Klaus felt his breath stagger. For how long had he been walking? He had no idea. He was on the road next to the woods, it was past midnight. He kept walking and he didn't even know where he was going. His shirt was torn and his torso scratched and bleeding.

He heard something behind him, and quickly turned. He was blinded by the headlights of a car headed straight at him.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Caroline was sitting on a chair. Or more like it, she was bound to one. Her feet were tied to the legs and her arms to the armrests. Her neck was bound to the headrest.

She couldn't twitch if she wanted to, the knots were so tight. All she could do was look up to see Elena's frightened face, and look back down to see her bloodied jeans.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Damon stood still. He dared not move from his hiding place, behind several bushes. He listened for any sound of movement.

After a couple of minutes elapsed, which seemed like eternity to him, he decided to make his move. He jumped out from the bushes and leapt behind a tree. It wasn't much progress but at least he was closer to the walls. Closer to Elena.

How could he have let this happen? He felt guilty but had no time to chide himself. Cautious and stealthy, he made his way to the large entrance. He looked up at the shattered windows, broken bricks and the ruined garden, and he could almost smell the freshly mown grass like it had been so many years ago. Memories flashed in front of his eyes. Not many steps from where he was, was the exact spot where he had first met Katherine. And not many yards away was where he, Stefan, and Katherine used to play. He missed it all. He missed his home.

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Get in!" Bonnie screamed as the truck came to an abrupt halt. Klaus, bewildered, leapt in the back.

"How did you know where I was?" Matt drove off.

"Locator spells. I had to use them on all of you. Elena and Caroline are in the same place, I just can't get the exact location. It's under some kind of hiding spell. But it's a shabbily done one, because I could find that they were together."

"What do you mean? They're not at the boarding house?"

"No. I can explain."

Klaus roared with anger. "ONE job I gave you, witch! ONE! To keep her safe! You couldn't do that much! What is WRONG with you? Are you that stubborn or genuinely incapable?"

"Klaus, I—"

"Shut it, both of you! We need to find them before we kill each other! BOTH of them…"

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Damon made another move. He glanced left and right, and ran. He reached inside the mansion and hid behind a few broken racks. Luckily, he knew the place inside out. If there was any room worth hiding someone in, he would find it. And soon.

He started looking around. Glancing in every direction every second. He scanned the ground floor hurriedly and ran upstairs. The ground floor was too open to hide someone in. But there was another reason as to why he was eager to go upstairs. He raced toward the half broken, white, wooden door ahead of him and broke it open. He entered.

He could feel his eyes well up when he looked around. He looked to the left and that's where his bed used to be. He looked the right, and there was Stefan's.

Damon walked across the room to the bed that remained. He knew every corner, every inch of this house. It was where he'd grown up. And it hurt him. It hurt him to remember where he and his brother come. He was feeling quite nostalgic, but wasn't deep enough in thought to miss the figure lurking in the shadows. He whirled around.

"Hello, brother."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"I'm going to go and find my gram's scriptures. There has to be a way to undo a hiding spell." Bonnie escaped Klaus' vicinity and hid herself in Damon's room. She laid out the maps and candles, and after much searching, brought a giant, yellow-paged book to the table. Blowing the dust off, she started off.

Meanwhile, Klaus and Matt stalked around the living room.

"Why can't we just go and look?!" Klaus roared.

"They can be halfway across the globe by now! How can we possibly find them?!" Matt knew it wasn't the best idea to yell at an Original. But he was getting on his nerves.

Klaus sighed and sat on the sofa. His wounds had healed almost completely. "How could this happen?"

"Don't you get it? It was an ambush. Everything was a preplanned disaster. They wanted you to go and speak to Tatia in the woods, thinking you could negotiate. Bonnie and I in the meantime would be overpowered and Caroline and Elena taken for some unknown reason. But something went wrong, as a result of which the hiding spell wasn't complete. I don't know what, but that was the reason Tatia ran out. That's why she wounded you, because she thought you were doing something."

Klaus nodded in agreement, after which he fell silent and thoughtful.

"I think I know." Klaus and Matt turned around.

Klaus smiled mockingly. "At least you were of some use."

"I think I know what went wrong. Or who."

"Bark." Klaus ordered. Bonnie knew better than to argue.

"The spell to reveal what's in a hiding spell is called Veritatem Revelare. It uses the ancient practice that was done to reveal the founding families when they were thought to be hiding from witches in order to trick and capture them. It shows you the number of founding families in the area and how many members of each present. Since we knew Damon was with Caroline and Elena, I tried locating him. And I found the Salvatore family. Just that I found two members."

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Why are you back, Stefan? What do you want?"

"Right now, Damon, I want the exact same thing that you do. I want to find Elena and Caroline and get them somewhere safe. I want to free us of the overhanging danger and I want to be able to move out of my house without the fear of death."

"Enough with the drama, li'l one. You were always one to quote sappy movies. Figure out a way to find them. Then we'll talk." Damon tried not to show the hopefulness in his words. Maybe, just maybe, Stefan had come to stay.

"I'll look on the upper floor, you look here and at the terrace. Meet me back here in five minutes. Yell out for me if you find them. And if you do, take them. And run." Damon nodded.

