"Caroline?" Liz called before knocking on Caroline's door, she pushed it open to find Caroline getting ready for school, her daughter didn't seem to be in a particularly good mood this morning, she wasn't singing like usual and there was no music in the bedroom. "Do you have a minute honey?"
Caroline don't look at her mother, she just shoved a few books into her school bag. "I'm late for school mom."
"I just need a few minutes Caroline." Liz said gently but resolute about her request.
Caroline sat on her bed already giving up, she wasn't going to win this fight if she started it. "What did I do now?"
Liz smiled and walked over to Caroline, she sat next to her daughter and looked up to the ceiling for a minute trying to gather all of her thoughts. "Caroline, I'm sorry for the way I called you out for avoiding Rick the other day. I wasn't being insensitive about your father, I was just worried about you."
Caroline's eyes never left the floor, she sank the heel of her boot down on it and decided to see where this was going.
"I wasn't fair to you but..."
Here we go, Caroline thought and got ready to stand up any time now.
"... I don't get from where this behavior is coming from." Liz said opening her hands.
Caroline shot her head at her. "What behavior?"
"You're acting strange Caroline."
"Okay, why am I acting strange?"
"Lately you have been skipping a lot of classes, it's not just History now, is it? Some days you don't attend mornings, others afternoons and last week you didn't went to school at all."
Caroline didn't meet her mother's accusing eyes, she couldn't.
Liz took another real long breath. "You even quit cheerleading and your teacher told me that you had a severe ankle sprain?"
Caroline sank her heel further down on the floor, maybe she could pierce a hole in it and maybe that would make her feel a little better.
"Stefan says that you haven't gone hunting with him either, that you have decided to hunt alone now..." The words came out a little slower this time, Liz still had some difficulty dealing with Caroline's vampire aspect. "Honey, what's going on with you?" she asked worried.
Caroline shrugged slightly. "I don't know." She spoke quietly and with honesty, she really had no idea. "I didn't realize that I was missing so many classes..."
"I was called to school because you might be in trouble this year. The classes that you do attend, it's like you're not there at all. You don't talk, you don't participate in your classes, teachers say that your apathy is alarming and nothing like you. You always were so talkative and bright... Caroline, when was the last time you helped organize something for the school? People used to battle you to even be a part of community projects and now you don't even seem to care about them at all."
"Maybe I don't." She said still looking down at the floor.
"I don't understand what's wrong with you." Liz let out a little frustrated now. "Is this your rebel phase?"
Caroline smiled bitterly. "Yeah right... I just lost interest in it, that's all."
"Caroline! This isn't you." Liz shook her head.
And with that Caroline sank both of her heels down on the floor and stood up, she had no sleep at all, she was feeling miserable this morning and she was at her zero tolerance mode. "I have to go." she said and grabbed her bag.
"Caroline, don't you dare to leave this room." Liz' voice was stern.
Caroline looked at her mother and tried to contain all her feelings inside, they were nobody's business so she strangely thought. "You have no idea who I am."
The words and the expression in Caroline threw Liz into a punch in the gut moment, she tried to say something in return but thoughts were racing through her mind and not reaching her mouth in time.
"The truth is that you never did. I was a failure, right? I got drunk and embarrassed you. I slept around with boys and I was never the good girl, no matter how much I tried I never seemed to match the huge expectations that you had. I was never going to be like Elena, the town's role model. I was never going to be perfect but I tried, I tried so hard." She felt stupid hot tears warm her cheeks and shook them off with her fingers, she took a deep breath and finished delivering all that she had kept inside for so long. "I was Miss Mystic Falls, that was the highlight of my pathetic human life. The moment I thought would complete everything that I lacked. I wanted your admiration and love, it was something that I had achieved and that I expected you to notice but you didn't even care about that. You didn't even mention it once, it was like it never happened, like I was invisible to you, to everyone else." she added with bitterness in her voice.
"Caroline no, why would you think that?" Liz grabbed her daughter's arms gently. "No honey, you are my daughter and I love you, I know that I wasn't the best mom, I know that I screwed up in that job, I buried myself in my other job because I knew I wasn't any good at this mother thing and I know how much I failed you." Liz finished grimly.
"No I did. I failed you when I died. When I became the thing you hated more than a bimbo shallow neurotic child, I became the thing that you devoted your entire life fighting. I became a vampire and my parents hated me for it." Caroline said shaking her mother's hold slowly.
"Caroline no." Liz tried to stop Caroline but she was out the door before she could stop her.
She sat on Caroline's bed and broke down into heavy tears hating herself for knowing Caroline was half-right, she hated the fact that she was a monster now but she loved her more than anything in this world and she would never forgive herself for not being able to show it.
Caroline drove slowly to school, she was in no hurry to get there and this morning just kept getting worse by the minute, her mother had made it harder but she wasn't going to lie to herself, she was miserable because the one person she wanted to run to now was gone.
He had left last night or this morning, she had no idea really.
