Memorial/Transcript

THE WOODS
(Stefan and Elena are lying under a blanket on the floor of the woods. Elena wakes up, looks at Stefan and smiles.)
Elena: Hi.
Stefan: Hi.
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Stefan is packing up stuff for a camping trip in the woods. Damon is in the room with him.)
Damon: You're making a big mistake.
Stefan: No, I'm not. If I can get Elena used to animal blood right out the gate.
Damon: You're reaching.
Stefan: Maybe she'll be able to bypass all the things that we went through.
Damon: Delusional!
Stefan: Maybe she actually has a shot at this.
Damon: Wrong. You're just wrong, Stefan.
Stefan: She won't be able to handle it if she hurts someone, Damon. Her compassion is her Achilles heel and everything is magnified right now.
Damon: Then you better hope she's not a fan of Bambi.
THE WOODS
(Stefan and Elena are walking through the woods. They see a deer eating nearby. Elena breathes heavily.)
Stefan: Close your eyes.
(She looks up at Stefan, than closes her eyes. Stefan rushes at the deer and Elena opens her eyes and gasps.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Damon stabs a knife into the table.)
Damon: She needs human blood, Stefan, from the vein.
Stefan: Oh, come on, you know what happens. You name me a vampire who didn't kill at least one person when they were new.
(Damon gets up.)
Damon: You name me one who went on a bunny diet and didn't kill dozens.
THE WOODS
(Elena drinks the blood from the deer. The blood is all over her face as she pulls away from its neck and breathes heavily.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
Stefan: If she kills someone, she will crumble. How much pain do you think she could take before she shuts off her humanity switch?
Damon: It happens to the best of us at least once. We get over it, Stefan. A hundred years or so.
THE WOODS
(Elena gets up from the ground. The deer runs off. She watches it leave; still looking traumatized by the feed.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
Stefan: No, I think I'd like her to skip that part.
(Damon starts unpacking the bags that Stefan was packing for the trip in the woods.)
Damon: She can't learn to control the bloodlust, if she's never actually experienced the bloodlust.
Stefan: What are you doing? Knock it off.
(Damon continues to unpack the bag.)
Damon: It's a cheat. It's like giving a kid a calculator before they know math.
Stefan: I said stop it!
(Stefan grabs Damon's arm. Damon pushes his arm off of him. They stare each other down.)
THE WOODS
(Elena touches the blood around her mouth and cries.)
Stefan: Don't worry, he'll heal. Bigger animals are more resilient.
(Elena turns and faces Stefan.)
Stefan: Hey. (Stefan dabs at the blood around Elena's mouth with a cloth.) You did it. I know it's hard. (He caresses her face.) But you can do this.
(Elena cries, but nods her head confidently.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Elena enters Stefan's room. Damon and Stefan are still staring at each other.)
Elena: Woah, what's going on?
Stefan: We're just having a little disagreement about process.
Elena: You're still not on board with the animal plan.
(Stefan stops the stare down with Damon and goes back to packing the bag.)
Damon: Nope. I say rip off the proverbial band-aid and let it bleed. You're a vampire, Elena, be a vampire.
(Stefan finishes packing and walks over towards Elena.)
Stefan: Ready to go?
(Elena nods. They both start to leave.)
Damon: Vampires eat people!
(Stefan and Elena stop in the doorway and look at him.)
Damon: It's part of the natural food pyramid. Trust me, you're going to be miserable.
(Stefan leaves. Elena stands there for a second, then follows Stefan.)
THE WOODS
(Stefan is standing behind Elena. He is trying to teach her how to use her super speed.)
Elena: (giggles) I can't do it.
Stefan: Alright, it's like the starting line of a race, right? So you just push off with every ounce of strength that you have.
Elena: Yeah, but I was a cheerleader. I sucked at track.
Stefan: Just concentrate, okay? You can do it.
(Elena crouches into a running position and breathes out. Stefan places his hands around her waist.)
Elena: I can't. All I can think about is your hands on my body.
Stefan: Oh, okay.
(Stefan takes his hands off from around her waist. She grabs his hands and puts them back around her.)
Elena: No, no, no. I - I didn't say to take them off. It feels good.
Stefan: Yeah. What does it feel like?
Elena: It feels like you're touching every nerve on my body.
(Stefan runs his hand up and down Elena's arm and waist.)
Stefan: Everything is heightened. Taste, smell, sight, touch.
(Stefan starts to kiss Elena's neck. She has an expression of pleasure on her face. She grabs Stefan's face and they begin to kiss passionately. She jumps up and puts her legs around his waist. Stefan super speeds them together into a tree. Elena places herself back down on the ground as they continue to kiss. Stefan unzips Elena's jacket and unbuttons her pants. Elena helps Stefan take off his shirt. Elena kisses his chest then moves back to his lips. They kiss for a while longer, when suddenly Elena stops and pushes Stefan away. Stefan looks worried. Elena rushes off into the woods and falls to the ground. She pukes up the animal blood.)
