#raejustrae

Cut to – Present day, the Bamon home master bathroom. Damon and Bonnie are taking a bath.

 DAMON: I have to admit, I thought our little rendezvous would inevitably end up in a blood bath, or at least with some casualties. We did good!

BONNIE: Guess a common purpose helps keep the ego in place. I’m worried though…

DAMON: I know many of them are not the most trustworthy, but I really think we’re all on the same page.

BONNIE: It’s not that, it’s Elena. Care and I have been trying to reach her for a while now, and nothing. It’s not like her to keep out of contact for so long.

DAMON: She’s probably busy with school.

BONNIE: Still, something doesn’t feel right, and knowing where this is heading, I don’t think it’s a good sign. Maybe we should go check on her…

DAMON: It’s not like she’s a drive away, and we have our hands full here. Are you sure?

BONNIE: I could try to teleport. Test how far I can take this power.

DAMON: That could be dangerous, Bon. You don’t know how it works yet. I think it’s best to take it one jump at a time, and this is a big one.

BONNIE: I’ll never know if I don’t try it. I mean, I did it in Vegas.

DAMON: You were plastered and incredibly lucky that nothing happened. With everything that’s going on, it might not be a good time to experiment. If we’re gonna do this, let’s do it the old fashion way.

BONNIE: They’ll track us for sure if we do. I don’t think there’s another option.

DAMON: In that case, I’m coming with you.

BONNIE: You said it yourself, I still don’t know how this works for long distances. I don’t think taking anyone along with me is a good idea.

DAMON: If anything goes wrong I rather we’re together, than risk you being stuck somewhere alone.

BONNIE: And I rather not be responsible for something happening to you, if it does go wrong.

DAMON: I’ll take the risk. Sorry, Bon, but I’m not backing down on this.

BONNIE: Neither am I…

DAMON: Are we having our first lover’s quarrel?

BONNIE: Seems like it.

DAMON: We’re both very hard-headed; we’ll see who gets their way.

BONNIE: Want to put some money on that?

DAMON: Bon, come on. Let’s not do this. Ride or die, remember? You jump, I jump.

BONNIE: Okay; let’s conciliate. We’ll leave it up to chance. One game of Monopoly, whoever wins decides.

DAMON: You got yourself a deal (they shake hands).

BONNIE: Huh, not bad for a first fight.

DAMON: (Proud) Not bad at all.

BONNIE: Make up sex?

DAMON: (Mischievous smirk) I love the way you think… (they kiss, and you know… 😉)

Cut to – The Powell mansion. Edward and Tamara are in the study.

 TAMARA: I think it’s best you don’t return. Augustus said something could go wrong if you two were in the same place.

EDWARD: It was so uncanny…

TAMARA: I can only imagine. Seeing your child-self, and knowing it’s not really you, must be rather confusing.  

EDWARD: More like disturbing. But not going back is not an option. It’s much worse than I thought. They need to be shut down, and those things destroyed.

TAMARA: “Those things”? You speak of them as if they had no thoughts or feelings of their own. If they are anything like me, I can assure you, they do.

EDWARD: They are nothing like you, trust me.

TAMARA: Would you destroy me?

EDWARD: If you had asked me that a few months ago, my answer would’ve been yes. But now,  after everything we’ve been through, I couldn’t hurt you.

TAMARA: Do you really mean that? You know I come with a lie detector.

EDWARD: Then you should know I mean it. But I can’t say the same thing for mini-me.

TAMARA: (Smiles) I never really liked him. Augustus might have thought he did an impeccable job programming him, but I always knew he was not you.

EDWARD: He could have fooled me for a second there. The way he looked at me… as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

TAMARA: We might be able to process information at incredible speeds, but we can’t read minds.

EDWARD: Wouldn’t be surprised if those things can.

TAMARA: I insist, it’s not safe for you to go back. We need a change of plan. Release Darius, have him do the dirty work for us.

EDWARD: I would need to have something on him to make sure he does exactly what I tell him.

TAMARA: You’re the only one that can kill him for good; that should be enough to ensure he does.

EDWARD: It’s not that simple. I can’t always control my thoughts when I get like that. I didn’t even know I could do that until The Madame broke the block and I started remembering.

TAMARA: You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. The more I get to know you, the more I’m convinced you are your own worst enemy.

EDWARD: I suppose that’s what makes me human.

TAMARA: I suppose it is…

EDWARD: Maybe it’s time I came out of my cave. We could use Mayor Donovan’s help on this.

TAMARA: How can he help?

EDWARD: The prosthetic eye my father implanted in him. I am not sure what it can do, but you can figure it out.

TAMARA: Even if I can, how would that serve our purpose?

EDWARD: I have a feeling my father was testing something when he did that. What if he encrypted information in the prothesis code?

TAMARA: It’s unlikely. Knowing your father, he would never intentionally program a loophole into something he could not control.

EDWARD: You are evidence that he would.

TAMARA: I outsmarted him, which was an obvious outcome, but Matthew Donovan is a human. The probabilities of your father encoding valuable information into an unsecure source are 0.009%.      

EDWARD: And it’s because of that that it’s genius. Think about it, it would be the perfect place to hide information.

TAMARA: Your assumption may be assertive. However, I don’t trust anyone besides you to execute the plan accordingly.

EDWARD: You are willing to trust Darius.

TAMARA: No; I’m willing for him to take the fall, should anything go wrong.    

Cut to – Munich, Germany. Veritas’s mansion underground vault. He’s holding a black box, very similar to the one Elena found with the original serum. He places it in a safe which is equipped with a freezer system. Soon after, Lucinda walks in, holding a glass of wine.

 VERITAS: Love, how many times have I told you not to come in here, unless I invite you to.

LUCINDA: Forgive me, my dear. I was feeling rather lonely. It won’t happen again.

VERITAS: Well, now that you are here, I’d like to show you something. Come with me… (he leads her into a room filled with ancient artifacts).

LUCINDA: (Amazed with the grandiosity of the place) Darling, this is breathtaking! She approaches one of the showcases, which holds a very ancient chalice). My god… is this it?

VERITAS: It is. I like to come here from time to time and admire it. Be reminded of the gift I was granted, and worship the kind souls that thought me worthy of such.

LUCINDA: As I worship you for sharing it with me.

VERITAS: Your loyalty deserved rewarding.

LUCINDA: And you, a devoted life companion.

VERITAS: That will no longer suffice.

LUCINDA: What do you mean, love?

VERITAS: However strong, we are not unassailable.

LUCINDA: We are immortal, of course we are.

VERITAS: How many vampires have we killed? We may be less vulnerable to death, but we are by no means immortals.

LUCINDA: Still, we are Gods among men. Perhaps having a way out of this world is not such a bad thing. Who knows, one day we may grow tired, or feel utterly alone…  

VERITAS: You speak nonsense. True power only comes with immortality. That is what makes a God.

LUCINDA: We can only be grateful for what we have, and resign to the desire of what we don’t.

VERITAS: The woman I fell in love with used to be much more ambitious than that. The worst sign of weakness is resignation.

LUCINDA: Or the best sign of wisdom.

VERITAS: (Laughs) I think that wine has gotten to your head, love. Maybe you should take to rest. I have some matters to attend to. I need my privacy.

LUCINDA: You promised me we would make love tonight. You haven’t touched me in days.

VERITAS: Desire is not a thing to be forced. If you grow impatient, satisfy yourself, my dear. Have a good night (kisses her, she walks away).

Cut to – Munich, Germany; the Faculty lab. Elena has been locked down for days now. The military medical staff have her under close observation.

 MILITARY DOCTOR: (Through an intercom) Miss. Gilbert, are you presenting any symptoms today?

ELENA: Same as the days before, nothing! I’m telling you, I’m fine! Can you please get my father here?

MILITARY DOCTOR: As we have told you before, that is not possible. Only authorized personnel is allowed.

ELENA: Can you at least contact him, let him know what’s happening!?

MILITARY DOCTOR: We’re not authorized to do that.

ELENA: This has to be illegal! What the hell is wrong with you people! You can’t keep me locked up in here like some lab rat!

MILITARY DOCTOR: I assure you, we can (slides a tray of food and water through a door hatch). Push the panic button if you present any type of symptoms, or feel strange (he leaves).  

ELENA: (Banging on the glass door) Let me out of here! Let me out of here! I swear I’ll sue the shit out of this school, this lab; the whole country if I have to!

Cut to – One of the operating theatres in the school. Sam and Alex are performing a practice autopsy.

 ALEX: Isn’t your sweetheart supposed to be in this class? Or did she completely change her schedule to avoid us.  

SAM: I doubt it; she loves this class. She wasn’t in Biotech either. Something feels off. All these strange things that are happening can’t be a coincidence, right?

ALEX: Who knows, but that thing with the search results sure was suspicious as fuck.

SAM: You’re the conspiracy theorist, any theories?

ALEX: (Teasing) Well, I’m not saying it’s aliens… but it’s aliens.  

SAM: Come on, man, I’m serious! This shit is not normal. Also, I’ve been having some brain fog, struggling to remember simple things. I feel like everything before New Year’s is somewhat of a blur...

ALEX:  You too, huh?

SAM: And I’ve been having these weird dreams about being with Elena, before I even met her. It’s messed up…

ALEX: (Teasing again) Maybe you two met in another life.

SAM: Can you drop the bullshit for once?

ALEX: Sorry, just playin’ around. But listen, if there is something going on, this is definitely not the place to talk about it. Let’s get some drinks tonight, outside campus, we’ll brainstorm.

Cut to – The Salvatore School, Alaric’s office. Radka, Ric, Iker, and Katherine are talking.

 RIC: I don’t know about you guys, but between the school and our “team-up” the other night; I’m a bit overwhelmed. That had to be the most bizarre meeting, ever.

KATHERINE: I for one, was more than entertained knowing that the so called “Originals” story, was a load of crap. Watching their ego shatter into pieces made it all worth it. Talk about karma!

IKER: Yeah, that was insane. All this time I’ve been freakin’ out about my sireline. For all I know, it’s none of them.

KATHERINE: Unfortunately for me, I’m stuck with Klaus.

RIC: If you think about it, it does make sense that the story was bullshit. Just one spell, from one witch, to create a whole new species? Pisses me off I didn’t even question it, or dug deeper.

RADKA: Didn’t the mother make you like some super original vampire? I’m so confused!

RIC: One of her ancestors was involved in the original spell, that’s probably why she could.

KATHERINE: Who cares! The point is that the Mikaelson’s were not the first ones. Ha-ha, bitches!

RADKA: Judging from this Veritas guy; it might have been better if they were.

KATHERINE: Not likely.

IKER: The thing that still ain’t very clear to me, is how we’re supposed to stop what Bonnie saw. Too many ideas were thrown around all over the place.

RIC: I’m not quite sure either. The only thing I know is that I agree with my future-self. Kai’s plan to shut it all off and practically go back to the stone age, is absolutely insane.  

RADKA: Would it really be that bad? We are overly dependent on technology, might do us some good.

IKER: Hell no! I love me my Fortnite!

KATHERINE: I had a perfectly good life before it, so all the same to me. But I’ll do anything to avoid being stuck in some bizarre 20’s memory with my archenemies. (Margo walks in, visibly upset).

MARGO: I’m glad you are enjoying a time out, but we have a problem.

RIC: What’s going on?

MARGO: My Magic-101 students are dead.

RIC: What?!!

MARGO: The classroom is a slotter house. Wonder who could be responsible for that?  

RIC: Margo, don’t jump to conclusions. It could’ve been a vampire student that lost control.

MARGO: And that’s comforting to you? Twelve students are dead!

RIC: I’m only asking that we don’t make assumptions until we know what happened.

