The morning of the party, things began very slowly.

"I don't want to get up," Selina groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "Don't make me!"

"If you're dreading what I think you are, it's your own fault," Elijah said. "You're the one who said we'd come to that party when Roxanne called. The least you could have done is tell her only you were coming. I don't see why both of us have to be miserable."

"We're both gonna be miserable because you love me and I promise to reward you handsomely after," Selina said. "And if I don't support Roxie, you know what will happen? We will have a repeat of me and my mother and I refuse to be in the role of my mother!"

"Why can't I just stay home and watch Gregory?" Elijah asked. "I would like that much better."

"You are such a whiner," Selina said. She looked at the clock. "Come on, let's get up. Gregory's probably waiting for us."

"But you said you didn't want to get out of bed!" Elijah looked at her incredulously.

"Well, your faint-heartedness inspired me," Selina said. "Come on!"

Rolling his eyes, Elijah followed her out of bed, but this morning, he got nothing out of watching her dress. He just stood there staring at her with a stony expression on his face.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Grumpy Gills!" Selina said, patting him lightly on his face. "It's a new day. Be cheerful!"

"You be cheerful," Elijah said. "I don't see anything to be cheerful about. And I don't like when you have those weird mood changes that you have."

"Well, maybe I don't like to be in a room of unhappy people," Selina told him. "And if only you and I are in a room and you're unhappy, that gives me no choice but to be the happy one. Now are you coming to breakfast or are you just gonna stay in here and sulk?"

"I'll have a cup of coffee," he said gruffly. "And then I am going to read in my office."

"Fine," Selina said. "You just be that way."

And true to his word, Elijah drank a quick cup of coffee, then strode out of the kitchen, leaving Selina alone to spoonfeed Gregory mushed up bananas by herself. She wiped off Gregory's face, picked him up and went to Elijah's office. "You don't want Gregory to read with you?" Selina asked him. "I thought that was your thing."

Elijah put the paper down, gave her a long look, and then got out of his desk chair and came and took Gregory back to his desk.

"Lighten up," Selina said to him. "You look grumpy and Gregory might get scared."

Elijah tried to give Gregory a reassuring look, because he did indeed look a little nervous. Then he looked up at Selina.

"You can go now," he said.

"Fine," Selina replied, closing the door behind her. "Goodbye."

In an attempt to make herself seem as intellectual as Elijah was, Selina decided to take Gregory to the local aquarium. As they wheeled through it, Selina found herself pointing out all the different kinds of fish: "This is a starfish, and a jellyfish (aren't they shiny?) And some angel fish and some coral, and-"

Just then, Gregory's eyes widened as a shark passed right near the glass. Selina picked him up and brought him over to the tank. "That's a shark," she said. She tried to shield him from it, thinking it would scare him, but instead, he reached out and put his small hand against the glass. "Shar," he said quietly.

"Sharks are scary," Selina said. "They eat all the other fishes and make them run away. Or swim away, since fishes don't have feet." But he seemed not to hear her, staring in fascination at all the fish in the tank.

"You must like the fishies," Selina said. "Let's keep going and see some more."

Lucy was in her studio throwing darts at paint-filled balloons when she heard a knock on the studio door. "Come in!" She called. "And watch the floor! It's covered with paint!"

Mimi opened the door and came inside. "Sorry to disturb you," she said. "But I just had to come in. I have something important to tell you."

Lucy pushed her hair out of her eyes and pulled up the long plastic smock she wore while she was painting so she could walk over and join Mimi on the sofa without tripping. "What is it?" She asked. "Is it bad news?"

"No, very good, actually," Mimi told her. "Remember how you gave me that picture you painted of the rose garden at the historical society?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. The one your friend with the art gallery wanted to see?"

Mimi nodded and grinned. "Well, my friend was so impressed that she decided she wants more."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Really? That's so cool! But-"

"And that's not all!" Mimi rushed on. "She wants to use your paintings to promote her art gallery in Paris! If you give her more and let her make an exhibit, she and her assistants will give you lessons in any medium you'd like! What do you think about that?"

