28|MEMORY LANE

In hindsight, maybe Gemma shouldn't have let her frustration get the best of her. Maybe she shouldn't have gone to The Grill to drown her sorrows and to mope around like the lonely single she is. She definitely wouldn't have ended up in this situation if she had gone home and minded her business. She's never found herself in bed with a woman after reading a good book instead of drinking a fifth of whiskey, that's for sure.

She sighs quietly in exhaustion before rubbing the sleep from her eyes, sitting up in bed and letting the blanket pool around her waist. Her eyes gaze at the naked back of her lover from the previous nights events, the freckles splotched across her skin making Gemma's lips quirk up in amusement.

"I can feel you staring, bunny."

Gemma clears her throat at this and slips out of bed, grabbing her shirt off of the floor and putting it on. Katherine rolls over to face her, a smirk playing at her lips as the female Salvatore shifts under her heated stare. "I didn't expect you to sleep over," she admits.

Katherine raises a perfectly arched brow, "why? I've been wanting to see you. I've missed you. You can't indulge me for a little while?"

The raven haired woman scoffs out a laugh, "I think I did enough indulging last night."

Katherine hums, "we both did if I remember correctly."

Gemma bites the inside of her cheek as anxiety slithers down her spine, Damon's voice being heard from down the hall as he talks to himself. She knew he didn't care, that he didn't particularly mind, but Gemma did. As much as she enjoyed dabbling in the past, she shouldn't have. "Why are you here?" She finally ask, "in Mystic Falls, I mean."

"Three reasons," the brunette muses. "You, you and you."

Gemma almost snickers at this but bites her tongue, shaking her head. "I know you a little better than that, Katherine. What's going on? The truth."

"Well, you know, that is the truth. Deep down inside that gorgeous body of yours, there's the Gemma that fell in love with me too."

The female Salvatore observed Katherine as she lay in her bed, her curls splayed out around her. Was she in love with Katherine Pierce? Had she ever been? Gemma doesn't think so. Even if she was, she's not sure she knows what real love feels like. She loved Katherine, for sure. For what the vampire had done for her, for what she had saved her from; but she wasn't in love with her. Not nearly.

Gemma purses her lips, "I have somewhere to be. Feel free to hang around, Stefan's here somewhere. I think it's his turn to deal with you."

"Deal with me? You make me sound like I'm a problem, bunny," the brunette pouts. "That hurts."

Gemma nods slowly, "well, you are a problem, Katherine. When you stop being one, I'll come up with a more creative term to call you."

A smirk plays at the woman's lips, "can't wait."

The female Salvatore exhales a heavy breath before disappearing into the bathroom, readying herself for the days events.

.....

It's later in the day and Gemma finds herself accompanying her brother to Jenna's barbecue, a peach cobbler in hand. She hasn't spoken a word to her brother, but she can tell he's dying to make a snarky comment by the way he keeps squinting at her from time to time. She finally huffs as they exit the car and make their way up Elena's front porch, her eyes meeting Damon's. "If you're going to say something, say it. I don't want to dance around the subject."

Damon turns his nose up at her, "I just can't believe you'd stoop so low."

Gemma rolls her eyes, "get a grip."

Damon glares at her and turns on his heel, opening Elena's front door without knocking and strolling in like he owns the place. Gemma gapes at his back as he walks away from her, scurrying in behind him and closing the door so the cold air won't get in the house. She makes her way to the kitchen where she finds Alaric, Jenna and Mason Lockwood.

"Hey," Damon greets brightly.

Jenna's face falls, "Damon."

The raven haired woman peeks out from behind her brother, flashing her friend a smile. "I brought cobbler."

Jenna raises an eyebrow, "thanks, Gemma."

So, she's still mad about the supposed kiss with Elena. Good to know. Sometimes Gemma wishes she could spill all her secrets, then at least Jenna would know she's not trying to make moves on her teenage niece.

"We were just doing shots," Alaric fills in the two siblings. "Let me get you some shot glasses, guys."

Gemma declines, "I'm nursing a hangover already, but thanks."

"Here," Jenna shoves her shot glass into Damon's hands. "Use mine." She turns to the female Salvatore and raises her eyebrows, nodding toward the living room. "Shall we?"

Gemma blanches but nods, following the woman into the main room of the house. She sits down beside Jenna and gazes at her expectantly, waiting for the lecture she's sure she's going to get.

"You kissed Elena," Jenna states.

Gemma smiles tightly, clearing her throat. "I... did."

Jenna stares at her for a long second before sighing, running her hand through her strawberry blonde hair. "Look, Elena's mature, she can make her own decisions; but as my friend, I'm asking you— please don't complicate her life more than you already have."

"I understand."

"No, I understand," Jenna says meaningfully. "Anyone can see the attraction between you and Elena a mile away. I get it, I do, but she's dating Stefan. Your brother, Gemma. I'm just saying, be the mature adult you are. If she wants you, then she just does, but you need to let her make that decision."

Gemma is... confused. "Okay," she replies.

Jenna flashes her a wide smile and stands from her seated position, disappearing into the kitchen to get more wine. Gemma shakes her head to rid herself of the anxiety from their conversation, shuffling in after Jenna and coming to stand beside her brother. "Hey," she greets, looking between he and Mason. "What's going on?"

"I was just introducing myself," Damon informs her. "Mason, this is my sister, Gemma. You probably remember her from the school carnival."

Mason grins, amused. "I do," he nods. "Nice to see you again."

The female Salvatore hums in response, "I'm sure it is."

"You'll have to excuse Gemma's attitude," Damon speaks for the woman. "She's nursing a hangover and bad decisions."

