The next day, Lucy sat in the passenger seat of Damon's car as he pulled up in front of Elena's house. "Why are we here again?" she asked.

"Because I want to find out why John Gilbert is really in town. Last I knew Elena hated him so why call him for help?"

"Maybe because she couldn't get the Salvatores wrapped around her finger like she was hoping? Who cares?"

Damon sighed. "I do because he could be a problem. We have enough of those without new ones showing up."

"Okay, so why am I here? I could be watching a movie in my pjs eating ice cream right now." She pouted.

He grabbed her chin and turned her head to face him before pecking her lips. "You are here because I don't plan on letting you out of my sight for the next hundred years or so after yesterday."

Yesterday had scared her as much as it had him so she wasn't about to argue with him. Not yet anyway.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." He jogged up to the front door which opened quickly. A moment later he was heading back to the car. Elena followed after him calling his name. Damon ignored her and got back in the car. "He's not here."

Lucy smirked and huffed a laugh. "I gathered." She glanced at Elena and back to her boyfriend. "Are you really just going to ignore her?"

The teenager was now leaning on the hood of the car, glaring at Damon while she continued to say his name.

He rolled his eyes before putting his window down. "What?" he snapped.

Elena stomped over to his window. "What do you want with John?"

"It has nothing to do with you," he answered.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course it has to do with me. Are you trying to get him to help you stop the sacrifice?"

Damon sighed. "Sure. Let's go with that."

"I'm going with you." She tried to open Damon's door only to find it locked.

Lucy simply arched a brow at the exchange and shook her head. Maybe John Gilbert would be more cooperative if they had a hostage. Lucy climbed out of the car and leaned her seat up so Elena could get in the back.

"Seriously?" Damon muttered.

Elena scowled. "Oh hi, Lucy. I didn't notice you. I really need to sit in the front. I get carsick. Sorry."

"Listen, the only reason you're getting a ride is because I'm offering you one. So get in the back or walk. I really don't give a shit."

The doppelganger narrowed her eyes but kept her mouth shut and crawled into the back.

Nobody spoke during the drive to the Grill until Damon reached over to link hands with Lucy. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

Elena made a noise of disgust from the back seat.

"Is there a problem, Gilbert?" Damon asked.

"I just didn't realize you two were so close is all."

"Then you're an idiot," Lucy stated to end the conversation. The girl was either blind, stupid or trying to stir up shit. With her, who knew.

They parked near the Grill and Damon held Lucy's hand as they walked inside. John Gilbert noticed them immediately, his gaze moving between them and Elena. Damon led the girls over to the bar. "I want to talk to him alone."

Lucy nodded, not having any interest in speaking to the man again. Elena, however, laid a hand on his arm. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Day, I think I should go with you."

Damon stared at her hand in disgust before brushing it off. "My name is Damon, not Day or whatever variation you can think of."

Elena rolled her eyes and huffed. "I mean it, Damon," she said emphasizing his name. "Don't do anything stupid."

Lucy bit her tongue. Her boyfriend could handle himself.

"But stupid is so much more fun," he said with a wink in Lucy's direction. She bit back the urge to laugh.

As he started to head to John's table, Elena grabbed his arm again and stopped him. "I mean it. Control yourself. Be the better man. I know you can do it."

His jaw worked as he glared down at her. Lucy pushed herself between the two of them and looped her arms around Damon's waist. His gaze shifted to her and his features softened as he traced her chin with his thumb. "You do what you need to do, Day. I'll grab a seat," she said, deliberately using the nickname, and kissed him gently before pulling away.

He smirked then crashed his lips against hers and she opened her mouth to grant him access when he traced her lip with his tongue. Their kiss was unhurried but passionate and Lucy had all but forgotten where they were when Elena cleared her throat, interrupting them. They pulled away and Damon pressed one more quick kiss to her lips before heading toward John Gilbert. Lucy followed him with her gaze.

"You can't just give him free rein like that, Lucy. You don't know what he can be like," Elena said from beside her.

Lucy glanced in her direction. "You don't know anything about him. About either of them. You have some fucked up image in your head of what they're like that is completely wrong, I assure you. Damon is not a horse. He doesn't need to be broken or reined in. I'm pretty sure by his age, he's figured shit out. He doesn't need my permission to be himself and he sure as hell doesn't need yours. Excuse me."

There was an empty seat at the bar which Lucy claimed, turning her back on Elena as she did so. She ordered a bourbon and waited for her vampire to get done threatening the male Gilbert. It wasn't long before Damon arrived and compelled the person in the seat next to her to move. After he'd gotten his own drink, he took a sip and turned to Lucy. "Thank you."

She arched a brow. "For what?"

"For what you said to Elena."

She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal and to her it wasn't. "I fell in love with you just the way you are, not some romanticized version of you. I don't need you to be anything other than what you are."

