HELLO EVERYONE! I know it took me a million years to upload this but I was extremely busy. Thank you for your patience. Anyways, I hope you like this one. I really enjoyed writing it. And lets just say that it has new information in it about Nik.

IMPORTANT: I'd like to point out that the flashback follow no particular order, but strictly relevant to the events in the present. However, you'll be able to place each event and flashback once the whole story is complete as well as identifying their places by indications of which happened before which. I'm sorry if this is confusing, but I want you guys to put the peices together instead of giving it to you on a silver platter and I hope it's more intriguing than plainly annoying.

ENJOY :D

Chapter 5: Stand by Me

'You wanna tell me what that was all about?' Stefan begins investigating as soon as I stepped out of Johnny's room, using his serious tone.

I sigh 'I doubt I can give you anything of much help' is my vague mumble.

'What the hell does that supposed to mean?' he asks, raising his hands in the air.

'It means, Stefan, that I know almost as much as you do' my tone is impatient as I slump into the couch next to him, rubbing my face agitatedly. Stefan knows almost every aspect of my life. We have been friends since college, and it's not like I do not want to tell him as much as I don't feel like going through the subject again.

'Come on, Nik. Don't leave me hanging in here holding my breath' he jokes.

I roll my eyes 'It's about Caroline'

He looks a little taken aback, but not completely shocked since he knows that Caroline made an appearance back in our lives a few days earlier.

'What about her?' he asks cautiously, tone dead serious.

'You see, that's the problem. I've no clue' I huff exasperatedly 'I just know that she is in trouble, and that Rebekah is looking to help her'

He frowns 'What kind of help?'

'She wanted to contact The Five' I hesitantly tell him, watching as his face turns from confusion to shock to pure and utter fright, the same kind of emotions that stormed through me once Rebekah declared her request.

'What did she want to do with them? Why would she need them? Why would Caroline seek help there?' Stefan urges his voice going to a full blow of panic.

Dear God, would you admit that you have a thing for my sister already?

'I do not know, Stefan' I tell him hurriedly, cutting off his mess of questions 'That's what I've been trying to tell you. I don't know and it's driving me crazy. I've been pondering all the possibilities ever since Rebekah requested to contact them' I lean forward, clasping my hands tightly together as rest my elbows on my thighs.

'Why didn't she tell you?' his voice is frustrated.

'She said she couldn't, that Caroline didn't want her to' I lick my upper lip, recalling the last bit of our conversation.

A long moment of silence passes while Stefan ponders his thought and I go back to uselessly taking my brain for anything useful.

'You didn't tell her anything though, did you?' he finally asks 'I mean, you didn't tell Rebekah how to contact The Five, right?'

I gulp down, keeping my head down hanging in shame. What do I tell him? That I am that much of a pathetic man? That I agreed to drive my sister towards those monsters? Goddammit, what do I tell him? I, myself, can't understand how the hell I obliged and told her what she wanted to know.

'Nik' Stefan's voice is disbelieving 'You didn't tell her, right?'

I sigh, looking back at him meaningfully without uttering a syllable.

'You have got to be kidding me!' he spat 'For Christ sake, Nik, are you fucking crazy?' he yells

'Keep your voice down, Johnny's asleep' I hiss.

'I will not keep my voice down! You practically threw your sister to the filthiest least trustworthy people on the planet! What the fuck is wrong with you?' he continues to shout, rising to his feet.

'What else was I supposed to do, Stefan? She was the one who insisted on knowing how to contact them. She was the one practically begging me to tell her' I roar back, frustrated with myself as well as with him.

'Can't you see that this is what you've always done? You put everyone ahead of Rebekah just because you know she will always be there for you. I'm goddamn sure that when you knew it was for Caroline you didn't hesitate to tell her because it's your fucking lover who you screwed things up with and never got over it or her. And hell, it's just Rebekah, who the hell gives a damn what happens to her or if she's hurt while saving everyone's asses? You do that to her every time and I'd be damned to say that I know how the hell she puts up with your bullshit'

'And how do you put up with my bullshit?' I say through clenched jaw 'And since you are obviously her knight in shining armor, how the hell does she seem the one to want nothing to do with you?' rising to my feet as well.

