[4x07; My Brother's Keeper]
The sharp thwack of an arrow heading toward him made Stefan duck. He dodged out of the and sped toward the person responsible for the arrow, quickly knocking the bow out of his hands. Joel sighed and bent down, picking it up as Stefan smirked.
"You got me," Joel stood back up to his full height. "Again."
"Come on, you're getting slow on me," Stefan raised his eyebrows. "I thought I was supposed to be training you."
"Yeah, and somehow I got roped into being the one with the bow," Joel rolled his eyes. "and the only reason you're training me is because I'm supposed to be babysitting you."
Stefan pressed his lips together. "I don't need a babysitter."
"According to your sober-sponsor, you do," Joel reminded him of Caroline. "She said you're having trouble."
"And she was supposed to help me," Stefan stressed.
The reason he was having so much trouble was not something he wanted to share with Joel. Not when Lucy was his baby sister and he was protective over her. It wasn't that Lucy was giving him problems—but, at the same time, she kind of was. The previous night, when they crossed that step into a sexual relationship, he had trouble holding back.
He didn't have the same problem with Elena but he knew that it was because, if he was honest, his love for Lucy was something that he never felt for Elena. It was all-consuming and passionate, and he wanted to have all of her and give all of himself in return. The vampire side was part of him, however much he wanted to deny it.
"Caroline is busy setting up the pageant," Joel didn't sound sympathetic with his plight. "so you're left with me. Disappointing, I know."
"It's not that," Stefan shook his head, feeling a little guilty. "You have excellent control, Joel, it's just…Caroline know more about my struggles and stuff. I mean, you and I aren't exactly the closest of friends."
"Well, let's change that," Joel handed him the bow so he could take a turn. "We're family, Stefan. Let's get to know each other."
Stefan chuckled awkwardly. "Okay…"
"We'll start easy," Joel assured him. "Uh…Did you pick up your suit?"
"Of course," Stefan nodded, thinking of the charcoal gray suit Lucy had picked out for him to wear as her escort for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. "I don't want to risk the wrath of bossy Lucy."
Joel laughed. "Good man," a fond smile spread across his face. "Did she ever tell you about the time she made me, Elena, and Jeremy create this whole Christmas play for our parents?"
"No. When was that?" Stefan asked curiously.
"Lucy was ten or eleven, I can't remember exactly," Joel started to share. "and this was the year of the shortly-lived piano lessons."
"I didn't even know she took piano lessons."
"Hence the shortly-lived part," Joel shook his head in amusement. "anyway, she learned to play We Wish You a Merry Christmas and she came up with the idea to make a whole play around the one song. Elena and I didn't want to do it but Jeremy was all for it. They convinced us to join in…"
"So, Lucy made Elena write the play while she and Jeremy were in charge of props and got the main role of Santa," Joel continued with a laugh. "Of course, that's when the problems started. Lucy didn't like the way Elena was writing the play. She hated the way I used an Australian accent for Santa. The only thing she didn't argue about were the decorations because Jeremy worked really hard on them and you know she's a sucker for him."
Stefan laughed. "What happened then?"
"She fired me and Elena. Elena was pissed because Lucy made her write the play only for it to be garbage—Lucy's words, mind you—and they got in a fight. It was actually a bad one, too—they were both grounded for the week before Christmas."
"Did your parents see the play?"
"Lucy's stubborn," Joel nodded. "She had Jeremy play Santa and turned the whole thing into a monologue that he completely butchered. She didn't care, though. She got to play We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Mom and Jenna cooed over her and Dad gave her a standing ovation."
Stefan grinned; Lucy was the same, then. Bossy and cute all at the same time.
"Anyway, she's been bossy since she could talk," Joel told him. "So, good luck."
"Well, thank you, but I don't think I need it," Stefan said. "I like her bossiness."
Joel grimaced. "T.M.I, dude. That's my sister."
"I didn't mean it like that, Joel."
"Yeah, yeah," Joel rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Come on, your turn to shoot."
