Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky
They wipe away tears that I cry
The good and the bad times, we've been through them all
You make me rise when I fall

'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling
And every time we kiss, I swear I could fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast? I want this to last
Need you by my side
'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static
And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky
Can't you hear my heart beat slow? I can't let you go
Want you in my life
-Cascada

Caroline gasped in a breath as she burst out of the grill quickly looking behind her to make sure Klaus wasn't following. When she saw no sign of him, she broke into a run. She didn't pay too much attention to where she was going. It didn't matter. She needed to get away from here and away from him as fast as possible.

She winds up at the cellar.

She had driven to the grill but she hadn't bothered to get into her car when she left because she had been too much of a hurry to get away from him. Panting and still frightened, she slowly spins around in a circle, looking and listening for any sign that someone is watching her. She feels her nerves calm down just a little bit when she finds no trace of anyone around her. With trembling hands, she pulls her cell phone out of her purse and sends Tyler a text message asking him to meet her at the cellar instead of the grill and then with a sigh she goes down the stairs and into the underground room.

She's shaking.

Tyler's tortured screams have often been the substance that make up her nightmares but now, even in her waking hours, they ring in her head. Klaus' casual contemplation about killing Tyler had put horrifying scenarios her head. Right now she's picturing him lying spread eagled on the ground, with dead eyes staring unseeingly above with his heart ripped out and lying next to him on the ground while blood gushes out of the hole in his chest.

She had managed to keep herself together at the grill in front of Klaus and all those other people. Here in the solitude of the cellar, where she and Tyler had often talked about and in Tyler's case, faced their greatest fears, she lets the fear sink in for just a moment.

That is a mistake.

Despite her best efforts, Caroline is unable to calm herself down after focusing on Klaus' words. She's had so many nightmares. She's seen Tyler die a thousand times. She had been so, so terrified that first night when he'd turned. She was worried that the transformation would kill him. Terrified, that when she was finally able to come back in the morning after the full moon was gone, that she would find Tyler lying dead on the ground. Her relief when she had found him alive was unimaginable. She knows now for sure that her new nightmares will consist of Klaus killing Tyler (again) in cruel and horrifying ways.

She's too scared to be angry now and despite her best efforts to hold herself together, she falls to her knees on the stone floor and sobs.

She isn't sure how long she sits there on the ground trying to stop her tears but she thinks that the time seems a lot longer than it actually is. She's managed to reduce her sobbing to slight sniffling when she hears foots steps followed by a creek of an iron gate.

She freezes, thinking that it's Klaus and cursing herself for leading him to this place. The cellar, of all places. Klaus isn't allowed to be here. Honestly, no one but she and Tyler are allowed to be here. She's debating trying to run past the visitor and into the woods when he walks into the room.

Caroline throws herself into Tyler's arms. Relief floods through her as she realizes that Klaus really hasn't followed her because if he had, he would have shown himself by now. She's just frightened. Seeing Tyler standing before her, alive and well is enough to stop her tears and she even feels a smile coming on. Tyler, however, is not so excited to see her.

She had buried her face in his chest. With a deep frown, he grips her arms gently but firmly and pulls her away from him enough so that he can lock his concerned eyes with hers.

"Caroline, what on earth?" he trails off as his right hand comes up to cup her cheek.

Caroline is confused for a moment before she realizes that there are unexplained tears streaked down her face.

"I'm okay." She begins although her voice comes out raspy and still slightly shaky and does nothing to help her case.

"I'm alright, I just got really upset. I'm so happy to see you." She continues, not wanting to tell him why she's so upset.

Tyler had flipped his lid when he had come back and Caroline had told him that Klaus had been flirting with her. It had taken her, Stefan and Damon to keep him from hunting Klaus down and getting himself killed. Damon had actually vervained him.

Tyler hadn't been happy when he'd woken up but his anger had dissipated enough for the three vampires to convince him that it was in all of their best interests if Klaus not know that Tyler had broken the sire bond.

