The Traveler wasn't all that useful.

"One part wolfsbane, one part vervain," said Jeremy, coming over to a chained-up Tyler with a bottle of clear liquid. "Altogether, the dumbest idea that either of you have ever had."

"Don't look at me," said Matt. "This is all Ty."

Tyler tugged at the chains, making sure they were fastened properly. "These should hold. Let's do this."

"How about we talk about what we'll do if this doesn't go well?" asked Maddy. "If the Traveler manages to figure out enough to get free, I'll hold him off while all of you run to call Klaus and get him to start making his way over here in case I get bitten."

Matt hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay here and fight with you? If he bites you hard enough... it's lights out immediately."

Maddy cleared her throat. "I think I can manage on my own."

"Dating Klaus doesn't mean you're immune to wolf venom, you know," said Jeremy.

The vampire blushed slightly. "I've just developed a tolerance, is what I mean. It'll take a lot more venom to take me down."

They only just seemed to realize what she meant, and all awkwardly looked away.

"The point is," said Jeremy, "we're not gonna leave you alone in here. If he breaks free, we're all fighting him. Matt's learned a thing or two from Rebekah, I'm stronger than the average human, Bonnie's a witch, and well... you're a vampire."

"One more thing," said Matt to Tyler. "Once this guy pops out, we have no idea when you'll come back again."

"Some freak is inside my body," replied the hybrid. "He took over my life. God only knows what he's got planned for me, so unless you've got any better ideas, this is what we're doing."

"Ok," replied the blond. "Let's do this." He leaned forward, and spoke in Czech, "Vyjit."

Tyler's eyes went completely black for a moment before he flinched, and drew back. Though he spoke in the same voice, it sounded a tad different. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Where's Markos?" asked Matt.

Julian sneered. "Go to hell."

"To answer your question," replied the other male, "my name is Matt, and you, Julian, are inside my best friend, aka your own personal hell."

Jeremy and Matt moved forward to hold Julian down as Maddy took the bottle of wolfsbane-vervain water and poured it down his mouth. She jumped back as it burned her, wincing as Julian gagged violently, coughing as much of it out as he could.

"There's plenty more where that came from," said Matt as Julian wheezed. "Where's Markos?"

"What does it matter to you?' asked Julian harshly.

"He wants to hurt my sister," said Jeremy. "I want to stop him."

Julian started to laugh heartily. "You're a fool. Markos destroyed your only weapon against passengers like me, and there's no way in hell you'd ever kill your best friend."

At this, Jeremy lunged forward, stabbing a small stake into Julians abdomen. "You're right," said Matt as Jeremy held the stake in position. "We don't plan on killing you, but we do plan on getting answers."

"We'll make this an easy decision for you," said Maddy. "Either you tell us now, or the torture will continue until you're weak enough for Bonnie and I to go into your mind and get the answers ourselves. We'd prefer that you cooperate. Where's Markos?"

"I don't know," said Julian honestly. "He could be anywhere if he's not in that warehouse anymore. One thing I can tell you, however, is where my body is."

"Oh?" asked Maddy. "And why would we want that?"

"Because Markos doesn't like problems, and your boy escaping camp means he's Markos' problem. Knowing Markos, he's gonna want to get rid of Tyler for good by making this my body permanently."

"Your body wouldn't happen to be buried alongside the other Passengered Travelers... now would it?"

Julian's lip curled. "Many of us were placed in the same place. If that's what you want, I'll tell you where it is."

"Go on, then. Where can I find your body?"

"The caves West of the Lockwood property."

Maddy hummed. "Alright. Field trip. Matt, Bonnie, stay with Julian. Jeremy, we're gonna do some lifting."

"You know," she told Jeremy once they were nearing the caves, "the twins initially mentioned that they wanted me to destroy the Traveler bodies when I found them. But from what Julian is implying, destroying the bodies would make the souls permanent hosts in those they've possessed in Mystic Falls."

