Ghost World
The following morning, Damon wakes to find himself tied to a chair with chains and a fire poker in his chest, which seems familiar to him. He looks around the living room and tries breaking the chains, but it's too tough. "Low blow, Stefan. Low blow!" Damon shouts to the empty house when the door opens, but it's not Stefan who comes inside.
"What the hell happened to you?" Blake exclaims, walking into the living room as she decides to get the rest of Stefan's stuff while Damon is supposed to be asleep.
"Whatever twisted Ripper game Stefan is playing, leave me out of it," He growls, glaring at the Werewolf.
"He didn't do this," She defends him, smirking at seeing him so defenceless.
"Quit screwin' around!" The older Salvatore Brother snaps at the girl.
"He didn't," The ginger Werewolf argues, growing annoyed with him. "He wasn't even here last night." She moves towards the chair, tugging on the chains. "It's pretty messed up though, isn't it?"
"Yep," Damon grumbles and Blake removes the iron poker, making the Vampire scream, which gives her a little pleasure. She does remove the chains but stops halfway.
"Got to go. I promised Steffy I'd grab some of his things," Blake says, walking away, leaving Damon to untangle himself the rest of the way, unaware that Mason is lurking, watching them unseen.
"Yeah, not to worry. I'll just untangle myself," Damon huffs, looking at the chains when the curtains open, letting sunlight into the room, touching Damon as his skin burns and making the Vampire scream.
The crowd prepare for the Night of Illumination around the town square, hanging lanterns to the trees as Carol Lockwood speaks to the volunteers. "As a long-time member of the Historical Society, I am especially proud to be kicking off this day of festivities. Thank you, volunteers. Tonight, we turn off our town's lights and flare up our lanterns of the Night of Illumination, started by our Founders 150 years ago. Here's Founding Family Member Tobias Fellwith a history lesson." Everyone applauds as the man walks onto the stage within the crowd; Alaric and Jeremy stand, listening to the speech as the young Gilbert boy is guilted into talking to the History Teacher and doesn't want to talk to his Sister's group of friends after using him.
"What are we doing here?" Jeremy asks, growing bored already.
"Tobias Fell is the Head of the History Department. I didn't have a choice," Alaric replies, eyeing the kid, feeling guilty about many things lately.
"All right, that explains what you're doing here," He retorts, folding his arms.
"Well, I'm the one who can fail you if you don't help me out," The Vampire Slayer argues, basically blackmailing the teen when Elena walks over and joins them.
"Hey, sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" Elena asks them, looking at Alaric and trying to convey something to him, unaware that Anna suddenly appears within their group without being thought of. She seems to always pop up even when Jeremy isn't thinking about her now.
"Just a bunch of historical lies," Anna jokes into Jeremy's ear, almost making him jump out of his skin.
"You didn't miss anything," Jeremy tells her as Tobias Fell makes his speech.
"The first illumination was held in celebration with the new-found prosperity that Mystic Falls enjoyed after the war," Tobias speaks to the crowd.
"After the Founders stole from all the Vampires," Anna retorts, making Jeremy laugh under his breath, but Elena hears him and glances at him funnily.
"What's so funny?" Elena asks him as he looks at the stage, not answering her, and she turns her head back to the stage.
"Safe from the Vampires," She snides, making Jeremy smile, and Anna smiles, too, looking at him and taking his hand, but he pulls away.
Meanwhile, Caroline helps Bonnie hang lanterns on trees for the upcoming festival in town. "So, when you did the spell to send Vicki away, did that get rid of Anna, too?" Caroline asks, curious.
"I wish," Bonnie replies with a scoff. "All I did was block the magic that was helping Vicki get a physical foothold here. Jeremy's still got a direct line to the Other Side, and as long as he wants to see Anna and she wants to see him, she's still here."
"Okay, you don't think I can actually resist commenting on that?" She retorts, looking at her friend.
"There. You commented," The Bennett Witch replies, annoyed at the blond.
"Bonnie…" The blond Vampire mutters, looking at her friends and seeing the hurt in her eyes.
"What do you want me to say, Caroline?" Bonnie asks her angrily. "I went against the balance of nature when I brought Jeremy back to life, and now I'm paying the consequences."
"Well, I want you to say you're not okay with it," Caroline tells her.
"I'm a thousand times not okay with it," She replies. "I just don't know what to do about it." Damon angrily stops his car by the girls, glaring out of the window.
"Greetings, Blondie, Witchy. I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan," Damon greets them, glaring at the Witch.
"What do you mean, why?" The Inexperienced Witch questions, looking at the Vampire.
"Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost," He informs them angrily, thinking about what happened and what that ginger Werewolf told him.
"What?" Bonnie asks as the situation is lost on her.
"And why would you think that?" Caroline asks the older Salvatore Brother.
"Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest," Damon retorts, getting out of his car to talk to them. "Let's just say I'm having deja vu." The girls look at each other, both getting worried.
"I thought you said that Ghosts couldn't physically interact with people?" She questions, looking at the Bennett Witch.
"They can't," Bonnie argues, shaking her head violently.
"Yeah, well, I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead. Whatever you screwed up, fix it." Damon snaps at her, glaring before returning to his car and leaving. All of them are unaware that Matt is on the other side of the road, watching them. Edward is behind them, listening to them and running off, needing to talk to Greta, who is luckily back with Maddox after sealing Mikael away and putting Katherine in a safe place, the secret room at the back of the bookshop.
Edward bursts into the bookshop, making Greta and Maddox stare at him from the cafe and Luka at the counter. "We have a big problem," Edward announces, growing pale at the possible repercussions of what this could mean.
Jeremy reluctantly joins Elena and Alaric at the Grill with the promise of a free lunch as they sit outside at one of the tables with Stefan's old journal lying on the table. Jeremy looks around, not paying attention, looking for Alexis, knowing she's working today. "Hey, Jer, I need you to help me with something," Elena requests, looking at her Brother, who isn't even at the table, as his eyes find the blond teen waiting on tables. "Jeremy!"
"What's up?" Jeremy asks, jumping back to reality, which doesn't go unnoticed by Elena and Alaric, who assume it's Anna-related.
"I've been going through Stefan's old journals. Every single time that he's gone off the rails in the past, his best friend, Lexi's been the one to bring him back." She explains, looking expectedly at him.
"So where is she now that we need her?" Alaric questions, never having met the older blond Vampire.
"She's dead," Jeremy answers, glaring at Elena. "And you want me to try to reach her, don't you?"
"I thought if I knew how she did it, maybe I could help him," Elena reasons, ignoring the glare from the younger teen.
"I don't even know if she's on the Other Side," He argues, shrugging.
"Is that what it's called?" She asks him, growing curious about this part of the Supernatural world.
"That's what Alexis calls it," The youngest Gilbert child replies. "There's not like an official brochure or anything."
"So what is it, like some sort of Supernatural Purgatory?" Alaric questions, looking at the teenage boy sitting across from him.
"Well, Alexis explained it from what she understands, but she doesn't really understand it as best as Lorilei, who isn't here. Anna says it's like being here with all of us, only we can't see her or hear her. And she can't interact with anyone. She's all alone," Jeremy informs them, and Anna appears in the empty seat between Alaric and Jeremy.
"Vicki could interact. She blew up my car," Alaric argues, unsure what to believe anymore.
"Vicki had help from a Witch on the Other Side. Anna… she's doing this all by herself," He retorts, wanting to end the conversation and not wanting to help them.
"I'm just saying, maybe we learned our lesson about summoning dead people," The History Teacher agrees, not wanting to play with Witchcraft.
