Title: Don't Apologize

Category: Vampire Diaries

Characters: Caroline and Tyler

Summary: Tyler's trying to apologize to Caroline for what happened to her after the car crash, but she's not listening to him since she doesn't need one.

Status: Complete

AN: I don't own anything. I thought that the show should have touched on Tyler visiting Caroline in the hospital.

TC TC TC TC TC TC TC TC

Today was his dad's funeral, but instead of being at the grave Tyler was here, sitting at Caroline's bed side. It was his fault that she was in the hospital. He had been driving the car when it crashed. It was ruled an accident, but most things in this town were over looked when it came to his family.

It didn't make a difference what it was said to be. He wasn't leaving until he got to apologize to Caroline. He had already asked her mom to forgive him. He'd sworn he wouldn't hurt Caroline ever, but he had. The person that stood by him with everything he did. There wasn't a person that didn't know he was a dick. Never the less, Caroline didn't seem to care what was said.

After that night at the Grill when she'd shown up at his house wasted yelling at him because he didn't come to the party she had thrown, they ended up going out. He had gotten her sober before taking her home. When she tried to kiss him he'd let her and kissed her back showing her just how much he liked her too. He hadn't done the guy move though and gone farther with her not fully aware of what she was doing. He had covered her up and stayed with her. He had held her in his arms all night long and watched out for her. When she had woken up sick because she had drunk so much the night before, he had taken care of her. He held her hair back while she brought up all the alcohol that she had drunk.

Her mom had about killed him the next morning, but Caroline had come to his rescue. He was glad she had been awake because her mom scared the shit out of him. A woman with that many weapons, who wouldn't be? Caroline didn't scare him though, not herself at least, but seeing her passed out on the highway had. He had been so damn scared she wouldn't wake up again. He loved her that was the bottom line; he would do anything for her. Seeing her so vulnerable right now was something else that scared him. She was always out going, she never stopped talking, and she could make the worst situation so much better.

"Please let her be okay, I'll do anything," he didn't know if anybody would listen to him, but he had to try. "I'll change just let her get better," he ran his hands over his face, "I love her, she's my best friend, and she never lets me get away with anything,"

Caroline would call him on anything that he did. The night that Matt's mom had tried to kiss him Caroline had to be held back from punching her. He'd been walking outside to find Caroline who'd been waiting on him after he'd checked on Matt. Caroline had shown that she wasn't going to take some woman trying to hit on her man. Tyler smiled looking over at Caroline because right now it didn't seem like that at all. Lying in the bed she looked weak and like she could be gone even though she was getting better.

He still wasn't sure what had happened to him after he'd heard the code blue in the hospital. He had been sitting alone in one of the waiting rooms and then pain had shot through his body. It was mostly in his head though and he'd felt something happening to his eyes. In that moment he'd looked up at the glass window and saw them golden with amber highlights. It had freaked the hell out of him because he didn't know what had happened. He was all alone in whatever had happened, but he had Caroline to help him.

He was going to tell Caroline what was going on with him. He needed her to talk to because she was his best friend, he could talk to her about everything he needed to. He kept watching the machines beeping slowly luring him to sleep. He hadn't slept at all since they had been brought in. He had only gone home a few hours to help his mom with a few things.

He had taken off half an hour after Mason had shown up. He hadn't wanted to stay at the house so he had come back here to watch over Caroline. He had gone home to change and shower earlier in the morning only to come right back after two hours. He had no reason in going to his dad's funeral. He was gone and anything that anybody said was a lie because his dad was a dick. He was doing more good by staying here beside Caroline, where he was needed.

BTC TC TC TC TC/B

Caroline woke up a little while after he had fallen asleep smiling looking over at him. She didn't blame him for what had happened. She had grabbed the wheel trying to steer the car. She told her mom it was her fault. He had gotten sick all at once and she tried to help him stop. She couldn't let Tyler get blamed for what happened.

She sat up in the bed before going over to the mirror that hung above the sink. She didn't know how she was almost healed in a matter of hours. The doctor called it a miracle because she had died on the table. She couldn't remember much about what happened after she passed out. She remembered hearing Tyler yelling out her name before she went into the unconscious state. The next thing she knew her mom was hugging her and that had been shocking at first, but she had literally died.

"I am okay, Tyler's okay," She said in the mirror, but she didn't know what had happened when she'd died. She'd been mostly asleep when Tyler had visited her the day before. The pain meds and sleeping she had been doing because of the meds. She didn't know that her death had triggered a curse in her boyfriend. It was a curse that only one other person that was living right now had triggered in his family.

Caroline went back to her bed waiting for Tyler to wake up. She had to let him know she didn't hold him at fault. She wasn't going to break up with him just because of what happened either. Some things couldn't be helped. A freak accident wasn't on his shoulders. She started flipping through the TV channels hoping to find something on to watch.

