[4x03; The Rager]

"This is Klaus' phone. I don't know how you got this number but don't leave a message."

Lucy rolled her eyes at the dramatic voicemail greeting that awaited her every time her called her hybrid brother. He wouldn't answer anytime she called him and it was getting on her nerves. She had left numerous messages, with many, many apologies and still, she heard nothing from him.

When she couldn't contact him, she'd call Elijah and Kol. Elijah was sympathetic with her, telling her that he would try to get ahold of him for her but Kol didn't see the problem with Klaus ignoring her. He told her to bask in the silence treatment because, otherwise, Nik would always be looming over her protectively—Kol made sure to add that he wouldn't know but that was what Rebekah went through for a thousand years.

"Nik, this is probably the hundredth message I've left you," Lucy sighed after the beep. "I know you're mad and I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry, so can you stop ignoring me now? I'm mad at Bekah, Kol and Elijah are gone, and I miss you—ugh, I can't believe I just said that—"

She was cut off by the voicemailbox, ending her message. She quickly called him again.

"This is Klaus' phone. I don't know how you got this number but don't leave a message."

"Yeah, hi, it's Lucy again," she muttered into the phone. "the stupid thing cut me off. Anyway, I kinda need my big brother because, other than Jeremy, all my siblings suck. I really want to hear from you, Niklaus. Please, just call me…okay, bye, love you."

She hung up the call and threw her phone on her bed so forcefully it bounced and would have hit the floor if it wasn't for the fact that Caroline, who was sitting on her bed, caught it.

"Woah," Caroline raised her eyebrows at Lucy. "Someone's angry today."

"I'm not angry," Lucy retorted as she pulled a skirt, blouse, and chunky green cardigan out of her closet. "I'm cranky."

She pulled off her pajama top as she stormed over to her dresser and pulled out undergarments and some black tights. She turned away from Caroline to pull her bra off and replace it; Caroline clicked her tongue.

"You seem pretty angry, though."

"I'm cranky," Lucy insisted. "Turn around."

"Oh, please, I've seen that tushie before," Caroline rolled her eyes but turned so Lucy could have her privacy anyway. "Does Stefan know that I've seen more of his girlfriend than he has?"

Once her panties were on properly, Lucy whipped around and threw her tights at Caroline as hard as she could. Caroline simply caught them with a laugh.

"Shut up," Lucy complained. "That's part of the reason I'm cranky—"

"Angry."

"Shut up," Lucy pursed her lips. "Anyway…every time we're close to doing something, it feels like Elena's interrupting. I mean, I know she's a baby vamp and all, but she's so needy. It's like she has a radar for when it's Lucy and Stefan time."

"She's probably jealous," Caroline shrugged while Lucy got dressed the rest of the way. "You know she's possessive. She probably doesn't like the fact that she doesn't have both Salvatore brothers worshipping her."

Lucy gaped at her best friend, amused. "Caroline!" she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't say that!"

"What?" Caroline smiled innocently. "Look, I love Elena but it's true. And she is needy. When I had just transitioned I had you and Stefan to help me. That was it."

"Yeah, and you're an awesome vampire," Lucy pointed at her.

Caroline nodded. "It's true but maybe that's why Elena is always calling on Stefan."

Lucy hesitated and reluctantly had to agree. "True," she sighed. "but why can't Joel help her? Oh, my God, I'm the worst sister ever, aren't I?"

"No, all sisters talk about each other behind their backs," Caroline assured her.

"We don't talk about each other behind our backs."

"No but we're soulmates, Luce," Caroline pointed out; Lucy nodded in agreement. "Trust me, my mom and her sisters talk like this all the time. It doesn't mean that they love each other any less, it just means they need to vent."

"True but I still feel bad," Lucy sighed and began pulling on some black ankle boots. "but Elena's vulnerable right now. She needs me to be supportive, not angry."

Caroline sighed and stood up, walking over to her. "Lucy Eleanora," she placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "You can be angry with Elena. You have a right. She helped kill your brother and she almost killed you. It's all right to be angry because no one would blame you. You just have to make sure that anger doesn't take over."

