[1x17; Let the Right One In]

"I love storms," Lucy declared with a yawn, stretching her arms and sighing in delight from the feel in her muscles. "I sleep so well."

Elena rolled her eyes and took a bite of the eggs Lucy prepared for breakfast. "Well, I hate them. My window flew open so Jeremy and I had to make sure all the windows in the house were closed."

"Complain, complain," Lucy mocked her sister, chomping down on a piece of toast. "How was your double date last night. Carebear said it didn't start out so great and didn't end so great."

For some reason, Caroline had insisted on Elena and Stefan going on a double date with her and Matt. Lucy knew it was a bad idea from the start—she knew how Matt was with Elena and sometimes Elena liked to reminisce on the good times before their parents died, which included Matt. That didn't mean they didn't love their significant others, but they were nostalgic. So, she wasn't surprised when Caroline called to complain about most of the date.

Not only had Matt and Elena reminisced about their relationship the whole time—like Lucy knew they would—but Matt's mom ended up at the Salvatore Boarding House hooking up with Damon…and they all saw.

Elena scoffed. "You can say that again," she shook her head. "At the Grill, there were vampires that recognized me as Katherine. They attacked Stefan and Damon when Caroline and I went home. Apparently, the vampires are out of the tomb."

Lucy paused, her blood starting to boil. "Excuse me? So, Grams died for no reason at all? They all got out? Every single one of them?"

"Yeah," Elena nodded sadly. "And Damon made a deal with Anna's mother, Pearl. Apparently she's the leader of them."

Lucy palmed her forehead, extremely frustrated. She had slightly forgiven Damon's involvement for turning Isobel into a vampire after Stefan informed her that Isobel sought him out. Slightly. That didn't mean he had to brag to Alaric about it.

And he was an idiot. Why on Earth would he make a deal with Pearl?

"I'm going over there, if you want to come," Elena offered.

"Okay," Lucy agreed. "But don't forget I have my driver's test in two hours."

"I didn't forget," Elena assured her. "How'd practice go with Jenna?"

The day before, while on lunch break during school, Jenna picked up Lucy so she could take her written driver's exam. She passed, answering every question correctly. She and Jenna spent the rest of the afternoon with Lucy behind the wheel of her Escape, practicing for the road exam.

"It was better than I expected," Lucy said honestly, glad that she had someone to talk to about it. Caroline didn't understand Lucy's fear but Elena could; she was in the same accident. "There was some mild panicking but Jenna talked me through it."

Elena beamed at her sister, so proud of how far she's come since the accident. "I'm really proud of you, Luce."

"Thank you," Lucy said bashfully, taking their empty plates and rinsing them off, putting them into the dishwasher full of dirty dishes. She threw a soap pod into it and started the machine. "Come on, let's go to Casa de Salvatore."

"As you wish."

"Okay, Wes."

It was still pouring rain when Lucy and Elena arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House. Stefan let them in, giving both of them a quick hug, and led them into the living room where Damon was boarding up a window that Lucy assumed was broken in the scuffle they had with the tomb vampires.

Damon nodded in greeting and finished up hammering the nails into the wall before turning around. "I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night."

"Yeah, and then what?" Stefan quipped. "Turn to the rest of the house of vampires and say 'Oops, sorry?'"

"I agree with Damon," Lucy spoke up making everyone look at her.

"Wow," Damon was shocked. "Little Miss Twitch is agreeing with me?"

"Shut up, Dracula," Lucy snapped. "I'm sorry, but am I the only one pissed that Grams died and the vampires still got out of that tomb?"

"You're not," Stefan came up to stand beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But there's not much we can do. They outnumber us, they're older than us, and they're stronger than us."

"I have the magic from the seal," Lucy reminded him. "I can help."

"No," Stefan shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"I can't believe you made a deal with Pearl, Damon," Elena spoke up, moving on.

"It was more like a helpful exchange of information," Damon defended himself. "It's not like I had a choice. She's kind of scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

Elena laughed bitterly. "Of course she is," she turned to Stefan and Lucy. "Damon gets what he wants, as usual. No matter who he hurts in the process."

