AN: Hello everyone! Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favourites, they're what's getting me so pumped about writing this fic!

Huge thank you to my beta Ashley (addictedtofanfic) as always!

I really do appreciate any constructive criticism from any viewers as well, I always take it on board because I want this fic to be as good as it can be :) So if you have any ideas or concerns or queries, you can put them in a review or PM me :)

There's a short authors note at the end of this chapter as well

Tyler? Tyler. Tyler.

The word echoed and bounced repetitively around Caroline's head as she was held in the void of vervain induced unconsciousness. Tyler was here? Her Tyler? Tyler. It had been so long since she had seen him. Her temporarily weakened heart pumped rapidly, and her closed eyelids fluttered fruitlessly as she tried in vain to open them and awake. She couldn't wait to see him again. To touch him again. To be held in his strong, protective arms once again.

Despite the way they had just ended everything…well, none of that mattered now, did it? It seemed trivial, petty even,considering the position that they were both in now. Her and Tyler would break free, save each other and they would make up and kiss and run far away from Rebekah and New Orleans and everything else, perhaps they would finally both get a chance to be happy.

Caroline's body was still, but her mind raced. They would be happy together again, she just knew it. She couldn't wait to see him again.

Tyler was dreading seeing her again. He knew that if Caroline leant against the front wall of her prison and peered left through the tiny eye hole that Rebekah had left her she would see him, and she would become even more agitated with excitement than she already was. He could hear her heart beating, at an impressive rate for the amount of vervain he guessed she was injected with. It was obvious that she had heard Rebekah, and this was her reaction. If she saw him, it would hurt even more when he left her again. And he would leave her. Because he didn't care about Caroline anymore, not even a bit. He couldn't. He didn't think that his unnatural, twisted hybrid heart was even capable of love anymore. He didn't care. He had no empathy, sympathy, kindness or loyalty. He had only one, all-consuming purpose in his pathetic life: to find a way to kill Klaus. As soon as he'd found that, and went through with it and killed the Original prick, he would probably just stake himself. He didn't have anything else in his life. Not a thing. Killing Klaus was the only thing that got him through the day.

And he just couldn't deal with Caroline right now. He didn't feel any of the love that he first felt for Caroline when he looked at her now. He hadn't for a long time, in fact, but he had enough self-awareness that he didn't want to be that heartless bastard that dumped on her when her or her friends were having a bad time. And they were always having a bad time, and consequentially, he never got the chance to dump her. Not that it really mattered, anyway. She had pretty much been cheating on him with Klaus for months on end, as much as she denied it. As twisted and evil as Klaus was, even Tyler had to admit that Klaus felt more for Caroline than he had, for months now. Just another part of his life Klaus ripped away. Take his friends, his family, his mother, and his girl, too. Tyler burned with rage.

With his hybrid ears, he was able to single out each vampire's individual breathing. He hated it. He hated being able to hear everything. All the vampires in here but one, some vampire named Thierry or something, were absolutely pathetic. They moaned and screamed and cried all day. It was enough to make anyone insane, and Tyler had a short temper at the best of times. It was a relief when they began to desiccate and their moans got softer and softer. He channelled his hearing now to single out Caroline's. Her breaths were deep but fitful, showing she was still knocked out from the vervain. He seriously wasn't looking forward to when she woke up. He had hoped that she hadn't heard Rebekah, but he knew Rebekah had meant for it be heard. Fucking bitch. He would kill her too, alongside Klaus. Kill the entire fucking family.

His ears pricked up as he heard Caroline's breathing hitch affectedly. He cursed silently. She was coming to. Shit. He was nowhere near ready for this.

"Ty-Tyler?" He heard her feeble whisper. Don't reply, don't reply. He thought to himself.

"Caroline." He couldn't help himself. His mouth betrayed him, but his words were cold and hard like steel.

"Tyler." The word was a relieved sob, her voice breaking on the last syllable. "I'm so glad you're here." Tyler couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Tyler? I'm sorry about…after the dance. I'm so sorry, Tyler." If it wasn't for his supernatural hearing, Tyler wouldn't be able to be hear her. Caroline's voice was pathetically weak and hoarse. She had already gone into the first stages of desiccation. They must've injected her with a shitload of vervain for it to happen so quickly. Across him, a desiccated vampire who liked to scream bloody murder whenever someone came in The Garden, laughed viciously.

