Part 2: Decisions & Ghosts

A/N: I know that Damon didn't tell Jeremy to forget about all the supernatural stuff he knows back in Mystic Falls but personally I think it makes more sense that he forgot those too. Would you leave your sister and everyone you love behind to face all that supernatural stuff and never look back?

Shortly after drinking the 'magic cure' Bella fell asleep as her body began to mend itself and Renée took Jeremy to Bella's room to talk to him. She asked about her brothers but the news weren't what she expected. Grayson had died last year with his wife at some freak road accident and John had passed away only four months earlier on the same day Jeremy's other guardian, Miranda's sister, died.

"Aunt Renee can I ask you something?"

"Anything, just call me Renee"

"Why haven't I met you?"

"I got in an argument with your dad when your 'sister' was born"

Renee chose her wording carefully as she had no idea if Jeremy knew that he was an only child. She may projected the image of the free spirited woman but she was always more observant than people realized. She had been raised like all the founding families in Mystic Falls, Virginia. That's why when her brother's girlfriend made an appearance ready to pop out she was unable to keep her mouth shut. Jeremy's words interrupted her musings

"I know Elena is adopted"

"Do you know who her parents are?"

"Only that John is her father"

Renee sat back on the bed and started her story. Jeremy listened fascinated as she didn't pull any punches.

"I was born in Mystic Falls. Grayson was ten and already knew he'd be a doctor like dad and John was five and more interesting in looking what's under the girls' skirts"

Jeremy laughed at that

"When Grayson was old enough to take over dad's practice, dad resigned and we, mom, dad and I, moved to California. The night before we left dad threw a party to celebrate that Gray would be taking over and after most of the people left, including our parents and only the family remained. A girl showed up ready to pop and disappeared the next day leaving her newborn daughter behind. No one realized that the teenage girl was John's jailbait girlfriend and i was never one to keep my mouth shut. Especially when john convinced gray to keep the baby, no questions asked"

"Wait you mean dad just took Elena?"

"Yes, there is no paperwork of her adoption"

"Elena found out last year she's adopted but i never knew there is no paperwork"

Renee nodded.

"Growing up i was closest to gray but college changed him and we had drifted apart. me, insisting on finding the girl's dad only made things worse. So I kept my mouth shut and left with our parents. Not long after that I met Bella's dad, got married and had our bundle of joy. neither Gray nor John came to her christening."

Jeremy frowned. While Renee's story pictured john to be the selfish idiot he knew, her opinion on his dad was alienating.

"I had kept in touch with your mom and when you were born, she called me for yours and i came. I remember Melinda was complaining about Elena's terrible two's and was offering advice for Bella when john shared his opinion on me being a terrible mother for divorcing Bella's dad. I snapped and called him on being elena's biological father when grayson slapped me. I left the next day and never heard of them again"

Renee shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember dad being like that but he and I never saw eye to eye"

Jeremy confessed and Renee chuckled

"if you're sixteen, just left home and have a bike then you're a teenage me!"

Renee laughed ending the sad conversation and tucked the boy in. Next morning found Jeremy perfectly refreshed. Bella woke up also perfectly refreshed. For the first time in that week she was able to breath deeply with no pain at all.

"I'll be damned. The blood actually worked!"

Were her first words of the day. Renee hadn't slept at all, plagued all night by the ghosts of her dead brothers and vicious memories. She attempted to make pancakes for breakfast to clear her mind, but she was unable to even pour cereal so she failed miserably. The burnt stench forced Bella to throw the pan, the mixture and her mother out. Renee came back soon carrying a huge stack of pancakes from Ihop and a Shaw to cut the cast out.

"It healed you. Now try not to get killed in the next twenty four hours. I'd hate to have a vampire daughter"

"Where the hell did Jeremy find vampire's blood?"

Renee checked the room before leaning in and replying in a low voice

"Remember when I told you Mystic's history? During the first 'Broom project' in 1864 my ancestor Jonathan Gilbert was the record keeper. Remind me later to tell you where their copies are, by the way. In those records he mentioned some of the attributes vampire's blood has. There is some stored in the family vault, I suppose Grayson showed Jeremy where it is before he died"

"You think he knows about... Hi Jeremy, want coffee?"

