I do not own TVD or TO

There were tiny weights attached to each of her eyelashes. Every individual hair seemed to be coercing her eyelids closed, but there were too many things going on for her to succumb to what was sure to be a restless sleep. There was a gaping hole in her memory, a baby in her womb, and a hybrid in her living room.

She could still smell the faintest traces of gasoline on her jeans that was making her head and stomach spin. She would have left to take a shower but there was a very good chance that she would keel over if she stood up from her precarious position on the couch.

"Bonnie has refused to come," Caroline sighed. She came up and took a seat on the other side of Elena, picking up the full water glass on the way. "Drink."

A line appeared between Elena's brows when the crystal was held against her hand. She took it in her shaky hand and sipped; snippets of conversation floated around her.

"… told you to make her drink…"

"… doesn't trust me… Bennett…?"

"… angry… grieving…"

"What happened to Bonnie's mom?" Elena perked up. She forced her tiredness onto the backburner and focused on Caroline before turning to Klaus when her friend didn't answer. "What happened to Abby?"

He heard her heart accelerate in the way it did when she was working up to an angry rant. The fire was beginning in her eyes and for the first time in a thousand years he felt his tongue twist in a knot.

"That Salvatore turned her," Kol's voice drifted in from the porch, "before we made it to the old witch house: the one with the black hair. Apparently he got it in his head that it was the way to break the link. He was right, but still…"

"Abby's dead?"

"In transition," Klaus reached for her hand. Relief flooded him when she didn't recoil, but it was short lived because she climbed to her feet a second later.

"I have to go see her."

Caroline flashed to block her path and crossed her arms. "You need to eat something and lay down."

"But…"

"No buts," Caroline pointed at her before motioning to the stairs. "Go upstairs and take a shower, or go upstairs and call Bonnie, and I'll make you a snack."

"Anything else mom?" Elena crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.

"You could invite me in," Kol leaned in the open door, a smirk on his face.

"I think I've got enough vampires with access to my home," she shook her head.

"I'd be offended," he straightened up, "but considering one of them is probably the culprit who did a number on your head I'll let it go."

Elena pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed on the way up the stairs. It went to voicemail twice before Bonnie finally answered as she was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"You might want to call another witch," Caroline stepped onto the porch with Klaus. "Bonnie's not going to be in any shape to do anything for a while, and…"

"And?" Kol prompted, tilting his head.

"And," Caroline sighed, her eyes flickering to Kol for a second before returning to Klaus, "she's not likely to want to do anything for you right now."

Her head whipped around when she heard a car door slam. She wondered how she had missed the sound of the vehicle pulling up.

"I'd offer one of my many witch contacts," Kol cocked an eyebrow, "except I don't have any at the moment, what with spending the last century rotting in a box."

"How long until you let that go?" Klaus sighed.

"At least half the length of the imprisonment," he smirked. He turned slightly when the approaching steps came to a stop. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Jeremy," he crossed his arms and turned his inquisitive gaze to Klaus and Caroline.

"Jeremy this is my brother Kol," Klaus leaned against the post, "Kol this is Elena's younger brother." He cocked an eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to know who was here last night before I called you."

"I'd ask how you're doing," Elena ran the tip of her finger over the metal tap, "but I know from experience how much that question sucks."

"I don't want to talk about it, Elena."

She could hear the weariness in her friend's voice. It sounded like she had given up on everything.

"Okay," she tilted her head, "do you need anything?"

"What I need is to be left out of vampire business! I never should have gotten involved in the first place."

Elena's mouth turned dry; she chewed her cheek, but it didn't help.

"That's why you called isn't it? You want me to come over there and get involved."

"I called because you're my friend," she felt tears prick at her eyes, "and I wanted to help."

"Caroline told me you'd been compelled."

Elena blinked rapidly but a tear still dropped from her lashes and rolled over her cheek. She stared at the bathroom counter and the thin stick she still hadn't gotten rid of.

"There are spells that can help, but I can't…" Bonnie's voice cracked on the other end of the line. "… I can't be around you right now."

"Why?" She sniffed.

"Because she also mentioned the baby and who you made it with; I'm sure he's got plenty of witches at his beck and call."

Elena shuddered at the disdain in her best friend's voice.

"I'm sorry about your mom, Bonnie."

"Thanks. Sorry about your head."

She didn't get a chance to respond before the line went dead.

She could feel a sob threatening to rip from her throat, so she started the shower, dropped her phone on the counter and stripped out of her clothes. She managed to hold it in until she was under the spray that would mask the sound from the vampires she was sure were still in earshot.

"Someone compelled her?" Jeremy gritted his teeth. "Who would do that?"

