Time had passed me fast. Either seconds or minutes, but I knew it was longer since the light from the window had changed. There was a bit of light coming in, the sun slowly rising from the horizon. It always rose in front of my window, both a comforting and annoying thing. It was the many reasons why I always stared out my window, seeing the sun rise and the sunlight touch everything it could. There were times where I thought that the sunlight was a blessing, as if when it touched me I was forgiven for the many things that I had done.

   I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyes, a small comfort. It had been a long night, from Liz's death to trying to comfort Caroline. I had tried to comfort Caroline, but I was terrible at it because I didn't know how to comfort someone. When someone died, it was mostly because I killed them or because something we indirectly did. They were people that mattered little to me, little to the people around me. When my grandmother died, it was my sisters and mother that comforted me. When I died...

   When I died, blood comforted me. 

   I ran a hand through my hair and breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent from the fire crackling in the kitchen and the open bottle of alcohol resting on top of the piano. By now, the piano had several water stains from the many drinks I had shared over it. I stood and went towards the piano, pouring myself a glass of the alcohol I somehow sneaked from Damon. Okay, maybe he saw and he allowed me to grab it because he had been too busy writing Liz's eulogy.

   Caroline walked into my room, a glass of water in one hand and her other hand tucked underneath. "You're awake," she said, almost in surprise.

   "I couldn't really sleep," I honestly said, giving her a small smile. "What's wrong?"

   She shook her head. "Nothing, I just..." She laid the glass of water on the piano and ran her hands through her face. "I was going to get in bed with you because it's what I did with Mom whenever I felt sad." A small, saddened smile spread around her lips. 

   I stared at her, my fingers taping one by one against the glass in my hand as I thought of what to do. Ever since Liz fainted during Christmas and we found out she had cancer, I had tried my best to be closer to her but had failed. This was a moment I could use to actually help her, so I smiled and grabbed her hand. "Care, we're family—you don't have to explain anything to me. You don't even have to ask! Here." I pushed the glass of alcohol towards her. "You need this more than I do."

   "I do." She downed the drink, then let out a breath as if it had burned her throat. "I'm scared, Clara..."

   "Of?"

   "I don't want to be alone," she cried, shaking her head. "I-I'm scared of being alone, Clara."

   I immediately wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tight hug. "Care, you're never going to be alone, okay? You have Elena, and Matt, and Tyler, and Stefan, and Bonnie when she returns, and Damon, as much as it will surprise you. You also have me, and I won't ever leave you alone." I pulled away from her and gave her a big smile, forced but still there. "So, right now, just tell me what to do and I will do it. Anything."

   She wiped away her tears and nodded, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I made a list," she said, as if she were confessing. "Well, several lists. It's the only way I could get my head together." She pulled several folded pieces of papers from her pocket. "This is a list of people I need to call, and this is all the information I need, and this a to-do list. It's full of things that normally takes a week, but I just need them to be done today."

   "Okay." I grabbed the list and nodded. "Take a shower, refresh yourself, and I will assemble our small army so we can get this done fast." I forced another big smile, then walked out of my room.

   Everyone had slept in the living room, because no one wanted to be alone. I woke up early and went to my room, because I needed to be alone for a few moments. Downstairs, everyone was slowly waking up. Tyler and Matt were on the floor, both still half asleep and groggily sitting there with the blankets over their head. Elena was on the other sofa, her eyes closed but she was moving. Stefan was on the chair, already sitting up and running his hands through his face. I stared at him for several seconds, then decided to continue on to the kitchen. Damon was still sitting on the table, several crumbled pieces of papers strewn around the floor.

   "Did you sleep," I began as I went to make coffee, "or did you spend all night trying to think of what to write?"

   "I think Liz is trying to torture me beyond the grave," he said, sitting up straight. I heard the bones on his back crack a bit, the muscles move. "Maybe she's trying to teach me a lesson about my own mom."

   I turned and leaned against the counter, crossing my arms. "Instead of trying to look cool or as if nothing bothers you, write something Caroline would want to hear," I said. "Say what Liz meant to you, to everyone, to this town, to her."

   "Easier said than done," he said as he stood. "What are you doing?"

   "I'm making breakfast." I pushed myself from the counter and nodded, mentally preparing myself. "We have a big day ahead of us, and I think we need the energy more than anything."

