It didn't take much longer for the other vampires in town to make their presence known in a big way by kidnapping Elena and Bonnie. Apparently, they wanted to trade Elena for the Gilbert journal so they could find Emily Bennett's spell book and they wanted Bonnie to perform the spell needed to open the tomb.

Unfortunately for them, the Salvatores had already dug up the grimoire and handed it over to Sheila, Bonnie's grandmother. If anything, she wanted the tomb opened even less than they did. The brothers rescued the damsels in distress and thought that would be the end of it.

When Anna, one of the vampires in question, started threatening mass murder, an arrangement was made. The Bennetts would open the tomb and Anna would retrieve her mother. The rest of the vampires would be burnt to ensure the safety of the town. It was a better plan in the long run anyway, Lucy thought. They wouldn't have to worry about someone else figuring out a way to release them.

That was how Lucy found herself leaning against a stone wall watching the Bennetts open the tomb. The boys had tried to get her to stay home, but she refused. Like hell was she letting them enter a dangerous situation without her there as backup. Idiots. Caroline had come with Bonnie. Her and Stefan were almost a couple so it didn't bother Lucy. The girl was worried about Stefan. Lucy had simply tugged Caroline's arm as she passed and pulled her to lean against the wall, too.

What did bother Lucy was that Elena had followed along as well. Her whimpering and mewling lasted about ten minutes before Damon snapped at her. "Why are you here, Elena?"

"Caroline's here," she whined as if that answered the question.

"She has a purpose," he said.

"What could her purpose possibly be?"

Well, that was a shitty way of phrasing that. Lucy grasped Caroline's hand and gave it a little squeeze. "She's keeping me company."

"Well, so am I," Elena argued.

Lucy snorted. "No. No you are not."

Caroline let out a startled giggle before covering her mouth with her hand. Lucy's smile faded as the tomb opened. Anna dashed inside with the blood bag Damon had brought with them. He glanced at Lucy and held out his hand. "Want to see what a bunch of desiccated vampires look like?"

"How could I refuse?" she slid her hand into his and pulled the small flashlight from her pocket with the other. She snapped it on and let him drag her into the dark. Stefan came in behind her, gas cans in hand.

Lucy's eyes darted around taking in the bodies scattered through the tomb. Living mummies whose only sign of life was the slightest movement or a whisper from dry lips. When Anna passed by heading toward the exit with a nod of her head, Stefan started splashing the gasoline around.

"She's not here," Damon muttered as they entered the last chamber.

"Who?" Lucy asked then immediately coughed from inhaling the fumes. She tried to cover her mouth and nose as she continued to cough.

"Get her out of here," Stefan ordered as he spread more fuel on the bodies.

Damon picked her up and raced her from the tomb and into the clear night air. He sat her on the steps and rubbed her arms as he looked her over. She coughed a few more times causing him to frown. He produced a bottle of water from somewhere and handed it to her. She drained it and felt better. "I'm fine," she said to reassure her vampire, but he continued to scowl in worry.

Stefan stepped from the darkness and grabbed one of the torches to toss into the tomb. The flames caught instantly, flaring brightly as they consumed the fuel. A high-pitched keening filled the air: the desperate screams of two dozen dead.

"I could do with never hearing that sound again," Lucy said.

Caroline rubbed her arms. "Me, too."

Stefan draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into his side. Elena scowled at them before jerking her gaze away to watch the fire burn. No one wanted to leave until they were certain the vampires in the tomb were truly gone.

"Who wasn't there?" Lucy asked after several minutes, her gaze still on the flames.

"Katherine." The name was bitter on his lips causing Lucy and Stefan to glance at him.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked.

Damon snorted and shot a look at his brother. "Did you see her?"

Stefan pursed his lips. "No. I thought I'd just overlooked her."

The raven-haired vampire shook his head. "No. I wanted to be sure. I needed to be. She's not in there."

Lucy reached up and took his hand in comfort. He said nothing but squeezed her hand in his.

Once the fire burnt out, the brothers slid the door back in place. Stefan thanked the Bennetts and they left, taking Elena and Caroline with them.

"I have something I need to do," Damon said.

Stefan nodded and swept Lucy up in his arms. "Whatever will we do for excitement now?" she teased the brothers. Stefan chuckled and ran her home.

***

A few days later Lucy's reading time was interrupted by a bellow from Damon's room. "Lucy, I need help!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and sat her book aside to go see what he wanted. He hollered her name again when she was halfway up the stairs. "I'm coming. You'd know that if you just listened."

"Sorry, I'm in the middle of a crisis here."

She leaned in the doorway when she reached his room. He was standing over his bed with a frown on his face. "What's the emergency?"

"Help me pick out a shirt. I need to look sexier than usual."

Lucy smirked and arched a brow as she stepped over to see the choices he had laid out. "And why is that?" She picked up all three shirts and carried them back into the closet.

"Because Liz talked me into being part of the bachelor auction tonight. I need to look the part."

She hummed at that and grabbed one of his black dress shirts. She walked over and handed it to him. "Put this on and roll up the sleeves. Leave the top two buttons undone"

He looked at the shirt and back to her. "Seriously?"

"Trust me." She walked out of the room to get ready to go to the Grill. She wasn't missing this.