PASTOR YOUNG'S CABIN
(A man enters the house which has crime scene tape around the door and numbers lying on the floor where the bodies were found. He searches around the house with a flashlight in hand. He makes his way over to the stove and sees the gas line has been taken out of it. There is a short flashback to Pastor Young removing the hose from the stove. Connor moves the flashlight to the floor where a burnt lighter lies. Another flashback shows Pastor Young lighting the lighter and the kitchen becoming engulfed in flames. Connor opens the oven door on the stove. Inside he finds a letter with the name April on it. He opens up the letter and glances at it. He proceeds to leave the house with the letter.)
MYSTIC GRILL
(Damon is sitting at the bar, drinking alone. Sheriff Forbes comes up next to him and pulls out a chair.)
Damon: That seat's taken.
(Sheriff Forbes throws down a newspaper in front of Damon and moves to his other side. Damon takes the paper and reads the headline.)
Damon: ‘Faulty gas line leads to tragic explosion at Young farm.' (He throws the paper down.) Really?
Liz: Better than ‘Town Council blown up. Police have no suspects.' Unless the perpetrator is right next to me.
(Liz looks up at Damon. Damon takes a swig of his drink.)
Damon: Well, don't look at me. I always take credit for killing people.
(Liz continues to stare at Damon. Damon puts down his drink.)
Damon: Seriously, stop looking at me like that, Liz. If I was going to kill twelve people, I wouldn't blow them up, I'd have a dinner party.
Liz: The explosion was sparked from inside. This wasn't an accident.
Damon: You say that like it's a bad thing.
(Connor enters the Grill and sees Sheriff Forbes talking to Damon.)
Damon: The Council's dead, Liz. I see that as a win.
Liz: I've known some of the Council since I was a kid. They were my friends.
Damon: Well, your friends tried to kill your daughter.
(Damon sees Connor approaching.)
Damon: Who's the new guy?
Connor: Excuse me, Sheriff. Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a minute about the explosion at the Young farm.
Liz: I'm sorry, Mr..?
Connor: Oh, Connor Jordan.
(Connor holds his hand out to her. He is wearing a black glove. Liz takes his hand and shakes it.)
Liz: Are you with the insurance investigators?
Connor: No, no, I'm more of an independent contractor.
(Connor looks at Damon.)
Connor: Can we speak in private?
Liz: Sure.
Connor: Thanks.
(Connor walks away. Liz looks at Damon and follows Connor.)
Damon: (to himself) Nice to meet you too, Mr. Busybody Guy.
MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL
(Jeremy and Matt are putting boxes into the back of a car.)
Matt: So, what are these again?
Jeremy: They're paper lanterns. The student council made them for after the Memorial. We light them up in honor of all the dead.
(Jeremy and Matt walk over to the remainder of the boxes.)
Matt: Nobody thought fire might be a little inappropriate.
Jeremy: Yeah, I wouldn't make that crack in front of Elena.
Matt: How is she?
Jeremy: I guess she's fine, considering.
Matt: If there's anything I can do, you know, short of giving her a ride, you'll let me know, right? I'm only alive because she told Stefan to save me first. She's a vampire because of me, so I'd like to pay it back or forwardor whatever.
Jeremy: Yeah.
(They grab another couple of boxes and start walking back to the car. A young girl approaches them and they stop.)
April: Jeremy?
(Jeremy looks at her, confused.)
April: Picture an emo pixie cut and braces.
Jeremy: April?
April: Yeah.
(Jeremy puts down the box and walks over to her.)
Jeremy: You look great! (To Matt) You remember April? Elena used to…
Matt: Elena used to babysit you. Yeah, I remember.
April: Yeah, before I got shipped off to boarding school by my dad.
Jeremy: Your dad. Oh my God, I am so sorry about your dad.
April: Thank you. I guess. I sort of don't know how to answer when people say that.
Matt: Your dad was Pastor Young, right?
April: He had the faulty gas line.
(Matt looks down awkwardly.)
April: Sorry, I haven't figured out what to say about that yet either. Wow, I am being a freak. Um… I‘m just, you know, not much for grief, I guess. I have to go register or something, I think. (To herself.) Stupid.
(She walks away, quickly. Matt and Jeremy watch her leave.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Elena is leaving a message for Caroline on her phone.)
Elena: Hey, Care, it's me. I'm back, I um- can you call me? I've been having some (whispers) adjustment issues.
(Stefan walks into his room. Elena hangs up her phone.)
Elena: Hey.
Stefan: Hi.
(Stefan has a bottle of champagne and two glasses in his hands.)
Elena: What's that for?
Stefan: This is from the year you were born. I think we should celebrate.
Elena: Celebrate what?
Stefan: Your first feed. I know it was disgusting and traumatic and it was horrible, but you did it anyway.
(Stefan walks over to her with the glasses and champagne.)
Stefan: You survived it.
Elena: Well, um, I wouldn't say I survived it. It actually kind of made me sick.