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed rapidly. "I-I don't know what to say," she finally got out. "It seems like a wonderful opportunity. But I don't know how my parents will feel about my going off to Europe by myself."

"Well, introduce me to them then," Mimi said. "I'll help them see the light if this is something you really want."

"It is," Lucy nodded. "It is.

Selina stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and put her hand on the doorknob to turn it, but as she turned it, she heard a voice: "Just so you know, I'm sitting out here on the bed, so unless you're wearing a bathrobe, you might not want to come out."

"Nicky?" Selina asked. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago," he said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Selina said. "Hang on." She put her bathrobe on and stepped out into the bedroom where Klaus, fully dressed, was sitting on the bed. "Don't worry," he grinned. "I left the door open. Elijah won't think you and I are up to anything."

"How kind of you," Selina said. She grabbed a dress out of the closet and brought it out. "Oh, don't wear that one," Klaus said, eyeing the yellow dress with distate. "You look much better in cooler colors. Don't you have anything in purple or green?"

Selina rolled her eyes and put on a green dress instead. "So what did you want to talk about?" She asked. "The thing with Roxie tonight?"

Klaus nodded. "Just a bit. I mean, I love her and I have feelings for Caroline. Is it wrong for me to want them to be civil to one another?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "It's not an unreasonable request. And here's something to think about: When Roxie called to tell me about the little get-together and invite me to come, she said she was really gonna do her best to make a pleasant night for you because she likes that you're happy. That's something, isn't it?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "That is something."

Just then Elijah knocked on the door. "Phone for you," he said. "It's Lucy." He held it out.

"Which one of us?" Selina asked. "Me?"

Elijah shrugged. "Lucy said either one of you."

"I'll take it," Selina said. She took the phone from him and said, "Hi, honey. What's going on?"

"A really good opportunity has been presented to me, but I felt I should talk to you and Daddy before I accepted," Lucy said. "Would you come over to my studio and talk about it to me and my teacher?"

"Your teacher?" Selina asked. "What kind of opportunity?"

"You'll see when you get here," Lucy said. "So can I tell Mimi you're coming?"

"Sure," Selina said. "But Lucy, what opportunity-"

Just then, Lucy hung up. "Well that was uninformative," Selina said.

"What is it?" Klaus asked. "Has Lucy gotten herself into more trouble?"

"Not that I heard," Selina told him. "She says an opportunity has been presented to her, but she wanted to talk with us about it before she accepted. We're supposed to meet her at her apartment. She didn't tell me anything more than that. So should we go?"

"Might as well," Klaus said. They headed out the door and Selina put them on a detour to Elijah's office.

"Why are we here?" Klaus asked.

"I'm gonna ask Elijah if he wants to come with us," Selina said.

"Why?" Klaus asked.

"Because he raised Lucy too," Selina said. "He deserves to be made aware of whatever Lucy's got up her sleeve."

"But he's not even her father," Klaus said. "I am!"

"He helped me raise her," Selina said. "That's close enough."

"Well that's just jolly!" Klaus said. "Why don't we invite Damon to come with us as well? You shacked up with him for six months after she was born, and now she's doing it too!"

"You stop!" Selina said. "Or I'm leaving you behind and just Elijah and I will go. At least he'll handle things maturely. You got to beat Damon up for the Lucy thing and now we have to move on." Klaus' lips became a thin line as Selina opened the door and the two of them walked into Elijah's office.

"Hi," Selina said, leaning over Elijah's desk. "Wanna come with us to see Lucy?"

Elijah stood up. "Sure." He saw Klaus' look. "Do you have a problem with that, Niklaus?"

"No," Klaus said after Selina trod on his foot. "No, it's perfectly all right for you to come."

"We can even stop for lunch on the way if you'd like," Selina said. She went and got Gregory, who would be dropped off at Adrian and Helene's and they left the house.

They got outside and Selina said to Elijah, "Whose car should we take?"

