Hello, my lovely readers. I thought I posted this chap before. I do apologize for not noticing, there's been trouble with my e-mail and I haven't been able to check my notifications for chap updates like I usually do. On the bright side the next chap is ready to go. On with the show…

Chapter 4: The Most Dangerous Lies

Sketches fell into the fire. One by one. Klaus Mikaelson watched their edges be consumed by the hungry flames. He watched his hard work, his obsession, and his love disappear. It did not quench the fire that burned within his mind. Dropping one notebook; he reached for another. Klaus would not stop until he rid himself of every last shred of evidence that he was capable of love. It made him weak. He could not be weak and face the monster who wore his lover's face. Not again.

Klaus' work was interrupted when Kol came strolling into the Great Room. "What do you want?" Klaus demanded, his eyes flashing to his brother. Any other being would note the warning signal, and turn. Not Kol. He'd been born a fool.

"I came for a little chat with my big brother," Kol offered Klaus a big grin. He removed a bottle from a paper bag and then removed the cap which he tossed in the fire before flinging himself onto one of the couches. The liquor sloshed out and onto Kol and the cushions.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You're drunk," he noted with an utter lack of feeling. He set aside any human emotion for after killing the demon who had the audacity to refer to itself as Caroline.

Kol nodded. "I am." He seemed proud of himself as he took another swig from the bottle.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus set his sketch pad down. He strode over and took the bottle from Kol. "What is this? Something from the Mystic Grill?" Kol nodded. "Don't tell me, you were celebrating the 'Return of the Slayer,' and decided to take a souvenir." Sneering, Klaus took a gulp of the whiskey before moving to slump into a chair across from his little brother. "Do not celebrate too much, brother, it will be gone soon enough."

The thought made Klaus smile for the first time since he'd set foot in this ghastly, little town, again.

Kol sat up. His eyes began to glow and a wicked smile played at the corners of his lips. Clasping his hands together, he leaned closer to Klaus. "Yes, Nik, that's exactly why I am here. You were right. It is time to end many charades."

"Meaning?" Klaus leaned back in his own seat. He took another swallow of the pungent drink before handing it off to Kol.

"Meaning I will help you end the thing Bonnie believes to be her dear friend…if you will help me with a personal matter." Kol's eyes burned into Klaus.'

"Why would you want to help me?" Klaus demanded, shaking his head. He did not trust that Kol was being a hundred percent honest with him. Kol had not lifted a finger to stop Caroline when she tried to end Klaus. Why would Kol decide to help Klaus clean up Klaus' own mess? Unless it was a means to an end…

Kol rolled his eyes. "I believe you're right. This isn't Caroline. Any more than Freya is REALLY part of our family. She's a stranger who has inserted herself into our lives. She has Rebekah and Elijah wrapped around her little finger. Comes in bossing us all about as if she'd always been part of our family. Appeared at a bloody road-side diner, off a highway? How ludicrous? No Mikaelson would make an entrance with such a lack of eloquence. I help you with faux-Caroline. You help me rid our family of our little intruder."

Now, Klaus knew what was wrong with Kol. Letting out a laugh, Klaus shook his head. "You're bloody jealous of all of the attention Freya is receiving. Oh, Kol, she's simply a shiny new toy for Bekah and Elijah to distract themselves with. In time they will get bored with her presence and treat her like they treat us."

"Us?" Kol's expression darkened and he got to his feet. "Us? Elijah dotes on Rebekah. He obsesses over your every move. And you, you adore Sister, and are all chummy with Elijah, with your scheming, and your planning. There was never room for me."

Klaus watched Kol wave the bottle around before he drained half of it and flung the rest in the fire. For a moment, Kol calmed when the glass bottle exploded and shot sparks all over the wooden floor.

Sighing, Klaus moved to stomp out the burning embers. "Sometimes it is a wonder to me that you didn't get us all killed, centuries ago." Klaus grumbled as he stomped out the last spark.

Kol growled and moved to stand in Klaus' face. "At least I did NOT endanger the whole bloody family with my antics with the Slayer! It was YOU who caused an opening for our parents to return, Niklaus! If you and Caroline weren't busily playing 'Kiss Me or Kill Me;' you might have noticed their returning earlier!"

"Back down, Kol!" Klaus shouted. His hands balled into fists at his sides.

"What shall you do if I do not?" Kol demanded with a little smirk.

