Caroline loves Alaric because he's always there for her. Is no more complicated than that one sentence.

When Matt sits with Ella Tate at lunch, Alaric lets her eat with him in his classroom. When her mother turns her away immediately after graduation, he lets her stay at his place with him. When Tyler leaves to travel the world in search of other new werewolves to help them through the process, Alaric takes her on her own mini-trip through Europe for three weeks.

He is the one that helps her deal with her cravings when the come about. He is the one that tells her she is not useless when she is left out of the plans to rescue Stefan. he is the one that helps her decide what to do when she comes to the decision to leave Mystic Falls. Above all, it is always he who lets her sleep next to him at night when she has nightmares about abusive vampires, werewolf attacks, sacrifices, or any of her other fears.

She asks him to come with her to Yale and he agrees. They tell Damon and Elena and Bonnie it's for moral support, but they're both aware of how far beyond support they've gone.

She has never kissed him, and he's done little more than hold her while she cries. "I promise I will never hurt you, Caroline," he whispers one night before they both fall asleep.

"I know," she whispers back.

She believes him with all that she has, but she doesn't tell him she is almost certain she will hurt him instead.