Jenna's Boyfriend

It was the day before the twins 21st birthday. They were having a family dinner to celebrate tonight and then tomorrow, Jenna and Little Damon would have their friends over for a party. Jenna, Damon, and Elena were working together in the kitchen getting the lasagna ready for supper. By the way Jenna kept chattering, Elena was aware that she was tense and excited that the evening would go well. Her boyfriend, Jake, was coming over for dinner to meet the family. From everything Jenna and Little Damon had said, Jake seemed like a nice boy. Damon and Elena were looking forward to meeting him and were impressed that he was interested in meeting them. Jenna was starting her senior year at Boston College and had met Jake there. Elena wasn't sure, but thought Jake was finishing his Masters this coming year.

"Sweetheart, what is Jake's major?"

"Mama, really, I've told you twice already, he's majoring in Criminal Psychology. He's already been accepted at Duke University for his PhD."

"That's right. He must be very clever."

"I think he is. I'm sure you and Dad are really going to like him. Please try."

Elena gave Jenna a kiss on the cheek. "We'll like him, I'm sure. I hope he likes us."

"He better," laughed Jenna.

Just then, they heard the door open and heard Katherine call out. "Hello everybody. There's a rumor going around that you're serving the Damon Salvatore classic lasagna. If that's true then I'm staying for supper."

"Aunt Katherine!" Jenna called out. "Thanks for coming!" Jenna ran out to the foyer and gave her aunt a hug.

Little Damon and his dad came up behind Elena. "Hey Katherine," said Damon, giving her a quick hug.

"Hi Aunt Katherine!" said Little Damon.

"Are the kids coming?" Elena asked.

"No, I left them at home. Elijah is in town and agreed to hang out with them."

"Elijah is back?" Elena queried surprised. "He was there only a couple of weeks ago."

Katherine laughed. "Yes, it's getting so he can't stand to be away for long. It seems the older I get, the more attentive he becomes. I imagine by the time I'm 60 he'll actually ask me to marry him."

"So, if he ever asks, will you say yes?"

Katherine shook her head. "He'll never ask, and no, I wouldn't say yes. We're in a good place the way things are. He knows that as well as I. I have everything I want, two wonderful children and I know that he loves me as much as he can."

"How's your book coming?" asked Damon. Katherine was writing about the domestic life of Napoleon Bonaparte, his wife and all the intrigues that went on. Since she had been Josephine's personal friend at the time, she was able to supply unique insights to what was known.

"I'm going through the final proofs. My publisher is extremely excited. He actually believes the book is going to break out of being an academic work and actually hit the NY Times Best sellers list."

Meredith, Bonnie and Jeremy all arrived together at that moment. Meredith let them all in, calling out to everyone they were here. Little Damon and Jenna went around to each and gave them a hug. The house was a bedlam of conversation as everyone was talking at the same time, when they were interrupted by the doorbell.

"That's Jake," exclaimed Jenna. I'll go let him in.

Elena interrupted, "No, I'll answer the door Jenna. You stay here and visit with your aunts and uncles."

A look of consternation passed quickly over Jenna's face. She desperately gestured for her brother to follow her mother to the door but couldn't get his attention. However, both Meredith and Katherine noticed. They exchanged puzzled looks with each other and followed Elena to the door.

Elena went to the door and opened it. She smiled and held out her hand to the young man at the door. "Hello, you must be Jake. I'm Jenna's mom, but please do not call me Mrs. Salvatore. Call me Elena."

Jake shook hands automatically, but was obviously startled when he saw Elena and then saw Katherine come up behind her. Elena smoothly explained, "I know, it's startling isn't it? Katherine is my aunt. None of us have ever looked our age."

"Jenna never told me you two could pass as sisters, even twins, and if it wasn't for the age difference between you and Katherine, I would say you were triplets. She never told me how much she favored her mother."

Elena smiled in response. "It has caused confusion at times. This is Meredith, a very close friend."

