Hey guys! This chapter wraps up Season 1, so I hope you enjoy it. I'm super excited for Season 2, I have a lot of things planned for it. I'd love to hear your hopes and predictions for what happens when The Originals arrive. This chapter also officially marks 100,000 words and I can't believe I've written that much. Thanks so much for all your support on this story, if you have time for a review I really do appreciate it. Thank you again to KimmyWSmith for proofreading. Enjoy! Xo, Eden.

P.S. I've tried watching the episodes and reading up on fandom to get an idea for the timeline in the series and there aren't many markers of time in the show. I'm basically making my own timeline that falls in line with the events that ARE marked in the show (Elena's birthday, start of senior year, etc.) so sorry if I get it wrong!

Song: Bloodstream

Artist: Stateless

Wake up look me in the eyes again
I need to feel your hand upon my face
Words can be like knives
They cunts you

I think I might've inhaled you
I could feel you behind my eyes

You gotten into my bloodstream an cut you open
And the silence surrounds you
And hunts you

I could feel you floating in me

I smoothed a hand over my ponytail to make sure that every stray hair was in place as I observed myself in the mirror. Despite the winter chill, Caroline was insistent that we wear our regular cheer uniform with no thermal layer for the parade, something about displaying "true spirit". Whatever, I couldn't wait for the parade to end so I could put on a sweatshirt and actually enjoy Founder's Day.

I really had no room to complain about my required parade attire, however. As part of the Founder's Court, Elena had to participate in Caroline's whole "Gone With the Wind" fantasy that she brought to life for the float. Jenna helped her start preparations bright and early this morning, cueing that it was my time to go home. I did not want to be around if there was a mishap with the curling iron.

Grabbing my bag that was stuffed with a change of clothes and any ponytail making essentials that the cheer squad might have forgotten, I headed downstairs. I threw my arms around my mom when I saw her, equal parts happy that she was left unharmed by Isobel and guilty that I had been spending so little time at home.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He left early, Mayor Lockwood invited him to observe preparations with the council." She replied. "You look cute, are you excited for the parade?"

Though my family wasn't a Founding Family, Mayor Lockwood still put a substantial effort into building a relationship with my father. I had a strong suspicion that it had something to do with wanting to butter him up for whenever the town needed donations for something, but I knew that my dad was enjoying being a part of the boy's club type environment.

"I'm looking forward to the parade being over." I clarified. "So I can actually enjoy the rest of the celebration."

She laughed at my lack of enthusiasm. "Will you be meeting up with your friends later?"

"Probably." I shrugged. "But I won't spend the night at Elena's, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried," She smiled. "Your friendship with her is really good for you. You seem really happy lately, it's nice how much you joke around again."

"Yeah, I really enjoy hanging out with Elena." I eyed her for a moment; I had already decided not to bring up the adoption yet, but that didn't mean I couldn't test her reaction a bit. "It's kind of weird, honestly. We both agreed that when we met, it felt like we had known each other our whole life."

"I don't know if it's that weird." She pondered the statement. "You are cousins."

"Yeah but we were both adopted. So it's not like we have the same blood." I countered with a statement that I pretty much knew to be false.

"Maybe you're just meant to be best friends." She suggested.

I laughed a bit; she made it sound like Elena was my soul mate in best friend form. "Yeah, maybe. I should really get going; I don't want Caroline or Mrs. Lockwood to chew my head off for being late. I'll see you later?"

"We'll be there." Mom gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun, sweetheart."

"Will do!" I gave her a little wave as I walked out the door.

Unlike my parents reaction when I brought up John, my mom seemed quite unfazed when I brought up my connection to Elena. It truly didn't seem like she was hiding anything, and I didn't quite know how that made me feel. On the one hand, it would be so nice to know that my parents really didn't know about Elena's existence when adopting me. On the other hand, they would truly be furious if they found out she was my twin and John had hidden it from them. From all of us.

If that was true, I really wanted nothing to do with John. It was bad enough that he thought it was okay to hide our relationship from us, hiding it from our parents would be unforgivable. Man, a murderous no-humanity vampire, and a dishonest anti-vampire vigilante, our birth parents really were quite the pair.

I had to push all of that to the back of my mind, as I currently had bigger things to worry about. Since Caroline and Elena were on the Founder's Court Float, and Bonnie had missed too many practices, Caroline had somehow deduced that I was the best option to lead the cheer squad in the parade. It seemed like some form of nepotism to me; I really wished she had held some sort of tryouts for interim captain. With everything that had happened this week, cheerleading really wasn't my priority, and I was more than thankful that this was our last event of the year.

The school was bustling with everyone preparing for the parade. It seemed like the entire town was here, I wondered how there would even be anyone left to watch the parade. I didn't spy Caroline anywhere, and it looked like the rest of the cheer squad had already assembled and was stretching on their own, so I scanned the crowd to look for any familiar faces to hang out with. I spotted Damon and Stefan, who looked to be having one of their usual spats, and decided to go break it up.