She wanted to wake him up, but he looked exhausted so she decided it would be better to let him sleep. She wondered if he had even slept because it didn't look like he had at all. She would be glad when she could sleep in his arms again. It was where she felt the most comfortable these days.

BTC TC TC TC TC/B

"Hey sleepy head," Caroline beamed when she looked up finding Tyler awake, "You slept all day," it was almost five now, he'd shown up at ten that morning. "I ordered you some food too," She nodded towards the tray on the chair beside him. The food was actually good here and she couldn't get enough of it.

He groaned trying to straighten up since he had slept slouched over his neck was killing him, "Thanks," he didn't go for the tray though instead he got up going to her. "I'm sorry about what happened," he didn't know what was happening to him inside, but something had. "I never meant..."

"Stop," Caroline said covering his mouth with her lips. She couldn't let him keep going on because he would not be blaming himself. "I was the one who grabbed the wheel." She patted the bed moving over so he could sit with her. "I told my mom that too," She laid her head against his chest when he laid back. "Whatever happens we'll face it together," She loved him and he had saved her months ago when she went to his house. She had been in bad mood that night because of Damon. He had kept her from leaving his house after she had told him off.

Tyler wrapped his arms around her thankful that it was just his dad that was being buried. He would have lost it for sure if it was her too. He kissed the top of her head breathing in her scent, which he didn't have to be too close to her to smell. "I got you killed," he said in a low voice, "You died Caroline, I'm to blame for it, and how can I not apologize to you for that?" he asked.

"I don't want you to apologize, I grabbed the wheel to try and stop the car from crashing," she moved her hand under his shirt, "You're burning up," she said shocked at how hot his skin was under her hand.

Tyler stilled her hand before pulling it out and interlocking their fingers. He wasn't sure what to tell her because he didn't know what was going on. "Caroline a lot of stuff has happened since the crash," he let a sigh out before he filled her in on his dad's death, his Uncle coming back to town, and he told her something happened to him. "I was sitting in waiting room and pain shot through my head again," he said it was just as bad as the car before they had crashed.

BTC TC TC TC TC/B

Caroline pulled his hand to hers kissing it, "Whatever is coming the two of us are in this together like always, Tyler," she had been keeping him out of trouble just as long as he had her in last few months. She knew that his dad had died because her mom had told her, but that had been all she had known about. She didn't know why he kept getting bad pains in his head, but they would deal together. "If you try and apologize again I will hurt you though,"

Tyler laughed knowing full and well that she would do it too. "Okay, I won't, but for a little while, I'll let you do all the driving," he felt better now that he got to at least try and say he was sorry for what had happened. "How about when you get out of here I give you a massage," he wanted to do something to make up for how she felt. He knew she had to be in a lot of pain after the surgery.

"I'd really like that," Caroline said, "I should be getting out day after tomorrow," she wanted to get the hell out now, but she had just had major surgery. She wouldn't be getting out when she wanted to even if she was healing up. She was sore all over so she defiantly couldn't help herself to him. "I'm sorry that you'll never get to prove to him you are more than a black sheep," Caroline said.

"Thanks," he had never thought of it like that until now, he wasn't going to get to prove himself as anything but a failure. "You'll know," he could live with that, he could live with Caroline knowing everything that he did. He just didn't care if his dad ever knew at least not now.

"I have always known that you are a great person, Tyler, you just have to show that other side of you," Caroline closed her eyes feeling sleepy after staying up all day and watching Tyler and the TV. She had caught up on some of the reruns of some shows she'd missed. She had wanted to be awake if Tyler woke up. "Just promise me that you'll eat something so you don't end up in here,"

"I'll eat just as soon as I don't feel like I lost my stomach when I saw you on the pavement," he still felt sick as a dog just thinking about food. He had hurt his best friend and that kind of pain just wasn't going to go away. He closed his eyes he kept seeing Caroline on the road, but he had slept earlier being next to her. Right now he felt even better because he had his arms around her.

"I just wanted them to help you, you scared me so much, Tyler," Caroline said, she'd been in the car with him alone after his dad had pretty much forced them out the door of the Grill. It was the last time that either one of them had seen the former Mayor. She had got between him and Tyler when he'd grabbed him by the arm. She had known that Tyler wouldn't go home like he'd been told. One of the deputy's had called telling on them, but she'd told that deputy if he ever did it again she'd tell her mom to take his badge. She after all was the daughter of the sheriff in Mystic Falls.

She had also felt scared when she felt the pain in the body as the medics looked over Tyler. She had tried her best to hold out until she knew Tyler was okay. She had heard them saying something to do with Tyler before she passed out. She didn't even remember falling, but her entire body was aching all over. Other than that she was doing okay she thought.

"I won't scare you again," he said, but that would be a promise he couldn't keep. He had after all triggered the curse, but they would handle it together as she had said.

THE END