Lucy spent the night tossing and turning. She knew that nap was going to bite her in the ass. Awake far earlier than she liked, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She pulled on a pair of pajama pants with the t-shirt she'd worn to bed. Only copious amounts of caffeine were going to get her through the day. Coffee. She needed lots and lots of coffee.

She opened her door only to jump back and yelp as something fell with a thud. Her hands were clamped over her mouth and she stared at Damon with wide eyes as he laid on the floor at her feet.

He scowled as he opened one eye to glare at her. "Ow."

"What are you doing, Salvatore?" she finally managed to ask.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows with a smirk. "You didn't want to sleep with me and I wasn't about to leave you unprotected with Katherine running around."

She couldn't stop the soft smile that curved her lips. "You didn't have to sleep in the hallway, stupid vampire. That was unnecessary. I would have been fine."

After getting to his feet, he grabbed the blanket and pillow he'd been using from the floor. "Agree to disagree, kitten." He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "Now, get dressed. I'll make breakfast and we'll have an overdue conversation."

Her eyes searched his but saw no hint as to what was in store. Finally, she nodded. "As long as that breakfast includes caffeine."

He laughed and sauntered down the hall to his room. "Get a move on, Williams."

Lucy managed to swallow down two cups of coffee and three bites of pancakes before her phone rang. She answered on speaker so she could keep eating. "Hey, Stef, what's up?"

"Caroline is in transition."

Her chest went tight as pure sorrow swamped her and her fork slid from her fingers. She wasn't bothered her friend was a vampire as much as the fact she hadn't had a choice in the timing.

"What the fuck do you mean she's in transition, Stefan?" Damon snapped. He moved to the table and rested his hand on the back of Lucy's neck in a comforting gesture. "She was fine yesterday. She's in the hospital for fuck's sake. How could she possibly have died between then and now?"

"She caught a glimpse of 'Elena' right before the bitch broke her neck." Stefan was pissed of course, but truth be told he sounded just a little heartbroken as well.

"How did Katherine know she'd had my blood?" Damon asked with a frown. "Only the three of us knew and it's not like we went around announcing it."

Stefan sighed. "I don't think she did."

Lucy blinked as she processed the fact that the only reason her best friend was alive was because of dumb luck. Katherine Pierce was officially on her shit list.

"Lucy," Stefan said catching her attention. "Don't come up here. I'm going to compel us out of here once it gets dark. I'll bring her home with me. You can see her there in a more controlled environment. Damon, could you come? She's understandably freaking out. It would do her good to talk to someone besides her boyfriend about all this I think."

"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit." He left the room to get ready to go.

"Hey, Stef, you should know that while this is a shock, Caroline and I had already talked about her changing," Lucy said.

"You have?"

She smiled though he couldn't see it. "It's one of those topics that comes up when you date vampires. You either think about changing or face the fact that the relationship won't last. She was more than willing to change. She'd just intended to wait a few years. So don't let this destroy you. And for gods' sake, don't distance yourself for her own good, Salvatore."

"I wasn't planning on it." Stefan's tone was lighter, less tense.

"Good. Tell my girl I love her and I'll see her soon." Lucy ended the call and looked up to see Damon in the doorway watching with a smile.

"You're good people, Lucy Williams," he said. He walked over and gave her a kiss when she tilted her head back.

She grinned against his lips. "So I've been told."

He stepped away with a sigh. "I'll be back. Keep your phone and one of your guns on you today, please. I'll lock the door on my way out."

She nodded and he gave her one more kiss on the top of her head before he disappeared. Once she'd heard the door shut Lucy sat up her phone to facetime Elijah. She needed another favor and they needed to have a conversation about both doppelgangers. Lucy's patience was gone.

He answered almost immediately. He looked pleased to see her but tired. "Hello, little one. It is good to talk to you."

"You look exhausted, 'lijah."

He lifted his brows in acknowledgment and nodded his head. "I'm overdue to get some sleep but I was taking care of a pressing matter. How are you?"

Sadness suddenly swamped her as the last few days caught up with her. She pressed her lips together as she tried to regain her composure. A tear slipped from her eye before she could stop it and she hastily wiped it away.

"What happened? Are you alright?" His voice was sharp, worried. Lucy didn't cry often so he always panicked when she did.

She took a deep breath. "You remember my friend Caroline?"

His brow furrowed. "The excitable blonde, yes?"