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't have to be snarky about it."

"I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb," Elena sneered. "And then I had to tell my sister. I've earned snarky."

Damon sighed and plopped down onto one of the couches. "How long are you gonna blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?"

"I'm not blaming you, Damon," Elena snarked. "I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities."

"Ouch."

"Guys, come on," Lucy groaned. "Why do I have to be the mature one?"

"This isn't very productive," Stefan agreed with Lucy. "We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires," he declared, giving his brother and girlfriend firm looks. "Yeah?"

Damon hummed in agreement, standing up to walk out of the room. Before he left, he called out, "Good luck on your test, Twitch."

Lucy jerked her head back in surprise; that wasn't like Damon. "Thanks?"

She turned to Stefan, eyes raised curiously.

"I told him about it," he shrugged. "Maybe he's trying to make amends."

Elena scoffed. "Doubtful."

"Elena…"

"I'm sorry," Elena apologized. "He just makes me so cranky."

"I know," Stefan agreed, pulling her into a hug. "He makes everybody cranky."

"Damon and I are gonna handle everything, I promise."

Lucy twisted her fingers, feeling awkward.

"Well, what about me?" Elena pulled away from the hug to look at Stefan, face-to-face. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"You're not going to sit here and do nothing," Stefan replied quickly. "You're going to bring Lucy to her driver's test and you're going to stay safe."

"Staying safe means nothing if you're not safe," Elena argued.

Lucy wanted to leave so badly; she felt so awkward listening to Elena and Stefan have this conversation. It was probably supposed to happen in private but where was she supposed to go? She wasn't too familiar with the house.

"What do you mean, I'm perfectly safe," Stefan stated. "I have Damon, the self-serving psychopath, on my side."

Elena sighed heavily. "Well, that's comforting."

Stefan chuckled and kissed Elena's forehead. "I know," he pulled further way from Elena and looked at his watch. "You guys should probably head out early. The roads are slick and I need to hunt."

Lucy nodded, gulping nervously. Suddenly she wasn't so sure about taking the test.

"Maybe I should cancel," she said quickly, anxiously pacing. "I mean, this isn't really the best conditions for a road test, right? I'm not ready. I can't drive. What if I swerve off the road and drown again? I can't do this. I can't do this!"

Elena didn't know what to do to snap Lucy out of her ramble; she didn't know how to say that she'd be all right. Seeing that Lucy was spiraling, Stefan stepped up to the plate.

"Lucy," his voice was soothing as he grabbed her arms, stopping her from her pacing. Lucy looked at him, her breath hitching. "Breathe slowly and listen to me, okay?"

Lucy nodded, trying out the breathing exercises Jenna recently told her about.

"You're gonna do fine," Stefan said firmly. "You're gonna pass this test with flying colors. You're prepared—you've practiced for hours and I'm pretty sure you can parallel park better than I can. You are Lucy Eleanora Gilbert, you are a badass, and you are gonna ace this, got it?"

Elena gaped at Stefan, wondering where he pulled that speech from. Who knew?

Lucy nodded, taking Stefan's words to heart. She believed him; how could she not? Stefan was there every single time she needed help. He believed in her, she needed to return the favor.

"I'm a badass."

"Yes, you are."

"I can ace this."

"Yes, you can," Stefan nodded, a grin forming on his lips. "I'd say good luck, but I don't think you need it, Goofy."

Lucy felt confidence flood her veins; this was a huge step she was taking but she needed to do it. It was the only way she was going to heal.

She turned to Elena. "Let's do this."

Lucy admired her driver's license, actually happy with the photo on display. Most of the time, teenagers complained about their picture—both Elena and Joel did—but even if Lucy didn't look the greatest, she didn't care. She got this plastic card after months of panic attacks and preparation and now it was time to celebrate.

Which was why there were large slices of cheesecake in front of her and Elena while they 'The Office' played on the TV in the background.

"I'm so happy for you, Lulu!" Elena sighed, taking a bite of cheesecake. "Did you tell Joel, Jenna, and Jeremy?"