   It felt human to cook, as I moved around the kitchen. For a moment, it felt as if it were an ordinary day, as if we were all getting ready to eat together and smile and laugh. For a moment, it felt good to forget that Liz died, that Caroline and I were the only Forbes' to be left.

   Everyone ate in silence, with small conversation. Afterwards, Caroline moved us all to the study, where she stood in the centre and held to a legal pad filled with her writing. She glanced around for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to talk: "You've all asked what you can do to help," she said, lifting the pad so they could see. "There are five days of projects in here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through red tape. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day."

   "Sure, Care," Matt said, nodding. "Whatever you need."

   "Clara, Elena," Caroline said, turning to us. "You two are coming with me."

   "Sure," Elena nodded, quickly glancing at me before looking back at her. "Where are we going?"

   "Casket shopping," Caroline said with a small smile. "Let's move!"

   Elena and I followed after her, listening to everything she said and not said. Casket shopping was the first thing in Caroline's list. There were two papers, front and back, in little writing. Elena and I decided that it would be best to split up. Instead of me going with Caroline, I made them go together. They had known each other since they were children, and had been best friends for years. I felt like an intruder in their inside jokes, so I grinned and grabbed one of the papers, splitting up from them.

   I wanted Caroline to do the easier things, the ones that won't make her cry as hard. She would still cry, still feel the pain, but I didn't want her to suffer. I spent most of the time on my phone, cancelling things, met with a trust and estate attorney, with an accountant, the life insurance agent, social security, and the postal service so they would stop the mail. I followed each thing that Caroline had written, even compelled a few people to gain it. In no way did I feel bad for them, but I stupidly felt bad about myself. 

   When I arrived back at the boarding house, I immediately grabbed a drink. I went upstairs, took out a black dress from my closet, and pulled it on while each good memory of Liz Forbes ran through my head. I remembered the few Christmas' we spent together, the Thanksgiving's, the Halloween's, the normal days where she would appear and we'd get scolded at because we were wasting time at the Mystic Grill. For a few small moments, I could vividly imagine her smiling, her touching my shoulder, her soft voice as she said something that was absolutely smart and would make me wonder for days.

   "I'm worried about Caroline." Elena's voice rang around the room as she walked in. She was already dressed, her hair held up and falling in curls. I had to blink hard to see Elena, because for a moment she reminded me of Katherine. "I don't think she's handling this as well as she thinks she is."

   "That's obvious," I said as fixed my hair up in a lose bun, leaving a few hairs to frame my face. "Her mom died. She's faking every other emotion."

   "Yeah, but she's..." Elena sighed and crossed her arms, shaking her head. "She needs this stuff done today. Isn't that a little weird?"

   I turned to her and tilted my head to the side, slightly pursing my lips. "Again, her mom just died. She want's these days to go by fast, so I don't blame her for wanting that to happen." I sighed and ran my hands down the skirt of my dress, shaking my head a bit.

   "You were buried fast," Elena commented, almost in wonder. "Damon told me."

   "It was easier to die and be buried back then," I said. "Consumption, child birth, war—the casket makers had shops full of caskets, and a priest was available at all times, and the cemetery workers earned a lot of money by digging graves." I pulled on an earring and turned to her while I was putting on the other. "At first, a wooden cross would be put on top of the grave while the tombstone was made. Something must have happened to mine because I'm supposedly buried at the Forbes' mausoleum."

   Elena stared at me, her mouth slightly open. "I sometimes forget that you're as old as Damon," she commented.

   "I'm five years younger than him," I chuckled, almost rolling my eyes.

   "Wait." Elena made a face and shook her head, her arms spread open in front of her. "You said you met Stefan when his mother died, he was ten at that time. You're two years older, Clara, so how did you and Damon..."

   "Oh my god, Elena!" I turned to her with wide eyes, my mouth open in a bit of horror. "I may have met him when I was twelve, but I didn't begin a relationship with him until I was fifteen. It didn't get sexual until I was at least seventeen. Don't be weird." I stuck out my tongue as if I had tasted something strange and disgusting, a weird noise coming from my throat.

   "Sorry," she uttered. "It just sounded weird for a moment."

   "Okay, no, that's enough," I said as I shook my head. "Come on, let's go. Caroline's probably already at the church and I don't want to leave her alone."

   "We need to keep a close eye on her," Elena commented as we walked out of my room and downstairs. "Be with her at all times."

