked over to his brother who's jaw was set tensely enough to break teeth if it hadn't already.

"Fine." He finally said though gritted teeth. Stiffly, he moved towards the entrance of the basement, but stopped to look at the older hunter, "But whatever happens down there is on you."

Dean acknowledged the threat with barely a tilt of his head before heading down the narrow stair case with the others in tow behind him.

Damon made it as far as the bottom of the steps before Caroline snapped the older Salvatore's neck using the height of the stairs to her advantage. Stefan barely had time to react before Sam did the same, his body falling with a dull thud next to his brother's.

"Why didn't we just do that in the first place?" Dean asked. "That plan would have been way easier."

Caroline rolled her eyes, making a shooing motion with her hands, "Go on, they're not going to be happy when they wake up."

"I'll stay and help." Sam offered looking at the two slumped on the ground.

Dean raised his brows reading his brother's expression, "You sure?"

"Yeah. You don't have long, but I might be able to buy some more time."

Dean gave him a quick nod before setting off, following the directions Caroline had given him previously. He navigated down the dimly lit hallways and past the old cells, the sights of some of them made the hunter's stomach twist at all the violent images that came unwarranted. His pace slowed as came closer to the olive green safe at the end of one of the corridors. The gold lettering had been chipped off and all that was left was rust and dirt.

His hand reached out and hovered over the handle, mentally preparing himself for whatever he might see.

With baited breath he opened the door.

So whaddya think? I had a very long bit originally at the grill, but cut it short to get the plot going. I hope that didn't get confusing.

Since I'm terrible at being subtle or anything I'll point out that Caroline and the Winchesters totally plotted out this whole thing before hand. I'll also be getting to where Caroline was for the beginning of the Winchester/Salvatore meeting.

Lastly, would anyone want a flashback chapter of Dean and Elena and how they know each other? Cause I could make that happen. Or do you just want me to get on with it?

Let me know! I love reading each and every one of your reviews. xoxox