Chapter Text
“Anna, what are you doing here? My uncle could see you.” Jeremy couldn’t believe that Anna was risking his homicidal uncle to walk around the Grille.
Anna grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. “Never mind that.” She paused as a girl exited the bathroom and waited until the girl was far enough away. “There’s something I need to tell you.” She pulled him into the now empty bathroom and Jeremy idly remembered all the times he had been pulled into a bathroom.
The door had barely closed behind him when the most horrible sound seemed to come from everywhere at once. They both grabbed their heads and hunched over as the sound made it feel like there were knives piercing their temples. Jeremy could barely breath – it was so much worse than his biggest hangover. He was already unsteady and didn’t stand a chance when suddenly Anna was whipping out an arm and he flew across the bathroom before sliding down the wall, unconscious.
Anna grimaced at the blood smear on the wall from where Jeremy had hit his head, but there was no other way to protect him. The idiot Founder’s Council wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a vampire and anything else and this was definitely their work. She kept one had clutched to her head vainly and hobbled over to where he sat. She wouldn’t have much time, especially with the noise he made but it would be enough.
It took everything she had to stop clutching her head long enough to pull her daylight ring off and she barely managed to string it onto one of Jeremy’s bracelets before the door slammed open and a deputy had injected her with vervain. Her system started to shut down as they dragged her from the room while she kept her eyes on Jeremy as long as possible.
(V)
Jeremy woke up with a splitting headache to Alaric shaking his shoulder. “Hey, there. Looks like you hit the wall pretty hard. How many fingers am I holding up?”
Jeremy blinked twice and focused on the hand in front of him. “Three. Where’s Anna?”
Alaric grimaced and delayed answering by pulling Jeremy to his feet. “The Founder’s Council set off a device that apparently emitted some kind of noise that took every vampire in range down along with Mayor Lockwood. They were taking them to an old property of your family.”
Jeremy fisted his hands and started for the door. “It took me down too. Anna threw me into the wall, probably to keep them from taking me too. I have to find her.”
(V)
By the time Alaric and Jeremy made it to the office building, it was obvious that there wasn’t going to be anyone else pulled out of it. “Who’s responsible?”
Alaric knew that the quiet way that Jeremy asked was not a good sign. “The Founder’s Council set the device off after getting it from Isobel. There were a lot of people involved and they were just doing what they thought that they had to. Most of the vampires down there were planning to kill the town.”
Jeremy took a steading breath through his nose and turned away from the building to look Alaric in the eyes. “Anna didn’t do a fucking thing to the Founder’s Council; she wasn’t even planning on staying! Mayor Lockwood wasn’t even a vampire, and neither am I. How many people did they murder?” He shook his head and started walking in the direction of home.
Alaric thought better of grabbing Jeremy and just kept pace beside him. “I can give you a ride home.”
Jeremy snorted and shook his head. “I need the walk to cool off or I’m going to kill John the moment he shows his homicidal ass. You head out, I won’t be good company and I doubt I’ll run into any vampires barring Elena’s bookends – we both know she made sure they were fine.”
(V)
Jeremy waited until Alaric was a good distance away before he ran his finger long his gums. It felt like there was something underneath them and he was uncomfortably reminded of when Vicki had shown up after Damon turned her – when she was transitioning. Elena’s journal documented the whole thing down. If what he was feeling was the same, he had 24 hours to make a decision. Figures that Anna would accidentally kill him when trying to protect him from the Council. He didn’t remember drinking any vampire blood, but obviously there was something in him.
The walk home did give him plenty of time to think and plenty of time for the memories Damon took from him to come tumbling back in. He probably would have been a lot worse off if it wasn’t for Elena’s journal ripping that band aid off. It pissed him off a bit that Damon had also altered his mindset a bit, but Damon had succeeded where the drugs and alcohol had failed.
Jeremy figured that he had a few options. He could let himself die – not really a top contender. He could reach out to Elena and her bookends to get him through this – only barely above dying. The best option was definitely to just figure this shit out on his own. The only hard part would be getting human blood into his system before the deadline – preferably without tipping off the Founder’s Council or his sister. Then there was the whole sun issue.
Jeremy was paused as he rounded the last block to the house and saw the ambulance parked out front as they wheeled John out on a stretcher with Elena freaking out by the front door. It didn’t take Elena long to spot him and rush across the lawn. “Jere! Where were you? Alaric was supposed to give you a ride home.”
