Elena did not know what she could do to help with anything going on as she watched Klaus drag three different bodies into the foyer. She remained on the stairs, leaning over the banisters to see who it was. The first was Caroline, her dress torn and bloody. The second was Rebekah, who seemed fine aside from a dirty dress and being unconscious. Emily was required for the third, apparently guest rights could be given when a vampire was unconscious as Klaus brought in the body of her stepmother. Elijah lifted Rebekah up and placed her on one of the benches, his hands roaming over her body a moment before nodding and stepping back to look down at Caroline's body.

"What happened?" Elijah asked once Klaus had closed the front door.

"I saw a flash of the dress and I followed it, Rebekah right behind. I found Caroline sitting in a clearing, Rebekah begged me to hede the obvious trap, instead I tripped it. Mikael, Victoria, and Katerina were all there. Father managed to get Rebekah by surprise, snapped her neck from what I can tell. The wolves managed to get there before Father could plunge his stake into my heart." He explained and then leaned down, brushing the hair from Caroline's face, the move gentle for such a violent man, Elena thought.

"What of Caroline?"

Klaus shook his head, "Not only has she been compelled to kill herself in front of me, she has turned off her emotions. I don't know how to get them back."

Elena frowned and went further down the stairs, "What do you mean, she turned off her emotions?"

Elijah looked at her, "When a human becomes a vampire there are some who cannot handle the transition. We have found that many vampires decide to turn off their emotions, it eases the guilt for taking the blood of others. Caroline has never done so, she had always considered emotions to be an important tool in understanding humans." He shook his head, "For them to have managed this, they must have done something awful to her."

Klaus picked her up, "We will have to keep her in the cellar for now. In her current state she is a danger to herself, Elena, Emily….everyone."

Elijah nodded and pointed to Victoria, "What should I do with her?"

"I want to have a talk with her when she wakes. Tie her up somewhere we won't be bothered." Klaus replied before he disappeared into the underbelly of the mansion.

Elena walked over to Elijah, who lifted his arm to wrap around her as they looked at the body of her step-mother. Elena was quiet when she said, "If this woman is both my step-mother and Caroline's step-mother, does that make us sisters?"

Elijah chuckled, "I am sure Caroline, when she is herself again, would love that notion."

Elena gave a small smile, "Will Caroline be herself again? I don't even know what a person without their emotions would be like."

"Cruel." Elijah replied before giving her a quick squeeze, "Can you stay with Rebekah until she wakes up?"

Elena nodded and walked over to Rebekah's body, when she glanced back at Elijah, and her step-mother was gone. She sat down beside Rebekah and took her hand in hers, wondering how this had become her life.

Klaus hated having to look at his wife in the cellar, glad that the storage rooms they'd built in also worked as perfect containment cells. That had been Klaus' idea, just in case the need ever arose where they were in need of one. He never had wanted to have to use it so soon or one the person he loved most in the world.

Emily appeared silently at his side as they looked through the small window in the door. In her hand was a cup of a tea and she silently passed it to him. He took it on habit, his eyes never leaving his wife. He took a deep breath, "Would that tea you gave to Salvatores work on her?"

"I do not know. Vervain is used, a lot of it, I am not sure if her body could take it, even if she is used to taking the smaller doses." She replied, her hand nervously playing with her necklace, "My niece is one her way."

Klaus nodded, knowing that the presence of a second witch would help them greatly, especially as they had no idea the strength of the witch working with Mikael.

"The other woman is awake, Elijah said you would want to know. They are in the ballroom." Emily replied, getting ready to walk away when he stalled her.

"Can you keep an eye on Caroline while I deal with Victoria? I do not want her to wake up alone." Klaus asked, hating that he had to show weakness this way, but he also knew that Emily would never judge him.

Emily nodded, "I shall watch over her."

"Remember, she is under terrible influences, she cannot be let out." Klaus told her, his voice firm.

"I know." Emily answered, her gaze not flinching from his, "I will yell for you if she wakes."

He gave a slow nod and with a final look at his wife he raced up to the ballroom. Elijah had tied Victoria to a wooden chair, nothing that would normally be hard for her to break, but he could see the magic etched into the wood. His sudden appearance seemed to only shock Elena, who was also shocked to see her a part of this. He shared a look with Elijah who gave a gentle nod before he looked at his sister, "Are you alright?"

Rebekah nodded, "I have unfortunately dealt with a broken neck before and I doubt it shall be the last time."

Victoria was gagged, her green eyes glaring at them all as her skin burned where the vervain soaked robes dug into the flesh.

