Padrino's face had hardened his eyes like flint as they walked. Mason was sure someone would pay for this and he would gladly pull the trigger because his nephew had almost died; Caroline had almost died and she was almost as much family as Tyler.

"I don't like being played for a fool," Klaus said, "Someone has been giving Favara our secrets. They are boasting of their colpo di stato* widely not knowing it hasn't been successful. Someone in the clan has figured out our plans and has sold out to those bastards. Someone will pay for this."

All Mason did was nod. He was the sounding board as Klaus sorted through things. He was the only one who got to see the boss like this and it was a privilege he took very seriously.

"No one is to know they are alive. No one is to know that they failed in the mission. I want the Governor on the phone in the hour and I want us to proceed with the plan. I believe this goes beyond Giuseppe and if I'm right, we will need all the fire power we can get."

"Yours brothers?"

"My brothers. And get Rebecca to safety. If this goes sideways they will kill her."

"What the Hell do you mean I can't go home? I have to go home. I have school. My mom…my mom is going to freak out if I don't come home, Mason," Caroline all but screamed at il consigliere. She was beginning to regret her initial joy at hearing the man.

When they hadn't returned last night the clan had been…concerned and had sent out a few of the capodecina searching from the club to the estate. When they had been no sign of them, the worse had been assumed. Mason had been the only one to know of their hiding place and had asked Padrino for leave to check it out.

"Care…" she turned when she heard Tyler's voice but Mason's raised hand cut him short.

"Caroline, someone tried to kill you both last night," Mason spoke his voice intense, rage lighting the fires of his eyes, "Padrino takes the safety of his clan very seriously. That means he wants you two protected, and if that requires you missing a few days of school and me making a personal call to your mother, so be it."

"NO! No, don't!" she screamed and Mason looked at her eyebrow raised, "I need to talk to her myself. She…She's a cop. She won't believe anything you say unless I'm there."

She could see a puzzled look come across Mason's face but he didn't push, "Very well, under the cover of dark but you both will be going to a safe house immediately after. No arguments. Let's go, we have a lot to do."

She watched as the elder man walked to the door expecting them to follow.

Niklaus sat in the sanctity of the library provided by the eldest Lockwood. He had scanned this place with some very high-tech equipment multiple times. If anyone had any designs on spying on his private counsel then they would be sorely disappointed. He trusted no one and Richard Lockwood, the coward, the fool that had almost brought about the demise of the clan, he trusted less, because after the humiliation he had suffered he could not count for his loyalty. Besides:

Ever since we was kids, we always knew that people can be bought. It was only a question of who did the buyin' and for how much.**

It was a code he lived by. Picking up the phone he dialed a number that he hadn't dialed in months. He smirked when the other line was picked up and he heard a voice full of scorn answering, "***Buon Pomeriggio, fratello. Molto tempo che non ci vediamo or some such nonsense.

"#Stai Zitto, Kol." A far sterner voce chimed in and Klaus couldn't suppress his smile. Kol spoke again and Klaus realized with some amusement he had yet to get in a word, "As you can no doubt tell Elijah is here. What can we do for you brother?"

"The clans plan on murdering us all," He didn't bother with pleasantries, cutting straight to the matter at hand.

"I always told you the clans were run by old men afraid of their own shadow. What is it this time?" Elijah, of course.

"They are afraid I shall rule all."

"Are you going to?" Kol asked his voice always holding that little bit of amusement as thought everything was just a delight to behold.

"I am now."

"Where is Bekah?" Elijah again, of all his siblings, he was the only that understood the seriousness of strategy. Kol preferred to shoot first ask questions later and Bekah, was the baby and seriously spoiled.

"Safe." He answered automatically.

"Good. They took Finn and Henrik in the last clan war, I will not let that happen again. Kol and I shall be there in the morning."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank us Niklaus. Always and Forever," his brothers repeated in unison the vow they had made to each other many years ago.

Always and Forever.

Mason smiled with some irony as he walked up the cold hard steps of Mystic Falls' police station. It was rumored he was somewhat of a criminal. He inwardly laughed. Most, having seen what things he had done would send him to the executioner. And he understood that society needed their rules just as much as they needed their rulers. But what would always make him scoff, was situations like these where other criminals, true ones if you will where given accolades, their unlawful behavior never called into question. And they would condemn him?

