Reborn in The Vampire Diaries/TO/Novel TVD With the World

"Caroline!" Stefan called out, his voice steady but urgent as he ran after her. He held back from using his vampiric speed, knowing it would only frighten her more after everything she'd just witnessed.

"Stay away from me!" Caroline screamed, her voice frantic, her feet pounding against the pavement as she bolted toward the safety of her house. She didn't dare look back, her fear pushing her forward.

Stefan kept his distance, watching her closely, but when she neared her home, he realized he had no choice. With a blur of supernatural speed, he appeared ahead of her, blocking her path.

"Caroline, I'm not going to hurt you! I promise!" he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" she cried, her voice breaking as she struggled against the overwhelming panic. She pushed past him, running toward her front door, her hands fumbling for her keys.

Stefan stood frozen for a moment, glancing around. The streets were mercifully empty, most of the town still at the bonfire. When she reached the door and threw it open, he moved toward her.

"Caroline, wait -- just listen!" he called after her. But she turned, slamming the door in his face.

Before she could fully close it, Stefan put his foot in the way, and pressed his hand against the invisible barrier, demonstrating his inability to enter.

"See? I can't come inside. I can't hurt you," he said softly, his voice calm but imploring. "Just... please, listen to me."

"I don't want to see you! Just leave me alone!" Caroline yelled, her voice trembling with raw fear. Tears streamed down her face as she stood frozen just inside the doorway, clutching the frame for support.

Stefan stayed still, his hands at his sides. "Okay. I'll leave. But before I do, just understand --once you close that door, I can't come in. I can't follow you upstairs or anywhere else in your house. I'm not a threat to you."

Caroline watched him warily, her breaths quick and shallow.

"Sam sent me to make sure you're safe," Stefan added gently, his tone softening further. "That's all. Please, just don't run upstairs. I don't want you to feel afraid. I'm here to help."

With that, he gently pushed the door closed from the outside, leaving Caroline inside. The moment it clicked shut, she locked it, her shaking hands fumbling with the bolt.

Stefan sighed quietly, standing at the doorstep for a moment before sinking down to sit, his back resting against the closed door. On the other side, Caroline had fled to the stairs. She sat at the lower steps, her knees pulled close to her chest, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to steady her breathing.

The silence stretched between them, heavy but not oppressive. Stefan waited patiently, giving her time, knowing that forcing the conversation would only make things worse. He leaned his head back against the door, his expression calm yet somber, listening for any sign that she was ready to speak.

Finally, after several minutes, her shaky voice broke the stillness. "Y-You're a vampire too, r-right?" she asked, her words punctuated by hiccups as she fought to regain control.

"Yes," Stefan replied softly, his tone gentle, like one might use to soothe a frightened child.

Caroline hesitated, her trembling hands gripping the edges of the staircase. "Y-You're, Stefan, D-Damon's brother, aren't you?" she stammered. "H-He talked about you. Called you the m-mockery of all vampires... because you st-stopped drinking human blood."

At her words, Stefan's jaw tightened. His fists curled against his knees as he stared down at his hands, the weight of her statement hitting him harder than he expected. No matter how much damage Damon caused, no matter how cruel his brother could be, Stefan couldn't erase the memories of who Damon used to be -- a time when his brother had been his greatest ally, his protector.

He took a deep breath, letting the tension ease from his shoulders. "That sounds like something he'd say," Stefan admitted with a faint, bittersweet smile. His voice remained steady, tinged with the quiet ache of a man who had learned to carry the burden of a brother's scorn.

"You said S-Sam sent you? T-To protect me?" Caroline asked, her voice trembling with confusion. The whirlwind of everything she had seen and endured over the past few months left her reeling, desperate for clarity.

"Yes," Stefan replied, his tone calm and reassuring. "He cares about you a lot, Caroline. You're like a little sister to him."

Caroline let out a bitter, humorless laugh, her lips twisting in self-mockery. "Of course he does... I'm just the fool who fell in love with a guy who'll always have eyes for someone else," she said, wiping at her tears with the sleeve of her jacket, frustration and heartache clear in her voice.

Stefan said nothing, giving her space as silence settled between them, heavy and raw. After a moment, Caroline broke it again. "Is... Is Sam also a vampire?"

The question caught Stefan off guard, his brow furrowing in surprise. It was a reasonable assumption, he realized. To someone unfamiliar with their world, Samael's strength and abilities would seem vampiric in nature.

"No," Stefan said carefully, choosing his words. "He's not a vampire. He's... different."

Caroline's confusion deepened. Damon, during their time together, had often ranted and vented after their encounters, confident she wouldn't remember any of it once he compelled her. He'd mentioned witches in passing, but everything he said made it clear that witches couldn't physically overpower vampires. It didn't make sense.

"What is he, then?" Caroline pressed, her tone wavering between fear and determination. "Is he a witch?" She still questioned to be safe. This world still too new to her.

Stefan hesitated, struggling to find an answer. What was Samael, exactly? He wasn't a vampire. He wasn't a witch. He wasn't even an awakened werewolf -- not yet, anyway. But human? No human, even one with dormant werewolf blood, could rival the strength of an Original vampire.

