Trusting Elizabeth Forbes had to be one of the stupidest things that Caroline Forbes had ever done. And that was saying something. She'd made a lot of mistakes in her life, everyone did, but perhaps her more than most people. Her problem was that she trusted people too easily, liked to believe that there was good in everybody if you just gave them a chance, then another and then another. Eventually it always ended the same, she got hurt and they got one up on her. You'd think that she would have learned from her mistakes. No such luck.
Slowly she felt herself wake up, blinking rapidly against the bright light, still feeling groggy as she licked her lips. Vervain. Hug your mother and what do you get? Injected full of vervain. She was about to try and sit up when strong hands rested on her shoulders, keeping her down with a gentleness she wouldn't have granted them with.
"Easy there, Caroline." The voice soothed, she felt a shift in weight as they got closer, moving the mattress beneath her. When she eventually managed to open her eyes properly she saw Tyler Lockwood looking down at her with concern-filled eyes. This time when she tried to get up her helped her, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her upright.
"Tyler? What happened? Where am I?" The blonde frowned a little in confusion as she looked around the room, she was lying on a bed with crisp white sheets, the walls were blue and there were random clothes, magazines, books and other objects strewn around messily. It could only be his room, nobody else could manage this level of controlled chaos.
"You're at mine Care, your mom knocked you out with vervain and I was passing by. Are you feeling alright?" He brushed a piece of hair from her face, the same concern etched on his face, she knew that there was no point in lying to him, he knew her to well for her to be able to lie to him. So she just shook her head instead, the tears already beginning to well in her eyes. Her mother had betrayed her, again. She had thought that she'd accepted her for what she was finally, but apparently not.
Before she could open her mouth he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her to his chest and leaning his head on hers, meaningless yet soothing words being whispered against her hair as she cried silently against him.
That night he didn't move her, he hardly moved himself, just pulled up the blanket over both of them and fell asleep with her. Taking care of her for a change. His Caroline.