Time is just like sand. More he wanted to hold it under his grip, more it was slipping. Racing with the time was certainly not in his head when he woke up in the morning. That wasn't the time to think much, action needed to be taken immediately. His thoughts were laughing on himself, mocking him, giving the fact that after all these years, he would have learned to defeat his fate. He didn't. The only thought, the only prayer leaving his lips were revolving around the words "Please, keep her safe."

"I understand if you need time to heal, and if you want to live your life without me." He looked at her with the hope that she doesn't need to, but he wanted to tell her every truth about his feelings he decided to give her.

"I understand if I have to wait for you. and I will. I will wait. and when you will be ready for me, I will be ready for you."

"Stefan!"

"Don't" he didn't want to hear his own fears from Damon's mouth.

"We will fix everything." Damon's voice was weak. But, he wanted to be strong for his brother, his little brother, the one on whom he has stomped on for so long.

"what if-" Stefan was losing the strength to even stand still. But, they need to keep going.

"Nothing is going to happen to her. We will bring her to you safely." When he heard those words coming from Damon, for a second, he was convinced that it is his another blow from the book of Damon's sarcasm. He searched his eyes for any humor behind it. However, the only thing Stefan found was, sincerity. He wanted to latch on to that hope.

It was the tenth time he jumped on when he heard the knock on the front door.

"Easy there Mr. Bungee Jumper. It's Bonnie. I called her here."

"Oh." His eyes were locked on the door, in a hoped that she might have had come with Bonnie. Disappointment was bound to come on his face, when Bonnie closed the door behind her.

"What's with him?" Bonnie whispered to Damon.

"Someone is having hard time dealing with the fact that girl has kept him hanging."

"I am not-"

"You should just listen to me and admit things to yourself. You wouldn't have been in this position, if you would have taken my advice of dating her when I asked you to." Damon opened his bottle of bourbon and took a sip out of it.

"I am in this position because I took your advice and let myself get confuse about my own feelings about her."

"I agree." Bonnie opened her grimoire, while sipping her own drink.

"Hey whose side are you on?" Damon complaint

"certainly not on yours."

Stefan chuckled watching them bickering like old days. The only thing different was Elena not being in Damon's life. He started to admit that the Salvatore brothers certainly have a bad luck when it comes to a girl.

"What are you guys doing anyway?" It was the sudden realization that hit Stefan, that he didn't ask them about the visit.

"Looking for a spell which might undo the link." Stefan nodded at them, and took a couch on the side. This might be good in keeping his mind off of her.

When Bonnie's phone rang at once, his eyes went on the screen, trying to read the name.

"It's Caroline." Bonnie read his mind when answered his unasked question.

"Hey. So, guess what happened." He could clearly her voice on the other side. Sometimes he thank the higher beings for giving such superpowers to the vampires.

"What?" Bonnie questioned.

"So I was in the paint shop, picking up the colors. And my stupid car decided to ditch me and the smoke started to come out of it."

"Did you called for the repair shop?"

"Yeah, but no one is picking up the phone. Can you come and pick me up."

"Uh…" Bonnie looked at Stefan who was entirely concentrating on their conversation. "Sure. Text me the address."

"Thanks." Caroline was relaxed, and hung up the phone.

"Stefan." Stefan looked at Bonnie when she called him. "313, Dexter street." Stefan looked at Bonnie questioningly. "The address." when he still hadn't understood her, she rolled her eyes. "Caroline is standing there with a broken car, and are you going to sit here reading these books?" Stefan was about to open his mouth, when Damon decided to intervene.

"Well, she is kind of right, broody toody."

"Please keep your suggestions with yourself." Stefan didn't wanted to make things uncomfortable for Caroline, but how could he let her wait over there. The dilemma was making it hard for him.

"So, you want her to wait there?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her.

"No." He was already picking up the keys for his car, when he heard them whispering, but just decided not to listen.

"So, what did you do to her car?" Damon nudged her.

"Hey, that is serious blame you are putting on me."

"Am I wrong?

"Well, someone had to put them together at one place. It's been weeks, she has been dodging him."

"Thank you." He took another sip, while his eyes were far away.

He could see her car from far away, when they were on the road. Upside down, the car was totally dented, parts by parts, broken into pieces. He could clearly see the smoke coming out of it when the rest of it was burnt away. His heart was running faster than ever, with every grey jet of smoke going up into the sky.

