N: I was debating whatever to post this short one or make you all wait for a bigger one. I decided to post it like that. I started working on my the next chapter for "friends with benefits" so the next update for this story will probably be after I have posted there.

As always, reviews are more than welcome – necessary even – and any questions that are raised in a signed review will be answered. Enjoy!

Thank you Dez2sweet for looking over this so fast - as always.

Just a Bad Dream

Jeremy took a seat in his old arm-chair and took a sip of his coffee. Ever since he went to the Salvatore mansion two weeks ago he could not stop thinking about Katherine Salvatore. There was something about the lady that he found familiar. Katherine Salvatore hadn't been acting like anyone else when he filmed her. No, she acted like a pro. She knew how to stand, how to move and how to smile to give Jeremy the right angles and footage every time.

He walked by the video, pulled out the tape, inserting another. He'd been watching the tapes he filmed that weekend outside the Boarding House with the Salvatore family over and over again. There was something off about them. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone, but to a professional with Jeremy Lovejoy's instinct and experience, it was. From what he could tell, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore were having problems. He noticed how every time Katherine Salvatore would touch him, the senator's first instinct was to pull back. He didn't actually pull back, and the gesture was almost impossible to notice, but Jeremy did.

Placing the cup on the small table in front of him, he pressed "pause" to freeze the image where Mrs. Salvatore had just made a mistake. But Jeremy knew that her mistake had been deliberate. Like from time to time she would realize she was acting like a professional and try to cover it up. Her way of moving, talking and just about everything about her reminded him of another professional he used to work it. Jeremy let put a sigh at the memory of Elena Gilbert. He nearly lost it when Katherine Salvatore had opened the door. She looked so much like Elena, his first instinct was to wrap his arms around her and start believing in miracles. But then he remembered that the woman in front of him was not his friend and colleague. She was a stranger. Or was she?

Jeremy let the tape play and closed his eyes for a few minutes. When he opened them, he grabbed the phone and called Alaric.

"Hey, something wrong?" he asked.

"Did you watch the tape I gave you?" Jeremy asked, going straight to the point. He liked Alaric, he was a good man, a good boss, and a possible good friend, but Jeremy had other things on his mind rather than socializing.

"I did, I don't get it. is there something wrong with it?"

"You kidding, it's a great piece of work, no, I'm done with it, it's already been sent to the studio. Didn't you notice anything strange?"

"Strange? You want me to look at something specific?"

The man was impossible. If someone knew Elena Gilbert, that was Alaric Saltzman. "The woman, Katherine Salvatore, she looks a lot like Elena," he said.

"What about it? Old news my friend; we realized that since Damon Salvatore got into politics and he and his wife started showing on television."

"I must've missed that…"

"Or you were too stoned to notice it then," Alaric commented.

"Probably," Jeremy answered, not at all insulted by his boss's words towards him. "did you find out who sent you that envelope with Elena's things?"

"No. I made a few calls, but no one could give me a straight answer. They said everything is possible since it's been a total chaos after the accident."

'Like mixing two bodies that looked similar enough' Jeremy thought. But that made no sense, even if it happened and Elena was alive, why would she live her life as someone else?

Lucky 13

Right after the second scream, Elena jumped out of bed and ran into Anna's room. She rushed inside and kneeled besides the bed. She placed her hand on the little girl's shoulder and stroked her delicately, afraid not to scare her more.

"Anna, wake up baby," Elena whispered, but the girl kept yelling and twisting in bed, clenching her little fists.

Before Elena could panic, Damon stormed into the room and joined her beside Anna's bed. Looking for support, Elena's free hand reached for Damon's and thanked God that this time he understood enough to not pull back the way he usually did. He knew that what was happening now was way bigger than the misunderstanding between them as husband and wife. Now they just had to be parents.

"She's so scared. What do we do, Damon?" she asked.

Damon bent over a bit more and took his daughter's hand into his own, giving it a firm squeeze. He started talking to her gently.

