Title: Whatever it takes

Summary: Torn between his feelings for Isobel and developing relationship with Jenna, Alaric has to figure out what is it that he needs most. And when strange deaths start to occur in Mystic Falls, he teams up with Damon to try to protect people they care about.

Characters: Jenna, Alaric, Isobel, Damon, Jeremy, Elena, Stefan (maybe down the line, or at least mentions of him), John

Spoilers: Throughout Season 1

Timeline: In the end of Season 1 but before The Founder's Day massacre

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, just borrowed them for a little while. Promise to give them all back unharmed, more or less

Author's Note: This story takes place after my first fic "It is what it is" and it is 70% Jalaric-centered with some parts of Damon and Alaric working together.

And here is a little addition to the summary, sort of. Some facts that will help the story make sense: Jenna knows that Damon and Stefan are the vampires * she does not know though about John's affair with Isobel and the fact that he could be Elena's father * Alaric does not know about Jenna's affair with John in the past * Anna is alive * Jenna does not know that Anna is a vampire, nor does she know that Alaric was the one who staked Logan * Alaric wasn't compelled by Isobel and has to get over her on his own (yeah, it's a little AU but I wanted to add some drama) * None of them knows that Katherine is back in town

Please, ignore typos :)))

Prologue

It was a funny feeling, a mixture of lightness, dizziness and freedom. Something that you only feel when you dream about flying when you know that no matter what happens, you can never fall. She always imagined that it was exactly how Alice felt falling down the rabbit's hole. Was she really dreaming? Well, how could she know that if she wasn't even sure she was still alive?

She remembered being angry and upset and pretty much on the verge of tears but she couldn't remember why. She also remembered dark-gray asphalt in the light of the car headlights, dangerously slippery after the rain. There were no streetlamps alongside the road after the thunderstorm damaged the electricity cables. And wasn't it weird that she remembered that?

Well, if she was dead than she knew one thing for sure – it was all a lie that you could see your entire life flashing before your mind's eyes before you die. She didn't see anything, or if she did, then she didn't remember a thing. She could see her car though, or at least what was left of it, lying on the bottom on the ditch with its back bumper stuck out awkwardly into the air. She could set it and she couldn't be bothered less, for one reason or another.

So, was she dead? Or was she dreaming? And was there a way to find it out?

She had a strange feeling though, something uncomfortable that settle at the edge was her mind and was never letting her go. As if there was something that she needed to know, something that she needed to remember, and that was something that was very important, if not the most important thing for her right now. But no matter how much she tried, no matter how much she struggled, the thought was slipping away from her every time she was getting too close.

It wasn't right. If she was dead, why couldn't she just go? If she died, she was supposed to move on, no? Where was the light? Why was she watching her wreck of a car instead of… well, she didn't know what she was expected to do, but it surely wasn't what she was doing now.

And then… then there was this tugging, as if something was pulling her down. Down – where? But there was something around her, like a net, and she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't move, she couldn't breath, she couldn't even feel – not exactly. She could only register what was going on.

There was a snap then, as if two matching pieces of puzzle came together, and she was back. The feeling was overwhelming. There were sounds all around here again, freakishly numerous and loud, and the chilly air on her skin, and the memories that flooded her mind making her head spin. And there also was something else… something she couldn't quite figure out at first… something like…

Hunger.

Chapter 1

She was cute, Damon thought. In that special blonde-after-college-on-the-road-trip way. He kinda liked the dimples that appeared on her cheeks every time her lips curved into a smile. And she was pretty drunk, too. Not I-can-barely-stand-on-my-legs drunk, but enough to be babbly with a stranger and not give a damn about it. And she seemed to be pretty happy about having him for a company. Almost as much as he would be happy to have her for dessert later, Damon mused in his mind.

"So, how did such a pretty thing like you ended up here?" He asked with the most charming smile of his as the bartender put another round of drinks before them.

"Oh, by pure accident," she confided in a low voice bending closer to him.

"A luck one, I dare to hope?" He also bent forward a little mirroring her gesture.

The girl giggled and the fact that she flushed didn't go past Damon either. "See, my friend and I, we're from New-York," she went on. "And we decided it would be kind of cool to drive across the country instead of going to Miami or something, like most of our friends did." She made a funny face. "But somewhere… um, not far from here," she waved her hand vaguely, "we, well, took the wrong turn, I guess. And… here I am! " She flashed a brilliant white-teeth smile.

"Aw, really?" Damon's brows shot up. "Now isn't it… just a perfect coincidence? And where are you going?"

