A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, faves, follows. Big thanks to Miranda for betaing this.

And on with the chapter!

"What is to give light must also endure burning."—Viktor E. Frankl

Caroline had figured out early on that one could learn a lot about a person by seeing how they reacted during a crisis. Some people ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, not quite knowing what to do and adding more fuel to an already raging fire. Others took on leadership roles, showing their natural talent for taking control of a situation and working to get others where they needed to be. Others followed directions, trying not to be any trouble and simply looking for anything that might get them out of the situation alive. Or at times, people simply shut down completely.

The knowledge that the map had been completed on Eddie and Vaughn had caused a wave of energy to crackle through everyone, causing the mass packing of the cars with belongings and necessities. She could practically hear the thoughts in everyone's head, knowing they had to be echoing her own. The road to Silas had gotten shorter and the final battle was just beyond the bend. A battle that she didn't think any of them were quite ready for, no matter how badly they needed to be.

"What about Kol?" Rebekah demanded and Caroline watched the girl step into Klaus' pathway not caring that she was obstructing the current loading of the vehicles.

"He always manages to find us, Rebekah," Elijah reminded, coming to stand beside his sister even as Klaus side stepped her, placing in the headstone and carefully wrapped bones.

"But that takes ages, not hours, not days. Sometimes it's not for decades," Rebekah pointed out, her voice rising with each word. "We can't just leave him. We need to leave a note. Something."

"We can't chance that someone else will find it. Not now," Elijah replied, and that didn't seem to help calm his sister at all.

"We can't leave him!" Rebekah reiterated, looking between the two of them, and Caroline bit her lip at that. For all of the other girl's faults, it was obvious that she did love her family, that she was worried about Kol.

"Then perhaps he should have held his tongue," Klaus muttered as he closed the trunk, the harshness in his tone surprising even Caroline.

"You simply didn't like the truths he had to tell," Rebekah replied, stepping back as Klaus spun around, yellow flashing in his eyes and looking ready to take her head off. "And now we don't where he is and even if he returns here he won't know where we've gone. How can he when he doesn't have access to the map? We won't even be in this country anymore."

"Niklaus," Elijah started, and Caroline wondered how often Elijah had to play the role of peacemaker over the centuries. Probably quite a bit with how easily the other two seemed to rise to one another's bait.

"You can always stay behind to tell him where we're headed. Of course that's if he should return," Klaus pointed out, pushing past his siblings. "We're not waiting. Either get in the car or stay here. I do not care which you decide but we are leaving in minutes. Waste your life away here waiting for the one who always runs. Your choice, both of you. Isn't this what you always wanted? To be able to decide your own fate?" Klaus stretched his arms wide. "There are no daggers and coffins here. I won't stop you. But I will stop Silas from rising. From Mother and Mikael being able to return. Do what you want. I no longer care."

"What about our vows?" Rebekah demanded, hands curling into fists at her sides. "Always and forever. That's what we said. Would you cast us aside so easily?"

"Rebekah," Elijah tried again but she wasn't done speaking.

"I stuck with you always. Up until you threw me away over blood bags and her." The venom in her voice and the hatred in her eyes as she looked at her had Caroline stepping back, not wanting to be anywhere near Rebekah in that moment. "He'll chew you up and spit you out as well when you don't adhere to his every whim. If he can do it to his siblings than what chance does an obsession have?"

Klaus' hand was around Rebekah's throat before anyone could react, hoisting his sister into the air as he drew her closer. Her feet dangled, hands wrapping around his own, trying to pry it off as he glared at her. "Your jealousy is showing, dear sister, and it's a horrible shade on you."

He tossed her to the side, Elijah catching her before she could hit the ground, and headed over to Caroline, grabbing her arm and steering her toward the already packed car. "Stop it," Caroline demanded, trying to break free from his grasp, his fingers biting into her skin, causing pain.

"Get in the car, Caroline," he told her, his voice hard and unyielding as he opened the car door, looking ready to shove her into it.

She pushed at him, trying to overpower his strength and not do as he wanted. It had little effect and it was her turn to glare at Klaus as Vincent headed over to the driver's side. "Is this what you think it's going to be like if I ever do decide 'oh hey, maybe I'll give Klaus that chance'? That you can pull me around and dictate my life? Because hell no."

He didn't release his hold on her then but his grip lessened some, no longer hurting as he stared down at her. "I prefer to call it protecting, rather than dictating."

"Yeah, well, I prefer to call it bullying and that's so not gonna work for me," she bit out, glaring up at him, chin held high in defiance.

She didn't expect his smile or for him to press back a stray strand of hair from her face. Seriously? The contradictions that were Klaus Mikaelson were going to drive her insane. "Ah, but you're seeing an eventual us," Klaus pointed out and she shook her head at how he could twist the situation around to his own benefit.

"I'm seeing no freaking us because of how you're treating me and your sister," she replied, trying not to flinch at how quickly his almost jovial demeanor turned harsh.

"Rebekah needs to learn to hold her tongue," Klaus informed her as he nodded toward the car seats.

Caroline stood firm, refusing to go inside still. "Or you need to learn to take criticism."

