Elena rolled over and almost elbowed Bonnie in the face. Catching herself, she swung her arm out and slid off the bed as carefully as she could manage. Bonnie didn't stir and Caroline, curled up on her friend's other side, murmured something about goldfish before going silent again. Elena bit down on her laughter, resisting the urge for an always entertaining session of recording Caroline's various sleep musings, and headed for the bathroom.
If sleepovers were becoming this common, maybe she could convince Jenna to let her use some of her trust fund to buy a Cal King. Queens her friends might be, but a queen sized bed wasn't quite enough room for the three of them.
After finishing up, she wandered into the hallway, not tired enough to go back to sleep. Maybe a nice quiet morning would help her figure out what the fuck to do about Damon Salvatore's delusions of chivalry.
Halfway down the stairs, she paused and frowned. Or not. That was coffee she smelled which, while welcome, was highly unusual. Neither Jenna or Jeremy had a habit of waking up before ten AM on a Saturday. At the entrance to the kitchen she stopped in her tracks again, hand rising to her mouth. Oh. Well then.
Clearing her throat with a wide grin, she walked past her aunt and the unknown woman who were making out against the center island. "Coffee smells great!"
The two women jerked apart, a mug went careening off the counter onto the floor, and Jenna let out an impressive string of curses. "Nope. You didn't hear that. And Jeremy definitely didn't hear that, right?"
Elena just laughed and shook her head; Jenna was the best aunt a girl could ask for, blood relation or not. "He did not, I believe he's still sleeping. Are you going to introduce me to your guest?"
Jenna sputtered and her makeout partner stepped forward with a smile, fading red lipstick bright against her warm brown skin. "Emma Tig. I'm the new guidance counselor at your high school." She glanced over her shoulder at Jenna, who had realized there was broken mug on the floor and was carefully stepping around the pieces of glass to reach the paper towels. "I met your Aunt at the party last night, rescued her from a persistent ex."
"Persistent scumbag," Jenna muttered, reaching the paper towels and kneeling down next to the mess.
"Indeed," Emma said, mouth quirking into a sly grin, and Elena laughed again.
"I'm very happy to meet you, Emma, and glad you rescued Jenna. Her taste in men has always been questionable."
"Hey!" Jenna said, sounding more offended than her resigned expression implied.
"Uncle John," Elena said, ignoring the faint tinge of anger at the thought that Jenna knew who he really was to her. Now wasn't the time and at the end of the day, even if she did know, she couldn't blame her aunt for not telling her a secret that the family members they both mourned hadn't bothered to share.
Jenna made a face, standing up with the broken pieces of glass carefully folded in several layers of paper towel "Okay, point made. My taste in women has always been fantastic though."
"I would have to agree," Emma said, grinning at Jenna and darting in for a quick kiss while the blonde's hands were occupied. Jenna flushed bright red and Elena giggled, delighted to see Jenna so happy, and delighted for the many, many hours of teasing ahead.
Emma turned back toward Elena, still grinning. "On Monday morning we will have to pretend this didn't happen. But until then, how do you feel about french toast? Sleepovers always make me hungry."
"I love french toast," Elena told her, and, after having all offers of help rebuffed, took a seat on the stool by the center island with her cup of coffee and watched Emma and Jenna flirt while breakfast was made, her heart warm with happiness for her aunt. Happiness that didn't flicker until her fingers brushed against Emma's when the other woman handed her a plate of french toast and magic sparked between their skin.
Emma's eyes, darker than her own, widened in surprise and her smile faltered for a brief moment. She made sure Elena had the plate safely and then turned her head to look at Jenna. "Why don't you see if Elena's friends, or Jeremy, want to join us?"
Jenna nodded and headed for the stairs but pointed at Emma. "This is agreement to use your professional teenager wrangling skills to manage my nephew's inevitable morning moodiness."
Emma and Elena both laughed and then waited for Jenna to get out of hearing range in silent agreement. Once Jenna was down the hallway, Emma turned back to Elena, friendly curiousity on her face. "Does your aunt know you're a witch?"