   "Already thought of doing that." I glanced at her and nodded. "She will need us today more than she will ever need us for the rest of our lives, which are extended to eternity, so." I took a deep breath and brought my hands together, almost in a clap. "Let's hide all of our emotions and just be there for her."

   "That was a very Caroline-like speech," Elena chuckled, a small smile spreading around her lips.

   I smiled, small but genuine. "We are family."

   It was an open casket ceremony, with Liz dressed in her uniform and her blonde hair perfectly brushed. She appeared as if she were sleeping, as if she had laid there to take a nap. I inhaled deeply and pushed away my sadness, smiling at everyone that came up to me to offer their condolences. Around Mystic Falls, I was come to be known as Caroline's cousin, which meant I was Liz's niece to them. Each person that came up to me grabbed my hand and squeezed it, telling me something good about Liz. 

   "You're good at this," someone said besides me. It was a presence I knew well—Stefan.

   "I'm a good actress," I mumbled, pressing my hands together in front of me. "I'm just telling myself to do what Caroline would do, which is smile and act as if everything's okay when it's all crumbling down."

   He laid a hand on the small of my back, stepping close to me. "You know you can cry if you need to," he softly said.

   I looked over at him to take him in. He wore a suit, and his hair was styled back, and his green eyes were still bright. It seemed as if I hadn't actually looked at him in a long time. I took a deep breath and looked at the coming people, tightening the hold on my hands. "I don't need to cry," I said. "I shouldn't be crying because this funeral has nothing to do with me. This is about Caroline, and what I need to do is be strong for her, which means no crying."

   "You know that Caroline's not fine," he said, taking a step close to me. His shoulder was pressed against mine, hard. It was the only physical contact we've had for a long time.

   "We all know that she's not fine," I said as I looked up at him. "She's breaking, which is why I need to be there for her so she doesn't completely break." I took a deep breath. "But, I know you're not really here to tell me these things, so tell me what you really want to say, Stefan."

   "Clara..." he sighed.

   "Clara, we seriously need to keep a close eye on Caroline." Elena appeared besides me, a worried look etched on her face. She glanced at Stefan, nodded, grabbed my hand and pulled me away. "Everything will be all right after today."

   "What?"

   "That's what she said." Elena crossed her arms and glanced around, as if she were telling me a secret. "Everything will be all right after today."

   "You're thinking too much into this." I laid a hand on her arm and shook my head. "Today's the worst day of her life, so everything is terrible right now. After today, everything will be all right, better. Don't think too much into this, okay?" 

   She stared at me for a couple of seconds, then sighed and nodded. "I'm thinking too much because our emotions are heightened as vampires," she explained. "She's not sad, Clara, she's miserable and heartbroken and in pain. I turned off my humanity when Jeremy died, I'm worried that she's going to the same."

   "You turned off your humanity because you were sired to Damon and he told you to turn it off," I reminded her. "Elena, stop thinking into this. We both know that Caroline is stronger than the two of us combined, she won't turn it off." I took a deep breath and looked inside the church, seeing everyone sitting. "They're about to start, come on."

   We sat in the front pew, close to the open casket. Liz looked asleep. There was a picture of her besides the casket, by City Hall, with a big grin on her face. The picture had a black ribbon going from one corner to the other, a sign that she had passed. If it weren't for that and the room full of crying people, I would have continued to think that she was just sleeping. Until the casket was closed, and the realisation stayed with me.

   "We are here today to pay our tribute and our respect to a pillar of our community," the Pastor said into the microphone. "Our sister, our protector—Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. We are also here today to show our love and support for Liz's family and friends."

   I reached over and grabbed Caroline's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked down at our hands, and gave me a small smile. When she looked back to the front, she shut her eyes tightly. Elena grabbed her other hand, just like I did. It was comfort.

   All of the police officers in the room stood, several of them marching up to the casket. Two officers stood at each end. They placed an American flag over the casket, letting it fall down gently over the wood like a blanket. 

   One of the officers reached for the radio to his side. "Calling Sheriff Forbes," he said, loud and clear. "This is the last call for Sheriff Forbes." He let his arms fall straight to his side, eyes glossy.
"No response. Radio number 2-6 is out of service after twelve years and four months of police service. Gone, but never forgotten." He turned his back and pressed his legs together. "Centre!"

