Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take/Transcript

== FLASH-FORWARD-- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 2016==
[Three years from the present, an injured, bleeding, and limping Stefan has just arrived at a storage locker, which he quickly opens and enters to find two coffins side-by-side. One holds Elena, who is still under Kai's magical coma spell, and when Stefan goes to open the other, it is revealed to hold a desiccated but still alive Damon. Stefan pulls out a blood bag and frantically starts to force the blood down Damon's throat as he pants and coughs]
: STEFAN: Damon, wake up! I need you! Wake up!
[He continues to force the blood down Damon's throat, but Damon remains desiccated and still, leading Stefan to shout at him]
: STEFAN: Damon, wake the hell up!
[Suddenly, Damon's skin turns from gray to pink-ish white, and his eyes snap open just as he gasps for breath and sits up, blood still dripping down his chin]
TITLE CARD & OPENING CREDITS
== PRESENT DAY (2013)-- OPENING MONTAGE ==
[In the present, Caroline is sitting on a park bench in the TOWN SQUARE, where she is writing in her diary. As she writes, she narrates in voiceover, explaining what each character has been up to for the last two months]
: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Dear Elena... A few weeks ago, you said goodbye and told us to write everything down so you'd feel like you didn't miss anything when you woke up. Bad news first-- Damon said the best way to keep his mind off you was to help Alaric grieve. So, in common Damon-fashion, he kidnapped Ric and flew him to Europe for a guy-getaway. I'm sure you can imagine how that's going.
[In an AMSTERDAM BAR, Alaric and Damon are outside on a patio, chugging steins of beer while their fellow bar patrons cheer them on in Dutch]
: BAR PATRONS: Drinken! Drinken! Drinken!
[Alaric and Damon finish their beers, groaning and belching a little as a result of drinking so much so fast]
: BAR PATRONS: Yeah! Hahaha! Woo!
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Obviously, we didn't send them there without a chaperone.
[Suddenly, Bonnie appears with a giant bottle of water, which she plops down in front of them on the table before giving them an exasperated look]
: BONNIE: Drinken. Now.
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] So, Damon's watching out for Alaric, Bonnie's watching out for Damon, and I don't know exactly who's watching out for Bonnie.
[The scene cuts to Matt and his fellow students at the police academy, who are taking their usual run around town]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Matt will officially be Deputy Donovan next week when he graduates. As happy as I am for him, a big part of me wishes my mom was hear to see it.
[Back in the TOWN SQUARE, we return to where Caroline is writing in her journal. She looks over at the placard on the bench upon which she's sitting that reads "In Loving Memory of Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes," looking sad as she runs her fingers over it]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] The Town Council gave her a bench. I've been visiting it, hoping I'll miraculously start missing her less. [She sighs] I keep thinking that if I can heal, I can move on with my life, but I don't see that happening any time soon.
[She gets back to writing in her journal, just as Stefan appears from behind the statue and walks toward her, though she doesn't immediately take notice]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Anyway, I covered Damon, Bonnie, Ric, Matt... Who am I missing?
[Stefan finally approaches her, startling her]
: STEFAN: Whatcha writing?
: CAROLINE: Stefan! What are you doing here?
: STEFAN: Matt reported some blood bags missing from the hospital, so I thought I'd check it out.
: CAROLINE: Do you think it's your mom?
: STEFAN: If it's not, then she has quite literally dropped off the face of the earth, and I'm still deciding if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
[They're silent for a moment, and Caroline, feeling awkward, hesitates before speaking]
: CAROLINE: So... how's Damon?
: STEFAN: [smiles] Well, if the last time he sat around waiting decades for a girl taught us anything, then I am worried.
: CAROLINE: [laughs] Well, if you're worried, then I'm terrified.
[They once again fall silent, and Stefan sits down next to her on the bench]
: STEFAN: I made this, uh, a thing, didn't I?
[Caroline plays dumb and pretends she doesn't know what he's talking about]
: CAROLINE: You made what a thing?
: STEFAN: I told you how I felt about you, and now it's- it's weird.
: CAROLINE: No. It's not weird, Stefan...
: STEFAN: [skeptically] You just asked about my brother-- who you hate-- to fill awkward silence.
: CAROLINE: [blushes] I don't hate Damon! I'm just...
[She laughs weakly before dropping the ruse]
: CAROLINE: ...Obviously... you know... scrambling to fill the awkward silence.
[Stefan makes a face, and Caroline rolls her eyes]
: CAROLINE: Okay, you made it a thing. Congratulations.
: STEFAN: Alright, how about this? New rule-- you live your life, you heal, and in the meantime, we're friends.
: CAROLINE: [nods happily] I like that rule!
: STEFAN: Good. Okay, happy writing!
: CAROLINE: Thank you.
[Stefan gets up and leaves, and Caroline smiles to herself as she returns to her diary]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] As I was saying... things are great.
[Nearby, as Stefan walks away, he passes another bench where one of the Heretics, Valerie, is writing in her own diary. She narrates in voiceover as she starts to discuss her life with her "family" since her return to the living world]
:: VALERIE: [voiceover] Dear diary-- I'm in hell. It's hard to imagine a place worse than where I've come from, but by some spectacular miracle, I found it. In the weeks since I've arrived, three things are clear: the food is literally made of poison, the air smells like a plague, and everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing.
[As Valerie walks down the street, she tries her best to reply to text messages she's received from Lily on her phone, but she can't seem to get it to work, and taps the screen multiple times in frustration as she crosses the street. The messages she's received read: "Please let me know when you have the blood. Thank you." "Valerie? You haven't checked in. Please call." "You're missing breakfast. Where are you?"
:: VALERIE: [voiceover] I don't. I don't fit in here, nor do I want to. This is not the world I imagined.
[Valerie, who isn't paying attention as she walks across the street, suddenly gets run over by an SUV, and her body rolls several yards down the road. The driver, a teenage boy named Stu and his girlfriend, rush out of the car and immediately begin to freak out]
: STU'S GIRLFRIEND: Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! What did you do?
: STU: I didn't think she'd walk right into the street.
: STU'S GIRLFRIEND: [panicked] Stu. Stu, we have to call 911.
: STU: [annoyed] Shut up, okay? Let me think.
[He looks around for a moment before getting an idea]
: STU: Okay. It's not like anyone saw us, right?
: STU'S GIRLFRIEND: [horrified] Are you insane? We can't just leave her here. She's not moving!
: STU: [freaking out] We just smoked a joint, okay? I'm high as a freaking kite right now. Do you want me to go to jail?
[Stu's girlfriend seems torn, but Stu is insistent]
: STU: Let's go.
[Stu turns and heads back to the car, though his girlfriend stays behind, clearly not wanting to leave her for dead. However, when Stu honk's the car's horn at her, she shoots one last look at Valerie before reluctantly standing and getting into the car. They then drive around her sprawled out body without another word. After they've gone, Valerie bolts upright, her face bloody and covered in road-rash as she picks up her bag and her phone and gets ready to leave]
:: VALERIE: [voiceover] As I was saying-- complete and utter hell. Not that my family's making it any easier.
[The scene cuts to a Foreclosed House where Lily and the Heretics have been hiding out. Lily has filled a teapot with blood and is pouring it into tea cups for Malcolm, Beau, Nora, and Mary Louise to drink. The girls giggle as they watch her]
:: VALERIE [voiceover] Lily's sequestered us away in some musty abandoned house. Stoic Beau; Nora the brat; the devious, mental Mary Louise; and Malcolm, Lily's pet--
[When Lily offers Malcolm a cup, he holds up a hand to decline and pushes the cup toward Nora and Mary Louise, who are seated side-by-side across the coffee table]
: MALCOLM: None for me, Lily. I've already had my ration today.