Tyler had agreed and afterwards, the two of them had found themselves back here where Tyler had told her that he was very close to severing the bond. He wanted to be sure that the bond was really broken. But the only way to do that was to go where Klaus was.

As far as Caroline is concerned, Tyler has broken the sire bond. He no longer talks about Klaus like he had done some benevolent favor that Tyler would be eternally grateful for, he no longer defended Klaus's actions, no longer talked about Klaus being two steps ahead of them whenever Damon and Stefan tried to think of ways to get him to leave town. Tyler talked about killing Klaus. He had gone to the Salvatore boarding House and asked about how they planned on getting rid of him and how could he help and had proceeded to get pissed off when they told him that killing Klaus would kill all of them too. Damon and Stefan might have been willing to sacrifice Tyler for the sake of killing Klaus. But they had then learned that it was Klaus that created their bloodline as well. They were all bound to him whether they liked it or not.

Needless to say, Tyler had not been happy with all the new information and had been surprised when Caroline had told him that she was actually relieved. When he had asked her why, she had struggled to find the right words to explain herself. It didn't matter how much she hated Klaus because being rid of him wasn't worth losing Tyler. Nothing was worth losing Tyler again. When she began to elaborate the words spilled out of her mouth without too much thought but as soon as she had said them, she knew they were true. Deep down she had known for a long time but she had been too scared of losing him to admit it. "I love you, Tyler." She had told him. Her heart still flutters when she thinks of the smile that had broken out across his face upon hearing those words. How all talk of Klaus had ceased after that and they had focused only on each other.

"Caroline, what did he say to you?" Tyler voice breaks into her reverie and she blinks as she looks into Tyler's worried gaze. He's still cupping her cheek but his grip on her arm has tightened. He's angry.

"You went to the grill." Caroline realizes and she feels dreadful fear grip her heart when Tyler nods.

All of the devotion and admiration that Tyler had had for Klaus due to the sire bond has now turned to bitter hatred and it causes Tyler to become furious at the mention of the hybrid's name. Caroline was terrified that one day, Tyler might lose his temper and attack Klaus and end up getting himself killed. After today, that fear has been magnified tenfold.

"Why?" she whispers out, hoping that he's isn't too angry and that he hadn't said or done anything to make Klaus suspicious.

"Practice ran late and I was in a rush. I 'd just gotten into the Grill and I was looking for you when I got your text. I ran into Damon there." Caroline never thought she would be so happy to hear Damon's name. As long as Tyler wasn't near Klaus, everything is okay. Damon seems to have decided that Tyler can be useful to them and Caroline is more than willing to let Damon think he can use Tyler if it ensures that he won't threaten to kill him. Although now that Tyler is a hybrid, he can much better defend himself even if Damon does go after him. This thought comforts Caroline quite often.

"Oh, he says hi, by the way." Tyler remembers and smiles when Caroline rolls her eyes in annoyance.

She's only just started to trust Damon but that doesn't mean that she likes him. Caroline has tried to put her past with him behind her but it's impossible for her to forget all of the things he had said…had done to her. She can see that he's trying to be better but that doesn't make up for how badly he's treated her. Sometimes he does things for her or looks at her in a way that make her think that he's actually sorry. He had saved her from the werewolves and when Klaus had tried to sacrifice her. He had defended her when her mother didn't want to see her and had gotten extremely hostile with her father after he had tortured her. Maybe that was more about Damon himself feeling threatened though. She wants to forgive him and she's actually tried to do so but she just…can't.

Sometimes he still scares her. Not intentionally. He might not even be looking at her. Usually, he doesn't even realize. Sometimes it's just a suggestion that he makes about killing Klaus or just a wise crack or a joke that sparks a bad memory. She doesn't know if she'll ever be able to get over it. Maybe someday but she has no idea when someday will come. Still, she knows that he is the one that saved her life after that car crash. She remembers how he had compelled all of the bad memories away that night. Damon's saved her as many times as he's tried to kill her. She knows he's not out to hurt her anymore (Not that he can do much to hurt her anymore) and she has come to trust him, at least when it comes to plotting against Klaus.