Caroline and Bonnie decide to investigate after Damon berates them and seek out Matt, finding him not far away and interrogating him. "I haven't seen Vicki, I swear. I sent her back like you told me to," Matt argues, done with the questioning and wanting to forget about having to say goodbye to his Sister, who manipulated and used him.
"Are you sure?" Bonnie presses. "Because she has just as much reason to haunt Damon as Mason Lockwood does."
"She's gone, Bonnie," He repeats. "If she was here, I'd know it."
"Why do you think it's Vicki and not Mason?" Caroline asks the Witch.
"Because if any Ghost other than Vicki Bonovan has a physical foothold on our side, then that means Damon's right and something has gone really, really wrong," Bonnie gulps at the thought of more Ghosts running wild.
"I've had enough of this Ghost stuff to last forever," Matt states. "So you guys can leave me out of this one." He leaves the girls in the town square.
"I feel so sad for him," Caroline sighs, watching him walk away. "It took a lot for him to send his Sister away."
"Yeah," Bonnie agrees glumly.
"So much strength as a man," She mutters.
"I've got a Ghost problem to deal with, Caroline. Save the Jeremy lecture for later," The Bennett Witch grumbles, grabbing her bag, but it's already open, and everything is on the floor, including her Grimoire. She's about to pick it up, but a strong wind blows through, turning the pages till it lands on a specific page.
"Okay, did your Grimoire just…" The young blond Vampire questions, looking at the book in shock.
"I think so," Bonnie agrees in an equal amount of shock as she picks up the Grimoire, examining the page.
"Okay, please tell me that's a recipe for Witch cookies?" Caroline pleads, looking at the page, not understanding anything.
"It's a Manifestation Spell. It's used to reveal veiled matter," She explains, reading the instructions.
"What's veiled matter?" The perky blond asks, frowning.
"Ghosts." The inexperienced Witch answers, not realising she's being manipulated by the wrong kind of Witch, and it won't be a pleasant experience for anyone.
"Do you think it's even possible to contact Lexi?" Elena asks Jeremy, still sitting in front of the Grill.
"I don't know," Jeremy answers honestly. "I didn't have an emotional connection with her. I never even met her."
"Can we just drop it, please?" Alaric asks the teens, wanting to enjoy a nice lunch.
"No, I can't drop it, Ric. I don't know what else to do," Elena plays the pitiful girl, pouting about her ex-boyfriend.
"Don't you think we have a few too many dead Vampires in our past to be sitting here thinking of them watching us?" He wonders, hoping someone doesn't want revenge on him or anyone he cares about.
"I don't think all Supernatural Spirits go to the Other Side. I think some of them find peace," Anna explains, whispering in Jeremy's ear and making him a little uncomfortable. He moves in his seat, and Elena and Alaric notice him moving away from the empty chair.
"Is Anna here right now?" Elena asks him, looking at her Brother.
"Don't tell her I'm here. She won't like it," The Ghost girl warns him, knowing she will take it the wrong way.
"No, no. I'm going to go, uh, check my work schedule," Jeremy says, getting up from his seat and leaving them alone at the table, but not for long as Stefan arrives, taking Jeremy's empty seat.
"Hey, guys. Who forgot to invite me to the family summit?" Stefan jokes, spotting his old journal and taking it from Elena before glancing at it. "Hmm? Wow. All these words. I forgot how much I used to sulk as if I cared."
"I didn't," Elena replies, looking at him and the journal.
"You know, Elena, it's probably best you not torture yourself with memories from the past," He warns her. "It's best we both just move on and accept things as they are."
"You don't have to be here, Stefan," Alaric warns the Vampire, who looks at him in annoyance.
"You know what, Alaric, you're right. I don't," The former Ripper replies, getting up from the chair. "But my date is here," He says, shocking Elena as someone walks over, and she recognises it as Blake, the new girl at their school and one of Klaus' future Hybrids.
"Hey, Ellie, Mr Saltzman," Blake greets them with a friendly smile. "Ready, Stefan? I want to eat before we go to the festival.
"Course, I can't let you starve. Your Mum will string me up and leave me alone in the woods," Stefan laughs, shocking Elena even more as she watches them interact.
"You know it," She replies and turns to Elena. "See you tonight maybe. Oh, there's Sara and Beth." They walk off, heading into the building.
"I can't drop it, Ric," Elena retorts, seeing the look on his face and wanting to hide as she thinks about Stefan, who has occupied her mind a lot lately as he isn't the same as what she misses from their past. She doesn't want to move on from her 'Epic Love'; she wants Stefan back.
Bonnie and Caroline decide to venture out to the Abandoned Witch House in the forest outside of town and go into the basement, which is a closer connection to the hundreds of dead Witches. "So this is where you brought Jeremy back to life?" Caroline wonders, looking around.
"Yeah. Sorry, I know it's creepy, but we needed a private place around here to do the spell," Bonnie tells her, sitting on the dusty and creaky floor.
"Hmm. There's no chance it's haunted by the hundred dead Witches who were horrifically burned to death in this very spot, is there?" She asks, glancing at her friend.
"They're not here anymore," The Bennett Witch assures her; though she's wrong, she just doesn't have a connection with them anymore. "And they made it clear they were never coming back."
"Right. A pinkie swear?" The blond Vampire says, holding her pinkie finger and making Bonnie smile slightly.
Jeremy enters the restroom, wanting to be alone, but Anna enters behind him. "What's wrong?" She asks him, moving to stand beside him.
"Why did you tell me to lie?" Jeremy questions, looking at her through the mirror.
"Elena is Bonnie's best friend. She won't like what's going on between us," Anna argues lightly.
"What is going on between us?" He challenges, turning around. "Okay, how are we able to touch? Vicki had to use magic to do that."
"I don't know," She answers honestly. "Honestly, I have no idea.
"This Witch on the Other Side that gave Vicki her foothold, is she helping you now?" The young Gilbert boy wonders, glancing at her.
"What? No!" The Vampire Ghost exclaims. "I'm all alone, Jeremy, I told you that."
"Swear to me," Jeremy demands, looking at her and making eye contact.
"I swear. I'm not any danger to you or anybody, I promise. Hey. I need you to believe me," Anna begs him.
"I shouldn't even be talking to you. This is not okay," Jeremy argues, feeling guilty, but it's not about Bonnie; it's about Alexis.
"Then send me away. I'm only here because you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. Send me away, Jeremy. It's that easy," She counters, looking at him.
"I… I don't know why this is happening or when it's going to stop. But before it's done… I have to do this one last time," The teenage boy says and pulls her into a final kiss, conveying all his feelings for his dead ex-girlfriend.
Caroline lights candles around the room before looking at Bonnie as she sits in the centre of the room. "Ready? Do you need me to do…?" She asks, but Bonnie is already casting the spell. "Right. Okay." As Bonnie says the spell, a wind blows through.
"Something's not right," Edward mutters, feeling a shift in the world as he stands upstairs in Lorilei's Witch room in Maddox and the Martin's apartment.
"What is it?" Greta asks him, watching as he thumbs through the McKnight Grimoire, looking for answers.
"I don't know… something bad is happening… something that shouldn't… something that shouldn't be done when you on't understand the consequences…" He replies and stops on a page. "Someone is revealing veiled matter."
"Veiled matter?" Maddox asks, knowing how dangerous that could be. "Do you mean Ghosts?"
"Ghosts? But why would anyone want to do that?" Luka wonders, looking at his Sister.
