The Vampire Queen

Kidnapp

Caroline gathered the squad at the Salvatore House, her expression grave as she relayed the unsettling news about Tyler's transformation into a werewolf. Damon's brow furrowed with concern. "Does Matt remember anything?" Caroline sighed, her fingers tapping on her phone as she replied, "He thinks he blacked out, but I suspect Katherine compelled them both. That's why I covered for Tyler, claiming it was an accident." Damon's eyes narrowed. "Can he transform now?", Caroline asked, worried. "Only on a full moon, but his strength has increased. Who knows what else he's capable of now. I wonder how much Mason told him. Does he know about us?" She hesitated, avoiding Damon's gaze. "He... doesn't seem to know much. He was really shaken up. I felt sorry for him." Evelyn's voice cut through the tension. "He cannot know about you, Care. Remember what Alaric said, a werewolf bite can kill a vampire. Don't be his friend right now, okay? Do you understand?" Caroline nodded. "I understand, Evelyn. But he's still Tyler. And if he's in the dark, maybe we can keep it that way for now. I'll keep an eye on Matt and Tyler, ensure they're okay and not stirring up trouble."

In the school corridor, Tyler, weighed down by recent events, grappled with his locker amidst the reminders of tragedy. Posters for Aimee Bradley and a memorial for Sarah served as reminders of the dreadful night. Jeremy approached Stefan, mistakenly assuming a patch up with Elena. Stefan corrected him, indicating that Elena hadn't spent the night at his place. Jeremy's concern intensified upon discovering Elena's car still parked at Stefan's and her bed untouched. The unsettling realization of her disappearance deepened the worry.

Stefan and Damon had a talk, stressing over Elena's disappearance. Stefan suspected Katherine's handiwork, but Damon insisted she was sealed in the tomb, though Stefan questioned his trustworthiness given his history with Katherine. Damon recalled Katherine's cryptic warning about Elena's safety but dismissed it as typical manipulation. Stefan pushed to confront Katherine for answers, but Damon warned against playing into her hands, fearing she would exploit their vulnerability. Evelyn, overhearing their exchange, sided with Damon, agreeing that Katherine was too unpredictable to engage with. She warned against underestimating Katherine's cunning, emphasizing the risk of negotiating her release. Despite Stefan's insistence on finding Elena at any cost, Evelyn supported Damon's caution.

Even after insisting not to entertain Katherine, Stefan asked Bonnie to help him undo the tomb stone spell. Evelyn rolled her eyes over Stefan acting like a lovesick puppy and not thinking rationally. "I can't undo the tomb spell, Stefan. Even if I wanted to," Bonnie said, shaking her head. "It took both me and my Grams to undo it the first time." Stefan's eyes narrowed with determination. "But I can open the door, right? I can talk to her?" Evelyn, who had been silently observing from the corner, rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but Damon's right. She's not gonna tell you anything, not without something in return." Stefan clenched his fists, frustration boiling over. "I know, but guys, I have to do something. I have no idea who has Elena; I have no idea where she is." Bonnie's expression softened slightly as she stepped closer to Stefan. "What if there was another way to find her?" A flicker of hope ignited in Stefan's eyes. "Another way? What do you mean?"

Bonnie performed the locator spell for the group, her hands deftly moving over the map as she chanted the incantation. She used a few drops of Jeremy's blood to strengthen the connection, ensuring the spell would be as accurate as possible. A glowing light circled the map before settling on a spot 300 miles away from their current location. "She's here," Bonnie said, pointing to the location. "300 miles away." "Let's go. I'll join you guys," Jeremy chimed in. Stefan shook his head firmly. "No, Jeremy, you're not. You three go back to your house, just in case. I'll call you the minute I find her." Jeremy's face fell, his concern for his sister was evident. "It's too dangerous. I can't risk anything happening to you."

Evelyn crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Stefan, you're not going alone. We should stick together. You need us." Stefan took a deep breath, "I know you both want to help, but I need you to be safe. Trust me, I'll find her and bring her back." Jeremy and Evelyn exchanged a glance, both reluctant to let Stefan go alone, Jeremy out of concern for his sister and Evelyn to find who was after the doppelganger. They understood Stefan's reasoning, but it didn't make it any easier. As the tension hung in the air, the front door swung open, and Damon sauntered in, a smirk playing on his lips. "Relax, everyone. Stefan's not going alone. I'm coming with him." With a final glance at their friends, Stefan and Damon headed for the door.