Elena turned to go inside the house. From long habit, she had indicated to Jake through her body language that he was welcome without actually inviting him in. All the family had disciplined themselves to avoid specifically inviting anyone into the house. When she saw that he hadn't moved, but instead glanced apprehensively at the doorway, she knew what he was immediately. It normally took a lot to make Elena angry, but when it came to protecting her children her anger could be quick and deadly.

Maliciously she went inside leaving Jake stranded at the front door. Katherine shrugged helplessly, "I'm afraid it won't do you any good if I invite you in," she explained to Jake.

Jake was nonplussed at the apparent awareness Katherine had about vampires and at being stranded at the front door. He looked to Meredith for assistance. Dismayed, she shrugged, "This isn't my house either." They both waited to see what would happen next.

Jake was at a loss of what to do. "Isn't Jenna around?" He asked hoping to have someone help him out of this awkward situation. Then, speaking to Katherine and Meredith he observed, "You seem to understand more than I expected."

"Apparently, you don't know very much about us," drawled Meredith as she turned to follow Elena into the living room.

Jake nodded grimly. As she also followed Elena into the house, Katherine chuckled a little. This was going to be a very interesting dinner.

"Where's Jake?" asked Jenna when she saw Meredith come in.

"If he's still here, he's still at the front door," Elena interrupted tersely.

"Didn't you invite him in?"

"Does he need an invitation?" responded Elena, emphasizing the word 'need'.

"Honestly, Mama. He's our guest. Of course he needs to be invited in." Jenna babbled as she rushed out to the front door and gave Jake a hug. "Jake, what in the world are you doing out here? Come inside."

By this time Elena was seething in rage. Jenna knows what he is. She's been hiding this from us.

"Jenna's been keeping secrets," Katherine whispered to Meredith. "Jake doesn't know anything about us either."

"Little Damon," Elena called out. "Little Damon, come here."

"Mama, you promised! Will you just call me Dee, please, especially with Jake here. Do you have any idea how embarrassing Little Damon is?"

Elena was in no mood to address her son's nickname. She took him aside and spoke to him privately. "Something has come up involving your sister. Fix yourself a plate and take it to your bedroom. You're eating there."

"Why? This is our birthday. You can't just send me to my room. Are you kidding me?"

"Do as I told you, Damon," Elena ordered, compelling him to obey. She had not compelled either of her children since they were little. This was the first time in years.

Little Damon was aware that he had been compelled. Angry at the betrayal he blurted out, "This is because Jake is a vampire, isn't it?" As soon as he blurted it out, he knew he had blundered.

Still compelling him, Elena asked quietly, "How long have you known?"

"A couple of months, Jenna told me."

"Who else knows?"

"Just me, honest."

"Go to your room now. Stay there. Do not come downstairs until I specifically say you can."

Little Damon nodded, not having any choice, and took his food and went upstairs.

"That was pretty harsh," Katherine advised.

Elena turned to Katherine, compelling her as well. "Did you know?" she asked.

"No I didn't know! Be careful Elena, I know you're pissed. Don't make any mistakes you'll regret later. You've already compelled your son now me, your breaking promises you had made a long time ago."

"Katherine, this involves my children. I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect them. If you think that you need to take sides on this, you better be on my side!" Elena then called out to everyone with fake cheerfulness, "Everybody come to the table, dinner is ready."

As they were sitting down, Jenna noticed Little Damon wasn't around. "Where's Dee?"

"He won't be eating with us after all," was all the information that Elena would supply. "Oh, Jake, let me take your plate. I have something especially for you," Elena grabbed his plate and walked back into the kitchen. Damon got up as well to follow her.

"What's going on Elena? What's wrong?"

"He's a vampire," Elena spit out in anger. "Jenna has brought home a vampire. She's known for several months and hasn't said anything." Elena went to a small refrigerator in the pantry and pulled out a blood bag. Then she spotted a long wooden spoon and grabbed it as well.

"What are you going to do?" asked Damon.

