An uncomfortable silence reigned in the vehicle, there was a lot Damon wanted to say, but he held his tongue, waiting for what he did not know. Elena seemed as lost as he was staring out the window with a pensive expression, every now and then she expelled pent-up air through her nose as though she had contemplated speaking and then thought better of it. Stefan was in the back, his eyes fixed on some distance point ahead seemingly oblivious, and equally quiet.

It was a relief when their convoy arrived at the run down motel where the humans had been sent to wait for them, well most of the humans. Damon wasn't certain where Klaus had stashed his new blood bag, but he imagined wherever she was, Katherine wasn't happy. He briefly considered telling his brother, but then thought better of it. No telling how Stefan would react to hearing of another's incarceration so soon after his own – there was no telling how he would react to anything.

The moment the car stopped Elena was out the door and pulling out of the motel room and into her arms. He was sorely tempted to follow her, but as his brother remained unmoving in the back seat he paused undecided.

"Go," Stefan spoke up.

Damon turned to meet his eyes, "Nah, they need a moment." He looked Stefan over, his brother looked like he need a vacation or twelve. His clothing was ragged, his hair a mess and for someone who'd come from the longest bath in history he looked unnaturally dirty. It was the eyes though that showed the most damage, he looked vacant almost; Damon had never seen Stefan in such a state.

"I'm sorry," the words were not adequate to explain the depth of his regret, his guilt, but they were best he could offer.

Stefan nodded, but he was looking past Damon, his focus on the people outside - more particularly on the humans outside. There was something distinctly strained about his younger brother, like he'd just come off a blood bender, the ripper still close to the surface. It seemed to take a great deal of effort for Stefan to turn his attention back to Damon, but after a couple of minutes his hazel eyes meet Damon's questioning gaze.

"It wasn't your fault Damon, it wasn't you;" he said in a low voice before he exited the car.

Damon watched as he went and stood by Caroline who had Matt locked in what looked like a bone crushing hug. The moment the blonde released Matt she was by his brother's side, her hand in his - Damon wondered if it was to offer comfort or more of a restraining nature.

He exited the car and went to stand with Elena, they made for an unusual grouping. Elijah and Rebekah were off to the side, standing not too far from the vehicle they arrived in. Caroline, Stefan and Bonnie stood somewhat in the middle with Klaus, Adam, David and Gabe forming a rough circle around them. Elena, Jeremy and himself stood closest to the motel and Matt was in no man's land somewhere between the two Original vampires and themselves. It occurred to him that where they stood might be a reflection on their allegiances - how much they had changed.

"So what's the plan?" Jeremy asked, Damon presumed that the others had filled the humans in on what happened in his absence.

"We are returning to New Orléans," Klaus answered, exactly who "we" included was unclear.

"By we you mean?" he figured he may as well ask, though he sincerely hoped he wasn't included.

"My siblings, myself...Caroline," Klaus paused, his eyes focused on Caroline and Stefan's joined hands. "Stefan, if necessary," he added though clearly none too pleased.

"And Bonnie," Caroline spoke up, letting go of Stefan's hand and moving closer to the Hybrid.

"Of course love," he said smiling briefly.

"What about us?" Jeremy again.

"What about you?" Rebekah sneered, making her feelings on the subject abundantly clear.

Elena stepped forward, "we need to stay together."

Damon couldn't have disagreed more, but was saved from being the jerk this particular time by the Original Hybrid who summed up his sentiments in one word.

"No," he stated, his expression matching his tone, cold and unyielding.

"What?" Elena's voice had risen, she seemed genuinely shocked.

"You're not invited," and with that he took Caroline by the arm and led her back to their vehicle. David was already climbing into the driver's seat, Adam and Gabe situating themselves in the back of the two Original vampire's vehicle.

Elena's eyes meet his, her expression pleading for him to do something, anything.