Klaus walked up and removed the gag, "What did you and my father do to Caroline?"

"Is that anyway to meet your mother-in-law after all these years? Do I not get a kiss?" Victoria responded, her voice just as grating as he remembered.

"You want a kiss, I can give you one." He threatened, his eyes flashing yellow as his fangs extended. He smirked at the fear in her eyes before he returned to normal, "Let us save that for the final persuasion shall we? What did you do to Caroline?"

"We simply opened her mind to the truth, what she chose to do with that truth was on her." Victoria replied.

"Where is Kol?" Elijah asked, "We know you took him that night from the Gilbert estate."

"Mikael took him, I was just the distraction." She clarified before she shrugged, "I do not know where he is. I know where he was but I am sure your Father has moved on now that I have been captured."

"Not expecting him to come to your rescue? That is the one smart decision you've made in 500 years Victoria." Rebekah spat at her.

"My life at least had meaning, my descendents are one of the founding families of this little town." Victoria responded and looked Rebekha up and down, "What legacy have you created?"

Klaus watched as his sister looked ready to murder Victoria but Elena gently laid a hand on Rebekah's arm, causing her to pause. Klaus looked back at their hostage, "Tell us where they were keeping Kol anyway. We can figure out for ourselves if they are still there."

"I could do that but I don't think I will. You are going to kill me either way, might as well make you even more miserable as I wait to die."

"Do you think your death will be quick?" Klaus asked before letting out a laugh, "I have a slow, painful death planned for you."

"All the more reason for me to remain silent." She responded and looked to Elena, "You should run while you still have the chance girl. Once you are a part of this, you can never escape, not really."

Elena took a few steps forward, "You are the one that made me a part of this. If you had not tricked my father into marrying you, he would still be alive right now."

Victoria shook her head, "You are a fool and you shall die like one. No one in this house is safe from his wrath."

"You shall fall victim to it as well." Elijah pointed out, "Does that no concern you?"

"I am only here to be Mikael's pawn, have been for 500 years. I know exactly what it is that he thinks of me." She told him, "I have expected death for centuries. I welcome it."

Elijah shook his head and stepped back, he looked up, "Do it, there is no other way."

Klaus nodded and stepped forward, a grin on his face, "I wanted to kill you then you know? Like I did that pathetic husband of her's, did you know I had killed him? Just so I could make Caroline mine?"

"I suspected, especially after your father paid us a visit." Victoria responded and Klaus caught on to her accelerated heart rate and breathing.

He smirked, "I shall enjoy watching you slowly rot away." Before she could voice the confusion in her expression, he had his teeth in her neck. He faintly heard a light scream, he assumed it was from Elena. He cursed in his head, he should have had Rebekah take her out of the room first, but she would need to see soon or later he assumed. He pulled back and looked at the angry mark on Victoria's neck, "Beautiful."

As he stepped back Elijah said, "About half a day if I remember correctly?"

Klaus nodded, "We can leave her here. Soon she won't even have the strength to break bread."

"What did you do to her?" Elena asked, her brown eyes swimming with emotion.

"Werewolf venom is poisonous to vampires." Klaus responded, "It would be like if you were bitten by a snake, slow and painful."

"Elena!" A voice came from the foyer and they all remembered that they were not alone in the house.

"I should go to him." Elena replied before rushing from the room, heading toward the searching voice of her brother.

Klaus watched her leave before looking at his brother, "Will she be alright with all that is happening?"

"I will talk to her once James and Margaret have gone to bed, I convinced her father that her presence was needed here." Elijah replied.

Klaus nodded, "Good decision brother. We cannot give them anymore leverage."

Elijah gave a short nod before he followed the path Elena had taken, leaving Klaus and Rebekah alone with Victoria. Rebekah looked at him, "What of Stefan and Damon?"

"Emily gave them the tea she has been working on, they are asleep upstairs."

Rebekah nodded, "I hope when they wake, they shall be themselves once more."

Victoria laughed then, her tone low and menacing, "Bringing death wherever you go, that is all you can ever hope for."

Rebekah walked up and slapped Victoria across the face with enough force it cracked her neck as her head snapped to the side, "She needed to shut up."

Klaus smiled and let out a low chuckle, "I am going to put her in the cellar as well. We don't need any of the humans to stumble upon her."

"What of Caroline?" His sister asked, her voice laced with concern.

Klaus sighed, "All we can do now is try to convince her to turn on her humanity once more. You know as well as I do what forcing the change can do, it must be her choice."