Alaric and Elena step into the Mystic Grill as they look for Jeremy, who is taking his time. "I'll grab Jeremy," Alaric tells her, moving towards the bar, hoping to spot the boy as he said he was going to check his schedule.
"I'll be right back," Elena replies, moving toward the restrooms when Damon joins Alaric at the bar.
"You know, I've had enough Vampires today, thanks," He remarks, wanting an alcoholic drink right now.
"Oh, come on. Have a drink with me. We've got trouble," Damon retorts, side-eyeing his friend.
"No, you've got trouble," The Vampire Slayer argues, not wanting to amuse Damon anymore. "See, we're not a team. You tried to kill me. All right? We're not friends. I don't like you anymore."
"Ah! But remember back when you liked me and we conspired to kill Uncle Werewolf Mason Lockwood?" The older Salvatore Brother argues, looking at his only friend.
"Yeah, and?" Alaric counters, staring at him, not going to like what comes out next.
"I think he's still a little pissed," Damon replies with a little twinge of discomfort at the thought of how he woke up this morning.
Bonnie continues to cast the spell as the wind grows stronger inside the room, making everything move, and Caroline grows worried at what she's watching. "Bonnie, I don't like this. Bonnie…" Caroline stutters as she watches as suddenly someone familiar grabs Bonnie's hands, making the blond gasp. "Oh, my God. Is that your…" Bonnie opens her eyes to see the woman she's missed the most, her Grandmother.
"Grams…" Bonnie gasps, overwhelmed with emotion at seeing her again.
Elena goes into the restroom and is surprised to find Jeremy and Anna kissing and the fact that she can see the dead Vampire in her Brother's arms. "Anna?" Elena questions, making the teens step apart bashfully.
Stefan and Blake walk along the street, enjoying each other's company, leaving the twins at the Grill as they talk about nothing in particular when Lexi suddenly steps out in front of them, stopping them from moving further. "Lexi!" Stefan exclaims, looking at his dead best friend in shock.
Alexis steps into the backroom at the Mystic Grill, grabbing a few things to clean tables, when she hears the door close behind her. She turns around, expecting it to be someone she works with, but she is deadly surprised. "Mum? Dad?" She looks at the people standing before her in utter shock.
Outside at the bar, Damon and Alaric stand when another of the dead arrives. Mason comes over to them, joining them at the bar, both spotting him instantly. "Mason," Alaric mutters, looking at the man in shock.
"God, I miss whisky," Mason says, taking the drink and gulping down the liquid quickly before slamming it down on the counter. Damon looks at Alaric in alarm, wondering what Mason could want with them.
"Told ya," Damon remarks, looking at his friend, who glares back at him.
Stefan looks at Lexi, happy and surprised to see his best friend alive and in front of him. "Hi," Lexi greets her dear friend.
"You're dead," Stefan states in shock, and Blake slams his arm.
"Rude," Blake snaps at him, and he rubs his arm in mock hurt.
"Well, technically, so are you," Lexi retorts, smiling at the interaction between Blake and Stefan.
"Then how the hell can I see…?" Stefan wonders, looking at her.
"See me? Yeah, I have no idea. And I have no idea how long it's going to last, so let's get right to the point. Why do they think you're off the rails? And why are you working for Klaus of all people? And hanging around a Werewolf?" She questions, looking at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake growls, looking at the blond dead Vampire Ghost, who glances back at her, seeing the golden flecks in her eyes.
"Lexi, I'm perfectly fine, you must know that?" Stefan reasons, looking at her.
"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you out of this mess you're in?" Lexi jokes, smirking at him.
"I don't need your help," He argues, looking at her.
"I know… but you need your best friend," She agrees, making him look at her in surprise. "So… tell me about what's been going on?"
"You would not believe that he's fun now, trust me," Blake states, making Stefan fake glare at her, and Lexi laughs.
"I am always fun," Stefan argues, making the woman laugh. "That is not reassuring."
"You are fun, Stefan, when you're yourself. And I see that. I'm glad you're not Ripper you," Lexi argues, smiling.
"So, as his best friend, you must have some embarrassing stories, right?" Blake asks, moving towards Lexi, who looks at the ginger Werewolf.
"Don't you dare Lexi," Stefan warns her, and Blake drags the undead Ghost of Stefan's best friend down the street. "Lexi! Blake!"
Bonnie stares at her Grandmother, tears falling down her face as she looks at her. "I can't believe you're here!" Bonnie weeps.
"Now stop your crying, we don't have time for tears," Sheila warns her Granddaughter and looks at Caroline, standing away from them. "Nice to see you again, Caroline."
"Hi, Miss Sheila," Caroline smiles, waving at her, and Sheila turns back to Bonnie, getting down to Witchy business.
"A fine mess you've made, Honey. The Witches told you there'd be consequences to bringing Jeremy back and you did it anyway," She says, looking at the young Witch.
"I didn't have a choice. I love him and I… I couldn't just let him go," Bonnie argues, wiping her tears away.
"I understand," The older Bennett Witch replies. "But you cracked open the door to the Other Side. There's an old Witch over here. She took advantage of it. She took advantage of you, Honey. When you did the spell to send Vicki Donovan away, she wedged the door wide open. Giving a free pass to anyone with unfinished business."
"How do you know this?" She asks her, frowning.
"Witches talk," Grams answers. "Even on the Other Side. Who do you think makes all the rules?"
"What does the Witch want?" The young Bennett Witch asks, wondering what is going on.
"That's Original Vampire business, not yours. I don't want you getting in the middle of that. McKnight will be dealt with. I'm here because you upset the balance of nature. And it's your duty to set it right. You need to close that door," Sheila informs her Granddaughter, who doesn't miss the fact she mentioned at McKnight. She can guess it's Lorilei, but she does wonder how she'll be dealt with.
Elena openly stares at Jeremy and Anna as they stand in the restroom. When she gets a call from Caroline, she answers, blocking the door. "How do we do that?" Elena asks once Caroline finishes explaining what's going on.
"Apparently the old Witch can draw power from this side because of her talisman," Caroline replies, eyeing Sheila and Bonnie, growing worried about what will happen.
"Talisman… My necklace?" She questions, looking down at her neck.
"It's some juju power source," The blond Vampire explains. "And I know you're not going to like this, but Bonnie needs to destroy it."
"I just walked in on Jeremy kissing the reason I'm completely okay with that," The Doppelganger retorts, turning around.
"What?! Are you kidding?" Caroline questions, frowning and feeling sorry for her friend, though she does feel Bonnie keeps pushing Jeremy into the arms of his ex a little.
"I wish," Elena grumbles. "Look, I don't have hte necklace. Damon has it somewhere. Text him. I'll call you right back." She hangs up and turns back to look at Anna, glaring at the young-looking Vampire.
"Elena…" Jeremy tries to explain what she saw.
"You need to disappear or evaporate or whatever it is that you Ghosts do," She warns the Ghost girl.
"Hey, it's not her fault. This isn't what it looks like!" He argues, defending her.
"You're right, it's yours," The bitchy Doppelganger counters, and Anna disappears. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know. Okay? I don't know. It just… it did. Elena, please. You can't tell Bonnie," The younger sibling pleads with her, wanting to explain to Bonnie.
"Don't worry. I'm going to let you do that," Elena retorts angrily. "Right after I help her send the Ghosts away." She slams the door behind her, leaving Jeremy alone in the restroom.
"What have I done?" Jeremy mutters, hanging his head.
Elena exits the restroom and runs into Isobel Flemming, her biological Mother, surprising the girl. "Hello, Elena," Isobel greets her Daughter. "I think you need some help."
"Isobel?" Elena mutters, staring at her Mother.
