That night the Salvatore boarding house was filled with drunk teenagers. Loud music blasted from the surround sound, at least 3 games of beer pong were set up, and everyone was dancing and drinking all in honor of Elena's birthday. Empty red solo cups tinkled as they hit the beer stained floor, timed perfectly with the rowdy laughter coming from every corner of the house. Caroline had managed to pull off yet another successful party, much to Elena's chagrin. She had requested that Caroline keep it small, but of course Caroline didn't listen. The big party was better. It was a much bigger distraction, which they all needed. Which she definitely needed.
Caroline leaned up against the wall, bottle of tequila in hand, her lips pressed firmly to the mouth of the bottle taking a large swig. She was watching the crowd take shots and grind up on one another as the music played on. Tyler was in the center, dancing with some girl from school named Sophie, or better known as slutty Sophie. The girl's bubble gum pink lips trailed down Tyler's jaw as his hands slid around her waist to grab her backside. Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes. Everyone was having a great time. She wished she were too.
Her mind wandered again to Klaus. She wondered where he was at that very moment. She wished he were there. But did she really? What would he even be doing if he were? Sharing cake with Elena, playing beer pong with Matt, challenging Damon and Ric to find out who could drink the most scotch while Damon continued to bitch about the condition of his Persian rug? Of course not. If Klaus were around it would be a complete disaster. There would be fighting and torn off limbs and bloodshed because her friends and the love of her life would never get along.
The whole time she had been thinking about finding Klaus, she hadn't even thought of how he would fit into her world until tonight. Not until she saw Tyler and Sophie making out that she wished she could be them, partying with her boyfriend, being a normal teenager. But Klaus wasn't normal. He wasn't a teenager. He was a thousand year old original hybrid and nothing was ever normal or simple when it came to him.
Caroline realized she was jealous of Sophie and Tyler, which was stupid, because it wasn't like they were in love. But that was the part that rankled so much. They would go back to Tyler's and sleep together and then Tyler would probably not call her the next day and Sophie would move onto her next victim. It wasn't fair.
For some weird reason, she had had this fantasy that she and Elena would find Klaus and Stefan and bring them back to Mystic Falls and everything would turn out ok. That Stefan and Elena could be together again and everyone would forgive her for loving Klaus but realize that maybe he wasn't so bad. They all got over Damon and the hell he caused when he first showed up right? But that was stupid. She was stupid. Klaus had been right when he had compelled her in the cave the night of the sacrifice. It really had been the end. But not just for him, for both of them.
Caroline gulped down another mouthful of tequila, hoping the liquid would wash away the ache she couldn't seem to shake from her bones.
"Hitting the bottle pretty hard tonight aren't you?" Matt said coming to stand next to her.
"I thought you were ignoring me?"
"I'm not ignoring you," he countered, "besides. You've been gone. With Klaus."
"Geez!" Caroline groaned. "What is it with everyone? Nothing is going on with me and Klaus!"
"That's not even what I meant," Matt said holding up his hands in defense, but Caroline had turned away from him and gone back to her bottle. "Now who's ignoring who."
Caroline said nothing, not in the mood to argue or explain herself to her former boyfriend. Matt scoffed and walked away. Just then Tyler walked up, Sophie trailing behind him.
"Hey Caroline! Great party!" Sophie said flashing her a perfectly sweet smile, drapping herself over Tyler's shoulder.
"Thanks," Caroline returned, her eyes dilating and boring into Sophie's. "Now leave it."
The blonde girl turned without hesitation and walked away from them, leaving Caroline and Tyler alone in the middle of the dancing crowd.
"What the hell?" Tyler exclaimed.
Caroline rolled her eyes and brushed past him with her trusty bottle still at her lips. She made her way through everyone, and headed up the stairs towards Damon's room. He had a couple blood bags hidden away in his secret stash that she could break into. She just needed to indulge and get away from everything for a minute. Being at the party, pretending everything was normal and fine, was turning out to be harder than she thought. She felt a little bad about ruining things for Tyler. But she had let her jealousy get the better of her. What was it they said about misery loving company?
She grabbed a blood bag from the old wooden trunk in front of Damon's bed and took refuge in the bathroom, sitting up on the vanity counter and sipping her blood. The warm liquid calmed the burn in her throat but did little to settle her nerves.
