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[A Far Better Place] Normal Influence
Title: Normal Influence
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer & The Vampire Diaries crossover
Universe: Far Better Place
Relationships: Dawn Summers/Connor, implied Jeremy/Bonnie, implied Damon/Elena
Summary: Jeremy heads to Italy to train some Slayers, only to realize that in this new, crazy world, he's the normal one.
Senior year couldn't have passed any slower. Jeremy swore, sometimes the days dragged on as if they were years. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to stop and sniff the roses. Not when he had a guaranteed job that could fulfill Dad's legacy. While Jeremy didn't exactly hate vampires - he was now related to one - he could live without them.
The rumors had spread like wildfire across the Other Side. Some mornings, Jeremy could see Vicki and Anna gossiping about it as if he couldn't see them. Other times, he'd notice Alaric shaking his head at him ("I sure hope he knows what he's doing") before quickly turning his gaze back towards something else. While he didn't cherish his supernatural Sight, it kept his life interesting.
After Elena had left for Whitmore, Jeremy seized his chance and moved straight into Tyler's old guest room. Damon was his legal guardian for all intents and purposes - mostly because Elena had lost her brains when she was with Damon - but Jeremy needed the space. The old guest room felt more like home than the Salvatore Manor ever had. As large and illustrious as the old boarding house was, Tyler's affection for him permeated the Lockwood estate. Stefan could only do so much for Jeremy, in the end.
Jeremy had quickly grown accustomed to the space. Some evenings, he retreated to Tyler's den to finish assignments. Tonight, unfamiliar footsteps gave him pause. He saved his file and glanced over at the doorframe.
"Uncle John...?" Jeremy was absolutely certain that his uncle - his human uncle - couldn't stay on the Other Side. "How come I can see you?"
"Us normal humans have this place called Purgatory," Uncle John joked, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets as he approached. "I think you learned about it in your last Religion class."
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Jeremy should've figured. "In other words, you have no idea."
"Pretty much." Uncle John sat down across from Jeremy, inspecting him as if he were seeing his nephew for the first time. "I hear from Alaric that you're joining the Watcher's Council."
"Right. I thought no one had heard of the Watcher's Council." Jeremy leaned back in his seat.
"Mainly because very few vampires have lived to tell the tale. Why give power to a legend?" Uncle John had a point. If the Council had succeeded in killing vampires - with the exception of those Pesky Originals - then why would any bother to confirm their location or their members? Still, something about the Council bothered Jeremy: namely, that Uncle John and his father knew of their existence.
"How come it wasn't mentioned in Dad's journal? The Council, I mean?"
Uncle John's face grew thoughtful. "Probably because it WAS just a legend to us. I didn't know they actually existed until Alaric said so." At least death had taught Uncle John the fine art of getting along with other people. "How come you said yes to them? It doesn't seem like your kind of place."
Jeremy shrugged. "The head of the Council wanted me to join. I didn't feel like saying no."
"More like, you think there's merit in leaving town." Uncle John hmmed, tapping his foot in rhythm to an imaginary beat. Why exactly did Jeremy like the ability to talk to the dead again? "I can't say I blame you. This town reeks of death." He sniffed his forearm before adding, "Or maybe just Armani and death."
Jeremy snorted, half-derisively, half-amused. "I'd take the Armani any day."
"Suit yourself." Uncle John then rose from the couch he had occupied, turning around to further inspect Jeremy's new room. Jeremy hadn't decorated much - hard to, when most of his belongings had burnt to the ground - but he had supplemented some of Tyler's old knickknacks with old family photos from the Lakehouse. Elena might've wanted to forget, but Jeremy? Jeremy wanted those physical remnants of what had once been.
Tyler and Matt had eagerly helped with everything, right down to the visits to the Lakehouse to gather old photos. He enjoyed their company more than Damon's. They never did judge him for talking to ghosts. ("You think you can tell Vick I said hi?" Matt would ask, as if every conversation was with Vicki. Jeremy never had the heart to tell him otherwise.)
After a moment, Uncle John dared to ask, his fingers passing straight through an old photo of Jeremy and Elena, "Why aren't you with Elena? I didn't think I'd find you here, but after I saw the ruins of your old home..."
Jeremy pressed his lips together. No matter how he answered this question - no matter how nicely he could coat those words - he would have to admit that Elena just wasn't his sister anymore. Somewhere along the road, his sister had morphed into a shadow of her former self. Katherine had humored him more than her lately. "That's... a good question," he said, staring down at his crossed legs. "'Cause she's at college, I guess."
"I've never seen her go to class." Uncle John folded his arms, in a manner that almost reminded Jeremy of Dad. "Just be careful, okay? I care about you too." Funny in how Uncle John seemed more wise than ever before. Jeremy had grown up hating this guy and his ideals, only to belatedly realize that Uncle John's heart was buried somewhere underneath his jerkassery.
"I will, I promise." Jeremy grinned at him cheekily. "Hey, you want to go to Italy with me? I think I can handle a hitchhiking ghost or two."
"Over Christmas, right? You don't want to spend it with the family?"
"What family?"
Uncle John stared at him blankly. "Uh, Italy it is." He then pulled out some kind of brochure from his pockets. "I hear the reading over there's to die for, anyhow."
If his uncle weren't a ghost, Jeremy might have just smacked him for that. Instead, he settled for a well-timed exasperated expression, gesturing wildly in the air before sighing and turning to leave his own room. The next time he invited his ghost uncle anywhere, he just hoped he'd think first before extending that invitation.
About two and a half weeks later, Stefan had agreed to drive Jeremy to the airport. Every five seconds, he glanced back at Jeremy's large red suitcase, as if he couldn't truly believe Jeremy was traveling alone halfway across the world. "You're really heading out, aren't you?"