"Mm-hmm. Come with me," She instructs her Daughter.
"Where?" The Doppelganger questions, not trusting the woman.
"You want Stefan back, don't you?" The undead woman reasons. "Ripper detox 101. Crash course." She catches Elena's wrist.
"I…" Elena mutters, struggling as she wants to help Stefan but needs to rid the town of Ghosts because of what can happen if left unchecked.
"I'm sorry, did you not just say how desperate you were for help in saving Stefan's life?" Isobel questions, looking at her, and Elena turns her head, looking at the restroom door and then back to her biological Mother.
"Let's go," She agrees, leaving with Isobel out of the back door, not wanting Alaric to see her again.
Damon quickly sends a text back to Caroline, who texts him about the situation and her need for the talisman. "I am never going to hear the end of that damn necklace," Damon grumbles as Mason continues drinking, enjoying the feeling he's missed since dying.
"One of you will pay for this, right?" Mason asks, taking another glass. "Cheers."
"Let's get to it," He says, turning to the Ghost Werewolf. "I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line."
"Actually, I want an apology," The undead Werewolf corrects him, making Alaric laugh.
"Good luck with that," Alaric chuckles, shaking his head.
"Don't you have a family to haunt? You know your Nephew has turned into a mindless Hybrid Minion." Damon retorts, glaring at the Werewolf and his friend.
"That's why I'm here. To help Tyler," Mason replies, having ulterior motives with a particular old Witch.
"Well, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but Tyler can't be helped. At least not while Klaus is alive. Which is, like, always," He argues, frowning as he thinks about Klaus and Lorilei.
"Not necessarily. Not if you found a weapon that could kill him," The Ghost counters, looking at them.
"There is no weapon that…" The older Salvatore Brother says but stops, looking at him. "What do you know?"
"I know you need to apologise," Mason retorts, looking back at him.
"You got to be kidding me," Damon grumbles, feeling ganged up on.
"Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologise!" Alaric shouts, growing fed up with the egotistical Vampire.
"You're right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do," He apologises, not really meaning it, and Mason laughs.
"That's good enough," Mason chuckles, getting up from his barstool. "Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel. And come alone."
"What, you're going to bury me alive?" The Vampire quips jokingly.
"Don't tempt me," The dead Werewolf jokes, walking away. Damon looks at Alaric, not buying it totally.
"How are you here?" Alexis gasps, looking at her parents as they stand before her from the Other Side.
"We don't have enough time to explain, Alexis. Where is the Grimoire?" Nathan McKnight demands, looking at his youngest Daughter.
"Why do you want that?" She asks, growing nervous.
"Don't talk to your Father like that, Alexis," Charlotte snaps, glaring at the girl. "Where is the Grimoire?"
"I don't know," The blond McKnight twin lies.
"Why are you lying, girl? Has spending time with your disgusting abomination of a Sister corrupted you?" Nathan sneers, making Alexis jump out of her skin.
"No, sir," Alexis lies again, looking at her combat boots. "Edward might have it. At the apartment building above the bookshop."
"Good girl," Charlotte says before they disappear. Alexis gets out her phone to warn her Brother, but it is knocked out of her hand. She looks around in fright but doesn't see anything. "Silly girl," Charlotte appears behind her, knocking the blond teen to the ground. Alexis stares up at her Mother in fear, seeing the real side of the woman who abused Lorilei up until her death.
Edward walks back into the Witch room, coming from the secret room to grab the ingredients as the others return downstairs to the bookshop. He places the bottles on the table but notices something is missing. "Where's the book?" Edward wonders, looking around, but can't find it anywhere.
"Looking for this?" Nathan questions, making the teen turn to see his dead Father standing there and holding the McKnight family Grimoire.
"Dad? What are you going to do with that?" He asks, edging towards the bookshelf where he knows Lorilei keeps magical weapons.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, boy," The McKnight Father sneers at his son. "You're just as bad as that abomination." He waves his hand, knocking Edward into the bookshelves with a hard push, causing him to fall unconscious. "All my children. Abominations. We must end it so that we can cleanse the world of those filth."
Stefan and Blake sit across from Lexi at the Pack Den, wanting to get away from everything going on in town, and they sit in the family room, which is the quietest of the rooms on the first floor. "So, a lot has happened since I died. Tell me what happened," Lexi says, sitting comfortably in the armchair facing the wall as Blake and Stefan sit on the couch.
"Yeah, Stefan, talk about yourself," Blake teases him, knowing how uncomfortable he feels about himself.
"You're enjoying yourself too much," Stefan grumbles, looking at the ginger Werewolf with a fake glare and making the girls giggle. Lexi smiles, seeing how carefree Stefan is instead of being his former tortured self that you could see inside.
Isobel takes Elena to the Forbes cellar to find an unconscious Vampire bolted to the chair. "Klaus really did a number on him, huh?" Isobel muses. "I couldn't find Stefan as he wasn't alone, but this will do for now."
"I see. Klaus compelled Stefan to turn off his humanity, I'm sure of it," Elena replies, deluded to believe that Klaus is the reason for Stefan's new behaviour.
"Well, what I'll show you is how we're going to convince him to turn it back on. I have to warn you, it's not going to be pretty." She warns her Daughter.
"I can handle it," The Doppelganger assures her, and Isobel kicks the unconscious Vampire in the leg to wake him up.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," The Vampire Ghost snaps, waking the other Vampire, whom Elena doesn't recognise. "How are you feeling?"
"What is this? Who are you? Let me out of here!" The man shouts, looking at himself chained to the chair in the centre of the room.
"Shh," Isobel sneers. "Inside voices, please. I'm trying to get inside your head."
"Please, girl, get her away from me," He pleads, looking at Elena as he sees her as an empathetic type.
"No," Elena answers coldly.
"First step, drying him out," Isobel instructs as she approaches the chained Vampire. "Starve away the blood lust. Strip away the temptation."
"This isn't going to work, lady. You can't do this," The Vampiric man sneers, shaking his head violently.
"You heard the not pretty part?" She questions, looking at her Daughter cautiously.
"I heard you," Elena assures her, and Isobel looks into the man's eyes.
"What are you doing?" He asks, suddenly not feeling well as he looks at his arms and hands, seeing them shrivelling up. "What are you doing, lady?"
"Doing what needs to be done," Isobel replies.
Mason waits for Damon at the old Lockwood cellar when he arrives with a shovel as the Werewolf lights a lantern. "I'm surprised you showed," Mason comments, looking at the Vampire.
"You put a snag in my only other Klaus lead. So I'd say I'm highly motivated," Damon replies, eyeing the Ghost.
"Mikael? Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?" He muses, looking at him back.
"How do you know so much?" The older Salvatore Brother asks, not trusting him.
"There's not much to do on the Other Side but sit around and watch other people screw things up." The Lockwood Ghost argues, raising the lantern.
"What are we looking for?" Damon asks, looking around the dark cellar.
"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original Vampire. Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried," Mason lies, having heard whispers on the Other Side from an old Witch. He tries breaking the wall with the shovel, but it doesn't work as he's not as strong.
"Oh, come on, give me the thing. Move," Damon grumbles, snatching the shovel and using his Vampiric strength to break the wall easily. Creating a hole for them.
"Go for it," The older Lockwood wolf gestures, letting Damon go first, but the Vampire doesn't buy his forgiveness or trust the Werewolf.
"You first," The proud Vampire argues, letting him go first.
"What, you think I'm leading you into a trap?" Mason questions, though he knows why Damon doesn't trust him and doesn't care.
