'Vampire Diaries' Season 7 Spoilers: Stefan Learns The Truth About Valerie In Episode 5 [RECAP]

The truth always comes out. In “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7, episode 5, Stefan (Paul Wesley) was forced to spend some time with his ex-girlfriend Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore). After a day of hunting for a body, she finally told him about his past. Meanwhile, Bonnie (Kat Graham) learned exactly what the Phoenix Stone does, and how the results aren’t at all what Alaric (Matt Davis) wanted.

Valerie’s Secrets: Damon (Ian Somerhalder) interrupts Caroline (Candice King) and Stefan’s morning cuddle session because the older Salvatore has suddenly decided that he needs to do “the right thing.” He wants to make Elena (Nina Dobrev) proud, and that means finding out why Valerie killed Oscar (Tim Kang). He says they have to confront Valerie, and Caroline encourages Stefan to go with his brother. She wants Stefan to work out his issues with Valerie. She tells Bonnie that she wants them to talk so they can move on.

Valerie sneaks away from the Heretics to track down Julian’s (Todd Lasance) body. However, Damon stops Valerie while she is on her way out of town and asks why she killed Oscar. Stefan ends up driving Valerie and Damon to find Julian to make sure he never comes back to Lily (Annie Wersching). Damon, of course, makes things awkward and brings up the past, but neither wants to talk about it.

While getting gas to burn his body, Valerie clarifies for the first time that they’re actually looking for a dead man. Julian died in 1903, but Lily magically preserved his body. Valerie wants to burn Julian's body so he can’t be brought back. She says Lily is planning to find the Phoenix Stone, which Damon claims he has never heard of. However, Valerie knows they used it on Oscar because he isn’t himself.

Stefan’s ex also reveals that the Phoenix Stone is full of various vampire souls. She says that they didn’t bring Oscar back. Bonnie put another vampire’s soul in his body.

They get to a warehouse full of coffins and have to search for Julian. Stefan finds Julian’s casket eventually, but Valerie’s spell to light Julian on fire doesn’t work. The Heretics have just caught up with her. Lily claims that Valerie has only told lies about Julian. She describes him as the love of her life. “He makes me better,” she says.

Valerie tells Damon and Stefan that Lily gave Kai (Chris Wood) the idea to put Elena in a coma. Damon tries to strangle his mother, but the Heretics protect her. They make all the coffins in the building explode.

Valerie ends up with tons of splinters that Stefan pulls out. She finally explains that she wanted to come back for him when they were teenagers. She reveals that she was pregnant, and Julian attacked her to make her lose the baby.

The traumatic news makes Stefan postpone his date with Caroline. Stefan promises to make it up to her, and Caroline asks if there is anything she should know about. Yet, Stefan doesn’t tell her that Valerie was pregnant nor does he mention that he is still with Valerie.

He tells Valerie that he is angry and sad, and he wants to kill Julian. She asks Stefan not to tell anyone about her past and he agrees. He also assures her that he would’ve wanted to keep the baby. Stefan is so upset that he promises to kill Julian if Lily gets the Phoenix Stone, which he might have to follow through on since they bring him back at the end of the episode.

The Phoenix Stone: Bonnie wants to investigate the magic she used to bring Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) back from the dead to make sure there are no consequences. That's why she wants to talk to Oscar. Luckily, Lily is on her way to get Julian’s body while Enzo (Michael Malarkey) watches Oscar. When Bonnie shows him the Phoenix Stone, he claims that Bonnie was the one who got him out of “there,” referring to the stone.

Damon calls Bonnie and tells her that the Phoenix Stone is more like a holding cell for vampire souls, and she has to tell Alaric that his love isn’t really back. After she receives the bad news, Enzo starts asking her about the stone, but he can’t get many questions in. Once Oscar learns to use his powers, Bonnie and Enzo have to run. As if her day wasn’t bad enough, Enzo manages to swipe the Phoenix Stone while they’re on the run.

Bonnie locks herself and Enzo in a room and tells him not to give the stone to Lily. After all, he doesn’t want Lily’s ex back in the picture. “I’m just saying, maybe you deserve better,” Bonnie says.

Once Oscar breaks into the room, Bonnie tells him that Enzo has the stone and escapes. Oscar attacks Enzo, but Enzo stakes the Heretic.

He explains what happened to Lily. Enzo shows her the Phoenix Stone and offers her a choice. She can either have him or Julian, but it doesn’t go Enzo’s way. Lily picks Julian. Her spell is successful and she manages to put the correct soul into Julian’s body. He recognizes her right away.

Alaric’s Reality Check: Jo wakes up after sleeping for 12 hours without her memory. She can’t even remember what “ordering delivery” means or recognize a flat-screen TV.

Jo tries to remember her past and recalls being stabbed in the heart. Alaric tries to explain that it wasn’t in her heart, but Jo points a gun and tells him to stay away. She runs away in a panic.

Bonnie calls Alaric and tells him that it isn’t Jo’s soul in her body. Alaric doesn’t want to believe it, but he has to. He eventually finds Jo in town, staring at herself in a window. “Nothing about this world is familiar to me,” she explains. “Not you, not any of this, not even my own reflection.”

Alaric tells her that she isn’t his wife. She asks who she is, and Alaric tells her that she isn’t alone. “I’ll help you and we’ll figure this out together, OK?” He says.

Damon’s Revenge: After finding out that his mother came up with the idea to put Elena under the curse that keeps her unconscious, Damon decides that he wants to torture his mother. He first wants to let her reunite with Julian, and then he’ll tear her love away.

“I want her to taste true happiness,” Damon says. “And then, I want to rip his head off right in front of her. I want to break her heart.” Bonnie assures him that he is still doing right by Elena, even with this new murderous plan.

Three Years Later: In this week's flash-forward, Bonnie is in group therapy. She says that she’s been thinking about the past. “I made a mistake, and I lost someone I loved. And I’d do anything to take it back, but I can’t,” she explains. “All I can do is try to find a way to live with it.” She goes to her room to find Enzo and the two passionately kiss.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.