I don't own The Vampire Diaries.
A/N: Got serious inspiration to start this while I was in bed the last couple of days and couldn't help myself. :)
Set after season 3.
Restart
Chapter 1
Caroline wandered into the boarding house and found Stefan, Elena, Damon and Bonnie sitting there. It was the 4th of January and Elena had been a vampire for just over two months.
"What?" Caroline asked Elena annoyed as Elena had called to ask Caroline to come talk to them.
"Care, please talk to me." Bonnie pleaded.
"No. You're a traitor." Caroline glared at her as she hadn't spoken to Bonnie since she found out what Bonnie did.
"We'd all be dead if she hadn't done it, Barbie." Damon pointed out and Caroline shot him a look.
"Shut up, dumbass." Caroline sniped annoyed surprising all of them that she would take that tone with Damon. "There were who knows how many other hybrids but you just had to choose Tyler." She fumed to Bonnie.
"We have a way to fix it. To fix everything." Bonnie placated.
"Oh, really? And how's that?" Caroline questioned dryly.
"Sending you back in time." Bonnie answered and Caroline just stared at her.
"Why me?" Caroline examined sceptically.
"Well, because Stefan disagrees with the plan, Elena won't be able to do it and I'm not sending Damon because he'll screw it up." Bonnie elaborated and Caroline scowled at her while Damon rolled his eyes at the witch.
"And when exactly do you want to send me back to?" Caroline tested.
"The day before Junior year." Bonnie responded and Caroline just stared at her like she was an idiot.
"And what exactly would I need to do?" Caroline asked.
"You need to get Damon to turn Elena straight away, that way Klaus can't break the curse and if the tomb isn't opened, Katherine won't find out about Elena, hence Klaus won't find out about her." Bonnie revealed and Caroline's lip quivered a little with amusement then she cracked up into laughter. "What's so funny?"
"And how exactly am I supposed to get Damon to do anything? Oh, hi Damon, I'm from the future. I know that you have a star shaped birthmark on your ass. Please trust me." Caroline mocked amused and Damon scowled at her while Stefan, Bonnie and Elena laughed at that.
"It's not star shaped." Damon muttered.
"Yeah, it is." Caroline refuted and he deadpanned at her for arguing. "Would I still be a vampire?" She asked Bonnie.
"No." Bonnie shook her head and Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Right, and since Zack has all of the vervain, that'll work so well for me. You clearly haven't thought this through." Caroline muttered.
"Care, if you can do this, it'll save Tyler, Ric, your dad, my grams, Isobel, John, Jenna, Matt and who knows how many other people." Bonnie pushed and Caroline thought about that.
"And what about Anna? She wants to get her mother out." Caroline reminded Bonnie who nodded.
"If you go to my grams and let her read you, she'll understand everything that needs to change and she'll make sure that Anna doesn't get into the tomb." Bonnie promised.
"Then what? Do I come back here after that or do I stay in that time?" Caroline probed.
"It's up to you. You have 100 days to get everything done. On the 100th day, I'll contact you from here and you can decide whether you want to stay there or come back here." Bonnie explained and Caroline was quiet for a moment.
"I'll think about it. Sounds to me like you're just sending me because I'm the last expendable one left." Caroline retorted surprising them that she would say that then she turned on her heel and left the house in a blink.
"She's not expendable." Elena said sadly. "She's the only one who would be able to get it done." She added. "That's your fault for making her feel that way, you know." She glared at Damon who rolled his eyes.
That evening, Caroline was lying in her bed on her stomach with her face pressed into her pillow. The lights were off but she wasn't asleep. Too much was churning over in her mind. She didn't know how the hell she could possibly get that Damon to listen to her. She really wanted to do it. She wanted to be the one who saved all of those people and the best part for her was that she could change it so she never killed those people after she turned. She heard a slight rustle at the window and she sighed knowing that it could only be one person.
