CHAPTER NINE | DADDY ISSUES

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EDEN WAS FURIOUS TO HEAR ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR DEAD-BEAT DAD, JOHN GILBERT. She and Elena had absolutely no idea why he was back in Mystic Falls, but she assumed it was for nothing good. The last time he was in town, he orchestrated a vampire round-up, similar to the one in 1864, which almost killed Damon— not that she would've been too cut up about that.

"Morning." John gave the twins a smile as they furiously made their way into the kitchen. He turned the television off, knowing the two would surely want a conversation. "Coffee?"

"I'd rather drink my own piss." Eden gave John a sarcastic smile. "Why the hell are you here?"

"I'm here to protect you. That's all I can say for the moment." 

Elena scoffed in disbelief whilst Eden rolled her eyes. "Why do you mean, that's all you can say?"

"I'll tell you more when I'm convinced I can trust the two of you."

"Oh, God. I'm late!" Jenna cried out as she ran into the kitchen. Her entrance immediately cut the twin's conversation with John off. 

"That's what you get for hitting the snooze three time—" Alaric's voice halted as soon as he saw John, whilst Jenna remained frozen with widened eyes.

"Good morning to you, Jenna, Alaric."

"It's okay I'm confused, right?" Jenna asked the twins before she directed her attention to John. "Because we were not expecting you, like, ever."

"Well, I got in late last night. Elena let me in." He gestured to the younger of the two twins whilst Eden gave an awkward look to her sister.

"You know, I'm, uh— probably just gonna take off." Alaric spared one final glance for Eden and Elena before he disappeared out the front door.

"I'm still confused here."

"I decided to come back and stay for a while." John shrugged.

"Not here you're not." Jenna bit back whilst Elena and Eden remained silent.

"Actually, you can't stop me from living here. Uh— and speaking of you being their legal guardian. Girls, do you want me to explain the situation or would you like to do the honours?"

"Jenna, we, uh— we should've told you but we've been so busy and—" Eden started.

"—I'm their biological father. There. Now you know."

"What?!"

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Damon had arrived at the Gilbert Household and told the girls he wanted a civil conversation with John to determine why he was back in town. Obviously, Damon solved most of his problems by dismembering his enemies, so the Eden and Elena thought it best to go with him to the Grill and make sure that John's heart remained firmly within his chest. 

The minute they walked in, Damon's eyes met John. He was stood at a table talking with Jenna and Alaric. Elena tugged on Damon's arm with a sigh. "We just need answers. Please, don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, but stupid's so much more fun." The Salvatore grinned back to Elena, though Eden didn't seem to care all that much.

"Yeah. Go ahead, kill him right here. But, then you'll have the problem of the town realising you're a vampire. I assume you don't want that." Eden raised an eyebrow. "Right?"

"Shut up, Eden." Damon attempted to walk forward again.

"Damon, I mean it." Elena tugged at his arm again. "All I'm asking is that you try to keep it together. Be the matter man."

Taken aback by Elena's request, Damon cleared his throat. "Okay then." He three finally made their way over to John, Jenna and Alaric. "John, buddy! How've you been?"

"I've been alright, Damon. It's good to see you." John spoke with very little concern for the Salvatore vampire as he moved past them and walked away.

"He's not gonna tell Damon anything, you realise that, right?" Eden whispered to her sister as she watched Damon edge his way over to John once more. 

"Do you have a better idea?" Elena shrugged. She watched Damon finally move away from her father and head to the bar, where a woman had started to speak to him.

Eden noticed Elena's eyes were firmly on Damon, despite the fact the two were in mid-conversation. "What's the deal with you and him?"

"There— there is no deal, Eden." 

"Hm. So, that woman over there isn't making you the slightest bit jealous?" Her head nodded in the direction of Damon and the woman. Elena glanced over again, took a deep breath and then looked back to her sister. "Yeah. Thought not."

Elena's phone ringing from her pocket immediately cut the conversation short. "Stefan. What is it?"

