"That was a pretty good little speech you gave to Derek back there," Argent finished his perimeter check of the school and came to stand next to the teenager.
"Thanks," Jeremy huffed, resting his crossbow against his shoulder.
"I mean it," the hunter turned to look at the kid. "You seem, good, at this, for being so young."
"Had to learn fast," Jeremy shrugged. "Had a good teacher too."
"Had?"
"He - died." Jeremy shifted. "Alaric Saltzman. Ric."
"Huh. Saltzman. Think I heard of him."
"He was good. Great. And a good man. He didn't deserve to die."
"Do any of us?" Chris sighed.
"At least he found peace, I think." Jeremy stared up at the sky.
"What makes you say that?" Chris pressed when the boy didn't continue.
"I, uh, I can see ghosts." He chuckled at Chris' raised brow. "Little side effect of being saved by a witch. I saw Ric, right after it happened. He said he'd always be there. That I wouldn't be alone." Jeremy caught Chris' questioning gaze. "Elena and my - our parents - they died. Car accident. And then our aunt, Jenna, became our guardian and she died. Killed by a vampire. Ric sort of stepped in. Took care of us. Until," Jeremy cleared his throat. "But I don't see him anymore. I did, for a bit. Then I died, and he was there, on the Other Side, with me. But after I got brought back from the dead, I could still see ghosts, but I didn't see him anymore. And haven't. I mean, I wasn't back and alive in Mystic Falls long before we came here, but he's a ghost. All they really have to do to go somewhere is think about a person, and there they are. He could be right here next to me if he wanted to be."
"Wow," Chris breathed out after a long moment. "That is a lot. I'm still getting my head around some of that. I -" he shook his head. "I'm sorry. You said before, that, he, uh, Ric, found peace, like it's a good thing. Now you don't sound like you believe that so much."
Jeremy snapped his head up toward the man.
"No, I do. Of course. Ric - he deserves that. I just - miss seeing him. It's not the same, seeing someone's ghost. Sometimes it hurts even worse," he glanced beside him at a somber Bonnie, "but it's also, I don't know, comforting. Better than nothing, I guess."
"I am so sorry. You are far too young to have had so much loss." Chris put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "This life, that's what it does. It's why I left it."
"You don't look like you've left it." Jeremy nodded at the bow and sidearm.
"This - this is a one-time thing. I'm not a hunter anymore. My sister, my wife, died because of all of this."
"I'm sorry, too."
"I know you probably don't want my advice. You don't know me. But, get out."
"Wh - what?" Jeremy squinted at the man.
"Get out of this life, if you can, when you can. Get out as fast you can if you want to stay alive. You seem like a good kid. You deserve more than this."
Jeremy's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Tried that. Left Mystic Falls. The life found me. Besides, my sister's a vampire now. I think I'm stuck with it. I can't leave her. I won't."
"You're a good brother, and a good man." Chris squeezed Jeremy's shoulder and dropped his hand. "Be smart, and safe."
"Thought you said I was a good hunter," Jeremy tried to crack a joke but it didn't quite fall right.
"Even the best of us get taken down by the job," Chris stared straight ahead for a silent beat before giving the kid a small shove. "And you're pretty good. At least, for someone who isn't an Argent."
"Oh please," Jeremy huffed, "I'm a great hunter."
"Uh huh."
"I didn't even tell you about the time that I became a member of The Brotherhood of the Five."
"The Brother - you - what?" Chris turned fully, sputtering and gaping at the kid.
"Created by a powerful, dying witch with the sole purpose of killing the very first immortal, yeah." Jeremy shrugged and smiled. "So I'd say I'm pretty good."
"You shouldn't have come," Stefan groaned as he leaned against his brother.
"I'm touched," Damon rolled his eyes, "but if I hadn't, you and blondie would be overdosing on vervain in a teeny tiny cell right about now."
"Wasn't talking to you," Stefan grunted, shifting to glance at Elena, who was walking alongside them, Caroline limp in her arms.
"I'm fine," she sighed, adjusting her grip on her friend.
"You were still healing," Stefan shook his head, "and now you got hurt again."
"It's just a couple cuts and bruises. They're already all healed up. Besides, I was more than happy to take out a little revenge rage on those Alphas after what they did to me."
They both paused as they reached the building, Damon kicking the door with his foot a few times and calling out. A long moment passed before the veterinarian appeared.
"Little help?" Damon huffed, hoisting Stefan against the side of the building.
"Most people say please," Deaton held the door open for them, "or hello."
Elena brought Caroline past him and inside, following by Damon dragging Stefan.
"Thank you," Elena called back to the man, catching his gaze. "Really."
Deaton nodded.
"Put her on the other table," he pointed, "Jackson."
Jackson stepped forward from his spot in the corner and helped Elena lower Caroline onto the table while Damon dropped Stefan into a nearby chair, a drop made smoother by Deaton lowering the vampire the rest of the way.
"What happened to them?" The doctor moved toward Caroline.
"Vervain," Elena stepped back. "They should be fine in a while. Just out." She turned around. "How is she?"
"Weak," Deaton stepped around the table where Erica still laid, "but healing."
"Speaking of healing, doc," Jackson rubbed his chest, "why aren't these?"
"They're from an Alpha," the doctor directed him back into a chair. "They'll take longer. In the meantime, I can bandage them up."
Elena glanced around the room, noticing the distinct lack of people in the very clinic everyone had agreed to meet at after busting the werewolves out.
"Where is everyone?"
"I'm taking it the plan didn't go as well, planned," Damon leaned against a wall.
"The original plan, no," Jackson shook his head as Deaton began cutting his shirt open. "Then Caroline came up with a horrible backup plan that unsurprisingly blew up in our faces."
"Save the attitude for your teachers, dog boy," Damon narrowed his glare on the kid, "and just tell us what happened. Now."
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