Title: Nothing To Worry About
Chapter: 1/1
Author: ladyknight1512
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries (TV-verse)
Characters: Jenna Sommers, Elena Gilbert, Damon Salvatore
Pairing: Damon/Elena
Genre: Romance/Family
Rating: T
Summary: Damon has that look that speaks of temptation and sin and sex, and Elena looks entirely too at home in that blue Chevy.
Spoilers: Season 1, with particular emphasis on episodes 19 – 22
Warning(s): None.
Word Count: 1426
Disclaimer: These characters are the property of L.J. Smith.
Author's Note: This is just one of a number of pieces I started weeks ago, abandoned and now hope to complete in the next few days, before the shows they relate to return to TV. Here's hoping I can get them all done.
- o – o – o -
Jenna Sommers likes to think she's a relatively intelligent woman. Yeah, she let Logan Fell sidle back into her life but she chalks that up to sentimentality and nostalgia…and maybe a small dose of loneliness.
And yes, okay, Jeremy's drug problem flew right over her head. She's not so willing to forgive herself for that, but she was new to the whole parenting thing and still desperately clinging to the hope that she'd wake up one morning to find Miranda still alive and the whole thing nothing more than a really bad dream.
The one thing that doesn't escape her notice, though, is Elena's burgeoning friendship with Damon Salvatore.
Most people would have expected her to be most surprised by Elena's change in attitude. After all, when the Salvatore's arrived in town, she made no secret of her distaste for the older brother. But Jenna understands opinions change. She can only assume that spending so much time at the boarding house with Stefan led to Elena getting to know Damon better, which led to some sort of understanding between them.
No biggie.
And if he starts dropping by the Gilbert house every once in a while? Also not a problem. Elena's always been very mature for her age (certainly more mature than Jenna was) and it's become more obvious since Miranda and Gray died. Jenna figures having an older friend is good for her. Besides, it's not like he's around all that often, and when he is Elena is all eye-rolls and mumbled, "Jackass's," anyway.
It's at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant that things change.
She's standing beside Ric, eyeing Caroline Forbes (Elena's only real competition), when Elena walks out on Damon's arm.
Her niece looks halfway between throwing up and a dead faint. He looks sure, but in a quieter, less cocky way than usual. Actually, he looks kind of serious, like this dance means something in a way dances haven't since the 1800s or thereabouts. It's a look that's strange on him; she's so used to his face being in almost constant motion. But it works, makes him handsome in a different way.
Later on, Jenna will figure she only notices the change because she's watching them so closely. Whatever the reason, she can't get out of her head the way the tension in Elena's shoulders eased as Damon led them around the floor. She can't forget the small smile that crossed her niece's face. And she sure as hell can't banish that look in Damon's eyes, the one that was proud, protective, affectionate…maybe too affectionate considering she's his brother's girlfriend.
When Elena tells her that Stefan is sick and that she'll be staying at the boarding house until he's better, Jenna hates the uneasy jolt in her stomach. She trusts Elena, of course she does, but Damon has that…look about him, the look that speaks of temptation and sin and sex. He's the kind of man who takes what he wants, regardless of who it belongs to and damn the consequences.
Words of caution bubble in Jenna's throat but for the most part sit heavy and unvoiced on her tongue. She lets slip a firm "Be careful" and receives a bemused glance in return. Clearly Elena doesn't see the danger and she's determined to go, so all Jenna can do is tell her not to skip school and to check in every day.
For the duration of her stay, Damon's letting Elena use his car so Jenna won't be inconvenienced. But as she stands at the front door watching her niece drive away, charitable thoughts are the furthest thing from her mind. All Jenna can think is that Elena looks entirely too at home in that blue Chevy.
Stefan recovers.
Elena comes home.
The phone calls start.