Damon and Stefan had some road trip bonding while the rest of the group went to Jeremy's place. Caroline was busy with Tyler at school, but Evelyn kept her updated. Evelyn looked in thought, "Is there anything else we can do? Maybe we can grab some satellite footage of the place." Bonnie suddenly got up and rushed over to her handbag. She took out her grimoire and sat on the bed with them. Jeremy watched her, puzzled. "What are you doing?" Bonnie replied, "There's something else I want to try." Evelyn frowned. "I don't get it." "I need a candle. Evelyn, grab Elena's hairbrush," Bonnie instructed. Jeremy nodded. "Okay, yeah." Bonnie took a piece of paper and wrote something on it, starting with, "Stefan and Damon are coming for rescue." Evelyn handed her Elena's hairbrush and a candle. Jeremy looked at the items, confused. "What's all this stuff for?" Bonnie glanced at him. "I know it's crazy, but I might be able to get her a message." She crumpled the paper, held it above the candle, and closed her eyes to cast the spell. Her nose began to bleed, and Evelyn noticed it, alarmed. "Bonnie? Bonnie! Bonnie!" Evelyn shouted. The paper started to burn. Jeremy tried to stop her, but Bonnie kept going. The paper disappeared in flames, and Bonnie smiled before collapsing backward, unconscious, on Jeremy's bed. Jeremy and Evelyn tried to rouse her by shaking her. Evelyn, panicked, asked, "What happened to her?" Jeremy sighed, worried. "Her powers have limits, and she doesn't want to admit it. When she does a lot of magic, she loses a lot of energy." Evelyn frowned, concerned. "She needs to take care of herself."

With Bonnie unconscious, there wasn't much for Evelyn to do, so she decided to leave her and go to Caroline's house. When she knocked on the door, she heard something falling inside. "Care, are you ok?" Evelyn asked. Caroline soon opened the door, with Tyler standing behind her and a smashed photo frame on the floor. "What's going on, guys? Please tell me you were not fighting," Evelyn said, concerned. Caroline, needing someone on her side to deal with Tyler, trusted Evelyn. "Evelyn, come on in. Tyler just wanted to know what I am." "What does that even mean?" Evelyn asked, playing along. "You don't need to pretend, Eve. He knows. I am a vampire," Caroline revealed. "So, is Tyler also a vampire?" Evelyn asked, acting unaware. "No, apparently I am a werewolf," Tyler replied. "Oh, that's cool," Evelyn said, trying to lighten the mood. Tyler looked at her curiously. "What are you, Evelyn?" "Last I checked, I was a human," she replied with a shrug. Caroline interjected, "You know, this sounds crazy, but alcohol helps—or at least it helps me. You know, with all that inside jittery stuff." Tyler groaned. "I'm hot. It's like my skin is on fire." "Really? I never had any of that. I guess wolves are different. At the beginning, I was very, very emotional. Everything was heightened," Caroline explained. "I have that. How can you be a vampire?" Tyler asked, bewildered. "How can you be a werewolf?" Caroline countered. "Who else is like you?" Tyler inquired. "Just me. It's a really long story we can share another time. How many other werewolves are there?" Caroline asked. "Just me and my uncle Mason, but he left town," Tyler answered. "Look, Tyler...you can't tell anyone, okay? Not about you, not about me. No one will understand. Evelyn is the only one I trust with my truth, and I hope you can too," Caroline said earnestly. "I know," Tyler agreed.

Caroline wanted to share information with Tyler about the founding families and the history of Mystic Falls. Since Evelyn already knew it, she decided to take her leave. Before leaving, she hugged Caroline as usual and then turned to Tyler. "Looks like you need a hug too," she said. When he nodded, she hugged him as well and said, "I'm sure everything will be alright, and you'll always have us." Leaving the two alone, Evelyn went to the Gilbert residence to wait for the brothers to return.