Elena shook her head. "She doesn't know anything about the supernatural as far as I know. And I barely count as a witch, but my friend, Bonnie, if she comes down, you'll sense each other immediately." Elena hesitated, biting her lip. "Are you really just here to be the guidance counselor?"
Their school definitely needed a new one, Tanner's reign of terror proved that, but it was hard to trust that another supernatural moving to town wasn't involved with the Salvatores, or her own history, however much she'd immediately liked Emma.
The other woman's face softened and she carefully rested her hands up on the counter, open and non-threatening. "The girl who was attacked, it was a vampire wasn't it? Was she your friend?"
Nodding, Elena resisted the urge to give a verbal acknowledgement or say anything else. She wanted to trust Emma. She liked her, and she liked anyone who could make Jenna so happy, but Damon Salvatore had surfaced all of her well-earned Petrova doppelganger trust issues.
"I'd already interviewed for the position but I'd received other offers and wasn't sure that small-town Virginia was really where I wanted to live as a bisexual brown woman," Emma explained, her lips quirking in amusement. "But in discussing the needs of the position, they mentioned the attack on the girl, and when I heard a teacher had been attacked as well I knew I had to take the job. Teenagers have enough to deal with without being attacked by the supernatural, and while my magic has never been particularly oriented toward violence, if I could protect even one student, I knew it would be worth it."
Elena managed another nod, her throat tight with something too close to unshed tears for her comfort. The idea of an adult wanting to protect children she didn't even know—it shouldn't be shocking, but it was. No matter how powerful she knew she and her friends were, they were children, and so were Vicky and Matt, and they shouldn't be dealing with any of this. But no one had said it out loud before.
"Can you protect Jenna?" Elena asked, her voice so soft Emma had to lean forward, all fear that Emma was an enemy faded into a desperation she'd been hiding from herself. "It was a vampire. It is a vampire. And he's not done and he has a lot of reasons to go after anyone who knows me." She looked up, her gaze intent. "I can protect myself, and Jeremy's learning, but Jenna is alone more than we are and she doesn't even know there's something to be afraid of."
It was quiet for a moment, just the distant sound of voices from upstairs, and then Emma sighed. "As long as I'm here and in her life I will absolutely protect Jenna. But she's your guardian, Elena, she's the adult, and she deserves to know about whatever danger you're in." She frowned. "You don't have to tell me anything more and I appreciate how much you've told me already. I know we just met and I've known Jenna barely longer, but if she and I begin a relationship, as I hope we do, I cannot in good conscience keep this from her."
Eyes sliding closed against the threatening burn of tears, Elena blew out a heavy breath. "I know. I know she'd be safer if she knew the truth even if I've been lying to myself otherwise. I just. How do I even start that conversation? Her life already changed so much when she became our guardian, I don't want to ruin it again."
She felt Emma's hands take her own and gently squeeze. "You didn't ruin her life, Elena. She loves you and Jeremy, so much. Even while flirting and avoiding an ex and drinking a little too much wine, she talked about you both, how proud she was and how much she wants to do right by you. You just have to let her."
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Elena opened her eyes and managed a bright smile, squeezing Emma's hands before letting go. "Thank you."
Emma just returned her smile and turned back toward the oven as Caroline's voice echoed from the bottom of the stairs. "I smell french toast!"
The blonde came bouncing into the kitchen with a wide grin and Elena turned in time to see Bonnie's eyes widen as she came in behind their friend, her gaze moving straight toward Emma before shifting to Elena as she raised an eyebrow. Elena nodded and gave a thumbs up she hoped indicated that she knew Emma had magic and that she was friendly.
Breakfast moved to the table, and Elena enjoyed a warm and peaceful morning with nearly everyone she loved in one place, even Jeremy, whose 'teenager awake before noon on a Saturday scowl' was almost entirely erased by french toast and coffee. Afterwards, she managed to silently ask Bonnie and Caroline to wait upstairs and, after they left, Emma kissed Jenna's cheek then winked at Elena and Jeremy.
"I'm going to let the Gilberts' handle the cleanup and go use your shower, Jenna."
"I could join you," Jenna responded with a suggestive tone, then flushed, and looked at Elena and Jeremy. "You didn't hear that."