"Get out, Damon." Caroline muttered without moving from where she lay and he smirked.
"How'd you know it was me?" Damon queried amused.
"Because Stefan's never been invited in and Elena hasn't been invited in yet, so who else would it be?" Caroline murmured into her pillow.
"Stefan hasn't been invited in?" Damon asked surprised.
"Nope." Caroline replied. "Now go away." She muttered.
"Why are you in such a little mood?" He asked amused.
"Because I'm trying to sleep." She retorted.
"No, you aren't. You'd be on your side if you were trying to sleep." He teased and she rolled onto her back and sat up, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
"What do you want?" She exclaimed, infuriated that he knew that about her and he chuckled knowing exactly why she was so pissed.
"I wrote you a list." Damon revealed holding out a piece of paper.
"Of?" She tested.
"Stuff to tell me." Damon clarified and she took the paper and set it down on her bedside table.
"Surely you think this is as futile an effort as I do." Caroline replied and he shrugged.
"My past self will believe you if you say all of that." He disagreed while pointing to the list.
"Why are you giving me that? Do you give a crap if it gets fixed?" Caroline questioned.
"Yes." Damon replied surprising her. "I don't want Ric to be dead." He admitted and she nodded.
"And?" She pushed.
"And what?" He queried.
"You obviously have another reason." She pointed out and he sighed while thinking that he wished she was as dumb as he originally thought she was – though, he'd learned over time that she definitely wasn't dumb at all.
"Don't let me want Elena." He instructed and she rolled her eyes.
"You know, you should really think about that." Caroline advised.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"One minute you wanted Katherine then the next minute you wanted Elena. You clearly transferred your feelings for Katherine over to Elena." Caroline observed and he looked stunned as that hadn't occurred to him.
"That's not true." He refuted though admittedly he wasn't sure.
"Right. Tell me then. What do you love about Elena?" She asked and he opened his mouth to reply then closed it – because he couldn't think of anything.
"She… Her…" Damon trailed off.
"Does she make you happy?" Caroline queried and he didn't say anything because no she made him miserable. "Do have fun around her?" She inquired and he didn't say anything because no he didn't. She was difficult and boring and kind of whiny at times. "Does she accept you completely for who you are?" Caroline asked and he didn't say anything because no she wanted him to be 'a better man', she didn't want him to act like a vampire, she wanted him to feed from bunnies, for God's sake. "Yeah, thought so. Whatever, it's your life. I'll use the list on your old self to try to get your help. Thanks for that." She said dismissively and his jaw clenched at the fact she saw through him like nobody else did. "Now, go." She instructed pointing to the window and he scowled at her then disappeared out of the window. She rolled her eyes then lay back down and tried to sleep on her back to prove him wrong.
Caroline called Bonnie the following morning and accepted. Bonnie told her that she could take one bag of stuff with her to help her. Caroline filled it with as much stuff as she could fit in it including vervain, vervain darts, a newspaper with the date on it, her phone and charger as she had photos on it, Damon's list and two thermoses that she had then she went over to the boarding house. She walked in and the four of them were there already.
"So, you'll definitely do it?" Bonnie tested after the greetings were out of the way.
"On one condition." Caroline agreed.
"Which is?" Bonnie encouraged and Caroline pulled out the two thermoses.
"I want vampire blood." She said surprising all of them.
"Why?" Stefan asked her sceptically and Caroline shrugged.
"Because there's a good chance that Damon will kill me." Caroline responded and Damon rolled his eyes.
"I already…"
"Do it or I'm not going." Caroline interrupted him.
"Fine." He accepted annoyed and motioned for the thermos then she handed him one and handed the other to Stefan. "Why are you giving the other one to Stefan?" He queried confused.
"What does it matter? It's just blood." Caroline countered.
"I'm your sire." Damon answered like it was totally obvious and she laughed.
"Sire. Some sire." She scoffed and he scowled at her.
"What is your problem?" Damon asked her infuriated.
