Hello, my lovely readers. We're diving into a somewhat more stable and mature Jer Gilbert's head and more Sam. On with the show…
Chapter 10: One Step Behind
Jeremy
Being pissed off was a feeling that Jeremy Gilbert spent a third of his life with. He'd been pissed off when his parents died. When he found out about vampires and everyone lying to his face about everything. About Elena falling for vampires and becoming one herself. Bonnie dying and leaving him alone—not that that was her fault—but it still pissed him off. Now, he was pissed off that someone had taken his sister and brother-in-law.
"Jeremy, slow down!" Bonnie called after him. They were headed toward the Miller's place. Darkness had fallen and Jeremy wanted to get Elena and Damon and leave.
"Sorry," Jeremy said, slowing to a stop.
Bonnie placed a hand on her side. "We're getting too old for this," she told him, placing a hand on his arm, sucking in air.
Jeremy smiled down at her. She still looked like she did when she came back to town, just back from her trip round-the-world. She still made him want to scoop her up and kiss her 'til they couldn't breathe. Bonnie Bennett was the great love of his life and he felt grateful that she'd chosen to spend the rest of her human days with him.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" Bonnie questioned him, a small smile forming on her lips as she looked at him, her eyes twinkling.
Jeremy leaned down, cupping her face between his hands and kissing her. "I love you, Bonnie Bennett."
"I love you, too," Bonnie said. "And I want to get home to the kids instead of becoming vamp chow." Patting him on the chest, she began to walk toward the Miller's.
Jeremy grinned and followed her lead. He held a crossbow in hand, his favored weapon. Bonnie only needed her magic to be lethal to the vamp population. Two baby vamps would be nothing to the Gilbert husband and wife.
When they stopped outside the house, Jeremy stood beside the door while Bonnie worked on the lock. He felt amused that his wife knew how to pick a lock. She'd learned so much since they parted ways the last time. "Presto," she whispered, glancing at Jeremy. Opening the door, Bonnie walked into the house. Their ears were assaulted by the sounds of some kind of—retro to the kids today—heavy metal band that Jeremy used to favor, back in his stoner days.
"Kill ya. I'm gonna eat your bones!" one kid sang. Jeremy didn't remember that song. And that was most definitely not what was playing over the speakers. Frowning, he raised the crossbow. Not a song. A threat or a promise.
"Get the hell off of her!" Damon shouted from somewhere upstairs.
Jeremy ran to the stairs, not caring if the vamps heard him. He walked past bedrooms with their doors open. "You remind me of my mom," one of the vamps said with a giggle.
"Oh, good. Then you can let me go," Elena cried.
"No. I don't really like my mom," the voice replied with another giggle.
"Shut up, stupid," another voice cried.
"I ate my mom," a third voice added.
Two. There were only supposed to be two of them. What in the hell? Jeremy looked at Bonnie who frowned.
"Let's just kill them. Jacob can't tell us what to do anymore. There are more of us than there are of him," another voice added.
Four? Jeremy looked at Bonnie, beginning to feel really pissed off. What in the hell had Jacob unleashed on them?
"What are you two doing?" another voice—this one right behind them—asked.
"Looking for you," Bonnie told him. "We wanted to join the club."
"Really? You look kind of old to be joining. We prefer fresh meat," the vamp grinned at her. "But you'll make a nice snack." He reached out to grab Bonnie by the neck when Jeremy shot him in the heart.
The door swung open to reveal one pissed off looking Michael Walters. "Man, they killed Kevin! That was my best friend since kindergarten!" The boy vamp yelled at them. "I'm so going to kill you old people."
"I am not old!" Bonnie yelled back, and then she lifted her hands, sending Michael flying through the air.
The four remaining vamps, looked at Bonnie, and then at Jeremy. "Another one of you? Do you turn yours like we turn ours?" Kenneth Walters asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
"I was born like this," Bonnie said before she lifted her hands and the vampires began to wail; falling to her knees. "Jer, get them and let's go!" she called to Jeremy.