Jere shrugged off the hand on his shoulder and snorted. “Anna died in that basement. The last thing I wanted to do was rush home to see John.” Jeremy nodded toward where they were lifting the stretch into the back of the ambulance. “Looks like it was a good thing that I wasn’t here too. You ride with him to make sure he gets to the hospital, and I’ll clean up whatever mess is in there.”
“You would rather clean up a bloody kitchen then go to the hospital?” Elena’s eyebrow went up.
“I don’t want to be anywhere near him, and we both know that they aren’t going to run the house for evidence after they rounded up a bunch of vampires.” Jeremy actually thought that it was a bit of providence that John’s blood was available just when he needed it. Getting an invite into the house wouldn’t be necessary either since the house, office and cabin were all in both his and Elena’s names – loopholes.
(V)
Jeremy had honestly expected the blood to just taste like copper and to be just a bit gross. It was like tasting life in liquid form – it sizzled down to his stomach, and it felt like his entire body lit up and he had to grip the counter to keep upright. Anna had tried to describe it, but this was so much more than what she said it would be. It was as he waited for the rush to die down that he noticed the ring hanging from his favorite bracelet and his chest almost seized – it was Anna’s lapis ring.
It was a good thing that he had waited until the kitchen was cleaned before drinking the collected blood as his legs gave out and he found himself curled on the freshly mopped floor. Anna knew that she was going to die, and she gave him her ring – her daylight ring. Jeremy didn’t think that she knew that he would turn, but she gave it to him to remember her with. He wouldn’t have to worry about the sun and giving himself away and he would at least have something to remember her with, not like with Vicki.
(V)
Jeremy had managed to drag himself up to his room, took a shower and moved the ring to his pinkie (the only finger that it would fit on) before Stefan and Elena returned from the hospital. Elena came in looking like there was yet another horrible event to look forward to. “Who’s going to try to kill everyone now?”
Elena looked toward the door before giving her patented sigh. “Damon apparently ran into Katherine – the vampire that turned the both of them – at the house earlier and Jenna invited her in. Stefan, Damon and I will come up with a plan to deal with her, but you need to be careful. She looks just like me and it was enough to fool Jenna, Damon and John.”
“You could just come up with a codeword or wear something in plain view that she won’t have access to.” Jeremy nodded to the necklace that Stefan had given Elena. “We just need to make sure that you are wearing that necklace before we accept that it’s you – problem solved.”
Elena crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “She’s dangerous Jeremy.”
Jeremy closed his eyes and counted down from twenty and then thirty. “Everyone is dangerous. A group of yokel deputies and our uncle killed a bunch of people tonight – including the human mayor and who knows how many innocent people because of a magical device. If Katherine wants me dead, there isn’t a hell of a lot that I can currently do about that. For now, I’m getting some sleep.” Turning off the light before Elena left might be a little petty, but it made him feel a bit better.
(V)
Jeremy was so not looking forward to the whole Lockwood pity party. The mayor shouldn’t have died during the Founder’s Council screw up, but he was also a complete asshole.
Jenna was carrying some type of baked good that she had bought on the way over and harping on how the Lockwoods had been there for them when it was his parents that had died. The only part that meant anything to him was that they were only here to pay their respects.
“So, in and out. I can do that, but I’d rather go around to the gardens and skip wading through the socialites that will use this as an opportunity to bring up Mom and Dad.” Jeremy shot a salute to Jenna and broke away to circle the house. He hadn’t been invited in, so he would stick to the outside unless one of the Lockwoods asked him in.
Jeremy could remember most of these people from when his parents had died. Several of them were wearing the same thing that they had worn then, and he idly wondered if those were their designated clothes for wakes. He resisted the urge to snort and passed by where Mrs. Horton was complaining about how Mrs. Givens had brought the same color jello mold.
By the time that Jeremy made it to the back garden he was more than ready to head home. The enhanced senses of a vampire were doing him no favors when it came to gossipy old ladies with enough perfume on to supply Macys for a year at least. He found a tree that was close enough to pick up when Jenna felt that they had spent enough time here but far enough away to discourage conversation. It took a few minutes to clear his nose from the perfume and then he was pulling his specialized joints from his inner jacket pocket. They were the main reason that everyone thought he was a delinquent despite the fact that there was nothing illegal in them – just a mixture of herbs that kept his temper mostly under control. Tyler was the only one that could still piss him off after one.
