They made their way back down the mountain in silence, none of them spoke. Stefan too lost in his own thoughts, and Antonia quite just not wanting to say the wrong thing. Klaus on the other hand was hard for her to read, his face was stoic and showed very little other than some anger but his body was telling her he was ready to explode at any minute. Antonia almost dared to ask why they weren't whooshing back or that she could walk herself but thought it best not to. It was obvious they all needed time to think and by walking at a human pace they had that.

The stars had come out to join the moon high in the sky by the time the trio had made their way back to the SUV. Klaus felt oddly at peace with Antonia in his arms as he walked up to the car. Readjusting to get the keys out of his pocket Antonia stirred as she had eventually fallen asleep. She turned more into his chest and let out a little sigh.

Klaus glanced down as her hair covered her face, her cheek squished against his chest. She was so peaceful sleeping and Klaus couldn't help but admire her beauty as she did. He hadn't even noticed how she had fisted his shirt in her hand. Stefan cleared his throat, Klaus had gazed too long. Clicking the car open, "You drive" Klaus said as he managed to open the back.

"Okay… Where to?" Stefan asked hesitantly as he got in the driver seat. Still holding onto Antonia Klaus got in. In the dark and preoccupied Klaus didn't notice but Stefan was nervous.

"Chicago" Klaus said as he shut the door adjusting Antonia to be comfortable. He wasn't ready to let go of Antonia yet, it was as if she was keeping him together right now. He was still fuming from his failed attempt at creating Hybrids but holding her… holding her just kept him focused on fixing whatever the issue was, not throwing a tantrum. Having another screaming fit would not fix anything. No Klaus just needed to find the problem and the solution.

Stefan started the car without a word and the drove off into the night. The car kicked up some gravel and dirt as it pulled into the road and Antonia stirred a little. Punching in the destination into the GPS as he pulled out Stefan didn't notice and it was almost too soft to hear but Klaus heard her, "It's okay".

Taken back as his emotions were tugged upon by her simple yet so meaningful words Klaus her stroking her face getting the hair out of it. He needed to do something otherwise he was scared he might cry. Making sure the blanket covered her, Klaus turned his head to look out the window feeling very mentally distressed at the moment.

Warm bed? Check. Shower? Nope. Antonia tried to cuddle further into her warm bed but found it was hard and moving as if it was breathing? Antonia opened her eyes still half asleep only to be met with Klaus' hand and his phone in her face. He was texting and the phone was right in her face. Klaus wasn't aware she had awoken just yet so she got a create view of his phone. Clearing her throat Klaus pulled his hand and phone away looking down at her with an amused smirk.

"Sleep well?" Klaus asked and she tried to gracefully push up off his lap.

"Yeah, I guess, um what are we doing now?" Antonia asked as she tried to not feel and look too awkward abandoning Klaus' lap and into the seat next to him. The blanket that was once keeping Antonia nice and warm besides from the heater that Klaus was, draped across both of their legs.

Cracking her back and readjusting her clothes that had been twisted in her slumber Antonia looked at Stefan driving. "Where are we headed now?" She asked. Klaus ignored her so she assumed she might as well ask the driver.

"A Diner, you'll get human food and we'll get some humans" Stefan looked drained still.

"And what about after that?"

And just as Stefan was about to answer her they pulled into a little Diner in the middle of a cute little town. "Let us get some food in us before we talk" Klaus said stepping out of the car. Stefan followed suit. Antonia hadn't realized they had been so close so she quickly checked herself out in the rearview mirror before getting out too. By then Stefan was walking away down the street away from the Diner.

Shutting the door, "Where is he off to?"

"Just fulfilling his appetite he'll be back, now shall we?" Klaus said as he gestured to the entrance of the Diner.

The two sat themselves at a booth at the front. It was a cute little Diner as if it was out of a cartoon, the classic retro look. Sliding into the vinyl booth a waitress in a cute little button up white shirt and high waisted red pants matched the esthetic of the Diner perfectly. "Hi there! Here's your menus and I'll be back in a minute for your order! Any coffee to get you started?" The girl asked.

Antonia took the menu and glanced at her name plate, "Penny".

"Hi, uh can I actually get a hot chocolate please?" It was early not even 7am yet so Antonia felt a warm drink was warranted as it was quite chilly out this early.

"Sure! And you?" Penny asked placing a hand on Klaus' arm. Antonia almost snorted at her blatant flirt. Klaus' eyes on the other hand lit up and he just said "Coffee" Disappointed by his lack of flirting back Penny and her high pony tail flipped off to another table.

