Outfits in the external link
From 1.01 "Pilot", outside the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan jumped off of the roof.
Stefan: (voice over) "Mystic Falls."
From 3.13 "Bringing Out the Dead", in the woods, Stefan, Damon, Kaylin and Nicola walked toward the Lockwood Cellar.
Damon: (voice over) "Our family was born here."
From 2.01 "The Return", on the Lockwood Lawn, Nicola raised her arms in an expressive shrug, turning around, walking away, leaving.
Damon, Stefan and Kaylin watched her go, surprised and slightly awed by her compassion.
Kaylin: (voice over) "This is our family's home."
From 1.18 "Under Control", lakeside, Elena, Jeremy, Alex and Liv were walking along.
Alex: (voice over) "And ours."
From 2.22 "As I Lay Dying", in the Grill, Caroline, Eliza and Liz embraced.
Caroline: (voice over) "And ours."
From 2.06 "Plan B", in the dining room of the Lockwood Mansion, Tyler, Kacie and Carol stood together.
Tyler: (voice over) "And ours."
From 3.08 "Ordinary People", in flashback, Rebekah, Kassandra, Henrik and Luna were running through the woods.
Kaylin: (voice over) "For centuries, supernatural creatures have lived among us."
From 2.21 "The Sun Also Rises", at Steven's Quarry, Liv was trapped in a circle of fire. She slowly shook her head, her eyes turning red and the dark veins of hunger creeping toward her eyes.
Caroline: (voice over) "There are vampires."
From 2.03 "Bad Moon Rising", in the woods, Mason the wolf looked at Kacie and Tyler.
Kacie: (voice over) "Werewolves."
From 2.04 "Memory Lane", in the living room of the Salvatore Boarding House, Katherine and Elena came face to face.
From 3.08 "Ordinary People", in flashback, Luna placed her hands gently on either side of the blue flower on the ground, closing her eyes in concentration.
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the Grill, Rosalita smirked smugly in amusement, biting her lip slightly in triumph, turning around, walking away, looking over her shoulder as she did.
From 4.01 "Growing Pains", in Tory's House, Tory backed away into the wall.
Elena: (voice over) "Doppelgangers."
From 2.21 "The Sun Also Rises", at the sacrifice, Klaus opened his eyes while feeding on Alex.
Alex's eyelids fluttered. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
Alex: (voice over) "Wraiths."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the Cristian's House, Lindsey, Bonnie and Tory each raised an arm and started a spell so powerful it make the lights flicker and break, the house acting as if in the middle of an earthquake.
Bonnie: (voice over) "Witches."
From 2.21 "The Sun Also Rises", at the sacrifice, Klaus' eyes glowed like a werewolf, but he still had the veins under them, like a vampire.
Klaus: (voice over) "And even hybrids."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in Cristian's bathroom, the girls were talking.
Caroline looked at Elena. "He's hoping you'll sleep with him."
"Well, maybe I did," Elena told them defiantly.
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the Cristian's House, Alex, Elena and Liv were talking. The other girls were watching, hanging back to give them space.
Elena looked at Alex. "You think that this makes me happy, that this is tearing us apart? I know you still care about Damon."
"Then why did you sleep with him?" Alex asked.
"Please, just stop fighting," Liv told them.
Nicola: (voice over) "While some search for a Cure..."
From 4.06 "We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes", in the Lockwood Mansion, Jeremy decapitated Chris.
Hayley screamed, looking away.
From 4.07 "My Brother's Keeper", in the Lockwood Mansion, Jeremy staked Alex in the neck. He knelt next to her, holding the white oak state, ready to kill his sister and everyone that would die along with her.
Nicola: (voice over) "No matter what the consequences..."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the barn, Tyler rushed toward Kim, pushing his hand into her chest, gripping her heart.
Luke: (voice over) "Others plot a revolution."
Tyler looked at the hybrids. "Do you want to be free? We have to work together."
The hybrids bowed down to Tyler, signaling he was their Alpha.
Luke smirked.
Kacie: (voice over) "Others are willing to do anything just to have a moment of freedom."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the school hallway, Bonnie grabbed Kacie's arm, placing the bag of herbs in her hand. "Take these."
Kacie looked at the bag cautiously. "Stoner tea?"
"Spirit tea," Bonnie corrected. "It helps you tap into the inner you. Meaning it might give you control back over your own thoughts and actions, even just for a little while."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in Alex's guest bedroom, Alex and Kacie were sitting on the bed.
"They work," Kacie told her.
From 4.08 "We Always Have Bourbon Street", in Shane's Office, Rosalita turned on Hayley menacingly, using mind control on her. "You will deliver me twelve hybrids without loyalties to Klaus, or your friends Luke and Tyler become fair game. And Ryan will die the worst imaginable way possible."
Rosalita: (voice over) "While some are ready to wage war on everyone, bringing blood, chaos and death, no matter who gets hurt in the process."
From 4.08 "We Always Have Bourbon Street", in Shane's Office, Rosalita looked at Hayley. "You failed at your task."
From 4.07 "My Brother's Keeper", outside the Lockwood Mansion, Kaylin and Klaus looked at each other, smiling.
Kaylin didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that she was being drawn in like she normally did, which only seemed to please Klaus more.
Kaylin: (voice over) "And some try to walk away."
From 4.07 "My Brother's Keeper", in the Forbes House, Stefan leaned forward. "Alex and Elena are both sired to Damon."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the French Quarter, the Salvatores were talking.
Damon looked at Stefan. "You don't think I'm going to be able to do what I need to when I have to tell Alex and Elena to stay away from me."
From 4.08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street", in the Salvatore Boarding House, Damon and Elena were talking.
"I know what you're about to do," Elena told him. "Please, don't do this to me."
"I'm not the good guy, remember?" Damon asked. "I'm the selfish one. But I have to do the right thing by you."
----~----
Day One
Morning - Salvatore Boarding House - Damon's Room
(Song:) Covering Your Tracks - Amy Stroup
Elena woke up in Damon's bed. She turned on her side, looking at Damon. She gazed at him for a moment.
Damon still had his eyes closed. "This would be so much more fun if we were naked."
"That was your call, not mine," Elena told him.
Damon opened his eyes. "I was being a gentleman." He rolled over onto his back. "You shouldn't have stayed."
Elena rolled over onto her back. "I know."
Damon got out of the bed, walking over to his dresser. "I should have made you leave. Sent you packing. I promised Stefan."
Elena sat up in the bed. "I know."
Damon took his shirt off, taking a fresh shirt out of his drawer, putting it on. "You're sired to me, Elena. You and Alex both. Which means everything that you think you feel might not even be real."
"I know, Damon, but it feels real," Elena told him, getting off the bed, walking over to Damon. "And I'm not ready to let go of that."
"Well, I can make you," Damon told her. "Invoke the sire bond."
"So do it," Elena told him.
"I told him I would set both of you free," Damon told her. "Right after I didn't tell him that we slept together."
"Well, Alex already knows, and it's tearing her apart," Elena told him. "But, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't she the one who broke up with you?"
"Because of us," Damon told her.
"So, what do you want to do?" Elena asked.
Damon moved closer to Elena so that their faces were merely inches apart. "I wanna throw you back in my bed and never let you leave."
"So do it," Elena told him.
Damon drifted closer to Elena, dangerously close to kissing her.
Elena's phone rang.
(Song Ends)
"Saved by the cell phone," Damon told her.
Elena rolled her eyes, taking out her phone to read the text. "I have to meet Bonnie and Eliza. Eliza asked if there was a way to teach Jeremy how not to kill his sisters, and Bonnie found a way." She backed away toward the bed, picking up her bag. She looked at Damon. "Wanna come?"
----
Klaus' Mansion - Parlor
Klaus was painting a picture that looked like a big snowflake.
Stefan was standing there with him.
Kacie walked in.
Stefan looked at her. "Kacie."
"Stefan," Kacie replied. She looked at the painting. "Looks like a giant snowflake."
"I like to think of it as an expression of post modernism," Klaus told her. "It's my donation to the Winter Wonderland charity event. Take this to the Mystic Grill immediately."
"You want me to be a delivery girl?" Kacie asked skeptically.
Klaus walked closer to her. "What I want is for you to do whatever I say. Without the regular attitude." Kacie gave him a glare, walking toward the painting, picking it up, walking toward the door. "And be careful with that. It's still wet."
"Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, you know," Stefan told him.
"What is the point of turning her into a hybrid as revenge to Kacie's brother Tyler if I can't maximize on the benefits of free labor?" Klaus replied.
"Yeah, because telling Kacie she can't break the sire bond on her own and that she has to kill anyone who tries to make her break it isn't enough of your petty revenge," Stefan told him sarcastically.
Kacie looked over her shoulder to look toward them, looking surprised that Stefan was defending her.
Klaus and Stefan looked at Kacie.
Kacie rolled her eyes, walking out of the room, leaving the house.
Klaus looked at Stefan. "What are you doing here?"
Stefan walked down the stairs and further into the room. "Alex and Elena are sired to Damon."
"I intuited as much," Klaus told him.
"I know you did, because you told Kaylin that she would figure it out," Stefan told him.
"And she did," Klaus finished. "That's why I like Kaylin. Beauty and brilliancy."
"Which means I need to find the Cure now more than ever, and yet here you are making postmodern snowflakes," Stefan told him.
"I've delivered," Klaus told him, walking away, grabbing a cloth to wipe the paint off his hands. "I retrieved the Hunter's Sword from Italy which we'll use to decipher the map hidden in the Hunter's Mark. You're the one who is supposed to deliver the Hunter and his Mark."
"Well, Jeremy is the Hunter, and he has to keep killing vampires to complete his Mark, but we can't quite figure out how to keep him from killing us," Stefan told him.
"Sounds like quite the chore," Klaus told him. "Which is why I feel perfectly justified doing a little charity work."
"Hmm, or maybe you're lying about having found the sword," Stefan told him.
