She was waiting behind a guard, her foot tapping erratically against the hardwood. Klaus had left minutes ago although it felt like hours. After making sure they were all safe he ran off down the hallway, not taking one look back in her direction. It was unsettling not having him here and sure, there were guards surrounding the living area, but it wasn't the same. They still had their lives to worry about, everyone did. She saw the look in their eyes, the fear that etched worry lines on their features. This wasn't something that happened every day and for once this wasn't some drill or situation that could be easily cleared up.

No. It was real.

But Caroline wasn't even sure what this was. No one uttered a single word, there were no orders given as what to do. They were only told to stay and not move, not move until he comes back.

Out of worry, she gnaws on her bottom lip, hands twisting together as Rebekah begins to pace. Katherine hasn't even returned and Kol is nowhere to be found. The chaos is slowly erupting and all Caroline can do is stare blankly into the wall.

"What's happened?" It was Kol. He was rushing down the spiraling staircase, face flushed and knuckles white with his strong grip on the railing. His eyes went first to his sister and then to Caroline, searching for answers.

"I don't know," Rebekah sobbed, "Nik left and he hasn't come back-"

Caroline cringes but tries to compose herself.

"Well then I'll find him." Kol declared. "Don't fret, I should be back-"

Rebekah's eyes widen. "No! Don't leave us."

"Bekah-" Caroline whispered, shaking her head. But Kol had already left despite his sister's pleas and Rebekah was wearing a lost expression. There was a different kind of fear in her eyes, a loss of hope that didn't seem like it would reappear. "Rebekah, it's fine. He'll be right back."

"Then where is Nik? You may not like my brothers very much but they don't take this long with women waiting."

Caroline swallowed hard and looked away.

"Exactly."

The girls fell into a silence with Rebekah picking her pace back up and Caroline sinking onto the couch. Her face fell in her hands as she wiped her hair away from her eyes. A chill was running through the air but she didn't have the strength in her to shiver. She just watched as the goosebumps prickled her skin and let the coldness overtake her mind.

"I'll take the east wing and you cover the west. We'll have the first team move in north and then the second spread out down south. That way, we'll have the house surrounded. No chances for escape."

Stefan was nodding his head slowly, taking in the orders as best as he could. His concentration was little to nothing at the moment as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. He's never felt something so exhilarating before. The pressure, the stress. His feet were burrowing into ground and his hands were sweaty. There was an ache in the back of his thighs from crouching and his heart never beat so fast. But this was it, this it what they've been waiting for. Soon Caroline will be back where she belongs and Damon will have what it his. He tried not to think of who else waited inside. Tried not to think of the disappointment that would shine through her eyes at the sight of him. Perhaps she would never forgive him.

But that was a price he was willing to take.

"Got it," he said, nodding towards Damon as he began to stand up. "I'll search for Caroline and signal you when I get her."

"No, just leave." Damon said. "I don't want to keep her at risk. Once you have her then retreat. I'll give myself thirty minutes and if there's no sign of Elena then," he swallowed hard, "then we'll leave."

Stefan frowned but nodded and began to move forward. But he couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips. In the matter of hours he would have his sister back. The feeling was better than all the riches in the world and all the power they would surely claim. All he wanted was her...all he needed was her. She was his family.

Elijah was standing on the other side of the room, fingers drumming against the wall as he stared off. His mind was going blank as his heart beat radically. They were in the house now, walking through the halls and he didn't have a clue of what to do. Should he find them and confront them or retreat? In some way or another this would have to be resolved. The Salvatores had to know the truth about Marcel, about everything that's wronged them. But it was just the meaning of when, where and how.

His eyes moved to Katherine across the room. She was perched on a wooden stool, hands restrained tightly in her lap and eyes trained on the wall. She hadn't said much for a while now as Elijah sorted through his thoughts. But now she couldn't help but look up, her big doe eyes boring into his. He saw the fear now, the slight hesitation in her moves as she debated whether or not to go to him.

