Vampire Diaries 1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** AU-Jeremy and Tyler's relationship hits a rough patch when Tyler's 'drinking' becomes Tyler's 'drinking problem'. Things get complicated just in time for the vampires of Mystic Falls to run into trouble with vamps in a rivaling city. Jeremy/Tyler. Background couples: Damon/Elena, Stefan/Caroline, Jenna/Alaric.

**A/N:** This is a (long) multi-chapter fic that I started a couple of months ago but am just getting around to posting. I miss Jyler on TVD! If there's anyone else out there that feels the same way I hope this fic will help ease some of the sting of TVD's new Jyler-less world. lol Anyone curious about the rules in this AU can find a link for the list of differences on my profile.

**A/N 2:** LOL For those who read this chapter before I edited, whoops! I have no idea how it all got underlined! That was NOT on purpose. lol I haven't posted here in years and Idk how to edit it so I just deleted the story and am posting it over again. Sorry about that. Thanks for giving it a try after opening it and seeing that mess. I'm glad you liked what you read anyway.

**Warnings:** This story does contain *character death* in later chapters. If that's too dark then this is not the story for you. Rated M for language, brief nudity and strong violence in later chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Tragically, I own nothing but the original characters not found in the TVD world.

**IN FOR THE KILL**

**Chapter One**

Jeremy's head bobbed against the pillow as he waited for Tyler in his bedroom. Mrs. Lockwood let him in about an hour ago. They were supposed to hang out or at least that was the plan last night. The battery on his ipod was almost dead and if he lost his music he was leaving. Tyler was late anyway.

He made it through the second half of the new Beck CD when the screen went black and the song dissolved in his headphones. Yanking them out with a sigh, he sat up and got off the bed, swooping down to grab his bag on his way to the door. He was reaching for the knob when it opened abruptly and forced him to take a step back.

Tyler was all grins. "Hey."

Jeremy tried to frown but was too exasperated to even sum up much of a scowl. "Where have you been?"

"I was with the guys." Tyler shrugged and grabbed Jeremy's waist briefly as he leaned in for a quick kiss. Jeremy's eyebrows rose but Tyler didn't notice him pull back because he was already moving away to his dresser beside the window that overlooked his expansive backyard. Jeremy smelled alcohol on his breath, so he knew what being 'with the guys' meant. The football team. Getting drunk with the football team. At one o'clock in the afternoon on a Sunday.

He turned around and watched as Tyler pulled his t-shirt over his head and cast it to the floor as he reached into one of the middle drawers for a fresh one. Jeremy looked away because the sight of Tyler's bare back was distracting, and he made a resolution this year not to let things like this slide anymore.

He and Tyler were together eleven months. Jeremy was out and Tyler was very slightly out as well. While the whole school knew Jeremy was gay, only their closest friends and family knew about Tyler and their relationship. The truth was, Jeremy didn't blame him for staying most of the way in the closet.

He caught hell at school for not fitting into the gender/sexuality box that some of the bigots they attended high school with demanded. Tyler was popular. He was liked and included. It hurt sometimes that he didn't acknowledge him as his boyfriend to everyone-hurt even more that he hung out with some of the same guys that slammed him into lockers-but Jeremy admitted to himself that if he could have a small taste of what Tyler had he might make the same choice. At least that's what he told himself to excuse Tyler again and again.

Choosing when and how to come out was one thing. It was an extremely personal choice. His drinking was something else entirely. Tyler was a social person. He partied and with parties came drinking and Jeremy wouldn't expect anything else. They were young and it wasn't that bad, but over the past month or so his alcohol consumption had increased so much so that Jeremy found himself repeatedly worried about him. He didn't think he was a full-blown alcoholic. Not yet anyway, but he certainly wasn't acting like himself and he didn't understand why.

They were together, happily so for the most part, though they argued on a fairly regular basis nowadays. They were fixing to graduate in a few months. They were going on a cross-country road trip over the summer and were set to start college in the fall. Life was working out exactly as it was supposed to, so Tyler's sudden increase in partying was a sore point for them. The source of a number of arguments over the last few weeks.

Determined to avoid another one, Jeremy pulled the strap of his backpack over his shoulder and stepped over to the door. "I'm just gonna go."

"What?" Tyler chuckled, pulling a black t-shirt over his head and walking over to him. "I just got here. Stay."

"I've been waiting an hour, Tyler." Jeremy said wearily as the youngest Lockwood pushed the strap off his shoulder, dropping his bag back to the floor.

"I know." Tyler kissed his jaw and pulled his hips against his. "I'm sorry." He kissed his lips and the acrid scent of beer was heavy on his hot breath.

Jeremy gently pushed Tyler off and pulled away. "Come on." He said quietly. "You know I don't like to when you're like this."

"Like what?" Tyler laughed again but there was a tinge of bitterness in it. His smile held a false note that sent warnings to Jeremy. "You don't wanna mess around when I'm a little wasted? …Said the _stoner_."

"I don't do that stuff anymore. You know that." Jeremy picked his bag up off the floor and pulled it over his shoulder again. In fact he hadn't done any kind of drugs for over five months now.

They were always a numbing agent to help him forget about everything that hurt too much to face: the death of his parents, his sexuality, the loneliness, all the weird stuff that started popping up in Mystic Falls. Things were different now. He still missed his parents but he had a support system these days. He stopped denying who he was and even though he got bullied for it, he was happy he was out. The loneliness went away with the start of his relationship with Tyler and it became easier to make friends when he wasn't so worried about hiding who he was. He didn't need drugs anymore so it was unnerving to him that Tyler seemed to need an escape even more.

"You're not you when you're like this. I want to be with you." Jeremy really didn't want to fight, but the hardening glint in Tyler's eyes didn't say the same thing.

"Fuck you, Jeremy." Tyler's voice was sharp and pissed off.

Jeremy half-smiled sarcastically. "Thought I just said no." His grin slipped though and he sighed because the bravado was hard to keep up.

"Funny." Tyler said without an ounce of amusement. "But not as funny as the pothead pill peddler saying he doesn't want to be with me while I'm messed up. That is a fucking joke."

"You done?" Jeremy stared at him blankly. He hated when Tyler got this way. He wasn't always such an angry drunk, but these days he was belligerent and mean. It stung worse than he knew and a dark hole in Jeremy's heart wondered why he kept forgiving him for it.

Tyler returned the stare but there was a sharpness in his expression that gave away his anger. "What if I'm not?"

Jeremy nodded, rolling his eyes at the wall over Tyler's shoulders. "I'm leaving. I'll see you tomorrow."

He twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open briskly.

"Yeah," Tyler called after him, leaning clumsily in the doorway. "Get the fuck out of here…Fucking hypocrite drama queen."

Tears stung Jeremy's eyes but he blinked them away quickly and refused to look back at him as he walked to the staircase. He didn't pick up his pace until he reached the stairs and descended them at a speed he wouldn't have given Tyler the satisfaction of seeing. He was glad Mrs. Lockwood wasn't around as he made his way to the front door and left. He didn't think he would be able to gloss over the stricken look on his face and he didn't want her to see him that way. He stepped out into the sunlight and wrapped his arms around himself as he jogged off for the bus stop. Tyler had the most extraordinary way of making him feel like the smallest person on the planet.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews I already got that had to go down with that terrifyingly underlined first post. Again, that was my bad. To make up for it, I'm posting the second chapter now. To bb1019: No, Mayor Lockwood is dead in this story. I should add that to the AU list. Thanks.

**Chapter Two**

He had homeroom with Tyler, and for the first time Jeremy was happy for the assigned seats that kept them apart. He sat slumped in the front row and stared at Mr. Kinsey or his desk the whole period. He managed not to look over his shoulder at Tyler three rows behind him despite the burning sensation of his eyes on him the entire hour. He was ready for the bell so when it rang he was out of his seat and in the hallway before most of the others were even out of their desks.

He couldn't resist a glance back when he reached the door but regretted it when he gave in. Tyler was held up behind two students ahead of him blocking the aisle, but when their eyes met Jeremy's heart felt like it was buried under a ton of rocks. Turning away, he disappeared in the mill of moving students and hurried down the hall.

The rest of his morning classes swept away in a typically boring fashion. He crossed the courtyard with Anna at lunchtime on their way to the library and he locked eyes with Tyler sitting at a table with his jock friends across the way. Tyler's face was dark as he watched him, and Jeremy's eyes dropped. He pulled his backpack closer against him and refused to look back.

He and Anna picked through their brown bags, exchanging snacks and leaning against one of the shelves in the back of the library stacks. Anna had an art book open on the floor and leaned forward, chewing her apple over the pages. She grinned at the painting she was staring at and Jeremy briefly wondered if she was alive when the thing was originally painted. It was kind of weird being best friends with a vampire.

"Has he apologized yet?" She asked, not looking up from her book.

Jeremy hadn't told her what they fought about but it was always obvious when he had a dark Tyler cloud hanging over his head. He didn't bother asking how she knew. Of course she knew.

"I don't want to talk about it." He bit his sandwich and stared at the grey carpet.

She glanced at him sideways but returned to her book a moment later. She exhaled loudly and stated confidently. "He'll apologize."

* * *

The day was almost over and Jeremy felt a mix of relief and disappointment. On the plus side, school was boring and he wouldn't have to worry about running into Tyler anymore when he was trying so hard to avoid him. On the down side, his avoidance skills were really good and he never ran into Tyler.

The school was pouring out after the final bell and Jeremy made his way down a quiet hall when he heard Tyler's voice behind him.

"Hey."

Looking over his shoulder, he spotted him about ten feet behind him in the emptying hallway. Only a few stragglers remained and with one look all the hurt feelings and frustration from the day before flooded back. Jeremy decided he would rather keep avoiding him. Turning back around, he kept walking.

Tyler ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. He pulled him toward an empty classroom but Jeremy resisted, shooting him a testy look. Tyler cocked his head to the side.

"Please." He said quietly and his eyes darted to the side to make sure they didn't have any unwelcome spectators in the hallway.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and shook his arm off but walked into the class in front of him. Tyler was right behind him and closed the door after them. He peered out the window and glanced around to be sure they were alone. Only abandoned desks and a messy chalkboard crowded the room.

Jeremy refused to sit or give any other signal that he would be there for long. He held a hand out impatiently.

"What?"

Tyler gave a tiny smile. "Come on. Don't be that way."

Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "You serious?" He was a breath away from shoving past him and leaving. "Do you remember yesterday?" He wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. There were plenty of times lately when Tyler was too trashed to remember anything he did while he was drunk. It was an increasingly more frequent habit and one Jeremy hated.

The amusement drained out of Tyler's face and he swallowed thickly, sobering as fast as Jeremy's desire to leave. He looked away and stared at the wall. When he spoke again, his voice took on the serious tone he knew Jeremy deserved.

"I'm sorry."

Jeremy watched him uncertainly.

Tyler met his eyes and ducked his head a little. It was surprisingly humbling and Jeremy's hard façade cracked ever so slightly.

"I didn't mean," Tyler exhaled deeply, "_any_ of that. It was stupid. _I_ was stupid. I don't want to be like that with you. Or anyone else. You were right. It's not me. I never should have spoken to you like that."

He watched Jeremy with such shriveled confidence that Jeremy felt his resolve crumble around him. He frowned. _Fail._

His shoulders dropped and his stance lost most of its defensiveness. "You were mostly just saying 'fuck' a lot." He deadpanned and smiled wanly. "'Fuckety, fucker…fucking Jeremy, fuck…'"

A slow smile lifted Tyler's lips softly. "I'm sorry." He murmured again, but he knew Jeremy forgave him when the light returned to his eyes. He stepped over to him, coy and deliberate. Jeremy's bangs fell in his eyes and Tyler gently pushed them back, holding his face under featherlike fingertips. He kissed him and pulled back minutely, touching his nose with his. "I'm really…fucking," their chuckles were warm against each other's lips, "sorry."

Tyler pulled him against him and wrapped his arms around his back, holding him with warm affection. Jeremy rubbed his cheek against his hair and smiled in contentment. His heart embraced the black hole left there from the day before, and he realized why he kept forgiving him. Tyler had the most extraordinary way of making him feel like the _only_ person on the planet.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews & alerts! A special thank you to my beta, ImYourChristianMingleBuddy, for her lovely review. It means a lot to me. :-{) (Your favorite Bracket Face-LOL) - bb1019: lol This story is prewritten so sadly I can't pander to requests. I'm posting as I get around to editing. There's angst galore in this fic but there's lots of humor and lightness too don't worry.

**Chapter Three**

"Whatchya doin?"

Jeremy smiled as Tyler's arms slid around his waist and he pressed up against his back. He rested his chin on his shoulder and Jeremy turned his head for a quick kiss.

"I'm making the dip." He looked down at the bowl where he just poured a container of ranch.

"Oh." Tyler's voice filled with pretend amazement. "Sounds hard."

Jeremy worked to keep a grin off his face. "Oh it is. Dip preparation requires a lot of pouring and stirring. It's really all about presentation."

"Oh of course." Tyler turned him around and pushed him against the island in the Gilbert kitchen.

"It's very hard." Jeremy said through a smile.

"Mm-hmm." Tyler kissed him firmly on the mouth and the teasing mood quickly dissolved into something else. A warm fog spread through Jeremy's head and his arms went around Tyler as the kiss deepened. He was just nearing the point of no return when the distinctly familiar sound of someone clearing their throat pulled him back to the kitchen.

"Boys." Jenna brought them to their senses.

Tyler was smirking as they broke apart and it only got stronger as he absorbed the glassy look in Jeremy's eyes.

"We're starting. Can you bring the snacks over?" His aunt and guardian requested before turning around and walking back to the living room.

She was hosting another one of her game nights and the usual crowd was gathered to play, eat and hang out.

"What are you so smug about?" Jeremy tried to save face but it didn't do much good. His voice came out normal enough but Tyler's amusement only increased.

Tyler slipped his hands in the back pockets of Jeremy's jeans and kissed him square on the lips before moving away and grabbing the tray of drinks. Jeremy raised an eyebrow, watching him walk away.

"Watch those hands, buddy." He warned jokingly. "I'm not that easy."

Tyler snorted. "Yes, you are." He said and disappeared from view.

_Damn him. Yes, he was._

Jeremy grabbed the big bowl of chips and two bowls of dip before following after.

* * *

Caroline bounced on the edge of the couch waving her hands out in front of her spastically. Stefan rubbed circles into her back with his palm to try to keep her excitement from sending her off the deep end. Jeremy would never tell Elena but he thought Stefan fit with Caroline much better.

Ever since the couples switched up-Stefan started going out with the perky blonde and his sister started dating Damon-both of the broody brunettes seemed to smile more. Jeremy had his reservations about Damon. In fact, he could hardly stand him but he couldn't deny that he made Elena happy. After everything they went through with their parents and then with the supernatural community that's all he really wanted for her, so for her sake he tolerated the suave vampire.

Alaric drew another circle on the dry-erase board they were using to play

Pictionary on in front of the group. It surrounded a flower and he kept drawing circles over the other circles to emphasize his point.

"I don't know!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Bouquet." Stefan guessed next to her.

"Babe, give me a hint!" Jenna urged Alaric from the floor in front of Caroline.

"Jenna, we're right here." Jeremy raised his hands at her blatant attempt at cheating.

"Yeah, that's strike one. Cheaters lose by default." Elena piped up from the loveseat between Bonnie and Matt.

"Air-five." Jeremy raised his hand and Elena mimed slapping it from across the room.

"Nerd." Tyler muttered. He leaned forward on the edge of the couch, draping one arm over one of Jeremy's shoulders and wrapping the other around his torso until he could lock his hands together. Jeremy leaned back so Tyler slumped against the corner of the couch and pulled him back against him.

Jeremy loved game night. It was one of the few times he could be safely out with Tyler in front of his family and friends. Tyler was safe from prying eyes inside the house and felt comfortable being himself with him. The group understood their desire for privacy and they were the only people they trusted not to blab to anyone else. Not even Tyler's mom knew about his sexuality. He had good reason to suspect she would be less than accepting so to keep Jeremy from being banned from the house, they hid it even from her.

"Ric, come on!" Jenna lowered her voice but her sneaky attempt was still too obvious.

"Jenna!" Elena scolded. She looked over at Anna sitting sideways on the armchair with her legs hanging off the armrest. "Ref?" She implored.

Anna, the odd girl out and designated referee, looked up from her book and paused contemplatively. "Ref….gives Jenna a pass."

Jenna grinned and tossed Anna another Twizzler. She caught the red candy and bit into the rope. Elena scowled. Anna wasn't much for games. She came for the candy and she knew who held the Twizzlers. Damon snuck up behind Jenna and snatched the red package out of her lap, tossing the candy to Elena. She grinned happily at the shift in power.

"What's the ref say now?" He asked. Elena shook the candy at Anna with a conniving smirk.

Anna spoke through a mouthful of Twizzler, "Ref…gives Jenna a formal warning and two strikes."

Elena raised her arms victoriously and it was Jenna's turn to scowl.

Jeremy grinned at them and jumped a little as his pocket started singing. He leaned back harder against Tyler to dig out his cell phone and the speaker spit out _Monster Squad's_ 'Rock Until You Drop' more loudly.

"Vicki ring!" Elena and Anna shouted in unison.

Tyler's eyebrows met in the middle. He looked over Jeremy's shoulder at the caller ID in confusion. Sure enough Vicki Donovan's name lit up the screen.

He squinted at Jeremy. "Why is she calling you?"

Jeremy shrugged, but Tyler's face only hardened more. Obviously she was calling enough lately for his sister and best friend, the two people he spent the most time around, to recognize her ringtone. Jeremy didn't notice his darkening expression though as he pushed himself up and flashed the phone at Anna, calling on her to sub for his team while he was gone. He hopped over Jenna's legs and walked out of the room, answering the phone as he slipped out into the hallway.

Tyler leaned back against the couch nonplussed. Jeremy and Vicki dated for most of sophomore year. Jeremy said he genuinely liked her, just not in 'that' way and they finally broke up when he mustered up the courage to tell her the truth about his sexuality. She was actually the first person after Elena and Jenna that he told about being gay. Supposedly they ended on good terms, she took it a lot better than expected and they managed to stay friendly.

Tyler knew Jeremy was gay, but there was something about Vicki Donovan that he didn't rust. It wasn't something he addressed because one, he would sound ridiculous calling his gay boyfriend out for hanging out with a girl. And two, she was Matt's little sister and it wasn't cool to go around dissing your best friend's family. So Tyler leaned back against the cushions and stayed quiet.

Caroline jumped to her feet. "Ring around the rosy!" She squealed, pointing at the dry-erase board.

"Yes!" Alaric threw his arms up happily.

* * *

Jeremy laid out on the beanbag in his room staring up at the ceiling. Vicki was having boyfriend trouble. She was dating yet another jock with a jock-like personality. Jeremy didn't know why she bothered. There were other boys with other interests who would appreciate her beyond her body. If he were even remotely straight he would go for her in a second. She was gorgeous and genuine, a hard combination to find in a high school girl.

Night was pouring in through his window and he realized how late it had gotten when the door opened and Tyler poked his head in. He waved him in automatically, so he came in and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Your aunt's drunk on a Monday and you thought I had problems." Tyler joked, dropping to his knees beside him. Jeremy smiled. "I gotta go. She's giving us the drunken school night speech. Someone should probably tell her that's more effective when it's not being slurred."

Jeremy chuckled quietly and covered the mouthpiece on the phone. "Sorry I disappeared. I didn't realize how long I was up here." He whispered sincerely.

Tyler shook his apology off easily. "It's cool. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jeremy nodded so Tyler leaned down and kissed him briefly. As Tyler got to his feet, Jeremy watched him from the floor lazily. "Love you." He turned the phone away from him as he said it and Tyler eyed the gesture with a dull cloud behind his eyes.

Tyler stopped at the doorway and nodded with a strange detachment. "Yeah. Love you too."

Jeremy thought he noticed a flicker of unease in his words but the next second he was gone so he returned his attention to the phone. Vicki rambled on in his ear and her impression of her varsity boyfriend was spot on.

Tyler heard his laughter carry down the hallway with a vague sense of discontent.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any songs mentioned in this fic.

**Chapter Four**

Jeremy stood up from the table and smiled at Tyler's mom. She smiled back and it was bittersweet to know that she liked him so much but would hate him completely if she knew his true relationship with her son. He was supposed to have dinner with both of them but Tyler's after school project ran long so he ended up just dining with his mother alone. The strange thing was they got along great. The easy trick with the woman was flattery. It got him everywhere with her. He was from a respected founding family in the community so a few winks and compliments was all it took to earn him a spot in her good graces.

There was a pep rally that Friday night to celebrate the seniors in the athletic department. Football season was over but Tyler and the rest of his pigskin comrades would be praised along with the basketball, baseball and everything else teams. There was a lot of crossover anyway. High school was a horrible ego-inflating business, filling meatheads with false feelings of superiority. But Jeremy thought Tyler deserved some recognition. He was going to Virginia Tech on a football scholarship, which was not an easy accomplishment, so Jeremy would sit in the back somewhere and root him on from afar.

"Thanks, Mrs. Lockwood. Dinner was delicious. I wish I could cook so I could return the favor." He praised her.

Not that she cooked the meal. He knew the Lockwoods often brought cooks in to prepare their meals especially if there were guests coming. Jeremy just counted himself lucky to be thought important enough to call one up. He liked being liked by Tyler's mom, even if it was based on a lie.

He wondered what Tyler was doing as Mrs. Lockwood escorted him to the door. When the cheerleaders roped the football and swim team into helping with pep rally preparations they couldn't have expected much. He doubted any of the guys were sitting around making posters or hanging streamers. At most they were picking out the music they wanted to be played and goofing off.

"You know, sweetie." Mrs. Lockwood stopped him at the door so he turned back around politely. "I wanted to ask you something." He smiled so she would continue. "This is kind of awkward." She started and seemed genuinely uncomfortable.

_Oh God._ Jeremy was horribly aware of how close he was to getting out of there now that he was faced with an uncharacteristically nervous parent. He didn't think she could possibly have seen him and Tyler together in any revealing way. She wouldn't have sat down to dinner with him. _Unless she poisoned the food…_ Jeremy's hand went to his stomach instinctively.

"It's about Tyler." She peered past him through the open doorway as though she suspected her son might have materialized within earshot. Jeremy's eyes slipped to the side and returned to her blankly. "I'm worried he might be…" Jeremy held his breath. "…drinking too much."

A million pound weight dropped off his shoulders. If she had said 'gay', he would have had to bullshit better than he ever bullshitted before to get his way out of answering.

"Uh…" He tried to wrap his mind around the actual issue and realized it wasn't that much better of a topic.

"It's just," and Mrs. Lockwood looked genuinely concerned. "Obviously I would prefer he not drink at all, but he's eighteen-what am I going to do? Lately though his partying seems to have increased and I'm concerned it might be getting out of control. Have you noticed anything?"

It was surprisingly insightful of her. She and Tyler didn't have the greatest mother-son relationship. She was often hurtful and hardly ever understanding, but the look in her eyes right then was sincere. If Jeremy was honest with himself, he shared her concern.

"I've worried about that myself." He answered delicately, but the last thing he wanted to do was make her even more nervous or get Tyler in trouble when he wasn't entirely sure there was anything serious to address. Tyler might just be going through a phase. It was the end of senior year after all. Almost everyone was rebelling in some way, so he tried to smile reassuringly. "But I'm sure he's fine. It's just end-of-year fever. Everyone's got it."

She smiled so he figured he said the right thing. Thanking her again for dinner, they said goodnight and he excused himself politely.

* * *

Jeremy leaned in Elena's doorway watching the three girls prepare for the trip back to high school. Elena was living at home and commuting to college like Bonnie, and Caroline was taking time off to do newborn vampire things or something. Jeremy didn't know but seeing the three of them there fussing in front of Elena's floor length mirror brought him back to their high school days. They graduated less than a year ago but it felt like forever since he saw them in the hallways at school.

Tonight would bring them back. Caroline jiggled a cheerleading uniform at Bonnie who shook her head adamantly.

"Come on, Bonnie!" Caroline whined. "It's tradition! Last year's senior athletes and cheerleaders put on their uniforms and cheer on the new graduating class. It's a great way to catch up and show off without having to wait for the ten year reunion. I haven't gained a single pound-thank you, vampirism-and I'll have Stefan on my arm so we are going!"

Elena and Caroline were already dressed in their short cheerleader getup but Bonnie was sitting stubbornly in her street clothes away from them.

"You ready?" Stefan appeared beside Jeremy in his old football jersey and leaned into the room. Tyler moseyed over behind him in a matching maroon uniform, and Jeremy took in the sight of all the sportswear around him with a sigh.

"I don't know." Caroline turned sharply to Bonnie and shook the uniform again. "Are we?"

With a frustrated groan, Bonnie stood from the desk chair and snatched it out of Caroline's hands. The blonde clapped happily.

"Yay!" She grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her toward the door, sending a dark warning over her shoulder. "Hurry up, and do something about that hair."

When she turned around she was all smiles again. Stefan opened his arms to her and she grabbed his side, squeezing through the doorway with him.

"You coming, Jer?" Elena asked as she trailed slowly after.

He pushed himself off the doorjamb. "Nah, I'm going with Anna later. Don't cheer too hard. Wouldn't want you to strain yourself."

Elena shot a frown at him and shook her pompoms, sliding into the teasing. Jeremy laughed and shook his head as he watched her go. He was surrounded by mindless drones.

Tyler slipped up behind him and tied his upper arms back with his, hugging him tightly. Jeremy grinned and leaned into it.

"You going to cheer for me? Shake your sister's pompoms?" He teased, resting his head against his and talking into his ear.

Jeremy raised a lip at the visual that created of himself decked out in the male cheerleaders' maroon pants and acting like he supported the guys who bullied him day in and day out. "Maybe." He lied anyway.

Tyler hummed against his cheek, suppressing a laugh. "Nah, don't do that. The guys would kick your ass." He gave him a hard kiss on the neck and let him ago.

Jeremy's eyes followed him to the staircase. He was right. There was a reason Mystic Falls hadn't had a male cheerleader in six years. Tyler waved as he started to descend them and Jeremy called good luck wishes after him. He didn't think anything was actually expected of the jocks but who knew? Luck was always nice to have.

"I gotta stop by my house first. Stupid Stanley forgot his backpack when he stopped by yesterday." He stopped and leaned against the banister as he called up, and Jeremy looked down at him from the second floor landing. Stupid Stanley was a linebacker who _was_ stupid. People called him that to his face like a pet name. He figured it was probably offensive despite the endearment behind it but he never intervened when any of the other guys called Jeremy a queer in passing, so Stupid Stanley it was.

"Kay. You still stopping by after the rally?" Jeremy asked quietly and looked around. He didn't think Jenna was within earshot but it was better safe than sorry. Late night trysts with his boyfriend weren't allowed, senior year or not.

Tyler smiled and it was full of promise and affection. It sent fluttery waves through Jeremy's belly.

"I'll be here." He followed Jeremy's example and lowered his voice before turning back down the stairs.

Jeremy waited at the top for Tyler to look back at him. A foot off the steps, Tyler glanced over his shoulder and smiled sweetly. Jeremy's chest tightened in happy satisfaction. He always looked back. Tyler bowed his head as he made his way to the front door and Jeremy waited until he was out of sight before heading back to his room.

* * *

It was noisy. That obnoxious indecipherable kind of noise. Jeremy sat on the back of one of his friend's blue pickup truck listening to Anna rattle off names of art schools she attended throughout her extended life. It was a long list. Tricking her way into that many schools with that much faked paperwork and identification must have been hard. Jeremy thought vampires should make it easier on themselves and just come out already. They'd like it. He would know.

Their group was sort of an anti-rally, sitting around the truck parked on the grass, listening to music and applauding sarcastically at each genuine cheer over at the real rally thirty feet away behind the football stadium. It was a stupid waste of time, but they had nothing better to do and Jeremy wanted to be there anyway.

He could see his sister and her two best friends standing with the current cheerleaders and a few of the other past seniors, raising their arms straight up into the air and hooting for a member of the baseball team as the coach rattled off a list of his accomplishments during that season into a microphone on a small assembled stage. He exhaled in amusement.

They commended the football team first. Jeremy had tried to seem ironic when he clapped and whistled for Tyler when his name was called but judging by the hugely entertained look on Anna's face as she gawked at him he must have come off a little too eager.

"Hey." Vicki Donovan sauntered over to them. Jeremy greeted her with a smile and raised his chin. Anna looked up and waved.

"What's up?" Jeremy looked over at the cheering crowd. Her boyfriend, Kevin, was one of the blondes standing with the lacrosse team. He couldn't tell which, they all looked the same from behind.

"Nothing." Vicki hopped up on Jeremy's other side and reached behind her, stealing the blue plastic cup out of some guy's hand who was leaning against the truck. Jeremy didn't recognize him. There were a lot of outside guests at the rally. The guy eyed her oddly but Vicki didn't seem to care about his stranger germs. She drank whatever was in his cup without hesitation.

The music at the rally switched and the new song that blared through the speakers nearly made Vicki spit out her drink.

"Avril!" She screamed, pointing at him with a laugh. "You love Avril!"

Jeremy raised his eyebrows responding monotonously. "No, I don't."

Vicki hopped off the truck, dancing mockingly with the cup in her hand. Avril Lavigne really was a guilty pleasure for her and she used to make Jeremy listen to her CDs when they were together. Thanks to her he shamefully knew all the lyrics to every song on both the Let Go and Under My Skin albums. He didn't recognize the song playing now so he figured it must be new. Now that they weren't going out Vicki had no say over what music he listened to.

"_All_ my life I've been good! But now!" Vicki rocked back and forth singing along to the lyrics as they pumped out. "IIIiiiIIIIIiiii'm thinking _what_ the hell!"

Jeremy shook his head embarrassed. Vicki was cool. She liked good music and laughed at all the right stupid movies. Avril was her one point of interest that he couldn't forgive her for, but she knew the quality of what was coming out and sang along with as much condescension as she did joy. He could let her have a few pop obsessions. No one was perfect.

"Come on," she set the cup down and reached for him with both hands.

"No way." He protested.

Anna chuckled and scooted back on the truck bed to avoid any attention Vicki might swing her way too. She was focused on Jeremy though.

"Come on!" She insisted and leaned forward, grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. She started singing again, "Don't get me wrong, I just need some time to plaaaAAaay!"

She let go of his hands as she backed up and started dancing again until Jeremy cracked and his face broke into a smile. She was so ridiculous. After a while he started miming her movements as she rolled her shoulders and slid her arms side to side specifically. He knew what she was doing but couldn't reel in the hilarious pressure to mirror her. As she got low to the ground, she repeatedly turned her legs out in goofy bowlegged fashion and continued to alternately extend her arms out in front of her smoothly.

He let himself give in and danced like a dork alongside her. They grinned at each other with nerdy glee. He couldn't sing worth a damn but he could sure as hell dance and kept up with her easily as she perfected the movement. Loud laughter encompassed them around the truck as they moved around each other turning their legs out while others swayed more tamely. Their friends chuckled and pointed as they did the dougie to Avril Lavigne.

As the song wound down with a lot of 'la's, they broke down in laughter and fell against each other. The group clapped and whistled. Anna snapped her fingers, grinning widely. Collapsing down onto the edge of the truck bed again, he was still laughing when he looked up and spotted Tyler walking their way. The happiness in his laughter transferred to a large smile. They made it a point to rarely socialize in public, so to see him walking over in the middle of a crowded pep rally sent shivers of delight through him.

The stadium lights kept the large assembly from getting too rowdy but there were too many kids to keep track of and too few chaperones to keep track of them. Jeremy knew there were spiked drinks going around but he hadn't expected the drunken glaze over Tyler's eyes as he approached. More than that he looked angry. Really angry.

"What did you say to her?" Tyler yelled as he got within range and Jeremy's heart sank at the unexpected aggression in his voice.

Anna looked over in surprise and Vicki glanced between the boys in confusion.

"Say to who?" He asked, sitting deathly still. Drunk Tyler was bad. Drunk Angry Tyler in public was much worse. If he wasn't thinking clearly he could say something that would put himself in a compromising position.

"My _mother_." Tyler answered with an alarmingly tense emphasis on the word.

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't…I don't know what you're talking about." He wished there was a way to transport D.A.T. to a safe private location without having him bring more attention to himself by going ballistic.

"You're lying." The words sounded like a growl as Tyler took a step closer to him.

Vicki jumped off the truck bed and stepped between them, putting her hands on Tyler's chest to hold him at bay.

"Calm down, Lockwood." She tried.

He glanced at her and there was no love in his eyes. Feeling suddenly drained, Jeremy slowly got to his feet and walked over.

"What's going on?" He asked, trying not to think about the crowd of his friends watching the exchange with interest. To everyone but Vicki and Anna, Tyler was just some jock who occasionally gave Jeremy the time of day.

Tyler walked through Vicki's weak attempt to act as a buffer with ease. He glared at Jeremy. "I got home to get Stan's bag and my mother was there with an addiction counselor and Father Erikson."

"Oh no…" Jeremy murmured under his breath. Dread spread through him like a cancer. He tried to recall exactly what he said to her but his memory failed him. All he knew for sure was that he could not have said anything that warranted that kind of reinforcement.

"You told her I'm messed up all the time, that I'm changing-"

"What?" Jeremy cut in, eyes growing at his words. "No."

"You said I was moody and giving up in school-"

The angrier Tyler got the softer Jeremy became. He held a hand up but kept himself from reaching out for him with an effort.

"No," he said quietly, careful to pick words that wouldn't set off any imaginations. "I just…said I was worried."

"Ratting on me to my mother." Tyler's jaw set in a nasty smile. "Really fucking cool."

Jeremy dropped his head to the side. It was like staring at an oncoming train and not being able to get out of the way. He had to consciously drop his arms to his sides to keep from touching him. If Tyler would just slow down and sober up they could actually talk about it, preferably away from here.

"You know," Tyler started harshly without a trace of his normal self in his eyes. Jeremy looked up at him wearily. "It's too bad _your_ mother's in the goddamn ground. I could tell her what a dumbass narc she has for a son."

The words struck so sharply, Jeremy flinched.

"That's enough." Anna pushed herself off the truck bed.

Jeremy stared back at Tyler and his next few breaths were strained. Tyler knew the devastation he felt at the loss of his parents. He couldn't breathe or blink for several seconds, caught in the horrible moment and locked in Tyler's detached gaze. With an effort he slowly turned to walk away.

Tyler grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Hey-"

The contact was too much. Jeremy flipped back around and slammed his fist into his face. The force of it knocked Tyler sideways, but he was up the next second and slammed Jeremy backward into the truck. His back plowed into the metal wall and he struggled against Tyler furiously.

"Stop!" Vicki screamed.

Others scattered out of the way. Tyler slammed him to the ground but Jeremy quickly shoved him off and rolled on top forcefully, punching him hard in the stomach. Tyler flipped him back over and Jeremy's head popped against the grass. The next moment Tyler was pulled off of him and Jeremy panted on the ground, staring up at Anna as she had to pretend to struggle to keep Tyler back. Stefan must have caught sight of them from the rally because he was running over and quickly moved to help Anna.

It was pointless though because Tyler wasn't struggling or making an effort to resume fighting. He stared down at Jeremy and as he looked up he saw something shift in Tyler's eyes. A bit of his normal self seemed to flicker in his gaze, glittered with shock and regret. Jeremy stared up, breathing heavily and Vicki squatted beside him grabbing his arm in concern. Looking at his boyfriend made him feel shaky and cold.

Tyler stumbled backward and turned, hurrying away across the field. The air felt hot and thick, resisting the pull of his lungs. The dark night seemed to be draining of oxygen, leaving him there to suffocate. Jeremy ignored the hand Stefan offered to help him up and watched Tyler's disappearing form as he tried to get himself to breathe.

* * *

**A/N 2:** At this point everyone's probably heard that Avril song, but if you haven't and don't know how to dance like Jeremy & Vicki (just dougie, you know you want to) check my profile for links to the song and an instructional vid from a couple of Glee clubbers on how to dougie.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks, everyone! This one's short, but the next chapter is longer. Glad you're enjoying it. :-D

**Chapter Five**

Jeremy didn't have anything to drink beyond fountain water and a coke the day before but he woke up feeling extremely hung over. His head hurt and no matter how long he gave himself to get out of bed, Saturday greeted him with fatigue and depression. He was leaning against the counter eating a pudding cup in the kitchen when Elena came in and grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge.

"So…what happened with Tyler last night?" She leaned against the freezer door and eyed him carefully. She hadn't seen the fight but Stefan certainly told her all about it and the rally buzzed about the exchange after Tyler left.

Jeremy shook his head somberly. "I wish the fight was the worst thing to happen last night." Elena narrowed her eyes in confusion so he looked down at his pudding, scraping at the sides with his spoon to get the last bits of chocolate. He half shrugged tiredly. "He thought I said something that I didn't. So he really did say something. And I can't…" He exhaled heavily and closed his eyes.

Elena frowned sympathetically. "Whatever it was, I'm sure he's sorry."

Jeremy looked up at her and wished that was enough. "It was really bad." He didn't know what else to say, because there was no way he was repeating what Tyler said to him to Elena. It was enough that one of them was hurt by it. To pass it on would be an unnecessary cruelty.

"For what it's worth I know he really cares for you. He probably regrets it." She gave him a small smile and he scoffed, eyes rolling to the clock on the microwave.

"Two o'clock in the afternoon." He licked his spoon and tossed it in the sink, going to the trashcan to throw away the empty pudding container. "No. He's probably drunk and cussing at the wall."

Elena shook her head. "He's not drunk."

Jeremy wiped his hands on a dish towel with his back to her. "Yeah, how do you know?"

He leaned back against the sink as Elena crossed over. "Because he's at the door."

Jeremy's brow furrowed and he looked automatically toward the front of the house. Elena gave him an understanding once-over and he sighed, pushing himself out of his lazy slump and walking out of the kitchen.

It was too soon and everything was too fresh. He didn't want to be faced with all of it so quickly. He hesitated at the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. The idea crossed his mind that he could just turn around, walk out the back door and avoid the confrontation altogether. It was tempting, but he would have to go somewhere. All he wanted to do was go back to his room and put his headphones back in. With a defeated spirit he pulled the door open before he could change his mind.

Tyler turned around at the sound and Jeremy's eyes fell to the small bundle of yellow daisies in his hand. For some reason the gesture made the previous night more real and all of the energy seeped out of his sore body. It was odd that Tyler was standing there with a black eye but he was still the one with a peace offering.

"Get out of here, Tyler." His voice came out small and thin. He tried to close the door but Tyler held his arm out to stop him.

"Jer, please listen to me. Please." Tyler held the door open but Jeremy stared down at the porch, refusing to meet his eyes. "Last night was wrong. I know that. What I said about your mom…" The sentence hung there and more bricks piled over Jeremy's already weighed down shoulders. "I don't want you to forgive me. You shouldn't. It was unforgivable. I just need you to know that… I know I messed up." The afternoon fell flat around them until Jeremy thought he could hear this own pulse pulling through his veins. "Jeremy…"

He looked up but hurt and exhaustion kept his gaze far below Tyler's. It wasn't enough. Not now anyway. Not when he could still hear the biting coldness in Tyler's voice from the night before. He wondered if that memory would ever fade.

"I can't…" He felt like he just ran twenty miles and had a post-interview microphone shoved in his face. It was an effort just to get the words out. "I can't see you right now. I can't be around you. Just…leave me alone."

His eyes lifted enough to absorb the full force of Tyler's presence there. Unable to hold out any longer, he gently closed the door and shut him out.

* * *

A week without Tyler. Jeremy couldn't remember the last time he went a full week without talking to or kissing Tyler. There was an ache in his chest the size of an electrical tower, constant and strong. He wanted so much to make it go away, fill it up with Tyler again, but that wasn't going to happen. Seeing Tyler even from across a room or in passing through the halls made everything worse. It was painful to want someone so badly knowing that being with him would only hurt him more.

It was late and he didn't want to go home. Somehow he found himself back at the football field, sitting under the bleachers. The stadium lights weren't on now though, so he sat against a pillar support for the stands in total darkness. It was a small comfort to be absolutely alone with no one knowing where he was or what he was doing. He was free to just exist and let that be enough.

He didn't know what he wanted to do. He didn't want to break up with him but he couldn't just forget what he said either or the way he said it. Tyler wasn't himself when he was drinking. He was becoming more convinced that however wrong his mother was in the way she confronted him about it-lying about what he said to her, for one-she might have a point. Tyler might have a problem, and he didn't know what to do with that possibility.

Closing his eyes against the soft moonlight, he tried to imagine life without Tyler going forward. It sent instant pangs through his already stinging heart. Tyler's issues weren't the only problem he had to consider though. His hand hurt for two days after hitting him. He should have just walked away. There was no excuse for devolving that way. One of his favorite things about being with Tyler was how well they worked. Up until a few weeks ago they functioned better than most of the other couples in their group. He didn't want to be in a relationship where they strived to hurt each other. He wanted them to go back to the way they were.

He wanted _his_ Tyler back and he wanted to be the Jeremy that he was when he was with him.

Lowering his head to his hand, he tried to let the night wrap him up in its expansive arms and carry his troubled thoughts away. He wanted to drift in its dark arms and disappear. Just for a little while.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Jeremy was waiting for Anna after school on the concrete steps across from the main building. She had a meeting with the guidance counselor in the administration office to talk about her post-grad plans. She was on her way to Rutgers and had to make sure she had all her credits in order. For the life of him Jeremy couldn't understand why she wanted to go to school again. He had to force himself just to get through it once.

He zipped up his black hoodie to ward off the cold settling into the afternoon and closed his eyes as his ipod shuffled to the next song. He was starting to doze off when he felt someone come up close beside him and yank one of his headphones out. His eyes opened on Vicki but he couldn't muster much of a smile.

"Hey."

"Hey." She said back. "You look like dog shit."

It was such a bold assessment that he laughed despite himself. "Bitch." He muttered and tried putting his headphone back in. She stopped him though and grinned before turning serious.

"How are you really?" She asked.

He shrugged. Not good. Pretty bad. "I don't know. I'll probably die alone."

Vicki smiled at his intentional theatrics and grabbed his arm with a short laugh. "Shut up. No way. If either of us ever falls terminally ill and doesn't have someone we should just get married. Who needs sex anyway?"

Jeremy chortled and nodded at the ground. "Deal."

* * *

Across the courtyard Tyler hung back with Matt, watching him take practice shots at the free-throw line on the outside basketball court. While he dribbled the ball, Tyler looked across the quad where Jeremy was sitting and talking to Vicki. He cocked his head to the side as she reached over and grabbed his arm. There was nothing going on there. He knew that logically, but after not being near him for an entire week and a half he was jealous of every small touch or conversation he shared with anyone else.

Matt picked the basketball up where it rolled and followed Tyler's eyeline. He sighed.

"Dude, just go talk to him." He dribbled the ball once against the concrete ground and caught it, holding it at his waist. Since his afternoon classes at the university were canceled he agreed to meet Tyler after school to play basketball for a while, but Tyler was obviously not into it.

Tyler adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. "He asked me not to." He answered grimly, unable to look away from his distant boyfriend. "I have to respect that."

Matt frowned, glancing over at Jeremy briefly. "Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me you're the one with the black eye."

Tyler finally tore his eyes away and shook his head at Matt. "Trust me…I hit him a lot harder."

His eyes traveled back to Jeremy as he turned but dropped to the ground as he walked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Jenna was becoming quite the hostess. The usual group gathered on Friday after receiving Evites for a movie night. Jeremy slouched in the armchair feeling decidedly alone amongst them. Jenna and Caroline were battling with Stefan and Alaric over whether to watch _Charlie St. Cloud_ or _The Departed_. They could struggle but the girls would win and Zac Efron would be on the screen in no time.

Elena was studying at the library so Damon wasn't coming, but Bonnie showed up with her new boyfriend. Anna was a no-show though she said she was coming. Matt declined the invitation. Jeremy wondered if it was in solidarity with Tyler since Jenna hadn't invited him. Either way, he was the only single in the room now among a bunch of annoyingly happy couples.

Caroline reached over Stefan and grabbed the _Charlie St. Cloud_ cover out of his hand as he tried to hold it at bay. She popped it open and pulled the DVD out, hopping up to put it in the player. With a groan, Jeremy stood up and silently left the room. He noticed Jenna begin to rise from the floor to follow so he held his hand up to stop her. He really didn't need a pep talk right now. He just needed some space.

Back in his room, he started his computer up and leaned back in his desk chair as he waited for his desktop to spring to life. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he logged onto Facebook and scrolled through his friends list. He clicked on Anna's page and typed a short message on her wall.

_Standing me up?_

He posted it to her wall and leaned back as he waited for a reply, scrolling around and clicking on random pages. He saw that Vicki changed her Facebook status so he clicked on her picture.

'Dying of boredom.' It said across the top and his eyes went across her basic info. Next to the Relationship Status line she changed 'In a Relationship to Kevin Parker' to 'Married to Jeremy Gilbert'.

Chuckling softly, he realized he needed to change his passwords to things. Too many people knew how to access his account. He smiled at the screen though and left it. It felt good to change his relationship status off of 'single' even as a lark. His friends and family knew different but as far as everyone else who came across his profile was concerned he was a perpetual loner who never dated.

He clicked on Vicki's wall and typed,

_Loved the flower arrangements but your vows needed work. Still…beautiful ceremony. The doves and four-horse chariot was a nice touch._

His mouse hovered over Tyler's name. He missed him. Looking at his recent activity might heal a little bit of that. On the other hand, if he seemed totally fine he might just die. Jeremy chuckled alone in his room. It would be worth it just to skim through his profile pictures. He was fixing to click onto his page when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Pulling it out, he saw a reply from Anna in the form of a text message.

_Running late. Be there soon._

He sighed, looking up and thinking better of it. He flipped the screen off once more and got up to go back downstairs.

* * *

Tyler and Matt took a table in the middle of the busy Grill, setting their food down in front of them as they sat. Matt dug into his French fries but Tyler let his eyes wander with disinterest. His appetite was down and he didn't feel much like eating the slice of pizza he bought. After a while his eyes settled on a guy at the bar chugging back a frothy glass of beer.

He made himself stare down at the pizza and take a bite. He hadn't had a drink since the night of the rally. It was like fuel for the combative wolf in him, so he decided to cut out the alcohol. He didn't have a problem. He just let his drinking get out of hand for a while, so now he was going to stop. It was that easy.

Elena sat down next to Matt out of no where and Tyler wished she hadn't. She was only a reminder of another Gilbert. She smiled at them both exuberantly.

"Hey!" Matt greeted in happy surprise. Tyler figured a part of his friend would always light up for Elena. "Thought you were studying all weekend."

She groaned. "I am. I've been at the library since ten o'clock in the morning studying for my biology midterm. My brain hurts."

"That's rough." Matt sympathized, pushing his basket of fries toward her invitingly.

She took one and twirled it between her fingers. "Anyway, I needed a break." She continued, staring down at the little fry before eating it. "So I came here hoping I'd run into a familiar face. Lucky me, I found two."

"Is Damon with you?" Tyler asked looking around for the vampire. He really, really fucking hated Damon Salvatore. He was sure he had something to do with the disappearance of his uncle a year ago, and the smug vampire set off his temper easily with his frequent backhanded, snide comments. Plus there was that whole business of Damon _snapping_ Jeremy's _neck_. He knew the Gilberts were a forgiving group but seriously…fuck that.

"No." Elena sensed his distaste for her boyfriend but ignored it. "Just me. And actually I should probably go. I've been here a while and I need to drive back to the university library. It's open twenty-four/seven and thank God for that. I'll probably pass out in the stacks at some point. _Yay_ college." She pouted at them. "Give me a smile for the road."

Matt gave her a pleasant grin but Tyler only offered an overly toothy insincere one. Elena frowned and threw one of Matt's fries at him as she stood up. It slapped his chest and fell into his lap. He picked it up and popped it into his mouth expecting the disgusted face she made at him on her way out.

It wasn't until two songs later on the jukebox that he noticed a small white plastic card on the floor under the table. He picked it up and flipped it over. Elena was sporting a pretty, practiced smile on the photo ID. He groaned. It had a university stamp on it so he figured she might need it to check out books or get into the building or something.

Waving it at Matt he got up to see if he could catch her. She was gone a while so he doubted it. He was not looking forward to driving all the way to the university to give it to her, but he knew he would. Not that he cared so much about her biology test, he thought selfishly, but because it might get back to Jeremy that he did. He could use all the brownie points he could get.

He went out the back retracing her steps and slowed in the alley as a jumble of noises wafted down from behind the dumpsters.

"Hello?" He called. It sounded like someone was struggling so he hurried down.

A sudden rage swelled up inside him as forcefully as though someone swung it into him with a baseball bat. Elena was pressed up against the brick wall with a large hand clamped over her mouth. A man in a Lakers jersey had her pinned in place despite her manic efforts to get free and he had the other hand between them trying to undo her pants. He didn't so much as get the button unhooked.

Tyler grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him backward so hard he fell through two metal trashcans and kept sliding. Tyler swooped down on him and punched him in the face five times without pausing. Blood glazed his knuckles and the back door to the Grill swept open.

One of the workers had a trash bag in his hand and called out in alarm. "What's going on out here?"

The man pushed Tyler off him and scrambled to his feet, taking off at a run down the alley. Tyler shot up prepared to take off after him but Elena stepped away from the wall stiffly.

"Tyler, no!" It was dangerous and she didn't want to be left alone. "Stay with me."

He looked hesitant but walked over to her. He couldn't exactly deny her that request. "Do you want to call the police?" He asked.

She shook her head quickly. "No. Just… Can you give me a ride home?"

Her hands were shaking and Tyler nodded, peering down the alley regretfully. His blood was still boiling. Elena wasn't helpless by any means, but that guy had at least a hundred pounds on her and Tyler was willing to bet he had the element of surprise when she stepped out there. He really wanted to introduce that guy to his monthly visitor.

"What are you looking at?" He purged some of his anger on the gawking waiter who hurriedly dropped his trash bag and disappeared back into the restaurant. He turned back to Elena. "Come on."

He put his arm around her and guided her around toward the parking lot. He would apologize to Matt later for bailing on him, but he really didn't want to have to drag Elena through the building. She was too shaken up as it was.

He asked her several times on the ride over to the Gilbert house if she was sure she didn't want to go to the hospital to be checked out. She insisted that it hadn't gotten that far though and besides a small cut on her forearm she was mostly just rattled. Tyler still felt unsure but convinced her to at least get someone at home to check her out better when she was inside. She agreed and was climbing out of the car when he called her back.

"Hey, don't tell Jeremy I was there okay? That I was the one who went back there."

She turned back to him and he noticed with a sliver of relief that her hands had stopped shaking. "Why not?"

Tyler shifted, looking down at the steering wheel he was still gripping. "We're going through some stuff. I don't want this to interfere with what's going on." It wouldn't be fair to put any kind of pressure on Jeremy while he was taking his space from him. "It's just better if he doesn't know."

Elena paused but agreed easily enough. "Okay." She reached over and squeezed his hand meaningfully. "_Thank you_, Tyler."

He pulled her student ID from his pocket and handed it to her. "Let me know if you need anything." He offered seriously and she nodded, getting out and shutting the door after her.

He stayed sitting idly in the driveway with his headlights on her until she was safely inside. Putting the car in reverse, he set back for the Grill to give Matt Elena's keys so he could drive her car over. It wasn't until he was by himself that he winced and stretched the fingers of his punching hand. He was going to have to ice it for days, so he drove back with the satisfaction that the other guy's face must be much worse.

* * *

Jeremy yawned lying on his back on the bed and looking at the hand of cards he was holding in the lamplight. The pillow he was using wasn't propping him up much and he was getting really tired as Anna asked for his twos.

"Go fish." He drawled.

She squinted at him as though she suspected him of deceit so he tilted his head to the side staring right back. She frowned and drew a card from the deck, but the next moment she sat upright on the bed and went very still. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Blood." She answered his questioning look monotonously.

He made a face at her. "You're creepy." He said with dull disinterest but glanced toward the hall when he heard someone coming up the stairs.

He glimpsed Elena as she passed in the hall looking shaken and disheveled on the way to her bedroom. A few seconds later he heard her moving around in the connecting bathroom they shared. He narrowed his eyes and sat up, going over to investigate. Anna passed him a morbidly curious look but stayed behind. Probably best. Vampires were never the best to be around when blood was involved.

"Hey." He pushed the cracked bathroom door open and leaned in. She had tears in her eyes and was leaning over the sink messily. He grew serious. "_Hey_. What's going on? What happened?"

She looked up at his reflection in the mirror and waved him in. He stepped inside and closed the door quietly after him, looking at her inquisitively. She was pale and he noticed a nasty two inch cut on her arm. He went up beside her and grabbed the arm, wincing at it.

"Someone…attacked me at the Grill." She answered, her hesitation evident.

"_What?_" Jeremy's muscles tightened tensely. "Are you-?"

"I'm okay." She quickly assured him.

"Was it a vampire?" Jeremy inquired, turning the faucet on and pulling her arm under it to wash off the blood. Leave it to Anna to smell the small amount from across the house.

She shook her head. "A man. He tried to…" She let it hang and the blood drained from Jeremy's face. His thoughts ran into each other and collided in such a rush of emotions that he was unable to formulate a response. "He didn't though." Elena assured him. "Someone intervened."

"Who?" It was a short enough word that Jeremy was able to find it in his vocabulary and push it out.

Elena shook her head, eyes dropping to the sink as Jeremy flipped it off and moved her gently aside to get into the medicine cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of peroxide, Neosporin, and a box of band-aids.

"I don't know…Just some guy." She answered vaguely.

Jeremy raised his eyebrows. "What? You didn't get his name?" A shadow passed over her face and he didn't want to upset her further so he let it go. "What about the asshole that attacked you? The cops get him?"

Elena shook her head and pushed her hair behind her ear. "No. I didn't call them." Jeremy was ready to protest but she held her free hand up adamantly. "Please, Jer, I just want to put this behind me and forget about it. And please don't tell anyone. I don't want Jenna freaking out or people making more out of it than it was."

A tear slid down her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away, turning her face away from him. Jeremy swallowed his objections and looked back down at her arm.

"I wonder if we could find out the name of whoever helped you." He forced his voice to lighten to help ease her heightened tension. "We should send this guy something. What are those candies called? The ones Grandma always used to bring us when she came over for Christmas?"

Elena raked her mind as he tended to her cut. "Toffee Treasures."

"Toffee Treasures!" Jeremy exclaimed as he applied one of the band-aids to her arm. "We should send him some of that. Those things were the shit."

That earned a smile and Jeremy mirrored it though neither of them reached their eyes. He pat down the band-aid to secure it in place before pulling her into a tight hug.

"You're okay." He assured her, a hand going to her head as he held her. Knowing Elena, she didn't take being attacked lying down. Wherever the asshole was that attacked her, he hoped he was nursing his own wounds. And hurting. A lot.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Black Lighted Clouds: lol I wondered if someone would point this out. I wrote it that way on purpose. The way I saw it, Tyler wanted petty points (driving to return the card) but when something serious came up he decided to be the better man about it. I like to think that even on Tyler's worst day he wouldn't want to turn something like what happened to Elena into something about himself. - Thanks for all the reviews! And yes, Shai, in case you didn't catch that, Rutgers was a shout-out to you! Happy birthday!

**Chapter Seven**

Jeremy checked his phone for the fifth time in homeroom when Mr. Kinsey finally caught onto him. He closed his eyes as the man approached and held out his cell phone for him to take. The teacher grabbed and pocketed it without a word and went back to talking about the assembly that afternoon. He set it down on his desk and left Jeremy to stare down at his hands.

He told Elena to call him if she needed anything. He hadn't wanted to go to school at all, but after hovering around her all weekend she was ready to be on her own. Damon was out of town for a few days so she didn't have to worry about lying to him. Unfortunately, Caroline wiggled the truth out of her when she dropped by and immediately spilled the beans to Stefan.

It took a lot to convince the vampire not to turn around, get his brother and find the guy who attacked her. Elena managed to reel them all in though, which was not the result Jeremy was hoping for. For once, having friends with monster strength seemed very convenient. If he knew where to even begin looking he would do the job himself.

