- Elena and Jeremy reminisce about their past; Caroline and Stefan grow closer; Sheriff Forbes asks Damon for help with a case involving Elena's parents; Enzo lures Matt and Sarah into his plan.
- Guardian Alaric has a secret plan with Jeremy whom Damon and Elena help transfer to an art academy in the Southwest so he can finally have a "normal" life. The Salvatores' unwitting niece Sarah Nelson is lured into Mystic falls with a photography job, and Enzo forces Matt to play a painful part in his revenge plans using her. Sheriff Forbes is dying, but refuses to leave the office without a last go at a pile of unsolved cases - Damon confesses to most of them and helps examine the death of Jeremy and Elena's parents, officially a car accident. While Caroline seeks some control by meticulously preparing perfect last days for her mother Liz, Stefan already delivers on his promise to look after her and realizes he may be falling in love.—KGF Vissers
- Sheriff Liz Forbes packs up her office, remembering the night she got the call about the car crash that killed Elena's parents. The case is still open and it bothers her.
Elena and Damon sit down with Jeremy's principal to try to convince him to let him graduate early to go to art school. The principal isn't buying it, so they try it Damon's way. They already compelled him into art school, so they compel the principal to let him go.
At the Grille, Alaric and Matt toast Jeremy on his last day in town (so long, Steven McQueen, who is leaving the show). Matt is distracted by hearing from Enzo, followed by Sarah Salvatore walking in the front door. She got a call from the "manager" to take pictures for the website and thinks it's owed to Matt.
Damon and Elena bring Jeremy the good news that he "graduated," although Elena 'fesses up to the compulsion. Damon even got him a going away joint.
Caroline and Stefan unload the car at the cabin they're setting up for Liz to live out her last days. There's an awkward moment when Stefan's phone rings in his front pocket and, with boxes in his arms, he asks Caroline to fish around for it. It's Liz calling to see what they're up to. Caroline tells her she heard Liz ask Stefan to look out for her.
Damon finds Liz in her office with her open case files. Damon helps her close a few by confessing to most of them. She worries that Damon is behind Elena's parents' death, too, but he promises he's not. She plays him an urgent message Miranda Gilbert for her two hours before her death.
At the Grille, Jeremy steps out back to enjoy Damon's good-bye present, but Elena busts him. Alaric had to leave because he worried someone might recognize him when he's supposed to be dead. Elena has a change of heart and borrows Jeremy's lighter.
At the cabin, Caroline is excited when she finds the pike girly bike she learned to ride on. She didn't know her mom kept it. She sees Stefan fixing a light, looking like a sexy handyman, and takes note. She gives him an out to leave, but he says there's nowhere else he'd rather be.
In her office, Liz asks Damon why he and Stefan were in town the night of the crash. He came to lay flowers on his mother's grave. Liz doesn't entirely believe him, but he changes the subject to why the Gilberts were on Wickery bridge when it was out of the way, pointing out there were no skid marks and the trunk was full of luggage. They were going somewhere.
Liz calls Elena and Jeremy, but Elena is too stoned to answer. When Damon calls, he tells her to sober up and get to Liz's.
Enzo shows up to lurk by Jeremy. Enzo calls Matt to demand he bring Sarah to a tunnel. When Matt resists, Enzo reveals that he's using Jeremy as leverage -- he has Jeremy pinned to the ground with his boot over his face.
At the cabin, when Caroline starts to have a meltdown about the responsibility of choosing what could be her mom's last book, Stefan steps in for book duty and Caroline hits the booze.
At Liz's office, Elena doesn't know why her parents took Wickery Bridge and is surprised there was luggage in the trunk. Elena was texting with Bonnie when they crashed so she doesn't know why there were no skid marks. Elena leaves to find out what Jeremy knows. Damon sees Liz get light on her feet.
Matt leads Sarah to the tunnel Enzo directed him to. Sarah mentions she doesn't have a boyfriend. Enzo calls and leads Matt into the middle of the road -- then he runs him over, flipping him up onto the roof.
At the cabin, Stefan tries to reassure Caroline that her mom's final moments aren't what matter -- it's the light that came before. He knows she was just looking for a measure of control. He takes her hand. She brings up the fact her mom asked him to look after her and, as they stand in the perfect late afternoon sun, staring at each other, he tells her that's not why he's there. He says when she told him she hated him it was the worst thing he'd heard in awhile.
"I think we both know I never really hated you," she says.
After a long moment, Stefan steps closer and kisses her. Neither of them knows what to say.
Back in the tunnel, Sarah waits panicky for the ambulance to arrive. Matt tries to tell her to leave, but Enzo strolls up, saying he was in the area. Matt is in bad shape, and tells Enzo to fix him. Enzo puts on his best altruistic act and tells Sarah to remain calm, then he vamps out and feeds Matt his blood, then runs off.
Elena finds battered Jeremy back at the Salvatore house. After checking that he's OK, she tells him about Liz's questions and asks about the message from their mom. Jeremy remembers his mom caught him smoking pot in his room that night and put on a big show of getting mad and calling the sheriff.
Elena relays the news to Damon, who tells Liz. The luggage was from a planned surprise trip to the lake house that was ruined by a storm. Liz remembers the storm also put a power line across the shorter route home, which is why they were on Wickery. The bridge had a drainage issue before it was renovated and was probably slick, thus no skid marks. Liz sadly realizes there's no mystery. She asks Damon to call Caroline and tell her she can surprise her tomorrow. Liz leaves her badge on her desk and walks out.
At the Salvatore house, Elena gets the update from Damon but urges Jeremy to go on with his plans to leave town. Alaric offers to take him to the airport.
Damon gets Liz settled into her own bed. He can tell she's disappointed there's no bigger reason for the Gilberts' death. Liz allows herself a few moments of self pity and gets upset that she's lived a life as a good person and is still dying. Liz tells Damon to tell Caroline how proud she is of her, but he says she can tell her herself.
Damon tucks her in and takes her hand. Damon shares that he wrote his mother's eulogy but then didn't go to the funeral. Liz asks him to write her -- just nothing dirty. Liz asks for a drink. Damon turns around to get it but when he turns back, Liz is unconscious.
After getting Damon's call, Caroline arrives frantic at the hospital, but she's too late, Liz has slipped into a coma. Stefan calls Tyler to come back to town. The doctors say it won't be long.
Caroline cries over the fact she wasn't with her mom to say good-bye. Stefan suggests she still can.
Alaric drives Jeremy to the "airport," which turns out to be a bus stop. He hands over Jeremy's bag of vampire-killing tools and gives Jeremy leads on "animal attacks" near Santa Fe. Jeremy is leaving to be a vampire hunter and they're in on hiding that fact together. Alaric promises to send him leads and let him know if Bonnie ever comes back.
Back at Liz's bedside, Stefan guides Caroline through how to live in Liz's memories. Caroline remembers back to the day she learned how to ride her bike, a happy day for her and her mom.
Elena, Stefan, Damon and Matt are all there when Liz slips away.
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