"Tyler…" she spoke brokenly into the phone. He was instantly in high alert. Caroline sounded as if she was crying. Telling 'the girl' (he could no longer remember her name) that he'd be back he rose from the seat.

"Can you…I need you…" she whispered.

Tyler wasted no time, all but jogging to the car. His date was a passing thought in his head and he decided to text her while on his way to Caroline. There were some things that were more important. It still amazed him how close they had become. How inseparable. Defying fate, the supernatural and everything in between to become best friends. Tyler had never been the type to have a girl best friend. They were made for pretty much one thing in his head. Friend had never entered into the equation. And initially he had wanted more and maybe sometimes he still did but Caroline only wanted friendship and if that was all he could get that was all he would take.

He drove up to the Forbes house a few minutes later hardly pulling up the brake before he was racing into the house. He could hear her almost silent sobs now. Every full-moon that passed he became less human and more wolf and with every transformation, it took a stronger foothold in his life. His senses were enhanced, his stamina unmatched by a human, his strength rivaling a vampire's.

He didn't knock first before racing up the stairs because he knew that the Sheriff would not be home and secondly Caroline almost never locked her door anymore. When you were the scariest thing out there, you tended to not fear intruders.

When he saw her, the mascara was a smudge underneath her eyes because she was crying. He stepped slowly eyeing her for injuries but smelling no blood he climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms.

"What happened Caroline?" he whispered stroking her hair.

"Donovan… he asked me out," she answered slowly.

Tyler tried not to clench his fist at the sudden jealousy that gripped him. He didn't even know she had a date tonight. But why was he jealous? They had neatly placed their relationship in the friendship zone months ago and he was alright with that. Really he was. And then the thought crossed his mind. Caroline was crying…after a date with some guy. He knew she could take care of herself but she was still a teenager even if she was a vampire and if that prick had hurt her he would spend eternity hunting him down like the dog he was.

He pulled her chin up and looking into her eyes he asked, "Did he hurt you?"

Tyler never even realized his eyes had flashed but they did and immediately she backtracked knowing he misinterpreted her tears. So she quickly said, "No! I-I hurt him!"

Tyler sighed with relief that no one had hurt her but he was still confused.

"Huh?" Articulate he never claimed to be.

She swiped her fingers across her eyes and answered, "Well Dmitri took me back to his place… for you know, a night cap and things got a little heated Tyler."

He didn't even realize he had pulled back until she grabbed onto his arms to stop him from drawing away. It was disturbing how she could do that, know his intention even before he did. But he was NOT having this conversation. He wasn't strong enough to hear about her with someone else. He couldn't bear the thought of someone else holding her, touching her, kissing the lips he had longed for the entire summer. He couldn't.

"I really…it doesn't matter," she said looking down, "I grabbed him and broke his arm. I gave him some of my blood to heal him then compelled him and ran. I'm a monster Tyler and I can't believe I went with him. I just thought…"

"Thought what? Why you go with him Caroline?" he couldn't hide his anger or his disappointment.

This time she was the one who pulled back from him, getting up off the bed and moving to the window, "It doesn't matter."

"No you don't get to do that," he got up, grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, "Not with me."

They had crossed every boundary with each other. And they had no limits, nothing that was hidden. She knew his dirtiest secrets and he knew where her skeletons were hidden, literally.

Caroline threw off his hands and shouted, "Because of you. Because I needed to forget you! And you were going out with slutty Brenda and I wanted to eat her so I went out with that guy to forget you!"

"Caroline…" he moved toward her again, his eyes wide and questioning. He was surprised to say the least. Caroline was jealous and wanted to eat… god! She remembered that girl's name when he didn't. Didn't she know that he only went out with Brenda to get rid of the gaping hole in his chest. A hole he was unable to fill because she , Caroline, had turned him down. Didn't she know?

"Don't. Just get out." She pulled away again.

"I will not get out! We are going to talk about this." He shouted. He needed her to listen.

"I have nothing to say."

"Well I do!" And with that he kissed her.

As their lips touched Caroline swore that something… soul-binding passed between them, a charge so intense she had to pull back for a second. And she looked into Tyler's eyes. His golden eyes that reminded her that this was Tyler Lockwood, the werewolf and she was Caroline Forbes, the vampire. She could easily rip his heart out and he could with just one bite kill her.

What the hell were they doing?

Tyler could see the moment reality intruded for her. But this was it. He had never felt like this about anyone and he had never had someone care enough about him to look at him that way. They were usually only two looks he got from people, anger or disappointment. But Caroline had taught him that there could be something else in a gaze, affection, trust and yes… even love. She had been his light at the end of the tunnel. She had been there on the darkest night of his life. And he was Tyler Lockwood… the mistake no body made twice, the kid whose parents literally ignored him unless they were telling him how disappointed they were. And for the first time he wanted to forge a path not built with his father's disapproval and his mother's indifference and proving them right that he was a waste.

This time he was making a decision for him and for them. A decision to love and be loved. A decision that could get them both killed. He understood that but he was willing to take the risk.

"I love you, Care. I'm not sure when it happened but I do and right now that's the only truth I know."

He saw her eyes fill with tears she didn't try to hide. And she replied, "I love you too, Tyler Lockwood and I don't think that that is ever going to change."

And they kissed again, finally, like they never had before. Sealing their fate in love.