Hello, my lovely patient readers :)

Here you go, an update. Finally, right? I am really sorry for the long wait, but there were so many things I needed to take care of. Firstly school with an almost unbelievable amount of tests before the holidays that I really needed to take care of regarding that I knew that after the break I will be absent for quite some time due to my health problems.

I actually wrote the chapter before the end of the last year but was not able to proof read it and correct a few not things not related to grammar witch I didn't really like, but hadn't really have enough inspiration to rewrite because of knowing what is going to happen a few days later. Since I have come back home, thought I was able to get most of this things done over the phone while I was strictly recuperating in bed and waited until I was able to sit behind a computer long enough to post this chapter up for you.

How about I stop explaining myself so we focus back to the story? Sounds good, right? So this chapter is mainly focused on growing relationships between the characters who don't have much control over what is going to happen at the moment, their felling, fears, the way they express these feelings and how they cope with them.

I hope you spend the holydays relaxing, spend lots of time with your loved ones, and wish you a happy new year. Enjoy reading the chapter, this one is for you. :)

Love,

AGirlThatDaresToDream


Chapter 17

Jeremy squeezed his fingers in a fist hidden in the pocket of his black hoodie letting the pain shoot through him again as blood poured into the freshly changed bandage, bringing him down to earth as he focused all of his anger in the look he sent to his ex-teacher, watching him gulp, before turning to his friends, their eyes full of understanding as they left the room. They all knew that he and Alaric needed to do this.

"Look, Jeremy," Alaric broke the silence, cautiously but firmly, already walking towards the small kitchen counter and the two brown bar chairs standing beside it. "I know you are angry with me, and you have every right to feel this way but… Let's just sit down, shall we? You looking like you are going to jump me any second now won't solve anything and we have a lot to talk about."

"There is nothing to solve." The boy's voice sounded even harsher than he intended it to, not even considering following the man's suggestion. Does he really think that as soon as he comes up with some sort of apology everything will go back to normal?

"Maybe. That is completely for you to decide, but I still owe you answers which I won't give to you until you come here and sit down, so that we can talk like normal human beings."

The boy offered him another death stare, scanning Alaric's still perfectly calm expression that now screamed a little victory. He had him hooked and he knew it. "Fine!" he stormed to the chair; pulling it from the counter and putting it back on the ground roughly, before throwing himself on it.

"Happy now?" The teacher nodded almost sadly. "Then shoot. Were you planning on not letting me come with you from the beginning?"

"We knew we will have to do this since we agreed to let you help. And you did. A lot. We would never be able to find out about the talk you had with a vampire and the fact that he is wearing a ring for sun protection without you. But you are fourteen, Jeremy. Did you really think we would let you come with us?"

"You used me, then." The boy could feel his body shaking. "You lied to me."

The teacher sighed. "When we first talked about all this I told you I will help you get your sister back and I intend to keep that promise. You trying to be a hero and dying in the process of saving her would not help you to achieve that goal."

"But she would be free." He met Alaric's gaze just for a second before turning away, his anger turning into sadness and worry quicker than he thought was possible. "She would be here, alive and well and not being tortured or already dead lying somewhere in the gutter."

A strong arm fell to rest on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, making it hard for him to prevent tears from falling as his co-speaker urged him to look at him again. "This is not what is happening, OK? Do you really thing a vampire would risk his life to get her out of the Centre just that he would be able to do what he was able to do all along? Not even a sick person would be that stupid. He got her out with a good reason. I don't think he is going to hurt her."

"What are you talking about?"

"A trade. If Rose really gave him our number like Jonas is convinced, he will want to trade, letting us have the girl in exchange for something, probably a safe passage to Europe or something like that. And think about it - would she really want you to risk your life to save her? Or to die trying? You coming with us wouldn't change anything, only made things harder. Rose would still have called, your sister would still already be out. Nothing would be different from how it is now. And we need to focus on now. We need to focus on our next step. Not on the past, never on the past."

"Can you just answer me one last question then?" The boy asked. His expression softened despite the worries still lingering in his mind, the only sign he has going to give the man to show him that he has forgiven him.

Alaric looked at him with interest. "Sure."

"What if he doesn't have the number?"

….

The couch squeaked under Alaric's weight, a smile that the dinner party Lynn insisted on having brought on his face still not disappearing as he watched the eyes of the people that were nothing less than a family to him glittering with happiness for once, their laugh echoing through the dining room. It has been too long since they allowed themselves to be so careless; Ethan stealing inattentive Ky his girl, dancing with her to the old song playing on the radio, her hair spinning in the air at their every turn immediately followed by her giggles, as the girls husband was catching his breath, his stomach hurting from the last awkward high school story Luka told him, while his dad and Bill played cards. The grumpy man was always eager to leave when things get too happy, yet only the oldest trio understood the pain he carried, the void that arose after Nate's death ever present.

Memories took over, paying like a movie inside his head as he reached for yet another beer can, letting the popping sound when it opened and the drinks aftertaste bring him to the present again, but was quickly interrupted by the two hushed voices, his gaze flying to the door, his ears starting to pick up the conversation.

"…, don't be such a loner." Jenna sounded almost desperate, yet the boy just mumbled something under his breath before tearing his arm out of her grip and heading towards his bedroom, not even bothering to catch the door that shut with a loud click of the handle, leaving his aunts face to fall in an emotion that was unreadable to Alaric until their eyes locked, guilt and despair mixed with tiredness wrapping hers in darkness.

They stared at each other for a while, both knowing they got caught at their weakest until she recovered enough to make the first move and sit down next to him with a sigh, starting the conversation instantly.

" Rough day, huh? I don't think I have ever seen someone looking so down on their survival celebration party, especially the one they agreed on having."

"It is not that…. It just brings up a lot of memories…"

"Well, if you want to talk about it with the winner of this year's World's Worst Guardian Award, I am all yours," she growled, hiding her face in her hands, her words barely understandable.

"Oh, come on, you are not that bad," he laughed.

"I have one of my wards missing and no one has a clue what is happening to her, while the other one won't even look me in the eye anymore, let alone talk to me. I am pretty sure this is as low as it can get."

"Well at least they know they have someone they can count on. Even the boy. I think he is more scared than anything. He has forgiven you a long time ago, you know? He is just afraid to show it. He knows he has acted wrong, but the confrontation could lead you to leave him completely, so he is running from it. Losing the only family member he knows will be here is the last think he wants." He took himself a moment for clearing his throat and another beer sip before continuing. "As for Elena… You weren't even with them when it happened. You could do nothing to prevent it, but when she gets here she will need someone to count on. Someone she trusts, and she knows that won't hurt her. Only then you will understand the task you were given. It won't be easy, but you are the only one who can do it."

….

Jenna's eyes flew to him before she could stop them, wondering just how he is able to express his thoughts in such way. Was it his profession that thought him to understand everyone so good? Or was this just part of who he was? She couldn't tell.

She awoke from her daydream just as he began to turn back to her, fixing her gaze at her feet as he handed her a clean glass now already filled with a bitter yellowish liquid.

"Maybe you are right. About Jeremy, I mean… And I want to fix things, I do, he just… He doesn't let me. Tonight, before the dinner… How did you do it?"

"Just talked to him, explained him some things… He is still a boy, Jenna. He needs you. Just get him somewhere where he can't get away from you and talk to him. He will listen to you."

She wanted to object, but a piercing noise coming from the dining room caused her to stop mid-sentence. Ethan's phone was ringing.


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P.S: Prepared for a meeting with Damon?