Stefan nodded and grabbed a metal arrow from the bag they brought. Before he could even place it in the bow, Klaus had blurred up behind him, his arm tightened against his throat.
"In what world do the words tell no one mean tell your brother and every teenage sycophant in town?" Klaus asked him angrily.
Joel groaned in annoyance. "The secret's safe, Klaus. No one who knows about the cure would endanger us."
"Trust me," Stefan grunted as he tried to pry Klaus away from him. "You know I want to find it more than anyone else."
"Well, then I suggest you find some vampires for Jeremy to kill before I'm tempted to offer you two up as victims," Klaus spat through his clenched jaw. "And try to keep this one to yourselves, would you?"
The pressure around Stefan's throat was relieved as Klaus sped off again. He cleared his throat as he looked at Joel, who was looking back at him nervously.
"Well," the oldest Gilbert asked him. "What should we do?"
"Are you okay with Jeremy killing more vampires?"
"It's up to him," Joel stated. "I'll ask him and if he agrees, we'll start there."
"Okay, tomorrow we can go to the hospital and pick someone to change," Stefan told him, thinking quickly. "If someone there isn't going to make it or—"
"Hold on," Joel interrupted him. "You have to be at the pageant with Lucy—"
"No, I can—"
Joel shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I can take care of this, Stefan. My sister needs you."
It didn't take much for Stefan to agree. He'd much rather be escorting Lucy around a pageant instead of changing humans just so Jeremy can kill them.
"Okay."
Lucy stared at her best friend in disbelief, irritation blooming in her chest.
"You're telling me that they let April Young on the pageant committee?" she hissed quietly so no one could overhear her. "She wasn't at the interviews! Did she even do an entrance essay?"
"Yes, that's what I'm telling you," Caroline grimaced as she continued to arrange the flower centerpieces they were both working. "And no, I don't think she did the essay."
"I spent two weeks on that thing! It was twelve pages!"
Caroline gave her a sympathetic look but it didn't really help Lucy.
"I mean, now I'm gonna lose to a girl who just came back to Mystic Falls because she'll totally get the sympathy vote—"
"Lucy, come on."
"What, it's true!" Lucy pointed out. "and I worked too damn hard on this."
"And the judges know that," Caroline reached across the table to place a calming hand on her arm. "You're not gonna lose to April Young, Lucy."
"You don't know that," Lucy pouted. She was being childish but she couldn't help it. She had wanted to be Miss Mystic Falls ever since she was a little girl when she found out that her mom had been crowned in her day.
"They'd be stupid not to pick you."
Lucy sighed and shook her head, changing the subject as she started on a new centerpiece. "Okay, so tell me what happened this morning. You said you needed to spill some tea but you haven't told me anything."
"Okay but you can't tell Elena I told you," Caroline warned her. "In fact, I'm only telling you this because you're my soulmate and I look out for you."
"I look out for you, too," Lucy assured her anxiously; what did Elena tell her that was so bad? "Is it bad, Care?"
Caroline grimaced. "Elena told me that she's confused."
"Confused about what?"
"About her feelings for Stefan and Damon," she admitted carefully; Lucy stiffened in realization. "She said she wants to make sure her feelings for Stefan are completely gone before she can consider being in a relationship with Damon."
Lucy was speechless for a moment but not surprised. Elena had been acting sketchy lately and she was calling on Stefan a little more than she was calling on Damon. She was trying not to be upset, she really was, but it was kind of hypocritical of her.
She tried to speak calmly but Caroline could see right through her. "How does she expect to make sure?"
"I don't know," Caroline sighed. "but you don't have to worry, Lucy. Stefan loves you with all of his heart."
"I know that," Lucy nodded. She trusted Stefan but it was more difficult to trust Elena, especially with her track record. She did kiss Damon while Stefan was off saving his life, after all. "You know what I don't get?"
"What's that?"
"I don't get why Elena continues to destroy our relationship," Lucy shook her head, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "I really don't get it because I am trying so hard to conserve what little we have left and it's like she's not even trying."