The first hit was always a rush as the smoke filled his lungs and his nerves stopped jangling. Three pulls later and he thought he was calm enough to deal with people again as long as it wasn’t Tyler. Of course, the first person to make eye contact was Tyler – who appeared to be slinking away from the masses. “Escaping the nosy irritations?”
Tyler snorted and shook his head. “One more rendition about how great my father is and I’m liable to punch an old lady.” He motioned to the back door. “Come on in. Might as well raid my dad’s liquor with me – it would probably make him roll over in his grave, if I’m lucky.”
Jeremy laughed and followed Tyler in, smirking as his feet passed easily over the threshold. “I remember from when my parents died. All these people who either didn’t even know them or had complained about them the week before filled the house talking about how great they were.” The study was blissfully empty, and he fell into one of the leather chairs before pulling out another joint. Maybe it would work for Tyler. “Here, promise it’s actually nothing illegal – but it should help keep the punching to a minimum better than alcohol.”
Tyler raised an eyebrow and lit the joint up quickly before taking a drag and his other eyebrow went up as he relaxed into the chair he sat in. “Damn. Here I thought that you had a serious weed addiction and instead you have the holy grail.” Two more puffs before it was passed back. “What’s in those?”
Jeremy took his own hit before passing it back, he had already had part of one outside. “A few local herbs and a few that I had to order online – though I managed to get them to grow in the back garden that Jenna and Elena are afraid to touch. Keeps me level for the most part – alcohol only works in the short term.”
Tyler held the joint loosely and looked to the picture of his family on the middle table. “Sounds a lot like you have the same problem that me and my old man had. Too much anger and no where for it to go. These really help with that?”
Jeremy shrugged and motioned to the joint. “The effects are only good for about an hour or two and won’t stand up to someone purposely pissing you off – but the small shit won’t matter.”
Whatever Tyler was going to say to that was cut off as the study door opened and his uncle Mason strolled in. “Hiding in here and smoking? What would your mother say?” The look that Mason shot Jeremy was impossible to ignore. “Why don’t you go find your sister – you are Elena’s brother Jeremy, right?”
Jeremy made sure to make eye contact with Tyler before heaving himself out of the seat. “Sure, it’s been a good half an hour since she’s had the chance to nag me about something. Wouldn’t want her to go through withdraw at a wake.” He clapped Mason on the should with a smirk and nodded to Tyler. “Let me know if you want any more of those – I promise not to rip you off like I did Vicki’s friends.”
It startled a laugh out of Tyler and Jeremy took that as a win.
(V)
John Gilbert was the very last person that Jeremy wanted to see stalking around the kitchen at night. “What are you doing?”
John turned around and Jeremy idly noted the packed bag. “Leaving.”
“So, you figured that you would kill all of your ‘evil’ vampires and then you would leave town?”
“Not all of them, but enough. Will you tell Elena that I said goodbye?”
“Why don’t you tell her yourself?” Jeremy turned.
“You know Jeremy I was taught to hate them – the vampires.” John would pick now to try to have a heart to heart. Jeremy was hungry and a little pissed off. “It’s what I know, it’s what your father knew.”
“My father would have seen things differently.”
“No, he may have done things differently, but there’s no other way to see it.” John looked almost sad to say that – not that it helped his cause with Jeremy.
Jeremy’s eyes were drawn to where John was idly running his hand over the bandages and noted the Gilbert ring on his finger. It wouldn’t do Jeremy any good, but it was his father’s ring, not John’s. “That ring on your finger that supposed to protect you – that was my father’s, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why didn’t it protect him – why is he still dead?”
“What happened to your parents wasn’t supernatural – it was an accident. There’s nothing that can save us from that.”
“I wonder what he would think about all this – about me.” The thought of his father hating him for being a vampire almost took Jeremy’s breath away.
“He would think that you’re still young, still finding yourself, but you are a Gilbert and you’ve been exposed to this town’s darkest secret. With that, comes responsibility.”
“I don’t believe in that family legacy stuff.” Especially as it would have to involve his own suicide at this point.
“Sooner or later, you’ll have to.”
(V)
The talk with John really threw him off more than he thought that it would. Jeremy couldn’t stay in the house just waiting for Elena to get back and he didn’t want to just brood in his room for hours either. Added into all of that bullshit was the fact that he was hungry as all hell, and he could practically feel the veins around his eyes pulse. The woods were dark and filled with the noise of the animals as the scurried from place to place. He knew that he could live off of animal blood but being weaker wouldn’t help him with all of the trouble that Elena and her bookends kept attracting.
