MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[The Mystic Falls High School football field is all decked out for the commencement ceremony. It is deserted except for Kol, who stands at the podium, and the d*ad hybrids and witches from the Expression triangle sacrifices who approach him. He taps the microphone before speaking.] 

Kol: Welcome back. It was our deaths that allowed this day to come to pass - massacres performed in the name of resurrecting the immortal, Silas. Twelve hybrids, twelve witches, the slaughter of innocents by the so-called hero protectors of Mystic Falls. They risked unleashing hell on earth for their own selfish gains. And today that's exactly what they're going to get. 

TITLE CARD AND OPENING CREDITS 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

[Lexi is dancing and rocking out to Bon Jovi in the parlor while Stefan drinks some bourbon straight from the bottle. Damon enters.] 

Stefan: Damon! Help me celebrate my 17th high school graduation. [Damon turns off the music.] Hey, you remember my friend, Lexi, of course? 

Damon: Lexi, back from the d*ad. Goody. 

[Lexi vamp-runs at Damon and pins him against the wall with a hand over his neck.] 

Lexi: What's up, buzzkill? 

Damon: [strained] Stefan, you're just gonna sit there and let her enact her ghostly revenge? 

Stefan: You reap what you sow, buddy. 

Lexi: Let's be very clear: whatever time I have left here, I sure as hell don't plan on wasting on you. You got me? 

Damon: Yeah. Got ya. 

[Lexi releases Damon and he gasps.] 

Damon: So if you and Ric and little Gilbert are all flesh-like and real-seeming, that means something went horribly wrong when Bonnie tried to put that veil up. And here you two are, having dance party USA. 

Stefan: You're right. How selfish of me to be indulging in these precious moments with my formerly d*ad best friend. I should be sacrificing my own happiness for the good of others, right? I should be upstairs grooming my hero-hair. 

Damon: Are you drunk? 

Stefan: I don't know, Mom, am I? 

[Taking the bottle from Stefan, Lexi chuckles. Damon snatches the bottle from Lexi.] 

Lexi: Okay. 

Damon: Well, I guess that's one way to celebrate our supernatural apocalypse. [He takes a swig from the bottle.] Now, care to hazard any guesses on what the hell went wrong? 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Bonnie is in the boiler room at the school, on the phone with Caroline who is manning the yearbook table in a hallway of the school. The sh*ts alternate between them.] 

Bonnie: I h*t kind of a snag. 

Caroline: A snag? A snag is a bad yearbook picture. You h*t a tsunami. Where are you? 

Bonnie: I'm trying to fix it, but I'm running into some trouble. I need to wait until the full moon tonight to have enough power to put the veil back up. 

Caroline: Are you telling me that we might graduate right smack in the middle of a ghost-filled Expression Triangle? 

[Bonnie glances down at her body lying on the floor. Her grams is with her, looking at it, too.] 

Bonnie: Maybe we should just cancel. 

Caroline: No, we are not going to cancel. Graduation is the most important event of our lives, the last ceremony of our youth. It is our rite of freaking passage! Hell will freeze over before I let anyone cancel graduation. 

Bonnie: Can you not make jokes about hell freezing over? We're not that far off from that already. 

Caroline: Just promise me that today is a friend day. 

Bonnie: Okay, I promise. I love you. 

Caroline: I love you, too. 

[They hang up.] 

Sheila: Go. I'll make sure no one finds your body. But Bonnie-- 

Bonnie: I know. Okay? I know I need to tell them, I just can't. They've been through too much already. 

Sheila: I know, child. I was just going to say that... Make sure you say your goodbyes. 

[Bonnie smiles sadly.] 

THE CEMETERY 

[Alaric, Jeremy and Elena are eating lunch together.] 

Alaric: [through a full mouth] Mm. Oh, my god. 

[Elena laughs.] 

Jeremy: Mm. 

Elena: No grease on the Other Side, huh? 

Alaric: You have no idea how much I've missed this. [holds up a bottle of bourbon] And this. 

[Elena takes the bottle.] 

Alaric: No, hey. Hey! 

[Elena takes a swig.] 

Jeremy: She just got her humanity back. Let her live a little. 

[Jeremy reaches for the bottle but Elena holds it away from him.] 

Elena: Hey, you wish. 

Jeremy: I'm d*ad - what are they gonna do, throw me in juvie? 

Alaric: Well, at least you'd have a place to live. 

[Smiling, Elena starts throwing food at them.] 

Elena: You both suck! 

Alaric: Hey! Now there it is - that smile. I wasn't sure we were gonna see that again. 

[Elena is still smiling, but more sadly, her eyes glistening.] 

Elena: I did some pretty terrible things. 

[She takes a deep breath.] 

Jeremy: Hey, no. No tears. If Caroline was right, we only have until tonight. We need a no-crying rule. 

Elena: But the crying's good. It means that I'm finally feeling something, and right now I... [she takes their hands in each of hers] I feel happy. 

[They smile back at her. Elena's phone starts ringing. She takes it out and looks at it.] 

Elena: It's the Grill - it must be Matt. [answers it] Hey, you went AWOL this morning - what happened? 

[It's a familiar, unexpected voice.] 

