hey everyone! I'm back! this was a difficult chapter to write, but i did it! and it's done and you get to read wonderful things. i hope you enjoy it! and remember to review! plus, be on the ookout for a Tyler and Caroline series. All stories will be inspired by songs by Florence + the Machine. It should be interesting, so keep your eyes open! :) again, i hope you like it. :)

-FlamingRose11

He looked up to see her face. She was dead serious.

"Are you sure?"

'Yes," she said with conviction, "show it to me."

"I don't know about that Care, I mean it's kind of – intense."

"I don't care." she said indignantly, "I can take it." He sighed in surrender, knowing no matter how much he protested, in the end she would get her way. She always did.

"Come on," he said reaching his hand out to her to help her up. She looked at it confused and a bit taken aback.

"You're going to show me? No fighting first?"

"I've been your friend long enough to know I won't have a choice in the matter anyway. I might as well save my energy." She smiled broadly and took his hand, hopping up. He led her out of the study and they quickly snuck up the stairs. He closed the door quietly behind him and brought out his laptop. She plopped down on his bed and waited patiently as he set up the video. She cocked her head to the side as she looked up at him with a curious glance. He was bothered. It was understandable, but she still looked at him curiously. He sat down next to her, obviously bothered about showing this to her. She watched as his hand hesitated over the mouse.

"Are you sure you want to see this?" He asked once more.

"Yes," she said with great conviction, "I am positive." He sighed and reluctantly pressed play for her. She sat there, watching, cringing at every yelp, scream, and whimper. After a while, Tyler just couldn't stay in the room any longer. He fished Mason's journal out of his drawer and tossed it on the bed next to her. She paused it and looked up at his troubled face.

"That's Mason's journal. You're free to read it," He paused, the crease in his forehead deepening.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head of the thoughts haunting him. They wouldn't leave. They were clinging to the walls of his room and digging into the sheets of his bed. They were creeping into the crevices between the drawers on his nightstand. The haunting thoughts were invading. If they weren't going to leave, then he would. He rushed to the door.

"Tyler?" he opened the door. "Tyler!" he slammed it shut behind him. He didn't get far. He didn't even make it down the stairs. Instead, he sunk down to the floor leaning against the other side of the door.

He sat there for what seemed like a decade. On the other side of the door, Caroline was watching in horror as she saw Mason's painful transformation take place. As she watched she read, noting every reaction, footnote, and emotion expressed on every action. She studied it as if a gruesome piece of history. She didn't understand herself why she was paying such close attention to the transformation, but she guessed it had something to do with finding the silver lining. There must be something that could possibly be less than awful about this process. She was having a hard time finding it, but maybe it would reveal itself.

Hours went by. The muffled sounds of Mason's screams had stopped. Tyler lifted his head from his hands to listen intently at the door. He got up from his spot on the floor and grabbed the door handle. He opened the door tentatively.

"Caroline?" he called as he peeked in. The laptop was abandoned at one end of his bed and Caroline was sitting on the other end with her knees drawn up against her chest. Her arms were in the nook between her knees and chest, elbows in and arms holding on to herself. Her face was frozen and glazed over with terror. The impact of such a sight hit Tyler straight in the heart. If he had any doubt she wasn't still human, this sight proved him wrong.

"Caroline," he said as he approached her. He glanced up, but only for a second, before turning her face away and resuming her glazed and terror stricken expression. He sat down next to her.

"Caroline," he repeated. No response. She was worrying him now. Why wasn't she responding?

"Caroline!" he said more forcefully, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her, trying to wake her from whatever trance she was in. she turned her head away, her curtain of hair blocking her eyes from meeting his.

"Caroline, look at me," he said turning her face towards him. She tugged away.

"Look at me!" He repeated with more force in his voice and his hand.

"No," she said softly in a voice other than hers. He dropped his hand from her face and stared at the figure in front of him, aching for her to change her mind. This couldn't be Caroline Forbes. She was always taking care of him. She wasn't supposed to be broken. It was her job to be strong. He didn't do strong very well. He could pretend, but when it came down to it, pretending wasn't good enough. He loosened his tie a bit to occupy his hands. He was never good at being strong, but for Caroline's sake, he had to try.

"What's wrong Care?" he asked gently, softly stroking her hair.

"You never told me how much you resemble your uncle," she said softly.

"What?" he said, not sure what else he could say.

"When I was watching him-transform, I would read his journal. I couldn't look at his face." She took in a sharp breath, trying to compose herself.

"Because every time I saw him screaming in pain, I would think it was you. I couldn't watch it, sitting here on the other side of the computer, not helping him, not being there, and all the while I couldn't help thinking how unbearable it would be if it was you." A tear slipped from eye as she took in her next breath.

"I don't want you to be alone with this Tyler," she cried, and collapsed into his chest in a mess of tears and sobs. She clung to his shirt, soaking it with her salty drops. He hugged her tightly; his cheek nestled in her hair and against her neck.

"Hey," he said softly. She looked up and saw him holding out a Hershey's kiss with a small smile. She laughed softly, taking it from his hand. If only things were still so simple they could solve problems with chocolate.

"I thought you might need it." Her lip quivered a bit and she collapsed back into his chest holding tightly onto him.

"Shhh," he soothed in her ear, "it'll be okay. You'll see. I'll be fine. It'll all be okay." The more he said it the more he wished he could believe it.