In My Veins

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 1

"It's okay. It's okay. It's me. It's okay. You're safe. – We'll save Elena. You go straight home, you stay inside. Do you understand? – Do you understand me?"

His words kept replaying in her mind over and over again as she rushed outside to her car. Picking up her keys, she looked over her shoulder at the building. She knew that she promised him to go home but she couldn't do it. No, she would leave this place but she wouldn't go home. This little moment they just had showed her that he really cared for her. And to her immense shock, it showed her that she also cared about him. This realization brought her to drive to a place that she never thought she would willingly go to.

It only took her five minutes to drive to her destination although it should have taken her at least ten. In this case, however, she was much too frightened to think about the pretense she had to fulfill as the sheriff's daughter. Not caring about any speed limits and traffic lights she sped to his house – no not his house, his mansion. This place was huge.

She went inside and saw that he really had planned to leave Mystic Falls behind. The thought saddened her. She didn't want to think about the reason for her emotions so she went to the room where he kept his drawings to see if he had put everything away already. On her way there she realized that only one picture was left hanging in his living room. The drawing which she had touched that night of the ball as she had realized that he was an artist – a pretty decent one at as well.

Surprised that he would hang up and leave the picture she had touched that night, she stopped for a second. Thinking about him she didn't realize that somebody was standing right behind her until that person spoke: "Care? – What are you doing here? I thought you were at the school cleaning up", Tyler's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

Turning around as if her mom had just caught her with the hand in the cookie jar as she was five years old, she faced Tyler and stammered her response. "Tyler! Uhm… No. I'm not. Not anymore… Uh… Rebekah and I finished already and she told me to come and hang out… But I guess she's not here… yet."Caroline was surprised that she was able to lie that easily all of the sudden. That was very untypical of her. However, her lying abilities weren't convincing enough.

Tyler didn't believe her since Rebekah had stormed out of the house just an hour earlier. "Really? – Because just an hour ago she ran out of here as if the devil himself was after her", was Tyler's skeptical answer. Caroline had no comeback to that one. Now she knew that she would have to tell him the truth. "…well, you see… uh", was all she could say.

"I see, Caroline. You actually do have feelings for him, don't you? That's why you're here. To see him and go behind my back, right? – I bet you were screwing him as soon as I had left. I knew it – you didn't change after all. You are still the slut from the beginning of high school!" Tyler was shouting at her. "Screwing every guy, who glances at you for more than one second! – You know what? I'm outta here. Screw you! Oh and tell your new fucking buddy that I'm not his little bitch anymore!" With that Tyler turned around and left the house.

All Caroline could do in reaction to his accusations was to stare at his retreating back with a gaping mouth. As soon as her shock wore off, she shouted:"Yes, just go! Do what you do best! But I am not a slut! I don't know why I ever felt more for you than a platonic friendship!" She wouldn't sink to his level and call him names.

As soon as she heard the front door closing she let out the sobs that had been trying to break out since Alaric, her favorite teacher and good friend, had vamp-napped her that morning. It was all too much for her. Being tortured once again, being rescued by not only Elena but also by Klaus of all people and realizing in that moment that she cared for him as well and now Tyler breaking up with her – it was all too much for her.

After there were no more tears left, she decided that she would clean herself up. She didn't want to wait here for him in the clothes in which she had been tortured. Half an hour later, she found herself in his drawing room with one of his shirts and sweatpants on. Her still wet hair from the shower that she shamelessly took in his bathroom hung loosely around her shoulders as she sat on the ground in front of his drawings.

She marveled about the contradiction that was him – that he was capable to paint such beauty when he was also able to inflict such evil things on other people. But she still couldn't get herself to leave this building to go home and be restless there – here she at least felt safe from any harm. Although her rational mind told her that she was the exact opposite here in his mansion since only vampires lived here and so Alaric wouldn't need an invitation. At her house she would be safe from Alaric. Still, she remained were she was, sitting on the ground looking at the room that wasn't packed up yet and waiting for him to come home.

At some point she heard the front door being opened. Caroline now felt the first doubts if she did the right thing by coming here. Should she just leave now or stay and talk to him? The sound of a beating heart made up her mind. She rushed to where she heard him pace around the house. The scene she saw shocked her more than anything in her life did to that point – which was saying a lot considering she lived in Mystic Falls.

Klaus was tying Elena up to a chair without noticing Caroline standing in the doorway. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" she screeched at him.

Hey guys,

This is my first attempt at writing something. Tell me if I should continue this story or not. And if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes – please bear with me. English is not my first language.

Thanks for reading and please review if you have a second.