Vampire Diaries Fic - Gone - Elizabeth & Caroline Forbes GEN

[zserb]

Fandom: Vampire Diaries
Categories: Gen, Ficlet, Missing Scene, Family,
Ratings/Warnings: None, PG
Spoilers: Spoilers for S2E1, missing scene from S2E2
Word Count: 300 words including the title

Summary: Missing scene from S2E2. Forbes Sheriff can't be at two places at the same time. Or: Who invited Caroline in?

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine and I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Gone

You’re already late, but you’ve left the car keys at the hallway. You turn back, catch sight of her pink cardigan on the hanger and you had to forcibly tune down the inner voice whispering you should be besides your daughter at the hospital, because “carnival” means crowd, exposed necks on silver platter, and a big fat chance for finding *another* drained corpse at dawn. Not if you can help it…

You grab the keys, turn, and stop dead. You didn’t hear her footsteps, and you just stare at her for a moment, relieved and annoyed at the same time, because she’s been released, but of course hasn’t even considered calling you. Your “Hi” is breathless, almost a whisper, her “Hi, Mom” is alike. She’s hovering in the doorway, looking hesitant, and that’s it, frustration wins, you’ve reached a level you don’t even try to comprehend the reasons flowing in her stubborn head. Your “Oh, just come in already!” is regretted the moment you say it: way too harsh, impatient, she almost flinches at your voice, and then her stance is pure defiance.

She storms by you, drops her bag and starts rummaging in a closet looking for something, and you realize she’s just stopped by, of course, her friends probably waiting for her already. In a moment she will be gone. But she *is* here now. She is here *yet*. You could say something.

Then your radio creaks: you’re needed somewhere else. Elsewhere you are *needed*. You could offer her a ride, but you can’t wait for her. She doesn’t look at you when she waves goodbye. You feel dismissed, but hold on to the thought that you have time… both of you have time to settle this, to sort this out…

So much time you two have.