I am so so so so sorry that I have been painfully slow in updating this! I did so well over christmas but since being back to work I've become slack! I've just had so much planning and marking in the evenings but I'm sure I'll get back on track! Anyway we had a snow day today and well it would have been a crime not to use it to update (after having made snow men and had a little snowball fight of course). So my apologies again dear readers but please enjoy the next chapter

Alexis

Caroline barely registered the appearance of her mother that appeared in her vanity mirror as she sat stiffly, attempting to fix the last golden curl perfectly with her curling iron. It was taking her longer than usual. Normally she could do her hair with her eyes closed, a simple method she had rehearsed until it became second nature but today it just wasn't working. It was a little too limp, then a little too tight, sticking out too much to the left, flopping awkwardly to the right, everything but right. Letting out a frustrated sigh she let the iron slam against the table top, resting her head in her hands and trying to calm herself. She just wanted it to be perfect.

Huffing and puffing, feeling herself redden and blotch beneath her thick set foundation she found it near enough impossible to relax into the touch of her Mom's hands as the pressed down firmly onto her tense shoulders. Closing her eyes Caroline took in the light powdery scent of Liz's perfume, notes of freesia and Jasmine, French. A bottle, she knew would easily last her the year due to the fact that she only tended to wear it on special occasions. Caroline couldn't help but wonder whether or not she wore it today because it was Christmas Eve or because it was Carol Lockwood's funeral.

"Let me." Liz commanded with a reassuring tap causing Caroline to cock one eye open and raise her taupe pencilled eyebrows in response. "I might not be turning in my badge for a styling spray anytime soon but I've seen you do this often enough." With a shrug she passed the iron to her mother's sturdy hands and sat somewhat awkwardly as Liz's fingers set to combing out the turbulent section of hair. "You know I could never do your hair when you were younger. You always wanted these intricate braids and up do's and well you know, I'm the wash and go kinda girl," Liz chuckled fondly, smoothing the silky strands between her fingers, marvelling at the mixture of colours that graced her daughter. "You're father-"she began tentatively, peeking Caroline's interest. An awkward air rested between them both as they starred timidly at each other's reflection in the vanity mirror.

Caroline decided she could probably count the amount of times her Mom had openly talked about her father on one hand since their divorce. It had always been an off limits topic, one that was brushed under the carpet and expected simply to cease existing. Liz buried herself further into her work and Caroline into her friends and although they both went about their business it still stood like an elephant whenever they were in the same room.

Nodding lightly Caroline urged her to continue, relaxing a little more as a small smile spread across her mother's lightly painted lips. "He was always so much better at it than me, annoyingly so. You'd show him one of the pictures of the girls in your magazines and he could just do it, he just saw it. I didn't have a clue." Placing the strands of hair around the iron Caroline couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at the sheer amount of concentration on her mother's features. "He'd be so proud of you honey." Watching as her hair tumbled out in more of a wave she saw the look of disappointment on Liz' face but quickly let her hand cover it to stop her mother from untangling it.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice too flooded with emotion from it all. Reaching out and letting her fingers curl around her mother's she held on tightly, taking comfort.

"Tyler is very lucky to have you." Liz added. Caroline had taken it upon herself to sort the arrangements, with Tyler still in no fit state and unable to converse fully she had decided it was down to her. It was unfortunate, that the only date available was so close to Christmas but the season was already bittersweet for most of them. It would be Elena and Jeremy's first Christmas alone, Bonnie's without her Grams, in fact this year she realised was the first time that they were all missing someone.

"Thank you again," Caroline breathed holding her mother's gaze as she swallowed the lump that formed within her throat "for not saying anything to him yet, about the marks that were found on Carol's neck. I know it's against protocol and all but right now-"

"Let's just get today over with." Liz interrupted her tense stance revealing her unease with the situation. "I agree Tyler needs some time but Meredith and I can't keep this quiet forever." Caroline nodded, understanding more than her mother could ever realise. "You're sure you're ok with me working tomorrow? I know it's Christmas-"

"Mom bad things don't just stop happening because a roast turkey is on the table. I get it, I'm not five anymore, it's fine, really! We'll do our Christmas thing when you get back it's not like we're time restricted because I have to pack to go off to Georgia this year. Oh god, I should have sent Steven a card though, right?"

"It's ok, I took care of it." Liz soothed.

"You did?"