"I... I don't know," Stefan admitted, his voice low. His mind raced back to the memories of watching Samael spar with Mikael, an Original capable of tearing apart both him and Damon in mere seconds. Samael had held his own against him -- relying on raw, enhanced physical strength alone. It defied anything one could commonly think of.

"What do you mean you don't know? How is that even possible?" Caroline asked, her confusion deepening. She thought back to when she and Samael were kids. He'd always been strong -- the strongest, really. No one she knew could ever match him in contests of strength. But back then, he wasn't inhumanly strong. At least, nothing had suggested it.

He must have changed. He had to. Sam had been human before... right?

"Don't you have any idea what he might be?" Caroline pressed, her voice tinged with frustration. "There has to be an explanation for why he's so strong, especially if he isn't a vampire-"

Her fear and pain began to take a backseat, momentarily eclipsed by her natural curiosity. Whatever Samael was, she needed answers. 

As Caroline began to ramble about how Samael had always been, Stefan found himself lost in thought. He knew Sam was some prophesized savior, but that didn't truly explain things. A prophecy only spoke of his significance, not what he was.

He searched his memories, recalling the time he had seen Samael after his Ascension -- the moment when Samael had stood atop what could only be described as Heaven itself.

In that moment, he had looked like…

"An angel," Stefan murmured suddenly, the word escaping his lips in quiet wonder.

Caroline barely registered his tone, misinterpreting it entirely. "Tell me about it. He's always been so kind and gentle, like-"

"No," Stefan interrupted softly but firmly, his gaze distant as the realization settled over him. "I mean literally. He's an angel. A celestial being, born on Earth... destined to rise back to Heaven."

Caroline froze, her rambling cut off mid-sentence. For a moment, she simply stared at where she knew Stefan, must be behind the door, her tear-streaked face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Then, with a nervous laugh, she shook her head, her voice wavering.

"An angel? Stefan, come on. That's just -- I mean, that's crazy, right?" she said, though her tone was anything but confident. "Like, actual wings-and-halo angel? You can't seriously believe that."

Stefan didn't answer immediately, his eyes fixed on the floor, his silence speaking volumes.

"You're not joking, are you?" Caroline pressed, her voice growing quieter. She clutched the railing of the staircase beside her, needing something solid to hold on to as her mind raced. "You're serious. You actually think Sam's an... angel."

"I don't think it, Caroline," Stefan said, his voice steady but soft. "In a way, I've literally seen it."

Her breath hitched, her knees threatening to buckle as her mind scrambled to process this new reality. She wanted to dismiss it, to call Stefan delusional, but deep down, something clicked into place.

The way Samael had always felt different, even as a kid -- larger than life, like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Something even he didn't know he did. All his ramblings about there being something evil out there, that others besides her and Elena, behind his back mocked him about. His unshakable kindness, even when people didn't deserve it. The way he somehow always knew what to say to make her feel safe, protected, whole.

And the way he had faced Damon tonight, effortlessly overpowering him with a terrifying grace that shouldn't have been possible for a human.

Caroline's voice quivered as she tried to form words, her breath hitching with the weight of her emotions. Tears gathered in her eyes, spilling over as she choked out, "I- I just don't understand. Why didn't he tell me? I've known him my whole life, Stefan. Why would he keep something like this from me?"

Stefan sighed, his expression soft but filled with understanding. "Because he didn't know for most of that time," he said gently. "And even when he finally did figure it out… it wasn't just about you."

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Samael has a responsibility -- something bigger than any of us can truly comprehend. Something I can't even fully explain without his permission. He doesn't share that burden lightly, Caroline. And maybe… maybe he didn't want you to look at him the way everyone else does now."

Stefan's gaze grew distant, his voice quieter. "Ever since the truth came out, it's like people don't see him anymore. They only see the prophesized one. The savior. The one destined to… well, you get the idea." His voice tightened slightly, guilt creeping in. Realising he himself isn't quite innocent. "I think he just wanted you to see him for who he is, not what he's supposed to be. Like Elena does. Like you always have."

Caroline sank onto the bottom step of the staircase, her hands coming up to cradle her head as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. Her voice cracked, trembling under the weight of realization. "He just wants to be seen as… as-"

"Just Sam," Stefan finished softly, crouching slightly to meet her gaze, his voice as kind and gentle as ever.

She nodded, her shoulders shaking as she whispered through her tears, "Just Sam."

"Alright, enough about him," Stefan said gently, his tone shifting as he refocused on Caroline. "I don't think he'd be too happy with me letting the conversation revolve around him while ignoring how you're doing." 

He leaned backward slightly, leaning his head against the door once more, his expression sincere and concerned. "Caroline, tell me -- how are you holding up? Everything you've been through… the way you found out about all of this…" He paused, his jaw tightening briefly before his voice softened again. "I'm sorry. Sorry I wasn't there to protect you from any of it."

