CHAPTER 1

Caroline hit her head as she fell. The tree bark was lodged in her abdomen. She noticed her vision blur and every sense get foggy. She could hear Elena screaming her name but she didn't have the strength to respond. She let it go and just lay there hoping for someone to help her.

"Caroline! Damon, go help her! Damon!" Elena's panicked voice rang across the chaos. She, Matt, Damon and Elena had been out in the forest when a bunch of vampires attacked. They surprised Caroline and Damon as they proved stronger. Matt was able to escape and he said he'd go get help. Something told her that they had intended on hurting just them three. How else do you explain a human outrunning a vampire?
Blood trickled down the side of her head. She felt Damon's arms wrap around her but soon they were torn away as he yelled in agony. He was being stopped from helping her.

She could hear Elena and Damon's cries. They were being hurt. With one push of strength, Caroline stood up. Damon was right beside her, being held up by two vampires. She mustered up the strength and courage and pushed one of the vampires and he fell a few meters away. The other punched her in the stomach. Caroline went flying back and hit a tree, coughing up blood.

"Barbie! Let go of me! Leave the girls alone!" Damon yelled. He could see Caroline ready to pass out. Elena was held down by a vampire and seeing it filled Damon with fury. But all in all, she was fine. Why were the vampires hurt more than the human? This didn't seem like a random attack, Caroline thought.
Caroline had fallen to the ground for the second time. This time she knew, there was no getting up.
Damon and Elena struggled but it was futile. Caroline thought she was going to die. She met Damon's eye and he could see the helplessness in hers. It crushed him.

Caroline suddenly saw a flash and heard screams soon thereafter. She was hoping against hope they weren't her friends'. The vampires were thrown to the ground. She couldn't understand what was happening. Who had come?
Her senses began losing sharpness and her head spun. The pain became unbearable and she gave up.

"You take Elena and go straight home. I'll look after Caroline." After a few protests from Elena, she heard Damon convince her and take her home. Who had they left her with?
She knew this voice. But who was it? She couldn't place it. Caroline felt two strong arms on her. One under her shoulders and the other under her knees. She moaned, terrified of finding out who this was as he lifted her up.

"Shh, love. You're okay, you're safe. Shh, now."

"Klaus." She whispered and fainted. She wasn't strong enough anymore.

"Caroline? No, stay with me. Caroline?" When she still didn't answer, Klaus got worried. He put her down. He needed her to stay awake. Come on, love. Open your eyes." He wanted her to be awake when he took her to her house so that he wouldn't have to do any explaining to her mother.

She didn't stir. Klaus saw the blood and wounds. He saw where the stakes had punctured her body and it pulled at his heart. Why hadn't he been there to protect her? Wait, what? But he didn't have time to figure out his battling emotions.

"Come on, Caroline." Klaus kept her head on his lap as he cautiously looked around for any remaining vampires. His attention was dragged back to her as he heard her moan. She began coughing up blood and Klaus knew that even for a vampire, this was no good news. "No, Caroline. Stay with me."

"Klaus, it's my shirt. Klaus…!" Tears dropped from her eyes and she winced in pain. Klaus gently lifted her shirt up and saw that the stake that had plunged into her had broken parts of her rib cage and ripped parts of her stomach and intestine. And also, the wound was open. She wasn't going to be able to walk at all. His heart sunk as he tried to imagine the kind of pain she must be going through. He wanted to take it all away. Wipe away the tears.

Klaus was still wondering what to do when he heard a twig break behind him. He quickly lifted Caroline up in his arms and ran home. To his home.