I'm sure I'm overdue for an update. I know I'm already off on my originally intended update schedule. Please forgive me :)

Enjoy!


Chapter 3


.

"What the hell are you three thinking?" Damon demanded, storming into their hotel room.

Caroline shut the door behind him. "Damon, what are you doing here? It's supposed to be girls weekend." She wasn't giving anything away. There was a chance that Damon didn't know their plan. Maybe he was just there checking up on them and would leave as soon as he saw that they were at the hotel having legitimate girl time.

"Cut the crap, Barbie," Damon snapped. "I know you three aren't here on a little, girly getaway. You're going after the cure. Alone."

Caroline crossed her arms. "How'd you figure that out?"

"Please, it's a little obvious. I'm surprised your hybrid boyfriend hasn't already beaten me to the punch and dragged you back to Mystic Falls kicking and screaming." Damon crossed over to the bar, rummaging through the selection until he found a small bottle of Jack Daniels. He immediately opened it up and dumped the contents into one of the glasses on top of the counter, knocking it back. "How'd you guys find it?"

"Bonnie was able to do a reverse memory spell on Shane," Elena chimed in. "She broke through whatever magic was preventing him from seeing the island and found the way."

"So the four of you and Professor Creepy were just going to flit off to some deserted island by yourselves? Don't you remember the catastrophe you three caused the last time you thought it was a good idea to put your heads together?"

Damon was referring, of course, to the time travel spell. "Hey, it all worked out," Caroline said.

"Because of sheer luck or fate or whatever," Damon retorted. "That doesn't count."

"Don't be sexist," Rebekah interjected, walking forward and entering the conversation. "Besides, what do you have against us finding the cure? Do you not want Elena to have it?"

It was a low blow. Damon's conflicted emotions about Elena and the cure flashed across his face. "It's not about what I want," he answered, giving Elena a pointed look.

She stepped forward and took his hand. "So come with us, help us," she pleaded.

The crystal eyed vampire shook his head, pouring a second helping of whiskey. "I should call Klaus."

"So what are you scared of Klaus now?" It was Caroline's turn for the low blow. She knew Damon valued his pride. He was stubborn, just like the rest of them, and he hated taking orders or having to answer to anyone. Most of all, her boyfriend.

"Please, Damon," Elena repeated, once again going for the softer approach. Caroline could see a silent conversation passing between the two of them. A look from Damon that said if this is what you want, I'll do it for you. It made her feel a little envious of her friend's relationship dynamic.

"Fine," he relented at last. "Besides, someone needs to come along and keep you all in line."

Caroline laughed, grateful and relieved that Damon wasn't going to blow the whistle on them after all. "Well, you can try."


.

They met up with Bonnie and Shane at the small airport, who were both surprised to see that Damon had joined the group. Luckily-or maybe unluckily-there was just enough room to take Damon as a passenger. Caroline, Elena, Rebekah, and Damon all took seats in the back of the plane, while Bonnie joined Shane in the front, taking the co-pilot's chair. The sun had just dipped into the horizon as the plane took off from the small runway and lifted into the air. Most of their belongings had been left back at the hotel. They had only taken what was necessary, unsure if they would be able to find the cure right away, or if they would be camping on the island. Caroline didn't relish the idea of sleeping in the woods. She was definitely an indoor girl.

They had four hours of being in the air ahead of them. The night sky was clear, just a few wisps of clouds ghosting over the wings of the aircraft. Caroline looked over at Elena and Damon, curled up together. Elena had rested her head on Damon's shoulder closing her eyes and dozing off. Damon's arm was wrapped around her, his head turned in the direction of the window, his eyes staring out at the starry night.

He didn't have to say it, but Caroline knew that deep down Damon didn't want Elena to be human again. Not really. Not if it meant her feelings changing once again, and possibly turning back to Stefan. Not if it meant having her be a fragile, mortal girl again. Not if it meant having to watch her grow old and one day die.

Caroline glanced down at her phone in her lap. She hadn't heard from Klaus all day. It seemed odd to her that he hadn't called her to check in, even though she had outlawed it. They were too high in the air for her to get any cell service. She wondered if he was trying to contact her at that moment, his calls rolling to her voicemail.

