Kol woke up and everything hurt. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. His surroundings were highly unfamiliar. The last time he felt this bad was when he had been drinking for 3 days in a row. He needed blood. And just as the thought crossed his mind, he smelt it. Sweet, rich and young... it was so promisingly delicious that he found the energy to get up and look for the source of this heavenly smell.

It was the witch, Bonnie Bennett. She turned around startled as she suddenly felt his presence in the room. She was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, a suspicious expression on her face. "You're up." She didn't sound elated about this. "Careful or you might get too excited about it." he retorted dryly. She sighed and turned around again. "I'm only doing this for Caroline's sake and not because I was worried about you." There was a few seconds of silence and if she were human she would probably think he had gone but she knew he was still standing behind her, watching her. She was aware of the fact that he was as dangerous as the rest of his family, maybe even more dangerous then them because, in her opinion, he was by far the best looking Mikaelson. Even though they all were inappropriately good looking.

"Well, thank you anyways. I guess it was a close call this time." he said quietly but still loud enough for her to hear him. Bonnie didn't know what to say or how to react. The always cocky Kol suddenly seemed sullen and depressed, worried or maybe even scared. She walked to the fridge and got a bottle out. She threw said bottle towards him, he caught it without looking. It was a milk bottle filled with blood. He smiled. "And again I owe you my deepest regards." The cocky smile was back where it belonged. And strangely enough Bonnie was relieved by this. Now it was much easier to not keep starring at his face.

"Just don't let this become a habit." "This?" "In the future you need to find somewhere else to crash , understood?" she was annoyed by the mischief that was constantly in his words, his eyes, his whole demeanor. It drove her mad even if he'd only been awake for a few minutes. Kol cocked his head and winked at her, turning around and walked towards the door. Bonnie caught herself admitting that he was gorgeous. But then another thought crossed her mind. "Where are you going? Caroline will probably want to know." "I'll call her." He said without looking back. "Your phone broke when Klaus tried to kill you." He stopped. "Well... tell her not to worry. I'll survive." Irony was dripping from his last words. Suddenly she realized. "You don't KNOW where to go." It wasn't a question, she was certain of it. He didn't turn around. "Yes." There was a sadness in his voice that Bonnie had never heard or even remotely felt before. "Stay." She said it without thinking. And she meant it. A weird thought crossed her mind. "I'm so human." There was a bitter voice in the back of her mind whispering that she was too human, to compassionate to leave someone, anyone so sad alone. "I mean it. Stay." He turned around, his eyes were dark and she swore she saw his mouth twitch a little. Only a hint to the emotional turmoil Kol must have been going through. "Thanks." He simply said. She couldn't help but smile.

For quite some time Bonnie had been thinking about the past years. All the supernatural things happening to them. All those cruel and scarring situations they had gotten into. Didn't they learn anything from the deaths of their loved ones? She wondered if fighting fire with fire was wrong when it came to feeling, breathing, thinking beings, lie the vampires, who once had been just like them – human. She saw the changes Elena made in Stefan and Damon, how Matt and Rebekah's friendship has made school enjoyable again. Yes, Caroline and Klaus were still at a place where no one could predict whether this was going to end a disaster or turn into the most epic love story of the millennium. But right here, right now SHE had the chance to make a difference. To actually try and understand a mind as twisty as Kol's. He had done terrible things and yet he still is human. She showed him the guestroom and the bathroom and let him be. She called Caroline but when she heard what Klaus had said, she felt that the worst was yet to come.

Klaus had finally made up his mind and was on his way to the Salvatore Boarding House. It had been difficult but he had managed to clear his mind enough to feel the remainders of his bond with Lana. She was there, he was certain. When he arrived he found the house empty. Klaus went to check the second floor when he could smell her. It struck him that there was a strange tinge to her smell. And then he saw her. Forced Hibernation. He had heard of it and the fact that she had been the one telling him about it had always made him wonder whether she knew more about it than she let on. Apparently she did. He felt himself panicking. How could this happen? What was he supposed to do? Klaus paced the room furiously. Suddenly he stopped and his fist buried itself in the mirror. There was blood dripping down his hand. A thought hit him: "Could... giving her my blood and drinking hers in return strengthen the bond in a way that enabled me to reach her?" Klaus was desperate to find a way to wake her up. He didn't dare touch her at first, fearing that she could break apart. But he had to make sure this was real. Slowly, he approached her. She looked incredibly peaceful. She wasn't breathing but he could hear a faint beat of her heart. She wasn't dead. Carefully he extended his hand towards her face. Only the tips of his fingers touched her cheek, it send a chill down his spine. She was ice cold. The picture of his Lana, laying on white sheets, small and serene. She was on her side, her hair brushed behind her ear cascading down behind her. She had her hands under her cheek, he remembered her always falling a sleep like this when they were still children.

She had always wanted to stay up with the big kids and snug back out as soon has her mother didn't look. Then she would come back to his room window and he'd lift her up and inside. Lana was the kind of child who'd listen to him and his brothers talk and banter for hours until she fell asleep. He always picked her up and carried her home, and he never told on her.

Without thinking he slipped his arms under her and picked her up. He carried her home, because that's what he always did. And that's what he always would.

Damon searched for Elena all through mystic falls. She wasn't at her old house, nor at the grill. He texted Caroline and Bonnie but neither of them answered. He wondered what was happening to this town. Lately everyone seemed to be hung up in a personal tragedy. It wasn't out of the ordinary but for them it always seemed to be supernatural evil trying to kill them. And even for a almost 150 years old vampire the amount of bad things happening in this town was extraordinary, considering he wasn't the source of most of it. "Sarcasm won't help you this time." he mumbled as he stopped the car at the entry to the cemetery. Somehow he had the feeling that Elena might be here. And she was.

Elena was sitting in front of her parents grave and she was crying. She didn't understand what was going on with her, why did she kiss Damon? And why did it felt like the realest thing she could possibly feel? A noise caught her attention. Damon was standing right there looking at her with so much pain, love and fear at the same time. Just a day ago Elena had told Stefan that he was her epic love but now she could have sworn she felt love for Damon. Usually it would have been awkward but with him, she could only keep on staring into his eyes and see. What she and Stefan had was epic, yes, but it was also not what she wanted it to be anymore. With Stefan she always had the feeling he looked at her as if she were a broken toy. Elena didn't regret wanting to be with Stefan but she realized that ever since she had changed, he hadn't been the same towards her.

"Damon, I..."

"No Elena. Not now, I'm sorry. I made a mistake. You need to find Stefan and bring him back. You can tell him that I won't be here when he gets back."

Her heart stopped. "Damon, please... I don't know what to do." "Go and find Stefan." "I don't know if I should." Damon furrowed his brow. "Elena, what are you talking about?" "Damon, I don't know if I am the right person to bring him back. I mean, I keep on breaking his heart over and over again and he tries he really does, but all he sees is a broken toy. I am not the Elena he fell in love with. HE loved me because I am human and now I am just another reminder of Katherine." She was getting hysterical. Damon pulled her close, he wanted to stay away but he couldn't. When he was trying to console Elena, Damon missed the shadow of his brother disappearing into the woods.

Stefan had heard her every word and there was rage inside him, but also sadness. He didn't mean to make her feel like a reminder of Katherine. But she was right, she had broken his heart over and over again. Elena and Damon hurt him enough, he decided. Stefan thought about Lana. He would leave for a couple of centuries and then he'd find them and reconcile. But not now. He wanted to get away from Mystic Falls. And so he did.