💫

Stefan walked into Damon's room to see him walking out in just a towel
"Would you hurry up, we were supposed to meet Bonnie 1o minutes ago."
"Don't stress, Stefan. Live life as is it. Go with the flow." Damon said as he walked to his drawers.

"Why are you so chipper?" He asked
"Hey, Damon. Can you please get me some clothes? I'm supposed to go to Caroline's for her birthday." Rory walked through from the bathroom in only a towel.

Stefan froze as he saw her
"Stefan." She cleared her throat,
"Rory." He said.

"Clothes, please." She looked at Damon and he nodded
"And respectable one! I'm going to the house the sheriff lives in." She reminded him
"That was one time!"

💫
Rory's Outfit

💫

Rory walked into Caroline's room with Liz as she slept
"1,2,3." She whispered
"Happy Birthday!" They both shouted.

"Aw, guys. This is so sweet. Thank you."
"Here's your gift, I will see you tonight." Liz kissed Caroline's head then left
"Whenever you go into the grill you get a free drink on the house." Rory smiled.

"One free drink?" Caroline asked
"I tried my best." Rory shrugged and then she noticed her expression
"Are you okay?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I just feel stuck. I mean, I'm not getting any older." Caroline sighed
"Unfortunately, I can't give you the whole big sister talk because I don't know how you feel. But I do know, you aren't stuck and you will thrive in life." Rory said
"And at least you won't get wrinkles." She added and Caroline laughed.

"Now, for your present." Rory handed her a bag
"Oh, you didn't have to."
"Yes I did. Open it." She patted her leg.

"Fine." Caroline chuckled and pulled a painting out of the bag, the painting was of her in her dress when she won Miss Mystic Falls
"Rory, this is gorgeous." She gasped.

"Well, I did have very gorgeous inspiration." Rory said
"How about we go to the grill and just have a chill day." She suggested
"What about school?" Caroline asked.

"It's a day. Besides I miss seeing my friends." Rory pouted.
"Sure, why not. You only have one life and mines a long one." Caroline said
"Mine as well." Rory agreed and Caroline gave her a look before they walked out of the house.

💫

Their food arrived and they began to eat when Caroline finally asked the question she was dying to know
"So have you and your soulmates discussed you becoming a vampire?" Rory then coughed
"What?" She asked.

"Come on, you have 9 soulmates that are vampires, I think. You have to of had the conversation, you're human just now." Caroline said and Rory sat there silent
"You haven't had the talk yet?" She gasped
"Well considering, 2 of my soulmates are daggered, one of my soulmates has a literal army who tried to kill my cousin, one of them has his humanity off and is terrorising the other and Damon..." She sighed.

"Damon?" Caroline asked
"He's on a current sex ban so there's a lot of anger pent up, though we did shower this morning and nothing happened." Rory said
"Wow, nothing happened." Caroline gave her a look.

"Don't give me that look or I will tell them it's your birthday and everyone here will sing."
"Okay, okay. I'm not saying anything." She laughed.

💫

The girls walked into Caroline's house and put their stuff down
"Happy birthday!" They both jumped to see Elena, Bonnie and Matt there
"What are you guys doing here?" Caroline asked.

"Well you blew off school and missed our work of birthday art, so..." Elena put a crown on Caroline's head
"Change into warmer clothes, we are going to the Falls. S'mores, camp fire..." Bonnie said
"Cake! Like when we were little." Elena said.

"Except for the tequila!" Matt added
"Thanks, guys. Really, um, I'm just not feeling my birthday this year." Caroline said
"I'm sorry, what? You've already claimed your birthday as everyone's favourite day of the year." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, and now, it's just a reminder that technically, I'm dead. Look, I didn't even like 17. And the only point to being 17 is to get to 18. It's a filler year; I'm stuck in a filler year." She admitted
"You're not stuck, Caroline." Elena reassured.

"Yeah I am, but it's okay. You know, it's all good, I'll be fine. But I just need some time to wallow in it." She told them
"Okay, well I think I have another idea." Elena said.

💫

They all walked near a crypt and Rory held onto Bonnie's hand
"You're okay." Bonnie told her and Rory smiled and kissed her hand
"There it is!" Elena said
"This is creepy, even for us." Bonnie said.