Case in point the sheriff of the fair town who slaved away to make sure those who stepped outside the law were brought to justice. Justice. Who sought justice for a child who had been tortured for years under the hand of this woman? If he known before yesterday, the woman would be dead. But Caroline's sentimentality for the woman is what kept the contents of her cranium where they belonged. He swallowed down the rage that reared up.

"Good morning Sheriff," he approached her as she stood speaking to one of her deputies. He watched as her eyes took him in. Armani suit, the Cosa Nostra's black clothing his torso, the black diamonds glittering in the sunlight.

"Good morning," she answered.

"My name is Mason Lockwood. Tyler's uncle. Is it alright if I speak to you in private?"

"Sure," she replied her eyes lighting in recognition but still weary. She should be.

Mason entered the office, every bit the gentleman. "I'm sure you are aware how close Tyler and Caroline are. Theirs is quite the friendship."

She nodded still raising an eyebrow in question. He smiled disarmingly, "Caroline has taken a trip unexpectedly with Tyler and will not be home for a few days maybe a few weeks."

As expected she immediately blew up, "What? Where has my daughter gone? And I don't know who the hell you are? Why isn't Caroline telling me this herself?"

"Sheriff," he continued in a calm voice, "She will see you later tonight but I thought it was time we spoke."

"Where the hell is my daughter? Caroline isn't going anywhere!" She had risen from her seat, his calm he could see irritating her.

"I would suggest you calm down Sheriff," he said his tone bored.

"Calm down hell! Do not test me…"

"I would be very careful what words you utter to me. A woman who gets so drunk she would rage at and physically hurt her daughter needs to be very careful. " Her eyes went from outraged to shock.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," She covered quickly but Mason just whipped out his cell, playing the video he had caught the night that made him what to tie this woman to a chopping block and take pieces from her body until she looked like a shredder had spit her out. Padrino had ordered the surveillance waiting to get to the bottom of the Sheriff's distraction. It was only the love that the daughter she had abused so badly had for her that she could still walk.

Her eyes widened again and she started to stutter, "W-where d-did y-you…?"

"Can we skip that part? Your daughter has been helping you keep your dignity despite how much you hurt her. Now take some time off, family emergency, whatever or I will send that tape to every council member in this town. You will enter a treatment centre and when you get back you can resume your mundane life but CarolÍna will no longer reside with you. "

"I won't let you blackmail me!"

"Blackmail sheriff, such serious accusations. But if you must…" his tone grew menacing, "Blackmail is the least of what I can do to you. You should do some research about the residents in your town. The Lockwood name is one you do not want to mess with. CarolÍna is family and Clan Ribera takes care of 'family'."

He exited the station knowing that the woman would prove to be smart or foolish. The fool would get a bullet between the eyes. The smart woman would get to live.

Caroline had been too shocked to say anything for the entire ride to the safe house. Her mother. Caroline swore that the woman she saw tonight had been her mom from ten years ago with a side of relaxed. She had spoken clearly though it was past six when she had seen her. And she was finally going to get some help. Her heart was soaring. She was in so much shock she hadn't processed it yet. But she saw real conviction in her mom's voice, as she had shown her the leave of absence and the entry form for the rehab clinic a few towns over. No one knew but Caroline that it was rehab. And she had apologized, really apologized. She couldn't help but smile.

If only everything could be so amazing. She was sitting in the van as Mason drove them. Sitting across from her was Tyler and she wanted to reach out, hold him, kiss him, but… She knew she couldn't go there with him ever again. Because she was studying him so intently she didn't notice they had stopped. Mason looked at her through the mirror his eyebrow raising as he smirked. They got out and Mason and Tyler removed their stuff from the back of the truck.

From the outside the house was unremarkable. Cream and brown, it stood in an area surrounded by trees but the trees around the house had been cleared so that there was no way anyone was sneaking up on them. Mason gave them the lay out, security system, food, change of clothes and promising that they would return when it was safe. Safe. Right.

And then he was gone, his presence the only buffer between her and the youngest Lockwood. As soon as she turned to look at him she knew he wouldn't be letting go what happened between them anytime soon.