:: VALERIE: [voiceover] -- The brown-noser.
[Nora and Mary Louise both roll their eyes in annoyance]
: NORA: What a saint you are, Malcolm.
[Malcolm shrugs with a smile, and Lily rubs his shoulder affectionately. Nora reaches over and takes a cup from the coffee table before speaking]
: NORA: This is ludicrous.
: MARY LOUISE: Nora's right. How long are we to live on three sips a day? It's that prison world all over again.
: LILY: Beau's not complaining.
: MARY LOUISE: Beau's mute.
[Mary Louise takes a sip of her blood, and Beau, who is also drinking from his own cup, side-eyes her, looking offended. Lily gives her a stern look as well, causing Mary Louise to shrink away slightly in embarrassment]
: MALCOLM: And here I thought we could have a family meal in peace! Beau, care to join me for a game of backgammon while the lovebirds bicker?
[Malcolm and Beau stand to their feet and leave to play their game while Nora and Mary Louise shoot each other sly looks]
== AMSTERDAM BAR==
[Alaric and Damon are still on the patio of the bar drinking their beer. Alaric seems to be very drunk, and is poking his face with his fingers. Behind them, people are singing in Dutch]
: ALARIC: I can't... feel my cheeks. What are we drinking?
: DAMON: No idea.
[Damon checks the menu and frowns]
: DAMON: Can you read German?
: ALARIC: That's, uh, actually Dutch.
: DAMON: [frowns in confusion] Wait, where are we?
[From the next table, Bonnie, who is writing in her own diary, pipes up, exasperated by their non-stop partying]
: BONNIE: Amsterdam.
[Bonnie returns to writing and narrates her entry sarcastically in voiceover]
:: BONNIE: [voiceover] Dear Elena... Yup, halfway across Europe, and they're still drunk.
[Damon sees her writing and calls out to her]
: DAMON: Is that really necessary?
[Bonnie starts munching on nuts from the bowl on the table]
: BONNIE: Elena told me to keep a journal of everything she's missing! When she wakes up in sixty-odd years and finds out that Ric died from alcohol poisoning, she's gonna want to know what happened.
: DAMON: [smirks] Unless you tragically choke to death on those cocktail peanuts. Then I can tell her myself.
[Bonnie coos sarcastically]
: BONNIE: Aw, so sweet.
[Bonnie stands to her feet]
: BONNIE: I'm gonna go rent a bike and see the city like a normal tourist.
: DAMON: [sarcastically] FYI, they don't wear helmets here.
: BONNIE: [rolls her eyes] Keeps getting funnier.
[She starts to walk away, and Damon continues to shout after her]
: DAMON: Hey! Ride in the tram tracks, don't look both ways...
: BONNIE: [smiles and points at him] Got it.
[Beside him, Alaric chuckles in amusement as Bonnie walks away]
: ALARIC: Are you sure you don't want to go with her?
: DAMON: [gives him a look] Nice try. I'm not leaving you.
: ALARIC: I don't need a babysitter, Damon.
: DAMON: This isn't about what you need, Ric. It's about what I need. Just keeping you from jumping off a cliff keeps my mind off of the fact that my girlfriend's magical coma is linked to a Bennett witch that has a knack for avoiding permanent death.
: ALARIC: [rolls his eyes] I see. So, my misery is merely a convenient distraction for you?
: DAMON: Yup.
: ALARIC: Okay.
[Alaric looks at Damon for a moment until he gets creeped out and breaks the silence]
: DAMON: What?
: ALARIC: [smiles] I'm glad you're here, buddy.
== FORECLOSED HOUSE, MYSTIC FALLS ==
[Lily, Mary Louise and Nora are still in the sitting room having their cup of blood as Lily updates them on her plans]
: LILY: I am headed to New York this afternoon to meet up with Lorenzo. I assume I have nothing to worry about?
: NORA: So, you're allowed to explore the world while we're stuck here, starving ourselves, pretending like we're not the strongest people on the planet?
: LILY: Need I remind you how things used to be?
: MARY LOUISE: You mean when you loved us and allowed us to have actual fun?
: LILY: [gives her a look] Our appetite for murder drew unwanted attention, forced us to run for decades at a time, and then got us imprisoned for one hundred years. Our way of living did not work, Mary Louise.
: MARY LOUISE: Now you want us to coexist? We know. We heard your speech.
: NORA: What about Oscar? He's been gone days running your errands. I highly doubt he's off living in secret.
[Lily once again gives the girls a stern look, but before she can reply, Valerie enters the room, still bloodied and beat up from earlier. Lily turns to face her and is shocked at her injuries]
: LILY: Valerie, you're a mess! What happened?
: VALERIE: [angrily] Some horrible teenagers plowed me down in their automobile.
: NORA: Oh, dear! Is their automobile okay?
[Mary Louise laughs joyfully at Nora's joke, but neither Lily nor Valerie are amused]
: VALERIE: The little monsters left me for dead! No apology, no call for help. I was roadkill, and what did I do? I acted like roadkill, because we're governed by a pacifist who'd rather see her children hurt than stand up for themselves.
[Valerie, now upset again, turns away from them and wipes tears from her eyes as Lily blushes, clearly feeling guilty. Nora and Mary Louise trade significant looks before they both immediately soften and look at Valerie with concern]
: NORA: Valerie, don't cry. Okay? You're home now. You're with us.
: MARY LOUISE: Yeah. Who needs the rest of the world, right? We have each other.
[Lily walks toward Valerie and rubs her shoulder affectionately]
: LILY: You resisted your urge to fight back. That means you're learning. I'm proud of you, Valerie.
[Valerie, still not thrilled by Lily's insistence to be discrete, picks up her bag and leaves the room, catching Nora and Mary Louise's eyes as she does so. The two girls then look at each other, silently forming a plan]
== MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL==
[Stu and his girlfriend have parked the SUV between two school buses and are furiously washing down the outside of any evidence to their crime. Suddenly, Valerie vamp-speeds toward them and kills Stu by smashing his skull into the windshield, shattering it and causing a large splash of blood to cover the broken glass. Valerie points at the blood]
: VALERIE: Missed a spot.
[Stu's girlfriend's eyes widen in fear at the sight of her, but when she backs away, she stumbles right into Nora and Mary Louise, who have appeared behind her]
: STU'S GIRLFRIEND: [terrified] Who are you?
: MARY LOUISE: Remember that large squirrel you ran over this morning? Turns out, that was actually our friend, Valerie.
[Mary Louise points to Valerie, who is now standing in front of the girls and who waves at her in acknowledgement]
: STU'S GIRLFRIEND: [stammering] But... you looked dead.
: VALERIE: [nods] I get that a lot.
[Stu's girlfriend tries to flee for her life, but Nora simply throws out her hand]
: NORA: [chants] Phesmatos motus!
[The door to the SUV flips open in front of the girl, causing her to slam into it. She moans in pain, but before she can move, Mary Louise thrusts out her hand and pulls it toward her]
: MARY LOUISE: [chants] Vido!
[The girl is magically pulled toward her, and Mary Louise and Nora pull her to her feet, as she's too weak to stand on her own. Mary Louise leans toward her to hiss in her ear]
: MARY LOUISE: You're worse than your friend-- you thought about doing the right thing, but then you just left her there.