"What's happening?" Giuseppe asked from the doorway. Elena turned around and saw Damon's parents both standing there with worried expressions on their faces.

"She had another nightmare," Damon resumed.

"Poor child," Antonella said in a shy voice. "We herd her cries all the way from our wing of the house.

Elena turned back towards Anna as soon as her yelling stopped and the child just threw herself in her mother's arms. She was just rocking her tiny body back and forward, softly stroking her hair. "Shhh, it's okay baby, you are okay. Mommy and daddy are here, you're safe now," she murmured.

"Is there something you want us to do?" Giuseppe asked.

"No, she'll be fine now that she woke up. Katharine and I will put her back to sleep," Damon said and both his parents left in silence.

Anna was still crying softly, holding Elena for dear life, but she was starting to calm down and Elena was grateful for that. She took her time, giving the child time to recover as well and trying to find the most appropriate way to approach the little girl. She seemed so terrified. But Elena understood. She had been having trouble sleeping well herself after memories from the crash started rushing back.

"It was just a bad dream. I know you're scared, mommy gets scared sometimes too, but it's ok, because if we're together, we can help each other and nothing bad will happen, ok?"

"It will get me…" the child mumbled.

"What would get you?"

"The fire, it will get me."

"No, sweetie, nothing can get you. mommy got you out of the fire, remember?" Elena asked, but the girl was still too scared to answer. "You are safe now baby. Maybe a wet towel to cool you off would be good before getting back to sleep," Elena said and Damon went to the bathroom and came back with a wet pink towel in record time.

After they both washed her burning body and Elena dressed Anna in new and dry pajamas, Elena asked the child if she was ready to lie down.

"Not yet," Anna answered timidly.

"What if I stay here, beside you?"

"You will?" Anna asked and Elena's heart broke for the child. She was too young and too innocent in all this mess.

"I will, I promise. I'll stay with you all night to protect you," Elena said stroking the child's red cheeks. When Anna was convinced that Elena won't be going anywhere, she let her head on the pillow and let herself fall asleep in her mother's arms.

"Why didn't you tell me about the dreams?" Elena asked and Damon just shrugged as he picked up the wet towel and took it back into the bathroom. He only answered Elena's question when he got back.

"She used to have them almost every night, but not since you came back from the hospital. I thought you coming back had put a stop to them altogether, but I guess not," he said and Elena felt bad already for what she was about to say.

"it doesn't look like the psychologist's helping much, does it? I mean, I don't want to question your parents' choices, I know they want what's best for Anna, but…maybe we should try other options," she said carefully.

"its fine, you are right, this shrink deal's not working. I am opened to suggestions. I know we have our differences, Katherine, but she is our baby and she needs her mother, I am not going to deny that to her, not while you behave," he added the second part in a rougher voice which made Elena's heart skip a beat.

"I heard about this doctor, he has worked on post-traumatic stress in children before and got very good results," Damon raised an eyebrow at her. "I saw him in a show; it has a great name and a lot of experience. He doesn't seem like the cocky type looking to get rich and famous at any cost. I think he really wants to help people and he is good at what he does."

"I guess it's worth a shot," Damon said simply.

"I will call as soon as possible to make an appointment."

"Alright."

After that a tensioned silence settled in the room and Elena almost fell asleep. When Damon moved, she opened her eyes wide. He was still standing, close to bed, watching over Anna, just like her.

"You can go back to your room now, she's asleep. I'm pretty sure you're not comfortable there, the bed's too small for two," Damon said before letting himself fall in the big chair besides the bed.

"I'll stay, it's not that bad."

"She won't know if you leave."

"I'll know, I promised her I'll stay, so I'll stay, but you can go back. I'll call for you if anything happens."

"I'll stay too."

"It's not necessary, but if you want to…"

"I do."

And she fell asleep watching him watch her.

N: Hope you liked it, I cannot wait to read your thoughts.