"So…" Antonia started, she couldn't stand silence and with Klaus it was only worse.

"What?" Klaus asked looking over the menu.

"So, what are you going to do to solve the Hybrid problem?" She bravely asked checking out the pancake section. "Oh, blueberry pancakes those sound good" she thought.

"I'm going to have a talk with a very powerful witch and hopefully she can tell me what the issue is" Klaus said setting down his menu.

"So we're going to see a witch?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"No not really I just don't like witches"

"Bad experiences?"

"Considering one took me and turned me immortal without a second thought about what I wanted yes I would say bad experiences" she said softly but with clear venom in her voice. Her eyes cast down as she pointed at what she wanted, "But you trust this one?"

"I can assure you I trust this witch, we'll get my answers and I leave alright?" Klaus said pushing down the menu she held up.

Dodging his question, "What are you getting?" Antonia asked Klaus referring to food.

"Belgium waffles with hash browns and bacon. You?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes with sausage and bacon"

"Going for only the healthy options I see" Klaus teased as he saw their waitress coming.

"Here's your drinks! Are you re-?" Penny asked setting down their drinks flashing Klaus a pageant smile.

"She'll have chocolate chip pancakes, with sides of sausage and bacon. And I'll have Belgium waffles with hash browns and bacon" Klaus bit out before she could finish as he handed the menus to her, Penny scrambled to pen what they wanted down and skirted away to the kitchen.

"That was kind of rude" Antonia muttered as she stole a few of the creamers pouring them into her very hot, hot chocolate.

"It's too early to ogled, besides I'd rather talk to you" Klaus said sipping his coffee. Antonia laughed a little, that was true it was a little early to deal with such obvious and unwanted flirting but the last bit she wasn't expecting.

"Whatever" Antonia said playfully rolling her eyes, taking a sip of her own hot deliciousness. Setting her mug back down she looked the window, and out to the SUV. They continued to sit in silence for a moment, Antonia just kept watching the birds fly by and the people start to come alive in the town opening up their shops, walking their dogs and just going about their daily lives.

"Now Antonia tell me, why haven't you run screaming yet?" Klaus said breaking her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Internally she was freaking out at his question but tried to keep a calm demeanor.

"You haven't once made an attempt to run. Katherine left you and I can't imagine you expected to find me when you came for her. You did come rather easily…" Klaus clarified sitting back his arms draped over the sides of his booth. His face gave nothing away but curiosity shone in his eyes as clear as the sun on a summer day.

"You're right I didn't expect to find you at all I genuinely thought she was in trouble but not with you... I guess I'm not running because I've always wanted my pack back, and Katherine and I had a deal, I didn't expect her to stay"

"Deal?"

"We knew each other's stories. Kat knew you and I were of the same pack and I knew she would run for her life if we ever found you" Antonia said feeling bold. She picked her mug up, blowing on the liquid softly she took another sip before continuing. "I don't run away because I've wanted my pack, and now that's you. Though I love Kat I know I'll always need more than what she can offer me. She's not a werewolf, she can never understand. Being alone for so long you come to crave that connection and that for me is the pack bond that can't be broken, it just so happens that's you. To answer your question, I don't run because I don't want to"

Klaus opened his mouth to respond but Penny and their pancakes stopped him. Sensing she wasn't wanted nor needed anymore Penny put the plates down and left.

"Oooh bacon!" Antonia said snatching a piece off her plate. The wolf in her craved meat and right now it was very happy with her choice of two proteins this morning. "I do admit this isn't how I thought our first meet would go though" she confessed as she cut into her pancakes.

"I wasn't aware there was anyone who survived the massacre…" He commented almost accusingly as he took cut into his food yet his eyes stayed on her.

"I wasn't really there when it happened, I really just came back when nearly everyone was dead" Antonia said quietly stuffing a fork full of pancakes into her mouth.

They fell into silence again as they dug into their breakfasts. "So, what do you think?" She asked after finishing a few bites.

"About?"

"About us being a pack…" Antonia said as she bit into a piece of sausage. "No pressure but I want to know upfront what I'm getting into, I don't want to turn if I don't have a pack…" she confessed as her face flushed. She didn't know why she had said that, but she knew she needed to be bold if she was ever going to figure out if she should tell him what she truly was to him. Better to start now she reasoned.