Connor: Hello, Elena. It's your d*ad friend, Connor. You remember me? 

[Elena is shocked.] 

A PARKING LOT 

[Matt and Rebekah are a wary audience to Alexander as he unloads w*apon from Connor's trailer.] 

Alexander: A hidden compartment filled with advanced w*apon. Man has evolved from his days of throwing stones. 

Rebekah: There is nothing we can do for you Alexander. Please, let us go. 

Alexander: I'm not holding you here. Although, I have a feeling that exploding contraption will have a hard time parting with your handsome friend intact. 

[Matt is standing on a weight-sensitive expl*sive device.] 

Matt: Just go, Rebekah. I'll be fine. 

Rebekah: I'm not leaving you. 

[Alexander examines a bottle of venom, smiling in awe.] 

Alexander: The soldier, Connor, found a way to siphon venom from a werewolf. 

Rebekah: What do you want from us? 

Alexander: To fulfill my destiny. The brotherhood of hunters was created for one reason, and one reason alone. 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Damon opens the door to find an unexpected visitor.] 

Damon: Vaughn? 

[Vaughn lifts a g*n and sh**t Damon in the shoulder. The force of it causes Damon to step back and he groans in pain.] 

Vaughn: Got a little message for you, laddie. Straight from the mouth of the witch Qetsiyah. 

MYSTIC GRILL 

[Connor is still on the phone with Elena. The sh*ts alternate between the Grill and the cemetery. 

Connor: We want Silas, and we want the cure. 

Elena: I don't know where they are, so I guess I can't help you. 

Connor: Huh. Well, you know who's gonna need some help? Grandma and Grandpa Jones, in town for the big high school graduation, along with Auntie Sue and Uncle Mark... 

[Alaric motions to Elena that he's going to do something. Elena nods.] 

Connor: Matter of fact, everybody here at the Mystic Grill for graduation brunch. You either give me what I want, or they die. 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Damon groans as he pulls the b*llet out of his shoulder. Vaughn checks his g*n.] 

Vaughn: Yeah, borrowed it from my jarhead friend, Connor. sh**t wood like lead. 

Damon: Come on, man. I didn't k*ll you. 

Vaughn: No, but you left me in that well on that island, where I starved to death. There I was, all alone on the Other Side, till Qetsiyah found me and reminded me of my supernatural destiny - to cure Silas, and then k*ll Silas. End of story-- 

[Suddenly Vaughn gags and falls to the floor. Stefan stands behind him, Vaughn's bloody heart in his fist. Damon gapes at him; Stefan merely raises his eyebrows.] 

MYSTIC GRILL 

[Elena is still talking to Connor over the phone. The sh*ts alternate between them.] 

Elena: Please, don't hurt anyone. I'll find Silas and I'll get the cure. 

Connor: Good. Get it done. 

[He hangs up. Alaric shows up behind him.] 

Alaric: So, you get off on terrorizing innocent people? 

Connor: And who might you be? 

Alaric: The guy responsible for the 18-year-old you just thr*at. 

Connor: Well, that 18-year-old snapped my neck with her bare hands. 

Alaric: And I'm also the guy who showed her how to do that. 

[Connor chuckles.] 

Connor: That's ironic. You must not know a damn thing about fighting if you're trying to intimidate a d*ad guy packing C4. 

[Connor opens his jacket slightly to reveal he's strapped with expl*sives.] 

Alaric: This is my bar, pal. Nobody's gonna blow it up. 

[Connor grins and lifts a detonator in his hand. It clicks and Alaric grabs him with vampire speed and takes him out of the Grill. He explodes offscreen, though they only get far enough that the expl*si*n causes damage to the edge of the restaurant. The Grill patrons scream in fright.] 

A PARKING LOT 

[Matt is still trapped standing on the expl*sive device while Rebekah stands beside him. Alexander sits in the doorway of the trailer.] 

Alexander: Go ahead, sweet Rebekah. Use your vampire powers to whisk him away. I'm sure you can survive the blast of six of these... automobiles. Can he? 

Matt: Just ignore him. All right? Let's think about something else. Like graduation. What are your plans - college? Travel? Just because I'm never getting out of this town doesn't mean you shouldn't see the world. 

[Rebekah, who has been watching the device nervously as Matt's weight shifts on top of it, looks back up at him.] 

Rebekah: It's just been settled. I'm gonna show you life as you've only dreamt it. We'll start in Italy. There's a lovely little church-- [she glances back at Alexander] -- outside San Vittore in Brienno. 

Alexander: [nodding] Romantic spot. Popular for weddings. 

[Rebekah turns back to Matt.] 

Rebekah: And then I'll show you the Northern Lights in the springtime, the Simatai Gorge from atop the Great Wall of China, every inch of the Louvre. 

Matt: [smiling] China, Paris, the Northern Lights... It's a date. 

Rebekah: We'll see it all when we're done here because we can. We're alive. [She looks scornfully back at Alexander.] We're not gonna be stuck as ghosts in misery on the Other Side. 

[Alexander angrily gets up.] 

Alexander: All right, you're done now. 

[He throws the dagger he's holding at Matt. Rebekah moves to catch it and does, but starts to knock Matt off balance. He teeters atop the device as Rebekah regains her footing, bracing against Matt. She throws the dagger away to the ground.] 