"Why don't we finish this conversation on the road, Caroline?" Klaus replied lips twisted in annoyance before he sighed. "Because we are not staying here another minute. The town was ready to kill you. Burn you alive in your sleep. And I am not waiting for my foolish brother who has always run and has always managed to find us when he needs to for another minute." It was impossible not to shudder at the thought of what might have happened to her, at what Silas had twisted the humans into wanting to do. "Besides, Kol has his phone on him. I have mine. He'll call if he needs to."

Oh. Right.

"Why didn't you just remind Rebekah of that?" Because surely that would have calmed his sister down significantly.

"If she'd take a breath between her hysterics she'd figure that out on her own," Klaus replied, nodding toward the open door again. "Far be it from me to withhold the opportunity for her to be overly dramatic."

Caroline glanced back to where the other Mikaelson siblings had been moments ago but they were no longer there. Instead she spotted Rebekah in another car with Stefan and Elijah, animatedly talking as Stefan started the car. "Now, will you please get inside?" Klaus asked, and she looked back at him before acquiescing to his request.

"What about Bonnie?" They'd just been reunited, she wasn't losing her again. Besides they needed her and the Hunters and everyone else for the battle they were going to be headed into.

Klaus slid into the car beside her, shutting the door. Vincent started the car and Caroline watched as Klaus pointed to another car, inside were Vaughn and the younger Hunter. "She will be riding in that one with Lucy and the Hunters. You will not be riding with them. The younger one looks entirely too trigger happy for my tastes," Klaus informed her, and she was ready to protest that, but it was true. The younger one did look twitchy around the rest of them and the last thing she wanted was to be staked.

Caroline watched as Bonnie and her cousin headed toward another car. Bonnie even waved briefly at her before frowning at the sight of Klaus, a silent 'are you alright?' passing between the two friends. All Caroline could do was nod and force a smile. "She needs to work on the spell with her cousin or I'd have insisted she ride along with us," Klaus continued, and Caroline couldn't deny the truth in that statement either. She knew her friend needed to practice.

The car lurched forward, away from the house and down toward the still burning village before veering right. Caroline froze as she picked up on screams, unsure where they were coming from at first before her gaze fixed on the burning buildings. There were people who had been alive that were now meeting the same fate that she would have if they'd gotten the opportunity to follow through with their orders.

Men and women who had been manipulated by an immortal that none of them had ever seen before. It worried Caroline how powerful Silas must have been to be able to reach this far out in the world, to be able to manipulate others as he was while locked away. What would happen if he was able to rise? How many more would die or become twisted versions of themselves because of him?

They passed an abandoned bike on the road-a child's one-and a cold realization slid over her as she looked back at the burning village. There were children in there, ones who wouldn't have been able to do a thing against any of them, and Klaus had said there would be no survivors. Did that…

She looked over at him, eyes wide as he watched her for a moment before nodding. "Would you rather they starved to death with none to look after them?" he asked, deducing where her thought process had gone. "Or maybe they somehow survive this day, only to never truly know why their parents and siblings met such a horrible fate? Lives never quite fulfilled because they forever wonder why they survived. Or perhaps learn precisely what happened and their life become nothing but a course of revenge that will only end in their death and the deaths of all those lives they touched?"

She didn't answer him, didn't want to think about it all as cold and calculating as he was, especially since they were dying so that she would live. How was her life worth more than theirs? Just because Klaus thought so? How was that fair?

Caroline had learned long ago that life wasn't fair though, that happy endings weren't really a thing because life kept going after the king and queen married. Sometimes they divorced and their princess was left wondering why it had gone so wrong. Then her life was altered forever and she became one of the monsters from her own stories. She knew that if she did die there would only be more death than the village below. Klaus would cut a swath of red through the world in order to bring her back, not caring who he killed in the process.

Just as she would for her mother.

It didn't make the lives lost on that day any less meaningful, just like Jeremy and Matt's deaths had been awful, their lives cut too short, these ones weren't being allowed to live to their potential either. She wanted to blame it on Klaus, to pull away from his hand that had taken hold of her own, squeezing it gently as he rubbed his thumb across the top in a soothing motion. Part of her did, part of her would cling to that for a while probably, but the larger part knew that none of the chaos of the last few weeks would have happened without Silas's manipulation.

How were they supposed to battle that? Would a headstone, bones and some magic really be enough? And with the map having suddenly completed on Vaughn and Eddie—who hadn't killed any vampires recently—her worry was only amplified. There were three more Hunters out there; they'd known that, but what if one of those who were on Team 'Wake up Silas' had one? What if they had access to the map too now? What if they got to his location first?

But she refused to think that way, to let the endless possibilities that could end badly go through her mind, to pull her down into darkness. She needed to hold onto hope for a better future, that they would persevere and Silas would never get the chance to rise. Bonnie and Lucy would finish him off and then everything could go back to…well, not normal.

Caroline didn't think anything would ever really go back to the way it had been. Not with so many dead, not with everything they had all seen and experienced. She'd seen the changes in Bonnie and while she didn't know everything her friend had been through, Caroline had feeling Bonnie couldn't simply step back into the high school routine and everything that went along with it. Caroline was sure she couldn't, even if part of her desperately wanted to cling to that last bit of her human life a little longer.