"Hey dickhead." I leaned up to casually prop my arm on Damon's shoulder. "Nice outfit, Stefan."

As Elena's intended escort for the pageant, Stefan had the lovely duty of standing on the float with her. He had on a ridiculous purple tie and a suit and coat combination that made him look like he was still stuck in the 1800's. Really, it was rather amusing.

Stefan forced a smile. "I must admit, of all the eras I've lived through, this is not one with fashion that I would like to bring back."

"Hey, if you hate it, I'll gladly take that wool coat." I offered.

Damon shrugged my arm off and turned to look at me. "What's wrong with the cheerleader outfit? I'm into it."

"I'm cold." I whined. "Some of us have human bodies that feel things."

"You look pretty hot to me." Damon winked.

I elbowed him. "Don't be like that. I'm mad at you."

"Oh, you're mad at me, are you?" Damon raised an eyebrow in amusement. "And why is that?"

"You were a dick yesterday." I crossed my arms.

"When was I a dick yesterday? Was it when I came at the drop of a hat to come take care of you? Or was it when I gave Elena the device that could kill me to save your life. Do enlighten me." His eyes narrowed, but a smirk tinged on his lips.

"How about when you decided to drop the fact that Elena and I are twins on everyone for literally no reason?" I countered.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Yeah, that was um . . ."

"Oh come on," Damon cut him off and slid an arm around my shoulder, squeezing me close to him. "Aren't you so happy to know that you have a sister? Now you two get to braid each other's hair . . . paint each other's nails . . . talk about boys . . ."

I rolled my eyes, but leaned into his one-armed hug. "I'm just saying, you could have been a little more tactful about it."

"Well in that case, I am so terribly sorry for my lack of tact, and I will make sure to be much more sensitive when alerting you of any other secret sibling in the future." Damon mocked me.

I caught Stefan's eye and shared a quick smile with him. Whatever he and Damon were arguing about before I approached them, they were clearly already over. Last night I had been so worried about how I would act around Damon after what Stefan told me, but today everything just felt normal. Well, as normal as it could be for hanging around with two vampires.

Damon's arm dropped from my shoulders, and I looked up to see that he was staring off, looking absolutely shell-shocked. I followed his gaze, and admittedly had to stifle a gasp as well. Katherine was walking up to us. Well, Elena. But she looked just like Katherine. Like, not just in her face, her curled hair and he corseted dress made her look exactly like Katherine had in the visions Damon had shown me.

Stefan had also turned and was fixated on Elena. No doubt, the same thing was running through his mind. Elena caught his eye, and curtsied playfully. I reached out for Damon's hand and squeezed it, hoping to bring him back to reality. He blinked a few times, and then looked at me, squeezing my hand in return. He understood that I understood how much her appearance was messing with his head.

"Hi guys." Elena noted our confounded expressions. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Stefan quickly answered. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Elena smiled, and turned to me. "How are you feeling about being here?"

There had been a bit of a debate as to if it was actually safe for me to be here. Vampire blood wasn't exactly a science, and there wasn't a way to be sure if it was actually out of my system. But as far as we knew, the threat to me had been eliminated, and I was determined not to let evil vampires control me.

"Thrilled." I deadpanned. "Let's be real, Caroline's reaction if I didn't show up today would be infinitely scarier than anything Isobel could do to me."

Stefan's forehead wrinkled; he was still adjusting to my sense of humor. "You know Damon and I will be nearby if you need anything."

"I know. Thanks." I gave him a genuine smile in return. Having Stefan and Damon around was kind of like having my own personal bodyguards.

"When did you two become friends?" Damon questioned the friendly banter between Stefan and I today.

"Last night when you ditched us." I teased, leaving out the subject matter that Stefan and I had actually managed to bond over.

"It's nice." Elena hugged Stefan's arm, and glared at Damon. "Just embrace it."

Damon returned her glare. "If only everyone could be so forgiving."

I just shook my head at his jab at her. At this point, I knew it was in good fun, at least partially. Stefan looked thoroughly uncomfortable at the entire conversation. From how Elena talked, I was sure that in his mind he didn't deserve any redemption. While I couldn't say that I had fully forgiven him, we were at least getting there.

"We should go take our places." Elena suggested to Stefan.

"Yeah, I should too." I nodded. "I'll see you guys after the parade?"

"I'm counting on it." Damon replied.

"We'll catch up with you at the end." Elena offered.

"Alright, bye guys!" I gave them one last smile before darting over to take my place with the rest of the cheer squad.

Despite my fears, the parade actually went quite well. My prediction that no one would be watching as the whole town was seemingly in the parade could not have been more false; the turnout was fantastic. In between the noise from the marching band and the applause from onlookers, I could barely even hear Carol Lockwood announcing everybody as they passed. I could, however, hear my mom loudly calling out my name so that I could flash her a smile for the camera she had toted along. Her enthusiasm for my participation in these sorts of things was always unparalleled.

