I loved writing this chapter, I thought it was definitely one of the sadder episodes and I relate to it very well with the loss of a father at a young age. So hopefully you enjoy it also.

Enjoy.

The day got off to an alright start. Nothing had happened thus far, and for that I was thankful. I was still trying to come to terms with what happened last night, but it was hard. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, it all came crashing down. I had a whole other part of myself that I had to come to terms with now. I also had a brother that I had to talk to. Tyler needed to know the truth.

I subconsciously ran my fingers over my necklace as I sat in my car in front of the house. I just finished dropping off files Elena had asked my mom for. She couldn't drop them off herself as there was a 'big case' happening at work. She wouldn't tell me what it was about, but that never stopped me making up my own scenarios in my head. I had to learn to trust her all over again, and it was going to take time. A long time.

I opened the car door and leaned into the back seat to grab my bag before locking the car.

I made my way inside the house and placed my bag on top of the table before turning into the living room. I froze, stunned at what I saw.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I gasped, my heart rate racing.

Tyler got to his feet as I entered the room. His hands ran down his thighs nervously.

"I came to apologise."

"Apologise?" I laughed bitterly, "You bit my sister, Tyler. She could have died. I don't need your apologies, I need you out of my house."

He walked forward a few steps, eyes wide as he spoke. "That's the problem. Klaus told me to do it and I said no. And then... it just happened anyway." He defended his actions. However, I wasn't surprised to hear that Klaus was the one behind it. I already knew. "It was completely out of my control. That's why I had your mom call him."

Tyler gestured to my right and in walked my father.

"Daddy." I smiled small at his presence.

I hadn't seen him since the morning after Damon attacked him and I didn't think I would see him again.

"Hi, Jessica." He smiled.

"I thought, since he can resist compulsion, maybe he could teach me to resist the sire bond." Tyler said.

I looked between them. Sceptical by Tyler's words. "You said it yourself, Tyler. Being sired isn't like being compelled." He nodded his head as he knew I was right. But maybe, just maybe, my father could actual help him. "Can you help him?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm gonna try." My father replied.

"Why?" I counter asked. "After all, you're so ashamed of what Caroline is, and I'm sure you're even more ashamed of what I am." Even I felt the bite of my words as my father hung his head. "Yeah, I know everything."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked in confusion.

My dad hung his head, "Your mother told me that she told you."

"She didn't have a choice."

"We wanted to protect you, honey. We wanted to keep you safe." He said.

Tyler cleared his throat, "Can someone tell me what's going on?"

I folded my arms and raised a brow, "Do you want to tell him, or shall I?"

"I don't think it's our place, sweetheart."

"It might not be yours...but it is mine." I looked towards Tyler. He looked at me confused and I didn't know if what I was about to do was the right thing, but someone had to tell him. "I-I'm your sister, Tyler."

His mouth opened slightly before he sniggered, "Funny."

I frowned, "I'm not lying, Ty. My mom had a one night stand with your dad, and she fell pregnant with me," He continued to look at me, dumbfounded as I spoke. "I'm your half sister."

My father sighed deeply, "Jessica..."

"No," I raised my hand, silencing him, "You don't get to talk to me, not now." I walked over to Tyler, "You have to believe me." He looked towards my dad, looking for clarification.

"It's true, son."

"Wait," Tyler sighed and backed away, "Does my mom know?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Both our parents know, but chose not to tell anyone. Including us."

"I can't believe this." Tyler looked at the ceiling and ran his hands over his face. "She would have told me. My dad would have told me."

"You don't think I thought the same?" I glared at my father, "I've been kept in the dark my whole life, Tyler. I lost who I was, who I've always thought I was. Then I find out that my father is Richard Lockwood and that you're my half brother. It's insane.!" I shuffled from foot to foot, "Not to mention that I carry the gene."

He fell silent for a moment before his eyes widened, "Your anger outbursts. I thought you were just up-tight most of the time, but it all makes sense now." He ran his open hand down his face in exasperation, "I don't know how I didn't see it sooner."

I nodded.

