"Tyler!" Caroline shouted frustration was more than evident in her voice, "Where are you?"
"In here," his voice called from Elena's kitchen. Caroline flashed inside the room, too relieved at seeing him notice her surroundings. She threw her arms around him, in an awkward attempt at an embrace. Touching Tyler, recently, seemed more like a chore than a pleasure to her.
"What are you doing here?" Caroline pulled back with a confused smile, "Stefan called to tell me everything that has already happened on the island. Elena was on the phone too and asked how you were doing. She mentioned that you were at her house."
Tyler looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. She followed his gaze to across the room where Klaus stood, hands behind his back.
"Hello, sweetheart," Klaus walked forward and stopped suddenly, "Mind filling me in on the progress of the cure?"
"What are you doing here?" Caroline's eyes widen as she grabbed Tyler's elbow, "What the hell is going on?"
"Calm down, Care," Tyler rolled his eyes, a habit he had picked up from her, "Bonnie put a spell on the room, Klaus is currently in. It traps him in there and prevents him from messing up the plans for the cure. If you actually where around more, you would know that."
"No, she didn't," Caroline narrowed her eyes. She paused, and thought aloud, "Klaus won't interfere with the plans for the cure. He wants Elena human and truthfully wants his sister to be happy. There was no conflicting interests, this time," She paused again, "You asked, didn't you? You asked her to put Klaus in here, so when we get the cure, you can-"
"Kill him," Tyler finished, "Yes, I did."
"Tyler!" Caroline yelled, backing away slightly
"What, Care?" Tyler slammed his hands on the counter, "He killed my mom. He killed Elena's, Aunt Jenna. He will kill me, and everyone else. He is a monster, Care. He deserves to die."
"We don't get to decide that, Tyler," Caroline crossed her arms, "How does murdering a murder prove that murder is wrong? It makes no sense."
"He took away my family," Tyler snapped.
"And you will be taking him away from his," Caroline sighed, "We have all done some terrible things. All of us. How are we any different than Klaus? Give Elena or Stefan a 1,000 years, and they will be making the same choices. I'm not saying it is right, not at all. And I'm not saying to give him a chance, but don't kill him. Elena and Rebekah will take the cure. Rebekah will hook up with some mediocre jock, and settle down. Elena is in the middle of making some crazy deal with Klaus, which will involve both of them staying alive. He will leave, once there is nothing here for him here. Killing Klaus will only start a war, one you are not prepared to fight."
"Sounds like you have thought this all out. Haven't you, Care?" Tyler smirked, "Ya know, there wouldn't be that many Originals to fight. Just two, once Rebekah is human. With the whole mystic gang and Haley's friends, I'm sure to win."
"Tyler, I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but you would be fighting three Originals. Elijah, Klaus, and Kol."
"Kol's dead," Tyler chuckled, "Elena and Jeremy killed him last night."
"You're lying," Klaus's voice broke in, "Kol went out for drinks, last night. He called and bragged about how he was with a stunning woman out of town. He won't have left, and certainly not have let the Gilberts kill him."
"He was with me," Caroline whispered.
Both men's eyes shot up to Caroline, "What?"
"Not like that! Gross!" Caroline flinched, "I was just having a super crap day, so I went to The Grill to forget all about it. Sadly, being the Sheriff's daughter and all, they refused to serve me. I was deciding whether killing or crying was my best option at the moment when Kol came up to me. We had a few laughs, grabbed a bottle of bourbon, and hit the road."
"What the hell!" Tyler's eyes lit up, "We have one fight, and you go off and get sh*t faced with the first guy you see! Who happens to be the psycho little brother of the man who made me an orphan!"
"Whoa! Calm down, Wolfy," Caroline backed away again, "That 'one fight' was the fourth we had that week. Fourth! You also said, I quote, 'I think we should take a break.' You basically dumped me, Ty! Then, texted me later how sorry you were with winky faces," She huffed, "Plus, Maya twisted her ankle during cheer practice, Jonah quit the energy club, and Principal Wilbur accused me of buying copies of the AP French exam. Like I had any trouble in French!" Caroline threw her hands in the air with exasperation, "So yeah, my day was super crap. I'm also a Vampire who doesn't drink blood from the vein, so occasionally I curb my cravings with alcohol. Big deal!"
"But with Kol?" Tyler looked down at her, "That's just low, even for you, Care. Maybe we should have stayed on that 'break.'"
"'Even for me!'" Her eyes widen in pure fury,"Kol is my friend. He seems to be the only one, in this God-forsaken town, who knows how to have fun and not be insanely judgmental."
"Judgmental? I'm sorry, Care, that we hold ourselves to higher standards than homicidal maniacs," Tyler bit his lip, which gave her a small peek at his hybrid fangs. His eyes slowly turned yellow with anger, "But that doesn't matter know to see as your 'friend' was finally taken care of last night."
Caroline's back grew stiff, "Where the hell is he, Tyler?"
Tyler laughed.
"What did you do with his body?" Caroline asked, manicured hands forming fists at her sides.
"We threw his body off the falls with the others," Tyler smirked in a sinister manner, "Come to think of it, I think I saw your Dad's there too. Did you want to say hi? I know how close you two were."
