03x21 - Before Sunset

[bunniefuu]

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Alaric sits at the desk in his classroom with the white oak stake in his hand. He hears

Caroline entering the school. Caroline walks through the hallway. She talks to Tyler on

her cell phone.)

Caroline: What do you mean you're ditching my clean up committee?

Tyler: Klaus called. He's leaving town and wants me to pack up his house.

Caroline: Well, since when does sire bond equal mover sl*ve?

Tyler: Since he realized you're not gonna dump me for him.

Caroline: Ugh, he's being petty.

Tyler: And he still thinks I'm sired to him. It's fine. I'll keep up the act and it will all be

over soon. I'm late, I gotta go. I love you.

Caroline: I love you, too.

(Caroline hangs up. She hears a noise. Alaric rushes past without her noticing.)

Caroline: Hello?

(Caroline walks into the cafeteria where Rebekah cleans up the mess from the dance.)

Caroline: Where's Matt?

Rebekah: He bailed. Got called into work at the last minute.

Caroline: Are you kidding me? So, it's just us?

Rebekah: Yes, and you're late. Clean-up committee started at 8 o' clock.

Caroline: It's like 8:02.

Rebekah: Exactly. I managed to turn up on time and I didn't even get to attend the

dance that I organized.

Caroline: I'm sorry about your Mom. I mean, I know you like hated her and

everything, but still I'm sorry.

Rebekah: I'm sorry about your teacher. He seemed like a nice guy.

Caroline: Yeah, he was.

Rebekah: I'm gonna get started on the gym.

(Rebekah walks out into the hallway. Alaric comes around the corner.)

Rebekah: You're supposed to be dead.

Alaric: I am.

(Alaric pushes Rebekah against the locker and tries to stake her. Suddenly, Caroline

appears, frees Rebekah and pins Alaric against the locker. Rebekah stakes Alaric only

to realize that the white oak stake can't k*ll him. Alaric pulls the stake out of his body

and realizes Caroline and Rebekah are gone.)

[Outside Mystic Falls High School, Parking Lot]

(Caroline rushes to her car fumbling with her keys. She sees Alaric's reflection in the

car window and drops her keys. Alaric grabs Caroline and breaks her neck. Alaric

drags the unconscious Caroline back into the school while his face starts to burn from

the sun. Rebekah watches.)

Opening Credits

[House of the Gilbert Family]

(Elena and Jeremy paint Alaric's room. Stefan walks in.)

Stefan: Going darker, huh?

Elena: It's the only color we had.

Jeremy: That's what happens when you decide to paint your dead guardian's room in

the middle of the night.

Stefan: I don't suppose anyone tried to talk you guys out of doing this so soon.

Elena: We have to keep moving. Otherwise we'll start thinking and we don't wanna

think.

Stefan: You want a hand?

Jeremy: So, are you two like back together or something?

Elena: What? No, Jer. We're just…

Stefan: I was just checking up on you guys, seeing how you were doing, after, after

everything.

Jeremy: We're fine. But, if you are trying to be the good guy again, why don't you do

the right thing and give us one day, just one day without any vampires in it.

(Jeremy leaves the room.)

Elena: He didn't mean that.

Stefan: Yeah, yeah he did.

(The doorbell rings)

Stefan: I'll get that.

(Stefan opens the door. It's Damon and Bonnie. Bonnie has a bloody bite mark on her

neck).

Damon: We have a problem.

[Klaus' Mansion]

Rebekah: Alaric Saltzman just tried to k*ll me.

Klaus: Alaric Saltzman is supposed to be dead.

Rebekah: Well, he's not. And he's vampire thanks to mother's spell with a white oak

stake that can't k*ll him. He is strong, Nik. Too strong.

Klaus: Where is he now?

Rebekah: He's stuck at the school without a daylight ring, but as soon as night falls

he'll come after us. We need to leave now.

Klaus: Fine. I'll collect Elena. We'll be on our way.

Rebekah: Forget Elena! You don't need anymore stupid hybrids.

Klaus: What I need is protection from Esther's continued assaults against us.

Rebekah: We'll protect each other, like we always have. Always and forever, Nik.

