Rose had no idea where she was at first. It was dark and hard to see. Then she noticed Damon on the closed side of the door. Then she remembered: she was in the Boarding House's basement. She looked back at Damon. He didn't look good. "Rose?" She heard Stefan ask.
"So you are here." Damon said, weakly. "For a second, I thought you were a hallucination."
"You were there for me when I went through this." Rose pointed out. "Now it's my turn."
"We can't just give up, Rose." Stefan said. "If there's a way to save him, I'm going to find it."
"I don't see how it's possible, but I know you won't give up on him." Rose said.
"Yeah, and we might need some back-up either way." Stefan pointed out. "He's in really bad shape."
"Who is?" Another voice said. Rose looked and saw that Lexi had appeared. "Ugh, I keep forgetting how creepy your downstairs is."
The group moved upstairs. "I need your help." Stefan said into the phone. There was a slight pause. "Damon's dying. Tyler Lockwood bit him. We don't have much time."
"Is this true?" Lexi asked. Rose looked away, unable to respond.
"I know you don't like him and I know it can't be prevented, but Stefan isn't going to give up looking for a cure." She said.
"Well, there's a lot of reasons not to like him." Lexi said. "But he's Stefan's brother, so I don't know how I should feel about this."
"I'm going back to watch over him." Rose said. "I'm really worried for the others."
"I'll do what I can to help Stefan." Lexi said. "Didn't he say something about helping Bonnie earlier?" She nodded.
In the park, Anna met Elena and Jeremy. "You brought me to see a girl movie." He complained.
"We had to get out of the house, Jer. This is our 3-hour distraction from reality."
"Is that what we're doing? Pretending like our lives aren't screwed?" Jeremy asked.
"We need to do this, okay? Breathe, eat, sleep, wake up, and do it all over again until one day, it's just not as hard anymore." Elena said.
"You're sister's right, Jeremy." Anna said. "The only way to recover from this is to go back to living. Besides, it's not like they're totally gone." She remembered hearing Jenna's voice.
"Hey! There you guys are." Caroline said, carrying a basket.
"Are we really doing this?"
"Yes, we are really doing this. We are going to take a page from Scarlett. We made it through the war. I know you guys went through hell, and my mom knows I am a vampire, so basically it's like Atlanta has burned. And yet, in spite of everything, we persevere." Caroline pointed out.
"If you want, I can stay with you." Then she heard someone calling her. "Uh, there's something I need to take care of first." Anna told them.
"Go, we'll be right here." Jeremy said.
At the witch house, Anna found Stefan and Bonnie. "What's going on?"
"Damon was bitten and now we're trying to reach Emily to see if she can help." Bonnie told her.
"So that's why Lexi sent me here." Anna said. "I was kind of getting worried about him, anyway."
"You knew Emily, think you can help us reach her?" Stefan asked.
"Of course." Anna said. "Calling other ghosts isn't too different when humans or other supernatural call us." Bonnie cast a spell and Anna closed her eyes, focused on reaching Emily. They heard other spirits whispering around them.
"Bonnie?" Stefan asked, looking at his friend. She opened her eyes.
"Emily." Anna looked at her.
"She's speaking through Bonnie."
"Why have you come here, Stefan?" Emily asked.
"I need your help. I need to know if there's a spell that can heal a werewolf bite." Stefan told her.
"No. Nature ensures a balance to everything." Emily said.
"Is that true... or are you just saying no because it's Damon?" Stefan asked.
"Perhaps it is his time to die." Emily said.
"But he tried to save them from a werewolf attack." Anna protested. "Are you really refusing just because of a mistake he made once?"
"Anna, even you know it's inevitible for all of us." Emily pointed out.
"But not like this." Anna said. "I can't stand to see Damon or the others in any more pain."
"Please, if you know something, just tell me. Help me save my brother." Stefan said. Suddenly, Bonnie fell to the ground.
"Bonnie."
"They don't want us here. They think I'm abusing their power." Bonnie said.
"Or they just don't understand the power of friendship." Anna said.
"They know something. There's an answer. They just don't want to tell me." Stefan said.
"I heard them say a name." Bonnie said.
