a/n: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter, particularly the second half! enjoy ;)

"He still hasn't woken up?" Damon glanced into the rearview mirror, where he met Elena's worried gaze from the backseat. It had been nearly three hours since Tyler had collapsed in front of their car—and now he was slouched in the backseat, his head resting against the window. He still hadn't returned to consciousness, and therefore hadn't been able to answer any of their mounting questions.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call Caroline?" Elena asked again, her eyes pleading. "She'll want to know that we found him."

"We didn't find him," he corrected, making the annoyance in his tone apparent. "And you can call Caroline when there's something to tell her. Right now we know nothing. If you call her, she'll have a million questions. And if you haven't yet noticed, we don't exactly have any answers."

"But what are we going to do with him?" Her tone was hushed as they crossed the border into Salem, "Are we going to bring him with us?"

Damon scowled. The last thing their road trip needed was a complication, and Tyler was just that. "Bring him where?"

"To find…" she faltered, "I mean, when we go looking for Silas and Katherine?"

"We're here to find Lucy," Damon responded evenly, keeping his eyes peeled as they entered into the main area of the town. "Look," he said in an undertone as they passed by a hotel, "That's the car Silas was driving when he stopped by the house a couple days ago." He kept driving for another couple blocks before pulling around the corner and parking under a large tree. "I don't want Silas to know we're here," he explained to Elena as he got out of the car, "Come on. We'll have to walk back."

She opened the back door but didn't get out. "What about Tyler? We can't just leave him in the car like this."

"Why not?" Damon retorted, "He's not going anywhere. Let him sleep it off."

"No," she insisted, "He's already lost and confused…god knows where he's been and how he found us. We can't leave him alone!"

"Fine, you babysit," Damon snapped, losing his patience in dealing with the Tyler situation. He tossed Elena the keys and eyed her sternly, "For getaway purposes only. Don't even think about going on a joyride."

Her hand blurred as she used her vamp abilities to catch the keys before they hit her face. She glared at Damon reproachfully, "You're being unreasonable. You can't go in there by yourself! What if Silas is waiting?"

"Yeah? Well you're not exactly leaving me with a lot of choice." With that, he slammed the door shut and stalked off in the direction of the hotel. He didn't hear any sounds coming from behind him, so he was left to conclude that Elena was actually doing what she was told for once and staying inside the car.

A few minutes later, he entered into the hotel lobby and made his way towards the front desk. A bored looking receptionist looked up briefly, "Reservation?"

"No," Damon flashed her a winning smile and then held his phone out, "Have you seen this woman before?"

She barely glanced at the picture that he had presented her. "Don't pay attention to who comes and who goes," she grunted. "You pay, you get a room." She paused to glower at him, "You don't pay, you don't get a room."

"Clearly," Damon said through gritted teeth before shoving the phone back into her face, "Why don't you take a second look?"

She heaved a huge put-upon sigh as she dropped whatever paperwork she was pretending to do, "Listen here—"

The second that she made eye contact, he dropped all pretense and leaned forward. "Take a look at this picture," he commanded, his eyes dilating. "Tell me if you have seen this girl before."

The woman's face went slack, her features becoming void of any expression. Damon felt a small twinge of satisfaction. It was so much easier being in a town that didn't drink vervain for breakfast.

"Yes," she intoned obediently, "The girl was here earlier today…only noticed her…so pretty…but so scared…didn't much like the look of the boyfriend…"

"Boyfriend," Damon nodded encouragingly, "Can you describe him?" He flipped his phone around at the same time, scrolling through for a picture of Stefan. With any luck, both of them were holed in one of the rooms for the time being and hadn't gone searching for Lucy yet.

"Dark hair," she sighed, "Real sturdy looking…but cold, you know?" The woman shivered suddenly, "Empty eyes…dark…like he could see right through a person."

The description didn't exactly match his brother's, though some of the phrases could probably apply to Silas. The woman blinked, appearing to come out of the Compulsion. Her expression began to sharpen, but Damon hurriedly leaned forward again, this time holding out a picture of Stefan. "Was this the man you saw?"

She took one look and firmly shook her head, "Never seen him before."

Damon's brow furrowed in consternation, "Could you take another look to be sure?"

"Positive. That wasn't him."

"But…" He groaned, turning away from her and thinking quickly. Of course, it was likely that Silas had taken on a different persona once he had left Mystic Falls. But if that was the case, then Katherine had to know it wasn't the real Stefan, didn't she? Or…could Silas perhaps show one face to her and a different face to the rest of the world? It seemed possible…

"Sir?" The receptionist was back to her surly attitude, "You getting a room or what?"

