Bloodlines

by TinyDancer365

*4th installment* With no answers and tensions running high, Damon and Cassandra struggle with the news of Cassandra's pregnancy. Meanwhile in New Orleans, Klaus, Giuliana, and Elijah work with the witches to protect Hayley's baby and overthrow Marcel's reign. Story will contain episodes from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Rated M for lemons.

43. Promised Land (TVD)

Bloodlines

Chapter 43: Promised Land

Beta: PrincessOfSilence

Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my story and my characters.

---

"Everything is going as planned." Maria, a loyal Traveler, told Markos as he exited Elena Gilbert's cell.

"Good. It's only a matter of time, then." He clicked the lock back into place and sauntered down the hallway with Maria in tow. It was now the following morning and Stefan, Elena, and Cassandra were taken to separate cells in the Traveler camp. Each one was chained up and drained almost completely of blood to keep them down. Markos was ready for his plans to be set into motion and he was anxious to get the ball rolling.

"There is something I think you should be made aware of..." The uncertainty in her voice made the head Traveler halt his steps and turn to face her.

"Yes?"

Maria shifted uneasily on the balls of her feet and reached into her pocket. She produced a hand-written note, unfolding it to show it to Markos. "This was found on Cassandra's body when we moved her into her cell. Looks like someone tried to warn her."

Markos took up the note and examined it carefully, his dark eyes running over the scribbling. The handwriting didn't belong to anyone he knew of in his coven, but he was curious as to how the author knew how and when they were coming.

"Hmm," he hummed and picked up his pace, making Maria practically jog after him. "Perhaps we should ask our house guest."

Once they reached Cassandra's cell, Markos threw open the door, let Maria come in after him and close the door. The pregnant hybrid was lying on a steel table, her arms trapped to her sides and her legs weighed down by heavy, thick chains around her wrists and ankles. The scent of old blood lingered in the air that came from the buckets just under the table to catch some stray drops should Markos decide to bleed her out again just to keep her weak. Her eyes were closed until she heard the door opening. They shifted lethargically beneath her eyelids as if fighting with her to open, but ever so slowly, they did open. She took in her surroundings for what felt like the millionth time since she'd passed between conscious and unconscious states being brought to the Traveler camp. An audible groan left her and she tried her bounds again to see that they weighed her down even more than the last time. She attributed that to blood loss and the fact that she'd hadn't properly fed for hours. When her vision finally focused, she glared at Markos who stood over her.

"What do you want?" She hissed angrily. "Why am I here?"

The Traveler didn't reply, he simply showed her the note and he saw her eyes squint. When she wasn't fading in and out of consciousness, she was picking her brain about that damn note. Who was trying to warn her about the Travelers? And why did Markos take her along with Stefan and Elena? He'd told Damon that he had no interest in her or her baby, yet she was chained to a table like a prisoner.

Markos' hand suddenly gripped her neck, his fingers and nails digging into her skin as he waved the note in her face. "Who gave this to you?"

Cassandra recoiled as far back as she could without drawing into herself. "I don't know."

"Who gave this to you?!" He stressed, getting closer to her and squeezing her neck.

"I don't know!" She repeated loudly and moved to lash at him with her teeth. Markos stepped back and glowered, immediately sending her body into a fit of painful spasms. She arched as far as the chains permitted and she let out a scream that could wake the dead.

"Markos, enough!" Maria pleaded, unable to see the woman in pain. After a few agonizing moments, Cassandra fell back to the table with hot tears streaking her cheeks. Her body trembled, making the chains rattle against the metal table. Markos crumpled up the note and tossed it on the floor, still questioning how to handle the situation. It genuinely seemed like Cassandra was clueless as to who wrote the note, so him torturing her was pointless, certainly not before the baby was born.

It took the hybrid a few seconds to catch her breath, but when she did, she lunged at Markos, her eyes a blaze with hatred. "What do you want with me?"

"You will find out soon enough. Perhaps I'll pay Damon a visit; I'm sure he's awfully distraught that you're missing." He answered before turning on his heel and storming to the door. Cassandra fought her bounds, pulling and yanking at them, but she was much too weak to make the links bend.

"Let me go!" She demanded, but Markos just ignored her as he flung open the door and stalked out of the cell. Maria was shuffling to the exit, but she stopped herself just in the doorway. Her sad eyes looked back to Cassandra who caught her gaze.

"Please! You have to help me!" She begged tearfully.

Maria could feel her pain. A strong pang of guilt weighed on her heavy heart as she considered letting Cassandra free. She knew that would make her an outsider to the Traveler coven, but how could she continue to let Markos keep a pregnant woman hostage?

"Help me! Please, help me!" Cassandra was crying again, her limbs draw back so tightly to the table that she could barely lift them. She fell back against the cold metal, broken and defeated at the thought of Markos telling Damon where she really was. It wasn't until the door to her cell was locked shut again did she sob loudly, still silently begging for someone to help her.

As Cassandra continued to whimper and cry, she was unaware that she was not alone. Emerging from the shadows, feet tiptoed to the edge of the table and slender fingers scooped up the note from the floor. Green eyes stared down at the hybrid and she had to hold back her own tears.

"Don't worry, Cass. We'll get you out of here. I promise," Vanessa vowed. She placed a comforting hand on Cassandra's shoulder, but she didn't feel it. She'd been watching over her friends in Mystic Falls for quite some time, but her visits became more frequent ever since the Other Side was beginning to quake. She first realized it when she tripped over the leg of the crib in the baby's room and stubbed her toe. When Damon and Cassandra were in the cabin, she steered clear of Enzo and was ready to head back to the boarding house when she heard the Travelers approaching. So, she grabbed some paper and a pen from the kitchen of the cabin, scribbled the note and stuck it in the door handle.

Granted, she was too late, but hey, it was worth a shot.

Vanessa peered over at the door and quickly flashed to stand right near it. Her bright green eyes darted down the hall, peeking out of the barred opening and she smirked wryly when she saw Maria pacing the hall outside Stefan's and Elena's room. Maybe this plan to spring them from the Traveler camp would be much easier than she thought. Maria was already feeling guilty, so she just needed a little extra push.

"Jailbreak time." She sang.

---

It was the blinding rays of sunlight that made Cassandra turn onto her side and pull her blankets up over her head. She groaned and mumbled something to the extent of Damon forgetting to close the shades before they went to bed. She pressed her face closer into the pillow and-

The hybrid suddenly shot up, her eye open and alert. She was no longer in the Traveler camp and strapped down to a table like a test subject in a lab; she was in what looked like an abandoned general store. She had to have been dreaming because she was just inside the Traveler camp.

She pushed the blankets off of her and got to her feet using an empty shelf rack to brace herself on. Specks of dust danced in the sunlight near the window and she waddled to the open doorway to see Stefan talking on a payphone and Elena fiddling with something in her hands that looked like a slingshot.

Elena's eyes immediately snapped up and ran to Cassandra. "Hey! You're finally up."

"Yeah, uhm...where are we?" She wondered.

"We were all freed from the Traveler camp last night. We don't know who did it, but we didn't stay long enough to ask questions," Elena explained. "You were really bad, so we had to carry you most of the way here."

Cassandra ran a hand through her tangled hair as she tried to remember last night, but nothing was coming to her. "How long were we in there?"

"According to Damon, four days."

"F-four days?!" Cassandra stammered, her eyes wide.

"Yeah. Stefan is talking to him now," she said and Cassandra made a b-line for the payphone. She tapped Stefan's shoulder and he turned, a happy expression on his face that she was awake.

"Finally! Here," he passed her the phone. "He wouldn't let me hang up until he heard from you."

"I heard that!" Damon grumbled and Cassandra spoke into the receiver.

"Damon?"

"Cass! Where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. A little disoriented, but we're okay," she replied. "As for where we are..." Her eyes scanned the wooded area around them. "I have no idea. What about you? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm just dandy." His reply was nothing if not sarcastic. "I've got a town full of unconscious Travelers in my house while my wife, my brother and his girlfriend are out in the wild after being kidnapped by Markos."

Cassandra sighed and leaned against the phone booth. "We're gonna make it home, okay?

Damon sighed deeply. "I know. Just be careful."

"I will." She smiled and blew him a kiss through the phone. "I love you."

"I love you," he echoed.

"Would you like to talk to Stefan again?" She asked.

"No, thanks." The vampire groaned. "Leave him to his bunny hunting."

