Author's Note
While I'll try to be canon-compliant where possible, this has long since veered into AU territory! This chapter occurs in mid-January 2012 (so we're still in mid S5), so Jeremy's dealing with his senior year of high school; training with his baby Slayer; AND the canon doppelganger drama that's been brewing in the background.
Additionally, Meredith Sulez is lifted from the TVD books (and is most certainly not Meredith Fell). She's slightly different from her book counterpart – mostly because she didn't grow up with Elena & company – and well, if you didn't read the books, that's cool too! Jeremy's on a steep learning curve with her anyhow. (I am so glad that y'all are enjoying this, btw! Your reviews, favs, and follows have not gone unnoticed.) I have noticed some canon incongruities in past chapters (see: Uncle John and Jeremy's lack of suspicion), and I'll address those in future installments if they ever come to mind. In the meantime, thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
A Far Better Place
Meredith Sulez, according to Jeremy's file, was a fifteen year old girl at Mystic Falls High who had first tapped into her powers after one very unfortunate incident with the slushie machine. (To be fair, that piece of junk had it coming. Jeremy had witnessed the damn incident, and even he had thought that she was extracting revenge on the slowest machine in town.) Off the record, Jeremy had known her almost his entire life. In a town of roughly six thousand people, everyone knew everyone – avoiding someone was impossible, save for dying or leaving town.
He wouldn't have pictured her as a Slayer. He could still see her running after him and April, with her dark, midnight-black hair tied messily in one long ponytail as she eagerly held up her archery bow and arrow. Over the years, they had lost their connection, with Mere rediscovering her Latina heritage and Jeremy burying himself into the supernatural drama that had been woven into the fabric of their town. As the Sulezes weren't a Founding Family, they hadn't been privy to the truth of Mystic Falls – a truth, Jeremy bitterly realized, that would've helped Meredith hone her powers in the first place.
As Jeremy and Connor drove into town, Jeremy lazily glanced out the window at the town's entrance sign (Mystic Falls, population 6,293).
"Sorry that you have to come back home, after all this," Connor had said, stopping the car just before the Grille's entrance. "I know you were really looking forward to England."
"Life happens." Jeremy smiled thinly as he climbed out and headed inside. Although he no longer worked at the Grille (high school was thoroughly kicking his ass, and Dawn was giving him a salary for his Watchers' Council work), he felt some indebted loyalty to the place. That, and they made the best burgers in the entire state. "Sorry that you're stuck with my sister and her friends at Whitmore."
"She can't be that bad," Connor protested, following Jeremy inside and towards Jeremy's usual booth.
Jeremy shook his head in slight disbelief. "I say this with as much love as possible, but for your sake, I really hope she doesn't take philosophy this semester."
Speaking of philosophy… Connor still hadn't divulged most of his life's story, beyond what Jeremy needed to know for his mission. Sometime ago, Connor and Dawn had met, fallen desperately in love, and rebuilt the Watchers' Council together. He had alluded to crazy college years in Stanford, along with several bloodbaths he had survived, but the early years? His childhood? Not a single word had escaped his mentor's lips, and the desperation was driving Jeremy insane.
Ordering his usual, Jeremy slipped the menu into his mentor's hands. "When're we meeting Mere?"
"Right now, actually." Connor leaned back in his seat, casually perusing the menu as the door opened again. "I called her parents and said you'd be tutoring her after school."
"In what? I almost failed APUSH!"
"APUSH….?"
"AP US History," Jeremy clarified, thanking their waiter with a nod as he got a glass of water. "My parents died my sophomore year, so my grades were shit for half the semester."
Connor's expression softened considerably. Once Connor's order was taken and the waiter had scurried off to another table, he said almost inaudibly, "I'm sure we'll figure out a subject. A school-related one, since her duties are a given."
US History wasn't even an option for Jeremy. Without Alaric, Jeremy would've failed the class. What was Mere weak in, anyhow? Algebra?
He could hear her sneakers squeak against the wooden floor far before he saw her standing before their booth. She smiled thinly, with her long hair tied up in a ponytail that occasionally brushed against her silver earrings. "Jeremy?"
"Mere!" Jeremy leapt to his feet, reaching over to hug her. "Hey, it's been forever."
