Title: Start Again

Summary: Jenna survives the ritual, and has to learn to live as a vampire. Unfortunately, it is not that easy with Klaus being after her.

Characters: Alaric, Jenna, Damon, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, and maybe mentions and appearances of the others later on

Spoilers: up to 2x21 The Sun Also Rises

Timeline: AU after 2x21 The Sun Also Rises

Rated: T in general, M for future adult content

Disclaimer: UNFORTUNATELY I have nothing to do with the show and don't own any of the characters, otherwise that episode would have had an entirely different ending :'(

Author's Note: It wasn't easy to start this one, and I swear to god, I had never had such a severe internal battle in my life before because writing about vampire!Jenna basically goes against everything I loved about TVD (before they made the biggest mistake possible). For a very long time I thought her and Alaric were the only couple that had a chance for an actual human happy ending with growing old together and other cheesy stuff like that. Speak of wishful thinking, huh?

Yet, consider it a tribute to what an awesome vamp she would have become had she been given a chance. And blame plot bunnies. I simply couldn't get the idea out of my head.

Also, since it's AU, Damon doesn't have a werewolf bite because I do not intend to develop that side of the story.

Chapter 1

~And I remember everything, everything I loved,

I gave it away like it wasn't enough.

All the words I said and all you forgive,

How could I hurt you again?

"Start Again" by Red~

Alaric took a small sip of his drink and let it burn its way down his throat and settle heavily in his stomach without feeling the taste of it. He was sitting by the fireplace in the library of the Salvatore boarding house, watching the dance of flames and not really seeing anything, his whole body pretty numb and his mind blank, a glass cradled in his hand.

[flashback]

He let out a long weary sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face, and then rumpled his hair absently. His eyes were sandy from lack of sleep – because really, when was the last time he had any? Thirty hours ago? Thirty five? – and his entire body was sore and stiff. Carefully, he rolled his shoulders, flinching, in a pretty vain attempt to get rid of some tension. Pinched the bridge of his nose and then leaned forward resting his forearms on his thighs, fingers linked, as he peered down at her.

Somehow, they ended up in the study of the Salvatore boarding house – how and why were rather blurred for Alaric – with Jenna lying on the couch, covered with checked plaid, and him sitting beside her in what could easily win The Most Uncomfortable Chair In The World award, twice. She was sound asleep, or unconscious – that he didn't know for sure since she remained like ever since Damon and Stefan brought her and Elena back from the woods after the ritual. Bonnie supposed that it was how her body was healing itself after she'd nearly died during the sacrifice, but she sounded pretty uncertain, too.

She'd nearly died, Alaric repeated in his mind. The whole concept was too horrible to even try and wrap his mind around it so he decided not to bother. The important part was that she was alive now.

The fire was crackling in the fireplace and the room was filled with the scents of wood, old books and wax candles sitting in the antique holders on the shelves and tables all around, more for decoration than anything. It was warm but Alaric couldn't stop shivering, fear and exhaustion making his body respond to stress that way. Vaguely, he recalled Damon offering to move Jenna upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms, which he waved off without so much as a look over his shoulder. And when someone suggested that he should probably try to have some rest, Alaric simply ignored them. He was not going to let her out of his sight again, not until he was certain she was fine.

Jenna's chest was rising and falling evenly as she breathed. It was just a reflex now, an illusion of normality which was somewhat comforting and yet rather eerie at the same time. Vampires didn't need to breathe. He knew that some of them kept doing it out of habit, or to stay more inconspicuous, or because it was one of a very few human things they could cling to. Yes, he knew all of that, but applying it to Jenna was something else entirely, what with everything inside of him screaming about the wrongness of the whole situation.

She was a vampire, Alaric thought for the umpteenth time. A vampire. As if repeating it over and over again could bring more sense to it. Unfortunately, it was working the other way around – the deeper it was sinking, the less believable it was getting.