Stefan: Listen, I choked it down for a month before I could stomach the taste. It gets easier. (He holds out the champagne.) This, on the other hand, will go down like silk.
(They both smile.)
Elena: You're so cheery.
Stefan: Yeah, because you're here and you're alive – ish. And you're gonna get through this.
(Elena nods.)
Stefan: So, would you like to do the honors?
Elena: Okay.
(Elena pops out the cork and it flies across the room. She screams and laughs. Stefan laughs with her. The champagne is overflowing.)
Elena: Oh my gosh.
(Stefan pours the champagne into the glasses. They clink them together.)
Stefan: Cheers.
(They kiss, until Stefan's phone goes off. It's Damon. He answers it.)
Stefan: Perfect timing, Damon. Yeah, we just got back. What?
MYSTIC GRILL
(Elena approaches Damon at the bar.)
Elena: Did you do it?
(She begins to sit down.)
Damon: That seat's taken.
Elena: But there's no one here.
Damon: Well, I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there, because the alternative is just too damn depressing.
(She moves to his other side and sits down.)
Elena: Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council?
Damon: Am I wearing my "I Blew Up The Council" t-shirt, why does everybody keep asking me that?
Elena: Did you?
Damon: No. Anything else?
(Elena hesitates.)
Elena: Yes, something's wrong. I can't keep any of the animal blood down.
Damon: Well, there's a shock.
Elena: I think I need your help.
Damon: (sighs) Of course you do. Pick your meal. (Damon points to a person sitting out of view.) You've got Asian fusion. (He puts somewhere else.) Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?
Elena: No. No, no human blood. Stefan's right, I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone.
(Damon finishes his drink and gets up.)
Damon: Fine, come on.
(Damon grabs Elena's arm and drags her with him. They enter the bathroom together. He closes the door and locks it behind them.)
Elena: What are you doing?
(Damon bites his hand.)
Damon: Giving you what you need. Drink.
(Damon holds out his bloody hand to her.)
Elena: What?
Damon: You're a new vampire, Elena. You need warm blood from the vein. Maybe this will do the trick. Or not. But just, don't tell Stefan.
(Elena stares at the blood on his hand.)
Elena: Why not?
Damon: Because blood sharing is kind of personal.
Elena: What do you mean it's personal?
Damon: Just drink.
(Elena looks down at his hand and back at him. He nods his head. She grabs his hand in hers and starts to drink. She closes her eyes and lays her head on his shoulder as she continues to drink. Damon strokes Elena's hair. They fall back onto one of the bathroom stalls. Damon closes his eyes, appearing to be pleasured by the fact that Elena is drinking his blood, as he continues to stroke her hair.)
LOCKWOOD MANSION
(Tyler and Caroline are in bed together. They are kissing, but Caroline pushes Tyler off of her.)
Caroline: This is wrong. A bunch of people died and we're having sex.
Tyler: Grief sex. It's healthy.
Caroline: It's selfish.
Tyler: It's natural. Besides, if we stopped having sex every time somebody died in this town, we'd explode.
(Tyler begins kissing her again. Caroline pushes him away.)
Caroline: We need to be more sensitive.
(Tyler touches Caroline.)
Caroline: Tyler.
Tyler: Oh, come on.
(They stare at each other for a moment.)
Tyler: I love you. How's that for sensitive?
Caroline: I love you too.
(They laugh and place their foreheads together. They begin kissing again. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Tyler looks up.)
Tyler: Who the hell is that?
(Carol answers the door downstairs. Connor is outside.)
Carol: May I help you?
Connor: Good evening. I'm hoping I can help you actually. I spoke with Sheriff Forbes earlier. My name is Connor Jordan.
(He reaches his hand out. Carol shakes it.)
Carol: Carol Lockwood. I know who you are, Connor, and I believe the Sheriff made it clear that the tragedy at the farmhouse was an internal matter.
Connor: That's one way of looking at it, I guess. Although I prefer the term cover up. Do you mind if I come in?
Carol: You know, I really don't think that's a good idea.
(Connor forces his way in. Carol tries to shut the door on him, but is unsuccessful.)
Carol: Uh, excuse me.
Connor: Thank you. You're aware that it wasn't an accident. Any rookie fireman could tell you that.
Carol: (angrily) What are you? The press?
Connor: Not exactly. So, twelve Council members are dead, you're the Mayor, why weren't you at that meeting?
Carol: It wasn't official town business.
Connor: What was it then?
(Tyler comes downstairs while he is putting his shirt back.)
Tyler: Mom? What's going on?
(Tyler walks around his mom and approaches Connor. Connor turns to face him.)
Tyler: Is there something I could help you with?
Connor: Maybe. How are you doing? I'm Connor.
(He reaches his hand out. Tyler takes it. Tyler's skin starts to burn and he growls in pain. Connor pulls out a pistol and shoots Tyler several times. Tyler falls on the floor and Connor continues to shoot at him. Carol is frantically yelling Tyler's name. Upstairs, Caroline hears the commotion and sits up. She grabs a shirt and starts to leave the room. Back downstairs, Connor is reloading his weapon to fire more bullets at Tyler.)
