NARRATOR: Previously on The Vampire Diaries:
KATHERINE: Does Elena enjoy having both of you worship her?
I love you. Look me in the eye. Tell me you don't feel something for him.
KLAUS: Drink it. TYLER: I turned about a hundred times...
-...in the Appalachian mountains. -Broke his bond.
Easier said than done.
Klaus drew this? Does Klaus have a thing for you?
-I would know if I were killing people. -You wear a ring that lets you cheat death.
How many times can you die before it changes you?
You telling me your alter ego has a stake...
...that can kill an entire line of vampires, possibly mine?
ALARIC: There's only one stake, which means only one Original has to die.
-I want them all to die. -You're not Rebekah.
My name is Esther. And we have a great deal in common.
-What took you so long? -Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake.
Luckily, I'm quite the charmer.
That's it?
The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us.
Do you want to do the honors, or shall I?
Well, that's that, then.
Pack your bags. We're leaving.
-Today? -Why not?
There's nothing keeping us here.
-We'll grab the doppelgänger and be off. -Tonight's the dance.
-So? -I'm head of the committee. We have to go.
I'm not going to any dance.
Caroline will be there.
That means nothing to me.
Please? I have big plans for tonight.
Just go for me.
Okay, fine.
One last hurrah.
One last hurrah, Nik.
I've been calling you all day.
Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed to get my head together.
-I take it Rebekah got the stake? ALARIC: Don't know.
I woke up alone. Uh, there's no sign of it.
Lovely. What now?
Well, I think I need to get out of town. You know, somewhere secluded.
I keep blacking out. I'm still a threat.
I don't know if now's the best time for you to be going on a spirit quest.
Ah, just for a couple days. I'm stocked up on Bonnie's herb. I should be fine.
Uh, I gotta go.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
Quite the cunning liar.
Well, Damon's too arrogant to think his only friend would betray him.
Just as Niklaus would blindly accept an invitation from his beloved sister...
...unaware that he is headed to his own death.
Did you give him the stake?
-He burned it without hesitation. -So where's the real one?
You'll get it when it can no longer be used against me in this body.
-So how do you--? -How do I return to my true form?
With a little magic and some help from a vampire hunter.
(GASPING)
(SIGHS)
(GASPS)
So Alaric is trying to pull himself together. Why is that a bad thing?
I just-- I wish there was something I could do.
-Where do you want me to hang this thing? -Argh. You know what?
If Rebekah wanted to hang this monstrosity, she should've shown up to do it herself.
ELENA: Heh. -Just no.
What are you doing?
You can't just hang them. They're supposed to trickle down.
"Trickle down."
Look at them, all bromancey.
Yeah, I asked Matt to help Jeremy readjust.
He got him his old job back at the Grill.
That was nice of him.
Mm-hm. Jeremy's got a lot on his mind.
The whole thing with Alaric has got him stressed out.
You sure it had nothing to do with witnessing you and Damon...
...getting hot and heavy in a skeevy motel?
-I didn't tell you so you could torture me. -Ah, what are friends for?
(CHUCKLES)
So who are you bringing to the dance?
What do you mean? I thought you, Bonnie and I were going as girl dates.
Heh, Bonnie has a date.
-What? -Jamie called and wanted to see her...
-...so she asked him. -Hmm.
So here's a thought. Why don't you ask Stefan?
I can't ask him on a date.
I just made out with his brother.
All the more reason. You're supposed to be figuring out what you want.
That's what Stefan wanted you to do, right?
-Yeah, but-- -But nothing.
I've watched The Bachelor. Okay, fair is fair.
-It is Stefan's turn. -Heh, yeah. And you're not biased or anything.
I'm sorry, but Stefan is your epic love.
And I'm not going down without a fight.
(SIGHS)
(PHONE RINGING)
-Hey. ELENA (OVER PHONE): Hey.
-Uh, do you have a second? -Yeah, everything all right?
Yeah, yeah, I just, um, I wanted to, uh....
Caroline and I were talking about going to the dance and, um....
Okay, look.
I know where we're at, you and I, and I know it would be stupid...
...to even think that we could go back to the way things were...
...but I'm going to the dance and I'd like to go with you.
STEFAN (OVER PHONE): Um...
