— — — — — —
"Well, of course. This is Mystic Falls, after all," Caroline said with a playful smile as she leaned in closer.
Jack didn't back away. Something about her being this forward made it impossible to resist. Slowly, their faces closed the gap until their lips met.
"Caroline, you sure this isn't just an impulse?" Jack asked when they finally pulled apart, her arms still around his waist.
"Positive." Caroline's smile didn't waver.
That was all the confirmation he needed. If he kept hesitating now, he wouldn't be much of a man. This time, when they kissed, neither of them held back.
As for that 'law is bugged' thought? Haha—whoever said that, it definitely wasn't me.
"Come on, let's go tell Bonnie and the others the news," Jack said after they'd been locked together for quite a while.
"Mhm." Caroline's grin widened, and they walked back hand in hand.
But just as they reached the bonfire, a commotion had broken out. A crowd was gathered around someone lying on a table, people shouting about calling an ambulance. Jack's instincts immediately went on alert, sharper than Caroline's.
"Vicki, stay with me!" Matt's panicked voice rang out.
"She's been bitten by something! She's losing a lot of blood—we need to stop the bleeding!" Elena cried, her voice frantic.
'Vampire attack? Was it Stefan?' Jack's thoughts spun, but Stefan was standing off to the side, looking guilty but with no blood on him. That meant someone else had to be nearby… another vampire?
"Who's Vicki?" Jack asked Caroline quietly.
"Vicki Donovan, Matt's sister," Caroline replied, worry all over her face.
"I know a little first aid. Can I take a look?" Jack asked. Seeing Caroline this worried made him uneasy too—and it was still a human life on the line. He could deal with the risk of revealing his power if it meant saving someone.
"This is where the artery is—it's bleeding way too much. We have to press here to slow it down," he said, wiping away some of the blood and finding the wound. Thanks to the Rabbit Talisman's enhanced reflexes and senses, he easily pinpointed the damaged blood vessel. He pressed down on it, then activated the Horse Talisman, carefully controlling the magic flow. If it worked, he didn't want her to miraculously heal all at once and raise suspicion.
When his magic reached the wound, he could feel it take effect. He repaired the worst of the damaged arteries, then cut off the magic.
"Keep pressure here, and once the ambulance gets her to the hospital, she should be okay," Jack said, explaining calmly as he held down the last few bleeding points.
Everyone relaxed a little when they saw the bleeding stop, and once the ambulance arrived and Matt went with Vicki, the party all but died. Most of the crowd left, leaving only their closer circle—Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, and Jeremy—waiting for updates.
When they finally got the news that Vicki was stable, everyone could breathe again.
"Let's head to the Grill and wait for more news," Bonnie suggested.
"I need to take Jeremy home first. I probably won't make it," Elena said apologetically.
Bonnie nodded and let it go. She, Jack, and Caroline went to the Grill together.
"So… you two made it official?" Bonnie asked once they'd sat down, noting the way Caroline was clinging to Jack's arm.
"Yeah. We were actually coming back to tell you guys before… well, before all that happened." Jack squeezed Caroline's hand and smiled.
"Mystic Falls' two hottest guys are officially taken by me and Elena. You'd better be happy for us, Bonnie," Caroline teased.
"Of course I am. You two are my best friends. I'm just glad you found someone you like," Bonnie said warmly, shooting Jack a knowing look. "Guess I won't need to walk you home anymore."
"Definitely not. I'll make sure she gets back safe," Jack said with a small grin.
After they finally got confirmation that Vicki was out of danger, Bonnie headed home. Jack drove Caroline back to her place, and the two of them… well, let's just say they spent the night "confirming" their relationship in the most literal way possible—sex.
(A/N: Yes, that fast. Don't be shocked—Caroline slept with Damon after only their second meeting in the show. Teen drama moves quickly.)
...
The next morning, Jack woke up in Caroline's bed. She was still asleep, looking angelic in the early light, and the sight of the red stain on the sheets caught him off guard for just a moment. He reached over, hugged her close, and kissed her cheek before discreetly using the Horse Talisman to heal the soreness from last night.
"You're awake?" Caroline stirred at his touch, blinking at him sleepily.
"Yeah. It's getting late—we should get ready for school." Jack said casually while letting his hands wander one last time before she batted them away with a laugh.
"Then get up already." Caroline kissed him quickly, then got out of bed to get dressed.
Jack couldn't help watching her with a satisfied grin. "What a little minx… just a bit small in some areas. But she's young—she'll grow."
Once she was dressed, he drove them both to school, speeding just enough to make it to class on time. Unfortunately, the class they were heading to wasn't one they'd signed up for together.
"Am I interrupting something, Mr. Salvatore? Miss Gilbert?" the history teacher, Mr. Tanner, said, annoyed at how blatantly Stefan and Elena were flirting mid-lesson.
...
As soon as class was over, Caroline found Jack and dragged him out, with Bonnie tagging along.
"So, are you a witch or a psychic?" Caroline blurted out to Bonnie.
"My grandma says I'm a witch. Our family's descended from the Salem witches, apparently. She tried to explain it all once, but she'd had too much to drink at the time and I didn't take her seriously," Bonnie said with a shrug.
"A crazy family tradition?" Caroline asked skeptically.
"Pretty much. I don't really believe it," Bonnie replied casually.
"I think it sounds pretty cool," Jack said seriously. After everything he'd seen, vampires were definitely real—and that meant witches probably were too.
"Maybe," Bonnie said with a small smile.
"Hey, Elena!" Caroline spotted Elena walking across the quad and called her over.
"You head home first—we're having a little girls' talk," Caroline told Jack.
"Alright. Tonight, come by my place. I'll show you around," Jack said, kissing her before waving goodbye to the three girls.
When he got home, he found Sarah busy in the kitchen.
"Is lunch almost ready? I'm starving," Jack asked.
"Just about," Sarah said, bringing out the freshly cooked dishes with a smile.
.
.
.