"I texted in the group message," Lucy said happily. She checked her phone, smiling at the messages she received from her family. "Joel said 'Fuck, yeah!', Jenna sent a gif of herself screaming, and Jeremy sent an emoji thumbs-up."

"Our family is made of idiots," Elena laughed.

Lucy agreed, "Including us."

"Of course."

Elena's phone went off, ringing for the sixth time in half an hour. She looked at the caller ID and sighed, setting it back on the coffee table.

"Damon still?"

"Yep," Elena huffed.

There was a knock on the door, making Lucy roll her eyes. She was positive that was going to be Damon.

Elena sighed heavily and got up, Lucy following her into the foyer to answer the door.

She was right—it was Damon.

Damon walked straight into the house without a greeting.

"You're ignoring me," he stated the obvious, looking into the living room and dining room.

"The six missed calls?" Elena said sarcastically. "Sorry, my phone is dead."

Damon ignored her sass. "Is Stefan here?"

"No," Lucy spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"He went out to the woods and didn't come back," Damon pulled out his phone and checked it again. "I can't get him on his phone. I figured he was here with you two."

Officially worried, Elena dialed Stefan's number, sighing when it went straight to voice-mail. "It's going straight to voice-mail," she informed Damon and Lucy. "Where could he be?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to like what I'm thinking."

Lucy shuffled in the backseat of Damon's Camaro, wrapping herself tighter in her peacoat so she wouldn't freeze. Up in the front seat, Elena anxiously looked out the foggy windows, trying to see Damon.

Damon guessed that the tomb vampires took Stefan and brought him to the house where they resided. Lucy and Elena didn't argue; the three of them went to the house and Damon went to talk to Pearl about Stefan's disappearance.

Within minutes, Damon was back in the car.

"What happened?" Elena asked worriedly. "Where is he?"

"They have him," Damon informed the sisters. "I can't get in."

"Why not?" Lucy leaned forward so her head was between them.

"Because the woman that owns the house is compelled to not let me in."

"I can get in," Lucy and Elena said in unison.

"Neither of you are going in there," Damon dismissed, shaking his head.

"We're going!" Elena insisted for the both of them. Safety in numbers, right?

"You're not going in there!" Damon's voice was firm. He already let his brother down and failed to protect him; he wasn't going to let his girlfriend and his best friend to die trying to save him.

"Why are they doing this?" Lucy asked, rubbing her aching temples. She was so worried about Stefan she felt like she couldn't breathe. "What do they want with him?"

"Revenge," Damon answered. "They want revenge."

"We gotta do something!" Elena exclaimed.

"I know."

"We can't let them hurt him," Elena continued, growing panicked. "We gotta get him out of there."

"I know, Elena, I know," Damon said soothingly, gently grabbing her face. "But I don't know how to get him out."

Lucy sighed, trying to think of a plan to get Stefan out of the house safely. They needed more muscle—Damon couldn't take on all the vampires by himself and Lucy was strong enough to help him by herself. They needed someone who had experience fighting, someone who knew how to fight vampires.

"Alaric," she breathed, making Damon and Elena look back at her. "We need Alaric. Think about it. Stefan said he could hold his own and that he was the one who killed Logan. He can help."

"I killed him," Damon shook his head before wincing. "Sorry, about Pops, Lucy-Goosey."

"No, Stefan told me that he has a ring that brought him back to life," Lucy remembered what Stefan told her the day before. Alaric went to get revenge for Isobel and Damon killed him. He came back to life within the hour due to a ring Isobel gave him. "If it's a supernatural death, Alaric will come back to life."

"It's worth a shot," Elena said, giving Lucy a look of approval.

"Fine," Damon groaned, annoyed that he was being ganged up on. "Let's go get the weirdo, vampire-hunting history teacher."

"Okay," Damon whispered as he, Lucy, and Elena walked through the hallway in the high school. "Let Lucy do the talking. I'm sure he'll have a soft spot for her."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Come on."

"Shh!" he hissed at her. He paused for a second, hearing footsteps, and gestured for the girls to wait. He stepped out into the hallway, right in front of Alaric. "Well, don't you look alive?"

