A/N : What? Another update? I just rewatched the S5 finale, and I needed an outlet for my feelings. So, here you go...ENJOY!
CHAPTER TEN - Falling Slowly
Elena had clothes scattered all over her room, while she applied and reapplied her makeup. Too plain. Too slutty. Too...scary. It took her a few retries before she finally got it right. She straightened her hair...pin-straight, exactly like the time she wore it when she first met Damon, back in the middle of that dark road all those years ago.
She stared at herself in the mirror. She was beginning to look like her old self again. The light has started to come back to her eyes. After Damon died, she felt guilty for being happy in a world where he didn't exist. So she avoided feeling anything that leaned towards happiness. In a way, her emotions were switched off, albeit only partially, when she lost Damon.
Seeing herself now, her old glow had returned, now that she has Damon back in her life. She closed her eyes in regret, with overwhelming remorse for ever believing that what she had with Damon was toxic. That all she ever felt for him were wrong. That he was bad for her. How can that be, when the only time she ever felt complete is was when she was with him? In all that time that she had to live without Damon, she never felt right. She was no less miserable. It didn't make her a better person. And now that he has returned to her, whatever the circumstances may be, she vows to never let go of their love. She'll do whatever needs to be done. She'll all accept no matter what the consequences may be. She refuses to lose him again. Not again...never again.
Elena looked at the clock and noticed how late it was getting. If she was going to keep Damon, she needed to get a move on. The first steps to taking back her man is making sure that she's with him constantly. She rummaged through her entire closet, looking for the perfect outfit to wear. She sighed, after she went through her entire wardrobe, changing from one dress to another, but still came up with nothing. It was 'College Night' back at the pub, and she wanted a look that would hold Damon's...Jackson's attention. She didn't want some slutty Tri-Delt stealing him from her. Not that she ever doubted Jackson's affections, but their relationship was still fairly new. Technically, Jackson and Elena have only known each other for a few days. The haven't even had their second first kiss yet. Cheeks, forehead and palms don't count. She was his girlfriend, not his sister.
"Elena! Get your ass down here already! I swear, if you're not ready in two minutes, we're leaving without you!" Elena heard Jeremy yell impatiently from downstairs.
Elena ran down the stairs to speak with her brother. "I have nothing to wear!" she screamed back frustratedly.
"I don't care...go naked!" Jeremy told her.
Alaric smacks him at the back of the head. "Take your time Elena."
"Thank you,"Elena said to Ric, then turned to Jeremy and scowled at the younger Gilbert, before hurriedly running back upstairs to get ready.
Once Elena finally decided what to wear, she, along with Jeremy and Alaric headed over to The Broken soon as she stepped foot inside the pub, she craned her neck to look for Jackson. Jeremy and Alaric headed straight for the bar.
"Old-Fashioned Maker's...neat," Ric ordered the bartender. "Make it a double."
"I'll have a bottle of Dos Equis," Jeremy said.
"Nice try, kid," the bartender eyed him. "Got any I.D.?"
Jeremy looked to Alaric for a little 'assistance'. "Don't look at me, Jer," Ric shook his head. "I'm not going to encourage underage drinking."
"Fine. Make it an iced tea then," Jeremy grumbled.
Elena finally joined them at the bar. "Have you seen them yet?" she asked the two about Jackson and Jillian.
"Nope," Jeremy replied, his eyes roaming around in search of Jillian.
"Why don't you just go to Jackson's office?" Ric asked her, as he sipped his drink. "It's not like you're not allowed back there."
"I don't wanna appear too eager," Elena answered, as she grabbed Ric's whiskey and swallowed a mouthful of it.
"Hey!" Ric protested.
"You ARE eager. Very eager" Jeremy scoffed.
"As if you're not," Elena retorted. "You probably can't wait to be with 'Jillian' right now."
"I'm not a teenage boy anymore Elena. I can control my libido," Jeremy told her. "Whereas you, with your heightened senses and all, probably wants to jump 'Jackson' all the time."
"Seriously, guys...I really don't wanna hear sex talk coming out of your mouths. I prefer to think of you two as virgins." Ric scrunched his face in disgust.
Elena was about to say something, but quickly forgot what it was once she saw Jackson approach. She greeted him with a radiant smile and pulled him into a tight embrace. Jackson sighed contently, savoring the scent of her hair. When they slightly pulled away from each other, she noticed that Jack was still gazing upon her.
"What? Why are you staring? Something in my face?" Elena stammered self-consciously. "What are you looking at?"
"You..." Jack whispered. "The highlight of my day," he sighed. "God, you're beautiful," he said breathlessly.