"Katherine,"

At the sound of her name she smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You need to go back now."

"Where are you going to go?"

He sighed. "I'm going to fix this."

"Isn't there another way?"

He shook his head.

Katherine hopped off the stool and walked slowly over to him. Her arms wrapped around his torso and she laid her head down on his chest, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She could hear the rapid beat of his heart and it matched hers perfectly.

"I love you," she whispered.

He felt his heart race at her confession. It wasn't something she said often and he never pushed her for it. Her life hasn't been something she can look back upon and smile about. But he was happy that there was at least one thing she can have and never lose. And that was himself.

"I love you too."

At his words he motioned for a guard to come into the room. He would escort Katherine back to the where the girls were, no doubt placed somewhere safe. It was all that mattered to him right now. He wouldn't be able to think straight if he wasn't 100% sure she was safe.

"I'll see you soon," he was pushing her away into the hands of another. Her face was broken but he couldn't focus on that anymore. She would be fine. There were other things now.

Katherine simply nodded. She tried not to think about what he was doing but she couldn't stop herself. That man was the only thing she had in this life. Sure she had friends and safety but he kept her grounded. He kept her from ripping herself apart, from going to the deepest depth of her soul because there was an absence in her life. Something that no one could ever fill.

It was her daughter. Without Nadia in her life, she's been clinging onto Elijah for so long. He's kept her sane in the years that she's been most vulnerable. And although she still isn't herself, he makes it all worth it.

Maybe one day-

The last thing she saw was Elijah's pained face as the doors cut the last ties she had of him.

"I'm not sitting here any longer!" Rebekah declared, shooting up from her spot. "I'm going to find someone."

Caroline sighed, shaking her head as a guard spun towards them.

"I don't think so," he said sternly. "I was given strict orders by Mr. Mikaelson to keep both of you here."

"Well not one of my brothers are here at the moment and Katherine hasn't returned yet either! I'm not going to sit here like a helpless little girl while absolute chaos-"

She never had time to finish her statement.

A shot rang out in the room and she watched in horror as the guard dropped to the ground at her feet. Blood splattered on the ground and on her clothes, tiny droplets flying everywhere. In that short time, every guard around them reacted, guns going up in the air and loaded, pointing in every direction. Rebekah started screaming but Caroline could only stare at the dead body before her.

"Oh my God," Rebekah eyes widen and she couldn't stop rubbing her skin. No matter how hard she tried the blood didn't seem to wash away.

Caroline stood from the couch and backed away into the hallway, Rebekah at her side as a guard came in front of them. He motioned to the right as more men entered the room. By the unfamiliar faces approaching Caroline knew it wasn't good.

She made her footsteps short and soft, moving carefully through the narrow hallway that lead into the east wing. Her fingers trailed the walls and she was sure her heart beat filled the silence creeping up on them. She noticed the slight tremor in the guards hands and the beads of sweat collecting on the side of his face. He was scanning the area in front of them, eyes trained on everything that moved, anything suspicious. But Caroline was able to catch something he didn't.

Her brother.

She nearly screamed at the sight of his dark hair sweeping through the halls. His gun was pointed high in the hair and there was a determined look on his face. She noticed the crazed glaze of his eyes as he moved, the tentative steps he took as men followed behind and in front of him. He was searching for something and the thought made her stomach flip.

Quickly, she ducked. Her hair was a wave of blonde as she dragged Rebekah down with her, the guard completely oblivious. But Damon couldn't see her, not yet.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Rebekah hissed, ripping herself from Caroline.

"My brothers are here. I just saw Damon."

Rebekah frowned. "Caroline."

"I know." Caroline chewed on her bottom lip. The guard had stopped now, looking at them as they crouched in the corner of the hallway. He seemed confused, opening his mouth slightly to speak but another voice caught them off guard.