Rebekah: I've got you. 

[Matt laughs nervously at the close call.] 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Bonnie walks down a deserted hallway, wearing her graduation gown and holding her cap. Katherine joins her smoothly from a side corridor.] 

Katherine: I don't think red's really your color, Bon-Bon. 

Bonnie: And here I was hoping the ghost of anyone would've k*lled you already. 

Katherine: Funny you should mention death, because I'm here to collect that immortality you've promised me. 

Bonnie: Funny you still think you're going to get it. I told you, Qetsiyah's the only witch who knows the immortality spell. If she was a no-show, you're out of luck. 

[Katherine moves to block Bonnie's way and they stop walking.] 

Katherine: See, here's the thing, Bonnie: I can't disagree with you, because I have been feeling out of luck lately. But you know who has been getting all of my luck? My beloved doppelgänger, Elena. My shadow-self is living a better life than I am, so if I don't get that immortality, I may just have to get rid of her altogether. 

Bonnie: Did you just thr*at my best friend? 

[Katherine makes a face.] 

Bonnie: I could crush your skull without even flinching. 

Katherine: Go ahead. Make your move. 

[As she speaks, a group of students enters the hallway. Bonnie turns to look at them, and Katherine disappears.] 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Damon is rubbing his shoulder uncomfortably as he checks himself in the mirror in his room. Elena knocks on the doorframe to announce herself.] 

Elena: Hey. 

Damon: Hey. 

Elena: So, I think there's some stuff you and I need to talk about. 

Damon: Yes, we do. But first-- [He walks over to his bedside table, opens a small chest and pulls out a box. Walking over to Elena, he presents her with the cure.] Consider it a graduation present. 

Elena: Damon, I can't take that. 

Damon: Sure you can. Looks like it might be cherry-flavored. 

Elena: [laughing] I'm not saying I don't want it - obviously I want it. But... that's the only one. There's only one cure. And the hunters have made it pretty clear that they're willing to k*ll everyone in Mystic Falls until they get it. 

Damon: Elena-- [he puts the cure into her hand and folds her fingers over it] --take the damn thing. I want you to take it. 

[Elena hesitates over it, but finally puts it back in Damon's hand.] 

Elena: I can't. 

Damon: Well, I guess that answers the sire bond question. [The floor creaks. Damon looks over Elena's shoulder.] You gonna help a brother out, or are you just gonna lurk? 

[Elena turns to see Jeremy leaning against the doorframe.] 

Jeremy: Look, Elena. You're my sister and I love you, no matter what you choose. 

Damon: How is it even when you're d*ad, you're the bane of my existence? 

[Downstairs, Lexi crouches near Vaughn's body while talking to Stefan, who empties a blood bag into two glasses.] 

Lexi: So, the veil's down until tonight, he dies and goes to the Other Side, and what? Comes back all over again? How long does that take? 

[Stefan hands a glass of blood to Lexi.] 

Stefan: What, they don't give you a rulebook over there? 

Lexi: [laughing] You know, you're missing your chance to weigh in on the Great Elena Gilbert Cure Debate. 

Stefan: What am I supposed to do, tell her it's her choice? Because that worked out so well. You know, it's funny, those two are in there arguing about how to protect the world, and they have yet to address their biggest issue. 

Lexi: Enlighten me. 

Stefan: The sire bond's gone. Elena's emotions are back. She finally knows exactly how she feels. 

Lexi: And what if whatever she feels is for you? 

[Stefan considers the question for a moment.] 

Stefan: She's the love of my life. I'd go back to her in a heartbeat. But, if that's not how she feels, then maybe that's exactly what I need to hear to get my ass out the door. Maybe I will move to Australia. I can live in a yurt. 

[Lexi laughs.] 

Lexi: Cheers to that. 

[They clink glasses. Suddenly Vaughn revives and stands up.] 

[Upstairs, Damon and Elena are still arguing while Jeremy observes.] 

Damon: Come on, we don't need the cure for Silas - he's a calcified statue. 

[Damon groans uncomfortably.] 

Elena: What was that? 

Damon: Nothing. 

Elena: Take off your shirt. 

Damon: Elena, there are children present. 

Elena: Fine. 

[She pulls the collar of his shirt down to reveal the wound in his shoulder. He cringes in pain.] 

Elena: Damon, why isn't this healed? 

Damon: Because the b*llet was laced with werewolf venom, okay? The hunters are dicks. 

[Elena turns away and starts pacing.] 

Elena: We need Klaus. We need his blood. 

Damon: Klaus would rather see me die. Plus, Klaus is a thousand miles away sipping Hurricanes on Bourbon Street. 

Elena: That wound will k*ll you! 

Jeremy: What about the cure? 

Elena: Jeremy's right. If you're human, the werewolf venom won't hurt you. 

Damon: And here I was, so moved by your speech to save mankind. [feigns listening] Sounds like Vaughn's awake. [He walks past Elena.] 

Elena: Damon, wait. 

[Downstairs, Vaughn is facing Stefan and Lexi when Damon enters behind him. Vaughn turns around.] 

Damon: Here. 

[He tosses the cure to Vaughn, who catches it.] 

