Day One

Morning - Salvatore Boarding House - Damon's Room

(Song:) Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation

Damon was laying in bed asleep, waking up. He saw that Elena wasn't beside him, raising his head, looking around. "Elena?"

Elena walked out of the bathroom. She had Damon's shirt over her black lingerie. She walked back over to the bed. "Hey."

"Hey." Damon told her. Elena jumped into bed beside him. "Thought you might've left."

"No I don't have to be at school for..." Elena trailed off, holding her wrist up and looking at it as if there was a watch, which, of course, there wasn't. "At least twenty minutes ago." Elena and Damon kissed each other, pulling away. Damon was playing with her hair, seemingly content. "What's that face?"

"What face?" Damon asked, smiling.

"That face." Elena told him.

"I'm happy." Damon told her, smiling.

Elena smiled, kissing him sweetly. She rolled over him, lifting his chin with one finger as they continued to kiss.

...

Forbes House - Living Room

Stefan, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Caroline and Liam were talking.

"This is a disaster." Liam told them.

"Look, we don't know anything for sure." Stefan told then.

"Yes, we do." Evelyn told him. "Elena is sired to Damon. Which means her one singular burning desire is to make him happy, just like Klaus and his hybrids."

"No, it's not." Stefan told her. "A vampire sired to another vampire is one in a million."

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Damon's Room

Elena kissed down Damon's chest.

Damon seemed to enjoy it.

Elena looked up at Damon.

Forbes House - Living Room

Stefan, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Caroline and Liam were talking.

"We already know it's affecting her." Elizabeth told them. "She's become Damon's lapdogs." Stefan gave her a look, raising his eyebrows. "It's true. Everything he says, she agrees with. Everything he asks her to do... they do."

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Damon's Room

Damon and Elena continued to kiss. Damon rolled over her, kissing Elena's stomach and proceeded to kiss her up her chest.

...

Forbes House - Living Room

Stefan, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Caroline and Liam were talking.

"We need to do something." Caroline told them, pulling out her phone to call someone.

"Wait, no, hold on, Caroline." Elizabeth told her, taking the phone. "This isn't gossip. You can't just drop this on them before we know what's happening for sure."

"I need to talk to Tyler, okay?" Caroline asked. "Maybe he'll know what to do."

"All right, talk to Tyler, but please don't tell anyone else." Stefan told them. "If this is true, then it may have influence on Elena's every action and emotion since she's become a vampire."

Liam nodded understandingly.

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Damon's Room

Elena and Damon were still kissing.

Damon kissed her neck.

Elena dug her nails into his back. She dug into his back so hard he began to bleed. He paused for a moment, but began to kiss her neck again.

Damon's back healed.

(Song Ends)

...

Young Farm - Barn

A male hybrid was chained up.

Hayley, Tyler, Derek, Scott and Kim were all nearby, watching as he transformed into a wolf.

The hybrid screamed in pain. "Please, no more, I can't."

"Yes, you can, Adrian." Scott told him. "Block out the pain."

Adrian continued to scream in pain

"That's enough." Kim told them, walking closer to Adrian. "This is torture."

"Kim, stop." Derek told her. "He needs to finish."

"Not today, he doesn't." Kim told them, unchaining Adrian.

"Yes, today." Hayley told her.

"They're right." Tyler told them. "The bond isn't broken until he doesn't feel the pain of transformation anymore. If we want to get back at Klaus for everything he's done to us, Adrian has to keep turning."

"He doesn't have to do anything." Kim told them. "Isn't that the point of breaking the sire bond? Free will?" Hayley, Tyler, Derek and Scott exchanged a look. Kim looked at Adrian. "Let's go, Adrian."

Kim helped Adrian out of the barn.

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Parlor

Emma walked into the room, looking at the table Elena had pushed over the night before in confused annoyance. She walked closer, kneeling to the floor to pick up the shattered pieces of the lamp, holding up one to see.

...

Hallway

Damon and Elena walked down the stairs together and through the hallway. Elena's hair was in a messy bun.

"Bag?" Damon asked.

"I got it." Elena told him, grabbing her bag from an end table.

"Scarf." Damon told her, taking a scarf, wrapping it around her neck.

"What?" Elena asked. Damon pulled her closer. "Oh!" Damon pulled her into a kiss. "Mm. Hmm." Damon pulled away, kissing her again. "Listen, Damon, we-"

"No." Damon cut her off. "No, no no. Don't ruin it."

Damon placed a finger to her lips.

Elena pushed his hand out of the way, smiling. "You didn't even know what I was gonna say."

"Well, I'm assuming it starts with, 'What are we?'" Damon told her. "And then ends with, 'Going to tell Stefan and Emma?'"

"They should know." Elena told him.

"I know they should know." Damon told her. "I just don't know when they should know it."

"Well, they know that something is going on between us." Elena told him. "I mean, it's the reason that Stefan and I and you and Emma broke up."

"Yeah, but can't we just let ourselves enjoy one secret, selfish day before we destroy theirs?" Damon asked.

"Maybe we shouldn't-" Elena started.

"No, Elena." Damon told her. "This is our time. It's never been right before but it is right now. Just one day? One day?"

Damon held up one finger, looking at her with pleading, puppy dog eyes.

Elena smiled. "Okay, one day."

"Yes!" Damon cheered silently.

They smiled.

...

Foyer

Elena and Damon opened the front door to find Stefan, Elizabeth and Isabella walking up.

The tension in the air was so thick you could practically taste it.

"Hey." Elena told them.

"Hey." Stefan told them.

There was a very awkward moment of silence.

"See you in history?" Elena asked.

"Yeah." Stefan answered.

Elena nodded, walking past them, avoiding Stefan's gaze.

Stefan, Elizabeth and Isabella walked in the house.

"Hey." Damon told them.

"Hey." Isabella told them.

Emma walked into the room, pointing behind her into the parlor. "Whoever broke the lamp owes me a new one."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Lamp?"

Damon closed the door, looking at them. "There was a fight."

Emma raised her eyebrows questioningly at Damon.

Damon didn't respond to Emma's gaze.

Stefan looked from Elizabeth to them. "Listen, we need to talk."

...

Living Room

Stefan and Elizabeth sat on one couch as they told them everything.

Emma, Isabella and Damon sat across from them.

"Sired?" Damon asked skeptically. "Really, guys? That is the most pathetic nonsense I've ever heard come out of your mouths, and you've both said some crap in your day."

"It was your blood that turned her, right?" Elizabeth asked. "I mean, she's been different from day one because of you. You can't deny that."

"Sure I can." Damon told her. "I finally got Elena to a good place about being a vampire. You five idiots can't stand that she's happy because of me."

"That is not my reason, and you know that." Elizabeth told him.

"No, your reason is probably because you're tired of them wedging themselves between us, and just looking for something to blame it on." Damon told her.

Emma grew tired of the drama, playing peace keeper. "All right. You know what? I've got an idea to put the flames of this fight out real quick."

"And how's that?" Isabella asked.

Emma looked at Damon. "Just prove them wrong. Tell Elena it's okay to drink from a blood bag."

"She can't." Damon told her. "Her weird Doppelganger twin body rejected the blood from the bag."

"Right, because you told her to." Stefan told him. "You said she had to drink warm human blood straight from the vein. She almost died to make you happy."

Damon still looked skeptical.

Isabella sighed. "Look, just ask her to drink from a blood bag. Make sure you'll tell her how happy you'll be if it works."

"Emma sighed. "And if they're wrong, I'll make sure that they will be the first to apologize."

"You will?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, I will." Emma answered.

Damon looked at Emma for a moment, nodding, agreeing with her. He looked at Stefan and Elizabeth. "When her body rejects this blood, which it will, your apology better be epic."

Damon stood, walking away, leaving.

Stefan, Isabella, Elizabeth and Emma exchanged a look.

...

Mystic Falls High School - Hallway

Caroline, Bonnie, Evelyn and Morgana stood together in the hall.

Elena walked closer.

"Elena, hey." Bonnie told her. She looked between Elena and Morgana. "Is everything okay with you two?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Elena asked.

"Well, Liam told me that you guys had to move out to stay away from Jeremy." Bonnie answered.

"Matt is staying with him at the house right now to make sure his Hunter stuff stays in control." Morgana told them. "He's okay."

"Are you?" Caroline asked. "I mean, Jeremy tried to kill you." She looked at Elena. "And clearly, they don't have a flat iron at hotel Salvatore."

Evelyn giggled.

"Oh, I was in a rush." Elena told them, reaching up to her hair. "I mean... Look, do you girls have any plans tonight? I'm in desperate need of some girl talk."

Elena took her hair out of the bun.

"I'm in." Bonnie told them. "If Tory and Lindsey can come, too. Shane taught us some small spells we've been wanting to try."

"Oh, Creepy Professor Guy is just Shane now." Morgana told her.

"He's not creepy." Bonnie told her.

"We're not judging." Evelyn told her.

"I am." Caroline told her.

"Don't listen to them." Evelyn told her.

Elena smiled. "And, yeah, Lizzie and Sal can come, too."

"I would ask if Rosie could come, but I think that I already know the answer to that." Morgana told her.

