I actually wrote this before the episode aired, but I was surprised by how close this was to what actually happened. I still prefer my version better. Though I'll admit the writers (who own TVD unlike sad, lowly me) did the reaction to the ring moment better.

This was not how Caroline Forbes had pictured her death. Back when she was a human, she'd imagined passing peacefully away in the grand master bedroom of some giant Civil War era mansion while holding the hand of her aged yet still handsome and dignified husband. Generations of their attractive offspring would weep and hold each other at their great loss. After she had become a vampire, she imagined a million different scenarios. Perhaps after thousands of years she would simply become bored with life, take off her ring and step into the sunlight. Perhaps some clever vampire hunter would catch her unawares and stake her unceremoniously.

As things stood now, it seemed the latter scenario was pretty close to the truth. Though never in her worst nightmares had Caroline thought her own father would be the vampire hunter to do it. When her father had first opened that door, she was elated. Suddenly a man who had never appeared much in her life was there to save her. However, she realized something was wrong when, instead of freeing her, he slowly began to circler her with a perplexed look on his face. From there, Caroline had endured hours of torture her father insistently claimed would "fix" her. Yet after injecting her with dose after dose of some vervain-laced concoction that made her whole body sear with pain, she knew she was still a vampire. She still felt the thirst for blood, the superhuman strength, the heightened senses.

"Dad, please listen to me," Caroline managed to choke out, her voice rough and feeble from so many hours spent screaming in agony. "Dad, please, whatever you've done to change me back hasn't worked, but I'm still your daughter. Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I'm a monster. I can survive without human blood. I can live my life exactly as before—I just have a different diet."

Caroline had added this last part hoping to show her father she was still the same light-hearted girl she had always been. But her father's face did not even show the hint of a smile. In fact, much to Caroline's horror, his face betrayed no emotion at all. His gaze was just as steely as when he had first walked into the room.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," he said with resignation.

"What are you going to do?" Caroline whispered.

"You see that?" he asked as he gestured toward a wooden door in the ceiling. "I'm going to open it up and let the sunlight in."

For a moment, Caroline could not respond, but she began to weep as she understood what he meant.

"Dad, please!" she screamed. "That will kill me. I'm still your daughter, Dad, please don't do this," she begged. Suddenly, she had an idea. She looked into his eyes and said in a firm voice, "you will let me go and stop hurting me."

Rather than follow her orders, he smiled sadly and said, "you don't really think I haven't been taking vervain since I was a child do you? And don't think I don't know what that ring on your hand does either," he added and grabbed Caroline's hand. She tried to resist, but her father injected the vervain serum into the back of her hand. Once he forced the ring off her finger, he placed it on a table far from Caroline's reach.

"Now hold still," he said coldly, " I want to give you one last treatment." At that, he plunged a needle full of the vervain serum into Caroline's heart. She screamed as the fire spread through her body.

So this was it, she thought. This was how she was going to die. She had made so many plans for eternity, plans she would never get to live. She would never get to plan Bonnie and Jeremy's wedding. She would never be able to make sure Elena stayed a human no matter so she could live the normal life Caroline could not. She would never get to repay Stefan for helping her by bringing him back to himself when he finally escaped Klaus. She'd never get to compel the lucky girl who married Matt to never cheat on him. She'd never be Prom Queen. She would never get to see the world. Damn it, she'd never even get to see the last season of One Tree Hill.

And Tyler…she'd never get to figure out what she really wanted from their relationship. She had felt the attraction to him for weeks, but there had been so many reasons to deny it. Matt already hated her, she didn't want to make it worse by dating his best friend. And they were so dangerous for each other. Nature had made them enemies and no amount of love was going to change that. One bite was all it would take on either side. He would never mean to do it, but if something went wrong during the transformation—a snapped chain, her hesitating a second too long just to stay close to him—that would be it for her. She wouldn't want to leave Tyler with that burden.

As Caroline thought of all the full moons she would miss, she abruptly realized she had missed her first the night before. Somehow the thought was even more painful than all the other loss she felt. Had he gotten through it okay? Had he looked for her in the morning and felt betrayed when she wasn't there to hold him like she always did? Where was he now? Did he even know she was missing? Did he even care…? Tyler hadn't cared when the werewolves tortured her, maybe he would feel the same way considering his mother was involved. He didn't come then, maybe he wouldn't have come for her now.