Lucy nodded and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Caroline on the cheek. "Thanks, Carebear," she grinned. "When did you become the calm one?"

"It was when the Salvatore brothers came to town, Lucy-Goosey," Caroline laughed. "Speaking of calm…what are you going to do about school and Rebekah. She's probably going to be there today…"

Lucy stiffened at the mention of her oldest sister. She was cross with Rebekah and everyone—including the blonde, herself—knew it. Just like she was angry with Elena and Joel, she felt the same toward Rebekah. She had ran Matt off the road and killed Elena, even if she didn't do it with her own hands.

However much she was angry with Rebekah, though, she couldn't ignore her. She wasn't ignoring Elena and Joel and it wouldn't be fair if she talked to them but not Rebekah. Besides, Rebekah was one of her favorite siblings—she shouldn't really have favorites but, at this point, she didn't really care—and she loved her dearly. She just needed some time to simmer down.

"I'm going to be calm, cool, and collected," Lucy said confidently. "I'm not going to blow up."

"At anyone?"

Lucy nodded. "At anyone."

Caroline grinned. "That's my girl," she wrapped her arm around Lucy's shoulders. "Come on, we're gonna be late and Stefan texted me."

"Stefan texted you? What did he text you about?"

"Well, since you were upgraded to the girlfriend, he needed someone to be the best friend," the girls walked out of Lucy's room and down the stairs together. "I was selected out of the slim pickings. Lucky me.

Lucy rolled her eyes and smile. "Don't say that, Care. Stefan adores you."

"And I adore him," Caroline returned her smile. "but the text message was about you, actually."

"Wait," Lucy paused as she opened the front door. "You guys text about me?"

"Sometimes," Caroline shrugged casually. "today he was making sure that I was picking you up because he's driving you home from school."

Lucy's eyes lit up in excitement. "Is he really?"

"Yep…" Caroline trailed off with a sneaky grin. "in his motorcycle."

"…Excuse me?"

Lucy stared at her combination lock with hard eyes, feeling a headache coming on. She wanted to take the damn thing and throw it into a furnace or something. Anything to destroy the devil-lock. She could practically see it taunting her and it was pissing her the fuck off.

She was officially in the anger stage of grief and it was hard on her. Lucy had never really been an angry person, so this was all new to her. But she was angry and it felt like it was all the time. If someone didn't put the water bottles on the top shelf of the refrigerator, she grew annoyed. If Joel didn't put the cap on this toothpaste, she was irritated. If her stupid locker wouldn't unlock, she grew angry.

It was tough on everyone and she hated it. She hated being angry.

She hadn't noticed that Stefan appeared by her side until he reached for the lock and spun in her combination flawlessly. She grumbled a grateful thank you and ripped her history textbook from her locker, along with her notebook. History had become her most hated class of the day and it was her luck that it was her first period.

"Morning, beautiful," Stefan greeted her calmly, despite her obvious mood. He was telling the truth when he said he'd be her goofy if she was being broody. He wasn't going to break that promise.

"Morning," Lucy sighed, feeling some of her anger slip away in his presence. She turned to face him and was rewarded with a sweet peck. "You look amazing in navy," she sighed when he pulled away. "it brings out your eyes."

"You say that about every color I wear," Stefan pointed out with a smile.

"Well, because it's true," Lucy winked at him, her mood officially better. "So, it's your first day back in a while…how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" Stefan returned her question easily. "I know it's hard to be in history."

It was because Alaric was no longer teaching their history class. The first day Lucy had gone back to school, she had walked out of the classroom within the first five minutes. She cried on Caroline's shoulder in the girls' locker room until third period. The second day, she lasted a half-hour. The third day, she went the whole period without leaving.

It helped now that Joel was subbing until they got a proper history teacher. Somehow, the administration took one look at his associate's and upcoming bachelor's degree and deemed him worthy of teaching history—even though his degree was in computer tech. Even though she was angry with him, having her big brother teaching her historical events she already knew about was comforting.

"It's getting better," she told him honestly. "Do you think Elena will be okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Stefan sighed. "She's pretty emotional lately."