"Just shut up and drain your blood, you ass." Caroline retorted.
"Let's just everybody calm down."
"Shut up, Stefan." Caroline and Damon said simultaneously then shot each other annoyed looks for saying the same thing at the same time.
"Just drain your blood and hurry the hell up." Bonnie directed aggravated to both Stefan and Damon. They rolled their eyes at the moody witch then bit into their wrists and held them over the open thermoses. They had to re-bite their wrists several times to fill them up but once they were finished, they screwed on the tops and handed them back to Caroline who put them in her little satchel.
"Will I wake up like this?" Caroline queried pointing to her clothes.
"No, the only thing that'll go with you is the bag." Bonnie negated and Caroline nodded then walked over to the window and drew the curtain.
"What are you doing?" Damon asked sceptically.
"Think real hard. You'll get there eventually." Caroline quipped and his jaw clenched in fury at the baby vampire's tone while Stefan and Bonnie were trying not to laugh. Caroline slipped off her sun ring and put it into her bag.
"Maybe you should take some pictures with you." Elena suggested.
"Of?" Caroline probed.
"Well, Damon might be more likely to believe you if you had photographic evidence." Elena elaborated.
"That's true." Bonnie agreed.
"Fine." Caroline settled then got out her phone. "Damon and Stefan photo." She said and they both looked at her sceptically.
"Why?" Damon asked and she sighed.
"Because I'm going to lie my ass off to your past self so that he believes me." Caroline said annoyed at him nit-picking. "You can go back to pretending that you don't like each other later. Just… stand next to each other." She instructed and they rolled their eyes then stood up and stood next to each other. "Oh for God's sake, I know you're old but you do get the concept of photographs right?" She drawled dryly and they both deadpanned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Stefan asked confused.
"Look happy!" Caroline snapped and Stefan sighed while Damon rolled his eyes and the other two girls snickered at her getting so exasperated with them. Damon put his arm over Stefan's shoulders and Stefan put his arm around Damon's back. "Good. Now smile." She instructed. "Ugh. Don't smile. That looks so fake." She grumbled and Elena and Bonnie laughed. "Damon smirk, Stefan look less constipated." The girls howled with laughter at the fact she actually said that and Damon couldn't help a snigger at that while Stefan just looked annoyed. "Stefan, remember that episode of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon gets his head stuck in the wall?" Caroline reminded Stefan chuckled and she snapped the photo as he did then she looked at it. "Huh." She said surprised.
"What?" Stefan queried.
"That actually turned out well. Good. Uh… Damon and Bonnie next." She instructed.
"Why?" Damon asked sceptically.
"Because maybe your past self will be less inclined to kill her if in the future it looks like you like each other." Caroline deadpanned and he scowled. "Why are you looking at me like that? You tried to or did kill practically everyone. This is insurance."
"Fine." He accepted irritated. Bonnie stood up and went over to him and he slung his arm over her shoulders.
"Make it believable, Bonnie." Caroline instructed and Bonnie sighed then reluctantly put her arms around his waist, hugging into his side and she thought about something she liked and smiled genuinely while Damon smirked in the photo. Caroline snapped the picture, pleased with the outcome. "Good. Bonnie and Stefan." She instructed.
"Why?"
"Seriously, Damon?" Caroline asked annoyed and he just shot her a look while Bonnie then went over to Stefan and Caroline took a picture of them too. "Elena, vamp out." She instructed and Elena immediately changed her face and smiled a fangy grin and Caroline giggled at her expression and took the picture.
"Why'd you need that?" Bonnie asked sceptically.
"Because I'll explain all of it after she turns and show her that her future is as a vampire anyway, so that it's easier to deal with." Caroline answered.
"Fair enough. Give me your phone and I'll take pictures of you." Bonnie said and Caroline nodded then gave her the phone then went over to Stefan and stood next to him with a smile and he put his arm around her then Bonnie took the picture. Caroline wandered over to Damon then giggled as she thought of something.