Elijah took a deep breath before he knocked on the door to the room that Elena had been given, the humans had all retired to bed an hour before, but he could tell from her heart beat that she was not asleep.

"Come in." She called quietly, as if she was unsure on the request.

Elijah entered, leaving the room cracked open as he approached where she sat on the bed, "I wanted to see how you are handling everything. A lot has happened in the last few days, today was especially difficult i know."

She bit her lip and turned away from him, a frown on her face before she said, "There is just so much happening, all at once. I do not know what path to take."

"We must all make choices but unfortunately yours will be harder than most." He said, giving her a small smile, "Most women your age, all they need to worry about is if the man she wants to marry also wants to marry her. If she will have a happy life with him and how many children she might give him. Yours are much more complicated."

"Do I even really have a choice anymore Elijah? I cannot go back to the life I had before. Even if you or Emily could erase my memories, my father would still be dead." She shook her head, "There is only forward and I don't see how I can move forward without you."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, "I would never force you into anything Elena, and I do not want you to be with me because you feel obligated, or that because you cannot see another choice for yourself."

She gave him a small smile, "You misunderstand me. I do not mean that I cannot think of a way to have a life after this, without you, I can. My imagination is not stunted by the grief or danger. I mean, that I cannot see a future in which I am happy, without you."

A wide smile grew across his face, "I am glad you feel this way. Once my father and Katerina have been dealt with and Mystic Falls is safe once again, we can resume our courtship. Do it properly."

"I think the time for proper courtship has passed Mr Mikaelson but if you insist and the pretense for the sake of the town, then I shall not deny you."

He loved the teasing tone in her voice and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. He pulled back before either of them got lost in the kiss, now was not the time for such things. He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, "Sleep well Elena. We can talk more in the morning if you wish."

She nodded, "Good night."

As he walked from the room, he was at least glad that the display she had witnessed downstairs had scared her away. He checked on both Salvatores as well, both were still unconscious in their seperate rooms, but he made sure to lock the doors just to be safe.

He stopped at the open door to Rebekah's room, seeing her in a robe at her vanity, her hair wet from a bath he assumed. He knocked to get her attention, "How are you feeling about all of this?"

"We have Caroline back, at least physically, and we have saved Stefan and Damon from Katerina's hands. I would say today has gone as well as can be expected." She replied, sparing him a glance in her mirror before she went back to braiding her hair, "I overheard your conversation with Elena. I am happy for you big brother."

He couldn't stop the smile, "It is only a possible future still, we have to stop Father first."

She turned to look at him, "Emily's cousin shall be here in a few days. Two powerful witches, four hybrids, and three Original vampires, against one witch, one normal vampire, and one Original. I think we have the upper hand."

"We have thought that before." He reminded her, hating to see this sadness that shadowed her features at his mention.

She shook her head, "We are better prepared this time and there is no one that could betray us. We will stop Father and get Kol back. We can kill Katerina in the process as well."

He nodded and turned away, "I sure hope you are right."

"I will be." She replied before he closed her door, and he had a feeling that she would do all she could to will that future into existence, no matter what she needed to do.

Kol woke up suddenly as the door to his cage was knocked open. His blurry eyes recognized his father and the rage that crossed his face. He tried to wet his mouth, but he had not eaten in days, if not a week. The time had all started to blend together, he was not sure what day it even was anymore. He still had his wits though and croaked out, "Did your master plan fail Father?"

Mikael sneered at him, "How can your brother have made more like him?" The shock Kol felt must have registered on his face because Mikael took a few steps back before saying, "He hasn't been able to do it before but something in Mystic Falls allowed him to do so. What could it have been?"

Kol wondered that too. There was nothing really special about Mystic Falls now, just like there had been nothing special about it in the past. It just so happened to attract the supernatural for a reason he could not explain.

Katerina appeared in the doorway, her arm festering a wound, "What are we going to do about this?"

Mikael rolled his eyes, "It is a werewolf bite my dear, there is no cure for that. In a day or so you will die."

Kol would have laughed at the shock on her face if he had the energy, he could tell them that there was actually a cure, but he didn't want to. He only hoped he would be allowed the privilege of watching the poison slowly draw the immortal life from her body. It would be a nice image to take with him before he fell into the sleep of the undead.

His Father moved closer and placed his hands on Kol's neck, "I know you are already weak but I cannot risk losing the last piece of leverage I have left."

The world went black before Kol could really process all he had said.

A/N: Thank you everyone who is still reading and supporting this story!