Jeremy
"The hell is a Coyote?" The sheriff asked.
"A Native American Trickster." Jeremy replied without thinking about it.
"You knew?" Jeremy looked over at Peter who had asked the question.
He shook his head, "I knew it was a Trickster, but there are a few and I didn't know which it would be. But it makes sense." He tried not to drop his head from embarrassment when just about every person in the room looked at him, with a 'how the hell does this make sense look'. Jeremy swallowed.
"Malia." He said moving to stand by his new friend.
She asked looking at him confused,"Me?"
"Because she's a werecoyote?" Scott asked.
"Coyote shifters are rare. At least from what I have read, in fact, most of the books Ric's let me read say that it's a gift only handed to those Coyote find worthy." Jeremy sent a smile to Malia, "I always assumed it was something only Native American's could be or do. But guess I was wrong. However, the stories talk about how protective Coyote is over his kin, which you are. If I had to guess," Jeremy looked around the room, "and this is a guess, his is trying to ensure that Malia's pack is the best it can be."
"But," he looked at Peter, "I'm still a little confused on why he focused on you and not say Scott. Who isn't just her Alpha, but a True Alpha, after all Scott is young and still learning."
Malia shifted next to him and Jeremy looked over at her, she was staring at Peter. Jeremy didn't understand the look she wore on her face.
"She's my daughter." Peter said.
Oh, Jeremy thought, now that made sense.
He turned to look at Peter, who had a similar look on his face as Malia. Maybe it was uncertainty, Jeremy thought. He sighed, their history wasn't his business, not unless Malia wanted it to be.
"So, he was pushing Peter to join the pack, for Malia?" Liam asked.
There was a deep chuckle from the shadows of the room, and Jeremy felt the whole room go on alert.
An ageless man moved out of the dark corner, tanned skin, long black hair with a few grey streaks braided through it. He moved without a sound focused entirely on Malia. Jeremy felt himself move to stand in the way, the man's dark grey eyes, glowed blue for a second before he smiled at Jeremy.
"At ease hunter, I mean my child no harm." The comment caused Peter to growl and Coyote tilted his head to look at the man, "She is mine as much as she is yours, wolf. She carries your blood, your heritage. But she carries my gifts, my power." Peter stopped growling and looked genuinely baffled by the statement.
When the Trickster looked back at them Jeremy wasn't sure what to do. If the man spoke the truth he meant Malia no harm but if he was lying- he felt Malia place a hand on his arm as she moved around him.
"I thought I got this from my mother?," she asked.
The man growled, "Your mother never should have had it. Why do you think she was so desperate to see you dead. She knew it was meant for you." Jeremy didn't jump when Kol appeared at his side, but he did look at the vampire. Kol was watching Coyote and Malia with a fascinating look.
"Why didn't she just get rid of me?" Malia asked anger in her voice. "before I was born, instead of waiting."
The man in front of her frowned, "My power protected you while she carried you and the Alpha, Talia, protected you after you were born." Jeremy heard someone gasp and looked to see Derek looking shocked.
A quiet fell over the room as everyone watched Malia. She was still angry, even without seeing her face clearly Jeremy could tell, he could also tell she was shaking. He moved without much thought and took her hand. She looked up at him, tears in her blue eyes.
"Why did her mother have the power if it wasn't for her?" Someone asked and it took Jeremy a second to recognize the hellhound inside Jordan voice.
Coyote gave the man a curious look, with a slight bow of his head the Native American Trickster spoke, "I'm powerful but not perfect. I could sense one of mine would soon be born. I knew dark things were coming and that it would be dangerous. I wanted my child to be protected. I made the mistake of gifting the mother with the abilities to do so. She would never have been as strong or powerful as the child she carried but she would be strong enough to safeguard it until it was old enough to protect itself." He looked at Malia, saddened, "I did not realize Corinne was greedy and selfish, that she would take the power and use it for her own means and then try to keep it, instead of passing it along. I am sorry."
Jeremy tried not to wince as the feeling in his hand all but disappeared as Malia's gripped tightened. The shifter was still shaking but less so as she took in Coyote's words.
"Malia?" He started trying to move so he could see her face better.
She looked up at him, "I...I need to…" she looked back at the others in the room and Jeremy looked at Kol. The Original nodded and a second later, the air around him shifted and his hand became empty, Malia and Kol were gone.
He quickly looked at Coyote and Peter, trying to see how either of her father figures were going to react. The Trickster seemed to take it in stride, he smiled softly and then disappeared. Peter looked straight at Jeremy, eyes shifting blue. Shit, he thought.
"Where'd he take her?" the wolf asked moving toward him.
Jeremy wasn't afraid, though he did turn his wrist enough to feel his knife press against his skin.