"Caroline? Bekah?"

Klaus was standing at the far end of the hallway. His gun gripped tightly in his hand and there was blood stained on his shirt. Caroline took note of his tousled hair and worn face, the blue in his eyes faded as he took them in. All she wanted to do was run to him and make all of this go away but it wasn't that simple. And by the way he was looking at her, he knew.

"What are you doing here?" his voice was hard but he never looked to Caroline.

"Nik," Rebekah whispered in relief and stood up from her crouched position.

Caroline said nothing nor did she move. They were already exposed and who knows where Damon was lurking now.

"The guards were shot down and he," she pointed to the frightened guard near the end of the hallway, "took us down here. But Caroline spotted her brothers. They're here for her, Nik. That's what this is about."

Klaus looked to Caroline but she wouldn't meet her eyes. They both knew what this meant yet neither were able to accept it yet. Though Klaus already knew which was why he was heading down here. They had to get Caroline out and as far away from here as possible.

He turned to the guard. "Take Bekah to the basement compound. Katherine and Kol are waiting for her there."

The guard nodded.

"Behave," Klaus added, glaring at his sister profusely. "Follow orders and do as your told."

This time Rebekah didn't utter a single retort. She simply nodded before hugging him tightly. Her lips moved silently by his ear as she pulled away, following the guard deeper down the hallway. He didn't look at Caroline until she was completely out of sight, blonde locks faded.

Caroline stood and brushed off her jeans. Her hands were shaking and she tried to hide the anxious feeling running throughout her body. Klaus wasn't helping much as he couldn't even spare her a glance. His jaw was set tightly and his eyes turned a stormy blue. Anger was boiling deep within his stomach and she could almost feel the heat of rage radiating off of him.

It took him a few more seconds before he finally spoke.

"I'm not sure what to do with you now."

She swallowed hard. "You know the options, you just have to choose."

Right. Options. There were two clear ones, each logical enough to make sense. One weighed more to Caroline than the other and she had a feeling of what he would choose. The situation reminded her of this whole predicament. It made her sick inside. He was still her captor. He still owned her in a sense. And she should be ecstatic that her brothers were finally here after so long. They were here to save her, to take her back to where she rightfully belonged.

So why did she feel so conflicted about it all?

"That's the problem, Caroline, I don't want to." Klaus looked at her, his voice dripping with rage. "It would be so easy to hand you over right now and end this all. We could expose Marcel and get the Gilbert girl back. It would be so easy to mend what is broken."

She crossed her arms over her chest and focused on the wall beside her. "But then that would mean you lost."

He laughed, something so bitter it stung. "I don't bloody care if I lose, Caroline."

"Then what is it? Your pride? Your ego? Don't want anything to get bruised?" She couldn't stop now, they just kept coming. "You want to take me away and lock me up forever just to prove how strong you are? How strong this family is? Because we all know that if I go back then this is over. Everything is over."

"What's over?"

She didn't respond.

"What do you think would happen when you leave here, Caroline?" He paused. "There will never be peace between our families. We have all done horrible things to each other and just because we unit for one thing won't change anything. You will always be a Salvatore and I will always be a Mikaelson."

"I know," she murmured.

"Do you? Do you really know?"

"Of course I do! I'm not a idiot, I'm not some little girl who thinks everything can be fixed." Caroline shook her head, emotions swirling around in it endlessly. "I know once this is all over I'll be dragged back home by my ear and thrown into that house until I'm married off. They'll probably choose someone approvable, someone with a good family and strong connections. He'll be smart and handsome and I'll live the rest of my life in another big house." She saw how her words were affecting him but she had to prove something now, prove that she wasn't so ignorant. "We'll have children and grow old together and I'll still be trapped. I'll be confined to a house as a working mother, just like my mom. There will be no freedom and I'll be bound to that man until the day I die! I know nothing is going to change, Klaus! I know how this stuff works because after this is all over I'll be forced to hate you. I'll have to teach my children to hate your children just like my parents did. Although I guess they did a pretty shitty job because I don't. God, I really don't hate any of you which is why I want to stay."

