Surprising Lover (TVDxOC) (Complete)

O Come, All Ye Faithful

In the town square, the Winter Wonderland charity event is in full swing, complete with fake snow. Grace is with Harper looking for Caroline.
"I know it's late but happy birthday."
"Aw thanks Harper, your the only person who really remembered."
"It's okay."
They get to Caroline who is on the phone to Stefan.
"I'm at my house. Why? What's wrong?"
"My boyfriend is a dumbass martyr. Wait, and why are you at your house? Aren't you trying to keep your distance from Elena?"
"Well, she's not here anymore. Damon took Jeremy to the Gilbert lake house with Bonnie so I guess her house is safe for her again. Hey, listen, I got Klaus to tell me a little bit more about this Hunter's sword. You know that map in Jeremy's tattoo? The sword decodes it. It's literally the key to finding the cure."
"Klaus told you this?"
"Yeah, why?"
"And did he happen to hand over the sword for safekeeping?"
"Uh, what do you think?"
Caroline sighs.
"What's wrong?"
"We need to get our hands on that sword. Like today. Tyler and his hybrids are taking out Klaus tonight."

Grace sits around the grill alone waiting for Stefan and Caroline.
"Hey love, what are you doing here all alone?"
"Klaus please leave me alone."
"Okay then."
Klaus walks away and Grace goes outside Stefan and Caroline. Stefan is leaning against the wall in the alleyway outside the Grill. Caroline approaches him and he stands up to face her.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Did you find the sword?"
"Nope."
"What are we gonna do now?"
"Klaus is the only shot we have at finding the cure."
"We need him."
"Tyler has to call it off."
"Well, that's not gonna happen."
Stefan turns around and looks at Tyler who has appeared on the stairway. Tyler looks at Caroline.
"You told them?"
Tyler walks down the remaining steps towards Caroline, Grace and Stefan.
"I've had twelve hybrids sworn to secrecy for a month. I have Hayley and a witch risking their lives and you're blabbing my plan to them?"
Stefan steps forward, closing the gap between him and Tyler.
"Look, all I'm asking you for is a little bit of time, okay?"
"How long? An hour? A day? Because every minute that goes by that we don't do this, they're at risk. You and Klaus already served one of them up for Jeremy to kill."
Tyler looks over Stefan's shoulder at Caroline, who looks down shamefully. He looks back at Stefan.
"I don't owe you anything."
Tyler turns around and starts to walk away.
"I'm taking him out."
Stefan uses his super speed and moves in front of Tyler, frightening him.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."
"Stefan."
"[looks at Caroline] I'm sorry but I can't."
"Stef!"
Caroline and Grace are looking over Stefan's shoulder. Stefan turns around and sees a half dozen of the hybrids standing on the stairs behind him. Caroline turns around and sees the remaining hybrids in the alleyway, blocking any means of escape.
"Sorry man, but you don't have a choice."

Tyler takes a chain from on top of a box.
"Tyler!"
"Keep them down here until we're ready to bring Klaus in. [He drops the chains in front of Kim.] Use these if you have to."
Stefan walks closer to Tyler.
"Come on, Tyler, this is bigger than you. It's about more than revenge for us."
Tyler closes the gap between them.
"I know what it's about for you, Stefan. It's about the cure. You know what happens to a hybrid when he's cured of being a vampire? We go back to being werewolves; turning on every full moon. We could give a rat's ass about the cure."
Tyler walks past Stefan. Caroline steps forward towards Tyler.
"Tyler, come on."
"I needed you on my side, Care. That's all I wanted."

The hybrids are still keeping Caroline, Grace and Stefan prisoner in the cellar.
"Ugh, this is ridiculous. We are not hostages!"
"Sure you are, sweetie."
Caroline glares at her and super speeds to stand right in front of her. Caroline and Kim stare each other down. Stefan's phone starts to ring. The other hybrids start to advance on him.
"Relax."
They all stop in their tracks.
"It's my brother. [He answers the phone.] What's up?"
"Don't ask how or why or who, but I just found the answer to your Tyler problem."
Stefan listens to the rest of what Damon has to say which is not heard by anybody.
"You're kidding."
Stefan hangs up his phone and looks at the girls.
"We don't need the sword."
Caroline subtly raises her eyebrows at this revealing information.

Hayley is talking to Klaus in the middle of the square. Stefan sees the pair and watches them. Hayley walks off, leaving Klaus alone. Stefan and Grace walk up to him.
"She doesn't like me much. Where have you been all day?"
"I've been around."
"I'm not interested in vagary, Stefan. You've been dodgy, Grace has not been nice and Caroline's been lovely, which I've come to recognize as a tool of distraction, now, do you have something to share with me or should I compel it out of you?"
"I broke into your safe to look for the sword."
"Why?"
"Because we don't trust you."
"I showed you the sword. I explained its value. I've been on your side the entire time. What do you want from me? A secret brotherhood handshake?"
"I found the letters. You've had a few pen-pals over the centuries."
Klaus smiles smugly at him.
"Well, is keeping my victims' letters really so different from writing their names on a wall? Like you did, Ripper?"
Stefan doesn't respond. Klaus smiles even more smugly now. Suddenly, Klaus sees Adrian over Stefan's shoulder and his face falls. He walks past Stefan and towards him but stops midway. He turns back to talk to Stefan and Grace.
"Loneliness, Stefan."
Stefan turns around and faces him.
"That's why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill where we literally hold their life in our hands and then we rip it away. And we're left with nothing. So, gathering other peoples' letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder that in the end we're left infinitely and utterly alone."
Klaus turns and walks off with Adrian as Stefan and Grace watch them go.

Caroline walks into the parlor where Stefan is sitting on the sofa. Grace is on the floor.
"Matt can't find April. I can't reach Tyler. This is a disaster."
Caroline sits down on the sofa across from Stefan. Stefan remains silent and Caroline looks at him.
"Is this you in crisis mode? Cause it's a lot more subtle than mine."
"You know I thought I'd be happier watching Klaus get led away to his slaughter, but for some reason I can't help but feel kind of guilty."
"Yeah, you and me both. All day I've been trying to remind myself of all the horrible things he's done."
"See that's the thing, we've all done horrible things."
Stefan gets up and stands next to the sofa, looking at Caroline and Grace.
"And I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what makes us any better than him. And I think it's just that, we have family we can trust."
"Yeah, you're right, Stefan. Trust is everything. Have you heard from Damon?"
"Yeah, he's still with Jeremy at the lake house."
"Did he happen to mention where Elena was?"
Caroline avoids his gaze until the end of the question, when she glances up at him. Stefan looks at her with a questioning gaze. He moves closer towards her.
"Wait, why are you – why are you asking me this?"
Caroline looks up at him with a very meaningful look, but doesn't say anything. Stefan can guess as much from the look she is giving him though. He sits back down the couch.
"They're together, aren't they?"
Stefan looks incredibly upset. Caroline and Grace also look guilty and sad for Stefan.
"How together are they?"
Caroline looks away and doesn't answer.
"Caroline, tell me. How together are they?"
Caroline looks down at the ground and licks her lips nervously. She still doesn't respond, but Stefan finally realizes just how together Damon and Elena are. Caroline is still sitting on the sofa, watching Stefan, who has stood back up and knocks over one of the chess pieces on the chess board gently. But suddenly, he knocks the board off the table with such force that it flies halfway across the room. He proceeds to knock the end table and it flies across the room as well. Caroline closes her eyes and starts to cry. Stefan breathes heavily as he stares blankly at nothing. Grace walks out in disappointment and fear.