Again. It was happening again.

Black dress. High cut. Black shoes. Muted makeup. Jewelry? Nothing too shiny. This wasn't that kind of event. Not the time to try to impress anyone.

Caroline knew the rules. She shouldn't need to know them this well. She may be immortal, but she was only seventeen.

Pouting at her reflection, she clipped an errant lock of hair in her curling iron for what felt like the tenth time, counting out twenty seconds instead of her usual fifteen.

She should probably turn the iron off. Even with vamp speed, she had to leave soon. Then again, maybe she'd come back for her final check and figure out she missed a spot.

As soon as she rushed toward the bathroom to brush her teeth, she was accosted by her mother.

Liz's forehead wrinkled. "I thought you said there wasn't a funeral."

"There wasn't. Elena didn't want to do all of it again. Not after her parents." Caroline gulped back a sob on behalf of her best friend. Why her? And poor Jeremy. He was still trying to deal after going off the deep end into stonerville. What if he went completely off the rails after this? Elena couldn't lose him, too. "But we're still having a little gathering. We're kind of the only family she has left."

"That poor girl…" Liz raised a hand. Hesitated. Pretended it never happened. She wasn't the touchy mother type to begin with, but seemed even more removed than usual.

Matt's warning from the night of the ritual still lay thick in Caroline's thoughts, like a haze. She knows what you are, Care. She was raised to hate you. She was probably just playing the mom roll right now. Caroline had to remember that.

"Should I go, too?" Liz asked, sounding as though it was against her better judgment.

Forcing a smile, Caroline reached for her toothbrush. "I'm kind of late already."

"Okay."

Caroline scrubbed all traces of her breakfast from her teeth. One thing about being a vampire; her dental hygiene had never been better.

"Let me know if you're staying out all night."

Caroline just nodded her approval and spat into the sink. Pink. Liz pretended not to notice. It would probably be a relief for you if I never came back, huh, Mom? It wasn't a fair thought. Caroline tried to shut it down there, but the way Liz retreated down the hall wasn't helping.

Matt said her mother was trying to figure out how to handle her. That she believed her little girl was dead, but couldn't bring herself to feel it.

Caroline's heart ached.

When she went back to the bedroom for her keys, she took one last look in the mirror. "Aaaugh!" That damn lock of hair still wasn't curled.

Tyler wasn't there. That shouldn't have surprised her. It's probably for the best, anyway. Somehow, she didn't see the Gilberts and Ric handling it well. Not today, anyway.

What did surprise her was Matt's absence. I know he wants a normal life and all, but you'd think he'd hold off one day to be here for Elena. Even while he was with Caroline, it was Elena this and Elena that. Maybe he was that afraid of the supernatural. Maybe he was still so not over Elena he couldn't stand watching Stefan in comforting boyfriend mode. Maybe he wasn't ready to deal with Caroline so soon after he broke up with her.

No matter what, it was a slap in the face. Thankfully, Elena didn't seem to notice.

Then again, that was kind of a slap in the face, too. Didn't she even notice Matt was missing? Were they that expendable?

No, that was unfair. Elena had struck that deal with Klaus to protect them, even before they found a way to revive her. She'd been willing to die for them. And the way she clung to each of her friends as they embraced now said more than words could. Thank you for coming. I'm so glad you're here. Please don't leave me, too.

As they walked to the graves, Caroline's heels dug into the earth, throwing her off balance and leaving her flailing for her center of gravity. Ugh! Funeral 101! Chunky heels or no heels at all! God, she was an idiot. To her surprise, Bonnie steadied her.

She was wearing flats. Ugly, and kind of scuffed up, but hey, this wasn't a fashion show.

"Stilettos?" Bonnie raised her brows teasingly, but hardly any humor reached her eyes. "Caroline Always-Dress-For-The-Occasion Forbes wore stilettos to a graveyard?"

Caroline just sighed. "Yeah… I may or may not have gotten distracted while getting ready and just kind of finished on autopilot."

"Ah. The curse of the hair that won't curl."

"I swear, it's the absolute worst! I'm going to start wishing it on my enemies."

"You never change, do you?"

"Hello, vampire?" Caroline gestured at herself. "That's kind of the idea."

They shared a weak smile.

It was the first time they'd connected like this since Caroline turned. And it helped.

Even though no one knew she was going through a breakup, and still woke up in cold sweats from nightmares of herself in that ritual circle instead of the nameless vampire Klaus had procured from God knows where, and she might get killed in her sleep by her own mother once she worked up the murderous intent, the hope of getting one of her best friends back was enough. Besides, Caroline's problems weren't nearly as bad as Elena's. At least she had a mom.

Two fresh graves and two slightly older ones. All of Elena's parental figures in one place, except her biological mother- apparently there wasn't enough left of her to even gather for an urn.

Caroline knew it was wrong to compare tragedies, but she wasn't sure which wrenched at her heart more; Jenna or John.

Watching Elena lay a rose on the grave of her very young (and cool) aunt was awful. In the end, they'd kind of acted like sisters, and Elena had always wanted one of those. Watching Alaric's hand shake as he added a second punched a hole in her gut. With all Caroline's concern for Elena, she'd almost missed the sharp, sour scent wafting from Alaric's skin, or the way his face looked like it didn't fit right, or the distance in his eyes. He loved her. He loved her, and she loved him, but now she's gone and he has to live without her. They never even got to be together. Much more tragic than Romeo and Juliet, if you asked her.