Maybe it really was time for her to move on. To stop—quite literally—living in the past. Even if she could find Klaus, how would she manage to convince him to stop terrorizing her friends and let Stefan go? Damon had warned Elena time and time again not to go poking her nose into Klaus's whereabouts. As long as Klaus thought she was dead, she was safe. Caroline's face scrunched up as she realized, she couldn't just think about her own desires, she had to consider the safety of her friend. All of her friends.
A few minutes later she heard the door open and shut. Great, just what she needed. More horny, happy couples, flaunting their happiness all over the place.
"This room's off limits," she called out. Elena appeared in the doorway. She smiled at her. "Oh sorry. Just needed to get away for a beat. Are you hiding too?"
"Just looking for Damon," Elena replied.
"Well he better be here somewhere. We haven't even done cake yet."
Elena winced. "I think I'm gonna pass on the whole cake thing."
"No you can't it's your birthday! It's the dawn of a new day!" Caroline urged Elena, desperately wishing she could break her friend out of her unhappy funk. "We have to continue forward and get on with our lives and you can't do that until you've made a wish and blown out the candles!"
"Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with my life?"
Caroline's shoulders sagged. Caroline had been thinking just moments ago about moving on with her life, but she realized she wasn't alone in that. Elena would have to go on too. "No. I don't know. Maybe."
Caroline wanted to tell Elena she knew how she felt. That she felt torn between hanging onto love and moving on and accepting where fate had led them.
"I'm not going to give up on finding Stefan."
"No. Of course not and you shouldn't," Caroline said, "but you can't just let your life pass you by. Wasn't Stefan the one that wanted to make sure you lived it?"
"You want me to make a wish Caroline? I just want to know that he's alive. That's it. That's my wish," Elena said, spinning around and heading away from her.
Caroline groaned inwardly. She had done it again. Said the wrong thing. She had shoved her problems and worries out onto her friends. Elena had been through so much. She didn't need Caroline adding to it. Caroline followed after her.
"I'm sorry. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight," she apologized. But Elena wasn't listening. Instead she seemed to be focused on something else. "Wait what are you doing?"
Caroline walked over to her to see what she was looking at. It seemed to be some sort of secret closet in the middle of Damon's room. Caroline hadn't noticed it before when she had walked in. Elena pushed the door back and the two girls walked into the tiny, hidden room. The walls inside were covered with maps and newspaper articles and post it notes.
'What is this?" Caroline whispered.
"It's Klaus," Elena said, "Damon's been tracking him without us."
Caroline's brow furrowed. "Why wouldn't he say anything?"
The two of them stepped in and looked around, surveying the myriad of maps and notes. Some of the newspaper articles were labeled "Klaus" with a question mark while others were labeled "Stefan". There was a red line drawn up and down much of the east coast, marking a trail that followed the notes. Caroline could feel the anger boiling inside of her. Elena had been right, Damon had been hiding something. He had known where Klaus and Stefan were all along. Had been tracking them all along. Suddenly, her melancholy thoughts about giving up were forgotten. A renewed sense of determination rising up within her.
"I've gotta go," Caroline said, rushing out of Damon's room. She heard Elena call after her but Caroline didn't stop.
She quickly ran downstairs and grabbed her purse from where she had stashed it, bumping past partiers and rushing out the door. By some miracle her car wasn't blocked in. She pulled the keys out of her bag and chirped it open.
"Hey Caroline!" She could here Tyler calling behind her "Caroline!" But she didn't stop. Tyler ran up in front of her and blocked her from reaching her driver's side door. "You're wasted, you can't drive."
"I'm a vampire Tyler, drunk driving isn't going to kill me, besides I'm fine." Caroline had sobered up. All it took was a blood bag and a harsh revelation to do the trick.
"Is this about Sophie?"
"What? No. I'm sorry I ruined things for you," Caroline said quickly, "but right now I have to go."
"Where are you going?" Tyler asked, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on. I'm not letting you avoid me again."
Caroline sighed. "Damon's been lying to us all along. He's been tracking Klaus and Stefan. He knows where they are."
Tyler stared at her in confusion until the realization dawned on him. His eyes widened and he shook his head firmly. "You are not going after them."
"Yes I am," Caroline countered, "I'm going to get Stefan back for Elena. And set everything right."
"How in the hell are you planning on doing that?"
"I just can ok? I need you to trust me. I won't get hurt."
Caroline took a step forward but Tyler pushed her lightly back. "No. You ask me to trust you? Why won't you trust me? Why can't you tell me what you plan to do?"