Stefan: The hell are you doing? 

Damon: Digging up Silas. [He turns and walks to the front door.] You coming, Vaughn, or not? 

[Vaughn follows Damon out the front door; Elena arrives just as the door shuts. She turns to Stefan and Lexi, speechless.] 

THE QUARRY 

[Damon leads Vaughn to the edge of a cliff overlooking the quarry.] 

Damon: Here we are. 

Vaughn: What is it? 

Damon: It's where I dumped Silas. Closed off to hikers, no food for animals, endlessly deep water. 

Vaughn: I'm not following you, Damon. Where exactly did you put the body? 

[Damon humorously explains each step to Vaughn, indicating direction as necessary.] 

Damon: Well, um... well, let me see. So I dragged his stone ass through here, I flung him in that general direction, then he tumbled down into those weeds... I kind of lost him in the rocks. The thing about physics... wait, what is it? It's, ah, distance equals velocity times time? Guess I should've told you to bring some scuba gear, huh? 

A PARKING LOT 

[Rebekah and Matt are still braced against each other while Alexander circles them.] 

Alexander: Don't you two look cozy? 

[He walks into the trailer, leaving the two alone for a moment.] 

Matt: So... he seems nice. 

[Rebekah starts to laugh but stops herself.] 

Rebekah: Don't make jokes - I'll laugh and you'll fall. 

[Matt speaks in a low voice once Alexander is out of sight.] 

Matt: I'm wearing the Gilbert ring. I can't be k*lled by anything supernatural, so maybe if you're the one who detonates the b*mb, then I won't die. 

Rebekah: Absolutely not. You'll blow into a billion pieces, the ring with it. 

Matt: There's only one way to find out. 

Rebekah: [nodding] Fine, okay. The first rule of truly living: do the thing you're most afraid of. 

[She kisses him passionately. When they break apart, Matt looks down to see that Rebekah has stepped onto the device in his place.] 

Matt: What are you doing? 

Rebekah: I can't be k*lled and you can't miss graduation. Please, go. 

Matt: No. 

Rebekah: Run! 

[He hesitates a second longer, glances at the trailer, then takes off running. Alexander comes back out of the trailer, angry.] 

Alexander: What have you done? 

Rebekah: I finally chose one of the good ones. 

[Rebekah runs off the device with vampire speed and the parking lot explodes.] 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Elena is pacing while discussing with Stefan what to do next.] 

Elena: We have to do something. If those hunters give the cure to Silas-- 

Stefan: They're not giving it to Silas. Wherever Damon is taking Vaughn right now, it's to stall, because Damon hasn't had time to bury Silas' body yet. [Elena stops pacing.] And that's all you need to know right now. 

Elena: Okay, fine. We're stalling the hunters, but Damon is still dying. 

Stefan: It was one b*llet, and it was only laced. We still have a little bit of time. I will go to New Orleans myself and I will beg Klaus if I have to. 

Jeremy: Then it's settled. You're going to your graduation. [Jeremy enters the room carrying Elena's cap and gown.] 

Elena: Gradua-- no, Jer, I never even sent in my college applications. 

Jeremy: I don't care. Mom and Dad would k*ll you if there wasn't a photo of you in your graduation getup. 

Elena: Jer, no. Not if you can't be there. 

Jeremy: Lexi'll keep me company. You're going. 

[Elena finally relents and walks over to him to take her cap and gown.] 

Elena: Let's go graduate. 

[They smile at each other.] 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[The students, all in caps and gowns, are milling about the football field getting ready for the ceremony. Caroline is leaving a message on Klaus' voicemail.] 

Caroline: Klaus, now is not the time to decide that you are over me. I'm gonna call you every 10 minutes until you get your ass here to save Damon's life. 

[She hangs up as she reaches Bonnie.] 

Caroline: Where is everyone? 

Matt: [arriving suddenly] I'm here. 

Caroline: Where have you been? 

Matt: Oh, you know, making plans for the summer, dodging death by vampire hunter. 

Bonnie: Where's Elena? We can't do this without her. 

[Elena arrives right then with Stefan.] 

Elena: I'm here. [She hugs Bonnie.] Thank you for today. 

Caroline: I can't believe it. We're actually all here. We are all here together! Bonnie Bennett, are you crying? 

Bonnie: It's our last hurrah before you guys go off to college. 

Caroline: Before we go off to college. 

Elena: I... kinda sorta missed the deadline. You know, being an emotionless bitch. 

Caroline: Well, the perks of being a vampire - we can go wherever we wanna go. We can choose our own roommates. We could - we could get a triple room! 

[Elena and Stefan chuckle at Caroline's enthusiasm, while Bonnie smiles with tears in her eyes. 

Bonnie: I'm happy we're all here. 

Caroline: Aw - group hug! 

Stefan: Ah, I don't - I don't hug... 

Caroline: Oh, get over yourself! 

[The five of them close in for a joint hug. Mayor Hopkins opens the ceremony.] 

Hopkins: Welcome parents, family, and friends. What a beautiful day for a graduation. Thank you for joining us today on this special day, as we celebrate our graduates. So let's get started. John Albrecht. David Bance. Sarah Beasley. Um, not to play favorites, but I am especially proud of this next graduate, my lovely daughter: Bonnie Bennett! 

