Stand By Me/Transcript

GILBERT HOUSE

[Elena picks up a framed photo of her and Jeremy. The glass is broken; with an utterly detached expression, she touches the glass and a piece falls to the floor, shattering.]

SILAS'S TOMB

[Elena finds Jeremy's body in the cave. She holds him in her arms, talking frantically and crying.]

Elena: Jeremy! Oh, no. No. No. Oh, god, no. Oh god... [she checks his hand; the Gilbert ring is still on his finger] It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. You're gonna be okay. The ring will bring you back. It's okay. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay, Jeremy. You're gonna be fine.

[Stefan walks in and looks on in shock.]

THE CAVE - UPPER CHAMBER

Damon: How'd this happen?

Stefan: It was Katherine. She must have been following us this whole time.

Damon: What about the cure, or Silas?

Stefan: If there was anything in there at all, it's all gone.

Damon: Where the hell is Bonnie?

Stefan: I have no idea. She went looking for Jeremy last night. She never came back. Damon, Elena is in there waiting for the Gilbert ring to bring Jeremy back to life.

Damon: Okay, fine. I'll wait with her.

[Damon starts walking toward the well opening but Stefan puts up a hand to stop him.]

Stefan: Damon, listen to me. Jeremy was one of the Five, a hunter.

Damon: He's supernatural. The ring won't work anymore. [pauses] She won't survive this. I'll find Bonnie. You get Elena off this island.

[TITLE CARD AND OPENING CREDITS]

GILBERT HOUSE

[Caroline is scrubbing the floor when the door opens and Elena walks in, Stefan behind her carrying Jeremy's body.]

Caroline: [standing] Hey, you're home. I was trying to clean the burn mark where Kol-- [She sees Stefan carrying Jeremy, his body wrapped in a blanket] I couldn't get the spot out.

[Stefan shakes his head a little at Caroline.]

Elena: Come on. Let's get him upstairs.

[Stefan follows Elena while Caroline stands immobile, shocked. Upstairs, Stefan lays Jeremy on his bed. Elena sits down beside him and holds his hand.]

Stefan: Can I get you anything?

Elena: No. I'm fine. I'm just gonna sit here and wait with him until he wakes up. Let me know if you hear anything about Bonnie, okay?

Stefan: [nodding] Yeah, sure.

[Elena spreads a blanket over Jeremy and resumes holding his hands on top of his chest. Stefan leaves the room.]

THE ISLAND - CAMPSITE

[Damon enters the campground, peeking into a tent. Walking a little further, he stops and his eyes vamp out while there is rustling in the trees.]

Damon: Unless you're a blonde, a Bennett witch, or a doppelgänger, I suggest you steer clear.

[He approaches the shack and creaks open the door. As he opens it wider Rebekah appears next to him, startling him.]

Rebekah: Where is it? The cure? I know someone has it.

Damon: Yeah, someone - Katherine.

Rebekah: Katherine? The doppelgänger?

Damon: Yeah. Sneaky little bitch must've been spying on us for weeks. She killed Jeremy... or somebody did. [Rebekah looks somber] He killed your brother. Let's not with the fake sad face.

Rebekah: I didn't say I was going to miss him, but I'm not heartless. He was Elena's only family.

Damon: Good. Well, you can send flowers after you help me find Bonnie. [he starts walking away]

Rebekah: We need to find Katherine.

Damon: If there's one thing that's a guarantee in this miserable little world, it's that Katherine Pierce is gone. We need to find Bonnie. Oh, and beware of the immortal Silas. If he was asleep in that cave, he's awake now.

[Damon turns and starts walking. After a moment's hesitation, Rebekah follows after him.]

THE ISLAND - THE WOODS

[Bonnie wakes up, lying on the ground in a small campsite. She sits up and looks around, clearly unsure of how she got there. She reaches around to touch the wound on her back.]

Shane: [approaching the campsite] Don't touch it. [kneeling beside Bonnie] I used some of the island's herbs and berries to help treat the wound, but not being an actual witch, I can't guarantee much.

[Bonnie looks down at Shane's pant leg, which is still covered in blood.]

Bonnie: How are you healed?

Shane: It was Silas. He helped me. You did it, Bonnie. He's risen. [he reaches out to her]

Bonnie: Get away from me.

Shane: I know you're angry with me, okay, but now you'll see everything I did, all those lives lost, they weren't in vain. Silas is gonna bring them back.