Leaning forward over his desk, Jeremy tapped his foot restlessly and stared down at his shoes. They were new black and white checkered Vans. The last pair he had like them were so worn the piping separated beyond the point of being wearable. He didn't like the way new shoes looked. Too clean and stiff. He bent the ends of them and frowned.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose so he looked over his shoulder, still leaning forward on his elbows. Tyler looked back at him three rows down and in a moment of weakness Jeremy let his eyes travel over him for a moment. He was wearing a brown sweater over preppy khaki Dockers. Jeremy would never dress like that himself but he always loved how crisp and clean-cut he looked, like a breath of fresh air.

As his eyes went back up, Tyler's lips rose in a small smile. The bell rang and Jeremy turned back around without returning the sentiment. He gathered his stuff and was surprised when Tyler stopped by his desk on his way out. He was being really good the last two weeks about just staying out of his way, something Jeremy was simultaneously grateful for and weary about. It was hard for him to stay away from Tyler while he figured things out. He wondered if it was a relief to the other boy to be away from him though.

Jeremy looked up at him as he reached for his backpack behind his desk.

Tyler's small smile returned briefly before he asked. "How's your sister?"

Jeremy hesitated. "You know about that?"

Tyler paused then and looked away toward the door before responding. "Yeah. Matt told me."

Jeremy's shoulders dropped and he shook his head at his desk. "Matt knows?" The way word was spreading he didn't think Elena would have much luck keeping it from Damon when he got back in town. He was kind of happy about that.

"Yeah," Tyler looked back at him and his little smile became a small line as he shrugged. "I guess Caroline told him."

"Figures." Jeremy stood up and pulled his backpack up on his shoulder. Tyler didn't move back so the effect was being suddenly a breath away from him. His brown eyes burned into his and Jeremy's heart instantly took off at the closeness. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak through the nearness.

Tyler blinked and collected himself. "Sorry." He whispered and stepped back. His eyes went around the room but everyone else had already flooded out.

Jeremy shook his head minutely. "Uh…" It was hard to have functional thoughts after feeling the electric current course between them. He stepped around his desk past Tyler and looked away to snap out of it. "Elena…she's," he gathered his thoughts with difficulty. "She's good. She's going to be okay. You know how she is. When something evil strikes her she kicks its ass…or dates it."

Tyler's face broke into a smile and he laughed shortly, looking down at the floor and nodding. It felt like a lifetime since he last saw or heard that lightness from him and it made something wrench deep inside Jeremy. He summoned a weak smile and started to turn away.

"I better go."

Tyler nodded but there was something nervous and formal in his manner as he did his best to adjust to the current circumstances. "Yeah."

The powerful urge to put him at ease rose in Jeremy like a monsoon, but he refused to make a snap decision based on the desire to protect Tyler from discomfort. To hold onto that resolution he shot him half a smile, turned his back on him and walked out of the room.

* * *

The assembly during sixth period was such a boring waste of time Jeremy was more out of his chair in the auditorium than he was in it, he was slouching so much. Beside him Anna's eyes were glazed over and her head fell sideways onto his shoulder. His eyes flitted to her but he didn't move in any more significant way. He felt like he could fall asleep soon so when the motivational speaker asked for volunteers for his presentation Jeremy raised his hand lethargically. His class was one of the first shuffled in so he was in the front row in full view of the man in the silver suit upstage.

"Oh shit." He muttered with a deep chuckle when he actually called on him. The irony in his fake effort to volunteer was lost on the stranger so he had no choice but to go along.

Anna fell into a fit of giggles as he raised himself to his feet reluctantly and made his way to the steps. He bounded up at a jog and crossed the stage to meet the man. What the hell, he was falling asleep anyway.

The mob of students packing the auditorium was at once more intimidating when he was faced with all of them from the stage.

"Hi, what's your name?" The man, Brinkley Siegfried, spoke into a blue mic connected to a headset around his ear. He looked like a tool, and he kind of had to be if he went around high schools trying to rally young minds. It was a pointless task. Jeremy couldn't imagine that more than a handful of students at any of his gatherings actually paid attention to anything he said.

"Jeremy Gilbert." He answered and the man leaned close to him so his voice reached the radius of his mic.

"Queer!" A faceless jock fake coughed in the crowd to a round of chuckling in spots around the auditorium.

Jeremy kept his face from reacting. 'Shit' was right.

The motivational speaker tactfully ignored the heckling. "Nice to meet you, Jeremy. What are your plans after graduation?"

Jeremy leaned over with his hands in his jean pockets to answer as the man indicated. "Uh, I applied to Virginia Tech. I got in. And I'm waiting to hear from NYU." He really didn't think he was going to get in but it was a nice dream. To get that far away from this small town hell hole was nice in theory. Probably should have thought about that before he slept through most of his classes freshman and sophomore year though.

"Ah, college. Good." Siegfried commended him. "Well that's good, but I mean-what are your plans for your life? Beyond school, beyond rules, beyond preparations-what are your plans for you? Who do you want to be?"

"Drag queen!" A member of the crowd shouted.

Jeremy ignored it. "Uh, I don't know."

Brinkley looked like he got exactly the answer that he wanted. He beamed. "'I don't know.'" He repeated and spread his arms out toward the crowd. "How many of you are just like Jeremy?"

"Faggots!" The jock coughed again and Jeremy looked out, able to trace it down to a group near the front on the left side of the auditorium. Mixed members of several sports sat in a bunch. Stupid Stanley had a hand over his mouth, so Jeremy figured it was probably him. A couple seats down the row Tyler was seated, slouched in his seat and looking up at the stage with his jaw set tightly.

The man hesitated on that one but turned around walking to a table he had set up behind him. The show must go on and all that jazz.

He lifted a pile of pamphlets up. "In these brochures you'll find clear and simple ways you can change your life and figure out who you really are. Like Jeremy, you might not feel like you know exactly what you want-"

"Dick!" Stanley was clearly behind the calls as he immediately crumbled into laughter and his friends on either side of him shoved his shoulders with appreciative laughter.

Anna jumped to her feet in the front row and flicked her middle finger back at the left side of the auditorium. Her eyes were sharp with warning. Their sixth period teacher barked at Anna to sit down. Jeremy did his best to stay stoic. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before. It was just harder to be blasé about it with the entire school watching. The principal made his way to the left side of the auditorium in hopes of spooking them into silence with his proximity.

"Jeremy," Brinkley crossed back over to him. "Do you play any sports?"

Jeremy's mouth twisted in a weak half-smile. This guy was slow on the uptake. Jocks didn't normally hassle their own like that, at least not in public and not so spitefully. He cleared his throat. "Uh, no."

"Pussy!" The cough engulfing the word hardly did anything to cover it.

Jeremy looked down in time to see Tyler lean across the blond sitting directly next to him and throw a solid punch into Stanley's arm. The other athlete flinched to the side, rubbing the area automatically.

"Shut the fuck up!" Tyler warned gravely. His voice carried to the stage in the quiet auditorium but he glared uncaringly at the object of his anger.

"Or what?" Stanley asked but he was rubbing his arm still and was backing down against Tyler's dark stare.

"Or I'll beat your ass, Stupid Stanley, fucking tard." Tyler sat back in his seat and returned his attention to the stage. He met Jeremy's eyes and nodded once.

The principal made his way down the aisle and stopped at the group of jocks. He pointed at the entire line of them, uninterested in figuring out which of them was making the disruptions.

"Look what you did, dumbass." Another jock smacked Stanley's sore arm and others joined in as they filed out at the principal's request. Several others made similar remarks and shoved at him in annoyance. They would clearly attribute Tyler's testiness to his desire to avoid the retribution they were now getting. A moment ago Stanley was their hero and almost in the same breath he was the bane of their existence.

Tyler stood with the rest of them and stepped out into the aisle without protest. Halfway to the doors he looked over his shoulder and back up at the stage. The familiarity of his farewell glance sent up a flutter of gratified pleasure in Jeremy. A growing tension inside suddenly relaxed. He stood on the stage, insulted and humiliated, but as he watched Tyler's retreating form he had to struggle not to smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thank you so much, everyone! bb1019: I'm glad you related to it on such a level, but at the same time I'm sorry you had to deal with that. HS is definitely one of the most excluding environments for anyone who is different. Cheers to it only being four years out of your life.

**Chapter Eight**

Jeremy stepped out of Mr. Kinsey's classroom after the final bell rang at the end of the day. He hoped to get his phone back after class but the teacher locked it in his desk until last period. Jeremy didn't waste any time after his digital art class hurrying over to get it. Mr. Kinsey gave it back with a warning that Jeremy completely disregarded. It was the end of his senior year, he already got into college, he was pretty done with high school. The remaining weeks felt like a lame formality.

There was only one text from Elena.

_Still fine. Don't worry.  
_

He hoped it was true. More than any time in his life he wanted to inflict violence on another human being. If he could get his hands on the idiot who assaulted her he didn't trust himself not to act on pure instinct, and instinct was telling him some pretty primal things.

He was shoving his books back into his locker in the buzzing corridor when he caught sight of a group rounding the corner at the end of the hallway in his peripheral vision. Looking over, his senses heightened. Tyler made his way down the hall with Stanley and a couple others. All the chatter in the hall magnified and the laughter grew louder in his head. The lights seemed brighter and he felt a draft against his skin. Tyler made the world easier to see and harder to ignore. His stomach tightened as he drew closer.

He expected him to walk right past without acknowledgement so couldn't hide his startled expression when Tyler's hand went out when he was close enough. Not pausing in his step, his fingers curled around Jeremy's hand. His eyes locked with his and then he was gone, walking with the guys down the building. It was horribly fleeting and jarring in its significance.

Jeremy looked around expecting others to be reacting to the brief touch, but the normal world went on without a bump. Tyler never took such a bold risk before, and for a second Jeremy didn't move as he tried to process it. Looking down at his hand, he took in the folded piece of notebook paper he slipped him and looked up again to be sure there wasn't a spotlight over his head.

Taking care to unfold it, he was aware of his quickening heart in a way that he hadn't been since the day of the rally. In the center of the paper between the squares of creases from the fold, only three words were scrawled.

_I miss you._

Jeremy looked up and over, catching Tyler's disappearing form as he turned around the corner at the end of the hall, simultaneously tired and rejuvenated. Leaning back he dropped his head against the neighboring locker and stared at the spot where Tyler slipped out of view.

Folding the paper back up, he tucked it safely in his pocket and let his eyelids fall heavily. In Tyler's absence the noisy hall faded back to a distant dullness in the background. His pocket burned with the note inside it and the fire spread to his thoughts and haunted his heart with a searing heat he couldn't ignore. Tyler was more than any one person should be allowed to be. He was the world and without him Jeremy floated in a strange abyss. Everything came at him through a glass wall just beyond his reach. Tyler was his bridge.

His hand dipped into his pocket and touched the ripped out page of Tyler's spiral. His fingertips were more aware of the little piece of paper than his ears were of the cacophony of exiting students around him. The people passed him as blurry images in someone else's reality, and Jeremy stood alone among them with an ache in his heart and a single piece of paper.

* * *

The next day felt oddly empty. He settled into his homeroom desk and found himself looking repeatedly behind him to Tyler's empty desk. He thought he must be tardy at first. It wasn't uncharacteristic. Tyler didn't take school too seriously, but as the bell rang at the end of the period his desk looked harsh with his absence.

At lunch Jeremy crossed the outside courtyard with Anna on the way to the library and looked over at his normal table. There were a few jocks bent over their trays and shoving at each other but the table was more littered with cheerleaders and members of the dance team today. He couldn't help the disappointment that settled inside him and realized he had still hoped to see him, figuring him for a late start. He tore his lingering eyes away from the cement table as they reached the doors to the building on the other side.

Anna saw through the thin veil he threw over his discontent and gave him a small smile. Weaving her arm through his, she pressed her face against his sleeve and hugged his side as he pulled open one of the tinted glass doors. They walked in together and Jeremy was thankful for the little vampire attached to him. It was better than having her inquire about his mood. They both knew where it was coming from and no good was coming from that topic.

"You need a ride?" He asked her as he passed her in the halls on the way to the student parking lot at the end of the day.

She followed him out and climbed into the passenger side of his Jeep in answer. He got in after, starting the car up distractedly. It was a long day. A really long, stupid day.

Anna shoved his shoulder after he pulled up in front of her house and he made a face at her.

"I'm still coming over later. Don't forget." She pulled the handle and pushed the door open but stayed staring at him.

He widened his eyes. "What?" He jerked his head out irritably. "I haven't forgotten."

She looked him over. "Try not to be such a drone when I get there."

His eyebrows fell as he set his eyes on her evenly. "I'll do that, and I'm _so_ sorry for all of my droning."

The sarcasm was lost on her, or more likely, she ignored it. "Great. See ya."

He rolled his eyes and started to pull away before she was inside. If she forgot her keys she could just bust the door down, he wasn't in the mood to linger. Halfway home, he flipped the radio on and clicked onto several different stations trying to find something good. Something worthwhile. Something he wanted.

On the fourth station playing only commercials, he almost snorted with laughter. There was really only one thing he wanted at the moment. Stalled at a stop sign, he looked around for any oncoming cars in the residential area but the streets were clear. Acting impulsively, he pulled the car into a U-turn and reversed back the other way. He wanted to see Tyler, and that was it.

The Lockwood home was closer to Anna's house than his, and he noticed she wasn't out in the yard when he passed by again so she must have gotten in somehow. His blood pulsed through him with more enthusiasm for life the closer he got. He felt like a magnet held too long from a nearby piece of iron, struggling to resist the pull and deny a part integral to who he was.

As he pulled up the long, well hedged driveway he noticed a few other cars. Mrs. Lockwood was probably home with guests so he would need to be really careful how he went about having this discussion with Tyler. Outing him in the middle of one of his mother's Republican Founders Group meetings would probably not be the easiest step someone took out of the closet.

Leaving the keys in the Jeep he bounded up to the door and knocked. The wind cut against his thin hoodie and he tucked his hands in his pockets to save them from the chill. He was surprised at the nervousness stirring around as he heard a pair of heels click over the wood floor as they approached the door from inside the house.

Mrs. Lockwood pulled the door open and happy surprise lit her face.

"Jeremy!" She enthused. "I haven't seen you around in awhile. The other boys have been here all day. They're all in the back."

He smiled back at her warmly but his confusion was evident. "Other boys?"

On cue, boisterous laughter boomed down from the back of the house. His eyes went over her shoulder momentarily toward the noise.

She nodded. "Yes, I figured it was pointless to waste an entire day alone and punished just because Principal Andrews doesn't recognize good kids when he sees them. Boys will be boys right?" She gave him a knowing look. It was clear she expected him to share her judgment of the situation but he had no idea what she was talking about. "Marcus Delmar is here and Brent Michaels. Oh and Stanley."

Jeremy's face fell. He spent the day missing Tyler and Tyler spent the day with Stupid Stanley, the catcalling wonder boy. He felt his face warm despite the cool wind.

Mrs. Lockwood didn't notice the change in his demeanor. "Come on in."

"Um…I…can't." He took a step backward on the large wraparound porch, looking over the side rail at the expansive land. It usually looked pretty in the changing seasons but through his current eyes it all felt fake and staged like a set piece in a phony movie. "I forgot…I have to do something for my aunt." He lied vaguely wanting badly to get back in his Jeep.

"Jeremy?"

His eyes swept past Mrs. Lockwood to Tyler, paused mid-step at the far end of the hallway. His side was to him and his head turned as though he caught sight of him at the door on his way back across from the kitchen to the guys in the den. His brow was set severely.

The desire to flee rose in Jeremy like a virus, taking over control of his body. He was turning before he could think the command.

"I have to go." He murmured to Mrs. Lockwood and crossed the porch, quickly descending the steps.

He didn't want to look back, though he heard quick steps behind him and the front door close after a hurried exit.

"Jeremy!" Tyler kept him from an easy escape.

He turned around reluctantly, pausing only a moment before taking slow steps backward. "I'm gonna go. It was a mistake coming here."

Tyler stayed a few feet away but there was a distinct rigidity in his manner. "No. No, wait." He plead, holding an arm out imploringly. Jeremy stopped backing up, feeling obligated by the request. Tyler looked back at the house full of rowdy teenage boys. "Let's just get out of here. Wherever you want to go."

It was hard not to respond to the hope in Tyler's gaze, but all of Jeremy's earlier certainty swept away with the knowledge of his houseguests. He second guessed his impulsive decision to come over at all. What had he really decided about their relationship? That he missed Tyler. Obviously he did. That didn't mean he should just jump straight back into things.

"What about the guys…?" He tried to back out of the encounter.

Tyler didn't take his eyes off him. "Fuck 'em. I want to talk to _you_."

Jeremy looked over his shoulder at his Jeep longingly. "Uh…" Tyler looked back at him unwaveringly as though fearful Jeremy would disappear if his eyes traveled. Seeing the significance in Tyler's gaze, Jeremy gave. "…Okay." A tiny bit of the tension left Tyler and he nodded appreciatively. The thought of being stuck with him in an anxious, quiet ride somewhere, though, made Jeremy feel cornered. "Can you follow me in your truck back to my house?"

Tyler didn't miss a beat. "Absolutely." He finally risked a glance behind him. "I'll go get my keys and I'll meet you there."

Jeremy nodded, feeling disconnected and stuck. He turned for his Jeep but a few paces later found himself flipping back around.

"Ty, wait. Don't."

Tyler had already hopped the steps back up to the porch and his face was strained as he turned, looking back at him.

Jeremy had to look away, his nerve abandoning him. "I just…it's a bad time." He waved futilely at the house full of jocks.

"Jer," Tyler descended the top step and stopped. "I don't care." He struggled to find the right words. "You're here…"

Jeremy regretted his impulsive move. Five minutes ago he was safely on his way home far away from the drama between them, or at least immersed in it from a distance. He had to work to hold Tyler's gaze.

"I'll come back later." He told him, uncertain of his own sincerity. Tyler seemed to deflate, but he held his ground because he had to get out of there. All at once it was too much, too fast. He didn't know what he was doing. "I'll come back." He repeated, taking a tentative step backward.

Tyler could only try to lessen the visibility of his disappointment. He nodded and it was all the closure Jeremy needed to turn on his heel and head back to his Jeep. He yanked the door open and slid into the driver's seat. As he started it up, he looked through the windshield at Tyler still standing there. It took everything he had to drive away, but he knew he had to.

He wasn't thinking straight. He wasn't sure if he was thinking at all. He was doused in layers of emotion too mixed up to understand and being near Tyler only amplified that. Pulling back out onto the street, he tried to wrap his mind around what he was walking away from and what he committed himself to. He didn't want to stand Tyler up, but he had no idea how he was supposed to come back. He wouldn't magically figure everything out in a couple of hours.

He couldn't keep stringing Tyler along either. He had to get beyond the wall blocking him from making any kind of movement. A hard pressure piled around him on every side. He drove home feeling much worse than when he started in that direction the first time.

* * *

The sun was falling behind the trees in the back yard. Jenna looked through the kitchen window as she cleaned vegetables for the salad. The trio outside paid no attention to the chores they were designated to help get dinner ready. It was pleasantly purple outside and being cooped up in the kitchen chopping things felt like a punishment they didn't do anything to deserve.

Anna concentrated as Elena showed her again how to dip forward and do a cartwheel. Anna was an old lady vampire chick with years of battle experience and a no-nonsense attitude when it came to having to use blunt force against an opponent, but she had zero talent in the gymnastics department. Elena tried to show her repeatedly under the big oak tree at the edge of the yard with very little progress.

Jeremy sat on the ground leaning over his knees and tugging out blades of grass as he watched her ongoing failure. It was a welcome distraction.

"This is embarrassing," he chuckled at her. For someone with her advanced set of agility and coordination she must be bringing shame to her entire species. He smiled down at the ground.

"I'm going to get it." She waved him off, irritable and focused.

"Who even cares?" He twirled a few pieces of grass between his fingers, resting his forearms on his knees and letting himself drop onto his back lazily. He rolled his head to the side to look over at them. "You planning on trying out for the cheerleading squad at Rutgers?"

A sharp look greeted him in reply, and his eyebrows shot up. He held his hands up in surrender. She might not be able to do a cartwheel, but she was still an old lady vampire with wicked strength.

"Hi! Ooh, what's happening out here?" Caroline came out through the sliding glass door in the back of the house and traipsed over to them in a pretty yellow sundress. It was cold for so long that the sight of her bare legs reminded Jeremy that spring was knocking on the door ready to kick winter out. It was still too cool for him to ditch his jacket but then Caroline was a vampire so who knew if the temperature even mattered to her anymore. He would ask Anna later.

"Anna's trying to do a cartwheel." Elena grinned at her friend and she certainly looked like herself. Jeremy hoped it wasn't a front. He had no idea how far the assault actually got, but he caught her staring off hollowly a couple times too many to believe she was truly functioning at one hundred percent.

"Oh!" Caroline beamed and dipped forward without another word into a perfect cartwheel.

Anna frowned and Jeremy closed his eyes, turning his head away and peeping one eye open to be sure Caroline was back on her feet. She seemed to forget her short dress for a moment and he saw a little more of her than he bargained for.

"It's super easy." Caroline assured Anna as she reached them. "You'll get it after like the third try." She smiled brightly and Anna's frown deepened. She turned her attention to Elena, going over and hugging her tightly. "Ugh, how are you? You okay?"

"I'm fine, Caroline." Elena answered and Jeremy almost believed her.

Caroline shook her head in a huffy way. "I swear, Elena, if I could get my newly vamp powered hands on that guy…" She flexed her fingers in demonstration. "It would be my pleasure."

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. For the most part Caroline seemed pretty much exactly the same as she had before she changed, but there were moments here and there where a shadow of something darker peeped out of her. Her tone lost its bubbly flare and her eyes trained in a disconcerting, animalistic way. Jeremy looked up at the sky daydreaming about Caroline 2.0 beating the trash out of Elena's attacker. The dark, disappearing clouds floated by leisurely and he yawned.

"Want to help me with Anna?" Elena asked, clearly wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere. As past co-captains of the Mystic Falls High cheerleading team they went through their share of training new girls.

Caroline still looked preoccupied but agreed easily enough. "Okay." She sighed and walked over to Anna's other side. "I guess it's just lucky for Tyler. It could have been so, so, so much more worse."

In a strange lapse of sensory functionality, Jeremy saw Caroline, looked away and only then seemed to hear her. He did a double take and his glance flitted between her and Elena.

"What?"

"_Caroline._" Elena stressed in exasperation.

Unease swept over Jeremy. He sat up, draping his arms back over his knees. "What is she talking about?" His brow furrowed in confusion, but he was beginning to get the picture on his own. "Elena, was Tyler the one who intervened in the alley?"

Elena didn't immediately answer, mouth opening and eyes rolling up and over hesitantly. It was all the answer he needed. Getting to his feet, he swiped at his pants and shrugged uncertainly.

"Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably, shooting Caroline another unappreciative look. She lifted a shoulder but still didn't quite look at him. "He asked me not to." She shot a look at Anna and Caroline, not sure about the privacy rules under the circumstances. "He said you guys were going through something and I don't know. I guess he didn't want you to feel pressured into talking to him before you were ready."

Her words spread through him like rain on a beach, falling everywhere and sinking slowly in. His eyes drifted away from the girls as he plunged into his own thoughts. Tyler had a major card in his back pocket. Jeremy knew he wanted to reconcile and he could have forced the issue at any moment. He knew what Elena meant to him and what would happen if he ever lost her.

He took a backward step away from them and Elena stepped forward, an imploring look on her face. He glanced back at her and shook his head, waving away her distress.

"No, it's fine… It's fine. But I gotta go." Pointing at the trio, he turned around and jogged back to the house. He had somewhere he had to be.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** :D BLC: TY! That means a lot to me, it really does. - This one's kind of short but I'll try to update soon.

**Chapter Nine**

The sky faded through purple to yellow and then orange as the sun set on the drive back to the Lockwood home. Jeremy felt clearheaded for the first time in two weeks. The confusion transformed into a weightless whiff and lifted away from him on its own.

This time when he pulled up, the unknown cars were gone. The ones belonging to the Lockwoods were parked around in the port out of sight. For the second time that day Jeremy climbed out of his car and hurried up to the door. Mrs. Lockwood opened it as she had last time and gave him a new smile.

"Finish up with your aunt?" She asked pleasantly.

He almost made the mistake of asking what she was talking about but remembered the lie he told her earlier on his way out. He smiled instead and nodded.

"Tyler's upstairs." She opened the door wider and moved out of his way.

He touched her arm lightly on his way past her and hurried up the staircase. Tyler's bedroom door was closed and Jeremy made a beeline for it. His heart beat faster in his chest as he twisted the knob and pushed it open without knocking.

Tyler was standing at a window in the opposite corner looking out at the darkening sky. He turned at the sound of his entrance and his face lit with surprise. He smiled wanly.

"I didn't think you were coming."

With Tyler in his sights, Jeremy's eyes softened but he kept his face neutral. The drive over seemed to flip by in half a second, leaving him no time to decide where to start.

"Neither did I." Jeremy admitted honestly.

Tyler's eyes bounced off the floor and back up to him with a small understanding nod. He licked his lips, unsure where to go from there too. "I kicked them all out as soon as you left." He informed him.

Thinking about Tyler's absence and his all-day hangout with the Neanderthals of their high school, Jeremy figured it was as good a place as any to start. "You weren't in school today."

Tyler's eyes widened, happy to be given something to reply to. He waved a hand nonchalantly. "Yeah. A bunch of us got suspended because of the assembly. It's no big deal. It was just one day. The guys showed up this morning. We played video games…mostly…" He began trailing off in a ramble and Jeremy smiled softly, though it erased as quickly as it came.

He stayed standing by the door, though Tyler took a few steps away from the window toward him. He watched him carefully. "Why didn't you tell me you were the one who helped Elena?"

Jeremy didn't understand the crestfallen look on Tyler's face. "She told you?"

He shook his head. "No, Caroline did. Accidentally. She didn't know it was a secret."

Tyler frowned at the dark wood paneled floor. "Figures."

Jeremy stared at him inquiringly. "Why was it a secret?"

Tyler sighed, looking up. The vitality seemed to drain out of him and he shrugged. "You wanted your space. I didn't want to take that from you. Well, I did." He amended. "But I knew I shouldn't."

Jeremy watched him, though Tyler's eyes were stuck on the floor as they fell into silence. There was a heaviness over him that Jeremy was used to seeing. Tyler had a lot to get down about. Being a member of the supernatural community came with its extreme drawbacks, he lost his father a year ago, he was struggling with his sexuality and too often felt unloved by his own mother. His broody exterior seemed extra dense and visible today, and Jeremy wondered how much of that had to do with him.

After a while, Tyler looked up and dropped his head to the side as he asked. "So…that's why you came over. Because you found out about Elena?"

There was a lot more behind that question than there was on the surface, and Jeremy thought he understood the restraint in Tyler's gaze a little more. He hoped Jeremy was there for other reasons and now after his opening line of questioning he was afraid to expect anything more. The tentativeness in his eyes made Jeremy hurt in new places.

He shook his head. "I just found out. I didn't know when I was here earlier."

Tyler's eyebrows rose very slightly. "Oh yeah?"

Jeremy smiled tiredly at the floor. "Yeah…"

Encouraged by the information, Tyler stepped forward some more. "Jeremy, the way I acted at the rally-"

"It was one moment." Jeremy looked up and met his eyes. He hadn't thought about what he would say when he got here but now that he was standing only a few feet from Tyler the words came on their own. "It was really bad, but it was just one moment."

Tyler didn't move or respond, perhaps nervous to say the wrong thing while things were going his way.

Jeremy took a small step closer. "But, Ty, you can't talk to me like that. You can't make me feel like that. It is…," he exhaled in a rush and glanced away. "It is _not_ okay."

"I know that." Tyler agreed right away. He slowly edged forward until the distance between them was gone, replaced by a closeness that made Jeremy's whole body buzz. "You were right about my drinking. It got out of control and I don't know what happened to me. I haven't. Drank anything." He clarified. "Not since the rally. I'm not going to anymore." He looked him straight in the eye and at that proximity the intensity sent sparks of nervous energy through Jeremy. "It's not worth it."

Slowly, Jeremy reached up and gently traced the light bruise around Tyler's left eye. It was almost gone but the memory of it was strong. Tyler's eyelids fluttered closed at the feel of Jeremy's fingertips brushing gently over the area.

"I'm sorry I hit you." He whispered.

Tyler opened his eyes, reaching up and covering his hand with one of his. He looked at their hands a moment before turning his eyes back to him. "I deserved it." He murmured quietly.

Jeremy didn't think there was any excuse for what happened at the rally but he didn't argue. It was hard to summon any kind of protest as Tyler's other hand gently went to his side and pulled him closer. Their foreheads found their way against each other and Tyler brushed his nose against his. Jeremy's lips parted and his body failed to remember the basics of breathing and pumping his heart.

Tyler brought their joined hands down at their side and Jeremy's other arm found its way up, hand going to the back of Tyler's neck on its own. His fingers slipped in the bottom folds of his hair and he thought about the piece of notebook paper he stuck back in his pocket when he got up that morning.

His breath was warm against Tyler's lips as he whispered thickly. "I miss you too."

At once Tyler turned his head enough to capture his lips with his own. Jeremy's hand pulled Tyler's head closer, holding it in place as his mouth opened to him. He felt the kiss in every particle of his body. His skin crackled and his chest hurt with the quickening speed of his desperate heart.

Tyler pushed him back, never breaking the kiss as they eased toward the hall. Jeremy's legs carried him backward as Tyler directed and his hands moved searchingly, clutching the back of his sweater and anchoring him against his body. Tyler moaned into his mouth, gripping the back of his head and tightening his fingers in his hair. Jeremy sank into him as Tyler reached one arm over his shoulder and slammed the door shut behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thanks, everyone. BLC: I get what you're saying about it being a good place to end it, but actually it's only the end of the first act. Warned you guys this was a long one. lol Hope you decide to stick with it anyway.

**Chapter Ten**

Jeremy stared down at his phone on the edge of the bed, sending a quick text to Elena.

_ At Tyler's. Don't worry._

He set the phone down on the nightstand next to Tyler's bed and reached down for his t-shirt with a yawn. He pulled it off the floor and shook it out. He just finished pulling it on when he felt the weight on the bed shift behind him and Tyler's arms wrap around his waist lethargically. He twisted to see him as he pressed a kiss into his back. Jeremy smiled. They had a very tiring reunion and fell asleep for a few hours.

Full dark had settled outside and it looked like he was over for the night. Tyler looked up at him sleepily and Jeremy pointed to his phone.

"Elena." He said by way of explanation and Tyler nodded, laying back and dropping his head against the pillows. Usually, Jeremy wouldn't even bother giving his sister or aunt a heads up on his whereabouts but since he and Tyler had been on the outs lately and Elena had enough on her plate to stress about he didn't want to put anyone on unnecessary alert.

Jeremy crawled back under the covers and slid over to Tyler's side. He lifted his arm and hooked it around him compliantly. Jeremy rubbed his thumb over his bare chest and settled his cheek against his warm skin. As a member of the Were community, Tyler always ran a little hotter than everyone else. Jeremy blushed thinking about their evening. In more ways than one.

Tyler kissed the top of his head before pulling himself up and pushing the covers back on his side. Jeremy slid down against the mattress and watched him curiously. Unlike Jeremy he hadn't pulled his underwear back on, so when he stood up it gave him a full view of his good side. He chuckled low in his throat and pressed his face into the sheets. He didn't know if it was a werewolf thing or what but Tyler was as comfortable naked as he was clothed. He could be the king of a nudist colony somewhere and rule them all with his hot bod and confidence.

Tyler flipped the lamp on and grabbed something off his desk as a creak sounded outside in the hall. They both looked over at the door. Never in all the nights Jeremy stayed over had Mrs. Lockwood ever popped her head in or even knocked after bedtime but there was a first time for everything, so Jeremy went very still and waited. After several seconds nothing happened so he relaxed. Tyler, however, grabbed his black boxer-briefs off the floor and tugged them on. If he was going to get busted he could at least do it in a less naked way.

Sitting in his desk chair he tossed what he grabbed off the desk onto the bed next to Jeremy who lazily picked up the pamphlet. It said 'Brook Haven' on the front with a picture of a large modern looking building full of huge wall length windows and cabin-like exterior woodwork. It sat on a lake and it all looked very calming in a phony, staged way.

Jeremy looked up at Tyler and lifted an eyebrow.

Tyler pointed at it, tipping his chin up. "It's a rehab center in Florida. The day of the rally, that was the place my mom and Father Erikson wanted to send me."

Jeremy looked at the brochure with more interest, flipping it open. It had a program laid out and lots of encouraging platitudes. 'You can be better, and we can get you there.' It didn't sit right with him. Reminded him of compounds and Kool-Aid.

"Seriously?" He looked back at Tyler.

He nodded. "I'd just been partying a lot. I'm not an alcoholic. So of course to prove that I got really wasted and went ballistic on my too-good-for-me boyfriend."

Jeremy laid the pamphlet aside and sat up, pushing one of the pillows with him. He looked at Tyler in the soft lamplight.

"The truth is," Tyler went on and his face twisted, one side screwing up as though he didn't want to admit what he was saying. "The whole thing really pissed me off and I had all that brewing inside of me, but it wasn't until I saw you dancing with Vicki that I just kind of lost it."

Jeremy's breath came out in an airy laugh as he recalled the night when the two of them goofed off to Avril-freaking-Lavigne. "Vicki?" He couldn't hide the confused amusement in his voice. "What?"

Tyler was sullen after confessing his less-than-reasonable jealousy. He defended the lack of logic with facts. "You did date her for a year."

Jeremy didn't even try to suppress the big grin on his face as he sat up even straighter. The humor in his voice only grew. "Yeah. And she was a beautiful _beard_."

Tyler met his eyes then and smiled with him, embarrassed. "I know, I know." He conceded.

Jeremy watched him a moment before climbing out of bed and going over to him. His disbelief at the completely ridiculous trigger didn't fade but he managed to tame the look of hilarity in his eyes enough to keep from embarrassing him further. Facing him, he sat down over Tyler's lap, a leg on either side. Tyler's arms went around him as he turned his chin up to look at him.

Jeremy brushed his fingers through his hair with one hand and traced his jaw with the other. "That's crazy." He assured him. One side of his mouth curled upward, unable to keep from teasing him. "You know I'd rather do the dougie with you."

The traces of insecurity left Tyler's eyes as his face broke into a smile and transitioned into a smirk. "I do it better than her anyway."

Jeremy lowered his head and kissed him, nodding. If the dougie was a euphemism for sex then he was dead right, but on a purely dance related level Vicki had him beat hands down. Girl could move. There was no need to tell him that though.

The kiss started out innocently enough so Tyler caught him off guard when he suddenly gripped him tightly and launched out of the chair with him around his waist. He laughed loudly as Tyler threw him back on the bed and crawled on top. He wrapped his arms around his neck as he lowered over him and kissed him through his cheerful smile. He guessed it was time to dougie again.

* * *

Tyler was still in bed when Jeremy came out of the connecting bathroom the next morning. His arms were propped behind his head and Jeremy could fully appreciate his toned torso in the sunlight rising through the windows. He had to get home so he could shower and change before school, but not kicking off his shoes and getting back into bed with Tyler took a heightened amount of self-control. Tyler knew it too, lips cocked in a sneer as he made no effort to cover up.

Jeremy went over to his side of the bed and leaned down, kissing him and letting his heart beat erratically.

He left an arm on the other side of him as he bent down, informing him before he had to leave. "Damon got held up in Meadows."

Meadows was a much bigger metropolis about two hours away from Mystic Falls where Damon was currently speaking to a group of organized vampires trying to arrange a workable system of exchange between themselves and hospital staffers willing to hand over ice chests full of donated blood. When Damon first got wind of it he showed immediate interest because the hospital in Mystic Falls raised its security following the increase in blood theft. He could mesmerize one guard but when it became a matter of risking exposing himself as a vampire he backed off and was hungry because of it. Stefan was living off their reserves while Damon went off to negotiate with the other vamps.

"Elena's driving out to see him this weekend." He went on. "A bunch of us are going with her. You want to come?"

Tyler reached up and grabbed hold of his collar, jerking him down with a roughness that excited Jeremy enough that he had to concentrate on his self-control again.

"Yes." Tyler said simply and kissed him again.

Jeremy smiled and registered the sound of the bedroom door opening in time to pull himself from Tyler's grasp and jump backward. He almost fell over the desk chair as he stumbled back into the wall away from him. Mrs. Lockwood entered the room and didn't seem to notice his panic.

"Oh! Jeremy." She smiled brightly. She was already dressed and in full makeup. "I didn't know you stayed over."

He forced himself to stay calm as he realized she didn't suspect anything and planted as genuine a smile as he could on his tense face. Tyler didn't appear nearly as concerned as he should be. Then again, Jeremy knew he was often shirtless; slept that way, went for runs that way, and went down for breakfast sans shirt if his mother wasn't around to hassle him about it. Werewolves liked to flaunt what they had, so they were probably safe. On the off chance that she walked over and threw the covers off him, though, they would be totally screwed. Shirtless was one thing. Flat naked was another.

"On your way out?" She asked.

Jeremy pushed himself off the wall and layered on the charm she loved so much. "Yes, ma'am. Don't want to be late for school."

She turned from him and her expression soured noticeably on Tyler. "Tyler should take a page out of your book."

Tyler stared back at her. "Oh I've taken two or three pages."

Jeremy laughed and covered it with a cough. He crossed the room to the door before he did or said something to slip them up.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Lockwood."

"Have a good day, Jeremy." She wished him well and turned back to her son, immediately starting about needing him to let the housekeeper in after school because "that woman" lost her key. Jeremy didn't have high hopes for "that woman's" continued employment with the Lockwoods.

He stopped at the door and smiled at Tyler. Forced into silence, he held a hand over his heart safely behind Mrs. Lockwood's back. Tyler half-smiled, tuning out his mother and mirroring Jeremy's farewell. He lifted his hand to his chest and held it there a moment before curling his fingers over the area to play it off as a scratch.

With a quiet laugh, Jeremy slipped out of the room and headed out feeling better than he had in a long time.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Glad you all enjoyed their reunion! Tyler is not going to rehab. Oops! Probably should have been clearer about that. Sorry, guys!

**Chapter Eleven**

Saturday morning, Jeremy got up much earlier than he normally would on a weekend and sleepily made his way downstairs after changing and brushing his teeth. Elena was already in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. She pushed the box toward the seat next to her at the table and Jeremy went over to it, sitting tiredly. Too lazy to get a bowl from the cabinet he reached into the box and pulled a handful of frosted flakes out.

There was a piece of paper laying flat in the middle of the table, and Jeremy dragged it over to read. It was a short letter from Jenna telling them to have fun and be careful in Meadows. Six a.m. on a Saturday was too early for her to get up and give them a goodbye in person.

"Ready?" Elena asked.

He hadn't decided before a loud double honk came from outside. He groaned but pulled himself back out of his seat with another handful of flakes.

"I'll go get my bag." He mumbled.

Stefan waved to him when he came outside after locking the door behind him. He was in front of Caroline's new silver Escalade and the blonde looked pretty and awake in the driver's seat as she waved too. Elena was already in the back behind Stefan so Jeremy crossed over to the other side and got in, throwing his backpack over into the back.

Stefan and Elena were looking forward to seeing Damon but Jeremy couldn't care less. He only agreed to come because he loved Meadows. He was anonymous there and it was a small window into what his life could be outside of Mystic Falls, bigger and freer.

They made their last stop at the Lockwood home. Tyler was sitting on the top step of the porch waiting for them in a jacket and grey knit cap. He got to his feet slowly in the cold morning and meandered over to them down the drive. Like the smell of strong caffeine, Jeremy's senses perked up at Tyler's presence. He felt more awake in seconds.

Jeremy checked the windows and doorway for Mrs. Lockwood but the coast looked clear and Tyler definitely seemed to think so. He didn't have a bag with him to put in the back so after opening the back seat door on the driver's side he automatically leaned in and kissed Jeremy good morning. Jeremy slid over to the middle and Tyler got in, closing the door after him and resting his head back against the seat lazily. Stefan and Caroline greeted him pleasantly and Elena gave him a warm smile. He tipped his chin in their general directions but was too sleepy still to talk. Jeremy sunk into his side and dropped his head on his shoulder, yawning and drifting back to sleep.

When he woke back up he looked around and rubbed his face. They were on the highway maybe forty minutes out of Mystic Falls. He stayed slumped against Tyler and noticed Elena asleep in the seat next to him. Caroline held her head out the window on the driver's side and cheered loudly into the rush of cool morning wind. Stefan reached over from the passenger side and pat her arm.

"Honey, watch the road." He prodded gently. She hooted some more, so he moved his hand to the steering wheel and tapped it importantly. "Car, please."

She pulled herself back in and shot him a sour look. "It's not like we could die in a car crash. You're such a worrywart. Why can't you be a happy-wart?"

Stefan turned to her and raised a hand, gesturing as he laid a new lecture on her. "First of all, 'happy-wart' is nothing and it sounds kind of disgusting."

Jeremy couldn't disagree there. It sounded like a not-much-nicer way of saying herpes.

Stefan went on. "But more to the point, yes we absolutely could die in a car crash." Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "Car, if we flipped or hit a semi and got ourselves decapitated that would do it."

Her face screwed up and she scoffed in disgust. "God, Stefan! That's so gross! You're the biggest buzzkill I've ever met."

Jeremy was tempted to contribute the fact that any of their other passengers would die in a car crash much more easily, but it was best not to jump into another couple's squabble. It only led to having to take sides and argue a point Jeremy didn't actually care that much about.

"I'm a buzzkill because I don't want you to be decapitated?" Amusement crept into Stefan's voice the way it always did when he thought Caroline was being particularly Caroline-ish.

"Stop saying 'decapitated'. Seriously." She set her eyes on him testily before returning her gaze to the road, her earlier cheer mostly diminished. She tapped her manicured fingers against the wheel in exasperation. "Jeez…"

The car sunk into silence for a while and Stefan dropped his head back against the seat. He rolled it over to look at his put-out girlfriend.

"I'm sorry." A soft smile played on his lips. "Caroline. I'm sorry."

She glanced at him but looked straight back at the road. She sighed heavily. "You're cute and all, Stef, but you can be such a downer sometimes. …A lot of times."

"I know." He conceded, reaching over and taking her free hand in his. "You can put your head out if you want to. I won't say 'decapitate' anymore."

She turned to him more fully and smiled. The tension went away but for those not sharing in a sappy reconciliation stare, it melted into an awkward silence.

"Uh…" Tyler leaned forward in the back seat. "Can you put the radio on?"

* * *

Damon was staying at the Hilton, because anything cheaper would have made him feel less superior. At least that's what Tyler figured. Anything that made Damon feel richer, stronger and better than everyone else was what Damon did or bought. They entered the hotel lobby and were only beginning to look around when the vampire came into view walking from around a large marble pillar.

The building was impressive. The floors were pristine and waxed to perfection. His mom fired their housekeeper the day before. He should give her a call and recommend she apply here. The crew that kept the massive building clean and polished had to get paid better than what his mother was dishing out.

The yellow-gold/brown color palette gave the area a natural sense of luxury. The long streams of layered white and yellow lights were built into the ceiling in aesthetically pleasing designs. Tyler was glad they didn't have to approach the front desk to inquire about Damon. There was nothing wrong with the hotel per se but he wanted to spend as little time as possible with the vampire and that included waiting around for him to come down or let them up.

Caroline spun around looking up at the vaulted ceilings and Elena walked ahead of them on her way to Damon. He was smirking at her as she stepped into his arms. Pressing a kiss into her cheek, it was clear he expected to pull back and get to her lips but Elena held him tighter and didn't let go.

His brows lowered in confusion and his smugness increased. "That's a warm reception."

When she still didn't pull away, his face straightened somewhat, a minor wisp of concern altering his features. His eyes flicked over her shoulder to Stefan who looked away quickly. Tyler knew the brothers had their differences but he really didn't see Stefan keeping the news of Elena's attack from him for long. For better or worse, the Salvatores functioned as a team.

Tyler's eyes drifted to Jeremy standing by a potted plant and watching his sister cling to her boyfriend as though searching for a safeness she still didn't feel. He walked over and slipped his hand around his. Jeremy turned to him and Tyler nodded his head toward Elena reassuringly.

"She'll be alright." He told him confidently. Jeremy nodded but he didn't seem so sure. His hand tightened around his.

Elena pulled out of the hug, leaving her hands on Damon's hips. He narrowed his eyes at her inquisitively and she smiled with an effort, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"I missed you."

Tyler heard her cover for herself as he walked up to them with Jeremy. Damon's suspicion didn't immediately vanish.

"You sure?" He whispered, hands going up and down her arms.

She nodded, swallowing thickly. "Two weeks is a long time."

Damon seemed to accept her explanation, finally looking away and over at his brother. "Yeah and it was worth it. Stef, we're in."

Stefan grabbed one of his hands as he pulled him into a half-hug. "What's the price?" He asked as he pulled back.

"Not bad. They're being a little hard to get, but it's nothing I can't charm my way through." Damon let go of Elena as he turned to walk with Stefan for a one-on-one, but as he released her she moved forward and curled one of her arms through his. She fell into step with him and he looked down at her with some surprise but didn't pull out of her grip.

Jeremy watched the trio walk away to talk blood and money with a frown.

"I'm worried about her." He confessed when they were alone and his voice carried that airy note it did when he was exasperated or completely spent.

A few feet away Caroline rubbed the back of her hand against one of the smooth marble pillars and eyed it with some wonder. Tyler arched an eyebrow and turned his back on the distracting blonde. He grabbed Jeremy's free hand with his other one and squeezed his palms.

"Look, I was there. It wasn't pretty but it wasn't anything she can't get past either. You said it yourself. Elena's tough." Tyler drew him closer and pulled Jeremy's hands around his own neck before releasing them and grabbing his waist. He loved the freedom that came with being in another city. A big city. One where no one knew either of them and they could be together in public. A trace of a smile lifted Jeremy's lips.

He missed that smile. He missed holding Jeremy and talking to him throughout the day. He tilted his head and kissed him lightly on the lips. His smile grew a little in response so Tyler stepped closer and kissed him harder. Before they had to cut away for air, Caroline's high voice cooed with affection at them from very close.

"Aww, I knew you guys would make up." They broke apart to see her smiling at them happily. "You're too cute."

Tyler sighed, trying to hide his annoyance for the sake of the trip. Puppies and bear cubs and basically anything baby-like was 'cute'. Personally he hated the word and would have preferred 'hot' as an adjective for his relationship with Jeremy. He knew Caroline didn't mean anything by it though, so he forced a thin smile for her benefit. Jeremy's grin was much easier as he leaned against Tyler and dropped an arm over his shoulder to dangle down his back.

"Guys!" Elena trailed back over to them with one of Damon's arms draped over her shoulders. She flashed some tickets at them excitedly. "Damon got us tickets to Six Flags."

"Sweet!" Jeremy let go of him to walk over to his sister to examine the tickets. Caroline clapped enthusiastically and skipped over to them as well.

Tyler darkened unhappily. He didn't have a problem with heights, but he did have a problem with traveling at unnaturally fast speeds while being high. He was hoping to spend the day doing something he could enjoy without fearing for his life a hundred feet in the air on a cart that sped across a bendy, twisty track. He glowered at Damon as he took the tickets from Elena and handed one each to Jeremy and Caroline. He went over and leaned against one of the pillars, making no effort to join in the celebration.

_Fucking vampire._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Damon tossed Elena over his shoulder to squeals of protest. Jeremy hung back with Tyler feeling the knot inside him relax at the sound of his sister's jubilant laughter. She wiggled over Damon's shoulder but he held her in place as the group made their way through the busy amusement park. To the side Caroline had her arm through Stefan's yammering to him about the merits of having a Fast Pass and the disadvantage they had without one.

Jeremy was used to being a part of a secret couple among open ones, so when Tyler's hand found his, a special excitement bubbled within him. No one knew them there, so they could just be that gay couple some stranger saw on his way to The Rattler. Non-heterosexual PDA in Virginia would earn them a second look either way, but while they were nameless nobodies it was attention they could handle.

With a round of giggles Damon finally complied, setting Elena back on her feet. He frowned over at Caroline. "Enough with the Fast Pass whining. Isn't it enough that I bought all of you tickets, you ungrateful blonde baby."

Caroline glared back at him. "No one likes waiting in long lines, Damon, you…dumb idiot." She shot back.

Damon was about to sound off a retort when Elena grabbed his arm and steered his attention elsewhere. Probably best not to let a thoughtless, aggravated Caroline get into anything heated with Damon. There was no telling what would come out of her mouth and Elena had a secret to protect.

"Let's just pick a ride, shall we?" Stefan aided in making the peace.

Tyler's hand subconsciously tightened around Jeremy's and he looked over at him with growing amusement. He grinned mischievously.

"You scared of roller coasters, tough guy?" He teased.

"Shut up." Tyler's reply was low as he arched his eyebrows, and Jeremy's smile widened.

"No, it's cool." He refused to drop the issue as they passed a diner style restaurant on the grounds on their way to a ride on the other side. "You transform into this terrifying, hairy moon beast every month but a little hydraulic amusement park fun makes your inner wolf yipe. It's very humanizing."

Tyler pinched his side and Jeremy laughed as he jumped away. "What did I say?" Tyler warned him.

"I don't know." Jeremy dragged the response out, laying on a faux sense of concentration. "I couldn't hear over all the yipping."

Tyler was frozen a full second before launching himself at Jeremy. Adrenaline shot through his veins in a rush and Jeremy shirked away, taking off and slamming into Damon's shoulder in his hurry to move past him. The vampire scowled but Elena reached over and grabbed his far arm to keep him from smacking it out at her brother. Tyler rounded them with more grace and ran for Jeremy who made the mistake of zigzagging toward the restaurant and getting cornered by the barrier.

Tyler reached him and grabbed his sides, tickling him exactly where it got to him the most. Jeremy laughed loudly amid shouts of protest. He pushed at Tyler but his arms were weak with uncontrollable laughter.

"You sorry?" Tyler asked as he tormented him.

"Yes." Jeremy gave up but Tyler only tickled him harder. "Yes!"

Tyler stopped his assault after the louder surrender, stilling his hands on his hips. Jeremy breathed heavily, watching him with suspicion.

"That's what I thought." Tyler leaned down over Jeremy who was forced into a submissive position, half sitting against a short rail along the wall of the restaurant. He kissed Jeremy, bringing his hand up between them and threatening to resume his attack on his stomach. Jeremy chortled, capturing the hand and freezing it in his own as he kissed him back.

Tyler started laughing and Jeremy opened his eyes, turning to see what he was looking at. On the other side of the glass window of the restaurant, an elderly couple stared at their antics. Jeremy stood, still holding Tyler's hand and adjusted his fingers around it.

He dipped into a bow and Tyler yanked on his hand, dragging him back to the traffic on the main route.

"What? Everyone loves dinner and a show." He joked as they trailed at a distance behind the rest of the group.

Tyler grinned at him. "Come here." He tugged him against his side and kissed him again. "Dork."

Jeremy chuckled and pulled Tyler along faster to catch up with everyone else.

* * *

The Whirlwind consisted of twelve circular pods that held two people each. It lifted off the ground and spun around a central point at increasing speeds. After the first run of spins, the pods began to rise and fall, flipping around vertically while still being pulled around the central engine at whipping speeds. They stood in line at the short metal gate watching it in full swing as they waited their turn.

Tyler exhaled in exasperation. "God…dammit…"

Jeremy turned away from the ride, setting his grin on him. The ride attendant opened the metal gate and counted in the next twenty-four people. As Tyler grudgingly followed Jeremy to a bright blue pod, Elena popped up at their side and grabbed Jeremy's arm with a bright smile.

"Mind if I steal my brother for this one?" Elena pulled Jeremy away to a yellow pod down the line before he could reply. Tyler dropped his head to his shoulder irritably and Jeremy mouthed an apology over his shoulder, not in the position to decline a request from his sister at the moment.

"Guess that leaves you with me." Damon gave him a phony smile and Tyler openly scowled.

"I'd rather throw up with a stranger." Tyler stated flatly, then reconsidered. "Or when I feel it coming I could just turn my head in your direction."

Caroline swooped in for a save. She pushed Stefan toward Damon who stumbled and furrowed his brow at her, having not been paying attention to the animosity brewing between the other two.

"We'll let the siblings ride this one together, hmm?" She grabbed Tyler's hand and pulled him to a pink pod with her. Tyler's eyes dragged across the ground, and as she climbed up into the seat her voice lowered with a grave edge. "You throw up on me and I'll bite you."

He looked up sharply.

Down the line, Jeremy was already in the yellow pod and pulling the safety restraint down over his shoulders. Elena grinned as the attendant came and checked that they clicked the belts correctly. As he walked away she turned to Jeremy and he looked back at her uncertainly.

"Okay?" He asked.

She smiled. "Yeah. I just… I wanted to say thank you for being there for me lately. I know I keep saying I'm fine, and I am. I really am. But it's nice to know you're there for me either way. You're a good brother, Jer."

It was the first time since the night she came home cut and disheveled that she brought up the subject of the attack herself. It felt important, and he nodded somberly.

"Elena, if you need me for anything, _ever_, that's all you need to say." He told her sincerely, planting his feet firmly on the pod floor.

Her grin relaxed and she nodded. "You do for yours." She quoted their mother.

She used to tell them that all the time, usually before having to go do something for Jenna that she really didn't want to do. She could be right in the middle of something, but if Jenna called upset over a breakup or needed help with a work thing, their mother would drop what she was doing, grab her keys and head over. Family looked out for each other. They might not have their mother anymore, but they had what she taught them. Being available was on the top of that list.

Elena sat back and grabbed the metal handgrips on the overhead safety restraint as the pods slowly began to move around the centerpiece.

"Five bucks says Caroline pukes by the end of the day." She bet as the pod gained momentum.

Jeremy figured Tyler was the more likely bet but didn't need to give Elena that information. He smirked. "You're on."

* * *

Jeremy couldn't get a grip on himself, doubled over in laughter. They just got off The Superman and were reviewing the action shots taken on the multiple screens at the end of the terminal. Cameras along the track captured snapshots of the coaster passengers after certain drops and twists. On one of the middle screens their group's six-some was busted soon after takeoff.

It wasn't one of Jeremy's favorite rides. The track was shorter than most and besides the blackout tunnel the ride was pretty forgettable. In the front of the cart and directly behind him, he and Damon were clear in the picture, holding their arms up and hooting in excitement. Directly beside him, however, Tyler's face was contorted in horror as he gripped the safety bar.

Jeremy gasped for breath as he leaned on the counter and pointed at the screen, indicating the one he was looking at to the attendant. "That one. I want that one."

His shoulders were still shaking as he reached in his pocket for money and looked back to see Tyler fighting a blush off by glowering at him. He burst into laughter again, leaning over the counter as he waited for the picture printout.

"I'm going to frame that." He promised as his chuckles wound down with a sigh. "Perfect."

* * *

Elena twirled a keychain with a Six Flags logo in her hand in a souvenir shop late in the afternoon. Jeremy tried to direct his attention her way and off of the twelve year old kid messing with a rack of postcards who looked about as red as Elmo if he was on fire, covered in tomato juice and dipped in strawberry jam. Someone forgot sunblock. His slightly pudgy look didn't help either. It was like watching a giant cherry walk around in clothes and a baseball cap.

Elena shook the 'E' shaped keychain at her boyfriend. There were red flags inside the thick clear plastic. "Will you buy me this?"

"Yes, I will." He answered cheerfully, clearly still happy with himself over making the blood deal with the Meadows' vampires. "You can have whatever you want. I'm in a good mood."

"A spending mood." Elena interpreted, intrigued.

Damon tilted his head with a confirming smirk. Caroline scooted up next to him with a tote bag and a cute t-shirt she found.

"Does that go for everyone or just Elena?" She looked up at him innocently and he eyed her down his nose.

"Eh, why not? It's good for the soul to do for those who can't do for themselves." He peppered as much condescension into his voice as possible.

Caroline twisted her face at him with snooty defiance. "Screw you. I can do for myself. I'd just rather spend someone else's money. It's more fun that way."

Before Damon could fire some snarky remark right back Stefan dropped a hand on her waist and pressed a credit card into her hand to appease her.

"Spend mine." He invited and Caroline beamed.

