Vampire Diaries

Season 7

FLASH-FORWARD-- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 2016

[Three years from the present, an injured, bleeding, and limping Stefan has just arrived at a storage locker, which he quickly opens and enters to find two coffins side-by-side. One holds Elena, who is still under Kai's magical coma spell, and when Stefan goes to open the other, it is revealed to hold a desiccated but still alive Damon. Stefan pulls out a blood bag and frantically starts to force the blood down Damon's throat as he pants and coughs]

STEFAN: Damon, wake up! I need you! Wake up!

[He continues to force the blood down Damon's throat, but Damon remains desiccated and still, leading Stefan to shout at him]

STEFAN: Damon, wake the hell up!

[Suddenly, Damon's skin turns from gray to pink-ish white, and his eyes snap open just as he gasps for breath and sits up, blood still dripping down his chin]

TITLE CARD & OPENING CREDITS

PRESENT DAY (2013)-- OPENING MONTAGE

[In the present, Caroline is sitting on a park bench in the TOWN SQUARE, where she is writing in her diary. As she writes, she narrates in voiceover, explaining what each character has been up to for the last two months]

CAROLINE: [voiceover] Dear Elena... A few weeks ago, you said goodbye and told us to write everything down so you'd feel like you didn't miss anything when you woke up. Bad news first-- Damon said the best way to keep his mind off you was to help Alaric grieve. So, in common Damon-fashion, he kidnapped Ric and flew him to Europe for a guy-getaway. I'm sure you can imagine how that's going.

[In an AMSTERDAM BAR, Alaric and Damon are outside on a patio, chugging steins of beer while their fellow bar patrons cheer them on in Dutch]

BAR PATRONS: Drinken! Drinken! Drinken!

[Alaric and Damon finish their beers, groaning and belching a little as a result of drinking so much so fast]

BAR PATRONS: Yeah! Hahaha! Woo!CAROLINE: [voiceover] Obviously, we didn't send them there without a chaperone.

[Suddenly, Bonnie appears with a giant bottle of water, which she plops down in front of them on the table before giving them an exasperated look]

BONNIE: Drinken. Now.CAROLINE: [voiceover] So, Damon's watching out for Alaric, Bonnie's watching out for Damon, and I don't know exactly who's watching out for Bonnie.

[The scene cuts to Matt and his fellow students at the police academy, who are taking their usual run around town]

CAROLINE: [voiceover] Matt will officially be Deputy Donovan next week when he graduates. As happy as I am for him, a big part of me wishes my mom was hear to see it.

[Back in the TOWN SQUARE, we return to where Caroline is writing in her journal. She looks over at the placard on the bench upon which she's sitting that reads "In Loving Memory of Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes," looking sad as she runs her fingers over it]

CAROLINE: [voiceover] The Town Council gave her a bench. I've been visiting it, hoping I'll miraculously start missing her less. [She sighs] I keep thinking that if I can heal, I can move on with my life, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

[She gets back to writing in her journal, just as Stefan appears from behind the statue and walks toward her, though she doesn't immediately take notice]

CAROLINE: [voiceover] Anyway, I covered Damon, Bonnie, Ric, Matt... Who am I missing?

[Stefan finally approaches her, startling her]