a/n: sorry I never have time to respond to individual reviews! but thank you for all your comments, I read and appreciate every single one of them :)

[SALEM]

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Damon peered back and forth down the alleyway, his senses on high alert. When he was sure there was no one watching, he hurried forward to the red door on the side of the hotel and gave it an experimental tug. It didn't budge, clearly having been locked shut from the inside. He stepped closer and placed his ear near the minuscule space where the edge of the door met the brick wall. After listening for a few seconds, he pulled harder on the door, using his vampire strength to break the lock. With a loud click, the door opened and Damon slipped inside.

He gave his eyes a second to adjust to the dark, cursing under his breath about the lack of human blood he'd had over the last couple of days. In trying to teach Elena a lesson about the restraint needed when feeding, his own senses were dulling to the point where he was starting to get worried. He and Elena both needed human blood in their systems, especially if they were trying to outsmart Silas. Damon cautiously walked down the hallway, towards the florescent lights that he could see reflected around the corner. As he neared, a few sounds reached his ears—specifically the clanging that came from pots and pans in a kitchen.

Sure enough, he rounded the corner and found himself facing double doors that led to the hotel kitchen. There were only a few workers scattered throughout the room, all of them busy either cooking or cleaning dishes. No one noticed him enter, and Damon stood there for a second, trying to decide what to do. Even though the lack of staff was helpful, there were still too many people to Compel. The best he could do was create a distraction.

"Excuse me?" he called loudly, making his presence known as he walked more fully into the kitchen. "Who is the chef here?"

One woman looked over, from where she'd been chopping tomatoes. Her auburn hair was pulled into a severe bun, lending to a rather intimidating facial expression. "Who are you?" she demanded, coming around the counter with her hands on her hips. "Excuse me sir, but you can't be in here."

Her eyes were a startlingly familiar shade of green, and Damon was momentarily distracted as he was reminded of Stefan. "I was just out in the dining room," he said haltingly, sliding his gaze away from hers and addressing the other four workers who had also stopped what they were doing out of curiosity. "And this one guy in there is going on and on about how he's about to sue the hotel—"

"For what?" Auburn-hair asked, blinking rapidly. Damon tilted his head, recognizing the signs of panic settling over the room. "Alejandro stepped outside for a minute, n-nothing can go wrong when he's not here!"

"You better go in there and talk to him," Damon said, herding the workers away from the doors he'd just walked through and towards the main entrance to the kitchen. "Before he causes a scene!"

At the same time, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed 'send' on the pre-saved text message, alerting Elena that this was her chance to enter through the door unseen.

…

Elena hastily shoved her phone into her pocket and hauled Tyler's unconscious body against hers. It wasn't any trouble to carry him, but she couldn't help thinking about how much easier this would be if he was awake. It had been more than four hours now. That couldn't be normal.

She nudged the red door open with her foot and cautiously stepped in, lifting Tyler in ahead of her. She threw one last glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, but thankfully the alley remained deserted.

Once she was in, she took a deep breath. If there was ever a time to put her superspeed to good use, this was it. Somehow, she had to get both herself and Tyler up to room 418 without attracting anybody's attention. Elevators weren't an option, because of the security cameras. If only she knew where the nearest staircase was...

As if he was reading her mind, her phone buzzed at that moment with a text from Damon. She pulled it out to see a blurry photo of a hotel map. "Staircase on the left as soon as you leave the kitchen," she read out loud. "Alright, well here goes nothing," she muttered to herself, "Ready, Tyler?"

Tyler's head lolled forward onto his chest.

"Right." Elena lifted him into her arms and steeled her resolve. And then she was off, blurring through the double doors and into the lobby. She saw the EXIT sign immediately to her left, a mere red glow on the edges of her vision. She veered into the staircase, the door swinging backwards in her wake and slamming against the wall with a bang.

Several people in the lobby turned towards the sound, startled, but she was already long gone. She saw the '4' out of the corner of her eye and came to a halt on the landing, breathing hard out of habit. "Well, that was successful, wasn't it, Tyler?" She glanced at him, but there was still no response. "And I'm just going to keep talking to myself," she told him, "Because it's not like people don't already think I'm crazy."

She stood on her tiptoes to look through the small glass panel on the door that led out to the fourth floor. There was no movement that she could see, but after a few seconds the elevator at the end of the hallway dinged open and Damon stepped out. He looked towards the staircase door and caught her eye, but then held out a finger, clearly cautioning her to wait.

