Disclaimer: I only own my OCs

A/N: This is more of a family focused chapter, with a few little revelations ;) compared to other season 4 chapters, this one wasn't the hardest to write, but that isn't saying much! And of course, a continued disclaimer that I do love Stefan! And I feel the need to add Caroline on here too!

XXX

I glanced to the side to see the sleeping face of my sister. After she had broken up with Stefan last night, she had slept in my bed. I had insisted on it, knowing how much this had affected her. I had held her while she cried over her ended relationship, but she wouldn't tell me why she did it. And I hadn't pushed.

Instead, I had made some boozy hot chocolates, heated up some churros and grabbed some of Ellie's favourite movies. It was a long overdue girls' night. And I was determined to do all that I could to cheer up my twin.

We had stayed up far too late, watching comedies, and I knew that we would regret it in the morning. Especially since we had been volunteered (voluntold) to help out with preparing this seasons Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Neither of us had dared argue with Caroline when she told us that we were helping. Of course, I wasn't planning on being much help and I had the feeling that my sister wouldn't be much help today either. At least she didn't need to look perfect this time around, since she wasn't in the court. Unlike the young April Young. She had been persuaded to join by my sister and, much to my surprise, she had actually gone for it. But it was nice to see her smile, especially after the tears that I saw a couple of days ago. This would be good for April; it would get her mind off of what happened with her dad.

"Els," I spoke softly, after glancing at the clock, brushing her hair from her face. "Time to wake up. Because I don't really fancy fighting Caroline when she tracks your ass down."

My sister scrunched up her nose as she slowly returned to the land of the awake. She blinked open her eyes, the soft light of the sun peaking around my curtains making it easier for her, "What time is it?"

"Don't worry, you've got plenty of time to make yourself look even prettier than you are," I smiled, running my fingers through her hair.

"Thanks for waking me," Ellie gave me a grateful look before pausing. "Why were you awake so early?"

"I have a bit of trouble sleeping," I admitted with a sigh, wincing at the look that my twin gave me.

"After the curse?" she asked and I nodded. "I wish you would tell me what you went through."

"One day, maybe," I tried to distract her by rolling over, flinging my arm over her waist. "But not today. You need to get over your breakup before I burden you even more."

"You're never a burden, Lexa," Elena smiled into my hair, content to just lay in bed together for a bit longer. Not that I blamed her. It hadn't been like this for a while, this relaxed. And we hadn't been able to just hang out together like this since my transition. It wasn't her fault, I had to learn how to control myself. And my twin had to learn to deal with her guilt. "I want you to talk about your worries with me. It's what I'm here for."

"And I will, Ellie, I promise," I reassured her. "But not right now. I guess I just need to work it out first in my head, too. It all feels like a bit of a mess and I'm not quite sure what to make of it all."

My sister was silent for a moment before murmuring, "I'm sorry that you went through that."

"It's not your fault, Els," I pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "None of us knew what would happen if a vampire killed him. But… I don't regret doing it. He was a threat to all of you, and I refuse to let any of you get hurt. Not now that I can protect you."

"You still need to let us protect you in return," Elena shifted slightly so that she could give me a stern look. "That won't change, just because you are a vampire."

"I don't know why I expected otherwise," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "But yes, I will let my human sister protect me from a safe location, if the occasion calls for it."

"You had to put it that way," Ellie rolled her eyes too, but I could see the smile on her face. "I think I've proven that I am capable of defending vampires."

"Eh, I guess that I do have to admit that you are pretty badass," I conceded before letting my face turn. Ellie reached out to brush the veins under my eyes. "But not as badass as me, sis."

"You look so confident like this," my twin mused, a thoughtful look on her face. "Vampirism suits you, Lexa. And I never thought that I would say that."

"I like how strong it makes me feel," I admitted, changing my face back. "I feel like I can't get hurt anymore, not like before. I can heal from any injuries; I can fight back if someone tries to kill me. I don't feel weak anymore."

"And that's what you needed," Elena nodded, holding my hand. "And you deserve it, Alexa. You went through so much, in such a short amount of time. I'm glad that you feel strong."

"Thank you," I smiled gently at my sister. "It's such a relief that you accept me like this. I don't know what I would have done otherwise."

"I always would have accepted you," Ellie gave me a look, tapping my forehead with her free hand. "It may have a taken longer than I would have liked, but I will always accept you, Lexa, no matter what you do or what you become."

My smile turned wobbly as I tried not to cry at my twin's kind words, "God, I hope that I don't make you regret that."

"You won't, Lexa. I know you won't."

XXX

A distinctly pale Jenna drove us to the Lockwood mansion to help set up for the pageant the next day. After Ellie had managed to persuade me that risking Caroline's wrath wasn't worth the extra time in bed, I slipped on a black and blue spotted dress, paired with some leggings, before going to track down my family. I found Jenna downing Gatorade like nobody's business in the kitchen, while Jeremy was hiding in his bedroom. The kid hadn't been forced to help out with prep duty, and he was doing his best to make sure that he couldn't be forced into it. The clever kid.

On the drive, I kept a careful eye on our aunt. She looked, to put it bluntly, like shit. And I told her that. Jenna weakly laughed it off, but I could see the panic hidden in her gorgeous hazel eyes. Ellie and I exchanged worried glances as we both realised the same thing; something was wrong with our aunt.

So when Jenna pulled up outside the mansion, I reached out, resting a hand on her knee to stop her from leaving the car. Elena shuffled forward so that she could see Jenna properly as she asked, "Jenna, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think that something is wrong?" Jenna tried to laugh it off, looking everywhere but us.

"Auntie J, cut the bullshit," I gave her a stern look. "We aren't stupid, we know when something is wrong. Does this have anything to do with the fact that the bathroom constantly smells like vomit?" When the older woman gave me a wide-eyed look, I shrugged, "Even with air freshener, you can't hide that shit from a vampire."

"I," Jenna started before pausing to take a deep breath. Tears began to form in her eyes as she looked between us. "My period is late."

Oh.

Shit.

Those words had me freezing in my seat. Because I knew what they meant, what the implications were. And I didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing. Because if Jenna was pregnant, then it would be Ric's. And everyone thought that Ric was dead. I mean, right now, he was as good as. Bonnie couldn't do the magic that was needed to get him out of the amulet. And I didn't know when she would be able to. And, to top it off, I didn't know of any other witches who could help.

Luckily, my sister took charge. Elena took a deep breath, nodding slowly, "Okay, let's just stay calm. Jenna, do we have any tests at home or do we need to get some?"

"We need to get some," our aunt replied, her voice quiet. I quickly grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She squeezed back hard; her grip tight. But I let her do what she needed. Because I knew how hard this was for her.

"Right, on our way home, after we are done here, we'll stop off and get some," Ellie kept her voice even, but there was a commanding tone there. One that I had a feeling that Jenna appreciated. "I would say to just skip it, but I get the feeling that you don't want any attention drawn to this."

Jenna immediately shook her head, "No, I don't want anyone to know."

"Don't worry, Jenna, we'll keep your secret," I gave her a soft smile before glancing over at my sister. "Think you can swing getting Jenna a job that will keep her sitting? There has to be something."

My twin paused in thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, I can find something. Shouldn't be too hard. Caroline will be too distracted, trying to organise everything."

"I'm sure the previous Miss Mystic wasn't this involved," I muttered, rolling my eyes, before looking back at our aunt. "Just try not to think about it, Jenna. I know it won't be easy, but we can find ways to distract you."

"Thank you, girls," Jenna looked between us, the tears in her eyes finally falling. I reached forward to wipe them away while Ellie procured a tissue. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, you'll never have to find out," I was quick to reassure her, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Because we aren't going anywhere. And no matter what that test says later, we will be by your side."

"No matter what it says," our aunt repeated quietly before biting her lip. "Do you think that I am pregnant?"

Elena looked at me, "Can you hear anything?"

I frowned slightly and concentrated, listening in for any other heartbeats, but I couldn't detect anything, "No, I can't. But I don't know if it's because you could be too early in the pregnancy."

But I made a note to myself to keep an ear out for any new heartbeats. Because I would be able to look after this baby before it was born. I owed that much to my family. Because I knew, deep down, that this test would come out positive. Jenna had been sick too many times, for too long a time, for it to be anything else. And besides, our family was just cursed like that. She would be pregnant when she was without Ric. She would go through this without the man she loved by her side. And I hated the world for that. Jenna deserved better. This pregnancy was supposed to be special for her. In a good way. And now it would just remind her of what she had lost.

But I swore that I would make this as good for her as I could. And that I would find a way to bring Ric back quicker. Bonnie was working with Professor Shane to get her magic back, maybe I just had to persuade him to work quicker. Because I would reunite that family. I would make sure that Jenna had everything that she needed to get through this, including the man she loved.

XXX

After getting Jenna settled inside, folding napkins, I went outside to look for my twin. Elena had volunteered to distract Caroline while I got our aunt hidden away. It didn't take long to find her. She busy arranging flowers in vase, our blonde friend standing in front of her.

I reached the table just in time to hear Caroline say, "Look, I'm your best friend and I would never pick sides, but are you sure that this is what you want? Because Stefan is your soul mate."

"That sounds like picking sides to me," I pointed out, resting my elbows on the table and giving her a stern look. Care winced before sighing.

"Yeah, okay, I'm sorry," she muttered but she didn't back down. "Picking sides."

"It's not like I don't love Stefan anymore," Ellie placed the finished vase in the middle of the table. "On some level, I think I always will. But I just can't be with him anymore."

"Yeah, I know," Caroline shook her head, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. "Stefan filled me in on all the gory details."

Ellie's eyes widened slightly as she, too, glanced over at me, "He did?"

"Wait a minute, Caroline knows the reason for the breakup but I don't?" I frowned, glancing between the two. But I was ignored. Well, that was rude. Once we had helped Jenna, I made a mental note to get the reason for the breakup out of my sister. Because I had a feeling that I was involved, from the glances that I was being given.

"Is he okay?" my twin asked, sounding worried. I knew that even though she had ended the relationship, she loved him. And as she said, she always would. But there had to have been a big reason as to why she would break up with him.

"No, he's heartbroken," Caroline scoffed and I gave her a warning look as my sister winced. For someone who claimed to be Elena's best friend, she clearly wasn't taking her side. And that really annoyed me. No matter how lovely Stefan was, our loyalty was to Elena. And it was always belong to her.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Ellie frowned as I rested my hand on hers. I was determined to let her know that she had my support. I would stand up for her, all she had to do was let me know that it was needed. "Lie to him?"

"Well, no," Care huffed, looking slightly taken back by the sharp tone to my sister's voice. "But you didn't need to say what you did to him. It was a bit harsh."

"Well, the truth hurts," my twin murmured, looking down into the flowers before sighing. "I said what I needed to. And after everything that we had been through together, I owed him that. He knows what he needs to do to get me back. The ball is in his court."