"Antonia look at me" Klaus said sternly setting his fork down with a clank. She looked up from her pancakes and met his eyes, "Antonia, you're part of the pack, my pack. And I would never force you to trigger the gene, but as your Alpha I would be there to help you adjust if you so choose" He said earnestly. And with that Klaus stabbed his hash browns and continued to eat clearly done with the conversation.

Antonia was glad he didn't ask her anymore questions and was surprised at her own boldness, the more time she spent around him the more she found herself becoming the person she had been back before everything happened. Before she was the loudest around and the most outgoing of her pack.

"Everything tasting okay?" Penny asked interrupting their comfortable silence. She looked tense.

"Yes" they said simultaneously, Antonia's voice a little nicer than his.

"Okay then…" She said walking off.

"Actually, Penny" Klaus said grabbing her arm as she turned, "sit down" He compelled and Penny slid into the booth on Klaus' side.

"Don't be afraid and don't make a sound, this will just hurt a little" Klaus said as he pushed her pony tail off her shoulder exposing the girl's neck to him.

Without further ado Klaus extended his fangs and bit into her neck, Antonia watched as she ripped off a piece of bacon. She looked around the Diner, people were starting to come in, granted they didn't appear to notice what was happening opposite of her but she was aware of the patrons none the less. If anyone looked over it may just appear to be a good deal of PDA.

After a minute Klaus pulled off Penny's neck just as Antonia had finished up her meal. Klaus quickly compelled Penny to forget what happened and go serve her other tables.

"Perfect timing! Now if you're all set I believe we should be getting back to it" Klaus said as he shifted to start to get out of the booth throwing down cash for their meal.

"Perfect timing indeed, wait, now you've got some blood on your chin still…" Antonia noted as she reached across the table to dab it off of Klaus' chin with a napkin. Her other hand came under his chin holding him steady as she dabbed the blood away, with her hand on his chin it was as if he could feel the connection radiating off her finger tips. Their eyes met and Antonia's hand stilled as she wiped the last little drip of crimsonness. It was as if time froze for a second as she pulled away his gaze still holding hers in an intense manner as if he knew something, as if he had felt something.

It was instinctual for Antonia and she hadn't thought a second about how Klaus the might Original Hybrid would react at such a simple gesture. She had been in charge of taking care of the little ones in the pack so wiping faces was what she knew. "I'll be just a minute" Antonia said completely flustered by her own actions and his reaction to it, she slid out and off the bathroom before they went back into the car.

Because the bathroom wasn't a single stall Antonia didn't have time for her much-wanted little freak out so she did her business and quickly got out. Passing by the table and a drowsy Penny serving tables Antonia went back out to the car.

Klaus was leaning against the hood waiting, "Ready?" His gruff demeanor was back, clearly his softer side shone in the Diner with her was gone.

"Yup" Antonia said popping the p. She noted Stefan wasn't in front which meant he must be in the back so she got in shot gun. Klaus got into the driver side and started the car. Buckling up Antonia looked back and saw that Stefan wasn't in fact in the back seat, "Where's Mr. Broody?"

"He should be back any minute" And just as Klaus said that Stefan whooshed right into the car, "Ready" Stefan said and with that the pulled out and back onto the highway they went.

Only five minutes went by and Antonia could only withstand no music and silence for so long so she turned on the radio. "So where are we going exactly, you never told me" she said directed at Klaus. She was willing to stay with him because she wanted to be a pack but that didn't mean she wanted to be cluelessly following her essentially new Alpha.

"I find it curious you decided to turn on the music, and then ask a question" Klaus commented with raised eyebrows as if he couldn't hear her perfectly over the music.

Playing his game Antonia rolled her eyes and muted the radio, "So where are we going exactly?" She added some added attitude for good measure as she asked again.

"Chicago" nodding her head in approval Antonia unmuted the radio just in time for an upbeat pop song came on which she hummed along to.

A few hours in Stefan fell asleep in the back, probably blacked out on blood that was so evident on his breath that even Antonia could even smell it. Rolling down her window Antonia let her hand fall out indulging in the wind flowing through her fingers. It was just about four and the sun shined so brightly, she could feel the warmth on her skin.

"Klaus?" Basking in the sun rays Antonia asked still looking out the window, she watched as the trees surrounding the highway gave way to a more industrial scenery. Tall buildings started to come along filling the horizon.

"Yes?"

"Do I have to go in with you to see the witch?"

"Yes," he took his eyes off the road to glance at her a moment taking in her hair flying back with the wind. "We won't be seeing her tonight but I'm hoping it is a short visit, she'll tell me and I'll solve the problem and we will be on our way but yes you have to come".