Jeremy couldn't blame his confusion: besides Uncle John and Bonnie, no one else knew about the true nature of his trip. Elena thought he was pursuing an international study program, and Jeremy didn't have the energy to correct her. Thus, by extension, everyone else assumed that Jeremy had just been accepted into a month-long study abroad trip. The Watchers' Council hadn't been on anyone's radar: not Klaus's, not Katherine's, and especially not Stefan's and Damon's. Jeremy couldn't exactly afford to paint a moving target on himself, considering how often he had been kidnapped over the years.
"It's just for two weeks, man." Jeremy laughed softly, trying to reassure him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it. You can handle the Delena trainwreck in the meantime, right?" Elena and Damon had wanted to see him off, but Elena had had a final. Damon had wandered off somewhere - and honestly? Jeremy didn't want to trek through the woods for someone who had already killed him twice.
Something in Stefan's eyes - amusement? - had twinkled, before disappearing completely. "You shouldn't call them that, Jer."
"Just telling it like it is." Jeremy pulled out his phone, checking his social media one last time before he entered the Richmond International Airport and boarded for his flight to Europe. "What do vampires eat for Christmas, anyhow? Super-rare, expensive blood?"
Stefan looked at him thoughtfully. "I ordered otter blood one year..."
Oh god. When Jeremy had made that joke, he hadn't expected a serious answer out of his sister's ex-boyfriend. "Spare me the details."
Stefan chuckled, struggling to keep his expression even as he parked on the curb. "Of course. Have a safe flight, and remember to buy a new SIM card when you land. Those roaming fees'll be a bitch otherwise."
Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Jeremy leaned in and gave Stefan a one-sided hug. "Sure. See you later." Just as he headed inside, Jeremy saw Uncle John waving at him. Quickly, Jeremy approached him.
"You know what, kid? I figure you can tell me all about it when you get back."
Jeremy didn't want to press the matter, so he gave a noncommittal nod. "Sure. Keep an eye on everything for me?"
"Now THAT I can do. See you later, kid." Somehow, the nickname didn't sound so stupid rolling off his uncle's tongue. Jeremy didn't quite get it - maybe because it was infused with love (rather than condescension?) - but he wouldn't question the affection. Uncle John turned, disappearing into thin air and leaving Jeremy to his own devices again. At least the plane rides would be (reasonably) quiet.
So Jeremy hadn't been able to predict the crying children - or the obnoxious couple that wanted rare beer - but otherwise, the flights had been relatively painless. As he exited the terminal, he noticed Dawn and another woman waiting expectantly for him. Dawn's companion was much shorter than Dawn - even with heels! - with her blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Despite her stature, she held herself confidently, and as Jeremy stared at her red leather jacket, he knew better than to cross her path.
As he approached, Jeremy noted the two women had similar facial features too, and they even shared the same laugh, as they leaned in conspiratorially over some joke.
Dawn hugged him first. "Jeremy! Hey! It's so good to see you again!" Letting him go, she then gestured to her companion. "This is my sister Buffy. Buff, this is the guy I told you about. Jeremy Gilbert?"
She didn't call him a kid. She had all the reason in the world to, considering she and her sister were a good ten years older. Jeremy relaxed his guard unintentionally, letting his shoulders sag as he glanced down at Buffy.
"It's nice to meet you, Jeremy." Buffy hugged him quickly before turning her attention towards the baggage claim. "I hope your flight was okay?"
"Yeah, it was fine." The trip to Italy hadn't been his first time out of the country. When he and Elena were younger, Mom and Dad had dragged them to Canada to see the Alps - and at the time, Jeremy had been fascinated with the scenery. It was absolutely nothing like the Appalachians. "Thanks for coming out to meet me."
Wait. If Dawn said her older sister was the Slayer, and he was standing right next to her older sister... "Dawn, do you have any other siblings?"
"Nope, just the one." Dawn smiled brilliantly, with a twinkle in her eye as she placed her hands behind her back. "Most of us Scoobies are only children, actually."
"Scoobies...?"
"What we called our group of friends in high school," Buffy clarified for him, peering out over the luggage as it descended onto the conveyer belt. "Tell me when you see your bags, Jer."
Jeremy gave Dawn a mystified stare. "Like Scooby Doo Scoobies?"
Dawn nodded. "I think so, yeah."
Quickly, Jeremy gestured to his red suitcase with double green tags when it descended onto the belt. Buffy beat him to the luggage, effortlessly pulling it off. "That it?"
"Uh, yeah."
Dawn hadn't been kidding about her sister's powers, if they allowed her to lug 50 pounds as if it weighed nothing. "You really didn't have to," Jeremy protested weakly, unsuccessfully reaching for his bag.
"I know. I just liked seeing the look on your face." Buffy laughed, not unkindly, as she heaved the bag into the trunk. "That never gets old."
If the other Slayers were as... gung-ho... about their abilities as Buffy, then this might be one incredibly long winter break. Maybe these Potentials wouldn't need his expertise so much as a stabilizing influence - and if that were the case, he had to wonder, just what kind of crazy world did they live in, if he was the normal one?
After dinner with some Potentials and a long rest, the next morning would be brutal. Rest didn't come without a price tag, Jeremy knew: after Buffy had made him some infamous Summers Family Pancakes, she also dumped a stack of books beside him. With titles like 'A Guide to American Vampires' and 'Doppelgangers and You', Jeremy half-wondered if they'd accidentally bought the entire comedy section.
"There anything about spirit mediums?" Jeremy asked, plopping half a strawberry into his mouth as he scanned the titles. "Or is it strictly vampires, werewolves, doppelganger-type stuff?"
"I'm impressed," Buffy called. "You didn't even blink an eye." Kind of hard to be surprised, when these books had comprised the past two years of his life.
He shrugged nonchalantly. As he reached for more pancakes, another woman passed through the door and waved shyly at them. She was about the same height as Buffy - maybe 5' at best - but with long red hair that was neatly tied up in a ponytail. As she walked, Jeremy could hear the slight clank of her metal bracelets, and despite her calm body language, an inner strength radiated from her so fiercely that he wouldn't dare to cross her path.