Bonnie: What you want to do isn't natural, Shane. You can't bring back the dead.

Shane: I think you'll change your mind now.

Bonnie: What do you mean, "now"?

Shane: When Silas awoke, he had to feed to gain his strength. He'd been desiccating for almost 2,000 years. He needed blood. Jeremy was there.

Bonnie: What are you saying?

Shane: He...

Bonnie: [angrily] What are you saying to me?

Shane: He drained him of his blood, Bonnie. Jeremy is dead.

[Bonnie gapes at him in shock.]

GILBERT HOUSE

[Elena is still sitting with Jeremy, smoothing her hand over his face and holding his hands. Downstairs in the kitchen, Caroline is dumping a bucket of water into the sink and talking to Stefan.]

Caroline: How long has she been like that?

Stefan: Ever since we found his body. She hasn't said anything except that she's waiting for him to wake up.

Caroline: But he's not going to wake up. She knows that, right?

[Stefan holds a finger up to his lips to silence her. He walks over to the sink and runs the tap, using the noise to cover their conversation.]

Stefan: Look. Deep down, I think she has to, but we're talking about Elena here. She feels grief more powerfully than anyone else. I think her denial is the one thing protecting her from letting it all in.

Caroline: But she can't stay like that forever.

Stefan: I know, but I don't want to be the one to break her out of it, not until we know that Bonnie is safe, not until we get Damon over here to, you know--

Caroline: Use the sire bond to convince her that everything is okay?

[Stefan nods but then Elena joins them in the kitchen.]

Elena: I'm not in denial. [Stefan turns off the tap.] I know that he was supernatural, but did you see? His tattoo is gone. The tattoo had the spell that opened Silas' chamber. Maybe it being gone means that he's fulfilled his supernatural destiny. Maybe he's back to normal. It's possible, right?

Caroline: Elena--

Elena: It's possible, Caroline. There's a chance. It may be miniscule, but it's hope and I'm gonna hold on to that hope with everything that I've got because there's no way that m-- [she pauses] There's absolutely no way that my brother is dead. [she nods and shakes her head a bit] I'm not in denial.

[She turns and leaves the kitchen. Caroline and Stefan share a look. A little while later, Caroline is on the front porch, talking on her cell phone.]

Caroline: Hey. I know that I'm not supposed to be calling, but something happened, and I need to talk to you, Tyler. So please call me. [she hangs up]

Stefan: [joining her] Do you know where he is?

Caroline: As far away from Klaus as he can get. Klaus said he wouldn't stop until he found him.

Stefan: Well, Katherine's been running from Klaus for 500 years. It's not easy, but it's possible. It's probably why she stole the cure. She wants to bargain for her freedom.

Caroline: I just can't believe after all that, the cure is just gone.

Stefan: Yeah. I mean, talk about denial. In my head, I was thinking there was no way Elena was gonna stay a vampire forever... And now without any family.

Caroline: Well, we can't think about that right now. We need to make plans, lists. We need a funeral or a cover story, or a funeral and a cover story. I should go tell my mom. I guess she'll know what to do.

Stefan: We should get Matt over here.

Caroline: You're right. I will do that. I will call Matt, and then I will go tell my mom, and then I will make a list or a casserole or-- I don't know-- whatever people are supposed to do or make in these situations. [she pauses] What's that smell?

[Stefan looks inside through the open front door. Caroline looks like she already knows the answer.]

Stefan: It's his body. He's starting to decompose. Tell your mom to get Dr. Fell over here.

THE ISLAND

[Damon and Rebekah are walking through the woods.]

Rebekah: Do you think Bonnie is dead?

Damon: Never thought I'd say this, but I hope not.

Rebekah: I don't like being out in the open like this.

Damon: What, afraid of the big, bad Silas?

Rebekah: No.

Damon: [in a sing-song voice] Scaredy cat.

Rebekah: I'm not a scaredy cat. My brother Kol drove himself mad worrying about Silas rising. It would benefit us all to be a bit concerned, and you're one to talk about being afraid. You're so scared, you're 1,200 miles away from where you're supposed to be.

Damon: Hey, somebody needed to find Bonnie.

Rebekah: Stefan could've done that. Aren't you Elena's current love? It's so hard to keep track these days. Shouldn't you be home comforting her, or are you terrified of being there when she realizes her brother is dead?