"No, Caroline was right...technically, she's dead. Sorry. But you don't need a birthday, you need a funeral. You need to say goodbye to your old life, so that you can move on with your new one." Elena said
"But did we have to do it in a crypt." Rory looked around.

"Okay. Here lies Caroline Forbes..." Caroline started and Rory put a candle on the cake
"Cheerleader, Miss Mystic Falls, third grade hopscotch champion..." Elena said
"Friend, daughter, overachiever..." Bonnie added.

"Mean girl, sometimes, no offence." Matt said
"Ah, none taken." Caroline smiled
"She was 17, and she had a really good life. So rest in peace, so that she can move forward." Elena said
"That's what you really need. What we all really need. Amen, or cheers or whatever." She said and Rory looked to Bonnie as she held the cake in front of Caroline.

"Bonnie?" Bonnie then lit the candles
"Nice! Okay, make a wish." Rory smiled and Caroline blew out the candles.

💫

They ate cake and Matt took the bottle of tequila which Elena then took
"Ah-ah. I need it more than you do, trust me. Caroline, what are you doing?" She asked
"What? Nothing." Caroline put her phone away.

"Okay, you're a bad sober liar. You're an even worse drunk liar." Elena said
"I might have texted Tyler." She admitted
"Caroline..."
"What? I'm delicate." Caroline pouted.

"Give her a break! You can't control what everyone does all the time." Bonnie blurted out
"Wow." Rory put a piece of cake in her mouth
"Ouch, Bon." Matt said.

"Sorry, I know it's Caroline birthday, funeral or whatever but, I just feel it's really wrong that you compelled Jeremy to leave town." Rory lifted her head
"You're doing what?" She asked, no one had told her anything.

"I'm doing it to protect him, Bonnie. I want to give him a chance to have a quiet normal life." Elena tried to justify
"He should be able to choose how he wants to live it, you're taking his choices away." She said
"Bonnie, you can't tell him." Elena told her.

"Why? Are you gonna compel me not to?" She asked
"You know, you guys are ruining a perfect funeral." Matt said
"I'm sorry. I'm just gonna go sleep it off or something. Happy birthday." Bonnie stood up and left.

💫

Soon, Tyler arrived
"Sorry, I didn't mean to crash the party." He said
"So don't." Matt told him.

"No, it's-it's okay. Hi." She smiled at him
"Can I talk to you for a sec? It's kind of important." He said and she nodded and they left
"Are you okay?" Elena asked Matt as Rory continued to slowly eat her cake.

"Yeah, I want her to be happy, you know? It's what I want for all of you guys, in the middle of this crazy life you got stuck living." He said
"Is that how you see it? That we're stuck?" She asked
"I'd say it's attached itself to you all pretty tight, yeah." He nodded.

"Bonnie is right, you know, I have no business messing in Jeremy's head. I just don't know what else to do. He is in danger here. I can't lose anyone else that I love." She said
"That doesn't mean you take a choice away from him." Rory interrupted them.

"I'm gonna go find Caroline, I hate this." She stood up and they all left the crypt
"Caroline!" Matt shouted
"Great, we've been abandoned. Okay, we're going on a search party, I don't trust that she won't get back together with him." Elena said.

"Caroline!" Rory shouted
"Come on, Caroline we don't have anymore drinks! Matt's being haunted by the Fell ghosts." Elena said and then suddenly Matt gets knocked unconscious and Rory turned to see Stefan and everything went black.

💫

Rory woke up in the front seat of a car when she saw Elena in the back
"What are you doing, Stefan?" She asked and her phone rang
"Hello Damon, she's a little busy right now." He answered the phone.

"Why the hell do you have Rory's phone?" Damon asked
"I'm making my next move. Let me ask you something...What will Klaus do if he can't make anymore hybrids?" He asked
"What!?" Elena asked.

"Stefan, leave her out of this." Rory begged and he then threw her phone out the window
"What are you doing? Stefan, let us out of this car. Do you hear me? Let us out of the car!" Elena shouted and he just ignored her.

"So, what's the plan, Stefan? What's the big move you're making?" Rory asked
"I took Klaus' family to make him suffer. I'm not gonna let him make himself a new one." He said
"So, what are you gonna do, huh? Are you gonna lock us in some cave and keep us hostage?" She asked.

"Maybe. Maybe, I'll just turn Elena into a vampire and I don't have a plan for you yet." He said
"Stop the car, Stefan! Stop the car, Stefan!" Rory shouted and Stefan called Klaus
"Stefan, how nice to hear your voice." He said.

