Caroline's POV

I ran through the woods, screaming at the top of my lungs, legs burning and branches whipping at my face. Now, what I was running from, I had no idea. I just had the sickening feeling that I needed to run. I had to run.

I couldn't not run.

I jumped over logs and branches with extreme power. I gasped as I cleared a creek in one bound, my step not faltering.

I continued to sprint, ignoring my burning thighs and calves. My screams of terror were less frequent now, they would only happen when I would slow down.

How was I here? What was I running from?

Those were just some of the questions that plagued my mind.

I knew my friends, Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Elena, Vicki, Jeremy, Damon, Kla-

Him.

I was so drawn to him for some reason.

Why?

I always pretended like I wasn't but deep down I knew.

He knew.

He knew that there was some unknown allure to his darkness, some attraction to the man capable of doing terrible things. That arrogant, cheeky man, with his smooth accent and wolfish grin.

I was still running, despite the fast pace that my mind was whirring, trying to make sense of my life.

Moments later, the feeling of terror left me, and I suddenly no longer had the desire or strength to run.

I stopped in my tracks, leaning forwards and placing my hands on my knees, catching my breath.

I looked up to take in my surroundings and I momentarily freaked when I was in the place that Vicki was found.

Why was I here?

A stick snapped loudly, and something flew through the air and thudded in the leaves twenty feet away from me.

I jumped at the noise and turned around in a circle slowly.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but I knew that something was.

What was out of place?

I finished turning around to where I started and sighed.

Another stick popped and I looked towards my left.

Nothing.

I turned back and screamed at the top of my lungs.

He was standing there, leaning against a tree, not even five feet away.

"Hello, love." he said and smiled cheekily, and long fangs peeped out.

I looked at his face in shock. His normally blue-green eyes were a dark yellow and had veins snaking under them. His mouth was turned up in a smirk, allowing two fangs to peek out.

What was he? Since when do vampires have yellow eyes?

He took a step forward and my heart thudded violently in my chest.

"Kl-klaus." I stuttered out. "What are you doing here?"

His smirk widened and he replied. "I'm here to see you, love."

He flashed forwards and appeared in front of me.

I screamed and...

Shot up in bed, heart racing and sweating.

I looked out my window, surprised to see rain pouring down. Lightning flashed, and I could have sworn I saw a wolf's eyes gleam in the darkness in the distance.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck.

A soft knock met my ears and I turned towards the door.

Stefan's head popped in.

"Are you okay, Care?" his hair was messed and eyes were sleepy. "I heard you scream."

I took a deep shaky breath, trying to decide whether or not I should tell him about the nightmare I had been having the last two nights.

"I've been having this same nightmare since Vicki got attacked Friday night." I explained, and he looked at me curiously.

I patted the space next to me and he slipped silently into my room, sitting at the edge of my bed.

"It's been about Klaus." his eyes widened in shock. "He came up to me at the party and we talked for a while."

I told him about or conversation and then about my nightmares.

"I think I saw a wolf outside a few minutes ago, and I saw eyes staring at me at the party..." I rubbed my eyes, realizing how crazy I would sound to a normal person.

Stefan's not normal and neither is your life, Care. A voice in me whispered.

"Zach's told you about vervain, right?" Stefan asked me curiously.

I nodded. "I used to put it in my tea, but I keep forgetting to."

"You can wear it in a necklace or bracelet or even a ring and it does the same thing." he explained. "The only downside is that the vampire can remove it if you wear it."

"Hm," I said thoughtfully.

I got up and walked slowly over to my jewelry box, pulling out a heart locket with the infinity sign going across the middle of it.

"Would this work?" I opened up the locket, and showed him the small space, maybe 1 inch wide and an inch tall.

"May I?" he held out his hand and I placed the locket into his hand.

He carefully examined the locket's clasp and size. "Yes, I believe this will work." he glanced at the clock by my bed. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared for a momentarily but was back not even a minute later, holding a piece of vervain. I hadn't seen a whole piece before, only little shaving sized pieces that I steeped for tea. The plant was quite pretty. A purplish brown stalk formed the main part of the plant, and tiny purple flowers branched out in a circle around the top. It reminded me of lavender, in a way.

Stefan kept it away from his skin, using his sleeve as a glove. I held my hand out and he placed it in my hand, then went and got some scissors off my desk.

"Cut this into little pieces and put it into your locket." he informed me, and I did so.

I shut the locket after I was finished and clasped it behind my neck.

"Okay, try to compel me." I said and Stefan's face scrunched up in disbelief.

"Seriously Care?"

I shrugged. "I don't want to wear this if it's not going to work."

He sighed and gave in. I stared into his green eyes, watching in fascination as his pupils changed size. "Say what you're thinking."

I pretended to be compelled. "I am tired."

His eyes widened for a brief second but once I busted out laughing, he grinned in relief.

"Goodnight Caroline." he said with a small smile, walking out of my room and shutting the door behind him.

I smiled back at him before he was gone and laid down; shivering when the cold feel of the silver necklace hit my bare chest.