He opened his mouth to say something but she interrupted him.

"But I can't stay. They won't leave this place until I'm chained to them, until they have what is their's. And God only knows what they're thinking about Elena. Who even knows what happened to her! But they won't listen, they won't listen to a damn word you say because of who you are. They'll be so worried about our family and her that they won't even bother to see that I don't belong to them anymore. And I don't belong to you either." She took a deep breath. "I belong to myself."

She stepped closer to him now but all he could manage to do was whisper her name.

"But it isn't my choice. None of this is my choice." She was whispering, so softly that he barely heard her. "There are no choices when it comes to a life like this. Everything is forced upon you. It's all shoved down your throat and you choke because it's too hard to swallow all at once."

I'm choking, she wanted to say, I can't breathe.

"You shouldn't have kissed me."

And there it is.

There it is.

"Look at the mess it has created."

He looked away from her, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "You can't change the past, Caroline."

"But I want to."

Klaus stepped towards her. "You think I wanted this to happen? You think this was my plan? I thought I would come out of this as a winner, as someone worthy of my family name. But I only ended up destroying myself in the process. No one gains a single thing from this. We have all lost. Don't you see?" He whispered this time. "We're all failures."

The reality of the whole situation was bubbling up around them. With each turn the truth hit them hard because the end was so near. And she saw what he was trying to do. She finally realized-

"You're letting me go."

He only stared at her, couldn't bring himself to do anything more.

"So this is it? This is where it all ends?"

"It is what is best for my family. Once we come together and defeat Marcel then we can all go our separate ways. We will assist in the search for your friend, get our money back and the war will be settled." Klaus sighed, defeat shimmering in his eyes. "I am tired of fighting."

Caroline pressed her lips together, nodding as the tears came. "I see."

"I don't think you do."

"Apparently you know everything about me today."

"Caroline-"

"Stop! Okay? I get it. I understand perfectly now!"

He sighed in frustration and grabbed her shoulders. "I am doing what is best for you and my family. You may not like it and obviously don't agree with it but this is what has to be done."

"What about my choice?"

"You said so yourself that in this life there are no choices."

"But you get a choice."

He leaned in so close. His lips merely a breath away and the world stopped spinning. The air settled between then and she finally relaxed, letting out an exhausted breath. Tears spilled from her eyes, steadily streaming down her cheeks. She was shaking, every part of her shaking desperately. Because she knew everything she said was going to come true. Everything he said would become a reality. Nothing she wanted would become hers. The life she wanted, the life she dreamed of...well it was only that.

A dream.

"Please know, love," and he called her love because it seemed so fitting at the moment. "That this isn't my choice. I'm not doing this because I want to but because I have to."

"You have to," she repeated numbly, "You really have to."

Klaus nodded.

"I wish things were different."

He couldn't say anything but he agreed. Every cell in his body agreed.

"I'm sorry," was all he could think of. Because he was. He was so sorry.

She made up her mind. After debating whether or not to seal this goodbye with a kiss she threw every care out the window and leaned in. Their lips met as a final tear slipped from her eye. Her fingers tangled in his shirt but they touched something wet.

Through the whole kiss, the whole moment building up to it she hadn't realized the blood staining his shirt. And when she pulled away, pure shock streaked on her face, a shot rang out around her. In the matter of seconds she was spread against the wall, his body pressing into hers but she tasted it. It was splattered across her lips, salty and a bitter copper taste invading her mouth that her whole body recoiled.

His face was pale and she felt the absence of his body as he slid down her and onto the ground. She couldn't scream, couldn't find the voice within her to let out something so horrid and blood curdling. But she fell to her knees, tears blurring her vision because his eyes were closed and there was so much blood. She seemed to be covered in it as it pooled from his chest.