Jeremy was about to step in and make the offer himself because Elena was watching Caroline wearily, probably remembering how easily she spilled the beans about Tyler to him. News of her attack would definitely send Damon off the deep end and put a damper on an otherwise fun day.

Growing bored of the store and deciding not to get anything he ambled outside to wait for everyone else. Sitting on a bench in the brick courtyard between the shop and a small bathroom rest stop, he was grateful for the light wind in the air and the cool temperature. He didn't know how that kid got so burned. Rain wasn't coming but the sky was overcast enough to give all the benefits of cloud cover without the drawback of getting caught out in a shower.

Closing his eyes, he tried to absorb every moment of the day and lock it into memory. Today was special. Not having to hide who he was, was special. Just having fun with his friends after a long drawn out session of moping and listening to music with swear words in the chorus and acoustic guitars holding the verses together felt good. He wished every day could be like this. Light, happy and open.

He lost track of Tyler inside so was surprised when he felt someone sit down very close to him on the bench, leg pressing against his own. He cracked his eyes open as Tyler wrapped an arm around him and shook a small white shopping bag in the hand hooked over his shoulder. Jeremy peered down at it.

"For me?"

Tyler nodded blankly so Jeremy took it out of his hand. He looked at him sideways with half a smile before pulling the bag open and reaching inside. Out came a black bracelet made out of thin rope with a silver plate dangling on it. Jeremy smiled up at him.

"Look at the letters on it." Tyler encouraged.

Jeremy looked back down at it. On the silver part in old English script were the letters 'JT'. Jeremy's brow furrowed. _JT? …Jeremy/Tyler?_

He chuckled, looking back up at him. "That was the fastest engraving job ever made."

Tyler shook his head, pulling a piece of cardboard out of his pocket and showing it to him. "Nah, the brand is Just Try." He smirked. "It's like a sadder version of Just Do It."

Jeremy chortled at the Nike slogan. Just Try did sound like it was in the Nike family. Maybe if Nike had an emo cousin prone to failure. 'Jeremy/Tyler' was definitely better.

Jeremy pulled it over his hand and spun it around his wrist so the silver plating was face up. He looked back at Tyler sincerely. "I love it."

"Yeah?"

Jeremy cupped his cheek and kissed his lips. He nodded, glancing down at the bracelet. "Jeremy/Tyler…"

"Should Just Do It." Tyler finished. They chuckled as the rest of their group ambled out of the shop.

"Come on." Damon waved them over as they set off automatically down the path. "Wanna hit a couple more rides before we take off."

Caroline swung a few bags as she walked prissily behind him. "One of us needs to stay behind with all our stuff while the rest of us get on the rides."

Tyler got to his feet instantly, raising his hand. "I'll do it!"

Jeremy shook his head as he stood up after him. "You're _such_ a chicken." He called him out with mystified awe in his voice.

Tyler held his arm out for him and Jeremy stepped under it. He didn't deny it, keeping a straight face. "You still love me?"

"Yeah…" Jeremy leaned into his side. "I have a thing about wusses."

Tyler hummed low in his throat as he repressed a laugh. He closed his arm around his neck, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head. "Good."

* * *

"Group shot! Come on, get over here!" Caroline waved the group over on their way out of the park.

The sun was setting and more than anything Jeremy wanted to crawl back in the Escalade and go to sleep. Walking all day long and getting stuck in gigantic lines could do that to a person. Caroline handed her lime green digital camera to a woman in a big floppy straw hat and hustled over to the rest of them in front of a large running fountain.

Damon was sitting on the cement bench that ran along the fountain as a tall barrier and Elena was perched on his knee, ready with a radiant smile. Damon tossed his arm around Stefan's shoulder beside him on the bench and Caroline quickly sat on the broody vampire's lap to balance the picture by mimicking Elena's pose. Jeremy squatted in front of Elena who leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, resting her chin on the top of his head. Tyler dropped to one knee in front of Stefan and tipped his head to the side, leaning it against Jeremy's.

The woman fired off a round of several snapshots to be sure to capture the pose without motion blurriness. As Jeremy got back to his feet the speakers around the outside of the park flipped to the same Avril Lavigne song from the night of the rally. Two assurances in life were that public places would always play pop music and while shopping at Academy at least one Journey song would travel down the aisles.

He stretched to loosen his muscles with a groan. "Not this shit again."

Tyler looked up to focus on the sound and grinned at his expense when he recognized the song. "I thought you loved this shit."

To rub it in, Tyler twisted and rolled his arms out to mime Jeremy's dance moves last time they heard this song playing. Elena laughed and Jeremy raised his tongue to the roof of his mouth, nodding with a roll of his eyes. Tyler didn't stop though, so Jeremy set his eyes on him in warning.

"Oh do you want to go there?" He asked.

Tyler's eyebrows shot up but he continued rolling his arms to the sides and dropped low, turning his legs out. He didn't have Vicki's form but he didn't look bad either. Caroline clapped and bounced on her heels, grabbing Stefan's arm and slapping his chest.

"I knew you were an Avril fan." Elena managed to hold a straight face as she started copying Tyler, moving with a little more prissiness but still able to pull off the same teasing effect. She moved directly in front of him and danced in his face. Jeremy shook his head at her. "Come on, Jer, you know you want to."

"You too?" Jeremy stared at her disapprovingly. "Traitor." He accused but his stony expression cracked and as his lips shot upward he started rolling his arm out in front of him. "I'll dougie the shit out of both of you."

At the jokingly sinister words, he went off into the moves with much more technical success and natural ease. He danced around them and Tyler burst into laughter unable to keep going and stumbling off to the side. Elena kept up a little longer but it soon fell apart as she giggled herself out of control too. Jeremy kept going, because it was late, they sucked and they garnered some attention from passersby anyway.

Caroline grabbed one of Stefan's hands and put his other on her waist, moving with him in an easier form to the beat. Introverted Stefan struggled at first to put on such a public show but descended into a smile of amusement and pulled her around more easily. Damon smirked and moved in a more subdued way off to the side on his own.

By the end of the song a crowd of onlookers clapped and whistled. Caroline and Jeremy bowed and Stefan covered his face with his hands, shaking his head at the attention. As they wandered off toward the parking lot, Tyler tugged his grey knit cap back over his head and zipped up his jacket as he chortled quietly. Jeremy wanted to laugh and grumble about the embarrassing show at the same time. He smiled at Elena as she grabbed his arm and laughed. She seemed happier than she had in a long time. That stupid Avril Lavigne song would probably be stuck in his head for days. He tightened his hold on Elena's arm and listened to her chuckle to herself.

It was worth it.

* * *

**A/N:** With all the angst going on I thought the group deserved a little break. lol


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** TY, everyone! LOL, bb1019, I get what you're saying about Tyler but I like the idea of him loosening up in a situation where he can be publicly open with Jeremy without worrying about someone they know finding out about his sexuality. Don't worry, though, I'm not totally making him OOC now. - Toulip Fontana, I debated having Anna there, and if Six Flags had been planned ahead of time Jeremy definitely would have invited her. As for Damon finding out, all I can say is I'm taking care to resolve each situation. ;) - Black Lighted Clouds, you're too nice for words. Thank you very much.

**Chapter Thirteen**

After driving back to the hotel so Damon could check out, Elena decided to ride back with him. Jeremy stuck with Stefan and Caroline, glad that Elena hadn't invited him along. Damon wasn't someone he enjoyed in long doses. Hanging out with him at the amusement park was alright. It was cool of him to score them all tickets and the day turned out to be really fun and memorable. There was just something about getting his neck snapped by the guy though…. Really made him hold a grudge.

"You guys mind if we stop for food?" Caroline asked from the driver's seat. "I'm _starving_."

Tyler looked away from the window behind her amicably. "I could eat."

Of course he could. Jeremy could knock back as many calories as the next teenage boy with an overactive metabolism, but werewolves and vampires seemed to crave sustenance five times as much as a normal human being. It was like the monster in them was actually just an obese spirit possessing their bodies.

Then again, they did grab an early lunch and then mostly snacked on junk the rest of the day between rides. He tried to shake his fatigue enough so he wouldn't fall asleep on the way to a restaurant. "Me too."

"Cool! I'll text Elena where we're going," Caroline pulled her cell up from between the front seats, murmuring, "so she and Damon can…meet us there."

Stefan pulled the phone out of her hand and pointed at the road. "I'll do it." He volunteered and she didn't put up a fight.

"Fine." She conceded. "Just don't start saying 'decapitate' again."

* * *

They found a restaurant/bar joint open to minors and found a table after everyone decided fast food was out of the question. Elena and Damon arrived not long after and joined them. The place was quiet for a bar. There wasn't a lot of chatter and the jukebox wasn't all that loud whenever anybody bothered to get up and put it on. There was a television mounted up at the corner of the bar where the news was playing. Jeremy was glad it wasn't on a game of some sort. It would be a shame to cap such a great day off with a bunch of drunk, shouting sports groupies. There would be enough of those back home.

Jeremy leaned back in his seat at the table as they finished up their meal. The food wasn't bad. It wouldn't make any Top Ten lists but it was filling and tasted well enough. Actually, now that he was well fed Jeremy's exhaustion was beginning to settle into his bones. He slumped forward again, grabbing Tyler's leg under the table and squeezing.

Tyler looked over at him sleepily. Long days in the sun took a lot out of someone.

"Alright. Are we ready?" Damon asked and signaled for the waitress without waiting for a response. Jeremy didn't think vampires required sleep, though he knew Caroline at least did it sometimes anyway, having walked in on her passed out in Elena's room or on the couch downstairs numerous times after her change. He figured Damon was just ready to get a move on.

"Is everything okay?" The waitress, Jeremy couldn't remember her name until he glanced at her nametag (Nora), smiled with a notepad in her hand. She was pretty, couldn't have been much older than them. Not as ancient as Damon and Stefan by far.

"Yes. Bring us the checks please. Individuals. I spent enough on you people today, thank you." Damon added to the group as a tactless side. Elena wasn't hungry and had only picked off his plate so he didn't have to worry about covering her.

Tyler pointed between him and Jeremy. "These two are together." He informed her, leaning forward and reaching for his wallet.

She nodded in his direction and then glanced back in surprise. "Oh! …my god," she brought a hand to her chest and beamed. "Tyler Lockwood!" At the sound of his name Jeremy automatically pulled away from him, letting go of his leg under the table and sitting back in his own space. "I'm Nora Groves. I met you once at a party about a year ago in Mystic Falls. My cousin, Pam, goes to school with you."

Jeremy was jogged out of his tired state and slammed back into full alert. Pamela Groves was a gossip of Caroline's caliber. Come Monday he would be surprised if even the school's shunned chess and AV club hadn't heard about their group's trip to Meadows. His mind raced trying to remember if he acted inappropriately with Tyler in a way that might get him in hot water with their schoolmates.

Aside from grabbing his leg he didn't think they even kissed while they were there. He was tired and mostly stared down at his plate the whole time after being served. They might have held hands on the way in. His gaze flicked to the front of the bar. It wasn't a diner so there were no wide stretching windows overlooking the parking lot, just a front door in a small closed off business. Still, his heart started up in a dizzying race against the worry spinning around his head.

"Oh right. Hi." Tyler feigned a memory of her politely and sat back, eyes flitting between her and his lap. "Uh, how are you?"

Nora smiled and tucked her short yellow/orange hair behind her ears self-consciously. "I'm great. It's so funny running into you all the way over here. I remember Pam used to have such giant crush on you. She talked about you all the time, oh my God. I swear she cyber-stalked you for like a year."

Stefan almost choked on the last bit of coke at the bottom of his glass, but Caroline was leaning forward with her elbows on the table absorbing the information like a presidential address. The waitress didn't seem to harbor any protective feelings for Pamela's privacy. Lacking a filter over their mouths was probably a family trait. Fun family.

"That's…" Tyler rubbed the back of his neck but was unable to come up with something to smooth away the awkwardness settling around the group. "…Okay."

"I'll tell her I ran into you!" She said cheerily, not noticing the strange looks coming at her from Damon and-more subtly-Stefan.

"Gorgeous," Damon snapped his fingers and tapped his watch. "Checks."

"Oh right." She remembered her station and glanced at her notepad, then back at Tyler and finally to Jeremy. "So wait." She pointed between them. "Your meals are together? So you're like…?"

Jeremy cleared his throat and sat forward, giving her a forced smile. He beckoned to the dartboards in the back corner of the bar. "Tyler here lost a bet." He covered quickly. "Didn't think I could hit the bull's-eye twice in one game. Underestimated by impressive marksmanship. Loser buys dinner, and as you can see I'm not a loser."

He set one of the smiles he usually reserved for Mrs. Lockwood on her and she giggled. "Way to go." She congratulated, which thankfully meant that she must not have noticed that not once during the night did any of them wander over to the dartboards. "I'll be right back with your checks." She tapped Tyler's shoulder and headed off.

Tyler sighed and the one exhalation was full of meaning. His eyes slid to Jeremy. "Smooth." He said gratefully. The knot that had unwound in Jeremy all day returned, but he nodded, looking away and rubbing a hand through his hair.

Caroline tapped Elena's forearm on the table conspiratorially. "Remember how much I hated Pamela Groves? She's the one who started that rumor about me last year. That one about me being a bleached blonde?" She glared with disgust. Turning to the boys across from her she shook her head primly. "She's awful. I'm glad you're gay. I would just die if you were with Pamela. Jeremy's better anyway-OW!"

Elena pinched her sharply on the arm as Tyler dropped his head to his hands and rubbed his brow in exasperation. Jeremy's eyes were wide as they set on her in disbelief, and Stefan stared apologetically at the table, too attached to Caroline to speak out on her mistake but too aware of the sensitivity of the matter to rush to her defense either.

"Caroline!" Elena warned her and lowered her voice in a hiss. "That is private. _Remember?_"

Caroline looked over at them and collected herself. "Oh right." She was quiet a moment before playing it off. "It's not like anyone heard me. I was talking about her cousin. I wouldn't talk loud enough for her to hear. I'm not stupid."

Jeremy blinked and rolled his eyes at the table. They might still be in Meadows, but he felt the walls of Mystic Falls closing back in around him.

* * *

By the time they got back to town, finished dropping off Tyler and Jeremy got inside the house it was late enough to justify the cloud of exhaustion hanging over him. Elena popped her head into the hall at the sound of his entrance, which was surprising enough because he kind of figured she would be spending the night with Damon since it was his first day back. When Jenna skipped out and waved him over excitedly he felt even more tired. It was too late and he was too drained to start rehashing the day with his aunt already. He wanted to sleep.

"What?" He drawled, his voice developing the low croak of someone who needed to find a bed to dive over as soon as possible. He trailed over into the living room slowly. "Guys, I'm crashing two seconds from right now. Can we giggle in the morning?"

He stopped and eyed them oddly as he entered the room and saw the excitement on their faces. It wasn't let's-talk-about-Six-Flags excitement either. There was some genuine sparks behind their eyes.

"What?" He repeated.

Jenna jerked her hand out, extending an envelope for him. He walked over in the lamplight, confused.

"What is it?"

"It's from NYU!" Jenna said as he took it and looked down to see the information for himself. "I forgot to check the mail for a few days. It's probably been sitting there since Thursday. I was going to call you but I figured it was something you would want to see in person. I didn't open it!" She assured him and laughed shortly. "Wanted to though."

Jeremy grinned and looked back down at it. He applied for early admittance at the same time he applied to Virginia Tech because he wanted to be sure he was getting out of Mystic Falls as soon as he could. Still it seemed early to be hearing back from them. Then again, he doubted it took that long to print out a rejection form and fold it up into an envelope. They probably had a temp who did that around the clock for all the losers who wasted their time and money on an application.

"Open it!" Elena waved both hands palms up to hurry him.

One corner of his mouth lifted. "I may not be the first Gilbert to go to NYU, but I was the first to bother to try." He joked as he ripped through the top fold. Jenna and Elena laughed and bounced, grabbing each other's arms. Jeremy shook his head and pulled the paper out. He stretched it open and his face fell mid-way through the first sentence.

Their bouncing stilled and he looked up slowly in bewilderment. "I…" He looked down at it again to be sure. "I got in…"

"You got in?" Jenna exclaimed in equal confusion before her eyes grew huge with joyous shock. "You got in!"

Elena screamed and before he could spend another second staring down at the paper baffled, two pairs of arms were thrown around him. He stumbled backward trying to right them all as they squeezed and jumped and pushed and screamed. He looked over their shoulders but only a short laugh was able to bully its way past his astonishment. Crumpled between him and two women overdosing on happy endorphins was his ticket out of Mystic Falls and Virginia. _That was…_

…_unexpected._


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed-I love to hear your predictions and reactions. This one's not too long, but I'll try to update again this weekend. :D

**Chapter Fourteen**

The wooded area behind the Lockwood property made mornings feel like Middle Earth. Jeremy walked along the path that wove through the tall, old trees breathing in the fresh smell of dew and pine. He came over early but Tyler already took off on his morning run, so he wandered outside and started down the path he knew he took. He wasn't a runner so he walked leisurely through the forest, peering up through the break in trees at the slowly brightening sky.

Darker blues spread across the horizon and there was still that indescribable quiet that came with a brand new day. As though the world knew it was lucky to exist and took a little time at the beginning of each day to hold its breath and give thanks. Spring still wasn't ready to mark its territory so even in his jeans and hoodie he felt a little chilly as he made his way down the dirt path.

He was bending to flip over a white rock in the brush when he heard footsteps pattering in his direction. Looking up he saw Tyler slow in hesitation as he caught sight of a crouched figure and then relax all over when he recognized him. Cold or not, Tyler was shirtless in a pair of loose black shorts and sneakers. Werewolves…

He pulled his white headphones out and shoved them into his pocket as he made his way over. Jeremy stood and pocketed the pretty rock. Looking over Jeremy's shoulder through the long path to check that the coast was clear, he was satisfied with the completely shrouded in route and grabbed Jeremy's head in both hands. He leaned in and kissed him with a vigor that Jeremy knew came from the running endorphins. He didn't mind, just doing his best to keep up.

There must have been some anticipation in his eyes because when he pulled back, Tyler looked him over and without saying good morning, he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back.

He watched him intently. "What?"

Jeremy swallowed and reached into his pocket, pulling out the now somewhat crumbled piece of paper that boggled his mind so much the night before. He left the envelope at home but handed the white computer printout to Tyler, and as he stepped back with it narrowing his eyes Jeremy was better able to take in the unforgettable sight of a shirtless post-run Tyler Lockwood.

He was toned everywhere but his chest could have been chiseled from stone and given warmth by having hot clay spread over the molding. The news was supposed to be about him, but Jeremy was having a hard time tearing his concentration away from the other boy whose physical perfection seemed to trump any accomplishment of his own.

Meanwhile, Tyler's eyes ran over the paper and his head drew back in surprise at what he was presented. He looked up startled. "This…this is NYU?" He checked the stamp at the top of the page and Jeremy nodded with a thin smile. Tyler lit up all over. "Jer… _This_, this is incredible!"

Jeremy was relieved and happy by the reaction, growing more so as Tyler grabbed his face and went in to kiss him again. His lips moved against his, hard and insistent as he pushed him back until he bumped into a tree roughly. Tyler pushed him still, the paper floating out of his hand as he braced Jeremy against the tree and pressed against him heatedly. Jeremy wrapped his arms around him to hold him closer and his hands went over his bare back, warm from the exercise and slick with sweat despite the cold.

Tyler's jaw bumped his, pushing his head to the side as he ran his lips over his throat and kissed the spot over his pulse. Jeremy's eyes flickered open and he gazed up through the treetops at the brightening sky. He felt a chill as Tyler tugged down the zipper on his hoodie and slid his hand up the back of his shirt. He knew the Lockwoods had gardeners and landscapers who regularly came in. It sure wasn't Mrs. Lockwood who kept the grounds impeccable. Being spotted by a worker would be a terrible way for Tyler to be outed, but as Tyler's hand wandered down to his thigh and pulled it up roughly to anchor them tightly together Jeremy lost all concern for where he was.

Pulling Tyler's face back to his, he kissed him hungrily and soon forgot what they were celebrating to begin with.

* * *

The sun was completely up by the time they strolled back over to the house. Tyler opened the door for him and he entered feeling dizzy with content. Tree bark was unforgiving. He had scratches in weird places, but as far as mornings went this one ranked up there with his first Christmas; minus the doe-eyed innocence but with an even better payoff.

Tyler grabbed his black tank top off the banister where he left it and tugged it on right before Mrs. Lockwood walked into the foyer. Good thing because he had some manmade scratches in some unexplainable places.

"Morning, boys." She greeted, referencing her watch briefly. "Long run today, Tyler. You don't want to overdo it. You'll burn yourself out."

Tyler shrugged. "I've got plenty left in the tank." He looked over at his boyfriend suggestively and Jeremy dropped his head to the side, shaking it at his obvious remark.

Mrs. Lockwood looked up from the letter in her hand. "Well, you must be starving. Come on. I'll get you some orange juice."

They followed her to the kitchen and as she tossed the bills onto the counter Jeremy took a seat at the island thinking about the letter in his own pocket. It was crumpled, stepped on and wrinkled out of its mint condition now but the words were still there. He got in to a college outside of Virginia that he expected to get spit on from. Life was odd.

Tyler accepted the glass of orange juice his mother offered him after sliding a glass in front of their guest. He looked at him with a smile, happy to flaunt Jeremy's success.

"Hey, Mom, Jeremy got into NYU." He looked at the delight hit her face over the juice as he took a long drink.

"Is that so?"

Jeremy nodded, dropping his eyes back to the counter. He liked being shown off by Tyler. It made him feel prized and important.

"Well, congratulations!" Mrs. Lockwood went over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a hug. "You are going to love New York. My sister went to NYU, she says it was the best four years of her life. I went up to visit her every Christmas. It is beautiful and so different from here. I think it will really suit you."

"Oh," Jeremy smiled as she pulled back and went to the cabinet to get herself a glass. "Well, I'm still going to Virginia Tech. It's just cool to know I got in."

Tyler grinned at him over his juice, but Mrs. Lockwood didn't share her son's ease with the information.

"Why on earth would you do that?"

Jeremy looked at Tyler across the island, and his eyes gleamed as he looked back at him.

"It's good enough for Tyler," Mrs. Lockwood went on, "because that and football are the best he can do. But I could always tell you were going places. You don't bother yourself with sports and parties." Shows what she knew about him. If she was around him more during his freshman and sophomore year she wouldn't be singing as many pretty little praises. "NYU would be lucky to have you."

She tipped her glass of tonic water toward him and excused herself from the room. The sound of her heels clicked farther away as she went. Jeremy leaned over the island and twined his fingers with Tyler's.

"She's crazy." He assured her. The woman said so many insulting things on a daily basis it seemed like those stung by her would get desensitized but he knew it hurt Tyler time and time again. "You were scouted into one of the best football programs in the country. That's no small accomplishment."

Tyler's expression was still dark though, and he looked down at their joined hands, setting his jaw to the side. Jeremy bowed his head, attempting to catch his eyes. When he did look up he was dead serious.

"Jer, do you want to go to NYU?" He asked and it was clear that was the first time the notion popped in his head.

It wasn't the first time Jeremy thought the question but it was the first time he heard it so solemnly. When he asked himself if he would like to go to NYU it was like asking whether he would like to have a million dollars. Of course, but it wasn't something actually attainable. His life was with his family and Tyler. For the time being both required him to be in Virginia.

"Ty," he got up and rounded the island, stopping in front of him and trying to match the earnestness in Tyler's eyes to impress in him the scope of his sincerity. "I'm going to Tech with you."

"I know, but…" Tyler turned his head and shrugged. "I mean, have you thought about it? Really. Because this is a big opportunity and if you-"

Jeremy cupped his face in his hands and kissed him softly. His lips were calm and soothing without the eager fire they had outside. He smiled and pulled back.

"I am going to Tech. With _you_." He repeated sternly, and the cloud lifted from behind Tyler's eyes, dissolving with a smile.

Jeremy turned to go back to his glass of orange juice on the other side and Tyler shot his hand out, popping him on the butt with a heavy smack. He frowned at the island's flat tiled surface. "NYU…" He shook his head with false regret. "I knew you were a nerd."

Jeremy tore off a piece of the bagel he dragged from the basket beside him and flicked it at him. Tyler only opened his mouth wide, so Jeremy ripped off another piece and tossed it with some aim. Tyler had to duck down a little but he caught it and chewed through a smile. He walked over to him and pulled a bright green half of a leaf from his hair. He closed it in his fist and turned to leave the room.

"Dirty nerd." He corrected.

Jeremy hopped off the stool and jogged up behind him, listening for the sound of Mrs. Lockwood's steady heel clicks before grabbing his waist from behind. Tyler reached behind him for his hand and Jeremy slipped his fingers in his obligingly as they left the kitchen. Tyler pulled him toward the staircase but didn't let go of him as his mother's heels clicked back within hearing range. He sped up into a fast jog instead, yanking Jeremy along with him as they went quickly up the stairs.

"No running in the house!" Mrs. Lockwood called in warning to them from the other side of the large home.

Jeremy laughed openly as Tyler shot him a look over his shoulder. That probably wasn't the house rule she should be worrying about. 


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Thanks for all the favorites and reviews. :D Special thank you to The Green Eyed Cat for listening to my rambling rant. lol You're awesome.

**Chapter Fifteen**

Jeremy reached over Anna for the apple on her far side in the cafeteria. The library was closed so they were spending their break with the rest of the drones. They found a table near the middle with some extra chairs and no one glared at them when they took them so they took it as a sign of welcome. As he grabbed the fruit, Anna curled her fingers around his wrist and dropped her head to his shoulder smiling sweetly.

"What?" He stared down at her.

She was silent a moment before piping up with a familiar tune that morning. "Jeremy! If you went to NYU we would only be like forty minutes away from each other. You would love, love, love the city-Gilbert, listen!" She plead as he started shaking his head and pulling his hand out of her grasp.

He waited to tell her about his acceptance until he saw her in person before school on Monday and ever since she had gears spinning a hundred miles an hour behind her young (but secretly very old) brown eyes. The idea of them going to school so close was launching her into full persuasion mode. Jeremy liked the idea too, but he couldn't go to New York and be so far from Tyler, Elena and Jenna.

Anna wasn't a quitter though. "_Jeremy._" She whined. "We could ring in the new year at Time Square together."

He nudged her off of his side where she was clinging to his arm but she jumped back on and rested her chin on his shoulder. He made a face at her. "What, in this scenario I don't even come home for Christmas and New Years? Do I see my family after college or do you and I go away to an island together and shun the rest of the world? You planning on putting a bloody handprint on my face and calling me Wilson?"

"You know I get crazy around blood. You don't want that on your face." Anna replied monotonously, not getting the _Castaway_ reference or just preferring to be creepy. "Look, I know you want to be with Tyler and want to be there for Elena, but your sister's a big girl. She can maneuver through the Mystic Falls creature chronicles on her own. And Tyler… You guys could handle long distance."

He set the apple down irritated. "But I don't want to _be distant_."

Anna sighed, leaning back in her chair and lifting a leg up on it to rest her arm on her knee. "All I'm saying is this is something good. It should be a good thing that's about you. Just think about it."

She reached over to smack his head but he swatted her hand away, turning his attention to the apple.

* * *

Jenna laid out on the couch lazily staring at the television as Jeremy scrolled through the guide. He couldn't find anything worth watching. There were nothing but reruns on and the movie channels were letting him down too. He stared at the screen with bored, glassy eyes as he clicked the down button on the remote repeatedly. Fed up, he stopped on whatever was on and tossed the remote down on the coffee table.

Jenna grumbled from the couch, too lazy to even prop her head up on some pillows. "No. Not this." She wagged her finger at the screen where two collegiate aged pretty boys were getting ready to enter a frat house. "If there are togas involved I'm not going to watch it."

Jeremy groaned and reached for the remote again as the doorbell rang. He got up thankfully and dropped the remote on the cushion next to her as he walked by. She whined nonverbally as she grabbed at it to do the task herself.

The doorbell rang again before he could pull open the front door. "Coming!" He called and a second later he yanked it open. "Hey." He greeted at the sight of Vicki but his face fell as he absorbed her puffy eyes and tear streaked face. "_Hey._ What's wrong?"

She started crying again before she could answer and Jeremy stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly and drawing her against him. She dropped her head to his shoulder and cried until her shoulders shook. He pat her hair and murmured a generic reassurance as he looked over her shoulder in confusion.

* * *

"And that's when Kevin broke up with you?" Jeremy stared at Vicki sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Jenna seemed content to stop looking for entertainment on the television and hug Vicki while she told them of her teenage woes. Jeremy had to admit he couldn't think of a more embarrassing way to get dumped off the top of his head. "…In front of the entire lacrosse team?"

Vicki nodded and started crying again. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and slouched against the back of the couch sympathetically.

"Anyway," Vicki sniffled and wiped her nose on a piece of tissue Jenna handed her. "I wouldn't be taking it this hard if I hadn't been such an idiot about him this whole time. He cheated on me twice and I forgave him. That's just…I feel really stupid. You know?"

"I know." Jenna said with a little too much personal knowledge on the matter. Jeremy thought about all the drama Jenna had with the dumbo guys she dated in the past and felt glad she found Alaric. He was the first guy she had ever been with for any amount of time that he could actually see becoming his uncle someday.

"And…I was kind of hoping," Vicki looked at Jenna and turned her head away, opening her eyes wider at Jeremy significantly. "Maybe you had some…" She tried to discretely raise her index finger and thumb to her lips to mime smoking.

A laugh carried over Jeremy's exhale. He was lucky Jenna was cool. Vicki had smoother moments. Jenna rubbed her shoulders and shook her head, standing up. "You don't need that. I have something better."

"Does it live in a freezer and require a spoon to eat it?" Vicki inquired, staring off in disappointment.

"Yes!" Jenna answered cheerfully and bounded off for the kitchen.

Vicki rolled her head back in Jeremy's direction as the doorbell rang. He disregarded it since Jenna was already up. "Your aunt's nice and all, but a _sugar_ high is not what I came here for."

Jeremy laughed and scooted closer to her, popping her with a pillow. She grabbed it and hugged it to her chest. "You'll have to settle for Ben and Jerry's, cause I don't carry anymore." He pushed her lightly with his shoulder. "You know that."

She sighed and nodded with a small shrug. "Yeah. I guess I actually just needed a friend."

"Well, in that case," Jeremy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You did come to the right place."

She grinned sheepishly as he tugged her toward him for a hug.

"Hey."

Jeremy looked up to see Tyler standing at the entrance of the living room. He smiled at him in surprise.

"Tyler's here!" Jenna called belatedly as she continued on to the kitchen.

Jeremy got to his feet, carefully untangling himself from Vicki and walked over to greet him. He kissed his cheek but Tyler's eyes were still on Vicki as he pulled back.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked.

"Oh don't mind me." Vicki laughed, wiping at her cheeks. "I just broke up with my boyfriend. Jeremy's keeping me drug free."

"Is that right?" Tyler looked between them, and Jeremy was beginning to get the distinct feeling that Tyler was less than thrilled at finding Vicki there. It didn't make any sense to him and he thought they settled the whole issue the other night, but there was no denying the nearly glacial look in his eyes.

"Ty," Jeremy gave him an imploring look. Vicki was a non-issue and the idea of her becoming one was ridiculous.

Vicki went back to blowing her nose and Tyler cleared his throat, grabbing something from his pocket. He handed a messy piece of paper to Jeremy.

"Your acceptance letter." Tyler explained his reason for dropping by. "You left it at my house. Figured you'd want it."

"Thanks." Jeremy chortled as he inspected it. He knew kids who framed their acceptance letters. His looked like something a homeless man tossed over his shoulder while digging in the dumpster for food.

"Anyway I gotta go. My mom's having guests over for dinner and I'm to be dressed and downstairs in about ten minutes." Tyler announced with a frown.

Jeremy smiled, feeling his pain. He knew the kind of dinner parties Mrs. Lockwood threw. Stuffy ladies who liked to gossip and make snippy comments while trying to pass off their insults as concern for the object of their scrutiny.

"Good luck." He squeezed his hand and Tyler nodded at him.

"Later, Vicki." He said as he was backing up, dropping Jeremy's hand when he was out of reach.

Vicki looked over her shoulder and smiled, though her face was red and splotchy. "Bye, Tyler."

Jenna hurried in, squeezing Tyler's arms quickly on her way past him and bumping her handful of spoons on his sleeve. Tyler left the room and Jeremy squatted in front of Jenna and Vicki on the couch as his aunt popped the lid off of the chocolate ice cream container.

"Ooh!" Vicki exclaimed as she dug her spoon into the brown treat. "Let's watch _Monster Squad_!"

Jenna giggled through a mouthful of ice cream. "Classic Vicki."

Anyone around the Gilberts during his and Vicki's relationship knew it was one of their most re-watched movies as a couple. It brought back some pretty funny memories, mostly involving Vicki's childlike amusement at just about everything in the movie. He smiled to himself as he got up to find the DVD and heard the front door close several seconds later. 


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! This chapter officially brings us to the halfway point of this fic. I'm very grateful for the response thus far and I hope all of you enjoy the back end as much as the first half. Please let me know, and I'd especially like to thank all of my regular reviewers up to this point: bb1019, Black Lighted Clouds, The Green Eyed Cat, primavera15, Toulip Fontana, hsmrmae, and Twilight Gleek. Feedback is gold. I really appreciate it and would like to dedicate this chapter to all of you. :D

**Chapter Sixteen**

Tyler sat back against the cement table outside in the quad, stretching his legs out in front of him and scowling. School seemed even more pointless than usual these days. He had all his credits except for his final math and science classes, which he knew he would pass. The material was difficult but both teachers were Virginia Tech alums who liked to spend the beginning of class talking to him about his next year there. He got the feeling the men, one wiry and one very round, were a little envious of his sports ability.

When he was honest with himself, Tyler wondered how great that ability would actually be if he wasn't supernaturally inclined. He wasn't the tallest player or the biggest, but his little advantage gave him the strength and stamina to maneuver around the field as though he was. Occasionally, he wondered if it counted as cheating, but at the end of the day he needed a football scholarship if he was going to go anywhere in life. His mom was right, football was the only thing he really knew how to do. It couldn't be cheating in any real way anyway. It wasn't like he could help having a genetic edge over the others. No one looked at Jordan and thought he should have been disqualified from the NBA because nature favored him. So: tall, fast, _werewolf_…what did it matter?

Tyler was considering getting up to get some more food but the double doors to the large cafeteria opened and a flood of matching, scantily clad girls ran out. They were all perky and loud, in short, loose black skirts and tight sleeveless tops covered in glitter. Tyler sat up a little straighter as the dance team got into position in the middle of the quad and shook miniature black and silver pompoms in the air.

A tall girl with great legs, Mindy Chase, set a radio down on a nearby table, shoving the tray of a mousy looking girl out of the way. Her chocolate milk fell over and splashed onto her fuzzy pink shirt. Tyler didn't know her name, but the quiet girl grabbed her books and hurried away. He noticed Anna across the quad try to comfort her but the girl scurried off toward the library. Jeremy and Vicki were with the small vampire and both looked back at the dance team with distaste. Tyler didn't see the big deal. The girl was in the way.

La Roux blasted through the speakers and Tyler settled back, nodding his head subtly to 'In for the Kill' as the dance team instantly launched into a dance routine to it. A pack of letterman jacket wearing jocks burst into cheers and whistles around Tyler's table. He snickered as the girls performed racier moves than would probably be allowed if there was a supervisor outside.

Before the song even reached the chorus, though, a mound of pompoms was shoved off the table beside the radio and Vicki Donovan hopped up. With a smirk at the dance team, she turned and facing the jocks began mimicking their moves as easily as though she practiced the routine with them. There was an extremely false look of cheer on her face that managed to insult and condescend to the group of haughty girls at the same time. Having the higher ground helped also.

Laughter rose around the quad and Tyler glanced around to see students lower on the popularity chain chuckle appreciatively at her antics. As the song hit its second verse, she waved Jeremy up and to Tyler's extreme annoyance he hopped onto the bench and up to the cement table.

Part of him had to settle down at the sight of Jeremy dancing on a tabletop. If there were two things Jeremy could do flawlessly it was mope and dance. He and Vicki jumped free of the dance team's routine and went into freestyle like a pair who trained together. Jeremy raised his arms over his head and moved his hips reflectively with Vicki's. She grabbed his waist and pressed up against him until they were moving in perfect sync.

Anna wasn't much of a dancer but she moved with the music below them and skipped cutely to the front of the dance team. Dipping forward she did a line of cartwheels in front of them, coming back up at the other end and bobbing her head in one of the girl's faces. She stopped mid-step and shoved Anna backward, but the vampire only laughed and balanced herself easily.

A particularly amused table across the way got to their feet and gave them a mock standing ovation. One of the guys pumped his arm and hooted.

Tyler watched as Vicki tilted forward, forcing Jeremy to crane back and they moved around each other grinning as they goofed off. Vicki pursed her lips jokingly and they laughed, grabbing each other's hands and dancing to the loud music at the dance team's expense. As Vicki ran a hand down Jeremy's face, Tyler grabbed his bag off the ground and got to his feet, stalking off for the double doors to the main building. 

* * *

The wind was whipping around like it was twister season. Jeremy zipped his hoodie up all the way as he bent to pick up a plastic cup in the front yard. Jenna unwisely put a broken bottle in the trash and when she was carrying it out to the can in front of the house the glass tore a hole in the bottom and trash flew out everywhere. With the wind to help, the grass in front of the house was littered with the kitchen trash.

He and Tyler barely got there when Jenna wrangled them into cleaning up the mess for her. Jeremy hadn't seen much of Tyler all day but got a moment in the afternoon to invite him over. He kept him waiting in the student parking lot and got in the Jeep without a word when he finally wandered over. It wasn't until they walked into the house and Jenna handed them a couple of black Glad bags that he found out the reason behind the cold shoulder.

He squatted down to grab a wad of paper towels and throw them in the fresh bag. "Tyler, I don't want to fight about this."

"All I'm saying is it was a dick move. The girls didn't do anything to you." Tyler said stoically and half-shrugged a few feet away as he bent to pick up a bunch of soda cans. Recycling was not at the top of the Gilbert agenda.

Jeremy stood up rigidly with a hand on his hip. "What about _Carrie_?"

Tyler looked back at him blankly. "Who?"

"The girl Mindy threw milk on!" Jeremy answered incredulously.

Tyler rolled his eyes, and it was clear he thought he was exaggerating. "It was an accident."

Jeremy tied the top of his full bag off, shaking his head. "An accident caused by her shoving her tray. Tyler," he scoffed, annoyed by the conversation. "You're better than those people. I don't get why you defend them."

Tyler grabbed a personal pizza box off the grass and shoved it in his bag. "'Those people'. Popular, athletic, beautiful people. Yep. They're terrible." He looked at him pointedly and Jeremy dropped his bag on the ground beside him irritated. Tyler walked over to get it. "Why don't you just admit that you're against sports, everyone who plays them and go inside and watch _Donnie Darko_."

Jeremy snickered. "Ha ha." Tyler grabbed his bag and turned to carry them to the street but Jeremy grabbed his wrist and pushed the bag out of the way to tug at his hand. "I seem to remember watching the last Super Bowl with you. It was fun."

Tyler smirked, rubbing his fingers down Jeremy's palm and curling them around his hand. "You had your ipod on the whole time, only watched the commercials and made out with me during halftime."

Jeremy shrugged. "Still. There are bits of football in that memory." Tyler smiled at last and pulled Jeremy to him, but he drew his head back resisting. "I don't see a football game on. What, you want me to kiss you for no reason?"

Tyler dipped his head to the side playfully. "I could think of a reason."

Smiling, Jeremy straightened up and kissed him obligingly before pushing away and kicking at the bag he collected half the trash in. "If football ever fails you can always be a garbageman. You look hot carrying those bags." He teased.

Tyler swung one of the bags out at him but he dodged and caught sight of a couple stray Starbucks cups against the house. He wandered over to them as Tyler carried the bags to the street to put in the trashcans. Jeremy grabbed the first cup when he heard a truck slow down in front of the house. Looking over, he saw Dave Kim lean out the driver's seat window and wave at Tyler as he slowed down.

Dave Kim was Stupid Stanley's best friend and could have been Stupid Dave if the adjective wasn't already assigned to Stan. He played polo and his favorite pastimes were drinking, driving, and long beat-downs on anyone smaller than him. Jeremy would not miss him after graduation. Tyler pulled the lid off the nearest can and shoved the first bag inside.

"Yo, Tyler! What's up, man?" Dave left the car running but came to a complete stop in front of the mailbox. Jeremy bent to grab the other Starbucks cup and Dave spotted him. He seemed to realize whose house it was and laughed in confusion. "Dude, what are you doing here?"

Tyler looked over at Jeremy. Warning flags went off, and Jeremy looked over at them wearily. "Uh…"

"You and the queer bosom buddies now?" Dave snickered and laughter wafted from the back seat. Jeremy couldn't tell who was on the passenger side or make out the others in the truck with him but he had a pretty good idea who the guys were. None were fans of his.

Tyler forced a laugh uneasily and Jeremy straightened, listening from against the house.

"Nah, man…I'm…" Tyler glanced over his shoulder at Jeremy and he looked back at him silently. Tyler waved his arm nonchalantly at the guys. "I'm nailing his sister."

Jeremy's shoulders slumped and he rolled his eyes, looking away.

Guffaws and commendations floated from the truck in pathetic waves from the impressed teens.

"_Nice._ Elena Gilbert is a fine piece of ass." One of the other guys awarded Tyler with a nasty sneer in their voice. Jeremy's jaw tightened and he took a step forward.

Dave threw a McDonalds bag out the window and high-fived the guy in the passenger seat. Tyler picked up the trash and threw it back in the truck. It popped Dave on the shoulder and bounced onto his lap. He laughed obnoxiously before leaning back out the window.

"Tyler, party at my house Friday. Bring the skank." He leaned farther out and cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "Later, queer!" He yelled over at Jeremy and slapped the door a couple times before dropping back in and revving off.

The truck turned the corner down the street when Tyler turned back around. Jeremy stared at him, feeling like he was once again tossed in the confusing pit that came with dating Tyler Lockwood. The subject of his discomfort wet his lips, putting the trashcan lid back but when he opened his mouth across the yard Jeremy turned away and walked around to the porch mutely. He slammed the door shut behind him and was in the kitchen before he heard it open again.

Jeremy pulled the refrigerator door open and stared at the nearly bare shelves blankly. Jenna was behind. He should make her a list of stuff to get. Or just go to the store himself. Or just stand there staring obliviously until he heard Tyler leave. His nerves shot around like tiny bolts of lightning firing under his skin.

Tyler sighed in resignation behind him and spoke to his back. "Come on, Jeremy, what was I supposed to say?"

At the sound of his voice he was unable to restrain his anger any longer. He swung the fridge door closed and spun around. "How about anything other than you're screwing my sister? I should kick your ass just for talking that way about Elena with your trolling caveman friends. After everything going on with her lately, you of all people…" Shaking his head, he went to the island and glared away from him.

Tyler made no case for his defense, simply nodding gravely. "I'm sorry."

Jeremy looked over at him but couldn't shake the unhappiness souring his mood. There seemed to be more and more back-and-forth with Tyler lately. One moment they were good. The next Tyler was chuckling with his idiotic cohorts about 'the queer', albeit stilted laughter, but still. It wasn't high on his list of turn-ons.

"And I'm pissed. Great. Now we both know what we are." Ice clung to his answer, and he couldn't bring himself to look at him.

Tyler hesitated after the response but stepped around the island to get to him. Jeremy immediately walked around it and held his hands up to ward him off.

"Just get out of here, Tyler. I'm serious." He turned to walk out of the kitchen but Tyler stopped him with a word before he reached the door.

"No."

Jeremy turned back and shrugged with a small shake of his head. "No?"

"I don't want to leave while you're mad at me." Tyler said earnestly, and Jeremy knew he meant it. His face hardened seriously as he went on. "I'm a dick. I shouldn't have said that about Elena." He took a few steps toward him and Jeremy didn't back away, though part of him still wanted to. "Jer, I'm not like you. I'm not ready to be out. Not yet, not here. I know that makes me kind of a douche, but I just can't do it. I've spent my whole life being one person to these people. I know you think they're all worthless and you're probably right but I can't stand the idea of seeing them look at me-"

"The way they look at me." Jeremy cut him off. Tyler swallowed the end of his sentence, looking at him somberly.

"Jer," he started softly. "We're fixing to be out of here." He paused and watched him intently. "You don't think I hate it that fucking David and that waitress chick in Meadows scare the shit out of me? It's like I only _half_ have you." Jeremy knew exactly what he meant. He loved Tyler wholeheartedly, but sometimes keeping their relationship mostly secret made his time with him feel like a very vivid fantasy. "Baby, I just need you to be patient with me a little longer, and in return I'll try harder not to be such a fucking asshole."

Jeremy absorbed his sincerity carefully before looking at the ceiling in defeat. He crossed the space between them and his hands found Tyler's as he grudgingly moved closer. He laid his forehead against his and Tyler closed his eyes, relaxing all over. Jeremy tried to shake off his remaining aggravation. He knew it was hard on Tyler. He just wished that didn't translate to situations like this one. It seemed awfully unfair that Tyler's solutions to avoiding pain often ended in Jeremy getting hurt instead.

He sometimes wondered if the tradeoff was worth it, but all it took was having Tyler near him to remind him that it was. If it spared Tyler any of the pain he was trying so hard to avoid, then he would take the occasional hit for him. It wouldn't be that way forever. It was better him than Tyler.

"I'm still pissed at you." Jeremy muttered honestly.

Tyler let go of his hands and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him so softly Jeremy felt small and fragile. "I know."

It took a while but slowly the frustrated energy began to drain from Jeremy. He hugged Tyler back in the quiet kitchen and let his eyes close, wondering why it was so easy to feel good after being pushed down. It was a confusingly addictive up-and-down that he rode because it was familiar. Because it always got better. Because he had to. 


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Happy Passover/Easter, everyone!

**Chapter Seventeen**

The sun felt warm on his face and arms as Tyler laid out on his back in the Gilbert's backyard. The afternoon wind was cool and it passed over his hot skin in refreshing gusts. On the days of his transformation his temperature always spiked higher than normal, so the soft breeze felt like a soothing blanket being fanned over him. There were only a few hours left before the full moon would rise and he would make the change. He looked sideways at Jeremy laying beside him in the grass. He gave him a small smile, but Tyler was unable to summon one up in return.

His family curse was one of true horror. It was excruciating. Pain that no person should be able to live through tore him up and pushed him near madness, and there was nothing he could do about it. Knowing it was coming threw stakes of fearful anticipation through his stomach. He skipped school entirely and came over to spend the day with Jenna who made allowances for his truancy since the Gilberts thoughtfully kept a lunar calendar up in their kitchen.

She fed him crackers to help with his anxious nausea and distracted him with stupid movies all day since she had the day off work. It was an odd thing to feel more cared for by Jeremy's guardian than his own mother who told him to bare the Lockwood curse as his father had before him. By not coming to her with it.

Jenna sat next to him on the couch, made him lunch, and hugged him at random throughout the day until she wriggled the occasional half-grin out of him. After a mini-marathon of _Gossip Girl_ episodes on the DVR (he now knew way too much about the 'addictive craziness of Chuck and Blair') he went outside to wait for Jeremy to get home from school.

Jenna must have pointed him in the right direction because soon after he heard the Jeep pull in the driveway, Jeremy came out the sliding glass doors and laid down beside him.

It felt good to be out in the sun next to Jeremy where he was safe from the cold moon and close to someone who loved him. Why Jeremy loved him was a bit of a mystery to him. He was a screw up who screwed up all too often with Jeremy in particular. Whenever Jeremy looked at him though, warmth spread through his body, touching every nerve and filling his heart. He knew in those moments, that no matter how much he didn't deserve it, Jeremy really, truly loved him. A hopeless ache hit him under his gaze when he was the object of his smile.

"I love you." He was the first to break the silence between them and as Jeremy's smile grew, Tyler felt the wonderful pain seize his heart.

Jeremy rolled onto his side and Tyler watched as he moved over and laid on top of him. He set his chin on his chest and tucked his arms under it as a pillow.

"You wanna go upstairs?" He asked suggestively, moving his head so he could press a quick kiss into his shirt.

Tyler reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. There was no sight he enjoyed more than the naughty sparkle that lit Jeremy's eyes when he was in the mood, but soon he would be locked away in a dank chamber. His stomach was too tangled with anxiety to be properly responsive.

"You know I do." He ran his fingers out of his hair and down the side of his face, tracing his jaw and cheek. He felt cool to the touch. Tyler enjoyed the feel of him under his hot fingers. "But I kind of want to stay out in the sun a little longer."

Understanding swept over Jeremy's expression and he scooted forward, pressing his lips softly against his own. The kiss was slow and calm, something Tyler wished he was himself, but his head was racing too quickly with images of what his night would look like. What it would _feel_ like.

Jeremy looked down at him as he pulled up and kissed his nose and cheek before scooting back down and resting his chin on his arms over Tyler's chest again. "That's good too." He assured him and turned his head to the side, closing his eyes and breathing deeply under the bright blue sky.

His weight was comforting and Tyler looked up at the passing clouds with a little more ease. He wished he could hold onto these seconds and stay preserved in them forever, never to face the coming night. He would never have to be afraid again. It could just be him and Jeremy and a bright clear sky, safe from the looming darkness ahead.

* * *

Caroline was speaking animatedly in the living room, and her voice wafted over to them as they walked back into the house. Tyler held Jeremy's hand as they walked to the front of the house and tugged at his fingers stubbornly as he pulled away. He watched him walk upstairs to get a heavier jacket for the night. The temperature outside was already dropping and the sun would set soon. They needed to head out to the chamber in the woods that he used to lock himself away in until he changed back to his human form in the morning.

He wandered over to the living room while he waited. Stefan was leaning back on one side of the couch listening to Caroline as she rambled on and on. Tyler liked the girl. She was daft and entertaining, but her constant chatter would drive him nuts. Stefan, however, seemed content to just smile and nod at the appropriate times. Wasn't that big of a surprise. He was a vamp of few words. He probably liked the way the harmless noise filled his eternity.

Caroline was sitting back on her butt with both legs drawn under her on the middle couch cushion, facing Stefan and gesturing excitedly as she told her story. Tyler leaned against the doorway and glanced at Elena flipping through a magazine in the adjacent armchair. She glanced up every little while at Caroline and made comments here and there to show she was listening.

While her attention was back on the magazine, Tyler looked her over thoroughly. For her sake and for Jeremy's he hoped she was doing as well as she seemed to be. Both of them went through enough in their lives without having to deal with the trauma of her assault. His muscles still itched when he thought about it. Men like the one who attacked her were at the very bottom of the human hierarchy; trash that should be thrown out of the world without a flight suit to burn up in space.

"So anyway." Caroline slapped Stefan's leg a couple times and he tipped his chin upward attentively. "He was like 'You're a vampire? I'm a vampire too!', and I was like 'No way! Prove it.' So he took off running all zippety-zippety like we do, and I took off after him going zippety-zippety and we ran around in the woods like that-it was so much fun! Until he spotted a bunny. Then things got ugly. I couldn't look. I'd starve to death without you, Stefan. Cute little bunnies?"

She groaned loudly with sympathy for the rabbit community of Mystic Falls. "Honestly," she confessed, "I'd rather do the Damon catch-compel-and-release diet. Humans taste better and you can make them forget and I feel so much stronger after eating that kind of blood…" Her eyes went black and spidery veins slithered out around them hungrily.

Tyler made a face in disgust and Stefan leaned forward, grabbing her face in both his hands. He locked eyes with her and they took deep synchronized breaths. Tyler saw them do this on a number of occasions. From what he gathered, since Caroline was a baby vampire it was much harder for her to control her urges. Stefan was a great help in keeping her from running 'zippety-zippety' around the house and slaughtering everyone when she got the munchies.

After a while her eyes returned to normal and she looked around sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Stefan assured, petting her cheek softly a few times before sitting back against the couch.

Tyler would like to weigh in on whether or not her sudden desire for human blood was just fine, but Caroline was off and running again as though nothing happened.

"I'm so glad Damon struck that deal with the Meadows vamps. I can't wait to start eating packaged donated blood again. No human contact, no harm done, and everything's dandy. But anyway, I hope I run into that vamp guy again. He was super fun to talk to and it was so weird seeing him run all fast around the woods. Between you and me, he didn't exactly have a Bowflex bod."

Stefan smiled at her as though she was the most endearing person on the planet. To him, she probably was, but Tyler was ready to go. He turned at the feel of Jeremy's hand on his back and leaned into the touch with a tiny smile. Right on cue.

Jeremy leaned past him into the living room. "We're out of here. I've got my phone. Call if you need me, otherwise I'll see you tomorrow."

Elena lowered her magazine, looking over at him. She nodded. "_Be careful._" She stressed emphatically. "I'll call later to make sure you're okay. If there is any problem with the holding cell or the chains or whatever, Jer, I mean it-get out of there. You can't help Tyler after he changes and he won't be able to stop himself from hurting you."

"I know." Jeremy droned in annoyance. He heard the same thing from her or Jenna every month. "Later."

Tyler wished he shared Jeremy's aggravation about the repeated warning, but he didn't. The stakes were too high. It made him nervous having Jeremy with him while he was like that, but he had never gone through a transformation without him. If a day ever came where his sister or aunt forgot to rattle on the warning, he would give him the speech himself and usually did anyway on the ride over to the chamber. It was dangerous and unpredictable. He hated putting Jeremy in that position but couldn't actually imagine going through it without him.

He held his hand until they got to the front door and Jeremy's cell went off with that obnoxious 'Rock Until You Drop' song. Vicki. His face hardened as Jeremy answered it quickly and told her he would have to call her back later. After he was locked away in his makeshift cage and Jeremy was free to chat the night away with her, Tyler figured. He walked out with him to the Jeep and felt himself getting hotter and more antsy. The day was definitely closing and tonight there was a monster on the horizon.

* * *

An inhuman growl rumbled from Tyler like the low warning of a resting lion. His hot breath swept over Jeremy's neck and sent chills down his spine, but he hugged him harder. Tyler was still in his human form, stripped down to his boxers, but the sky outside was darkening in a veil of purple and grey as the sun disappeared. The cosmic shift was stirring the beast inside him and soon Tyler would lose himself completely.

His skin was so warm to the touch Jeremy could feel him through his shirt as though he was holding on to an iron. He discarded his jacket before they went down the stairs of the abandoned cellar and into the secure chamber, having learned from the past not to wear layers with Tyler right before the change. In these last few minutes he always felt sick and slightly panicked, desperate to save Tyler from the coming pain but aware that he could not. It was a nightmare he wished he could wake up from and be safe with Tyler in a normal world where monsters and transmogrification were rightly impossible.

Jeremy could feel the tremble in Tyler's hands as they moved higher on his back. He didn't know how much of that was purely physical and how much was his body reacting to overwhelming fear. There wasn't a lot to say in these moments. Usually, Jeremy held him as tightly as he could until Tyler felt the next stage of his transformation coming and made him move out of reach. It was an anticipatory, emotional silence, so he was surprised when Tyler broke it with a seemingly random inquiry.

"Why is Vicki's ring that stupid _Monster Squad_ song?" He asked. His voice was lower than it normally was, frail with dread.

Jeremy ran his hands over Tyler's back where sweat was beginning to glisten. He figured Tyler's nerves were getting to him, and he probably just needed a distraction. He rested his head against Tyler's and looked over his shoulder at the tiny window high on the wall that was secured with steel bars. Tyler, in his full wolf form, would not fit through it anyway but it was better safe than sorry. Only a shimmer of light floated in now as the woods outside filled with darkness and shadows.

The small chamber was stuffy and claustrophobic, but it was strong. It would protect everyone from Tyler and protect Tyler from everyone. Jeremy knew there was bad blood between vampires and werewolves, so it was better to hide Tyler away at night than let him out with those strong enough to hurt him.

The heat radiating from Tyler was beginning to get really uncomfortable for Jeremy, but he hugged him tighter still.

"Vicki had never seen it when we first started hanging out." He explained. "She got totally obsessed with it and whenever we'd get bored we'd blast 'Rock Until You Drop' and dance around my room. Her ringer used to be 'Smoke 2 Joints'…for obvious reasons. When I stopped getting high I figured I should change it to something else."

