A/N: Yes, yes, I know, this update is uncharacteristically late for me. I apologize. Working full-time, studying, and trying to maintain some sort of a semblance of a social life is not conducive to extensive and uninterrupted time to write. Ideally, I would like to update every week, but that may not happen all the time.
The delay with this chapter also has to do with the fact that it kind of re-tells events we already saw in TVD. I apologize if it's too repetitive in parts, but I tried to interweave my own dialogue into those parts as best I could. I hate simply repeating the dialogue of actual TVD episodes, but it's a necessary evil given that I'm trying to integrate my fic into events that have really taken place in the show. Please keep in mind that while the dialogue may be the same or similar in parts, that some actions/dialogue/expressions etc have been altered.
Anyways, I can't believe that this fic has over 100 reviews for only 8 chapters. That's so exciting! Thanks so much for everyone that has reviewed. I look forward to reading more from you all!
Today had not been her day, she thought to herself as she unlocked her front door.
Nothing particularly terrible had happened so far, but it was the culmination of everything that was getting to her.
She stepped inside her quiet house and let out a long sigh as she approached the note on the hall table.
Dropping her things to the floor, she picked up the note.
It was from her mother.
'Spaghetti in the fridge. Have fun at the dance tonight. - Mom'
She smiled at the note, appreciating that her mother still left her food even though she no longer needed it to survive.
Of course, her mother was working another night shift.
Usually she didn't mind having the house to herself at night, but for some reason, she wasn't looking forward to the prospect of coming home to an empty house later tonight. Even though she couldn't really explain to her mother what she was going through, she would have drawn comfort from the fact that she was at least close by.
She hadn't seen her mother for a few days. She had left this morning with Elena to help with the final preparations for the dance and shop for last minute outfits, and by that time, her mother was asleep, resting for another night's shift.
Yawning, she headed for the bathroom, hoping a shower would rouse her from her sluggish mood.
She was second guessing her attendance at the dance, thinking a nap would be preferable as she began to undress.
Sleep did not come to her until she had heard her mother arrive home at about four this morning. She had tossed and turned until then.
The dance seemed more and more unappealing as she thought about it.
It was supposed to be a care-free evening. Bonnie, Elena, and her were supposed to have been 'girl-dates'.
That plan quickly changed once Bonnie decided to take Jamie...and she had selflessly encouraged Elena to ask Stefan to accompany her.
As a result, she would be going alone. Although she knew she would meet up with other friends, including Matt, once she arrived, the thought of going alone was unsettling.
She and Tyler were not on the best of terms; she hadn't spoken with him since last night. Matt had already texted her and said that Tyler probably wouldn't show, in part because of her, in part because of Klaus.
The prospect of Klaus making an appearance made her stomach tie itself into knots in the worst and best of ways.
In addition to all of that, the nineteen twenties weren't even her preference for the decade dance.
She cringed when she realized that she would have Rebekah to contend with at the dance as well. Any possibility of socializing with Matt while Bonnie and Elena snuggled up to their respective men was out of the question. Rebekah would be all over him.
Stepping into the shower, she revelled in the feel of the soothing hot water against her skin.
The weight of everything on her shoulders was almost literally pushing her down.
Tyler, Klaus, Elena, the stress of the dance...it was all coming together to produce one massive metaphorical rock on her back. For some reason too, her father's absence had been hitting her pretty hard today. Perhaps that's why she missed her mother.
Trying desperately to keep her mind occupied on problems other than her own, she thought about Elena's romantic life.
She never expected that Elena would ever have the guts to act on her feelings for Damon. So, when Elena informed her of the events that took place in Denver, she was surprised. In some ways she was disappointed in her friend, in others, she was envious.
Damon had brutally manipulated her in the beginning, and had treated Elena similarly. In this way, she had always been biased in favour of Elena with Stefan. Stefan was her epic love. More than that, Elena was playing a dangerous game by stringing both of them along while she weighed her options. It wasn't fair to either Salvatore. After Elena eventually made her choice, Damon and Stefan's relationship would never be the same.
At the same time, she was jealous that Elena could even openly discuss these relationships and her emotions with anyone. She did not have that luxury with Tyler and Klaus. Sure, she had told Elena about Tyler's reaction to her "manipulating" Klaus while he was away, but that was nothing. That went nowhere close to the reality of her problems. Beyond that, Elena actually had a choice; she didn't. As it was, Klaus was not a viable option. That was settled last night.
She scolded herself for even entertaining the possibility.
Shaking the thoughts of him from her mind, she finished with her shower.
She couldn't start crying again, it was all she could do to get the swelling around her eyes to go down earlier from last night's emotional episode.
The last thing she wanted was poufy eyes at the dance.
Climbing out of the shower, she reached for her bathrobe and fixed it securely around her damp skin.
She dried her hair, and then considered indulging in some of that spaghetti her mom had mentioned in her note. However, her appetite was low, even for blood.
Besides, time was growing late. She needed to start getting ready for the dance if she was going to be there on time.
She paused at the doorway to her room as she peered inside.