"Well…" Kol smirked, glancing over his shoulder. "Evidently there are only five vampires with an invitation, and I highly doubt Nik did it. Caroline seems unlikely as well since she was the one that pointed it out."

"Unless I'm playing a really complicated game," she rolled her eyes. Immediately three sets of eyes focused on her. "I'm not," she held up her hands. "It was just a joke."

"Elijah's clear as well," Klaus inhaled sharply.

"How could you know that already?" Jeremy stepped around them and opened the door. "Don't just stand on the doorstep, come inside."

"Thanks mate," Kol grinned.

Jeremy paused in the middle of hanging up his coat and eyed the satisfied look on the Original's face. "Elena didn't invite you in, did she?"

"No she didn't," Klaus shook his head. He stepped over the threshold and shut the door. "Elijah didn't do it because I daggered him earlier today."

"In a very counter-productive move," Caroline scoffed.

"That also clears Finn, Kol and Rebekah," he carried on.

"Which leaves Damon and Stefan," Jeremy tilted his head, "or…"

"Or?" Klaus' eyes widened. "Or who?" His eyes flashed when he turned them on Caroline. "You said only five had invitations to the house."

"I thought it was only five," her hands landed on her hips.

"It was," Jeremy cleared his throat, "and now – by my count – it's seven: Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Elijah, the two of you, and Katherine."

"Katherine has an invitation?" Caroline bit back her shriek.

"It's a long story involving Jenna, Damon, a stolen kiss and mistaken identity."

"Scandalous," Kol snickered. "I'm assuming Katerina tricked everyone into believing she was Elena."

"It helped that nobody knew she was in town," Jeremy nodded.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly to focus on the late morning light filtering through the gauzy curtains to the body curled up on her window seat. She hadn't realized how tall her baby brother had actually gotten until that moment. Sure, he towered over her all of the time, but it was one thing to have to look up at him and another to see him folded into the confined space.

It took her a moment to remember why he was there, but it came back when she sat up and saw Caroline stretched out on the bed.

They had all filled her in while she'd polished off a midnight snack. The knowledge that someone out there had an invitation to her house and had compelled her had made her nervous to be alone. Klaus had offered to stay after she said no to going to the mansion, but his presence was so confusing; her head said to hate him while her body whispered other things that just messed with her mind. Caroline had stayed instead, and Jeremy had taken up residence on the seat with one of Alaric's crossbows; it wouldn't do much good if a vampire showed up, but it was nice to know he was prepared.

"Do you feel any better?" Caroline cracked open an eye. She stifled her snicker when Elena jumped. "Sorry."

"No you're not," she pressed the heel of her palm over her thundering heart. "And I feel okay."

"Okay," Caroline sat up. "Do you remember anything else from the ball? Like who might have compelled you?"

"No," she sighed, leaning back against the headboard. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. "I remember meeting with Esther, Finn compelling me, talking to Elijah and then going outside for air."

"How'd you get home?" Jeremy mumbled around a yawn. He stretched out his limbs and rolled his neck from side to side. "I doubt you walked in heels."

A line appeared between Elena's brows. Her fingers curled around her elbows mimicking the phantom touch she could feel. "Damon drove me," she opened her eyes. "I asked him to stop at the drug store and then he brought me home."

"Did he come inside?" Caroline whipped her mussed curls into a messy bun.

"He brought me home," Elena repeated. "He parked the car, and then…"

Caroline exchanged a quick look with Jeremy when Elena went silent. She dropped her hand on Elena's knee and bobbed her head encouragingly.

"Then… then I was in bed," Elena chewed her bottom lip.

Kol's eyes shifted from left to right following his brother's furious pacing across the sitting room. There was a very good chance that the floor was going to give out at any second and Klaus would fall through into the basement, and as amusing as that would be to watch he didn't want to deal with the broken bones – no matter how short lived the pain would be.

"Have you ever considered Tai Chi or Yoga?" He cocked an eyebrow. "I'm given to understand both are relaxing activities."

"Shut up Kol," he snapped and continued to pace.

"What has Kol done now?" Rebekah sighed. She crossed the room, dropping to sit in an armchair across from Kol. Her brows lowered. "Nik?"

"I believe he's ignoring you, Bex," Kol sighed, turning his attention from Klaus to the grimoire in his lap.

"You're ignoring me, now?" Rebekah cocked an eyebrow. "That's very mature of you," she drawled. "What have I done to earn such childish behaviour?"

Klaus gritted his teeth. He came to a stop at the window and glared out at the driveway. His appointment was late and it was setting him on edge since all he wanted to do was hold Elena and in her current state it was the one thing he couldn't.

"You did attempt to set his mate on fire," Kol tilted his head, not looking up from the spell.