Klaus: I'm not leaving without her.

Rebekah: I'm leaving now. You can either walk out that door with me or you are on

your own.

(Klaus looks at Rebekah but says nothing.)

Rebekah: Fine. Trust your hybrids over your family. Let your spite be the death of

you, see if I care.

(As Rebekah walks out of the room, Tyler shows up carrying a moving box.)

Rebekah: Move it, sire boy!

Tyler: What's her deal?

[House of the Gilbert Family, Kitchen]

(Bonnie, Damon, and Stefan are in the kitchen together.)

Stefan: What do you mean he turned? I thought you were standing guard.

Damon: Don't blame me. Blame Bonnie the blood bank. She fed him.

Bonnie: I had no idea what was happening. Okay. The witches led me there. They

wanted him to feed so he'd turn.

Stefan: So, where's the stake now?

Damon: Oh, you mean the white oak one? The one that can k*ll an original and wipe

out an entire line of vampires? We don't know.

Bonnie: If you are so upset with me, why did you feed me your blood to save my life?

Damon: Because I do stupid things, Bonnie. I do things, like let my friend die with

dignity when I should've just k*lled him.

Stefan: Alright. So how do we k*ll him now?

Bonnie: I've been trying to figure that out. A witch can't truly make an immortal

creature, there's always a way to undo the spell.

Damon: So, what's the witchy work around?

Bonnie: That's the problem. I don't know.

[House of the Gilbert Family, Alaric's Room]

(Elena's cell phone rings. She picks it up and sees that the incoming call is from Alaric.

She answers it.)

Elena: Whoever this is, it's not funny.

Alaric: Well, who else would it be?

Elena: Ric?

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Caroline sits in one of the chairs in Alaric's classroom. She is gagged with a cloth that

is soaked in vervain and her hands are staked to the desk by pencils. Alaric speaks to

Elena on his cell phone.)

Alaric: Listen, closely. I'm at the school, I have Caroline and if you wanna keep her

alive, I need you to get into your car and come down here right away. If you

tell anyone where you're going, I will k*ll her.

[House of the Gilbert Family]

(The doorbell rings. Jeremy opens the door. It's Klaus.)

Jeremy: What the hell do you want?

Klaus: Now is that any way to treat a guest?

(Stefan joins Jeremy and Klaus.)

Stefan: What are you doing here, Klaus?

Klaus: Well, for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me

inside.

Stefan: Why don't you go up to your room?

(Damon comes up behind them.)

Damon: Now.

Stefan: Hmm, poor lad. Loses one questionable father figure only to be replaced by

the likes of the two of you.

Damon: Yeah, about that. Something happened.

Klaus: Oh, I know all about my mother's invulnerable little creation. That's why I'm

here. I'm leaving town, just need to pick up a few road trip necessities. Spare

tire, flashlight, doppelganger.

Damon: Can't help you there.

(Damon closes the door on Klaus. Stefan goes towards the stairs.)

Stefan: Elena!

(Outside, Klaus picks up the newspaper lying on the front porch. Inside, Stefan goes

upstairs and into Alaric's bedroom. Jeremy is there painting, but Elena is nowhere to

be found.)

Stefan: Where is she?

Jeremy: I don't know. She was just here a few minutes ago.

(Stefan walks back down the stairs and meets up with Damon.)

Damon: Where is she?

Stefan: She is not here.

Damon: What do you mean she's not here? Where did she go?

(Bonnie joins them.)

Bonnie: What's going on?

(Damon looks out of the window and sees Klaus pacing with the newspaper in his

hand.)

Damon: Klaus wants in. We have to keep him out.

(Klaus throws the newspaper through the window. The glass shatters into pieces.

Damon ducks down, as well as Stefan and Bonnie.)

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Alaric sits at the desk in his classroom. He hears Elena enter the school.)

Alaric: Right on time.

(Elena walks through the school's hallway. She looks around nervously. She hears

Caroline crying and runs towards Alaric's classroom.)

Elena: Caroline. Let her go, Alaric.

Alaric: Free her yourself.