"To California," the ice cubes clinked in the glass as the girl turned it from side to side in her hand. Well, of course to California, Damon chuckled mentally. "It should be lovely at this time of the year. New-York is too grey and dull already. Have you ever been to New-York?" She cocked her head watching Damon with interest.

"A million of times," he rolled his eyes making a distinct emphasis on million. "And this friend of yours-?"

"Oh, she said she was tired and chose to stay at the motel," the girl sighed and pouted. "So boring!"

"Well, her loss! Now, tell me more about that college of yours." He lowered his voice again to that intimate half-whisper that implied sharing secrets. "Tell me all about it."

Gee, it was too easy to be actually exciting. He didn't have to even think of compelling her to do something. She was more than eager to open up her soul to him on her on will. Which was a little boring, Damon had to admit. It kinda killed the whole fun of the hunt. Not that hitting on the girls in the bar was an actual hunt… Hell, he didn't even remember the last time he was out with the fire burning in his veins, in search for helpless prey. And wasn't it pathetic?

After asking her about the college, Damon turned off his hearing completely knowing that he would probably go crazy if he attempted to pay attention to everything she was pouring onto him. Really-s, Wow-s and That's interesting-s alongside with nodding and humming from time to time was all that he needed to keep her going. And it was exactly what gave him some time to think of something that actually mattered.

Like, his brother being a "human-blood-o-holic" with practically no will-power to control his obsession. And they had to do something about it. Not that the idea of keeping Stefan locked in the cellar for the rest of eternity wasn't appealing, but it would take a great part of fun out of Damon's life. How would he make his brother's life miserable and full of suffering if it was as miserable and full of suffering as possible? Not that he wouldn't like to do it anyway.

And there was John "Jackass" Gilbert lurking around, definitely having an angle of his own, and that was a serious thing to consider. Damon never pegged him for the guy who would come back to his hometown to protect it from the bad and the evil because his heart told him to do so. It bothered him on more than one level that he couldn't figure out what John's reasons could possibly be. But he knew for sure that he had a bad feeling about it.

Then there also was Isobel, who, by some cruel twist of fate, turned out to be Elena's mommy. And who couldn't escape getting in all of this mess to make it even more exciting. If karma existed, Damon thought grimly, then that was exactly what he had to deal with now.

And the last, but not the least, was Elena… his heart – or whatever he had where his heart once beat – gave a leap at the thought of the dark-haired girl, and Damon finished his drink in one big gulp gesturing to the bartender for another one. And if he didn't have a heart, why was he feeling so jealous of her spending all of her time with his brooding and boring brother? Why did he care so much for her well-being? Why on earth wasn't he able to get her the hell out of his head?

Because you're an idiot, little evil voice inside of his head reminded him mischievously.

The thought almost made Damon sick, and when the bartender put another glass of bourbon before him, he fought a wish to actually ask for the whole bottle to save them both a whole lot of trouble.

"What about you?"

Somehow, the question made its way into Damon's mind.

"Mm, I'm sorry?" She wouldn't really care about the lack of attention anyway, he decided. Still, the smile was back, more a habit than actual interest, but what's the big deal?

"Are you from around here?"

"It's a long story," Damon replied evasively. "And so boring."

"Oh, I think that everything you say is interesting," the girl purred and made an effective pause, "if only because it's you who is saying it."

Keep believing it, he willed her mentally.

"You know what? I've got a better idea," Damon made an attempt to recall her name because she obviously mentioned it somewhere along the way. It turned out he didn't pay enough attention to remember it. Not that it mattered… He could easily make her believe that her name was Merlin Monroe and she wouldn't even find it amusing. "Why don't we-?"

He tensed then and looked around the bar.

Everything seemed to be normal – people drank beer, played pool and chatted creating that special buzz that was so common for public places at night. No one seemed to be merely bothered by… Damon shook his head trying to get rid of the feeling. He listened intensely then. Hell, he was sure he heard a scream, and then silence fell which made even his blood run cold for some reason.

He whipped his head sideways fighting to figure out where it could have come from.

It was getting annoying and he cursed in his mind. One thing about his super-abilities that he hated most sometimes was that she could never turn them off. He learned to distract himself from it enough not to go crazy, but that was it. And now he knew that he heard what he heard and something didn't let him ignore it, no matter how tempting this option was.

A blessing in disguise, only the other way around, he thought sourly. Seriously, he hated the feeling! Why the hell was it any of his problem, anyway?

