Hi everyone, I hope you've had a great week, and better weather than Scotland(((

Plus side is I've had writing time, so should be uploading a couple of chapters this weekend.

Let me know how you like it!

I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.

Driving home from the Grill after speaking to Bonnie, she felt strangely deflated. Her feelings were a mess over the whole situation, she felt heartbroken and it wasn't over Tyler. That thought in itself was too terrifying to accept.

Sitting in her car, she suddenly had the overwhelming feeling of being watched. She peered out the windscreen at her porch. The afternoon had grown late, and long shadows covered the yard. The trees swayed with a rising wind and a dull sky had brought a chill to the warm afternoon. With the surreal half light and swaying shadows, the whole ground seemed to be writhing. Slowly she opened her car door and stepped out. The strange wind instantly lifted her hair and set it whirling around her face, her dress rose and fell against her legs. All these sensations added to the overwhelming feeling of wrongness. Something wasn't right, or someone was here, or had been here. She shut the car door quietly, and approached the house. The rustling wind had her turning constantly to check over her shoulders as phantom noises made her jump. She listened hard and heard nothing from inside the house, but still the wrongness struck her. She slowly climbed the creaking steps to the front door. The screen banged in the wind, punctuating the silence. There was something tied around the door handle, twisting violently with the gusts. Reaching out slowly, the feeling of being watched heightened. Getting hold of the paper, she gently pulled it of the handle and looked at it closely.

It was a photograph, an old one, of her mother, father and herself. It was before they were divorced and Caroline was sitting between them, they all had their arms wrapped around each other, smiling. There something extra to the picture however, there was blood, smeared over her father's face, thick and dark, it covered his entire head, and only the whites of his eyes shone out. The banging screen door continued to pound it's rhythm as she turned and stared out over the yard and the street beyond. There were several dark parked cars, but she saw nothing in them. The feeling of being watched continued, and she felt her skin prickle and crawl, who would do this?

Backing towards the door, she fumbled with her keys, not willing to completely turn around to open it. As soon as she had the door open, she couldn't get inside fast enough. Closing the door, she locked it and stared out the peep hole, watching for a more solid shadow moving over the ground, but found nothing.

Going to her room, she sat and looked at the picture for a while, before opening her drawer and putting it beside Klaus's pictures. She wasn't going to run to her mum and worry her about it straight away. She was far more durable than her mother anyway, and the Sheriff would rush to confront anyone who threatened her daughter, no matter how dangerous they were.

She ran over a list of suspects, and honestly couldn't come up with more than one. And he wasn't a real one. He hadn't done this, she knew it without a doubt. No, this was someone who wanted to hurt her, scare her maybe... someone with a twisted mind. Pulling a thick jumper over her dress, she cuddled into her quilt and closed her eyes. She couldn't think about it now, someone who was out there, watching her, enjoying scaring her. She also didn't want to think about her sore heart and especially not about a warm room, with a glowing fire, and man with magnetic eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to drive warmth into her bones.

After all the lies, she decided she needed some serious alone time. Throwing herself into her senior year studies, community projects and spending time with her mum, about a week passed easily.

She'd forgiven Tyler and Bonnie, because they were her best friends, and she knew they meant no harm. Klaus on the other hand. Her feelings surrounding him were so confused, tinged with such hurt and humiliation, that she found it difficult to make sense of them. It had been surreal staying at Klaus's, and not 100% unpleasant, which made her emotions even more conflicted. She was as surprised as Bonnie by her sudden alliance with Rebekah, but not unhappy about it.

Rebekah had promised to do what she could to help Caroline get some revenge on Klaus, and she definitely had some issues about being played by men, which was only to Caroline's advantage.

She didn't really have a great idea how to make him suffer yet, though, if her hunch was right, that he had indeed tried to do something genuine for her, then there was a possibility that not all the emotions he'd displayed as Tyler had been fake. She still felt so embarrassed when she thought about confessing how she'd fallen in love with Tyler, after he survived, basically when he'd been Klaus. Like he needed an ego boost. And he had sat there and encouraged her to spill her heart out, lapping it up. She balled her fists up and breathed deeply. Revenge was a dish best served cold, she reminded herself.

And, the truth was... she had missed him. She told herself it was only because she hadn't seen Tyler either, so she was just missing a significant other. But it wasn't true, she missed him. Their interactions, his witty observations and intelligence. He kept her on her toes, and when she thought of their time together when he was in Tyler's body, her memories featured him in all his original glory. He, on the other hand seemed to having no problem not seeing her, as she hadn't heard a peep from any of the originals. She must be giving off some vibes over it, as her mum remarked about her mood as they ate dinner one night.

"So, tell me darling, when are you going to give in and speak to him?" she asked nonchalantly.

"What do you mean "give in"?" Caroline asked smiling lopsidedly.

