Mystic Falls, VA August 20, 2010

Jessica glared at her cell phone, it kept ringing and she knew precisely who it was. His face popped into her mind, light blue eyes flashing and a smirk. She knew that he wouldn't stop calling until she picked up.

"What?" She answered, knowing her irritation was thick in her tone.

"Hello, Damon, how are you?" He asked, falsetto voiced. "I'm fine, Jessa, thank you for asking. And how are you doing?"

"Being slowly irritated to death, which is completely weird, because I'm immortal." She said, looking back at her laptop. "So, Damon, what precisely do you need?"

She heard his light laugh at her sarcasm. "Well, since you asked, I have a lead." She could hear Elena in the background "We have a lead."

If eyerolling were audible she would have heard it in that sentence. "Bully for the two of you." She said, keeping to her request to stay clear of the doppelgänger. "Good luck and peace be with you?"

Jessica was being obtuse and planned on staying that way. She'd seen the wreckage that Stefan could raise, having gone with Damon to his human girlfriend's news station and watching helplessly as Stefan compelled her to her death. She hadn't met the elusive Elena, and seeing that she was elusive because Jessica asked it to be, it was a situation she was happy to continue.

"Jessica," Damon said, using a sing song voice. "I'm going to have to ask you to come along with me." Another bout of muttering and he came back on. "Along with us."

Her heart clenched. "If by 'us' you are including the look-a-like, then that's a hard no." She said, broking no argument. "You are fully aware of my stipulation to this arrangement, Damon. And so, you're just going to have to tell your little Katherine 2.0 that I refuse."

She was NOT going to anywhere, not even the grocery store with the two of them. Not a chance. Call it PTSD, call it anxiety, call it plain hatred. She could care less. She upheld her part of the bargain, being willing to be sacrificed at a moment's notice. Wasn't that nearly enough?

"Jessa," Damon said, his voice low. "You and I both know that regardless of what she looks like, you won't let her die. You've seen what Stefan is capable of, and Klaus is worse. If you don't come, I'm not sure either one of us will make it back safely."

A part of Jessica wanted to say, simply, go fuck yourself. However, he did touch her in a soft spot. If she didn't go, and Stefan hurt an innocent she could have protected, even if she did look like Jessica's worst memory, she wasn't sure she'd be able to live with herself. Grumbling she realized if she wasn't immortal this wouldn't be an issue. She'd be dead already, but at least she wouldn't be sacrificial.

"Fine." She growled. "Tell me where we're going and I'll meet you there." Sitting in a car with Damon and Elena was too much to ask.

He gave her a part of Chicago she'd never been to, but was certain that GPS wouldn't fail her. She also booked a flight. Getting there first, she could map out the best way to not stay longer than necessary. She contemplated telling Henry and his wife that she was going out of town, but decided there wasn't a need. Hopefully she'd be back in a day or two, no one the wiser. At least no one, but Damon and Elena.

Mystic Falls, VA June 22, 2010

Jessica was settling in for a final look at her edits, a glass of wine in hand. Before she had gone more than three pages in, her phone rang. Rolling her eyes, she contemplated ignoring it, but no one in this town would give up once they chose to call. She pressed send and kept the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" She asked, keeping her eyes on her work. When no one answered she considered hitting end, but she heard a light breath. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Jessa?" The voice was female and afraid. Jessica's brow furrowed, the voice was somewhat familiar, but she was having issues placing it. "Please." The voice pleaded.

"Who is this?" Jessica asked again. "I can't help if I don't know who you are." She stood, picking up the phone and walking to the entryway to grab her keys.

"It's Andi." The voice whispered. Jessica was truly confused now. Andi was Damon's human girlfriend/blood bag. What would she be doing calling her? "I need help."

"I can tell that much, Andi." Jessica said, rushing to the car. "Where are you? Have you called Damon?"

"He's going to hurt me, Jessa." Andi cried. Jessica was confused, Damon fed from Andi, but he wasn't cruel to her. "Please come." With that the phone clicked off.

"ANDI?!" Jessica yelled, irritated, she called the number back. A new voice answered on the second ring.

"Hello, Jessa." His voice was nearly as familiar as Damon's. "I think you and my brother want to pay Andi a visit at work."

"Stefan?" Jessica whispered. "Why?"

