The first person Bonnie called was Elena. As Jeremy's big sister she had a right to know that he was okay. As she'd expected, Caroline and Stefan were still with her. Despite their vampire hearing she was put on speaker.

"So you let him go?" Elena was upset.

"With Tyler? Alone?"

Bonnie had explained that they'd met Tyler's uncle and that he'd clarified what their friend was. Seeing as they already knew he was supernatural with crazy strength, she saw no harm in stating his species. Maybe a label would set her at ease a little. Jeremy knew and was now sorting things out with Tyler in private.

"He won't hurt him, Elena. Matt and I were right there. We saw how much they care for each other. Plus his uncle Mason and Brady wouldn't have let them leave if Tyler was still volatile."

She knew it wasn't easy to accept if one hadn't been there. She'd still be doubtful if she hadn't seen. But she'd met the two werewolves first hand. She trusted Mason and she trusted Brady.

"He was pretty volatile when he attacked Matt at school today,"

Elena disagreed.

"And all of those other times he used to pick fights with Jeremy."

Bonnie remembered too well.

Probably not a good idea to mention the bloodrage then.

"I know. And after what I've seen today I won't pretend like Tyler can't be dangerous. But I'm telling you, he's not a danger to Jeremy."

A pause on the other line.

"We'd better call Alaric," Stefan suggested. "He took Damon to look for Tyler."

What? Those had been the main two talking of hurting him!

"The lynch mob?! Why didn't you go with them?" Bonnie fumed.

At least Stefan might hold some restraint.

"We didn't know they were gone!"

Elena defended her boyfriend.

"They went outside looking for you and never came back. By the time we figured it out it was too late."

This wasn't good. Not for Tyler, not for Jeremy and not for Alaric if he did anything to provoke another bloodrage. Unlike the mayor, he was only human.

"We have to stop them!"

"I know, we've been calling but they won't answer. We're driving around trying to spot them now."

If they were already on the road then they could pick her up.

"Are you anywhere near the Grille by chance?" Bonnie hoped.

"We can swing by," Stefan answered.

Good. Maybe she could communicate in person that Jeremy was safe with Tyler.

"Great. Listen, I'm going to see if I can talk some sense into Ric. Maybe since Matt and I were there?"

"Where is Matt? Is he with them now?" Caroline piped in from the background.

Bonnie recalled the flustered color to his face and how odd he'd been acting in the car. He wouldn't be up for company at the moment.

"I think he's a little shell-shocked to be honest. You know how he is about supernatural stuff. And this being Tyler of all people. It's not easy to see that happen to your best friend."

Speaking from experience. Caroline would understand.

"It can't be easy for Tyler either," the young vampire admitted.

"One day you're normal and the next you're worried if you'll ever feel human again."

Though Bonnie had felt abnormal about her witch powers she'd never once had to question her humanity over them. She couldn't imagine what Caroline must have felt becoming a vampire or Tyler being a werewolf.

"And we're going to be there for him," Bonnie reminded her friend.

"We don't abandon our friends for being different."

Given her own circumstances, Caroline seemed to empathize with Tyler. She was on his side. Bonnie knew Stefan would be too as long as Elena said so.

"I just don't want him to hurt Jeremy," her friend repeated.

"After what Vicki did..."

"No offense to the dead but Vicki had a lot of impulse control issues even before she became a vampire," Bonnie pointed out.

Matt's sister had been heavy into drugs and was pretty promiscuous. Like her mother, she'd had a reputation.

"And Tyler doesn't?"

Fair enough. Tyler did have a temper.

"Elena, you know I love Jeremy. He's like my little brother too. And you know how I feel about anyone who threatens the people I love. I saw Jeremy bring Tyler down from this crazy rage today. Just by showing up and talking to him. If you'd seen it you'd have thought it was some kind of magic. I know it's scary especially after last year but at some point you have to trust Jeremy to make decisions for Jeremy."

She could almost see Elena through the phone, battling with her argument. After their parents died she'd assumed responsibility for her brother, sometimes in a quasi-mom way. Not even their aunt Jenna was as protective.

"Just like we trust you."

With Stefan. It didn't need to be said. The message seemed to be getting through because after another silence her best friend responded; "He did stop using. And Ric says his grades are improving."

"See?"

"I can't pretend that I'm enthusiastic about it but if we can sit down with Tyler and get an idea of where his head is then maybe..." that was the most that Elena could commit to but it was a start.

The fact that she was willing to consider would be enough to get Stefan onboard. And with two vampires, a witch and two werewolves on their side, she was sure Tyler and Jer would be all right.

"Ric's still not answering my calls," Stefan reported in the background.

"And Damon must have blocked me."

"Bet he didn't block Elena," she heard Caroline remark with more than a hint of annoyance.

