Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries

Caroline woke with a start. Rays of light were penetrating her eyes, and she couldn't take it. Especially after last night. She attempted to turn her head away, but her body screamed in protest. Her arms, neck and torso were covered with bruises. Some new, and just beginning to turn a blackish purple color, and some old, already fading into a sickly yellow. She groaned slightly as she realized her attacker was still fast asleep right next to her.

She laughed slightly at something on the small, broken down TV in front of her, as she took another sip of her lukewarm beer. Her eyes snapped to the side as the door of the trailer swung open, and in walked her clearly wasted boyfriend of 8 years.

"Tyler…" She began, not wanting to get on his bad side again.

"Get up." He said, and she did as she was told. He pushed her roughly against the wall. She didn't even try to fight him anymore. She knew it would hurt less if she just let it happen. "He loves you," she thought to herself. "He can barely keep his hands off of you." She lied often to herself about the reason he was doing this, she told herself it wasn't just sex, that he wasn't about to rape her for the 100th time, but that this was for love. It was all for love.

She allowed a single tear to drip down her cheek as Tyler roughly kissed her, running his hands all over her body…

She quietly forced her aching body up, pulling on a sweater, and zipping it all the way up to her neck to cover up her bruises. She looked down at Tyler, knowing he wouldn't be up for at least another few hours. It was only 10 in the morning after all. She decided to take a trip to the town market, since they were running low on food. She took some money from the stash hidden in the draw they always kept locked up, and pulled on her old, battered combat boots, closing the trailer door slowly behind her. She allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of the warm sun beating down on her as she exited the trailer park, and made her way to the market. Luckily for her, the trailer park was located close to the town market, so she wouldn't have to force her aching body to walk far. She thought of Tyler as she made her way up the road.

She wasn't sure why she stayed with him. Maybe it was because she loved him, or at least she thought she did. Or maybe it was because it was the only place she felt safe. "Well that's ironic." She thought. But it was also true. She had everything in high school, a great group of friends, perfect grades, cute clothes, and even an amazing boyfriend. She was, by all means, popular. But after her mom died, she fell off the tracks, getting into all the wrong things. She never thought Caroline Forbes, high school prom queen, would end up snorting coke off a cracked mirror in a rundown trailer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In her perfect world, the world she should have been living in, she'd live in a cute little cream-colored house, with red shutters. Not too big, but definitely not too small. She'd have to outshine her neighbors, after all. She'd be married, and have four kids: two boys and two girls, and maybe even a fluffy little dog. She smiled at the thought.

But that wasn't her life.

And it never could be.

She couldn't leave now, where would she go? She had no money, no college degree, and a drug addiction she needed to fulfill. And, like it or not, Tyler was the only person who could provide for her. He made the money, even if he did get it by cooking meth in the dessert like someone off of "Breaking Bad". She inwardly sighed, but kept walking up the old, cracking road to the small town super market. Telling herself it's worth it to get beat on every night, as long as it kept a roof over her head, and drugs in her pocket. Telling herself she really did love him…

When she finally reached the market, she picked up the cheapest foods she could find, paying for them with what little money she had brought with her.

"Caroline!" she suddenly heard her name being called and turned around to see her only friend in the world, Elena Salvatore, standing behind her. Elena lived in the trailer park, as well, with her husband, Damon. She knew what Tyler did to Caroline, but Caroline begged her not to tell a soul, so she didn't. Maybe that's why Caroline liked her so much; she knew how to keep a secret. Well, that, and she'd pop some pills, or smoke some pot with her anytime she wanted.

"Hey, Elena." She responded, cringing a bit as the slim brunette hugged her.

Elena noticed how Caroline pulled back immediately, and quickly put two and two together. "He did it again, didn't he." Elena said. "You know, if you'd just let me tell Damon, you know he'd beat his sorry little ass for you." She said, only half joking. Damon worked as a cook in the run down diner down the street, and Elena was a waitress there with Caroline. The pair never went to college either.

"No. You know I said not to tell." Caroline responded, slightly embarrassed, and Elena just nodded her head.

"Alright, well, I really have to get going, I have a shift in five minutes, but I'll see you later, okay?" She said.

"See you later." Caroline confirmed, as she watched her walk away. She was about to walk back home, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around, eyes widening in shock at who stood behind her.

"Klaus?"

Caroline quickly shut her locker as the fifth period bell rung. She started to walk to her class when a pair of hands covered her sapphire blue eyes. She whipped around, knowing who it was immediately.

"Klaus!" she screeched. Klaus and his family moved to New Mexico from Britain just last year for his father's job. Every girl wanted him the moment he walked through the school's double doors. I mean, who wouldn't? With those chiseled abs and the thick accent. But since the moment he arrived, he only had eyes for a certain blonde.

"Come on!" He said, pulling her along with him to the school's courtyard.

"But I have class!" She screeched playfully. Although he could tell she was really a little worried.

"They won't miss you just this once." He said, pulling her into the abandoned garden in the courtyard.

"Alright, alright!" She gave in, giggling as he sat down on one of the benches and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her gently. He pulled a pink flower from the garden, and placed it in her hair. She smiled gently, her hand still tracing his jawline.

"I love you." He said. Her eyes opened a bit at the statement, this was the first time he said that to her, after all. But her eyes quickly softened and a smile played on her lips.

"I love you too!" She responded, kissing him again.

"Let's promise to be together forever." She whispered in between gentle kisses.

"Forever." He repeated, pulling her closer to him.

"Oh my god! How have you been?" She asked, still a little taken aback by his clean, businessman like appearance. She suddenly felt self-conscious in her ratty old sweater, and beat up combat boots.

"Great! really, just great." He responded in his British accent. "Um, I'm a lawyer now, actually. I just finished law school last year, and I got offered a job up here, so I jumped on the opportunity to moved here with my wife!" He finished, and Caroline was immediately taken aback at the thought of Klaus being married to someone other than her. "I guess it's my own damn fault." She thought to herself.

"Wow! That's great!" She faked enthusiasm well. She'd gotten good at faking her emotions. "So you're… you're married now?" She asked a bit more shakily than she wanted, but Klaus didn't seem to notice as he started to talk again.

"Yeah, her names Camille." He said, "I met her while I was in law school. She's an interior designer, and she's going to open her own business down here." He said, proudly. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, um, I'm in the food business now." She said, "It isn't a complete lie." She thought to herself. "I actually live with my boyfriend, Tyler." She felt a chill run down her spine at the thought of him.

"Oh, wow! That's great, too." He said. She just nodded awkwardly, as they stood there for a few minutes in silence.

"So, I'd better get going. Get back to the wife and all." Klaus tried to joke lightly, and Caroline let out a small giggle.

"See you around." She said.

"Yeah, see you around." Klaus repeated, and turned on his heel, walking back the way he came.

Caroline watched him walk away; her heart beat speeding up abnormally fast inside her bruised chest.

Please review if you'd like another chapter!

-xx KaterinaPetrovah