"We shouldn't have kept it from you, Jess." My dad sighed, "I realise it was wrong, and I'm sorry."

I sighed and looked towards the ground, "As far as I'm aware, you're still my father." I smiled at him lightly, "You raised me. Protected me. Kept me safe when I needed it most. This doesn't change anything, but I don't know if I can forgive you, or mom for that matter, for keeping something like this from me for so many years." My nails began to pierce into my palms, "I need time."

"I completely understand, sweetheart. Take all the time you need, I'll tell you everything you need to know."

I shook my head, "You don't have too, mom told me everything last night. Well, I hope she did."

Tyler groaned, drawing my attention to him as he folded his hands behind his head and sighed, "I have to talk to my mom."

"That'll be a good idea." I smiled at him. "If she denies it, tell her you spoke to my dad."

My brother. I don't know if I could get used to that. It feels so weird. We grew up together, and all along, he was my brother. Neither one of us were any the wiser. However, I stand by my statement to my dad. He was my father and that's not going to change. Mayor Lockwood was never a part of my life, and he never will be. It's just going to take me sometime to trust my parents again.

"Jess, sweetheart." My dad cooed as he crossed the living room to stand in front of me. He reached out and held my hands. "I'm not ashamed of you or your sister." He admitted and I swallowed hard.

Wasn't he?

"It's all I've ever known since I was young and this just isn't the life I wanted for you, either of you. Tyler made a mistake that he want's to right. I understand that."

I felt my lip begin to tremble.

This was the first time I had really spoke with my father since I lived with him, and after hearing his confession. I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders.

"Okay." I nodded in agreement. I turned to face Tyler. "I'm on board with this plan but I-I can't forgive you for what you've done." His face softened and filled with sadness. "Not yet, anyway." A small smiled slowly made it's way on to his lips at the prospect of being forgiven.

I could tell he really needed it, but I wasn't there yet.

"You should call Care. She'll want to know what's going on." I told my father.

"Of course." He smiled. "Are you coming with us?"

I looked at Tyler then my dad, "No, I better not. I just want to be alone for the time being. I have a lot of things I need to think about."

"Okay, sweetheart." My father patted my back. "We'll keep you posted."

"Good luck." I wished them both as I left the room.

I left the house shortly after Caroline arrived and made my way over to the Boarding house. I had to tell Damon that my father was back in town, for both of their sakes.

I wasn't about to have another brawl on my hands at the clash of their egos.

Pulling up into the drive in front of the house, I hopped out of the car and made my way up the stairs at the front. Stopping as my hand hovered over the handle as music was blaring from inside.

"What the hell?" I murmured as I opened the door. "Damon!?" I called over the music as I walked down the hallway. No one answered my calls and I shouted once more. "Damon!"

As I rounded the corner, I stopped instantly as a soft chuckle came from the library. I walked through the door to be met by Klaus as he lounged on a chair, a glass of bourbon in hand.

"Hello, love." He smiled.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Just waiting on my good friend, Stefan." He replied. He seemed even more chipper than usual as I eyed him. "How's Caroline?"

"She's completely healed." I informed him and took a seat on the sofa across from him. His eyes never left my body since they fell upon me as I entered.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Klaus smirked before taking a drink from the glass.

I sniggered, "I already thanked you last night." His smirk only grew at my words. "I shouldn't have, considering you were the one that orchestrated it all."

He ran his forefinger along his lip, "Did he tell you that?" He grinned, "Your brother."

I swallowed hard, "He wouldn't have done it otherwise, Klaus." I snapped back. "So stop with your games."

His eyes lit up with excitement.

Before he could reply, the door opened and Stefan entered. His eyes immediately shot to me before turning to Klaus as he entered the room and turned down the music.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" He drawled.

"Enjoying out stalemate." The hybrid replied.

Stefan rolled his eyes and asked, "What do you want?"

"The question is what do you want?" Klaus leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees. "My hybrids left town as you demanded, so please, tell me what I need to do to get my family back."

"Well, see... Klaus... I'm not negotiating." Stefan smirked. He was cocky and well and truly thought held all the cards at this point as I sat in-between them as they bickered.