There were a few options. The Founder’s Council was out – they were all probably either hopped up on vervain or they were wearing it. There were always druggies somewhere in the woods or the cemetery if they were planning to get really high – even the previous deaths weren’t enough to put a stop to that. He could also hit up the Grille, but there was a chance that someone would notice the veins, or they would squeal to Elena that he had been there.
There was a sudden uptick in the noise and Jeremy slowed to hide behind a tree as he noticed a woman jogging through the woods. Who was dumb enough to go running through Mystic Falls after dark, really? There was a moment of hesitation before Jeremy took a deep breath and stepped out in front of the girl. “Didn’t anyone teach you not to go running in the woods after dark?”
The woman jumped and clutched her chest. “Damn, was not expecting anyone else to be out here.” She took a few deep breaths before looking Jeremy over – he didn’t recognize her, which probably meant that she was one of the tourists that popped up occasionally to enjoy the small town ambiance. “There aren’t any woods where I’m from so I’m afraid that I never got that lesson.”
Jeremy was surprised to note that lust apparently had a very distinctive smell. “We have a lot of animal attacks in this area – mountain lions and the like.” It was amusing to have her step closer to the dangerous predator in front of her at the thought of a fairly rare animal. “The name is Jeremy Gilbert.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Name’s Jenny. Came out to enjoy a break from New York. Didn’t even think to look into animals.”
“Oh, there are plenty of dangerous things in Mystic Falls.” Jeremy smiled as Jenny looked him right in the eyes and he focused on the desire for her to obey just like Anna had told him about. “Stay perfectly still and don’t scream. I don’t have a lot of practice.”
The transformation rolled over him like the most natural thing in the world and his fangs sliced through the skin on her neck like butter. The blood tasted even sweeter than it had the first time, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. It took everything he had to pay attention to the sound of her heartbeat as he took each mouthful, and he almost couldn’t pull himself away when it started to slow. Only the thought of being burned to death like Anna or staked like Vicki gave him the strength to pull back.
The teeth marks were really obvious and still sluggishly bleeding – he had no idea how they managed to convince anyone that they were animal bites. Jeremy cut his hand open with his teeth and held it up to her mouth. “Drink a mouthful of my blood and then we’ll get you cleaned up and you’ll forget all about this.”
(V)
Being able to jump into his own window was awesome and kept him from having to deal with Elena – which was nice as he could practically feel the drama emanating from her room. Not his monkey – not his circus.
(V)
Jeremy spent way too much time getting all of the goldfish set up for the ring toss game. Honestly, why would any sane person play a game just to be saddled with a fish to take care of. He might be a bit bitter that his parents always said no to pets – Elena was allergic to most furred ones and his mother had been creeped out by reptiles and fish. Birds were too noisy with a doctor for a father.
He was almost home free when Elena and Stefan cornered him by his locker. “Hey Jeremy.”
“The ring toss is all set up with all three thousand goldfish. It’s going to be epic.” The sarcasm came naturally as he swung his bag up and made sure to skirt right around the two of them – he was not in the mood to stick around for more drama today.
He was caught again by Tyler just outside of the school entrance. “Dude, do you have anymore of those smokes? I almost laid my mom out last night.”
Jeremy sighed and reached into his bookbag for the old cigarette case that he used for them and emptied it into Tyler’s hand. “This is all I have on me right now. Don’t smoke more than three in a twenty-four-hour period.”
Tyler gently slipped them into his bookbag. “Why no more than three?”
Jeremy laughed and patted Tyler on the shoulder as he slipped around him. “You’ll end up in contemplating the meaning of life in the backyard without your clothes on. Seriously dude, they really calm you down – too many, too soon and you’ll slip right into severe hippy mode.”
(V)
The carnival was on the edge of torture – too many loud noises, too many people and his sister roaming around doing her finest Caroline impression. Jeremy slipped through a group of jocks just in time to miss Elena and practically fled to the concession stand. He had a few blissful seconds without drama before he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and looked over to see it was Damon – who then proceeded to drag him away from the group of people huddled around the stands.
“Is there a reason that you weren’t in your room last night young man?” Damon’s arm tightened for a second and Jeremy took a steady breath. “Elena thought that you were in there, but there was no heartbeat.”
Jeremy fought the urge to growl. “The last thing that I wanted to do last night, or any night, is listen to Elena play either the damsel in distress or heartbreaker with you or Stefan. Forgive me for wanting a peaceful night.”
