Chapter 2 – Between What's Real and Make Believe

She couldn't believe her eyes.

Standing right in front of her was Klaus Mikaelson—the supposedly dead, burnt to ashes original vampire. But he didn't seem burnt, nor was he dead. In face he seemed more alive now than ever before—stronger, more powerful and a hell of a lot angrier than she remembered.

Caroline instinctively scooted over to Tyler and tried to wake him up. "Tyler, wake up! Baby can you hear me?"

But there was no response.

"Sweetheart, I don't think this pup will be waking up anytime soon. He had to be punished for breaking the sire bond, and also for trying to kill me," a husky velvet voice explained from behind.

Caroline froze.

He knew. He knew everything and he was going to kill everyone she loved, even herself, for what they done. They didn't kill him. That much was true. But they wanted to. He knew their intention. They should have known that he would come back – the fact that they didn't die with him, and that the original spell didn't seem to work—they should have known better. But how did he do it? Caroline stole a glance at Bonnie as she tried to put the pieces together. Bonnie must have helped him somehow—to save all of them. Oh this was a mess, had Bonnie broken the original spell?

Caroline didn't even think twice. She stood and walked over to Klaus, standing mere inches from him. As she looked into his eyes she could see his pain, his hurt, but most of all his anger—which would eventually kill her it seemed, but she was not afraid. "What have you done?" she asked, her voice coming out louder than she expected. She bit her lip, holding back her tears. Caroline thought he was going to kill her, right then and there, in the middle of the Salvatore foyer. She didn't have it in her to kill him.

But Klaus had other ideas. He was surprised by her confidence and fearlessness. Before he could say anything cocky in response, Damon Salvatore was standing right behind her. "Ah, Damon, here to save the non-so damsel in distress. How, ex-ci-ting" he said, making sure to enunciate every word.

In a matter of seconds, Damon pushes Klaus against the wall, holding him by the neck. But Klaus was just too strong. He breaks free from Damon's hold and throws him across the room. "Is that all you've got mate?"

That seemed to snap Caroline out of her thoughts.

Klaus seemed to notice this as well. "I seem to be outnumbered here. I think we've got to even up the odds." As he says this, three newborn hybrid wolves walk into the house. It was full moon after all, and they have turned, all looking equally ready to attack. Klaus must be stronger than ever to be able to prevent his wolf side from coming out.

The smallest one, most probably a girl, lounged for Caroline and she instinctively fought back. The wolf jumped on top of her, pinning her to the ground and Caroline screamed. She grabbed it by the tail and threw her across the room, where Damon and the other hybrid wolf were fighting.

"I wonder where the other Salvatore is—probably with the lovely Elena. Now those two definitely deserve to die. They both betrayed me. Especially Elena, how stupid can she get, thinking she could turn, hide from me and NOT be burnt to ashes?" Klaus exclaims, laughing haughtily.

Suddenly Stefan appears, tears out the heart of the young wolf standing next to Klaus before pushing the original with his free hand against the wall, holding the heart for him to see. "Do you see this Klaus? I should have done this when I had the chance. I should have killed you."

Stefan dropped the bloody heart and punches Klaus in the face. "And don't you dare call Elena stupid."

Blood trickled down the side of Klaus mouth, but he still seemed unfazed and unafraid. "Ohh the ripper is angry". It was then that Stefan throws another punch at him, this time in the gut, and Klaus topples over. Stefan leans over to pull him up and throw him across the room but instead Klaus gets a hold of him, grabs a stake from his pocket and shoves it barely inches from Stefan's heart.

"You were like a brother to me. And since you didn't kill me, let me return the favor."

Stefan crumbles to the floor and Damon, who sees this in the corner of his eye, rips the heart out of the hybrid he is fighting off and makes his way towards his brother. He grabs Klaus' arm from behind and pulls hard, almost tearing it off. He sends Klaus flying across the floor into the living room with a single fluid motion.

Caroline, on the other hand, was struggling to do the same with hers. The hybrid wolf she was fighting seemed too strong, too fast, even though she was only a newborn. The hybrid had managed to cut Caroline's ankle with its paws, weakening her. Maybe it was also because of Tyler. She was worried about him and of Bonnie and the rest of her friends—and this weight was bringing her down. She couldn't help it.

She stole a quick glance in Tyler's direction, just to make sure he was okay, but was taken aback when she saw Klaus with bared teeth, now in his wolf form, mere inches away. Tyler was helpless. Even though he had somehow transformed into his wolf form, he still wasn't moving.

And just like that, a surge of strength filled her body. She punched the wolf in the head, stunning her, and she fell to the ground. Caroline ripped her heart out and as fast as she could, she made her way to stand between Tyler and the original hybrid. In her fury she hadn't noticed that his teeth had already pierced her skin, her arm—and blood was already trickling down, soaking her jacket.