Jeremy ran into the vamp infested room and began to undo the ropes that bound Elena's and Damon's wrists and ankles to a chair, in the middle of the room. "Man, am I glad to see you two," Damon said, rubbing his wrists and then helping Elena up.
"Let's go!" Jeremy said, turning around to see a vamp with a gun pointed at Bonnie's head.
"You're not going anywhere," the vamp said.
"Really? A gun?" Damon shook his head in disapproval at the vampire as the other vampires got to their feet, surrounding the humans. "That is just tacky."
"Still works," the vamp replied. "Drop the bow or I blow little wifey's head all over the walls."
Jeremy dropped his crossbow and one of the vamps picked it up; examining it. "Can I keep it, Kenneth?"
"Do I look like I care?" Kenneth demanded, piercing the other kid with a hate-filled look.
"I thought you were supposed to be a nice kid; like the Matt Donavon of a by-gone era," Damon taunted Kenneth while Elena rubbed her wrists and eyed the vamp closest to her.
Kenneth strode over to Damon and backhanded him. Damon fell to the floor, unconscious. "Anyone else with a smart mouth? Please, speak up?" He held up a hand to his ear. "No one? Really? Not so arrogant without your little toys, are you?" he waved at the crossbow. Leaning over Damon, he sneered. "This one isn't even worth being called food. I prefer mine in the eighteen to twenty-five demographic." Looking at two vamps close to the door, he pointed at Damon. "Take him out back and kill him. Dump his body in the quarry when you're done."
"No!" Elena screamed. The vamp closest to her grabbed her; holding on tight as she struggled against it. "Damon!" she screamed, watching the vamps drag Damon out of the room.
"Kill them," Kenneth called over his shoulder. "I'm over this. I'm no longer in the mood to be someone else's bitch. Let Jacob clean up his own mess."
"Minions, so hard to control," Jeremy said, drawing Kenneth's attention toward him.
"What in the hell did you just say?" Kenneth demanded, striding back toward Jeremy.
"I think you heard me. You think you can run your own gang of vamps, but you're still the quarterback, who lost the game by throwing to the opposing team. My youngest, he loves the Timberwolves and he still cries about that game," Jeremy taunted Kenneth whose eyes now glowed with a fiery rage.
"Maybe I'll go to your house after this and use your youngest as a football. Think his head'll sail through the air in an arch that is awe-aspiring?" Kenneth demanded, getting in Jeremy's face.
"Think yours will?" Jeremy asked, jerking out a pistol from his belt and shooting Kenneth in the heart.
Kenneth's eyes widened and the vamps who had Elena and Bonnie let go of them. "You shot my brother!" Michael roared, running at Jeremy who shot him through the heart. Another five vampires ran into the room and Jeremy counted bullets. Four left. Not enough to kill them all but enough to help them get out of here. He kept shooting, taking out four more, but it looked like Kenneth and his brother had turned an entire bus full of kids. Twenty of them in all.
The sound of a scream from downstairs alerted Jeremy as he broke a table leg off, and tossed it to Elena who was battling a vamp, on the floor. Bonnie had two on their knees but they kept coming. More screams rent the air. They were getting closer.
Jeremy kicked the bed, and broke off a chunk of wood from the bed frame, hefting the stake when a blonde woman's head popped in the door. She tossed a morning star at the vamp who had Elena pinned underneath it. "God, I hate those things," she murmured, "And look what they did to my pants." Shaking her head at a bloody stain of her camel colored slacks; she turned to Bonnie. Seeing Bonnie needed help, she pulled out a stake from her boot and stalked over. "One for you and one for you." Staking the vampires; she turned to the others. "That gets the blood flowing, now, doesn't it?"
Gwen Lords grinned at them as she dropped the stake to the floor and dusted her hands off. Bonnie blew out a breath while Jeremy went to help Elena out from under the vamp she'd finished off. "Nice timing, Gwen," Jeremy called to her.
Gwen nodded. "You know that I will always answer when help is needed."