"Having second thoughts?" Rebekah asked from the seat next to her. "Don't be scared of my brother. You know you have him wrapped around your finger."

"I'm not scared of him," Caroline said. "I'm scared he'll never forgive me."

"For what? What are you doing that is so terrible?"

"For deceiving him. For going behind his back."

"It's not like he hasn't been doing the same to you. Besides, he'll forget all about it once you tell him you destroyed the cure. Once he sees you're home safe."

"Yeah, but he won't be happy that I helped you become human," she sighed. "Why do you want to be human again so much?"

"I want a life. A normal life, free of running and killing. I want to fall in love and marry and have babies and watch them grow up as I grow old. I want to appreciate my days as a gift instead of dreading them like a never ending curse."

"But what about your family? Aren't you worried they'll miss you?"

Rebekah let out a sad laugh. "Well considering Kol and Elijah ran off the first chance they got I expect they'll be able to move on with their lives once I'm gone for good."

"Klaus would care," Caroline countered timidly.

"Yes, but, he has you," Rebekah said. "Honestly, I wouldn't do this if he didn't. But I know you'll take care of him."

"I don't know how I would take care of him," Caroline replied. "It's not like he needs protecting."

"He does," Rebekah corrected. "From himself." She turned toward Caroline then, her expression thoughtful and serious. "I've seen many women love my brother, or think they love my brother. But you're the only one who's done it right."

"I don't know if there is a right way to love someone."

"There is," Rebekah nodded. "You wouldn't be here, now, going behind his back if you didn't love him the right way. You don't always give him what he wants, but you do always give him what he needs."


.

"Hey, wake up sleeping beauty." Caroline had dozed off at some point. She opened her eyes and saw Damon crouching next to her, his hand shaking her shoulder. "The Professor is about to land."

Caroline sat up straight in her seat. The landing gear on the outside of the plane whirred to life and clanged into place. They were circling over a small island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, about twenty miles from Halifax. It was uncharted, of course, hidden by magic, which had made the flight plan that much more difficult to chart. It was too shallow to land the plane close to the island, so Shane put her down in the middle of the water. They lifted out an inflatable raft, powered by a small motor to take them to shore. Thank goodness they all had vampire strength, Caroline doubted they'd be able to accomplish the task of getting to shore if they were human. She made a mental note that no one should take the cure until they were at least back to the plane.

The cure.

They were so close.

Caroline's boot hit the sand of the beach, the salty air nipped at her cheeks. It was much cooler than it had been back in Virginia.

The cure was somewhere on that very island, waiting for them. In just a few short hours, it could all be over. Rebekah and Elena would be human, just like they wanted, and then she would make sure the cure was destroyed, just like Klaus wanted. Everyone would be happy and they could all continue their lives.

"So, any idea where we should start looking?" Damon asked, yanking the boat onto the beach once everyone was out.

"We should camp out tonight, stick close to the beach and wait until first light to start our search," Shane said. "It's too dangerous to be in these woods at night."

"Not if you're a vampire," Damon retorted.

"I'm not a vampire," Shane replied. Damon shrugged, making it known that Shane's life and feelings weren't high on his list of priorities.

"I need time to do a few spells, anyways," Bonnie said. "I don't want to go into this completely blind to the magic we might be dealing with. There are probably protective spells all around this island and I don't want to step into any magical boobie traps."

"Fine," Damon conceded. "You have an hour."

"Excuse me, but who exactly made you in charge?" Rebekah chimed in.

Damon opened his mouth to retort but Caroline cut him off. "Cool it. Okay?" It was too early in this expedition to have everyone fighting. He stood down and they all turned to Caroline. "Bonnie, you and Shane do your witch stuff. Damon and Elena, why don't you guys go look for some wood or something so we can make a fire."

"What should I do?" Rebekah asked.

"Watch out for bears," Damon quipped. Rebekah snarled at him and Elena grabbed his hand, leading him away.

Caroline breathed. One potential crisis averted, she thought.