"Klaus," she sobbed. Her hands were going to his shirt as she pressed on the wound, trying to minimize the bleeding. "Oh God, Klaus."

He wasn't responding and the panic was rising within her.

"Klaus, wake up. Klaus, please. I don't know what to do and you have to tell me what to do."

The wound was on his left shoulder but she's never seen something so bad. She felt the sticky blood as she continued to put pressure on it. The trick was something she learned from her doctor TV shows. Trauma 101.

His eyes started to flutter and he gasped awake, as if he's been dead the whole time.

"Caroline," his eyes searched her face frantically. "What happened? Are you okay?" He winced as he noticed the pressure on his shoulder and the blood covering her.

She let out a choked sob of relief as it mixed with laughter. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" She was hyperventilating, breathing so heavily that it was hard to think. "I thought you died!"

He couldn't help but smile a little.

She cared.

"I'm fine," he reassured. "You have to go, Caroline. They're coming."

"I can't leave you!"

He sucked in a deep breath. "You're going to have to."

"You're insane!"

"If you don't leave then God only knows what will happen to me. Find a guard, point them in my direction and then find your brothers."

He had his business voice on now. His serious blue eyes were hard against hers and it felt no room for protest. She watched as his shaking hand slowly pried her fingers from his shirt and then the other from his wound. The blood poured out and nausea gripped her stomach, twisting every part of it.

"Caroline, leave."

She went to wipe a tear away but blood smeared onto her cheek. But she nodded her head and turned away from him. If she looked again then she wouldn't be able to leave.

And then she was running.

She heard his rapid breaths as he struggled for air but she kept running. Her feet couldn't seem to move fast enough as she searched for someone, anyone who could help. She tried to focus on the task at hand, focused on saving him. That's all that mattered. How could they ever try to fix this if he wasn't-

Her body slammed into another and she felt a set of familiar arms wrap around her. At first she struggled, thrashing against this stranger with all her strength. And through her lips she was whispering his name, pointing to the hallway she came from. Maybe someone would listen. Maybe someone would worry about what's really important for a change.

"Caroline."

It was a voice she hasn't heard in months. And when she finally broke away enough to see this stranger, her body went rigid.

"Stefan?"

His eyes were trained on her hands, her body. Blood covered every inch of her and a piece of her shirt was torn. She saw the worry in his eyes but she shook her head.

"It's...not mine." Just thinking of Klaus made her mouth turn dry. She couldn't tell Stefan about him, she couldn't tell anyone now. He would lay in that hallway alone until someone found them on their own.

"Whose is it then?" He asked.

Caroline's mouth opened a few times but she couldn't find the right words. "I don't...I don't know."

"Do you know where they are?"

She nodded. "We should get going though. Where's Damon?"

"He's looking for Elena."

Caroline's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Elena isn't here."

Stefan laughed. He always did when he thought he knew more than her. "Caroline, I don't expect you to understand. A lot has happened-"

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child, Stefan. I know everything and Elena is not here."

He still wouldn't believe her. "Caroline, I don't know how much they told you-"

"Like how you were framed for stealing all their money?"

She placed her hands on her lips and stared at him, an eyebrow raised. Stefan studied her carefully, lips pursed as her eyes met his. Caroline was different, more different than he's ever noticed. It was the way she held herself, chest lifted and head held up high. He remembers this stance from when she said she was moving out.

Confident.

Strong.

Fearless.

She wasn't afraid. She knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Caroline-"

"You're making a mistake. It was Marcel, it's always been Marcel."

"I know that. We both know that."

"Then why are you here? Why are you doing this?"

Stefan ran a hand through his hair, trying to breathe deeply. "We thought they didn't know. We thought that they took Elena out of revenge. I thought we could get you both back-"

Caroline's eyes widened. "Stefan! She's not here, she's really not here."