Carol: Tyler! Oh my God! Tyler! Tyler, run!!
(Tyler gets up from the floor, super speeds across the room and smashes through a window. Connor runs out the door after him. Caroline comes down the stairs. They both see a smear of blood on the floor and look at each other in shock.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Stefan is pulling the wooden bullets out of Tyler's torso with a pair of metal tongs. Caroline is standing nearby, watching.)
Caroline: Please tell me that's the last one.
(Stefan observes one of the bullets.)
Stefan: These were specially carved; the length, the width. If you were a normal vampire, you'd be dead.
(Stefan places the wooden bullet in a glass of alcohol to clean it off.)
Tyler: This guy knew what he was doing. His gloves must have been steeped in vervain. He was looking for a vampire and he didn't hesitate for a second when he found one.
Stefan: (observing the bullet) These etchings….
(He touches the bullet, but is burned by it.)
Caroline: Are the bullets spelled?
Stefan: I don't know. They're something.
MYSTIC FALLS CHURCH
(Matt and Elena are laying out memorial pamphlets on the rows of benches in the church. Matt walks up to Elena.)
Matt: How are you feeling? A little strung out?
(He hands her more pamphlets.)
Elena: I'm fine. It's just my emotions are all over the place. Everything's heightened. I mean (She opens up one of the pamphlets) just the sight of all the names of the dead makes me want to cry for a week.
Matt: You didn't have to volunteer.
Elena: People died. People we've known our whole lives, so yeah, I did.
(Elena glances over at the front of the church and sees April sitting on one of the pews.)
Elena: Is that?
Matt: April Young. Yeah.
Elena: Oh, wow.
(Elena walks over to April and sits down next to her.)
Elena: Hey there.
April: Hey. Long time, no see. Not since...
Elena: My parent's funeral.
April: Yeah.
(Elena hugs April.)
Elena: Are you gonna survive this?
April: They want me to speak. I guess all the kids who lost somebody can. What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry my dad didn't fix the gas line? But, if I don't say anything then… I mean, what if nobody does? My dad and I didn't always get along or anything but, everybody still deserves to have nice things said about them at their own funeral, you know? I mean, for my mom's funeral, everybody said these really nice things.
Elena: You say what you want to say or you don't say anything at all. And don't worry about your dad, everyone in this town loved him.
April: Yeah. (She starts to choke up.) Until two days ago.
Elena: Even still.
(Elena takes her hand to comfort her, but soon she feels the hunger rising inside of her and begins to get up.)
Elena: I'm sorry, I… I have to go.
(Elena rushes off. She goes into the bathroom and pukes up Damon's blood in the toilet. She gets up and walks over to the sink. She pukes up more blood. She looks at herself in the mirror and breathes heavily. She sees the blood staining her clothes and dripping down her chin. She begins to get upset and panic.)
BONNIE'S HOUSE
(Bonnie is lying on the couch. Stefan is banging on her front door.)
Stefan: Bonnie? Bonnie, I know you're in there. I can hear you breathing. Bonnie, please, it's important.
(Bonnie gets up and opens the front door.)
Stefan: Hey. You alright?
(Stefan tries to walk in, but can't.)
Stefan: Can I come in, please?
(Bonnie nods her head. Stefan walks in and embraces her. She begins to cry. The two move into the living room to talk.)
Bonnie: My Grams, it was like she was dying all over again. Just because I didn't listen to her about not doing black magic.
Stefan: Well, you're dealing with the Other Side. It's not reliable. Witches were probably just messing with your head trying to teach you a lesson.
Bonnie: Well, it worked. I tried to do a basic nature spell this morning just to clear my head and it just brought it all back. Like it was happening all over again. Sorry, I'm a mess, I've been holed up in here avoiding everyone. I've completely blown off Jamie. (She sighs.) You came here because you needed something, right?
(Stefan gets up to leave.)
Stefan: Yeah, but, it can wait.
Bonnie: No, come on. Stefan, I'm okay. You're not exactly a drop by kind of guy, just… if something's wrong, tell me.
(Stefan sits down next to Bonnie and unwraps a cloth with the wooden bullets from Connor's gun in them.)
Stefan: Alright, these burn to the touch. Could just be steeped in vervain, but this writing, have you ever seen anything like this before?
Bonnie: No. It's not magical writing, if that's what you're thinking.
(He sighs.)
Bonnie: Where'd you get these?
Stefan: I think we have a new vampire hunter in town.
Bonnie: That's bad timing.
MYSTIC FALLS CHURCH
(Elena is still in the bathroom; cleaning up the blood she puked up. She's on the phone with Damon.)
Damon: I'm here. I'm here. Where are you?
Elena: I'm in the basement bathroom.
(The knob on the door starts rattling and turning. Elena looks at it.)