She's also stopped worrying every time he and Tyler are in the same room. She's only just relaxed when Tyler speaks again.

"Klaus was there too." Tyler continues and Caroline's stomach is in knots again.

"They were drinking together."

"Damon and Klaus? Drinking together?" Caroline questions, not sure if she's heard him right.

"I think the conversation was mostly just Damon taunting him about something. And that something may or may not have been you."

Caroline sighs.

"I guess Damon must have been there listening to me and Klaus while I was there. I didn't see him though."

Tyler's arm wraps around Caroline's waist to pull her closer and his thumb gently brushes across her cheek as he speaks again.

"What did he say to make you so upset, Caroline?" He doesn't sound angry, he sounds a little bit defeated but mostly just concerned.

Caroline averts her gaze from his and instead chooses to look at her had on his chest. She grips the fabric of his t shirt in her fist, afraid to tell him about her conversation. She doesn't think for a second that Tyler will hurt her. He starts apologizing if he ever even raises his voice at her but Klaus is a different story. Tyler was already furious with him before he had found out about him suddenly fancying Caroline. The added jealousy was not helpful at all. Caroline constantly worried that Tyler would get mad and then get himself killed. For this reason, she did her best to avoid the subject of Klaus altogether but with how many problems Klaus had caused for all of them, he was kind of a difficult subject to avoid.

Tyler places his finger under her chin and gently lifts her head so that she has to look into his eyes.

"Look, I promise I won't get mad and try to go and beat him to a pulp again. I just wanna know that you're alright. Tell me what happened." Caroline feels her eyes sting at the caring tone of his voice. All he wants is for her to voice her fear so that he can help her get over it. All he wants is to make her feel better.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before she gently pulls away from him and turns away, wishing that she didn't have to worry about him being killed all the time. Her eyes land on the blanket that is spread out on the floor. Tyler still insists on turning even though Caroline thinks he no longer needs to. He says that he still feels that he needs to do it a few more times.

It scares her how he seems to have gotten used to it. He still screams in agony when he turns but now, he can turn within minutes so while the pain is just as intense and excruciating as ever, it only last for a short amount of time instead of the hours he would spend as his bones slowly broke one by one. She wishes he wouldn't stop, but he tells her that it's necessary. She keeps telling him that he's done enough. That he's broken the bond. But he only tells her "Not yet." He tells her that he wants to be sure and that he still feels a slight connection to Klaus. That he won't stop until it's gone. He also tells her that she doesn't have to stay and watch. He won't hold it against her if she stays away while he's turning and he certainly doesn't want to put her in danger.

But Caroline can't stay away. She can't bear the thought of him being in so much pain even if it is only for a few minutes and then waking up alone. She feels so bad that he had been doing it by himself for so long. She wants to be here for him now. So as much as she hates it, she helps him chain himself up and then locks herself behind the bars as his bones begin to snap; she stares into the eyes of the snarling wolf as it bears its teeth at her and tries to break the chains binding it so that he can lunged at the gate that protects Caroline. And then she sees a hint of recognition in the wolf's golden eyes, its fur as black as night and its teeth gleaming white. It stops trying to fight the bindings and simply stands and stares at Caroline as if he actually knows her and doesn't want to harm her. Then the wolf lays down and begins to whimper and Caroline always watches in awe as she hears the bones crack back into place as he begins to shift and in a few minutes, it's Tyler lying there on the floor in front of her, unconscious. In the moments following those, Caroline wastes no time in unlocking the cell door and pulling Tyler into her lap and then she holds him tightly until he wakes up.

"Caroline, did he threaten you?" Tyler questions and he actually sounds scared.

She almost laughs. She afraid for his life and he's afraid for hers. This is not what teenagers do.