When he made no move to intervene Elena opened her mouth again, no doubt intending to raise further objections, but Rebekah cut her off, "we don't have time to babysit, so toddle off Elena."

"You can't make them go with you," Elena pointed out. "And you can't stop us from coming," she ended with eyes narrowed.

The Hybrid sighed, and then flashed in front of her, grabbed her by the neck and held her gaze, his eyes dilating, "you are not coming to New Orléans. You will go find refuge elsewhere."

Elena repeated the words, her voice sounding miles away, her face blank.

Damon was equal parts angry and relieved. He knew they couldn't stay in Mystic Falls, Silas was still resident and the chances that the vampire's reign of terror was at an end were slim to none, yet going to New Orléans was equally unappealing. From all accounts Klaus was in the middle of a power struggle which, if it wasn't already, would get bloody. He was one hundred percent certain that the life expectancy in that town was going to plummet and he didn't want his baby vampire anywhere near it.

Klaus dropped Elena the moment she finished speaking then turned, exchanged a quick glance with Stefan before nodding and returning to Caroline's side - Klaus pointedly ignoring the death-stare the blonde was directing his way.

Bonnie stepped forward and drew Elena into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, but we have to go." She pulled back and smiled sadly, "I don't expect you to understand, I don't really understand myself, but we have to..." she paused looking at Klaus as though considering something, "you can't come with us."

Bonnie moved to Jeremy hugging him tight whispering something so lowly in his ear that Damon missed it. She hugged Matt next and then without another word climbed into the passenger seat next to David, her eyes locked on a point ahead of her as though reluctant to meet any of their gazes.

"I'm going as well," Stefan broke his silence.

"Stefan," Elena breathed out, "you..." she stopped clearly uncertain how to continue.

Witchy and Blondie he could let go without a fight, but not his brother, "not happening."

Stefan smiled, then pulled Damon into a hug. "I have to," he whispered.

"No you don't," he whispered back, holding his brother tight, unwilling to let him go.

"I'm not in control," Stefan told him as though Damon wasn't already aware of that.

"We'll help you," he told him pulling back so that they were eye to eye.

Stefan's eyes gravitated to Caroline. "I don't think you can," he told him, regret clouding his features.

It felt to Damon as though his brother had punched him in the gut.

"This is all very touching, but I've wasted enough time here so.." Klaus motioned towards the vehicles, direction clear - get in now.

While Elijah nodded to each of them in farewell, Rebekah hugged Matt. Then the two of them where in their vehicle and they were watching them drive away.

Klaus' fingers circled around Caroline's upper arm, but she flashed out of his grasp and hugged them each in turn. Before the seething Hybrid decided to drag her to the vehicle she flashed back to his side - he got in first pulling her after him.

"I'll see you again," his little brother told them.

"Why do you have to go?" Elena asked, tears now streaming down her face.

He shrugged, "it's not forever."

Damon watched his brother turn and take up the last seat next to Caroline, the moment the door shut the vehicle was in motion and soon out of sight. He turned back to Elena, finding her in a heap on the pavement weeping in Jeremy's arms. He joined them, brushing her hair from her face.

"They'll be back Elena," he told her.

"What if they don't? What if they die?" she asked clearly heartbroken. He understood exactly where she was coming from, how it was physically painful for her to consider letting her friends go into a war zone - let alone without her. Yet he could not find it within him to regret that they had been left behind, he only regretted that Stefan had gone.

"You still have us," he told her in a soothing tone. She nodded, but the tears continued.

It had been a long day, a long week, a long year and there was nothing more that she wanted than to sleep until the next millennium. In the front passenger seat Bonnie had quickly nodded off, Caroline was green with envy wanting nothing more than to join her, but circumstances did not allow it. She had been sandwiched between Stefan and Klaus, both of whom appeared determined to nurse their bad attitudes all the way to New Orléans. Stefan was brooding and withdrawn, Klaus was bleak and unresponsive - neither made for a good travelling companion and both appeared to worsen with every attempt to draw them out. Worse still the two of them crowded her, each taking up more than their fair share of space and collectively making it impossible for her to get comfortable.