"And you understand, that holding them indefinitely is the same thing as dropping them in the ocean?" Klaus hissed.

"No, no. You leave Mystic Falls and then give me a call in a few years and we'll talk." Stefan smiled as he baited Klaus.

"I can give you another chance. Just one more." Klaus stared him down. "Let's make a reasonable deal."

"Or what?" Stefan challenged. "You make one move and I will drop..."

Klaus cut him off as he laughed obnoxiously. "Yes, right. Crazy Stefan." I saw Stefan recoil slightly as Klaus continued. "How is that working out for you?" He asked. "Any friends left?"

I slammed my hand on the arm rest of the sofa as I got to my feet. Klaus and Stefan fell silent.

"Okay, as fun as this was, I'm gonna leave you to it." I said as I walked to the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Klaus' voice travelled across the room.

"Bite me," I turned and stared at him from the hallway. "I have my own family problems to deal with. I don't need to be stuck in the middle of yours as well." I smiled sarcastically.

He grinned, flashing all his pearly-whites as I turned on my heels and left.

What a jackass.

Finding something to do to occupy my mind was beginning to become tedious as the hours went by. All I could think about was Caroline and my dad and what's happening with Tyler at this very moment. After leaving the Salvatore's, I returned home and watched some cringey TV show that Care and I always watched together. However, even that failed to slow my racing thoughts.

"Screw it."

Deciding that I could do with some time out of the house, I pulled on my jacket and made my way to The Grill. Plus, I was craving a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. As I pulled up into an empty parking spot outside, I entered the grill and walked up to the bar. A friendly bartender approached and I ordered my long awaited hot coco. He placed it down in front of me on a saucer with a smile before continuing to wipe down the bar with a rag. I picked up the small, patterned plate and headed to a free booth.

Running my finger through the cinnamon-covered whipped cream, I placed my forefinger in my mouth and instantly smiled. The taste of the sweet cream on my tongue was a welcomed delight in a moment of sadness. As I continued to flick through an art catalogue that was left in the booth, I was completely unaware that I was being watched from the bar across the way.

"Fancy meeting you here."

My eyes shut slowly and a sigh escaped my mouth as I looked up through my lashes.

Klaus stood at the opposite side of the booth, a grin tugging on the corners of his pink, pert lips.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalking me." I leaned back in my seat and closed the catalogue over, pushing it to the side.

He chuckled softly. "I can see how you'd think that, but it's mere coincidence. I assure you." He pointed to the empty seat in front of me. "May I?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "If you must."

Klaus placed his glass of amber liquid on the table and slid into the seat. His elbows rested on the table as his fingers pressed together into a triangle shape in front of his lips as he watched me intently.

I ran my finger through the whipped cream once more under Klaus' watchful eye.

"So, what brings you here, sweetheart?" He asked cheerfully.

"Fancied a hot chocolate." I smiled, trailing my finger over my bottom lip, wiping away any cream that I may have missed. Klaus' eyes followed every single movement. "Plus, my dads back in town and he's..." I immediately snapped my mouth shut. After almost telling Klaus the reasons behind my fathers visit, my mouth became increasingly dry.

"He's what?" Klaus asked.

I cleared my throat and wrapped my hands around the lukewarm cup of coco. "He's just helping Caroline with something. Besides, we're strained at the moment. Regarding the fact that I've been lied to my whole life, and that I'm a 'werewolf'." I whispered bitterly, "I guess you could say that I needed space."

He slowly nodded his head, "I understand the dynamics that can come between a father and his children."

I thought back to how Klaus was with his father. What he and his father had was nothing like what Care and I had with ours. But, I suppose that they had a few things in common. Their joint hatred for vampires being the main factor that sprung to mind.

"I suppose you do." I looked at him. "But were nothing like you." I informed him as I took a sip from the cup. "Why are you here?" I asked trying to change the subject from myself.

"Had to take care of some business." He replied and relaxed back.

"Your family?" I wondered.