'At least I'm not her own brother throwing her to the wolves!' he snaps.

'I did not throw her to anyone, you fool! She promised she wouldn't go alone. And it was her wish, I did not beg her to help Caroline. I would have far rather help her myself' I snap back at him, stepping forward and adding angrily under my breath 'So how about you stop making assumptions and meddling between me and my sister? What happens between the two of us is none of your business' I poke him on the chest to emphasis my point.

'Daddy' upon hearing Johnny's voice, I shut my eyes, cursing under my breath before turning around to his frightened face.

'Hey Johnny, what are you doing out of bed?' I try to say lightly, but my voice is slightly hoarse from all the shouting.

I jog towards him and scoop him up in my arms, sensing how close he is to tears. Why did everything bad decide to happen while Johnny's around? I have no clue, but the factor is increasingly irritating. The environment I am providing is not exactly healthy for a kid. And so help me God Tatia will never let me hear the end of it when she inevitably find out through the interrogation she puts Johnny through after every weekend he spends with me.

'Are you fighting with Uncle Stefan, now?' he asks as I put him back in bed.

'No, I'm not' I lie 'we're simply having an argument' I hope my smile is convincing enough 'Now, go back to sleep'

'But... 'He begins but I stop him.

'Don't tire yourself Johnny. Go back to sleep' I tuck him in and he complies with a profound sigh that makes me smile.

When I step out of the room, Stefan greets me with an apologetic face, but I still ignore him, heading straight to my bedroom instead.

'Is he OK?' He quietly asks

'Yes' I drily answer without stopping to look at him 'no thanks to you'

'Hey, Nik, I'm sorry' he sighs just as I swing the door of my room open 'I shouldn't have said what I said. I just got really pissed'

'That's alright' I nod, turning around to face him with a neutral mask.

'I know that things are different between you two now' he murmurs 'And I didn't really mean what I said'

He drops his gaze to the floor, putting his hands in his pockets.

'Do you have feelings for Rebekah, Stefan?' I ask him suddenly after a short moment of silence.

He looks up confused. I can tell that he's looking for an answer which is honest but would not upset me at the same time.

'It's OK if you do, Stefan' I encourage him, crossing my arms on my chest.

'I think I do' he sheepishly admits 'And I knew you wouldn't like that fact so I kept it to myself'

'But it isn't about me, you know' I tell him, keeping a composed voice. True, I'm not so fond of the idea that Stefan may make a move on Rebekah. He doesn't take relationships seriously, and she would fall in love with him far too easily, it'll inevitably break her heart 'Why wouldn't you tell her? I believe it's something you both want' as hard as it is to admit it, but I had no saying in what my sister decides should it ever come down to her wanting to be with Stefan.

'Nah' he shrugs off 'she can't stand me. It's better for it to stay like this'

'What makes you believe that, Stefan? Rebekah's had a crush on you for as long as I remember' I chuckle nervously.

'The fact that she finally realized how much of a dick I am' he jokes.

'You haven't exactly done anything to emphasis that point, though' I point out casually, shrugging.

I can almost see guilt all over his face before he averts his stare, shaking his head 'Yeah, well' he mutters.

'You haven't done anything that would upset her, right?' I ask skeptically.

'No' his tone is a tad too defensive 'I'm serious, Nik' he adds when he sees the suspicion all over my face.

'OK' I nod slowly, proceeding to my room.

'Oh and Nik' he stops me again 'you're really great with Johnny'

'Tatia begs to differ' I scoff.

'Screw Tatia' he rolls his eyes 'she's just pissed you didn't marry her'

. . .

'So what exactly happened between you and Tatia?' Stefan asks , deliberately irritating me as he cocks his eyebrows defiantly.

'Yeah, Nik, tell us' Rebekah casually says as she sips from her white wine.