"That's Dawnie's new recruit, right?" She asked Buffy, reaching over to grab a cup of tea. "I gotta say, Buff, I didn't think we'd keep recruiting high-schoolers."
"I guess the world just wants us to keep going for teenagers with attitude." Buffy poured herself another mug, pushing the books slightly so that she and her friend could see Jeremy better. "Besides, Dawn says he's got enough experience, and that counts for something in my book."
"Guess so." The woman smiled fondly at him, taking a sip of her tea before adding some sugar. "I'm Willow, by the way. Sorry I wasn't around last night - I had to go run a favor for my friend Xander. You'll probably meet him later, if you're sticking around the next two weeks."
The name sounded familiar enough. Jeremy had heard it pop up in conversation last night from the other girls - male companionship was hard to come by in HQ, from what he gathered. Any time a guy stepped through those double doors, he was immediately scrutinized. In his case, some of them had even deemed him the "hot trainee." And he was supposed to protect these kids? Most of them were his age!
"It's really okay." Jeremy laughed softly, finishing off his plate. "I got the sleep I needed and Dawn got to show me to my room, so all's well that ends well."
"If you're sure! Let us know if we can do anything to make it more comfortable," Willow said, blowing on her tea. "This can be a lot to take in, and you're not exactly a Slayer, so this might be all brand-new."
"Not really." Jeremy tilted his head slightly. "Mystic Falls wasn't a Hellmouth like Sunnydale - even though it should've been, because weird stuff happened at least once a week. I know my experiences haven't been normal, but around here, I'm not the only one who's dated a vampire."
Buffy's face grew a faint red. "Not really, no."
"Exactly." Jeremy didn't exactly get Buffy's embarrassment, but he'd let it slide for now. "I think I can handle it just fine."
"Huh." Willow whistled softly. "I've gotta say, then, Dawnie really knows how to pick 'em. Guess we'd better grab all those teenagers with attitude fast!"
"Teenagers with attitude...?" Jeremy gave Buffy a confused stare.
"Inside joke. Don't mind her," Buffy explained, dismissing his worry with a wave of her hand as she started to do the dishes. "If you're free now, you could head outside. Some of the yonuger Slayers are out practicing."
Jeremy stared down at his finished plate. They were technically paying him to train these young women, so he might as well deliver on that promise. So he finished up and headed to the back courtyard. With any luck, his first teaching session would go pretty smoothly.
The back courtyard had already been set up with his weapons. Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the various types of bows and arrows. Good, he didn't have to set the range up himself. Setting his books down, he grabbed a bow and arrow and turned towards the Slayers nearby.
They were a group of about five young girls - about high school freshmen - intently focused on creating daisy crowns from the flowers, twisting the stems with such precision that they could've been professionals in another life.
"Hey!" He called to them, immediately bracing himself for a potential surprise attack. "You guys ready to train?"
They nodded, snapping to attention and rushing to the weapons near him. Jeremy had only just brought them to the first target, intending to teach each one the proper stance and let them get a feel for their bow, when the first girl confidently held her weapon and shot straight into the bullseye.
Jeremy whistled softly. "Why did y'all need me again?"
"Because you're cute?" The girl helpfully offered up, only for her best friend to elbow her. "Ow! Sally, you know what I meant!"
Stifling a laugh, Jeremy put both hands on his hips and surveyed the clearing. In the countryside, they had enough room to hit a moving target without much suspicion (except maybe from prying tourists). "Then you're ready to move up to the next level."
"Next level?" The best friend - Sally? - asked eagerly. "Does that mean we're not stuck out here?"
"Not quite." Jeremy ran back to his backpack and started to rummage through it. He didn't exactly want the girls to hit living, breathing, moving targets - but something inanimate might work. Bonnie hadn't been able to charm anything for him since she came back to life, but he might have a thing or two that could do the trick.
He had a couple of apples, a mechanical Quidditch toy, and not much else.
To the girls, he called, "Is Willow around?"
They shook their heads. "Buffy needed her for something," Sally helpfully answered. "She should be back this evening."
"Hm." He weighed the apples in his hands. "How do you feel about moving targets?"
"I'd say you should hold off on that," an unfamiliar voice called, approaching them cautiously. "Girls, can you give us a minute? Show Jeremy you can hit the dummies on the other side of the field."
The girls nodded, scurrying off to the other side with their chosen weapons. Jeremy turned to face the newcomer, squinting a little from the bright sunlight overhead.
The stranger was roughly Jeremy's height, with warm blue eyes that crinkled at the edges and a comfortable stance. In his left hand, he held a dagger tightly. Judging from the dirt on his jeans and the slight fray of his sweater, the guy had been busy fighting something or another.
"Guess so," Jeremy said, nodding in acknowledgement at the other guy. "I'm Jeremy, by the way. You are...?"
"Connor." He grinned, approaching Jeremy. "I'm Dawn's boyfriend?"
"Nice to meet you." Jeremy reached out for Connor's free hand and shook it. "I don't think Dawn mentioned you, but it's great to have another guy around."
"Huh." Connor blinked back surprise. "I guess she's been busy. I swear, parenthood's gonna be a breeze compared to this."
Parenthood...? He knew Dawn was a good ten years older than him, and he supposed a twenty-seven year old would want a life with children and a white picket fence. He just hadn't guessed that she and her boyfriend had been planning it for a while.
Taking Jeremy's stunned silence for an answer, Connor let out a laugh. "Not right now! Man, you should see the look on your face."
"Oh!" Jeremy let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. "Right, 'cause she's Head of the Watchers' Council and you're... doing..."
"I'm a philosophy professor," Connor elaborated. "After I finished up my undergrad at Stanford, I got my PhD and I moved here to help Dawnie with her work."
