AVY stood beside Caroline outside the Lockwood Mansion, assisting the girl in setting up for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, Stefan's voice sounding through the phone that he held.
"What do you mean you're not coming?" Caroline whined.
"You know your Miss Mystic Falls attendance record totally sucks" Avy stated as he sipped champagne.
"Besides, you're a founding family member, by definition you have to be here" Caroline spoke as they moved into the hall.
Caroline watched as one of the helpers incorrectly arranged a bouquet, Caroline grabbing the flowers and rearranging them herself.
"Elena and I broke up" Stefan argued "By definition, I don't need to be anywhere"
"Did that sound as depressing to you as it did to me?" Avy smirked.
"Oh, I'm not depressed" Stefan denied "I just want to rip into someone's artery and feed until I can't breathe anymore"
"So let's go!" Avy grinned "My kill count is almost in triple digits"
"Artie!" Caroline scolded.
"Relax, I don't do it here" Avy smirked "But the Lynchberg and Charlottesville police force are very busy"
"Well, you can't" Caroline smacked his arm "As your sober sponsor, I am not going to let that happen, try and sublimate"
Avy rolled his eyes.
"She said she has feelings for Damon" Stefan admitted.
"What?!" Caroline paused "She can't have feelings for Damon! He's...Damon, and you're...you, and I'm...revolted"
Avy snorted.
"You know, I'm gonna talk to her" Caroline decided "I'm going to shake some sense into her clearly diseased brain"
"Yeah, well I don't know what good that'll do" Stefan sighed "Elena's right, being a vampire really has changed her"
"All the more reason you need to cure her" Caroline suggested.
Elena began to move into the room, spotting Caroline and Avy.
"Look, we've got to go" Caroline said "Be careful, and remember, there is sublimating and then there is insanity"
"I'll be fine" Stefan said "Bye"
Avy hung up the phone as Elena reached them.
"Look, I'm your best friend and I would never pick sides, but are you sure that this is what you want? Because Stefan is your soul mate" Caroline began.
Elena looked up at the girl.
"Sorry" Caroline sighed "Picking sides"
"It's not like I don't love Stefan anymore" Elena began "But I can't deny that ever since I turned, my feelings for Damon have become more intense"
"Yeah, we know" Avy said.
"Stefan filled us in on all the gory Damon details" Caroline nodded.
"He did?" Elena was surprised and worried "Is he okay?
"No, he's heartbroken" Avy scoffed.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? Lie to him?" Elena huffed.
"No, but you weren't supposed to let Damon weasel his way into your confused newbie vampire heart" Caroline retorted.
"Well, he did and that's exactly what I am, confused" Elena sighed "I need to figure out what these feelings actually mean"
The three friends were approached by a familiar face.
"Excuse me, I'm a little lost" He spoke "I'm here to interview contestants.
"You're Professor Shane" Elena stated, exchanging a look with her friends.
"Yeah, that's right" Shane smiled "Professor by day; pageant judge by other day, in spite of being absurdly unqualified, I'm apparently awarding a scholarship"
"Inside by the parlour" Caroline pointed.
"Right in here?" Shane confirmed with a point.
Caroline nodded.
"All right, I'll just follow the scent of hairspray and world domination" Shane joked.
Caroline laughed politely, Shane moving away as Elena and Avy turned to Caroline.
"He's the one who told Damon how to break the hunter's curse" Elena informed.
"He's also the one that has Bonnie so obsessed with practicing magic that she bailed on pageant prep" Caroline added.
"And now he's judging Miss Mystic Falls?" Avy raised an eyebrow "Jack of all trades or kind of creepy?"
The three of them watched after him warily.
-
Avy grinned at Caroline as she paused the girls in front of her.
"Those flowers go in the back as indicated by the floral chart that you guys had plenty of time to memorise" Caroline ordered, the girls turning around "Yeah, thank you"
Avy laughed.
"Now, how did I know I'd find you at the helm of the ship?" Klaus approached, Avy's smile falling.
"Go away" Avy instructed.
"Actually, I'm here to talk to Caroline" Klaus smiled at the blonde "I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow"
"How about a quarter to never?" Caroline retorted.
"I was promised a date in return for one of my hybrids" Klaus said.
"Yes, a date" Caroline agreed "Like to a movie where we don't have to talk and I can put at least three seats between us"
"Well, surely the reigning Miss Mystic Falls won't be hosting the party alone" Klaus began "And I assume you're not taking Tyler, not after his indiscretions with his lady werewolf friend"
"I was actually going to be taking Avy" Caroline informed.
Avy sent Klaus a fake smile. Klaus looked up at the girl with puppy dog eyes, Caroline agreeing.
"Fine, if you insist on coming, meet me here, two p.m" Caroline informed "Black tie optional and I already have a dress, so don't even think of getting me so much as a corsage, you understand?"
Klaus nodded, Caroline moving away.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline" Klaus spoke, leaving the house.
"Mmm, Klaus date" Avy smirked.
"Shut up" Caroline sighed.
"I can see it now, Caroline Mikaelson" Avy grinned.
"We could be in-laws if Elijah ever comes back" Caroline said, the words leaving her mouth before she thought.
Avy's smile fell.
"Oh, Avy, I'm sorry, I didn't even think" Caroline apologised.
"Don't worry, Care" Avy spoke, his smirk returning "I couldn't care less about Elijah anymore, trust me"
-
Avy leaned back in his chair as he watched April trying on dresses, Caroline and Elena beside him.
"Blue" Avy stated.
"Really? The blue seems a little safe" April worried.
"Safe is good when it comes to the judges" Elena spoke.
"She's right" Caroline nodded "Gracie Lockwood had a three-foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court"
Avy and Elena laughed as Damon moved into the room.
"She got my vote" Damon teased.