Elena didn't answer.

Morgana scoffed quietly, shaking her head.

Bonnie took a breath. "That reminds me, I have to talk to her."

"So, girls' night?" Elena asked. "Evelyn said that we can have the party at her house. We can raid the Zhu wine cellar." Damon was further down the hall, nodding for Elena to follow him. "I'll see you in a bit."

Elena walked away.

Morgana, Evelyn, Bonnie and Caroline turned to watch her go.

...

Classroom

Elena and Damon were standing alone in the dim-lit classroom.

"You being here makes your selfish, secret day a little difficult, don't you think?" Elena asked, putting her arms around Damon.

Damon pulled away, taking out a blood bag. "Forgot your lunch."

"I can't." Elena told him. "You know I can't."

"Well, last time you tried it, the circumstances were less optimal, and I think maybe you should just give it another try, see if it works." Damon told her. "I really think it will." Elena looked at him. "Please... for me?" Damon handed Elena the blood bag. Elena opened it, putting it in her mouth, beginning to drink it. Damon looked at her while she drank it with concern. Elena looked up at him. "You okay?"

Elena took the tube out her mouth. "Mm, I'm fine. It tastes like blood. Last time, it was like hot garbage."

Elena continued to drink.

"You sure you're okay?" Damon asked.

Elena nodded, pulling the tube out of her mouth. "I'm better than okay. I mean, maybe last time, it was a bad batch or something. I can't believe this, Damon. I don't have to hurt people anymore." She smiled. Damon looked numb. Elena wrapped her arms around Damon, pulling away. "I have to get to class. Thank you."

Elena walked out of the room.

Damon still had the hard expression.

...

Whitmore College - Shane's office

Hayley and Elizabeth were rummaging around his office, looking for something. Esmeralda was watching them in amusement. Shane walked in.

"Trespassing, breaking and entering all before noon?" Esmeralda asked sarcastically. "Man, werewolves and witches are mastermind thieves and spies."

"Having trouble breaking Adrian." Hayley told them.

"Don't worry about it." Esmeralda told her. "You already got the twelve hybrids I need, with one to spare. You already explained why we can't use Rosie Lockwood."

"We have eleven." Elizabeth corrected, walking around the desk, turning to face Esmeralda. "I told you, Rosie's cousin, Tyler, and Scott Jackson aren't part of the deal."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Well, now there's eleven hybrids." She turned on Hayley menacingly, using mind control on her. "You will deliver me twelve without loyalties to Klaus, or your friends Luke and Tyler become fair game. And if you don't, I will take your mind and break it like a twig and drive you into insanity. It's something I'm very good at doing, like it has been done to me. Do you understand me, Hayley?"

Hayley was deeply affected by Rosalita's mind control, nodding. She looked at Shane. "You haven't held up your end of the bargain."

"Right." Shane told her, reaching into his coat, pulling out a flash drive. "This is everything you and Elizabeth always wanted to know about your biological parents. And it's encoded in case you're thinking of the smash and grab. Just bring us twelve unsired hybrids and it's yours."

...

Mystic Falls High School - Hallway

Rosie was at her locker, putting books inside.

Bonnie stood next to her. "Hey."

"So one of my friends other than Matt, Liam and Morgana are actually trying to talk to me." Rosie told her sarcastically. "It's been a while."

"That's actually why I'm talking to you." Bonnie told her. "It's not fair what's happening to you."

"Gee, you think?" Rosie asked.

"Listen, there's a party at Evelyn's House, just us girls." Bonnie told her. "Girl talk, trying to get close again. I want you to come. Morgana wants you to come."

"Well, since the fact that I was a sired little bitch who couldn't break her own sire bond because of some stupid rule from Klaus got out, everybody's been turning their back on me, including my cousin and my best friends." Rosie told her, closing her locker. "So, thanks, but I'm gonna pass."

Rosie tried to walk away from her.

Bonnie turned after Rosie, grabbing her wrist, turning her to face her, placing a bag of herbs in her hand. "Take these."

Rosie looked the herbs cautiously. "Stoner tea?"

"Spirit tea." Bonnie corrected. "It opens up your chi, or whatever, but it helps you tap into the inner you."

"Meaning...?" Rosie trailed off.

"Meaning it might give you control back over your own thoughts and actions, even just for a little while." Bonnie answered.

Rosie looked from the bag in her hand to Bonnie. "Why would you give these to me?"

"Because you're right." Bonnie told her. "You're losing everyone because of Klaus, so I'd figured that even if you had a little control over yourself even for a little while, it could make everything that much better."

Rosie raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. "The high won't last long enough for me to transform, if that's what you mean."

Bonnie shook her head. "It's not."

Rosie bit her lip, starting to back away. "Thanks, Bon. Maybe I shouldn't doubt everyone."

Bonnie gave her a small smile.

Rosie smiled, turning around, walking away.

...

Another Hallway

Sally was at her locker, closing it to reveal Scott standing behind it.

Scott was leaning against the lockers next to her. "After school?"

"Nope, I think I got something planned." Sally told him, turning to lean against the locker behind her.

"Oh, you think you got something planned." Scott repeated. Sally smirked. "Okay, how about tomorrow?"

"Busy." Sally told him. Scott tilted his head, unconvinced. "What? Didn't you hear? I got the job."

Sally tapped the locker once, pushing away from it, starting to walk away.

"Oh, so you'd rather work a shift at the Grill then hang out with me?" Scott asked, pushing away from the lockers. following her.

Sally smirked, looking up. "You see, that's the thing with you, Scott." She turned to face him, still backing away, acting completely nonchalant. "Hanging out and 'hanging out'..." She shook her head. "There's not much of a difference."

"Ouch." Scott told her. Sally smirked, shaking her head, starting to turn around and walk away. Scott caught her wrist. "Tonight."

Sally turned toward him, barely containing a smile.

Evelyn stood on one side of her.

Evelyn put an arm around Sally's shoulders. "Sorry, Romeo, time to put on the brakes. Tonight's girls' night, and you're not invited."

Scott smirked, taking a step back.

Evelyn smiled, turning around, walking away.

Sally shrugged. "Told you I had something planned."

Scott nodded sarcastically.

Sally smirked, turning around, following Lindsey and Liv.

Scott watched her go, smirking, turning around, walking away.

Further down the hall, Caroline was leaning against the lockers, on the phone, watching Scott turn around and walk away from the girls in the opposite direction, smiling a small smile, but talked to the person on the other line of the phone. "I talked to Tyler."

Stefan's voice was on the other line. "And?"

"The sire bond exists because the hybrids are grateful to Klaus for relieving them from the pain of having to wolf out every full moon, and that's why they have to turn until they're not ruled by the pain anymore." Caroline told him.

Stefan was in the Salvatore Boarding House. "Right, but Elena isn't a werewolf, so what's the vampire equivalent?"

"Well, that's the problem." Caroline told him. "There isn't one."

Stefan didn't respond. He seemed upset that there was no way to fix the problems. He hung up without saying goodbye.

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Library

Damon was rummaging through old papers.

Emma walked in.

Isabella was watching him in curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"Elena is sired." Damon told them. The next time he spoke, his voice was louder. "You were right. I was wrong. Happy?"

Emma turned her head to see Stefan standing in the doorway.

"No, I'm not happy." Isabella told him. "But what are we gonna do about it?"

"Well, I'm working on it." Damon told them. "Here." He held a picture up for Stefan to see. "Remember that?"

Stefan took the picture from Damon, looking at it. "New Orleans."

"1942, to be exact." Damon told them.

Emma sat down. "What was in New Orleans in 1942?"

"Other than bourbon and beads..." Damon trailed off, looking toward Stefan. "Me and Stefan."

Isabella looked down, looking as if she knew something they didn't know.

"Oh, yeah." Stefan told them. Emma looked at a black hat from the '40s meant for a woman, taking it out of the box, setting it on her head. The rim was long enough to cover her eyeline of the ceiling. Damon narrowed his eyes at the hat in recognition, looking at Isabella. Isabella turned away, letting her arms swing at her sides lightly. Stefan looked at Damon. "What was the name of that girl you used to hang out with?"

"That was no ordinary girl." Damon told them. "That was Charlotte."

...

Flashback 1 - 1942

Night - New Orleans Bar

(Song:) It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington & Ivie Anderson

Jazz music was playing and a man was singing.

A girl with brunette hair, presumably Charlotte, was entering a bar.

Damon: (voice over) "She was crazy about me from the minute we met. So, of course, when she asked me to turn her, I did."

Charlotte took a seat next to Damon, smiling.

"Hi." Damon told her.

"Hi." Charlotte told him.

"So, did you decide who you would like to have for dinner tonight?" Damon asked.

Charlotte turned toward the singing man, pointing at him. "Him. He looks tasty."

"That's a very fine choice, Miss Charlotte." Damon told her. "I will go set that up. Now, if anyone tries to touch my drink, you show them no mercy, okay?"

Charlotte nodded.

Damon walked away, talking to the man.

(Song Ends)

A sailor walked up to the bar, accidentally pushing Damon's drink over, spilling it everywhere.

Charlotte stood defensively. "You spilled my man's drink."