She unconsciously licked her lip remembering the kiss from yesterday, they had kissed and it had been amazing but she hadn't heard from Klaus ever since she left his house. She tried calling him so many times that she eventually gave up at dawn, she secretly hopped that he would show up at her room so she spent the entire night awake but he hadn't paid her a goodbye visit.
She felt tired as she stepped outside of her car and walked to school, Kol's car was there but there was no sign of Klaus so she finally resigned, he was gone and she had never needed him more like she did this morning, she needed his arms around her and the soothing feeling of his steady breathing.
She pushed the stupid tears back, she wouldn't cry, she had enough of that already for one day.
"Caroline… you look awful."
She froze in her way, if human her heart would probably race now as she looked up to the boy standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest and a boyish smile on his face. "Tyler..." she whispered feeling as if the ground was being pulled from under her unsteady feet.
"But no one pulls awful this well, you look amazing Care. Just like I remembered." Tyler said.
She forced herself to smile. "You're back..." she finally said, pulling the coat around her tighter, she had no idea what to do.
"Yup. A little bird told me that Klaus finally left town and I figured that it was a good time to come back. I missed you Caroline." he moved towards her.
Immediately she freaked, she didn't know what she wanted him to do but the minute he pulled her close into a tight hug she slowly hugged him back.
She had missed him, she had left him endless messages and she was happy that he was back, she was relieved that he was ok but it wasn't his arms that she wanted around her.
She had Tyler back but she never missed Klaus more and the thought alone was overwhelming.
"Shhh... Caroline stop crying silly, I'm back and I'm here to stay. I finally broke the sire bond and I can shift when I want and it doesn't hurt as much as it did. I did it Care, I did it for you." He said pulling away from the hug and cupping her face. "I kept thinking about you and it just made me push myself harder until I felt free. He can't hurt us anymore." he said with a smile.
The words just made her sob harder, God, why was she feeling like this?
Tyler smiled even more, certainly taking her sobbing fit as a welcoming gift and he leaned over for a kiss.
Caroline stopped him before he touched her lips. "I can't Tyler... I..."
Tyler smiled. "I know Care, we weren't exactly in good terms when I left but I'm going to win you over. You just wait and see."
She didn't want to get his hopes up but she wasn't exactly ready to crush his heart either, not over something that she wasn't sure herself. "It's just a little too much right now. A lot of stuff happened while you were away."
Tyler laughed. "Don't tell me that you went back to Matt."
"Matt is with Rebekah now Tyler." she smiled a little.
"Wow, excuse me? When did that happen?" Tyler was plain shocked.
"You have been away for 3 months Tyler." The fact that she was using a real time reference made her smile, it was as if only a few weeks had gone by, weeks that she had spent with Klaus.
"You have a lot to tell me then..." Tyler smiled and started walking, together they crossed the front gate.
The morning rushed by with everyone excited over Tyler's comeback, she smiled because he was loved by so many of their friends and it was endearing to watch that, it also gave her hope that he would have so many people supporting him when she came clean with him.
After lunch Caroline decided that she should skip French and Spanish, languages with accents would only stir some unsettling feelings up.
She closed the door to her car and rested her head against the seat, the silence inside of her car gave her some sort of peace and she shut everything out closing her eyes. Her mind flew instantly to Tyler, he was back, he had broken the sire bond and he was back for her and to her, ready to pick up where they had left before he bit her and then she clenched her teeth together.
She remembered Klaus and everything that had happened while Tyler was away.
Time perception was one of the things she gave in to Klaus, he was right, for vampires time wasn't about hours, days, months, it was just a bunch of numbers, that's what it was.
For three months she had been courted and wooed by Klaus, the big bad Hybrid and her resistance had been chipped away little by little, for three months he had been there for her when she seemed to need him the most, he had taught her how to be in control, showed her that there was so much more to her life.
He had gotten under her skin and she couldn't deny it any longer, she had seen herself through his eyes and been at awe every single time, she had seen his dark side and not been afraid of it, instead she was seduced by it.
She knew that he was bad, that he killed people and that he had built himself an army with Elena's blood but she had chosen to close her eyes to this part of his life and she only saw the man that existed when they were alone and now that he was gone she missed it all.
So much that it hurt her, she hadn't changed like her mother implied, she had found herself and she didn't want to go back.
She was like Klaus, there were two sides to her as well, the human bubbly and full of light Caroline and the dark, angry side of her that peeked when she kicked Damon's ass after she was turned, the one that took over when she was forced to fight to protect her friends.
Yes, there was a side to her that she was sure Klaus had seen but yet never mentioned it and as she sat inside of her car now she couldn't help to wonder why he had never done so.
She heard the passenger door slam shut and she opened her eyes to find Rebekah sitting next to her. "Are you lost?" she asked.
Rebekah dropped the books on her lap and sighed. "I was bored! I couldn't possibly take any more of it today."
"Shouldn't you be in Matt's truck instead?" Caroline asked confused.
"Matt has practice and I need a break from... men."
Caroline smiled and rested her head again. "Don't be angry love. You have one less now waiting for you at home."
Rebekah smiled widely. "You sounded just like him now. I think you have spent too much time with Nik."
