Caroline inspected the boxes of light bulbs. She was trying to create a place outside for her mom to drink tea and read books at their family cabin. Their porch was wide enough to bring out a comfy couch for her mom to lay or sit and watch the sunset if she wanted too.

But if Liz wanted to read out there at night, Caroline needed to make sure the lighting was right. As it was, the fan and lights currently installed on the porch had long since stopped working. In fact, Caroline remembered the last time her father changed the bulb, the last time they were all there as a family.

Stefan was at the Forbes family cabin now, trying to fix the fan.

Soft light? Day light? If I get soft light, will she be able to see? If I get daylight, will it get too bright? Maybe I should get a dimmer...

Caroline decided on the daylight bulb and picked up a dimmer for Stefan to install as well.

Her phone started to buzz as she walked towards the checkout counter.

"Hello?"

"Where's your Mom?"

Damon Salvatore's voice sounded rushed and irritated, as usual.

"Hello to you too." Caroline rolled her eyes as she balanced her phone between her shoulder and cheek while paying for her items.

"I didn't say hello Blondie. Now tell me where your mom is. She said she needed to talk to me today, and she's not at home."

"She said she was going to go into her office to tie up some loose ends."

"And you let her? The woman is dying Caroline; I didn't realize you cared so little about your own mother."

His voice was a calm mixture of venom and playfulness.

"Damon- I don't need this from you. Just- ugh."

Caroline hung up on him.

He thinks he's so damn cute...

"Thank you." Caroline took her bag from the check-out person and walked out of the hardware store to her car.

As Caroline pulled up to her family cabin she could see Stefan pulling a ladder from the shed next to the house. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt that hugged his body and made her breathe hitch in her throat.

When Stefan turned around he had on a sweet smile Caroline had grown to anticipate whenever they saw each other.

Stefan had heard her car coming for awhile and his heartbeat had quickened at her approach.

Stefan continued to walk towards the porch with the ladder but paused when Caroline had made it to the porch as well. He motioned for her to go in front of him and Caroline smiled and nodded.

"Ever the gentleman, Mr. Salvatore."

Stefan chuckled silently and only felt slightly guilty when he took in the view of Caroline climbing the steps above him.

"I picked up a dimmer too. Do you think you could install that that out here too?" Caroline turned back to Stefan and he had to forcibly blink and continue up the steps.

Wake up, Stefan.

The way she affects me...

Stefan smiled to himself and shook his head slightly.

"Yeah that's no problem. Did you decide on a light bulb or did you just get one of each so you could test them all?" Stefan placed the ladder under the ceiling fan on the porch.

"Oh- I didn't think about that. Maybe I should go back and get the other kind to test...why didn't I think-"

Stefan laughed and Caroline shot him a look.

"Oh- you're laughing. I get it- Caroline the crazy control freak." She hand her hands on her hips but a smile played on her lips.

"Ah but who better to take care of a sick mother? I'm sure you'll make this place perfect for Liz." Stefan was at the top of the ladder now, smiling down at Caroline.

God she's beautiful...especially when she pretends to be angry.

Caroline couldn't suppress her smile any longer and playfully rolled her eyes as her cheeks rose to meet them.

"Well- I should start clearing off this porch if we are going to move the couch out here." She turned then and took in the mess on the porch.

There were boxes of old sports equipment, a water table she played with as a toddler, the bicycle her mother had taught her to ride, few crates of newspapers, and boxes of old holiday decorations.

She set to work and started going through the newspapers trying to decide if they were worth saving.

Occasionally, Caroline would look up at Stefan as he worked and stared longer than she should. He would catch her and smile and she would turn away sheepishly. They played that game back and forth while she cleaned off the porch and he installed the light dimmer.

Eventually the only thing left on the porch was Caroline's old bike.

She just stared at it. Unwilling to remove it from her sight yet.

"You know, my mom taught me to ride this bike."

Stefan stopped what he was doing and rested his arms on the top of the ladder, anticipating the story she was about to tell.

"I kept falling off the first day, I got so cut up." She laughed softly. "But I wouldn't stop. My mom had to pull me off when it got so dark I couldn't see. I just didn't want to stop until I got it."

Caroline kept staring at the bike and Stefan smiled broadly down at her.

Shes always been a fighter

Caroline walked towards the bike and took hold of the handlebars, rolling it towards the stairs.

"Of course I was up at sunrise the next day, riding and falling over and over until finally before dinner I was riding perfectly. My mom came out and watched me and cheered so hard."

Her smile got wider then turned bittersweet.

She finished carrying the bike off the porch and when she got back up the stairs Stefan was waiting for her.

"I hope some other little girl will love it as much as I did." Caroline walked towards Stefan and stopped less than a foot away. "The car is packed up, i'm going to run these things to goodwill. Did you get the dimmer installed?"

Stefan took a step towards her. "Yep, all finished. Im just going to fix the balance on the fan so it doesn't shake so much."

"Thank you, I really appreciate your help with all of this." Before she could stop herself Caroline closed the distance between them and hugged Stefan. "I mean it, Thank you Stefan."

Stefan puled his arms around her tightly, bringing her as close to his body as he could. He buried his nose in her hair.

She smells so warm, so intoxicating

Caroline could feel her body aching for his, but didn't know how he felt.

He's never told me...but things have definitely changed.

Stefan wanted to kiss her, he needed to. But he wasn't sure now was the right moment. There was still so much to be done and he wasn't sure Caroline was in the right space to be kissed.

Caroline pulled away then, but Stefan stopped her from going too far. He took her hand.

"Ill be here when you get back."

Caroline looked up at him, "you don't mind?"

Stefan smile at her. "Of course. I want to stay."

Caroline smiled brightly back at him then turned to walk down the stairs. She couldn't help but take a glance over her shoulder as she made her way to her packed car.

Stefan was standing on her porch, watching her walk away. He wore an expression she couldn't quite pinpoint, but it made her feel alive.

Even if I don't know exactly what he is feeling, I know one thing. He's not going anywhere.

He wants to stay.