"She needed a minute, he probably took her to the woods." He shrugged. The man growled and Jeremy could see concern in his eyes, not anger. Peter wasn't mad that she was gone, he was worried.
However, Elijah, who was behind Peter couldn't see that and the second Peter got too close, the vampire moved placing himself between the growling wolf and Jeremy.
Surprised Peter snarled and tried to punch the vampire.
Elijah caught it, turned it, and used his strength to twist the arm behind Peter's back. There was a pained gasped before Peter's claws came out and he scratched at the vampire's arm.
"Stop!" Jeremy and Scott called out at the same time. Jeremy barely heard the Alpha as he was already reaching for Elijah's arm.
"He wasn't going to hurt me." He told Kol's older brother.
Elijah looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
Jeremy sighed, "Okay, he might have tried but really I can handle myself."
Peter snorted.
Jeremy looked away from Elijah to look at Peter, "are you less angry or is Elijah going to have to hold you like this for a while." He stiffened a little when Scott appeared at his side. The power radiating off the brunette was enough to set off Jeremy's senses. Jeremy had to remind himself that Scott was a friend and that he was only worried about Elijah hurting Peter.
"I'm not-"
"The hell did I miss?" Kol asked suddenly appearing at his brother's side, cutting Peter off.
Jeremy tried not to groan when Kol poked Peter in the center of his back, right where the wolf couldn't reach because of the way Elijah had him pinned.
However, Scott did not, the Alpha groaned and for some reason he must have felt better with Kol back because the power around shrank away to nothing.
"Where is Malia?" Peter asked glaring at the vampire.
"Stiles's" Kol said before poking the irritated wolf again.
"Kol." Jeremy said moving to grab the idiot.
He pulled him away from Peter as Elijah let him go.
"She's at Stiles house?" The man asked looking at Kol, eyes still burning blue.
"Yes. And you should probably give her some time." Kol said.
"Sooo," Dean said, "not that this isn't amusing and all, but I would like to get some sleep sometime today. Can we just make sure we got all our facts straight?" Jeremy tried not to grin at the unamused look the man's brother shot him.
"Good idea." Argent said. "Coyote was behind Peter's imprisonment." He looked at Sam, "Loki, was it?" Sam nodded, "was behind the pranks at the station." Jeremy made a mental note to look both Tricksters up when he had a chance.
"Which leaves us with the ferals." The sheriff said.
"Any luck with the plan your friend had?" Stiles asked the Winchesters. And Jeremy found he could relax, all the tension in the air faded away.
"He sent us a list of possible spells that could work. Sammy, is going through them trying to figure out which we should try and if we have to supplies or if we need to go shopping."
"I should have one by tomorrow." Sam said.
They talked some more, but Jeremy wasn't listening. He was leaning against Kol's side, eyes closed as he tried to talk himself out of the idea he had. It had come to him that morning while outside Peter's house. And he had thought about talking to Kol about it but he knew the vampire wouldn't have agreed.
However, with no one here able to track the ferals and the hunters unsure if their spells would work, he was starting to think they needed help. Kol was distracted enough with the conversation going on that Jeremy was able to reach into the vampires pocket and steal his phone. He yawned and pulled away from Kol. The original looked at him.
"I'm going to go outside for a few. Get some air." Kol nodded and returned to the conversation.
Inside the elevator Jeremy stared at the phone, wondering how pissed Kol would be at him for what he was about to do.
He sighed as the doors opened and walked outside into the cooling summer air. The sun was low in the sky, they had been inside for longer than he had realized. With a deep breath, he clicked on the screen and scrolled through Kol's contacts until he found the name he wanted.
The phone rang a few times before it was answered.
"What?" The man on the other end asked sounding annoyed already.
"I think we might need your help." Jeremy said.
"Gilbert?" The man asked, speaking again before Jeremy could reply,"I thought Elijah and Ric were already there to help?" The help was sarcastic and Jeremy rolled his eyes.
"Well we have two tricksters, a pack of ferals, some kind of magic user, and those are ones not part of the local pack here." He couldn't help but grin as the sound Klaus made.
"Ferals." The hybrid growled, before his voice shifted to amused, "do either of my brothers know your calling me, Jeremy?"
"No." He said honestly, Klaus chuckled.
"Keep it that way." The man hung up. Jeremy wanted to throw the phone. Did that mean Klaus was going to come help? Or that he just didn't want his brothers pissed off at him?
"Dammit." He cursed.
"Everything okay?" Jordan asked and Jermey jumped wondering where the hell the hellhound had come from.
"Yeah." he muttered, shoving Kol's phone into his pocket.
"Why did he not want you tell Kol or Elijah you called him? Jordan asked moving to stand in front of him.
