Caroline's eyes fluttered against the morning sunlight. The sun stroke past the curtains, and she cursed herself for not buying thicker curtains. She pressed her eyes harder, her body crying out with pain. She wanted to pull the covers over her eyes, and sleep well into the day.

Truth it, she wanted to forget.

She let out a loud groan, throwing the sheets halfway across her bed. She laid there for a moment, staring at her while, dull ceiling. The memories from last night began to come back.

She sat there on the bed, useless. Her body was burning from the werewolve- hybrid- bite. She glanced over at her neck, and saw that the infection of the bite is spreading across her, now reaching her shoulder. The venom, that's what she chose to call it, is slowly killing her.

She wanted to blame Tyler for this. She loved him so much, and this is how he paid her back for her love. Her anger for him and his true identity was overwhelming at first, but it soon diminished. There was no point for being angry. Death was inevitable. What's the point of spending her last hours with an ugly emotion?

A small, bitter laugh escaped her lips. The irony of the day's events have come through her. Her, Elena, Matt, and Bonnie have celebrated her "death' at 17. She was no longer human, and the bitterness of not turning a year older, or feeling that excitement anymore felt strange. She was no longer the person she was, and before she was bitten, she had already died.

The new Caroline Forbes- friend, daughter, vampire- was born the moment she blew out the candles. It was only for a moment, but Caroline felt the freedom of finally accepting who she was. She was no longer the pretty blonde cheerleader, nor the typical, all- American teenager. She was Caroline Forbes, the strong vampire, the daughter her mother had truly loved, and most importantly, a friend that both Elena and Bonnie had became proud of.

How short that freedom was. She thought she had it all. Her friends surrounding her, laughing and celebrating her life. It was back again, the good old days where witches and vampires didn't exist. They were once again the four musketeers- a nickname Caroline secretly gave them. They weren't fighting against Originals or hybrids. They were regular teenagers, drinking behind parent supervision at night and attending their local high school by day.

When Tyler came, she felt her heart- or at least that's what like she thinks- slam against her chest. The sight of him was so intoxicating. Her vampire power allowed her to smell his shampoo from a distance and her eyes traveled around his body, noticing how his shirt had sculpted his body well. His eyes, the dark, brown, almost black eyes that enchanted her from the beginning, caught her own. She held her breath, and everything around her started to disappear.

Her friends paused, startled by his presence. She could hear Matt's voice speaking angrily against his former friend. Oh, Matt, Caroline thought. Oh, lovely, overprotective Matt. I'm so sorry.

Caroline felt her body move. Her lips parted, and without being aware of much of anything else, she spoke out in Tyler's defense. She could see Elena making a move for Matt, reaching for his arm and squeezing it. Elena looked at Caroline, and her eyes spoke the world Caroline has bee dying to hear: Go.

Caroline smiled thinly, and grabbed Tyler's arm before Matt can stop her. Using their super speed ability, the ran away from her party and deeper into the woods. Caroline stopped a couple minutes later, aware that the distance between her and her friends are far enough for them not to follow her.

Her back was still on Tyler. She could not bear to look at him alone. Despite how secure a vampire can be, she herself can't control her human emotions, much less the heighten ones thanks to her being.

"Caroline, look at me," Tyler said.

Caroline didn't move. Frustrated, Tyler grabbed her arm and spun her around. He gripped her with both of his arms. His strength scared her. He was much stronger than her, and she knew that she would be defenseless if she ever came up against him.

"I love you, Caroline. I love you," he whispered.

Those three words- the words she wanted to hear from him ever since they were together- sent chills against her body. Her knees began to buckle, and she began to feel even more overwhelm. But despite her fear, her sadness, and even the slight anger, she whispered, "I love you too."

He kissed her then, and she responded to him hungrily. He pinned her against the tree, and the kiss deepened. She let out a small, pleasurable moan while Tyler kissed her long, slender neck.

Then, before she knew it, he bit her. The pain- death- was here.

He released her then, and shot back at least ten feet away from her. Her hand shot up towards her neck, reaching for the spot where he bit her. "You bit me," she whispered.

"Caroline, no, I'm sorry," Tyler began, reaching for her once more.

"No! Don't touch me! Get out of here!" she screamed.

A moment of confliction appeared in Tyler's face. He tried reaching for her again, but fought himself against it. Without saying another word, he disappeared into the night.

Caroline sat up on her bed. The sun warmed her skin, but she still felt the chills of the night. She brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around it. She buried her head into her knees, trying to prevent the tears from strolling down her cheeks.

