A/N: I can't believe how quickly I wrote this chapter. I just couldn't contain myself! I hope you all enjoy this. I had fun writing it!

I recommend listening to The Album Leaf. The chapter refers to one of the songs. I definitely think it's appropriate considering the content.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything TVD.

Enchanted Hill

Bonnie had rehearsed the meeting with Kazima repeatedly in her head. A part of her was still in denial that this was happening. She was trying to avoid getting her hopes up but still couldn't contain the giddiness she felt at the thought of getting back her old life. She would see her friends and family again. Maybe even have some semblance of a normal life. She felt like she had been on an emotional rollercoaster for the last year. Normalcy would be most welcome. Although that was pretty difficult when you were in frequent contact with a doppelgänger and vampires who seemed to attract trouble at a freakish rate.

After finally starting to accept her death on some small level, the chaos had begun and here she was, trying to find a talisman on some part of mainland Greece. A part of her felt crazy for even attempting this in the first place.

"Where did you say we are right now?" she shouted out to Kol.

"Just outside Vikos, a small village."

"No, I meant this," she said while gesturing to the mountainous landscape with a vast canyon in the middle. They were perched on a very narrow rocky cliff- perilously close to the edge. She estimated that they were probably a couple thousand feet above the river below.

He faced her. "Well if you want specifics, we're in the Vikos Gorge."

When she looked down, she could spot greenery amongst the jagged rock. If she wasn't a ghost she would probably be having a heart attack. Although the landscape was stunning and awe-inspiring, it was also extremely frightening. She had never been good with heights.

Kol was standing further out on the ledge of the rocky face and he was now scanning the shrubs thousands of feet below.

This whole place was making her on edge. Its striking beauty couldn't quite mask the desolate atmosphere that she was sensing. Bonnie's anxious state had only increased the closer they got to the talisman. A part of it was luring her closer- a magnetic pull- but another part of her was repelled by it. Almost afraid- as if she wasn't meant to have it. The conflicting feelings only added to her agitation.

"There it is! See it?" Kol's loud exclamation brought her thoughts to a halt. She drew her attention to where he was pointing. She looked down at the shrubbery below and spotted it. Sure enough, there it was. Amongst the bright thicket on the other side, the rocks and shrubs formed together to resemble a human face. It was rough-looking but it remained a face all the same.

Kazima had been right. Her directions in the finding the talisman were dead on.

She had led them to this very spot so Bonnie couldn't afford to falter now.

"Come on. Let's get down there." He went back up to her and grabbed her arm suddenly.

She quickly found herself engulfed in bushes and was impulsively trying to swat away bugs that phased right through her.

Now that they were at the bottom, Bonnie gave a loud exhale and relaxed a margin. She found the view much more appealing being closer to the ground.

She was so focused on treading through the rough rocky formation that she bumped into Kol's still figure.

"Why did you st-"

She broke off when she peered around him and saw what had stopped him. He had been gazing at what must be a cave opening.

Not another one. Bonnie whined internally. Seriously, what was with these ancient witches and their love of caves? They were dark, gloomy and random drafts came out of nowhere. She guessed that was the point- for most people caves weren't exactly a place of great appeal- hence the perfect hiding place.

Bonnie and Kol stared at one another.

"Let's get this over with shall we?"

She just nodded.

The opening was covered in shrubs but being ghosts they had only to phase through them. Kol went first and Bonnie proceeded after him. When she expected to be able to pass right through the first bit of greenery, she discovered to her shock that she could feel the leaves and branches actually touch her.

"What the-?! Kol wait-"

He was still advancing forward but she could barely make out his figure out amongst the dense bushes.

"What's the matter witch? Afraid of caves or something? You should be quite comfortable in small dark places since-"

"Look at me!" she shouted loudly.

That stopped him. He turned around and glanced back at her.

He was frowning as he retreated back to where she was.

"What is it?"

"I can't pass through," she growled loudly.

"What do you mean? Of course you can, you just-"

"I'm telling you I can't. Look-" And she proceeded to try and pass through. The branches were advancing towards him when she tried to force her way through, moving further as they made contact with her body.

"Bloody hell." He looked both sullen and shocked.

"My thoughts exactly."

"How is this even possible? What the fuck did she do to you?"

"I thought she just made me a tracking device. There's obviously more to it than that."

"How the hell does she expect you to find the bloody thing if you can't even go through a bunch of leaves? Are you even a ghost anymore?"

"Oh trust me, I'm still a ghost."