"Sorry." The sailor told her, flashing her a smile. "It's crowded in here."

"That's no excuse." Charlotte told him.

"Hey, take it easy, lady." The sailor told her.

"I'm not gonna take it easy." Charlotte told him.

"What?" The sailor asked.

Charlotte snapped the sailor's neck, killing him

Damon, who saw the entire thing, grabbed the sailor, sitting him upright, making it look as if he was still alive, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention. "What did you do?"

"He touched your drink." Charlotte told him. "You said show no mercy. I thought you'd be happy."

...

Now

Day - Salvatore Boarding House - Library

The Salvatores and Emma were talking.

"That was my first clue." Damon told them.

Emma was still wearing the black hat. "She was sired to you. And I can only assumed you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?"

"More like when she went all 'Fatal Attraction' on me." Damon told her. "Then I had to make a clean break."

"How'd you do that?" Isabella asked.

Damon found the paper he had been looking for. "Ah, here."

Damon handed it to Stefan.

Stefan took it, reading.

Valarie Lamarche, 920 Dauphine St.

"Who's Valarie Lamarche?" Stefan asked.

"The witch that I found to help me break little Charlotte's sire bond." Damon answered, taking a swig of his drink. Stefan looked at him curiously. Damon stood. "Pack your bags. We're going to Bourbon Street."

Damon walked away, out of the room.

Emma rolled her eyes, turning around, looking at Isabella and Stefan, tilting her head.

Stefan shook his head, turning after him, following, leaving Isabella and Emma alone.

Emma looked at Isabella. "You guys can go if you want."

"Uh-uh." Isabella told her. "No. The only time you ever left Mystic Falls was to look for Elizabeth when I was a homicidal bitch on a summer vacation with a psychotic hybrid." She took the black 1940s hat off of Emma's head, smiling. "You and I are going to New Orleans."

Isabella took her hand, holding her other arm out above the box, letting the hat fall onto the box, leading the way out of the room.

...

Dusk - Evelyn's House - Living Room

(Song:) Take It Back - Junior Prom

Caroline, Evelyn and Bonnie sat on one couch.

Morgana and Elizabeth sat together on the couch across from them. Sally stood behind their couch.

Elena walked into the room with a wooden crate, setting it down, standing next to Sally. She held a bottle of wine toward Bonnie. "One for you." Bonnie took it. Elena held a bottle of wine toward Caroline. "One for you." Caroline took it. Elena held a bottle of wine toward Morgana. "One for you." Morgana took it. Elena held a bottle toward Evelyn. "One for you." Evelyn took it. Elena held a bottle of wine toward Elizabeth. "One for you."

Elizabeth took it. "Ooh."

"I'm assuming this is for Caroline or Evelyn or Elizabeth or Morgana." Sally told them, holding up a blood bag.

Morgana reached out for it.

Elena took it before she could. "Actually, it's for me."

Evelyn , Bonnie, and Sally exchanged a look, surprised.

"I thought-" Sally started.

"Oh." Bonnie told her. "Are you saying that-?"

Elena took a drink from the blood bag easily. "Thanks to Damon, I am now a functional dysfunctional vampire."

"That's amazing." Eliza told her, smiling.

"What do you mean, 'thanks to Damon'?" Caroline asked.

"Well, he suggested that I try it again." Elena answered. "So I did, and it worked." Caroline, Elizabeth and Evelyn exchanged a knowing look. "No more snatch, eat, erase."

Elena walked around the couch.

"So, where is my least favorite Salvatore?" Caroline asked.

Elena sat on the other side of Elizabeth, holding up her phone to read a text. "'Out with Stef, Izzy and Em for the night. Don't wait up.'"

Morgana looked around Elizabeth to look at Elena. "So, you guys exchange check-in texts now? What else do you do?"

(Song Ends)

Elena looked around Elizabeth to look at Morgana. "I know how much this might hurt right now, but he kind of just changed my life. Would you mind laying off on all the hate?"

Elizabeth sat forward, speaking up to break the tension between them. "Okay, new girls' night rule. No boy talk, yeah?"

"Plus, why talk when we have this?" Bonnie asked, holding up a bag of black herbs.

Caroline let her hand fall to the side, tilting her head straight. "Is that stoner tea?"

"It's spirit tea." Bonnie corrected. "I gave some to Rosie to experiment. If it gives her freedom for just a few hours, then that's one step closer to a not-so-horrible life."

Caroline didn't look convinced.

"Come on, it's not drugs." Sally told her. "Shane is helping us do natural magic without having to access the spirits."

"Mm-hmm." Caroline hummed sarcastically.

"Don't judge." Elizabeth told her.

Caroline looked from Bonnie and Sally to Elizabeth.

Bonnie and Sally gave her straight-faced looks.

Elizabeth tilted her head forward, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, fine." Caroline told them. "I hereby vow not to be judgmental for the rest of the evening." She looked from the witches to Morgana and Elena. "Even if you five are potentially ruining your lives as I stand idly by, it is your choice."

Elizabeth walked around the couch, holding up her wine bottle, facing the door instead either of the couches. "I'll drink to that." Caroline, Evelyn, Bonnie and Sally held up their wine bottles to touch Elizabeth's on one side of her. Morgana held up her wine bottle to touch Elizabeth's on the other side. Elena held up her blood bag to touch them. "Cheers."

They drank.

Elizabeth laughed, falling back into the chair behind her.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

The French Quarter

(Song:) Stop Breaking Down - TVD NOLA Band

The sun was almost set, allowing an orange-ish glow to light the streets of New Orleans.

People were partying in streets to the jazz music playing loudly.

Isabella, Emma, Stefan and Damon walked through the crowd, looking at their surroundings.

A man started dancing past Isabella, turning toward her as he danced past. Isabella smiled, dancing until he went away, turning her body to watch him go.

Isabella smiled, finishing the spin to face forward. "Ah, the city is the same. Just brighter."

"When were you here?" Damon asked.

Isabella hesitated, shaking her head. "Been to too many places too many times, brother. It all sort of blurs." Stefan looked at her knowingly. Isabella looked at him. "What about you, Mr. Know It All? Have you been back here since '42?"

"Nope." Stefan answered. "Not since I shipped off to join the war effort and Damon didn't."

"Somebody had to entertain the ladies who had been left by their menfolk." Damon told them.

"I'm guessing that there is a story lying in there somewhere." Emma told them.

"You're skipping to the last page." Damon told her. Emma shrugged. Damon's cellphone chimed. He took it out to look at the text. "Hey, good news. Elena is at Evelyn's house with the girls where she can't get in trouble. Told her to have fun."

Emma turned to face him. "Yeah, you told her so she does, right?"

(Song Ends)

Damon scoffed, walking past them. "Sire bond is not that literal, Emma."

Stefan turned to face him. "Really? Name one thing that you've asked her to do that you haven't gotten, huh?"

Damon turned to face him. "You know what I haven't gotten? Blame, guilt. I get it, Stefan. I get that you're pissed that Elena dumped you because she has feelings for me. Bet you blame the sire bond for that, too."

"Yeah." Stefan answered. "You know what? I absolutely do."

"Why?" Damon asked. "Because it's impossible to think she could have feelings for me?"

"No, because it's impossible for her to be so blind that she doesn't see how wrong you are for her." Stefan told him, walking toward him until he was standing in his face.

"One more fight about Emma, Morgana and Elena, I'm banging your heads together and I will find out how to break the sire bonds myself." Isabella told them.

Damon nodded, turning around, walking away.

Isabella turned to Stefan, hitting him on the back of the head, nodding in the direction Damon was walking away.

"Do I have to?" Stefan asked.

Emma gave him a look, nodding to Damon.

Stefan sighed, looking after Damon. "Hey, wait, Damon, I'm sorry."

Damon turned to face Stefan. "What'd you say?"

...

Flashback 2 - 1942

New Orleans Bar

(Song:) So, What Do You Say - PJ Parker

Lexi Branson and Stefan were walking through the bar, looking for Damon.

Stefan led the way. "'I'm sorry, I blamed you for my bloodlust and for me becoming a Ripper. It wasn't your fault.'" He looked over his shoulder to look at Lexi. "Do I really have to say it wasn't his fault, Lexi?"

"Yes, keep going." Lexi told him, circling around, standing in front of him.

"'You're the only brother I have and I hope that we can be friends again'." Stefan went on.

"And..." Lexi trailed off.

"'I'm sorry, Isabella'." Stefan went on. "'What we did to you was too much for any one person to handle. There is no apology that would explain how guilty I feel and how sorry I am.'"

"Perfect." Lexi told him.

"Are you even sure Isabella's in New Orleans?" Stefan asked.

"The last time I checked, yes." Lexi answered. "But if she sees either one of her brothers darker than they should be, she will not stay for long. She will just leave. You know she will. Now, just remember we're here to talk to Damon, not to yell, not to drudge up the past and most definitely not to pick a fight. We are here to apologize to Isabella and hope she will see the good part of you again and she will forgive you."

"That's the real trick, isn't it?" Stefan asked.

"You've spent the last twenty years turning your life around." Lexi told him. "It's time to make nice with your brother and sister."

Stefan and Lexi turned their heads, finding Damon sitting at the bar.