"It's that Petrova fire Kit talks about," Lucy said playfully, hoping he would get the joke. "It's contagious."

Stefan didn't disappoint her; he laughed. "Must be," he agreed and shut her locker. "Come on, the bell's about to ring."

They laced their hands together as they walked down the hallway to their first class. They turned into the history hallway when Lucy remembered what Caroline told her about the motorcycle.

"By the way, Care told me you have a motorcycle."

"Mmm, did she?"

Lucy eyeballed him, shaking her head at his innocent tone. "And she also told me you want me to ride on it."

"Maybe…"

"Stefan, it took two months to even get in a car after the accident," she reminded him, though he wasn't around for that summer—that she knew of at the time, anyway. "I can't get on a motorcycle!"

"Well, maybe you can think about it," Stefan said hopefully. "You know I won't let you get hurt."

"I know that, but…"

"But you're scared," Stefan finished for her. "and I get it but you can't be afraid forever, Luce. Fear just brings you down."

"Who said that, Aristotle?"

"Very funny, pretty girl."

"Pretty girl?" Lucy raised her eyebrows, using the new pet name to change the subject. "I like that."

Stefan saw right through her. "Don't change the subject," he pouted down at her as they reached the classroom door. "Will you please ride on my motorcycle?"

"Will you call me pretty girl again?"

In all honestly, she loved that new pet name. She loved being called Goofy but pretty girl was a little more romantic.

"I'll call you whatever you want, Lucy," Stefan grinned at her. "I've got a century worth of names. Sweetheart, doll, baby, honey-bun—"

"Okay, I get it," Lucy laughed and Stefan grinned at the sight of her large smile. It was rare to see those precious dimples these days. "I like baby but don't you dare call me honey-bun."

"What about cherry pie?"

"Absolutely not," Lucy tried to be stern but she couldn't help but laugh. Stefan chuckled with her. "Come on, you goof. We have class."

They entered the classroom and took their usual seats. Because the seating chart hadn't changed since the first day of school, Stefan sat next to Elena—who was already planted in her seat, staring at the chalkboard with sad eyes—and Lucy sat in front of Caroline, who grinned at her.

She may have heard the whole pet-name exchange.

Once Lucy was situated in her seat, she turned to greet Elena. "You okay?"

Stefan added, "It's the first time you've been back in Alaric's classroom."

Elena clenched her jaw as tears came to her eyes. "It's first period and I'm ready to bawl my eyes out."

"Morning, everyone!" Lucy heard the familiar call of her oldest sister as she entered the room, handing out green flyers to everyone she passed.

"And, just like that, I'm no longer feelings sentimental," Elena muttered angrily.

Lucy suppressed her eyeroll and turned to face the front of the classroom.

"So, I'm throwing a little anti-curfew party at my new house," Rebekah announced to the class as she continued handing out flyers. "It starts in fifth period and goes to whenever. Spread the word."

"You finally unpacked?" Lucy asked her as she was handed a flyer.

"Yes, and I have your room sorted out already," Rebekah informed her perkily. While Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise, she turned to Elena and set a flyer on her desk. "You're welcome to join, too, Elena, if you'd like to bury the hatchet."

Elena glared at her. "It's a pretty enormous hatchet."

"Well, I'm feeling generous of spirit," Rebekah looked so much like Klaus when she said that, it made Lucy smile.

Elena sighed and picked up the flyer, looking it over. "New house, huh?" she asked the blonde scathingly. "Did your brother finally kick you out?"

"He didn't kick me out, I left."

Elena smirked. "So, you left the only person on Earth that actually likes you?"

"Elena!" Lucy hissed at her. Just like that, her irritation was back. A cat fight in first period between two of her three sisters was bound to make that happen.

"Well, your sister likes me," Rebekah retorted. "Actually, I think I'm her favorite sister."

"Rebekah!"