Her smile almost faltered when she saw the red car coming on her way. The smoke had stopped for now, but her mind was still clouded with the fog inside her head.

"Hey." He closed the door and approached her.

"Hey." she smiled at him, more like tried to.

"Uh, Bonnie said that there was something wrong with your car." He eyed her car and smiled back at her."

"she did, didn't she. Such a friend." inside her head she was cursing her, thinking of getting back at her.

"She was looking into books for some untying spell. For Elena."

"She didn't said anything about that to me. I would have come to help her." She was transferring the paint cans, when he blocked her way.

"Caroline." she was trying to look somewhere else, but when he is around her, how can she see anything else but him. when she looked into his eyes, they were filled with concern for her.

"Is everything fine?"

"I don't know." she sighed, crossing her arms. "Bonnie is kind of keeping her space from me. I don't blame her, with everything happened with her. I understand that she is trying to heal, but I want to help, you know." Stefan nodded at her.

"And what about you? How are you doing in the healing section?"

"I am fine. Working hard on my classes, working out to bring my life in line. And everything is going as planned." Stefan knew she was trying, but he also knew the pain she covered with her smile. He could see straight into her soul.

"There is no body in the car." Damon sighed and relaxed a bit. So, does Stefan.

"We have to get going." He was walking back to his car. "We are running out of time."

"Caroline." He called her when she was about to enter her house. "If you need to talk to someone, I am here. I mean, if you want to keep me in your life." He smiled at her her and walked back to his car, leaving a piece of his heart with her.

"How am I able to live without my soul, Stefan. It's just not the right time. But, I hope it's not the end either." her words were echoing in the vacant space around her.

His phone rang once, and he picked up the phone.

"Matt, any luck with the location?"

"Bonnie is still trying. They might have had cloaked the place." Matt couldn't hear but the silent breathing on the other end. "We will find her man." Matt was worried for him. After living together for a while, he had developed a bond with him. "We will."

His words were sounding empty to Stefan. "Call me if she find something." With every passing minute, his life started to look blurry in his own eyes.

"Hey!" she greeted him with a wide grin.

"Hey." her one look was enough to make his day worthy. "Someone is in a good mood today."

"I got my grades today. And you are looking at the girl with A+ on her transcript." she waved her grade copy in excitement. "Given at the fact that I did so much drama in the last semester, the marks aren't that bad."

"Good that you are a drama major." He tried to tease her, but he saw her face and he realized how stupid he sounded. "That was a really bad joke."

"Yes. Yes, it was." The air surrounding them was mixed with their soft chuckles.

"We should celebrate." He suggested in a hope that maybe she would like to spend some time with him.

"Uh, I am actually going to meet Bonnie. Girls night out, you know."

"oh." he was disappointed, but he couldn't let her see that.

They were walking on the street, when someone bumped into Caroline, and the girl slipped on the ground.

"I am sorry, I didn't see." Caroline went pull the fallen girl on her feet.

"It's fine. It wasn't your fault. I wasn't looking on the street." Caroline nodded at her.

"Are you new in this town?" The girl looked Caroline for a while before nodding her head.

"I was looking for this address." Caroline directed her.

"you are looking for Mr. Jefferson. He was my piano teacher."

"I am Caroline by the way. And this is Stefan." The girl's lips started to curl up in a smile when she heard their names

"I am Mary. Mary Louise."

"This is in vain. We need a concrete place, a hint, or anything to search for her." Damon kicked one of the cargo box.

"You won't find her here." The British accent was still not Stefan's favorite thing in his ear. And in a moment, Enzo was pinned to one of the shipment cargo, his neck in Stefan's grasp.

"You are choking me, mate."

"Where is she? If even a single hair on her body is missing, I will burn you to ashes." The rage was rising in his body.

"I don't know where she is, but I know how to find her." Stefan removed his hand from his neck.

"Start talking then."

"I need the witch."

"And why should I trust you before taking you there?"

"Trust the power of Caroline Forbes then. You are not the only one who has the right to care about her. She is my friend…. whether you like it or not."

She was walking into the Grill, when she saw Enzo crossing her way out.

"Enzo?"