Before the blonde could say anything, we were joined by someone unexpected. The cute professor from Whitmore, Professor Shane, approached us with a bashful smile. The sun shone through his curls, highlight his well-defined cheekbones and pale skin, "Excuse me, I'm a little bit lost. I'm here to interview contestants."

"We remember you," I nodded and my sister took over.

"You're Professor Shane," the three of us exchanged looks. Why was he here? Judging the Miss Mystic Falls contestants? I knew that our town had a close relationship with Whitmore College, with many high school students going there. But I didn't think that it was that close. It all just felt a little bit too coincidental.

"Yeah, that's right," the man laughed, shrugging sheepishly. "Professor by day; pageant judge by other day. In spite of being absurdly unqualified, I'm apparently awarding a scholarship."

As the organiser of the whole thing, it was Caroline who had to give him the directions to where he needed to go, "Uh, inside by the parlour."

Professor Shane turned slightly so that he could point up at the huge house behind us, "Right in there?" When Care nodded in response, he gave us all a wide smile, "Alright, I'll just follow the scent of hairspray and world domination."

My blonde friend laughed slightly as I snorted. That was definitely true, especially last year when Caroline was a contestant. You had to be slightly insane to be a Miss Mystic Falls contestant. Even my dear sweet twin had that right level of insanity, although it quickly disappeared after our parents died.

As Professor Shane walked away, Ellie turned to face us, keeping her voice low, "He's the one who told Damon how to break the Hunter's curse?"

"He did?" I frowned, glancing over my shoulder to see the teacher disappearing. "That's odd. How did he have that information?"

"That isn't all," Caroline revealed. "He's also the one that has Bonnie so obsessed with practicing magic that she bailed on pageant prep."

"And now he's judging Miss Mystic Falls?" Elena frowned, a suspicious look on her face. I nodded while Care raised an eyebrow, agreeing that something wasn't right. "Jack of all trades or kind of creepy?"

"My vote is definitely creepy," I muttered, tapping my fingers on the table. "I'll keep an eye on him, Damon will too. If he is up to something here, then we will know."

"You think that he's bad news?" Caroline glanced over at me and I nodded.

"He's connected with Pastor Young and the death of the Council," I spoke as I listened in on Professor Shane speaking to Mrs Lockwood. "And he apparently knew how to break the Hunter's curse."

"He gave us a folder full of information," my twin revealed, backing me up in my suspicions. "And that means that he's interested in Hunters."

"Which now includes our brother. I killed the past person that took an unhealthy interest in that kid. And I will do the same again if I need too."

XXX

"Did I do the right thing in breaking up with Stefan?" Elena asked as waited in Jenna's bedroom. She was in the bathroom, taking the pregnancy test. It had been a quiet drive home and I had volunteered to go and get the test. Jenna had protested but I told her to go home and get comfortable. With my vampire speed, I could go and get it in no time. Luckily, my aunt didn't argue and had relaxed as much as she could while I went to get it.

"Do you love him?" I asked, moving on the bed so that I could face my twin.

"Yes," Ellie sighed, nodding her head.

"Do you see a future with him?" my voice was softer this time. Because this was definitely a loaded question. I knew that my sister had thought about the future of their relationship before. But then the sacrifice had happened and Stefan had left town. So thinking about that future had become pointless for a while. And now, after all that time, she had to think about it again.

"I don't know," my twin admitted, shuffling closer to me so that she could rest her head on my shoulder. "Because for us to be together, I knew that I would have to become a vampire one day."

"Which was something that you never wanted."

"And I still don't," she confirmed before sighing. "But now that I know that there is a cure, would he take it and be with me? Could I be with him after everything?"

"I know that I was pushing for you to not be with him," I spoke, choosing my words carefully. "And I still think that getting some space from that relationship would be good for you. But Ellie, all I want for you is for you to be happy. And if that means being with Stefan, then I'm all for it."

"But being with Stefan doesn't make me happy right now," Elena sighed, shaking her head. "There's a reason why I broke up with him yesterday and its not something that I can get over quickly."

"Do I get to find out what that reason is?"

"Not right now."

Before I could push any further, the door in front of us opened. Jenna walked in, still looking pale. In her hand, wrapped in a wad of toilet roll, was the pregnancy test. She was clutching it tightly, like she was scared to lose it. But with shaking hands, she placed it down on her dresser. It was reluctant but she couldn't hold it until it was time to read the result.

Ellie moved away from me, creating space for Jenna. A space that our aunt quickly took up. We wrapped our arms around her, while Jenna rested her head against Elena's.

"How are you doing?" my sister asked her, thumb gently stroking her shoulder. I took Jenna's hand in mine, squeezing it gently.

"I don't know if I want it to be positive or negative," our aunt admitted quietly, a tear sliding town her cheek. I exchanged a glance with Elena as I gently wiped it away. "To have something of Ric's, it would be amazing. But I can't do this alone. I barely raised you three and you were all older. How can I raise a baby?"

"Well, for one thing, you won't be alone in this," I rested my head against her cheek. "We'll help you through all of it. All of the feedings and all of the diapers. All of us, we'll be there for you every step of the way."

"But you have your own lives to live," Jenna protested softly, looking between us.

"Jenna, I'm immortal now," I reminded her. "I have all the time in the world to go out and live my life. Helping you raise a baby if something that I wouldn't give up for the world."

"And I'm planning on going to Whitmore College," Ellie spoke up, a gentle smile on her face. "So I'll be close by to help out too. I can come back for weekends and there's still plenty of time until graduation."

I was so tempted to tell them about my dirty little secret. The one that was now haunting me. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, to tell them that Ric can be brought back. Because it would be so cruel to do that while I didn't have a way to bring him back. To give them that hope and then keep them waiting for months. I might not even be able to bring him back in time for the birth. No, I had to keep this from them for now.

"Girls," tears were running thick and fast down Jenna's cheeks now. But she couldn't form the words to tell us that we were being silly. Because she understood. We were family, even if we weren't related by blood. And we would do anything to help our family. That baby, it would be loved and adored. With a vampire for a cousin and a Hunter too. It would be the most protected child in town.

The alarm on Jenna's phone going off drew all of our attention. It was time to read the test. And find out if we would have a new addition to the family. Elena was the one to get up while I held Jenna close. I hoped that it was positive. Jenna needed this. She deserved to have a family of her own. She had been such an amazing parent to us, I knew that she would be even more amazing with a baby of her own.

Ellie took her time staring down at the test. To the point where I felt our aunt shuffling restlessly. Just as I was about to break the tense silence in the room, needing to know the result, my sister turned around. She had a huge smile on her face as she nodded, "It's positive."

"I'm having a baby?" Jenna gasped, holding a hand to her chest.

"You're having a baby," Elena laughed, pulling our aunt up into a hug. I immediately joined in, wrapping my arms around the two most important women in my life.

"Congratulations," I whispered in Jenna's ear. "I promise you. All of this will work out. And you'll be the happiest that you have ever been."

XXX

It was the day of the pageant.

And this time, Elena and I were getting ready together. We had left Jenna sleeping, having ordered her to skip the pageant today and just relax at home. Surprisingly, our aunt hadn't argued. Instead, she had invited Andie, Vanessa and Meredith over, planning on having a girls' day with them. In preparation, I had spent the night baking and cooking for them. There was a variety of food ready for them to gorge themselves on.

We were in Elena's room, making sure to keep quiet. I had my dress on already, and was just finishing off my makeup. I had it was a deep burgundy red. There was a lacy outer layer over a thin silk dress. In a surprising change for me, the dress had long sleeves. But it meant that I didn't have to find a shawl or cardigan to pair with it. The dress came down to just above my knees, but more importantly, it made my boobs look amazing. And I knew that I would enjoy the hungry looks from my boyfriend when he saw me.

I had gone for a smoky eyed look, unbothered by the fact that I was probably a bit overdressed. I wasn't on parade. My main aim was to get Damon all hot and bothered. Because I definitely enjoyed it when that happened. Behind me, Ellie pinned my hair up in a messy bun. She let the occasional strand hang down around my face, framing it nicely. It had been far too long since we had gotten ready for an event together. And I had definitely missed it.

Once my sister was happy with my hair, we swapped positions. Elena touched up her makeup while I brushed her beautiful hair. It had gotten longer over the past year but it hadn't lost its silky smoothness. And I still loved playing with it. I loved it even more when she let me braid it for her.

I had chosen a fishtail braid, pinned round to the side, for the day. It was something different and it gave me even more time to play with my sister's hair. Ellie was content for me to do what I wanted. Instead, she watched me with cautious eyes.

"Lexa," she breathed out as I made sure that her hair was smooth before I started working on the braid. When I glanced at her, she said, "I'm sorry that I didn't accept you as a vampire right away."

"Ellie, there's nothing to apologise for," I sighed, giving her shoulder a pat. "You had a lot of thoughts going through your brain when it happened. And I knew that it wasn't personal." When my sister didn't look convinced, I asked, "Where is thing coming from?"

"I was just thinking about something that was said the other day," Ellie answered cryptically. "And I realised that I didn't handle this well either. I just felt so guilty that I put you in that position. You were forced to turn before you were ready, because I'm the reason why Rebekah ran the car off the road. I didn't let you go and say goodbye to Damon, which I'm so sorry for too. You died because I chose to die. And I don't know what I would have done if you didn't have vampire blood in your system. I just felt so guilty."

"Elena Miranda Gilbert," I abandoned the braid for a moment to cup her face. "You are being completely ridiculous. You have nothing to apologise for. I knew that you just wanted what was best for me. Yeah, you were a bit OTT because of that. But you just wanted to look after me. And as for your guilt, I get that. As the Queen of self-blame, I understand it. But it was not your fault. None of this was your fault. You didn't know about the link between us, courtesy of that bitch Esther. You made a sacrifice to get rid of a threat. It was noble, if a bit stupid. And as for the Damon part, yeah, I was mad at you. But I should have fought harder, I just gave up. Because I couldn't bear the thought of seeing him die. You don't need to feel guilty anymore, Elena."

"Have you ever believed that when someone said it to you?" Ellie laughed gently, gently waving her face to force away the traitorous tears that wanted to fall. I rolled my eyes as I returned to the braid. But my silence said it all. "Yeah, that's what I thought. But thank you."

"As much as you drive me insane sometimes, Els, I'll always understand why you do what you do," I gave her a smile.

"You do know me better than anyone," she smiled back, resting a hand on my knee as I finished up her hair. "And I love that."

"Damn straight you do," I wiggled my eyebrows, getting a gentle swat on the shoulder in return. "No matter what, I'll be there for you, Elena. Even when you are old and grey, I'll be there."

"There's no one else that I would trust my life with. And the life of any children that I may have."

