Normal: conforming to a standard, average, usual, typical, or expected.

Some call it bland, mundane, everything they didn't want to be and everything in this moment she wished she could be. She prayed for a day when standard was her everyday. Because normal meant getting out of bed to the alarm of freakishly annoying ringtone, grumbling and moaning even as she went down for breakfast. A smiling mother and goofy dad sitting, sipping coffee and waiting for her to come down. He would kiss her head and she the outraged teenager would balk at his inability to keep the unsolicited affections to a minimum but she would secretly revel in the fact that she was loved. Mundane, typical, dull; she would go and meet her friends for school and gripe that the history teacher though hot could never be cool because he waxed poetic on the 2nd world war. But his butt was good to look at.

But that was not this day, this time , her life. She wasn't 'normal'. And that was why she was curled in a ball, in a safe house with her best friend and love of her life because someone wanted them dead. They were anything but normal when she had killed a man and he had 'taken a bullet' for her, cleaning up her mess. God, if she could only…Caroline turned her head to see him, on the floor away from her, giving her space without getting too far. And he looked…broken, hopeless because he had hurt her. But he had never meant to and the rational part of her brain knew that, knew that the Tyler who had given himself up to the clans on her behalf could never hurt her. But she couldn't help the irrational fear that had come when he had held her.

"Sorry," she whispered apologizing.

He jumped as though deep in thought and then looked shocked, "You have nothing to be sorry about! Nothing! I'm the asshole…"

"Tyler… I just…" Caroline interrupted his self-deprecating tirade, "I love you."

"God, Care I love you too and I'm so sorry…"

"No, no," she shook her head stopping him again, "I…am in love with you. And I know you don't feel the same way but..."

It was his turn this time to interrupt, "Care, I'm in love with you too."

He spoke softly but intently however the niggling at the back of her mind wouldn't let her accept his words, "You don't have to say that just because I did…"

"Caroline, shhh," he scooted closer placing his fingers on her lips, "I am in love with you. I have been for a long time. When we were kids I used to dream of getting away from my father, anywhere really, just away from him. And then when I met you I wanted to run away with you, build a house and live just with you and no one else. I've only wanted you since the day we met. First as my best friend and then as so much more. You are the love of my life."

Caroline couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes asking, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was scared to change what we were. I f you didn't feel the same way, things would get awkward really fast and I could lose you. And I couldn't lose you because you are everything good in my life. Sometimes I just feel…feel like I'm gonna be consumed with all the lies and the death and the secrecy. Sometimes I swear I won't make it, and then…and then there is you. And I feel like maybe I'm not all lost."

"Ty…" she choked up.

"I didn't know what unconditional loyalty, unconditional friendship, unconditional love was until I met you. So I'm asking you if you are in. Because I don't know anyway else to be with you. You already have my whole heart but I'm afraid…afraid what will happen if I lose you. I survived an abusive father, a negligent mother and being a part of the Cosa Nostra but I don't think I will survive losing you."

Caroline couldn't help but chuckle through her tears, "I'm surprised you have to ask me that. I pledged myself to the clans for you," she slipped her fingers between his , "I am here and I'm in. I'm all in."

Tyler grabbed her face then kissing her for all he was worth. And they would have stayed like that if the first shadow hadn't crossed the window.

The tension in the room was palpable. No man wished to sacrifice all that he had built but they had agreed, they had placed their bet on defeating the infamous Niklaus and his brothers. But nothing was going as plan. The team sent to rid them of the Lockwood heirs had yet to report. The capodecina sent for the Mikaelson bitch had found her gone, and all information offered voluntary or tortured out of the informants was useless. They were losing ground quickly and thus the grumblings. The clans had planned to increase their holdings but if they failed they would all die for they had no doubt Niklaus would show no mercy.

"Where are we?" Head of Porto Empedoclo, "This great thought out plan appears to be failing."

"I said it before he is but one man," Cianciana this time, "If you fools had listened Niklaus could be at our feet begging for mercy."

"And how would you have us do this? Surrounded by his clans? Or in front of the Governor who he owns since the Lockwood failure," Padrino of Porto Empledoclo mused, "We would burn and that prick who runs the state would forever be known as the one who brought down the clans."