"You had enough on your plate. We should go. Matt's taking Tyler?" Looking down at her cell screen Caroline let her finger trace over the screen to her messages and sighed in disappointment to see that her inbox was empty.

"Yep." She replied solemnly, hoping that Tyler might have text her asking her to go with him.

"Ok then." Her mother announced firmly, straightening herself and smoothing out the black dress, Caroline was pretty certain she was more than uncomfortable in. Standing up to join her she took one last look at her phone before slipping it into her clutch. "You sure about those shoes? They say snows coming." Liz called over her shoulder her eye brows rising cautiously in a mother knows best way Caroline was more than familiar with. Spying her Mom's own sensible black flats she smiled softly.

"A sprinkling of snow is not going to stop me from my stilettoes."

"Hey you," Caroline breathed, wrapping her arms around Tyler's waist as she approached him from behind, her heels sinking into the uneven earth. Letting her head press into his back she tried to try and take in some of his warmth, but his body was cold and tense, barely responding to the feel of her embrace. Pulling away slightly, she kept her hands upon him as she slipped around to face him, leaning in and planting a light kiss upon his cheek. The slight tackiness of gloss upon his skin seemed to pull him out of his trance and Caroline breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes lowered down to meet hers with a glimmer of warmth.

"Hi." The sound of his voice purr somewhat roughly was like music to her ears after so much silence between them. Feeling flutterings of hope she embraced him once more, her hands snaking inside of his coat and around his back, drawing him in so that they were flush.

"It was a beautiful service." Stroking the exposed patch of skin where his shirt had untucked at the back she took pleasure in the light intimate touch that no one else was aware of as they stood slightly apart from everyone who had come to mourn and express their sympathises. The slight chill of a winter's breeze made her flinch against him as her eyes roamed the grounds. More people than she could have hoped for had turned up to pay their respects and all had such kind and comforting words to say about Tyler's Mom that her own eyes had watered at them.

Looking around she admired the beauty in the stillness, the peace of such a place. The slight frost and crispness that winter had bought seemed to make it even more tranquil as she watched the last few mourners lay down flowers. "I think she would have really liked it." She added hopefully, smiling as she caught the eyes of Elena knowing that she would have taken the opportunity to spend a moment at her own family's grounds. She would do the same, with her Dad later she decided, remembering how much he favoured the Holiday Season.

"You know what I think she would have liked more?" Tyler asked abruptly. Pulling away from his chest she raised her eyes in confusion at the sudden hard expression upon Tyler's face. "To have been alive!" Her lips parted in shock at his words.

"We've all lost people we love Ty." His eyes seemed to cut her down with one look as if her loss was not as great, as if she couldn't begin to understand, as if she was nothing to him. She tried to keep his stare but she could feel herself wavering, crumbling under the anger that roared within his dark orbs. "Stop pushing me away." She whispered desperately feeling him move out of her touch. "I love you."

"Everything okay?" Matt's reassuring tone asked, sidling up alongside them, a hand extended in both their directions. Caroline felt her heart quiver as Tyler turned and walked away, looking down at the earth she found herself wishing it was she that was currently buried six feet under.

"No." she responded simply, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It's not. Nothing is."

Klaus stood simply, his hands clasped firmly behind his back as he watched the unfolding of Caroline and Tyler's relationship only a few footsteps away from Carol Lockwood's freshly buried body. Picking at the stitching around the sleeve of his coat, he tugged at the cotton as one hundred and one different ideas came into play.

"This is boring and lurking around grave yards does not help in put an end to the stereotypical image of our race." Kol mused with a harsh click of his tongue, his body leaning against the trunk of one of the oak trees the pair both stood under. Ignoring his brother's moans Klaus continued to eye the baby vamp and hybrid, his ears prickling at the sound of Caroline's disgruntled voice. "You got me here under false pretences." Kol continued over dramatically, pushing himself away from the trunk and stalking the area around them, kicking up the turf with his boots. "You were all talk about the demise of Lockwood and," he paused for a moment, to release a light cough "mentioned copious amounts of alcohol." He continued. "I see none of that."

With an infuriated sigh Klaus strained to hear more of the conversation between the pair in the distance, his teeth grinding with every word Kol spoke.

"That's just one of your many faults, always so impatient!" He remarked, dimples forming at the negative affair he spied upon, the awkward conversation tantalizing him.