Spearing some salad, her mum paused with it raised to her mouth and raised an eyebrow at her,

"You know exactly what I mean. You're hiding from someone. And what I can't figure out is... if you're punishing them by staying away, or if you're waiting for them to come and get you"

Caroline laughed to hide the rising flush in her cheeks,

"Believe me, that's not it. Things were just a little intense when I left, and I'm hoping they have calmed down when I go back."

"So... who is he?" she asked casually, smiling as she watched Caroline squirm.

"Who? There's no one. I just broke up with Tyler."

"Something tells me he isn't the one who's got you so agitated. No, this is someone altogether different. Probably someone older..." Liz broke off as Caroline snorted into her drink and tried to cough it out her nose. After a few seconds she managed to return to normal, meeting her mother's speculative gaze.

"Definitely someone older. More worldly. More persistent... driven." she finished, picking up her glass again, she smiled at Caroline.

"Am I right?"

"You're not too far wrong. But there is nothing going on with us. He's... he's not someone I could ever be with." Caroline twisted a napkin in her hands. Liz took it all in, the little tells, the expressions and tone and saw that her daughter was indeed very conflicted about this man. And a man it undoubtedly was, this was not like the childish infatuations that she'd seen Caroline go through for others before... boys... Matt, Tyler. This was another beast all together, and she realised that Caroline had matured so suddenly. She had become this strong, confident... woman. With a woman's heart, with all it's complexities and nuances and she was suffering because of that heart right now.

"Darling, listen to me. I know I'm not exactly the one to be giving advice on matters of the heart. But believe it or not, I know something about complicated men. They infuriate you, they frustrate you and sometimes, they disappoint you. But, they can also surprise you and if they love you, well there's nothing quite like it in the world. Don't close your heart off from feelings that scare you. Confront them head on, challenge them, test them, only then will you know if what you feel for him and even what he feels for you is real. You can't risk missing it if it is"

Caroline clasped her mother's hand and squeezed hard, her words comforted and scared her simultaneously, though instinctively, she knew she was right. But there were some people who can't be trusted with your heart, people who play with others, hurt them, twist their emotions and manipulate them. There was a bit piece of the puzzle her mother was missing, and Caroline shuddered to think of what she would say if she knew who she was pushing her daughter to give a chance to.

Leafing through his sketch book, he realised he'd managed to go through another one. Sighing, he studied one of the sketches for a second, his nimble fingers tracing the lines of her face, the soft fall of her hair, curve of her cheek. A sketch was a poor consolation prize however, and it never occupied him for long. He poured himself another drink, another thing he'd been going through a lot of lately. He thought back to his sister's news earlier, that Caroline and Tyler had broken up. He'd thought it strange. She had forgotten everything, and thought Tyler had been himself for the past few weeks, so she should be feeling strong feelings for him, if she'd been honest at dinner. There was a tiny whisper of hope that suggested that she'd noticed such a difference in him already that she wasn't interested in Tyler anymore, however he harshly repressed it. There was no point holding false hope. He'd given her the choice of exploring her feelings for him, and she'd chosen mind control over it, pretty strong indicator of her readiness to accept him as a suitor.

He hadn't been able to get her out of his thoughts since she'd left. He thought of her constantly, her smell in his bed drove him spiraling into obsessive dreams, which haunted him throughout the day too. He even sometimes thought he heard her voice in the house, and he found himself wandering from room to room like a ghost.

He'd lost his usual appetites as well, which had never actually happened before. He'd not seen Sara, or any of his other meals on wheels for a week, and he wasn't missing them. He preferred blood bagging it of late, probably because every soft sigh, brush of smooth skin or throaty laugh brought Caroline forcefully to his mind, making him feel as though wooden splinters were burrowing into his heart. He told himself he was being ridiculous, he was the most powerful immortal in creation, how could such a tiny slip of a girl have reduced him to such a pathetic mess? Even as he asked himself, he felt a small grin form, the audacity of it was absurd, yet completely undeniable.

Her fire, her spirit, it was everything he hadn't known he needed. And now he was like an addict who was mere days away from breaking down. How could he not have realised his life was so gray and dull, until she had suddenly thrown it into colour. Now, without her, it felt like the light was leeching out, and soon he would be back in black and white, his heart a useless, dried out mass of muscle.

He had even risked going into town a couple of times, to see if he could glimpse her around, but she was nowhere to be found. One thing was clear, he couldn't go on like this. He had to work out a resolution with the Salvatores, then he'd be free to live again, to see her again, otherwise, he worried he'd slowly go mad. He wasn't good at accepting defeat. There was always the opportunity to start again, woo her all over again, say the right things this time, do the right things, maybe this time... or maybe he'd just get rejected all over again. Probably best not to risk it, he thought grimly as he gulped his drink. Did he really need to be reminded again how unlovable he really was?

