Title: Talk You Down
Category: TV Shows ยป Vampire Dairies
Author: And The Moment's Gone
Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+
Genre: Family, General
Originally Published: 02-11-12, Completed
Chapters: 1, Words: 1,747

Warnings/Spoilers: If you've seen the first episode you're good to go. This story was sparked after the conversation between Jenna and Elena in 2x21 about custody. You don't need to know anything else. I also gave Zach Salvatore a son. I'm not sure why, I just felt bad for the guy.

Official Disclaimer: All Vampire Diaries characters and plots belong to LJ Smith, Kevin Williamson and the CW. I do not hold stock either the man or the company. Jenna Sommers, Elena Gilbert, and any other character featured are NOT mine. The title and summary come from the Script song Talk You Down and I don't own that either.

She couldn't believe that he was bringing it up again.

Actually, that was a lie. Grayson had always been a cautious man. Apparently you weren't allowed to be the eldest son of the eldest son in the Gilbert family if you weren't. The subject of their last will and testament, more specifically the fact that they had yet to agree on a legal guardian for their children, was broached exactly twice a year since Jeremy was born. Twelve years ago. A quick glance to the activities calendar on the side of the fridge told her that there were only two days left in September. The Founder's Day Kick-Off was in exactly two weeks.

Grayson was right on schedule.

"Carol and Rich?" Even though he was well aware that there was no love loss between the current Mayor Lockwood and the Sommers family, Carol and Miranda had been close since grade school.

"Please tell me you're joking." But one look to her husband told her that he most certainly was not.

To avoid the scowl that was most likely tugging on her lips, Grayson flipped the page in the medical journal to read the notes that the medical examiner had scribbled out for him. "I know," he said carefully. "But they're - "

The next sentence out of his mouth was going to contain some usage of the phrase 'founding families.' Miranda was as sure of that as she was her next breath. "Lockwoods." She interjected, shaking her head to remind him that not only were they not alone in the house, but their son was at the table. She did not want to remind him of the whispered conversations that she had interrupted between he and his father after they had gotten married. It honestly had nothing to do with what she thought of them personally.

Grayson sighed, "What about Liz and Bill?" Sure it was almost common knowledge now that Bill had been caught with one of the partners at his firm and Liz, a Fell cousin twice removed, was filing for divorce, but both of them still maintained seats on the Council. Not only would he be able to guarantee that his children would be safe, but the Gilbert Legacy would remain intact. There was the added bonus that Elena and Caroline had been joined at the hip since birth.

"When I say 'no,' are you going to suggest Zach?" They were out of formal founding families, and both of them knew it. And they all knew that the answer to that one would be a resounding no. Regardless of how dedicated Zach and his son were to the Council or how deeply rooted they were in the legacy of Mystic Falls, no Gilbert would ever truly trust their life to a Salvatore. "You can keep going, my answer isn't likely to change."

The funniest part of the entire exchange was the fact that Miranda had officially vetoed all of the other possible candidates. She couldn't deny that that left them with only one logical choice. "There's always -"

"No."

He should have expected that. "Rand." He whispered cautiously.

"Absolutely not Gray." Miranda Sommers Gilbert would most likely go to her grave fighting against her husband's first choice for guardian. It was the last person he brought up, and the last one she'd agree to.

"He is-"

When she cut him off this time, it was with a look. And it wasn't directed at him. Throwing a glance at the kitchen table, or more importantly their youngest child at the kitchen table, caused the next word to die in Gray's throat. The carrot sticks that she had set out as an after school snack had been pushed aside and forgotten beside what Miranda could only hope was a finished math worksheet. The sketchbook that her sister had bought him held his full attention. "Jere?" When he glanced up, she smiled. "Why don't you take your pad up to your room?" She phrased it as a question, but he noticed that her head tilted to the side and left no room for argument. "I'll shout when dinner's ready."

Shrugging in the completely idle way that only a preteen could manage; Jeremy stuck a handful of carrots in his mouth and vacated his chair. Miranda didn't bother calling him back to retrieve his book bag, or the worksheet.

