WELCOME TO THE
361st
TYLER♥CAROLINE APPRECIATION THREAD
♪ I was praying that you and me might end up together...



"But I'm holding you c l o s e r than most, 'cause you are my heaven"

Can you know someone your whole life but not really know them? At least not until something changes you both f o r e v e r. Tyler Lockwood and Caroline Forbes grew up together. As members of the founding families of Mystic Falls, Virginia, they were on top of the social scene. They frequented the same parties, school activities, and sporting events. They were both popular, fashionable, and had parents that held positions of power in the town. Still, nobody saw them as anything more than what were on the surface. Nobody could see past the cocky jerk that was always getting into fights any more than people could see past the shallow flirt who was always trying too hard at everything. Nobody cared enough to look closer and answer the very questions that plagued the teenagers to their very core. Why was this boy was so angry? Why was this girl never the one? Little did they know that the answers would shape their very beings and the very nature of their relationship.

While Tyler and Caroline were part of the popular crowd, they did not like each other very much. They barely spent any real time together until Caroline starting dating Tyler's best friend, Matt Donovan. In fact, it seemed like Tyler took an unusual interest in their relationship; constantly making sarcastic remarks and jokes about them and often dispensing unnecessary advice. It was not until Founders Day, the festival celebrating the town's creation that things took a dramatic turn in their relationship. On that day, Caroline attempted to repair the relationship between Matt and Tyler because the two were fighting due to an incident with Matt's mom. Unfortunately, she did not have much luck with that pair, but she did manage to run interference between Tyler and his father, Mayor Lockwood. Afterwards, Mayor Lockwood ordered Tyler, Caroline, and Matt to leave The Mystic Grill and go home, obviously trying to hide the escalating drama between the townspeople and a group of vengeful vampires. While driving, Tyler heard the loud, high-pitched noise of The Gilbert Device which caused him to lose control and crash the car. When Tyler is knocked unconscious at the scene, Caroline refused treatment until he awakened. Later, she collapsed due to internal injuries and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. At the hospital, Sheriff Forbes informed a waiting Tyler that his father had died.

The events of Founders Day caused a chain reaction that ended in the death of Tyler's father and the hospitalization of Caroline. While in the hospital, Caroline was given blood by Damon to speed along her recovery. This became the perfect opportunity for vampire antagonist Katherine Pierce to make a move against the Salvatore brothers. Katherine decided to kill Caroline knowing the girl would come back to life as a vampire. Meanwhile, Tyler's uncle, Mason Lockwood, arrived in town to help the family through this tough time and held the key to a huge family secret: the Lockwood family was cursed with the werewolf gene. While Caroline dealt with her new vampire status, Tyler began investigating the importance of the mysterious moonstone, a precious gem Mason desperately wanted. When Caroline was attacked in the woods by werewolf Mason, Tyler saved her and finally uncovered his family legacy, a legacy he did not want to accept. Still, it was not something he could avoid and at the Masquerade Ball, he accidentally killed someone triggering the curse he so desperately wanted to elude. Fortunately, Caroline was there to witness the whole thing and the two quickly became friends and confidantes as they both began to navigate the supernatural world together as newbies, overlooking the fact that vampires and werewolves were supposed to be mortal enemies. While Caroline helped Tyler prepare for his first transformation, they began to develop an indescribable connection, one that is further strengthened when the two experience their first full moon together. Even though a werewolf bite can kill a vampire, Caroline refused to leave Tyler's side until the very end and immediately came back to comfort him in the aftermath. When Tyler learned about how she risked her life for him, he was overcome with a rush of feelings and kissed her. She passionately reciprocated before pulling away, confused about her feelings for Tyler and ex-boyfriend Matt.

They never really get a chance to discuss the kiss because that same night, Tyler was blindsided about the secrets Caroline had been keeping from him: Stefan and Damon Salvatore are vampires and they killed Mason, who had been missing. This revelation pushed the baby wolf and the baby vampire into the bitter, eternal war between vampires and werewolves, involving The Sun and Moon Curse which both sides have been desperate to break for years. In retaliation for Mason's murder, werewolves Jules and Brady kidnapped Caroline and tortured her. Stefan, Damon, and Tyler arrived on the scene to intervene, but a confused and terrified Tyler hesitated to rescue Caroline. Later, Tyler tried to apologize and plead his case, but Caroline was too angry and upset, declaring that their friendship was over. Without Caroline, Tyler had no choice but to try to befriend the others of his kind and hope for the best. He quickly learned that they would do anything to break the Curse, including murder Elena Gilbert simply because she was the doppelganger. After another battle between vampires and werewolves, Tyler decided he had enough and decided to leave town, but not before confessing his feelings for Caroline to Matt. He told Matt to take care of Caroline because she is an incredible person who deserved to be happy. His last stop was Caroline's porch, a place where they shared so many memories, but he could not bear to knock. So he left town without another word hoping to find the clarity he so desperately needed.

In Tyler's absence, Caroline reunited with Matt and divulged all her secrets to him about herself, Tyler, her friends, and the town. Predictably, Matt freaked out and then later turned spy for the Sheriff unbeknownst to Caroline who thought she had compelled him. This could be big trouble for all parties involved as original vampire Klaus arrives to finally perform the sacrifice ritual and break the Sun and Moon curse once and for all. Will this be enough to bring Tyler home? If not, what will? Will Tyler and Caroline make-up? So many questions to be answered, but there is always hope the two can rise above their differences and reignite the spark between them.

They are an incredible team together. They see past the exterior they present to the world and accept each other for who they really are. He always knew she had a big heart and now he thinks she's incredible and wants her to be happy even without him. She always felt bad for him and did not want him to be alone. Now she cares about him so much she put herself in mortal danger to ensure his emotional and physical well-being. She soothes his anger and he soothes her heart. They help the other find that beauty inside the beast. It is only a matter of time before they forgive and reconnect. After all, this is the story of how a beautiful boy and a beautiful girl became beasts and how even though they're supposed to be mortal enemies, their hearts connected transforming them into beautiful beasts for all time. They will be forever star-crossed like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.