Inspiration from Vampire Breath: Caroline and Stefan in their romantic honeymoon phase, while also wondering the "what if" of their relationship.

"A honeymoon? Stefan, we don't have to-"

"I know we don't have to," he sighed, rubbing her hand with his thumb as they cuddled on the couch. So much had happened in the aftermath of the wedding. Elena woke up, then left. Bonnie almost died. Damon d- "I need to get out of this house for a while, and the calm is...unsettling." He pressed a kiss to her hair. "Anywhere you want to go, Mrs. Salvatore, let's just go."

Leaning into his space, Caroline nuzzled at his neck comfortingly. She remembered when mourning Damon meant him leaving, alone; she much preferred him wanting to bring her along. "Then take me to a beach, Mr. Salvatore."

He bought the plane tickets that night.

It was sadder than he thought, to be planning what was supposed to be the symbolic start of their marriage. Stefan figured it was because the wedding had turned so disastrous, discolored by the overwhelming grief. Still, they were married, and they deserved as much of a celebration as they were able.

He found himself touching Caroline constantly the days before they left: holding her hand as she shopped for new luggage, running her feet as made lists for packing and the girls' scheduled while they were gone, or brushing by her each time he went to grab something from the closet. Too easy to get lost in his own head, the contact helped him to stay grounded. She was real, and she was there.

Sometimes, he caught her watching him. He couldn't blame her; he didn't have the best track record with dealing constructively. Caroline was worried, he knew, that he wasn't processing his brother's death like he should.

"There are still good things in the world," he whispered across their bed, running his hand down her back. "You're my best reminder of that."

"Okay," Caroline accepted easily. She played with the ring on his left hand and listened to the quick beat of his heart. "You can talk to me when it's hard to remember, though."

He pulled her closer as they drifted off to sleep. A slight smile tugged at his lips when she burrowed into his chest. This was good, his.

But for every little moment of happiness, there was another to drag them backwards.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore," the flight attendant greeted on the plane. He could tell Caroline was surprised, never having flown first class before. "A bottle of champagne has been set at your seats, please open it before we close the cabin."

"Newlyweds, how lovely," an old woman sighed from across the aisle. "Was it a lovely wedding?"

Caroline opened her mouth to answer, probably about to ramble in the hopes of concealing the dark and twisted story that essentially defined their nuptials. Instead, Stefan grasped her hand and raised it to his lips. "She looked beautiful," he responded simply.

The woman sighed longingly. "I bet you'll have the most beautiful babies, too," she declared.

Drooping, Caroline's eyes glistened with the sheen of tears. Stefan just shrugged. "We already do." He proudly picked his phone from his jeans, scrolling to find a photo of the girls. "Josie and Lizzie. They turn four this year."

"Oh," the woman cooed. "They're precious."

"Yeah." He smiled down at his phone, showing Caroline the picture of Lizzie twirling them both on the dance floor. "They are."

It wasn't until the rest of the cabin was asleep that she brought it up; he was nearly asleep himself. "You can still have beautiful babies," she whispered. "If you wanted-"

"Caroline." He brushed his nose along hers sleepily. "It's okay. I want you. Josie and Lizzie. We can even invite Ric for holidays. I'm as happy as I can possibly be at this moment, with you."

"I wish," Caroline broke off, a tear falling down her cheek. "I wish I could have been the mother of your children, too."

Stefan shrugged, kissing her nose. "You're my wife," he responded with that goofy smile of his. "Whatever happens or doesn't happen to us from here on out, I'm just glad there is an 'us.'" His hand slid from under his blanket to land on her stomach. "Besides, I remember when you were pregnant. I don't think we could afford the fries budget another time."

Snorting, Caroline nudged his hand away. "Don't be mean, I'm vulnerable."

He shook his head. "You're the strongest person I know, Caroline Forbes." Kissing her, he laid his head on her shoulder to get more comfortable in their seats. "Wake me up when we're in paradise."

And Hawaii was the paradise they were looking for. Their bungalow was right on the beach, where Caroline laid in the sand while Stefan did laps in the ocean. They tried to surf, ate pork and pineapple all day, and danced and danced and danced.

There were moments they were quiet, that echoed the calm Stefan had been desperate to escape back home.

He ran into a man with dark hair and sky blue eyes, who snarkily brushed past him in the market in an all-too-familiar tone.

After talking with the girls, Caroline could hear Ric decline to talk to her again, not wanting to talk about the amazing honeymoon she was on with her new husband.

Numerous calls or texts went unanswered by Bonnie and Matt.

So Caroline drank more, and Stefan lost himself in the beach reads she packed. He forgot what it meant just to read during a quiet afternoon. She rubbed sunscreen into his back like it was her job, muttering about how susceptible he was to skin disease now. It could get very bleak.

But it was still their honeymoon. Caroline's skin buzzed with the sensation of his lips during their dances, just as Stefan sought out every opportunity to loosen her bikini top. They played, they cried, they cuddled in comfort over the entire two weeks - just needing to have this time together before figuring out the rest of their lives.

Their life - because they were married.

He might not have been the perfect Prince Charming, and she was hardly the prim and proper princess with fangs. But they loved each other, and they were determined to enjoy their happily ever after in whatever form it came.

A/N: This is going to be the last update for Until the Bitter End. Many thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, kudoed, and commented! I want to give particular thanks to thecharmedburrowspn-files and jads1000, whose constant support was absolutely necessary to this series. I have several writing projects coming up, two in particular that explore the Steroline dynamic had canon gone different. So, please keep an eye out for "The Devil Wears Curls (and Has a Heart)" and "Bloody Good Time." They should be coming sometime in the near future.

Feel free to hit me up over at honestgrins on Tumblr! Even though I mostly blog about a certain other ship over there, my blog is a safe place for everyone. Thanks for the love, fandom.

Cheers, Morgan