"Hello gorgeous."

"How are you? Where have you been?"

"Here and there."

"Well I am glad we met. Otherwise, I feel like you have forgotten that your friend exists."

Friend. The word sounds good to him. After all, she is a friend, the one he used to care about. Or still does.

"I met Enzo today?" Stefan snapped his head towards her.

"Was he alone?" Stefan hesitated before asking.

"Yeah. Lily wasn't there." Stefan nodded and sat on the bench in the park. Caroline sighed and took a seat beside him.

"You are not going to give up on her." Her statement made him chuckle.

"Am I that obvious?"

"No, it's because….. I know you won't. You never do." He was glad she was there with him.

"Except for the last summer." Regretting every part of that duration, he has to live with that.

"It's okay. You were just doing what you felt was right."

"But, it wasn't."

"Whatever you do, just make sure not to fry your brain out like you did last time, voluntarily." she nudged her elbow on his arm.

"It wasn't that bad."

"You were tortured every second of that day, Stefan. How can it not be a bad thing."

"Because it wasn't. Despite the fact that I was tortured by the travelers, I wasn't worried, I wasn't in pain…. I was at peace,because you were the one who was there beside me that day." he looked straight in her eyes, which were glistening with fresh tears.

"Because, when I was almost losing the battle to still remember the things, your voice coming from the other end of the line, was the only sound I wanted to hear."

"What is he doing here?" Bonnie was on her way of blowing Enzo off into the air.

"He knows how to look for her. Don't puff him with air Bon Bon." Damon came into the room, which was more tensed after the entry of the new member.

"Before you jump into any conclusions, I wasn't the one who called her. They mimicked my voice."

"And why are you helping us then. I thought you were more into their loyalty." Bonnie was being too tough. She wasn't going to sit around see her best friends getting destroyed because of some freaks. "And now You are on our side?"

"No. I am not on your side, because I don't care about most of you. But, they laid hand on the person who matters. And now, it's personal."

"The place looks good, and new." Stefan could smell the fresh paint in the walls.

"It is, isn't it." Caroline was too excited. "Enzo helped me painting it."

"Enzo was here?" He tried to keep his face straight.

"Yeah. Although, Bonnie didn't like the idea of him over here. But, thank God, the day is over." Stefan tried to smile at her, hiding the pain that she was able to involve Enzo in her day-to-day works, but not him.

"It's good."

"What is this?" Bonnie asked when Enzo handed her over a sachet.

"It's the missing herb ingredients you need for the uncloaking spell."

"These are not there in the book."

"Because it isn't a normal cloaking spell."

"By heretics, you mean THE heretics? The one whom lily calls her family?"

"mhmm." she looked at Enzo in anger, unable to say anything.

"And when the hell were you thinking of telling me that?"

"You never asked."

"So you were waiting for the invitation this whole time? God Enzo!" she was still muttering when she left him sitting there alone. She had to inform others about this.

"Your pacing won't escalate the time Stefan." Damon found him in a state he has never seen him before.

"It's my fault." Stefan was feeling numb, and if he stopped his legs from pacing, he would have crumbled right on the ground. "I let her go, alone. She is all alone there, Damon."

"She is Caroline Forbes. Don't forget it. If anyone could make it out safely from their grip, it's her."

"Just because she can, doesn't mean she has to face all these torture every time."

"Stefan!" her eyes were wide, and in brisk of the second she was on his side. Stefan couldn't able to stand, and he was falling. At one side Damon was holding him, and from the other, Caroline held him tight keeping her arms around him.

"What happened?"

"My mother and her so-called heretic family happened?" Damon was trying to keep the unconscious Stefan on his feet.

"They attacked you?"

"And kicked us out of our own house."

Stefan opened his eyes and looked around himself. The place looked new, nothing was there which belonged to him, except for the one thing. Her heartbeats were slow and steady and he tried to sync his breathing with it.

"How are you feeling now?" Caroline went closer to him, and sat on the corner of the bed.

"I am fine." He smiled at her, but she just looked at him, and a one drop of tear slipped its way down on his cheek.

"She doesn't even want to see my face. She said I am no one to her. Maybe I am nothing to anyone." His laughter was empty and broken, she couldn't help but take his hands in between hers, stroking the back of his hand.

