Chapter 29

Olivia sat there in shock, listening to everything Alaric said, while Jenna remained quiet and wondered if this was a dream. Or more like a nightmare. She didn't know what to think and feel, trying to register exactly what Jenna wanted her to do. Was she hearing things or did she hear Alaric correctly? Olivia felt someone squeeze her shoulder and didn't have to turn around to see who it was.

"Livi…" To say Simone was appalled would've been an understatement, her angry jade eyes flashing directly at Jenna. "If you want to leave…"

"I don't." Olivia said quietly and looked up at Damon, wondering what he was thinking.

"So let me get this straight," Damon paused briefly, keeping Olivia's hand in his so he didn't lash out because he felt deadly at that moment. "You want me to compel Olivia to prove she's not lying about being your family. That about the jist of it?"

Jenna swallowed hard and lowered her eyes to her lap, not able to meet those deadly aquamarine eyes of Damon Salvatore. "Yes." She whispered, feeling Alaric squeeze her hand to reassure her nothing would happen.

"You have a lot of nerve coming into my house and demanding something like that from a woman who hasn't done anything to you." Damon practically snarled, gritting his teeth to the point of gnashing and could feel the blood rush to his gums, the sclera's in his eyes changing to cherry red. "Ric, you have three seconds to get her out of here or she's not leaving."

Jenna felt a shiver of dread rush down her spine and suddenly realized what a vital mistake it was coming here. "R-Ric…" She could barely speak because of how terrified she was, trying like hell not to meet anyone's gaze. "L-Let's leave…p-please…"

Alaric glared at Damon and stood up with Jenna behind him, a machine strapped to his arm that would send a wooden stake into his hand with one movement. "Come on Jenna, I was wrong to come here." He would be kissing her feet for several weeks to come because of this outcome.

"No." Olivia stood up at once and stopped them from leaving, blocking their path. "Please don't leave."

"Olivia, he's g-going to kill me…" Jenna tried to keep the stammer out of her voice and failed miserably, shaking like a leaf. "Please let m-me go…"

"I'll do it." Olivia's voice filled with desperation and she actually reached out to grab Jenna's arm, shoving Alaric to the side somewhat. "If compulsion is the only way to make you see the truth and prove I'm not lying, I'll do it, Jenna. Watch." A few seconds later, Olivia had taken off her vervain cross necklace she wore since the age of sixteen and set it down on the nearby end table, her eyes never leaving Jenna's. "There, I'm not protected anymore and I promise I won't let anyone harm you. I don't blame you for not believing me. Hell, I would be the same way because I'm not very trusting either. I guess that's one thing we have in common."

Jenna couldn't believe the amount of sacrifice Olivia put forth to prove herself and wondered if compulsion was necessary. "Y-You didn't hesitate. You would actually do something like this, letting a vampire toy with your mind and emotions just to prove yourself to a stranger?" She was floored, perplexed and watched as Olivia nodded without hesitation.

"If it means gaining your trust and proving to you that I am your half-sister, then yes I'll do it. I…" Olivia shut her eyes briefly and walked past everyone in the room, staring into the roaring fireplace thoughtfully. "I trust Damon, vampire or not. It doesn't bother me that he needs human blood to survive. He could be an ogre for all I care and I would still feel the exact same way I feel for him right now because I know who he really is. I know the real him, the him nobody else does…the him that he hides from the rest of the world."

For the first time, Simone finally understood why Olivia defended Damon so much and slowly walked over to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Livi, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize…" Olivia's finger pressing against her lips stopped Simone from saying anything further.

"I know and it's okay. The important thing is you've finally realized it." Olivia said softly, having an understanding just between the two of them and didn't care that everyone else in the room was completely clueless.

As much as she hated ruining this moment, there was still a matter of needing proof that Olivia was indeed her sister and Jenna couldn't ignore that. "I'm still going to want to do a DNA test, Olivia." She announced, feeling a little braver now that Olivia had ensured her safety. "Please understand…"

Olivia smiled in response and nodded, not an ounce of resentment directed at Jenna. "I do, believe me and I have no problem with that. Set it up with a time and place and I'll be there. For now, at least you'll find out that I'm not hiding anything from you and I'm not lying either." Her amber eyes moved to Damon and could still see the burning anger in his own, walking past Jenna toward him. "Damon…"

"I don't want to compel you, Liva." Damon was against this wholeheartedly and reached out, cupping her cheek tenderly with his hand.