She glanced out at the water, watching the tiny waves lap against the sand. The moon was waning, adding some light to help her vampire eyes see beyond the expanse of the water. But there was nothing to see. Absolutely nothing. They were miles from any sort of civilization and completely alone.

"I'm so glad Damon was able to join us," Rebekah muttered coming up behind her. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," Caroline said, shaking out of it. "Are you nervous?"

"About what?"

"Being human again," Caroline replied.

"No, I'm not nervous about that," Rebekah told her. "I'm nervous about being so close to happiness and watching it be snatched away from me. That's what usually happens in my experience."

The ringing of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. "I guess that means we have cell service out here," Caroline said, slipping her hand into her coat pocket and retrieving her phone. "It's Klaus. Time to face the music."

Rebekah gave her a small smile. "It won't be as bad as you think."

"Thanks."

"It will be worse."

Caroline let out a little snort at her comment. Those original siblings weren't great with the whole comfort thing. But she knew it was probably true. Rebekah turned away to give her some privacy and Caroline answered her phone.


.

Klaus tore into the hotel that Caroline had claimed the girls were staying at that weekend, and headed straight for the tall reception desk. He compelled the concierge to tell him what room she was booked in and then stormed toward the stairs, not bothering with the lifts. His anger had been building during the drive from the lake house to Norfolk, and he was ready to explode.

Stefan rushed behind him and watched him enter the hallway on the sixth floor, stomping to the room. With a one firm kick, the door burst open, but Klaus already knew what he would find. Nothing. And no one.

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he scanned the suite. There were a few room service items left behind, some food and opened bottles of whiskey, the covers on the beds were slightly rumpled and the couch pillows misplaced. They had been there, some time ago, and now they were gone.

"Damon must have figured it out," Stefan concluded, coming into the room behind Klaus. "They may have gone off on their own, but at least they're safe."

Klaus rounded on him. "What part of going off on a suicide scavenger hunt for an immortality cure is safe?"

Stefan held up a hand, attempting to calm him down. "It's isn't a suicide mission. Look, Bonnie probably found a way to find Silas and the cure, and they went to retrieve it. They aren't going to just blindly walk into a dangerous situation. Plus, Damon would never let anything bad happen to Elena."

"Exactly," Klaus snarled. "Elena. Elena Gilbert is the only one who is perfectly safe. Elena Gilbert will be the one he'll save if it means sacrificing everyone around her." Klaus flipped open his phone dialing Caroline's number. He hadn't seen any cell phones left behind in the room, so he had to assume that she had it with her.

She answered on the third ring.

"Where are you?" Klaus growled into the phone.

"I can't tell you," Caroline replied.

"Wrong answer, sweetheart."

"I'm guessing by your tone of voice, you know what I'm doing," she said.

"Yes. Going after the cure. Even after I strictly forbade it."

"You can forbade anything, Klaus. I'm not a slave hybrid that you can control. I have to do this, out of loyalty to my friends."

"What about your loyalty to me?"

"Don't be childish. I'm not picking them over you." Klaus felt the vein above his brow throb in anger, at being called a child. It wasn't childish that he expected unwavering loyalty. Caroline let out a sigh. "I'm doing this for you too. I'll destroy it, once Elena and Rebekah have a chance to take it. Then we'll never have to worry about it again."

"You lied to me."

"You've lied to me," Caroline snapped back. "You think I don't know that you were still searching for it yourself? That I didn't realize you were going behind my back? I may be blonde, but I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Klaus wanted to argue. He knew Caroline wasn't stupid, but she had the tendency to act foolishly, especially when it came to her friends. Perhaps that was the lesson she needed to learn. "If you want to do this, then go ahead. But do it alone. Don't call me asking for help. And don't expect me to fix it when you fail."

"Fine. I don't need your help." Caroline bit out. "God! You treat me like such an object. Like I can't do anything!"

"Forgive me, sweetheart," Klaus sneered, "for trying to keep you safe."

"You're not trying to keep me safe. You're trying to control me. Just like you do with Rebekah, and the rest of your siblings. Only you can't put a dagger in my chest and store me in a box, only letting me out whenever you feel like it."