[Bonnie walks up onto the stage and hugs her father.] 

Hopkins: Congratulations. I'm so proud of you, sweetie. 

Bonnie: Thanks, Dad. 

Hopkins: You're welcome. 

Bonnie: For everything. 

[He seems to sense something off about Bonnie's mood, but she smiles and leaves the stage.] 

Hopkins: Savannah Davis. Matt Donovan. William Duncan. Caroline Forbes. Congratulations. 

Caroline: Thank you. 

Hopkins: Matt Freeman. Elena Gilbert. Congratulations. 

Elena: Thank you. 

[In the audience Bonnie, seated among the students, claps for Elena when Kol suddenly leans forward from the row behind her to speak in her ear.] 

Kol: Greetings, little witch. 

Bonnie: [not looking at him] I thought Stefan got rid of you. 

Kol: He did, and I spent the night crawling out of a cement grave. [He looks behind his row.] Isn't that the witch your friend Caroline k*lled? 

[Bonnie turns and is surprised to see Aja sitting a few rows back.] 

Kol: And over there, that's my hybrid friend, Adrian. Also d*ad. In fact, these seats are scattered with two dozen supernatural faces, all of whom have reason to lash out since their lives were sacrificed in order to make your Expression triangle. All they're waiting on is word from me. 

Bonnie: The veil goes back up tonight. Don't you have anything better to do than harrass me and my friends? 

Kol: [laughing] Well, that's the thing. I don't want the veil to go back up. In fact, I want you to drop it completely, so I and my fallen friends can live, Bonnie. It's time to pay the piper. 

[Inside the school, Bonnie leads Kol into the boiler room.] 

Bonnie: The Kol I remember was adamantly against hell on earth. 

Kol: I was, till I was in hell. Now I would very much like to be back on earth. 

[Kol finally notices Bonnie's body lying on the ground.] 

Kol: What's this? 

Bonnie: It's me. I died last night. I'm a ghost, and I want the same thing you want. I don't want to be on the Other Side with unfinished business. I want my parents to see me off to college, I want to decorate my dorm room with my best friends. I want to stay here, Kol. More than anything. 

Kol: Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it together. 

[He starts walking towards Bonnie, but is stopped suddenly, as though an invisible wall stands between them.] 

Kol: What have you done? 

[He tries to leave through the door they came in, but again is blocked by the magical barrier.] 

Bonnie: This will hold you till dark. Then, when the veil is back up, this town will be rid of you for good. 

Kol: But everything you just said-- 

Bonnie: It was true. But we don't always get what we want, do we? 

THE QUARRY 

[Damon and Vaughn are still at the edge of the cliff. Vaughn looks down into the quarry while holding a g*n aimed back at Damon.] 

Damon: [imitating Vaughn's accent] What's wrong, laddie? Can't swim? 

[Vaughn looks back at Damon and notices his wound creeping up his neck.] 

Vaughn: The hell happened to you? 

Damon: [looking down] Oh. Well, would you look at that. That is nasty. 

Vaughn: Connor... [He laughs, looking at his g*n.] He must've laced these b*ll*ts with werewolf venom. 

Damon: Ding-ding-ding. Not as dumb as you sound. 

[Vaughn suddenly sh**t Damon in the leg. Damon groans in pain, clutching at the new wound.] 

Vaughn: This was all a lie, eh? You knew you were a d*ad man. [He pulls the cure, which is on a string about his neck, out from under his shirt.] Well, you don't get this back. Where'd you put Silas? 

[Damon laughs softly. Vaughn sh**t him square in the chest and Damon falls to his knees.] 

Vaughn: One more jolt of werewolf toxin, and you'll be d*ad within minutes. [shouting] Where's Silas? 

[Vaughn has his g*n aimed at Damon's head, but Damon doesn't respond. Just as it seems Vaughn is about to pull the trigger, Alaric shows up, snaps Vaughn's neck and swings him swiftly into the quarry. Alaric turns to Damon.] 

Alaric: Oops. 

Damon: [weakly] One slight problem. 

[Alaric holds up the cure, dangling on the string.] 

Alaric: You mean this? 

Damon: Yes. Yes, that. 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Mayor Hopkins finishes reading the names. Alaric talks to Stefan over the phone; the sh*ts alternate between Stefan on the school grounds and Alaric at the quarry.] 

Alaric: I would love nothing more than to get out of here before Vaughn comes back to life, but Damon won't take the cure. He wants it for Elena. 

Stefan: Okay, just hang on a little longer. Caroline's calling Klaus again. 

[Caroline hangs up her phone, shaking her head.] 

Alaric: Stefan, we are past the point of Hail Mary phone calls. What do you want me to do, stand here and watch him die, or force-feed him the cure? [Elena casts a significant look at Stefan, who remains silent.] Stefan? 

[Suddenly a high-pitched noise causes Stefan, Caroline and Elena to clutch at their heads in pain. Aja and the other d*ad witches approach them.] 

Aja: Remember us, Caroline? 

[She holds her arm out, casting whatever spell is hurting the vampires, until suddenly Klaus shows up, throws a cap like a disk at Aja and it beheads her. Her headless body falls to the ground and the noise stops.] 