Bob Marley was the soundtrack to most of his moments with Vicki when they were together. It was a funny reminder of how different his life was now without pills, without MJ, and definitely without girls. Oddly enough, he'd cleaned up and gone straight right around the time he came out as gay. One of life's many ironies.

"Vicki's terrible." Tyler murmured.

It was no secret, to him at least-Matt seemed pretty oblivious-that Tyler would never join the Vicki Donovan fanlisting. He got used to it. He hated all of Tyler's friends. It was only natural that he make some allowances for Tyler's aversion to his ex-girlfriend. Jeremy moved his cheek against his hair and answered lamely. "She can be cool."

Tyler didn't move inside his arms or give any indication that his mood changed. His voice even sounded the same, so Jeremy was caught off guard by his next words.

"Do you want to fuck her?"

Jeremy blinked thickly and drew back. "What? That's…" He shook his head as though he might dislodge the disorientation that overcame him. "_What?_"

Tyler looked back at him and his eyes were set with dark earnestness. "Do you want to _have sex _with her? Just tell me the truth."

In all the times they had been down there together, despite all the terrifying things he had seen as Tyler's body broke and morphed into something animalistic and scary, he had never wanted to get away from him so badly. He stared back at him incredulously.

"_No._ What are you _talking_ about?"

There was a startled glaze to Tyler's eyes that gave away his regret. Jeremy knew better than anyone how difficult his transition was and how much it could affect his psyche, and honestly he would have been willing to forgive him right then and there if he just shut his mouth and apologized. But a stubbornness broke through his regret as though Tyler saw that he was in hot water and figured he might as well push forward at that point. It was stupid reasoning, but he used it to propel himself even higher out of the realm of civility.

"For someone who likes to screw boys, you sure picked a whore to use as your straight cover." He glared at him. "But maybe you wanted it more than you said you did."

Jeremy stared at him silently. Tyler's unwavering commitment to holding his stupid ground was at once too much. Fed up, Jeremy turned without a word and stalked out of the chamber. Behind him Tyler swallowed and stared at the path he took as he closed the heavy door and slammed the deadbolt into place. He heard Jeremy's footsteps ascend the stone stairwell to the ground level and heard the loud slam of the reinforced door at the top being pushed closed after him. The hard noise ricocheted off the walls and closed in around Tyler, standing exposed in the middle of the room, chained to the floor and all alone.

* * *

Jeremy snatched his jacket off the well outside the cellar and jammed his arms into the sleeves. He was sick of Tyler's mood swings. He got it! Life was not all happy-go-lucky for him, but that didn't give him the right to go off on him whenever he liked. It didn't give him a license to make him feel bad whenever he wanted to do an exercise in inappropriate venting.

_Vicki! Again!_ It was ridiculous. It was worse than ridiculous. It was: Never. Going. To. Happen.

He paced outside in the small clearing as his nerves burned up and pinched angrily. The sky was dark and the moon was on the rise. Any second now Tyler would feel the full force of it.

He stalked to his Jeep and yanked the driver's door open. He had a blanket and pillow in the back seat along with a small duffel bag with Tyler's change of clothes and toothbrush. He reached behind the front seat, grabbed the bag and threw it on the ground. If Tyler wanted to be a jerk he could do it with his friends or by himself. It wasn't Jeremy's responsibility to be anyone's punching bag.

He got in the Jeep and grabbed his keys off the dashboard, shoving them in the ignition.

* * *

Tyler was pretty sure he heard the Jeep start. He stood where Jeremy left him for several seconds and stared ahead. What was the point? What was the point of saying that?

He looked at the door and all the air left him. He was alone. He never had to transform by himself before. The chamber felt hotter than it had a few minutes ago. The air seemed stifling as though it were depleting and soon would leave him to suffocate. The woods were eerily silent and he could feel the moon in his veins, calling out to him. Tormenting him. A hard pain sliced across his abdomen and he cried out, doubling over.

As he stood back up, he looked back at the door and his breaths became ragged. He couldn't do this. Not by himself. He clutched his arms trying to hold onto something, trying to anchor himself to this world in his own body. It was too much. He would die out there all alone in the woods and for what? For being too much of a douchebag to keep his mouth shut.

Tyler's muscles tightened and wound around his bones in strangling circles. It felt like every part of his body was eating itself; skin devouring muscle, devouring bone, devouring blood. He screamed, falling to his knees. His head was on fire and he pulled air in as though he were under water, desperate and hopeless.

"Jeremy!" His plea was cut off by a tortured moan as his torso bent over his thighs and he started to sink toward the floor.

A sound outside piqued his ears a second before Jeremy's voice wafted through the small square window in the door. "I'm here."

Outside the holding cell, Jeremy sunk to the floor outside the door biting back a sob. He threw his head back and smacked it with a solid thump against the stone wall, angry at Tyler and angry at himself. He couldn't drive away and leave him there alone. He tried to press down on the gas but all he could see through the windshield was the full moon glaring back at him. All he could think about was what that bright mass was doing to Tyler, and he could have sat out there all night. He was never going to drive away.

"I'm here." He repeated more loudly.

Inside, Tyler sat up shakily and looked over at the door, the whites of his eyes gone and masked with deep black pools. For a moment his body paused and settled, and he tried to even his breathing. There was a catch in his voice, already weak with pain and effort. "I'm sorry."

Jeremy wiped his eyes and nodded, unseen by Tyler. "I know." He pulled his jacket tighter around himself and stared at the opposite wall. "…It's okay."

Through the door, he heard a loud snap and Tyler scream. He clenched his eyes shut and more tears welled up and spilled out through his lashes. The next ten minutes were filled with the horrible noise of breaking bones and stretching skin. Tyler's shouts of pain filled the cellar and sunk into Jeremy's every cell. He drew his knees up to his chest and held his head in his hands as the awful noises continued. Until at last, there was silence, heavy breathing.

And howls.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews and favorites!

**Chapter Eighteen**

Dawn was a blessing after a full moon. The sky broke in beautiful streaks of orange and yellow. Jeremy pulled the navy blanket off his shoulders and climbed out of the backseat of the Jeep stiffly. The early morning air was just a notch too warm to be able to see his breath. He reached back in the car for his jacket and tugged it on tiredly.

He got maybe a couple of hours sleep. The werewolf was loud all night, howling and jumping at the walls trying to escape. Only birds chirped in the trees now. The peace was comforting and welcome. Jeremy grabbed the duffel bag he tossed back in the Jeep the night before and closed the door after him.

He made his way to the cellar and pushed the first line of deadbolts back. His steps were quiet on the stone stairs as he went down slowly and made his way over to the holding cell. He didn't touch the locks. Tyler was always human again by the time the sun started to rise but checking never hurt and being careful could mean the difference between safety and being mauled by a surprisingly furry boyfriend.

Peering through the small, barred window he saw that Tyler had definitely switched back. He lay naked and asleep in a far corner, body curled up loosely. Jeremy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pushed the line of deadbolts back on the door, reaching up to undo the high locks that ran vertically across the top of the door. When he was done he went in and walked over to him. He didn't seem to be hurt in any way. His bones were all back where they were supposed to be. He wasn't bleeding and there were no patches of extra hair on his body. That was all they could hope for.

"Ty," he whispered, crouching down and putting a hand on his arm softly. "Sweetie, wake up. We have to go."

They hadn't been busted yet, but there was a first time for everything. Jeremy didn't know what would be worse for Tyler. Being seen as a werewolf or being spotted naked in the woods with an open homosexual. Tyler looked so fragile and vulnerable lying there that Jeremy felt instantly guilty for the snappy thought. He rubbed his arm and shook him very softly.

Tyler stirred sleepily and was barely able to open his eyes. The wolf took a lot out of him. Jeremy could tell by the disorientation in his eyes that this morning was like all the others. Tyler would be completely drained of energy for the rest of the day and would have to run on empty until he rested enough to get his strength back. It would be better if he got to a bed as soon as he could to sleep it off.

"Jer…" Tyler's voice was a small version of itself as he looked up at him. "You stayed."

His heart clenched at the raw gratitude in his first words. He leaned down and kissed his forehead, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face. He sat up and turned to the bag, undoing the zipper. Tyler packed light. There was only a black tank top and a pair of running shorts inside with his underwear. Jeremy pulled the outfit out and helped him get dressed. By Tyler's standards, his skin felt almost cold the morning after.

Jeremy helped him to his feet and put an arm around him to take most of his weight and support him up and out of the dark cellar. Tyler squinted against the rays of sunlight and moved weakly where Jeremy guided him. He pulled the passenger side door open and helped him in. Tyler sank against the seat breathing as though he just ran a marathon. Jeremy pulled the seatbelt around him and clicked it into place before reaching into the back seat and grabbing the blanket he used to sleep with. Tyler watched him quietly with his eyes drooped as he wrapped the blanket around him as best he could and closed the door afterward.

Tyler closed his eyes with his head against the seat as the Jeep drove down the path out of the woods. Jeremy glanced at him several times trying to decide if he was asleep or not.

"You okay?" He whispered in case he was.

Tyler's eyes cracked open but he didn't lift his head. "Yeah." He answered sufficiently, and Jeremy looked back at the dirt road. For a while they cruised along in silence, enclosed by tall trees with more history in their bark than they had in both their lifetimes combined. There was something ominous but beautiful about being surrounded by such grand, weathered life. Jeremy thought Tyler slipped back to sleep so was slightly startled when he spoke again. "Are _we_ okay?"

Jeremy took his eyes off the road long enough to see the weary concern in Tyler's eyes. He knew he messed up, but Jeremy chose to blame it on the stress of the night. Even if it came from somewhere else, Tyler suffered enough for one day. He reached over and grabbed the back of his head. Tyler turned his face and rubbed his cheek against his hand.

"We're good." Jeremy promised, cupping his face for a while before returning his hand to the wheel.

He just wanted to worry about getting Tyler through the day and back to normal. They could fight about whatever they wanted later. For now, he planned on getting Tyler home, sleeping, and trying to push the sound of his tortured screams from his memory. It wouldn't work though. That kind of thing haunted those who heard it. He glanced at the sleeping boy in his passenger seat, and the worst kind of pain filled him up inside. He would hear those screams for the rest of his life.

* * *

Tyler woke up slowly, aware of an arm around him and Jeremy pressed up against his body in bed. He tried to orient himself. They were in Jeremy's bedroom and bright sunlight was coming in through the window so he figured it was mid-afternoon sometime. He couldn't remember walking to the house from the Jeep that morning, but it wasn't that abnormal. His short-term memory and motor skills took a hit the day following his transformation.

He moved his head enough on the pillow to see the alarm clock on Jeremy's nightstand. It was 5:45. He slept nearly twelve hours straight and was glad for it. He felt sore and stiff but mostly rejuvenated, nothing like the thick fog of exhaustion that forced him to shut down earlier. As Tyler let himself wake up in his own time, he turned over on his side. Jeremy moved instinctively in his sleep, pushing himself closer to Tyler and adjusting the arm around him.

Tyler leaned forward and kissed him. His lips were slack and warm as he slept. Tyler pressed another kiss onto his nose and Jeremy tilted his head as his eyes pushed themselves open. He smiled at Tyler and moved the arm he had around him to place his hand on his face. He rubbed his thumb over his cheek.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Starving." Jeremy watched him carefully so he reached a hand up to cover his. "I'll be fine." His eyes went over Jeremy. He was in the same clothes he was in the night before. "You skip school?"

Jeremy shook his head over the pillow, bending an arm underneath it. "Teacher Work Day or Staff Meeting Day or whatever. Three day weekend. But I would have." He added.

A buzzing on the nightstand cut through the quiet and Tyler rolled onto his back again to reach over for the noisy phone. He grabbed it and okayed the text with his thumb. The screen turned blue and said Dave's name at the top with a short message attached:

_POOL PARTY MY PLCE 2NITE 6! ! ! ! ! !  
_

Jeremy moved over and rested his head on Tyler's shoulder looking up at the phone he was holding over his head. He read the text.

"Pool party in January. Dumbass." He hoped the Kims had a water heater or there would be some hypothermia cases in the Mystic Falls ER that night. His eyes went up diagonally to see Tyler's face. "Are you going?"

"I don't know." Tyler tossed the phone back on the nightstand. It was almost six so people would probably start getting there in an hour or so. Could be fun. He wasn't sure if he had the energy for it though. "You and Anna crashing?"

Jeremy and Anna crashed a lot of parties when there was nothing better to do. There were always plenty of people to make fun of and bad music to laugh at. He wasn't in the mood to party though. "Anna said she was. Something about a guy in her art class going. She likes him. He asked her or she asked him…I don't know. She wasn't clear."

Tyler was silent as he considered. He was pretty beat after last night but then again he deserved to unwind a little after that recent nightmare. Besides, getting up for a while would help him sleep through the night when he got home.

"I'm going to go." He decided.

"Kay." Quiet settled around them until Jeremy looked at him coyly. "Did you want to get there early?"

Tyler smiled at his nerdy, hopeful grin. He rolled his eyes. "I have some time to kill."

Scooting over, he pulled Jeremy against him and settled down against the mattress. Jeremy snuggled closer and closed his eyes once more. Cuddling was like sugar to him. Or cocaine. It made him feel good and he never seemed to tire of it. Tyler sighed and held him, resting his chin on the top of his head and shutting his own eyes.

"You're such a girl." He murmured into his hair.

"I can't help it." His voice was muffled in his shirt. "You're so hot all the time. It's like hugging an electric blanket… Way better than Ambien…"

He wasn't lying. A few minutes later Tyler reopened his eyes and chuckled softly at Jeremy pressed against him fast asleep.

* * *

At this time yesterday, Jeremy was in a dark cellar with his boyfriend trying not to panic about his impending transformation. Today, the evening seemed calm and innocent as though nothing bad ever happened under its dark stare. As he drove down the suburbia of Mystic Falls, Anna rambled about the upside of living in New York. The people, the energy, the shops, the tourist hotspots, the clothes, the attractions, the best, the coolest, the most awesome stuff on the planet…

"Great." He replied with sarcastic interest. "Be sure to take lots of pictures so you can send them to me in Virginia."

She scowled and shut up, but he doubted he had heard the last of her not-so-subtle attempts to persuade him to go to school up north with her.

Anna pulled her dark hair loose and ran her hands through it to shake some volume into it. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at her with a smirk as he pulled the Jeep to a stop on the curb outside Dave Kim's house. He thought after a hundred years of first dates and pursuing crushes she would be less nervous about hanging out with the latest object of her affection. Age and experience was supposed to give people poise and confidence. Anna looked at him with a heavy exhale and he smiled.

"Am I hot?" She asked.

"Way hot." He assured her. "I'd go for you in a minute."

She flicked a frown at him. "You're gay."

He drew his breath in through his teeth. "Let's hope the other guy's not. But if he is, send him mine and Tyler's way. Maybe we could work something fun out."

She made a face at him in disgust. "You're gross."

He laughed as she pushed the door open and thanked him for the ride. Tyler's truck was still parked at the Gilbert's from when he came over the day before so they parted ways in the driveway. He didn't see his truck parked along the curb anywhere so he figured he was still at home getting ready.

"Sure you don't want to come in?" She leaned back in to ask.

He looked over at the house. Loud music was pouring out into the yard of the home. Caroline's mom would probably be called down by the neighbors, and with the help of her fellow Mystic Falls law enforcement team she would bust up the party and send everyone home. As much fun as that would be to see, having to hang out with the kind of people who attended a Dave Kim party without being high sounded like corporal punishment. If he was going to hurt himself it wasn't going to be for the privilege of socializing with a bunch of meatheads outside of school.

"I'm good. Have fun. You going to need a ride home?" He asked. He really didn't fancy having to get out of bed at whatever hour she decided to call it quits and come get her, so he was thankful for her response.

"No, I'll just run it."

As fast as she could run she would probably get home two hundred times faster than if he drove her. The idea made him lean back against his seat. "Why the hell didn't you just run here in the first place?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I wanted to see you. It's good to see a friendly face before going into the stalking den."

"Stalking?" Jeremy eyed her with accusing surprise. "I thought you guys talked about running into each other accidentally on purpose in a vague sort of date-ish way?"

"_Yeah_…I made that up. But he _will_ be here. Just not with me and he doesn't know I'm coming." She added quickly. "Bye!"

She closed the door after herself and jogged to the front door before he could respond. He shook his head, blinking thickly at the apathy she had for her shady pursuing tactics. He was fixing to pull away from the curb to go home when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen: Elena. He picked it up.

"Hey, sister." He answered, looking out the windshield at the darkening sky. The sun was disappearing as a new night began to fall.

"Jeremy, I need a favor." Elena said. "I was on my way home from the university and both of my back tires ran out of air. I'm looking at them now. They're totally flat. I have a spare but I don't know how to change it and I don't know what to do about the other tire. I would call Damon but something came up with the deal he made in Meadows and he drove back out this afternoon. You think you could come help me?"

"Yeah, yeah." Jeremy agreed at once, putting the Jeep in gear. "I have a donut we can put on the other flat side. Where are you exactly?" He asked and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Tyler spilled into a room upstairs reaching along the wall for the light. Nearly every corner of the house was booming with music. The Kims had a really nice stereo system, though they probably wouldn't appreciate their son using it to throw a booze filled, sexually active party. That didn't mean anything to Tyler though. If he got busted it was no skin off his nose.

"What are you doing?" Anna's voice came through the darkness a second before he flipped the light switch up on the side of the wall.

"Oh shit." He said startled and stepped into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. "I thought this was the bathroom. It's been a while since I've been here. What the hell are you doing sitting in here in the dark?"

"I can see alright." She stated, and he figured her vamp eyes could see better than he could even now in the light.

"Oh. Right. So…" He wandered over to the dresser and looked around at the framed pictures in front of a small square wall mirror. The Kims looked like happy people. He met them a few times. Even if they did bust Dave he would probably get off easy. His mom might wag her finger at him but then help him clean up the mess. He turned around and pointed at Anna as he recalled Jeremy telling him why she wanted to come. "Where's that guy you like?"

She frowned, sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed. "He's here. With a date."

"Ah. That sucks." He offered.

"I can smell your breath from here." She said out of the blue, and he made a face at her, shifting self-consciously. "You've been drinking." She commented.

"I'm just blowing off some steam." He said a little defensively. "I've had one beer. Pretty tame."

"Sure." Anna shrugged but Tyler continued to feel uncomfortable.

He didn't know how much Jeremy told her. Probably everything or close to everything. They were best friends. He didn't gush or squeal with Matt, but he was pretty in-the-know as far as major points of his relationship with Jeremy went. Friends shared, and that fact was beginning to make him feel exposed in front of Anna.

"I'm heading back out." She told him before he had a chance to make up his own excuse to leave, though finding the real bathroom would have been a good one.

"Kay." He said plainly and flinched as Anna moved so quickly that he saw her sitting on the bed and then standing directly in front of him in a split second.

"See ya." She pat his arm and he squinted down at her trying to shake the unease that came whenever one of the vampires moved like that in front of him. She smiled and then walked out of the room.

In the hall, she squeezed the car keys she lifted from his pocket in her fist and hid them safely in her pocket.

* * *

Elena shined her flashlight down over the donut and stood stiffly in the cold. Jeremy got to his feet and kicked at the donut he just attached. Tossing the tire iron in Elena's trunk, he clapped his hands free of the grime and wiped them on his jeans.

"Okay, you're good to go." He announced.

"Thank you, Jeremy." Elena said sincerely. "I owe you one."

The long stretch of road that led to more and more rural territory was quiet and generally free of traffic. No cars had passed for ten minutes. Stars speckled the sky and she walked along the shoulder to grab the closest flat tire they kicked out of the way while Jeremy tended to the jack. As he placed it too in the trunk his phone vibrated and he picked it out of his pocket. He was popular tonight. It was a text from Tyler:

_Some loser trying 2 dance. Wish u were here._

There was a short five second video attached of a guy Jeremy recognized from his calculus class flailing around the side of the pool as music blasted around him. He chuckled as he watched it a second time. He looked like somebody's drunk dad at a wedding reception, horrible and oblivious. He smiled and hit reply:

_Just changed 2 tires. Would rather b dancing. :)_

He clicked send and looked up as Elena heaved the first flat up into her trunk.

"What do you think I ran over?" She asked as he pocketed his phone. She ran the flashlight over it to search for evidence of glass or wire and Jeremy leaned over it with investigative curiosity.

"I don't know…" He took the flashlight from her and ran it over the other side. His brow furrowed as he noticed a deep cut, not on the bottom but sliced into the side. "That's weird…"

"Had to be sure she'd be stranded by the time I could venture outside. Still adjusting to the whole allergy to UV rays thing." A deep voice said behind them.

Jeremy flipped around and Elena swung the beam of her flashlight at the man. Her face lit up in horror at the sight of the large man in the shadows. He sneered in the light and sharp, pointed fangs protruded over his lips.

"You…" Elena's breath came out in a rush.

"What's going on? You know him?" Jeremy looked from her to the stranger, his senses raising anxiously. He really did not want to be on the side of a basically deserted road with his sister and a strange vampire.

"We've met." The vampire's sneer grew. His size was alarming. Jeremy knew realistically that Damon and Stefan, slight as they were, probably had the same strength or more as this vampire but there was something very imposing about a man that tall with so much extra weight standing within slaughtering distance.

"Jeremy, get in the car." Elena said quietly, her eyes never leaving the vampire.

There was definitely fear in her eyes. He eyed the vampire wearily. "You slashed her tires?"

"No." He said, taking a step toward them. His long legs carried him within ten feet of them. "I had a human do it for me. I could get used to _compelling_ women into doing what I want."

The phrasing and inflection struck Jeremy and all of a sudden he got it. He got the look of restrained panic in Elena's eyes and the way he was staring back at her like a funny toy he used to play with.

"You. You're the one who attacked her?" Jeremy glared at him and a block of

steel dropped into his stomach. "You didn't say he was a vampire."

Elena was slowly edging sideways toward her brother, watching the still vampire for signs of movement. "He wasn't a vampire then." She whispered.

"No." The vampire's gravelly voice responded. "I was a freelancing human. Not that I didn't enjoy the job."

His twisted smile raised a fury so strong in Jeremy that he had to take deep breaths to keep from launching at him. A man of his size would have been hard enough to successfully take down. Making a move against a vampire of his size would be suicide. His mind raced trying to come up with a solution to get them out of this. Stakes, holy water, garlic, silver-In his heightened state of anxiety he couldn't remember which were myths and which would actually hurt him. Not that it mattered. He didn't have any of those things.

"Since you didn't get the message before, I'm here to deliver it again." The vampire informed them. His shirt looked dirty over his broad shoulders and gut. He might have been a mechanic or a construction worker. Without the teeth no one would be able to peg him as a creature who only saw them as pieces of meat. "To: Damon Salvatore. From: Meadows." He said curtly. "No deal."

Before they could blink, the vampire was on them. He grabbed Elena by the throat and flung her backward. She flew through the air and landed hard, scraping against the ground with nearly bone shattering force. Jeremy made to run for her but the vampire latched onto his shoulders and threw him back so hard his feet left the ground before his back slammed into the front of his Jeep. The headlights streamed out in front, lighting up the trunk and back end of Elena's car.

The powerful blow made him feel like his body was placed in a demolition clamp at the junkyard, crammed between two indestructible forces and crushed. He started to fall forward when the vampire gripped him by the collar and picked him up, slamming him down on the hood. If he didn't know better he would have thought he felt it dent underneath him.

"Get off of him!" Elena screamed from somewhere in the dark.

Jeremy shoved at the vampire's chest but he didn't budge so much as an inch. New vampire or not, he was already fully equipped with the strength that made his species so dangerous. He could shove him until he was blue in the face, but he wouldn't move if he didn't want to.

"Haven't had me a boy yet." The vampire snarled in his ear. "Wonder if you taste any different from the girls."

Jeremy drew his head back as far as he could and pulled away but was only able to scrape slightly backward over the hood. He kicked out but the vampire swooped down, forcing his head to the side and sinking his teeth into his throat. A steel bear trap might have clamped around his neck for all the pain and strength behind the bite. Jeremy yelled and cried out as he felt blood being pulled and sucked out of the great gash in his neck. His eyes stared up at the night sky in surprise as he choked on his pained shout and struggled to breathe.

A loud thump slammed into the vampire's head and he pulled up, jerking Jeremy against the hood roughly as he stood out of Jeremy's view. Elena appeared with a tire iron in her hand and the second the vampire turned his head her way, she raised a spray can in the other hand and pushed on the release, sending a shower of fluid in his eyes. The vampire's face began smoking and his skin sizzled as though acid were eating it. He hissed and recoiled.

Elena grabbed Jeremy's arm and yanked on him until he slid off the hood and onto his feet.

"We have to go! Come on!" She tugged on him urgently.

Jeremy tried to orient himself, but he was feeling really weak and woozy with every step. Elena saw the difficulty in his movement and kept with him, hurriedly moving them forward to the car. She yanked the passenger door open and pushed him down into it. She was half-dipped into the car over him when the vampire appeared outside and grabbed her legs from the ground.

Screaming, she kicked out at him, ramming her foot repeatedly into his nose until she was able to pull free. She clambered in over Jeremy's lap and turned messily, grabbing the door and pulling it closed with desperate, shaking hands. She climbed quickly over to the driver's seat and twisted the keys in the ignition. The moment the engine sprung to life, she slammed down on the gas and tore off the shoulder, down the road.

"Jer!" Elena grabbed the rearview mirror and searched behind them for a sign of being followed by their attacker. "Jer, talk to me! Are you okay?"

Jeremy sank against the passenger seat, turned away from the door and holding his arms loosely around himself. There wasn't a part of him that didn't hurt. He was horribly aware of his entire spine and every muscle spread over his back. His neck was pulsing and he could feel a spreading warmth coming from the wound and sliding down his neck onto his shoulder.

"I don't know…" He mumbled at last. He was lightheaded and the energy seemed to have seeped out of him.

"Jer, you need to stop the bleeding." Elena alternated what hand she had on the wheel as she pulled out of her sweater. She rolled it up over her leg and pushed it out, moving his head up so she could press it against the bite. "Can you hold that?"

He would rather not move at all but tiredly lifted his arm and moved his hand where she wanted it. There wouldn't be any extraordinary pressure on the wound, but it was better than just leaving it completely unattended.

"What was in that spray?" Jeremy murmured, head lolling over the seat as she hit a particular sharp turn going much faster than the speed limit.

"Silver nitrate. Damon gave it to me for protection in case he ever got any unexpected visitors." Elena explained, pressing down even harder on the gas now that they were on a straight road and the view ahead extended much farther.

_Damon._ Jeremy closed his eyes and let his body relax, trying to preserve his energy. He guessed the negotiations in Meadows weren't going as well as they thought.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews! The finale of TVD is coming up! I would do just about anything for ONE Jyler scene… Maybe if we all hold our breath at the same time… :S

**Chapter Nineteen**

Tyler tripped over a lawn chair and ran into Stupid Stanley by the pool. The beer sloshed in his plastic cup and he licked the side quickly to catch the drip. Stanley shoved him for bumping into him and Tyler laughed. It felt good to let loose and get drunk with his friends. It was easier to forget about the trauma of the night before with cup after cup of refills at the keg.

He was wobbling near the water's edge looking over at Dave dunking some chick in the pool when he felt a cold hand on his arm. He turned to see Anna, surprised because she didn't normally talk to him in public.

"What?" He asked, taking another swig of his drink.

"Ooh, Anna!" Stanley looked her over openly. "When are you going to let me show you a good time?"

Anna was not fazed. "As soon as you magically transform into anyone else on the planet."

She turned back to Tyler but Stanley reached over and slapped her butt, leaving his hand behind and squeezing. Anna's eyes closed dangerously. Her patience only ran so deep. Grabbing him by the upper arms she hauled him to the side and spun him far more powerfully than a human her size should be able to. He splashed into the water with a loud crash and struggled to the surface, coughing and spitting in the cold water. Anna was done with him, however, and returned her attention to Tyler. She grabbed his arm again and pulled him to the side.

"We have to go. Elena called me. Jeremy's hurt." She informed him calmly, and her eyes were stony.

"What? What happened?" Tyler immediately reached for his pockets and widened his eyes when he didn't feel what he was looking for. "My keys-"

Anna lifted the object of his search from her own pocket and shook them. He reached for them but she pulled them back.

"I'm driving." She told him as she turned to walk back through the house and out to the front. "Put up a fight and I'll throw you in the back of the truck."

Tyler followed her silently. He believed her. 

* * *

The couch felt nice under him. Like a cloud. A nice fluffy, comforting cloud. Though, it was possible Jenna's painkillers were just taking effect. Jeremy was sitting up but sunk his head back against a large pillow Elena propped up behind him. They couldn't risk a hospital, though Elena tried to take him anyway. The vampire's teeth had nearly ripped off an entire oval of skin on the side of his neck. A band-aid was not going to cover it. Elena sat next to him, holding a towel to the wound with more pressure than he was able to apply himself on the ride home.

Thankfully, Jenna was home and after seeing how much pain he was in ran to her medicine cabinet and gave him a couple of the painkillers she was prescribed for her back when she pinched a nerve a couple months ago. Jeremy was willing to bet his backache was a little worse. Elena called Damon to warn him of possible danger coming his way since the 'message' was for him. There was no way around telling him about the attack now.

He was already back in Mystic Falls and on the way to his house when she told him the situation with Jeremy. To avoid suspicion he told them to hold tight and he would come with help. Twenty minutes later, Jeremy felt relatively safe inside their house. None of them would be inviting any new vampires inside for a while. The pain was beginning to drift away, but he knew that was a temporary fix and he might be in real danger if his neck was not tended to soon. He swallowed and strained to keep awake.

"Did someone call Tyler?" He asked groggily.

"I called Anna. She and Tyler are at a party. They're both coming." Elena assured him. After a beat of watching Jeremy's eyes flutter closed again, she looked up at Jenna pacing with a hand behind her own neck worriedly. "Jenna, let's just take him to the hospital. Damon's taking too long. I'm worried about all the blood loss."

It only took a second for Jenna to agree. She nodded and started rounding the couch to help Elena get him up.

"We'll tell the doctors we were camping and a stray dog or something attacked him." She coached them as she got one arm around Jeremy.

"No need."

They turned to see Damon walking in with a man and woman in scrubs. The man was carrying a medical kit and the woman pulled off her white coat as she got closer. Jeremy looked at them sleepily as they immediately made their way to him.

"Damon?" Elena asked.

"I went straight to the hospital and compelled them." Damon explained. "I'll erase their memory before they go. Easy fix all around. Are you okay?"

"Like I said he just threw me really hard. I ache all over but I'm fine. It's Jeremy I'm worried about." Elena insisted as Damon came over and hugged her tightly.

Jeremy didn't know what she was so worried about. He felt pretty good for a guy who almost got eaten by a hungry baby vamp. He had worse days actually. Too bad that vampire wasn't gay. Stupid Stanley and Dave Kim could probably give him a nice beat down. He chuckled.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "What's he on?"

Jenna told him and the doctors about the painkillers she gave him. "I hope that's okay."

"It's fine." The woman said, examining Jeremy's wound. "It doesn't look like any major artery was punctured. A blood transfusion probably won't be necessary, but if he isn't back to himself in a couple of days bring him into the hospital and I'll have another look. He's going to need stitches. Once the wound is closed, he'll need time to recuperate but he'll be okay."

Elena grabbed her chest and exhaled heavily. "Thank God."

Jenna ran a hand through Jeremy's hair and pulled a little before turning away. She looked about ready to faint with relief. Their family took a little too many hits to take one of them being in danger lightly.

The front door opened and Jeremy heard Tyler call out his name. He smiled and his eyes swept onto the doctor who was kindly pressing down on the wound again as she and her male nurse prepared the stuff they needed from their little kit. Elena called Tyler over and he and Anna appeared in the doorway, quickly moving in.

"What the hell happened?" Tyler asked and bumped his hip into the side table next to the loveseat. He struggled to right himself and Jeremy eyed him a little more closely. Someone definitely indulged in the refreshments at the Kim party.

"Vampire. The guy that attacked me before." Elena filled him in with the bullet points. Anna rushed over to the back of the couch and leaned over Jeremy to see what kind of damage was done. Jeremy smiled up at her softly. "Turns out he was working with the Meadows vampires Damon was trying to strike a deal with. I guess they had a change of heart and were trying to get Damon to back down and give up. They turned the guy who attacked me at The Grill and he came after us on the side of the road."

Tyler went to Jeremy and knelt down in front of him, reaching up to cup his face with his hand. Jeremy tried to give him the same reassuring smile he gave Anna but Tyler's face was dark with a tense edge. Jeremy figured he was probably too pale and limp to pass off the healthy survivor façade. Tyler pulled the towel back on his neck briefly and saw the ugly bite and blood flow coming from it. His eyes went sharp and he handed the towel back to the nurse who quickly pressed it back against the wound.

Tyler got to his feet and turned toward Damon. He seethed with anger as he pointed a harsh finger at him. "And this is _your_ fucking fault. Why am I not surprised?"

"Oh lay off." Damon made a face at him as Elena went to sit down next to Jeremy while the doctor prepared a shot to numb the area around the bite before cleaning the gash and applying the stitches. "How was I supposed to know they would try this…tactic." He summed up. That was a nice way to put it. Like attempting to kill Jeremy and Elena was a chess move or football play.

"A shot to the neck." Jeremy eyed the needle as the doctor thumped it for air bubbles. "Fun."

Elena frowned at him and grabbed his hand in both of hers supportively.

"See. Not so bad." Damon beckoned to Jeremy sarcastically. "The kid's enjoying it."

The rage emanating from Tyler grew exponentially. "Is this a joke to you? He could have been killed!"

"But he wasn't." Damon managed to sound bored and superior at the same time. It was a special tone that seemed to stream from him often.

"You know what your problem is?" Tyler asked and took a step toward the vampire in the middle of the living room.

"Ty, don't." Jeremy tried to stop the train wreck in progress, but was hardly in the position to act as a proper buffer as the doctor slid the needle into his neck and pushed the drugs into his system.

"Why don't you tell me? You seem to be in a sharing mood." Damon replied, not helping to lower Tyler's growing resentment.

"Guys, this isn't helping." Elena tried, squeezing Jeremy's hand after he winced at the feel of the needle being pulled out.

"I'll tell you what your fucking problem is!" Tyler screamed with a deep growl woven through his voice, and Jeremy knew it was all over. There was no way to talk down an angry Lockwood so close to his last transformation once his temper got that far out of control. "You think you're smart and charming and entitled. But you're really just an asshole who gets people I care about hurt. And I think it's about time that some of that hurt came back around to you."

He stepped up into Damon's face and the vampire drew his head back.

"Woo! Boozy," Damon wrinkled his nose. "Your breath smells like the inside of one of Lindsay Lohan's pre-rehab sqwinchers."

Tyler's eyes altered, flowing out from the pupils with abnormal pale brown streaks. His face twisted with hate and he threw his fist into Damon's jaw so hard he shot to the side and stumbled back. Jenna gasped and Elena held her hands up pleadingly as she called for them to cool it. Getting hit by Tyler wasn't like getting hit by any other human. Since the Lockwood curse was activated, a new strength came with it that made him nearly as lethal as he was when he was in his wolf form. It was what made him such a force on the football field. He and Damon were two alpha males glaring at each other.

"You're going to regret that." Damon said plainly.

"Damon, no." Elena warned firmly but Tyler gave him no window to reconsider.

He punched Damon again and swung his other fist into his stomach, forcing him to double over. He shoved him back but before he could make another hit, Damon lurched forward and bulldozed into him, knocking him to the floor. Jeremy tried to sit up straighter, messing up the nurse's attempt to begin stitching up his wound. They were compelled so deeply, they completely ignored the fighting near them and continued to try to tend to Jeremy's bite intently.

Jeremy tried to push himself off the couch but Anna shoved him back down, zooming around to the boys and grabbing Damon's back. She twisted as she straightened and flung him away. He flew off Tyler and slammed into the far wall. Jeremy's human eyes were able to see him smack into it but in the next breath he was grabbing Tyler by the collar, jerking him to his feet and ramming him backward. Tyler hit the doorjamb with enough force to knock the DVDs off the neighboring rack. A vase tipped over and broke against the floor.

Tyler brought his hands up between them and shoved Damon back, swinging his fist into his nose and pushing him after the blow with enough force to send him reeling backward. Damon tripped over the coffee table and fell back onto it, breaking through it and hitting the floor with the piercing sound of breaking glass. Elena screamed and drew her legs up onto the couch, away from the sharp flying particles. Damon got to his feet, cutting his hands over the glass as he pushed himself up with blood running down his nose.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Jenna shouted, bending over the back of the couch and wrapping her arms around Elena and Jeremy's shoulders protectively.

Damon punched Tyler and knocked him to the floor. He hit the carpet on his back, already lifting himself on his elbows and Anna ran to intervene as Damon moved toward him instantly. She reached up, anchored her hands on Damon's shoulders and ran him backward as a football player would during drills. Space opened up between the fighting boys, but it was short-lived.

Damon reached around her arms, grabbing one shoulder and throwing her off of him. She plowed into the loveseat, looking every bit as small and fragile as a human her size would. But she wasn't human.

Before Jeremy's heart could take another panicked beat, Anna snarled and moved. She grabbed Damon by the shoulders and launched him off Tyler again before either one could throw another punch. This time, though, she ran over to him before he even sunk down the wall and curled her hands around his throat. She squeezed and lifted him up until his feet left the floor, pinning him to the wall and jerking him against it like a weightless rag doll.

Tyler got to his feet as the sound of the front door opening filtered over to them. Stefan and Caroline appeared, both with their game faces on. They must have heard the scuffle from the street with their bionic hearing and decided to bypass the polite knocking route.

"What's going on?" Stefan took in the sight of Anna strangling his brother and his hands flexed.

"The boys are misbehaving." Anna said through gritted teeth. "I've got this one. Do you mind?" She flicked her head backward and the other vampires turned their attention to Tyler making his drunken way over.

Stefan and Caroline each gripped one of Tyler's arms and pulled him backward.

"I don't like being pushed by children." Anna turned a cold smile on Damon.

He tried to laugh but she was crushing his windpipe too hard. "You're lucky she's so damn old." He choked out at Tyler. "I've always wanted to try the Chinese tradition of eating dog."

Tyler launched toward him, struggling against his captors and Stefan gaped at his brother.

"Why?" He deadpanned.

Damon smiled, though his face was turning purple and a vein was popping out in his forehead.

"Stop!" Elena looked over at them with tears in her eyes, her expression dark with disbelief.

"He…started it." Damon managed in a feeble, difficult croak.

"Jeremy's hurt and you're making it worse! Anna, can you get him out of here?" Elena refused to look at Damon.

He scrunched up his brow. "Hey…" He said offended.

"On it." Anna set him down and pushed him in the back toward the front door.

Tyler didn't noticeably relax out of his fighter's stance until after the sound of the front door closing after Anna and Damon. Caroline eyed the werewolf uncertainly and didn't release him until Stefan did. Tyler breathed unevenly and turned slowly back around. His slightly glazed gaze went to Jeremy and the youngest Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Go to the kitchen." He told him sternly as he relaxed against the couch with difficulty. He had so much adrenaline coursing through him from the fight that it was completely knocking out the affects of the painkillers. All the comforting softness that made him feel disconnected and sleepy was gone, replaced with alert muscles and a racing head. "_Sober up,_ Tyler."

Tyler looked as though he might speak but dropped his eyes to the floor and only exhaled in resignation instead. He made his way out of the room and Jeremy closed his eyes. He felt Elena bend and drape her arm over his closest shoulder and rest her head on it. The nurse pulled away the towel and the doctor pulled the first line of stitches neatly through his neck. He was feeling a lot of things in that moment, so he just thanked God that he wasn't feeling that. 


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Bit of a delay w/the update, sorry about that. As always, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts!

**Chapter Twenty**

Jeremy was sleepy but he couldn't sleep. His room was dark, the lights were out and he had some nice drugs in his system to help him with the pain. Elena tried to persuade him into accepting blood from Damon to help with the healing, but after everything that happened earlier Jeremy gave her a wry smile before declining. Vampires, especially Damon, were a touchy issue with Tyler as it was without him accepting bodily fluids from them. Everyone was shooed from the house, and peace settled over the home. Elena wanted to stay in there with him all night and keep vigil but he forced her out with a plea for some alone time. That wasn't what he really wanted, though, so when he felt someone else's presence nearby a small smile played across his lips.

He rolled his head and looked over at Tyler leaning in the dark doorway. "Can I come in?" He asked when he noticed he was still awake.

"Yeah." Jeremy welcomed and watched as Tyler made his way slowly over. He pulled the covers back and moved over with an effort. Tyler kicked his shoes off and got in but didn't look at him, so Jeremy propped an arm under his head and stayed on his side, watching him. "How's your…everything-that-Damon-hit?" He couldn't think how to phrase the question and chose to blame the painkillers.

"I hate that." Tyler murmured low and sinister.

"What?" Jeremy asked.

Tyler turned his head to look at him. "You're the one who almost died today and you're asking me if I'm okay." He shook his head, glancing away with a look that suggested he was sick of the night's events. Or maybe he was sick of himself. Jeremy reached out and laid an arm across his chest. "I'm not okay." Tyler said at his touch. "I'm an asshole."

It might have been the drugs but Jeremy agreed. "Tonight you were."

Tyler looked at him with some surprise but seemed to accept the blunt honesty. "I'm going to pay for all the damage."

"Good." Jeremy yawned against his pillow. "Jenna might have made me or Elena pay for it."

"Jeremy." Tyler was serious despite Jeremy's light tone. "I know I said I wasn't going to drink anymore, and I swear this was a one time thing. I was with the guys and they were playing beer pong, and I just-I don't know-And then when Anna told me you were hurt and I saw you sitting there all pale and bleeding-I've never felt so angry before. I know I shouldn't have started in on him, but-"

"Tyler." Jeremy cut him off and gave him an imploring look. "Not tonight. Let's just sleep okay?"

It seemed to be a struggle for Tyler to swallow the rest of what was sure to be a long and heartfelt apology. Honestly, though, Jeremy just wanted quiet and nearness. He moved close enough to press against Tyler's side and lay his head on his shoulder. Tyler's hand went around him and he finally felt at ease.

"You looked hot in battle." He murmured at Tyler's expense. Truthfully, once he was rested and could muster the energy he would be pissed and lay a finely written lecture on him. For now, he just wasn't up for it.

"Jeremy…" Tyler said, weary of his joking approach to the subject.

He was quiet for a while and grew steadily more serious. Seeing him fight with Damon was frightening. He could have been seriously hurt or killed. The vampire was harmless enough when he was just saying conceited or ironic things, but he could turn deadly at the drop of a hat. He knew Tyler could hold his own, but unless his life was at risk he should never put himself in that position to begin with.

"You scared me." He whispered.

"I know." There was a heaviness in his voice that spoke of unhappy regret.

Before he could address it, Jeremy grabbed Tyler's hand and slipped his own ring off, pressing it into the other boy's grip. Tyler looked down and examined it in the dim moonlight. It was the enchanted ring that granted indestructibility to the person who wore it.

"Remember that?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah," Tyler lifted a brow. "Were you wearing this?"

"No. That would have been nice. Bonnie borrowed it a few months ago when they needed her to cast a dangerous spell on one of Elena's vamp missions." He said with a little teasing in his voice. His sister led a different kind of life, filled with conspiracies and relics. He got caught up in the drama sometimes but for the most part these days, she had successfully managed to protectively keep him out. "She called Bonnie from the road, hoping she could meet us and I could put it on in case the damage was really bad. Bonnie didn't get the message until after I already got the stitches though. She just dropped it off a little while ago. Elena brought it up to me. You didn't see Bonnie?"

Tyler's face was pulled in that way of his that made him look angry and closed off. Jeremy knew that tonight those feelings were turned toward himself. "No. I drank some coffee and ate something and then I went for a walk. I can't believe what I did to your living room…"

Jeremy sighed. Neither could he. Something told him Damon would be in the dog house too. But he didn't want to get into any of that now.

"I want you to wear the ring." He told him and Tyler looked down at the trinket in his hand. Jeremy didn't know what was going on with Tyler. Maybe he had a drinking problem. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he just lost control and went too far tonight, but whatever was going on he seemed to be getting into more trouble lately. Jeremy didn't want that trouble to land him in anything more serious.

"No." Tyler said simply and unexpectedly. Jeremy looked up at him, not understanding as Tyler pushed it back onto his ring finger and curled his hand up, holding it in both of his. "I feel like the biggest jerk on the planet. You get attacked and I'm the one you think needs more protection. _No._"

He squeezed his hand and laid back against the pillows, closing his eyes and trying to calm his nerves. Jeremy wanted to press the issue but could see Tyler would not be responsive at the moment. He settled against him, trying to take comfort in his warmth and forget about all the drama of the day.

As he closed his eyes and tried to sleep he saw the ugly vampire on top of him and felt his teeth sink into his throat as he mangled him wildly. He squeezed his eyes tighter and must have tensed because Tyler rubbed his arm soothingly and whispered quiet nothings in his ear. He was too tired to catch the words but they did their job. After a while he was able to relax again and drift off. He didn't dream about vampires all night. 

* * *

Tyler made his way quietly downstairs. It was mid-morning and he was starving. Jeremy was still asleep so he was careful not to wake him as he got out of bed. It was Saturday so he figured the rest of the house would be asleep. As he drew closer to the kitchen, though, he heard voices wafting out. He slowed down at the sound of Damon and frowned. He did not want to eat his breakfast around that idiot. He didn't trust himself not to go ballistic and let one thing lead to another again.

"I'm just worried about him." He heard Elena say clearly as she ran the faucet. From the clinking sounds and water, he gathered that they were washing the dishes from the day before.

"He'll be fine." Damon answered with his normal cavalier attitude. Since Elena wasn't breaking any plates over his head, Tyler wondered if she amounted the day to scraps and pushed his behavior aside the way Jeremy had his own. The Gilberts were too forgiving, and neither he nor Damon deserved it. "He would probably be a lot better if he didn't have to constantly hide who he was though." Damon added as an afterthought.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked uncertainly.

Damon made a dismissive noise. "He's with that idiot werewolf, and because that idiot werewolf is a self-loathing homosexual, Jeremy is shoved into this box."

Tyler's jaw clenched.

"No," Elena responded with the sound of more clanking. "You don't know Tyler. Or Jeremy really for that matter. Tyler makes him happy. And besides, Jer told me he's going to come out to his mom and be open about their relationship after they go to college. People in this town can be less than accepting sometimes. If I were in his position I might do the same thing. I mean, they're fixing to graduate. What's a few months?"

Tyler leaned against the wall in the hallway, feeling gratified for Elena's defense. Of course Damon would judge him without having a single drop of knowledge on the situation. The vampire made an agreeable but unconvinced groan.

"Sure, that's what he says now. But think about it, Elena. Tyler is going to college to be some great football star right? Do you think he would really come out in the middle of all that? How do you think the guys would treat him in the locker room? And the NFL? He could kiss any dreams of being drafted away. People can claim as much tolerance as they want, but in the real world who you are and _what_ you are still mean something. Forget football as a career. I'd be surprised if he kept playing throughout his entire freshman year. He could be the best player in the history of the sport. If the others don't want him there…he won't play."

Tyler's eyes dropped to the floor and he listened distantly as Elena sighed.

"I don't know, Damon. No one said it was going to be easy for them. I'm sure he knows what he's getting into." She turned the faucet off.

At the lack of extra background noise, Tyler looked up darkly with a sinking feeling in his gut. Hearing it all laid out like that was harsh and bitingly honest. Turning before they heard him, he quietly made his way back to the stairs, feeling much worse than when he came down.

In the kitchen, Damon cocked his head to the side listening to Tyler's retreating footsteps, too low for Elena to pick up herself. He grinned cruelly at his expense and moved up behind Elena. She tried to shoo him away with a towel but he leaned down and kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and hugging her to him protectively. Not a bad morning.

In fact, after he went back to Meadows and ripped the throats out of every single person involved in the plot against Elena he would be just about giddy. 

* * *

If it were up to Tyler, Jeremy would still be in bed. Although he remembered winning that argument, looking around now he wondered if Tyler wasn't still getting his way. Jeremy was on the couch in the study of the Lockwood home with a blanket covering his legs. He pushed it down to his waist despite Tyler's insistence that he keep warm.

He refused to let him get his own drink and even got up and held his elbow supportively when he needed a restroom break. Jeremy assured him that he was being perfectly ridiculous, but he kind of liked having Tyler fuss over him. Tyler seemed to be trying to make up for the performance he and Damon put on the night before, and Jeremy wasn't about to stop him.

They played video games for a few hours and Tyler kept getting blown up in Call of Duty because of repeated glances away from the screen to check that Jeremy wasn't straining himself. After his fourth premature death, Jeremy waved the back of his hand at him and wiggled his ring finger pointedly.

"I can't die, babe." He brought the ring directly under Tyler's nose and his eyes rolled down to it expressionlessly. Jeremy pointed at the screen. "But you can."

Tyler frowned, hunched over his legs leaning forward and paid more attention to the game. Jeremy just launched a grenade behind enemy lines when the familiar click of high heels resounded on the floor behind them.

"Good evening, Jeremy." Mrs. Lockwood's voice came over the loud noise of explosions and gunfire in the game. She offered no separate greeting to her son who ignored her as well.

Jeremy glanced over his shoulder. "Hi, Mrs. Lockwood."

"I'm glad you're here. I heard the funniest thing about you this afternoon." She came around and sat daintily on a chair cattycorner to the couch they were on.

He resigned himself to a conversation with the woman. This wasn't Jenna sitting down with them. They couldn't shoot her a few quick answers and keep playing. Jeremy reluctantly pressed pause and set his controller aside. Tyler frowned and sat back, finally looking over at his mother. There was no smile attached to the look.

"Is it my neck?" Jeremy asked, touching the bandage over his stitches. He didn't know how the rumor mill could have gotten started already, but when Caroline was involved he wouldn't be surprised. "It's just a dog bite."

"Oh, goodness." Mrs. Lockwood seemed to notice the gauze and medical tape for the first time. "You have to be careful around those things."

_Those things._ Like he told her he was bitten by a snake or a komodo dragon.

"Yes, ma'am." He agreed for the sake of being agreeable.

"No, Jeremy," she shifted in her seat and he looked back at her attentively. "I was having lunch at The Grill earlier and got to talking to Stanley's mother. She said the boy Stan and Tyler got suspended for making fun of was you. She seemed to think she knew a lot about you. She said the oddest thing. It's quite embarrassing. Forgive me."

Jeremy could guess what it was she said. Tyler seemed to know too, because his face went very still and he looked away at the frozen screen.

"Well…" Mrs. Lockwood's gaze went to the side as her lips worked up into a sheepish smile. She held her hands out and finished hurriedly. "She said you were gay."

Jeremy's heart rate picked up dramatically with the words. He felt the color drain from his face, leaving it as white as it was last night when he thought he might bleed to death. Having a heart attack and flatlining right here in front of Mrs. Lockwood's piercing stare seemed a more likely death. But as the shock lifted somewhat he was left with a much different emotion. He traded a look with Tyler.

They were fixing to graduate, and the plan was always for Tyler to come out when they were out of high school. That was only a few months away. The 'when' and the 'how' of coming out was a tricky thing to decide for every individual in their shoes, but what did a few months really matter? It might not be ideal-with Mrs. Lockwood, there probably was no such thing as an ideal coming out-but here was a perfectly set up window for them to just do it.

"Look at your face! I've shocked you." Mrs. Lockwood smiled and he read the grin as an expression of relief. He must have reacted properly then. "Well, don't you worry."

She stood up and bent to give him a hug. He pulled his arms around her obligingly and pat her back, lifting his brows and nodding imploringly over her shoulder. Tyler understood the hint in his eyes and a brief bolt of panic struck his face. He started to shake his head as Mrs. Lockwood stood up, and he jerked to a stop.

"I set her straight." She informed him reassuringly, and he forced a weak smile. "I told her I knew you very well, that you were a smart young man with ambition and values, and that she must have been mistaken." She shook her head with a small laugh. "The things people will spread about those with more opportunities than them. You just know that brainless child of hers will be enrolling in community college next fall." She said haughtily and clicked around the couch. "Tyler, take those glasses to the sink and wash them after you take Jeremy home."

With a final smile at Jeremy she left them to their game, closing the double doors to the room closed behind her. Jeremy turned to Tyler the second she was clicking far enough out of earshot.

"Ty-"

"No." He answered before he could even make a proper proposal.

Jeremy cocked his head to the side at his fast response. "Why not? Think about it. You were going to tell her soon anyway. This is the perfect opening. And I'm here, so you won't be alone."

"No, Jer. The timing's not right." He had been holding onto his controller the whole time, hoping they would resume play quickly but set it aside now in submission.

"Okay. I get that." Jeremy agreed but didn't let it rest. The moment felt too right to pass up. "It's a little earlier than you planned, but if we're going to be out together in college, what's the point of waiting when your mom's right in the other room and-"

"I'm rethinking all of that too." Tyler shook his head at his lap, and Jeremy drew back in confusion.

"Rethinking…" He shook his head, not understanding.

Almost immediately after they started going out and Jeremy came out of the closet, he and Tyler discussed the 'when' of his own coming out. He made allowances for Jeremy's closest friends and family, but here they were a year later and Jeremy was still working under the impression that Tyler was serious about coming out after graduation. To have that rug pulled out from under him was jolting.

"What?" Jeremy blinked with a quick shake of his head. Tyler leaned over his lap. He glanced at him fleetingly but returned his eyes to the screen without responding. Jeremy knew what that look meant.

He knew he was throwing a bomb at him but didn't want to talk about it. For several seconds, Jeremy didn't know what to say. He was functioning under the assumption that someday soon they would be able to be together completely without hiding. They could just be a normal couple. It was a distant existence but not so far out that he lost sight of it. For Tyler to change his mind and push that reality back to some indeterminate time made him feel shaken and unbalanced.

"When did you decide all of this?" Jeremy asked quietly, staring unseeingly at the air in front of him. He gathered the blanket around his legs and pushed it off of him onto the couch between them distractedly.

Tyler leaned back and rubbed his eye. "I haven't decided anything. I'm just…not sure anymore. I don't know, Jer. I really don't. Can we just…" He picked his controller back up and glanced at the screen. "Can we just play and talk about this some other time?"

He looked away and Jeremy watched his still profile dumbfounded. A mixture of hurt and surprise coursed through him, but more than anything he felt confused. He thought they were on the same page but this new bombshell from Tyler made Jeremy feel like an outsider in his own life. Told what would happen and how things would be from somebody else. He didn't know what to do with those feelings.

Tyler wouldn't look at him though, so Jeremy sank back against the couch. He looked at the paused screen where their alternate reality was suspended in time. Their avatars were happy where they were, waiting to be told their next move. He set the game going again silently. They could play for a little longer. But it was getting late and Jeremy would have to go home to the real world soon. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Jeremy stared out the window as Tyler pulled the truck up in front of his house. They hadn't talked much the rest of the night and when Tyler suggested they put a different game in the Xbox, Jeremy asked him to take him home instead. The ride over was saved from heavy silence from the radio. Jeremy jacked it up, not caring that he hated every song that came on. It was one of Tyler's preset stations. Jeremy didn't like the radio in general. It was all the same recycled songs on repeat, but it was better than trying to talk. Right now, he wanted to be in his own room figuring out how he felt about Tyler's decision to push back his coming out.

"I'll come over tomorrow and check on you." Tyler told him, rolling the volume down on the radio.

"Don't worry about it." Jeremy dissuaded him. "You're probably right. I should rest. I'll text you and see you Monday at school."

"Okay." Tyler acquiesced uncertainly. "Let me help you inside."

"I got it." Jeremy opened the door to get out on his own.

"Okay…" As Jeremy moved to get out, Tyler reached over and grabbed his arm. "Hey." As Jeremy turned back Tyler leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you."

"You too." Jeremy murmured and climbed out of the truck without looking back.

He really did feel excessively tired. Jenna advised against the trip to Tyler's house, but he had insisted that he was fine. He thought she might have been right, though, as he made his way slowly to the front door. He was closing it behind him when Tyler started the truck up and pulled away.

He felt bad for wanting Tyler to be ready if he wasn't and felt bad for feeling bad because he thought he sort of had a right at this point to feel a little indignant. He had hoped things would be different, open and better. He didn't want to spend his life hiding.

