Caroline Forbes

        “  chill  out  blondie.  we’re  not  going  to  have  any  problems.  “   even  as  a  human,  over  a  century  ago,  he’d  always  had  an  appreciation  for  liquor.  a  little  thing  like  being  human  again  isn’t  going  to  slow  him  down.  

there’s a warmth that floods her chest as she looks at the photo —- god it felt like a lifetime away now , so much had changed and yet —- they’d got what they’d wanted . “ talk about a blast from the past care ! ” a grin settles on her lips , as laughter radiates , vibrating against her lungs . “ y’know , i was furious because i wanted to wear the tiara too , but we only had one . look at how different life was back then —- being able to be upset about such superficial things . ”  she’s leaning to wrap an arm around her best friend , giving her a squeeze . “ we got our wish though — we’re sisters . don’t think we needed the technicality to tell us something we already knew or officially state it . you’ve always been family to me . ”   

           “ it’s fine. it’s not like the absent thing is anything new. ” the words slip by sooner than she realizes, but she, at least, has the decency to realize it. “ sorry. ” a sigh, then a brief shut of her eyes as she sighs. “ this again? we agreed to wait for three years. can we all move on with our lives now? ”

Ouch. That hurt. Just when Caroline thought she and Lizzie were getting somewhere, that elephant in the room had to stomp it’s foot down and crush everything that had been built. “Okay okay- maybe I’m projecting a little.” Her eyes were glazing over, the tears threatening to spill.

“If only I had the time,” she quipped with a soft laugh. “Being a single mother is exhausting enough without having to deal with a bunch of supernatural teenagers. Besides Elijah would be much better suited to be a teacher than myself.”

“I dunno,” The blonde let out a little laugh of her own, “Elijah can be a little scary sometimes,” she teased, reshuffling a few papers on the desk before looking up the The Original. “Is everything okay?”

“That would be me, yeah.” He nodded. “Wha— what does ‘full-blown Mikaelson’ mean?” Did it have to do with Niklaus’ cartoon supervillain like tendencies? “Is that– should I be scared of that?” He didn’t know much about his family after all, not yet.

“I mean if the track record of your siblings and your parents is anything to go on-” She arched an eyebrow, studying his demeanour...she’d become an even better judge of character over the years, maybe it was age or maybe it was being a mother. “You don’t seem like the rest used to be?”

   Being back wasn’t EASY, not as if the dead were offered some manual on how to function and everything that had changed in the years that had passed. If anything he’d spent the last few days convinced that he didn’t deserve to be. That there were hundreds of people more eligible to be from out of the after life and back in the land of the living but it was easier to see the good sides (the few there were). And especially when they happened to be a person standing right in front of him, though there wouldn’t be any part of him that would blame her for punching him. For reminding him that what he did was IDIOTIC even if it did happen to be for a good cause. 

He was just happy to see her however, nothing had changed much (when did it ever) and yet he couldn’t help but wonder how much had. “I always wondered if you’d keep it.” The last name: his name. “I was about to say Caroline but I should probably say Mrs Forbes-Salvatore just so the students don’t get any ideas right?”

@heartofcare

Caroline hadn’t always believed in magic, until the world had turned upside down way back when - but even then it wasn’t the kind of true love magic you could see in a Disney movie or read about in a fairytale. That magic hadn’t come until much later on. With the girls - and Stefan, of course. His voice travelled across the air in the office, a voice that she feared would cut her like a thousand knives. Only it didn’t. To hear that voice again after so many years, when she’d convinced herself that she may never hear it again - well it was nothing short of magical.

She stopped in her tracks, blue eyes glistening in the dim light she set when she was working into the evening at the school. Her mouth just hung open - and for the first time in her life - Caroline Forbes was speechless. What could she say? She’d missed him more than words could explain. “I...” I can’t believe you’re here? No, that was dumb. “Hi.” She stayed firmly on her side of the room, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d been duped by a doppleganger.