"Well not all of us have had the luxury of time that you've had Nik! Why is that again? Oh yes, you and your daggering fetish." Kol grumbled his hands wedged deep inside his coat pockets as Klaus failed to take the bait of his gripes. "You know for a second I thought I had the old Niklaus back."

"And I thought the burning of your flesh would have reminded you to bite your tongue."

Kol shuddered slightly at the memory, simply lowering his head and adverting his attention towards the earth he his feet had been busy kicking up. "Why don't you go and find yourself some recently bereaved widow you can sink your teeth into whilst they cry on your shoulder?" Klaus muttered his eyes still fixed, as his hand waved Kol away to a spot in the distance dismissively.

"What about you?" Kol eyed suspiciously, whilst his mouth watered at the temptation of Klaus' suggestion. He certainly did enjoy grief stricken widows as they provided a nice power play, either begging for their lives or begging to be rid of them. Kol couldn't help but enjoy the God like position he would find himself in.

"I am going to pay my respects and then I'll deliver on my promises."

Crouching down at the freshly covered grave, Klaus let his icy fingers touch the damp earth as the clouds above turned grey. Rubbing the earth lightly between his fingers he watched as it marred the tips a murky brown. Letting it fall back down in flour like dustings he closed his eyes for a moment, the image of Carol's face flooded with fear filling the for-front of his mind, whilst the sound of her screams bubbling in the water tumbled through his ears. An eye for an eye, he thought banishing it back to the dark corners of his mind.

"Such a loss for the community, wouldn't you say, Stefan?" he announced, hearing the earth shift around him under footsteps he was so familiar with. Not needing to look up to acknowledge him, Klaus simply rose back to his feet, slipping his earth covered hands into his pockets, standing just like any other mourner in the church yard.

"She was a good person." Stefan responded simply his voice stern and unwavering, causing amusement to spark a smile against Klaus' reddened lips.

"Even good people have dark secrets and it seems our dear Mayor was an alcoholic. Who would have thought it?" Turning around he cocked his head to one side, his lips pursing playfully. "Drowned due to the influence of drink, devastating, wouldn't you agree?" Klaus tutted as Stefan eyes narrowed down his nose at him without blinking.

"I would if it was the case but you and I both know differently." Klaus raised his fair eye brows pointedly as his arms folded tightly across his chest, his weight shifting to one leg as the Salvatore spoke.

"What is it exactly you're trying to suggest Stefan?" He enquired in mock curiosity.

"I'm not suggesting anything I'm saying that Carol Lockwood was found with bruises to her neck, bruises from fingers that held her under." Stefan growled lowly so to avoid the ears of others. "I'm saying that it was you."

Klaus felt his stomach knot sharply but the feeling was brief.

"Is that what our lovely Sherriff said or have you come to that conclusion all by yourself?" pausing he gave Stefan the chance to say all, bracing himself to hear that Caroline had gone running straight to him sobbing on his shoulder about how she had seen him covered in blood and the cold announcement of murder, yet silence followed. She had said nothing. Interesting. "Tell you what lets go see what Tyler thinks?" he proposed changing tactics as he tested out how the ground lay, his eyes watching for the slightest change in body language. Stefan visibly rose two inches a fleeting look of fear across his face at the thought. "Ah," Klaus smirked, a dirt covered finger pointing and waggling with each word. "Tyler hasn't been told the whole story because I'm guessing; you think it might push the little hot headed hybrid over the edge? Please stop me if I'm going off track? I'm thinking this was all okayed because Caroline and the rest of your little Mystic Falls gang have pleaded with Liz to just keep the fact that this is a murder enquiry under wraps just for a few days. Let the dust settle, so to speak."

Stefan said nothing as the two of them stood opposite each other, shoulders squared, eyes met in an intense, intimidating gaze, searching each other's pupils for some kind of flicker of truth. Licking his bottom lip slyly Klaus nodded, the power still very much in his hands. Patting Stefan firmly and yet patronisingly upon the shoulder he leant in with a husky whisper "I think we're done here, wouldn't you agree, Mate?" he spat the last word bitterly through his dry lips as he thought of Stefan's betrayal, before brushing a single snowflake from the shoulder of his coat.

Ok so I know you've not had Klaroline interaction for while but I can assure you the next few chapters will be jam packed! So please keep reading and reviewing and all those wonderful things that you do that make me smile and keep writing