And then there was Elena. How were any of them going to be able to help Elena who she had to believe was also being manipulated? There was just no way she could see her friend willingly killing and changing witches. So even if all of those deaths weren't technically her fault Caroline had a feeling Elena would see them as being so and how were they to help her cope with that much death being on her shoulders?

She looked out the window, ignoring the way Klaus watched her, and wondered how different they all would be once everything with Silas was finished. Would they even recognize one another? Would they recognize themselves? And most importantly for her, would her mother recognize her once her memories were returned and accept what she was becoming?

Caroline hoped so, clung tightly to that glimmer, letting it curl around her and wash some of her anxiety away. Hope was a powerful emotion and Caroline Forbes wasn't about to let go of it anytime soon.

After all, in spite of everything, she would persevere. They all would. She'd make sure of it.

Joining up with Tyler and his group of misfits had seemed like a good idea at the time and considering it allowed her access to a Hunter who's map had completed, it wasn't entirely a waste. But the uselessness of everyone in the group, their lack of information about anything supernatural outside of werewolves or even knowledge outside of the twenty-first century was beyond grating. At least Tyler's access to the Lockwood funds had meant they'd traveled to Paris in style, even if she couldn't quite enjoy the first class treatment like she wanted, needing to keep up with her Elena ruse.

Tyler might not know Elena the best out of the Mystic Falls lot, but she'd seen his confusion a few times when she'd slipped up, becoming a little too complacent and letting her own self shine through. It was easy enough to cover up, a quick trembling lip, worry over Damon and more importantly Caroline, and any suspicions that the hybrid might have had were quickly pushed to the side. But playing the part of Elena Gilbert would only get her so far and it was becoming rather obvious that the idiots she'd placed herself with were going to need more than a gentle nod in the right direction.

"Does anyone even know what language this is?" Tyler asked, scrutinizing the new ink on the Hunter's chest that they were all staring at.

"Latin?" one of the wolves asked. She never did bother to learn their names. What was the point when they were simply going to be used as bargaining chips or shields later on?

"No. Hebrew maybe?" another offered. "It looks similar to that."

The Hunter wasn't much better, simply shrugging, and Katherine tried not to roll her eyes at that. Of course she'd be stuck with one of them who didn't know anything that was going on. Only recently activated if what he'd shared on the plane had been true. "It's Aramaic," she butted in, holding up her phone when they all looked at her curiously. "I took a picture and google image searched it."

"Ara—okay." Tyler frowned and the Hunter tugged his shirt back over his head. "Where do they speak that?"

Was he serious? Of course he was. "Nowhere does. It's an ancient dead language," she continued, watching the group's expressions sour at that answer. "But we should be able to find someone who can decipher it all for us here. In Paris."

"Where?" the Hunter asked and she couldn't help but wonder how any of this lot had managed to survive their years so far.

"The Sorbonne," she replied, still being met with baffled looks. Katherine tipped her phone at them again. "It's a big college here in Paris. They have a language department. Can't hurt to see if anyone there can help, right? Tyler or I could compel them for answers."

"Oh. Right. We'll head there then," Tyler nodded, pulling out his own phone and typing away, pausing to look up at her after a moment. "How do you spell that?"

Did she really need them any longer? Would it truly hurt to simply rip their throats open and leave them to die in the hotel room? Except it would, she knew that. It was too soon to cut ties with any of them when she didn't know exactly what would lay in wait once she got to the location that the map led to. Better to keep them around to be slaughtered later than do so now because they were trying her patience. Besides, Tyler should be able to help her with the plans she currently had running through her head in regard to Caroline. Plus the Hunter couldn't be compelled and killing him would have dire consequences for her.

"I think we can ask the concierge," she replied, not wanting to know too many details, still needing to play the part of Elena Gilbert who didn't know French. Little things she could put pass them, but too many little coincidences might add up to trouble for her and a quick talk to the concierge would have them on the correct path in a few more minutes.

Of course a few minutes here and there could equal further problems later on down the line, but she'd calculate for that along the way as well. No matter what she'd make it out of this alive, hopefully with her freedom secured as well. If others had to be screwed over along the way that was just fine with Katherine. It wasn't as though she hadn't done so countless times before to people she had actually cared for at one time or another.

She had learned long ago to put herself first, to live by her own creed, because no one but she would truly look out for her own well-being. Better they die than her; that motto had served her well over the centuries and she wasn't about to try a new one out just yet. Trusting others simply meant giving them a chance to betray her and she would never make the same mistake ever again.

"Good idea, Elena," Tyler told her as everyone filed out of the room; hand on her arm to stop her for a moment. "You okay? I know this has to be throwing you for as big a loop as it is me. Being out of the country. Not knowing where any of the others are."

"I keep trying to reach them but no one's answering." It was a lie, but she told it well, making sure to look absolutely pathetic and a bit frazzled to garner the appropriate amount of sympathy.

