The Vampire Diaries

Previously on The Vampire Diaries:

For over a century I have lived in secret. Until now.

I know the risk, but I have to know her.

- What are you? - I'm a vampire.

Tell me about your ex, Katherine? She broke your heart.

That was a long time ago.

Why do I look like her?

- What's your problem? - I don't know, okay?

- So the black sheep returns. - Tyler?

- Who's the guy with Caroline? Mason Lockwood.

The Lockwoods have a secret.

They're not vampires. They're something else.

I love Stefan. It's always gonna be Stefan.

No, Damon. Stop it, ahh!

It's Katherine. She undid everything good about him.

I hate him, Stefan.

I fed her blood. Katherine obviously killed her.

- And A plus B equals... - Because I'm starving.

Thanks for coming, Ric.

Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon, bourbon in your coffee?

- Elena mentioned you needed my help. Yeah.

We were, uh, hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family.

Why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?

Well, you wouldn't.

But your dead... Not-dead vampire wife might.

Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together.

You said that she had spent years researching this town.

Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls was rooted in folklore and legend.

At the time, I thought most of which was fiction.

Like that amazing vampire story.

- Aside from vampires, what else? - The lycanthrope.

Wait, like werewolves?

No way. Impossible.

- Way too Lon Chaney. - Is it?

I've been on this planet 160-some-odd years, never come across one.

If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?

Why suspect the Lockwoods?

Vervain didn't affect the mayor on Founders Day, the Gilbert device did.

And it affected his son Tyler.

And at the school carnival, his Uncle Mason exhibited...

...inhuman behavior when he fought one of the carnival workers.

It suggested some sort of a supernatural entity.

We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure out what it is.

Well, all of her things are still at Duke. Ahem.

I mean, her office is still there. She's technically still missing.

So can we get access to it?

Ric, we need to know what we're dealing with.

If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good.

It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney.

And that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney Jr.

Which means Bela Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed.

Caroline?

Caroline?

It's Caroline. Leave a message.

Hey, uh, I thought you said you were at home.

Tyler's doing a thing at the swimming hole.

I wanted us to spend the day together.

Where are you? Call me.

Are you sure you wanna do this? - Which part?

Digging through my birth mother's lifework...

...or going to Duke with Damon?

Heh, either. Both.

Well, I'm sure about the first part. But then again, Ric is a good buffer.

So we can bond in our anti-Damon solidarity.

I wish you were coming, though.

You know what, maybe we should wait a couple of days, huh?

Wait till, uh, Caroline's less of a danger, and then I can go with you.

It's okay that I'm going, right? Be honest, if it's not, I can stay here.

- We can take care of Caroline. - No, I want you to go.

Okay? I do.

You have questions about your lineage and about Katherine and...

I'm not gonna let the fact that Damon is going...

...keep you from an opportunity to get some answers.

- You hate it, though. - I hate it.

- But I love you. - I love you too.

It's been a while.

Heh, well, school's been keeping me, you know, busy.

I want you to know it means a lot to me...

...that Elena has a connection to her mother.

I appreciate you bringing her along.

Yeah. Well, I figured it was time to take care of my wife's things, you know?

Look, Jenna, I know, uh, things between you and I have been a little start-and-stop.

And I'm sorry for that.

- But maybe once I can... - Uh, no, don't do that.

Not the "half, maybe apology, hope for the future" thing.

Elena, are you coming?

Do what you need to do, okay?

- Hey, you okay? - Heh, yeah.

Just men and their baggage, heh.

Sorry you can't come too, Stef.

- Call me if you need anything. - I'll take good care of her.

Okay, time to go.

Bye.

Have you ever been down to those old ruins in the woods?

- The old Lockwood estate? Yeah.

What do you know about it?

It was the original plantation house. Beautiful antebellum architecture.

And if it hadn't burnt to the ground, we'd probably be living in it.

Hmm.

What's the deal with the freaky underground cellar?

We don't talk about those kind of rooms.

- Why not? - Well, this is the South, honey.

But no one likes to reminisce about the old slave days.

Hey. What are you guys talking about?

We were just talking about the old Lockwood property.

Thinking of having friends over.

Be careful. If anything happens on the property, the family is liable.

Of course.

I don't know how to make a day-walking ring.

Emily made mine, made Damon's too. Instructions must be in the Grimoire.

- That doesn't mean I can cast a spell. - Bonnie, ahem.

You know how to drop vampires with a single look.

Okay? I think you can figure it out.

Caroline killed someone, Stefan.

I can't make it easier for her to do it.

We're not making it easier for her. We're giving her the chance to survive.

Every day she's cut off from her old life, from you, from Elena, from Matt...

...it'll make it harder for her to hold on to her humanity.

- You know she won't hurt anyone else? I don't.

But if we don't do everything we can...

...or at least trust the fact that she can keep it together...

...we might as well just stake her right now.

I don't know if I can trust her. Not with this.

Then trust me.

How are you doing back there?

You know, this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly.

Heh, I don't think she's pretending. You did kill her brother.

There is a huge asterisk next to that statement.

He came back to life.

Thanks to a ring you didn't know he was wearing.

- Why are you sure I didn't know? - Did you?

Yes.

- You're lying. - Elena, I saw the ring.

It's a big, tacky thing. It's hard to miss.

So I don't get to choose the ring I have to wear the rest of my life?

- Hey, if you don't want it... - No, she...

She wants it.

- Now what? - The part where I explain the rules.

The witch who spells the ring has the power to de-spell it.

- So if you do anything to hurt anyone... - I'm not gonna hurt anyone.

You're a vampire.

That means the urge to kill is a part of who you are.

The minute you let it take over, I will stop you.

- You're supposed to be my friend. - I can't ignore what happened, okay?

You're gonna have to prove that the Caroline I remember isn't gone.

Now put the ring on the bed.

Do you really think I meant to kill that guy at the carnival?

He's still dead. Now, do you want me to cast the spell or not?

All done.

Hmm...

So that's it?

I mean, nothing witchy happened, heh.

You know, no flickering lights, no gusts of wind.

- Have you even done this before? - Caroline.

Well, I just wanna make sure it worked.

It worked.

What if it hadn't, Bonnie?

She's all yours.

So Isobel was officially employed by the Anthropology Department...

...given that most paranormal phenomena is rooted in folklore.

Excuse me. Hi, I'm Alaric Saltzman.

- I called earlier. - Yes.

Uh, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant.

Comparative folklore.

Oh, let me grab Isobel's keys.

Sorry, my friends Elena and Damon. I hope this isn't an imposition.

Oh, please, Isobel's office is right through there.

Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student.

She was brilliant.

And one of the reasons I went into folklore.

I have to ask, um...

...has there been any news? - No, no, I'm afraid not.

It's right this way.

I'll grab the light. Feel free to look around.

It's fascinating, isn't it?

Mm-hm.

Where did she go?

Hurry.

Pull it out.

I can't reach it, Elena.

Just pull the damn thing out. It hurts.

- That bitch is dead. - Uh, you're not gonna kill her.

Watch me.

You touch her and I swear I will never speak to you again.

What makes you think that has any power over me?

Because I took an arrow in the back for you?

You are severely overestimating yourself.

Right, I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind...

...who snaps and kills people impulsively.

- Fine, go ahead, do whatever you want. - You're trying to manipulate me.

If by manipulate you mean tell the truth, okay, guilty.