Hey all! Thanks to everyone for being so patient, I know it's taken me an unusually long time to update. I just went through a lot of writer's block so I'm hoping I'm past it and that everyone will enjoy the chapter. xx

It had been two weeks – two weeks since Klaus had woken up after Elijah stabbed him. He grew more and more restless with each passing day, needing to get better so he could find Caroline.

She was alive and he knew it. His mother, his sister, even Stefan could tell him she was gone, a lost cause, but he wouldn't listen. There was no way he was going to let Elijah have the satisfaction of knowing he gave up.

He stood up and walked over to the window, his torso feeling tight but much, much better. His wound was practically healed. He was going to leave today to find Caroline.

"Hey, you're up," came Stefan's voice as he opened the door to Klaus' chambers. "You look better."

"I'm leaving today, Stefan," Klaus replied, not turning around to look at his friend. "I don't care if I go alone, so don't try and stop me."

Stefan sighed and walked over to the window, standing next to Klaus. "She really means a lot to you? Even though you've only known her for such a short amount of time?"

Klaus turned his head to look at Stefan as he spoke. "How long have you loved Rebekah?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer the question, Stefan."

Stefan was quiet for a moment. "Since the day I met her."

"Exactly. So, before you lot go on judging me and my actions, think of yourself. I knew you instantly loved my sister. You tried to get slick with her and she pushed you off of the path leading to town right into a puddle of mud. I could see the look on your face as you looked up at her that you were going to make her yours. And did I ever discourage your affections? No."

"Okay, I get it, Klaus," Stefan said, shaking his head. "But, Elijah stabbed you, okay? You almost died. You're willing to go through that all over again to save some girl who doesn't even have her own life straight in her head?"

Klaus walked away from the window and to his wardrobe to pull out some clothes. "I would let Elijah stab me one hundred times if it meant Caroline would be safe. I do not know what has happened to my brother, what has made him the way he is, but I will not let her suffer if he is mad at me."

Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't go with you, Klaus."

Klaus didn't say anything as he buttoned up his shirt.

"Rebekah and I are going to be married soon and I cannot leave her…I cannot die for Caroline, I'm sorry."

Klaus turned around and walked over to Stefan, a hand on his shoulder. "I do not expect you to fight my battles for me. If you choose to stay, so be it."

Stefan looked down and nodded. "I'm sorry. I just…I can't."

Klaus waved his hand. "I said it's fine, Stefan. Now, leave me."

Stefan shook his head and made for the door. He felt like he wasn't being a good friend, but for once he wanted to be selfish. He had done so much for Klaus and it just did not seem right to sacrifice his own life, and the life he was meant to have with Rebekah, for Caroline.

"Damon said he will go with you. And I know Kol said he would, too."

Klaus nodded. "Whoever wants to come can come. But Caroline is my main concern, so they'd better be able to keep up."

Katherine opened the door to the dungeon and stepped inside, balancing the tray of food with one hand. She closed the door behind her and walked slowly to the practically lifeless figure on the floor, its ankles bound by a chain connected to the wall.

"Wake up," she said. The body did not move. Katherine took the goblet of water from the tray and poured it on the person's head, smiling when the body came to life.

Caroline lifted her head, water dripping down from her hair to her face as she looked up at Katherine. "Go away."

"Well, that's not very nice. Here I've brought you food and this is how you greet me?" Katherine set the tray down in front of Caroline. "I could get you some more water since yours was wasted on waking you up, but if you're not going to be nice to me…"

"Go to hell," Caroline said, and rest her head down again against the cold dungeon floor. "I don't want your food or water. Just leave me be."

Caroline did not know how much time had passed since the last night she saw Klaus. She felt like it had been years since she watched Elijah stab Klaus and leave him to die on the ground. She'd had hope that he would be alright, that his friends and family would make sure he was okay. But then Elijah told her he had died before they could get him back to the Castle and she felt like all of the hope she had left was lost for good.

"It's too bad, you know," Katherine said, pushing Caroline's hair off of her face.

"Don't touch me," Caroline hissed, trying to move her face away, but she was so weak from the lack of proper food and water, and she felt like it had been ages since she'd actually seen the outside world.

"It's too bad," Katherine repeated, grabbing Caroline's face firmly and forcing the girl to look at her. "There could have been such promise in you."

"Promise for what? To be yours and Elijah's slave? To be forced into a loveless marriage while you slept with my husband behind my back like the whore you are?" Caroline groaned when she felt Katherine slap her across her face.