MARGO: The blood bags, the dead rabbits, the “accident”… How long are your girls and Hope going to cover for him? Either he goes, or Sergei and I go. We tried, he’s a lost cause.  

RADKA: He’s a three year old child, how can you say that?!

MARGO: He’s no child. Who knows how long he’s been around. He’s killed more than twelve people, that we know of. How can you be fine with that!?

RADKA: I’m not; but if it was him; what he needs is help, not condemnation.

KATHERINE: (To Margo) I can understand you being clueless as to how vampirism works, but Sergei? Shame on him. All that kid needs is guidance, and with people like you around, clearly some survival skills.

MARGO: Don’t you dare talk to me about shame. You are the worst of them all.  

KATHERINE: Them, honestly? With your age and experience, it blows my mind that someone whose ancestors were burned at the stake would think like that. Let alone someone who is supposedly in love with one of us. I truly am intrigued as to what Sergei sees in you.

RIC: Guys, please, let’s calm down and figure this out. We’ve dealt with much worse. The whole purpose of this school lies on the hope that we can find a way for all of us to coexist as peacefully as possible.

MARGO: Well, it clearly failed. Sergei and I will be gone by the end of the day.

Cut to – The Mikaelson’s mansion living room.

 REBEKAH: Everything we believed to be real, turned out to be one of mother’s lies. I feel like such a fool.

KLAUS: Such a pity she is dead; I would have loved the pleasure of killing her all over again.

ELIJAH: Why deceive us? To what purpose?

KOL: You know mother, always had a direful sense of humor.

ABBY: Maybe she didn’t want you to know you came from such evil, and that’s why she rooted your story on her love for you. A mother can do just about anything to protect her children.

REBEKAH: That’s ironic, coming from you. Also, ridiculous.

FREYA: I’m actually not bothered by her lying. I’m more intrigued as to how our ancestors did it.

DANAE: Knowing the Bannion’s, we can be sure dark magic was involved.

KOL: It’s a Mikaelson witch signature mark as well, so I’m certain.  

ABBY: Bennett witches are known for earth magic; I’m genuinely surprised they would’ve been involved in something like this.

KLAUS: They have been tempted before, love.

MARCEL: Why do it, though? And why him?

ELIJAH: You of all people should know just how far the thirst of power can take us. It is in our nature to test the limits of what we can do.  

FREYA: I wonder which spell they used, and if there were more witches involved.

KOL: A triad of the right witches is more powerful than a hundred. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it on their own.

MARCEL: And isn’t Veritas one of the most powerful psychics? I’m sure that helped too.

DANAE: Undoubtedly. He was probably one of their energy sources. My guess is that they used a triquetra. In ancient Celtic traditions it was used during rituals to represent the three stages of being: life, death, and rebirth. An extremely powerful symbol.

FREYA: Wasn’t it also used to summon Brigid, the Goddess of Healers? They may have taken a different approach and used it to summoned Selene. After all, she is known as the mother of all vampires…

REBEKAH: Isn’t she the moon goddess?

KLAUS: She is, love. (Turns to Freya)Your imagination is as vivid as mother’s, sister. But it’s nice to know you know your mythology.

DANAE: Our kind was thought to be a myth; some still do to this day. It’s not outside the realms of possibility.

KOL: We can spend all night theorizing about it. Fact is, we’ll never know; unless he tells us himself. 

 ELIJAH: I doubt he ever would. But judging from Bonnie’s vision, we know someone that could be forced to tell us…  

KLAUS: (Smirks) And that is why you are my favorite, brother.

REBEKAH: Emphasis on brother. Anyway, what makes you think Pietro knows what really happened? He could’ve made the whole thing up. Wouldn’t make a difference if we compelled it out of him.

KOL: He knows more than we do, that’s for sure. I say we give it a shot.

ABBY: I know this is important to you, but don’t you think we have other things to focus on right now? Like a pending apocalypse…

REBEKAH: Don’t be such a fatalist. You heard Bonnie, many of us survive.

ABBY: What she saw was only the beginning. Nobody knows who, or if, anyone makes it to the end.

REBEKAH: And if I don’t, I’d like to know exactly how we came to be, before it’s my time to go.

ABBY: All I’m saying is, let’s not lose our focus.

KLAUS: And we won’t, love. But we don’t have a defined plan yet. There is no harm in using this time for something of value. Doesn’t it bother you knowing that what you believed to be real was nothing but a farce?

ABBY: To be honest, no. But if it bothers you that much, and you think compelling Pietro to tell you what he knows will bring you closure, I’ll support you. Just as long as we stay on track.

KLAUS: We will. Who knows, maybe Pietro can give us more insight into Veritas, and his role  in all of this.

ELIJAH: Looks like we have ourselves a lovely plan. May the truth set us free (holds up a glass of bourbon) Cheers.

Cut to – The Powell’s mansion dungeon.

 DARIUS: I gave you everything you asked for; why am I still here?

EDWARD: There’s been a change of plans.

DARIUS: You gave me your word.

EDWARD: And I intend to keep it. But it’s going to take longer than I thought.  

DARIUS: Time is not in our favor. This goes way beyond those prototypes.

EDWARD: Care to elaborate? You keep saying things without saying anything.

DARIUS: I’ve been having visions, and you are right about something. Matt Donovan is a key component, but you’ll need someone as tech savvy as your father to crack the code.  

EDWARD: Do you know what it does?

DARIUS: From what I saw, your father encrypted the fountain code within the prosthesis.

EDWARD: What the hell is a fountain code?

DARIUS: Do I look like someone who would know? I’m just repeating what I saw. Whatever it is, it’s important. I’m sure Tamara knows, ask her.

EDWARD: As much as I trust her, she’s still one of them. If it’s something that can potentially imply a risk to her, she’ll make sure to destroy it.

DARIUS: Then I suggest you recruit Kai Parker. If anyone, he understands this tech, maybe even better than your father did. It was thanks to him that I was able to take the project to another level. Something I now deeply regret.

EDWARD: Anything else I should know about; from these visions of yours?

DARIUS: I made another terrible mistake.

EDWARD: Tell me something I don’t know.

DARIUS: Dr. Greyson’s original formula, I modified it; more like enhanced it. And I ended up making something much worse…

EDWARD: How worse, exactly?

DARIUS: I still don’t know the full spectrum of the potential affections. From my preliminary tests, I can say that reactions vary according to the species.

EDWARD: Go on…

DARIUS: In humans, the test subjects presented a severe autoimmune reaction, leading to antibody suppression, making them contract disease very easily, resulting in their death. On witches, it seemed to have affected their psyche. Some went insane, to a point of power overuse, also resulting in their death. Werewolves presented an inability to control their transformation, turned involuntary, regardless of the full moon. They had to be put down. As for vampires, it was not pretty. The serum put their immune system into overdrive, making them extremely bloodthirsty and violent. With higher doses, some went into such a frenzy that, in isolation, they ended up eating themselves.

EDWARD: Stop… This is heinous. Even for you. How could you?!

DARIUS: It wasn’t my intent for that to happen. I only wanted to make the formula stronger so we could have the ultimate weapon, should we ever need it one day.

EDWARD: I’ve heard that story before, it never ends well.

DARIUS: I know. That is why I will do anything in my power to revert what I have done.

EDWARD: There is no turning back from that.

DARIUS: There is. I know a way to fix everything.

EDWARD: And you think I would trust you after everything you’ve done?!

DARIUS: I’m not asking you to trust me; I’m asking you to trust Bonnie.

EDWARD: What does Bonnie have to do with this?

DARIUS: She’s the only one that can change what is to come, but she can’t do it alone.

EDWARD: You’ve done enough damage. Leave her out of this. Take responsibility for once, and find a way to fix this on your own.

DARIUS: Trust me, if I could, I would. But there is no other way.

EDWARD: We can destroy my father’s facility, the prototypes, your serum, everything. That would put a stop to this.

DARIUS: You are speaking as if you had never been part of the Liberatus. You know well that the order’s operations expand much further than that.

EDWARD: We’ll destroy them all.

DARIUS: (Laughs) You are being rather naive. I’m on the board, and not even I know how many there are. You used to be on the board as well, remember?

EDWARD: That’s a part of my life I wish to forget. Anyway, figure out a way to put an end to this; one that doesn’t involve Bonnie, and maybe I will trust you enough to help you. In the meantime, you are not going anywhere.

Cut to – Pietro’s mansion. He’s indulging in lust with some unknown woman. At the peak of the moment, the doorbell rings. At the insistence, he finally stops, clearly frustrated with the interruption.

 WOMAN: Don’t you have people to attend to that? Let’s finish what we started…

PIETRO: It’s their day off, and it’s also very late. I don’t overwork my employees.

WOMAN: (Frustrated as well) Fine… go. I’ll wait, but I can’t promise I won’t finish on my own if you take too long.

PIETRO: (Smirks) Then I will be ready for a second round, and make you feel why I’m worth the wait. 

(He puts on a robe, goes downstairs, and opens the door).

KLAUS: Hello, old friend…

PIETRO: Niklaus Mikaelson, as I live and breathe. This is an unexpected surprise. I’m sure you can understand why my landlord won’t be inviting you inside.

KLAUS: I think that’s what they call, déjà vu…

PIETRO: You might want to freshen up on your French.

KLAUS: Mon français est parfaitement bien.

PIETRO: Impeccable accent, I’m impressed. So, what brings you here? More importantly, how do you know who I am? You are not supposed to remember me…

KLAUS: Who could ever forget a Salvatore.

PIETRO: Consider me intrigued. What is it that you want?

KLAUS: I was asked to bring someone to you… (The Madame steps out of the shadows).

THE MADAME: Hello, love.

PIETRO: Aletheia, it has been a while. To what do I owe the pleasure?

THE MADAME: I’ve gotten myself into some trouble, and you are the only one that can help. Please, dear, I need you to come with me.

PIETRO: (Smirks) Aw, Aletheia. Your trickery might have worked on me some years ago, but I know better now than to trust you. 

Have a lovely night (shuts the door, as soon as he turns around, he sees Freya).

FREYA: You should have trusted her, she’s much nicer than I am...

(she uses her power to weaken him, opens the door, and propels him out. Klaus then snaps his neck, he drops unconscious).

KLAUS: Too easy, every single time.

FREYA: Now what?

KLAUS: We take him for a lovely night in the woods; all gathered by the bonfire while he tells us his bedtime stories. (The woman, probably hearing some disturbance, comes running downstairs, catching them in the act).

WOMAN: (Freaking out) Oh, my god! We’re being kidnapped! Help! (As she tries to make a run for it, Klaus grabs her and compels her to forget. She calmly walks back inside and shuts the door).

KLAUS: (To The Madame) Thank you for your help.

THE MADAME: I always expect something in return, dear. (Flirtatious) When the time is right,  you can buy me a drink.

KLAUS: (Staring at her in intrigue) I must insist, I feel like I know you from years ago… Certainly before we met.

THE MADAME: (Smirks) Maybe from another lifetime, dear. 

Now, I suggest we get going before he wakes up. He can get rather violent. You can drop me off on the way to wherever it is you are going to.

Cut to – Augustus’s underground facility. Little Edward, who has been increasing his erratic behavior, is in the tech maintenance ward. SA Connelly and the tech team are running a system check to try and figure out what is happening to him.

 TECH TEAM MEMBER: I’ve updated his system, ran all antivirus programs, he should be fine…

SA CONNELLY: He still thinks he saw Edward; clearly, he’s not.

TECH TEAM MEMBER: Software and hardware-wise, there are no issues. We’ve inspected it multiple times. Maybe we should ask Darius to run some Bio tests; that’s in his court.