"Come on, Jessa, and bring Damon. I have a message for the searchers, and I want you to hear it loud and clear." The phone clicked dead again, and Jessica cursed out loud. Smacking the steering wheel, she dialed Damon's number and started toward the news station.

Chicago, IL August 21, 2010

Jessica looked around the dingier part of town and shook her head. The street she was on was not one she had seen during her travels, nor during her book tours. It made sense she supposed, being vampires they'd pick something off the beaten track. As she waited for the text or call from Damon warning her than he and Elena were nearby, she contemplated the reason she was here. To die, if necessary, for the two of them to either rescue Stefan or flee. Yippee for immortality.

Her phone chirped and she looked down to one word, "Here". Sighing she looked around and sure enough Damon turned the corner where she was standing, his form blocking the girl she could see hidden behind him. The hair was different, she thought, seeing the straight fall of it. Damon gave her a searching glance before daring to do the unenviable task of introducing them.

"Elena Gilbert," he said, shifting his stance so Elena was in full view, "this is Jessa Warren."

Jessica glared at his nickname, and looked at the young lady in front of her. She was taller than Jessica, just like Katherine had been, but there was a kindness in her eyes. That was different, and there was a timidity that Katherine would have pounced on and exploited. Jessica stepped forward and offered her hand.

"Jessica," she corrected, resigned to having to be near her. "Call me Jessica, Elena." Elena smiled, lighting he an already gorgeous face, after all, Katherine had been beautiful.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Jessica," Elena said, taking her offered hand for a shake. "And thank you for coming here. I need to be able to speak to Stefan, I know that will make him realize he needs to come home."

Jessica considered her oddly place optimism, perhaps because she'd seen the cold indifference she'd seen in Stefan's eyes as he compelled Andi to her death, she wasn't so sure they'd be welcomed. Looking at Damon, she saw her own realism reflected.

"So let's go to Stefan's old haunt, and I'll check out a lead I have while you keep Elena safe." Damon said, showing that Jessica had been correct in her role for the trip.

They walked to a rundown apartment building and broke in to an apartment that Jessica wouldn't have visited at the height of her travels. Thank goodness she was immortal, she thought as they walked through the doorway. She hoped Elena was up to date on her shots. She stood back as Damon gave Elena the tour, watching as she searched herself, for proof that Elena was Katherine 2.0 for Damon. She saw the same obsession blooming, she was certain, rolling her eyes and trying to swallow the hurt she heard Elena gasp.

Turning toward the noise, she could see a hidden room, a closet really. Glancing past the bootleg hooch, she notices what captured Elena's attention and felt nauseous. A list of names, of his kills she realized quickly, and at the very top is his father's name. Jessica walked out and took a heavy breath. She wasn't listening to Damon and Elena's conversation, she didn't want to hear whatever was being said, she only wanted to forget the list and it's dark length. Stefan was just like his father, just as she expected as a child.

*************************************************************************************Mystic Falls, VA June 5, 1861

Jessa watched from the corner of the garden as Damon tried to comfort Stefan. Even now, a week after her funeral, Lily's loss was felt. She felt impotent to help the two of them through their loss. She was so caught up in their grief that she didn't hear Mr. Salvatore come up behind her.

"Jessa," he said quietly. "I need you to know that, while we'll all miss my wife, her duties are now shifted to you. As the only lady of this house, you'll need to pick up the duties that come with that distinction."

She looked up at him, shocked. Surely she was too young. And she hadn't been taught how to run a household. His face showed his expectations, as he shifted a look at his grieving sons, she noticed that he showed none of his own grief.

"Damon and Stefan will be your responsibilities. You'll be expected to show them the same maternal attentions that Lily did, to a degree. Afterall, Jessa, you are the lady of the house now." He did not glance down at her again, as he walked away, back toward his house and study.

The weight of a new burden on her shoulders, Jessa went back to watching Damon and Stefan, wondering if she was capable of keeping a family like the Salvatores together and wondering if her parents had envisioned such a life for her.

Chicago, IL August 21, 2010

Damon left Elena and Jessica at the apartment with assurances that he'd be back soon. As Elena continued to explore, Jessica was drawn back to the list of names. As her eyes flowed over the names, Jessica thought about how this collection reminded her of Giuseppe Salvatore's own list. A list of favors she came across while searching for the budget he'd copied for her to use in the running of his household.