There had to be more to this story. Considering Buffy and Dawn were mysteriously tight-lipped about their personal lives, Jeremy had to wonder how he and Dawn had met. Surely it wasn't at some regular singles' night or a college club or something normal people attended. No, the supernatural world connected them just as it had connected him and Bonnie.
"Right." Jeremy smiled at him nervously. "So what's up? You need me for something?"
Connor shrugged, putting his sword away. "Not exactly. I wanted to see you in person, since I've heard good things about you."
Again with the secondhand stories. Either they - Buffy, Connor, Dawn, Willow, and Xander - were all good friends, or Jeremy was just that extraordinary. For the sake of his ego, he hoped it was the former... even if the look on Damon's face would be priceless.
"Thanks?" Jeremy never figured out the polite answer. "Are you a Watcher too?"
Connor guffawed loudly, barely hiding his wide grin with his free hand. Once his laughter subsided, he managed to say, "O-oh god, no! Not even slightly! That's all Dawn's territory. I just... I help her out with recruits and vetting out people and the like."
He scrutinized Jeremy, raising his chin as he admitted, "I can see why she likes you. You're normal."
Yeah, compared to the rest of the people in this world! As a member of the Five, he had had his Normal card revoked a year ago. He couldn't pretend that he understood normal people, with their girl and school problems, nor could he quite pretend that he understood the rituals that governed the Watchers' Council. His feet was stuck precariously in each world, where he pretended that he struggled in school and where he pretended that he loved his sister the vampire.
Okay, so he still loved Elena. Or rather, he loved the shadow of his sister that called him on the phone once a week, just to remind him that she was alive.
In Italy, these crazy adults cared about him. Despite his scrutinizing, Connor had leaned over and lightly hugged Jeremy before motioning for the girls to return. Willow had brewed tea for him once training had ended, and Dawn and Buffy continued to cook for him as if he had always lived with him. Sure, he hadn't met Xander yet.
Somehow, Jeremy suspected as he stared at the portrait Willow had drawn, Xander would like him too. They shared the same (normal) sense of humor. In two weeks, he would return to Mystic Falls and act as if he had never found the Watchers' Council. Only in a foreign country would he have found the place where he truly, honestly belonged.
After a few days of intense training, Buffy and the others beckoned Jeremy into the den. The girls had marched up to their rooms, claiming exhaustion when everyone else knew they wanted to marathon What Not to Wear. They were gossiping about the latest episodes even as they slammed the doors behind them!
"They're teenage girls," Connor was patiently telling Dawn as Jeremy walked in. "Of course they'd want some downtime."
"I wish they'd just be honest," Dawn had replied, pouting slightly as she tapped her notebook. "I don't care about the downtime, you know? I'd schedule movie nights if they asked!"
Jeremy coughed loudly.
Buffy rolled her eyes, motioning for him to take a seat. "Hey, Jer. Training went okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ever since Willow enchanted the furniture, I've been getting them to think about moving targets." Jeremy gave Willow a nod of acknowledgement as he sat across from them, leaning slightly against his seat. "Thanks for that, by the way."
"No problem!" Willow grinned, taking another sip of her tea. "Glad I could help."
"Good, good," Buffy said, leaning forward to look at him better. "So I was wondering... how would you feel about staying in the US for college?"
Jeremy blinked. "Okay?" The Council had promised him a scholarship in Oxford, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they wanted him to study in the US, they had to have their reasons. "Where would I go?"
"The same place your Slayer would be."
He stared at her blankly. "Uh..."
Connor leapt in to explain, "We think you'd be perfect for one of our newer Slayers. You see, you're actually from the US, you're around her age, and you wouldn't be a full-fledged Watcher so much as... her conscience?"
As long as her death wouldn't be his burden to bear. Jeremy had lost enough people without adding another girl to the list. He heaved a breath, avoiding their piercing gazes. "Are... are you sure about that?"
"Yeah." Dawn nodded, pulling out a guidebook from her satchel. "We'd continue your training in the US. Our HQ's not far from your location, and Connor's already signed up as your faculty adviser."
Which led Jeremy to ask, "So uh... where are you sending me?"
Buffy pulled out a brochure - one Jeremy recognized all too well from the singular hotel in town - and waved it proudly at him. "Your hometown!"
They had to be kidding. They pulled him all the way to Italy, to learn about these exotic creatures and their lifestyles, only to shuffle him back to Mystic Falls and pick up someone he went to school with? What kind of sick joke was this? Couldn't they get---
"She only trusts people she knows," Willow explained, calmly placing a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "We sent Connor there a year ago, but she wouldn't have any of it. She called him insane and almost killed the poor guy in the process."
(Why hadn't that made the local news? Oh, right: Jeremy was too busy dealing with stupid Damon and stupid Damon's bad life decisions.)
"The girl specifically wanted someone normal," Buffy added helpfully. "We figured, Mystic Falls isn't a big place, and you said you wanted to stay back and tie up some loose ends."
Theoretically, he should go back and break up with Bonnie. Even though she was the Anchor - the one that kept the Other Side upright - he couldn't support her and train a Slayer at the same time. Not without the guilt gnawing at his heart.
He stared down at his hands and turned them over. They had offered him the chance of a lifetime, to guide a girl and help her navigate the roughest sea of high school, but his heart just wasn't as interested. In another country, he could escape his family and the Salvatores' toxic influence. In Mystic Falls, he was right back where he started.
His melancholy must've been obvious, because Connor wandered over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it won't be for long. Just until your training's complete, and then we can station you elsewhere."
"I guess." Jeremy chewed on his lower lip. "What's her name?"
"Meredith Sulez," said Dawn, holding up her file. "You'll meet her after the New Year. Connor's taking a year-long position at Whitmore, to help you adjust to your first year on the Council."
What, no fancy hazing ritual? They just dumped him straight into the water without a life vest?
Only a madman would accept this job, and only a madman would think that this life - that these people - were worth risking everything he had ever known. Yet Jeremy didn't hesitate.