"I thought you couldn't have kids?"

"I'll adopt. When I'm ready, I'll look into it. Just because I can't have them physically doesn't mean that I can't have kids at all."

"I'm glad," I rested a hand on my twin's cheek once I finished the braid. "You'll be an amazing mom, Els. And no one else deserves it more than you. You fought to have your human life back when it seemed impossible. And you deserve to be rewarded for that."

Ellie blushed and pulled me into a hug. I rested my head against hers, a content smile on my face. Because I meant every word that I said. I wanted nothing but happiness for my sister. She deserved to have the future that she wanted, including children. Life had tried so hard to take that from her, first with her transition and then the consequences of reversing that. But Elena was able to combat that. She would find a kid that needed a home and a family, and she would give them everything that they needed. And I would do everything that I could to make that dream become reality for her.

XXX

Because she was such a last-minute entry, poor April hadn't even had a chance to sort out her dress. It was literally a case of she grabbed a couple of dresses on her way to the Lockwood mansion for us to give our verdict on. And that was what we were doing now.

I was relaxing on the couch while the younger girl held the dresses up to show Elena and Caroline. One was a deep blue with a halter strap, it reminded me of the dress that Ellie wore. It was kind of cute but didn't wow me. The other dress was a deep red. It was strapless with a corset top to it. It looked quite simplistic but when you paired it with April's pale skin, it had the potential to look good. I knew that it would get my vote, if I was even asked.

The two dress judges glanced at each other before nodding, "Blue."

"Really?" April frowned, looking down at the blue dress. "The blue seems a little safe."

And that was also true. Blue was calming and relaxing and it didn't stand out as much. The red had a bit more of a zing, especially when you put it in with the other dresses. You needed something that would make you stand out. Which the red one would do.

"Safe is good when it comes to the judges," my sister hummed, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes at her but I kept quiet. I knew better than to interfere in this, especially since I wasn't in the Mystic Court last year. Something that Caroline had previously reminded me, in a teasing way, of course. But I knew how important all of this was to her.

"She's right," Care agreed, before laughing. "Gracie Lockwood had a three-foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court."

Ellie laughed too, as they thought back to that dress. I mean, that one was bad. There was being daring and then there was being ridiculous. Poor Gracie had erred more on the ridiculous side and she paid the price. I did feel bad for the girl. The looks that she got were cruel.

I looked up when the door in front of me opened. I couldn't stop the wide smile forming on my face as my boyfriend walked in. Damon gave me a wink before smirking, "She got my vote."

Damn, he looked so good in a suit. It wasn't often that he wore one and God, it really made me all hot and bothered when he did. I knew that I was staring, but I didn't care. Especially since the older vampire was just as distracted by my cleavage.

Unfortunately, I was the only one happy to see Damon. My blonde friend glared at him and threw a black pouch at him. It bounced off of the vampire's chest and onto the floor, as she snapped, "Get out, lurker!"

"Ouch," Damon rolled his eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm. I snorted with laughter and got a glare of my own. While Care stormed over to the door, he asked, "Where's Professor Shane?"

"Check the judges' table," she snapped, going to slam the door in his face. But my boyfriend was not to be deterred. He pushed it back open while the blonde started to walk back over to my sister.

With a devious look on his face, Damon glanced over at April, "Red one, definitely."

That had the younger vampire pausing in the middle of the room. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy."

"It's a pageant," my boyfriend scoffed, shaking his head. "That's the whole point."

Caroline switched her hands to her hips as she sassed, "Did you win Miss Mystic last year? No. I don't think you did."

"Neither did Elena and she wore blue," Damon smirked back. He had a good point. Elena went for the safe colour and she didn't win. Caroline won in a lovely green number. But it stood out amongst the other dresses. And that was what you needed. You needed to draw that attention.

"Nobody cares what you think," Care retorted, clearly taken back by that very logical point. It was quite amusing really. She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips. I had forgotten just how stressed my friend got when she organised stuff. It was amusing when you were able to keep quiet and stay out of her way.

"I care," sweet April piped up, glancing between us with wide eyes. It was clear that she had absolutely no idea as to what was happening. But she wanted to ease the tension that had built up.

"See? April cares," my boyfriend smirked at the blonde. "Red, right, Alexa?"

I sighed dramatically as Caroline turned to glare at me, "Honestly, I haven't even said anything yet and I'm getting glared at." I rolled my eyes and stood up, "But Damon is right, the red dress is so much better."

"And my work here is done," Damon gave me one of his special smiles before walking out of the room.

I went to go after him when Caroline snapped, "Uh, what was that all about? We agreed that the blue dress was better."

"No," I snorted. "You all agreed. I just stayed quiet for my own safety. Besides, that dress will look so much better on April than the blue one, she has the pale skin that will make it zing." While Care clearly wanted to disagree with me, she couldn't find the right words. So instead, I turned around and placed my hands on April's shoulders. "Look, the main thing is that you were the dress that you feel comfortable in." I gave her a wink and leant in to whisper, "But between you and me, you'll definitely win if you wear the red one."

April laughed and nodded, already moving to put the blue one away. Content that the younger girl was happy with her dress choice, I turned and left the room, ignoring the looks that I was being given. Ellie had stayed quiet, but there was an amused gleam in her eye. It was Caroline's annoyed glare that had me rolling my eyes. I knew that if I had suggested the red one before Damon did, then I wouldn't be getting that look.

XXX

I caught up with my boyfriend just as he reached the bottom of the stairs. I stood about halfway down as I spoke his name. Damon glanced over his shoulder before turning around. He gave me a smile, one that was reserved for just me and held out his name, "Miss Gilbert."

I could see his eyes trailing up and down my body, lingering on my cleavage. I cleared my throat, cursing my cheeks for blushing, as I walked down those final few steps. I took my boyfriend's hand, allowing him to help me down the rest of the stairs. When we got to the bottom, he rested his hands on my hips, leaning down to kiss me. I tangled my fingers in his hair as I returned the kiss.

"Hey," I breathed out when he pulled away. Not that he went fair. With every breath that I took, I feel could his chest against mine. His hands were a comfortable weight on my hips as he stared down at me. I loved having this time alone with him. After the insanity of the past couple of days, it was nice. And much needed.

"Hey," he smiled back, the sunlight shining through the windows making his eyes look silver. God, he was so handsome. "You look amazing."

"Flatterer," I laughed, pressing another kiss to his lips. "You got me in trouble with Caroline."

"Oh no, the horror," he rolled his eyes and I giggled. "I'm sure it won't last. Especially since she's here with Klaus."

"Klaus?" I scrunched up my nose in disgust. "Ew, why would she do that?"

"He knew that it would annoy Tyler, so he blackmailed her for a date in exchange for a hybrid to kill."

"To break my curse," I sighed, shaking my head. "Well, they're big kids. I'll let them handle that situation while providing silent support from across the lawn."

"I give you about five minutes before you break," Damon smirked at me and I rolled my eyes, tapping his nose.

"Cheeky," I laughed, shaking my head. "Moving on, did you know that Professor Shane was one of the judges today?"

"I'd heard," my boyfriend nodded.

"Good. I need you to have words with him. We need Bonnie to get her magic back, like, pronto."

"What's the sudden rush?"

I glance around before leaning in, lowering my voice, "Jenna's pregnant. And she needs to get Ric back." While Damon stared at me in shock, I added, "And the sooner he helps her, the sooner I can get him away from her. That guy is as creepy as they come and I don't want him to be around my friend longer than he needs to be."

"I'll use my best persuasive voice," Damon promised before asking, "How is Jenna taking it?"

"Uh, it was a bit of a shock. And I think she's still processing it. I wanted to tell her about Ric so bad, but I couldn't give her that hope, just in case we can't bring him back. I couldn't do that to her."

"Hey, we'll get him back, even if we have to find another friendly neighbourhood witch to help out," my boyfriend was quick to reassure me, cupping my face. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just me and Ellie. We're keeping it on the downlow just in case. The early days of pregnancy are always tricky and we don't know if the constant deaths that Ric suffered could have an affect on that kind of thing."

"Hm, unfortunately, I don't think anyone has studied how the use of magic rings affects fertility," Damon mused and I laughed.

"If Professor Shane proves to be less creepy than I think he is, then he can be our test subject."

"Ohh, vicious Alexa has come out to play today."

"Yep," I nodded, a smirk on my face. "And until he gets out of Bonnie's head, she'll be here to stay."

"Hm, how fun for me," Damon purred in my ear, hand moving down to my ass. But before it could get there, and before I could debate whether it was worth pulling him into the nearest room and locking the door, we were interrupted.

We both glanced to the side to see Professor Shane looking at us, a friendly smile on his face. But he still gave me bad vibes, even with that smile, "Damon Salvatore. Looks like we travel in the same circuit."

From the tight smile on Damon's face, I could tell that he was just as mad at the interruption as I was, "Professor Shane. Just the guy that I wanted to see." Before he left, Damon pressed a kiss to my cheek, murmuring, "I'll see you soon."

I gave him a soft smile, nodding at his words. With a reluctant look, my boyfriend slowly moved away from me. He gave the professor a look before walking out of the room with him. I stared after them, already missing his comforting presence. Before he left, Damon glanced back over his shoulder at me. I pressed a kiss to my hand before blowing it in his direction. I got what I wanted. The corner of his lip curled up into a smile before he disappeared from view.

And then I was alone in the room.

I sighed and shook my head, going to make my way outside when a voice called my name. I paused and glanced up the stairs. Ellie gave me a sweet smile as she walked down them, "April asked if you could go and speak to her."

"Me?" I frowned in surprised. "That's odd. Why does she want me?"

"Apparently she finds you to be a calming influence," my sister laughed, a wide grin on her face.

"Now that is a shock," I mused, tapping a finger on my chin. "I have absolutely no idea why she thinks that."

"Neither do I," my cheeky twin winked at me and I grumbled. Honestly, she was so rude. What did I do to deserve such a rude sister?

XXX

I knocked gently on the changing room door, opening it when I heard April call out my name. I slipped through and closed it behind me before asking, "Hey kiddo, what can I do for you?"

The young girl was pacing back and forth, holding a hand to her chest. She was in her dress and I was right when I said that it would look good on her. Her hair had been pinned back, her clip glinting in the light. April glanced up at me and shook her head, "I don't know if I can do this."

"Of course you can," I sighed and gently grabbed her arm as she passed me. With careful hands, I directed her over to the sofa, setting her down. I took a seat next to her, taking her hands in mine. "April, you can do this. You've gone through a lot, more than a girl your age should have. Trust me when I say that this is nothing compared to that."

"I don't know. I mean, I hate attention, I don't like it when people stare at me. This is not for me."

"Why did you sign up?" I couldn't help but ask. Although it probably wasn't the best thing to be asking. But it might help me work out the best way to the help the girl. As she was clearly freaking out.