"Which means we need them alive and unharmed," said Jeremy, stopping in his tracks when they entered the cave and found around thirty bodies. "How are we gonna get them all out?"

"You pick them up," she said, gesturing to the back of the group. "Put them in my arms and I'll speed them back to the house. I'll be able to come and go faster if the bodies are upright for me to get a good hold."

Their system was efficient, and though Maddy was annoyed that there were so many Travelers, soon the lot of them was snoozing and sprawled all over the living room.

She'd been about to go back down to the cellar when Klaus called her. She instantly sped up to her room and answered. "Hey. Everything okay? It's been awhile since we talked."

Klaus sighed. "It has been eventful here. My siblings remain as insufferable as ever. First, Elijah went and found a wolf of my father's bloodline and practically forced me to speak to him. Then, those bloody witches were pestering us about the Harvest, which led to Elijah deciding that we consecrate Esther. It didn't even do us any good— Davina died, and Marcel immediately began to despise me. What made it worse was that an old enemy of mine rose from the dead for the sole purpose of creating a blade of torment that was used to bring me down in order to reveal Rebekah's betrayal."

"What?" said Maddy worriedly. "What did Rebekah do?"

"She and Marcel lured Mikael here in 1919."

Maddy clapped her hand over her mouth. "No."

"We lost our home in this city because of her stupidity. Elijah reckons I should be thankful— if that had not happened, I never would have gone to Chicago, and I never would have met you. However, it still angers me greatly knowing that she could have been foolish enough to do such a thing. I am attempting to occupy myself by forging an alliance with the Crescent Wolves to stand up against the witches. The only problem is that there is a woman, Francesca Correa, who is butting in where she shouldn't be. Asking questions she need not be asking. I am attempting to create moonlight rings to win the Crescents over, and apparently, this is of great interest to her. For what reason, I know not."

"Please be careful," said Maddy softly. "Nik... what did you do with Rebekah?"

"I did nothing to her. I intended to stake her. Instead... I let her go. I told her to leave. Chances are she's not arrived in Mystic Falls due to first having to admit to Matt what she did wrong. He fancies her, of course, however, even he will not be supportive if he learns that she did that."

"Rebekah's not my favorite person, you know that, but if this had anything to do with how controlling you were over her and Marcel's relationship... then I can understand why she might've thought to do that. Why she felt desperate enough to reach out to Mikael. Was it wrong? Yes, it was. But you have to acknowledge how unfair you were to her, too, Nik."

"I see not why it matters now. She no longer fancies Marcel, just as he no longer fancies her."

"Did you forgive her?"

"I let her go, unharmed."

"That doesn't answer my question. Did you forgive her?"

Klaus sighed. "No."

"She forgave you even after she learned you killed Esther."

"That's quite different, love, she nearly killed you when she learned about that."

"She did wrong, yes. But that was already decades ago. You'll have to forgive her at some point."

"Perhaps in the future. But not now." He blew air hard out of his mouth. "Forgive me, it appears I ranted. It is far more difficult to update you through text."

"It's okay. I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. I always worry about you, you know that. I miss you a lot, Nik. As soon as this is over, I'm going to New Orleans. Once the Travelers are gone, I'm out of here."

"I'll begin preparing a room for you immediately. Is there anything else you require from me?"

"Just wanted to see how it's going with looking through Kol's things. I'm hoping there might be another Traveler knife hidden in there somewhere."

"I fear there may have only been one Traveler knife. I do hope I will find something soon. If you need my help..."

"No, it's okay, we have it handled... mostly. I think, at least. I'll keep you updated. I love you, Nik. Don't forget that."

"And I love you, my Madeleine. I will speak with you soon."

She hung up, smiling slightly before going back downstairs, where the unhappy faces let her know something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Damon called," said Bonnie softly. "The twins are gone and so are Stefan and Elena."

Maddy's heart sank. "Shit... Markos has them."