Caroline threw something at the vampire, Damon ignoring it as it hit his chest.
"Get out, lurker!" Caroline instructed.
"Ouch" Damon spoke sarcastically W'here's Professor Shane?"
"Check the judges' table" Avy suggested.
Caroline pushed Damon backwards, about to shut the door on him when he pushed it open again, the blonde moving away.
"Red one, definitely" Damon spoke to April.
Caroline paused, turning to Damon with her arms crossed.
"We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy" Caroline glanced at the doppelgänger.
"It's a pageant" Damon rolled his eyes "That's the whole point"
"Did you win Miss Mystic last year?" Caroline questioned rhetorically "No, I don't think you did"
"Neither did Elena and she wore blue" Damon retorted.
"Nobody cares what you think" Avy smirked.
"I care" April spoke softly.
"See? April cares" Damon argued "Red, right, Elena?"
Caroline turned to Elena, Elena glancing at April.
"The red is pretty" She agreed.
"And my work here is done" Damon smirked, Caroline's face falling.
As Damon exited the room Avy narrowed his eyes at Elena, Caroline upset.
"What happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one?" Avy wondered "What happened to safe is good?"
"Whichever one you want to wear, April" Elena stood, ignoring Avy as she exited the room.
"What just happened?" Caroline wondered.
Avy continued to glare after Elena.
-
Caroline stood on stage, introducing the contestants as Avy stood by Elena's side, the girl exchanging brief glances with Damon every now and then, clapping as the contestants were revealed, Matt approaching.
"Have you seen Jeremy?" Matt wondered.
"He's probably up there with the escorts" Avy suggested.
"Yeah, Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts" Matt spoke as they tried to spot him "He's not here"
Elena was visibly worried.
"Did he tell you about his nightmares?" Matt asked.
"What nightmares?" Elena questioned.
"The ones where he kills you" Matt explained.
Both Avy and Elena raised their eyebrows.
"I'll find him" Elena began.
"April's about to get abandoned" Avy stated.
"I got this" Matt spoke.
Matt moved towards the escort line up, holding his arm out as April began to move down the stairs, taking Matt's arm with a smile. As the escorts all made their way to the dance floor, beginning to dance, Elena peered at Damon, smiling gently at him before exiting the crowd with Avy.
"Hey" Caroline greeted "What's with the last minute escort change? Where is Jeremy?"
"I'm calling him right now" Elena dialled his phone "He's not picking up"
"Do the math" Damon approached "Emo teen, open bar, it's fine"
"Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from us" Elena worried.
"Relax, I'm sure he's fine" Damon shrugged it off.
"I don't know" Elena sighed "I have a bad feeling"
"If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried" Damon said "Let it go, I'll go look for him"
"Okay" Elena nodded.
"Okay, you go home, I'm gonna start asking around here" Avy rolled his eyes as Damon left.
"Maybe Damon's right" Elena suggested "Maybe he grabbed a bottle from the bar and snuck off to the woods"
"No, Damon is never right" Caroline disagreed "Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right, how can you not see that?"
"I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me?" Elena said.
"Fine, friend-tervention" Caroline began "I think your so-called 'feelings' for Damon are really starting to cloud your judgment and I don't like it, and the thought of you two together really makes me want to barf"
"Easy, love, you're making a scene" Klaus approached.
"Of course you're here" Avy smirked.
"Wow, Caroline, thank you for making this very difficult time so much easier" Elena stropped off.
"How did I become the bad guy?" Caroline wondered.
"Let's get you a drink" Klaus suggested "I can tell you all about being the bad guy"
-
Avy sat in Caroline's living room, taking the shot that Stefan had just poured, the Salvatore handing another to Caroline.
"Elena's right" Stefan began "I just...I need to let go"
"No, you're right, Stefan" Avy said "It's not pretty and it's not easy, but you can't give up on her"
"Avy, Caroline, she looked me in the eye and she told me to move on" Stefan argued.
"She's lost, okay, you and her, epic" Caroline said "Her and Damon, ugh, God, there's something wrong with her, just promise me you won't stop looking for the cure"
"Klaus won't let me even if I wanted to" Stefan said.
"Why does he care?" Caroline asked "He doesn't even want it"
"He wants to keep Elena human so that he can make more hybrids" Avy informed.
"He's gonna need them" Caroline leaned back "Tyler's almost got all of them unsired"
Caroline suddenly sat up straight, a shocked expression on her face.
"Oh my God" She spoke "Oh. My. God"
Stefan held his arms out, gesturing for her to explain.
"I was trying to understand why Klaus was so intrigued by Damon and Elena" Caroline began "He said I would figure it out, this is what he was talking about"
"What are you talking about?" Avy wondered.
"Think about it, every time Elena's had a problem, Damon's been the magic solution" Caroline explained "Today, Elena was worried about Jeremy, who swoops in and tells her to relax? Damon, and she listens"
"Oh!" Avy looked up in realisation, a small smile raising on his face at the humour he found.
"Oh?" Stefan was still confused.
"When Elena started feeding, who said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein?" Avy asked.
"Damon" Stefan began to understand.
"And when she tried to drink from animals?" Caroline asked.
"She couldn't keep it down" Stefan answered.
"And blood bags?" Avy said.
"Same thing" Stefan nodded.
"Name one vampire in the history of vampires who couldn't drink blood from a blood bag" Caroline spoke "Damon said she couldn't, so she couldn't"
"Damon likes the red dress" Avy began "Elena likes the red dress"
"Damon says kill Connor and she kills Connor" Stefan added.
"What if it's possible? Damon's blood made her a vampire, right?" Caroline asked "It's rare, but it happens, what if this is one of those times? What if this is really happening?"
Avy laughed as he looked up at Stefan.
"Elena's sired to Damon"