"Uh, I was actually hoping to talk to you, Jenna?" Elena said. "Just a quick family meeting before Jeremy and I do the dishes."
"Oh! Of course," Jenna answered, looking a little surprised before flashing a quick apologetic smile at Emma. "Feel free to use anything you find in the shower, I'll come up in a bit."
"Okay," Emma said, dropping a quick kiss on Jenna's lips. "Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."
Jeremy stared at Elena as she waited for Emma to disappear up the stairs and Jenna to turn around and she offered him a tight smile. She maybe should have talked to him first but, it was her secrets she was planning on sharing, and it was really time they broke the Gilbert family tradition of keeping things from their loved ones.
Jenna turned to face them, a faint flush still on her cheeks and a warm look in her eyes and Elena ripped off the bandaid. "Did you know that I was adopted, Aunt Jenna?"
Smile dropping instantly, Jenna paled, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I did. Did your mom tell you? I know she planned to but I never knew if she did before-" Jenna stopped, grief creasing her face and her shoulders slumping. "I didn't know how to bring it up if she hadn't. I'm sorry."
Elena reached across the table, dodging a sticky syrup spill, and took her hand. "It's okay, Aunt Jenna. I understand. Mom didn't tell me, I just found out." She glanced at Jeremy, who looked lost in grief as well and pushed down her own sadness. Someday they'd be able to think of their parents and focus on the good memories, instead of what they'd lost. Until then, she'd do her best to help distract them all from their mourning. "I know my biological dad is Uncle John, but I don't know how it happened. Do you know?"
"John!" Jenna said, her face slack with shock. "I, I didn't know that. How did you find out?"
Before Elena could come up with a response, Jenna shook her head. "Never mind, I'll tell you what I do know. Or, what I was told anyways," she said with a frown. "Your mom told me that a girl showed up at your dad's office one night when he was about to leave. A pregnant sixteen-year-old runaway about to give birth. He delivered the baby and gave her a place to stay, but a few days later she disappeared, leaving you behind." Jenna looked up and met Elena's gaze before glancing at Jeremy. "Your parents had been struggling to have a child of their own, so they took you in, pretended you were theirs. No one asked questions and your dad was able to produce all the documentation needed."
She frowned again, looking down at the table in clear thought. "If it was John, that explains how Isobel knew where to go and why she thought they were safe to leave you with, but I don't know why they wouldn't tell me? Unless they didn't know?"
Elena shook her head. "I don't know. Before now I thought they knew and just kept it secret to protect John and whoever the mother was. But I don't know why they would lie to you either."
Unless somehow they knew she would be the doppelganger? But Elena had no idea how they would have known that. She still didn't know which side of the family she had Petrova blood on. John had to know he was her father. If they'd told Jenna, they'd told John and he would have known who Isobel was. Had he not told his brother that they were adopting their niece? Had he known or did he know what Elena was? Jonathan Gilbert had met Katherine, but Elena hadn't really explored his journals so she didn't know if he had a picture or a drawing of any of the suspected vampires. Too many questions and so few people alive who might know the answers.
"How did you know, Elena?" Jenna asked, clearly confused. Jeremy had refocused on the conversation and looked equally curious, and a little wary, clearly guessing at least some of what else Elena might be planning to talk about.
"To answer that question I have to tell you a different secret my parents kept from you, and from me and Jeremy," Elena said, slow and serious so Jenna would have no doubt about her sincerity. "Magic is real. A lot of things are real. Including vampires, which the Gilberts have been hunting for centuries. A vampire killed Kelly Donovan and might try to hurt our family because of something our ancestors did."
And because of who she was, but Jenna only needed to deal with so many world-altering revelations at once. Besides, Damon seemed way more angry about whatever had happened in 1864 than he was interested in why exactly she looked like Katherine. That would probably change once he realized Katherine was alive and well and supremely uninterested in him, but for now her Doppelganger status could wait.
Jenna just stared at her, her expression somewhere between shock and disbelief with more than a hint of concern for Elena's sanity.
"She's telling the truth, Aunt Jenna," Jeremy said quietly. "I found Jonathan Gilbert's journals and a bunch of other stuff in the attic. If she's crazy, so were a lot of our ancestors and a bunch of other people in town."
