"We've got the blood we'll need, don't we?" Bonnie asked. Her hands were shaking and Elena reached over and caught her wrist, in an effort to comfort her.
"We've got everything we'll need," Elijah assured her. "Elena and I both double checked it."
"Silas is just- I don't know-"
"Breathe, Bonnie. This is my second time facing him, and this time he's going up against two Bennett witches and the Petrova doppelganger. We've got this."
"You're right. You're right. It's just the first time facing someone who can actually hurt me and does want to hurt me."
"I won't let him," Elena vowed.
"Let's get going." Sheila looked towards the sky, at the gathering clouds.
Together, they climbed the hills towards Silas's cave.
Suddenly, Elijah spun around, catching an arrow before it could strike him in the heart.
"You're quick." The hunter stepped out of the shadows. "Just how quick, that's the real question."
"Who might you be?" Elijah asked, studying the blond man carefully.
"Galen Vaughn. I've been hunting Silas for years and the map led me here. Though the lack of vampires in the area make it difficult to complete it."
"How fortunate then that we know where he is."
"Why? So you can drink the cure?"
"Why we seek him is none of your affair. Though I suggest you walk away. I might not be able to kill you without inflicting your curse on myself, but should you attempt anything-"
"I'll kill you," Elena cut in. "And I'm a witch, so no curse. Walk away, Galen."
"You're not planning on giving the cure to Silas, are you?" Galen asked, horrified.
"All Silas wants is to be with Amara and for them to die together, so as long as we don't stand in the way of that, I don't see why we shouldn't." Elena folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow at the hunter.
"You're just going to give over the cure to that monster?"
"There's only one enough to give to one vampire, so I'd rather give it to him instead of giving it to someone else and him wrecking havoc across everyone's lives in revenge."
"What? Did he tell you that?" Galen jeered as he gestured to Elijah.
"No. I'm the one who found out."
"Get out of our way, child," Sheila cut in. "My name is Sheila Bennett and this girl, the one you've been so rude to, is Amara's doppelganger, so believe us when we say that what we're doing is in everyone's best interest."
"Your ancestors started this, why stop it now?"
"Because something far darker happened before the hunters were created and it set forth a chain of events that needs to be undone before it's too late." Sheila marched passed the stunned hunter then and the others followed her.
"Don't bother following us, Galen," Elijah said, his voice coolly polite, a tone Elena knew all too well. "I doubt we'd make even remotely pleasant travel companions."
Bonnie raised her hand and cast a spell, causing Galen's eyes to roll back into his head and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Let's get going before he wakes up."
"Well done, Bonnie," Sheila praised.
"Yeah well, he's a person. He shouldn't be killed because of his instincts."
"Thank you, Miss Bennett," Elijah said.
Bonnie led the way away from the fallen hunter and then Elena took over guiding them. She remembered this area, barely, but she knew where to go, the spirits of nature guiding her. As they walked, Elena thought about the circumstances between her first visit here and now. They were so strikingly different that Elena couldn't help but shake her head at it.
Elijah caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.
"Later," Elena mouthed.
Elijah nodded once, though his expression remained curious.
"Get ready," Elena said suddenly. "Silas is nearby and he can and will create illusions."
"Can you feel him or something?" Bonnie asked.
"No. I just recognize the area."
The closer they got to the cave where Silas lay, goosebumps spread across her body and Elena rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asked.
"I think he can sense me," Elena admitted.
When they finally reached Silas's tomb, Elena froze as the memory of Jeremy's death slammed into her. Witnessing her brother being drained and her being powerless to stop it had her going to her knees.
"Elena?" Elijah knelt beside her, holding her against his chest.
"I'm fine. Just a memory I hope doesn't become a reality this time."
Elijah helped her to her feet and then he walked over to Silas's side. Dropping the bag to the ground, he pulled out two bags of blood and poured them into Silas's desiccated mouth. After four more bags, Silas stirred.
When he laid eyes on Elena, he breathed, "Amara."
Silas continued speaking, but no one could understand him.
"Hold on." Sheila held up her hand, then cast a spell. "Now you should be able to understand us."
"You are not Amara, are you?" Silas asked softly.
"I'm Elena, but I can take you to Amara."
"Amara's dead!"
"No, Silas. Qetsiyah, she turned Amara into what you are and then turned her to stone."
"Amara's alive?"
"In the worst sort of way."
"My poor Amara." Silas slumped against the stone he'd spent centuries lying on.
"It's worse."
"How could it be worse? She's been stone for however long it's been since Qetsiyah proved that there is no fury like that of a woman scorned."
"It's been about two thousand years," Elena informed him.
"Two thousand years."
"Yes. She feels the death of every supernatural person and the dead continue to haunt her. So, it's driven her insane."
"Help me find her, save her. Please," Silas begged.
"I know where she is and you have the cure with you, so when we get to her, you can both take it. Once you're mortal, you can do whatever you want, but I have to warn you, Amara wants to die and I plan to help her."