Jeremy had only known Gwen for a couple of months. He and Tyler had gone to New York after getting a lead on a serial killing vampire. Gwen had beaten them to the kill but there were a few of his acolytes that they had to find in the meantime. She had happily joined forces with Tyler and Jeremy. Jeremy was not shocked when he woke up in the morning, after the hunt, to find Gwen curled up in Tyler's arms. They'd been yelling at each for an entire car ride and all the way Up-State. Two weeks later; Gwen was gone. She had never planned on sticking around and left Tyler with a note saying that she would never forget him or his stories.
When she showed up in Mystic Falls, with Freddy, Jeremy knew she was there to be close to Tyler. He wished that his friend had known about his son but death usually didn't give you a heads-up.
"Damon!" Elena cried, alerting them to Damon's arrival.
Damon came into the room, a nasty bite on his neck. "I'm alive," he called to them and then groaned. "Sort of."
"Oh, my God!" Elena ran to Damon, throwing her arms around him. "Thank God."
"I suppose this is where we get the bodies and burn the house down," Gwen said, looking around at the vampires.
"After we find out who they were. Their parents have a right to know that their kids aren't coming home." Bonnie leaned over and closed Michael Walters' eyes. "These could be our kids."
The group looked at the vampire kids; sharing a moment of silence. "Right then," Gwen pulled out a wallet. "Shall we write this down?" she asked them. "Sorry. I should have brought a pen and paper."
Bonnie gave Jeremy a look. He knew that Gwen was an acquired taste. One day the gang might warm to her. Probably not tonight though.
Sam
Sam kept looking at the clock. It was nearly midnight. He should be at home. His parents hadn't called him. He knew something was wrong when the Donavon's had come in at five past midnight, talking quietly, their tones dark. They had stopped talking the moment that they saw the kids.
Maria spotted Todd's face and her eyes rounded. "Todd," she cried, hurrying to her son, taking his face in her hands until he hissed in pain. "Baby, who did this to you?" she demanded, her dark brown eyes flashing with anger.
"No one did this to me, mom," Todd replied. "I fell while playing football and banged my face into the goal post. I'll be fine. Dr. Gilbert checked me out."
Maria's head whipped around to glare at Matt whose eyebrows rose. "Okay. Umm… Todd." Stopping, he looked at Sam and then at Maria. "If Elena said you're okay; I guess you're okay."
Maria let out a hiss. "Matt, I need to speak to you. In the kitchen." Standing up, she offered Todd a smile, touching his good check and then she stalked past Matt.
Todd looked at Sam and Li. "I'm in trouble."
"How do you know that?" Li asked him.
"Whenever Mom makes Dad talk to her, after I told her something, she knows I'm lying," Todd explained, glumly. "But that was a good lie."
Sam opened his mouth to question why they wouldn't believe Todd's lie when the Donavons returned to the room. Maria offered them a smile, like she was at a PTA meeting. Fake. "I'm guessing you two need somewhere to stay tonight?"
"Yes," Li said but Sam did not answer.
"Li, there is a guest bedroom, downstairs," Maria said. "Let me show it to you."
Li followed Maria out of the living room, leaving Sam and Todd with Mayor Donavon, who kept checking his phone for some reason. "Everything okay, Mayor?" Sam inquired, politely, like his Mom taught him to.
Matt looked up from his phone, his eyes on Sam, and Sam knew, instinctively, that he was about to lie to him. "Everything's fine. Did you kids eat anything?"
"No," Todd said, placing another ice pack over his cheek. "I'm starving."
"Okay. Well, I think we might have a frozen pizza in the freezer, unless your mother went on another one of her carb-free diets." Matt smiled again and Sam wanted to scream. Did they end up in some weird, alternate universe where the parents' brains were eaten by aliens?
Sam followed Todd and his father into the kitchen. Maria had been remodeling again and there was marble and glass all over the kitchen. A brand new fridge stood; waiting for them. "Your milk is expired by ten minutes," Fridgie told Matt.
"Thanks," Matt replied, opening the freezer, he pulled out a frozen pizza.