"That's her," she said as she smiled softly at the description. "She was in a car accident the other day and would have died if Damon didn't give her his blood. She was killed in the hospital last night and is in transition."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Katherine's the one that killed her."

Elijah shifted so he sat straighter and his jaw went tight. "Katherine Pierce is in Mystic Falls? Do you know this for certain?"

Lucy made a sound of agreement. "Seen her, been threatened, got the t-shirt."

His gaze narrowed as he ran it over the part of Lucy he could see. "She threatened you?"

She shrugged. "She's very possessive of the Salvatores."

He ran his tongue along his teeth and pursed his lips. "I can't come there. Not right now. If you encounter her again use her true name. She was born Katerina Petrova. It's a name she hasn't used since she first ran from us. Infer you are connected to my family. If necessary, call me and I'll talk to her. Try not to spook her off if you can. I'd hate for her to disappear before I can have a conversation with her in person."

"Speaking of Katherine, the boys had always told me that Elena looked like her. I didn't realize they were literal mirror images. Doppelgangers. I am assuming Katherine running off and becoming a vamp is why you want us to watch the human one. Why? What do you need her for?"

A smile curved his lips and he gave a little shake of his head. "I sometimes forget how intelligent you are. What I am about to tell you can be repeated to no one, including your Salvatores. Understood?"

"Of course."

"The doppelganger is needed to end a curse involving my brother. As I have been unable to locate him on my own, I intend to draw him out using her as bait. He will be weak during the ritual and I will be able to kill him then. If something happens to her, I will lose my chance," he explained.

There were still a lot of questions but Lucy knew he'd already shared more than he'd intended. "Why do you want to kill him?"

He sighed. "Niklaus effectively killed the rest of our siblings."

Her eyes went wide. "I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me?"

His gaze softened. "You were still a child at the time, little one. Besides, my family dynamics are a bit odd to put it mildly. There is much that would need to be explained for you to understand it all even now."

"So explain."

"Maybe someday," he said with a laugh. "Just keep Elena Gilbert safe until I need her and call me if I need to take a more hands on approach with her ancestor."

Lucy nodded. "Okay. Could you please send me a daylight ring for Caroline? Make it something pretty."

"It will be there by the end of the day."

"Thank you. Love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," he responded before disconnecting the call.

***

Damon returned home early afternoon and found Lucy curled up on the couch reading a book with one of her guns laying on the table beside her. "Hey, Babe," he said as he walked into the room.

She smiled and laid the book on the cushion beside her. "How is she?"

He shrugged as he poured himself a drink. "Confused. Upset. She'll probably be moving in here. You know, since her mom's a vampire killing sheriff."

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose as she wondered how they were going to get away with moving a teenager in with her boyfriend. It wouldn't help keep them under the radar that was for sure. "I suppose it's not as if Liz will notice."

"Hey, now." Damon liked the sheriff, but Lucy's loyalties laid with Caroline. She shrugged. It wasn't worth having an argument over. He studied her for a moment. "We should go to the Halloween carnival tonight."

"Why?"

He leaned forward on the chair in front of him. "I want to know what's going on with the Lockwoods. The device affected them but vervain doesn't so they aren't vampires. I stopped by Carol's on they way home and overheard a conversation. I don't think that Tyler kid knows what he is but I think that uncle of his does."

"And let me guess, you won't let it go until you know as well?"

He simply gave her a smile and a tilt of his head before sipping his drink.

She shook her head. "Fine we'll go to the carnival. You have to buy me cotton candy though."

"Deal."

She stood to go upstairs and get ready and Damon sped in front of her to stop her. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To take a shower and change my clothes. Is there a problem, Salvatore?"

"Just a moment," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm about to do something incredibly selfish but I've already gone too long without doing it. I am 100% madly in love with you, Lucy Williams. I don't deserve you and probably never will. If I was a better man, I'd let you go, but I'm not."

Her breath caught. She'd hoped he was as crazy about her as she was him but she honestly never thought he'd admit to it. It just wasn't who he was. She knew he cared but that was completely different than being in love with her. She grinned and leaned into him. Pressing her lips to his, she sighed in contentment. The kiss was soft at first then they were feeding at each other's lips like they were starving for it. She pulled back and looked up at him through her lashes. "I don't want you to let go of me, Damon. I'm yours forever if you'll have me."

It only took a second for the brightest, most beautiful smile she'd ever seen to cross his face. He gave her another soft kiss. "I'll hold you to that, baby."