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I had been in the hospital for almost a week now. Apparently the doctors couldn't figure out what exactly had caused the pain that had coursed through my body, or what was causing the unbelievably excruciating headaches I kept getting. I was mostly fine now, just a slight pain in the front of my mind.
My friends and parents visited whenever they could, and I loved them for it. However, I had to secretly admit that the visits I looked forward to the most, where the visits of Gerard. He visited me every day when the others were gone, and would stay until I fell asleep. I didn't know why, but I felt like I could tell this complete stranger anything.
We talked about everything. I told him about my family and friends, and he told me about his. Today was no different. Bonnie and Caroline had just left... which I was grateful for. I couldn't explain why, but lately something about Bonnie made me uncomfortable. Actually, I could explain why, it was the looks. Whenever she thought I wasn't looking at her, she would have this look of... of pure anger.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a knock on the door. I looked up and felt a large smile form on my lips as Gerard came in. He returned the smile as he sat in the chair next to my bed.
"How are you feeling today?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"A lot better now that you're..." my lips snapped shut and I dropped my gaze to my hands which where folded on my lap. I felt the heat rise to my face, I couldn't believe I let that slip out.
I didn't see the smirk on his face as it was gone when I peeked at him. "So... you were telling me about your siblings. How many do you have?" I asked, quickly changing the subject. His face grew sad for the briefest of moments before he answered me.
"I have two, an older brother named Elijah, and a younger sister named Rebekah. You would love her; she is like you in a lot of ways." He sounded almost wistful.
"I always wanted a sister. I mean, Caroline is like a sister to me." I realised he wouldn't know who Caroline was, "She's a friend of mine," I explained, "and I love her, but I always wanted an actual sister."
As I spoke I tried to remember the first time I met Caroline, but it didn't make sense. When I thought about our first meeting as kids, I was protecting her from bullies. The problem was in that memory I was a couple of years older than her. How was that possible when we were the same age now?
Of course, before I could think about it any further, the headache started to grow again. I felt my breathing speed up and I squeezed my eyes shut. What the hell was happening to me? I was aware of my name being called but it was getting hard to focus. It wasn't until I felt someone take my hand that I could even remember that Gerard was in the room with me. He started rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.
"Jennifer, look at me. Focus on my voice." I watched his lips move as he spoke. "Don't think about anything else but my voice."
I let my mind go black and almost immediately the pain started to subside again. Gerard had leaned close to me as he calmed me down and without thinking about what I was doing I flung my arms around his neck, pulling his even closer. I was grateful when, instead of pulling away, he put his own arms around me. "It's ok Jennifer, you'll be fine. I promise sweetheart." He whispered in my ear.
I pulled away from his, shock on my face and confusion on his. "What is it?" he asked. I searched his eyes and everything clicked into place.
"Nik? What's going on and where the hell is my baby?"
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Caroline had convinced Rebekah and Elijah to stay with Stefan while she went to meet Damon. As she sat on the same boulder where she had sat with Stefan the day before, she once again heard Sophie's voice in her mind. The witches voice was strained as she spoke. "Jennifer remembers."
Caroline let out a small squeal of joy, but Sophie cut her off. "Something is wrong though. She should have woken up by now, but she is still trapped within the spell."
Caroline's joy evaporated, "Are you ok?" she asked Sophie.
"Not really," came the reply, "It's taking a lot of my power to keep Klaus's mind tethered to Jennifer's'."
Caroline felt sorry for the young witch. Even if she had a hand in causing the pregnancy and as a result this whole thing with Elena and Bonnie, who among them hadn't gone to dark places to protect their families and friends.
"I'm trying to figure out what is holding Jennifer there," Sophie continued, "but failing that, I need you to find the witch on your end." Caroline promised she would, and just as Sophie left her mind, she heard someone approach. She stood to face Damon.
"What do you want Blondie?" his voice a mixture of distaste and doubt. Caroline squared her shoulders, "I want you to help us save Jennifer."
He barked a humourless laugh. "And why the hell would I do that? Do you really think I would go against Elena?"
"Please Damon, you know this isn't right." Caroline pleaded.
"Jennifer made her choice. She chose the Mikaelsons, she's the reason Klaus and Rebekah are still out there. She's the reason Elena's a vampire, that Bonnie and Tyler are dead. Or did you forget all that already?" he snapped at her.
Caroline was losing her patience. "No, I didn't forget about that. Did you forget that you murdered her parents because you were in a bad mood, or that you turned her into a vampire, or that she nearly died fighting by our side against the hybrids? Not to mention the fact that we all know, if Elena wasn't a vampire you wouldn't have her, she would still be with Stefan. Then there's the fact that Tyler almost killed her... yes I know about that. One thing that was constant since Jennifer came back to this town was that Klaus was the only one to put her safety and well-being first." Caroline realised that she had started shouting and stopped. Taking a breath, she continued calmly.
"Now, I know that Elena hates Jennifer, and that's fine. But we're goddamn vampires Damon. Who among us can say we haven't done something awful?" Caroline could still clearly see the face of the man she herself killed when she first turned. "The thing is Damon, Jennifer is pregnant, and Elena and Bonnie are trying to kill that innocent baby. Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me you agree with that?"
When Caroline finished her out-burst she folded her arms across her chest and waited for Damon's answer. They stood staring at each other, until Damon turned and started to walk away.
"Damon... wait..." Caroline called after him. He stopped walking, but didn't turn back. "Give me 24 hours." He asked quietly. Then he was gone, leaving Caroline looking shocked. A big part of her had truly thought he would tell her to shove it. Maybe Stefan was right about his brother.
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I was still lying in the hospital bed, all traces of the mysterious pain gone. I now realised what had been causing it. Every time my mind had started to notice discrepancies in my memories, or when I started to remember my baby, that was when the pain came. Now that I could remember everything... no more headache.
The man sitting next to me who didn't look like Nik... was Nik. I knew it in my heart, or mind, or soul... whatever. I just knew it.
He was staring at me, "Seriously Nik, what's going on?"
I didn't even have the full sentence out and his arms were around me, squeezing me. "Bonnie and Elena, that's what happened. They placed some kind of curse on you. This... place... all of it it, it's in your mind. While you thought you were living a happy life in here, you are slowly dying in the real world."
I pulled away from him, this time in shock, but he wasn't finished.
"Caroline figured most of it out. She, along with Elijah and Rebekah went to Mystic Falls to find the witch Bonnie is linked to. Sophie Deveraux wasn't able to break the spell, but she was able to bring me in here. She explained that I couldn't tell you outright. You had to figure it out yourself, that when you did we would wake up..." Nik's voice trailed off as he realised something. The should have woken up. Jennifer remembered who she really was, who he was. So what was keeping them here.
His thoughts were interrupted by two people, a man and woman, entering the room and Nik knew instantly what was keeping them stuck here. Jennifer jumped out the bed and ran to the couple. "Mom, dad. I'm so happy to see you." Nik watched the family embrace and felt his new found joy seep away. In here, her parents were alive.
It was Jennifer herself who now kept them locked within her own mind.