Elena stood still, waiting for him to find the room. He wandered down the hallway, glimpsing quickly at each door number until he came to a stop about halfway down. He tested the doorknob and she saw him pause before clenching his fingers and adding the little bit of extra strength that would break the lock. He stuck his head into the room and then gestured for Elena to join him. She pulled open the staircase door, and with Tyler securely in her arms, she blurred down the hallway and into room 418.

...

"You'd think they were planning to come back or something," Elena grumbled a half hour later as they rifled through the various odds and ends that Silas and Katherine had left in the room. "But you said the receptionist told you they had checked out?"

"That's what she said, but it doesn't add up," Damon answered distractedly, "Especially since their car is still parked right outside. I'm betting that they did check out, but Silas told the receptionist not to allow anyone to stay in this room. It would explain why they left so much stuff here, if they were planning on coming back."

"Too bad Silas didn't leave a laptop or something behind," Elena commented moodily, "You know, like they do in those movies and stuff? Because then we could just look through his browser history and find out where they were headed."

Damon grinned in spite of himself. "Ah, to be young and naïve."

"I am not," she protested defensively, "I'm just saying..."

"So, we have to kick it old school," he shrugged, "Take a look around, Elena. Whatever we're looking for is in this mess somewhere; we just have to find it."

"Easier said than done," she opened a couple drawers from the bedside table, but they were both empty. "I just wish Katherine had left us some kind of clue. You'd think she would have, if she realized she was with Silas and not Stefan. Wouldn't she want to be saved?"

Damon frowned. "No," he responded slowly, "Katherine hates being saved. She takes pride in being a survivor, standing on her own two feet all these years." He wandered into the adjoining bathroom, keeping his eyes peeled. "But you're right, this is the one case in her entire existence where I think she would want someone to find her."

"Um, what are you doing?" Elena followed him into the bathroom questioningly, "You think she left a clue in here?"

"In plain sight," Damon murmured to himself, his hands skimming over the unused hotel toiletries. Then he paused, his fingers latching on to a still-covered bar of soap. "Well, what do we have here?"

Elena crossed her arms, having no idea what he was going on about. "Damon, that is just a regular bar of soap. It doesn't have secret powers and it isn't the moonstone. We're wasting time—"

"Wait," he tugged on a corner of the paper covering the soap, which had loosened from its adhesive glue. "Katherine is human. Maybe she told Silas she needed to shower, and..." With another careful tug, he pulled apart the paper completely. A satisfied smirk fell across his face, "Just as I thought."

Elena walked forward, her mouth dropping open. "Oh my god," she breathed, reading the simple scrawl on the inside of the paper. "You did it...you found her clue!"

Damon held the address up between two fingers, "Destination Lucy Bennett, anyone?"

[NEW ORLEANS]

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To say that Klaus looked shocked would've been an enormous understatement. "Caroline," he looked like he was about to take a step back, but then he stood his ground. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Caroline's ears pricked, hearing quiet footsteps coming in their direction. Elijah raised his head at her, a clear warning in his gaze. She bit her lip, thinking quickly and coming up with the best story she could under the circumstances. "Just coming to collect on your promise," she answered coyly, looking up at him from beneath lowered eyelashes. "Your voicemail?"

"Voicemail?" Klaus repeated hoarsely, and from the corner of her eye she could see him gripping the doorframe tightly. In fact, any tighter and the wood would probably splinter off into a million tiny pieces. When he caught her staring, he loosened his grip, flexing his hands as though he was itching to strangle someone.

She pulled out her phone and held it out in the palm of her hand, though she didn't turn it on. She had already memorized the message word for word, and now she recited it quietly: "I'm standing in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture, and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me." When she was done, she leaned back against the wall across from him, studying his expression. "Well, it's here," she told him blandly, "The one day."

"Brother, is this your doing?" Elijah looked as though he didn't quite dare to believe it, "You invited her...here?"

Klaus didn't meet his gaze—in fact, he wouldn't meet anyone's gaze. He stared down at the ground, his jaw ticking almost imperceptibly. "Klaus?" Caroline asked, beginning to feel uneasy, "What's wrong?"

When he didn't answer, she began to step towards him. But then she gasped as the door behind him opened wider and another man entered her field of vision. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular physique. Her gaze lingered on his body for only a second, however, before she was drawn to his eyes.

They were dark and alluring, and something about them reminded her of Damon. It took her a minute to figure it out, but then she realized—it was that element in his expression; one that promised both excitement and danger. Her gaze roamed down to the muscles encased in his fitted black T-shirt, and it was only then that she realized she was blatantly staring. She tore her eyes back up to his face, and a knowing smirk flitted across his lips. "Well, Klaus, aren't you going to introduce me to your beautiful friend?"

