A Persistent Lover

Signs of Love

The night after she had foolishly kissed Klaus, Caroline had spent her day hanging out in her room, only going out once to visit Chloe. There was something satisfying about doing nothing finally...as if she was finally moving out of the tourist feeling and settling into the city as a local. Ironically, she was leaving by the end of the week. It was time for her to move on.

She was more than surprised to her Damon's ringtone, "Womanizer" go off before she climbed into bed at 12. After a month of practice, she was able to ignore the phone. She still had that strange feeling that if she heard Elena's or Bonnie's voice on the other end, she would want to forget her whole Europe plan and race home to Virginia.

After the 10th repetition of the now very obnoxious ringtone, however, she couldn't ignore it any longer. With a growl she rose from her bed, grabbed the cell, and flipped it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Blondie, I'm honored I'm the first person back home you have answered for," Damon's sarcastic voice filled her ear.

"Actually, I've talked to my mom a few times since I left, so don't get too cocky...anyway why the hell are you calling me this late?"

Damon was silent. Caroline began to feel uncomfortable before she heard his voice in a tight whisper.

"I'm calling because I want your forgiveness, Caroline,"

"My what?" Caroline sputtered.

"I'm calling to say I'm sorry. About compelling you, abusing you, using you...I'm sorry."

This had to be some weird dream. There was no way Damon Salvatore was saying sorry.

She heard some faint laughter in the background and she suddenly asked, "Hey are you alone?"

"No, not really...I'm at the grill...but that's not the point...look I have a list..."

Okay, this was definitely a dream.

"Caroline Forbes, I am sincerely sorry for every wrong I have done to you. I'm sorry for seducing you, for compelling you to be my girlfriend, for constantly drinking from you, for calling you shallow and useless, for making you sad, compelling you to continue to act as my servant even after I stopped seeing you," here Damon took a breath, "and most importantly I'm sorry for never apologizing until now."

Caroline was speechless. Part of her was relieved in a sense. Part of her, however, was astonishingly angry. All those horrible memories that she had tried so hard to push down had come rushing up with Damon's list. The fact that it had even taken him this long to apologize like a decent person pissed her off.

"You're not forgiven," she snapped and was about to click her phone off when Damon's voice made her pause.

"Wait, Caroline, please! Please....I need your forgiveness Caroline, I feel horrible about it...all of it. I don't....I couldn't bear it if you hated me."

There was something off about Damon's voice. Something she hadn't heard before. It was almost as if...

"Damon? Are you....crying?"

"What? No!" he choked out on the other end. "Just...Caroline do I have your forgiveness?"

"Jeez if it really means that much to you, you can have it!" she snapped her phone shut.

"What the hell..." she muttered before curling into her bed and tried to fall asleep.

Damon shuddered with anger as he snapped his cell off. He moved towards the bar, coming up next to the source of his problems.

"Excellent job Damon! I must say it was quite a show from up here." Klaus gave him a mock smile and a slow applause.

Damon growled under his breath. Just when he thought the worst was over, Klaus had actually showed up to make sure he did as he was told. Then, as if to stab Damon's self-esteem, Klaus compelled Damon to actually start crying if Caroline didn't give her forgiveness.