Postcards from the Edge/Transcript

ROUTE 9
''[Damon is laying flat on his back on Route 9, just like he used to do in earlier seasons. After a moment, a man in an SUV honks his horn loudly, and Damon manages to sit up just as the vehicle screeches to a halt only inches away from him. The man gets out of his car and rushes over to Damon to check on him]''


 * COOPER: Whoa, you okay, man?

[Damon, looking extremely depressed, holds up his hand]


 * DAMON: Mind giving me a hand?

[Cooper takes his hand and helps him to his feet, looking at Damon with concern]


 * COOPER: What are you doing out here?


 * DAMON: [sighs] I don't know. I thought it would make me feel better.

[Cooper is obviously confused and slightly uneasy about Damon's behavior]


 * COOPER: Okay. Should I call someone, or...?


 * DAMON: What's your name?


 * COOPER: It's Cooper.


 * DAMON: [nods] Cooper... You ever done something so unspeakably horrific you couldn't even look in the mirror? Like, it literally' makes you ill to see your reflection?

[Damon stares Cooper in the eyes and compels him]


 * DAMON: And be honest, now.


 * COOPER: [hesitates] I ran over my girlfriend's cat a couple months ago and didn't tell her. Even though it was an accident, I threw the body in a supermarket dumpster.

[Damon doesn't seem at all impressed by this story and replies in an emotionless voice]


 * DAMON: I killed the love of my life. Burned her alive while she was asleep.

[Cooper's eyes widen in alarm in horror]


 * DAMON: I also beat one of her best friends 'til he was unconscious and left him for dead, if we're keeping score...

[Cooper, very scared now, laughs nervously and starts to head back toward his car]


 * COOPER: I think I'm just gonna go...

[Damon stops him and stares him in the eyes to compel him again]


 * DAMON: Actually, I can use a ride.

[Damon smirks at him]

[The scene cuts to inside the SUV, where Cooper is driving Damon back into town while he continues to talk]


 * DAMON: I thought Elena had changed me. I thought she made me a better man, but... I was wrong. I was so wrong. It was always gonna end up this way. With me destroying her. That's what my whole tour-of-duty in the Phoenix Stone has taught me-- is that I'm permanently damaged goods.

[Damon looks over at Cooper, who has been listening silently while he drives down the road]


 * DAMON: You ever feel that way, Cooper?


 * COOPER: Hmm? Not really.

[Damon seems shocked at this answer, and just rolls his eyes before he responds]


 * DAMON: Well, you're lucky, Coop. I'm gonna kill you now.

[Cooper looks at him in alarm]


 * COOPER: Excuse me?


 * DAMON: [shrugs] Oh, it's nothing personal. I'm hungry, you're food... Think of it as a stop at a drive-thru window. You know? You'll be afraid, I won't care...

[Damon thinks about this for a moment before he continues]


 * DAMON: Honestly, I can't imagine caring about anyone ever again. Not a single, solitary soul...

''[Cooper looks terrified as Damon smirks at him before vamping-out and lunging at him. Cooper screams as Damon bites into his neck. The camera cuts to outside the car, which has just screeched to a stop in the middle of the road]''

TITLE CARD & OPENING CREDITS

BONNIE AND CAROLINE'S DORM ROOM
[It's the next day, and Caroline is laying in bed, writing in her journal to Elena while she narrates in voiceover]


 * CAROLINE: [voiceover] Dear Elena. I realized I haven't written in a while. I'm sorry. Apparently, pregnancy eats at your brain. Anyway, we all miss you, and Stefan's finally bouncing back from that Phoenix Stone hell. But, he's worried about Damon... a lot more than usual.

[Just then, Stefan walks through the door with a paper bag in his hands, and Caroline stops writing and sets down her journal so she can greet him]


 * STEFAN: Hey, sorry, I was trying to track down my brother.

[Caroline smiles happily at him]


 * STEFAN: Curly fries or waffle? I brought both.


 * CAROLINE: [gleefully] All of them. Everything. Gimme, gimme, gimme!

''[Stefan hands her the bag, and she reaches into it, pulling out a smaller bag of waffle fries that she immediately starts eating. She moans in pleasure as she enjoys her snack]''


 * CAROLINE: Mmm, oh, my God! I love you!

[Stefan gives her a knowing smile]


 * STEFAN: Are you talking to me, or are you talking to the fries?

[Caroline gives him a mischievous smile in return]


 * CAROLINE: Do you want me to lie to you?


 * STEFAN: [amused] Hmmm.

[Caroline leans forward to kiss him]


 * CAROLINE: Hi. I love you, too.

[When they pull away, Caroline's face becomes concerned]


 * CAROLINE: Did you find him?


 * STEFAN: [sighs] No.


 * CAROLINE: Okay. Let me just chow down on this cheeseburger, and then I will help you track him down.

[Caroline is about to finish eating her food when she suddenly yelps in surprise and grabs her belly]


 * CAROLINE: Oh!

[Stefan looks at her with concern as Caroline continues to rub her side with her hand]


 * STEFAN: Are they kicking again?


 * CAROLINE: Mmhmm. Yeah, just... Ow!

[Caroline grabs her side harder and tries to laugh it off]


 * CAROLINE: Yeah, that wasn't very nice.

[The babies seem to kick harder, and Caroline yelps again]


 * CAROLINE: Ahh!

[Stefan looks even more worried and moves toward her on the bed]


 * STEFAN: Hey, you okay?

[Caroline starts to look a little woozy and dazed]


 * CAROLINE: Mmhmm. I think I should just, um... I'm gonna stand up.

[Caroline starts to stand to her feet as Stefan watches her]


 * STEFAN: Okay...


 * CAROLINE: For a second.

''[Caroline gets up and takes some deep breaths as she holds her side, but after a moment, her knees buckle, and she faints, falling forward onto the bed. Stefan rushes over to her and tries to gently wake her up]''


 * STEFAN: Hey, hey, Caroline. Hey, Caroline!

[When Caroline doesn't wake up, he starts to panic]


 * STEFAN: Caroline!

GROVE HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT
''[Matt is still locked up in his holding cell, where he's standing at the door and watching as Officer Penny Ares starts to go through the contents of his duffle bag full of anti-vampire weapons. She looks extremely confused and unnerved by what she finds]''


 * PENNY: So, crossbow... stake gun... wooden ammo... grenades filled with, uh...


 * MATT: [mockingly] Vervain.

[Penny looks at him skeptically]


 * PENNY: Vervain. Right. And you confiscated this stuff from a group of zombie apocalypse survivalists?


 * MATT: [curtly] That's what I said.

[Penny still doesn't seem to believe his story, but she doesn't question it further]


 * PENNY: Uh-huh. I heard Mystic Falls has become a nutball magnet for all sorts of supernatural thrill-seekers. People have a lot of spare time on their hands.

[Matt looks as though he's dying to get out of there, and sighs deeply]


 * MATT: Anything else, Officer Ares?

[Penny puts everything back into his bag before she turns back to him]


 * PENNY: No. You're free to go.

[She lets him out of the cell and starts to hand him all of his belongings that were taken the previous night]


 * PENNY: He's your wallet, keys, and phone.

