Slowly opening her eyes, Caroline looked around and realized that she was in the hospital.

She tried to think back, what happened?

"You're awake, finally. You were worrying me." Nick said as he walked into the room, a grateful smile on his face.

She smiled at him, "How long was I out?"

"Nearly seven hours. It's midnight." He said, sitting beside her on the bed.

She reached for his hand and he held it in his, "We did good…Our special conversations saved our lives today."

"I'm glad. I was afraid you wouldn't understand what I needed you to do." He said, looking at their hands.

"I figured it out…He's really gone?" She asked in a whisper.

He nodded, "I took care of him…We're safe from Michael."

She smiled, looking at him, hope shining in her eyes, "We don't have to run anymore?"

He smiled at her and leaned forward, giving her a kiss on her forehead, "We don't have to run anymore. You're safe."

Suddenly, the smile left her face, "My mom…How's my mom?"

He sighed, "Caroline…I need you to stay calm, okay?"

Caroline frowned, "Please don't tell me what I think you're gonna tell me…"

He looked down, "I'm sorry…"

She shook her head and covered her face, not her mom…Not now…He noticed her shoulders start to shake as sobs wracked her body.

Being careful of her stitches, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head as he held her. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry…"

She buried her face in his chest, tears staining his shirt as he held her, she wrapped her arms around him, her hands fisting his shirt.

"Don't leave me…" She begged, still shaking from her sobs.

"Never." He whispered to her, kissing the top of her head.

She was grateful that she had him, that he was here, comforting her. This is what she needed if she couldn't have her mom…

"We did everything we could…I'm sorry, sir…" The doctor told Elijah, trying his best to comfort the grieving widower.

Kol, who had been silent most of the time at the hospital, nodded to the doctor, "Thank you…"

The doctor nodded, realizing this was his cue to leave, with a sigh, he walked away.

Elijah continued to sob into his hands, this couldn't be happening to him…He couldn't lose her now…Not after everything they've been through, he couldn't lose her to the one man he spent their whole marriage protecting her from.

Bonnie went to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Elijah." She whispered to him.

"I…I need to see Caroline…And Rebecca…"

"Okay…you can go see them, don't worry." Bonnie said, knowing that he needed to reassure himself that he still had them.

Without another word, Elijah wiped his eyes and stood, going to his daughter's room.

He froze when he saw her sobbing into Nick's chest, he heard her whisper "Don't leave me…"

"Never." He heard Nick's reply and that eased his worries just a little.

With a sigh, he left them alone, going to his sister.

"I can't believe she's gone…Poor Elijah and Caroline." Rebecca sighed as Stefan told her the news.

"Yeah…And…Mason got away…"

"What?" She asked in shock.

"He got away. Nick killed Michael. Caroline shot Mason, but before we could get to him, he snuck away."

"Well we have to find him. He could be anywhere, Stefan."

"I know, I have my best men working on it as we speak…"

"Now I'm worried…" She sighed.

"Please don't." Elijah said as he walked into the room.

"Oh Elijah, I'm so sorry about Katherine…" Rebecca said, looking at her brother in sympathy.

He nodded a little, "I just wanted to check on you…"

"Well I'm fine…Don't worry your head off…" She said to him.

He smiled a little, "I can't help it…"

"How's Caroline?"

"A mess…Nick is with her now." Elijah told her.

"Well, feel free to sit here with me…If you want to."

"I would but I have a lot of paperwork to deal with…Funeral arrangements to make…" Elijah sighed, wanting to do anything but.

Rebekah sighed and nodded, "I understand…"

Mason walked around the hospital, a patch on his arm from his gunshot wound.

"Excuse me? Do you know where Caroline Petrova's room is?" He asked an orderly.

She checked on her computer and nodded, "Room 326. Which is right down the hall and to the left."

"Thank you." Mason said with a kind smile before walking away to her room.

"Go to my dad…He needs someone, and I can't right now. Even though I would…Go to him and be with him, please." Caroline asked Nick as her tears began to calm.

He nodded a little, "Alright…Are you sure you want to be alone?"

She nodded, "I'll be okay…"

"Okay…If you need anything, or if…someone comes, I want you to press 1 down. It will call me…Okay?" He said, handing her a phone.

Looking at him curiously, "Someone?"

"Just trust me…" He told her, not wanting to tell her why he was worried.

"Okay." She whispered.

He reached down and kissed her, "I love you."

"I love you, too." She smiled slightly to him.

He had a bad feeling, but knew his brother needed him, so he walked out of the room to find Elijah.

Mason was giddy when he realized that she was alone, finally.

Waiting until Nick was far enough away that he couldn't hear if Caroline screamed, he walked into the room, seeing Caroline rubbing her eyes. She hadn't noticed him yet…Perfect.

He went to her bedside and sat down, she dropped her hands and jumped, shocked to see him.

"What…are you doing here?"

"Came to check on my girl." Mason smirked before grabbing the pillow she had at the foot of her bed.

She put her hands on her sides, secretly reaching for her phone, "What do you want?"

"Wanted to make sure you were okay."

With a sigh, she pressed 1 and prayed Nick was listening, "I thought they arrested you."

"I snuck out after seeing Nick kill Michael."

Taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eye, "So…I shot you…What are you gonna do?" She asked, knowing he'd want some kind of revenge.

"What I do best." He said with a chuckle before shoving the pillow onto her face.

She tried to scream and push him off, but she was too weak. Oh god, where was Nick?

Nick, Elijah and Stefan were walking down the hall, Stefan and Nick trying their hardest to help Elijah.

"I can handle this…I'm not going to break."

"Brother, you just lost your wife…"

"I'm aware, Nick." Elijah said through clenched teeth.

Nick sighed when he heard his phone start to ring. Reaching for it, he answered it quickly, seeing it was Caroline. "What's wrong?"

"I shot you…What are you gonna do?" He heard her ask, his heart nearly stopped, realizing who she was talking to.

"What I do best."

His blood began to boil as he grabbed Stefan by the arm and pulled him in the direction of Caroline's room.

A muffled scream is what made him run down those halls, faster than he thought was possible.

Stefan followed and when he saw Mason smothering Caroline, he pulled out his gun and shot him in the exact spot she had shot him earlier.

Mason cried out in pain and fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

Nick ran to her and pulled the pillow off her face as she coughed, struggling to take a deep breath.

He held her face in his hands, "Breathe, it's ok…You're safe."

Caroline looked at him with teary eyes as she wrapped her arms around him.

Stefan sighed and grabbed Mason, putting cuffs on his wrists. Reading him his rights, he yanked him out of the room.

"Don't ever forget me, Caroline…I'll be back one day." Mason called out as Stefan dragged him out of the room.

Caroline shivered as Nick held her, knowing that Mason was speaking truth.

A/N: this is the last official chapter of CLC...

I know it is too soon...but i feel that this is where it has to end...An epilogue will be posted shortly.

I will have my big sappy speech at the end of it. :)

Thank you for reading and please leave a review

-WeirdOne