(Elena and Alaric stare at each other for a moment. Then Elena hesitantly walks

towards Caroline and gently pulls one of the pencils out of her hand. Alaric rushes

over and slams the pencil back into her hand. Caroline screams.)

Elena: You said that you would let her go.

Alaric: How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires!

[Outside the House of the Gilbert Family]

(Klaus is still outside.)

Klaus: I think you're probably gonna want to let me in.

(Klaus walks over to a white picket fence. He puts his hands on it and looks around. He

sees a football and smiles.)

[Inside the House of the Gilbert Family]

(Stefan, Damon, Bonnie and Jeremy are gathered in the kitchen.)

Jeremy: Elena's car is gone.

Bonnie: Why wouldn't she tell anyone where she was going?

(All of a sudden, the front door bursts open and the football flies in. Klaus walks up

the front porch with two pickets in his hand. He throws one of them into the house. It

almost hits Damon.)

Stefan: Get down!

Damon: Missed me.

(Damon takes the picket that got stuck in the wall behind him and hurls it back at

Klaus. Klaus dodges it. Then he breaks the second picket into two pieces and throws

one of it at Damon.)

Damon: Missed me again.

(Stefan's cell phone rings.)

Stefan: Alaric.

(Klaus has rearmed himself with a propane t*nk and a burning newspaper. Stefan

comes up to the front door.)

Stefan: Put it out.

Klaus: Come outside and make me.

(Stefan steps outside.)

Stefan: Elena is not here. Alaric has her and Caroline. He's gonna k*ll them both

unless you turn yourself over to him.

(Klaus throws away the newspaper and puts down the propane t*nk.)

Klaus: Now I know you're not asking me to walk into a certain death.

Stefan: I really wish we could. But unfortunately, if Alaric kills you there's a 1 in 4

chance that we die too.

(Damon comes outside.)

Damon: I'll take those odds.

Stefan: And a hundred percent chance that Tyler dies.

Damon: I'm good with that too.

Stefan: Why don't we just figure out a way to put Alaric down?

Klaus: Okay. How about Damon sneaks in and distracts Alaric, while Stefan grabs

Elena and carries her to safety.

Damon: Huh, that's a great idea. What's to stop me from getting k*lled instantly?

Klaus: Nothing.

Damon: Caroline is in there. Don't you have a thing for her? Or did she just reject you

too many times?

Stefan: This isn't really helping too much.

(Bonnie walks out of the house.)

Bonnie: I might have an idea. My mom used a desiccation spell on Michael that

immobilized him for over 15 years. If I can get it, I might be able to use it on

Alaric.

Klaus: If and might your words inspire such confidence.

Bonnie: I'll get it. But even with the spell, we need a lot of vampire muscle to take

him down, including yours.

Klaus: Just so we're clear. The sun sets in about 8 hours. We don't succeed before

then, Elena will be dead, I'll be gone and the rest of you will be left to fend for

yourselves.

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Alaric dips the cloth in a glass filled with vervain.)

Caroline: No. No more. Please, no more.

(Elena gets up from her chair.)

Elena: Alaric, stop!

(Alaric pushes Elena back into her seat.)

Alaric: Sit down! This keeps the vervain in her system. It's like inhaling razor blades

with every breath.

(Alaric puts the cloth back into Caroline mouth. She screams in pain.)

Elena: Why are you doing this?

Alaric: To make it easier on you when you put her out of her misery.

(Alaric picks up the white oak stake and walks towards Elena.)

Elena: What? No!

Alaric: Isn't this what you wanted, Elena? For me to teach you how to k*ll a vampire?

Well, here is a vampire, Elena. k*ll her.

(Alaric holds the white oak stake right in front of Elena.)

Elena: This isn't what I want.

Alaric: Of course it is. All those hours you spend training, getting stronger. You could

be a hunter, Elena. But you've never actually staked a vampire through the heart.

(Elena keeps staring at the stake in front of her.)

[Salvatore Boarding House]

(Damon and Bonnie are waiting for Abby. Damon sits on the couch glancing at the

clock.)

Damon: Well, this is promising.

Bonnie: Relax, Abby will be here.

Damon: I'm sorry, I forgot about her stellar track record in the dependability

department.