"You must or else she won't believe me and go along with the DNA test. You know that. That's why she's here. Please Damon, you're the only one I trust to do this. I'm fine with it, as long as it's you that compels me." Olivia pleaded, tears stinging her eyes and tried to keep them at bay, not wanting to upset him further.

However, one tear slipping down her cheek nearly crippled him as Damon reached out to brush it away with his fingers. It fascinated him how one little teardrop nearly drove him to his knees at her feet. He never wanted to hurt Olivia and regretted what he did to her when they first met, all because he didn't trust her. Now here she was, asking him to do the one thing he'd wanted to do to her at the beginning, but no longer had the urge.

"Don't cry." Damon ordered, pulling her tight against him as his arms encircled her frame, running his fingers through her soft auburn tresses. "I'll do anything for you, Liva, just don't cry."

"I can't help it." She whispered, hating that she'd guilt-tripped him into the compulsion, but this was her only opportunity to prove her innocence to Jenna. "Please do it and don't be angry at my sister. She's just being careful and I don't blame her."

What was it about those citrine eyes that bewitched Damon to do whatever this girl wanted? "Stop looking at me like that." He practically growled, aquamarine eyes starting to cloud over with barely contained desire and smirked when she flushed a deep crimson red. "Such a lovely color on you."

"Can we just get on with this already?" Alaric demanded, clearing his throat awkwardly because he'd seen that look in Damon's eyes on more than a few occasions.

All humor drained from Damon's eyes when they locked on Olivia's bare neck, so used to seeing her silver cross and the faint smell of vervain invading his nostrils. "Fine." He looked back at Olivia and gestured to the couch, watching as she immediately sat down. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Olivia kept her eyes focused on Damon and wondered what being compelled would feel like, bracing herself for the absolute worse.

"It won't hurt." Damon assured softly, reading her mind and took her hands as she exhaled shakily, running his thumbs across them tenderly. "Just relax your mind as much as you can and focus on me."

Jenna frowned, wondering if compulsion actually worked and felt Alaric wrap his arm around her shoulders. She trusted Alaric and knew he would never steer her wrong, especially when it came to her family. Alaric could tell Jenna was hesitant about this, but if she loved him as much as she claimed, she would have to put her faith and trust in him not to lie to her. Compulsion worked, Alaric had seen it with Damon firsthand and he didn't like it. However, if it eased Jenna's mind about Olivia, he was willing to do anything to help the love of his life find the truth.

"Olivia, stay calm and breathe slowly." Damon ordered, feeling the pull of the compulsion and felt her do exactly what he said. "Good girl. Now then, I'm going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer truthfully. Do you understand?"

Olivia nodded in a trance, her eyes never once leaving Damon's. "Yes. Answer truthfully." Her voice sounded zombified, which made everyone in the room tense, especially Simone.

"What's happening to her?" Simone had never seen a human compelled by a vampire and felt Elena take her hand, thankful she'd sent Tyler home.

"She's under Damon's trance." That was the best way Elena could describe what was happening. "Compulsion can control every part of the human mind and heart."

"Seriously?"

Elena nodded, her lips in one fine grim line and watched as her newly found half-Aunt worriedly.

"Will this harm her?" Simone had to stop herself from lunging at Damon, her wolf instincts kicking into overdrive.

"No. She won't remember answering the questions unless Damon says otherwise."

If the vampire so much as tried compelling Olivia to forget this, she would attack him without hesitation, even if it wasn't a full moon.

"Olivia, what is your full name?" Damon asked, deciding to start small and work his way up to the big questions.

"Olivia Margaret Jackson."

"Where were you born?"

"I thought it was Atlanta, Georgia, but I recently found out it was actually in Mystic Falls, Virginia."

Now the tough questions were going to come. "Who are your parents?"

"Margaret and Martin Jackson."

"Are they your birth parents?" Damon asked, keeping his voice low and steady.

"No."