"The thought crossed my mind," Damon agrees. The Werewolf goes first through the hole, and Damon follows.
The Vampire isn't looking too well as Elena watches her biological Mother torturous this man to show her what will happen to Stefan when they get him locked up for his own good. "I'm starving. I'm starving. I'm starving! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out. Please let me out." The man begs and pleads, thrashing around in the chair.
"What's happening?" Elena asks her Mother, watching.
"He's hallucinating," Isobel explains. "That's three months without any blood." She increases the delusion.
"Let me out!" The man shouts, growing angry and tired as he hallucinates himself being dried of blood.
"Now he's at nine months," She announces as he grows worse and worse. "Two years… Five…"
"When I get out of this, I am going to kill you both!" He screams.
"Oh, I have no doubt, but I'm already dead," The Vampire Ghost replies calmly when Elena's phone rings, and she goes outside to answer the call.
"Hello?" Elena asks, not looking at the caller ID.
"So the necklace isn't where Damon said it would be and now we can't reach Damon," Caroline informs her as she searches Damon's bedroom back at the Salvatore Boarding House.
"Listen, I need you to get Bonnie to hold off on sending the Ghosts back," She pleads with the blond and looks over her shoulder to see Isobel waiting for her.
"What?!" The blond Vampire exclaims in surprise. "But you said you were in full support of getting rid of them!"
"I was. I am. Look, Lexi's here, and she's helping with Stefan," The Doppelganger lies, and Isobel can't help but draw comparisons between Elena and Katherine.
"Okay, let's just find it first, and then we'll choose between boyfriend Ghost dramas," The perky blond teen reasons, not wanting to choose sides between her friends.
Caroline hangs up the phone and notices Bonnie staring at her. "What are you talking about?" Bonnie asks, looking at her.
"Um… Lexi's back, so Elena wants us to hold off on destroying the necklace," Caroline says, not entirely telling her.
"You said 'boyfriend dramas'. Plural. What is it, Caroline?" She demands, glaring at the blond Vampire.
"Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna," The young Vampire confesses guiltily.
"What?" The Bennett Witch questions, feeling like she's been punched in the stomach.
"I'm sorry," Caroline apologises quickly, seeing the tears in her friend's eyes.
"He kissed her?" Bonnie asks her directly.
"She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay. But you and I, Bonnie, we're going to find that necklace. Okay?" She tries to stay upbeat for her friend.
"Okay," The inexperienced Witch agrees with a nod, wanting to get rid of Anna and maybe Alexis later.
Nathan walks out of Lorilei's Witch room, passing the unconscious Edward as Charlotte appears beside him. "Are you ready?" He asks his wife, who nods.
"Ready," She answers, holding up a bag full of items belonging to Lorilei. "They won't be able to stop us."
"No, but we don't have much time. We don't know how long it will take the Bennett Witch to close the veil. We need to stop the abomination. We were lucky the curse we placed on her the night she killed us still works after our deaths." Nathan replies, and they head out of the apartment.
It's the Illuminations Night with people everywhere to celebrate the festival; Jeremy looks for Alexis, needing her help, but can't find her at the Mystic Grill as he knows she's finished. However, no one has seen her for hours, and he's growing worried and scared. "Alexis! Alexis!" Jeremy shouts and accidentally runs into Frederick, one of the tomb Vampires. "Sorry. Hey, man, sorry about that." He continues searching for Alexis, growing even more scared for the blond Witch.
"No problem, buddy," Frederick replies, looking around at the festival and feeling excited for the carnage he's going to inflict.
"Have you seen Tobias Fell?" Carol asks Alaric as she walks over to him. "He's supposed to do the lighting ceremony."
"No," Alaric answers quickly, unaware that Frederick is nearby along with Anna, who step close to each other.
"Well, well," Frederick greets Anna, approaching her.
"Frederick?" Anna questions, looking at him in shock.
"If it isn't Pearl's Daughter. Little Annabelle," He muses, looking at her.
"Good even, ladies and gentlemen," Carol begins her speech. "Mr Fell seems to have been detained, so the History Department's very own Mr Saltzman has agreed to fill in." The crowd applause as Alaric steps onto the stage. Jeremy keeps calling for Alexis, and Anna, turning her head, hears his voice.
"Still hanging around the Gilbert kid, huh? I guess you forgot the fact that his family killed you and your Mother," The former Tomb Vampire sneers at the young-looking Vampire.
"Anna? Is everything all right?" Jeremy asks, stopping upon the two Vampires.
"Ask your ancestors," Frederick retorts angrily.
"What are you doing here, Frederick?" Anna asks him, looking at the Tomb Vampire when two more join them. "Well, it's a Founder's Celebration. And we…" He looks at his fellow Tomb Vampires. "Have got some unfinished business with the Founding Families."
"On behalf of Mystic Falls High School Historical Society, let's light 'em up," Alaric says as the lanterns enlighten. Still, it's not a happy event as the lighting shows Tobias Fell's dead body hanging from a tree illuminated by the lanterns. The crowd screams as they look at the body, and Anna looks back at Frederick, who smiles.
"Please. Please. I'm hurting. Help me!" The man shouts as he thrashes around in the chair in bad shape from the torture.
"Don't listen. Shut him out. If you want to help Stefan, you can't listen to him," Isobel instructs her Daughter.
"I know," Elena agrees with her Mother, nodding.
"I'll do anything. Please. I'll do anything. I promise," The man shouts, close to tears as he sits in the chair, chained.
"It's a lie. He'll say anything right now," Isobel warns the Doppelganger.
"Girl. Please, she's insane. You have to help me. Just make it stop. Please, just make it stop." He pleads, trying to free himself.
"You have to separate yourself from your emotions. Don't let him play with them," Isobel informs Elena.
"Hey, look at me. Look at me!" The Vampire screams, and Elena looks at him. "I can change, please. I'm willing to change! I'll do anything! Please!"
"I'm sorry, I just don't believe you," Elena apologises, not looking the man in the eye.
"You know what? I don't want your help, anyway. I wish you'd leave me alone. I don't see what's so special about you!" The man shouts, glaring at the two women.
"You see that?" Isobel questions, looking at her Daughter and then at the man. "That's the Ripper talking. Once he's weak enough, you have to cause him pain. Make him feel things. Anger, rage, anything. You have to make him see past the blood." She drives a stake through his chest, not caring to be delicate. "Think of it as a regimen. Day in and day out. Like running the treadmill. Like making coffee. Until he's ready to be saved."
"When I get out of here, I will rip you apart!" He shouts at the top of his lungs.
"Again, you can't. I'm already dead," Isobel argues, smirking and driving the stake deeper into his body.
"I can't…" Elena gasps, leaving again, and Isobel watches her as the girl goes outside, spotting the Deputies and paramedics rushing around and taking a body away.
Caroline and Bonnie continue searching for Elena's old necklace at the Salvatore House in Damon's room, looking everywhere, even in the soap bowl in the bathroom, where Damon hid the Moonstone before. "Ugh! I give up. It's not anywhere in this room," Caroline complains; when Bonnie's phone rings, she looks at the caller ID to see it's Jeremy, and she isn't happy about it, so Caroline answers. "What do you want, Jeremy?"
"Caroline? Did you find that necklace?" Jeremy asks, though confused, why she's answering the phone.
"Not yet. Wait, what's going on?" She asks him back.
"Ghosts of the Tomb Vampires killed Tobias Fell," He informs her. "You might want to find that necklace before they start going alphabetically through the Founding Families."
"Well, it's not where it's supposed to be. Unless someone took it," The blond Vampire tells him, sighing.