"Why would I lie to you, Stefan?" Klaus asked, striding past Stefan, toward a vault. "We're in this together." Stefan followed Klaus. Klaus turned the dial on the vault, opening it up. He took the sword out. "The hilt acts as a cipher, which we'll use to decode the Marks on Jeremy's tattoo when he's killed enough vampires to complete it." He placed the sword down on a table. He took a seat on the sofa, propping his feet up on the same table. Stefan picked the sword up, examining it. "Or, if you wouldn't like for Jeremy to be our Hunter, I could always find a vampire for Nicola to kill and activate her Hunter side. That seems a little bit closer to home, doesn't it?" Stefan looked at him in surprise. "You didn't actually think I didn't know about that, did you? If there was one person in all of Mystic Falls who would be a better Hunter than Jeremy Gilbert, it would be your little niece Nikki."
"You do that, and you know Kaylin will never speak to you again," Stefan replied.
Klaus smirked, not giving a reply, changing the subject. "Speaking of those two girls, I heard you moved out of your house. Bit of a martyr move, hmm?"
"I'm not here to bond," Stefan told him, placing the sword back on the table.
"Oh, on the contrary," Klaus told him. "Other than Alexandra, I think right now I'm the best friend you've got."
----
On the Road - Alex's Car
Alex was driving down the road, on the phone, with the speaker's voice coming from the speakers.
Kacie was in Town Square, pacing underneath the fake falling snow with children running and laughing around her, on the phone with Alex. "I'm sick of taking his crap. I should rip his throat out. See if he can boss me around with a larynx."
"Now you're starting to sound like the old you," Alex told her. "I take it as a sign Bonnie's herbs are working?"
Kacie sighed. "Not for long periods of time, but yeah, they're working. The first thing I thought when he told me to take the painting was, 'Go to hell'. But I can't let him know that we found a way around it. The feeling of freedom is more than I can take. I... I just..." She sighed, putting her hand to her head, turning away, starting to pace again. "It lasts as long as the high does, and for hybrids, the high doesn't last very long."
Alex looked sympathetic. "I'm so sorry."
Kacie sighed, shaking her head. "It's his fault. I hate him, and I just... I wanna find a way out of this."
"Well, if there was a way, you know we would've already tried it," Alex told her. "You know that."
"And you know that it would be you risking your life just to unsire one little hybrid that has to kill anyone who tries it," Kacie told her.
Alex nodded. "Yeah, we know."
Kacie sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "I can't be around this right now. I have to--I have to get out of here."
"You mean go on the run for the rest of your life?" Alex asked. "Which, if I have to remind you, is for eternity. How are you going to do that when all it takes is one phone call from him to get you back here?"
"I'll throw my phone away," Kacie told her. "I'll hide someplace where he could never find me."
"Yeah, except the fact where he can force a witch to do a locator spell to find you and then kill you," Alex told her. Kacie sighed, pacing, putting her hands to her head. "I'm sorry, but until we can find a way, this is what it has to be."
Kacie nodded in acknowledgement. "What about you?"
"What about me?" Alex asked.
"You, your sisters and brother, Bonnie and Eliza all under one roof?" Kacie asked.
"If I can handle the girls' night from hell, I can definitely handle this," Alex told her.
"Well, tell those of who will care I said hi," Kacie told her.
"Will do," Alex told her.
"All right," Kacie told her, looking in front of her. "I gotta go. Bye. Be nice."
"I'll be nice if she decides to be nice," Alex told her.
"Then you better hope Little Liv is willing to play peacekeeper again," Kacie told her.
"Believe me, Kacie, Liv has done nothing but play peacekeeper since Elena turned," Alex told her.
Kacie managed a small smile, hanging up.
Alex sighed, hanging up, continuing to drive.
----
Town Square - Winter Wonderland Charity Event
(Song:) Christmas Treat - Julian Casablancas
Kacie hung up, still looking in front of her, putting her phone away. "Hey."
Matt stood in front of her. "Hey. How is she?"
"Hurt, angry, betrayed," Kacie answered. "You know, like any sane person would be."
"And you?" Matt asked.
"Pretty much the same, minus the betrayed part," Kacie answered. "But she's right. I can't go on the run when all it takes to get me back here is a phone call or a witch to do a locator spell. And if I run, what will he do to any of you?"
"Kacie, you do not get to worry about that, okay?" Matt asked. "You have too much to worry about, anyway."
Kacie smiled a small smile, looking away. She saw Tory in uniform, her red hair in a ponytail, walking toward the Grill. "I see you got Tory the job."
"Well, Tory's almost 17," Matt told her. "And we kinda need the money. We're not all as lucky as you are in that department."
Kacie sighed. "Yeah..."
Kacie's phone vibrated. She took it out, looking at the text. She looked up in anger and annoyance.
"That him?" Matt asked.
"That him," Kacie answered.
"Go ahead," Matt told her. "Like you said, you can't let him know you found a way around it."
Kacie nodded. "Thanks, Matt."
"No problem," Matt told her.
Kacie walked away, leaving.
Matt watched her go, concerned and sympathetic.
(Song Ends)
----
Lockwood Cellar
The hybrids were standing together, including Tyler, Luke, Kim and Adrian.
Ryan stood next to them.
Adrian looked at Tyler. "He is using your sister as his right hand for everything, from killing to delivering. You say that there is a way to free all of us, including Kacie."
"There is," Luke told them.
"You guys keep saying that, but here we are hiding, plotting a revolution that's never gonna happen," Kim told them.
Hayley entered the cellar. "Never say never and never say I don't pull through. I found the witch that's gonna save your lives."
Hayley smiled.
"Are you serious?" Adrian asked.
Hayley continued to smile.
Tyler looked from Hayley to Ryan and Luke.
Ryan nodded.
Tyler looked at Kim and Adrian. "Me, Ryan and Luke promised you guys we'd free you from him. You did your part by breaking your sire bond, now Ryan, Luke, Hayley and I are gonna do ours."
----
Town Square - Winter Wonderland Event
Ryan, Lindsey, Luke, Tory, Caroline and Tyler were standing in the middle of the square.
"You're going to do what?" Tory asked incredulously.
"Hayley found a witch strong enough to do the body jump spell," Tyler told them. "You know, the Klaus specialty."
"So, you're going to put him in someone else's body and then what?" Lindsey asked.
"We'll encase the body in concrete then bury it," Ryan answered.
"Why not just desiccate him like Bonnie and Lindsey did?" Caroline asked.
"Because to do that spell, you have to stop a human heart," Tyler answered. "We were a little short of volunteers."
"Well, who was dumb enough to volunteer their body to be a Klaus sublet?" Lindsey asked.
Tyler didn't answer, sighing, exchanging a look with Ryan and Luke
Caroline's face fell as she realized why.
"Okay, don't freak out," Tyler told her.
"Freak out?" Caroline repeated. "Freak out? I'm about to hemorrhage! You volunteered?"
"It's not forever," Tyler told her. Tory and Lindsey exchanged a look. "Just long enough for the hybrids to be able to completely disappear, including Kacie."
"Well, I can think of better ways for us to spend our senior year than you buried in concrete, Tyler," Caroline told him, angry yet depressed.
Tyler remained calm. He gently grabbed Caroline by the shoulders, looking directly at her. "This started with me. This has to end with me. I have to do this for Kacie. I have to save my sister." Caroline could't seem to bear looking Tyler in the eyes. She continued to look down at the ground. "I need your support."
Caroline finally looked up at him with sad eyes. Tory looked at them sadly.
----
Gilbert Lake House - Outside
Jeremy was outside of the house, chopping wood. He pulled the ax out of the log he just chopped, placing it into a tree trunk where a small wooden stake lied. He picked up the stake, staring at it. He then threw it down, picking the ax back up, chopping another piece of wood.
Jeremy looked at Damon's car as it drove closer.
Damon was driving. Elena was it the passenger seat. Liv was sitting behind Elena. Cristian was sitting behind Damon.
Jeremy didn't take his eyes away.
Eliza walked toward him. "Jeremy."
Jeremy walked in front of the car, looking at them. Eliza stood right behind him.
"They shouldn't be here," Jeremy told her.
"They're here to help you," Eliza told him. Jeremy wouldn't look away from them. "Do you trust me?"
Eliza wrapped her hand around the handle of the ax.
Damon looked at Elena. Elena had a stony look. Cristian looked at Liv. Liv sighed.
"Yeah," Jeremy answered. "Yeah, I trust you."
Jeremy released his grip on the ax.
Eliza took the ax away, throwing it aside, holding his arm. "Let's go inside."
Jeremy didn't look away from them.
Eliza led him inside.
Shane opened the door, walking toward them.
----
Damon's Car
Damon was in the driver's seat.
Elena was in the passenger seat.
Liv and Cristian were in the backseat.
"What the hell is Professor Shadypants doing here?" Liv asked.
"I invited him," Elena answered.
Liv looked at Elena in the seat in front of her with annoyance.
They got out of the car.
----
Outside
Alex pulled up, getting out of her car.
"Surprised you showed," Damon told her.
"Jeremy's more important than some fight going on between us," Alex replied, walking forward without another word.
They sighed, starting to follow.
----
Gilbert Lake House - Foyer
Shane and Bonnie moved around the furniture.
Eliza and Jeremy stood with them.
"Okay, listen, we are ready to get started, but before we can do that, we need them..." Shane trailed off, looking toward Elena, Alex and Liv as they walked to the door. Jeremy followed his gaze. "In here."
"This is your house now, Jer," Alex told him. Jeremy walked closer. "You have to invite us in."
Jeremy stared at them.
"Go ahead, Jeremy," Eliza told him. "Invite them in."
Jeremy continued to stare at them, hesitating a moment longer. "You can come in."
Elena, Alex and Liv walked in.
Elena walked toward Bonnie.
Alex walked toward Eliza.
Liv stopped in front of Jeremy, looking up at him, smiling a small smile, gently touching his arm, walking past him, setting her bag on the counter.
Jeremy looked down at his arm where she touched him, suddenly grabbing the small wooden stake from his waistband, attempting to stake Liv.
"Jeremy!" Alex told him.
Liv reacted quickly, grabbing Jeremy by his wrist. "That was a test, Jer." She twisted his arm around, standing behind him, placing his arm behind his back, taking the stake from him, putting him in a chokehold. Jeremy tried to struggle free. Damon, Cristian, Bonnie, Elena, Alex, Eliza and Shane stared in surprise. Liv looked at Jeremy. "You failed."