Alaric stopped walking. "You can't hurt me."

Damon smirked. "Oh, I can hurt you, all right."

"Dammit, Damon," Lucy hissed, walking to his side. Alaric's eyes widened, shocked to see his daughter by the side of the man who killed his wife. "Mr. Saltzman...we need your help."

It was daunting to talk to Alaric for the first time since she found out about him being her biological father but in order to help Stefan, she wasn't going to back down. They need his help and she wasn't afraid to ask for it.

Alaric sighed and ushered them into his classroom where the prying ears of the Civics teacher couldn't overhear them. Lucy, Elena, and Damon quickly explained the situation they were in, starting with the tomb, the tomb vampires, and Stefan's capture. They even told him about Lucy's powers, which shocked him for a couple of minutes.

"Stefan's in the house and Damon's a vampire," Elena finished. "He can't get in. We need you. I would go, but—"

"Your life is valuable," Damon interjected causing Lucy to roll her eyes. Damon nodded at Alaric. "Yours, on the other hand…"

"Stefan told me about your ring," Lucy spoke up, looking at Alaric.

"What about it?" Alaric spoke coolly, intertwining his fingers.

"Let me recap," Damon snarked. "You tried to kill me. I defended myself. You died. Then, according to my brother, your ring brought you back to life…Am I leaving anything out?"

"You're such a dick, Damon," Lucy spat at the oldest Salvatore, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you left out the part where I try to kill you again. Only this time, I don't miss," Alaric stood from his desk, glowering at Damon.

Elena sighed; it was Lucy who was supposed to be asking for help. Not her. "Mr. Saltzman, please," she stepped in front of him, blocking his view of Damon. "It's Stefan."

"I'm sorry, Elena," Alaric shook his head. "But it's not my problem."

"But it's my problem," Lucy said; Alaric turned to face her. "I know you're my biological father and I know it's crazy to ask you of this, but I need help," she inhaled deeply. "We need your help."

"And for extra incentive," Damon added. "The woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife."

Alaric gave Lucy one last look before turning to Damon. "You're lying."

"Am I?" Damon walked over to Elena and Lucy. "Why don't you ask her for yourself?" when Alaric took too long to respond, he scoffed. "Coward. Come on, girls."

They didn't take one step out the door before Alaric called, "All right, wait! I'll go."

Lucy sighed in relief but didn't kid herself into thinking Alaric agreed to help because of her. The three of them walked back into the classroom, watching as Alaric pulled something out of the filing cabinet closest to him.

"What's that?" Lucy wondered as he unrolled the bundle he was holding.

"Weapons," Alaric answered simply, showing them the many knives, wooden stakes, and darts encased in the bundle.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Damon drawled, secretly impressed. He'd be more impressed if said vampire hunter would stop trying to kill him.

Alaric glared at him. "I have you to thank for that."

"What are these?" Elena asked, pointing to a dart.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain," Alaric answered shortly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Just get me in and I'll get Stefan out."

"That's your plan?" Lucy scoffed. "You're just gonna take them all on yourself?"

"Well, I'll be a little stealthier than that, hopefully," Damon shrugged.

"Well, I have a better plan," Lucy said matter-of-factly. "One that is safer for all of us and gives us a better chance of getting Stefan back."

"Oh, yeah?" Damon raised his eyebrows. "Lay it on us, Twitch."

Lucy quickly explained her plan; Alaric and Lucy would knock on the door of the house where the tomb vampires lived, acting like they needed to use the telephone to call a tow truck. They'd convince the owner of the house to invite Damon inside and then Alaric and Damon would take down the vampires while Lucy went to get Stefan. Elena would—

"No chance that Elena's going," Damon interrupted. "Nope. No way."

"You need me," Elena declared, appreciating that her sister included her.

"While you two distract everyone, Elena will meet me downstairs," Lucy defended her sister. "Two people are better than one. We'll get Stefan out."

"You'll get yourself killed," Damon argued with Elena. "You're not going in there."

"I'm going."