Mason laughs, "aren't we all?"

Gemma shoves her hands into her coat pocket, smiling through the awkwardness of the situation. This was going to be one hell of a barbecue.

.....

As much as she tried to avoid drinking, peer pressure got the best of Gemma. So, here she sits with a glass of wine, playing pictionary of all things. Her fool of a brother is the man of the hour, drawing on the white board and having them guess what it is.

"Dress!" Jenna shouts in excitement. "Ballerina!"

"Puppy!" Caroline exclaims, her voice dwindling down in confusion. "Puppy with a tutu?"

"No, no," Damon waves them off.

"A dog!"

"Dances with Wolves," Mason answers correctly, a knowing look on his eyes.

"Mason wins," Damon muses. "Again."

Gemma stands from her seated position on the couch, her legs wobbly as she shuffles into the kitchen to speak to Elena who's handling the pies on the counter. She comes to stand beside the girl, the wine in her hand making her brave and careless. "Hi," she greets.

Elena side eyes her, her eyebrows furrowing. "Hello, Gemma."

The said woman groans, "why the formality, Elena? Even you've got to admit, this charade is exhausting."

Elena frowns, "I told you—"

"That you didn't want a relationship, not a friendship."

The Gilbert's lips quirk upward the tiniest bit, her eyes flicking toward the living room before she glances back to Gemma with disapproval. "You've got the stop plying my aunt Jenna with alcohol."

Gemma grins, "she's plying me with alcohol if you haven't noticed."

Elena scoffs out a laugh, "only one of you can handle the buzz and you know that."

"There you are!" Jenna cheers drunkenly, hanging off of Gemma's shoulder with glassy eyes. "Isn't this fun?"

"Yes," Gemma raises her glass and presses it against the Sommers'. "Thank you for inviting Damon and I."

"Did I have a choice but to invite Damon?"

Gemma snickers, "you really don't like him, do you?"

"Damon has never dated a Damon," she slurs. "I have dated many Damon's."

The woman nods, "he's a work in progress. I try to get him to stop whoring himself out, but he's stuck in his ways."

Jenna cackles loudly which draws Damon's attention, the eldest Salvatore sauntering over with a wide smirk. "Talking about me again, Gemma?"

She shrugs, "only good things and if they aren't good, at least they're true."

Damon hums in response and reaches forward, running his fingers across the knife set in front of them next to the pies. "These are fancy," he comments.

"Thanks," Jenna nods. "My mother's silver set."

He smiles and swipes a knife while the woman isn't looking, causing Gemma extreme anxiety. She knew this wouldn't end well. It was only a matter of time.

"Hey guys," Damon calls Alaric and Mason into the kitchen while Elena pulls Caroline outside to speak privately. Gemma moves to the side to allow Mason room, catching on to Damon's plan rather quickly. "We're going to cut the pie. Mason, why don't you start us off?"

He attempts to hand the silver knife to the Lockwood but the man instead grabs a slice of pie with his hands. Gemma wrinkles her nose and looks at him disgusted and he flushes in embarrassment, letting out a weak laugh. "I apologize, I'm an animal."

"No kidding," Gemma mutters. Jenna nudges her in the ribs and she coughs loudly, flashing Mason an apologetic smile.

"So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?" Alaric questions, not subtle at all.

Gemma hides a snicker under her breath, shooting the strawberry blonde woman an amused smile. Jenna glares at her in return and the Salvatore beams. All is right in the world again.

"She was always in Logan Fell land," the Lockwood jokes.

"My first mistake," Jenna holds up a finger. "Mason was a catch; he had girls lining up."

"Really?" Damon muses, "I always pegged you for a lone wolf."

"I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were."

Gemma smiles awkwardly and clears her throat, "how about a toast?" She forces out.

Mason grins, his eyes mischievous. "To new friends."

.....

Gemma stands in the kitchen putting the food in Tupperware container, deciding to be generous and be useful to the drunk human in the next room over. It was obvious Jenna's liquor got the best of her and Gemma knew she'd forget to put everything away before she passed out. Damon sits at the counter next to her and nurses a glass of Whiskey, his face unusually brooding.

"Jenna just brought out Guitar Hero," Mason pipes up as he enters the kitchen. Damon stands from his chair and squares his shoulders, causing Gemma to snicker under her breath. Was it really that serious? "Might be time to mutiny!"

"Well, I just happen to like Guitar Hero," the Salvatore disagrees. "So, you my friend, are barking up the wrong tree."

Mason sighs as his face deflates, "okay. Enough with the innuendos, you win, you're hilarious."

Damon smirks, "thank you."

"Come on, man," the Lockwood raises an eyebrow. "You don't think I know what this barbecue is about?"

Damon sobers up, "how do you know about me? Your brother was completely clueless."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not your enemy, Damon."

"You tried to kill my brother."

Gemma frowns, "he what?"

Mason shakes his head, "that was a mistake."

The raven haired woman abandons what she was doing and shuffles forward, folding her arms over her chest. "How do you mistakenly try to kill someone?"

"There was confusion; I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift."

"What? No obedience school?" Damon taunts him.

"I'm serious," Mason emphasizes. "Let's not spark some age old feud that doesn't apply to us."

"You expect me to believe you're in Mystic Falls planting peach trees?"

"I lost my brother, my nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family. Let's be above this."

Damon nods after a long second and shakes Mason's hand, gazing at the man after he turns and walks back in the living room. Gemma moves forward once the Lockwood is out of earshot. "So, are we letting it go?"

The eldest of the two shakes his head. "Not a chance. Are you in?"

Gemma grins, "I'm so in."

.....

not edited.

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