A/N: I made it to 2733 words on my essay and i spent most of the day on the train so i decided to take a break from uni work and write you lovely people a chapter ^_^

Every part of me hurt. I ached in places I didn't know it was possible to, with a fiery intensity like I had swallowed the sun. Today was the day of yet another move, to England this time. Our flight wasn't until the evening, so when Lucien had woken me early, saying he had a surprise I'd been nervous. He'd led me to the living room and that was where the pain had started.

Sitting on the floor, arms around her knees and head resting on them, was Lilah. It had been eighteen months since Lucien had forced me to marry him and had removed her in order to secure my obedience. Eighteen months of minimal contact just to let me know she was alive. Eighteen months of torture knowing that I could do nothing to help her. Seeing her brought pain unlike anything I'd ever felt. I had failed her and now I could see just how much.

She was skinny, far more so than her sister. She was wearing a baggy dress so it was impossible to tell just how much damage had been done but the limbs that were visible looked so fragile. She was smaller too, her growth stunted. Her skin was eerily pale, almost translucent. Her blonde hair was a long tangled mess that hung limply around her face. She had dark circles under her eyes and her fingernails were ragged, encrusted with dirt. But it was the bruises that frightened me. There weren't many but the ones that I could see were large and fairly fresh looking. They seemed to be concentrated around her throat and her wrists, and I could see a faint rings of teeth marks on her skin in the same area.

She lifted her head and her eyes met mine. I wanted to cry. There was no life inside them, just an unending emptiness.

I went over and knelt in front of her.

"Lilah…" I kept my voice soft. "Do you know who I am?"

She nodded slowly, breaking my gaze and looking down. I began to wonder what lies Lucien might have told her. I gently wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. She stayed rigid in my arms and I felt tears sting my eyes. Slowly, I felt her hands creep up to hug me back and I felt a rush of warmth. Maybe it wasn't too late to repair what Lucien had done to her.

"Little Lilah will be joining us on our trip," Lucien said.

I frowned. We'd relocated twice during Lilah's incarceration. Both times, Lucien had relocated her separately, ensuring I didn't get even a moment with my child. What had changed?

"Of course," he continued. "I still expect you to behave Elena. I ca very easily send Lilah away again."

I grasped her tighter instinctively.

"No! No… I'll behave, I promise."

"That's my girl. Now, why don't you run along and make a start on packing?"

I got to my feet and led Lilah from the room, frowning to myself. Usually Lucien didn't bother packing when we moved to another one of his houses. After all, they were already furnished to his tastes and the wardrobes were already stocked when we arrived.

Still, I went to the twins' room. I paused as I looked at the two beds next to each other. Throughout my time here, I'd always looked at that second empty bed, neatly made with Lilah's toy wolf resting on the pillow and felt sick. I knew Lucien had only put it there to torment me, a constant reminder of his power. Now I saw it and I felt relief. She was back and I wasn't going to let her ever be separated from me again.

At the sight of her toy, she let out a small squeak and rushed over to cuddle it. I smiled fondly and began to pack a bag. Blair, disturbed from her sleep by our presence, rolled over and looked at the other bed where her sister lay. I paused, concerned about how she might react to this girl who at most would be a familiar stranger. Neither of them spoke, but Blair held out a hand, bridging the gap between the two beds. Lilah took it and both of them lay, facing on another, holding hands. I watched for a minute as they stared at one another, feeling like I was intruding on their private moment.

I resumed packing. Blair had a few things, outfits that were more than a bit too fancy for a 5 year old and just another reminder of the roles we were forced to play in Lucien's little games. I took great delight in crumpling them up and burying them at the bottom of the bag. I wished I could make Lucien disappear so easily.

I fetched my crumpled letter from under Lilah's mattress. It was only half finished but I scribbled one word on the bottom. England. Hopefully that would help. I returned it to its hiding place and retrieved an item, wrapped in a rag that I had hidden there the first day we arrived. I stuck it in my pocket and hoped Lucien wouldn't notice I had it.

I spent the next several hours packing up Blair's clothes, Lucien's clothes and the few clothes that I actually liked. Then I spent five minutes aggressively balling up the lace and silk and satin garments that I hated but was forced to wear. It wasn't much, but it was the only act of rebellion I could afford. By the time I was done, had packed a bag with snacks and games for the flight to amuse the twins and had got them suitably dressed, it was time to go. Lucien herded us out to the car and the three of us huddled together in the dimly lit interior. Lilah kept glancing around nervously and when Lucien got in, she grew even tenser. I stroked her hair and tried to keep her calm, praying he wouldn't do anything to agitate her further.

Fortunately, the journey to the airport passed without incident and before long we were seated on Lucien's private jet. There was enough space that I could settle the twins in the back row, far away from Lucien, and allow Lilah to relax a little bit. I sat in my seat and watched the two girls. Blair was chattering away while her sister sat in silence. I'd not seen Lilah speak since she'd returned. I knew it would take some time for her to adjust but I was somewhat concerned. At least they were getting along.

The intercom crackled into life and I lifted my head.