Elena shot him a grateful look and then let go of Jenna's hand to lift her own in the middle of the table. The curse on her ancestors kept them from drawing magic from the land, significantly limiting their power as compared to witches like the Bennets. But they could still use the little bit of personal magic that resided in them as living creatures and magic users and, as a Doppelganger, a potent magical being in its own right, Elena had more personal power than most. Focusing that power, she channeled it into her hand, her fingers lighting up like they were stars instead of flesh and bone.
The light shone brighter than the ceiling lamp, clearly revealing the awe on Jenna's face and the similar expression on Jeremy's before he quickly hid it behind a small smirk. Elena folded her fingers into her hand, letting the light gradually dim before snuffing out entirely.
"I am telling the truth, Aunt Jenna. It was a spell that told me who my parents were. But just the names, I didn't know how it happened or why." She grimaced. "I think we're going to have to call Uncle John."
He'd also probably be helpful in getting rid of Damon, or at least protecting Jenna and Jeremy, if she was right about who carried on the GIlbert legacy, but if he was as hardline as the rest of their ancestors then Stefan wasn't safe either. Which was another conversation she'd been avoiding and really needed to deal with.
"Do we have to?" Jenna asked, almost a whine as she slumped back in her chair, her eyes still a little wide from Elena's light show.
"Yes," Elena said firmly, more to herself than Jenna. She didn't want to deal with him either, and she really didn't want to deal with her emotions about who he was to her, but she might as well deal with all the shit she didn't want to at once. Maturity or something like that. "We can talk more later, but for now, don't invite anyone in the house, even if you know them. And maybe ask your girlfriend about magic." Jenna's eyes widened again and Elena grinned, channeling all her stress into no holds-barred honesty. "Also warn her about John, cause sicking him on someone without warning is mean even if he wasn't your ex."
"He barely counts as an ex," Jenna said, an automatic defense that clearly didn't engage her brain at all, and then let out an only semi-hysterical laugh. "Right. Okay. Magic is real, vampires are real. I'm going to go have a panic attack on a woman I met last night who apparently knows more about that than I do and is also really good with her mouth."
"Gross," Jeremy said, scrunching up his face and Elena tried to hold in her laugh but failed when Jenna left the table without acknowledging Jeremy at all, or telling them they hadn't heard that.
The laughter was cathartic and she carefully ignored the fact that maybe she was a little hysterical as well. She'd been awake for barely more than an hour and she felt like she'd run an emotional marathon.
"Sorry I didn't warn you about that, didn't really plan it," she told her brother. "Someone pointed out to me that our guardian should really know about the vampire in town."
"Gonna tell her he's obsessed with your face?" Jeremy asked, his skeptical smirk firmly back in place and Elena rolled her eyes, waving a hand at the stairs that Jenna had tripped at least twice on before her quiet curses disappeared down the upstairs hallway.
"Sorry I didn't want to further break our aunt's brain. I'm going to wash and you're going to dry and put away. Wipe down the table while I take all the dishes to the sink."
Jeremy rolled his eyes right back at her but didn't argue and Elena collected and washed all the dishes in silence, her mind filled with static and the french toast sitting poorly in her stomach despite how delicious it had been. She finished the last dish and left Jeremy to it, almost to the stairs and time to process the morning with her best friends when the doorbell rang.
"Not now," she muttered, and waved Jeremy off when he turned to look. "You clean, I'll get rid of whoever it is. The Gilbert-Sommers house is officially closed for the day."
Summoning a smile and making sure there was no syrup or butter dripped on her shirt, Elena made her way to the door and swung it open. A vaguely familiar and very smug-looking man stood on the other side.
He offered her a smarmy grin and leaned forward, a little too close to her personal space. "Well hello there. Logan Fell, WPKW9. Is Jenna home? We have a lunch date."
Stress spiking again, fueling her increasingly manic mood, Elena decided to indulge her spiteful side. "Sorry Logan, she's in the shower with her girlfriend so I'm guessing the lunch date is canceled. Have a great day!"
She closed the door in his face before he'd finished sputtering and then leaned against it in absolute exhaustion.
Fuck. The council hadn't given up.