"We'll find them all," he promised, giving her arm a squeeze, and Katherine offered up a smile, wondering how he could still be so naive after all he'd experienced. No doubt it was because of hope, that lingering emotion that screwed with more people than it helped.

Her smile seemed to do the trick though and Tyler headed off to join the others, leaving her to her own thoughts for a moment as she trailed after them, keeping a careful distance from the wolves who still didn't appreciate her presence. It took hardly any time at all to get directions to the Sorbonne and Katherine couldn't help but smile as they stepped out onto the bustling streets of Paris.

One step closer to finding out where they needed to head next and one step closer to her freedom, but she knew better than to drop her guard now. Play her part, learn what she could and keep adjusting her plans as needed. So when the time arrived, she would do whatever she had to in order to come out on top, regardless of who she had to step over in order to do so.

Even Elijah, if he was there.

Or at least that's what she continued to tell herself, to cling to, pushing down whatever feelings she had for the Original who had chosen family over her all over again, who had chosen Klaus.

Katherine was nearly overcome by the rising hatred that wanted to sweep through her, to rush everything along, and she forced her body to react as she needed it to, not as it wanted. Klaus Mikaelson would pay for all he'd done, she'd ensure that happened. It was just a matter of time now that she knew a weakness of his that she could finally exploit. No need to get ahead of herself and ruin it all when she was so close to finally getting everything she wanted.

"Elena?" Tyler called out, looking back at her, and she hurried up to join the group, ready to keep on playing the part.

Running. Again.

It was what he'd always done whenever the dramatics between his family had become too much. They could handle being around one another for a few decades, sometimes even less, if they were lucky maybe almost a century would pass before the daggers would come out to play. Kol barely remembered what it was like before those annoying weapons had come into the picture, back when they'd been forced to endure one another's company.

There had been a lot of blood and destruction at first, feasting in the power that they'd suddenly had at their fingerstips before it all had turned on its head. Mother dead. Father trying to hunt them down. Finn's slow descent into hating everything that they had become. Maybe if they hadn't left Sage behind when they'd been forced to run that one time he wouldn't have become such a stick-in-the mud.

Oh well. Not much that could be done about it now considering they were both dead.

Kol had thought after the death of Esther that just maybe things would have been a little different, that old paranoia wouldn't run so deep, but it seemed that the roots of all that stood between them were too far down in the ground to ever be truly ripped away. They just kept growing back, all of the slights, the betrayals, the refusals of the last few centuries held against one another at the slightest hesitation.

Looked like old habits weren't as easy to get rid of as he'd hoped. There had been a time when he'd been able to head out into a town with Klaus and enjoy the game of drinking and debauchery that followed. It'd happened briefly in Mystic Falls even, but it never lasted. They had forever but what good was it if they couldn't stand the sight of one another.

He'd known the Mikael Jr comment would cut deep. It's why he'd said it and left without a fight, not wanting to be near the others, to hear the condemnations thrown about. Not that he could stay gone long, not with all that was happening in the world, but a few hours away couldn't possibly hurt.

Which was why he'd headed a bit farther away than the village just past Vincent's place, wanting to be far enough away to feel like there was enough distance between him and the drama that were his siblings but also near enough to head back if needed. There was a hotel just off the road, weather worn and Kol had a feeling it wasn't quite as up to date on its plumbing as some of the other places he'd stayed recently, but it had a few occupied rooms and that was all that he needed.

Nice thing about hotels was that they weren't owned by any of the current residents. No pesky invitation required which suited him just fine. Not as lucky a coincidence for the four backpackers ?

The one near the stairwell seemed like a far more refreshing experience than the one soiling his pants on the floor. He went straight for him, fangs flashing as he pushed the man into the wall, not bothering with any pretense as he tore into his neck, feasting away.

The other headed back in the other direction, cornering himself in a room, like cattle waiting for the slaughter. Kol could hear the others downstairs, their soft cries echoing in his ears as they tried to fight his compulsion, unable to step outside of the hotel even though they'd gotten to the front door.

He dropped his current victim, letting the man slide down the wall, clutching his open wound, that flicker of hope coming back in his eyes as he started to crawl away. Kol let him get a few feet, allowing that hope to grow, before stepping forward and turning the man over, watching it die as he leaned over him. He smiled down at the man before shoving his hand in the man's chest. It was over before he'd even touched the man's heart, the shock of it all killing the man in seconds.

So predictable.

He wanted the heart though, tossed it between his hands as he danced toward the room where the other waited. He could practically hear the man trembling with fear, wondered if he was trying to hide in the closet or under the bed.

Kol pushed open the door and arched a brow at the man sitting on the bed, shaking like a leaf and threw the heart to him, clapping as the man caught it. He could pinpoint the exact moment realization dawned in the man's expression, the horror of holding his friend's heart washing over him and turning his skin a lovely pale color. The scream echoed in the room, spiking the fear in all who still survived and Kol laughed, closing the door and leaving the man with the heart for a little longer.

He'd be last.