Bonnie: Jamie said she was coming, okay. Just give her time.

(The doorbell rings.)

Damon: Don't get your hopes up! Might be a girl scout.

(Bonnie opens the door. It's Abby.)

Abby: Hello, Bonnie.

Bonnie: Thanks for coming.

Abby: Jamie's worried about you. He said it was urgent. I just didn't think you'd ever

want to see me again.

Bonnie: Like Jamie said, it's urgent.

(Bonnie and Abby walk back into the house together.)

[Mystic Falls High School, Parking Lot]

(Stefan and Klaus get out of Klaus' car when Stefan receives a text message.)

Stefan: Abby just showed up.

Klaus: Good. Perhaps this plan won't be an epic failure after all. You know, if this

does go off and we drop the history teacher in the Atlantic, I'm still leaving

with Elena.

Stefan: I'll go with you.

Klaus: Really? What's the catch?

Stefan: There's no catch. I turned my back on everything here to make sure Elena's

safe.

Klaus: And that is what makes you her better option. It's a shame it's not easier for

Elena to see that. I mean, personally, I think she's wasting her time with

Damon.

Stefan: You know, all this time and energy you've spent trying to get me and my

brother to hate each other. It's actually had the opposite effect.

Klaus (laughs): Has it? Has it really? Well, then perhaps I should let Elena decide

which Salvatore joins us, being as you and Damon are so close.

Stefan: Go for it. Damon and I have been through a hell of a lot worse than you.

(Stefan turns his back on Klaus and walks away.)

[Salvatore Boarding House]

(Bonnie and Abby are in the parlor together.)

Abby: Why didn't I have to be invited in?

Bonnie: Only vampires live here.

(Damon walks into the room with a glass of blood in his hand.)

Damon: We signed over the deed to Elena. But she d*ed and the seal broke and very

long story.

(Damon offers the glass of blood to Abby.)

Damon: Blood?

(Abby just blankly stares at Damon.)

Damon: Oh, come on. Take it as a peace offering.

(Abby clearly doesn't want it.)

Damon: Fine, more for me.

(Damon sits down next to Bonnie.)

Bonnie: We called you here because I need help with a spell. Esther created a

vampire that can't be k*lled. I wanna desiccate him like you did to Michael.

Abby: Bonnie, it's too dangerous. Your magic comes from the earth. It's pure. This

spell asks you to tap into dark places. Places of temptation. Places you can't

handle.

Bonnie: You turned your back on me for 16 years. You have no idea what I can

handle.

Damon: Gotta say, I'm team Bonnie on this one. How hard can it be to parch a

vampire?

Abby: The spell allows you to stop a vampire's heart. The blood will stop flowing and

his body will desiccate.

Bonnie: That's exactly what we wanna do.

Abby: To stop a vampire's heart, you need to find a balance among the living. Can

you handle that?

(Bonnie sh**t Abby a disbelieving look.)

Damon: What? What does that mean? Bonnie, I don't speak witch.

Bonnie: I have to stop a human heart.

[Mystic Falls High School, Parking Lot]

(Damon and Bonnie arrive at the parking lot. Jeremy is already there. Bonnie shows

Damon something on her cell phone.)

Bonnie: I just got this. It connects me to Caroline and Elena through our phones.

They're in Alaric's classroom. You should go in from the south entrance.

Damon: Digital locater spell. Why the hell do we need you then?

(Damon holds out his hand towards Jeremy.)

Damon: Hand it over.

Jeremy: I'm not giving you my ring. Let me do this.

Damon: By my math, you've already bit it once, possibly twice, wearing that thing

and if for some reason, Bonnie can't restart your heart and you do indeed

die, then before you know it, we have another psycho alter ego case on our

hands, which is bad so give me that ring.

Jeremy: This is my ring. Elena is my sister. No one's gonna fight harder for her than

me.

Damon: Fine. Be stubborn.

(Damon looks at Bonnie.)

Damon: Try not to k*ll him, will you?

(Stefan and Klaus arrive.)

Klaus: Look at this, one big, happy family.

(Bonnie shows the others a vial with a red substance in it.)

