Sorry this is so short.

CH. 4

Jenna drove her car all the way to the city hall, in favor of making her way to the Salvatore house. She didn't know what was going on, but she was going to try here first. Pulling into the parking space, she quickly got out of her car purse over her shoulder, and headed for the front steps.

The inside of the building was bustling with activity. Had Rick said there was a meeting? She wandered around looking for the sheriff, thinking that was probably the best place to start, and if she ran into Alaric or Damon all the better. Jenna wandered through most of the building, cautiously opening doors, the rooms to which were all empty. She couldn't find anyone anywhere. There was no telltale stack of books or whatever it was Rick had said they were doing, and she couldn't find the Sheriff, no matter who she asked.

Jenna had circled the entire first floor of the building, where all the activity seemed to be, and had made it back to the front door. She sighed, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder. So it would seem there was no council meeting, or perhaps she had just missed them. She didn't know what to believe. Dejectedly, she began to turn to leave, when she hesitated glancing back down the hallway once more. Not knowing what made her do it, Jenna approached the corner one last time to look out over the crowd. She stepped forward, but before she foot touched the ground, she was shoved back a step, by a furious blonde boy. Gasping slightly in shock, she turned around to watch his retreating back as he stalked out the front door. Jenna didn't see Sherriff Forbes following in pursuit

"Matt! Matt get back here, right now!" the sheriff came storming around Jenna chasing after the blond whose jaw was set in determination as he let the door shut behind him. Jenna followed after them, surprised by their sudden appearance. She shut the door and jogged down the steps, before stopping. The sheriff had Matt shoved against some car, attempting to block his way to his own, "listen to me!" she was yelling at him, "I know ok, but you need to calm down." Jenna felt like she was eavesdropping, but wasn't sure whether to call them out either. Finally gathering up her courage, she was here for a reason right, she called out from the steps cautiously.

"Sheriff Forbes!" The sheriff startled a bit, and released Matt. Jenna remembered him now. Wasn't he Elena's old boyfriend? He jerked around, his normally warm kind blue eyes, were now decidedly cool and distant. He stayed there, rigid but calmer now. "Is everything ok?"

The sheriff nodded, smiling but it didn't really reach her eyes, "Of course, Jenna. Did you need something?"

"Um yes. I feel a little ridiculous because.. Well, ultimately I've been trying to find Elena. Have either of you seen her?" Jenna stepped off the last stare walking closer. She raised her eyebrows in question. Both of them shook their heads, Matt glaring at the ground.

"No I haven't seen her in a couple of days." Matt admitted. Jenna thought she could detect some bitterness in the statement but ignored it in preference of continuing her questioning.

The sheriff didn't say anything.

"What about Bonnie?"

Again they shook their heads.

"Damon? Alaric? Jeremy?"

Matt scoffed, the steely determination intensifying in his eyes. The sheriff shot him a warning look. "I talked to Damon just this morning, but I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Jenna frowned, "You mean they haven't brought the books here yet?"

Forbes tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Books?" she asked, "What books?"

Jenna started to explain, then stopped with a sigh, waved her hand and said, "nevermind". Another lie it seemed. She then remembered someone else involved, "What about John?"

They both shook their heads again, and Jenna's shoulders slumped, that last grasp of hope slipping away. She didn't know what was going on, but what started as a nagging question and curiosity, was now becoming full blown worry. If this all turned into a surprise party, she didn't know if she would feel even more foolish, or be really, really angry. "Oh well." She sighed, bouncing her shoulders up and down somewhat self deprecatingly, "thanks anyway." She waved and turned to leave when Matt suddenly called out, "Happy Birthday by the way!" She smiled in gratitude towards him. The fact he remembered her birthday over all this time was heart- warming, even if she was just his ex girlfriend's aunt. Getting into her car, she sighed yet again staring blankly out over a little park across the way. There wasn't anything else for it, she decided, she was just going to have to go to the Salvatore house.

Meanwhile, Alaric was trying to find the right time to slip away and call Jenna. Before he noticed, time had gotten away from him and an hour had passes by. The guilt was crawling up his throat it felt, but every time he went to find some privacy someone new would burst through the doors. He still hadn't told anyone about Elena, and they now had two werewolves unconscious, one still on the couch and beginning to wake up, and the other in a different room tied to a chair.

Moments ago, in the middle of Stefan yelling at Damon, Jeremy had burst through the door yelling, "I found something!" It would have been almost comical, if Alaric wasn't suffering from an absolutely pounding headache, and stress from everything else.

Damon smirked condescendingly at his brother, as if to say "what are you gonna do about it now, huh?" before disappearing into a hallway. Stefan growled pinching the bridge of his nose, and turned to Jeremy, "What did you find?"

"Hey, why didn't you answer any of my calls?" Jeremy asked off handedly, sounding only curious, weaving around the couch a great tome held up in his hands.

"Just.. let me see." Stefan said, holding out his hand for the book.