[Penny smirks at him in amusement as he looks through his duffle bag]


 * PENNY: PS, your MatchASingle.com notifications are blowing up. Lucky you. Mine's crickets. You can call me Penny, by the way. And, I didn't officially book you last night, so... You know, you're welcome.

[Matt seems surprised by this kindness, and he smiles at her]


 * MATT: Thanks.


 * PENNY: [cheerfully] Hey, chin up. Turns out, they aren't letting your town burn to the ground after all.

[Matt looks extremely concerned by this news and frowns]


 * MATT: What do you mean?


 * PENNY: My friend Doug got a call from the Mystic Falls city planning office this morning. They said he should come reclaim his house today. Something about the fire-risk zone being reevaluated?

[Matt becomes even more worried by this news and gulps nervously]


 * MATT: Do you know what street Doug lives on?

MYSTIC GRILL
''[Julian and his huge band of vampires are gathered in the Grill, where Julian is aiming a pistol at a man who is standing with his back against the far wall and an apple perched on the top of his head. After a moment, Julian covers his eyes with his hand]''


 * JULIAN: Just to make things interesting!

''[He shoots and hits the apple, leaving the vampire unharmed. He sighs in relief, and Julian crows triumphantly]''


 * JULIAN: Bulls-eye! And for your courage, my bold friend, how would you like to make your new home at 224 Harmony Lane?

[He gestures toward an elderly couple sitting quietly at a table behind him]


 * JULIAN: Mr. and Mrs. Leonard, here, have been called back to town so that they might invite you in.

[Julian looks around the room at his friends]


 * JULIAN: Who's next?

[Just then, a familiar female voice calls out to him from the back of the bar]


 * VALERIE: I'll give it a go.

''[Julian turns and looks both furious and horrified to see Valerie standing before him calmly. She hums under her breath as she takes in the scene and walks toward him]''


 * VALERIE: Hmmm. Isn't this cozy? How nice it must feel to be surrounded by degenerate yes-men. How safe it must seem.

[Julian hesitates for a moment before he speaks, trying his best to maintain his composure in front of his men]


 * JULIAN: Valerie, I'm struggling to comprehend you showing your face within two hundred miles of me.

[Valerie pulls out a postcard with a red X written on it and holds it out so Julian can see it]


 * VALERIE: I really only wanted to give you something that was delivered to me by mistake. It's a shame someone won't be letting you feel safe for long.

[Julian's eyes widen in horror when he realizes what Valerie has received]

ALARIC'S OFFICE
''[Bonnie and Nora are in Alaric's office at Whitmore, where they're kneeling on the floor, each holding one end of the Phoenix Sword. They're surrounded by lit candles, and below the sword is a map of the United States for their locator spell, upon which they've placed the postcard Nora received from the Huntress]''


 * BONNIE & NORA: [chants] Phesmatos invenira venatrixos isto gladulla onyx. Phesmatos invenira venatrixos isto gladulla onyx.

''[They look down and find that the black sand on the map has made a line from Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Bonnie looks at Nora with a skeptical look]''


 * BONNIE: Ohio? Are you sure this isn't a prank or something?


 * NORA: [nervously] It's not a prank. A ruthless killing machine is on her way to hunt us all down.


 * BONNIE: But why announce herself with a cryptic postcard? Isn't the element of surprise a basic principle of good vampire hunting?

[Just then, Mary Louise appears in the doorway, looking worried]


 * MARY LOUISE: Not for Rayna Cruz. Rayna has a taste for taunting her victims. Like a cat nibbling the legs off a spider.

[Nora, who is clearly shocked to see her ex, stands to her feet, and after a moment, Bonnie joins her]


 * NORA: What are you doing here?

[Mary Louise sees the postcard on the floor and looks even more concerned]


 * MARY LOUISE: You got one, too.


 * NORA: [sarcastically] And what about Julian?


 * MARY LOUISE: [sighs] No. But I said we'd take care of the problem. For all our sakes.


 * BONNIE: Your vampire huntress is currently residing somewhere in Cincinnati.

[Mary Louise ignores Bonnie and continues to stare at Nora]


 * MARY LOUISE: Let's get going, Nora. The sooner she's dead, the better.

[Mary Louise turns to leave, but Nora stays where she is, and Bonnie scoffs loudly]


 * BONNIE: Do you think I just did that locator spell for a tune-up? I'm going with you.

[Mary Louise sneers at her patronizingly]


 * MARY LOUISE: We're good, thanks.


 * BONNIE: Uh, I wasn't asking. The last thing I need is a so-called ruthless killing machine going after any of my friends. I need to protect them, and it's not like I can trust either one of you to take her down.


 * MARY LOUISE: [irritably] And what makes you think we trust you?

[Nora glares at Mary Louise]


 * NORA: I trust her. She actually cares about the well-being of others. Unlike you, who only cares about pleasing Julian.

[Bonnie looks pleased by Nora's support and gives Mary Louise, who looks jealous and hurt, a smug look]


 * BONNIE: I call shotgun!

MYSTIC GRILL
''[Julian is at the bar in the Grill, where he has just used a lighter to burn the postcard Valerie gave him. He still looks terrified (though still furious at Valerie's appearance), which makes Valerie smirk in satisfaction]''


 * JULIAN: When did you get this?


 * VALERIE: There it is. That's the look I've been yearning to see.

[Valerie's voice takes on a mocking tone]


 * VALERIE: Why, Julian, dare I say you seem afraid? What a shame. To think, you just made yourself a home here, and now you have to leave.

[This comment is the last straw for Julian, who turns to one of his vampires behind him]


 * JULIAN: Kyle, if you kill this shrew right now, I'll throw in the Lincoln family Buick.

[Valerie looks nervous as Kyle approaches her to kill her, but before he can, Damon appears and decapitates him by throwing a menu at his neck at vampire speed]


 * DAMON: [smirks] Well, I feel happier!

''[The sight of Damon coupled with the death of another one of his minions causes Julian to lose his temper completely. He grabs Damon by the lapels and vamp-speeds him against the bar, where he pins him down with his arm]''


 * JULIAN: What did I say would happen if you ever harmed one of my men again? Hmm?

[Damon just smiles under Julian's grip]


 * DAMON: Hmm, I think...

[Damon feigns as though he's thinking before he snaps his fingers for emphasis]


 * DAMON: It was something about you gutting me and feeding my entrails to Stefan.


 * JULIAN: Mmhmm...


 * DAMON: [smiles wider] Bring it on!

WHITMORE COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER
[Caroline is dozing in bed in one of the hospital rooms while Stefan talks to her doctor out in the hallway]


 * DOCTOR: She's napping now, but she's okay. Her heart's a little weak, but the babies appear to be totally fine.


 * STEFAN: [frowns] Are you sure? She collapsed. That's not normal.


 * DOCTOR: [shrugs] Well, it's not abnormal, either. Her blood vessels have dilated, which can lower blood pressure.

''[Stefan doesn't seem convinced, but he nods in agreement anyway. The doctor hesitates before she continues]''


 * DOCTOR: You know, it's best to keep the father in the loop in situations like this. Would you like for me to contact her boyfriend?

[Stefan looks at her in confusion, not understanding what she means at first]


 * STEFAN: I'm her boyfriend...

[The doctor looks confused as well, now, and Stefan realizes what she's talking about]


 * STEFAN: Um, yeah, no-- he's in, the father's in Dallas for a job interview. I'll... I'll call him.

