Keep your head up
Nothing lasts forever
Here's to the damned
To the lost and forgotten

.

.

"I see rumors of your Petrova fire have been greatly exaggerated," Silas commented blithely, glancing at Katherine from the corner of his eye. She'd been curled up against the window, her arms folded across her body, with her long wet hair arranged so that it swept across the side of her face—effectively hiding her expression from his view.

She didn't respond, instead turning her head a quarter of an inch further to her right so that her forehead was pressed up against the window. She gazed blearily out at the passing landscape, noticing their surroundings become more deserted the further that they drove.

The car lurched forward then around a pothole, and Katherine hastily clamped her eyes shut, willing the infernal pounding in her head to go away. She heard a chuckle from the seat next to her, and she painstakingly lifted her head away from the window to glare at Silas.

He raised an eyebrow at her in faint amusement. "Humanity really doesn't suit you, Katerina."

"I told you," she hissed through gritted teeth, "Not to call me that."

"My mistake," Silas responded with a grin, "And at the rate you're going, you're probably going to be begging me to kill you before the night is done."

"I don't really see any reason for us to talk," Katherine spat back, "So why don't you just shut the hell up until we get to Lucy's?"

"Need I remind you of the rules?"

"No."

The car lurched forward again, and this time she knew he'd done it on purpose. "Look at me, Katherine." His tone left no room for argument, and she begrudgingly turned to face him. "When we get to Lucy's, you will not indicate to her that I am not Stefan. You will not try to ask her for help. You will not attempt to stage a getaway plan. Do we understand each other?"

She pressed her lips together defiantly, but then he abruptly reached over and grabbed her forearm in an unforgivable grip and she let out a strangled gasp of pain. "Yes, okay!? I get it. Let go!"

He let her suffer for another ten seconds before releasing her from his grasp. Katherine instantly moved as far away from him as she could, her fingers gingerly massaging her bruised arm. Tears pricked her eyelids and she turned her face away towards the window. She refused to show him any weakness, human or not.

The car slowed down at that moment, and she looked over to see Silas make a right turn down a rickety dirt road. There was nothing on either side of them, save for a few pine trees. In the distance, however, Katherine could see a small house that was presumably their destination. "Is that it?"

Silas pulled to a stop on the side of the road, just a few feet away from the house. "She knows we're here," he told her, "I just saw someone watching us from that window upstairs."

Katherine looked up just in time to see the purple curtain twitch back into place. "Well? Should we knock on her door or what?"

"Go ahead," Silas leaned back in his seat, making no move to get out of the car. "I assume she'll be a little confused to see you in the company of someone who was last seen trying to kill you."

"Fine," she grumbled, unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car. Her legs were cramped and her stomach rolled with a mixture of anxiety and nerves. She winced, leaning against the side of the car to steady herself.

"Katherine Pierce?" a familiar voice called, "Is that really you?" Lucy Bennett had opened her front door, and now stood on the porch, one hand at her hip. "Girl, you look like you've been run over by a truck."

"Feels like it too," Katherine managed to say, hauling herself into a standing position. She tried to walk towards the house, but ended up staggering forward and collapsing onto her knees.

"Kat!" Silas called from behind her, inflecting just the right amount of worry and panic into his voice to sound exactly like Stefan. "Are you okay?"

Lucy, who had been hurrying forward to help her, came to a halt. "Stefan Salvatore?"

"Please," Silas said desperately, "We need your help! We came all this way from Mystic Falls just to find you. We...I mean, Katherine...has no one left to turn to."

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy looked unnerved as she reached out to help Katherine to her feet. "Why does she look so—" She broke off as soon as her hand made contact with Katherine's. "No," Lucy breathed, letting go and stepping back with wide eyes. "But it's not possible! She's..."

"Human," Katherine croaked, her shoulders slumping in defeat. She looked up, meeting Lucy's gaze beseechingly. "Please, you have to help me."

Bonnie shifted, feeling the invisible barrier around her flutter. There was a slight strain as it worked to keep out whoever was trying to get in, but then the resistance faded. She didn't bother to turn around to see who had joined her. That was the one advantage of being a ghost; the worst had already happened. You were dead. Nothing could harm you. Nothing could touch you. Fire, water, air, earth. You were impervious to it all. Invincible. It was ironic, really.

"Bit pathetic."

She stiffened.

"Watching over your so-called friends, knowing that you're slipping further and further from their minds as each day passes."

Bonnie opened her mouth in a defensive retort, but then thought better of it. He was baiting her, and she just had to be strong enough to stay silent. It wasn't like he could physically touch her. The most he could do was verbally spar with her, but she wasn't going to let his words affect her. She would just have to ignore him until he disappeared again.

