MONSTER, stefan salvatore [2]

Let Her Go

CHAPTER 45: LET HER GO

The Salvatore Boarding House

Natalie was getting increasingly worried for Caroline, and she noticed. Ever since the night before, when her mother died, Natalie had tried to be there for her best friend but she had pushed her away, not allowing her to talk to her. 

But when she was standing in front of her, Stefan, Matt, Elena and Tyler with a list she had come up with when she couldn't sleep through the night, she had a feeling she should let her do things her own way. "There are five day's worth of projects on here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day."

Matt nodded sympathetically, knowing he would do whatever he could to help out for his ex-girlfriend/current friend and her mother's funeral. "Sure, Care. Whatever you need."

Caroline hesitantly glanced over at Natalie, seeing her open her mouth as if to say something, ask if she was okay. That made her decide that she wasn't going to be the one she asked to go with her. "Elena, you're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" the doppelganger interrupted, frowning as she had thought Caroline would have dragged Natalie or Stefan with her instead, seeing as those two were her number one and two best friends. 

"Casket shopping," she answered casually before looking at all of her other friends who were just standing still without moving at all. "Let's move!"

▹▹▹

The Town Square

Natalie and Stefan had been given the assignment to spread the word around town about the funeral happening already, seeing as most people would have expected to get an invitation sent a few days ahead or something. But getting told by the two vampires was the only way they knew to get people to come. 

"Thank you, we'll see you there," Natalie smiled politely at one of Liz's old deputies who she invited. They were close, and so she wanted to make sure he'd be there even if he wasn't at the station because it was his day off. 

Seeing as that was the last one, she walked over to where Stefan was sitting in his car, waiting for her. She smiled at him a bit, as if to say it all went smoothly. She opened the door and got into the shotgun seat. They didn't say anything for a moment until Natalie decided that she needed to talk to him about something. "I'm worried about Caroline, she kept pushing me away last night and it seems like she's avoiding me."

"I just don't think she wants to be treated like some kind of china doll right now," Stefan shrugged, turning his head to side from where he was sitting in the driver's seat. He didn't start the car yet, just wanting to sit there with his girlfriend and talk first. 

The brunette nodded, as if it made sense. "I know, and I'm not trying to. But I'm just scared of taking it too far, you know. You would have thought that after all the death we've surrounded us by, we would have known how to talk to someone who was affected by it."

He couldn't help but stare out the window that was right next to her head from his point of view for a moment at the reminder of everything they've all lost. "What is it about us that make our lives so infinitely tragic?"

"Tragedy is an inevitable part of life, Stefan. I learned that a long time ago," Natalie answered, making him look back into her eyes as she tucked a piece of curly hair behind her ear carefully, as if doing it too quickly would cause the whole world to explode. 

"I'm just... this whole thing with Caroline losing her mom has just made me think about my mother. And it's just..." Stefan trailed off, looking down in his lap like he didn't want her to see him not be this stoic, strong hero-type, even if he knew he could show himself her in any way he wanted.