Elena: Is that you at the door?
Damon: Not yet.
(Connor is on the other side of the door. He knocks on it.)
Elena: Sorry, there's someone in here! (To Damon) Damon, hurry.
(Elena turns on the water and continues to clean up the blood on the sink, floor, and toilet. Outside of the bathroom, Damon walks down the stairs with a new dress for Elena to change into. Connor is sitting on a couch outside the bathroom. Damon sees him and stops outside the bathroom door.)
Damon: You again. Stalking small town funerals?
(Elena opens the bathroom door and takes the dress from Damon.)
Elena: Oh, Damon, thank God.
(Elena looks out the door at Connor.)
Elena: Sorry, I – I spilt coffee all over my dress.
(Connor gets up, looking suspiciously at her. Elena looks at Damon, Damon nods at her and she closes the door to change.)
Connor: (To Damon) We have not met. I'm Connor. Jordan.
(He holds his hand out for Damon to shake.)
Damon: Damon. Germaphobe. (To Elena) Everything okay in there?
Elena: Yeah, just a minute!
(Elena places all of the bloody tissues into a bag. Damon and Connor, outside of the bathroom, continue to stare at each other.)
Damon: So, what brings you to Mystic Falls? Bible salesman?
Connor: (laughs) No, actually I'm in environmental clean up.
Damon: Oh.
Connor: Heard you had a bit of a pollution problem.
Damon: Huh, well, I was unaware. I breathe pretty easy.
(Elena comes out of the bathroom.)
Elena: (To Connor) I'm so sorry that took so long.
Connor: No problem.
Damon: Well, enjoy your stay. We love visitors and the scenery is to die for. (He gasps and puts his hand to his mouth.) Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry.
(Elena and Damon leave.)
(Up in the balcony, April is trying to write a speech for her father. She is startled by Connor who appears next to her.)
April: Sorry, you scared me. I was just practicing my speech for later.
(She gets up. Connor stabs her in the stomach. She gasps. Connor sits her down on the bench. April takes her hand away from her wound and sees it's bloody. Blood begins to drip from her mouth.)
OUTSIDE MYSTIC FALLS CHURCH
(Elena and Damon are walking across the grounds.)
Elena: Did you bring the blood bag?
Damon: Would you mind saying that a little louder?
(They go behind a tree together.)
Damon: Here.
(Damon hands her the blood bag. She takes it and rips the top open. She begins to drink it, but starts to feel sick again. She spits the blood out. Damon takes the bag back from her.)
Elena: No, I can't. It tastes like…. What's wrong with me?
(Damon wipes the blood off of Elena's chin.)
Damon: I don't know, maybe it's your doppelgänger blood, you're rejecting the transition.
Elena: I'm dying, aren't I?
Damon: No, you're not dying. You just need to drink from the vein.
Elena: No. No, I don't – I can't risk killing anyone, Damon. Maybe I'm better off dead.
(Damon grabs her by the shoulders.)
Damon: Don't you think like that. Elena, you'll be fine. Okay?
(He gently caresses her face. The church bells ring.)
Elena: I have to get back inside.
(Elena walks back towards the church. Stefan shows up and sees Elena walking back inside and Damon picking up the blood bag and putting it away. Damon looks up and sees Stefan. He starts to walk away. Stefan follows him.) 
Damon: (to himself) Ah, great.
Stefan: What's in the bag, Damon?
Damon: Mid-service snack. Church always gets me hungry. The whole blood Christ thing, you know.
(Stefan glares at him.)
Damon: I brought it for Elena.
Stefan: Are you really that intent on having your way?
Damon: It's not my way, it's the only way.
Stefan: If she hurts someone, she'll be desperate to turn the guilt off. Maybe even desperate enough to shut off her humanity.
Damon: What and become a Ripper?
Stefan: I can't let her be anything like me.
Damon: Well, God forbid, she's anything like me. That's really what you're thinking. She's gonna go off the rails eventually, anyways, Stefan, so the faster we can make it happen, the sooner we can get her back on track.
Stefan: She's strong. If we help her, she can survive this.
Damon: She's starving, Stefan! She hasn't been able to keep blood down for days.
Stefan: What are you talking about? She told me she was fine.
Damon: Well, then she lied. Your four legged protein shake was a bust. The juice box is a no go. She can't even keep my blood down.
Stefan: She drank from you?
Damon: Oops. Did I say that out loud?
(Damon walks away. Stefan looks hurt.)
INSIDE MYSTIC FALLS CHURCH
(Elena quietly walks in the room. She sits down next to Matt and Jeremy. She is pale. Matt and Jeremy look at her.)
Matt: You okay?
(Elena nods.)
Jeremy: (To Elena) Hey, April was looking for you. She wanted help with her speech.
(Elena looks around.)
Elena: Where is she?
(Up in the balcony, Connor is loading a gun. He has April gagged and tied up, leaning against the balcony's wall.)
Jeremy: I don't know.
