Elena had dried her tears before going inside to see Jeremy. She stood just out of sight and watched as Jeremy sat next to Katherine, watching T.V. He had gotten so big and she wondered how she had ever let so much time pass.
She felt Stefan take her hand in his, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. It gave her the confidence she needed to walk into the room.
Katherine saw her first. "Hey Jeremy, your sister is home" she said, pointing at Elena and grabbing the remote to mute the T.V.
Elena already felt the tears pricking at the backs of her eyes again when Jeremy turned towards her. His face showed little recognition and the guilt hit her hard. He didn't know her, because she had not made the effort to see him. "Hey, Jer" Elena said softly, doing her best not to let him see her cry. Elena approached slowly and knelt down in front of him. She looked him over, realizing how big he really was now. "You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you."
Jeremy stared at her for a moment, taking her in. "How big was I last time?" he asked curiously.
Elena held out her hands to show him. "You were really little" Elena told him. Jeremy smiled and it melted her heart.
"I'm almost tall enough to go on the big rollercoaster now" Jeremy said.
It made Elena smile. "We'll have to take you to Disney World so you can ride a really, really big rollercoaster" Elena told him.
Jeremy's eyes lit up. "How big are the rollercoasters there?" he asked.
"Really big" Elena told him, running her hand over his ruffled brown hair.
Jeremy turned to look at Katherine who nodded, confirming that Elena was in fact correct. "That sounds like a lot of fun" Jeremy said, turning back to the muted T.V.
Katherine gave Elena a small smile as she turned the volume back on. Elena decided to join them on the couch. She looked over at Stefan who gave her a reassuring smile before going upstairs.
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Damon, Katherine and Stefan looked up from the table in the kitchen when Elena walked in. "Is he asleep?" Stefan asked.
Elena nodded as she slid into the seat next to Stefan. "Yeah, he was really tired" Elena told them. She looked around the table nervously, aware that they had been talking to one another while she was upstairs with Jeremy. "I have to find somewhere to take him while I am at work" Elena announced. Maybe a summer camp until school started. Then an after school program in the Fall when he started school. She couldn't give up working and put full responsibility on Stefan to support them. It wouldn't be fair.
"I can watch him during the day" Katherine offered.
Elena shook her head though. "I can't ask you to do that" she told her.
"You didn't ask" Katherine pointed out. "Besides, I'm here most of the time anyways while you all go to work. It'll be fine" she shrugged.
"I'll be as flexible with your schedule as you need, Elena" Damon told her. "Hey" he said, getting her attention as she focused on the tabletop. "We're all here for you. We'll make this work" he said, giving her a small smile.
Elena wasn't fast enough to catch the tear that escaped. But she quickly wiped away the trail it had left down her cheek. "This is the last thing I expected Jenna to do" Elena admitted sadly. "I really appreciate you guys willing to help."
Stefan wrapped his arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "That's what family does for one another" he said quietly.
"He's right" Damon agreed. "Our only priority right now is to make sure Jeremy is taken care of" he added.
Elena nodded. "Thank you" she said, wiping at another tear that escaped.
"Let's go to bed" Stefan suggested, pulling her closer to him. He figured she could use the sleep. Stefan stood with her from the table.
"Can I talk to you Elena?" Katherine asked.
Stefan and Elena looked at each other before Stefan let her go. "I'll see you upstairs" Stefan said, walking with his brother out of the kitchen.
Katherine played with the wedding band on her hand. "So about tomorrow" she began. "I'd like to take Jeremy shopping to get a few things. You know, since he didn't really arrive with much" she explained, thinking about the pair of shorts and the couple of t-shirts she pulled out of his backpack. She saw Elena hesitate and felt the need to say something. "I want to, Elena. And besides, you know how I feel about shopping" she added with a small smirk. Any reason to go shopping.
Elena nodded. "That's really nice of you" Elena told her.
Katherine couldn't get over how sad and depressed Elena looked. "He'll be okay, you know" Katherine reassured her.
