A/N: so when I'm not thinking about deoline I'm thinking of forewood my fav couples and this is what my mind came up with one night. I hope you like it!
Tyler Lockwood loves Caroline. The story is as old as time and yet so new that it's not even funny. She comes back to Mystic Falls broken and tired and so lost that he hurts for her. She tries to blow it off says nothing is wrong; "I'm fine Ty really. So please stop worrying." she blows him off with a soft pat on the cheek and a smile that is so her that its not. Not really. He can see through it see the pain that bubbles just under the surface. Something hurt her real bad while she was away and he couldn't help but think it had to be that damn Dean Winchester. If he had never come into their lives then she would be fine she wouldn't be this broken and sloppily glued back together imitation of Caroline.
Caroline would disagree of course. But then that would set off the argument of the fucking century. Because he sees it he sees how she acts since she came back from him. She drinks. Oh she hides it really well thinks no one notices that she comes into work a little drunk and her eyes are unfocused her nose slightly red and a dumb goofy grin plastered on her face. A grin meant to make people see what they wanted to see. But every time he walked into The Grill and saw her walking around in her low slung jeans and long sleeve shirt saw her walking around with confidence he knows she doesn't have right now he felt his heart drop a little every time.
Wanna know how he knows all this? Well here it is he's about to drop his dirty little secret that to be frank only Caroline knew about. Back when he was in school when his dad had just died and his mom was cold as ice he started drinking. It was just a few times a week nothing much but then it turned into an all the time thing he started lying and pretending that everything was okay when it so wasn't. He had been so close to the edge then. Quite literally actually.
He had been standing on the edge of the old quarry looking down into the rock bed that had a little lake in it. Well it wasn't so little. It was pretty damn deep. He stood there looking into the greenish water hoping for it to just come up and wash him away and into oblivion. He wanted to die wanted to just disappear. The bottle he held hung loosely in his fingers and just before he took that step over the edge do you know who saved him? Who kept him from taking that final deadly leap? Yup it was Caroline she found him like she was some bright and shiny personal angel.
She talked him down from that ledge and gave him something to live for. He thinks it was then that he fell in love with her now that is neither here nor there. What is…is that he's fairly certain she was heading for the same melt down that he had been. But Caroline is different than he was. Hell she different than the person she used to be. She's all hard edges and sad eyes and throaty whispers. The new change in her is what made Elena murmur this one night, "To bad her and Damon didn't work out they would have been great together." But it also made Bonnie add, "Mhm and if you hadn't noticed Elena she already had that once. Kinda the reason she's in this boat."
Tyler didn't know shit about Dean fucking Winchester except that he was the world's biggest dick for hurting Caroline like he did. And ya know he felt completely alone in his total dislike for the man. Caroline hero worshiped the guy Elena thought he was some good guy out battling evil like he was some freaking cop or something. And Bonnie…well when she wasn't mooning over Jeremy she was mooning over that Dean's brother Sam. So they were no help at all and couldn't they just see that she was falling in on herself that she was slowly killing herself everyday.
Couldn't they…why wouldn't they help her? He would learn of course why they hadn't helped her it was because Caroline didn't want to be helped. See as she saw it her world was over. It wasn't not by a long shot. Tyler saw her living a life in a house with a picket fence and a little girl on her hip. And no he wasn't imagining that it was his little girl. Okay so he was sue him already didn't he just say he loved the damn stubborn woman for all that she was.
Just like any other night he slides into a booth he's blessedly alone to watch Caroline and he's beginning to think he's some damn stalker or something. She walks the walk of person that is okay with herself a person that isn't fighting some major ass inner demons but he knows differently. Also knows she's been drinking tonight. The slight wobble in her step the way her eyes are a bit glassy and the red tint to her cheeks tells him what he needs to know. But he can tell there's something different about tonight. And he thinks she just might be heading for that melt down.
The Grill closes up for the night and he hangs back waiting to talk to her but she ignores him. Chooses instead to go behind the bar and grab a bottle of dark liquor. What's with that anyhow? Seriously when you wanted to party you go for vodka or tequila. But when you're ready to go off the deep end you always seem to grab the whiskey. She takes the back way up to the roof and he follows her. He's become such a regular during her shifts that the bartender doesn't even question him.
Caroline is so tired so unbelievably tired and everybody just wants to crowed her asking if she's okay, how you doing everything okay. Like it's on fucking repeat. Of course she has never told anyone the real reason why she was back here in Mystic Falls. They all thought that whatever was between her and Dean was over that they just made a break of it and the only thing she was mourning was a death of a relationship. It was so much more than that. But the only person who knew any of that was Damon.
