"Where have you been?" Damon Salvatore demands, forcefully pinning Caroline against the wall as he interrogates her about her absence over the past nine days, during which she vanished without a word or a way for anyone to reach her. The older Salvatore is overwhelmed by frustration at her disappearance, particularly since she wasn't around to help deal with the Mikaelson family and the crisis the two have caused. He thought he could have used her help.

Caroline pushes him away, asserting herself. "What did I say about threatening me?" she growls softly. She's not intimidated by Damon, though she often finds it surprising that the older Salvatore seems to overlook her age compared to his and what that brings with it. "What have I missed?" The question is directed at Stefan, who is seated on the couch beside Elena.

"Elijah's brother showed up in town," Stefan replies. "He killed Elena's aunt and nearly took Elena's life. He's become significantly more powerful, and so the entire Mikaelson family would be considered more powerful. He's unleashed the werewolf within him…"

Caroline's eyes widen as a memory begins to surface, a distant voice she can't quite identify, promising a blurry face that containing the werewolf within him would be painless. "Where are they now?" she asks, shifting her gaze to Elena and offering her a small, reassuring smile. "Have they left town?"

"We think…" Stefan confesses hesitantly.

Damon scoffs and rolls his eyes. "The Mikaelson house is full. They might have left for now, but I wouldn't be shocked if they come back. The real question is when." Damon knew it wasn't over, more darkness would make its way to Mystic Falls.

Caroline sighs, realizing that despite feeling as though she hadn't been gone long, she had missed so much in this small town.

"No more disappearing, Caroline. I don't care what kind of friendship you have with Stefan. I'll rip your heart out if you aren't here when you're needed," Damon warns.

"Damon," Elena interjects sharply. "Whether Caroline was here or not, it would have played out the same way. Klaus was determined to do what he had to do. We didn't expect Elijah to betray us; Klaus promised him his remaining family." Elena knew how important family was to Elijah after spending time with him, listening to the stories the man would share with her.

Elena's gaze falls to the ground with a heavy sigh.

Caroline closes her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry I wasn't here." She doesn't feel the need to explain her absence; they didn't need to know about her meeting with a witch in Salem. Instead, she can offer a sincere apology to calm the tension, especially with Damon. "Elena, I'm really sorry about your aunt." Elena whispers a quiet thank you in response.

The atmosphere in the house became tense as Caroline struggled to find the right words. Memories of the witch from Salem, Frankie her name was, surfaced in her mind, reminding her of how she had revealed that Caroline's mind had been enchanted. Deep down, Caroline had always sensed that something was off—after all, one doesn't just awaken as a vampire without any recollection of their past. The pain she felt from injuries that didn't exist on her body only reinforced her belief that magic was at play.

"I'm moving out," Caroline finally declared, shattering the silence. "I found an apartment downtown."

"Caroline," Stefan said gently. He didn't want one of his oldest friends to leave, he felt more at peace with her here.

Damon chimed in, "Maybe a change of scenery would do you good." Caroline highly annoyed him.

Caroline shot Damon an exasperated look. "I'll still be nearby, but I need my own space. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and I promise I'll still be around—I just want to sleep in my own bed." There was more to her reasoning, but she felt no obligation to lay it all out for them.

The decision to leave Finn in his slumber had been a straightforward one, reached after Elijah and Klaus had a serious discussion, weighing their brother's fate carefully. It wasn't a choice they made lightly; rather, it was one they deemed essential for maintaining the fragile balance of their family. Today, they would be only waking the youngest two members of the Mikaelson family and Finn would maybe be another day.

Rebekah was the first to awaken, her vibrant energy shattering the quiet of the early morning. Kol, however, took his time, rising at a leisurely pace that seemed at odds with the gravity of the situation. As the sun cast a golden beam through the window, illuminating the room's corners, a low growl of frustration escaped Rebekah. She directed a sharp glare at her brothers, her voice thick with irritation. "How long have you kept me in that coffin?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing with indignation. The question lingered in the air, heavy with the sense of betrayal directed at Klaus, who had locked them in a coffin and believed he was acting in their best interest.