Elena just nodded again. Maybe he would, but no child deserved to be dumped like that on a stranger's doorstep. "I know" she answered. "I should go get ready for bed" Elena said. "Goodnight."
Katherine was not sure what else she could say to Elena. She didn't know her well enough. So she just followed Elena out of the kitchen and turned off the light. Maybe Stefan would know what to say.
Elena shut the bedroom door behind her, finding just a bedside lamp on. Stefan was in bed, waiting for her. He didn't say a word as she slipped out of her clothes and into something more comfortable to sleep in.
Elena disappeared into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She felt drained. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she saw how tired she looked. Since arriving home, she had not been able to get the worried, sick feeling out of the pit of her stomach.
Why would her aunt do this? The letter only said that Jenna could no longer care for Jeremy, and that Jeremy would be better off with Elena.
Elena thought that guy Jenna was with had a lot to do with Jenna's decision though. The same guy who told Jenna that Elena would be fine on her own at 16 after her parents died. She thought about that year and a half and all of the struggles she faced. Not only was she grieving the loss of her parents, but she was given all of the responsibilities of an adult while still trying to be a kid in high school. She had been incredibly lonely too when Bonnie had gone to London to study.
Elena thought about Stefan, and how so much weight had been lifted off of her shoulders when she met him. She finally had someone to talk to again and she didn't feel so alone anymore. While she knew she wasn't alone at that moment, she still was having trouble accepting the fact that she did not have to figure everything out with Jeremy on her own. She had a family. And Damon was right. The most important thing was that Jeremy felt safe.
And Elena would do everything she could to make sure he was happy.
When she came out of the bathroom, Stefan was still awake and waiting up for her. Elena turned the bedside lamp off and crawled in, setting down under the covers. She closed her eyes and sighed when she felt Stefan wrap his arms around her and hug her close. It was exactly what she needed.
"What can I do?" Stefan whispered. He couldn't stand it when she was worried and there was nothing he could do.
A couple of tears escaped. "I should have kept him with me" Elena cried quietly. It ate away at her every single day. Elena knew she could have made more of an effort to see Jeremy. She could have called more often, checked in on him. There were so many things she could have done differently, and the only thing she could do now was beat herself up about it.
"You were 16" Stefan reminded. He hugged her closer. "You did what was best for Jeremy at the time. And you're going to do what's best for him now, too" Stefan whispered softly.
"I don't know what to do" Elena whispered sadly.
"We will figure it out together" Stefan told her.
Elena turned herself around so she could snuggle close to him and rest her head against his shoulder. "We were supposed to move back to the beach house tonight" Elena said.
Stefan rubbed her back gently, trying his best to help her relax. "The beach house can wait" he assured her. "You can stay home tomorrow" Stefan offered.
"I promised Damon I would have that portfolio completed by tomorrow afternoon for his meeting with the investors" Elena replied.
Stefan was not even going to try and convince her to blow it off. She wouldn't. "Maybe a half day then" Stefan mentioned, placing a kiss against her hair.
Elena nodded. "Maybe" she agreed.
"I have an appointment with Dr. Erickson tomorrow. I'll pick you up afterwards" he told her.
Elena nodded again. "Okay" she whispered.
Stefan kissed her hair again. "I love you so much Elena" he said. Stefan felt so relieved when he felt her hug him.
"Love you" she whispered.
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Katherine slowly opened her eyes after feeling something touch her. In front of her was Jeremy, poking her shoulder gently. The moment he realized she was awake, he stopped and stepped back.
"Hey, good morning" Katherine said sleepily. She grabbed for her neck and realized how sore she was. At some point in the night, she had come into Jeremy's room to check on him. Then she had sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall in his room. She wanted to be there if he woke up and needed anything. Katherine had not planned on sleeping there all night.
"I'm thirsty" Jeremy said quietly.