How? How on earth could it have happened? No, scratch that. How on earth could he let it happen? He was supposed to protect her, to keep her safe, to take care of her. To keep her away from all of that, for heaven's sake! She wasn't supposed to be involved, period! Not to that extent. Or, at least, these were his best-laid plans, as in – before everything went totally and utterly out of control. Before he knew it was too late.

Jenna was a vampire.

Alaric rubbed his eyelids, exhausted. It was his fault. It happened on his watch, and no half-assed excuses could ever make it better. It was his fault, and he'd have to live with it. And the worst part was that she'd have to live with it, too. He ruined her life by not trying hard enough. Bloody hell, he should have left her alone for one goddamned second, what with all that insanity happening around them! What was he thinking, again? If only he could turn back the time and undo everything, make it right, keep her… keep her human.

What the hell was wrong with him not being able to protect the woman he loved? How could he screw up the only thing that mattered the most? How could he fail her like that?

Absently, he reached out to touch her hair and stroke his hand down her cheek, feeling the smoothness and softness of her skin beneath his fingertips. I'm sorry. His heart constricted and his throat closed, making it hard to breathe.

"It's going to be fine now," he whispered. "Everything's going to be alright now. I promise, Jenna, everything is going to be alright."

If only because what had happened is already more than enough for a lifetime, or few, an evil voice singsonged in his head, and Alaric cringed inwardly. It was that kind of truth that fucking hurt! It was like a knife turning in his heart and cutting deeper with each move. And the pain brought twisted satisfaction, as he knew it was deserved.

He had no right to get involved with her in the first place, Alaric thought desperately. Not with his past. Not with his damned crusade. Not with him knowing how easy it was to lose someone he loved to the dark side, how it could destroy one's life forever. But he fell for her. He fell for her the moment he saw her at the Grill after school on his first day at Mystic Falls High. And selfishly, he assumed that it was worth the risk. And then, unsurprisingly, he fell harder, and turning back and walking away became simply impossible.

Alaric proper his elbows on his thighs and leaned his forehead against tight knot of his clasped hands, feeling endlessly tired as if the weight of the entire world was lying on his shoulders like a burden. It had been a while already, maybe even a few hours. Not that it mattered. He had no idea what time was it, or even what part of the day, and turning his head to check the antique clock on the mantelpiece was too much of an effort.

Finally, Jenna stirred and sighed, the softest of sounds making him all but jump out of his skin. Instantly, he was out of his chair and crouching by the couch as he watched her eyes flutter open slowly.

"Ric," she breathed out when her gaze focused on his face, basically turning him into a puddle of goo, what with all the tension that was beyond unbearable at this point.

"Hey," he whispered back on a small relieved smile that crossed his face against his will. Again, he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, the back of his fingers caressing her cheek.

Jenna's lips started to form into a return smile, her gaze wandering around his face, and then, apparently, everything kicked in and the memories came rushing back, if her face turning from mellow to shocked, to horrified in a matter of seconds was any indication.

Her eyes grew big and panicked, and she all but leaped up on, "Elena…"

"Easy." Alaric's hands were on her shoulders the very same moment as he held her firmly on the couch. "She's okay, Jenna. She's okay."

It did little to sooth her down though as she kept gasping for air, as if suffocating. "But…. Elena. Klaus… the sacrifice," she mumbled, her eyes darting frantically around the room as though she couldn't understand what they were doing there.

"Jenna," his voice seemed to snap her back to reality as Alaric cupped her cheek with his palm. "Jenna, look at me." He caught her gaze and held it. "She's fine. Elena is fine. We're at the Salvatore house, she is safe."

"And Jeremy—"

"—is alright," he finished. "Everyone is fine. I swear, everyone is okay."

For a long moment she just looked at him, waiting for the words to register properly, until another realization downed on her. He could see it in her eyes.