''[The doctor smiles and walks away, allowing Stefan to go into Caroline's room to check on her. She hears him come in and opens his eyes, smiling and sitting up slightly so she can see him better]''


 * CAROLINE: Hey.


 * STEFAN: Hey. Scared me there for a minute.

[Stefan goes to take her hand, but frowns in concern when he sees that it's gray and mottled]


 * STEFAN: What is this?

[Caroline looks down at her hand, and her expression becomes horrified when she sees what is happening]


 * CAROLINE: Is my hand desiccating?!

[Stefan and Caroline both look at each other in alarm]

MYSTIC GRILL
[Julian, who still has Damon pinned against the bar, prepares to kill Damon by placing his hand right over Damon's heart]


 * JULIAN: You have ten seconds to live. Any last words?

[He gets ready to plunge his hand into Damon's chest and rip out his heart, but Damon just chuckles sarcastically]


 * DAMON: "Last words?" Hmm. Whoa, that's a lot of pressure. I guess if I had to, I would phrase it as a question-- What's the deal with the "X marks the spot" postcard, hmm? Who are you running from, Big J?

[Julian is clearly not pleased, but he maintains his calm demeanor]


 * JULIAN: Well, that's not the concern of a dead man. Perhaps something a little more poetic? Two seconds.

[Damon ignores him and keeps talking]


 * DAMON: It wouldn't happen to be a sword-wielding vixen that sent your ass straight to hell?

[Julian's expression betrays how afraid he has become after the message from the Huntress, which only makes Damon more smug]


 * DAMON: Ooh! Ooh! I've hit a nerve. Hell-hottie afoot. The end times are near!

[Damon pauses dramatically before he continues]


 * DAMON: I mean, I'm assuming she's hot, right? Hmm?

[After a moment, Julian lets go of Damon and starts to laugh sarcastically, though it's clear he's not pleased by the way he's acting]


 * JULIAN: Hmm, I get it. You're still in a little self-destructive spiral from your not-so-fantastic voyage into the Phoenix Stone.


 * DAMON: [sarcastically] You think?


 * JULIAN: Well, Lily was my touchstone. She was the very thing that tethered me to my sanity. And when I lost her? Well... that's when things really went off the rails.


 * DAMON: Mmm?

[Julian stares at Damon intensely, taking note of his reaction]


 * JULIAN: So, who did you lose? Not Lily. Not Stefan.

[Julian gasps in mock surprise as though he's just gotten an idea]


 * JULIAN: Who was that epic love in the box? Huh? Was it Helena? Or Eleanor? Or...?

[Damon sighs, visibly loathing himself after what happened]


 * DAMON: Elena.

[Julian chuckles in amusement]


 * JULIAN: Elena! How is darling Elena?


 * DAMON: [emotionlessly] I burned her alive.

[This seems to genuinely shock Julian, and after a moment, he walks over to Damon and throws his arm around his shoulders as though they're good friends]


 * JULIAN: See, I can't help but feel a little bit responsible for what's happened. Why don't we have some fun, shall we? Hmm?

[Damon looks surprised and a little unnerved by Julian's sudden kindness, but he doesn't pull away from him]


 * JULIAN: You know I love games... And, I think I have just the outlet for the overwhelming pain you must be feeling.

[Julian, with his arm still around Damon's shoulders, leads him away, and Damon reluctantly goes with him]

ROAD TRIP TO CINCINNATI
''[Nora, Bonnie, and Mary Louise are on their way to Ohio to find the Huntress. Nora is driving the car, while Bonnie sits in the passenger seat, and a very jealous and miserable Mary Louise sits in the back. Bonnie is eating a small bag of cheese puffs, which she shares with Nora. Mary Louise scowls at the sight of it]''


 * MARY LOUISE: Since when do you eat disgusting garbage food?


 * NORA: [annoyed] Since I stopped caring about getting that exact reaction.

[Seeing the tension, Bonnie changes the subject and turns back to look at Mary Louise]


 * BONNIE: I have a question-- if Rayna was chasing you through Europe in the 19th century, how exactly is she still alive?


 * NORA: She was spelled to be a vampire huntress by shamans. They created that sword for her and imbued her with extraordinary strength. Why shouldn't they give her a very long life to go with it?

[Nora smiles and giggles as she reaches over and grabs another handful of cheese puffs from the bag while Mary Louise scowls at them from the back seat]


 * NORA: Hey, do you remember that reading from class last week? You know, the one about those fragments of Native American myths? Uh, the Everlastings?


 * BONNIE: [nods] Ah, the Everlastings.

[The girls giggle as though they have an inside joke, and Mary Louise is unable to bite her tongue any longer]


 * MARY LOUISE: [irritably] Am I meant to be impressed you're study buddies at a second-rate college?


 * BONNIE: No. But, feel free to try and be civil. Otherwise, we will be more than happy to drop you off at the side of the road, and you can hitch a ride back to whatever rock you've been living under.

[Bonnie continues to munch on her cheese puffs as she and Nora giggle]

WHITMORE COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER
[Valerie has just arrived to the hospital to meet with Stefan and Caroline, and she's shocked when she sees Caroline's desiccating hand]


 * VALERIE: Well, that's not good...

[Caroline is bordering on hysterical and looks at her incredulously]


 * CAROLINE: Yeah, duh! That's why we called you. Can't you just be witchy and fix it?

[Despite Caroline's harsh reaction, Valerie looks very sympathetic to what she's going through, and gestures toward Caroline's belly]


 * VALERIE: May I?

''[Caroline nods, and Valerie holds her hand just inches away from Caroline's baby bump. Her hand glows red as she starts to siphon whatever is happening to Caroline. Caroline's hand starts to return to its normal color, but after a moment, a zapping sound is heard, and Valerie reflexively jerks her hand away as though she's just been shocked. Stefan frowns in concern]''


 * STEFAN: What did you just do?


 * VALERIE: [alarmed] I didn't do anything.


 * STEFAN: [confused] What's that supposed to mean?

[Valerie looks at Stefan and Caroline in shock at what she's just discovered]


 * VALERIE: I think these babies are siphons... like me.


 * CAROLINE: [stunned] What?!


 * VALERIE: And, I'm afraid they might be feeding off your blood... As in, they're literally siphoning the vampire magic out of your body.

[Valerie, Caroline, and Stefan all look horrified by this revelation]

STILLWATER STATE HOSPITAL
''[Bonnie, Nora, and Mary Louise have just arrived at a Cincinnati psychiatric facility where their locator spell has led them to find the Huntress. Bonnie looks around incredulously as they walk into the entrance hall before making a sarcastic comment]''


 * BONNIE: Nuthouse for the criminally insane. Sounds promising.


 * MARY LOUISE: [scoffs] She is a deranged serial vampire killer. Maybe karma caught up with her?

[They approach the front desk to one of the closed units, and the nurse quickly jumps to her feet and stop them]


 * NURSE: I'm sorry, I'm gonna need to see some IDs.

[Nora looks the nurse in the eye and compels her]


 * NORA: We authorized personnel here to see a patient by the name of Rayna Cruz. Tell us where to find her.

