'The Vampire Diaries' Recap: 'One Way or Another' Season 7 Episode 18, Race to Save Stefan

This week CWTV's The Vampire Diaries will see mayhem at the hands of the vampire inhabiting Stefan's body.

In "One Way or Another," episode 18 of season seven, Damon races to save his brother before it's too late and he loses Stefan forever.

Upon learning more about the vampire that is inhabiting Stefan's body, Damon decides to enlist Alaric's help to capture the vampire and the body of his brother. Alaric's life without Damon and any vampire drama has been all of the reason for him to stay out of this mess, however, he chooses to help anyway.

During the car ride, Damon learns quite a bit about what Alaric, his daughters and Caroline's life has been like.

Bonnie bumps into a stranger that could answer why Bonnie is being sought after by the Armory.

Rayna bares some pretty shocking news to Enzo that sends him on the edge and inspires him to fight his way out of the Armory.

The episode kicked off as Marty/Stefan falls asleep in Damon's car. Damon makes sure that his brother is okay and tells him that he has medicine for him.

Damon says they are on the way to Memphis to get his real body and Stefan is trying to figure out why his body is there.

Stefan is not doing good at all and Damon pulls over on the side of the road. He calls an ambulance and tells Stefan he is making the hospital come to them.

Alaric pulls up and explains that he has the EMT's keeping Stefan alive while he and Alaric go off to find the vampire and Stefan's body. Alaric says that Valerie ambushed him to get there and he tells Damon to consider the remaining time with his brother. Damon tells him that he is not going to let his brother die and asks him to hop in the car after calling him soft.

Bonnie is in Asheville, North Carolina and she is explaining a story about caring for someone and moving on.

A woman named Virginia is staring at Bonnie and when she is asked if she has anything to share, she says no.

Damon begins fishing for information about Bonnie but Alaric isn't giving anything up. Alaric says he and Caroline are planning a small wedding with their new friends. They go back and forth about their lives over the past couple of years.

Damon apologizes to Alaric and asks him to go on one more mission for old times sake.

Alaric is not a fan of Stefan because he says Stefan broke Caroline's heart and abandoned her. Damon says it worked out well for Alaric and tells him he should be a hero and save Stefan.

Back in the Philippines Stefan is at the bar alone trying to write an apology letter. It appears as if it's an apology to Caroline and he says all of the letters are returned unopened. The bartender says maybe this will be the one she reads. Back in present day Marty/Stefan asks one of the EMT's for a piece of paper.

He says he has a letter to write incase he doesn't make it. Damon arrives at a fraternity in Memphis to see his brother's body feeding on a student in the middle of a party.

The vampire notices Damon and invites him in. However, Damon is blocked from entering and the vampire says it looks like he will have to go through hazing.

Damon returns to the car and tells Alaric that it's his turn next. Alaric says he booked a ticket to go back home and Damon says Alaric isn't fooling anyone. Damon tells him he should step up and help the guy who made his perfect life possible. Just then a compelled girl brings a phone to Damon and it happens to be the vampire inviting him back to the house. The vampire says making the kids kill each other is really what he is in it for.

Damon invites him to come out and see him face to face. He tells Damon that he framed Rayna for murder and turned her boyfriend.

He says if Damon kills Rayna, he will turn his brother's body over and soul swap himself into a body that can hold him. Damon agrees to the terms.

Damon calls Valerie who immediately asks about Stefan. Damon tells him that he is keep Marty's body alive. Valerie says she can't get Stefan back into his body unless she has another witch. She says she will do whatever she has to do to get the spell done.

Damon also asks Valerie to do a locator spell on Rayna, who happens to be in the back of a mans car. He is telling her about a party when they come up to a stop.

She urges him not to stop but he does and Enzo goes on the offense. He pulls Rayna out of the back.

Bonnie is walking around the hospital when she feels herself being followed by Virginia. Virginia says hey and when they are alone, Virginia questions Bonnie about stealing her medication. Bonnie says she just wanted to help her think straight and Virginia goes from angry to sweet. She hugs her and thanks her for helping her think straight again.

Damon comes up on the car that Enzo stopped but he is too late, Rayna is gone. Damon immediately calls Enzo upon hearing the description and Enzo plays dumb.

Damon asks him what his exact needs for Rayna is and Enzo counters with a question of his own.

He asks about Bonnie, who he says Damon abandoned. Damon says he needs Rayna to save his brother and Enzo tells him he will not be getting her.

Damon and Alaric are speeding away and Alaric tells him that Bonnie and Enzo are together. He talks about how Enzo saved Bonnie from the Armory. They are interrupted by the vampire and Damon says they hit a little bump in the road.

Damon says nothing would make him happier than to kill Rayna. He says that he is running out of time and he would like a raincheck on killing Rayna. The vampire is not pleased.

At the hospital, Bonnie and Virginia are getting to know each other. Bonnie reveals that she knows Virginia is a member of the St. John family. Virginia is on edge and thinks that Bonnie is a spy but Bonnie says she is being hunted by Virginia's sister.

