Hello! I know these first two chapters seem really short, but I assure you that they will be longer in the future.
Also, it'd be really nice to see what you think about this! x
"I cannot pretend that I felt any regret
'Cause each broken heart will
Eventually mend"
"So you're back now," Tyler mused, lounging lazily on Caroline's four poster bed.
Caroline exhaled wearily. This wasn't something she wanted to discuss ever, let alone with Tyler. She wasn't used to justifying her actions, and she hoped she never would be. "Tyler…" She began, but he cut her off before she could utter another indignant word.
"Is it for good? Because I remember the last time you left," He suddenly sat up, crossing his legs like a child. The vastness of her bed only seemed to accentuate how small and lost he seemed to be in Caroline's eyes. He was like a little stray dog, always scratching at her door; and though she'd never admit it, she'd never have the heart to turn him away. He had nowhere else to go, and nobody else. Not since he swore his allegiance to her; not since he abandoned his friends for his Sire. It was the same love and devotion she'd dreamt about as a child, and yet the sire-bond only proved that even this relationship was a sham.
"This house is driving me crazy, Care," Tyler added. "It's big and it's empty, and you never call back. I never know where you are, when you'll be back again. I can't housesit forever."
Caroline paused, her attention ripped from the antique armoire she used as a wardrobe. An unfamiliar pang of regret was beginning to seep its way into her thoughts. She knew she was lacking in the Sire department; it was the big, unanswered question that hovered between them.
What do I do with you?
A surreptitious knocking at her door added to the list of interruptions to her morning. Caroline sighed once more, abandoning her quest to find an appropriate outfit for the day, and found her sister, Rebekah standing before her.
"You have a visitor," the younger Original quirked her eyebrow in the direction of the hybrid in her bed. Ignoring the questionable look, Caroline wondered who would visit so early in the morning. Especially since she hoped her return to Mystic Falls would be brief and unnoticed.
"Tall, blonde and handsome," Rebekah smiled, "And ever so grateful."
"Out of my way, sister," Caroline pushed past the younger girl, drawing her robe around her waist tighter. She had the feeling she knew exactly who was waiting for her downstairs.
"I just wanted to say thanks, again," Klaus bent his head cautiously, his glass of bourbon a source of intense fascination.
Sitting across from him, Caroline drank in his features – the soft waves in his golden hair, the high cheekbones, the dazzling blue eyes that refused to meet her own. And yet, he'd had the courage to seek her, walking straight into the lion's den. His idiotic bravery brought a shy smile to her lips.
"And…" He stuttered, unable to stop the flow of words, "I know you were only cleaning up after Tyler's mess, but you've always been there for me. I don't know why, but I'm glad you came back. I thought I'd never see you again."
He lifted his gaze to hers, and she felt as if a freight train had slammed into her body, carrying it along the tracks like a ragdoll caught in the wind. His eyes conveyed a sense of gratitude that could hardly be explained in words. She tried to reason with herself; of course, he was only nice to her because she was the cure. That was all.
Instead, she chose to fixate on a detail that had caught her attention. Tyler. What had he done now?
"You're lucky I was close by," Caroline waved her hand about, taking a nonchalant sip of her fruity white wine. It was past midday somewhere else in the world. "I'll see to it that Tyler is… adequately punished."
He mulled over her words for what seemed like an eternity, his eyes focused on his untouched glass once more. Finally, he shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
"He bit you," Caroline retorted, barely concealing the anger in her voice. She knew that Rebekah and Tyler would be upstairs, listening, no doubt, to her conversation with Klaus. "I can't have my hybrids running rampant."
"Really, Caroline…" Klaus stuttered.
"No," She shook her head, her decision was made. "This isn't your business, Klaus. He's my hybrid. He was out of line."
"…I think I should leave, then," Klaus stood abruptly, his demeanour changing as quickly as her temper. He was horrified by her casual mention of abuse, the callousness in her words whenever she mentioned Tyler; as if he were an errant child in need of a smack. The repulsion was clear in his expression, and Caroline's fears were confirmed.
Like everyone else, he hated her too.
She silently sulked as she led him towards the front door, conscious of the proximity between them. She wanted to touch him again, to run her hands through his hair and whisper words of comfort in his ear. There was nothing she could say that could change the look he had given her. Nothing she could do that would prove she wasn't a monster, to make him stay; because she was, and she always would be.
Tyler had conveniently chosen to appear at that moment, his backpack slung lazily across one shoulder, obviously on his way to school. Though he already knew of Klaus' presence, he could not resist the opportunity to antagonise him.
"What are you doing here?" He spat, making a point to shove forcefully into Klaus.
"So help me God, Tyler," Caroline fumed. "I will rip your heart out! Leave him be!"
Klaus ignored him, pausing in his hasty retreat to look back at Caroline wistfully. "I was just leaving."