I roll my eyes 'I really don't wanna talk about it'

'What? You didn't tell us what happened!' Caroline protests raising an eyebrow at me.

I shoot her an angry glare.

'Gee, calm down' she mutters, bringing her glass of red wine to her lips; to her beautiful, inviting lips. It takes mighty strength for me to stop thinking of how much I want to be that glass in this moment.

'Seriously, Nik, you were….' Stefan starts, then stumbles, looking over at Rebekah for help. She smirks at him, quite clearly amused by his confusion '..good together' he finally concludes with "good" for obviously lack of better words.

'Good' I scoff 'We weren't even together'

'What does that supposed to mean?' she asks with a frown, involuntarily leaning closer on the table where she sits across of me.

'It means, Caroline, that we were never serious' I simply answer.

Rebekah sighs, shaking her head lightly 'So what? You had your fun and now it's time to move on to another woman, then?'

I wince at the accusation, knowing that it's partially true.

'If it's like that, I'll kill you' Caroline throws me a disgusted glance, before adding 'and I'll enjoy it'

'Feisty' I purr between chuckles, leaning in closer as well so that our forearms are almost brushing against each other.

She rolls her eyes, but giggles all the same. All I can think about is how much I love the sound of her innocent giggles. There's something so pure and spontaneous about them, so delicate and heartwarming that they give me the urge to hold her in my arms for as long as I possibly can. A blush creeps its way to her cheeks when her eyes meet my stubbornly-present smile which quickly turns into a smirk upon seeing her reaction. I take my time contemplating every inch of her beautiful face as she smiles shyly but obviously flattered still.

'Stop flirting with Caroline and answer the question!' Rebekah scolds, alternating her gaze between the two of us, disbelief all over her gaze.

I clench my jaw. Would she drop the subject already? Besides, why did she have to cut the moment short? I was truly enjoying myself. From the corner of my eyes I see Stefan smirking which only makes me more upset.

'No, Rebekah' I drily start 'I did not throw her away after I had my fun like the little scum you paint me to be. She was the one who ruined it'

'What did she do?' Rebekah frown, ignoring my dry tone and the clear anger it holds.

I lick my upper lip, dropping my gaze to the table and staring intently on my glass.

'She told you that she loved you, didn't she?' Stefan finally concludes after a short moment of silence.

'Now that's stupid, Stefan' Caroline mocks 'I mean, why would he leave her if she loves him?'

No one breaks the silence, all waiting for me to affirm or shoot down Stefan's conclusion. I hate this. I hate it when they do this. I hate that they think they have the right to barge into my life and throw accusations. I hate that they think it's absolutely fine for them to write essays about my dysfunctional character and analyze it without even having the decency to be cryptic about it. It's nobody's business. If I want to ruin my life, then let me be! Who are you to deny me what I want? Why do they even pretend to care? And why do they have to talk about such subject in front of Caroline? She barely knows me. Who gave them the right to give her access to my life and hand me over to her on a silver platter?

'Right, Nik? It doesn't make any sense' Caroline urges doubtfully as my silence lasts for far too long for comfort.

I clench my jaw and my hands tighten around the glass where my gaze is still fixated on a point in its depth.

'Dear God, Nik!' Rebekah gasps 'You didn't! Why would you break her heart?'

I look up at her, anger ablaze in my eyes 'I didn't do anything. She's known all along that we were not serious. She agreed to us not being serious. She was the one who broke the rules by admitting her everlasting love to me!' I snap, the level of my tone slightly inappropriate for a public place 'Now drop the subject'

'Don't act like you didn't know that all along' Stefan objects 'But you still stayed and gave her hope!' he accuses.

'Says the jerk whose purpose in life is to manipulate women' I retort with a smirk. I can feel Caroline's gaze fixated on me but refuse to look at her, whether for fear of what I would see in her eyes or for sheer embarrassment? I do not know.