[Suddenly Damon grabs Rebekah and uses her as a shield - an arrow hits her in the back.]

Rebekah: Ow.

Damon: Sorry. Better you than me.

[Damon tosses Rebekah away and she falls to the ground. He sees Vaughn aiming his crossbow at him; another arrow flies at Damon but he catches it, throws it down and vamp-runs out of sight. Vaughn puts down his bow and grabs his bag, running from the clearing, but Damon catches him up easily and throws him to the ground. Vaughn has a dagger in one hand but Damon twists his wrist and he drops it. Vaughn continues to struggle against Damon to no avail.]

Damon: Mm, just the guy I wanted to see. Not really.

[Damon slams him to the ground, knocking him out.]

THE ISLAND

[Shane pours something into a mug by the fire while Bonnie sobs nearby.]

Shane: Bonnie, here. Drink this. It'll calm you down.

Bonnie: [magicking the mug out of Shane's hands] I don't want any of your stupid teas, Shane.

Shane: Bonnie--

Bonnie: [shoving past him] Jeremy's dead. [The campfire flares up as she starts to lose control.]

Shane: Bonnie, be careful. Don't let your magic get out of control. [The flames continue to rise, Bonnie puts her face in her hands.] Bonnie. Bonnie! Hey, I am not gonna let you fall apart. I'm not gonna let you. [He holds Bonnie's arms, calming her down.] Silas needs you. He can bring Jeremy back. [The flames die down] He can bring everyone back, and you're gonna help him, okay? You're gonna see Jeremy again.

[Bonnie is silent as tears stream down her face.]

GILBERT HOUSE

[Elena is in her room removing her jacket when she sees her journal on her bed. She picks it up and walks over to Jeremy's room. She's looking at Jeremy lying on his bed when Meredith enters the room.]

Meredith: Elena?

Elena: Meredith? What are you doing here?

Meredith: I came to check on your brother. May I?

Elena: [nodding] Yeah. Um... [Meredith walks over to Jeremy's body and lifts his arm.] You're not gonna find any vitals. It's the same thing that Ric used to go through. He'd just be dead until then he wasn't. Once, I remember he was gone for almost an entire day. [starting to ramble] Ric died, like, 4 times before he lost his mind and Jeremy has died a few times, too-- 3, I think-- so we're gonna have to-- [she pauses when she hears Stefan enter the room] --so we'll have to keep an eye on him because I don't want him to go crazy just like Ric did.

[Meredith glances at Stefan, who gives her a small nod.]

Meredith: [approaching her] Elena... it looks like Jeremy died of extreme blood loss. His neck also appears to be broken. The lack of blood explains why there's no lividity, but his muscles have tightened past the point of rigor mortis.

Elena: No.

Meredith: If he's left unattended to, soon he'll start to bloat. Within a few hours, his skin will discolor, and--

Elena: No. He's-- Stop, okay? [she walks over to the bed] Just stop. He's not dead.

Meredith: I need you to release the body to me. We'll get him to a funeral home and prepare him for a viewing where you and his friends can say goodbye to him.

[Elena rushes at Meredith and slams her against the wall.]

Elena: He's not dead, okay?

Stefan: [hurrying over to pull her off of Meredith] Elena, stop it.

Elena: [struggling against Stefan who is restraining her, her voice rising in hysteria] Now you're all about science? Where was your science when you used vampire blood to save my life, huh? There is no science here. It's just magic. We need magic. We have to find Bonnie. Bonnie can fix this. Somebody just get me Bonnie!

Matt: [entering the room] Elena--

[Elena stops struggling. Matt looks over at Jeremy on his bed, and Elena follows his gaze. His face starts to crumple.]

Elena: No. No. No, Matt. It's fine. [walking over to him] It's okay. It's okay. [she hugs him as his eyes tear up] Bonnie will be here soon, and she'll fix everything, and it'll be all fine. Everything's gonna be fine. [whispering and nodding to herself] It'll be fine. It'll be fine.

[Later, Elena is sitting at the kitchen table when Matt brings over two mugs and sits down. Matt sets one down loudly and breaks Elena out of her reverie.]

Elena: You're not dosing me again, are you?

Matt: Poison your best friend once, and suspicion follows you forever. [Elena smiles] Where are Bonnie and Damon?

Elena: We lost Bonnie on the island. Damon stayed back to try and find her.

Matt: That's funny. Doesn't he hate her?

