four. i carry your heart with me
Whitmore College, Dormitory Building
Stefan is standing in the main busy hallway, waiting for someone patiently, when Melissa/Minerva walks up to him as she mentions with a smile, "Hi."
"Hi! Brought you coffee." He holds the bought warm cup of coffee out to her, and her happy smile only grows at the gesture, "It's your favourite."
She scoffs as she mentally recalls something quite similar, "Thanks." She takes it from him and playfully gives him a suspicious look, "So is this like, a Salvatore step-one-method to 'nicely' ask someone to do something?"
Her friend frowns in denial even though it seems that he's been caught, "What? No, why would you say that? What did Damon ask you to do?"
"Clearly, you've been very happy with your girlfriend that you were out of the loop while I spent the whole time breaking up with my boyfriend." Being Kai Parker, who was already decapitated by Damon at that chaotic wedding. How could anyone ever forget? They all lost some of their loved ones then.
He feigns a cute guilty look, "Ouch. You see, that's the thing. My relationship is not making any progress now that we can't have skin-to-skin contact."
The chestnut brunette nods a little, "Right. Vervain spell by your jealous ex."
The young man smiles sheepishly, "Yeah."
She sips on her black warm coffee as she considers this, "Hmm. So I take it your irresistable charm didn't work on getting Valerie to undo the spell?"
He looks away from her sheepishly, "Uh, I haven't spoken to her yet..."
His friend raises one of her perfect eyebrows, "Oh. So you're avoiding?"
"No. There's nothing to avoid." He smiles awkwardly at this remark.
She sighs as she looks away from him in disappointment, "Then what are you waiting for? Stefan, she was your first love, and then she just left you hanging. You're not the least bit curious why? Not even pissed off at her?"
Her vampire friend simply shrugs, "She hasn't contacted me in the four months she's been back, so I'm assuming she's as over it as I am."
"Yeah, you're assuming, considering that she's the reason why your undeserving girlfriend literally can't touch you." She said in an obvious tone.
Stefan sighs at the fact, "Unfortunately, she's the Heretic that I am the least concerned about right now." He earns a curious look to which he continued, "Let's just say that it involves two bored mean-girls on a campus full of easy targets. But I have come up with a genius plan to keep them occupied while Damon sorts out his Oscar problem." He pulls out a folded up flyer and holds it in front of her; the flyer reads 'HEAVEN AND HELL BALL' and it has the pertinent details for the campus party on it, making the banshee smile.
"Nice. So I think I see where this is going..." His brilliant close friend contemplates it for a moment, "So we'll be going to a dance, full of potential victims, and distractions. All in one place. Easy to babysit."
"Mmhm, and that includes Rosie. I think the hardest part will be feigning enthusiasm. Don't you think?" He playfully gives her a cute thinking look.
"We'll see." Melissa/Minerva takes the flyer and examines it for a moment before sighing, "Yeah, they'll never fall for it...Unless they think it's their idea?" Her smile widens devilishly, and he seems intrigued by her plan.
Later, Nora and Mary Louise are walking into the exact campus building and continue to talk to each other while they are exploring the college as they search for Oscar. Where could he be? Further down the long hall, Minerva, who remains in Melissa's vessel, is standing with the flyer in her hands and pretending to read it, knowing that the couple will eventually see her.
"I'm getting hungry. Is it death-o'clock yet?" Nora mentioned after a tired sigh and her extremely loyal girlfriend checks her watch before her reply.
"We still have thirteen minutes."
They finally walk, side by side, past Minerva, and Nora stops and yanks the flyer out of the banshee senior's hands, just as she intended, "What's this?"
"There you are." Mary Louise mentioned the senior suspiciously.
Melissa/Minerva channels her inner mean-girl as she tries to manipulate them within her intention, "Oh, nothing. It's just some silly 'Heaven and Hell' ball. Stefan invited me, but I don't know. These days, Halloween just seems like an excuse to get drunk and show skin..." She gives Nora a significant look, and when they look interested in the party, Minerva takes the flyer back and smiles at them fakely, "Sorry, sweethearts. No Heretics allowed. Halloween's only for people who dress up as psychopaths!"