Caroline sighed and set down the rose she had in her hand. She walked around the table and pulled Lucy into a hug, resting her chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Luce. I really am."
"I'm sorry, too," Lucy sniffed into her black cardigan. She pulled herself together, not wanting to cry in such a public place, and allowed Caroline to let go of her. "At least I have you, right? And Rebekah and Kit."
"Exactly," Caroline nodded, smiling slightly. "Speaking of Rebekah…"
"I'm going to undagger her," Lucy told her seriously. "but I need your help because Stefan's being tight-lipped about everything."
She had been mad when she discovered that Stefan helped Klaus dagger Rebekah but her anger didn't last too long. Stefan didn't want to dagger her sister, he had made that perfectly clear, so she tried not to hold it against him. However, she was annoyed that he hadn't told her where Rebekah was being stored.
"I can get the location from him," Caroline nodded.
"Good and can you please not tell anyone that I'm taking the dagger out?"
"Of course…Wait, how are you gonna calm Rebekah down so she doesn't stake Klaus and Stefan in their sleep?"
Lucy grimaced. "I'll think of something."
"Good luck with that."
"Lucy!" Professor Shane walked up to her and Caroline, looking a little lost. "You don't mind pointing me in Mayor Lockwood's direction, do you? We have a last-minute interview."
Lucy tried to her hide her annoyance about April with a smile. "Of course, Professor Shane. Mayor Lockwood and the rest of the judges are in her study. It's right off the dining room."
"Right, thank you," Shane nodded gratefully. "See you girls later."
Lucy smiled at him while Caroline gave him a little wave. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Caroline asked her, "That's the guy who told you how to break the hunter's curse?"
Lucy nodded as they went back to their arrangements. "He's also the one who's helping Bonnie practice magic again."
"Oh, you mean how she's so obsessed that she bailed on pageant prep?" Caroline raised her eyebrows judgmentally. "And now he's judging Miss Mystic Falls…either he's good at everything or he's creepy."
Lucy hummed. "Creepy."
"Definitely."
"You have to eat something for breakfast, Goofy," Stefan stood behind the island in her apartment, a pan of eggs cooking away on the stove in front of them. "You love breakfast."
"I can't eat," Lucy insisted, resting her head on the counter. "I'm nervous."
Stefan grabbed the toast as it popped out of the toaster, quickly spraying it with butter. "You weren't nervous before."
"That was before April Young joined the pageant," Lucy huffed. "Pastor Young just died, she's totally going to get the sympathy vote."
"No, she's not," Stefan sighed, sprinkling almost a cup of cheddar cheese into the eggs; Lucy liked her eggs with too much cheese but he figured he'd indulge her today. "You know, I know…hell, everyone knows you're going to win, Luce. The whole competition is just a formality."
"Stefan—"
Stefan slid the plated eggs and toast over to her. "Eat," he said sternly, grabbing a fork from the drawer to hold it out for her. "Or you're gonna be hungry later."
Lucy grumbled in annoyance as she grabbed the fork from him and stabbed it into the eggs. Stefan watched her and mentioned that Joel had told him the Christmas play incident the day before, making her laugh in embarrassment and defend herself. It was a good distraction for her while she ate and, before she knew it, she was done with the plate.
She insisted that she cleaned the dirty dishes since Stefan made breakfast, but once that was done, she started to get ready for the pageant. She'd put her dress on at the Lockwood mansion before the event started but she had to make sure her hair and make-up were set to go.
It took her an hour for everything to be done and while she did her business, Stefan did his. He dressed in the charcoal gray suit that Lucy picked out and made sure his hair was immaculate. By the time he was done, so was she, and they were on their way to the Lockwood mansion.
"You kicked ass in the interview," Stefan reminded her as he drove them through town; she began to get nervous again. "You know the dance forward and backward. You're beautiful and you do so much for this town, Lucy. You're gonna win."
"Okay," Lucy sighed as she stared out the passenger window of her car. "I just…I wish my mom could be here."