“Not your sister’s biggest fan?” Damon somehow managed to lean even closer and Jeremy fought the urge to hit him.
“I love her, doesn’t mean that I don’t know her flaws.” Jeremy finally had enough and used Damon’s momentary surprise to get free. “She has the two of you at her beck and call and manages to always be the only one that doesn’t suffer – imagine that. Sound familiar?”
(V)
Damon stared at the back of the retreating baby Gilbert with a furrowed brow. That hit a little harder than he thought that it could. He had, of course, noticed a similar pattern with Elena and Katherine – but he still fell for it hook, line and sinker. Trust a teenage boy to point out the obvious to keep Damon from digging deeper into his own secrets.
Jeremy hadn’t been home when Elena dug her verbal daggers in right after Katherine did the same. His door to his room was locked and a window was open. While Damon didn’t doubt that there was a way to get into the room without anything unusual going on – his instincts were screaming at him that something was just a touch off about Jeremy.
(V)
Jeremy’s head popped up as the scent of blood hit the air – a lot of it. He ducked behind the carnival vans before speeding toward where the blood was coming from – a truck used by carnival employees. One of the employees was apparently being drained of blood by a vampire Caroline…fantastic. It was obviously too late for the man – the entire side of his throat was ripped open, and his heartbeat was barely loud enough to pick up.
Caroline’s face was covered with blood, and she moved to sit on the edge of the truck with jerky movements. Jeremy would have come out to comfort her – but he could already hear Damon coming from one direction and Elena and Stefan were moving in from another. He watched with a detached air as Damon tried to kill Caroline, only to be stopped by Elena and then Bonnie somehow decided to blame Damon and attempted to set him on fire.
There was an odd twist in his stomach as he watched the water catch fire. It was as if he could feel the magic turning one element into another. Jeremy gripped the wall he was hidden behind as an answering energy rose inside of him and he forced it down with everything he had until Elena broke whatever trance that Bonnie was in, and her magic receded.
There were no witches in the Gilbert line and Jenna was certainly not from a witch line – it wasn’t out of the realm to believe that he might not be a Gilbert either. His mother had been pregnant though – there were pictures and the age matched up. As the drama of the night wrapped up behind him, he ruffled his hair and started for home. He wanted to be asleep before Elena got home – with his door locked.
(V)
Jeremy was thrilled when Elena announced that she was travelling to Duke with Alaric and Damon – a full day without her around to figure out what the hell was going on with him. He waited an appropriate amount of time before taking off to the woods with a bookbag full of things he might need – he was just guessing here of course.
He found a clearing and plopped down with a huff. The first things out of the bookbag were a couple of candles and a bottle of water. Jeremy made sure to clear the general area of leaves before burying the candle bases just enough to keep them upright and sat the bottle of water to the side. Elena’s journal had mentioned that Bonnie’s family kept grimoires that Bonnie was learning spells from – but those spells had to come from somewhere. Surely if he wanted something to happen – his magic, if that was what it was, would find a way. The first witches obviously hadn’t had any fancy premade spells to work with after all.
As he stared at the first candle, he thought back to the feeling of Bonnie’s magic twisting through the air to turn the water into fire – how it carried with it her will to set Damon aflame. His thoughts lingered on how her magic was eager to be used, but not eager to complete the task. The same stirring from the night before filled his chest and the smell of sulfur filled the air as a flame flickered to life on both candles at once. So, overdoing was going to be an issue – at least he hadn’t started a forest fire.
(V)
Tyler was extra twitchy when Jeremy looked up from his notes – all in his father’s shorthand. There was tension in his shoulders, but it was obvious that he was smoking the herbs as he had yet to show any of his normal ticks – fisted hands and tapping feet. Jeremy stood and ambled over to the table. “Doing alright?”
Tyler rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked at Jeremy through one eye. “Yes and no. The smokes really take the edge off, but it’s been a hell of a week – hell of a month really. You were probably the only person at the wake that didn’t treat me like a damned spectacle.”
Jeremy snorted softly and took the seat across from Tyler at the high top table. “Well, I know how it feels – just imagine what it was like with Elena for a sister – she thrived on that shit.” It wasn’t hard to imagine Tyler as a werewolf – Jeremy may have taken to spying on Elena and her bookends, he was bored. “I doubt that that’s the only thing rocking the boat – if it has to do with an uncle showing up and bringing up family secrets you wish they had left buried, I know about that too.”
Jeremy could almost see the light click on behind Tyler’s eyes before he stood and shoved his phone in his pocket. “I could use some help with that if you have some time.”
