A/N: here's what you asked for!


"I told you I would wait for you," Klaus reminded her; the distance in between them did nothing to eliminate her need to be near him. "No matter what happens in my life or who comes into it or leaves it, I will continue to wait for you. You are the woman I want to love for the rest of my life, Caroline."

Tears ran down her face as she sobbed and turned away from him. Heightened emotions had her laughing maniacally as unleashed anger tormented her. "That's your problem, Klaus," the blonde talked with her hands flailing every which way. "That's what has always been your problem! You want to love someone and you want to be loved. First it was Tatia and now it's me," she pounded her palm to her chest, "but the problem is that you don't actually know how to love anyone! All those years ago I thought I was finally getting to see the real you. The little boy who was abused and traumatized by his parents, who lashed out and tried to control everyone in his life so he would never have to feel that way again. I know something changed in you when we met," she stepped back as he moved towards her. "You met someone who you felt more for than yourself. You relinquished control as much as you could, and I was pulled to you too," Caroline hit the wall of the building behind her and her face turned into Klaus's palm; he was pressing up against her and trying to stare into her eyes, which Caroline cast away in an attempt to remain strong.

"I would relinquish everything within my power to you," Klaus confessed, "if only I knew how you felt about me."

Caroline looked into his eyes, tormented by the hold he had over her and how it constantly jeopardized the love she had for Tyler and the life she held so dear in Mystic Falls. "One day, you will meet someone who loves you as much," she admitted, "or more, than I do. Hopefully you will be able to return that love," her voice began to break. "And I pray when that day comes; when you find her, that she will be yours and yours alone," the sobbing continued to wrack through her body as she forced herself to do something she hadn't been able to do for the past five years. "Because I will always love Tyler more than you. I will always choose Tyler over you. And the only future I have is with Tyler, and not with you," she cried and watched his entire face contort with pain; knowing he felt exactly like she did in that moment.

Wind brushed past her and she collapsed against the building; unleashing her voice as she screamed and cursed at the man who had destroyed her perfect love and small town life. Klaus was gone.


Bonnie stared Denny as they silently came to some kind of understanding. Turning, she ran to her friends and was caught in their arms; a snapshot of time that reminded her she was now frozen in awkward teenage glory that had claimed Elena and Caroline; young forever, or however long Bonnie was allowed to visit.

"Well," Damon said, "the prodigal witch returns," and enveloped him in his arms. Years of watching over him and Elena had finally softened Bonnie to the insecure, manipulative vampire.

"I can't believe you're here," Caroline clapped her hands to her mouth and hugged her again. "Oh, we have to have a welcome home dinner and we'll make all your favorite foods, and-"

"You might want to give the girl a moment to breathe," Stefan warned his best friend. "She's only been alive for about two minutes; you don't want to deprive her of oxygen," and was pleased when Bonnie gave him a hug.

"Food does sound good," Bonnie admitted. "You would be surprised at the things you miss on the other side. Are you guys cooking?"

The Salvatore brothers shared an amusing glance and Damon sighed in mock annoyance. "Sure thing. It will be nice to eat something other than boxed pasta," he flipped Elena's hair as he walked past her and headed for the kitchen.

"I thought you liked my boxed pasta," Elena chased after him as everyone laughed.


"Elena," Caroline ran and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I can't believe you guys came!"

"Like I would miss my best friend's wedding," Elena told her. "Besides, a girl can't get married without a maid of honor," she giggled and made her way into the Lockwood mansion. After Klaus had allowed Tyler to come back he had moved in with Matt as they navigated college and all the new experiences that came along with it. Five years later, Matt had moved into his own place and Caroline had moved in with her fiance as they began their new life.

Damon walked up with their luggage and was escorted to their room; Caroline wanted Elena as close as possible during the last two weeks before the wedding. It was nice to have someone who would help her with her planning and make sure it was the perfect wedding she had always dreamed of.

"So," Damon put their suitcases down and allowed blondie to escort him and Elena to the dining room for coffee, "when did you and Lockwood decide to enter matrimonial bliss?"

"I mean, it's been five years," she gushed; excited to talk to people who understood her relationship and why this was so important to her. "Five years of being together without any life and death consequences or people trying to tear us apart. Put aside the make ups and the break ups, and the teenage angst, and we've realized how important it is to try and live as normal a life as possible."

"You know, without worrying about the legalities of marrying a dead person," Damon's bright blue eyes popped as he made fun of her.

"No one knows that," she defended herself with a feisty laugh. "I mean, as far as the government is concerned we're young, living adults with promising futures ahead of us. There's no need to fake our birth certificates and there are no official death certificates to keep us down. Tyler's my family and we just want to make it official since we don't have a lot of family between us. And it will be so nice for my mom," she reached over and clasped Elena's hand in hers. "A reason for us all the celebrate."

"Well," Elena smiled, "I can't wait to get in my bridesmaids dress. At least I know Caroline Forbes doesn't believe in ugly bridesmaids."


The Salvatore brothers laughed and joked as they cooked, the kitchen finally getting more use since the death of all their close friends; even if some of them were still sitting in the room with them. Matt helped by fixing the cocktails.

The girls let them do what they do as Denny turned away from Matt's piercing stare, trying to ignore the growing intimacy between them. She hadn't meant to unload on him, in fact, she hadn't meant to unload at all. There was an attraction between them she wouldn't mind exploiting but their conversation earlier had pushed the envelope and that wasn't something she was looking for.

As the sixteen year old remained in her own thoughts, only passively listening to her cousins and new friends, she was woken by the sound of a doorbell. Getting up, she left the friends to get reacquainted as she welcomed their new guest; leading them to all the activity.

"Bonnie," Jeremy was confused and shocked.

The witch turned to him and smiled weakly. "Hi, Jeremy."