Reconstruct

Inside My Broken Mind

Idea: Alaric knew how to tell when the other Alaric created by Ester with help from the Gilbert ring would take over. He would be stuck in his own head for awhile, but not everything matched reality...

It was strange. He always knew when he wasn't in control of his own body, when the other him that Ester created from the mental break the Gilbert family ring created took over for awhile. Inside, he knew it was very bad and that he really should share that bit of information with the others instead of keeping it to himself, like some kind of dirty little secret, but he couldn't help himself.

When he felt the onset of vertigo hit he knew some peace would follow and he was like a man in the desert, parched and reaching for that oasis mirage in front of him. He would awake each time to destruction, but for a few hours at least he would feel peaceful and content.

It was the same every time, and yet it didn't seem like anyone even noticed when it happened. He was alone in his apartment as he felt it begin this time, and he wondered if he should be thankful for no witnesses to his surrender or not.

First, the vertigo hit him and he grit his teeth as he tried to shake it off for a moment, knowing he should be fighting it, before giving in. He stumbled slightly as he relented to the pull and when he straightened back upright, he knew he was locked in his head for a while.

Gentle manicured hands settled on his and honey blonde hair fell into his line of sight and he blinked away the blurriness from the edges of his vision. "Are you alright Ric?" She asked, concern in her doe eyes. He almost sighed from the relief of seeing her as he took her beautiful face in his palms. "When I'm with you Jenna, always." Her small hands covered his and she smiled at him dreamily. "You're so corny Ric." she teased him after a moment of observing him.

"Yeah, but you love it." He teased her right back, leaning close and almost bumping their noses before pressing his forehead to hers. It provided a great vantage point to stare into her eyes.

"I love you." she responded tilting her chin up to steal a quick kiss. He hummed happily into her mouth as he pulled her back in for one kiss after another. "I love you more." Alaric pulled back and wrapped his arms around her, just enjoying the moment with Jenna, knowing it would be over all too soon and he'd have to continue to face the harsh reality of life without her.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" she repeated her earlier question. Jenna was always more perceptive than she let on at times. He was holding her like he'd never get the chance to again. As she slid out from his warm embrace he refused to entirely let her go and fingertips trailed down her arm to catch her hand before she got too far from his reach. "Ric?"

"Yeah. Yeah." he shook his head with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "I'm alright, I promise." It should feel odd to try and reassure the imaginary Jenna in front of him when he knew she wasn't real, but it felt... normal. He wished he could reassure any version of Jenna that existed, could make her smile and tell her he loved her until she was sick of hearing it. "I just really really love you Jenna."