She had done so good keeping her secret personal hell locked inside her heart. Even with all the drinking she (and yes she's admitting to drinking too much) was able to keep the lid on all the nasty little details. But then one night with Damon they were drinking (shocker) not really talking but just being quiet. She had chosen Damon first because frankly he reminded her of Dean but that became an ever increasing problem. Then he looked at her really looked at her and she had told him everything. Starting with Sam dying Dean selling his soul and then the mad dash to save Dean's life that ended in absolute failure. She told him along with Sam she had watched Dean be torn to shreds.
Watched as the hell hound ripped into his body and the screams oh god she even told him about the screams that still haunt her. He stood up walked over to her and handed her a glass full of bourbon she downed it one gulp. "I am sorry for you loss Caroline." She had broken then more than she wanted to she was very willing to go on like she had to hide it all and lie. That's all she knows how to do anymore is lie. And she thought that Damon would go on letting her live that lie. But boy had she been wrong.
Not long after Damon she started dating Matt. He was different. Different than Damon than Dean except that he wasn't he reminded her of those sweet moments that she and Dean shared on occasion. She really wanted to keep things up with Matt wanted to hold him close and remember that life…that life could be good. And for a while it was. No more nightmares no more waking up and screaming the house down. Or waking up unable to breath.
With Matt she could breathe something she hasn't been able to do in weeks. But that had to end when one night she dreamt of Dean his hand on hers, his lips touching hers. She could feel that fire that rolled through her like a brush fire scorching everything in its wake. Too soon she woke up the memory of his breath still lingering on her neck.
How was she expected to go on like this how could she be expected to go on living? She climbed the stair to the rod only vaguely aware of Tyler behind her. He worried about her and she felt guilt burning in her gut he shouldn't worry about this broken thing she had become he should be going after girls that could give him what he wanted. Someone that could love him with everything they had. She couldn't do that anymore she couldn't be that person for him. She burst through the door the cool air brushing against her face lifting her hair in a gentle caress. Tears stung her eyes as she cracked open the bottle and wondered over to the edge. What would it be like to fall?
"Caroline?" Tyler murmured from behind her. She didn't answer just kept looking down at the ground she had a moment of déjà vu. There was a time not that long ago in the grand scheme of things when she had been where Tyler is and Tyler had been the one looking over the edge just waiting for that savior to come along and save him. Was it her turn could he save her now? She needed it, needed someone to save her to bring her back to life could that person be Tyler? She felt his warm hand circle her wrist gentle but firm. "Don't go there Care…we need you. Hell…I…I need you." her tears fell quickly and she just wanted them to stop. She just wanted to stop hurting.
"I'm not…" she pauses and rips her hand away from him, "I'm not perfect Ty I've done things," deep breaths now she licks her bottom lip tasting her own tears, "…things I'm not proud of…" she trailed off because this list is so long and he might as well sit down and listen. "Oh shut up!" she whirls around to look at him. His harsh words like sharp knives cut her deep this was Tyler he was the only one who understood, he understood and he didn't judge. "Caroline Forbes you are the single most…" He pauses to bring himself closer to her and she can feel his warmth radiating from him. God he could warm her all the way to her ice covered core. "Caroline, you'll always be perfect to me. Sure you're a bit broken but…let me do for you what you did for me." He whispered his warm breath tickled her cheek he brought his hand to cup her trembling jaw. "Let me help you put yourself back together."
Three months later…
He smiled as he pretended not to notice her trying to sneak up on him (werewolf senses and all that) it was amazing what a change a few short weeks had brought about. Caroline laughed again she smiled and the best thing of all? Well…she danced again. He loved her more now than he ever thought possible and he thought that she might be getting there to. Her breath tickled the back of his neck as she pressed her chest against his back and slid her knees on either side of his hips. She covered his eyes and with a breathy whisper she asked, "Guess who?" he pretended to ponder that a moment. "Cheryl? No she doesn't wear pear scented perfume…Melissa?" she slapped his shoulder with a slim hand. "Very funny wolf boy!" letting out a squeal of laughter as he turned on her and tossed her to the bed she smiled up at him.
"Oh Care, its you!" her smile grew; she caressed his cheek the touch conveying what words could never say. "I…aw fuck Caroline I think I love you." there he had said it was out in the open. He was in love with the stubborn woman she made his heart soar. Her smile turned soft and a bit gushy -she was Caroline after all. "I…think I love you to Tyler." she wasn't whole yet there were still parts that were broken a few missing pieces that would never be found. He understood that because he understood why she was broken in the first place. But he'll be there to catch her if she fall's again. She wrapped her legs around his waist bringing him closer to her. He wondered how he got so lucky.