Mary Louise scoffs, "As if we'd want to drink cheap beer out of plastic and then brag about it all over the Internet. Like we've got nothing better to do."
Nora rolls her clear light green eyes at her girlfriend's blunt remark in annoyance, "As if you'd even know how to do that. We're going!"
"To a college party?" Melissa/Minerva laughs condescendingly at them in order to mock the lesbian couple, "Oh, okay! Okay, good luck with that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nora skeptically asked in offense.
"Nothing! No, you two will fit in just fine. Seriously, you guys have nothing to feel self-conscious about." Minerva turns to walk away, and Mary Louise, not wanting to let her insecure girlfriend down, called out after her.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Minerva stops in her tracks and smiles triumphantly when she realises her plan has worked. She then makes herself look as though she's annoyed and turns back around to face them once again, "What do you want?"
****
Whitmore College, Minerva Devon's Dormitory Room
Mary Louise has changed into a bright red short dress and is examining herself in admiration in the full-length mirror when Melissa/Minerva walks in with a small red handbag in her hand as she mentions the Heretic with an utterly annoyed frown, "I see you found a dress...from my closet." Rude.
Mary Louise, looking slightly nervous, turns toward Minerva, who hands her the purse, "I haven't been to a party since New Year's 1902. Not until you showed up into our lives. Be honest-- will I make a proper modern devil?"
She adorably fakes a smile as a yes, "Shouldn't be too much of a stretch..." She chuckles as she walks past her, "...Unlike the hips of that dress."
The older woman glares at her, "Would you prefer I chose a different one and dyed it with your blood? You can fool the rest of them, but not me. I know it's you, and this little act you're portraying as a small-town college girl is just ridiculously pathetic. But of course, this is all part of your plan."
The twenty-year-old sighs and turns to face her, "What plan is that, exactly? Oh, right. The one where I'm blackmailed to be some kind of notorious huntress. Rude. Clearly, she scarred you for life. But let me be crystal clear for just this once, Mare...I am not Rayna. I don't even know how to wield a sword. And look, I gave you an outfit. Now, it's your turn. Siphon off the anti-vampire spell from Rosie to the specific address I gave you."
Mary Louise feigns sympathy, "Aw, is she prohibited from showing physical affection for her significant other? Try being gay in the 1900's."
"What do you care about that vervain spell? You don't even like Valerie."
In an unexpected twist, Mary Louise actually seems nervous, "You're right. I don't. I've had to endure two lifetimes with that conniving shrew, and I've learned that when it comes to Val? You don't get on her bad side."
****
Whitmore College, Common Room
Nora is in the middle of making her own white angel costume with white feathers and lace while she is talking to Stefan, opposite each other by the table. On the table is an iPad, which has the Pinterest app pulled up.
"Not happening, Stefan. Look, if I siphon Rosie's spell, Valerie will find out, and she'll retaliate with something much worse. The girl is a rancid bitch."
The young man frowns in confusion, "That's not the Valerie that I knew."
Nora shrugs, "Well, I used to be a sickly, abused little urchin cast out by my coven, and then I met Mary Louise. Love changes people. I mean, maybe Valerie's obsession with you is the reason why she's a walking funeral dirge."
Just then, Mary Louise called out to her girlfriend in a playful sing-song voice as she walks into the room with Minerva following behind her, "Oh, Nora!" She models her new outfit, which is a different red dress that has a lace overlay paired with a red headband with devil horns and red satin gloves that go up to her elbows; she looks at Nora expectantly, "Well?"
Nora gets up from her seat and walks toward her girlfriend as she checks out her devil costume for tonight's campus ball, "Hmmm. Not bad!"
Mary Louise frowns in offense at the comment, "Not bad is not good."
"No, you look nice! It's just...kind of plain. But I can sex it up for you." Her suggestive lover told her as an offer, making Mary Louise self-conscious.
"I'm comfortable like this, Nora. Don't!" Though Nora ignores her and rips the neckline of Mary Louise's red dress so that it has a slit that bares her cleavage; however, this just makes the poor Mary Louise even more insecure, and she becomes upset by her girlfriend's suggestion, "Stop it!"