Kol headed down the stairs, grinning as he found the older couple in front of the doors, both falling to their knees and whimpering some forgotten prayer. He was ready to continue on with his fun when he noted the smoke in the sky coming from the direction of the other village. It was more than there should be for an evening meal, the blackness a telltale sign that something was still burning.

He wanted to ignore it, to continue on with his game, but an annoying worry started to curl inside of him, reminding him of all that was at stake at the moment. He could always return to the hotel once he learned that everything was fine back at Vincent's. A quick run over would be enough to stifle his worries.

"Be right back," he told the crying couple, enjoying their rising sobs as he took off into the night.

He saw the village in flames and headed to Vincent's, finding it empty and all of the cars gone. Something had happened and it seemed as though he wouldn't be heading back to the hotel. Unfortunate for those left inside who would be unable to leave. Maybe he'd revisit them in a few years when they'd gone completely mad and have some more fun with them or perhaps they'd starve to death, but for now he needed to find the others.

Obviously something had spooked the lot, enough to abandon Vincent's place as well as kill everyone in the village. Those people were set to die anyway but it was supposed to be in order to help finish off the map, not by fire. Kol sped down the road, following the tire tracks and flashed off into the distance, spotting the convoy of cars miles down the road.

Kol flashed ahead, moving down the road before where the cars had made it and stopped in the middle of the road, grinning brightly as the cars sped his way, the first barely stopping in time to avoid hitting him.

He shook his head, tsking how close it had been as car doors opened, revealing the delightful little witch, his siblings and the others. "Miss me?" Kol asked, grinning as he patted the hood of the car closest to him.

"Get in the bloody car, Kol," Klaus ordered, still wound entirely too tight.

He had half a mind to argue back, to continue on with the battle for power that always seemed to come to a head between the two of them, but Elijah's voice cut through the night before he could. "The map is complete, Kol. We need to get to the location before anyone else."

"Why didn't you just start with that?" Kol suggested, heading over to slide into the passenger seat of Klaus' car. "Always with the orders. You need to try a more strategic approach, brother. One where you let people know what's going on instead of expecting us to read your mind."

"Or you could listen and do as your told," Klaus replied, nodding to Vincent to start driving again.

"You're not my father," Kol reminded, not bothering to look back but knowing how much that line rankled his brother. "Nor mother. And I barely listened to their rules to begin with. What makes you think I'd do so to yours?" It wasn't as though he had through the centuries, why start now? "But then again, you didn't used to have so bloody many of them either. Has he told you the tales of our adventures, Caroline?"

He looked back then at the blonde, smiling at her and winking at Klaus who looked none too pleased with the conversation. "I'm really not in the mood for storytelling right now," Caroline told him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

She really was delightful, an absolute spitfire, who was more fun to rankle than Klaus half the time. "No? Shall we talk about the significance of a werewolf not attacking a vampire then?" he asked, loving the way she tensed at that question, amused by how Klaus seemed to relax a bit at it as well. "Want to tell me about what all transpired between the two of you while you were all alone with only Vincent here for company? And no offense, mate, but you're a bloody bore." He looked over at the other vampire, clapping him on the shoulder. "So what will it be, Caroline? You regale me with tales or I let you in on a few little secrets."

"I go with option three where Vincent turns on the radio and no one talks," she told him, and Kol laughed.

"But they're such intriguing little tales. Full of blood, horror, some sex. They'd be a…what are they called? Movie? I think that's what's big nowadays. People would enjoy watching them, seeing how it all played out," Kol continued, his grin only growing at Klaus' annoyance. "Used to be plays. They were what was considered entertainment and they were decent enough. Lovely little places to get a snack at least. But I've seen how graphic the movies and video games can get. Such a delightful violent society in the making."

"Why don't you go join Rebekah's car?" Klaus suggested, eyes narrowed and Kol wondered how long it would be before dagger threats were tossed about. "Or at least be helpful and join the witches. We need to make sure Bonnie knows the spell, something that should already have been mastered."

Ah, the Bennett witch. As much fun as it would be to remain with Klaus and Caroline, to continue to bait and annoy his brother, it really would be best to ensure that Bonnie finally grasped the spell. Especially if the map was completed. "Stop the car, Vincent," Kol told the other vampire, not surprised when the man looked behind for confirmation from Klaus.

Once the car was stopped, Kol got out, but popped his head back in for a moment, needing to leave on a high note. "Be sure to ask him about Prague, Caroline. He did such a wonderful job at driving the poor judge's wife insane that she slaughtered her entire family to try and gain his love. And that was only the beginning."

He laughed at Klaus' narrowing eyes and snarl before heading over to join Bonnie's group in their car. "Hello, darlings," Kol greeted as he slid onto the seat next to the younger Bennett witch. "I hear we have some practice to be doing."

Bonnie's responding glare and Lucy's deep sigh was music to his ears. Who said he couldn't have some fun while they headed to their destination?

Once the map was completed it should have been smooth sailing to get to the destination. The fact that the map was written in a language that hadn't been used in centuries was proving to make matters more difficult. It didn't help that it wasn't an easily searchable one via the internet, requiring someone who studied Aramaic to be able to decipher the coordinates. Unfortunately Valerie no longer had access to a vampire who could have compelled the knowledge from a professor and so she needed to go back to her roots for answers.

