The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Eight - Caroline Forbes

Three and a half years ago

Mystic Falls, VA

New Year's Eve, 10:25pm

No time was wasted trying to open the hatch with a key, as Caroline grabbed the handle, ripped off the lock, and pulled the door from its hinges completely, releasing a gust of black smoke that engulfed her and then filtered out into the air. Two voices were heard shouting, but as neither of them were Stefanie, Caroline jumped into the cellar and focused on finding her first. "Where is she?" she yelled, her vision obscured by smoke, the only light dancing from the flames surrounding the ceiling near the staircase.

The voice was footsteps away, "Here, they're both here, we need to lift them out."

A thump came from behind her as Damon landed in the cellar. Caroline headed towards the voices on the floor, crouched next to Stef and picked her up. Her body hung lifelessly in her arms and a wave of panic hit her. With desperate voices surrounding her, she focused on hearing Stef's heartbeat, but she couldn't hear one. Fear clenched her heart and sank heavily in her stomach. She wouldn't hand her to Damon like this; she needed to hear that heartbeat first. As the two boys beside her tried pulling up another teenager lying unconscious on the floor, she ordered, "Damon, get the others out! I've got Stef!" She ran past Damon and took Stef out of the hatch, avoiding his demands that Stef be given to him. Caroline was faster and he knew it. He wouldn't argue about it for long.

Stef was placed on the cold ground outside the bar, her clothing grey from the smoke, her skin tinted blue, black coating spread thinly around her mouth. Caroline felt for a pulse. Nothing. She felt her chest for a heartbeat. Nothing. She placed the side of her face next to her mouth, silently pleading to feel or hear her breath, no matter how shallow. Anything. She needed any sign of life, but there was nothing.

This couldn't be happening. Elena couldn't lose her daughter. Damon couldn't lose his daughter. She couldn't watch her friends go through another loss like this. Stefanie was too young. The girl she'd watched grow up couldn't be gone.

Caroline drew back the tears forming in her eyes as two teenagers dragged themselves out of the hatch, coughing and panting. Turning, they helped pull the third boy up, and then Damon followed. She couldn't cry in front of him, not yet. She hadn't tried everything.

As soon as Damon was out, his eyes went to Stef, and then to Caroline. He saw her expression. She was already grieving.

"No," he whispered, frozen in fear.

Seeing his face, Caroline couldn't hold back any longer, and a tear started to fall. But she knew there was one last thing she needed to try. She bit into her wrist.

"No!" Damon cried, charging towards them, and kneeling next to Stef. "You can't, Caroline!"

"We have to try!" Caroline protested.

Damon started chest compressions, leaning over his daughter, putting all his weight on her sternum. "It's not over, I can save her."

"There's an ambulance on the way." Adam, halfway off the ground, stumbling weakly, noticed Phoenix. "We need to help him."

Caroline gritted her teeth, concerned that Damon was going to regret refusing Stefanie her blood. But he was with her, focused on what he thought best for her---mouth-to-mouth, chest compressions, ambulance on the way---she just had to trust he was doing the right thing. She sped quickly over to Phoenix, hearing his heart-rate rapidly fading, and forced her blood into his mouth.

"What are you doing?!" Adam yelled in shock.

"This will heal him," Caroline assured him. "You need it too."