And at that moment, right then and there, Elena felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. Jack pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. Elena rested her head on his chest, and everything felt right with the world. Of course, any moment of happiness in their lives is fleeting, and it wasn't long until they were interrupted again.
As if on cue, Moon tapped Jackson on the shoulder. "Boss?"
Jack grimaced, not wanting to let Elena go. "Whaaat?" he whined.
"I think they're ready for you," Moon told him.
Jackson looked deeply into Elena's eyes, took her hands into his, and then kiss her palms. "Listen, I just need to do this...thing. Then I'm all yours," he promised her. "Please, don't go anywhere."
"I'll be right here," Elena answered. She immediately missed his touch as soon as he walked away.
Jackson was about to head to the lounge area, when he ran into Jillian, who just came in through the door.
"What's up, Broadway Girl?" Jack teased her.
"Shush! My nerves are frayed enough as it is," Jillian admitted.
"Don't be nervous," Jack told his best friend. "You're amazing. Just ask your admirer over there," he said, tilting his head towards the bar to point at Jeremy.
"Ugh! What's that kid doing here?" Jillian asked irritatedly.
"He's not that young," Jack defended the young Gilbert.
"He's drinking iced tea, for Christ's sake," Jill scoffed. "I probably have shirts that are older than him."
"You're exaggerating," Jack told her. "Hey, if you like the guy, why should his age matter?"
"Who the hell said that I like that kid?" Jillian sneered with fake disdain.
"It's written all over your face," Jack pointed out.
"Like hell, it is!" Jill exclaimed.
"Whatever. I gotta go to work," Jack said, before walking away.
"Yeah...you do that," Jillian responded.
Jill headed right for the bar and sat at the very end, away from Jeremy. Her tactic didn't work. Jeremy still approached her and sat next to her, as she ordered her drink.
"Jill-" Jeremy spoke.
"Don't talk to me," Jill told him.
"But-" Jeremy tried to protest.
"Don't talk to me," Jill repeated.
"Oh, come on-" Jeremy whined.
"Jeremy?" Jill said.
"Yes?" Jeremy replied, his mood picking up.
"You're talking to me," Jillian pointed out.
"I am," Jeremy replied.
"Don't talk to me," Jillian told him again, before turning away and taking a sip of her drink.
Their little squabble continued, until Jackson stepped up the stage and spoke into the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, listen up," Jack told the patrons. "Our very own, Jillian Nightingale has made it to the final round of auditions for a Broadway musical. Let's all wish her luck on her audition tomorrow, and see if she'll grace us a song."
Jill was met with a round of applause and hoots of encouragement. She finished her drink, sneered at Jeremy, before walking up the stage.
"I'm actually going to need Jack's help on this one." Jill told er audience. 'The final audition is a chemistry test with the potential male lead, so I'll be requiring someone to do the duet with."
"Woo hoo," Elena loudly cheered on, clapping her hands.
The lights dimmed slightly, setting up the mood, as Jackson began to play the piano. Not long after, Jillian started to sing.
JILLIAN :
I am here to tell you we can never meet again
Simple really, isn't it, a word or two and then
A lifetime of not knowing where or how or why or when
You think of me or speak of me and wonder what befell
That someone you once loved so long ago so well.
Elena sat there in shock, when Jackson started to sing. She knew that Damon could play the piano, but she had no idea that he was also a talented singer.
JACKSON :
Never wonder what I'll feel as living shuffles by
You don't have to ask me and I need not reply
Every moment of my life from now until I die
I will think or dream of you and fail to understand
How a perfect love can be confounded out of hand.
Together, the blending of both Jack and Jill's voices sent chills down Elena's spine, as she continued to listen.
Is it written in the stars?
Are we paying for some crime?
Is that all that we are good for
Just a stretch of mortal time
Or some god's experiment
In which we have no say
In which we're given paradise
But only for a day.
JILLIAN :
Nothing can be altered, there is nothing to decide
No escape, no change of heart, no any place to hide
JACKSON :
Oh, you are all I'll ever want, but this I am denied
Sometimes in my darkest thoughts, I wish I'd never learned
JACK & JILL :
What it is to be in love and have that love returned
JILLIAN :
Is it written in the stars?
Are we paying for some crime?
Is that all that we are good for?
Just a stretch of mortal time
JACK & JILL :
Or some god's experiment
In which we have no say
In which we're given paradise
But only for a day.
Jillian took a bow and thanked her audience, but the people were clamoring for more. She tried to silence them.