"Are you going to tell me where I might find them?" Klaus' interest was well and truly piqued.

I shook my head, "I told you before, I don't know where they are."

His eyes narrowed, "And I told you, you're lying."

My eyes matched his as I rested my elbows on the polished wood and leaned forward. "If, and that's a big 'if', I knew where Stefan was holding your family hostage." I smiled, "What makes you think I'd tell you?"

Klaus mimicked my movements and placed his elbows on the table before leaning forward. I could feel his warm breath on my face as he spoke. "Well, love. I thought you'd do it out of the kindness of your heart but if not, then maybe you'd do it as a thank you for saving your sisters life. Not to mention the fact that I gave you the push you needed to find out the truth about yourself."

What a nerve!

I sniggered, "You're kidding, right?" He smirked as I continued. "You wouldn't have had to 'save' my sisters life if you hadn't put it on the line in the first place!"

The stares of strangers seated at the bar shot our way as my voice raised ever-so-slightly.

"Now now, love. You're causing a scene." Klaus smirked as his right brow raised in amusement.

I dug my nails into the table as anger filled my body and began coursing through my bloodstream at his cockiness.

His smug face only added fuel to the fire as he smirked at me. Noticing my sudden change in body language, Klaus leaned back into his chair and tapped his finger against the table. I instantly dropped my eyes down to his hand as his nail clicked with the wooden surface. Felling like my blood pressure was beginning to cool down, I relaxed back and the stares from strangers turned away.

"You're insufferable." I whispered lower than I expected to.

"No ones making you stay here, love." He replied.

He was right. No one was making me stay here, yet, here I was. Sharing a booth with him as he baited me on with his twisted words.

As I opened my mouth to reply, the sudden impending footsteps of Caroline approached the booth.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed as she looked at me thought narrow eyes.

"Nothing?" I replied innocently.

"Why are you sitting with him?" Care nodded her head to the left.

"I'd best be on my way." Klaus slid out of the seat and fixed the cuffs on his jacket. "Pleasure as always, Jessica." He smiled before leaving.

Caroline took his place in the booth and looked at me disappointingly.

"What?" I asked impatiently. Her judgy-eyes were melting the spot between my eyebrows as she glared.

"Hello!" She yelled a little too loud. "You were just sitting here with Klaus!"

"In my defence, I was here first." I protested. "He came over to me and took a seat." I shrugged and she crossed her arms. "What was I supposed to do, force him out?"

"Well... yeah!"

I lulled my head back in annoyance but I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my face at her overreaction.

"You're ridiculous." I grinned and she flared her nostrils before a smile made its way onto her face also. "Why aren't you with daddy and Tyler?" I asked as I finished the rest of the now cold coco in the cup.

"They told me to leave." She said glumly with a slight pout.

"Why?"

"I don't know." She stroked her finger along the table. "Daddy thought it was going to be too much for me to see."

"Ahh," I nodded my head. "If anyone can help Tyler, its him." I reassured her and she smiled. "So, how about a day in front of the TV with our favourite movies?"

Her face instantly lightened up at my suggestion.

"Sounds amazing!"

Once we returned home, Caroline made a b-line to the bedroom to grab a few movies from her collection, along with some pillows and blankets as I made my way to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed some dips to go alone with the chips before searching the cupboard for some popcorn. Luckily enough, there was one bag left on the top shelf at the back. I threw it into the microwave and listened to the 'pop' as it cooked away nicely. Once I had the snacks in hand, I made my way back into the living room as Caroline put the first movie into the DVD player. The couch was nonexistent, hiding under a mountain of pillows and blankets that pilled high.

"Wow, Care." I looked at her shocked as I placed the snacks on the table. "Did you invite the whole of Mystic Falls?" I joked with her as I pointed to the stack on the couch.

"Ha-ha." She moaned and got to her feet. "It's a move day! That means, loads of pillow and blankets and food."

"Yeah yeah, you're right." I retreated and flopped down onto the sofa. "So, what's first?"

"The Wedding Planner!" She beamed cheerfully.

"Ugh, my favourite!"