The cheer squad was sandwiched in between the Founder's Court float and the football team, so I saw that Elena was beaming the entire time. I guess the whole Stefan thing had clouded her pageant experience, so this was her chance to enjoy being a member of the court. Somehow, I managed to pick Damon out of the crowd, and he winked when we locked eyes. I blew him a kiss in return, my face just a little flushed at the sight of him.

Once we stopped a little bit beyond Town Square, I went over to Elena's float. Stefan held out a hand to help her step down, and they looked so elegant together in that moment. They really did make an excellent couple. Before I could say anything to Elena, Caroline attacked me with a hug.

"That was awesome!" She squealed into my ear. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "You couldn't even see me!"

"Oh trust me, I was watching." She replied. "Ok, I'm gonna go find my mom. Have fun!"

Elena smiled at Caroline bouncing away. "All went well?"

"All went well." I replied.

"Good. Come one, let's go get changed." She offered.

The football team was nice enough to let us keep our bags in the truck that pulled them in the parade so we didn't have to go all the way back to the school. We grabbed them and walked together to the Mystic Grill, where we shut ourselves in the bathroom to change. I was so happy to get out of the tight cheerleading tank and pull on my cozy Timberwolves sweatshirt.

"Are you sure you want to put those on?" Elena eyed the jeans I pulled out of my bag. "I think Damon really likes that skirt."

My jaw practically fell open in shock. "What?"

"Oh come on, Stefan told me about your conversation with him last night." She informed me. "Untie me?"

"Yeah I figured he would but . . . I mean, you're okay with it?" I asked, helping her undo the corset on her dress.

She shrugged. "I mean, I wouldn't say I'm okay with it. But who would I be to push back against the obvious bond you guys have? Plus, I can't deny that he's been different since he met you."

I just stared blankly at her as she put on a dark blue shirt and began to brush some of the curl out of her hair. I couldn't believe that she was here encouraging me to wear a short skirt just to flirt with him. The difference in her attitude toward Damon and I now versus when I had first met her was like night and day.

"What?" She met my eye in the mirror. "Are you not okay with it?"

"I just have . . . apprehensions." I admitted. "Like, he tried to kill Bonnie?"

Elena sighed and nodded. "He did. Back before the tomb was open. Emily Bennett, one of Bonnie's ancestors who knew Damon, possessed Bonnie to try and stop Damon from opening the tomb."

I leaned against the wall and let out a long exhale. "Wow."

Elena pulled on her jeans and looked at me. The expression on her face made me think that perhaps she regretted telling me what she had just told me. It was a lot to take in. I knew Damon had a dark past, but I wondered if I would ever stop learning about the terrible things he had done.

"Listen," She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "It's your decision. But I see how happy you are when you're with him, even when he's being annoying as hell. It's okay to let yourself have that happiness."

I pondered over her words as I took in my reflection in the mirror. "Thank you, Elena."

"Of course." She smiled, and reached over to pull off my hair tie and put it on my wrist, then ruffled my hair a bit. "Come on, we're teenagers. Let's go have fun."

I followed her back into the dining area of the grill, which was just starting to fill up. Damon was walking in just at the same time we were, and he almost immediately caught my eye and walked over to us.

"Hello ladies," He smiled and slid an arm around my shoulder. "Elena, I like you better like this. The period look . . . it didn't suit you."

Elena crossed her arms. "Is that an insult?"

"Actually Elena, it is a compliment of the highest order." Damon countered.

I smirked as Elena rolled her eyes, knowing the real reason behind Damon's teasing. Her resemblance to Katherine in her period look had been a bit too uncanny, and I knew that if it made me uncomfortable, Stefan and Damon must truly have been stirring at the sight of her.

"Don't make me regret being your friend." She warned him. "Okay?"

Without saying anything else, she walked away from us. I almost followed her, until I saw that she had gone over to Jeremy. I hadn't even seen him there, but I knew that he was mad at her and figured it better not to interrupt. There would be plenty of time for me to harass Jeremy after we told him that I was also his sister.

"When did you two become friends?" I teased Damon, throwing his earlier words back at him. "Come on, we should give them some space. Let's get out of here."

Damon nodded, and keeping his arm around me guided me outside into the square. There was a local band playing some 80's rock covers, and a few booths selling food, but most of the activities looked to be geared towards kids. Still, with the setting sun putting a gold cast over everything, the fall air was quite nice, and I knew there would be fireworks later, so it was worth sticking around.

"God if I never saw Elena in that getup again it would be too soon." Damon exhaled a sigh of relief.

I shot him a sympathetic look. "I know. That was . . . weird."

"Sometimes the resemblance is so powerful I have to remind myself that Elena isn't just Katherine pretending to be a normal seventeen year old girl." He admitted.