"I know," Stefan grabbed her left hand and intertwined their fingers; he pressed a quick peck to the back of hers. "She'd be really proud of you, Lucy."
Lucy gave him a teary-eyed but grateful smile as they pulled up to the Lockwood residence.
They separated after a good-luck kiss; Lucy went upstairs to get ready while Stefan went to check her in. Lucy was already in her dressing gown, waiting for her turn to use the changing room when Caroline, who was dressed in a gorgeous green dress, greeted her enthusiastically.
And then she dropped the bomb.
"Why do I have to help April pick out her dress?" Lucy sighed. "She's my competition, Care."
"Because she asked for you and you're a good person," Caroline told her; Lucy wasn't convinced. "Look, the sooner she picks out her dress, the sooner you can put yours on."
Lucy pressed her lips together but agreed. "Fine."
April was in the changing room, her hair and make-up already done up nicely, trying to decide between a blue dress and a red dress. Elena was already with her, which made Lucy send Caroline a glare, but she tried to ignore her sister. She didn't need family stress today.
"Oh, Lucy, you're here!" April said enthusiastically. "Which dress? The red or the blue?"
"Blue," Lucy said immediately.
Caroline agreed. "Blue."
"Really?" April seemed disappointed as she looked at the one-shoulder dress. "The blue seems a little safe."
"Safe is good when it comes to the judges," Elena assured her.
"She's right," Caroline confirmed. 'Gracie Lockwood had a three-foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court."
Lucy snickered and it wasn't long before Elena and Caroline joined her.
"She got my vote," Damon spoke up as he entered the room.
Caroline's smile instantly fell while Elena perked up. "Get out!" Caroline threw a scrunchy at him. "Lurker!"
"Ouch," he muttered sarcastically. "Where's Professor Shane?"
"Check the judges' table," Lucy informed him.
Damon nodded and then turned to April. "The red one, definitely."
"We've already agreed that the red one's a little bit too showy," Caroline spoke up defensively.
Damon rolled his eyes at her. "It's a pageant. That's the whole point."
"Did you win Miss Mystic last year?" Caroline asked him rhetorically. "No, I don't think you did."
"Neither did Elena and she wore blue."
"Nobody cares what you think."
"I care," April spoke up.
"See?" Damon gestured to her. "April cares. Red, right, Elena?"
Lucy and Caroline turned to Elena expectantly, knowing that she'd back them up.
Elena hesitated and then admitted, "The red is pretty."
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows, exchanging a confused look with Caroline. Elena had literally just agreed with them but when Damon said something she changed her mind in a heartbeat.
Damon nodded in satisfaction. "And my work here is done."
Lucy turned to her sister. "What happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one? What happened to safe is good?"
Elena shrugged and then spoke to April. "Whichever one you want to wear, April."
She left the room quickly, then, following after Damon.
Caroline scoffed. "What just happened?"
"I have no idea."
Caroline shook her head and turned to April. "You need to get dressed because Lucy needs her time."
April nodded quickly, looking intimidated with Caroline's intense expression. "Okay."
Lucy slipped into her gown; it was light pink with embroidered flowers on the skirt, a rhinestone belt, and beaded torso. She and Caroline had found it in Charlottesville and it looked fantastic on her.
"Oh, my God, you're so beautiful," Caroline breathed as Lucy slipped into her silver heels.
Lucy beamed at her. "Thanks, Care," she breathed. "So, why didn't you tell me why your date to this thing is my brother?"
Caroline huffed. "How did you even find out?"
"He called to tell me all about it this morning," Lucy rolled her eyes and looked into the mirror, making sure the necklace and bracelet that Stefan gave her were situated nicely. "He was excited about it. It was weird."
"Ugh," Caroline groaned. "I only agreed to it because Jeremy killed his hybrid."
Lucy hummed and gave her a skeptical look. "He also told me that you and Tyler broke up, even though you never told me about it."
"Klaus just thinks that so he doesn't know about Tyler and Hayley helping unsire his hybrids," Caroline told him. "He thought that Tyler and Hayley had a thing and this was better than the alternative."