Klaus: There are plenty more of these to go around. Who's next? I can do this all day. 

[Caroline turns to Klaus, smiling.] 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Damon, all healed up, strides across his room bare-chested. He's starting to put a shirt on when Elena arrives.] 

Damon: Hi. 

Elena: Are you feeling better? 

Damon: Yeah. 

Elena: So it's all healed up? 

Damon: Fresh as a daisy. 

Elena: Good. 

[Elena slaps a hand hard across Damon's face.] 

[Downstairs, Lexi, Alaric, and Stefan settle down with drinks.] 

Lexi: Ouch. 

Alaric: Yeah, I taught her that swing. 

[Lexi laughs.] 

Stefan: You know it's not polite to eavesdrop, right? 

Lexi: Hey, I'm short on time here. Don't rob me of what little joy I have. 

[Elena walks into the room.] 

Elena: Anyone seen Jeremy? 

Alaric: Oh, he went to see Bonnie. He'll be back later. You know, before... well, you know. 

Elena: Yeah. Stefan, can I, um... can I have a moment? 

Stefan: Sure. 

[They leave the room together. Lexi turns to Alaric.] 

Lexi: This could get interesting. 

Alaric: Usually does. 

Lexi: So, the Other Side... Not exactly a party, is it? 

Alaric: I've lived... better. 

Lexi: You know there's something else out there, right? There has to be. Silas' whole agenda was to find peace with his one true love, and whatever 'peace' is... it's out there. I figure once we've served our time for all the bad things we've done, then it's just about letting go, moving on. 

Alaric: And how are we supposed to do that when the knuckleheads we care about can't seem to keep their lives straight? 

Lexi: Yeah... 

[Stefan and Elena talk in another room.] 

Stefan: So, what's up? 

Elena: Honestly, Stefan, I just wanted to thank you. For sticking by me when I was at my worst, for believing that I was still in there. Even after everything I put you through, you... you never gave up on me. 

Stefan: I, ah... I kind of owed you one. 

[They smile at each other. After a moment, Elena holds out her hand, closed-fisted.] 

Elena: Here. 

[Stefan holds out a hand and she puts the cure into it.] 

Elena: It's yours. I want you to have it. 

Stefan: No, Elena, I'm not gonna-- 

Elena: Stefan. The only person worse at being a vampire than me is you. Human blood is your downfall. You got the raw end of the vampire deal. The rest of us will be fine, we'll survive. I mean, you taught us. You deserve whatever you want out of life. [She folds his fingers over the cure.] You deserve this. 

[Elena stands holding Stefan's closed fist in her hands.] 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Caroline stands on the football field in front of the commencement stage. Klaus approaches her.] 

Caroline: How'd you get here so fast? 

Klaus: I was already on my way. 

[Caroline raises her eyebrows; Klaus draws a piece of paper out of the inside of his coat.] 

Klaus: I received your graduation announcement. It was... very subtle. [Caroline shuts her eyes, smiling.] I assume you're expecting cash? 

Caroline: That, or a mini fridge. 

Klaus: Well, I had considered offering you a first class ticket to join me in New Orleans... but I knew what your answer would be. So, I opted for something I knew you would accept. [Caroline looks at him, waiting.] Tyler is now free to return to Mystic Falls. 

Caroline: What? 

Klaus: He's your first love. I intend to be your last, however long it takes. [He kisses her on the cheek.] Congratulations, Caroline. 

[Caroline laughs softly, unexpectedly elated.] 

Klaus: Let's get out of here, before 12 angry hybrids decide to pick a fight. 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Damon watches the f*re burn in the fireplace. Elena enters the room and strides toward him with purpose.] 

Damon: I wanted to apologize... 

[Elena crosses her arms in front of her.] 

Elena: Good. 

Damon: Let me finish. I said I wanted to. And then I realized, I'm not sorry. 

Elena: You would rather die than be human, and you expect me to be okay with that? 

Damon: I didn't say you were supposed to be okay with it, I just said I'm not sorry. But you know what I really am? Selfish, because I make bad choices that hurt you. Yes, I would rather have died than be human. I'd rather die right now than spend a handful of years with you, only to lose you when I'm too old and sick and miserable and you're still you. I'd rather die right now than spend my last final years remembering how good I had it and how happy I was, because that's who I am, Elena, and I'm not gonna change. And there's no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I'm wrong for you. 

[Elena looks at Damon for a long moment.] 

Elena: Fine, then I'm not sorry either. I'm not sorry that I met you. I'm not sorry that knowing you has made me question everything, that in death you're the one that made me feel most alive. You've been a terrible person, you've made all the wrong choices, and of all the choices that I've made this will prove to be the worst one. But I am not sorry that I'm in love with you. I love you, Damon. I love y-- 

[Damon walks to Elena and kisses her passionately.] 

[In another room, Stefan struggles to keep control over his face. Lexi walks up behind him and places a hand on his shoulder.] 

Lexi: Now who's eavesdropping? 

[Stefan places his hand on top of Lexi's.] 

[Later, Stefan is loading the car with Silas' body when Damon walks outside.] 

Damon: Stefan? 