"Okay," he said with a wide grin. "Let's do this thing."
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer & The Vampire Diaries crossover
Universe: Far Better Place
Relationships: Dawn Summers/Connor, implied Jeremy/Bonnie, implied Damon/Elena
Summary: Jeremy heads to Italy to train some Slayers, only to realize that in this new, crazy world, he's the normal one.
Senior year couldn't have passed any slower. Jeremy swore, sometimes the days dragged on as if they were years. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to stop and sniff the roses. Not when he had a guaranteed job that could fulfill Dad's legacy. While Jeremy didn't exactly hate vampires - he was now related to one - he could live without them.
The rumors had spread like wildfire across the Other Side. Some mornings, Jeremy could see Vicki and Anna gossiping about it as if he couldn't see them. Other times, he'd notice Alaric shaking his head at him ("I sure hope he knows what he's doing") before quickly turning his gaze back towards something else. While he didn't cherish his supernatural Sight, it kept his life interesting.
After Elena had left for Whitmore, Jeremy seized his chance and moved straight into Tyler's old guest room. Damon was his legal guardian for all intents and purposes - mostly because Elena had lost her brains when she was with Damon - but Jeremy needed the space. The old guest room felt more like home than the Salvatore Manor ever had. As large and illustrious as the old boarding house was, Tyler's affection for him permeated the Lockwood estate. Stefan could only do so much for Jeremy, in the end.
Jeremy had quickly grown accustomed to the space. Some evenings, he retreated to Tyler's den to finish assignments. Tonight, unfamiliar footsteps gave him pause. He saved his file and glanced over at the doorframe.
"Uncle John...?" Jeremy was absolutely certain that his uncle - his human uncle - couldn't stay on the Other Side. "How come I can see you?"
"Us normal humans have this place called Purgatory," Uncle John joked, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets as he approached. "I think you learned about it in your last Religion class."
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Jeremy should've figured. "In other words, you have no idea."
"Pretty much." Uncle John sat down across from Jeremy, inspecting him as if he were seeing his nephew for the first time. "I hear from Alaric that you're joining the Watcher's Council."
"Right. I thought no one had heard of the Watcher's Council." Jeremy leaned back in his seat.
"Mainly because very few vampires have lived to tell the tale. Why give power to a legend?" Uncle John had a point. If the Council had succeeded in killing vampires - with the exception of those Pesky Originals - then why would any bother to confirm their location or their members? Still, something about the Council bothered Jeremy: namely, that Uncle John and his father knew of their existence.
"How come it wasn't mentioned in Dad's journal? The Council, I mean?"
Uncle John's face grew thoughtful. "Probably because it WAS just a legend to us. I didn't know they actually existed until Alaric said so." At least death had taught Uncle John the fine art of getting along with other people. "How come you said yes to them? It doesn't seem like your kind of place."
Jeremy shrugged. "The head of the Council wanted me to join. I didn't feel like saying no."
"More like, you think there's merit in leaving town." Uncle John hmmed, tapping his foot in rhythm to an imaginary beat. Why exactly did Jeremy like the ability to talk to the dead again? "I can't say I blame you. This town reeks of death." He sniffed his forearm before adding, "Or maybe just Armani and death."
Jeremy snorted, half-derisively, half-amused. "I'd take the Armani any day."
"Suit yourself." Uncle John then rose from the couch he had occupied, turning around to further inspect Jeremy's new room. Jeremy hadn't decorated much - hard to, when most of his belongings had burnt to the ground - but he had supplemented some of Tyler's old knickknacks with old family photos from the Lakehouse. Elena might've wanted to forget, but Jeremy? Jeremy wanted those physical remnants of what had once been.
Tyler and Matt had eagerly helped with everything, right down to the visits to the Lakehouse to gather old photos. He enjoyed their company more than Damon's. They never did judge him for talking to ghosts. ("You think you can tell Vick I said hi?" Matt would ask, as if every conversation was with Vicki. Jeremy never had the heart to tell him otherwise.)
After a moment, Uncle John dared to ask, his fingers passing straight through an old photo of Jeremy and Elena, "Why aren't you with Elena? I didn't think I'd find you here, but after I saw the ruins of your old home..."
Jeremy pressed his lips together. No matter how he answered this question - no matter how nicely he could coat those words - he would have to admit that Elena just wasn't his sister anymore. Somewhere along the road, his sister had morphed into a shadow of her former self. Katherine had humored him more than her lately. "That's... a good question," he said, staring down at his crossed legs. "'Cause she's at college, I guess."
"I've never seen her go to class." Uncle John folded his arms, in a manner that almost reminded Jeremy of Dad. "Just be careful, okay? I care about you too." Funny in how Uncle John seemed more wise than ever before. Jeremy had grown up hating this guy and his ideals, only to belatedly realize that Uncle John's heart was buried somewhere underneath his jerkassery.
"I will, I promise." Jeremy grinned at him cheekily. "Hey, you want to go to Italy with me? I think I can handle a hitchhiking ghost or two."
"Over Christmas, right? You don't want to spend it with the family?"
"What family?"
Uncle John stared at him blankly. "Uh, Italy it is." He then pulled out some kind of brochure from his pockets. "I hear the reading over there's to die for, anyhow."
If his uncle weren't a ghost, Jeremy might have just smacked him for that. Instead, he settled for a well-timed exasperated expression, gesturing wildly in the air before sighing and turning to leave his own room. The next time he invited his ghost uncle anywhere, he just hoped he'd think first before extending that invitation.
About two and a half weeks later, Stefan had agreed to drive Jeremy to the airport. Every five seconds, he glanced back at Jeremy's large red suitcase, as if he couldn't truly believe Jeremy was traveling alone halfway across the world. "You're really heading out, aren't you?"