[While she talks, Valerie caresses the girl's bloodied face with her finger before licking her blood off the tip, sighing in relief at the taste and causing her vampire face to come out. She leans forward to look the girl in the eye as she grabs her neck with her hand]
: VALERIE: And yet, you're the first thing in this town that I don't entirely hate.
[Valerie's fangs extend, and she bites down on the girl's neck and feeds deeply until the girl dies. Once she's unconscious, Valerie pulls away, blood dripping down her face as Mary Louise and Nora look at her approvingly. However, despite her pleasure at having her fill for the first time in a while, Valerie immediately begins to panic about the repercussions of what she's done]
: VALERIE: [anxiously] Lily will be furious.
: NORA: Lily needs to learn that Heretics aren't designed to coexist.
[Nora pulls out her cell phone and snaps a quick selfie with the unconscious and bleeding girl, causing Valerie to scoff in disapproval]
: VALERIE: Really? Be more vain.
: NORA: Well, if you were pretty, you'd be, too.
[Nora drops the girl's body onto the ground and begins tapping on her phone screen]
[Later, sirens and radio chatter are heard as Stefan and Matt come upon the bodies of the girls' victims. Both have been hung upside down from the back of a semi-truck-- the girl has bled out, and the boy looks as though he'd been set ablaze. Stefan and Matt look at the bodies in horror and gulp nervously]
== SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE / AMSTERDAM BAR==
[Matt is at the kitchen table of the Salvatore Boarding House, looking through crime scene photos, just as Stefan walks over to the table and sets down a bag of weapons. Stefan's phone is also on the table on speakerphone, allowing the two to update Damon, still at the table outside the AMSTERDAM BAR with Bonnie and Alaric, to whom he passes on the details]
: DAMON: [on speaker] What the hell happened?
: STEFAN: Listen, these bodies? They're not Lily's style. It's got to be the Heretics.
: DAMON: [sarcastically] Reception went a little fuzzy, brother. It sounds like you said Mom got her family of crazies back.
[Alaric and Bonnie hear Damon's response and both look horrified. Bonnie gives Damon a look that says, "Are you kidding me?"]
: DAMON: [to Stefan] Can I have some details?
[Matt, who is still examining crime scene photos at the boarding house's kitchen table, speaks up. It's clear by the tone of his voice that he's disgusted by the murders]
: MATT: One victim had bite wounds, and the other one was scorched beyond recognition.
: STEFAN: Matt found a house that's been in foreclosure for the last two years, and it had its power mysteriously turned back on just days after Ric's wedding, so Caroline is there staking it out.
[Stefan pulls some jars and wires out of the bag of weapons and examines it]
: STEFAN: Listen, I need Ric to tell me how to make a bomb.
[Damon, realizing he's out of his element, hands the phone over to Alaric]
: DAMON: Oh, it's for you.
[Alaric holds the phone up to his ear, but he seems to be so drunk he's holding the phone backwards]
: ALARIC: Hello?
: DAMON: [to Alaric] Other side.
[Alaric turns the phone around and holds it up to his other ear]
: ALARIC: Hello?
: STEFAN: Alaric? I need you to teach me how to make a bomb...
[Alaric rolls his eyes and slurs drunkenly as he claps Damon on the shoulder with his free hand]
: ALARIC: Okay. Great. Well, the party's over.
[At the Boarding House, Stefan is holding up one of Alaric's stakes]
: STEFAN: I am literally staring at a treasure trove full of your, uh, fancy little weapons.
: ALARIC: Yeah, exactly! Now, go use one.
: STEFAN: Uh, it's not that easy. I mean, if we want to take them out, we have to do it all at once.
[Stefan looks over at Matt, who looks nervous about this plan. At the AMSTERDAM BAR, Alaric sighs defeatedly]
: ALARIC: Alright. Well, I'm gonna have to call you back from a less populated place, and then I'm gonna blissfully pass out and pretend that this never happened.
[Alaric hangs up the phone and hands it to Damon before struggling to pull himself to his feet. He almost loses his balance when trips over the chair leg, but manages to avoid any injuries, though he does sway slightly on his feet]
: ALARIC: Whoa. Okay.
[Alaric finally gets his bearings and leaves Damon and Bonnie at the table outside. When Damon looks over at Bonnie, he finds her looking unhappily at him]
: BONNIE: Lily won. As much as we did everything to stop her, she actually got her family back.
: DAMON: If Stefan says he's got it, he's got it.
: BONNIE: [narrows her eyes at him] Do you really believe that, or is that just some excuse to continue your slow crawl towards rock-bottom?
: DAMON: [annoyed] Do you know how many days need to tick by before I see Elena again? 22,916 days, and that's assuming you get some old person's disease.
[He raises his glass to her before taking a drink, and Bonnie sighs]
: BONNIE: Listen to yourself, Damon. Elena wants you to live your life!
: DAMON: [frustrated] Bon, if you're gonna be here, you don't get to play the "What Would Elena Do" game.
[Bonnie, looking hurt, gives him a look]
: BONNIE: What's that supposed to mean?
: DAMON: [slightly guilty] Nothing.
[Since his drink is finished, he reaches over and grabs Alaric's abandoned drink, but when he takes a sip, he immediately makes a disgusted face]
: DAMON: Ugh, I've had some janky-ass bourbon in my time, but this is...
[Damon slides the glass across the table for Bonnie to try, and when she takes a sip, she rolls her eyes in annoyance, realizing that Alaric has been playing them]
: BONNIE: It's not bourbon. It's tea.
== AMSTERDAM PSYCHIC'S OFFICE==
[Alaric, who is actually completely sober, has consulted a psychic in a dark building. He holds up a pinkish-red stone with opal-esque veins of various colors running through it]
: ALARIC: Have you ever seen this stone before?
: PSYCHIC: [warily] Can't say that I have. What is it?
[Alaric sets the stone down on the table]
: ALARIC: That's not important.
[Alaric sighs and hesitates for a moment before speaking again]
: ALARIC: Can you commune with my wife and tell her that I have it?
: PSYCHIC: I can try. But, of course, I will need a mystical tether to access her spirit. Something of significance.
[Alaric pulls out a ring and holds it out to him]
: ALARIC: This is her wedding ring.
[The psychic takes the ring from him and examines it for a moment before his eyes widen. Alaric stares at him, clearly tense]
: PSYCHIC: I just had a very powerful feeling. There's a lot of energy in this ring. You two shared a strong bond. She loved you unconditionally. She wants you to know that she misses you--
[Alaric becomes furious and slams his hands on the table between them]
: ALARIC: Do you get off on this? Preying on the hope and misery of people?
[The psychic looks at him, his eyes wide in confusion]
: ALARIC: [angrily] The ring is a fake, you dick! Lost the real one to the first psychic I saw.
: PSYCHIC: [scared] Maybe your wife's better off dead...
[Alaric becomes so enraged that he flips over the table and lunges for the psychic, eventually pushing him against the wall and punching him over and over again in the face]
== NEW YORK BAR==
[Lily walks into a bar, looking around for a familiar face as she nervously smooths out her dress. After a moment, she walks over to the bar to sit down. Once she's settled, Enzo appears behind her]
: ENZO: It's a crime for the prettiest girl in the bar to sit alone.
[He joins Lily at the bar and gestures toward the bartender as Lily smiles at him affectionately]
: ENZO: Two of your finest scotch, please, darling.
[Lily rubs Enzo's back, visibly happy to see him]
: LILY: Lorenzo, how I've missed you!
