[Stefan's eyes glance to Bonnie, and something akin to discomfort shifts across his face because she's not wrong. But there's something of a wild card still in terms of how much control Cade still has over him.
Lindsay glances over to Bonnie before nodding.]
That's one of the things we're worried about. Stefan says Cade let him go because he wasn't in a place to be useful, but he's worried that if we let him out, Cade will take him back.
[And they don't want that. Lindsay doesn't want to have to stake a vampire today on top of killing the devil.]
( Bonnie looks away, hugging herself, and wandering over to look at a bulletin board of things that don't matter. She did bring that attention onto herself.
She thinks about the new tether she feels. Enzo in the background somewhere else, the power and grief she used to create what she did. She doesn't want to make any more sacrifices. But, what's their alternative. )
He won't show himself when he knows he's invulnerable from his realm. It's why he used emissaries. Sisters and brothers to do his dirty work. But, I can feel him.
[The worlds feel so heavy as he says them, but everything feels heavy right now. He's so tired. Tired of being the pawn in someone else's game, a blunt weapon intended to cause carnage and destruction, to twist the knife into someone else.
Maybe it's long past time he be taken off the board.]
Use me to draw him here. If he takes me back, there's people there who can stop me before I hurt anyone else.
[And Caroline, despite her being fully Team Bonnie, still can't help but see right through that wish. Still can't help the sharp "Absolutely not" that flies from her lips, looking to Damon for some kind of solidarity on this point.]
("I'm looking for more of a Plan A, then a suicide run, brother," he says, not holding back. "But, F for effort," he adds, turning to Lindsay. "Let it be said for the record, Stefan stays put.")
He got what he wanted from you.
( The words feel bitter in her mouth, like bile threatening to choke up, but he's not about this make this about him. And his pity.)
Great. Then Stefan stays in the jail cell and doesn't do anything stupid.
[Caroline is glad they're all in agreement on that. She and Stefan will have a more serious conversation later while everyone else is saving the world.]
"Well, if the bell rains down hellfire, I bet he wants his world and I'll world to be one giant hellball. All the souls he could want." He turns to Liv, though, to see if he's understanding everything. )
[Liv thinks over the information in front of her, trying to break through their options.]
Either that or he wants to have more influence over this world. He could be stronger if he's material in the real world, even if it makes him more vulnerable. Either way he wants someone to ring that bell.
("Care to contribute to the proceedings, Stefan, unless whatever's going to come out of your mouth starts with the word 'Sacrifice' and ends with 'me.' He made second contact. Did he take you anywhere?"
Show him anything?
Stefan has the attention on him again and Bonnie ices over again, but listens. Hopefully, he has something that can help. )
[He's quiet for a long moment, because it's hard seeing past that end at the moment. But he does his best to shove down the despair, not in a way that makes him soulless again but in a way allows him to be helpful.]
There was a cave.
[He pauses as he tries to pin down where he's seen it before.]
It's familiar but ... I think I heard running water?
( It's the first time she's addressed him directly. She then addresses the rest of the group. )
For those of you who are new, kids go to the Falls to party. They have bonfires by the base, or swing into the watering hole. But, you can hike up them. And there's a system of caves back there. One entrance. Caroline, Elena, and I did the hike when we were teens.
( Just to see if they could, and because Tyler and Matt...
"Because Matt and me said you couldn't make it up there?")
Yes, actually. And we did. We also did it responsibly. Packed water bottles, made it to the top, and had a picnic.
[Caroline's smile is sad, because she isn't lying. That was a good day. But it reminds her of all the things that are missing. She misses Elena, misses Matt, misses the pieces of their world that are gaping.
She knows she'll at least see Elena again, one day, long from now, but the three of them will never be together again like they were that day and that hurts.
Focus, Forbes. Elena and Matt may be missing but she refuses to let Stefan or Bonnie join them.]
