Hey guys! New Chapter! Not much to say about things today. Thanks again for all the continued comments and support!

Cheers!

Afterwards, Klaus soon left. Caroline decided it was better to deal with the backlash now rather than later. Also she needed time to think without Klaus around. She could already guess the questions that were going to be fired at her and she wasn't sure how she would answer any of them.

Unfortunately this wasn't a typical relationship situation. She knew she would be risking everything getting involved with him. It wasn't like she could test out the dating waters with him and then if things didn't work out just go back to normal. No, this was an all or nothing deal.

Maybe she should have talked to him first. Even though she couldn't imagine having a "feelings" conversation with Klaus. But some part of her just knew that it was real, that he wasn't just having her on. The way he looked at her, the way he defended her and kissed her and made love to her. It wasn't a game. There had to be real feelings there.

Caroline's phone buzzed again on her nightstand. It was the same unavailable number she had become familiar with over the past three weeks. She sighed. Apparently dealing with her love drama would have to wait just a bit longer. She picked up the device and answered it.

"Hello Stefan."

"Caroline. What's going on? I've been trying to call you all morning."

"Well I've been a little busy," she replied.

"What happened? Is everything ok?" Stefan questioned.

"Yes. The council staged a little attack the other day, but we all made it out ok. No one was hurt." She didn't feel the need to go into the current drama of the morning.

"Yeah, I heard." He heard? Heard from who? "And Elena is still alright?"

Elena. Stefan still cared about Elena. He had been calling Caroline every so often and checking in to make sure Elena was still alive and happy. The alive part was affirmative; the happy part fluctuated from time to time.

"Yes Stefan, Elena is alive and safe," she responded, "but you know you could always come back and see for yourself."

"Caroline you know I can't do that," Stefan sighed through the phone.

"I still don't understand why not. Clearly you care, you have your emotions and you free will back. Why can't you come back and everything can be normal again?" There was a long pause. Stefan didn't answer. Caroline sighed. "Right, once a ripper always a ripper."

"Exactly," was Stefan's only reply.

Caroline grimaced. "Well do you want me to tell her anything from you?"

"No. I still think it's best that she's not aware that I check up on her. Damon either. I don't want them trying to find me again."

Caroline hated having to keep Stefan a secret. She hated seeing that hurt look in Elena's eye whenever someone mentioned him. But Elena was doing her best to move on, maybe it would just hurt more if she knew that Stefan still cared.

"I do need you to do me a favor though," Stefan said breaking her away from her thoughts.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Klaus for me."

Caroline rolled her eyes. If one more person asked her to do that, she would scream. What was it with everyone thinking she should be Klaus's personal keeper?

"What for?"

"Just let me know if he makes any move to harm any of you in any way."

"Oooook. But I don't think he will. He's been pretty helpful with this whole town war thing. Maybe he's turning over a new leaf?"

"That's good to hear, but don't trust him Caroline. Klaus only does what best serves Klaus. It's in his best interest to help you guys fight this battle right now, but there will come a time when he'll turn against you."

Caroline gulped. She hated the part of her that couldn't deny that as much as she hated the part that wanted to.

"Why is it in his best interest to be fighting with us for now?"

Stefan replied, "That's for me to worry about. Just let me know if he makes any moves."

Oooook. Suspicious much? Caroline agreed and with that she hung up the phone. Something about this all made her uneasy. Damon suspected Klaus of ulterior motives, Stefan was certain that Klaus had ulterior motives. It was her job to figure out what exactly those motives were and keep her friends safe. She didn't want to distrust Klaus, not any more, not after what happened between them. At this point though, he hadn't exactly given her a reason why she shouldn't.

She slipped her phone into her back pocket and turned to make her way downstairs. It wasn't like she was trying to sneak out, but if she didn't meet anyone as she left she wouldn't be too upset. Caroline rounded down the bottom of the stairs and crept past the living room, making her way to her purse on the table by the door.

"You wouldn't be trying to sneak out would you?"

Busted.

Caroline stopped in her tracks and faced Elena, who was standing next to her in the doorway of the living room.

"No, not at all. Just in a hurry. Getting a late start and all."

"Mhmm," Elena nodded, "Anything you want to talk about before you leave?"

"No," Caroline squeaked. She knew it was awful but she was chickening out.

Elena nodded once. "Ok then, I'll start. Klaus."

So now Caroline was forced to come clean.

"Yeah," she said.

"Yeah." Elena raised her eyebrows. "How long has this been going on?"

"Not long. This was the first time."

"Is there going to be a second time?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe?" Elena raised her voice ever so slightly.

"I don't know Elena! I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. Everything has been happening so fast. I was hoping to figure it out for myself before I told you and Bonnie about everything."

"Caroline, you're my friend and normally I trust you. But this? What are you thinking Caroline?"

"I don't know! I don't know."

"You keep saying that."