Stefan walked toward him.

Damon was bobbing his head to the music.

Stefan tapped his shoulder.

Damon turned, surprised to see that it was Stefan. "You look like a guy I used to know."

"Hello, Damon." Stefan told him.

"Come to put a stake in my heart?" Damon asked, tapping his chest.

"More like bury the hatchet." Stefan told him, holding his hand out for Damon to shake.

Damon looked at Stefan's hand for a moment. He looked at his brother. They both smiled. Damon shook his hand, wrapping his arms around Stefan.

...

Later

Lexi, Stefan and Damon were all sitting at the bar.

"Egypt." Damon told him, laughing. "Finally gonna get to see the pyramids."

"Oh, I doubt I'll be doing much sightseeing." Stefan told him. "Driving an ambulance through the front lines. But yeah, yeah, Egypt."

"Think they have room for another driver?" Damon asked. Stefan looked surprised. "I could handle some war, if it meant spending quality time with my little brother."

Lexi took a sip of her drink, not happy at Damon's words.

"Tell you what, I'll talk to my C.O.." Stefan told him, taking a sip of his drink, standing. "I'm gonna get us another round."

Stefan walked off, waving the bartender over.

Lexi stood, leaning in close to Damon. "You're not going."

"I don't like you." Damon told her.

"In 1912, you pressured Stefan to drink human blood." Lexi told him. "He's been trying to put his Ripper days behind him, but he needs to see death and blood and deal with them as part of life. He needs balance, restraint."

"What makes you think I'm not balanced and restrained?" Damon asked.

"The fact that you never have been." Lexi answered. "You think of what you want, first, second and third. Stefan is better off alone than in your company."

"Well, I beg to differ." Damon told her.

Stefan walked closer.

Lexi smiled.

"To the Salvatore brothers in Egypt!" Stefan cheered.

Stefan and Damon clinked glasses. "Cheers."

Stefan and Lexi clinked glasses.

Lexi drank, looking at Damon.

Damon looked behind them.

(Song Ends)

Charlotte walked closer with a victim in hand. "Damon." Damon looked alarmed. Stefan looked at Charlotte. "Did you forget you were supposed to meet us for dinner?"

"Sorry, I lost track of time." Damon told her.

"I brought you leftovers." Charlotte told him.

A glass suddenly slid down the bar with vampire force and speed behind it, sliding into Stefan's drink, both glasses falling onto his lap and spilling everywhere.

"Oh, God." Stefan told them, standing.

"Go." Lexi told him. Stefan looked at her. "Go!"

Damon stood, walking around them to Charlotte, taking the girl from her arms, looking toward the direction the sliding glass had come from.

A blonde girl and dark haired girl were walking away, The dark haired girls face hidden by the same black hat that Emma had been wearing.

Stefan looked at the blood on the victim, but seeing his drenched clothes, turned around, walking away before things got out of control.

Lexi turned to Damon before leaving, looking from Charlotte to Damon. "She's better off without you, too."

Lexi walked out of the bar.

...

Now

Night - The French Quarter

The Salvatores and Emma continued to walk down the streets.

"I apologize, all right?" Stefan asked. "As much as I hate these sire bond things, I shouldn't take it out on you. It's not really your fault."

"Well, don't get all warm and fuzzy on me yet." Damon told them. All of them stopped in front of an apartment. "It's where the witch lived."

"What?" Emma asked. "You weren't expecting to find the same exact witch in the same place?"

"No." Damon answered. "But since I couldn't remember where the store was, figured it'd give us a start."

"Maybe there's another place to start." Isabella told him. "You think Charlotte might be in New Orleans?"

"Yeah, maybe." Damon answered.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" Emma asked.

"Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine." Damon answered. "Kind of told her to count every brick in every building in New Orleans, and I'd meet her at the corner." He paused. "I was gone by morning."

Isabella gave him a look of exasperation.

Emma nodded sarcastically, turning around, walking away.

"Where you going?" Isabella asked.

Emma turned to face them, still backing away. "Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. See how literal the sire bond is."

Emma turned around, leading the way.

Isabella, Damon, and Stefan exchanged a look, following her.

...

Night

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Mystic Grill

(Song:) The Mall - Fort Lean

Esmeralda was in the Grill by the door, looking toward where Kim and Adrian were playing pool at the table. She looked toward the table where Tyler, Scott and Derek were sitting at together, smirking, watching them as they watched Kim and Adrian, easily getting into their heads from the place where she was by the door, making Scott and Derek say what she wanted them to say to Tyler, creating a whole illusion for the three of the boys.

"They are gonna get us all killed and we are just sitting here." Derek told them.

"Kim is right." Tyler told them. "The point of breaking the sire bond is being free. They don't have to listen to me."

"Yes, they do, Ty." Scott told him. "You can make them. Hybrids are werewolves first. Wolves run in packs and every pack needs an Alpha, or they end up challenging each other for dominance. Kim is challenging your position as Alpha. You need to put her in her place. Now."

"Why me?" Tyler asked.

"You were the first turned, you were the first to break the sire bond, and now you're helping us, too." Scott told him. "The only person you can't do that for is Rosie because someone will end up killed."

Tyler shook his head as if he didn't know what to do, sighing.

Esmeralda was getting annoyed because Tyler wasn't taking the bait of her mind control on the two other boys, continuing to use her mind control on Scott, Derek and Tyler.

"Listen, the faster we can get the hybrids unsired, the faster we can take Klaus down, and the closer Rosie is to her own freedom." Derek told him.

"We know you're not just doing this for the hybrids." Scott told him. "You're doing this for Rosie. So do it for your cousin."

Tyler nodded, standing, walking toward the pool table.

Esmeralda watched him walk toward Kim and Adrian.

Adrian shot the cue ball at the black eight ball.

Tyler put his hand out, grabbing the ball before it could roll into the pocket.

Adrian raised his head to look at him.

(Song Ends)

"Long day tomorrow, Adrian." Tyler told him. "You want it to go better than today, you need to get some rest."

Scott and Derek watched them.

Kim walked closer to Tyler. "Who do you think you are?"

"The guy telling you to call it a night." Tyler told them. Kim walked over to Tyler. They started each other down. Kim grabbed a pool stick, trying to attack Tyler with it. Tyler caught the stick before it could hit him. "This could get a lot uglier right now, but I'm not gonna let it. Challenge me again, this conversation will end differently. You understand?"

"Fine." Kim told him. "Whatever you say."

"Finish your drink and get Adrian back to the stables." Tyler told her. "We'll meet you there."

Tyler pushed Kim back, walking away.

Scott and Derek smirked, standing, walking out of the Grill.

Esmeralda watched the boys leave the Grill, smirking, turning to use mind control on Kim and Adrian, making them think that they were seeing Tyler, Scott and Derek as a threat, getting into their heads to start a fight.

Kim started to walk away.

Adrian followed her. "Where are we going?"

"To pick a fight." Kim answered, walking away.

Adrian reluctantly followed Kim.

Esmeralda watched them go, smirking smugly in amusement, biting her lip slightly in triumph, turning around, walking away, looking over her shoulder as she did.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine

The Salvatores and Emma stopped at the corner where it met at Dumaine.

"There's no way she's gonna be in the same spot after 70 years." Emma told them.

"So, what are we gonna tell Elena?" Stefan asked.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to tell them anything." Damon told them.

Stefan scoffed. "Well, we can't just lie to them."

"It's not a lie." Damon told him. "It's an omission or the greater good."

"Oh, I see." Stefan told him. "I see. That's Damon speak for 'Let's not do the right thing. Let's just do what's right or me'."

"Oh, what about you, O' Selfless one?" Damon asked. Emma tilted her head forward in annoyance, exchanging a look with Isabella. "Are you doing what's best for Morgana and Elena, or what's best for you? Because it looks to me like the only reason you want to break Elena's sire bond is to restore her original factory 'Team Stefan' settings."

Stefan and Damon stared each other down.

Isabella had her head tilted to the side in annoyed boredom, hitting the brothers on the back of the heads.

Stefan and Damon each held their hands to their heads, looking at Isabella in speechless confusion.

Isabella used each hand to point at them. "Don't say that I didn't warn you. Last time, understand?"

"I'm not the problem here." Damon told her, lowering his hand to his side.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." Emma told them. "Isabella can join me, and you two can hunt us down when you both stop being dicks."

Emma and Isabella turned around, walking away.

Stefan, looking ashamed, sighed, starting to follow them. "Wait, guys..."

Emma turned to face him, backing away, shaking her head. "I don't wanna talk if you're gonna be that way."

"I would never be that way toward you." Stefan told them.

"Oh, but being that way to your own brother is so much better." Isabella told him sarcastically, turning around, proceeding to walk away.

Damon stood alone under a street lamp. He heard a noise behind him, turning to look behind him.

No one was there.

When he turned back around, an unknown woman vampire rushed at him and pushed him to the ground.

...

Alley

Stefan, Isabella and Emma heard the commotion.

Isabella rushed away, going to help Damon. Stefan followed her.

Isabella pushed the woman vampire off of Damon. Stefan stood on the other side of him, both helping him stand.