Katherine glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was only 5:30 AM. Everyone else wouldn't be up for another half an hour. "Okay" Katherine said, slowly getting herself up. She walked down the hallway with Jeremy and then down the stairs.
She pulled out a chair in the kitchen for him and watched him climb up in it. "What would you like?" Katherine asked. "We have water, milk, apple juice, orange juice" she listed off.
"Apple juice, please" Jeremy answered.
Katherine smiled. The kid had manners. "Are you hungry?" she asked, turning to grab the juice out of the refrigerator.
"Do you have any Cheerios?" Jeremy asked, patiently waiting for his juice.
"Hmm, that I don't" Katherine answered, pouring his juice and setting it in front of him. They didn't have any cereal left on account of Stefan having been staying with them. Stefan ate all of the cereal in the house, including the healthier one she bought for herself. "What about pancakes?" Katherine asked. Jeremy nodded and Katherine went to work on grabbing out the ingredients she would need.
"So, today I thought we would head out early, beat the crowds" Katherine said as she poured pancake mix into a bowl. "We'll get you a few more pair of shorts and some swim trunks so you can go in that giant pool out back" she mentioned. "And I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I picked out a new purse either" she said, winking at Jeremy. He smiled as he continued to drink his juice.
Katherine had a whole plate of pancakes ready by the time everyone started getting up.
"Morning" Damon said, walking into the kitchen. He kissed Katherine and then went straight for the coffee. "How'd you sleep last night Jeremy?" Damon asked, treating Jeremy as if he had been part of the family since day one.
Jeremy shrugged. "Good" he answered.
Damon smiled as he grabbed his coffee and went to sit down across from Jeremy. "So what are you doing today?" he asked.
Jeremy straightened a little as he prepared to answer. "I'm buying shorts and Katherine is getting a new purse" he announced, remembering what Katherine had said a few minutes ago.
Damon grinned. "A new purse, huh?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yep" Katherine confirmed. She walked up behind Damon and leaned over him to place a plate of pancakes in front of him. "To go with the new outfit I am going to buy" she added. She walked around him and placed a plate with one large pancake in front of Jeremy. It had eyes and a smile, like she used to make for Stefan when he was younger.
Jeremy pointed at the pancake and smiled.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Damon asked, smiling at how impressed Jeremy was with a smiley face pancake.
Fifteen minutes later, Stefan and Elena came walking into the kitchen. Elena, dressed for the workday, took a seat beside Jeremy. She smiled, asked how his pancake was, and graciously accepted the cup of coffee Stefan was handing her.
Stefan on the other hand was still dressed in his sweats and t-shirt with hair that had yet to be tamed. He sat down next to his brother. Katherine set pancakes in front of both Stefan and Elena before grabbing her own plate and sliding in on the other side of her husband.
"What time do you think you'll be home tonight?" Katherine asked. She grabbed Jeremy's glass and poured him some more juice.
"I'll be home by dinner" Damon said.
That was what Katherine had wanted to hear. "So Jeremy, you get to pick what's for dinner tonight" Katherine told him.
Jeremy looked up from his pancake and thought about what he wanted. "Pizza" he decided.
"I love pizza!" Damon said, holding up his hand to high five Jeremy. Jeremy seemed thrilled with Damon's excitement.
The rest of breakfast went by smoothly. Elena had gone back upstairs to run a brush through her hair one more time. She was nervous to leave Jeremy, and that had not gone unnoticed by Stefan. "He's going to have a really good time today" Stefan said, sitting on the bed and watching her.
Elena took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thanks" she said, needing his reassurance.
She walked over to him and he held out his arms, pulling her into his lap. "I'll see you around lunch time?" he asked, hoping he could still pick her up.
Elena nodded. "Yeah, sounds good" she told him.
She went to run her hand through her hair to fix it and Stefan stopped her. "You look beautiful" he said, looking into her eyes. "So beautiful that I almost don't want to let you go to work with a bunch of guys" he added with a small smile.
Elena smiled. "They are all too afraid to talk to me anyways" she reminded him. Damon had put the fear of God into every last one of them.