"Let's take Niklaus'," Elijah said with a grin, his hand coming around her waist. He nuzzled her neck. "He can drive and you and I can sit in the back,

"Or, you could sit up front with him and I'll sit in the back with Gregory," Selina said, moving his hand. "In fact, I think that's what would be best."

Elijah watched her stride to the car and open the backseat door while Klaus sniggered behind his back. "Bad luck, brother," he said.

Elijah sighed. "Just get in the car, Niklaus," he said. "And I think it might be best if we speak only sparingly until we reach Lucy's."

"Mom! Dad! Uncle Elijah?" Lucy looked at the group as they stood on the other side of the door. "Glad you could make it! Wanna come in?"

They came in and sat down and Klaus said, "I don't know what you've got in your head now, Lucy Elizabeth, but it better not be anything bad."

"It's nothing bad," Lucy said. "Or at least nothing you and Mom haven't done before."

"A lot of things can fall under that category," Selina said. "Stealing, murdering, getting drunk and swimming naked across a canal during Carnavale in Venice and waking up in the house of a very distinguished painter, only to discover that-have I said too much?"

"I remember that," Klaus said, grinning. "You were so out of it the next day and we-"

"Yes," Elijah said dryly. "You both have said too much. Then he turned his attention back to Lucy. "So what is this opportunity you told your mother about?"

"Let me go get Mimi and we'll tell you," Lucy said. She got up and came back with Mimi behind her a few minutes later. "Can I offer you a drink?" Mimi asked. "Some water, tea or soda, perhaps? I'm sorry, we don't have any alcohol around here, but-"

"We're fine, thanks," Selina said. "Now, the news?"

"Lucy is a very talented artist," Mimi said. "I have lots of friends around the world who own galleries and one day about two months ago, one of them came by and took a liking to a piece Lucy had just finished and asked if she would be willing to make more."

"And not only that," Lucy continued. "She wants to use the pieces I make to promote her gallery as well as giving me lessons in any medium I choose! And it will be in Paris! So can I go?"

"How long would she be gone?" Selina asked Mimi.

"For a year," Mimi said. "Would that be all right? I would be the one chaperoning her. She'll be well-taken care of, I assure you." She paused. "I'm Mimi Van Allen by the way."

"Mimi, this is my mother, Selina, my father, Klaus, and my uncle Elijah," Lucy said. "Mom sketches and Dad sketches and paints."

Mimi grinned. "Well, it's easy to see where Lucy got her talent from, then."

"I just dabble, really," Selina said. "I haven't picked up a pencil in years."

"She's exaggerating," Lucy told Mimi. "She did a sketch of something a the park near Damon's house. What was it, Mom? A sculpture? A lighthouse type thingy?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't really remember."

"Anyway, it was good," Lucy finished. "And Uncle Elijah doesn't do art that I know of, but he's an art appreciator."

"Well, isn't that delightful?" Mimi looked at all three of them with appreciation. "So what should I tell my friend?" She asked, after a moment of silence. "Can Lucy come to Europe with me or not?"

"We need a moment to talk amongst ourselves," Elijah said. "Would that be all right with you?"

Mimi nodded. "Of course."

Elijah, Selina and Klaus went into a corner and began whispering to each other. "I think she should go," Selina said. "I don't care if the two of you don't. Aside from certain things that I will not mention, I found my time in Europe to be very enlightening and enjoyable."

"I think she should go too," Klaus said. "She'll get to see the world, and it will have an added bonus of getting her away from Damon for a year. Hopefully, she will have lost interest in him by then."

"She'll be eighteen by the time she returns," Elijah pointed out. "Old enough to make her own decisions. If she comes back after a year away and still feels affection for Damon, then we won't stand in her way."

"We won't?" Klaus asked.

"No," Elijah said. "We won't."

"So we're all in agreement that she should go?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus and Elijah said at the same time.

They walked back to the sofa. "So do I get to go?" Lucy asked. She looked eager, as if she already knew the answer.

"Pack your bags," Selina said, giving Lucy a hug. "You're going to Europe!"