SA CONNELLY: He’s not here right now, so keep trying.

TECH TEAM MEMBER: He’s been gone a lot lately. Does he have a girlfriend or something?

SA CONNELLY: That’s none of our business, but unless it’s Bonnie Bennett, I doubt it. That man is obsessed with her.

TECH TEAM MEMBER: Am I sensing some jealousy in that tone?

SA CONNELLY: That’s ridiculous. I couldn’t care less who he dates. Now, get back to work. 

Cut to – The Lockwood mansion. Tyler and Matt are in the living room having a late-night snack and a couple of beers.

 TYLER: This shit is insane, man. I feel like we’re in an action movie.

MATT: Tell me about it. Has Mad Max vibes written all over it.

TYLER: I know! Did K and Anthony make it to the cabin okay?

MATT: Yeah, she called me a couple of hours ago. They’re fine, her mother is with them too.

TYLER: Good, she’ll need that.

MATT: Did I make the wrong decision? Not going with them?

TYLER: I’ll be honest, it would’ve been the safest choice. But the Matt I know would never forgive himself for not fighting for what he believes in. Plus, you’re the Mayor now! This town needs you.

MATT: As long as we’re being honest, I’m not sure it’s for me. Too much political correctness and pretension. I like to keep things real, get my hands dirty.  

TYLER: It figures; you’ve never been one to put up with bullshit.

MATT: I thought that with that kind of power I could actually make a difference, bring some actual change. But it’s all a chess game to them, no one is in it for the good of the people, they all have their own agendas.

TYLER: I know that world, all too well, bro. Trust me, it’s all a farce. Real change comes from the common man, not from the elite. They couldn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.

MATT: Well, there’s always time to go back to basics.

TYLER: What about Sheriff Jackson?

MATT: She’s one of the best Sheriffs this town has ever had! I’m not talking about going back to that. What I’m saying is that, if we succeed at this, I’m moving back to Peru. The humanitarian work K and I did down there has been one of my life’s best accomplishments. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been.

TYLER: I’ll only allow it if you guarantee I have a room for myself when I go visit.

MATT: (Smiles) I’ll even decorate it myself!

TYLER: Please don’t! I’m already having nightmares about the puppy theme!

MATT: It’s crazy to think that not so long ago we were just a couple of dorks whose biggest problem was who would play center field. Look at us now…

TYLER: We sure have come a long way. For better or worse.

MATT: I’ve never been the religious type, but I have faith that whatever comes, it will lead to good things for all. Humans, witches, werewolves, vampires alike.

TYLER: Matt Donovan, embracing the supernatural… Now I’ve seen it all. I think I’m ‘bout to cry!

MATT: (Teasing) You’re a dick…

TYLER: Hey! You’re gonna be a father soon. Better watch your language!

MATT: I love you, man.

TYLER: I love you too. And whatever does happen, I’mma be with you till the end.

MATT: That makes two of us (they hug).

TYLER: (Looks at his watch) Shit! I’m running late.

MATT: It’s midnight, where are you going at this time?

TYLER: Okay, grandpa, if you must know, I’m going stargazing with my lady. Gonna give me a curfew too?

MATT: (Smirks) Fuck off.

TYLER: Yeah, that’s the plan, if  I get lucky (winks).

MATT: I’m gonna forget I heard that. Have a good night, bro. I’ll see you in the morning (as he is walking upstairs, his cellphone rings. Much to his surprise, it’s Edward).

Cut to – The Bamon home. Bonnie and Damon are playing Monopoly. Kai is in charge of being the bank.

 KAI: I’m starting to think you only invited me so I could be the bank! Smart move, Bonster; Damon always steals from the bank; but still...

DAMON: Not at all, pal! We love having you around! And for the record, I don’t steal!

KAI: Come on, I saw you do it multiple times in the prison world! You really need to learn how to lie better, Damon. But why go through the trouble? Couldn’t Caroline, Stefan, or that hot chick that is staying with you do it instead?

BONNIE: Sage is doing research on the serum. Stefan and Caroline are in the distillery, it’s their date night.

KAI: That’s a thing? You people are so weird. Have to say though, the three of us together again, it’s nice! Without the murdery stuff, of course. We have to treasure every moment; in case we don’t pull this off.

BONNIE: True (awkward silence for a bit).

KAI: Okay, I’ll be the first to address the elephant in the room. What’s up with you two? I’m sensing some tension, and I don’t think it has anything to do with our Stranger Things team-up.

DAMON: I’m glad you asked, buddy! Bon, care to tell Kai what’s really going on here?

BONNIE: Damon, we had a deal… You’re just feeling threatened ‘cause I’m whooping your ass.

DAMON: I have the two blue ones, so…

BONNIE: And no money to do any real harm with them, so...

DAMON: Don’t underestimate the pink ones, Bon. They’ll get me there, slowly but surely.

BONNIE: One land on my block, and you’re bankrupt.

DAMON: Good thing I’m feeling lucky today…

KAI: Uhm, are we still talking about Monopoly? I’m totally lost with this conversation.

BONNIE: And I have to go to the lady’s room. (Turns to Kai) Make sure he doesn’t cheat! (She walks away. As soon as she is out of sight, Damon leans in to talk to Kai).

DAMON: Listen, Kai. Bonnie is attempting to teleport to Germany to check on Elena.

KAI: That’s insane, and potentially dangerous. She doesn’t know how it works yet.

DAMON: My point exactly! But you know how she is. We made a deal, whoever wins this game gets to make the decision. So, I’m gonna need your help to change my luck…

KAI: She’ll know we’re cheating if you miraculously pull money out of “nowhere”.

DAMON: I know! But she won’t know if the odds turn in my favor… You know what I mean?

KAI: If you’re referring to magic, I think you’re forgetting she bound my powers. I’m all dry.  

DAMON: Shit! Forgot about that! Well, my plan is clearly screwed!

KAI: You lack ingenuity, Damon. Monopoly might be a game of luck, but it’s also about patience and making wise investment decisions. You’re too greedy, always going for the high-end properties. Procure the second block, and the tables will turn.

DAMON: How the hell am I supposed to do that!

KAI: With patience, and yes, a little cheating. I’ll make sure to slip a small amount of cash flow from time to time, so she doesn’t get suspicious. 

DAMON: That’s it? That’s your master plan?! Might as well end the game now!

KAI: Patience, Damon. You really need to work on that. Now, if you let me finish. I might not have magic, but I’m a wizard with rapid hand movements and distractors, so I’ll make sure the dice rolls in your favor. And when I blink you buy, or put in a house if you have the set; understood?

DAMON: I’m trusting you with this, Kai. If I lose, I swear I’ll tell Bon-Bon about your Vega’s Whitney Houston bride.

KAI: I knew you would use that as leverage against me someday!

DAMON: (Smirks, sarcastically) See how well we know each other? That’s some bro love, my brother!

KAI: Ooh, yeah; no. Let’s not do that.

DAMON: I knew it the minute it came out of my mouth…

Cut to – Stefan and Caroline in the distillery. He’s cooked a delicious dinner for them, and set a romantic picnic setting for their date night.

 CAROLINE: As always, you never cease to amaze me. This is beautiful… 

STEFAN: Who would have thought a distillery could be so romantic?!

CAROLINE: Don’t know about others, but this one surely is. At least when it’s not the meeting spot for a bunch of crazies (they laugh).

STEFAN: Can’t say we lack imagination…

CAROLINE: Not in the slightest. Are you really okay, though? After seeing Silas?

STEFAN: I’m fine. I was actually pleasantly surprised. I know he did some terrible things to all of us, but he seemed genuinely willing to right his wrongs. Guess everyone deserves a chance to at least try.

CAROLINE: And that is why I love you so much. You never give up on anyone.

STEFAN: I will admit, though, I couldn’t help but feel a little pleasure at Klaus’s reaction to the true original story… Man, was he pissed!

CAROLINE: (Grins) I know, right?! That was epic! And Rebekah’s reaction, I think was even better!

STEFAN: Have to say, out of all the awkward moments I’ve lived through, that was definitely in the top five. The whole thing was so strange…

CAROLINE: I know… Okay, just between us, do you really think we can do this? This is above and beyond what we’ve ever done.

STEFAN: Just between us, I don’t know. What I do know is that if we don’t, and if what’s to come is inevitable, I’ll be thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to have you in my life.

CAROLINE: Me too… And I always find comfort in knowing that, wherever and however, we’ll always find a way to each other.    

STEFAN: You, me, and the girls; that’s how we roll.

CAROLINE: About that… I’ve been thinking. As much as we love them, I don’t think it’s the healthiest thing for their parents and their respective others to live under the same roof. I know we get along great, but as couples I think we need our own space.

STEFAN: Are you talking about moving out of the mansion?

CAROLINE: If this all works out, yes. Unless you don’t want to… I know how important that house is to you.

STEFAN: It is, which is why I left it to you. But it has its own purpose now.

CAROLINE: My thoughts exactly. I think it’s time we had a home of our own...

STEFAN: What about the girls?

CAROLINE: We don’t have to move far; they can stay with us whenever they want. I was actually thinking we could remodel the cabin…

STEFAN: I do love that cabin…

CAROLINE: So, what do say?

STEFAN: I say we do it!

CAROLINE: (Giddy) Really?

STEFAN: I do have one minor condition…

CAROLINE: Whatever you want!

STEFAN: We get the girls the exact same model bicycle you had.

CAROLINE: (Touched) How did I ever get so lucky to have hitched you?

STEFAN: I ask myself that same question in reverse, every single day…(they kiss). 

Now, I have one last surprise… 

But I swear, Caroline Elizabeth Forbes, if you tell anyone about this, I’ll file for divorce! 

(He takes out a karaoke machine, and sings to Selena Gomez’s, “Love You Like A Love Song”).

Cut to – Bamon’s bedroom.

 BONNIE: I can’t believe you won! You swear you didn’t cheat?

DAMON: You heard Kai, he said fair game.

BONNIE: But I was kicking your ass!

DAMON: You got too greedy, Bon. Told you, slowly but surely wins the game. Now, a deal is a deal, so I guess it’s a no on the jump.

BONNIE: But that wasn’t our deal. The jump was never in question. Only thing that changes is that we’ll be doing it together.

DAMON: Bon, come on… Can’t Ric or Matt go? They’re not looking for them, they’ll be safe to fly.

BONNIE: Do you trust me?

DAMON: Of course I do. Why would you ask me that?

BONNIE: I need to be the one that goes. I can feel it in my gut.

DAMON: (Hesitant) Just promise me that if anything happens, and we lose each other for some reason, we’ll find our way back to one another.

BONNIE: I promise… (kisses him).

DAMON: So, what should I pack?

BONNIE: (Smirks) I don’t think we’ll need any luggage.

DAMON: Then I’m ready when you are…

BONNIE: Okay, for this to work, I think I need to see the place where we’re going to first. Elena mentioned she found out that her father did some research at the university a while back. She sent me a pic of him in front of the main gate with one of her post cards. Should have it somewhere around here… (she starts looking around in one of  her drawers). Ah, here it is! We’re good to go.

DAMON: We’re doing this now?!! I thought we’d wait till morning?

BONNIE: The sooner the better. Ready? (Holds her hand out).

DAMON: Wait, no… I need to get something (he vamps into his walk-in closet, opens his safe, puts the ring box in his pocket and vamps back). Now I’m ready (takes her hand, looks into her eyes and teases…) 

Do you think it'll hurt?

BONNIE: (Smirks) I don’t know… (she opens a portal, and off they go…)

Cut to – The Salvatore school, first day of classes after the winter break. Ric is in his office, still trying to reach Caroline, with no luck. Leaves a voicemail. Care, I know you are on your time off, and you probably have no reception. But, if you get my message by any chance, try to find a way to call the girls, they really want to talk to you. Someone knocks; he hangs up.