[The nurse blinks, clearly dazed from the compulsion, before she starts typing into her computer to get the information they need]


 * NURSE: Rayna Cruz. Room 658, north wing.

[Bonnie, Nora, and Mary Louise make their way to the north wing, though Bonnie is starting to look uneasy]


 * BONNIE: So, do we actually have a plan here?


 * MARY LOUISE: If we find her, we kill her.

[Mary Louise's tone becomes condescending as she sneers at Bonnie]


 * MARY LOUISE: You'll probably just watch.


 * NORA: [annoyed] Don't be so cavalier, okay? You know what she's capable of.

''[They finally come up to the correct room, only to look through the screen on the door to find a white-haired woman laying flat on her back on the bed. Her wrists, ankles, and shoulders are bound in five-point restraints. Bonnie looks at them both incredulously]''


 * BONNIE: Okay-- this is your vicious, terrifying, big-bad Huntress? Got it.

[Nora and Mary Louise both look stunned when they see Rayna in her bed]

ALLEY BEHIND MYSTIC GRILL
''[Night has fallen, and Julian has just led Damon into the alley behind the Mystic Grill, where a huge fighting ring has been set up. The ring is surrounded by vampires while two men viciously beat each other inside of it. Julian looks pleased by the sight of the violence as he and Damon approach the ring]''


 * JULIAN: I set up some sparring matches for the new residents of Mystic Falls. I thought it'd be fun to dole out the houses and their owners to the winners. And the losers? Well... The losers die, sadly.

[The fight continues on in the ring as one vampire hits the other with powerful punches as Julian smiles at Damon devilishly]


 * JULIAN: It's been my experience over the centuries that the only true remedy for extreme mental anguish? Raw physical brutality.

[The crowd starts to cheer loudly as one of the vampires kills the other, and Julian whoops and cheers enthusiastically before he continues talking to Damon]


 * JULIAN: You really want to feel pain, Damon? Get in there.

[Julian continues whooping and cheering with the crowd while Damon looks around, visibly tempted by this offer]


 * JULIAN: Come on!

MYSTIC FALLS CITY PLANNER'S HOUSE
''[Matt has just arrived at the house of the head of the city planning office to check on him after hearing what Penny said about him returning to Mystic Falls. He knocks on the front door, but after a moment without an answer, he pushes on the door and finds that it's unlocked. With his police sidearm and flashlight in hand, Matt walks into the house to try to find the owner]''


 * MATT: Hello? Anyone home?

''[Matt continues to walk through the entrance hall and into the living room, but has yet to come upon anyone else. The house is dark and otherwise looks abandoned, aside from a handful of white candles burning on an end table and melting into puddles on the table top, and Matt looks extremely nervous]''


 * MATT: Hello? Doug, are you at home?

''[When he gets into the farthest room in the house, he finds that the back door is wide open, which only makes him more concerned. In the living room, the television is on, but muted, and the coffee table is covered in beer bottles and other detritus. Sure enough, when Matt turns to look at the couch, he finds what is apparently Doug, laying dead on the sofa with a bloody wound on his neck. Suddenly, he hears the sound of creaking floorboards and turns to find Penny standing behind him with her own handgun aimed at him, startling and scaring Matt]''


 * MATT: [shocked] What are you doing here!?


 * PENNY: [irritably] What does it look like? I followed you.

[Matt sighs and grimaces for a moment before he responds]


 * MATT: Put the gun down. You need to leave now.


 * PENNY: First, tell me what's going on!

[Matt hears the sound of someone else approaching and turns to investigate, but Penny just thinks he's ignoring her and repeats her question]


 * PENNY: What's going on?

[Suddenly, a male vampire stomps in through the back door, his fangs and vampire eyes exposed, and he growls at Matt and Penny as he approaches them]


 * PENNY: Oh, my God!

''[She aims her gun at the vampire, who is still approaching them, and when she sees the blood all over his mouth and clothes, she shoots at him. However, when her bullets do nothing to slow him down, she begins to panic until Matt aims his own gun at the vampire and hits him clean in the heart with it. Penny looks absolutely terrified and confused when Matt turns around to face her and gives her an exasperated look]''


 * PENNY: [stunned] What...?


 * MATT: Wooden bullets. If you're gonna wear a uniform in Mystic Falls, you need wooden bullets.

[Penny looks at him in shock]

WHITMORE COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER
[Valerie has just arrived to see Caroline again, and has fixed a bracelet around her wrists, which Caroline looks at curiously]


 * CAROLINE: What is it?


 * VALERIE: It's a talisman spelled with magic. I'm hoping the babies will pull from it instead of you.

CAROLINE: [panicked] And if they don't? They still have to bake in there a little bit longer. And I haven't even done the thank you notes from the baby shower yet...

[Valerie, sensing Caroline's concern, smiles at her reassuringly]


 * VALERIE: If it doesn't work, I'll find something stronger. I won't let anything bad happen, I promise.

[Caroline does seem relieved by this, and she gives Valerie a weak smile]


 * CAROLINE: Thank you.


 * VALERIE: My pleasure.


 * CAROLINE: No, really. You know, we're not meant to like each other, you and I, which makes what you're doing all that much nicer. So, thank you.

[Valerie smiles back at her, but when she sees Stefan approaching the room, she gets ready to leave]


 * VALERIE: I'll be back.

[Valerie walks into the hallway and approaches Stefan]


 * STEFAN: Better start getting used to the coffee. Doctor asked her to stay for observation.


 * VALERIE: The desiccation hasn't come back. I think the babies have been siphoning very slowly for a long time. She just didn't realize it. And try not to worry. It doesn't do any good.

[Unfortunately, this comment makes Valerie herself become worried when she remembers what happened with Julian earlier, and she hesitates before she continues]


 * VALERIE: ...By the way, um, have you spoken to your brother today?

[As expected, this concerns Stefan, who frowns]


 * STEFAN: No, he hasn't been returning my calls. Why? Have you?

[Valerie looks uneasy as she explains what she knows]


 * VALERIE: I saw him... earlier at the Mystic Grill. He seemed to be very intent on getting under Julian's skin. He made quite a show of decapitating one of his men.


 * STEFAN: [horrified] What? Why would he do that?


 * VALERIE: Julian warned us to stay away from his friends. Seemed like he had a bit of a death wish to me.

ALLEY BEHIND MYSTIC GRILL
''[Damon is in the ring, where he's brutally fighting against another male vampire. The vampire viciously knees Damon in the face, breaking his nose and causing him to gush blood before punching him several times in the face. The crowd cheers as Damon is beaten by Julian's vampire, and Julian looks pleased as he sips his beer. Just then, the tables turn, and Damon gets the upper hand and punches the vampire repeatedly until he falls face-first onto the floor of the ring. A dark-haired female vampire watches from the sidelines as Damon jumps up and down on the balls of his feet as though he's high on the violence. Finally, when the male vampire gets up and lunges at Damon, Damon holds out his hand, which causes the vampire to run straight into it and allow Damon to rip out his heart, to the cheers of everyone in the audience. Julian doesn't look nearly as pleased as he watches Damon hold up the heart and squeeze it until all the blood runs out, but he puts on a fake smile]''


 * JULIAN: Feeling better yet?


 * DAMON: What else you got?

