Echoes

Chapter One

Claire sat on the overstuffed couch carefully holding the framed family portrait on her lap. Reagan leaned in close as Claire's chubby finger pointed out each child sitting on the rock ledge. Elena and Damon's oldest daughter spoke to her cousin with five-year-old self-confidence. "Jackson. Kennedy. Madison. You. Me." She jabbed each face in the portrait in turn during the game of who's who that only the extended Gilbert family could provide.

Jenna turned to the pair and tried not to laugh. At times like this, with her somber forehead knit in concentration, it was an easy reminder of exactly who her father was.

Claire frowned, giving an exaggerated sigh. She'd been doing well identifying all the cousins, siblings, and almost-family members until she hit the back row. Jenna didn't blame her for the pause.

Two photos had her stumped, though. Claire's finger slid to the two nearly-identical toddlers standing behind the row of older cousins. She leaned in close and blinked at the small black haired boy with vivid blue eyes. They were the almost-twins in the family – only separated by a few months in age.

Finally, she broke into a grin. She'd figured it out. "Blue eyes. Braydon." Then she tapped the boy with black hair and brown eyes. Her little brother was the spitting image of his father.

"Brown eyes. Grayson." Jeremy's son could easily have passed for a member of Elena's brood. And since that brood was ever-growing, Damon and Elena likely wouldn't have noticed if another little one ended up at their house.

Her mission completed, Claire handed the picture to her cousin. "That's everyone. Your turn."

Reagan blinked back at Claire. The task of identifying each member of the crew seemed to overwhelm Jenna's middle daughter.

"I don't think she's quite ready for that yet, Claire." Jenna leaned down and took the picture from her three-year-old daughter's hands. "Maybe next year."

"But then there will be even more of us." Claire looked earnestly back at her aunt. Her long brown eyelashes curled against her cheeks.

"I sincerely hope not. Well, not other than the ones we already know about." Jenna circled the couch and studied Claire's appearance - not perfect, but it would have to do. "Ok everybody. Let's go!"

Claire hopped off the couch and froze. "Will Mommy pick me up after school?" The first hint of tears pooled at the corner of the typically cheerful little one's eyes. Up until now, she'd handled the hurried overnight hand-off like a champ, but her brave façade was cracking.

"Probably not your mom." Jenna forced a smile. If Elena showed up at pre-school pick-up today, Jenna would likely kill her almost-daughter. "But your dad should be there."

"But Daddy?" Claire twirled a finger around the hem of her red and white peppermint-striped shirt.

"Your Daddy should..." Jenna's answer was interrupted by the ringing telephone. She glanced at the caller ID. Mystic Fall's General Hospital. Damn, Damon said Elena should be headed home by now.

A string of not-toddler-safe words desperately wanted to escape her lips. She ducked into the kitchen, motioning for the girls to stay in the living room. "Hello." At Damon's grim tone, she worked harder to force a cheerful expression in the midst of words like failing heartbeat, prepping for emergency c-section, and the doctor's hopeful... She gripped the side of the counter for support. Why couldn't he have called after she dropped the girls off?

"Mom?" Jackson obviously had inherited something from Mystic Falls' mystical past. He was almost psychic. "What's wrong?"

Kennedy thudded down the stairs just in time to catch the change in mood. "Mom?"