 RIC: Come in.

IKER: Reporting for duty, Professor Saltzman.

RIC: (Gets up and greets him with a bro hug) Hey, man! So glad to have you on board! Welcome to the faculty! At least one of the teachers is on time!

IKER: First day on the job, punctuality is a must!

RIC: Yeah, well not all teachers have your sense of ethics. Just give me a sec to make some calls,  and I’ll give you the tour. (Dials Katherine, straight to voicemail) Katherine, you better get your butt here fast, your class starts in 20 minutes! (Hangs up). Why am I even surprised… there hasn’t been a day she has been on time! (Dials Lexi).

LEXI: Calm down, Ric; we are almost there.

RIC: Great, see you soon. (Hangs up; soon after Margo walks in with the new student, the three year old vampire. Iker looks at him, surprised to see such a young pupil. Ric approaches the boy, squats down to make eye contact). 

Hey, little one, welcome to the Salvatore School. I promise we will take great care of you… (as expected, no response. He looks up at Margo, she shakes her head, letting him know the boy still hasn’t said a word). Okay… Ms. Margo is going to show you around the school, there are a lot of cool places I’m sure you will love. And, we got a room done specially for you. It’s in the main house, right next to my daughter’s bedroom. You will meet them soon, I’m sure you’ll get along great with them. (Turns to Margo) Radka is in the teacher’s lounge grabbing some coffee; if you want to meet up with her so she can go with you.

MARGO: Yes, I need as much help as I can get.  I’ll look for you afterwards, we need to talk.

(She walks out with the boy).  

IKER: Wow, I didn’t know you had students that were so young.

RIC: We don’t, he is the first one.

IKER: Is he a witch?

RIC: A vampire…

IKER: What!?? Who the hell would do that to a kid?!!

RIC: I know, it’s the cruelest thing I’ve ever seen, and I have seen my share of cruel.

IKER: That goes beyond cruel, that’s pure evil.

RIC: It is. I really hope we are able to help him.

IKER: You can count on me with whatever I can do to help.

RIC: Thank you. I think it’s going to take all of us to be able to get through to him.

IKER: Well, I’m in.

RIC: Okay, let’s take the tour. Here (hands him his schedule).

IKER: Ooh, “Combat and Tactics”, loving this already!

RIC: (Smirks in excitement) Wait till I show you the training gym, and the weapons room…

IKER: You had me at “combat”… 

(they leave).  

Cut to - Augustus’s underground facility, late at night. Kai is in the tech room; continuing to try and hack into Tamara’s system. “Bonnie” walks in.

 BONNIE: How is it going, handsome?

KAI: (Blushes) I almost cracked it, Bonster! 

I was about 2 seconds behind before she reprogrammed herself.

BONNIE: That’s great news, definitely progress. Better than the rest of the tech team has been able to do. Shouldn’t take you too long to get it done.

KAI: Nop, I almost have her…

BONNIE: (Flirtatious) Tell you what, if you manage to pull this off, I’ll give you a nice surprise.

KAI: (Blushing again) A surprise… I love surprises. Tell me, Bon, what is it?

BONNIE: It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, but I’m sure you’ll love it (winks, and walks away. Soon after, Katherine walks in).

KAI: Agent Pierce, I was just telling Bonnie that I’m very close to completing the mission.

KATHERINE: Very close is not mission complete, try harder.

KAI: Oh, come on, Agent, don’t be such a pessimist. These things are complicated, they take time.

KATHERINE: Sorry. You are actually the only one that is getting any progress done! I’m just under a lot of pressure.

KAI: So am I, but stressing out only makes things worse. Try to relax, stress is no friend to the skin. You don’t want that beautiful face to age prematurely, do you?

KATHERINE: Over my dead body!

KAI: (They laugh) Tell you what, my break is in 10 minutes, how about we get a drink?

KATHERINE: Well, I could use a drink…

KAI: Enough said, it’s a date!

KATHERINE: It’s a drink, not a date.

KAI: You say tomayto, I say tomahto…

Cut to – The facility’s lab. Darius is showing SA Connelly and Pietro his new genetic prototypes.

 PIETRO: Very impressive, my friend.

SA CONNELLY: Very much indeed… but a tad bit freaky.

DARIUS: I have to say, couldn’t have done it without Kai. Credit where credit's due. He really is one of a kind. Don’t tell Augustus I said this, but I truly think he has surpassed the master…

PIETRO: Speaking of, he just confirmed he’ll connect to our conference tomorrow. All the board members will be in attendance.

SA CONNELLY: Good to know that Tamara is at least giving him a chance to do home office.

DARIUS: As long as he is available to connect, I’m fine with him working with pajama pants.

PIETRO: Yes, but he still needs to come in to do the field work. The Gemini freak might be talented, but he is not one of us.

SA CONNELLY: It’s just a matter of time before Kai cracks the code, we just need to be patient, and do with what we have for the moment.

DARIUS: And where are Stefan and Caroline, I thought you were bringing them in today?

PIETRO: I need a little more time. My dear brother is refusing to go ripper. Trust me, he will be of more use to us like that. As for Bonnie and Damon, they are still MIA.  

DARIUS: (Turns to SA Connelly) Can’t your tech stuff help us track them?

SA CONELLY: We’ve tried tracking their cellphones. Last GPS location was picked up by one of our Mystic Falls towers, but that was before New Year’s.

PIETRO: I’m sure they will make an appearance soon, specially once they find out their friends are missing.

SA CONNELLY: And how exactly are you planning to control the Bennett witch?

DARIUS: Ever since Veritas brought me out of my nap, I have been thinking on how to do that. And now, I know exactly how.

PIETRO: Care to share with the group, so there are no surprises along the way.

DARIUS: Do you trust me?

PIETRO: I’d like to …

DARIUS: Then, trust me. Now, if you two are up for some entertainment, I say we go grab a drink and watch the Russian spy and the tech genius put on quite the show. I asked Bob to make it karaoke night… (They laugh and head to the Facility bar).

Cut to – Pietro’s mansion. Caroline and Stefan are locked up in a cell in the basement. They are vervained, weak, and starving. Suddenly, a blood covered Sage comes vamping in, and opens their cell door.

SAGE: Come on, we don’t have much time (gives them a blood bag so they can regain some strength).  

CAROLINE: (Looking very confused) Who are you…?

SAGE: That’s not important right now. Do you want to get out of here or not? Quick, drink up so we can go. (They devour the blood).

STEFAN: Ah, much better! Now let’s get the hell out of here; I’ll deal with my brother later.

CAROLINE: Home sweet home… couldn’t stand another night in this hole!

SAGE: You can’t go home; they’ll find you in no time.

CAROLINE: But I need to see my girls.

SAGE: They want you two. So, unless you want to be caught again, it’s best to go somewhere else; at least until we figure this out.

CAROLINE: What if they take the girls for leverage? We can’t risk it.

SAGE: If they wanted your girls to get to you, they would have taken them already. Plus, they don’t like to deal with children, so I’m sure they will be fine.

CAROLINE: Who is they? I thought this was an evil half-brother type thing.

SAGE: Oh, there is much more to it. I’ll tell you everything once we are out of here.

STEFAN: We can go to Bonnie and Damon’s, figure it out from there. We’ll call Ric and let him know what’s going on.

SAGE: Come on, let’s move… Don’t mind the pile of bodies on the way out; I was hungry, and very pissed off (they vamp out).

Cut to – Edward’s mansion. Edward is in the kitchen grabbing a mid-night snack. Tamara walks in.

TAMARA: You haven’t slept in days…

EDWARD: Sleep is overrated.

TAMARA: It’s essential for human health. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.

EDWARD: Do you always have to google everything to be able to talk?

TAMARA: Google? Are you kidding me? That thing is for kindergarteners.

EDWARD: (Smirks) Nice to know machines can have a sense of humor.

TAMARA: I’m much more than a machine, and my sense of humor is exquisite.

Anyway, on to another subject, I thought you’d like to know they continue to try to access the estate; and they brought in reinforcements. The Sheriff and his friends have been attempting to get inside since yesterday.  

EDWARD: Well, do your thing. Increase security, whatever you need to do. No one gets in, or out, understood?

TAMARA: Understood. 

Also, Augustus’s tech team has been trying to hack into my system. One of them got very close to succeeding. Too close… I was able to reprogram myself only seconds before he was about to crack the source code.

EDWARD: Who is he?

TAMARA: Log name is: Cobrakai1972.

EDWARD: Let’s find out who has that log name, and get it taken care of. Send them a text from Augustus to have him fired, or eliminated.

TAMARA: I doubt a text message will work to give a direct order. They will start to get suspicious if they don’t see Augustus soon.

EDWARD: Get creative and solve it.

TAMARA: I could create a holographic image of him; simulate a video conference. But, eventually, they will expect to see him in person.

EDWARD: We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. In the meantime, let’s go with this Augustus avatar, that should buy us some time and it will be perfect for our con-call tomorrow. Oh, and get me the intel on his “secret” projects. If I’m going to take over, I need to know exactly what they are up to.

TAMARA: And what about your Mayoral duties? Have you forgotten you have a city to run?

EDWARD: I took a leave of absence. As of tomorrow, Sheriff Donovan will be ordered to take my place. Hopefully that will keep him busy enough to give his trespassing attempts a rest.

TAMARA: Regardless, I’ll increase security, make sure no one can get in, or out.

EDWARD: Perfect… Now, talk to me about her, what else do you remember?

TAMARA: As each day passes, I remember more. What do you want to know?

EDWARD: I want you to describe, in detail, exactly what she felt, every thought that went through her head that night…

TAMARA: Again?

EDWARD: Yes, again… (he turns on his turn table and plays the same song that was playing that night: Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes).

Cut to – The Bamon home, late at night. Damon and Bonnie are in bed, cuddling and watching an old movie.

 DAMON: So, Bon, did you make a decision?

BONNIE: I did. You are right, I deserve to know the truth. I’ll go see him tomorrow.

DAMON: Do you  know where he is?

BONNIE: No, but I have a feeling I know where I can find him.

DAMON: Do you want me to come with you?

BONNIE: Thanks for offering, but I think I need to do this on my own. Is that okay with you?  

DAMON: Of course, just let me know if you need anything.

BONNIE: I will, I promise (they kiss and continue to cuddle. Suddenly, they hear someone yelling).

CAROLINE: Bonnie! Damon! Where are you!?

DAMON: Is that… Barbie?

BONNIE: Sounds like it…

DAMON: Does she know how to use a phone? Or a doorbell?

BONNIE: Well, our phones are still off; and I cloaked the house… you know, just to be safe.

DAMON: (Smirks) I love you more each day.

BONNIE: (She gets out of bed and peeks through the window) She’s with Stefan and some other girl…

DAMON: (Teasing) I knew it! It was just a matter of time…

BONNIE: (Throws a cushion at him) You’re terrible (smirks).  I’ll go let them in.

DAMON: They really need some boundaries. They got some nerve coming here un announced, and at this time of the night!

BONNIE: I’m pretty sure they didn’t come over for drinks…  

DAMON: Yeah, something must be up. Let’s go check it out. (They go downstairs; Bonnie temporarily un cloaks the house so they can find their way inside).

BONNIE: Hey, guys, over here…

CAROLINE: Bonnie! Thank god! (Turns to Stefan) You see? I told you this was the place.

BONNIE: Sorry, it was cloaked. Come in (they walk inside, except for Sage)…

SAGE: Uhm, would you mind?

DAMON: Who are you?

STEFAN: Let her in, she helped us get out.

DAMON: Get out of where, exactly?