“Lead on.” Jeremy stood and spared a glance to the two girls at the pool table that looked like someone ran over their puppy.
(V)
Watching Tyler work his way through a smoke in his father’s study – likely done there out of spite – was more than a little amusing. Jeremy had a feeling that he would have to get this session started. “So, apparently my uncle is a vampire hunter who had a kid with a woman who is now a vampire and they set off a device during the Founder’s Day event to catch and roast all vampires in town. It, however, also knocked out you, me and your dad.” Tyler’s slack face should not have been that funny. “Your turn.”
Tyler fell into a chair and idly put the smoke out. “Mason rolled into town pretending to be here for dad’s funeral, but I caught the act soon enough. He couldn’t stand Dad and the feeling was mutual and he keeps hanging here despite the fact that he doesn’t get along with Mom either. Then some kid at the carnival comes at me and he leaps over a car with glowing eyes and tries to say it was light from a headlight like a dumbass.” Tyler snorted and ran a hand through his hair. “I got him to finally admit that he’s a fucking werewolf after he transformed last full moon and he’s still lying about the reason that he’s here.”
Tyler pulled out a huge moonstone out of his pocket and set it on the center table. “He’s here for that rock and fed me a bullshit line about how it was a sentimental gift to his mother. No – he wants it for something and I’m enough of a dick to keep it from him as long as he keeps lying about it.”
“Damn, he’s a dick.” That startled a laugh out of Tyler that Jeremy was aiming for. “I’ll raise you a sister that is dating one vampire while stringing another along and has a lookalike vampire that did the same in 1864 who decided to come back just to fuck with them all.” Tyler choked on air. “It seems a bit suspicious to me that the lookalike came back just before your uncle rolled into town as a werewolf.”
Tyler shook his head and laughed. “Are all the Founding Families fucked up?”
“Probably – so, back on track. Since you don’t howl at the moon and I doubt your father did, there must be some kind of switch.” Jeremy could see the tightening around Tyler’s shoulders.
“Have to kill someone apparently. Murder, accident – doesn’t matter as long as you get blood on your hands.” Tyler smirked and looked toward Jeremy with far too much amusement. “Wonder if my dad screwed your mom – you said that whatever was used that night put you down too.”
Jeremy shuddered at the idea – the mayor wasn’t above it, but he didn’t think it was in his mom’s nature. “Hopefully not, I have a couple of extras that don’t match up to the Summers, Gilberts or Lockwoods.” He reached forward and plucked the stone from the table, and it almost seemed to warm in his hands – isn’t that interesting. “Huh, this rock has some mojo on it.”
“Mojo?”
Jeremy shrugged and rolled the stone in his hands. “That’s the extra bits that don’t fit. I seem to be fucking magic on top of everything else I have to deal with as Elena’s brother.” The magic in the rock felt familiar – like he should know it and who it belonged to. “It’s a pain since I don’t exactly have an instruction manual on it – but this rock definitely has something cast on it.”
Tyler scrubbed his hands over his face. “Magic, werewolves and vampires – should I just assume that all the stories my mother and father went on about when I was little are actually true?”
“Some of it might be crap – vampires have ways to walk in the sun – but the majority of it is probably based in the town’s history.” Jeremy had an idea – it was both horrible and brilliant and so much could go wrong. He was a hundred percent on board with it. “Hey, how about we place all supernatural sides against each other?”
Tyler leaned forward and the grin that spread across his face matched the one that was spreading across Jeremy’s. “I’m always up for a chance to fuck someone over. As long as you tell me more about the mojo and the vampire shit.”
“Done.”
(V)
Jeremy almost felt like whistling as he made his way toward the Salvatore Boardinghouse. It wouldn’t be as fun to watch Mason if he couldn’t also get Elena and her bookends involved. He schooled his features into Resting Bitch number one and knocked.
Damon answered the door with his own bitch face on. “What are you doing here baby Gilbert?”
“Thought that you might like to know about a reason that a certain Lockwood is in Mystic Falls – of course, I could always just go about my business and let you flounder around.” Jeremy smirked and hiked his bookbag up as Damon kept the disinterested look up for an extra couple of seconds before sighing and stepping to the side.
“Alright baby Gilbert – what do you think that you know and does your sister know you’re digging into this?”
