The next morning, Jeremy was getting dressed in a bedroom in the Mikaelson mansion. He'd ended up there after storming out of his house after his fight with Ric. It was really ironic that the people he felt comfortable with after a fight with his guardian were the very same people he'd wished dead a few months ago. He could admit then that he hadn't really known them very well, and aside from Klaus, he didn't really mind them. Even Klaus was nice to him, but it was hard to get past the fact that he'd murdered Jeremy's aunt and sacrificed Elena.

Jeremy had just finished putting on his shirt when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door was opened moments later by Elijah. "Good morning, Jeremy. I hope you slept well.

Jeremy nodded. "I hope it's okay that I stayed here last night. Finn said it was alright." Elijah hadn't been home when he arrived. Finn had let him in and gave him permission to spend the night.

"It's more than okay. I would prefer you to come here than go somewhere else. You made the right decision. Breakfast will be on the table shortly, after which, I would like to speak to you privately," Elijah said.

"Did Elena tell you why I came here?" Jeremy asked. When he'd gotten there last night, he was pretty upset. Elena asked him about it, and he told her about Ric's conversation with Damon.

"Not exactly, but I made my deductions. She asked if you would be living with us," Elijah said.

"What did you say?" Jeremy asked.

"Let's discuss it after breakfast, alright?" Elijah asked.

Realizing he didn't have a choice, Jeremy nodded and watched Elijah leave the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After breakfast, Elijah led Jeremy into his office so that they could talk. He didn't know exactly what happened last night, but from Elena's question that morning, he could take a guess. "Have a seat, Jeremy."

Jeremy complied and took a seat in front of the desk.

Elijah sat in the chair behind his desk. "Now, I assume you came here because Alaric told you about the possibility of me taking over guardianship of you. Am I right?"

"No. He didn't talk to me about it. He talked to Damon about it," Jeremy said in an extremely irritated tone. That was what pissed him off the most. He would probably not be so angry if Ric had had the decency to speak to him directly. "I walked in on them talking about it. He basically told Damon that I'd be moving in here."

Elijah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was no wonder that Jeremy was so angry. Elijah was not very happy either. For one, they had had maybe two conversations about this matter. Nothing had been decided, but from what Jeremy said, Alaric had alluded to it being a done deal. For another, he had no business speaking to Damon Salvatore of all people about this, especially where Jeremy could walk in and hear it. "I'm sorry you heard about it that way. It shouldn't have been allowed to happen. You have every right to be angry."

"Yeah, well, I'm kind of mad at you too. I've spent every day here for weeks, and you never once told me that I'd be moving in here. Why?" Jeremy asked.

"For one, because no decision has been made. It's true that Alaric and I have discussed the possibility, but nothing more than that," Elijah told him.

"Ric made it seem like it was already done," Jeremy said.

"Well, he shouldn't have. We've discussed it, but it's a big decision, one I wasn't willing to into lightly. One reason for that is that I wasn't sure how comfortable you would be living under the same roof as the man who murdered your aunt. Coming over daily to visit your sister is different than being under our supervision permanently," Elijah explained.

Jeremy nodded that he understood.

"The other reason I didn't tell you is that it was not my place. Currently, your guardian is Alaric Saltzman. It was up to him to decide when you should be told. However, I would've insisted that you be told before any decision could be made, so that you would have a chance to have your say about it," Elijah told him.

"So, I get a say it?" Jeremy asked. He was much calmer now, although he was still pissed at Ric. However, at least now he knew that this whole thing hadn't been decided behind his back.

"Yes, you get a say, and your opinion will hold a lot of weight, but you do not have the final say. Ultimately, the adults responsible for you will make the final decision," Elijah told him in a calm but firm tone.

"I'm sixteen. Shouldn't I get to decide who I live with?" Jeremy asked irritably.

"You are only sixteen, which makes you prone to rash decisions. This isn't a decision that she be made out of emotion. That is why, while your desires will hold a lot of weight, it will Alaric and myself that make the final decision," Elijah said calmly.

"Which way are you leaning?" Jeremy asked. He was still unhappy about Elijah's response, but at least it was an honest and respectful one. He felt like Elijah respected him more than Ric did right now. In any event, he wanted to know what the likely outcome would be.

Elijah was hesitant to answer that question. It was still early, and they barely began to discuss it. However, he also didn't want to put Jeremy off. He wanted to be honest with him. "After last night, that you live with us. However, it is far from a done deal, and I am here to listen to your opinion. I want to know what you think."

"I don't know. Ric wasn't wrong when he said I didn't trust him. I trust him even less now. It isn't just that he kept it from me. He talked to Damon Salvatore of all people about my life! Did you know that Damon killed me once?" Jeremy asked. He was ranting. He really hated Damon and he hated that Ric would talk to Damon about him.

Elijah frowned. He had certainly not known that fact. "I did not."

"I had my ring on, so I was fine, but he hadn't known that. He broke my neck because Elena rejected his advances. I'll be honest, I resented her for forgiving him for that for a while. Now I realize it wasn't really her fault. She was too young. He probably manipulated her," Jeremy said.

Elijah was furious, both for Jeremy and for Elena. Elena should never have been put in a position to witness that. That was an act of abuse. "I am sorry that happened. If Damon Salvatore tries to hurt you again, if he even comes near you, I want you to tell me."

Jeremy nodded. "Anyway, I just brought it up to point out how messed up it is that he would find out something about my life before I did. And that's after Ric let him compel me. I know Elena did too, but it's different."

"It is," Elijah agreed.

"You wouldn't, right? You wouldn't compel me to get me to do something you wanted, right?" Jeremy asked. He was almost certain Elijah wouldn't. Elijah hadn't been happy to find out about the compulsion. He'd made Elena see that she was wrong.

"No. I will never compel you. Not only is that bad parenting, it's lazy parenting. No parent should need to resort to such tactics for their children to listen to them, not if they're good at it. Now, will I make you do things you don't want to, almost certainly, but I will not compel you," Elijah promised.

Jeremy nodded. "I'm not sure what I want."

"That's alright. I suggest that you take time to think about it. There's still a lot to think about before any decision is made. We'll keep talking about it. One thing I do want you to understand though, and it's the first thing I told Alaric when we discussed it, is that should you come to live under my care, it is permanent. You will remain under my supervision until you're eighteen," Elijah said. This young man had been bounced around enough from guardian to guardian in the last year. He needed stability. That was another reason he was leaning towards Jeremy moving in with him. He would have at least the stability of knowing he would have a permanent guardian. Even if they ended up leaving Mystic Falls, he would still have that stability.

Jeremy nodded. That was actually reassuring. "Would it be okay if I stayed here for a couple of days? I don't want to deal with Ric right now."

Elijah nodded. He actually thought that was a good idea. It would give him a taste of what living with them would be like. "I will have to clear it with Alaric, but it's fine with me. However, while you're here, you will follow the same rules Elena does. I trust you know what those are?"

Jeremy nodded. Elena had certainly complained about them enough. "I have to have your permission before going anywhere, I have to be back by a certain time, and I have to have all my schoolwork done."

"Those are the major ones. You also have to be respectful of everyone in this house. Can you do that?" Elijah asked. He had never been disrespectful to any of them, but staying with them for an extended period of time would be different, and he knew Jeremy had issues with Niklaus.

"Yeah. Thanks, Elijah. At the very least you were honest with me," Jeremy said.

"I will always be honest with you. Now, if there's nothing more you wish to discuss, you may go if you'd like. I know your sister is dying to know what we talked about," Elijah said with a smirk.

Jeremy chuckled before getting up and heading out of the room.