"Tyler, Tyler." The vampire crooned mockingly. Tyler felt himself burn up with rage. Caroline was embarrassing him, and embarrassing herself.

"Caroline, can we talk some other time?" He said haltingly.

"Why?" A flare of irritation was audible in her voice, weak as it was. "It's not like either of us are going anywhere. Tyler-"

"I don't want to talk to you, Caroline." Hurt silence followed his words. He knew he should feel bad about hurting her, but he simply just didn't care. Tyler was weak, yes, and desiccating less than the rest of them, because of his hybrid status. He sighed and closed his eyes, preserving any energy he could. Now that Caroline was here, shit was sure to follow. He had heard her plead with Rebekah about being 'Klaus bait' as she was taken here. It didn't take an idiot, of which he was, to put two and two together. It was only a matter of time before Klaus came down and saved her.

A sudden thought occurred to him. Klaus saving Caroline might be the final act in getting her to return the feelings he had always shown to her. Especially if Caroline knew Tyler was not interested in all, would she finally be with Klaus? That was what Klaus had been wanting for over a year now.

And Klaus didn't deserve to get anything he wanted. He deserved to die, or if he couldn't die, suffer.

What if…Tyler ruined Caroline? What if he dimmed the 'light' in her that Klaus was so fond of?

Would I really be able to hurt someone I once cared for, just to get revenge? Tyler was disgusted at his self. But not disgusted enough to not do it.

Yes. Yes, I could.

Elijah found Rebekah at the plantation within a few minutes of Klaus' visit. She refused to move back in to their old house with Klaus, and Elijah found her pacing the living room when he arrived.

"Rebekah." He called.

"Elijah." Rebekah looked mildly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Elijah sighed. "I heard you have the girl that Klaus likes so much."

"How do you know about her?"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I've heard detailed accounts of their interactions by a giddy Kol. He was shocked at Klaus' attitude towards the girl, and was eager to discuss it with me. He one even sent me a cell phone picture of the two together." He looked thoughtful for a second. "I'll admit, I didn't think much of it all, despite Kol's urging, until Klaus came to me this afternoon. He was as I'd ever seen him before."

"He's a fool for the girl, isn't he? It's what makes this all so effective." Rebekah scowled. "You're wasting your time. I'm not going to tell you where she is."

"You know I always support you, sister," Elijah said softly, laying a hand on Rebekah's shoulder. "But you will start something you will not want to finish, if Klaus does not get the girl back."

"He is the one who told us to kill her." Rebekah replied snippily.

"As you probably expected." Elijah rebutted. He sighed. "I can only ask, sister. We are so close to being a good family again. So close."

"A good family? That is a joke, Elijah. After everything Klaus has put us through…we will never be a good family again." Rebekah closed her eyes, momentarily. "I won't tell you where she is, Elijah. I plan on winning this round, for once in my sorry life."

"There are no winners in this game we play, sister."

Josh walked purposefully into the 'rec' room in Bourbon Street, the room where all the night walkers waited and hung out until the sun went down and they could roam freely. It was a dark room, obviously, with tinted windows and dim lighting. Josh lingered nervously in the doorway, unsure of what to do next. It was crucial he pulled through with this task – it was literally a matter of life and death. But how to approach it all? Finally, he decided to try and mill around the room; see if anyone brought up the kidnapped girl.

For a long time, all the conversations Josh heard were centred on partying, drinking blood or getting on the daylight ring waiting list. He was getting more and more frustrated, until he heard a buff, violent vampire named Thad make an off-hand, aloof comment, 'This blonde chick was hot. It was kind of kinky, to be honest." Subtly, Josh sidled up the side of the small group of vampires chatting. Thad, who Josh hated, was domineering the conversation, using exaggerated hand movements as he retold the story of what Josh quickly worked out was the kidnapping of Caroline.