"They'll all move on, you know." His voice was at her ear now, so close that she could feel the coolness of his breath against her skin. She repressed a shiver, turning her face away in disgust. "See, they all still have lives, unlike you. Look at them, already so involved in their petty little rifts...jealousy, betrayal, love.." Bonnie involuntarily looked over at Caroline, who was standing in the midst of Bourbon Street and watching a painter. Even at this distance, she could see the tear stains glistening on her face. "Such silly, mundane things they all waste their lives worrying about."

Bonnie walked further down the street, wandering until she came across Sophie's bar. She could see Klaus standing outside, engaged in a fierce argument with Elijah. She looked around hopefully, but Jeremy was nowhere to be found. "It's not what you thought it'd be like, is it? Did you think that your loyal puppy dog Jeremy Gilbert would have you on his mind all the time? That he would constantly want to see you, talk to you, keep you company while you withered away all alone here on the Other S—"

"Shut up!" Bonnie whirled around, finally losing her temper. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

Kol looked delighted.

"Don't I?" he goaded, "You think I don't know what it's like? My family who spouts their 'always and forever' nonsense, but conveniently forgot all about me in the pursuit of their own pleasures?" He glared at Klaus and Elijah spitefully, "Look at them, squabbling over a girl. Thousands of years later and everything is still exactly the same."

"They're not fighting over a girl." Bonnie didn't know why she felt the need to clarify this, but she did. "You haven't been paying attention."

"Haven't I?" Kol pointed at Klaus, "Knocked up Hayley, didn't want Caroline to find out." Then he pointed at Elijah, "Wants to protect Hayley and the baby, and will rip out the heart of anyone who threatens their safety. How am I doing so far?"

She didn't answer.

"Shall I continue then?" Kol didn't wait for her response, "The witches in New Orleans want to stage a revolt against Marcel, because he won't allow them to practice magic. And they're going to use my dear brother to do their bidding, all the while holding Hayley and the baby hostage."

Bonnie turned to look at him in spite of herself. "What I don't get is how Marcel knows when magic is being used," she said thoughtfully, "If Klaus can just figure that out, then all the power Marcel holds will be lost."

"True enough," Kol shrugged, "But why do you care? It's my brother's problem, not yours. Last I checked, he was your enemy not your friend." He happened to catch sight of her expression at that moment, and his eyes widened. "Wait a second, you want to solve the little mystery for them, don't you? You think if you hand over Marcel's secret weapon, the witches here will be grateful enough to find a spell to bring you back to life."

"So what?" Bonnie challenged, "That's why Caroline and Jeremy are here, isn't it? They needed to find witches, and now all they have to do is convince them to help—and if we solve their problems first, then they'll be more than willing to lend a hand."

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" Kol got into her face then, his eyes glinting menacingly. "You think there's just an easy magical solution to everything, even death."

"N-no, that's not—"

"What makes you so much better than the rest of us stuck here for eternity?" Kol suddenly shoved her backwards, and she was so startled by the sensation that she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She crawled back uncertainly as he stepped forward, towering over her. "Why do you deserve to rejoin the world of the living, Bonnie Bennett?" Kol leaned over her, his tone becoming malicious. "You haven't killed people? You haven't been responsible for death and destruction?"

She swallowed, her body beginning to shake. "I'm not a bad person."

"Not a bad person?" he sneered, and she knew he was mocking her. "If your soul was so pure then why didn't you move on? No," he shook his head, "You deserve to be here, the same as the rest of us." With that, he pressed against the barrier and vanished, leaving her completely alone. Again.

"I can't believe you weren't keeping a better eye on her!" Klaus shouted, "Now she's god knows where, probably seconds away from one of Marcel's minions—"

"Caroline can take care of herself," Elijah said calmly, though his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. "Don't take this out on me, brother."

Klaus stopped pacing the sidewalk, whirling around to scowl at Elijah. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Only that you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"If you had told Caroline the truth from the beginning, she wouldn't have had to find out in this rather unpleasant manner."

"So now this is my fault?" Klaus snapped, storming forward in his rage. "If you recall, brother, I would have had Hayley killed long ago if it hadn't been for YOU stepping in as always to save the day." He stopped inches from Elijah's face with a sneer, "Ever the white knight."

"I hardly think of myself as the hero in this scenario," Elijah stepped backwards, folding his hands behind his back. "I am merely looking out for our family's best interests, Niklaus."

"Oh, spare me—"

"This child is our legacy," he interrupted, "With the cure gone, there is no hope of Rebekah bearing children one day nor of myself fathering any offspring. You are the only chance we have of continuing our lineage." He reached out and clasped his brother's shoulder, "I thought we had agreed on this, Klaus. Isn't this what you wanted?"

