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Klaus waited outside the boarding house. He usually didn't have a problem barging in like he owned the place, but in light of recent events, he decided to wait outside. He hadn't seen Caroline since the morning. He'd spent his day checking on his hybrids and wandering around town keeping an eye on everything in Mystic Falls. The hybrids hadn't picked up any information of importance. One of them had told him about the council getting together the night before, but no new plans had been devised.

He decided that his hybrids could be of better use to him rather than watching over the pathetic town council. That situation really shouldn't be his main concern. Instead the hybrids could be out hunting Stefan. He ordered them away from Mystic Falls, all except Annie, who remained outside of Sheriff Forbes home. He thought it might score him a few points if he had a personal protector outside of Caroline's house.

Klaus emerged from his seat on the porch as Caroline parked her car in front of the house. It was rather late in the evening. He wondered what she had been doing out all day.

"Hello darling," he said greeting her with a smirk.

"Don't 'darling' me. Ass!" She replied as she approached him. The smile fell from his face.

"And why, pray tell, am I the recipient of such a greeting?"

"Well," Caroline began, "you could start telling me why there was a hybrid outside of my house."

Klaus frowned. His stupid hybrid had been seen. She would be severely punished for her mistake.

"No you know what," the blonde vampire continued, "you can explain to me why there are even still hybrids in Mystic Falls. I thought they had all been killed."

Klaus clenched his fist and brushed past her roughly. He didn't let anyone speak to him this way. "You're mistaken Caroline. I don't have to explain anything to you."

"You do if you want me to trust you," Caroline shouted at his retreating figure. Klaus whipped around to face her. Her hands were on her hips in determination. She wouldn't be satisfied unless she had the truth.

"When did I ever ask you to trust me Caroline?" Klaus snapped back. Her mouth opened and then closed silently. It was a low blow, he knew it.

"You didn't ask, I just thought—" she stuttered.

"You thought what?" He said walking toward her. He towered over her and stared into her eyes. " You thought because we slept together that you were privy to all of my secrets now. I'm not one of your Mystic Falls teenage heart throbs Caroline. I am an Original Vampire. A hybrid. I don't have to answer to you or to anyone else."

Caroline's jaw ticked. She returned his stare evenly. But the tears that began to pool in her eyes betrayed her brave face.

"Fine," she replied. Then she spun on her heels and walked into the house, slamming the door behind her.

The hybrid exhaled and dragged a hand across his face. So that was that then. He couldn't regret this. It was good that they had this argument. It was true. Klaus shouldn't have to answer to Caroline for his actions. He was displeased that now the rest of them would know about his secret hybrids but it didn't matter either way. There was nothing he could do about it. Of course he was going to keep making hybrids. He needed them.

Klaus couldn't believe that Caroline had brought trust into it. Of course he never had asked for her trust. He didn't need her trust. Did he? Well it didn't matter anymore. She was back to hating him as it should be and he could go back to not caring about the little blonde vampire. He flashed off into the darkness away from the boarding house. He knew of a certain displeasing hybrid that he could take his frustrations out on.

Caroline slammed the door and entered the house in a huff. She threw her purse down and headed towards the liquor cabinet. After what she had had to deal with the past two days, she could use a good stiff drink. Damon was already there nursing a scotch as usual. She grabbed the bottle from him and slammed a glass down onto the bar. The brown liquor sloshed into the glass and she gulped it down her throat angrily.

"What's got your pom poms in a twist blondie?" Damon quipped.

"Shut up Damon. I really don't want to hear it," Caroline growled throwing back another shot. Her face twisted at the bitter taste of the alcohol.

"Let me guess, problems with your psychopathic serial killing hybrid boyfriend?" Damon grabbed the bottle from her.

"He's not a serial killer," Caroline retorted. Wait, why was she defending Klaus? She was supposed to be mad at him. "Also he is not my boyfriend."

Damon snorted. "Well in between all the non-boyfriend bedroom fun did you happen to figure out any reason why he might still be in Mystic Falls. Other than Elena?"