"She isn't." I shuddered at the thought, and quickly stumbled for a subject change. "So, a hundred and fifty years of Mystic Falls. Let me guess . . . you were here for the original Founder's day, and have been here for every one since."

Damon shot me an incredulous look. "You know I've lived places other than Mystic Falls, right? People would start to get suspicious after about a decade of no aging."

I laughed. "I know. No one in their right mind would stay here for that long. Where else have you lived?

"Hmm, let's see . . . Atlanta, San Francisco, did a stint in New York in the seventies, that was . . . whew." He smiled at the memory. "Admittedly I haven't spent as much time abroad as I would like, but there's no real sense of urgency when you have eternity."

"What was your favorite?" I asked. "Other than here, of course."

He thought about it for a moment. "New York. It's just so vibrant, and gritty, and alive. You're never bored there."

I nodded. "I've only been there once, a few years ago, but all we did was Times Square and the other stupid touristy stuff."

"We'll have to go when you're old enough to actually enjoy the nightlife." He winked.

"Can't you just compel any bartender that you want?" I asked, smiling at how natural the assumption that we would know each other in three and a half years was.

"I could. But that would be highly immoral." He grinned back.

"Oh yes, you're just the king of good morals." I burst into a fit of giggles.

Damon nudged me, and I looked up to see my parents walking towards us. They looked like night and day, my mom wearing the same Timberwolves sweatshirt I had on and a pair of jeans, and my dad wearing a suit. I gave both of them a hug, and it took every ounce of self-control in my body not to laugh when my mom greeted Damon with a hug as well.

"I figured I might find you somewhere around here." Mom greeted me. "It's good to see you Damon. Peter, you remember Damon, don't you?"

"Sure. Peter Adams." Dad stuck his hand out. "You're a member of the Founder's Council, correct?"

"I sure am." Damon shook his hand.

"Huh." Dad replied, eyeing Damon.

"So, are you two enjoying the celebration?" I filled the awkward silence.

"Oh of course we are!" Mom chimed in enthusiastically. "That parade was so lovely. Is Elena around?"

"She's at the grill, with her brother." Our brother. "We'll catch up with her and Stefan later. How late are you guys sticking around?"

"Oh not too late, we just want to see the fireworks and then we'll head out. We won't bother you though; we were just on our way to get some dinner. Let me get a picture of you two first though!" Mom held up her camera.

I rolled my eyes, but obliged with her request. Damon pulled me closer to him, and I smiled as she took a few pictures.

"Okay, no more." I held up my hand. "I'm gonna go blind from the flash."

"Okay, fine. I'm sure those were cute." Mom smiled. "Alright, we'll see you at home if not before then. Want me to take your bag for you? I can put it in the car."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks mom." I grabbed my phone and car keys, and handed my bag to her. "See you guys later."

"Be safe tonight." Dad cautioned.

"Always am. Love you guys!" I waved to them.

"They seem nice. Energetic." Damon commented, as we meandered through the square, and I froze in my tracks. "What is it? Did you forget something?"

"Will you show up in the pictures?" I asked him.

He stared blankly at me. "Assuming they turn out, yes. Why wouldn't I?"

"You know," I looked around. "Vampire."

He laughed at me. "You're an idiot. That stuff isn't real."

"Don't laugh at me. You're not supposed to be real." I crossed my arms. "How am I supposed to know what's real and what isn't?"

"Hm, okay. I'll give you that." Damon admitted. "We show up in mirrors, crosses don't burn us, and we aren't repelled by garlic. Though we are repelled by vervain and do need to be invited in, as you already know, and a wooden stake to the heart will kill us, as well as fire."

"That much I know. You'd better be nice to me. Ric's going to teach me how to use a stake." I warned him.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is he now? And why would he do that?"

"So I can fight a vampire." I replied.

"Why would you need to fight a vampire?" He asked.

I shrugged. "You and Stefan aren't always around. I figured I should be able to take care of myself.

"Ha. I'd like to see you try." Damon challenged.

"Hey. I bet a few lessons and I can take you." I countered.

With that, I felt him leave my side, and when I turned to see where he went, he was nowhere to be seen. An arm slid around me, and I tensed for a moment until I realized it was Damon, pulling me towards him. His arm was flush across my collarbone, and while his grip on my shoulder was gentle, the message was more than clear.

"Boo." He whispered.

"Damon. I said a few lessons." I laughed. "What are you doing flashing around like that? Someone could see you."

"Oh relax. No one's paying attention to us. Except maybe witchy over there." He informed me.

"What?" I whipped my head around, and sure enough Bonnie was a few yards away. "I actually need to go talk to her."

"You're on your own with that one. I know when my presence isn't wanted." He gestured towards her.

"I'll be right back." I promised him.

A flicker of displeasure showed on Bonnie's face when she realized I was walking up to her, but she quickly replaced it with a forced smile. Despite her apparent discomfort, I knew I needed to thank her for what she had done. Part of me hoped that I could eventually befriend her, but for now we just needed to get past the awkwardness that existed between us.