Bonnie: Drink this. It's my blood. It bridges us all together, so that when I stop

Jeremy's heart, you'll have the power to stop Alaric's. You need to make a

physical connection to his bloodstream, a vein, artery something connected

to his heart.

(First Stefan, then Damon and then Klaus drink from the vial.)

Stefan: One of us gets a clean sh*t, take it, the other two hold him down.

Klaus: Before we all walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we? I was the one who created your vampire blood line, therefore I'm responsible for your lives and Tyler's life, Caroline's life and of course Abby's life, should anything go wrong.

Damon: Or you're just lying to save your ass.

Klaus: I'm not lying, but go head, call my bluff, let the teacher k*ll me. You'll all be dead soon thereafter.

Stefan: Let's just get this over with, shall we?

(Stefan, Damon and Klaus walk towards the school. Bonnie and Jeremy stay behind.)

[Mystic Falls High School, Alaric's classroom]

(Alaric is still holding Caroline and Elena c*ptive.)

Elena: Why are you doing this?

Alaric: Because you need me. Because you're an 18 year old girl without parents or

guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore.

Elena: Look at you. How is this right?

Alaric: She's a m*rder*r. She told me she k*lled someone and liked it. Now, how is

that right? Listen, Elena, your parents led the council. It was their lives'

mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead 6 months before you undid

it all.

Elena: You don't know anything about them.

Alaric: Why am I wrong? Do you actually think that they'd be proud of you?

(Alaric kneels down next to Elena.)

Alaric: If you don't side with the humans, you're just as bad as them.

(Alaric holds out the stake to Elena.)

Alaric: Now k*ll her or I'll do it for you and I'll make it hurt. Get up!

(Alaric forces Elena out of her seat and puts the stake into her hand. Elena hesitates

for a moment then she tries to stake Alaric. But he grabs her wrist before she can.)

Alaric: I thought I taught you better than that.

Elena: You did.

(Elena smashes the glass with vervain which still stands on a desk nearby into Alaric's

face. He screams in pain. Elena walks over to Caroline and frees her.)

Elena: Get help!

(Caroline runs out of the room. Elena tries to follow her, but Alaric moves into her

way.)

Alaric: Not so fast.

(Caroline gets out into the hallway but then realizes that Elena is not with her.

Suddenly, Klaus grabs her from behind covering her mouth with his hand so that she

can't scream.)

Klaus (whispers): Shhh. It's okay. It's okay. It's me. It's okay. You're safe. We'll save

Elena. You go straight home, you stay inside. Do you understand?

(Klaus grabs Caroline and turns her around so that she faces him.)

Klaus: Do you understand me?

Caroline (nods): Thank you.

(Klaus leaves. Then, Caroline leaves. Elena and Alaric are now in the hallway. Alaric

slams Elena against the locker and then grabs her by the throat.)

Alaric: I should k*ll you. I should gut you like Brian Walters, Bill Forbes and all the

other cowards I plan on ripping apart. You're the worst offender of them all,

Elena. You don't deserve to live.

Elena: So then why am I still alive? There is obviously no humanity left in you. So

what's stopping you, Alaric? If you want me dead then k*ll me. Do it! k*ll me!

(After a few seconds Alaric decides to release Elena from his grip. Elena breathes

heavily. Suddenly, Damon and Stefan appear and hold Alaric by his arms. )

Damon: Do it now!

(Alaric throws Damon off of him and snaps Stefan's neck. Stefan falls to the ground.

Damon tries to att*ck Alaric, but he breaks Damon's neck, too. Damon and Stefan

both lie unconsciously on the floor now. Klaus appears and thrusts his hand into

Alaric's heart.)

[Somewhere in the Woods]

(Bonnie and Jeremy are somewhere in the woods. Bonnie feels that someone has

made contact with Alaric's heart. )

Bonnie: They made contact. It's happening.

(Bonnie places her hands above Jeremy's chest and begins to chant a spell.)

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Alaric pulls Klaus' hand out of his heart and pushes Klaus to the floor.)

[Somewhere in the Woods]

(Bonnie feels that the connection has been severed and stops the spell.)