"Oh, my god," Lucy said when she went back to Vince and Roxie's and found Roxie in the kitchen, standing over a smoky pot full of something that looked slimy and gross. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking," Roxie said. "I'm having dinner guests this evening, so I would appreciate it if you would clear out."

"What kind of dinner guests?" Lucy asked. "Are you attempting to make more friends? Because serving whatever is in there will not help you."

"Ah ha ha," Roxie said. "It's Dad. He's bringing his stupid girlfriend over because he wants us to bond." She rolled her eyes. "And Mom and Uncle Elijah are coming too."

"Caroline is not stupid!" Lucy said. "I like her."

Roxie breathed in sharply. "You would, wouldn't you?" She asked.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Lucy asked. "I will."

"No," Roxie said. "You don't have to. No sense in more of us being miserable than is absolutely necessary."

Lucy took the wooden spoon out of the pot and winced at the black, shiny stuff hanging off of it. "What was this supposed to be?"

Roxie shrugged. "Spinach, I think."

Lucy gave her a look. "If you don't want me to stay for the dinner, at least let me help you make something edible."

"Geez, can everyone cook except me?" Roxie asked as she watched Lucy pull stuff out of the cupboards and flip through the pages of the receipe book.

"I'm sure if you asked Mom, she'd help you learn," Lucy said. "That's what I did."

"I doubt Mom would want to do anything to help me," Roxie said.

"She's coming to support you tonight, isn't she?" Lucy said.

"Yeah," Roxie said. "Yeah, she is. Maybe I will ask her to help me find my way around a kitchen after all."

"Remind me why we're having this thing at Roxie's again?" Caroline asked. "I don't see why we couldn't just have it at our house. We have the space."

"Because it will require more work on Roxanne's part to make her house hospitable," Klaus said. "If she makes an effort, we know it will be a good evening because she's trying. And she's already started by asking Selina to come along."

"Yep," Selina nodded. "She told me that it would be easier for her to get along with everyone if I was there, so here I am. And she said that all she wants is for her father to be happy."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Caroline said.

"It's a shame her boyfriend will be out this evening," Selina said. "Caroline, you'd like him. He's a very sweet guy. Not the type I thought Roxie would fall for, but sometimes you never know with people."

"Will Lucy be there?" Caroline asked. "I haven't seen her since she changed."

"Roxie didn't say she would be," Selina told her. "I think it will only be you, me, Nicky, Elijah and Roxie."

"Oh, yay," Caroline said. "What fun."

"Be nice," Klaus said. "If she's making an effort, I expect nothing less of you as well."

"Fine," Caroline said. "I can't wait to get this stupid evening over with."

"You and me both," Elijah said from the backseat.

"Cheer up," Selina said. "Want to hear about the trip Gregory and I took to the aquarium today?"

"Hello, everyone!" Roxie said. "Welcome to my house."

Klaus and Selina looked in surprise at Roxie's conservative long sleeved light pink dress.

"You like it?" Roxie asked. "I got it on clearance. I bet you thought I'd be wearing something that was slit up to my navel, didn't you?"

"It's very nice," Klaus said. "You look beautiful, Roxanne."

Roxie's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Daddy!" She gestured for them to come inside and just as Caroline and Klaus crossed the threshold, Caroline linked her arm with Klaus'.

"Twisted my ankle," she explained to Roxie. "I'm more stable if I'm holding on to someone."

"Sure," Roxie said. "Whatever. I like that dress you're wearing. Blue is a good color on you." She led them to the dining room where dinner was set out, chicken and vegetables and bread.

"Did you order in?" Selina asked as Elijah and Klaus pulled out her and Caroline's chairs and they all sat down. "It looks good."

"I made it, actually," Roxie said. "Not by myself. Lucy helped."

"Is she here?" Caroline asked.

"No," Roxie said. "I'm sorry. She had to go out, I'm afraid."

"Bummer," Caroline said.

"If everyone is settled, I'll bring out the first course," Roxie said. She came out with a thick red liquid in a bowl and set it down. "Tomato soup," she said. "I thought it would be a good thing to start out with."