She still felt the same. Her senses were still dimmed and she could transport at a moment's notice. Plus, all the bugs had still gone right through her and she even had the faint glow characteristic of ghosts. It was just the leaves that didn't like her.

"Give me your arm then."

She raised her arm and his hand phased through a few branches before it clasped around her arm.

"I can still touch you so I suppose that's promising." He looked to be deep in thought.

"What if you try that channel thing with me? Could I force you through all this then?"

She debated. "I suppose it's possible," she said slowly.

"Good, 'cus we're about to try that right now."

She sighed. "Okay, give me a moment."

She closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on him. Her new energy. She could feel it embracing his energy as she forced it to bind.

It seems Kol had sensed the precise moment of that binding because he was suddenly dragging her through the shrubbery at a wicked pace. When Bonnie opened her eyes, he was launching her through a dense thicket of bushes. They should have been whacking her in the face like they would have, but now they were practically invisible- that's how little she noticed them. She tried to maintain her concentration on the binding but it was growing difficult.

Before she knew it, they had entered the clearing and they were firmly in the cave. And it was dark.

Kol let go of her but not before muttering, "That witch had better not have any more surprises in store for us."

She definitely agreed. Now that Bonnie thought back on it, Kazima could have done whatever she wanted and Bonnie wouldn't have a clue. Not a comforting thought.

"Lucky for us, we glow a little bit," she stated quietly.

"I guess you're right. It's dark enough as it is."

They could faintly discern a narrow passage a few metres away from them. They had no choice to go but one direction.

While they were walking through the tunnel, Bonnie could herself being drawn to something powerful grow and knew they were going in the right direction. And that was the problem. Something was off about the whole situation. Or maybe not. Bonnie was just so used to hang-ups in a plan and since this one was proceeding along almost perfectly she couldn't help but felt uneasy about it.

After walking silently for about two or three minutes, Bonnie didn't see the harm in starting conversation. It would distract her from being so tense.

"So...if this does work out what are you going to do when you go back?"

"You mean after we kill Silas?"

"You really meant that then?"

His voice raised a fraction. "Of course I meant it. I'm not gonna lie". He almost sounded offended.

She was surprised. So he had scruples then?

"Oh! Well that's good."

There was a bit of a silence before she spoke again.

"But I meant after that? I mean are you going to be with your family? Or go off on your own?"

He ran a hand through his hair.

"I hadn't really thought about it to be honest." He sighed. "All I've been trying to do is get there, let alone wrap my mind around what sort of life I'll lead."

"Oh."

He spoke again. "Though now that I think on it, I imagine I will visit my family. If they'll have me that is. We didn't exactly part on the best of terms. Rebekah thought I would've staked her and Klaus and I had a row not long before I died."

"So you wouldn't have?"

"What?"

"Staked Rebekah?"

"Of course not! She's my sister! She-" He broke off and took a breath. "We have a very complicated family dynamic. We're almost always bickering, and when we're not, it's simply because we're not around each other. But-" he paused, "we would do anything to protect each other."

She smiled. "You know, when you put it like that, you guys actually sound normal."

He responded quietly, "We are you know. Just like any other family I mean, we've just had a lot more time to bicker." He laughed. "I think most families would turn out like ours if given the time."

"You're probably right." When Bonnie reflected on her own family, it wasn't much better. Granted, she wasn't always fighting with her parents but that's because they had never been around. The only one she had been able to count on was Grams, who had been drunk on many occasions when Bonnie had visited her when she had been alive. She had opened up a world of magic to Bonnie, and that allowed her to overlook any moments of awkwardness from the past.

Kol's voice cut off any more thoughts.

"What about you witch? Any dreams of grandeur?"

Bonnie thought about it.

"Well I'll probably have an ice cream from Jack & Jill's-"

Kol's incredulous tone interrupted, "Ice cream? Really? That's all you can think about?"

"Not just ice cream- there's also a great bakery in Mystic Falls with the best cream puffs ever-"

"Oh I get it."

"What?"

"You're just gonna gorge on food."

"Wow, way to sound judgmental. Until you've tried Jack & Jill's you cannot judge." She paused a moment. "Besides, you're one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

She smirked. "Don't tell me you haven't fantasized about drinking someone's blood, probably right from the vein."

He laughed. "I've had a lot more fantasies than that darling." He lowered his voice to a sensual whisper. "There's one where I'm on top of a-"

She raised her hand. "Ugh, please spare me the details-"

"-Motorcycle."

That was such an un-Kol-like response that Bonnie burst out laughing.