: ENZO: [playfully] And who's fault is that? Keeping me away while you toilet-train your new batch of orphaned puppies...
: LILY: [smiles] They're learning moderation so they can live under the radar. You being there, living freely...
: ENZO: [slightly hurt] Yeah, bad influence, blah blah blah. Got it.
[Enzo rubs his hands together excitedly]
: ENZO: Well, in the meantime, you've summoned me to New York. My interest is piqued.
: LILY: I was hoping you might find something for me.
[She takes her phone out of her purse and pulls up a photo before showing it to him. The photo is of the same reddish-pink stone Alaric brought with him to see the psychic]
: LILY: During my captivity, a very dear possession I thought was lost when our ship from England was torched was found by divers. It's been on display in the city's maritime museum, but it's recently disappeared again.
: ENZO: [curiously] Why do you want it?
[Lily looks at him, clearly not wanting to tell him the truth about it, and lowers her voice]
: LILY: [quietly] If anyone discovered you were looking for it, you might be in danger.
: ENZO: [confused] All the more reason I should know why I'm looking for it.
[Lily locks her phone and puts it back in her purse, looking coy]
: LILY: It's a family matter, Lorenzo.
[Enzo is hurt by these words and starts to become upset]
: ENZO: [bitterly] I thought I was your family.
: LILY: Darling, we want nothing more than to believe you're on our side!
: ENZO: [angrily] Your side? I stood by you when your own sons abandoned you.
: LILY: So, you're willing to see my sons for the monsters they are? To turn your back on your friendships?
[Enzo looks torn, and Lily continues rubbing his shoulder affectionately]
: LILY: What happened to that sick boy I met on the boat? The boy abandoned at the workhouse at the age of four? The boy who never knew kindness until the day I saved his life?
[This seems to anger Enzo, but he forces himself to keep calm]
: ENZO: That boy is not your errand boy.
[He stands to his feet and turns to leave]
: ENZO: Find your own damn rock.
[Enzo leaves the bar, and Lily seems sad about his reaction]
== SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE ==
[Stefan is finishing his bomb at the kitchen table when Caroline walks into the room and approaches him]
: CAROLINE: There's five Heretics-- two guys, three girls. And, your mom isn't home.
[Stefan looks up from the bomb, which he's just finished wiring]
: STEFAN: Enzo?
: CAROLINE: He's not there either. So, if we're going to do this, now is our window.
[She picks up the bomb and tosses it in her hands]
: STEFAN: Whoa, whoa!
: CAROLINE: Show me how this works.
[Stefan takes the bomb from her hands and sets it back on the table before playfully scolding her]
: STEFAN: First of all, this is a bomb.
[He sits down at the table, and Caroline sits down next to him so he can explain it to her]
: STEFAN: That there is the timer.
: CAROLINE: Mmhmm.
: STEFAN: I'm gonna set it for sixty seconds.
[Stefan programs the timer on the bomb while Caroline watches]
: CAROLINE: Sixty seconds. Got it.
[Stefan looks at her with concern]
: STEFAN: Are you sure that you want to do this?
: CAROLINE: I have to do this. They lived in your house for a hundred years. They've seen your picture. They'll recognize you immediately.
: STEFAN: I'm just saying... If you think this is a crazy plan, now's the time to speak up.
[Caroline gives him a look]
: CAROLINE: Is there any version of this plan where you're not worried about me?
: STEFAN: [slightly embarrassed] ...Probably not.
: CAROLINE: [smugly] Mmhmm.
[The two stare at each other for a long moment, and it's clear that it is stirring up feelings in Stefan. However, when Caroline picks up on this, she gets awkward and looks away, making Stefan feel awkward as well]
== FORECLOSED HOUSE ==
[The doorbell rings at the Heretics' current home, and when Nora answers it, she finds an extremely perky Caroline at the door with a vase of purple orchids in her hands]
: CAROLINE: [cheerfully] Welcome to Mystic Falls! I'm Caroline.
[Nora just stares at her blankly]
: NORA: We're not interested.
[Nora goes to shut the door, but Caroline stops her, still smiling widely]
: CAROLINE: Oh. Oh, no! Don't worry, I'm not selling anything. I'm your neighbor from down the block!
: NORA: [unimpressed] So?
[While they talk, Matt slips through the back door with the bomb in his hands. Meanwhile, Caroline slips past Nora and into the house before Nora can block her as she looks around the foyer]
: CAROLINE: Wow! Great place. Love what you've done with the floors. Is this the original hardwood?
[Beau, Mary Louise and Valerie are in the living room and look at Caroline warily from their seats. Mary Louise is playing solitaire on the coffee table, and both Valerie and Beau are reading books]
: VALERIE: [suspiciously] It's a gargantuan hell-hole. No one gives a damn about the floors.
[Malcolm, cups of blood in hand, comes into the living room as well and joins them.
: CAROLINE: [undeterred] Well, I brought you guys a housewarming gift. Mystic Falls tradition.
: NORA: [annoyed] Valerie's allergic to nature.
[In the back room, Matt is placing the bomb next to a gas line running along the wall. In the foyer, Caroline gestures toward the nearby end table and walks over to it with her flowers]
: CAROLINE: I'm just gonna put this right over here. Then...
[Matt turns the knob to the gas line next to the bomb, but it squeaks loudly. When Caroline hears the noise, she purposely knocks a deer figure off the table so the shattering ceramic will cover up the sound of the gas hissing as it is released from the pipe]
: CAROLINE: [apologetically] I am so sorry!
[Both Nora and Valerie look frustrated and appalled at Caroline as they watch her scramble to pick up the broken pieces of the knick-knack]
: CAROLINE: Clumsy.
[Beau and Mary Louise glare at her, and Caroline makes an apologetic face before trying to make conversation. While they talk, Matt arms the bomb, causing the sixty-second timer start to count down]
: CAROLINE: So, where are you guys from?
[Nora looks Caroline up and down as Mary Louise comes into the room to join them]
: NORA: I do love that jacket.
: CAROLINE: [brightly] Thanks! I got it for my birth--
[Nora cuts her off and looks at Mary Louise before gesturing toward Caroline]
: NORA: Don't you just love what she's wearing?
: MARY LOUISE: It's fine, though it would look entirely better on you.
[They all hear footsteps approaching and turn to find Matt standing in the threshold of the front door, who looks anxious]
: MATT: Hey, Caroline-- we should really get going to that barbeque.
: MARY LOUISE: [suspiciously] And you would be...?
: MATT: [politely] Her ride.
[He gives Caroline a significant look]
: MATT: Care, we should really go.
: NORA: "Care" isn't leaving yet.
[Both Matt and Caroline seem to visibly panic as Nora walks over to Caroline and stares her in the eyes, not realizing she's a vampire. The timer on the bomb reads 00:31 seconds until detonation]
: NORA: [tries to compel her] Give me your jacket.
[Caroline plays along and smiles brightly before stripping off her jean jacket and handing it to Nora]
: CAROLINE: Here! Take my jacket.
: NORA: [smugly] Thank you. How sweet you are!
[Nora puts on her jacket, and Caroline turns back to Mary Louise, smiling fakely]
: CAROLINE: See you!
[She turns to leave, but Mary Louise grabs her by the arm and stops her]
: MARY LOUISE: Wait.
[The open gas line continues to hiss, and the timer on the bomb reads 00:14 seconds. Mary Louise spins Caroline around to face her so she can stare her in the eyes]
: MARY LOUISE: [tries to compel her] You forgot to tell her how good she looks.