Following noises in the living room, he walked over and peered inside. The mess was gone. The glass was cleared out and everything was put back into position and righted. Where their coffee table was, a new one was sitting along with a new vase and side lamp. Jeremy eyed the room in surprise and slumped down into an armchair across from Elena and Caroline on the couch.

"Hey, you okay?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened here?" He beckoned around.

Elena looked at the perfectly neat room with some satisfaction. "Tyler got rid of the glass and cleaned up this morning while you were asleep, and Damon brought in the new stuff an hour ago. Back to normal."

Jeremy looked at the new coffee table. It was made of wood instead of glass like their old one and looked far more expensive. It would be easier to clean, so Jeremy didn't ask questions.

"Yeah, I guess." He agreed. So much for Tyler paying for the damages. It was just as well. Damon was as responsible for the broken pieces of furniture as he was.

Jeremy was still glancing around when his eyes passed over the window, revealing a large hunkering figure standing directly outside looking in. His heart skipped in shock. He yelled out, jumping back in his seat.

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed.

Elena jumped. "What?"

Jeremy glanced at her and back, but the figure was gone. The sneering face was lodged into memory, though, and he shot to his feet.

"The fucking vampire from last night! He was right outside the window!" He pointed to the area and Elena immediately reached into her pocket.

She pressed a number on her speed dial, getting to her feet and waving Jeremy toward her. He wandered toward the window with Caroline instead. "I'm calling Damon. Are you sure?"

"I swear to God." Jeremy's pulse quickened the closer he got to the window. He couldn't believe it. He was thinking about furniture one moment and being stared at by a psychopathic vampire the next.

Caroline was there first and pulled the curtains all the way back. She looked out and around, taking a moment before pointing at something outside. Her fingernail tapped the glass. "There! Do you see?"

It took Jeremy's human eyes a moment longer to make out the vampire's tall figure in the dark, but he was definitely there. Across the street, just outside of any light, the husky vampire stood still on the sidewalk and stared at the Gilbert home. The eerie stillness in his stance sent chills down Jeremy's spine. His hand went to his neck instinctively.

"Oh my God…" Caroline murmured under her breath as Elena came up behind them and shoved the curtains back into place, hiding them from view of the vampire. "That's the vamp that attacked you guys?"

"Yeah." Jeremy watched her carefully. A burgeoning guilt built over her face, and he got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What…?"

Elena hung up the phone and tucked it back in her pocket after leaving a quick message for Damon. She turned to Caroline at the sound of unease from Jeremy. "Her face went slack with foreboding. "Caroline, what?"

Caroline looked like someone who would rather be doing anything but talking, and that look on her of all people pushed a brick of dread in the pit of Jeremy's stomach. She pointed toward the street, now blocked from view by the curtains.

"That's the vamp I met the other day. The one I went running with in the woods. He seemed so nice. He was a new vampire like me and seemed really interested in everything about me. He was a really good listener…"

Elena's eyes were growing steadily larger. "Caroline, what did you do?"

Caroline looked on the brink of tears. "He asked about my friends, and I mentioned you went to the local university and how you were taking a couple evening classes. That must have been how he knew where you would be and decided when to make his move. Elena, I am so sorry! He seemed like such a nice guy, and when I ran into him again this morning…"

Ice ran through Jeremy and threatened to stop his heart.

"Caroline, _what_ did you do?" Elena demanded more adamantly.

"We decided to go for lunch but I forgot my phone here last night. Jenna was here when we stopped by. I introduced him as an old friend of mine." Caroline's face went pale, and for once she looked as undead as she was. "Elena, she invited him in… He can come inside the house."

Elena's mouth fell open and Jeremy seemed to hear the words at a great distance. He was frozen still and disconnected, jerked back to the present at the sound of the front door being splintered open. The girls screamed and Jeremy instinctively cowered, ducking his head down protectively. Jeremy didn't see so much as a blur of movement before he felt a devastatingly strong hand close around his throat. He and Elena were lifted in a stranglehold and rammed backward against the wall. Caroline made a move for them and the vampire squeezed.

"I'll break their necks." He growled in warning and Caroline froze, caught between intervening and the fear of consequences. "Meadows wants Damon to know that they know he went looking for them today, that he showed up at their homes with naughty intentions. If he doesn't back off and go away, they'll come for him. And _I_ will come for _you_." He hissed in Elena's face.

The area around the bite was throbbing, and Jeremy was beginning to see cloudy spots from lack of oxygen. His fingers fumbled against the wall until he found Elena's hand. Struggling not to drop it, he pulled his ring off and pushed it over her thumb. Elena's eyes went wide as she turned them in his direction, choking.

"You!" He shook Jeremy. "They didn't say anything about you. I could eat you and no one would care."

"No!" Elena shouted raggedly and reached manically for Jeremy's hand but he pulled it away as his fingers began to flex desperately for air.

The vampire growled. "Sounds like a nice warning."

He drew his lips back but as he struck, the new coffee table came down on his head with enough power behind the blow to crack it in half. His grip loosened automatically and Jeremy fell to the floor with Elena gasping and sputtering. Caroline dropped one of the halves, widening her handle on the remaining piece and reeling it up with a scream. The vampire's jaw snapped up with a teeth cracking whip.

"Get out of here!" Caroline yelled at them, discarding her broken weapon and changing to her fists instead. She punched the vampire twice repeatedly before throwing all her weight into her right hook. The vamp careened backward and dropped.

Jeremy grabbed Elena's arm and they struggled to their feet, leaning into each other as they forced themselves into a sloppy run. The front door was smashed, ripped from its hinges and toppled inward in broken slabs. Jeremy grabbed his keys from the bowl on the table beside the coatrack and stumbled over the caved in doorway.

"We can't just leave her!" Elena began to slow outside.

"We stay, we die!" Jeremy pulled Elena forward and nearly shoved her into the passenger side of the Jeep. He thanked God that Alaric went with Jenna that morning to pick it up from the side of the road and drive it home. Elena might be wearing his invincibility ring, but that wouldn't protect her from torture. His mind flickered over what the insane vampire tried to do to her while he was human, and he moved even faster. "We'll call Stefan and Damon from the road. She'll be fine, she's older."

"Barely!" Elena yelled, but he put the car in reverse and peeled out of the driveway without hesitation. He twisted loudly onto the road and kicked down on the gas for all the Wrangler was worth.

Elena pulled her phone from her pocket with shaky hands and speed dialed the first person on her list. Jeremy checked the rear and side mirror as they sped away down the street. No sign of the vampire but no sign of Caroline either. His heart pounded a million beats per minute and he stepped harder on the gas. 

* * *

Jeremy drove straight to Alaric's apartment and Jenna let them in shocked. Damon went straight to their house when he got the message on his voicemail and called Elena after finding the house empty. He reported a lot of property damage. The living room was all but destroyed, the banister was crushed in places and the kitchen was badly trashed with broken dishes scattered across the floor. The upstairs looked untouched, but neither the vicious vampire or Caroline were anywhere to be seen.

Stefan tracked her scent for several miles but the trail went dead on the outskirts of town. He went to the apartment, alternately calling Caroline and having everyone check their phones for messages, pacing tensely around the living room the entire time. Jeremy tried calling Tyler but it went to voicemail and he hung up without leaving a message. It wasn't something someone should hear about from a prerecorded source in case he couldn't get through to him directly after hearing it. Jeremy didn't want him to worry.

Stefan went over to Damon on the couch and slapped his shoulder. Damon locked eyes with his brother in silent understanding. They got up to take off for Meadows when a knock on the door got everyone's attention. Stefan looked up and sniffed the air. His face shifted in recognition.

"Caroline." He became a blur of movement. The door swept inward, tossing a rush of air inside from the speed of it being pulled open. It was a wonder it was able to stay on its hinges.

Caroline was in the doorway, but Jeremy didn't get a look at her at all. The door was closed and then Stefan was hugging her and only her curly blonde head could be seen over his shoulder. Elena shot to her feet in relief and Jeremy dropped back against Alaric's stiff couch feeling like the world's greatest weight was lifted off of him. If something had happened to her after they left her there alone he never would have been able to live with himself.

"What happened?" Elena asked.

Caroline stepped back from Stefan but he didn't take his eyes off her, gently pushing her hair back. Whether it was to sooth her or himself was uncertain. She took a large breath and stepped into the apartment.

"I kicked his ass. And then he kind of kicked mine." She conceded.

Jeremy hoped never to have the look of white fury in Stefan's eyes pointed at him. The vampire didn't so much as move an inch, but the rigid restraint in his expression was undeniable. As Caroline stepped farther into the room, Jeremy could see why. Her clothes looked like they were put in a blender with mud and debris. The right side of her face was beat up so badly Jeremy figured even a vampire would be bruised for a few days. Her left jacket sleeve was torn off and a long scratch ran all the way down to her wrist. Caroline went through the ringer and as bad as she looked, Jeremy knew they made the right decision to flee. Without backup, with the two of them to worry about, something told him they would all be much worse off right now.

"Is he dead?" Stefan asked, and there was a note of something in his voice, detectable despite his low, even voice. Hope that Caroline killed him and maybe a little hope that she had not. If the job of taking him down was still up for grabs, Jeremy didn't see anyone else in the room with more outright eagerness to step up. Like everything with Stefan, the emotion was right below the surface, coolly controlled behind a careful façade, but Jeremy read him easily enough. After the vampire attacked his sister and tried to kill him twice, he was sharing a lot of those same feelings.

Caroline walked to an armchair and sank down into it heavily. "No." Shame eased over her face through the swelling. "I ran." She confessed. "He was fast. It took a while to lose him and double back."

Stefan sat on the armrest beside her and squeezed her shoulder.

"Caroline, I'm so sorry." Elena sat on the couch cushion closest to her and leaned forward, touching her knee.

Caroline rubbed her face tiredly, bringing delicate fingers to touch the sore areas experimentally. She looked at Elena in confusion. "For what?"

Elena looked surprised. "For leaving you there."

"Yeah, Caroline." Jeremy tried to portray all the gratitude he felt in his voice. "You saved our lives."

She rolled her eyes flippantly and shook her head. "You wouldn't even have been in danger if I hadn't been so stupid."

"Damn right." Damon shot her a nasty look.

"I'm the one who invited him in." Jenna came back into the room, handing Caroline a glass of water.

Caroline sat up straighter, happy to push responsibility for the attack on someone else if it was in Jenna's defense. "Damon's the one who went back to Meadows and stirred up more trouble. The deal was dead, and he clearly exaggerated how well the negotiations were going. You couldn't have just let it go, could you?" She shot him a snappy look.

"That vampire assaulted Elena. I planned on slaughtering him and everyone who sent him. Now I have to do it all double, and it will hurt more." He considered. "Stefan and I will head to Meadows tonight and won't come back until we find and kill them all." He looked at his brother for compliance and Stefan nodded. "In the meantime, no going back to the house and don't go out after dark. They don't have rings so they're bound by the night, but that doesn't mean you should be careless during the day." He wandered over to Elena and gave her a quick kiss. "Stef, you ready?"

Stefan stared down at Caroline and when he looked up his eyes were dark and his fangs slid down. "Ready." 


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Thanks for all the favorites, alerts, and reviews! Hope the fluff, angst, and drama helps you through the hiatus! :D

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Sunday came and went. Jeremy woke up with the ring back on his finger and sighed at Elena sleeping on the loveseat across from him in Alaric's living room. They heard from Stefan and Damon a couple of times. They hadn't found the Meadows vamps yet, but they weren't hindered by the sun and would continue their search all day. Anna came over, brought the Gilberts some of their clothes and essentials and spent the day with them at Alaric's apartment in case of trouble. Tyler never called Jeremy back, but he got a text late that afternoon:

_Still sore from getting ass kicked in Call of Duty. :-/_

When he tried to call him after getting the message, though, it went straight to voicemail again. Jeremy hung up, deciding to tell him about everything at school. No real damage was done. The vampire pulled a couple of his stitches out and he had to get them redone, but he would be fine and so would Elena and Caroline. He spent the rest of the day napping and watching TV on the couch with Anna.

He felt back to his old self on Monday and was on his way to homeroom when he caught his first sight of Tyler down the hall. He was walking with his typical group when Stupid Stanley reached out and slammed the books out of Carrie Jenkins' arms. They hit the floor and she backed up against her locker as Stan laughed uproariously and continued down the hall. Jeremy frowned. First Mindy threw milk on her, now Stan was picking on her. Wasn't her best week.

He hurried to help her but slowed in surprise when Tyler stopped and squatted down, retrieving her books before she had the chance to kneel down herself. He handed them to her with a smile and she seemed taken aback.

"Thank you." She stammered quietly.

Tyler nodded his head toward Stan where the guys were shoving each other around Dave's locker. "Gotta keep your eyes open, Carrie." He teased, and Jeremy had to smile at the use of her name considering he went to school with her since elementary but only learned it recently. "Stan was raised by apes. He's still learning how to act around humans."

He touched her arm with a friendly squeeze. Carrie grinned broadly with a quiet giggle and turned, hugging her books to her chest and hurrying to class. Jeremy came up next to Tyler while he was still looking down the hall at her and smiled, impressed.

"That was nice." He congratulated him.

Tyler turned and his smile held with a shrug. "I do what I can for the nerd population of this school."

Jeremy leaned back against the row of lockers. "But you do realize she's going to have a crush on you for the next several years now, don't you?"

Tyler chuckled lightheartedly. "Graduation's around the corner. I can stand a few months of being pined after by a dork. You're proof of that." He snickered and Jeremy awarded his teasing with a sarcastic smile. "Besides I can tell she's going to be a maneater one day. It's those fuzzy sweaters she wears. _Hot._"

Jeremy shoved his shoulder and shook his head smiling. It would be an interesting view into the future if he could see what Carrie would be like at their ten year reunion. He hoped by then she would at least be speaking above a whisper. He squinted, taking in Tyler's appearance. His hair was a little messy and he was wearing dark black sunglasses. Jeremy reached over and tapped the frames.

"What's with the shades?" He asked.

Tyler ducked his head and lost the cheer in his voice. "Nothing."

Jeremy's good morning seemed to dissolve around him as he put two-and-two together. He sighed. "You're hungover. You've been drinking all weekend. That's why you never called me back."

"Don't give me a hard time, okay. The guys came over with leftovers from Dave's party. We played a few drinking games. It's no big deal." He dismissed.

Jeremy nodded in sarcastic agreement. "Sure. And while you were playing 'I Never', Elena and I were almost killed by that vamp that assaulted her at The Grill. I hope you had fun."

He pushed away from the lockers and started off down the hall, but Tyler started and grabbed his arm. "What?"

The look of obvious concern on his face gave Jeremy second thoughts about his tactless announcement, but the bell rang giving him an excuse to pull out of his grip. He slipped into the classroom where Tyler would be forced to leave him alone. Everyone else was in their seats and Mr. Kinsey was already speaking so there was nothing for Tyler to do except go to his desk silently. It didn't take long for Jeremy's phone to vibrate in his pocket. When Mr. Kinsey turned to address the other half of the room, he pulled it out and opened the text.

_What happened? U ok? ? ?  
_

Jeremy hid the phone in his lap as Mr. Kinsey turned back around. He clenched his hand around it and looked guiltily at the desk. It wasn't his place to tell Tyler how to live. If he wanted to party with his friends, why shouldn't he? Just because he decided to clean up his act didn't mean the rest of the world had to follow suit. He shouldn't make him worry in retaliation for how he chose to spend his free time. He turned in his seat slightly and nodded, lifting his hand subtly to tell him to stay.

"Uh, Mr. Kinsey." Jeremy raised his hand lazily. "Bathroom pass?"

The teacher waved at him distractedly, so he got up and grabbed a pass off Mr. Kinsey's desk. He shot Tyler a look on his way out and the werewolf sat up straighter in anticipation. Jeremy went down the hall to the restroom and logged online on his phone. He went to his email account and composed a message for Tyler. It would take way too many texts to get out, so he emailed him about everything that happened and sent the explanation. Afterward he sent him a quick text.

_Check your email._

When he got back to class Mr. Kinsey was at his desk reading and Tyler was discreetly scrolling down on his phone. Jeremy sat back in his seat and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. He searched his backpack for a sharpened pencil and began to sketch.

* * *

Tyler caught up with him in the hallway after class. He fell into step with him, and Jeremy adjusted his backpack strap. He was carrying the sketch he worked on in class and Tyler took it from his hands, looking it over. To the best of Jeremy's abilities it showed the face of the vampire who had taken to antagonizing his family. Tyler's eyebrows went up impressed.

"This is really good. It looks just like the son of a bitch." He commented before handing it back. "What are you going to do with it?"

Jeremy had thought about that in class, and his original plan had expanded. "I'm going to take a picture of it with my phone and send it to Stefan and Damon. Maybe it will help them find him and the others. Then I'm going to do some research and see what I can find out about this guy. He was turned recently right? So he must have died recently. Or at least gone missing from his human life. It might have been on the news or in the paper. Know your enemy and all that."

Tyler nodded and slowed as they turned down the next hall. He grabbed Jeremy's sleeve so he looked at him inquisitively. Tyler held him in place, making sure the kids down the hall were preoccupied before yanking the janitor's closet open and pulling Jeremy in. Jeremy's eyes opened wide in surprise as he stumbled after him. Tyler wasn't one to try to sneak make out sessions in school. It was too risky.

The small room was dark. Only a sliver of light came through the cracks at the top and bottom of the door. Jeremy looked at Tyler expecting him to kiss him or push him backward against the shelves stocked with cleaning fluids. Tyler stepped toward him but made no aggressively intimate action. Instead his arms went around him softly and his hand found the back of his head, hugging Jeremy to him.

"I love you, you know that?" Tyler whispered in his hair as he held him. Jeremy wrapped reassuring arms around him, and Tyler exhaled shakily. "When I think about that fucking vampire…" His face tensed as he pulled back and it was all too clear what his thoughts were. Between Tyler and Stefan alone, one solid look would probably kill the vampire in his spot.

Jeremy leaned his head to the side, squeezing his hands. Tyler stared at the floor thinking a while before looking up.

"Something else came up this weekend." He informed him. Jeremy tilted his chin up curiously. "The athletic director for Virginia Tech called my house. He's in the area and wants to drop by and meet me. He said he's already met with a couple of other new freshman in the area and if I have time tomorrow he wants to stop by for dinner."

"Oh my God." Jeremy drew Tyler closer, pulling on his hands. "That's great. You're doing it right? You invited him over?"

"Yeah." Tyler nodded and Jeremy smiled broadly, unsure of the seriousness on Tyler's face. He twined his fingers with Jeremy's and went on. "I want you to be there."

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow, caught off guard. "At the dinner?"

Tyler nodded, squeezing his hands and tugging on him. "It's important that I make a good impression. I already met the coach, but this guy's big business. Connections, you know? It's kind of a big deal. We can say you're my best friend, which is true. And that you're going to Virginia Tech too and wanted to meet him. Jer…I want you there with me."

Jeremy couldn't remember the last time he felt so connected to Tyler, so included and needed. After a horrible weekend filled with worrying and stress, it was a giant relief to feel loved instead. He kissed him and squeezed the back of his jacket.

"Absolutely." He promised. "Let me know the time. I'll even wear a tie."

Tyler grinned and kissed him harder. "Only for me." He teased.

Jeremy kissed him back and answered with sincerity. "Only for you."

* * *

The computer screen was starting to hurt his eyes. He used one of the desktops in the library all during lunch with Anna pulled up in a chair next to him. Turned out the vampire was pretty easy to find. There was a man who went missing last week, and it made papers because he had several warrants out for his arrest and the media was sensationalizing it as a man on the run or possibly a case of foul play.

It was foul play alright, but it wasn't from drug dealers or a prostitution ring. The man; wanted for assault, narcotics possession and petty larceny, vanished after being seen outside a bar called The Lawn getting in a fight with two other men who had been drinking inside. His name was Joel Brennan and there was a picture attached. Jeremy figured his sketch was null now and emailed the picture to Stefan and Damon along with Alaric so he knew who to keep his eyes open for.

Aside from Joel, three women had been found murdered since his 'disappearance'. All had been pretty, about Elena's age, and enrolled at his sister's university. All three had been found badly beaten, raped and mauled. Acid rolled around in his stomach and threatened to make him sick. He clicked the screen off and closed his eyes.

"All in the past week…" Anna whispered beside him. "You don't think it was Brennan? That he was keeping an eye on Elena, and those girls…that he…" She trailed off as it sunk in. 'Mauled' was Mystic Falls' way of saying 'vampire attack'. Wild animals didn't spring out of the woods and rip into someone's neck, leaving their body drained of blood. "He killed those girls." Anna finished and there was no longer doubt in her voice.

Jeremy pushed back in his seat, setting his elbows on the desk and dropping his chin in his hands. He thought of what those poor girls had to go through, of how much pain they must have been in at the end of their lives, and a wave of nausea came over him. He left Caroline there with him. Brennan had Elena alone. This man was a monster in life and now he was a monster with super-strength and speed.

He turned the screen back on when he was sure he had his stomach under control and emailed all of the information to Damon and Stefan along with the name of the bar Joel Brennan was last seen in his human life. There was no telling what might help lead them to him, so that they could 'take care of it' and all of Mystic Falls would be safer.

The rest of the day he had trouble concentrating in class. His mind kept drifting back to those girls. They were too young to have done anything they wanted to yet. They were in the goals stage of life, aiming and striving but accomplishments came later. These girls were hardworking undergrads who probably had big dreams of going places and having families, raising children and having careers. All of that was torn away from them before they even had the chance to make a real try for any of it.

It got Jeremy thinking about what he wanted in life. He wanted to draw. There wasn't a whole lot of money in it for the average person in the field, but if he could find a way to do what he wanted, that would make all the difference. Comic books maybe. He could work up a hundred panels about the supernatural adventures in Mystic Falls just off the top off his head. He wanted to travel and see the world, but then he wanted to be close to Elena and Jenna. Family was important. The death of his parents drove that point straight through his heart and it wasn't a lesson he would likely ever forget. He wanted Tyler. And sometime down the road, long from now, he wanted a family of his own. He wanted to be part of the world and make it out of the bubble his life had been up to that point.

It was still on his mind when he was leaving campus after the last bell. Out in the quad, he saw Tyler shooting hoops by himself on the outside court and made his way over to tell him about what he found out.

He almost reached him when Dave Kim ran over and smacked the ball out of Tyler's hands. Tyler spun around, catching Dave and noticing Jeremy approaching at the same time. His expression shifted as he looked between them. Dave dribbled the ball and circled Jeremy who stopped and stared off in annoyance as he bounced the ball behind his back.

"Someone invite you over here, geek?" He came back around his other side. He caught the ball with both hands and bounced it off the cement court harder with each throw. "What happened to your neck? Your boyfriend give you a hickey?"

Jeremy sighed in exasperation. He was tired of answering questions about the bandage on his neck, but more than anything he was tired of all the Dave Kims of the world. "That's real clever. I just have to tell Tyler something, okay."

"_No._ Not okay." Dave bounced the ball roughly and it resounded off the cement with a rubber bang. It popped down next to Jeremy's feet and he was barely able to minimize his flinch. It still got a laugh from Dave who shoved Tyler's shoulder in amusement. "Listen, loser, just because Tyler's screwing your sister doesn't mean he wants to be your new booty call too. Why don't you do yourself a favor and go read your little love poem to someone else. Your gay emo face is making my lunch come up."

He threw the ball out directly at him. It slammed into Jeremy's chest and knocked the air out of him.

"Dave!" Tyler shoved the laughing boy. "Let's go."

He grabbed his backpack off the ground and sent a flicker of apology Jeremy's way, but the next second he was turning to leave with Dave. The other boy made a fake jump for Jeremy, bursting into laughter before going with Tyler. As Jeremy rubbed his sore chest, watching their backs he got a glimpse of what it meant for him now that Tyler wasn't going to come out this summer. He could look forward to months, possibly years, of being secretive and unacknowledged by Tyler in public.

Keeping their relationship quiet in high school was one thing, but their timeline was ambiguous now. He would go to Tyler's VT games rooting for him from the bleachers but would never be looked for by Tyler on the field. Never be able to hold hands or kiss or hug or even sit together too closely where people could see and rumors could start.

That was another four years plus grad school. If Tyler was worried about his public persona because of football that raised more concerns. If he got drafted into the NFL and was lucky enough to have a healthy career that put a much bigger spotlight on him. Was Jeremy supposed to wait until he retired to be publicly acknowledged? What if Tyler was never ready to come out and chose to live his life as a closeted homosexual man? That would require cover, girlfriends, a wife. How far would it go?

The boys were halfway across the court making their way back to the main building when reality dawned on Jeremy. Tyler may never be ready. And Jeremy couldn't live like that.

"I'm going to NYU." The words left him before he had a real grasp on what he was feeling. The moment he said it, though, he knew he made up his mind.

The guys turned around, Tyler more slowly. "What?"

Jeremy's heart set off trying to fight off his body's will to stay standing, working too hard and putting a strain on him. There was too much to say to Tyler and nothing he could say to him there, so he directed his answer at Dave.

"So if there are any other insults or putdowns you or any of the other idiot squad have in those vaults up there," he tapped his head patronizing him. "I'd get it out real quick, because as soon as summer is over I'll be in New York and cyber bullying isn't as stimulating as our little face-to-face roasts."

Dave rolled his eyes and flicked him off, but Tyler was frozen still. He looked shell-shocked and for the second time that day Jeremy was overcome with guilt for his knee-jerk remarks. All he knew for sure was that he couldn't stand the look on Tyler's face or the fact that he was responsible for it. Turning around, he walked off the court and tried to swallow the regret turning his stomach into knots.

* * *

Jeremy sat on the couch when he got to Alaric's apartment and waited. The place was quiet. The adults were both at work still and Elena was probably downtown or at Damon's house. Jeremy felt awkward in the silence of the strange apartment. Before that weekend he had only been to the place a couple of times and now all of a sudden it was his temporary home.

If it had to be anywhere, though, he was glad it was there. Alaric was the nicest guy he ever met. He went out Sunday morning and made him and Elena spare keys to his place so they would never have to worry about getting in. So it wasn't a matter of feeling welcome. It was that the place wasn't home, and being alone in it made him feel intrusive and out of place.

He didn't have to worry about that long. A knock at the door alerted him of Tyler's arrival and he figured it only took him that long because he had to find the apartment. He braced himself and went to the door. Tyler was standing there, head dropped and eyes piercing as they rolled up to look at him. Jeremy stepped back and opened the door fully to allow him in. Tyler moved past him without a word but the moment Jeremy closed the door he shook his head in aggravation.

"Was that real or were you just messing with Dave?" He asked, watching him carefully.

Jeremy held his hands up to ward off a freak-out. "Ty, I love you and I want to be with you. This has nothing to do with us."

Tyler took a step back. "So it was real. You're going to New York!" He shrugged it off sarcastically. "When did that happen because I'm pretty sure I remember you saying you were applying as a lark and you always intended to go to Tech with me."

"I did." Jeremy assured him. "It's just…" He tried to explain himself and Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been thinking a lot about what I want for myself. And…"

Tyler cut in impatiently. "This is because I said I wanted to wait to tell my mom about me and you isn't it?"

Jeremy sighed. The stubborn look in Tyler's eyes was growing harder by the second. "Can we sit down?" He asked with a hint of pleading. It felt like they were squaring off, and this conversation wasn't going to get anywhere feeling like that. Tyler immediately took a seat on the edge of the couch and looked up at him, waving him on irritably. Jeremy made his way over but stayed standing a few feet away. "Tyler, this doesn't have to mean anything about us."

The other boy shook his head indignantly and twisted his face in disbelief. "How can you say that? Do you realize what you going to New York will mean for us? We would see each other, what? Twice a year at Christmas and Thanksgiving? That's not a relationship. That's a visitor."

"We could make it work." Jeremy said convinced. "We could spend every holiday and summer together and even fly over on the occasional weekend. We'd talk on the phone, text, Skype. This isn't 1950 anymore. Long distance _can_ work. We just have to want it."

"Well, I don't. I _don't_ want it." Tyler insisted. "I want you here with me. I want to be with you, not with a video of you on the computer. I don't get it. What's different today from a few days ago when you looked me in the eyes and said no, you didn't want to go to New York?"

Jeremy rubbed his forehead and turned away trying to sort his thoughts into something that made sense. "I don't know, Ty. I'm not going to lie. You making the decision to wait did factor in a little. I'm not in the closet and I don't like the idea of being your secret boyfriend forever. It hurts sometimes. Being with you but not being with you at certain times. Getting a basketball thrown at me by Dave and then watching you walk away with him instead of with me."

Tyler's shoulder slumped and Jeremy swallowed. He wasn't trying to put undue blame on him. He was just trying to put it into terms that he could understand.

"If I went I would miss you every second and the thought of being so far away scares the hell out of me, but I have to do this. I know it feels like it's coming out of no where, but maybe it's not. Now is the time to figure out what we want out of life, and I really think this is it right now."

Tyler softened somewhat, deflating at his words. Jeremy went on while his anger and incredulity was dulled.

"Tyler, football is your dream. I would never try to take that from you. …But art is mine. New York _is_ art. It'll give me the best education and the best opportunities. I feel like I should do this if I can. For me. But I don't want to do it without your support. You come first for me, so if you think we can't do this… If you ask me not to go…" He shrugged with sincerity. "I won't."

Tyler's eyebrows lowered and he slouched forward, dropping his head in his hands and rubbing his face as he let the words sink in. Jeremy watched him with bated breath. As much as he believed he wanted it, it wouldn't be fair to make such a big decision on his own. It had to be a discussion, and he was afraid of what Tyler would say. Causing more grief in their relationship than they had already been dealing with lately was the last thing he wanted to do, but it seemed to be where they were.

At long last, Tyler looked up from his palms and dropped his forearms to his lap, clasping his hands together. He looked up at Jeremy who looked back at him silently.

"I want you to be happy, Jer." He reached for him and Jeremy stepped forward, slipping one of his hands in his. "And if you think NYU is where you need to be…then you should go."

There was no pleasure in his words but he did mean them, and it meant a lot more to Jeremy than a fake smile. Stepping forward, he moved onto Tyler's lap delicately with a leg on either side of him and Tyler sat compliantly back against the cushions. His face was set darkly, and Jeremy wondered what he could do about that. Dipping down, he kissed his lips lightly but Tyler remained unresponsive.

Looked like they were going to be spending quite a lot of time apart soon enough, so it would be wise to make their time together count. Jeremy decided to cheat a little. Reaching down, he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Tossing it on the floor, he took Tyler's hands and placed them on his sides before leaning back down and kissing him more insistently.

Tyler's stubbornness did have limits. After a few seconds of Jeremy's intimate plea, a low growl came from him and Tyler's strong hands explored his back, pushing him closer. Jeremy was losing himself to the kiss when he was flipped onto his back on the couch. Tyler was over him, pulling up to tug his own shirt off. Jeremy smiled and reached up, wrapping his arms around Tyler's neck as he swooped back down. The kiss heated up, growing more fervent, and Jeremy felt Tyler's hand slip between them reaching for his pants.

The button was undone and Tyler was dragging the zipper down when a loud crash made them both jump. Jeremy broke the kiss, rolling his head to the side to see Alaric a few feet away with his suitcase and a stack of mail on the floor at his feet. He was turned away uncomfortably with his eyes wide and his hands up.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He exclaimed and risked a small peek their way. "Or possibly stop. Not really sure of the rules… Jenna's on her way up." He added for their benefit.

Jeremy dropped his head against the couch as Tyler slowly pushed himself upright and moved down to the next cushion, reaching for his shirt. He stayed on his back in disappointment. Another reason to long for the comforts of his own room. It came with a door.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** bb1019, I always love your reviews. I agree, Tyler's stuck w/high school tunnel vision where everyone's opinions are THE most important thing. And, really, it doesn't matter at all. I'm glad you're still into it and can relate so well. / snapdragon55, glad you found the story and feel like I've developed them well! / Thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites, and alerts!

**A/N 2:** Kinda random. I created a Twitter account a long time ago but just started using it. Feel free to find me there (ikryslynne) if you wanna talk TVD or anything. :D Direct link on my profile.

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Tyler was getting nervous. It was a quarter to seven. Harvey Mercerville would be there any minute for dinner and Jeremy was a no-show. He got a text ten minutes ago that said he was 'running late-sorry' with about a million exclamation points. Tyler knew he must have a good reason but was feeling ten times more anxious about meeting the Virginia Tech Athletic Director now that Jeremy wasn't there for moral support.

As the doorbell rang, he looked up from the couch and exhaled steadily. His mom appeared in the room and beckoned him on with an impatient wave. He got to his feet and trailed after her, hoping to control the unease in the pit of his stomach long enough to get through dinner.

* * *

Jeremy was at the end of his rope. If there was a way to punch the universe in the face, he would dedicate his life to honing the skill. Jenna spilled spaghetti sauce on his tie. It was the only one he owned and he figured Mrs. Lockwood would strangle him with it if he showed up looking like he just got out of a food fight, so he hopped in his Jeep and drove into town to get a new one on his way to Tyler's house. He texted Tyler as he was leaving the store that he was running late. He finished adjusting the new tie around his neck and was back on his way when he noticed the gas gauge was straddling the so-empty-it's-fixing-to-die zone.

"You gotta be kidding me…" He mumbled under his breath.

He managed to get the Jeep to the nearest station and roll it over to the closest pump. He went inside to pay and handed the clerk the debit card Jenna gave him for emergencies. He leaned against the counter and checked his watch. Mrs. Lockwood was prompt and inflexible. Dinner would have started eight minutes ago with or without him.

He stooped over the counter and rubbed his face in disbelief. He wondered how many brownie points he would lose with her for showing up late. More than that, though, he hoped Tyler was handling the moment well. What did you talk about with the athletic director of a large university? Sports. Jeremy found relief in that at least. Tyler played varsity football, basketball and baseball. His letterman jacket was covered in patches. He followed all the major sports and could recite stats like a geek with perfect recall. He could wing it. That didn't save Jeremy from the disappointment he felt at letting him down. Tyler asked him to be there for him and somehow the cosmos aligned to prevent him from doing that.

"Sorry, man. Card was declined." The clerk laid it flat against the counter and Jeremy looked up from his hands perfectly expressionless.

"Are you joking?" He asked. Yep, if there was any way he could throw a right hook directly into the groin of the universe, he would run around Boston and drink raw eggs to train for it. He checked his wallet. He paid for the tie in cash and had a nickel and three pennies in change. He closed his eyes and slumped back down to the counter in defeat. "Can you run it again?"

The clerk slid the card back toward himself. "Sure."

Jeremy rubbed his eyes and stood, turning his back on the counter in annoyance. _Unbelievable._

* * *

Jeremy was beaten down and exasperated. The world won today. He kicked a rock down the road on his way to the bus stop. He would take the bus to Alaric's apartment, score some cash and go back to fill his Jeep. He missed dinner for sure. It was late and he was starting to feel uncomfortable walking around at night. He thought about Joel Brennan and how easily he could snap his neck or worse.

He picked up his pace and was a block from the bus stop when he stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at his watch. He held it under his nose in the light from the street lamp and groaned. It was late. He didn't know how it slipped his mind how late it was, but there was a good chance the last bus had already rolled through. He started at a jog for the bus stop to check the schedule. If he had to turn around and walk all the way back to the gas station or call Jenna for a ride he was going to slap himself.

He was squinting at the schedule on the post next to the bench when headlights flooded over him and someone honked twice. He jumped and turned.

A whistle came from the beaten up used car and he could have went to his knees in relief. Vicki leaned out the window of the passenger side and grinned at him.

"I thought you worked a different corner, Gilbert." She sneered at him teasingly.

"Funny." He sauntered over and put his hands on the window, leaning down and looking in. Kyle Winter was driving and Portia O'Malley was in the backseat. She waved at him pleasantly, and he nodded at her. "My car ran out of gas. I need to get to Tyler's." He told Vicki.

"Cool. Get in." She reached behind her and pushed the lock up manually on the door behind hers. "We're on our way to Clark's house. I can drop you off after these two get out."

"You serious?" Jeremy asked in relief. He really did not want to sit on the bench and wait in the dark for the next bus. Vicki nodded and slapped the car door, so he pulled the creaky door open and slipped into the back seat.

* * *

Tyler laughed and pat his mouth with his napkin as Harvey Mercerville wrapped up an anecdote on his own first year as a Virginia Tech athlete. He was a big man, tall and wide with a deep southern accent and a surprising ease to his personality. Tyler was intimidated by his status but was unexpectedly comfortable talking to him.

The dinner his mother had catered was delicious and Mercerville complimented her on it repeatedly as though she had prepared it herself. He flattered her in all the right ways and Mrs. Lockwood responded to him in kind. Tyler would love to bring up how his mom thought football was pointless and Tyler's ability with it was a cheap consolation for all the gifts he didn't have. It would be worth it just to see the green look on her face, but dinner was going so well that he didn't want to jeopardize it even to strike a nerve in his mom.

They were finishing up dessert and preparing to retire to the living room for a cup of coffee when Mercerville excused himself to use the restroom. His mom went off to quicken the help and get them started on the coffee, so he took the opportunity to leave the table and wander over to the living room ahead of them. He was starting to worry about Jeremy.

He missed dinner entirely and he wanted to check his phone for messages. There were no texts or missed calls, which worried him more. It wasn't like Jeremy to stand him up or not call if he couldn't make it. Pressing the first number on his speed dial, he wrapped an arm around himself and waited for the phone to ring.

* * *

Clark Jensen's house was a riot of noise and laughter. Ten of Mystic Falls most notorious truants were scattered around the basement, passing a joint and sloshing a bottle of tequila around in a circle. Clark waved for Jeremy to join them, but he shook his head politely. Vicki needed to get the messenger bag she left there the day before and was looking around the messy space for it while Jeremy waited at the stairs.

The Ramones were playing on the turntable Clark got from his father's heyday. Before Jeremy's reform, he would have loved nothing better than to scoot in next to them, listen to music and smoke up. Right now all he wanted to do was hurry up and get out of there. It would probably be in poor taste to interrupt the Lockwoods' evening now. A break in manners might make Mrs. Lockwood never look at him the same way again, but it was Tyler he was concerned about.

His phone vibrated and he pulled it out. Speak of the devil. He turned away from the noise and held a hand to his ear as he brought the phone up to the other.

"_Hey._ How's it going with Mercerville?" He answered.

Tyler's voice was hard to hear over the blaring noise of the music. "It's going good. He's actually really cool. Are you okay? Where are you?"

Jeremy winced after a particularly uproarious cheer from the guys behind him. "That's kind of a long story."

"Okay." Vicki came up beside him, pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Found it. Let's get out of here."

Jeremy turned to see her and there was a distinct pause on the other side of the line.

"Is that Vicki?" Tyler asked. There was a moment where Tyler must have absorbed the noise going on in the background. "Are you at a party with Vicki?"

"Not exactly…" Jeremy started but a second later there was a click and then silence on the line. "Ty?"

No answer. Dead air buzzed through the line. He hung up on him. Jeremy closed his eyes through a heavy exhale and looked down at his phone.

"Shhhit…"

* * *

Tyler barely got through the rest of the evening with Mercerville. The man talked to him about what to expect his freshman year and though he shouldn't expect to start he definitely had talent and would be a star in the draft if that was the direction he chose to go. They shook hands at the door and he waved as he pulled out of the driveway. His mother raised her hand at the departing car, smiling pleasantly.

"Nice man. It's too bad he dedicated his life to such a pointless cause." Was all she had to say before leaving him to go upstairs.

Tyler went in the kitchen where the caterers were cleaning up and grabbed a bottle of wine. He wasn't concerned about being stopped or told on. No one went to his mother with complaints about him. She would take it as an embarrassment and fire them on the spot. He didn't bother with a glass, going up to his room and popping it open.

It was good. Tasted sweet and swig after swig of it began to ease the tension building within him. He ambled to the window looking out at the full night. It was beautiful and dark. Jeremy was out there somewhere with Vicki probably dancing to that stupid motherfucking _Monster Squad_ song.

His phone vibrated and he pulled it out, stumbling into the wall as he squinted to read it. Jeremy. Again. A text message came after he sent it to voicemail.

_It's not what you think. PLEASE call me back!_

Tyler clicked out of the message and threw the phone across his bed. He knocked the wine bottle back and drank the red liquid until he choked. He coughed and swung the bottle at his side loosely. He messed up everything. His relationship with Jeremy was the only genuine one he ever had. He went out with plenty of girls in the past, but it was always for show. To prove to others or-at times-himself that he was straight. Those days were over and he had something real with Jeremy. Something he never thought he would be able to have, and he was screwing it all up.

Jeremy wanted to be open about their relationship, and why shouldn't he? He was out and proud and he would be perfectly happy with his life if his boyfriend wasn't constantly forcing him to lie and pretend. Tyler was holding him back and making him unhappy. Of course he would rather hang out with Vicki than come to dinner to meet a man who symbolized the next four years, football and conformity. All the things that Tyler wanted that were going to force Jeremy into an uncomfortable position. A position becoming so uncomfortable he would rather go to college hundreds of miles away than live that role on a daily basis. He was losing Jeremy to NYU and Vicki and it was all his own doing.

Dropping onto his back on the bed, he shoved a pillow under his head and took large swallows of wine. It went down his throat in long soothing rivers. He held the bottle at his side and stared up at the ceiling above him. Maybe he was losing Jeremy, because he never deserved him to begin with.

* * *

Jeremy held his phone to his ear and listened to the cycle of rings as he had half a dozen times before. Tyler wasn't answering and he was sent to voicemail again. He groaned and hung up. If he would just listen to him the whole matter would sort itself out.

Vicki drove him back to the gas station instead of taking him to Tyler's house. After their brief but destructive phone call he didn't want to risk showing up and having the dinner with Mercerville get screwed up because of him. Vicki lent him the money for gas and he filled up, driving himself to Alaric's apartment. He paced the bathroom now. Alaric and Jenna were watching a movie in the living room and he didn't want company. He didn't want to be doing anything but explaining himself to Tyler.

He went out and grabbed his laptop from the kitchen table, carrying it over to Alaric's bedroom and closing the door after him. He started it up and sat on the floor beside the bed. If Tyler wouldn't listen to him then he could at least send him an email and hope that he would read it after he calmed down.

It was a silly misunderstanding. Of course he would never purposefully stand Tyler up on a night that was important to him to hang out with his other friends. He dropped his head back against the bed and wished that no matter how it looked at the time that Tyler knew that too.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** bb1019, I love that you see it from both sides. Their struggles are very different, but IMO neither of them are entirely in the right or entirely in the wrong during their drama. I agree with everything you said. Thank you! XD / And as always, thanks for the reviews/favorites/alerts!

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Jeremy couldn't concentrate on anything Mr. Kinsey was saying. He looked over his shoulder but Tyler was still wearing his dark aviator sunglasses. Hungover for the second time at school. Jeremy rolled his head back around and stared down at his desk. Vicki seemed to be the subject of too many of their arguments. At least this time he got it. Jeremy would hate it if Tyler hadn't shown up to something important to him and had called from Stupid Stanley's house.

When the bell rang he pushed his way back in the confusion of exiting students and lingered by Tyler's desk. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. Tyler was still in his seat looking ahead as though he hadn't heard the bell. His stillness was disconcerting.

"Hey, Ty, about last night," he started quietly and ran a hand through his hair, conscious of the students milling around them. "It was just a misunderstanding."

He was prepared to launch into a full explanation, but Tyler startled him by abruptly standing from his desk. He didn't have any books with him so he started down the aisle without pause as though the sound of the bell just caught up to him.

"It's fine. I got your email." He murmured and made to leave as though the matter was finished. Jeremy was put off by his stilted nonchalance.

He grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and looked at him in confusion. After being hung up on and not hearing back despite several phone calls and text messages, he expected more of a fight. "It's fine?"

"Yeah." Tyler said simply and gently pulled away. His laconic responses felt insufficient. He wasn't after a fight, but his wooden answers felt awkward and unconvincing.

Jeremy didn't know what to make of his terseness. Tyler wasn't looking at him, glancing out the window at the grassy plain between buildings. Jeremy couldn't tell if he was being sincere or passive-aggressive.

"Okay…" He wanted to reach for him again but Mr. Kinsey was still in the room. "Um." He didn't want to ask him about his hangover since he was on shaky ground as it was. He hoped the drinking had not started when Harvey Mercerville was still there. "How did the dinner go?"

Tyler finally turned his eyes to him but Jeremy couldn't read them behind the glasses. His voice didn't warm.

"It was fine." A very small forced smile like he would have given his mother if she asked him how his day was briefly crossed his face. He walked away without elaboration, and Jeremy's eyes dropped to the floor uncertainly.

That was too easy and too…fake. Then again, Tyler's head was probably pounding and he might feel sick to his stomach too if it was a full-blown hangover. Jeremy didn't like to talk to anyone or do anything but sleep after too much partying. Maybe Tyler was feeling the same way. Reluctantly, Jeremy accepted it as the only explanation and set off for his next class.

* * *

Tyler pushed away from the tree and flew through the air on the rope swing at the water hole. The sun felt like a comforting hand on his cheek as his face moved into its touch. He let go of the rope and freefell twenty feet into the water. The splash around him drowned out the sound of cheers coming from his friends.

Going to school his senior year was a waste. Most of his classes were fillers. He already had post-grad plans. His head was killing him from last night's binge, so at lunch he invited a bunch of the guys and the group of girls sitting with them to skip the rest of the day with him and sneak off campus in his truck. After all, the best cure for a hangover was getting drunk again.

He got a text from Jeremy an hour ago asking where he was but ditched his phone in his truck without replying. He didn't want to think about Jeremy for a while. All his image stirred up at the moment were thoughts of NYU, Vicki, and the feeling that he was clinging to a rope that was slipping from his fingers. And he didn't think there would be a safe pool of water to crash in if he fell.

He did a backstroke over to Mindy Chase and slapped water at her. She squealed and splashed him back playfully. Stupid Stanley and Dave Kim were doing shots of tequila with a couple girls on the cheerleading squad. Tyler had a drink in him already as he floated leisurely on his back. The treetops had a funny blur to them as they blew around in the wind. Tyler watched them drowsily and let his eyes flutter closed. His muscles began to relax, giving in to his body's call for rest. He was just drifting off when someone honked the horn on his truck loudly and jolted him. He flailed in the water, spitting out what went in his mouth and looking over to see Stan with his arm in the driver's side window of the truck.

"Hey, Ty!" He called over laughing. "Your stalker's here."

Tyler looked around expecting to see that sweater wearing Carrie chick poking her head through the trees. Jeremy was right. The girl seemed to take an instant liking to him after their friendly exchange. Twice he 'bumped into her' at a water fountain and caught her staring at him during lunch. He didn't mind though. She was kind of cute especially since the poor girl had no idea just how _not_ his type she was. But it wasn't Carrie. It was Jeremy, and he was standing back in apparent surprise at the festivities.

Tyler noticed Dave nod in Jeremy's direction and snicker as he leaned in to whisper something to the girl sitting next to him in the back of the truck. Tyler braced himself for a conversation with his boyfriend and swam out to shore before Dave grew bored of making fun of Jeremy from afar and decided to get in his face.

He pulled himself out of the water and stepped into his flip-flops, heading over to him. As Jeremy spotted him, he automatically took a few steps in the opposite direction and drew back into the trees to create more distance between them and the others. Tyler stepped up to him and rubbed the water from his eyes and face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Jeremy's eyes drifted over his shoulder to the guys popping the caps back on a bunch of beers. He brought his attention back to Tyler with growing confusion. Tyler didn't like the vague judgment there.

"I wanted to talk to you. Anna heard from a girl in her psych class that you told someone about coming down here." Jeremy pulled his hands out of the pockets of his hoodie and crossed his arms over his chest. He shook his head in apparent bewilderment. "You're drinking?"

Tyler sighed in exasperation. He was tired of defending his lifestyle choices. There was nothing wrong with unwinding with his friends. "I had one drink. Don't start."

Jeremy's eyebrows rose but before he could respond someone else came out of the trees and caught sight of them.

"Hey, Ty." Matt reached out and slapped his hand. He smiled. "What's up, Jeremy?"

"Hey." Jeremy greeted but there was a glint in his eyes that cued Matt in for their need for privacy.

He slapped Jeremy's shoulder with a friendly pat and walked between them in the direction of the others. "I'll be over there. See you guys later."

Tyler looked at the ground, speckled with crisp leaves tossing in the light wind. Jeremy waited until Matt was comfortably away before starting up. He bowed his head, forcing Tyler to catch his eye and shrugged incredulously.

"What's going on with you? You are _always_ drunk." His eyes widened with concern and Tyler rolled his eyes. Jeremy ignored the flippant response. "You're hungover at school, ditching classes… I don't get it. We're fixing to get out of this stupid town, and instead of things getting better you are _falling apart._ Talk to me! I want to help you."

"You're being dramatic." Tyler answered monotonously. All he wanted was to ease his headache and forget about the stress in his life for a few hours and instead he was getting a lecture. "It's just beer. You know at least I'm not smoking pot and popping pills."

Jeremy shook his head slowly. "Don't do that. You _know_ I don't do that stuff anymore. I haven't for a really long time. This is about you. Okay? I'm worried." He reached out and softly touched his hand, grabbing his wrist and looking at him imploringly.

Tyler stared down with a mix of guilt and anxiety when he noticed someone out of the corner of his eye and looked up to see Sara and Amy standing in the trees peering over at them curiously. The girls looked confused and Amy's eyes were squinting at Jeremy's hand on Tyler.

A shock of fear ran through Tyler and he yanked his arm away from Jeremy so roughly the other boy flinched.

"Just get out of here, Jeremy!" Tyler exclaimed, voice high enough to travel to the girls. "I didn't invite you here. It's a party not a gay pride parade. You don't belong here."

Jeremy face went white and he stepped backward stricken. He turned his head and caught sight of the girls watching. His eyes rolled back over to Tyler and the stunned hurt in his gaze made Tyler feel suddenly, violently ill. The alcohol rolled over in his belly threateningly. He swallowed thickly, feeling cold all over.

Jeremy slowly turned and started back through the trees. Tyler's heart hammered painfully in his chest. The girls shared a look and leaned into each other, making their way back down to the others. Tyler stared at their retreating forms before looking back through the trees. His hands tingled as though they were asleep and he clenched them, hurrying after Jeremy.

"Jeremy!" He caught up to him and reached out grabbing his elbow.

Jeremy spun around, pulling his arm away furiously. "Don't!"

Tyler stepped back, taken by surprise by the violence in his voice. "Jeremy-"

Jeremy shook his head, face constricting with anger. "This is why I'm going to NYU. Studying art in New York is a big deal. I'm supposed to give that up? For what? A guy who won't even admit he's with me?" He turned away but flipped back around unfinished. "Your apathy…was bad enough. Having you join in…" He clenched his teeth, exhaling quickly in amazement. "I respect myself too much to be with someone who would rather torment someone they supposedly care about than just admit who they are."

"Jeremy, I'm sorry." Tyler's hand went for him but Jeremy moved out of reach.

"That's not good enough." He shook his head, eyes dismissing Tyler and going to the trees.

Tyler began to feel the gravity of Jeremy's hurt and anger. His mind raced hurriedly. "I know that." He agreed shakily. "But I love you and-"

"No, you don't. You don't!" Jeremy cut him off, raising his hands as though to ward off any more lies. "Because I would _never_ do that to you! _I_ love _you._ But you… You're too broken and wasted to feel that way for anyone. I'm done! That's it." He pointed back toward the party, toward the girls and the jocks and all the people whose opinion and prejudice meant so much to him. "That is it."

Turning away, he stalked through the trees and left Tyler standing alone staring after him. He watched him leave until he was out of sight and turned hesitantly. He didn't move or absorb the trees as his eyes went over them sightlessly, detached and shaken as he realized that he wasn't losing Jeremy.

He already lost him.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** I'm glad so many of you felt gratified by Jeremy calling BS on Tyler finally. It was definitely time. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! / bb1019, "frustrating and fabulous update" - TY & LOL, so many of my chapters fall under the former right? Haha Sorry, guys. More drama ahead.

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Tyler paced his bedroom and the walls seemed to shrink around him. They may as well, because his life without Jeremy wasn't just smaller. It was tiny. It was horrible and incomplete. He couldn't go back to what his life was without him. A shell of what it was now. Every day was a lie and he could never be himself with anyone. He was an actor in his own life in a role he hated, for a script that beat him down day after day. He was alone.

He shouldn't have said what he said. He shouldn't have done a lot of the things that he had lately. He walked through school feeling scared to death most of the time. Afraid that someone would see through his façade and everyone would know who he really was. Afraid what that would mean. He would lose a lot of friends. If Jeremy had a tough time of it, how would they treat one of their own? Like a traitor. Someone who they trusted who had actually been lying to them for years.

For the first time in his life he would be excluded, bullied and despised. He knew in his heart that it wasn't right. He shouldn't want people who would respond that way in his life, but they were the only people he knew. Mystic Falls wasn't huge. He had one community filled with the same group of people he had known since childhood. To lose everyone would be to lose large parts of himself. Good memories would be tainted. Friendships would fall away. That wasn't even factoring in the potential ramifications it would have on his sports career.

Jeremy didn't get that. When he came out his friends accepted him. His family made a point to let him know that they loved him and nothing had changed. His identity put him in ugly positions with some of his classmates, but he didn't lose his core feeling of belonging. His friends stuck by him. His family loved him all the more. Tyler's mother would probably disown him. He was happy Jeremy had the support system that he did, but Tyler wouldn't have that. He would lose everything.

What was worth that?

He sank into his desk chair and grabbed the bottle of tequila by his computer, pouring the alcohol into a shot glass and spilling it over the sides messily. He threw it back and swallowed, setting the glass back down and filling it again. He stared at his laptop and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Biting his thumbnail, he looked at the shot in front of him and closed his eyes. All of those things were true, but he was having a hard time thinking of a single thing that would hurt more to lose than Jeremy. The walls moved closer, threatening to crush him, stealing the air in the room and filling his lungs with the thick pain of poisonous empty space. Tyler's chest heaved trying to fill the ache in his heart, but each breath pained him more.

His father had a violent temper when he was angry. He smacked Tyler around when he couldn't find another outlet. When he died, it hurt. But realizing that he was gone…his grief mixed in with relief. His mother cared for herself more than anyone else. She cared for the Lockwood name and preserving its weight in Mystic Falls. None of his friends really knew him. His popularity was a lie based on fear that he perpetuated because, despite its vapid worthlessness, it was all he had. Jeremy was the only person in his life who he truly believed ever loved him. He could have treasured that. But he chose the lie.

Tyler got to his feet incensed, knocking his chair backward and grabbing the neck of the tequila bottle. He yelled with incoherent fury and threw it across the room. It slammed into the wall and exploded, shattering with a piercing smash and shooting glass in a flood of alcohol. Grabbing the shot, he launched it at the door and watched it break and shower over the floor in a sharp mess of glass and tequila.

He whipped around and covered his face in his hands struggling to breathe. He wished the walls would move in on him faster and entomb him safely away from the rest of the world. He looked down at his desk and stared at the picture on his laptop screen. It was the group shot from outside Six Flags. Caroline emailed it to him. He looked at the image of himself, head dipped toward Jeremy and remembered what it felt like that day to be freely open with him.

His heart filled with an unbearable blackness that spread inside him like a disease, eating away at him until he was consumed by its erosive bleakness. He spent his whole life running from who he was and desperately concealing that person from the world. He was tired. Choking back a sob, he reached for the desktop and ran his fingertips over it, tracing Jeremy's outline.

His fingers slid through his hair as he stumbled to the window and looked out over the shadowy land. He had no where left to run. 

* * *

Jeremy wasn't allowing himself to think. He drove around blaring The Smiths until he was down on gas and had to drive to Alaric's apartment. As soon as he parked the Jeep, he put his large headphones on and jacked up the volume on his ipod until the music drowned out everything else. He didn't want to think about Tyler, though even deafening music was having a hard time masking the thought of him. He didn't want to think about what was happening between them.

All he knew was that being insulted like that in front of those girls to protect the secret of his sexuality was too much. He couldn't and shouldn't have to live like that. The fact that not living like that meant that he would also be living without Tyler was so powerfully painful that he was in a state of willful denial. If he didn't think about it, it wasn't happening, it wouldn't hit him, and he would be safe from the onslaught of grief waiting to attack him.