"It really has," she said softly, resting her head on his shoulders. She had grown considerably taller since they'd last met – in fact, she was tall enough that she nearly matched him in height. Where had the time gone? As they let go, Meredith scrunched up her nose at Connor. "Why is he here? Jer, do you know this lunatic?"
This had to be some kind of record. Not even five minutes in, he had to defend his new mentor from the willow-y Slayer (and old childhood friend) standing before him. Jeremy shrugged guiltily. "Kind of. Professor Summers has been, uh, helping me with some legal stuff…"
Meredith sighed remorsefully, folding her arms as she hovered near him. "If you lay a single finger on him, Professor—"
"Which he won't," Jeremy said hurriedly, jumping to stand between Meredith and Connor. "Because we're actually here to talk about your tutoring?"
Meredith furrowed her brow at them. "My… what?"
"You know, some after-school lessons? To brush up on your…" Jeremy gestured towards the silver cross dangling from her neck, right as he started to pull out the stake hidden in his jeans pocket. While the cross didn't deter the local vampires – the Star of David worked a hell of a lot better (strangely enough) – it held an unshakeable aura of protection.
A wave of understanding washed over Meredith's face for half a second before she scooted into the booth next to Jeremy. "I was wondering why my parents insisted on a tutor. I figured it was for the PSAT or something, not… this."
Even then, Meredith was a smart cookie. She didn't exactly need extra tutoring to accomplish whatever she desired.
Connor leaned forward, pulling out a new leather notebook. "Jeremy here'll act as your Watcher for the next five months. You attend the same school, so it'll be relatively easy for him to keep an eye on you while we get stuff sorted."
"Jeremy? Really?" Meredith raised an eyebrow. "I don't buy it. Jer couldn't hurt a fly."
Jeremy inwardly groaned, right as Connor stifled a laugh (and failed completely to hide the grin that stretched across his face). Lightly, Connor said, "You might want to re-think that, Sulez. He's got a mean right hook."
She hummed softly, scrutinizing him as if he were a fruit fly under her microscope. After a few seconds of awkward silence, mitigated only by the chatter of the Grille, Meredith groaned. "Wait, you mean you're assigning me to a white guy?"
Connor winced. "It's not exactly like we had—"
"Don't give me that BS," she growled, reaching over the table to poke Connor's chest. "I may know Jeremy from way back, but he's whiter than white. He can't be a decent mentor for me."
(What did race have to do with this again? Wasn't vampire slaying a multiethnic thing? Jeremy awkwardly squirmed, trying to recall something Bonnie had told him a few months ago. She had grown quieter over the past month, actually – whenever he questioned her, she had just waved it off with a simple, "You're white. You wouldn't get it.")
Maybe… maybe he couldn't relate because he wasn't Latino? If that were the case, they should've pulled one of the other guys – or girls! - from the Council. Sarah Fox was black: she could've related to Meredith's issues more than he could.
Connor, on the other hand, stared down at Meredith before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can't fulfill all of your criteria, Sulez. Look, we can get you someone else, but they wouldn't be from around here – and Jeremy's not exactly on speaking terms with his sister anyways."
"He's not?" Meredith's tone grew softer as she dared to say, "How come?"
"My legal guardian might've killed me once or twice." Jeremy rolled his eyes, leaning forward on the table and downing his glass of water in one gulp. Damon had long since been a thorn in his side – and no matter what that jerkass did, Jeremy wasn't certain he could forgive him. Not even if Damon had suddenly found the light and became pals with Jesus or Buddha or whatever gods were out there in the world.
Connor sat up straighter. "Twice?"
"Twice." Jeremy resisted the urge to groan. "I've really gotta move out of my current place, even if he's technically my—"
"I'll put in the paperwork tonight," Connor said firmly, his eyes hardening as he pulled out his smartphone. "Even if that means I have to stake him myself."
Meredith glanced between them for what felt like forever, her brow furrowing further with each increasing second. "Wait, so Jeremy's legal guardian is…"
"Yeeeeeep." Jeremy grimaced.
He could've started their reunion any other way – by asking her about high school, about her school clubs (Model UN, Debate Club, and Spanish) or even about her newfound obsession with high fantasy novels. The possibilities were almost endless, and he could've inquired about anything! Except, he had done the opposite, and revealed more than he had intended to.
Slowly, Meredith released her breath. "Wow. I'm… I had no idea, Jer."
He shrugged. "Not your fault."