"Maybe it's not too late to do something about it," offered Julian, who obviously didn't want to be in Tyler's body anymore. "If you get me back in my body, I can call my wife. She can let them out."

"Why would you risk it?" asked Jeremy curiously. "If she gets caught, she'll die. So will you."

"I'm dead already," said Julian. "Markos will know you got some information out of me if he goes to the cave and finds the Travelers missing. Maria and I have to run either way. The Travelers will still get their blood, there's no stopping that. But Maria can at least bring them back to you."

"Fine," said Maddy. "Which one's your body?"

"Dark shirt, eagle tattoo on my arm."

She held up a finger. "One moment." She sped off and came back with the body. "All of you, get him back in there. I'm gonna go and get Jenna. It's better that she's here where the rest of us are."

She ended up picking up Jenna and then Meredith, who had just gotten off of her shift at the hospital, where she'd been easing her way back into the operating room.

Maddy explained everything to them as best as she could. But she wasn't sure how much made it through to them, because it was clear both were incredibly worried the instant she started with, "Stefan and Elena are missing."

"Good news," said Matt when they walked through the front door. Julian was upright, standing behind them. "Ty's back in control of his own body, and so is Julian. He called Maria, and she agreed to help. Stefan and Elena are currently being drained of blood, but as soon as they're given time to rest, she's breaking them out."

"Oh god," said Jenna, putting a hand on her chest. "Is she going to be able to get them out? She's one person against an entire group of Travelers."

"Maria's more capable than you think," said Julian. "She will be able to slip them out, don't worry. In the meantime, someone should go and check the caves. To see if the Travelers were there or not."

"We can do that," offered Jeremy. "Matt and I—"

"Not alone," piped up Damon, who was just walking in with Caroline behind him. He moved toward Meredith, kissing her firmly before waving at the two boys. "Come on, Dumb and Dumber, let's go."

"Good," said Julian as they left. "As soon as Maria gets here, she and I are going our own way."

"Of course," said Maddy. "You've helped more than we expected. As long as they come back in one piece, you and Maria can do whatever you want." She beckoned for Jenna and Meredith to move toward the staircase instead of the living room where the Traveler bodies were. "Get comfortable. We'll be waiting here for Stefan and Elena."

It was nearing late afternoon when Julian got a text from Maria letting them know she had gotten Stefan and Elena out and was driving to Mystic Falls. Damon, of course, had waited until then to tell them that he was planning to lure Markos to the house.

"You did what?" snapped Maddy.

"I left a note in the cave," said Damon pleasantly. "'FOUND: Cave of wannabe witches. For more information call Damon Salvatore.'" He pointed at himself, then did jazz hands. "Oh, come on, Lils, don't look so down. Markos put them in that cave. I'm hoping he wants them back."

"What if he kills us as soon as he gets here?" she hissed. "The Parker twins already betrayed us. They're not with the Travelers, and according to Bonnie, she can still sense their magical signature, which means they're not dead. We're not in a good enough position to be challenging Markos!"

"Then call your boyfriend and tell him to come and help us."

"Klaus won't get here in time. Besides, he's got enough to deal with in New Orleans. Jesus, I can't wait to be over there and not here with all these damn problems."

"Uh, you do realize that the situation in NOLA is gonna be just as bad, if not worse?"

"At least there will be a change in scenery!"

Damon's phone started to ring, and Maddy huffed, hoping it wasn't Markos.

"Salvatore Boring House," said Damon sweetly as he used a fire poker to jab at a sleeping Traveler's chest.

"I'm calling about my people," said Markos calmly.

"Hey!" said Damon brightly as Maddy rolled her eyes. "You found my note! Now listen, don't be offended, but I can't just give them to anyone. So, what do they look like?"

"They're ragged. Beat down by the world. Desperate for a home..."

Damon made a face. "You just described homeless people, aging hipsters, and Matt Donovan."

"One of them is 5'10, wearing a black coat... You're standing next to him."

Both Damon and Maddy looked around, noticing the man to their immediate left on the couch. The door opened, and they saw Markos standing outside, waiting for them.