"What was it?"
"Klaus."
"I guess we're going to need each other here." Lexi said, appearing in the middle of the group. "I don't like Damon anymore than you do, but…"
"He's my brother. There's no other choice." Stefan said.
"At least let us come with you." Anna said. "Elena's in the park if you want to talk to her."
"Right, I forgot it's our day out." Bonnie said.
Outside, the girls appeared near the group. Stefan showed up a few minutes later. "Hey."
"Hey! Look who couldn't resist an epic romance."
"Will you come take a walk with me?" Stefan asked.
"Go with him." Anna told her. "It's important." Elena got up.
"So, where did you go?" Jeremy asked.
"I had to meet Bonnie. She'll explain things." Anna told him.
"I'm breaking the rules, you know. Movie night's supposed to be a distraction." Elena said. "Tomorrow we can return to our regularly scheduled drama."
"I wish." Lexi said, appearing nearby. "But you need to hear him out."
"the other night when Damon was helping Tyler, something happened." Stefan told her. "Tyler was starting to transform, and Damon was bitten."
"What? Is it... is he gonna..." Elena began.
"Yeah."
"I'm so sorry, Elena." Lexi said.
"Oh, my God. And he came to the house this morning and... and tried to apologize. I practically slammed the door in his face." Elena said.
"It's not over yet." Lexi said. "We've still got some time."
"I figured if you wanted to talk to him, I... I wouldn't wait." Stefan told her.
"Stefan…"
"It's not over. There might be a cure, but I have to find Klaus to get it." Stefan said. Lexi saw how terrified Elena looked.
"No. He's gonna kill you." Elena said.
"No, he had the chance to kill me, but he didn't. Whatever Damon's done, whatever has led him here, I'm the one that made him become a vampire in the first place, so if there's a chance for a cure, I owe it to him to find it." Stefan pointed out.
"And he'd have to go through me to kill Stefan." Lexi pointed out. They both gaped at her.
"You're coming with me?"
"Look, it's no secret I can't stand Damon, but he's your brother and if you want to save him, you'll need help if you're facing Klaus." Lexi said. She turned to Elena. "He's at home. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Thanks." Elena embraced Stefan.
"Go talk to him. Just tell him that there's still hope." Stefan said.
"Promise me you'll be careful. It won't do any good if both of you…" Elena began. She started shaking. Lexi put her hand on her back, calming her down.
"The last thing he needs is to see you fall apart."
An hour later, they were outside Alaric's place. "Are you sure you want to be here?"
"Yes. I'm not going to change my mind about this, Stefan." Lexi said. "I'll be like you're invisible bodyguard or whatever."
They entered the room. "She's still here?" Lexi asked, surprised to see Katherine.
"Guess so." He whispered. "Hello, Katherine."
"Two days, I've been waiting. I'm supposed to be free of Klaus' compulsion by now. He's supposed to be dead." She pointed out, getting up.
"We ran into complications." Stefan told her.
"Complications?"
"That's an understatement." Lexi said.
"It doesn't matter now." Stefan pointed out, not sure which of them he was talking to. "I just need to find him. Do you have any idea where he might be?" Katherine shoved him against the wall. Then Lexi heard footsteps nearby.
"Just go with it. I think he found us." She told him. A second later, Klaus and Elijah showed up.
"Klaus, you're back." Katherine said. "Look who decided to come for a visit."
"You just keep popping up, don't you?" Klaus said.
"I need your help... For my brother." Stefan told him.
"Well, whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait a tick. You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention."
Lexi rolled her eyes. "You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here. My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own."
"And so I shall." She didn't even blink as he daggered Elijah.
"I knew that was coming." She said.
"Now, what am I gonna do with you?" Lexi got in front of Stefan, blocking Klaus. She turned to him. "I'll be fine. He can't hurt me."
"The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want." Stefan told him.
"Haven't you learned anything about making a deal with the devil?" Lexi asked him.
"It's Damon." He pointed out.
"Trouble is I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless."
"Excuse me?" Lexi asked. Stefan pulled her arm back, preventing her from using her powers on him.
"Just go with it, Lexi." He whispered.