'I don't manipulate women' Stefan shoots me a sharp glance 'I simply don't let any relationship go for longer than two weeks and they know that beforehand. You, on the other hand, stayed with Tatia for almost two years, knowing full well how much she was head-over-heels in love with you. And let's not even go to the whole Elijah story'

Once that brought up, I shoot up to my feet, grabbing my jacket 'I did not give her hope, I never treated her any differently. She was the one who tangled herself in hope' I defend impatiently, sliding my arms into my sleeves, with every intention to leave. My eyes land on Caroline's face for the briefest moments to see confusion mingled with shock all over it, but I quickly avert my gaze.

'But still you ended things, instead of giving her a chance. Instead of giving a real relationship a chance' Rebekah interjects with disbelief and disappointment 'Come on, Nik, it's typically you to bail on…'

'Rebekah' my tone is more of a growl than a warning that cuts her short mid-sentence 'I'm not having any of this, anymore. Stop meddling in my business. Stop trying to find analysis for my behavior. Stop trying to fix me. This is who I am. This is what I want. Let me screw up my life and stop pretending like you give a damn if that happens' with that coldly said, I storm out of the bar banging the door shut loudly behind me.

The weekend is the most dreadful part of the week when Tyler is happy and satisfied with my behavior, let alone when he's still extremely and outrageously mad at me. He's has the habit of staying home around the clock after making every part of my body ache. Whether it is to further my pain or to simply keep me in check, I do not know. Either ways, I patiently wait for time to pass and stay silent while he taunts me.

Sometimes what makes living with Tyler such an excruciatingly agonizing job is not the physical pain that he's more than a little capable of inflicting, but rather the emotional and mental torment he puts me through. Over the course of two years, the only thing I've been hearing uttered to me is how worthless and pathetic I am, how I should be grateful that he so much as considered tolerating me and my stupidity thus far.

As much as I try to shrug off his words and completely ignore them, their claws dig deeply into my mind, arousing old insecurities and dark days of which I have never had the intention of reliving, but somehow, ended up forced to go through them with every ounce of strength left in my weak, thin, trembling body.

Dear God, how great it is to have the house empty of his face again.

Sighing ruefully, I go about my business around the house, busying myself as not to think about a certain subject….. Certain two subjects… certain three subjects. Nonetheless, my attempts are thrown out of the window when one the subjects I'm trying to avoid, knocks on my door with Starbucks Coffee and chocolate muffin in her hands.

'Rebekah!' I am delighted beyond belief all the same. Having someone to talk to freely again is such a welcomed luxury.

'Hey, Care' she cheerily starts, stepping into the house and walking to the living room like she owns the place.

I smile at the familiar gesture. Thankfully, the bulb in my cheek has gone down to be replaced by an ugly purple bruise that does not exactly hurt whenever I attempt to smile or to simply talk. Other parts still jolt with pain, though, at any sudden movement.

'So I brought your coffee black with two sugars and a chocolate muffin' she starts casually slumping to the couch and laying the bag on the table 'That's how I remember it. You still like it the same, right?'

'Yes' I answer, unable to keep myself from smiling as I collapse to the couch next to her 'I didn't think you'd remember'

'Don't be silly' she rolls her eyes 'I mean you still remember how I take my coffee. And say yes even if you don't'

I chuckle… almost giggle. It feels natural which is quite unfamiliar and strange 'I do remember actually, black, no sugar just a splash of milk' I also remember how Nik takes his coffee, which he doesn't. He's a tea person. I used to tease him about being so British in that particular aspect.

I shake my head lightly. I will not think about him.

'What's wrong?' Rebekah narrows her eyes, and stops extracting the muffin from the paper bag, alarmed at once.

'Nothing' I smile at her widely.

'How are you today?' she slowly asks, trying hard not to look closely at my bruise.

'Better' I briefly, and quietly, answer, picking up my cup of coffee. It tastes so good that it reminds me of how much I used to spend on Starbucks Coffee and how long it has been since I've had any of it.

'So…' she clears her throat after a long moment of silence, reaching into her bag 'I brought you this' she extracts a cell phone from her bag and hands it over to me.

