Just a Moment in Time
A huge thank you to my bestie midnightscaper for giving me the idea so I could write! I dedicate this fic to you. Also, as always, this fic wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my lovely lady friend dragonflylady77. She was the one who very kindly went over my words and help me fix them up to a readable state.
It's the Night of Illumination and Alaric knows that ghosts with unfinished business have returned. Will Alaric get the chance to see his beloved Jenna one last time? Episode Ghost World.
Alaric Saltzman didn't even know why he had agreed to introduce the Night of Illumination. His mind was already working over time even before Carol Lockwood had approached him and asked if he had seen Tobias Fell. He knew from The Grill that day that there were ghosts in Mystic Falls, one of them being the dead werewolf, Mason Lockwood. For some reason ghosts with unfinished business were appearing in plain sight. The whole thing made Ric feel uneasy. He was worried about Damon being with Mason somewhere deep in the old Lockwood Estate and now Tobias was missing.
He heard Carol say from the small stage that Mr Fell had been 'detained' and that he was going to do the introduction instead. A polite applause erupted as Ric headed towards the stage. He looked over the crowd, eyes scanning the area as he walked but not finding anything amiss. His mind drifted to thoughts of Jenna as the shimmer of a random blonde woman's hair caught his eye. Oh, what he wouldn't give just to touch her one last time and tell her that he loved her. He quickly bundled the thoughts away and tried to focus on the task ahead of him.
Ric squinted as he stepped in front of the microphone. Summoning his best teacher's voice, he spoke the words Carol had told him to say.
"On behalf of Mystic Falls High School and Historical Society, let's light 'em up." Applause erupted again as the lanterns lit up. Then, a high pitched scream pierced the softened darkness. There, strung up on a tree was Mr Fell, bloodied and dead. The panic spread like wildfire.
"Please, everyone just calm down," he heard himself say into the microphone. "Has someone called 911?" A man not too far from the stage said that he had them on the phone and they were on their way. Nodding, he took two steps back and let out a deep breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding. Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes would be here soon he knew. Carol caught his eye and gave him a meaningful look which he returned as well as tilting his head to the side. She nodded and turned back to the people surrounding her, demanding her attention. There was nothing he could do at the moment. Sighing, he sat down on the back of the stage cradling his head in his hands and pondered how strange today had been. He wondered if Jenna could have come back, or if she was at peace. He selfishly wished for the first thing.
"Ric," a familiar female voice called. "Alaric," the voice called again, urgent. He looked up, his jaw dropping before he sprung up to his feet. As his green eyes stared into her brown ones everything around him seem to melt away, not even the approaching wailing of sirens or flashing lights seem to register. All that he saw was the woman in front of him.
"I never got to say goodbye to you," she whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. "But I've always been here with you, watching out for you and Elena. Which I know sounds really cliché… "
"Jenna…" Ric managed to splutter out. His mind was racing trying to figure out if she was real or a figment of his imagination.
"Come on," she said grabbing his hand and tugging for him to follow. Ric's eyes went straight to their clasped hands, his mouth now hanging open. It just didn't seem possible.
"WAIT!" Ric cried out, his brain finally kicking back into gear. "Wait," he whispered.
Jenna turned and smiled at him. She knew he wouldn't be Ric without some kind of test. "Tell me something only you and I would know," he asked, looking back up at her. Jenna's smile widened as she stepped in front of him.
"When we were in Stefan's house, just after you and Elena came clean about everything, we walked into the hallway and I put my hand on your face and I said 'I'm glad you're ok. I should have said that already.' And then I did this," Jenna whispered, lightly pressing her lips on his. He hummed as their lips connected, the warmth and familiarity enveloping him in bliss. She bit his lip and tugged on it, her arms wrapping themselves around him. She once again pressed her lips to his and opened her mouth, allowing him to taste her once again. Their tongues wove together, their lips gripped at each other wildly. Somehow, Ric's hands became tangled in Jenna's straight blonde hair. For what seemed like just a moment in time, Ric felt complete again. All too soon Jenna pulled away.
"Now," she breathed. "Will you come with me?"
Ric took one more look over his shoulder. He could see that the Ambulance officers were in the process of taking down Tobias from the tree he was hanging from by his arms. The familiar short blonde haired woman that he knew as Liz was weaving through the crowd towards Carol. Again, he told himself there was nothing else he could do here at the moment.