Back in the basement, Rose was sitting next to Damon. "That's not looking too good."
"Did it really hurt this much when you went through it?" He asked.
"It did. Though you seem to be handling it better than I did." Rose said.
"That looks bad." They turned to the doorway and saw Alaric standing on the other side of it.
"It feels worse." Damon said. "My subconscious is haunting me, Rick. Please tell me you have something for that." Alaric put Damon's ring on the frame window, along with a glass.
"So my brother sent you for suicide watch?"
"He's just trying to help." Alaric said.
"Hey, none of us want you dead, if that helps." Rose said. "But even if he found a cure in time, he wouldn't be able to just walk out of it and come out like things are back to normal."
"He's doing what he always does, trying to right the wrongs of the past." Damon said. "You should want me dead. I'm the reason Jenna got killed."
"I don't blame you for Jenna." Alaric said.
"Oh, sure you do. Let's not forget I turned your wife into a vampire. You must really hate me for that one."
"Damon, now is not the time to get suicidal on us." Rose said. She concentrated and the next thing she knew, she'd managed to vervain him by using telekinesis to move one of the needles.
She held him. "I'm sorry, but it's for the best." She told him.
At the movie, Anna was still with Jeremy and the others. She'd left to help Elena, but as soon as she'd noticed the sheriff's car, she had rushed inside to warn Rose. By the time she got outside, Elena was gone.
"All this waiting around for news is ruining Scarlett for me." Caroline said. Then Jeremy's phone rang.
"Alaric. Hey." There was a pause. "She went to go see Damon. I thought that's where you were?"
Anna managed to catch the rest of it. "If Damon is off the rails, there is nothing you can do to stop him. Let us take care of it." Bonnie said.
"You keep doing this. You left me behind before, and guess what Jenna still died." Jeremy said. "Now I'm going to find my sister. You go ahead and you try to stop me."
"But, Jeremy…"
"I'll go with him." Anna said. "As long as I stay with Jeremy, nothing will happen to him. Besides, between you, your vampire friend, and me, I'm sure we'll be able to find him no problem." They all took off.
Back in Ric's apartment, Lexi was right next to Stefan. "I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades." Klaus told him. "When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterrey and wiped out an entire migrant village... A true ripper. Sound familiar?"
"Stefan…" Lexi looked at him. She knew he didn't like talking about his past, too many dark memories, even though she helped him through it.
"I haven't been that way in a very long time." He told Klaus.
"Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town." Klaus said.
"I am so not going through this again." Lexi said. He looked at her. Their eyes met with understanding. "I know you want to save him, but Elena still needs you."
"If I don't do this, then he'll know she's alive. Plus, I can't let my brother die." She heard him say, as though he was projecting his thoughts to her.
"I'm not leaving until this is over." Lexi told him. Then they heard Katherine panicking. They turned and saw that she now had a wolf bite on her wrist. Then, they watched as Klaus forced his blood into her. The bite healed.
"You want your cure? There it is."
"Your blood is the cure."
"I wish we'd known that before Rose became a ghost." Lexi said.
"Now... Let's talk, you and I."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens." Lexi told Stefan.
In town, Jeremy and Anna were looking around. "Isn't there some ghost spell or whatever you can use to find him faster?" Jeremy asked.
"Well, I may not have as strong a connection with him, but sometimes we can call others among the living." Anna said. "And we don't have to look far anyway." She pointed in front of her.
That's when Jeremy saw him. "Damon!" They rushed up to him.
"Where's Elena?" He asked them.
"Don't worry, she's fine." Anna told him. "You, however, are not."
"Come with me." Jeremy said. "We need to get you out of here." He and Anna both got on one side and helped carry him off.
Meanwhile, Elena was still locked in the sheriff's office. She got an idea and broke the window using a chair. "Elena!" She heard after she jumped out. She hoped that she hadn't been caught. She was relieved when it was only Rose.
"What happened?"
"Damon escaped, Anna and the others are looking for him." Rose explained.
"Can you take me to him?" Elena asked.
"Yes." Rose turned to her. "I suggest you close your eyes and hold on. This isn't going to be pleasant." She grabbed Rose's hand and shut her eyes.