Bella changed her question as Jeremy joined them. An important question burned at the back of her mind but she was unable to voice it.

'How did they extract blood from vampires when Edward said they have venom and also why did Carlisle say James' venom would kill me when the vampire's blood I took last night just healed me?'

After breakfast Bella took Jeremy out to show him around. the two went to a small nearby carnival. It was filled with kids but soon the two cousins were having the time of their lives on various booths winning various stuffed animals. Then they moved to the bumper cars where they bumped not only on each other but tailgated every single kid around them till all the kids ran to their mommies. The two cashed the rest of their tickets and went to an old playground Bella loved. Jeremy bought Bella cotton candy as they swapped life stories.

"What made you leave your home?"

"A bunch of stuff. my parents, my sister who decided she'd run my life, my aunt and uncle, my girlfriend. I just needed a fresh start, you?"

"Boyfriend issues mainly. I missed my mom too so I threw caution to the wind, told some hurtful things to my dad who tried to get me to reconsider and left"

"some family!"

Bella chuckled and stood to throw their trash away. above the trashcan was the death note of a cyclist that died a few days ago. Bella sent a silent prayer for him and returned to Jeremy who stood by the swings talking to said dead cyclist.

"Some family indeed"

She chuckled darkly to herself and walked to them.

"hey Bella, this is Craig. he says he's a ghost"

Jeremy added the last part under his breath.

"He is. Check the note above the trashcan"

She whispered back and turned to the ghost.

"hi Craig, I'm Bella"

Jeremy returned from checking the death notice of Craig sanders looking ashen. Something told him he should know about ghosts but trying to remember more made his brain hurt. he felt as if he was hitting a brick wall around the subject in his mind so he just went with it.

"you can see me? both of you?"

Bella nodded her head. Jeremy asked the ghost which looked really alive

"do you know what happened to you?"

"i went to buy milk and this car hit me. I never got the milk home and my mom had to feed the baby"

"would you like us to get the milk to your mom?"

Bella asked seeing as Jeremy was sort of freaking out

"can you?"

Craig asked looking really hopeful.

"of course we can, right Jeremy?"

she asked Jeremy who nodded. the three teenagers walked to the drugstore to buy baby formula and then Craig led them to his house. A woman in her early forties was swaying on a porch swing cradling an infant. she smiled tiredly as she saw them

"can I help you?"

"mom!"

Craig exclaimed and knelt in front of her

"are you Mrs. Sanders?"

Bella asked and the woman identified she was. Jeremy looked at a loss for words and simply told her he was sorry for her loss

"I'm so sorry for your loss Mrs."

The woman broke into fresh tears, not knowing what to do Bella decided to steal some of Melinda Gordon's actions.

"We're friends of your son Craig and I know that he is really sorry he never delivered the milk"

She said placing the bag on the ground next to the swing. The woman kept crying.

"I miss him, I miss him to much. i never should have sent him with his bike"

"I never blamed her, i should have been more careful"

Craig said shedding a few tears himself

"I'm sure he's not mad at you Mrs. Sanders. You shouldn't blame yourself"

Jeremy said and watched as Craig kissed the baby softly on its forehead which laughed happily and touched his mother's hand and faded into thin air.

"What was that?"

Mrs. Sanders asked no one in particular. Bella and Jeremy looked at each other

"I think it was Craig"

Jeremy said and he and Bella walked to Renee's house together.

"I see dead people"

"Shout that a little louder and Bruce Willis will want to star at a movie with you"

Bella joked

"I'm a freak"

"You're not a freak, you're unique"

Jeremy chuckled and Renee ran out of the house hugging both teens.

"so kids... who wants to go to Vegas for the weekend?"

"Las Vegas?"

Jeremy asked

"I have sixteen years of birthday gifts to make up for young man, will a stripper do?"

"Mom!"

Bella exclaimed as Jeremy nodded like a bubblehead and Renee went back inside to pack

"she doesn't mean it, does she?"

"Welcome to the family Jeremy Gilbert. Hope you're in for a bumpy ride"

the two teens laughed and went inside themselves.

THE END