Klaus scoffed, turning his back on Kol, and then whirled, his hand swinging around in a wide arc. Kol let out a cry of pain as he went flying across the room.

Shaking off the shock of the first blow; Kol got to his feet. "So, you've decided to turn your back on me, have you?"

"Get out my sight!" Klaus snarled.

Kol shook his head and went racing across the floor. He launched himself off the couch and on top of Klaus. "Admit it, your obsession with the Slayer is why we're in this mess in the first place!" Kol shouted, punching Klaus in the face. "You're weak! You've always been weak, and now you're her little puppet! Hell, once you get over your initial shock of her return, you'll climb right be back into her bed!" Smiling, Kol moved to punch Klaus again.

Reaching up, Klaus' fingers went around Kol's neck and he tossed Kol off. "I have no desire to mate with that thing."

"Caroline!" Kol shouted. He picked up the fire-poker and tossed it at Klaus' head. "Your little girlfriend! Pretty, sharp-tongued fighter of the vampires! And now she's just like us! Only she isn't? Is she? She can't be. And that is your fault! You've ruined the thing you loved the most! Just like you ruin everything around you, Nik! Admit it!"

Klaus let out a roar, and then he took hold of the fire-poker which had embedded itself in the wall behind him. Turning back to face Kol, he sped toward his brother—intent on ramming it through Kol's undead heart—when Kol's last words hit him. "It hurts. It hurts so much you can barely force yourself to keep on moving. You loved. You earnestly loved the girl. That is why you wished to make her one of us. You wanted to be with her until your last day. But that wasn't possible. Now, when you see her, you see your worst nightmare—born into reality—and the only way to make it stop…is to end her. For good this time. Am I right?"

Stopping a half an inch from Kol, Klaus' arm fell. Kol nodded. A rare look of sympathy crossed his features. "It's lonely. Isn't it, Nik?"

"Yes." Klaus nodded. "Yes. It is." For a moment his despair wore through and he allowed Kol to clap a hand over Klaus' shoulder.

"Despair not, brother. We will fix this. Together." Kol's enthusiastic expression gave birth to a dark hope in Klaus, and it made Klaus smirk in return.

~0~

Checking on the young Slayer, Marcel satisfied himself with a glance at Hayley. Her chest moved up and down. She laid on the guest bed and she had curled up on her side. Since she woke from the coma Klaus had put her in, she'd been unusually quiet. "I want to sleep," she'd said before going into the extra bedroom at Marcel's place.

Marcel hadn't allowed the sixteen-year-old to lock the door this time. As much as he knew that teenagers liked privacy, he also did not plan on letting her slip out, and into the night, again. She'd almost died once on his watch. That was his limit.

Glancing at his phone, Marcel knew he had a duty to call into The Hunter's Council. They expected a weekly report of the activities of his charge. To be honest, Marcel decided that sending them a bi-weekly, or even a tri-weekly report, would be enough. His last report had been made the week following Caroline's so-called death. Since then, he'd been avoiding calling in. However, he also knew they would send someone to Mystic Falls if he did not give them intel.

Given recent events: Klaus returning, Caroline returning, and Hayley's nearly being dead; Marcel knew he needed to feed them something.

What Marcel really wanted was a lie, a lie that would placate his bosses, until some version of the truth became warranted.

Picking up his phone, Marcel dialed the number he knew by heart. A mechanical voice answered: "Hello, you have reached Hunter's Industry. Please, state your full name."

"Marcellus Gerard," Marcel said with an eye roll.

"Confirmed. Please, state your code," the machine said.

"Four-eight-zero-one screw this. Get me a person!" Marcel retorted, gripping the phone more tightly. He had an easier time dealing with his phone company.

"I'm sorry. That is incorrect. Please, hold while I find a representative." The machine made a beeping sound that left Marcel holding the phone away from his ear.

After what felt like a century, the cloying elevator music ended, and Marcel sighed as a real, human voice came on the line. "Marcel, we've been waiting to hear from you."

"Cami, how are you doing?" Marcel replied.

"Better." Cami did not sound better. But she must be if they had her answering the phones. Marcel wondered how she would feel if she knew he'd worked with the monster, Elijah Mikaelson, who murdered her twin without blinking in an attempt to escape The Council. Marcel did not feel like finding out.

"I'm calling to make my report," Marcel said.