"There's no time for questions," Elijah interjected firmly, his tone strong and authoritative, slicing through the thick tension. Klaus realized that in this moment, his younger siblings were more likely to heed Elijah's command than his own. The urgency in Elijah's voice was palpable; now was not the time for grievances. Rebekah and Kol could express their frustrations over Klaus's earlier decisions at a later time. "We have an urgent matter to discuss," Elijah continued, his expression serious, the weight of their situation etched into his features. "We've found Caroline, alive and well."

Rebekah immediately turned to Klaus, searching for affirmation in his expression. From what she gathered, Klaus seemed to trust that Elijah spoke the truth. "So why isn't she here with us?" she asked.

Kol, sensing the implications of Caroline's absence, quickly chimed in. Her not being there suggested something was amiss; he knew that Caroline wouldn't willingly be apart from the man she loved, especially if it's been too long since they have been together and the last time they knew Caroline was alive, she saved NiKlaus' life. "She doesn't know who we are, does she?" he pressed, his face sharpening with anxiety.

Klaus cast his gaze down before looking back at his siblings. "That's exactly why we're all here and why you two are no longer in coffins. Elijah suggested that Kol might have a way to uncover why she's alive, given his knack for magic compared to the rest of us. The last we saw her, she was dead at the hands of our father. I want to know how she's alive with no recall of who she is, or who we are." He turned to Kol. "You can figure this out, right?"

Kol nodded, aware there was only one answer he could give to make his family happy. "Of course." He was already making a slight plan in head, it would include heading back to a home they once shared in New Orleans where old family grimoires were located.

"Where's Caroline?" Rebekah asks. The youngest Mikaelson reflects on her own memories of Caroline, recalling the times they dressed her in the finest clothes they could find back when they were human, preparing her to marry her brother. She remembers Caroline's confession about her longing for siblings and how thrilled she was that all of her future husband's siblings embraced her and loved her as one of their own.

Elijah responds, "She left Mystic Falls, where she spent the last year with the Salvatore brothers." Rebekah's eyes widened at the mention of the name of the man she had once loved before her departure. "It seems she arrived back in town this morning, so we'll be going there first." This news surprised Klaus; he was unclear about how Elijah had obtained this information, but he had faith in its accuracy. "I have a house for us just outside the city limits. It has plenty of rooms, so we won't be cramped, and I've equipped each bedroom with clothes for all of us. Shall we head back?" The remaining siblings nod in agreement. "Before we head back, we must decide who will reach out to Caroline first."

Niklaus Mikaelson entered the Grill, a faint smile emerging as he took in the inviting atmosphere of the quaint restaurant nestled in the heart of Mystic Falls. He had confided in his older brother about his desire to see the woman he lost so long ago in person. For a fleeting moment, disappointment washed over him as he scanned the room without spotting her. Settling onto a barstool, he ordered a whisky—neat, with no ice. Just moments later, the seat beside him was filled by the very blonde he had been searching for.

As Caroline stepped into the restaurant, she spotted him immediately. An inner voice urged her to sit beside him, and she felt a strong desire to trust her instincts. Taking a deep breath, she decided to follow that instinct and claimed the empty seat next to the mysterious stranger.

"Caroline," the bartender, Alex, greeted her as if they were long-time friends. "What can I get you this evening?"

She beams at the bartender as soon as she takes a seat and says, "I'd love some fries and a glass of red wine, please." The bartender nods and moves off to enter her order in the register before pouring her wine. As the glass is placed in front of her, she turns to the man sitting next to her. "You're new to this town, aren't you?"

Niklaus was in disbelief, nearly at a loss for words as he sat next to the woman beside him. The woman who had been taken from him so long ago was right there in this small Virginia town, alive and smiling. Her voice was just as he remembered, but as he looked into her eyes, he could see that she didn't recognize him.

"I wouldn't say I am brand new, it has been a long while since I have been back here." NiKlaus confesses, he almost offers her his hand to shake but instead grabs his now empty glass, raising in the air to signal to the bartender for another. "I'm Nik." He didn't want to say his full name, unsure what the others have told her of him. He wanted this moment of what felt like peace last.

"Caroline." She gives the man a soft smile before bringing her glass of wine to her lip and takes a soft sip.