My older sister and her husband. [ she pours an obscene amount of sugar in her own coffee and takes a long sip before answering the real question. ]
Car accident, about a year ago. [ another sip, and then jenna sets the cup down, wrapping her hands tight around it. ] That was a really really rough summer.
Losing a parent is hard enough; losing both is harder. [ a pause, and he looks at her deliberately. ] And losing a sibling when you gotta be the one to stay tough.
Oh, believe me I know. [ it wasn't that far a space between mom and dad and miranda and greyson; jenna went from one of the babies of a big family to the only adult, what felt like overnight. ] Yeah, well. Tough is a stretch, but I paid the bills and nobody starved or drowned in dirt so I call it a win.
[ All he can think of is Peter, and what a pain in the ass he was at that age. Nathan had been away at the time, but that hadn't stopped his brother's tumultuous teenage years causing problems even when he was on the other side of the world. ]
Oh, totally. I admit it, this is great coffee and I will be demanding more.
[ she rolls her eyes, shaking her head. ] Electric kettles I can deal without. What I want to know is where the machine is that makes me a Big Mac. I don't even like Big Macs, Nathan.
[ literally everyone jenna has ever met has eaten a big mac or twenty in their lives. nathan petrelli how in the world. ]
How? Are you sure you're a real American-- actually, can I see your birth certificate? I'm having some severe doubts about birthplace right now. You might even be from France.
[ shhhh she's not making gentle republican jokes or anything. ]
[ So terrible. In any case he sits back, trying to look abashed but ending up looking rather proud of himself. ]
I didn't exactly have a traditional American childhood. We had staff, and I ate exclusively deli sandwiches when I wasn't going from restaurant to restaurant making political sponsors swoon. The closest to burgers and chips I ever came was on the carrier.
Ooof, in Mystic Falls? Same thing. The Fells are a Founding Family.
[ she totally set down her coffee and did sarcastic jazz hands there, yup. the founders crap deserves it. ] As in, of the town. They're all rich and snooty and awful, and they cheat on you with skanks named Monica and break your heart, and then they come back to town and take advantage of your vulnerable newly child-having state and seduce you with cheese fries and being nice for a change and then they dump you again by email.
[ b e a t. ] That last part may have just been one Fell, and I might still be having a few issues with him.
[ longer pause. ] Actually, let's talk about your lacking in American cultural staples again.
[ her face twists a little at that, touched and pained at the same time and she looks down, taking another sip of a rapidly dwindling cup o' distraction. ]
Don't be so sure about that. I went through a crimped hair period in the 90's, it's a dark secret kind of thing.
Trust me, as much as we loved the fact that we had a guy in the White House, even we couldn't help but laugh at him rather than with him now and again. Guy was an epic shoe dodger, though, you have to give him that.
[ He breaks off a little bit of frosting and tastes it. ]
You, side of the aisle enemy, are way too easy to fraternize with. [ not that jenna's not used to being the lone pinko commie in a room of good old boys; mystic falls is definitely not on the liberal side. ] But you're right, good reflexes on that guy.
[ she snags a cupcake of her own, with a little 'why not' shrug. ]
Fresh fruit. [ A shake of his head. ] You ever try out the gardens? Don't they grow anything like that down there? I don't know...space strawberries, or something?
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Their parents?
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Car accident, about a year ago. [ another sip, and then jenna sets the cup down, wrapping her hands tight around it. ] That was a really really rough summer.
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How is it? Not as good as the real thing, I know.
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[ she takes another sip, and shakes her head sadly. ]
I hate to tell you this, but you're going to have to make me a lot more coffee from now on.
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[ she rolls her eyes, shaking her head. ] Electric kettles I can deal without. What I want to know is where the machine is that makes me a Big Mac. I don't even like Big Macs, Nathan.
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You know--would it surprise you to know that I've never actually had one?
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[ literally everyone jenna has ever met has eaten a big mac or twenty in their lives. nathan petrelli how in the world. ]
How? Are you sure you're a real American-- actually, can I see your birth certificate? I'm having some severe doubts about birthplace right now. You might even be from France.
[ shhhh she's not making gentle republican jokes or anything. ]
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[ So terrible. In any case he sits back, trying to look abashed but ending up looking rather proud of himself. ]
I didn't exactly have a traditional American childhood. We had staff, and I ate exclusively deli sandwiches when I wasn't going from restaurant to restaurant making political sponsors swoon. The closest to burgers and chips I ever came was on the carrier.
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[ jenna can't help but laugh, shaking her head and taking another sip of her coffee ruefully. ]
The more things change.
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[ He shakes his coffee at her slightly, in a toast, then takes another sip too. It isn't actually that bad. ]
What's so great about McDonalds anyway? It's just food.
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[ she totally set down her coffee and did sarcastic jazz hands there, yup. the founders crap deserves it. ] As in, of the town. They're all rich and snooty and awful, and they cheat on you with skanks named Monica and break your heart, and then they come back to town and take advantage of your vulnerable newly child-having state and seduce you with cheese fries and being nice for a change and then they dump you again by email.
[ b e a t. ] That last part may have just been one Fell, and I might still be having a few issues with him.
[ longer pause. ] Actually, let's talk about your lacking in American cultural staples again.
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[ He raises his hands up, as though to deliberately quiet her. ]
Nobody with any cahonas dumps someone by email. You sure this was an actual guy, not a Sasquatch?
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[ coffee JUST FRANTIC COFFEE DRINKING god someone stop her. ]
Sorry, I have terminal overshare disease. The day I met Ric, I told him all about my high school humiliations.
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[ He reaches out to squeeze her arm with a smile. ]
Relax. You got nothing to hide from me.
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Don't be so sure about that. I went through a crimped hair period in the 90's, it's a dark secret kind of thing.
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I once danced to a Madonna track with Al Gore. We all have things we're not proud of.
[ He reaches out and takes a cupcake from her tray, lifting it up in front of him as though studying it like a diamond in the light. ]
Now this is a rare sight around here. Real frosting. I gotta say I'm impressed.
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[ but now her smile in return is a lot more genuine. ]
I am the cupcake woman, goo goo g'joob.
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[ He breaks off a little bit of frosting and tastes it. ]
Mm. Very nice.
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[ she snags a cupcake of her own, with a little 'why not' shrug. ]
I missed little stuff like this.
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[ He winks, then starts peeling off the wrapper, leaning back in his seat as he does so. ]
I'm not sure what I'd say I missed most. Sushi, probably.
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[ but there's no snap to it. ]
Biscuits. Bisuits and honey and tacos, and oh god Phish food.
...and most of all, fresh peaches. It's weird, the longer I'm here the more I just want a stupid peach.
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