A/N: I am SO sorry guys! The Universe has been conspiring against me and this last chapter- it has been one thing after another. But here it is- FINALLY. Hope it's not too much of a let-down after the long wait. Once again guys I am really sorry. The last instalment…enjoy!

It's nearly seven thirty and she still hasn't decided what to wear- though not through lack of trying. Half her wardrobe lies crumpled on her bed, having been quickly tried on and then even more quickly dismissed. All of her drawers gape open, their contents also having proved dissatisfactory.

Meet me outside the cellar- what the hell did that even mean? And how on earth was she supposed to dress for it? It's quite possibly the least romantic setting for the discussion she's planning. It'll be dark and damp and thoroughly unpleasant. Though the conversation will be pretty uncomfortable too, she's betting. She knows what she wants to say but has no idea what his reaction will be. She doesn't even know what exactly she hopes to gain from it.

Their lives are already so complicated, surely adding a Romeo and Juliet-esque romance to the mix is just asking for trouble. They are natural enemies. If anything happens between them they'll have to explain it to Matt and to Damon. She's not sure which would be worst. And she's not even sure anything will happen with them anyway. She's a relationship kinda girl, and he's not that kinda guy, or at least he wasn't. It would never work.

She knows she's looking for excuses. She knows she's trying to convince herself that it's not worth changing the way things are between the two of them. She's knows it's because she's scared. She's terrified of losing him, because he's one of the only people she can depend on right now, because he's the only person who might put her first and because he's the only person who's ever really needed her. She doesn't want to screw it up, she can't afford to. Half of her wants them just to stay friends, for their relationship to be a blissfully uncomplicated platonic one. But the other half of her accepts that they passed that stage a long time ago, if it ever existed for them at all. It seems to her that they jumped straight from acquaintances who barely tolerate each other to…something a whole lot more complicated.

She scowls at her reflection in the mirror, at the pale blue shirt, the dark jeans and brown ankle-high boots. She groans, but it will have to do- its quarter to eight already. She stuffs her mobile into her pocket and closes the door on the disarray of her bedroom.

She heads downstairs.

'Are you going out?' her mom asks, sticking her head out from behind the kitchen door just as Caroline makes it to the front door.

'Er yeah, is that okay?' Caroline asks awkwardly, not used to having to explain how she spends her time to a parent.

'Where are you going?'

'To hang out with a friend,' Caroline replies a little too quickly.

'A boy?' her mom asks, her lips pursed, 'it isn't Tyler is it?'

'It's actually none of your business,' she snaps back. She can't believe that her mom actually has the nerve to try playing the concerned parent card now.

'Well just be careful Caroline,' her mom warns.

'Don't you think it's a bit late for that?' she shoots back darkly.

Her mom looks crestfallen.

She ploughs on, 'I'm sorry, but you can't lecture me on how to live my life just because you've finally decided to take an interest.'

'I didn't mean-' her mom begins, before trailing off, looking uncomfortable. 'I know I haven't been the best mom,' Caroline has to hold back a derisive laugh, 'but I'm trying. I'm trying to get to know my daughter again.'

Caroline offers her a weak smile.

'I just wanna make sure that if Tyler's the reason you've been locked in your room since you got home from school trying to decide what to wear, he's worth it.'

Caroline feels the colour rushing into her cheeks, but preserves, 'it's not really your call Mom.'

'But he's a werewolf though, isn't he?'

Caroline nods hesitantly, knowing where this discussion is headed.

'Can't they kill vampires? When you were trying to explain what happened with Damon, you said-'

'He won't hurt me,' Caroline states with the same certainty she'd employ when stating the earth is round or the sky is blue. To her it's an undeniable truth. It's just the way things are.

'Are you sure?' her mom asks, still unconvinced as a lump forms in her throat, 'because I don't think I could bear to lose you again.'

Caroline watches her mom blink back the beginnings of tears and swallows her snappy retort. She says instead, 'I'm a tough one Mom, like you, you'll never lose me.'

To her great surprise her mom pulls her into a tight hug.

When her mom releases her they stand awkwardly in the hallway, just staring at one another.

After a moment's silence Caroline glances up at the hall clock. Its five to eight- she's going to be late.