Jeremy: What's wrong?

Bonnie: Something happened. The connection broke.

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Alaric slams Klaus against the locker. Klaus falls to the ground. Alaric stands above

him and tries to stake him. Suddenly, Elena yells at Alaric.)

Elena (holding a Kn*fe to her throat): Stop! Let him go or I'll k*ll myself.

Alaric: Put it down, Elena.

Elena: Why, because you still need me alive? There's a reason why Esther used me to

make you, isn't there? She didn't want you to be immortal, so she tied your

life to a human one. Mine. That way you have only one life span to k*ll all

vampires and then you'll be gone. So when I die, you die too. That's it. It has

to be!

Alaric: You're wrong.

Elena: Am I?

(Elena begins to cut herself. Blood runs down her throat.)

Alaric: Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

(Klaus uses Alaric's distraction to throw him off. Klaus grabs Elena and leaves. Alaric

gets up and realizes they are both gone.)

[Klaus' Mansion]

(Elena wakes up sitting in a chair in Klaus' mansion. She feels a prick in her arm. She

looks down and sees a nurse inserting a needle into her arm. Klaus sits on a couch

nearby.)

Nurse: Be careful, moving only makes it hurt more.

Elena: What are doing?

Klaus: Draining you of all your blood.

(Tyler comes in carrying a moving box.)

Tyler (surprised): Elena.

(Tyler puts the box down and walks towards Elena.)

Elena: Tyler, help me!

Klaus: He can't. He needs to go fetch me more empty blood bags. About three liters

worth, please, Tyler.

Elena: Tyler, please. Get Stefan, please.

Klaus: No, Tyler, get the bags.

(Tyler hesitates then walks towards Elena. Klaus moves into his way.)

Klaus: Forget the girl and get the bags. Now!

(Tyler leaves the room. Klaus walks behind the chair that Elena is sitting in.)

Elena: So that's it? You're just gonna bleed me dry?

Klaus: Yes, but don't worry. It'll be completely painless, as the last drop is drawn,

you'll simply fall asleep.

[Mystic Falls High School]

(Stefan's cell phone rings. Damon wakes up from the dead and grabs the phone.)

Damon: Why am I still alive?

(Alaric walks up to Damon and Stefan.)

Alaric: Get up!

(Stefan slowly wakes up.)

Alaric: I said, get up! Klaus is gonna k*ll Elena.

Damon: What?

Stefan: What are you talking about? Klaus needs Elena's blood to make hybrids. She's

the last person that he'd k*ll.

Alaric: The witch bound my life to Elena's. If she dies, I die. Klaus figured that out and

now he's taken her. Now I'm trapped here until the sun goes down, so you two

better get doing what you do best, saving Elena's life.

(Alaric leaves, knocking them both out of the way.)

[Klaus' Mansion]

(The nurse replaces the filled blood bag with a new, empty one.)

Elena: What about your hybrids? You'll need more than this to create your army.

(Klaus takes one of the blood bags from the nurse.)

Klaus: These last few liters will have to suffice. You see, by attempting to k*ll us, my

mother strengthened the bond between my siblings and I. I don't need

hybrids. I have my family.

Elena: If you believe that, then why take my blood at all? You want a backup family.

You know that your siblings will never trust you again.

Klaus: You know, Stefan blames me for trying to tear him from his brother, but I think

we both know who really came between them. You. That's why you won't

choose. You know once you pick a Salvatore, you'll destroy their bond.

(Klaus moves closer towards Elena and grabs both her hands.)

Klaus: Consider this me doing you a favor. Once you're dead, you won't have to

choose. No broken hearts. Their family stays intact. But just between us girls.

Who would you have picked?

Elena: Rot in hell.

Klaus: You're welcome. Sweet dreams, Elena. It's been fun.

(Klaus leaves the room. Elena struggles to get out of the chair. Tyler quietly walks into

the room and starts to untie Elena.)

Elena: What are you doing?

Tyler: Shhh.

(Klaus walks back into the room.)

Elena: Tyler.

Klaus: So much for that sire bond.

Tyler: I'm not your little bitch anymore.

Klaus: How did you break the sire bond?