"Bunny hunting?" She raised her eyebrows, but was met with the dial tone once Damon hung up the phone. She placed the payphone back on the hook just as Stefan approached her. All she had to do was look down at what he was holding and she already knew what Damon was talking about.

"I'm not eating that," Cassandra growled at Stefan who frowned.

"You have to eat, Cassandra. You need your strength." He tried to persuade her.

"Stefan, it's a bunny. I don't eat bunnies." She averted her eyes from the rabbit carcass that Stefan was holding. "I don't know where that animal has been. It could be rabid for all you know."

"A rabid bunny rabbit?" Stefan's nose wrinkled oddly.

"Look, I'm not putting anything in my body that could hurt my baby. I won't do it." She placed her hands on her hips.

"At least just try it," Elena suggested. "You need your strength if we want to outrun the Travelers and get back to Mystic Falls."

"If you two don't mind," Cassandra took up the slingshot that Elena was holding. "I'll find my own brunch." She walked off, leaving Stefan and Elena speechless, but they couldn't help but giggle to themselves.

"At least she's in a good mood." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded and handed Elena the rabbit. "Care for some bunny?"

"Sure." They both sat on the porch of the store and Stefan handed Elena the rabbit to bite into it first. After a few sips, she passed it to Stefan who drank some.

"So, we know why Markos took us; because of our doppleganger blood." Elena started and Stefan's gaze met hers. "But why did they take Cassandra?"

Stefan unlatched his fangs from the bunny and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Well, maybe Markos didn't want her talking? She could have been a threat to exposing his whole plan."

"Yeah, but then Markos would have taken Damon and Caroline too."

"That's true." He handed the rabbit to Elena, but she didn't take a bite. "Elena?"

"What if Markos lied to us about wanting nothing with Cassandra's baby?"

"Why would they want a baby?" Stefan asked.

"Maybe as a Traveler?" She guessed.

"Or what if Markos feels the same way about Cassandra and her baby as the entire Universe does?" Stefan added. "What if he is so worried about this baby being born that he decided to take matters into his own hands? After all, he was giving Cassandra and Damon those dreams of each other."

"I think you might be right." Elena nodded her head slowly. "If that's the case, we have to get Cassandra home safe and sound."

---

An hour later, after the trio was somewhat well-fed, they continued their trek down a dirt path that hopefully led to Mystic Falls. They fed on some squirrels and the occasional rabbit, but animal blood was nowhere near as satisfying as human blood. They tested the area, but no humans were in sight or hearing distance. They really were all alone in the woods. At least they didn't come across any Travelers that wanted to drag them back to the camp. Cassandra was trying her best to keep her pace with Stefan and Elena, but after being drained of blood and carrying around a baby, she was easily lagging behind which only made the duo slow their pace. She was pushing herself and she knew that it wasn't good for her or the baby, but she had to keep going in order to get home. As they walked, the dirt from the road was kicked up and each step reminded them that they had quite a ways to go before arriving home. Elena was kicking rocks while Stefan kept surveying the area around them to see if anything looked familiar or stood out to him. Cassandra, on the other hand, was slowing down as her already prominent tunnel vision grew significantly worse.

When Stefan heard her footsteps become farther and farther away, he stopped himself and turned back to see that Cassandra was now stopped in the middle of the road. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead and she was panting like she had run five miles. Elena was stopped now too, her features creased with worry just as Cassandra's eyes rolled up and back into their sockets.

"Woah!" Stefan shouted and sped to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly brought her to her knees to rest. She wasn't unconscious, just weak and fatigued from all the walking they were doing. She blinked a few times and slumped on her knees, pressing her hands into the dirt.

"I'm okay." Cassandra panted weakly as her fingers curled against the earth. "I can keep going."

"No, you need to rest." The vampire scolded and Elena joined him to kneel in front of Cassandra.

"Come on, if we wait any longer, the Travelers will catch up with us." The hybrid spoke.

"Stefan is right, Cassandra. Even if we rest for a couple of minutes—"

The hybrid ignored her persistent brother-in-law with a shrug of her shoulders. "I can do it. I'm not letting them get me. Not now, not ever."

"Cassandra, you're going to hurt yourself." Stefan's voice rose as he watched her push herself back onto her bottom. Cassandra struggled with great difficulty to stand even with Stefan's help, but she just crumpled to her knees again. Exhausted, she huffed out and her tear filled eyes gazed further down the road. Why was this all happening? It just didn't make any sense to her.

"I just want to go home," her whimper was so light, that if heard by any humans, it would have gotten lost in the wind.

"I know." Stefan crouched in front on her, hoping to take her mind off the distance ahead of them. He could only imagine how difficult this was for her and he and Elena wanted to get home as badly as she did, but they had to pace themselves.

"But you have to rest for a bit. You're putting too much stress on your body. Think of your baby. You want to keep her safe, right?"

With a tearful nod, Cassandra let Stefan help her up and walk her to the side of the road where he sat her down on a tree stump. She wiped her stray tears with the sleeve of her shirt and rubbed her temples in an effort to stamp out the headache that was raging. Elena sat beside her, taking her hand in hers and squeezing it comfortingly. For a few moments, the three of them let the silence soak in as they collected their thoughts. Cassandra took a deep breath and exhaled, sending her tensions and frustrations to the wind. It did make her feel a little bit better, but she would be even better once the reached Mystic Falls.

"You know, when we were walking earlier, I think I just hallucinated a unicorn." Elena mumbled and Cassandra giggled.

"Maybe Caroline's nearby?" Stefan joked.

"If Caroline was here, we'd have a fully catered buffet on the side of the road." Cassandra said while skimming her hand over her belly.

"And a rainbow." The vampire pointed out.

"Two rainbows." Stefan held up two fingers and wiggled them in the air.

Elena was laughing heartily now. "We are so pathetic. You know what? Let's put on our best Caroline Forbes hat, shall we?"

"I don't think they sell those," the hybrid chuckled. Elena stood up and marched to the center of the path, waving her arms about and peered up at the clear blue sky.

"What the hell is she doing?" Stefan wondered curiously.

"She's delusional." Cassandra sighed. "I'm worried."

"Alright Universe! Enough screwing around! We're ready for the good stuff!" She shouted to the skies and spun around. Once she realized that nothing had happened, she continued to dance around ridiculously, making Stefan and Cassandra question her sanity. "Theme dance, or block party maybe?"

Just when all seemed hopeless, Stefan's ears caught the very faint sound of a car engine from the direction they came. Elena heard it too and whipped around to see a car driving towards them. It was a big truck and could definitely fit all of them inside. All they had to do was get them to stop and compel the driver. Cassandra nearly wanted to cry and shout for joy; someone was coming for them.

"Mystic Falls, here we come." She shouted with glee.

"Oh my god! That is so weird!" Elena was giddy and balancing on her heels. Stefan stood out in front of her, raising his thumb to hitchhike, but the female vampire shook her head. She placed her hand on Stefan's arm, lowering it and smirking at him. She quickly turned herself around and pulled down her t-shirt, shifting her breasts around to show more cleavage before turning around. Once she was all settled, she held up her thumb and posed with one hip out. The car slowed to a stop and Elena grinned at her vampire boyfriend whose jaw was almost hitting the floor.

"See?"

Cassandra pushed herself off the tree stump. "If I wasn't nine months pregnant, I could have done that."

Elena approached the car window with a strut, but suddenly frowned seeing a young woman behind the wheel. "Not what I was expecting..."

Stefan then stepped up and placed his hands on the driver side door. "Alright. Let's cut to the chase," he caught her gaze and his eyes dilated. "You're giving us a ride."

The driver rolled her eyes and looked between the two vampires. "You trying to compel me? Who do you think freed you last night?"

Both Elena and Stefan were confused as ever. Did they know this woman? Cassandra had now come up to the car, ready to ask what was taking Stefan and Elena so long to get them a ride back home, but she froze seeing Maria sitting in the driver's seat.

"You," she whispered. "You were the Traveler who didn't help me."

"Certainly not when Markos was around." Maria replied smartly. "Let's just say I waited to get you guys out and by the looks of things, I wasn't alone."

Cassandra's eyebrows creased dramatically. "What do you mean?"

"When I stepped into your cells, your chains had been broken and all three of you were too weak to have broken or even bent them." She explained and that made all three of them wrinkle their noses. "Weird right?"

"Totally," Cassandra mumbled.

Maria's gaze quickly shifted to the rearview mirror and she clicked a button on the console that unlocked the car doors. "We don't have much time. Get in; they're coming for you."