Her and Damon drove to the Grill together but separated once they arrived. Lucy gave a nod to the history teacher who studied her before nodding back then she migrated to Caroline who was selling tickets.

"Hey, Lucy," she greeted brightly. "Did you want some tickets?"

Lucy shook her head. "I prefer to get my dates the old fashioned way."

The blonde giggled and looked around. "Did Stefan come with you?"

"No, he'll be around though." Lucy spotted Damon talking to Liz. What was that about? She hated it when he didn't run his ideas past her first. He always got them in trouble.

"Hey, guys," Elena said as she stepped up to the table.

Lucy grunted. "I need to find a seat." She patted Caroline on the shoulder as she turned to find anywhere else to be. Why were there so many teenagers at a bachelor auction anyway? This town was weird.

She did not find a seat but found an open spot where she could watch the goings on and sip her drink in peace. Stefan joined her as Carol was introducing bachelor number three. Lucy nudged Stefan with her elbow in greeting and he smiled at her.

Bachelor four was the history teacher and number five was Damon. It was when Carol was introducing him that things took an odd turn. Damon was taking jabs at Alaric about his wife. Lucy glanced at Stefan to see if he was as confused as she was. The set to his jaw told her he was angry. He knew exactly what was going on.

"What is this about, Stefan?" she demanded.

"Not here." He grasped her elbow and tugged her through the crowd and out the door. Once they were far enough from the door to not be overheard, he released her with a sigh. "Alaric came to Mystic Falls looking for the vampire that killed his wife. He believes that vampire is Damon. I'd say he's correct given what we just witnessed."

She took the news like a blow to the chest as she blinked at the younger brother. "How do you know this?"

"I talked with Alaric. I didn't want to say anything until I had more information." Stefan's dark eyes looked her over, waiting for her reaction.

"Are you a fucking idiot? How could you not say anything about this? At the very least you could have let me in on the fact the history teacher knows about you guys." She was so angry. So flabbergasted at the lack of forethought. And Damon taunting him like that...He was better than that.

"Come on if you want a ride home, Williams," Damon called as he walked to his car. She hadn't even noticed him come outside.

Her legs ate up the ground as she marched over to him. "Damon Salvatore."

He turned to her in surprise at her tone and she shoved him making him stumble a step or two. "What the hell, Luce?"

"What was that in there? Did you think that was funny?" she snapped. "Are you crazy?"

Damon licked his lips as he glared at her. "He pissed me off."

Lucy pressed her lips together and nodded. "Fine. Glad to hear it."

She walked away fully intending to find her own way home.

"What are you doing?" Damon called after her.

"Walking."

He groaned. "Come on. Don't be a bitch."

She flipped him off and continued to walk. She heard the slam of a car door a few moments before his car sped by leaving her in the dust.

Stefan fell into step with her, hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing, Salvatore?"

"Walking."

She snorted a laugh. "Help yourself I guess."

Once he'd escorted her home, Stefan sped off to hunt. She went upstairs to wash the day off. When she finished, she came back down looking for a drink but paused when she heard voices in the living room.

"You can't be this stupid," Damon said.

Her footsteps halted then she heard a thud and a grunt as someone was thrown across the room. She grumbled under her breath and grabbed her gun from where it was stashed near the front door. She stepped into the other room to find Damon facing down the history teacher.

"Are you going to drop the stake?" the vampire asked.

If anything, Alaric only tightened his grip. Lucy raised the gun. "Yes, he is."

The man spun, eyes wide and frantic. "What are you doing here?"

She arched a brow. "I live here. What are you doing here?"

"I want to know what he did to my wife." He sounded so desperate, so lost.

Lucy sighed and held out her hand. "Give me the stake." When he hesitated she gestured with the gun. He gave her the weapon and she walked over and tossed it into the flames. "Sit."

Still wary, the teacher lowered himself into one of the chairs. She turned the gun on Damon. "You too."

He eyed it with a frown. "Which one is that?"

"Wooden bullets."

His face twisted in disgust and he took a seat on the couch. "Fine."

She lowered the weapon. "Now, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to pour everyone a drink then the vampire is going to explain to the humans exactly what he did to the wife. Understood?"

Damon rolled his eyes but nodded as did the teacher. Lucy laid the gun on the mantle before pouring three drinks. After passing them out, she sat on the other end of the sofa where Damon was.

Alaric sipped his drink, his gaze never leaving her. "You know what they are. Doesn't it bother you?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "Not really. I grew up around vampires. My world view's a little different. Damon proceed, please. And be polite."

He took a large swallow of his drink. "Isobel found me. Not the other way around. She knew what I was. She was desperate. Obsessed with vampires."

"How did she know?" Lucy asked.

"Didn't ask. She wanted me to turn her. I pushed her away for several weeks but she was persistent. The night I finally gave her what she wanted was the night he saw us. She transitioned and disappeared while I was sleeping. I never saw her again. That's all there is to it." Damon finished his drink and sat the glass down.

The teacher just stared at him as if processing his words. "I don't believe you."

Lucy tapped her finger against the side of her glass. "He doesn't have a reason to lie. Trust me, if he killed her, he'd just tell you. He gave you your answers so this ends. You try to stake him again and you won't live long enough to regret it."

His gaze flicked between her and Damon. "Who's going to kill me, you or him?"

"Does it matter?"