But apparently, it was. Damon growled lowly. He was getting even more pathetic, if it was possible.

"I'll be right back," he winked at the girl, what's-her-name. "Stay here and don't go anywhere."

"Sure," she breathed out.

On that, he slid off of the tall stool, hoping he'd get back to his unfinished drink some time soon… and then he suddenly did a thing that made him practically hate himself. He turned to the girl who was watching him with interest, looked her in the eye and said:

"On the other hand, I think you should go back to the motel and have some sleep," which was so Stefan-like that it made him cringe. Inwardly.

"Sure," she nodded with the willingness of a kid who was offered to take a trip to a Disneyland.

"Good girl."

Looks like I will end up with the cocktail from the nearest blood bank again, he thought with frustration. Damon hated cold blood, for crying out loud! It wasn't some freaking Dr. Pepper to drink it with ice! It was thick and sticky and unbelievably delicious when it was hot! And right now it was making its way out of the bar.

"So, it's Social Psychology?" Alaric asked. "Why?"

He was standing at the counter with his hip leaned against the marble surface and his arms crossed on his chest, and watched Jenna move around the kitchen, her hair pulled up into a pony-tail with a few loose strands framing the face giving her a sweet homey look.

Microwave dinged as Jenna retrieved a huge plastic bowl from the cupboard.

"Honestly?" She paused and then smirked. "No, you will laugh."

"I won't."

She hesitated for a moment. Took her time to fish paper bag that looked like a balloon from the microwave and empty it into the bowl as the scent of fresh popcorn filled the kitchen.

"I chose it because it had nothing to do with what I wanted in life," she confessed at last smiling sheepishly. "Thought I'd be less disappointed if I didn't have any expectations in case this whole plan didn't work out right in the end."

Ric considered her answer for a moment and then nodded conceding her point. "Well, that was wise, actually."

"I hope so. Sweet or salty?"

"Up to you."

She rummaged through the cupboard looking for the bottle of syrup. "I was half way through when this car accident happened," she added ignoring the pang in the chest caused by the memories of her sister's death. Kept her voice level. "Now it is a distance thing, which is totally fine with me. I thought it was important for Jeremy and Elena to stay here. This place was their home ever since they were kids. They had enough to go through to add new school and neighborhood to it. So, here we are!" She smiled on a small shrug feeling oddly okay to talk about it. "I see my advisor every two or three months, and we're always in touch by email."

"Here, let me," Alaric took a bowl from her. "And how far are you?" He asked as they walked back to the living room where the credits for "Jurassic Park" were flashing on the screen.

"Let me see – several tests, a couple of paper works and a whole lot of sleepless nights from becoming a… well, counselor," she chuckled flopping down onto the couch and grabbing the remote control from the coffee table. "No idea what I am going to do with it next, but so far it's not as bad as I feared it would be." Paused for a moment. "What about you? Being a teacher was a dream job or-?"

"Or," he let out a short laugh. "It just… happened. I never quite figured out how. And, so far it's not as bad as I feared it would be." He quoted her mimicking her facial expression.

Jenna laughed. "And other dark secrets?'

"Mm, a weak spot for giant animals in horror movies," he replied with a somewhat shameful expression.

She crumpled her forehead, thinking. "Like, Anaconda?"

"Or Jaws."

"Deep Blue Sea."

"King-Kong."

"So classy," she scoffed. "Lake Placid."

He paused for a moment. "Godzilla."

"Nope," Jenna shook her head. "Godzilla is not real," she disagreed.

"Like any of them are," Ric snorted. "Besides, didn't we move from the weak spot to just favorites?" His tone was mock defensive.

"Well, technically speaking, they are real," she pointed out picking several pieces of popcorn from the bowl. "As in, being actual animals, no? And – nice try!"

She did enjoy it, Jenna thought. And a lot more than she could have imagined, too. It was nice to sit on the couch, one leg tucked beneath her and the other draped over Ric's lap in that unbelievably comfortable way. It felt… it felt really good. It felt right. Leave alone the fact that the banter was fun. She gave him a surreptitious look out of the corner of her eye and felt that her lips started to form into a smile on the will of their own.

"I never trusted that electric fence," Ric grabbed a handful of popcorn smirking, totally oblivious to her thoughts, his gaze fixed on the screen now.

"Yeah, it's like they're making it clear from the very beginning what their biggest flaw is," Jenna agreed as the visitors of the Jurassic Park were making their first trip around the island.