'What's this, Rebekah?' I frown at her.

'It's not much' she starts 'Just for emergencies. You can keep it locked so it wouldn't ring and bring Tyler's attention to it. And I'm sure you can find a place to hide it' she puts it in my palm.

The phone is grey, small, and old, unlike any of the trendy, recent devices 'Why are you giving this to me?'

'Like I said: for emergencies. I have my number and Nik's installed in it already. I have your number saved with me, Nik doesn't, though, before you ask' she hurriedly explains 'And I did the math, if that pathetic excuse of a husband you have can track you down when you use your passport and social security number then you'll need a new identity. So I'm working o getting you a new one. I already have contact information to start working on that and we should get your new papers soon once I go over to their location tonight and you don't have to worry about the money. I'll only let you receive this month's paycheck from Nik and by then I'll have a decent amount of money to loan you' she exhales loudly once done, as though she wanted to get it all out of her system before I could interrupt her stream of thoughts.

Leaning forward and resting my elbows on my thighs as I stare on the cup of coffee which I'm holding, I let what she just said sink in. I almost can't believe what I'm hearing. A week ago I was completely alone in this suicidal mission, and now I have Rebekah pre-planning for my upcoming breaking free.

'I promise I didn't tell Nik' she emphasizes, taking my silence as a bad sign.

'Why are you doing this Rebekah?' I mutter, fumbling with the lid of the plastic cup.

'What do you mean?' I can sense the confusion in her voice, but refuse to look at her face, sliding forward so that my hair covers the sides of my face and hides it from her as well.

'Why are you going through the trouble of saving a lost cause?' I whisper, my breath catching in my throat.

'Caroline, you're not a lost cause' she says with a hint of humorless chuckle 'Why would you say that you are?'

'Because whoever you save will never be the same friend you once had. You're following a ghost' I swallow down the lump in my throat.

It's true. Only shattered pieces of what's left of me will make it out of Tyler's grasp alive, assuming that any of me could escape his grip altogether.

'I know that' her voice is broken, filled with suppressed sobs 'But you're my friend Caroline. No matter what happens, you are my friend. Even if you change, you need my help. And you know I would never turn my back on someone I care about when they need my help so much…' she trails off 'I'm actually quite disappointed that you'd think I wouldn't help you' her voice is sad and a pang of guilt immediately rushes through me.

'It's not that, Bex' I look up at her with tears in my eyes 'But I'm not worth your trouble. I've already told you that he would do anything to keep me tied to him, including hurting you. Why would you put yourself in danger?' despite myself, I feel tears trailing down my face.

'How could you say that, Caroline?' she asks, appalled by my statement 'You're not worthless! You're a victim here, Care, who refused to stay silent in her situation anymore. How can you say that you're not worth it?'

I lick my upper lip. If I wasn't worthless, then maybe he would have been contented with me. Maybe I am the one forcing him to act the way he does. I shake the idea off, shuddering. This is neurotic, insecure me talking.

'Besides, Caroline, he's just a cop not Dracula. We are not in some TV show with a villain that can kill everyone we love. This is not how the world works' she insists adding a bit of poison to her voice, the way she always talks once upset or extremely disappointed.

'I'm sorry' I murmur, my breath hitching in my throat 'It's just that I …' my sentence break as I seem incapable of completing it.

She gently puts a soothing hand on my shoulder 'Caroline, you don't have to be alone in this. I can help you, so let me help you' softly says Rebekah.

. . .

I never really understood what it was like before. I've heard people talk about it. I've sympathized with those who suffered from it, but I never quite understood it. I never quite understood what it would feel like to be an orphan, what it would feel like to wake up one morning and realize that the two people who unconditionally and despite all loved you were no longer present in your life; that they paid their ticket out of this world. Somehow, I've convinced myself that you grow out of it; that losing your parents after you are a responsible adult would somehow ease the pain. But, gosh, how wrong I was.

