The Gilbert house…
Elena sighs lovingly as a pair of arms gently wrap around her from behind. She leans back into Stefan’s chest.
ELENA: (whispering) You’re nervous? You don’t have to say it—I can tell.
STEFAN: We can wait, you know?
She turns her head to the side, kissing him. The black veins appear on his face, but vanish as Elena touches him.
ELENA: I don’t want to. I won’t be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the week.
Stefan chuckles.
STEFAN: Ok—you win.
She smiles at him.
ELENA: I’m sure you want to do this as much as I do.
STEFAN: Probably more.
They kiss again.
ELENA: Ok…I’m ready.
Stefan leans in close, next to her ear.
STEFAN: (whispering) Where do you want to do this?
She thinks a moment.
ELENA: Let’s try the shoulder this time.
Stefan nods.
Elena picks up a knife off the dresser in front of her and uses it to cut a small line on her shoulder. Stefan places his mouth over the wound and drinks.
Elena closes her eyes, reaching back to caress the side of Stefan’s face.
After a moment, Stefan starts to lose his balance. Elena catches him. They sink to the floor, where Elena rests his head in her lap.
ELENA: Too much?
He shakes his head.
STEFAN: The vervain—just caught me off-guard. I’ve never tasted it mixed with blood before.
Elena smiles, playing with his hair.
ELENA: It was your idea.
Stefan laughs.
STEFAN: I suggested the vervain to stop me from drinking your blood—not to give me a reason to do it!
They gaze at each other a moment.
ELENA: We’re late, aren’t we?
Stefan groans.
STEFAN: Yes. You ready?
She sighs.
ELENA: For summer school? Not a chance!
She stands up, letting Stefan lie on the floor.
V.O.(Stefan): Dear journal---I have decided that the person who first coined the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ knew exactly what they were talking about. That is to say that the things you want the most don’t always take the exact form you want them to.
*****
A moment later, Stefan and Elena hurry down the stairs, hastily getting dressed. Alaric stares at them in disapproval.
V.O.(Stefan): Sometimes, the only way you can get what you want is with a price you're not willing to pay. People turn out different than you thought they were, sure things end up to be more complicated than you ever dreamed. Friends keep secrets that, when discovered, make you wonder if you ever truly knew them to begin with.
ALARIC: I know I should be saying something about boundaries here…
Elena gives him an amused look.
ALARIC: Please at least give me the illusion of authority. You do have an entire boarding house to…you know?
JEREMY: I’m in the room.
Stefan sighs.
STEFAN: It’s kind of hard to get privacy in a house where three people have super-hearing.
ELENA: (muttering) Not that we’re being quiet to begin with…
JEREMY: I’m still in the room! Ew!
Stefan chuckles, before Elena leans against him, hinting for him to stop it.
ALARIC: Three? I thought Vicki was moving out?
STEFAN: And Anna moved in. In all honesty, the boarding house is getting kind of crowded.
The two of them walk into the kitchen, where Elena sees Jeremy’s bandaged hand.
ELENA: Jeremy, your hand!
He tries to hide it.
JEREMY: It’s nothing.
ELENA: It doesn’t look like nothing. Here—let me take a look…
She grabs for it, despite Jeremy’s protest.
JEREMY: Hey, cut it out! You ever heard of personal space?
Elena gives him a warning look.
JEREMY: Fine—just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
She removes the bandages, only to find Jeremy’s hand completely unharmed. Even Jeremy seems surprised by this.
ELENA: Ok, what gives?
JEREMY: I, uh—I sprained it. See, I told you it was nothing.
Elena seems to suspect he’s hiding something.
Jeremy smirks at her.
JEREMY: Don’t you gotta get to class?
She gives him a dirty look.
ALARIC: Ha!
STEFAN: You know, you could have helped us out with this.
ALARIC: Hey, do I look like a British librarian to you? You need help fighting monsters, I’ve got your back Stefan—but when it comes to academedics, my hands are tied. I can’t play favourites.
Stefan and Elena head out the door.
ELENA: Do you think there’s even a remote chance we can get through summer school without something trying to kill me?
STEFAN: Anything’s possible.
Elena groans.
ELENA: Not helping, Stefan.
He laughs.
STEFAN: On the bright side, we’ll be spending a lot of time together for the next two months.