She skipped over to the couch and threw herself down beside me.

The movie began to play but there was a slight spell of tension that hung in the air.

"I'm glad we're doing this." I finally found the courage to speak.

I felt her hand grip my arm and turned to face her. "Me too."

"We should do it more often." I smiled, "When the world isn't on the brinks of insanity, that is."

"Yeah." She laughed briefly and then her face went serious. "I missed you so much when you went to visit dad."

"I missed you, too." I admitted. "I'm sorry if I've been distant since I came back," I nervously tugged on the throw pillow that sat on my lap. "I-I've just struggled... adjusting to all the changes that happened. More so now after everything that I found out last night."

She nodded, understanding what I was saying before she replied. "I get that. I struggled, too." Her face fell flat, "But now you know that you're Tyler's half sister and that dad isn't your...dad."

I grabbed her face and turned her to face me, "Nothing's changed, Care. You're my sister and daddy is my one and only father." I wiped at a stray tear on her cheek, "The only thing that's different is that I know Tyler's my half brother and that I have the werewolf gene. That's all. Nothing changes between us, and it never ever will."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I replied and rested my head on her shoulder as the movie began.

It was truly peaceful at the moment. Right now, I was enjoying the company of my sister, and I couldn't be happier.

"How about we order pizza?" I asked.

"Ohh, good idea." She smiled and handed me the phone.

The rest of the night went by smoothly as we watched a tone of movies. We laughed, we cried and we cheered along with the characters. We ate food... so much food! And then we fell asleep, side by side as the night fell.

"Jess! Wake up!" The loud screeching of Care's voice bellowed into my eardrum as she shook my arm vigorously.

"Ugh..." I groaned from the sofa. "What is it?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up.

"It's daddy, he's in the hospital!"

My haze quickly lifted as Caroline came into full view. My eyes were no longer blurry... they were wide open.

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly. "Is he alright!?"

"I think so." She tapped her fingers against her phone screen. "Elena called, Dr. Fell treated him last night. Said it looked like he'd been attacked."

"Attacked?" I looked at her confused.

What did she mean?

It didn't take long for the realisation to smack me in the face.

"Tyler..." I gasped.

Caroline just looked at me, lost.

"Let me change then we can head over there." I got to my feet and held her hands. "He'll be alright, Care."

God did I hope he'd be alright.

Once I changed, Caroline and I headed to the hospital as fast as we could. Care filled me in on some more news and I now knew what my mom's case was as well. There was a psycho-killer running around Mystic Falls and no one had any idea who they might be. Which was unsettling to say the least. I instantly thought about Klaus and his hybrids, but there was none left here. Not since Stefan forced Klaus to have them sent away from Mystic Falls.

It was harder than we thought to get a parking spot at this time of day, but we finally managed it after 10 minutes of driving around in circles. Once we were inside of the hospital, Care and I walked down the long corridors before stopping at a desk and asked for this 'Dr. Fell'. It didn't take her too long to arrive after being paged. The brunette doctor walked straight to us as she looked over a clipboard in her hand.

"Are you Caroline?" She asked in a warm, friendly voice.

"Yes. Dr. Fell, Hi!." She smiled and pointed to me, "And this is my sister, Jess." I also smiled at the nice doctor. "Elena told me you helped out our dad."

"I did." Dr Fell nodded. "Do you think you can get him to be a little more grateful? He spent half the night threatening to get my medical license revoked for saving his life."

"Yeah, our dad's a little set in his ways." I sighed apologetically. "He spent his whole life hating vampires, so..."

"So... he's not psyched about it being vampire blood that healed him." The doctor smiled. "Yeah, he made that clear. I'm sorry. My bedside manner sucks, on no sleep."

"So, can we take him home?" Caroline asked chirpily.

Dr. Fell's eyes flickered between the two of us. "I signed his discharge papers late last night, just to shut him up."

Caroline and I shared the same looked of confusion.

Where was he then?

"Oh, I...he didn't call or anything." Caroline murmured.

