The Hybrid's Back:
"Tyler, move!"
"Just take the shot, Beth! You're not going to hurt me."
"Fine but if I shoot you in the ass, don't blame me!" Beth told him seriously. She aimed her crossbow around Tyler's body. He wouldn't completely move so she didn't have a clear shot of the beer can. He rolled his eyes and she took the shot, hitting the can but barely missing Tyler's leg. She did the same on the other side. And hit the beer can that he was about to drink out of, letting the beer spill on his face. She laughed as he coughed. "Sorry, Ty!"
"I was drinking that." Tyler said as his wiped his hands on his jeans.
"I took the shot, Ty. Just like you said." She smirked at him and he rolled his eyes. They were out in the woods doing target practice. It's been a few weeks since Homecoming and Beth's birthday. Klaus left the next day and Stefan disappeared too. It was odd how Stefan took off but it was probably because he saved Klaus. Klaus hadn't made any move against Damon, which was surprising since he was the one who really wanted him, dead. Beth hadn't seen Rebekah since that day either, she thought maybe Klaus had taken her with him but what was odd were the dreams she's had since he left. Ever since, Tyler's been sired a lot of their friends has alienated him but she refused to. It wasn't his fault and he needed someone by his side. As her and Damon grew farther apart, her and Tyler got closer. "It's just beer. And you're drunk enough."
"You can never be drunk enough." He corrected her, throwing an arm over her shoulder, causing her to roll her eyes. "Feel free to have one."
"You're such a guy." She laughed as she bent down to grab an arrow that was stuck to a beer can.
"I'm surprised that Saltzman can actually teach someone something right." He commented with a shrug as he took a swig of his beer. It wasn't really smart of him to insult someone Beth cared about, especially when she had a lethal weapon in her hand. She stuffed the crossbow and arrows into her bag. Beth glared at him before pushing past him to grab another arrow.
"Don't be an ass! Just cause you're failing history doesn't mean, he can't teach it, Tyler!" Beth snapped at him picking up an arrow.
"Sorry, Beth. I didn't mean it." He put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't leave. Jeremy's coming by. I'm sorry. I was being a jerk." He apologized to her sincerely.
"Yeah you were." She agreed but sighed when she saw the look on his face. "It's fine. I just have to go see Ric cause he's been texting me, probably trying to get me to talk to Damon again. I have to get back to the house." She said, with a look that said she'd stay if she could. She still stayed at Elena's house some nights but usually at the apartment and Alaric was always with her. And right now he wanted them all to have dinner at her house.
"All right, um, you might want to avoid the square cause I saw Damon down there earlier." He warned her.
Beth sighed. "Thanks for the heads up. I'll see you later." She said with a wave as she hoisted up her bag over her shoulders. Beth walked out of the woods and near the street. As she walked avoiding the town square she swore she felt someone watching her. Turning around, she saw no one but she still felt weird. She began to pick up her a pace a little faster though she couldn't see anyone. Still walking a bit faster, she turned around and saw no one but felt herself bump into someone. Beth struggled to find her balance when someone grabbed her by the waist. "Careful there, sweetheart." She turned to see Klaus standing there with a huge grin on his face.
"Klaus." She sighed in relief. She was afraid that it could have been someone else. "What are you doing here? I thought you left town."
"I did, love. But I came back. Have to see Stefan for a chat but no one seems to know where he is." He told her as they started to walk. "You haven't seen him by any chance have you?"
"I haven't seen him since Homecoming." She said.
"Well, no matter. I'm off actually to go talk to the other Salvatore brother, Damon. Hopefully he can shed some light on his whereabouts. Talk to him lately?" Klaus asked nonchalantly but there was a hint of joy in his eyes when she shook her head. It was obvious that her and Damon were still on the outs. "Pity. Sometimes those Salvatore's don't know a good thing when they've got it." Beth rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, it's a good thing I'm on my way there now."
"Please don't hurt him, Klaus. He's an ass, yes but I don't want him to get hurt." She told him.
"I give you my word, love. I will not hurt him." He smirked at her. "Well, I should get going. As much as I've missed you, I'll have to see you later."
She smiled at him. "I'll see you later, I suppose." He winked at her before she saw him disappear. Beth made her way to Elena's house. She had gotten a few houses away from there when she saw Tyler leave the house. It was weird since he didn't tell her he was coming. She got to the house and went in. "Hello?" She called out. She saw Alaric and Elena in the kitchen. "Hey did Tyler come by?"
"Yep, Jeremy invited him in." She said in a disapproving tone as she went back to washing some more dishes. "Tyler Lockwood the lunatic now has access to our house."
"He's not a lunatic." Beth defended her friend. "He's sired. He just needs a way to get it under control and he'll be fine."
Alaric didn't want a fight to start out so he interrupted them. "Listen this whole sire bond thing is…wild. I don't even think Tyler is fully aware of what little reason lies behind what he's saying." Beth nodded in agreement. Just because he hadn't gotten it under control yet, didn't mean that she was going to just ignore him. "It's this weird cult logic."
