Title: Into the Woods

Characters/Pairing: Caroline Forbes, Tyler Lockwood

Rating: PG

AN: Spoilers through Episode2x09: Katerina.

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Caroline walked into the woods letting her thoughts run as she went in further, getting lost amongst the trees. It seemed every time she tried to be a "good" friend, she always ended up screwing over someone else.

She liked Stefan. He'd been nice to her, helped her when she needed it but Elena had been her friend for the longest time. She owed her. So she did what Elena asked and covered for her, even though Stefan saw right through her. She hated being in the middle… even resented Elena for putting her there.

So here she was, in the woods, angry and alone.

She heard the snap of twigs, freezing on the spot as she tried to zero in on her surroundings. Another snap followed and the rustle of leaves, branches. Caroline turned, taking a hold of the intruder's neck and slamming him against the bark of the nearest tree.

"Tyler?"

Tyler coughed, fought against the hold on his neck. "Could you ease up some?"

"Right. Yeah," Caroline offered, releasing her fingers from around his throat. "Sorry about that. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to sneak up on a vampire?"

"Guess that wasn't in the handbook."

"I could've snapped your neck," she huffed.

Tyler grimaced, stretching wide to crack his back. "Thanks for, you know, not. Snapping me in half, that is."

"You're welcome."

Tyler cocked an eyebrow, amused tilt to his lips. "You looked pretty deep in thought."

Caroline glared. "And what? I can't think? I'm not completely brainless, you know?" Great, could you be any more defensive here, Caroline?

"No, no." Tyler muttered. "I didn't mean it like that. You just—I thought maybe you could, I dunno. Use a friend?"

Caroline tilted her head allowing the words—the sincerity—to sink in. She smiled. "You really offering?"

"Yeah but I mean if you're into brooding by yourself. I totally get that."

"Brooding? What because I'm a vampire?" She questioned with a smirk. Tyler rubbed the back of his neck as he held her gaze and shrugged. "It's a myth." She furrowed her brow, remembering Stefan's face almost vividly. "Well at least not every vampire broods for all of eternity… uh, but then again I only know of the one—me," she corrected quickly, hoping Tyler hadn't caught her little slip-up.

"Good to know. The frown lines would suck especially cause you look so-well, you know cause you're… you," he finished lamely.

Caroline snickered. "Thanks. I think that was a compliment."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Lame, I know."

"Don't worry about it. I've heard worse," she admitted with a tight smile.

"I just feel like I'm constantly watching what I say now. How I act."

"Cause you don't want to wolf out?"

Tyler sighed. "Yeah, something like that."

Caroline nodded, understanding. She looked over the expanse of the woods—trees offering their solitude, momentary peace. She turned to Tyler, tugged at the sleeve of his jacket. "These woods are pretty big, not many people like to walk them when it starts getting dark but I think the two of us don't really have much to be afraid of here… I mean, if you're up to walking them with me."

"Yeah, uh—sure." The corner of his lip turned up into half a smile. "Got nothing better to do, right?"

"Let's just hope you can keep up, Lockwood."

Tyler chuckled but he didn't respond. Caroline smiled in return, letting the rest of the day's events flow away from her instead focusing solely on tonight—walking with Tyler and not having to worry about anything else.

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