Chapter 34 – Jeremy

After the girls had freshened up and eaten the room service Kol had ordered, Elena called her younger brother to let him know she was in town and wanted to meet up. Jeremy informed her that he was at the batting cage. So the group migrated to the batting cage, with Elena excited to see Jeremy, Kol excited to bond with his new brother over baseball, Sabrina along for the ride and Jeremy not knowing what was coming his way.

Elena quickly found her brother once they arrived and she introduced Kol and Sabrina as close friends. Jeremy thought it a little weird as he hadn't heard of them before so he was a little on edge and suspicious, that is until he saw Henrik.

"Hi Jeremy," Henrik greeted him.

Jeremy nodded subtly to acknowledge him without drawing attention to himself. Kol had gone to get a couple of baseball bats and a basket of balls while Elena and Sabrina were sitting nearby not really paying attention to him having a conversation.

Jeremy wasn't sure why He could see Henrik, especially since he had died a thousand years ago. There was no seemingly connection between the two, other than the other side where Jeremy went briefly if he died. Not that he remembered anything about the other side. Henrik told him he would find out why he could see him in time, even though he could only see people he knew or had a connection with.

Jeremy wondered at Henrik showing up now. He only showed up when he was alone or there was danger nearby. He looked at Henrik curiously while trying to school his expression so Elena wouldn't noticed. How on earth could he explain to Elena he could see a dead boy from a thousand years ago? How could he explain and said boy was the youngest brother of Niklaus and Elijah Mikaelson.

Henrik looked at Jeremy, "Hey Jer, thought you should know that Kol is my older brother."

Jeremy stared at him in shock, "What!?" He couldn't help but let the words escape his mouth.

Elena and Sabrina both turned to look at him in surprise. "Jeremy?" Elena asked, "What's wrong?"

Jeremy turned to look at his sister, "Something you want to tell me?"

Elena frowned at her little brother in confusion, "I have a lot of things to tell you actually. That's why I'm here. Why?"

"I have a friend who is a ghost." Jeremy replied, "You do remember I can see dead people, right?"

Elena flinched, "I do."

Jeremy glared at her, "You know I hate being left out of the loop. My friend told me a little something about your friend Kol. Care to explain why you are hanging out with Kol Mikaelson?"

Elena frowned, instantly worried about who her brother might be talking to on the other side. "Who is this friend? What's his name?"

Kol overheard her question as he walked up to join the group. "Wouldn't happen to be a young boy by the name Henrik Mikaelson, would it?" He asked with a smirk.

Henrik laughed, "Of course he would pick up on our friendship."

Jeremy ignored his friend and glared at Kol. "How ever did you guess?" He asked sarcastically.

Kol shrugged, "Henrik said he was looking out for you on the other side. I figured he was looking out for you the best he could in our world too. And since you can see dead people..." He trailed off.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, although he was impressed with Kol. "When did you talk to Henrik? How did you talk to him?" Jeremy asked, he thought he was the only one that could talk to ghosts.

Kol smirked at him, "Sabrina did a spell."

"Sabrina's a witch?" Jeremy asked surprised.

Kol nodded, "One of the best." He replied with a smirk as he wrapped an arm around Sabrina's shoulder. Sabrina stiffened a little, surprised at the contact but quickly relaxed.

"Though your girl is pretty good as well." Kol added as he dropped his arm and stepped away from his mate.

Jeremy eyed him, "Bonnie is THE best." He declared. "But I'm sure your girl is pretty good as well"

Kol laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "We're going to get along just fine. How about we hit some balls now?"

"Wait, you can talk to Henrik?" Elena asked stopping them in their tracks. She had completely missed the boys talking about Sabrina and Bonnie.

Everyone turned to look at Elena. Jeremy hesitantly nodded, "I don't know why, but I can see him. It's really odd, since I only see people I have a connection with."

Elena got excited, "Kol do you think it's is because of the prophecy?"

"Ding, ding, dong. She got it in one," Henrik said.

Jeremy turned his attention back to his friend, "What prophecy? What are you talking about?"

Elena shrugged not realizing he wasn't talking to her, "I don't really know, they having told me yet. But everything is related to it!"

Henrik nodded, "Yeah. All she knows is there is a prophecy."

Jeremy narrowed his eyes, "That doesn't explain anything."

Sabrina stepped in, "There's a prophecy about the Mikaelsons and your sister. And it extends to you as well, that's why you can see Henrik."

Jeremy frowned in confusion, "What's the prophecy?"

This time it was Kol who spoke, "My siblings really need to be there for us to explain that."

Elena rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Kol, "I know! Everyone needs to be present." She huffed crossing her arms.

Kol narrowed his eyes at her petulance but ignored her, "We have more pressing business at this time anyway. We're here to fill you in, on everything."

Jeremy looked at his sister, "No more secrets?" He asked hopefully.

Elena smiled at him, "No more secrets." She promised.

"So since when are you all buddy-buddy with the Mikaelsons?" Jeremy asked his sister.

"It's a long story," Elena replied. "I promise to tell you all of it later but they decided to adopt us. And after a bit of a rough start I couldn't be happier living with them."

"Uh huh," Jeremy looked at his sister dubiously.

"It's true," Henrik told him. "My siblings have sworn to protect her. They did a blood adoption, something Sabrina can explain better but basically it make my siblings unable to hurt her. They only want to protect and love her."

Jeremy nodded at Henrik's explanation, "I trust Henrik and he says you're telling the truth."

Kol smirked at him, "Great. Now little sister, you and Sabrina sit down and let some real men show you how to hit baseballs."

That night at the hotel Elena sat down with Jeremy while Kol and Sabrina went out for a dinner date. She filled him in on everything that had happened in Mystic Falls since he left. They included the truth of how Elena came to be blood adopted. Jeremy hadn't taken that very well, but Elena assured him that she was glad it had happened.

"I feel safe and secure now," she told him. "I haven't felt like that in a long time."

"What about with Stefan and Damon?" He asked her.

Elena replied, "I love them but being with them feels more like I have body guards. They don't necessarily feel like the safety you feel from home and family. Plus they try to control me.

"Being with the Mikaelsons I feel like I'm home. I feel safe and protected, I feel loved, and they don't trying to control me. Sure they have expectations of how I act. But there's a difference between them expecting me to act with decorum and they trying to control what I do. "

The. Elena shared she wanted them to do a blood adoption with him too, "Your my family and they have to accept that."

Jeremy was a little hesitant about that but Elena assured him he could talk to Sabrina about it.

"It's her specialty!"

So Jeremy agreed to think about it, he didn't want to go into it blind and his sister could understand that. Elena also apologized for having him compelled to leave in the first place.