The error they made began to weigh heavily on his shoulders. In one swift movement he grabbed her arm and began tugging her, fear rising slowly within him. Damon still thinks she's here. He's still searching.

He'll stop at nothing until he gets the answers he's looking for.

"Where are we going?" Caroline asked.

"To find Damon. We have to stop this."

He was struggling. Coughing, wheezing, gasping for air as the world around him faded into colors. He was gripping the wall, nails digging into drywall as the blood continued to pour from his chest. Her tears still stung his cheeks and the feel of her hands remained on his shirt. Her small, delicate fingers intertwined in the thin fabric. She was trying so hard and the fear in her eyes nearly killed him.

It's been minutes now...or has it been hours? Time is slipping past him, chuckling as the clock tick away. He knows this is just a simple shoulder wound, that with some gauze and a few stitches he could be better than ever. But he's nearly soaked in his own blood and there's just so much. And what a way to die: shot in your own home and abandoned by the only woman you could ever come to love. She should have found someone by now, she should have-

Or what if someone else found her first? What if she's not even here anymore?

The thought made him sick and he pressed his lips together to prevent anything from coming up.

And then with all the strength he could muster, slowly but surely he began to sit up. First he moved his legs, sticking them out straight before taking out his hand to grab the other side of the wall. With one deep breath he was up but that wasn't it. He stood leaning against the hall, head propped up and his right hand clutching his left shoulder. A pool of blood was left behind him but he stared straight ahead and tried to walk. Anything to get away from here.

But he didn't get far, barely even a few steps.

Because he was there, standing at the end of the hall, the biggest smile on his lips.

"Damon," Klaus breathed. He felt like falling.

"Klaus Mikaelson," he was holding the gun tightly against himself. "Long time no see."

Klaus watched as Damon's eyes scanned his injury, clearly pleased by his state. Of all the people to be trapped with why did Damon Salvatore have to be the lucky pick? This was karma, payback for everything Klaus had done. He couldn't think of another reason why he would be punished like this. Because Klaus, out of every Mikaelson, had to be the most hated by Damon. Or at least second with Mikael first. The odds of getting out of this now were slim, very, very slim.

"Can't say I'm sorry about that." He tried to make his voice strong, confident despite the injury. But it cracked on the last word which made him wince.

"What a nasty wound. Sorry about that, but I heard you were just a little too close to my sister."

Klaus shrugged. "She wasn't in any harm, mate."

"I think you both know we aren't mates."

"Well it doesn't matter what we are. There are bigger things to worry about."

Damon smiled and a bitter laugh escaped his lips. Yes, there were much bigger things to worry about. "Like where you're keeping her."

Klaus shook his head, confused. "I told her she could leave. She's free."

"Why would you take her to just let her go?"

He wasn't making any sense to Klaus. Who were they talking about?

"Caroline. I let Caroline go." Klaus clarified.

Damon's whole face went pale and the grip on his gun loosened. When he spoke again Klaus barely recognized his voice.

"Elena!" He shouted. "I'm talking about Elena!"

Oh God, Klaus thought. He thinks they have her, just like they took Caroline.

"Damon-"

"I know you have her and I'll be damned if I let this family take another thing from me." Damon took a step towards him, bringing his gun up. "I would choose your next words carefully because your life depends on your answer."

Klaus swallowed hard. There was a frantic look in Damon's eyes that showed his mind wasn't in the right places. He saw a slight tremor in his right hand as his fingers curled around the trigger. There was no way out of this. Words wouldn't help him at all. Even if Damon knew the truth Klaus didn't think there would be much holding him back to fire.

He was stuck.

Elijah was bounding through the halls, footsteps echoing as a massive army followed suit behind him. Time running out. It wouldn't be long before the Salvatores would leave but he had to catch them. He had to make everything right again. Of course it wouldn't be easy. They've been enemies for decades as the generations of hatred go far back. He wanted to believe that this could be fixed even if they didn't come out as friends in the end. There would always be a rift, that unfading conflict. But perhaps there could be some resolve in the mix. Who knows how long they've been wronged.