Jeremy couldn't blame his confusion: besides Uncle John and Bonnie, no one else knew about the true nature of his trip. Elena thought he was pursuing an international study program, and Jeremy didn't have the energy to correct her. Thus, by extension, everyone else assumed that Jeremy had just been accepted into a month-long study abroad trip. The Watchers' Council hadn't been on anyone's radar: not Klaus's, not Katherine's, and especially not Stefan's and Damon's. Jeremy couldn't exactly afford to paint a moving target on himself, considering how often he had been kidnapped over the years.
"It's just for two weeks, man." Jeremy laughed softly, trying to reassure him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it. You can handle the Delena trainwreck in the meantime, right?" Elena and Damon had wanted to see him off, but Elena had had a final. Damon had wandered off somewhere - and honestly? Jeremy didn't want to trek through the woods for someone who had already killed him twice.
Something in Stefan's eyes - amusement? - had twinkled, before disappearing completely. "You shouldn't call them that, Jer."
"Just telling it like it is." Jeremy pulled out his phone, checking his social media one last time before he entered the Richmond International Airport and boarded for his flight to Europe. "What do vampires eat for Christmas, anyhow? Super-rare, expensive blood?"
Stefan looked at him thoughtfully. "I ordered otter blood one year..."
Oh god. When Jeremy had made that joke, he hadn't expected a serious answer out of his sister's ex-boyfriend. "Spare me the details."
Stefan chuckled, struggling to keep his expression even as he parked on the curb. "Of course. Have a safe flight, and remember to buy a new SIM card when you land. Those roaming fees'll be a bitch otherwise."
Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Jeremy leaned in and gave Stefan a one-sided hug. "Sure. See you later." Just as he headed inside, Jeremy saw Uncle John waving at him. Quickly, Jeremy approached him.
"You know what, kid? I figure you can tell me all about it when you get back."
Jeremy didn't want to press the matter, so he gave a noncommittal nod. "Sure. Keep an eye on everything for me?"
"Now THAT I can do. See you later, kid." Somehow, the nickname didn't sound so stupid rolling off his uncle's tongue. Jeremy didn't quite get it - maybe because it was infused with love (rather than condescension?) - but he wouldn't question the affection. Uncle John turned, disappearing into thin air and leaving Jeremy to his own devices again. At least the plane rides would be (reasonably) quiet.
So Jeremy hadn't been able to predict the crying children - or the obnoxious couple that wanted rare beer - but otherwise, the flights had been relatively painless. As he exited the terminal, he noticed Dawn and another woman waiting expectantly for him. Dawn's companion was much shorter than Dawn - even with heels! - with her blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Despite her stature, she held herself confidently, and as Jeremy stared at her red leather jacket, he knew better than to cross her path.
As he approached, Jeremy noted the two women had similar facial features too, and they even shared the same laugh, as they leaned in conspiratorially over some joke.
Dawn hugged him first. "Jeremy! Hey! It's so good to see you again!" Letting him go, she then gestured to her companion. "This is my sister Buffy. Buff, this is the guy I told you about. Jeremy Gilbert?"
She didn't call him a kid. She had all the reason in the world to, considering she and her sister were a good ten years older. Jeremy relaxed his guard unintentionally, letting his shoulders sag as he glanced down at Buffy.
"It's nice to meet you, Jeremy." Buffy hugged him quickly before turning her attention towards the baggage claim. "I hope your flight was okay?"
"Yeah, it was fine." The trip to Italy hadn't been his first time out of the country. When he and Elena were younger, Mom and Dad had dragged them to Canada to see the Alps - and at the time, Jeremy had been fascinated with the scenery. It was absolutely nothing like the Appalachians. "Thanks for coming out to meet me."
Wait. If Dawn said her older sister was the Slayer, and he was standing right next to her older sister... "Dawn, do you have any other siblings?"
"Nope, just the one." Dawn smiled brilliantly, with a twinkle in her eye as she placed her hands behind her back. "Most of us Scoobies are only children, actually."
"Scoobies...?"
"What we called our group of friends in high school," Buffy clarified for him, peering out over the luggage as it descended onto the conveyer belt. "Tell me when you see your bags, Jer."
Jeremy gave Dawn a mystified stare. "Like Scooby Doo Scoobies?"
Dawn nodded. "I think so, yeah."
Quickly, Jeremy gestured to his red suitcase with double green tags when it descended onto the belt. Buffy beat him to the luggage, effortlessly pulling it off. "That it?"
"Uh, yeah."
Dawn hadn't been kidding about her sister's powers, if they allowed her to lug 50 pounds as if it weighed nothing. "You really didn't have to," Jeremy protested weakly, unsuccessfully reaching for his bag.
"I know. I just liked seeing the look on your face." Buffy laughed, not unkindly, as she heaved the bag into the trunk. "That never gets old."
If the other Slayers were as... gung-ho... about their abilities as Buffy, then this might be one incredibly long winter break. Maybe these Potentials wouldn't need his expertise so much as a stabilizing influence - and if that were the case, he had to wonder, just what kind of crazy world did they live in, if he was the normal one?
After dinner with some Potentials and a long rest, the next morning would be brutal. Rest didn't come without a price tag, Jeremy knew: after Buffy had made him some infamous Summers Family Pancakes, she also dumped a stack of books beside him. With titles like 'A Guide to American Vampires' and 'Doppelgangers and You', Jeremy half-wondered if they'd accidentally bought the entire comedy section.
"There anything about spirit mediums?" Jeremy asked, plopping half a strawberry into his mouth as he scanned the titles. "Or is it strictly vampires, werewolves, doppelganger-type stuff?"
"I'm impressed," Buffy called. "You didn't even blink an eye." Kind of hard to be surprised, when these books had comprised the past two years of his life.
He shrugged nonchalantly. As he reached for more pancakes, another woman passed through the door and waved shyly at them. She was about the same height as Buffy - maybe 5' at best - but with long red hair that was neatly tied up in a ponytail. As she walked, Jeremy could hear the slight clank of her metal bracelets, and despite her calm body language, an inner strength radiated from her so fiercely that he wouldn't dare to cross her path.