Elena picked up her pencil and whipped it at Rebekah. It was like child's play for the blonde Original, who easily caught it and threw it back at the doppelganger. The pencil dug itself into Elena's shoulder; making her grunt. She forcefully pulled the pencil out of her and threw it down. As the bell rang, she got up from her seat and rushed out of the classroom, taking Joel—who had just happened to be walking through the door—with her.

Rebekah quickly left the classroom after Elena and Lucy turned toward Caroline and Stefan. "Can we not have one normal day at school?"

They didn't even make until second period before Lucy, Stefan, Caroline, and Joel were gathered to listen to Elena whine. All she could talk about was how much she hated Rebekah and how much she wanted to kill her with the white oak. Lucy felt like she was a kid in Charlie Brown listening to an adult speak.

Despite the blur of Elena's words, though, Lucy was irritated. She didn't want to listen to Elena complain about Rebekah and how she killed her—even though she was still alive and able to do whatever the hell she wanted. Elena killed Finn, she plotted to kill the rest of her original siblings, and she almost died in the process. She didn't care about Elena's problems; if that made her selfish or a horrible person, she didn't have it in her to care.

"It was a valiant first-day effort," Caroline tried comforting Elena. "No one will judge you if you want to go home."

If Lucy remembered correctly, Caroline was back at school the next day after Bonnie made her daylight ring…and she didn't have a single problem.

"I don't want to go home," Elena snapped. "I want to take the white-oak stake and kill her. That's how mad I am. She made me murderous."

Lucy couldn't keep her mouth shut. "How about you don't kill another one of my siblings?"

It was quiet for a second as Elena looked at her in complete shock. Lucy stood her ground, though, she wasn't going to back down from this. She didn't get one single apology for anything that Elena—and Joel, for that matter—had done to her.

Finally, Elena spoke…it was more of a yell. "She killed me, Lucy! I'm a vampire because of her!"

"Yeah, why don't you yell the v-word so the whole school can hear. That's really smart when there's a hunter hanging around," Lucy retorted. "and, just in case I need to remind you—because you've clearly forgotten—you killed Finn. Finn, who did nothing to you—"

"Oh, get over it!" Elena's vampire features were on the verge of popping out as she spat at Lucy. It had goosebumps erupting all over her body but she wasn't giving up. "He lived in a coffin for nine hundred years. You hardly remembered him."

"I did remember him, thank you very much!" Lucy was on her feet now, her voice raised to match Elena's. Stefan was going to intervene but Caroline quickly stopped him; Lucy needed this. "I remember every fucking moment that I spent with him a thousand years ago."

"We thought we were killing the Originals," Elena said haughtily. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"No, I guess you don't, Elena," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I mean, it's not like you didn't almost kill me in the process. It's not like they're my siblings, too."

"Lucy, I mean this in the nicest way possible," Elena stepped closer to her, looming over her threateningly; Caroline, Joel, and Stefan got to their feet, waiting to intervene on a half-second's notice if things got violent. Even Lucy reached for her necklace in case Elena attacked. "I could give a fuck about the Original family and if I have a chance to kill Rebekah, you can bet I'm going to take it."

Lucy could feel her blood boiling. "I swear, if you even touch them—"

"What are you gonna do, hurt me?" Elena asked mockingly. "Do you have enough magic for that or will you have to borrow from my ex-boyfriend?"

Lucy lunged toward Elena and it took only a second for Stefan to grab her arms and pull her away from her sister. Elena smirked triumphantly as Lucy fought against him but Joel quickly scolded her, telling her that she was way out of line.

Elena didn't look that bothered, though, and it made Lucy see red. God, she had never resented her siblings like this and Klaus had literally killed her aunt.

She fought harder against Stefan but he refused to let go.

"Just get the fuck out of here, Elena!" Caroline told Elena harshly. "Before I kick your ass for her."

"Go, Lena," Joel nudged his sister, anger and shame brewing in his own chest. As Elena left the parking lot, he turned toward Caroline and Stefan as Lucy started to calm down. "I'm gonna go but I want to talk later, Luce."

Lucy didn't respond but Caroline nodded at him. He took that to mean that she would convince Lucy to speak with him and walked back into the school for the rest of his planning period.