"What are you doing?" Damon queried suspiciously when she stood behind him then she jumped up on his back and put her arms around his neck and he instinctively held her knees at his sides and everyone laughed at her doing that. Bonnie captured the moment just as Damon looked up at her over his shoulder with a chuckle and Caroline was sticking her tongue out at him – and because he was caught mid chuckle, he looked like he was smiling at her happily and Bonnie thought that it was the perfect photo to get past-Damon to believe Caroline.
"Now look at the camera." Caroline instructed and Damon snickered and looked over at Bonnie who took another photo of Caroline grinning and Damon smirking with amusement.
"Got it." Bonnie said amused then Caroline hopped down from his back, picked up her bag then went over to Bonnie who handed back her phone then she put it in her bag.
"Did you make a sun ring for me to give Elena?" Caroline asked.
"Oh. No, I didn't think of that." Bonnie admitted.
"Just take this one." Elena offered while taking her ring off then she gave it to Caroline.
"I'll make you another one." Bonnie said to Elena who smiled and nodded in thanks. "You ready?" She asked Caroline.
"One sec." Caroline said then took out a small vial from her pocket then opened it and downed it and licked her lips with a sigh.
"Why'd you drink blood?" Stefan asked confused.
"I'm about to be human again. Human food sucks in comparison." Caroline muttered and Damon and Stefan chuckled in surprise at her saying that. "Alright. Now I'm ready." Caroline agreed.
"Hold onto your bag tightly." Bonnie instructed and Caroline nodded and gripped the bag in both hands. Bonnie held out her hands towards Caroline and looked into her eyes. "Be careful." She whispered.
"I'll try." Caroline agreed and she nodded.
"Good luck." Bonnie wished then started to chant.
Past
Caroline's eyes opened groggily and she realised that she was lying on her bed in her room. In her hands was the bag but she saw that she was wearing her pink pyjamas instead. She reached for the remote and stuck her TV on – yep. It was the Sunday before the first day of junior year. She sighed.
"This sucks." Caroline muttered. She took out her necklace from the bag that had vervain in it and she put it around her neck then got up and got ready.
Caroline made her way over to Bonnie's Grams' house and she knocked lightly on the door. Moments later the elder woman opened the door and looked surprised to see her standing there.
"Well, hello, Caroline. What can I do for you?" Sheila smiled.
"Hello, Miss Sheila. I need to talk to you." Caroline responded.
About a minute later, Caroline was sitting on the couch across from Bonnie's grandmother.
"Go ahead, sweetheart." Sheila encouraged.
"Well, basically, I was sent back here from about a year and a half into the future by Bonnie and she told me that the first thing that I should do is come see you and let you read me, so that you know what needs to be changed." Caroline explained and Sheila looked surprised.
"So, you know that I'm a witch." Sheila tested and Caroline nodded.
"So is Bonnie – though, she doesn't know that yet." Caroline added and Sheila gave her a small smile as Sheila did know that.
"And you're okay with that?" Sheila probed.
"Well, I was a vampire in the time I come from." Caroline revealed surprising Sheila. "And Bonnie accepted me, so of course I have no problems with her being a witch." She said sincerely and Sheila nodded.
"Let's see what was going on then." Sheila motioned and Caroline held out her hand. Sheila took it then read and read and read – then pulled away looking shocked. "Well, I certainly see why you all want to change that."
"Will you help me?" Caroline requested softly. "We just need to make sure that the tomb isn't opened, but Anna's a very old vampire and I'm only human now."
"Of course I'll help you, sweetheart." Sheila confirmed.
"Thank you so much." Caroline said relieved. "Also, aside from Zack Salvatore, do you have any idea where I could get more vervain?"
"I'll take care of that. Don't you worry about a thing." Sheila promised…
A/N: Let me know what you think :) Next chap will be up soon!