Emma ran closer, standing on the other side of Isabella. "What the hell just happened?"

"She kissed me." Damon answered.

The girl stood, walking toward them, revealed to be Charlotte, smiling at the sight of Damon. "Damon, I always knew you'd come back for me. I must have counted literally every brick on every building in all of New Orleans."

Damon looked taken aback, turning to look at the others.

Stefan looked horrified.

Emma was just completely shocked. "Literally. Every. Brick?"

Isabella looked as if she didn't know what to feel or say.

Damon looked away, clearly ashamed.

...

Charlotte wrapped her arms around Damon's neck.

Damon tried to back away. "Uh, Charlotte. Uh... Ha." He patted her arm, pulling away from her. "Please tell me you had a full life and that you've done something other than counting bricks."

"Of course I have." Charlotte told them. "I'm not crazy."

Damon shook his head, as if agreeing with her comment about not being crazy.

"Then why are you still here?" Emma asked.

Charlotte turned her head to look at Emma. "You know, when someone breaks up with you and there's a song that reminds you of them... First, you hate it." She placed her hand on Damon's shoulder, caressing it. "But then it brings back all the good memories of them. Counting the bricks is my song, and I've been playing it for decades."

"That's a really long time stuck listening to the same song." Isabella told her with a thinly layered attempt to hide sarcasm.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around Damon's neck.

"Yeah, heh..." Damon trailed off, grabbing her hands from around his neck, pulling them away, gently patting them between his own hands. "Well, you know, in the plus column, you know New Orleans better than anyone in the world. Which is really nice, because we need your help finding someone."

Charlotte tilted her head, looking at Damon questioningly.

...

Lockwood Mansion - Study

(Song:) It Makes No Difference Who We Are - Celldweller

There was no sound as the shot panned toward the door, inside the room, revealing Rosie sitting at the desk, with her feet propped up on the desk in front of her, looking at a picture on it sadly.

The picture was of Mason, Julie and Rosie.

Rosie picked the picture up, looking at it sadly, resting her finger over Richard's face, sniffling, letting a tear fall.

Liam walked in. "You rang?"

Rosie looked at him in confusion. "No..."

"Morgana and Bonnie called." Liam explained. "Said you might be depressed enough to need some company even when you didn't admit it." There was a moment of silence. "So how are you?"

Rosie took a deep breath, putting the picture down in the place it had been. "Been a thousand times better."

"Well, it could be worse." Liam told her, sitting across from her at the desk. "You could be dead."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Rosie complained.

Liam smiled a small smile. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Liam, what is there to talk about?" Rosie asked. "The guy that I loathe has complete control over every thing I do, and I am losing myself, and my friends, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. What's done is done."

"But that doesn't mean it can't be undone." Matt told her. Rosie smiled a small smile, looking away, noticing the bag of herbs Bonnie had given her earlier for at least a little bit of control for at least a little while. Liam followed her gaze. "Yeah, Bonnie told me about those. How they might give you at least a few hours of freedom. Do they work?"

"I don't know." Rosie told him. "I have yet to try them."

"Well, then there is only one way to find out." Liam told her, grabbing the bag, opening it.

Rosie looked at him in curiousness. "What are you doing?"

Liam looked at her for a moment, taking her hand off the desk, turning her hand over, pouring a small amount in her palm. He took the bag away, closing it, placing it down. He looked at Rosie with a small smile. "All you."

Rosie smiled a small smile.

(Song Ends)

...

Evelyn's House - Living Room

(Song:) Let It Go - Dragonette

There was music playing as the girls danced to the music.

"Whoo!" Sally cheered, laughing as she bounced, dancing to the beat.

Elena tilted herself backwards, shaking her shoulders.

Evelyn had her hand to her head, bouncing to the beat, pointing forward.

Caroline waved her arms in the air excitedly, swishing her head around.

Elizabeth held a bottle of wine, dancing, drinking.

Bonnie pretended to do the chicken dance, laughing.

Morgana drank from her wine glass, dancing.

Bonnie held up her phone, smiling, capturing everything on video.

Sally hung her wine bottle over her head, tilting it back to drink.

Caroline stood on the cushion of the couch, dancing. Elena stood on the back of the couch, raising her arm in the air. Sally sat next to them, dancing, waving her jacket over her head. Elizabeth jumped down onto the couch next to her, sitting down.

Bonnie captured the whole thing.

Elizabeth jumped, turning her head to the side, acting like she was punching the air in front of her.

Evelyn waved her arm in the air, from her sides, to above her head, turning her head from the side to forward with each movement, a wine bottle in her hand.

Morgana jumped around, raising her bottle over her head.

Sally and Elizabeth danced together, leaning closer, shaking their shoulders, smiling, with one of Sally's arms raised in the air.

Bonnie leaned back, raising her phone to record everything, shaking her shoulders.

Evelyn stopped dancing, trying to pour wine into her glass only to find the bottle empty, looking at the bottle in her hands, turning around, rushing toward the table, standing on the table, holding up a new bottle.

Bonnie raised her arm in the air, her phone in her other hand. "All right!"

Evelyn rushed back into the room, popping the cork off, making the wine overflow.

Bonnie, Caroline, Elizabeth and Sally stood together, their arms raised in the air, smiling, cheering.

Evelyn grabbed the wine glass, pouring wine inside. Elena and Morgana stood next to her with their own glasses, making sure none spilled onto the floor, catching the overflowing wine in their glasses.

"Emma would kill us." Morgana told them, laughing quietly.

They all laughed.

At the end, the girls all wrapped our arms around each other, smiling and laughing, falling back onto either of the couches around them.

(Song Ends)

...

Evelyn's Room - Bathroom

Elena and Morgana sat in Evelyn's tub, facing each other. Caroline sat on the toilet next to the tub, the lid down of course. Evelyn sat on the floor between Caroline and Elena. Bonnie sat on the floor across from Evelyn. Sally sat on the sink, swinging her legs lightly. Elizabeth sat on the floor next to Bonnie, in front of the tub.

All of them were giggling, having a great time.

Bonnie was looking at her phone. "Check this out. Vamp speed video."

Bonnie handed Evelyn her phone.

Evelyn played the video.

The music from the party played.

Evelyn rushed toward the table, standing on the table, holding up a new bottle.

Evelyn laughed. "I look like Superman. Watch this." She paused the video at the point where she was rushing back into the room. The capture showed a giant blur behind her due to the speed at which she was running. She showed it to the others. "This year's Christmas card."

They all laughed.

"That is so cool." Elizabeth told her.

"Being a vampire is so weird." Evelyn told them.

"Oh, my God, I love this bathtub." Elena told them. "Why don't we come and hang out here more often?"

"I don't know." Evelyn told them. "I love it."

"Yeah, but don't you think it's kinda weird for us to be hanging out in Evelyn's bathtub?" Elizabeth asked.

"At least it's better than Damon's." Caroline told them. "I mean, cooties. Think of all the germ-ridden skanks that Damon has lured into his den of inequity." Caroline giggled. Elena and Morgana exchanged a look, not amused. Bonnie took her phone back, not amused. Sally looked down awkwardly. Elizabeth took a drink to avoid talking. Evelyn tilted her head at Caroline. "Okay, I'm sorry. I've been good all night. I am stopping now."

"No, don't stop on our account." Morgana told them sarcastically. "Rip away. I mean, it's only Damon, right?"

"Well, say what you want about Ripper Stefan, but at least he wasn't a man slut." Caroline told them.

Sally shook her head. "Come on."

Morgana looked at Caroline. "So, what exactly was it about him that made you jump right into bed with him as soon as you met him?"

"I didn't know what a sociopathic narcissist he was." Caroline told them.

"He's always been there for me when I needed him." Elena told her.

"Yeah, because he's hoping you'll sleep with him." Caroline told her.

"Well, maybe I did." Elena told them.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"You did what?" Evelyn asked, looking from Morgana to Elena.

Bonnie tilted her head. "You didn't."

Morgana seemed too angry and shocked to speak for the moment.

Elena looked around. "Yeah, I did. Look, I know you guys have issues with him..." She looked at Morgana. "And I know you have issues with me being with him because I'm hurting Stefan. But I'm happy, and I wanted to spend tonight with my best friends so that I could tell them about it."

Sally looked at Morgana sympathetically.

Morgana looked at Elena with a mix of hurt, numb, shock and anger. "Next time you have a party to tell your best friends about your sister's ex-boyfriend, that you know she still cares about, that you two had sex, leave one of your friends out of it."

Morgana stood, walking out of the bathroom quickly and downstairs.

Evelyn gave Elena a look, standing, starting to go after Morgana, handing Elizabeth her glass as she walked toward the door. "Morgana. Hey, wait."

The other girls were left looking at Elena in shock and disapproval.

Elena didn't look guilty for sleeping with Damon, just guilty for the way it had came out.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Voodoo Shop

The Salvatores and Emma walked into the shop.

A middle aged woman walked out from the back of the shop. "Can I help you?"

"Hi." Damon told her. "We're looking for a witch. Sorry, no time for pleasantries."

Stefan looked at Damon.

"I'm sorry." The woman told them. "I don't understand."