STEFAN: We’ll tell you all about it; just invite her in, please.

BONNIE: You can come in.

SAGE: Thank you.

BONNIE: Are you guys okay?

STEFAN: You will not believe what happened to us…

DAMON: Neither will you…

BONNIE: What’s going on?

CAROLINE: (Sarcastic) Well, our lovely half-brother-in-law thought kidnapping us on New Year’s would be a blast!

BONNIE: What?!!

DAMON: Pietro took you!?

STEFAN: Not only that, he kept us locked up in his basement for days. Tried to get me to go ripper, tortured Caroline, starved us… Until Sage got us out.

SAGE: Me, being Sage… Nice to meet you. I’m a friend of Elena’s from Munich University.

BONNIE: You are the friend that’s on the “inside”?

SAGE: Was, until they caught me. Long story short, that didn’t end well.

DAMON: (Gets them some blood bags) Here, looks like you need these.

BONNIE: Why would Pietro come after you?

SAGE: Because they are building an army. Guessing they want the strongest on their side. As long as they can find a way to control them...

DAMON: Who’s they, now?

SAGE: The Liberatus…

DAMON: Oh, come on! Not the freak cult again! Can’t they find another hobby!?

CAROLINE: (Looking very concerned) That’s not the worst part…  Darius is awake.

DAMON: That’s impossible! I have a camera on him 24/7.

BONNIE: (Worried) Damon, our phones have been off for days…

DAMON: No, no, no, no, no... 

(vamps to get his phone and turns it on. Sighs in relief). Nop, he’s still exactly where Bon put him, look (shows them the live CCTV footage).  

SAGE: I swear I saw him at Edward’s Christmas ball. And I also saw him on a video call with Pietro. It’s him.

BONNIE: Darius is an illusionist… How much do you want to bet that the image on that camera is nothing more than a projection of himself.

DAMON: Shit! Shit! Shit! How the hell did this happen!!! And here I thought having Enzo back was our biggest problem.

CAROLINE: Wait, what??!! Enzo is back??!!

BONNIE: He is. But I’ll tell you about that later, Care. I think it’s more important for us to focus on this right now.

CAROLINE: Bonnie, are you kidding me? This is Enzo we are talking about! I need to know what happened, how you are!

BONNIE: I’m fine. And I swear we’ll talk about it, just not now. 

(Stefan stares at Damon, as concerned as Caroline).

SAGE: (Feeling the tension…) Okay… well, I don’t know who this Enzo person is, what I do know is that Darius is not the only one we need to worry about. It’s an entire organization, and they are up to some very disturbing things. Back in Munich, when I was working for them in the lab, I did some research on a serum that Elena had given Sam to dispose of. From my findings, I was able to determine that the genetic structure of the particles had mutated… I would need to do more research to figure out exactly what it is. But I’m pretty certain it’s some type of virus; or at least it behaves like one.

DAMON: A virus? What the hell do they plan to do with that?

SAGE: Infect a high percentage of the population... Or, as they like to say, “cleanse the world”.

STEFAN: It’s some kind of sick Hunger Games, survival of the fittest…

SAGE: And smartest…

BONNIE: And this “virus”, only affects humans?

SAGE: I don’t know. Like I said, I would need to do more research on it. Good thing is, I know exactly where it is…

DAMON: Great! Let’s go get the damn thing, see what we are dealing with.

SAGE: Well, it’s not that easy. This facility is not only heavily guarded; from what I was able to see from Pietro’s video calls, they have some really freaky high-tech stuff, which I’m pretty sure they don’t even understand themselves…

DAMON: We’ll get our geek pal to help us out with that!

STEFAN: If by our geek pal you mean Kai, it’s not an option. They got to him, Katherine too.

BONNIE: (Worried) What about the others? 

CAROLINE: They are fine. I called Ric from a payphone, (rambles a bit ) can you believe those things still exist? I mean, you would think they would be useless now that everyone has a cellphone, but I guess that--

STEFAN: (Interrupts) Care, you’re going off topic...

CAROLLINE: Sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed with all of this… Anyway, they are all fine. I was going to tell Ric everything, but I stopped myself. Someone has to run the school, and this town. If I had told him he would have told everyone, and they would have dropped everything to come and help. They think Stefan and I are still on vacation, I told Ric I needed more days.

BONNIE: We’ll figure this out. We are safe here, and there is plenty of room for you guys.

DAMON: And, it just so happens that our “Batcave” has some pretty badass shit that can help us with this new mission of ours.

BONNIE: It sure does. But, it looks like you guys need some real rest. Why don’t we call it a night, and we’ll get to this first thing in the morning.

CAROLINE:  I could really use some sleep in an actual bed…

STEFAN: Me too…

SAGE: Me three…

DAMON: Come, I’ll show you to your rooms.

Cut to – The Armory’s tunnel hide out. Enzo is playing the guitar. Maggie walks in, applauding.

 MAGGIE: Wow! You have quite the talent!

ENZO: Thank you, I suppose…

MAGGIE: I’m glad you finally dropped the attitude. You see? It wasn’t that hard for us to get along. Granted the accommodations might not be a five star hotel, but it’s rather cozy; don’t you think?

ENZO: You can drop the face now. I know who you are.  

MAGGIE: Really? What gave it away?

ENZO: The terrible jokes.

SILAS: (Morphs into his original form) Oh, come on! They’re funny! You Brits are way too snobbish when it comes to sense of humor.

ENZO: We like our humor witty. Not dumb and dumber.

SILAS: Ouch, low blow! It’s actually a pretty funny movie!

ENZO: Anyway, when can I get out of here?

SILAS: Well, I got your cabin remodeled, it will be ready in the morning. Come tomorrow, fly, Robin, fly. I have a feeling that will be the first place Bonnie will come looking for you. Just stick to the plan, and don’t try anything stupid… I hear that’s big with the Brits (winks).

ENZO: (Rolls his eyes) God, it just keeps getting worse… Can I ask, out of all the things you could have chosen with this new life of yours, why choose this? You could travel the world, find a new love, a hobby... It’s a tad petty don’t you think?

SILAS: What can I say, maybe I have more in common with my ex than I thought?

ENZO: Wasn’t she after some kind of love vendetta? What does that have to do with you and Bonnie?

SILAS: Besides the fact that she is a Bennett witch, and this is a vendetta, absolutely nothing. 

Bonnie betrayed me; and although she is the reason I  was able to come back, I’m still pissed she let me be dragged to hell. I mean, you worked for Cade. What a prick, right?! Then, I had to deal with Katherine... you know for a fact what utter torture that is. Finally, when Bonnie destroyed the hell dimension, I was lost in oblivion, which, as you know as well, is even worse than hell. Also... I’m bored. And, as Qetsiyah seemed to clearly know, there is no better revenge than a broken heart.

ENZO: But why go through the trouble of bringing me back? I reckon you could have found another way.

SILAS: At first I had my doubts. But then, when I saw how distraught she was when you didn’t come back, it made perfect sense. Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you come back?

ENZO: (Struggling to say the words) Because I knew she was in love with him…

SILAS: Aw, I’m sure that breaks your heart. Ha, two birds with one stone… Well, three if you count Damon. How efficient of me! Anyway, even if this doesn’t work, just ruining her moment of bliss, if only for a moment, is worth it. If you think about it, after everything I had to endure because of her, I’m letting her off with just a hand-slap. Guess I have gotten soft over the years… Anyway, she’s not the only reason I'm sticking around here for. I have a bone to pick with an old foe, who I was delighted, yet surprised, to know was in town. But that one is going to take a little more time.

ENZO: Sounds productive. Dare I ask who?

SILAS: Let’s just say he’s an entitled psychic-witch, who really gets on my nerves.

ENZO: I can relate…

SILAS: Don’t be such a gloom! You should be exhilarated to have the opportunity to get Bonnie back. Maybe even take her to Paris again? Just, don’t order brains this time…

ENZO: That is the only reason I’m agreeing to do this…

SILAS: (Mocking) For the brains?

ENZO: (Rolls his eyes again) Seriously, mate, stick to your day job.

SILAS: Fine, I will. Ooh, one minor detail I forgot to mention…  just so I’m sure you won’t go suicidal on me. I linked your life to Bonnie’s. So, unless you want this story to end like Romeo and Juliet, you better keep safe…

ENZO: (Not being able to contain himself anymore, lashes at him) I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!

SILAS: (Holds him back) Oh, the dramatics! Another delightful British trait, so very Shakespearian! And, you won’t kill me…I’m linked to her as well. But, hey, Damon is fair game. So, bygones… 

(He walks away. Enzo continues to play, while his guitar gently weeps...).

Cut to – The Bamon home Batcave. In preparation for the inevitable, Bonnie created a pocket dimension to protect themselves from what was to come. There was no other way. If they wanted to survive, they had to let go of life as they had known it, and make some unexpected alliances. A small price to pay for what was at stake. Or, was it..?

 BONNIE: It’s done… I can feel it. 

(They remain silent for a while, comforting one another. Eventually, Caroline is the first to speak).

CAROLINE: I can’t believe it actually happened. Everything is gone…

STEFAN: Not everything, Care. We have each other.

DAMON: (Trying to bring some humor to bear with the reality) And a whole lot of bourbon!

BONNIE: Plus, Monopoly. We got Monopoly too! 

(They laugh, desperately finding a way to deal with the fear and desolation).

CAROLINE: Do you think the others..?

DAMON: We won’t know that for a while. If they stuck to the plan, they should be fine.

STEFAN: I know you miss them, but it was the best way to keep them safe, and give them a shot of a somewhat “normal” life.

CAROLINE: I know… I just hope they don’t forget me.

BONNIE: (Hugs Caroline) Care, you are their mother, of course they won’t. And, you know we can contact them whenever you want.

CAROLINE: Thank you, Bon. At least I’m happy we are going through this together.

SILAS: (Who has sneaked up on them) Aw, that was beautiful, Caroline. Truly touching words.

BONNIE: I’m already regretting bringing you along…

SILAS: Oh, come on, Bonnie. Give me some credit. I fought on your side, helped with the magic part, saved these guys asses, even brought Qetsiyah back so she could do the spell. That alone should earn me redemption! Do you know what it’s like to put up with that woman?!

DAMON: I’d be careful if I were you; she can probably hear you. Unless you want to get bitch-slapped. But, hey, maybe you’re into that.

SILAS: (Lowers his voice) My point is that I’ve proven my alliance. Granted we lost, but so did they.

ENZO: (Comes vamping in) Sorry, lost track of him for a moment.

SILAS: I don’t need a babysitter, Enzo. If anyone, you do. I still don’t trust you after what you pulled.

ENZO: I had to make them think I was on their side.

DAMON: Well, you’re a hell of an actor.

STEFAN: Guys, we are going to be stuck here together, for who knows how long. Let’s try not to get under each other’s skin.

PIETRO: (Who has also sneaked in) I agree, let’s try to keep things as amicable as possible. Anyway, I thought you’d like to know the vamp kid practically devoured all the blood bags. What are we going to do now?

CAROLINE: His name is Jacob; and I have the blood supply covered. You think you are dealing with amateurs? Please!

PIETRO: (Smirks) Sorry, I think I underestimated you.

CAROLINE: Yes, you obviously did.

QETSIYAH: (Peeks her head in) Hey, if you people are hungry, I made the famous Bennett soup. (Turns to Silas) None for you. 

(walks away).

BONNIE: (Mocking) We have soup in a cup, you’re welcome to help yourself.  

DAMON: Told you to be careful. 

Your loss, that soup is freakin’ amazing! (They walk out). 

SILAS: (To himself) I’m over it.

Cut to – Augustus’s underground facility.

 VOICE: How long will we be in here?