When Joel left, Stefan sat Lucy on the picnic table they were sitting on previously. He knelt down so he was eye-level with her—Caroline hovering worriedly behind him—and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he cooed soothingly. "Listen to me, Lucy. She's gone, okay?"

Tears, both angry and sad, fell from Lucy's hazel eyes. "I hate her. I hate her so much."

"Shh, I know," he said softly; he knew full well that Lucy didn't really hate Elena but he wasn't going to argue with her. Not about this and not when she was this upset. "Just calm down for me, baby, okay? Calm down."

He hoped that using one of the pet names she requested would break through to her. And it did. Lucy blinked, though she didn't stop crying, and immediately started to apologize.

"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "Oh, my God, I didn't mean to. I just lost my temper. I'm not cool, calm, and collected!"

"Lucy, it's all right," Caroline spoke up, her voice just as soft as Stefan's. "None of this is your fault, okay? None of it."

"I just got so angry," Lucy was almost hysterical. "Why am I so angry all the time?"

"It's not your fault," Stefan told her. "You're grieving and you're upset. It's okay. You needed to let that out."

"I hate it," Stefan's heart broke at the whimper that escaped her lips. "I hate this so much."

"Shh," Stefan brought her head to his chest, pressing his lips against the crown of her head. "It's okay, Lucy. I'm gonna help you, I promise."

"We'll both help you," Caroline stroked her fingers through Lucy's curly locks. "Stefan's good at helping people, you know? He's like a vampire Oprah."

Caroline's goal was to make Lucy laugh and it worked. She snickered against Stefan's chest and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, he is," she agreed, her cries calming down into sniffles. "You start a self-help campaign."

"You should write a book," Caroline added perkily, much to Stefan's chagrin. "and you could go on The View."

"No," Lucy shook her head in disagreement, making Stefan sigh in relief. "I don't like The View. I think he should go on the Today show or something like that."

"I hate you guys."

"You wish."

"No, you don't."

Rebekah's new house was gorgeous and entirely too huge for one person, even if she was an original vampire.

The place was already packed full of their classmates when Lucy and Stefan had arrived at the party, having separated from Caroline, who wanted to check on Tyler. There were five large kegs in front with teenagers crowded around them, all of them with full red solo cups in their hands and large grins on their faces.

Despite the fact that Lucy was having a bad day, the sight made her smile. This was normal. This was familiar. But even though she normally would have stolen herself a beer, she didn't want to drink. She was a lightweight, even if she hated to admit it, and she had too many feelings floating around in her body that she couldn't risk it.

Stefan grabbed a cup for himself, though. She knew it was drinking from a juice box for him.

"Are you sure you don't want one?" he sipped on it as they walked up the steps to the entrance. "It's actually cold."

"No thanks, babe," she smiled at him.

"Babe, huh?" Stefan raised an eyebrow at her, giving her the cutest expression. "That's good. I like it."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

"Not cherry pie?"

"Oh, come on," Stefan rolled his eyes playfully as they stepped into the house. "Huh, I didn't have to be invited in."

"Well, at least you don't have to stand outside, that'd be so awkward," Lucy shook her head. "Especially when I left you by your lonesome?"

"You'd abandon me?" Stefan pouted at her before drinking the rest of his beer with a grimace. "I thought you loved me?"

"I do love you," Lucy gave him a quick peck. "I love you so much, I'm going to look for some better alcohol because I know you hate beer from a keg."

Stefan gasped mockingly. "You do care."

Lucy laughed and winked at him. "You know I do, babe."

She walked away from him, then, making her way through the crowd of her peers to find Rebekah and a bottle of bourbon. She made sure to look at the house while she walked around and it was very nice. The design gave her jealous and the decoration were beautiful. It was literally Rebekah in house form—the closest she would ever get, anyway.

Despite walking around for thirty minutes, Lucy never found her oldest sister. She ran into April, so looked properly drunk, and when she asked about Rebekah, April pointed her in the direction of the kitchen.

Lucy walked into the large—and very nice—kitchen just as Stefan was stopping Elena from going after Rebekah with the white-oak stake. She didn't say anything as Stefan took the stake from Elena but her blood started boiling again.