She thought she was going to die there in the wood, but Matt found her minutes later. He quickly accessed her, and without saying much of anything, lifted her into his arms. She went in and out of consciousness on the ride back home. She finally woke up on her bed, her mother sitting right beside her.

"Caroline," she said, her eyes red, her cheeks raw from the tears.

But the blackness overwhelmed her once more. She woke up against, not really quite sure what time it was. She could hear conversations outside her door, but strangely, she heard three voices.

Matt was there, and so was her mother, but who else? It wasn't Elena or Bonnie. It was a male voice, silky and reassuring. She was sure it was not Tyler's. His voice was too deep, too gruffly to be the intruder.

Then the voices died down, and she could hear the footsteps coming towards her door. She looked at the door, waiting patiently, not knowing who to expect.

"Klaus".

The Original vampire stopped at the front of her door, unsure about what to do next. She has never seen him like this; he was always confident and charming. But now? To her, he looked so normal, a man, young and lost.

The fear that has always gripped her heart whenever he's around never came. Instead, she found peace now.

"Caroline," he said, slowly making his way towards her bed. He sat down gently right next to her, making sure that their body never made contact. "Tyler told me what happened".

"Are you here to finish his job?" she asked weakly.

His eyes widened, and his hand reached for hers. "No, sweetheart, never. Despite everything I have done, I would never harm you". He squeezed her hand softly, not wanting to inflict more pain upon this gentle girl.

"If you're not here to kill me, then leave me to die," she said to him.

Klaus moved his arms gently, wrapping it under her body. He was holding her now, almost baby-like. "Don't say that. Please, don't wish for your death," he said.

For a moment, Caroline thought he was begging for it, not asking. She never thought that this vampire- the most powerful one she has ever met- even noticed her. She thought she was just a newborn vampire, not worth his time or thoughts. But now, here he was-venerable and gentle.

"Who are you to me to ask such a question?" she asked him accusingly. "All you ever done was destroy my friends and my town".

He sighed. "There's no point for me to lie. Yes, I have done the things you have accused me of. I have made havoc in this little town of yours, and even killed your best friend. But Caroline, I never hurt you. I would never, for the life of me, bring myself to hurt you. I-" he trailed of.

A silence passed between them. Caroline studied his face. She never noticed how handsome he was, or how sad his eyes were. She always saw him as a cold vampire, hell-bent on having his way. But now, she saw him for what he truly was; a man in search for friendship, for love.

"I could let you die right now. I would never that choice away from you, Caroline. But before you choose that, I'm going to let you know on this little secret. If you think your life is north worth living, you are a fool. There are great thing out there for you- wonderful cities, exotic food, exciting adventures with your name on it. I myself have thought of ending my life just like that. Die in my own free will, and my body would rot without anyone knowing I was dead. But then, I thought to myself, what would I be missing? What city would I miss? Who would I have never met if I died right there?"

Her cheeks were now wet with her tears. She felt his arm move, and he was now offering her his blood.

"Truth to be told, I don't want you to die. I had been alone for centuries. I wonder the streets, bending my back backwards trying to find a companion, someone like my own. A hybrid, you could say. I was hoping that maybe with someone like my own, I would not feel alone anymore. But when I created them, I still felt alone".

"Then, I met you, Caroline. When I saw you for the first time, I could not believe my eyes. You are so beautiful, so precious. In the midst of this chaos, you were the one that kept everything together. Nothing fazed you. Your courage, your determination amazed me. The loneliness I felt was gone. With you, I felt.. better".

"I could force you to drink my blood, you know. I am stronger than you, but like I said before, I would never take your free will away from you. But before you make any decision, I beg of you again to reconsider your death".

He tiled her chin upwards, and forced her to look at him in the eyes.

"I don't want to die," she whispered.

He moved his arms closer, a small smile appearing at his lips. "There you go, sweetheart. Have at it".

She released the grip on her legs, unaware how hard she had been gripping it. She touched her neck again, smooth and soft like ever before. When she turned her head, she noticed a small package lying beside her night table. Her arms stretched across the bed, snatching the box off the table.

She laid it on her bed in front of her. The box was beautiful from the outside. It was small and simple, with only a bow tied on top. Not wasting another moment, she opened the box.

Inside laid the most beautiful bracelet she had ever seen. It was similar to Tyler's, but this one for some odd reason bought her more joy than the one that rested on her wrist.

Her hand graced the bracelet before reaching for the white card that she moved aside. Her heart started to beat a little faster than before. She didn't want to open the card because she knew what was written inside.

She bit her lip, and pushed her fear aside. There's no way it could be from him, she thought. Never.

But she was wrong. The card read: From yours truly, Klaus.