If only she could see him one more time. When she had snuck out of his bed the other night, she thought it might be best if they never saw each other again. It had been too passionate. Their need for each other had been overwhelming, insatiable. It was as if they couldn't get close enough to each other. When she woke up, Caroline was nuzzled against Tyler's neck, her hand lay on his chest and his arm was wrapped around her waist. She had left then because she knew they were starting to need each other too much and after that night, they would need each other even more. Leaving was best for both of them. She could pretend it was all a drunken mistake and he could run back to Slutty Sophie.

Now she would give anything to see him one last time, just to make sure he knew that she really did care about him. She had factored in being with Tyler for every full moon for the rest of his life into all of her plans. As horrible as it was to watch powerless as Tyler transformed, Caroline wished more than anything to spend just one more full moon with him.

"Well, it's time," her father said at last. He walked over to a chain on the wall and paused for a moment to look at Caroline one last time. Then he let out a sigh and let the sunlight in.

Just as Caroline began to feel her skin catch fire, she heard someone yell, "No!" and felt her chair being shoved against the wall. It took her a moment to realize that Tyler was crouched beside her, still pressing the chair against the wall as if it would move back into the sunlight if he let go. Before Caroline could say anything, Tyler flew at her father and pinned him against the wall.

"How could you?" Tyler roared. "She's your daughter!"

"She's a vampire, son. She doesn't deserve to live," Caroline's father replied calmly. Tyler's eyes became golden and his body tensed with rage.

"I'm going to kill you!" Tyler yelled and pulled back his fist.

"Tyler, stop!" Caroline screamed. Tyler's fist hovered in the air, poised to pummel her father. He turned to look at her—still keeping one hand on her father's neck—and the gold began to fade from his eyes.

"Tyler, get Caroline out of here. I'll handle him," Sheriff Forbes said as she walked through the door, her gun pointed squarely at her ex-husband.

"You're making a mistake, Liz," Caroline's father said. "She's not our daughter anymore."

"Shut up, Bill," the Sheriff responded.

Tyler gave Mr. Forbes one last shove and walked toward Caroline. He knelt down and tore through her constraints.

"Can you walk?" he asked, brow furrowed with concern. Caroline tried to stand and felt her knees quickly buckle beneath her, but just as quickly, she felt Tyler scoop her up in his arms.

"Where's her ring?" Tyler asked. Caroline's father only clenched his jaw in response.

"Over there on the table," Caroline gestured feebly. Tyler placed Caroline on the table and grabbed the ring. He took Caroline's hand in his and slid the ring on her finger, all the while staring intently into her eyes. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and picked her up again. He carried her up the stairs and straight to his car, where he placed her in the front seat. On his way to the driver's seat, he opened the trunk and grabbed something. When he opened the door, he had a blood bag in his hand.

"Here," he said softly. Caroline took the bag and drank it down in seconds. Already she felt better.

"Thanks," she said shyly. She always felt awkward drinking blood in front of him. When she turned toward him, he was staring straight ahead with a frown on his face.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you," he said with pain in his voice.

"What? Tyler, no. Thank you for finding me. You…." Caroline's voice trailed off. Before her father had opened that door, all she wanted was one more minute with Tyler, but now she didn't know what to say. She moved to put her hand on Tyler's cheek, but the moment their skin touched he flinched and pulled away. Caroline drew back her hand, stung by his rejection.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"I don't think we can be friends anymore," Tyler said softly, all the while staring straight ahead.

"Why?"

"It's too dangerous, Caroline."

"Tyler, I would never hurt you and I know you would never hurt me on purpose," she said reassuringly.

"But that's just it, I'm not the only one, Caroline" he said as he slammed his fists on the steering wheel. "You've been tortured twice now because of me. And both times I couldn't stop someone from hurting you. I barely got my Mom to tell me where you were. I don't think she ever would have told me if I hadn't made her watch me transform. I won't keep putting you in danger just to be with you. I might not be able to save you next time."

"You let your Mom see you transform?" Caroline asked stunned. She had never seen Tyler so emotional. He cared for her so much. She reached out her hand again and slowly ran her fingers through his hair and brought her hand to rest on his cheek. Tyler closed his eyes and placed his hand over hers. He brought her palm to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss.

"It doesn't matter, Tyler," Caroline said with conviction. "You came after me; you saved my life. That's all that matters. Neither of us is ever going to let the other get hurt. No matter who tries to hurt us, we have each other."

Tyler finally turned to look at her and the tenderness in his gaze took Caroline's breath away. He placed his hands on the sides of her face, softly kissed her and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I missed you when I woke up this morning," he said softly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I never wanted to let you go through that alone," Caroline said sadly.

"Well, just as long as you never miss one again, I'll forgive you this time," Tyler said with a smile. Caroline let out a breathy laugh.

"I promise."