STILLWATER STATE HOSPITAL
''[Bonnie, Nora, and Mary Louise have entered Rayna's room, though they are still wary enough of her to keep a safe distance despite her being restrained. Rayna is awake, though, and looks at the women in confusion]''


 * RAYNA: I'm sorry, what did you say your names were again?


 * BONNIE: I'm Bonnie, she's Nora, that's Mary Louise. And you're Rayna, right?


 * RAYNA: Sounds right.

[Nora frowns, clearly unnerved by this unexpected reaction]


 * NORA: And we don't look familiar to you?


 * RAYNA: Should you?

[Mary Louise scoffs, not buying Rayna's act]


 * MARY LOUISE: Considering you're a murderous vampire-hunting bitch who chased us across Europe for decades... Yeah, we should look familiar. You sent one of these to all of us. Ring a bell?


 * RAYNA: I'm afraid I don't know what any of that means.

[Rayna turns her head toward Bonnie, who is clearly surprised by this woman's demeanor]


 * RAYNA: You wouldn't happen to have a cookie, would you? They only feed me through a tube these days.

[Nora pulls Mary Louise and Bonnie out into the hall and lowers her voice]


 * NORA: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?


 * MARY LOUISE: We should stop stalling and slit her throat?


 * BONNIE: No, we're thinking this couldn't possibly be the woman we're looking for. She couldn't send a postcard, let alone kill a vampire.


 * MARY LOUISE: We don't know that for sure. Why should we risk it?


 * BONNIE: [scoffs] I'm not letting you kill an old woman whose only cold-blooded ruthless mission is to eat a ginger snap.

[Nora, looking concerned, nods in agreement]


 * NORA: Bonnie's right.

[Mary Louise rolls her eyes at them jealously]


 * MARY LOUISE: Of course she is. Bonnie's right about everything. She's perfect.


 * NORA: We'll keep looking. She's probably here under another name.


 * MARY LOUISE: [irritably] I'll keep looking. You stay here and bat your eyes.

[Mary Louise storms off to look for the real Rayna, and Bonnie gives Nora a look]


 * BONNIE: Go help her look for her.


 * NORA: [confused] Why? She's being surly.


 * BONNIE: [rolls her eyes] Yeah, isn't that the point?


 * NORA: The point of what?


 * BONNIE: You're using me to make her jealous. And it's working.

[Bonnie sighs and hesitates before she continues]


 * BONNIE: I'm tired of being in the middle of it, so just go help her look for her.

[Nora gives Bonnie a surprised look, but eventually does as she's asked]

ALLEY BEHIND MYSTIC GRILL
''[Damon is still in the makeshift ring standing face to face. The crowd starts to cheer the man's name excitedly in preparation for the next fight as Julian introduces him]''


 * CROWD: Sampson! Sampson! Sampson! Sampson! Sampson! Sampson!


 * JULIAN: [smugly] Sam here has never lost a fight. Perhaps the pain he inflicts will finally feel like atonement?

''[Before Damon can react, Sampson backhands Damon across the face so hard that he spins in the air and lands on the floor of the ring. He scrambles to his feet and punches Sampson in the face, but it barely fazes him, and he follows it up with a kick to Damon's chest that throws him to the other side of the ring. Sampson pumps his hands into the air and cheers with the crowd]''


 * SAMPSON: Yeah!

''[Sampson grabs Damon by the ankle to throw him again, but Damon spins out of his grip, lands on his feet, and gets into a defensive position. When Sampson lunges for him, Damon tackles him and throws him onto the ground, though Sampson pulls Damon down with him. Unfortunately, Damon is so disoriented that Sampson gets the advantage, eventually grabbing him in a headlock. The crowd cheers, and Julian smiles smugly when he sees that Damon is likely about to die. However, suddenly, a broken pole cue is thrown into the ring and lands at Damon's feet, though Sampson doesn't notice it. While the crowd loudly eggs Sampson on to kill Damon, Damon manages to grab the stake at his feet and stab it into Sampson's heart, killing him. Julian is furious at the fact that Damon cheated, though he doesn't seem to realize that he was given help by someone in the crowd]''


 * JULIAN: No weapons! Those are the rules!

[The crowd starts to boo loudly as Julian walks over to Damon]


 * JULIAN: All right, Damon. I think we're done here.

[Damon starts to get agitated at this news]


 * DAMON: No. I want to go again.


 * JULIAN: I'm afraid I've grown bored of this game.


 * DAMON: Who's next? Huh? Who's next?

[Julian pauses for a moment before he answers]


 * JULIAN: I am.

[The crowd starts to cheer excitedly in anticipation]


 * JULIAN: You want to fight again? Then you fight me next.

[The crowd goes wild just as Stefan shows up and starts yelling for Damon as he approaches him]


 * STEFAN: Damon! Damon! What the hell's going on?


 * DAMON: You made a wrong turn, brother. This isn't some hell-survivor support group.

[Julian is clearly losing his patience, and he stares at Damon intensely]


 * JULIAN: Are you in or out?

[Damon turns to go join Julian, but Stefan grabs him roughly by the shoulder and spins him around to face him again]


 * STEFAN: Hey. Do not get into that ring. Leave with me right now. Whatever's going on, we will figure it out.


 * JULIAN: [irritably] Are you in or are you out?

[Damon looks back and forth between Julian and Stefan before he sneers at the latter]


 * DAMON: I'm in.

WHITMORE COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER
[Valerie has just returned to Caroline's room with a thermos and a stack of magazines for her]


 * VALERIE: Thought you might like some terrible reading material and some real food. Seeing as you're eating for three and Jell-O won't cut it.

[Despite Valerie's best attempt to seem calm, Caroline can tell that something is up]


 * CAROLINE: Uh, where's Stefan?

[Valerie, looking guilty, hesitates for a moment before she replies]


 * VALERIE: He... had to step out for a bit.


 * CAROLINE: Step out where?

[Valerie grimaces, and Caroline becomes more panicked]


 * CAROLINE: Step out where, Valerie?


 * VALERIE: [sighs] He went to Mystic Falls. Damon's gotten himself into some trouble with Julian.


 * CAROLINE: [horrified] What?

[Valerie becomes flustered by how upset Caroline is and tries to reassure her]


 * VALERIE: No, I-I told him he didn't have to worry, that I would stay here and look after you.


 * CAROLINE: [scoffs] Yeah, of course you did. God, if you hate Julian so much, can't you just go kill him yourself?

[Valerie is hurt by this comment and tries to explain herself]


 * VALERIE: What? No, it's-it's not about that.


 * CAROLINE: You want Stefan to defend your honor by killing Julian, so he can prove that he still cares about you!


 * VALERIE: [stunned] No, of course not. I just...

[Caroline, realizing she's losing control of her temper, reigns it in and turns the subject back to Stefan's current whereabouts]


 * CAROLINE: You have to go make sure Stefan's okay.

[Valerie gives her an exasperated look, but Caroline continues to stare at her intensely]


 * CAROLINE: I'm serious. I don't want you here with me, I want you there with him. I feel fine. So just go.

ALLEY BEHIND MYSTIC GRILL
[Stefan is confronting Damon about his behavior near the ring]


 * STEFAN: What are you doing? This guy's got three hundred years on you!


 * DAMON: Then it should be a good fight.