"Rebekah persuaded me," April admitted, a shaky smile on her face as she tried not to ruin her makeup. "And then she just disappeared."

"Ah," I winced before sighing. "Okay, kiddo. Do you want to hear a secret that I have only told one person?" When the girl nodded, I leant in a bit closer, "I had the opportunity to sign up for Miss Mystic Falls last year. And I didn't take it. And that is something that I will always regret. Being chosen for the court is an opportunity that doesn't come around every day, and it will never happen for me."

"Why didn't you sign up?" the girl stared at me with wide eyes. Thankfully, she looked distracted from her previous nerves. That made me revelation worth it.

"Because I was scared," I shrugged, gently stroking the backs of her hands with my thumbs. "I would have been competing against my sister and two of my best friends. I didn't think that I was good enough to do that. And… I didn't want the attention. I wasn't used to having all eyes on me and I let that fear take over. I won't let you do the same."

"I'm sorry that you didn't have someone to support you back then," April whispered, suddenly sounding wise behind her years. I glanced over at her in shock before pausing. She was right, even if I hadn't realised it until then. My mom was there to support Elena in this. Caroline had Bonnie. Jazz had her mom. I didn't have anyone to persuade me to go for it. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be regretting my decision to not go for it now.

"It's okay," I smiled softly, shaking my head. "Because I can be there, now, for you. I will get you through this, April, I promise."

"I know you will," the girl smiled back. "You promised me the same thing, when my mom died. You held my hand during the funeral."

"I'm surprised that you remember that."

"I just remember not feeling alone," she whispered, looking down at our joined hands. "And I know that as long as I have you on my side, I won't be alone."

I thought back to my compulsion, on the day of the memorial, when I told her that she wasn't alone. Apparently that had sunken in deeper than I had expected. But it wasn't a bad thing. April had been through so much, losing both of her parents at such a young age, and she had been put through so much pain since she returned to town. Even if she didn't remember any of it. My words were true then and they were true now.

"You'll never be alone again," I cupped her cheek before carefully pulling her into a hug. "I'll help you in any way that I can, kiddo."

"Why do you call me kiddo?" April laughed, relaxing in my arms.

"You're the same age as my brother," I scoffed, resting my head against hers. "That makes you a kid."

"Has Jeremy said anything about dancing with me today?" the girl asked, biting her lip after. I hid a smile before clearing my throat.

"Well, he has been practicing the dance with me," I revealed with a cheeky look, knowing that my brother would not be happy with me for my revelation. "Not that he will ever admit it to anyone. He even insisted that we do it in the middle of the night."

"He's that serious about it?"

"Of course," I nodded. "He wants to do this properly for you, April. You'll be safe in his arms up on that dancefloor. He's a sweet kid like that. I promise."

"Yeah, he is," April agreed, her voice soft. "Thank you, Alexa."

"You're welcome, kiddo," I rubbed her bare shoulder. "I'll always be here for you. All you have to do is drop me a message or call. I… I know what it's like to grieve someone and to feel like you are all alone in the world. But I promise you that you aren't. Ellie will be there for you too."

"I appreciate that," the girl smiled. And I made a promise to do whatever I could to help the kid out. She didn't really have anyone else to look out for her like that. Especially with all the supernatural nonsense running around town. No, someone needed to keep her safe. And I would do that. I made a mental note to tell Ellie to do the same. I knew that she cared for the girl just as much as I did. And she would strive to protect her just as much.

XXX

I left April with the other contestants, giving them a stern look to make sure that they were perfectly nice to her. Content that she was okay, I made my way outside. It wouldn't be long until the girls came out to do their dance. But for now, I had time to kill.

I grabbed a champagne flute as I lurked on the edge of the seating area. Most of the seats had been taken but I didn't mind. I was content to stay out of the way. If it wasn't for April, then I probably would have been tempted to ditch and head home to check on Jenna. But I knew that the kid would want to see me after her dance, so I would stay for her.

Over by the stone stairs, Mrs Lockwood approached the microphone. She cleared her throat before speaking into it, "Welcome to this season's Miss Mystic Falls." While everyone politely clapped, I saw Damon and Professor Shane staring at each other. I took a wild guess and deduced that their conversation had not gone well. It wasn't a big surprise. The professor could rub anyone the wrong way and Damon didn't trust him. It wasn't a recipe for a good friendship. "We are so excited to showcase our most outstanding community leaders in the making."

Everyone clapped again and I rolled my eyes. I didn't even bother clapping. It was all a load of hooey. Everyone knew that it was a chance for the Founding Families to show of their kids. I didn't even remember the last time a non-Founder won this. If it had ever happened.

"Well, you look like you are having fun," a familiar voice spoke from behind me.

"Ah, fuck me," I groaned before turning around. I narrowed my eyes at the smirking Klaus behind me. "Why are you bothering me? I thought that you were spending your day tormenting Tyler and Caroline."

"Maybe I missed you," the hybrid seemed to be amused by my glare. "After all, you left in such a rush the other day. You didn't even say goodbye."

"Oh, how rude of me," I simpered sarcastically before rolling me eyes. "Don't worry, I'll say goodbye this time." I raised my middle finger at him before turning around, the skirt of my dress swishing against my legs.

But before I could take more than a step, the Original spoke, "I know whose blood turned you."

Ah fuck. Everyone knew that I wanted to know whose blood turned me. Because I knew that I hadn't drank any vampire blood. But did I trust anything that Klaus had to say? He was an absolute shithead. He would lie just to torment me. But would the truth be worse?

"Okay," I eventually sighed, shaking my head as I turned around. "I'll bite. Whose blood turned me?"

"Mine," Klaus replied simply and I froze where I stood. Was he for real? Or was he messing with me?

"You're shitting me," I breathed out, not wanting to believe his words. But it was like I knew that they were true. Because that would be the Klaus thing to do. If his blood turned me, then he was safe. The others could believe that he didn't sire their bloodline, but that didn't matter now. He had definitely sired mine.

"We both know that I'm not," the hybrid smirked, stepping close to me. I could feel the fabric of his jacket brush against my arm as he stared down at me, his blue eyes shining brightly in the sun. "Unfortunately, when Alaric pushed you in the lockers that day at the school, he managed to do quite a bit of damage. And since I was draining the doppelganger of all her blood, I needed to keep you alive to carry on the bloodline."

"So you healed me," I nodded slowly, remembering my rage from that day, when I learned what had been happening to my sister while I was unconscious.

"And then my sister ran you off the road a few hours later," the Original narrowed his eyes at the thought. Good. He could suck on it. It was the least he deserved for being such a turd.

"Ugh, does that mean that I owe you my life now?" I scrunched up my nose in annoyance at the thought. It was bad enough that I had to deal with him. But actually owing him would be even worse. Because he would not let me forget it. Like the shithead that he was.

"In a manner of speaking," Klaus nodded, his eyes sharp as he stared at me. "And you can tell your little friends that I have now tied my life to yours. So they'd better think twice before trying to take me out."

"Of course," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" I glanced around and saw Caroline harassing the poor wait staff. "Oh look, there's your date for the day. Isn't it time that you went to go bother her and left me alone?"

"What's the matter, love?" he smirked, leaning in close. "Are you jealous that I'm spending the day with Caroline and not you?"

"Ugh, relieved more like," I snorted, shoving him away. "I wouldn't spend a day with you, even if my life depended on it. Because I remember you compelling me, the first time that we met. You asked me about Elena and if she would run. I remember that now. And I am uber not impressed by it."

"I did wonder if you would say anything about that," Klaus chuckled and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Well, I have," I sniffed, starting to walk away. "And now, I would appreciate it if you left me alone for the rest of my life. And if you can't give me that, then at least leave me alone for the day."

Fortunately, the Original Hybrid let me walk away without trying to call me back. And I was relieved by that. Because his revelation that it was his blood that turned me was definitely a chilling one. And I knew that it would not serve me well in the future.

XXX

I had managed to find a chair out of the way. It was in a good enough position that I was able to keep an eye on everything. Including my sister. She was sitting with Jamie in the middle of the area. She was laughing at something that the sweet young man had said. It was good for both of them to be spending time together. It was just a shame that Bonnie wasn't here too.

I was just sipping at my champagne when two familiar faces joined me at the table. I smiled at Tyler and Hayley as they got comfortable. I knew that they were using today to unsire another hybrid. They had been doing a good job with slowly freeing the Original's minions and I knew that they were using today to do the same. As to why they were here, I was guessing that it was to keep up appearances. Since Tyler lived here, it would be weird if he didn't make an appearance. And Hayley seemed to delight in causing trouble. So it made sense.

"Heya," I smiled at them while Ty filled up my glass with a bottle of champagne that he had managed to steal. "Having fun?"

"You're joking, right?" my adopted brother rolled his eyes, glancing over in the direction that Caroline and Klaus were in. The pain in his gaze made me frown. They had faked a breakup to protect Hayley. And Klaus seemed to be enjoyed Ty's vulnerability and was using Caroline to punish him. I knew that the Original douchebag had absolutely no interest in my blonde friend. She was just a convenient way to wind up the young hybrid.

I followed his gaze and sighed, "If it's any consolation, Ty, Caroline really doesn't want to be here today. Her usual level of bitchiness has been tripled."

"Her usual level of bitchiness?" Hayley repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I love that girl, I really do," I laughed, shaking my head. "But when it comes to events that she organises, she gets a tad unbearable."

"Huh," the other girl nodded slowly. "That… actually doesn't surprise me."

"You've been in town for a few days and you already know Care so well," I raised an eyebrow, shooting Tyler a cheeky smirk. "Just how much did he talk about Caroline when you were in the mountains?"

"Ugh, far too much," Hayley laughed, rolling her eyes and gently nudging the hybrid. "If he wasn't going through so much pain, it would have been unbearable."

"Oh leave off you two," Tyler grumbled, giving us both a look.

"Well, this might cheer you up," I shuffled my chair closer to him, glancing around. "Apparently, we are now officially related by blood."

"Did you find out that you were adopted again?" Ty snorted, looking curious. I rolled my eyes and swatted his shoulder.

"Don't be cheeky," I scolded him lightly. "But no, nothing like that. Klaus told me that it was his blood that turned me."

"Ugh, seriously?" Hayley frowned and I nodded.

"That was my reaction. That shithead has tied himself to another member of the group, thus ensuring his continued survival. It's all very tedious," I sighed, scanning Tyler's face. I was a bit worried about his reaction. I knew that he hated the Original Hybrid with a passion. But I also knew that he wouldn't blame me for being turned by him. Everyone knew that I didn't chose this. I would much rather have had Damon's blood turn me, not Klaus'. Anyone but Klaus.