...I'd love that.
Okay, great.
Bye.
(CHUCKLES)
I'm thinking gardenia corsage. Wrist, obviously.
You don't wanna stab her in the chest with the pin. That could get messy.
Damon, I....
DAMON: Meredith.
(GASPS)
-Don't do that. It's not funny. -Oh, come on. It's a little funny.
-What do you want, Damon? -I need medical advice for a friend.
Alaric, you remember him, right? About 6'2", tried to hack you into pieces.
How is he?
Are those herbs that Bonnie made for him working?
I don't know. Can they work if he doesn't take them?
(SIGHS)
I found these in his loft, untouched.
ALARIC: Why are we here?
Long ago, on this spot, my son tore my heart from my chest.
The violence of my death marked this ground for all time.
(DOOR OPENS)
I'll need your ring.
Now, why would I give you the one thing that protects me from death?
I will give you all the protection you need.
However, the stake will burn up in the body of its first victim.
If you are to kill all of my children...
...I will need to bind the protective magic in your ring to the stake...
...thus rendering the white oak indestructible.
(CHANTING)
The ultimate weapon...
...for the ultimate hunter.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
Wow.
You look very dapper.
You look, uh...
...very beautiful.
Here, I, uh, got something for you.
(CHUCKLES)
Thank you.
So given our dangerous dance karma...
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
...you sure you're up for this?
Getting out of bed is dangerous these days, heh...
...but we have to live our lives.
Hmm.
Who gave you that horrible advice?
Heh. Some guy I used to date said it once or twice.
Right.
-Shall we? -Please.
(CARO EMERALD'S "THAT MAN" PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS)
I'm in a little bit of trouble
And I'm in real deep
From the beginning to the end He was no more than a friend to me
Have I told you how amazingly awesome you are?
Yeah, I'm one of the good ones. I know.
Why the compliments? What else do you want?
I know that you and Elena have been getting closer lately.
And your point is...?
One way or the other, she's pretty much spoken for.
Elena's my friend, Caroline. I'm just looking out for her.
And I'm just looking out for you.
Because sometimes the people who love her get caught in the crossfire.
Ooh, I wanna love that man
What's up?
What's he doing here?
My only sin is I can't win
Are you crazy?
-If Klaus sees you-- -What's he gonna do?
Draw you another picture?
-Tyler, this isn't a joke. -I can pretend I'm sired if I have to.
I'm not gonna hide while he's macking all over you.
Tyler, you do not need to be jealous of Klaus.
I am jealous.
But I'm also competitive. So hang on. I'm about to sweep you off your feet.
(SHRIEKS)
Someone call a doctor Need some help to rescue me
Teach me some moves.
Oh, no, no, no. I, uh, blacked out for most of this decade, remember?
Heh. Nice try.
My only sin is I can't win
Ooh, I wanna love that man
(SINÉAD O'CONNOR'S "YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME" PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS)
You do something to me
Bonnie seems happy.
Something that simply mystifies me
-She's working on it. -I've been meaning to talk to her.
-Apologize. -Yeah, you should.
Although, I wouldn't expect her to forgive you. Or Damon.
Listen, Stefan, uh, about Damon, we should probably talk about the trip to Denver.
I don't need to know, Elena.
When all this is over, if you and I find our way back to each other...
...you can tell me if you want to.
Otherwise, I don't need to know.
I don't want to know.
How can you be so fair about this?
Because after everything I've put you through...
...I'm just honored to be your date tonight.
For you do something to me
That nobody else can do
We three need to talk.
Sorry. Uh, hey. Bonnie.
JEREMY: Uh.... -Why are you still wearing your ring?
-Didn't Elena tell you? -Yeah. Yeah, I know all about Alaric.
When my sister stops hanging out with vampires, I'll take it off.
-A, uh, ex-boyfriend? -Yep.
That's not awkward at all.
If Alaric's sick, we need to find a cure. Something.
-We tried medicine, magic. -Why don't we get him off vervain?
-Compel him. -To do what? Pretend to be Alaric?
The guy we know is gone. We're talking about someone who hates vampires...
...vampire sympathizers. Which makes one of his obvious targets, I don't know, you.
-What, you think he'd go after Elena? -Uh, so, what are you suggesting we do?