They all saw his weirdo obsession with her and were not fans at all.

But it might actually prove to be useful.

"You have to call him," Bonnie urged.

"Damon will listen if you tell him to lay off Tyler."

"What?"

"You saw how he and Ric were. You really want them to find Tyler like that? They'll do more than hurt him, Elena. They're willing to kill him."

"Ric wouldn't really--"

"Damon won't hesitate," Caroline agreed on the other end.

"He doesn't even need a reason."

"Fine, I'll call him. But I doubt he'll pick up."

It was still worth a try.

"Okay, you call Damon and maybe if I call Ric he'll answer," Bonnie hoped.

"Since Jeremy and I left together he may think I'm still with him."

One of them had to pick up.

"I'll see you in a bit."

0_0

Jeremy was fast asleep now, long tuckered out after their heavy mating. Tyler watched him as he slept, smiling to himself and feeling more than a little proud. Not only had he finally taken his mate but he'd satisfied him to the point of exhaustion. Just as an alpha should.

I'll keep satisfying you, Jer. And I'll never stop protecting you.

He nuzzled Jeremy's cheek, taking in the boy's scent while he was at it. Ah yes, his little emo Gilbert smelled of him now. Happy with that fact, Tyler glanced down at the mating mark on his beta's neck. Now everyone would know he was his.

Surprisingly the wound was healed up, resembling more of a brand-like scar than a fresh bite. People didn't typically heal that fast. He'd have to ask Mason if that was normal.

Normal. What did that even mean anymore? That he was a werewolf, that his dad's family had been werewolves and never said anything? Whatever. All that mattered was that Jeremy had accepted his mark. They were completely one.

So now that they were mated, now that he was responsible for his beta...how did he proceed from here? He didn't like the idea of sending Jeremy home without him--without his protection. That was how his dad had gotten to him in the first place. Because Jeremy had been without him.

He'd been all alone.

Okay so Jeremy didn't live alone exactly. His aunt and sister were there but they were girls. What could they do against anyone let alone a werewolf? No, Jeremy needed him to watch over. He needed his alpha.

I'll have him spend the night.

A temporary solution. Until he found a better one. Maybe even stretch it to the weekend since they were both suspended anyway. His mother wouldn't object, she'd be happy to see the boys getting along. The Lockwoods and the Gilberts were founding families after all. There was a certain obligation for them to socialize. His mom was always going on about that kind of stuff.

And his dad? The last time Tyler had seen his dad, he was...

I didn't kill him, did I?

The memory was clouded, like it had been a dream but he remembered it all. Losing himself, attacking his father, defending his mate. Uncle Mason had shown up so maybe he could tell him if his dad was okay.

The fuck do I care? He hurt Jeremy!

Just the thought had Tyler seeing red again. Nobody hurt his Jeremy! But...this was his father. He hated him for what he did--for everything he did but he didn't want him to die. He just wanted him to...shit he didn't know what he wanted from him anymore.

He doesn't matter.

But if the knot in his stomach was any indication then it did matter to him. What if he had killed his dad? What if his father was actually dead? Nauseous at the thought, Tyler hopped from the bed. He rushed the bathroom in time to spew his anxiety into the open toilet bowl. After a few more heaves his stomach was empty but his fear was no less cumbersome.

He'd have to call Mason. His uncle would know what to do. His uncle would help. Still shaky, Tyler gargled his mouth and ran cool water over his face before returning to his sleeping mate. Just the sight of him eased the tense teen.

Mine.

All his. And Jeremy knew it too. He hadn't been afraid; he'd just taken all that his alpha had given. Thrust by thrust, bite by bite. Jeremy wouldn't be going anywhere now.

All Mine.

Tyler was cut off mid-gloat at a sudden ringing. Startled, he glanced around to find it coming from beneath the bed. Jeremy's phone. The face on the screen showed it was just his aunt Jenna. Not wishing to wake him, Tyler swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

There was a pause on the other line.

"Jeremy?" she sounded confused.

"Um no this is Tyler. Jeremy can't come to the phone right now. He's--" he glanced at his peacefully slumbering mate--"taking a nap. I'll have him call you when he wakes up though."

"I'm sorry slow down. What?"

"Jeremy's sleep but--"

"Yea I got that part by why would he be sleeping with you?"

Tyler smirked at the question.

"Wait that came out totally wrong," Jenna seemed to catch it too.

"What I meant was...just put my nephew on the phone."

She was not prepared to trust his word it seemed. He supposed he couldn't blame her. After the way things had gone down with the boys last semester. Maybe he should explain a little. Ease her into the idea that her nephew and he would be spending a lot of time together.

"Jeremy and I talked and...we're cool now. So--"

"Put my nephew on the phone."

"But he's sleep--"

"I don't care, put him on the phone now."