"And me?" She asked in a small voice, as if dreading to hear the answer, which Alaric guessed was exactly how she felt. He also knew that there was no need for him to say a word for her to know the truth. Last time he checked, his poker face was the lamest poker face in the world.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

For what? For the very fact of her turning? For not being able to stop it, to protect her? For disbelief and fear that crossed her face and settled deep inside of her as something cold and sickening? For all of the above? He didn't know, and knew she didn't either. And seeing that her entire word was falling apart broke his heart all over again.

"Yeah, right." Jenna smiled ruefully as she leaned against the cushions and pulled her legs up, her shoulders sagged and her write-knuckled grip unclenched, releasing the plaid she'd been holding onto. Alaric's heart fell at the feeling of defeat that seemed to be radiating from her in thick waves now. "Not what I asked for Christmas, you know, but I guess you barely ever get what you ask for, right?" She ran her hand through her hair to push it out of her face and dropped her gaze.

On a sigh, Alaric took her hand and laced their fingers as he watched her tentatively. "Jen—"

She heaved a sigh and flexed her fingers around his, squeezing his hand back. Her features softened at the sight of his turmoil. "It's not like I can do anything about it, I guess," Jenna let out in a whoosh of breath and tugged at his hand, which was just as much of an invitation that he needed, and the next thing that Alaric knew was that he was squeezed between the arm-rest and her on the couch, his arms wrapped around her and holding her close. And for the first time in what seemed like forever the cold hand of fear started to finally letting go.

"How did it happen?" Jenna asked quietly. "How did—? I mean, wasn't he supposed to kill me? I—I don't understand."

"Bonnie," he replied simply.

Thing was neither of them knew what exactly had happened. From what he was told, Jenna was dead when they arrived. And then she… wasn't. Maybe it was because of all the magic flying in the air. Maybe it was someone else. And a part of him was really bothered by it, just like it would be by any other thing that he couldn't explain. But he deiced to put solving this puzzle away for a little while, at least until everything settled and all of them could take a proper breath. Not that it mattered, he thought rather selfishly, and felt a pang of guilt shoot through him but pushed it away almost effortlessly. To be honest, he was too tired to care right now. Bonnie, or Easter Bunny, or a bunch of Santa's elves – he wasn't giving a damn. She was fine. She was here, and he didn't want to think about anything else. Not now and maybe not ever.

One thing at a time, he told himself. One thing at a time.

"Is she okay?"

Alaric nodded if a little distractedly, his lips brushing against her hair. "Yes. Yes, she is."

[flashback]

Jenna paused in the opening that led to the library, hesitant and not sure if interrupting his privacy was a good idea. It wasn't hard to find Alaric in the silent sleeping house, not when she could sync with his heartbeat as easily as if it was her own, which was still pretty unnerving but definitely not… bad. The line of his shoulders was relaxed for a change and although she couldn't see his face, the whole stillness and deep even breaths made it pretty clear that his mind was anywhere but in this room.

It had been a few days already. A few days of efforts and adjustments, of learning how to live as her new self, which was pretty confusing for the most part. Everything seemed to be bigger, brighter, more prominent. Her senses sharpened and intensified to a level she could never have imagined. It was like looking at the world through the magnifying glass all of a sudden. Sounds she'd never heard, details she'd never noticed – they were all overwhelming now. All the feelings and emotions were coming in tidal waves now, sweeping her off of her feet every now and then before she knew how to react. In the grand scheme of things, weird wasn't quite covering it.

It was also rather terrifying at this point, the unexpectedness of it. If anything, it was definitely something she'd need some time getting used to.

The first shock was still there. The memories of the of the fire being everywhere around her, so hot that she'd thought she'd melt like a wax figure, were as sharp and clear as on the night she got turned. She remembered not being able to tear her gaze away from the dancing flames, as if hypnotized. She remembered fear, so strong and consuming that it paralyzed her and rooted her to the spot. Fear for Elena who was trapped in the similar ring of fire, so close and yet so far away. Fear for herself. And all of that – this panic, and horror, and animal instincts that she'd never know before – was so intense she'd thought she'd go crazy.