Maria walked into the room with Li. "Pizza? For their dinner?" Scoffing, she walked to the closet, and opened a door, removing an apron.
"Mom, it's late," Todd complained.
"It's never too late to have a well-balanced meal." Maria shook her head, opening the door as Fridgie chanted his tune about the milk. "Matt, you'll need to pick us up milk tomorrow morning."
"Maria, it's been a long day. Just let the kids eat the pizza and let's sit down." Matt said, leaning against the counter.
Maria straightened up with a package of chicken in one hand and a package of pork in the other. "Which would you rather have: arroz con pollo or carnitas?"
"Chicken," Todd said.
Li nodded. "That's fine."
Sam shrugged. "I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat, Samuel. You're a growing boy," Maria told him, waving the chicken at him. No longer having the energy to argue; Sam nodded his head.
Sam's thoughts turned to his sister. Where was Fanny? They hadn't heard from Fan, Sandy, Jos or Freddy in almost eleven hours since they'd split up. He frowned, removed his phone from his pocket to find that he didn't have any new messages.
Maria continued to move around the kitchen while Li studied her nails. Todd checked the damage to his face using the bottom of a pot. Matt checked his own phone. "Why don't you go to the dining room?" Maria asked the teens in the room.
"Okay, mom," Todd said at the same that the doorbell rang.
"There are guests at the door," Doory, the digital Door Person called out. A screen came down in front of Sam who leaned against the breakfast bar. On the screen were Fanny, Sandy, Jos and Freddy. No Hope. Looked like they didn't find her. Sam hoped that her mom found her and she was okay.
"Let them in, Doory," Matt ordered Doory. Not everyone in Mystic Falls could afford a Doory which just came on the market last year and included retinal scans of your guests. "Tell them we're in the kitchen."
"Very good. Mayor," Doory replied.
A minute later, Fanny, Sandy, Jos and Freddy entered the kitchen. "Fanny!" Sam cried, trying not to sound too excited.
"Sam!" Fanny ran to him, throwing her arms around her big brother. He could tell she'd been crying as she buried her face in his flannel t-shirt. "Sam, someth—"
"Is that arroz con pollo I smell?" Jos jumped in, stopping Fanny from completing her thought.
"Yes," Maria told her. She smiled and then turned back to her cooking. "You kids can go sit in the dining room."
"Is there enough for all of us?" Freddy called, leaning against the wall, near the fridge. "We haven't eaten in hours."
Maria turned to look at Freddy; her eyebrows rising. "Does Gwendolyn know where you are?" she inquired with a smile.
"Mom? Yeah," Freddy nodded, a smile crossing his face.
Sam looked at Freddy whose eyes ticked to the right. Lying. Man, did everyone have to lie so much? He shook his head and headed toward the dining room, his arm still around his sister. The rest of the group followed Sam to the dining room. Matt did not follow them and Todd closed the door. "Got my blood?" he asked the newcomers.
Jos pulled out the blood bag from inside her bag and threw it at him. "Here you go, jackass."
"Did you find Hope?" Todd demanded before he opened the blood bag and began to swallow the liquid while the others made faces.
"That is disgusting," Sandy groaned, clutching her stomach. "And we're supposed to eat after that display?"
"Yes," Todd said, wiping his mouth and burping. "You get used to it." He held out the empty bag to Jos who glared at him.
"Keep it and, no, we didn't find her. We did trap Jacob," Jos said with a wide smile.
Fanny looked at her lap. "Fan?" Sam watched his sister carefully.
Fanny's eyes moved up to take him in. "Yeah?" she mumbled, her folded hands shaking.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked quietly.
"Nothing," Jos snapped, her eyes burning a hole into his little sister who turned her head.
"What is going on, Jos?" Sam demanded, his eyes now on Jos.
"Nothing," Sandy snapped, staring at Sam.
Sam narrowed his eyes at the two girls sitting across from him. "What are you not telling us?"
"Yeah, Jos. What's going on?" Li demanded, sitting down next to Sam.