She passed it around and everyone took some until the bowl was set in front of Caroline, who was sitting on Roxie's right with Klaus on her other side. "No, thanks," Caroline said, looking at it. "I think I'll just have the bread. But as she reached for the bread, her elbow knocked the bowl and send it right into Roxie's lap. Roxie let out a shriek and stood up.

"Excuse me," she said through her teeth. "I have to go and change. You all just keep eating. Don't wait for me."

She left and Caroline looked around the table and set her napkin in her lap. "Sorry about that," she said. "I'm just so clumsy sometimes!"

"Accidents happen," Klaus said, but when she looked away, he frowned at the back of her head.

When Roxie came back, she was dressed more like her usual. "Sorry about my attire," she said. "I need to buy more nice dresses. That one was all I have at the moment."

Elijah passed Roxie the chicken. "This is delightful. Do you want some?"

Roxie nodded. "Thank you." She cut some and put it on her plate, and then Caroline said, "Roxanne, you really do have a unique way with chicken. Most people worry so much about tenderness and flavor, but I like your take: moistness be damned!"

Roxie stood up. "Who would like a drink?"

"I'll come with you and help," Selina said. "I'll grab wine."

"You see what she's doing in there?' Roxie asked Selina. "I'm trying to be good and she's wrecking it for me!"

Selina sighed. "I know, but just keep being good. Your father is keeping track of all this. It'll pay off in the end. I'm proud of you." She grabbed the wine and Roxie grabbed a soda and they went back to the dining room. Selina held up the bottle. "Who wants some?"

The wine went all around and Caroline had more of it than Roxie and Selina thought she ought to, and soon she began trying to play footsie with everyone at the table. After being an unwilling participant, Roxie brought her leg back and kicked out randomly. Klaus groaned Roxie winced. "Sorry, Daddy. I wasn't aiming for you. I swear."

"Ha ha!" Caroline laughed. "You missed! How about another glass of wine, Selina?"

"I think you've had enough," Selina said. "Let's go fix you up so you won't make a fool of yourself anymore."

Selina tried to help Caroline up, but she failed and Caroline fell into Klaus lap and immediately stuck her tongue down his throat.

"Well, I think we've past the point of no return on that, Mom," Roxie said. "How about I help Caroline?" She led Caroline into the kitchen and ran water in the sink. After it had filled up, she stuck Caroline's head in there and kept it submerged until Caroline was flailing her limbs about, and then pulled her up by the hair. "Listen, you bitch!" she said quietly. "I have worked damned hard to make this a nice evening for all of us and apparently, you don't feel like returning the favor. Well, I'm doing being Miss Nice Girl. Next time you see me, you better run in the opposite direction." She then grabbed Caroline's arm and marched her back to the dining room. "All better," she said. Caroline was oddly silent for the rest of the night.

Damon opened the door and nearly fell over at the sight of Lucy in a red cocktail dress. "Hello," she said.

"Hi," he finally got out. "You look nice." He handed her a bouquet of roses

Lucy grinned. "Thank you. I wasn't sure I was gonna be able to go out tonight, but Roxie had a thing at the house and wanted me to clear out, so it's just me all by my lonesome. Can I come in?"

"Oh, right!" Damon said. "Yes, come in, please!"

She sauntered into the house, and Damon followed behind her. "Can I get you anything?" He asked. "Like a drink?"

"As long as it's not juice or milk," Lucy said.

"I got sparkling grape juice," he said.

"So I can pretend like I'm drinking!" Lucy said. "That's so great!"

"No, I just thought it would be something a little different, that's all," Damon said. He poured them each a glass, and after they drank it, Lucy stood up. "I assume you remember what almost happened in the gazebo at the park."

"Yeah," Damon said. "I do. But it's a good thing Lenora showed up when she did, huh?"

"Oh, hush!" Lucy said. "You don't believe that and neither do I! This could be my last free night ever, so why don't we finish what we started?"

"Honey, did you drink before I came here?" Damon asked her.