Her powers had only manifested last year, after all, and they hadn't been on close terms, let alone aware of each other's struggles enough to mention the truth. Last year, he was a member of the Five; last year, he had died. Again. (God, what was going to bring him back from the brink next time? A Lazarus Pit? Because last he checked, he wasn't a superhero.)
"Still. I… I guess I could deal with you as a Watcher for a bit. Until you find someone more suitable," Meredith said, with an air of finality as she flagged the waiter over to take her order.
Once her order was straightened – and the waiter brought fries and ketchup to their table – Jeremy reached over lazily for one. "You sure? I've been told I'm kinda crazy."
"Only because no one wants to deal with the supernatural," Meredith pointed out. "In this town, it's better to live in denial than to accept the truth."
She had a fair – but harsh – point. In Mystic Falls, keeping your head low and your ambitions out of sight kept you alive. Unless you were a member of a Founding Family, vampire hunting usually didn't end well for you. Meredith must've known that better than anyone, especially since their vampires were a different sort of breed than the variety Buffy and the Slayers usually defeated.
While Connor fiddled with the legal paperwork, Jeremy said, "So, uh, are you ready to deal with it?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Meredith skimmed through the notebook Connor had given her. It was filled to the brim with notes on vampires – the Mystic Falls variety and the Sunnydale variety – as well as on other supernatural creatures, including spirit mediums (go representation!), witches, werewolves, and even demons. "Though seriously? You actually like Crazy McCrazy?"
Connor scowled. "You were the one who tried to kill me, need I remind you?"
"Yeah, because you nearly threw a car at me."
Jeremy stared blankly at them. (He kind of wanted the full story too, because really? Connor had super-strength? It seemed hypocritical, considering he helped run the organization dedicated to killing every vampire in sight.) "You… what?"
"Comes with the territory of a vampire dad," Connor said with a sigh, burying his face in his hands. "You get all the super fun powers that don't always control themselves."
Was that even possible? It had to be, because Connor was sitting right in front of him, but… a vampire father? It sounded like something straight out of those trashy novels Caroline loved so much. Vampire falls in love with human; vampire and human have mad, passionate sex; vampire and human somehow have half-vampire hybrid? Jeremy was certain that he was gawking at this point. No wonder Connor rarely discussed his past.
If it was scattered with stories of a vampire parent – and not a parent who was turned afterwards – then it must've been one hell of a childhood, one that Connor wasn't keen on re-living through stories. No wonder Connor had insisted upon hearing of Jeremy's uneventful childhood, right down to the summers at the Lakehouse. ("No, seriously, they're super boring," Jeremy had prefaced, recounting the hours where Mom had taught him how to swim. "I don't know why you'd be interested.") Boring, in this circle, was the ultimate standard.
Thankfully, their food was delivered before awkward silence threatened to take over their whole table. As Jeremy picked at his burger, he couldn't help glancing over at Meredith – at the girl that he was supposed to protect with all of his heart.
She was only fifteen years old. Sure, Jeremy was fifteen when Vicki died and his world subsequently collapsed upon itself, but she didn't deserve a future filled with blood stains and eternal violence. No one did.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't stake you," Meredith said, grabbing a handful of fries.
"I'm paying for dinner," Connor teased, pouring ketchup on his plate.
Meredith rolled her eyes at him. "That's just you being polite."
"It's a good enough reason for me," Jeremy pointed out. "Plus, I don't think you can actually stake him, if he's half-human or something."
Connor nearly choked on his soda.
Thoughtfully, Meredith tapped her chin. "I guess not, huh."
After they had savored their last bites and tipped their waiter, Jeremy and Connor escorted Meredith home.
"So how is this going to work? Is Jeremy like, a junior Watcher who reports to you or…?"
Good question. Jeremy glanced over at Connor instinctively.
"Kind of." Connor kept his eyes on the road, driving at a brisk pace to get her home at a decent time. "Jeremy can call on me anytime, but he's your main guy. You'll rely on him far more than me."
"Good." Meredith triumphantly sat straighter in her seat, though her gaze didn't leave Connor. "I won't be seeing much of you, I hope."
Jeremy snorted, despite his best attempts to rein his amusement in. "If all goes well, you mean."
Considering this was Mystic Falls, home to at least four vampires, one vampire-werewolf hybrid, and one kickass Anchor, peaceful moments would be far and few between. Jeremy would settle for the world ending about once a week – on Thursdays, maybe? If they attacked on Thursdays, he could kick butt and still enjoy the weekend.