“Look what I found,” Caroline opened up the scrapbook she’d had magic-ed to San Francisco, sliding it across the coffee table. In it there was a photo of Elena and Caroline as kids next to a Barbie Castle, Elena didn’t look best pleased especially next to the blonde curls in a tiara. “We used to pretend to be sisters - and now we sorta are.”

“Mom - I am not ready to be a Mother-In-Law yet...I’m still freaking 17!” 

“Right, we need to talk. I know I’ve been absent lately...but this...” Caroline sighed, tilting her head to the side as she studied her daughter's features. “This engagement...”

“You know every time you visit, I’m hoping you’ll reconsider leading one of the vampire classes. I think it’d be really good for them to hear from one of The Originals.”

“Henrik Mikaelson.” Caroline crossed her arms over herself, a little smile on her lips. “What can I do for you? If you’re about to go full-blown Mikaelson on the school I should warn you I’m a pretty good fighter.” She’d be lying if she wasn’t apprehensive about the reappearance of the Original brother - but she was joking...maybe...

“I’m a little worried, not gonna lie to you,” she poured the drink for herself, a smirk on her face, “Salvatore Family Bonding Nights are gonna be a challenge with your human tolerance.”

“Well are lineage comes from Norway,” she shrugged. “It’s where Freya and Finn were born.” The blonde hadn’t realized that she had come across as unhappy to hear that her brother was in fact back. She hadn’t meant to come off that way, she was just shocked. “No, I-,” the blonde faltered a moment before clearing her voice and shaking her blonde curls. “I just didn’t know he was back… I didn’t even consider the possibility- God, that makes me sound horrible.”

Caroline laughed, “Trust me when I say this...I know you when you’re being horrible, Rebekah Mikaelson. And this isn’t that.” It wasn’t the usual reaction to finding out your brother was alive and well...but then again, she’d had a thousand years of life, there probably wasn’t much that could surprise her anymore. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”

   THERE’S THIS FAMILIAR FEELING SPREADING. Happiness sure but it feels more like she’s drunk and on fire, and going to faint at any given time. Everyone was happy and Bonnie was, in a little strange way, but she feels so empty. Almost as if she’s a stranger and these weren’t her friends… “OF COURSE I AM.” While she might not have one hundred percent read the messages from Damon, she wouldn’t miss something like that. There’s no humanity switch in her existence to flip after all. “I missed you too, Care.” Her hands move to wrap around her friend before letting go and pulling back. “BEAUTIFUL SERVICE.”

As she looked at Bonnie she finally could see. “Sooo- This is a new look.” It looked like she’d been taking fashion tips from Katherine if anything. But aside from the new look, there was something off. Of course, it was Caroline - she wasn’t going to just let it go...but she could put a pin in it until the wedding was over. “How have you been? I’m pretty sure Enzo is here somewhere - probably at the bar-” she laughed.

      “ i deserve that. “  he raises his hands, holding them out as if to say — my bad.   “ it’s a good feeling. “  he has to admit.   for the longest time he, like her, had never envisioned a happy ending for himself.   “ we both know something’s missing though. “    or someone.  whenever he’s envisioned this day, it was always with stefan standing beside him.   he’s happy, deliriously so,  but he lets himself feel that loss … just for a second.    “ i suppose i should be thanking you, by the way. “   he clear his throat.   they both haven’t had enough champagne to dull the joy of the day with their tragic pasts.  “ …for helping with everything.  thank you.  “   it’s sincere.  from someone who’s never been good at apologies, it feels like he’s turning a corner … maybe actually being that better person elena and stefan both believed he could be.

A small laugh left Rebekah’s lips at the practical death glare Caroline shot at the woman. “Easy now, Care,” she teased before turning to the woman. “I would walk away if you want to live to see another day.” Turning back to the other blonde her smile faded. “Henrik,” she questioned rather surprised.

“Henrik indeed.” She took a breadstick for herself, nibbling the end gently. “I’ve gotta say he definitely took from Elijah’s genepool - jeez what is it with the Viking looks?” She laughed before frowning a little. “You’re not happy about him coming back?”