"Oh. Okay. Let me see if Julian is free." Marcel could hear a chair scrap in the background. He had been hoping to not have to hear that word. Julian. The head of The Hunter's Council was a ruthless, cold-hearted jackass, who Marcel not-so-secretly despised. And Julian did not make hearing reports into a priority. What was so special all of the sudden? Marcel dreaded the answer.

"Marcel. How good of you call us," Julian's voice made Marcel's fingers curl automatically.

Sitting back in his chair, Marcel forced himself to reply, "Hello, Julian. How are things at The Council?"

Julian let out a quiet laugh. "You might know, if you bothered to take the time to make your weekly report."

Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, Marcel forced himself to not hang up. "I've been a little busy. You know Hayley. She doesn't really follow rules."

"I am well aware," Julian seemed amused. "If you're finding her to be too much, might I suggest sending in another hunter? Perhaps someone with more field experience…"

Now, Julian had Marcel sitting up straighter in his chair. What were the chances that Julian was simply looking for a reason to send in a lackey—with a tendency toward ass-kissing—to keep an eye on current events? Very likely, in Marcel's opinion.

"I'm sorry. Like I said: Hayley doesn't like rules. And she's still raw and new to the slaying. We'll work through the kinks. Just give her a little more time," Marcel hoped that Julian did not translate his words to: Give Marcel more time. That would end with another hunter on the next plane out of New Orleans.

"More time?" Julian paused before adding. "Perhaps. Anyhow, we'll be heading off for the annual trip to London. See how things are faring there. Do be a good, little Hunter, and remember to call in next week, will you?"

Smiling tightly, Marcel replied. "Will do. Bye."

"Good-bye," Julian hung up, and Marcel fell back in his chair, groaning. Nothing could make this day worse.

Apparently he thought too soon because a scratching sound at the window in the living room made Marcel sit bolt-upright. His eyes narrowed as he saw a shadow at the window. His hand went to his crossbow and he moved to stand up.

Before Marcel could make another move, the window opened, and a woman slipped inside. The only hint for Marcel that his intruder was a woman was the long blonde hair. Maybe this was a Vintage Michael Bolton fan.

"Hello, love," Rebekah Mikaelson straightened up and dusted off her jacket. She glanced around the apartment. "Elijah's right. This place is a tad small for a teen and a grown man." She frowned at the living room. "Can't The Council afford something a bit better for its current Slayer, and her little mentor?" The Original vampire pouted at him.

Bristling, Marcel aimed his crossbow at her. "What do you want?"

Rebekah chuckled and made her way over to the couch. She wrinkled her nose at him before taking a seat on the edge. "I'm here to keep an eye on the girl. Same as you. In case Nik feels an urge to finish what he started."

"You're here…to help?" Marcel could not keep the sarcasm from dripping out of his voice. He took a seat on the arm of his lounge chair. "Really?"

"Really." Rebekah's sarcasm rolled off her tongue and she eyed him. "How old are you, anyway? The other one's in his late thirties. You look like a twenty-something. Don't you have a life to attend to?"

"Don't you?" Marcel retorted, laying the crossbow back down, but it was still within reach, in case Rebekah made a move.

Rebekah crossed her legs. "Yes. I do. School. Friends. A boyfriend. Although my boyfriend has been acting a bit odd since Caroline…you know…" She sighed. "However, my priority is my family. And that means making sure Niklaus doesn't do anything he might regret later, like he usually does."

"Regret?" Marcel felt confused. "Why would he regret checking another Slayer off his list?"

"Because, you silly fool," Rebekah let out a light laugh. "Caroline is back." She sent Marcel an expectant look like he must understand what she meant. "Oh, for pity's sake!" Rebekah threw her hands in the air. "I thought this would be obvious: Nik loves Caroline. Caroline is back. Caroline's first duty, as a good little Slayer—or Vampire-Slayer—will be to protect her legacy…"

"Which is?" Marcel felt a little bit stupid right now. But he really had no idea what Rebekah was trying to tell him.

"The Slayers who come after her," Rebekah groaned. "Hayley. Caroline's main objective will be to keep your girl alive for as long as she can. Of course, ALL Slayers have a shelf-life. Except for Caroline. A mystery for another day. In the meantime, Caroline will be obsessed with saving the newbie while Klaus is obsessed with ending them Both. And I'm stuck in the middle, trying to save the two idiots from themselves. Klaus and Caroline. Not Caroline and Hayley."