His voice was deep and Caroline shifted uncomfortably when his eyes didn't stray away from hers in the slightest. It was almost like he could see something beyond what everyone else saw. Beyond the surface. As if he was in on a secret that no one else in the world knew. "This is Caroline," Klaus was saying, when she zoned back into the conversation. He shuffled his foot back and forth across the ground, "And Caroline, this is..."

"Marcel," the name fell unbidden from her lips. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did. Everything she'd heard about him since she and Jeremy had set foot into New Orleans raced through her mind at lightning speed.

...he owns the vampires. Witches, too. You'd do well to find the Original hybrid and his brother before Marcel finds you first..spies everywhere...already killed one witch since Klaus came to town...doesn't take kindly to new vampires on his turf without his permission...A real pair of charmers, the two of them...

"I see my reputation precedes me," Marcel said smoothly, taking Caroline's hand within his own and raising it to his lips. She had half a mind to snatch her hand away, but then she caught Elijah's expression over Jeremy's shoulder. The implication couldn't be clearer: she had to play nice.

"It sure does," she replied with a smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder with her free hand. When Marcel didn't release her from his grip, she realized he was staring at the ring on her finger. "Yes, I'm a vampire," she said a little testily, "Is that a problem?"

He looked taken aback for maybe half a second, but then he treated her to a broad grin. "Any friend of Klaus' is a friend of mine," he proclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "Welcome to our home, Caroline." He dipped his head slightly, creating a show for the rest of his crew, who had made their presence known at the end of the hallway. "I do hope you'll allow me to show you around?"

"Oh," she exchanged a glance with Jeremy, whose expression flickered with dislike. "From what I hear, you're a busy man, Marcel," she said with just the right amount of sincerity, "I wouldn't want to take up any of your valuable time."

"It's no trouble at all," he crowed, sliding an arm around her shoulders and taking Jeremy by the elbow at the same time. "The sun is just about to set," he whispered to her as he led them all back out to the bar, "That's when things really get interesting."

Caroline tried to smile, and twisted her head around to see where Klaus was. But her shoulders slumped when she noticed that neither Elijah nor Klaus had followed them back into the room. "Um," she stalled, "I was really hoping to catch up with Klaus for a bit. I haven't seen him since..."

"Since he saved Damon Salvatore's ass at your graduation?" Marcel looked pleased at Caroline's apparent shock. "Let's just get one thing straight," he said to her, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Nothing goes on in my quarter that I don't know about. These are my people," he placed his hand over his chest, "My rules. My town. When Klaus left to go to Mystic Falls, he ran it by me first. That's just how it works around here." Marcel straightened, flashing her a smile. "As long as you understand that, then you and I won't have any problems."

She chewed on the inside of her lip, willing herself not to lose her temper. "Are you saying that you own Klaus?" she demanded finally, unable to keep the venom from lacing her tone. "Because let me tell you something right now—"

"Caroline." Elijah's voice was sharp, and she broke off as he entered the room. "Forgive the girl, Marcel. She knows not of whom she speaks to."

Marcel's stance didn't relax. "I'm willing to make allowances for newcomers," he answered coldly, "But I don't forgive insolence."

"The girl is only looking out for Klaus' best interests," Elijah walked closer, his tone becoming persuasive. "She and my brother share a special...connection. She feels protective of him." Caroline's mouth opened furiously, but Elijah ignored her. "Klaus has saved her life several times. She feels indebted to him."

"I see," Marcel turned to look at her, and she could almost pinpoint the exact moment that his expression became calculating. "Would you say your brother cares for her?"

"As much as he can care for anyone," Elijah placed a hand on her back, and she could feel his tension. "Which isn't saying much, by any means. But you knew that already."

"That I did," Marcel agreed, sweeping an arm out. "Well, Caroline, I trust Klaus to show you all that New Orleans has to offer." He glanced towards the front door, as a small crowd of people began to filter through. "As you can see, my bar holds a certain appeal to the supernatural." He leaned forward on the counter, turning on the charm. "I do hope you'll make a stop back here before your night is through, Caroline."

"We will," Jeremy said firmly, grabbing her arm and leading her out the door. "Thank you so much for your...hospitality." When they exited the bar into the crowded street, Elijah was right behind them. "Where's Klaus?" Jeremy demanded, "Is he not coming with us?"

"Bourbon Street is a sight to behold once night falls. Come along."

Caroline huffed, grabbing Elijah's arm to stop him from walking away. "Wait a second, where are we going? I have to tell Klaus—"

"Anything you wish to tell Klaus, you can tell me," Elijah cut her off, "I am not as closely watched as he is, and you'll find that I arouse significantly less suspicion than the two of you do."