Bonnie mentions that she is a Bennett witch however, she can't access her magic. Virginia says she would have been traced already.

Bonnie says she was able to hide herself and promises to break Virginia out if she keeps her secret.

Damon and Alaric arrive at the frat house, however, it is full of dead students and no vampire. Damon gives him a call after realizing that the vampire my have gone on to find Rayna. Alaric points out that the vampire could be on the way to getting to Stefan.

Damon calls the EMT and gives them explicit directions not to stop again. However, it's too late. The vampire rams the ambulance with his car.

An EMT emerges from the wreckage and the vampire takes him and the other one out. The real Stefan is watching through the eyes of Marty but when the vampire asks Stefan if he is ready to meet his maker, Stefan isn't there. He has escaped to a house where the vampire cannot get in.

Rayna is confused as to when Enzo has her however, Enzo says he has his reasons. He tells Rayna that the Armory has created a pill that suppresses magic.

Bonnie is telling Virginia about the pills that was made with Rayna's blood.

Enzo wants Rayna to help him see if the effects of the pill can be reversed. Rayna says he might as well kill her because her blood doesn't reverse the effects it amplifies them.

Rayna realizes that Enzo is trying to help Bonnie because he was the one that gave her the pills in the first place. Enzo is feeling guilty and worried that he might have sentenced Bonnie to death.

Stefan is hanging on by the vampire is trying to get into his head and convince him to give up. He finds a propane tank outside of the house and throws it inside. He lights a tiki torch and gets ready to toss it.

Damon comes in just in time to stop the torch and distracts him while Alaric puts a dart in him. Elsewhere, Bonnie asks Virginia why her family is after her.

Virginia says there is a vault in the basement of the Armory that was sealed by a Bennett witch.

The family wants Bonnie to open the vault but Virginia says there is something in the vault that should never be let out. Virginia tells her to promise she won't let whatever it is out but when Bonnie doesn't guarantee anything, Virginia snaps.

She breaks a glass and attacks Bonnie with it.

The orderlies come in just in time to sedate Virginia who really doesn't want Bonnie to open the vault. Valerie thanks Alaric for helping Damon and Damon makes Valerie promise she can put Stefan back into his body.

Valerie begins the spell and Stefan sees her in his mind. Valerie asks Stefan if he cares for a drink and he realizes that she is in his head. They are in the Salvatore home and she promises him that he is going to be fine.

Stefan is making sure that Valerie isn't lying to her but she says he doesn't have to worry. They are talking about running away again but Stefan wants to stay closer to home.

Valerie believes that Stefan is talking about Dallas, however, Stefan says no. He tells her that she is his real life but her nose begins to bleed.

The spell is taking a toll on her and she is passing out. Damon is urging her to get up and complete the spell. Valerie asks Stefan is she has just been a pleasant distraction for him. He says that she was never a distraction and he expresses concern for her.

She continues the spell and Stefan tells her to stop it but she doesn't listen. She says she doesn't intend on breaking her promise.

She tells him she is all she has and she disappears. Stefan is now alone but he wakes up in his own body. Valerie is still alive and the team is somewhat whole again.

Alaric leaves the hotel room and Damon asks him where he is going. Alaric says he is going where he wanted to go the whole time. Damon pleads for Alaric to let him get back to how they were.

Alaric tells him that he was able to start over with Damon barging into his life and screwing up. He says he doesn't mean to offend Damon but he doesn't want things to go back to how it was.

Damon thanks him for being honest and lets him go. Alaric turns around and tells Damon that Bonnie is undercover in a psych ward in Asheville.

Stefan walks up on Valerie who is writing him a letter. Valerie tells Stefan she heard the fear in his voice.

However, he isn't afraid of dying, he was afraid of Valerie sacrificing herself for him because he doesn't love her the way she loves him.

She tells him that he gets the chance to go back and make things right with Caroline. She knows that Stefan loved her in her own way but she understands that he never meant to hurt her. Stefan apologizes to Valerie. She says she thinks it will be good for her to find a new life elsewhere.

She kisses Stefan one last time before leaving him. She tells him that he deserves to be happy.

Enzo walks in on Bonnie at the hospital and tells her that he heard she was in trouble. She runs up to him and they begin kissing passionately.

Bonnie tells Enzo is was just a scratch and reveals the reason Alex wants her. She tells him they can plot on how they can leverage her captive. Enzo tells her she can't take the pills anymore because they are making her sick. He confesses that he forced the pills on Mary Louise and Enzo apologizes.

He says he thought he was protecting her. Bonnie says she has died twice and it wasn't fun.

Enzo gives her his word that he will not let her die.

Just then, Damon arrives with flowers in his hand and Bonnie walks up to him. He apologizes but loses his words and she slams the door in his face.

"One Way or Another" really brings up a lot of conflicting issues for Damon, especially when it comes to Alaric.

Now that we pretty much know there is only one season of TVD left after this one, the show is looking to close out with a bang.

Fans who can't get enough can head over to The CWTV main page for updates and extras.

Photos that sum up tonights episode.