A couple of hours later Alaric was helping Jenna in the kitchen, while she enthused about the Masquerade Ball and told him stories of the things she had experienced there in earlier years. Ric was only half listening to her, his mind miles away, worrying about Damon and what he might be doing right now. "You could at least pretend to be interested, you know." Jenna suddenly stated. The teacher looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry, I was lost in thought." Jenna turned to face him. "Okay, what´s up?"
Hesitating a second, the teacher admitted: "Damon and I had a fight." She nodded, seemingly having expected something like this already. "About what?" Ric bit his lip nervously. He knew that Jenna liked Mason. And while he didn`t want to lie to her, had never lied to her since that night the vampire´s attacked them, he also didn`t know how to tell her the truth. Damon would find a way to cover up Mason´s death. Of that he was sure. Wouldn`t it be better if Jenna didn`t know?
"We just… had a different opinion on things." he muttered. "Could you be any less specific?" Jenna mocked. With a sigh Ric gave in. She would probably find out anyway and then she`d be pissed at him. He didn`t have to go into detail, he reasoned. "We found out that Mason knows Katherine. So of course we wanted to know more. I suggested that we should just ask, but Damon wanted to… to torture him." he admitted quietly. Jenna gasped in shock. "Please tell me he didn`t…" she whispered, proving that she did like the werewolf.
"He didn`t. I wouldn`t let him. We talked to Mason and he answered most of our questions. After Damon threatened him, that is. But still we had a fight about it." She really didn`t need to know the rest, although he felt bad when he saw her relief at his words. "I take it he was mad at you for stopping him?" Jenna asked. Ric nodded. "He said some things and … I just hate it when he acts like that. All evil and uncaring. I mean, I know that there´s a different side to him. A dark side. Of course I know. I`m not naïve. I try to accept that and not to think about it, but sometimes … it`s just hard to accept." the teacher tried to explain, shrugging a little helplessly.
Because Caroline was at least partially right. He did love Damon. More than was good for him, probably. But he wasn`t sure if it would work out. If the vampire really felt the same or if Elena and Stefan were right and it was all just an act. Mostly he was convinced that Damon felt something for him as well. But then there were these days when the insecurities just got the better of him. And Damon acting like a dick didn`t exactly help matters.
"I don`t really know what to tell you, Ric." Jenna said honestly. "If anyone knows Damon, the real Damon, it`s you. I remember that I told you once to be careful. That he`s a flirt. And he is. But I`m starting to wonder how much of it is just an act. It´s like he has these masks he shows the world. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really knows him. Although he seems different around you. More relaxed and easy-going. At least, when he thinks no-one`s looking. I think he cares for you. Probably more than he likes to admit."
Ric was a little taken aback at her words. She must have given his relationship with Damon a lot of thought, he realized. "Just looking out for a friend." Jenna stated with a shrug when he mentioned this. She walked over and patted his arm. "If it´s real, you`ll always find a way to see the man behind the monster. And who knows, maybe you can even tame the monster one day." she suggested. Ric chuckled. He doubted anyone would ever be able to tame Damon. He wasn`t even sure if he wanted to.
The ringing of the phone interrupted their talk and Jenna went to answer it. Ric only listened half-heartedly. Their talk had gotten him thinking. Damon had once said: "You accept me the way I am. I like you because you understand me. You don`t judge me." And wasn`t that what love was really about? Accepting the other the way he was, with all his flaws and bad habits? Okay, you probably couldn`t call killing people a bad habit, but still… He had fallen in love with a vampire and he had known what he was getting himself into. So maybe he really needed to just accept it.
While Jenna still talked to whoever was on the phone, Elena showed up, giving Ric that look again. It was getting beyond annoying. Did she really think she had to protect him from Damon? But he knew that he couldn`t convince her that Damon hadn`t manipulated him or something, no matter what he said, so he didn`t even try. Instead he asked her where Jeremy was. At least the boy was cool about his relationship with Damon. "He and Anna are still at the Lockwoods, having dinner with some of the other volunteers." Elena explained with a frown.
Alaric didn`t like the sound of that. He was afraid that Jeremy might still be trying to help Damon and him and get himself into trouble by doing so. Maybe Damon had even enlisted the teen`s help. Ric wouldn`t put it past him. Before he could voice his concerns however, Jenna handed the phone over to Elena. The girl answered it and cast a shocked look at the teacher seconds later. She listened to the caller and Ric watched her brow crease in worry. "What´s going on?" he asked, but Elena shushed him with a gesture. She went paler by the second.
Suddenly she stared past him, completely horrified and called out: "Jenna, no!" Ric turned around in time to see Jenna stab herself in the stomach and fall to the floor. "Oh my god, Jenna!" He rushed over, Elena not far behind. A large kitchen knife was protruding from Jenna`s stomach, blood staining her shirt quickly. She blinked at the teacher like she had no idea what was going on. "Call 911." Ric ordered, pressing his hands to the wound, trying to stanch the blood flow. He thought about pulling the knife out, but then remembered that it would be better to leave it in. "They`ll be here in about five minutes." Elena informed him shortly after, dropping down on the floor beside her aunt.