"Sure," Damon muttered distractedly, throwing a credit card in her direction. As she made the transaction, he was struck by a sudden thought. "Say," he began casually, "The girl and the boyfriend that we were discussing…how did they pay? Credit card?"

"Didn't pay."

"Right," Damon hesitated, "And I don't suppose you could tell me what room they're staying in?" He knew it was a long shot asking her, and that she was going to feed him the standard line about "hotel policy" but he unfortunately couldn't risk Compulsion again. The lobby behind him had become crowded in the past few minutes, and he didn't think it would be prudent to raise any red flags.

To his surprise, however, she had no qualms about answering. "They were in room 418."

"Thanks, I really appreciate..." he trailed off, "Wait, did you say were? As in, past tense?"

"Not there anymore. Checked out a couple hours ago. Think they just wanted to freshen up a bit." The receptionist printed out his receipt and handed it to him, "Have a good day."

"But their car—"

The woman looked at him suspiciously.

"Got it," Damon thanked her and hastily made his way out of the hotel. He glanced across the street, but Silas' car was still there. Maybe they had ditched their ride and "borrowed" a different one? In any case, one thing was certain: Silas and Katherine definitely had a head start in the search for Lucy.

When he turned the corner of the street where he'd parked his car, he was surprised to see Elena standing on the sidewalk anxiously. "There you are," she called, hurrying towards him. "What took you so long?"

"I told you to stay in the car," he reminded her, but allowed a pleased smile to cross his face when she threw her arms around him and drew him in for a tight hug. "I'm fine," he said soothingly, "I was just questioning the receptionist. Nothing happened."

Elena pulled back, gazing at him searchingly as if to ascertain if he was telling the truth. When she was satisfied, she let her arms drop to her sides. "I was just sitting there and thinking about how you'd gone off by yourself while we were annoyed with each other and for all I knew, you'd run into Silas and..."

"Hey," Damon reached out to grasp her shoulders, "Everything's fine, alright? I didn't see Silas, or Katherine for that matter. The receptionist confirmed that they had been there before us, but they're gone now. I did get their room number though, so we should go and check it out...see if they left any clues about where they're headed."

"Okay," she ducked her head, "That sounds like a good idea. Maybe I can search their car while you're looking in their hotel room. That way I can stay outside and keep an eye on your car and Tyler."

"I like the idea of searching the car," Damon told her, "But we're not splitting up. You're right. Silas could be anywhere or anybody. I don't want to be away from you if one of us runs into him." He gave her a small smile when she met his gaze, "Strength in numbers, right?"

"Right," she closed her eyes when he brushed a kiss onto her forehead. "Let's stick together from now on. I don't want us to be apart when we find Silas."

"Or when Silas finds us," Damon muttered darkly, gesturing to the car. As they both got in, he turned towards her cautiously. "Though splitting up might be smarter. At least one of us could survive that way, rather than both of us being in the same place at the same time."

"One of us survives?" Elena frowned in confusion, "What would be the point of that?" Thus with joined hands and joined fates, they drove back to the hotel together.

"We made the drive in less than six hours," Jeremy stretched as they got out of the car and took in the bustling New Orleans scene. "Wow...there's so many people...everywhere."

"Different from Mystic Falls, huh?" Caroline shaded her eyes as she looked over the crowd in front of them. They had parked at the end of a side street, away from what looked like the market place—or rather a large tourist attraction. She glanced over at Jeremy, who looked a little lost. It had been such a long time since she'd thought of him as Elena's kid brother, but the expression on his face was a blunt reminder of that fact. "Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore," she quipped, and Jeremy looked over at her with a smile.

"Come on, Dorothy," he gestured up ahead, "Let's go see what Bourbon Street has to offer."

Caroline fell into step with him, her lips quirked up thoughtfully. "Okay, Toto," she agreed with a grin, letting out a laugh when he shoved her goodnaturedly. "What?" she giggled, "If I'm Dorothy then that automatically makes you my..."

Her amusement sobered so rapidly that Jeremy immediately looked around at her in alarm. "What is it?" he demanded, his gaze darting around the crowd, "Did you find him? What did you see?"

She came to a full stop, the back of her neck prickling. "Do you feel that?" she whispered uneasily, latching onto his wrist. "Can you sense that?"

Jeremy stiffened beside her, his shoulders tensing. "Vampires?"