"That's Dawnie's new recruit, right?" She asked Buffy, reaching over to grab a cup of tea. "I gotta say, Buff, I didn't think we'd keep recruiting high-schoolers."
"I guess the world just wants us to keep going for teenagers with attitude." Buffy poured herself another mug, pushing the books slightly so that she and her friend could see Jeremy better. "Besides, Dawn says he's got enough experience, and that counts for something in my book."
"Guess so." The woman smiled fondly at him, taking a sip of her tea before adding some sugar. "I'm Willow, by the way. Sorry I wasn't around last night - I had to go run a favor for my friend Xander. You'll probably meet him later, if you're sticking around the next two weeks."
The name sounded familiar enough. Jeremy had heard it pop up in conversation last night from the other girls - male companionship was hard to come by in HQ, from what he gathered. Any time a guy stepped through those double doors, he was immediately scrutinized. In his case, some of them had even deemed him the "hot trainee." And he was supposed to protect these kids? Most of them were his age!
"It's really okay." Jeremy laughed softly, finishing off his plate. "I got the sleep I needed and Dawn got to show me to my room, so all's well that ends well."
"If you're sure! Let us know if we can do anything to make it more comfortable," Willow said, blowing on her tea. "This can be a lot to take in, and you're not exactly a Slayer, so this might be all brand-new."
"Not really." Jeremy tilted his head slightly. "Mystic Falls wasn't a Hellmouth like Sunnydale - even though it should've been, because weird stuff happened at least once a week. I know my experiences haven't been normal, but around here, I'm not the only one who's dated a vampire."
Buffy's face grew a faint red. "Not really, no."
"Exactly." Jeremy didn't exactly get Buffy's embarrassment, but he'd let it slide for now. "I think I can handle it just fine."
"Huh." Willow whistled softly. "I've gotta say, then, Dawnie really knows how to pick 'em. Guess we'd better grab all those teenagers with attitude fast!"
"Teenagers with attitude...?" Jeremy gave Buffy a confused stare.
"Inside joke. Don't mind her," Buffy explained, dismissing his worry with a wave of her hand as she started to do the dishes. "If you're free now, you could head outside. Some of the yonuger Slayers are out practicing."
Jeremy stared down at his finished plate. They were technically paying him to train these young women, so he might as well deliver on that promise. So he finished up and headed to the back courtyard. With any luck, his first teaching session would go pretty smoothly.
The back courtyard had already been set up with his weapons. Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the various types of bows and arrows. Good, he didn't have to set the range up himself. Setting his books down, he grabbed a bow and arrow and turned towards the Slayers nearby.
They were a group of about five young girls - about high school freshmen - intently focused on creating daisy crowns from the flowers, twisting the stems with such precision that they could've been professionals in another life.
"Hey!" He called to them, immediately bracing himself for a potential surprise attack. "You guys ready to train?"
They nodded, snapping to attention and rushing to the weapons near him. Jeremy had only just brought them to the first target, intending to teach each one the proper stance and let them get a feel for their bow, when the first girl confidently held her weapon and shot straight into the bullseye.
Jeremy whistled softly. "Why did y'all need me again?"
"Because you're cute?" The girl helpfully offered up, only for her best friend to elbow her. "Ow! Sally, you know what I meant!"
Stifling a laugh, Jeremy put both hands on his hips and surveyed the clearing. In the countryside, they had enough room to hit a moving target without much suspicion (except maybe from prying tourists). "Then you're ready to move up to the next level."
"Next level?" The best friend - Sally? - asked eagerly. "Does that mean we're not stuck out here?"
"Not quite." Jeremy ran back to his backpack and started to rummage through it. He didn't exactly want the girls to hit living, breathing, moving targets - but something inanimate might work. Bonnie hadn't been able to charm anything for him since she came back to life, but he might have a thing or two that could do the trick.
He had a couple of apples, a mechanical Quidditch toy, and not much else.
To the girls, he called, "Is Willow around?"
They shook their heads. "Buffy needed her for something," Sally helpfully answered. "She should be back this evening."
"Hm." He weighed the apples in his hands. "How do you feel about moving targets?"
"I'd say you should hold off on that," an unfamiliar voice called, approaching them cautiously. "Girls, can you give us a minute? Show Jeremy you can hit the dummies on the other side of the field."
The girls nodded, scurrying off to the other side with their chosen weapons. Jeremy turned to face the newcomer, squinting a little from the bright sunlight overhead.
The stranger was roughly Jeremy's height, with warm blue eyes that crinkled at the edges and a comfortable stance. In his left hand, he held a dagger tightly. Judging from the dirt on his jeans and the slight fray of his sweater, the guy had been busy fighting something or another.
"Guess so," Jeremy said, nodding in acknowledgement at the other guy. "I'm Jeremy, by the way. You are...?"
"Connor." He grinned, approaching Jeremy. "I'm Dawn's boyfriend?"
"Nice to meet you." Jeremy reached out for Connor's free hand and shook it. "I don't think Dawn mentioned you, but it's great to have another guy around."
"Huh." Connor blinked back surprise. "I guess she's been busy. I swear, parenthood's gonna be a breeze compared to this."
Parenthood...? He knew Dawn was a good ten years older than him, and he supposed a twenty-seven year old would want a life with children and a white picket fence. He just hadn't guessed that she and her boyfriend had been planning it for a while.
Taking Jeremy's stunned silence for an answer, Connor let out a laugh. "Not right now! Man, you should see the look on your face."
"Oh!" Jeremy let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. "Right, 'cause she's Head of the Watchers' Council and you're... doing..."
"I'm a philosophy professor," Connor elaborated. "After I finished up my undergrad at Stanford, I got my PhD and I moved here to help Dawnie with her work."