And then it was over – the details fueled with shock getting slightly unfocused, like a dream. And once it was, there was a moment when her insides twisted with an almost physical pain as the realization that it wasn't some sort of the worst nightmare of her life had finally struck. It was, in fact, the worst nightmare of her reality – the one she had zero chances to wake up from. It felt pretty much like the entire world swayed beneath her feet and turned upside down, again – yeah, as if one time wasn't enough. And basically, it left Jenna with two possibilities – to go and stake herself, or to try and cope one way or the other.

Well, it wasn't that bad in the end. Not as bad as she'd expected at least – if, by any chance, she'd ever try to imagine herself being a vampire, what with the idea being too insane to even occur to her before it had actually happened. Different, yes. A lot more different than she'd consider comfortable. And Jenna had a pleasure of appreciating a whole new level of the mood swing and rollercoaster of emotions. But it was manageable, in general, or at least she hoped so. She still had Jeremy and Elena to take care of, and while everyone was alive and safe dealing with her now natural violence issues wasn't entirely impossible.

With all the commotion though, she had barely seen Alaric lately. He was busy. She was busy. The whole house seemed to never be empty, and Jenna started to suspect that the entire town had been hanging out there regularly, from Sheriff Forbes and Carol Lockwood – the fact that was just beyond her – to half of the Mystic Falls High, the fanged and furry part mostly. The place was buzzing 24/7. And maybe it was just her, or maybe this over-grown paranoia was one of her awesome newly acquired qualities, but on a personal level it was easier to write it off to the overall craziness than actually accept the fact that he was avoiding her.

No, he wasn't obvious about it, of course. But she wasn't exactly blind either, and it was hard to miss that he wasn't around that much, or that they'd never been alone. Was it a matter of chance or a deliberate move, she couldn't say. It was like he was always trying to put a buffer between them for the reasons Jenna couldn't see.

Except for the apparent ones, of course – that the whole situation hit a little too close to home for Alaric. That she was a freaking vampire, and instead of having a glass of warm milk before going to sleep she was now pouring herself some warm blood. Jenna wasn't entirely sure if it was doing any good to her sleep, to be honest, but it definitely didn't change the fact that it was a part of her healthy diet for… well, ever, and he didn't necessarily have to be okay with it, consciously or subconsciously.

She sighed subtly and shifted from foot to foot as she contemplated leaving before he'd noticed her or something. She knew it wasn't easy for him, not after Isobel. She knew he probably needed time to come in terms with it one way or the other, and of course she couldn't blame him for it. Not exactly. Thing was, she couldn't blame herself either. Last time she'd checked she was the one who'd gotten the worst end of the deal. It wasn't her idea of spending the eternity after all.

And of course, much to her dismay, there was no flash sign explaining where this whole situation was putting the two of them. And obviously Alaric didn't know that either. They were basically walking on eggshells around each other, and in between it and her amplified emotions, Jenna had no idea for how long she'd be able to dance around him like that and keep her face.

They both needed time, that she couldn't deny. And personally, she had no problem with it, what with her having all the time in the world. She just… she just wasn't sure that under current circumstances it was enough.

"You know, whoever told you that sleep wasn't an option were wrong," she said lightly in a soft voice, breaking heavy silence.

It gave him a start nonetheless, and Jenna cringed inwardly a little.

Alaric turned and found her standing in the entryway, her shoulder leaned against the wall and arms folded on her chest. With the flickering fire catching the highlights in her hair and a small smile, she was… well, pretty much breathtaking.

"Jenna," he started, then faltered and cleared his throat. "I… um, I was just…"

Hiding, she finished in her mind.

"Trying to hypnotize the fireplace," she supposed. "I got it. Well, to be honest, I thought it was more like Bonnie's thing, but if you want to learn it, too…" She trailed off, making it clear she was teasing him. And then, "It's late."