"Oh." Marcel thought he got Rebekah's twisted logic now. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Are you offering?" Rebekah smirked, cocking her head to the side, and eyeing his neck.

Marcel's hand went to the crossbow. "No!"

"I'm fine then." Rebekah's eyes went to the bedroom door. "I suppose this should be interesting."

"I guess." Marcel wondered how long Rebekah's attention span was, and if she really intended on helping him keep Hayley safe. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

~0~

Waking up in her own bed; Caroline stretched her arms. She felt pretty good this morning. Everything she'd recently gone through felt like a soon-to-be forgotten nightmare. Just a touch of familiarity—for one night—made her last month fade into the background.

Relaxing in her old bed, Caroline smiled at the ceiling. Maybe she could get her old life back. Without Klaus. And now reality set back in. Just the thought of Klaus Mikaelson set her nerves on edge. He was still out there. She half-expected him to climb through her window and attempt to stake her.

Frowning, Caroline glanced at the window to find that no one stood there. She looked back at the ceiling and tugged her cover under her chin. Who would miss her if she decided to take a day, and stay in bed?

A knock on her door worked as an answer to her un-uttered question. "Caroline?" Liz' voice made Caroline smother a groan. "Are you up, baby?" A pause and then: "I made waffles. There's maple syrup, too."

"I'm coming!" Caroline hopped out of bed and slid her slippers on. Cute, pink bunny slippers. Who would suspect that Caroline harbored such a big secret about what she was when she wandered around in pink bunny slippers?

Padding to the door, Caroline opened it, and then made her way into the living room. "Morning, Mom!" she called brightly. Her mother had taken the whole: "Hey! I'm alive!" thing a lot better than Caroline had expected her to.

"Caroline, tell me where you've been!" Liz had said, dragging Caroline over to the couch, and forcing Caroline to take a seat across from her.

Caroline had wondered where to begin. Nowhere felt like a good beginning. So, she decided to start from the end.

Folding her hands in her lap—Caroline put on her best smile—the one that said: "I didn't eat that cookie, Mommy!"

"Mom, I died." Caroline watched her mother stare at her. "But death isn't the end. For some people…"

Liz continued to stare at Caroline. She did not stir. She did not attempt to argue. Nor did she get up and run. Caroline decided to take that as a small victory before continuing. "You see, all those stories that people tell about vampires…they're real…and I am one…" Caroline inhaled. She waited for her mother to get up and look for a weapon or to begin laughing.

"I know, Caroline," Liz said. Her words came out as carefully as Caroline's had. "You've been hanging out with vamps, and never told me?" Her words made Caroline fall back on the couch.

"Huh?" Caroline felt confused. "What do you mean YOU know about vampires!"

Liz now looked uncomfortable. "I'm going to make a sandwich. Would you like a sandwich? Or tea? Do you still eat?"

Caroline watched her mother. She felt the level of shock that she thought her mother should be feeling. But her mother seemed fine. Getting to her feet, she followed her mother to the kitchen. "Mom?"

"Yes?" Liz opened the fridge door, and went about pulling out bread, cheese, veggies and lunchmeat.

"How do you know about vampires?" Caroline asked, her throat tightening, and her words coming out in a squeak.

Shaking her head, Liz let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, Caroline. This is Mystic Falls. Vampires are attracted to this town. They've come and gone, for centuries. Besides they're not the only beings that walk the earth."

"Yeah. Witches. Werewolves…" Caroline listed off.

"Demons," Liz added. "All real."

"Demons?" Caroline's brows went up. "Since when are there demons? Who's a demon?" Her mind wandered to various people who she could believe to be demons. Carol Lockwood. Their local butcher. A couple of girls she knew in elementary…

"Caroline, honey, aren't you forgetting something?" Liz asked, waving a knife that she had just used on the mayo.

Caroline blinked. "Umm…"

"To call your friends. They must be worried sick," Liz said with a quiet laugh. "To think that we all thought you were dead." Chuckling, Liz stopped in her motions before she sent a deadly serious look in Caroline's direction. "You woke up all alone!" Grabbing a towel, Liz wiped her hands and then moved to embrace Caroline. "That must have been horrifying."

"Well, yeah…" Caroline tried to smile.

Liz pulled back and cupped Caroline's face. "You have always been sooo strong."

"I stayed in a motel for the last month because I didn't know how to come home and tell you about what happened. I'm so sorry." Caroline choked on her words.

"Oh, baby," Liz pulled Caroline's head down and onto her shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay now. You're home."