It's only today this day that it all occurred to me. Today, as I stand listening to the idle prayers for my mother's soul, I realize that you never quite grow out of it. Even though the death of my father hit me harshly 12 years ago, when I was only a kid, this, somehow, in a very weird way feels far worst. There's this sudden feeling of loneliness and coldness overwhelming me. My heart feels heavy in my chest, weighing as much as a thousand rocks, pulling me down with it towards the ground. The muddy ground will embrace my mother's body in a few minutes, and my heart is trying to take me down with her. I feel like cuddling up against her like a five years old again, listen to her telling me bedtime stories and have pancakes with her the first thing in the morning. But that is all gone now... it's all gone and being surrounded with places that remind me of her on our hometown, makes all the nostalgia more prevailing over my disturbed mind.

Then comes the moment I dread most. Why do we have to see her dead face for the last time? I do not want to see my mother's lifeless, ice cold face before she is buried beneath the willow. Who made that rule? Who said that that's how we say goodbye to our loved ones?

The crowds drift away as they mutter their last words to my mother while I stay behind. It's my turn to see my mother for the last time and I almost leave, I almost turn around and leave the scene without ever looking back. My breath is caught in my throat, my heart beats are running wild and all I can think of is how much I really don't want to do this.

Then I feel him beside me, his hand sliding into mine in the most gentle of manner. I lean into him for support, tears escaping my eyes at once.

'I can't do this' I whisper between silent sobs.

'Yes, you can' he gently says pressing his lips to my hair.

'I don't want to do this' I tell him desperately.

'But you have to, sweetheart' he murmurs into my hair 'You have to say goodbye'

I choke on my tears and he squeezes my hand gently 'It's OK. I'm right here' he repeatedly whispers as I inch closer to her dead body.

'Oh God' is all I can gasp when I see her face pale, lips blue, no breath at all, not a single uttered word. It's strange how hollow she looks; like this body had never belonged to her 'She really is dead' I choke out.

Nik wraps an arm around my shoulders and I rest my head on his shoulder, using all the support he can possibly give me. How does he know when exactly I need him or what to say at the right time in the right place? I do not know. All I know is that he's been my anchor for the past couple of months, somewhat easing the pain, somehow making the whole process far easier with his mere presence beside me.

The last of our friends leave the house of my childhood, the house of which I know that as soon as I step out of, I would never set a foot in. only Rebekah, Stefan and Nik remain by the door, seeming at complete loss of what they should say.

'You did the right thing' Stefan clears his throat 'By burying her here. That's what she wanted' he shoots me a sympathetic look.

I give him a small smile. He approaches me slowly and gives me a firm, friendly hug before muttering 'I'm sorry for your loss, Caroline' and leaving. Rebekah steps forward and hugs me tightly, trying to keep her own tears at bay 'I'm sure she's in a better place, Care' she says between silent tears.

'Thank you, Bex' is all I manage to say as I hear my heart breaking.

'I'm sorry I have to leave for Christmas. I really want to stay but you know how it is' she apologizes for the billionth time.

'It's OK. I understand' I murmur. Despite all, I don't feel the urge to be around people right at the moment. Yes, Christmas will be dreadful, but I don't think that Rebekah being there would somehow make it any less unbearable.

She darts out of the house, reluctantly breaking the hug. Halfway through the porch she turns around and gives a quizzical glance to Nik, who is still standing motionless behind me.

'Go ahead. I'll follow you later' he tells his sister.

Gratitude overwhelms me at the thought of Nik staying behind for a while. Even though I claimed I would like to stay alone that did not include him in a way that I do not exactly understand.

Once Rebekah is out of sight, Nik steps forward and closes the door shut then slowly he approaches me. I throw myself into his warm, familiar embrace at once, inhaling his soothing scent that sends shivers down my spine. He does not hesitate to wrap his arms around me tightly as I burry my face in his chest and break into hysterical sobs.

'I was prepared for this for weeks now, Nik' my voice comes muffled and broken 'why does it shock all the same? I mean we knew it was coming. We saw it coming, but it hurts so much still. Why is that Nik?'