Klaus could tell that witches truly did bother the girl but wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with her in the meantime. They weren't going to make it before night fall so they would have to wait until morning to go see his witch but he didn't want her not in his sight. He thought of other options for her, he didn't want her uncomfortable but he wasn't coming up with anything that he felt remotely okay with. He knew he was being over protective and paranoid she said so herself she wasn't going to run and no one else knew of her otherwise he would know so he had no reason to be so paranoid. Maybe he just didn't want her to leave his side, he didn't want to lose the only pack he truly had but he quickly pushed the thought away shaking his head.

"What?" a soft voice said next to him, turning his head again he saw Antonia watching him.

"Nothing" he said more gruffly than he had actually intended and Antonia just turned back to the window.

Antonia closed her eyes trying to mentally prepare herself to see this witch, she was nervous as hell. If Greta could figure out what she was and Klaus was going to this witch for his help they must be ten times the witch Greta was and surely going to pick up on what she was.

The witch community all knew about Antonia, they simply just didn't care for her and since most witches were against Klaus triggering his wolf side they hadn't ever said anything or advertised her existence from his pack if they ever came across her in real life. Now that these witches were on Klaus' side the chances of them throwing away the idea of keeping her connection to Klaus was jeopardized. Granted Greta had exposed Antonia being a member of Klaus' father's pack she hadn't been able to detect that she was his mate.

She wasn't sure what a witch would do with that information or even if that would be anything of their concern, but she didn't want to find out any time soon. Besides she really just didn't like witches, Ayanna had ruined the whole lot of them for her.

Antonia tried to push her growing anxiety aside. Feeling the car coming to a stop Antonia opened her eyes. They were in line at a fast food joint, at Wendy's?

"Thought you could use some food"

"Oh" she said peering across him at the menu, "thank you"

"What do you want?"

"Can I have a ten-piece chicken nugget with a small fry and a water?"

"That's all?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not going to stop for a while"

"Oh, so a medium fry?"

"Stefan?" Klaus called back to the awakening vampire

"Burger with two large fries and a cup of the server's blood" Stefan finished before Klaus pulled up to the menu to order.

"Wendy's, what can I get you today?"

"Hi, I need twenty-piece chicken nugget, three burgers with everything, five orders of large fries, a bottle of water" Klaus ordered glancing at Antonia who was watching with wide eyes at the order he was putting in, "A chocolate shake and apple slices"

Repeating the order back to him the server told him his total and that to pay and pick up at the next window. Waiting for the car in front to move Klaus fiddled with the radio, "That's a lot of food"

"I see you have good observational skills" Klaus teased with a glint in his eyes as he found a station that was in range for the new area they had traveled in.

"I only wanted a 10 piece though…" she commented shifting in her seat.

"Yes, and as I said earlier we won't be stopping again so I figured better safe than sorry, besides better to have too much than not enough" he commented thoughtfully full of unspoken meanings, the line of cars moved up and it was his turn to pay. Antonia knew he was making a reference to her time on the streets, and him not wanting her to feel like she needed to ration or feel funny about eating as much as she wanted around him.

After he paid they handed him the food which he handed to Antonia to divvy out as he compelled the worker to provide them with two soda cups of his freshly spilled blood they pulled into a parking spot to get situated.

Unsure of who really wanted who as Klaus ordered more than expected she just held the bag or it all as Klaus reached in handing stuff out.

"This is for you" Klaus said handing Antonia her nuggets, fries, the bottled water and a straw. Giving him a questioning look, "And this is you too" he said handing her a baggie of precut apple slices and a chocolate shake, filling in her unasked question of why she needed a straw.

"I don't know if I can eat all of this"

"Well I recommend you eating the apple slices first, get something healthy into you" Klaus suggested as he looked at her with her lap covered in her foods.

"I don't-"

"Eat them Antonia, they're good for you, or I'll take back your nuggets" Klaus said authoritative half serious half-jokingly. As her Alpha he wanted her to be happy and healthy, the nuggets made her happy and the apple slices made her healthy. He saw her nearly literally shrink back into her reserved timid self that he saw when he first met her, that was not at all what he had intended.

"Can we go already?" Stefan interjected from the back throwing his wrappers into the empty plastic bag between Antonia and Klaus. Klaus threw him a glare, "So eager to get back to where it all started are you?"

"What?" Stefan inquired with a mouth full of fries, completely thrown by the cryptic comment.

"You'll see, we'll be there soon enough"