AN: Another fic for The Vampire Diaries Free-For-All Comment Ficathon: Part 4 on LJ! Enjoy!

Prompt by petrova39 : TVD (as a whole) "If I Die Young" this is partly an experiment. Pick one, or as many characters from the show that have met their untimely end. what were they thinking? what were they feeling? did they find peace, or are they still finding pain on the other side?

Rated: K

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Jenna Sommers had had an easy going life. Loving parents and a doting older sister had filled her life with happiness and memories that would last forever. She had been a late miracle in life for her parents and despite the age gap, her sister, Miranda, was her best friend. Life flew by and before she knew it, she was in high school. Boys came and went but she longed for the life her sister had with a loving husband and family. Miranda was as happy as she could be, with a young daughter and a baby boy but Jenna soon realised that crying babies and responsibilities could wait, all of that would come in time.

Jenna partied through high school but managed to get into a good college, even with her life motto of 'party now, study later'. Her second year of college was soon upon her and with that, came her parents' deaths. They had died peacefully of old age but it affected her deeply. She settled down, much to the disappointment of her then boyfriend Logan Fell, and began to party less and study more. Her grades soared and Miranda showed her pride for her little sister. Jenna soon craved the comfort of family and became a regular member of the Gilbert family life. She watched as Elena grew up into a young woman and as Jeremy moved into the awkward teenager stage of life. She was the fun-loving aunt that was always there to offer advice and support.

Jenna was happy and content; she had a strong college career, a loving family and an active social life. Then came the summer of her third year and with that came the death of her sister, her best friend. Devastation overtook her but she knew that she had to stay strong for her niece and nephew. It was a first for her, being the strong one, and so she had to grow up and take on the responsibilities of a family earlier than she had planned.

Jenna quit college, instead taking classes at the local community college, and moved into the Gilbert household. Soon, she was lumped with two teenagers and had absolutely no parenting experience. Her life turned to a shambles as she tried to turn Jeremy away from drugs and when he eventually did, she realised that even if this family wasn't what she had wanted, she loved it nonetheless.

Jenna looked after Elena and Jeremy as best as she could but she couldn't have foreseen the supernatural beings that invaded their lives and turned everything upside down. Her loving boyfriend had lied, everyone had lied to protect her but she wasn't the one who needed protecting. That's why she welcomed death. She had never wanted to be a vampire, had never even known that they existed but she knew she had to do something -anything- to protect Elena. That was what she had been assigned to do by her sister; to protect and care for her niece and nephew. Her sister had trusted her and she would not fail.

So, when the time for her part of the ritual arrived, she did everything she could to protect Elena. She used her new found speed to attack the witch. She thought she would be fast enough but before she could make contact, a wooden stake was plunged into her heart. She sucked in one last breath as the blood hardened within her veins and her body began to shut down. She barely felt the pain as the darkness closed in around her; she only felt the fear dissipate as the ghosts of her loved ones greeted her.

Jenna found peace on the other side. Her parents and Miranda welcomed her with open arms and she was reunited with her family once more. She had lived a short life, but she had lived a good one and she would look over her loved ones as they lived out theirs.

Alaric supposed he would always die young. As soon as his wife was turned into a vampire, he knew he would reach an untimely demise. He was a human, albeit with a resurrection ring, trying to fight against the supernatural. He relied on that ring to keep him alive but every time that he died, he thought that it could be the last time. He befriended the monsters he was supposed to fight and realised that they weren't monsters after all, they were people. People he would grow to love and protect while, there were some he would never be able to. He lost his wife, Isobel, and soon after, his loving girlfriend, Jenna. He was a broken shell of a man, one step away from taking his ring off and dying a natural death. Then, Elena and Jeremy came into his life.

Alaric found a reason to live, these two young adults relied on him to give them the guidance and support that they needed and he obliged. He put his ring back on and fought to defend them from anything that he could but he could not protect them from himself. The ring changed and in turn, changed him. His inner darkness rose within him and it beat the light, bringing with it destruction and hate. He was turned into the thing he had hated; a vampire, but for one shining moment, he had been the Alaric that everyone knew and loved. He chose to die but not without knowing that Elena and Jeremy, the people he had cared for as if they were his own children, would be safe.

Alaric didn't remember much about his vampire life, the goodness in him was buried deep inside, he was a different person altogether and so he felt no pain in death. When death came, he welcomed it. With death brought the end of the powerful vampire that had resided in him and he knew the world would be a better place because of it.

Alaric stayed between worlds. He stayed because Jeremy and Elena still needed him. He stayed because he wanted to redeem himself from their final memories of him. He stayed because he knew that when his redemption was granted that he would have an eternity on the other side with his beloved. Jenna.

This was actually really hard, trying to get inside these characters' heads was a challenge but I'm glad I tried it! Tell me what you think by clicking that snazzy new button! Amy x