'Knowing is one thing, love' he soothingly starts, caressing my hair 'and experiencing is a whole other thing. It stays surreal until it actually hits you'

'My mother is dead, Nik. She's dead!' I burst out, choking on my words.

'I'm so sorry, Caroline' he gently whispers.

'The only person who would love me no matter what is dead, Nik, she's left. I am no one's little girl anymore' he tightens his grip around me then as I hide away in his arms. I am on the verge of panicking and, somehow, he notices this.

'Caroline, love, it's all going to be OK. I'm right here beside you, I promise I won't let anything happen to you' he softly utters against my hair.

I exhale and inhale in harmony with him, focusing on his steady breathing and heartbeats. It sooths me and my panic attack gradually fades away as he becomes my protective shield. Nothing matters except for his being there. For all I care, I can depend on this warm embrace for the rest of eternity. I can stay hidden away in his arms for the rest of my life, breathing in his scent and listening to his heart beating and his steady breath playing like the sweetest music of all. I can stay here, feeling his lips pressing to my hair, and his breath tickling the curls.

'Can you stay here tonight, Nik?' I shyly request 'I really don't wanna be alone in here'

'Of course, love' he agrees instantly.

'Thank you, Nik, for everything'

He only holds me tighter and we say nothing else.

. . .

'How were you planning to get away anyway?' Rebekah's question pulls me out of one of the most bittersweet memories in my life.

Despite the overwhelming sadness the memory of this day brings, I can't help but torture myself with the recollection of his strong arms wrapped around me whenever I feel the need for comfort or protection. That particular moment has been increasingly on repeat in my head over the course of the last year I've spent with Tyler. Maybe it is just the extreme yearn for a comforting embrace that forces the memory into my head, besides the fact that I have never felt as safe as I have felt that moment in his arm.

Even after everything blew up in our faces, I still longed for moments like these. His embrace had always been what I missed the most about him.

Still, that could be the case just because it was the only memory that hadn't been completely tarnished.

'Caroline' Rebekah says again, bringing my attention to her.

'Yeah?' I look back at her calculating face.

'I asked you how you were planning on getting away from Tyler' she repeated the question with slight irritation in her voice.

'Umm' I begin absently then slowly add 'I was going to gather enough money to escape him and stay as far away as possible until I could manage a new identity for myself and disappear altogether' I clear my throat 'I know it's not the best plan, but it's my only option. And I would rather try than stay here. You know survival instinct and all' I chuckle humorlessly.

'Well, that's no longer your only option' she says with a small smile, braking the short moment of silence 'Now you have me to help you. And the plan is going to work out perfectly. I'll get you your fake papers as soon as possible, get you the money and help you disappear' then softly she adds 'You're no longer in this alone, Caroline. And I'd be damned if I let the fact that he has connections or can hurt me or whatever gets in the way of me helping you. Besides, I, too, happen to have connections and four siblings who are willing to bend over backwards for my help' she shrugs with a smirk.

'But you're not gonna tell anyone, are you?' I urgently ask, alarmed.

'No, Caroline, I won't' she rolls her eyes 'Until we need to bury him alive and dance on his grave'

'I forgot how dangerous you could be, Bex' I squint at her teasingly.

'Of course I am!' she says, offended by my lack of knowledge 'WE are dangerous and feisty. We make those who come as close as a mile to hurting us regret the day they were born. And that's exactly what we will do with that Tyler boy' she smirks and I can't help but chuckle.

It feels like everything is back to normal when she rises to her feet, beaming 'Now, let's tell people how to stuff chicken with broccoli'

I roll my eyes, chuckling still.

So, what did you guys think? Like it or not? Thoughts! Please share them :D

And, i'm sorry to say that updates are not going to be that much faster. I've got loads to worry about,. But my other story is almost over, so once that's over, I should have more time for this one :D

And Remember! You can find me at tumblr anytime (lostheart95)

KBYETHANKS