As he let himself into the apartment he did a double take at the living room that it opened into. Caroline was sitting on the couch with Stefan pointing at something on her laptop. Jeremy didn't expect to see Stefan any time soon. In fact, he distinctly remembered Damon saying they wouldn't come back until they killed all the bad vamps of Meadows. He hoped seeing him was good news.

Pulling his headphones off, he had to lower the volume on his ipod because the music still blared loudly around his shoulders.

"Hey." He got their attention. "What are you doing here?"

Stefan looked up from the screen and raised his eyebrows. "Oh. We haven't found them yet." He read the anticipation on Jeremy's face and quickly shut it down. Jeremy frowned. "Damon is still scouring the city, but Joel Brennan could still be in Mystic Falls if he's assigned to keeping an eye on us. We decided it would be best to split up and double our efforts. Elena's going to help us pull up city maps of Meadows and try to get into the city's sewer maps. They couldn't have vanished and they spent too long building their power in Meadows to pick up and leave. We'll find them."

Jeremy exhaled deeply, falling down into the armchair adjacent to them. "Whatever."

Elena wasn't in the room, and Jeremy doubted Caroline knew how to do any of the things they needed to so he wasn't surprised when Stefan sighed at her disapprovingly.

"Caroline, we're here to work." He scolded.

She looked around irritably. "Elena's taking forever in the shower. What do you want me to do? Sit here and stare at my nails? Besides, Facebook never hurt anyone before."

Jeremy scrolled through the songs on his ipod, muttering sarcastically. "Tell that to Eduardo Saverin."

"Who?" Caroline clicked around on her page.

"Co-founder of Facebook." Jeremy answered dully.

"Oh. Isn't he like crazy rich?" Caroline smiled as though she would love to spend some quality time with someone on top of that kind of fortune. Stefan eyed her dubiously.

Jeremy closed his eyes and pulled his headphones back on. Death Cab for Cutie sang about the sound of settling, but Jeremy's mind wandered to Tyler in the woods. He was overcome with such sudden heartache that he turned away and covered his face self-consciously. He didn't want the other two to notice what he was feeling. The idea of not being with Tyler filled him with an incredible amount of pain. He felt like someone had their hand inside his chest and was pushing against his heart's effort to beat. The fact that it beat anyway made it all the more painful.

Caroline squealed so loudly from the couch, the shrill noise cut through his loud headphones and startled him. Jeremy pushed the headphones down to his shoulders quickly.

"What?" He stared at her as she looked enthusiastically at the laptop screen. "You find them on Google Earth or something?"

"Jeremy!" She shrieked happily and his brow automatically furrowed at her excitement. "When did you guys go public?"

Jeremy made a face at her not understanding. He set his ipod down and got up, going over and sitting next to her to peer at the screen. At first he didn't know what he was looking at. It just looked like Tyler's Facebook page. Then his eyes caught on the basic info square and all the blood rushed from his face.

_Relationship Status: In a Relationship with __Jeremy Gilbert__._

_Interested In: Men_

Caroline clapped with girly zest. "I'm _so happy_ for you guys! And that is the cutest picture!"

Jeremy's eyes flicked to his profile picture stunned. It was a shot of them from a couple of months ago. They were on the trolley a town over on a weekend trip they took with Jenna and Elena. Tyler had his arm around Jeremy who was smiling against his cheek after just kissing it.

"What is he doing?" Jeremy whispered airily. The floor was pulled out from under him and he was left suspended in a confusing, surreal abyss.

He grabbed the computer from Caroline and clicked on his pictures. There was an album full of pictures of them together and group shots where they were holding hands or touching. He scrolled through the thumbnails, heart pounding. Several little squares of them kissing or hugging dotted the album. Tyler had over six hundred friends on Facebook, and now every single one of them had access to those pictures.

He went back to his wall, and his eyes fell on the status crawl under his profile picture:

**Tyler**_ loves Jeremy and he's sorry._

A moment ago Jeremy felt drained, and now he felt like someone stabbed a shot of adrenaline into his heart. Pushing the laptop back onto Caroline's lap he got to his feet and ran for the door. Stefan called after him, but he slammed the door behind him on his way out. 

* * *

Tyler was laying on his back on his bed. He felt sick to his stomach and it had nothing to do with the alcohol he consumed earlier. If anything could sober him up it was his actions in the last hour. He took a steadying breath and tried to settle his nerves, but his body felt like an ocean of adrenaline. He was nervous and jumpy so when he heard a noise at the window he automatically sat up, pressing his back against the headboard. He stared at the spot suspiciously and a moment later, a hand came through the square glass door that he had swung slightly open to catch the breeze.

He didn't move, staring at the spot too shocked to react. Jeremy's head appeared as he climbed higher up the trellis, and a mountain of relief washed over Tyler. He wasn't sure what he would do if it was someone more sinister since his first reaction was to freeze and wait. Jeremy pulled the expensively crafted door to the window open all the way and pulled himself up, climbing over the windowsill.

Tyler got out of bed and stood beside it uncertainly. Before he could gather his thoughts, Jeremy was throwing his arms up across the room.

"What are you doing?" He was breathing deeply from the climb up and maybe from a little running beforehand.

Tyler shook his head tentatively not understanding.

Jeremy pointed to the laptop on his desk. "Take it down."

Tyler glanced over at the computer where his newly updated Facebook page was still sitting on the screen. Comprehension dawned on him and he braced himself.

"No." He said quietly.

Jeremy shook his head in adamant protest, reiterating passionately. "Don't do this. Not because of me. It's our last semester-they'll ruin your life. I don't want that on my conscious, Ty."

Tyler bit the inside of his cheek. Jeremy might not have fully grasped the reasons that held him back from coming out, but it took the threat of losing Jeremy for Tyler to understand that it couldn't wait anymore. He walked determinedly over to him and grabbed his face firmly, tangling his fingers in his hair.

He looked him squarely in the eye. "You are the most important person in the world to me. I'm tired of hiding that. I love you." His heart raced in his chest and Jeremy stared back at him silently. Tyler smiled. "Who cares if I get the shit beat out of me a few times?"

Jeremy wasn't taking the gesture lightly, and his face remained grave. "Try every day for the rest of the year."

Tyler swallowed. He was probably right, but it felt like a distant threat. The one making his chest feel like it was caving in on itself was standing right in front of him. Losing Jeremy felt much more dangerous than the reactions of their classmates to his coming out.

"And what about your mom?" Jeremy reasoned, his obstinate stare moving away from Tyler as his hands left his face.

"I would never friend her on Facebook." He tried to lighten the mood unsuccessfully. His mom wasn't actually in town. She left to visit her sister and obtain something for the next Founder's Day party that his aunt took with her when she moved to Arlington. He would deal with her when he had to. "Everything else…I can take it." Tyler paused and studied Jeremy's face despairingly as his eyes went over the wall, disconnected and filled with dread. "If you're with me."

Jeremy met his eyes and deep weariness softened his features. "Tyler, are you sure?"

Tyler ran his hands down Jeremy's shoulders and arms. "It was time." He said with all the conviction he could muster. He shrugged. "Besides…your 'Married to Vicki Donovan' status was really pissing me off."

Jeremy's severity finally gave way to a smile, and he reached up cupping Tyler's face in his hands and pressing a kiss against his lips. When he pulled back his eyes were blotted with tears. Tyler rubbed his thumbs over his lashes and kissed his forehead, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close.

Tyler supposed he should be feeling changed and liberated after the bold step forward. As he stood in his room holding Jeremy, though, all he felt was intense, profound relief. Thirty minutes ago he didn't know how he was going to make it through the night. Time was a fickle, healing thing. It might be pushing him toward a reality he wasn't entirely sure he was prepared to face, but the moment it locked him in now was exactly the reprieve he needed to keep himself charged. He might lose everything and everyone who shaped his life and built it into what it was, but he pushed that from his mind. He held Jeremy tighter and steadied his breath. Turned out there was one thing that was worth it. 


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** :D I'm glad the Facebook outing was popular. I could hear the collective, "About time, Tyler," from all of you. lol Agreed. Thanks, everyone, for the continued support. It's really rewarding knowing you're connecting to the story and enjoying the ride.

**Disclaimer:** I did not write and do not own the book mentioned in this chapter!

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Jeremy was surprised and relieved when Tyler wasn't hungover in the morning. He fell asleep a long time after Tyler did and laid beside him watching him. It was true that everything could change in a split life-altering second. Yesterday he was so stifled inside of Tyler's closet that he thought he may never be with Tyler again. Hours later Tyler was announcing his love for him to all of their friends and schoolmates.

He spent the night afraid for him, pushing the hair from his face and wrapping his arm around him when he seemed to shake inside of a nightmare. It was the bravest, most impulsive thing Tyler ever did in his life. Jeremy was terrified he would wake up filled with regret and hit with the consequences, unable to do anything about it.

Morning brought with it a stream of sunlight through Tyler's open windows and a tranquil smile on the young werewolf. He reached for Jeremy sleepily and his warm hand covered his cheek with more warmth in the touch than the morning glow of sun. They woke slowly and took their time getting up and ready for the day. On a day that seemed like it should have started with panicked conversation and too many words, it was serenely silent.

They touched and kissed and brushed their teeth with the mute comfort of sharing an understanding for the significant moment in Tyler's life. Talking stayed out of their way as they showered and dressed, went down for breakfast and started for school. A wave of connection swept through them like an unending river, catching them in its drift and promising to carry them downstream together.

It wasn't until they were sitting in Jeremy's Jeep in the student parking lot that quiet words swirled out of Jeremy and burned into Tyler with the nonjudgmental warmth of understanding.

"We don't have to go in." He said. Tyler turned away from the windshield and looked at him silently. "We could drive out of here right now. This doesn't have to be your first day."

Tyler sat quietly and Jeremy waited. No one said transitioning would be easy, but Day One was the hardest. Jeremy remembered telling Jenna, Elena and Vicki about himself and the knots in his stomach that came with the admission. He didn't have Tyler's station at the school by a mile. People had been calling him queer and ramming him into lockers for years. When he came out there was a collective 'I told you so' from those in the school that cared at all. Tyler would have many more eyes on him and the pressure of that knowledge was seeping from Tyler and burying itself deep in Jeremy.

After a long while Tyler turned back around and looked out the windshield. Jeremy was fixing to reach over and turn the key in the ignition to start the Jeep back up when Tyler pulled his door open and got out. Jeremy watched him make his decision and a small smile softened his features; the quiet light of pride creasing his eyes.

Getting out he locked the car and rounded it simultaneously with Tyler. They stopped in front of the Jeep and locked eyes. A heavy breath swept through Tyler's lips and they started for the school. As they stepped out onto the street at the edge of the parking lot they both reached out automatically and clasped each other's hand.

As they approached the main building a noticeable amount of gawking popped up in the quad. Sara and Amy held each other's arms and openly stared at them next to the flag pole. They whispered to each other and Amy waved her ipad in front of Sara, pointing at the screen, no doubt showing her Tyler's updated Facebook page. A group of guys in letterman jackets looked over from a bench in front of the Timberwolves logo emblazoned against the Agriculture and Mechanics building. A tall blonde half-stood to get a better look, his face contorting in bewilderment. Jeremy refused to pay them attention. If he showed any sign of cracking under the scrutiny Tyler would surely lose some of his confidence.

More than anything there was a look of sharp confusion on people's faces as they passed them hand-in-hand. There were several double takes in their direction when people's brains accepted what they glanced at and then immediately rejected it. Tyler pulled the door open and they walked in. Dave Kim was making his way outside and slowed at the sight of them, his eyes dropping to their linked hands.

His face screwed up with disgusted bewilderment. "Tyler, what the hell, man? You lose a bet?"

Without breaking stride, Tyler turned as they passed him, trading the hand he was holding Jeremy's with, with his other as he walked backward. He raised his shoulders in a frozen shrug. "I'm gay. Jeremy's my boyfriend. I'm in love with him."

Jeremy's eyebrows shot up at the curt response as Tyler turned back around and traded the hand holding Jeremy's again. Jeremy looked over his shoulder at Dave gaping after them and turned back around quickly. That was the first time he ever heard Tyler say he was gay out loud. Who would have guessed Dave Kim would be on the receiving end of it?

* * *

Jeremy sat with his back against one of the bookshelves in the back of the stacks in the library. He only had homeroom with Tyler in the morning and he was sure it was foreshadowing for the rest of the day. There were more than a couple fake coughs with derogatory insults under them that came from the back of the room. Any time he looked back at Tyler, though, he was sitting absolutely still in his desk staring expressionlessly ahead.

Unlike every other day before, Tyler met up with him outside the library for lunch right when he was going in. He looked at him with surprise but smiled. He asked him how things were going but Tyler wasn't in a talking mood. He went to the back of the stacks with him and wandered off to the floor length window behind some shorter shelves to play with his phone. Jeremy sat down in his usual spot to eat his lunch and wait for Anna.

He was watching Tyler pace around slowly with his phone when the vampire slapped his shoulder and sat down next to him in a heap. Her eyes bulged at him.

"Wow." Anna said and he knew she knew. "Why didn't you tell me Tyler was going to go all Harvey Milk on Facebook? Look," she flashed the black screen of her phone at him jokingly, "It's his latest tweet: Hello, I'm Tyler Lockwood, and I'm here to recruit you." Jeremy rolled his eyes at her and she chuckled in disbelief. "_Everyone_ is talking about it. I heard Pamela Groves saying she didn't believe it. She thinks you hacked Tyler's account and made all that stuff up. She even told Amy that the pictures were Photoshopped." There was a snicker in Anna's laughter. "I guess she's still crushing on Tyler and denial set in."

"I didn't know Tyler was going to do that. I guess he was going for the Band-Aid approach, but…" A sinking feeling filled Jeremy as he looked back at Tyler standing in front of the window several feet away. "I'm not sure he knew what he was getting into."

Anna handed him a candy bar and stole the apple from his brown bag. She looked over at the newly out werewolf thoughtfully. She didn't say anything and her silence was far from reassuring.

"Oh hey," she said after a while and reached for her dark messenger bag. "I was thinking about what we talked about the other day. How you said Tyler might have it harder because he wants to play football professionally. I got this downtown." She pulled a book out of her bag and handed it to him.

Jeremy looked down at it: Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL by Esera Tuaolo.

Anna shrugged. "I thought it might be helpful for him, but I don't know now… That man," she poked the biography, "came out after retiring. Tyler's out now. The experience will probably be…different."

Jeremy set it down in his lap and twisted the bracelet Tyler bought him at Six Flags around his wrist restlessly. "Thanks." He ran his thumb over the JT engraving and dropped his head against the row of books behind him.

* * *

Tyler wasn't hiding. He was avoiding. There was a difference. Besides, where would he sit if he ate lunch out in the quad? He sighed in exasperation and stopped pacing, tucking his phone in his pocket and going to the window. He was checking his Facebook page. Traffic on his wall should have been enough to crash the website. Many of the posts were short or disbelieving.

**Nick Murphy: **_WTF?_

**Dean Hooper:** _This is a joke right?_

**James Harris:**_ GOOD ONE! LOFL_

**James Harris:**_ Wait….wtf is up w/those pics…._

**Pamela Groves:**_ I know this isn't true. I'm writing an angry email to Jeremy right now! It's obviously a prank. I feel bad for everyone who believes this. Have you seen previews for that alien movie? We should go see it!_

The wall went on and on like that. Most of his friends seemed to believe it was a lie or a joke while others believed it but didn't understand. In the past hour his friends list had dropped by thirty-seven people.

He was beginning to lose the sense of calm that carried him through the first half of the day. The morning was his eye of the storm or whatever, but this shit was starting to feel real. His phone went off in his hand and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He answered it quickly before the librarian or whoever ran back and got on his case. The last thing he needed was to be kicked out of the library and shoved into the lion's den.

"Hello?"

"Dude." Matt deadpanned over the line.

Tyler leaned back against the side of one of the short shelves, the tension leaving his shoulders. "I know."

"Dude…" He repeated meaningfully. "You know you've got my total support on this. I think it's good. It was time. You and Jeremy are kind of perfect, and it's crazy that you kept it a secret this long. I'm glad. Screw anyone who's not."

Tyler briefly closed his eyes. Matt was really the only friend of _his_ that already knew and he could count on not to care. Everyone else who knew was either Jeremy's friend or a frequent visitor of the Gilbert house who found out by necessity.

"Thanks, man."

He wrapped his free arm around himself. Why couldn't it be that easy with everyone?

* * *

The end of the day didn't come fast enough. Tyler lingered after his last class to avoid the stares in the hallway. Word spread like a game of telephone in an elementary school. People he didn't even know stared at him as they passed. He knew he wasn't imagining it because in more than one case there was pointing and whispering that came with it. It was starting to piss him off, but all he could do was grit his teeth and bear it.

The hall was empty when he finally came out. He knew he was keeping Jeremy waiting but if he ever deserved a pass he figured this was the day. He pushed his way through the door and stepped outside. Up ahead Stupid Stanley hopped onto the sidewalk coming off the grass and leaned in next to a girl already on the path.

"Hey, Carrie. Nice dress." He said with a nasty falseness. "I bet you're the prettiest little girl at the polygamist compound."

Tyler frowned. She did dress a little uber-conservatively. It wouldn't kill her to get some sun, but Stan was twice her size and she had already picked up her pace in alarm.

"Hey!" Tyler called. Stan looked over his shoulder and stepped in front of Carrie to force her to stop. She stiffened and Tyler was getting tired of Stan's bullshit. "Leave her alone, man."

Stan took a step back and the amusement he was getting from bothering Carrie faded to harsh disgust. "Well, if it isn't Mystic Falls' newest faggot. Tell me something, Lockwood." Stan sidestepped Carrie, losing interest in the girl altogether, and she quickly hurried away. Tyler didn't blame her. There was little to nothing she could do to assist Tyler if Stan got physical. That fact was multiplied as Tyler caught sight of the other boys approaching from the grass.

Marcus Delmar and Brent Michaels approached slowly and Dave Kim brought up the rear with his hands in his pockets. All of them slammed helmets and screamed victoriously as a team when they won conference together earlier that year. There was no trace of friendliness in their eyes now. Tyler looked over at them carefully.

Stan approached him, brow wrinkling as he addressed him with a low threat in his voice. "All these years in the locker room. All these years on the field when we had your back…" He narrowed his eyes on him and the others came up behind him creating a wall of two hundred pound football players. Tyler's muscles tensed instinctively.

"All those parties at my house." Dave Kim stepped forward standing side-by-side with Stan. "I invited you into my home."

Stan laughed but there was no joy in it. "This whole time you've been butt buddies with the Gilbert fag."

Most of the traffic on this side of campus was gone. There would be loiterers around the front but on the way to the student parking lot the area was all but clear. A couple girls down the sidewalk noticed the confrontation and quickly started off for the parking lot.

Tyler looked Stan in the eyes and felt the harsh heat of rejection searing into him from his friend. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"You made your choice." Stan accused and there was a glimmer of regret under his anger.

Tyler grew up with these boys. He knew their parents. He played several sports with them. They were in more than one team together. They ate lunch together every day and traded music on the long bus rides to away games. They knew him better than anyone else could. But they weren't looking at him like a friend they had known since childhood. They were wearing the look they gave to the biggest guy on the opposing football team when all they wanted was to win. He could have been any of the many guys they faced on the field, just another threat to their team.

Tyler submitted to the inevitability as Stanley got in his face and glared at him, but he whispered anyway. "It's not a choice, Stan."

The jock cocked his head to the side. "Well, this is."

Without pause, he swung his fist into his stomach and Tyler doubled over from the weight thrown behind it. The air went out of him and he didn't have a chance to draw in more before Stan pushed him upright and threw a punch across his face. Tyler stumbled to the side but caught his balance before he went down. It was wasted effort because no sooner had he found his footing than Dave knocked his knee into his groin and shoved him to the ground.

The adrenaline sent a natural impulse toward aggression through Tyler. His eyes burned and he knew they were shifting in color as his animal instincts took over. His control was slipping, but he closed his eyes and forced himself to take it. Dave kicked him roughly while he was down and Tyler rolled onto his side with a pained groan. He stepped back allowing Marcus and Brent to take turns throwing kicks into his back and side. The blows pounded into him like battering rams against a barricaded door, smashing into his ribs and trying to force him to break. Tyler grit his teeth and stayed down.

"Hey! HEY!"

He heard pounding footsteps but kept his eyes shut tight for fear that they would see the wolf-like attributes altering them. The assault abruptly stopped but Tyler's body was too alive with pain from the abuse to feel much relief. His back hurt so much there was a cold numbness across it but his ribs were throbbing with a powerfully _un_-numb ache.

"What the hell is going on here?"

That time Tyler recognized the voice as Alaric and risked a tiny squint to see him grabbing Marcus and Brent by the sleeves and pushing them back toward the building.

"You too!" He pointed at the other boys and directed them toward the office. "We're going to the principal's office. How does another suspension sound, boys?"

"Worth it." Stan muttered, walking backward.

Alaric raised his eyebrows. "What was that?"

Stan held his hands up and turned around, joining the others to make their way down together. Alaric squatted down beside Tyler and touched his arm in concern.

"Tyler, you alright?" He asked concerned.

"I don't want to report them." Tyler started automatically. "I just want to get out of here."

Alaric frowned sympathetically. "Sorry, Tyler, but it's not your call. Come on. Let me help you up."

"No." Tyler resisted his effort and stayed on his side. He accepted Alaric's insistence but he still couldn't just get up and go along. "I need a minute." He said pointedly and discretely looked up at him so that Alaric could see what he meant. His gaze settled on his pale brown eyes, morphed noticeably by the excitement. He nodded in understanding and stood back up.

"Come on. Move!" Alaric demanded the others and got them going.

The moment the door to the main building closed behind them he dropped onto his back delicately and was sorry to feel the numbness wearing off. Quiet steps caught his attention and he rolled his head over to see who it was. Carrie stood there tentatively, and he covered his eyes with his forearm protectively. He guessed there was something the girl could do to intervene. Tell a teacher.

"You okay?" She asked timidly.

Tyler didn't uncover his eyes but knew he would be grateful for the shy girl much longer than she would have a crush on him.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked and he heard her feet shuffle closer over the grass. He took that as a yes. "Jeremy's in the student parking lot. Can you tell him I'm getting a ride from Mr. Saltzman? Tell him it's a long story and I'll call him later."

She didn't reply so he carefully removed his arm and looked over. She was walking with her head down across the grass toward the street and the parking lot across from it. Tyler rolled his head back over and covered his eyes again. He released a steadying breath and absorbed the sunlight while he waited for his body to stop pounding and the urge to kill every one of his attackers to subside.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Thank you, everyone, for all of the reviews and alerts! I was going to try to get this up last night but fell asleep doing laundry. (InsomniaFail) On the plus side, I'm rested. :P Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Jeremy let himself into the Lockwood home. He drove home after Carrie's odd message and waited for Tyler to call, but when he didn't hear from him by six he headed over to see him. The first day was going to be bad, he knew that, so if Tyler just wanted some space to regroup he could understand that. He had to make sure that was all it was though or he wouldn't be sleeping that night.

No one answered when he knocked, so he just went in and made his way upstairs. Mrs. Lockwood was still out of town. She would come home to an interesting new spotlight on her family. Jeremy hoped with every fiber of his being that the woman didn't make it any harder on Tyler. She could come home with a personality reboot, join PFLAG and go to parades. Jeremy sulked as he reached the top of the stairs. Anything was possible. Anything but that. It was an awful thing to feel the need to protect a loved one from their own mother.

Tyler's room was open so he walked in quietly trying not to startle him. His eyes went wide at the sight of him though, and he lost all motivation to be quiet. Standing shirtless in front of the floor length mirror in the corner of the room, Tyler was trying to see the damage to his back. The view was clear to Jeremy. Dark patches of bruised skin weaved through the redness of an area that was obviously beaten.

"Oh my God!"

Tyler flipped around and sighed heavily at the sight of Jeremy. He was clearly hoping not to have to share his afternoon with him. Jeremy hurried over as Tyler made his way to the bed and sat down on the end of it. Kneeling down in front of him, Jeremy reached up gingerly and winced at the sight of the bruises along his chest and abdomen. As a werewolf, Tyler healed faster than most. The bruises were probably so dark because the tissue was already on its way to repairing itself. The black eye he gave him not so long ago only took a couple of days before fading completely. However, the length of time his body would hold the proof of the beating was not at all the point.

"What happened?" Jeremy drew his fingers away from the bruises, afraid to touch them and brought his hands to Tyler's sides. He rubbed them soothingly as he inspected the injuries, which carried up to a black bruise along his cheek.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Tyler tried.

Jeremy sighed at him. "Yes, it is. Who did this to you?"

Tyler snorted. "Who didn't?"

"Ty…" Jeremy stood out of his squat and sat beside him on the bed.

"I'm fine." Tyler assured him and squeezed his hand. Jeremy wrapped his fingers around him securely but none of the weariness left him. "It was Stan, Dave, Marcus, and Brent." Tyler admitted reluctantly.

Jeremy jumped to his feet, dropping his hand and spinning around with incredulous anger. "Four on one? You serious?" He took a deep steadying breath before he went off and forced himself to calm down. He looked back at Tyler and dropped his voice. "Did you kick their asses?"

"No." Tyler said simply and looked up at him after his inquiring silence, raising an eyebrow seriously. "I felt myself slipping, Jer. If I allowed myself to react I would have killed them."

Jeremy didn't say anything at first, turning away and wandering to the window before muttering. "They deserve it."

"Jeremy." Tyler brought him back to his senses. "Come here."

Jeremy felt wired and restless. In Tyler's shoes he didn't think he would have the same resolve. Four guys on one; his blood ran hot at the thought of it. Jeremy looked over his shoulder and at Tyler's insistent stare he made his way stiffly over. Tyler grabbed his hand and tugged him down onto his lap. Jeremy stared at his own lap until Tyler reached up and rubbed his cheek softly.

"We knew it was going to be rocky." He reminded him quietly.

Jeremy chewed the inside of his lip as he attempted to reign in his aggravation. "Do I have to like it?"

Tyler dipped his head to the side and cupped his face. "I really love you." He smiled and leaned up, kissing him. "Like a lot." Jeremy started to protest at his blatant attempt to sway his attention elsewhere, but Tyler dropped his hand to his thigh and squeezed him. "That's the whole point, Jeremy. I love you. The rest is just background."

Tyler watched him until Jeremy relaxed and his expression softened. Satisfied, Tyler pressed another kiss against his lips with a short appreciative moan and pushed him easily off his lap and onto the bed beside him so he could get up. Jeremy watched him walk over to his desk and grab an open beer can. He took a long drink, and the sight sent warning signals ringing throughout Jeremy's head. He couldn't remember the last day he didn't see Tyler drinking or drunk.

Tyler smiled at him, though, and Jeremy figured he had a long day. Everyone deserved a break now and then. Tyler was bruised over most of his visible body. Jeremy laid back against the bed and let it go. He didn't want to make more out of it than it was.

* * *

Tyler walked to the back of the library looking for Jeremy at lunchtime the next day. He didn't find him upon his first scan and someone cleared their throat from the floor in front of a tall bookshelf. He looked down to see Anna give him a short wave.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hi." She waved at the floor, and he reluctantly sat down across from her, pressing his back against a short shelf to the side. She smiled at him.

"Where's Jeremy?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Don't know."

Tyler nodded and his eyes wandered.

"I'm really glad you did what you did." Anna said, bringing his attention back to her.

"Thanks." He said simply. He wasn't in the mood to talk about the hell that his life currently was. He did it out of necessity, but that didn't mean he had to like the way things were for him now. What mattered was that he still had Jeremy. It was pointless obsessing over the rest of it.

Anna offered him a piece of her Snickers bar and he shook his head. She leaned back and inspected him curiously.

"So…you should totally come to New York for Christmas. I was talking to Jeremy last night about maybe staying at NYU for the holidays at least our freshman year. It's beautiful there that time of year." She bit into her candy bar.

Tyler looked at her sharply. For some reason, the idea of NYU completely left him after he came out. They hadn't discussed it, so he shouldn't have assumed anything was different. The queasy feeling in his stomach was proof that he had thought differently anyway. He just assumed now that they could be open about their relationship that Jeremy would change his mind and go to Virginia Tech with him.

"You…" Tyler forced his stare to remain neutral. "You talked to him last night?"

Anna nodded and sipped the straw in her Hi-C juice box. Things were definitely already different by last night. A horrible sinking feeling swelled inside Tyler's chest. It tightened and he looked away. He needed some air. Or a drink.

_No._He shook himself. He just needed to talk to Jeremy. He would feel better after he saw him. He closed his eyes in the quiet library and shifted uncomfortably. His body felt sore all over, and every ache reminded him of the look in his friends' eyes after finding out who he truly was. There were three months left in school. Three months of being looked at like that by people he grew up with. And only five before Jeremy left him for a bigger life in New York.

* * *

Jeremy broke into laughter as he looked at Vicki's sorry attempt at a bundt cake. She half-assed it, that was for sure. The result was a short, droopy mess. She didn't make enough mix but put it in the oven for the same amount of time she should if the pan was filled. It was a messy, burned, ugly thing, kind of like what Jeremy imagined impoverished peasants fed their children when they couldn't steal a loaf of bread from the local market.

"Damn it all to hell." Vicki stared at the black lump.

Jeremy laughed. "How do you mess up a bundt cake?"

"Shut up, Jeremy. Help me."

Jeremy groaned. Home Ec wasn't his favorite class to begin with. He was already late to lunch because he helped Carrie make hers. From what he understood about her helping Tyler he owed the girl one. Vicki on the other hand…

"Vick, just turn it in like that. Who cares?" He laughed lightly at their station and started cleaning his area.

"I have to care." Vicki insisted, dropping the ugly cake down on the table in annoyance. "I need the credit to graduate, Jer. _Help me!_"

Mrs. Lawrence already left the classroom for her lunch break and wouldn't notice if any of her students lingered behind to finish. Or cheat. Jeremy stared at her in exasperation.

"Fine." He agreed in defeat. "Go get some more eggs from the fridge." But before she could go he set his eyes on her condescendingly. "This is a measuring cup." Jeremy grabbed the glass utensil and held it up sarcastically. "If Vicki uses measuring cup, measuring cup will help her make good bundt cake." He set it back down on the black tabletop noisily, cutting the baby talk. "Not a charcoal piece of bundtshit."

Vicki grabbed some flour and tossed it at him. Jeremy jumped away from the cloud, grinning as she ran down the aisle of tables for the fridge. He resigned himself to making yet another bundt cake and looked down at the JT engraving on his bracelet. He smiled and pulled it off cautiously. He set it down on the far edge of the table and pulled the sleeves up on his hoodie. Bundt cake: take three.

* * *

Tyler checked his watch. Lunch was almost over and still no Jeremy. Anna was curled up on the floor using her bag as a pillow and napping with her headphones on. Tyler couldn't blame her. He was terrible company. He was in a sulking, anxious mood. Reaching into his bag he pulled the book out that Jeremy gave him from Anna. Gays in the NFL. Exactly what he wanted to dwell on…

He sighed and flipped the cover open. He flipped around only paying mild attention. Homophobia in the locker room… He closed the book and set it on the floor, dropping his head back against the shelf.

* * *

Jeremy was cleaning their station while Vicki checked on the progress of the cake in the back of the room where the ovens were. He was scooping the extra flour into a trashcan when Mrs. Lawrence popped back into the room. She raised her eyebrows at Jeremy and then over at Vicki who looked back guiltily. No poker face.

Mrs. Lawrence turned to Jeremy knowingly. "You aren't helping Ms. Donovan, are you, Mr. Gilbert?"

Without hesitation, Jeremy grabbed his backpack and started for the door. "Of course not. Just forgot my bag." He smiled politely and Mrs. Lawrence eyed him with the exasperated look of a tired old woman who spent much too long dealing with delinquent students.

He waved at Vicki and slipped out of the classroom. Mrs. Lawrence watched him go and Vicki stared at him go with a pout. Most of the work was done, though, and she figured she could get the cake out on her own. She checked the timer. Not much time left. It was cool of Mrs. Lawrence not to say anything about her taking extra time to do the assignment. She wandered back to the table and picked up where Jeremy left off, brushing flour into the trashcan.

As she swept the end of the table she caught sight of a black bracelet and set the trashcan down, picking it up. Must be Jeremy's. She rolled it onto her own wrist so she wouldn't forget it and continued cleaning up.

* * *

Tyler didn't wait for the school to clear out before heading out into the hall at the end of the day. It didn't help him yesterday, and he was getting flak all day anyway. Tyler knew what Jeremy felt like when he was on stage having people call insults out to him. The same names were thrown at him in virtually every class he had. It stopped after the teachers caught on but that didn't always happen quickly.

He glimpsed Jeremy in the hallway ahead of him after sixth period and tried to catch up but he disappeared before he reached him. He really wanted to see him and was happy to get a text from him in his last class asking if he wanted to meet at The Grill at six. He quickly replied in the affirmative.

He was out of the building and moving down the first step on the short cement stairs down to the quad when someone shoved him roughly from behind. The hand he had loosely on the metal railing slipped and he went down hard. He fell, completely missed two steps, and landed roughly on the third one down. Pain shot up his spine and ricocheted down his skeleton. Laughter filled his ears as he looked up. Four guys went down the steps and kicked him in turn as they passed. It was nice to know there were subs for Stan and the other guys while they were suspended. Tyler grabbed the rail and shot to his feet. His chest was heaving angrily, but he forced himself to stay planted in his spot.

_Just walk away._ He coached himself determinedly, refusing even to bring his hand up to rub his lower back where it was throbbing in case one of them looked back for a reaction.

He set off and a voice grabbed him from one of the benches. He stopped and turned to see Vicki with a bunch of her stoner friends. She held out a vending machine snack pack.

"Want a chip?" She asked smiling.

"No." He answered and looked around. "Hey, you seen Jeremy?"

"Nope." She threw one of the Lays in her own mouth. With the guys safely out of sight, Tyler brought his hand to his back and applied pressure stiffly. The corner of the step stabbed into him like a weak piece of plastic over a sharp rock. "Not since lunch."

He winced as he nursed the area. His eyes went down to Vicki when her words caught up to him. He narrowed his eyes. "You saw him at lunch?"

"Yep. We were making a cake together." She said.

Tyler's face twisted with incredulity. "You fucking kidding me?"

"Nope."

Tyler lifted his head and shook it looking blankly across the quad. Unbelievable. It was only his second day at school with his newly assassinated social status and Jeremy was off having lunch with Vicki when he could have used having someone there for him. Who knew, though? Maybe Jeremy spent as many lunches with Vicki as he did with Anna. Why should Tyler's coming out interfere with his lunch plans?

"Sure you don't want one?" Vicki held the bag out for him again and he glanced down. The sleeve rode up on her arm revealing a thin black bracelet around her wrist with the unmistakable metal plate with the JT engraving. Tyler stared down at it, and his eyes drifted to her face. She smiled imploringly at his stare, and he had to turn away. He walked off without answering and headed silently for his truck.

* * *

Jeremy smiled at a waitress as he walked through The Grill looking around for Tyler. He was a little early, so he didn't expect to see him there yet. Across the seating area he spotted him at a pool table with Matt. The sight of him was like a breath of fresh air. Tyler seemed to notice him at the same time and straightened out of his hunch over the table where he had been inspecting his next shot.

A tightness in Jeremy relaxed. The sight of Tyler was a large comfort, warm and soothing. He missed him. After homeroom, he only saw him in passing a couple of times. Anna told him that he had lunch with her, so he resented Vicki even more for holding him up. He thought that Tyler might go to the library again and would have loved to spend the lunch hour with him. Next time, he was letting Vicki get the D she deserved for her kitchen nightmares.

He smiled at Tyler in his purple collared shirt. The sleeves hugged his arms enough to show off his muscular biceps without looking like he was trying. Handsome as always and perfectly tailored. Jeremy felt good just seeing him but lost some of his ease as Tyler switched the pool stick to his other hand and glared back at him. The hostility in his stance was jarring, and Jeremy looked back at him dejected. The smile slowly fell from his face.

He made his way over and glanced warily at Tyler as he reached his arm out across him and bumped Matt's fist in greeting.

"Hey, man." Jeremy gave him a wane smile and Matt lifted his chin in return.

"Glad you're here." Matt said. "Maybe you can play a better game than Tyler. He's a little too," he stuck his thumb and pinkie finger out, tipping his thumb toward his mouth to indicate how inebriated Tyler was.

A horrible weight dropped back on Jeremy. He turned to Tyler who looked back at him but didn't say anything, lifting a flask to his lips and taking a swig. Jeremy turned his eyes away and looked back at Matt as he handed him a pool stick of his own. After he thanked him, Tyler stepped closer and tipped his head toward his face until he was only inches away.

"Missed you during lunch." He said calmly. "Where were you?"

Jeremy met his eyes guardedly. Tyler was in a weird mood. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up Vicki, a frequent sore point for them. He took a deep breath and looked away, moving around to the other side of the table as he answered.

"Yeah, sorry. I forgot my bag in Home Ec," he gave him the same lie he gave Mrs. Lawrence. "Mrs. L started talking to me about some recipe she has for a shortcake. I didn't want to cut her off. She's getting old, you know." He didn't know what he meant by that. It was impolite to interrupt old ladies because they were going to die soon? That was morbid. Oh well. It was a lie on the go. At least he told the truth about what class he was in.

Tyler's eyes burned into him as he walked around to the spot opposite him. Jeremy looked up when he reached it and Tyler stared back a moment before blinking with a roll of his eyes and lifting the flask back up to his mouth. Drinking openly in a public place could get him in a lot more trouble than doing it at the water hole. Reckless even for him. Jeremy watched him in concern but held his tongue because Tyler clearly had a bad day.

Jeremy leaned over the table and set up his shot while Matt signaled a waitress so Jeremy could get a drink. Jeremy hit a red ball and it rolled into the hole across from it skillfully. He was still hunched over when Tyler nodded his head inquiringly, eyes dropped to his wrist.

"Where's your bracelet?" He asked.

Jeremy looked down at his bare wrist in surprise. _Oh shit._ He must have forgot it in Home Ec when Mrs. Lawrence busted him. He hoped Vicki had the sense to grab it for him. It would pain him to lose it.

"Oh," he straightened and dropped his pool stick to the floor, leaning some of his weight into it like a cane at his side. "I didn't wear it today. I knew we were making a cake today in Home Ec and didn't want to get it messy."

Tyler didn't answer. He tipped the flask back and shook it as it emptied, turning around and walking away from the table toward the bar. They wouldn't serve him since he was underage. That was a relief at least. Hopefully he was going to get some food to soak up some of that alcohol.

"Hey, Matt." Jeremy got his attention when they were alone. Matt raised an eyebrow curiously. Jeremy wasn't sure how to word what he wanted to ask, but it was getting to a point where he couldn't ignore it any longer. He hoped he wasn't the only one who wasn't feeling quite right about all of Tyler's drinking. "Have you noticed anything weird about Tyler lately?" Matt narrowed his eyes not understanding. "About Tyler's _drinking_ lately?"

Matt stared back at him in silence but sighed heavily after a moment. "I was hoping I was imagining it."

The reply was enough to make Jeremy feel ill. It was bad enough to suspect there was a problem, but having someone else admit to worrying made it all much more real. He nodded. Leaning his pool stick against the table, he turned and followed Tyler's path toward the bar. They needed to talk. He would prefer to do it while he was sober, but he would just have the same discussion with him tomorrow if he woke up with no memory of it.

Tyler was already heading back when Jeremy made it over to the main area. He pulled his jacket off in the warm restaurant and held it as his side. He passed a booth full of people and walked on to meet him. Tyler's face was drawn angrily and he caught Jeremy by surprise, ramming his shoulder with his as he passed him. The jacket fell from his hand and Jeremy flipped around, looking to the side automatically toward all the patrons in The Grill who might have seen.

"I know you were with Vicki at lunch." Tyler called him out.

Jeremy's shoulders slumped. Great. Tyler was drunk and highly emotional. He picked the perfect time to tell a white lie.

"Tyler," he reached for him but he tugged his arm out of reach. He kept his voice low and calm in an attempt to keep from setting him off. "Let's go talk about this somewhere else."

Tyler laughed and it was bitter enough to make Jeremy wince. "What is going on with you and her?"

He didn't see this being settled with reason. Tyler swayed on his feet and took a step back to catch his balance. "That's ridiculous." Jeremy stated but kept his voice the same. Volume or vehemence would only spiral Tyler more out of control. "And you know it."

Tyler squinted, screwing up his face and shaking his head. "And what about the dinner with Mercerville? You were all set to come, but after I told you I wanted to wait to come out to everyone suddenly you couldn't make it. Things got complicated so all of a sudden I wasn't a priority. You'd rather bail and hang out with Vicki!"

Jeremy thought back to the dinner with the athletic director of Virginia Tech and grimaced. "It wasn't like that. I wanted to be there. I _tried_."

"It was important to me." Tyler stated plainly.

Matt started for them after glancing around. They weren't making a scene yet, but there were a few curious eyes looking over.

"I know." Jeremy said sincerely. "And if I could go back and figure out a better way to get there I would. When Vicki offered me a ride-"

Tyler cut him off with another hollow laugh. "Vicki! It always comes back to her." He shook his head and tilted it to the side. There was something eerie in his feigned casualness. "Why is that? I bet if it was _Vicki_ who asked you to be somewhere you would be there!"

Jeremy jumped in shock as Tyler suddenly launched toward him violently, reaching out to push him. Matt immediately jerked forward and grabbed Tyler's arms to intervene. He pulled him away and Jeremy shoved Tyler backward, instinctively protecting himself. Matt moved between them.

"Whoa! Ty!" Matt exclaimed in astonishment. He pushed him back, putting resistance against his attempt to move toward Jeremy.

Tyler pointed at him with furious adamancy. "You lied to me!" Matt stepped completely in front of him and held his hand up, but Tyler looked past him glaring.

Jeremy looked back at him and swallowed thickly. The anger on his face was too much and he was too drunk to calm down. Leaning down, Jeremy grabbed his jacket off the floor and walked abruptly away for the door. Tyler glowered at his back and turned back around toward the pool tables, stalking off. Matt looked away from Jeremy's retreating form and out at the busy restaurant, not understanding half of what just happened.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Hey, everyone, I want to thank all of you again for the continued support of this fic! We're getting down to the end now. This is Ch. 28/33+Epilogue-just to let you know how far along this is. Things will definitely get worse before they get better, but we all knew the stuff had to hit the fan eventually. Beware: Angst.

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Jeremy second-guessed himself. He went back and forth in his head. He was in a lose-lose situation. The only question was, what was he willing to lose? He looked around at his friends in the living room of Alaric's apartment. Elena smiled at him encouragingly from the armchair. Caroline twisted her hands in her lap and Matt stared at the floor beside him on the couch. Bonnie sat by herself on the loveseat silently. Alaric and Jenna leaned against the wall, and the quiet in the room surrounded them all with only the gentle hum of the air conditioner.

Jeremy wanted to forget the whole thing and go back to his comforting bubble of denial where it was okay to make allowances for Tyler because of his stressful situation. Denial wasn't helping him, though, and they were past the point of free passes. When the knock at the door signaled his arrival his stomach flip-flopped. Anna came back into the room from the kitchen after hearing the knock and shared a meaningful look with Jeremy.

He stood from the couch and drew a preparatory breath. He tossed and turned all night after leaving The Grill thinking about what happened. He shouldn't have lied. That was stupid, but Tyler was out of line too. Worse, he was _so_ out of line because he was drinking. Again. In the past few weeks he had gotten drunk more than Jeremy had in his entire life, and that was saying a lot considering the slacker agenda he had for most of high school.

That morning he got on the phone with Matt and they talked for an hour about all of Tyler's recent behavior. He was often drunk, but partying in itself wasn't all that worrisome. It was the drinking on his own that first raised a red flag for Matt. A month ago he started to realize that any time he dropped by to hang out, Tyler was by himself in his room drunk or drinking. He hadn't thought much of it at first until the mood shifts started. According to Matt, Tyler could go from peaceable to furious in the span of two seconds if the wrong thing set him off. Jeremy knew exactly what he was talking about.

Drinking made him angry and suspicious. He often disregarded logic at all costs when he was drunk, which worried Jeremy most. Drunk and impulsive was a nasty combination. Jeremy noticed his drinking increased when he was stressed or upset, which was a bad habit. He was more than familiar with abusing drugs and alcohol for the purpose of drowning out other pain. After his parents died, Jeremy had his own downward spiral. If it wasn't for Tyler entering his life at the exact right moment and filling him with renewed purpose, Jeremy had no idea where he would be today.

What actually frightened Jeremy was Matt's confession that on two separate mornings he came over for breakfast and Tyler was noticeably shaky and anxious until he poured some vodka in his orange juice. If Tyler was having withdrawal symptoms Jeremy never saw them himself. He wondered how he could miss such drastic signs that Tyler was in trouble. Denial could be a protective but destructive tool.

He talked it over with Matt until they decided what to do. They ended up hanging up and calling the others. When Jeremy called Elena she was more than happy to come home that afternoon. Anna agreed easily and told him about her own encounter with him at Dave Kim's party. Apparently she had her suspicions but was being sensitive due to his difficult transition into being out. Matt got Caroline to come and she got ahold of Bonnie, but Stefan had headed back to Meadows with the maps Elena got for him. He and Damon were probably in the sewer systems that very minute looking for the vamps.

An intervention felt dramatic and awkward, but Jeremy didn't know what else to do. He called Tyler's mother on her cell phone and learned she was still at her sister's house out of town. He cautiously brought up the subject of Tyler's drinking and asked if she was still willing to pay his way to the rehabilitation center she talked to him about before. He gave her a little more credit now that he thought about how far ahead of them she had been when she tried to intervene herself. She assured him that she would send him but made no offer to come home earlier. She would be back tomorrow and arrange everything then.

Now all they had to do was get Tyler to agree to go. He called Tyler twenty minutes ago asking if he would come over and he agreed, so the others gathered willingly. Jeremy hadn't eaten all day thinking about it, and he walked to the door now feeling hollow and nervous. He hesitated at the door with his hand on the knob but ordered himself to stay calm. The outcome of this meeting would determine a whole lot for Tyler, and for that reason he would need to keep his composure.

Pulling the door open, he stood in the small opening and hid the others from view. Tyler looked at him uncertainly. There was a stiffness in the air between them that Jeremy resented. He reached for him in protest and kissed him square on the lips. Tyler looked surprised as he pulled back.

"I'm not mad." Jeremy said. "And I'm sorry for lying."

Tyler eyed him with suspicion. He nodded after a moment but stayed standing in the hallway as though expecting Jeremy to yell 'psych' and slam the door in his face. Behind him, Jenna pulled the door open farther and smiled.

"Hi, Tyler." She reached out and hugged him warmly. He hugged her back with some doubt. "Come in."

He looked between them with vague apprehension. Then his eyes trailed past them into the apartment where the rest of his friends were sitting patiently. He looked back at Jeremy in trepidation.

"What's all this?" He asked.

"Come in." Jeremy urged reassuringly and grabbed his hand. Tyler curved his fingers around Jeremy's automatically and went inside, following him to their group of friends. Matt got up and moved to the loveseat next to Bonnie so they could sit together on the couch. Jenna scooted in next to Matt, and Alaric perched on the armrest beside Elena.

Tyler looked around at each of their serious faces uncomfortably. "…What's going on?"

"Tyler," Matt leaned forward over his lap and clasped his hands together. "I'm here because I care about you, man. I think we all do," he looked around at the group. "And we need to talk to you."

Tyler turned to Jeremy and let go of his hand, leaning back against the couch and rubbing his face quickly. "Is this about last night? Because I was trashed. I never would have went off like that if I was sober."

There was a collective glance to the floor as the irony in the statement settled around them. Tyler looked at them all fleetingly.

"Jer?" He implored.

Jeremy grabbed his hand again and held it. "Tyler, we're concerned…" He hesitated as he looked back at Tyler. His face was so innocently confused that he almost called the whole thing off. If Tyler's mind didn't jump to an immediate conclusion then maybe there wasn't a problem after all. Maybe they were being too hard on him. Maybe stress was the only explanation and it went no further than that.

Maybe denial was harder to shake off than Jeremy realized.

He took a moment and built his resolve back up. "Tyler, you have a drinking problem. We want you to get help."

His brow immediately furrowed, caught off guard by the explanation. He cocked an eyebrow. "What?" He swept his eyes around the group once more. "Is this a joke? I… I _don't_ have a problem."

Jenna took the initiative and asked him openly. "Have you had a drink today?"

"No, not yet." Tyler responded but then closed his eyes at the sound of it. He reopened them and shook his head. "That came out wrong."

Matt sat up straight and disagreed. "That's the thing, Ty. I don't think it did. You're drinking every day now. You're my best friend, dude. Like I said, I'm here because you're important to me and I don't want to sit by anymore and watch you hurt yourself."

Tyler opened his mouth in protest but Elena interrupted.

"Besides Jeremy, I feel like I owe you more than anyone else here." She started.

"You don't owe me anything." Tyler answered immediately, his eyes set in serious warning against such a statement.

Elena gave him a sad smile. "I appreciate that, but the fact is you stopped something really bad from happening to me. I hope that you'll let all of us do the same for you. You're a good person, Tyler, and my brother loves you. We all do. So _please_ get help."

Jeremy squeezed his hand and informed him quietly. "Your mom is willing to send you to Brook Haven. They have people who can help you there. You can get away from all the drama here and just focus on getting clean."

"Maybe I could even compel you so quitting wouldn't be so hard." Caroline piped up enthusiastically. "Or maybe Damon could do it! He's really good."

"_Fuck_ that. I don't want any vampire mind tricks done on me." Tyler stiffened defensively, and Jeremy put that suggestion down as a definite wrong turn.

"Tyler's right. This is something he needs to achieve on his own." Jenna said from the loveseat. "And you can do it. I know you can, Ty. Me, Jeremy, Elena, we're here for you. Always. You just need to make the decision to get healthy."

Tyler hung his head, staring down at his lap and took a deep breath in exasperation before looking over at her. "Jenna, you have been there for me when my own mother wasn't, and I will always be grateful for that." He told her honestly, and Jeremy knew he meant it. "But you don't know what you're talking about. None of you do. I've gotten carried away lately, I get it. I've done some stupid things," he turned to Jeremy pointedly. "And I'm sorry." He shook his head at the group. "But this is crazy. I'm fine. I can stop drinking whenever I want to."

Anna pushed off from the wall and walked over to the group purposely. "You said that before. How many days was it before you were wasted at Dave Kim's party?"

Tyler was speechless as he looked back at her. His eyes darted around the room in uneasy annoyance as he struggled to find the words to justify his habit.

"Tyler, she's right." Matt waved his hand toward Anna. "You need help. There's no shame in that."

Tyler pulled his hand away from Jeremy again as his shoulders squared off and his muscles tightened. "You're one to talk, with your fucking drug addicted sister. Why don't you throw her in sex rehab too while you're at it? There wasn't a guy who _didn't_ have something to say about her in the locker room!"

Matt recoiled in stunned silence. The air in the room fell flat with a sudden thick quiet. The tension in the air made Jeremy feel like his own heartbeat was being amplified on a stereo system. Tyler got to his feet abruptly and walked out, shoving the door closed behind him with a loud bang. Jeremy scratched his head and stood up. That was definitely not ideal.

Leaving the others behind, he followed Tyler out and shut the door quietly behind him. Thankfully, Tyler hadn't left. He was standing down the hallway looking toward the elevators but making no move for them. Jeremy walked over determinedly. If he could convince him to go back inside there was a chance they would still be able to persuade him into getting treatment.

"Don't." Tyler warned, and though his voice was low there was a clear threat in it. He wanted to be left alone. As far as he was concerned the matter was closed.

"Ty, please." Jeremy said anyway and stopped a few feet away from him. "We're not ganging up on you. This isn't about accusations or anger. This is about wanting to help you. I know how hard everything has been on you lately. Even before you came out, the pressure on you…" Jeremy looked at him sincerely. "I get it. Okay?" He reached for his hand and Tyler let him take it, meeting his eyes wearily. "I get it. But this is something that you have to do. Think about it. Really think about how much you've been drinking and all the bad stuff that's happened because or while you were drunk. If you could just stop then why haven't you?"

Tyler deflated. He took a step back but Jeremy held his hand tighter and immediately stepped forward, erasing the small distance he created. There was an energy in the air, sharp and strong, telling him to cling to Tyler. Hold onto him as hard as he could and try to get through. A desperate plea in his heart to reach him. Somehow.

"Tyler, what would you have done if Matt hadn't held you back last night?" He burned his eyes into him, remembering the angry look on Tyler's face as he rushed him at The Grill.

Tyler's eyes flicked up to him with the remotest glimmer of fear under his quick denial. "I wouldn't have hit you."

Jeremy swallowed, because the moment was growing in weight and sinking over him as though the ceiling were solidifying the air and pushing it upon his shoulders like invisible bricks. "If you were sober? Of course not. Yesterday…" Jeremy looked at him with such fervor that Tyler was forced to hold his gaze as he finished with dark certainty. "You would have hit me."

"No." Tyler said faintly. "Drinking is not a problem. It's just something I do. I reacted badly. I was stressed. I-"

Something powerful sunk inside Jeremy and crushed his hopes of seeing Tyler move forward today. Jeremy let go of his hand and stepped away, leaning against the wall and dropping his head back somberly as he listened to Tyler make up excuses and deny any possibility of having a problem. He was clinging to his denial with every bit of strength he had, and Tyler was incredibly strong.

Jeremy blinked and his eyelids stayed drooped sadly. Tyler may not want to admit it, but he knew in his heart that Tyler wasn't just a bad drunk. He was a violent alcoholic. Staying with him in the condition he was in was dangerous not only to himself but to all those around him. What if Elena said something that upset him while he was over? Or, more likely, Damon, and while they were fighting again Elena or Jenna got hurt as collateral damage?

Jeremy felt like the blood slowed inside of him and the air was suspended in his lungs. The last couple of months with Tyler were draining. There was no relationship more real, more intensely gratifying…or more painful. His eyes swelled with tears and his chest rose with difficulty.

"I love you…" His words were hushed in the hallway. Tyler looked at the anguish in his eyes and a painful understanding weakened his own breaths. "So much." Jeremy felt small and lost in the empty hall, stranded with the agonizing inevitability. "But you have a problem, and I can't be with you until you agree to get help."

The words felt alive as they left him, trying to hold their grip in his mind and keep from flowing from his mouth where they would become real and solid. Tyler's head turned to the side and his chest depressed with a silent exhale.

"Jeremy…"

His chest was tightening so much Jeremy didn't wait for him to find his voice again. Stepping forward, he grabbed his face and kissed him. His lips moved over his, forcing Tyler's to part and deepen the kiss. The warmth of his mouth on his…the comfort and that special pain… The kind that made his chest ache and twist around his heart until he thought he might never breathe again. Jeremy pulled away but his heart was breaking and he couldn't stop. He leaned back in and pressed his lips against his with even more feverish movements. He dropped his forehead on his and closed his eyes, wanting to stop existing if only he could be suspended there with Tyler forever. Safe and alone where no one could get hurt and they could just be together. He kissed him softly a final time and wrapped his arms around him as he held onto the fantasy a moment longer.

His voice was a sorrowful whisper too low to drift away from them. "_Please_ change your mind."

Tyler reached up and grabbed his elbows but Jeremy stepped back slowly and pulled away. Tyler didn't say anything and didn't seem to have the strength to keep him from going. Jeremy watched him as he focused his energy on stepping away, moving back, leaving Tyler.

Air failed to make its way to his lungs, and he turned. Tyler stood like a pained statue in the long hall but made no move to stop him. Jeremy entered the apartment and closed the door, walking past the group in the living room and going into Alaric's bedroom. He closed the door after him and went directly to the window. For a long moment he struggled to get air to move through him properly. It went in but his chest caught and he couldn't regulate it.

The door opened quietly across the dark room and soft footsteps made their way to him.