"And..." Her gaze was drawn towards a woman sitting by herself. She was dark-skinned, wearing heavy shawls and gaudy jewelry. The first word that sprang into Caroline's mind was 'gypsy' but when the woman looked at her sharply, almost knowingly, she came to a different conclusion. "Witch," Caroline murmured, her eyes narrowing. "That one, over there."

"The one that's staring at you?"

"Yeah," she said under her breath, hurrying through the crowd and dragging Jeremy along with her. "Come on, she's trying to get away." They reached the woman just as she finished packing up her things. "Wait!" Caroline laid a hand on the table, leaning forward desperately. "Don't leave, w-we just have a couple questions to ask you."

"I'm closing up for the day," the woman replied, purposefully not making eye contact. "I suggest you search someplace else for whatever you're looking for. I am not alone in my craft."

Jeremy made an exaggerated move of looking at his watch. "Really? But it's just past noon. Closing up already?"

She ignored him, but her expression flickered as Caroline blurted out, "No, but...but you're a witch, right? Like, a real one?"

The woman pursed her lips, "Just as I know you're a vampire. A real one." Her gaze dropped to Caroline's ring finger, "A day walker."

"Yes," Caroline glanced at Jeremy before crossing her arms to hide the ring from view. "I am. Do you know any other, um...I mean, have there been any other new...vampires...in the area recently?"

She stared at them impassively.

"Please," Caroline begged, "It's important. Is...is it money you want? We can pay you, whatever you want."

"Keep your money, child. I have no use for it." Her voice dropped low, her tone laced with a warning, "And you'll have no use for it either, if Marcel gets wind of your arrival."

"Marcel?"

"He owns the vampires. Witches, too. You'd do well to find the Original hybrid and his brother before Marcel finds you first." She tilted her head discreetly, "He has spies everywhere."

"Klaus and Elijah," Jeremy asked eagerly, "Where can we find them?"

"You may find one of them, if not both, at this bar." She scribbled something down on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to him. "Ask nothing more of me, and don't come back here. Marcel has already killed one witch since Klaus came to town. I don't much fancy being the second."

"Thank you," he said seriously, "We won't forget your help. Come on, Caroline."

She began to follow him, but then the witch called her back by name. "Be careful, child. The road to whom you search for is paved with trouble, and the road away is paved with disappointment."

Caroline blinked, startled. Before she could press the issue, however, Jeremy called out to her. She turned around just in time to see him disappear into the crowd. By the time she had whirled back around, the woman had vanished.

"What was she saying to you?" Jeremy asked when she caught up to him several minutes later. "Something about Klaus?"

"No," she looked away guiltily, "She was just reminding us to be careful."

Jeremy nodded unsuspectingly. "So, I was thinking it would be easier to navigate there on foot. Driving through these streets and weaving around the crowds will be a hassle. It shouldn't be a long walk."

"Okay," Caroline agreed quickly, pulling her phone out of her purse and entering the address into the GPS. "Let's go."

The directions were easy enough to follow, but the two of them stuck close together nonetheless. The sunlight shined down on them, dramaticizing the already vibrant streets and making the contrast with the dullness of Mystic Falls all the more clearer. After about twenty minutes, Jeremy pointed to a building on their right, "There it is." He led the way into the bar, and they both let out a simultaneous sigh of relief as the cool air hit their skin. It was dark inside the establishment, and thankfully much more quieter than it was outside.

Given the early hour in the day, there were only a few patrons within the booths. It appeared that there were only two workers as well; a blonde girl wiping down the bar and a dark-haired girl who was just coming out of the kitchen. She came to a standstill when she caught sight of the new arrivals, but neither of them noticed. "I don't see them," Caroline ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, "They're not here!"

"Calm down," Jeremy said under his breath, guiding her towards the bar. "Hey," he smiled broadly at the bartender, his gaze dropping to the name tag on her sweater. "Camille, is it? I'm Jeremy." He slid into a seat, and next to him Caroline did the same. "We're visiting from Virginia," he added as he casually looked around the bar. "Not too busy in here, huh? I guess everyone must be outside."

"We're from a small town," Caroline explained, attempting to be her usual chatty self. "There's not much to do, so you can pretty much find the whole town at the local bar any hour of the day."

Camille laughed, a genuine smile lighting up her features. "I came from a small town, too," she told them, "But when I graduated last year, I thought...well, I hadn't seen anything yet, you know? I took a year off, traveled around the world a bit...and now I'm here." She glanced behind her secretively and—once she was sure no one was there—she reached under the counter and pulled out a textbook. "Don't tell my boss, but I use the slow hours to get a head start on my reading. It doesn't usually get busy in here till the sun goes down."