"Who are your birth parents?"

"Lucille Sommers. I don't know who my birth father is." Olivia answered without any hesitation, the compulsion in full effect.

"How did you find out about Lucille being your mother?"

"My adopted mother, Margaret, wrote me a letter on her deathbed." Olivia's voice remained cryptically calm and even, no emotion whatsoever coming forth.

"Are you telling the truth about everything you just said?"

"Yes."

Damon didn't break the compulsion and slowly looked over at Jenna, who currently had a flood of tears pouring down her cheeks, and pursed his lips tightly. "Is that satisfactory for you or do you want me to ask her something else?" He demanded in a growl, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Jenna was stunned and couldn't believe Olivia told the truth. Every part of her brain was trying to rationalize and defend her mother's honor, but she couldn't deny what she just heard. Olivia wasn't lying about the letter or anything she said regarding their family, which confused Jenna even more. Was this really her long lost sister? Jenna knew it was time to come clean about something she'd known for a long time, over twenty years in fact, and shook her head at Damon.

Looking back at Olivia, Damon reached out and cupped her face with his hand, thankful this was over. At once, Olivia finally blinked several times and came out of the compulsion instantly, looking around somewhat confused. Her heart broke at the sight of Jenna crying on Alaric's chest, along with Elena doing the same thing to Stefan and Simone didn't look happy at all.

"Did it work?" Olivia asked, staring back at Damon and watched him nod, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Why don't I remember anything?"

"Because I didn't tell you to. One thing about compulsion is I control everything you feel and remember, anything to do with your human mind." Damon tapped her temple gently. "If you want me to make you remember what just happened, I can. You don't need to though, you convinced Jenna you weren't lying about being family."

Olivia swallowed hard and shook her head slowly, not wanting to remember whatever she said. "Jenna." She slowly stood up from the couch and headed toward the sobbing woman, every part of her aching. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Please don't." Jenna whimpered, clutching Alaric's shirt tightly and cried harder. "A-At least you weren't l-lying to us…" She suddenly looked up into Alaric's eyes and felt his fingers brush her tears away, sniffling. "I-I want to go h-home." What she wanted to tell Olivia could wait until after the DNA test results came out.

Alaric nodded, not having a problem with that request considering this had been an emotional night. "Okay." He lifted her up with ease in his arms, feeling her head rest on his shoulder and cracked a small apologetic smile at Olivia. "When she's calmed down and feeling better, I'm sure she'll talk to you."

"Of course, I understand." Olivia said, feeling Damon's hands rest on her shoulders and leaned back against him. "Take her home and let her get some rest. She looks bushed."

"Will do. Thanks again for doing this, Olivia. It meant more to Jenna than you probably realize. See you guys later." Alaric walked out, the door closing behind him and headed directly outside to his car.

Before Alaric could open his car door, he suddenly saw blackness and felt his body slump to the ground, the last image in his mind being Jenna.

Elena walked over to Olivia at once, wrapping her arms around her half-Aunt and hugged her tightly. "I knew you weren't lying to us. Now we just have to convince Jeremy and-"

Suddenly, an ear piercing scream echoed throughout the house, all heads snapping up simultaneously. "What the hell was that?" Olivia demanded, her eyes widening the same time Elena's did as the horrible realization dawned on them.

"JENNA!" They both shouted out, their voices melting together as one and rushed out of the library before the Salvatore brothers or Simone.

Damon, Stefan and Simone were hot on their trails as they headed straight for the front door, practically ripping it off the hinges. "Jenna!" Olivia cried out into the wooded area that surrounded them, terror filling her heart and watched as Simone instantly began sniffing the air, suddenly remembering exactly what she was. "Sim, do you smell anything?"

"Jenna's perfume…" Simone continued moving around and headed right for Alaric's vehicle, gasping at the sight of a human body lying prone on the ground. "Damon, Stefan over here!"

Damon flashed forward and bent down, already knowing just by the frame alone who it was. "It's Ric." He announced, Stefan flashing forward next as both brothers looked at each other worriedly.

"Where's Jenna?" Elena asked, watching as Stefan stood back up to face her, tears stinging her eyes along with Olivia.

"Gone."