"Honestly, when I was watching it first, I was pretty sure they would start dying during that very look-around," he told her. "The whole suspense atmosphere screamed like it."

"Actually, it's all about the credits. They never kill people who go first in the credits for at least ten minutes of the film," she explained with a confidence of an expert, and added as an afterthought, "The same goes for everyone who is in any way valuable for the survival of the others."

"Really? That's an interesting theory."

"It's not a theory, it's a rule. Works for 95% of all movies. Pick any."

"And what about the remaining 5%?"

Jenna considered his question for a moment. "Two options. They are either not worth the time you waste on them, or they would blow up your mind." She put another piece of popcorn into her mouth. "What?" Asked on raised eyebrows when caught him watching her with a strange expression she couldn't quite define, except that it made her heart jump up to her throat and her stomach flop down.

"There's something…" he trailed off.

Unable to take her gaze away from his eyes, Jenna felt his fingertips slide down her cheek as he leaned, and then his lips brushed gently against hers.

She tasted sweet, and not only because of the syrup from the popcorn, Alaric thought absently. The kind of sweetness he couldn't resist, and the thought was thrilling and frightening at the same time. He heard her let out a small sigh, a mixture of surprise and acceptance…

And they both all but jerked away from each other at the sound of the entrance door open and close with a loud bang. Something thumped onto the hardwood floor in the hall.

Jenna craned her neck nearly toppling over the armrest of the couch and Alaric managed to snatch the bowl of popcorn out of her hands just in time before it ended up flying to the floor.

"Jeremy," she mouthed soundlessly when she spotted the familiar shaggy hair. "Hey, Jer!"

"Hey, Aunt Jenna," he walked into the living room pulling his earphones off of his head to let them hang around his neck. "Oh, hi, Mr. Saltzman."

"Hey, man," Ric greeted him back as they shook hands.

"You're not here to check my homework, are you?" Jeremy eyes him suspiciously.

"I'd lie if I say I hadn't thought about it, but let's wait till tomorrow."

"That's cool."

All three of them were cut off by the high-pitched shrill of Alaric's cell-phone.

Frowning, he wiggled it out of the back pocket of his jeans, and then his frown deepened when he took a look at the caller ID.

"Excuse me, I've got to get this," he muttered a little distractedly as he got up from the couch, put the popcorn bowl onto the table and walked out of the living room and into the hall. Both Jeremy and Jenna watched him curiously for a moment. Them Jenna turned and gave Jeremy a long once-over.

"There's some lasagna left in the oven. You look like you could use it."

Jeremy blinked at her, surprised by the change of subject, and the shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Come on," she pushed herself off of the couch and followed him into the kitchen. Couldn't help throwing a quick look at Ric but he was standing with his back to the living room, holding the phone at his ear, his free hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans.

Alaric hit the answer button as soon as he was sure he was out of the hearing range of the living room. "Damon," he said flatly into the receiver.

"Well, hello to you, too," Damon sneered on the other end of the line. "Where are you?"

"Why?" Ric chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. The couch was empty, he could hear Jenna and Jeremy talking in the kitchen.

"Because, obviously, it's the only thing in the whole wide world I can think of right now." Ric could have sworn that Damon rolled his eyes here. "Which still leaves the question open – where are you?"

"At Elena's."

There was a short pause. "And Elena is hanging out with my brooding brother at the boarding house," Damon said then in a mock serious voice as if thinking out loud. "And the last time I saw Jeremy, he was playing pool at Mystic Grill… Having a quality time with your girlfriend? That's sweet. In fact, it almost makes me-"

"Jeremy is here, FYI," Ric cut him off.

"For how long? Two minutes?"

"I fail to see how any of that is any of your business, Damon," he stopped before the painting and peered sightlessly at it. The fact that Damon was dancing around the reason of his call bothered him more and more with each passing second, bad feeling about it settling uncomfortably in his gut. "Are you really that bored?"

No, he couldn't disappoint him, of course.

"I've got body here," Damon told him matter-of-factly, if a little excitedly.

"And I've got a six-pack in the fridge. It's all about the taste."

"Drop the smart-ass attitude," now his voice was almost annoyed. "I'm serious." And he really was, Ric could hear it. "It wasn't me, and I'm sure it wasn't my martyr of a brother. Stefan stays away from public places and humans – who are not Elena – scared of having a relapse. Which means-" He made theatrical pause. "We've got company. So, the nature of my call is… Do we want Sheriff Forbs to find that pretty little college girl here?"

"You mean, there's someone new in town?"