He grinned and broached the topic again.

"But seriously my dear, after you've gorged on all that junk, what will you do then?"

She shrugged.

"Well it goes without saying- that I'll have reunited with everyone in Mystic Falls by then. I mean, we'll need their help-"

"Definitely not. We will not be seeking their help for anything-" His voice held a steely note.

She tried to reason with him. "Listen, I know you've got a problem with Elena, and I understand but-"

"No, you don't understand. The whole Gilbert clan is responsible for me being here. In case you didn't realize, they are the reason why we are both dead in the first place."

She was frowning now. "Wait that's not being fair, I was the one who overused my magic-"

"Because Jeremy died, after seeking the cure for Elena. And now we have to fix the problem that they started by raising Silas. We are doing all of their dirty work for them and they're not even going to thank us for it."

"Which is all the more reason to seek their help. Don't you think they should contribute-"

"Absolutely not. Any help we seek will be from my family, or other witches."

He was being so stubborn. "But don't you think-"

"Enough!" He had turned around and faced her. Before she realized what was happening she was shoved against the cave wall with his hands wrapped around her upper arms. "Why do you value them so much? Do you really think they care?"

"Kol let me go." She tried staying calm.

He continued and put his face close to hers. "They don't give a damn. I bet they still don't even know you're dead. Because they don't even look at the obvious- your random disappearance without even a goodbye coincidentally at the same time as dear old Jeremy's return to the living."

He whispered harshly, "You may value them Bonnie, but they don't value you. If they take Jeremy's word at face value, then they're even bigger fools than I thought. Even when you come back, they will always choose Elena over you, even after all you've been through. You will never be cherished." He paused. "As you should be."

Through his entire tirade, Bonnie had been startled at the venom in his voice. She didn't want to hear any of it but the words hadn't stopped. She had felt anger and denial at his words. But suddenly, some of the words started to have significance. She understood where he was coming from.

After being separated from her friends for so long, the rose-coloured glasses had started to come off. She saw the flaws in her friends. The naivety. The brashness. And most of all, how they saw her. In the last year or so, it was always Bonnie to the rescue. Bonnie who would fix things. She would never want to be helpless like Elena often was, but she did crave someone caring for her as Stefan and Damon cared for Elena. Bonnie loved her independence, but she never had anyone to lean on when things got rough. She thought Shane would have been her rock, but that was all a shit storm. It all ended up with her being alone again. Maybe her friends did care for her, but she could acknowledge that they were often ignorant of her feelings. And that bothered her.

Her thoughts ended when she looked into Kol's eyes. His gaze was stormy but also held a touch of desperation. A desperation for her to see what he was saying- not just brush it off like she might have done. And she couldn't deny the appreciation she felt that he would even bother.

When she didn't say anything, he frowned and eased off her. He thought she was ignoring him. She couldn't let things end that way. It was a tense moment but Bonnie didn't care.

He turned his back to her and exhaled. He started to walk away from her.

"Wait."

She grabbed his right hand to stop him. He looked down at their joined hands in confusion.

"You're right. They've never cared about me as much as Elena. And none of them probably ever will."

She sighed. "But that's not what this is about. We have a goal right here and right now. And that is to kill Silas. Which means we have to put aside our differences and our anger at others to accomplish this. Believe me, I know you're pissed, but we may need their help, even if you don't want to admit it. Extra sets of hands are a bonus right? More help." She tried to smile encouragingly.

He was scowling. "But more vulnerability."

"I guess you have a point. But the pros outweigh the costs, right?"

He didn't say anything.

"I need you on my side Kol."

He rolled his eyes but tightened his grip on her hand before releasing it. "And you've got me I suppose."

He added. "But don't expect me to be bffs with any of them in the near future. And by near future, I mean at least a century, possibly two."

She smiled widely. At least they were on the same page.

Bonnie and Kol were once again walking side by side when they finally were out of the passage.

The tunnel suddenly ended and they found themselves in a large open area. Bits of light reflected off a shallow pool of water that lay in the center. Large clusters of stalactites hung suspended from the ceiling. Bonnie couldn't help but imagine that they would fall on her. And if they did, she might feel it if the leaves were anything to go by.

Kol spoke. "Well do you feel anything?"

Bonnie definitely felt something. She managed to pinpoint the general direction.

She pointed to the cavernous passage to the left. "Down there I think."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

This passage was much narrower than the first that they could no longer walk beside each other. Bonnie followed in after Kol.

"Let's hope this one is shorter than the last one," he murmured.