Jeremy sighed.
"Dysfunctional family." He said,
Jordan smiled before asking, "he trouble?"
"Yes...and no." Jeremy replied.
Jordan raised both his eyebrows.
Jeremy moved towards a blue truck, he was sure belonged to the twin wolves inside, thinking about how to explain the complicated mess the Original's were.
"When I say dysfunctional I mean in every way possible." He looked at the deputy, "Jordan, they are old, and I don't mean a few centuries old, I'm talking about a millennium. A 1000 years where they have loved, fought, betrayed, and saved each other. They tend to rub each other the wrong way. Especially Kol and Klaus."
He stopped for a breath and found the need to keep talking, to explain it all to someone. Someone who would listen unlike his sister and her friends. Ric, Jeremy was sure understood what Jeremy saw and felt when he looked or hung around the Originals, otherwise the hunter wouldn't be doing whatever he was doing with Klaus. But it was like the rest of the world couldn't see past masks and facade the family showed.
"Elijah is the peacemaker," he started up again, "he is always trying to keep his siblings from killing each other. Kol, is impulsive," Jordan snorted, and Jeremy shot him a smile, "but he also is desperate for attention. Klaus," He looked down at his hands thinking of the best way to describe the hybrid, "is damaged." Jordan tilted his head, not understanding, "his mother had an affair, his father didn't take it well. Mikael made sure Klaus knew he wasn't his. It twisted how Klaus sees himself amongst his siblings." Jordan frowned but gave Jeremy a nod like he understood, "And then there is Rebekah, the only girl. She is as desperate for affection and love as Kol is for attention." He leaned against the side of the truck. He didn't bother going into Finn, as the eldest Original was back in his coffin after the disaster that was Esther Mikaelson.
"When they became vampires it made all their emotions go haywire. They became stronger, deeper, more intense. Klaus's fear of not belonging, Elijah's needed to protect his family and his sense of nobility, Kol's loneliness, and Rebekah's desire to be loved. I think they would have been okay, maybe figured it out ages ago if it wasn't for their father. He hated what they became and hunted them down, Klaus most of all. His fear caused Klaus to want to become the thing that people feared, including his siblings. I've seen them all together. When they aren't fighting or trying to kill each other or others. There is a bond there a closeness and understanding I don't think anyone else will ever be able to understand. After all, no one besides them understands all the things they have seen and lived through. I know they all care and love each other, but I think it scares them. Love to them is a weakness, even if its family. Elijah is the only one I've seen actually voice and express his love." He took a breath and closed his eyes, trying not to think about Kol.
"It's sad because Klaus loves them, I think more fiercely than even Elijah. He just doesn't seem to know how to handle it. There was a time, when Elijah was in trouble, I swear Klaus would have burned the town to the ground to save him. My sister and her friends, they didn't see it the same way I did. They just saw his typical wrath and anger, but I could see it. It was fear, and love, and pure rage. Rage that someone had taken his brother, that someone had threatened his brother. I saw it again when Rebekah was hurt or when Kol almost died."
"The way they fear love it's fucked," He growled, "I swear it's like every time they start to be okay, one of them freaks and lashes out. Does something stupid. I don't know if it's because they just expect it to go to hell or if they are truly afraid of being happy, but they do." He sighed, and wiped his eyes, not realizing they had started to tear up as he got frustrated and angry, his own fear coming through.
He looked at Jordan who looked thoughtful, "Recently it was Klaus." He said quickly trying to get back on the topic that started all this. "Which means the others aren't really talking to him. Expect Elijah… and Ric."
"You love him." Jordan said suddenly.
Jeremy's head snapped up and he looked at the hellhound.
"What?"
"Kol, you love him." Jordan moving to stand next to him. The deputy let out a breath, "Your afraid that if you let yourself show it. He'll lash out like he and his family do when they are conflicted or confused. That's the way you haven't gave in to his flirting yet." Jeremy tried to shake his head in denial but wasn't able.
"Do you think he will?" Jordan asked looking over at him.
"I don't know." Jeremy answered truthfully. Jordan was right, he was terrified that if Kol found out how he felt the vampire would act out, take off, leave nothing but bodies and blood in his wake. He knew Kol wanted him, hell the vampire made that clear daily, but he wasn't sure if Kol wanted anything more than companionship and sex. Something inside him told him Kol wanted more, the overprotectiveness and the fact he wouldn't give up or force it, told Jeremy that Kol felt something. But what would happen if Kol realized it? That fear echoed through his mind every time he almost gave into the vampire.
They fell silent for a few minutes before Jeremy needed to talk about something else, needed to get his mind off Kol and all the possibilities.
"What about you and Lydia?" He asked looking over at Jordan, who even with the darkening sky he could see blushed.