Caroline settled into her mother's embrace. She never thought her mother would look at her the same way when Liz got the news of Caroline's transformation. This was a bigger shock to Caroline than her ability to turn into a vampire. However, there would be bigger news to come.

Currently, Liz was plating waffles and placing fresh strawberries on top. "That looks nice. Special day? Huh?" Caroline came over to take a seat at the kitchen table.

"You could say that." Liz went back to the counter and busied herself while Caroline inhaled the smell of freshly-made waffles. Her mother was usually too busy to cook like this. It felt like when she was little and her birthday came around. Or when something bad happened…

Frowning, Caroline looked at the waffles and wondered if they were Special Occasion Waffles or Fluffy, the Cat, Died Waffles. "Mom…what's up?"

Liz opened the fridge. "Milk. Or OJ?"

"Milk. And, please, stop stalling," Caroline called. Was this when Liz decided to tell Caroline that she would prefer that Caroline left the house and never came back.

Pouring a glass of milk, Liz placed the milk back in the fridge before she came to the table. She set the glass in front of Caroline and sat across from her daughter with a look that sent Caroline's heart into over-drive. "Mom?"

Sighing, Liz drummed her fingers on the tabletop. "Do you remember your first night back?"

"Yes." Caroline would never forget how happy she'd been that Liz did not excuse herself to sharpen a stake, or to call a Hunter who Caroline did know how to dispatch Liz' undead off-spring. "What about it?"

"You asked me about demons," Liz continued. She stared at Caroline while Caroline nodded. "You asked me: 'Who was a demon?'"

"Yup," Caroline wondered if she would still want the cooling waffles in front of her when this conversation ended.

"A long time ago, your great-great-great-great grandfather met a woman. She was kind. Smart. Lovely. They fell in love. However, her family did not approve of inter-species mating. His family did not even know that demons existed. They met in secret, until her father caught them one day, and he threatened our ancestor with all types of harm." Liz let out a laugh. "This is ironic because the father's people were not known for their violent tendencies, but you know how people tend to assume that anything they do not understand might be harmful..."

Watching Caroline nod, Liz continued. "Our couple agreed to stop seeing each other. But she was already pregnant. They met. One last time, after she had given birth. The baby looked just like a human. Afraid of what to tell her family, she offered the baby to her lover, and asked that it be taken care of. And over the years none of our ancestors mated with a demon. So, we thought there would be so little demon the likelihood that the demon ancestry would show up at any point would never be a problem… It hasn't been. Until…"

"That's the loophole," Caroline breathed.

"What?" Liz looked confused.

"They thought I couldn't turn!" Caroline cried, jumping to her feet. She let out a laugh, and now her mother looked at her like Caroline might have lost her mind. "They thought I wouldn't come back, because I couldn't. But the rest of the girls must have been regular humans. Not a trace of anything else. But I'm different! I'm a demon! Ha! Klaus was right!"

"Klaus? That man who stopped by, that one time?" Liz shook her head. "Caroline, what does he have to do with this?" Then she looked unhappy. "Is he the vampire who turned you? If he is, you tell him I have some things to tell him. Like he could have waited. You could have gone to college. Yes, this might make late night study sessions easier, but—"

"I was a Vampire Slayer, Mom!" Caroline cried, still laughing. Tears ran down her cheeks as she shook her head in wonder. "I am the first Vampire who is also a Slayer. Who is also a demon? Does that mean I have powers? What are they?"

"Wait!" Liz cried. Now, she looked as shocked as Caroline had expected her to when Caroline announced she was a vampire. "Did you just say you were a Vampire…Slayer?"

"Well, yes. What did you think I was doing all those long nights?" Caroline placed her hands on her hips.

Liz shook her head. "Oh, no. This is not good. At all."

"What do you mean 'It's not good?'" Caroline watched her mother closely. "You were all: 'Yay! You're Alive!" Now you're all: "Boo! You were a Vampire Slayer!"

"Caroline…" Liz's head went up as Caroline shook her head.

"You know what, I am taking my breakfast to-go," Caroline said. She took the plate and the glass and went storming to her bedroom. "Thanks for the food. I have somewhere else to be." She went into her room, sped through the eating process before grabbing her bag, tossing the essentials inside and climbing out her window. If her mom didn't want her around, Caroline knew where she would be wanted, and that's where she intended on being.

Thank for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)

-J