Surprising Lover (TVDxOC) (Complete)

Christmas Through Your Eyes

(Grace starts to call Liz mom from now on.)

Grace and Caroline talk to their mom on the phone while walking to their dorm room.
"I just figured that we were skipping Christmas this year, you know, considering the part where we die if we cross the border into our hometown."
"What happened to Christmas being your favorite time of the year?"
"Was my favorite time of year when I could actually live in my own house and help decorate the town tree and drink hot cocoa with my friends."
Grace and Caroline arrive at their room and find their mom inside, surrounded by boxes of Christmas decorations.
"What are you doing?"
"You're supposed to be at the Mystic Falls tree decorating ceremony."
"I'm playing hooky this year. I figure just because you can't come home for the holidays doesn't mean the holidays can't come to you."
"You even brought my favorite ornaments. Mom!"
Stefan arrives with two boxes of Christmas lights.
"Hey. I, uh, didn't know which ones to get, so I got both."
"What are you doing here?"
"Your mom needed Christmas lights."
Grace turns her focus on Liz.
" You have a huge dorm, and I thought we could use an extra set of hands."
Grace glares at her mom, who glares right back. Grace turns back to Stefan, who holds up both boxes.
"The little ones, obviously."

Grace is hanging the lights up and Stefan joins her to help.
"Here. I got it."
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, your mom asked for my help."
"No, Stefan. What are you doing here? Because if you think hanging a few stands of light is gonna make me forget what a crappy friend you've been, then you thought wrong."
"Grace, I'm trying, ok?"
"You're trying? No. This is the easy part, ok? We're hanging Christmas lights. Anyone can be friends when you're hanging Christmas lights."
Liz returns carrying a tray with cups.
"Who wants hot chocolate?"
"I was just leaving."
Stefan leaves. Liz frowns at Grace, who goes back to the lights. Suddenly Liz looks faint and drops the tray. He braces himself against a chair.
"Mom?!"
"Oh, wow. I just got really..."
Stefan vamps back into the room and catches Phil as he collapses. Grace rushws over.
"Mom!"
"Mom?!"
"You ok?"
Their dad nods, but still looks a little out of it.

Elena joins Caroline and Grace at the hospital outside of Philip's room.
"Hey!"
"Hey."
"(Faintly) Hello."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. She just collapsed. One second, we're decorating, and then the next, she's just on the ground."
"Maybe she forgot to eat. You know, sometimes, she skips breakfast."
"And when was the last time you ate, Caroline, Grace, as in fed?"
"Oh, God. Now you sound like Stefan."
"He just went to go find something to take the edge off."
"They have him sedated. He's going to be asleep for a while."
"Can you just come and distract us?"
Elena sits between Grace and Caroline on a bench in the hallway.
"How's the search for the new Ascendant thingy?"
"Not good. Damon and I spent the night researching."
"God. Poor Bonnie."
"Do you think she knows it's Christmas? You know she never liked being away from us at Christmas."
"I don't know. It's probably better that she doesn't know, though."
"So are you and Damon..."
"I know what you're thinking, and no."
"Actually, I was going to say that I think it's great how he's always been there for you when it mattered, you know, through thick and thin, good times and bad times. Maybe I haven't given him enough credit."
"You're clearly malnourished."
They laugh.

Grace sits on a bench in the hall, holding the butterfly necklace he got to match her tattoo. Caroline is also sat with the snow globe Stefan got her. Stefan gave them a few years ago. Stefan walks up to her.
"Hey."
"Hey. Uh, there's no news. Apparently, they're still running tests."
"Grace ... We need to talk."

"That just doesn't make sense."
"My mom would have said something to me."
"We were worried, so... Elena compelled one of the doctors for information."
"Ok. So my mom has a brain tumor."
"Then we'll just give him vampire blood."
"Grace, do you think that if our blood cured cancer we would have heard about that by now?"
"Fine. Then when are they gonna operate?"
"That's the problem. They can't."
"Ok. Well, if they can't operate, then they'll give him chemo, right?"
"The tumor is growing so fast the doctors don't think that will work."
"Well, then they're wrong because they don't know her. They don't know how strong she is."
"I mean, she's gonna get through this, Stefan. Right?"
Grace breaks down, and Stefan holds her. Elena hangs up the phone as she walks into the hall, and sees Grace crying in Stefan's arms. Elena hugs Caroline.

Grace and Caroline stand by their mom's bed, holding the necklace and snow globe.