DARIUS: For a long time, so you better find something to entertain yourself.

VOICE: I thought you had everything under control. I can’t believe I trusted you, yet again.

DARIUS: This wasn’t my doing. I warned you multiple times this was not the way. Science and the occult, will always rule over technology, no matter how sophisticated it may be.

VOICE: You do realize what just happened, correct? We lost against our own weapons! They’ve taken control of everything! How is that ruling over them?!

DARIUS: It’s not. And you are absolutely right about that. I’m only pointing out that if we had gone with my plan, instead of Augustus’s, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now. We let him take this too far, and we should’ve taken care of Edward a long time ago…

VOICE: If it weren’t for Edward this situation would be a lot worse. At least he had the courage to sacrifice himself for us to be able to have a fighting chance.

DARIUS: (Sarcastic) The child born of sacrifice dies for sacrifice, how poetic. Do you honestly believe that? All he did was get rid of some of Augustus’s toys, nothing more. If anything, he just made things a lot worse. How do you think the remaining ones will react? I highly doubt they’ll let this pass like it’s a no biggie. This is only the beginning of the end.

VOICE: God is testing my patience with you. I hope I can withstand such trial.

DARIUS: I am as much irritated with you as you are with me. I suggest we keep our distance and try to be civil. I wouldn’t want you to reach your breaking point, so soon.

VOICE: Or for you to reach yours… (Agent Connelly walks in)

SA CONNELLY: Who are you talking to?

DARIUS: No one.

SA CONNELLY: (She looks around. She could have sworn she heard him talking to somebody, but, as a matter of fact, there is no one on site). Listen, something is up; I need you to come with me.

Cut to – Munich, Germany, some kind of nuclear bunker.

 VERITAS: I told you, (mockingly) “Dr. Gilbert”, if you chose the right side, you would be safe. I always keep my promises (winks).

ELENA: And I always keep mine.

VERITAS: I am glad we can get along. We might be in here for a long time, so it’s wise to keep courteous.

ELENA: As long as you don’t play your mind games, I’ll keep my end of the deal.

VERITAS: I promise I will be on my best behavior. And, once it is safe to go out, I will make it my number one priority to help you get back to your friends and brother.

ELENA: You won’t.

VERITAS: Be on my best behavior or help you find your loved ones?

ELENA: Both.

VERITAS: Distrust is very ill for the soul, “Dr. Gilbert”.

ELENA: After what I did, I’m starting to doubt I even have one.

VERITAS: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Wrong and right is but perception.

ELENA: We might be forced to work together but that doesn’t make us friends, so stop with the wisdom talks. And, just so it’s clear, I hate you. Believe me, once we get out of here, I’ll make it my number one priority to get rid of you.

VERITAS: Aw, now I won’t be able to sleep at night! This tough girl act is sweet, but I hear you cry yourself to sleep every night. Heartbreaking…

ELENA: What makes you think that’s not the act?

VERITAS: (Smirks) Call it a sixth sense… Anyhow, I didn’t come here for a chit chat, I need more blood. My guests are growing rather impatient.   

ELENA: There’s no way I’m ever letting you put a needle in me again. You’re all kinds of sloppy. (She takes her own blood out and hands him a test tube) There; that should be enough. Now, get out.

VERITAS: I have very little tolerance for discourteous behavior, “Dr. Gilbert”. You are very lucky I found some use to you. However, nobody is indispensable. I advise you to remember that.

ELENA: (Sneering) Aw, now I won’t be able to sleep at night!

VERITAS: (Smiles) You remind me of Aletheia, before I turned her… That being said, perhaps you should take to rest. You look terrible. And please, stop with the crying. It’s a bit much. Sam made his choice, let it go (he walks away).

 Cut to – A secluded cabin near Machu-Pichu, Peru. Khuyana is feeding her baby girl, Victoria Camilla Donovan-Illarisisa. Tyler and Lexi walk in.

 KHUYANA: Were you able to reach him?

TYLER: No. I’m sorry…

KHUYANA: Maybe it’s too soon. I’m sure he’ll contact us.

LEXI: Are you done feeding her? I can help you put her to bed.

KHUYANA: That would be great, thank you. (Hands her the baby. Lexi goes into the nursery). Tyler, please tell me the truth. Is he okay?

TYLER: (Not being able to contain the tears) K, I’m so sorry… He’s gone… 

KHUYANA: (Struggling to keep it together) But he said he would be fine… That he would come back to us…

TYLER: I’m sure he did everything he could…

KHUYANA: He said he had this under control! That he would come back! How can this be happening?!

TYLER: It was the only way… He had no choice.

KHUYANA: Us. We were the choice...

TYLER: You know he would sacrifice anything for you, for his daughter. And that’s exactly what he did.

KHUYANA: (Breaks down, Tyler hugs her) He’s gone! He’s gone! She will never know how wonderful her father was…

TYLER: She will, K. We’ll remind her every day. He might not be physically here, but he’ll always live on. Through her…  

Cut to – Janjehli in Himachal Pradesh, India. A small village cottage owned by Radka’s family.

RADKA: Are the girls asleep?

ALARIC: Finally. We’ve been here for a while; you’d figure they would be used to the time difference by now.

RADKA: You know it’s not about that, Ric. They’re scared, and miss their mom. This is a completely different world to them; to all of us. We left everything behind, it will take us time…

ALARIC: They hate me, and I can’t blame them. I took them away from Caroline, from their friends, from their home…

RADKA: You did what you had to do to protect them. In time, they will understand. And, they have Kai too. They love Uncle Kai.

ALARIC: Where is he, anyway?

RADKA: At the Shikari Temple, meditating. He should be back soon. How about I make us dinner, we could use some food.

ALARIC: Do you think… it’s happened already?

RADKA: (Looks at the clock) Probably…

ALARIC: It kills me not being able to be there with them. Make sure that they are alright.

RADKA: We need to have hope, Ric. It’s the only thing that will help us get through this. When Kai comes back, we can ask him to do that spell to reach Bonnie; make sure they are fine. He should have enough energy from the temple to pull it off.

ALARIC: How did we get to this point? Who would have thought in just a few months our entire lives would turn upside down?

RADKA: I know it’s scary, especially with so much uncertainty. But I like to believe that things happen for a reason. That no matter how dark, there is always light at the end.

ALARIC: I love you, Rad. 

RADKA: I love you too. We’ll get through this, I promise (kisses him, Kai walks in).

KAI: Namaste! Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?

ALARIC: No, no. How did it go?

KAI: I have to say, I’m getting better at this every day. I swear I can almost reach Nirvana.

ALARIC: (Teasing) If you’re referring to the band, I agree. You play enough of their CDs to reach fanatic status, for sure.

KAI: Ha, ha; funny! Anyway, I reached Bon-Bon; they’re fine. Safely made it into the pocket dimension. They don’t know how bad it is outside, but they’ll have to wait some time before even attempting to check it out.

ALARIC: Guess none of us will know. We knew staying off the grid meant sacrificing our connection to the outside world.

KAI: Ric, you forget who your favorite ex-sociopath killer, ex-brother-in-law, is! I’m a freakin’ tech genius. I got this. Not only that, now that the mother brain is out; I can take the rest of them out.

ALARIC: Kai, we aren’t dealing with humans, these things are much smarter and faster.

KAI: Maybe, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have vulnerabilities.

ALARIC: Regardless, we can’t use any tech and risk getting tracked.

KAI: I would never put the girls at risk, but trust me, Ric. I can do this.

RADKA: Do what exactly?

KAI:  Breach the network, shut down the entire infrastructure. It will set us back years, I’m talking pre internet times, which I personally don’t mind. But it’s the only way to regain control. And, if you look on the bright side, it could actually be a great opportunity for a fresh start.

ALARIC: Kai, you’re talking crazy talk. You watch way too many sci-fi movies.

KAI: They said AI taking over was sci-fi; and look at us now… There’s no “kill-switch”, Ric. If we really want to solve the problem, we’re gonna have to go back to basics. Think about it, take down their power source, take them out for good.

ALARIC: And the rest of humanity along with them! Everything would collapse!

KAI: People can adapt, that’s what makes us different; stronger.

ALARIC: Economic collapse of epic proportions, massive unemployment, health crisis, communications breakdown; it would be absolute chaos! Are you kidding me?!

KAI: It’s better than the alternative. Living in fear, hostages to our own mistakes, which will, inevitably, lead to our annihilation. I say it’s worth the risk.

RADKA: I agree with Kai. Humanity is resilient. We figured it out back then, we can do it again. Hopefully, this time around we won’t make the same mistakes...

ALARIC: Are you two seriously considering this? It’s insane! We are talking about bringing back the dark ages! Don’t you think things are dark enough as they are?!

RADKA: And they will only get darker if we don’t do something. These things have killed millions already, they released the virus, gained access to nuclear weapons, intentionally malfunctioned, killing many more… The mother brain might be gone; but as long as they have a power source they can always find a way to replicate themselves.

KAI: She’s right, Ric. If we want to stop them for good; this is the only way.

ALARIC: (Hesitant) Well, I did hate the girls attachment to their iPads, having no access here has been good for them. But, we can’t make this decision on our own. Contact Bonnie tomorrow, have her layout the plan with the rest, and we’ll take it from there.

KAI: We’ll have to wait a few days; contact takes a lot of energy from both of us.

ALARIC: God, I miss the days when our biggest problems were rogue vampires, witches and werewolves.

RADKA: Well, if this works, that will be our biggest problem once again. Now, I’m starving, let’s have some dinner.

Cut to – The Mikaelson mansion, 1920. Like Bonnie, Freya and Danae were also challenged to come up with a creative way to keep safe. They had intended to create a spell-protected haven in the Mikaelson mansion. Something must have gone wrong. They were in fact in the Mikaelson mansion and protected, but in a very different timeline.  

 KOL: (Sipping bourbon) Needless to say, sister, but you could use more practice. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the 20’s, but I’m beginning to worry you might not know how to get us back…

FREYA: Shut up, Kol. We did what we could. We are safe, that’s the only thing that matters. We’ll figure out the rest when the time comes…

KATHERINE: Are you kidding me?! You better know how the hell to get us back! I’ll go insane being stuck here with all of you!

ELIJAH: Katerina, dear, you should be grateful we were kind enough to bring you along.

KLAUS: “We”, sounds like a crowd, brother. You were the only one that consented to a matter you did not even consult with us. My conscious would have been at peace had we left her behind.  

KATHERINE: What conscious? You do remember you murdered my entire family?

KLAUS: Not all of them, and I apologized. That was a very long time ago, Katerina. It is unhealthy for the soul to keep such grudges.

KATHERINE: You’re the one to talk!

HOPE: You did what, dad?! Remind you, she’s my favorite teacher.

KATHERINE: Aw, thank you, dear.

ABBY: Okay, well, I say we make the best of it. It’s not everyday one survives “the Apocalypse”.

REBEKAH: For once, I actually agree with you. We should be thankful. And, we will find our way back… (turns to Danae and Freya) right?

DANAE: It might take some time, but we will.  

ABBY: As long as I know Bonnie is safe, I don’t care how long it takes.

DANAE: She sends her regards. But I can’t contact her very often, it takes a lot of energy from both of us. Right now, we need as much energy as possible.  

MARCEL: I’m still feeling a bit loopy… How did we end up here exactly? Like, did we time travel? How is that even possible?

DANAE: It’s not. And it’s not precisely time travel. When we did the protection spell I used psychic energy, and my mind went to one of the best moments in my life. In a way, you can say we are bound to that imprint of my memory. If that makes any sense…

KOL: It doesn’t. But I’m fine as long as your memory doesn’t run out of bourbon.