[Damon tries to go join Julian, but Stefan once again goes to pull him back]


 * STEFAN: Hey. That stone is still messing with your head, Damon. Let me help you get through it.


 * DAMON: There's nothing to get through, Stefan. This is what I deserve.

[Stefan frowns in confusion]


 * STEFAN: Deserve? What are you talking about? What do you deserve, huh?


 * DAMON: You don't back off, brother, I will destroy you like I've destroyed everything good I've ever touched.

[Stefan realizes that he's missing something and tries to get Damon to talk to him]


 * STEFAN: Something happened to you. Tell me. Tell me what happened to you, Damon.

[Just then, Julian appears and calls out to his men]


 * JULIAN: Will someone please escort Stefan off the premises?

[Two of Julian's vampires appear and grab Stefan by the arms to pull him away, but Stefan struggles against them in hopes of talking some sense into Damon]


 * STEFAN: I'm not just gonna walk away and let you fight this guy to the death.


 * DAMON: [drolly] Doesn't look like you have much say in the matter.

[Stefan is pulled backward by the arms by the vampires, and Stefan becomes frustrated]


 * STEFAN: Don't do this, Damon. Don't do this!


 * DAMON: Godspeed, brother.

[Stefan is escorted out, leaving Damon to fight Julian alone]

STILLWATER STATE HOSPITAL
[Bonnie has just returned to Rayna's room, where she's approaching her bed with a cookie in hand]


 * BONNIE: Hard to believe they don't have vending machines in high-security psychiatric prisons, but I managed to snag you an oatmeal cookie... from someone else's meal tray.

[Rayna seems surprised by her kindness]


 * RAYNA: What was your name again?


 * BONNIE: Bonnie.


 * RAYNA: [softly] You seem like a nice girl, Bonnie. What's a nice girl like you doing with two deviant vampires?

[Bonnie's eyes widen in realization]


 * BONNIE: So you are the Huntress.


 * RAYNA: Mmm. I don't think you can really call me that anymore. Now I'm just an old woman in a dingy room, waiting to die.


 * BONNIE: [curiously] How did you end up here?


 * RAYNA: I was careless. The drive to kill... the drive instilled upon me by the shamans... it got a little scrambled in my old age. I staked a checkout girl at the supermarket. My mistake.

[Bonnie looks unnerved and horrified by this story, but Rayna's tone of voice remains kind as she gestures toward the cookie in Bonnie's hands as well as she can with her wrists restrained]


 * RAYNA: Could you... help me with the cookie, please?

''[Bonnie still looks uneasy, but she does as she's asked. However, when Bonnie reluctantly unwraps the cookie and goes to feed her a bite, Rayna grabs Bonnie by the ID badge hanging on a lanyard around her neck and starts to choke her with it. Bonnie struggles against her and tries to cast a spell to break free]''


 * BONNIE: [chants] Mo... motus...

[Rayna smirks at Bonnie's attempts to fight her]


 * RAYNA: I'm afraid your magic won't work on me. Now untie my hands before I crush your windpipe to dust.

[Bonnie gasps and struggles against her grip when suddenly, Enzo appears in the doorway, and Rayna gives him a dirty look]


 * RAYNA: Who the hell are you?

''[Enzo unfolds a pocket knife and throws it at Rayna with vampire speed. It hits her right in the neck, causing a fount of blood to splash out as Rayna lets go of Bonnie and dies. Bonnie, still recovering from nearly being strangled, looks at Enzo in shock as he rushes over to check on her. He gently lifts up her chin so he can examine her neck]''


 * ENZO: Hey. You all right?


 * BONNIE: [gasps for breath] I'm fine.

[More interested in answers than a check-up, Bonnie swats his hand away and gives him a hard look]


 * BONNIE: What are you doing here?


 * ENZO: [sighs] It's a long story, love. Let's just say, for today, that I'm your guardian angel.

ALLEY BEHIND MYSTIC GRILL
''[Damon and Julian are in the ring together as Damon lifts his fists up in a defensive position and bounces on the balls of his heels to psych himself up for the fight. Julian beckons him to try his best with his fingers, and Damon lunges for him, only to be punched in the face and kneed in the gut by Julian. Damon pulls himself back to his feet and shakes off the injury as Julian circles around him menacingly]''


 * DAMON: Whoo!


 * JULIAN: I never had a brother. No siblings at all, actually. Seems I dodged a bullet there.

''[Damon punches Julian, but he dodges it and punches Damon in the gut again before Damon headbutts him hard in the face. Julian staggers away to recover from the blow, and Damon, too, seems to be swaying on his feet as he gasps for breath]''


 * DAMON: That makes sense. You were a lonely little tadpole.

[Damon gestures around at the crowd of vampires surrounding them]


 * DAMON: That's why you need to surround yourself with lowlife, degenerate bloodsuckers like these.

''[The crowd boos until Julian raises his arms to address them, which causes them to cheer. Julian then attacks Damon so hard with punches and kicks that he falls flat on his back on the floor of the ring. Julian continues to circle around him]''


 * JULIAN: At least I have friends. You've driven away every last soul who ever cared for you.


 * DAMON: [laughs] Well, I guess I'll just have to cuddle up next to the fire with all my rage.

''[Julian lifts up his foot and means to stomp on Damon's face, but Damon rolls to the side to avoid it, grabbing Julian by the ankle and attempting to pull him down. Unfortunately, Julian easily breaks out and begins viciously punching Damon in the face over and over again for a few long moments before he finally stops. Damon, dazed from all of the blows to his head, struggles to lift his head high enough to look around the crowd to see if Stefan is there. Julian notices what he's doing and laughs]''


 * JULIAN: You're not really looking for your brother, are you? I mean, even if Stefan did come back, what do you think he would do when he found out what you did to Elena?

[Damon looks devastated by this reminder and groans at him]


 * DAMON: Go ahead. Rip my heart out.


 * JULIAN: You know it's not that I wouldn't love to do it, but... are you sure?

[Damon can't even bear to look Julian in the eyes]


 * DAMON: Do it.

''[Julian pins Damon down by the neck before putting his hand over his chest, preparing to rip his heart out. The crowd begins to cheer enthusiastically as Julian starts to plunge his hand into Damon's chest, but before he can fully break the skin, he's suddenly overwhelmed by a pain infliction spell that causes him to yell in pain and grab his head in his hands. Just then, Stefan appears on the ring, having been cloaked by Valerie to allow him to get there, and he punches Julian in the face, knocking him backwards onto his back. Julian is still incapacitated by the pain infliction spell, allowing Stefan to look at Damon with an incredulous and horrified look. The others in the crowd look worried, but don't intervene out of fear for what will happen to them, just as Valerie appears in front of him]''


 * STEFAN: Listen to me. If you let Julian rip your heart out, I will kill him and then every single person here will instantly rip my head off. But you don't care, do you? Your life doesn't matter and neither does mine, does it?

[Stefan holds out his hand to help Damon up]


 * STEFAN: Come on, brother. Come on.

''[Damon reluctantly takes Stefan's hands, and he and Stefan walk away, with Julian still unable to fight back due to the pain infliction spell. Once the three of them are nearly gone, Julian finally recovers enough to stand to his feet, and he furiously shouts at the crowd]''


 * JULIAN: If they come back, kill them!