"Jeremy?" Jenna whispered with the kind parental concern that his mother used to give him when she was still alive. When he was too confused to understand why the other kids picked on him and too young to want anything but his mother to make it better. He turned toward her and she absorbed the earnestness in his tormented eyes. "Oh Jeremy…"

Jenna reached for him and her arms drew him to her with overwhelming empathy. The tight embrace forced the control he had maintained to cave in on itself. His face darkened as it fell. He buried it in her shoulder and shook as she held him. He felt like he was constantly letting go of Tyler and had to find some way to get him back and keep him. Tyler _had_ to get better. He had to come back to him.

He clutched his aunt with despairing vigor. But all he felt now was an excruciating loss. And the threat of a long wait. 


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** ***Don't*** abandon all hope, ye who enter here…

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Tyler sat hunched over a table in the middle of The Grill. When he got home after leaving Alaric's apartment, he lasted thirteen minutes. He told himself he wasn't going to drink. They were wrong. He would convince them of that somehow. But the look on Jeremy's face and his conviction when he said he couldn't be with him until he 'got sober'…it was haunting. Tyler lasted thirteen minutes alone in his bedroom before he found himself in the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of bourbon from the liquor cabinet and driving to The Grill. He sat in the parking lot drinking as night set in around him. At the time he rationalized it. He was out. Everyone hated him. His college football experience would be strained and probably short-lived. He did it all for his boyfriend and now he broke up with him. Why shouldn't he drink then? What was the point?

He stared into his empty glass afterward and felt sick. Jeremy was the point. He didn't know what was the matter with himself. He closed the bottle and forced himself to go inside The Grill. At least in there he couldn't drink. He didn't have his flask with him, and they wouldn't let him just walk around chugging a bottle. Not that it mattered. He stumbled on his way in and barely made it to a table before the spinning room knocked him on his ass. He was already drunk.

He owed Matt an apology. No matter how right he was about Vicki and her shady extracurricular activities, Matt was his best friend. He was always good to him no matter how big of a dick he was in return, and he didn't deserve what Tyler snapped at him. He knew Matt tried repeatedly to get Vicki clean and straighten up her life. Tyler always thought she was a slacker loser for not accepting help from her brother who was twenty times the person she would ever be. Yet here he was now. Doing the same thing.

He ducked his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as he ran and reran his conversation with Jeremy through his head. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to accept it, but Jeremy was right. Last night he was furious. About Vicki. About being thrown into lockers all day and shoved down stairs. He hated his life and when he threw liquor on top of it he became someone else. Last night he lost control, and he _would_ have hit Jeremy.

Tyler closed his eyes and clenched his fist. That would be something he could never take back. Things had already gotten out of control as it was the past few weeks. He thought about the night of the pep rally. He got drunk and angry and picked a fight with Jeremy then too. He was buzzed and drinking when he yelled at Jeremy in the woods to get lost. It wasn't a remote control that could dictate his actions or emotions, but alcohol was definitely a factor in his recent pattern of behavior. For a long moment, Tyler stayed hunched over the table and tried to gather himself.

He didn't want to be this person. Like his father. Angry and violent. His father blamed the wolf. Men were naturally inclined toward violence, he would say, and when testosterone met with the curse it created impulses that were out of his control. If he hit Tyler then it was Tyler's fault. He should know better than to set him off.

Tyler intertwined his fingers, setting his elbows on the table and covering his mouth with his hands. That was wrong, ignorant and cruel. And it was exactly what he was starting to do with Jeremy. His eyes opened and he stood, pushing past the waiter who just came up to his table to take his order. He thought he was going to be sick, and he was. He made it to the restroom and came out of the stall after puking most of the alcohol up. He went to the sinks weakly and washed his mouth out, splashing water on his face and looking up at himself in the mirror.

He was Tyler Lockwood. Not his father. He blamed himself for what his dad did to him growing up. The emotional and physical abuse was his to bear because he brought it on himself for defying him or not being the way he wanted him to be. Now he knew better. His father was a screwed up man who took his frustration out on him because he was too mean and stupid to place the blame where it truly belonged. Tyler braced his hands against the cool porcelain and looked down at the sink, breathing deeply. History didn't have to repeat itself. He could be better, and he could be better with people who loved him.

Reaching into his pocket as he left the restroom, he pulled out his cell phone to call Jeremy. He was right. They all were, and unlike his father Tyler would accept that fact and he would try to change. He grabbed his jacket from the table and glanced up toward the front of the building fleetingly. His eyes were back on the phone's screen when his mind registered what he just saw.

Jerking his head back up, he looked at the front where he saw someone exiting the restaurant. Someone he knew.

Exiting out of his contacts, he pulled his jacket on and walked a little more steadily out than he did coming in. He wasn't seeing double, but his senses were still hindered with a mildly drunken stupor. Out in the parking lot, he looked around and as his eyes swept the area they fell on the individual he saw leaving as he ducked into his car on the far side.

The large man was careful to duck his head as he folded his tall body into the driver's seat. Fat hands gripped the steering wheel and the engine came to life as adrenaline pumped its way through Tyler. Joel Brennan began pulling out of the lot, and Tyler ran to his truck. He dropped his keys and bent to pick them up hurriedly as he clicked through his contacts list again. This time he went down to Stefan Salvatore and pressed call quickly.

Stefan answered on the second ring as Tyler was letting himself into his truck and stepping up into the driver's seat.

"Tyler, everything okay?" Stefan asked by way of saying 'hello'. Caroline most likely told him about the intervention, and since Tyler never called Stefan for anything ever, the timing sent the vampire on instant alert.

"Stefan," Tyler shoved his key at the ignition but realized he was poking his house key at it and dropped the whole ring. He bent down to snatch them off the floor. "The vampire that attacked Elena-he's here. I just saw him at The Grill."

"I can be there in fifteen minutes." Stefan answered immediately. "Don't lose him."

He hung up and Tyler did the same, dropping the phone onto the passenger seat and finally shoving the right key into the ignition. Moving into reverse, he screeched backward and straightened the truck, slamming on the gas and jolting forward. He was on the road and speeding through the darkness trying to catch up to the silver car when he noticed something missing off his center console. His GPS was gone. Brennan must have noticed Tyler too and stole it before getting in his own car.

Tyler thought of where he just was. The dot was labeled home. Brennan would know not to go there. The only other place he went that day was Alaric's apartment. Brennan knew where the Gilberts were now, and he was driving straight for them. Straight for Jeremy.

Tyler stepped down on the gas until his truck was pushed to its limit. The silver car came into view ahead, going slightly above the speed limit itself. With the car in his sights, Tyler jerked his steering wheel to the side and rounded past the purple VW ahead of him, slamming on the gas and jerking ahead of it. He jerked the steering wheel to the right and veered out of the way of an oncoming truck. It honked after him furiously as he slid back onto his side of the road and sped ahead. There was no one in between him and Brennan now, and he set his eyes on the car with fierce determination.

He trailed after him for ten minutes. Brennan definitely noticed the truck on his tail and sped up accordingly. He wasn't threatened though. He didn't so much as take a side street or make any unnecessary turns in order to shake him off. He stayed on the direct route on the GPS and made a straight line for his target. Tyler posed nothing but an annoyance to the vampire.

They were two minutes from the apartment-even less at the speed they were going-and Tyler knew he had to do something. Not even Caroline would be there anymore. Damon was in Meadows. Even moving the way he did, Stefan wouldn't be able to run back in time. Brennan might not be able to get inside Alaric's home without an invitation but if he was desperate enough he could smoke them out and kill them when they were forced outside. The vampires in Meadows were clearly unhappy being stalked by the Salvatores, and it looked like they sent Brennan back to make their point for them.

Tyler couldn't let that happen. Forcing the truck forward he managed to close the remaining distance between them on the road and rammed into the back of the vampire's car. It jerked at the impact but pulled away and kept going. If Tyler could get him off the road he might be able to stall him long enough for Stefan to get there. Brennan was a new vampire. Tyler was confident he would be able to hold his own against him if he got him out of the car. Then Stefan could take care of him. If he could just-

Without warning, the car ahead twisted and went horizontal on the road purposely. Tyler was going too fast to stop. His reaction time was hampered, and the moment of hesitation cost him. He slammed on the breaks too late and the truck blasted into the side of the car, shoving the two ton weight down the street with such force it reeled back and rolled over itself. An earsplitting explosion of sound shattered the peaceful darkness. Metal grinded against itself and two sets of tires screeched sharply along the pavement.

The breaks fought against the spinning tires and when the truck slammed back into the car mid-roll it flipped, truck bed flying over itself. The headlight beams cut over small areas, moving too quickly to make sense of anything. With no seatbelt to hold him back, Tyler's body went up and his head popped the interior roof. Pain exploded inside his skull and hot white light blotted out his vision.

_Jeremy!_ He panicked in his blindness.

The truck rolled down and went up, disorienting him with its quick flips. The truck crushed back down over the gravel and the ceiling blew in on itself. Metal tore and spiked up as it bent out of shape by the force of the impact. Tyler went down hard against the pounded ceiling, landing on his neck with a deafening snap.

His body slumped limply against the broken upside down truck, and a heavy quiet spread slowly through the night. 

* * *

Jeremy stared down at his phone. He wanted to call Tyler more than anything. No, more than anything he wanted to _be_ with Tyler, but he knew he had to restrain himself. Tyler had to make the choice to change. They wouldn't work otherwise. Anna sat on Alaric's bed beside him. She was going to spend the night on Jeremy watch. He had a feeling Jenna put her up to it, but he didn't tell her to get lost. He didn't want to be alone anyway.

He set his phone down and leaned his head back against the headboard as Anna sat up slowly. She turned her head to the side and tilted it up slightly as though she were listening to something in the distance. Jeremy eyed her sideways.

"What is it?"

Abruptly, her head swiveled and she stared toward the living room, distracted by a strange scent on the air. She stood up and her muscles tensed. "Vampire."

Jeremy's eyes went wide and he got to his feet too. "In the apartment?"

She shook her head and headed out. Jeremy was right behind her. Elena was curled up on the couch reading and looked up as they came in. She took in Anna's alert face and pushed the blanket she had wrapped around her legs aside. Jeremy signaled for her to be quiet and she got to her feet silently. Anna went to the door and peered out the peep hole. There was nothing there. She held her hand up to tell them to wait and she ducked out of the apartment disappearing.

Outside he could hear police sirens rushing by nearby. He figured that was what Anna was hearing before she got distracted by the vampire smell. Jeremy exchanged a look with his sister but before he could build up any real worry for his friend, Anna returned. She looked more relaxed but her face was dark. It meant there was no imminent threat at least.

"He's gone." She announced. "But there is a lot of blood outside by the back entrance. He must be hurt. Get Jenna and Alaric. We need to move. He could come back anytime."

Elena turned immediately to get her aunt and honorary uncle from the spare bedroom. Within minutes they were walking down in a group with Anna in the lead. She had her arms out on either sides in front of the foursome in a protective stance. Her eyes swept all around them as they hurried to Alaric's car in the lot.

"Go on." She ordered as Jeremy and Elena climbed into the backseat. She closed the door behind them without getting in. "I'm going to sweep the area. See if I can find him. If he's around here I'll kill him and catch up."

Jeremy didn't like that idea at all no matter how much older she was than Brennan. Accidents happened. If she was caught by surprise anything could go down, but he didn't have so much as a measly second to protest because she disappeared in a blur of speed down the road. Alaric didn't waste any time, pulling out and onto the street.

From the trees along the sidewalk a few blocks up, Jeremy saw Anna standing and looking across the street where the sirens had been headed. The closer they got the more rigid she seemed. Jeremy turned back to the scene where a bad accident had clearly occurred. A silver car was completely crushed on one side as though a giant wrecking ball had slammed into it. The driver's side door looked like it was ripped off, scattered several feet away from the totaled car.

Police already had the area quarantined with road blocks and yellow tape. An ambulance was pulled up several dozen feet away where another vehicle was flipped onto its back upside down. As Alaric drove closer, Jeremy pointed Anna out and told him to stop when they got to her. Jeremy squinted in the dark. As they got closer to the accident, he made out two EMTs squatted over something near the flipped vehicle.

"Anna." Jeremy rolled down his window and called to her on the sidewalk. She turned to him mechanically. Her dark eyes were wide and her face was etched with blank shock. The severity of her expression birthed an ominous fear in Jeremy.

Her mouth seemed dry as she struggled to swallow. "Jeremy, stay in the car." She whispered.

He stared back at her nonplussed. "What?"

Her eyes trailed back to the scene of the accident subconsciously. Jeremy's head turned back in that direction on instinct and he leaned over Elena as he stared harder through the flashing blue and red lights on the patrol cars blocking the scene. He looked beyond them, and his lungs collapsed.

His voice carried lightly like a weak breeze on the air. "That looks like Tyler's truck…"

Elena turned toward him instantly, but he was turning, fumbling for the door handle.

"Anna," his voice broke over a thin exhale and he pushed the door open.

"I can get past them." She assured and disappeared in a blur of movement again.

Jeremy was out of the car and on the sidewalk. Elena called after him and the other doors were opening behind him as he took off around the car and ran across the street without checking either direction. A crowd was forming from the nearby residents, out to see what was going on. Jeremy slowed as he approached, maneuvering around them and going to a clear patch where he could see ahead.

The back of the ambulance was open and a stretcher was pulled out but they weren't lifting anyone onto it. A policeman was approaching the cluster of people to ensure they keep back but Jeremy was far along the barricades on his own. He walked along a van parked at the edge of the scene, dragging his hand behind him and leaning into it for support as he looked around. His knees were weak and it took more effort to push shakily away from the van and stand on his own than anything else he had ever done in his life.

His hands were trembling at his sides as he pushed forward toward the blockades. The paramedics blocked his view of the still person laying on the cold ground. Suddenly Stefan was standing next to him and Elena ran up on his other side panting. Jenna and Alaric held back, looking from the van.

"Stefan!" Elena exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Stefan's brow was furrowed deeply as he looked darkly between the scene and Elena. "Tyler called me. He saw Brennan. I traced his scent from The Grill."

Anna was standing over the trio of people beside the ambulance. Her eyes trailed up slowly and she stepped away, making her way to the barricades with stiff, hollow movements. One of the paramedics shifted and bent over the body, flipping a medical penlight on and lowering it over the face, lifting a limp eyelid. Jeremy lost all sense as the features lit up in a glow of revealing light. Tyler lay unmoving and unresponsive to the paramedic's touch.

Jeremy lurched forward desperately and Anna pointed a frantic shake of her head at the other vampire. Stefan caught Jeremy immediately and held him back. "Ty!" He screamed over Stefan's shoulder. He clutched the back of Stefan's jacket and pushed forward manically, but the vampire held him back. Darkness closed in around him, blocking out everything but the sight of Tyler laying still and heavy, fingers resting limp across the pavement. "_TYLER!_"

The raw fear in the yell shook Elena. Shivers ran through her, and she brought a hand to her mouth. Jeremy was breathing erratically but he wasn't struggling against Stefan anymore. His eyes were glued to Tyler and hard sobs were shaking his entire body. He called for him again and again through uncontrollable tears. He bent at the waist still gripping Stefan but growing weaker as his horror expanded.

Elena crossed to him quickly and pushed at Stefan until he moved away. She wrapped her arms around Jeremy and hugged him to herself so tightly she could hardly breathe. He clung to her and gasped between tears. Elena couldn't carry his weight as his legs gave out underneath him. They sunk to the ground together, holding each other harder than they ever held anyone. Elena grabbed his head and rubbed his back trying desperately to think of what to do, how to save him from the hurricane of misery ravaging him from the inside.

But all she could do was hold onto him and tether him to someone who loved him. Numbness froze the tears in her eyes and drew on all her strength to keep from falling apart with him. Jeremy knew more about pain than someone his age had the right to, and her hands moved over him as they would a fragile ornament that fell one too many times and would start to crack if she let it go. She whispered in his ear without pausing to decide what to say, saying anything that sounded warm and might cut through the cold around him. Elena tried to keep him together, but with every shudder inside of her arms she feared it was too late.

Jeremy fell too many times, and with every heart wrenching second filled with the sound of his deep, ragged cries, she knew she couldn't save him from this. He was already breaking. 

* * *

**A/N 2:** Sorry I couldn't warn you to brace for impact better without spoiling it! You're going to have to trust me, though!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Thanks for trusting me, and sorry for the delay! Busy couple of weeks. For those who don't know, Steven R. McQueen just opened a twitter account! Follow him! Hopefully we'll get a little Trevino/McQueen twitter bromance like w/the Glee boys! Lol Okay. Get your serious faces on. Poor boys.

**Chapter Thirty**

Jeremy wasn't sure if he was awake. It didn't feel like dreaming, but life didn't seem to be charged around him the way it should. As though he were suspended in a strange in-between, lost halfway inside a dream state and the waking world. His eyes were heavy from crying, and they only remained open very slightly because sleep wouldn't come to him. He sat on the floor in the restroom of Bonnie's grandmother's house. They couldn't go back to Alaric's apartment or anywhere else directly connected to them, so the Gilberts and Alaric were welcomed over to the old witch's house.

It helped that she knew about vampires and otherworldly phenomena. When they arrived, Jeremy moved deftly past her and walked until he found the bathroom. He sat on the cool tiles now with his legs drawn up loosely, leaning against the wooden cabinets beneath the sink. It was odd to question his conscious state, but his mind felt slippery. It fell between reality and disbelief, unable to hold on to either one.

He closed his eyes and saw Tyler lying there, remembered the explosive ache as the paramedics shook their heads grimly and lifted him onto a gurney into a long black body bag. He wanted to jump up and run to Tyler, save him from them as they pulled on the zipper, but his legs wouldn't work and Elena was holding him too tightly. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Tyler was beyond saving, but he rejected the truth because the truth didn't make any sense. He saw Tyler only hours before, and he was fine. He was unsteady and in denial, but he was going to be fine. Eventually. This wasn't supposed to happen. This _couldn't_ be happening.

Jeremy brought his hand to his chest as a sharp cramp cut across his ribcage. He turned Tyler away. He laid a heavy ultimatum on him and then just walked away. He wanted to help Tyler get better and instead he drove him straight to drinking. And then driving. When he saw Brennan he must have saw redemption. If he caught up to him-if he stopped him-but that didn't happen. Tyler was gone.

The cramp tightened and spread. Jeremy winced and squeezed his fist, but he made no effort to stretch it out. His heart was caught in a bear trap, steel teeth biting through it destructively, and Jeremy enjoyed the other ailment. It distracted him from the real pain. A hurt that would never leave him.

"Jeremy?" Elena's voice came quietly through the door, and he wondered how long he was in there. Time didn't seem to register, and he thought maybe he was asleep. Caught somewhere that didn't move the same way reality did. Slow and confused. Not quite permanent.

Jeremy's eyes fell on the ring he wore around the clock, protecting him against all dangers at all times.

_I want you to wear the ring,_ he heard himself tell Tyler.

He clenched his eyes shut and imagined Tyler losing control of his truck. A broken neck. It took a lot of force for a neck to break. The ring would have protected him. A strangled noise echoed in the bathroom but Jeremy was too shaken to attach it to himself. He dropped his head and cried against his knees. 

* * *

The house was silent and shaded in darkness when Jeremy stirred. He was in the spare bedroom of the Bennett home. He couldn't remember walking there, but he must have. He had the vague idea that Alaric and Stefan lifted him to his feet in the restroom and led him to the bed in the small bedroom Bonnie's grandmother kept for visitors.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and he looked down at the queen sized bed he was tucked into. Elena was curled up on his left fast asleep under the covers and Jenna was passed out on his other side. Her arm was wrapped around his chest protectively, holding him as she would a small child. Jeremy slowly sat up, careful not to disturb either of them. As he looked around he spotted Anna curled in the fetal position on the ottoman at the end of the bed. It was unsettling to be surrounded but feel achingly alone.

As deliberately as he could he pulled his legs out from under the blankets, tugging the comforter a little off of Jenna as he moved. She shifted slightly but settled down in comfortable deep sleep. He climbed down to the end of the bed and stepped over Anna. At the door he looked back at the three women in his life. He loved them fiercely, but no amount of love could take away the hurt he was feeling.

With a final look at them, he quietly opened the door and slipped out into the hall. Bonnie's grandmother lived in a clean, quaint split level home. The hall branched into two bedrooms and a single bathroom. He didn't know if there was a private one the woman had to herself that connected to her room, though the one in the hall seemed fully stocked. A small kitchen opened to the left after stepping out of the hall and that was it for the house. The largest part was certainly the living room that the front door opened into.

It was open and filled with comfy looking chairs and two couches that formed an 'L' shape, though they didn't go together. Alaric was asleep on the dark emerald upholstered one with a thin blue blanket pulled over him. Eclectic taste, nothing seemed to match, and there was an energy in the air that seemed to radiate from that room. Jeremy traced it to the tall oak bookshelves that ran along and covered the entire far wall and half of the adjacent one. He went to them numbly, reading titles and running his fingertips lightly across the spines of books lined at his side as he walked along the wall.

He heard a noise outside and turned. There were wispy, deep purple curtains hiding the windows, but one on the far right was parted slightly. He could see Stefan conferring with Damon on the porch with their backs to him. He had no idea when Damon arrived, but they must have figured the bigger threat was here in Mystic Falls. Their search for the Meadows vamps didn't seem to be going anywhere anyway. Jeremy found that he didn't care. What did it matter where they were or what they did next? The worst was already done.

He was still watching them carelessly through the window when a striking pain shot through his ring finger. He jerked his hand away from the book he just touched and looked down at his hand. It felt like a bolt of electricity was fired through his finger. The ring felt warm against his skin. He narrowed his eyes.

Shuffling footsteps caught his attention and he looked up and over. Bonnie's Grams was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, shadowed in the darkness engulfing the small home. She looked back at him and her head dipped with a meaningful bow. Her eyes burned into him and then she was walking into the hall and gone. Jeremy stared after her disturbed by the sinister gaze. He knew the woman was a powerful witch, connected to the earth in ways he couldn't understand. To the world she was an aging woman with a sharp look to her and piercing eyes, but there was a heaviness in the air around her as though she were surrounded by more than just air.

Jeremy looked back down at his hand and then turned his eyes to the bookshelf. His gaze set on the book his hand touched when his ring buzzed with energy: Charms of the Mystical World. Jeremy's head snapped up and looked out the window again. Stefan and Damon were out of sight but he didn't hear them anywhere either. Snatching the book off the shelf, he checked that Alaric was still asleep and sat down in an oversized recliner farthest from him. He clicked the small lamp on beside it, and a purple scarf hanging over it kept the room from lighting up too brightly.

He rubbed his eyes, thick with tears and sleep and opened the book. The spine gave an eerie crack and the pages looked yellow with age. He flipped through them, and the pages felt dusty below his fingertips. His head felt airy and detached, and he had to really focus to comprehend any of the words on the pages. Some of it was in other languages and he skipped those pages entirely. He was about to close the book when his ring seemed to clench around his finger. He gasped, and looked up quickly to make sure he hadn't woken Alaric.

When he didn't move, he looked back down at the page he had flipped to idly on his way to closing it. The passage was titled:

**Protection Spells Bound By Charms:**

**Necklaces, Metals, Rings**

Jeremy looked down at the ring on his finger and up where Mrs. Bennett had disappeared. He swallowed and read on. There was a separate passage for rings, much longer than the ones for the other subtitles. His tired eyes burned wanting sleep but he trudged through the tiny script, because he felt he had to. Most of it he already knew. Witches could cast spells on certain objects that altered the state of the wearer of the ring. Certain spells could make humans indestructible or allow vampires to walk in the sunlight.

He knew all that, but his ring was now emitting a constant pulse of heat. The skin there would be pink and raw if it didn't stop. He was at the point of ripping it off his finger and launching it across the room when his eyes settled on the next passage and with remarkable suddenness, the burning disappeared and the ring felt like ice around his finger. He flinched at the abrupt change and his eyes trailed back to the page. A heavy feeling twisted his stomach.

**The Life Blood of the Ring:**

**Transference and Sacrifice**

Jeremy's heart sped up and for the first time in hours, he felt really, truly awake. _Life. Sacrifice._ His eyes swept across the next several pages in a fervor of alert desperation. At the end, he looked up from the book and ignored his racing heart. He stared blankly ahead and focused on the air in the room. It was as if Mrs. Bennett were standing everywhere in the room at once. It was full and _alive_ in a way that an empty space shouldn't be. Seeing the first trickle of light in the darkness, Jeremy reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. The bronze, antique clock on the wall said it was straddling midnight. Jeremy held his breath as he waited.

On the third ring, Vicki picked up. "Jeremy?" She asked sleepily.

Relief like no other flooded through him as she answered, and he exhaled in a rush. Eyes going between Alaric on the couch and the window showing the porch with caution, he kept his voice purposefully low. "I need your help."

After several grueling minutes on the phone, he left the book on the small table with the lamp and crept back into the hallway. His eyes rested on Mrs. Bennett's bedroom, and his gaze burned into the closed door with an ocean of mixed emotions. He touched his ring and looked back at the door. The black crest in the silver band buzzed lightly under his fingertips like the vibrations of a tiny earthquake. Jeremy curled his fingers up and looked away, going to the spare bedroom instead.

Checking on Elena and Jenna's sleep states briefly, he went to the end of the bed and squatted before the ottoman. He reached gently for Anna and shook her from her light vampire sleep. Her eyes opened with an instant wakefulness that didn't exist in humans. Her eyes turned inquiring as he looked at her significantly.

"Time to get up." He whispered. 

* * *

Jeremy leaned against the wall in the bathroom watching Anna pace in front of him back and forth. She stared at the tiles with such an intensity in her gaze Jeremy knew better than to disturb her thoughts. She walked to the shower, turned and went back to the towel rack on the opposite wall. Over and over as they waited for Vicki to call.

The minutes ticked by like a fountain of honey, slow and sticking in places as though time suspended altogether. Night was fully bloomed outside the small square window and Jeremy stared out at the star speckled sky until Anna whirled on him and stopped at last.

"I'm not doing it." She said, her voice sounded like stone, hard and unmovable.

Jeremy stared back at her and the emotionless glint in his eyes matched her words in strength and decisiveness. She would do it, because she had to and because there was no other way.

"It's crazy, Jeremy." Anna reiterated. "You can't ask me to do that."

"I am asking." He answered without missing a beat. If there was a quicker, safer way, he would do it. Under any other circumstances when the world ran on normal rules, he would have agreed. It was insane, stupid and reckless. Right now, none of that mattered. His love for Tyler was consuming, so if it was insane, stupid, and reckless-then those were the rules he would follow now.

He looked down at his bare finger. Vicki had it now. Stefan and Damon saw her pull up and watched carefully as Jeremy went out to her. They guarded the area like hounds but didn't give them any privacy. They assumed they were grieving together and Jeremy thought he pulled it off. He made it clear to her over the phone not to say anything that they discussed out loud while she was there. She didn't, and they hugged tightly. Jeremy slipped the ring into her palm and she gripped it in her fist. He made it very clear that she was not to put it on under any circumstances. This point was vital, and by handing it over he was investing more trust in her than he ever had in anyone in his life. Unexpectedly, she had something for him too. Standing in the bathroom now, his eyes went down to the black bracelet on his wrist. _JT_. He looked back up at Anna with a resolve so hard it blinded him from everything else.

"Anna," he appealed to her but it didn't sound like begging. His voice was filled with too much finality to sound like a true argument. He needed Anna to do this, so there was no alternative. "You're over a hundred years old. How many people have you loved with all your heart and had to watch them die? When your mother was trapped in that tomb, wouldn't you have done anything-no matter _what_ the cost-to get her out? Anna, you are my best friend. I trust you. I know how many times you must have grieved." He locked eyes with her heatedly. "I felt it with my parents, Anna. I can't do that again."

Her dark eyes held his gaze but before she could respond, his phone vibrated in his hand and she looked away. Jeremy only tossed it a tiny glance before answering.

"Vicki?" He questioned meaningfully.

"I'm here." She answered with a tremor in her voice. He could hear her gulp on the other line. "Jeremy, are you sure you want to do this?" There were tears in her voice, but he ignored them.

"Do you see him?" He asked. 

* * *

Vicki forced herself to creep forward in the morgue in the hospital's basement. She swallowed in the heavy darkness with the phone to her ear. She hung out in cemeteries many times, but she was always drunk or high. Being around dead bodies-fresh dead bodies-while _sober_ turned out to be highly unsettling.

"Not yet." She whispered in answer to his question. She wasn't sure she wanted to see him either. She thought of Tyler as a friend or at least a friendly acquaintance. He was her brother's _best_ friend. She was closer to Jeremy than almost anyone else in the world. That was why she was going through with this. For Matt-and for Jeremy.

Sneaking down there had been relatively easy. A doctor stared at her a little too hard on her way to the elevators but she thought that might just be because he was skeevy. The elevator was empty on her way down. Mystic Falls wasn't as busy or buzzing as the hospitals she saw on television. No one yelled for a crash cart or ran down the hall in bloody scrubs while she was there.

When she reached the morgue she hit a speed bump. There was only one attendant down there and it took a while for him to leave. He went up the elevator while she hid behind a metal shelf stocked with medical supplies. She hurried into the cold room, with metal walls and an eerie stale smell. As soon as she was in she called Jeremy just like he asked her to.

Now she approached the tall metal cabinets. The large square drawers lined the wall in several rows, and every zombie movie she ever saw began playing through her head. Setting the small black duffel bag she brought with her down on the floor, she chanted reassurances to herself in her head. Biting through the juvenile fear, she went to the far left and grabbed the nearest handle. She didn't know when the attendant would be back and if she was going to do this she needed to do it fast.

Not giving herself any more time to think, she yanked it open and looked inside. Nothing. Empty. She closed it and moved onto the next, then the next. Then the next. She was going to give up on the middle row and start pulling out the bottom drawers when she felt resistance on the fourth one over and knew she found what she was looking for. _Who_ she was looking for.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she was glad that at least she had the foreknowledge to brace herself. Closing her eyes, she exhaled long and soft. Tucking the phone in her pocket, still slid open and connected to Jeremy on the other line, she grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled slowly. The metal drawer rolled out and lying naked in the cold cabinet, Tyler's unmoving dead body came into the dim blue lights of the morgue.

Vicki's chin quivered and she moved to his side, leaving the drawer tucked in at his waist. She pulled the phone from her pocket and took a deep breath.

She held it to her ear and dug into her other pocket, careful not to let her fingers slip inside it as she pulled out the heavy ring.

"I'm ready." 

* * *

Jeremy set steady eyes on Anna as she stood frozen in front of the sink. He nodded at her because Vicki wasn't there to see him.

"Wait for my say." He instructed her and stepped up to Anna.

She could have grabbed his wrist as he reached for the kitchen knife on the sink behind her. She could have stopped him right there, but she didn't. He set the phone on speaker and set it down on the counter in the knife's place. Gripping the handle firmly in his right hand, he held the blade to his left palm but hesitated. That wasn't right. The book was clear. It had to be _life_ blood to show that he meant it. Not an arbitrary cut or something that would heal quickly. His palm wouldn't do it. Anna didn't move so much as a centimeter as he lowered the blade to his wrist.

He prayed to God there would be no interference, no random break in reception, no sudden natural disaster to throw them off their course. It had to be exact, and it had to be in sync. He took two heavy breaths to psych himself up. There had to be no hesitation from Vicki. _Just do it_, he prayed. _Please._

The cool, sharp steel made contact with the skin of his wrist, but he looked at the phone. "Now!" He called, and in a single move he cut into the flesh and sliced a straight line, tearing into his vein and breaking it open like a weak piece of rubber. Blood spilled instantly from the wound. Across town, in the cold morgue, Vicki simultaneously slid the ring onto Tyler's third finger. A marriage in blood and magic.

Jeremy's jaw clenched and he hissed through his teeth, dropping the knife on the floor. He stared at Anna in fiery anticipation, and she stared back unmoving. It wouldn't work without her, and for a horrible moment he thought it all might be over. He would be left standing there, bleeding too slowly and lost in his grief all over again.

Anna's bottom lip trembled, but she swallowed and blinked a fearful rise of tears away. Her eyes turned black and spidery as she inhaled the flow of blood. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Jeremy's heart sank, but the next second it was clear what Anna's apology was for. She ran to him in a blur of speed and her hand closed around his throat. The air caught in his windpipes and was caged on its way to his lungs. His eyes bulged in surprise but his heart hammered with relief.

She was going to do it. A clash of relief and anguish fell through him like a cold fountain. The book spoke of the ring's ability to restore life. When cast on the newly dead, if the last person to wear the ring gave up his life in trade of his own free will, then life would be renewed in the fallen. Fear swept through his grief's alleviation, but he reveled in it. This was the way it had to be. His life for Tyler's.

Moving swiftly, Anna lifted him off the ground and turned pushing him back against the wall between the sink and the toilet. His back hit it with a solid thud, and the pain of not only being deprived of oxygen but being held above the floor by what felt like an iron machine was overwhelming. Jeremy kicked the wall on instinct and reached up, grabbing at her arm and struggling not because he wanted to stop her but because it was his human instinct to fight for survival. Anna winced and looked away, face crumbling as she stared at the teal tiles.

"Jeremy?" Came a voice outside the door. The knob turned and the door pushed open. Elena stepped forward and there was a moment where her mind was utterly unable to understand what she was seeing. Her eyes widened and she stared for two full seconds bewildered at the sight of Anna strangling her brother.

But her face quickly twisted in horror. "Jeremy!" She rushed forward and grabbed Anna's arm and shoulder, tugging as hard as she could on her. The vampire didn't budge at all, a statue in an unmovable state. "Anna, what are doing?" Elena shrieked. Hysteria was taking over her. She planted her feet in the rug and pulled on her, devolving into wild punches when that didn't work. "Stop it!"

Jeremy was starting to see spots in his vision. Black clouds dotted the room and blinded him from entire stretches of space. Blood coursed from his wrist and ran down her arm in thick streams. His kicks grew slower and his hands dropped from Anna's steel grip weakly.

Damon and Stefan appeared in the doorway. Stefan's eyebrows lifted in shock, but Damon reacted. Pushing Elena aside, he made to grab Anna but the older vampire pushed him away like a twenty pound child. Stefan recovered and ran forward, reaching for her other side as Damon approached her again. Anna looked up at Jeremy, and he plead with her silently to follow through. If they stopped now, it was all over.

Anna threw her head back and rammed it into Stefan, knocking him backward. Her elbow popped up into Damon's nose and she caught his collar in her fist, lifting him off the floor and throwing him one-handed across the room. He slammed into the wall and slipped to the floor grabbing his face. Elena wasn't in the room anymore, but newly awakened Jenna leaned into the doorway and gasped loudly at the sight in front of her. Jeremy had a loose feeling of guilt. He wished he could have told them, but they wouldn't have let him do it. They wouldn't have understood.

"Jeremy!" Jenna yelled and ran forward. "Get off of him!" She screamed at Anna, first shaking her as Elena had tried and then going to the sink. She grabbed the porcelain soap dish and launched it at her. It hit her square in the head and fell to the floor ineffectually. Alaric ran into the doorway in alarm at the sound of his girlfriend's yells and flinched hard, horrified by the scene. He took a quick step for her but Anna looked over her shoulder at him. Her fangs slid out and she growled stopping him in his tracks.

Jeremy twitched feebly as the last bits of consciousness slipped from him. Stefan and Damon were off the floor and rushing her from either side. Anna held her ground as they pulled on her like two toddlers trying to push a mountain. Jenna threw the toothbrush cup at her and opened the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet above the sink, frantically knocking stuff off the narrow shelves in search of a weapon. Her hands closed around a razor and she ran at Anna, stabbing it across her neck. The sharp blade cut into her throat but where the blood gathered, it quickly stopped. Anna was old, and the petty cut healed almost immediately.

Jeremy wasn't moving anymore, and his head was hanging limply over Anna's closed fist. She waited, holding him there.

Jenna's eyes dropped to the bloody kitchen knife on the floor and she scrambled to it. She grabbed it in both hands and slammed it down into Anna's back without hesitation. The knife slid into her, and Anna cried out. Jeremy slipped down the wall some but she held onto him. Jenna pulled the knife out and stabbed higher. It cut through the back of her heart and Anna screamed. Jeremy fell to the floor and she went to her knees, reaching behind her for the knife. She grabbed the handle and pulled, twisting and getting to her feet with it gripped in her hand.

Elena ran back into the room with a small spray can in her hands and held it out as she entered but spotted Jeremy on the floor. She dropped the silver nitrate and rushed to his side, ducking past Anna. She fretted around him in a panic.

"He's not breathing!" She screamed through a broken sob.

Anna grabbed her arm and shoved her away. Elena tripped over herself and fell backward, hitting her back against the wall next to the door. Alaric reached for her. Anna stood in front of Jeremy's slumped body, eyeing them all with glossy black eyes. Her knees were bent and she dropped the knife, holding her arms out in a defensive position as she blocked them from him.

"Vicki?" Anna yelled toward the phone on the counter. In Jenna's hysterics it had been thrown into the sink and was sitting under the faucet.

There was silence and then Vicki's voice came from the speaker. "It's not working!" She answered, voice rising shrilly. "Nothing's happening. Anna, forget it. Bring him back! It didn't work!"

Anna held her ground. As Damon made a move forward she pulled her lips back, sending an animalistic threat at him. _Jeremy wanted this. Jeremy wanted this. Jeremy wanted this._ The chant filled her head and kept her going. It was going to work. She didn't just murder her best friend. It was going to work. It was going to work- 

* * *

Vicki's knuckles were white where she gripped the phone. Her heart was pounding and she stared at Tyler with tears leaking down the corners of her eyes. Jeremy was in bad trouble. Why did she agree to this? Her hands shook at her side. The stupid ritual didn't work. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She shouldn't be here. This wasn't happening-

On the cold metal drawer, Tyler's dark lips parted and he gasped. Vicki screamed. 

* * *

Anna's head jerked toward the shriek on the other end of the phone line.

"Oh my God!" Vicki's voice reverberated off the porcelain sink. "Tyler's alive. Anna, Tyler's alive!"

Anna dropped to the floor before Vicki finished repeating herself. She pulled on Jeremy's body and laid him flat on the floor, hands forming the proper position and dropping over his heart. She started pushing on his chest with trained CPR movements.

"Elena!" She yelled.

His sister crawled over the floor and tipped Jeremy's head back. She would ask questions later. Putting her mouth over his, she pushed air into his lungs and waited for Anna to press his chest again. Jenna grabbed a small hand towel off the rack and knelt beside them, tying it around Jeremy's bleeding wrist. Everyone stood stunned as they watched them try to revive him. Too much time was passing.

"Call 911!" Anna screamed with feverish urgency.

Sirens sounded outside the house and Mrs. Bennett appeared in the doorway to the bathroom beside Alaric who was already reaching for his phone.

"No need. I already did." The old woman said in a flat voice, as though she was announcing breakfast was ready and they could all eat soon.

Elena looked up at her in astonishment as the woman headed off to let the medics in. Even if she called them as soon as Anna attacked Jeremy they wouldn't have responded this quickly. She pushed the conundrum away and ducked over her brother to breathe for him again.

EMTs came into the room and asked them to move away. Elena fell back on the floor to give them room. They took over CPR and checked his pulse, speaking to each other quickly. Anna stood back, slumped slightly from the energy drained out of her in the last few minutes. They pulled out a machine and cut Jeremy's t-shirt open up the front. One of them grabbed the paddles and charged them.

"Clear." The other medic said.

The first one lowered the paddles and hit Jeremy with several bolts of electricity. Elena flinched.

_Not my brother too._ She shook on the floor, unable to get to her feet or fix her eyes anywhere else. All the color was gone from her face and left her pale and sick.

"Clear." The medic said again.

The other one lowered the paddles and tried a second time.

Elena trembled as she watched, unblinking and fearful. _That's too much._

"Clear."

The paddles struck Jeremy's chest, and in a burst of life his eyes flew open. 


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Only two chapters left, and the next one will be a long one. There will be an epilogue too, so technically three more updates. Hope you enjoy and thank you for all the great reviews and alerts on the last chapter, especially bb1019. I appreciate everything you said, and hope the ending lives up to your expectations!

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Tyler crouched in the back of the dark storage room on the first floor of the hospital. Vicki stood at the door, looking nervously between the hanging light bulb that she desperately wanted to flip on and the newly resurrected werewolf. It took several minutes to get Tyler to stop panting and pay her any attention in the morgue. The more time that passed the more she feared the attendant would return and she would have no way to explain what was going on.

She coaxed Tyler off the metal drawer. It was too high to just step off and he fell to the floor clumsily. His balance was off and there was an electric gleam of bewilderment in his eyes. He didn't seem to understand who she was or where they were. No matter how urgently she whispered to him that they needed to go it took an inordinate amount of time for him to comprehend that she wanted him to dress so they could get out of there. She pulled a pair of jeans and a grey hoodie out of the duffel bag she brought with her. They were Matt's, and she decided to call him while she waited for Tyler to snap out of it. There was a set of clothes for Jeremy too. She just prayed that he would need them.

Half an hour passed but Tyler still hadn't found his bearings. She managed to pull him out of the morgue and into the elevator. On the first floor it was difficult to keep from looking suspicious to the nurses. She wanted to leave but knew Jeremy was on his way and wanted to be here when his condition was announced. When she pulled Tyler into the closet, he went to the back and immediately sank down into a nervous crouch.

His eyes never left the floor, though his head popped up and turned to the side occasionally in strange jerky movements. His odd behavior was making her extremely uncomfortable. Besides the fact that he was a werewolf a thousand times stronger than herself, she was seeing images of _Dawn of the Dead_ again. She wondered if he was a zombie-werewolf now. It was a weird, horrifying thought. She kept her hand on the doorknob in case instead of snapping out of it, he just snapped.

She woke Matt out of a deep sleep and it took several grueling minutes to get him to understand what she was saying. He was on his way, and that much was a comfort. Keeping close to the door, she stared down at Tyler a few feet away and swallowed. This is what they wanted to do. He came back. She kept her hand firmly on the doorknob, though, because it didn't look like he came back right… 

* * *

Elena stood in the doorway of Jeremy's hospital room. He was unconscious in the bed hooked up to a monitor. Jenna was sitting in the chair beside him. He was alive. A heaviness within Elena was growing in weight despite the proof of his survival.

She couldn't shake the image of Anna killing him and the hopeless feeling of being able to do nothing to stop her. On the way to the hospital, Anna filled them in on their plan. How Jeremy came across something that could bring Tyler back in one of the books in Bonnie's grandmother's collection. How he decided to act on it at all costs with total disregard to himself. How he implored her to help and had Vicki in on it. How, according to Vicki, it worked.

She was having a hard time accepting any of it. People didn't come back from the dead. She thought of their parents and how badly it hurt to lose them. That wasn't how the universe worked. She hadn't brought herself to see for herself yet. Vicki was still in the hospital somewhere. Either her cell phone was dead or off and she didn't realize it. Anna volunteered to go look for them once Jeremy was cleared.

He was revived, but the slash on his wrist was deep and he had to go into surgery for the doctors to repair the vein. Thankfully, he cut his wrist horizontally instead of down the middle, which according to the doctors would have been much harder to fix. The procedure didn't take too long, though Elena thought it felt like a lifetime before they came out and said he was going to be okay. The vein was repaired, his wrist was stitched up and they gave him a blood transfusion to make up for the amount of blood he lost.

He was still out, pale and weak looking. Elena wanted to wake him up. Hug him. Slap him. She didn't know how he could do this to her after what they went through with their parents. She knew he loved Tyler, and she asked herself if she would do the same to save Damon. Probably. Yes. But she was still struggling to give him a pass on this one. Losing him would have been devastating. Losing him by his own doing was something she didn't think she would have recovered from.

She watched his sleeping form and leaned her head against the doorway. Today he was still here, and for now that would have to be enough. 

* * *

Tyler shook as he stared down. He couldn't see the floor his eyes were fixed on. Images were passing through his mind with overwhelming speed. They demanded his attention and filled his head slowly. He saw himself when he was young. Saw his parents, remembered the faces of his many nannies through the years. How sweet they were to him at the holidays when his dad didn't come home or his mother was detached.

He saw Matt on the jungle gym at recess and remembered shoving the weird Gilbert kid on the ground in front of the tiger habitat when their class went to the zoo. He only remembered things as they came to him. The emotions attached to the images swelled his heart as he was hit with everything fresh and new. Him and Matt at the Donovan house playing video games and tag outside with his annoying little sister, Vicki. Matt didn't have a father. Mr. Donovan split. He was never there, and it made Tyler feel fiercely loyal to the blond boy. He was a grade ahead of him, but he was his best friend. They ate lunch together and played in the same little league.

He saw himself in junior high. Remembered his father in the stands at the last baseball game of the season. It was the first time he ever came. Tyler's team lost badly after he ran for the ball in the outfield and fumbled it. The coach pat his back. Matt bumped his shoulder. His dad was furious on the car ride home. He screamed. Tyler pointed out that they were too far behind and would have lost anyway. His dad reached over and smacked him hard across the face, knocking Tyler's head against the passenger seat window. He bit back tears and stared at his lap guiltily. Why hadn't he just caught the ball?

High school. He was on a date with a girl. Pamela Groves. She was pretty. He put his arm around her most of the night. They made out on the bus. He didn't feel anything. He was with Mindy Chase. She was stunning. She was wearing a short skirt and giving him suggestive smiles all night. They had sex in the back of his truck. He didn't feel anything.

That broody Gilbert kid was at Dave Kim's first house party. Tyler frowned over at him. They didn't get along. They fought a lot. The past year they were thrown into a lot of the same places and parties. Ever since Gilbert started going out with Matt's sister, the four of them started spending more time together. Jeremy liked to draw. Vicki seemed to be getting slutty. Tyler found himself getting tired of her. She and Gilbert were always making out, always holding hands, always smiling at each other. Tyler hated hanging out with them. They were annoying. Jeremy dressed darker than Tyler remembered when they were younger. Sometimes when they were waiting for Matt and Vicki to finish getting ready before the four of them went out, they sat in the living room and talked.

Jeremy wanted to get out of Mystic Falls. He was high a lot, stoned on pills or tipsy. Sometimes he offered some to Tyler, but he didn't take it. He was on multiple varsity teams. He wasn't going to risk that to get wasted. That's what parties at the end of the season were for. Jeremy talked about losing his parents, and there was a depth in his voice when he spoke about it. It made Tyler feel like Jeremy knew more about everything than he did. He understood a bigger picture. One that Tyler couldn't see clearly yet.

He showed him some of his own drawings. Art was okay, but he preferred sports. Jeremy liked his art, so Tyler got to drawing specifically for him. One day in algebra, Mr. Walden tore into Jeremy for skipping class twice that week and then not completing the assignment. Tyler sat in the back and drew a spear in the shape of a percent sign going through Mr. Walden's head. He signed it and slipped it in Jeremy's locker. At lunch, he was sitting in the quad with his friends when Jeremy walked by. He was holding the drawing in his hand and when their eyes met, Jeremy's eyes softened and his lips turned in a gentle smile.

Tyler felt something.

His father died. He sobbed all night. It felt like he couldn't breathe, would never breathe again. It wasn't him. It was the world. The air was sucked out of it. His father might have hated him, but Tyler loved him with all his heart. More than anything he wanted to be loved back, and now he would never have that chance.

He thought he would suffocate at the wake. Go deaf. Pass out. Disappear. He hurt everywhere and no where all at once. Painfully numb. Matt was across the room talking quietly to his sister. Jeremy was probably having painful memories of his own parents' death. Vicki was rubbing his arm. Tyler got up from his seat and walked out of the room. He felt Jeremy's eyes on him as he went upstairs.

He couldn't stand looking out the window but was too restless to sit down. He leaned his side against the wall beside the door to his bedroom and soon there was a little knock. Jeremy came in quietly and shut the door behind him. Tyler didn't say anything but Jeremy nodded as though he had. And maybe he did. Maybe some things didn't need words. Jeremy knew how he felt, because he went through it too.

He walked over to him and leaned his side into the wall, facing him. Tyler turned his eyes up. Jeremy was standing really close. He could feel the warmth from his body in the tight space between them.

"I broke up with Vicki." He whispered.

Tyler didn't move but a knot in his stomach released. He was unaccountably relieved. Overwhelmingly sad. Too close to Jeremy. Afraid.

"I told her I'm gay." Jeremy said. It's a big statement. Tyler should probably react, but he doesn't. He's too busy noticing that the air returned to the room. "I told her I'm in love with someone else."

Tyler could breathe again.

"I'm sorry about your dad." Jeremy said and closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around Tyler in an unexpected hug. He was warm and his suit jacket was unbuttoned. His white button down and tie pressed against Tyler. He closed his eyes and hugged him back.

His heart was constricting. He was aware of Jeremy in a way he had never been aware of anyone. He smelled clean like Dove soap and aftershave, the faint trail of marijuana wasn't on him today. He pressed his palms flat against his back. He could feel the toned length of his back as he slowly moved his hands up. The muscles felt strong and tight beneath the suit. Tyler pulled back very little. Jeremy kept his arms around him too as their foreheads almost touched. Their faces were close and the air between them was charged and magnetic.

Tyler's nose bumped his gently, and his head tilted. Jeremy mirrored his movement and leaned in. His lips caressed his own, soft and fleeting. Tyler paused and held him there. Their foreheads went together and Tyler pressed his lips against his more firmly. His hands went to his hair, and Jeremy cupped his face. They kissed again until Tyler felt light and weak. His arms slipped inside Jeremy's jacket and around his waist. He drew as close as he could and dropped his head against him, too exhausted with grief to worry too much about how good it felt. How strange it was to feel something _right_ click into place amidst a storm of depression. Jeremy stayed with him until he fell asleep.

Jeremy. More images flew through his mind, bombarding him with feelings and memories. Holding Jeremy's hand in the back of a movie theater, gently kissing him good night in the foyer, coming out to Jeremy's family, being loved and accepted by Jenna and Elena. Football, werewolves, vampires, Matt's graduation, fear, anxiety. His first time with Jeremy. The second and third time the next morning. Connected, always connected. Jeremy and something good.

Alcohol, fights, a loss of control, afraid-more and more, he's afraid. He loses Jeremy. He fights for him, coming out in the process. His friends hate him now. He loses Jeremy anyway. Joel Brennan. It's dark outside. He's not seeing straight. He's been drinking. In his truck chasing the vampire. The car ahead spins. His reaction time is off. He slams into it. The truck rolls. He lands wrong. His neck-

Tyler fell back against the floor of the dark storage room in the hospital and gasped for air. He touched his neck, but it wasn't broken. He should be dead, but he's not. His body was repaired somehow. His eyes dropped to the magically charged ring on his finger. Someone saved him. Looking up, he caught sight of Vicki standing nervously at the door as far away from him as she can get. Tears sparkled in his eyes from the onslaught of restored memories and his mind mending itself.

He had a lot of questions, but after remembering Brennan and the evil vampire's destination he only asked one.

"Where's Jeremy?" 

* * *

Jeremy rubbed his temple gingerly and tried to sit up. He was foggy and confused. For a few long seconds he couldn't determine where he was. Someone started to help him sit up, propping a pillow behind him and he looked up to see Elena fussing. His wrist was throbbing and he glanced down where a white bandage was wrapped around the area and up across his hand, tying diagonally past his thumb.

"You're in the hospital. Jenna's here. She went to get coffee with Alaric. The others are in the waiting room." Elena informed him uncertainly before sitting back down in the chair beside his bed. "The doctor said the anesthesia might make you confused."

Jeremy looked back down at his bandaged wrist and it all came back to him. Tyler dying. Finding the book. Trying to bring him back. His heart collapsed in on itself, tightening his chest.

"Did it work?" He asked feverishly. Elena's eyes flickered without understanding and he tried harder to sit up more. His head swam at the sudden movement and his stomach flipped. He ignored the side effects of the drugs. "Tyler! Did it work?"

Elena's face darkened as though she wanted to respond with something else. "I don't know. Vicki said it did. Anna's looking for him."

Jeremy had no reaction. He was afraid to. "You haven't seen him yourself?" He asked tentatively.

She shook her head.

"I have to find him." Jeremy pushed himself all the way up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He started pulling himself free of the heart monitor. Elena got to her feet and held her arms out ready to push him down. "Tyler. I have to see him."

"He's alive." A voice came from the doorway. He looked up to see Vicki standing there with a duffel bag. She walked in and set it down on the bed beside him. Jeremy began reaching in as she went on. He pulled a navy t-shirt with a soft v-neck out and undid the back of his hospital gown, yanking it over his head. "Matt's with him. He's kind of confused. Really hyper-aware."

Jeremy tugged a pair of jeans on and rolled on a pair of socks. Elena tried to grab the shoes out of his hands but he pulled away.

"Jeremy, you can't just leave." Elena protested. "You're hurt. You need medical attention."

"I _was_ hurt." He corrected. "I _got_ medical attention."

"Jeremy-"

"Vicki, where is he? Is he alright? How is he-"

"Dammit, Jeremy!" Elena yelled at him angrily and he jumped, turning to her. "Do you have any idea what you put me and Jenna through? I know that you love Tyler!" Her eyes flooded with tears and he began to focus on her for the first time. "But you're all I have, Jer. I know you love Tyler." She conceded again much more quietly. She wiped at her cheek and swallowed with difficulty. "But that wasn't fair."

He looked back at her and nodded. She deserved some kind of acknowledgement. The truth was, if Tyler really was alive, if he really was alright, he would do it again in a second. He wouldn't even hesitate. But if the roles were reversed and Elena had tried to martyr herself for Damon, he would be just as outraged if not more so. No one was worth the price of a family member. He got to his feet delicately. His body felt sore and his head felt like it had cotton stuffed inside it. He hugged her as tightly as his weakened body allowed and if he didn't regret his actions, he at least regretted putting the fear of further grief in her.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly in her ear.

As he stepped back he held her gaze, and she wiped her tear studded eyes with a small nod. He turned back to Vicki prepared to ask her once again where Tyler was when the lamp beside his bed went out. The machines flickered and zapped off and past the open door the hallway went suddenly and absolutely dark. Elena went stock-still and he turned his head slowly, eyes traveling between the lamp on his nightstand to the hospital hall that was always kept brightly lit.

The air went flat and a startling silence blanketed the building. With a flickering whine, the machines came back to life and the hall lights returned with a decidedly bluish tint. The auxiliary lights. Something cut the power to the building, but the backup generator kicked in. He locked eyes with his sister. The trepidation on her face matched his own wary discomfort.

Looked like the night wasn't over. 

* * *

Damon was still in his seat in the waiting room, holding a magazine open in front of him but staring off to the side like a statue etched in stone while he listened. Stefan was on his feet though. He crossed to the second story window and peered out into the starry moonlit night. His keen vampire eyes absorbed the darkness and cut through it like a cat. Dark shadows moved around on the ground outside almost too quickly for even him to catch. The dark masses were fast. And there were a lot.

His phone vibrated and he pulled it out without hesitation, glancing at the ID before lifting it to his ear. It was Caroline probably calling to check in on Jeremy and the mystery around Tyler's condition. That would have to wait. He started talking as soon as the line opened, connecting his voice to her.

"Caroline, we need help. Get backup and come to the hospital as soon as you can." He looked down at the shadows and Damon came up beside him. The brothers stared at each other and their muscles tensed for a fight. Stefan's voice stayed calm and soft. "The Meadows vamps are here." 


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** The penultimate chapter! This one's a long one. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

The hair on the back of Anna's neck rose. She stepped out of the hospital stairwell into the basement. The air was noticeably different below ground level, stale and cold, too settled. She shouldn't feel creeped out, because she was the thing that went bump in the night. Still, her spider sense was tingling. She ignored it. The stress of the night was getting to her. She strangled and technically killed her best friend. He was going to be alright, but for a minute it was touch-and-go. If they failed to revive him she would never have forgiven herself.

Now that she knew he was in the clear she was off looking for Tyler. Vicki wasn't answering her phone, so she volunteered to do it so Elena and Jenna could stay with Jeremy. She had ulterior motives however. Anna didn't have much experience with raising the dead, but it seemed like the kind of thing to have a major catch. If Tyler was fine, that was great. But if there was a chance he came back 'wrong'-someone else's soul in his body or a brain hungry zombie/wolf-then it was probably better if someone with her strength and agility approached him first.

The morgue stunk and Anna regretted her enhanced sense of smell. The acrid stench of death and formaldehyde hung in the chilled space, trapped within the gleaming metal walls. A giant, smelly freezer where the dead had to spend their last few days on earth before being put to rest. Made death feel less romantic and more…gross. Anna was glad she could skip it altogether. Immortality had its perks.