Ric got up from the couch and put his half-full glass of scotch on a low coffee table. "Yeah, I—I guess I have lost track of time." The corners of his mouth tugged up a little, his voice apologetic.

Liar.

Slowly, Jenna nodded. "So I see." Apparently, the idea of clearing up the weirdness only brought even more weirdness. Did she want to back off now or did she want to keep going and make things even worse? "I was just…" kind of stalking you not so subtly. "I thought I'd check on fire before we burned the whole place down," she made a funny face. "Not sure anyone would appreciate it, even if it could save a fortune regularly spent on cleaning teams."

It was almost funny how she managed to push away that need for him for so long and pretend everything was fine when all she really wanted was for him to be there and comfort her. Not now though. It wasn't really working when he was standing so close and yet being so far away, she thought bitterly, what with that wall that he had built around himself, thick and high. The wall she wasn't sure she was capable of tearing down. The one he probably didn't want to be torn down.

"And," she continued with a very, very fake easiness, "since you're on the fire duty here, I should probably—"

"Jenna," he was suddenly beside her – the moment she missed entirely. What the hell was wrong with her vampire reflexes? "I'm sorry. I've been—these last days were totally crazy," Alaric breathed out.

His hands ran up and down her arms, his gaze fixed on hers, and Jenna noticed for the first time how tired and world-weary he looked. Well, anyone would be if they kept staying up night after night but there also was some desperate edge to him that made her heart sink. If only he would just talk to her… The smell of alcohol was thick in the air, especially prominent for her new senses, which only added it to the picture.

"No, don't," she whispered, feeling weirdly better by the second, because of his words or his proximity she didn't know.

The warmth of his body beside her was almost as hot and consuming as the heat of the fire, only a million times better. Like something that was a part of her. Like home.

For a moment though the smell of him and the sound of his heartbeat – so loud it was incredible – became too overwhelming, and Jenna caught her breath, panicking, and then exhaled slowly when the predator in her raised its head, demanding for blood.

She was certain that the sudden stiffness of her body didn't go past him. It was going to get better eventually, or so she was told. She'd get more in control of her reactions with time, and so on, and so forth. Knowing it wasn't helping much though. It wasn't changing the fact that she was a threat.

Alaric stiffened too, and her first instinct was to pull back as panic of another nature came – that she didn't want him to see her like that – but his hands on her shoulders didn't let go.

The first few weeks were the worst, naturally, as the feelings and needs were still too foreign to keep them at bay, or even define them properly. And that was usually when the urge to turn it all off and just follow the instincts was the most tempting, Jenna figured, and a part of her wanted to do it so bad, if only to be able to finally take a break from all this chaos. Instead, she turned away and fought to keep focused on the human part of herself and on how she did not want to do something regrettable, taking one sort breath after another until the world around her was the same again.

"I was worried about you," Jenna said in the softest of voices when the moment had passed and the aching in her jaw was gone, and all she could feel was the touch of his hands through her shirt.

"You were worried about me?" Ric chuckled bitterly, his breath tickling her skin as his lips brushed against her forehead.

It was unbelievable.

She felt the same, Alaric noted. She smelled the same, and there was nothing about her telling him that something had changed at all. As is nothing happened. The fact that for a moment bloodlust in her overpowered everything else almost didn't register in him. to his own endless surprise, it didn't matter. She was still Jenna, his Jenna, and he had never longed for anyone in his entire life the way he'd longed for her these past few days, the weight of guilt pressing on him and holding him back felt quite unbearable. She was better off without him. Problem was—

"Let's get out of here," he whispered into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. "Let's get out of town for a couple of days, just you and me. What do you think?"

Jenna smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

~What if I let you in?

What if I make it right it?

What if I give it up?

What if I want to try?

What if you take a chance?

What if I learn to love?

What if, what if we start again?

"Start Again" by Red~

"Hey, what are you doing?" Elena asked walking into the library as she spotted Jenna rummaging through a cardboard box that stood on the massive redwood desk by the window.