(Stefan walks in the church. He stops next to Tyler and Caroline.)
Stefan: What are you doing here, Tyler?
Tyler: Being sensitive to the community's loss.
Stefan: With a hunter out to get you?
Tyler: I'm not letting a hunter stop me from where I'm supposed to be.
Caroline: Also, if he shows his face, I'm gonna kick his ass.
(Stefan walks away and moves down a row. Mayor Lockwood is at the podium, preparing to start the memorial. Stefan sits down, two rows behind Elena.)
Carol: Before we begin the Mass, we'd like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the Town Council. I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad. April? April, are you still here, honey?
(Up in the balcony, Connor puts a wooden stake into his gun.)
Carol: Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor Young?
(No one gets up for a moment. Connor, in the balcony, points his gun at various people, getting ready to shoot if one of them reveals themselves to be a vampire. Finally, Elena stands up. Stefan and Caroline appear to be worried.)
Carol: Come on up, Elena.
(Connor points his gun at Elena's back. Elena proceeds to walk up to the podium. Damon enters the church; Stefan, Tyler, and Caroline all turn to look at him. Damon dips his hands in a bowl of holy water and touches his forehead, chest, and shoulders in the formation of a cross.)
Damon: (To himself) Don't know why that always makes me smile.
(He sits down next to Stefan and looks at Elena who has made her way to the podium.)
Damon: She doesn't look so good.
Stefan: Maybe you should have told me she was rejecting all food sources.
Damon: Jealousy's beneath you, brother.
Stefan: Oh, bite me.
Elena: I uh – when I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak. And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too.
(Stefan and Damon glance at each other. Elena holds on to the sides of the podium.)
Elena: The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them.
(Elena stops. She smells and hears blood dripping from somewhere. Stefan, Tyler, Damon, and Caroline all smell it too.)
Caroline: (To Tyler) Do you smell that?
Tyler: Blood.
(Elena starts to breathe heavily.)
Damon: (to Caroline, Tyler, Elena, and Stefan via vampire hearing) Nobody move. Don't turn around, it's a trap.
(A pool of blood has started to form next to April. The blood has seeped through the balcony and starts to drip into the holy water. Elena is still at the podium, trying to fight the urge for blood.)
Elena: I um…
(She breathes in and out, but veins start crawling towards her eyes. Stefan comes up to the podium and wraps his arm around her.)
Stefan: It's okay, it's okay. I got you, I got you.
(Stefan leads Elena off the stage and back into the row next to Matt. The priest goes over to the podium. Connor continues to follow Elena with his gun, but points it back at the podium.)
Priest: Please turn to page forty two in your hymn book. Let us join together in a song.
(Everyone in the room stands up and begins to sing. Connor pulls back his gun. Elena leans on Stefan when they finally get back to their seats.)
Elena: The blood. Stefan, the blood, I can smell it. There's so much.
Stefan: It's alright; just remember what we talked about. Focus, push back, come on you can do this.
Matt: What's wrong with her?
Stefan: She's hungry. She hasn't fed.
Matt: So, get her out of here.
Stefan: I can't. There's somebody watching us.
Damon: I'm gonna go rip his head off now.
Stefan: You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us.
Damon: Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off.
Elena: Stefan, I'm losing it.
Damon: You have ten seconds before I go old fashioned on the new guy.
Stefan: Don't do it, Damon. Please.
Damon: Three, two, one. Bye.
(Damon starts to get up.)
Matt: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Elena, feed from me.
(Damon and Tyler look at Matt.)
Matt: It's okay, everyone will think you're upset. Just feed from me.
(Stefan looks at Matt and Elena. He lets Matt take Elena in his arms. Connor points his gun down at Elena and Matt.)
Matt: It's okay. You'll be okay.
(Elena moves Matt's collar and begins to drink from his neck. Connor still has his gun pointed on them, but only sees Elena "crying" on Matt's shoulder. After a while, Elena stops drinking. Her face goes back to normal.)
Elena: Thank you.
(She pulls away from Matt and Connor lowers his gun. Elena wipes the blood from her mouth and Matt hides the wound. On the other side of the room, Tyler moves past Caroline and up the aisle. Caroline watches him, confused.)
Elena: The blood. I can still smell it. It's got to be April. We have to help her.
(Elena tries to leave, but Stefan stops her.)
Stefan: Elena, we can't risk it.
Elena: Then I'm gonna do it!
(Elena continues to try to push past Stefan. Suddenly, Tyler speaks from the podium. They all turn to look at him.)
Tyler: Excuse me. I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young.
(Connor recognizes Tyler and points his gun at him.)
Elena: What do we do?
(Everyone sits back down. Tyler begins to speak.)
Tyler: Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me. But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team; a community. Of giving yourself up for the sake of…
(Connor shoots at Tyler. Tyler falls to the floor. Everybody starts to scream, duck into the aisles, and rush out of the church. Damon makes his way out with the crowd. Caroline makes her way towards Tyler. Carol rushes towards Tyler's side. Elena comes up on the stage as well.)
