Surprising Lover (TVDxOC) (Complete)

Graduation

Lexi and Grace are dancing and rocking out to Bon Jovi in the parlor while Stefan drinks some bourbon straight from the bottle while slumped on the couch. Damon enters.
"Damon! Help me celebrate my 17th high school graduation. [Damon turns off the music.] Hey, you remember my friend, Lexi, of course?"
"Lexi, back from the dead. Goody."
Lexi vamp-runs at Damon and pins him against the wall with a hand over his neck.
"What's up, buzzkill?"
"[strained] Stefan, you're just gonna sit there and let her enact her ghostly revenge?"
"You reap what you sow, buddy."
"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?"
"Yeah. Got ya."
Lexi releases Damon and he gasps.
2So 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 three are, having dance party USA."
"You're right. How selfish of me to be indulging in these precious moments with my formerly dead sister."
"I should be sacrificing my own happiness for the good of others, right? I should be upstairs grooming my hero-hair."
"Are you drunk?"
"I don't know, Mom, am I?"
Taking the bottle from Stefan, Lexi chuckles. Damon snatches the bottle from Lexi.
"Okay."
"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?"

Downstairs, Lexi and Grace crouch near Vaughn's body while talking to Stefan, who empties a blood bag into three glasses.
"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 and Grace.
"What, they don't give you a rulebook over there?"
"[laughing] You know, you're missing your chance to weigh in on the Great Elena Gilbert Cure Debate."
"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."
"Enlighten me."
"The sire bond's gone. Elena's emotions are back. She finally knows exactly how she feels."
"And what if whatever she feels is for you?"
Stefan considers the question for a moment.
"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.
"Cheers to that."
They clink glasses. Suddenly Vaughn revives and stands up.

Downstairs, Vaughn is facing Stefan, Grace and Lexi when Damon enters behind him. Vaughn turns around.
"Here."
He tosses the cure to Vaughn, who catches it.
"The hell are you doing?"
"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.

Lexi and Grace are talking away from the others.
"You know the cute blonde I was talking about?"
"Caroline?"
"No I was talking about you and I have a surprize for you."
Lexi moves aside and Richard walks forwards.
"Richard?!"
"Hello little sister."
"I'm only 2 minutes younger."
They hug each other before Stefan, Jeremy and Elena.
"Are you graduating or not?"
"Let's go then, hopefully we can catch up later dearest brother."
"Good luck Gracie."

Elena arrives right then with Stefan and Grace.
"I'm here. [She hugs Bonnie.] Thank you for today."
"I can't believe it. We're actually all here. We are all here together! Bonnie Bennett, are you crying?"
"It's our last hurrah before you guys go off to college."
"Before we go off to college."
"I...kinda sorta missed the deadline. You know, being an emotionless bitch."
"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 quadruple room!"
Elena, Grace and Stefan chuckle at Caroline's enthusiasm, while Bonnie smiles with tears in her eyes.
"I'm happy we're all here."
"Aw – group hug!"
"Ah, I don't – I don't hug..."
"Oh, get over yourself!"
The six of them close in for a joint hug. Mayor Hopkins opens the ceremony.
"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. He seems to sense something off about Bonnie's mood, but she smiles and leaves the stage.
"Savannah Davis. Matt Donovan. William Duncan. Caroline Forbes. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Matt Freeman. Elena Gilbert. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Stefan Salvatore. Grace Branson. Congratulations."
"Thank you sir."

Mayor Hopkins finishes reading the names. Alaric talks to Stefan over the phone.
"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."
"Okay, just hang on a little longer. Caroline's calling Klaus again."
Caroline hangs up her phone, shaking her head.
"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, Grace and Elena to clutch at their heads in pain. Aja and the other dead witches approach them.
"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.
"There are plenty more of these to go around. Who's next? I can do this all day."
Caroline turns to Klaus, smiling.

Downstairs, Lexi, Alaric, Richard, Grace and Stefan settle down with drinks.
"Ouch!"
"Yeah, I taught her that swing."
Lexi laughs.
"You know it's not polite to eavesdrop, right?"
"Hey, I'm short on time here. Don't rob me of what little joy I have."
Elena walks into the room.
"Anyone seen Jeremy?"
"Oh, he went to see Bonnie. He'll be back later. You know, before...well, you know."
"Yeah. Stefan, can I, um...can I have a moment?"
"Sure."
They leave the room together. Lexi turns to Alaric and Grace.
"This could get interesting."
"Usually does."
"So, the Other Side...Not exactly a party, is it?"
"I've lived...better."
"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."
"And how are we supposed to do that when the knuckleheads we care about can't seem to keep their lives straight?"
"Yeah..."

In another room, Stefan struggles to keep control over his face. Lexi walks up behind him with Grace and places a hand on his shoulder.
"Now who's eavesdropping?"
Stefan places his hand on top of Lexi's.

Grace, Lexi and Richard are saying their goodbyes.
"I'll see you guys again right?"
"I'm sure you will one day."
"Well I hope it's someday soon, [starts crying] I'm going to miss you both."
"We're going to miss you too."
"Well I'm going with Stefan to burry Silas."
"Goodluck sister."
"I'll send my wishes to your children when we get back."
"Goodbye siblings."