Damon shook his head and turned back to Alaric. "So, when you get me in, get out as quickly as you can. I don't need your help. I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll just be in the way."

"Now's not the time to be a lone ranger, Damon!" Elena objected.

"Fine," he sighed. "Elena, you can drive the getaway car. You're not going in the house."

"You can't stop me," Elena said defiantly. "It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand."

Damon scoffed. "Oh, I understand. I understand. He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. I get it."

"Can you just not joke around for two seconds?"

Lucy rolled her eyes; their arguing wasn't going to get any of them anywhere.

"I can't protect you, Elena," Damon stated seriously. "I don't know how many vampires there are in there. That's—" he snapped his fingers. "—how long it takes you get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from, including Stefan."

Elena looked down, her eyes blurring with tears. She just wanted to help Stefan. She wanted to be as useful as Lucy.

"I know," Damon continued, voice softer. "I get it. I understand."

Alaric sighed. "If we're gonna go, let's go."

"You're a badass, you're a badass, you're a badass," Lucy chanted to herself, repeating the words Stefan told her earlier in the day. She could do this. She could help get Stefan out of danger.

"Uh, are you gonna be okay?" Alaric asked from beside her as they walked up the driveway of the vampires' house. "Are you up for this?"

Lucy looked at him, seeing that he was looking worried.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry," Lucy assured him, feeling awkward. "We're getting Stefan. I've never been surer of anything."

"All right," Alaric nodded. "So, you and Stefan are close?"

"He's my best pal," Lucy confirmed. At the questioning look Alaric gave her, she clarified, "Caroline's my best friend. Stefan's my best pal."

"…right," maybe his daughter got her weirdness from Isobel.

Lucy inhaled deeply as they climbed up the porch steps. She put on her game-face as Alaric knocked on the door.

"Ah, good, someone's home!" Alaric faked his relief as the door opened, a tall man with dark hair answering their call. "Uh, could we use your phone? Our car broke down a few miles up the road."

"This is the first house we saw," Lucy added in a sweet voice, shivering violently.

"Well, lucky you," the vampire said flatly.

"Yeah," Alaric scoffed good-naturedly. "Lucky us. It's no trouble, is it?"

"Not in the slightest," the man stepped aside, allowing them to come in.

"Great," Alaric stepped inside, Lucy following close behind him. "Hey, man, I really appreciate it. It's rough out there."

The man nodded and looked to the right where another vampire stood. "Billy, show our visitors where the phone is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink."

"Yeah, sure thing," Billy complied.

Lucy looked around the house as she and Alaric followed Billy to the kitchen, noticing a large group of vampires playing pool in one of the rooms. She smiled politely at the people they passed until they entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Miss Gibbons," Billy greeted an older woman who was chopping vegetables at one of the counters. "These people want to use your phone."

"Oh, sure, honey," Miss Gibbons turned to them and Lucy noticed all the bite marks and bruises littering her body. Miss Gibbons pointed at another counter. "It's right there."

"Thanks," Alaric said, giving Lucy a pointed look. He wanted her to watch his back; she nodded.

Billy went to follow Alaric, grabbing the knife from Miss Gibbons, but Lucy acted quickly. She grabbed Billy's arm, siphoning from him and hitting him with an aneurysm. Billy grunted in pain and Alaric turned, stabbing him with a wooden stake he had hidden in his sleeve.

Lucy hurriedly turned on the sink faucet and the food processor to drown out the noise that was sure to happen.

"What's happening?" Miss Gibbons asked, staring at Billy's body with wide eyes.

"I'm really sorry, but you're gonna need to invite a friend of mine inside," Alaric led Miss Gibbons over to the kitchen door, opening it to reveal Damon.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Miss Gibbons recognized Damon from earlier in the day. "He's not allowed in the house."

"I know that," Alaric said impatiently. "But you gotta make an exception."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Get her out of the house," he hissed at Lucy. "Now!"

Lucy nudged Miss Gibbons, pushing her out into the rain. Damon took a hold of her, compelling her.

"Miss Gibbons tell me the truth," he said. "Are you married?"

"No," Miss Gibbons answered.

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?"