Elena smiled viciously to her husband. "I'm going to serve our guest something more appropriate and then I'm going to give him this," she held up the spoon as if it were a weapon. Then she went back into the dining room.

"Elena! Elena!" Damon called after her, without any result.

Elena slammed the plate with the blood bag down in front of Jake.

"There you are, vampire, bon appétit." As Damon was coming to intervene he had to pause and admire her. She stood in front of Jake, a beautiful 19 year old vampire herself, angry enough to spit nails, she looked magnificent.

Jake stood up and stepped away from the table in shock. He had not bargained for this at all.

"What's the matter, vampire? Surprised? Jenna hasn't told you much about her family has she? Here, I have another surprise for you," Elena tossed him the spoon and Jake caught it involuntarily, "take this spoon and stab yourself through the heart with it." As he stared at the spoon in confusion, Elena gathered all her emotion and ability to compel and forced it into two simple words, "Do It!"

"Jake no!" cried Jenna as she threw her body around him to stop him from stabbing himself with the handle of the spoon. He easily threw her off of him and tried again to obey Elena's command. However, this gave Damon and Meredith the opportunity to intervene, Meredith snatched the spoon out of Jake's hand and Damon held him imprisoned against the chair.

"Elena, you have to stop this!" cried Meredith and Damon together.

"She's our daughter, Damon. I didn't bring her into this world to be used by this." She gestured towards Jake in contempt.

This had given Katherine enough time to come to Elena's side. She placed her hand on Elena's shoulder and said firmly, "Don't make the same sort of mistake I would make, Elena. We're alike with things like this. I know what I would do and that is what you are doing. Don't do this, please."

The words pierced through Elena's rage, and she relented slightly. "Okay, vampire, don't stab yourself yet." As Jake relaxed his struggle with Damon, Elena followed with another command. "I am going to ask you some questions. You will tell the truth, you will not evade." Then turning to Jenna she also compelled her, "That goes for you too, Jenna."

Elena asked Jake, "Have you been drinking her blood?"

Jake nodded, "Only once. That was how we met." Jenna gasped in surprise and reflexively brought her hand up to her neck.

"You didn't know?" she asked Jenna. Jenna shook her head.

"How old are you, vampire?"

"I am 83 years old, vampire." Jake responded rebelliously.

"You're life means nothing to me. I'd be careful," Elena replied.

"It means something to Jenna," Jake replied.

"I can fix that."

"Mama, you wouldn't do that," protested Jenna.

"I'll do what I think is necessary," Elena snapped.

"Elena, you won't do that. If you value your family, there are things that you will not do. You're on an edge right now. You need to step back." Damon ordered.

Elena remembered Katherine's warning and took a deep breath. "When was the last time you took a life, Jake?" her tone was a little gentler this time, conceding the use of his name.

"A few years ago," he replied.

"Precisely, Jake, when was it?"

"Four years ago."

"Before then?"

"Often, I can't say exactly."

"Why'd you stop?"

"She was a friend. I lost control and couldn't bring her back."

"Was she your lover?"

"Yes."

"Jenna, when did you realize Jake was a vampire?"

"After a few weeks, I figured it out."

"How long did you see him before you told him, you knew."

"I never told him, he told me."

"When was that?"

"We had been dating about 3 months."

"Did you tell him you already knew?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"If I told him that, then he would want to know how I figured it out and that would lead back to you. That isn't something that was my place to tell."

"Why didn't you tell us about Jake?"

"The same reason, I knew secrets about you, and I knew secrets about Jake. I was hoping to begin getting it all straightened out tonight. I guess that has been accomplished, although I had hoped it would have gone better."

Elena was beginning to regret her rage and the actions she had taken. She realized she had reacted without fully understanding the circumstances. Jake had not done anything that Damon and Stefan hadn't done. Jenna hadn't done anything that she herself hadn't done. Jenna had been caught in the middle of a web of secrets. She spoke to Jenna and Jake, "I've overreacted and abused the powers I have. I hope you can forgive me."

