Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

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"What's up, Newbie?"

"Liv and Luke aren't answering any of my-" Abigail looked up from her phone. "Mr. Sikes?"

"You know him?"

"He helped me open my first savings account and didn't even ask questions when I got access to Alaric's." Her whole demeanor changed in a second, as fast as it did right after she turned. "And now there's a Traveler inside of him. Great."

"Where was I?" He turned back to the person tied to the chair. "Oh, that's right. I know that Markos and your Traveler comrades are planning some big, flashy spell to undo some super-boring, ancient, witch curse that just happens to undo all witch magic, i.e., kill me and my best friend here."

Abigail picked up one of the kitchen knives laying on the coffee table. "If you know where Markos took Elena and Stefan, you need to tell us."

"Yep. Sorry. You're going to have to speak up." Damon mocked him although he knew he could not speak through his restraints. "Nope. Didn't quite catch that either."

She stabbed the Traveler's leg, causing him to cry out in pain. "I think he's trying to say something."

Damon pulled the cloth from his mouth. "Come on, sweetie pie."

"It doesn't matter where Markos is," the Traveler said. "There is nothing you can do to stop him now."

Damon met Abigail and Caroline on the front porch when they returned to the boarding house. "Good news, Stefan and Elena are making their way back to Mystic Falls from the middle of nowhere. Bad news, Markos drained most of their blood, and considering the kinds of spells he was able to do with just a little bit of it, we've got to find Markos; kill Markos; save Mystic Falls from becoming a Traveler home."

Abigail pushed her way inside. "And the hole in your shirt?"

"Enzo. I promised him Bonnie would bring him back, so today is going to be a busy day." Matt knocked over a vase as he and Jeremy situated the last of the Travelers inside. "Ah, great! I'm going to add carrying to the list of things you can't do well, but that's okay. You can repay me with your salary from the Grill. If you want to work a couple thousand years."

Matt faced them. "Why don't you do us all a favor and start dating Elena again?"

Finally, Caroline spoke, "What the hell is going on? Who are all these people?"

"Traveler husks. They've passengered themselves into the beautiful citizens of Mystic Falls." He motioned between Matt and Jeremy. "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?"

"Well..." He walked toward the Traveler laying on the pool table and situated them as if they were taking a winning shot. "Markos put them in a cave. I'm hoping he wants them back."

"Do you think drawing Markos to your house is the best idea?"

"It's the only idea!" He faced them; eyes narrowed, smile tight. "Unless your body snatched ex-boyfriend in the basement can help us."

Caroline scoffed. "Julian is not Tyler."

"And that matters because?"

She looked to Abigail who said, "He has no reason to help us."

"There's no shame in giving up." He walked toward them, lowering his voice to a whisper, "I mean, aren't we all a little sick of Tyler?"

That was all it took for Caroline to speak again, "You know what? Your whole 'too cool to care' thing is really starting to get old. Don't think for one second that I believe your mood has nothing to do with Elena."