"That's gotta be hard." Dr. Fell looked sideways at us. "When your dad hates the one thing you can't change about yourself. I make it my business, to know who the vampires are in this town. Medical curiosity. I don't blab."

"I hope not." I spoke from her side.

"Yeah, we've had our ups and downs." Caroline sighed.

The nosy doctor picked up a few folders from the desk and placed them on top of her clipboard. "Tell your dad I said, 'You're welcome'. She smiled at us before walking off.

I looked on after her as she disappeared from my line of sight before turning to face my sister.

"I don't like her." I admitted. "There's something... off with her."

We turned around and headed back the way we came. Caroline pulled out her phone and called our dad in the hope that he'd pick up.

Ringing... I could hear it.

"Do you hear it?" I asked as I looked around.

"Yeah..." Caroline also looked around the corridor.

By using our hearing, Caroline and I scowered the hallways following the ringing coming for our dad's phone. It got louder and louder the closer we got. We stopped as we came to a medical supply room at the end of a hallway. No one else was in the corridor, which was unnerving. I slowly pushed down on the handle and opened the door. Walking inside with Caroline close on my heels, I walked past a few shelves of supplies as I could smell the metallic scent of blood wafting in the air. A loud gasped left my lips as my eyes landed on my fathers dead body, sitting upright on the floor against a stack of shelves, a knife sticking out of his chest.

"Oh, my god!" I placed my hand over my mouth as Caroline rushed over and dropped to her knees.

"Dad! Daddy!?" Caroline cried in panic. "Don't be dead! Please, don't be dead!"

She reached forward and clasped her hand around the handle of the knife and tugged until it slipped out. Tossing it to the floor at her right, my mind instantly shot back to the chat with Dr. Fell at the sight of the blood on the shiny, silver metal blade.

"Ca-Caroline..." I mumbled.

"What!?" She shouted in a panic.

"He... he has vampire blood in his system." I informed her with a shaky voice.

No. This cannot be happening.

Her eyes widened right as our father shot forward and gasped for air.

"Daddy!"

Using her vampire-speed, Caroline took our dad into the first empty room she could find as I called and told our mom everything.

I entered into the room and closed the door behind me before locking it.

"I called mom and bribed the nurse to stay out of this room." I informed them. "You'll be safe here."

Dad looked down at his blood-soaked-shirt in both shock and fascination.

"My wound is completely healed. I need something to eat." He said quickly.

"Daddy, why don't you just come and lay down and just relax?" Care tried to coax my father into the bed, but he was too anxious.

"I can't." He said in agitation. "I'm too wired and my pulse is racing. It's the effect of my body wanting to transition."

"Maybe Dr. Fell can give you something?" I suggested, only to be met with a scowl.

"She's done enough." He hissed and pace back and forth.

"Did you see who attacked you?" Care asked.

He shook his head, "I didn't see anything. Tried to sneak out the back exit and someone came up from behind."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out." Caroline spoke up. "But in the mean time we need to get you some blood."

He froze on the spot. "I'm not going to drink any blood."

I frowned, "You have to. You died with vampire blood in your system." I said quickly as I became anxious myself. "If you don't feed and finish the transition into a vampire... then you'll die."

My father just nodded, his face was void of any emotion other than sadness. "I understand how it works. And that's what I'm prepared to do." He informed my sister and I. "Now, get me out of this hospital. I smell blood everywhere."

The sun was no longer up as Caroline and I lead our father out the back of the hospital and into the car before driving home. It was agonising. Every second that past was bringing us closer to loosing our father, forever. As we pulled up outside the house, I noticed that mom's police car was parked-up in the drive. Walking my father silently up the path and into the house, my mom rose from the sofa to greet us at the door.

She asked to speak to our dad alone, so we made our way back outside and sat on the porch together. Hand in hand, we sat there in silence as neither of us knew what to say.

"We can't just let him die, Jess." Caroline said with a broken voice.

I sighed, "There's nothing we can do, Care."

"Y-yeah there is." She rubbed a tear from her cheek. "We can force him to feed."