When Elena walked out of the kitchen without noticing her, fully chastised by whatever Stefan told her, she turned to Stefan expectantly. He gave her a closed-mouth smile that was slightly apologetic.

"Damon gave it to her," he explained, slipping it into his back pocket. "You're mad, aren't you?"

Lucy nodded simply. "Yes."

"And you want to hurt her?"

"Yes."

"That's normal," Stefan reached up to stroke her left cheek with his thumb. "and it's okay to be angry but you can't let it control you, Luce."

"I know but it's hard," she admitted.

"Rage is a powerful feeling," Stefan agreed. "but guilt, take it from me, it'll destroy you."

Lucy stared at him, the corner of her lips quirking slightly. Caroline was right; he really needed to write a book. "You're right."

"I know I am," Stefan smirked at her; Lucy's face visibly lit up and she pressed herself closer to him. He was so damn sexy sometimes. "So, how about you be a good girl and get on the back of my motorcycle so we can get the fuck out of here."

Lucy's lower belly swooped at his words. "Oh, my God," she breathed. "Please get me out of here."

Stefan wrapped his arm around her lower back. "With pleasure."

The motorcycle ride was actually fun and the best part of it was how adorable Stefan looked in his helmet. Something that was more fun than the drive back to the Boarding House, though? The fun they started when they rushed to Stefan's room.

Lucy wasted no time in practically attacking Stefan with her lips, forcefully pushing him onto his bed. She pulled away from his lips only to straddle him and pull off her blouse—her cardigan had been discarded somewhere between the front door and the stairs—revealing her lacy blue bra.

Stefan groaned at the sight and quickly sat up, using his vampire sped to flip them around so he was on top. Their lips clashed together again; Lucy's nails ran up the length of Stefan's back, pulling his henley up with them and he paused for a second to let her take it off of him.

And then his lips were on her neck and in her cleavage and she was moaning in pleasure.

"Stefan," she arched her back, trying to get him to actually touch her. His lips were great—better than great, really—but she was ready for the next step. "Please."

Stefan was just as impatient as her. With a twist of his fingers, her bra was pulled away from her breasts. But Stefan wasn't done; he quickly reached down to her legs and with a little tug, her tights were ripped off of her.

Lucy gasped as Stefan wrapped his lips around her right nipple, taking his time to suck and stroke it with his tongue. God, she had never felt anything like this before. It felt so damn good and she wanted him to feel that way, too.

She trailed her left hand down from his shoulder, stroking the skin of his pecs. She took a second to rub one of his nipples, earning her a delicious vibration against her breast as he moaned, and then continued down his taut abs, happy trail, and to his jeans. He was hard and he was big but it didn't scare Lucy.

Was it weird to admit that she was looking forward to this?

"Lucy," Stefan half-moaned-half-gasped, pulling away from her chest as she rubbed at his cock through his jeans. "oh, fuck."

She had heard Stefan cuss when he was happy, sad, and angry, but it had never been as sexy as it was now.

And then Stefan was jumping away from her like she was on fire. She sat up in shock and faltered when she saw the terrified look on his face.

"Stefan?" she asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"

Stefan was breathing heavily as he shook his head slightly. He raised his right arm from his side, his eyes widening when he looked down at it. Lucy jumped off the bed and hurriedly put on his henley as she went to check what was happening to him.

"Oh, my God," she breathed in shock. "Is that…?"

Stefan nodded gravely. "Damon said that the hunter had werewolf venom."

Lucy immediately started to panic but she hid it. She had to be strong for Stefan and she needed to get ahold of Klaus. She knew he was in Mystic Falls again, thanks to an angry text Caroline sent her about him cockblocking her and Tyler, and it was now more than ever that he needed to answer. If she had to go to the Lockwood mansion and drag him by the ear to the Boarding House, she would. She was not fucking around.

"Okay, lay down," she told Stefan, trying to keep her voice strong. "I'm gonna call Nik and I'm gonna get you some blood, okay?"

