HIRAETH || CAROLINE FORBES

TWENTY FIVE

"So what are you going to do?"

Violet looks up at Elsie in confusion. The two are sitting at the kitchen table, Elsie eating some toast and Violet sipping on a blood bag. "About what?"

"Mikael."

"Oh you heard that?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Violet says, finishing her blood bag and standing up, "I am going to continue my day as normal. He is not here yet, so I will not worry."

"Okay," Elsie nods, "Is he going to kill you?"

"He will probably try. But luckily for me, I am very good at avoiding a permanent death. I ran from him for 500 years. He won't catch me now."

*

"What's something about your past that you've never told me?" Elsie asks, hands in her pockets as she walks down the street beside Violet. They had gone to help Jeremy and Elena at the Grill, but after they realised that they had no idea how to help they decided to leave. Violet had suggested the idea of playing truth or dare, and Elsie had happily obliged.

"Ooh okay that's probably difficult, but have I ever told you about how I met the Salvatores?"

"Not really."

"Okay well I should start with the fact that I was freed from Klaus in around 1980/1990. It was the first day I had been free in 500 years, and honestly, I had no idea what to do with myself. I was here actually, in Mystic Falls. That's where I saw Stefan again, and although he didn't remember me I remembered him. So, I re-friended him and eventually met Damon and his best friend, Lexi."

"Lexi?" Elsie questions

"Yeah. She was awesome. You would've loved her." Violet nods

"Aw, I'm glad you think so highly of me." Comes a familiar voice from behind them.

Violet turns around, a grin appearing on her face when she saw her dead best friend. "LEXI!" She yells, running over without hesitation and jumping into Lexi's arms, "How are you here?"

Lexi laughs, "I don't really know. Something to do with the Other Side. I don't have long."

Violet nods, burying her head in Lexi's shoulder one last time before she lets go, "Okay. Have you seen Stefan yet?"

"Nope. But I'm going to go help him."

"Are you sure? You've spent so much of your life trying to help him."

"Says the one who spent 500 years protecting her sister."

"Okay you got me there, come on Stefan is somewhere around here."

*

Violet and Elsie leave Stefan to have his most likely emotionless reunion with Lexi, Violet drops Elsie off at the Gilbert Household where Jenna thankfully is, making a mental note to bring her some chocolate or something similar later to thank her for the sudden babysitting.

She then heads to the city jail where Stefan is tied to a chair in the basement cell sleeping with his head bowed. Elena and Lexi are looking at him when she walks in.

"Klaus really did a number on him, huh?" Lexi says

"He compelled him to turn off his humanity." Elena replies

"Well, we're just going to have to convince him to turn it back on. I have to warn you, it's not going to be pretty."

"I can handle it." Elena nods

"Are you sure Elena, I once saw you cry because a cat ran past and it scared you." Violet questions

"You saw that?!"

"Yes."

Lexi kicks Stefan, "Wake up, sleepyhead."

Stefan wakes up, slowly looking around and begging to struggle with the restraints on his chair.

"How you feelin'?" Lexi asks

"What is this? Let me out of here!" Stefan screams

"Shh. Inside voices, please. I'm trying to get inside your head." Lexi replies

"Elena. Get rid of her, please. Violet too." He says

"No."

"First step, drying him out. Starve away the blood lust. Strip away the temptation." Lexi explains

"This isn't going to work, Lexi. You can't do this." Stefan teases

"You heard the not pretty part?" Lexi says to Elena

"I heard you."

Lexi leans in front of him and looks Stefan in the eyes. For a moment nothing happens, but then Stefan begins to growl in pain, "What are you doing, Lexi?!" He hisses

"Doing what I do best, sweetness. I'm saving your life."

Stefan continues to thrash around in his chair painfully, "I'm starving! I'm starving! I'm starving! Let me out! Let me out. Please let me out." He screams

"What's happening?" Elena asks

"He's hallucinating. That's three months without any blood." Lexi explains. Violet nods in agreement, she remembers this from the last time Stefan went all ripper mode.

"Let me out!"

"Now he's at nine months."

"Two years...Five."

"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you're dead?" He taunts

"Aw, and this is why Violet is my favourite."

"Why thank you."

Elena's phone rings and she goes outside to answer it. Violet takes this as her chance to leave as she realises one thing.

Seeing Stefan with no-humanity made her want to turn it off.

It was just a fleeting thought, but as she thought back to the last time she had it off, she genuinely started to consider it. But things are finally going her way- Elsie is back in school and thriving, she is so close to having Caroline and Katherine is free and able to live the life she wants.

After a couple walks around the block to clear her mind, she sees Lexi walking up to her, "He's still in there. He's so close to breaking. You just have to keep trying." She explains

Violet nods, taking Lexi's hands into her own, "Thank you for that, I know there's so many more things you would rather do in your brief time of being almost alive then try and save Stefan."

Lexi smiles, "He's lucky I love him."

Violet smiles back, pulling Lexi into one last hug, "I know this should technically be a goodbye, but I hate those, so i'm going to call this a see you soon."

Lexi nods, "I'll see you soon." She repeats, slowly disappearing and going back to the Other Side.

{a/n: okay i know it's super short and boring but i'm soooo tired and i have a killer headache so i promise the next one will be longer <3

and I KNOW I KNOW NO CAROLINE INTERACTION IM SORRY I PROMISE THEY WILL SEE EACH OTHER SOON}