It's easy to tell, for Jenna at least, which Salvatore Elena is speaking to. When it's Stefan, her voice turns soft, gentle, loving. She smiles and blushes, and always ends with a heartfelt "I love you." If it's Damon on the other end, however, her voice lightens with affection and she teases him. She still rolls her eyes, but now she laughs and shakes her head as if she can't believe what he's just said. They exchange snarky banter and reference what can only be inside jokes.
No matter where she is, what she's doing, Elena never ignores a call from Damon.
Jenna tells herself that it all means nothing, that they're just friends, especially now that Bonnie doesn't seem to be around as often as she used to be. But she can't deny anymore that everything about Elena feels…off now. It's like her world has shifted ever so slightly, moved her away from Jenna, Jeremy, Bonnie and Caroline, and further towards the Salvatore Brothers.
New-Elena comes and goes at all hours of the day and night. She disappears for days, forgets to call. She speaks to Ric with more familiarity than a student should. She makes a concerted effort to meet people's eyes when she speaks to them, as if she's afraid they won't believe what she says.
But New-Elena still has her morals. She still loves Stefan and she still stands for what she believes in, despite what other people might think. Of these things, Jenna is positive.
Or at least she thinks she is.
She arrives home after the Founder's Day celebrations, wanting nothing more than to kick off her heels and curl up in bed with a book and a mug of tea. John's got papers spread out over the coffee table and she can hear Jeremy moving around upstairs. She knows Elena isn't home yet because they briefly crossed paths in town, as Elena was on her way to pick up her things from the school.
There's nothing to worry about.
As she sets the kettle boiling and stows her things in her room, Jenna tries to ignore how often she's said those five words to herself since her sister died.
It's when she comes back downstairs that she sees them. She's in the lounge, choosing a book from the shelf when she happens to glance out the window and sees them standing there under the lights she left on for her niece.
Damon and Elena.
Even she can acknowledge that their names sound good strung together like that. They look good too, two heads of dark hair, two pairs of eyes that hold you when you meet them. There's an ease between them as well, different from how it is between her and Stefan.
Or there's usually an ease anyway. From her place by the window, Jenna doesn't think there's anything easy about the conversation taking place on the porch. Damon looks uncertain; Elena, strangely stiff.
But the air between them is charged, dangerous in its intensity, and Jenna knows nothing good can come of this, even as she holds her breath and waits, hopes, that Elena will step back or push him away or something.
Damon's lips brush Elena's cheek and it's so sweet that Jenna almost wants to cry.
She doesn't because she still deluding herself into thinking that there's a way out of this mess.
Later, Jenna won't remember which of them moved first, if it was Damon who kissed Elena, or if Elena kissed Damon. She knows which she'd prefer but she can't trust herself to be right. It's not like it makes a difference anyway. As soon as their lips touch, a wide, yawning gulf opens under her and Jenna knows there's no other way but down.
Her sister and brother-in-law are dead; she's mothering two teens well before her time; Jeremy was on drugs; Ric sways between wanting her and his dead wife. And now Elena is crossing into that dark place of half-truths and sneaking around and cheating.
Suddenly, the only thing Jenna know, is that nothing in her life has turned out the way it was supposed to.
But from that well of resilience she uncovered after Miranda died she pulls enough anger to straighten her spine and steel herself. She will not let Elena do this to herself and to Stefan. She will not let Elena tear those two brothers apart, even if Damon is partially to blame.
She marches to the door, pulls it open. As Damon and Elena abruptly break apart, there's nothing sweet about them, not anymore. Damon will no longer be welcome under her roof and Elena won't be spending nearly as much time at the boarding house.
"It's late," she says. "You should probably come inside."
- o – o – o -
A/N2: Of course, we all know that Damon wasn't kissing Elena at all, but poor Jenna doesn't. Anyway, I actually really love Jenna so writing this was fun. I also really love looking a relationship from the outside, because what people see depends on their own experiences. Overall, I like how this turned out but you might disagree. Let me know if you liked it please!