The next day, the Sexy Car Wash Festival finally arrived. Ron drove his car to the event, planning to take part and contribute to the charity fundraiser.
"No discounts for friends, no free gifts, no tabs — this is a fundraiser, not a charity handout," Caroline announced confidently, standing near the donation booth and instructing Elena on the rules.
"No problem. Got it," Elena nodded, taking it seriously.
"Hey!" Stefan appeared, walking up to them and greeting the girls with his usual calm smile.
"Hey," Elena replied instantly, standing up as their eyes met, full of affection and unspoken emotion.
Caroline, however, froze. Her reaction was the complete opposite — she tensed up and even took a small step back. If she hadn't learned the truth about Stefan being a vampire yesterday, she probably would've teased them for dressing too modestly for something called a Sexy Car Wash.
"Hey, don't worry, babe. I'm right here," Ron whispered softly in Caroline's ear, wrapping an arm around her shoulder when he noticed her uneasy expression.
"Alright, you two lovebirds — you do remember today's theme, right? Oh, Stefan, by the way, I need a word with you." Ron patted Caroline's shoulder and looked at Stefan.
"I'll be right back," Stefan told Elena, a hint of reluctance in his tone before following Ron.
"What's going on?" he asked once they'd moved to a quieter area.
"I've got bad news," Ron said after checking their surroundings. "Caroline knows everything now. I couldn't keep lying to her — and I didn't want to control her mind."
Stefan frowned but didn't interrupt.
"I made her promise to keep it a secret. For now, she won't tell Elena, but… she's human, Stefan. What if she slips up one day? Honestly, after our talk last night, her reaction got me thinking too. We're not like them — they'll age, we won't. You might hide the truth for five or ten years, but can you really keep it hidden forever?" Ron's tone was serious.
"I think it's better to tell the truth sooner than later. I'm also looking for another way — something that could let them live as long as we do. But turning into a vampire isn't the right answer. You know what that life looks like. Caroline's already considering breaking up with me because of it. Imagine how much worse it would be if she found out years later, when marriage or kids were on the table."
Stefan stayed silent, frowning deeply. Ron patted his shoulder and walked off to rejoin Caroline.
"What did Stefan say?" she asked, still worried. She hated keeping secrets, and right now, she was dying to confide in her best friends — one of whom was a witch and the other dating a vampire. But she had promised Ron to keep quiet, and that was eating her up inside.
"He's still thinking it over. Give him time," Ron said softly.
He spent the rest of the day glued to Caroline's side, trying to keep things normal between them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something strange — a nearby car suddenly caught fire, and Bonnie was standing right in front of it. A thin line of fire stretched from her hand to the car.
"See? I told you Bonnie's a witch," Ron muttered to Caroline before running over.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, wake up!" he shouted, shaking her gently.
Bonnie blinked awake, the fire vanishing as if it had never existed. She looked around, confused. "What… what just happened?"
"You kinda zoned out. Almost burned that car to a crisp," Ron said, pointing toward the vehicle.
"That was me?" Bonnie's voice trembled. "No one saw, right?"
"No one," Ron reassured her.
"Please… don't tell anyone. I'm begging you."
"Relax. I told you before, I use magic too. Remember I suggested you talk to your grandmother? You've probably just awakened your powers and don't know how to control them yet." Ron gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder.
Bonnie nodded quickly and hurried off — likely to find her grandmother for help.
"She's fine," Ron said to Caroline when he returned. "Probably just awakening her powers. She needs guidance."
The rest of the day went by peacefully. Ron and Caroline eventually went their separate ways. But later that night, just as Ron lay down in bed, his phone rang. It was Stefan — and his voice was tense.
"Ron, Damon escaped. Zack and Sarah are dead. Get over here, now."
"I'm on my way."
With the Rabbit Talisman boosting his speed, Ron was faster than any car. Within minutes, he arrived at Stefan's house — and froze at the sight of the two bodies lying in the living room.
"What happened?" Ron asked, voice low.
Before Stefan could answer, his phone rang again — an unknown number. He put it on speaker.
"I want my ring and my necklace," Damon's mocking voice came through.
"Where are you?" Stefan demanded.
"By the fire. Just finished an all-you-can-eat buffet," Damon said with a lazy laugh — clearly drunk and satisfied.
"They're not here. What did you do?" Stefan asked.
"No, the question is — what did you do?" Damon sneered.
"Enough!" Ron cut in, his patience gone. "Damon, either you leave Mystic Falls right now, or I'll make sure Stefan can't save you when I find you."
"Oh, Ron, you're there too? I should've known. That night, I realized you all planned to desiccate me. Lucky I had a backup plan — used Sarah to open the door for me. Otherwise, I'd still be shriveled up right now."
He laughed darkly before continuing, "So, how's the gift I left you? Do you like it?"
"Gift?" Ron frowned.
"Yeah. Don't burn Sarah's body just yet — she's my gift to you." Damon's tone turned cruel. "Now, be good little boys and give me back my stuff, or next stop… Elena's house."
"You turned Sarah?" Stefan's voice was strained.
"Turned? You vampires have to die once first?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Smart as always, little brother," Damon drawled. "By tomorrow, Sarah will wake up. Feed her human blood, and she'll complete the transition. If not… she dies. Sweet, huh?"
"Enough of this," Stefan snapped.
"Return my ring and necklace, or I'll make my next visit to Caroline's house," Damon threatened. "You really think you can protect both girls forever?"
"I've been waiting for a reason to end you," Stefan said coldly.
"Forget it," Ron cut in again. "Stefan, get his stuff ready. I'm going to check on Caroline. Tomorrow, we'll deal with Sarah."
He didn't wait for an answer — just turned and ran into the night, heart pounding with only one thought in mind: protect Caroline.