Elena: He doesn't hate her. I think he actually kind of loves her. You're mean to the people that you care about.

Matt: That's some messed-up logic.

Elena: Damon logic.

Matt: [raising his mug in an impromptu toast] Damon logic. [They both take a sip of their drinks.] Listen. I want you to go somewhere with me.

Elena: I can't leave Jeremy.

Matt: Elena... There's nothing you can do right now, okay? Stefan can stay here with him. Come with me. [Elena still looks hesitant so Matt puts his hands over Elena's on the table.] Please. [His thumb strokes her hand while she thinks it over.]

THE ISLAND

[Damon has Vaughn tied up and propped up against a rock face, jabbing the point of a dagger into Vaughn's throat as he talks.]

Damon: Here's the thing. I was completely willing to accept the fact that you were one man on a lonely mission to kill ol' Silas, and then I got boned by my vixen nemesis Miss Katherine Pierce, and then I start thinking there's no way that this is a coincidence. So what do you know, huh? [Rebekah approaches from behind Damon.] Took you long enough.

Rebekah: Sorry. I had to dig the arrow out of my spine. Thank you for that.

Damon: Well, if you want a lead on Katherine Pierce, here's your guy. [He twists the point of the dagger in Vaughn's neck.]

Vaughn: Torture me all you want. [smiling] You can't kill me. The hunter's curse will torment you forever.

Damon: It'll be worth it.

Rebekah: He's right. You can't kill him, but that doesn't mean we can't tear him apart piece by piece, nerve by nerve until the pain is so severe, that your brain shuts it off to give you one tiny moment of blessed relief, and then we'll heal you and do it again and again and again.

Damon: You are creepy.

Rebekah: Thank you.

Vaughn: [after a moment of squirming uncomfortably from the dagger at his neck] I was tracking dens of vampires across Colorado. Katherine found me, said she could help me find Silas. She already knew about the hunter's mark, the cure.

Rebekah: How?

Vaughn: Oh, she had someone on the inside, some werewolf girl, friends with your professor.

Damon: Hayley, Tyler Lockwood's old friend. Ah, I knew she was shady. Where'd Katherine find her?

Vaughn: New Orleans. That's all I know.

Damon: [removing the dagger] Ah. Good. Let's throw him in the well. If he starves to death, it's not our fault. I'm gonna go find Bonnie.

Rebekah: We've got a lead on the cure, Damon. I'm gonna find it, but I suppose you don't mind. You never wanted Elena to be human again, anyway.

Damon: I wanted that cure for her because it's what she wanted. You might think I'm afraid to go back, but I'm not because I know what she needs. She needs me to bring her best friend home.

[Damon walks off. Rebekah smiles at Vaughn, who smiles tightly back.]

THE ISLAND

[Shane and Bonnie are walking through the woods.]

Shane: We got to get you home if you're gonna help Silas raise the dead.

Bonnie: I don't understand what I can do.

Silas: Well, Silas can't do magic. He was a witch, but after he became immortal, that ended. He can be a witch or a vampire, but never both. That's why I've been teaching you Expression, so you can do his work for him.

Bonnie: What? How?

Shane: [stopping and turning to face her] Using the power of 3 massacres. Each massacre of 12 marks the earth with power, and you can use Expression to tap into that power.

Bonnie: Three? [Shane nods] You've had 36 people killed?

Shane: No. I've had 24 people killed-- 12 humans at the Young farm, 12 hybrids. You and I are gonna complete the triangle.

Bonnie: We're what?

Shane: Look, there needs to be another massacre, but it's okay. They're gonna come back. It's worth it.

Bonnie: [angrily] I'm not helping you kill 12 people, Shane.

Shane: [grabbing her arm] Won't you, if it meant you could see Jeremy again, your grams, everybody you or your friends have ever lost? I think you would.

Bonnie: [after a moment she wrenches her arm out of his grip] No.

[She starts running away but trips. As she starts to get up, she sees Jeremy lying on the ground, his face bloodied up.]

Jeremy: Bonnie?

Bonnie: Jeremy?

Jeremy: It hurts.

Bonnie: Jeremy.

Jeremy: Help me.

Bonnie: I can help you. I'll help you. I can help you. [She positions her hands over his chest like she's about to perform CPR. The wind swirls leaves all around them as Bonnie closes her eyes in concentration for several long moments, until Jeremy disappears, and her hands are on the ground.]