"I know the concept of a home is new to you," said Damon, "but it is polite to knock."

Markos's eyes drifted over the room, and the bodies tossed around it. "Nice place. A little rustic. My tastes are a bit more modern, ironically. Still, good bones and all."

"I think you read the flier wrong," said Damon when Markos knocked against one of the walls. "See, the bodies are the only thing on the bargaining table... and in the attic, and in the kitchen, and in the garage, since they were taking up too much space."

"About that," said Markos. "Please tell me taking hostages isn't your grand plan. It feels a little.. small? Much like the half bathroom off the foyer."

"I'm sorry, what are you implying?" snapped Maddy. "Are you saying you're taking this house from us too, or something? We have a whole lot of your Travelers, I don't think you should be getting too comfortable here."

"Did you really think you found the whole of my people?" asked Markos, making both Damon and Maddy tense. "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 that you have. They want those things too. A home; a family; a better life. And they're willing to die for it."

Damon stepped toward him. "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."

Markos didn't find this funny. "Mystic Falls is just a means to an end: like a small pebble dropped into a very large pond."

"Very poetic," said Damon. "No idea what it means."

"Once we destroy the spirit magic in this town, the witch's curse will finally be broken, but from there, the spell will ripple outward, unraveling spirit magic as it spreads. Only pure magic— our magic— will remain. 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."

Maddy gulped. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

Markos smiled slightly. "Indeed. You'll all be dead."

"I think I've heard about enough," said Damon, speeding toward Markos to try and tackle him. However, Markos was strong enough to toss him across the room. The loud crash echoed through the house, and Maddy could hear Meredith was now alert upstairs. She was the only other person in the house, considering everyone else had gone to get Stefan and Elena.

"You underestimate me," said Markos, standing over Damon. "I've completely transfused myself with doppelgänger blood. I am channeling all the power of my people. You aren't strong enough to kill me anymore! Not that it matters. The spell has already begun."

Damon knew that they were out of time. Markos could sense the defeat he and Maddy felt, and he started to walk around, surveying the house. "I think I'll knock this wall down. I love an open-floor plan." He tilted his head when he saw Maddy going to help Damon to his feet. "I was wondering— where are your other two brothers? I was hoping they'd be here, perhaps with Elena. The doppelgängers seem to have slipped away without saying goodbye."

"I don't know where they are," muttered Maddy, which was true. She hadn't exactly gotten updated on where they were, on the path back to Mystic Falls. "Enzo isn't exactly our biggest fan right now."

Suddenly, a figure sped out. Meredith, with her vampire abilities, was able to knock Markos down from behind. Immediately, the Salvatores made to help her, thinking that if they snapped Markos's neck, this would all be over.

But Meredith suddenly cried out in pain, holding her mouth. "Ow— ow!"

"What's wrong?" asked Maddy worriedly.

"My fangs!" she whispered. "I was gonna bite him but— they're gone!"

Damon immediately walked toward the window, extending his hand into a beam of sunlight. He hissed as his skin started to blister. "Okay... we may have a bit of a problem on our hands."

Markos acknowledged their concern. "Like I said, this spell will continue to unravel Spirit Magic as it spreads, which means you're not long for this world. The sun's about to set. Feel free to buy yourself a little time to say your goodbyes. You can outrun the spell for a little while, anyway."

"Run," said Maddy, when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her side. "RUN!"

Meredith bolted out, and Damon followed, but Markos got in her way before she could follow suit.

"Why don't you deliver a message for me?" he asked, gripping the back of her head. "Tell those traitors Julian and Maria that they're never going to be safe, no matter how far they run."

She whimpered as she felt the cut in her side starting to grow, right in the spot where Stefan had stabbed her in the gut with a knife to turn her into a vampire. Markos released her, and she immediately started to run, stumbling and trying to listen for where Damon and MEredith might be, but she found that her abilities were diminishing little by little. She couldn't see them or hear them, and she definitely couldn't focus on anything other than the blinding pain that was threatening to overtake her.

