Another place, another destination. Jenny and Elijah never stayed longer than two weeks at most places. They were now in Switzerland.

         It was Thanksgiving.

         They had plans but Jenny fell ill. It was just the common cold but she didn't much feel like going anywhere. Instead, they stayed in and she was cozied up next to Elijah with tissue boxes everywhere as they watched a movie.

         She had her buttery popcorn and Elijah was running his fingers through her hair. Her heart didn't beat quickly in his presence, it didn't need to, but it was just rather quietly in love with the shadow of his. The scene was the definition of being content.

          Sure, sometimes, love needed declarations. Yet in other times all it needed was silence and the comfort two people felt sitting in a room together; the quiet adoration filling up the bubble they where in. Love could be so simple and still be beautifully happy.

        ______

         Flashback

         It was just a year ago that everything was normal. Jenna was throwing a Christmas party. Elena brought all her friends and Stefan, Jeremy kept to himself, while she was the cook for the party.

           It was the idea of both Jenna and Jenny. They thought if Elena and Jeremy were surrounded by people during the holidays, the sting of not having their parents might be a little less.

            "Do you think it'll work?" Jenna asked as they spied on the teenagers from the kitchen.

             Jenny analyzed Elena and Jeremy and how they seemed a bit brighter, "It'll work."

          So their plan was enacted and Jenny was stowed away in the kitchen cooking when their uninvited guest made himself known to her. It was Damon. Stefan had brought him along apparently.

           She was putting the finishing touches on the food when he came searching for more alcohol. It was really the first time she was meeting Damon.

            "Bad holiday season?" she questioned as she handed him the bottle of alcohol.

             "More like a bad year," he poured alcohol in his glass before downing it. It had only been a couple of weeks since not finding Katherine in the tomb.

             "Sounds like you could use a friend," she smiled.

             "I don't do friends," he said before smirking as his eyes crawled over her. "I just need a distraction."

          Her lips parted slightly as she blushed at his insinuation before she gained sense, quietly speaking, "Damon Salvatore, that is highly inappropriate."

            He hummed, "But you were thinking about it."

             She shook her head and grabbed the plate of food to take out to the dinner party, "I meant what I said. If you ever need a friend to talk to, a real one...I'm here."

              He mulled over her words before she gestured to the other platter of food, "Can you grab the other one?"

              He nodded and she started to leave the kitchen but she turned back to him, "And Damon...you know, whoever made you feel this bad, they don't deserve you."

             She offered him a soft smile before leaving his sight and for whatever reason it gave him the slightest relief. For the rest of the night, his eyes were on her smile. He didn't even notice until he left that he hadn't even thought of Katherine.

           When everyone left and Elena along with Jeremy retreated to their rooms, Jenna and Jenny just stayed up watching dumb movies and eating Christmas cookies. It was a tradition they had and it had never changed.

It was Christmas Eve.

           Elijah and Jenny were now in Germany. One of the things Jenny loved doing besides teaching was baking. So she was up early making cookies.

             Elijah walked into the kitchen that morning, kissing her, before analyzing all the cookies laid out. He didn't say a word but he had a look on his face.

            "What? Did I go overboard?" she bit her lip as she looked at all the cookies.

            "No. Of course not," he said. "But I believe our diet will consist of baked goods for the foreseeable future."

             "I went overboard," she analyzed all the cookies everywhere. "It's just I like to bake...and Jenna and I use to make cookies..."

            Her voice turned melancholy and she tilted her head down. Elijah reached out and his thumb wiped away a bit of flour on her forehead which made her look up at him.

He gently pulled her into an embrace even though she was getting flour all over his suit. Her head rested against his chest.

"I just miss her sometimes and I don't like to think about it."

"I know. Jenny, you can do whatever you want to your heart's content," he said before smirking. "Although, I do think we'll have to do something about the mess."

He had turned the scene into a lighthearted moment and she smiled. She pulled away from him and chuckled as she took in pristine Elijah with flour all over him. She tugged on his tie, loosening it, "You're going to need to change."

             He hummed as he pulled her flush against him, "And so do you."

              She gasped a little as she looked up into his love drunk eyes. Her heart beat quicker in exhilaration and she smiled, "I think I quite like our mess."

"I'm inclined to agree," he said before he kissed her passionately.
He picked her up, her legs curling around his waist as he carried her to their room to change.

           ______

          It was New Year's Eve and it was almost midnight. Jenny and Elijah were slow dancing in the living room to Unchained Melody.

Her head rested against his chest where she could hear the slow beat of his heart that mirrored hers. The comfort and bliss they felt with each other putting them at ease.

"Have you thought about forever?" Elijah asked.

It was something they talked about on Christmas. He wanted to know if forever, to be like him, was something she wanted.

She had thought about it constantly since he asked. She had wanted so many things with Elijah before she found out about the creatures of the night. She had wanted children of her own and to grow old but now all she really wanted was to be with him.

But she knew even that wasn't possible. Forever wasn't attainable with a Mikaelson. She had hardly been in Elijah's life before she was being threatened by his centuries old enemies. Forever was just a dream.

             Forever was a beautiful, magical dream but, sadly, one that she didn't want. She'd seen only the worst in vampires and she didn't want to be plagued by the worst in herself.

            To live forever as a cursed being fighting (or killing) off his enemies, was that really forever? It wasn't even a forever she wanted for him but it was the one he had and he couldn't change it.

             She remembered the wish she'd thrown in the fire once she'd heard about his family tradition. In the end with that wish, she'd made up her mind.

           "Moments, Elijah, go on forever," she pulled her head away to look at him softly, hoping he'd see the response as an I don't know instead of one day I'll tell you goodbye.

               But he didn't.

              "So no is your answer," he stated solemnly, hoping that she'd correct him.

                 But she didn't.

            "I will love you for all of my tomorrows," she responded with a teary gaze. "That's my forever."

               He smiled bitterly, "Then I will take what I can get, Jenny Stevens. But know I will love you for the rest of mine."

              The TV playing silently in the background revealed it was finally the New Year and the couple went into it with new hopeless revelations. But Elijah still kissed her. It was a kiss that spoke of love that was too foolish to let go and too sweet to die. He kissed her at the break of the New Year and with the despair of forever lingering in their hearts.

_____

As hopeless as Elijah was about forever, a new hope began when Katerina Petrova found him, offering him a deal. Perhaps forever wasn't in the cards for the couple but a simple, human, lifetime was.

AN: I thought long and hard about whether Jenny would want to be a vampire and I just don't see her wanting that and Jenny is smart, she knows that forever doesn't last very long with a Mikaelson. I honestly teared up a bit writing this chapter.

Anyways, the last chapter of part I is next. *evil laugh* ya'll ready?