I closed my eyes and thought about happy thoughts, trying my best to ward off any bad dreams that were lingering around.

Third Person's POV

A man stood over the hospital bed of Vicki Donovan, staring at her curiously. He whispered something in her ear, pulling back with a sly grin on his face. Blue eyes sparkled ominously in the moonlight as he walked over to her window, opened it and jumped out, landing three stories down with a soft thud.

His hair was hit with the raindrops falling from the slight clouds that were barely covering the moon.

He pulled out a phone, typed in a message, and hit send, before disappearing into the night.

Caroline's POV

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy, like I got maybe two minutes of sleep last night. I wasn't happy at all. It was Saturday, and I was thankful for that, but I seriously wanted to sleep in more. It was already almost eleven, and I had to get up and get ready. I was helping Bonnie with fliers today, since it was the night of the comet. I sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a minute before getting out of bed and stumbling into my bathroom. As I stripped off my clothes, my hand hit the clasp of the heart locket, but I stopped instantly, last night flashing into my mind. I decided to leave it on during my shower. I quickly took a shower, going through the usual motions of washing my hair, then my body, and finally letting conditioner nourish my hair. Once I was done, I slipped on a simple outfit and drove into town to meet Bonnie.

"Tonight, night of the comet! Would you like a program?" Bonnie and I were standing in the town square, handing out fliers to people. Most people were ignoring us, but my mom had signed me up, so I drug Bonnie into it, and she had asked Elena, but, she bailed on us...again.

"Where's Elena?" I asked after I had tried – and failed to offer a flier to a pedestrian.

"You didn't hear?" Bonnie's face was that of surprise. "She got into an accident." she paused, biting her lip. "Her parents died." she whispered, sympathy clouding her eyes.

My mouth dropped open in an 'O' shape. "Really? Where? When?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Wickery Bridge. Same place where your mom died."

I blinked. "Wait – did you just say..."

She nodded. "What a weird coincidence, huh?"

I nodded in agreement and we continued to hand out the papers.

Third Person POV:

Stefan was sitting in the living-room, drinking a glass of scotch and flipping through an old diary. He was trying to keep his mind off Elena. It was evident in the way he kept fidgeting in his seat. Word travels fast in small towns like Mystic Falls.

He looked up from his book when Zach entered from the hall. "What is Damon doing here? Why did he come home?"

Stefan sighed and took another swig of his scotch. He loved his nephew, he really did, but it was times like this his incessant nagging got old. "It's 'cause I came home. He wants to make my life miserable, that's how he enjoys his."

The younger groaned and ran a hand through his hair, pouring him a glass of something strong. "Well, he's putting us at risk! The – Donovan? - girl in the hospital could talk."

"She won't." Stefan quickly replied. "I took care of her."

Zach eyes widened for a moment, as if he forget Stefan was one of the good ones. "You're sure?"

He shrugged, trying to not worry too much about it. "I'm not sure, Zach. I don't know how well it worked. I'm not as strong as Damon is."

Zach took a swig of his liquor and sat down across from Stefan on another couch. "What happens if it doesn't work?"

Stefan simply shrugged and got up, walking over to the liquor cabinet. "I don't know. I'll deal with it. Don't worry."

Stefan heard his nephew get up and he turned around. Zach had a serious look on his face. "Is she worth it? Uncle Stefan, this girl you came back for? I don't want your problems getting in the way of Caroline's life. She's been through so much, losing her mom and all. I don't want you to cause more drama and loss in her life."

He didn't respond.

Caroline's POV

I walked into the Grill, with Bonnie right behind me. We decided to go into Mystic Grill to get something to drink. When we arrived, we saw Jer and Vicki talking. Jeremy gave her some pills, and I rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe he's selling pills now." Bonnie mused aloud, going over to sit at a booth. I followed behind her. We sat in the booth and watched Tyler stare at Jer and Vicki. He looked seriously jealous. I wonder if he knew that if he was nicer and not such a dick, maybe Vicki would actually like him.

Vicki downed the pills and grinned, obviously doped up on the pain meds she had gotten from the doctor. Tyler came up and said something, and she stormed off.

We got our drinks and quickly downed them. We needed to get back to work, there was a larger crowd then usual, and I didn't think Matt and his friends could handle them without us.

~Later~

Bonnie brought over a candle for me. "Hey, I got you a candle." She smiled and handed me a candle.

"Look who it is." Matt said, walking over to us. We looked in the direction he nodded his head, and saw Elena timidly walk over to us, a solemn look on her face.

"Hey." she said to Matt, and turned to us. "Hi guys."

"Elena!" Bonnie exclaimed, throwing her arms around her in a big hug. "I'm-" she looked to me and stopped herself. "I'm here if you need me."

Bonnie pulled away and I hugged Elena next. "Same for me. I know we aren't that close, but still, if you need me, I'm here too." I smiled as I pulled away.

Bonnie was headed back over with two more candles, one for Elena, and one for Matt. "Here." she lit mine, and I lit Elena's who lit – Stefan's. He and I met eyes briefly, and I nodded once at him, flashing a quick smile. He smiled back and started to talk to Elena. I saw Matt's face twist and him and Bonnie walked away, leaving me by myself.