But he didn't do what she expected. He walked to her determination on his face and he just grabbed her and kissed her. Caroline struggled against the feel of Tyler's body as it pressed her into the wall, the strength of his arms as they cradled her but mostly she fought against her damn weak will where he was concerned. For though her head said one thing, her body pulled so intimately against him was saying another. She moaned with heated acknowledgement as she remembered all too well the passion found in his arms. She pushed him back and mustered the first defense her fried synapses could come up with.

"What are you doing? We have to…finish putting up the cold things and… um…our clothes. Let me go."

"Again with the excuses Care. I know you feel it, what was between us. Stop denying it," she saw him step forward intending to plant another heart-stopping kiss on her lips but her arms waved him away.

"I don't want this," She lied. God had she just lied! Or more accurately had meant He didn't want this! Not really. Sure he wanted her body but there was no way in hell he wanted everything from her and she couldn't do that. Couldn't love him, make love to him and then walk away. Already she knew her heart would break from just that once but if they continued there would be no putting her back together. She turned away from him fully intending to put some space between them.

But Tyler grabbed her arms though tightening his grip when she tried to pull away, "You're lying and I don't know why but I'm not letting you go."

"Tyler let go of my arm," she pleaded as her throat got tight but he didn't. He pulled her back hitting her against the pillar trying to force her to acknowledge him and the words he was intent on telling her. She looked into his eyes and saw a deadly determination which scared her. In that moment she realized how strong his arms were as they gripped hers. He had no intention of letting go. And an irrational shiver went down her spine. But this was Tyler! Not Jordan! God this was not Jordan this was Tyler. But her breathing still picked up and Caroline was sure she was about to have a panic attack as she remembered other arms, another hard body pressed against hers but it was far from pleasurable and she whimpered.

When Tyler heard her cry of distress, her cry of distress he knew he had carried it too far. He pulled back in shock, in horror as he glimpsed the trace of uncertainty and fear in her eyes. This was not what he wanted. As if he could ever hurt her! He ran his fingers though his hair in frustration as he stepped away from her.

Caroline slipped down the wall enough aware to know that this was Tyler and he had let her go. He had let her go! But that night Jordan hadn't let her go.

It had started as simple date with her new boyfriend. Jordan Fell was captain of the football team, student council vice-president, 3.7 GPA, handsome blond with a hell of a body. When he had shown an interest in her she had flipped, squealing with her girlfriends as congratulated her on her obvious win. Caroline had basked for days in the glory of landing one of the most sought after guys in school. They dated doing simple things; going to the grill, picnics with their friends. Tyler had never liked him, watching the guy with evil eyes that she had chalked up to some alpha male crap.

So when he called her to go out, 'something special' he said she hadn't batted an eye. Besides it gave her an excuse to leave the house and god knew she loved any excuse to get away from her mother. But that dark drive to the lake at night had turned nightmarish. And when Caroline had told him to stop he wouldn't, no matter how many times she said how she pushed him, how she screamed. It was merely by chance that she had knocked over her purse as he pulled her wriggling body into the back seat. When she saw the silver glint in the moonlight she grabbed the knife Tyler had always been on her about, stabbing and twisting in his neck.

She would never forget the pained gurgle as he spit up blood on her. She screamed watching his body wriggle and she did the only thing she could think of. She called her best friend. Tyler had been there within minutes and saw the scene. The bastard who had tried to hurt her, bleeding like the stuck pig he was. Knowing that he would probably die and Caroline would be charged. He didn't even think, just opened the cubby in his car, grabbing the glock.

But Caroline seeing what he was up to brazenly took the gun from his hand and didn't even flinch, one bullet straight through his heart. When they were done he had made the call to his uncle and sent Caroline home and Mason sent one of the cleaners to deal with the body. Tyler had never known what went into making a body disappear and he vomited at least three times through the procedure as he was instructed by the man with cold eyes.

Crouching he whispered, afraid to startle her as he said, "I'm so sorry Caroline."

She just turned her back on him and he sat on the floor as his heart literally broke as he knew he had hurt the woman he loved.

*colpo di stato _ coup

** Mafia quote by Charles "Lucky" Luciano

*** Buon Pomeriggio, fratello. Molto tempo che non ci vediamo or some such nonsense _ Good Afternoo, brother. Long time no see or some such nonsense.

#Stai Zitto, Kol._ Be quiet Kol.