Freddy took a seat beside Jos, throwing an arm Jos's shoulders. "Our little girls are in love," he cried, punching Sandy on her right shoulder. Sandy glared at him.
"Huh?" Todd looked confused as he took a seat beside Fanny.
Turning to give Todd a death look, Sam opened his mouth to tell him to sit somewhere else, when Freddy jumped in. "Jos and Sandy are together."
"Yeah. They're sitting. Together. Which is weird," Li pointed out, folding her arms over her chest and giving Jos a disapproving look.
Jos just glared at her sister. Taking Sandy's hand, she placed their hands on the table top. "This is a thing now. Got a problem with it. I'll find a new room. Maybe a new house. It's not like you want me around anyway."
"Jos!" Li cried. "What are you talking about?"
"You have your sister. I'm just extra," Jos snapped, getting up. "And I think I'm going to go."
"Jos!" Sandy and Li cried at the same time.
Jos walked out of the room. Li and Sandy moved to follow her. Li began to glare at Sandy; stopping by Todd's side. "She's my twin. I can handle this since I'll still be here when she gets over her obvious mental breakdown."
"So she'd have to be nuts to be with me?" Sandy shouted.
"Obviously!" Li shouted back.
Sandy lifted a hand and Li shouted when Sandy sent her flying across the room. "You little bitch, I'm going to kill you!" Li threatened, trying to go after Sandy when Todd grabbed her; holding her back. "Let go of me, you pig!"
"Why are you calling my son a pig for and why is there a hole in my new wallpaper?" Maria yelled at them, a tray of drinks in her hands. She walked over to the table and set the tray down. "That is enough. Li, Sandy, Freddy, I would like for you to leave. Sam and Fanny, you are welcome to stay."
Sam finally lost it. "Where are my parents?" he demanded.
Maria looked up when voices sounded in the hallway; drawing their attention. "Daddy?" Fanny shouted when Damon came in with a bandage on his neck. Fanny ran to their father; throwing herself into his arms.
Sam ran to his parents, too. "Mom!" he cried, hugging her like he did when he was little. Elena kissed the top of his head. "Where were you?" he asked her.
"Just a little crisis. We're okay now," Elena told him.
Bonnie, Jeremy and Gwen came in with Matt. "Mom. Dad." Sandy ran to her parents.
Freddy walked over to his mom, "You've got something on your pants," he told her.
"Oh, that. Dry cleaning mistake," Gwen told him.
Sam rolled his eyes as his dad ruffled his hair. "Hey, Matt, Maria. You mind watching the kids tonight. We've got a ton of things to do," Damon said, still holding Fanny.
"Of course," Maria said, a strained smile on her face.
Jos walked back into the room as Matt prodded her inside. "I think I'm going to stay, too, 'cause my mom called and said she and Dad have some stuff to talk about." Li looked at her twin but Jos refused to look back.
Maria nodded. "As long as all of your parents know where you are; you can stay. For one night. No more property damage," she ordered Li and Sandy.
Li offered her a sweet smile. "Nothing that can't be fixed."
"With a good, after-school job," Maria added. Li's mouth dropped open and she looked at the others. Sandy smirked at her. "For both of you," Maria said and Sandy looked at her parents. Bonnie shook her head.
"Good night, kids," Elena said quietly, hugging them again. Sam wanted to beg them to stay but he'd already acted like a little kid.
"Bye," Sam said.
The parents who didn't live there; left. The teens who were left could only stare at each other; no one quite trusting the other in that moment.
I'm thinking Shay Mitchell, for the part of Maria Donavon, but I am not a 100% committed to who the actor should be. Any suggestions?
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Day Day: Thank you! Jacob is a complicated character—a bit like Klaus and Damon, and we'll see a different side of him in Book Two, because his motives change.
HopeMikaelson: With any luck, the story will continue into another show. Thank you for your continued support.
Guest: Ah, thanks!
Tori: Wonderful!
Guest: Thank you!
Guest: Hope you enjoyed the new chap.
Peace,
Jessica