“One – it’s none of her business and two – seriously, I am taller than Elena and Jenna.” Jeremy dropped his bookbag on one of the ancient looking chairs and turned to look at Damon. “Tyler isn’t a werewolf while Mason is – apparently they have to kill someone to trigger the curse. Mason has been digging around the Lockwood house looking for a big ass moonstone that he told Tyler was a family heirloom. I can get it.”
(V)
Tyler watched Mason come in and just watched for a bit. This man was his uncle – but only visited once every six or more years. Family but little else. “Hey, still looking for that rock?”
There was a flash of anger in Mason’s eyes as he turned – one that Tyler was familiar with. “Look, I don’t have time for games.”
Tyler didn’t so much as flinch as Mason’s voice rose to a yell – too much practice with his dad. “Yeah, I get that. You better make some time.” He made sure not to let his temper get the best of him. “I might know a witch,” he loved being able to call Jeremy by a chick name, “that told me that the moonstone has some major mojo on it. So, if you want the rock, you tell me why.”
Mason squared off with him but seemed to pick up that it wasn’t going to get him anywhere and stepped back. “You know a witch? Didn’t think that you knew anything about the supernatural, Richard was pretty adamant that you didn’t know and your mother too.”
Tyler shrugged and leaned against a wall. “Didn’t at first – you were the first real hint I had, but you know what they say about raining and pouring. You stirred up a lot of shit for this rock and dragged me into it by association. I want to know why.”
Mason gripped the back of his head and started to pace. Fuck, he hadn’t wanted to get Tyler involved – didn’t even want to tell him anything for this very reason. Mystic Falls was a clusterfuck that no one should have to deal with. “My girlfriend is a vampire – name’s Kathy. She’s been helping me with the transformation, and she said that the moonstone she gave to the Lockwoods is the seal for a curse that will stop the transformations. I need that stone.”
“Did I mention that I knew a witch?” Tyler had convinced Jeremy to dig into what kind of mojo was in the rock – forewarned and all that shit. “He dug into the mojo in it. It’s strong, I’ll grant you that, but not strong enough to curse a whole race. The curse on that stone is for a single individual and if it’s still active after hundreds of years, chances are high that it isn’t on a regular werewolf – unless you’re immortal now.”
The surprised look was amusing. “Your witch could read the mojo on the stone?”
Tyler shrugged. “Didn’t seem that hard for him and the guy might be a dick, but he’s a pretty honest one. He says that it’s a one person curse and I’m going to believe him. It helps that he knows more about the shit going on in town than most and was willing to fill me in. The times I have almost died are a little hard to deal with, but at least now I know who to watch out for – more than anyone else has done.”
Tyler could tell the remark hit home from the small flinch he got from Mason. “Look, I moved out of Mystic Falls because of all the Founders crap – I would have never even come back if it wasn’t for Richard’s funeral and the moonstone.” Mason rubbed his hands together and started pacing. “I love Kathy – she must not know that it’s not what we thought it was for.”
Tyler snorted. “My witch did some digging into Kathy too. A very popular vampire – looks just like Elena Gilbert, right?” That comment got Mason’s attention. “Although, since she’s older – it should be that Elena looks like her. Katherine Pierce in 1864 – supposed to have died in the fire at the Fell Church – somehow got free. Now she’s back with a Lockwood for a stone that she apparently gave to a previous Lockwood. How much you want to bet that she used the same line she fed you to buy her life from that previous Lockwood for the stone?”
It would be hard to explain the hole in the wall to his mother – although the ‘Lockwood’ temper would likely be an expected excuse. “Why tell me this? Why not just keep the stone locked away wherever it was and let me flounder?”
“Honestly, both me and the witch are getting tired of the bullshit. I’ve laid it out for you to give you the option of switching sides because you’re family – nothing more, nothing less. The witch is going to go to the vampires that Katherine has screwed over to put them in her way – don’t owe them dick. You’re the one with an option here. You could continue with your backstabbing girlfriend – I’ll even give you the rock, or you can switch teams and see where it goes.”
(V)
Alaric seemed surprised to see Jeremy there and the first question was if Elena knew – honestly, she isn’t his mother. “I was in this from the beginning – just couldn’t remember most of it. I’d rather know how many times I come close to death if it’s all the same to you.”
The history lesson was interesting but knowing that the stone was a single person curse took some of the intrigue out of it. Something in his magic told him that not only did the sun and moon linking come from Nature – but that the daylight rings wouldn’t have worked if it was a spell and not natural. “So, Mason obviously believes in this stuff and wants the stone for that – but with daylight rings, Katherine doesn’t need it. Why would she want it anyway?”