"That actually makes sense," my adopted brother nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "That night that we saved you and Elena, you had blood on your lips. At the time, I just assumed that it was from one of the injuries that you seem to collect like treasures. That must have been when he fed you his blood to heal you."

"I don't remember him doing that," I nodded, resting my hand on Ty's. "Even after I turned, so he didn't compel me. Him doing it then makes a lot of sense. And it fits in with his story." I scrunched up my nose in annoyance. "Ugh, I was so hoping that he was just lying to me."

"That's the thing with Klaus," Tyler grumbled as I glanced over to see Hayley watching me with interested eyes. "Sometimes the truth benefits him more."

"Yep, just like a douchebag," I agreed with a sigh. "Oh joy of joys. But anyway, don't tell anyone yet. I just found out and I need to tell the others before it can become common knowledge."

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret," Tyler gave me a soft smile.

"Thanks, Ty," I smiled back before resting my hand on his cheek, glancing between him and Hayley. "For what it's worth, I'm so sorry for what happened to your friend. If I had known the price of the cure, I wouldn't have let them kill someone close to you. It was a shitty thing and I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Alex," Ty moved to wrap an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in closer. "I know that you didn't ask for that. I just wish that they could have found another way. I think that if Klaus wasn't involved, then that would have been possible."

"Don't worry, soon, he won't be involved in anything again," there was a dark promise to Tyler's voice, one that had me looking at him anxiously.

"I'm not going to ask what you are doing," I spoke softly, not wanting to catch any supernatural attention. "Just promise me that you'll be careful. And if you need any help, then just let me know."

"Thank you, Alexa," Hayley gave me a serious look with a nod. "I've heard that you've been after revenge for a while. So we will definitely ask you for help."

"I'm pretty good at it too," I shrugged casually, trying not to smirk too evilly. "And these days, I'm a look better at it."

XXX

After chatting for a bit longer, I said goodbye to the other two and went to go find my sister. It didn't take long to spy Elena through the crowd. She was near the front, eyes on the stage, where Caroline was getting ready to kick it all off. And about time too, it was taking forever. I knew that last time I was focused on getting Ellie ready, but I didn't think that it took this long.

"Hi, everyone," the blonde smiled widely, looking around everyone. She really was a natural when it came to this kind of thing. And damn did I envy her for that. "I'm Caroline Forbes."

I gave my twin a smile as I reached her side, one that was quickly returned. I looked past her to see Damon staring at me. I met his gaze and was instantly captivated. It wasn't the hunger in his eyes, it was the love too. We weren't together at the last Miss Mystic Falls. I was too busy grieving Luke. But I remember how I felt for him, even back then. And how he looked at me. I couldn't recognise it back then, but now I know what it was. And it warmed my undead heart in my chest.

"As the reigning Miss Mystic Falls," Care continued, keeping almost everyone's attention on her. "It is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic Court." Cue clapping from everyone. I clapped just a couple of times, too distracted by Damon. Something that Ellie must have sensed as she rolled her eyes and nudged me, trying to get me to focus. Music started to play, just in time for the girls to descend down the stone steps to the dancefloor. "We begin the procession with Valerie Fell, accompanied by Dylan Clark."

There was a round of applause for Valerie as she gave everyone a smile, walking down the steps. Her escort quickly met her at the bottom, ready to take her to the dancefloor.

"Next, we have Amber Wolvertine, accompanied by Hector Linsday."

And more clapping.

I was distracted from joining in by Matt's arrival. Normally that wouldn't worry me, but there was an anxious look in his eyes as he glanced around, "Have you seen Jeremy?"

Oh no. An unpleasant feeling began to form in my stomach at his words. Ever since my brother activated the Hunter's mark, I had started to worry about him even more. I knew that it wouldn't be good. And I had a feeling that I was about to be proven right.

I exchanged a glance with Elena before she slowly replied, "He's probably up there with the escorts." We turned around and stared over at where the escorts were waiting. But there was a very noticeable absence. Jeremy wasn't there. As was proven by Matt's next words.

"Yeah, Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts," our friend revealed as we ignored what was happening on the stage behind us. "He's not there."

"Goddamnit Jer," I muttered, turning to scan the crowd. I hoped that he had just gotten cold feet and had abandoned his escort duties. But I knew that he wouldn't do that. The kid was too honorable, he wouldn't abandon April like that. So where the hell was he?

"Did he tell you about his nightmares?" Matt asked, causing the worried look on Ellie's face to deepen. Now he's been having nightmares? And he hasn't told me? I swear, that kid was in a world of trouble when I found him.

"What nightmares?" my sister frowned as she looked at our friend, trusting me to continue scanning the crowd.

"The ones where he kills Alexa," the blue-eyed cutie answered, causing me to spin around.

"He's been having nightmares about killing me and he hasn't told me?" I raised an eyebrow before narrowing my eyes. "That's it. I'm locking that boy in his room after I shake some sense into him. Why wouldn't he tell me about them?"

"That's a problem for a different time," Ellie sighed, her gaze fixed on the stage. "But April's about to get abandoned."

"Oh no, we can't let that happen," I shook my head, having one final look for my brother. "I promised her that she would be fine. This is not fine."

"It's okay, I got this," Mattie gave us a small smile before walking away. He moved quickly through the crowd towards the escort area. Thank god for Matt. He really was one of the sweetest boys that I knew. And we were so lucky that he was able to help April.

"And finally," Caroline announced. "We have a last-minute entry, April Young, accompanied by Jeremy Gilbert."

I watched, holding my breath, as April continued to walk down the stone stairs. But she paused when she saw the lack of Jeremy waiting for her at the bottom. The smile on her face grew strained as she glanced around. And I felt so bad for her. She didn't know that Matt was coming in to help her. As far as the girl was concerned, she was about to be humiliated.

Caroline looked around too, a large smile still on her face. But it was getting quite false. Luckily, before anyone could start asking any awkward questions, Matt arrived at the bottom of the stairs. He held out his arm for April and everyone started to clap again. The young girl looked incredibly relieved as she walked down the rest of the stairs, accepting his arm.

Content that April was in safe hands, I resumed my search of the crowd. It was obvious that Jeremy wasn't here. But I had to keep looking. I had to do something. I couldn't abandon the pageant, not yet. But I was getting restless here.

Just as I was about to search the house, I caught Damon's eye. He gave me a soft smile, one that I couldn't stop myself from returning. Despite the worry piercing my heart, I knew that my boyfriend would make it all okay. Because that was what he did. He helped me solve my problems while making me feel better.

A tug on my arm caught my attention, drawing it away from Damon. Elena directed me out of the crowd while she got out her phone. I nodded, calling him made sense. Not that I expected the kid to pick up. But if he was close by, then I could hear his phone. It was a longshot, but it was worth it.

While the dance continued behind us, Caroline quickly made her way over. She looked distinctly unhappy as she frowned, "Hey, what's with the last-minute escort change? Where is Jeremy?"

"That's the magic question," I muttered, rolling my eyes. My arms were crossed, fingers tapping against my elbows. I could feel my body growing tense as I fretted over my absent brother. There had to be a good reason as to why Jer wasn't here. He wouldn't ditch April without a reason. And I swear, if someone had hurt him, then I would be ripping them apart.

"I'm calling him right now," Ellie answered, holding her phone to her ear. As she did so, I felt a warm hand take mine. I glanced up to see Damon standing next to me. He gave me a reassuring look before glancing at my sister when she said, "He's not picking up."

"Do the math," my boyfriend rolled his eyes, thumb stroking the back of my hand. "Emo teen, open bar, it's fine."

"Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from everyone," Ellie frowned. Caroline looked surprised and worried by this revelation, while Damon glanced down at me.

"Don't worry, I'm going to make him regret keeping that a secret," I muttered, shaking my head.

My boyfriend gave my hand a gentle squeeze before raising an eyebrow, "Relax, I'm sure he's fine."

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling," Ellie sighed, glancing over at me.

"I know, I have that feeling too," I sighed, leaning back against Damon. "And I swear, if anything has happened to that kid, I'll kill the person responsible before bringing the kid back and killing him again myself."

"Ally, if I'm not worried, then you don't need to be either," my boyfriend soothed, turning me around to face him. "I'll go look for him, while you work out the best place to lock him up. Don't let it ruin your day."

"It's a bit too late for that, but okay, you go find him," I nodded, getting a quick kiss from Damon before he walked off.

Once the other vampire was out of earshot, Caroline tried to take charge, "Okay, you go home, I'm gonna start asking around here. Elena, you go to the Boarding House, just in case."

"Nah, there's no point going home, Jenna would have called if Jeremy was there," I sighed, shaking my head, looking over at my sister. "We should listen to Damon. He could be right. Jeremy was here with Anna last time, today could be bringing back some bad memories. He might have snuck off to deal with them in a less than responsible way."

"No," Care snapped, a frown that looked scarily like Stefan's on her face. "Damon is never right. Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?"

"Wow," I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. I knew that my friend was going through a lot today, which was why I was trying not to retaliate. But damn, it was hard when she was trashing my boyfriend like that. "Okay, let's stop projecting your feelings for Klaus onto Damon. I know that you hate the fact that you are here with the douche," I glanced at the aforementioned douche who was approaching us, "but I will not let you trash my boyfriend. Okay? Now I'm going to go before one of us says something that we will regret."

I gave Ellie a nod before walking off. Behind me, I could hear my twin hissing something at our friend, but I tried not to listen in to it. All I wanted to do was find my brother.

XXX

I left my brother a voicemail of my own as I walked inside the Lockwood manor. I didn't think that he would be in here, but I needed some time away from the crowd outside. Today was bringing back a lot of memories for me, especially now that I was worried for my brother. The last time that this event was happening, I was mourning so many people. And while my life had moved on considerably, and I had put a lot of those demons to rest, I couldn't run away from the memories forever.

With a sigh, I made my way into Mayor Lockwood's study. It was still a shrine to Mr Lockwood, someone else that we had lost since the last Miss Mystic Falls. But I couldn't bring myself to regret this death too much. He had been there for me my whole life, but he was also a complete asshole to his son. And Tyler had never let me confront him over it. And none of the respectable ladies and gentlemen in town had done anything about it.

With a sigh, I pulled out my phone again. I didn't want to worry Jenna about this. Especially not after the pregnancy discovery. But I had to make sure that Jeremy wasn't at home. He could have snuck in using my window. It was possible. Even if it was unlikely.

I leant against the leather sofa as I waited for my aunt to pick up. When she did, I cleared my throat, trying not to let my worry leak into my voice, "Hey, Jenna, how's it going?"

"Hey Alexa," my aunt replied, sounding like she was smiling. "It's good. Just been making my way through your red velvet cupcakes."

"It's why I made them," I laughed, shaking my head. "Just save some for the others."