Her bed was unmade from last night, and the pyjamas she had worn to bed were still strewn across the floor; where she had undressed in front of him.
She closed her eyes and briefly allowed all the mixed emotions she had been trying to suppress to come flooding back to her.
He had been the last person she expected to find standing in her room.
She had tried hard to fight him. She had tried hard to convince him that she was furious over his failed attempt to kill Matt. She had been furious with him, but not over Matt. She was angry at him for getting under her skin; she was angry at herself for allowing it to happen.
She had fought her feelings hard, but at some point during his inquisition about Tyler, she had given up.
She stopped fighting and she gave in.
All her feelings for him she had basically admitted all of them; admitted that he had affected how she felt about Tyler.
He in turn had admitted his real intentions behind his attempt to kill Matt; he had hinted at his own feelings for her.
And like a fool, she encouraged him; she challenged him and he readily accepted.
He had kissed her so lustfully; so hungrily. She had never experienced that kind of passion in her life. She quivered at the thought and allowed her mind to dwell upon where that passionate kiss had led them and their bodies. In those moments everything else was forgotten. They could be who they wanted to be without guilt or hesitation. They were free.
At least until he had asked her once more to come with him. Reality had instantly returned.
How could he ask her something like that and expect her to say yes?
With everything that had happened, there was no way she could say yes, no matter how much she might have wanted to.
She realized then that they would never work. It would be impossible. How could she expect to be loyal to him and her friends at the same time?
She couldn't, so long as their goals were in complete contradiction.
Her friends came first, and by associating with Klaus she was already proving her disloyalty.
Elena had been so disappointed upon her return from Denver. She and Damon had been so close to determining whose bloodline Stefan, Damon...and well, she belonged to. Klaus's brother Kol had intervened and killed their answer before they could get to her. How could that happen? Elena had wondered to her earlier today. Klaus knew about the bloodline rule, he knew Elena and Damon had been in Denver, but how did the original siblings know about their search for Mary Porter? Elena had chalked it up to Klaus's uncanny ability to always be one step ahead. However, he had only been one step ahead this time because of her. Before he left her room she told him of Damon and Elena's intentions. She betrayed Elena. She ruined a possible chance for them to defeat Klaus. If Mary Porter had been sired by another one of the originals, they would have been free to kill Klaus.
Klaus's question had been plaguing her since he had asked her. Who was she trying to protect? If Klaus died so did Tyler, but was Tyler who she was trying to save?
Surely there had to be another way to stop Klaus without killing him?
Why did she even care if he lived or died? He had made it abundantly clear to her that the doppelganger would always come first. There was no chance for them anyways.
For a while she had begun to believe that she was his weakness; that she would eventually be forced to reveal this tiny detail to her friends to use against him. That was untrue. He had given her up so readily in favour of the doppelganger. His primary weakness would always be the doppelganger.
She found herself scowling at the thought.
It didn't matter now anyways. Whatever they had been to each other, they no longer were.
Either he would win or they would. Regardless, her time with him would eventually be shoved to the back of her mind; passed off as a temporary lapse in judgement; nothing more; even if it hurt her somewhat to think like that now.
She had to move on.
Klaus was no longer her concern. What concerned her now was whether or not she wanted to move on with Tyler.
Could she move on with Tyler after Klaus? Was he what she wanted? Could her she ever recapture her old feelings for Tyler?
She decided not to push things. Only time could determine the answers to her questions. Time was something she had a lot of.
Making a concerted effort to concentrate her thoughts on getting ready, she grabbed her shopping bag from the hallway that held the dress she purchased earlier at some retro shop downtown.
She laid the dress out across her messy bed and left again for the bathroom to do her hair and makeup.
Being the perfectionist she was it took her over an hour to get her hair and makeup just right.
The effort was really pointless anyways; there would be no one at the dance to impress.
She dressed hurriedly into her outfit, and grabbed a few sips of blood from a half-consumed blood-bag she had in the freezer before driving herself to the dance.
When she arrived the school parking lot was nearly at capacity. She was late. The dance had started almost an hour ago.
The gym was buzzing with music and excitement as she entered self-consciously.
Scanning the room for familiar faces, she noticed Bonnie and Jamie dancing happily.
She walked by them intentionally, not wanting to disturb them; not wanting to ruin their moment with her more morose mood.
The drink table seemed like a good way to keep occupied as she looked out for anyone else she knew.
Fortunately, Matt was there restocking the ice supply.
Surprisingly, Rebekah was nowhere to be found.
"Have I told you how amazingly awesome you are?" she asked as she approached him.
It was true. Not only had he been a huge help with the dance, but he had helped her try to fix things between her and Tyler. Not many people had ex-boyfriends who would do that.
He smirked at her.
"Yeah, I'm one of the good ones, I know... Why the compliments, what else do you want?" he answered jovially.
She decided now was as good a time as any to bring up Elena. Elena had mentioned to her earlier that Matt had got Jeremy back his old job at the Grill and that made her nervous. She didn't want Matt to get the wrong idea. Elena was quite obviously torn between two guys, but Matt was not one of them.