"God, I love you." He kissed her temple and she sighed in contentment as she leaned her head on his shoulder. His phone went off and he read the text before handing the phone to her. "Looks like we've got a rescue mission, beautiful. Let's go."

She read Stefan's text informing them about Caroline's kidnapping as she followed him out to the car. "Why is there so much damn drama in this town?"

***

As they neared the location Stefan had sent them, Lucy opened the glovebox and changed out the clip in her gun.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, his voice tight.

She glanced to him with a lifted brow. "Wolfsbane."

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. You are here strictly for post-rescue comfort."

She thought about arguing or complaining about being left out but in the end she simply gave a nod. The tension visibly flowed from Damon with her agreement. Once he parked, he gave her a kiss, handed her the keys, and darted away to help his brother rescue Caroline. Lucy pulled out her phone and texted the situation to Elijah. Hopefully he could send help.

A short time later, her phone alerted her that her Original uncle wished to Facetime. She accepted and gave him a little wave when the call connected. He narrowed his gaze as he looked at what he could see around her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm in the car like a good girl." She turned the phone so he could see for himself.

She found him smirking when she turned the phone back. "How unusual for you." He laughed when she glared at him. "I have sent Jonas to aid your Salvatores."

Relief flooded through her. "Thank you."

"Of course, little one. They are yours and you are mine. I will assist where I am able."

They spoke until a knock on the window made her jump. Damon gave her a smile and she said her goodbyes as she leaned over and unlocked his door. "Caroline?" she asked once he was safely inside.

"She's okay. She's riding home with Stef." He started the car but turned in the seat so he was facing her. "So, funny thing happened. Jonas Martin showed up and knocked out all the werewolves."

"You don't say?"

"He said 'Elijah sends his regards'. Don't suppose you had anything to do with that?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"Of course I did." She shrugged. "It was a way I could help without being in danger."

"Yeah, well, the witch saved our asses. Remind me to thank Elijah later."

When they arrived home, Lucy sent Damon up to shower while she threw together food for everyone. Firstly, she headed down to the freezer to fetch blood for the vampires. Deer for Stefan and human for the other two. She warmed two bags for Caroline, the microwave going off just as Lucy heard the front door close. "Blood," she announced.

Stefan and Caroline joined her a moment later. Lucy placed the blood on the counter and moved around to hug Care. The blonde held the blood bag with one hand and embraced her friend with the other. "I'm so glad you're okay," Lucy whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Once Caroline finished the first bag, she dropped it and wrapped both arms around her best friend. Finally, they pulled apart.

"Drink the rest of the blood and the both of you get cleaned up. I'll stick a pizza in the oven and we'll have a sleep over in our room. The bed is big enough for all four of us, something I really don't want to think about," Lucy instructed, her nose scrunching.

Stefan chuckled and tugged Caroline away to his room. Lucy put the pizza in and warmed up blood for Damon. She took it up to their room so he could have it while it was warm. He was still in the shower and she looked him over from head to toe. "Well, hello you."

He smirked. "You're welcome to join."

"Hmm. Tempting, but I have a pizza in the oven and Stefan and Caroline are coming up for a sleep over." She handed him the blood and waited for him to finish so she could take the bag with her. A hollow gong sounded throughout the house. "And the doorbell just rang."

Damon handed the empty blood bag over. "At least we know it's not Elena. She would have just walked in."

"That's not as funny as you think it is, Salvatore," she called over her shoulder. As she disposed of the bag in the kitchen, the bell rang again. "Oh, just fuck off already," she muttered.

Opening the door revealed John Gilbert on the front porch. "Why?" Lucy asked.

The man blinked a few times. "Damon and I didn't finish our conversation earlier. Can I come in?"

"No." She moved to shut the door but he pressed a hand against the wood to stop her.

"Now, there's no need for that. I think we got off on the wrong foot. We all want the same thing. We should work together," John coaxed.

Lucy tilted her head as if she was contemplating his offer. He smiled and dropped his hand. She smiled in return though hers held an edge his didn't. "You tried to kill my boyfriend. Do it again and I'll kill you myself. Also, I see where Elena got her manners. Call next time." She slammed the door and flipped both locks.

She turned to find Damon in only a pair of pajama pants watching in amusement. She shrugged. "Did you find out anything from him earlier?" she asked as she headed back to the kitchen.

Damon trailed behind her. "Not really. Let's just focus on blondie tonight. We can worry about the assorted Gilberts tomorrow."

They gathered pizza, drinks and snacks and headed up to their room to find the other pair already snuggled on one side of the bed. They put on a movie while they ate and slowly Caroline became more herself. By the time they fell asleep the girls were snuggled together with their boyfriends on either side of them. They had never felt safer or more content.