The sun was flowing in through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows casting long shadows that crossed the floor and giving everything around warm highlights.

Jenna looked up, then down into the box and then up at Elena again. "These are the Gilbert journals," she explained. "Stefan brought them back from that safe house of a hundred dead witches today. Thought I'd—I could use some light reading."

Elena's brows started to arch but then she just nodded as she approached and stopped on the other side of the table. "Family history, huh?"

"Now that I'm a part of it," Jenna singsonged.

"How are you?" The girl asked if a little tentatively.

"Fine," Jenna smiled at her. "I guess. I mean I hadn't killed anyone in their sleep yet, right? From what I've heard it's a good start." She ran her hand through her hair, and a silver day-walking ring with a Lapis Lazuli stone embedded in the middle of the band on her finger glistened in the sunlight. "Still processing, you know. All of that is a little overwhelming but… To be honest, it's a lot stranger to know that half of the town is on an O-negative diet and the other half is covering up for them than to accept the fact that I'm a vampire. Is it weird?"

Elena's lips curved. "I really don't know," she said honestly. "It had been pretty crazy at first. More than crazy. But… one day you will wake up and know that you can live with it." Paused. "I'm sorry, Jenna. I am so, so sorry about all of that."

And she did sound apologetic. And desperate.

"Last time I checked it wasn't you who snapped my neck," Jenna gave her a crooked half-smile. "Or whatever else they did. You have nothing to apologize for."

"I should have told you."

"I should have seen it. Felt it." Jenna offered her a little shrug. "I should have paid more attention to begin with. But I didn't, and it doesn't speak in favor of my lousy parental skills. I screwed it up. I guess Miranda expected me to handle it better than I did, and you have no idea how much I'd wish to go back and make it right."

"Jenna—"

"You know, when I said I didn't want this – I meant it. I didn't want to be responsible for the two of you. I wasn't ready, I was scared. I—I wasn't meant for it. Period." She let out a bitter chuckle, all the suppressed feelings and held-back emotions that boiled inside of her for quite a while finding their way out. "It was a big joke when Miranda and Grayson asked me to sign the papers 'In Case If…'. I could get their point but none of us could have ever imagined that the day would actually come, otherwise, believe me, they'd think twice, or ten times. And then…then it suddenly did. And I… Look at me, Elena. I was more of a good example of bad rather than a role model. A party girl with a reality suddenly thrown in her face. And sitting in that ring of fire back then, all I could think about was that your parents made the worst choice ever." She paused when she ran out of breath. "If anyone should be sorry for anything, it's not you."

"It's not true." Elena shook her head. "You were a friend, Jenna, and believe it or not, back then it was exactly what Jeremy and I needed the most. Not a parental authority and not the rules and restrictions someone else – anyone – could bring, but a person we could confide in. Mom and dad were right after all. They knew that. You were… are the best choice. I just… it shouldn't have happened to you. It shouldn't have gone this far. I should have found a way to keep you out of it."

"No, I should have kept you away from it," Jenna objected. "It was my job, and instead I turned into someone who can rip your heart out without blinking." And then all but growled in frustration and rubbed at her forehead before giving Elena a helpless look. "Seriously, this whole new personality is just a nightmare. I annoy myself and it sucks."

Elena let out a short laugh. "Rumor is, there is something good about it, too."

"So I've heard. Doesn't mean it's true."

"Look, I know it wasn't smooth, and we all had our moments, and I know that I had no right to keep all of that from you, Jenna, but the truth is – Klaus would have come for me in any case, it was just a matter of time. I hate saying that but there is nothing you, or anyone else, could have done about it. But it doesn't change the fact that no one would have helped us get through the death of mom and dad better than you did."

Jenna dropped her gaze for a moment, then swept the room with the long glance before turning to Elena again. "You think it's over this time? You think everything is going to be back to normal now?"