"Hi," I greeted her. "You enjoying the celebration?"

"I guess." She shrugged. "Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday," I began.

"You already did thank me." She cut me off.

"No, I mean properly thank you." I insisted. "This is the second time you've saved my life with your magic, and I barely even know you. I hope that can change, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate it."

"Why is everyone thanking me? First Damon, now you . . . what else did you expect me to do?" She questioned me.

What? Damon had thanked her too? He hadn't told me that. I looked back, sure that he was listening to the conversation, but he wasn't there anymore. Huh. I guess he was just giving us space to talk.

"We're thanking you because you saved us. That means something." I stated.

"I did what I had to do. Look, I have to go." She mumbled.

"Bonnie wait!" I pleaded, trying to get her to stay, but she ignored me.

Well, that was wildly unsuccessful. As much as I wanted to befriend Bonnie, it didn't seem that she returned that sentiment. I couldn't exactly blame her for that; I associated with vampires, and she hated them. She seemed to get over it with Elena, but Elena was her lifelong friend. I was just some random girl who showed up and instantly befriended her enemy.

At least I could say that I tried. The way she left yesterday hadn't sat right with me. Now I just needed to find Damon so we could continue our evening. He was nowhere in sight, and I found it a bit odd that he would leave like that. I wandered around for a bit, knowing I would find him eventually. It wasn't like the Town Square was the size of Manhattan. I spotted Stefan and Elena holding hands, and trotted over to them.

"Hey guys, have you seen Damon?" I asked, falling in step next to Elena.

"No, we thought he was with you." Stefan replied.

"He was. We got separated. Whatever, I'm sure he'll turn up." I shrugged, and looked to Elena. "How's Jeremy?"

"He's still refusing to speak to me." Elena sighed. "But it'll be okay. Let's not talk about that. What did you and Damon get up to?"

I couldn't hold back a laugh as Elena wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Not much, we were just walking around. We ran into my parents, that was amusing."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Something about Damon interacting with my stereotypically suburban parents is just wildly entertaining to me." I admitted. "My mom insisted on taking a picture of us and I had a mild freak out later because I was worried he wouldn't show up in the photo."

"Oh my god," Elena looked at Stefan. "I remember having questions about mirrors and pictures when I first found out."

Stefan smiled. "Yes, you did."

"I have no idea how I would have explained that one. 'I don't know mom, maybe your camera sensor had a Damon shaped speck of dust on it'" I joked.

Elena laughed. "Can you imagine?"

I just looked at the two of them and smiled. Two weeks ago, there would have been no way I would be comfortable just standing here joking with both of them. Now, it felt natural. For that, I was more than thankful.

A hand slipped into mine, and tore me from my thoughts. I looked up to see that Damon had come out of nowhere and slid in between Elena and I. His other hand was holding Elena's free one, and both Stefan and Elena were glaring at him for the gesture.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Elena questioned him.

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less, tomb vamps are here. Founding families are the target. Get them out of here. Now." Damon instructed Stefan.

"Wait, wait. Wait, where are you going?" Stefan called after Damon as he tore his hands from us and went to walk away.

"That's more than fifteen words, Stefan." Damon yelled over his shoulder.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" I tried to follow him, but Stefan grabbed my arm to stop me.

"You're a Gilbert by blood, you're not safe here either. Don't draw attention to yourself, we need to leave. All of us." Stefan's voice was firm.

"But-" I looked towards the crowd that Damon had disappeared into.

"Damon will be fine." He tried to persuade me. "Let's go."

"Wait. Jeremy's out here somewhere." Elena realized.

Stefan nodded. "Let's go find him. Come on."

Not letting go of my arm, Stefan grabbed hold of Elena's hand and pulled both of us into the crowd. I could tell he didn't trust me not to run after Damon, and he was probably right in that judgment. If there were malicious vampires lurking around, I didn't want Damon to try and take care of the issue on his own. Those odds made me uneasy. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and pulled it out.

"Stop. STOP." I yelled at Stefan. "My dad's calling. Hello?"

"Lucy, where are you?" My dad's voice sounded a bit on edge.

"In the square with Stefan and Elena, we were just about to leave. Why?" I asked.

"We're at the Grill. Mayor Lockwood was insistent that his son and his friends leave. I asked him what was going on and he said he caught wind of some teenagers planning a dangerous prank during the fireworks show." He explained. "Listen, sweetie. I need you to get home. If the Mayor thinks it's not safe, you shouldn't be here."

"Yeah. Yeah I will." I assured him. "Hey, have you guys seen Jeremy there? We just need to find him and then we can go."

"I think he was here a few minutes ago. He may have just left. If I see him, I'll tell him to call you girls." My dad replied. "We'll see you at home."

"Thanks dad. See you soon, love you." I hung up the phone, and looked at Elena's worried face. "My dad said Jeremy was just at the Grill."

Stefan nodded. "Great, let's go that way."