---

Caroline hummed the ending of a song she'd heard on the radio as she bounded up the steps to the boarding house. All morning she'd been on the look-out for more Travelers in town while keeping her head low. She didn't notice any suspicious activity, but she knew that she would have to report back to Damon regardless. These Travelers are a sneaky bunch, she thought to herself. How had a large group of people managed to completely take over an entire town and no one suspected a thing? It was quite terrifying to her, especially that one of them was Mr. Sikes, whom she'd dealt with on numerous occasions and who had helped her open her first bank account when she was young. But she was more horrified that her former boyfriend, Tyler had been body jacked by a Traveler who refused to give them any answers. The blonde stuffed her jingling keys into her bag and pushed open the front door, only to be greeted by Damon mildly reprimanding Matt Donovan for knocking a vase onto the floor not even a minute before.

Entering the living room in an effort to come to Matt's aid, Caroline stopped mid-step at the scene she was currently faced with. Unconscious bodies were scattered all over the room. On the couches, on the floor, on the pool table and on top of the dining room table in the adjoining room. At first, she was speechless, unsure of what to say, but that quickly changed seeing Damon grinding the pieces of a broken vase in his hands while staring down at Matt.

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline's suddenly outburst made Matt jump, but Damon was unimpressed. "Who are all these people?"

"Traveler husks," Damon replied, placing the pieces of the vase on a surface that was not occupied by unconscious bodies. "They've passengered themselves into the beautiful citizens of Mystic Falls. Just like your friend Mr. Sikes."

The vampire turned to face Matt and Jeremy who were awaiting instructions on what to do and where to go next. "You two make yourselves useful. Patrol the town; call me if you see anything weirder than usual."

"And what are you planning on doing with all of them?" She asked with her hands placed strategically on her hips. Matt and Jeremy quickly made themselves scarce, quietly closing the door behind them as they embarked on their mission to patrol the town.

"Well, Markos put them in a cave. I'm hoping he wants them back," Damon replied simply.

Caroline made a face of displeasure. "So you think drawing Markos to your house is the best idea?"

"It's the only idea!" The vampire leered at her. "Unless your body snatched ex-boyfriend in the basement can help us."

"Don't go near Tyler." Caroline's piercing blue eyes glared at him. "He's got a Traveler in his body, so he has no idea what is going on."

Damon held up his hands, feigning that he was afraid of her threats. "Just suggesting. I mean, aren't we all a little sick of Tyler?"

"Just stay away from him." Caroline warned again and stormed down to the basement to try to speak with Julian.

Damon poured himself a drink and took a few sips while looking around his overcrowded house. He couldn't wait till all of this was over. He'd be sure to have a cleaning service come and clean the house once the Travelers were out of it. Damon flicked the temple of one Traveler that was laying on the pool table and when he got no reaction, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing." He placed his drink down and retrieved a fire poker from the holder by the fireplace. Just as he was about to whack another Traveler, his phone rang. Grumbling to himself, he tossed the poker back in the holder and answered the call from an unknown number.

"Salvatore Boring House."

"I'm calling about my people." Markos' surprisingly calm voice made the vampire smirk.

"Hey! You found my note!" Damon grinned from ear to ear. "Now listen, don't be offended, but I can't just give them to anyone. So, what do they look like?"

"They're ragged; beaten down by the world, desperate for a home..."

"You just described homeless people, Asians and Matt Donovan." He interrupted.

Without missing a beat, Markos replied. "One of them is 5'10, wearing a black coat. You're standing next to him."

Damon's eyes were suddenly downcast at the Traveler that he was just going to assault with the fire poker. He scanned the room, as if waiting for Markos to creepily materialize in the house, but the turning of the doorknob in the foyer let him know that Markos had come to pick up his Traveler friends. Like a panther approaching his prey, Markos entered the room and stood opposite Damon, his hands clasped together in front of him.

"I know the concept of a home is new to you, but it is polite to knock." Damon tried to be polite himself, but he was ready to rip Markos' head from his shoulders.

Markos gave Damon a charming smile and surveyed the living room. He ran his hand along the mantel of the fire place and knocked on one of the walls with his knuckles. "Nice place; a little rustic. My tastes are a bit more modern, ironically. Still, good bones and all."

"I think you read the flyer wrong. See, the bodies are the only thing on the bargaining table." The vampire then smirked maniacally. "And in the attic. And in the garage."

"About that..." Markos began, but Damon wasn't done.

"And in the kitchen."

"Please tell me taking hostages isn't your grand plan. It feels a little...small." The Traveler's remark made the vampire grit his teeth. Markos scanned the room again, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. "I think I'll add a half-bath off the foyer."

"Funny!" Damon remarked sarcastically. "Here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor."

Markos hummed to himself and the two men continued to size up one another until Caroline returned from her visit in the basement. Her vampire senses detected another person in the house and she carefully stayed far away from Markos. He barely regarded her as she tip-toed to stand beside Damon.

"Ah, I remember you," he said. "Hello Caroline."

The blonde vampire's blood boiled at Markos' arrogant and glib attitude. "Where are our friends?"

"I was getting to that, blondie." Damon quietly scolded Caroline.

"They are safe for the time being," Markos replied. "I apologize for what happened the other night, but I needed your friends to come without a fight."

"Apology not accepted." She hissed like a viper.

Damon cast the vampire a sideways glance, not wanting her to get in the middle of this. "Get out of here."

Caroline bit her bottom lip, wanting to tear the smug Traveler limb from limb, but she heeded Damon's warning and left without another word. Markos twiddled his thumbs and leaned his body against the fireplace.

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag..." Damon cleared his throat. "I wanna know where Cassandra, Stefan and Elena are."

"In time, Damon." Markos dismissed the question. He then caught a whiff of a rather potent scent coming off one of his people.

"Oh! If you're wondering about the smell, I have your salvation army doused in gasoline and I'm just itching to light a match." Damon threatened.

Markos pushed himself to stand upright and began methodically pacing the room. "You're right. None of this would be possible without their willingness to passenger themselves into your citizens and help perform my spell."

He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pull out a crucifix-shaped object. Damon immediately went on high alert, cautious of what Markos planned on doing with his weapon of choice. The Traveler stopped himself to stand over the body of one of his followers that was on the pool table and grasped the object tightly.

"And while I'd like to give them the opportunity to return to their actual bodies..." Markos thrust the point of the crucifix into the artery of the Traveler, killing him in one blow. "It's not essential to my plan."

For the first time in a long time, Damon was speechless. All this time he'd thought that he was a couple steps ahead of Markos by stealing the Travelers and hiding him away. Now that Markos had revealed that he had no intentions of returning the Travelers to their own bodies, Damon had to wonder what his so-calledessential plan entailed.

"Did you really think you found the whole of my people? Travelers are everywhere. They're the faces that surround you every day, the world over, the ones you don't notice. Because you're too busy making a mess of all you have." Markos gestured to the bodies of his loyal followers. "They want those things too. A home; a family; a better life. And they're willing to die for it."

"You want a promised land? I get it. Okay, but look, off the record, I mean, Mystic Falls is kind of a dump. Bad schools, terrible traffic, and forget about ever getting a decent cup of coffee." Damon was rambling now, scrambling for some kind of an attempt to steer Markos and his band of idiots out of Mystic Falls, but it seemed highly unlikely that he would take the bait.

"Mystic Falls is just a means to an end; like a small pebble dropped into a very large pond." He spoke as he fixed himself a drink. Once his poison of choice had been poured into the glass, he dropped a single ice cube into the cup to make his point.

"Very poetic," Damon glowered and crossed his arms over his chest. "No idea what it means."

"Once we destroy the spirit magic in this town, the witch's curse will finally be broken. From there, the spell will ripple outward, unraveling spirit magic as it spreads. Only pure magic, our magic, will remain," Markos explained. "My people will be free to go wherever they choose. And when witch magic and everything it ever created is gone from this Earth, you will be too."

So, that's what Markos wanted all along: a home for his people and the mass genocide of the entire supernatural species. As the spell would spread further and further, it would diminish spirit magic, the very magic that made supernatural beings what they were.

"I think I've heard about enough." Damon angrily sped toward Markos, but was thrown off with the flick of his wrist. He flew backwards, smashing into the bookcase and it rattled a bit.