Caroline glanced up at Stefan, her tear-streaked face a mixture of exhaustion and frustration. She wiped her cheeks with trembling hands, her lip quivering as she tried to form words that didn't come out as another sob. Finally, she took a shaky breath, her voice soft and unsteady.

"How am I holding up?" she repeated, almost laughing bitterly. "I don't even know how to answer that, Stefan. One minute, I think I'm fine, and the next… I feel like I'm drowning. Like none of this should be real, but it is, I don't know how to deal with it."

She looked away, her gaze drifting to the floor as she clenched her fists tightly in her lap. "For months, I was just… his toy. I didn't have a choice, Stefan. He made sure of that. And now, knowing what he is, what you all are... it's like the whole world shifted, and I don't even know where I fit in anymore."

Her voice cracked as she continued, her eyes snapping back to meet where Stefan should be. "Everything feels like it's slipping away. I mean, what do I even do after this? How do I live my life after experiencing this and knowing now what's out there?"

Caroline's shoulders trembled as she buried her face in her hands again, her words muffled but still audible. "I feel so small, Stefan. So helpless. Like no matter what I do, it'll never be enough to fix any of this."

Stefan, sensing her struggle, moved closer to the door, still unable to cross the threshold but clearly yearning to comfort her. "Caroline," he said softly, his voice steady, "you're not helpless. I know it feels that way, but you're stronger than you realize. You've been through hell, and you're still standing. That's not small -- that's incredible."

Caroline let out a shaky laugh, her eyes glistening as she looked at him. "Strong? I don't feel strong, Stefan. I feel… broken."

He shook his head firmly. "You're not broken. Hurt, yes. Shaken, absolutely. But not broken. And you don't have to carry this alone. Not anymore. Sam, Elena, even me -- we're here for you. All you have to do is let us in."

Caroline studied Stefan's voice for a moment, her gaze softened by his words but still wary. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her hands fidgeting in her lap as though trying to decide how much to say -- or if she could say anything at all.

"I'm not shutting anyone out, Stefan," she finally murmured, her voice low but honest. "It's just... I don't even know how to let people in right now. Everything feels so raw, so… exposed. Like I can't trust myself to talk about it without falling apart again."

Her hands trembled slightly, and she clasped them tightly together as if to steady herself. "You don't know what it's like, Stefan. To feel like someone's stolen your whole sense of self. To look in the mirror and not even recognize the person staring back at you. Damon took that from me. And I don't know if I'll ever get it back."

Stefan's expression turned pained, guilt flickering in his eyes. "I do know what that's like," he said softly, his tone heavy with the weight of his own memories. "Before I became a vampire, in the 19th century, there was this noblewoman, or that is what she presented herself as when she came to our house seeking aid.

She called herself, Katherine Pierce. She said she was a widow who's husband had died and ran away in fear of being killed for the inheritance by the family she married into. Damon and I, we ate her sob story right up. She acted as if she was this defenseless victim, when she was a monster. 

She... She seduced Damon and me, slept with both of us, while we didn't know about it- at least at the time, I didn't know about it. She fed on me. As she did I, just like you probably did, attempted to run away, but she compelled me. She this way, twisted me into something I hated, made me believe I didn't have a choice. "It took me years -- decades -- to claw my way back to some kind of control. And even then, I wasn't really free. I was a shadow of who I once was, drowning in guilt and rage." 

Stefan's jaw tightened as he recalled his time as the Ripper, how the violence had felt almost like a release, a way to escape the crushing weight of everything Katherine had done to him. "I know what it's like to be twisted into something unrecognizable, Caroline. To lose yourself and not know how to find your way back."

Caroline's heart searched his tone, her bitterness softening as she caught a glimpse of the shared pain that lay beneath his words.

"But you did get it back," she whispered, almost as if testing the possibility for herself. "You're here. You're… okay. Aren't you?"

Stefan hesitated, the truth tangled somewhere between his past and present. "I'm better," he admitted finally. "But it didn't happen overnight, and I didn't do it alone. There were people who refused to give up on me, even when I gave up on myself. You have those people too, Caroline."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, tears threatening to surface again. "I just don't want to be this person anymore. The one who's always crying, always scared. I want to be me again. The real me."

Stefan nodded to himself, his voice steady and filled with conviction. "And you will be. It's going to take time, like you said. But you'll find her again, Caroline. Piece by piece. And until you do, we'll be here to help you put those pieces back together."

Caroline let out a shaky breath, her fingers gripping the edge of the staircase as if holding onto something solid would keep her grounded. "I don't know how to start," she confessed, her voice small.

"You already have," Stefan replied gently, offering her a reassuring smile. One she couldn't see, but felt from his tone. "Just by talking to me, by letting yourself feel this -- by not running from it. That's where it starts."

Caroline closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words sink in. When she opened them again, there was a flicker of determination behind the vulnerability. "I'll try," she said, echoing her earlier promise but with a little more strength this time.

"And I'll be here," Stefan assured her. "Every step of the way."

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

Again, please, do comment how you found it. Also, please review, I'd really like it if we could get past 10 reviews,

Well, hopefully I'll see you all later,

Bye!)