Tyler: By breaking every bone in my body a hundred times for the girl I love.

Klaus: That's impossible.

Tyler: Is it? Or maybe real love is stronger than fake loyalty. But what would you

know about that?

Klaus: You know you should be thanking me. I gave you a gift. I took away your

misery.

Tyler: You didn't give a crap about me! You just didn't want to be alone.

(Tyler helps Elena out of the chair.)

Tyler: Come on.

(Klaus rushes towards them. Elena flies backwards over the chair and hits her head.

Klaus grabs Tyler by the throat and pushes him against a wall.)

Klaus: Goodbye, Tyler.

(Klaus tries to rip Tyler's heart out of his chest, but Tyler twists his arm around.

Damon and Stefan come into the room. Damon grabs Klaus's other arm and Stefan

thrusts his hand into Klaus' chest. Klaus screams. )

[Somewhere in the Woods]

(Bonnie feels that the physical connection has been reestablished and begins to chant

the spell. Jeremy's heart stops. Dark veins start to make their way through Bonnie's

body.)

[Klaus' Mansion]

(Klaus realizes his body is desiccating. He looks around helplessly, tears in his eyes.

Damon walks over to Elena and helps her up. She holds her head.)

Damon: Hey, are you okay?

(Elena nods).

[Somewhere in the Woods]

(Bonnie tries to bring Jeremy back to life. He doesn't wake up immediately. Bonnie

starts to panic and shakes him.)

Bonnie: Oh my god! Jeremy! Jeremy! Jeremy!

(Jeremy finally wakes up.)

[Klaus' Mansion]

(Klaus' is now defenseless. Stefan pulls his hand out of Klaus' chest. Tyler lays Klaus'

body down on the ground.)

Stefan: We should get her home before the sun sets.

(Damon takes Elena's hand and walks her out of the house. Tyler follows them. Stefan

takes a last look at Klaus' body on the ground and then walks out as well.)

[Outside the House of the Gilbert Family]

(Elena, Stefan and Damon get out of the car and walk towards the house.)

Elena: You two are really gonna walk me all the way to the door, aren't you?

Stefan: You lost a lot of blood today.

Elena: Yeah, I know, but I told you I'm fine. I just have a little headache.

Damon: Yeah, but the sun's about to go down and Ric's gonna be able to terrorize

the streets any minute.

Elena: Yeah, but he can't hurt me. It's you two that we should be worrying about.

Stefan: Nah, he won't be able to find us.

(Elena opens the front door.)

Stefan: I'll call you when we get back.

(Stefan and Damon turn around about to walk away.)

Elena: I know it's selfish. I know that it seems that I'm stringing you both along. But I

– I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I mean, if I choose one of you then I'll

lose the other. And I've lost so many people, I just, I can't bear the thought of

losing one of you.

(Damon and Stefan look at each other unsure what to do or say.)

Stefan: It's – It's been a long day.

Damon: We'll call you from the road, after we've dumped Klaus' body in the Atlantic.

Elena: Just be careful. Both of you.

(Stefan and Damon leave. Elena watches them go. Then she closes the door and goes

inside.)

[House of the Gilbert Family]

(Bonnie, Tyler, Matt, Jeremy and Caroline are gathered in the kitchen. Elena walks in

the room.)

Elena: What are you guys doing here?

Caroline: Welcome to our victory party!

Elena: What victory? We've failed Alaric is still out there.

Bonnie: We know, but we've been trying to get rid of Klaus forever and Caroline

convinced us to enjoy it for a night.

Matt: I gotta be honest I'm a little pissed none of you let me help you

take down original brother number two

Tyler: Yeah, he would‘ve taken you right down to the hospital, bro.

Matt: Please, I'm more stealth than that, I'm like a ninja.

Jeremy: Yeah, you wish.

(Caroline hands Elena a glass of tequila.)

Caroline: Here, you need this. I heard. And you know that sooner or later, you're

gonna have to choose, right?

Elena: I know.

(Caroline pats Elena's shoulder. Tyler walks over to them.)

Tyler: Hey, give me your hand.

(Tyler pours salt on Elena's hand.)