Carol: Oh my God.
(Caroline gets down next to Tyler and rips the stake out of his chest. Stefan rushes onto the stage and stands next to Elena. Tyler starts coughing.)
Tyler: I'm gonna kill that bastard.
Stefan: Damon's way ahead of you. Stay here, I have to help him.
(Stefan starts to leave, but Elena grabs his hand.)
Elena: What about April?
Caroline: I got it. Go.
(Stefan leaves.)
Carol: I have to call an ambulance.
Caroline: No, he's fine.
(Elena walks away.)
Carol: The whole town just watched you get shot. I'm calling an ambulance.
(Carol leaves. Caroline looks up and sees Elena is gone.)
Caroline: Elena.
OUTSIDE MYSTIC FALLS CHURCH
(Connor throws his duffel bags full of weapons in the bed of his pickup truck. He gets in his car and shuts the door. Suddenly, Damon rushes towards the truck and rips the door off. He grabs Connor out and throws him onto the ground. Connor still has his pistol with wooden bullets and shoots Damon multiple times. Damon grabs the gun and throws it aside. Connor rolls Damon over and is now on top of him. He pulls a stake from his belt and is about to stab Damon in the heart, but Damon uses his strength to fight him from doing so. Nearby, Stefan is outside looking for Damon.)
Stefan: Damon?
(Connor hears Stefan, so he runs to his truck and drives off. Stefan runs towards Damon who is still lying on the ground, moaning.)
Damon: Ow.
(Stefan holds his hand out to Damon. Damon takes it. Stefan starts to pull him up, but stops and punches Damon in the face. Damon falls back to the ground.)
Damon: Uhh, what the hell was that for?
Stefan: You know what.
(Stefan walks away, leaving Damon on the ground.)
INSIDE THE CHURCH
(Elena is up in the balcony. She spots April, gagged up and bleeding.)
Elena: April!
(Elena rushes over to her, but stops when she sees the blood. She starts to vamp out and rushes towards April to feed off her, but Caroline rushes towards Elena and grabs her.)
Caroline: She's not dead, but if you feed on her you will kill her!
Elena: Let go of me!
(Elena tries to fight Caroline off and get to April's blood.)
Caroline: Look at her! Look at her, Elena! It's April. April Young. She's not a warm body for you to feed on. She's your friend.
(Elena slowly starts to turn back to normal. Caroline releases her.)
Caroline: She's an orphan. Just like you. She's scared. Just like you were.
(Caroline bites her wrist and feeds April her blood. April gasps. She looks at Caroline.)
April: (crying) Please, don't hurt me. Please.
Caroline: No one's gonna hurt you. No one's gonna hurt you.
(Caroline stands up and looks at Elena.)
Caroline: She needs you. You can make her forget all of this.
April: Why did he do this?
Elena: No, I – I can't, Caroline. You have to do it.
Caroline: No. The only way you're going to learn is if you do it yourself.
Elena: No, I can't.
Caroline: Yes, you can. You just need to believe what you're telling her. Okay?
(Elena kneels down next to April. She gently touches her shoulder. April is still panicking.)
Elena: April, listen to me.
(April looks at Elena.)
Elena: Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna get through this. Just like I got through it.
(Elena begins to compel April.)
Elena: I'm going to help you. I promise.
April: I'm gonna be okay. You're gonna help me.
(Elena looks up at Caroline and smiles. Caroline smiles back.)
Elena: You watched the funeral from up here so that you could grieve alone. It was a beautiful service. People said really nice things.
(April smiles.)
MYSTIC GRILL
(Jeremy and Matt are waiting at the bar for their food order.)
Matt: That was insane. How do you think they'll cover this one up?
Jeremy: An assassination attempt on the Mayor's son.
Matt: Altar boy goes postal.
(Connor comes up to the bar and sits down.)
Connor: (To Matt) Hey. (He gestures at his neck.) What happened there?
Matt: Uh, girlfriend went a little overboard.
(Matt walks away. Jeremy looks at Connor. He sees a large tattoo on his arm.)
Jeremy: Nice ink.
(Jeremy gets up and leaves with Matt. Connor looks down at his arm, confused.)
Matt: What ink?
Jeremy: You didn't see his tattoo? It was huge.
Matt: He didn't have a tattoo.
Jeremy: Yeah, he did.
(Back at the bar, Connor watches Jeremy and Matt walk out. He seems troubled by the fact that Jeremy could see this tattoo.)
CONNOR'S TRAILER
(Connor enters his trailer. He sits down and opens the letter that he took from the Pastor's house earlier. He begins to read it.)
Pastor Young: (voiceover) Dear April, I'm sorry for what you're going through. What I did was a necessary sacrifice and I'm afraid it's only the first of many more sacrifices to come. There's always been an evil that spread through Mystic Falls, but now a greater one is coming. My death is but the first in the war ahead. I will see you again when we all find our salvation. Until then, I love you. Dad.
