Title: Dreaming With A Broken Heart
Author: Carly
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Caroline/Klaus (and Caroline/'Tyler' for plot reasons)
Spoilers: Up to the end of Season 3
Rating/Warnings: T for now
Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.
Summary: Caroline has no idea what she's in for when 'Tyler' returns to town.
Notes: My first TVD fic, thanks to the allure of Caroline & Klaus. To keep true to Caroline's character, there's going to be a fair amount of Caroline & Tyler too (or should I say "Tyler"), but Caroline & Klaus is where my heart lies. Hope you enjoy!


Caroline nudged her empty glass across the counter. "Another drink barkeep."

"I'm pretty sure you've had enough vodka for tonight, Care," said Matt gently, flicking a dishcloth over his shoulder.

"Who resigned and made you the alcohol police?" she retorted with a slight slur, resting her head on her hand. "Just one more… Please?"

"Look, you may have my boss compelled to turn the other way, but if the real police show up they're going to wonder why you're so wasted off all this 'water' I've been giving you."

"Then I'll just compel them too," she shrugged.

"Oh it's that easy, huh?" said Matt, leaning on the counter to meet her gaze. "So your mom and the rest of the cops aren't on vervain anymore?"

Caroline stared at him, hating the way the corner of his mouth was twitching into a smile. "Shut up, Matt," she sighed. "Why can't you just be a normal bartender who only worries about his tip jar? Or at least, like, one of those fancy ones from Cocktail who can do tricks."

"You've seen my tricks, remember?" he smiled. "Broken whiskey bottles ringing any bells? That's where most of my tip money went."

She batted her eyelashes. "And I will tip you more if you bring me more vodka."

"I'm lucky they let me serve here in the first place, OK," he implored. "Don't make it harder on me." He attempted another smile. "I mean, how else am I supposed to save up for a new truck?"

Caroline caught the fragile undertones in his voice and reached out her fingers to carefully touch the scar near his right temple. "Does it still hurt?" she asked quietly.

Matt let her hand linger for a few seconds before pulling away and standing up straight. "I think it always will," he murmured.

"Her choice would have been the same every time," said Caroline gently, fiddling with a charm on her bracelet. "You know that, right?"

He slowly nodded. "It doesn't make the guilt any easier though." Shoulders sagging with defeat, Matt grabbed two shot glasses and filled them both with vodka. He downed one before handing the other to Caroline. "Have you heard from Elena?"

Caroline threw back the shot and wiped her mouth. "Briefly. She gave me the 'I'm fine' spiel, but there's nothing fine about adjusting to fangs, believe me."

"At least she's got Jeremy and the Salvatores with her at the cabin while she's working through everything. That's got to count for something, right?"

"I hope so. I told Stefan to keep me posted." Caroline held out her shot glass with a hopeful look. "One more for the road?"

Matt took the glass from her but put it straight into the sink. Cleaning his hands on the cloth, he strode around the counter to stand in front of her. "It's been almost three weeks, Care. Is this really how you're going to keep spending your nights?"

She felt the sudden onslaught of tears threating to spill down her face. "What else am I supposed to do, Matt?" she said, voice cracking. "Elena's gone, Bonnie's acting weird and barely returning my calls, you're working around the clock and Tyler…" she swallowed hard. "For some stupid, shitty reason we're all still alive and he's not, so yeah, this is how I'm spending my nights." Before she could break down entirely, she felt her body being enveloped in a hug.

"It's going to get better. I promise," said Matt, giving her a squeeze.

Caroline leant back and dabbed at her eyes. "The only promise I want to hear is our pinky promise," she sniffed, trying to maintain a serious edge in light of the childish gesture.

Humoring her, Matt looped his pinky with hers. "Stay safe and see you in the morning," they recited together. It had been a ritual initiated by Caroline the first time she saw Matt in the hospital after the accident. She couldn't afford to think about losing any more people in her life.

"Do you want me to finish up early and walk you home?" he asked.

"No, I'm OK. You stay and get that tip jar full."

He motioned around the nearly empty bar. "I'm sure to be a millionaire."

Caroline picked up her denim jacket. "Oh yeah," she joked. "You've got a beautiful future ahead of you." The familiar words caught in her throat and she hurried out of the building, blurting out a goodbye to Matt on the way. Caroline stumbled across the road from the Mystic Grill as fast as she could, not trusting her super speed amidst the cloud of alcohol currently fogging her brain.

You've got a beautiful future ahead of you. You're strong. I'm a lost cause.