"Well, great, that's a wonderful influence for you, Jer…." She turned around but didn't see her younger brother where he was sitting. "Jeremy?" Beth saw his ring lying on the table.
"That's his ring."
"Where did he go?" Elena asked as she picked it up. It was weird how he just disappeared like that. They all walked outside to see Jeremy standing in the middle of the street. It was odd cause he was just standing still. "Jeremy? What is he doing?" Suddenly, Beth heard a car whipping around the corner and speeding towards him. "Oh my God! Jeremy!"
"Jeremy!" Beth shouted as they ran to him.
"Jeremy, move!" Elena yelled, trying to get to her younger brother. Alaric ran ahead of them. He pushed him out of the way and into the sidewalk and got his instead of him. Alaric fell to the ground unconscious.
"Alaric!" Beth yelled as she ran to him. A car pulled up to them. It was one of Klaus' hybrids. Beth turned him over. "Please, be okay, Ric. Please." She grabbed his hand and made sure he was wearing his ring. He was and she let out a sigh of relief.
"There I go again bumping into people." He said with a shrug. He took off down the street.
Beth grabbed Alaric's hand. Jeremy ran over to them. "He's going to be all right." Beth assured him. "Are you okay?"
"I don't understand." Jeremy said in a daze.
"Who was that on the phone earlier?" Elena asked him. Beth wasn't sure what they were talking about. But, if someone was on the phone with him and he wasn't wearing vervain, they could have compelled him.
Jeremy stopped to remember before going "It was Klaus!"
Beth became angry. Klaus compelled him to get run over. That must have been why he was talking to her, to keep her distracted. She'd deal with him when she knew Alaric was ok. "You were compelled, Jeremy." She told him sharply. "We've got to get Alaric inside. Help me!"
xxxxx
Beth walked back into the living room, with a damp cloth in her hand for Alaric. As she walked into the room, she saw a familiar face and stopped where she was. "Damon." She greeted him her voice full of surprise. Elena and Jeremy both weren't there, leaving them alone with each other. He gave her a small smile.
"Hey, El. Long time, no see." He commented awkwardly. She really didn't know what to say. They hadn't been alone together since they argued a few weeks ago. Even then, she tried to avoid him and his calls whenever she could. She walked over to Alaric and started to clean his face from the blood. "So, um, are you okay?" He asked. Beth kept the shock, of him asking about her, off her face.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Thanks." She told him. He gave her a short smile. "So, do they know how Jeremy got compelled?" She asked him. He usually wore a bracelet similar to hers that prevented that. Damon nodded. He was just happy she was talking to him a little bit, even if it was just about Jeremy.
"Oh yeah, that Lockwood dick somehow got it off of him." He told her.
"Wait? What? Tyler did this?" She asked shocked. She knew that he wasn't himself but she didn't think he'd go this far. And even because of Klaus and him, Alaric died and if he weren't wearing his ring, would be dead for good. "He got Jeremy compelled?"
"Well, technically Klaus did it to send a message about finding Stefan to get his coffins back but yeah Tyler got the bracelet off of him." He confirmed. "What are you doing?" He asked as she started to get up. Beth put the washcloth down and grabbed her bag. She began walking to the door when Damon rushed in front of her. "Hey, you don't want to do that. Tyler's dangerous."
Beth scoffed. "I can handle Tyler." She moved to leave but he got in her way again.
"He's a hybrid and he could hurt you."
"Yeah, well no matter how much of a dick he's being, I trust he won't hurt me. I know that trust might be a foreign concept to you but I do." She snapped at him. He sighed and she pushed past him, leaving him standing in the doorway.
xxxxx
"Hey, asshole!" She shouted at Tyler. He looked back from the log he was on, drinking a beer. She stalked up to him, angry with her fists clenched at her sides. Beth shoved him as hard as she could, unknowingly using magic to help her. Tyler stumbled over the log but managed to stay on his feet. "Mind telling what the hell you thought that you were doing? I can't believe you!"
"I'm sorry. Klaus said he just wanted to send a message. I didn't know he was going to try and run down Jeremy. He already came to yell at me about that." He told her. She scoffed and hit him on his arm.
"Oh you're sorry? Alaric got hit! If he weren't wearing his ring he would have died! Hell, if he hadn't gotten to Jeremy on time, Jeremy would be dead! Elena would have lost her brother! Don't you get that?" She yelled at him hitting him again. She pushed him away and started to walk away from him when he called her name.
"I know! Beth, I know! All he wants is his family back! You know that! I'm sorry. I didn't know." He told her desperately. If he knew that, was what Klaus wanted he would have never done it in the first place. He was surprised that she didn't try to shoot him like Jeremy did, since it was Alaric that got hurt. "I'm so sorry.
Beth started to walk away from him but stopped to pick up a heavy rock and heaved it at Tyler's head. He ducked right in time so it the tree behind him instead. "You missed me!" He shouted at her. She threw another one at him but missed as she stalked off.