Stefan: Think the quarry will be deep enough to bury Silas? 

Damon: Yeah, I don't think anyone's gonna stumble on him there. 

Stefan: Yeah. 

[Stefan continues to load the car.] 

Damon: You want me to, ah-- 

Stefan: No, it's all right. I got Lexi coming with me. 

Damon: [under his breath] Yeah. 

[Damon starts to walk back inside.] 

Stefan: Hey, Damon. 

Damon: Yeah? 

Stefan: I'm not happy about Elena... but I'm not not-happy for you, either. I just want you to know that. 

Damon: Thanks, brother. 

[Damon walks back inside.] 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL - UNDERGROUND CAVE 

[Jeremy walks into the cave to meet Bonnie.] 

Jeremy: Hey. 

Bonnie: Hey. 

Jeremy: I needed to see you. 

Bonnie: I need to close the veil, Jer. The hybrids, and the hunters-- 

Jeremy: I get it. I'm ready. I just... wanted to be with you when it happened. 

Bonnie: Did you and Elena...? 

Jeremy: I can't. I can't say goodbye to her. We said 'no tears' and... I left her a letter. She'll find it when all this is over. I'm ready. 

[Bonnie closes her eyes and the flames in the torches flare up.] 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Alaric is gazing out the window when Damon returns. Damon goes straight for the decanter of bourbon and pours a couple drinks.] 

Alaric: Moon's full. 

Damon: Yeah. 

Alaric: Where's Elena? 

Damon: She's trying to find Bonnie and Jeremy. She's worried about the time. 

[Alaric smiles at Damon.] 

Damon: What? 

Alaric: You got the girl, man. 

Damon: [as though he still can't quite believe it] I got the girl. 

Alaric: Now don't screw it up. 

[Damon looks back down at the drinks.] 

Damon: Well, with you looking over my shoulder, how can I? 

[He looks back up to see that Alaric has disappeared.] 

THE ROAD 

[Lexi and Stefan are driving.] 

Lexi: New York? 

Stefan: Too close. 

Lexi: Vegas! 

Stefan: Ugh, no. Too touristy. 

Lexi: Look, I know you think I'm joking, but you are leaving. You just graduated for the millionth time. It's time to start living your life. 

Stefan: What if Elena was... the one? 

Lexi: She was. And she will always be an epic love. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually multiple ones - especially for a vampire. The only way to find another is to let go, and move on. 

[Stefan watches the road for a moment as he drives.] 

Stefan: I've never been to Portland. 

[He looks over at the passenger seat, but Lexi has disappeared.] 

Stefan: See ya, Lexi. 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Elena opens the door to the boiler room and enters.] 

Elena: Bonnie, Jer, are you guys here? 

Kol: Well, well. 

[Kol appears behind Elena.] 

Kol: Speaking of unfinished business. 

[He att*cks Elena, throwing her to the ground. Elena braces herself but just as suddenly as the att*ck started, Kol has vanished. She gets up, realizing what must have happened, but doesn't have more than a moment to let it sink in before she hears a noise nearby. She turns and Katherine is there.] 

Katherine: Happy graduation, cupcake. 

[She slams Elena against a wall.] 

[In the underground cave, Bonnie continues to do a spell with her eyes closed while Jeremy waits. She opens her eyes.] 

Bonnie: It's almost closed. 

Jeremy: So this is it? 'Cause there were a million things I wanted to say to you, but now nothing seems quite right. 

Bonnie: Then don't say anything. 

[She walks to him and kisses him. The torches flare up before going out, leaving them in darkness. Jeremy gasps, backs away and clutches at his chest.] 

Jeremy: What's happening? 

Bonnie: Oh, my god. 

[Bonnie gives a small, triumphant laugh.] 

Jeremy: What is it? 

Bonnie: It worked, Jer. I did a spell that brought you back. I didn't think it would work, but I - I closed the veil and you're still... here. 

Jeremy: I'm alive? 

[Bonnie nods, and Jeremy struggles for words. He rushes toward her, but his face falls when she touches his neck.] 

Jeremy: I can't feel your hand. What's going on, Bonnie? Why can't I feel you? 

Bonnie: It's okay. 

Jeremy: Bonnie, what did you do? 

Bonnie: I have the witches, and my grams... You can see ghosts, we can talk whenever we want. 

Jeremy: No... No! No, you can't be d*ad. 

Bonnie: Do me this one favor: you tell Elena and Caroline that I'm spending the summer with my mom. 

Jeremy: I can't. They need to know. 

Bonnie: For the first time in forever, my friends are okay. I don't want to take that from them. 

[She walks past Jeremy and he turns to watch her go.] 

Bonnie: I'm gonna be okay, I promise. 

[Bonnie walks over to her grams, takes her hand, and they walk away together.] 

LOCKWOOD MANSION 

[Matt walks to the front door and opens it to see Rebekah.] 

Matt: Hey... What are you doing here? 

Rebekah: I just wanted to see if you were okay. Rough day and whatnot. 

Matt: Thanks. Look, I'd invite you in, but I promised Tyler I was gonna keep this a low-vampire zone. 

[Rebekah nods, understanding, then hesitates over her next words.] 

