For several days Caroline lived in a perpetual funk. A state of unwellness that could only be explained by Tyler's presence in the new life she had been pretending to live in. The more time she spent in the mansion the more uneasy she became.

The day after they saved Hayley from Tyler's knife, Caroline made the walk down from Klaus' room. She slowly opened the door into Hayley's room, Hayley looked up surprised to see her. Silence followed in a horribly awkward fashion. It reminded Caroline of the silences used to hear back when she was human. Well no one knew what to do with her then and Hayley doesn't know what to do with her now. Klaus doesn't really either, but that's a different story.

The awkwardness was broken when Caroline muttered, "Hey."

"Hey?" Hayley replied.

….

"I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay." Caroline charged ahead.

Hayley smiled a little, "Yeah the baby is fine."

"No." Caroline replied, "Not the baby, I mean you. Yesterday was a lot and I thought someone should check in on you."

She was surprised. She was confused. She was flattered. But mostly she was grateful. Hayley had her opinions about Caroline, but it was nice to have someone care about her wellbeing and not her baby's.

"I'm doing well, thank you."

"I'm glad." Caroline smiled and turned to leave.

"And thank you for giving me your blood yesterday." Caroline turned back to the girl talking to her. Hayley continued, "It was very smart. Cutting yourself like that. It saved my life."

"Klaus would have saved your life eventually, I was just in the right place at the right time."

She closed the door behind her and gave a sigh of relief. That went well. Well it went as well as could be expected. She looked up and was startled by Klaus' presence. He was standing outside the door, arms behind his back, smile on his face.

"Hello love. What brings you to talk to Hayley?"

"I am in the same house as Hayley, in a room next door to Hayley, I thought it was okay if I spoke to her."

Klaus' smile fell and honestly she couldn't begin to care why. She was hungry so she pushed pass Klaus. "I'm going to get some blood."

That's how it was for days. She and Klaus tiptoed around one another. Creating what could only be called a wall between them. She knew she was doing it, that the tension was her fault. But something had changed that night; the night Tyler became a member of the dungeons. They had been bleeding him out for days, and it was like she and Klaus had been bleeding with him.

She was cleaning dishes in the kitchen when Klaus came up behind her. He put his hands on her hips grabbing her from behind, and slid them up around her stomach, causing her whole body to tingle. She leaned back into his chest for a moment; he leaned to kiss her shoulder, at the nape of her neck. She shook off her feelings and slid away from him.

The response from Klaus was almost immediate. In all of his anger, his fury at her indifference, he grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Don't walk away from me Caroline!"

Caroline grabbed his arm and ripped it away from hers, "Don't you dare."

"Oh, I'll dare." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him. He was about to place his lips on hers when she grabbed his mouth with her hand and shoved his face away from hers. She had reacted instinctively, and her hands flew over her mouth in shock of her actions.

Klaus was stunned. He shook his head, grimaced at this woman in front of her. "What is wrong with you Caroline?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook them away, "there is nothing wrong with me. I'm just a little off right now."

"What does that even mean? Off? Off of what?"

"I don't know!" She cried, "Something is just different. I felt it the night of the attack, something's changed."

He raised his eyebrows and walked towards her as he raised his voice, "Tyler is what's different. He's here and all of a sudden I cannot touch you. He's here and you don't look me in the eye." She looked up and gazed into his green eyes for the first time in days. "He's here and I all of a sudden you don't want me, you don't want me around because now you've been reminded that you are Caroline Forbes. You are the good little girl who is loyal to the good group of people in Mystic Falls. Caroline Forbes, perfect little princess, who never does anything wrong." She looked away and started to leave the room she didn't need to submit to his ridicule. He saw her starting to move and grabbed her, holding her in place, "That is until that perfect little girl came running to New Orleans to get fucked by the big bad wolf. Not so perfect anymore are you?"

Tears were rolling down her face, his opinion of her making her feel every bit of her human self, "Shut up, that's not what's happening here."

"Well than what is happening here?" He said quietly.

She grabbed his hand on her arms and she held his hands in front of her. "Why am I here, Klaus?"

He looked confused, "You're here to help me," he stated plainly.