It wasn't until he heard Jeremy's bedroom door slam, a byproduct of carelessness rather than anger, that he took another breath. "John is-"

"No." Miranda was across the room in seconds, the dishtowel in her hands swinging with the speed of it. "Don't you dare say it, Grayson." She was failing at keeping her voice down, and she knew it. Her only consolation was the child that they were talking about was out with Sheila Bennett and her granddaughter. "After everything that you and I have done for him. After everything he's done." She turned again, grabbing for Jeremy's worksheet. "That man does not get to play that card with me." When her husband opened his mouth to remind her that there were extenuating circumstances, she actually physically snapped. "Because I honestly don't give a damn what lions and tigers and bears have existed in Mystic Falls over the last two centuries." She ran a hand through her hair and then dropped the worksheet. "Accident of birth or not, Jonathan Gilbert gave up all rights to raise my daughter when he had your name printed on her birth certificate."

He saw her point, honestly he did. Grayson just couldn't let this one go. "Randi." He slipped the journal closed and then moved around the island to stand in front of her. She was likely to smack him with the dishtowel soon, but he needed to know she was actually paying attention to him. "Please think about this."

"Not John." Her voice was firm, with absolutely no room for any more discussion. "Not John."

"There is no one else." He reminded her, running his hands over her hip. "Your parents are in London, mine have been dead for fifteen years." Miranda looked at their feet for a moment, trying not to nod her head in agreement. "The Wilson's are moving to Colorado in a month and I'm not sending Lena and Jere to Atlanta to live with Uncle Jay." Grayson paused. "There is no one else."

He thought he had her. For the briefest of seconds he actually thought he would be able to call Bill tomorrow morning and tell him to put through the agreement with John's name on it. Then Miranda met his gaze, and he knew that he had just lost.

"There's Jenna."

The look on her face was hopeful, and Grayson almost wanted to veto the idea the second her sister's name left his wife's lips. "I don't know."

The front door slammed and they both turned with the sound, shaking their heads as Elena dropped her backpack by the door and kicked her shoes of into the basket. "I have Econ homework!" Their oldest announced as she turned toward the living room, pouting as if her life was over. "Can I call Aunt Jen?"

Miranda gave her husband a pointed look and then reached for the cordless on the kitchen counter. "Tell her we'll feed her for your A." She tossed the phone across the hall, smiling when Elena caught it and started dialing simultaneously. Grayson grumbled about being in his study and bushed past her, medical journal back in his hand.

"Maybe you were right."

Miranda paused, the hand that was dropping the plate into the dishwasher stilling. "I was?" She wasn't the least bit surprised with this revelation. Upon arriving to rescue their oldest from her Economic homework, Jenna had immediately coaxed Jeremy and his sketchpad out of his room with a copy of the new OneRepublic and a handful of Girl Scout cookies. While she helped explain the basics of what happened after the crash of 1929, she created flash cards out of some random paper that she found in the bottom of Elena's backpack for the science terms that Jeremy would need for his test on Friday. And after dinner, she and the kids cleared the table and hand-washed the stuff that wasn't dishwasher friendly.

"Maybe I was a little too quick to discount Jenna." He watched his wife drop the plate into its place and wipe her hands on her jeans. "She's good with them."

She always has been. Miranda bit back, wondering why she hadn't thought to drop her younger sister's name in the hat before now. "She is." She turned and used the sole of her foot to shut the dishwasher. It was a move that she would have yelled at her daughter for if she'd ever seen Elena do it, but it gave her an excuse to move away from her husband. Until he agreed to drop the thought that John was what was best for the two kids that were currently shouting at each other about the last of the hot water, she wasn't interested in small talk.

Grayson's arm shot out to keep her from moving too far away from him. "I'm sorry." He started again. "And you were right." She leaned against him at last and he kissed the top of her head. "I'll call Bill in the morning and have him draw up the papers."

Jeremy shouted something from his room and she kissed her husbands cheek. "Thank you." Then she wiggled out of Grayson's arms and made her way upstairs.