At least they had gotten to Spain, closer than they would have been if they'd stayed on the other continent. She wasn't foolish, she knew the other groups who were looking for Silas were also in Europe, had a vague notion of where precisely they were located—the country at least—but it was up to the other minions to deal with them for the moment.

She needed to concentrate, to hope that none of her followers would betray her in the next few minutes when she put herself into a trance, leaving her body vulnerable to any outward attacks. It was needed though, a sure way to contact Silas who would know the language, to give him access to see through her eyes from however many miles away he was currently from them.

"Don't move. My voice may alter a bit for a few moments. Nothing to worry about," she assured the worried Hunter who sat in front of her, chest bared and showing the map.

He still looked too apprehensive for her tastes and she glanced over at her followers, noting the sedative the one held just in case the man in front of her needed to be taken down. They needed the map on his skin and possibly more from him once they got the destination. It was far too late in the game for her to find another Hunter to manipulate and she would not lose the one they had.

It didn't take long for the effects of the spell she was muttering under her breath to take effect, feeling Silas's presence inside of her mind, coldness sweeping through her body. It only took a few more seconds for him to take control of her vision, of her movements, and in less than five minutes he'd translated the words and symbols displayed on the Hunters chest and arms.

Bring as many followers as you can, Valencia, he murmured in her head, the sound coiling around her spine, steeling her as she felt his presence begin to dissipate. I will need all of them and you will finally get all that you are destined for.

Valencia gasped as she regained control, her body practically humming with renewed vigor. She didn't doubt that any who followed her to their destination wouldn't be walking away from the experience, but that was fine with her. All that mattered was the power she had been promised, that she would gain from all of her years of loyalty. Every sacrifice she had made would be worth it in the end.

"Where are we going?" the Hunter asked, watching her carefully as she looked down at the paper.

"Greece."

Considering how old the myths surrounding Silas were it wasn't that surprising that he'd be somewhere in that region. From the looks of the coordinates as she tapped them into her phone it seemed that he was in the water of the Mediterranean, on a piece of land that wasn't showing on any map that was pulled up.

She had a feeling a spell or two cloaked its existence, hiding it away from the world unless it was stumbled upon by accident, or by following the map that was supposed to lead to it. The Hunters were supposed to go there to kill Silas, to end his life before his reign could ever truly start, but that was a bit of knowledge lost to most who had become Hunters over the centuries. The witch who had created them hadn't quite thought that part through, no doubt expecting the Original Five to do their duty and not needing to worry about what would happen to the line if they didn't. And that worked out just fine for Valencia.

"Let's get moving. Some of the others are closer to the destination than we are," she muttered, pleased when everyone snapped into action, ready to leave the hotel.

She would need to call on some of the other witches on Silas side to try and create some barriers for the other groups. Hers would get their first, no matter who had to die in the process.

Kol's departure from their car hadn't really cut the tension that his presence had built up. It shouldn't have been a surprise for the younger Mikaelson to stir up trouble, which had always been Kol's forte, his specialty for antagonizing anyone of his siblings. Usually it was family related for Klaus, some dig about Mikael or Esther, perhaps something to do with his inability to access his werewolf side before the curse had been finally broken. But now Caroline had been added to Kol's source of ammunition and Klaus hated that, despised that his younger brother was able to poke at the both of them and stir up the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Would it be better for me to go into detail on what Kol was referring to or simply let your imagination run wild?" he asked, glancing over at Caroline who'd managed to inch over closer to the window than she had been previously.

"Seriously?" she shuddered, and he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips over her reaction. "No thank you. So do not want to know the details on that one at all. I have a feeling the reality is way worse than anything my mind can come up with."

He couldn't discount that possibility. For everything that the Mystic Falls gang had dealt with in the last few years, it was merely the tip of the iceberg for what his family had experienced in the last ten centuries. The horrors that Caroline had dealt with were mere blips on Klaus' radar and he knew she'd deal with far more horrendous events as time moved on.

History had a way of repeating itself. The same mistakes being perpetuated throughout the centuries. Power and monetary gain a root cause for so many of the wars that echoed through time. There would be more in the coming years and he'd ensure she survived them, giving her the skills needed to thrive during those times, and the difficulties of the last few years would become nothing more than distant memories.

"You'll come to find that Kol enjoys baiting everyone in his own ways. He likes to cause chaos," Klaus continued, and she snorted at that.

"I've kind of already figured that one out, Klaus." At least that had gotten a smile out of her, something he hadn't seen her do in the last few hours. "But he was gone a lot? That's kind of what I gathered from what you all were like yelling at one another. I know he was daggered for a bit, but Elijah said he always managed to find his way back to you guys."

Klaus strummed his fingers along the armrest on the door, noting that Vincent was looking back at them through the rearview mirror, quickly averting his gaze once he realized he was spotted. "Kol was never one for rules or for being subtle. He likes to do as he pleases and creating spectacles is something he loves to do. That couldn't be tolerated while we were on the run from Mikael."