"I was going to let you go," he countered, calling back to just a short time ago, after they had just found each other again, when he had been prepared to leave Caroline behind in Mystic Falls. "You're the one who begged me to reconsider."

It was like a verbal punch to the chest. Caroline swallowed down the note of vulnerability creeping up her vocal cords as she answered. "That's not quite how I remember it-"

"I never wanted to be a part of this. A part of the Elena Gilbert rescue team. I've stayed for you, I've done it all for you, and how have you repaid me? By betraying my trust in you."

"Well, clearly the distrust is mutual."

The words stung them both. Klaus inhaled, deep, his nostrils flaring as he let the frustrated breath out again. "I hope your friends live up to the faith you've put in them sweetheart, I truly do. Because I'm no longer going to pick up the pieces for their mistakes."

"Klaus," Caroline said, her voice raw with hurt. "Please understand-"

"Find someone else who cares."

Klaus hung up the phone, before he could hear her pleas. He dragged an exhausted hand over his face, tired of the explanations and excuses. He was done with them. Done with all of it.

"That was harsh," Stefan mumbled.

Klaus spun, flashing over and holding the man against the wall by his neck, his fingers grinding into the muscles of Stefan's throat. He wanted to break bones, to rip into someone, to drown the hurt and betrayal he felt in a sea of blood. He imagined the scene in his head. Tearing from floor to floor of the hotel, killing the unsuspecting guests, every man and woman and child. He had committed similar acts lifetimes ago, massacring whole villages for over a quarter of a century, trying to fill the hole that had been left in him after Caroline's death, wanting to feel anything but the pain.

Tears welled in his eyes, angry and hot, a swirl of emotion rising up inside him. He couldn't decide where to focus his attention, the hurt, the betrayal or the fear, so instead he chose the anger. Anger was an old friend.

He slammed Stefan into the wall once more, enjoying the painful grunt falling from the vampire's lips, and the way the structure of the room cracked behind the force.

"Your brother will protect her," he said through gritted teeth. "She will come back. Alive. Or I will kill him and Elena and everyone you've ever met." He let Stefan go with a jerk, watching him stumble forward, choking. The former ripper looked up and nodded.

Klaus walked away from him, chest heaving, his eyes flashing.

"She's just doing this to protect her friends," Stefan said. "That's how they are. I learned that about Elena a long time ago and Caroline's the same way, if not more so. She'll protect who she loves. Everyone she loves."

Klaus heard the implication in Stefan's speech, but it didn't make him feel any better or any less angry.


.

A while later, Caroline, Rebekah, and Elena were seated around a small fire. Bonnie was off down the beach with Shane, attempting to tap into his memory again, and the final path to the cure. Damon came out of woods, joining them around the fire.

"Thank goodness my phone died," Damon said waving the object in the air. "That lecture could have gone on for a while. My little brother really enjoys the guilt trip." Elena shifted, wrapping her arms around her body. He looked at Caroline. "Your boyfriend has threatened all our lives if we don't get you back safe."

"I'm surprised he cares," Caroline muttered, still hurt from her earlier conversation with Klaus. Her phone had died too, for which she was partially thankful. She kept vacillating between wanting to call him back to grovel and apologize, and wanting to tell him to shove it.

She hated that he thought he couldn't trust her. But could she trust him? Like she said, she knew that Klaus had been going behind her back and keeping things from her. They were both guilty of hiding the truth from one another. Two wrongs didn't make a right, but the whole thing did speak volumes about their relationship. Love had to be built on trust, otherwise, what good was it? Sneaking behind each others' backs wasn't a good thing. Caroline realized that she trusted Klaus, with her life, but she didn't trust him with her friends' lives.

That was his problem. He just never got it. He didn't care for anyone the way she cared about her friends. They were an extension of her. She had grown up an only child, and Bonnie and Elena were the closest thing she had to sisters. She couldn't imagine what she would do if anything had ever happened to them, especially after they had all lost so much already.