"No, it's just me."

"Good," Damon snapped Miss Gibbons neck causing Lucy to gasp softly.

Damon marched into the house only to be stopped by Alaric.

"You were supposed to compel her," he hissed.

"It doesn't work that way."

"She's human."

"And I'm not," Damon snapped. "So, I don't care. Now, get rid of the body and help me! Lucy," Lucy came to attention. "Get to Stefan."

Lucy nodded, determined. "On it."

Damon quietly shut the door and stalked out of the kitchen, light on his feet. Lucy and Alaric went after him, Lucy splitting off on her own to figure out how to get to the basement where Damon was sure they were hiding Stefan.

"Billy, what's the holdup?" Lucy heard the vampire that let her in shout. A couple of seconds later, he shouted again, "Billy, Jacob, get back in here!"

Lucy held her breath and siphoned from her locket as she walked down the hallway, quietly opening each door she came to. She had already checked two doors, annoyed to see that the house had many rooms on the main floor, when she ran into someone.

She narrowed her eyes at the female, giving her an aneurysm and making her cry out.

"Where's the basement?" she asked.

When the female said nothing, she increased her pain.

"Around the corner," the girl cried. "It's a metal door."

Lucy smirked and held out her hand, twisting her wrist. The woman's neck snapped and she fell to the floor.

She couldn't find it in herself to feel bad; they took Stefan, they deserved what they got.

She turned the corner and found the metal door, listening for any sign that Damon and Alaric were caught; hopefully Elena would be meeting her soon.

She unlocked the bolted door and ran down the stairs. She ran straight into a large room where Stefan was hanging from the ceiling, shirtless and bloody, and another man was tied to a chair.

"Stefan!" she breathed, rushing up to him. "Oh, God. Damon and Elena are coming. We're gonna get you out of here."

"Lucy," Stefan groaned, not happy that she was risking her safety for him. "You shouldn't be here…"

"Shh…"

Another door to the basement opened and Elena and Damon rushed through.

"Help me get him down," Lucy told Damon.

"Elena…what…?"

"She was supposed to stay in the car," Damon told his brother.

He walked over to the man tied in the chair and flipped the wooden stake he brought in, ready to kill him.

"No, not him!" Stefan objected weakly.

Damon scoffed and turned to Stefan. "Whatever. Let's get you down."

"There's vervain on the ropes," Stefan told them.

"Elena, pull that," Damon pointed to the knot holding Stefan in the air. "Lucy," he pointed to the vampire tied up. "Get him out of there."

Lucy nodded and went to the vampire. "What's your name?" she asked, trying to distract him as she untied the vervain-soaked ropes.

"Harper," the man said weakly.

"Okay, Harper," Lucy smiled at him. "I'm gonna get you out of here."

There was a grunt behind her as Stefan dropped into Damon's arms.

"All right, let's go," Damon said hurriedly. "Clothes on. Let's go, Lucy!"

Lucy quickened her pace, going to the last knot around Harper's right leg.

"Come on, guys, we have to get out of here!"

Lucy pulled the last of the rope away from Harper and pulled him to his feet before going to support Stefan's other side. "Okay, ready."

"Can you guys get him to the car?" Damon asked her and Elena.

They both nodded. "Yeah."

"All right, go."

"What about you and Alaric?" Lucy asked, worried. "Do you need my help?"

Damon thought for a second. "You'd be helpful."

"All right," Lucy let go of Stefan, making sure Elena had a strong grip on him.

"No, Lucy," Stefan objected.

"Get him out of here," Damon ordered Elena as he and Lucy ran up the stairs.

As they got up to the main floor, the music playing in the living room quieted. Lucy siphoned from her locket just to make sure she wouldn't need to again. She might not have the time while fighting off the group of vampires.

Lucy and Damon quietly met up with Alaric, gesturing wildly to make sure all backs were going to be covered. With all of them in agreement, Alaric aimed his stake-gun and fired into the back of a woman.

The vampire fell to the ground and then, "Spread out. Now!"

Lucy, Damon, and Alaric ducked behind a corner, listening to the leader give instructions.