"Because I don't Elena!" Caroline yelled. Her frustration was hitting the limit. Elena closed her mouth and rocked back slightly. Her eyes darted around the room.

Caroline took a deep breath and let it out, trying to collect her thoughts. She realized her friend wasn't mad at her, just worried.

"Look," she began, "I don't know how this all happened. I guess just since I've been spending all this time with him lately I've gotten to know another side of him. This side that he doesn't let anyone else see."

"But Caroline, he's done so many terrible things. He's tried to kill all of us more than once. He killed me and Jenna. Its his fault Stefan is gone and this town is at war. How can you ignore that?"

"I don't ignore it, but it's not like he's beyond forgiveness." Elena gave her a challenging look. "Look at Damon and all the terrible stuff he's done. He tried to kill me multiple times. He killed Jeremy and Lexie and Alaric. Not to mention dozens of other innocent people. He's caused you plenty of pain. But you still care about him."

"Yeah but that's different," Elena shook her head.

"How Elena? How is that different?"

"Because Damon actually tries to be good on occasion and make up for the stupid things he's done."

"And who's to say Klaus doesn't want the same thing? How well do we really know him?"

Elena exhaled loudly and crossed her arms. Caroline knew she was in the right. There wasn't a huge difference between Damon and Klaus. If Damon could be forgiven for all of his past sins, why couldn't Klaus?

"Caroline do you really like him?" Elena asked after a long pause.

Caroline's mouth twisted. "Elena, there's something there. I don't know what, but I can't help feeling something."

Elena nodded. "Just please be careful. I don't trust him at all, but I don't want you to feel like you have to hide this from me."

Caroline smiled at her friend. "Thank you."

"And don't worry, I'll talk to Damon. He'll stay out of it too."

"Thanks, and could we maybe wait to tell Bonnie and anyone else. Like I said I really want to figure out what's going on before going public."

"Sure," Elena nodded, "Just please be super careful. I don't want you getting hurt. Physically or emotionally."

Caroline nodded and then headed out the door. She got in her car and drove down the driveway away from the boarding house. In her haste to leave her house yesterday, she realized that she had left all of her schoolbooks and study notes. Yes, it had been a bit difficult to keep up, but Caroline still wanted to graduate high school in the spring. Once everything in Mystic Falls was back to normal, she didn't want to be too behind in her classwork. Alaric had done his best to slip into her classes and grab assignments for her from teachers. For now she was teaching herself what she could. Math was proving to be the most difficult to learn straight from the book.

She knew her mom wouldn't be home at this time of the day. She really didn't want to see her anyways. She was still feeling hurt and angry at the way her mother reacted to everything. Instead, she called Matt and asked him to meet her there. He was reluctant, but once she pulled the "I saved your life" card, he agreed to do her this small favor.

Caroline pulled into her driveway. Matt's truck was nowhere to be seen. She decided to get out and wait for him by the door. It shouldn't take him to long to get there. She approached the front door and stood there for a moment. Her eyes landed on the doorknob, considering it. Maybe her mom had realized the error of her ways and changed her mind. Maybe Caroline would be able to get in. She placed her key in the lock and turned it. The door swung open freely. Caroline tried to step past the threshold though and found that she couldn't. Still banned from her own house.

She couldn't even reach for the door to shut it. Caroline huffed and paced back and forth in front of her door. Wouldn't Matt just freakin' hurry up already? Then something caught her attention. Her head whipped to the right. A quick movement in the woods next to her house caught her eye. Someone was there. She watched as they took off running away from her house with supernatural speed. Caroline's fangs dropped and her eyes changed as she darted off after them.

Caroline ran fast and soon caught up with whoever it was. The creature turned and faced her; it's fangs flashing in the sunlight. It was a girl and a hybrid. Caroline gasped. There was only one place a hybrid could come from. Klaus.

Caroline hissed and lunged at the hybrid. She grasped her by the throat and held her firmly against a tree. "What are you doing outside of my house?"

The hybrid girl struggled and hissed at her, trying to break free. "None of your business."

Caroline slammed her against the tree again. "I know it was Klaus. Why did he send you here?"

The hybrid glared at her. "He told me to watch the Sheriff. He said not to hurt the blonde vampire girl who would be hanging around here. He said if I did he would kill me."

Caroline released the girl and she dropped to the ground. She was taken aback. Why would Klaus send a hybrid to her mother's house? And why would he threaten it not to harm Caroline? What was he up to?

"Get out of here. Don't come back. If I see you again, I'll kill you myself." Caroline bared her fangs and glared at the girl on the ground.

"I'd like to see you try," she growled. Caroline's leg shot out and kicked her in the ribs. The girl screamed and she flipped out of harm's way. Before Caroline could get another shot in, she ran off back to her master.

Caroline fumed with anger. There was a certain original hybrid she knew that was going to have a lot of explaining to do.