Well damn, when had she gotten stern? She'd always seemed pretty cool. Now she sounded like Caroline when you missed one of her galas.

Though his wolf objected to disturbing his mate, his human mind chose to see reason. This was Jeremy's guardian. If he didn't play his cards right she might not allow Jeremy to stay. And he'd really rather not have to sneak into Jeremy's room every night when they could be comfortable right here.

"Okay, hold on."

He leaned over his sleeping beauty, caressed his hair back before whispering; "Jer, wake up."

The boy stirred, groaning a little. His lips actually pouted in protest. Cute wasn't a word Tyler would ever be caught dead using but damn if it wasn't the cutest thing. He couldn't help but to smile.

"Hey, Jeremy. Come on. Wake up for your alpha."

Cocoa brown eyes opened instantly. Inside he felt his wolf swelling in approval. Sleepily his mate blinked up at him.

"Tyler?"

Those trusting brown eyes belonged to him.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you but your aunt's on the phone."

Jeremy frowned.

"Jenna?"

He started to sit up.

"Yea, I told her how we're cool now."

He handed over the phone.

"That we talked and squashed our beef so you should ask her if you can spend the weekend over."

Smooth Lockwood.

Jeremy's eyes widened just as he placed the phone to his ear.

"What?"

Tyler gestured toward the phone meaningfully.

"Um hi Jenna...yes I'm fine..."

Jeremy gave him a bewildered look.

"...No he isn't making me say that...I don't need pizza..."

He shook his head.

"...really Jenna...I don't need anything..."

Except to spend the weekend,

Tyler wanted to remind him. He stood before his mate and mouthed the words as a reminder. Jeremy caught on.

"Um...but if it's okay with you can I stay at Tyler's? For the weekend?"

Good boy. He watched for a reaction, any indication of what Jenna's answer was on the other line. Already he was planning to see his mate, regardless of what she said but he was hoping to make it easier if he could.

"...oh my god I am not having that talk right now..." he was suddenly blushing furiously.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, curious. What could have constituted such an adorable reaction?

"...I know what a cond--that is..."

Oh. He was getting an idea. Was she giving her nephew the sex talk? Again he smirked.

"...okay I get it just...never use that word again," Jeremy ran a hand down his face.

"Fine, I'll be home by eleven."

Well that wasn't what Tyler had wanted to hear. At all. Jeremy hung up the phone before casting his eyes his way.

"My aunt is so embarassing!"

The freshman reached out and Tyler felt his need for physical comfort. He climbed back into bed and immediately Jeremy was cuddling against him.

"She thinks we're having sex."

Damn right we are.

"Well she's not wrong."

"You know what I mean," his mate chided.

"She went into this whole safe sex spiel and thought we should talk about it when I get home."

That last line annoyed the young wolf.

"I'd rather you stay here with me," he admitted.

Jeremy nodded in his arms.

"Me too. But she doesn't really trust you yet. She asked me if I needed a safe word in case you were making me say that I was okay if I wasn't."

Overlooking the insult to his character, Tyler had to admit that was actually pretty smart.

"A safe word, huh?"

"Yea, pizza."

So that had been the meaning of the random food comment.

"She really thinks I'm going to hurt you doesn't she?" he found he didn't like that kind of perception of him. Not when it came to Jeremy.

He was the one person Tyler would never hurt.

"I mean I can't blame her," he admitted, referring to their history, "but things are different now. You know that right?"

He hoped his mate understood. He would sooner hurt himself before he let anything hurt Jeremy ever again.

"I know," Jer whispered, nuzzling even closer into him.

"Besides if you did, Bonnie would totally kick your ass."

Bonnie Bennett? The same Bonnie Bennett he'd known since kindergarten? She was harmless.

"Bonnie's a girl. What the hell can she do to a werewolf like me?" he laughed.

The chuckle from his little beta gave Tyler the feeling that he was missing out on something.

"Ah, let's just say that werewolves aren't the scariest things in Mystic Falls."

0_0

"I don't buy it," Alaric remarked after Bonnie's call.

Following her and Jeremy's little getaway he'd grabbed Damon and gone looking for Tyler. So far they hadn't found him but he knew where next to check. Tyler and Matt were like conjoined twins. When he didn't show up to the Salvatore's it was only reasonable to assume he was going to his best friend.

"What, the part about him being a werewolf or the part about him not being a danger to Jeremy?"

Damon remarked saltily.

He was still sulking over Elena's reprimand earlier.

Ric was tempted to answer "both" but with his experience as a hunter he couldn't be shocked anymore. Vampires, witches and dopplegangers had already jaded him.

"The part where she expects me to believe that a violent meathead like Tyler literally changing into an animal makes him not a danger to Jeremy."

"So we take him down," Damon agreed.