She laughed in anger and yelled, "I came here to help you, protect Hayley from Tyler. I did that, and I now I need to leave." She let go of his hands and they dropped by his side. She had known it for days, but hadn't brought herself to say or think it. It was time to go.

"No you don't," he muttered under his breath. His hands went to cup her face and she once again pushed them away.

"Yes, I do. I don't have a purpose here any more Klaus. I don't really have a purpose anywhere anymore, but I definitely don't belong here. I was supposed to be in college but I didn't fit there because being a vampire felt alienating with all of the regular humans. But, here, in a world full of vampires, I don't fit in either. I definitely can't stay here with you. I—".

"Why? Why can't you stay here with me?"

"Because Klaus!" She yelled, "because if I stay here who am I? I am the girl living with you and your baby and your baby's mother. I am living with your brother and sister, in your house, in your town. And what do I do, huh? What is my role here?"

He stared at her. He had nothing to say.

"What's my role here?" she repeated, "Who am I to you?"

When he finally found his voice he said, "There's nothing wrong with being with me."

She sighed, "If it were just you and me, and there was no Hayley or anyone else involved, you would be right. But I don't think I can look past that part of your life. I can't be a third wheel; that random woman who lives in your house. Its not what I want."

He reached up and touched her face, "What do you want?"

"I don't really know," she shook her head, "I just think I need to leave… for awhile."

"How long is awhile?"

"I don't know. But Tyler can be compelled tonight right?" He nodded, so she continued. "Well then by tomorrow my job is done and I can leave."

"You can leave, but you don't have to." He reminded her.

She smiled a sad sweet smile, and tears welled up in her eyes before she kissed him lightly and said, "Yes I do."

In the next moment, she turned around, tears fell from her eyes, and she sped away from Klaus so he wouldn't hear her sobs. When she got far enough away from the house she let herself go. She didn't know why she was crying so much it had only been a few days, but she felt torn into two pieces. Caroline knew that leaving was the right thing for her. Still, there was a part of her that wanted to stay. Experiencing vampirism with Klaus helped her in a way she could not yet understand. He was having a baby with another women, she reminded herself; she doesn't belong here. Not now at least.

Rebekah wandered up to her and she dried her tears in anticipation of whatever she had to say.

She stopped walking some fifteen feet away from Caroline. "I heard everything."

Caroline looked up, "Are you going to try to talk me out of it? Out of leaving?"

Rebekah smiled at her. "I came to tell you that I think you're smart…. You're doing the right thing Caroline."

Caroline's face broke out in a genuine smile, "Thank you Rebekah."

When Caroline left, Klaus walked, then ran down into the dungeons where Tyler was being held. He grabbed the bars of Tyler's cell, "Hey boy! Get over here." Tyler was lying on his side facing away from Klaus. But he still responded, "What's the matter Klaus? Caroline finally realize what a piece of scum you are."

Klaus laughed. This boy did not seem to realize that he had lost. "Get up, and I'll set you free boy."

Tyler turned around, stood up and walked towards Klaus. Bars separated the two men, but that wouldn't stop either of them from killing the other. Klaus began to compel the hybrid he created, "I want you to reach into your chest and grab your heart."

Tyler tried to resist, but couldn't. The vervain was gone and he had no choice. He felt his nails penetrate his own skin, with all of his strength he pushed past cartilage and bone, forcing his hand around his heart, he could feel it pulsing, straining against the wreckage he had just caused his body.

Klaus just smiled. Good, he thought. Klaus enjoyed this. Tyler was, once again, going to destroy his own heart. People never learn from past mistakes Klaus thought, and with every thought he had about Tyler's treatment of Caroline, the more he wanted to have the boy rip his own heart out. It would be appropriate payback. Deserved.

Elijah always spoils the fun however, choosing this moment to walk down into the dungeons. He paused at the scene in front of him. Tyler's hand was inside his chest; Klaus was lording over the hybrid. It was very typical of his brother.

"Perhaps," Elijah said thoughtfully, "Miss Forbes would not appreciate you murdering the one person you said you wouldn't murder."

Klaus laughed, "Oh come now Elijah, I am not murdering anyone. He's going to kill himself."