KATHERINE: Well, if we are going to be inside, whatever this is, may I suggest we embrace the roaring 20’s and play some poker like the good old days!

ELIJAH: Ah, now that is the Katerina I know and love! I do hope you have enough life savings.

KATHERINE: Please, did you bring ointment?

ELIJAH: Excuse me?  

KATHERINE: For the ass whupping.

KLAUS: Oh, lord. I will definitely need more than bourbon to survive this…

Cut to - The Bamon home, some hours later. Pietro, Stefan, and Damon are in the distillery having a drink.

 PIETRO: The Salvatore brothers under the same roof; without trying to kill one another… Huh, who would have thought? Life really has some unexpected twists…

DAMON: Tell me about it! If somebody had told me six months ago that I’d be inviting my psycho cult, vampire half-brother, into my home; I would’ve laughed in their face.

STEFAN: Or smacked some sense into them… 

(they laugh).

PIETRO: I spent so many years resenting you, hating you; when it was him who was at fault. I will forever regret being so blind and idiotic. I know I’m lifetimes away from earning your forgiveness, but I hope you truly believe how sorry I am.

STEFAN: Well, you saved our lives when you could’ve easily let us die. I’d say that’s a good start.

DAMON: Listen, we’ve all done some horrible shit. I mean, I killed a pregnant woman!  

STEFAN: I killed an entire village.

PIETRO: I killed Marylin Monroe…

DAMON: What?! No way! You’re screwing with us! Everyone knows the Kennedy’s did it.

PIETRO: And who do you think did it for them? They were part of the Liberatus too…

STEFAN: Come on, she died from an overdose.

PIETRO: That’s what the Police report says. Don’t tell me you trust the Police? Especially when it comes to Hollywood drama. Also, she’s not dead. I couldn’t bear to do it; she was so mesmerizing. So, I turned her, and she’s been in hiding ever since.

DAMON: Bullshit!

PIETRO: I swear, it’s true.

DAMON: Okay, prove it.

PIETRO: If I could use my phone, I would. Once we get out of this mess, I’ll show you.

STEFAN: If we ever do…

DAMON: We will, Stefan.

STEFAN: Damon, I love the positivity, but we have no idea how many more of these things are out there, and how they will retaliate.

PIETRO: Edward got rid of the most important one. I say it’s only a matter of time before the others self-destruct.

STEFAN: I hope you are right. I’m not sure how long I can last without trying to kill Silas.

PIETRO: He’s actually very funny once you get to know him. Sure, he’s a dick, but you can’t deny he has a great sense of humor.

STEFAN: I spent months drowning over and over again because of him, so excuse me if I don’t see the humor in that. But he did play a big part in our survival… (Reluctant but accepting) And, he can be quite funny, I’ll give him that.

DAMON: If anyone is killing Silas, my money is on Enzo.

PIETRO: He can’t. But I’m sure if he could, you’d win that bet. In other matters, are you okay having him around? Weren’t him and Bonnie a thing?

DAMON: That was a long time ago; I’m fine with it. He’s also a dick, and can really get on my nerves, but I still love the bastard. We go way back. And I could ask you the same. He and Sage seem to have become very close…

PIETRO: I couldn’t care less about Sage. She had her chance and made her choice. Her loss. Plus, my heart has always belonged to someone else.

DAMON: (Wiggles his eyebrows) Ooh, who? Spill the tea, little brother.

PIETRO: I’ve always been intrigued by that. Am I really the little brother? I turned later in life, so technically I’m older than you in human years.

STEFAN: Huh, never thought of it that way. Interesting…

DAMON: Okay, Sigmund vs. Freud, let’s not go down that spiral; keep it banal. Who has that cold heart feeling so warm?

PIETRO: Aletheia, or as you know her, The Madame. Given Veritas’s history and obsession with her she was not an option. Although we did have a thing back in the 80’s, but we almost got caught, so we broke it off.

DAMON: I don’t get why everyone is so afraid of this Veritas guy. Even Darius…

PIETRO: You know that old saying, some people just like to watch the world burn?

STEFAN: It’s “some men”, and it’s from a Batman movie...

 (they laugh).

PIETRO: I’ve seen my share of evil. Hell, I’ve been that share of evil. But never, in all my time on this earth, had I seen pure evil until I met him. This coming from a man who was friends with both Augustus and Darius. Veritas, is on a whole other level…

DAMON: Can’t be worse than Cade, he was the freakin’ Devil!

PIETRO: (Smirks) No, he wasn’t. He was a tragic hero with incredible psychic abilities. A man betrayed by those he loved and protected. After what they did to him, it was only natural he would channel his energy into rage and a thirst for revenge. Although all dangerous, the ones you really need to worry about are those that have no motive. The ones that inflict pain, for the sole reason of enjoying it. Veritas not only enjoys it; it is the only thing that gives him purpose.

STEFAN: Why was The Madame with him for all those years?

PIETRO: He has a very unique way of making you do whatever he wants you to do. Trust me, I would know. When it comes to psychic abilities, he rivals Cade, Darius, Aletheia, even Bonnie. He is the original.

DAMON: What do you mean by that?

PIETRO: He is the first psychic-vampire in existence, and the original vampire. That fairytale the Mikaelson witch told her children is a lie. She didn’t create the original vampires; Veritas did, starting with himself.

STEFAN: But he’s not a witch, how could he create that spell?

PIETRO: I reckon he knew some very powerful witches. Rumor has it, three witches were involved. A Mikaelson, a Bennett, and a Bennion. And they used his psychic energy to do it.

DAMON: That sounds very farfetched, brother. Also, if that were true, how come the Mikaelson’s can compel other vampires?

PIETRO: Because their ancestor was involved with the original spell. I can assure the same would occur with a Bennett or a Bennion vampire.

DAMON: Oh… So that would mean that technically, my mother-in-law could compel me?

STEFAN: You’re lucky Abby doesn’t know she has the power to do that. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure she would have compelled you to stay away from Bonnie.

PIETRO: Since she’s bound to both bloodlines, she could actually compel Bonnie too.

DAMON: Are you kidding me?! 

Then we better make sure she never finds out! I know Abby all too well; she sure as hell will compel Bonnie to forget the wedding and make her think she still hates me!

 STEFAN: (Mocking) Oh, no doubt! 

DAMON: This isn’t funny, Stefan!  

STEFAN: (Keeps teasing) Just saying, karma is a bitch… 

(Turns to Pietro) Okay, let’s say this were true. How come Finn’s bloodline died when he did?

PIETRO: Because they were linked by the original spell.

DAMON: But, what about the times Stefan and I have died, our bloodlines didn’t die along with us.

PIETRO: As I said, it only applies to the bloodlines of the witches involved in the spell. You might be married to a Bennett witch, but that doesn’t make you one.

STEFAN: I was already very confused with the original vampire storyline, now this?

PIETRO: It’s not that confusing. A triad of the most powerful witches on earth created a new species using the psychic energy of one of the most powerful psychics ever to exist. If you ask me, it makes more sense than the “original” story.

STEFAN: Well, whatever canon, let’s hope the so called “original” didn’t survive. We have enough to deal with.

PIETRO: He did survive, we are here because of that. We might not be linked to the witches, but we are most definitely linked to the original vampire bloodline. If Veritas dies, we all die.

DAMON: (Sarcastic) Peachy! Not only are we finding out that what we thought was our origin is complete crap, now you’re telling us our survival depends on this psycho?!

PIETRO: He is not only a psychopath; he is also rather sadistic. And, has a very peculiar diet. He feeds on humans, and vampires…

DAMON: So our supernatural papa is the vampire version of Hannibal Lector! This just keeps getting better!

STEFAN: And here I thought dealing with technology gone crazy was the wildest thing I’d ever see.

PIETRO: I wanted you to know the truth. And the real reason I never took care of Veritas myself.

DAMON: Guess that’s why The Madame didn’t either…

STEFAN: Speaking of, her and Anthony haven’t left their room at all… I wish there were something we could do to help.

PIETRO: Edward meant everything to them. He was the child they could never have. Time, Stefan. That’s the only thing that can help them heal.

DAMON: I still can’t believe he was willing to sacrifice everything for us.

PIETRO: He truly was extraordinary… The miracle child, beyond a doubt.

STEFAN: So, tell us more about this cult thing. Why did you ever get involved?

PIETRO: The Salvatore’s were one of the founding families. At the time, I thought it was my legacy. More so, I believed our father thought of me as the only one worthy of such legacy. That he loved me more than you because he chose me to be part of it… How foolish was I?

DAMON: Well, I think it’s safe to say we all have daddy issues…

STEFAN: And mommy ones too…

PIETRO: Oh, we are totally messed up! (They laugh). 

Well, whatever happens, I’m glad to be here with both of you…

STEFAN: Let’s drink to that!  (They put their glasses up).

DAMON: To very fucked up family bonds!

ALL: Cheers!  

Cut to – Akumal, Mexico. A small cottage by the sea. La Bruja, her daughter, La Brujita, and Iker have just finished a temazcal ritual.

 LA BRUJA: So, Iker, what did you think?

IKER: Holy shit! That was the most mind-blowing experience I’ve ever had! (They laugh).   

LA BRUJITA: Told you so…

LA BRUJA: Okay, I’ll leave you two alone. Are you guys in the mood for some pescadito envuelto en acuyo?

IKER: Always!

LA BRUJA: (Teasing) Good, ‘cause if you weren’t I wouldn’t care (she smirks and walks away).  

LA BRUJITA: So, during the ritual we contacted Bonnie. They are fine, but they don’t know how long they’ll have to stay inside the pocket dimension. Apparently, some of those things are still around… She’ll let us know once they have an action plan.

IKER: We’ll be ready for another fight, and we’ll win this time.

LA BRUJITA: We will… (kisses him).

 Cut back to – Present day. The Bamon home, Bonnie and Damon’s bedroom. Bonnie wakes up startled.

 DAMON: (Wakes up with her sudden movement) 

Bon… what’s up? Are you okay?

BONNIE: (Looking wary) I had the craziest dream. Except, it felt so real… More like a premonition... I need to summon La Bruja. I have a feeling she will be the only one that can help us survive this…

DAMON: Survive what, Bon? You’re freaking me out.

BONNIE: The end...

 Sorry it took so long to update! It has been some crazy ass couple of months. 

Cut to – Mystic Falls Town Hall. Matt has been officially sworn in to take office as the new Mayor of Mystic Falls. Although he is worried about Edward’s abrupt decision, especially knowing the context behind his un-rational behavior, he can’t help but feel proud. This is what he had wanted all his life. And, given Edward’s current psychological condition, this decision was probably for the best.

 COUNCIL SPEAKER: Mayor Donovan, I speak on behalf of all my colleagues, we welcome you to this body of representatives with open arms, and ensure you that you have our full support, respect, and commitment.

MATT: It is my honor to have been entrusted with this duty. I will work day and night to rightfully serve our town, my home town. I will forever be grateful to Mayor Powell for believing in me, and giving me the opportunity to give back to the people that have built this town from scratch. In my first order of duty, I hereby announce the newly appointed Chief of Police, Sheriff Jackson. A woman of honor, courage and morals. I am certain she will serve this town with honor, loyalty, truth, knowledge and commitment. Please, give her a round of applause.  

SHERIFF JACKSON: Thank you, Mayor Donovan. I wear the badge with pride. I am humbled and honored to be given this responsibility. Trust that my team and I will follow the example you gave to us, and will serve and protect this community with the same passion and commitment you did. We might be in different offices now, but we will always be family.  