"Oh God, please don't," she whimpered to herself, finding a bench to sit down on. "Just switch off for one night, please." Caroline rested her head in her hands, willing her thoughts to cooperate. Taking a few deep breaths she tried to clear her mind but instead was distracted by a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Like someone was watching her. Tensing, Caroline slowly lowered her hands, ready to attack if need be. After Alaric had screwed things up with the council, Bonnie had worked her magic on them to make them forget everything they'd been told. But Caroline knew nothing could ever be one hundred per cent foolproof, especially in this town, so she was on constant alert.

Spinning around, Caroline half-expected someone to be aiming a stake at her, but there was no sign of anyone. The hairs on her neck kept bristling, though, and one single, stupid thought entered her mind. "Tyler?" she called out in a small voice. The only response was the wind rustling through the trees. Scolding herself for being so ridiculous, Caroline folded her arms and began the walk home.


Aside from feeling aimless, there was another reason Caroline stayed out every night as late as she could. It was just another way to stave off the dreams she'd been having. But no matter what, she always found herself falling into fitful bouts of sleep where there was one ever-present figure dancing around her subconscious.

The secret, most shameful part, though, was that deep down, no matter how much she protested, she was grateful when the dreams eventually lured her away from reality.

Caroline sat on an embankment staring out at the swimming hole, wriggling her toes in the dirt and grass. She felt someone settle down beside her and didn't need to look to know whom it was.

"Hello, love," said Klaus, drawing up one knee and resting his forearms on it. He smiled when he was met with no response. "Business as usual then?"

"It would appear so," said Caroline, not turning her head.

He gazed out at the lake, watching the water shimmer in the sunlight. "You know, there are plenty of other bodies of water a thousand times more majestic than this."

"I know."

"And yet you keep dreaming about such common things."

"It's not common, it's home," she snapped. "My friends and I swim here every summer… Or at least we used to." She plucked a handful of grass and let it fall through her fingers. "It may not be a gorgeous beach in Greece or a waterfall made out of unicorn tears or whatever, but it still means something to me."

"My apologies, sweetheart."

"Just… save it." She closed her eyes, briefly counting to ten before opening them. When she did she found herself sitting on her roof at home, Klaus still right by her side.

He noticed her peering up at the night sky. "Hoping to make a wish?"

"Wishes belong in fairy tales," she muttered darkly. "Not my crap heap of a life."

"It's your dream, Caroline, you can do anything you like."

"And here I am spending it with you." She shook her head. "Well done, Caroline, another awesome life choice right there."

Klaus contemplated her. "Why is it you conjure my company when I'm sure there are others you deem more worthy of your time?"

She finally met his gaze. "Because it hurts too much." Caroline lay back on the cool tiles, hugging her arms to her chest. "I can't dream up happy scenarios with people I care about when the reality is too harsh to face."

"So you have a non-entity like me instead." A flicker of hurt passed through Klaus's eyes, before his cool demeanour returned. "Why even have me here at all?"

Caroline felt a tear slip down her cheek. "It's either that or be alone," she whispered, hating the sympathy she saw etched on his features.

Klaus started to reach out his hand to brush away her tear before thinking better of it, dropping his arm to his side. "I know all too well what that's like," he replied in a husky voice.

They fell silent, staring up at the endless skyline. It didn't surprise Caroline to see that all the stars had disappeared.


Her alarm clock startled her awake at 7am with some loud pop song she probably would have sang along to not that long ago. But now it took all her willpower not to smash the clock through her bedroom wall. Caroline flicked the off switch and stretched her limbs, freezing when she felt the familiar prickling sensation up the back of her neck. Twice last night was bad enough, but three times sent off alarm bells in her mind. Scrambling out of bed she threw on some sweatpants and sneakers over her pyjamas and sped downstairs towards the front door. Something was drawing her towards that spot. Praying she wasn't about to get decapitated by some immortal – or mortal – being, Caroline opened the door and nearly screamed when she saw the person crumpled on her doorstep.

"Tyler?" she shrieked, kneeling down to cradle his head in her lap. "Tyler is that really you? Oh my God, please be real. Please be real," she cried, feeling her body shaking.

With a sharp jolt, Tyler's eyes suddenly sprang open. "Caroline?" he croaked, trying to sit up. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Oh my God, Tyler!" She held him closer. "I thought you were dead!" she sobbed. "What happened to you in the cellar? Where the hell have you been?"

Tyler struggled into a sitting position and gazed into her eyes. "I have no idea."


Bonnie's eyes remained fixated on the crystal hovering over the map on her bedroom desk. She'd spelled it as a way to keep track of Klaus, who had been maintaining his distance a few towns over, until last night when Bonnie noticed he'd been hanging around Mystic Falls once more. And now he appeared to be in the one place he wasn't supposed to be – at Caroline's house. Frowning, Bonnie grabbed her car keys and headed for the door.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Klaus," she said through gritted teeth. "But this wasn't part of the plan."

Continued…