Bonnie: No. [She swipes at leaves on the ground, then looks up to see Shane watching her, and stops.]

Shane: [approaching her] He asked you to help him, didn't he? He needs your help. You can do this, Bonnie. You know you can.

Bonnie: [looking up at Shane] I'll do whatever it takes.

GILBERT HOUSE

[Meredith pulls the blanket over Jeremy's face and leaves the room. Stefan is on the staircase landing, adjusting pictures on a shelf on the wall, while Meredith adjusts the thermostat.]

Meredith: I'm bumping the A/C. We're not gonna be able to leave him in there for much longer.

Stefan: Yeah, I know. [walking up the stairs and sitting down on the top step] I've been alive for almost two centuries now. You'd think with the amount of people that I've seen die, it would hurt less each time. Never does.

Meredith: No. No, it never does. [she sits beside Stefan] I see this every day. Sometimes I think that denial is the worst part for people like us, because we know the truth. We can see they're on a collision course with it, and all we can do is brace ourselves for impact.

[Stefan nods, then his phone rings.]

Stefan: [answering it] Did you find her?

Damon: [voiceover] I'm still looking. [on the island] How is she?

Stefan: [voiceover] She's losing it, Damon. [at the house] We can do what we can to delay things here, but we've got to get Jeremy to the morgue before it gets ugly.

Damon: [on the island] Damn it. I can't-- I can't just leave her behind. I can't-- I can't show up without Bonnie.

Stefan: [voiceover] I think you have to. [at the house] At this point, the sire bond is probably the only thing that's gonna keep Elena together. I can go back to find Bonnie.

Damon: [on the island; he nods] I'm on my way. [He hangs up, then turns around as he hears footsteps. Bonnie emerges from behind a tree.] I could actually hug you right now. [They embrace.] Where have you been? How'd you find me?

Bonnie: [pulling away] Shane led the way. He told me what to do, Damon. I know how to bring Jeremy back.

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

[Matt pulls up to the school in his truck with Elena and they get out.]

Elena: You brought me to the stoner pit?

Matt: [taking her hand] I want you to see something.

[He leads her over to the wall of the building, the lower half of which is concrete and covered in graffiti. Moving a desk out of the way, Matt reveals one graffito that says "Vicki".]

Elena: Vicki.

Matt: Remember when Jer was so into my sister?

Elena: [smiling] When our parents died. It was his rebel phase.

Matt: I found this after Vick died. It made me smile... and this.

[He walks over to the other end of the wall, moves a board out of the way and reveals another graffito; this one says "J + V".]

Elena: Jeremy and Vicki. Did he do that?

Matt: [nodding] After they found Vick's body, I remember thinking that things didn't feel over, you know, that there was no possible way that she could be gone forever. And then she wasn't. My point is, this town, this crazy-ass world we live in, sometimes not being willing to accept that someone is gone, is because maybe they're not... at least not completely.

Elena: Is that really what you believe?

Matt: [nodding] Yes.

Elena: If I compelled you to tell me the truth, is that what you would say?

Matt: I would tell you that it's okay to have hope... because sometimes that's all that keeps me going.

Elena: [smiling sadly] Thanks, Matt.

[Their moment is interrupted by Elena's cell phone ringing. The shots alternate between Matt and Elena at the school and Stefan at the Gilbert house.]

Elena: [answering] Stefan?

Stefan: [voiceover] Hey. [at the house] Damon found Bonnie. [Elena looks relieved] The plane is there waiting for them when they get off the island. They'll be home in a few hours.

Elena: Thank god. Is she okay?

Stefan: Yeah, he said she's fine. Listen, Elena. You might have been right. There might be something.

Elena: She knows what to do, doesn't she?

Stefan: Let's just see what she says when she gets home, okay?

Elena: Okay. We'll be home soon.

[They hang up with each other, Elena excitedly while Stefan still seems reluctant to hope.]

THE CAVE - LOWER CHAMBER

[Rebekah tosses a tied-up Vaughn down to the ground, along with his pack.]

Vaughn: You know, if you're smart, you'll use the cure to kill Silas.

Rebekah: Killing Silas is your supernatural destiny, not mine. [she starts walking away]

Vaughn: All right, okay. Well, you be careful up there, you know, 'cause he's up there, running about.

Rebekah: [turning back] You sure about that?

Vaughn: You don't believe me? Check my pack.

