Author's Note: Thank you so much for your reviews they mean so much! I hope to have the next chapter up by next week!

Chapter 2

For Tyler it was harder pretending than usual. Before the transformation pretending that he was just like everyone else had been pretty simple. Apart from increased strength and other changes he hadn't felt so out of place. Since that night everything was different.

He hated the pain, but most of all he had hated the lack of control. It was naïve but part of him kept wishing he could stop it, that maybe if he willed it he could stop the transformation from happening.

He remembered every excruciating detail of his transformation, every bone that broke, every muscle that tore. But no matter how hard he tried he didn't remember being a wolf. His last hazy memory was Caroline's face. He felt his awareness slipping. He shuddered remembering at how his fear and need for her to be there with him shifted into a desire to sink his teeth into her. He remembered succumbing to the other part of him – the wolf, it was then that the pain subsided, and everything went blank.

Caroline couldn't help but smile seeing his face. Matt, smiling back walked up to her while pushing his hands in his pockets.

"Caroline." He was smiling back at her.

"Hi Matt." She said happy to see that he was talking to her again.

Matt looked nervous before saying, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Caroline replied, reaching out to hug him and he hugged her back. She could tell from his face how relieved he was to see that she shared his feelings. Staring at her with his blue eyes Matt spoke, "I was a jerk…for breaking up with you like that. I – I was wrong. I really missed us."

Caroline was surprised, she didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected this from Matt who usually wasn't so forward with his feelings. It took her a second to know what to say back, or even how she felt about what he had said.

"Oh Matt," was all that came out. But her smile showed how she felt. She was touched about how much he missed her. She hugged him again, Caroline put all her guilt into what she had done to him into the hug.

She wasn't ready for it. For all her quick reflexes, none of them worked. Because the next thing she knew Matt had reached out and kissed her. He had both hands in her hair. She didn't know if she wanted to let him kiss her, but for a second she let him. Opening her mouth slightly – it felt good. She had missed this. But she didn't feel comfortable, she didn't know if she could trust herself with him. Even though it hurt, she pushed him away, away from where it was safe.

"Matt – no…I am sorry" Caroline said

He looked confused, at her sudden change of mind. "What is wrong Care." He looked concerned

Then she saw Matt's attention shift for a second to something behind her. Curious she turned around to find Tyler.

Tyler had seen Caroline and Matt together a lot over the last year. He had disliked Caroline more on the basis that she monopolized his time with Matt, more than on Caroline herself. Countless times he had seen them together, but never before had his stomach reacted like it just did seeing them together.

He wanted Matt to know just how angry he was, he felt disgustingly possessive and he wanted Matt to know that Caroline was his. But he knew he couldn't. He couldn't do that to her. She had risked everything to help him. No matter how much he needed her she wasn't his.

Hi," Tyler said only looking at Caroline before heading to class.

Caroline was surprised with how guilty she had felt seeing Tyler's face. The situation was so awkward she didn't want to say anything to either, so she headed in the opposite direction muttering something about being late to something.

"How do you do it - pretend everything is normal?" Tyler said later that day to Caroline after school was over and they were heading to the parking lot to drive home.

Caroline looked at him concerned, she looked like she was trying to find the right words. "I tried to do everything that used to be normal, even if it no longer felt that way. Sometimes it is just for show…" she looked him in the eyes. "I try to do as much as I can, I am always busy. It helps me forget."

She got into her car and made the drive home. She walked up to her house and was preparing a snack to keep back the cravings. Just as she was sitting down to eat her macaroni and cheese her phone rang. Stefan was on the other side and explained what had happened that last night, that there was another werewolf in town and then a reminder to be careful. Then after a pause he detailed what was happening to Rose – that there was no cure. "So a werewolf bite kills – got it." She said making her voice sound confident before hanging up. She wished she didn't know what the risk was of helping Tyler, it was better when she didn't know, when she couldn't picture a decaying wound and the fear of losing her mind.

It didn't change her mind though, she had to help Tyler. After all that had happened, she saw what it was like for him firsthand, she wasn't going to leave him alone without anyone when she just how many vampires would be happy to get rid of him. She was just like him when she turned a risk, and if Elena hadn't fought for her she would be decaying six feet under. So, whether it was guilt or her desperate need for a friend she wasn't going to leave Tyler now.

That next day Tyler offered to drive her to the game. Excited to see him getting back into what was normal with him, she gladly agreed. After hearing what was happening to Rose, she feared even more that Damon would like nothing more than to completely eliminate the threat.

The game was over quickly since the other team wasn't much of a challenge, but she enjoyed watching Tyler looking like himself again. When the game ended she found Tyler, it was refreshing to see him like this, he looked happy.

Football did work as a good distraction, she had been right, the game later that night reminded him, if just for a second what his life had been like before. But he was too scared most of the time that if he wasn't completely careful that he could seriously hurt someone.

The game had made him feel better. The excitement of the crowd, the school spirit and something about this night. This was the happiest he had been since his transformation, but mostly he was happy that she had come.

They walked up to his car but before getting in he spoke. "I know you had to do this alone up to now. The vampire thing. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to do it alone anymore. That if you ever need it. I am here for you." He said reaching out to grab her closer and she let him. They were standing so close. He wanted to kiss her, but before he was going to she moved back.

Mentally cursing his timing he got into the car and her to her house. He stopped the car and walked up to her house. Remembering his failed attempt to kiss her minutes before he was determined to get it right this time. So as they got to her door, just as she was about to go into her house, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

As he pulled her in he could feel his body heating up more, her cool skin against his made shivers ride up his back. He grabbed her hair as their mouths met. He felt her lips part and he deepened the kiss. But just as suddenly she pushed him away.

"Will everyone stop kissing me." Her face looked upset. And Tyler was shocked to see the sudden mood switch that occurred. He had felt how much she had responded to his kiss. He knew that she had wanted it just as much as he had.

Caroline could hear him standing there on the other side of the door. She hadn't wanted to leave that kiss. Everything about that kiss had felt amazing. The strength that he held onto her and the feel of his skin against hers was incredible. But she couldn't do this to him. Even though she also feelings for him, and they knew each other's darkest secret, she had been lying to him since the beginning.

She felt so guilty she couldn't she knew she couldn't allow herself to have feelings for him. She couldn't trust herself. She had to be alone, because that would keep everyone safe. And for Tyler she couldn't give into any romantic feelings. She couldn't tell him the truth to keep everyone else safe. His uncle, the person that Tyler really needed right now was dead and she was partly to blame. If he knew the truth he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her.

Caroline sat against the door wishing she didn't have to keep lying to everyone she knew. It wasn't until she shifted her focus from her thoughts of Tyler to her surroundings she could make out a figure sitting in the next room - a woman she didn't recognize.