I suggest we put him out of his misery.
-What? JEREMY: No way in hell.
Oh, come on. It's what he would want. It's a mercy killing.
-You are out of your mind. -Jeremy.
Jer, stop.
This is Alaric we're talking about. Now, he looked out for us.
-We need to do the same for him. -No one's gonna hurt him.
Hey. Hey. Look at me.
I promise.
ESTHER: Elena.
If you wish to help your friend Alaric, I suggest you come with me.
Jeremy, go inside and get Stefan and Damon. Now.
I mean you no harm.
But willingly or not, you will come.
(STEFAN & DAMON GRUNT)
STEFAN: Salt.
It's a binding agent for a spell.
We're trapped here.
-You had all kinds of moves out there. JAMIE: Yeah?
I mean, I was just, you know, trying to make a good impression.
-Well, consider me impressed. -Your friends seem pretty cool.
Yeah. They're the most important thing in the world to me.
Though, you gotta admit, this circle of people, it's kind of crazy.
I mean, there's vampires, werewolves, ex-boyfriends with magic rings.
I mean, I'm just a normal guy.
A normal guy wouldn't have said yes to a date with me.
Yeah, that's true.
Sorry to spoil your seven minutes in heaven.
We have a problem.
You'll forgive me for taking you from the dance this evening.
That's the burden of being the doppelgänger, I'm afraid.
Your blood is a potent binding agent for a witch's spell.
-Just please don't hurt Alaric. ALARIC: She's not hurting me.
Ric.
What's going on?
-What are you doing with him? -I'm going to remake him.
-Remake him? -Make him strong.
Fast. Like my children.
Indestructible.
For one final time, I'm going to tap into the dark magic I used a thousand years ago.
Like my husband, Mikael, before him, I will make Alaric into a true hunter.
-The vampire to end all vampires. -You can't create another Original.
What if he turns out to be a bigger monster than your children?
He won't, now that he's embraced his darkest aspect.
His hatred for them will become more pure and uncompromising.
-In death, that hatred will be magnified. ELENA: You don't know that.
-You don't know anything about him. -You're wrong.
Each time he died with that ring, during his brief journey into death...
...I was there, on the other side.
I spoke to him, I nurtured him...
...knowing that every death brought him closer to his true self.
Vampires took everything from him.
Now he's getting his vengeance.
(HELEN FORREST'S "THE MAN I LOVE" PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS)
Someday he'll come along The man I love
What is it?
Where have you been, mate?
-I just got back in town. -That's funny.
I don't recall giving you permission to leave in the first place.
You don't mind if I cut in, do you?
Yes, actually, we do.
No.
It's fine.
Why do you always have to prove you're the alpha male?
I don't have to prove anything, love, I am the alpha male.
(SCOFFS)
Come on. One dance.
I won't bite.
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
You would have loved the 1920s, Caroline.
Girls were reckless, sexy, fun.
They literally used to dance until they dropped.
Heh, I don't suppose that happened to their dance partners.
You should be nicer to me.
I'm leaving town tomorrow.
I'd invite you to come with me, but we both know you're not ready to accept my offer.
Perhaps one day, in a year, or even in a century...
...you'll turn up at my door and let me show you what the world has to offer.
From which I'll never roam
(CHUCKLES)
Who would? Would you?
You mark my words. A small-town boy, a small-town life...
...it won't be enough for you.
KLAUS: Rebekah, call me back immediately.
I came to this dance because you begged and now you're nowhere to be found.
What is this?
Your mother's back.
(BONNIE CHANTING)
-She does this all the time, right? KLAUS: What's taking so long?
All boundary spells have a loophole.
(MATT PANTING)
People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier.
If Matt and I can leave, we can stop Esther ourselves. We gotta find out where she is.
Suicide, Jeremy.
(GRUNTING)
Suicide would be disappointing me.
Now, work your magic, witch, or I'll start killing people you fancy.
-Let him go. -Not until you get us out of here.
Ah, don't be stupid. Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us.
The only reason she's helping right now is to save Caroline and Tyler.
Start killing people she cares about, she'll tell us to go to hell.
(GASPING)
Ric, this isn't what you want.
-It's not who you are. -You don't know who I am, Elena.
