Chapter One: Pilot

Dria groaned, waking up due to her siblings fighting on their first day back to school. She threw her pillow over her head to try to drown out the noise.

"Dria! Tell Elena to hurry up in the bathroom," Jeremy whined, barging into her room.

"Go away," she mumbled, throwing her pillow at him.

"You're a sucky legal guardian," Jeremy baited, hoping she would get out of bed.

"Go live with Aunt Jenna then," Belle told him but refused to move.

"Jeremy! Bathroom's all yours!" Elena yelled to him and the little brother left. Dria sighed in relief and drifted off to sleep.

"Dria!"

"What do I have to do to get some peace and quiet around here!" she yelled back but got up and walked down the stairs where her siblings were.

"We need lunch money," Jeremy explained and held his hand out.

"Fine," Dria groaned and grabbed her purse that was near the door. She handed them both a five dollar bill, "Now scram, I have places to go and people to see."

"Like who?" Jeremy snorted, "You're totally lame."

"I can ground you, mister!" Dria teased as he opened the door, "Have a good day at school."

"Doubt it!" Jeremy retorted and Elena gave her a wave before they both left.

Dria grabbed a book and curled up in her favorite chair. Just as Louis and Claudia turned on Lestat, her phone rang. Groaning, she picked it up after seeing her aunt's name flashing.

"This better be good, you're interrupting Dria time," she said when she answered the phone.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go have a girl's night with me?" Jenna asked, sounding tired.

"And leave the kiddies at home? Oh god that sounds good! I love my siblings to death but I'm going to kill them if I have to hear one more argument," Dria said.

"Alright, meet me at the Grill around 8?"

"Sounds like a plan," Dria said goodbye to her aunt and went back to her book. Not long before Dria started reading again; Elena, Caroline and Bonnie walked through the door.

"Hi Dria!" Caroline said with enthusiasm.

"Hello teenagers who invading my house," Dria said, not even looking up from her book but granted them a wave.

"Ugg, that book again? Why don't you read Twilight? They have way better vampires," Caroline complained when she caught the title of Dria's book.

"I'm sorry Caroline, but I live in the real world where vampires burn in the sun. Oh and eat people," Dria gave her a look.

"Twilight's better," Caroline sang and retreated when Dria threatened to kick her out.

"Caroline, you know better than to get in the way of Dria and her books," Bonnie teased.

"This is why I keep you around, Bennett," Dria joked before dog-earing her book and placing it on the table.

"We're going to a party later," Elena told her. Dria nodded, telling her younger sister it was okay.

"Keep an eye on Jeremy for me? He's been a little off lately," Dria said and began making a snack for her sister and her friends.

"When are you going back to culinary school?" Caroline asked, watching Dria scoop vanilla ice cream onto wafer cookies.

"Not for a bit," Dria answered and handed each girl a homemade ice cream sandwich, "Family first, Caroline."

"We'll be fine a few days a week by ourselves," Elena offered as she finished up her snack.

"Elena, we've talked about this," she groaned.

"But Dri-" she started again.

"No buts, Elena. End of discussion," Dria said, giving her a look, "Now, run along to your party and I'm going to get ready for my girls night with Jenna."

"Jenna could stay with us until you're done with school!" Elena protested, following her sister to the stairs.

"End of discussion, Elena Margaret." Dria repeated.

"This isn't over, Alexandria," her little sister said stubbornly but went back to her friends.

"She wants me to go back to school and have you babysit," Dria told Jenna as she sipped her martini.

"It's not a bad idea, Dria," her aunt said, giving Dria a look when she glared at her.

"No. I'm not going to abandon them. Not when Jeremy is on drugs and Elena isn't back to her old self. I'll go back next year, but now's not the time," Dria explained.

"Alright," Jenna relented before changing the subject, "Hot guy checking you out."

"Yes because I'm sure some hot guy is checking me out when I'm wearing this," she snorted and gestured to her jeans and loose-fitting t-shirt.

"Well he must find it sexy," Jenna teased. Dria sighed and turned to where Jenna was looking. A man around Dria's age was watching them with light blue eyes. He saw Dria looking at him and gave her a little wave. Jenna let out a giggle, "Go talk to him."

"Jenna," Dria whined.

"He's sexy and you need to do something fun and spontaneous in your life," Dria smiled and glanced to the man again.

"Maybe some other time," Dria sighed and showed Jenna the text from Elena.

To: Dria

From: Elena

Vicki was attacked. Jer and I are coming home. He's drunk.

"Parenting your younger brother on your night off," Dria gave her aunt a sarcastic smile.

"Just lay down the law with him," Jenna shrugged as they stood in Dria's room.

"Alright," Dria laid down on her bed. The front door slammed close and she groaned.

"They're here!" Jenna quoted the Poltergeist.

"Jeremy! We have to talk about this!" they heard Elena's voice pleading.

"You're turn," Dria said to Jenna but the strawberry blonde shook her head and grabbed her stuff.

"I have a thesis to write and you have a fight to break up," she said before leaving. Dria sighed before she walked over to the frustrated Elena who was standing outside Jeremy's door.

"What's wrong?" she asked her sister.

"Vicki was attacked tonight and Jeremy got himself drunk," Elena explained.

"Leave the kid alone, Elena," Dria gave her a look before Elena went into her room. Dria knocked on the door, "Jeremy? You okay?"

"Go away, Dria," he said.

"Jer, I know you must be worried about Vicki. I can take you to the hospital tomorrow if you want," she tried.

"Go away, Dria," Jeremy repeated.

"Okay Jer," Dria sighed before heading back to her room. An hour later, Dria couldn't sleep so she got up to bake. She always baked or cooked when she was stressed. Their house was full of food when her parents had died.

As she walked down the stairs, she noticed Jeremy sitting in the living room. Dria didn't say a word, just sat with him as he stared at a picture of their parents. Jeremy glanced at her before throwing himself into his big sisters arms, crying. Dria just held him, rocking him back and forth and let out a few tears herself.

"Want to help me bake some brownies?" she asked when he calmed down. Jeremy just nodded and followed his sister to the kitchen. They were quiet for some while before Jeremy threw flour at her and she retaliated by cracking an egg on his head. They ended up waking Elena up and she joined them.

"You two are cleaning this up," Dria said, finally finishing the brownies and putting them in the oven.

"Why?" Jeremy whined.

"Because you started it," Dria stuck her tongue out at him.

"But I didn't," Elena protested.

"I'm older so I get to boss you around," Dria answered with a superior look on her face.

"Yeah but it's not like we're going to listen to you," Jeremy taunted.

"I am your guardian, you little brat," Dria grabbed him and started giving him a noogie.

"Dria!" he shouted and tried to get away. Elena laughed at the scene, it felt almost normal.

Hope you liked it. Comments and critics are welcomed, flames are not.