"That's complicated." The deputy replied, before looking at Jeremy, "I can't tell what's my desire and what is the hellhounds. I know Cerberus wants her, and I know she is drawn to him. But how do I know if any of it is me?" The man dropped his head.
Jeremy thought about it for a moment. "I think you do." He said. Jordan raised his head to look at him. "I mean when Ceberus," And how cool was it that the hellhound had a name, "is umm showing himself," He raised his own brow at Jordan to make sure that wording was okay, the man chuckled. "You can see it and feel it. I think if it was just his feelings you would know."
"Fuck." The hellhound cursed, confusing Jeremy.
"I thought you wanted to like her?" He asked, only for Jordan to laugh.
"I do." The man said when he stopped laughing, "I'm a little unsure however, about Aiden."
"Aiden?" Jeremy asked trying to figure out the change in- oh
"Cerberus likes them both?" He asks.
Jordan nodded.
"And they like each other?" Again Jordan nodded.
"Is it because he's a guy?" He asked and saw Jordan's shoulders dropped.
"I've never…" The man swallowed, "I've never been attracted to a guy before, but when it was just me and him, it was like I couldn't think clearly and I almost… we almost." Jordan stopped, the man looked panicked. Jeremy knew he needed to say something supportive.
"I get it." Jeremy said, moving to stand in front of Jordan, he placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Trust me, I get it. Before Kol. I had a crush on a girl named Viki and then another girl, Anna. When Kol turned up, he was charming and sarcastic and I found myself completely thrown by him. I thought we were friends but I wanted more, and Kol had no qualms about flirting with any and everyone. He confused the hell out of me. It took my sister's current boyfriend, though they weren't dating at the time, Damon telling me to man up and admit I liked the homicidal maniac," he chuckled, "those were his exact words." Jordan chuckled. "While his wording was crap, the advice was good. I finally admitted to myself that it was okay to like a guy, though Kol being a vampire and a little homicidal was still a bit of a stretch." again Jordan chuckled, "But I let myself get to know him, and I'm okay with it now. Maybe you should give Aiden a chance."
Jordan's eyes blazed orange for a second, Jeremy assumed the hellhound agreed with his advice.
"Maybe I should." Jordan said. He smiled and gave the man's shoulder a squeeze.
Though it seemed their moment and conversation was over as the doors to the building opened and the rest of the group walked outside.
"Jer?" Kol's voice carried from the door way and in a second he was next to him. "You okay?" Jeremy nodded and tried not to smile when Kol eyed him and then glowered at Jordan. The deputy gave Jeremy a knowing grin before telling them goodnight and walking away.
"How'd the rest of the meeting go." He asked and chuckled when Kol rolled his eyes and muttered, "boring."
"Ready to head back to Stiles?" He asked.
"I have to get Malia first." Kol turned his head to look at him, then in a second Jeremy felt himself being pushed back against the truck, "Should I be worried about the hound?" Kol whispered low in his ear and Jeremy shivered.
"Jordan's spoken for." He replied. Kol hummed and pulled back enough to look Jeremy in the eye. "I'll be right back. Stay." Then the vampire was gone. Jeremy tried not to grin but he couldn't stop himself. He should not be turned on or attracted to Kol's jealousy.
"What did Niklaus say?" His smile fell and he turned to see Elijah looking at him from in front of the truck, the twins a little ways behind him talking to Scott.
He swallowed, "How'd you know?"
Elijah smiled, "I have had the same thoughts about calling him. And I saw you swipe Kol's phone. The only person in his phone that is not in yours is Klaus."
Jeremy wondered how the hell the vampire knew that, but didn't ask, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"He asked if you two knew I was calling and when I said no, he said good and not to tell you. Then he hung up." Elijah nodded.
"Then I'm sure he will show up sooner or later. If he had no intention of coming he wouldn't have cared if me or Kol were aware you'd spoken." That was a relief. He really hoped Klaus would be able to help them. He hated the thought of what was happening to the five missing kids.
"Are you going to tell Kol?" He asked.
Elijah smiled, "Are you?"
Before he could answer Kol was back at his side, an arm around his waist and they were moving.
They stopped inside the guest room at Stiles house. Kol already moving away from him, removing his jacket before he dropped on to the edge of the bed. Jeremy stood frozen watching as Kol untied and pulled off his shoes, and then his socks. Then the vampire was off the bed, going through Jeremy's bag and pulling out a pair of sleep pants. Jeremy hissed at himself, told himself to move, to go into the bathroom and take a shower anything but stand there and watching as Kol stripped down to his boxers and pulled on Jeremy's pants. But he didn't. In fact, the only time he moved was when Kol appeared in front of him, a smirk on his face.
"Enjoy the show darling?"