"Look..." Isabella trailed off, looking at the board behind her, where 'Nandi Special' was written. "Nandi, is it? Let's skip the part where you pretend like you don't know what we're talking about."

Isabella looked at Emma, Stefan and Damon.

Stefan raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement.

Emma nodded.

Damon looked at Nandi. "We need a spell that could break a vampire sire bond. Now, there was a witch here named Val. Ring any bells?"

"She was my great-grandmother." Nandi told them.

"She had a grimoire." Damon told her. "And it had a spell."

...

Flashback 3 - 1942

Day - Voodoo Shop

Val stood behind the counter, talking to Damon. "The magic you are talking about is dark, powerful. Magic like this doesn't come cheap."

Damon looked over at a little girl sitting at a table.

The little girl looked at him, smiling, continuing to write in a booklet.

Damon looked back at Val. "How much?"

"Money won't cut it here, pretty one." Val told him. "Dark magic draws power from dark places. Casting the spell you need requires the sacrifice of 12 human souls."

...

Now

Night - Voodoo Shop

The Salvatores, Emma and Nandi were talking.

Emma looked at Damon with skepticism and exasperation. "A sacrifice? You brought us here knowing that the spell required a human sacrifice?"

"Well, I was hoping the recipe had changed." Damon told them.

Stefan scoffed, just as surprised and incredulous as Emma was.

Isabella didn't show a reaction.

"Look, there's no magic like that here." Nandi told them. "I sell herbs and homeopathic remedies, and dress it up with a little witchy-woo-woo for the tourists, but I don't practice."

"Okay, fine, listen." Damon told her. "Just tell us where we can find someone like your great-grandma who can break the sire bond and won't flake out on us like old Val did."

"There's no one." Nandi told them. "All of her stuff is gone. The grimoires, her journals. We lost it all during Katrina. If a spell like that ever existed, it's gone for good."

...

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Evelyn's House - Living Room

Morgana was in the room, pulling on her leather jacket, grabbing her keys, about to leave.

Evelyn walked in. "Morgana. Hey, come on."

"I'll see you later, Eve." Morgana told her.

Morgana turned toward the door.

Evelyn rushed in front of her to stop her. "We have to talk about this before one of us goes and do something stupid."

"'One of us' or me?" Morgana asked. Evelyn didn't answer. "You're worried I'm gonna turn into a Ripper again. That's sweet. But don't worry. I'm going straight to Rosie's and see if she wants company." Elena walked into the room. Morgana's mood plummeted further. "I don't want to talk to you, Elena. I just want to leave and go home, but I can't even do that because my brother killed my sister there, so you can find me elsewhere."

Morgana tried to walk around Evelyn .

Evelyn turned after her, grabbing her arm to stop her. "Morgana. Come on, please."

"You think that it makes me happy that this is tearing us apart?" Elena asked. "I know you still care about Stefan."

"Then why did you sleep with Damon?" Morgana asked.

Caroline, Sally, Bonnie and Elizabeth walked in, but hung back, giving them their space.

"I don't know." Elena told them. "I just..." She gave Morgana a look. "Why are you trying to make me feel guilty when you and Stefan have been keeping things from us together?"

"She's not trying to make you feel guilty, Elena." Evelyn told her. "That's your own feelings. Which you should be feeling."

"And the only thing that we ever kept from you was the Cure." Morgana told her. "That's it. We were never together. Not like you and Damon were. You know, when Stefan saved my life last night, I wanted to kiss him." Evelyn and Elena looked at Morgana in surprise. "And he was so close to kissing me. But you wanna know what stopped us? The thought that it would hurt you and Damon. We thought of you. But you obviously didn't think of us."

Evelyn looked from Morgana to Elena. "Please, just stop fighting. This isn't the way this is supposed to be. You guys are like best friends. So, please..."

Morgana nodded, looking at Elena. "Evelyn's right. We shouldn't be fighting like this. Just tell me one thing and then I'm gone. You won't have to worry about me fighting anymore."

"And what's that?" Elena asked.

"Just tell me why." Morgana told her. "Why did you do it?"

Elena took a deep breath. "I slept with him because I think I'm falling in love with him."

Morgana took a step back out of impulsive surprise.

Evelyn looked at Elena incredulously.

Caroline walked toward them. "Ugh, you're not in love with him, Elena, you're sired to him."

Everyone except Evelyn and Elizabeth looked at Caroline in shock.

Elizabeth tilted her head at Caroline.

"What?" Sally asked.

Caroline walked down the steps toward the arguing girls, looking at Elena. "I... Look, I'm sorry that it came out like that, but it's true. Evelyn and Elizabeth know it, too."

Elizabeth nodded. "Damon's blood turned both of you." She looked at Elena. "You couldn't feed from animals or blood bags because he told you so. Then he suggested you try again with blood bags and suddenly..."

"No." Elena told them. "There's no way. I..."

Bonnie looked from Evelyn to Elizabeth to Caroline. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Evelyn answered sadly. "Ask Stefan about it. They can explain it better than we can."

"I'm sorry." Morgana told them. "You talked to Stefan about this?"

"It's not either of your faults, Morgana." Caroline told her. "Okay, Damon took advantage of Elena. And it's tearing both of you apart."

"Okay, I'm leaving" Elena told them. "Now."

Elena walked past Caroline, Elizabeth, Sally and Bonnie toward the front door.

"Elena." Sally told her.

"Come on." Elizabeth told her.

"I'm gone." Elena told them, opening the door.

Kim and Adrian were out on the porch.

"Hello, girls." Kim told them.

Elena turned her head to look at her.

Kim rushed inside, pushing Elena against the wall, making her fall.

Evelyn rushed toward Kim, grabbing her throat, pushing her against the wall.

Adrian rushed up behind Evelyn, grabbing her, turning her to face him, pushing her against the wall.

Evelyn pushed Adrian away from her.

Caroline rushed over to Adrian.

Adrian pushed Caroline toward an end table, making her fall and the table topple over and land on Elena, keeping them both down.

Morgana rushed toward Adrian, grabbing his throat. Adrian eventually got the upper hand, pushing Morgana against the wall. Both of them were holding each other by their throats.

Evelyn rushed closer to try to help.

Kim rushed toward Evelyn, restraining her from behind to stop her from helping.

Sally, Bonnie and Elizabeth exchanged a look, nodding. They each raised an arm and started a spell so powerful it make the lights flicker and break, the house acting as if in the middle of an earthquake.

"Stop!" Kim told them. The witches lowered their arms, stopping the spell, looking at her. Kim held Evelyn tighter, transforming. "One bite from a hybrid and she's dead, remember?"

Elena and Caroline started to stand.

Kim threw Evelyn into Elena and Caroline, making them fall.

Bonnie helped Elena get up. Sally and Elizabeth helped Caroline get up.

They turned around.

Kim, Adrian and Morgana were gone.

"Morgana?" Evelyn asked.

Sally, Elizabeth, Caroline, Evelyn, Elena and Bonnie looked at the open front door worriedly.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Street

The Salvatores and Emma were walking the street.

"Witch is lying." Damon told them. "Doesn't practice magic, my ass."

"Human sacrifice?" Emma asked. "Did you really think I would go or this?"

Charlotte was sitting on the steps of a building as they walked toward her.

"Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures." Damon told her.

"Did you kill those 12 people in 1942?" Nicola asked.

"Absolutely, I did." Damon answered. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant a clean slate with Elena."

"Hmm." Stefan hummed. He looked at Isabella. "You don't seem surprised by any of this."

"I learned not to be surprised by anything that Damon does a long time ago." Isabella told them. Damon nodded sarcastically. "Now are you gonna help me good cop/bad cop/sassy cop/human cop this witch or not?"

...

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Woods

Tyler, Elena, Evelyn and Scott were walking through the woods toward the Young farm.

Scott was on the phone. "I get it, Derek. We'll find them, and we'll get them in line."

Scott hung up.

"Lizzie says no luck with the locator spell." Evelyn told them.

"They've got to be here." Scott told them. "They're not dumb enough to risk getting caught by Klaus in town."

"Well, what do they want with Morgana?" Elena asked, no longer walking.

Scott turned to face them. "If they cause Morgana pain, they cause Klaus pain, because their family. Kim is trying to prove that she's the Alpha, and get revenge."

"If I can make her submit, the pack will fall in line, and we can finally get them free of Klaus." Tyler told them.

"You'd think they'd play along with how much they hate him." Scott told them.

"But Adrian doesn't, does he?" Elena asked. "I mean, he's still sired to Klaus. Rosie is still sired to Klaus. Doesn't she..."

"Being sired doesn't mean you feel differently about someone." Scott told them. "Tyler, Rosie and I all hate Klaus, but they still do and did everything he said. The bond affects how you act, now how you feel."

Suddenly, they heard Morgana scream.

"Morgana." Evelyn told them.

They ran toward where the screams came from.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Voodoo Shop

Nandi was doing some work.

Damon and Isabella entered the shop from behind her.

Nandi turned around to face them. "What are you doing here?"

"Calling you out." Isabella answered.

"You're not Val's great-granddaughter." Damon told her. "You're her daughter."

...

