Unbreak the Broken

I Was Far Too Scared to Hit Him (But I Would Hit Him in a Heartbeat Now)

Potential trigger warning.
Referenced/implied non-con referencing Vicki Donovan and some vaguer implications with Caroline
Nothing as bad as canon

"So, are you psychic or clairvoyant?" Caroline asked, humoring her friend.

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch," Bonnie replied skeptically. "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something. Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor, so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so."

' Oh Bonnie, if only you knew, ' Caroline thought. Bonnie didn't know it yet, but she would grow to be one of the most powerful witches of the modern age. She'd just need to stop letting everyone walk all over her.

"I don't know," Caroline said. "You should hear her out. Maybe you really are a witch."

Bonnie laughed, thinking her friend was joking. Caroline couldn't help but smile. She missed hearing Bonnie laugh.

Caroline and Bonnie continued talking for a little while. She had to fight the urge to tell her friend that she really was a witch. She knew telling Bonnie the truth was a bad idea, but it would save her so much heartache and confusion. It was then that Caroline decided to try and save Sheila Bennett.

Bonnie's Grams would help keep the supernatural community in Mystic Falls in check, and it wouldn't hurt to have an experienced witch around. Besides, Bonnie deserved to have her grandmother in her life.

Caroline met up with Bonnie and Elena at the Grill after school and tried to encourage Stefan and Elena's relationship. In all honesty, she didn't think they were very good for each other. Stefan was drawn to Elena because they were doppelgangers. Unfortunately, drama followed the doppelgangers everywhere they went. Besides, maybe this time Elena wouldn't get with Damon. As bad as Stefan and Elena were, Damon and Elena were way too toxic.

She smiled and nodded along with how things went last time. Biding her time till she could go home and prepare for the comet... and everything that happened afterward.

Caroline had felt her nervous energy building all day. She only had a few hours to get everything ready for that night. The time traveler stopped her car by the woods to get what she needed, just in case. Then, she drove home. Caroline went upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom, even though her mom wouldn't be home till after the comet party. Caroline grabbed her carving knife from her closet and took one of the broken tree branches she took from the woods.

Wooden stakes were the most effective way to kill a vampire without accidentally committing arson. As a human, Caroline planned to carry stakes to protect herself until she turned. Part of her wanted to get her hands on vampire blood and turn herself now, but that was too difficult at her current point. The stake was harder to make than she expected. Caroline's perfectionist nature meant it looked pretty good, but she would be late for the Comet Party if she didn't hurry up. Caroline Changed clothes quickly and packed a thermos of vervain tea, dipping her stake into it.

She was on the lookout from the moment she stepped out of her car. Damon wasn't there yet, but he would be. She met up with Elena and Bonnie and they passed out flyers for a while. It didn't matter. None of this did. There were dangerous things lurking around her while she pretended to be a little sixteen year old girl again.

Caroline realized that she was wrong. I wasn't the dulled senses that unsettled her most as a human, it was being vulnerable to the demons she thought she'd rid herself of.

But hours passed without incident. Candles were lit, she had fun, and her friends seemed happy. Vicki had gone missing, same as last time. Jeremy's words rang through her head. "And I didn't even have to force her into it." He said that to Tyler, a boy she'd loved and dated. Caroline felt sick. Bonnie noticed something was wrong, but didn't say anything. Caroline thought about her regrets in life. She'd never considered her relationship with Tyler Lockwood to be a bad time in her life, but now she was reanalyzing.

She remembered their fights, his behavior when he turned into a hybrid, when he got angry... She wouldn't date him again.

She helped her friends look for Vicki in vain, knowing Stefan would find him. Things seemed almost normal.

After Elena had gone home, Bonnie and Caroline hung out at the Grill for a while. Bonnie gave Stefan their friend's number so he could talk to Elena, but Caroline wasn't paying too much attention. Bonnie had a witch-spell when her hand grazed Stefan's and ran out of the Grill. She left Caroline alone. She was all alone...

Caroline stayed inside longer than she remembered doing in her first life. She kept one hand in her bag as she walked quickly to her car. Something was wrong. She could feel eyes following her. He was watching her. Caroline didn't drop her keys this time, no she wasn't drunk at all. The same noises sounded around her, but she didn't get distracted. 'Just get in your car. Eyes on the prize,' she told herself. Caroline just wasn't fast enough as a human.

Damon.

He showed up faster than her eyes could follow. "Sorry," he said. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Excuse me," Caroline replied, trying to move past him.

He stopped her.

Human hearts had always beat so slow to her ears. Despite all the years Caroline spent as a vampire, she couldn't remember a heart ever beating as fast as hers was in this moment.

Damon always claimed that his humanity was off when he'd first arrived in Mystic Falls, but Caroline wasn't so sure. His obsession with Katherine sure seemed like emotions to her.

Damon smirked and tried to flirt with her. She schooled her expression, but couldn't slow her pulse. He knew she was afraid of him. He grabbed her by the shoulder and stared into her eyes. "Why don't you let me drive you home," he compelled. Caroline gripped the stake in her bag and moved as fast as she could. Damon was infinitely faster. She barely grazed his shoulder and only because she'd caught him by surprise. The vervain burned him. She used the opportunity to open her thermos and splash the contents on him. It was messy and clunky, but shock was on her side. Damon hadn't been expecting resistance. He doubled over in pain as vervain burned his face and torso. Caroline ran for her car. The door didn't want to open, and the car didn't want to shift gears.

Moments later, pulling out of the Grill, Caroline saw Damon get up and stare at her car as she retreated. His face was bright red and he looked pissed.

On her way home, Caroline realized that she'd been marked by a monster. Damon Salvatore would once again haunt her.

Chapter title from Seventeen Going Under by Sam Fender.

What Damon did to Caroline was not okay, and it never will be.
She was a child and he was a monster.

In the early seasons, TVD had too much unnecessary violence toward women.

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