"Uh— I don't want you to panic, but Tyler's little werewolf friends have taken Caroline. They want the moonstone or they'll kill her." Stefan revealed. "I need Damon."

"Oh, my God." Elena whispered softly.

The girls had managed to grab Damon and pull him into the bathroom to avoid the rest of the people in the Grill overhearing them. As Elena began to explain the situation, Damon's irritation continued to grow.

"Why am I just finding out about this now?" He irritably grumbled. His brows were knitted together in confusion as he glared between the twins.

"Stefan was worried you'd—"

"—That I would, what? I would kill him?" Damon scoffed as the two girls nodded. "Well, of course. That's what needs to happen."

"Uh, no. You're not killing Tyler, okay. Do whatever necessary to get Caroline, but don't you dare hurt him." The older of the two Gilbert girls glared harshly at Damon. 

"Why? He's a werewolf. He needs to die. I'm willing to kill him. It's a win-win."

"Damon, please." Without even realising, Elena had placed her hands against his biceps and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Too many people are dead."

"You need to stop doing that."

Elena glanced down at her hands, then removed them. "Doing what?"

"Assuming that I'll play the good guy because it's you who's asking."

"Look, whatever the hell this conversation is about, can happen later, okay?" Eden rolled her eyes as Elena stepped back, away from Damon. "Can you please just go and get Caroline?" 

Before Damon could even answer, John burst into the bathroom. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Elena snapped.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"Well, guess what, John? Trust works both ways. Get out." Damon snapped. He barely spared a glance for John, which caused Eden to chuckle a little. "Now, I'll take care of it. First Dad duty, ground your daughters. Keep them here."

Damon had abruptly left the bathroom, leaving John to deal with Elena and Eden. "I'm with Damon on this. Neither of you are going anywhere. Just tell me what's going on."

"Like we'd tell you anything, now get the hell outta' the way!" Eden snapped again.

"You're not leaving this restaurant."

"You can't tell us what to do." Elena chimed in.

"Yes, I can. You wanna know why? Because I'm here to make sure you both stay safe." John told the two, however they didn't seem to believe that.

"I've got that covered." 

As Elena tried to pass, John stopped her again. "Are you talking about the deal you made with Elijah? You really think he's gonna keep his promise? Putting your faith in him with a dumb move."

"And trusting you after what you tried to do to Stefan and Damon would also be a dumb move." Eden folded her arms across her chest. "Daddy thinks we're idiots, Elena."

"Girls, we've had our differences, and I've made mistakes. But, we're family."

"You don't get to use that word." Fired up, Elena snapped as she moved directly in front of John. "That word is off-limits to you!"

Their father swallowed thickly. "Fine, but it doesn't change the facts." 

"The facts are that our father died the night our parents car went off Wickery Bridge. Now, you can stand here for as long as you want and declare the facts, but we will never be your daughters." Eden finally pushed past John and headed out of the bathroom.

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Eden laid across her bed with headphones in. All she wanted to do was blast her problems away with music, and yet there he was in the doorway of her bedroom— John.

She saw his lips moving as if he were taking to her, but she couldn't hear anything. Begrudgingly, she removed her headphones and finally heard him. "I'm sorry about earlier, but I just want you to know I didn't come here to fight with you or your sister, Eden."

"Right, you're here to protect us. You've already said that, except you won't say anything else." Eden rolled her eyes as she finally sat upright in her bed. 

"What you said was right, you know." John finally admitted as he took a cautious step into his daughter's bedroom. "Grayson was your father. Miranda was your mother. I— I am nothing to either of you. You have no reason to trust or believe me. But, when you lost your parents, I lost my brother. My family. I lost my way. And, I'm probably never going to make things right with you and your sister, I know that, but I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you both and protect this family. I just wanted you to know that." 

Without another word, John turned on his heels and left Eden's bedroom. She heard his footsteps retreating down the staircase as the Gilbert girl placed her headphones back into her ears and curled up into a ball. 

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