"Good" Stefan grinned. He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Have a good day" he whispered, kissing her one last time before letting her up.
Elena grabbed her bag and gave him a wave as she headed out of the room.
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Elena could not wait to see Jeremy when she opened the front door that afternoon. She could hardly focus at work all day, just watching the clock until Stefan showed up.
Elena and Stefan both stopped as they surveyed the living room. There were blankets and sheets draping over the backs of couches and chairs, creating the ultimate fort. Stefan and Elena looked at each other and smiled.
"I bet they're out back" Stefan told her, taking her hand and walking to the back door. Sure enough, Jeremy and Katherine were in the pool.
"Elena!" Jeremy yelled, doing his best to wave why he tried to stay afloat.
"Hey buddy" Elena smiled, walking to the edge of the pool. "Looks like you're having fun" Elena pointed out.
"Watch this!" Jeremy said, swimming to the edge of the pool and climbing out. He stood on the edge and then jumped in, making a splash.
Stefan and Elena both clapped. Elena had to admit, she was impressed with her little brother's swimming skills.
Stefan wrapped his arm around Elena and watched Jeremy swim back to Katherine. "Hey Jeremy, do you want Elena to come swim with you?" Stefan asked.
"Yeah!" Jeremy said excitedly.
Elena felt herself being pushed towards the pool by Stefan suddenly. "Stefan!" Elena yelled right before she went into the pool. When she surfaced, Jeremy was cheering, Katherine was laughing and Stefan was grinning. "You are so dead" Elena said, wiping her wet hair out of her face.
"Stefan pushed Elena in the pool!" Jeremy cheered, holding onto Katherine for a bit of a break.
"He sure did" Katherine said.
"You think that was funny?" Elena asked Jeremy, trying to be serious but failing miserably. Jeremy smiled and nodded. "Come here" Elena said, watching as Jeremy swam to her. Elena whispered something in his ear and Jeremy nodded.
"What are you telling secrets about?" Stefan asked.
"Nothing" Elena shrugged as she treaded water. She watched Jeremy climb out of the pool and slowly run towards Stefan.
"Hey now" Stefan warned, smiling as he turned to watch Jeremy. "What are you doing?" Stefan asked, still smiling.
Jeremy giggled as he quickly approached Stefan and started pushing him towards the pool.
"No no no!" Stefan said as he allowed Jeremy to push him into the pool. Stefan made a big splash, deliberately getting both Elena and Katherine.
"I got him!" Jeremy cheered, jumping up and down. Then he ran and jumped into the pool with them all.
Stefan swam towards Elena and pulled her into his arms. "Getting your brother to do you dirty work for you huh?" he asked.
Elena smiled as she shrugged. "Isn't that what little siblings are for?" she asked, splashing his face before making a getaway.
Stefan wiped the water from his eyes and watched Elena start a game of tag with Jeremy in the pool. He couldn't help but watch how much more at ease Elena was now that she was able to see Jeremy. The guilt was still there, but he hoped that with time, it would slowly fade.
"If you could see the way you look at that girl" Katherine said as she floated by Stefan on her air mattress.
"It's easy, loving her. Yet it is scary as hell sometimes too" Stefan admitted. The way he worried about her could be a full time job in of itself.
"It's scary because you know what life is like without her" Katherine said thoughtfully. She knew the exact feeling. Those years she spent away from Damon had been painful.
Stefan hated to even think about the time he had spent away from Elena. "How did today go?" he asked, changing the subject.
Katherine smiled. "Really well. Jeremy is a great kid" she answered.
Stefan could see it written all over her face though. Taking Jeremy for the day had been just what she needed. Katherine was a mother without a child, and it broke Stefan's heart watching her pretend like she didn't need to fulfill that role. "Jeremy can't stop smiling. He doesn't look like a kid who just got dropped off at a stranger's house yesterday" he pointed out.
