11 | location: jenna sommers' residence | without a smile

[longaevus]

[ Helen had checked the tablet before leaving, making certain that Jenna was in and available before leaving. Her offer had been a kind one, one that Helen had been a little tempted to take her up on at that moment. And she would have done had her mind not been a little confused

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[auntjenna]

[ jenna hadn't quite been expecting visitors for a while, but she would never turn someone down. that just wasn't how it worked with her, especially now that the house was empty except for her. she'd taken to cleaning, actually looking through some of those old boxes she hadn't touched since miranda and grayson's deaths. it was painful, but something that needed to be done.

she was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall by the stairs when she heard the knock. standing up, she moved to pull open the door, smiling warmly at helen. her hair was pulled back, so it wouldn't get in her way while she worked, and boxes were scattered around the floor, but jenna still stood back and pulled the door open further, clearly inviting helen inside. ]

Hey, Helen, Did you want to come in?

[ few people here went door-to-door just to say hi after all. ]

[longaevus]

[ Helen gave her a smile, stepping inside at the space the newly opened door had given her ]

Thank you. [ And at the sight of the boxes Helen asked ] I hope that I'm not disturbing you?

[ If she were she would leave the wine with Jenna for another day ]

[auntjenna]

[ jenna shut the door behind helen, glancing at the boxes. ] Oh, no. It's a good interruption, trust me. I was just... going through some of my sister's things, her husband's family heritage. [ family history stuff she never would have believed was possible until taxon. ]

Not my side of their family, but it was important to Elena and Jeremy. It's nothing too important that couldn't be stopped for time with a friend. [ offering another smile, she quickly cleared a path with her foot to the kitchen. ] Are you feeling any better? [ the whole rib thing had looked a little painful. she can't help worrying. ]

[longaevus]

That would no doubt be quite the task. [ Helen had attempted it once before herself, although she hadn't been able to get as far as Jenna no doubt was ]

Somewhat. [ Not quite, but a little. When they reached the kitchen Helen placed the bag onto the counter ] I thought that I would bring this, to thank you.

[auntjenna]

[ jenna snorted, trying to pass it off as no big deal. ] Half of it is figuring out how my sister organized things.

[ once they got to the kitchen and helen placed the bag on the counter, jenna tilted her head a little bit, also still smiling. ] For what?

[longaevus]

[ Helen gave a nod ] The first time that I looked through my father's things I had quite the same problem. [ Although most of it wasn't an organisation problem but a lack of it ]

For all that you have done. [ Jenna may not think it much but she'd been good to her - a good friend and someone that Helen enjoyed talking with, could even confide in. It was a lot to her ]

[auntjenna]

She always was more organized than I was. Sometimes it's like trying to find a pin where you think a thumbnail should be.

[ okay that got her smile to warm considerably, even as she brushed it off with a wave of her hand. ] Hey, it's what we do for each other. You were there for me when Elena disappeared. Both times. I figured it couldn't hurt to return the favor. And if that's what I think it is, we'll need glasses.

[ which she will be getting now. ]

[longaevus]

You may yet find her system. [ Although Helen still didn't know her father's

But she smiled at that. Jenna, you are far too humble ] It's what friends do.

[ And that is the quickest in a long time that she has called someone a friend. As Jenna goes for the glasses Helen removes the bottle from the bag, undoing the top before (carefully) taking a seat ]

[auntjenna]

Sure. The wife of a doctor can't be that hard to figure out, can she? [ she grinned over the top of the glasses as she set them on the counter and started pouring the wine. hearing helen call her a friend, though... it's been a long time for her, too, since someone's called her that. the last friends she had... well, that was back during her party days. not since she'd become jeremy and elena's guardian. and kelly donovan didn't count since she was from jenna's partying days. ]

Right. Friends. [ apparently she was unfamiliar with the word, too. ] Here you go. [ she passed helen's glass over before taking a seat at the countertop and raising hers up. ] To friends. [ clink clink, helen. ]

[longaevus]

I would have gone more with your sister. [ Which would no doubt be easier than figuring out the doctor, oh they had systems all to themselves - she knew

She gave a small nod of thanks to the glass, raisin it to Jenna's ] To friends. [ She took a sip of her wine, letting herself relax a little ]

[auntjenna]

[ jenna tilted back her head and took what was - for her anyway - a decent-sized swallow before letting her glass rest against the counter again. ]

Well, most of the stuff in the boxes is Grayon's family stuff, old heritage that dates back to the founders of Mystic Falls. I used to think some of those people were crazy. [ but not anymore. her expression turned a little thoughtful for a moment. ] Now I just think they're crazy and paranoid. [ liar. ]

[longaevus]

Because of their keeping of history or because of what it is that you've found? [ She needs to know whether she's crazy too ]

[auntjenna]

[ jenna laughs. ] Both, actually. The whole Gilbert family was obsessed with history, but their accounts of some events were a little strange, even for me to believe. I mean, come on, who's going to believe a story about vampires and werewolves running around a peaceful town?

[ she hadn't until she'd been shown. something in her wonders how long it'll be before elena tells her at home... ]

[longaevus]

I would. [ Helen smiled, giving a small shake of her head ] But you're right - most wouldn't.

[ And Jenna could take that how she wanted, whether Helen was just as crazy or if the accounts were a little more true ]

But until you know, or have seen for yourself, a story as such can be a little unbelievable.

[auntjenna]

And yet it explains so much about the town.

[ jenna just glances at helen as she takes another sip of her tea. hmmm. ]

I didn't believe them until I got here anyway.

[longaevus]

Until you saw it for yourself? [ She could understand that, really; she dealt with similar secrets herself ]