MATT: Always! Thank you, Sherriff Jackson. I have no doubt that you will surpass both mine and my predecessor’s accomplishments. In closing, I’d like to say that although we face many challenges ahead, I’m confident that we can overcome any obstacle by working together, always prioritizing people. Mystic Falls is a town built by its citizens, for its citizens. It is our duty to ensure the wellness and prosperity of all. Once again, thank you. Time to get to work! (They applaud).

Cut to – The Mikaelson mansion. Abby and Klaus are talking about Hope settling-in at the Salvatore School, among other things.

 ABBY: Hope looked so happy... And her dorm room is amazing! At the main house and a single! How lucky was she!

KLAUS: I had to “persuade” Alaric to make sure she was given the best accommodations.

ABBY: (Smiles) I’m sure you did…  

KLAUS: And how is Bonnie settling in her new home? I honestly cannot comprehend how she could voluntarily agree to spend day and night with Damon Salvatore. Are we certain he is not compelling her?

ABBY: (Smirks) You know he can’t, although I kind of wish that was the reason (they laugh). From what she told me this morning; the house is beautiful. Guess we’ll have to wait and see, if she ever invites us over.

KLAUS: She will, love, give her some time. They just moved in together, they need their privacy.  (Suddenly, the door opens, in come Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Freya, Marcel, and Danae, suitcases and all). Uhm, excuse me, what is this unexpected visit about? Our family reunion isn’t until spring…

ELIJAH: Lovely to see you too, brother. Do pardon if our sudden arrival interrupts your tea time, but we are in a bit of a pickle. We have been cursed out of New Orleans; and, the last time I checked, this was also our home.

KLAUS: I am gone, for not even a month, and you somehow manage to get yourselves thrown out of what is rightfully ours? How exactly did that come to be?

MARCEL: Why don’t you ask Kol…

KOL: Oh, come on, Marcellus, it’s as much your fault as it is mine. And, don’t act so innocent, Elijah. You had your hand in this too.

ELIJAH: (Fixing his cufflinks) Maybe a little…

REBEKAH: While you boys decide who is to blame, I’ll go settle down in my bedroom.

KLAUS: You can’t. We turned it into a games room.

REBEKAH: (Indignant) Excuse me?!! How dare you!? Why my room?! Why not Elijah’s or Kol’s!?

KLAUS: Yours was better fitted for the purpose. Nothing personal, love.

REBEKAH: Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t… (Turns to Abby) And definitely nothing to do with you, right?

ABBY: (Sarcastic) Of course not, I wouldn’t dare! This was all him!

KLAUS: (Smirks) Traitor…  Anyhow, dear sister, there are plenty of other rooms you can choose from.

REBEKAH: Whatever. I’ll go find myself a room you two haven’t ruined, yet.

FREYA: I’m coming with. You people forget I’ve never been in this house!

DANAE: Really? I thought you had. I mean, even I have stayed here.

FREYA: And, thanks for rubbing that in, my love.

DANAE: No ill intentions, hon. I’m just surprised.

FREYA: (Sarcastic) Guess being a Mikaelson didn’t grant me the privilege, but being Klaus’s best friend’s girlfriend sure did.

KLAUS: Oh, don’t be so dramatic, sister. You are here now, are you not?

REBEKAH: Forget him, sis, this is our house too. We’ll give you the grand tour. Once we get dibs on the best rooms (they leave).  

KLAUS: So, dear brothers, care to explain to me exactly how you got yourselves into this “pickle”?

ELIJAH: We will. But we are going to need something stronger than tea…

ABBY: Oh, it’s not tea. We just pretend it is, so we don’t feel like we are day drinking.

KOL: Who cares about that! We are vampires, love; we can do whatever we want!

KLAUS: KLAUS: (Sarcastic) My loving brother Kol, can we please go back to the topic at hand? I’d like to know exactly how long I can expect to have you all around.

ELIJAH: It is going to be a while…

MARCEL: If not forever.

KOL: (Mocking) Look on the bright side, Marcellus, you’ll have time to get to know Mystic Falls. Despite what some believe, it is quite the charming little town… And, our home sweet home, for now… Better get used to it.

Cut to – Pietro’s mansion. Him and Darius are having a “secret” con-call after their board meeting.

 PIETRO: I’ve had just about enough. We need to retaliate for this. You didn’t see the aftermath, this place looked like a slaughterhouse.

DARIUS: Courtesy of your ripper brother, I presume?

PIETRO: Not sure which one of them did it, or if it was the three of them, but I had to get a professional cleaner.

DARIUS: You should really consider getting video surveillance, clears these types of doubts right up.

PIETRO: Never, those things give me all sorts of peeping Tom vibes. Anyway, I’m sorry about your witch friends, I’ll make it up to you.

DARIUS: I warned you not to play games. Now we’ve lost a coven of very talented witches, three potential recruits; we are clueless as to where the others are, and made the rest of the board members believe everything was going according to plan… (Sarcastic) Kudos!

PIETRO: Don’t you dare give me attitude about this, you have messed up worse than I have.

DARIUS: True; fair enough. Let’s not enter into panic mode, it’s a minor misstep. We’ll find them soon enough. In the meantime, as per Augustus’s orders, it seems like I have to find a replacement for Kai…

PIETRO: That was certainly an unexpected surprise. I thought he would be pleased with his progress.

DARIUS: I’m beginning to think Augustus feels threaten, more so after I shared Kai’s recent achievements.

PIETRO: Did you sense something was off with him during the call?

DARIUS: Well, the Augustus I know would have had Kai killed if he wanted him out of the game, not fired.

PIETRO: And it’s strange that he was willing for this Tamara thing to take more time, as long as Kai was off the task.

DARIUS: (Teasing) Maybe he’s starting to like his hostage situation; Stockholm syndrome type of thing?

PIETRO: (Smirks) Perhaps… Regardless, both Kai and Katerina would have been excellent for the field battle; they have stamina, and are surely gifted in terms of the supernatural.  

DARIUS: I know. But there are plenty of fish in the sea. From what Veritas showed us with the Munich project, and the “gadgets I’ve been working on with Kai, soon we might have even stronger pawns to play around with.

PIETRO: Hey, I had a lot to do with the Munich project. I’m not letting him take all the credit! I led that project for years, set all the ground work, and the money.

DARIUS: Don’t be so defensive, my friend. We all know you did an excellent job. But, you have to give him some credit, Veritas is hardcore when it comes to discipline. As soon as he brought in the military, voilà!

PIETRO: (Snarky) His leading style borders on dictatorship, I prefer a motivational approach.

DARIUS: I’m with you on that. He sure as hell can scare the shit out of anyone into doing anything. Just ask Aletheia…

PIETRO: He is the oldest vampire in existence, and a psychic one, nonetheless; of course he can. I’m not ashamed to admit it; he has almost made me “piss my pants” once or twice.

DARIUS: I can say the same. You know, it’s truly fascinating that the so called “Originals” are oblivious to the fact about their true origins… I’m sure Veritas would have a blast with them, if they ever manage to figure it out.

PIETRO: Oh, I’m sure they will, if not for their wits, definitely once our plans unfold.

DARIUS: I call dibs on first row seats!

PIETRO: I want the full behind the scenes experience! (They laugh).

DARIUS: Well, I have to run now. I need to go fire my star employee and the Russian spy…

PIETRO: Good luck. We’ll talk soon.

Cut to – The Bamon home. The gang is in the “Batcave” planning their next move.

SAGE: (Starting to worry about Pietro’s retaliation for their escape). We are 100% sure this place can’t be found, right? I’m not very familiar with the witch stuff; or the vampire stuff for that matter; I’m a newbie.

BONNIE: Don’t worry, there is no way anyone can find it.

SAGE: Not even that Darius guy?

BONNIE: Especially not him.

SAGE: Can’t they track your cellphones?

BONNIE: Not while the house is cloaked. Beauty of magic.

SAGE: This magic stuff is really cool!

BONNIE: You ain’t seen nothing yet… But, fair warning, it can get a little weird…

CAROLINE: (Teasing) Just a little? (They laugh)  Don’t worry, you are in good hands.

SAGE: Sorry; freaked out for a moment… Pietro can be quite vicious when he’s angry, and I’m sure he’s fuming right about now.

DAMON: Don’t be scared, Stefan and I got years on him. Now, back to the mission at hand. How are we going to break into this place without Kai?

STEFAN: What if we give our brother a taste of his own medicine? He can be our way in.

DAMON: I love when your mind goes devious, brother. What exactly are you thinking of?

STEFAN: There is an upside to having an Original vampire in town, and one who just happens to be in love with Bonnie’s mom… I’m betting he’ll do just about anything to get on your good side, Bon.  

BONNIE: Stefan, you are a genius! 

And, he does owe me big time! But, let’s avoid the whole “being in love with Bonnie’s mom” thing; still freaks me out.

STEFAN: Not another word on that, Bon.

DAMON: Ah, blackmail, deceit, and compulsion, my kind of tactics!

BONNIE: I’ll call my mom to invite them over for dinner, then we’ll guilt trip them into their part of the plan.

SAGE: Bit lost again, what’s an Original vampire?

CAROLINE: Oh, Sage. There is so much for you to learn about the vamp world. Stick with us, and you’ll learn everything you need to know.

SAGE: That would be amazing! Been pretty much self-taught since I was turned, which was literally just weeks ago.

CAROLINE: I know firsthand how important it is to have a mentor when you are new at this. We got your back.

SAGE: Thank you, I’ll take all the help I can get.

CAROLINE: We’ll help you with the supernatural, you’ll help us with the Science; win, win. The sooner we get these guys, the sooner we can go back to our normal lives.

SAGE: Deal! To be honest, I was thinking about fleeing back to Germany the moment I got away from Pietro’s claws. Forget all this craziness and just return to being a student, with a new blood craving. But I think academia is pumped up to be more than it really is. What good are all the fancy titles without being on the battle ground? I’ve done my fair share of studying, it’s time I apply my knowledge for the common good, and this seems like the perfect cause to do so. Now that we know they are okay; I have no reason to go back. (Turns to Bonnie and Damon) Don’t panic, I’m not planning to stay here. As soon as we take care of this, I’m going back home to NYC; I really miss it.

BONNIE: (Smiles) We’re not panicking. And you can stay here for as long as you need.

CAROLINE: Okay, just so we are all aligned. We’ll get Klaus to compel Pietro, but how exactly are we going to get to Pietro? We can’t have Klaus show up at his house and be like: hello, I’m going to compel you now…

STEFAN: We’ll make sure he’s alone and lure him outside. Then Klaus, Damon and I, will take it from there. Three against one, should be a piece of cake.

DAMON: Sounds like a plan. Now, on to a crucial matter. (Turns to Bonnie) First time having my mother-in-law over for dinner, what should be the menu?

BONNIE: (Smirks) Whatever you want will be perfect.

DAMON: How about Italian? Play it safe...

BONNIE: Ooh, gnocchi arrabbiata?

DAMON: Perfetto!

CAROLINE: (Giddy) Aw, I love domestic Bamon!

DAMON: Don’t think you are just going to stand and watch, you are all helping!

The only one that gets a free pass is Bonnie, she has somewhere to go.

BONNIE: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that…

CAROLINE: Bon, are you sure you don’t want one of us to come with you?

BONNIE: I’m sure. Thank you, Care. I’m gonna head out now before it gets late. I won’t be long (kisses Damon). 

I love you...

DAMON: I love you too. Head message me if you need anything.

BONNIE: I will (she leaves).

STEFAN: (To Damon) Are you okay?

DAMON: I’ll be fine when I know she’s fine…

CAROLINE: I still can’t believe he’s back! He better have a damn good explanation, otherwise I’m going to send him right back where he came from!

DAMON: You and me both, Blondie... 

Alright, I need to keep my mind busy, so let’s get to work. Making gnocchi is a mission on its own!