The thought of losing someone is painful, but he keeps losing everyone to death and although he knows Kol used him for his own means. Somehow he's glad that it wasn't him who died tonight, but he holds it against Esther that Alaric's gone and its another family member he's lost-he might've lost Kol, but at least he's alive and although seeing him down the street with a bottle of Poitin relieves him, he can't deal with this right now.

He leaves the house out the back door after making sure Elena was asleep, jumping several gates he walks towards the woods wishing to see Ric one time at least since his ghost hadn't showed up he was sure that he wasn't dead yet. He just didn't expect to find an unconscious Damon and Bonnie who had a bite mark on her neck, there's a 'whoosh' behind him and he quickly turns only to receive a stake through his abdomen, he gasps choking back the scream of pain that wanted to escape his throat, "Ric…" but as the other's face morphs he knows its not their Alaric.

"Jeremy," the stake is ripped out of his gut and he's thrown outside, rolling on the ground he gasps for breath knowing he's quickly bleeding out. "I want you to pass a message to Elena," Alaric says grabbing him by the neck forcing him to stand, he struggles to stand on his two feet as his arm reaches out to loosen the hold on his neck he feels something dark that makes him flinch, 'what is that?' he focused on that dark feeling again.

"Stop Ric…" he realized that what he's sensing is Alaric's Soul and the darkness that he felt was quickly devouring the man, the man froze and he almost smiles 'it's a Soul, not a dead one, but still a soul' he thought almost grinning if he wasn't so weak and bleeding out thinking that his medium status didn't just grant him the ability to see ghosts but also half-dead souls since Alaric was a vampire he was technically dead.

"What's happening to me?" the man staggers as veins travel through his body, Jeremy forces the darkness out of Alaric's soul and he suddenly feels drained, "Jeremy?" came the man's confused voice and the teen only gives a weak smile as he drops to his knees and crumples on the forest floor, Alaric looked down at his bloodied hands and froze in horror, dropping the stake as if it had burned him he kneeled beside the teen, "Jeremy wake up, Jeremy!" he shook the teen who's heartbeat stopped, "no…" he checks both hands and he almost cried at the sight of the Gilbert Ring, it still didn't make him feel any better about himself and of what he did.

Elena woke at the sight of Alaric's number on her cell phone screen, "whoever this is, it isn't funny," she stated.

"Elena its me Alaric, I completed the transition…my other self, my alter ego hurt Jeremy…" came the man's guilty tone, she threw the sheets off running to her brother's room to find him missing, "I'm on my way, he's dead, but he has his ring I need you to invite me inside," she ran down the stairs as she opened the door the man arrived with the teen in arms, "I'm sorry, I came to when he collapsed I didn't…I'm sorry," she could only hug him as her tears came forth, "Elena here," he said pushing her away by the shoulders and gave her the white oak stake.

"This is…"

"Whatever made me hurt Jeremy could come back, I need you to hide this before this darkness inside of me comes back forth, I don't know how long I'll be like this, but if I kill Klaus Damon and the others will die," Alaric stated, tears filled her eyes when suddenly Jeremy gasped from the couch and coughed, "Jeremy!" the teen sat up slowly as he began to take in his surroundings, the man checked him over and found no wounds, "thank god…"

"Jer," Elena rushed forward to hug him,

"This is where I leave, I'm so—"

"You don't have to," Jeremy said,

"Jeremy I killed you, I could do it again I don't—"

"You can stay, turns out it isn't just dead souls I deal with, the darkness that was devouring yours I got rid of it when you staked me…that's why you came to your senses, you can stay," Jeremy said with a weak smile, he still was feeling off because of his revival. Elena looked up at him hopeful, he could only cave in and pull the teenagers up from the couch and hugged them "ow," he apologized for not knowing his strength earning a light laugh from them while the tears streamed down his eyes at being able to stay and protect these kids who were in desperate need of an adult figure.

"We have a problem," Damon said the following morning dragging Bonnie into the house,

"Damon," Elena greeted, "Alaric and I were picking up the table, he can't go out since he doesn't have sunlight protection, but can you keep him company until he adjusts and no killing people," she said taking her keys, "I'm driving Jeremy to work, he's going in early Ric's worried about losing control,"

"Huh?" Bonnie pulled her arm away as she sighed,

"I told you it was fine," she said, "Jeremy got rid of his alter ego, you didn't let me talk when you dragged me out of my house, Alaric healed me and took me home he left you there because you deserved it,"

"Ass!" Damon said and Alaric smirked,

"Jerk," he shot back, "you kids have a good day, just because I can't keep an eye on you for a few days doesn't mean you can act out, got it?"

"If Klaus comes to hurt us, you'll kick his ass" Jeremy said pleased, "we'll call you as soon as he begins making threats,"

"You do that," Alaric said absolutely serious, Elena laughed following her brother out, "you too Bonnie," she smiled giving a nod and sat at the table deciding to stay and keep him company for a few hours. Jeremy smiled feeling his heavy mood from the night before lighten, the heavy feeling he's had lightened some, Matt was ecstatic when he told him about the events of the night before and joked about calling him if some jocks began to pick a fight.

Maybe he could move forward after all.

"Hello there mate, I see you're celebrating; what's the occasion?" a familiar European accented voice spoke.

...Or not.