Just as Stefan began to guide us towards the Grill, the fireworks began. I glanced at them for a moment, thinking about how earlier I was so sure I was going to be watching them with Damon. Now, here we were less than half an hour later, tangled up in vampire danger again.

Stefan let out a shout, and fell to the ground, nearly taking Elena and I with him. He was completely keeled over, pressing his hands to his forehead and leaning into the sidewalk. Instantly, Elena was at his side, rubbing her hands along his back.

"Stefan? What's going on? What's happening?" Elena's voice only became more frantic as Stefan only managed a disgruntled yell in response.

"My head." Stefan finally managed to grunt out.

"What?" Elena asked.

"My head." Stefan yelled.

"Stefan what happened?" Elena pried.

Stefan just rocked back and forth, panting at the pain. Digging my nails into the palms of my skin, I looked around trying to figure out what could possibly be causing his distress. I didn't know much, but I was fairly certain that vampires didn't get headaches. Especially not debilitating ones. I exhaled a sigh of relief when I saw a familiar figure running towards us.

"Ric!" I called out.

"Get up." He grabbed Stefan's arm and dragged him into a standing position, leaning on Ric and Elena for support.

"I don't know what happened. He just dropped." Elena explained.

"Yeah, he's not the only one." Ric groaned under Stefan's weight as he guided us towards a stairwell. "Cops are grabbing everyone who's gone down. Injecting them with vervain."

"What?" Elena gasped. "They're rounding up the vampires."

They helped Stefan sit down, now safely out of sight of any police officers. He just remained curled up, clutching his head. Elena and I sat next to him, my heart beginning to race at Elena's realization. If they were rounding up the vampires, where was Damon? Had he made it out okay?

"Oh my god." Stefan breathed out. "It finally stopped."

"What stopped?" Elena asked. "Are you okay?"

"The noise. It was like needles were piercing my skull and then it just stopped." Stefan explained.

"I saw at least five vampires go down. They were taking them to your family's old building." Ric told Elena.

"It's the Gilbert device. It has to be." Stefan deduced.

"But how did he get it to work?" Elena shook her head. "Bonnie unspelled it."

"Maybe she didn't." Ric countered.

"She did. We saw it." Elena was firm.

"No, no, no. He's right. I mean think about it, we asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires." Stefan reasoned.

Elena squeezed his shoulder. "So we could protect you."

"And Damon. Vampires." Stefan reiterated. "Where is Damon?"

Ric furrowed his brow. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since this started."

"What if he's in there?" I jumped up. "We have to go help him."

"Can you get my brother? Take him home?" Elena asked Ric.

Ric nodded. "Of course."

"Let's go." Elena helped Stefan up.

I was a few yards ahead of them, already at the top of the stairwell. I was a bit dizzy at the revelation that Bonnie might not have unspelled the Gilbert device. If it was true, that would explain why she was so insistent on not accepting my gratitude. Even worse, if it was true, Damon was definitely in danger right now.

"Lucy, slow down." Stefan called after me. "You have no idea what you're running into. You have to be careful."

"Stefan. It's Damon." I sputtered. "What if he's hurt? We can't let anything happen to him."

"Lucy. I know. He's my brother. We'll help him." Stefan assured me. "But you can't get yourself hurt in the process."

"Come on, it's this way." Elena motioned towards the building Ric had referenced.

"Wait, wait, wait. I can hear them." Stefan's eyes widened. "The building's on fire."

"What?" Elena asked.

"The building's on fire." Stefan repeated.

Abandoning his previous words of caution, Stefan tore off in a run, Elena and I trailing behind him. I knew from Stefan's reaction that whatever he heard was bad. Fire was one of the only things that could kill a vampire . . . if they had been injected with vervain . . . we had to get over there.

We reached Elena's family's building, only to find John facing it as if he was admiring what he had just done. I could smell a hint of smoke in the air, and that's when I truly started to panic. My vision was blurred with tears. We had to save Damon. There was no other option. I couldn't lose him.

"Where is Damon?" Elena demanded.

John turned around, a twinge of a smirk on his face. "With the rest of them. Where he should be. It's over for Damon."

"NO!" I cried out. Stefan reached for my shoulder; squeezing it so tightly I was almost sure he would dislocate it.

"You're crazy." Elena shook her head.

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and forty five years ago? This is the right thing, Elena." John glared at Stefan, nodding towards the building. "Go ahead. You won't make it out. It'll save you the trouble of killing you myself."

"You know the building well, is there another entrance in?" Stefan asked Elena.

"Utility door. There's one around the side." Elena pointed.

Stefan took off in the direction Elena pointed out. She and I went to follow him, but John reached out to stop us both. I stared at him, blinking back tears and unable to fathom how this horrible human was the man who brought me into this world.

"Take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire." John warned.

"I'm asking you not to." Elena replied, her eyes searching John for some shred of empathy.

"That doesn't mean anything to me." John growled in reply.