Lucy pressed her lips together. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this, Care?"
"You've had more important things going on, Luce."
"Hey, friendship—especially ours—is a two-way street. You help me, I help you, remember?" Lucy reminded her. "I care about what's going on with you. So, if you need to call me at two in the morning to tell me about something that's bothering you, I don't care. You're my number one, babe."
"Aw, babe," Caroline smushed her into a tight hug. "Don't make me cry."
"Don't smudge my make-up," Lucy returned with a laugh; Caroline abruptly let her go.
She beamed at Lucy. "Are you ready for this?"
Lucy nodded. "I am."
"Welcome to this season's Miss Mystic Falls," Mrs. Lockwood greeted the guests that gathered in her decorated backyard. "We are so excited to showcase our most outstanding community leaders in the making."
Lucy took a deep breath as she stood in line with the other contestants. There were five of them all together and she was second-last to be called when Caroline would announce them to the town. Their escorts were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs where all the guests were gathered.
She was nervous right now but she knew as soon as she saw Stefan she'd be fine. He was her rock and he always calmed her down. He had always been able to, even at the beginning of their friendship. Her anxiety was afraid of Stefan Salvatore and she was glad for it.
Mostly, she glad that Stefan knew how much this all meant to her. He hadn't hesitated when she asked him to be her escort and he assured her—with a pinky promise and everything—that he wouldn't bail on her like he did with Elena. The fact that he was so supportive about the whole thing made her love him even more. There wasn't a day that went by when she didn't fall more in love.
The music cut off as Caroline stepped up to the microphone to introduce Lucy and the others.
"Hi, everyone. I'm Caroline Forbes," Caroline said sweetly into the microphone. "As the reigning Miss Mystic Falls, it is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic Court!"
The crowd at the bottom of the stairs started to cheer and applaud while the band started up the entrance music. Molly Fell was first in line and started down the stairs when Caroline called her name.
"We begin the procession with Molly Fell, accompanied by Dylan Clark," Caroline went on when Dylan and Molly walked off to stand to the side together. "Next we have Amber Wolverton, accompanied by Hector Linsey."
Michelle Cunningham was next to be called when Amber and Hector left the stage. Now, it was Lucy's turn.
"And here's Lucy Gilbert, accompanied by Stefan Salvatore!"
Lucy held up her dress as she went down the stairs, smiling at the crowd as they cheered and applauded for her. She saw Matt, Elena, and Damon in the crowd, clapping for her, and her smile grew when she saw Stefan waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a huge, dimpled smile on his face.
She smiled at the crowd and the judges one last time before she grabbed his outstretched hand, gripping onto it tightly.
"You look beautiful, Luce," he whispered to her as he walked her off the dance floor.
"Thank you."
"And finally, we have a last-minute entry," Caroline announced. "April Young, accompanied by Jeremy Gilbert."
The crowd clapped for April as she walked down the stairs in her red dress. To Lucy's surprise Jeremy wasn't waiting for April; instead, Matt stepped up and took April's hand so she wasn't embarrassed.
Lucy was glad that Matt was there for April. Despite not wanting her to win, she still liked the younger girl and didn't want her embarrassed in front of practically the whole town.
Once April was on Matt's arm, Lucy, Stefan, and the rest of the court walked back to the dance floor so the traditional dance could start.
Lucy grinned up at Stefan as she looked her place in line with the other girls. "You ready for this?"
Stefan smirked back at her. "Born ready."
The music started up and the dance began. Lucy and Stefan bowed to each other before they stepped together, walking around in a circle while their hands stayed inches apart. They reversed and walked in the other direction before adding another hand and doing the same thing.
Finally, they were able to come together. Stefan took Lucy's hand and started to lead, moving them gracefully across the dance floor around the other contestants and their dates. They were both great dancers—even though Stefan hated to admit it—so it was easy to just let their bodies do the work so they could enjoy each other.