[After hesitating a moment, Rebekah reaches into his pack and withdraws the mask Silas had been wearing in his tomb.]

Vaughn: I found it in the chamber where he lay. They say no one has seen him. No one knows his face. How do you hide from the devil when you don't know what he looks like? Who knows? Maybe I'm him. [Rebekah swallows nervously] Mark my words, if you don't use the cure to kill him, doesnae matter if you're human or vampire. You're doomed. We all are.

[After a moment, Rebekah drops the mask and vamp-runs out of the cave.]

Vaughn: [raising his voice] Good luck to ya, lass. You've all brought this upon yourselves! May you rot in it! [he laughs]

GILBERT HOUSE

[Caroline is in her car, talking on her phone. As she's talking she gets out and walks round to stand in front of the Gilbert house.]

Caroline: Tyler, it's me again. So I was thinking about it, and you probably ditched your phone, which is the smartest thing that you could do. So I don't know when you're gonna get this, but things were looking kind of bleak for a minute, and-- I don't know-- maybe they're starting to turn around. So when you get this, call me back, and I'll tell you everything.

[She hangs up as Damon's car pulls up and Bonnie gets out of the passenger side.]

Caroline: [sighing] Thank god. We were so, so worried. [They hug.]

Bonnie: I'm okay.

Damon: Could you get Stefan out here?

Caroline: They said that she knows what to do.

Damon: [sounding serious, not hopeful like everyone else] Caroline, I need to talk to my brother.

Caroline: What's wrong?

[Damon's eyes move slightly to gesture at Bonnie.]

THE ISLAND

[Flaskback to earlier, after Bonnie had hallucinated Jeremy.]

Bonnie: [looking up at Shane] I'll do whatever it takes. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it.

Shane: [kneeling down in front of her] Then you will see him again. There's just a few things we have to do first.

GILBERT HOUSE

[Current time, Bonnie, Elena, Caroline and Matt are sitting at the kitchen table]

Bonnie: It's called an Expression triangle. I need to complete it for Silas.

Matt: [in disbelief] What?

[Outside the house, Damon and Stefan are talking.]

Damon: She's out of her mind, Stefan. The nutty professor's got her totally brainwashed.

[Inside]

Matt: Bonnie, you can't kill 12 people.

Bonnie: I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only way to get enough power.

Caroline: To do what?

THE ISLAND

[Flashback]

Shane: When Silas was buried by the witch Qetsiyah, she left him with the cure and two choices-- stay immortal and rot or take the cure and eventually die in there of old age.

Bonnie: He's been trapped in there for 2,000 years. At some point wouldn't death by old age have been... better?

Shane: No because, you see, Qetsiyah had already one-upped him. She knew that he wanted to die so that he could find peace, be reunited with his one true love. So she created the Other Side as a purgatory for all supernatural beings, ensuring that if he died, he'd end up there forever. That's where you come in.

Bonnie: Why me?

Shane: Because you, as Qetsiyah's descendant, can make the Other Side go away.

Bonnie: How?

GILBERT HOUSE

[Current time]

Damon: I mean, the whole flight back home, all she could talk about was how she's the one that can drop the veil between this side and the Other Side.

Stefan: Drop the veil? What does that even mean?

Damon: What it means is, the myth about Silas being able to raise the dead is not just one, or some. It's every supernatural being over there.

[Inside]

Bonnie: Once the veil is dropped, the Other Side doesn't exist anymore. There's nothing separating us. We're all just one.

[Outside]

Damon: Three massacres, three hot spots, and the witch spell of the century, and every supernatural being over there is back with a vengeance.

THE ISLAND

[Flashback]

Bonnie: I can't do that.

Shane: What? Oh no. Yes, you can. Yes, you can. All the witches, your ancestors who've been persecuted throughout time, your grams, Jeremy, they'll all be back. You can do this. [pauses, smiling] You will do this.

GILBERT HOUSE

[Inside]

Caroline: Bonnie, you are talking like a crazy person. You are not killing 12 people, and you sure as hell can't invite every monster who has ever died back into this world.

Matt: Caroline, I think she knows that.

[Elena stares straight ahead as the others continue to argue]

Bonnie: I can do it. I have the power. We can bring everyone back-- Jeremy, Alaric, Vicki.

[Their voices start to fade as the music builds]

Caroline: Bonnie, stop it. You can't just say these things.