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't have a 40 ounce bladder," Jill laughed softly, the audience laughing along with her. "I gotta go pee! Jack, the stage is yours," she announced before stepping off the stage, and hurriedly running towards the ladies restroom.
"Jillian Nightingale, ladies and gentlemen," Jackson stated awkwardly. "Wow...she kinda put me on the spot here," he fidgeted with the microphone nervously, not used to being on stage without his best friend with him. "I know that this is usually poetry hour...so to start things off, I'm gonna do an original composition of mine. Well...it started as a poem...and it just kind of evolved into this," he stammered. "It's inspired by recent events involving this...unbelievably beautiful young woman that I saw in the subway. She's the only one who makes my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. So...here it goes..."
Jackson picked up one of the acoustic guitars on stage, and began to pluck the strings with his fingers. He searched for Elena at the crowd, and once he found her, he held her gaze with his. He started to sing, never taking his eyes off of Elena's.
I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that
Words fall through me and always fool me and I can't react
And games that never amount to more than they're meant
Will play themselves out.
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time.
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You've made it now.
Falling slowly eyes that know me and I can't go back,
Moods that take me and erase me and I'm painted black.
You have suffered enough and warred with yourself
It's time that you won.
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time.
Raise your hopeful voice, you had the choice
You've made it now.
Falling slowly...sing your melody,
I'll sing along.
Elena's eyes welled up, she was soon wiping her tear-stained face. The combination of the lyrics and melody of the song, along with Jack's soulful voice and the intensity of his beautiful blue eyes was a lot to take in. She struggled to catch the breath her body didn't even need, as Jack stepped off the stage and headed towards her.
"Elena Gilbert," Jack whispered, letting her name roll off his tongue. "This thing between us, I may not understand it...which scares the hell out of me...but if you're willing to take a chance on a guy like me, then I trust you. And I'm all in."
He wiped the tears from her eyes, and pulled her closer. He leaned in and gently caressed her cheek. He tilted his head and pressed his lips into hers. Elena moaned, as he took the kiss deeper. She felt like she was in heaven, when their tongues joined and danced inside each others' mouths.
Alaric, who sat beside them, cleared his throat. "Oi, get a room!" he told them. "On second thought...stay right there where I can keep my eye on you two."
Jackson chuckled, and was about to say something, when Elena cupped his face, and pressed her lips to his for another sizzling kiss, their tongues continued to fool around. Jack wrapped his arms around her, in urgent need to feel her body pressed to his, while Elena continued to kiss him with great fervor, much to Alaric's chagrin.
Back at the ladies restroom, Jillian staggered to keep herself vertical. Her headache was getting really bad, her vision began to blur. The voices inside her head were screaming louder, she covered her ears, but it didn't help.
There was aloud knock on the door, before she heard Jeremy's voice. "Jillian? Are you there?"
"Go away!" Jillian yelled, as she winced at the pounding on her head.
"Are you okay? You don't sound so good," Jeremy asked worriedly. "That's it, I'm coming in," he announced when he didn't get a reply.
When Jeremy stepped inside, he saw Jillian clutching at her head. She looked up, and was shocked to see him. "What the hell are you doing here? This is the Ladies Room!"
"I got worried," Jeremy answered.
"Get out!" Jill screamed again, which only made her headache worse. "AGGHH! Make it stop! Please, make it stop!" she pleaded, as she grabbed her head in pain.
"Make what stop?" Jeremy asked worriedly. "Hey...look at me. Tell me what's wrong," he said, pulling her close to him.
Jillian stared into his eyes, and noticed that they were filled with love and affection. Without a word, she grabbed his face and pulled him into a demanding kiss. And then, she noticed that the pain in her head stopped, and the voices in her head went silent, while she was kissing Jeremy.
Jeremy moaned and slightly pulled away. "Wait..." he said breathlessly.
"Shhh! Don't talk...just kiss me," Jillian ordered him, before locking the door, and pushing him against the wall. Before Jeremy could protest, she grabbed his face again and pulled him for another scorching kiss.
~END OF CHAPTER TEN~
A/N :
*Yeah...that just happened. Jelena's first kiss, that's progress, right? And Jillemy is sizzling! [fans self]
*First song sang by Jack and Jill is called "Written In The Stars" from the Broadway musical AIDA, which is the same musical Jillian is auditioning for.
*Second song, sang by Jack to Elena, is called "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová. I love this song, and it seemed fitting to the scene, if you really read and understand the lyrics.
*Looks like Bonnie/Jillian is getting worse. Good news is, Jeremy's kisses seems to be a good cure.
*There you go, another chapter, done and dusted. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.