"No. Klaus isn't exactly forthcoming about his agenda," she replied reaching for the bottle again. Damon kept it away from her though. She frowned at him and flopped down on the couch. "He is still making hybrids though."

"What?" Damon asked, lowering his glass.

"I saw one of them tonight. Outside my mom's house. I have no idea why it was there. All she said was that Klaus had sent her there and also ordered her not to hurt me."

"I thought all the hybrids were killed at homecoming," Damon's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah me too."

Damon slammed his hands down on the bar. "Damn it! He's still trying to build his little hybrid army. How are we going to fight off the humans and keep them from getting killed by hybrids at the same time?"

Caroline watched him pace back and forth, occasionally taking swigs from his glass. She was beginning to feel a little bit of pity for Damon. Even though he was a snarky, conniving bastard from time to time, it must be hard for him. Watching his brother disappear on a murderous rampage, trying to protect Elena, being the reluctant leader for them all. It was clear Damon didn't want any of this, but he was stepping up to the challenge.

"Damon we'll figure it out. It'll be ok," Caroline said to him.

"I'm beginning to think its time to call it day and just get out of Mystic Falls."

Caroline stood abruptly. "You'd really do that? You'd just leave Elena here to fend for herself?"

"No of course not! I mean all of us. Just get out of here. Start over somewhere else away from Klaus and this poisonous town."

"But this is our home. It's Elena's home. She's not going to want to leave."

Damon swirled the liquid in his glass thoughtfully. He glanced at Caroline and grimaced. "I know. Believe me we've had this discussion. But no one can doubt the appeal of the easy way out."

Caroline nodded in agreement and reached for the bottle again. This time Damon let her have it.

At that moment Alaric walked through the door.

"Ric, just in time. You always like a good pity party," Damon greeted him.

"Good to see you too Damon," Alaric retorted. He nodded at Caroline. "Listen guys this is important and I don't have a lot of time. There's another council meeting tonight at some undisclosed location. They're supposed to text me the address right before it starts."

"And then you'll text it to us," Damon added rhetorically.

"What's going on Alaric?" Caroline interjected.

"There's no vervain in the water." Alaric told them. He paused to let this new information sink in.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked. Her head shook slightly in disbelief.

"Just what I said. The town's water supply is vervain free."

"How do you know?" Damon questioned.

"I noticed it three days ago. I've been lacing my food with vervain for enough years to be able to detect its presence. The council started slipping it into the water supply after homecoming. But now it's completely gone."

"Why did they stop spiking the water?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah it's not like the supply ran out," Damon added.

"I don't know. I'm waiting to hear if the council will bring it up at the meeting tonight. It may or may not be a purposeful occurrence."

"Do you think the council is realizing that they made a mistake about all of us?"

"I very much doubt that Caroline," Damon said.

"I don't know what's going on," Alaric replied, "but this could be our chance. If the town is vervain free that means they will be susceptible to compulsion. You guys could end this war by making them forget that they know supernaturals exist."

"I don't know," Damon said, "Were kind of low on vampires around here. In case you haven't noticed, blondie here and I are the only ones. Plus how are we going to even get ahold of people long enough for us to compel them?"

"There's got to be a way. Can't you compel a whole room or something like that?"

"We have to try though Damon, it's at least worth a shot. If we can end all this without anyone getting killed." Caroline felt a flicker hope. It was a shoddy plan but it just might work. It might be their only chance to put the town back together again.

"I'll see if anything comes up tonight," Alaric said, "I suggest we wait a few more days before trying anything. Just so we can be sure the vervain is out of everyone's systems."

"Alright and we'll be hanging outside of the meeting tonight just in case we can pick up anything you might miss," Damon replied.

Alaric's phone buzzed in his pocket. He flipped it open. It was a text message from the council. He showed it to Damon for placing it back in his pocket and heading back out. The secret meeting was due to start in a half hour.

"Time to sober up blondie. We've got a council meeting to attend."