I Will Always Find You...

Chapter one - Finding the truth

The sun rose above the horizon, the first light of day stretching out across the earth as if reaching out an arm of protection, a shield that offered the warmth of security against all that dwells in the night. For this is the usual domain of evil, the popularly accepted time for horror to be unleashed. When it is dark...when it is cold and when you are alone. It should therefore stand to reason that if the opposite of all these things were true for you in your life then you would be safe. The safest a person could be anyway, so to be in a small town named Mystic Falls, where the locals smile and bid you 'good day', everything must surely be ok.

When you first glance upon the beauty of Mystic Falls you could be forgiven for believing that mystics actually once resided here. It does indeed appear to be a very spiritual place where one could imagine finding the truths that lay beyond the intellect of the mind. It radiates peacefulness and calm, on the surface anyhow, but venture beyond this and it may be at your peril...

Stefan and Caroline didn't take nearly enough moments in a day, just to enjoy being with one another. There was always something to do or someone to help, some place to be or someone to save... even someone to bring back from the dead from time to time. Every now and then though they would catch each other looking, watching...drinking in and stealing the moment as if it may never come again. This was usually when they were looking at each other for their love was beyond normal human love, it exceeded what could be conceived of in dreams or books... their love truly was mystical.

In these moments when they caught each other like this, one of them would give the tiniest of smiles, one that was meant only for the other, to reassure and to acknowledge feeling the same way. It was these little idiosyncrasies that strengthened their bond and nothing on earth could break it and nothing on earth should try.

As the two of them started their day, Caroline received a call from Bonnie. Bonnie's witch powers, inherited through her family line had been growing and changing lately. It had unsettled Bonnie because she wasn't sure what the implications would be. She had already broken so many supernatural rules recently and she had been warned about doing this by her beloved grandmother, that she feared this may be a consequence of that because there were always consequences. "Caroline? Are you there? Whispered Bonnie in to the mouthpiece of the phone. "Bonnie? Yes I'm here, is everything ok? Why are you whispering?" replied Caroline. "Something's wrong care, someone's listening".

"What do you mean listening? ... In on our call? ... Is someone there with you?" Caroline's voice becoming slightly more frantic with each question.

A lot had changed in Mystic Falls over the previous few years but Caroline didn't need super powers to know that something was very wrong with Bonnie.

"Where are you Bonnie? I'll come to you" Caroline stated, in a far more authoritative voice than she had been using.

"No! Stay away Care, he's looking for you. I'm not sure who it is but I know that much... I need more time to figure it out, I just wanted to warn you to be on your guard...and trust no one. I'll be in touch soon." And with that the call was ended.

Caroline thought to herself, in an almost regrettable way... I'm always on my guard Bonnie, and why would someone or something be looking for me? I know Bonnie said 'he' but if it's affecting her this way, making her...afraid for me, then maybe 'he' is an it.

Stefan had been waiting silently and patiently for the call to end to find out what was wrong and what they could do. The look on Caroline's face wasn't promising that heir day was going to be 'regular' and Stefan knew her well enough to see the concern for Bonnie.

Stefan could of course have listened to the conversation as it took place, he did after all have a vampire's hearing but he and Caroline had agreed to afford the other the privacy that would be theirs if they were a' normal human' couple. He thought to himself, even now, that this was what he loved most about Caroline, that no matter what was happening, her first thoughts were always of others. He had stolen another moment.