Elena’s face lights up at that.
ELENA: Ok, now I’m looking forward to it.
STEFAN: See? Silver lining.
*****
Meanwhile, at the Donovan house…
Vicki examines the ring in her hand, shrugging.
VICKI: Do they come in navel rings?
Bonnie rolls her eyes.
MATT: Come on, Vic…this is serious.
Vicki takes a deep breath, nodding. Off in the corner of the room, Caroline can’t help but smile at how familiar this scene is.
BONNIE: Ok, first I have a few ground rules. The witch who creates the ring—meaning me—has the power to disable it. If you hurt anyone…
VICKI: I won’t!
Bonnie nods.
BONNIE: Just a little extra incentive.
Bonnie takes the ring and starts to concentrate. Matt walks over to Caroline.
CAROLINE: You must be happy.
Matt smiles.
MATT: Yeah. I mean, who wouldn’t be? But I was wondering something—why did you tell me she was dead?
CAROLINE: Because she was. She’s only been back a couple weeks.
Matt’s eyes go wide.
MATT: So she was really…?
CAROLINE: Yeah.
MATT: And now she’s…?
CAROLINE: Not.
MATT: Explain.
Caroline shrugs.
CAROLINE: You’re the one who said you didn’t want to know about any supernatural…
MATT: Caroline—explain!
Caroline takes a deep breath.
CAROLINE: Damon was tripping out on Tyler-spit. Mom tried to shoot him, shot Jeremy by accident. I tried to heal Jeremy but it wasn’t enough, so Bonnie did some magic hoo-doo. Bunch of her dead relatives got annoyed with her, Bonnie said ‘tough’, they fixed him up and used my blood to throw in his two dead vampire girlfriends as punishment or something.
Matt just stands there, reeling from all the information.
MATT: Run that past me again.
CAROLINE: You’re the one that asked.
Matt shakes his head in disbelief.
MATT: (whispering) Bonnie can bring back the dead?
CAROLINE: It wasn’t exactly deliberate. It was just supposed to be Jeremy, but her and Anna came back as a side effect.
MATT: Side-effect? More like a miracle, if you ask me.
He looks towards Vicki and smiles.
CAROLINE: So—does this mean you’re ok with the whole vampire thing?
His face falls.
MATT: I don’t know. I—sort of have to be, right? I wish she wasn’t, but there’s nothing I can do about it, right?
Caroline bites her lip. That wasn’t the answer she’d been hoping for.
Matt’s attention goes back to Bonnie and Vicki.
BONNIE: There. Try it on.
Vicki places the ring on her finger.
VICKI: Shouldn’t there be some kind of magic lightshow?
Bonnie smirks. She nods towards the curtains, which immediately open by themselves—flooding the living room with sunlight.
Vicki gasps, blinking in surprise—then smiles widely.
VICKI: The sun—that’s the sun! Holy cow!
Vicki laughs, closing her eyes and feeling the light on her face.
VICKI: I never thought I’d see the sun again.
BONNIE: Just don’t get careless. You can’t let anyone see you.
MATT: What do you mean?
Bonnie turns to him.
BONNIE: I know you’re probably overwhelmed right now Matt, but everyone thinks she’s dead. Including your mother.
Matt scoffs.
MATT: (muttering) Doubt she’d even remember.
BONNIE: Maybe if the cover story about her leaving town had been kept up better, we wouldn’t have this problem.
CAROLINE: Well maybe if you guys had clued me in on the whole vampire thing earlier, I wouldn’t have freaked out when I found her body. Uh—no offence, Vicki.
Vicki shrugs, still admiring her new ring.
VICKI: It’s cool.
MATT: But you told me.
BONNIE: Stefan told you because he thought you deserved to know Vicki was alive, and I agree with him—plus you already knew about the supernatural. We’re not going to be able to explain this to the general public.
Matt sighs.
MATT: Can’t you just—I don’t know, use that Jedi mind trick to make everyone forget?
CAROLINE: Do you have any idea how many people live in Mystic Falls? That would take months!
VICKI: Hey, don’t worry about it.
Matt looks at her.
VICKI: It’s not like I was the center of attention, anyway. The only people I’d want to tell already know about me, so…I’m cool with it.