Then again, there's nothing else normal about either of them so why should they being doing things that normal kids do? Hell, right now they're standing in a room that was part of a house that burned down where slaves actually used to live. It's funny how this room has become a kind of safe haven for the two of them. At first, it had been nothing but a house of horrors, a reminder of Tyler's pain, he place where Caroline's mother had found out she was a vampire and rejected her. Now, it's also become the place where Caroline had first told Tyler that she loved him. It's the place where Tyler had revealed his werewolf curse to his mother for the sake of finding Caroline, it's the place where Caroline had first seem Tyler cry, it's the place where the two of them had talked about their fears and their hopes and dreams and everything in between. Sunlight now filters into the cellar through the holes in the ground above, illuminating the room with a late afternoon glow. It's really not so scary anymore.

"Please, talk to me." Tyler begs her as he takes a few steps towards her even though her back is still turned to him.

"No." Caroline begins as she wraps her arms around herself and tries to stay calm.

"No he didn't threaten me, Tyler." She can picture his confused expression even though she isn't facing him.

"He threatened you." She tells him as her voice cracks when she finally turns around to look at him.

He blinks and stares at her for a moment and then he closes the distance between then with a few brisk steps and pulls her into his embrace.

She grips his shirt in her hands again and presses her face against his chest as one of his hands finds its way into her hair. She lets herself be comforted by the feeling of his heart softly thumping in his chest at a steady pace. He's a vampire now but he's still warm. Being in his arms reminds Caroline that he is still alive and that right now, there's no one here to threaten him. It is this thought that helps Caroline blink her tears away.

Tyler is stroking her hair.

"Is that all?" he asks her softly and she lifts her head off his chest to stare up at him questioningly as he smiles at her with that smile that he seems to have reserved just for her. He never smiles at anyone else the way he's smiling at her now. Like she's the most precious thing in the world. He never talks to anyone else with so much warmth in his voice. She feels her heart begin to flutter again even though she's confused.

"He told me he would kill you. He said it like it was just something he would do to pass the time on a rainy day or slow afternoon. What do you mean is that all?"

Tyler tilts his head down and kisses Caroline's forehead before he softly presses his lips against her own. She barely kisses him back before he pulls away from her, still smiling that gentle smile.

"I mean that the sire bond kind of works both ways." He tells her.

Caroline feels her brows knit together in confusion.

"What?"

"I'm not saying that I can tell him to do whatever I want and he'll just do it," Tyler elaborates.

"But we are sort of linked. I think it's more of a werewolf thing. I told you how Jules used to talk about werewolves sticking together all the time. I guess the vampire stuff just amplifies that, you know? He might not have any problems killing other random people, and he might enjoying making me do things I don't wanna do, but he isn't going to physically harm me on a whim."

Caroline feels a little bit relieved but her heart begins to beat faster as she takes Tyler's words in to consideration.

"But if you broke the sire-bond, won't that make Klaus able to hurt you on impulse like he would to someone that wasn't a hybrid?" she questions, not wanting to take any chances.

"Well, I'm the one that's been trying to break my bond with him. He hasn't made any attempt to sever the connection he has to me. I've seen him get upset when Stefan was killing hybrids. I didn't really care that they were dying but Klaus did. Maybe Stefan just pissed him off but I really don't think he's going to kill me just to get to you. I'm sure he loved watching you squirm when he threatened me but it was probably just in hopes of you asking him to spare me or something. I'm sure he'd have no problem doing that. He didn't manipulate you into making any promises, did he?"

Caroline feels herself begin to calm down.

"No. I think he might have just been trying to get some kind of reaction out of me. I don't think the reaction he got was exactly what he was expecting though." She tells him as her fear dissipates.

Tyler's eyebrows go up in question.

"I told him that if he killed you, he'd have to kill me too." Caroline admits and immediately, Tyler's smile is gone.

"You what?" he asks her and it's impossible to miss the worry in his voice.

"I told him that if he hurt you again, I wouldn't stop until he was dead. I just got so scared when he said it and I didn't wanna show him that so I sort of forced myself to get mad instead. "Tyler's eyes go wide, now he looks scared.