It was another dance in the books for them. Lucy loved dancing with Stefan. Other than the fact that she loved dancing and she loved him, she was pretty sure the reason was because Stefan actually danced with her without a complaint. He usually hated dancing—Elena used to drag him out onto the dancefloor—but with her, it was never a chore for him.
Sometimes when they were alone, he'd randomly pull her in for a dance. Sometimes it was intimate, loving, and slow with some song she didn't know from a year before she was born. Sometimes it was sexy, with hip grabbing and grinding. Sometimes it was playful, with them dancing randomly in the morning while they made breakfast and listened to the radio.
It was something special they did together and it was one of Lucy's favorite things about them.
Stefan ducked his head down toward her, his chin brushing against her cheek. "I love you, Lucy Gilbert."
"I love you, too, Stefan Salvatore," she breathed back. "Thank you for doing this."
"I'd do anything for you."
Eventually the music stopped and the dance came to an end. They were met with applause and Lucy instantly put back on her game-face, a bright smile in place for the town and judges. She and Stefan walked off the dance floor and got something to drink before mingling.
Lucy made sure to greet everyone she came across. She asked Mrs. Dennis about how her grandchildren were doing, she spoke to Mrs. Johnston, one of the judges, about the upcoming art expo and possibly entering one of her paintings. She spoke to Professor Shane again, discussing the advantages of going to college in-state. She was being a suck-up but she didn't care. She wanted to be Miss Mystic Falls.
Klaus caught her as she was almost down with her rounds, wishing her good luck and telling her how proud she made him and their family. Admittedly, his words made her start to tear up but Klaus told her to stop before her make-up ran. She gave him a big hug and allowed him to move on to Caroline. She still hadn't seen Joel or Jeremy and it was worrying her. Joel had said he would be there and Jeremy was April's escort and he was nowhere to be found.
Before she could worry anymore, it was time for the crowning. Lucy stood next to April and Molly Fell as Mrs. Lockwood and Caroline got the crowd's attention.
"And now the moment you've been waiting for," Mrs. Lockwood spoke into the microphone. "Caroline, would you do the honors?"
Caroline stepped up to the microphone with Elena, who was holding the Miss Mystic crown, at her side. "This year's Miss Mystic Falls is…" she smiled widely. "Lucy Gilbert!"
Lucy let out a deep breath and squeaked in excitement, tears of joy stinging her eyes. Everyone in the crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically as Mrs. Lockwood pulled her into a hug and whispered about how proud she was. Elena congratulated her with a smile as Caroline carefully placed the beautiful beaded crown on her head. And Caroline almost cried as she hugged her tightly after her new sash was in place.
Things went quickly after that. Stefan greeted her with a very enthusiastic and proud kiss while they and the rest of the court gathered for pictures. Lucy and Stefan got their very own picture by themselves and Lucy couldn't wait to frame it in her apartment. After that, they all split up and were allowed to mingle. Lucy profusely thanked the judges and accepted the scholarship that went with the title. She even cried a little bit when she was approached by Liz, who told her how proud her mom would have been of her.
When she finally got some alone time, Lucy got herself a piece of cake. It wasn't coconut but it would do. She ate that and then went off to find someone she knew, since every friend in her group was nowhere to be seen.
She was by Mrs. Lockwood's study when she heard Stefan's voice.
"Elena, you can't do this," she heard him say sternly, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I don't have those feelings anymore. I love Lucy and you said you loved Damon."
"I do," Elena spoke next. "but he told me to figure out what I wanted, so I am."
"Why would you—" Stefan grew frustrated. "Why would you even get his hopes up like that?
"I didn't mean to. I just know that I have feelings for both of you. We ended us too soon, Stefan."
"We didn't end it quick enough," Stefan disagreed; Lucy smiled faintly, though she wasn't happy about what Elena was saying. "I love Lucy. I'm in love with her. There is no us anymore, Elena. You need to accept that."
"I don't need to accept anything!"
This was too much for Lucy. She didn't want to hear anymore. She opened the door to the study, meeting Elena's shocked and angry expression with a furious one of her own.