As he passed another hallway something caught the corner of his eye. Abruptly he stopped, heels turning swiftly as the red glow of the floor brought him in. The men behind him copied his movements as they all turned in unison towards the floor. Blood glistened on the marble flooring, shining brightly. Elijah's stomach twisted and he heard a few gasps from behind him.

Despite every nerve in his body screaming to run he started forward. Each foot stepped carefully in front of the other, hesitantly moving against all efforts to stay. But how could you see that and simply walk away? God only knows-

"I know you have her."

A voice echoed from the halls, carrying for everyone's ears to hear.

"And I'll be damned if I let this family take another thing from me."

It took incredible control for Elijah to signal his men forward. Damon Salvatore was a mere breath away, holding someone captive. It could be anyone and he wasn't sure if he was ready to find out yet. But he started ahead anyway.

It was time to finish this.

And he rounded the corner to see not only his brother and Damon but Stefan and Caroline at the other end. Stefan was forcing Caroline back who seemed to be holding in tears. Her eyes met Elijah's and they were pleading, something so raw and real that it made his heart clench.

Out of the other corner came the rest of them. Kol leading the way as Rebekah and Katherine trailed behind.

Here they were. The Salvatores and the Mikaelson's under one roof. Together after so long.

But there was a gun pointed at Klaus' head and Caroline was close to screaming. It didn't seem to matter that she was back. Although Stefan was holding onto her pretty tightly, all of Damon's attention was focused elsewhere. From across the hall Caroline kept whispering his name in a broken sob, pleading again as were her eyes. Elijah was missing something.

Damon smiled then as he held his gun level with Klaus' heart. "Ah, everyone's here. The party can surely begin now."

Elijah steadied his voice. "There's been a misunderstanding."

"A rather large one at that." Damon laughed. "But I'm not so interested in what you have to say. I have my sister and I intend to leave with the last and final thing that I want."

Everyone turned quiet but there was a sigh from across the room. It sounded hopeless.

"And what would that be?"

"Not a what. A who."

Elijah swallowed. "A who?"

"Elena, Elena Gilbert. Where is she?"

"Damon-" It was Caroline.

"Caroline I swear to God!" Damon shouted. "Shup up!"

Klaus stiffened but said nothing.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about. I just found out about the girl's disappearance this morning."

Damon shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"I would not lie in a time like this. We have no information about the girl's whereabouts, no more than you do."

Damon's gun lowered only slightly as he turned back to Stefan.

"Brother, we should hear them out." Stefan tried to reason.

"Hear them out? Hear them out? After everything they've done you just want to give up? To reason with these people?"

Stefan distanced himself from Caroline and moved closer to Damon. "They don't have her and they know we didn't steal their money. It was Marcel. It was always him."

Damon pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"If he's been behind this all along then why not believe he took Elena as well?" Stefan sighed. "He's trying to put us against each other. It was always his plan."

"They killed-" Damon started.

Stefan paled.

Caroline's eyes widened. "What?"

"Damon." Stefan hissed.

Klaus straightened himself. "What are you talking about?"

Elijah was the only one who looked guilty.

"They killed our parents and you just expect me to team up with these monsters?!"

The sound that came next was the raging screams from Caroline as all the life drained from her face.

...Big chapter? Probably haha I'm sooo nervous about what everyone is thinking right now. It really only gets more intense from here honestly. Lots in store (;

Pleaseee, I'm dying to know your thoughts! Review! (:

Thanks for all the support on the story, it seems like the followers are just growing! Also with my new story Over the Love, I'm so glad everyone likes it.

I'm not sure when I'll be updating again because it's nearing the end of the school year for my and unfortunately that means exams. So don't hate me!

Happy Monday and I hope everyone has a great week!