She looked over at Elena, who sat tracing her finger in the dirt, and then at Bonnie's dark form down the beach as she chanted into the night. For the past two years they had been in all this supernatural mess together, protecting one another, keeping each other safe. Caroline wasn't about to bail on them, she would see it through to the end.

She dropped her chin into her hand with a sigh wishing Klaus could understand this part of her, the overprotective part. Sure, it resulted in her needing to risk her life every now and then, but the perk of being a vampire meant she was more durable. In her mind, any sacrifice was worth it. There had to be some way to make him understand.

She was ripped from her melancholy musings when Bonnie's deep chants began to grow louder and more violent. The group by the fire all turned toward the commotion as Shane came running over.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"She's tapped into something," Shane said. "Something that's not me. I don't know."

Bonnie was shouting gibberish, her tongue rolling over unintelligible words at a quick and terrifying pace. The fire they had built extinguished itself and the area turned black. A ripple passed through the air and the four of them shot up from their seats, bracing themselves.

A trail of fire ripped forward from where Bonnie stood, thrusting into the forest, past the trees, beyond where they could see.

Bonnie's chanting came to an abrupt halt and she collapsed into the sand. Seeing her fall, Caroline and Elena ran toward her and dropped down in the sand next to her.

"Bonnie?" Caroline said, turning her friend over. "Are you okay?"

Bonnie's eyes fluttered as she came back from the trance she had been under. Her head rolled around a bit and she seemed to be in a bit of a magical daze. She coughed once, coming back to herself finally. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Damon, Shane, and Rebekah stood over them as Bonnie sat up slowly, Caroline hovering over her a bit, worried.

"So, I take it that's our map," Damon guessed, his eyes following the fiery path into the woods. "Good work, Bon." The rest of them looked out into the forest, watching the fire blaze into the night. "Well, time's a-wastin. Let's get going. Some of us won't have the luxury of eternity soon."

Damon started back to the little camp to gather their things, Rebekah and Shane following behind him. Elena and Caroline helped Bonnie off the ground and she held onto their hands, giving them a little squeeze and a smile.

"Bonnie, you did it," Caroline said returning her grin.

"We, did it," Bonnie replied. Caroline and Elena grasped hands, completing the small circle of friendship.

"Now let's go get that cure!"


.

"I supposed there is no point in hiding this anymore," Klaus said flinging a sword down onto the floor. It was Alexander's, one of the original Five Hunters and Rebekah's former lover. After tricking Rebekah into revealing its location, Klaus had tracked it down in Italy, hoping that it would have given him a leg up on the competition for the cure. Rebekah had been trying to steal it back for weeks. They had all assumed that the sword would be needed to find a way to the cure, but the others had found a way around it.

He and Stefan had made it back to Mystic Falls and were now sitting in Klaus's mansion, a bottle of Scotch open between them. Klaus would have preferred to seethe alone, but Stefan was hovering. He didn't know if it was out of friendly concern or if the Salvatore was more worried about him going on a murderous rampage. Truthfully, Klaus hadn't ruled the latter out quite yet.

Stefan picked up the sword, holding the hilt and tipping it forward. "I never learned to use a sword," he mused. "They were before my time."

"Sword fighting is a lost art," Klaus muttered, grabbing the bottle and taking a large swig.

He thought of the collection he had kept long ago, swords collected from his dead enemies and conquests. Each one was a beautiful work of art, made even richer by the stories they carried. Weapons like these made killing more personal, more satisfying to those that truly enjoyed it. Warfare and battle, for all its gruesomeness in the modern age, was nothing compared to what it had been. The thought of his old collection, now lost, called forth another memory. One of a small blonde, standing in the middle of a shadowy room, watching her pick up a small sword and challenging him to a fight.

"I'm going easy on you since it's your first time."

"No need to take it easy on me. Go ahead and give me everything you've got."

"Why are you grinning?" Stefan asked.

Klaus swallowed the smile down, not realizing it had appeared on his face. He pushed the memory of first getting to know Caroline away. "It's nothing."