Caroline felt the sweetness in her voice as she talked about Klaus, she looked at the braided blonde next to her. "Have you heard from him?"
Rebekah shook her head. "No... I woke up and he was gone. He left no message at all."
"You did cold heartedly sent him away."
The sting in Caroline's voice made Rebekah snap. "I didn't have a bloody choice, did I? They cornered us, that's what they did. The thing with Nik is that as safe as it is to be next to someone so powerful it also puts you in the line of fire often, you are either with him or against him and Elijah and Kol wanted to teach Nik a lesson."
"Well, you all decided to send him away and he went away."
Rebekah felt the sorrow in Caroline's voice this time. "I miss him too Caroline. I have spent my entire awake life with him, as fun and endearing as bonding with Elijah and Kol might sound I miss Nik already."
Caroline smiled warmly at the woman she was pretty sure to hate up until this point but right now she was doing exactly what Caroline had done all night, she was checking her phone for any sign of him. "I think that we need to add some really strong alcohol to this pity party." Caroline started her car.
"Ah, but then he was all, what do you mean sweetheart? I didn't do anything that you didn't want me to do. Don't be mad at me love." Rebekah said imitating Klaus' voice.
"God, I hate when he does that! He acts all innocent and he's just like that kid that ate all the cookies and then is all innocent while his face all covered in chocolate and you still can't be mad at him." Caroline said with a full shot glass in her hand, spilling it as she spoke using her hands a lot.
Rebekah nodded and filled her glass again. "He's a bloody villain with dimples, that's what he is."
Caroline spilled her drink but inside of her mouth this time as she started roaring.
Rebekah joined her and they both laughed as silly and loud as two really drunk girls usually do.
"Lord, I'm going to regret this in the morning… aren't I?" Rebekah asked after they calmed down, holding her head with her right hand.
Caroline shook her head drinking another shot. "Don't worry, I'll compel you not to have a hangover tomorrow."
Rebekah let out a drunken giggle. "You can't, I'm an Original and you can't compel me." She said refilling Caroline's glass.
Caroline rubbed her eye and smiled. "I'll ask Bons to spell you into not being hangover and then you can compel me." She said and spread her hands victoriously.
Rebekah smiled happily and lifted her glass. "Our problem is solved then. Bottoms up love."
Caroline smiled and clicked her full glass with Rebekah's, at least she didn't feel as miserable as she did this morning and for now that would do.
"Ugh, stop..." she moaned as her phone started ringing.
She opened one eye into the pitch dark of her room, she couldn't tell how she got here, she moved slightly and her head was throbbing with pain, her mouth was dry and she realized that she was still fully clothed, only missing her shoes.
She recalled Rebekah and the way that they both drained one bottle of Tequila after the other, she sighed loudly and moved her hand to the stupid phone that wouldn't go off.
"Seriously?" she mumbled and checked the hours, who could be calling her at 4am in the morning?
Her head shot in the air fast as her heart tightened inside of her chest, the move made her feel sick but she had far more pressing issues right now.
She answered the unknown caller hastily, feeling her finger shake as she touched the green button on the screen. "Yes?" Her voice was trapped inside of her throat, the sheer possibility of being him messed with her more than actually not being him and just some prank caller.
All of her will left her when she heard the husky voice from the other side of her phone.
"Hello Caroline."
No one said her name like he did. "Nik... are you ok?" she asked wrapping her free arm around her knees, his replying soft chuckle made her shiver.
"Well, you are not making my life entirely easy, are you love?"
Caroline frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You have called me more than 20 times and sent me as many messages sweetheart, how am I to concentrate on my mission if you keep distracting me like this?"
Caroline bit her lip hard and blushed deep-red into the dark of her room. "Sorry..." she whispered.
Klaus sighed and she smiled, loving how his voice sounded over the phone, she found it to be sexy and loved how his soft sighs sounded so much closer now that he breathed into the phone, she closed her eyes and focused on his breathing.
"I'll be home soon love."
He whispered just like he was reading her mind and she smiled, how did he do that?
"I just wish that you had said goodbye to me before you left." she admitted.
"If I did, I might have been unable to leave and we might be engaged now in some other activity that involved a lot of sweating and perhaps cursing."
"Oh wow Nik, we just kissed. One kiss and your mind is already in the gutter." She laughed and dropped lazily on her bed, she started to play with her hair.
"You are the one taking it there sweetheart, I was just talking about some sorts of sports."
Caroline laughed again, a genuine and happy laughter. "Is this how it's going to be from now on? You are going to call me now and then to talk about sports?"
Klaus laughed from the other side but she felt the slight tension in his voice and she wanted to ask him to come back home but she wouldn't be weak and falter, he didn't need that.
"Just be careful ok? And don't worry about calling me. I'll be fine, I promise that I won't freak out again." She assured him.
"Try not to do anything stupid while I'm gone Caroline." he softly asked her.
Caroline smiled feeling a thousand times better than she did this morning, the worry in his voice made her feel wanted and loved for what she was.
Soundtrack:
She will be loved – Maroon 5
