One Loss and a Gain

Chapter Five

One Loss and a Gain: Chapter Five

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"Caroline?" Caroline Forbes looks to where Elena is looking at her on the next desk over. Elena looks at Caroline's neck where she was wearing a scarf to cover the bite mark she could not remember how she got. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Caroline nods and then turns to Alaric at the front of the room. Stefan glances Caroline from the corner of his eye; she gives him a small smile before looking down at her book.

"Class dismissed," Alaric calls out. Everyone gets up.

"You alright?" Bonnie asks as they walk through the door together, Stefan and Elena a couple of people behind.

"I'm fine," Caroline says. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"You're wearing a scarf and it's," Bonnie signals the warm air around her. "Not exactly cold."

"I think I'm coming something. I want to be on the safe side, that's all," Caroline breathes out.

"Okay," Bonnie gives her a look that clearly says, 'I don't believe you'.

"I promise," Caroline shrugs. Bonnie rolls her eyes.

"Is Damon picking you up?" Elena comes up behind her. Stefan noticeably tenses.

"I'm not sure," Caroline furrows her eyebrows.

"No," Stefan grounds out. "He's not's."

"Hey, are you okay?" Elena looks at Stefan, confused at the mood change. He nods. Elena turns to Caroline. "Did you drive?"

"Yeah don't worry about me," Caroline smiles.

"Okay, see you," Elena says.

"Bye Care," Bonnie waves. Stefan nods towards her, not quite trusting his voice.

"Bye guys," Caroline turns away and goes over to her car. She gets in a drives home

When Caroline got back to her house after school, her mum, not having gone into work that day, was sitting on one of the couches, talking to someone on the phone.

"Hey mum," Caroline goes into the living room and puts her bag on one of the armchairs. That's when she gets a good look at her mother's tear-stained face. "Mum? Are you alright?"

Liz shakes her head and then turns away.

"Mum. What happened?" Dean, Sam and John had been away for nearly six months. She could only imagine the worst. "Who's on the phone?"

"It's Dean," Liz lets a few more tears leak out from the corners of her eyes.

"What happened?" Caroline could feel water in her eyes and she didn't even know what happened.

"John," Liz put her hand behind her neck.

"Please say he's not-"

"He's dead," Liz's shoulders shake as she cries. Her hand begins to go weak.

"Hey," Caroline rushes forward to take the phone from her mums slipping grasp.

"Talk to Dean," Liz signals the phone.

"I'll be five minutes," Caroline walks slowly out of the room and leans her head against the wall. She puts the receiver to her ear. "How?"

"Demon," Dean says briefly, he doesn't sound like he was going to elaborate.

"Demon?" Caroline's eyes went wide.

"We found it Care," There was a pause. "We found the thing that killed mum."

"Did you. . ." She let the question hang in the air.

"No," She could hear the shame in his voice. "Dad was going to. I was dead-"

"WHAT!" She shouts and then lowers her voice. "What the fuck do you mean?"

"Dad made a deal. He brought me back," Caroline put her hand over her mouth. "It's my fault Care. It's all my fault."

"No," She shakes her head. "No, it's not. In no way is it your fault."

"He did it for me."

"I would do it for you," Caroline raises her voice. "So would Sam. So would my mum. Any of my friends would, just because they know you, and their not even related."

"I know," Dean says.

"How's Sam?" Caroline changes the subject abruptly.

"I don't know," Dean says. "He's had too many losses in his life. He blames them all on himself."

"What?" Caroline furrows her eyebrows. "Why?"

"You remember Jess?" Caroline thinks for a second.

"Sam's girlfriend? He told us about her over the phone."

"Yeah, her," Dean replies. "She died."

"Oh my god," Caroline put her hand to her mouth. "How?"

"Same way mum did," Dean's tone is blank, it has no emotion. "Sam kept saying it was his fault because if he never met her, she would still be alive."

"It's not his fault," Caroline feels her eyes tear up. "What's going to happen with, with your dad."

"We've burned him."

"What?" Caroline can hear the shock in her voice.

"We burned him in the light of the moon on a grassy hill," Dean lets out a small, dull laugh. "Cliché right?"

"Please come back," Caroline leans away from the wall.

"Care, you know we-" She cuts him off.

"Why not?" She knows she is being selfish, but she can't help it. "Why can't you come home to your family?"

"Caroline," Dean speaks softly but firmly. "We need to kill it. We need to kill the thing that has now claimed the lives of both our parents and Sammy's girlfriend."

"I know," She whispers. "I'm sorry. I've got to go. I need to comfort mum."

"Okay," Caroline can hear the sadness hanging onto every word. "I'll speak to you soon, Sam will talk then as well."

She nods, even though he can't see her.

"We'll come home soon," Caroline makes her way into the living room. "Goodbye Care."

"Bye," She murmurs. Caroline goes over to where her mum is sitting. "Mum? It's going to be okay. I promise."

"I'm sorry," Liz looks at her daughter. "You pretty much lost a father."

"I'm okay," Caroline tries to keep her voice strong and unwavering. She fails. Caroline puts her arm around Liz and hugs her close. For a few hours, they just sit on the couch, crying and hugging and assuring each other that everything will be okay. Both hope it is not a lie.

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