"Lucy…" Stefan sighed, thinking that she thought the worst of them.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Elena?" she demanded, glaring at her sister. "Are you incapable of thinking of someone besides yourself?"
"No, I—"
"I heard what you said," Lucy cut her off. "and you know what, I'm not surprised, honestly. I'm not upset for myself. You know who I am upset for? Damon. He's been madly in love with you for over a year and you continue to lead him on."
"I'm not leading him on," Elena protested. "I love him."
"If you loved him like you should, you wouldn't have feelings for Stefan."
"Stefan was my boyfriend, Lucy!" Elena raised her voice angrily. "He was my boyfriend and you stole him away from me."
"No one did any stealing," Stefan spoke up, crossing the room to stand by Lucy's side. "Lucy and I never did anything while we were dating."
"Can't say the same for you and Damon, though," Lucy stated haughtily. "The first time you kissed him was when Stefan was handing his life over to Klaus to save his brother's life."
"That wasn't—"
"Don't lie, Elena," Lucy snapped at her. "Honestly, I was hoping everything would be fine. You told Stefan you were fine but obviously you're not. I have tried to keep our relationship in tact but I can't do it anymore when you're not even trying."
"Lucy, would you just—"
"Just don't talk to me for a while," Lucy shook her head and left the study, heading toward the changing room.
Elena followed her. "Lucy, would you wait? I'm sorry, okay? You're right."
"Elena, seriously, I need some space," Lucy insisted as she entered the room; she stopped in her tracks when she saw Jeremy waiting for them. "Jeremy, hey. Where are you been?"
"What are you doing with that?" Elena pointed at the wooden stake in his hands; he stood up threateningly. "Put it down."
"Connor was right," he said blankly while Lucy reached for her necklace. "All I can think about is killing vampires."
"Jere, listen to me," Lucy grabbed her necklace but didn't siphon any magic. "You are nothing like Connor, okay?"
"I want to believe that," Jeremy nodded. "and I know that I don't want to hurt Elena or Joel but everything inside of me is telling me to drive this stake through their hearts."
"Why would you say that?" Elena asked, hurt by his words. "It's me, Jeremy."
"And you're a vampire."
"She's also our sister," Lucy told him, growing worried the more that Jeremy glared Elena down. "Joel's our brother. They would never do anything to hurt us."
"I wouldn't," Elena promised, reaching for Jeremy's right hand. "Jere—"
She cut herself off, gasping loudly when she saw the blood on the palm of his hand. She pushed away from him, her vampire featured coming out as she tried to resist the pull of his blood.
"Elena, get out of here," Lucy urged her.
Jeremy lunged toward Elena but she threw him back, making him land in a heap on the floor. Lucy quickly siphoned some magic before he could get up and stepped between him and Elena, putting up a forcefield that would keep him away for a little while. The trouble was that Jeremy was strong and she had to consciously keep it up if she wanted to get him to stop.
"Elena, go!"
Elena stupidly tried to get around Lucy, breaking through the barrier to get to Jeremy. Jeremy jumped toward her and Lucy tried to get in the way but he pushed her, throwing her across the room and throw one of the chairs. The chair broke and Lucy landed awkwardly, a sharp pain jolting through her wrist.
As she tried to get up, she heard a pained grunt and a loud choking noise. She scrambled to her feet to see that Jeremy had stabbed Elena in the neck with a smaller stake. She waved her hand toward him and pushed him toward the door just as Matt and Stefan came into the room.
"Jeremy!" Matt immediately wrapped his arms around Jeremy, who was struggling to get back over to Elena. "Jeremy, you don't want to do this, okay? That's your sister. It's that stupid mark on your arm."
"Shut up, Matt!"'
"Jeremy, look at me," Matt forcefully turned Jeremy around as Stefan rushed over to Lucy to make sure she was okay. She brushed him off for a moment, hoping that Matt could get through to her little brother. "I'm human and I'm telling you not to hurt her."
"Get him out of here, Matt!" Stefan called as he gently picked up Lucy's wrist, making her hiss in pain.
