themusemanor | PSL - James Watson | Jenna Sommers ---> won't someone make my heavy heart light

The aliens had never really done her any favors. Jenna had long ago resigned herself to that knowledge. Whatever existence this was, she wouldn't be happy often or for long.

The most recent example was her second return home and the events that followed. She'd been sent back to experience a few months at home this time and they were the least pleasant in a long string of not happy ones. What she'd discovered there was knowledge she'd had in Taxon, things Elena had told her over a year ago, but the way in which she learned them was far worse. The aliens didn't even have the decency to let her stay long enough to get over what she'd learned and move on from it. No, they had to yank her right back in the middle of her crying fit in the Salvatore Boarding House. To top it all off, they'd had the audacity to tell her about her future. It was some sort of experiment going on when she'd returned -- something about learning the future whether the person in question wanted to or not -- and through that, she'd learned that the worst would happen.

She was going to die, be unable to protect Elena, and there was nothing she could do about it.

So that was why she'd holed herself away in her room when she'd returned to the city. Thank god the house was still there or she wasn't sure what she would do. She hadn't had the presence of mind to ask if anyone she knew was still around, her tablet lying forgotten in her dresser where it couldn't turn on randomly and record her in her worst moment. If she were being honest, she wouldn't have minded one specific visitor, but at the same time, she didn't want anyone to worry about her. This was something she thought she would need to work through alone.

That was just how it would always be: alone.

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James had been moving between the house and the place Ashley had called home when she had well, gone. He didn't want to be alone, but it was just as difficult to ignore the house on the off chance Jenna came home, he had long since decided to move away from the Sanctuary because of the memories there.

Which was why he wasn't in the house when she had come home, but he did come in a little later, steps heavy as he headed for her room in some hope that he would have some comfort there, when he opened the door and stared. He hadn't bothered to look at the tablet, his stuffed away in a drawer downstairs when he had gotten in the house, which would well, explain his shock.

But knowing her as he does, he hopes it is her and not him finally going mad, and so he tries to approach the bed quietly. "Jenna?" It's soft, but startling her wouldn't end well if he got near the bed and something had happened.

Jenna hadn't minded having James in the house with her. In fact, the extra person with her had helped alleviate some of the emptiness that had cropped up after everyone else had been sent home. It had been so lonely for her that having him there had been welcome, even if she hadn't known him very well.

And he'd always been there when she needed him. Even when she'd come back after being compelled to stab herself -- learning about that one had been a trip -- he'd been there. And even though part of her just wanted to be alone, to mourn her life and death and failures by herself, she was grateful to hear him open the door. She'd curled up on the bed, her arms around her legs so she could cry quietly into her knees, but at the sound of his voice she lifted her head.

Her first reaction to seeing him there was to unfold her legs and reach out to him with one arm. As much as part of her didn't believe she deserved his comfort, she needed it. "James..." Her voice was soft as she scooted over to give him room to sit with her on the bed. "Didn't think I'd see you so soon." Or ever again. That part was nice, even if she had come back to torment.

"Not as if I had anyone else to look for," he smiled though at that and went to sit on the bed next to her, carefully shifting around to put at least on leg on it as well to stretch as he rested a hand on her back. He could guess by the way she had been sitting when he came in that she needed the comfort.

"Besides, what sort of gentleman would I be to leave you here alone if you came back?" And that's what it came down to, didn't it? That he didn't want her alone if she came back and so he had constantly come back to see if she was here. It felt good to be needed here.

Jenna gave him enough room to stretch out both of his legs if he wanted. Knowing that he needed the space, she was more than willing to give him room. It still didn't quite feel like her bed or her room, and so she didn't feel much difficulty in offering him further space on the bed. In fact, some traitorous part of her wanted him closer to her and she leaned against that hand on her back as she wiped at her eyes with a shaky hand.

"You wouldn't be the first to do it," she told him with a laugh to match her trembling hand. Elena had left her alone to cry over what she'd learned and how she'd learned it. Maybe it wasn't much of a shock to hear about everything a second time, but Ric had pulled a knife on her and while Jenna wasn't exactly dating him -- either here or at home -- the sight had still hurt very much. Losing faith in him had hurt more than she'd wanted to admit.

And now a part of her was afraid the same would happen with James, that someday she would turn around and find he was hiding things from her.

"I didn't think I'd get to see you again."

The tears came back as she gazed at him and she pursed her lips tightly. Unsuccessful in her attempts to stop the flood of emotions, she squeezed her eyes against a sob and simply turned her head to his shoulder. He'd never come across as the lying sort and she hated the part of her that now questioned the one person she'd come to trust almost as much as her family.

PSL - James Watson | Jenna Sommers ---> won't someone make my heavy heart light

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