Minerva and Stefan share a relatable look shortly, feeling awkward about the situation as they both are noticing Mary Louise's obvious insecurity.
"Oh, come on. You're supposed to be a devil!" Nora gently uttered.
Mary Louise grows enraged at her encouragement, "You want a devil?"
Minerva, sensing something wrong, tries to intervene, "Hey, calm down--"
"Minerva." Stefan, in concern, holds her close just as Mary Louise thrusts her arm in front of her and uses her telekinesis to shoot the pair of scissors Nora was using toward a male student, which impales him right in the stomach; Stefan and Melissa/Minerva begin to panic as Mary Louise glares at them.
"It's fifteen minutes past the hour. Distraction period over." Mary Louise then storms off, out of the room, and Nora, truly puzzled and a little exasperated, calls out to her own girlfriend as she quickly chases after her.
"Mary Lou! Wait!"
As Nora leaves, Stefan bites into his left wrist to feed his blood to the poorly injured student while Melissa/Minerva sighs heavily and watches anxiously.
****
Whitmore College, Heaven and Hell Ball
The frat party is full of young men and women dressed as angels and devils dancing around and drinking heavily when Rosie comes in, dressed as an irresistably adorable angel as well with a clean white dress with feathered trim, sheer white angel wings on her back, and a fluffy white halo resting on top of her caramel brown curls. She finally catches up with Stefan, who isn't even dressed up, and smiles at him bashfully and he smiles in return with a sincerely honest comment, "Nice costume for two hours notice!" Very nice.
"Aw, thank you." His vervain-spelled smiling girlfriend replied shyly.
"You weren't...Oh, I don't know...Already coming to this and just, uh, forgot to invite me?" Stefan mentioned, making her blush nervously.
She looks down for a brief moment, "I didn't forget to invite you. I just felt like, a Halloween party wasn't great first-date material, that's all."
"So then this isn't our first date?" Her lover uttered in pure amusement.
Rosie seductively remarks, "Well, it depends...What do you think it is?"
"Torture." Stefan answered with a sarcastic smile, making her giggle.
Rosie smiles happily at him until something intriguing behind him catches her eye. Stefan turns around and sees the devil Mary Louise and the angel Nora, as a pair, entering the party together and head toward the main bar.
"Wow. Somebody forgot to roll out the red carpet?" Rosie joked.
"Oh, well, they're here. Guess it's time to babysit." Stefan voiced.
****
Whitmore Medical Center
Bonnie and Luka are currently casting a spell on the mysteriously-deceased Oscar, who has the Phoenix stone resting on his chest, while Alaric, Damon, and Melissa/Minerva are watching anxiously. Luka, with his eyes closed in concentration, has the old grimoire in his arms as he and his sister chant the old incantation from it, "Phasmatos exaud mi, conjug spiritis et corpe..."
As they chant, the small bubbles inside of the ruby crystal seem to move around-- as if vibrating, and Alaric and Melissa/Minerva watch it with pure interest. Suddenly, Oscar's body seizes up before his eyes flick open, and all Alaric, Luka, Bonnie, Melissa/Minerva, and Damon all freeze in shock, unsure of what to think; however, a moment later, his eyes close again, and a genuinely tired sigh leaves Bonnie, "Oh. Scratch that one off the list..."
Damon, upset by this undesirable development, groans before turning and slamming his hand against the nearby autopsy table in utter frustration.
"Hey! You're not the only one banking on this." Alaric reminded him.
"It's not for me, Ric! Why does everything have to be about me today?"
"Bold of you to assume that the world revolves around you." Luka said.
"Will all of you just shut up? The stone works. I think it's creating a bridge between the body and the spirit. They just have to find a spell that makes that bridge permanent." Minerva ratified in annoyance, earning her an embarrassed shrug from Damon before his phone vibrates in his pocket.
When he sees that it's Stefan, he answers it, "So, how goes the diversion?"
"Five. That's the number of people Isaac, Caroline, Rosie and I have saved. Barely." His obviously impatient brother reported as he stays at the party.
"So, did you call just to brag?"
Stefan sighs as he shares a tired look with his lover, "How much longer?"
Suddenly, Bonnie and Minerva's panicked voices are heard behind him, and Damon spins to see what is going on, "Oh, crap, Ric! Put it out! Oh my God."