"As my father, it should." Elena spat out.

John released his grip, shocked at her statement. "You girls know."

"We weren't sure. But now we are." Elena's voice shook in response to John's confirmation of our suspicions.

John's eyes flickered between Elena and I. Despite her wavering voice, she kept her steely gaze firm. My watery eyes probably looked way less menacing. Elena grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the direction Stefan had run off in. This time, John didn't protest.

When we reached the side entrance in the alleyway, Bonnie was standing there. Stefan was nowhere in sight; presumably he had already run inside. Elena and I tried to run into the building, only for Bonnie to stop us.

"You can't go in there." Bonnie protested.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Elena snapped.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Bonnie held on to both of our wrists and began to chant.

"Bonnie, we've got to get in there." Elena and I both tugged against her, but our strength was no match for hers; her grasp almost felt inhuman.

Bonnie continued to chant in a language I couldn't identify. I could only assume it was her witch language. The wind picked up, blowing her wavy hair around her face. I could hear crashes from inside the building, and I clenched my eyes shut and prayed that whatever Bonnie was saying was helping and not hindering Stefan and Damon. She ceased her chanting, and let go of both of our arms.

"Bonnie. Bonnie what is it? Are they gonna be okay?" Elena asked.

"Bonnie what did you do?" I pleaded with her.

She didn't answer, maintaining a vacant stare towards the entrance of the building. When I heard another crash, I snapped my head towards the door and let out the breath I had been holding when I saw Stefan emerge, Damon's arm draped over his shoulder. Both of them were coughing from the smoke, but they were both conscious.

"Damon!" I called out.

"Oh my god." Elena whispered.

Elena and I ran to their side. Damon looked back at the smoky building they had just emerged from with a dazed expression, continuing to cough. He unwound his arm from Stefan's shoulder, and I instantly jumped to throw my arms around his neck. He collapsed from the force, bringing us both to the ground. I knew how weak he must be to collapse under my weight when normally he could carry me like it was nothing. I let go of the tears I had been holding back when I realized how much danger he had really been in.

I just stayed in his lap where we had fallen, legs on either side of his and arms holding him as tightly as my little human arms could. I tangled my fingers into his hair, crying into his neck. With each sharp breath, I inhaled the smell of smoke that clung to him. He wrapped his arms around me in return; gentler than he had ever done so before. His hands trembled as they ran up and down my back, and his body lurched with each cough.

"You're okay. You're alive." I murmured, unsure of which of the two of us I was trying to reassure with that statement.

I looked up at Stefan standing behind us. He and Elena had each other in an embrace as well, and I knew Elena understood the relief I felt in that moment. I mouthed 'thank you' to Stefan, and he nodded in return. It was stupid, me thanking him for saving his own brother, but I was absolutely falling apart at the thought of losing Damon, and Stefan risked his own life to save Damon's.

Damon had never seemed more human to me than in this moment. Not in the emotional sense, but in the literal, physical sense. Feeling him shake in my arms terrified me, as I realized how fleeting even the promise of immortality could be. I just wanted him to be whole, and strong, so that I could push the fears of him dying out of my mind. He was a vampire; he was supposed to be healing. Why wasn't he? I remembered Elena telling me about Stefan being hurt, that day that I found Vicki, and I knew what Damon needed.

"You're coughing so bad. Your lungs . . . you need blood. Drink." I pulled away from him just enough that I could hold my arm out to him.

"I don't need blood." Damon shook his head, and wrapped his hand around my wrist. "I need you."

He pushed my arm down, and putting a hand on my neck he crashed his lips against mine. The urgency behind the kiss was such a stark contrast to how gently he had been caressing me just moments prior. I froze for a moment, needing to process that this was real and his lips were really against mine before I could allow myself to return the kiss.

So many times I had admired his wicked smirk, so many times I had forgotten to breathe because of his proximity to me, but never had I truly allowed myself to believe that this moment would happen. That Damon would kiss me, and that I could absorb every bit of him as I returned that kiss. I could taste the salt from my tears that had travelled all over my face. His lips were as firm and commanding as the rest of him, and I sunk into his arms letting him guide me with his own intensity.

My heart was racing again, this time not at the fear of losing Damon but at the exhilaration of having him. I let my hands wander over him, running from his chest up his body and finally resting wrapped in his hair. He pulled me closer with the arm around my waist, only to tear his lips away from mine moments later. Resting his forehead on mine, he let our noses touch ever so slightly, and my eyelids fluttered, dazed with the emotion of what had just happened.

"I need you." He repeated, still breathless, though I wasn't sure if it was still from the smoke. "In there . . . watching the flames . . . all I could think was that I've been alive for almost a hundred and fifty years, and it still wasn't enough because I never got to tell you how I feel. I need you, Lucy."

"I'm right here." I whispered in response, running a hand over his cheek.

I felt my face flush as I was hit with the realization that we weren't alone. I immediately sat up and looked around, only to discover that we actually were. Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie had left. Thank god.