"Who?" The young Gilbert teen asks, frowning as he looks around to keep an eye out for any more Tomb Vampires.
"Well, who do you think?" Caroline retorts, making Jeremy look at Anna, who overhears the conversation.
"I didn't," Anna denies, avoiding eye contact.
"She said she didn't take it," Jeremy repeats, walking through the crowd, still on the lookout for Alexis.
"Oh, and you believe her," She questions, not understanding his trust in her.
"I didn't take it, Jeremy," Anna lies again, shaking her head as she walks alongside him.
"You know what, yeah, yeah, I do believe her," Jeremy snaps at her.
"You know what, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought. So wake up, Jeremy, before you lose everything!" Caroline snaps back at him before hanging up.
Jeremy looks at his phone before looking up to talk to Anna, but she's disappeared again, so he glances around and goes to dial Alexis' number when Elena walks over to him. "Jeremy? What happened?" She asks him, seeing his concern.
"I need to call Jenna," Jeremy replies, getting his phone out, hoping his Aunt is still at Campus as she went away for the week to catch up on her work.
Damon and Mason walk through the hidden cavern of the old Lockwood Cellar, going further down. "I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Your motives are deceptively pure," Damon comments, eyeing Mason.
"You talk the talk, but I know you'll do anything for your Brother. You won't screw me over as long as we have the same agenda," Mason remarks, walking ahead.
"I'm supposed to believe you're not going to screw me over?" He questions, and they stop, seeing the pathway cut into different directions. "All right. Which way?"
"I don't know. Flip a coin," The Werewolf replies, shrugging.
"Aren't you supposed to be all-knowing?" The older Salvatore Brother frowns at the dead Werewolf.
"I'm a Ghost. I'm not God. Go left," Mason argues, pointing to the tunnel, and Damon goes first, but there's nothing.
"Or not," Damon remarks, looking around.
"You have trust issues. Anyone ever tell you that?" He muses, glancing at the Vampire, who continues down when stakes shoot through the walls, piercing his body at different angles with vervain coating the wood. Mason, seeing this, leaves.
"Yo. Help a brother out?" The Vampire shouts and looks behind him, expecting to see Mason, but he's gone. "Mason?"
"Where is Anna now?" Elena demands, looking at her Brother.
"I don't know, okay?" Jeremy replies. "I don't even know for sure if she took the necklace. And I don't care at the moment."
"She was the only person who heard us talking about it," She argues. "Of course, she took it. Okay? We have to get it back. We have to destroy it and then close the door."
"I know, but…" He mutters, growing worried about Jenna and Alexis, not hearing from either of them.
"But what? What, Jer?" The Doppelganger questions, looking at him.
"I can't get a hold of Jenna or Alexis. Something's happened to them, maybe. Jenna would answer her phone, and Alexis should have finished work hours ago, but no one has seen her." The youngest Gilbert explains, looking at his phone, waiting for a call or something to let him know the girls are okay.
"We have other things to worry about, Jer," Elena snaps, making him glare at her. "We have Ghosts that need to be dealt with. Alexis is a Witch; she can handle herself, and Jenna is probably at home asleep."
"You don't know anything, do you? Jenna was on Campus this week to catch on her coursework," Jeremy growls. "Why can't you look beyond yourself?" Elena looks at him in shock as he storms away, leaving her alone within the crowd.
"Jeremy!" She calls after him, but he doesn't stop. They move towards the Mystic Grill, hoping to find Alexis. Anna appears before the Doppelganger. "He's at the beginning of his life, Anna. You're just holding him back. You know that." Anna contemplates what she says and shows her the necklace before handing it over. "I need to tell Jeremy." She walks away, getting her phone out and moving towards Mystic Grill, seeing an ambulance there. "Jer? Jeremy!" She runs off with Anna behind her.
Elena and Anna run to the Mystic Grill to find paramedics loading someone into the back of the ambulance. "Jer! Jeremy!" Elena shouts, looking for her Brother, who comes rushing out of the building with a rucksack over his shoulder.
"I can't talk, I need to go with Lex to the hospital," Jeremy explains, climbing into the back and the doors close in their faces. Jeremy sits next to Alexis as the paramedic checks her over quickly, and he holds her hand, wishing he was there and wishing to punish whoever did this to her.
"What am I going to do?" Elena mutters, feeling hopeless.
"Maybe I can help," A voice says behind her, and she looks to see John, her Uncle/biological Father, standing there.
"John?"
Nathan and Charlotte stand in the woods outside of town; Charlotte stands still as her husband draws on the ground with some type of oil. "Ready?" He asks her; looking at her, she nods in response.
"Volo dolorem in te, animam quidem malam facis," Charlotte begins the spell, and the oil on the ground catches a light, forming a pentagram around her. "Excessit modum; toxicum venenum venenum."
"Remember to envision the person you wish to kill," Nathan reminds her, smirking as the fire grows hotter and more immense.
"Da mihi verum velle; leti decoris. Innocuos Ingest memoriam; pec- catum. Ex in- citus, peccatum per peccatum. Memoriam fecit malum; sicut anima tua non plus habet veri. Pec- catum tuum glutiam. Morieris, si verum scio." She continues the spell, picturing Lorilei, and repeats the spell as Nathan mixes a bowl of herbs to help his wife stay focused on the magic projecting at their oldest Daughter, who is miles away with the Original Hybrid and knowing their Daughter, she has spells around her for such things after what they did to Lorilei in the past.
After successfully turning another Pack into Hybrids in a hotel in Portland, they all agreed to become a part of their growing Pack, though only some were willing to turn into Hybrids. Lorilei and Klaus celebrate amongst themselves, the Hybrid possessively clinging to her as they make out against the room door. "Nik, stop, Klaus…" Lorilei moans as her phone goes off, letting her know someone is calling her, but the ringtone soon stops. "Never mind," She kisses him as they move further into the hotel room; Klaus grabs Lorilei by the thighs, picking her up and settling her onto the desk. The kissing becomes more feverish when Lorilei feels a sharp pain in her chest, making her gasp, and Klaus doesn't notice too lustful as he kisses down her neck to her shoulder. Another sharp pain shoots through Lorilei's chest, making her push Klaus away; he looks at her in concern as he sees her face scrunched up in pain.
"Lorilei? What's wrong?" Klaus asks in concern, looking at her as she convulses in pain.
"I - I don't know… it feels like something -," Lorlei gasps, clutching her chest. "...like something is stabbing me - ah!" She shouts in pain, falling to the floor. "Something's wrong!" She screams again, feeling the stabbing becoming more intense. "Call Maddox!"
"Right! Got it!" He mutters, moving away from her, grabbing his phone from his jacket pocket, and quickly scrolling through his contacts till he finds Maddox's number as Lorilei screams in pain.
"Hey, Klaus, nice to hear from you," Maddox greets him when he hears Lorilei screaming in the background. "What's going on?"
"That's what I'd like to know," The Original Hybrid snaps, moving over to Lorilei as she gasps for pain.
"Maddie, something is stabbing me in the chest as if trying to kill me," Lorilei cries, clinging to Klaus, who feels her nails digging into his arm, almost making him bleed. "Go to my spell books, find out what spell is being used!"
Maddox frantically runs up the stairs of the bookshop to the apartment, leaving Luka and Greta to watch in shock, keeping an eye out on the shop while he's gone, though they grow worried about what's going on. Maddox races into the apartment and gasps, spotting the Witch room door open with Grimoires littering the floor. He moves closer and finds Edward lying on the floor of the Witch Room, unconscious. "Maddie? Maddox! What is it!" He hears Lorilei shouting over the phone.