"Elena, there are certain areas of your life where you act first, think later. This is one of them," replied Damon. "Fortunately, nothing has happened here that can't be fixed, right Jenna, Jake?" he asked challenging them.

Jenna nodded and went to hug her mother. "You really frightened me Mama. I didn't know you could be so terrible."

Elena hugged her back. "There is much you don't know about me, darling. Jenna, you don't know what you are opening yourself up for, falling for a vampire. This isn't what I wanted for you. I didn't raise you for this life."

"Yes you have, Mama. You did it by being the most wonderful mother a daughter could want. It's what I want for myself, Mama. I love Jake, and I want to be like you. I've always thought you were wonderful. I want to do what you do. Even if I can't be just like you, even though I won't have children like you have, I can still do what you do."

Elena was flummoxed. "What do you think I do, Jenna?"

"You protect the weak from evil men, Mama. Dee and I have known this for several years. You and Dad have been our heroes for some time."

"How did you know this? Damon, were you aware they knew this?"

Damon was equally surprised and shook his head. "No, I didn't know, but, Elena, why should we be surprised? They're not idiots. And the way Jenna and Dee collaborate, we've had to fool two heads, not just one."

Jake had been observing all this with growing astonishment. "Excuse me, but what has been happening? Mrs. Salvatore, what are you? You almost compelled me to kill myself, you can pick the truth out of me at will. You're a vampire, but have had children? I thought I knew who all the Originals are, but you must be one. But I didn't know an Original could have children."

Damon grinned and slapped Jake on the back. "Jake my friend, you've been dating the daughter of the most powerful vampire in the world, only nobody but me has known it, until now. Elena is most definitely an original."

"Damon, really," Elena protested. "Jenna, don't take your father too seriously. I have unusual abilities, granted. But I'm not involving myself in some foolish competition of who is more powerful than whom." Then, speaking aloud to herself, Elena muttered, "So, we need to undo this mess that I have created. Let's see. Jenna, I'm afraid there are some things that Jake is going to have to forget. I have to decide what to do about you."

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" replied Jenna.

Elena sighed. "Well dear, Jake knows far more about our family than I can allow at this time. I simply don't know him well enough for him to leave here knowing what I can do."

"He doesn't know the half of it," muttered Damon.

Elena gave Damon a warning look. "Don't complicate things Damon."

"What are you worried about, Elena. You're going to erase his memory anyway."

"Mama you can't!" cried Jenna.

"Hush, Jenna. It's necessary. I'm only going to erase what has happened so far this eveining. I'm not going to wipe you out of his memory. Then we're going to enjoy our time together and I'll behave myself much better. I promise." Then remembering all the other guests who had been to stunned with all the drama to react, Elena apologized, "I am so sorry for this. You are all dear friends, can I trust you to keep this unfortunate scene a secret for the time being?"

Meredith spoke up, "Of course, Elena. For the time being in any case. I suspect that Jake will be accepted in the family soon and secrets will no longer be necessary."

"Don't I get anything to say about this?" challenged Jake.

Damon came over behind and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Nope, did you have anything to say about still being alive?"

"What about me? Are you going to erase my memory?" asked Jenna.

"No honey, I'm going to trust you." Elena then gave a stern look of warning to Damon. "That's why it's important we don't have any more discussions about what I can and can't do."

She turned to Jake, again using compulsion, she explained, "Jake, you are going to go home now and Jenna is going home with you. Jenna went to your place and told you that I sent her over to tell you that dinner was being delayed for an hour." Jake nodded his head. "You will not remember anything about this night, absolutely nothing."

Speaking normally, Elena turned to Jenna. "Jenna, while you are spending time with Jake tonight, I want you to explain to him that you're mother and father are vampires. That I gave birth to you and Dee and then we were turned soon after."

"But why can't we just tell him the truth?" Jenna asked.

Damon interrupted, "Jenna, we've kept our family out of the various power struggles that vampires tend to involve themselves in by keeping secret how powerful your mother is. Just because you've fallen for Jake doesn't automatically earn him our complete trust. When we get to know him better, we'll allow him to know more about us. You'll need to be patient. Now, be a good girl, take Jake home and do as your mother says." Jenna nodded her agreement, and she and Jake started to leave together.