[Caroline turns to look at Nora]
: CAROLINE: It looks amazing on you!
[Suddenly, Valerie sits up, looking concerned]
: VALERIE: Does anyone else smell that?
[The fake smile wipes off Matt and Caroline's faces, and they look at each other, clearly panicking, as the timer counts down from 00:14 seconds. Knowing they need to get out of there immediately, Caroline finally breaks down and vamp-speeds herself and Matt out of the house only a second before the bomb goes off, igniting the gas that had permeated the house and causing a huge explosion]
== STREETS OF AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS ==
[Bonnie and Damon are walking around the Amsterdam street markets in search of Alaric]
: BONNIE: Ric was right here! How did we lose him?
: DAMON: You're wearing terrible shoes for trailing someone, your eyes suck, and you're slow.
[Bonnie stops walking, and the two stand in the middle of the street]
: BONNIE: [exasperated] Oh, I'm slow? You just spent the last few weeks in Europe with a guy pretending to be drunk, and you didn't even notice!
: DAMON: [shrugs] True.
: BONNIE: So, where do you wanna go?
[Damon is distracted by a van driving down the street where they're standing and stares at it, though Bonnie doesn't immediately notice]
: BONNIE: Should we turn around, or should we go straight? Or make a left here...?
[Damon hesitates for a long moment as the van approaches them, and finally, when the van honks at them, Damon vamp-speeds himself and Bonnie out of the way, pinning her against a nearby so she won't be hurt. Bonnie is stunned for a moment before she processes what happened and recovers from the shock]
: BONNIE: Wow. Thank you!
: DAMON: [smiles weakly] Yeah. Of course.
[Bonnie, sensing something off about him, thinks about what happened for a moment before gaping at him in shock]
: BONNIE: Hang on-- did you see that truck coming?
[Damon, realizing he's been caught, tries to cover up his momentary lapse in judgment] 
: DAMON: [plays dumb] What?
: BONNIE: [appalled] Did you just hesitate to save my life?
: DAMON: [scoffs] Relax, it was three seconds.
: BONNIE: Three seconds? I could have died!
: DAMON: [frustrated] You're right, Bon. Had I done nothing, Elena would be here, and it would all be grand.
: BONNIE: [loses her temper] Enough! I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life thinking that you resent me.
: DAMON: How else am I supposed to feel, Bonnie? Every time I look at you, all I see is not Elena.
: BONNIE: [sighs] I'm so sorry this happened, but I lost Elena too, Damon. And you're one of the few reminders I have to hold onto, so you can resent me or love me... but you're stuck with me.
[Bonnie turns and walks away, leaving Damon to think about what she's just said]
== SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE ==
[Stefan, who is wearing a suit, calls Lily on his cell phone. Lily is in a car on her way back from New York when she answers it]
: LILY: To what do I owe this rare pleasure?
: STEFAN: I hope you weren't too attached to that house. We blew it into a pile of ash with your family inside.
: LILY: [stunned] I'm sorry, you did what?
: STEFAN: They're gone, Lily. And you have until tonight to get out of Mystic Falls, or we come after you next.
[Lily pauses for a moment as she processes this new information, not believing what she's just heard]
: LILY: [skeptically] Uh, centuries-old Heretics, world-weary survivalists, wise-beyond their lifetime, eviscerated from the planet it one fell swoop?
[Stefan begins to look worried, and Lily looks angry]
: LILY: My son, if I may offer you some motherly advice? Run.
== TOWN SQUARE, MYSTIC FALLS ==
[The citizens of Mystic Falls have gathered in the town square to attend a ceremony for the police academy's recent graduates, who have now officially become deputies. Among the graduates is Matt, who is wearing his sheriff's deputy uniform. Caroline is dressed up to see Matt graduate and is seated in the audience]
: SHERIFF: Please join me in recognizing our graduating class of new deputies as I read their names and they receive their badges.
[The soon-to-be-deputies all stand and walk up to the stage in a single file line. Unbeknownst to anyone, Mary Louise and Nora are standing behind the back row of seats as they take in the crowd]
: NORA: [snidely] What a happy little town this is. I bet they have the most darling funerals.
: MARY LOUISE: [giggles] Nora, I swear your heart must be made of pure arsenic.
: NORA: [giggles as well] Admit it! You love me more for it.
: MARY LOUISE: [smiles] You know I do.
[The two reach over and hold hands, lacing their fingers together as they smile at each other]
: SHERIFF: Deputy Cornell Willis...
[After a moment, Mary Louise gets uncomfortable and lets go of Nora's hand, and Nora seems hurt by her embarrassed expression]
: NORA: Mar... It's the 21st century. We can hold hands now.
[Nora takes her hand once again, but Mary Louise still seems a little uncomfortable as Valerie appears behind them]
: VALERIE: Oh my God! Is this your first date in public? That's adorable.
: MARY LOUISE [rolls her eyes] We should double sometime. There's bound to be a man out there desperate enough to buy you dinner.
[Mary Louise smirks at her joke, which makes Nora giggle, but Valerie isn't amused]
: VALERIE: Can we focus on revenge, please?
: SHERIFF: Deputy Taylor Hall...
[After a moment, Mary Louise, Nora, and Valerie close their eyes and begin to cast a spell, smirking in anticipation for the imminent chaos as they repeat the incantation together]
: MARY LOUISE, NORA & VALERIE: [chants] Confuso fatina...
[Unaware of what's to come, the graduation ceremony continues on]
: SHERIFF: Deputy Matthew Donovan...
[Matt, smiling happily, walks over to the sheriff and accepts his badge. In the audience, Caroline claps enthusiastically for him. Meanwhile, the Heretic ladies continue their spell]
: MARY LOUISE, NORA & VALERIE: [chants] Ignos et ignos mortifina.
[Matt shakes the hand of what appears to be the new mayor, a woman with reddish brown hair before leaving the stage. The sheriff continues announcing the names of the new graduates]
: SHERIFF: Deputy Tim Johnson...
: MARY LOUISE, NORA & VALERIE: [chants] Confuso fatina, ignos et ignos mortifina.
: SHERIFF: Deputy Jeffrey Morrison...
[Matt walks past Caroline and holds up his badge, and she smiles proudly at him as he returns to his seat]
: MARY LOUISE, NORA, & VALERIE: [chants] Confuso fatina, ignos et ignos mortifina.
: SHERIFF: Deputy Don Morris...
[Suddenly, Stefan appears behind Caroline and kneels so he can whisper in her ear]
: STEFAN: Hey, I think we have a problem.
: MARY LOUISE, NORA & VALERIE: [chants] Confuso fatina, ignos et ignos mortifina.
[Out of nowhere, all of the lawn sprinklers around the town square's park go off, spraying the veteran deputies and the sheriff onstage with water and forcing many of them to rush away as the audience chuckles in amusement. Mary Louise, Nora and Valerie giggle as well, satisfied by their first step in their revenge plot. The sheriff, who is still on stage, addresses the crowd]
: SHERIFF: Sorry for the malfunction, folks.
[The sheriff then flees the stage, along with the audience members in the front row who are now soaked with water. The Heretic girls continue to giggle before Valerie narrows her eyes on her target]
: VALERIE: [chants loudly] Incendia!
[The water from the sprinklers ignites in flames, causing the laughing audience to begin to scream in fear. Matt, Caroline, and Stefan begin to panic as the rest of the deputies try to usher everyone to safety. Once of the new graduates who had been soaked with the water is set ablaze, and he screams in pain as he burns]
: ACADEMY GRADUATE: AHHHHHH!
