Reborn My Way

Chapter 27: Jury's Out Pt. 1

A/N: Disturbing little fact did you know that technically at the beginning of TVD Jeremy, according to the birthdate on the fandom site, was actually 14 up until the Halloween episode S1E6 'Haunted' ?

August 1, 2009

Somewhere Outside Nashville, Tennessee

He waited as he rang the doorbell yet again. He could sense the life forces of the two within the rundown apartment that looked a lot like one of those filthy motels you would see in some shit movie. His nose twitched at the scent of weed, sex, and piss. Finally, the door swung open.

"I said I'd pay . . . who the fuck are you?" The man's scent was so pungent he had to stop himself from reacting. Clearly he had though he could intimidate whoever he had been expecting and hoped his steroid given body build would allow him to do the same with him. His lips twitched wanting to upturn into a smirk. Out of the two of them the man in front of him stood no chance whatsoever.

"Is there a Kelly Donovan on the premise?"

"What are you her husband?" The man's eyes narrowed and he gave a smirk.

"No." The man stood there attempting to stare him down until further explanation was given only for none to come.

"Fuck this, the bitch ain't worth it." He mumbled before calling for the woman he'd been sent to find. "Kelly! Get your ass out here woman, some suit is looking for ya!" It was only a minute or so later that the green eyed brunette appeared in the doorway clad in little more than a blue robe hastily thrown on and closed if her disheveled appearance was anything to go by. Breathing in through his nose he could smell that unlike her partner she was not yet under the influence of anything just yet though he could have done without the scent of arousal that hit him as she took in his appearance.

"Hello, there." She said batting her eyes at him despite her current sexual partner being right beside her.

"Tch, stupid ass bitch." The man said beneath his breath, too low for the woman next to him to hear. "I'm getting a pack a smokes, I'll be back in ten."

"Miss Kelly Donovan?" He asked moving aside to let the man pass by without touching him.

"Yea, that's me. Have we met before?"

"No ma'am. I'm Lorenzo St. John, a lawyer for the Maxwell family and you have been subpoenaed to appear in family court regarding your custody of one Matthew Gregory Donovan, age 16. Please hold still for a moment." Enzo compels her with a sharp toothy smile that unnerves her as he hands her the papers and takes a quick photo of her with the papers in hand.

"What?"

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September 21, 2009

Gilbert Clinic in Mystic Falls

"Grayson." She narrows her eyes at him as he walks into the office and she stands up from where she had been sitting on the brown leather armchair.

"Jenna, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I didn't think you would."

"I've heard Amelia is getting married."

"She is."

"I didn't realize she was even in a relationship let alone one so serious." Jenna stares a moment with pursed lips.

"You would if you ever bothered to get your head out of your father's rotting ass."

"Jenna that isn't -"

"Fair?" She cuts him off with a glare. "What isn't fair is you treating that girl like she can do no wrong. That you could dare to imply no I'm sorry actually question if Amelia was safe to be around! You raised her Grayson! You know her, you know she would never hurt any of you or at least you should have, but clearly you spent so much time with your head between my sister's legs that the lack of oxygen must have caused brain damage."

"I'm warning you, Jenna!" He says and her eyes narrow.

"Warning me?" She scoffs. "Hey Gray, tell me. Did you know while living in New York Ames had entered into a relationship that went on for over 3 years? How about the fact they moved in together?" Grayson's mouth opens slightly but not a sound comes out. Sure it hadn't been Damon that she lived with but considering she didn't actually talk to anyone besides a select few here in Mystic Falls and Caroline was on board after being let in on the whole Damon is her past life's husband turned current life's mate on the condition she get to be a bridesmaid. "She loves Jeremy as if he were her own son and he calls her mom."

"Miranda-"

"Didn't give him the time of day and you know it. Ames and I already had this argument with you and I'm not rehashing it. I just came to give you this." She hands him the papers.

"What is this?" He asks as he stares at the large bold heading at the top.

"While you were in a coma Amelia started and completed the process of adopting Jeremy but with you having woken up custody has been split equally between you two. You've been served." She says with a little smile appearing. Feel like I'm on TV saying that! "Jeremy is old enough to choose who he wants to live with. You the man who can barely control his 17 year old adopted niece and wasn't around while he was growing up or his aunt who might be 21 but was the one who actually did most of the raising and is already managing her own successful business and creating prosthetics that work off electric sensor whatever, cause I really didn't understand it when she tried to explain but she's doing it!"

"Is he . . . " Grayson take a breath before meeting her eyes with a look of desperation. "Does he treat her well?"

"Like a queen." Jenna says seriously before walking to the door to leave only to pause. "You have to choose Grayson. You either believe what you've been told by people going off stories written over 100 years ago that were afraid of anything they couldn't understand or you believe what you know in your heart is true. Not your head Grayson, your heart. It's the Gilbert doctrine or it's your baby sister but one way or the other there's no going back." She pulls a small square paper out from her back pocket and goes to set it down on his desk. "She cried after she wrote it. Don't show if all you'll do is hurt her. Make your choice, Gray and stick with it. If you don't show we'll know what it is but if you do you better be in for the long haul and to do some serious ass-kissing, you dumbass." Jenna left him alone then.

Grayson looked at the textured tri-folded paper and opens it. He can't help the sob that escapes.

Amelia Lucinda Maxwell-Gilbert and Damon Antonio Salvatore III

Request the Pleasure of Your Company at Their Wedding

Saturday the Twenty-forth of October Two Thousand Nine

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October 9, 2009

The Circuit Court in Charlottesville, VA

"Are you sure about this?" she asks as she straightened his tie once again from some imaginary crookedness she imagined. "You turn 18 in 15 months."

"I know, but I want this." Amelia turns to look at Vicki.

"You took us in when no one else did. Everyone else just ignored what was going on but you didn't. It doesn't matter what that bitch has to say or whatever excuse she comes up with or if the judge is stupid enough to believe her." Vicki says before Amelia can get a word out. "You are our mom."

"And mine too. You raised me and made sure I had everything I needed. You taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels, you cleaned up my scrapes when I fell and made sure I got back on." Jeremy said with an all too serious face for a 14 year old boy. She smiles at him before wiping his cheek.

"Damon got you Cheese Doodles didn't he?" Jeremy's cheeks go red realizing he has crumbs all over his face and he starts wiping at his cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Crap." They laugh.

"Maxwell vs Donovan."