Katherine looked at Jeremy and smiled. "He's going to be just fine" she murmured. She'd make sure of it.
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Elena wandered into the living room and sat herself down on the couch so she could lean back against Stefan. Jeremy was finally asleep and Damon and Katherine had gone to bed an hour ago. She was looking forward to spending some time alone with Stefan.
Stefan's right hand slid under her t-shirt, stroking her stomach softly. She relaxed even more against him.
"We should figure out what we're going to do" Elena said quietly. Did they take Jeremy back to the beach house? Did they stay with Damon and Katherine for the rest of the summer? There was so much to figure out and her brain hurt thinking about it.
"We have time" Stefan reminded, pressing his lips to her hair. He was in no rush one way or another.
"Thank you" Elena told him. He wasn't pressuring her to figure things out. He had been so supportive and exactly what she needed.
Stefan slipped out from under her and came to lie on top of her. He brushed some of her hair out of her face so he could really look into her eyes. Then he grabbed her left hand and ran his thumb over her wedding rings. "We're in this together" he reminded her quietly.
Elena nodded as Stefan leaned in and kissed her gently.
"You should probably get to bed, huh?" Stefan whispered. She was going to work tomorrow.
Elena wrapped her arms around his back and slid her hands under his shirt, feeling his muscular back underneath her fingers. "Just a little longer" Elena whispered, capturing his lips with hers again and raising her hips up to meet his.
Stefan groaned quietly against her lips. She raised her hips again and he tore his lips away from hers and began sucking the sensitive skin on her throat. "Do we have time for this?" he asked, dipping his hips low and thrusting against her hips this time.
Elena bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. "Probably not" Elena replied quietly. She felt Stefan trail his lips down her throat and across her shoulder. His fingers grabbed the thin material of her t-shirt and tugged it down, giving him access to the top of her breast. She murmured softly as she felt his tongue leave a warm, wet trail across her skin.
Stefan sighed, wishing they did have time. His mouth returned to hers as he settled his hips against hers, letting her feel how much he wanted her.
His thin basketball shorts did nothing to hide his arousal, ready and waiting between her thighs. Elena lifted her hips off of the couch once more and Stefan sucked in a sharp breath. "Elena" he whispered. He sounded desperate and could feel her smile against his lips.
"Let's make time" Elena whispered. She knew she could stand to release a little tension herself. Her hands slid out from under his shirt and grabbed onto the waistband of his shorts.
His hand reached out to brace himself against the arm of the couch when he accidently knocked one of Katherine's framed pictures over. "Damnit" Stefan mumbled. The loud crash could have definitely woken someone up.
They both paused, listening for someone to come down the stairs to investigate. The hallway light came on upstairs moments later, causing Stefan to scramble up off of Elena.
Damon's footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. "You guys okay?" he asked, stopping halfway down to stare at them.
Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I just knocked a picture over. Sorry" he said.
Damon stared at them both for another moment before nodding. "Goodnight" he said, turning to head back upstairs.
As soon as the hallway light turned back off, Elena laughed quietly. Stefan looked embarrassed by the situation and she wanted him to know the moment was not ruined. "We should probably take this upstairs" Elena said, reaching down and grabbing the picture. Thankfully, it had not broken when it fell.
Stefan smiled, still sort of embarrassed. "I like that plan" he said, standing up with Elena. He was surprised when she launched herself into his arms and kissed him. He didn't hesitate to reach under her thighs and lift her up so he could take her upstairs.
He made it about halfway up when he had to stop and grab onto the railing. She was grinding herself against him slowly and it was enough to make his knees want to buckle. He was not quite sure what had gotten into her that evening, but he sure as hell was not going to complain. If she kept it up though, he was not going to make it to their bedroom.
Elena smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stilled her hips, realizing what she was doing to him. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself" she breathed out.
"I'll take that as a compliment" Stefan said, grinning as he readjusted her in his arms and continued up the stairs.
"That indeed was a compliment" Elena whispered against his ear.