"You underestimate me. I've completely transfused myself to doppelgänger blood. I am channeling all the power of my people. You aren't strong enough to kill me anymore!" Markos proclaimed and stood over the defeated vampire. Damon braced himself against the edge of the bookcase and hoisted himself up off the ground. He didn't make a move for Markos, he knew better at this stage in the game.

"Not that it matters. The spell has already begun."

---

Stefan peered into the rearview mirror for the fifteenth time during the car ride to check on Elena and Cassandra who were in the backseat. Elena was sitting up while Cassandra was lying down with her head in her lap. The vampire combed her fingers through the hybrid's hair while she rested. The rumble of the car engine and a 80s throwback rock ballad were the only things to break the silence. Maria had informed Elena and Stefan of the importance of their doppelganger blood in relation to Markos' plan and her own plan to get to her husband Julian, who had been a passenger inside Tyler, before Markos began his spell to get rid of the spirit magic in Mystic Falls. Cassandra has been falling asleep during the whole conversation; the only thing that woke her up was the thunking of her head hitting the window every time she was just about ready to nod off. Her body was so fatigued and all she wanted was to be home in her own bed with Damon by her side. Elena offered up her lap as a pillow and Cassandra was too weak to protest.

Elena soothingly rubbed her fingers against Cassandra's scalp as her eyes met Stefan's for the fifteenth time during the car ride. They were both worried for Cassandra, especially with her due date so close. They were both surprised that Cassandra hadn't gone into labor sooner with all of the stress just from today, but she managed to keep a clear head. During their travels, they silently prayed that she wouldn't have the baby in the brush or in the back Maria's car because they knew that had had to be attended to during the birth. Stefan and Elena could hear the steady beating of the baby's heart and that brought them some comfort.

"Still asleep?" Stefan asked quietly and Elena nodded her reply.

"Your friend lost quite a lot of blood," Maria stated.

"But she fed earlier." Elena pointed out.

Maria flicked her left turn signal on and checked the road before turning. "But keep in mind, whenever she eats or feeds, it's for two."

That makes sense, Elena thought to herself and cast her gaze out the window. She recognized the road they were currently driving on and smiled inwardly that they would be approaching the town square soon. Almost home; she sighed deeply.

"Why did Markos take her?" Elena's question made Stefan's ears perk up and Maria shift uncomfortably. She didn't want to answer her, but she knew that with two very hungry vampires in her car that she'd better start talking.

"Your friend is an anomaly; a deviation from the common rule," she began. "Vampires cannot procreate, yet a child is about to be born to a vampire father and a hybrid mother. News of her pregnancy has reached the far corners of the world and when this baby is born, she will acquire a lot of new enemies."

"But the only reason Cassandra's pregnant is because she was never meant to be born herself," Stefan said. "The Universe has come up with ways to try and kill her, but she's escaped every single time."

"And they think that this time will be the grand finale." Cassandra piped up from Elena's lap before situating herself upright. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, blinking the sleep out of her head.

"Sorry we woke you," Elena apologized.

"No, it wasn't you guys. I needed to wake up." She yawned again. "So, Maria, what other information do you have about why Markos needs me?"

"Markos is concerned that this child will cause an uprising within the supernatural world once it is born." Maria spoke. "I mean, the idea of vampires giving birth to children sounds very inviting, especially to those who have been wanting children for hundreds of years."

"That many vampires want to have children?" Stefan questioned curiously.

"You don't understand, Stefan. Being a mother is a job that many women long for, but for some, it never comes." She added. "I'm sure if Elena was given the chance to have a baby, she would do it."

Stefan had turned himself in his seat to look at Elena who was looking rather pensive, as if she was actually considering Maria's theory. She'd always wanted to have a family and becoming a vampire took that away from her. Cassandra's pregnancy was a complete surprise to everyone, but it instilled hope in Elena that one day she would be lucky enough to fall through a loophole and become pregnant.

"When the time was right, of course," the Traveler added and Elena nodded fully, knowing that Maria was indeed correct.

"What you're saying that more vampires would try to find methods to procreate after they've heard that it was done once?" Stefan asked.

"It's likely." Maria affirmed.

"So, that's it? Markos is afraid of a baby boom?" Cassandra's eyebrows creased.

"There's more to it than that." Maria stopped the car at a red light. "Do you know what this child will be?"

Cassandra rubbed her stomach protectively. "Yeah, a girl."

"No," the Traveler shook her head. "I mean, do you know what this baby will be?"

The hybrid was speechless. She'd never been asked that question before and she feared that she didn't have a definite answer. How could she even begin to predict what part of the supernatural species her daughter would be a part of? She was going to be born of a vampire and a vampire-werewolf hybrid, so was certainly going to be a special child when she did come into the world.

"I...I don't know." Cassandra mumbled unsurely.

"Wait, vampirism is not a gene, therefore, it can't be genetic." Stefan fought.

"Anything is possible, Stefan." Maria countered. "This is the first child to be born of two supernatural beings, one of which was never made to bare children. Anything is possible."

"So, she'll be a werewolf then?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"We don't know for sure."

"I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with anything?" Cassandra butted in.

"Markos fears that this child will be the beginning of a brand new race. One that will be faster and stronger than the generation before them and will be immune to our magic." She was now driving on the road that led into the town square, which was meant to make them happy, but the somber mood prevented anyone from celebrating.

"Let me try to understand this," Cassandra spoke up. "Markos wants to kill my baby because she might be a new race on her own?" To say she was angry was just a portion of what she was really feeling. Markos swore to Damon that he had no interest in their child whatsoever, but now she was learning that he'd lied to them the entire time and was planning the murder of their baby girl. There was no reason for the slaughter of something as innocent as a child.

Elena could sense that Cassandra was becoming angry with the entire conversation, so she placed her hand on hers. "Cassandra-"

"No! I won't let him. He thinks he can kill my daughter? I'll kill him myself." She hissed and tried the car door handle. "Stop the car."

"But, we're not in town yet." Maria tried to tell her, but Cassandra was beyond reasoning with.

"I said, stop the car. I want to get out." The hybrid grew even more irritated that she was being ignored, so she reared her fist through the window. Glass shattered on the seat and into the open road, making Maria swerve slightly.

"Stop it!" The Traveler shouted. "I'm trying to help!"

"Stop the car or my fist will be going through your skull." Cassandra threatened. "How do I know that you're not driving us right to Markos? Huh? You could be bringing us to our deaths!"

"Look out!" Stefan's sudden, frantic yell alerted everyone to look out the windshield as Liv stood in the middle of the road with her hand outstretched. Acting on instinct, Maria slammed her foot down on the breaks, making the car come to a screeching halt.

"You should have ran her narrow ass over." Cassandra remarked with a snicker.

"What is she doing?" Elena asked.

"Trying to kill you," Maria said. "Just a wild guess."

The Traveler shifted the car in reverse and hit the gas pedal, propelling the car back a few feet, but they were stopped by Liv's twin, Luke, standing in the same position as his sister.

"Get out of the car!" Stefan commanded and all of them threw off their seat belts. They tried the door handles, but they were closed up tight.

"Unlock the doors!" He implored, but Maria was just as confused as he was as she fiddled with the manual lock on the door. She locked then unlocked the car again before trying the door, but it didn't budge.

"I did!" She told Stefan.

Suddenly, the gas pedal was pushed down on its own. The car sped towards Liv who stood strong and stoic even as the car got closer and closer to her. Maria jammed the breaks, but they were rendered useless by the magic of the twins. The tires spun wildly against the road, smoke rising from where they'd caused friction against the street and Cassandra had to close her eyes hearing the crunching sound of the car barreling into something or someone.

So much for coming home safe and sound.

---

"I think I'll knock this wall down. I love an open-floor plan." Markos said from the couch. He was lounging with his one leg crossed over the other as he continued to paint pictures in his mind about how he'd change the Salvatore house once he inhibited it. The whole time that Markos was building his own dream house, Damon's back was turned and he was pouring drinks. A look of pure disgust took hold of his features and he mocked Markos as he spoke. Once both glasses were full, Damon waltzed back to the Traveler and handed him one with a charming smile.

Unbeknownst the Markos, Julian had managed to get Damon to trust him into setting him free from the cellar downstairs. Ever the most gracious host, Damon led Markos downstairs after expressing his fine taste in wine and the one request that Markos leave Damon with just a few bottles. Markos agreed and they both descended into the cellar. He looked upon the bottles while Damon distracted him and talked on about how he'd received his most special bottles. Damon picked his bottles to take with him and as Markos climbed the stairs, Damon dropped the key into the cell.