Matt pushed Jeremy out of the room, leaving Lucy, Stefan, and Elena alone. Elena struggled to get the stake out of her neck but managed as Stefan tended to Lucy.
"Does that hurt?" he asked gently; she nodded. "How bad? Can you move it?"
"It's bad," Lucy whimpered in as she tried to move her wrist; it wouldn't budge and was already turning a nasty reddish-purple.
"Here," Stefan pushed up his sleeve and nicked his wrist before holding it out to her. Lucy took a sip of his blood, careful not to get it on her dress, and quickly grimaced before giving him a grateful smile.
"Thanks," she whispered as her wrist started to heal up, returning to its normal color.
"What the hell is going on?" Joel walked into the room, spotting Elena cleaning up her mess and Lucy healing. "Was Jeremy here?"
"Yeah, he tried to kill me," Elena confirmed shakily. "We have to find him."
"Fuck," the oldest Gilbert cursed. "This is all my fault."
Lucy gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"I think that when a hunter kills a vampire, their urge to keep killing grows stronger," Joel explained. "He and I—he was with me all day. He killed a vampire."
"You're joking, right?" Elena said flatly while Lucy simply blinked at him.
"We need the map to get the cure," Joel defended himself.
Elena shook her head in disgust. "If getting my humanity back means stripping Jeremy of his, then I don't want the cure."
"He's the only way to find the cure, Elena," Stefan spoke up, wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist.
"I just said I didn't want the cure!" Elena yelled at him. "This is who I am now."
"You're not the only one who wants the cure, Elena," Joel sighed. "This isn't all about you."
Elena huffed angrily and shook her head at her siblings and Stefan. She stomped out of the room without a word, leaving Lucy, Stefan, and Joel to stare wordlessly at each other.
"Are you sure you're okay with me moving in, Luce?" Joel asked Lucy as he dropped a duffle bag full of his things on the floor by the couch.
Lucy nodded. "You can't live in the house right now," she started to pack her own bag so she could temporarily move back home. "Matt and I will keep an eye on Jeremy. It's gonna be okay."
"I know," he sighed and sat on the couch next to Caroline. "but I feel bad. This is my fault."
"No, it's not, Joel," Caroline assured him. "You couldn't have known this was gonna happen."
"But Elena—"
"Elena's lost right now," she said as Lucy paused her packing and walked over to sit on Stefan's lap in the armchair. He wrapped her arms around her while she snuggled her head in his neck. "There's something wrong with her. Just promise me that you guys won't stop looking for the cure."
"Klaus won't let us even if we wanted to," Stefan sighed.
Caroline scoffed. "What does he care? He doesn't even want it."
"He wants to keep Elena human so that he can make more hybrids," Stefan informed her.
"He's gonna need them," Caroline sighed. "Tyler has almost got all of them unsired…oh, my God. Oh, my God!"
Lucy sat up, concerned. "What? What's wrong?"
Caroline stood up from the couch, holding her hands against her lips. "I was trying to understand why Klaus was so intrigued by Damon and Elena," she explained. "He said I would figure it out. This is what he was talking about."
Joel gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it," Caroline prompted them. "Every time Elena has had a problem, Damon has been the magic solution. Today, Elena was worried. Who swoops in and tells her to relax? Damon, and she listens. When Elena started feeding, who said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein?"
Lucy gaped at her while Stefan stiffened and Joel perked up in realization. "Damon."
"And when she tried to drink from animals?" Caroline turned to Stefan for an answer.
"She couldn't keep it down," Stefan stated seriously. "Same thing with blood bags. Damon said she couldn't, so she couldn't."
"Damon likes the red dress," Lucy recalled the moment from earlier in the day. "Elena likes the red dress."
"Damon says kill Connor, she kills Connor," Joel added.
"What if it's possible?" Caroline asked, getting riled up. "Damon's blood made her a vampire, right? It's rare but it happens. What if this is really happening?"
They all gave each other nervous looks. Elena was sired to Damon.