"It's Edward, I think someone attacked him," Maddox informs them and hears another scream, though he's not sure it's from the pain or from anger. Maddox kneels beside Edward, trying to wake him and see him beginning to stir. "Edward, wake up, come on!" In fear, Edward jolts to a sitting position, looking around the room for something. "Edward? What happened?"
"They're here. My parents. They have our Grimoire!" Edward exclaims in fear and hears a faint scream. "What's that?"
"Your Sister, it seems your parents are trying to kill her again," He replies, and Edward jumps to his feet, feeling a little dizzy from the sudden movement and the hit to his head earlier.
"It must be them enacting a death spell," The male twin McKnight remarks, moving to look for something to help.
"Edward…" Lorilei gasps through the phone. "I have a special book. It might help."
"I know which one you're talking about and if he uses that spell book he might become corrupted by the spells," Maddox warns, looking at Edward.
"Not if he sends it to me," She argues before screaming again, and they hear something explode in the background.
"I can do it," Edward snaps, looking at Maddox.
"You don't understand, Eddie," The Siphon McKnight tells him. "If you use even one of the spells. You could become corrupt by the Grimoire, it will turn you dark enough that you become something dark and evil. You'll become something not even human."
"I can do it, Lei. Please believe in me. I'm stronger than I look. I can do this. Trust me." He assures her, and Maddox moves towards the bookcase.
"Don't you are!" Lorilei shouts, but Edward ends the call as Maddox picks the book from the shelf, showing a black, rocky-looking book with an orange glow of a skull on the cover that makes the McKnight boy grow nervous, but he takes the book.
"You have to be careful. You have to pronounce the words with care and strength." Maddox advises the teen.
Lorilei looks at Klaus in shock as the phone call ends, and he places the phone down and moves Lorilei to the bed as the pain becomes unbearable. "I'm going to smack them both when we see them again," Lorilei groans as she lies on the bed, sweat dripping down her face as the pain becomes more intense throughout her body. Klaus goes into the bathroom and quickly grabs a damp cloth to help cool Lorilei down as her Brother works on the spell.
"I don't doubt it, Love," Klaus muses as he watches her face contort in pain before screaming. He sees her eyes flashing golden, almost like his, when activating his Werewolf side before the hotel room windows burst inward, scattering around them.
"I can't control my magic. It's bursting out as if trying to ward off the spell," She groans, her voice a little hoarse from the screaming.
"I won't let anything hurt you, I promise, I promise," He replies softly, kissing her sweaty forehead, but he doesn't mind.
Damon looks around for a way out of his predicament when Mason returns with the shovel from earlier. "Oh, I'm having a bad day," Damon muses, looking at the spikes piercing his body from every angle, though it isn't hitting his heart, thankfully.
"Sorry. Thought you might need this," Mason says, holding up the shovel and using it to break the stakes before removing them. "You're welcome."
"What's your game, man?" He asks, knowing there's something else. "I killed you. I jammed my fist into your chest. I ripped your heart out. There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real."
"You know what the Other Side is like?" The Werewolf questions, looking at the Vampire as they continue down the passageway. "We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we reget our decisions. That's it. Look, i can't change what happened to me. But maybe I can change what happens to Tyler. I don't need revenge, Damon. I need redemption."
Caroline and Bonnie drive in the Witch's car as Caroline finishes her talk with Elena over the phone. "Elena's got the necklace. She's going to give it to John and he's going to meet us at the Witch House." Caroline explains, though she worries about Alexis, she does not dislike the girl like her friends.
"Okay," Bonnie agrees when she stops, spotting something. "What's going on up there?" She sees Carol's car against a tree and the Mayor inside unconscious.
"It's Mrs Lockwood's car!" She exclaims, looking at her boyfriend's Mother's car as Frederick and the other Tomb Vampires stalk towards the vehicle. "Bonnie? I'm going to get out of the car."
"What?!" The Bennett Witch questions, looking at her friend in shock.
"And you're going to drive the hell away from here," The blond Vampire tells her determinedly.
"No way! I am not leaving you!" Bonnie argues.
"Bonnie, you've got your Ghost boyfriend drama. Elena has hers. And right now the Mother of mine is about to be Ghost bait. So go and send them all back to the other side, okay?" Caroline reasons before getting out of the car, leaving Bonnie, who contemplates staying to help her but drives off to the Witch's House to meet up with John. Frederick glances at Caroline and smiles, seeing her Vamping out and racing toward him.
Jeremy sits in the hospital's waiting room, awaiting news about Alexis, when Anna appears beside him. "This spell is just going to break your foothold, right?" He questions, looking at his feet. "You'll still be here, I'll still be able to see you. This… this doesn't have to be goodbye."
"No. But it should be," Anna replies. "Elena was right. I'm holding you back."
"Anna…" He looks at her, feeling sorry for her and not wanting to leave her alone on the Other Side.
"I'm sorry I took the necklace," She apologises and bursts into tears. "With all the Tomb Vampires out, that maybe…"
"You might find your Mother," Jeremy smiles, knowing how much that will mean to her.
"I don't know where she is, Jeremy. I don't know if she's moved on and found peace, or if there's even any peace to be found," Anna argues, not wanting to leave him alone either, especially with Alexis in one of the rooms.
"Hey, there is, Anna. Okay, there has to be. I believe that, okay?" He assures her, taking her hand for comfort.
"I just… I don't want to be alone anymore," Anna replies, hanging her head as she cries, and he pulls her into a hug, letting her cry on his shoulder.
"You're not going to be alone. I'm not going to let you be alone," The young Gilbert boy tells her, rubbing her back comfortingly.
"Quit fighting me, Stefan," Lexi groans as she holds onto Stefan as Blake tries to keep him in his seat.
"I'm not letting you mess with my hair, Lexi!" Stefan shouts, trying to free himself from the older Vampire and Werewolf's hold.
"You can't keep that hairstyle anymore!" She yells, trying to mess up Stefan's hair.
"Lexi! Stop it!" He screams, and the commotion gains an audience as some of the Pack peek their heads around the door to watch.
"Please don't make so much noise," Leo begs them, making them look at him as he enters the room.
"Sorry, Alpha," Blake apologises, bowing her head.
"It's perfectly fine. But we just got word from Klaus that Lorilei's parents are running around trying to kill her again." He informs them, shocking the others.
"What does he wish for us to do?" The ginger Werewolf questions, worried for the woman who brought them all together and gave them a place to call home.
"Yeah, what does he need us to do?" Stefan asks, making Lexi stare at her best friend in shock at his quick plea to help.
Mason and Damon continue trekking down the caverns till they arrive at the entrance to a cave, where Damon can't enter. "God! This is not happening," Damon groans as he tries to break through the barrier, but it won't budge.
"What now?" Mason asks, looking over his shoulder at the Vampire.
"I can't get through. It's like I'm not invite in. Wait!" He shouts after the dead Werewolf.
"I'm not stopping just 'cause you're stuck. I'll let you know what I find," The Ghost Wolf assures him, continuing further into the cave.
"Yeah, but…" The Vampire grumbles, only able to watch him disappear into the cavern.
"Looks like you're gonna have to trust me," Mason tells him as he walks away, leaving Damon to watch.
Bonnie lights a fire in the fireplace at the Old Witch's House before lighting the candles with her magic when John arrives. "Hello, Bonnie," John greets her, but she ignores him, and he shows her the necklace; she snatches it and throws it into the fireplace. Bonnie begins to cast the spell to send the Ghosts back as Sheila joins her, taking her Granddaughter's hand and helping to cast the spell with the necklace burning.