For a second there it was like the world had stopped and both Caroline and Klaus didn't know how to react. He slowly recoils, staring at Caroline with eyes full of a mixture of anguish and anger. He may have been in his wolf form, but by his stance alone anyone could see that he was backing off. But not for Caroline-she did not believe him, would never trust him, and hated him more than anything else.

"Nooooo" she screamed, grabbing Klaus by his fur, pushing him away from her and once again, Klaus was sent across the room.

Caroline looked at Tyler then, and seeing that there was neither a scratch nor a bite mark on him, she was relieved. But the battle wasn't over. She turned around, expecting Klaus to attack, but instead she was face to face with Damon, who was already holding him by the neck on the floor near Stefan, who was trying to recover from being staked.

"Are you alright? Run Caroline. I've got it covered."

Neither Damon nor Stefan noticed the bite mark. It was better this way. They didn't need her to weigh them down. They should kill him, and not find any reason to keep him alive. The spell must have been broken because even though Damon had his hand around Klaus, choking him, she didn't feel a thing.

She retracted her vampire stance, took a deep breath. "Thank you." She took Tyler into her arms. He wasn't as heavy as she expected, and in a matter of seconds she was out the door and running through the forest, leaving the Salvatore boys with Klaus.

She could only hope that she would make it in time—enough to protect Tyler, enough to see Klaus pay for all that he has done, but most importantly, enough to say goodbye to the people that she loved.

It seemed like she had been running for hours, even though it had only been a few minutes. She didn't know exactly where she was headed, but she knew she had to run. She needed to run away from it all—seeing Klaus alive again, putting her friends in danger, the bite mark, holding Tyler in her arms—it was just too much.

Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to go on. The pain in her leg was excruciating and her whole body seemed to be on fire from the bite mark. But she wouldn't stop. No, she wouldn't put Tyler in danger again. Tyler was alive and she had to protect him.

But Caroline was too lost in thought to notice a mole hole in the ground. She tripped, letting go of him in the process. She was now rolling through foliage, until finally she hit a fallen log that stopped her. She brushed herself off and realized now that her head was bleeding. The cut wasn't deep, but it made her dizzy. It didn't seem important though.

She had to get out of here. She dragged herself up and made her way to Tyler, who was still passed out. She took him in her arms and looked for some place to hide. A big oak tree –now that looked familiar—but it was her only choice.

As she leaned against the bark, she gently put Tyler on the ground and sighed. She was getting weaker and weaker by the minute, and her leg was still bleeding. If she didn't do something now, she wouldn't make it out alive. And nor would Tyler.

She wouldn't let that happen.

She ripped a piece of her shirt and tied it around her bleeding leg. She then checked her arm, rolling up her sleeve to find that the bite mark was getting bigger and more infected. She knew there wasn't much she could do about that, but at least she knew how much time she had left. Her head was throbbing, probably from the cut, the infection, and the loss of blood—but she needed to be strong and power through.

It was then that her cell phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Caroline, where are you?"

"Stefan, I"

"Caroline, tell me where you are so that I can get you and make sure that you are safe." He insisted.

Caroline bit her lip to keep her tears from falling. Stefan didn't need to save her. She was beyond saving now. "I'm fine. Is Elena okay?" she asked.

"Elena's fine. There was another hybrid. It tried to attack her while we were dealing with Klaus but Bonnie was able to kill it. She had woken up just in time to save Elena."

Hearing the name Klaus sent shivers down her spine.

"And Klaus?" she whispered, a part of her not wanting to hear about his demise.

"He escaped. We got distracted when we heard Elena scream—"

Caroline wasn't able to hear the rest of it. Klaus was still alive. He was still out there. She didn't know if she was relieved or afraid.

"Caroline, are you there?"

"Stefan, take care of Elena and Bonnie okay—" she began, choking back her tears.

"Caroline, what are you talking about? I will make sure all of you are safe. If anything were to happen—"

"Just promise me." she demanded.

"I promise. Now can you please tell me where you are? Or better yet – head to your house. Your mom isn't home and it's probably the safest place for you and Tyler right now. Besides, half the council is looking out for vampires that Klaus wouldn't even think of attacking. I'll be there as soon as I can while Damon can hold down the fort."

"Okay" Caroline agreed. Stefan wouldn't suspect she was bitten. She'd make sure of it.

"Is Tyler awake?"

Caroline paused to check. "Barely."

"Best to get him to safety. You both. Please be careful Caroline. He's still in wolf form. As much as he loves you, he can hurt you."

No he can't, she thought, but said instead: "I will Stefan. Don't worry about me."

She put her phone back in her pocket and surveyed the area. It was still dark, the full moon barely providing her with sufficient light. But she knew she wasn't far from her house, a few miles and she'd be home.

She was about to take Tyler into her arms when she heard a rustle coming from the bushes. Now she knew why everything looked so familiar. It was déjà vu. She knew what was supposed to happen next. This was it. Klaus was coming for her and she barely had enough energy to fight back. She would protect Tyler with her life, but could only pray that she'd have the vitality and strength. She stood in front of him, her vampire side fully awakened and waited for the enemy to burst through the trees.