[The stage and the podium is quickly consumed by flames as well as the ceremony descends into chaos. Mary Louise grabs a fleeing audience member and begins to feed on her, and Malcolm, who has just appeared, does the same. Elsewhere, Matt has just found the Sheriff, who is badly burned and who has just been drained of blood by one of the Heretics, finds an abandoned piece of burned clothing nearby and presses it to the sheriff's neck with one hand while holding the sheriff's hand with the other]
: MATT: [yells] Help!
[No one seems to hear Matt's pleas for help as everyone in attendance is frantically running around to escape the carnage. Meanwhile, Valerie has just finished feeding on another deputy, and once he's dead, she throws his body onto the ground, her face and the front of her shirt soaked in blood. As the camera pans around, dozens of bodies are seen laying sprawled on the ground, some of them drained of blood, others burned to death]
[The fire continues to grow as it consumes everything in the vicinity, and several more deputies are engulfed by it, the flames searing their skin and killing them in seconds. Beau silently grabs a female graduate and viciously bites on her neck, feeding on her until she dies. When Stefan sees him, he tackles the male Heretic, pinning him on the ground and picking up a broken piece of wood to use as a makeshift stake. Matt looks around frantically at the chaos around him, overwhelmed by all the death and destruction. Caroline has just found a woman bleeding out on the ground and kneels next to her]
: CAROLINE: [horrified] Oh my god!
[Suddenly, she yelps in pain and grabs her temples as Mary Louise and Nora appear behind her and cast a pain infliction spell on her together]
: CAROLINE: [in agony] Agh! Ugh!
: NORA: Hello, neighbor.
[Meanwhile, Stefan is still trying to stake Beau, who quickly flips them over so he is pinning Stefan to the ground and attempting to push the stake toward his heart instead. Stefan groans in frustration and fear as he tries to keep from getting killed]
: STEFAN: Ugh! Ugh!
[Out of nowhere, Lily appears in the middle of the wreckage, looking furious as she glares at her family]
: LILY: [shouts] Enough!
[The Heretics, shocked to see their "mother," immediately stop what they're doing. Beau stands, saving Stefan from death, and Mary Louise and Nora release Caroline from their pain infliction spell]
: LILY: I fought tirelessly to reunite us, found ways to coexist in this new world, sacrificed everything to make us a family again! How dare you jeopardize that? All of you...
[Lily not only looks at the Heretics, who are covered in blood and who have all moved to stand near her, but also at Stefan, Caroline, and Matt, clearly furious at all involved parties for what they've done]
: LILY: The bloodshed ends now.
[Lily walks away, and the Heretics follow behind her, looking slightly ashamed. Stefan scowls at her, while Caroline and Matt both look devastated by the carnage around them]
== SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE ==
[Stefan and Caroline have just returned to the boarding house. Stefan looks exhausted, but Caroline is both confused and horrified by what they just witnessed]
: CAROLINE: [loudly] What just happened?
: STEFAN: [sighs] I don't know.
: CAROLINE: I thought we blew them up! How did they survive that?
: STEFAN: I have no idea.
[Stefan turns and looks at the mirror, wincing as he examines his neck]
: CAROLINE: [upset] Matt's whole class is dead. The new sheriff? Dead. All those people, none of them even had a chance to...
[She finally notices Stefan's distraction and pauses as she looks at him exasperatedly]
: CAROLINE: God, what are you looking at?
[Stefan turns to face her]
: STEFAN: There's a splinter embedded in my neck, and I can't seem to get it out...
[Caroline, overwhelmed, can't help but laugh weakly as she walks over to him]
: CAROLINE: Come here.
[She starts to work on pulling out the splinter in his neck,though they both look awkward about it]
: STEFAN: Thank you.
: CAROLINE: [softly] I almost got it.
[She sighs and thinks for a moment before speaking]
: CAROLINE: It's just, there's history here, you know? This town, and this house, these people... and I just don't see a world where Mystic Falls survives a war between us and them. And if Lily thinks she can control five Heretics, she's insane.
: STEFAN: [hesitantly] ...I think I know how to get through to Lily.
: CAROLINE: [confused and skeptical] How?
: STEFAN: [grimly] Let's just say it's a good thing Damon's not here.
== MYSTIC FALLS-- MONTAGE ==
[A montage shows various parts of Mystic Falls as Caroline, Matt, and Stefan, who are documenting their deal with Lily in their journals, narrate what has happened in voiceover so that the audience and Elena will know what exactly happened]
[The Mystic Falls Dept. of Public Works, along with the surviving police force and the Mystic Falls Gang, are working on an evacuation of the town in the TOWN SQUARE. Some are ushering out a flood of cars who are leaving Mystic Falls, while others are boarding up businesses and other buildings]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Dear Elena... When you wake up, Mystic Falls will look nothing like you remember it.
:: MATT: [voiceover] We made up a story-- a mining fire erupted in the tunnels under the town. Out of control fires, lethal carbon monoxide levels, the works.
[The police officers are passing out flyers to the drivers of the cars slowly making their way up the main road, and Matt looks upset as he takes a look at his town being abandoned by its citizens]
:: STEFAN: [voiceover] My mother's Heretic family is back. Their magic keeps them protected. They're faster and stronger than any of us, and they're willing to tear our town apart for their own entertainment. We had to protect it.
[Stefan is helping the DoPW employees by boarding up the windows of the MYSTIC GRILL. Behind him is a newspaper stand with the Mystic Falls Courier inside. On the front page is a large article titled "Mining Fires Forces Evacuation"]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Lily thought her family was ready to live among humans. She was wrong. The truth is, their impulsive nature put every citizen in this town in danger, so Stefan negotiated a deal.
[Stefan and Lily have a "celebratory" drink at the SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE to toast to their new agreement]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] We got time to clear out the residents, and in return, anyone who trespassed was fair game for the Heretics.
[Caroline is seen in the residential neighborhoods, where Caroline is passing out leaflets on their the "mining fire" and is compelling the townsfolk she comes upon]
: CAROLINE: [compels a woman] Pack your things. Your family's not safe here.
:: MATT: [voiceover] Stefan and Caroline went door-to-door, evacuating residents. Drove out businesses, boarded up homes, closed off the town to traffic...
[Out at ROUTE 9, traffic is backed up as all of the residents leave their homes, their vehicles full of all the belongings they could fit inside. The lane headed into town has been blocked off, and several police cruisers have been parked behind them to enforce it]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] We all gave up a lot to get Lily to agree, but I think Stefan sacrificed the most.
[Lily and the Heretics walk into the SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE, and Lily smiles as she looks around the parlor]
: LILY: [to the Heretics] Pick a room! There are plenty.
:: MATT: [voiceover] We hate them, they hate us. But now, at the very least, we have a truce.
[Once all of the citizens have fled town, Stefan and Matt block off the other side of the road, closing off Route 9 completely so that no one can easily enter]
:: STEFAN: [voiceover] Whether we like it or not, we'll share our town. We'll live side-by-side with our enemies for as long as it takes.
[Seated on one of the police cruisers behind them are Malcolm and Beau, who are apparently supervising the evacuation for Lily. Malcolm whispers something to Beau as Stefan and Matt both glare at them]
== TOWN SQUARE, MYSTIC FALLS ==
[Caroline has just arrived at the park and heads for the bench dedicated in Liz' name. When she gets there, she finds Enzo there, unscrewing the memorial plaque on the back of it]
: CAROLINE: [warily] What are you doing with my mom's bench?
