CHAPTER 10

"What did you find?"

"I don't think you'll be pleased, Boss," The boy answered his master.

"Well, tell me what you found, go on."

The boy's voice fluctuated over the phone, "Well Niklaus doesn't have much 'baggage' as you call it."

"He's a thousand year old vampire, of course he has baggage!" yelled the man angrily.

"Well I only found two things." The boy who could only be about 15 years of age cowered at his Master's angry voice, even over the phone. Even the cold hard compulsion put on the boy couldn't keep his fear at bay, but he obeyed nonetheless.

"Well, go on. Start with the most important."

"Well, now that Niklaus is a hybrid, he's trying to make a hybrid army. To do this he has to have the doppelganger."

"There's no such thing. Katarina Petrova's line ended with herself." The man sighed, "Boy, you are being useless."

"No, it's true she's alive. She's a human and all. Niklaus can't make his hybrids without her blood. To complete his plans he cannot looks Elena Gilbert." The boy rattled on.

"Fine, I believe you for now. What's the second thing."

"This girl. Her names Caroline Forbes. She's a vampire."

"You're boring me speed it up, son." The man's anger was getting out of control. His throat burned for the taste of blood and the longer he was on the phone with this boy, the longer he couldn't get what he truly wanted.

"Okay, well she's a vampire. She hates Niklaus."

"Why does she matter then!"

"Because, Niklaus likes her…or he pretends to anyway. I can't tell which. Most people think he just needs her for some diabolical plan but I have no idea. No matter, he pretends or does care for this girl. I'd go after Elena first and then Caroline if need be. But I'd be careful her mother is the Sheriff in town and she and the council hunt down vampires. New and old." The boy warned.

"Okay, that's enough for now. Go back to your school and return to life as normal, for now."

The boy hung up the phone and did as he was told.

Caroline was on her way home from cheerleading practice, carrying her pompoms in one hand and her duffel bag in the other, when I person flashed in front of her. She stopped in her tracks and saw that it was Klaus. She sighed.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked slightly annoyed, and yet happy all at the same time.

Klaus smirked at her. He walked closer to her and felt the pompoms. "You know, I would have thought a strong vamp-y girl like you would have quit this ridiculous…what do you call it…sport? It's so human."

Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "What do you want, Klaus?" She asked.

"Why do I always have to want something?" Klaus whined obnoxiously.

"Because you're Niklaus Mikaelson the person who uses people to get what he wants whenever he wants on whatever terms he wants." She said.

"Well, if we're being technical I'm not a person, I'm a hybrid."

Caroline scoffed. "Shut up, just shut up. I'm trying to make a point and you do that."

"Oh, come on." Klaus said. He grabbed Caroline's hips. "What happened to the nice Caroline who kinda sorta liked me?" Klaus asked.

"She realized what an idiot she was being." Caroline laughed quietly. "I need to get home, Klaus."

"Fine." Klaus said, "I'll come with you."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Fine, I figure I can't stop you from coming…so sure. Come with me."

"Smart girl." Klaus commented as they began walking down the street towards Caroline house.

Caroline pushed her duffel bag into Klaus' hand. "Be useful for once." She said as she reached into her pocket with her free hand and grabbed her key. She unlocked the door. "You can set the bag over there," she pointed to her right as she threw down her pompoms. "Mom." Caroline yelled out. She heard no answer, and yelled louder this time, "Mom! I'm home."

Caroline still received no answer, "That's odd. She should be home."

She walked through her house, reaching the kitchen. She was about to give up and accept that her mother was just working late. She went to the fridge to get a drink when she saw her mother, lying on the floor covered in blood behind there bar.

She screamed, "MOM!" Her screams traveled to Klaus' ears and he was next to her in a second. Caroline was on the floor crying at her mother's feet shaking her violently, "Mom, mom can you hear me! Mom! Wake up!" She checked for a pulse. "MOM!" Her sobs continued and her chest fluctuated violently. She lifted her mother's lifeless body onto her lap and hugged her to her chest. Her hands wrapped around her body ran into a piece of paper. She looked at her mother's back with tears in her eyes. She saw a note. She grabbed the note and read aloud, "You can blame you original boyfriend. I have plenty more people on a list to kill. Watch your back." Caroline ripped the paper into pieces as she screamed bloody murder. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" She turned and glared at Klaus. "Did you kill my mother!"

"Caroline calm down."

"CALM DOWN! You want me to calm down! MY MOTHER IS DEAD. This piece of paper says it's your fault."

"oh, yes, because it makes perfect sense to trust the piece of paper!" Klaus scoffed. "I did nothing to hurt your mother. I have done nothing to this town in months."

"What does this mean then?" Caroline said still angry, "Who killed my mother!"

Klaus looked at the girl that was in shambles on the floor as she wept next to her mother. In all sincerity he normally would have laughed in someone's face at this occasion. Death was a miniscule problem to a person who couldn't die, but as he saw Caroline so broken he felt pity for her. He only wanted to do one thing.

He wanted to help.

"Caroline. I don't know who did this, but I will help you find out. Nothing like this will happen again. No one else will die." He vowed with all sincerity.

Caroline looked up at his face, ready to reject him. She saw the way he looked at her though, and she believed him.