Stopping the car outside Meredith's house, Connor said, "Nice talking to you, Sulez."
"Wish I could say the same, Summers," Meredith replied, waving half-heartedly at him as she climbed out and towards her back door.
Once she had disappeared inside, Jeremy released his breath. "She really doesn't like you, huh? What did you even do to accomplish that?"
"Hell if I know." Connor's neutral expression suggested otherwise – and wisely, Jeremy decided not to pry further. This wasn't a story that was meant to be told in one sitting, he suspected. Not with the way these two were acting around each other. "In the meantime, you're staying with me. Can't have your legal guardian trying to kill you."
"You really don't have to—"
"Trust me, Jer, it's for the best. If not me, then with someone else. Do you have any other friends that you could spend the night with?"
Matt and Tyler, maybe. The Lockwood Estate had several guest rooms; he could hole up there and finish his senior year with as little problems as possible. The better question would be, would those two be alright with him tagging along?
"I can ask around later," Jeremy said finally, sinking a little in his seat as Connor sped off towards Whitmore. Since his mentor clearly wasn't taking no for an answer, there was little else Jeremy could do – save for jump out of this moving car. "Thank you, Connor."
Connor gave him a slightly stupefied smile. "For what? This is the least I could do."
Considering all he had suffered these past couple of years, 'least' seemed pretty darn big to Jeremy. Yet, instead of voicing it, he leaned back and stared up at the starry sky above.
"Yeah," he said almost inaudibly, "I guess it is."
As a senior, Jeremy was granted a certain privilege that was routinely denied to underclassmen. That is, he could commandeer classrooms to talk in secret to a certain Slayer. The library was no good (the nerds had taken it over for Cards Against Humanity), and ditto for the gym and the stoner's den. After a bit of reluctance and playing the dead parents card, Jeremy's English teacher had acquiesced and allowed him to talk to Meredith one-on-one. They sat in the back, on the green couch that was near the door, in relative silence for a few seconds as Jeremy checked his texts.
"Are Watchers normally your age?" Meredith sat on the edge of the sofa, reaching for a copy of Beowulf and thumbing through it. "I mean, I thought they were old and married and with kids. Not…"
Not Connor's age, and most certainly not his age. Jeremy ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think so. Most of them graduated college already. I was an exception, for whatever reason."
"Because of me?"
The worry in her voice was almost cute. If it had been because of her, Connor still would've taken the reins (even if he didn't have the proper training). Jeremy stifled a laugh as he reached over and squeezed her hand. "Nah. I promise, it was for something else."
She doubtfully stared at him before returning her attention to the book. "If you say so. I, uh… I don't know how long I can train after school."
"I can't take you for long, either." Jeremy grimaced. "Homework's a bitch."
"You're supposed to have senioritis, though," Meredith said with a laugh, turning the page. "I think you can get away with ignoring your work."
"Not this late in the game. I've gotta keep my scholarship."
It wasn't technically a merit scholarship – though Dawn had dangled it in his face as if it were. Train the Slayer well without failing every class, and the free ride was his.
"Oh." Meredith wrinkled her nose, closing her book and rising to her feet as she assumed an offensive stance. Even without formal training, her Slayer powers had already guided her body into the proper form, instinctively telling her how to hold her fists. "Then we'd better get started."
Jeremy had almost forgotten what bruises felt like. Even with armor and extra padding, Meredith's punches struck so hard that he was left with a resounding pain for hours at a time. No Hunter senses here to kickstart his healing process!
Maybe next time, he mused as he pressed ice against a fresh bruise, he should ask her to go easy on him. Save the real punches for the vamps or something.
In-between training sessions, school, and numerous visits to Whitmore, his life had settled into some semblance of a routine. Connor occasionally dropped by to have dinner with him and Meredith, even sharing the occasional anecdote about his students. (Thankfully, neither Elena nor Caroline were among his pupils.)
"I don't know, your sister would've been a riot," Connor had said thoughtfully over some coffee, when Jeremy had brought the subject up. "From what I understand, her idea of vampire rights only works in a world where everyone acknowledges their existence."
"That's gonna take a while, considering we're still working on the race thing," Meredith murmured under her breath.