"Now, we're talking business. Finally."

"I still don't understand-"

"Yeah, back to why I am calling you at all." Damon snorted. "Well, that's simple. Just tell me one thing – you sure your ex-wife doesn't have a grudge against you? Or any of us, speaking of that, because it sort of looks like her kind of move. Not that I'm an expert on her moves-" He let the end of the phrase hang.

Ric froze at the mention of Isobel.

"I'll be right there," he breathed out.

"Oh, feel free to take your time. No one's in a hurry. Anymore." On that, Damon hung up.

Ric stared blankly at the screen where the timer stopped at 02.18 before it went into a stand-by mode and turned black. For some reason, the conversation with Damon seemed to be longer than that.

He let out an exasperated sigh.

Was it really Isobel? Everything was falling apart all over again. Every single time he dared to believe that he had finally moved on, something had to happen and shatter his world to pieces. He was sick and tired of it. And the worst part was that the harder he fought against this whole situation, the harder it was striking back the next time. Like a vicious circle that he couldn't break.

"So, Mr. Saltzman told me you're doing much better at school lately," Jenna said fishing a plate out of the cupboard.

"Is that all you two are talking about?" Jeremy shook his head in disbelief putting the dish with lasagna onto the counter. "Seriously, Aunt Jenna-" he reached for the knife and fork and his eyes went up fixing on the TV screen for the first time since he come back home. Jeremy paused and then gave Jenna a look over his shoulder. "Jurassic Park?" His eyebrows quirked up. And a moment later his lips stretched into a broad grin. "Oh, I get it. Old movie. Dinosaurs. We're all about history now?"

Jenna pretended sticking him with a fork. "You don't have to be so mean, you know?"

Jeremy scoffed but before he came up with a decent shot back, Alaric entered the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm… I've gotta go," he said when they acknowledged his presence.

"Is everything okay?" Jenna frowned. His worried expression that he attempted to mask with a crooked smile didn't escape her.

"Yeah," he answered in a light easy voice. "There's just some… stuff."

She studied his face for a moment. He wasn't evasive, or jumpy, or nervous. Well, not much. But there was some uneasiness about him that worried her on more than one level. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on, and it made it even worse. As if his mind was somewhere else.

"Okay," she said then, keeping it light, too.

And that okay kinda made him feel a little more guilty than before.

"Look, I'm sorry," Ric's voice softened. He leaned against the counter bringing his face to the same level as hers, his eyes looked on hers. "I really am."

Jenna leaned against it on the other side – closing the distance between them, too.

"It's fine," she did mean it this time. "It's not like you're taking the popcorn with you. Besides…"

Jeremy cleared his throat forcing them both turn and look at him.

"Could you please not do anything like that in front of me?" He asked while shoving his plate into the microwave, his eyes darting between one and another, gaze slightly amused and a little disbelieving.

"Don't look," Jenna pointed out.

"He's right," Ric chuckled. "And… I should be going."

She followed him across the living room and to the front door. Waited for him to pull on his leather jacket and only then let her concern show.

"Okay, now you can tell me – what happened?" She crossed her arms on the chest as a tight knot started to form in her stomach.

"No-," Alaric started automatically and cut himself off when it became obvious that she wasn't buying it. "It's okay. I just have to go and check on some stuff. It's really nothing. Yet." He studied her face for a long moment. "And… thanks for putting up with all of that."

"Not that I have a choice, but you're welcome," Jenna's smile was encouraging. "Besides, it's still fun. In a twisted way, but fun all the same."

Her words made him feel better.

"I will come by later, or call you if it's too late for the visit," Ric promised in a soft voice.

"Okay."

He nodded giving her a small smile, turned around, opened the door…

Chilly air rushed inside sending shiver show her body and raising goose-bumps on her arms. "Ric…"

On impulse, Jenna closed the distance between them, grabbed him by the jacket pulling him close, and pressed her lips to his. The smell of worn leather and his after-shave lotion washed over her, making her dizzy and weak in the knees by the second. Without noticing it, she clung onto his jacket so hard that her knuckles turned white – and she couldn't care less. Caught by surprise, he paused for the barest of moments, but then she felt his hand slide around her neck as he leaned in kissing her back.

"I can still hear it," Jeremy called out from the living room around the mouthful of… something.

Jenna smiled when he pulled back slightly still marveling in the feeling but it was then that she heard quick steps and:

"Alaric! What a nice surprise."