"Where do you want to go?" he asked, turning back to Jenna.
"Away from here. Come on, I know a place." Jenna tugged on his arm and this time he followed.
Ric let himself be blindly led down the streets of Mystic Falls, his hand still firmly clutched in Jenna's. His attention was solely on the woman in front of him, trying to commit her to memory once more. They approached a line of trees and Jenna looked over her shoulder, dazzling her companion with her smile once again. He could never tire of it. Then her luscious lips were moving and Ric realised that she was speaking.
"…we use to come down here when we were kids. We even stole a bench from the park and dragged it into the clearing. See?" Ric stepped into the small clearing and smiled. Moon light filtered though the gaps in the trees above and fallen leaves littered the ground. Jenna led them to the bench that had seen better days and they both sat. Jenna released his hand and started to look for something while Ric took the moment to take in his surroundings. Opposite them a decaying fallen tree covered in moss stretched between two larger trees and bushy shrubs almost formed an extra blanket around the trees. He could hear a small animal scurry away somewhere into the darkness and an owl hoot somewhere behind him.
"Oh and the old oil lamp is still here!" Jenna exclaimed, pulling out the lamp and some matches from under the bench. She quickly lit the lamp, its soft light filling the clearing as she set it on a flat part of the tree stump beside the bench. Jenna flicked the match out, placing the burnt stick on the stump.
"Jenna…" Ric pleaded, not really knowing what he wanted. So when she turned and her lips connected with his once again, he gave into her willingly. She straddled his legs and pushed herself close to him, setting his whole body alight. His arms enveloped her, hands running up and down her familiar frame, their mouths dancing to a rhythm only they knew. Jenna let one hand run through his short brown hair while the other one cupped the back of his neck. A soft moan of pleasure escaped Jenna's mouth and her entire body tingled. It seemed almost cruel to be able to touch him again. Pulling back for a moment, they both sucked in a much needed breath and then their lips collided again. Their tongues caressed one another, their mouths becoming one. Ric wanted to hold her forever. Breaking the kiss, he peppered her jaw line with tiny caresses from his lips, before dropping his attention to her neck. He let his tongue lazily lick from her pulse point to her ear, smiling slightly as he felt her shiver.
"Why can't you stay with me forever?" he muttered into her shoulder, inhaling the sweetness of her hair. For some reason it made him angry. "Oh that's right, because I left you alone and Katherine lured you out of the house by making you think she was Elena before turning you." He pulled his head back and looked at Jenna, letting the guilt sink in.
"It wasn't your fault, please believe that. I fell for it too."
"I should have protected you better, stayed with you. I knew Klaus was trying to break the curse…"
"Shh. Enough of that now. Elena is alive because of John. At least he did something right for her. I know you're looking out for her, something I should have done better. Please Ric," Jenna pleaded, her soft chocolate eyes melting away his belief almost instantly. She once again placed her hand on his cheek. Ric took in its warmth and the way her fingers gently sat just below his eye as she kept speaking. "Remember to look after yourself, the ring you wear is dangerous…Oh no." Jenna's whole body tensed. "Something's happening. The door is being reclosed; it's time for me to go."
"Wait, what? Jenna, don't go!"
"I don't have a choice. Please Ric, forgive yourself. I forgive you. I love you, never forget that." With that Jenna leaned forward and let her lips brush across his before she vanished before him. Her perfume still lingered in the air and his lips still tingled but he felt empty. He stared out into the small dark clearing his mind racing.
He was startled back to reality when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he smirked slightly and shook his head as he saw the caller ID.
"Damon," he answered.
"Alaric, you somewhere quiet?"
Ric looked around the clearing. He was perfectly alone.
"Yes." If Damon could hear the sadness in his tone, he didn't say anything.
"Come to the old Lockwood estate. Mason just disappeared and I need you to see this."
"I'll be there soon," he replied before hitting the 'end' button. He sighed loudly and stood.
"I'll never forget Jenna. I love you too," he whispered, blowing out the flame of the lamp. He took one more look around before he headed out of the clearing. Though he didn't know it, Jenna was still there, hearing his words. She smiled before letting spirit be pulled back to all her loved ones on the other side. She knew she would see him in his dreams like she always did.