Liv sighed, looking away.
----
Salvatore Boarding House - Library
Nicola sat on the couch, going through old pictures.
Kaylin looked over her shoulder, standing behind the couch.
Stefan walked in. "What are you doing?"
"Going through old pictures of my parents," Nicola answered. "Since Damon's not here to mock, I'll admit it to you. I'm feeling sentimental and nostalgic."
Stefan leaned against the back of the couch next to Kaylin. "It's okay to miss them once in a while, Nikki."
"Yeah, I know," Nicola told him. She looked at a picture of Zach and a pregnant woman. Her skin was dark. She looked at Stefan and Kaylin. "This picture was taken in 1994. It was before my dad met my mom and had me." She looked at the picture. "So, I could never figure out who this woman was, and whenever I brought it up to Dad, he always made it seem like he didn't remember her. I asked him if she was an ex, but he just said that he didn't want to talk about it." She looked at Stefan and Kaylin "You have any ideas?"
Kaylin shook her head. "Nope. None."
Stefan didn't answer, looking pensive. His phone rang. He answered, putting it on speaker. "Hey, sorry, I know I'm late."
Caroline was on the other end, walking through Town Square. "If I'm gonna be a friend in your time of need, then you need to work on your punctuality. I'm in a crisis. Where are you?"
"I'm at my house," Stefan answered.
"Why?" Nicola asked. "What's wrong?"
"My boyfriend is a dumbass martyr," Caroline answered. "Wait, Stefan, why are you at your house? Aren't you trying to keep your distance from Elena?"
"Well, she's not here anymore," Stefan told her. "Damon took Jeremy to the Gilbert lake house with Bonnie and Eliza, so I guess her house is safe for her again. I think Liv, Cristian and Alex are meeting them there. Hey, listen, I got Klaus to tell me a little bit more about this Hunter's Sword. You know that map in Jeremy's tattoo? The sword decodes it. It's literally the key to finding the Cure."
"Klaus told you this?" Caroline asked.
"Yeah," Stefan answered. "Why?"
Caroline smiled hopefully. "And did he happen to hand you over the sword for safekeeping?"
"Uh, what do you think?" Nicola asked. Caroline sighed. "What's wrong?"
"We need to get our hands on that sword," Caroline told them. "Like today. Tyler , Luke, Ryan and their hybrids are taking out Klaus tonight. Where's Kaylin?"
"Right here," Stefan answered, looking at Kaylin. Kaylin gave him a look, opening her mouth to speak her complaint about Klaus bait. Stefan cut her off. "She's in."
Kaylin leaned her head forward in defeat.
Nicola patted Kaylin on the shoulder sarcastically.
----~----
Town Square - Winter Wonderland
(Song:) Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
Children were running around in the fake snow and starting snowball fights for the Winter Wonderland Charity Event.
Tory and Luke were walking together, toward the fountain in the square.
"Luke, I should be working right now," Tory told him.
"Yeah, but you just found out about our plan and you decided to talk to me instead," Luke told her.
Tory looked at him, shaking her head. "This plan is stupid. It could get you all killed."
"We're gonna be fine," Luke told her.
"You don't know that, Luke," Tory told him.
"You're right, Tory," Luke told her. "I don't. But it doesn't matter."
Tory stopped walking next to the fountain.
Luke stopped next to her.
Tory took a breath. "Even if you, Tyler and Ryan do somehow manage to pull this off, then you'll have to leave with the other hybrids. Once Tyler gets back, Klaus gets back, and then he's gonna come after all of you. You, Luke. Ryan. Kacie. God knows who else." Luke didn't answer, sighing. "So, what? You're just gonna go on the run for the rest of your life?"
"Unless we find someone else to put his body into forever," Luke told her. "Do you have any other ideas?" Tory looked away. Luke tried to keep her gaze with his. "Tory."
Tory looked as if she didn't know what to do, turning away from him, putting her hands to her head. "God! So is this how it's gonna be? Just you, gone? Never coming back?"
"I wouldn't say never," Luke told her. "I need you to trust me on this, Tory."
"I trust you, Luke," Tory told him. "I just don't know if I can trust the fact that you'll be able to make it out alive."
Luke turned Tory to face him, kissing her sweetly yet passionately, startling her, but she kissed back. After a long moment, Luke pulled back. "I've been wanting to do that since you got back." Tory chuckled once hysterically. "And I didn't know if I would get the chance again."
Tory didn't respond, breathing deeply, just letting him hold her.
The shot panned across the square to Lindsey and Ryan walking through the fake snow.
"Listen, Lindsey, in case this doesn't go down the way it's supposed to--" Ryan started.
Lindsey turned to face him. "This better not be a goodbye speech, Ryan Thompson. I already lost you once. I'm not losing you again."
"I'm not really sure it works that way, Lindsey," Ryan told her.
"I don't care," Lindsey told him. "You are not telling me goodbye again because you are going to come back, Ryan. And to prove it to you..."
Lindsey took out a folded note from her jacket pocket. The front read: I love you. She kissed the white space above the words, leaving a prominent mark of red lipgloss. She turned the note over. The back read: I will always love you. She kissed the white space above the words, leaving a faded mark of red lipgloss.
Ryan watched her in curiosity. "What is that?"
"Proof that you'll come back," Lindsey answered. "If this note finds its way back to me, then that means so will you."
Ryan smiled, taking the note from her, putting it into his jacket pocket. "You really are a romantic, you know that?"
"You love it," Lindsey told him.
Ryan smiled, wrapping his arms around Lindsey's waist, pulling her closer, kissing her. The fake snow was still falling around them. Lindsey wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, reaching onto her toes. The longer the kiss went on, the more passionate it became. After several moments, they pulled away, not moving from the position they were in, holding the other.
Lindsey leaned her head against Ryan's shoulder, not showing him how nervous and scared for his life she really was.
Ryan let his smile fade, still seeming content.
Neither of them moved of their embrace.
----
Mystic Grill
The Grill was crowded for the day's festivities.
Matt walked down the steps, a tray of food in his hand, working.
Kaylin was standing alone, admiring the postmodern snowflake Klaus painted. She knew she was being watched, turning to see Klaus looking at her.
Klaus smiled.
Kaylin turned to face him. "Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?"
"Dickens was a dark man," Klaus told her. "You would have liked him."
Klaus walked around the table toward her.
Kaylin made her way to the other side of the table. "Nice snowflake, by the way."
"Is my work really that literal?" Klaus asked.
"I'm serious," Kaylin told him. "There's something... lonely about it."
"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Klaus told her "Can I offer you some champagne?" Kaylin turned around, starting to walk away. "Kaylin..."
Kaylin turned around to see Klaus standing in front of her. "If we're going to be nice to each other, then I will need that glass of champagne."
Klaus smiled, walking closer. "Is that our thing now?"
Kaylin chuckled, rolling her eyes. "We don't have a 'thing'. We never did."
"Oh, I beg to differ," Klaus told her.
"What?" Kaylin asked. "Blood and torture and torment?" She backed away from him only a little, bringing her hands clasped together in front of her, sarcasm and exaggeration in her voice. "Oh, the romance! Cue the violins." She looked at him like she had gotten a great idea, pointing at him. "Maybe you could serenade me." Klaus smiled. "That's a little too dark for my taste these days."
Kaylin couldn't help a smile.
"I'd be happy to settle for something a little less dark, as well," Klaus told her. "Allow me."
Klaus smiled, walking away to get some champagne.
Kaylin watched him walk away, taking out her phone, texting Stefan. He's here. Go.
Rosalita was standing across the Grill from Klaus and Kaylin, watching them, smirking. She walked toward Kaylin, pretending to be Tory. "Kaylin."
Kaylin smirked. "Tory Donovan. Is there yet another Donovan working here at the Grill?"
"Oh, you know it," Rosalita answered. "Can I talk to you real quick?"
"About what?" Kaylin asked.
Rosalita smirked. "About Klaus, and the plan with the hybrids." She used mind control on Kaylin. "You will not interfere with the plan, no matter how much you want to warn him about what the hybrids are up to. You will watch him walk into a trap, and you will not say a word. Do you understand, Kaylin?"
Kaylin, still believing she was talking to Tory while under mind control, nodded, looking confused.
(Song Ends)
----
Klaus' Mansion - Living Room
Stefan ripped off the handle from the vault, placing it down. He opened up the vault, seeing that the sword is no longer there. He seemed frustrated. He called Damon.
Damon was still at the Gilbert Lake House, outside. "Well, he's not walking around with it. Check the rest of the house."
"I am," Stefan told him. "I haven't found anything."
"Try the sock drawer," Damon told him. "People leave the sketchiest stuff in sock drawers."
"I'm gonna need real ideas, Damon," Stefan told him, starting to open an old trunk.
"Here's two," Damon told him. "Kill Tyler and Luke and Ryan before they go to Klaus or, since he has suddenly become MVP in our relay race for the Cure, tell him about the hybrids, and he'll kill Tyler, Luke and Ryan."
Stefan saw a bunch of handwritten letters littering the bottom of the trunk. None of them were addressed to Klaus, which Stefan found curious. "Nobody's killing Tyler, or Luke, or Ryan. Liv's gonna hate you even more if you kill Luke and Ryan, some of her best friends from childhood, not to mention Tory and Lindsey's boyfriends. You really do not want to piss off two powerful witches like Tory and Lindsey by killing their boyfriends, and you know if you kill Luke and Ryan, they're gonna snap. And do you seriously want Alex's hate toward you be the thing that breaks her sire bond?"
"I don't think we have to worry about that," Damon told him. "She's barely spoken to me since we got back from New Orleans."
"Can't blame her," Stefan told him, picking up one of the letters.
"I know, I know," Damon told him. Stefan didn't reply, reading the letter. "Hello? Stefan?"
Stefan finally put the letter down. "Look, I know it's a touchy subject, but do you know where Elena is today?"
Damon looked incredibly guilty. "I think she's running around with Alex and Liv, Cristian maybe... trying to figure out how to deprogram Jeremy."
"How'd she take it last night?" Stefan asked, very sympathetic toward his brother. "You telling her to stay away from you?"
Damon looked like he was feeling guilty. "Not well."