(Connor puts down the letter.)
SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
(Stefan pours Elena a drink and hands it to her. He pours himself one as well. Elena sniffs the alcohol and groans in disgust.)
Stefan: It helps with the cravings.
(Elena drinks it and coughs. Stefan drinks from his glass as well.)
Elena: You're mad.
Stefan: Yeah, I'm mad. You lied to me.
Elena: I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you.
Stefan: Come on, Elena, you lied to me.
Elena: You were just so happy that things were going well and – and…
Stefan: You think I'm happy?
Elena: I just didn't want to ruin it for you.
Stefan: You're in hell which means that I'm in hell. Then you go to Damon for help.
(Elena starts to cry.)
Elena: Yeah, because I thought that he would understand.
Stefan: You think I don't?
Elena: Stefan, please.
Stefan: You fed on him, Elena. You fed on him. I know that may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me. And I know it certainly meant a lot to Damon.
Elena: I didn't want to hurt you. I'm – I'm sorry – I – look I'm really, really sorry. Why am I crying?
(She wipes her eyes.)
Elena: I'm so sick of crying!
(She stands up and starts to pace.)
Stefan: Your emotions are a bit heightened right now.
Elena: I feel like I've been crying since the day that my parents died. My life it's – it's like a never ending funeral. We keep burying people, Stefan. You want to know what's heightened? This grief, I can't stop feeling everyone's grief.
(Stefan walks over to her.)
Elena: All the hurt, I feel like it's trying to explode out of me.
(Stefan takes Elena's hands.)
Stefan: Hey, come on. Come with me.
Elena: Where?
Stefan: There's something we need to do. Come on.
(They walk away together.)
MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL
(Damon gets out of his car. He walks over towards Bonnie, who is also getting out of her car.)
Damon: What are we doing here?
Bonnie: I don't know. Ask Stefan.
(Caroline, Stefan, Elena, Matt, and Jeremy are all sitting at the tables outside of the school. Bonnie and Damon approach them.)
Damon: Stefan, what are we doing?
(Stefan has some of the paper lanterns in his hand.)
Stefan: We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier.
(Stefan hands Elena a lantern.)
Stefan: We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve.
Damon: So, you're lighting lanterns?
Stefan: Yeah. Yeah, we need to do this.
Damon: What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council. We have more important things to be doing right now than this.
Stefan: Not tonight, we don't.
(Damon scoffs.)
Stefan: This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric.
(Stefan lights the lantern. He hands the lighter to Matt.)
Matt: This is for Vicki.
(Matt lights his lantern. Caroline gets up and takes the lighter from Matt.)
Caroline: This is for my dad. And Tyler's.
(She lights her lantern. Jeremy gets up and takes the lighter from Caroline.)
Jeremy: (looking at Elena) This is for our parents. (He looks at Matt.) For Vicki. Anna. Jenna. And Alaric.
(He lights his lantern and looks up at Damon. He tries to hand him the lighter but Damon refuses.)
Damon: No way. I'm not doing that.
(Damon leaves. Jeremy hands the lighter to Bonnie. She takes a lantern out of the box and takes the lighter from Jeremy. She gets up and stands next to Caroline.)
Bonnie: This is for my Grams.
(Stefan looks at Elena. She gets up and stands next to him. She lights the lantern.)
Elena: This um – is for my mom, my dad, Jenna, everyone that you've all lost, everyone that this town has lost. And for me, I guess.
(Elena steps forward and releases her lantern. One at a time, they all begin to release their lanterns as well. They watch them as they float off into the night sky.)
A CEMETARY
(Damon is sitting on a bench with a bottle of bourbon. He's talking to a gravestone.)
Damon: They're floating lanterns in the sky, can you believe that? A Japanese lantern is the symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here's a news flash, we're not Japanese!
(Damon takes a swig of the bourbon.)
Damon: Do you know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle is going to make everything okay or even saying a prayer or pretending Elena is not going to end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires. Stupid, delusional, exasperating, little children. I know what you're going to say; "It makes them feel better, Damon." So what?
(The shot pulls out. Damon has been talking to Alaric's grave.)
Damon: For how long? A minute, a day? What differences does it make? (Damon gets up and walks towards the grave; still speaking to it.) Because in the end, when you lose somebody; every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be.
(Alaric's ghost is sitting on the bench, listening to Damon. Damon cannot see him.)
Damon: And a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong.
(Alaric smiles and laughs silently. Damon sits on Alaric's tombstone.)
Damon: So, thanks, friend. Thanks for leaving me here to babysit, because I should have been long gone by now. I didn't get the girl, remember? I'm just stuck here fighting with my brother and taking care of the kids. You owe me big.
(Damon takes a final swig from the bottle of bourbon and places it on Alaric's tombstone. Damon gets up and walks away. Alaric remains sitting on the stone bench.)
Alaric: I miss you too, buddy.
END CREDITS
Category:All Season 4 Transcripts