After they left, Meredith went to Elena and hugger her. "I'm proud of you. You went right up to the edge and then stepped away. Not many could have done that."

Elena acknowledged the compliment ruefully, " I wouldn't have been able regain control of myself if it hadn't been for you, Katherine, and Damon." Elena shuddered. "If it hadn't been for you, I'd have forced him to kill himself right there in front of Jenna. I'd have been forced to compel her to forget, probably Little Damon as well, and I would have changed my family into nothing more than puppets."

"That's been the difference between your life and mine, Elena," replied Katherine. "You have always relied on others, and I never have, at least not until I became human. You have had friends to be there for you, and I haven't. I'm glad we're friends now. Well Elena, Damon, I guess the exciting stuff is over. I'm going to catch a flight home to my family and maybe, Elijah will get lucky tonight. Ta Ta." Katherine left chuckling.

When Katherine left, Elena began to feel the backlash of the intense emotions she had felt. As usual when she was stressed emotionally, she turned to Damon. She wrapped her arms around Damon's neck. "You know," she sighed, "I've compelled Little Damon to his room. I guess I need to go up and apologize."

"Yeah, you're not supposed to do that you know. Are you going to let him out?"

"Of course, why don't you fix everyone a drink until Jenna and Jake return. I'll keep the lasagna warm."

Jenna and Jake returned soon, Jake was apprehensive having learned that the lovely college girl he had fallen in love with had been raised by vampires and had a witch for an aunt. Other than that, the dinner went well. Dee, who blamed Jenna for being banished to his room, was enjoying himself taking his revenge by increasing Jakes discomfort with various remarks about his vampire family. Inevitably, he went too far when he asked Jenna, "So, Jenna, when is Jake going to turn you?"

It was like a switch was thrown, the conversation around the table ceased abruptly.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," stuttered Jake. "I don't intend to turn Jenna."

"Dee," Elena spoke sharply, "Do you want to be sent to your room again?"

"No ma'am," he replied contritely, hiding a grin as Jenna glared at him.

Calmly, Elena spoke to Jake, "I apologize for my son's rudeness. He should know better, that some topics are personal and private."

Jenn found it extremely interesting that her mom had not actually rejected the subject of her becoming a vampire. All in all, Jenna thought to herself, the evening had turned out to be major success.

Soon after desert and drinks, Meredith, Bonnie and Jeremy made their excuses and went home. Damon Jr. went up to his room and Jenna and Jake left to walk along the shore.

"That was certainly an exciting evening," drawled Damon. "I'm surprised everybody left so early, that was a little unusual." Damon noticed Elena smiling mischievously. "Elena, don't tell me you secretly encouraged them to leave."

"Why, I've already been a bad girl. How does the saying go? 'In for a penny, in for a pound? After all, we're alone and it's still early." As she spoke one hand began to drift down Damon's front and starting undoing his buttons."

Damon slid his hands up under her blouse to undo her bra. "Shall we take this upstairs to the bedroom?"

"Hmmm, yes lets," Elena replied pulling his head down for a kiss. Unfortunately they didn't make it to the bedroom. They didn't make it to the stairs up to the bedroom. They didn't even make it out of the dining room. They took their time, enjoying each minute and each inch of each other. After a while, they simply lay still whispering their thoughts and feelings together, when Jenna's returning home interrupted them.

"Hello," Jenna called out, "I'm back, everyone. Jake's already left." Jenna noticed her parents naked on the floor. "Oh – My – God, Mama, Dad, you're disgusting! Normal people use the bedroom for crying out loud!" Jenna ran up the stairs trying not to look at her Mom and Dad. "I swear, am I the only adult in this house?" and she slammed her bedroom door closed.

Mortified, Elena buried her face in Damon's chest. The only thing he could think to say was "Oops, guess we lost track of time."