I slept another day away on the massive king size bed in my hotel room. This time it was a completely dreamless sleep. I had my answer, not thinking of Elena was so much worse. There was no pretending that I had just kissed her senseless. She was just gone. The finality sank into my chest, crushing my lungs with its weight.

I dragged myself from the bed, showered and dressed. I had one more mission. Just before I had drifted to sleep, I had my answer. What next? I needed to take everyone home.

I made one final trip to the compound, hoping that at least one of Klaus's minions was still hanging around. Rebekah was in my face before I cleared the gate. Fangs bared, she had me pinned to a wall before I could utter a word. Her death grip on my throat eased just enough for me to tell her I was no threat. Taking me at my word, she released me. She turned and walked away from me, deeper into the courtyard, leaving me to follow or not.

As I trailed behind her, I realized she had lost both of her brothers in a short period of time. After a thousand years together, she had to be feeling the loss intensely. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Let's not forget all of the horrible things Rebekah Mikaelson had done to us. I could appreciate her grief, but there was no way I could forgive and forget, any more than she could. I just hoped she would be willing to call a truce long enough to help me get the info I needed.

I needn't have worried. She stopped suddenly, turned on her heel to face me. She almost thanked me for putting Klaus down. Apparently, she had been living in fear for weeks. Klaus had blamed her just as much as he had blamed me for Elijah's death. He had promised to 'deal with her' as soon as he was done with me. The only reason she hadn't been daggered yet was because he had lost all touch with his sanity. She knew it was a matter of time before he regained it and came after her.

Once she was done venting and crying and thanking me, she seemed to remember that she was an Original vampire showing weakness in front of an (occasional) enemy. She locked down on her emotions and asked me what the hell I was doing there. After explaining that I just wanted to find out where the bodies were buried, she agreed to help. She phoned one of the minions, ordered him to come to the compound.

You know, sometimes it's good to have an Original on your side. I was prepared to torture the locations from Klaus's little hybrid slave. I didn't have to lift a finger. With the help of some Original compulsion, the guy spilled everything he knew. Unfortunately, he didn't know where Caroline was buried. Klaus had taken care of her himself, not allowing anyone else near her body. Once we were sure that he had told us everything he knew, Rebekah sent him on his way, compelling him to forget he had seen us.

In a rare moment of kindness, Rebekah promised to look for Caroline's body and return her to Mystic Falls, if at all possible. With that, I thanked her, said goodbye and left.

Over the next several days, I felt like I lived on airplanes. I think I compelled my way through most of the major airports in the eastern half of the county – O'Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson, JFK, Dulles, a few others that I lost track of.

My first stop was Chicago. If Matt and Bonnie's bodies weren't claimed soon, they would be cremated and stored in an evidence locker as John and Jane Doe number twenty bajillion. I couldn't let that happen. With the help of some forged paperwork and delicately applied compulsion, their bodies were released into my custody. From the morgue, it was a straight shot to O'Hare and on to Dulles. I buried Bonnie next to her Grams and Matt next to his sister, Vicki.

Then it was time for me to head out again, Atlanta this time. Stefan had been buried deep in a wooded section of Piedmont Park. Late one night, after the park was closed to the public, I found my brother's body. I had thought I was prepared to see him like that. I was so wrong. The gray tone to his skin, he gaping hole in his chest, even his hair in disarray was enough to bring me to tears. I hadn't yet mourned Stefan. I had raged, fought and gotten my revenge, but I hadn't let myself feel it. That night, sitting in Piedmont Park, I did. Just as dawn began to show its first rays of pink, I wrapped my brother's body in the blanket I had brought and carried him out of the park. More compulsion, another flight and I was back at Dulles, soon to be headed back to Mystic Falls.

After placing Stefan's casket in the Salvatore crypt, I was off again. I had brought my brother home. It was time to do the same for Elena's. Once again, I was heading for Dulles, this time to catch a flight to JFK. Apparently, Klaus hadn't told his minions to be creative when it came to burying his fallen foes. Jeremy was buried in Central Park, in a not-so-secluded area.

I found the spot where Jeremy was supposed to be buried and wondered how the hell I would get him without being seen by dozens of people. How had they buried him there without being caught? Just outside the zoo entrance, really? In the end, I compelled one of the landscapers to dig up Jeremy's body. I stood off to the side, watching his every move, prepared to compel anyone necessary to ensure that I could take Jeremy home. I hated putting Jeremy's body in a trash bin, but I couldn't exactly just walk through the park carrying a dead body.

Thankfully, when I headed to JFK for my return flight, I knew my mission was over. Everyone who could or should be returned home would be. As for Tyler Lockwood, yes he was a victim, but I couldn't make myself care about that. He could rot in whatever hole Klaus had dropped his body in.

After returning to Mystic Falls, I buried Jeremy in the Gilbert family plot, next to his parents. Technically, there wasn't supposed to be a plot there, but compulsion makes everything possible, right? Elena's little brother was surrounded by those who loved him, just as Elena would have wanted.

My work was done. Mixed in with the relief I felt was a feeling of loss. Not loss in the sense of grief. That feeling had been my constant companion. Loss in the sense that I had no idea what to do next. I had completed everything I had set out to do. It was only as I walked back to the boarding house that I realized that I had one more task to complete.