"You will learn to respect me," Katherine spat, letting Caroline's head drop to the floor again. "I am going to be with Elijah now."

Caroline laughed and shook her head. "Have fun being second choice. He's only choosing you because I did not choose him."

Katherine kicked Caroline in her stomach, grinning when Caroline whimpered and curled into a ball. "Have fun being pathetic," she said and turned around, walking out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

"How did we make it here so fast?" Kol asked, slowing down his horse next to Niklaus'. They had only been riding for two days, but Klaus had been relentless, only stopping to rest for sleep at night. "I feel like this should have taken longer." He looked at his brother but Klaus was only eyeing what lie before them – Elijah's village.

"The biggest house is his," Klaus said, nodding his heads towards the outline of the town. "The man we ran into onto the path from the last town said it was his. I know there's a dungeon there, I know that's where he's keeping her."

"How could you possibly know that?" Damon asked. He was starting to wonder if maybe Klaus had gone crazy in his fever induced coma over the past couple of weeks.

"I just know. He'd want to degrade her as much as possible. He doesn't like a bruised ego."

"Well, now that that's settled, when do you strike?" Kol asked, petting the mane of his horse.

"Tonight. At nightfall, we shall have him."

"Sir, someone has asked to speak with you."

Elijah looked up from his desk and at his head of command. "Oh? At this time of night?"

"Yes, sir. He said he is your brother."

Elijah smirked. "Ahh, Niklaus, so foolish." He stood up from his desk and nodded that he could show him in. But Elijah's face faltered when the man entered.

"Hello, brother."

"Kol," Elijah said, his jaw tight in confusion. "To what do I owe such an unexpected visit?"

"I just came to check up on you, see how you were doing," Kol replied, smirking at his brother and the confusion on his face. "You seem not so happy to see me."

"I am just a little surprised, that's all. I figured you would be upset with me."

"Upset with you? Now why would I be upset with you? Oh, that's right. Because you stabbed my brother and left him for dead."

"But he isn't dead," Elijah pointed out. "Did he get my note?"

Kol shook his head and laughed softly. "Your note? Oh, you mean that pathetic piece of parchment that you had sent explaining things? What's happened to you, Elijah? What's happened to my big brother that I used to look up to, so much?"

Elijah clicked his tongue and walked over to his window. "I am tired of everything always being about Niklaus. About his happiness, or his tempers, or walking on eggshells when he is sad. I am just tired, Kol."

"Well, so was I," Kol agreed. "But my payback was that I slept with Tatia, I did not try and kill him, Elijah."

"I knew he'd be alright."

"Did you?" Kol countered. "I think you hoped he would. Father is not pleased with you."

"I do not care what Father thinks. He's never liked Niklaus, so why is he trying to start now?"

"Sir," came the voice of his guard again. Elijah turned around and saw that the guard had someone with him. "I found him trying to sneak in."

"Ahh, Damon Salvatore, how nice to see you've made the journey as well." He looked at Kol and shook his head. "Where is Niklaus?"

"Not here," Kol said, his hand moving to rest on his belt.

"So, you expect me to believe that you and Damon Salvatore came here on your own? Right. John, please show Mr. Salvatore to the dungeons. I'll find a place for my brother."

Caroline sat up slowly when she heard footsteps approaching. She was not in the mood to deal with Katherine. The door opened and a man was tossed inside. Caroline's eyes grew wide as the door closed and the man struggled to sit up.

Caroline's heart beat fast against her chest, but then her face faltered when it was not the man she was expecting.

"Damon?"

Damon lifted his head and his eyes grew wide. "Caroline? You're alive?"

"Yes! What are you doing here?" Caroline started to get excited. Was Klaus here? Had he come to rescue her?

"He was right…you are alive."

"Who Damon, who was right?" She didn't want to say his name, didn't want to get her hopes up. "Who are you here with?"

"Kol. I'm here with Kol."

"Oh," she said, her face falling again. "Well, where is he?"

"He's with Elijah," Damon said, sitting up and resting his head against the wall. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Caroline was going to ask more when the door popped open again and Katherine walked into the room.

"Well, well, well," she said, shaking her head. "Look what we have here."

Caroline's eyes grew wide when she saw what was in Katherine's hands. "Katherine…"

"Now, who's going to go first?" she said, spinning the knife in her hand and grinning.