Back at the Grill, Anna was next to Damon. Jeremy was calling the rest of the group. Then she saw the Sheriff walk in. "No!" Anna got in front of the guys, blocking the shot with her powers. In the chaos, though, Damon had disappeared on them.
"Are you okay?" Anna asked a surprised Jeremy. He nodded.
"Oh, my god! Jeremy, are you alright?" Sheriff Forbes asked. He was too surprised to even answer her. Then he fell to the ground just as Bonnie and Caroline entered the room.
"Jeremy!" Bonnie ran over to them.
"It's okay, he's only passed out." Anna told her. "She tried to shoot Damon."
"Mom. Mom, what did you do?" Caroline asked.
"I was aiming for Damon."
"He isn't dead." Bonnie told them. "He's just fainted, that's all."
"Yeah, I can tell." Caroline said. "There aren't any injuries."
"He's probably still in shock." Sheriff Forbes said.
"What's going on?" The group turned and saw Alaric. "Oh, my god."
"He's okay." Bonnie said. "We should probably take him home, though."
"But he's still in shock. For all we know, he could be in a coma…" The Sheriff began…
"Mom, trust them. They know what they're doing." Caroline said. Anna helped the group move Jeremy. However, the second she touched him, he started to stir.
"He's waking up."
"That can't be good." Bonnie said. "Anna, can you keep him asleep until we get him into the car?"
"No problem." To Sheriff Forbes, it looked like she was talking to no one.
"What is…"
"Yeah, I think I can explain things." Caroline said.
Back at Ric's apartment, Lexi was pacing. She noticed that Katherine had backed into the corner. It was taking everything in her not to attack either her or Klaus. She finally stopped and sat down next to Stefan. "There it is. You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade-long bender? And I have big plans for you when we leave this town."
"I'm not like that anymore." Stefan said.
"Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman."
"Wait." Lexi turned to him. He looked at her and switched to telepathy. "It's the only way."
"Are you sure?" Lexi asked him. He nodded. "Okay, but let me help you."
"If she…"
"I won't tell her where you are, and I'll keep you from becoming a permanent member of the dark side." She told him. "You have my word on that."
"Okay."
Anna and Bonnie were up in Jeremy's room. "I'm so glad you're okay." Bonnie said.
"Yeah, I've felt better." Jeremy said.
"It's probably because of that sleep spell I did." Anna said. "It should wear off in five minutes."
"I didn't know you could do magic." Bonnie said.
"No, only witch spirit can do magic." Anna said. "I was only able to help because I have a bond with him. The best way I can explain it is when a ghost forms an emotional connection with a human or someone among the living, a sort of bond forms between them."
"Yeah, you mentioned that before." Jeremy said. "What else do we need to know?"
"Sometimes, if the bond is strong enough, we kind of become the person's ghostly protector." Anna explained.
"What if you…I mean, is it possible for a person to have more than one 'guardian spirit'?" Bonnie asked. "That's what Grams called them, anyway."
"I believe it's possible." Anna said. "Also, the good ones just try to help people. The dark ones always seem to be working an angle."
"There are bad ones?"
"Yeah, haven't run into any yet, though." Anna said. "But I can pick up on them."
"Thanks for helping us get Jeremy out of there."
"Hey, you know I'd do anything to help you guys." Anna said.
"Well, I should get going." Bonnie said. "Caroline's going to want to know everything."
"Bonnie," Jeremy said. "Thank you."
"It was nothing. Anna was the real hero."
"No, it was both of us. If you hadn't shown up when you did…I don't want to think about it." Anna said. Alaric entered the room as Bonnie left.
"Hey, bud. I'm gonna take off. Need anything?" He asked.
"I think I'm good." Jeremy said, glancing over at Anna.
" You know, uh, on second thought, I might just crash here. Is that cool?"
"Whatever." Jeremy said. "Hey, thank you for everything."
"I figured you'd need some extra help." He left the room.
"Hey, I'm going to get going, too." Anna said. "I'm worried about the guys."
"I understand." Jeremy told her.