When Damon turns, he sees that Oscar's body has burst into flames, and Alaric frantically grabs a nearby fire extinguisher to put it out. Damon looks alarmed for a moment before lying to his brother, "...I think we're close."
****
Whitmore College, Heaven and Hell Ball
Stefan and Rosie are sitting at a small table for two and watching curiously as Nora dances happily on the crowded and heated dance floor while Mary Louise stands close to her and looks obviously awkward and uneasy.
"Awkward." Rosie sang quietly as her boyfriend drinks his strong liquor.
"Do you think they forgot they came here to murder people?"
"Oh, no. They're just wrapped up in their own drama. See, Nora wants some breathing room, but Mary Louise is scared if she gives it to her, then Nora's going to leave her. Sad." She earns a truly puzzled look from him.
"You got all that from...that?" Stefan predicted in a judgmental tone.
"Hmm." His intuitive girlfriend shrugs, "Maybe. I'm just predicting."
Just then, the music changes from an upbeat tune to a ballad, and Nora and Mary Louise smile at each other before they start to slow-dance together. Upon seeing this, Stefan smiles at Rosie in a charming way before speaking.
"You know, I'd ask you to dance, but..."
She sighs and continued in a sad tone, "But I'd hurt you. How convenient. If only there was a person you could talk to about it...I wonder who."
"I will ask Valerie to undo it once Damon brings Oscar back to life."
She scoffs as she looks away from him in disappointment, "Okay. So, you're not technically avoiding, you're just waiting for Damon to raise the dead."
He sighs, "Rosie, Valerie's been dead to me for a hundred and fifty years."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that when she's technically back now, and you're scared, to even tell me, that you're going to look her in the eye, and all of your feelings are going to come rushing back. You know, the infatuation, and the abandonment, and then there's me-- out of the loop."
Stefan gives her a significantly knowing look even though he feels guilty, "That's what I'm scared of? Or that's what you're scared of?"
Rosie shrugs sheepishly to have been caught, "It can be both..." She sighs for a moment before backtracking to conceal her clear embarrassment, "And you know what? Maybe I'm just too sober to be talking about this."
She walks away to get a drink at the main bar, and Stefan seems sad about their situation and the state of their relationship. However, when he looks back at the dance floor, he realises that Mary Louise and Nora are nowhere to be seen and immediately becomes alarmed, frowning anxiously.
****
Whitmore Medical Center
Bonnie and Luka are attempting a different spell on Oscar while Alaric, Damon, and Melissa/Minerva continue to anxiously watch them, "Ababbas dagoineh mateesah elunatan. Oshawas melunaweh washaset zagoedan..." Their chanting stop, and they, Alaric, Melissa/Minerva, and Damon are staring at Oscar expectantly; once nothing happens, both Damon and Melissa/Minerva sigh tiredly, and Alaric seems clearly disappointed.
"Wait for it." Luka advised as his curious gaze remains on the lifeless form.
Alaric averts his gaze between the pair of twins, "Which one was that?"
"It's something I found in one of your shamanistic oral traditions..." He said.
Just then, the colour begins to return to Oscar's skin as he bolts into a sitting position and screams at the top of his lungs; Bonnie gasps and jumps back from fright, and Alaric and Melissa/Minerva quickly step backward to get away from him as he moans, seemingly disoriented by his return to life. However, a relieved sigh leaves Luka instead, successful on doing the spell.
"Oh my God!"
Damon looks at the twins in awe and true amazement to comment, but Bonnie still looks shocked that the spell worked, along with Alaric and Minerva, "Twinsies? You two are officially the most terrifying people I know."
Afterward, the five are walking down the road to their car of the downtown college area, and Damon has his arm around Oscar's shoulders to help keep the weakened Heretic on his feet as they walk, "Easy there, buddy."
"Where am I?" Oscar asked weakly.
"You're on your way to Mystic Falls!" Damon cheerfully replied.
"Virginia? How did I get here?" He looks around at the rest of them.