   The officers that were standing besides us sat down as the ones that were by the casket marched away. I sniffed, feeling both of my cheeks wet. The back of my throat stung, as if I had scraped it while swallowing a chip, or downed alcohol without really swallowing, or as if I were choking. 

   Damon walked up. "Liz Forbes was my friend," he began, a small smile forming on his lips. "In her last moments, she asked me to pass along a message to her daughter, but I cut her off before she could say too much. I told her she could tell Caroline herself, but she didn't get that chance." His eyes fell on Caroline at that moment. "Your mom wanted you to know how proud of you she was, and she should be. You're a beautiful, strong woman, a generous friend, and a bright light in a sea of dark. She said you were extraordinary, and you are, and so was she. Liz was a hero to this town. She was a hero to all of you. And she was a hero to me." He turned to the casket and stared at it. "Goodbye, Sheriff. You will be missed." He stepped down and returned to his seat.

   Caroline squeezed my hand and let go, standing to take a stand in the centre. "Thank you all for coming," she said, her hands playing together in front of her. "This is for my mom." She took a deep breath, glanced around, and began to sing: "Go in peace, go in kindness. Go in love. Go in faith. Leave the day, the day behind us. The day is done. Go in grace. Let us go into the dark. Not afraid. Not alone. Let us hope by some good pleasure, safely to, arrive at home."

   The church was quiet, each person wiping the tears away. Then they clapped, and it was both for Caroline and her mother.

   The reception was held at the Mystic Grill, where there was soft chattering and drinks being passed around. Caroline stood by the entrance as people began to come up to her, offering her more condolences and speaking kind words about her mother. Some shared stories, others shared words, and others just stood close and asked if they could pray with her. 

   "She's handling it well." Damon stood besides me, a drink in one hand.

   I took in a deep breath and nodded. "She's Caroline, she can handle anything well."

   "She's a Forbes," he said, as if he were correcting me, "that's why she can handle anything well."

   I looked up at him and smiled as I raised my glass. He clinked it with his, smiling down at me, too. I raised it to my lips, taking a mouthful as I turned to look a Caroline. "That was a nice speech," I said, looking back at him. "What broke through the torturous writer's block?"

   "Elena reminded me that this wasn't about me," he said. "It was about Caroline. I failed Stefan by not doing the eulogy for our mother; I didn't want to fail anyone today."

   "You didn't fail anyone," I said. "In fact, I think you changed everyone's perspective on you."

   A small scoff-like sound escaped his lips, the glass of alcohol close to his lips. "Are you saying that I changed your perspective on me?"

   I stared into his eyes, the soft blue reminding me of the sky. "My perspective on you never really changed, Damon," I said. "It's always been the same." I paused for a moment, then I added: "More or less."

   "You really know how to ruin the moment," he said, a small smile on his lips. 

   "Oh, I'm perfect at ruining moments," I said with a small laugh. It was short, causing me to sigh at the end. "Like, right now, I'm going to ruin a moment with Stefan."

   Before I could move away, Damon's hand on my arm stopped me. "What do you mean ruin it?" he asked as he pulled me back. "What are you going to do?"

   "What I should have done for a while now," I nodded. "I'm going to end it."

   "I thought you loved him."

   "I do," I quickly said, "but I'm tired of always being his second choice." I glanced down at my hands, my nails digging into my palm. "I'm ending it because when I admitted my feelings for him, he chose Elena. I'm ending it because when I figured out that I loved him and was going to tell him, he left and ended up at the bottom of the quarry. I'm ending it because after you died, he left and ignored me for months. I'm ending it because this is not love." I swallowed hard and forced back the tears, letting a small smile appear on my lips. "This isn't love, Damon, it's torture. And I'm tired of it."

   He stared at me, leaning against his arm on the counter. "My brother has been in love four times in his life: you, Katherine, Elena, and then you again." He took a deep breath and lowered his eyes to his glass. "Clara, not all love is true love. True love is rare. Maybe, what you and Stefan have is not true love, but just love." He looked up at me, blue colliding with green. "Maybe your true love is still out there."

   I half-rolled my eyes, shaking my head in a bit of amusement. "My true love must be dead, Damon," I said with a small smile. "If you haven't noticed, I've got the worst luck in love in the world." I grabbed my glass from the counter and downed it, letting out a deep breath after I swallowed. "My course of true love never did run smooth."

