Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.

Slight spoilers for 4x14: Down the Rabbit Hole

She sat on the swing, shoulders slumped and staring dejectedly at the wooden panels of the Gilbert's front porch. She didn't look up as she heard Tyler pull up in the driveway, she didn't look when he shut the car off. She didn't look as he made his way up the stairs towards her.

It wasn't until she saw Tyler's shoes standing toe to toe with her boots that she looked up at him with teary eyes.

He gave her a small, tight-lipped and sad smile before he turned on his heel and headed to the door.

"Wha..? No, Tyler you need to go. Run. Get away from here…he's just given you a head start."

"Don't worry. Just…I just need to say something to him."

"Tyler…."

He flashed over to her and took Caroline's face in her hands, the pads of his thumbs running over her tear streaked cheeks. "It's going to be fine," he said with a gentle, reassuring smile before turning back to the door. Tyler smiled at her again as he pulled the door open, only breaking eye contact when he passed through the threshold, pulling the door around behind him.

"I thought you'd be running for the hills by now," Klaus drawled.

Tyler couldn't see him from where he stood on the safe side of the barrier and he was left with no choice but to take a deep breath and cross over into the Original's territory. "Oh, I will be. Don't worry, I won't inconvenience you with my presence for much longer…not like you have anything better to do locked in here like a wolf at the zoo," he said, coming to stand beside the couch Klaus was reclined on.

"Mind you manners, Lockwood. I've momentarily spared your life because of Caroline. Do not make change my mind for me. I'd hate for the last thing she'd ever hear from you to be your agonizing screams as I yank your ungrateful heart from your chest ever so slowly," the Original growled.

"Actually, she's the reason I'm here."

Klaus raised his eyebrows questioningly as Tyler took a seat on the coffee table.

"Look, I'm not here to goad you anymore. I'm here, man to man, and I'm going to talk so if you want to listen, fine. If you don't, I don't really care but seeing as this is about Caroline I would hope you'd pay attention."

Klaus rolled his eyes and chuckled. "As you so courteously pointed out, I have nothing better to do so, by all means. The stage is yours, mate," Klaus said, motioning to the floor in front of the leather sofa.

"I love Caroline. I've always known her but until I got sucked into this supernatural hellhole, I never treated her the way she deserves to be treated. It wasn't until she came into my life and helped me deal with this stuff that I saw her for the caring person she is. She sat with me during my first transition and hasn't left my side yet."

"How touching. However, I really have no interest in your love story with the lovely Caroline."

"All I'm trying to say is that she's special. She's good. She's the most important thing in my life and I want the best for her. I don't know what happened last night and I don't know what kind of bargain she made with you for me, Klaus, but I'm not going to pretend I can even take you down without people behind me. I get that if you ever catch up with me, I'll be dead before I can blink. But, if that's the case I want… I need you to do something for me."

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking me any favors. I've already granted you a head start. What more do you want from me? What more could I possibly give you, Tyler?" Klaus spat, his eyes never leaving the ceiling as his body stiffened in annoyance.

"The fact that, if, you do indeed kill me you will take care of Caroline."

Klaus scoffed and rolled his eyes, barely stifling a chuckle at Tyler's request.

"I don't know what happened or when it started but I know you care about her, Klaus. And, for whatever reason I don't understand, there's a part of her that cares about you, too," Tyler said, his dark eyes looking straight at Klaus. The Original's face softened and he slowly turned his head to look at the boy sitting beside him. "But that's just who she is. She cares about the people she has no right to care about. Caroline's strong. She's a lot stronger than everybody realizes, including you.

"I need you to swear to me that if you find me and…and you kill me…I need to know that you will make her forget about me. I need to know that, even if she never agrees to be with you and love you, there will be someone out there who will look out for her."

Klaus was silent as he considered Tyler's words for a moment. "Why are you asking me to do this?" he asked quietly, eyes slowly turning his head to look directly at Tyler.

"Because, no matter how much I hate you and you hate me, she's what holds us together. I would do anything for her. Anything. And because I love her, I need to know that there's someone in this world who cares about her almost as much as I do."

Klaus turned his face away and looked at the ceiling with an unidentifiable look in his eyes. Tyler watched Klaus for a few moments, waiting for an answer and it seemed like the hybrid would never give him one.

"Klaus, please. I'm begging you. If it weren't this important to me, I wouldn't ask. If you want to, think of it as my dying wish, I don't care. You win, I lose. You get the girl. Whatever it takes… I just need to know that you'll take care of her for me if it comes to that because as strong as she is, I don't want her to suffer and neither do you."

The Original still didn't seem keen on answering him and Tyler was growing impatient with his silence.

"Forget it," he scoffed, trying to contain the snarl that was threatening to erupt from his throat. "Give me a minute to say goodbye to her and I'll be gone."

Tyler pushed on his knees, stood up and strode briskly out of Klaus' cell. His hand was on the door handle when Klaus' voice stopped him.

"You have my word."

And he did. From last night, Klaus knew now that he couldn't ever do something to jeopardize Caroline's well being again, even if that meant letting the mutt live.

A/N: based on the still we got and the snippet that was in the extended promo but the scene we didn't get between Tyler and Klaus. with the way the ep went for Klaroline and Forwood, I feel like it would have been a good, important scene. sometimes, I just don't really understand why they cut scenes.

oh well. more stuff for me to write and play with although I'm sure the real thing would have been better:P

thanks for reading. please review if you have a minute- it's much appreciated it, loves:)