"Can I help you?" She was so zoned out she didn't notice the white haired coroner walk out from a corner office. He looked at her with mild suspicion. Probably thought she was a teen thrill seeker looking to poke around a corpse or two on a dare.

She looked him in the eye immediately and evened her voice out in a calm drone. "Stand by the door and don't let anyone else come in. When I leave you won't remember that I was here." She compelled him.

His pupils moved and dilated. "I won't let anyone come in. I won't remember you were here." He repeated back to her and went obediently to the door.

Anna sighed. Humans…

The morgue was pretty large but mostly just an open space other than the coroner's office off to the side. She went to it, doubting that Vicki or Tyler were in there especially since the coroner had been in there. She might be able to pick up their scent and track it out of there but she wasn't too hopeful. Her nose was burning from the chemical smells, and it would be nearly impossible to detect anything on top of it.

She was reaching for the knob to the office when a loud pop like the sound of a large twig being callously snapped reverberated off the metal shelves. Anna flipped around. The coroner was splayed across the floor where he had been standing by the door. His neck was bent at such a severe angle that his head seemed only to dangle at the end of it. Anna's eyes went wide and she looked up to see a woman about thirty-five standing in the doorway. No, not thirty-five. That was only on the outside, she realized very quickly. This woman was much, much older.

Her ginger hair bounced on her shoulders in pretty loose curls and her pale skin made the green glow of her eyes more startling. She was wearing tight jeans and four small silver hoop earrings that went up each ear.

"I knew I smelled a vampire in the stairwell. Why didn't you take the elevator?" She asked casually as she stepped on the dead man's back and hopped down on his other side. She looked Anna over teasingly. "You watching your figure?"

Anna stared stiffly back at her. So far tonight she watched her best friend fall apart at the news of his boyfriend's death, watched him slit his wrist, strangled him to death, had an entire toiletry arsenal thrown at her, got stabbed multiple times, resurrected his boyfriend, and waited in a hospital for news of whether Jeremy would live or die. Now she had a very old, very psychopathic looking vampire initiating contact alone in a morgue. Anytime the universe felt like offering a break, she'd take it.

"Who are you?" She asked as the woman bowed her head and smiled up at Anna through her long black eyelashes.

"You can call me Magda. _Or_," she grinned broadly as she walked past a metal cart and ran her hand along the tabletop. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of a shiny scalpel. "You could just say 'ow' really loud."

Anna tensed and Magda became a blur of speed as she ran at her. 

* * *

Tyler leaned against Matt as he helped him into an empty patient room down the hall from the storage closet. He let his arm fall from around the other boy's shoulders as Matt walked him over to a chair beside one of the two beds in the room. There were no curtains on the window so soft moonlight filtered across the bed but left the darkness in the corners alone. A couple of minutes ago his head felt like it was being smashed to powder by a meat cleaver. He fell to the floor as more and more memories flooded through him, but these belonged to the wolf. For the first time he was able to see through the eyes of the monster that lived inside him. Blinding pain spread through his head and knocked out his basic functions.

Vicki took off to go check on Jeremy and figure out his room number so they could go up when Tyler's head settled. Thankfully it was beginning to wear off and now Tyler knew way too much about the wolf's insatiable hunger and desire for violence. He panted in the chair wanting to get out of his own body. Matt had a hand on his shoulder and Tyler looked up at his friend.

Matt's eyes were red rimmed and heavy. It was a bizarre position to be in, but Tyler felt guilty for dying and putting him through that. He reached up and put a hand over the one on his shoulder. Matt exhaled with exasperation, but his eyes were full of profound relief.

"Dude, you put me through the ringer tonight." He admitted and went to sit on the edge of the bed while Tyler caught his breath.

"Sorry." Tyler leaned back in the chair and forced himself to rest. If he didn't let his head recover he would end up passing out on his way to Jeremy. "Matt." His friend looked up. "At…the intervention," it was difficult for him to get the word out. "I'm sorry about that too. I know what you were trying to do. And you were right to do it." He looked at him meaningfully and Matt nodded with understanding.

Tyler looked out the small window in the door to the room and his eyes narrowed at the bluish, nearly grey lights in the hallway. He had been so focused on staying on his feet and squinting through the pain that he hadn't noticed them on their way from the storage room to the room they were in now.

"What's up with the lights?" He asked quietly.

Matt shook his head. "I don't know." 

* * *

Jenna looked up at the lights. A bad feeling was creeping its way into her gut, and she was getting sorely tired of having her gut creeped on by bad feelings. She held an empty foam cup that she pulled from the vending machine in the hallway a floor up from Jeremy's room. The machines on his floor were out of order so she and Alaric had gone up a level. No sooner had she looked at her choices of hot fountain beverages and decided on coffee over hot chocolate than the lights went out all around them. The vending machine droned out of power and hissed back to life when the generator kicked in.

"I don't like this." She told Alaric. They were in the maternity ward but there weren't many women giving birth tonight in Mystic Falls because the waiting room had been completely empty and they couldn't hear any screaming women in labor down the halls.

"Me neither." Alaric said and his low tone gave away his own anxiety.

Jenna set her cup down on the ledge beneath the fountains in the vending machine alcove and together they set off down the hall for the elevators. They rounded the corner when a dark figure stepped directly in their path. Jenna gasped and dropped the change in her hands she had for the coffee. The quarters clanked and rolled across the floor.

The bald man in front of them was huge in a sleeveless tank. Dark bulging muscles went down his arms and fangs jutted out as he pulled his lips back and snarled. A giant hand grabbed the side of Alaric's head and slammed him sideways into the wall. His skull gave under the force, breaking and caving in. Jenna's scream ripped through the entire floor. The vampire shoved him to the floor and looked up at her.

Jenna's eyes were huge and unblinking as she took shaky steps backward. Her arms jittered at her sides and she jumped as her back hit the opposite wall. The vampire snickered and in a rush of adrenaline she pushed away from the wall and ran. His heavy footsteps were slow and mocking behind her as she took off back the way she came and rounded the corner on the other side.

A neon Exit sign glowed at the end of the hall and she focused all her energy on getting to it. If she got to the stairwell she had a chance. Her arms pumped at her sides as she slammed into the thick emergency exit door and pushed the metal release at the center. She stepped onto the concrete floor and grabbed for the railing. She made it three steps down before a massive weight rammed into her from behind. She flew over the next several steps before landing hard mid-way down and rolling the rest of the way to the next landing.

Her body hit the concrete hard and momentum forced her onto her back before she came to a sudden and complete stop. The huge vampire grinned devilishly from the top of the stairs. Turning around, he pulled the door open and went back into the hall. 

* * *

The Salvatores shared a look at the window in the waiting room before turning in unison for Jeremy's room. Elena would be there and her brother, newly saved, was probably still unconscious and defenseless. They only made it down the first hall when the elevator binged to a stop twenty feet away. A nurses station between them and the elevator was filled with working staff. A young doctor, probably an intern, was looking down at a file and talking to one of the women on the other side. By Stefan's quick count, there were nine nurses in all working the long desk.

A pretty Asian girl looked up as she noticed them approach and beckoned up toward the ceiling. "We know. There must have been a power outage, but not to worry. The generator would restore any machines operating for patient care. We're on the phone now trying to figure it out, but the generators will hold for much longer than we'll need them to I'm sure." She smiled pleasantly, assuming they came to ask about the electricity.

It was worse than Stefan thought. No less than ten or twelve vampires stepped off of the elevator. They were definitely outnumbered, and without the element of surprise that fact could mean the difference between whether they walked out of this hospital or not.

_Come on, Caroline._ Stefan urged. He could tell by the grace in the movement of the group that they were at least as old as him and Damon. Maybe older. They wouldn't have a chance without help.

The doctor looked up from the file in his hands when he noticed the large group approaching. "We're asking that everyone use the stairs until full power is restored." He beckoned to the elevator they stepped off of. "Safety first."

The nearest vampire, tall and wiry, punched his fist through the man's chest and ripped out his heart. He bit into it and it popped in its final pump, spurting blood from his mouth like a warm, boiled tomato. The doctor's body fell lifeless to the floor. The nurses shrieked and moved backward in their station, faces twisted in horror. The vampire chewed the heart, face becoming sticky while his comrades moved in on the nurses.

"No!" Stefan yelled and ran forward. He grabbed the first vampire and launched him from the tall counter running along the station. He landed somewhere far off and Stefan moved for another one. He took a punch and staggered back, righting himself and rushing the other vampire again. He shoved it against the desk and reached his hand around. "Pencil!" He shouted and looked up at the nurses crowded together as far back as they could get. His eyes were black and his veins pulsed around in the heat of violence. "Get me a pencil!"

A tiny woman in pink scrubs ran to a cup next to one of the computers and grabbed a handful of pens and pencils. She threw them across the counter, most spilling over the side onto the floor, others sliding some of the way toward Stefan. They were all plastic and mechanical. So much for an improvised stake.

"Stefan!" Damon yelled down the hall. He was fighting off two vampires. He punched one, ducked as the other swung and hit him hard in the stomach. Several of the other vampires had disappeared in other parts of the hospital. "I have to get to Elena!"

Stefan knew what he was asking and part of him was tempted to hold him off from leaving. There were still at least seven vampires there. One of them hopped the counter and grabbed one of the nurses, biting into her neck viciously. Fury rose in Stefan and he slammed the vampire in his grasp down, grabbing the counter and jumping it. He caught hold of the vampire's collar and pulled him off of the nurse. He gripped his shoulders and threw him up and over the counter to the other side.

"Go!" He shouted at Damon and took up a defensive stance in front of the nurses. Two of them were grabbing the wounded one and dragging her over to them in hysterics. His brother disappeared down the hall and Stefan ran at the next vampire. 

* * *

"Jeremy, get away from the door!" Elena demanded.

No sooner had he leaned in to peer out the small rectangular window than his sister grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Elena," Jeremy snapped in annoyance. "All of our friends are out there. We need to-"

"We need to barricade the door." Elena cut him off and started dragging the chair over. She pushed it against the door and stood back up looking around for something more substantial.

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow at the cheap barricade. "Well, gee, I guess we're safe now…"

Elena frowned at him. "Jer, will you just help me move the bed?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes but moved to the other side of the bed. He didn't want to be putting a block against the door. He wanted to be out looking for Tyler.

_Tyler._ His heart squeezed painfully. He had no reason to doubt Vicki, but he didn't want to get too far ahead of himself. He didn't want to allow himself the full measure of relief until he saw for himself with his own eyes that he was alive.

"I'm calling Matt." Vicki announced, pulling out her phone. She looked at the black screen and frowned. "It's dead. I usually charge it overnight."

"Here." Elena tossed her own phone to her and Vicki caught it, opening the contacts list and scrolling down to her brother. "Damon and Stefan are here. They won't let anything happen to us." She assured Jeremy.

Jeremy's gaze dropped to the floor and he stopped trying to move the bed as soon as he realized it was on wheels. "Elena. Wheels. Vampires. This bed wouldn't be a problem _without_ wheels. Now it's just sad. Besides we should be out there. Anna's out there and I want to find Tyler."

"Anna can handle herself." Elena reasoned, rolling the bed on her own stubbornly. "And we will find Tyler, but going out and exposing ourselves after the power goes out in a building that relies on constant electricity sounds like a very, very stupid thing to do. You almost died tonight. I'm not letting you get yourself killed by being reckless. Again!"

"Elena-" Jeremy started to protest. Elena was tiny, but he had no doubt she would knock him on his ass if he tried to leave. She had the advantage of knowing she wouldn't be hit back along with the intimidation factor that all big sister's carried.

The door to the room burst open and Jeremy's already stressed heart almost gave out. Elena jumped and stiffened as the chair she propped against the door scraped across the floor. Vicki opened her mouth to scream. Damon zipped from his spot in the doorway and was behind her, slapping his hand over her mouth before she got a decent shriek out.

"It's me. Keep your mouth shut unless you want to get killed." Damon hissed in her ear.

"What's going on?" Jeremy demanded as Damon let go of a shaken Vicki and moved to Elena. She reached out for him and they grabbed each other's arms.

"Our friends in Meadows came out of hiding." Damon sneered.

"God. How many are there?" Elena whispered.

"Too many for just me and Stefan. I need to get you three out of here _now_." Damon started pulling Elena toward the door and Jeremy and Vicki took automatic steps after them.

"We have to find Jenna first." Elena protested.

"I'll get you out of here and come back for Jenna." Damon insisted.

Elena started to pull out of his grasp with heated determination. "Damon-"

Damon jerked her back to him and ripped the vervain necklace that protected her against vampire mind games from around her neck. He tossed it on the floor and locked eyes with her, dropping his voice. "No arguments."

Jeremy was startled at seeing him compel Elena. Never before or during their relationship had he ever seen him even attempt to control her mind. His clear desperation to get her to safety as quickly as possible struck a chord in Jeremy. More than the power outage or the announcement that the Meadows crew was there, the panic move from Damon made Jeremy realize the magnitude of the trouble they were in. When Damon looked to him Jeremy nodded vaguely and bent to grab Elena's necklace off the floor on their way out.

The four of them hardly spilled into the hallway when a blonde vampire appeared in front of them. She was in spiked black heels and leggings; seemed more fit for a runway than a massacre, but looks were deceiving. Damon dropped his fangs and snarled in warning. Apparently she didn't get the message.

She tipped her head to the side in amusement. "Babies." She murmured and in a rush of movement too fast for Jeremy to follow she had Damon by the throat and was running him back into the hospital room. His shoes tapped the floor, scraping over the cold white tiles. In the middle of the room she stopped and threw him. He hit the reinforced glass of the upstairs window and broke through it as easily as prop glass used on movie sets.

"No!" Elena screamed as he fell out into the dark night four stories up. Jeremy grabbed her around the middle to stop her from rushing forward.

The blonde vampire peered over the ledge of the window that stretched nearly all the way between the floor and ceiling. She frowned sardonically. "Darn. He's impaled on something metal. That's gotta hurt, but it won't kill him. This will." She pulled a wooden stake out of the back of her tight pants. "Excuse me." Her five inch heels crunched over the broken glass as she stepped onto the windowsill and hopped off the other side as though the sixty foot drop was only a short step down.

All the noise could have attracted the kind of attention that would get them killed if they stayed put.

"Guys…" Vicki urged behind them.

"Elena, we have to go." Jeremy pulled her back out into the hall. "Elena!"

Looking back at him she nodded but the effort was overshadowed by the detachment in her eyes. Jeremy tugged on her, forcing himself to focus despite feeling like a scarecrow, his head stuffed with the foggy aftertaste of sedatives. He couldn't think of a worse time to be doped up. Holding Elena's hand they ran alongside Vicki down the hall. 

* * *

Stefan grunted as he was forced back by two vampires and slammed into the nurse's station roughly. The nurses had fled while he distracted the vampires and he hoped they made it out of the building by now. Down the hall one of the doors opened and a middle aged woman in a hospital gown stepped out.

"What's going on?" She looked around for the source of the noise.

"Get back in your room!" Stefan shouted as he struggled against his captors. The woman's jaw dropped as she saw the fighting and caught sight of the dead doctor with a pool of blood pouring out around him. She whimpered and ran back in her room.

Stefan pushed away from the desk, but before he could shake off the other two, a third vampire grabbed him from behind. The three of them threw him to the floor and one of them pulled a sharpened stake from his belt. He lifted his arm and moved to strike.

Stefan winced but the hand with the stake abruptly stopped as thin fingers closed around the wrist. The other person dragged the arm backward, snapping the wrist bones in their angry grip and popped the vampire's shoulder out of its socket as they twisted the hand with the stake around and shoved it forward through the vampire's back. The weapon tore through its own heart and the life instantly left the creature's eyes. He fell down heavily, his mangled arm twisted behind him and his fingers still grazing the stake that took him out. The other two vampires looked down at him, but Stefan looked up straight into the beaming face of his best friend, Lexi.

"Someone needed backup?" She teased and her round cheeks dimpled in a grin. She reached a hand down for him. Stefan smiled and grabbed it, lifted easily to his feet.

The other two vampires recovered from their friend's death and lurched for Stefan and Lexi. A new blur of movement landed in front of them and a blonde head appeared at Stefan's waist kneeling over the dead vampire. She ripped the stake from his back and pointed it up as she stood, driving it through the closest one's heart. Yanking it free she threw her arm out to the side and rammed the stake through the other vampire's chest. Both of them collapsed dead beside their friend. Caroline's chest heaved as she looked at her friends. Lexi slapped her hand and they grinned at each other. Caroline tossed Stefan the bloody stake.

"I have my own." She lifted her shirt to reveal several wooden knives tucked into her belt.

Stefan was filled with adoration at her commando look. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. They couldn't have arrived at a better time.

"Let's go." He told the leading ladies in his life and as a trio they zoomed down the hallway. 

* * *

Anna crashed through the window of the coroner's office in the morgue, hitting the floor hard and rolling across the spiked shards of glass littering the floor. It cut through her jacket and stabbed her palms. Her side slammed into the metal desk and sent it screeching across the floor until it popped against the wall. She winced and dragged her arms under her to push herself up. She was taking a beating.

She got in a couple decent blows but she was horribly distracted by what must be going on upstairs and she was paying for it. Clearly the Salvatores' dealings with the Meadows vamps was costing the citizens of Mystic Falls. Jeremy was vulnerable. Damon would be focused on Elena and even if Stefan was with him, there were no guarantees. Jeremy was in the hospital because of her, put in harm's way because of her own doing. She was so sidetracked by this that she was having trouble just staying on her feet.

She was struggling to get her knees under her when the effort became pointless. Magda, the ginger haired vampire, grabbed each side of her torso and hauled her in the air and back through the shattered window. Without the glass as a buffer, Anna slammed straight into a row of metal cabinets and dented its side before hitting the floor. This time she stayed down, lifting her head slowly and watching as her attacker walked out of the office and made her way over.

Strength drained, she curled her fingers loosely and tried to keep her palms from touching the floor again. The glass shards stuck in them were making it impossible to make a fist. Her cheek bled where her face slapped the glass glittered floor, and she stared at the redhead in defeat.

Magda squatted beside her and tangled her fingers in Anna's hair, pulling her head back until it threatened to snap away from her spine. "Please say 'ow' now." She plead with curious imploring eyes as she stared down at her. "I love it when they say 'ow'."

Anna stared back at her dazed. Magda's red lips curled in a smile but the look abruptly disappeared as a sharp whistle cut through the cold morgue air. The same instant, a wooden arrow blasted through the vampire's abdomen. She dropped Anna's head and wobbled in her crouch. Magda looked down at the arrow jutting out of her in surprise, snapping the arrowhead off and pulling the wooden stick out through her back as she got to her feet.

Anna lifted her chin and peered up where a familiar figure was standing with a crossbow at the entrance to the morgue. She smiled softly with a tired murmur. "Momma."

Pearl's long dark hair was down and she was wearing a black blazer over a loose skirt. She looked dressed for a cocktail party, but there was a dangerously violent gleam in her eyes much more suited for a cold morgue. She ran to Magda and as she caught one shoulder and pushed her backward, her other hand went to the stab wound in her stomach. She shoved her fingers in the hole and clawed inside. Magda screamed and plowed into the wall.

Pearl scratched her fingers back out and hooked her hands on the girl's ears with a tiger-like shriek, snagging her fingers on the many silver hoop earrings and ripping them out. Magda tried to wrench her head away and reached to shove her back. Pearl grabbed her hands and snapped them both back over her wrists. Magda shrieked, and the shrill screams grew sharper as Pearl jabbed her fingers into her sockets and smashed the eyes inside.

Turning her back on her, Pearl grabbed the squealing vampire by the head and launched her over her shoulder, slamming her to the floor on her back. Reaching onto the autopsy tray under a bright florescent spotlight, Pearl grabbed a medical saw and held the blade against Magda's throat.

She leaned in toward the vampire and hissed. "You can say 'ow' now."

Gripping both ends of the shiny steel saw, Pearl forced it down, cutting through the meaty throat until the blade hit the floor severing the mauled head from the body. The vampire pieces faded into a sickly grey pallor and shriveled. Pearl looked to her daughter and Anna laid her head against the floor exhausted. 

* * *

Damon plowed through the fourth story window and fell into a construction site below. A new wing was being built and several pipes were already running along the drywall and sticking up from the floor. Gravity conspired against him forcing him straight onto one. A hollow four foot metal pipe jutted out of his chest through his ribcage. He groaned and reached up feebly. The pipe went through the ground and ran underneath the base of the floor. There was no way to pull it out. He would have to pull himself off.

His hands closed on the thick pipe and he pulled his body up. He grit his teeth and groaned as the metal grinded against the broken bones inside of him. He made it a few inches up when the vampire with the model legs who threw him out the window landed gingerly a few feet away. She walked over calmly, twisting a stake in her hand. She set a spiked black heel on his left shoulder.

Damon cried out as she applied pressure and forced him back down on the pipe. His back pressed against the floor again and his knees bent, shoes scraping against the wood paneling as he writhed in agony. She pulled a long straight pipe out of her pocket, twirled it between her fingers and raised it to her lips. She blew the contents out and sharp silver pellets shot down and through Damon's neck and torso. His skin sizzled and the muscle underneath burned around the silver. He was about to black out from the pain when the sadistic vampire was thrown down on the pipe on top of him. She screeched in surprise and a firm hand grabbed the back of her head, gripping the wavy blonde hair and pulling as they held her down.

Katherine bent within Damon's view and her lips moved closely around the other vampire's ear. "I couldn't care less about Damon's little blood deal with you." Her eyes flicked to the Salvatore pinned beneath the woman and Damon smirked. "Child's play is boring." Katherine pet the girl's head like a domestic cat who just bobbed for fish in the family aquarium. "But Mystic Falls is mine. You should have stayed out of it." She grabbed the stake off the floor where it fell from the vampire's grasp and asked pleasantly. "Can I borrow this?"

It was stabbed through the struggling woman's heart before she could grunt a response. Her body slid down the pole in a bloody heap and her added weight made Damon groan louder.

"A little help?" He forced out with difficulty.

Katherine rolled her eyes but moved to haul the dead vampire's body off the pole. 

* * *

Anna leaned into her mother as they moved through the trashed morgue to the door. She struggled through a bad limp, having to grip Pearl's side tightly to stay upright. The redheaded vampire had used some sort of pipe to blow wood chips into her leg. Her right side was stabbed with bits of debilitating wood all the way up to her neck. It felt like fire was spreading under her skin but they couldn't stop to pull it all out.

When they reached the door, Pearl stopped and stared at the floor. Anna looked up at her taking deep, weakened breaths.

"What is it?" She asked.

Pearl's eyes swept the area suspiciously. "My crossbow's gone."

"What?"

Out of the pried open elevator shaft, a hulking figure stepped into view. His dark bald head shone under the florescent morgue lights. Giant muscled arms lifted the missing crossbow and his finger squeezed the trigger with perfect aim. The arrow flew at Anna, cutting through the air at a mesmerizing speed. Pearl jumped in front of it and Anna fell back on her elbows seeing the arrow stab through her mother's heart and break through the other side. With a short gasp, the four hundred year old vampire went to her knees and collapsed.

"No…" Anna sobbed around the word. "_No._"

She was still staring from the floor when the vampire lifted her by the shoulders and dropped the crossbow, holding one of its arrows in his hand. She kept her eyes on her mother over his shoulder.

"The Salvatores should have listened when we said the deal was off." He pinned her against the wall, thin tank top revealing every line of his chiseled torso. He stabbed the arrow into her chest and slowly drilled it toward her heart. Anna grunted and kicked against the wall. He sneered at her. "All of this could have been avoided."

Anna dragged her eyes from her mother's dead body and looked him in the eyes. "I have a couple of years on you." She whispered. "My advice?" She swallowed and a hot tear ran down her cheek. "Gloat later."

Snapping her arm up between them, she grabbed the end of the arrow he was using to slowly kill her and snapped it in half. Flipping it around, she rammed it through his chest and plowed it into his heart. The whites of his eyes stood out brightly around his black irises and he staggered back. Anna's feet slid to the floor and she slumped against the wall as he looked around dazed. He gulped a final dry breath and fell onto his side, big muscles already beginning to shrivel up.

Anna slid down to the floor and brought both hands up to pull the stake out of her chest. Two more centimeters and she would have met her final death. Getting to her hands and knees she crawled over to Pearl and leaned over her, shaking as she dropped her head against her shoulder. Cradling her torso, she let out a sharp cry that hit the cold basement walls and echoed back around her. 

* * *

Damon needed blood. Katherine was several paces ahead of him as they slinked along to the front of the hospital. He had to hug the building to hold himself up. His fingers dug under his skin to scrape out the silver pellets but he was covered in them and his energy was quickly draining. Stefan and Elena were the only things keeping him from running away until he got his strength back. His shirt covered the gaping inch wide hole in his chest, but his hands abandoned the futile work of removing the pellets and held the spot weakly. His body would heal itself as it always did, but he was hardly in a healing environment.

Katherine stopped ahead of him as she pushed open the heavy glass doors. She turned back.

"There's a party." She informed him.

Damon caught up to her and looked through the glass at the lobby across from the gift shop. At least ten vampires seemed to be fighting two very focused witches. Bonnie and her grandmother were clearly struggling to hold all of the vamps under their spell. Some of them were holding their heads and ducking down but others seemed to be recovering as the eldest Bennett wavered and blood ran down her nose. Still, without the witches holding them at bay their attention would surely be on him and Katherine-or worse, Elena and Stefan. Both Bennetts and Katherine. A tired smile lifted Damon's lips. Caroline did good.

"Find Stefan." Katherine told Damon. "I got this."

Without another word she slipped inside and grabbed the nearest vampire coming out of the spell. Damon hesitated but knew she was right to dismiss him. He wasn't functioning at his best and needed to find the others. Slinking down the hall away from the fight, he relied on the wall for support and left bloody handprints along the white paint.

Damon smelled the blood before he tripped over something sprawled on the floor and looked down to see a male nurse staring up at the ceiling lifelessly. His throat was savaged and a few feet away an elderly man in a bathrobe was sitting against the wall with his chin dropped against his chest. Damon thought his wounds must have been on his back, because he couldn't see any injuries but he was bleeding out from somewhere.

Farther down the hall he heard a quiet rustling in one of the rooms. The lights inside were off, but the bluish hall lights leaked in through the narrow rectangular window. Damon peered inside and could make out the shape of many people crowded together on the far side of the patient bed. Damon thought about telling them to run for it, but the hospital was full of vamps. Hiding was probably their best bet. He moved on down the hall and hoped no one else spotted them as easily as he did.

Up ahead there were scuffs on the floor, someone shouted and then an eruption of splintering wood broke through the hall. Damon picked up his pace but still had a hand on the wall as he moved forward. The noises rose. There was a clear struggle going on.

_Not Elena._ Damon's legs carried him by force of willpower but refused to hold him up on their own.

As he made it past a long hall of rooms on either side, the next hall broke off into an open waiting room. As the area came into view someone flew out from the room and slammed into the opposite wall, banging their head hard and falling unconscious to the floor. Damon recognized him. It was Matt Donovan. The vampire didn't notice him leaning against the wall, turning back to the waiting room. Damon pushed off the wall and followed, knowing instantly that he was using up the last of his reserves. The blood drained from his head and he wobbled on his feet from the effort.

Tyler Lockwood was on the floor leaning against a large square pillar clutching his head and grunting in spurts as though he was suffering a migraine. He didn't seem to be aware of the vampire that just knocked his friend out and was coming back for him. Damon's eyes dropped to the floor where one of the chairs lining the wall was busted up. Its leg was wood and snapped off from the rest of it. Damon bent quietly and picked it up.

The vampire was inches from Tyler when Damon made his move. Unfortunately he wasn't at his best, he stumbled on the way, and the vampire turned in time. He snarled and grabbed the makeshift stake before Damon could properly strike. He drove Damon back until his back hit the wall and began pushing the stake closer to Damon.

Damon held him off, shaking as he struggled. "I may be fucked," he grunted as his hands tightened on the stake and his knuckles became bright white spots. "But I'm still older. So I guess you're…" He gathered all his strength and slammed the stake backward into the vampire's heart. "…more fucked."

The vampire stepped back and collapsed.

Tyler was looking up and over at him, seemingly recovered from whatever was plaguing him. Damon's legs gave out and he sunk to the floor. He looked up as the werewolf got to his feet and made his way over. He stopped in front of Matt first and started to check for a pulse.

"He's alive." Damon interrupted. Tyler narrowed his eyes and Damon rolled his. "I can hear his heart beating."

Tyler raised a lip in disgust but after a moment he came over and stood beside him, looking over at the dead vampire and back at him.

"You saved me." He said. It wasn't a question so Damon didn't answer. "You're hurt."

This time he expended his energy enough to scowl up at him. "I'm so glad I get to suffer _and_ listen to Mr. States the Obvious. It's turning into a great night."

Tyler ignored him and reached an arm down. At first Damon thought he meant to help him up and was going to dismiss him but he hesitated at the sight of Tyler's wrist in his face. He looked back up to see if he understood correctly. There was no joy in the look, but Tyler looked steadily back. Damon glanced at the vein in the wrist and almost took him up on it. He needed the blood. But he knew how important timing was right now. If he wasn't in this same spot at that exact moment Tyler and Matt would probably both be dead. It was most likely why Tyler's conscience was pushing him to make the offer in the first place despite his disgust of vampires in general and his focused hatred of Damon. He wouldn't heal in time to help anyone else, though, and he knew it.

He forced a sneer back on his face as he returned his eyes to Tyler's. "Suck a werewolf? You wish."

Tyler glared back at him but didn't retract his wrist, so Damon made himself reach up and push his arm away. He looked over at a dead man laying limp against one of the broken chairs in the waiting room.

"I got it covered." He pressed, and Tyler's eyes went over to the dead man, getting the picture. Damon knew there was an internal struggle inside the werewolf over whether to protest or come to the dead man's defense. Respect the deceased and all that. But this wasn't the time to climb the moral high ground.

"Find the others." Damon's voice dropped and Tyler met his eyes again. A silent understanding swept between them. Tyler looked over at Matt and Damon shook his head. "I got him. Just go."

If the vampires facing Katherine were smart they would start running, and they could start running this way at any moment. Tyler hesitated to leave Matt, but there was something stronger and more pressing that swayed him. Damon knew exactly what it was, because he felt it too. If he could get himself to Elena right now he would be up and moving. Jeremy was somewhere in the hospital too, and it was enough to convince the werewolf. He turned and started cautiously down the hallway.

"Hey, dog boy." Damon called when he was several feet away. Tyler turned around. Damon raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. "Good to see you back on all fours."

They may not like each other-in fact, they hated each other, but they could use all the help they could get right now. And someone had to look out for the Gilberts. Tyler's dark expression didn't change but he nodded at him before turning back around. Damon watched him go before crawling over to the dead man and biting down into his busted carotid artery. 

* * *

Jeremy sat beside Elena on the floor of a patient room. They made it down two stories before they heard movement lower in the stairwell. They stepped out onto the second floor and hurried to a room to hide. In the rush, they lost Vicki. Elena was pinned to his arm so it was easy enough not to get separated but Vicki must have ran off in the other direction. Occasionally they heard movement outside the door and held their breath while they waited.

With every passing moment, Jeremy's anxiety was rising. He hoped Jenna was alright and she got out with Alaric. He stared at the door beside the bed and his mind began circling again.

_Tyler,_ he dropped his head back against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut, _where are you?_


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Last chapter! Thank you all *so much* for sticking with this story, reviewing, and subscribing! I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I'm so glad that I got to share it with all of you. Only the epilogue after this. I'll try to get it up soon!

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

The hospital was uncommonly quiet. The normal buzz of energy was drained from the building as though a cold rain had washed every small noise away. The eerie silence made Jeremy's anxiety jump. The brief image of every patient and staffer laying slaughtered in their rooms, gutted or left for dead, haunted him and made the waiting that much worse. Elena was still next to him on the floor and neither had spoken a word for several minutes.

They had no move. They had nothing to defend themselves with. They were sitting ducks but if they moved there was no telling who they would run into. Lockdowns were smart. It was what the drills at school were for. Homicidal student, horde of angry vampires-what was the difference? It was smart to sit still, stay out of the open and wait for help. It was the only thing they _should_ do.

But there were things outside the room that were overshadowing his own safety. Tyler was out there somewhere. Vicki said the spell worked. He had to find out.

Pushing off the floor, he got to his feet and Elena protested, whispering urgently for him to get down.

"Elena, we can't sit here and do nothing. Tyler and Jenna-"

"-are probably laying low, because it's the smart thing to do." Elena got to her feet, cowering away from the window in front of the door and reaching for him. "Jeremy. Damon was thrown out a window! Don't you think I want to be out there looking for him, making sure he's okay? He's much stronger than we are and so is Tyler. If they have to worry about us the odds against them get worse. We have to stick together and trust that they'll be okay. If there's anything I've learned from being immersed in the vampire world, it's that they work better when their attention isn't divided. Jer, there's nothing we _can_ do. We don't even have weapons. We wouldn't last two minutes against a vampire one-on-one."

Outside the room, something hard toppled to the floor. They froze and looked at each other. Jeremy took slow steps backward toward the door. Elena's eyes grew and she shook her head. He raised a finger to his lips and slowly went to the window, peering out into the hall. A crash cart was knocked over two doors down but he was pretty sure it was already like that when they ran in the room.

He turned back to Elena. "It could be Vicki." He implored.

She shook her head. "Jer, no."

"Just…" He looked back out the window at the rooms on the opposite side of the hall. "Stay here."

"Jeremy!" Elena whispered feverishly. She stepped forward but he shot her a look and pulled the door open anyway. Before she could stop him he slipped into the hallway and closed the door silently behind him. She stood tensely in the middle of the room and he carefully stepped away from the door.

The hall was empty on both sides. He couldn't be sure which direction the noise came from but he thought it wafted down from the left so he walked to that side tentatively. The first few rooms were empty so he peered in and passed them by without entering. The third door was shut. He swallowed. Vicki might have hid inside. Exhaling deeply, he grabbed the square metal push-knob and pushed the door open.

It was dark and he took slow steps inside. If there was a vampire in there they would certainly already be aware he was there. There was a dead man on the far bed, his head turned exposing a large bite mark on his neck. The other bed was empty but a tray of food still sat on a cart rolled up to it. Jeremy hoped that patient got away. Moonlight drifted through the crack in the curtains and he walked slowly toward the bed, trying to see if there was someone crouching behind it.

"Vicki?" He whispered but as he rounded it there was no one there. He almost laughed in relief but his head jerked up at the sound of the door opening wider at the front of the room. His heart leapt and fear choked him.

A figure stepped forward and the boy in the doorway moved in a couple of paces before spotting him and freezing. The air rushed from Jeremy and his legs almost gave out. The room was cold but the person at the door was only in a pair of jeans and a grey hoodie zipped halfway up. His chest was bare under it, but he didn't seem fazed by the low temperature. He was surprised, healthy looking…and alive.

"Jer-," Tyler started but Jeremy crossed the room and grabbed him. His mouth closed over his name on the other boy's lips. His hands gripped his face as he kissed him with heated fervency. Tyler's lips were soft and firm against his own. They were warm and free of the cold grip of death.

Tyler pulled back and grabbed his face in return, looking him in the eye with dark concern. "Are you okay?"

"Am _I_ okay?" One of Jeremy's hands dropped down to Tyler's arm and trailed down to the ring on his finger that sealed the ritual. His thumb ran over the silver and he kissed him harder.

It worked. The thought struck his mind with the first true ounces of belief and permeated throughout the rest of his body. It combined with the oxygen depravation in the kiss to make his head drift lightly. His hands shook and his knees bent weakly. Tyler seemed to awaken with the subtle feel of Jeremy slumping against him slightly. His arms went up and around his back holding him with rough strength. He drew him against him with forceful disregard. There was no finesse in his touches. Jeremy kissed him harder as Tyler's grip grew tighter and one of his hands went down to his leg. He hiked it up and Jeremy felt himself lifted off the floor as Tyler drove him backward. His back hit solid wall and Tyler pinned him there.

Jeremy's hands went in his hair and pulled roughly at the dark strands as he held him close. Tyler's lips went to his throat and Jeremy gasped for air, foggy eyes gazing over his shoulder.

"Tyler," his eyes swelled with tears and his arms hooked behind him, reaching up and clutching his shoulders. Euphoria took him from the hospital and left him alone with Tyler, safe in his arms, safe near his breath and heartbeat. Alive. He was alive. Tears slipped down Jeremy's face and he gripped him as he would a mountain in a dream, something he should trust to be eternal but was afraid would slip away from him when reality came back.

A shadow moved in the doorway and Jeremy's heart thumped against his ribcage for another reason. "Tyler!" His tone changed dramatically with the warning.

Jeremy was startled by the speed in which he was set down and released. Tyler spun and faced the doorway. A short blonde woman revealed her fangs and behind her a taller male moved in. Under normal circumstances Jeremy would have panicked, but trapped in a room with Tyler who he just got back was almost too much. His heart slammed in his chest like a swell of drums in a metal song. He kept his back flat against the wall and wanted Tyler to come back to him. If he was going to go, he wanted to go together.

Tyler's arms went to his sides and his fingers flexed stiffly. Sharp pointed claws pulled out of his fingertips and ripped through his human fingernails. Jeremy flinched. The vampires noticed too and they hesitated, watching the fast change. Terrified bewilderment swept through Jeremy. His mind raced, but he knew it wasn't a full moon. Tyler had never changed, not even in a small way, without a full moon. Tyler jerked his head and grunted loudly as though he was hurt. He shuddered and looked back at Jeremy.

Jeremy's eyes widened slowly. Tyler's eyes were diluted butterscotch in color and rimmed with black rings. His pupils were condensed vertical slits and his teeth were sharp and extended. Jeremy's already shaking hands trembled harder. If Tyler was transforming he wouldn't have any control over himself. With two vampires already in the room Jeremy was as good as dead. There was no way he could fend off an erratic werewolf and get past the monsters at the door.

But Tyler's changes seemed to end there. His spine didn't bulge and pop as it did on a full moon and hair didn't begin sprouting over his body. Better still, there was an awareness in Tyler that shone through the startling wolf eyes. He looked back at the vampires and clenched his fists at his waist, flexing his arms experimentally. Jeremy wondered at the look on Tyler's face and decided he must be feeling more changes inside of himself.

The vampires appeared uncertain by the inhuman man in front of them but after a brief pause they launched forward. Jeremy jumped and fell back against a heart monitor, knocking it off its stand onto the floor, but they didn't get past Tyler. The werewolf growled and the chilling sound of his animal voice sent goose bumps up Jeremy's arms. His morphed hand slashed out at the first vampire and tore out its throat. The woman dropped to the floor and grabbed at the wound as the other vampire charged him. He swung his fist and Tyler ducked, dodging out of the way. He grabbed the vamp above the waist and drove him back in a football tackle.

Jeremy watched in shock as Tyler used his claws to rip through the back of the vampire's neck. When he reached the bone he snapped it and tore the head off. The vampire went immediately slack. Jeremy was struggling to get to his feet when the female vampire rose and ran at him, throat bleeding nastily down in a gushing crimson fountain. Jeremy raised his arms but she didn't reach him.

Tyler had her around the waist and threw her as easily as a rag doll. She crashed through the door of the connecting bathroom and fell down over the tiles. She was back on her feet and running at him before Jeremy could blink. Almost too quickly for his eyes to follow, Tyler grabbed the visitor's chair and slammed it down, grabbing one of the wood legs and snapping it off like a thin twig. He spun it around in his hands and ran at the vampire, meeting her halfway and stabbing the stake through her chest. It burst her heart and she stared at the werewolf in shock until the light faded out of her eyes.

Jeremy never saw anyone die before. It was different from seeing someone already dead like all the bodies in the hallway. Death and monsters were his sister's territory. Elena did her best to protect him from it, which annoyed him many times in the past but in a moment of clarity he finally got it. This wasn't his world, and he didn't want to be in it. Tyler looked back at him, hands covered in blood and stony uncertainty in his eyes. Tyler had been the wolf many times, but this was the first time he had killed anyone as the wolf. He looked down at the blood on his hands, and his chest heaved.

Jeremy saw the darkness in the look and got to his feet immediately. Tyler was still staring down at the blood on his fingers when Jeremy grabbed them, covering the blood with his hands. He stepped closer and waited until Tyler looked up into eyes.

"You saved my life." He whispered. "Let's just call it even." He smiled wanly but Tyler sighed and squeezed his hands.

"Not even close." He answered drily.

A sharp female cry cut through the hall to them and Jeremy tensed. "Elena."

Tyler kept hold of one of his hands as he turned and led him out of the room in a stealthy jog. Outside the room, Tyler let go of him and held his hand up, pushing his chest gently to indicate his desire to go in alone. Jeremy stumbled back from the light pat and Tyler disappeared in the room. If it weren't his sister in the room he might have complied, but Elena had screamed and nothing in the world could have convinced him to sit back and wait. He stopped at the doorway as he caught sight of his sister at the window. Her back was pressed against a drawer of medical supplies and a familiar hulking figure was keeping her from getting away. Joel Brennan snarled and jerked her. Tyler reached for the vampire but before he got ahold of him he shrunk away, crying out and reaching for his head.

Jeremy looked at him in alarm and drew back out of view as Brennan turned. He furrowed his brow at Tyler as he yelled out again and dropped to the floor clutching his head.

He turned back to Elena and smirked. "I thought I killed him."

Elena's face contorted in hateful disgust, and Jeremy looked down feeling the small lump in his pocket. Looking up abruptly, he turned around and hurried off back down the hall. Back in the other room, he ran to the fallen blonde vampire and grabbed the makeshift stake jutting out of her chest. He yanked it out and looked up at the tray of food sitting on a cart over the nearest bed. Laying the stake on the sheets, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Elena's locket. He set the necklace down on the tray and pried it open. Shriveled little vervain petals were inside and he grabbed the cup off the tray, dumping the plant into the water.

Using the plastic spoon beside the plate, he stirred the contents quickly and glared down at it. If ever there was a time for a crack plan to come through, he prayed that this was it. Going slowly back down the hall to keep from making any noise, he made it back to the room and carefully peered inside.

Tyler was still kneeling on the floor groaning and grabbing his head. Jeremy didn't know what was going on with him, but he didn't like it. He assumed it was a side effect of the ritual resurrection and prayed that it was something they could deal with. To believe that it had worked only to have Tyler's resurrection be temporary would be worse than if he never came back.

"Don't tell the boss, but I'm glad the Salvatores didn't give up and go home." Brennan was telling Elena as Jeremy took slow steps into the room. Elena caught sight of him but quickly looked away and back up at Brennan. The vampire stroked her face and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Because I really wanted to kill you. But don't worry," he leaned down and brought his lips inches from hers. "We'll do other stuff first."

Elena's nostrils flared and she grit her teeth. "You're forgetting one thing." She whispered with angry fervor.

Brennan sneered. "What's that?"

Elena lifted her head, getting right in his face before hissing. "My brother."

Brennan's brow furrowed and he spun around. As his eyes set on him, Jeremy jerked the pink plastic cup up and threw the vervain poisoned water in his face. The skin crackled and smoked on contact, and Brennan's hands flew up to grab the melting flesh. Jeremy clutched the thick stake and aimed it at Brennan's heart. The vampire caught it between his hands before it penetrated his body. He snapped the broken chair leg and flung it across the room. He was working on instincts only. His eyelids were melted down and the eyes behind them looked like imploding, shell stripped boiled eggs.

He reached for Jeremy blindly but he jumped out of the way and looked around for another weapon. Elena grabbed a tall vase filled with flowers from well wishers. She threw the flowers out and broke the vase in half against the erected bed guard. Water flew out of it as she turned and slammed it up into Brennan's neck. His throat was busted open as Elena drew the vase back and plowed it forward into his crotch. The sharp end slid in deep and Brennan doubled over at the castration, falling onto his knees.

"Jeremy, stake!" Elena screamed as she brought her arms out wide and swung the jagged edges of the vase straight into the face of the vampire. It cut through the cartilage of his nose and tore into his face.

Tyler was still grabbing his head but the light was back in his eyes and he made it to the corner of the room where one end of the broken stake was thrown. He grabbed it and slid it across the floor to Jeremy.

He swiped it and ran to Elena's side. His sister's hand closed around his on the stake and they wrapped their other hands on the end of it.

"Burn in hell, you son of a bitch." Elena said through her teeth, and together they plunged the stake forward through his chest and out the back of his shirt. Brennan jolted as his undead life left him and he dropped back to the floor, an ugly corpse.

Elena stepped back shakily and stared down at Brennan, gasping for short, uneven breaths. Jeremy went to her and put reassuring hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with tears. After a moment, she nodded and squared her shoulders. The stalwart strength returned to her eyes, and Jeremy got the first true sense that she was going to be alright.

Blurry movement passed the door and they all tensed. It returned a moment later and relief flooded through Jeremy in cold waves. Stefan, Caroline, Lexi, and Damon were in the doorway, faces tense and postures stiff from battle. Elena deflated, liberated from her worry, and ran to Damon. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His eyes briefly closed and the monumental relief in his expression warmed Jeremy's heart. He may never even like the vampire, but he knew at the very least that Damon truly loved his sister. That was something he could be thankful for regardless of the turmoil between them.

"Katherine's downstairs playing with one of the younger vamps to get information." Stefan filled them in. His chest and legs were bleeding from various stabbings and the left side of his face was nearly black it was beaten so badly. Caroline didn't look much better, but despite a bad gash across her arm Lexi looked fairly put together. "The others are dead. Some of them fled."

"Anna?" Jeremy questioned and nervous anxiety made the inside of his chest feel like a popcorn maker, hot and jumpy.

"I'm here." Anna came into the room looking much worse than everyone else except maybe Stefan. She definitely put up a fight tonight, and there was a somberness in her expression that spoke of an even deeper pain. Jeremy wondered at it but allowed himself the moment to be thankful she was alive and would make it through the night. He owed her more than he could ever repay for her actions tonight.

"The ones who retreated were young." Stefan continued filling them in. He was leaning against Caroline for support and the blonde put her arm around him protectively. "After we've healed, Damon and I will trace their scent and finish them off."

Jeremy's eyes dropped to Tyler across the room sitting weakly on his legs.

"Me and Lexi were able to evacuate a lot of the patients." Caroline informed them. "We found Vicki with Matt and Damon and got them out with the others."

A knot in Jeremy relaxed at the news and he noticed some of the tension left Tyler as well.

"A group of nurses got out too." Stefan said. "We'll have to compel them all. Bonnie and her grandmother are with a group of them now casting a spell to repress their memories of tonight."

"Still, there's too many bodies." Damon said and Elena put an arm around his waist, supporting some of his weight. His eyes were bright the way they got after a recent feeding but he was far from functioning at a hundred percent. "I can work with Sheriff Forbes. It'll help cover this all up. But we'll probably have to burn the building down." He conceded.

"Then can someone get us to a different hospital?"

Jeremy looked over at the doorway where Alaric was standing carrying Jenna. She looked about ready to go to sleep for ten years.

"I think her leg is broken." Alaric said.

"Oh it's broken." Jenna piped up groggily.

"You're okay?" Elena asked Alaric.

The arm under Jenna's legs moved as he wiggled his hand to show his invincibility ring. Elena smiled softly.

Tyler still hadn't moved and Jeremy stepped slowly over to him while the others discussed what their next move should be. Tyler looked up from the floor and their eyes met. His eyes were drooped with fatigue. His hands were bloody but the claws had retracted and his eyes were their normal warm brown.

Jeremy dropped to the floor in front of him and thought about everything they went through. Tonight and the past couple of months faded a million miles away. Here now in front of Tyler, alive and close, all he could see were hundreds of kisses, late night phone calls, the first whispered 'I love you', all the looks from Tyler that made his heart swell and grow.

Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around him and felt the life go back into his existence as Tyler held him back. They sat on the floor in the shadows of the dark hospital room, surrounded by rooms with dead bodies and bloodshed. Tyler exhaled against his ear, and Jeremy settled in his spot inside the building that would be burned down soon. He wouldn't have moved for the world.

Tyler was a werewolf. No matter where they went or how hard they tried to avoid it, vampires were real and they could never take that knowledge back. Monsters existed. Tyler was a part of that world for the rest of his life whether he wanted to be or not. In the long run, his love for Tyler would probably get him killed, but if it was a question-if walking out was a choice-then Jeremy rejected it. He was _in it_. Wherever it carried him, whatever the price-he was in it forever.

Tyler was his heart. He was the air in the room. And he was his. 


	34. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_-One Year Later-_

Tyler's cell phone beeped as he finished getting into full pads in the locker room. The rest of the team was milling out to head to the field for practice. Number Seven shoved his shoulder on the way out and Tyler nodded at him with a snicker as he reached in to grab his phone off the short shelf in his locker.

Matriculating at Virginia Tech had its definite rough patches. It was hard not knowing anybody there, the classes were much more demanding than high school, and being an out football player was less than easy. The first few weeks were the worst. The locker room was basically the stomping ground for fifty-three naked guys. About half of the team treated him like a leper, not passing him the ball during practice and ignoring him entirely on and off the field. His talent spoke for itself, though, and after a few weeks things got better. The tension lessened and eventually most of them became friendly or at least tolerated his existence on the field.

Number Seven, Marshall Davies, became a good friend and treated the remaining ten percent of the team that was hostile to Tyler like the lepers they thought Tyler was. Turned out his little sister was gay, and he went to a few parades with her. According to him, a real man could dance on a float wearing a rainbow t-shirt without losing his manhood. His loud and open dialogue about it helped a good portion of the team come around. Tyler didn't have the heart to tell him that he would _never_ do that himself.

In early Fall he ran into Stupid Stanley at the co-op. He found out that Dave Kim had enrolled at a community college in Mystic Falls but got arrested for drunk driving and got expelled. Stan had shrugged as though it was no big thing and asked if Tyler knew of any good parties. Tyler rolled his eyes and walked away. He hadn't run into him since and heard that he dropped out in the first quarter.

The locker room was emptying out so Tyler quickly accepted the text message on his iphone. The download bar grew and a picture popped up. Jeremy and Anna were on the subway, heads leaned toward each other and their tongues out. A short message was attached.

_xoxo_

Tyler's heart clenched. By far the hardest part about going to Virginia Tech was missing Jeremy at NYU. He had football training camp over the summer, so he saw even less of him than he would have if they had said goodbye directly before their departures for college. He lost a lot of sleep the first few weeks they were apart. He missed him every minute but it became more manageable with time. Every text, phone call, and Skype session reminded him that the distance was worth it. They were both where they needed to be, and in a techy/modern way they were still able to do it together.

Turning the phone off, he set it back down and grabbed the red chip sitting next to it. He flipped it between his fingers and exhaled deeply. There was only a short engraving on the front.

_6 Months Sobriety_

He went to Brook Haven Rehabilitation Center for two weeks during and after spring break last year. His mother hadn't spoken to him for most of the time in between. Besides the hospital burning down and all the deaths that occurred "in the fire"-a story that even made the national news-Tyler's sexuality was the biggest talk of the town. When his mother came back home he could swear that the news of his gayness was more tragic for her than the Mystic Falls Fire (as CNN called it). She paid for his stint in rehab, bought his plane ticket to Florida, and wrote the checks for his outpatient therapy during the rest of the school year and over the summer. All of it was done under silence though.

When he left for college he thought for sure he was going without a mother in his life anymore, but two weeks into November he received a brief text message from her.

_I expect you and Jeremy on Thanksgiving. Jenna and Elena are, of course, welcome._

The holiday was painfully awkward, but his mother was nothing if not polite and _tolerant_. It was hard for her to resist Jeremy's continued flattery and before they left she gave Tyler a hug and a kiss on the cheek and informed him that she would be attending his football games from now on. It wasn't much, but it was a step and he hugged her more genuinely than he usually did.

He flipped his sobriety chip in his hand. He relapsed once over the summer when training with a team that hated him overwhelmed and got the best of him. It didn't help that when he got overly angry he had to actively will himself not to change. His strength was exponentially greater after being brought back from the dead. Unfortunately, he also had to deal with having the new altered ability of changing at will. A will that took a long time to train. He called Jeremy after he had the drink and left before ordering another one. Day One all over again. He started over and began going to AA meetings every Thursday without fail. The constant support helped a lot and he hadn't relapsed since.

Setting the memento back on the shelf, he grabbed his helmet and ran out into the tunnel to head to practice.

* * *

_-January 1-_

Time Square was deafening. Jeremy was glad he wasn't claustrophobic, because there was absolutely no room for personal space. Anna held his hand to keep from getting separated as they made their way closer to the stage where CBS or ABC or something was broadcasting live for New Years.

The reigning queen of 'single ladies' everywhere was hosting and was on a separate side stage getting ready to announce the next act. New York was flooded with tourists this time of year, but the energy was higher than ever below the lights and flash. Jeremy looked down at Anna as they found a spot by a large blue glittering pillar that they purposefully headed for. She looked like any other college freshman rocking blue jeans and a t-shirt. Like many others, she was wearing a masquerade style green mask with big feathers on it. The year was painted across the mask over and over in tiny black paint. Since the death of her mother there were deep slumps with Anna. Jeremy did his best to dig her out of them when they came, but she had as many bad days as she did good. Today was a good day. She smiled up at him and he gave her a lopsided grin.

Surprisingly, he discovered that he missed Jenna and Elena much more than he expected himself to when he went off to school. It was hard not being around family, but he made friends fast and the classes were unreal. He had good professors and a genuine interest in the material. For the first time in years, he stopped taking naps in classes. His aunt and sister came up one weekend and Anna came up from New Jersey. The four of them stayed out all night two nights in a row and though they regretted the lack of sleep for the rest of the week, Jeremy was surprised at how much closer he felt to his family after spending weeks apart.

Elena was doing really well and thinking about transferring out to a new school next year. Jeremy suggested that she consider NYU and was caught off guard by how much he meant it. He didn't know if Elena would ever want to stray too far from Mystic Falls and her vampire boyfriend, but he found that he really would like to have her closer. Jenna was all for it, but that could have been contributed to her desire for a little more privacy now that she and Alaric were engaged. Jeremy wondered if he would have a few baby cousins soon.

He Skyped with Vicki sometimes and she seemed more present than he remembered. According to her-and Tyler verified this through Matt-she quit smoking pot and had started drinking only socially at parties or special events. Jeremy was proud of her. The girl he grew close to in an important time in his life was erratic and hopeless. The woman she was becoming now was someone who could stand on her own two feet. For the first time in their entire friendship, he stopped worrying about her.

Their diva host had the silver microphone in hand and her voice was carrying over the massive crowd. "Alright, everybody! Here with last year's hit, it's the pop princess with attitude singing last year's hit, 'What the Hell'!"

Jeremy gawked at the stage and pointed as his eyes darted around. "Is she fucking kidding me?" He mumbled.

Anna laughed hysterically at his side. The lights on the main stage alternated in random bright colors and bobbed around the stage where the pop star ran up with a mic in hand and started bouncing with the tune of her song as the music started.

"Hey, it's your favorite song."

Jeremy turned around and smiled at Tyler.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

Tyler pointed across the way to a different pillar. "I forgot and went to the green one."

Jeremy's musical nemesis pouted as she sang, and the music pulsed around the group of noisy half-drunken New Years Eve partiers:

_Love hurts whether it's right or wrong_

_I can't stop_

'_Cause I'm having too much fun_

'Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah,' Tyler mouthed mockingly.

Jeremy fought to keep a straight face.

"Shut up." He warned and grabbed the open sides of his coat. Tyler grinned at him and stepped closer. Jeremy would never get used to the quickening of his heartbeat when Tyler was near him. Tuning out Avril-fucking-Lavigne, he leaned down and kissed him through a smile while they waited for the New Year and the fireworks that would follow.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's it, guys! I want to thank all of you again for reading, reviewing, and subscribing! Also, a big thank you to my beta, ImYourChristianMingleBuddy, not only for helping me with the story but for inspiring it. This story sort of happened by accident. I was attempting to sway her to the Jyler side by asking her to make a vid for them. She made one with La Roux's 'In for the Kill', I loved it, and somehow 220+ pages came out of it. lol She has since made a bunch more Jyler vids and is as obsessed as I am, so everyone won. You can check out that video and the others by following the link on my profile page! Hope you enjoyed the ending, everyone! Cross your fingers for some Jyler friendship scenes this season on TVD! : )


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