Chapter 25

Stefan and Caroline both arose to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, the shrieks of little children running into the sea and getting their small feet wet. It was such a harmonious tune, that Stefan was sure that he had never heard anything more magnificent than that. Then again it may be, because of the previous night's events that had left him almost blissfully content.

"Hi." Caroline said shyly as she looked into his jade eyes.

"Hi." Stefan whispered back as he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

Last night had been the best night of his existence. He had never thought that he would find love again after Elena – which he would never be able to commit to anyone else. But he had been proven wrong. It wasn't impossible – Caroline had always been there. She had been there since the beginning he just hadn't taken the time to really see her and appreciate her for what she bought into his life.

"What are you thinking?" Caroline asked as she noted the subtle change on his face. He looked almost hopeful.

"I was thinking that we should have done this sooner." He tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ears.

"Hmmm. Can't help but agree with you there. We should have done this a lot sooner."

"I have to apologize to you though." He said seriously.

Caroline stopped breathing.

'Please don't let him regret this' she thought internally.

"I should have never been so harsh with you." He sighed.

Caroline was confused. Stefan had never been harsh with her. He'd always been the perfect gentleman to her.

"I don't understand. You've never been harsh to me, Stefan." She stroked his face.

"I was. The first day I started at Mystic Falls High. I shouldn't have said those words."

Caroline recalled them instantly. After all she had been having nightmares about those eight little words.

"You and me it's not going to happen." She recited softly with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." Stefan replied.

"Stefan … I was a hormonal teenager and I was desperate you should have beat me off with a stick. I was so hung up on the fact that I wasn't good enough for anyone. But the truth was I wasn't good enough for me yet. I still had to grow up and except that life wasn't about boys and pissing my mom off."

"Still … I should have been lucky that someone found me very attractive." Stefan placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose. Caroline giggled.

"Please you had all the girls salivating. Hell I was even planning our wedding." Caroline scoffed, laughing at her idiocy back then. She had really been naïve.

"You were?" Stefan raised his eyebrows.

"Yip. I was thinking Miami for our honeymoon, a stop in Paris where you would take me right to the top of the Eifel tower and declare your love for me." Caroline snorted.

"I see and how many kids were we planning to have?" Stefan teased back.

"Truthfully just two little Salvatore boys." Caroline smiled back.

"What about a little Salvatore girl?" Stefan asked.

"I was scared that I would end up getting a girl just like me. My mom always warned me that if I ever had a daughter she would be the splitting image of me and that I would be grey by the time I was forty." Caroline laughed.

"I don't think so. She would have been adorable." He smiled.

Caroline smiled sadly. She would never know what it was like to be a mother. Vampirism had put that on the back burner. Thinking about in now made her sad. Not because she would have never had kids but because neither would Stefan. He would have been the perfect father. Gentle and loving. She could imagine him being the over protective kind. Teaching his sons how to be proper gentlemen and no doubt scaring all his daughters' potential suitors away.

"You would of have been an amazing father, Stefan." Caroline said softly.

Stefan felt his smile drop. He'd never really given it much thought, when he was still human that was all he longer for. To have a family of his own. To live in the countryside, farming and spending time with his wife and kids. He would have wanted to lead a simplistic life. An easy life without worrying about financial and family honor.

But since becoming what he was, he realized that there wasn't ever going to be a future like that. But a future with Caroline one day perhaps would be just more than enough.

"We have each other now. That's enough." Stefan whispered as he pulled Caroline into his arms.

It was more than enough.

An: This is sadly the end of this story. However there will be a sequel to this called " Foundation of love" – which will basically be Stefan and Caroline's journey as they try to make it as a couple when they are forced to return to Mystic Falls. Will also include Peyton and Damon's relationship as well as big brother Klaus (for all the Klaus fans). I have already worked out a basic plot for the next installment – however it will take a while still as I like my readers find it frustrating when my chapters are so short – so it will be longer chapters. So hopefully within the next few weeks it will be up I just wanted to take the time and say thank you to all my amazing readers for starting this journey with me. You guys were my inspiration to carry on. So thank you!