"I know that you and Elena have been getting closer lately..." she said.
"And your point is?" he interrupted her before she could explain.
"One way or the other she's pretty much spoken for," she reminded him.
He shrugged.
"Elena is my friend, Caroline. I'm just looking out for her," he assured her.
"And I'm just looking out for you. Because sometimes the people who love her get caught in the crossfire," she clarified.
Had she already been caught in the crossfire? She wondered.
"So where's Rebekah? This was supposed to be her shining moment," she asked as she rolled her eyes.
Matt shook his head.
"I have no idea. I texted her and asked her if she wanted a ride, but she told me she would meet me here," he informed her.
Hmm, it was unlike Rebekah to refuse a ride from Matt. It was unlike her to miss the dance. Her heart leapt and ached at the same time. She considered the possibility that Klaus would be accompanying his sister to the dance. She also considered the possibility that Klaus and Rebekah were busy making preparations for their departure.
"What's he doing here?" Matt asked suddenly, snapping her from her thoughts.
She looked in the direction of Matt's gaze, wondering who he could be referring to; wondering if Klaus had indeed decided to make an appearance.
Surprise hit her when she saw Tyler strolling confidently into the gym dressed in a black suit and matching hat.
"I thought you said he wasn't going to come tonight?" Caroline asked Matt, as both of them continued to eye Tyler.
Matt nodded.
"He said he was too pissed off...and he didn't want to risk Klaus knowing he was back in town," Matt repeated. "I guess he changed his mind."
Caroline huffed in annoyance as she stalked towards Tyler.
"Are you crazy? If Klaus sees you..." she scolded him.
Klaus did already know Tyler was back in Mystic Falls, but she wasn't keen on him having an opportunity to test Tyler's sire bond to him tonight.
Tyler shrugged off her warning with a cocky grin.
"What's he gonna do? Draw you another picture?" he asked her sarcastically.
She scoffed.
"Tyler, this isn't a joke!"
"I can pretend I'm sired if I have to. But I'm not gonna hide while he's macking all over you," Tyler reasoned.
"Tyler, you do not need to be jealous of Klaus," she tried to reassure him.
He held her face in his hands to hold her attention.
"Look, I'm sorry," he admitted before catching her off guard with a quick kiss. "I was stupid last night. I overreacted. I shouldn't have doubted you. I know you're just trying to protect me..." he apologized. "I'm still jealous though," he revealed. "But I'm also competitive. So hang on, I'm about to sweep you off your feet," he warned playfully before picking her up.
She shrieked almost happily as he spun her around in his arms before letting her feet return to the floor.
The whole scenario was very bittersweet for her.
Tyler had appeared to have forgiven her. Something she would have eaten up like blood had they been in a similar situation before he left.
This was the beginning of her second chance with him, she knew. But a part of her felt completely indifferent. Deep down underneath her efforts to convince herself otherwise, the excitement wasn't there.
Despite that fact, she brushed it off. Time, she reminded herself.
She poured her heart out on the dance floor, hoping the upbeat dancing would put her in better spirits.
Noticing Stefan and Elena arrive to the dance helped. She smiled and waved at them as they walked by to take a place on the dance floor. Both she and Elena exchanged knowing glances as they acknowledged the presence of their respective dance partners.
She knew Elena would be texting her later for the details behind Tyler's impromptu appearance at the dance. She would be texting Elena for the details of her date with Stefan.
When a slow song began to sound over the speakers, she tensed and glanced at Tyler with uncertainty. Before he even noticed her unsure expression, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. She conformed and draped her arms around his neck accordingly. Tyler loathed slow dancing. Admittedly, he wasn't the best at it. Nonetheless his effort both flattered her and made her feel guilty.
"So do you forgive me?" he asked as he pressed his cheek against hers.
Really, it should have been her seeking his apology. He had really done nothing wrong.
"I do," she whispered.
He pulled back to look at her bemusedly.
"That's it? I'm forgiven? You're not going to freak out or try to guilt trip me?" he asked surprised.
Had this been a normal fight under normal circumstances, she probably would have, but she couldn't. It would just make her feel worse.
She shook her head.
"No. We had a misunderstanding last night, Tyler. I don't want to fight anymore," she said honestly.
He grinned and kissed her softly.
"Yeah I was a dick last night. It took Matt telling me as much to make me realize it. He said I was an idiot for not trusting you and for walking out," he told her.
As much as his words made her uncomfortable, she had to play along. She had to pretend that she was normal Caroline.
"Matt was right," she replied with a smirk.
He nodded.
"I know, I know," he laughed. "I don't know what came over me when I saw that drawing Klaus drew of you. The thought of him even trying to get close to you makes me angry," Tyler confessed.
Luckily for her she was wearing gloves with her dress. Her palms were sweating.
"Klaus has taken so much from me. I can't imagine him taking my girl from me too," he added.
She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the tears from coming; to stop her from confessing everything to him in this moment.
Brushing his fears off, she tried her best at a warm smile.
"He's not going to take me," she told him shakily.
He already has, a voice resembling her conscience muttered in a disapproving tone to her.