"I'll do my best," Jenna promised, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to stick to it. Which was why I had made other sweet treats. I wasn't going to deny my aunt anything right now. "So, what's important enough to interrupt Miss Mystic Falls?"

"Ugh, I've been looking for any excuse to ditch this bore fest," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Caroline has reached new heights of bitchiness, I haven't danced with Damon yet and Jeremy has been MIA. Don't suppose the little shit is hiding at home?"

"Jeremy isn't there?" I couldn't hear the frown in my aunt's voice before she spoke to Vanessa. "Hey, Van, can you go check Jeremy's room for me?"

"Of course," Vanessa replied before I heard the sound of footsteps. Despite her shockingly awful first impression, the woman had grown on me. I think it was when she actually made an effort to help us, befriending Jenna and Ric. Despite only having known them a few months, she had quickly become one of my aunt's closest friends. And because of that, I was willing to let bygones be bygones. As long as she knew what would happen if she tried to hurt any more of my loved ones.

"I'm sure it's all fine, Jenna," I tried to reassure my aunt, not wanting her to worry. I really didn't want to make this call, but I knew that I had to cross off all possibilities. And unfortunately, one of those possibilities was that Jer could be at home. "He's probably trying to deal with some painful memories and lost track of time. But I just wanted to make sure. Not knowing where someone is isn't a good thing in this town."

I heard Vanessa's voice before Jenna sighed, "He's not up in his room."

"That's what I expected," I sighed, tapping the leather of the couch, needing to move. But I had to make sure that Jenna didn't worry more than she needed to. "Let me know if he does come home, and I'll let you know when I find him. But Jenna, I'm sure that he is okay."

"I hope so," my aunt sounded far too worried and I cursed the world for doing this to her.

"He is, I promise. Look, go back to enjoying your day. I'll handle Jeremy. Just promise me that you won't worry?"

"I can't promise that, but I'll try not to."

I wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, but I let Jenna hang up with arguing. Instead, I message Andie, telling her the situation. I asked her to keep an eye on my aunt, making sure that she didn't worry too much. I knew that my aunt wasn't going to tell her friends about her pregnancy yet, but fortunately I had a habit of going overboard when it came to my loved ones. So Andie wouldn't get too suspicious about my request.

I sighed and shook my head. Honestly, one day, we would have a town event where nothing went wrong. Where there were no mysterious disappearances, where there was no blood spilt, no deaths. Not that the last two had happened yet. But considering the history that we had in this town, I knew that they were bound to come. They always did. Luckily, I was able to keep Jenna safe at home. That was one less person for me to worry about. Instead, I had to focus on my errant brother. The same brother that would find his ass locked up in the Boarding House cellar without his x-box once I was through with him. It wasn't just his disappearing act, although that was more than enough. No, it was him hiding his nightmares from me. He was dreaming about killing vampires but didn't tell me? Not cool, Jer.

With another shake of the head, I left the study. I knew that there was no point in searching the rest of the house, but he might be outside. Even if he wasn't, I could get some fresh air. It was much needed. And I wanted to check in on my sister too. She had an unfortunate habit of getting in trouble during these events. So I couldn't neglect her either.

XXX

I got outside to see Mrs Lockwood and Caroline approaching the stage. The blonde had a gold envelope in her hands, the results of the day. Well, at least it was finally ending. Once the formalities were done, I wouldn't feel guilty about leaving and going to look for my brother. Because I didn't want to abandon April during this. The girl seemed to look up to me, I couldn't leave her after that.

Ellie was walking behind the two, holding the tiara and sash. How my sister had been roped into this, I did not know. But it was kind of sweet. They were the leading contestants last season. It made sense for them to be leading this. As the three got settled on the stage, my twin glanced over at me. I gave her a smile and wink. Elena rolled her eyes but she gave me a smile in returned. I knew that my sister was worried after my almost confrontation with Caroline. But I was over it. For once, I had deescalated a confrontation before it could happen. And I was not going to punish my blonde friend for lashing out during a stressful day.

Mrs Lockwood and Caroline exchanged looks before the older woman spoke into the microphone, "And now, the moment that you've been waiting for. Caroline, would you do the honors?"

Mrs Lockwood stepped to the side, allowing the blonde to step up to the microphone. With a pleased smile, she said, "This years' Miss Mystic Falls is…" she opened the gold envelope with careful hands, "April Young."

The look on the younger girl's face was of pure shock. It was clear that she wasn't expecting to win. But I was so glad that she did. April deserved this. She had been through so much. And yeah, she hadn't volunteered a shit-tonne, but she cared about this town. She had helped with the memorial; she had fought so hard to be accepted. And she deserved to be recognised for that.

I clapped loudly, giving the girl a wide smile when she glanced over at me. I held my thumbs up before clapping again. April gave me a teary smile in return as Caroline picked up the tiara, carrying it over to her. I watched with a pleased look as it was placed on the girl's head. She really did deserve this, and I was so happy for her.

I glanced to the side and frowned when I saw Ellie trying to catch my attention. I asked her what was up and she gestured to the side. I followed her pointing to see our errant brother making his way through the crowd. I narrowed my eyes at him, right, I've got you now kiddo. I looked back at my sister and nodded, letting her know that I was going after him.

Elena gave me a relieved look. She was trapped up on the stage, unable to go after the kid herself. So it was pure luck that I had made my way outside. Because we couldn't let Jer go again. We had to find out where he had been. And I had to make sure that he was safe and that no one had been threatening him. Because I had gotten rid of Connor to protect him from that. I would do it again if needed.

Although that wouldn't stop me from throttling him for worrying me. The kid had the audacity to just turn up and chill, after we had been worrying about his absence. Surely he must have realised that we knew that he was missing by this point. April was clearly being announced as the winner, and he wasn't around to escort her. Was he that oblivious or had something happened to him? As far as I was aware, there was nothing dangerous hanging around town. Not since I took out Connor. So I didn't know what could have happened. But this was Mystic Falls. Anything was possible.

I spied my brother walking away from the crowd, towards the building, and I frowned. What was he up to? It was all very suspicious, and when you factored in his new Hunter related nightmares, it was a bit worrying. How much would being a Hunter change my brother? how much had it changed him already? Was it something that I could help him with? Because I had to help him. Jeremy had activated his Hunter side to help me, to save me from the curse. I owed it to him to help him through this. And I would help him, even if he didn't want it. I had made a promise years ago that I would always help that kid. And I would keep that promise.

I was barely aware of Matt following me through the crowd as I pushed my way through the people. I got a few dirty looks but I ignored them. Playing nice with the citizens of Mystic Falls was not exactly a priority for me when I had my brother to speak to. And I didn't care enough either. I knew that Matt would sooth over any hurt feelings on his way. my friend was good like that. And far too sweet for his own good.

Jeremy had disappeared inside the house when I reached the end of the crowd. I knew that he was in there somewhere, I just didn't know where. And I cursed the size of the Lockwood mansion. Even with vampire senses, it did not make it easy to find someone. And I had to find my brother. So I could check in on him and throttle him. Because I was quite capable of doing both before I set Elena and Jenna lose on him. Both of our lovely ladies would want their own piece of the kid, and for once, I wouldn't protect him from that. He had worried us and then hadn't bothered to track either of us down when he did get here. That kid was in big trouble and I hoped that he knew it.

XXX

I found my brother in the makeshift dressing room. He had a bag with him, placed one of the stools that had been scattered around the room, while he sat down on one close by. I walked in to see a stake in his hand, a cold look on his face. I knew that something was wrong, but I pushed aside that feeling for now. I couldn't push too hard at first, just in case I was just being paranoid.

"There you are," I rolled my eyes, walking over to the kid. As I did so, he tightened his grip on the stake in his hand. "I do hope that you aren't planning on using that on me." Jeremy remained silent, that cold look still on his face, as he slowly stood up. I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. "Jer, let go of the stake."

He didn't put the stake down. Instead, he shook his head, holding it up to examine it, "Connor was right. All that I can think about is killing vampires."

"Don't be so dramatic," I eyed the stake apprehensively, wondering if I could snatch it from him without hurting him. "You aren't anything like Connor. He was an asshole, you're not."

"I want to believe that," the kid murmured, shaking his head. "And I know that I don't want to hurt you, but everything inside of me is telling me to drive this stake through your heart."

"You have to ignore those instincts, Jer," I kept my voice soft, holding up my hands. "You don't want to hurt me, don't let them force you into it."

"But you're a vampire, why shouldn't I hurt you?" Jeremy looked up at me, and I didn't recognise the look in his eyes. His Hunter side had taken over and I didn't know what to say to bring him back.

"Because I'm not just a vampire, I'm your big sister," I reached out to grab the wrist of the hand holding the stake, encouraging him to move it away from me. "You know that I would never hurt you, kiddo. I'm always going to help you. Including with this."

Jeremy stared at me as he clenched his other fist. I froze as a familiar scent hit my nose. My face changed, just for a moment, as I tried to pinpoint where the blood was coming from. There was no one else around, and I knew that it had to be coming from my brother. My gaze zeroed in on his hand as I forced him to open his fist, hissing, "Jeremy, what the fuck? Why are you bleeding? What happened?"

"You happened," Jeremy narrowed his eyes at me, that cold look making my heart clench, as he aimed the stake towards my heart. I grabbed the end of it before it could hurt me, ripping it from his grasp. With a frustrated groan, I threw it to the side.

"Stop being ridiculous," I snapped, holding up his wrist. "Why are you bleeding? Did you do this to yourself?" When he remained quiet, I gave him a shake, "Answer me, Jeremy! Why did you cut yourself?"

My brother answered, but not in a way that I expected. He punched down on my thigh, and I heard a familiar click before my leg erupted in pain. With a hiss, I collapsed to the ground, holding my thigh. Which had a stake sticking out of it. The kid had been wearing one of those hidden sleeves, one that Alaric had given us back in the day. And he had just used it on me.

As I held up my hands, keeping the stake in my leg, trying not to look a threat. I didn't know what was wrong with my brother, but I couldn't push him. Nor did I want to hurt him. I had to play this just right, before either of us got hurt even more.

Jeremy reached out to the side, grabbing another stake from the bag. Was he going to kill me? Oh god, I think my brother was actually going to try to kill me. How did I stop him without hurting him? Because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt my baby brother. Even if he was trying to kill me.

Luckily, before he could do more than raise the stake in the air, we were joined by two familiar faces. Matt yelled out my brother's name while our sister ran over. Elena crouched down in front of me, blocking Jer's access to me. She reached back to rest a hand on my knee, eyes going wide as she felt the blood on my leg. I gave her hand a quick pat as I continued to try to look as unthreatening as possible.

"Get out of here, you two!" Jer snapped, glaring at the other two humans.

"Jeremy, this is Alexa," Ellie tried to keep her voice calm, but I could feel her hand shaking on my leg. This was a shitty situation for everyone. Because we didn't want to hurt the kid but if he put up a fight, how did we stop him and keep him unharmed? "You don't want to do this, trust me."