If they had to then yes.

"It's not just Tyler that we have to worry about. There's still his uncle she mentioned," he reminded him.

"Then we take down Uncle Lockwood too," Damon concluded.

"Two dogs, one stone."

It sounded good in theory but as it stood they knew nothing about werewolves or how to defeat them. Bonnie was on her way to consult her grandmother's grimoire now, but the odds of her giving any information that could help contain Tyler weren't very high. Perhaps he needed to make some calls of his own.

"I have a few contacts, other hunters I met when I was looking for Isobel. Maybe they might know something that can help us."

Bonnie had mentioned the mayor wouldn't be an issue anymore but hadn't elaborated. She'd been too busy trying to defend Tyler and Jeremy. The girl didn't understand that he was defending Jeremy too.

"Hey, Donovan's truck," Damon noted as they pulled up to Matt's place.

"He's here."

Could Jeremy and Tyler be in there with him, hiding out?

Alaric pulled to a stop and prepped his weapon. He didn't want to have to shoot but he was prepared to do so. The memory of that desk flying across the parking lot was enough to put him on high alert.

"We try to contain him first, got it? Knock him out, I don't care. Just don't kill him unless he gives you no choice."

Damon gave him a look of supreme annoyance.

"Yes Father. Your will be done," he griped before leaving the vehicle.

Alaric rolled his eyes and joined him.

"I'll take the front, you take the back just in case," he whispered on the way to the door.

Because Damon had vampire speed he'd be better able to catch them if they tried to sneak out the back. His friend gave him another annoyed look (he was really pissy about Elena) before completely disregarding his instruction and kicking the door in.

"Damnit, Damon!"

There went the element of surprise. Damon shrugged before heading in to take a look around.

"Tyyyler! Here boy!" he whistled a few times before slapping his thigh.

Alaric sent him a look.

"Do you have to be such an ass right now?"

"What, that's how you call a dog right?"

"Whatever, let's just see who's here."

A quick walk-through revealed that he need not have bothered with stealth. There was no Tyler or Jeremy. Only an unconscious Matt, who apparently slept in the nude.

"Jesus Christ somebody needs a tan," Damon turned away.

Giving the teen privacy, Ric closed the bedroom door.

"You're the last one to talk about a tan, Mr. Creature of the Night."

Damon made a face in response.

"So we have no leads," Alaric got back to business.

"We've checked all Tyler's hangouts. Maybe we can double back to the Grille or--"

His specialized ringtone alerted that Jenna was calling. Always happy to hear from her, he held up a finger before turning from his friend to answer.

"Hey Jenna."

"Ric, I'm so out of my depth here. I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm afraid Jeremy might hate me but I have to be responsible right?"

Jeremy? Had she talked to him?

"Calm down, babe. Just tell me what happened."

She sighed.

"I called to check in on him after we talked earlier and Tyler freaking Lockwood answered his phone. So of course I'm concerned. After what happened at school and what that boy has put him through I just don't want to see him hurt you know. So I asked him to put Jeremy on the phone and he gives me this line about Jeremy sleeping and how they made up. Anyway I get Lockwood to put him on the phone and suddenly Jeremy's asking if he can spend the weekend over."

She was doing that speed-talking she did when she was anxious.

"Now I know you know about the two of them; Jeremy thought you told me but I figured it out. And I'm not some old fart that thinks teenagers don't have sex, especially after I saw that bite on his neck but, I think he should slow down and at least talk about it before he just does it with the same jerk that bullied him for so long you know. So I told him he couldn't spend the weekend and I tried to talk to him about being safe but now he hates me and I hope I didn't make him feel like he can't talk to me about these things just because Tyler is a guy."

She was saying a lot. But the one thing stuck out.

"So Jeremy is with Tyler?"

"Yea, that's the problem."

"At Tyler's place now?"

"I'm assuming so. Why, do you think I should have made him come home? Geez, I really suck at this whole parent thing don't I? Elena is much easier to deal with about these things. She's not as closed off."

He could tell that she needed reassurance. Being so young and caring for two teens wasn't something she'd been prepared for.

"Hey, listen you did the right thing. You were looking out for his best interest, okay. Neither one of us wants to see Jeremy hurt."

She took a deep breath.

"I just feel like he's going to hate me now. Can you stop by? I think maybe he might do well to hear a guy's perspective. If it's not weird I mean. I know you're his teacher but he looks up to you. You're the only male figure he has in his life right now and..."

"I'll talk to him. And don't worry, I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

He'll be too busy hating me.

"You think?"

"I do. Hey, why don't I pick him up? I'll let you go and get started over okay?"

The relief in her voice made him smile.

"That would be great. Thanks so much Ric, really. I don't know how I'd be dealing with all of this without you."

"No problem. I'll see you tonight."