There had to be more to this story. Considering Buffy and Dawn were mysteriously tight-lipped about their personal lives, Jeremy had to wonder how he and Dawn had met. Surely it wasn't at some regular singles' night or a college club or something normal people attended. No, the supernatural world connected them just as it had connected him and Bonnie.
"Right." Jeremy smiled at him nervously. "So what's up? You need me for something?"
Connor shrugged, putting his sword away. "Not exactly. I wanted to see you in person, since I've heard good things about you."
Again with the secondhand stories. Either they - Buffy, Connor, Dawn, Willow, and Xander - were all good friends, or Jeremy was just that extraordinary. For the sake of his ego, he hoped it was the former... even if the look on Damon's face would be priceless.
"Thanks?" Jeremy never figured out the polite answer. "Are you a Watcher too?"
Connor guffawed loudly, barely hiding his wide grin with his free hand. Once his laughter subsided, he managed to say, "O-oh god, no! Not even slightly! That's all Dawn's territory. I just... I help her out with recruits and vetting out people and the like."
He scrutinized Jeremy, raising his chin as he admitted, "I can see why she likes you. You're normal."
Yeah, compared to the rest of the people in this world! As a member of the Five, he had had his Normal card revoked a year ago. He couldn't pretend that he understood normal people, with their girl and school problems, nor could he quite pretend that he understood the rituals that governed the Watchers' Council. His feet was stuck precariously in each world, where he pretended that he struggled in school and where he pretended that he loved his sister the vampire.
Okay, so he still loved Elena. Or rather, he loved the shadow of his sister that called him on the phone once a week, just to remind him that she was alive.
In Italy, these crazy adults cared about him. Despite his scrutinizing, Connor had leaned over and lightly hugged Jeremy before motioning for the girls to return. Willow had brewed tea for him once training had ended, and Dawn and Buffy continued to cook for him as if he had always lived with him. Sure, he hadn't met Xander yet.
Somehow, Jeremy suspected as he stared at the portrait Willow had drawn, Xander would like him too. They shared the same (normal) sense of humor. In two weeks, he would return to Mystic Falls and act as if he had never found the Watchers' Council. Only in a foreign country would he have found the place where he truly, honestly belonged.
After a few days of intense training, Buffy and the others beckoned Jeremy into the den. The girls had marched up to their rooms, claiming exhaustion when everyone else knew they wanted to marathon What Not to Wear. They were gossiping about the latest episodes even as they slammed the doors behind them!
"They're teenage girls," Connor was patiently telling Dawn as Jeremy walked in. "Of course they'd want some downtime."
"I wish they'd just be honest," Dawn had replied, pouting slightly as she tapped her notebook. "I don't care about the downtime, you know? I'd schedule movie nights if they asked!"
Jeremy coughed loudly.
Buffy rolled her eyes, motioning for him to take a seat. "Hey, Jer. Training went okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ever since Willow enchanted the furniture, I've been getting them to think about moving targets." Jeremy gave Willow a nod of acknowledgement as he sat across from them, leaning slightly against his seat. "Thanks for that, by the way."
"No problem!" Willow grinned, taking another sip of her tea. "Glad I could help."
"Good, good," Buffy said, leaning forward to look at him better. "So I was wondering... how would you feel about staying in the US for college?"
Jeremy blinked. "Okay?" The Council had promised him a scholarship in Oxford, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they wanted him to study in the US, they had to have their reasons. "Where would I go?"
"The same place your Slayer would be."
He stared at her blankly. "Uh..."
Connor leapt in to explain, "We think you'd be perfect for one of our newer Slayers. You see, you're actually from the US, you're around her age, and you wouldn't be a full-fledged Watcher so much as... her conscience?"
As long as her death wouldn't be his burden to bear. Jeremy had lost enough people without adding another girl to the list. He heaved a breath, avoiding their piercing gazes. "Are... are you sure about that?"
"Yeah." Dawn nodded, pulling out a guidebook from her satchel. "We'd continue your training in the US. Our HQ's not far from your location, and Connor's already signed up as your faculty adviser."
Which led Jeremy to ask, "So uh... where are you sending me?"
Buffy pulled out a brochure - one Jeremy recognized all too well from the singular hotel in town - and waved it proudly at him. "Your hometown!"
They had to be kidding. They pulled him all the way to Italy, to learn about these exotic creatures and their lifestyles, only to shuffle him back to Mystic Falls and pick up someone he went to school with? What kind of sick joke was this? Couldn't they get---
"She only trusts people she knows," Willow explained, calmly placing a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "We sent Connor there a year ago, but she wouldn't have any of it. She called him insane and almost killed the poor guy in the process."
(Why hadn't that made the local news? Oh, right: Jeremy was too busy dealing with stupid Damon and stupid Damon's bad life decisions.)
"The girl specifically wanted someone normal," Buffy added helpfully. "We figured, Mystic Falls isn't a big place, and you said you wanted to stay back and tie up some loose ends."
Theoretically, he should go back and break up with Bonnie. Even though she was the Anchor - the one that kept the Other Side upright - he couldn't support her and train a Slayer at the same time. Not without the guilt gnawing at his heart.
He stared down at his hands and turned them over. They had offered him the chance of a lifetime, to guide a girl and help her navigate the roughest sea of high school, but his heart just wasn't as interested. In another country, he could escape his family and the Salvatores' toxic influence. In Mystic Falls, he was right back where he started.
His melancholy must've been obvious, because Connor wandered over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it won't be for long. Just until your training's complete, and then we can station you elsewhere."
"I guess." Jeremy chewed on his lower lip. "What's her name?"
"Meredith Sulez," said Dawn, holding up her file. "You'll meet her after the New Year. Connor's taking a year-long position at Whitmore, to help you adjust to your first year on the Council."
What, no fancy hazing ritual? They just dumped him straight into the water without a life vest?
Only a madman would accept this job, and only a madman would think that this life - that these people - were worth risking everything he had ever known. Yet Jeremy didn't hesitate.
"Okay," he said with a wide grin. "Let's do this thing."