"Stop it Niklaus."

"Are you giving me orders?"

"Yes."

Tyler kept straining against his own hand, trying to remove the pressure from his heart but his brain kept him there; compulsion was almost impossible to fight. He heard the two hybrids fighting over his fate, and all he could think about was leaving. Getting as far away from these people as possible. So he was relieved when he heard Klaus yell "FINE."

The hybrid turned towards him and compelled, "let go of your heart." Tyler gasped and breathed deep gulps of air, keeping pressure on the gaping hole in his chest trying to keep blood loss at a minimum while he was healing.

Klaus continued with his instructions, "You are going to leave New Orleans, and never come back. You will not come near me, any member of my family, Hayley or Caroline ever again. You will never tell another soul about my child or my ability to procreate. Caroline thinks she has bought you your life, but she has only bought you time, because if you ever find a way to break this compulsion, if you ever attack anyone I care about ever again, I will kill you. And I will do it slowly. Run along now Tyler." He opened the door to the cell and Tyler ran past him. Free at last.

Klaus walked past Elijah, stopping in one of the house's many rooms with alcohol to grab a bottle of scotch. He usually liked to savor scotch, appreciating something of this age that required time in order for it to be worthy, but tonight he just swigged, letting the alcohol burn his throat. He walked into his room and drank long hard pulls at the alcohol. He only stopped when he felt a small hand on his arm. He didn't even look at her. She had made her decisions. She put her hand on his shoulder trying to turn him towards her. "Look at me Klaus," she pleaded.

"I thought you were leaving."

"I can leave tomorrow," there was a tremor in her voice, he couldn't tell if she was begging or crying. "We can still have tonight."

He looked at her. "Why? Your choosing to go, just go now."

She broke his gaze, stared at her shoes then reached for his hands. He didn't hold her back, but he didn't pull away. "Because I need to say goodbye."

His breathe caught in his chest and he looked towards the ceiling. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down into the saddest kiss he had ever received. It took him a minute to respond, but then he was holding her so tightly to him she felt like her bones were going to crack. His skin stayed plastered to hers for the rest of their last night.

She had planned to slip away, wanting their night together to be her goodbye. But when she tried to roll out of bed early that morning, he grabbed her waist and pulled her back into him. "Don't," he said.

She felt her heart fall in her chest. She turned over and tears welled in her eyes. Even now, lying beside him, she felt like she was miles away. He brought his hand to her face, shushing her. He wiped the tears from her cheeks. She lay their crying for a minute before she pulled Klaus to her and kissed him hard twice.

"Its not goodbye forever," She whispered. "Were immortal, and if it takes years or decades or centuries, I know I'll see you again." She smiled and laughed as tears continued to fall.

"I will hunt you down if you make me wait too long. " He whispered back.

He ran his hand over her thigh, whilst his other stroked her cheek. She moved to stand up and he pushed the blankets back, moving with her.

"Don't get up." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Its time for me to go and I need to do it alone."

He looked at her, defeated, pulled her to him, and buried his neck into her hair, inhaling her scent. He kissed her temple and she pulled away. She moved quickly out of the room and downstairs to her car where her possessions awaited her. He consented to her request, staying in bed when she left. He heard her though, as she got into her car, she let out one last sob, then a sigh. He was glad; her tears were over. He had had lifetimes of adventure, prosperity, and loneliness. Now it was her turn.

A/N: I wanted to close off this chapter on certain uncertainty. I promise this is not the end. I do however need to take a brief hiatus. And when I say brief I mean I hope to be updating again within a month, I just thought I would give you, my wonderful readers, a heads up.

When I started writing this, I would watch the show and then find myself distracted by what was happening in Julie Plec's world. I could not find what to write in my story because I was so caught up in hers. So I stopped watching the shows for awhile. Now I want to get caught up with TVD and The Originals. I am not saying that events on the shows are going to end up in my story, but there are a few things I have heard about that I have been thinking about incorporating into my story, which I can't do if I don't understand them. I hope you understand that, while I love Caroline and Klaus, I do want to catch up with Stefan and Elijah and all of the other members of this exciting world.

I promise I will have another update before May 10th.

As always please Read and Review.