"She is blind if she is saying that."

"She is not the only one who think that, who has said that."

"You must be thinking that I am so cruel for making you wait?"

"I wasn't talking about you. It's the general definition of my life." he looked at their laced fingers fitting perfectly into each other. "You are the only thing that keeps me going Caroline." Her heart decided to pound with every single words he said about her.

"I am waiting, and will be waiting, for however long it takes. Because…. you are worth the wait, Caroline."

"We have located the place." Bonnie informed Stefan, who was standing on his toes the whole time she was working on the undo spell.

"Let's go then."

Her heart was racing unevenly, but she never realized when she ended up in front of the Salvatore Boarding house.

"Caroline. What are you doing here?" Lily was the one who opened the door.

"I am just here to inform you that next time you hurt him, I will forget that you are his mother."

"Don't take it personally. Because the Lily Salvatore, he knew is dead for a long time. I am not her. And as soon as this sink in his head, it will be better for him." she was about to close the door on her, when she blocked it by her leg.

"I don't know what your problem is, or what is wrong with you, but the only thing I know is that you have hurt him." Caroline took one more step inside the house.

"Stefan never gives up on anyone, and I know that you won't be an exception either. So, next time if he approaches you, and if you ever again tried to threaten him with you abandonment talk, let's just say it won't end good for you."

"Coming from the girl, who is so giving him pain every day by making him wait."

"It's different."

"Is everything alright here?" A man in a black suit came from behind, scanning Caroline from top to bottom.

"It's nothing Malcolm. We don't need to worry about it. The girl doesn't know what she is talking about."

"Oh, I know what I am talking about. I am not scared of you." The reality was, she was scared to death, standing with the heretics who had all the power in the world. The others were listening from inside, by the time they came out, Caroline was gone.

"When are we going to feast." waiting wasn't Beau's style.

"We have to keep a low profile for now, we can't attract attention to us." Lily was standing in the center of the room.

"When we will start, I will start with that girl."

"Come on Beau, that girl was feisty. I like it. She is my type." Mary was making her own plans in her head. Nora was there as well. And being the possessive one, she wasn't liking the idea much.

"Talk about anyone other than me, and I will stake her myself."

"Relax Nor, you know you are the only one important for me." Maybe Caroline invited the danger that day, when she walked into the lion's den all by herself.

The building was in clear view to them now.

"When we rescue her, you need to leave this town." Damon and Stefan were walking side by side.

"What about you?"

"You don't have to worry about it. You deserve it Stefan. You both do. I will handle the rest. But, promise me, you both will leave this town. I don't want to hold you back."

Stefan was about to reply when he heard the shrieks coming from the building.

"He killed him. Your son killed Beau." Lily was worried to see Malcolm's anger. It was never the good sign.

"He has gone blind in the love for that girl."

"He is going to pay for it. I am going to take his life by my own hands." Malcolm was the person who wills to keep his promises. And when he decides something, he see the action until it reaches its end.

"Why was he even here?" Stefan was still weak from Beau's spell that hit him right at his arms.

"I kind of…. sort of went to the boarding house and gave them an ultimatum for not messing up our town." Stefan was snapped his head at her.

"You did what?"

"It's not a big deal."

"Caroline…" he started but couldn't finish it, because of the pain.

"Is it still hurting?"

"The spell must be strong. It's not wearing off." He had been trying to put his arms into his shirt for about twenty minutes, but the pain was too much to bear for him.

"Let me help you." His heart started to race when slowly, she started help him getting dress.

"They took your house from you Stefan."

"Doesn't matter. Caroline, the house isn't important. It cannot be a home to me if you aren't there." With his every look, and each words, she started to melt right at that moment.

While unbuttoning the shirt, her fingers touched his bare skin, and when she reached the top one, her hands stayed there, feeling his chest, firm yet so strong. Her one single touch was making him dizzy. He was leaning in, taking gulps, they were forgetting the reality around them. Nothing was mattering but them.

She closed her eyes to get lost in the moment. But, everything came in front of her,like slide show. "I, uh, I should go." she got away from him, tracing her way out of his room, leaving his sight.

"You are early." Bonnie handed him the boxes.

"Yeah, I had free time."

"Of course you had. By the way, handle Caroline. She is on a mission of making this thanksgiving a perfect one." He chuckled his usual way.