"Well...We'll talk about it on the way. Smile for Mommy!" They reach the parked Camaro, and Damon pulls out his cell phone to take a quick selfie of himself and Oscar with a flash; in the photo, Damon is smiling widely, but Oscar looks strung-out and out of sorts; he then sends the photo to Stefan and Lily before starting to help Oscar get into the car, "Yeahhh. Okay."
"Blood. I need blood."
"Figured you might." Minerva holds up several fresh blood bags, which Alaric takes from her and hands them to Damon as he gets Oscar settled; while he's busy, Alaric takes Bonnie aside them to speak with her privately.
He sends a quick glance at the Heretic, "Either our friend still has the munchies, or this ravenous hunger is a side-effect of resurrection."
The twenty-year-old naïve Bennett witch frowns before she retorts defensively, "Don't look at me! I barely understand how the guy's alive. If hunger is the worst consequence of the stone spell, then we got off easy."
Once Oscar has been settled into the passenger seat, Damon walks over to Minerva, Bonnie, Luka, and Alaric, "Are you sure you want to do this to Jo?"
Bonnie and Luka share a relatable look of utter concern by the mention.
His determined best friend sighs, "Listen, it's now or never, Damon."
Damon shoots him a look, "No offense, Ric, but I was asking the twins."
Bonnie rolls her clear light green eyes and chuckles weakly, "Look at you sad-sacks! What, am I going to say no? Damon, go get your girl." She gestures to Alaric and Minerva, smiling at them, "Luka and I'll get his."
Damon nods and goes to get into the driver's seat of the car to leave, while the remaining foursome start to walk back to the campus hospital morgue.
****
Whitmore College, Heaven and Hell Ball
Mary Louise, still angry from her fight with Nora, walks through an area of the party which is full only of those wearing angel costumes, causing her own red devil costume to stand out. She sees a blonde girl in a short white dress who is covered in body shimmer and smirks to herself when she chooses her to be her next victim. However, when she lets out her vampire face and lunges for the girl, Stefan vamp-speeds in front of her and blocks her way while Caroline and Isaac are behind her, cornering the Heretic.
"Get out of my way!"
"Why? You're done here." Stefan holds his cell phone in front of her face and shows her the selfie of Damon and Oscar; the sight of it makes Mary Louise's unrestrained anger fade, but it's clear she's still hurt and upset by the fight, though she tries unsuccessfully to mask it in front of the three vampires.
"Oh. That's excellent news." Really; the young woman nods a little.
The blonde one sternly demands from behind her, "Where's Nora?"
"I don't know. We had a fight." Mary Louise turns and walks over to a table, clearly sad about what Nora said to her, and the trio of vampires join her.
"I'm sorry." Stefan expressed in more of an awkward manner.
Mary Louise momentarily becomes enraged again, "Do not pity me!"
"Trust me-- I don't. Neither of us do." The same vampire defended them.
She pathetically looks at all the drunken partiers around them, looking a little lost, for a moment before speaking bitterly, "Is this how relationships work in the modern era? Everyone peddling their flesh like a street bazaar? Because bloody Nora seems quite interested in the browsing."
Caroline sighs tiredly, clearly not wanting to be an aide for the Heretic, "You know, these days, they have this wonderful thing called a 'therapist'."
Mary Louise glares furiously at the blonde vampire mutinously, clearly offended by the insinuation, "How old do you think I am? I could think of nothing more futile than prattling on about one's emotions. As if I can prevent Nora from drifting away if I only find the right words--"
"--Or as if confronting my first love will somehow make her disappear." Which it doesn't; Stefan earns the same puzzled looks from the trio, so he elaborates, "Rosie thinks that Valerie's mere existence is somehow sabotaging our relationship. But if she could just get into my head, she would see that the only thing standing between me and my girlfriend is that damn spell...Which you can remove." As a convenient siphoner.
Before Mary Louise can react, Isaac quickly pulls out a syringe of vervain and stabs it into her left arm, causing her to groan loudly in agony; she quickly passes out, and Stefan catches her before she can fall out of her chair, "I got you. Thanks, guys. Come on. Come on." He leads her out of the party.