At least not when they knew their father was too close for comfort. It had been easier in the earlier centuries to let Kol do as he pleased. Communication through the lands wasn't as quick as it would become later on and tales of his antics were usually altered greatly before it ever met Mikael's ears. "So he would leave for a time, do as he wished and create whatever catastrophes that he enjoyed. Sometimes he'd meet up with witches and stay with them for a decade or two."

"Really?" Caroline glanced backward, no doubt looking at Bonnie's car, before turning her attention over to him. "I can't really see him and witches getting along well."

Klaus grinned at that. "His impetuousness can be something to get around but he's got quite the bit of knowledge in his head from his own lessons when we were human to all that he managed to find out as a vampire. He was one of the few of us who took after Esther with her magical skill."

"He was a witch?" Her skepticism probably shouldn't have amused him as much as it did. He did understand that it must have been difficult to see those aspects in Kol now. The centuries had altered him greatly and losing his ability to magic had been hard for his brother to handle at first.

"As was Rebekah and my youngest brother," Klaus replied, his fingers stopping their movements as a melancholy tried to grab hold of him. It always did when he allowed himself to think of Henrik and the dark fate the boy had met.

"Youngest brother?"

Klaus turned to look at Caroline, taking in her confusion tempered with concern. He almost mistook it for pity, that emotion that he couldn't stand being directed his way, but no, that wasn't what he saw in her eyes. "A story for another time."

He took out his phone, trying to stave off the moodiness that he could feel trying to overtake him. He had no time for that, needing to focus on what was happening now, and clicked through to the pictures he'd taken of the Hunter's map.

"What does it say?" she asked, and Klaus noted that she'd scooted back closer to him, leaning over to look at the photographs as well. "I don't know that language but it looks old. Like not Latin. Older maybe."

"Aramaic," Klaus told her and read the text inked onto Vaughn's chest. "We have the coordinates here and know where we're going but there are a few other strands that I didn't get a good enough look at before." And he did not relish the idea of walking into something without having all the pieces at his disposal.

"You think they'll help us with taking Silas down?" Caroline asked, leaning back against the seat.

"I think they're there for a reason. The witch who created this wouldn't have put them on the map for decoration," Klaus replied, his attention remaining on the phone. It took a lot of magic to etch this into someone's skin and to make it so the same map would form on others throughout the centuries. There had to be a purpose behind each piece of it.

"And then what happens?" she continued, and he looked up, seeing her staring out the window again and waited for her to elaborate. "When everything with Silas is finished what happens next? We get my mom back, I know that, but…it all won't go back to how it was before."

"No. It won't." He was grateful that she had realized their lives wouldn't return to how they had been, that she wasn't going to try and stick her head in the sand and deny all that had begun between them. "What do you want to have happen?"

Whatever Caroline might have said was cut off as their car spun out of control. The sound of tires screeching pierced through the night air, metal crashing into metal as the cars of their convoy collided with one another, shrieks mingling with the sounds. Klaus had fallen on top of Caroline, pinning her to the seat as he tried to protect her body from any flying debris as the car finally skidded to a stop. She clung to him, the smell of gasoline and other liquids penetrating his senses. Klaus grabbed Caroline's arms, heaving her out of the wreckage and into the cool night air as he glanced around, trying to figure out what had happened.

The cars were a tangled mess. He could already see Elijah, Stefan and Rebekah managing to break free from their car and there was nothing he could see on the road that should have caused the car to spin as it had.

"Bonnie?" Caroline called out, ready to head back toward the car her friend was supposed to be inside of, but Klaus caught her arm, dragging her back to him.

She was not leaving his sight. Someone was trying to delay them, to stop them from reaching the destination and Klaus had a feeling this was only the beginning of the distraction. He kept his gaze on the road and surrounding areas, trying to pinpoint who had caused their cars to veer off as they had.

"I'm fine, Care," Bonnie called out, being pulled out of the car by his brother, Lucy following moments after. "Eddie's not though." Klaus spotted the younger Hunter's body, head twisted unnaturally in the wreckage. "Vaughn's banged up but he should be okay." No worries then.

"Take the blood, mate," Kol demanded, shoving his bleeding wrist toward the surviving Hunter. "Just don't go dying in the next twenty-four hours or so."

The trees on the side of the road beside them suddenly lit up covered in flames and they stepped back, the rest of the group managing to get out of their cars as well and heading over to them. "Get what we need," Klaus demanded, looking over at Vincent who went back to the car to gather the materials they needed to take down Silas. "What is the point in having witches if you're not bloody well doing your job?"

He stared hard at Lucy and Bonnie, still keeping his firm hold on Caroline, trying to block her from view, which was difficult as he couldn't ascertain where the magic was coming from. "Found them," Kol murmured, his voice low, and Klaus followed the line of his gaze, seeing the dozen or so witches in the distance, hiding in the shadows of the forest.

Klaus picked up a hubcap and threw it, watching it fly through the air and slicing neatly through two of the witches, effectively cutting them in half. The flames in the tree died down, screams erupting from the other side as Bonnie and Lucy stepped forward, murmuring their own chants to incapacitate, causing the witches to falter and fall as their power was diminished.