"I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I'm not very familiar with Traveler cuisine. Although, I'm sure it involves a lot of trail mix and gruel." He remarked which earned a quiet snigger from Markos. Damon then took a seat across from him, nearly downed his whole drink and cleared his throat.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, where is your lovely wife? I figured that she would be joining us." The dig made Damon grind his teeth in his mouth and tighten his hold on the glass.

"You know exactly where she is, so don't give me that crap." The vampire growled. "You gave me your word that you and your band of idiots wanted nothing to do with Cassandra."

"And I intend to keep my word, Damon." Markos swished his drink around. "Your child, however, is another story entirely."

Damon flew off the couch, his fangs bared and his fingers were firmly wrapped around the Traveler's neck. "If you even finish that sentence—"

Markos didn't even have to blink and Damon was thrown across the room. His back smashed into the bookcase, nearly causing the entire structure to fall over, but the vampire braced it before it could topple to the floor. He stood slowly and cautiously, unsure of what other tricks Markos had up his sleeves.

"You underestimate me. I've completely transfused myself to doppelganger blood. I am channeling all the power of my people. You aren't strong enough to kill me anymore," Markos told him.

"I'd like to test that last theory," the vampire snapped hastily.

"Come now, Damon." The Traveler pouted at him. "Did you really think that your daughter would have a life without any enemies?"

"You told me that you weren't one of them."

"At first I was, but my people voiced their concern about the birth of a supernatural child." He said.

Damon's eyes narrowed, but quickly grew wide again. "Wait, wait, wait a minute. My kid isn't supernatural. Vampirism isn't just passed down."

"Your wife is a werewolf, is she not?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Damon, this child could be the beginning of a brand new supernatural species. One that could possibly undermine Traveler magic and destroy our way of life. My people have gone long enough without a home and we will not let anyone stand in our way."

"You mean to tell me, that a coven of Travelers is scared of a baby?"

"Aren't you?" Markos wondered and Damon was silent. "I can feel your fear, Damon. It's unnatural for your kind to procreate, so this child must be special. I only wish I could find out just how special."

"You lay one hand on her and I swear I'll—"

"Kill me? We've already established that you can do no such thing." Markos challenged and raised his hand towards Damon who buckled under the immense pressure placed on his body. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest and he was struggling to breathe. "If anything, Damon, I'm doing you and your wife a great favor by ridding you of that abomination. You don't know the kind of trouble that you would be getting yourself into."

"S-She's not an abomination." Damon stammered as he tried to stand up, but his muscles were tightly locked into place. "I will slaughter every single one of your loyal followers even if they so much as look at us the wrong way."

"More empty threats," Markos sighed tiredly. "Once this child is dead, we can live peacefully without any threats."

Markos had opened his mouth to continue speaking, but the slightest creak of the hardwood floor made him glare at Damon with suspicion. The noise had come from the adjoining room and the Traveler knew that he and Damon were not the only ones in the house.

"What kind of game are you playing?" Markos' question was quickly answered with Damon smirking and Julian pouncing onto his back. Julian had let himself out of the cellar and was waiting for the opportune moment to act. He bit down hard into Markos' neck, gripping his clothes tightly as he fought.

---

"I'm sorry. I really am. We need to make the doppelganger blood useless. One of you needs to die." Liv flicked her wrist, making Elena's other leg snap and her body fell from the added weight on her broken legs. The witch flexed her fingers, keeping one doppelganger down while her brother, Luke, had Stefan pinned to the totaled van. Maria was slumped unconscious behind the steering wheel, blood pouring freely from her head.

"It doesn't matter which one, really." Luke's gaze shifted between both doppelgangers, as if unsure of who to kill when he realized that another body was missing. "Where is the hybrid?"

While keeping her magic focused on Elena, Liv scanned the area and the car, but Cassandra was nowhere to be found. "Where's the hybrid?"

At that, Luke looked around and even Stefan and Elena were frantically searching for Cassandra. Elena remembered trying to brace herself against Cassandra to absorb the main amount of the impact from the crash, but Elena was quickly thrown out of the car from the force and dragged along the concrete by Liv. The only body that could be seen in the car was Maria's, so Elena secretly hoped that Cassandra was able to crawl away to safety.

In an abandoned hardware store just down the street, Vanessa closed the door behind her and knelt down to Cassandra who was beginning to come too. She'd witnessed the crash and was powerless to stop it, but she had gotten Cassandra out of the car and away from the twins. Thankfully the store she took Cassandra to was desolate, but some tools were still left on the shelves to serve as weapons in case Liv and Luke came snooping around. Vanessa gently tapped her friend's cheeks and watched as the small cuts and bruises on her face and body heal from the crash.

"Hey, Cass. Cass, wake up." She pressed a hand to her stomach and sighed in relief feeling the very vital heartbeat of the baby. Cassandra's eyes were slow to open and even slower to adjust to her surroundings, but Vanessa gave her time to come around. Once she focused on the face that was looking down at her, Cassandra smiled softly.

"Well, I was wondering when you'd come around." She chuckled and Vanessa gently eased her friend to sit up.

"Sorry that I'm a little late to the party, but things on the Other Side are a bit crazy." The blonde replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," Cassandra answered and braced herself on a shelf to stand up and started to walk towards the door of the shop. "I need to get home."

Vanessa jumped in front of her with her hands held up. "You can't. Liv and Luke are just outside the town square. They're looking for you."

"But Stefan and Elena are with them," she protested. "I can't just leave them."

"I'm not having a pregnant woman go up against two witches." The vampire shook her head. "Right now, we need to get you out of here before—"

Cassandra suddenly gave a loud cry and doubled over in excruciating pain. Her hands gripped the edge of the shelf, her fingers and knuckles turning white from how hard she was holding onto it. She tried to breathe, but it felt like someone was strangling her neck tightly. She was then seeing flashes of her human self being pinned against a tree by Katherine just before she killed her. She could hear herself begging Katherine for her life, but she knew this memory all too well and how it would end. Vanessa rushed to the window and grumbled at the chanting Travelers gathered in the town square. She was really starting to get tired of them.

"That." Vanessa finished just as Liv busted open the door with her magic. Both Cassandra and Vanessa shielded themselves from the flying bits of glass, hiding their faces while distancing from Liv. The witch lunged for Cassandra, but Vanessa was faster. She gripped and threw, with impressive force, a wrench at Liv and managed to knock her on the side of the head. She crumpled to the floor, a fresh pool of blood staining the white tile floor. Cassandra could smell the blood, but when she parted her lips, she did not feel her fangs extend.

"W-what's happening?" She stuttered and gasped for air.

"It means that the Travelers' spell is working." Vanessa frowned deeply and spotted Stefan and Elena running for the Grill. She took Cassandra's trembling hand and rushed them out of the shop. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

---

"It took you long enough!" Damon grumbled and shook off the remnants of the spell just as Julian was thrown off the Traveler. Julian hissed at Markos, baring his fangs when he suddenly realized that they weren't there. In a panic, he ran his fingers over the place where his fangs were supposed to be, but all he found were his regular human teeth.

"My fangs. What the hell happened to my fangs?" Julian cried.

"What?" Damon took a few steps forward to investigate, but was stopped by the familiar pain of his skin blistering just as he entered the path of a beam of sunlight.

"Woah." He immediately jumped back to cool his sizzling skin, but tested his theory seconds after to see the same thing happen to him. Damon was now realizing exactly what was happening to him. The Travelers must have begun the spell which meant that the magic that made him a vampire was beginning to crumble. This meant that any other vampire or werewolf would be dealing with the same dilemma. His brother, girlfriend and wife were still out in the wilderness somewhere. What if they didn't know about the spell and were still continuing their trek to Mystic Falls? What if they were already affected by the spell?

"We have a problem," Damon muttered as he watched the Travelers that inhabited his house for a few hours were beginning to awaken from their slumber. They rose as if they were coming back from the dead and Damon and Juliana huddled together in an effort to stay away from any Travelers. They backed away, but Markos and his followers crowded them until they were cornered in the foyer.

"And what were you saying about this being your home?" Markos spoke just before Damon shouted out in agony. He looked down to see a pool of blood on his shirt and was now recalling where he'd gotten shot when he was a human. The same wound from all those years ago appeared and stayed in the same exact place. It didn't heal; instead blood poured from his chest and stained his hands as he tried to apply pressure to the wound.