By the time they reached the airport she was eager to leave her dour companions and seek out new ones, but as she made to follow Stefan out the door Klaus had grabbed her arm holding her in place. "We need to talk sweetheart," he ground out, leaving her with the distinct impression whatever he wished to discuss was not a pleasant topic.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, dreading the answer.

He paused as though considering how best to start, "Tyler."

Had she bothered to compile a list of topics she imagined Klaus would feel like to discuss with her, she wouldn't have included Tyler on it, and he definitely wasn't on the list of things she wanted to discuss, or even think about now. "Can we do this some other time, I'm tired," she told him, attempting to tug free of his grasp.

"Caroline," how he managed to make her name sound like a threat she would never understand.

"Fine," she hissed the word out through her teeth. "What about him?"

"It wasn't nine months, not even close," he said, his voice even, measured almost.

"Do you have a point?" she knew precisely what he meant, but a part of her felt obliged to at least attempt to defend Tyler. Even if deep down she didn't believe he was defensible. After all, what could have possibly prompted the love of her life to run off with the woman who almost got her killed? Even if he thought she was dead, even if he didn't know Hayley had a hand in her abduction, Caroline could not comprehend such a betrayal.

There were few people on the planet she despised more than Hayley, scratch that, there was no one on the planet she hated more, and Tyler had to know that. So why would he go with her, why would he choose her of all people.

If their positions were reversed Caroline would have waited, till she was presented with irrefutable evidence that he was dead, and even then she would not have even contemplated running off with his worst enemy - she would have rejected Klaus' advances until the sun failed to burn.

In Tyler's absence she had held her life love in abeyance, she had remained loyal, but he couldn't be loyal for even six months? Was it less time that even that? What kind of love was that? It wasn't, not any kind she identified with anyhow.

So yes, she knew what Klaus was getting at, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I would never have given up," he continued pleading his lost cause.

She felt anger rising within her - Tyler wasn't her forever, but neither was he. Sure, Tyler ran off with the bitch, but at least he didn't have a kid with her. However immature it might be to hold such a thing against Klaus when they had never been together and she had never thought they would be, Caroline did hold it against him, she nurtured her anger.

For reasons she didn't rightly comprehend, or ever want to, the fact that Klaus impregnated the were-slut was more painful than the man she considered the love of her life running off with the vile woman.

It didn't make sense, but there it was.

"You already did," somehow the signals between her brain and mouth got confused, she hadn't meant to voice her thoughts.

The hand not holding her hostage reached up and cupped her face, then wrapped around her chin to force her to meet his gaze. "Is this about Hayley?" it seemed to pain him to even ask.

"Of course this is about Hayley," she snapped.

He smiled then, actually smiled as though he was amused and she felt an overwhelming desire to scratch his eyes out. "She told you that baby was mine?" his voice was soft.

She didn't answer, she was oh so tired, so sick of it all.

"It wasn't mine," he told her, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.

The strangest thing happened then, her anger replaced with what she could only be described as joy - it was strange because she knew it was not the reaction she should have had, she really shouldn't have had any reaction. It confused her. Caroline absolutely didn't want to be with Klaus, she had never wanted to be with Klaus, they were friends, nothing more. They could never be anything more. She knew this, she believed this, and yet...

"Why is Hayley on the run then?" she asked, more to distract herself than him.

"She tried to hurt you," a small smile played on his raspberry lips.

Something had shifted within her, she knew it then. Caroline felt as though she'd fallen down the rabbit hole, because the idea of Klaus searching all four corners of the earth in order to avenge her - knowing what would happen to the were-slut should Klaus find her - excited rather than repelled her.

Author's note: This chapter is for justine, redbudrose and chibichibi98 who have certainly waited long enough for a Klaroline bone.