That wouldn't be enough though. It might take the witches down for a little while but they would only come back with a vengeance. He looked over at Kol then Rebekah and Elijah, who all nodded, flashing forward and snapping necks as they moved through the group, killing every last one of them.

"We had it under control," Bonnie cried out, hands trembling with barely contained anger. "They didn't need to die. They probably don't even realize what they're doing."

Her naivety sickened him and Klaus gritted his teeth as he looked over at her, his disdain clearly showing. She had him frozen in place though and he snarled at her, hating that she was able to use that kind of power on him, wanting nothing more than to smite her in that moment.

"Bonnie, stop it," Caroline urged and she stepped in front of him, making it so Bonnie would have to immobilize her as well. "They'd just follow us and do it all over again. We already lost Eddie."

"How many more will we lose?" Bonnie murmured, and Caroline sighed at that, taking a step forward but Klaus latched onto her again, refusing to let her leave his side.

"Hopefully no one else," Caroline replied, her movements stopping for the moment. "We need to get out of here."

"Yes, well, our transportation options just became rather limited," Rebekah muttered, glancing at their cars. Only the last one was even remotely salvageable and wouldn't be able to carry all of them.

"Elijah and Kol will accompany Bonnie, Lucy and Vaughn to the train station. And we'll meet up in Greece. Vincent, Stefan and Rebekah will bring alone the items we need. I take it that you three can find your own way there, sister," Klaus instructed, ignoring her huff at being left out of the car. Elijah nodded and Klaus knew he'd ensure that the others would make it there.

"What about Caroline?" Bonnie insisted, looking over at the two of them.

"Meet us in Greece," Klaus replied and looked over at Vincent, watching the vampire nod his assent as well.

Klaus kept his grip on Caroline and sped off into the night, flashing the two of them away before anyone could reply or she could argue, not bothering to deal with any more questions or concerns. They knew what was at stake and would do as he said, hopefully sooner rather than later, but he wasn't going to wait around while they all argued with one another in the open. Not when it was obvious that those working for Silas still knew of their whereabouts.

"Klaus."

He ignored Caroline's repeated call of his name as he dragged her through the countryside and forests, pushing her past any limits she'd ever used before. He'd run more times than he would ever be able to recall in this exact way from Mikael. Bundling away in the middle of the night before they'd gotten to the Old World and were able to spread out more than they had on the Eastern Shore, back when they had still been learning about their new abilities and what they had become.

It wasn't until he spotted the Danube River that he slowed down, hopeful that they were far enough away from the others that it would be a bit more difficult to track them. Splitting up had its bonuses and its downsides, but it would mean that Silas' followers would need to split up as well in order to deal with them, and the others all had vital pieces to bring Silas down. Klaus thought it might allow for him and Caroline to be a little less in demand, aside from the fact that the immortal seemed hell-bent on her death in the last few weeks as a means to get him on his side. But Kol and Elijah would be able to protect the witches and Hunter and the others could handle the artifacts needed for the spell.

He would protect Caroline without any of their distractions. It should only take a day at the most for everyone to meet up anyway and while a lot could happen in the course of a day, he thought the groupings would give them an edge against any further witch attacks, especially if he and Caroline didn't stick to one place for too long and continued moving with vampire speed.

There was a witch he trusted in Greece who could help once they arrived.

"Are we running the whole way?" Caroline murmured, rubbing the back of her neck as they headed toward the water. "And how are we even crossing that."

"The Danube River," Klaus told her, trying to get a feeling for where precisely they were on the border and how far it would be to the bridge.

"I thought that was in Hungary?" she frowned, still looking out at the water.

"It's one of the longest rivers in Europe. Goes through quite a number of countries and tells me we're at the border between Romania and Bulgaria." There were other possibilities but considering the direction he'd taken them it should have been Bulgaria.

"I seriously need to study the European map more," Caroline muttered. "But no really, we're just gonna run?"

"Not quite my preferred method of travel but it'll get us to Greece fastest. We'll stop for a pick me up part way through Bulgaria," Klaus informed her, watching her frown at that as she understood his meaning.

"I'm guessing this would be one of those times where blood bags won't be an option?" She sighed and Klaus tilted his head, watching her carefully. "How are we crossing?"

"We should hit a bridge in a few miles," Klaus told her, waiting to see if she was ready to start moving again. It was never all that easy the first time to exert that much energy. He remembered how winded he and siblings had felt before getting used to running long distances.

"Let's get on with this then," Caroline murmured, starting to run again. Klaus followed suit, flashing off with her toward where the bridge should be.

He was startled when he felt her hand grab his, entwining their fingers together. He stared at their hands for a long moment, forcing his body to keep moving, and grinned as she squeezed his hand.

Once again Caroline had taken a step forward, initiating contact, and Klaus Mikaelson knew that once this Silas business was through he would never be able to let her go. Now if only he could figure out how to convince her to want to stay. At least he had a few hours to work out how to do that while they ran through the Bulgarian terrain. He'd go back to figuring out the rest of the map once they stepped foot in Greece. For the next few hours his mind would be working on far more important matters.