"His pregnant mate," Elijah leaned in the door to the study. He rolled his eyes when his presence went unanswered. "Really Niklaus?"

"You kidnapped her and left her with Rebekah," Kol frowned at his book. "The pregnancy might be an issue."

"Right," Rebekah rolled her eyes, "because that's the only issue with her."

"What is your problem with her?" Kol sighed. "You hardly know her."

"And you do?" Rebekah scoffed.

"I know she spent the entire day trying to help a family she saw as monstrous – thanks to whatever bastard compelled her – and to keep them alive." He rolled his eyes. "And last I checked she hadn't done anything to you. Unless you're upset that she was involved with that lover of yours while you were sleeping; you can't really blame her for that. It's not like she knew."

"What is the issue Kol?" Klaus cut in before they could start bickering.

"Yes," Rebekah smirked, "what's the problem with the evil spawn?"

"The spell to bring back compelled memories is… it's a strain on the body," Kol flipped the grimoire around, "you'd be better off finding the vampire that did it."

"Son of a…" Elena jumped out of bed and jammed her feet into her shoes.

Caroline watched her fly out of the room around Jenna who stumbled out of the way and called after her back. She stood and slipped on a pair of flats before racing after Elena. She mumbled a quick excuse to Jenna on her way down the stairs and caught up with Elena at the car.

"What exactly are you planning on doing?" She slammed the door shut before Elena could climb in. "Do you have a plan or are you just going to yell at him?"

"Yelling sounds good," Elena crossed her arms. "Yelling and maybe maiming."

"Wow," Caroline whistled, "you might not remember being involved with Klaus, but I think he's definitely rubbed off on you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Care," she rolled her eyes, "Klaus would kill him, or compel him."

"Which is what Damon's going to do to you," she leaned on the hood of the car. "If it was him he'll just compel you again. It won't be hard since you're not drinking vervain, and you ran out without putting on Jenna's perfume. You need a plan."

"He messed with my head, Care!" Elena pushed her hands through her hair.

Across the street the curtains parted, but they were heedless to the stares of the neighbors.

"I know how that feels."

"He compelled you, used you like a blood bag," Elena nodded. She remembered finding the bite marks.

Something flashed in Caroline's eyes that tugged at Elena's heartstrings. She got the sudden sense that there had been more to the relationship than what Caroline had previously let on.

"Get in the car," she motioned Elena around the vehicle, "you're in no state to drive." She sent a quick text to Klaus before sliding in behind the wheel.

"Your brother's right," Daphne frowned at the page and tucked a glossy lock of red hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't do this on her while she's pregnant. You'd do better to find the vampire that compelled her."

"Thank you, Daphne," he sighed. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out his cell phone.

"I can come back in nine months if that's not possible," she closed the grimoire and stood up.

"It doesn't look like that will be necessary," he shook his head. "The other issue?"

"I'll need blood from each of you for the unlinking spell." Her eyes flickered to his siblings.

"We're down a brother at the moment," Kol stood up, "I'll get some phials."

"In the drawer," Klaus waved to his desk. "I'll be back."

Caroline put the car in park. She sighed when Elena jumped out of the vehicle and flashed to block her path.

"Really?" She crossed her arms. "Why'd you come along if you weren't going to let me go inside?"

"To make sure you didn't get hurt, and I'm not gonna keep you from going inside; I'm just waiting for…" She trailed off when the wind shifted and brought a rich smell of her nose.

"Care?" Elena frowned. She crossed her arms to ward off the cold and cursed herself for not grabbing a jacket. "What's wrong?"

There was a rush of wind and suddenly a warm presence at her back. She fought down the urge to turn and look at him, knowing the strain it would cause her head.

"Whose blood is that?" Klaus frowned. He clenched his fists to keep from reaching for the small of Elena's back.

Caroline shook her head. She turned slightly and started towards the house with a growing feeling of dread in her belly. She could sense them moving behind her when she opened the door to the boarding house. The smell intensified and she heard Elena gag.

Elena's eyes widened as she took in the scene. Broken wood littered the floor along with spattered blood and in the middle of everything was a prone body with dull blue unseeing eyes. Bile burned the back of her throat when she spotted the extracted heart.

She bolted through a side door into the downstairs bathroom in time to fall on her knees and heave. Her hair was pulled back as she was sick and soothing circles were rubbed over her back until she sat back with a groan.

"What happened?" She mumbled, too scared to open her eyes and look through the open door to the mess in the living room.

Klaus smoothed back her hair and listened to Caroline's conversation when she found Stefan. He clenched his fist without thinking.

"Ouch," Elena winced.

"Sorry, love," he sighed, letting go of her hair.

"Klaus," she could feel his heart racing under her cheek, "what happened? I know you can hear them."

"Finn."