"Like I said; this spell will continue to unravel spirit magic as it spreads, which means you're not long for his world." Markos continued just as Julian began to gasp for air as if his head were being held underwater. Damon was hit with another beam of sunlight which made him curse and huddle himself into a shadowy corner.

Markos had closer in on them, his Travelers directly behind him and they chanted softly under their breaths. "The sun's about to set. Feel free to buy yourself a little time to say your goodbyes. You and this traitor of yours can try to outrun the spell...for a little while, anyway."

Julian took off through the front door without another thought, but Damon was more hesitant to leave. This was his home, the place he lived with his wife and brother, the place that would have been his daughter's home. He took one last longing look at his home, darted down the porch, and bid his home a tearful goodbye.

---

Matt Donovan pushed open the door to the storeroom of The Grill and set down a brown box he'd received from his manager. His job was to unpack the box, place everything on the corresponding shelves, and to update their inventory list, so for him, it was just another day at work. He used a rusted box cutter to slice open the packing tape and he started unpacking the silverware when he felt a quick gust of wind blow right past him. He looked around over his shoulder and his eyebrows creased seeing that no one was there, but he had an inkling that someone was nearby. A few cans of food were knocked off the shelves, plummeting to the floor and creamed corn splattered everywhere.

"Matt," the waiter whipped around, his fists in the air to fight, but dropped them seeing that Vanessa had come in with Stefan, Elena and Cassandra. All three looked worse for the wear and he quickly locked the door before speaking.

"What happened?" He asked the blonde vampire.

"You want the long version or the short version?" Vanessa replied and moved a steel set of shelves aside to reveal the covering that led into the underground tunnels.

"The whole town's square is filled with Travelers." Stefan decided to fill Matt in with the short version.

"Our rings aren't working," Elena added.

"And I don't have fangs anymore." Cassandra panted as she curled her arm around one of the metal bars on the moveable shelves to keep herself steady. "Basically, Traveler magic is going to make anyone supernatural become nonexistent."

"We've gotta get out of here," Stefan said just as Vanessa yanked the covering over the passages away.

"Let's go. We have no time to lose!" The vampire ushered them into the tunnels, along with Matt. Once everyone was safely inside, Vanessa climbed through the hole in the wall and covered it back up again.

Cassandra had forgotten how long these tunnels were and being hugely pregnant was making it even harder for her to go a couple feet without having to stop for rest. Vanessa pulled her along, promising to carry her if the need arose while Stefan and Elena were pushing and pulling each other to keep going. Cassandra then began to vomit up blood from when Alaric staked Klaus and she could actually feel her body dying with each passing step. Stefan continued to see his human self being shot by his father and feel the excruciating pain of the bullet rip through his body. Elena, on the other hand, was spitting up water from when she was drowning in Matt's car at the Wickery Bridge.

"What the hell is going on?" Matt questioned.

"The Travelers cast a spell that is unraveling spirit magic and blanketing Mystic Falls. Basically, these three are turning human again and are reliving their deaths over and over again." Vanessa explained to him.

"Come on, let's keep moving." Matt took Elena's hand and Stefan by the arm. "Maybe we can outrun it."

The trio jogged ahead, but Vanessa and Cassandra were inching forward with small steps. The hybrid felt a sheen of sweat break out along her forehead and her knees buckled painfully. Vanessa continued to walk with her, keeping her upright and making sure she was putting one foot in front of the other.

Matt was right, they were able to outrun the spell for a little while. It was night by the time they emerged from the tunnels and the three of them had all healed from the effects of the Traveler spell. Vanessa had stayed with them until they reached the end of the tunnels, but she had gone shortly afterwards. Cassandra guessed it was because of something to do with the Other Side, but she missed her dear friend and hoped that she would get to see her again soon. She called Damon and was relieved to hear that he was alright and on his way to her. Julian was nowhere to be found since he and Damon had split up after being kicked out of the boarding house. Matt searched in his trunk and pulled out a couple of blood bags he'd hidden there for safe keeping. Being around vampires, he learned that it was better to be prepared.

"There are all of the blood bags I can get my hands on." He handed them to Elena who stuffed them in a gym bag she borrowed from him.

"Thanks." She gazed between the three blood drinkers and frowned. "Between the five of us, that'll last a day."

"That's a tomorrow problem." Stefan told her. "Right now, we've just got to outrun the spell, regroup in about a thousand miles and figure out a game plan."

Blinding headlights and the rumbling engine of a car made them turn and Cassandra smiled widely seeing Damon sitting in the passenger seat of Jeremy's car. She'd been worried sick about him after Markos practically threatened to pay Damon a visit, but seeing him now made all her worries and cares vanish.

Cassandra rushed up to Damon as he got out of the car. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, considering Markos jacked our place and the fact that I was dying over and ov—" his ranting was cut off when Cassandra cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. She had never been so relieved to see him in her entire life and she wanted him to know it. Damon's hands curled around her wrists and kissed her back once he was able to thaw out from his shock. When she pulled away, Damon was looking oddly at her.

"What was that for?" He asked her breathlessly.

"I had a really crappy day and I needed it." She told him and Damon smirked that she had so expertly repeated his line from the other day. She stroked his cheekbones with her thumbs and she let out a soft sigh. "I thought I was never going to see you again and I couldn't think of a worse way to die."

"Well, I guess today is your lucky day." He wiggled his eyebrows. Cassandra hugged him tightly, pressing her face against his chest and breathing out the intense tension of the day. Damon's hand rubbed her back and he kissed the top of her head.

"What's the game plan now, brother?" He asked.

"Jeremy, head back with Matt; we need eyes and ears in Mystic Falls." The vampire told the two boys who nodded. "You guys take Jeremy's car. I'm going to wait here for Caroline and Bonnie."

Jeremy handed his keys to Damon and he unlocked the car, allowing Elena and Cassandra to get in. Damon clapped Jeremy's shoulder, a silent thanks for picking him up and lending him his car.

"I'll call you in a few hours, Jer," he said.

"Be careful." Jeremy nodded.

---

The car ride was completely silent. No one could think of the words to say that would take back what had happened today. Markos had come in and took their town right from under their noses. The spell was a blanket just around Mystic Falls, ensuring that no vampire or werewolf could enter. None of them could go home. They were all homeless. Cassandra had let a few silent tears slip down her cheeks, but she was quick to brush them away, so that she wouldn't call attention to herself, but she was heartbroken over the fact of not having anywhere to go. All of the baby's things were in that house and she was certain that Markos wouldn't be using them for anything, so they would be upstairs collecting dust. The boarding house was a place she had called home for many years. And yes, on occasion she would curse the stairs for being so creaky whenever she snuck downstairs for a midnight snack or would desperately want to refurnish some of the outdated pieces of furniture, but she loved and missed that house, especially now. She could only imagine how Damon felt about being thrown out of his own house, but the vampire remained quiet while he drove to wherever they would be meeting up with Stefan later.

Cassandra leaned her head against the window and let her tired eyes finally shut after the long day. She figured that she might as well get some rest before they reached their destination, but sleep didn't come easy to her. She pushed down her sorrow and worry, trying to reassure herself that they would find a way to get their town back if it was the last thing they did and it did work for a little bit. Just as her body relaxed, a sharp pain stabbed at her lower abdomen. She gave a soft whimper, which alerted Damon, but he thought that Cassandra was just having a nightmare. Still, he released the steering wheel and took hold of the hand that was closest to him. As he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, he felt her get comfortable again, but he still didn't let go. The same pain happened again, but it was even more concentrated and harder to ignore. She sat up in the passenger seat and clenched her teeth when her insides twinged again. They couldn't have been effected by the spell since they managed to outrun it a good while ago and if it was the spell, Damon and Elena would be feeling it too. No, this wasn't the spell, it was something she'd braced herself for ever since she found out that she was pregnant.

"Pull over," she whimpered.

Damon thought that he was hard of hearing. "What?"

"Damon, pull over the car, please!" She repeated herself and the car slowed to a stop.

"Cassandra, what's wrong?" Damon asked her.

"I...I'm in pain." She shook her head and placed a hand on her stomach.

"What's happening?" Elena asked worriedly as Cassandra doubled over in pain and cried out loudly.

Damon's blue eyes grew wide and he turned in his seat so that he could talk to her. "Hey, Cass. Talk to me."

"T-The baby," she stammered and held onto her stomach.

"What's wrong with the baby?" He questioned.

"It's coming."