On the other hand, there was John. Caroline didn't know him well at all, and she couldn't imagine what made him hide his identity as Elena's father, even when her parents died. She definitely couldn't understand why he'd thought it was a good idea to come to Mystic Falls and create chaos like he did. But John sacrificed everything for his daughter in the end. He died in exchange for Elena's human life, while everyone else was at Klaus' ritual, or caught in the giant fuckup that was the Tyler and Caroline rescue mission (because someone just had to go and ignore two names on the "do not kill list").

John was completely alone when he died. The way Elena looked at his grave during her final respects was more bewildered than anything else. She wouldn't remember him fondly. No one would. Finally, maybe for the first time in his life, he'd done something good, but it was too late. An honorary inclusion in their little funeral and a single rose was his reward.

So, Caroline didn't know who to mourn. Then again, they weren't hers to miss, right? She was here as support.

While the group discussed what to do with the rest of their day, Damon and Stephan argued about some kind of shouting match they had with Klaus that morning when he showed up (completely naked and not the slightest bit ashamed, apparently) to un-compel Damon from the basement. Of course, Damon took the opportunity to confront Klaus about Jenna (but it kind of sounded like he didn't mention Caroline and Tyler). The now-hybrid was unwilling to accept any blame instead saying something about this being 'the price for meddling in plans hundreds of years in the making.' Damon wanted to mount some kind of payback strike. Stefan thought it was reckless and pointless.

Wait. Caroline's stomach shifted. Since the rescue party came partially to save me, does that make it my fault Jenna died?!

She contained her panic the same way she contained her bloodlust. An iron will and breathing exercises. No one even noticed.

When Damon started to sound like he was going to grab a pitchfork and torch, Bonnie aneurysmed him into agreeing to at least hold off until tomorrow before Caroline could so much as open her mouth to yell at him. You go, girl.

Eventually, Stefan disappeared with Elena. Damon with Alaric. Bonnie took Jeremy to the Grill to see Matt, leaving Caroline by herself.

She wasn't ready to go home. Not yet.

So, she went for a walk. No where in particular, just... away.

By the time Caroline found herself at the Lockwood estate, her heels were in her hand and her bare feet covered in dirt. She'd never gone barefoot like this before. Whatever shoes she wore out, she just had to live with until she went home. Then again, she'd never walked so far in stilettos, and she had vampire healing on her side. Every rock she stepped on was a distraction from this super crappy day. Easier to manage.

She hesitated at the door. Was this really a good idea?

But Elena wasn't the only one dealing with Jenna's death, and Caroline wasn't the only one being pushed away by Matt.

So she rang the doorbell and waited.

Tyler answered the door with a bottle of half empty vodka in one hand. His eyes widened and the neutral mask he'd been wearing slipped. "Care? What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing."

"Great. I'm a murderer. My friends hate me. There's nothing to smoke because I left it all somewhere I thought Jer might find it. Oh, and Mom's out on some kind of business again, but, maybe that's for the best. It's not like I can tell her about any of this." Caroline could smell his breath from here. He unsubtly looked her over from head to toe, but it didn't seem particularly lecherous. "It's over already?"

Caroline shrugged. "For some of us."

"So you just thought you'd stop in and check on the charity case, huh?" There was a bite to his words that made her wince. "Sorry. I just…"

"I know." You're hurting, too. And you're doing it alone.

"Matt?"

"Didn't come either."

"Oh." Tyler understood what that meant. He was the only one who did.

"Yeah."

She held out her hand. After a few seconds, he passed her the bottle, and she chugged probably a few shots worth down like water.

He was sizing her up when she finished. She watched him work up what seemed like a lot of nerve. "I wanted to go, you know. Pay my respects. Apologize."

Caroline didn't answer. It didn't feel like an answer kind of statement. She just gave him her attention and waited.

"... I didn't think anyone would want me there," he explained softly.

Caroline thought she might cry. "I did."

They stood awkwardly in the doorway. She took another long swig of the alcohol, and even as it burned its way down her throat, it filled her with a kind of warmth. She went for another gulp, but Tyler snatched it away, screwing the cap back on and placing it somewhere off to the side.

At her childish whine, he explained, "I might deserve this bottom shelf shit, but you don't."

"Tyler, it wasn't your fault. The wolf was in control and there was nothing you could have done about it. You didn't do this."

He looked Caroline dead in the eyes, something like denial in his. Still, he didn't voice it. "Come on." He finally stepped to the side. "Let's get some of the good stuff."

She looked down at her dirty feet. "Somehow, I don't think Mrs. Lockwood would like me leaving footprints on her marble tile."

"Yeah, you're right about that." Before she knew it, Caroline had been lifted into his arms, like it was nothing. "So I guess we'll just make a little detour to the bathroom."

Thank you. She couldn't bring herself to say it, but she thought it with every fiber of her being, circling her arms around Tyler's neck and leaning her head against his shoulder. Just like the night Matt broke up with her, he radiated a comforting warmth. I didn't want to be alone today either.

As Tyler kicked the door closed and made his way toward the main level full bath, she said, "you smell like a distillery."

He actually laughed a little.

Thank you so much to my guest reviewer, Jennifer!

I absolutely do plan to keep updating regularly.

This is one of those weird story-writing processes where I knew the end before the beginning, and now I'm just kind of connecting the dots. 90-something pages so far. I'll release chapters as I become confident they're locked in, which should be pretty frequent.

That said guys, I live for reviews, so please do leave one if you can! Since this is shaping up to a full-size story instead of my usual 1-3 shots, you might even end up influencing events if I see an idea I like.