   "Did you really need to quote Shakespeare?" chuckled Damon.

   "Yes, I did." I laid the glass back on the counter and took in a deep breath. "Wish me luck, because I'm going to break up with your brother." I took a few steps, stopped, and let out a small chuckle as it dawned on me that I said those words before. I turned to look back at Damon, who arched a brow. "You know, I said those words before, when I handed you back the engagement ring."

   "Which time?" he mused. "You did give it back quite a few times."

   "The last time," I said as I played with my hands. "You know, before you put it in my bag when I left to Puerto Rico."

   He nodded, a barely-there smile on his face. "Where is it now?"

   "It's in my bedside table," I truthfully answered as I looked down at my feet. "It's been there for quite some time." It had been there since I arrived from Puerto Rico. The only reason I knew that it was still there was because I opened the drawer and saw the box, resting right in the corner where I last left it. I inhaled deeply and smiled at him. "So, now, I'm going to do something that's hard, but necessary."

   I took another deep breath and turned, slowly walking around the Mystic Grill in search of Stefan. Those that were still at the Grill continued to drink, speak in hush tones, and sometimes they would raise their glasses and drink for Liz. I wanted to be surprise to see that almost the whole town had been there, but I couldn't. It was obvious that they would be there, because Liz was important to the town, to everyone's life.

   I stopped in the centre of the room, hearing everyone speak about her. It was as if time had finally caught up to me. The realisation had always been there, but I had pushed it back over and over again. Finally, it had caught up to me. Liz was dead. She was gone, and she was never returning. I inhaled deeply, pushing back the tears that kept threatening to fall. It was a shaky breath, as if it didn't want to leave but at the same time it did. My hand fell onto my stomach, as if I were pushing down the vile that threatened to rise.

   "Are you okay?" Stefan appeared besides me, his hand falling on the small of my back. 

   I inhaled and let out a shaky laugh. "Do I look okay?"

   "You look miserable, actually," he chuckled, giving a small smile. "Do you want to get out of here?"

   "I'm staying with Caroline," I quickly said, laying a hand on his arm. "But, I was looking for you."

   The small smile that was around his lips fell, just like his hand from my back. "Are we doing this now?" he softly asked. "Do we have to do this now?"

   "You were planning on doing it while Liz was dying," I reminded him. "Again before the funeral. Might as well get this over with, right?"

   Stefan took in a deep breath and glanced around for several moments. When his eyes landed on me, he bit his lip and shook his head. "We're not doing this now," he said, "because I love you, and you love me, and we need to fix this mess of a relationship. So, instead of ending it, let's start over." He took a step back and bowed, just like he used to when we were humans and at a ball. "Miss Forbes."

   I glanced around, hiding the small smile around my lips. "Mr. Salvatore, I think you should rise since there is no music and it's not supposed to be a happy moment." When he didn't rise, I stepped closer and tried to pull him up. "Stefan, really, stand up!"

   He laughed and sat up, giving me a smile. "I said start over, so I am. So, Miss Forbes, I'm Stefan Salvatore, and I would like to start over."

   "I need to think about it," I said, biting my lower lip. There was still a small smile on my lips, though, no matter how much I wanted it gone. The smile faded once I remembered the words Liz told me: end it if it didn't make you happy. Was I happy with Stefan? Yes, but that happiness faded and return, over and over again. But, then again, I didn't want to hurt him. So I repeated the same words, "I'll think about it."

   "Okay," he simply said, nodding, but smiling. He grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine.

   I pulled my hand away and swallowed hard, glancing away for a few months. "I'm gonna go to Caroline," I said, deciding best to change the subject. "She says she wants to be alone, but I know that she doesn't. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

   I gave him a small smile and turned, walking away from him. The smile disappeared when I turned, as I searched around for Caroline. Instead, I found a worried-looking Elena. She had her hand to her mouth, eyes darting around.

   "Elena?" I walked up to her, tilting my head to the side. 

   "Caroline left," she said, her hand dropping from her mouth. "She said she wanted to be alone, but..." She looked up at me, shaking her head. "Clara, I think Caroline's going to turn of her humanity."

   My posture stiffened and my mouth slowly fell open. "What do you mean?"

   "She thanked me for everything I did today," she said. "She said that she'll never forget it. For a while now, she's been talking about getting through today. Today. It's all she's saying. Getting through today."