When Jeremy failed to lower the stake, Matt added, "That's your sister, Jer! It's that stupid mark on your arm."

"Shut up!" the kid snapped, his hand shaking slightly. I could see the fight in his eyes, as my brother warred with his new instincts. I could only hope that my brother won that internal battle.

"Jeremy, look at me!" the older boy took over so that Ellie could focus on keeping me safe. She was using her body as a shield, but we knew that Jer wouldn't hurt her. She was human, I was not. My twin was not in danger here. "I'm human and I'm telling you not to hurt her."

Jer hesitated, looking as though he was going to lower the stake. But before he could make that choice, Stefan blurred into the room. He shoved my brother against the wall, tearing the stake from his hand. The kid winced as his back hit the wall and I narrowed my eyes, shouting out, "Get off of him, Stefan!"

The older vampire glanced back at me before shoving my brother over at Matt, "Get him out of here, Matt!"

The blue-eyed darling did as commanded, wrapping a firm arm around Jeremy's shoulders as he directed him from the room, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Content that my brother was in safe hands, I figured that I was okay to remove the stake from my leg. I didn't need to prove to Jeremy that I wasn't a threat anymore. It was the only reason why I had left it in. But now it could go, and I was definitely relieved by that. With a hiss, I tried to pull it out. But with my hands covered in blood, it wasn't easy to get a grip on the wood. It had been smoothed down to a ridiculous level. Good for releasing it from the mechanism, not good for removing it with blood-stained hands.

"Hey, I've got this," Ellie gently moved my hand out of the way before grasping the stake. She gave me an apologetic look before pulling it from my leg. I let out a pained hiss, placing my hand over the open wound. I knew that it would heal quickly, I just didn't want too much blood to leak out before it did. I had enough blood to clean from my leg. I didn't need anymore. "Are you okay?"

"I am now," I sighed, giving her a relieved look. "Thanks, Ellie."

"I can't believe he did that," my sister murmured, shaking her head.

"It wasn't his fault," I patted her hand, which was resting on my knee. "It's those Hunter instincts of his. Something caused them to take over."

XXX

Once I had cleaned the blood from my leg the best that I could, I left the pageant with my sister. Matt had taken Jeremy into the woods to cool down, and I had to find him. Something had caused his Hunter instincts to take over. And I had to find out what. Because I didn't want this for my brother. He deserved to live a happy live, not be burdened by a Hunter self.

Ellie was by my side, her heels in her hand. I knew that she was just as worried, as was proven by her muttering. Walking in on Jeremy trying to stake me had definitely scared her. And when you factored in Jenna's surprise pregnancy, it looked like our family would be going through another difficult time.

"Elena, Alexa, wait!" Stefan called after us as he ran across the grass outside the Lockwood mansion. We had left while he had hidden Jeremy's bag of stakes. Where the kid had gotten all of them, I did not know. But it was certainly worrying.

"We can't wait, Stefan," I shook my head, not bothering to turn around. I would speak to the other vampire later; my brother was my priority. Until I knew that he was okay, I couldn't focus on anything else. Especially my sister's ex.

"Look, we have to find Jeremy," Elena glanced over her should at him, a stern look on her face. "This shouldn't be happening to him."

"Elena, wait," the older vampire practically begged, gently grasping my twin's arm. I paused when she did, giving Stefan a suspicious look. "It's my fault."

I immediately frowned. His fault? What the fuck did that mean? What had he done to my brother? I had sworn to fuck up anyone that hurt my brother, and that included unleashing Hunter instincts that would het him hurt. And since Stefan was already on my shitlist for breaking my sister's heart, I would have no issues with beating him up.

Ellie looked at him through narrowed eyes, tightening her grip on my hand, "What are you talking about?"

Stefan hesitated, glancing between us, before sighing, "I'm starting to think that when a Hunter kills a vampire, the urge to keep killing gets stronger."

I froze at his words. Did he mean what I thought he did? Was he with Jeremy all day? Forcing him to kill vampires? Was Stefan the reason why my brother was now battling Hunter instincts? Oh my god, was he the reason why my brother just tried to kill me? I glared at Stefan, clenching my fist. But it was the pain hidden in my sister's voice that had me pausing. She stared at her ex, breathing out, "Tell me that Jeremy hasn't been with you this entire time." Stefan looked away, unable to say anything. And that was an answer in itself. He had been with Jeremy, forcing him to kill vampires. Realising the same, my twin shook her head, "Tell me that you haven't been making him kill vampires, Stefan."

Stefan winced at her sharp words, before sighing, "We need the map to get the cure."

"That's all well and good, but I don't want the cure," I snapped, narrowing my eyes. "I'm happy with the way I am. And even if I did, I would not put my brother in the position where he became some mindless hunter. I saw what Connor was like, I will not let my brother be like."

"He's the only way to fix all of this," the older vampire shook his head, looking at us with pleading eyes. But I didn't want to hear it. Stefan had no right to do this to my brother. All because he had some issue with me being a vampire now. I didn't care what that issue was, this was my choice. And my brother. Stefan was out of line. And I got the feeling that he knew that.

"You mean, to fix Alexa," Ellie scoffed, giving my hand a squeeze. "She doesn't need fixing, Stefan. I told you that yesterday, when I ended this relationship. You look at my sister like she is broken, and I can't be with someone who does that. Who doesn't accept her as she is. If you're trying to prove me wrong, then you aren't doing a good job of that."

I glanced between the two with wide eyes. Elena broke up with Stefan because of me? Because of Stefan's weird issue with me being a vampire? Oh Els, that wasn't what I wanted. If she was going to end it with Stefan, I wanted it to be because she didn't want to be in the relationship anymore. Not because of me. It had to be entirely her choice, not influenced by me at all.

"Elena," Stefan breathed out, reaching out to my sister. But she shook her head and stepped back.

"No, Stefan, if you want that cure, and you had better want it for yourself, then find another hunter. I won't let Jeremy get dragged into this," my sister's voice was sharp as she let her protective sisterly urges come out to play. And I was completely behind her on that. If anyone wanted the cure, then they just needed to find a different Hunter. Either one that was already killing vampires or one that could be groomed. Because I wouldn't let my brother be taken over and inevitably killed, by his Hunter instincts. Even if I wanted the cure, I wouldn't let Jeremy be the one to get us there. He was just a kid. A kid that deserved better than to be used as a pawn in a hunt of a cure.

Movement behind Stefan caught my attention and I glanced over to see Damon walking up behind him. From the look on his face, I could tell that he had everything. And the others must have realised the same from the slightly pained look on Stefan's face. While he had been happy to tell Caroline, the younger Salvatore probably didn't want anyone else to know. But it was too late for that. The cat was out of the bag.

XXX

Elena drove me home. We had wanted to go and find Jeremy, but a message from Matt had reassured us. And, there was something that I needed to do. Now that Jeremy was aware of what he had nearly done, I knew that the kid would want to leave, to keep me safe. And I couldn't take my brother from his support network. If he was to keep those Hunter instincts at bay, he needed to be around the people who could help him fight. And if that meant that he was the one to stay at home, then I was okay with that. I was lucky that I had somewhere to go.

We gathered in the kitchen, Jenna sitting at the island while Elena paced in front of the stove. I leant my elbows on the kitchen island, looking between the two. I knew that my words wouldn't be popular, but it was the best thing for Jeremy. And I had always sworn that I would do the best that I could for my brother.

I let Elena explain what had happened at the pageant after we had seen Jeremy. At first Jenna had been relieved that he was okay, and then she heard the rest of it. Including Stefan's involvement in it all. I tried not to think about the younger Salvatore brother. He hadn't covered himself in glory in any of this. Not only had he initially compelled Jeremy to forget his conversation with Connor at Klaus', he had left the kid bleeding to save Connor and then he had forced him to kill vampires. I didn't know what had gotten into his head, whether it was because I was a vampire now or if there was a different issue that I was aware of. But the truth was that we couldn't trust him with the kid anymore. So maybe it was a good thing that Elena had broken up with him. We could get that healthy distance between the two now.

"So, what do we do?" Jenna asked, glancing between us once Ellie had finished her story.

"He's going to want to move out to protect me," I sighed, tapping my fingers on the island. I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, not wanting to see the expressions on the faces of the other two. "And we can't let that happen. For him to keep control of this, he needs to be around his loved ones. And that means under this roof."

"But what about you?" my twin frowned, glancing over at Jenna. I knew what she was thinking. I couldn't stay here while Jeremy was having nightmares about killing vampires, including having the urge to actually kill them while awake. It wouldn't be safe for me.

"I'll move out," I sighed, finally looking over at her. "I've got a standing invitation at the Boarding House with Damon. I'll be safe there and Jeremy will be safe her. Besides, Stefan wouldn't dare come in here right now. It couldn't be better for Jer."

"I don't know how I feel about you moving out," Jenna muttered, looking at me with big eyes. "But…"

"But we can't let Jeremy move out either," I finished for her, a soft smile on my face. "I'll still come around, like, all the time. I just won't be sleeping here. And when I do come around, there will be enough people around to help Jeremy fight those pesky Hunter urges."

"Lexa, I don't know," Ellie bit her lip as she looked thoughtful. "Isn't there anything else that we can do?"

"Maybe, I just can't think of it," I sighed, shaking my head. "Right now, my focus is on Jeremy. If we think of something later, then I can always move back in. I, uh, I'd recommend Matt moving in too. He's learning Jer's hunter tells quite well and you'll need something with a bit of strength as backup in just in case Jer does lose control." I glanced over at Jenna, "Especially since you need to avoid any fights now. I can't let any of you get hurt."

The kitchen for a silent for a few minutes, as the other two considered my words. I knew that I was right. Jeremy needed to be at home. Jenna needed to be kept safe. And I actually had a safe space to stay. It wasn't exactly a win-win. But it was good enough for now. Until we found a way to mute those Hunter instincts. Because we would be doing that. I wouldn't be separated from my brother forever. I would be there for him, even if it had to be at a distance for a while.

"I can't say that I like it," our aunt eventually sighed, shaking her head as she reached out to rest a hand on mine. "But I can't think of another option right now. You're right that Jeremy needs to stay at home but I can't put you at risk either."

"It's just a temporary measure," I gave her a small smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Because I am not going to miss any of your pregnancy, Auntie J. We'll get Jer to a point where he doesn't want to kill me. And then I'll be back."

"You'd better be back," Ellie gave me a look as she joined us at the island. "Because I won't be happy if you're not."

"Love you too, Els," I nudged her shoulder before wrapping an arm around her, tugging her close. "Honestly, you're acting like I'm leaving town forever. I'll just be at the Boarding House. I'll be able to get here in no time at all if I'm needed."