Elena: Thank you for standing up to Klaus like that.

Tyler: Let's just say, it's been a long time coming.

Caroline: Way too long. Alright, let's drink!

Elena: I do not condone this by the way.

Jeremy: You survived Klaus. Alright, make an exception. You can go back to being

responsible tomorrow.

Elena: Okay.

(Elena raises her glass to her mouth about to drink, but then stops.)

Tyler: Hang on. Do you guys here that?

(They all remain silent for a moment, listening for something.)

Tyler: That is the sound of a Klaus free life.

(They all laugh. Elena raises her glass to make a toast.)

Elena: To a Klaus free life and to all of you, my family.

(They all clink their glasses, say cheers and drink.)

[House of the Lockwood Family]

(Mayor Carol Lockwood opens the front door to let Sheriff Liz Forbes in.)

Liz: Carol, what's so urgent you called an emergency council meeting

at this hour?

Carol: I didn't call the meeting, Liz. He did.

(They walk in the living room together. Alaric is there with all of the other council

members.)

Alaric: Join us sheriff. I was just telling the council about out vampire problem. Or

should I say your problem?

Liz: What do you think you're doing?

Alaric: Well, perhaps you and the mayor can enlighten the group on the strides

you've taken to eliminate the issue. Oh, that's right you haven't. You see, the

sheriff, a woman we elected to keep our families safe and town secure, has a

vampire for a daughter. And our lovely mayor a son who is half vampire, half

werewolf.

Carol: Why are doing this?

Alaric: These women are hypocrites. They claim to spearhead our defense against the

supernatural presence then cover up the violent att*cks committed by their

children.

Liz: That's enough. We're done here. It's time to go.

(Liz turns around and wants to leave the room, but Alaric moves into her way.)

Alaric: Sit down, Liz! We're just getting started.

[Somewhere on the Road]

(Damon and Stefan are driving somewhere to hide Klaus' body. Damon pats the

casket on the back seat.)

Stefan: What?

Damon: How many desiccated hybrids does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Stefan: You're in a good mood.

Damon: Yeah, I'm in a good mood. Klaus is dead, my brother is halfway sane, again.

Give or take an immortal hunter that wants to k*ll us, we won, Stefan. Come

on, say it. Say it.

Stefan: We won.

Damon: Once more with feeling.

Stefan: We won.

Damon: Thank you.

Stefan: You know what, thank you. Turns out we make a pretty good team, huh?

Damon: It only took a century and a half.

Stefan: What happens when Elena makes a decision?

Damon: You know how these things pan out, Stefan. She'll probably make a list of

pros and cons and then at the end of the day dumps both of our asses.

Stefan: What if she doesn't?

Damon: Then she'll pick one of us.

Stefan: Well, if she chooses you, I'll leave town and let you two be happy and not be

bothered by me.

Damon: And in sixty years, we'll go back to being brothers and none of this will have

mattered, right?

Stefan: Yeah.

Damon: Fine, she chooses you, I'll leave town too. All this over one girl.

Stefan: She's a pretty special girl.

Damon: Yes, she is.

[House of the Gilbert Family]

(Jeremy is repainting Alaric's room. Elena comes in.)

Jeremy: Hey. Everyone gone?

Elena: It's just us.

Jeremy: I hate this room.

Elena: Me too. Mom and Dad were right. Alaric should just k*ll all the vampires and

put an end to all of this. But then that means that Caroline dies and Bonnie

loses her mom, the mayor loses her son and I lose Stefan and Damon. So if it

makes me the bad guy for wanting to keep those people alive, then fine, I'll be

the bad guy.

Jeremy: You forget that Alaric never wanted any of this. Once he carries out his plans,

what if he decides he doesn't want to live anymore and he kills his human

connection to end his life. That would mean I would lose you. I'm not gonna

let that happen.

(Elena smiles.)

Jeremy: I'm gonna shower and get some sleep. Goodnight, Elena.

Elena: Goodnight.

(Jeremy leaves the room. Elena grabs a paintbrush and starts to paint the window frame.

Suddenly, Elena grabs her head in pain and collapses to the floor. She bleeds from her nose.)