'I've really gotta go,' Caroline says, gesturing vaguely over her shoulder, in the direction of the front door.

Her mom nods, her eyes still a little over-bright.

Caroline turns to leave.

'We should hang out sometime,' her mom says, forcing her to turn back to face her.

'Hang out?' Caroline asks incredulously.

'Yeah,' her mom shrugs, 'we could go shopping or something.'

'But you hate shopping,' Caroline replies, restraining the urge to roll her eyes.

'But you don't,' is her mom's swift response.

Caroline smiles.

'How about Saturday?' her mom asks.

'Sure,' Caroline says, albeit a little hesitantly, 'Saturday.'

'Great,' her mom says beaming.

Caroline inches closer to the front door.

'Have a nice time, be careful.'

'Night mom,' Caroline says with a smile before making a swift exit.

She lets out a sigh the moment the front door snaps shut behind her. This is totally new territory for her, she's not used to having a mom who checks up on her or who genuinely wants to spend time with her. Half of her is ecstatic that her mother is taking an interest in her, half of her feels that it's too late for that. The worst has already happened and her mom failed to protect her then. Now her mom wants to look after her. Now, when she can protect herself. Caroline feels like her mother's new interest in her daughter's well-being could have been timed better, like when her dad left, or when she'd broken her ankle trying to learn how to do a backflip, or before she died. But her mom had put her life into her work and neglected her only child. Only now, does her mother truly seem to care. The old Caroline might have held a grudge, but the new one buries the resentment and tries to look forward to the possibility of a closer relationship with her mom.

It's not long before she's standing in the woods in the middle of the old Lockwood property. She senses him before she sees him.

'You're late,' he teases as she approaches him through the twilight.

'Better late than never,' she grins.

He smiles back at her. For a moment they stare at each other, and then the awkwardness sets in.

'So…' she says, fiddling with the cuff of her shirt.

'I wanted to show you some improvements I've made,' he replies, a little flustered.

He starts to lead her down the stone steps into the complete darkness of the cellar. She stumbles a little, due to nervousness more than anything, and he steadies her by taking her hand in his. She feels her cheeks glow pink in the gloom. She's surprise by how natural it feels. They are supposed to be enemies but somehow they fit perfectly together, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Too soon he lets go of her hand. He flicks on a light switch and a bare bulb sparks into life, casting long shadows up the cellar walls.

'The door is reinforced now,' he says, rapping his knuckles against the metal outer door, 'according to the guy who sold it to me a fully grown bull elephant wouldn't stand much hope of getting through that.'

'What about a teenage werewolf?' she grins.

'Funnily enough, I didn't ask him,' he smiles, 'but I reckon the wolfsbane varnish I've covered the gate in should also make life a bit more tricky,' he adds, gesturing at the metal bars of the gate, careful not to touch them.

'You put quite a lot of thought into this, didn't you?' she says, looking around her at the new sets of chains protruding from the floor, walls and even the ceiling.

'Well, I figured if you-' his face reddened, '-I mean, if anyone,' he corrected himself, 'ever wanted to keep me company I need to be sure there is no chance of me getting free.'

She grins, 'I don't think that's very likely now,' she says, rattling one of the chains which has the same circumference as her arm.

'And,' he opens a newly installed cabinet on the cellar wall, placed safely behind steel gate, 'this gun,' he says, taking out the weapon, 'contains tranquilisers- for emergencies.'

'Tyler,' she replies in an almost whisper, 'I am not going to shoot you.'

'Only in the worst case scenario,' he reasons.

'But-' she begins to object.

He presses a finger to her lips to silence her.

They stare at each other in silence for a moment. Her heart hammers in her chest and his adam's apple bobs in his throat as they stand there frozen.

She looks away from his dark brown eyes and breaks the spell. His hand drops limply to his side.

'If you wanna come down here at the full moon you have to promise me you'll use it, if you need to,' he says earnestly.

'Only if you got loose?' she asks, her brow creased.

'Course,' he replies, giving her a playful elbow in the ribs, 'I don't want you shooting me just because I piss you off.'

She gives him a grudging smile.

'So you promise?' he asks, his eyes entreating her.

She nods, not looking at him.

'Say it,' he demands, his face now inches from her own.