She pulled Tyler back closer to her as a new slow song began, resting her head on his shoulder so she wouldn't have to be confronted face to face with her guilt any longer.
Time, she reminded herself once more. Time would heal her heart.
They danced in silence to the soft haunted voice over the speakers until she felt Tyler's muscles harden and back straighten under her hands.
She lifted her head to look at him.
"What is it?" she asked.
It was a silly question to have asked. She should have known.
She turned to find Klaus staring at both of them intently. His eyes shouted rage and jealousy, but his demeanor was calm and collected.
He cleaned up well as usual. His hair was neatly gelled and he looked handsome as ever in a white suit.
Her heart sank a little before she grew anxious.
What would Klaus say? Would he tell Tyler that he already knew he was back in town? That she already knew that he knew Tyler was back in town? Would he publically list and detail all their intimate moments together in some sort of sick attempt at revenge for her refusing to leave with him?
She was about to find out.
"Where've you been mate?" Klaus questioned Tyler casually.
She steadied her breathing as she tried to find some relief in his innocent question.
"I just got back in town," Tyler replied.
"That's funny, I don't recall giving you permission in the first place," Klaus noted. "You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" he asked; a mischievous glint in his eye.
Her breathing hitched as she considered his question. Why the hell did he want to dance with her now? Things were done between them. Why was he torturing her? Was he simply doing this to torment Tyler?
The small part of her that was eagerly jumping at the chance to dance with him once more was buried by the part that resented him for hurting her and turning her life upside down.
"Yes! Actually we do," she answered for Tyler bitterly.
Klaus ignored her comment completely and glared at Tyler, clearly trying to work the sire bond to his advantage once more.
"No, its fine," Tyler spoke, forcing himself to say the words.
Her eyes narrowed at Klaus.
"Why do you always have to prove you're the alpha male?" she demanded.
Klaus shrugged nonchalantly.
"I don't have to prove anything, love. I am the alpha male," he said boldly.
His assertiveness made her shiver and her knees went weak. Her body was betraying her. He was the alpha male.
"Come on, one dance. I won't bite," he assured her as he extended his hand.
She cringed at his low blow attempt to enrage Tyler.
"Unless you want me to of course," he smirked.
She rolled her eyes and struggled to ignore the memories of him puncturing her skin with his fangs as her orgasm rippled through her body.
Looking back to Tyler for encouragement, she then reluctantly took Klaus's hand.
She should have just walked off and refused him, but she couldn't forget who she was dealing with. If she refused him, who knows how he would have reacted.
Again, she was thankful for her decision to wear gloves. The sweat in her palms would have given her aroused state away.
Klaus held her hand possessively as he led her out into the middle of the dance floor.
He took her into his arms effortlessly as he began to sway them to the music.
"You look stunning," he complimented.
Her heart fluttered.
"Your costume is flawless; a genuine flapper," he mused.
She was taken with his sweet words and his charming grin.
It was a struggle to remind herself of the events that had transpired last night. He had rejected her. Now he was dancing lightheartedly with her as if nothing had happened.
Looking over Klaus's shoulder, Tyler was staring daggers at them.
"So I see you've made amends with Tyler; that was fast," Klaus observed with a sprinkle of jealousy decorating his words.
She frowned.
"It's none of your business," she replied defensively.
He smirked against her hair.
"You seem ambivalent about it," he told her.
She glared at him as if to restate her last comment.
"And you seem bothered by it," she retorted.
His shoulders shrugged apathetically.
"Admittedly, I still don't understand what you see in him...and the thought of you with him leaves a taste of bile in my mouth. I expected it really, though. You've clearly not given up with your efforts to fool yourself," he said. "Alas, there's nothing more I can do. You've made your choice," he said plainly, as if it was that simple.
Her face contorted into an unimpressed and angry stare as he tipped her back slowly.
"I had no choice," she responded bitterly.
He brought her back up, their eyes still connected.
Laughing, he briefly looked away before meeting her gaze once more.
"Well that's a matter of opinion, sweetheart," he told her.
Her heart sunk further as the cold and detached part of his personality dominated.
"So if you're not here to change my mind, then why are you here?" she asked pointedly, hoping her own detached tone would be met with his distaste.
The curiosity and suspense was killing her. If he wasn't here to rehash their conversation from the previous evening, then what was he up to?
"You're nervous," he noted with an amused grin as he leaned in closer to her so that his lips were inches away from her ear.
"Afraid that I'm here to inform Tyler of our activities while he was away? Or maybe you're worried that I'm here to tell Elena about how you helped sabotage her trip to Denver..." Klaus breathed.
Anxious goose bumps rose instantly on her skin and her stomach began to lurch.
Their current dance position put her in direct view of Tyler on the sidelines.
"I wonder how Tyler would react if I told him how delicious you sounded begging for me to fuck you?" he whispered.
Chills of fear and sexual arousal raced down her back.
She pulled away from Klaus to gauge his expression and to convey her complete disapproval.
He chuckled at her reaction.
"Relax, love," he urged. "I'm only joking," he revealed.