I shook my head, "No, Care, we can't." I squeezed her hand tight and swallowed the lump in my throat. "There's nothing I want more than for him to feed and still be alive. Still be here with us. But It's his choice, and we have to respect that."

"I know." She replied softly. "I think this is the first time since we were ten, that they've been in the same room together for this long." Caroline said.

We both laughed lightly before falling silent once more. We held onto each other as the tears gathered in our eyes before slowly spilling over to run steadily down our cheeks. A familiar truck pulled up at the end of the drive, catching our attention as Matt and Elena headed up the path.

"Hey," Matt murmured softly. "Your mom called and told us what happened."

"Hey." Caroline and I said in unison as Matt and Elena walked over to the porch and took a seat at either side of us.

I turned to face Elena, "What was the hardest part for you? When you lost your dad?"

"Realising all the things that he wouldn't be there for," Elena sighed sadly, "The things that... that you just need your dad for, you know?"

I nodded slowly as she scooted over and placed her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight.

A while had passed, Matt and Elena had left to go home as Caroline and I went back into the house to speak with our father. We entered Care's room as he sat on the end of the bed. His fingers intertwined with one another as they sat in his lap.

"Hey." He smiled as we entered the room and got to his feet.

"Hey." Caroline replied.

He pointed to one of her trophies that sat on her dresser. "Your first day at regionals."

She smiled, "Yep. We were afraid to join the squad, but you talked us into it."

"You had nothing to be afraid of." He replied confidently. "Both of you were better than all of them put together." He made his way back to the bed and took a seat.

"How are you feeling?" I asked curiously.

"I'm tired." He sighed and rested his hands back into his lap.

"Can we get you anything? Or um... do you want me to call Steven?"

"No, no, we haven't spoken in a while." My father told me. "Just call him when it's over and the dust has settled, would you?"

I nodded sadly at my fathers request as Caroline dropped to her knees in front of him and took his hands in hers.

"Listen, listen to me. I know that you think you've made your choice, but you can change your mind." Care pleaded with him. "You know, you are strong enough to handle being a vampire. I mean, you're the strongest person that we know."

He took a deep inhale as he looked at me and back to Caroline. "Oh, Caroline, my strength is all in my beliefs. Becoming a vampire is wrong, people aren't supposed to cheat death. It's just what I believe." He spoke in a soft tone, "Please respect that."

Caroline let go of his hands and got to her feet before throwing her arms in the air in frustration. "God. How can you hate who I am so much?!"

Our dad got to his feet and gently grabbed a hold of her face as my mom appeared behind me at the door and held my hand.

"Oh, no, no, no, sweetheart, I don't hate you." He smiled and face me, "Either of you. I love you. You're strong, you're beautiful, you're good. And even after everything that has happened to you, you are exactly who your mother and I hoped you'd grow up to be. Both of you are."

"Please don't leave me, daddy. Daddy, please..." Caroline sobbed. "Please don't leave us."

I let go of my mom's hand and rushed into the room to stand beside my sister as my father placed his arms around us and gently swayed from side-to-side.

"I can't apologise more to you, sweetheart," Dad said as he held me tightly, "We thought we were doing the right thing by keeping the truth from you. Now I realise that we only prolonged the inevitable."

"I'll be okay," I sniffled.

"You will transition," He sighed, "And when you do, you have to be brave. You have to be strong."

"I-I don't know if I can do it without you, daddy." I sobbed, "I need you!"

"Shh." He cooed, "Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children, girls. It's okay."

I felt the tears streaming down my face as I held onto Caroline and my father tightly.

Please, make it stop...

"This is life. This is what it means to be human."

It didn't take long before my father drew his last breath.

Caroline and I sat by his side on the bed, his hand in each of ours as his chest rose and fell for the final time before he stilled.

"I love you, daddy." I whimpered into his hand as I placed a gentle kiss on the back before resting it on top of his chest, followed by Caroline.

We said our goodbyes and left the room together, hand-in-hand as we made our way down the hall and into my room. My mom was waiting at the door, tears sparkling in her eyes as she enveloped us into a tight hug. We stayed like this for a while before finally falling asleep together on my bed.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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