"Where is she?" He looked around for her.

"Somewhere."

"Hey." He found her finally in the midst of all her busy work.

"Hey. You are early."

"why is everyone keep saying that?"

"I am still roasting the turkey."

"What can I help you with?"

"You can help in Setting the table"

"Hey I was looking for you everywhere." Stefan found her looking at the christmas lighting of other houses, sitting on the steps of her porch.

"Hey, I thought you left."

He came and sat right next to her. "Yeah, I am still here."

"I brought something for you." He gave her a wrapped box.

"You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to. I am your secret Santa after all." He gave her his usual smile.

"I have something for you too." She handed him the gift she has been holding for a while in her hands.

He opened it right there. It was a photo- frame with a picture of him and Elena.

"It's the first christmas without her, and I wanted to give you something of her. You must be missing her too. You guys have history." she smiled at him, but he didn't. "You didn't like it?"

"I like it. But, it's incomplete." He took out the wallet from his back pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper, and adjusted it inside the frame. Caroline stared at the frame for a second, when she saw her own cut out pic in there. "There, it's complete now."

She had million questions she wanted to ask at that moment, but she didn't know from where to start.

"Caroline, my life is incomplete without you, how can a photograph be any special to me if you are not there."

"But… But why?"

"Why is it incomplete?"

"Why do you want to include me in that moment." she pointed at photograph, and looked at him with confusion. "She was the love of your life, Stefan."

"Yes, She was. But she is not now. It's you."

"It's me, because she isn't now." she blurted out the words which were there in her head, which she never noticed.

"You are wrong." When Caroline turned to look at him, he was looking straight, far away somewhere.

"It's you, because it is suppose to be you. Because you are the most real thing that happened to me. Because someone like you saw something to be loved in someone like me."

"Who wouldn't love you?" she laughed at him looking down over himself.

"Elena didn't. She chose my brother over me. Thank God for that. Otherwise someone thick like me, would have missed this." He reached for her hand, and gave it a soft squeeze.

"So, when were you going to tell me that you had my photo in your pocket."

He chuckled at her, and looked away, turning a little red.

"I am busted now."

"Yes. Yes you are." she looked down at the box in her lap, and took a deep breath.

"You don't have to open it right away. Unwrap it whenever you feel like." He told her, as if he read her mind.

From staring at the night sky, twinkling with the stars to the rising sun, the night passed. But, they were still there, sitting in silence, and her hand was still tightly held by him. He didn't let it go.

The shrieks were coming without a break, and Stefan vamp sped inside the building. Caroline was on the grounds, holding her head, shrieking in pain.

"make it stop, make it stop, no. Please." she was in tears, shouting in pain.

Stefan moved towards her, but was pushed into the walls.

"And who gave you the permission to come near her." Mary moved her palms in air pinned him to the walls, keeping him there for a while.

"Please let her go. I am begging you. I was the one who killed Beau."

"Oh I know that." Mary turned back the crumbled Caroline. "I am not giving her pain. I am just making her feel the feelings people had when she killed them. Every single of them. She is just experiencing it hands on now."

"Oh my god, she is so whiny." Valerie was sitting on one of the stool. "Stop, shouting." Caroline's cries choked in her mouth. The game had just began for them.

Caroline was running from here and there, giving instructions to everyone and anyone. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw him helping out in organizing the chairs. When he looked at her, giving the smile which is exclusively for her, she was surely feeling dizzy.

Bonnie cleared her throat from the behind, when she caught her checking out Stefan.

"Enjoying the view?" she teased her.

"It's not like that.

"Then what is it like?" she raised an eyebrow on him.

"I don't know."

"And when will you know it." Caroline was tossing the question away again. "Caroline, look at him and tell me what do you fear for now?"

She looked at him, and just like that it hit her. "I don't fear for anything."

"So you are finally ready?"

She looked at Stefan again, who was busy in arranging the chairs. When she turned around to look at Bonnie, there was the hint of a smile.

"Yeah, maybe I am." Bonnie smiled happily, followed by the grin on Caroline's face.

"She isn't ready. That's what she keeps saying. Isn't she?" Heretics have sources, and they had came all prepared digging into every information about them.