Her muscles followed his instructions instantly. She was relieved, but frustrated at him for toying with her like that.
"I don't kiss and tell," he explained, mirroring purposely her words from the night previous. "Not everything revolves around you..." he added, repeating more of her words.
She gave him a questioning glare.
"Rebekah wanted me to attend. Strangely, there's no sign of her anywhere," he noted.
She shrugged. She had not seen Rebekah either.
"Well if she doesn't end up showing, tell her missing out on the dance she helped coordinate does not get her out of clean-up duty tomorrow. She's supposed to help me," she explained seriously.
Klaus laughed at her.
Her furrowed brows relaxed into a curious and confused expression.
"What?" she asked annoyed.
He shook his head.
"Your fiery attitude. I enjoy it. You and Rebekah are a lot alike. I suspect had she not been my sister you two would have gotten on rather well," he suggested.
She cringed inwardly at the prospect of trying to be Rebekah's friend. That was one feat she didn't want to attempt. Outwardly she conveyed her amusement with the idea.
"You'll have to forgive my sister and her persistence with respect to the theme of the dance. The last time she was out of her coffin it was the nineteen-twenties. Nostalgia got the better of her," he told her.
It was really the first time she considered Rebekah's situation and what a leap it must have been for her re-enter the world ninety years after she had left it. She almost felt for Rebekah. Recalling that it was Klaus who had daggered his sister in the first place did nothing to quell her hostile feelings towards him.
"You would've loved the 1920's, Caroline. The girls were reckless, sexy, fun. They literally used to dance until they dropped," Klaus recalled.
She scoffed.
"I don't suppose that ever happened to their dance partners..." she commented sarcastically.
Klaus's expression quickly turned sour and his grip on her tightened.
"You should be nicer to me. I'm leaving town tomorrow," he informed her.
That news came as a shock to her despite the fact that she knew there was nothing at this point holding him back. All he needed was Elena. Apparently he planned to get her in time to leave tomorrow. That was something she would have to inform her friend of once free from this awkward position.
His intent to leave tomorrow sunk in rapidly and she could feel the unwarranted disappointment begin to hit her.
She was also frustrated. His motives for attending the dance, although not directly declared, were becoming clear to her.
"So that's why you came here tonight..." she said under her breath."You wanted to say good-bye," she sighed, and she felt her throat began to swell with emotion. "You wanted to rub it in...make me second-guess myself...make this harder than it already is. You can't accept my decision," she said through a partly clenched jaw.
Despite her watery eyes, she fought the tears successfully.
"I came here for my baby sister. You had nothing to do with it," he said defensively.
"Then why did you ask me to dance?" she countered.
"Why did you acquiesce?" he shot back, ignoring her question completely.
Both of them huffed out of growing antagonism towards one another.
"I accept your choice," he argued. "I invited you to come with me and you refused. We both know you're not ready to accept my offer," he acknowledged. "Perhaps one day, in a century from now once Elena's life has run its course, you'll turn up at my door and let me show you what the world has to offer," he contemplated.
The prospect of that happening intrigued her slightly. However, she doubted very much that he would wait for her, and she also doubted, at this point, that she would ever show up at his door in need of him like that.
She scoffed again, trying hard to keep a stone-like demeanor; trying hard not to let him know that he still had an effect on her despite the anger she felt towards him.
Her reaction did not please him.
He stepped back from their dancing embrace and eyed her seriously with a dark stare.
"You mark my words; a small town boy, a small town life, it won't be enough for you," he warned.
She paused to consider his warning. He had a point. Would it be enough for her?
Brushing her doubts to the side, she reacted with the same resistance.
"And I suppose you think you would be?" she retorted with an arched brow.
He sighed.
Looking penetratingly into her eyes, he answered her.
"I could give you everything you've ever dreamed of," he proclaimed boldly; almost hopefully.
His words haunted her. Did she know the answer to the question? Could he really give her everything?
She was on her toes tonight and her thoughts quickly shot back to their intimate and drunken conversation at the Grill. They had discussed a range of subjects. He had told her that traditional human desires became less important as you focused on the benefits of being a vampire; love was no exception.
Either he was lying or she was the exception. All the desires she had as a human still remained within her as a vampire; perhaps they were heightened even now that they were out of reach. Love was no exception. She wanted it more than anything in the world; to love and be loved. Whether she was a human or a vampire was beside the point; either life would be mediocre without love.
Whatever feelings she may have had for the hybrid in front of her were never worth pursuing or even considering if he couldn't give her what she ultimately wanted.
Risking all of her relationships for something so uncertain frightened her. That was basically what he had asked her to do; give up everything for something that had never been assured to her; him. She couldn't do it.
She finally decided to ask him the million dollar question, curious to know how he would reply.
"Even love?" she challenged.
Immediately she knew he had made the connection between her question and their conversation at the Grill.
He appeared dumfounded and caught off guard as he glanced around the gym anxiously, struggling to find an answer for her.
Returning to her curious eyes, he scoffed and laughed nervously at her question.
Before he could muster a response, they were interrupted by someone shouting her name over the music.