You only know the weakest parts of me...
...the man who lost his way...
...befriending vampires instead of killing them.
-You don't mean that. ALARIC: They're all monsters.
The blood of their victims is on my hands.
Jenna's blood is on my hands.
When you are ready.
ELENA: No, Ric, please, don't.
Don't do this.
I won't help you. I'm not gonna give you my blood. You're gonna have to kill me.
That won't be necessary.
(GROANING)
Drink. And let it be done.
No, Ric, please, don't.
No.
(SIGHS)
-Is it finished? -Not just yet.
(ALARIC & ELENA GASP)
DAMON: Here.
Jeremy made a little blood donation for your spell.
I have to do this with you two lurking over me?
You're still mad at me for what happened to Abby. Let me apologize.
Sorry Elijah forced us to turn your mother into a vampire to save Elena's life.
-Didn't exactly have a choice. -There's always a choice.
Whenever you make one, someone else suffers.
Let's cut the dramatics and begin, shall we?
(BONNIE CHANTING)
-Esther is fighting me. -Esther couldn't possibly have...
...this much power unless she's channeling something.
A hot spot.
Get the humans ready. I know where she is.
They're at the old cemetery. Jeremy and Matt are headed there now.
-You let them? They're gonna get killed. -We didn't have a choice.
We're useless right now stuck in here.
Hey.
She'll be fine. Elena always manages to find her way through this stuff.
Well, I'm just as worried about what Esther's up to.
She led Klaus here for a reason. If she succeeds in whatever she's doing--
Klaus could get killed.
-And I die along with him. -No one's gonna die. Okay?
Bonnie's still looking for a way around the boundary spell.
It's not too late.
So best-case scenario, Bonnie gets us out of here...
...Klaus hauls ass to Timbuktu...
...and you and I, we're home free.
Or we let Esther come and kill him.
That's not a best-case scenario.
That's not even a remotely, heh, acceptable scenario.
It would be an option if we knew he wasn't the one who turned your bloodline.
-You'd be safe. He'd be gone. -How could you say that?
Because I'm angry. Because I hate him.
-Should have never let him dance with you. -What were you supposed to do?
He can't know that you're not sired anymore.
Tyler, it doesn't matter how many times I dance with him...
...I love you.
(ELENA GASPS)
ESTHER: He'll wake soon.
When he does, he may, for a time, be his old self.
If so, you can say your goodbyes before his transition is complete.
You said you wanted to undo the evil that you created, but this--
This is just as evil.
Alaric will never be what my children became.
I have granted him enough power to complete his task.
Then, when the time is right...
-...he will die. -How? If he's immortal--
All you need to know is when this is over, we will have rid Earth of vampires...
...once and for all.
Yeah, but you'll be killing the good along with the bad.
-You're no better than Klaus. -Am I not?
I desire a world where you and your loved ones...
...will not suffer at the hands of vampires, like your aunt Jenna did.
Don't you dare use Jenna as an excuse for what you've done.
You may draw comfort knowing that your aunt is not in the place that I was.
She doesn't know the torment of the other side.
Though made a vampire, she remained pure.
And she knows peace.
Which is all any of us can hope for.
(TWIG BREAKS)
Don't move.
Where's Elena?
-Jeremy? -Let her go.
How foolish of you to risk your lives in defense of those who will kill you.
But if that is your choice.
-Matt. Matt, drop your gun. -I can't.
-I'm not controlling it. -Esther, stop it.
(GRUNTS)
(GASPS)
(GRUNTS)
(PANTING)
Oh, my God.
Where's my ring?
Tell me what happened.
You know, this is your fault.
You set us on this path when you released my mother.
I wonder if revenge will prove worth the cost.
Oh, I'm done with revenge.
As far as Esther...
...we've stopped her before.
-We'll stop her again. -We are strange bedfellows, you and I.
All of this reminds me of our time together in the '20s.
(CHUCKLES)
You say that like I'm supposed to have happy memories about it.
(CHUCKLES)
Well, there were moments.
Real friendship.
-Brotherhood. -Well, he already has a brother.
Not to be, you know, territorial or anything.
Oh, no, of course. The Salvatores and their unshakable bond.
(KLAUS CHUCKLES)
I wonder what will happen when Elena finally makes her choice.