Klaus stared at the ground irritably. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"I know," Elijah cajoled, "But now that the truth is out in the open, perhaps it's all for the best."

"Guys!" They both turned as Jeremy came running towards them, looking out of breath. "I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find her. I even walked all the way back to the car, because I thought she might've taken off, but it was still there."

"Well, that means she's still in the area someplace," Elijah replied promptly, "Did you try calling her?"

"She won't answer..." Jeremy trailed off, his gaze drifting to the right. "Bonnie! Have you seen Caroline?" The Mikealsen brothers waited with bemused expressions as Jeremy had a conversation with someone they couldn't see, until he suddenly exclaimed, "Down there? But I just walked by! What painter?"

Klaus abruptly spun on his heel, taking off into the night. "I believe my brother might know this painter that you speak of," Elijah commented, "Shall we?" He strode into the crowd without waiting for a response, weaving through them with such certainty that Jeremy began to wonder if perhaps he also knew the so-called painter they were searching for.

"Caroline!"

She started, looking towards who had called her. When she saw Klaus, her face fell. "It's been a long couple of days, okay?" she said before he could get in a word, "Can we just discuss this in the morning?"

"Morning?" Elijah joined them, exchanging a glance with Klaus. "I didn't realize you were planning on staying in New Orleans, Caroline."

Jeremy crossed his arms, "We came here for help, Elijah, and we're not leaving until we get it."

"Help?" Klaus looked confused, "With what?"

"The witches," he responded forcefully, "We need their help to bring Bonnie back from the Other Side."

"And I already explained to them that this is quite impossible," Elijah interjected, "Especially since the witches here aren't allowed to practice magic."

"You know I would normally do anything to help you, Caroline, but I'm afraid my brother is right. Marcel has banned magic here. It's how he holds all supernatural beings under his control."

"Then convince him to break the rules," Caroline pleaded, "You guys are best friends or whatever, aren't you? He'll listen to you!"

Klaus was already shaking his head, "It doesn't work like that...there is a delicate balance between..." He trailed off, looking frustrated. "I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't."

"Guys, wait a second," Jeremy held up his hand to gesture for them to be quiet, "Bonnie has an idea." He listened for a few seconds, smiling grimly. "And I think it just might work."

"You will never believe what Caroline just texted me," Elena whispered to Damon, glancing at the backseat to make sure Tyler was still out of it before continuing. "Hayley's pregnant!"

Damon's brow furrowed, "Who?"

Elena shot him an annoyed look, "Can you not do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act like anyone who's not directly affecting your life isn't important?"

He rolled his eyes, "Give it twenty years or so, you'll be right where I am, Little Miss Empathy."

Elena brushed off his remark without a second thought. "Hayley was the one who—"

"Yes, I know," Damon cut her off impatiently, "The werewolf girl who got Caroline to go all territorial on Tyler. Why do we care if she's pregnant? Did she..." His jaw suddenly dropped, "Wait, she did sleep with Tyler!?"

"No," Elena hissed, shooting another paranoid glance towards the backseat, "And be quiet!"

"Oh, like he's going to wake up anytime soon," Damon grumbled, but he lowered his voice all the same. "So it's not Tyler's baby? Then let me repeat: why should we care?"

She sipped on her bloodbag leisurely, pretending not to notice Damon tapping his foot in anticipation. After a full minute of letting him stew in his own curiosity, she proclaimed, "It's Klaus' baby."

"WHAT?"

The car swerved. "Watch it!"

"Sorry," Damon said hastily, righting the wheel and slowing down so that he could peer down the shady looking road he was supposed to turn onto. "Of course a witch would live down here," he muttered under his breath. Then he turned back to Elena, "But how on earth did Klaus manage that?"

"It must be because werewolves can still procreate," Elena realized, "With each other, I mean." Her voice petered out towards the end, sounding wistful. Damon reached over and took her hand, stroking her skin gently. She gave him a small smile and cleared her throat, "So anyway, I guess this means they slept together."

Damon made a disgusted face. "Never say those words again," he shuddered, "I don't need those images in my brain."

"Yeah," Elena frowned, "It's pretty weird, right? I thought Hayley hated Klaus for how he treated his hybrids. Isn't she the one that got Tyler to break the sire bond?"

"Well, as disturbing as all this is, we have other things to worry about right now," Damon nodded up ahead as he pulled to a stop in front of the house. "Looks like Lucy already has company."

"Different car," Elena noted as she stepped outside and looked over at the second car already parked outside the house. "I guess Silas did ditch their other one."

Damon barely spared it a glance before walking purposefully up to the house and raising his fist to the door. "Anybody home?" he called, knocking loudly. "We're lost and we need help."