She examined the crowd, looking in the direction of the noise, to see Matt across the gym navigating his way through groups of people as he approached her.
When she turned back to Klaus, he was gone.
Her face dropped.
"Care!" Matt shouted again, getting closer to her.
She looked in Matt's direction once more. He looked panicked as he reached her.
Tyler startled her as he rushed up behind her to meet them.
Had Tyler been watching her and Klaus dance the entire time? She hadn't been paying attention.
"Matt...what is it?" she asked him sort of bewildered.
"Esther has Elena and Alaric. We don't know where they are. Esther did some spell; only humans can leave the school," Matt informed both her and Tyler almost breathlessly.
Her body went numb and her mind began to jump to conclusions.
"What do you think she's up to?" Tyler wondered.
Matt shrugged.
"I don't really want to wait to find out," Matt answered.
She glanced around the gym for anything suspicious or out of place, but all she could see were her peers enjoying themselves, completely ignorant to the danger that surrounded them.
Another dance was ruined for her and her friends. All she wanted was one normal night.
Staring at the entrance as students came and went, she sucked in a breath when she saw Klaus and Stefan re-enter the gym. Both of them looked concerned and annoyed.
Although she was all the way across the room, Klaus's eyes still managed to find hers, as if he was able to sense her watching him. Having been caught in the act, her cheeks flushed. She tried to look away, but she couldn't.
She maintained subtle eye contact with him as he and Stefan headed for the classrooms.
His gaze had a reassurance about it and she found it calming, regardless of the fact that she knew his top concerns were his own survival and the preservation of the doppelganger.
"What about Bonnie?" she proposed to Tyler and Matt, who hadn't noticed Stefan or Klaus across the gym.
"Bonnie is already working on a spell to try and counter Esther's," Matt explained.
"Well we should find out if she's made any progress," Tyler decided, turning for the gym exit to the classrooms.
Matt nodded in agreement, but she hesitated.
Klaus was likely already there since he too was trapped in the school by the spell. The dynamic between her, Klaus, and Tyler had already been awkward enough earlier and she didn't need a reminder.
She was not a witch. There was nothing she could help Bonnie with at this point.
"Tyler, why don't we wait here," she proposed.
Both Tyler and Matt questioned her with their eyes.
"Bonnie doesn't need us towering over her too. We might as well stay in the gym and keep an eye out in case anything suspicious happens here. At least until Bonnie can break Esther's spell..." she suggested.
"That's a good idea," Matt acknowledged.
Tyler seemed unsure, but Matt's vote of confidence seemed to push him in favour.
"Yeah, okay," Tyler agreed, stepping towards her, leaving Matt to go check in on Bonnie's progress.
With their good moods deflated by Klaus's advances and the latest developments with Esther, she and Tyler sat quietly in the bleachers watching over the slowly shrinking crowd of their fellow students.
She tried to think of something witty to say to make him laugh, but her mind was a complete blank.
He was ruminating over Klaus and the implications of Esther's latest plan, she could tell.
She thought about asking him to join her for the last dance, but she decided against it. She didn't feel like dancing, and as it appeared, neither did he. She didn't want to make things worse.
"He likes you, you know..." Tyler said plainly, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Wh..." she was about to ask who, but quickly stopped herself as Tyler glared at her.
"Klaus!" he said bitterly with an annoyed expression.
She slumped over resting her face in her hands.
"No he doesn't," she denied flatly.
Tyler's eyes widened.
"Uh, yeah, he does, I think it's pretty obvious," Tyler replied sarcastically. "First he draws you pictures, then he shows up at the dance for you and can't take his eyes off of you the entire time. It's fucking disgusting," Tyler balks.
She snorted at his comments in part out of surprise by his observations, and shock at his blatant jealousy.
"Perhaps he's just trying to use me," she proposed.
"For what?" Tyler answered.
She shrugged. No answer came to her head, since she only suggested it as a means to comfort Tyler.
"I don't know."
"Exactly," Tyler replied.
Standing up on the bleachers, she threw her arms down against her sides in defeat.
"Okay, so what if he likes me? That's a good thing if it means he might confide in me...reveal any secrets about the sire bond or the doppelganger that we can use against him," she tried to reassure him.
He looked at her with hostility.
"No way. You're not spending more time with him," he determined for her.
She hadn't planned on it anyways, given what had happened between her and Klaus and his intention to leave soon. She was only trying to get Tyler to see the positives of the circumstances. However, his command-like statement rubbed her the wrong way.
"Yes, master," she retorted.
He rolled his eyes.
"Whether he likes you or not is beside the point. He's dangerous Caroline. He could still hurt you," Tyler reasoned, as if to make it seem like her safety was his number one concern.
She crossed her arms.
"Are you sure that my safety is the main reason you don't want me seeing him again Tyler? Or is it your jealousy?" she countered, ignoring his stare as she watched some of the last remaining students shuffle towards the gym exit.
"Who cares?" he answered angrily.
"I care," she said sternly, pointing her gloved hand towards her chest. "Klaus can like me all he wants Tyler, but I like you. How many times do I have to tell you that?" she wondered.