"Probably a couple years old. That's what he said. In vampire years, I mean, haw haw. Pretty strong though. Was squeezing his face like she was gonna pop it or somethin' until I grabbed them. Soft hands, y'know, like the fuckin' princess moisturises or somethin'. Haw haw haw. Barbie bitch tried to scratch me, too, with this little pink nails. Clipped the bitch 'round her head, showed her who's boss. We put her in the cella'. I reckon' she's for Marcel." Thad leaned forward conspiringly. "Listen to me lads. I reckon it's for Marcel, and only Marcel. Y'know, like she's a secretfrom the Original mutt or somethin'. So keep all of this between you and me, lads."

"Are you just saying that so we can't ask around and find out if this is horseshit or not?" Another nightwalker, one Josh didn't know, said smarmily. Thad, living up to his infamous violent reputation, jumped off out of his seat and went to lunge at the other vampire.

"You wanna fucking go, lad? You're just pissed off because Marcel didn't want you there, y'know. Fuck you, lad!" Thad was being held back by a bunch of other brute nightwalkers as he spat in the direction of the vampire that had challenged him.

"Sure, Thad. I really believe Marcel asked for you, of all people, for a secret mission." The vampire shot back.

"Seriously, lad, accuse me of lying one more time-" Josh saw his opportunity, and jumped at it.

"Thad." He said loudly, hoping his voice displayed authority. "Marcel wants to see you. About the other night." He cut his way into the group of vampires, and the argument, as all eyes turned to him. He felt his armpits grow damp. What if they saw through this? What if they saw he was lying and killed him, here and now? After what seemed like an eternity, Thad flipped his scowl into a triumphant smile and laughed raucously.

"Told ya, lads!" He crowed. "Showed you, ya fucker!" He jeered at the other vampire. "Come on, Justin." Josh felt himself exhale with relief and didn't bother correcting Thad as he led him out of the room and down the hall, into a secluded spot of the Marcel-Mikaelson, rather-manor. Once there, he spun quickly and punched Thad in the face, leaping on him and pinning his neck down by his knee. He was sweating for real now, his limbs shaking from his nerves.

"What the fuck, lad?" Thad swore. He struggled under Josh, and Josh realised that he would break free of his hold in less than a minute. And then Josh would end up dead, on the floor, and this would've been all for nothing. He had to hurry.

"Who was the leader of your kidnapping group?" Josh demanded, not used to his voice sounding so harsh. He was sure he didn't like it, either.

"What's it too you?" Thad struggled more, and Josh found himself wobbling on top of him. He would lose control very, very soon. Sweat poured down his forehead in rivets.

"Tell me now!" He demanded angrily.

"Fuck you!" Thad spat in his face. Before he could psych himself out, Josh plunged his hand into Thad's chest and wrapped his hand lightly around his heart.

"You're not going to kill me, lad. It's against the rules." Thad had a smug look on his face. Josh tightened his lips, and his hand around Thad's heart.

"Maybe Marcel's rules. I'm under orders from Klaus. Don't test me." Josh shuddered suddenly. He hated who he was being right now. But he just had to get through this, and he could go back to the fun loving, innocent hum-vampire he was.

"Fuckin' Diego! Ok? Diego!" Thad looked worried now. Josh went to let go, until the realisation struck him. As soon as he released Thad, Thad would kill him. Or if not now, he would tell, and then Josh would be dead anyway.

Josh closed his eyes and winced as he ripped Thad's heart out, in one quick, swift moment. A tear trickled down his chin; luckily it blended in with the sweat his face dripping with. Josh threw the heart down the corridor without looking, then got up and ran away, as fast as he could.

Davina turned away from the dead body, from Josh's slowly retreating backside. She couldn't believe what he had just done.

Klaus was ruining Josh, her only real friend. And because of this, Davina would make sure she ruined Klaus.

AN: Ok, so I realise some of you might be disappointed at the lack of Klaus in this chapter. However, I do have my reasons, the biggest one being that I think the Forwood ship has to sink COMPLETELY before Klaroline can start.

Don't get too down because (SPOILER) we will finally get some Klaroline progression in the coming chapter, promise :)