"MADDY!" she heard Damon yelling up ahead, at the edge of the forest. "MADS!"

"Damon!" she screamed. "Don't come back!"

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

She didn't even know at this point. She just kept staggering forward, hoping that the burning would subside.

She crashed to the ground just feet away from where she could see Meredith and Damon approaching an SUV that had stopped on the side of the road. They were about to run back to her, but Jeremy hopped out of the driver's seat and sprinted to her, tossing her over his shoulder and rushing the rest of the way back, placing her in the back seat with Meredith.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Meredith said, starting to press her sleeve over the wound. "Don't worry, your vampire healing will kick in as soon as we're far enough."

Jeremy slammed his foot down on the gas, making the car glide at a high speed down the empty road. "Get us to Whitmore," said Damon, who was calling Stefan. "It's far enough from here that we can get together and make a plan. I'll text Jenna, she should still have her phone on her."

"Damon, she's not healing!" said Meredith frantically once they were far enough away that Maddy's wound should have closed.

"Oh my god," said Maddy, bringing her hand up to cover her eyes as she felt a wave of nausea running over her. "Don't tell me I'm gonna die, please don't tell me I'm gonna die..."

"No, you're not gonna die," said Meredith. "Damon, your blood— I can't stop pressing down on her wound."

Damon leaned over from the front seat, biting into his wrist and letting the blood drip onto Maddy's mouth. She drank it, but wasn't sure if she could feel it helping.

"If anything happens," she panted, "call Klaus and Enzo. Promise me, Damon."

"Nothing's gonna happen to you, Mads. If you die, Bonnie will just bring you back from the Other Side."

"You know that's not possible! We don't have a spell, we don't have anything!"

"You said Klaus is trying to find something in Kol's stuff. He'll find something, okay? He will."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will, Mads!"

"It's closing!" said Meredith, bringing her hands up. "There we go, the wound closed. How do you feel?"

"Like shit," said Maddy. "I'm gonna rip Markos's fucking head off the next time I see him."

As they neared Whitmore, they learned that almost everyone was alright. Stefan and Elena were in one piece, but had nearly died when Liv and Luke attacked them, because apparently, killing one of the doppelgängers was the only way to stop the spell now that it was underway. Maria and Julian were already dead. Matt, Caroline, Tyler, and Jenna were waiting for them by Whitmore Hospital's parking lot with the two worried doppelgängers. Liz Forbes and Carol Lockwood had to stay behind, as they would be unharmed, but they promised they would pitch in as needed.

Damon had had an idea of what they could do, even if it wasn't going to be pretty. It relied entirely on Klaus managing to find a spell that could bring people back from the Other Side. Still, it was the only plan they really had, and they had to at least try to carry it out.

"Nik," said Maddy once she was calling him from the Whitmore parking lot, where she was seated in the car, her legs hanging out through the open door, hovering over the pavement. "Please tell me you found something."

"There is a list of Traveler spells here," he said. "I will send them to Bonnie. Perhaps she will know which can be useful. Are you alright, love? You sound quite winded."

"I almost died. I legit... almost died. And I feel scared and weak and... I just really wish you were here, but I don't want you to come because then you'll be in danger, too. We can figure out how to stop this spell before it reaches New Orleans. Please, stay where you are."

She started to climb out of the car, but crumpled to the ground, hissing in pain as her legs collapsed beneath her. They'd been far weaker than she expected them to be. As she sat up, ignoring Klaus's worried questions, she noticed a scrape on her knee, which wasn't healing immediately.

And then, it dawned on her that the lingering pain she felt wasn't a side effect of having nearly died.

"Nik," she said slowly, getting up and looking around at those present, who were all staring at her and noticing the same thing. "Something's wrong."

"What is it, love?" he asked frantically. "What's wrong?"

Maddy gulped. "I don't think I'm a vampire anymore."