Summary: Missing scenes, 2x07 Masquerade, takes place right after Elena slips out of the house

Characters: Jenna/Alaric

Spoilers: Season 2, up to 2x07 Masquerade

Timeline: During 2x07 Masquerade

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, all characters belong to L. and CW

Author's Note: Seriously, are we ever going to have Jalaric scenes on the show? *headdesk* Sorry, rant over but it is getting ridiculous. They finally got together… and disappeared :P Not fun!


Right after Elena left to go to the Lockwoods

When silence settled in the house, Jenna reached out to put her wine glass onto the coffee table and winced when sharp pain shot through her stomach where the stitches hadn't healed completely yet and spread all over he body echoing in every single limb, or so it seemed for a moment. Okay, seriously, she hated feeling like a total wreck. Humiliation wasn't even close to covering it.

"Here, let me."

Noticing her struggle, Alaric took the glass from her, his expression concerned.

"Thanks," Jenna breathed out falling back onto the couch cushions again and waiting for the pain to cease a little now that she stopped straining her muscles, her hands going to rest on her stomach as she looked down herself thoughtfully wondering when she was going to be back to her normal self. If ever of course, little evil voice inside of her head informed her mischievously.

"Well, watching you suffer was entertaining of course," Ric shrugged fighting his amusement and trying to keep his voice light. "But…"

Jenna let out a short laugh that was followed close by another grimace. "Ouch!"

"Sorry," Alaric shook his head and offered her a small smile.

This time she returned it. "No, I mean thanks for coming and all. I hate being like that," she made a funny face. "And everyone's jumping around me… so embarrassing."

His features softened when he got up from the arm chair and came to squat down beside her near the couch. Ric squeezed her hand in his as his gaze wandered around her face.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I was butchered," Jenna scoffed. "Oh, wait! That was exactly what had happened!"

"Well, sarcasm is still, intact. That's a good sign."

She couldn't help but snort at that. And smiled then. As in, actually smile, as she returned the squeeze. "That wasn't how I hoped out date would end, you know," she smirked ruefully. "Not with me in the hospital with a knife in my stomach."

"Good. Because for a moment where I thought it was exactly what you had in mind. Now that was quite distressing."

Jenna screwed her eyes shut as the fingers of her free hand flexed on her own t-shirt. "Please, don't make me laugh again," she groaned.

"Yes, I'm evil like that, I know," Alaric teased her. "Do you want anything? More pizza? Wine?"

Her eyes flew open again and she considered his offer for a moment before shaking her head. "How about some painkillers?"

"Um… Yeah, wait a sec."

He started to get up but she didn't let go of his hand. "I'm kidding, Ric." Jenna pulled him back down. "I'm good."

"Oh… okay," he nodded, relieved. Hesitated for a moment, considering something, and then- "Come on, let's make you a little more comfortable."

Ric helped her sit up holding her so that Jenna didn't have to make too much effort staying in the upright position, then slid onto the couch behind her and pulled her down again so that she could lean against him. And felt her relax minutely.

Jenna let out a long sigh. "Where the hell have you been for the last four hours?" She scooted into him on a moan of pleasure.

Ric snorted, his breath tickled the skin on her temple. "Better?"

"Much." Jenna's lips curved into a smile when she felt him kiss the top of her head.

God, it felt good. For a moment she even forgot about the stitches and a week she had to spend at the hospital. It didn't matter now, not with Ric there. Not when he made it clear that he actually cared. Except that the price wasn't exactly justified, Jenna sneered mentally.

"So, what would you like to watch?" Alaric asked grabbing the remote from the coffee table oblivious to the train of her thought. The picture on the screen changed from the news block to something black and white, probably from the 60s. "Frankenstein?"

Jenna gave the question a long thinking. "Anything that is not funny. You make me laugh again and I'll kill you, Ric. I'm serious." And looked up at him enunciating her point by quirking up her eyebrows. And achieving opposite effect of course, judging by the naughty boyish glint in his eyes.

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a challenge in his voice.

And before Jenna could made a sound, he leaned in catching her lips with his, teasing her with a feather light touch before deepening the kiss delighted by how eagerly she responded and not missing the fact that she was smiling against his mouth as a feeling of sheer sensation sent a shiver down his body.

"Uh-huh," Jenna muttered in between slow lazy kisses marveling in the feeling, playfully determined to keep her ground.

"Really?" Ric murmured losing the track of the conversation.

"Really." She definitely felt like she had lots it already, her mind foggy and her thoughts too chaotic to concentrate on just one.

But then his hand must have brushed accidentally against her wound making Jenna groan involuntarily while her body went all stiff with pain and tension.

"I'm sorry," Alaric sighed pulling back if a little reluctantly.

"No, I'm fine, I just—I can't-" she trailed off letting him mute her with another small kiss. "It sucks being a mess," she complained.

Ric pressed his lips to her forehead then. "Don't you ever do anything like that again," he whispered.

"What? Be so clumsy?" Jenna giggled.

"Come to think of it, stay away from the kitchen, period." She chuckled in response to that. "You scared hell out of me." His voice dropped and got dead serious by the second.

"Well, it makes at least two of us," she breathed out. "Imagine my surprise when I woke up at the hospital with an uncomfortable extra hole in me." She attempted to sound nonchalant but the memory made her shiver inwardly, and it didn't go past Ric who tightened his grip on her careful not to hurt her this time.

Absently, he kissed her head, his blood started to run cold when his thoughts drifted back to the day of that horrible unforgivable mistake and Jenna lying on the kitchen floor in the pool of her blood with the knife handle sticking out of her stomach, and he wondered if she noticed that he practically stayed with her 24/7 ever since, spending days and nights at the hospital, scared and physically unable to let her out of his sight even for a short while, making sure she had vervain on or inside of her. The thought of something like that ever happening again was unbearable.

"Yeah, that must've been shocking," he replied a little distractedly.

God, he hated lying to her. This whole thing with Katherine – it was getting dangerous, too risky. Who knew what else Katherine could have come up with to mess with Jenna's mind posing as Elena? I don't tell her the truth because I want her to stay away from it wasn't working anymore but both Elena and Jeremy preferred to have it this way hoping for… well, something positive. Ric wasn't so sure about it. But hell if he knew how to present it all without giving Jenna a heart attack. Not to mention that it couldn't have been his decision whether to tell her or not, not without Elena and Jeremy approving of it because it concerned them as well. And truth be told, he was scared. She'd freak out and he had no idea how she would react to all of that. Where would it put them? What would she say when she found out that he knew about the vampires all along but never bothered to tell her?

It would have made some things easier of course, he could have finally stopped controlling each and every word when being around her. Tiptoeing around the subject was definitely uncomfortable and even exhausting at times. His self-disgust was overwhelming. But then again it would make things a lot more complicated as well. The whole Logan story – should he or should he not go back to it as well? Isobel's new… nature. Now that would freak her out for real. He didn't want to lose her, Alaric thought sadly. Now that something good happened in his life – he didn't want to let it go. So the best thing he could do now was to stay close and keep an eye on her and everyone coming near her to make sure no one hurt her again, hoping deep inside that one day it would all be over and they could just… live.

"You're quiet," Jenna murmured, somewhat lulled into pleasant numbness by the heat of his body and steady rise and fall of his chest against her back as he breathed.

Oh, if only you knew!

"Jeremy will probably come back late from the party," Ric said instead. "Would you like me to stay here tonight?"

She looked up at him. "I'd love that."


A/N: I was really bored when both my flights got delayed on Saturday and that's what I came up with while sitting at the airports/flying. Just some fluff. As always, we never have enough of Jalaric on TV :P