"I can't Tyler, I'm sorry," she tried to get past him again but he stopped her again. Caroline had had it. She flashed around; grabbing him by the shoulders spun him away and throwing him up against the SUV parked next to them. Her fangs dropped down and she hissed as she pressed him into the metal of the car.
Tyler threw up his hands in surrender, going limp against the SUV, not even attempting to fight back. Caroline jerked back, her face going back to normal. What the hell was she doing? What was wrong with her? She released her hold on him and took a few steps back, taking a few calming breaths before she opened her mouth again.
"I fell for him," she murmured, not meeting his eyes.
"What?"
"I fell in love with him Tyler. With Klaus. Okay? That's it. That's the big secret. I've screwed up royally. I've betrayed Elena and everyone else and I don't expect you or anyone to ever understand because really, I don't understand it myself. But I love him. I do and I can't help it and that's it. That's everything."
Tyler remained silent. Caroline could hear the laughter and music echoing from inside the party. Nervously her eyes wandered up and met his. She watched a dozen emotions play across his face; surprise, incredulity, anger, and then nothing. Tyler stepped toward her, studying her carefully.
"That sick fuck," Tyler growled, "he compelled you."
"No Tyler. He didn't compel me."
"How do you know?"
"I just do," she pleaded, placing a hand on his arm. "Look I don't know what might happen with Klaus, but I know that I can't pretend anymore. I can't move on with my life knowing he's out there alone. He thinks I'm dead Tyler. Like dead dead. I have to go to him. I have to try to convince him to let Stefan come back and to leave Elena and everyone else alone."
Caroline opened her mouth to say something else, but she could see it would all be lost on him. There was no explanation that would convince Tyler that she wasn't compelled. Slowly she turned and reached for her door handle.
"I can't let you go," Tyler said.
"Well then you'll have to kill me," she replied knowing it sounded a little melodramatic, "it's the only way you'll stop me. So what's it gonna be?"
"That isn't fair."
"You're right. It's not. Life isn't fair," Caroline said, "but it'll be ok. I promise. It will be ok." She walked forward again and cupped Tyler's face in her hand, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye Tyler."
Without another word, she turned away from him and got into her car, starting up the engine and heading down the rocky driveway of the Salvatore boarding house. As the glow from the house lights faded, she wondered if she would ever see the house again. Or Tyler. Or any of them. Tyler would inevitably tell them all what happened. Of her great sin against them. Elena would hate her, but at least Caroline would get Stefan back for her. Hopefully that would make up for everything. Getting Stefan back.
Caroline had been driving through the night. She had turned on her GPS and headed in the direction of Memphis, since that was where their last lead came from. Elena had called her early that morning to tell her that Stefan had called her the night and she had had Sheriff Forbes trace the call. They were still in Tennessee. Caroline had stopped once, to grab some coffee and change out of her party dressed and into a tank top and a pair of shorts she was lucky enough to have left in the backseat of her car.
Her phone rang again just as she was getting back in her car.
"Elena, what's up?"
"I went over to Damon's to try to get him to tell me what he knows. No luck."
"No surprise there," Caroline said, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder and backing out of her parking space.
"However, I was able to break Ric down." Caroline's attention peaked as Elena went on. "He said that Klaus and Stefan are tracking a pack of werewolves."
"Werewolves?" Caroline repeated. It took her a minute to make the connection. "He wants to make more hybrids. Like him. Did Alaric have any idea where they might be?"
"No," Elena said, "but I thought Tyler might have come across some wolf packs in Tennessee."
"You talked to Tyler?" Caroline gulped. "Did he say anything...about me?"
"He asked if I talked to you, but that's it. Did you guys have a fight or something?"
"Something like that," she murmured, silently thankful that Tyler didn't seem to have told on her yet, "what else did he say?"
"He pulled up a map on my phone. It's a place where some wolves go on the full moon so they can transition out in the open and not have to worry about hurting humans. I can text it to you if you want."
"Yeah. Thanks Elena."
"You're welcome," she said. "And Caroline?"
"Yeah?"
"Be safe. It's a full moon out tonight."
Caroline nodded, even though Elena couldn't see her. "I will."
The map Tyler had provided led Caroline straight to the middle of the Smokey Mountains. Caroline passed all of the parks and tourists stops, knowing that those places wouldn't be anywhere near where she needed to be looking. She parked her car on the side of the road, slipping her keys and phone into her pocket and headed out into the forest.