How many times did she have to tell herself that? She thought.
He didn't give her a verbal answer, instead preferring a passive aggressive lift of his shoulders.
She gritted her teeth in frustration.
"I thought we were done fighting about this?" she sighed quietly, hoping he would be more responsive to her more conciliatory tone.
"What did he say to you tonight?" Tyler asked randomly, completely ignoring her comment, as if he had been planning to ask it since he saw her and Klaus dance together.
Now it was her turn to shrug.
"Come on Caroline. What did he say you to? He had you on the verge of tears!" Tyler exclaimed, with no clear intention of backing down.
She was almost on the verge of tears again.
The doors to the gym from the school hallway opened before she could respond. Relief washed over her as Stefan emerged through the entrance.
"They're at the old cemetery. Jeremy and Matt are headed there right now," Stefan revealed.
Her eyes widened in horror at the prospect of Jeremy and Matt taking on the original witch.
"You let them go! They're gonna get themselves killed!" she warned.
Stefan seemed to empathize with her point of view.
The last thing Elena would want is for Matt or Jeremy to be killed in an effort to save her.
"I didn't have a choice, Caroline. We're useless right now stuck in here," Stefan admitted regretfully.
His eyes were full of worry.
She now empathized with him.
"Hey, she'll be fine. Elena always manages to find her way through this stuff," she reassured Stefan, hoping that she wouldn't be wrong this time.
"Yeah, well I'm just as worried about what Esther is up to. She led Klaus here for a reason. If she succeeds in whatever she's doing..." Stefan started.
- "Klaus could get killed. And I die along with him," Tyler interrupted, breaking his silence.
Tyler was right. Esther was clearly using Elena for some effort to stop Klaus. Stopping Klaus would more than likely mean his death. His death would mean the end for Tyler, and perhaps the end for the rest of them.
"No one is gonna die, okay. Bonnie is still looking for a way around the boundary spell. It's not too late," Stefan said, marking his turn to play the optimist.
She gave Stefan a faint smile before he turned back for the classrooms.
"So, best case scenario: Bonnie gets us out of here, Klaus hauls ass to Timbuktu and you and I we're home free," she detailed, turning back to Tyler.
Her efforts to play the optimist were clearly not having an impact on Tyler, who remained seated in the bleachers with a solemn look on his face.
"Or we let Esther come and kill him," Tyler proposed.
Her jaw dropped and she scowled at him.
"That's not a best case scenario. That's not even a remotely acceptable scenario!" she panicked, fearing Tyler's present instability would provoke him to do something reckless.
"It would be an option if we knew he wasn't the one who turned your bloodline. You'd be safe. At least he would be gone," Tyler argued.
Both Klaus and Tyler would be gone in that event. The thought made her ill. Her guilt would not allow her to bear the thought of Tyler sacrificing himself for her, and despite the internal debate raging within her, she knew her heart could not bear the thought of Klaus being killed.
"How could you say that?" she questioned him.
"Because I'm angry. Because I hate him! I should have never let him dance with you!" Tyler broke down, obviously more effected by Klaus than he had been letting on.
She felt sorry for him. She felt guilty. She wanted to make this whole mess disappear. She wanted to give him the reassurance he was so desperately in need of.
Time, she reminded herself, would resolve her feelings. She couldn't be selfish. She needed to do all she could to fight the lingering feelings she felt for the original hybrid. They had been over as quickly as they began; Klaus had made sure of that. She had to try and move on with Tyler.
"What were you supposed to do? He can't know that you're not sired anymore," she said, defending his actions and his honour.
She sighed and took a deep, but quick breath, as she prepared herself for what she was going to say next.
"Tyler, it doesn't matter how many times I dance with him. I love you," she told him, hoping he wouldn't sense the present uncertainty in her voice.
She sat down beside him.
He smiled at her, seemingly appreciative and convinced.
Before she could second guess herself anymore, she sealed her fate and her words with a kiss.
Regardless of her intent, it didn't feel right.
She pulled away slowly, hoping not to arouse Tyler's suspicion.
Leaning against his shoulder, she sighed. She tried hard to ignore all the circumstances, and simply allow herself to be comforted by the fabric of his suit against her cheek.
When the gym doors opened once more, she nearly toppled over as Tyler shot up from the bleachers.
It was Stefan again.
"Bonnie broke the boundary spell. Let's go," Stefan urged them.
Both of them jumped from the bleachers and promptly followed Stefan with their vampire enhanced speed to the cemetery.
Damon and Matt were standing solemnly and aimlessly outside of the Salvatore tomb when they arrived.
Stefan exchanged glances with Damon, urging him to update the situation.
"Esther is dead," Damon said.
There was a shared sigh of relief amongst the three of them at that news, but it was restrained in anticipation of the bad news that was sure to come. The frowns on Damon and Matt's face said it all. Klaus's mother was dead...who had killed her? Klaus? Where was he? Where was Elena? She thought hurriedly to herself.