"I'll be back soon." Anna told him. She kissed him on the cheek, then disappeared.
Rose and Elena were up in Damon's room. She was at the foot of the bed, looking concerned. He seemed to be in worse condition than earlier. Elena was by his side. "Elena."
"It's okay, Damon. I'm right here." She told him.
"Elena, get out of here. I could hurt you."
"No. You won't. I'm here until the very end. I'm not leaving you." Elena said.
"Besides, you'd have to get past us ghosts to get to her." Rose heard a voice next to her say. She turned and saw Anna.
"How'd you…"
"I found him earlier." Anna explained. "He looked like he was in bad condition. I would've checked in on Stefan, too, but for some reason, Lexi's blocking me. I can't hear her at all."
"Well, I just hope this is over soon." Rose said. "I can't stand to see him like this." Elena held him as another coughing fit took over.
"Hang on. It's okay."
"It's not okay." He said. "All those years, I've blamed Stefan. No one forced me to love her. It was my own choice."
"Hey, we've all made a wrong choice at some point." Anna said, coming over to his other side. "At least she can't hurt you guys that way anymore."
"I made the wrong choice. You tell Stefan I'm sorry. Okay?"
"I will." Elena said.
"You can tell him yourself, you know." Rose said. "You're bond with your friends is strong enough."
"I thought bonding only happened after you…" Elena began.
"Not always." Rose said. "Anna's not most spirits. Most times if a connection is strong while they're in life, it sticks around even after they've passed."
"It's true." Anna said. "In my case, it was different cause I had no friends, no living family, until Jeremy came along."
At Alaric's apartment, Lexi was still with the others. It'd been a long time. "Okay, enough." Lexi said. "I don't think he'll last much longer." Stefan glanced at the clock and realized she was right.
"I'm not doing this anymore. Not until you give me the cure."
"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life." Klaus told him. Lexi glanced over at him.
They made eye contact again. She understood. "You realize, even if I do this, they will never stop fighting to get you back here and neither will I. This doesn't change our promise, though." He nodded.
Meanwhile, Klaus had gone over to Katherine. "Take this over to Damon and come right back."
"You want me to leave?" Katherine asked.
"What?" Lexi all but yelled.
"No!"
"Yes and if I were you..." Before Klaus could finish speaking, she was out the door. Lexi and Stefan looked at each other.
"What now?" He thought. At least, that was the thought pattern she was picking up on.
"I think she'll do it." Lexi said. "Otherwise, Anna and Rose will kick her ass." Stefan almost smiled at this.
Back in Damon's room, Anna and Rose were still watching over them. "It won't be much longer." Rose realized.
"Rose, you need to stop talking." Anna said. "I think you're upsetting her."
"This is even more pitiful than I thought."
"There's still hope." Elena pointed out.
"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die." Damon told her.
"No. You don't." Elena told him.
"I do, Elena. It's okay. 'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you." He told her. "I'm so sorry. Done so many things to hurt you."
"It's okay. I forgive you." She said.
"I know you love Stefan. And it will always be Stefan. But I love you. You should know that." Tears came to Elena's eyes.
"I do."
"When I come back, at least I'll still be able to protect you." He told her. Elena was still crying, though silently. Rose noticed and that's when it hit her.
"Damon, you can't just give up like this. You need to hold on." She told him. Everyone looked at her in shock.
"But, Rose…" Anna began.
"I know what I said earlier, but the truth is, your friends need you more than you think." Rose said. "You have to at least try to fight it."
"Rose…" Anna said, then she looked at the pair on the bed and realized why she'd said what she did. "You're right."
"I wish you'd met me in 1864. You would've liked me." He told Elena.
"I like you now. Just the way you are." She said. He closed his eyes. Elena leaned over and kissed him gently.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." The ghosts began to move to either side of the pair, when…
"Well, it's me you should be thanking." They all turned around and saw Katherine in the doorway. "I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure." Elena got out of the bed and Anna walked over to her.
"You better not be lying."
"I'm not. Klaus gave it to me." Katherine said. She noticed she didn't believe her. "I wouldn't be standing here if he hadn't let me go."