"Lucy…"

"Seriously, Stefan, lay down," she gave him a stern look and waited until he was tucked in to leave the room.

Her phone was downstairs in her purse, so she got that first. As she hurried down to the basement for a few blood bags, she dialed her brother.

"This is Klaus' phone. I don't know how you got this number but don't leave a message."

"Okay, Nik, I know you're mad but I really need you to come to the Boarding House," she pleaded into the phone, opening the large freezer where the Salvatores kept their blood store. "I know you're in Mystic Falls, okay? I need your help. Like, I really need your help, okay? I know you hate Stefan but I know you like him too and he's in trouble and only you can help him."

…

"This is Klaus' phone. I don't know how you got this number but don't leave a message."

"Nik, please, please answer," Lucy was practically in tears as she paced at the foot of Stefan's bed, her worried eyes watching him nervously. He was sleeping but she couldn't stop thinking he was dead. "Please. I need your help, brother. I need you, please."

…

"This is Klaus' phone. I don't know how you got this number but don't leave a message."

"He's getting worse, Nik, and I don't know what to do," she cried, looking back over at Stefan, who had red veins pulsing through is skin. "I need your help. Please just get here. I'll do anything."

But Klaus didn't answer, yet again. She ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed next to Stefan's legs. It was a scene all too familiar.

"Dammit, Nik, where are you?"

A throat cleared from the door behind her. She turned to see Klaus holding her cardigan up with a finger and an amused look on his face. "Little sister, I see you've been busy?"

Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "You came."

"I did," Klaus nodded. "and, for future reference, one voicemail is just as effective as nine—"

Lucy cut him off as she threw herself at him, wrapping him into a relieved and tearful hug. Klaus was shocked but eventually he returned her affection, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Stefan has werewolf venom in his system," Lucy explained. "You're the only one that can heal him and I know you hate me for what I did to you but I know you love me, too, and I'm so sorry, Nik. I'll do anything, just help him, please. Just—"

"Hey, calm down, sweetheart," Klaus poked her cheek, a smirk growing on his lips. "I can't just let Stefan die, now, can I?"

Lucy looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"How can I resist my little sister?" then he dropped the ball. "but I want a favor."

Lucy nodded frantically. "Yeah, anything, Nik."

"Well, Luciana," he walked around her and grabbed one of the glass tumblers from Stefan's bar. "This is a favor from Stefan, actually."

"I'll convince him to do it."

"I thought you would," Klaus grinned at her; he walked over to Stefan's bed and bit his wrist, allowing his blood to drip into the glass. He helped Stefan drink it down and then backed away from the bed, his eyes darting to the painting above the headboard.

"One of yours?"

"Yeah," Lucy confirmed. "Thank you so much, Nik."

"You owe me one," he reminded her; she nodded seriously. "but, regarding the desiccation, I suppose we can forget about the whole thing."

Lucy smiled at him hopefully. "Really? Are you sure?"

Klaus nodded. "No matter how many times my sisters annoy me to death, I'd still do anything for them," he admitted and awkwardly looked away when she beamed at him. "When did you two become a thing, anyway?"

"His birthday," Lucy informed him. "Well, technically, it was nine days ago."

Klaus smiled sarcastically. "Happy anniversary."

"Oh, shut up."

"I'm going to go, now," Klaus sighed. "Make sure you tell him I want to talk."

"Will do."

"And make sure you don't crowd up my voicemailbox again, love," he added as he started walking out of the room. "All the notifications are bloody annoying."

"Yes, brother dear."

Lucy turned back to the bed as Stefan made a noise. She smiled in relief when he opened his beautiful green eyes, crawling onto the bed to sit next to him.

"Feeling better?" she whispered; when he raised his arm, beckoning her to cuddle with him, she complied.

"Mmhm," Stefan confirmed with a hum. "Klaus finally answered you, huh?"

"Yeah, he did," Lucy smiled slightly. "and good thing, too. What would I do without you, Broody?"

Stefan leaned his forehead against her temple. "Probably the same thing I would do without you; be miserable."

Lucy laughed slightly and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, you're probably right."