That one sentence made his entire world stop. All of the color left his face and the wind was knocked out of his chest. No, the baby couldn't be coming now. He wasn't ready. No one was ready for this baby to come. Damon felt like fainting. His hands were clammy and his entire world was spinning wildly out of control. Maybe it was a false alarm. Those happened, right?

"Damon, the baby is coming now!" She shouted to shake him from his fog and his eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"Are you sure?"

Cassandra growled and gritted her teeth. "Don't make me kill you-AH!" Another spasm ripped through her and Damon looked to Elena.

"Her dying must have brought on the labor in an effort to save the baby." He was bewildered that this had to happen. Of all of the inopportune times, this baby had to pick now to come into the world.

"Oh my God. We have to get her to a hospital." Elena suggested.

"We can't take her back to Mystic Falls. We'd all be dead as soon as we crossed the border." He was now scanning the lonely area around them. Not a person in sight; only woods for miles.

"Damon..." The young vampire trailed off, catching his drift, but not agreeing with it. "Not...not here?"

The raven haired vampire ran a nervous hand through his ebony locks and turned on Elena. He was quickly growing panicked and frustrated as the seconds ticked on. "Dammit, Elena! Where else can we go?! We don't know if Markos sent Travelers looking for us and-"

"ARGH!" Cassandra wailed and her husband was out of the car and kneeling by the passenger side with the door open. "Damon..."

He was completely speechless. He looked to Elena and then Cassandra whose face was full of fear. She was just as afraid has he was. "Cassandra, we have to..."

"I know. I'm just scared," she told him softly.

"I know you are, but we'll be scared together, okay?" He cupped her cheeks and wiped a stray tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. "Elena, call Jeremy."

"I already called him." She told the pair. "He and Matt are meeting us here. We're going to need all the help that we can get."

"I'll call Stefan and Caroline. Let's get her into the trunk of the car." Damon and Elena hoisted Cassandra up and walked her to the back of the Jeep. Elena opened up the trunk and pushed the back seats down, so that Cassandra would have room. Both vampires picked her up and got her settled in the trunk.

"Okay, I need you to take deep breaths for me." Elena climbed up into the trunk beside Cassandra and took her hand in hers. She modeled how she wanted Cassandra to breathe and she copied it while Damon called his brother.

"Elena, I don't know if I can do this." Cassandra panted between breathes and let out another howl of pain.

"Yes, you can. You can do this, Cassandra. There is no one else in this world who can do this." She squeezed her hand tightly. "I know this isn't the best of circumstances."

"Tell me about it. I was supposed to be giving birth in a hospital with doctors and nurses. Now we're out in the middle of nowhere and I'm squatting in the back of a trunk." Cassandra gritted her teeth and groaned through the pain.

"Stefan's not answering." Damon shook his head as he came back to the car. "How are we doing here?"

"About as good as any person can do when they feel like their cervix is being ripped in half." She growled. "God, I need some drugs."

"Maybe Jeremy has some left over pot." He smirked and Cassandra let out a little chortle, but Elena elbowed his ribs hard.

"Shut up!" She hissed. Their bickering only made the hybrid chuckle more.

"Don't make me laugh please." She giggled heartily.

"Do not make her laugh because that baby will shoot out like a cannonball." Elena pantomimed how the baby would be propelled upward if Cassandra continued to laugh.

An hour went by and Matt and Jeremy finally pulled their car alongside Jeremy's truck. The pain continued to get worse and worse with each passing second and Cassandra had to try her hardest to hold back tears. This baby was coming tonight whether anyone liked it or not. The trio was happy that no Travelers had come along, but Damon swore he would slaughter every single one of them that would try and take his baby away from him.

"Took you two idiots long enough." Damon grumbled under his breath.

"Oh, shush." Cassandra smacked him.

"What? Any longer and the kid would have been born already."

"Shut up, Damon." Elena and Cassandra snapped at him, leaving Jeremy and Matt to smirk.

"It took us a while because grabbed some essentials." Jeremy tossed down a duffel bag filled with blankets, blood bags, towels, and other items needed for giving birth to a baby out in the woods.

"Thanks guys." Cassandra smiled to them. "This means more than you could ever know."

"And we also brought a friend." Matt smiled and moved aside so that Cassandra could see who they had brought with them.

"Jen?!" Cassandra's eyes grew wide and smiled at her niece. The same niece she forbade from coming to Mystic Falls in fear of her safety.

"Hey Aunt Cassie." The young woman greeted.

"But...but I told you not to come." She stammered.

"And I didn't listen." Jennifer grinned. "I had a feeling you'd need me and I guess I was right. Plus, Damon talked me into coming down here."

Cassandra glared at her husband for going behind her back, but Damon let it roll off his shoulders. "You're in big trouble."

"You two can discuss this later." Jennifer knelt beside Cassandra. "How are we feeling?"

"Like crap."

Jen laughed a little bit. "I figured. How far apart are your contractions?"

"About five minutes," she replied.

"And how long do they last?"

"80 seconds. Give or take."

"Okay. Let's get you undressed from the bottom down. We need to check how dilated you are. By the sounds of your contractions, you might be ready to start pushing. Jeremy and Matt, we need a blanket under her and towels at the ready. Damon and Elena, help Cassandra get undressed and I need you two to be with her." The doctor gave her orders and everyone was quick to follow. They all felt a lot better have someone with experience around.

---

"Oh my God..." Stefan's voice trailed off and the blonde vampire met his worried gaze. He was in complete shock after listening to the voice mail he received from his brother. He must have missed the call while he was driving, but a part of him was happy that he did because he was pretty sure he would have driven his car off the road if he had gotten the chance to talk with Damon.

"Stefan? What's the matter?" She asked him.

"Cassandra's in labor." Caroline's blue eyes grew so wide Stefan thought that he might just fall out of their sockets.

"What? Now?!"

"Yes! Right now!" He nodded. "Damon said something about the labor being brought on by the spell the Travelers did. They are all with her now."

"Oh my God." Caroline hushed. "And she's out there in the woods."

"Go inside and see what's taking Bonnie so long." He told her. "They need all the help they can get and I'm not about to miss my niece being born."

Caroline turned on her heel to dart inside the dorm building, but she was thrown back by Julian who looked as if he was ready to kill. Stefan caught her and set her behind him, squaring his shoulders. Julian had hot, angry tears in his eyes and they assumed he'd heard about Maria's untimely death.

Stefan held up his hands and took a step forward. "Julian. I am so sorry about Maria."

"She saved your punk ass." He hissed.

"I wasn't the one that killed her. The witches did."

"Well, someone's going to pay for it." He shoved Stefan hard, but he steadied himself.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Whoa. I'm in no mood to fight tonight, all right?"

"Look at me. My wife's dead. I'm in somebody else's body. I've got nowhere to go because my own people are trying to kill me!" Julian growled.

"Listen, we're going to find a way to stop this spell and even if Mystic Falls is gone, we're going to find a way to save ourselves, all right?" Stefan was trying to make peace, but Julian wanted no part of it. He lunged at the vampire and pinned him against the car. Caroline immediately jumped on top of his back and tried to bite his neck, but Julian's anger fueled his strength. He pummeled the blonde vampire into the ground and before Stefan could make another move, Julian reached into Stefan's chest cavity and ripped out his heart.

"Oh my god! Oh my god." Caroline gasped, her eyes watering as she watched Stefan's skin begin to turn grey. Julian tossed the organ aside and let Stefan's body fall to the floor.

"There. Dead doppelganger. Stopped the spell." He rushed off without another word and Caroline crawled to Stefan who was fighting dying, but he was running out of time. She cradled his head in her lap and stroked his cheeks as tears fell down her cheeks.

"No! No, no, no, no!" She cried into the lonely night. How could she have let this happen? How was she going to explain this to Elena? To Damon? "Help me please! Oh my god! Oh my god! Somebody help! Somebody help!"

---

"And...push!" Jen instructed. Cassandra bared down, pushing as hard as she could. Sweat poured down her face and her hair clung to her cheeks and neck. With nothing to numb the pain, she screamed and wailed so loud that she sure that she could wake the dead. She gripped both Damon's and Elena's hand while she pushed, careful not to squeeze too hard, but she was in some serious pain.

"Okay, and relax. You're doing great, Aunt Cassie." Cassandra slumped against Damon, letting some more tears out. She'd never been in so much pain in her life. Her entire lower half felt like it was being split in two and set on fire. Damon kissed her forehead and combed back her wet hair, whispering how proud he was of her.

