Who: Caroline and Tyler What: Both Tyler and Caroline go to visit Liz's grave at the same time When: March 17 Where: Cemetery Rating/Warning: Low! Grief over Liz's death Status: Complete
One year.
Caroline couldn’t believe it had been a whole year since her mother had passed. It seemed like she was just coming home from New York to spend more time with her. But then it also felt like it had been forever ago since she lost her mom. So much had happened. Caroline turned into a vampire. She finally got back together with Tyler. She had almost died from a hybrid bite. Tyler broke up with her, lost his father and turned off his humanity. And those were just the highlights. There were millions of other things that had happened in the past year too, like when Caroline turned back into a teenager for a few days. It was a lot. And the fact that she couldn’t share any of it with her mom? That was the worst part. Especially when she was dealing with her break up with Tyler.
Of course Caroline was spending her day at the cemetery. She was currently sitting in front of her mom’s gravestone talking to it, like her mom was still there.
“I know you probably want to hear an update on the Tyler front,” Caroline told her mom. Of course she had been filling her in on everything that had been going on. Just because her mom couldn’t talk back didn’t mean Caroline couldn’t talk to her. “But there is no news. He’s still out of my life. And today is all about you.” A pause as she swallowed a lump in her throat.
“I miss you, mom. So much. You have no idea how hard this past year has been without you. I wish,” she paused again a few tears sliding down her cheeks. “I wish you were here.”
Tyler knew that the last person Caroline probably wanted to see today was him, but he didn’t expect Caroline to be at Liz’s grave when he showed up either, with a bouquet of white lilies in his arms. He probably should have suspect that she would be, but obviously he hadn’t thought things through very much.
He hung back while Caroline spoke to her mom. He knew he probably shouldn’t be listening to what she said, but with his vampire hearing it was impossible not to. Especially when she mentioned his name.
He briefly thought about just going away and coming back later, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Not when Caroline was crying like that in front of him. It took every ounce of strength he had to not run up to her and try to comfort her like old times. Instead, he just cleared his throat, trying to draw Caroline’s attention.
Even with her vampire hearing Caroline didn’t hear Tyler walk up. She was so lost in her grief that she had no idea he was standing behind her. That was until he cleared his throat. Caroline turned her head towards the sound, her eyes still full of tears.
Tyler.
Caroline’s heart stopped. Not only was the man she was still in love with right before her, he also had an arm full of lillies. Of course she knew they weren’t for her. They were for her mom. The fact that he not only remembered what today was, but also that he showed up, it just made Caroline love him more.
“Sorry,” Caroline said sheepishly wiping her eyes. “Go ahead,” she added meaning he could put the flowers down for Liz. “Or sorry,” another apology. “Did you want a moment alone?”
Tyler stepped forward, laying the flowers in front of Liz’s headstone. “No, stay,” Tyler said. “I just came to pay my respects. I don’t really have anything to say.” He had never been especially good at talking to the dead. Even with his dreams, even knowing that Liz might actually have been there listening in, he didn’t know what he could have said that she wouldn’t already know. He and Caroline were broken up, and as much as he wanted Care back in his life, even he had to admit that she was better off without him.
Even though Tyler told her to stay, Caroline still found herself standing when Tyler put the flowers down. Not just standing but standing right next to Tyler. “I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Caroline said another tear falling from her eyes. She quickly wiped it away, and then before she knew what she was doing she was reaching out for Tyler’s hand. Everything he had put her through was temporarily forgotten. Everything was about her mom right now, and Caroline needed some type of comfort from the guy who had been there for her through it all.
Tyler clasped Caroline’s hand in his, not quite being able to keep the surprise off his face when he looked at her. Caroline had wanted nothing to do with him, and understandably so, after he had turned off his humanity. To say he was surprised that she’d quite literally reached out to him now was an understatement. But he didn’t hesitate to give her hand a comforting squeeze.
“It’s been a long year,” he said. There had been so much that had happened. Everything with Klaus, with Caroline and him finally getting together and then breaking up, his father dying…
“Yeah,” Caroline replied not pulling away from Tyler. Just taking his comfort for what it was. He was the one that had been there for her the night her mom died. He had been there for her and her mom since Caroline had come home really. It was hard for her not to think about those times right now. All the bad stuff of the past year was temporarily forgotten. “You remembered.”
“Of course I did,” Tyler said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget.” Not even if he and Caroline never spoke again. Liz’s death had been hard on both of them, and even if it hadn’t been, Tyler didn’t think he’d ever forget Caroline’s pain over it.
“Do you think you could stay with me?” Caroline asked looking over at Tyler. Her big blue eyes glassy with tears. “Today?” she added. Like not just while she was at the cemetery. “I don’t think I want to be alone.”
“You don’t even have to ask,” Tyler said. “Of course I will. I’ll stay with you however long you need me to.” He knew it was just a moment of weakness and that it wasn’t indicative of them getting back together at all, but he was still glad that she had asked.
But she did have to ask. Otherwise Tyler would probably assume she wanted him to leave. Like she had every other time she had seen him the past month. “Thank you,” Caroline said softly before looking back down at the gravestone. She kneeled down one more time. “Goodbye Mom,” Caroline said tears freely falling from her face. “I love you.”
Standing back up, Caroline took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes again. “I’m ready to go home.” But not alone. Caroline couldn’t be in that house alone today.
Tyler let go of her hand so he could put his arm around her shoulders instead, and he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Do you want me to drive?” he asked. They could come back for her car later.
Caroline found herself leaning in to Tyler’s touch. Right now she just really needed that comfort. And he was so familiar. She wasn’t thinking about how she couldn’t take him back. How this was unfair to the both of them. Caroline wasn’t being strong right now. Not today. “Yes, please.”
Tyler pushed his lips into Caroline’s hair, not exactly a kiss, but more of a comforting gesture. “Want me to pick up a pint of ice cream on the way home too?”
Part of Caroline just wanted to stay in Tyler’s arms forever. And she would. At least for today. “Yeah,” Caroline agreed wiping away the last traces of her tears. “And some wine.”