Caroline looks towards Matt, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
CAROLINE: Well, everything seems fine here. I’m gonna go. You know how it is—got things to do.
Caroline hurries out the front door. Bonnie watches her leave, concerned.
BONNIE: Be careful, ok? Both of you?
Matt nods, and Bonnie hurries after Caroline. It’s then that Matt notices Vicki’s disappeared, too.
MATT: Vicki?
He turns to see the back door open. Curious, Matt goes into the yard, where he finds Vicki staring up at the afternoon sky.
MATT: Is this one of those heightened emotion things they were talking about? The sun will be there tomorrow.
Vicki giggles.
VICKI: I haven’t seen it since I died—the first time! You’d be surprised by the things you miss. The things you take for granted…
MATT: I think I can relate.
She looks at him.
VICKI: Are we having a hallmark moment?
MATT: I’m just—I’m glad you’re here. Even before I found about all this, it’s been so hard without you these past couple of months.
VICKI: You do realize what an insensitive jerk you were being, right?
Matt stares at her in surprise.
VICKI: To Caroline.
MATT: What did I say?
VICKI: It’s what you didn’t say. You didn’t say ‘I’m really sorry for dumping you just because I found out you were a vampire, and I was hoping I could make it up to you since I’m part of the club now’.
Matt sighs in frustration.
MATT: How much did she tell you?
VICKI: I was stuck in that boarding house for a week, Matty—I got the whole story.
He groans.
MATT: Just kill me now---
He freezes.
MATT: Uh—bad choice of words?
VICKI: Very.
She pauses.
VICKI: This is risky, me living here with you. I mean, I want to—but I’m a little worried.
MATT: Then why did you move back in?
VICKI: Well, Stefan tells me that it’s easier to stay the person you were when you were human if you’re around things that were important to you when you were human. Especially people. For me, that’s you and Jeremy—and things are kind of awkward with him right now.
MATT: Sorry.
Vicki smiles.
VICKI: For Caroline, it was you, you know?
Matt shakes his head.
MATT: Come on. She did that herself.
VICKI: If you really believe that, maybe I’m not the only one in this family with self-esteem issues?
Matt pauses, considering her words.
MATT: I have been kind of a jerk, haven’t I? I just—it’s weird. Being friends with vampires! It’s kinda crazy.
VICKI: You think that’s crazy, try being one!
Matt laughs.
MATT: Yeah—I guess you have it worse, don’t you?
She shrugs.
VICKI: It’s not so bad. On the plus side, I never have to worry about getting old. No one can push me around. I already had an addiction when I was human, so that’s nothing new…and this time I can do something about it.
Matt looks at her in admiration.
MATT: Maybe I can, too?
She looks at him, confused.
MATT: I haven’t been doing much lately except complain. I’ve got a lot to make up for. Maybe it’s about time I stop complaining about my life and start doing something about it? It’s like you said—I should appreciate what I have while I still have it.
Vicki smiles at him.
VICKI: Yeah…you should.
*****
Elsewhere…
Meredith sits on her grandfather’s couch, holding a cup of coffee in her hands.
MEREDITH: I just—I didn’t know where else to go with this. Damon Salvatore works for the Sheriff, so even if she believed me there’s a chance she’s under their control or something.
GRAMPS: Damon Salvatore? Are you sure that’s his name?
Meredith nods.
Her grandfather hands her a photograph.
GRAMPS: Is this the man who attacked you?
Meredith gasps, staring at the black and white photo. It’s Damon, dressed in period clothes—except for his hair, he looks exactly the same.
MEREDITH: That’s him! But, uh—he’s not the one who attacked me. Bit me, I mean. It was his brother.
GRAMPS: He had a brother the last time he was here, too. Stefan, right?
Meredith’s mouth hangs open.
MEREDITH: Yes, but—I mean, when was this taken?
GRAMPS: Nineteen Fifty-Three. Just a few days before I watched Damon Salvatore tear his uncle Joseph’s throat out. When I tried to tell people, they thought I was crazy.
Meredith looks down at her coffee.
MEREDITH: So that’s what he meant when he said he knew you? He was—he was the vampire you saw? He killed his own uncle?
GRAMPS: Or the person he said was his uncle. There’s no way of knowing how old that creature is. They don’t age, as you’ve obviously noticed—it’s possible he was never even part of the Salvatore family to begin with.