It was getting close to sunset. Caroline needed to find the pack before they started to turn and she became wolf bait. She had no idea if Klaus or Stefan would be there, but hopefully the pack could point her in the right direction.
"And hopefully they aren't like vampire racist," she said out loud. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself." Caroline laughed a little hystarically and shook her head. She was loosing it.
As she walked through the hills and trees, the sounds of birds and wildlife filled the air. There were no honking horns or loud music or traffic. It was quiet and serene. It reminded her of being back in the Middle Ages. If she closed her eyes, she could picture herself back in the forest with Klaus.
Just then, an agonizing yell broke through the peacefulness of the forest, breaking Caroline out of her daydream. It sounded more like a howl. She spun around. That wasn't right. The sun wasn't even down yet, the wolves shouldn't be turned already. She heard it again. Whoever it was coming from sounded closer this time.
The sky was growing more and more orange. Maybe she should head back to her car, she thought. She could camp out and wait until morning. The wolf pack would still be around then, no need to risk her life because of her impatience.
Caroline turned around and started walking quickly back the way she came. The howling sound was growing closer and closer and Caroline picked up the pace.
The gut wrenching sound made her stomach turn.
"Ok running might be a good idea right now."
Just as she took off, she ran into something hard, and was knocked back onto the ground, landing in a pile of fallen leaves and dirt.
"Caroline?"
Caroline slowly raised her eyes to the man standing over her, his eyes black, barely recognizable. There was a bleeding bite wound on his forearm. Her lips twisted up into a nervous smile.
"Hi Stefan."
Stefan reached forward with his good arm and pulled Caroline off the ground.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm came to find you and Klaus," she replied.
Stefan sucked in a breath. "Don't tell me Elena is out here with you?"
"Of course not. I wouldn't let her come on a crazy road trip to hunt down a wolf pack in the middle of a full moon!"
"But it's ok for you to be out here?"
Caroline raised her chin confidently. "Yes."
A ghost of a smirk crossed Stefan's face. Caroline didn't miss it. She was about to say something else when she saw his eyes flick to something behind her, his face losing any trace of the humor he had mistakenly revealed.
Caroline turned around slowly. Standing behind her was a man, clothes ripped and dirty, bloody tears pouring from his eyes. He stood there, half breathing, half growling at them. He was a werewolf. She swallowed nervously, watching him shift from foot to foot, his hands rubbing his arms anxiously, his red eyes trained on her.
"Caroline, run," Stefan ordered quietly.
"I'm not leaving you," she replied not taking her eyes off of the man in front of her.
"Caroline—"
But before Stefan couldn't finish before the man seemed to shake out of some sort of trance. He spun quickly and darted off in the opposite direction. Stefan grabbed Caroline by her arms and shook her roughly.
"Get out of here. Go back to Mystic Falls and don't come after me again." He growled at her. Without another word Stefan dashed off after the werewolf.
Caroline stood there for half a second. The sun was about to completely disappear. The wolves would be transitioning and Stefan was currently running after one of them. He was already bitten and there was no way she was leaving him alone. Without another thought she dashed off in their direction.
She caught up with them quickly. Stefan and the man were circling each other in the middle of the clearing. When Caroline broke through to them, the man whipped his head toward her.
"Whoa Ray. Don't look at her, look at me," Stefan called, directing the focus away from Caroline.
Ray seemed to listen, deciding that Stefan was the bigger threat that needed his attention.
"I thought I told you to get out of here," Stefan said to her, keeping his eyes on Ray.
"I'm not leaving you. I came here for a reason Stefan and damn it I'm going to see this through," she said inching closer to Ray. If Stefan could keep him distracted long enough, Caroline could sneak up and knock him out.
She was only a few steps away when a branch snapped under her foot. Ray turned and howled at her, launching himself on top of her. They rolled to the ground, Caroline trying to push him away as he snapped at her with his half human/half wolf teeth. Ray struggled against her hold, his wild eyes focused solely on her. He didn't notice Stefan coming up behind him.
Stefan plunged his hand into Ray's chest and yanked out his heart. A sick, gurgling yelp came from Ray's throat as his eyes rolled back in his head. Caroline pushed him off as he collapsed onto her. She jumped up, brushing the dirt off her body, frowning at the bit of Ray's blood that had dripped onto her tank top.
"Thanks," she said, turning to face Stefan.