The grey-haired man , Guiseppe was the only one that looked calm, "And our contact? What information does he bring us?"

"None we need. I am almost certain Niklaus knows of his betrayal. As for ours, that remains to be seen."

"Good. If nothing else, that traitor can die."

"And what of Niklaus, Elijah and Kol?" Cianciana again.

"A good question. One I am eager to hear the answer to…" All seven men looked startled to hear the voice of the one they wished dead filling the hall.

" Niklaus…" Guiseppe was the only one that kept his cool long enough to greet the man. The others cursed the meetings of the old ways to hell. None of them were strapped. And he knew the bastard knew with his grin the size of the Grand Canyon. Behind him filtering in stood, Kol, Elijah and Mason. In truth the leader of Campo di Licata was surprised to see him there. No one trusted their consigliere enough for this.

All four men slipped their glocks out smiling at the uncomfortable faces in the room.

"I assure you gentlemen, the plan for my demise though amusing were childish at best. I had planned merely to enrich the clans with hard-won support of the politicians, legitimate businesses…and your help. Now… you will all die."

"You, boy…are nothing more than a murderer. You murdered your own father." Head of Porto Empedoclo.

"I did not murder my father," Niklaus turned coolly to the clan leader, " Isn't that true Guiseppe?"

Immediately suspicious looks were thrown his way.

"You will all die for your greed tonightand for following a man with a vendetta as old as time," Niklaus walked closer flanked by his brothers as he began his tale, "George Lockwood, Mikael and Guiseppe were inseparable for a time. George's indiscretions were well known. He was quite the donnaiolo* going even so far as to use his charms on Signora Salvatore and mia madre. Have you never wondered why neither son looks like him but they look like each other. And Mikael was no saint either and for that both men deserved to die. Is that not how the story goes Guiseppe?"

"Men have killed for much less," the older man shrugged but his eyes held a glittering hatred.

"Yes they have. And I will kill you for much more. Or better yet I will let my brother avenge our father. Mason…"

Without hesitation, the younger Lockwood raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

The exploding glass though not completely a surprise was no less harrowing. Tyler looked across at Caroline seeing her where he had placed her, rifle in hand behind the upturned table. He swore if he got out of this alive he was going to marry that girl.

The way she held the Steyer AUG against her shoulder was any man's fantasy, but add to that the fact that she truly loved him and that was everything he ever needed. She loved him. Caroline loved him, unreservedly. It was a loop that played in his head, over and over and it made him smile. She had stood up for him when he was a small boy, faced men that were as evil as hell's angels and still loved him.

When the first man stepped through the broken glass, Tyler slid across the floor, firing on him. He dropped holding his gun and firing off his own rounds but Tyler was on him and with one well-aimed shot he was dead. And had that been the end of it, he would have rested easy. But as soon as he was down there was another in his place and then another and another. Tyler drifted back until he was next to Caroline, their bodies shielded by the thick mahogany of the table as the fired. There were too many. He saw Caroline's frantic glance as more than six men filled the house and if the shadows were anything to go by, there were more.

It was as if time slowed, as bullets whizzed past, their ammunition running out. They couldn't keep this up forever was the last thought he had before a fiery burn consumed his side. The grip on his handgun faltered as he automatically gripped his side but he was determined to stay up right. He heard Caroline scream his name but he was unsure if she had seen him get hit or if she was alarmed about the new gunfire that just started. Shit! Could they even handle more?

Tyler kept firing but to his great shock, bodies started dropping and he was sure it wasn't him or Care who were dropping them. Whatever force was helping them he sent a silent prayer to the heavens in thanks. He could finally see them, flashes of dark hair and gunfire behind his enemies. With renewed strength they fired, killing the last of his would be executioners but not lowering his gun as he saw two men enter.

"Stefan? Damon? What the hell?" it was Caroline that spoke.

"Hey Caroline," the younger Salvatore answered with a slightly sheepish look on his face.

The elder of course carried his trademark smirk as he answered, "Buongiorno Caro. And what are we to call him, Stefan? Nephew?"

Nephew? What the hell? And then as if everything had caught up to him, everything went dark.

Donnaiolo_ womanizer