"You okay?" Stefan asked.
"Peachy," Damon told him. There was a moment of silence between them, which Damon broke quickly. "Gotta go. Bonnie and Eliza have enlisted Dr. Evil in their plan, and I have to thwart him."
Damon quickly hung up his phone.
----
Gilbert Lake House - Inside
Shane started up the pendulum of a metronome, which ticked slowly back and forth. Candles were lit around them. Shane tightened some thick leather straps around Jeremy's wrist, which tied him down into a chair. Jeremy had his eyes closed and in a trance.
Elena, Liv and Alex sat next to each other across from Jeremy.
Bonnie sat in the chair next to Elena.
Eliza sat in the chair next to Alex.
Cristian sat on the table to the side.
"All Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a burning desire to kill them, even if consciously, he doesn't want to," Shane told them. He looked at Elena, Liv and Alex. "As in your case, it's his subconscious that's calling the shots."
"Persuasion helps reverse your subconscious thoughts," Bonnie told them.
"So, basically, compulsion for the Hunter who can't be compelled," Cristian summarized.
Shane nodded. "Exactly. Think of it as kind of a conditioned response, right? See vampire, kill vampire. What I'm doing is creating kind of a middle step. It's like a detour, where his subconscious learns to recognize you as someone he loves, someone he wants to protect. And that gives him a choice. He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response." He sat on the table next to Jeremy, speaking to Elena, Liv and Alex. "Okay. Talk to him. He'll listen."
"I'm not sure what to say," Liv admitted.
"You chose to do this here at your family's vacation house, right?" Shane asked. "So, maybe just start by telling him why."
Alex nodded. "Every holiday, we came here. This place was family. And when Mom and Dad died, Jenna made us come here, and we thought it was an awful idea, but it was like they were here with us."
Jeremy opened his eyes, looking at his sisters.
Eliza smiled, looking from Jeremy to Elena, Liv and Alex.
"They would have wanted us to stick together, Jer," Liv told him. She looked from Elena to Alex on either side of her, the sentence directed to them as well. "To fight for each other, no matter what."
No one spoke.
Jeremy continued to stare at them.
"Jeremy, how do you feel about Alex, Liv and Elena right now?" Shane asked.
Elena, Liv and Alex looked from each other to Jeremy, waiting for his response.
"Liv may be my sister, but she is just another vampire running around, killing, hurting those who she sees can help her needs," Jeremy told them. Liv looked down, tilting her head, hurt. Cristian took her hand. "Alex and Elena ruined our lives. They're not even my real sisters. They're just the reasons that everyone I've ever loved has died. They mean nothing to me. They're starting to mean nothing to each other. I will kill all three of them even if that means I die myself."
Alex looked down, upset.
Shane rapped his knuckles against the wooden table, which brought Jeremy out of the trance.
Jeremy looked from Shane to Elena, Liv and Alex, completely normal. "Did it work?"
No one answered, disappointed.
----
Mystic Grill - Outside - Alleyway
Stefan and Caroline were waiting by the stairs.
Kaylin and Nicola walked toward them.
Caroline stood.
Stefan pushed away from the wall, turning toward them.
"Hey," Nicola told them.
"Hey," Stefan told them.
"Did you find the sword?" Nicola asked.
"Nope," Stefan answered. "Just a bunch of letters that weren't addressed to him."
"He takes them from his victims," Kaylin explained.
"How do you know that?" Caroline asked.
Kaylin shook her head. "Doesn't matter. What are we gonna do now?"
"Klaus is the only shot we have at finding the Cure," Stefan told them. "We need him. Ryan, Tyler and Luke have to call it off."
They heard Luke's voice. "Well, that's not gonna happen."
Stefan turned around to see Tyler and Luke, who both had appeared on the stairway.
Tyler looked at Caroline. "You told them?" He walked down the remaining steps. "Luke and I've had twelve hybrids sworn to secrecy for a month. We have Hayley, Ryan and a witch risking their lives, and you're blabbing our plan to them? I'm trying to save Kacie from this monster, because she is never going to be free of him if we don't do this."
Stefan stood in front of Tyler. "Look, I get your concern about Kacie, and all I'm asking you for is a little bit of time, okay?"
"How long?" Luke asked. "An hour? A day? Because every minute that goes by that we don't do this, they're at risk, and so is Kacie. You and Klaus already served one of them up for Jeremy to kill."
Tyler looked over Stefan's shoulder at Caroline.
Caroline looked down, ashamed.
Tyler looked back at Stefan. "I don't owe you anything." He turned around, starting to walk away. "I'm taking him out."
Stefan rushed in front of Tyler to stop him. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."
"Stefan..." Caroline trailed off in warning.
Stefan looked at her. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
Nicola looked behind him. "Stefan. Kaylin."
Stefan turned around to follow their gazes to the half a dozen of hybrids standing on the stairs behind him, including Kim and Adrian.
Kaylin and Nicola turned around to see the remaining six hybrids in the alleyway, blocking any means of escape.
"Sorry, but you don't have a choice," Luke told them.
Kaylin looked at Stefan, knowing they could take them.
Stefan shook his head.
----~----
Gilbert Lake House - Outside - Dock
(Song:) Running Down the Aisle - Morning Parade
Elena was sitting on the edge of the dock by the lake, still looking upset about what Jeremy had said.
Damon approached her with a bottle of bourbon in hand. "You're not allowed to feel this sorry for yourself unless you're sitting on a bar stool." He sat down, facing her, uncorking the bottle of bourbon. "Fortunately, I travel with the bar."
"It didn't work," Elena told him. "I shouldn't have put so much hope into reprogramming someone's mind. If it were that easy, then you and I wouldn't be in this situation." They looked at other for a moment. Elena was clearly looking for confirmation from Damon. "Right?" She sighed. "Last time I was here, I was so completely in love with Stefan. Now, it's barely a memory. Is that the sire bond? Or just that I'm so happy to be here with you?"
Elena placed her hand on Damon's cheek.
Damon took her hand in his.
They sat together on the dock alone, looking at each other.
(Song Ends)
----
Lockwood Cellar
The hybrids had brought Stefan, Kaylin, Nicola and Caroline here.
Tyler took a chain from on top of a box.
"Tyler!" Nicola told him. "Luke!"
"Keep them down here until we're ready bring Klaus in," Tyler told them, dropping the chains in front of Kim. "Use these if you have to."
Stefan walked closer. "Luke. Tyler. Come on, this is bigger than you. It's about more than revenge for us."
Luke walked closer to Stefan. "I know what it's about for you, Stefan. It's about the Cure. You know what happens to a hybrid when he's cured of being a vampire? We go back to being werewolves; turning on every full moon. We could give a rat's ass about the Cure."
Tyler walked past Nicola.
Caroline stepped forward. "Tyler, come on."
"I needed you on my side, Care," Tyler told her. "That's all I wanted."
----
Gilbert Lake House - Living Room
Jeremy sitting on the sofa, looking through old family photos.
Eliza stood behind the couch, looking at the picture. "You okay?"
"I've tried to kill all of my sisters," Jeremy told her.
"Well, nobody is perfect," Eliza told him. "I've daggered an Original vampire who liked me and killed an Original Witch who tried to kill you and Matt."
Jeremy looked at Eliza.
Eliza smiled.
Bonnie walked in "Shane wants to try again."
Jeremy stood, looking at Bonnie, seeing Liv standing in the doorway. "You shouldn't be in here. I tried to kill you."
"And if earlier is any indication, I can protect myself," Liv replied. Cristian walked in. "And are we seriously gonna trust this guy? Survey says:"
Liv imitated a buzzer.
"Professor Shane has been dipping into the magical herbs a little too much if he thinks using three vampires to suppress the need to kill another one is gonna work on a Hunter," Cristian told them. "It's like dangling a cheeseburger in front of someone on a master cleanse." He glanced at Eliza. "Just find someone else to attach your warm and fuzzy detour feelings to."
Eliza and Jeremy looked at them in confusion
"Gee, I wonder who that could be," Bonnie told them sarcastically, glancing at Eliza, looking away, letting her arms swing slightly at her sides, smiling.
Jeremy looked at Eliza. "You." Eliza looked at Jeremy, slightly shocked. "I feel that way about you."
Eliza smiled a small smile.
Jeremy grinned.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Liv told them sarcastically, taking Cristian's hand, leading the way out of the room. "We'll be anywhere else."
Liv and Cristian walked out of the room. Bonnie followed them.
Eliza looked at Jeremy, smiling.
----
Outside - Dock
Alex was outside, standing at the end of the dock.
Shane walked closer, standing next to her. "It was good thinking using Eliza as Jeremy's emotional touch zone. Liv, Cristian and Bonnie are very intuitive. So are Lindsey and Tory. It's why I enjoy tutoring Bonnie, Lindsey and Tory with witchcraft so much." He looked at Alex. "Yeah, Bonnie told me about your and your sister's relationship with Damon. I don't mean to pry, obviously."
"It's complicated," Alex told him.
"Uh-huh," Shane agreed.
"Any ideas of how to hypnotize either of us out of it?" Alex asked.
"You know, in all my world travels, the one spell that I've never found is how to break somebody from loving too much," Shane told her. "Trust me, I've looked." Alex gave him a confused look. "My wife and son died. I was just--I was trying to figure out a way not to miss them."
Alex looked sympathetic.
Damon and Elena walked toward them.
Damon had an ax in hand. "If your hypno herbs work, we should be singing 'Kumbaya' around the fire by dinner." He stopped, standing a few feet away from them, holding up the ax. "So now, tell me why I'm not killing you."
Alex stood. "Damon."
"I'm serious," Damon told them. He looked at Shane. "Why are you after the vampire Cure?"
Shane walked toward Damon. "I didn't say I was looking for the Cure, but I can tell you where to find it."
Damon walked toward Shane. "Klaus' sword will tell us where to find it."
"The swore will lead you there, sure, but so can I," Shane told them.
"What?" Alex asked. "How?"
Shane continued to look at Damon. "'Cause I've already been there."
Damon, Elena and Alex exchanged a look, shocked.
----
Town Square - Winter Wonderland
(Song:) The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
Carol and April were walking through the Winter Wonderland event together. April wore her Miss Mystic Falls crown and sash.