Jeremy and Connor exchanged nervous glances – they never really knew how to respond to her quirks – before hastily changing the subject. (The sooner this girl got a Watcher that clicked with her humor, the better.) Meredith always called them out on it, teasing that she loved her favorite gringos for a reason.
"Love you too," Jeremy had always responded, his groan increasing with each mention.
After dropping Meredith off, Connor had given Jeremy a ride to Whitmore, ostensibly so that he could see Bonnie. In reality, Jeremy wanted to discuss their relationship – or well, ending what they had. He figured, if he was going to end their relationship, he had to do so quickly, before the entire world collapsed on them.
Except, of course, Bonnie had stared at him with those seductive green eyes of hers, and he found himself curled up close, entangling himself in her. You still love her, some small part of himself chided. You're not going to end this relationship because it's the best damn thing that's ever happened to you.
Sometimes, Jeremy wished he could throw his brain out the window. It certainly wasn't helping him right now.
"Whitmore's got this big dance coming up," Bonnie was telling him, in-between sweet kisses. "I was thinking, you could come along, except not as my date?"
Now that sounded strange. Pulling away from her, he tugged his jacket on and followed her outside her dorm room. "How come?"
"Because that's how the Bitter Ball works. You come single, trying to get over your lost Lenore, and then bam! You find your new love—"
"So… we're going to a dance, but we can't show up together because you can't bring a date?" Jeremy snorted derisively. Just when he thought Whitmore had sunken to a new low, it found a way to exceed his (already low) expectations. What drugs were the student council on? They must've found something fantastic to think this was the best idea of the winter season.
As Stefan had once famously said, maybe he had to be drunk to understand their logic.
Bonnie had casually shrugged at him. "Told you it was weird."
"Better idea: let's get another hotel room instead." Argh, he had come to break up with her, not passionately make love to her! Stupid mouth, talking far faster than his brain could keep up with him.
Right before Bonnie could open her mouth to argue, his phone buzzed. Jeremy groaned, pulling it out and skimming the text messages that Meredith had left for him:
6:25 PM – MY HOME EC EGG IS NOT A CHICKEN EGG. I REPEAT, IT IS NOT A CHICKEN EGG.
6:27 PM – what are mogwai weak to? Google was not very helpful :( direct sunlight won't be up for a while!
6:28 PM – nm, I got it! Trapped it with my candy bar and killed it with an ax. Did you know the library has a weapons collection?
The last text was accompanied by a picture of the mogwai, happily devouring on a bag of candy Meredith must've stolen from one of the teachers. Jeremy scratched his cheek – he had only been Meredith's adviser for a couple of weeks now, and she was off killing supernatural creatures without him? Some help he was.
Bonnie peered over his shoulder at his phone. "That's your Slayer?"
"Yeah, she's crazy resourceful." Jeremy whistled, tucking his phone into his blazer pocket. While he wasn't entirely honest with Bonnie about their relationship – she changed the subject every time he broached it – he had been forthright about Meredith, and how connected they would become. After Anna, he figured… He figured Bonnie deserved better communication.
He couldn't even hide his pride as he said in-between congratulatory texts to his little Slayer, "I can't believe she's killing mogwai already. I didn't even know we had those at home."
"Me either." Bonnie scrunched up her nose. "And since I'm not experiencing sudden stomach pain, they must be the exception to the Other Side rule."
In his haste to train Meredith, he had completely forgotten about her 'stipulation.' Jeremy stared down at his shoes, trying not to think about the vampires he had helped Meredith stake last week. It was entirely his fault that she was experiencing this pain –and man, his girlfriend was more important than some stupid soulless vampire. (They should've just let the idiot drive away into the sunrise.)
"I guess so," he said, wincing at her touch.
Bonnie pulled him close to her. "It's okay, Jer. You're doing super important work, and I'm just glad I can be there every step of the way."
She leaned in, standing on her tip-toes as he craned his head lower and—oh. Oh, okay, they were kissing in the middle of the hall. They were kissing, and he was nowhere near closer to breaking up with her.
When Damon interrupted their conversation, ostensibly to kidnap him (again?!), Jeremy could only wish that the jackass could've waited another five minutes. It was official – the second he got out of this, he was moving out, Tyler's and Matt's opinion be damned. The one time he wanted a deep, philosophical conversation with his girlfriend, it had to be marred by stupid Damon and his poor life choices.
