"Pre"

Three days had passed.

Three.

Caroline had managed to put Klaus' gifts in a box in her closet, hidden away.

Only to take them back out merely hours later.

Truth was, she was going crazy.

Couldn't someone choose for her?

She spent the days in her pajamas.

If she wore glasses, she'd probably have them on.

Her hair was just flat and down.

A mess.

Caroline perused out of her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She stopped in the living room.

The tree was gone.

"Mom?" She yelled, looking around the room to see that all the Christmas decorations were already put away.

"Yes, Caroline?" Her mom yelled back from her bedroom.

"Where's the Christmas tree?"

"Oh, that thing? I threw it away."

Caroline felt a wave of panic, "Why?"

Liz strolled out of her room, running her hands through her wet hair, "Because Caroline, the leaves were starting to fall off." She looked at Caroline as if she was crazy, "It was dying. I put it out for the trash man to take it."

In a flash, Caroline was in the front yard, by the mail box, picking up the potted plant.

"Okay. That should do it." She mumbled, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Caroline knelt the shovel against the side of her house.

"Starting your resolutions early?"

Caroline turned around, startled by the voice.

She smiled, "Stefan, hey!"

The friends embraced.

"How was your Christmas?" Caroline asked.

Stefan shrugged, "Better than last year."

"Good." Caroline nodded, truly meaning it,

Stefan smiled, "It was pretty interesting." He said coyly, scratching his cheek.

Caroline silently watched him. What was he not telling her?

Stefan sighed and then remembered his original question, "What're you doing out here?"

Caroline blushed, "Well, I got this tree as a…sort of Christmas present."

Stefan thumbed one of the leaves, "Is this a pear tree?"

Caroline laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I figured it'd probably do better outside. I tried to find the best place with the right amount sun…but I'm not sure if it'll make it through the winter."

"I'm not a botanist, really, but if it does die, I'm sure it'll come back. That's how most seasonal plants work."

Caroline nodded, looking at her sad little pear tree, wilting by the second.

Stefan put his hand on her shoulder, "You did what you could for now, give it until spring, then we'll take action from there." He shook her lightly, "Come on, kid, let's go inside so you can tell me everything I missed."

"Oh." Caroline said quickly, "I wouldn't want to bore you about that. Nothing really happened. Really."

Stefan looked at her skeptically, but then decided to let it go.

Caroline shuffled up to her door and heard her mom making breakfast in the kitchen.

Liz would surely blab about the "Christmas adventure with Klaus."

Caroline paused with her hand on the door knob.

"What?" Stefan asked of her.

Caroline slowly turned around, "Actually, did you get invited to the Mikaelson New Year's thing?"

Stefan nodded, "Yeah, there was an invitation on my door."

"Mine too. Why do they always do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine..."

Caroline shook her head, "Well, I need to pick out something to wear; do you want to just like…go to the mall with me?"

Stefan's face remained stoic, "Isn't that something you'd do with your girl friends?"

"But, Bonnie's still gone and Elena's….Elena…"

Stefan checked his watch, "Okay, I have a couple hours-"

"Until what?" Caroline asked, her eyes narrowing, "Since when do you have plans?"

"Since I just do, Caroline!" Stefan laughed, "Stop being so nosey." Stefan smiled as he stuffed his hands into his pocket and started walking to the car.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Caroline exclaimed.

"The mall?"

"I'm not ready yet!" She said, looking down at her dirt stained hands, "Give me like, ten minutes." She said hurriedly, disappearing into her house.

Caroline sat with Stefan in the food court.

Her shopping bags took up the seat next to her.

"This isn't like, a ball ball, like last time, right?" She asked nervously, toying with the sweet and sour chicken with a chopstick.

Stefan took a sip out of his water bottle, "No, I was told it was just going to be a party…something about a New York theme."

"Who told you that?" Caroline asked skeptically.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak and then closed it, "Klaus." He said finally.

Caroline almost choked, "You've talked to Klaus since you've been back?"

Stefan shrugged, "Just once or twice."

Caroline suddenly was very quiet.

She pushed her food around her plate in the silence.

"Did he say anything about…you know, me?" She asked shyly.

Stefan studied her, and then shook his head, "But we didn't really talk about you either."

"Oh, right, of course." Caroline waved him off quickly, "I mean, why would you? It's not like I like him or anything. It's not like we hung out every day for the past two weeks."

Stefan scowled at her and pursed his lips together.

Caroline sighed, "Whatever Stefan, now's not the time for your serious vampire look."

Stefan's face relaxed, "I'm just concerned. What about Tyler?"

Caroline looked down at her food stubbornly, "What about him? Have you heard from him lately? Because it's been a while."

Stefan's frowned returned, obviously in disapproval.

Caroline rolled her eyes before Stefan could council her, "Look, it's nothing. Really. And wasn't it you that admitted that maybe he wasn't that much different than us?"

"Yeah, but I didn't really think you'd take that as, "Oh-em-gee, Klaus is like, boyfriend materiel."

"Okay, seriously? I don't sound like that."

A/N: WHY was Stefan being so secretive? WHAT is Caroline going to do with her feelings for Klaus? WHAT IS THIS INSANITY ABOUT A MIKAELSON NEW YEAR'S PARTY!?

Find out tomorrow, because I update daily like a lunatic! Hopefully everyone that followed "12 Days" is following this...that would suck...for them...ha.

Is anyone else kind of really looking forward to Safe Haven?

I'm a Nicholas Sparks junkie…..

But, seriously, Lissie's 'Go Your Own Way', the song from the preview, gives me hardcore feels. I've been obsessed with it.