He turned his back, bringing the bottle to his lips again. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised that Caroline had gone off the way she did. She had always had a mind of her own. Always one to ignore danger, if she felt the sacrifice was worth it. The problem was, her ever present optimism always got in the way. She seemed to think that she was invincible, untouchable, and that perseverance and good intentions would always win the day. She hadn't lived long enough to know that her eternity would be fraught with danger. It was the life of the vampire. Nothing was ever truly safe, only safer.

But Klaus wanted to change that, to make her safe. To make her rose colored world a possibility. It had been his goal all along in finding Silas. If she wouldn't have just listened and not been so head strong for once. At least the cure would still be destroyed, that was something fortunate.

"What's this?" Stefan recalled Klaus's attention.

Klaus turned back, watching the other vampire turn the handle of the sword. "A cryptex," he replied.

Stefan gave it a few turns and the plates shifted and clicked, the symbols changing with each turn. "I don't know this language."

He passed it to Klaus, who dropped down onto the couch across from Stefan. Klaus held the sword in his hand, examining the markings."I don't imagine you could," Klaus said. "It's in Aramaic. Aside from a few scholars, I would wager that only my siblings and I could translate it properly."

"Does it say anything useful?"

Klaus let out a breath and began clicking the symbols around, his brain working to remember the long dead language, until they lined up into something that made sense. He hadn't taken time to examine the sword since it had been in his possession. Rebekah had had it in her's for a short time before she had buried it with her dead hunter lover. "It seems to reiterate the mission of The Five," Klaus explained, translating. "Find the cure, feed it to Silas, then kill him."

Klaus knew the legend well. The Hunters, created by descendants of Qetsiyah, required a full mark and a powerful witch to complete the task of ending Silas and fulfill the legendary witch's vendetta.

"So it's a hunter's operating manual," Stefan stated.

"More or less," Klaus replied. He turned the plate at the top the the right, spinning the body of the cryptex in the opposite direction as he did so, looking down at the new symbols. Dread filled him upon reading it and he sat up quickly, turning it again. His face dropped, the anger he had been nurturing falling quickly into worry.

"What is it?"

"It's about the cure," Klaus said. "Something I hadn't considered before. Something none of us considered."

Stefan's eyebrows shot up, his forehead wrinkling. "What?"

"There is only one dose."

The ripper mirrored Klaus's look of incredulity. Klaus cursed his own stupidity. They had all been reckless idiots, each and every one of them. Destroying the cure had been a fool's errand all along. It wasn't something that would be passed around, a free-for-all cure for anyone to use. It made sense. That was why The Brotherhood of the Five were so desperate to find it and jam it down Silas's throat before anyone else got to it. It was one shot, one chance.

"Both Elena and Rebekah are on that island," Stefan said. "They both want the cure."

Klaus froze, his body tensing, the realization crashing over him. "And she knows. Rebekah knows."

.


Beware of canon changes! I decided to make Rebekah completely aware of the fact that there is only one cure dosage in this fic. I felt it was a nice twist. There will be a little bit of a reveal in the next chapter. All hell shall break loose!

One note continuing forward, a kind of pet peeve of mine...I had a guest reviewer mention a bit of distaste at having Delena in my fic. I have two things to say to that. Maybe three... 1) I'm a Delena shipper and I HATE how their relationship was handled in season 4. So I'm remedying that for myself here. This is me being totally selfish. 2) I'm keeping a few things from canon, so I chose to keep the fact that Damon and Elena were together in this fic. It always seemed like a very natural progression after what happened with Stefan being gone and Elena growing closer to Damon. 3) I tend to experiment with different sub ships in each of my fics that are interesting to me. I've done Elejah, Stebekah, Kalijah, Beremy...so going forward if anyone else has any qualms about ships, I hope that you can over look the fact that they aren't the main focus of the story and continue reading. However if you can't, DO NOT complain to me. Feel free to go find something else to read. I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying that this is fan fiction. There is plenty of it out there and I'm sure you will find something to suit your needs. Better yet...write your own. Then you'll never have to be disappointed.

So yeah, *breath*. Everyone else, thanks for the love and support. See ya next chapter!

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