****
Nora is walking through the unoccupied hallway of the campus dormitory buildings, clearly looking frantic as she looks around for her girlfriend, "Mare?" She continues to walk down the hall and peeks into an unoccupied dormitory room for junior level, "Mary Lou? You can't avoid me for--"
She turns the corner to find Stefan standing in the middle of the adjacent hallway. He has a still-unconscious Mary Louise held by one of his arms while he uses the other to point a sharp stake at her neck. Nora seems furious at the sight of him and scowls at the vampire with pure resentment.
"Siphon the repulsion spell off of Rosie, or your girlfriend dies. Do you see how easy I made that for you?"
"Yes, thanks. Now, let me make it harder for you!" The raging Heretic holds up her left hand and uses her telekinesis to skillfully summon the stake from Stefan's hand into her own; she holds it up for emphasis, causing Stefan to look alarmed before she yells back at him in defense, "Get away from her!"
Before she can do anything, however, Rosie comes up behind her and puts Nora in a threatening headlock with one arm, using one hand to cover Nora's mouth to keep her from using any verbal spells while gripping her other free wrist to keep her from moving. Nora's face and neck begin to sizzle loudly from the agonizing contact with Rosie's vervain-laced skin, and she desperately wriggles in an attempt to get loose, though the toxic vervain is weakening her too much to fight back with her full strength. Stefan looks stunned, as though he wasn't expecting this outcome.
"Grab my arm and siphon, or keep burning."
Nora, still moaning, frantically grabs Rosie's right arm with her right hand, and it starts to glow red to indicate she's siphoning the magic. Once the sizzling stops, Stefan steps toward his girlfriend hopefully, "Did it work?"
Rosie quickly breaks Nora's neck and allows her to drop to the floor, and Stefan, still staring at his lover, drops Mary Louise onto the floor as well.
She scoffs, "Well, that was a lot more satisfying than I thought it would be."
Rosie and Stefan smile at their victory as they run toward each other triumphantly and begin making out passionately in the empty hallway.
****
Stefan and Rosie's Apartment, Grove Hill
Stefan and Rosie, as they continue making out passionately, have managed to find their way back home immediately after the vervain spell is removed. After a moment, the younger latter breaks away, looking clearly anxious.
"No. Wait, wait, wait. I can't-- I can't do this." She looks at him apologetically right after he slams the main door shut behind them, looking cheated on.
"What? Sure you can. That's the whole point."
She pushes him slightly away from her, "No, Stefan, I mean I can't. The whole ride home, I kept thinking about the reason why you're avoiding--"
He frowns at his girlfriend's thoughts, "--I'm not. I'm not even thinking about her. I'm thinking about you. You know, if it makes you any better, why don't you just say it? You've been biting your own tongue the whole night."
She takes off her fluffy white halo in frustration, "Fine. I think the reason that you're avoiding her is because you still have lingering feelings for the woman who left you hanging a hundred and fifty-years ago. You've been denying your own feelings the whole night, and I don't want you to!"
He scoffs in disbelief, "I doubt that what you're saying is the truth, Rosie."
She nods a little, "You're right. I'm scared that your old feelings for her will resurface the moment that you get to look into her eyes again. I'm freaking terrified of the possibility that you're going to leave me all over again."
Stefan nears her to prove that he's very serious, "That's not going to happen, because I'm not going to let some jealous ex get in between us."
"She already did. Who's to say she can't do it again?" Rosie snapped.
"Me. I said it. Rosie, if my old feelings even resurfaced, I wouldn't be standing here with you right now, in the comforts of our own home. I've reached the point where I don't even care what I have to do to be with you; or whatever I have to go through to be happy with the woman that I love."
Deeply touched by his confession, tears of joy are forming in her big doe hazel eyes, "You got to admit, I can't really forget how good it feels to snap that girl's neck just so that I can be with you again." She forces a laugh.
He shrugs, "One thing I've learned today is that love changes people."
She lets out a huff of frustration before she leans in to restart kissing him, which quickly turns passionate. He reciprocates her ardent kiss, which turns into a heated make out session between them and he takes off her sheer white angel wings and she frantically takes off his dark brown jacket.
They continue to carelessly undress each other, littering the clothes on the floor, as they remain making out passionately while they make their way to their shared bedroom until they finally fall, heatedly entangled with each other, into their big queen-sized bed and begin to make love for the night.