Jenna gasped suddenly, her hand went to the knife, as if trying to pull it out. Ric grabbed her hand and held her still. "Ric? What happened? It hurts." Her voice sounded weak and Ric felt utterly helpless. Next to him Elena was crying, shaking all over. "You`re going to be okay. Just hold still. The ambulance is on the way." the teacher murmured reassuringly. "Ambulance? But what…?" She tried to sit up, but cried out in pain a second later and collapsed back down. Fresh blood seeped from the wound, stained Ric`s shaking hands.
"Just hold still, Jenna. You had an accident. It`ll be okay." Alaric promised, tears forming in his eyes. He chanced a glance at Elena, who was nearly hysteric. "Who was on the phone?" The girl looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He knew what she was going to say even before the name left her lips. "Katherine."
###
By the time the ambulance arrived, Jenna had passed out and Elena was curled into a ball at her side, sobbing over and over that it was all her fault for not listening to Katherine´s orders. Ric told the paramedics that Jenna had walked into the knife accidently. They looked at him sceptically, but nodded and rushed her off to the hospital. The teacher took a moment to calm Elena at least somewhat, before driving her to the hospital, where they were told to wait. While Elena slumped into a seat, Ric called Jeremy and told him what had happened. The boy promised to come straight away.
After a moment`s hesitation the teacher sent a quick text to Damon as well, surprised when the vampire showed up only minutes later. "How is she?" he asked, glancing at Elena worriedly. "We don`t know yet. She`s in surgery." Ric answered. He felt Damon´s hand on his back and leaned into the touch, grateful for the quiet support.
A few minutes later Jeremy and Anna came rushing in, followed by Mason Lockwood. "What is he doing here?" Damon growled. Ric could only shrug. He hadn`t thought the werewolf would even still be alive. "He drove us here. Jeremy told him what happened." Anna informed the two men, while Jeremy went to hug his sister, who promptly started crying again. Damon tensed visibly when Mason walked over to them.
"Is it true? Did Katherine really make her do that?" he asked in a shaky voice. "Yes she did. And you want to know why? To punish Elena for not breaking up with Stefan, whom Katherine claims to love!" Ric answered harshly. Elena had told him the whole story on the drive. How Katherine had ordered her to break up with Stefan and then used Caroline and Jenna to spy on her. Mason flinched, looked away. "I never knew… I believed her. Despite everything. I was so blind." he muttered.
All heads turned when a female doctor walked out into the waiting room. "I`m Dr. Fell. Are you here for Jenna Sommers?" They all nodded, so the doctor continued: "We managed to stop the bleeding and thankfully there was no real internal damage. She got lucky. She's going to make it." she told the group, smiling slightly at the collective relieved sighs. Elena asked if she could see her and Dr. Fell allowed it. "But no more than two of you. And only for a few minutes. She needs rest." she ordered sternly. Elena and Jeremy followed her, while the others remained in the waiting room.
Mason turned to Damon and Ric again. "I`m sorry. God, I`m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. For Jenna of all people to get hurt. You were right. I`m stupid and… I know this doesn`t make up for it, but… here." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the vampire. The moonstone. Damon took it, but gave Mason a suspicious look. "What`s the catch?" The werewolf shook his head sadly. "No catch. I`m just glad that Jenna will be okay. And maybe I deserve this curse." he muttered darkly, turning away and walking slowly down the hallway.
Jeremy and Elena emerged again. "She wanted us to tell you not to worry. She`s already feeling better." Jeremy let the others know, coaxing a smile out of them. "We should go home. Get some rest." Anna chimed in. She looked shaken up as well and cuddled against Jeremy`s side, when he put an arm around her. Elena started sobbing again, still blaming herself. Her brother wrapped his free arm around her, trying to offer some comfort. "It's gonna be okay. She's gonna pay, Elena. I don't know how, but she's gonna pay." he promised with a quiet intensity that was almost scary. Still Ric agreed with him wholeheartedly.
The teacher startled when Damon touched his arm. "Anna is right. Let`s get you home." Ric shook his head. "I need to take the kids home. Make sure they`re okay." he protested. "Already taken care of." Damon replied, just as Caroline rounded the corner. "I`m here. What do you need me to do?" she asked, looking at Damon expectantly. "Get Elena and Jeremy home. Take care of them. Call the witch if you think it`ll help." the dark haired vampire ordered. Caroline nodded. "And Jenna..?" she asked hesitantly. "She´ll be okay."
The blonde breathed a sigh of relief and went over to hug Elena. Damon turned to Ric again. "See, all taken care of. Blondie is perfect for the job. Now let me take care of you." The teacher nodded and allowed Damon to lead him away, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. The vampire guided him to the parking lot, where he took the keys out of Ric`s shaking hands.
The drive to Ric`s apartment passed in silence. Once there, Damon led him into the bathroom. Ric glanced at the mirror, shocked at the blood he saw smeared all over his clothes. Jenna`s blood. He didn`t fight when the vampire slowly undressed him and shoved him into the shower stall. Ric turned on the water with trembling hands and just stood under the spray for a moment, watching the red rivulets streaming down his body as the blood washed away.
Damon joined him after a minute. Wordlessly he took the shower gel and started cleaning Ric gently, pressing kisses to his shoulder blades, the back of his neck. Ric leaned back against him and closed his eyes, glad beyond words for the vampire´s presence. After a while Damon turned the shower off, guided the teacher out and towelled him dry. Both were silent the whole time.
Only when they had settled into bed, both still naked, cuddled close together, did Ric speak up again. "I`m glad you`re here." Damon pressed a soft kiss to his temple and hugged him even tighter. "Me too."