Taking out the trash

Mrs Lavenger smiled as she fumbled in her purse for her car-keys. The boy had been so cute, and so eager to please.

Suddenly she was yanked up into the air, her car-keys clattering to the ground.

Caroline wrapped her arms and legs around Mrs Lavenger as she bit into her neck, her fangs alive, feeling for the pulsing cord of Lavenger's jugular. When the warm, metallic fluid filled her mouth, she drank deep and strong.

Caroline flew to a safe distance and looked around. No one was watching. She flew down and stuffed Mrs Lavenger's corpse in a garbage bin.

James had a fairly odd-filled day. He had just hung out with Bonnie before she was dragged off on a vampire related problem that they, the salvatore brothers, needed her help with. But, not being any help to them as he was just Human, he continued on his way down the street.

He took a few glances around at the surrounding trees and abandoned-looking rather small buildings before seeing a blonde girl stuff what appeared to be a body into a garbage bin. Must have been Caroline, Bonnie had introduced them once before and told him about her, said she only killed one person: Carter, during the carnival on one of the first nights she had turned.

Running up to her, or more like jogging, he looked at her as she appeared to only have small speckles of blood on her clothes. "Are you sure that is such a good idea?"

Caroline jumped, startled. The guy was quiet for a human. Or maybe her mind was just too preoccupied. Whichever, she damned near jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice.

"Oh..uh...I...uh..hey there...just getting rid of an old mannikin...'sup," stammered Caroline.

James smirked slightly at her reply, surely she did not think that he was oblivious to the vampires and other supernatural things in this town, although it did appear so. He slowly pulled his hands out of his black trench coat and laid them by his sides.

He took another quick glance to the bin which the body had just been dumped into a few moments before. "You know, there are better places to stash a body then in the garbage bin. I am sure Damon must have told you a few of them" He told her, Caroline's blonde hair seemed to fly in the breeze as she continued to appear shocked.

Caroline blinked. She started to say something, then stopped. She did this a few more times, her sentences stalling out before the first syllable was said. Finally she asked, "should I know you?"

James could see something gleam in Caroline's eye, same thing happened to Damon or Stefan when they had killed, or to anyone, in fact. It appeared to be a gleam of regret, although he could not be sure; not actually doing any killing himself.

He looked at the expression on her face as she blinked, seemingly attempting to find a way to hide what she had done. "yes, you should" He paused slightly, and tried to find the right words to say. "I am James, dating Bonnie."

Matt left the school after coming from the weight room. He actually had the night off work and so he stayed at the school later than usual to catch up on lost time in the gym. He took a deep breath as he walked towards the parking lot, his truck in sight. He glanced around, there were a few people still lingering around the schoolyard, but one person stuck out in particular, Caroline. She was standing by the dumpster with a guy he's seen around but hasn't ever met.

He slowed down, debating on whether to go to his truck or walk over to see what they were doing. "Hell, there's nowhere I have to be, might as well." He thought as he changed direction and started his way towards the side of the building next to the dumpster. "Hey Caroline." he said walking up to her, but stopped short as soon as he saw blood on her. Immediately he knew something was up. He glanced at the guy, James, he thought his name was and then back to Caroline. "What's going on?"

"Ah," Caroline said.
Caroline was bad with names, so she mentally filed the guy under Caveman-Brow-Dude. Or maybe Neandrathal-Skinhead. Whatever, the dude sure had lots of brow.

"Well, in case you were wondering she had it coming. She was statutory raping a 13 year old boy. The world is better off with her in the garbage" said Caroline.

James slowly looked between Caroline, and the newcomer to the conversation. He had only met the guy once before, but believed his name to be Matt. His hands continued to stay by his sides as his eyes almost seemed to immediately travel to the blood specs on Caroline's shirt, before listening in on what Matt had said. "Hey" He said, not really knowing much else to say in that 'incident'.

Turning his attention soon back to Caroline as she spoke, there appeared to be no look of shock on his face. "Still, though. That is no reason to kill anyone"

"She wasn't a person, she was a pedophile," responded Caroline, "the world is a better place with her in a garbage can, believe me."

Walking further into their converation, Matt could tell Caroline had done something, something bad. "Caroline, what did you do?" he asked, looking at her. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

James' attention, again, cycled between the two of them as Matt had spoken to Caroline; James answered to her previous statement. "Did I say she was a person? No. I said it doesn't give you a reason to kill anyone. That could stand for another vampire, or even a ghost for that matter." He told her, getting a little frustrated, his voice seemed to rise.

"It's no big deal, I just ate a pedophile. I mean, people eat innocent, harmless cows all the time. Eating a monster who rapes little boys shouldn't be a big issue" replied Caroline indignantly.

"That doesn't give you the right to kill someone Car, I thought you were better than that." Matt said truly dissappointed in her. He wished he would never have come over here.

James felt a little uneasy as she tried to make what she had done okay, and make sense. And then listened to Matt's reply. He kind of agreed with him on this one, and that usually doesn't happen. "It seems there is some history between you two" He mentioned, motioning between the Vampire and Matt.

Caroline sighed inwardly. Matt was such an innocent. More than ever, she was certain that it had been a good idea to break up with him. He didn't belong in this world of darkness.

Caroline looked sadly at Matt and came to a decision. She looked into his eyes.

"Go home, Matt. You never saw me today. None of this happened."

Matt looked at Caroline waiting for an answer, and the next thing he knew he was walking back to his truck, unaware of what had just happened.

James glared at Caroline after she had compelled Matt. He was never one for enjoying compulsion, let alone liking it when other people had used it. The wind picked up a little as he glanced around and saw Matt walking the way he had came. "Y'know, that wasn't very good to use on an ex-boyfriend of yours."

"He needs to be free of all of...this" Caroline made an expansive gesture, "he's the one person in my life who hasn't been poisoned by the insanity that surrounds Elena. I'd like him to stay that way, even if it means getting him out of my life."

A sigh seemed to slowly erupt out of his mouth at Caroline's response. Matt seemed to be a strong guy, able to take care of himself and be around vampires with no problems, but he had never been in that type of relationship with anyone: someone who cared that much about you to keep you out of harms way, to live a normal life. But his mind was made up, embracing the supernatural side of the town and helping.

"yea" He paused, glancing back to Matt as he continued walking away from Caroline's compulsion. "That is good for him, then. But, you know, you can't control his path forever. People have a way of being drawn into the supernatural happenings of Mystic Falls, even after they get out"

"I have to try. Maybe my best efforts will fail ten moves down the line, but I have to DO something. I don't have it in me to just stand around thinking all day. Some people can play chess with life. I'm not one of them" replied Caroline.

He nodded, somewhat, in her direction. He knew what it was that she was talking about. Protecting loved ones was number one priority, even to Vampires who's humanity was not lost to them.

"yeah, I get that. But do you think of what will happen once he finally gets pulled in?"

"I dunno," replied Caroline, "I've never had any illusions about my intelligence or ability to see the future. All I can do is try to protect people moment to moment."

His arms stayed still at his sides in his leather jacket that he had been wearing all day. He nodded, again, in her direction. He had never been a vampire, so this was somewhat hard for him to comprehend. "Yeah. But for that moment, you are pushing them away even more"