So is that where this all is going to go down? Lure him to the falls and go from there?
I don't know about luring him. But if there's any way to tap into his energy, it'll be there. I could... see if I can channel him. Bring him there, try to... bargain --
( For Stefan's life? For Enzo? She looks away from them, keeping it together.
"And for those of us who thought Nightmare on Elm Street was schlocky, how do we get him off his wavelength and into ours?" Damon asks, taking up the plan reins. It's cool, Bon. Take a minute. )
[Liv's been quiet as they mull over their options, trying to connect the dots of all of these desperate pieces. Eventually, she looks up at Damon and goes with her best guess.]
The sirens told Ethan Maxwell that Cade had to be physically in this world in order to be killed. They also said he had to ring the bell in order to get Cade in a place to kill him. I think ... it has to be the bell. The bell and knife used simultaneously.
[She glances over at Beck, looking to see if that tracks for him as well.]
I'm also willing to bet Cade is still invested in both of your souls, even if he's playing the long game right now.
("That tuning fork doubled the sirens over and gave them a headache worthy of a nose bleed. The sirens were enslaved by Cade. What's good for the goose is always good for the gander." Damon says, also turning to Beck.
"You think the bell could have the same affect on Cade," Beck posits. )
It makes sense. If Damon went to go and bargain for what's left of Stefan's soul, that would distract him long enough. If our theory is correct and someone rings the bell at the same time, it could give us the opportunity we need.
I've been poking at a spell that could hide someone's mind, psychically speaking. Maybe we can try and use it on you, Lindsay, so that he doesn't pick up on your presence until it's too late.
[It hasn't been tested against Cade just yet, but there's a chance it could give them a little bit of an edge.
"Works for me. I'll take whatever edge I can get."]
("He can try," Damon says, but, doesn't object. "Ric, call Maxwell, bring a truck." And Damon ends that call. And then Lindsay asks a very pertinent question. Damon looks at everyone when Liv's phone lights up again. )
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( "We'll fill you in," Damon says. "Any chance you can whisk yourself away to the sheriff's department?" )
Just say, bring it to you.
( "Fine. Bring it to us."
"He's already fixated on Stefan," Bonnie says, having stayed silently until now. )
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Lindsay glances over to Bonnie before nodding.]
That's one of the things we're worried about. Stefan says Cade let him go because he wasn't in a place to be useful, but he's worried that if we let him out, Cade will take him back.
[And they don't want that. Lindsay doesn't want to have to stake a vampire today on top of killing the devil.]
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She thinks about the new tether she feels. Enzo in the background somewhere else, the power and grief she used to create what she did. She doesn't want to make any more sacrifices. But, what's their alternative. )
He won't show himself when he knows he's invulnerable from his realm. It's why he used emissaries. Sisters and brothers to do his dirty work. But, I can feel him.
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[The worlds feel so heavy as he says them, but everything feels heavy right now. He's so tired. Tired of being the pawn in someone else's game, a blunt weapon intended to cause carnage and destruction, to twist the knife into someone else.
Maybe it's long past time he be taken off the board.]
Use me to draw him here. If he takes me back, there's people there who can stop me before I hurt anyone else.
[And Caroline, despite her being fully Team Bonnie, still can't help but see right through that wish. Still can't help the sharp "Absolutely not" that flies from her lips, looking to Damon for some kind of solidarity on this point.]
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He got what he wanted from you.
( The words feel bitter in her mouth, like bile threatening to choke up, but he's not about this make this about him. And his pity. )
He won't go back to that well.
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[Caroline is glad they're all in agreement on that. She and Stefan will have a more serious conversation later while everyone else is saving the world.]
So what does Cade want? The one who got away?
[She looks over at Damon.]
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( Sorry.
"Well, if the bell rains down hellfire, I bet he wants his world and I'll world to be one giant hellball. All the souls he could want." He turns to Liv, though, to see if he's understanding everything. )
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Either that or he wants to have more influence over this world. He could be stronger if he's material in the real world, even if it makes him more vulnerable. Either way he wants someone to ring that bell.