Bonnie: It's gonna be fine...

[The phone rings, breaking Elena out of her reverie and ending the conversation.]

Elena: I'll get it.

Matt: Elena, I'll get it--

Elena: I said I'll get it. [She gets up and answers the phone as Damon and Stefan come back inside.] Hello?

April: [voiceover] Elena? It's April... Young. Um, I was looking for Jeremy, his cell phone keeps going straight to voicemail.

Elena: Jeremy can't come to the phone right now. He's not-- [pauses] I'm sorry. He's dead.

[She hangs up and walks out of the room, while the others look at each other. Upstairs, Elena slowly enters Jeremy's room, where his body lay under a blanket. She approaches the bed, and reaches to lift the blanket from over his face with a trembling hand. Upon seeing his face, she backs away, breathing heavily.]

Damon: [from the doorway] Elena...

Elena: [spinning round to look at him, tears streaming down her face] He's dead. He's dead. Damon, he's dead, and he's been dead this entire time, and I-- [her hand flies to her face over her mouth] Oh, my god. [turning to look at Jeremy] I can smell him. [turning round to Damon] How long has he smelled like that?

Damon: Hey, talk to me. I can help you.

Elena: How? How are you gonna help me? How? [She sniffles and wipes her hand over her face.] Okay. Okay. We-- we have to-- we have to take care of his body. Bring him downstairs.

Damon: We shouldn't--

Elena: Just carry him down, please. [She leaves the room, leaving Damon looking reluctant. She hurries down the stairs.] Where's Bonnie?

Stefan: We told Matt to take her home. We thought it'd be best.

Elena: Okay. I guess we're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Caroline: Do what?

Elena: [to Damon, who has arrived downstairs] Put his body on the couch. [She goes into the kitchen and starts opening and closing cabinets.]

Caroline: Elena? Elena, you need help finding something?

Elena: [taking a bottle of lighter fluid out of a cabinet and squirting it over the counter] Got it.

[Caroline stands in astonishment.]

Stefan: What are you doing?

Elena: [continuing to squirt the fluid everywhere] We need a cover story, right? You think I didn't hear you guys talking earlier? Well, what are we gonna say-- animal attack, 'tumbled down the stairs'? No. We burn the house down with him inside of it. [She's made it to the living room and squirts the couch.]

Stefan: [raising his voice] Elena, stop it.

Elena: Why? Because you want me to not be in denial? You want me to face the truth? This is the truth, Stefan. I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want these sketches. [sprays them with lighter fluid and kicks something] I don't want this Xbox. [throws down the empty bottle and reaches into a cabinet] Not gonna need this bourbon anymore. Alaric's not here to drink it, I mean, unless you guys are willing to bring back every supernatural creature on the Other Side to get him back. [turning to Damon] Would you? I know you want your drinking buddy back. [walking toward him] Would you, Damon? Because I wouldn't. [walks over to Jeremy's body and splashes bourbon over him] I don't know, I mean, does that make me a bad person? I-- I have no idea. [she pulls the Gilbert ring off of Jeremy's finger and tosses it to Damon] He's not gonna need that anymore.

Caroline: [shouting] Elena, stop it. You're scaring me!

Elena: [taking down a picture frame from the fireplace mantle] What else are we supposed to do with the body, Caroline? I mean, there's no-- there's no room in the Gilbert family plot. [throws the frame down on the floor and the glass cracks] Jenna and-- and John took the last spots. [She throws the empty bottle of bourbon against the wall and it shatters, then grabs a match from the mantle and lights it.]

Stefan: No, no, Elena. Stop.

Elena: [shouting] There's nothing here for me anymore, Stefan. Every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that have died-- my mom, my dad, Jeremy, and Jenna and Alaric, John, even John. I mean, they're all dead. Everyone is dead. So what am I supposed to-- I mean, how am I gonna-- I can't even-- There's nothing left for me-- aah!

[The flame had burned down on the match and started to burn Elena's hand. She drops the match but Damon vamp-speeds over to catch it before it can ignite on the lighter fluid everywhere. Elena sobs and starts to crumble.]

Damon: Elena, I need you to calm down.

Elena: No, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't. I-- [She falls to her knees, immeasurable pain and grief distorting her face. She grabs at her head.] No. It hurts. It hurts. Just make it stop. Please make it stop. It hurts. [She continues sobbing loudly.]

Stefan: Damon... Help her.