"Instruct the guests to drop their donations at the gift tree in the Grill," Carol told her.
"Yes, ma'am," April told her.
Carol stopped, handing April a checklist of some kind. "Excuse me." She saw Tyler walking her way. "There you are!" She grabbed two glasses of champagne off a tray carried by a waitress. She handed one to Tyler. "Quick. A toast before people can judge us." Tyler held his glass up. Carol clinked hers to his. They both took a sip, but Carol noticed that her son's concern. "What's wrong?"
----
Later
Tyler and Carol were sitting on a bench together, away from the noise of the party.
Tyler had explained his plan to entrap Klaus' essence in his body and then bury himself.
Carol was silent.
"Please say something," Tyler told her.
"But you'll miss graduation," Carol told him. "Which I guess is a ridiculous thing to worry about."
"I'm their Alpha," Tyler told her. "They're looking to me to help them."
Carol looked down, nodding sadly. "You do what you have to do, Tyler." Tyler looked surprised. "Well, don't look so shocked. I'm trying to channel your father. He'd be proud of you, you know? You're a leader of people just like he was."
"Thank you, Mom," Tyler told her. "When all of this is over, tell Kacie that I did this for her, too. That I found a way to set her free when there was no way. Tell her that I love her."
Carol nodded sadly, smiling although she was sad of the prospect of never seeing her son again. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him for what could have been the last time.
Further in the square, behind the bench they were sitting on, Kacie was looking toward them, listening.
Kacie took a deep breath of shock and sadness, finally understanding why Tyler had never been around for her when she had needed him most.
Because he was doing the impossible to set her free.
(Song Ends)
----
Night - Gilbert Lake House - Living Room
Elena and Shane sat across from each other on the couches.
Damon stood next to the couch Elena was sitting on. Cristian stood next to the couch Shane was sitting on.
Liv and Alex sat in the chairs on either side of the table in front of them. Liv sat between Damon and Cristian. Alex sat alone.
Shane unwrapped an old rock from a cloth.
"It's a rock," Liv told them expressively, sarcastically.
"It's not just any rock," Shane told her.
"Hmm, so is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit?" Cristian asked, walking over to the bar behind the couch, grabbing a bottle of alcohol.
"Right, long story short," Shane told them. "Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved two girls, sisters. He eventually found out that he loved the older one more." Elena and Alex exchanged a look. "Who wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell. And then Silas' best friend witch got jealous, and killed Silas' girls before he had a chance to make the older one immortal. In revenge, Silas turned the best friend witch's younger sister immortal, and in return, the best friend witch turned Silas' sister immortal, who turned out to also be best friends. The sister of Qetsiyah wanted to die a human death. Qetsiyah finds a way to reverse the immortality spell, letting her sister take the first Cure and die the way she wanted. But Silas' sister wanted revenge against her brother and made a deal with Qetsiyah. Before Silas has the chance to take it, his former friend and his sister buries him underground, leaving him and the Cure to rot."
"So, it's a Cure for immortality?" Elena asked.
"Human blood is the life force of an immortal," Shane told them. "No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood. You dig up Silas, and you've got your Cure."
Elena, Damon, Liv, Cristian and Alex looked at Shane, still processing.
----
Lockwood Cellar
The hybrids were still watching Stefan, Kaylin, Nicola and Caroline.
Kaylin was pacing impatiently. "Ugh, this is ridiculous. We're not hostages."
"Sure you are, sweetie," Kim told her.
Kaylin rushed in front of Kim, staring her down. "I will rip your heart out of your chest without thinking twice about it."
"I would be able to bite you before you could," Kim replied.
Kaylin looked at her with feigned interest. "Oh, so, you're the kinky kind of bitch."
Kim glared at her, transforming facially.
"Kaylin..." Nicola trailed off in warning.
Kaylin sighed, standing down. "Way to ruin my fun, Nikki."
Stefan's phone started to ring.
The other hybrids started to advance on him.
"Relax," Stefan told them. They stopped. "It's our brother." Stefan answered the phone. "What's up?"
Damon sat alone in the Gilbert Lake House. "Don't ask how or why or who, but I just found the answer to your Tyler, Luke and Ryan problem."
They listened to the rest of what Damon had to say.
"You're kidding," Stefan told him, hanging up, looking at Kaylin, Nicola and Caroline. "We don't need the sword."
Nicola smirked.
Caroline subtly raised her eyebrows.
Kaylin looked down, seemingly lost in thought.
----~----
Gilbert Lake House - Living Room
Shane was telling Elena, Damon, Liv, Cristian and Alex the parts of the Hunter's Mark. The Mark that Jeremy had drawn of Connor's tattoo was lying on the table.
"This is the Mark of the Brotherhood of the Five," Shane told them. He pointed to the part of the tattoo on the hand. "And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch. The symbols in the vines are your map, which obviously, you no longer need. When the Mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas."
"And where'd you say he was buried?" Damon asked. "Oh, I forgot, you didn't."
"You've threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week?" Shane asked.
Damon nodded. "Yeah."
"The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods," Shane told him.
"And what's in it for you?" Cristian asked. "If not the Cure, then what? I mean, no one's gonna be willing to do something this dangerous for absolutely nothing in return."
"I'm in this for Silas, all right," Shane told them. "Until this point, he's only been myth."
"So write a thesis," Alex told him.
"Would you rather be the guy who write about Noah's Ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Shane asked, standing, folding the paper with the Mark drawing.
Liv held her hand out for the drawing, looking at the others. "I'm not buying it."
Shane put the drawing in Liv's hand. "You don't have to buy anything. You just have to believe that I can fix your brother. And when his Hunter's Mark is complete, I'm gonna take you to the Cure."
Shane walked out, leaving.
----
Mystic Grill - Bar
(Song:) Take You to the Mistletoe - The Kicks
Tory lifted the gate, walking behind the bar, turning toward Luke. "Luke, please tell me that you did not seriously trap Nicola, Stefan, Kaylin and Caroline in the Lockwood Cellar with twelve hybrids." Luke didn't answer, sighing. "Will they listen to you if you tell them to let them go?"
"Yeah, I'm the one they come to after Tyler," Luke answered. "So is Ryan."
"Good," Tory told him, grabbing the phone off the bar, handing it to him. "Call Kim and get them to let them go."
"Tor--" Luke started. Tory looked at Luke's arm, focusing on it, using magic to make it break. Luke held his arm, looking at Tory in amusement, unable to help a smirk. "What the hell?"
"Remember how my anger issues were before I knew I had magic?" Tory asked. "Think of the things that I can do now."
"What do you want from me?" Luke asked.
"Call them," Tory answered, forcing the phone into his hand.
Luke took it, looking at Tory.
Tory raised her eyebrows, waiting, gesturing for him to do it.
Luke sighed, dialing the number.
Tory smirked.
(Song Ends)
----
Bathroom
Hayley and Tyler walked in together.
"So you told your mother goodbye, right?" Hayley asked. Tyler nodded. "But you didn't tell Kacie? Because if she's not on those little witchy herbs, it won't be long until she tells you know who, and we'll all be dead soon thereafter."
"No, I didn't tell her," Tyler told her. "I promised I wouldn't."
Kacie walked in. "You didn't have to."
"Kacie..." Tyler trailed off.
"Are you out of your minds?" Kacie asked.
"You heard everything, didn't you?" Hayley asked.
Kacie nodded. "Uh, yeah. Plan's off. You guys are gonna get yourselves killed."
Kacie turned around, trying to leave.
Tyler rushed in front of the door to stop her. "I can't let you leave."
"I can't let you be a body escape hatch if your little plan even works without everyone dying," Kacie replied in a whisper. "Tyler, are you crazy?"
Tyler gave her a confused, curious look. "You're not running to tell on us."
"I'm on some of Bonnie's herbs at the moment," Kacie explained. "But that's not gonna last. Tyler, you can't do this."
"Kacie, I have to," Tyler told her. "If I do this, that means he is out of the way forever, and you'll finally be free." Kacie shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Kace, trust me on this, please."
"Do you not recognize the stupidity of your Alpha hybrid murder plan?" Kacie asked.
"I'm not going to fight with you anymore, Kacie," Tyler told her.
"Oh, we are going to be doing plenty of fighting the second that you shove Klaus into someone else's body," Kacie told him.
"I don't have anybody else," Tyler told her.
"Yeah, well, I do," Kacie told him.
"What?" Hayley asked. "Who?"
"One of his sisters, Rebekah or Kassandra," Kacie answered. "Take your pick." They looked at her curiously. "They've both got a dagger in them. I've been hiding their coffins in the tunnels. We dump Klaus into one of them, bury both bodies, we just killed three Original birds with one stone."
Tyler smiled.
"It's too late to change the plan," Hayley told them.
Tyler and Kacie looked at Hayley.
Tyler looked at Kacie. "Call Bonnie, Lindsey or Tory." Kacie smiled. "Make sure it'll work."
"Tyler!" Hayley complained.
Tyler looked at her. "It's a brilliant plan, Hayley." He looked at Kacie. "You're a genius. You're the best sister ever."
"You're the best brother ever even when you're the worst brother ever," Kacie told him.
Hayley turned away from them, texting Rosalita two texts, one saying: We have a problem. The other said: The plan is falling apart.
Kacie looked at Tyler. "You did all of this..."
"To free you, to save you," Tyler told her.
"And here I thought you had given up on me, when all this time..." Kacie trailed off.
"Kacie, I would never give up on you," Tyler told her. "I've got to find Mom. Tell her I might actually graduate."
"Tell her that she's gonna have her little girl back after this is all over," Kacie told him.
Tyler kissed Kacie on the forehead, walking out, leaving.
Kacie smiled widely in relief, closing her eyes, turning away.
----
Town Square
Rosalita had received Hayley's texts and looked at it. She texted her back the message Fix it.
----
Living Room
Eliza sat in front of Jeremy on the table, having both of his hands in hers.
Bonnie had hypnotized Jeremy again, who had his eyes shut.
"Is it working?" Eliza asked.
Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, I think we're making progress." Bonnie's phone started to ring. She answered. "Kacie, hey." Eliza looked at her in slight shock. "This is a surprise."
