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family reunion
ATHENA SITS UP WITH A GROAN, HER HAND SHOOTING OUT BLINDLY FOR THE NIGHTSTAND. "Hello? Hello, what's going on?"
"Athena?"
Caroline's shaky, fear-filled voice floods her ears, and every inch of her exhaustion disappears at the sound of it. "Caroline? Caroline, what's wrong?"
"I don't know– I don't," The phone echoes a barely stifled sob, and Athena throws the covers back, already reaching to the floor to grab her pajama pants. "I thought it was Elena, but– but it wasn't, and she– she,"
"What'd she do, Caroline?" Athena holds the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she pulls her pants up over her legs and blindly searches for shoes. "What did Katherine do?"
"I didn't mean to– I didn't wanna hurt her, but she just– it just smelled so good, I didn't want to, Athena, I promise,"
Caroline's cries filter through the phone and Athena curses under her breath as dread passes through her in a wave. Rounding the edge of the bed, Athena shuffles towards Stefan and shakes him, doing her best to soothe Caroline's pleas for help.
"Stefan, wake up," She nudges him again, turning on the lamp on his bedside table. "I have to go to the hospital– I have to,"
Stefan sits up with exhaustion heavy in his gaze. "Athena, what's going on?"
"Caroline, I'm on my way, okay? Just stay where you are, don't move."
"Okay, okay. Please hurry, please,"
"Athena, what's going on?" Stefan stands, grabbing her trembling arms. "What's wrong?"
Athena looks at him with wide eyes, her vision of him blurring. "It's Caroline– Katherine turned her– she turned her,"
Stefan's eyes widen and he curses under his breath, grabbing for his shirt from the end of the bed. "Call Bonnie and tell her what happened, I'm going to start the car,"
──────
Stefan sighs, pocketing his phone as he steps into the doorway of Caroline's bedroom again. "Damon is taking Alaric and Elena to Duke to see if Isobel knows anything about the Lockwoods. Damon is paranoid about Tyler's Uncle Mason coming out of nowhere,"
Before Athena can respond, a knock sounds on the door and they tense. Stefan tilts his head and lets out a small sigh of relief. "It's just Bonnie,"
Disappearing, he goes to answer the door for the young witch who's holding a lapis lazuli ring and Emily's grimoire as she enters the house.
Athena rests a hand atop Caroline's as the girl shifts uncomfortably, trying to avoid the rays of sunshine that beam through her bedroom.
Bonnie enters before Stefan, sighing sadly as she forces a smile for Caroline's sake. "Here," She hands the ring to Caroline, who examines it with narrowed eyes.