STILLWATER STATE HOSPITAL
[Enzo is checking to make sure the coast is clear in the hall before he closes the door and returns to where Bonnie is standing at Rayna's bedside, her dead body laying on the bed in front of the blood-splattered wall]


 * BONNIE: Where have you been? You just fell off the face of the earth.


 * ENZO: [smiles] You missed me! That warms my heart.

[Bonnie tries her best to act cool and aloof, though it's clear that Enzo isn't exactly wrong about her missing him]


 * BONNIE: I didn't miss you, I'm curious as to your recent whereabouts. There's a difference.

[Enzo starts unbinding Rayna's restraints, now that she's no longer a threat to them, and Bonnie starts to help him]


 * ENZO: What, Matt didn't tell you? Thought he'd be crowing all over town he'd called in some shadowy organization to hunt me down and cage me up.


 * BONNIE: Matt did that?


 * ENZO: It didn't turn out the way he'd expected, guarantee you that. Now, look, we've got to get this body out of here before someone notices, so a bit of cloaking would probably be helpful.

[Bonnie looks startled by this request]

''[Just then, the scene cuts to the hallway, where Bonnie is leading Nora and Mary Louise to Rayna's room. Nora seems worried about Bonnie's condition]''


 * NORA: Are you all right?


 * BONNIE: I'm fine, considering I was almost strangled to death by an 80-year-old psychopath.

[She gives Nora and Mary Louise a hard look]


 * BONNIE: Did you know the Huntress was immune to magic?

[Both Heretics look horrified by this revelation]


 * NORA: I had no idea, I swear.

''[Bonnie, Nora, and Mary Louise arrive back to Rayna's room, where both Rayna's body and Enzo have completely vanished. Bonnie looks furious]''


 * BONNIE: That lying little weasel.

MYSTIC FALLS STREETS
[Damon is walking away from Stefan as he chases after him, looking both frustrated and worried about him]


 * STEFAN: Hey. Where are you going?


 * DAMON: Nowhere in particular, I don't have a destination.


 * STEFAN: So you don't have anything to say about what happened back there? Huh?

[Stefan smacks Damon hard on the arm, and Damon spins to face him]


 * STEFAN: Huh?


 * DAMON: [sighs] You're right, Stefan. Giving Julian the satisfaction of ripping my heart out would have been a mistake. Thanks for the intervention.

[Damon turns back around and starts to walk away from Stefan again, and Stefan once again chases after him]


 * STEFAN: [frustrated] That's it?


 * DAMON: That's it.


 * STEFAN: [exasperatedly] You're just gonna walk away? You're gonna flip your switch?

[Damon turns to face him again and scoffs loudly, his voice filled with self-loathing]


 * DAMON: "Flip my switch?" I'm not gonna flip my switch, Stefan. I want to feel pain. I want to feel every miserable moment of this miserable life.

[Stefan looks horrified and extremely concerned by Damon's self-destructive attitude and pleads with him]


 * STEFAN: What is this about? What did you do?


 * DAMON: I killed her. I killed Elena.

[Stefan's eyes widen in shock, and he gapes at Damon]


 * STEFAN: What do you... what do you mean, you killed Elena?


 * DAMON: It was all Henry's idea. He told me I needed to free my true self, so I kidnapped Tyler and made him take me to her coffin. And then I burned her to ashes.

[Stefan is so overwhelmed with this confession that his eyes fill with tears, and Damon's voice only becomes more self-loathing]


 * DAMON: So go ahead. Stand by me. Tell me you'll never walk away. Go ahead, Stefan, come on. Do it. Do it!

''[Finally, Stefan punches Damon hard in the face before walking away without another word. Damon looks absolutely devastated as his nose starts to bleed even harder]''

STREETS OF MYSTIC FALLS
''[Stefan has just made it back to his car, where he gets into the driver's seat and breaks down in tears. When he realizes the implications of what Damon has done, he starts punching the steering wheel as hard as he can, over and over again]''


 * STEFAN: Argh! ARGH! ARGHHH!

[After a moment, Valerie catches up with him and gets into the car with him, hesitating briefly before she speaks]


 * VALERIE: We should probably get back to the hospital.

[When Stefan remains silent, Valerie tries to make a joke to lighten the mood]


 * VALERIE: Should I drive? I hate to think we survived all that just to have you kill us both on the road.


 * STEFAN: I'm fine.


 * VALERIE: [sighs] You don't seem fine.


 * STEFAN: This is all Julian's fault. He took Lily away from me when I was too young to lose a mother. He hurt you. He killed our child. He destroyed Damon. He has my home. He has my town. And what do I do? I let him live.


 * VALERIE: He's strong, and well-protected. There's revenge, and then there's stupidity. Damon might not understand the difference, but you're smarter.


 * STEFAN: I don't want to be the smart one anymore.

[Stefan turns to look Valerie in the eyes]


 * STEFAN: I want him dead.

MYSTIC FALLS CITY PLANNER'S HOUSE
[Penny is sitting next to Matt on the hood of his cruiser, and he hands her a bottle of bourbon]


 * PENNY: If you're about to say "Penny for your thoughts," I'm gonna punch you in the face.


 * MATT: [chuckles] I wasn't. Pretty sure I already know what you're thinking.


 * PENNY: I'm... processing. Just give me a minute.

[Penny takes a deep breath before running down what she's learned]


 * PENNY: So... vampires are a thing. And Mystic Falls has always had vampires, but now it's completely overrun. Anything else I should know about?

[Matt nods and smiles at her]


 * MATT: I think that's enough for one night.


 * PENNY: So, that's what the weapons in your truck were for? Fighting vampires? Are you crazy? What are you still doing in this place?


 * MATT: [sighs] I don't talk to my parents. My sister's dead. This town is the only constant I have. Besides, once you know the supernatural is real, there's really nowhere to hide. Might as well take a stand, right?

[Penny seems surprised by this answer and smiles at him for a long moment before she replies]


 * PENNY: You are 100% not who I thought you were. I mean, I thought you were cute. Maybe a little damaged, in a sweet way. But I didn't know you were insanely brave-- emphasis on the "insane."

[Matt laughs, and the two continue to sit and drink bourbon together]

SCULL BAR
''[Nora is sitting at the bar, nursing a drink, when Mary Louise arrives and approaches her. Nora's expression remains neutral, and Mary Louise looks nervous, not knowing how Nora feels about her appearance]''


 * NORA: I thought you'd be back in Mystic Falls by now.


 * MARY LOUISE: I just, uh... wanted to say thank you. For today.

[Mary Louise pauses for a moment, and her tone becomes softer and hopeful]


 * MARY LOUISE: We still make a good team, don't you think?


 * NORA: Well, Rayna's dead. Julian's safe. You'll surely sleep easy tonight.

[Mary Louise sighs and hesitates before asking the question she's been dying to know the answer to all day]


 * MARY LOUISE: Do you like her?


 * NORA: Bonnie?

[Mary Louise shifts uncomfortably and nods]


 * NORA: And what if I did? She's beautiful, smart, and loyal... And you appear to be only two of those things.

[Mary Louise sighs and steps closer to Nora as she gives her an apologetic and pleading look]


 * MARY LOUISE: I'm sorry I chose Julian. If I could take it back, I would choose you. Every time. I love you, Nora. I hope you'll forgive me someday.