"They're gone." Damon smirked. "Don't worry, I'm sure Elena will give you a thorough talking to later."

"She won't." I shook my head. "She's . . . she's okay with it. More than okay with it. She kind of encouraged it, actually."

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "You two talked about me?"

I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "Only to establish that she wouldn't hate me if we . . . yeah."

He ran a hand over my hair, smoothing a strand behind my ear. "Well, if we have Queen Elena's approval . . ."

He pulled me back so I was closer to him; letting his lips find mine again. The kiss was softer this time. Now that we had established that we could kiss one another, the sense of urgency was gone, there was no scrambling to absorb each other's taste in case it was the last chance of doing so.

With that gentle kiss, I let go of any reservations I had previously held about Damon. That he could shift from so assertive to so sweet, and that I felt so comfortable with both versions of him, let me know that this was right. He ran his fingertips along my thighs, up to my sweatshirt and stopped just underneath the fabric, where he traced smooth circles along my skin. Each little swirl just made me melt further into him.

"Wow." I whispered as I pulled my mouth from his, reminding myself that we were still in a public space, as empty as it may be.

"Yeah." He smiled, not a smirk, but a pure, genuine smile.

I shivered, though not really from the cold, and Damon squeezed me in return. Keeping one hand under my sweatshirt and bringing one to my hair, he held me close to him, tucked under his chin. I clutched at the fabric of his shirt, inhaling the smoky scent again and wishing to just stay there forever. He sighed, and I looked up at him to see what could possibly be causing him any distress.

"We should go check on your little brother." He answered my questioning gaze.

"Jeremy?" I replied.

He nodded, face somber. "His girlfriend was in there. John staked her, she didn't have a chance."

"Oh." I remembered that all was not well with the world. "Yeah. Yeah you're right. I need to go home first, though. My parents are probably worried sick right now."

"Alright, let's go." He pulled us both into a standing position, clearly having recovered some of his strength.

"I should go alone. It won't look good if I show up late with you." I reasoned.

"What, don't want your parents to think you were late because you were getting hot and heavy with me?" He teased, earning a glare in response. "Okay, fine. But I'm walking you to your car."

I looped my arm through his as we walked back to the school. There were fire trucks in the front of the building, and I wondered how the fire, and more importantly the bodies, would be explained. I knew that all of the vampires that were inside had intended to hurt Founding Family members tonight, but I still shuddered at the thought of all of them trapped there.

I called Elena while we walked to tell her about Jeremy's girlfriend, and noticed all the missed calls from my parents. Elena agreed to meet us at her house, but I knew I'd have to come up with a story to tell my parents about why I was late. When we reached my car, Damon pulled me into a hug.

"Promise me you'll be safe?" He asked.

"What danger could I possibly get into? All the vampires are gone." I pointed out.

"All but two." He said.

"Was Isobel . . ?" I trailed off, scared to finish the sentence.

"Isobel wasn't in there." He filled in for me. "She must've left town like she promised. Mayor Lockwood was, though."

"What? Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?" That just didn't seem possible.

Damon shook his head. "No, no he's not a vampire. We would've known. I don't know why the device affected him."

"Weird. God, that's awful. Poor Tyler." I sighed. "I wonder what cover story they're going to make up."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head over that right now. One thing at a time." He reached for my hand. "I'll meet you at Elena's?"

"Meet you at Elena's." I confirmed.

Damon leaned in for a chaste kiss, and was gone the second I got into my car. Once I was home, it took a lot of convincing for my parents to let me out again. I told them about the fire, leaving out the real cause, and claimed that I couldn't get out of town because of police traffic. They believed that Elena was torn up about the loss of her family's building, and agreed to let me go over there. I felt bad for lying to them all the time, but even if I could tell them the truth, it would take way more than fifteen minutes of explaining.

After throwing on a pair of jeans, I was finally on my way to Elena's. I hoped it wouldn't be a nuisance for Jeremy for me to be there; he barely knew me, and he thought I was only his cousin, but if anything I would at least be able to support Elena while she supported him. She was going to have a hard enough time breaking the news to him, with their relationship already strained as is.

When I got to Elena's, I parked my car in the street. As I walked up to her house, I noticed that she and Damon were talking on the porch. Neither of them had noticed me yet, and I wondered how Damon didn't hear me. Something about the way they were standing made me pause.

They were so close to each other. Too close. And Elena was staring at Damon with the same doe eyed expression she had used to get him to hand over the Gilbert device. Damon said something that made both of them smile before reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Then he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Just as he was pulling away, Elena turned her head, catching her lips against his.

Elena was kissing Damon.

I turned and ran.

The spaces in between
Two minds and all the places they have been
The spaces in between
I tried to put my finger on it
I tried to put my finger on it

I think I might've inhaled you
I could feel you behind my eyes
You gotten into my bloodstream
I could feel you floating in me