"I'm not coming back with you to Mystic Falls," Stefan said tossing Ray's heart onto the ground, "so tell Elena and my brother and whoever else to stop trying to save me."
"You're right. You're not coming back with me. I'm sending you back to Mystic Falls and I'm staying."
Stefan snorted at her. "You think Klaus is going to trade me for you?"
"That's exactly what I think."
This time Stefan laughed full out, licking his lips in an annoyingly cocky manner. "Even if I thought that was an option, there's no way I'm going to let you do that."
"You don't understand Stefan," Caroline said, "some things happened while you were gone. Bonnie did a spell that sent me back to Klaus back in the middle ages. He knows me Stefan. Back in 1492 we—him and I—I can convince him to let you go."
Stefan's forehead wrinkled. "How is that even possible?"
"It would take a long time to explain," she sighed, "but it's the only way you're going to get back to Elena."
Stefan frowned. "Me getting back to Elena is not what's important," he said stepping toward her, "I'm never coming back. It's too late now. While I'm gone everyone is still safe."
"But—"
"Make sure Damon understands that for me when you seem him will you?"
Caroline opened her mouth again, but suddenly Stefan reached up and grasped the side of her head. Her vision blurred and she heard the loud crack of her neck breaking before everything went black.
Klaus grabbed one of the discarded beers still upright on the ground and sat back on a log around the ruins of the camp fire. Dead bodies surrounded him. The hopes of his great hybrid army bleeding and cold on the forest floor. Some of them he killed himself while the others bled to death.
He took a swig of beer, licking his lips and starring off into nothing. That's what it all felt like. Nothing. His face turned up to see the moon, glowing above in the dark blue sky, mocking him. He hated being in the forest. It reminded him too much of the past. Too much of Caroline.
Klaus wondered what she was doing at the moment. Had she already gone back to him by now? The anniversary of her death had passed just two weeks ago. He always thought about her during the summers. And the winters. And during the springs and autumns too. Each season bringing on a new cut of pain.
He wasn't sure when exactly the witch, Bonnie, preformed her spell that ultimately sent Caroline to her death. Part of him blamed that witch. Over the years, Klaus had thought about the rippling effect of time. Of choices and consequences. Things he hadn't considered since he was a human. He wondered every time he killed, if that human was a distant ancestor of Caroline's, if by taking a life he prevented her from ever existing. In his darkest times he wondered if any of that even mattered. Perhaps it would have been better if Caroline had never existed at all. Then he wouldn't have had to exist with this excruciating pain that he had carried through the centuries. Alone. Without hope.
The only thing he had left was his hybrids. And now it seemed even that dream was quickly dying.
Stefan appeared then, walking back into the camp, Ray's body slung over his shoulders. The ripper came up to him and dropped the body at Klaus's feet.
"They went rabid," Klaus said to him. "I had to kill most of them and the others just bled out." He rose from his seat on the log, walking toward Stefan. "In the end they're all dead."
He couldn't take it anymore. His dark thoughts and memories consumed him completely. Klaus turned and threw the beer bottle with every bit of strength he had. The glass crashed to the ground and he yelled out in anger at the night hands fisted, the veins in his arms contorting with his rage and straining against his skin as every feeling he had threatened to spill out of him.
"I did everything I was told!" He shouted turning back to Stefan. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a vampire. I killed a werewolf. I killed the doppelganger." Klaus stared at the ground, his mind turning the events over and over again. "It's not fair. If I can't have her, if she has to be dead then don't I deserve...something."
Stefen stood there gaping in shock and confusion, holding the bite wound on his arm and listening as Klaus rambled on. Klaus suddenly seemed to remember Stefan was there. He glanced up at the ripper, his only comrade, and took a deep breath; reigning himself back from the edge.
"You look like hell," he said shifting the focus.
"Last I checked I'm dying," Stefan said, "and you don't want to heal me." Klaus's gaze slid from Stefan to Ray's lifeless body on the forest floor. "I had to take him out. I failed you, I'm sorry. Do what you have to do."
Klaus looked at his wound, bleeding and festering across his arm. Then his eyes went back to Stefan's.
"Do you think," Klaus said, "that there is an after life for us damned immortals? A heaven? A hell?"
Stefan shook his head. "I don't know. I guess I can let you know fairly soon though."
Klaus stood there with his back to him. What was the point of it all? If he couldn't turn the hybrids, then what was the point of going on? Of continuing to walk the Earth. He had thought about it, once or twice, over the centuries; thought about ending his existence and finding Caroline on the other side. Would she be there waiting for him?