Staring at her history book, bound up in sad thoughts about her last lesson with Alaric, the cheerful ring of her phone jolted her out her thoughts, and she glanced at the caller I.D – Stefan. Flipping her phone open she smiled as she heard the voice of her favourite brother.

"Caroline, I hope I'm not disturbing you. Are you busy right now?" he asked politely

"No, Why? What's up?" she asked, immediately thinking of Elena.

"It's Klaus. He's alive."

"Oh my god" she breathed softly, glad Stefan couldn't see her face.

"What happened?" she asked, imaging Damon charging over there with Bonnie in tow, dessication in mind.

"Apparently, he's asked for a meeting. With us, and your mother" he finished dryly.

"My mum!" Caroline exclaimed, wondering how she could fit into this.

"He wants to come to an understanding, I think we should hear him out." Stefan said, and Caroline heard Damon muttering in the background.

"And let me guess, Damon doesn't agree?"

"Damon doesn't have any better ideas. He contacted Bonnie first, he's guaranteed her the safey of all of her loved ones, and her friends, if she stays on his side. She is inclined to believe him."

"So... when's this meeting?"

"Tonight, at our house. Can you come? We need all the backup we can get just in case."

"Of course, though I'm hardly a match for Klaus and Rebekah."

"I wouldn't underestimate your effect on him. They are coming at 8, I've already spoken to your mum."

"Right, OK, see you tonight... Stefan?" she asked hesitantly

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think it's possible? To live side by side with him... after everything?"

"I think we have to learn to. See you tonight."

After hanging up, she checked the time. She had a little over 4 hours until she saw him again, though, she supposed she was meant to think she was seeing him for the first time since he died. She didn't really have much at her disposal to extract her revenge with, so she better make the most of what she did have. Gathering a change of underwear she went for a long shower. She applied light makeup and left her hair curling around her shoulders. Slipping on dark tight jeans, heels, with an black off the shoulder jumper, she threw on a leather jacket as she went to see if her mum was ready. It wasn't her usual sunny style, but today it felt right.

Her mum was waiting in the kitchen, reading the paper and drinking coffee. Caroline grabbed a blood bag and sat opposite her. They looked at each other, listening to the clock ticking. Both of them realising this could be a potentially dangerous situation to be getting into.

Caroline thought about how their relationship had changed over the last year. Her mum accepted her in the most fundamental way now, and Caroline had finally let her into every part of her life. She wouldn't swap the closeness they shared now for anything.

"Well... I suppose we better get a move on. Klaus doesn't exactly seem like the kind who likes to be kept waiting." her mum smiled, probably trying to reassure her daughter, who seemed very nervous.

"Hmmm," she agreed, going with her to the car. She felt way too anxious.

As they drove to the house, she felt her palms start to grow damp, her stomach squirming like a living thing was battling to get out. The old boarding house came into view and Caroline craned her neck to glimpse his car.

"I don't think they're here yet." she said as they walked to the door of the Salvatore's residence. Standing on the threshold, Caroline was suddenly glad of her mum's presence, grabbing her hand she squeezed it, and felt her mother squeezing it back.

They were all here and already deep in the discussion. After a few seconds of listening it seemed that it was everyone else against Damon, but then that was usually the case. Elena was sitting on the couch, cuddling a pillow, Bonnie beside her. Jeremy was sitting near Matt. Stefan was standing with his back to the entrance, looking quite at ease and peaceful, Damon on the other hand was hitting the Scotch behind the couch, gesturing wildly with his hands, and mimicking others tones when they said something sensible. Just a regular meeting then, Caroline thought wryly.

"Sheriff Forbes, Caroline" Stefan said warmly as he turned around and motioned them into the room.

"Liz! Finally someone to take my side!" Damon exclaimed happily, "Drink?" he gestured towards the lavish spread of alcohol, then muttered "Suit yourself" when she refused.

"So, what have you guys decided?" Caroline asked, casting a glance in Bonnie's direction.

"We are going to hear out Klaus's terms, it really depends on what they are." Stefan said thoughtfully.

"I think he really wants to call a truce, he has nothing to gain from hurting any of us. And no real reason to let us go on living, if we get in his way." Bonnie added.

"I think it's important to bring an end to all of this. If we all have to live together, let's establish the rules and move on." Sheriff Forbes cut in.

"Why, I couldn't agree more Sheriff." A voice drawled from the doorway. Turning they looked up to see Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah standing just inside the entrance.

He was wearing a black military style coat, with a thick cream jumper underneath, his legs encased in dark jeans, with heavy boots. His mused hair caught the light from the fire and turned golden. Eying the assembled company, his eyes immediately met hers.

Here we go, she thought nervously.

Not much Klaroline in this one, but it's being set up so that there can be lots more juicy interactions soon. I wanted to give them some time and space to miss each other.

Reviews inspire me! I should be uploading the next chapter very soon so hold on for more Klaroline.