She'd seen that the list was pages long, a few names crossed out, a few names newly added because the ink still shined in the sunlight. Her heart had skipped beats and she searched for her name, or that of her parents. She hadn't found either, but it didn't stop her from wondering what was considered a favor worthy of repayment. When she had heard his footsteps approaching, she grabbed the budget and started to leave the room. His eyes, when he noticed her in his study, were so hard and void of feeling that for a moment she was frightened. He was cold when she told him she had come for the budget and she rushed from the room, feeling like she'd escaped something painful.

"You knew Stefan when you were children." Elena stated, pulling her out of her thoughts. It wasn't a question so she simply gave a nod, and walked out of the closet. "What was he like?"

Jessica pondered an answer. What had Stefan been like? "He and I weren't very close." She finally answered, walking through the dirty rooms, checking windows for the view. "So, that question is difficult for me to answer."

"But you lived in the same house," Elena said, confused. "I'm sure you have some memories from your childhood."

Jessica sighed, and reluctantly looked at the girl who looked so like the one that ruined her life. "Honestly, Elena, what I remember about both Salvatore sons is clouded by the last month that I lived in the same house. If I work very hard, I can recall that Stefan liked to read and was constantly journaling, but other than that, we weren't close. Living in a house the size of a department store allows for a certain level of privacy, you know?"

"What happened in the last month?" Elena asked, sounding truly interested. Jessica knew it was simply to try to find out about her boyfriend, but that month was one she hated to think about. Looking into Katherine's eyes, though, she suddenly found the strength to answer.

"The last month I spent under the same roof as the Salvatores, was the month that Katherine Pierce came and ruined everything." Her voice, for once, wasn't angry or bitter. It was filled with sadness. "Katherine showed up, sob story fully loaded, and proceeded to take away my family, for a second time."

Elena looked only slightly confused, which told Jessica that Damon had given her at least the Cliff's Notes version of her life. She was somewhat grateful. And it felt nice to not feel attacked or betrayed.

"I was orphaned, or at least left alone, at the age of ten. My house, the one I was born it, burned to the ground and only three servants and I made it out safely. Stefan and Damon's parents arrived not long after I was resuscitated and brought me home." She blinked back tears, remembering Lily's kindness to her. "They had been my parents' closest friends, and I was put in their guardianship at the request of my parents' will. It wasn't as terrifying to move into their home, since I had been a frequent visitor since the age of four."

She could almost see the four Salvatores lined up on the porch to greet her family that first time. Lily's hand felt warm, and she felt safe and loved, adding to the feeling that came from her own parents. Smiling sadly she continued.

"It wasn't a year after my parents' deaths that Lily, Stefan and Damon's mother, contracted tuberculosis. I nursed her until their father insisted that she be placed in a sanatorium. I fought, knowing, even then that that meant death." She let a tear slip, mourning her second mother. "It wasn't a week after her funeral that Mr. Salvatore gave me the role of lady of the house."

The bitterness was back in her voice. Giuseppe was never her favorite person. Elena waited for Jessica to gather her thoughts. "You were ten?" She asked, both shocked and disgusted.

"It was only in the sense that I ran the household. You know, rich lady burdens. He wasn't THAT inappropriate." She fought a laugh at Elena's face. She had looked green for a moment. "I tried desperately to keep the family together, I had been so wrapped up in my own grief that I never noticed truly that they had never been together. Giuseppe Salvatore was a hard man, one that wasn't paternal so much as dictatorial. His word was law, and he wasn't stingy with his displeasure."

"When I turned 13, Damon enlisted in the war. I feared for his safety so deeply that the trouble I'd always had with sleep became unbearable. He left, and with him, my sole friend in the Salvatore family. Giuseppe and Stefan were not warm towards me. And it wasn't until days before Katherine appeared that Stefan and I even spent any time alone." Jessica thought of that shopping trip, and how Stefan must have been wrestling with the knowledge of their impending union. "I didn't know about Giuseppe's plans for my marriage until she came, in fact, it was the day after she tried to kill me that I was clued into my future."

Elena's eyes grew wide. "I had no idea that I was immortal until she tore into my throat and broke my neck." Jessica sighed, remembering her confusion, fear, and hopelessness. "I went to Giuseppe as soon as he woke, and hours after I cleaned the evidence of Katherine's attempted murder, and asked for the permission the move into my newly finished house, the one I am staying in now. He denied me, I was only 14 and I had to wait until I was 16 for my marriage to move forward. That was the very first time I learned that he intended to force Stefan and I into a union."