Flashback 3 - 1942

Day - Voodoo Shop

The time Damon visited the shop, the little girl sitting at the table behind Val was writing the name "Nandi" all over her notebook.

...

Now

Night - Voodoo Shop

Damon and Isabella were confronting Nandi.

Isabella looked at Nandi. "You're 80 years old. You don't look a day over 50. You're a practicing witch."

"Get out of my store." Nandi told them.

"Give us what we want." Damon told her, stepping toward her.

Nandi turned, using her powers to give Damon a pain infliction spell.

Damon fell to the floor, holding his head with both hands.

"I gave you a chance to leave with your lives." Nandi told them.

Stefan and Emma entered the store from the back.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Emma told her.

"We don't want any trouble, okay?" Stefan asked. "We just-we just need your help. That's all."

"I told you there's no one here who can help you." Nandi told them. "The kind of magic my mother practiced, it's unnatural. Witches don't even call it magic. We call it Expression."

Nandi closed her fist, stopping her spell on Damon.

"Is that like black magic?" Isabella,asked.

"Worse." Nandi told them. "Channeling the power of human sacrifices calls on darkness that can't exist on this plan without swallowing it whole." She looked at Damon. "She sold you a bill of goods about breaking the sire bond, because she wanted access to that power, and you gave it to her when you killed those 12 people."

Stefan and Emma walked over to Damon and Isabella.

Damon stood. "Are you saying there's no spell?"

"The bond can't be broken with magic." Nandi told them. "A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for him before she turns. Human feelings. Vampirism only heightens those emotions. You want her free? You have to set her free. Tell her to live her life without you and never think of you again, to stop caring about you, and then leave her. That's the only way around the sire bond."

Damon looked disconcerted.

...

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Young Farm

Morgana was chained to a stable with shackles.

Kim knelt next to Morgana, breaking her wrist, making her scream. "You're getting tired of being used as a tool against Klaus, aren't you?"

"He's gonna find us, and he's gonna kill you." Morgana told her.

"Not if he can't find us." Kim told her.

"You can't kill me." Morgana told her. "You don't have the white oak stake."

"True." Kim told her, taking a regular wooden stake from her pocket. "But that doesn't mean we can't cause you pain."

"Trust me, I've already felt enough pain tonight." Morgana told her. "I'm pretty sure what my friend did to me was worse than what you'll do to me."

Kim raised the stake to stab Morgana.

Morgana kneed her arm, making her drop it.

"You little bitch." Kim told her.

Tyler, Elena, Evelyn and Scott rushed into the barn, toward them.

"Stop!" Scott told her. "Stop it, Kim. Morgana's with us. All right? We're all on the same team."

"She's on your team, not mine." Kim told them.

Behind Tyler, Elena and Scott , the other hybrids entered the barns, surrounding them.

...

One hybrid restrained Elena. Two hybrids restrained Tyler. Two hybrids restrained Scott. Three hybrids restrained Evelyn.

Kim tortured Morgana, making her scream.

Evelyn struggled with the three hybrids holding him back. "Stop it! Stop!"

"Ease up, Kim." Adrian told her. "Klaus won't like this."

"That's a very good point." Kim told them. "Do you think he'll like this?" She picked up the stake, showing them. "It might not kill her, but it'll hurt like hell. And that pain."

"Kim!" Evelyn told her angrily. "Don't do it. I swear to God!"

Kim lowered the stake toward Morgana's heart.

"No, wait, wait, wait, wait." Elena told her. "If you really want to hit Klaus where it hurts, then torture me instead. He's fixated on keeping me alive. You want real revenge or not?"

Kim hesitated for a moment, lowering the stake. She stood, walking toward Elena. She grabbed Elena, ready to kill her.

Evelyn managed to free herself from the hybrids holding him back, pushing Kim away from Elena.

Tyler took advantage of the hybrids' distraction and shock to break free, punching his hand through Kim's chest, grabbing her heart.

Kim gasped in pain.

Scott managed to free himself, gripped the hybrids who had restrained him to keep them from intervening.

The other hybrids tried to attack Elena and Evelyn in retaliation.

Evelyn pushed a hybrid into the wall, making him fall, punching another hybrid in the face, making him fall, throwing a third hybrid into a fourth one, making them both fall. He stood in front of Elena protectively.

The other hybrids took a step forward.

"Stay back!" Tyler told them. "I'll rip her heart out right now!" The hybrids stood still. Tyler looked at Kim dead in the eye. "Kim put you all at risk today, but I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm not Klaus. I don't kill and torture my own friends to get what I want. Now, we broke the sire bond, but if you want to be free, we have to work together. No one can step out of line. Now, you're either with me or against me. Submit. Submit, or you die."

Kim fell to her knees. Tyler knelt down with her, keeping his hand in her chest and his grasp around her heart.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Kim told him.

Tyler removed his hand from her chest.

Kim gasped, catching her breath.

Tyler stood, looking at Kim. He looked around at the other hybrids.

Scott let go of the two hybrids, kneeling to the ground, setting an example for the others.

One by one, all of the other hybrids took a knee.

Tyler looked around. He looked at Scott.

Scott still had a knee to the ground, looking up, smirking.

Every hybrid submitted to Tyler and showing him that he was the Alpha.

Morgana, Elena and Evelyn looked around in surprise, impressed.

One of the hybrids walked out of the barn. Once they were out of the sight of the others, she turned into Esmeralda, as she had used mind control to make them think that she was one of the hybrids. She smirked in triumph, knowing that everything was going exactly the way she wanted it to go.

...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Day Two

Morning - Bar

Damon and Charlotte were sitting at a table, opposite each other.

"So, you're just leaving me again?" Charlotte asked.

"No, I need to get on with my life and so do you." Damon told her.

"I don't want to live without you." Charlotte told him.

"If you want to make me happy you will." Damon told her. "You just forget about me. You'll never think of me again, and you'll find someone new, and you'll be happier than ever." Charlotte began to cry. Damon closed his eyes in annoyance. "Please, stop crying."

Charlotte wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm never gonna be able to forget about you."

"Yes, you are." Damon told her. "And I'm never gonna be happy until you realize that you're never gonna have the life that you deserve if I'm in it." He stood. "Goodbye, Charlotte."

...

Outside

Damon walked out of the bar, across the street toward the others.

Emma and Stefan were sitting on a bench. Isabella leaned against the utility pole next to them. Emma and Stefan stood.

"How'd it go?" Emma asked.

"I set her free." Damon answered.

"Must've been hard." Stefan told him. "Doing the right thing, especially when it's not something you want to do."

"Get to the point, Stefan." Damon told him. "You don't think I'm gonna be able to do what I need to when I have to tell Elena to stay away from me."

Stefan sighed. "Elena... Well, I mean, selflessness isn't exactly one of your most obvious character traits, Damon."

"Yeah?" Damon asked. "Well, one of these days you're gonna realize you don't know me half as well as you think."

Damon whistled for a cab.

...

Flashback 4 - 1942

Day - Train Station - Outside

(Song:) Hooray For You - Felicia Carter

Damon stepped out of the a taxi cab in full uniform, ready to go to war with his brother.

...

Inside

Damon entered the train station, placing his luggage on a cart.

He heard Lexi's voice. "Damon." Damon looked up, seeing Lexi standing in the shadows, away from the sunlight. "I know what you did, and you're not going overseas with Stefan. Do you understand me?"

"Well, Uncle Sam begs to differ." Damon told her.

"You just killed 12 innocent people." Lexi told him.

Damon walked toward her. "How do you know they didn't have it coming?"

"Your brother has spent the last 20 years racked with guilt, fighting the temptation to drink human blood." Lexi told him. "He's serving in war as penance for the pain that he has caused. If he finds out what you did, he'll want to know how it is you function without guilt for the things that you do. He'll turn to you for guidance like he did before and he'll become the Ripper of Monterrey all over again."

"I've pretty much been on my own since our little falling out in 1912." Damon told her. "Did you ever think that I just need my little brother, or my sister if she ever decides to make an appearance?"

"And that's why you can't go." Lexi told him. "It might be good for you, Damon. But it will destroy Stefan. Why do you think Isabella never shows herself? Because she's afraid? Maybe. Because she's worried about what might happen between you three that can never be undone? Most definitely." She looked out of the station at Stefan. "For once, you need to put others in front of yourself." Damon looked at Stefan, who seemed to be searching the crowd for Damon. "You need to let him go."

Damon walked away from Lexi. He looked at Stefan sadly. "Good luck, brother."

Damon picked up his luggage, walking away, leaving, walking past two girls hidden in the shadows without realizing it as he did.

Lexi waited until they knew Damon was gone. "I didn't know you would come."

The girls stepped out of the shadows, revealing it to be Isabella and Serena. "Neither did we."

"Is watching over them really the best option for you?" Lexi asked.

"Like a guardian angel." Isabella told her.

"You need to make amends." Lexi told her.

Isabella walked closer to her, pausing for a moment. "So do they. But every time we try..."

"Something always happens." Lexi finished.

Elizabeth looked at Stefan for a moment. "We're better at being a guardian angel anyway."

Elizabeth and Isabella walked away, leaving.

(Song Ends)

...

Now

Day - The French Quarter

Damon walked past Stefan, Isabella and Emma toward the cab they had called.