   I ran my hand through my hair, pushing the strands that framed my face back. "She doesn't want to feel tomorrow," I realised, shaking my head. "She's going to turn it off. We need to get to her right now!"

   Elena and I ran out of the Mystic Grill and to the Forbes' residence. Our speed was faster than a car, and we needed to get to her as fast as possible. When we walked in, Caroline stood in the living room, her mother's sweater pressed under her nose. She slowly pulled it down, laying back on the chair. 

   "I said I was fine," she said, not turning to us.

   "We don't believe you," I said. When she turned, I gave her a small smile. 

   Elena stepped forward, standing directly in front of her. "All day, something has been bugging me. You wanted to pack this all in so quickly like you had somewhere to be. I mean, you were so concerned with getting through today without a hint of how you'd feel tomorrow. And then I realised: you don't want to feel tomorrow. That's the plan, right? You're not going to feel tomorrow because you're going to turn it all off."

   Caroline stopped straightening things and looked at us. "I thought I could get through the rough patch and just pick myself up like I usually do," she confessed, "but then Damon made me realise it's just going to get worse."

   I stepped forward. "You listened to Damon?" I questioned, surprised and annoyed. I watched as she walked past me, towards the table by the stairs. "You shouldn't listen to Damon, Care."

   "I can't do worse, Clara!" she snapped, turning to me. "I didn't even think there was a worse. It's better this way."

   "Better?" Elena scoffed. "Care, you're talking about flipping the humanity switch. There's nothing better about that."

   "That is your experience, okay?" Caroline glared at her. "I have more control over my vampire side than you ever did. My experience will be different."

   "It's not going to be difference," I softly said, shaking my head. 

   "It's going to be deadly," Elena added. "You saw what happened to me."

   "That's my point, Elena!" Caroline snapped, her glare getting stronger. "You did it. You couldn't handle the pain when your brother died, so you turned it off. Damon died, and you erased all your memories. Stefan moved to Savannah and became an auto mechanic. Clara drowned herself with useless school work and ignored that she was a vampire. What, do you think you guys are the only ones who get to escape grief?"

   "You just mentioned two of the biggest mistakes that I've ever made," Elena uttered, swallowing back tears. 

   "Were they mistakes?" Caroline challenged. "Because when you came out the other end, the worst part of the pain was gone, and that's what I need. I just need the pain to be gone." She inhaled deeply and began to cry, her shoulders shaking. "My mom is dead. I... It hurts so bad, I can't breathe. I can't-I can't do worse, okay? I shouldn't have to."

   I quickly walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, while Elena hugged her. "No one should have to," I said.

   "It's not fair," Elena added. "It's not. I get it, I do. And I know you think that you have it all figured out, but please listen to us. We're not gonna let you do this."

   Caroline pressed her fingers on Elena's neck, snapping it. She watched as she fell to the floor, eyes wide open and staring at nothing. "That's not your choice to make," she said.

   "Care..." I laid my other hand on her shoulders and made her look at me. "Caroline, what the hell?"

   She looked at me and shook her head. "I can't," she breathed, her face contouring in pain. "I can't do this, Clara! I just need the pain to be gone." She breathed in and passed a hand through her hair, beginning to pace around. She stopped and grabbed my hands. "Help me, please."

   "What?"

   "Turn it off with me," she pleased, shaking her head. "Clara, please. I can't do this alone; I'm scared." She wiped away the tears under her eyes and sniffed. "You promised my mom you'd take care of me, and this morning you said you'd do anything for me. I need you to do this with me, because I'm scared. I don't want to be scared, or in pain, and I just need this to be gone."

   I stared at her, taking in the sadness and pain in her face. My heart ached, and tears threatened to fall, and they did. They fell as I swallowed hard, glancing away from her. "Caroline, I can't..." I glanced away from her.

   "Please!" she pleaded, crying. 

   "Care, I..." I realised that I needed to be with Caroline. For one, I promised Liz that I would be there. Secondly, Caroline needed me, and it was at that moment where I needed to be there the most. So, I took another deep breath and pushed back the fear that ate at me. Without humanity, it was as if one fed shark infested waters and expected none of them to bite, but one would, and then other would join. I was shark infested waters, turmoil waiting to happen, but Caroline needed me, so I nodded. "Okay."

   "Thank you," Caroline cried, hugging me tightly. 

   I shut my eyes and turned off my humanity.