Kacie was still in the bathroom. "I really need to thank you for those herbs because even though their shortlasting, I think they just saved someone's life. Oh, and, Bonnie, I need you to think fast. I know the daggers don't work on Klaus, but what if you, Lindsey and Tory, or another witch, put his essence into Rebekah or Kassandra? It'll work, right? Say it'll work."
Bonnie stood, walking away from Eliza and Jeremy. "Slow down, slow down, what--what's happening?"
"Just come on, Bonnie," Kacie told her. "Will it work?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not," Bonnie told her.
Kacie smiled. "Uh, Bonnie Bennett, I love you."
"Do you need my help?" Bonnie asked. "I can leave Elena, Alex, Liv and Eliza here with Jeremy."
"They're all there with you?" Kacie asked.
"Yeah, so are Damon and Cristian," Bonnie answered. "Damon, who is being slightly less horrible than usual."
"Caroline's not gonna like that," Kacie told her.
"Yeah, I know," Bonnie told her. "Don't tell her, okay?"
"Yeah, uh-huh, definitely not, secret's safe with me," Kacie told her.
"Are you on the herbs right now?" Bonnie asked.
"How do you think that I'm even able to help right now?" Kacie replied. "And, Bonnie, that is, like, the main reason I love you, so thank you."
Bonnie smiled. "Well, Lindsey, Tory and I can get you some more if they're actually working."
"Thank you," Kacie told her.
"Yep," Bonnie told her. "Look, I gotta go, okay? Shane's helping us deprogram Jeremy the Hunter."
"Shane?" Kacie repeated. "Creepy Professor Guy?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Oh, my God, not you, too. Goodbye, Kacie."
"Bye," Kacie replied.
They hung up.
----
Mystic Grill - Bathroom
Kacie turned to Hayley. "She said it would work."
"I gathered," Hayley told her. "And for a fleeting second, you can actually make your own decisions. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Kacie told her, starting to walk past her.
Hayley snapped Kacie's neck, letting her body fall. "My pleasure."
----~----
Gilbert Lake House - Parlor
Elena pulled out a box of holiday decorations from a closet. Damon stood next to her.
Liv sat on a table across the room. Alex sat in a chair next to her, leaning against the wall.
Cristian stood at the bar.
Elena put the box on the table, looking toward Liv and Alex. "You, Jer and I should take these decorations home with us. We could use the holiday cheer."
"Look at you, suddenly poly optimist," Alex said with bitter sarcasm, crossing her arms over her chest.
Elena put the decorations down on the table with a slam. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?"
"That could be a good start," Alex told her, tilting her head, looking up at the ceiling.
"Look, I'm sorry that I hurt you," Elena told her.
"Apparently not enough," Alex told her in a sing-song voice.
Liv held her head.
"Now, now, put the claws away," Damon told them.
Liv looked at Elena. "Why are you suddenly chipper?"
"I think Shane's gonna get us through this," Elena told them. "I trust him." Liv scoffed. Cristian shook his head. Damon rolled his eyes. "But you guys clearly don't."
"This guy comes out of nowhere, supposedly wanting to teach Lindsey, Bonnie and Tory a new magic that's just ironically Expression, the most dangerous kind of magic, without wanting anything in return?" Cristian asked.
"And anyone who knows as much as he does obviously has a reason to know all of this, and normally, these kinds of guys have a reason that's not good for anyone else," Liv added.
Elena scoffed, shaking her head. "You two are being ridiculous."
"Liv, maybe," Damon told them. "Me and Cristian? No. Our reason is because Cris and I think he blew up twelve people at the Young farm, and so do Kaylin and Nikki."
"What?" Alex asked.
"Little tip, Professor, I heard you before you even took your first step," Cristian told him.
Shane was standing in the door frame behind Cristian. "I see we're back to the false accusation part of our relationship."
"What are they talking about?" Alex asked.
"Kaylin, Nicola, Damon and Cristian discovered that I was in contact with Pastor Young prior to the explosion at the Young farm," Shane answered, walking into the room. "And the Pastor was severely depressed. He had lost his wife to cancer and he sought me out for a little supernatural assistance. I tried to help but he was too far gone. I just--I never expected that he would take eleven innocents with him."
"Uh-huh," Alex told him. "I remember something about Eliza asking you about Pastor Young for April at the pageant. If we bring her in here right now, will she say the same thing?"
Shane didn't answer.
"Busted, Exhibit A," Liv told him.
Elena looked at Alex and Liv. "Knock it off."
Alex raised her eyebrows as if to ask, Excuse me? Liv looked at her as if to ask, Seriously?
Jeremy, Eliza and Bonnie walked in. They all looked at them.
Alex and Liv stood, turning to face them.
Jeremy had a stake in his hand, looking at Elena, Liv and Alex. "Guys." Cristian walked closer. Jeremy looked at him. "It's okay, Cristian. I think we've got this."
Bonnie and Eliza walked toward them. Bonnie took Alex's hand. Eliza took Liv's, leading them toward Elena, making them stand next to each other.
"Don't move, okay?" Eliza asked. "No matter what."
Elena seemed nervous. Liv looked hopeful yet not getting her hopes up. Alex was calm.
"Jeremy, remember the detour," Bonnie told him. "Choose the right path."
Jeremy nodded, starting to walk toward his sisters.
Cristian stood in front of him, blocking his way.
Jeremy looked at Eliza.
Eliza smiled sweetly.
Jeremy looked down at the stake, handing it toward Cristian.
Cristian raised his eyebrows, impressed. He took the stake, letting him walk toward his sisters.
Jeremy stopped in front of them, wrapping his arm around all of them. They all wrapped their arms around each other, relieved.
Bonnie and Eliza smiled, watching them. They exchanged a look, still smiling.
----
Town Square - Winter Wonderland
(Song:) Jingle Bells - Sugar & The Hi Lows
Kaylin was walking alone, seeing what seemed to be Hayley talking to Klaus, walking off, leaving him alone.
Once 'Hayley' was far enough away, she let the mirage fade to where she revealed she was actually Rosalita. Her phone rang. She pulled it out to answer the call. "Hello, Hayley."
Hayley was hiding Kacie's unconscious body in a stall inside the bathroom. "Rosalita. I'm fixing it. You'll get your twelve."
Rosalita smirked. "Good." She turned around to see that Kaylin was walking toward Klaus. "I just mind controlled Klaus to slaughter the hybrids and anyone else involved so he can charge part of Silas's spell. I'm also gonna use mind control on his ex girlfriend to where she'll be the next to charge the other part of Silas's spell, because I like the idea of the star crossed lovers charging Silas's spell, even if it makes them angry at each other. He thought I was you, by the way. He doesn't know that I'm in town, and neither does Kaylin, Nicola, or anyone else, except for you and Shane, and they're all still playing my game without realizing it." She smiled. "This is going to be fun. Oh, and because you failed at your task twice within as many days, I decided to ignore your request to spare Luke and Ryan Thompson, and Kacie and Tyler Lockwood."
Hayley was horrified, worried. "Rosalita, don't. Please."
"You're well past giving orders or requests since you've failed me twice," Rosalita told her. "The hybrid will kill the hybrids for Silas's spell, then he will go after Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Kacie. Feel free to warn your friends. Maybe they can outrun him."
Hayley shook her head in horror. "Rosalita, please. Please, Rosalita, don't do this."
Rosalita smiled. "While I'm sure Tyler, Kacie and Luke will have an easier time defending themselves, Ryan doesn't. Ryan will be torn apart with ease, and you know it. So if you wanna warn them, I would do it now."
"Rosalita!" Hayley told her.
Rosalita hung up, smirking, watching Klaus and Kaylin, knowing that Kaylin couldn't tell Klaus about the hybrid plan because she had mind controlled her not to.
Kaylin walked toward Klaus.
"Where have you been?" Klaus asked.
"I've been around," Kaylin told him.
"I'm not interested in vagary, Kaylin," Klaus told her. "Your brother's been dodgy and you've been lovely, which I've come to recognize as a tool of distraction."
Kaylin smirked halfheartedly. "Well, better late than never."
Klaus gave her a look, but was a bit amused. "Now, do you have something to share with me, or should I compel it out of you?"
Kaylin gave him a subtle look, standing in front of him. "I distracted you as Stefan broke into your safe to look for the sword."
"Why?" Klaus asked.
"Because he asked me to because he doesn't trust you," Kaylin answered.
"I showed him the sword, I told you what we were up to," Klaus told her. "I've been on your side the entire time. What do you want from me? A secret handshake?"
(Song Ends)
Kaylin changed the subject. "Didn't know that you still stole your victims' letters. Stefan found them and asked me about them thinking I would have known about it."
"And did you tell him the truth about it?" Klaus asked.
"No," Kaylin answered. "It's... morbid."
Klaus smiled smugly. "Well, is keeping my victim's letters really so different from writing their names on a wall? Like you did. Queen of Chicago."
"Also, morbid," Kaylin told him.
Klaus smiled a small smile, looking behind her, his face falling, walking past Kaylin.
Kaylin turned to watch him walk toward Adrian.
Klaus slowed to a stop, turning to Kaylin. "Loneliness, Kaylin. That's why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill where we literally hold their life in our hands... and then we rip it away. And we're left with nothing. So, gathering other peoples' letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder that in the end, we're left infinitely and utterly alone."
Kaylin didn't respond.
Klaus turned, walking away with Adrian.
Kaylin watched them go, looking as if she was trying to convince herself to not feel guilty.
Rosalita watched Adrian lead Klaus away to the slaughter, knowing that Kaylin had wanted to stop him deep down, but couldn't because of the mind control, smirking smugly, incredibly pleased with herself, smiling in triumph, turning around, walking away.
----
Mystic Grill - Bathroom
April walked in, trying to open a stall door, but it was jammed. "Oh, sorry." She seemed to worry that something might have been wrong in the stall, knocking gently. "Oh, hello, are you okay? Um..." She opened the door of the stall. Kacie's body fell to the floor. April backed away in shock. "Oh, my gosh!" She knelt next to Kacie's body, shaking her by the shoulders. "Kacie!" She placed her fingers on her neck, trying to find a pulse, but couldn't seem to find one. She started to panic. "Somebody help! Help!" She quickly stood, frantically trying to leave the bathroom. Kacie rushed to stand in front of the door. "Holy crap!"