"Good evening passengers. We are about to start our ascent. It'll take us about an hour and a half to get to Budapest. The weather is clear so we should have a smooth flight. Enjoy your trip."

"Budapest?" I couldn't help but vocalise my confusion. Lucien looked over from his seat.

"Yes."

"I thought we were going to England?"

"Yes, I know that I told you that Elena but I changed my mind. However, I didn't tell you because then you wouldn't be able to tell Klaus and the others."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come now Elena. Your little letters? I know that you've been leaving a breadcrumb trail for them across Europe." He got up and came over, leaning against my chair. "That's the problem with breadcrumbs though. They get eaten by the birds."

"You've been… destroying my letters."

"Not all of them. Only the ones that might give your family a step in the right direction."

"Am I in trouble…?" He seemed oddly calm about the whole thing which was making me more nervous than when he acted angrily.

Well your little habit has proved advantageous to me so… no. I'll let this one slide. However, I have to warn you that if you misbehave yourself during this trip, you will be dealt with far more severely than usual. Understand?"

"Yes…"

"And when we get there, I need you… not to talk."

"umm…"

"At all. I'm not entirely sure the people we're visiting will appreciate your sense of humour. Of course I know that when I tell you to behave you'll give me some attitude and that's fine, I enjoy a little fight in you, but for you own safety, you shouldn't do that on this trip."

"Ok…"

"Good girl." He kissed my cheek. "Blair, sweetheart?"

I grimaced at the pet name. Blair looked up and smiled sweetly.

"Yes Luci?"

"We're going to see some old friends of mine and you need to stay very very quiet when we do, okay?" She nodded obediently and turned back to Lilah.

"I have two children. Are you not going to warn Lilah too?"

"The puppy? She's not said anything in a year and a half, I highly doubt she'll start now." I frowned.

"She's not said anything that entire time?"

"Well she's whimpered a little but nothing you could call stimulating conversation." He shrugged and returned to his seat. I settled back in my own chair, watching the twins. I wondered who Lucien was taking me to. He usually kept my interaction with other supernaturals to a minimum, preferring to drop me off wherever we were staying before going to meet his various contacts (usually witches). By the sounds of it I was not only going to meet them, but we were going to be staying with them. And Lucien seemed… scared. Or as scared as his shrivelled emotions would let him be. And that was somewhat concerning.

I left the main seating area and went into the tiny cubicle bathroom. From my pocket, I retrieved the item I'd got from under the mattress and unwrapped it. It was the Mikaelson necklace. While Lucien had let me keep the pendant Ansel gave me, the first thing he'd asked me was if I had any jewellery with the Mikaelson crest on it. I wasn't sure if it was out of jealousy or if he thought they could use it to find me but I'd lied and hidden my necklace away. Now, I held it in my hand and locked eyes with myself in the tiny bathroom mirror. I gently rubbed my thumb over the pitted surface and tried to visualize the family in my head. I knew I didn't have any magic and any favour that the ancestors or the dead werewolves seemed to have had for me had failed to materialize as actual help, but I hoped that if I tried hard enough something might get through to them. Maybe Freya would sense me, I didn't know. But I had to try.

I concentrated. Let it work, let it work. Let them find me. When I was first taken, after I'd been reunited with the twins, I spent every minute I was alone trying similar things. It never worked but I kept trying, hoping that my persistence would pay off. After Lilah was taken again, I had to stop. I knew that even if they had been able to find me, I couldn't leave without her. Over the months, I'd begun to lose hope that I'd ever see her again and that I'd ever be free of Lucien. Now she was back, I tried again with renewed vigour. Part of me knew that it wouldn't work, that it was insane to place my hopes on a tiny object. I knew that personal objects and blood were the favoured items for tracking and locating spells and Lucien had certainly been leaving a trail of my blood behind. If the siblings couldn't use that to find me with magic, the necklace didn't stand much chance.

But I had to try.

I am here. Find me. Find us.

I slipped the necklace back in my pocket and left the bathroom. The girls were both looking sleepy so I settled them in my arms and stroked their hair as they dozed off. The plane's interior was dark now, the lights switched off. I felt Lucien's eyes on me and I lifted my head slightly.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No… you just seem a little disheartened love."

"It's painful seeing someone after a long time. Particularly if you let them down." I was surprised by my candour. I felt like we were on neutral ground up here. Down on the earth, I had to play one of two roles, either the doting wife in public or his helpless victim behind closed doors. Things felt different up here. I wasn't either of those, I was me.

"You didn't let her down."

"I let you keep her locked up for a year and a half."

"What could you have done? I wouldn't have let her out until I wanted too. There is nothing that you would have been able to do to change that. So stop beating yourself up. You're a good mother."

I looked away and held my children close.

"Are you going to tell me who we're going to see?"

"They're some people I knew a very long time ago who I am hoping will be able to use their considerable resources to find what I need. And that is all I am saying. Now, I suggest you sleep. We have a long journey when we land and I don't need you looking worn out and acting crabby because you're tired."

He turned away, relaxing in his seat. I watched him for a minute before settling into my own seat and closing my eyes. I didn't know what would be waiting for me when I woke up but I knew I wanted to avoid it for as long as was possible.