Rebekah: I know that we were under duress today, so... whatever, you know, plans that we were making... I understand if you don't want to. 

Matt: You and I... this isn't gonna work. I need to keep my love life a low-vampire zone, too, okay? 

Rebekah: [smiling] Of course. I get it. 

[She turns to leave, but stops when Matt speaks again.] 

Matt: So whatever happens on the road, stays on the road, all right? [Rebekah, grinning, turns back round.] That little wedding town in Italy? Don't get any ideas about turning me into a vampire so that we can live eternally ever after, you know what I mean? 

Rebekah: I'm sorry, are you saying...? 

Matt: I've never set one foot outside of this town. I have no college plans, no idea what the future holds for me... But I do know that it's time that I start truly living. And, since you almost k*lled me this year, I figured it's your obligation to show me how. 

Rebekah: [grinning] Okay. 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Katherine throws Elena against a door.] 

Elena: What are you doing? 

Katherine: Would you believe I'm having a bad day? 

[She picks Elena up and throws her against a wall of lockers. Elena gets up but Katherine speeds over and kicks up her leg to press her booted foot over Elena's neck.] 

Katherine: It started when Bonnie denied me my Silas-like immortality. 

Elena: Of course, because Katherine Pierce can't be happy with good old vampire-caliber immortality. 

[Elena finally manages to throw off Katherine's foot and uses her leverage to slam Katherine to the ground. Katherine immediately slams Elena back against another wall of lockers. Elena rips off one of the locker doors and swings against at Katherine's face. Katherine grabs onto the door.] 

Katherine: I deserved it. I never had a graduation, or a prom, or, you know, a life. But you did. 

[Katherine swings the door into Elena's face, sending her back a pace.] 

Katherine: You have everything, and it's not because you're a good little girl who deserves happiness, it's because you stole mine. 

[Katherine throws the door at Elena, who ducks and the door lodges into the other lockers.] 

Elena: I stole your happiness? You k*lled my brother! 

[Katherine runs at Elena, but Elena blocks Katherine and throws her down the hall. Katherine gets back up.] 

Katherine: I'll admit, that was nasty. 

[Yelling in fury, Elena rushes at Katherine, who twists Elena's arm and throws her at a f*re emergency case - the glass in the door of it shatters as Elena slams against it. Elena struggles on the floor as Katherine walks over, sees a janitor's mop propped against the wall and breaks off the wooden handle.] 

Katherine: I have nothing. [She beats Elena with the stick.] But I'm about to change that. [She kicks Elena.] 

Elena: Kicking someone while they're down... classy till the end, Katherine. 

Katherine: [laughing] Your end. 

[She s*ab the broken end of the stick into Elena's throat. Elena gulps and struggles against it as Katherine digs it in deeper.] 

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

[Flashback to earlier, when Elena was trying to give the cure to Stefan.] 

Elena: You deserve whatever you want out of life. You deserve this. 

Stefan: Listen... I'm glad you're okay with who you are now. But every single thing I did to get this, I did for you, so that the choice of whether you wanted to be a vampire or not would always be yours. 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

[Katherine pulls the stick out of Elena's throat and thrusts her hand into Elena's chest, grabbing hold of her heart. Elena frantically reaches into a pocket in her jacket.] 

Katherine: Bye-bye, little girl. 

[Elena finally pulls the cure out of her pocket and shoves it into Katherine's mouth and forces her jaw to close around it. Katherine's eyes widen as the cure dissolves in her mouth, and falls to the floor beside Elena, unconscious.] 

Elena: Have a nice human life, Katherine. 

THE QUARRY 

[Stefan unloads the canvas bag that contains Silas' remains, but when he tosses it to the ground its contents sound like a bunch of loose pieces. He kicks it and reaches inside to find shards of ordinary stone.] 

Elena/Silas: Don't bother. I'm not there. 

[Silas approaches him from behind, and Stefan turns and stands.] 

Stefan: Silas. You were stone. They saw you, the spell worked. 

Elena/Silas: That's the funny thing about spells - they're bound by Nature. Nature demands balance, so every spell has a loophole. The spell that turned me into stone was bound by a witch - a living witch. So when that witch died, the spell broke. 

Stefan: Bonnie? Bonnie's not d*ad. 

Elena/Silas: It doesn't matter, does it? And here's where the mystery of me comes full circle. I created the immortality spell two thousand years ago. I can never die, so Nature needed to find a balance - a version of me that could die. A shadow-self - a doppelgänger. 

Stefan: So, this is finally your real face? You're another one of them? 

Elena/Silas: Not exactly. 

[Silas' reflection in the car window shows a face identical to Stefan's, and Silas takes on his true form.] 

Silas: Hello, my shadow-self. 

[Silas approaches Stefan and thrusts his hand into Stefan's body.] 

Silas: Do you have any idea what it's like to starve for two thousand years? 

[He pulls his hand out and Stefan falls to his knees. Silas puts Stefan into the body-sized safe, locks him in and tips it over the edge of the cliff into the quarry. Inside the safe, Stefan bangs against it as it begins to fill with water, shouting out as the water engulfs his face.] 

END CREDITS 

Credit: Wiki
{"type": "series", "show": "The Vampire Diaries", "episode": "04x23 - Graduation"}