"Have you seen Hayley?" Kacie asked.
April turned to look where she had been, looking at Kacie in confusion. "You didn't have a pulse. You were dead."
Kacie held her hand up, using the other to pull out her phone to call Tyler. "Please stop talking, I'm in the midst of a crisis here." Tyler didn't answer, so she left a message. "Ty, it's me. That little werewolf slut has lost her mind. Go to the Lockwood Cellar and make sure Kassandra and Rebekah's bodies are still there. Hayley is trying to screw this up." She hung up, smiling at April, walking closer, gently lying her hands on her shoulders. April looked absolutely horrified. Kacie compelled her. "Forget everything you just saw and heard. You are Miss Mystic Falls, and you have duties to fill."
"Okay," April told her, still scared, walking past her, leaving.
Kacie sighed, walking out.
----
Main Room
Kacie walked in.
Matt walked toward her. "There you are. Tyler's been looking for you. Adrian's leading Klaus to the cellar."
"How come the only time April Young isn't following you around like a little lost puppy is when I'm lying dead with a broken neck?" Kacie asked bitterly, pulling out her phone.
Matt's eyes widened. "April saw you?"
"Yeah, it's okay," Kacie told him. "I compelled her."
"No, she's--she's wearing Jeremy's vervain bracelet," Matt told her. Kacie looked up in shock. "She can't be compelled."
"You look for her, I gotta try to find my mom or Tyler," Kacie told him.
Matt nodded.
Kacie walked past him.
Matt turned to watch her go.
----
Town Square
Kacie walked out of the Grill, into the night, looking around nervously.
"Kacie, sweetheart," Carol called, walking closer. Kacie turned to face her in relief. Carol smiled hopefully. "Tyler told me about the plan, and I am so proud of you for managing to pull yourself through this time."
Kacie wrapped her arms around Carol. "Thanks, Mom. After this is all over, I will be your little girl again, okay? I just have to see it through, find Tyler."
Carol nodded. "Of course, honey." She pulled away, lying her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You're the strongest one out of us all, sweetheart. Continue to prove it. Find your freedom. Okay?" Kacie nodded, tears in her eyes. Carol stroked her cheek, pulling her hair back behind her daughter's ear. "Go."
Kacie kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mom."
Kacie backed away.
"I love you, too, Kacie," Carol told her.
Kacie turned around, walking away.
Carol watched her leave with a small, proud smile.
The shot panned from Kacie walking away to Hayley walking toward Luke, Ryan and Tyler from across the fountain.
Ryan looked at Hayley. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be taking the witch to the Cellar."
"There is no witch, Ryan," Hayley told him.
"What?" Ryan asked.
Hayley hesitated. "I made it up."
----
Woods
(Song:) O Holy Night - Cary Brothers
Kim and the other hybrids were waiting in the woods.
"Where the hell is the witch?" Kim asked. "Adrian should be here any minute."
There was a rushing noise that all the hybrids heard. They turned around to see Adrian.
Adrian seemed to be in pain. "Kim."
Suddenly, Adrian's heart was torn from his body through his back.
Kim was instantly torn apart. "No!"
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
"I never intended for you to put Klaus down," Hayley told them. "I needed him for the sacrifice."
Tyler stood on the other side of Luke. "The what?"
----
Woods
Adrian fell down on his knees, revealing Klaus standing behind him, holding out his bloody heart in his hand. He dropped it on the ground. His face showed nothing but pure rage. He had the Hunter's Sword in his hand, beginning to rush at the hybrids, slashing at them with the sword.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
"I don't know how to explain it, but I made a deal with people who can help me find my family," Hayley told them.
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked. "What kind of deal?"
Hayley looked at him. "There needed to be twelve for the sacrifice, Luke."
----
Woods
Klaus had slashed at one of the hybrids, who fell to the ground, dead. Another hybrid jumped at him, ready to attack him. Klaus sliced her head off with the sword.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
Tyler looked from Luke and Ryan to Hayley. "Twelve what?"
----
Woods
Klaus slashed at another hybrid's throat with the sword.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
Hayley looked only slightly guilty. "I'm sorry."
----
Woods
Klaus threw the sword at another hybrid, through his chest, pinning him to a tree.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
Luke looked at her incredulously. "Hayley, what did you do?"
----
Woods
Klaus ripped the hybrid's, that was pinned to the tree, heart out of his chest.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
"I failed the person that wanted me to do this," Hayley told them. "You know her name. Rosalita." Tyler, Luke and Ryan looked at her in shock and horror. "In revenge for me failing, she wants him to go after you, Tyler, and Luke and Ryan, and Kacie. But Rosalita said I could warn you. If you run now, you all might make it out alive."
Ryan looked at her with a mixture of horror and shock.
----
Woods
Klaus took the sword out of the now dead hybrid's chest, slashing the throat of another one of his hybrids.
----
Town Square
Tyler, Luke, Ryan and Hayley were talking.
Tyler continued to stare at Hayley, backing away. He turned around, dashing through the crowd.
Luke backed away, looking at his brother. "Ryan. Stay here."
"Luke, wait," Ryan told him.
Luke turned, following Tyler.
Ryan and Hayley watched them go.
Ryan turned to look at Hayley.
Hayley had disappeared.
Ryan was left alone in the thinning crowd.
----
Woods
Klaus stood in the midst of all the dead hybrids. He breathed heavily and had blood splashed across his face and clothing. He heard Kim crying, hiding down in the Lockwood Cellar. He proceeded to follow her.
----
Lockwood Cellar
Kim tripped down the remaining stairs, looking up from the floor.
Klaus walked toward her.
Kim attempted to back away from him. She stood, grabbing the bars of the Cellar, trying to find a way, continuing to sob. She was trapped. She turned, looking at Klaus.
"Where are Tyler Lockwood and Luke and Ryan Thompson?" Klaus asked. Kim didn't answer. Klaus pointed the sword at her throat, walking closer. "You'd do well to answer me, love." He placed the blade against her throat, screaming in her face. "Where are they?"
"I don't know," Kim told him.
"Wrong answer," Klaus told her, pushing the blade into her throat.
Kim gasped for air.
Klaus successfully pressed the blade through her neck, decapitating her, letting her body fall. He turned around, starting to walk off. His face was not full of rage anymore but seemingly full of sadness and loneliness. He breathed out a sigh, utterly and completely alone.
(Song Ends)
----~----
Gilbert Lake House - Living Room
Jeremy, Eliza, Bonnie, Elena, Liv and Alex were rummaging through the boxes of holiday decorations. Cristian sat on the couch behind Liv, who had her head tilted back into his lap, watching them with a smile.
Liv pulled out a string of mistletoe. "Hey, check this out."
"Jenna used that to make out with Logan Fell," Alex told them.
Elena looked out onto the deck.
Damon was sitting on the railing.
Elena smiled, waving him to come in.
Damon smiled, looking away.
Elena grabbed the strand of mistletoe, walking out to him.
Alex looked away, still hurting.
Eliza looked at Alex sympathetically. "Are you okay?"
Alex tilted her head. "Not really."
Eliza wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulders.
They looked toward Damon and Elena.
----
Outside
Damon and Elena were talking.
"Of all the drama, you're missing the actual fun part," Elena told him, holding the mistletoe over their heads.
Damon looked toward Alex. "Elena, we can't. I can't."
Elena lowered the mistletoe. "Damon, you can't keep telling me that this isn't real. I know how I feel and that you feel it too, so stop fighting it."
Damon looked toward the others.
They looked away.
Damon looked at Elena. "It's good to see you like that. All normal with your siblings. I want that again for you. Christmas was always mine, Kaylin and Stefan's favorite holiday when we were kids. Not that I've celebrated it since. I kind of miss that."
"You're thinking about how upset he'll be when he finds out that you and I are together," Elena realized.
"I've been lying to him all day," Damon told her.
"No, you were helping me with Jeremy," Elena told him.
"The point is not what I was doing," Damon told her. "The point is that I'm here with you. I was supposed to invoke the sire bonds, Elena, send you and Alex away. I was supposed to do the right thing by both of you and the right thing by my brother."
Alex walked out onto the porch. "Which is what you're gonna do right now." Elena frowned. "You're gonna tell us to go home."
"What?" Elena asked. "No, Alex."
Alex turned toward her. "You lost the right to tell me what to do."
"You can't just--" Elena started.
Alex snapped Elena's neck, letting her body fall.
Damon stood in shock.
----
Inside - Living Room
The others were watching.
Bonnie and Eliza spoke together. "Whoa."
"Damn," Liv told them.
"Didn't see that one coming," Jeremy told them.
Cristian smirked.
----
Outside
Alex turned toward Damon. "Now, can you tell me that she didn't deserve that?"
"No," Damon answered.
Alex hesitated, sighing. "Damon, I love you. But I cannot just watch you love my sister like this when we're both sired to you. If you love her more than me, then let me go. Set me free."
"It's not that easy," Damon told her. "After I tell to do what I want you to do, I'm supposed to leave you forever. And to leave you..."
"You have to leave Elena," Alex finished. "I don't care. It is that easy right now. It might not be completely broken, but at least we won't have to do this again. So do it." Damon hesitated. Alex had tears in her eyes. "It hurts. I can't do this anymore. Damon, please."
Damon sighed, nodding. "Cristian and I are gonna stay here with Jeremy. We're gonna help him complete the Mark. We'll teach him how to hunt, we'll protect him, and we'll kill vampires without you. I want you to stop loving me. I want you to move on. I don't want you to feel guilty about what it might do to me or to your sister. I'm setting you free, Alex. This is what I want. This is what will make me happy. I'm sorry."
Alex looked at him with tears in her eyes, taking a deep breath, but seemingly relieved, closing her eyes, letting two tears fall.
----
Salvatore Boarding House - Library
Nicola sat in the library on the couch, looking into the fire.
Kaylin walked in, sitting in the chair next to her. "What would you say if I told you that Klaus actually got under my skin?" Nicola looked at her in a little shock. Out in the hall, Stefan walked toward the doorway, stopping to listen in slight shock. "What? You're shocked that he managed to do it?"
