regarding Bree using the "discipline" she learned, along with what's been said, this could also mean that she was able to sit through something like bloodletting or impregantion in a mature way. it's not necessarily something you can practice specifically, but anything that strengthens your discipline and willpower is gonna make you more ready to do that.
regarding Lucy "holding her hand" through the whole thing, this also struck me as odd, and it kinda reminded me of how she said she "wasn't afraid" of the ceremony anymore because Lucy was coming. my first thought was "that must have been awkward" cuz Bree had been talking about doing the steps that Lucy had taught her, it seemed like Lucy being attached to her just would have made them more difficult (in a cumbersome kind of way) to perform. i think when she said "through the whole thing", she could have meant more whatever specific difficult thing Bree had been scared of during the ceremony (ie the blood taking or the sex). also, it kind of reminded me of the kinds of things women say about the people who were with them during childbirth, but i personally don't think Bree already had a baby or anything.
(kinda farfetched:) also, i haven't seen any mention on the boards of Daniel's telling us that Bree and Lucy were inside her house for like an hour before they left for the ceremony (possibly just because i haven't been all the way through that thread), but could the sexual part have happened before they left, and then the ritual just have been to ensure conception or something? of course, one would think that Daniel would tell us if Lucy had brought somebody else with her. but then again, there's more to Lucy than meets the eye in my book... who knows?