But there was nothing. It was only the wind, and after a few minutes Caroline realized she was mistaken. Her head was heavy and her leg burned with pain, both serving as a reminder that Klaus had already killed her. It was then that she lifted Tyler into her arms and ran as fast as she could, out of the forest, of the nightmare, and of death's creeping door.

The neighborhood was quiet. As Caroline stepped onto her porch, she realized just how much she had missed being home—her father and her mother—everything about her normal life. But, no, she wouldn't have that any longer, nor would she live another day to say goodbye. The funny thing about immortality, she thought, is how easy it was taken away.

With a spare key she always kept in her pocket, she opened the front door and gently laid Tyler on the living room floor. She grabbed the shackles from under the rug and chained his paws. He had installed them once before just for safety.

She then brushed his fur, nuzzling him, a wave of relief washing over her. She couldn't hold back her tears. Deep down, she always knew in her heart he was out there and that he had never left her. But to be able to hold him in her arms, to see his face & Bonnie's—she finally felt like she could breathe again.

It's true. Her friends were her life now, her family.

Then it hit her. Before he went missing, before they had separated that night, a promise was made that they'd run away together. They would fight and find their way back to each other, and then leave Mystic Falls for good. Circumstances have changed, and now they both had to stay—but what bothered Caroline was not the messed up plan—but the fact that she could no longer make plans.

She was good as dead by morning. She rolled up her sleeve to check the bite and discovered that the infection had already spread. Her whole body was burning up, and pretty soon the hallucinations would start. She knew the drill. If only she could hold on for a little longer, at least to see his face – and say goodbye.

Caroline wouldn't change anything that had happened though. Tyler was family, and even if she knew it would entail losing her life in the process, she wouldn't care. He would have done the same for her.

She wiped her tears from her eyes and cradled his head in her hands.

"Hey Tyler, please wake up. I don't know what he did to you, or how all of you managed to stay alive, but I'm the one running out of time now, and I just—I need you to hear what I have to say next."

She saw his paw move—at least she thought she did-and it was good enough a sign for her.

"I know you can hear me baby and I- I just wanted to tell you that you're free now. When you wake up, I probably won't be here anymore, but it's not because I don't care about you or because I want to leave you—, "she managed to get out, choking back a sob before she continued.

"It's because it's no longer safe for me. And the only way for me to protect you is if I leave" she lied. It was better this way. "Please send my love to all our friends especially to my mom, and if you can manage to, stay—they need you, and they all love you as much as I do."

Caroline kissed his head and held him close for a few seconds. She wished she had more time, but she knew she didn't. "Goodbye baby." She slowly stood and walked away from him, which was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

It was then that the hallucinations began. It wasn't supposed to happen this fast, at least not for another few hours, but it must be a combination of all her injuries that set it off. She could see her father calling out to her from the top of the stairs and she knew the end was near.

"Caroline," he said, reaching out a hand to her.

She bit her lip to stop the tears from falling and closed her eyes as she turned away from him and tried to focus on what was real. The seemingly strong-minded and witty Caroline Forbes had cracked and she wasn't as powerful as she thought she was. She needed to get out of there and fast before she managed to hurt anyone.

"Caroline, everything is going to be okay," a familiar voice whispered into her ear.

She opened her eyes and turned to find Alaric Saltzman standing right behind her. She wanted to hug him so bad. After all that they've been through, he was like a father to her—and she needed his advice right now. But no Caroline, she thought, don't, the more you give in, the more your dreams can take control of you.

"Caroline what makes you think that you can leave me? Who gave you the permission to run away without me?"

She turned once more to see Tyler, in his human form, standing right in front of her with open arms, leaning against the front door. She ran towards him and was instantly engulfed by his warmth—his love as she embraced him.

"I thought. I thought I would never get the chance to see you again. I didn't want—I care—" she whispered, not being able to finish any of her sentences.

He silenced her with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he trailed his across her spine, sending shivers. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her neck. But just before she was going to give in, she saw in the corner of her eye, Tyler's true wolf form, still in the living room, chained. This all wasn't real. She wanted a goodbye, yet it was only just a hallucination.

She pushed him back against the door and covered her face with her hands.

"Leave me alone!"

She was going crazy. Every single part of her body was burning. Her mind was slowly falling apart, and her heart – it was already too broken to mend.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find that human Tyler had already disappeared. It was Stefan—he promised to come over and check if she was okay. She had to put on a brave face and could only hope that he would not see through her.

Caroline wiped her tears with the back of her hand, brushed back the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and tried to regain her composure. Her hands were shaking. The burning sensation was getting worse. She didn't know how long she could stay in control. And yet as another knock came from her front door, she put her hand on the knob and slowly turned.

"Caroline." a husky voice said calmly, a voice too familiar to forget.

And that was when everything went black.