Summary: in Broken Jeremy had to make a choice – Elena and Clay or the unborn twins? Fortunately in cannon he didn't have to make it...but what if he did? And what if he chose the twins?
Pairings: past Elena/Clay, parental Jeremy/Clay/Elena, some Jaime/Jeremy, mentions of Aaron/Cassandra.
"Grandpa...what was Mummy and Daddy like?"
He looked down at the little girl who from a first glance looked like her mother. But if you looked closer you would see her nose wasn't the same shape, her lips are fuller, her hair is a little darker, her eyes are a different shade of blue entirely, and her bone structure was a little softer.
It hurts knowing this while she will never know how different she is from her mother.
Of course there were paintings, photos, stories, and terribly filmed moments but that wasn't anything like the real woman.
Kate Danvers will never know that Elena Michaels was stubborn, temperamental, soft but firm, fair and just, and adapted to human society well. She will never know that her mother loved pancakes and ham, spoke French fluently, wrote clear concise arguments, and punched harder than Clayton.
He looked to his other side to where Logan stood. Silent, calm, and the exact opposite of his wilful sister, the child looked up to him pleadingly. He looked more like Elena than Kate did. Though he definitely had Clay's smile and intelligence.
"They were good people despite their naughty moments," he said.
"Like what?" Kate asked.
"They used to cause fights, bicker, say naughty words, throw things, break things, destroy rooms, jump out of windows, very naughty things that I hope I never catch you two doing."
The twins giggled.
Jeremy tried to smile with them but couldn't. His find was on Clay and Elena, and the night they died. He remembered Clay clinging to Nick, feverish, hallucinating, and begging. It was a rare moment when Clay begs, Jeremy remembers him only begging on the behalf of Elena or a Pack member. He died just before he could see his children are born. Still under attack by that Jack the Ripper wannabe Jeremy barely had time to get Logan out before Elena was murdered.
He had to make a choice that night. His beloved children who were terribly naughty but lively and made him happy or his children's unborn innocent babies. He knew which choice they wanted him to make so he made it.
He hated himself for it.
"Will Granny come for our birthday?" Logan asked changing the subject tactfully. Logan was highly aware how sensitive the topic of his parents was to Jeremy.
In fact Logan was a very solemn child. Jeremy often wondered if Elena was the same when she was that age (because lord knows Clay certainly wasn't) or it was a strange post-traumatic syndrome from a subconscious memory of his mother being murdered. Either way his quiet constrained personality complimented Kate's loud boisterous one.
"Is she Grandpa?" Kate asked excitedly as she bounced up and down. "And Uncle Nick? And Uncle Antonio? And Aunt Paige, Uncle Lucas, and Savannah, and Adam? Do you think Uncle Karl and Aunt Hope will be able to make it? I hope so, I really like them, I don't like Cassandra though, don't let Cassandra come!"
Jeremy forced a chuckle. "Don't worry Cassandra is very busy with council business and Aaron to come this year."
Logan looked down casted. "I like Aaron," he mumbled.
"So do I but he is the only one who can handle Cassandra's attitude. Now why don't you two wash up while I attempt to cook dinner."
"Remember Grandpa there are many take out places these days," Logan said with a sudden cheekiness. Kate giggled as she ran out with her brother.
Jeremy ignored the stab at his terrible cooking skills and added another thing to miss about Elena and Clay...they could cook. He could imagine Clay impatiently trying to teach the twins how to cook while Elena sentences them all to clean the kitchen after the disaster they cause...
He was pulled out of his thoughts when the phone rang. Answering it he found himself smiling when he heard Jaime's voice. Jaime had become a comfort to him since the loss of Clay and Elena. She cut down on her shows and helped him look after the twins for the first few months. When she wasn't working on stage she was being his counter-part in the parenting game. He found it a little easier with her help as she managed to keep Kate calm, encourage Logan to be more outgoing, and get both of them to settle down for the night.
They call her Granny because they were under the impression she belonged to Jeremy.
Jeremy didn't contradict this thought and neither did Jaime.
Though she told him Clay is rather disgusted with his choice in women.
Another good thing about Jaime...her necromancer powers mean at least once a year he can communicate with Clay and Elena. It's not the same and it gives very little closure but it helped.
Maybe one day he can forgive himself.