"It's true." Rose said. "There's no way to undo Klaus' compulsion." Anna stepped aside. Katherine looked at Elena.
"I thought you were dead."
"I was." Katherine moved over to Damon.
"You got free."
"About time." Katherine gave him the cure.
"And you still came here?"
"I owed you one." Katherine said. She got up.
"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked.
"Are you sure you care?" Katherine asked.
"Cut the crap, Katherine. If you know something, spill it." Anna said.
"All right, but you're not going to like this." Katherine said. "He's paying for this." She held up the cure. "He gave himself over to Klaus. I wouldn't expect him anytime soon."
"What do you mean, "he gave himself over"?" Elena asked.
"He just sacrificed everything to save his brother, including you. It's a good thing you have Damon to keep you company." Katherine said. "Good-bye, Elena." She started to leave.
"Hey, you've still got your friends." Anna pointed out.
"And we're around, sort of." Rose said. Elena smiled at them.
"Oh. It's okay to love them both." Katherine told her. "I did." She tossed the cure at Elena and left. The others looked at each other.
"Looks like it's working." Rose said, looking at Damon's wrist. Sure enough, the wound was healing.
"Hey," Anna was with Elena in the hallway. "I'm sure Lexi will be here soon. You said she went with Stefan earlier."
"I hope you're right, Anna."
"By the way, he's right." Anna told her. "You would've liked him in 1864."
"Okay, what was he like then?" Elena asked, feeling curious.
"He wasn't perfect, but he was kind, protective of the people he cared about." Anna explained. "Not to mention brave. Not many guys had the nerve to stand up to fight for what they cared for in those days, but Damon wouldn't hesitate to call someone out if he knew they were wrong."
A few minutes later, the group went back to the bedroom. "Are you blushing?" Anna asked Rose. She didn't say anything.
"It's nothing." She said. "Don't you have a human to get back to?"
"I think I should wait for Lexi." Anna said. But part of her did want to check in on Jeremy and Rose could see it.
"Go on." Rose said. "I'll meet you on the other side, tell you everything there. Promise."
"Okay. Hey, Rose, thanks for telling him to fight."
"It was nothing." Anna disappeared.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked.
"Yeah, I feel fine." Damon told her.
"I just texted him, but who knows if he'll answer."
"Hey, we'll get him back." Damon said.
"You should probably get some rest." Elena told him.
"She's right." Rose said. "That must've taken a lot out of you."
"Okay. Hey, how do we even know Katherine was telling the truth about Stefan?"
"She was telling the truth, all right." They all looked in shock. Lexi appeared before the group. "I was there. Klaus got Stefan on human blood, telling him the only way to save Damon was to leave town with him and go to the dark side."
"Oh, no." Elena said.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to him." Lexi told them. "I'll check in with you guys frequently and make sure to keep him safe. I promise."
"We trust you, no matter what." Elena said. "You'll let us know where you find him, right?"
"I'm sorry, I can't." Lexi said. "I promised him I wouldn't tell you guys."
"You realize that we'll try to track him down anyway, right?"
"I wouldn't expect anything less, but please try to be subtle about it." Lexi told them.
"We'll do our best." Elena said.
"I should go now." Lexi said.
"Wait, are you sure you can't tell us where we can…"
"I'm sorry, Elena." Lexi said. "But ghosts are bound to the promises they make to their person or to the people on your side, where everyone…mostly everyone, is alive."
"She's telling the truth." Rose said. "I've experienced it before."
"What happens if you can't?" Damon asked.
"I don't want to find out." Lexi said. "But it's probably not good."
Anna showed up at Jeremy's room. He woke up, startled. "Was that you?"
"Was what me?"
"I thought I heard something." Jeremy said. He got up and headed downstairs. Anna followed closely, when she felt it. They weren't alone in the house. She knew Alaric was asleep, but this presence didn't feel human and it felt like a cold breeze.
They entered the kitchen. "Anna, do you feel anything?" Jeremy asked.
"Yes. I'm not the only one, Jeremy. There's someone else here." She said. She moved closer to him. She felt that cold feeling again, then saw a shape. "There!" Jeremy looked up and was stunned, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Vicki?"