"But I can make her… ready." there was a mischievous smile playing on her lips when she started to take one step after another towards him. "All you have to do is ask." She was scanning every movement in his bones, and the uneven fear inside of him was still unsatisfying to her.

"Too late. I think now, I am just going to…." she was tracing her way back to the place where Caroline was still standing numb and stiff. "I will…" she moved her finger on her cheek softly, "just keep her for myself."

"Touch her once again and you are dead." The words came from his gritting teeth. The only effect of his composure on her was of mere entertainments.

She was walking towards Stefan when she got the call from Enzo.

"Enzo. Not a good time."

"Caroline. I have an information."

"About what?"

"Heretics. They are planning something. And I can't tell you on the phone. Meet me at the 21 Market street."

"Fine, I will meet you there."

"You will meet whom?" Stefan walked towards her.

"Not important. Stefan I… I have to talk to you." Stefan looked at her with his tilted head.

"God, I hate this. I have to go for some task to finish. But, we can talk after the ceremony." Caroline wanted the moment not to be rushed.

"Sure. Whenever you want."

Mary pulled Stefan out of the wall with one movement of her hand. Stefan couldn't move out of his place, as if he was glued to the floor.

"She can actually be my bitch." she looked straight into the eyes of Caroline. "Stake yourself." Stefan's face was in horror. "Oh you guys didn't know when we siphon the magic, we can extract the special power as well. A little gift from those, whom you like to call The Originals."

Caroline's hands were gripping tightly on the wooden stake which was tossed towards her. she stabbed herself in the stomach, but removed it rapidly.

"Good, very good." she turned around to look at Stefan next. "By the way, if you are waiting for your teammates, it's of no use. Malcolm is dealing with them."

"So, Caroline, now that we have done the test drive, why not go for the final strike." There was silence all around them. "Aim that stake at your heart, and keep it there until you die."

Stefan looked around, he didn't have much time to wait for others, and so, he had to act instantly. He pulled out the golden circular watch Bonnie gave him before coming over there. He looked at Caroline, printing her face in his mind, and after calculating the circumference around him, he dropped the golden clock.

"Is this an ascendant?"

"No, it's the death of those heretics. it won't open any portal for some prison world. It will finish them, once and for all. I was working on it for a while."

"Stefan." he turned back to look at Bonnie. "Just make sure, not to be near or in the circle."

Caroline fell backwards because of the blow from the blast. Things happened so fast, Caroline couldn't register anything that happened. Her eyes went wide when she saw him tearing into pieces, burning into ashes.

"No… No, No, No, No, No." The word was on repeat in her mouth. The compulsion weared off the moment Heretics were shreds of pieces. But, her head was thinking about nothing but him.

She was walking like the lifeless person her room when her eyes fell on the wrapped up box sitting in the corner of her table. There was the letter inside of it, folded neatly in the envelope.

Caroline,

So, I know you wanted to read your mother's letter. And I don't know any way to get it back. But, I thought this might give you some peace. What I think she might have wanted you to know. She knew how special you are. Why wouldn't she. She was your mother. And she was there to see you grow every single day, to see you smiling, to see you being this amazing and extraordinary person. She knew that you are so strong that you can fight all your battles with a smile on your face. You have this power, that is beyond any explanation. I wish I could have seen every part of your life too. Damon was right, when he said that you are the light in the sea of darkness. I came out of my own dark period because of this light. Every single day, your mother is proud of you. And so am I. She loved your every single imperfection. Because that's what makes you, you. Never change Caroline Forbes. I was in love once, when I experienced the definition of love. But, with you, I came to know that love is something which can never be defined. You gave me something which was beyond any explanation. Thank you, for being you Caroline.

I know I suck at giving presents, but I am wishing you this Christmas from my and your mother's behalf.

P.S. Your mother must be smiling at you to see you, so never shed a tear, or else it might hurt her you know. She might curse me that I am not keeping my promise. My shoulder is always available for you in case you need it to lean on to, you know.

I know I haven't said it in direct words, But I am in love with you Caroline Forbes. I can wait for you forever. But I hope I don't have to.

Yours,

Stefan

Two small drops of her tears fell straight on his name. If only, she could have been ready sooner. If only, he would have been there confessing it and not the letter. She hugged the letter, keeping it pinned to her heart, thinking of him all the while…