Jessica gave Elena a soft smile. "I knew, at that moment, Mystic Falls wouldn't be my home for much longer. Damon's return, though, pushed my plans to fruition." She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts, trying to keep emotion out of her voice. "My best friend, someone who took me into his confidence at a very early age, didn't even say hello to me upon his return. He saw Katherine, and every part of me disappeared. He didn't even question my disappearance. I know, because the Damon I knew would have searched for me."

Realization dawned on Elena. "You don't hate me because Katherine tried to kill you." Jessica shook her head. "It's because she erased you."

Jessica smiled, and tried to reassure her. "I'm not sure I hate you, Elena, I don't actually know you. I just know that the face you wear, made mine obsolete with a family I considered my own. And I have a feeling, regardless of how you feel about it, your face will do it to me again."

Elena frowned, and Jessica moved to a window, surprised she'd shared the story with her. Perhaps it'll help, she thought, making a break clean and easy. As she looked down, she saw something that disturbed her to her core.

"Elena, HIDE!" She whispered, shoving the young girl in the hidden closet. She had seen Stefan entering the building, led by something she'd never thought she would see, a hybrid. The Original Klaus, she realized. As they shoved into the closet, Jessica warned Elena with her eyes that they were about to have unwelcome company. She knew that Elena's survival had to be kept quiet, and she also knew that Damon would be pissy and annoying if something happened to the girl pressed against her back. She sighed quietly, thinking even if death wasn't permanent it sucked to experience anyway.

The voices outside the closet were muffled, but from what she could hear, the Original was attempting to convince Stefan of his darkness. Reminding him of his trophy board, Jessica's stomach dropped, hoping that while they killed her Elena would have the common sense to escape. The door to the secret closet slammed open and Jessica blinked, realizing that only Stefan could see her. He reached in, and grabbed a bottle of hooch, staring directly in her eyes in warning. He barely acknowledged Elena, but pulled out saying "Look what I found!" She could feel Elena droop behind her, but couldn't take her eyes off the open door until Klaus laughed and slammed it.

She turned to Elena and pulled her in for a hug, shocked that she was comforting her, but hoping it would keep her quiet enough that Klaus wouldn't hear them. She took a deep breath as she heard them leave, and released Elena.

"Are you ok?" She asked, absently. Waiting for both of their heartbeats to return to normal. "I need an answer, Elena, let me make sure you're not in shock."

"I'm fine." The voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you, Jessica."

Jessica knows it's a blanket thank you. For putting herself before Elena, for keeping her quiet and safe, and for staying in Mystic Falls when it's the one place on Earth she'd rather not be. She gave a quiet laugh and accepted. Opening the closet door, they walked back into the hideous apartment. She was about to pull out her cell and call Damon when she heard him thumping up the stairs.

He walked in and took in the image of Jessica and Elena looking shell-shocked. "They were here." He said, looking for obvious signs of damage, but he realized that if Jessica had been killed, he had no idea how he'd know.

"Yes, they were." Jessica said, brushing past him and walking downstairs and into the fresh air. Taking a minute to herself, considering again why she was bothering with the hero stuff, she leaned against the building and contemplated her options for the millionth time.

"Jessa," Damon said, calling her back to the present. "I'm sorry, I didn't think they'd bother with this place."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't speak. She was still debating.

"Jessa," He begged, wanting her to meet his eyes. She looked up, her light green staring directly into his pale blue. "We have one more chance. I know where they are going to be tonight, and I need you to come."

"You are aware that compulsion doesn't work on me, right?" She asked, not dropping her gaze. "I'll come, Damon, only to keep Elena safe from Stefan. And then, I want to be done. If this doesn't work, if for some unknown reason Klaus bullseyes the town, I want my favor list wiped clean."

Damon fought with himself. He wanted her to stay, not because of her power, but because he wanted to reconnect with the one person who had always seen the best in him. He wanted her to let him redeem his mistakes. Looking at her, seeing her pain, he knew she'd be given what she asked of him. She would be free to leave and never see him again, because in the end, he had to make her happy.

"Done." He whispered. Sighing to himself as she dropped her eyes, and walked to her car.