"No, I'm surprised that you admitted it," Nicola answered. "I knew that he got to you, Kaylin. And my reaction is this. You used to be in love with him way back when. He's using the same techniques that he did to make you fall him in love with him then to make you fall in love with him now. It's bound to mess with your head. You might be a vampire, Kay, but ... you're not invincible, as much as you try to pretend that you are."
Kaylin laughed barely, looking down. "Well, I have to admit this. Watching Klaus get led away to his slaughter, I couldn't help but feel kind of guilty. All day, I've been trying to remind myself of all the horrible things he's done."
"But that's the thing," Nicola told her. "We've all done horrible things. And I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what makes us any better than him. And I think it's just that, we have family we can trust."
"Yeah, you're right, Nikki," Kaylin told her. "Trust is everything."
Stefan walked into the room slowly.
Nicola looked at him weirdly. "Have you been here the entire time?"
"No," Stefan told them. "Just got home."
Nicola nodded, obviously not believing him. "Have you heard from Damon?"
"Yeah, he's still with Jeremy at the lake house," Stefan told them.
Kaylin looked at Nicola. "You said something about the broken lamp?" Nicola looked down. "It wasn't from a fight, like Damon said, was it?"
Nicola shook her head sadly. "No. It was Damon and Elena."
Stefan looked at her questioningly, walking closer. "Wait, what do you--what do you mean?" Nicola looked at him meaningfully. Stefan could guess as much from the look she was giving, sitting down. "They're together, aren't they?" He looked incredibly upset. Nicola looked guilty and sad. Kaylin looked at him sympathetically. "How together are they?" Nicola looked away. "Nikki... tell me. How together are they?"
(Song:) Oblivion - Bastille
Nicola looked down, licking her lips nervously.
Stefan finally realized just how together Damon and Elena were.
----
Gilbert Lake House - Driveway
Jeremy opened Eliza's car door for her. They looked at each other, smiling.
"Thank you, Eliza," Jeremy told her.
Eliza wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes with a small smile. Jeremy wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as he held her.
Cristian and Liv walked out of the house together.
Jeremy and Eliza pulled away. Jeremy smiled. Eliza got into the car with Bonnie.
Jeremy closed the door for her, walking toward the house, waving goodbye to Liv, walking inside.
Liv smiled, waving goodbye. She looked at her boyfriend. "Cristian, I don't trust Damon alone with Jeremy and Matt. So thank you for staying here with them."
"For you, Liv?" Cristian asked rhetorically. "Anything."
Liv sighed in relief. "Thank you, Cris."
Liv smiled, kissing Cristian sweetly yet passionately. After a moment, Cristian pulled away, opening the backseat door for her. Liv started to get in, but stopped, kissing him one last time before ducking inside with a smile. Cristian smiled, closing the door for her.
Damon and Alex were standing at Alex's car.
Damon laid Elena's temporarily-dead body into the trunk. "You know, you didn't have to break her neck just to get her in the car." He stood, closing the lid, turning to face Alex. "Though I have a feeling it was cathartic for you."
"After everything the two of you did to Stefan and me, it's the least I could do to you," Alex replied. "But I think it worked. Every part of my body is telling me that I need to get in this car and leave you. To move on, to stop loving you."
"So do it," Damon told her.
Alex gave him one last look that was more hurt than angry, walking away. She opened the driver's side door, getting in, closing it behind her, driving away.
Damon watched the car go.
----
Salvatore Boarding House - Library
Kaylin and Nicola were still sitting down, watching Stefan.
Stefan was standing next to an end table, flicking over one of the chess pieces on the chess board gently. With vampire speed and strength, he pushed the board off the table with such force that it flied halfway across the room. He proceeded to knocking the end table across the room.
Kaylin looked at her brother, not giving a reaction.
Nicola looked down, into the flames, sympathetic.
Stefan breathed heavily, more hurt than angry as he stared blankly at nothing.
----
Lockwood Cellar
Luke saw Kim's dead body. He walked out of the cellar, clearly in anguish.
He did not notice that Rosalita was waiting behind the wall.
Rosalita smirked, and once Luke had walked out, she walked out from behind the wall, approaching the coffins lying in the middle of the cellar, opening one of them, revealing a daggered Rebekah in the coffin. "Hello, Rebekah." She opened the other, revealing a daggered Kassandra in the coffin. "Hello, Kassandra." She took the daggers out of their chests, spinning the daggers in her hands, twirling them around, using mind control on the Original sisters while she was waiting for them to wake up. "Time to wake up. I need you two to do something for me. It'll help me with my plan on getting to Silas."
The shot panned through the ceiling of the cellar up into the woods above, where all of the other dead hybrid lied.
----
Woods
Tyler stood in the midst of his dead friends, deeply sad.
Kacie ran toward him, calling for her brother and her friend. "Tyler! Luke!" She slowed to a stop, looking around at the dead bodies of her friends. "Oh, my God." Tyler turned toward her, absolutely numb. Kacie saw the anger in his eyes, shaking her head, tears in her own. "I didn't do it, Ty. I didn't tell him. You have to believe me."
Tyler walked closer to her. "I know it wasn't you. It was Hayley. She admitted it to me, Luke and Ryan It's all because of Rosalita, Kacie." Kacie looked at him in shock. "Rosalita's back."
Horrified and hurt because of all their dead friends around them, Kacie started to cry.
Tyler and Kacie embraced, completely numb.
Luke walked up the cellar steps behind Tyler.
Kacie looked at Luke, pulling away from Tyler. "Luke."
Tyler turned to face him.
Luke slowly walked closer to them, completely numb, slowing to a stop when he stood next to them. "Kacie."
Kacie looked from Tyler to Luke, wrapping an arm around each, no longer crying, but her cheeks still tear-stained.
None of the three hybrids moved or spoke in the midst of the eleven dead hybrids surrounding them.
(Song Ends)
----
Town Square
Carol was leaving a voice message. "Tyler, honey, you and Kacie are supposed to be my sober cab. I think I drank half the party."
Carol hung up, sitting on the edge of the stone fountain. She put her champagne glass down next to her, taking her shawl off.
(Song:) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Digital Daggers
Klaus approached Carol, bloodstained, having his sword. "Good evening, Carol. You're looking for Tyler and Kacie. I'd like to have a word with them myself. Them, and Luke and Ryan Thompson."
Carol looked at him, terrified. "Klaus, please, don't hurt them. Luke and Ryan, they're innocent."
Klaus seethed in anger. "Luke and Ryan Thompson are far from innocent."
Carol was very scared. "Tyler and Kacie are all I have."
"And you're all they have," Klaus told her. "There's a beautiful symmetry to that, don't you think?"
Klaus grabbed Carol by the back of the neck.
Carol screamed.
Further in the Square, Ryan stood alone, hearing the cry for help, turning toward it.
Klaus pushed Carol's head into the water surrounding the fountain.
Carol struggled to fight Klaus off.
Klaus continued to hold her head under.
Ryan rushed toward him, in an attempt to save Carol. He let his eyes glow gold.
Klaus turned toward him, one arm still holding Carol's head underwater as he used the other to grip Ryan by the throat. "Now's not a good time to play hero, Ryan."
Ryan looked at him in realization, not having known what he had looked like before. "Klaus."
Finally, Carol took her last breath and the life left her eyes.
Klaus took his hand off her neck, raising it toward Ryan.
Ryan kicked into Klaus' chest, making him let him go, falling to the ground.
The note Lindsey had given him fell out of his pocket, onto the ground.
Klaus walked toward Ryan. "Ryan Thompson. Luke's brother. Where is he? Where is Tyler and Kacie?"
"I'm not telling you anything," Ryan told him.
"A warrior, then?" Klaus asked. Ryan slid back. Klaus stabbed the sword through his stomach, pinning him to the ground. Ryan groaned, gasping. "Lindsey Davis would be proud to know the love of her life died trying to save one."
Ryan looked at the note on the ground.
Klaus took his sword out of his stomach, starting to slash into Ryan repeatedly with the sword, over and over again, to the point where he was a bleeding, nearly unrecognizable mess.
Ryan slowly stopped moving, the life leaving his eyes.
Klaus pulled his sword out of Ryan's chest, walking away, leaving Ryan's dead body on the grass and Carol's dead body in the fountain without looking back.
(Song Ends)
----~----
4.10 "After School Special" Trailer
(Song:) Ursa Minor - Celldweller
From 4.10 "After School Special", in the school gym, Eliza was nervous. "Rebekah."
Rebekah smiled, stepping toward her. "Hello, Eliza."
From 4.10 "After School Special", in the Lockwood Mansion, Tyler was on the phone. "Kassandra?"
Kassandra was in a school hallway, smirking. "Hello, Tyler."
THE ORIGINAL SISTERS ARE BACK
From 4.10 "After School Special", outside the Gilbert Lake House, Kacie rushed to pick up two guns in both of her hands, shooting Klaus in the chest with the wooden bullets, stalking forward as she did, making Klaus back away as she continued to shoot.
Damon, Cristian, Jeremy and Matt looked at Kacie in shock and satisfaction, impressed.
AND THEY ARE THIRSTY
From 4.10 "After School Special", in the school library, Tyler and Luke were starting to transform.
From 4.10 "After School Special", in the school hallway, Nicola, Kaylin, Caroline and Eliza ran away in one direction.
Alex, Stefan, Elena and Liv ran away in another.
NOW
From 4.10 "After School Special", at Whitmore, Kol walked down the hallway.
THE WAR
From 4.10 "After School Special", in a science lab, Bonnie, Lindsey and Tory were kneeling on the floor around April, wearing bone necklaces. Wind started to blow around them fiercely. Beams of light started to leave each of their necklaces. They were linking them together in a shape of a Triqetra, meaning trinity, or eternity.
Alex: (voice over from 4.10 After School Special) "Talk about what?"
From 4.10 "After School Special", in a classroom, Stefan, Alex and Elena were arguing.
Alex walked toward Elena. "How many more ways are there for you to rip our hearts out?"
BEGINS
WORLDS COLLIDING (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES)
Kaylin, Stefan, Alex, Elena, Damon and Nicola walked down a corridor, in fine dresses and suits.