"Apologize now, Lockwood!" Caroline almost shook in rage, "Or so help me God, I will-"
"Do what?" Tyler leaned in her face, "Paint my nails and plan a party? Face it, Care, you were a hot human. But as a Vamp- you are an eternal wannabe prom queen with neurotic jealousy issues and OCD." He whispered in her ear, "You are nothing. Take my advice and walk away, or help us kill Klaus. Either way, you won't be missed."
Caroline broke.
Her hands shot out and wrapped around Tyler's throat. She sped them towards the nearest wall and pinned him by the throat.
"The only party I will be planning is your funeral," Caroline smirked, "Too bad there won't be many attending; the side effects of being an orphan. Nevertheless, I will make it work."
Tyler struggled for a while, eventually managing to twist out of her hold and broke her wrist in the process. The loud crack caused her to let go of his throat.
"Oh, now all bets are off," Caroline scoffed, "Consider yourself officially dumped, dog."
"Finally," Tyler sped forward, "I'll be free of you."
Caroline grabbed Tyler's arms and yanked him down, while she brought her knee up. With a swift blow to the ribs, he fell back. He pulled himself up enough to grab her arm and yank her on the ground with him.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Tyler laughed, standing above her body he delivered a swift kick to the stomach, "Last time I checked, you were a weakling. But then again, you were always pretty unnoticeable. Who would really know if you were trained or not?"
"Stop," Klaus growled behind him, eyes filled with a possessive worry, "You really don't want to hurt her, mate."
With Tyler distracted, Caroline spun on the ground, sweeping Tyler's legs from under him. She hopped up and turned to Klaus.
"Stay out of this, Big Bad," She smirked, as she realized her fangs were on display, "I can fight my own battles."
Klaus was filled with a sense of twisted pride as he looked at Caroline; she was already a Queen. "Behind you, love," He smirked back, trusting her to win.
"I know," She waited for Tyler to wrap his arm around her throat. Caroline stepped back and flipped him over her shoulder. With his arm still in her hand, she bent it at an awkward angle behind his back. With a snap of his bones, she let out an odd giggle.
Tyler attempted to bite her other arm, causing her eyes to light up with fury. He was going to kill her! Her Ex-boyfriend was trying to actually kill her! This suddenly wasn't a silly schoolyard fight and became something much darker, much quicker.
She threw Tyler onto the kitchen countertop, and pinned him, again, by the throat before he could get up. He would have easily maneuvered his way out of her hold, had she not rammed her fist in his chest. Once she found his vital organ, she squeezed just enough for him to know she meant business.
"You're insane," Tyler coughed up blood, "Maybe it was all the hairspray, but you've lost your mind."
Caroline laughed and tightened her hold on his heart.
"Leave town," Caroline sat up straight, "I don't care where you go, but make sure I never see you again. Or even hear of you again."
"I knew you couldn't do it," Tyler spat, "You are so weak."
"You're wrong. There is nothing stopping me from killing you right here," Caroline smiled sweetly, "Except knowing that letting you live will be so much worse. Every time you hear your own heart thump with life or see your breath in the cold morning, it will be because I allowed you to. I allow you to live. So go, knowing that you are forever in my debt. Forever living in my name," She whispered in his ear, "How's that for a weakling?"
"Where were you and Kol?" Klaus asked as Caroline microwaved them both some blood.
Tyler had fled after their final fight, it not being the first time they both got physical. Tyler and Caroline were just superficial sweethearts. Everything seemed forced to her, and she supposed he felt the same. Well, everything except their fights. Their gruesome battles were the only times she felt honest. That was definitely a problem, but she didn't have the strength to address it. Until tonight.
As soon as she entered the kitchen, tonight, she saw it in Tyler's eyes- emptiness. They fell out of love a long time ago, then tried to exist on broken dreams and old memories.
Once Tyler left, Caroline caught Klaus up to speed on the capture of the cure. Realizing they were both hungry, she offered to heat up some blood.
"What?" She asked, stirring the thick liquid in one of Elena's mugs. She smiled at the chip on the handle, remembering she caused it at their 148th sleepover, "Did you say something?"
"I asked where you and Kol were," He raised a brow, "You said that you two 'hit the road.' What exactly happened?"
Normally, she would have ignored Klaus's questioning, but these weren't normal circumstances. She bit back her tears as she looked at the blood, "He's really dead. Isn't he?" Klaus didn't answer. She could tell by just his silence alone, that he was struggling to hold it together. He needed this. He needed her.
She sighed, then straightened her back. Dressed with a polite smile, she exited the kitchen to the living room, where Klaus was trapped in. She could tell he was watching her, and it was the most invigorating feeling. Her skin burned with his gaze, and she secretly loved it. Caroline sat in the chair across from him, "Where do I start?"
He laughed at that, and she enjoyed the sound. He really should laugh more often. She leaned forward and handed him the chipped mug, her index finger lightly grazing his thumb. He noticed. Of course, he noticed! His eyes widened at the touch. Such a simple, innocent touch set him aflame.
"The beginning, I would think," He looked away from her hand, "I seem to have a lot of time on my hand's, now being stuck in Gilbert's house. A long story of my brother's insanity is just the thing to cure my boredom."
"Well, it all started at around 9 . . ."