I saw a candle waved in my peripheral vision, and I turned to light someone else's candle. I looked up to see piercing blue eyes.

"Damon." I said, almost in shock. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked mischievously. Knowing him he had something up his sleeve. "What do you mean? It's a town party. I live in the town!" he shrugged innocently and continued, staring up at the dark sky. "You know, that comet... it's been traveling across space for thousands of years, all alone. Kind of like me." he smirked even wider and I rolled my eyes.

"Bonnie says it's a harbinger of evil." I shrugged, turning my eyes to the crowd. I saw a flash of blonde hair and piercing eyes, but they disappeared as soon as I recognized them.

Damon shrugged again. He looked out of the corner of his eye at his brother and Elena. "I agree with my brother, it's just a ball of snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every 145 years, it gets to come home." he mimicked his brothers voice. It was almost scary how much he could sound like him if he wished to.

We stood in silence for a moment, and I looked back at Stefan, who was now standing alone, a broody look on his face. Elena was walking away from him, an extinguished candle in hand. I turned back to Damon, but he was gone.

I decided to watch the comet pass for a bit longer, when I discovered someone looming over my shoulder, to my left.

"Hello, Caroline." a deep voice purred in my ear, and I jumped.

"Klaus." I said, doing my best not to stutter. I felt the shock wear off and I heard myself say, "Creeper much?" I stepped forward and turned around to stare at his leather jacket clad body. "What?"

I looked at him dead in the eye, the light from the candle giving his face an odd glow.

"I was just stopping by to say hello." he smirked and stared back down at me. "I advise you go find your friends." he paused and looked out of the corner of his eye.

I followed his gaze and saw Damon holding Vicki over the edge of the roof of a building nearby.

I saw Stefan standing not too far behind, staring on in shock.

I started to sprint towards the building, leaving Klaus in the dust. I felt my body being picked up, and I appeared on top of the building, someone's arms around me.

My heard hammered in my chest, and I looked up at Klaus – whom had assisted me by jumping the both of us to the roof. By the time I looked back to the others, Vicki was on the ground at Stefan's feet, completely oblivious to Klaus and I's arrival.

"Klaus." Stefan said through clenched teeth. "Leave Care alone." he turned to me. "Caroline, get over here."

Damon simply looked at me, and then to Klaus, who had an arm wrapped protectively around my waist. His eyes narrowed, but didn't say a word.

Damon's body blurred and ripped me out of Klaus's arms. My body flew through the air, and the next thing I know, I hit Stefan's chest with a thud. He pushed me away after I regained my balance and I took a few steps away, turning to face the brothers and the hurt girl.

Klaus and Damon were staring each other down, when Klaus spoke up. "I don't have time for you all." He looked towards me, and then disappeared.

Damon turned back around, a smirk on his face. "Now, where were we?" he looked at Vicki, still cowered on the ground, almost unconscious. "Ah – I remember." the grin spread and he pushed her hair back, whispering loudly in her ear. "What attacked you the other night?"

She came to slightly and stirred on the ground. Her scared eyes met Damon's blue ones, and she stuttered out, "I-i don't know. An animal."

Damon looked at his younger brother before staring at Vicki. "Are you sure about that? Think." he looked intensely at Vicki. "Think really hard. What attacked you?" Damon seemed to be able to break Stefan's compulsion ridiculously easy.

"A vampire!" the poor girl's eyes widened as she remembered and she stared at Damon with a look that could only be described as pure and utter terror.

"Who did this to you?" Damon continued, shaking her gently.

I had seen enough.

"Leave her alone, Damon." I snapped, going over to kneel down next to her. I hugged the girl, stroking her back slowly. Vicki whimpered.

"Who did this to you?" he repeated, ignoring me.

"You did!" Vicki said seconds later, trying to hide in my arms.

"WRONG." Damon barked, and tried to pull her out of my grasp, but once I held on, he ripped her away.

"Don't." Stefan and I said at the same time, and I stared at Damon with a kind of sick shock.

"It was Stefan." Damon continued, his pupils dilating.

"Damon, stop!" I snapped, getting extremely angry with him. Stefan didn't do anything to Damon, as far as I knew, so why was he doing this to his younger brother?

"Come here." he ignored our protests and grabbed Vicki on both sides of her head. "Stefan Salvatore did this to you."

Vicki parroted Damon's words and the elder continued. "He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous vampire."

"Please, Damon. Please don't do this." Stefan was practically begging now.

Vicki mumbled the words back and I suddenly felt a strange kind of anger wash over me. I stood up and slapped Damon across the face, causing him to stumble back a pace or two. He seemed as shocked as I was at my outburst.

Oh no, Care, what were you thinking?

"I-" I stuttered out, and Stefan rushed forward, pulling me back to hide behind him.

Damon stepped forward, cocking his head to the side. "Now, that's twice, Blondie, I wonder, are you just plain stupid?"