Despite the reassuring face that I had, I was sad about leaving home. It hadn't been that long since I had trusted myself to be invited in. And now I was having to leave again. I didn't want to be separated from my family like this. But in this situation, Jeremy came first. His needs and his safety came first. And I would do anything for my brother. Including moving out.

XXX

I packed up everything that I would need for a few weeks. To be honest, I didn't know how long I would be gone for. But I figured that if I needed anything else, I could always pop back. I already had clothes at the Boarding House, but there was a lot that I would need if I was there permanently.

Elena had insisted on dropping me off while Jenna waited for Jeremy and Matt to come home. Our friend had accepted our invitation to stay at the house, which was a relief. I felt a lot better about leaving, knowing that there was someone with a bit more strength staying with my family. I trusted Matt with their safety and I knew that he wouldn't let me down.

Ellie was to keep the car, since I could speed around town if I needed to. And besides, she used it a lot more than I did anyway. It was only fair that she kept it. God, it felt so weird, working out who should keep the car. We shouldn't be having this discussion yet. Not till the start of college. And yet, here we were, discussing who should be keeping the car.

When we pulled up outside the Boarding House, I got ready to jump out the car. But I paused when I noticed that Elena was still sitting there, staring up at the building. I sighed and closed the door again. I knew why my sister felt this way. It was different after my transition, because we knew that I would be moving back in soon, once I was ready. This time, it felt a lot more final, even though it shouldn't. I would be coming back eventually. We just didn't know when. And I think it was that uncertainty that was getting to her.

"Hey, Els, it's okay," I spoke softly, shifting so that I was facing her, resting a hand over hers. She was gripping wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I will be coming back. And you'll still be seeing me. Not like I'm disappearing forever."

"I know," she sighed, shaking her head. "I just can't believe that this is happening. I always figured that we would be living together until we graduated college. Maybe even after that."

I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face. Honestly, my twin was so adorable. She had always been one to plan her future. But it was always so cute to hear her talk about it. Especially her plans with me. And I hated that they were all being ruined.

"That can still happen," I gently turned her face to look at me. "This is just a blip, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ellie agreed before shaking her head again. "I should have been firmer with Stefan. I should have told him that we don't want the cure for you. Maybe he wouldn't have done this otherwise."

"How about I slip some salt into his coffee, instead of sugar?" I teased gently, tapping Elena on the nose. "That will teach him."

"Lexa, I'm being serious," my twin gave me a look, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips.

"So am I," I laughed, enjoying the smile that finally formed on my sister's lovely face. "Salty coffee is the worst and it is the perfect punishment for Stefan. But if you think that there should something worse, then I can always get Damon on it. He knows all of Stefan's pressure points."

"I might take you up on that," Elena rolled her eyes but she did laugh. "I should probably get back and check on Jeremy."

There was a reluctant edge to my sister's voice. And I didn't want to make her regret her decision to leave me here. So I moved forward to press a sloppy kiss to her cheek before wrapping her up in a hug. As she hugged me back, I whispered in her ear, "Give the boys my love. And I'm always a call away. I'll see you at school, sis."

"See you then," she nodded, giving me a tight squeeze. I let her squeeze as hard as she needed. I knew that this was hard for my sister. And I was determined to do all that I could to make it easier for her.

"Love you, Els," I gave her a smile, smiling as she repeated the words, before jumping out the car. I got my bags from boot before making my way over to the Boarding House. I knew that my twin would wait for me to get through the door before leaving. Even though I was a vampire now, she was still ridiculously overprotective.

I knocked on the door and waited for it to open. While I could just swan in, I decided that being invited in would be nice. Especially since I wasn't really giving the brothers a choice in me living there. Not that Damon would care. But I thought that I wouldn't just barge in.

I didn't have to wait long before the front door was opened. My boyfriend leant against the doorframe as he looked down at me. The light from the fire illuminated the side of his face, warming up his eyes. I smiled up at him adjusting the strap of my bag, "Hey handsome, guess who your new roommate is."

"Just couldn't stay away, huh?" he rolled his eyes as he took one of my bags for me. I let him, knowing that he hated how powerless he was in this situation. A situation that his brother had exasperated. So I let him do what he needed to feel better about it, that didn't include breaking Stefan's neck.

"Well, I have missed your shower," I laughed, trying to focus on the positives. I had to focus on the positives. Otherwise I would breakdown over the fact that I had to move out so that my baby brother wouldn't kill me. Because that shit was fucked up.

XXX

Once I had packed away my stuff, I joined Damon in the parlour. Stefan had left, probably unable to stay in the same house as me. I felt bad about that, and if I had been there when he left, I would have told him that he didn't need to. Was I mad at him? Yeah. But I wasn't going to force him out of his own home. I didn't know where he had gone, but I hoped that he was okay.

Damon walked over to me, a glass of whiskey in hand. He passed it over to me as he sat down next to me. I immediately placed my legs over his, sipping at the drink in my hand. Damn, he really did have the good stuff. I would never not appreciate it.

"Thank you," I gave my boyfriend a soft smile. "I really needed that."

"I thought you might," Damon gave me one of those special smiles, the one that lit up his eyes. "Can't be easy, moving out like that."

"It absolutely sucked," I sighed as my boyfriend slipped off my heels, hands soft as he started to massage my feet. Now it was just me and him, I could admit out loud just how horrible this all was. "I actually had to argue for it as well."

"Well, you'll always be welcome here, Ally, no matter what."

I smiled at his words, "Thanks, Day. I don't know what I would have done otherwise."

"You could have moved in with Caroline," Damon smirked at me and I rolled my eyes, prodding his thigh with my toes.

"After her astonishing levels of bitchiness earlier, I need a bit of space from Caroline," I grumbled, shaking my head. "Especially since she tried trashing you, just because you were speaking sense. I don't even know why she hates you right now."

"Because of her weird obsession with thinking that the sun shines out of Stefan's ass," my boyfriend raised an eyebrow. "She blames you for breaking up Stefan and Elena. And while she can't criticise you, because it's not your fault that Stefan can't accept you as a vampire, she can take it out on me."

"Well, she better stop and fast, because I won't stand for it," I rolled my eyes. "Stefan caused this all by himself. The sooner she realises that, the better. But with the way that she was talking earlier, I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Well, how you forget about all of them and just focus on enjoying the evening," Damon carefully took my empty glass from my hand, placing it on the table. He gently pushed my feet to the floor and took my hands, urging me to my feet. Damon pulled me over to in front of the fireplace, resting a hand on my hip while he held onto the other. I automatically shifted my grip so that I was resting a hand on his shoulder, looking up at him. "I know that you wanted to dance with earlier."

I cleared my throat, cursing the blush I could feel forming on my cheeks, "I mean, I didn't get to dance with you last time, even though I really wanted to."

"I remember that," my boyfriend hummed as we slowly started to sway. "The look on your face while I danced with Elena. How much you wished that it was you in my arms instead."

"I couldn't admit it to myself back then," I agreed, my voice soft. "Not so soon after Luke. But I did want to dance with you, just as I wanted to dance with you today."

I tilted my head back as Damon's lips found mine. He switched his grip so that both of hands were on my hips, holding them firmly in place. My fingers tangled in his hair as I licked into his mouth. Damon's fingers dug into my ass as I lifted myself up onto my tiptoes, needing to be closer to him. My entire body was humming at his touch, the way that his thumbs dipped under the hem of my top, stroking my bare skin. I could feel my face change as my arousal became overwhelming. I pulled away, as I felt my fangs poking at my lips. But Damon didn't let me get too far. He reached up to brush my lip, finger gently touching my fangs, "God, you look amazing like this, baby."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at his words, even as I used my speed to push him against the wall next to the fireplace. I ripped open his shirt, not at all bothered by the buttons that pinged across the room. All I wanted to do was get my mouth on that firm chest. I licked and nipped and sucked on the pale flesh, enjoying the way that Damon's fingers dug into my hair. The way his head hung back in pleasure. My fingers brushed against his skin just about his jeans and that was when he lost control.

Damon quickly switched our positions, pulling my top off my head. My bra quickly followed, being flung across the room. Tomorrow, I would worry about Stefan finding it, but for now, all I could focus on was Damon's breath on my boobs, the way his fingers tweaked my nipples. His strong hands massaged my breasts before he sucked on my nipples. His leg found his way between mine, holding me up as I ground down on him, seeking some extra friction.

I felt my boyfriend smirking against my skin before he bit into the soft skin above my boob, drinking deeply. I let out a gasp at the feel, fingers digging into his back. While he distracted me with his mouth, Damon's fingers quickly undid my jeans, pushing them down far enough that he could slip his fingers into my panties. I gasped for another reason entirely as his thumb pressed against my sensitive nub, quickly finding a rhythm that had my legs trembling.

Damon's mouth moved to my neck, sucking on the sensitive spot under my ear, as his fingers entered me, curling up to brush against that sensitive spot. He quickly took me apart, only his firm grip on my ass holding me up. I could feel my orgasm approaching quickly, my eyes rolling back as I was utterly under Damon's control. I could feel him smirking against my neck as I chanted out his name. But he didn't tease me for too long. Once I reached the edge, I quickly tumbled over. My legs trembling as I came, fingers digging hard enough into his back that if Damon were human, I would have left bruises.

Once I had enough wits about me, I gasped out, "Bedroom. Now."

My boyfriend quickly obeyed, speeding us upstairs. I pushed him down on the bed, quickly getting rid of his jeans. His hard cock bounced up against his stomach, calling to me. And I wasn't going to deny either of us. I climbed on top, sinking down on Damon's cock. I groaned in pleasure as he filled me up, brushing against my already sensitive pleasure spot. Damon's grip was like iron my hips as I grinded down on him, feeling too hot and bothered to tease either of us for long.

His thumb pressed firm circles against my clit as I used one hand as leverage, taking us both towards the edge. It had been far too long since I had last had this and I had missed it so fucking much. As I felt my movements falter, body just lingering on the edge of pleasure, Damon took over. He spun us around, my back landing on the bed. With one hand wrapping my leg around his hips, he starting thrusting hard. Setting a punishing pace. And I met him with every movement, titling my hips as needed.

Damon's fingers curled into my hair, keeping my face pressed against his shoulder as his hips began to stutter. And I felt my face change as my orgasm hit me, waves of pleasure crashing through my body, and I bit down on his neck, drinking deep. Damon's fingers dug into my thigh as he came too, groaning my name into my ear.

Once I retracted my fangs, licking his blood from my lips, Damon pressed a kiss against my lips, murmuring, "Ready to go again?"

God, I fucking loved vampire stamina.

XXX

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, my lovelies! They have been helping me with my writer's block and just how annoying season 4 is haha :) so please keep them coming! Friendly reminder that the poll is still up :) how you all enjoyed the chapter, until next time xoxo