"Why lie?"

He shrugged, "Why not?"

To his surprise, the door opened immediately after their exchange. Lucy stood there, looking less than pleased to see him. "Damon. Can't say I wasn't expecting you." She looked past him, "And the Gilbert girl, too." Her gaze lingered on Elena interestedly, "You're not human anymore."

"No," she agreed, "I'm not."

"So Katherine is human and you're a vampire. Funny how these things work out, isn't it?"

"Not really," Damon responded flatly, trying to look past her into the house. "Say, that pesky little doppelganger wouldn't be here right now, would she?"

"She was," Lucy crossed her arms, "Along with your brother. But I sent them away to get some supplies. They'll be back shortly."

He stiffened, "My brother? Okay, I need you to listen carefully to me, alright? I know that who you saw may have appeared to look like Stefan, but we're fairly sure that it was Silas. You know who Silas is, I'm assuming?"

"I'd ask you to wait, but somehow I feel like you're here on your own mission?"

Elena exchanged a startled look with Damon. "Sorry," she said cautiously, coming forward. "But I don't think you heard him...That was SILAS who was in your house. He was pretending to be Stefan; he can get into people's heads, make them see who he wants them to see."

"I really shouldn't help you, you know," Lucy sighed, "Katherine told me that you're the one who shoved the cure down her throat."

Elena gaped at her in astonishment. "Damon, can I speak to you over here by the car for a second?"

He quickly clambered back down the stairs and joined her where they would be out of hearing range. "She's been Compelled or something," Damon growled, "It's like she can't even hear us when we speak Silas' name."

"Compelled? But she's a witch," Elena hissed back, "How could this happen?"

"Silas must've messed with her mind somehow," he muttered, "This is going to be harder than I thought."

There were footsteps behind them and they both turned to see Lucy approaching, her gaze fixated on something in their car. "What have you people done to that boy!?"

"Oh, that's Tyler," Elena blurted out, thinking quickly on the spot. "He's actually why we're here. See, we don't know what's happened to him and he won't wake up. We thought maybe he was under a spell or something?"

"Sleeping Beauty?" Lucy asked skeptically, peering at him through the car window. "Very well, I'll see what I can do for him," she turned away and called over her shoulder, "Carry him inside and lay him down on the sofa. I'll get some herbs ready." She paused on the threshold, and added almost as an afterthought, "And I invite you both in, so don't make me regret it."

"Great," Damon slung Tyler over his shoulder and blurred up the stairs and into the house, with Elena at his heels. He looked around suspiciously before laying Tyler down on the sofa. "This better not be a trap."

"Shh," Elena smacked his arm, "Be nice. We have to get on her good side."

He snorted, "It doesn't matter what side we're on; there's no way we can override the Compulsion. She's never going to believe us."

"Let's worry about that later," she whispered back, "We know Katherine and Silas are going to come back here. We'll just have to confront him and find out where Stefan is. That's what's important right now."

Ten minutes later, he and Elena were both seated on armchairs in the living room, watching as Lucy blew incense over Tyler's face. She chanted as she burned some herbs, the smoke hovering over his body before seeping into his pores. Then she closed her eyes and pressed three of her fingers against Tyler's forehead. "This is what I can tell you," she said in a strong voice, "The boy has been spelled. He was sent to find those who sought him out."

"There must be some mistake," Elena hesitated, "We weren't seeking him out, that was Caroline."

"He was sent where he was needed most," Lucy murmured, now laying her whole hand across his forehead. "And it wasn't Caroline who needed him. It was you and Damon."

"The day that I need Lockwood's help for anything—"

Lucy's eyes flew open. "The boy was sent to you as a gift, and whatever purpose he may serve may not be clear now, but it shall become clear in time."

"But who sent him? And why won't he wake up?"

"There are some who wish you to remain without his help. He must fight against their power."

"Power?" Damon immediately honed in on her use of the word, "So what witches are we dealing with exactly?"

Lucy didn't answer, turning her head towards the door. Damon and Elena both stood up, also hearing two pairs of footsteps climbing the stairs outside. The sounds paused for a second, and then the door was pushed open, creaking against its hinges in the sudden silence. The moonlight cast shadows against the two people standing on the threshold, darkness having fallen outside.

Damon stepped forward then, slightly ahead of Elena. He squared his shoulders, raising his head challengingly, "Hello, Silas."

bonus TRIVIA: name 1) the famous person who said the quote from this chapter's title, or 2) name the supernatural tv show that used this quote in one of their more significant episodes.

p.s. I've moved some of my oneshots and shorter fics to my new livejournal account (tamilnadu09).