"She was planning to use Alaric to turn him into some psychotic vampire and vampire hunter specifically for the purpose of killing Klaus. Esther did some witchy magic using the white oak stake and Elena's blood and then killed him, with the intent to turn him...He wasn't wearing his ring," Damon explained, clearly fighting to hold back his emotions.
It was not often she sympathized for Damon, but she did right now.
"When he came to, he killed Esther. He saved Matt and Jeremy. Klaus was here for about two seconds to retrieve her body..." Damon said, chuckling slightly.
His face soon turned gloomy again as he looked to Stefan.
She looked at Matt who was struggling to hold his composure. His eyes were wet. "Alaric isn't going to complete the transition," he said shakily before swallowing down the sadness that threatened to escape. "Jeremy and Elena are in the tomb...saying good-bye," Damon finished.
Stefan took a few deep breaths, looking up at the sky as if to hide or contain his own sorrowful expression.
She stood there emotionless as she watched Tyler give Matt a consoling brotherly embrace.
Was it horrible that she couldn't react the way everyone else seemed to be reacting? Perhaps it was shock. Maybe she was becoming desensitized to it all. It seemed like they were constantly dealing with the death of loved ones; all victims in some way or another in the fight over the doppelganger.
This didn't seem like reality anymore. It was like a horrible nightmare stuck on repeat. She was tired of it.
All of them stood around silently, as one might at a funeral. In a sense, this was Alaric's funeral.
A few minutes later Meredith and Bonnie arrived and Stefan took the burden of explaining to them what had happened off of Damon's shoulders.
Not long after that, Jeremy emerged from the Tomb, followed shortly after by Elena and then Alaric.
He said nothing to them, except to acknowledge their presence with a small but faded smile of appreciation before disappearing back inside the tomb.
They all remained for a few moments afterwards trying to let the intensity of the situation sink in.
Elena quickly decided that she couldn't handle it anymore Stefan agreed to leave with her.
She gave Elena a hug in a futile effort to console her best friend before she departed.
Matt and Jeremy left after Stefan and Elena, and she and Tyler followed suit. Bonnie, Meredith, and Damon remained at the tomb.
She and Tyler returned to the high school parking lot to retrieve their respective cars.
Given the numerous thoughts and emotions running through her head, she was unsure how the night would end with Tyler.
What could they say to each other now in lieu of what they had just been a part of?
"I can't believe tonight," Tyler spoke as he walked her to her car. "I can't believe Mr. Saltzman is just gone like that," he added.
She nodded in response. She didn't feel like talking about it. She didn't feel like talking about anything.
"Do you want me to drive you home?" Tyler asked.
"No, it's alright," she answered.
"So I'll meet you at your house then?" he assumed.
She froze with his question. He wanted to return to her house to stay. Since when had he decided to invite himself back to her house? Why did it bother her so much?
"Or not?" he suggested, clearly picking up on her displeased expression.
She sighed and rushed to find an excuse.
"Are you mad at me?" Tyler wondered.
"I'm not mad at you, Tyler," she answered quickly. "It's just...I didn't get much sleep last night..." As soon as she made that excuse she mentally scolded herself and the guilt slapped her across the face instantly.
Of course she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. She fought with Tyler, fucked Klaus, and then fought with him too.
"And I was up early to set up for the dance...plus I have to be up early tomorrow morning to clean it all up. I don't think Elena is going to be up for helping me and I don't expect Rebekah to be around," she added. "Not to mention what happened tonight with Mr. Saltzman. I'm mentally exhausted. I just want to be alone tonight," she admitted.
He seemed disappointed, but respectful of her desire nonetheless.
"Okay, I understand," he replied. "I'll meet you here tomorrow to help you clean up," he finished.
She gave him a meek smile that hid her guilt. He was only offering to help her to make her happy; to please her; to make up for whatever he could sense that she was upset with him for.
There was nothing he could do to make it up to her, because he had done nothing wrong in the first place. She wasn't upset with him, she was upset with herself.
"Thanks," she whispered.
He kissed her chastely on the cheek.
"Goodnight, Caroline," he said.
Once his back was turned as he started for his own car, her face fell into frown.
She wasn't looking forward to the prospect of returning to an empty house. She didn't want to be alone tonight. However, she also knew that it wasn't Tyler she wanted to keep her company.
That realization frightened her.
A/N: So I hoped I successfully integrated the unique aspects of my fic in with the original story told by TVD. In case I didn't and you're confused, please feel free to message me with any questions or comments.
The next chapter I plan to do will revolve around the events from 3x21. I am thinking of switching up points of view, so that Klaus and Caroline are both represented. I'm currently planning how to interweave the original events of the episode in with the story my fic is trying to tell. I'm thinking Caroline and Rebekah's conversation at the first of the episode will be extended. I'm also thinking that perhaps Elena and Klaus's conversation will be extended. Of course, I also plan to give some insight into what was going through Caroline's mind when she decided to throw a party in celebration of Klaus's desiccation. If you have any opinions with respect to the next chapter, please feel free to share.
Ultimately, I'm looking forward to finishing up the next couple chapters so I can work on writing material that is completely my own.