Carol wakes up after the encounter with the Tomb Vampires and sees Caroline fighting with the Ghosts of the Tomb Vampires. Frederick is strangling the blond Vampire when he suddenly disappears, making her look around in surprise.
Nathan feels the effects of the Bennett Witches spell, and Charlotte tries to finish the spell to kill Lorilei, but she feels another spell being used against them. "Something isn't right!" Nathan shouts, his flesh ripping apart.
"It's the book!" Charlotte gasps as blood pools around her feet, extinguishing the flames around her and stopping the spell.
Maddox rips the book from Edward's hands as he finishes the spell, and the McKnight boy gasps in shock and fear, seeing a glimpse of a glowing form that seems tempting to continue, but he hears his Sisters' voices pleading with him to stop, and he does, not wanting to fall into the darkness.
Lorilei gasps in pain as the spell lifts, and she no longer feels the intense pain in her chest lessen into nothing as she lies in bed with Klaus, and she feels tired after all the previous pain. "Rest now, Love," Klaus smiles, seeing her muscles relax as sleep overcomes her, and he lies next to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his embrace to comfort her. "I was worried about you, Love, I don't know what I'd do without you."
Mason looks at the cave walls and tries deciphering the drawings along the rocky surface, something he has never seen before. "So? What'd you find?" Damon calls after the Werewolf from the barrier at the cavern entrance.
"It's in…" Mason says before disappearing as the Bennett spell works, the lantern falling to the floor.
"No, no, no, no. No, where'd you go? Mason. Mason?!" He shouts but doesn't get a reply. He tries getting through the barrier, but it still doesn't work.
Isobel raises her head and then looks at Elena. "He's still in there, Elena. You just have to break through," Isobel warns her Daughter.
"It's okay, Isobel, I know what to do now. You can be free," Elena assures her, and the Ghost smiles at her child, saying that she gave up and felt content before disappearing, leaving Elena alone outside the cell.
Anna walks the streets alone, knowing she's on the Other Side, all alone again, making her sad when she suddenly spots the person she's wanted to see for so long. "Mama?" Anna gasps, and Pearl cries as they rush towards each other, crying as Mother and Daughter embrace each other before disappearing.
The necklace seemingly melts away as the Bennett Witches finish the spells. "You are stronger than all of this. I'm so proud of you," Sheila tells her Granddaughter before she disappears, and Bonnie sheds tears, falling to her knees in front of the fireplace.
Damon sits outside the old Lockwood cellar, waiting for Alaric when he finally arrives. "You're here. It's about time," Damon groans, getting up from the makeshift seat.
"Didn't have anyone else to call?" Alaric muses, knowing Damon pushes everyone away.
"No, actually, I don't," He confirms, surprising the Human. "'Cause I need a non-Vampire to get in the cave, and other than Elena, you're pretty much the only one I trust."
"Well, you have a crappy way of showing that," The History Teacher remarks, looking at him.
"Look, if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can't you cut me a little slack, Ric?" The older Salvatore Vampire retorts, waving his arms dramatically.
"I shouldn't have to get over it. I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn't have done it in the first place," Alaric argues angrily.
"Well! Sometimes… I do things I don't have to do," Damon snaps back at him.
"You're going to recycle that same crap ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?" He questions, glaring at him.
"Yeah. Well… I didn't mean it with him," The Vampire tells him sincerely and smiles. Alaric looks at Damon in shock and the hole behind him.
Jeremy is sitting in the waiting room when a Doctor comes over to him, informing him that Alexis is in a room and that they've called her guardian, who happens to be Lorilei, who isn't doing any better. Jeremy rushes into the room to find Alexis lying in the hospital bed, still unconscious. He sits in the chair by her bed and can't help but hold her hand, feeling hopeless. "Ah!" Alexis exclaims, sitting upright and startling Jeremy, who looks at her in relief to see her awake.
"It's okay. You're okay," Jeremy assures her, gently pushing her back into the bed.
"My parents, they're back. We have to stop him," She protests, trying to get out of bed.
"They've gone. It's okay. Bonnie sent them back. You're safe," He promises, threading his fingers through her blond hair to soothe her.
"What about Lorilei? Is she okay? They were trying to kill her!" The youngest McKnight twin panics, and Jeremy takes out his phone, seeing texts coming through suddenly from Maddox, Luka, Jenna and Edward. All of them are asking about Alexis and the Ghosts wandering around the town and about Lorilei.
"It's okay. She's safe, everyone's safe. I'll let them know what's happened. We're all safe," The Gilbert boy tells her and grabs Alexis's things, letting her grab her phone from her bag.
"So, what are you going to do, girl? You just going to stand there? Waiting for me to dry out?" The Vampire asks Elena as he sits in the chair, trying to manipulate the girl into releasing him.
"No, I'm going to go home, take care of my Brother. Be a friend to Bonnie and everything else that I have to do," Elena replies, though she has texted Damon to deal with the Vampire however he pleases, trying not to think about it.
"That's good for you. You know, I was wondering when you were going to give up," He muses as he watches her. "The woman gave you… enough of a glimpse into your tragic future."
"I haven't given up on Stefan. I still have hope. But there's nothing I can do until he gets his back," She argues and turns to the door. "I know he can break through this. Fight for it. Feel something. Anything. Because if he doesn't, he's going to lose me forever. I won't love a Ghost for the rest of my life." She says before locking the door behind her, leaving the man alone in the dark before leaving.
"She's utterly delusional," The Vampire mutters, wondering what will become of him, and he wishes he could warn this Stefan person before it's too late.
Bonnie sits by the old fireplace at the Witch's House, crying when Jeremy arrives from the hospital after Alexis tells him to leave to see the Bennett Witch. "Bonnie…" He calls out to her nervously.
"Just go away, Jeremy," Bonnie snaps angrily at the boy.
"I owe you an explantion…" Jeremy tells her, needing to clear the air between them.
"Matt let go of a Sister before you let go of Anna," She sneers. "His Sister, Jeremy. You know what you owe me? The respect of not making me listen to you explain yourself."
"I am sorry, Bonnie," He replies, hanging his head.
"You need to go," The Bennett Witch demands, wanting to be alone.
"But…" The young Gilbert boy stutters, looking at her.
"Just go, Jeremy," Bonnie orders him firmly, and he leaves her alone, feeling that their relationship has finally ended, but he doesn't feel sad, more relieved. Bonnie sits at the fireplace when she hears something in the ashes and gets closer. Seeing the necklace in one piece within the ashes, she takes it in shock.
Alaric goes through the cave entrance where Mason was before, as Damon can't pass the barrier after the Vampire explains what happened to the History Teacher, who agrees to find out what is inside the cave. "So was Mason screwing with me, or is there something in there?" The older Salvatore Brother asks his only friend, watching from the entrance as Alaric looks around. "Ric. Ric," He calls out to him, not getting a reply.
"I found something," The Vampire Slayer announces as he moves his flashlight around at the cave walls in amazement.
"What is it?" Damon asks from the entrance, unable to move further because of the invisible barrier.
"I have no idea," Alaric says, looking at the drawings on the cave wall in marvel with his flashlight.
Edward walks into the woods to find his parents, and upon the scene of the death spell, he sees the pentagram in the dirt mixed with blood. Edward doesn't feel fear or dread as he looks around; he just feels pride at his work and knows it is a slippery slope into darkness if he continues holding onto that feeling. He needs to clear up the mess before a Human stumbles upon this and needs to see his Sister in the hospital.