MEREDITH: And what about Stefan?
Her grandfather shrugs.
GRAMPS: I met him once or twice. He was shy, kept to himself—I didn’t even know he was one too until you told me just now.
Meredith takes a sip of her coffee, relaxing.
MEREDITH: What am I gonna do, gramps? I can just imagine what mom and dad would say if I told them.
GRAMPS: That’s too dangerous. If you want to keep them safe, this has to be a secret.
MEREDITH: There’s something else.
Meredith removes her bandage, showing her grandfather the completely-healed neck.
MEREDITH: Stefan bit me—right here! Just the other night, it completely healed—I saw the wound closing up with my own eyes.
Her grandfather stares in surprise.
MEREDITH: There’s more. When the sun goes down, I—change. I’m as strong as Damon, and fast too—but during the day all those powers just vanish.
She looks at him, scared.
MEREDITH: What’s happening to me, Gramps?
He takes her hand.
GRAMPS: I’m sorry, Mere—but I think you’re infected.
MEREDITH: Infected? What—what does that mean?
GRAMPS: You’re turning into one of them.
Meredith goes pale.
MEREDITH: No, I can’t—that’s not—I can’t be, ok! What about school? College? I don’t want to be like them! Can’t you stop it? You’re the big vampire expert, right?
He sighs, walking over to a small container on his desk. He brings it to Meredith.
GRAMPS: Hold out your hand.
She does, and he places a few dried leaves in her palm.
GRAMPS: What do you feel?
She shrugs.
MEREDITH: Nothing. What is it?
GRAMPS: It’s called vervain—and old herb that used to grow right here in Mystic Falls before someone burned it all. It’s supposed to protect you from vampires. I’ve been putting it in my tea for the past fifty years.
Meredith mouths the word ‘wow’.
MEREDITH: So it’s like garlic?
GRAMPS: Garlic only repels vampires—they hate the smell of it. If a vampire comes into contact with this stuff, it weakens them. Takes away their powers and makes them vulnerable. If you were a vampire, it would burn your skin.
Meredith sighs in relief.
MEREDITH: Then how do you explain the powers?
GRAMPS: This just means you’re still human now—not that you aren’t changing. I’m not sure how it works, but the process isn’t complete.
MEREDITH: Is there any way to stop it?
He nods, handing her a second box. Meredith opens it, finding a sharp wooden stake inside.
GRAMPS: Find the vampire who infected you, disable it—and then drive this stake through its heart.
She stares at her grandfather, horrified.
MEREDITH: You—you can’t be serious! You want me to kill Stefan?!?
GRAMPS: He’s already dead, Meredith. He died the moment he was taken over by that creature. If there’s anything left of the person he was in there, he’ll be grateful for being freed from his curse.
Meredith shakes her head.
MEREDITH: No, I—I can’t just kill someone, Gramps.
He looks at her with sympathy.
GRAMPS: If I could do this for you, I would—but I’m too old to be hunting vampires. If you don’t do this, the same curse is going to take you over, just like them. You’ll be forced to drain the blood of the living just to stay alive. Do you want that?
She closes her eyes.
MEREDITH: No…
She takes the stake, looking at it.
MEREDITH: Right through the heart?
GRAMPS: Only way to kill one of them.
She nods.
MEREDITH: I understand.
*****
Mystic Falls High School…
Stefan and Elena sit in the mostly-empty class. During the lecture, they keep sneaking sideways glances at each other.
After awhile, Stefan sees his brother’s face out the window. Damon’s eyes bulge out, nodding towards the door.
Stefan shakes his head.
Damon points at his watch, then at the door.
Stefan moves his head towards the instructor, mouthing ‘five minutes’.
Damon bangs his head against the window in frustration.
ELENA: (whispering) Are you feeling ok?
Stefan makes a ‘turn around’ motion with his finger. Elena turns to see Damon waving playfully at them.
*****
After class…
Stefan and Elena meet with Damon just outside the school.
STEFAN: What was so important it couldn’t wait a couple hours?
DAMON: How about the fact that you still haven’t done anything about you-know-who?
Stefan groans.
STEFAN: Not this again…
DAMON: If you’re not going to do anything about her, I’ll have to!