She all but gritted her teeth when John appeared practically out of nowhere. His greeting was so genuinely enthusiastic that she nearly believed it, hadn't she known any better. He patted Ric on the back making his way past them and into the house.

"John," Alaric's response was more of an acknowledgment and less of an actual greeting, leave alone the fact that his voice was as dry as sand in the desert. Jenna chose to ignore him completely, except for the glare that she couldn't help.

"Is it just me or you really spend here more time than… anywhere else?"

Alaric's hand dropped from Jenna's neck, slid down her arm and closed somewhat protectively around her fingers.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all," John backed off holding his hands up. "Not for me. You two have good time. Hey, Jeremy, what are you up to?"

Jenna glared daggers at his back until he was out of her sight feeling the frustration grow inside of her. Over the time, she grew to believe that dealing with this man was a curse of hers of some sort. She was the official guardian of Jeremy and Elena but he was their uncle and she had no right – ethical or legal – to kick him out of the house, which, by the way, wasn't even hers. Not that these thoughts were helping her tolerate this man any better.

"Could this night possibly get any worse?" She muttered under her breath and let out a frustrated sigh.

"You don't seem to get along all that well," Alaric observed and she failed to figure out if it was a question or a statement.

"No, we're fine. He's a jerk, but I can handle it, and it gets on her nerves. Besides, he'll be gone sooner or later anyway. Better sooner than later of course." And then as an afterthought, "In fact, I'm surprised he's still here. Mystic Falls always was too small for such a big… person as John Gilbert. He barely showed up to his own brother's funeral."

"Maybe he has some personal business here?" Alaric assumed absently, not quite waiting for a reply, then look pointedly at her. "You don't have to be that diplomatic with me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jenna nodded primly. "But… I am supposed to be a grown-up here. At least sometimes. And I cannot call anyone names, even if they really deserve it. The kids are looking up to me, I have to be a good example… or whatever."

"And… they can probably beat you in calling names," Ric added chuckling.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed reluctantly.

Once he was gone, she lingered in the hallway for a moment listening to the sounds coming from the living room, but it was only the TV that she heard. She poked her head in then and scanned the area.

"Good, he's gone," she muttered with relief coming up to the couch.

"You don't have to fight, like, all the time," Jeremy snickered.

"It's a reflex. Like blinking. You can't control it," she explained in a mock serious voice. "What are they on?" Asked then referring to the film.

"The storm had started and the lights went out."

"Good. Move over." She took a seat beside him when he shifted to the right. Now that was the most interesting part of all… "What?" Jenna asked when Jeremy chuckled softly, and obviously it had nothing to do with the dinosaurs shredding people to spaghetti on the screen.

"Really, Aunt Jenna?" He turned to her shaking his head, his lips quirked into a lopsided smirk.

"What?"

"Let's just make one thing clear – if you and Mr. Saltzman break up and then I accidentally fail my finals, it's not my fault, okay?"

Jenna elbowed him into the ribs.

"First – no excuses. You fail and you're grounded for life. And second," she made a meaningful pause. "How about some more faith?"

She turned her head when he didn't come up with a response and saw Jeremy staring at the framed picture of his parents of the shelf.

Jenna's smile faded by the second and her heart constricted. His skepticism was justified. After the car accident and the whole story with Vicki Donovan, Jeremy seemed to lose faith in life generally. Living each day was okay, but she knew he couldn't let himself make any plans for tomorrow. There always was a thick chance for everything to change completely in a matter of seconds and then he would have to gather himself piece by piece all over again. The death of his parents was a terrible and the most unfair twist of faith, but Jeremy took it much worse than any of them. Everything that followed – the drugs, skipping classes, self-destruction – was an act, and Jenna knew better than that. At some level, she knew exactly how he felt.

So, she gave him a moment and then said in a soft voice, "I miss them, too."

"Yeah," Jeremy dropped his gaze and just looked at his hands for a long moment. "Can I tell you something, Aunt Jenna?"

"Sure."

He hesitated. "Look, I know I can be a jerk, and we are both giving you hard times but… it's good that we ended up with you and not… somebody else."

Jenna processed his words – let them make their way into her mind, surprised. Truth be told, she always thought that both he and Elena took her role as their guardian for granted, like it was the most logical thing to happen. Not that there was any real choice between her and John Gilbert, but still…

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I'm glad for that, too."

To be continued…

Author's note: And, here is the bonus for everyone who made it this far – the story soundtrack :)

-delete spaces- http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v =ZdLqFCw3a58

Thanks for reading! Comments are always highly appreciated!