"No," Lucy said. "I'm not drunk! Even though Roxie's horrible with the lock on the liquor cabinet, I swear I'm not drunk. See?" She kissed him and he didn't smell alcohol on her breath. As she pulled away, she said. "You know I wouldn't lie to you about that."

"I know," Damon said. He walked around her. "I like that dress."

She grinned. "You'll like me better out of it."

He grinned back and pulled her to him, pushing her skirt up and running his hands over her bottom as they kissed deeply. Then he picked her up and carried her to his bed where they undressed each other and he ran his hands over her body, knowing that he could close his eyes and he'd still be able to remember every inch of her.

"Kiss me again," she said. "On my neck. I like how your lips feel."

He obliged and then she said, "Sad I'm not a human. If I was and I asked you, would you turn me?"

He paused and looked at her. Her blue eyes were bottomless and he let himself get lost in them for a moment before he said, "No. That's not something you do to someone you love. And Lucy, I love you too much to ruin your life like that."

"Why are you so somber?" Lucy asked. "It's just a hypothetical question."

"Let's not talk anymore," he said. And then he drove into her.

"I have good news," Lucy said, sitting up after they'd finished for the moment. "I was talking to Mimi, and she said that she had a friend in Europe who saw my work and wants more of it! My paintings, I mean! This woman wants me to come to Europe and she'll teach me to paint better if I allow her to use my work to promote her studio! I'm gonna get to see Paris and Rome and all sorts of places like that. Isn't it exciting?"

"Are you gonna go?" Damon asked.

Lucy nodded. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I? Mom and Dad and Uncle Elijah said it was okay and I'll only be gone for a year!"

"Because Europe is a bad place!" Damon got out. "You know what happened when your mother went to Europe? She turned evil, that's what happened! Do you want that to happen to you?"

Lucy laughed. "Relax! I won't turn evil just because I'm going to Europe! It's too good of an opportunity to pass up!"

"Well, I really think you're being selfish," Damon said. "In all the time you've known about this, did you once stop to think about how you leaving would affect me?"
"Well, no," Lucy said. "I didn't think you'd have a problem with it."
"You were wrong, weren't you?"
Lucy nodded. "Clearly I was."
"If you love me, you won't go," Damon said. "You walk out that door and we're done."
"You're bluffing," Lucy said.
Damon shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"Fine," Lucy said. "I'm leaving. Goodbye. See you when I get back." She made her way toward the door and Damon yelled, "No, don't go! You were right. I was bluffing!" He grabbed her around the waist and held on to her.

"What is the matter with you?" Lucy asked. "Stop making such a fuss. It's not like I'm dumping you!"

"It was your dad and your uncle, wasn't it?" Damon asked. "They put you up to this, didn't they, because they want to separate us. Well they can't! Let's run away together, tonight."

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Lucy asked. "I know it's tough to hear that I'm leaving but by acting like this, you're really not helping yourself. This kind of behavior ruined Sam's life and I won't let it ruin mine too. Now, let me go so I can dress and leave."

Just then, they heard a door open and a voice call out, "Dad, I'm home! Sorry I didn't call first. Are you here?"

"Speak of the devil," Lucy said. "Damn, I can't leave now. He'll find us!"

"You're staying?" Damon asked. "This is good news!"

"No, it's not!" Lucy said. "Let me go so I can dress!" She pushed herself away from him and began looking around for her clothes, throwing Damon's boxers at him. "Put those on," she said. "If Sam shows up in here, you at least will look presentable."

Lucy was mostly dressed when she heard the footsteps approach. "Sam's coming this way!" Lucy whispered to Damon. "And I can't find my panties! Where did you put them?"

"I don't know," Damon said. "Keep looking!"

Eventually, she figured they must be under the covers, so she crawled into bed to look around. Finally, she grabbed her lacy black thong and pulled it out triumphantly, only to find Sam staring at her.

"Oh, my god," he said to Lucy. "Are those yours?" He looked from the panties in her hand to his father clad only in his boxers, then turned around without a word and left the room.

"And that's why you should always call first," Lucy said quietly, flushing scarlet.