[Mary Louise waits for a moment before she turns to walk away, and Nora sighs before calling out to her with a shy smile]


 * NORA: We do... still make a good team.

[Mary Louise looks relieved to hear this, and when Nora holds up her beer bottle, Mary Lou walks over to sit down next to her at the bar]

WHITMORE COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER
''[Caroline is still in her hospital bed, where she has just sent Stefan a text that reads, "Call me when you can." She sighs and sets her phone on the table, just as the babies begin to kick and cause her to jump in surprise. She rubs her hands over her swollen belly and giggles as she starts to talk softly to the twins]''


 * CAROLINE: Okay, so you're both awake. I get it. I'm bored, too. And I know that my magic blood tastes really good, but you're both gonna have to show just a little bit of self-control for a little bit longer, okay? Why don't we watch some TV? Hmm?

[Caroline reaches for the remote control and gasps in shock and pain as the babies kick harder, forcing her to stop and grab her aching stomach]


 * CAROLINE: Ow! Nngh!

''[Caroline groans as she throws the blanket off of her, revealing that her leg is starting to desiccate from her foot all the way up to her knee. She starts to panic and struggles to grab her phone]''


 * CAROLINE: Ah! Stefan!

[Caroline rolls over and tries to grab her phone, but her hand starts to desiccate as well, and her eyes widen in horror before she gets another cramp, closing her eyes and groaning loudly as she's overwhelmed with pain]


 * CAROLINE: AH! NNGH!

MYSTIC GRILL
''[At the Grill, Julian and his men have gone inside, where they're drinking and having a good time together. Just then, Stefan strolls into the restaurant and heads straight for Julian, who, despite his earlier instructions to his men to kill him and Valerie if they saw him again, welcomes him with fake-kindness]''


 * JULIAN: Stefan, what a surprise. Can I buy you a drink?

[Stefan mimics Julian's fake-nice demeanor]


 * STEFAN: No, thank you.


 * JULIAN: I really admire what you did for your brother today. You know, it's a shame nothing will come of it. I'm afraid your brother's too far gone to be rehabilitated.


 * STEFAN: [shrugs] Hmm, you're probably right. Of course, uh...

[Stefan vamp-speeds toward him and stabs Julian through the hand with a knife, pinning his hand to the table in the process]


 * STEFAN: That's all your fault for running that sword through him and sending him to hell.

[Julian groans in pain for a moment before he chuckles sarcastically at this turn of events]


 * JULIAN: Do you really think it's wise...

[Julian pulls the knife out of his hand and throws it aside]


 * JULIAN: To brazenly attack me in front of all my friends?

''[Stefan punches Julian in the face, infuriating him so much that he prepares to lunge at him. However, before he can, Valerie suddenly appears in front of him and grabs Julian in a telekinetic choke-hold. Julian struggles against her grip and gasps for breath as the Stefan and Valerie glare at him]''


 * STEFAN: Here's the thing... they can't see you.

''[Julian looks around the room at his vampire minions, all of whom are congregated in small groups who are talking and laughing amongst themselves, completely oblivious to Stefan and Valerie's presence and revealing that Valerie has cloaked the three of them. Stefan looks back at Valerie for a moment, and when she nods in encouragement, he pulls a stake out of his inner jacket pocket before he turns back to Julian]''


 * STEFAN: Maybe this is cheating... but I don't really care.

''[Taking advantage of the fact that Julian is incapacitated, Stefan rushes over to him, but Julian manages to fight through Valerie's spell enough to grab Stefan by the arm and try to keep him from plunging the stake into his heart. However, he's ultimately not strong enough to save his life, and Stefan slowly stabs the point of the stake into Julian's heart, watching in satisfaction as Julian's body desiccates and dies. Valerie has tears in her eyes, but she looks relieved to know he's finally gone]''

LOCKWOOD MANSION
''[Damon is sitting in front of the lit fireplace in Mayor Lockwood's old study when Krystal, the woman who threw the stake at Damon to save him from Sampson earlier, walks in and stands in the doorway. Damon doesn't look away from the fire when he greets her]''


 * DAMON: Hello. Again.


 * KRYSTAL: You never said thank you.

[Damon finally looks over at her and makes a skeptical face, so Krystal reminds him of what she did]


 * KRYSTAL: Big Sam was about to snap your head off. I tossed you that stick.


 * DAMON: [frowms] Right. Sorry, I'm having trouble keeping track of all the people trying to save me today.

[Krystal struts toward him seductively and sets a bottle of liquor onto the table next to him as he finishes off the drink in his hand]


 * KRYSTAL: Promise I won't do it again. You like tequila?

[Damon stands to his feet and walks over to her, slamming his glass down on the table next to the bottle]


 * DAMON: More of a bourbon man, but... what do I got to lose?

''[Krystal reaches forward and grabs him roughly by the front of the shirt, yanking him toward her so she can kiss him passionately. Damon seems surprised at first and pushes her off of him with a scowl, but after a moment of staring at her, he gently brushes a lock of hair behind her ear before grabbing her violently by the back of the hair and pulling her toward him so he can make out with her more]''

STILLWATER STATE HOSPITAL
[Downstairs in the morgue, Rayna's body is laying on the metal autopsy table, covered in a white sheet, while Enzo stands outside the closed glass doors and watches her]


 * ENZO: You see? I knew if I sent those postcards, one of the Heretics would lead me right to you.

''[Enzo looks over at the clock on the wall, which reads 12:45AM, before turning back to the table, where Rayna's body has just burst into flames. He watches her burn with a surprised and curious look on his face as the room fills up with smoke, clouding the sight of her scorched corpse. After a moment, a young, naked young woman with brown hair rushes over to the door and pounds on it with her open palm, looking scared and horrified. It's Rayna, in her younger body, presumably the way she looked when she was enchanted by the shamans to be the Huntress]''

FLASH-FORWARD-- KQBC CHANNEL 3 NEWS, DALLAS, TEXAS, 2016
''[In the flash-forward, Stefan has just arrived at the news station where Caroline works and gets out of Valerie's car. He spins on his heel when he hears footsteps behind him and finds Matt following him. He frowns at Matt in confusion]''


 * STEFAN: What are you doing here?


 * MATT: Caroline's safe. I got her out. She's with Ric now. Damon's still inside. I managed to disable the security cameras so no one can see out here, but I'm worried the ones on the roof are on a different circuit.

''[Matt looks up at the nearby roof, and when Stefan turns to look at it as well, Matt stabs him in the neck with a syringe of vervain, causing Stefan to gasp for breath as he collapses on the ground and falls unconscious. Matt walks over to where a security camera is affixed to the top of the entrance to the building and talks into it, sounding anxious and unhappy]''


 * MATT: All right, I did it. He's out. Now I never see you again, right?

''[Inside the building's security center, a woman hits the intercom button on the table to reply to him. When the camera angle turns, it is revealed that the woman is Rayna, in the same younger body that just appeared from the ashes of her elderly former incarnation]''


 * RAYNA: Yes, thank you. Have a nice life.

[Rayna looks over across the room at Damon, who is still chained to a chair and falling in and out of consciousness due to the werewolf venom he was exposed to by her bullets]

END CREDITS