"I thought you said we could speak to him," Caroline said accusingly, "Why did you change your mind?"

"I changed my mind when you and Marcel got off on the wrong foot. And now it would be best if you told me what this is all about." He looked over at Jeremy, "Your sister led me to believe that Katerina had killed you."

"She did," Jeremy said roughly, "But when Bonnie dropped the veil to the Other Side, she used..." He trailed off, the pain in his expression unmistakable. He suddenly turned towards the right, smiling at something that only he could see. "She used the extent of her powers to bring me back, for Elena's sake. But...it was too much. Her body couldn't handle that much magic at once."

"It killed her," Elijah's voice was grave, "My sincerest condolences to you both. I know what it's like to lose someone you care about deeply." He glanced at the space that Jeremy was fixated on, "Can you see her? Is she here with us now?"

"Yeah," he nodded once, swallowing. "She's here."

"And that's why we're here," Caroline straightened her shoulders, "We need help from a witch, and we thought Klaus could help us. We know he left Mystic Falls to deal with witches, so we figured that he could make a deal with them or something."

Elijah stood before them, his expression unchanging. "I am not quite sure I understand," he said politely, "What exactly is it that you think my brother will be able to accomplish? The witches in this quarter are not his friends. And moreover, they are not allowed to practice magic."

"So what?" Jeremy snapped, "That's just one of Marcel's stupid rules, isn't it? I don't care what you say, there are witches here and they must be powerful if Klaus was scared enough to run away from Mystic Falls just to find out what they were plotting against him. They'll know how to bring Bonnie back, and we're going to convince them to do it, with or without your help."

"I see stubbornness runs in the Gilbert family," Elijah said tightly, "But I'm afraid neither Klaus nor I can help you. Bringing Bonnie back requires lowering the veil to the Other Side again, and no sane witch is going to attempt a feat like that." He quickly turned to the right where Bonnie's ghost had last been standing, "No offense." When he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand, he blinked in confusion. "Where has Caroline gone?"

Jeremy folded his arms, "To do what you won't."

Anger flashed across his face and he grabbed Jeremy's wrist, "Listen to me. You are in more danger than you realize. Caroline can't just go gallivanting off to ask some random witch to do a spell for her. You can never be sure who is working for Marcel and who isn't. Klaus has worked hard to establish himself within Marcel's inner circle and having Caroline here to destroy everything he's worked for isn't—" He broke off suddenly, looking as if he'd said too much.

"What are you talking about?" Jeremy demanded, "Why does Klaus want to be in Marcel's inner circle?"

...

Caroline stepped into Sophie's bar, her gaze swinging through the crowd. Camille had been right about one thing: the bar certainly came alive after dark. Caroline impatiently weaved her way through the throngs of people, trying to find Sophie. When she'd ascertained that the witch wasn't out in the main area, she made her way towards the side door that Elijah had taken them through earlier that day.

The noise from the bar cut off abruptly once the wooden door swung shut behind her, and Caroline cautiously walked down the darkened hallway. She could hear raised voices coming from a door on the left and she came to a stop in front of it, listening.

"She can't know," Klaus hissed, "She can never find out, do you understand?"

"I stand by our original deal," Sophie responded flatly, "Whether or not your girlfriend finds out is entirely up to you. But if she puts our plan into jeopardy, then I won't be responsible for what happens to her."

"I won't have you threatening Caroline," Klaus' voice rose, "She has nothing to do with this. She has no idea what she's walked into."

"That much is clear," Sophie said coolly, "So I suggest that you get rid of her before she catches Marcel's eye, or worse."

There were a few moments of silence, and Caroline pressed her ear against the door. She could hear footsteps treading inside; probably Klaus pacing back and forth. "Fine," he snapped finally, "I'll send her and the boy away, back to Mystic Falls. Would that make you happy?"

"Don't put this on me, Klaus. I just don't want her to get hurt, anymore than you do." Sophie's voice softened, "If you care for her, then you'll make sure she never comes back. Marcel needs to be taken down, and we can't have any outsiders coming in to complicate matters. You've spent so much time and energy to get Marcel to accept you into his inner-circle. Do you really want all that trust to be thrown away just for this one girl?"

He didn't reply.

"Do the right thing, Klaus," Sophie cajoled, "Think of your brother's wish for your family. A legacy. You wouldn't want any harm to come to Hayley and your baby now, would you?"

Caroline clapped a hand to her mouth, but she was too late to stop the horrified gasp from escaping her lips. Klaus' head whipped around at the sound and he blurred over to the door, frantically throwing it open.

But she was already gone.