: ENZO: [startled to see her] Oh. I just saw it here, and I thought I'd put it in safekeeping-- spare it from any future graffiti damage.
: CAROLINE: [suspiciously] Yeah. I was just about to do the, uh, same thing. What's the catch?
: ENZO: [hurt] Come on! There's no catch. Just trying to cheer you up, Blondie. Not sure if you've noticed, but things are getting a little glum around here.
[This seems to anger Caroline, who narrows her eyes at him]
: CAROLINE: [sarcastically] Oh, I'm sorry. Have... Have I not shown enough glee after uprooting an entire town of innocent people because of you?
: ENZO: [scoffs] Me?
: CAROLINE: Yeah!
[Enzo stands to face her]
: ENZO: No, don't clump me in with Lily's circus freaks.
: CAROLINE: Well, then where should I clump you? One day, you're helping Lily, the next you're here being nice. Just pick a side, Enzo. Us or them.
: ENZO: [rolls his eyes] Oh, God, you sound just like her.
: CAROLINE: That's because she doesn't trust you. And honestly? Neither do I.
[She snatches the plaque and the screwdriver from Enzo's hands and turns to walk away, leaving an unhappy Enzo behind]
== MYSTIC GRILL ==
[Stefan is finishing boarding up the Grill's windows and boxing up all of its materials. After a moment, he takes a break and cracks open a beer before chugging it down. His phone rings, and when he checks it, he sees it's Damon and answers it]
: STEFAN: How's Europe?
: DAMON: [on speaker] Ric was kind of "meh" on the Mona Lisa...
[Damon pauses before continuing]
: DAMON: Anything I should know about?
: STEFAN: Eh, it can wait 'til you get back.
[Suddenly, the front door to the Mystic Grill opens, and Damon walks inside, looking annoyed]
: DAMON: Well, I'm back! Want to tell me who the hell's living in our house?
[After the break, Stefan and Damon are still standing in the middle of the Grill after Stefan has explained what happened in Damon's absence. Damon pulls out a bottle of liquor from a nearby box and takes a large swig out of it]
: STEFAN: The whole town would have been slaughtered.
: DAMON: [frustrated] So we kill them and call it a day!
: STEFAN: We already tried that.
: DAMON: [scoffs] You sent Donovan to blow up a house. Try harder.
: STEFAN: [frustrated] Look, the deal has been made. We don't mess with them, they don't mess with us.
: DAMON: [sarcastically] That's very benevolent of you, brother. You should run for Mayor. Not that anyone would be here to vote for you.
[Stefan walks over to Damon and stares him in the eyes]
: STEFAN: Look, what's done is done. Do not mess this up.
: DAMON: Who convinced you to save a town full of people you don't give a crap about? Because it's not your idea, and Matt can't think his way out of a paper bag, so it must be Caroline's.
: STEFAN: [ignores him] Do me a favor-- box that bottle up on your way out.
[Stefan turns to walk away, only for Damon to call out a snarky comment as he leaves]
: DAMON: [sighs] Stefan hangs up his hero-hair for the girl. And here I thought my future was bleak.
[Stefan, tired of this argument, walks back over to Damon]
: STEFAN: You know, Elena wanted you to be happy. To live. Even encouraged you to date. But, if she wakes up and everyone she loves is dead, do you think she's going to be able to forgive that?
[This hits Damon hard, and though he remains silent, he's clearly affected by this statement]
: STEFAN: I'm not doing this for Caroline, Damon. I'm doing this for you.
[Stefan leaves the Grill. Damon, scowling, considers Stefan's words]
== TOWN SQUARE, MYSTIC FALLS ==
[Matt is about to get in his deputy cruiser when Bonnie comes up behind him and playfully pokes his arm]
: BONNIE: [smiles] Hey!
: MATT: Bonnie, hey!
[The two embrace for a moment before breaking apart]
: MATT: I didn't know you were back.
: BONNIE: I honestly don't know where I am.
[She pauses before continuing with a worried expression]
: BONNIE: Matt, surrendering the town is not the solution. We need to stop them.
: MATT: They had been stopped, Bon, back in 1903. But then, you betrayed Kai, he let them out, and I got to bury all my buddies from the Sheriff's department.
[Bonnie, looking hurt, pauses for a moment]
: BONNIE: So this is my fault?
: MATT: [guiltily] No. I didn't say that...
[They stare at each other for a moment until Matt sighs]
: MATT: Look, I gotta go patrol.
[The scene cuts to Matt in a police cruiser, patrolling the deserted and ruined streets of Mystic Falls, while Damon stands on the clock tower. The scene is revealed to be the flashforward that was seen in the Season 6 finale.]
== WHITMORE COLLEGE-- BONNIE, CAROLINE AND ELENA'S DORM==
[Bonnie returns to her room to find Damon sitting on Elena's bed by himself]
: BONNIE: What are you doing here?
: DAMON: [bitterly] Have you been to Mystic Falls? There is a Heretic clipping his gnarly toenails in my master bath right now. I have nowhere else to go.
: BONNIE: [sarcastically] So, I guess it's a good thing I didn't get hit by a truck...
: DAMON: [sighs] Come on, Bonnie! It was three seconds.
: BONNIE: [scoffs] Do you know how long three seconds are in a life-or-death situation?
[Damon stands to his feet, looking overwhelmed and upset]
: DAMON: The first second, I thought of how amazing it would feel to have Elena in my arms again. By second number two, I was kissing her...
[Bonnie looks hurt, but is quickly surprised by what Damon says next]
: DAMON: And by the third, I remember you're my best friend, and that if anything ever happened to you, I would lose my mind. So, yes, Bonnie, I do know how long three seconds are.
[Bonnie, clearly touched by this confession, hesitates for a moment before she finally speaks]
: BONNIE: [bashfully] ...I was just checking.
: DAMON: And I will wait for her, and you're gonna help me. You're stuck with me, too.
: BONNIE: [sadly] The Heretics are out because of me.
: DAMON: No, Bonnie-- the Heretics are out because my mother's a lunatic and everyone's too scared to stop her.
: BONNIE: [determinedly] I'm not. I want to fight. I want our town back.
[Bonnie and Damon stare at each other for a long moment and silently come up with a plan]
== TOWN SQUARE, MYSTIC FALLS ==
[A homeless man is scavenging through a dumpster behind one of the buildings when he is caught by Malcolm, who unbuttons his suit jacket in anticipation]
: MALCOLM: Trespassers are free-reign, friend.
[Malcolm vamps-out, hissing and baring his fangs at the man aggressively before vamp-speeding toward him and biting his neck. Once he has drained him of his blood, he drops the man's body onto the ground before turning to find Bonnie standing behind him]
: MALCOLM: And you are...?
: BONNIE: [shrugs] Town witch.
[Malcolm slowly stalks toward her, and Bonnie smiles before extending her arms and casting a pain infliction spell on him. Malcolm groans in pain for a moment or two before lunging for Bonnie. He grabs her by the arm, which begins to glow as he siphons magic from her]
: MALCOLM: To be fair, you are nothing if I take your magic.
[Bonnie groans in pain as he continues to consume her magic until suddenly, he yelps in pain before crumpling to the ground. Behind him is Damon, who is holding Malcolm's heart in his hand, having ripped it out through his back. Bonnie looks relieved to see him, and after looking down at Malcolm's dead body, Damon smiles widely at her]
== FORBES HOUSE ==
[Stefan and Caroline are boxing up all of the house's belongings and covering all the furniture with sheets as they talk about the new changes to the town]
: CAROLINE: Are we making a huge mistake handing over our hometown to a bunch of supernatural terrorists?