After that, they remained silent. The only noise that could be heard was the faint dripping echoing from the large main room they had just left.

Bonnie started to get a much stronger sense of the talisman. It was reaching out to her- almost overpowering. I'm coming.

But then they reached the end.

"What the hell? It must be here." Kol was scrutinizing every inch of the place.

The hallway ended in a pile of soot and rock and widened out marginally. Bonnie knew they were close. It was only a few feet away.

"Hold on Kol, let me concentrate." Bonnie closed her eyes and focused all of her attention on the talisman, recalling every detail that Kazima had given. She kept her eyes firmly shut and took steps intuitively towards it.

She stopped and opened her eyes when she bumped into the wall.

What could she do now?

"What is it?" Kol's eyes were focused on her figure.

"It's in there. I can feel it."

"Oh great." He let out an exasperated sigh.

Bonnie felt herself go in a trance. I can feel you. She didn't bother recognizing the peculiarity of communicating with it as if it were a living being.

She placed her hands on the rough scaly wall and drew it out. A loud rumble followed.

"What are you doing?"

Bonnie didn't answer. So focused on what she was doing, she could only hear the pulsing of the object.

But Kol noticed. Cracks had started forming from the ceiling and they had started spreading downward to where Bonnie stood.

Something was moving beyond the wall and it was tearing down the wall in the process.

"Bonnie."

She still didn't seem to hear him.

"Bonnie!"

He grasped her shoulders. "Can you hear me?"

Her gaze swung to his, confused. "What?"

"It's-" he was cut off when a large object burst through the wall into Bonnie's middle. The force of it knocked her over.

"Shit! Are you alright?"

He kneeled over her.

Her voice murmured, "I think so. Just a bit of a shock. I didn't think it would come out so fast."

His eyes swung to the chest in her arms. It had intricate lines all over it and was a faded grey colour.

She met his eyes.

"Now I know why I couldn't pass through the leaves. I had to be able to carry the talisman back."

He grinned. That devious witch. He hoped that was the only thing Kazima had left out.

They were both startled when cracks and rubble started falling from the ceiling. The place was starting to emit a dull roar.

"We better get out of here."

Bonnie only gave an affirmative motion.

Kol took her hand.

"Let's hope this works."

And with that, he transported them to the outside of the cave.

Bonnie then promptly collapsed on the ground.

Kol squatted beside her. "What happened to you back there? You completely zoned out."

Bonnie responded softly, "I don't know. It was weird. I couldn't stop, it had a hold on me or something."

He gazed at the chest solemnly. "I really hope this is what we're looking for. Because we're not about to go back in there."

He helped her up. "Are you ready to go now? Kazima told us what to do."

"Yeah." She stopped for a moment. "This is just so weird."

"What? You and me working together or the possibility of going back?"

She looked up at him. "Both."

"I guess that makes two of us then."

They both jumped at the snap of a branch.

"What do you think that is?" Bonnie whispered.

"Probably just some animal."

He looked in the direction the sound originated and couldn't spot anything.

He uttered quickly, "But just in case it isn't and the person sees a case floating around in midair, let's get out of here."

Another branch snapped.

"Wait," Bonnie said. "Let's go behind there." For some reason, she had to see what it was.

They moved behind some dense bushes while they waited for whatever it was that was moving around just beyond their sight.

The sound of footfalls gradually became louder until the figure made its appearance.

"Stefan," Bonnie whispered.

What the hell?

What was he doing here? She wanted to call him over, but knew he wouldn't hear or see her.

He looked a little bit different. More grim, if that was possible.

Was he looking for the object? If that was the case, why was he alone? How would he even know about it?

Bonnie almost wanted to let her presence be known by walking over with the chest until Kol stopped her.

"Look."

Stefan was now at the front of the cave entrance where they had been only moments before.

He was utterly still for a moment until he made a wide gesture with his arms and the bushes that Bonnie had so difficulty with earlier suddenly parted. It was like watching a remake of Moses parting the Red Sea.

Two sets of eyes widened.

"I don't think that's Stefan," Kol murmured softly.

Silas. Bonnie couldn't believe it. Why was he imitating Stefan? He could've been in his true form and no one would have noticed. Bonnie didn't really see the importance of hiding himself when no one else was around. Maybe he was just a paranoid guy.

Why would he want the talisman though? Another way to kill himself?

Bonnie didn't intend on being there to find out. Silas would be beyond pissed when he found the talisman gone. They weren't about to risk losing it because she was mildly curious.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered urgently.

"With you there darling."