"As normal as it can be, I guess," Elena replied with more confidence than she was actually feeling. "I mean you're a vampire, and Bonnie is a witch, and Tyler is a werewolf, and me… well, don't get me started with the whole doppelganger thing. How normal can it possibly be? But… Klaus got what he wanted. He is pretty much invincible now but he has no reason to be interested in any of us anymore, so…" She trailed off. "If it can't get any worse, it can only get better, right?"

They shared a look of understanding.

"Um… there is this one thing…"

"What?"

Jenna hesitated for a moment. "Alaric…" her smile softened as she said the name. "He offered me to go to the lake house for the weekend. And I thought…" She paused, then scrunched her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, forget about it. It's a bad idea—"

"No, no!" Elena interrupted her hastily. "It's a—it's a really great idea, Jenna."

Jenna eyed her uncertainly. "I don't think I should leave you and Jeremy alone." She bit her lower lip.

"We're not alone, and we'll be fine, I swear," Elena assured her heatedly. "You guys… after everything you've been through, you deserve it like no one else. You have no idea how glad I am that you two are good." She took Jenna's hand and gave it a small squeeze and asked, eyes narrowed, "You're good, right?"

Jenna's smile grew against her will. "I want to believe so."

"Ah, nothing is sweeter than small family moments," Damon drawled walking into the library. "Oh well, how would I now, huh?" Added as an afterthought before tossing a blood-bag to Jenna. "Capri Sun? Human flavor!" He winked at her.

Jenna caught it effortlessly, still impressed by her reflexes, and then scowled at him. "How can you joke about it?"

"Still in denial?" He smirked and took a sip from his own blood bag. "Don't worry, it'll get better."

"How can being a vampire get better?" She asked dryly.

"Hey, don't be a racist towards your own kind!" And hadn't she known any better, she'd think he was genuinely offended. "You're one of us now," and he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"I feel like I am high most of time."

"And since when is it a bad thing?"

One of Jenna's brows quirked up elegantly as she turned to Elena. "Can I do something painful to him?"

Elena considered the question for a moment. "Can I help?"

And they both turned to Damon.

"Traitors," he grimaced.

"There you are." All of them turned when Alaric poked his head in. He scanned the library before fixing his eyes on Jenna. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, she is!" Elena responded quickly before Jenna even opened her mouth, and then neatly sidestepped her aunt away from the box, pulling it closer and peering inside with more or less fake interest. "I'll take care of this for you."

Meanwhile, Damon turned to Ric. "Hey, did you know that your girlfriend considers herself a total badass just because you have a stash of stakes under your bed?"

"Actually, it is because I have a stash of blood-bags under my bed," Jenna cut in, making Alaric chuckle, which he attempted to mask with a cough. "But thanks for the idea." She turned to Ric then. "I have to take some stuff from upstairs."

"Okay," he nodded. "I'll meet you at the car then."

"Seriously, dude, you're so whipped it's just … eww," Damon commented as soon as she was out of the earshot.

"Shut up," Alaric shook his head.

He wanted to add something else, but then Bonnie squeezed into the room past him, followed close by Jeremy, both of them looking like the end of the world was going to down upon all of them any moment.

"Thank god you're here," she mumbled, then craned her neck as if to make sure that there was no one in the corridor.

"What is it?" Elena frowned momentarily, going all rigid on instant.

Bonnie and Jeremy exchanged frantic looks.

"What?" Damon demanded, his brows coming together and all amusement gone without a trace.

"It's Jenna," Bonnie said in a small voice, her gaze fixing on Alaric's.

Which was pretty much like a sucker punch that knocked all air out of his lungs. "What?" He mouthed soundlessly, quite unable of producing any coherent sounds.

"Klaus," she all but chocked out. "Klaus might be after her."

A/N: Oh, okay. I decided to give it a try although it feels weird, if only because Jenna had always been like a symbol of humanity and innocence on this show that all of them fought to protect by fighting the evil. But the way he story had turned was just wrong… So, what do you think?