Will we see you shake just a little bit?
It's done.
Esther's not fighting me anymore.
The boundary spell is broken.
Thank you, Bonnie.
For everything.
I didn't do it for you.
JEREMY: Damon's here.
And Klaus took Esther's body.
-Does he know about the stake? JEREMY: No.
Only that she tried to turn you into a weapon and failed.
-What's going on? -Listen, Jeremy.
I'm not gonna complete the transition.
My dark side was dangerous enough as a human.
I can't be a vampire.
So what? We're gonna lock you in here and let you die?
-No. No, we can't. -Listen, Jeremy, it's the right thing to do.
Okay? After everything that's happened, after....
After all that I've done...
...maybe I had it coming.
Hey, wait, Jer.
Alaric, this isn't your fault.
Please, guys, let's not make this any harder than it already is.
You two should go.
Damon's here.
He'll make sure it'll all go down the right way.
-Hey. Hey. -Don't.
Don't give me some crap speech about how I need to be the man of the house.
Okay.
I won't.
This is all my fault.
You moved out. You gave me your ring back.
You didn't want any part of this and I--
-I forced you to stay and take care of us. -Don't do that.
Okay? Taking care of you and Jeremy has been....
It's been the closest I've ever come to the life I always wanted.
Elena, you should go.
(SIGHS)
Your trap failed, Mother.
I live, and I will go on living.
Let your beloved spirits try to preserve you again.
I dare you to come after me.
I will build an army so big...
...no one will ever touch me.
My survival will haunt you through eternity.
You will never destroy me!
-Thanks for the ride home. -No problem.
There's nothing you could have done.
I know.
That doesn't make it any easier.
I should have said this before...
...but thank you for protecting me.
Apparently, it's what I do.
You really are pretty amazing.
Sometimes I think I'd settle for just ordinary.
You said your dad's out of town, right?
You gonna be okay by yourself?
No.
I don't think I am.
Mr. Saltzman.
Alaric.
(SIGHS)
You can handle this later.
No, I'd rather get it over with now...
...before some janitor comes to clean out Alaric's stuff...
...and realizes the history teacher was a vampire slayer.
Elena.
-Hey, Elena, please. -I can't, Stefan, okay?
I can't think about the fact that Jeremy and I don't have anyone...
...to take care of us anymore.
Or that we've lost another friend. I just can't think about any of it.
-I want you to come with me. -I'm not done.
Hey.
Please.
We were in this gym the night Klaus compelled me to turn my feelings off.
I thought I hit rock-bottom in the '20s...
...but after I bit you, I never wanted to feel anything again.
But someone...
...kept telling me that it was okay to feel.
No matter how much it hurt.
That our emotions are what make us human.
Good or bad.
And to never lose hope.
Who gave you that horrible advice?
Some girl I used to date.
(CHUCKLES)
I don't have anyone anymore.
You have me.
(SOBBING)
I gave him a sedative.
He'll fall asleep first. He'll go comfortably.
Well, I offered to snap his neck, put him out of his misery...
-...but he didn't take me up on it. -You seem surprised.
Well, you'd just think a guy so used to dying wouldn't wanna drag it out.
(SCOFFS)
Well, it was nice of you to give him the option.
Mm-hm
Apparently, my choices have been a little controversial lately.
You shouldn't leave him alone in there.
That's what he wants.
Is that really what you think he wants?
Oh, Ric.
(SIGHS)
Is this the part where you give me a dream?
Rainbows and rolling green hills.
I was drunk when I told you that.
(LAUGHS)
Yeah, and I told you I'd use it against you.
Damn you.
I'm sorry I killed you.
Twice.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
So I have to actually die to get a real apology out of you.
Drink?
(CHUCKLES)
Actually, I've been thinking about cutting back.
(CHUCKLES)
Yeah.
This stuff will kill you.
(ALARIC PANTING)
There you go.
Your sisters need you to finish what I started, Bonnie.
Bonnie. Hey. Hey. I think you were having a bad dream.
What are you doing here?
Hey. Bonnie.
What, are you sleepwalking or something?
Bonnie?
Aah!
No.
Bonnie.
No!
(GASPS)
(GROWLING) ou sleepwalking or something?