"She wants to die?"
"Yes," Elena confirmed. "Though when you die, you'll find peace with the one you love the most."
"Amara. I endured hell for her. And it sounds like she's done the same for me. There's no one I love more, not even my own family."
"Shall we go?" Elijah asked. "It will be dark soon and the hunter will soon be on my trail."
"Come on." Elena took Elijah's hand, linking their fingers together.
"You're fortunate," Silas said, gesturing to their joined hands. "Love like you share comes so rarely, it should be cherished and protected."
They fell silent after that, no one wanting to anger Silas, which was likely considering how badly he was hurting. Being the most powerful vampire in existence didn't mean he was immune to the emotional damage Qetsiyah had done to him.
When they reached Galen's prone form, they skirted around him. When they were nearly passed him, his fingers started twitching and they picked up their pace so they would be clear of the area when he finally came too.
Silas climbed hesitantly into the car behind Elena. Then followed her example when she closed the door and put her seat belt on.
Elena close her eyes and allowed herself to find Ryan.
"Elena!" Ryan grinned when he saw her.
"We're in the process of dealing with the most pressing issue right now, but I'm working on finding a way to pull you out." Elena hugged him and he sighed in relief, almost as though he was afraid he'd only dreamed she came back for him.
Elena stepped back and brushed his hair out of his face.
"So, what are you doing right now?" Ryan asked.
"We're on a road trip. We're driving right now and we've got a passenger, and he's more than a little dangerous, so I'm trying to avoid accidentally setting him off by not talking." Elena laughed.
"Why would you talking set him off?"
"I'm the doppelganger of the woman he loves and seeing me, it's difficult for him."
"Oh. That would suck."
"Elena, Silas would like to speak to you," Elijah's voice echoed through the darkness.
"I'll see you as soon as I can," Elena promised.
"Go. Seeing you was nice, but don't risk your life on my account." Ryan ducked his head a little.
"You're worth risking my life for," Elena cupped his cheek.
Ryan smiled softly.
"You'll be free soon and then I'll prove that you're a good son and worth loving." Elena said, then she blinked, coming back to herself once more.
"There you are. Did you have a good nap?" Elijah raised an eyebrow.
"I did."
Silas watched the pair, but didn't say anything for a long moment and Elena was tempted to go back and talk to Ryan. But Elijah's grip on her hand kept her there with him.
"I stayed sane by hoping to die and rejoin Amara," Silas said finally, staring out at the night darkened landscape. "And here she's been tortured for centuries."
"You can save her," Elena said.
"I'm tired, Elena. I want peace."
"You can have it. With her death, the Other Side will be destroyed and then you and Amara can find your peaceful eternity." Talking about death, it didn't hurt quite so much now. Yes, she missed the perfect peace she knew, but she wasn't ready to walk away from Elijah and Ryan and the life they could build as a family.
"How do you know this?" Silas asked. "Tell me, please."
"I died, but the spirits of nature saw fit to make me relive my life, to make things right."
"So you know this peace?"
"I do and yes, I miss it."
"Why not try to go back? Why walk away from such a place?"
"Because I was given a mission, and a chance at a better life than I lived the first time around." Elena caught Elijah's hand in hers and brought it to her lips.
"The two of you weren't together in your other life?"
"No. But he became my rock after I came back and then I fell for him."
"But suffering here for however long you live, after knowing such peace, is it worth it?"
"I love him and I couldn't hurt him by being selfish and taking myself away from him."
"Do you think that me wanting to die with Amara is selfish?"
"It's your decision. You both have suffered so much and Amara's death will save everyone a lot of trouble, so I'm not opposed to the two of you finding peace."
"Would you do the same if given the opportunity to find peace with the man you love right now?"
"I've got too much to fight for, so I don't let myself think like that."
"But, would you?"
"We've got families here, people who need us, so no. I wouldn't."
"But our families died centuries ago, so we have nothing holding us here."
The way he said it make Elena fall silent, and they spent the rest of the time, until Sheila pulled off an exit ramp towards a hotel.
"Why are we stopping?"
"Because the human witches need to rest," Elijah replied.
"Yes, of course. Forgive me."
When Elena climbed into bed beside Elijah after her shower, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him.
"You know I can't leave Niklaus."
"And I'd never ask you to. Hope will remind him that he is a good man and he'll need you because he'll be in uncharted territory. Hope will be his salvation, but you're his rock. He won't be able to go through life without you."
"Thank you, Elena."
"I love you, Elijah." Elena wrapped her arm across his chest and kissed his neck.
Elijah pulled the blanket higher over their bodies and gave a contented sigh.
"Hopefully we'll be able reunite Silas and Amara within the next two days and be done with this."
"And then we have the phoenix stone to destroy, Cade to kill, and more importantly, we save Ryan."
"Of course, Ryan first. I think the Bennetts wouldn't mind focusing on Cade since it involves their spells. So the world changing events will be worked on while you save our boy."
"I like the sound of that."