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"Do we," Beck asks, bringing an and off his crossed arms. "Have the upperhand?"
"We have a slayer. Feels upperhand to me." )
We still need a plan, Damon.
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[Liv and Beck have already covered that base.]
But I agree with Bonnie. We need a plan. We need somewhere to lure him to.
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Show him anything?
Stefan has the attention on him again and Bonnie ices over again, but listens. Hopefully, he has something that can help. )
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There was a cave.
[He pauses as he tries to pin down where he's seen it before.]
It's familiar but ... I think I heard running water?
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( It's the first time she's addressed him directly. She then addresses the rest of the group. )
For those of you who are new, kids go to the Falls to party. They have bonfires by the base, or swing into the watering hole. But, you can hike up them. And there's a system of caves back there. One entrance. Caroline, Elena, and I did the hike when we were teens.
( Just to see if they could, and because Tyler and Matt...
"Because Matt and me said you couldn't make it up there?" )
Yes, actually. And we did. We also did it responsibly. Packed water bottles, made it to the top, and had a picnic.
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[Caroline's smile is sad, because she isn't lying. That was a good day. But it reminds her of all the things that are missing. She misses Elena, misses Matt, misses the pieces of their world that are gaping.
She knows she'll at least see Elena again, one day, long from now, but the three of them will never be together again like they were that day and that hurts.
Focus, Forbes. Elena and Matt may be missing but she refuses to let Stefan or Bonnie join them.]
So is that where this all is going to go down? Lure him to the falls and go from there?
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( For Stefan's life? For Enzo? She looks away from them, keeping it together.
"And for those of us who thought Nightmare on Elm Street was schlocky, how do we get him off his wavelength and into ours?" Damon asks, taking up the plan reins. It's cool, Bon. Take a minute. )
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The sirens told Ethan Maxwell that Cade had to be physically in this world in order to be killed. They also said he had to ring the bell in order to get Cade in a place to kill him. I think ... it has to be the bell. The bell and knife used simultaneously.
[She glances over at Beck, looking to see if that tracks for him as well.]
I'm also willing to bet Cade is still invested in both of your souls, even if he's playing the long game right now.
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"You think the bell could have the same affect on Cade," Beck posits. )
It makes sense. If Damon went to go and bargain for what's left of Stefan's soul, that would distract him long enough. If our theory is correct and someone rings the bell at the same time, it could give us the opportunity we need.
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[It hasn't been tested against Cade just yet, but there's a chance it could give them a little bit of an edge.
"Works for me. I'll take whatever edge I can get."]
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( And this finally sounds like a formulating plan. )
Alaric, could you install the bell?
( "Yeah, I'll get right on that. Me and my army of - missing or dead interns," he says. Sorry, he's snippy.
"I can help Grumpycat with the bell, or we can bring back Peter Maxwell. Sounds like prime time for a special guest star."
He'd say Matt would be proud but... )
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[Liv doesn't think that Maxwell would want to do anything to help Damon directly, but he will do this for the greater good.]
Let's get the bell installed while Bonnie, Lindsay and I test this spell.
[Lindsay nods. "Is he going to come here first to drop off the blade, or are we meeting him somewhere?"]
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For god's sake, answer it.
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[Liv rolls her eyes before answering, not looking at the caller ID.]
Ric?
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( That he is still in possession of? )
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[It's kind of on the way right. Or at least on the way to Maxwell's.]
Or on your way to meet Maxwell. Whichever is more convenient.
[A beat.]
Also maybe don't mention it to my sister that we're gonna try and kill the Devil today?
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( He wraps it back up in a cloth and sticks it into his shoulder bag. )
You want me to hide from my wife that -- ( not the time. ) She's with the girls, anyway. Coming right to you.
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