[Damon crouches down next to her and pulls her to him.]

Elena: I-- I-- [crying]

Damon: I can help you. I want you to let me help you. [Elena shudders as Damon touches her face. She sits up, pulling away as Damon gently caresses her cheeks and smooths her hair back.] I can help you.

Elena: How?

Damon: Turn it off.

Stefan: What? No, no.

[Damon holds up a hand to stop him from intervening.]

Damon: Just turn it off, and everything will go away. That's what you have to do. It's what I want you to do. Just turn it off.

[They watch as Elena's tear-stained face turns utterly expressionless and still. The light leaves her eyes, as though something inside her has died.]

FORBES HOUSE

[Caroline is on the phone again.]

Caroline: Hey, it's me. Look, I hate to leave this on your voicemail, but I think that you need to know. [pauses] Jeremy's dead, Tyler. I'm so sorry. I thought that you would call and I could tell you, but then you didn't, so-- Just call me when you get this, okay? I need you, and there's no way that yesterday was the last time that I'm ever going to see you or talk to you. It can't be. So just... call me, Tyler. Please. [She hangs up the phone, puts it on her nightstand, and curls up on her bed.]

BONNIE'S HOUSE

[Matt pulls up outside Bonnie's house to drop her off.]

Bonnie: It's gonna be okay, Matt, you'll see. I'll bring him back.

Matt: Get some sleep, Bon. We'll talk tomorrow.

[Bonnie gets out and walks up to her front door, setting down her bag to find her keys as Matt drives away.]

Shane: [behind her] Did you tell them?

Bonnie: [shrugging] They don't think I can do it.

Shane: Oh, they're just scared. They're afraid to believe.

Bonnie: You know, I've been thinking. You said if I dropped the veil to the Other Side, that the dead'll return, but that's only for the supernatural. What about the 12 people that died on the Young farm?

Shane: They were a necessary sacrifice, for the greater good. They've passed on. They've found peace. That's all anyone wants. That's all Silas wants. We'll do this together, you and I. We are the beginning.

THE ISLAND

[Rebekah is walking through the woods in the dark, her flashlight aloft. She hears various animal noises in the distance. She finds someone's belongings and proceeds slowly until she is startled to find a body.]

Rebekah: Blast it. [She pulls the body over to see its face.] Shane.

[She shines the flashlight over his leg, his clothes still bloodied. She goes to walk around him when suddenly his arm strikes out and grabs her ankle and she gives a little scream.]

Shane: Silas.

ON A STREET SOMEWHERE

[Matt pulls over in his truck and puts it in park. He breaks down crying, sobbing brokenly and resting his head against the steering wheel.]

GILBERT HOUSE

[It's the shot from the beginning of the episode, when Elena picks up a broken picture frame, looks at it expressionlessly, and a piece of the glass falls to the floor. Out on the porch, Stefan and Damon are talking.]

Stefan: It was a mistake.

Damon: It wasn't, and you know it. This is the only way she's gonna survive. We'll help her, keep an eye on her. When she's ready, I'll use the sire bond to bring her back.

Stefan: Her humanity, Damon, that was all she had left.

Damon: Humanity means nothing when you don't have anyone to care about, Stefan.

Stefan: [nodding] She had you.

Damon: She lost her brother. I'm not enough, not this time.

Stefan: Listen, Damon. I know that you and I, we've been through some... bad spots lately, especially when it comes to her.

Damon: Yeah. Well... guess none of that matters anymore.

Stefan: Well I just, um... I want you to know that, um-- [He meets Damon's eyes.]

Damon: I know, Stefan. [He puts his hand on Stefan's shoulder and nods.]

[Inside, Elena puts down the frame. Still expressionless, she crosses the living room to grab and light another match as Damon and Stefan come back inside.]

Damon: Elena, don't do this. We can find another cover story.

Elena: [shaking her head] This is the best one. No one'll ask questions.

Stefan: Look, if you burn down the house, it'll be gone. What if one day when this is all over, you want to come home again?

[Elena watches the flame, then looks up at Stefan.]

Elena: I won't.

[She tips the match out of her fingers and the floor immediately ignites. The three walk out of the house together, Elena leading. She and Damon turn to their left and continue down the street while Stefan pauses and looks back at the house before following after them. Inside, Jeremy's body is engulfed in flames, along with his sketchings,  Elena's converse sneakers, and her journal.]