As Stefan was leaving the room, Damon called, "Don't think I trust you."

Stefan turned around, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I know you don't."

Oooooooooooooooo

Klaus, Bonnie and Matt had left the boarding house and were headed towards the mansion.

"And to think we figured they were halfway across the globe." Klaus said, staring pointedly at Matt. He smiled.

"You know, for an Original Vampire, you're very petty." Matt huffed. Klaus smiled to himself and the rest of the journey was silent.

When they reached the house, everyone abandoned the vehicle.

"Okay. Matt and Bonnie, the two of you, head in from the front entrance. I'll take the back. Call out if you see anything. Matt, use the stake on anyone but me." Klaus raced around the building as Bonnie and Matt slowly made their way, hiding from anyone that could prove fatal.

As Klaus entered the back door, he found himself stepping into a well laid out, though now unkempt, kitchen. He looked around and trusting his instinct, ran to the upper floor. It was a gut feeling, but he felt like he would find something. He found Damon, tiptoeing across the hallway.

"You know you're a vampire, right, mate?" Klaus echoed.

"SHHH! What is wrong with you?!" Damon shushed him. After giving each other ominous looks, they headed to the terrace. That's when they heard Stefan.

"Damon! Damon!" Damon and Klaus rushed upstairs and found Stefan struggling between a wall and stake. Damon ran to him.

"They're here! Watch out!"

Klaus managed to duck a flying stake and raced at its origin. He found a meager looking vampire, hiding behind the curtains.

"You dare try to kill me!" He whispered, almost scolding him.

"It's not me. It's them. They'll kill you." The vampire conveniently and promptly passed out and Klaus dropped him to the floor.

Stefan, Damon and Klaus, none caring about how much noise they're making, started looking around, turning the entire place over.

"Klaus!" Bonnie screamed. Following her voice, they reached a little lowered part of the terrace. There she stood, looking over Elena as Matt tried untying an unconscious Caroline. Damon immediately wanted to get there, but Stefan stopped him.

"We need to make sure that they don't get to them. We'll guard them till they're free." Nodding in agreement, the three vampires assumed positions. Nobody had tried interfering so far.

Caroline was moaning by now, and Klaus wanted to get down there. But he didn't budge. Elena was conscious already, though baffled by Stefan's unexpected presence.

Slowly, Klaus noticed, an army of vampires had established themselves all around. They were not going down without a fight. Klaus was certain they would be taken down, but that was before he saw Tatia, eying him from the corner.

"Hello, everyone." She screeched. Elena and Caroline were fully awake now, though not strong enough to stand. Elena was sitting on the chair still, and Caroline was leaning on Matt and going highly unappreciated by Klaus. Everyone looked at Tatia, surprised.

She continued. "Well, this has been fun. I had originally wanted a little quality time with Nik, but as that seems a little difficult to arrange at the moment, I'll do without it. Nik, don't forget to brig Elijah next time." This statement sent Klaus' mind fuming. "Girls and boys, you may begin." With that, the army charged.

Yelling and screaming ensued, the sound of flesh hitting flesh and bones cracking filled the air. Keeping the girls and Matt safe, Damon, Stefan and Klaus fought against the vampires.

It didn't take too long for them to be knocked out. Each and every baby vampire was lying in a pool of blood, not necessarily their own.

Klaus made his way to Caroline and took her hand. He rubbed it and Caroline gave him a feeble smile. He then turned to Tatia.

"Did you honestly think that these babies would be a match for me?" He said, boastfully.

"Oh, yes, that was a grave mistake. But worry not, I will find another way." Tatia beamed. "But for now, I have something else to keep me satisfied."

"And what is that?"

"Remember how you came to meet me in the woods earlier today? It was going so well and peacefully, when suddenly this Salvatore ruined our plans. I don't know where he got the power from, but he hurt me. I was bleeding and you saw it. And you know what I saw? Your eyes. And your concern. It moved me, Klaus. You still care." Tatia smiled.

Before anything else could cross his mind, one thing did. He looked at Caroline, who immediately looked away. There was a sudden sinking feeling in his chest.

"You lie."

"No, Niklaus. You know it's true. My grand plans did not succeed tonight. But they will soon. You may leave." She smiled playfully and walked away.

The seven of them made their way out of the house. It was eerily silent, and each could hear their own thoughts.

As Damon walked towards his car with Elena by his side, he could feel tension growing between her and Stefan. No matter how happy he had been to see his brother, he knew what this meant. He was, yet again, the second option.

As Caroline clutched Matt and walked on, Klaus reproached himself for letting this happen all over again. Because truth be told, he had felt the concern in him for Tatia. And as much as he hated himself for it, he knew it was there.

As Caroline fought with her pain and inner worries, one and only one thing played over in her mind. Klaus still cared for Tatia. She couldn't forget it and it wouldn't leave her alone. She couldn't fight it and neither could she make it untrue. She didn't dare look Klaus in the eye, and she continued walking on…

I know, it was a little confusing. But either way, hope you liked it! And more of the Caroline-Klaus part next time, I promise.

xxx