Stefan stared blankly at the ground for a moment, turning after the others, following them. "I didn't know about that."

"Yeah, well, next time, I'll hang a billboard." Damon told him.

"Look, I know it may seem like I'm being unfair about this, like I'm upset about losing Elena to you, or about me hurting Morgana, repeatedly, and I am." Stefan told him. "But after all this is over, if they never feel the same way about either of us as they used to, at least it'll be their choice."

"The dreaded C-word." Isabella told them, opening the taxi door.

Damon looked at Stefan. "I know what I have to do, Stefan."

Emma pointed at either of them. "If either of you start a fight on the way back, I swear to God I'll kill you."

"And become the vampire Hunter that you're supposed to be?" Isabella asked teasingly.

"It'll be worth it to not have to sit through one of our brothers' fights that will lead to a freaking death match." Emma replied.

Isabella smirked wonderingly. "You just said, 'our brothers'."

Emma shook her head halfheartedly. "No, I didn't."

"It's sweet." Isabella told her.

Stefan looked at Isabella. "You're not fooling anybody, Isabella. Lexi told me about your and Elizabeth's time in New Orleans."

"I'm sure she did." Isabella told him.

"What happened when you were here?" Emma asked.

Isabella looked down with a small smile. "We saw everything. We were here first, you guys showed, Lexi told us to let you know I was there, but we didn't because..." She scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't even know."

"So how often were you both around that we didn't know you were around?" Stefan asked.

Isabella smirked. "That question's better left unanswered. I don't know which one I'm better at. Being the bad guy or being the guardian angel."

"I'd say the guardian angel." Emma told her.

"We thought you hated us enough to not come within a ten-mile radius." Damon told her.

"You guys never saw us." Isabella told them. "I never said that we didn't ever see you."

Isabella got into the cab, leaving them in silence.

...

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Evelyn's House - Hallway

Elena walked downstairs.

Caroline stood in front of her. They looked at each other for a long moment.

Caroline wrapped her arms around Elena tightly. "I'm sorry." There was a beat of silence. "Okay, if you don't start hugging me back, this is gonna get really awkward really fast."

"You've got my hands pinned down." Elena told her.

"Oh." Caroline told her, taking her arms away from around Elena for a second, then wrapping them around her again. Elena returned the embrace. "I'm a jerk. I promise to never again judge ever."

"Just please don't tell Stefan about me and Damon." Elena told her. They both pulled away. "I promise that I'll tell him. I just-I need to figure out some stuff first."

"Of course." Caroline told her, rubbing her arm.

Evelyn walked into the hall, standing next to them.

Morgana stood down the hall, looking down the hall to see them. She was still upset and angry.

Elena saw her, shaking her head in guilt, starting to walk toward her.

Morgana walked away, leaving.

Evelyn put her arm out to stop Elena. "Just give her some time to blow off steam. After everything you did, that's the least you could give her."

Sally , Bonnie and Elizabeth walked in from behind Elena.

"You guys friends again?" Elizabeth asked. Evelyn nodded, smiling. "Thank God."

"Well, she saved Morgana from torture even if it wouldn't have killed her and sleeping with Damon wasn't torture enough." Evelyn told them. "Instead of being the nasty, bad witch, she saved her friend."

Elena looked at Sally, Bonnie and Elizabeth, wrapping her arms around all of them, smiling. "Thankfully we had our good witches." She pulled away. "You know, your Hottie Creepy Professor really knows his stuff, guys."

"It's been baby steps but he's helping with a whole new kind of magic." Bonnie told them.

Sally smiled. "He calls it Expression."

...

Whitmore College - Shane's Office

Esmeralda was sitting on Shane's desk, letting her leg swing slightly, smirking, carefree.

Hayley was pacing, irritated to be one of Esmeralda's slaves, just like Shane.

Shane walked in, seeing the two girls. "You ever hear of a text message? Maybe just give a guy a heads up?"

Esmeralda smirked, crossing her arms. "You're under my mind control. I don't have to give you a heads up."

"Adrian finished breaking the sire bond." Hayley told them.

"Yes, because I made sure of it, while you failed at your task." Esmeralda told her.

"You had fun getting into people's heads and nearly getting a bunch of girls killed." Hayley replied. "You wanted to get involved." Esmeralda smirked. "You have your twelve hybrids." Hayley looked at Shane. "Now, where are my and Elizabeth's parents?"

Shane looked at Esmeralda, silently asking if he should tell her. Esmeralda smirked, knowing that it was going to hurt Hayley, nodding.

"They're dead." Shane answered.

Hayley looked upset. "You lied to me?"

"No, I didn't lie to you." Shane told her. "I said I'd tell you where to find them." He pulled out a flash drive, showing it to her. "This is everything you ever wanted to know, including where they're buried."

Hayley angrily walked over to him, snatching the flash drive from his hand. "You just picked a fight with a werewolf and witch. You know that, right?"

Esmeralda chuckled. "Oh, easy, killer. You're not gonna fight him. You're just gonna follow through with what we've been doing. I am declaring war here, just not with you. With Klaus, and the hybrids, and anyone close to the hybrids. Now, just 'cause your parents are dead, doesn't mean you can't see them again."

"What?" Hayley asked.

"This is far from over, Hayley." Esmeralda told her. "We are the beginning."

...

Forbes House - Living Room

Caroline, Stefan and Liam sat in the living room.

"You feel sorry for him?" Liam asked.

"Look, there's no other way to break a vampire sire bond." Stefan told them. "As much as we hate it, Damon does love Elena. Now he has to completely let her go. Ever imagine having to do that?"

"I'm sorry I told them." Caroline told him. "Okay, I kind of didn't have a choice. All I know is he better do what he's supposed to do."

Stefan sat down. "He'll do it. He's not as bad as he wants you to think. He'll do what he needs to do, he told me he would."

"Is that all he told you?" Liam asked.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

Liam shook his head. "Nothing. It's just..."

Caroline sighed. "It's just-how can you trust him?"

"Because I think he loves her as much as I used to." Stefan answered. "He can't be selfish with her. Not anymore."

Caroline didn't seem to understand why he thought this.

Liam nodded understandingly, sympathetically.

...

Lockwood Mansion - Morgana's Guest Bedroom

(Song:) Speechless (Acoustic) - Morning Parade

Morgana opened the door, walking in, leaving the door open. She looked down numbly at the bedside table, grabbing the edge. She suddenly threw it to the wall, shattering the wood, making it all fall to the floor.

Rosie appeared in the door, trying to make her feel better. "You're gonna pay for that, right?" Morgana had angry, sad tears in her eyes, holding her head, sitting down on the bed. Rosie sighed, walking closer, sitting down next to Morgana. "It's gonna be okay."

"You don't know what they did." Morgana told her.

"I don't need to." Rosie told her.

Morgana cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. "Did the herbs... Did they..."

Rosie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, they worked. For a little while. Which is a lot better that nothing at all. Liam stopped by. He said you and Bonnie called him to check up on me. Thank you." Morgana nodded sadly. Rosie sighed. "What did they do?"

Morgana looked at Rosie's, not giving an answer, starting to cry.

Rosie seemed to understand, holding an arm around Morgana. Morgana leaned her head against Rosie's shoulder. Both seemed sad yet and angry to an extent that they looked numb.

...

Salvatore Boarding House - Parlor

Elena was lazily playing the piano.

Damon walked in, leaning against the doorway.

Elena didn't have to look at him to know he was there. "Hey."

"Hey back." Damon told her.

"How was your night?" Elena asked, turning to face him.

"Awful." Damon answered. "Yours?"

"Same." Elena answered.

"Elena, um... we need to talk." Damon told her, walking closer.

"I know that I'm sired to you, Damon." Elena told him. Damon stopped, looking at her in surprise. "Caroline, Elizabeth and Evelyn told us. That's what you, Stefan, Isabella and Emma were doing, isn't it? Is there a way to break them?"

"Not exactly." Damon answered. "Which is why we need to talk."

"Evelyn told me the bond doesn't affect how I feel, just the way I act." Elena told him. "My feelings for you haven't changed, Damon. Nothing has changed."

"Everything has changed, Elena." Damon told her.

"Okay, fine, yeah, I mean, I've changed." Elena told him. "So have you, Damon. And I'm happy. Just like you were yesterday morning before we knew about any of this."

"You know what would make me happy?" Damon asked. "To know that this entire time that I've been completely in love with you, that what you actually felt for me, was real."

"It is real." Elena told him. "I know that it is. Damon, I know what you're about to do. Please, don't do this to me."

Elena walked closer to Damon until they were merely inches apart.

"I don't want to do this, Elena." Damon told her. "I'm not the good guy, remember? I'm the selfish one. I take what I want. I do what I want. I lie to my brother, I fall in love with his girl and my girl's sister." Elena looked at him sadly. "But I have to do the right thing by you."

Elena took Damon's hand, placing it against her heart. "Does this feel wrong?" Damon looked at her in silence. Elena placed one of her hands on Damon's cheek. "Does this feel wrong?"

Elena and Damon continued to look at each other with his hand on her heart and her hand on his cheek.

(Song Ends)