Damon rolled his eyes and glared at the scroll copy he was looking at before taking a swig of whatever alcohol was in his glass. “Doesn’t matter – she wants it and that means that we need to make sure that she doesn’t get it. You need to get the stone from the Lockwood brat, and we need to figure out how to use it to smoke her out.”
(V)
Jeremy was only partially surprised to see Mason with Tyler when he came over after the Boardinghouse. “Well, he’s better than John already.”
Tyler shook his head and motioned Jeremy into his father’s study before checking the hallway and shutting the door. “That’s a bar so low it’s practically in the basement.”
Jeremy let himself fall into the couch and enjoyed the slightly poleaxed expression on Mason. “Yeah, he killed my girlfriend and your dad while doing the bidding of Katherine – so similarities aside – still doing better.”
“Woah, wait a minute, Jeremy Gilbert is your witch?”
Tyler laughed and Jeremy sent him his best glare, bastard just laughed harder. “Okay, not ‘his’ witch and I think I like warlock better if it’s all the same to you – but yeah, I’m magic. Came as a shocker to me too – shouldn’t be one. Have some more secrets too, but those are just mine for now.”
Mason seemed to recalibrate after a few minutes. “What’s the plan then?”
“Damon and Stefan are looking to grab the stone to keep Katherine from getting it and neither one of them is too pleased with you for the whole sheriff thing.” Jeremy could almost see the questions forming – literally, which he wasn’t thinking about. “She’s fine, but currently waiting for the vervain in her system to wear off so Damon can make her forget. I have been assigned the task of getting the stone from Tyler and it would be best if you did not interact with Damon, Stefan, Caroline, or Bonnie. Best bet is to stay around Mrs. Lockwood or Tyler for now. Damon is not real big on live and let live.”
“I get Damon, Stefan and Caroline since they’re all vampires, but why Bonnie Bennett?” Mason remembered Kathy mentioning her too.
“Witch with a strong aversion to vampires and that will likely turn into a strong aversion to werewolves too if given the chance. She’s indirectly responsible for the death of your brother since she had the chance to take the device the Founder’s Council out of commission but didn’t.” Jeremy leaned back and hummed. “She’s also indirectly responsible for Caroline being a vampire since Caroline was in the car with Tyler driving when the device went off – huh, small world.”
“Dude, there’s a lot to unpack with that, but I’m not touching it with a ten-foot pole.” Tyler shook his head and started for the bar. “We still need a plan for your sister’s evil twin.”
“That should actually be the easier part – I figure that we have two options.” Jeremy leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “Option one – I give a replica stone to Mason with magic on it to knock Katherine for a loop – out for the count and stash her somewhere to find out what she’s really planning. Option two – we give a replica stone to Elena and her bookends and let them handle Katherine.”
“Not really an option there. While I would love to be able to wash my hands of this whole situation, I want to know why Kathy wants the stone and I want to be damn sure that she’s really irredeemable.” Mason took a half full glass of whiskey from Tyler and didn’t say a word about the one that he handed to Jeremy before grabbing his own. “If she has a good reason – she deserves to be set free, if not – I want to be the one to rip her apart.”
“You can go to her tonight and give her the stone – it will knock her on her ass. But we’ll need somewhere to stash her.” Tyler tapped his fingers on the tabletop. “The old cells would work if we could find a way to keep her in them.”
Jeremy huffed out a laugh that drew the attention of both Lockwoods. “I have a much better idea – might even convince her to talk.” He knew it was a bit cold – but he actually liked Anna. “There’s a tomb underneath where the old Fell Church was in 1864 – it’s where the other vampires were trapped until Elena and her bookends let them out. I can apply a magic to the door to keep her in.” There was a feeling of amusement coming from his magic – he knew that he could do it. “The spell’s been applied there before – so it will be more along the lines of just putting it back.”
(V)
Mason rubbed his hands together as he neared the vehicle where Kathy was waiting for him. He loved her – but Tyler was family, natural pack and there was something about Jeremy too. He didn’t smell like family, so probably not Richard’s, but he felt like pack too. He could tell that she was getting a little irritated from the pout growing on her face – she was never particularly patient when she wanted something.
He gave her kudos for at least waiting until he was all the way in the car. “You’re late.”
“I have the moonstone – thought that that might make up for being a little bit late.” It was amazing to see the transformation in her demeanor after that – straight back to loving Kathy. He almost felt bad for handing over the spelled moonstone, almost.