Jeremy and Caroline exchanged a significant glance. Vampires.

Camille looked between them, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Caroline said hastily, casting about for an excuse. Her gaze landed on the book lying on the counter. "Oh, Psychology," she said interestedly, "Is that what you're going to school for?"

She nodded, "The subject has always fascinated me. What about you guys? High school? College?"

"I'm in high school," Jeremy replied, "But Caroline actually just graduated. She'll be a freshman in the Fall, too."

"Congrats," Camille grinned, "I would offer you a drink, but I don't want to lose my job. Especially since my boss is already eying us over there." She pulled out a notepad, "So, what can I get you guys?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, "We're famous for our gumbo."

"We'll get two orders of that, then," Caroline responded tightly, watching as Camille disappeared through the double doors into the kitchen. "The dark-haired girl..."

"Is right behind you. Vampire."

They both turned around quickly, but Caroline recovered first. "Well, then," she hedged nervously, "You must be a witch."

"Sophie Deveraux," the girl replied coldly, "And you must be lost." She placed a hand on her hip, "Marcel doesn't take kindly to new vampires on his turf without his permission." She eyed Caroline's ring, "And a day-walker at that. The only day-walkers he allows are in his inner-circle; his cherry-picked family."

"We're not here to cause any trouble," Jeremy said assertively, standing up and inserting himself between Caroline and Sophie. "We're just looking for someone. Maybe you know him. Klaus?"

Her eyes flickered with recognition, "You know Klaus?"

Caroline hopped off her bar stool and came to stand by Jeremy's side. "Where can we find him?"

"You're looking for Klaus?" Camille had come out of the kitchen, unnoticed by any of them. "He's in here most nights, with his buddy Marcel." She placed their dishes on the counter, looking thoughtful. "A real pair of charmers, the two of them. Klaus' brother Elijah joins them sometimes, but I get the feeling that the bar's not really his type of scene. More like he's around to keep an eye on his brother, you know?"

"Seems like I've spent the better part of my life doing just that," a familiar voice came from behind them. Elijah stepped out of the shadows, looking rather out of place in his impeccable grey suit. "Hello Caroline...Jeremy." The shock on his face was evident, "I wasn't aware that you had returned from...your trip."

"Yes, I'm back," Jeremy shifted, "That's actually what we're here to discuss."

"Then I suppose we must speak privately," Elijah turned and began walking away, "Follow me." Caroline and Jeremy were led through a side door at the far end of the bar, and then through a darkened hallway. A few minutes later, they reached another door. "Through here, if you please."

"Where are you taking us?" Caroline asked as they walked out the back door. The sun was beginning to set, streaking the sky with a multitude of brilliant colors. She looked up, enthralled by the sight. "It's almost like a painting," she murmured, "It's beautiful."

"Yes, it's quite the sight to behold," Elijah touched her elbow gently, "There will be time for all that later." With that, he strode away briskly, leading them through deserted back roads. If she used her vampire hearing, she could still hear the blaring music from Bourbon Street—but otherwise, all the sounds were muted save for their footsteps against the pavement. "Come," Elijah stopped suddenly and turned into an alleyway. "This is Marcel's bar. A breeding ground for all things supernatural. Only at night, of course."

"Marcel?" Caroline repeated, her voice echoing disconcertingly as they stepped into the bar. "Oh."

There were only a few men seated at the bar, but they all ceased talking the minute she walked in. Even though she had never seen them before, there was no shadow of a doubt in her mind that they were all vampires. A quick glance at their hands confirmed that they were all wearing daylight rings. Marcel's inner circle, she realized, remembering what Sophie had told her.

"Gentlemen," Elijah placed a hand on her back and guided her forward, "This here is a friend of mine. Do you mind telling me where I can find my brother? She has come on important business."

"Back room," one of them replied, "But he asked not to be disturbed."

"Doesn't he always," Elijah returned with the barest hint of a smile. "Come along," he added to Caroline and Jeremy, "I don't doubt my brother shall make an exception for you." He led them down another long hallway, and then knocked loudly at the door at the end. "Niklaus? I have some news that may interest you."

The door flung open almost instantly. "I thought I made it clear that I didn't wish to be dis—"

Elijah stepped back, at the same time that Caroline moved forward. The last threads of sunlight emanating from the crack in the door illuminated his silhouette, and cast a sliver of diagonal light across her face. She took another step towards him, leaving the light behind her as darkness fell across her features. "Klaus."