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus." Stefan said
"Well that's not gonna happen until I get my coffins back." Klaus replied
"Okay, well then I'm gonna drive your blood and soulmate source off Wickery Bridge." He said.

"I don't believe you Stefan. You won't kill Rory, you'll die too." Klaus said and then suddenly Stefan forced his blood down Rory's throat then Elena's
"No! No! No! What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked
"I just fed them my blood. No more hybrids if she's a vampire and Rory, well I'll just keep her away from you for eternity." Stefan said
"You won't do it." Klaus told him.

"Really? Try me, because your coffins are next to go. Say goodbye to your family Klaus." He said and started to speed
"Stefan, slow down! Stefan! Stefan, stop it!" Elena shouted
"Klaus please!" Rory begged as tears ran down both of their faces.

"Fine, I'll send them away. You win." Klaus said but he didn't stop
"Stefan! Stefan, stop!" Rory shouted
"Stop the car, Stefan!" Klaus shouted over the phone and Stefan slammed on the brakes.

Rory and Elena instantly got out the car and held onto each other
"I'll handle this, call Damon." Rory said and Elena nodded
"Get back in the car." Stefan said.

"No! You stay away from me and her!" Rory shouted
"Rory, get in the car." He said
"What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck were you thinking?" She asked.

"Look, he had to believe that I would do it, all right? Your fear sold it." Stefan said
"What if he hadn't?" She asked
"He did." He said.

"Well, what if he hadn't?!" She shouted
"He did Rory! He backed down! He has a weakness. If I know his weakness, I can destroy him." Stefan shouted
"By destroying Klaus you are destroying me! You die as well!" She shouted.

"Destroying Klaus is all I've left." He replied
"You had me!"
"That's not enough!" He shouted back and she froze.

"Not enough? I have sacrificed my entire life for all of you and I am not enough?!" She asked
"Rory-" He stepped closer
"No! If I am not enough then that's fine. I am enough for multiple people who love me."

"I do love you."
"No you don't, you have no emotions, no humanity."
"Even with my humanity off. There's still feelings I have for you." He told her.

"Not enough." She whispered.

💫

Rory sat on the bridge, Stefan had drove away and she just stayed still
"Rory." She turned to see Elena
"I called Damon, he's on his way. He bought you a new phone." She said and Rory nodded.

"Listen, whatever you're doing with Jeremy, keep me out of this. I just want to say goodbye." Rory said
"Okay." Elena nodded and then a car parked off.

"Let's get you both home." Damon said.

💫

Rory walked into Jeremy's room who was packing
"Hey." She said
"Hi."

"Excited for Denver?" She asked
"Yeah, it should be fun."
"It will be." She said.

"You know I love you right?" Jeremy said
"Yeah."
"I mean I know I haven't been here as often and that I have all this things with my soulmates."

"I know but it doesn't mean you'll forget us. As much as you love your soulmates, you can't really get away from us." He said
"When you're away, promise me something." She said
"What?"

"I want you to take risks, make friends, live your life to most of it." She said
"Of course, you're my cousin. I have lot to live up to." He said
"Don't smoke it all." She handed him a bag of weed.

"Thanks." He said and hugged her.

💫

Rory sat in the car, Damon was driving her to Klaus'
"Klaus should be back from curing Caroline." He said and she just stayed silent
"Rory-"

"Am I enough?" She asked
"What?" He asked
"Am I enough?" She asked as she turned to him.

Damon then parked the car and got out of the car and then got her out the car
"You are enough, I love you so much. You have saved me. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you and that was not that long ago." He told her.

"He doesn't love me anymore." She whispered and he instantly knew what she meant
"Aw, baby." He whispered and hugged her as she sobbed.

💫

Klaus opened his door to see Rory and he instantly held her
"I'm so glad you're okay." He told her
"Yeah, just emotional damage for sure." She sadly laughed.

"I am sorry about Tyler."
"As long as Caroline forgives you it's fine." She said
"I saw your painting of her." He told her.

"She bragged out it didn't she?" She asked
"Completely." He said
"That's Caroline." She nodded.

"I love you." He said
"I love you too." Rory said back and kissed him then hugged him.

"I love you too." She repeated as she closed her eyes.