Caroline woke up, rubbing her neck as her eyes came into focus. What had happened? It had been a good couple of weeks since she had had a passing out/waking up and not remembering what happened the night before episode. Now she was in a car, speeding down the interstate in the middle of the night. She looked over and saw Damon in the driver's seat.
"Oh good, you're awake," he said reaching into the back seat. He produced a blood bag and handed it to her. "I'm sure you're feeling a little woozy. Stefan gave you a through dose of vervain after he snapped your neck to make sure you didn't wake up until I got there."
Caroline took the bag from him and started drinking. She needed to get her strength back. She needed to get out of this car as quickly as possible and get back to the woods.
"Don't even think about trying to jump out of this car. Besides, you've been out far a while. We're almost back to Mystic Falls."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "What are you a mind reader now?"
"I didn't realize you had such a death wish Barbie. Thinking you could rescue Stefan by yourself. I take it Elena hasn't realized you're in love with him yet. Then again maybe she wants him back so badly that she doesn't care."
"I'm not in love with Stefan," Caroline said. Damon shot her a skeptical look. "You know not everything is about you Salvatores!"
A few seconds later Damon relented. "Just making sure. Stefan never seemed like your type anyways. You're into quarterbacks and werewolves."
Caroline ignored his jibe. "So what happened?"
"Stefan called. He told me where he left you so you would be safe until I could pick you up. Ric came with me, he's following behind in your car," Damon explained, "so what made you decide to go AWOL on us?"
"I just, thought I could make things right," Caroline said.
"How? By getting yourself killed?"
"I wouldn't have gotten myself killed," she snapped.
"Well Stefan also told me to make sure that you don't show up again. That none of us do. Am I going to have to start worrying about your running off? Taking Elena with you? Because so help me if you put her in danger—"
"Ok!" Caroline interrupted. "I would never take Elena with me Damon, I'm not an idiot. You know, you're not the only one who cares about her!"
They were silent for a while as they continued down the road, until Damon cleared his throat and broke the silence.
"I care about you too Barbie. Alright? I care about what happens to you. But keeping Elena safe and alive is my priority so don't ever doubt that if you put her in danger, I won't hesitate to take you out."
Caroline sighed, glancing over at Damon. He was looking at her seriously, his head tilted down so she could see the sincerity in his sky blue eyes. Her relationship with Damon had never been particularly great or meaningful, but she could tell he meant what he said.
They made it back to Mystic Falls early in the morning. Damon and Ric dropped Caroline and her car off at her house. She unlocked the door and set her bag on the front table, shuffling out of her sneakers. Her feet ached a bit from all the hiking and she was still feeling woozy from the vervain, in spite of the blood bag that Damon had given her.
"Mom?" She called out, gritting her teeth as she waited to hear a reply. But her mom didn't call back. Good. That meant she was at work and Caroline would have a few hours of peace before her mother would undoubtedly lay into her for running off and putting herself in danger yet again.
She made it as far as her living room when she saw Tyler sitting on her couch. He stood up as she walked into the room.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, for lack of anything better to say.
"Elena said Damon went after you," he replied, "I didn't think I'd see you again."
"I didn't think I would be coming back." Caroline wanted to laugh. She remembered not long ago, having the same conversation with Tyler, but now their roles were reversed. "I'm staying though. At least until I can figure things out."
"What does that mean?"
"I was rushing into things going to Tennessee. I wasn't thinking. About myself or Elena's safety or anyone else. I thought things would be easy, but they aren't."
"So what are you going to do?"
Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. Live my life. Let Elena live hers. Find Klaus when she's a hundred years old with a million grandkids and one foot in the grave and he can't hurt her," she bit her lip, the thoughts coming together as she spoke, "I did some thinking on the road. Damon said that according to Stefan, Klaus is having some trouble making hybrids, which could be because Elena is still alive. If Klaus finds out, he'll come back here and kill her and I'm sure there's nothing even I could say to stop him from doing that."
"And this is the guy that you choose to love?" Tyler scoffed.
"Look I'm not apologizing for this again," Caroline groaned, "now if you'll excuse me, I'm severely behind on beauty sleep."
She tried to brush past him, but Tyler caught her arm and held her back. "I won't tell them," he said, "not if you stick to your word. That you'll stay here."
"I promise," she replied, "I'm not going anywhere."