"After that, the words sort of just came out. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have said it but when I think of all the pain he's caused you, I can't help but want him gone. It was bad enough that he took you away from me again but the thought of him actually killing you… Tyler, I can't stand it!" she tells him in hopes that he won't be mad at her for pretty much doing exactly what she has been telling him not to do.

"Caroline, you and I both know how quickly and radically he lashes out." He sounds more worried than angry but there's also understanding in his voice.

"I know." She tells him as she wraps her arms around his torso and squeezes. She feels his arms tighten around her waist in response and he waits for her to look up at him again before he continues.

"I get that you got mad, I would've too if I had been in your place but please, promise me you won't say things that will give him any ideas again." He's completely serious but his words make Caroline laugh.

"Don't worry, I try to avoid conversation with him whenever possible."

Tyler smirks at her.

"Now if only he could take a hint."

Caroline giggles.

"You're the only one for me." She tells him as she presses her forehead against his.

He kisses her softly.

"Promise me, Caroline. You'll be more careful around him." His voice is pleading.

"I promise I'll hold my tongue." Caroline tells him, feeling much more light hearted.

"Hmm, I guess I did sort of promise I'd kill him didn't I?" she muses.

"Caroline!"

She can't help but giggle at the alarm in his voice but she knows she shouldn't tease him this way.

"I'm kidding." She tells him in an effort to calm him down.

"Yeah, you are, but what if he decides to take you seriously? His temper's worse than mine is and h doesn't even seem to try to keep it in check."

"I know." Caroline tells him softly.

"Don't worry, I won't say something like that to him again. I just… I don't wanna lose you again."

Tyler presses another soft kiss on her lips.

"You will never lose me. No matter what happens to me or where I go, I am always, always going to love you, Caroline. Even when Klaus had control of my mind, my heart was still yours. It's always going to be yours."

"I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want you to go anywhere. I want us to be together, Tyler." She tells him, touched by his words but wanting him to know how much she misses him when he's gone.

"I want that too. I love you, Caroline." Another kiss.

"I love you, too." She whispers, her eyes half-lidded and she waits for him to kiss her again. And he does.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Okay." Caroline lets out a contented sigh as she buries her face in his chest again.

"You smell nice." She says as she breathes in the smell of his cologne.

He chuckles lightly.

"I showered in the locker room, just for you." He tells her. The showers in the school locker rooms are kind of sucky. She knows Tyler would much rather prefer to use the shower in his house that comes with a massaging option.

"But I remember that you thought sweat was sexy." She teases as she makes face at him.

"I do." He responds, mimicking her playful tone.

"But apparently, my girlfriend doesn't think so."

Caroline throws her head back as she laughs and Tyler takes the opportunity to shower her neck with kisses.

"Thank you." She tells him once she stops laughing and manages to get him to stop kissing her.

"I feel much better now."

"Good." Tyler tells her.

"Try not to worry so much okay, I hate seeing you cry." He tells her as he runs his hands up and down her arms.

She smiles at him.

"It's better now that your actually here. And remember, you promised not to leave again." She pouts at him.

"Not even if it's to keep you safe?" Tyler questions. But there's a playful edge to his voice. He doesn't plan on leaving her again.

"No. I'd rather take my chances." She tells him.

"Why would I wanna be anywhere else…when I could be here with you?" It's a rhetorical question and he doesn't wait for her to respond before he kisses her, long and deep before slipping his hand under her shirt.

She moves her arms up to wrap them around his neck and pushes herself closer to him as she moans into his mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Tyler leads her over to the blanket where Caroline lets him lay her down and then she proceeds to lose herself in him, letting his passionate kisses and firey touches erase all the fears and doubts from her mind.

-Fin-

Should I change the rating of this to M? Haha. I got the idea for this from the romo for 3x19 but you all probably guesses that already. I would like to say thank you again to everyone who gave me such nice comments on "Vindication." I really didn't think I would get suck a good response for that and I'm so grateful. Thank you so much =) I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. Leave me a review and tell me what you liked or didn't like about this?