"You two, back of the house. Check out both rooms," he ordered. "Cellar, now."

Many vampires passed by them but Damon sped out of their hiding place, jumping at the leader—also known as the vampire who let Lucy and Alaric into the house.

While Damon and the leader rolled around the floor, trying to stake each other, two of the vampires came back to help out. Lucy and Alaric jumped out; Alaric aimed his stake-gun at one of them while Lucy grabbed a glass of water on the table nearby and threw it at the other. Taking a page out of Bonnie's book, Lucy made flames erupt from the water on the vampire, making him scream loudly.

When Alaric's vampire dropped dead, Alaric aimed a wooden stake at the vampire on fire. The stake went straight into his heart, killing him.

Another vampire sped into the room in a blur, knocking Damon off the leader. The leader sped out of the house and Alaric went to go help Damon fight off the other guy.

"Go after him!" Alaric shouted to Lucy.

Lucy ran out of the house and into the woods to where Damon's car was parked, assuming that the leader was following Stefan. She heard glass breaking in the distance and sped up, breathing heavily from exertion.

She arrived at Damon's car, noticing that Elena was knocked to the ground and the leader had Stefan in his grasp.

The leader held up a wooden stake and aimed it at Stefan's heart. "And this is for the tomb!"

"I don't think so, dick!" Lucy spat.

She aimed the most powerful aneurysm that she could manage at the leader, making him scream and drop Stefan. Elena ran forward and pulled out the vervain dart she nabbed from Alaric, stabbing the vampire in the back with it.

The leader slumped to the ground under the influence of the vervain.

Lucy and Elena ran over to Stefan, Elena kneeling over him.

"Stefan, no!" Elena shook him, trying to respond. "Stefan, Stefan, come on!"

"Stefan, please!" Lucy begged, hoping that he'd respond. She heard the leader growling in anger as he started to move, the vervain wearing off. "Come on, Stefan!"

Elena looked at her hand where she cut it when she and Stefan fell. The blood was dripping down her wrist, giving her an idea. She pressed her palm against Stefan's mouth, letting her blood touch his lips.

Lucy grimaced, hoping that this wasn't going to bite them in the ass later.

Stefan's eyes popped open when he tasted human blood. Horror spread through his veins when he saw that it was Elena who was giving him her blood.

"Elena, please run," Stefan groaned, knowing that if he had anymore, he'd be unable to stop.

It's what a ripper does.

"My wrist," Elena urged him, holding her wrist out for him to take. "Here, take my wrist. You need more blood."

"Go, Elena. Run!"

Lucy looked back at the leader, noticing that he was moving more. "Elena…"

"Stefan, I trust you," Elena promised Stefan.

Stefan gave in and bit into Elena's wrist, taking in her delicious blood. As Stefan gulped down each mouthful he took in, the leader got to his feet.

Lucy squared herself, using the last of her magic siphoned and held out her hand, bursting the capillaries in his brain. The man fought through the pain and slowly walked toward her, one step at a time.

"Stefan…" Lucy chanced a glance at Stefan, seeing him desperately holding Elena's wrist to his mouth.

The vampire lunged at Lucy, slamming his elbow against her face and roughly knocking her to the ground. Lucy shrieked, pain flashing through her body, and caught the attention of Stefan through his bloodlust.

Stefan let go of Elena's wrist allowing her to fall aside and stood up, ripping the branch from the vampire's hand. He growled furiously as he slammed the leader against a tree and plunged the branch into the man's abdomen.

The vampire choked as Stefan pulled out the branch and forcefully stabbed him in the heart, snarling the whole while. As the vampire desiccated, Stefan continued to stab him over and over, his anger and bloodlust overwhelming him.

Deciding that was enough, Elena stepped forward to stop her boyfriend.

"Stefan!" Elena grabbed his shoulder.

Stefan reared around, his vampire features on full display, and growled in Elena's face. He almost stabbed her with the branch but stopped himself in time. He breathed in deeply, the veins under his eyes disappearing as Elena looked at the vampire's body in horror.

Lucy slumped in relief; it was all over. Stefan was safe.