STEFAN: Correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t Elijah wipe the floor with you the last time you tried something?
Elena looks between the two of them, confused.
ELENA: Elijah? I thought he left town?
Neither brother answers.
ELENA: What’s going on? You promised no more leaving me out of things, remember?
Damon gives Stefan a smug look, before Elena glares at him.
ELENA: Both of you!
STEFAN: Apparently Elijah came back to town, once he found his sister. Damon found the two of them in Alaric’s apartment a few days ago.
DAMON: Tell her the rest.
Stefan gives him a warning look, then turns to Elena.
STEFAN: Damon claims that Elijah’s sister looks like Lexi.
DAMON: Not ‘looks like’, little brother—it’s her!
Elena shakes her head.
ELENA: That’s not funny, Damon!
DAMON: Do I look like I’m joking to you?
STEFAN: Lexi’s dead, Damon. You should know that better than anyone, seeing as you’re the one that killed her!
Damon winces at his accusatory tone, but stands firm.
DAMON: As I recall, we ‘killed’ Elijah pretty much the same way, didn’t we? He looked pretty dead to me at the time. If Lexi was an Original, she could have just revived after I dumped her in the woods.
Stefan glares at him.
STEFAN: She wasn’t!
DAMON: I saw her with my own eyes, Stefan.
ELENA: Didn’t you say you were compelled? How do you know Elijah didn’t just make you think you saw her?
Damon gives her an annoyed look. Stefan nods in agreement.
DAMON: Fine, don’t believe me. But we have bigger problems than your Original BFF at the moment, Stefan.
ELENA: What do you mean?
Stefan turns to her.
STEFAN: Elena, I’m sorry—it’s Meredith.
Elena looks at him, confused.
ELENA: What about Meredith?
DAMON: She’s been turned.
Elena gasps, covering her mouth.
ELENA: How? When?
DAMON: At least a week now. I started noticing when I couldn’t compel her. Then Lexi compelled me to get her angry, and she fought back.
STEFAN: She was as strong as you?
Damon shakes his head.
DAMON: Stronger.
ELENA: How is that even possible? For that matter, if Meredith’s been a vampire for over a week, how can she be outside during the day? I didn’t notice any lapis lazuli jewellery on her.
DAMON: All I know is, whatever she is now, it’s not human.
An anguished look comes over Stefan’s face.
STEFAN: Oh my god…
Elena and Damon turn towards him.
STEFAN: Right before Klaus made me—feed on her, he bit Meredith himself.
DAMON: And?
STEFAN: You remember at the werehouse? When he threatened to turn Elena into a hybrid?
Elena nods, going pale.
ELENA: He—he said that all it would take was one bite, because that’s how werewolves make other werewolves.
DAMON: Which would explain how she’s stronger than me—and why the sun doesn’t affect her. Damn!
Damon kicks a rock in frustration, causing it to dig itself into a nearby tree.
STEFAN: Does she know what’s happened to her?
Damon shakes his head.
DAMON: No, she was about as surprised as I was. But the compulsion wore off, Stefan—she remembers you attacking her that night. She caught our little fight at the bonfire on tape and was threatening to expose us.
STEFAN: You should have told me about this!
DAMON: I was handling it! How was I supposed to know Klaus turned her into a hybrid?
Stefan shakes his head.
STEFAN: We need to talk to her. Let her know we’re not her enemies.
DAMON: You do that—I’m gonna have a little chat with Elijah.
ELENA: Are you sure that’s such a good idea? He compelled you, remember? If you go after him again, he’ll just do the same thing.
STEFAN: Elena’s right—I’ll go!
Her eyes go wide. That’s not what she was leading to at all.
ELENA: Stefan, no.
STEFAN: I’m on vervain—he won’t be able to compel me. And—I don’t believe he means us any harm. He did help us take down Klaus, after all.
DAMON: Doesn’t mean a thing. He wanted Klaus gone, and he’s gone—doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an agenda.
Elena grabs his arm.
ELENA: Stefan…
STEFAN: I have to see for myself, Elena. I need to prove to myself that Damon’s wrong.
ELENA: And what if he isn’t? What if Lexi’s really alive?
Stefan bites his lip.
STEFAN: She’s not. I’ll prove it!
With that, Stefan walks away.