"I can't...I can't do this..." She breathed weakly.

"No, don't say that. Yes, you can." Damon told her.

"You're doing great, Cassandra. You can do this." Elena rubbed the back of Cassandra's hand that was resting in hers. She had never been in a delivery room with anyone before, so she was naturally terrified about helping Cassandra with the birth, but she could only imagine that the soon-to-be mother needed all of the support that she could get.

"Sit up, we have to start pushing again." Jen told her and with a bit of grumbling and groaning, Cassandra sat up straight. "Okay, when you feel a contraction again, push." The pain of the next contraction came in seconds and the expectant mother pushed like her life depended on it.

"Ah!" Cassandra screamed out again and broke Damon's hand from squeezing so hard.

"Jeez! Easy on the hand, babe." Her husband groaned, feeling his bones reset back into place.

"Don't even start with me, Damon! You're not the one that has to push a kid out of you!" She cried out in frustration and stopped her pushing when the contraction stopped. She was exhausted, in pain and she just wanted this baby out of her.

"Head and shoulders are out!" Jen exclaimed. "One more push and she's here!"

"Did you hear that? She's almost here!" Elena said excitedly.

"I can't push anymore." Cassandra shook her head. Hot tears mixed with the sweat on her face. Her lower regions burned even more now after being torn from that last push.

"Aunt Cassie—"

"No! No, no, no! I can't! I'll carry this baby for the rest of my life!" She hollered. Damon let go of her hand and took her face in his hands so that she was looking at him.

"Listen to me, Cassandra. You are the bravest woman in the world right now. You are the love of my life and the soon-to-be mother of our child. I know you're exhausted and you're hurting, but think about what is coming out of this. Our daughter." He cupped her cheek, running his thumb under her bottom lip which was trembling. He gently kissed her, not giving a care as to who was watching and he whispered, "I love you," against her lips.

Cassandra's heart swelled with such warmth and love that she thought her whole body would implode on itself. She pulled back to look around the clearing and smiled at the familiar faces around her. All of these people were here to help her and they had already so much without even knowing it, Damon especially. Whenever she felt like giving up, he was always there to push her forward. She slowly sat up and readied herself to push for one last time.

"Alright. Let's do this." She said and everyone in the group let out a sigh of relief. Jen smiled at her aunt and counted her down to push again.

"Ready, and...push, Aunt Cassie!" Once she was given the green light, Cassandra screwed her eyes tightly shut and pushed. She gritted her teeth and shouted through the contraction that shook her entire body. She could hear everyone encouraging her, rooting for her. She'd never felt so loved and supported in all her life. She could feel Damon and Elena squeezing her hands back tightly and a few moments passed before the loud wail of baby could be heard.

"Here she is!" Jen cheered as she cleaned up the crying baby. Cassandra's eyes had remained closed, but she could feel Damon kissing all over her face.

"Baby, look at me. Open your eyes." His hushed, yet excited whisper got her to open her tired eyes and she swore in her entire life that she had never seen Damon so happy. He was practically bursting at the seams. "You did it. She's here."

Cassandra stared lovingly back into his eyes and tilted her head slightly. "I-I...did it?"

Damon kissed her forehead and then her lips. "Yes, yes! You did it!" She was suddenly aware of her daughter's cries and she sat up in time as Jen placed her baby into her arms.

The baby wailed and screamed loudly and Cassandra cried sweet tears of joy as she held her. She was so small and so precious. Her tiny body was swaddled in a blanket and she leaned into her mother as if knowing exactly who she was. Her cries quieted significantly into little whimpers and then to coos just being near her parents.

"Oh my God, Damon. She's perfect." The new mother smiled. Every fight, every tear, every moment of pain was worth it just to see her daughter in her arms.

"I am so proud of you, Cassandra." Damon told her and reached down to run his finger along his daughter's cheek.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asked her husband who looked a bit hesitant to hold her, but he took his daughter from Cassandra's arms and held her close to him. Her eyes opened slowly revealing the same brilliant blue color she shared with her father and peered up at him. Damon thought that his entire being might just melt where he sat. It brought him back to when he held his little brother for the very first time and he remembered feeling a sense of pride that Stefan was his little brother. He remembered his mother telling him that he had a very important job being a big brother because he had to take care of Stefan. He promised his mother that he would and even though he managed to slip through the cracks at some times, he was always there to pull his brother back from the edge.

"Hi beautiful. We've been waiting a long time for you."

"Yes, we have." Cassandra agreed tearfully. "And now you're here." Everyone around them was in complete silence, just watching the moment of two new parents meeting their baby girl unfold right before their eyes. Some tears were shed, happy tears, of course and no one could bring themselves to speak because they didn't want to interrupt such a sweet thing.

Little did they know, someone else was watching, but was invisible to them. Stefan stood beside his brother and peered down at the tiny baby in his arms and wept with happiness that he could see his niece, but with sorrow that he would never get to hold her and watch her grow. The baby's eyes opened just slightly, but Stefan felt like she was looking right at him. Never in his life had ever felt more alive. However he knew that this moment was going to be short lived because his instinct was telling him to pass through Bonnie. He took a few more lingering stares at the happy family and had to thank whatever powers that existed for keeping them safe. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees and Stefan bid them one final goodbye before disappearing.

---

Well, it took all season, but Baby Salvatore is finally here! Looks like Markos is out for blood and won't stop until he gets it. One more chapter until the season finale of TVD! If you celebrate, have a safe and relaxing Memorial Day. Please thank those who have done all they can to protect this country.

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NicoleR85: Thank you, my dear! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you liked reading this one :)

CarlyLynn: Thanks for reviewing!

twin of a sister: Hello, my friend! Thank you so much for reviewing (as always) – you rock! Giuliana and Elijah will definitely confront each other in the next chapter. I've already written the scene and I think a lot of readers will enjoy it :) Talk to you soon xoxo

black hearted me: Hi there! Thanks so much for reviewing! I have received a couple of complaints about having both TVD and TO chapters in the same story, so I am thinking of separating them once I start the new stories. As far as a crossover – I have watched both seasons of both shows and I feel like a crossover would be a bit difficult because each show has its own agenda. Where I can make them crossover – I will most definitely try to do that :)

KLM: That's an interesting idea! I might very well start it as a one-shot and see how it works out. If enough people enjoy it – I'd certainly consider continuing it! Thanks for reviewing!

SLW: Thank you for reviewing! As for Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale, I feel like if I was to continue it – a lot of plot points would be similar to my Bloodlines story. Which would mean that my readers would be reading a lot of repeated scenes because they are essential to the plot. I feel like it isn't fair to my readers – I want them to read my best and nothing less. I would like to write a Klaus/OC story, so I might write up a one-shot or short story and if enough people like it, I would definitely consider continuing it :)

binks13: Hey, gorgeous! YAY! I'm so glad that you're warming up to Audrey! She has a way about her that can be intimidating, but Klaus is certainly up to the challenge ;) Thank you SO much for reviewing and I will talk with you soon xoxo

GuestLiz: Hello Liz! Thank you so much for reviewing! It is always nice to hear when someone who does not watch TVD or TO enjoys reading my chapters :) Elijah and Giuliana will confront each other in the next chapter, so stay tuned for that ;) Hope you enjoyed this update!

grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing! I know, right?! So, so close! I can see the light at the end of this really long tunnel!

elisesellas: Hello there! No worries about reviewing! My gosh, I hope you're feeling better! I am kind of battling a cold or something. Or maybe it's allergies since everything is blooming in New York. I hope you enjoyed your time in Korea and took lots of pictures :)

Giuliana has those little moments where she can be shy and I think that is what is interesting about her character. Elijah and Giuliana will definitely get a moment to themselves to talk in the next chapter, so I am excited for readers to see it. They will have some sexy moments in Season 2 since I have planned out a lot of the chapters already ;) A lot of Markos' agenda was revealed in this update and it is clear that he won't stop until both mom and baby are dead.

I was very shocked to hear of Nina's departure from the show, but she has always spoke about wanting to work on other projects. When it comes to filming a TV show, you are very limited in terms of working on other things. I wish nothing but the best for Nina and I hope she gets the chance to come back to TVD for a cameo. I still intend to write my stories and I know that Nina's absence will change things, but I am excited to see what the writers have in store for us.

Oh, please – you can write as much as you would like! I always enjoy reading your reviews :) I hope everything is going well for you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Muah xoxo