: STEFAN: [shrugs jokingly] Yeah, probably.
: CAROLINE: [pouts] Stop! I'm a control freak giving up control. I'm delicate.
: STEFAN: Well, what would Sheriff Forbes do?
: CAROLINE: She would protect human life at any cost.
: STEFAN: Well, then, no. I don't think we're making a mistake.
: CAROLINE: [sighs] I thought I would heal from my mom's death. I really thought that time would pass, and one day, I would be ready to move on. But, she's my mom, and I'm never gonna stop missing her.
: STEFAN: [sympathetically] Well, that's life, Caroline. I mean, you can't just sit back and wait for the good parts to happen. But, what you can do is you can forgive yourself for trying to be happy during the bad parts.
[The two stare at each other for a long moment until the tension becomes uncomfortable and Stefan chuckles awkwardly]
: STEFAN: Heh. I'm gonna go, uh, board up the front door.
[He heads for the door, but Caroline calls after him to stop him]
: CAROLINE: Hey, Stefan?
[Stefan turns around and looks at her]
: CAROLINE: I'm happy. You make me happy.
[Stefan continues to stare at her hopefully, and Caroline nervously begins to ramble]
: CAROLINE: Uh... uh, my best friend's gone, my mom's dead... Uh, the whole town is destroyed... But, when I'm with you, I'm happy. And yeah, you're right. I just need to...
[She closes the distance between them and kisses him. Stefan is surprised at first, but kisses her back. They break away for one short second before beginning to make out again, and as it becomes more passionate, Caroline's back is pressed against the wall so Stefan can continue to kiss her]
== WHITMORE MEDICAL CENTER ==
[Alaric walks into the hospital's morgue, where the medical examiner's assistant is cleaning up for the night]
: ASSISTANT: [displeased] Mr. Saltzman. It's late.
: ALARIC: [firmly] I want to see her.
: ASSISTANT: [gently] Look, I get it. It's your wife. But, hospital policy says we can only keep the body cold thirty days.
: ALARIC: A policy you were willing to break last month.
[He walks toward the man and drops a $100 dollar bill on the table]
: ALARIC: Now, I say we keep breaking it.
: ASSISTANT: [hesitates] You know, it's said that once you bury a body, the grieving process begins...
: ALARIC: Well, I'm not planning on burying her. I'm planning on bringing her back to life.
[The ME's assistant looks both horrified and concerned by this statement, but Alaric quickly continues]
: ALARIC: It's a morgue. It's called gallows humor. Now, can I see her, please?
[The assistant sighs and leads Alaric back to the cold storage to see Jo, though her body is not actually seen. Judging by the look on Alaric's face, he has every intention of resurrecting her]
== SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE ==
[Beau is looking in the mirror in the foyer and unbuttons the top button of his shirt to reveal a very deep scar on his neck/collar bone in the shape of a cross. He frowns as he runs his fingers across the scar tissue as Valerie comes up behind him]
: VALERIE: [kindly] You shouldn't hide your scar, Beau. You're a survivor. Be proud.
[Just then, the door bursts open, and Mary Louise and Nora come in with Malcolm's body in their arms]
: MARY LOUISE: Valerie! Beau!
: NORA: It's Malcolm!
: MARY LOUISE: Help! He's dead!
[Beau and Valerie run over to where Mary Louise and Nora have deposited Malcolm's body on a chair]
: VALERIE: [horrified] Oh, my god! Malcolm!
: MARY LOUISE: We found him in town. He was just lying there.
: NORA: [anxiously] Oh, god. Don't let Lily see this.
[Unfortunately for Nora, Lily has just appeared in the doorway and has heard everything. She looks at them with wide eyes]
: LILY: Malcolm?
[Lily rushes over to them, not wanting to believe that he's gone]
: LILY: [distraught] No. No! No!
[When she sees that his skin is desiccated, she starts to break down, crying over his body as she caresses his face]
: LILY: [sobs] Oh! Oh, sweetheart. Oh, my sweet boy.
[She looks up at the others desperately]
: LILY: [overwhelmed] Who took him from us? Who did this?
[Nora, Mary-Louise, Beau and Valerie look at Lily with sadness in their eyes, but remain silent. Lily, obviously heartbroken, continues to sob over his body]
== FORBES HOUSE ==
[Caroline is sitting on the couch in the living room as she writes in her diary, narrating in voiceover as she does so]
:: CAROLINE: [voiceover] Dear Elena... So, remember how I said everything was falling apart earlier? Maybe not everything...
[Suddenly, Enzo appears behind her and sits down next to her on the couch]
: ENZO: What is it with everyone's incessant need to write down every single feeling?
: CAROLINE: [rolls her eyes] This whole stalker-thing is not even remotely charming.
: ENZO: [feigns offense] What, even if I'm here to tell you you were right?
: CAROLINE: [smirks] Especially to tell me that I'm right, because I already knew that.
: ENZO: [seriously] So, uh, word on the street is that one of Lily's magical elves lost his heart.
: CAROLINE: [horrified] What?
: ENZO: [surprised] You didn't know?
[Enzo pauses for a moment]
: ENZO: Yeah, someone killed Malcolm. I believe he was her eldest.
: CAROLINE: [upset] Well, who killed him? Because we had a deal--
: ENZO: [interrupts her] Yeah, trust is a fickle thing. That got me thinking that if I want people to trust me, then I've got to earn it. That starts with choosing a side, so here I am.
: CAROLINE: [anxiously] Well, good for you. I need to call Stef--
[Before she can finish her sentence, Enzo stabs her in the neck with syringe at vampire-speed and injects her with vervain, knocking her out immediately. Enzo, looking mildly smug, speaks to her unconscious body]
: ENZO: I reckon it goes without saying I chose Lily.
== FLASH-FORWARD-- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 2016 ==
[It is now three years from the present timeline, and Damon has just been awakened by Stefan, who fed him blood while he was desiccated in his coffin. When Damon realizes what Stefan's done, he becomes angry]
: DAMON: [angrily] I told you not to bother me until Elena was awake!
: STEFAN: [anxiously] Well, that's too bad. We got to go.
: DAMON: [confused] Why?
[Suddenly, Stefan hears a noise nearby and spins the coffin around so the lid is facing the entrance, ducking behind it to seek cover. Just as he ducks, two arrows are shot through the lid of the coffin, just barely missing Damon]
: DAMON: [terried] She's back!
[Just then, two more arrows are shot through the lid, scaring Damon enough to immediately hop out of the coffin and take cover behind a stack of wooden crates as the woman shoots at them, hitting Damon in the knee and causing him to groan in pain. Stefan is clutching his stomach, as though something has been done to him]
: DAMON: I guess she upped her game.
[The camera cuts quickly to the open door of the storage container, where a woman is standing concealed in shadow, causing her identity to remain unknown. Meanwhile, Stefan has pulled down the neck of his tshirt, revealing an open wound in the shape of a cross on his left pectoral muscle]
: STEFAN: [panting] My scar... opened up this morning. I figured she was back. I didn't realize she was this close.
: DAMON: [smiles grimly] You better get used to it, brother. She's not gonna stop until you're dead.
[Stefan, still groaning in pain, grabs Damon by the arm and prepares to stand up]
: STEFAN: Come on. Ugh!
[He pulls Damon to his feet and pushes him in front of him so they can run away]
END CREDITS
==See More==
Category:Episode Transcripts
Category:The Vampire Diaries Season Seven