Their eyes meet and then her gaze flickers to his lips. Her mouth goes dry.

She knows she's there to talk about what they are to each other, to define their relationship, to make sense of the situation. But in that moment kissing him is a rather more attractive option.

Her lips find his but are met with resistance. He takes a step back.

'We should tell Matt,' he says seriously.

'Definitely,' she nods, grinning as she leans in to kiss him again.

'Before anything more happens,' he says, pulling back again.

She bites her lip. 'Okay,' she replies grudgingly, stepping away from him with a shrug, 'I guess it can wait.'

Reason leaves him then. He forgets the reasons why they shouldn't be doing this. He forgets that he promised himself that he would tell Matt about things first. He forgets that he and Caroline need to talk, to work out what there is between them. All he can think is that he is alone with the girl he wants more than anything and she's kissing him like she might just want him too. And within a few seconds his mouth has found hers once more and he has her backed up against the cellar wall. Her arms are wrapped tightly around his neck while his hands rest on her hips. Before he knows it she's sliding his t-shirt up his torso and over his head. He kisses his way along her jugular as he fumbles with the buttons on her shirt. He looks into her face as he pushes her shirt off her shoulders and it tumbles to the ground. The veins around her eyes pulse darkly under her pale skin. She looks away, embarrassed as her fangs slide into place. He turns her face back towards him. She bites her lower lip nervously as his gaze searches hers. She closes her eyes, ashamed. He tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear before gently pressing a kiss to each of her eyelids in turn, and then to the corners of her mouth. She feels her face return to normal as she slowly opens her eyes. He's smiling at her as if he's just won the lottery, but there is a question in his gaze. She nods. And in an instant his lips are crashing against hers as they fall back onto the stone cellar floor.

He's panting when he rolls off her. They lie side by side, chests heaving, rising and falling in sync, as they stare up at the ceiling. There is an awkward pause.

Then Caroline clears her throat, 'well that was…'

'Awesome?' he asks with a grin, turning on his side to face her.

'I was gunna say unexpected,' she replies, rolling her eyes.

'So you didn't plan this?' he teases, running a finger up her bare side.

'No,' she replies, swatting at his hand as she feels goosebumps prick the back of her neck, 'definitely not.'

'You don't regret it do you?' he asks quickly, his eyes wide as he looks down at her.

'No,' she assures him earnestly, though she doesn't meet his gaze.

'But…?'

'What?'

'Caroline, I can tell there's a but in there somewhere,' he says patiently.

'It's stupid,' she replies, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

'Fire away.'

'I wanted to talk,' she says hesitantly, 'about us, and this,' she gestures at their scattered clothing, 'just makes everything more complicated.'

'It doesn't have to.'

'Tyler, I don't think I can do the whole friends with benefits thing, especially not with you,' she says, staring anywhere but at him.

'Why especially not with me?' he asks, his interest piqued.

'You know,' she says awkwardly, shrugging a bare shoulder, 'because we're friends.'

'I think friends with benefits kinda implies that,' he laughs, 'so what's the real reason?'

She sits up properly and runs a hand through her tousled curls, 'I have feelings for you, okay,' she snaps.

He looks at her blankly for a moment. Then his face breaks into a smile, 'that's good.'

She looks confused, 'um why?'

'Because, as lame as it sounds, I want you to be my girlfriend,' he says, swallowing hard, 'if you don't mind that is,' he amends hurriedly, his cheeks very red.

She giggles.

'I told you it sounds lame,' he says defensively, 'but it's the closest thing that I can think of to describe what we are- or what I want us to be.'

'Okay,' she replies, serious now, as a slow smile creeps across Tyler's face, 'but on one condition: you have to accept that sometimes I am going to be totally irrational and self-absorbed and insecure.'

He nods, still grinning as he says, 'done- as long as you accept that sometimes I am going to be jealous, insensitive jackass.'

She grins back at him as she offers him her hand, 'done,' she agrees and they shake on it.

'I should really go tell Matt shouldn't I?' he says, though he can't wipe the smile off his face.

'And I am going to have to go tell Damon.'

'Yeah,' he agrees. But then his eyes meet hers, 'but they can wait for half an hour, right?'

Her lips find his in response as she pushes him back down onto the cellar floor.