"Why are you even here again?" Elena asked me as she opened the door to the boarding house, her dark eyes looking me over.

"Elena!" Caroline chastised from behind her. I ignored them both and stepped past them into the house. Elena and I had never gotten along and it had only gotten worse since she became aware of the supernatural. It wasn't my fault my father's best friend was a vampire. I'd grown up in that world, but Elena seemed to take it as a personal insult every time I knew something she didn't.

"Ah, there's my favorite human," Damon said as I walked into the living room. I gave him a little smile and didn't even have to look at Elena to feel the irritation coming off her.

He poured me a drink and handed it over with a smirk. Stefan came into the room as I sat on the couch and smiled a greeting. "What was it you needed to see us about, Lucy?" he asked. I noticed he didn't look at Elena. They'd only recently broken up because Katherine kept threatening Elena.

I cleared my throat. "I had a run in with your vampy ex-girlfriend today."

Damon had been taking a drink but froze and lowered the glass when I spoke. "Katherine?"

My lips twitched and I sipped the scotch he'd given me. "Unless you two have another ex-girlfriend in common?"

Damon narrowed his eyes and made a face.

"What did she want?" Stefan asked.

"What does Katherine ever want. She wants me to stay away from the two of you." I put the glass down on the table and leaned back on the couch. "I believe her exact words were 'Elena is being a good little pet, why can't you do the same?'"

"Are you serious right now?" Elena snarled at me.

"Why are you getting pissed at me? I didn't say it."

"I just don't understand—"

Stefan held up a hand. "Enough, Elena."

The girl's mouth snapped shut and her bottom lip trembled. "Maybe I should just go home then?"

Stefan turned to look at her then. "Yeah, maybe you should since I told both of you not to come over here in the first place. Caroline, make sure she gets there okay."

He turned back to me and ignored the two women as they left. Damon and I watched them leave then shared a glance. "She's not going to be happy with you tomorrow, little brother."

"It doesn't do a lot of good for us to break up to keep her safe if she's over here all the time. Her leaving in tears will probably make Katherine happier than ever." Irritation laced Stefan's voice though it wasn't clear if it was directed at the vampire or the doppelganger.

"Now, what are we going to do about you, Miss Lucy?" Damon asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing? I only told you guys because I knew you'd get pissed if I didn't. I'm on my own. My only living family is on the other side of the country. You guys are my only friends and she's not likely to hurt you. There isn't anyone for her to threaten."

"Except you," Stefan corrected.

"I can take care of myself. I'm sorry guys but I talk to exactly three people in this town; you two and Ric. I'm not going to quit hanging out with you because of that heifer."

Damon choked on his drink at my nickname for Katherine and coughed. I smirked and picked up my glass to drain the rest of my scotch.

Stefan pushed himself up from his seat. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to stay here then."

I blinked up at him in surprise.

"What a brilliant idea, baby brother." My eyes shot to Damon to find him smirking as per usual.

"Um…do I get a say in this?" I finally found my voice to ask.

"No. You don't," Stefan said as he poured himself a drink. "I won't have you running around out there unprotected with a target on your back. You're too important. To both of us."

While I appreciated their desire to see me safe, I was irritated that they were trying to dictate my life. "I can take care of myself, Stefan. You know that."

Damon moved next to me and pulled me to my feet. He draped a heavy arm over my shoulders. "We're not saying you can't kick ass when the occasion calls for it, Luce. We're saying that we would feel better if you were here where we could keep an eye on you and help you out if need be. Okay?"

I frowned. "God, Salvatore. I hate it when you're all reasonable like. It's so much easier to argue with you when you're a dick."

I yawned as I came down the stairs the next morning. I was dressed in a pair of boxers and one of Damon's old t-shirts. The brothers were supposed to run me by my house to get my stuff sometime today.

I froze at the bottom of the steps when I saw Elena leaning against the wall across from me. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked me over from top to bottom.

"Morning, Elena."

"You're not very good at following instructions," she said. She flashed to me and pushed me against the wall, her hand wrapped around my throat.

"Katherine," I hissed out, my mistake obvious now that the vampire was trying to kill me.

She leaned her face close to my neck and took a deep breath. "You're just lucky you smell like Damon and not Stefan. Now, I want you to leave here and never come back."

Her hand released me and she watched me expectantly, obviously waiting for me to do as she ordered.

I wrapped a hand around my neck and scowled at the vampire wishing I had anything that would pass for a stake. "We're at an impasse here, Katherine. You see, I practically live on vervain and if you kill me, neither of them will ever forgive you for it. And while you are telling yourself right now that you're okay with that because they'll be yours, you and I both know they wouldn't really be, would they?"

"I'm going to rip your heart out."

I arched a brow. "Boys! The bitch is back!"

Katherine backhanded me, sending me to the floor with the force of the blow as pain exploded through my cheek. Almost before I could blink, Damon was standing between me and Katherine and Stefan was helping me off the floor. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low. I gave a nod, wincing at the pain in my neck. Stefan ran his fingers over the soon to be bruises and frowned.

I hadn't even been paying attention to whatever Damon said to the vampire, but my eyes trailed her as she sashayed out the door. "Remember, Damon. Get rid of her or you'll regret it."

"Good morning," I said after a moment to break the tension.

Damon spun to look at me with an arched brow. "I got her, Stef." He looped an arm around my shoulders and led me to the couch in the living room. "You okay?"

Not really, but I just shrugged instead of saying that. Stefan came into the room after a moment and handed me a mug of coffee. I wrapped my hands around it, taking comfort in its warmth. "No offense, boys, but I'm not really feeling safe at the moment."

Stefan scratched at the back of his neck. "Believe it or not, we have a plan for that. It was going to be taken care of today anyway."

I just blinked at him, not following this conversation at all. "I have not had enough caffeine for this."

"Our attorney is coming. We're signing the house over to you. Once you own it, no vampire can get in without being invited," Damon explained.

My brows shot up in my hairline. That was a big deal. "Seriously? Why would you do that?"

"Because you're important. You accepted us both unconditionally. That's a rare thing, Lucy, whether you realize it or not," Stefan answered.

I ducked my head and grinned. "So where are you two going to live?"

"So, wait…they're just giving you their house?" Elena asked for the third time while she sat watching me fill out the paperwork.

I just glanced up at the girl without saying anything. I'd already answered this question. As had Stefan and Damon. Stefan had called Caroline to tell her she needed to come over to be invited in and she had told Elena and here we were.

When we finished, the attorneys left and I moved to the door. The Salvatores and Caroline stood outside waiting for their invitations. "Would the three of you like to come in?" I offered, holding open the door.

Damon came in last. He pecked my cheek and hooked an arm around my waist. "Feel better?"

I nodded.

"I don't understand why you gave the house to her," Elena started up again from the living room.

I rolled my eyes and leaned into Damon's side, pressing my lips against his ear. "Could you turn her into a vampire so I can keep her out of the house?"

"I don't think Stefan would be very happy with you if you did that," he said, laughter in his voice.

We stepped into the living room and Damon went over to pour us both a drink. He handed mine to me and I sipped the liquid, enjoying the burn.

"It's not like you've known her longer. We both met you when you first came to town. You could have given it to me," Elena pouted from her spot on the couch.

"Seriously?" I breathed out, annoyed. "You know I'm standing right here? And you're not even a legal adult."

"Leave it, Lucy," Damon said. "It's so not worth it."

"Elena," Stefan said standing. "I think it's time I told you something that may come as something of a shock to you. It's not always about you."