a/n: I don't know about you guys, but I am soooo excited that John's back :) I didn't write the part with him and Katherine at the end, but I'm still leaving it the way it happened on the show. I just didn't feel like writing it if it wasn't going to change.
So, for next episode, I'm definitely going to have it be Delena's romantic getaway and I'm thinking maybe it's time for some real smut? What do you guys think?
And I know I didn't include the bathtub scene, as was requested by a few, but I'm pretty sure I can add it in the next chapter :)
SIXTEEN
Elena paced nervously in front of the couch. Damon had gone up to take a shower after she had gotten done. She only had a limited time to figure out how exactly she was going to tell him that John was back in town. As much as she didn't like him, she didn't want Damon to go after him.
Stefan was watching her from the kitchen for a little bit before deciding to intervene. "What's wrong?" he asked, coming into the parlor.
"You," she answered without stopping.
That caught him by surprise. "What did I do?"
"You brought John back. Now I have to tell Damon."
"Elena, he's here to help us."
"He tried to kill you the last time he was here."
"Actually, he tried to kill Damon."
Elena stopped and looked at him, her eyes spitting daggers at him.
"Technically Damon killed him first."
Her eyes widened and she took a step forward. "You were the one that threatened him to go away in the first place. Why do you trust him?"
"Because he said he was here to help save your life," he answered. "I know he hates us and what we are, but I also know that when it comes to you, he wouldn't lie. He's here to save you and that's all I care about."
"Stefan, he's been lying to me my whole life."
"Yes, he lied about being your father, but in the end you had a better life because of it."
Elena sighed and shook her head. "You don't get it," she said and looked towards the stairs. "If I were you, I wouldn't be here when I tell Damon."
"Elena-"
"Stefan, we may have made up, but we have a long way to go before we can be friends again. I was on board with Isobel because she really could help us, but I draw the line at John," she said and turned her back on him.
Stefan sighed. While he believed he had done the right thing, he knew it would be a little bit before she realized it too. "See you later, I guess," he said and took her advice, leaving the house as he heard the water to Damon's shower shut off.
Elena went back to pacing, debating on blurting it out or breaking it to him as easy as she could. Before she had even made up her mind, Damon came down the stairs. She did a double take as she looked at him. His jeans were loose on his hips and his shirt was unbuttoned. The thoughts that ran through her mind replaced the ones about John and she licked her lips as her eyes raked over his exposed skin. Damon noticed and smirked, choosing to let her look rather than comment and make her stop.
"Where's Stefan?" he asked when she finally snapped out of it, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment.
"He left."
Damon nodded and tilted his head to the side at the nervous look on Elena's face. "You okay?"
She bit her lower lip and shook her head. "Well, yeah, I'm fine, but there's something I have to tell you and you're not going to like it."
"Does it have something to do with Isobel?"
"Not really." She sighed heavily and met his gaze. "I've been thinking about the best way to tell you, but I don't know how, so I'm just going to say it," she said and took a deep breath. "John's here."
She saw his body straighten and tense, a sign that he was angry. His eyes had also darkened and she could see a hint of the red-blue veins on his face. "What?"
The icy tone of his voice made her shiver. "Yeah."
"How did this happen? When did this happen?"
"Yesterday." His hands balled into fists at his sides and she rushed on to explain. "Alaric gave Stefan the only number he had to contact Isobel. John answered the phone instead. When I left here so you could..." she paused and cleared her throat. "When I got home, John was there. Stefan says he's here to help."
Damon snorted. "That man is only here to help himself. He has his own agenda and I'm sorry, but it has nothing to do with you or anyone else. I don't trust him."
"Neither do I."
"I say we go pay the man a visit and see what he's really up to," he said and began to move.
Elena reached out and placed her hand against his chest to stop him. She met his gaze and held it without flinching. "Promise me no one gets hurt."
He thought about it for a moment and reached up to cover her hand with his own. "I won't attack him unless he attacks me first."
"Thank you."
He inclined his head before leaning in to capture her lips with his. Her arms went around his neck as his hands dropped to her hips to pull her closer. He still couldn't get over the fact that he could do this whenever he wanted without any repercussions. He remembered the way she had held him only a few hours ago, letting him cry on her shoulder without comment. It was just another thing he loved about her.
He was drawn from his thoughts as she gave a small push forward, making the backs of his knees hit the couch. As he fell back onto the sofa, he pulled her onto his lap so that she could straddle him. She grinned into the kiss and got as close as she could. As she settled, she could feel the bulge of his pants hitting her core, eliciting a soft moan from her lips. It was more than Damon could handle at the moment, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. One of his hands moved to the small of her back, sinking behind her shirt to trace abstract patterns on her skin. Chills erupted down her spine at the same time warmth spread through her lower body.
With everything that had happened the previous day, they hadn't had time to be alone like this. Elena knew she should pull away, but it was hard because she didn't want to. She liked kissing him. She liked the way he made her body come alive with the simplest of touches. The newness of the relationship, the want to explore each other in every way fueled them on.
Damon moved his lips from hers, knowing that she needed to breathe. He let his lips trail down her throat, kissing and nipping at her skin as we went. While he wasn't sure how far she wanted to go, he was all for testing the waters. The hand that wasn't rubbing her back moved down her thigh before dipping down between their bodies. Elena gasped slightly as he touched her through her jeans.
Just as his hand rose up to undo the buttons, her ringtone cut through the silence. Elena jumped and sat back as Damon groaned with frustration, watching as she hurried to answer it. "Hello?"
"What the hell, Elena?" came Jenna's voice.
They exchanged a glance and Damon shrugged. "Jenna?"
"John is your father? Ew."
Elena rolled her eyes as anger rose to the surface. She really wasn't planning on sharing that information with Jenna. "Unfortunately."
"No, no. You're supposed to tell me he's crazy. How long have you known about this?"
"A few months."
It was silent for a few moments, but Damon could here the muted swearing, indicating Jenna had moved the phone away from her hear. He could also hear Alaric and John in the background. "I hate this."
"Me too," she replied, her eyes on Damon. "Look, Jenna I have to go. We'll talk about it later."
"Oh yes we will," she replied and hung up after adding a goodbye.
Elena returned her phone to her pocket and smiled apologetically at Damon. "John was at the Grill with them. We should go if we're going to talk to him."
"Do we have to?" she asked, her hands cupping his face.
Damon groaned again and allowed her to kiss him briefly before using his speed to get them to their feet. "We'll continue this later. Right now, I want to know why Daddy Dearest has returned," he said, taking her hand in his.
"Alright," she muttered, a pout on her face.
"Trust me, I'll make it quick," he assured her before they headed to his car. "I may not be able to hurt him, but I think the look on his face when I tell him I'm the one dating his daughter will be worth it," he said as he pulled the car onto the road.
"Uh, I may have already said something, but I'm not sure. Sorry," she added when he scowled at her playfully.
"So I'll just have to make sure he knows that it's the truth."
"As long as no one gets hurt," she reminded him.
The rest of the ride was silent. When they arrived at the Grill, Damon took her hand, waiting for her to drop it and tell him no. It surprised him when she gave him a reassuring squeeze and even moved a little closer to him while they headed inside. They spotted John sitting at a table by himself nursing a tall glass of beer. When he noticed the couple approaching him, his eyes dropped immediately to their joined hands. "Damon," John greeted tightly. "Elena."
"John," they replied in unison and sat down across from him.
Elena surprised him again when she sat close to him without giving it a second thought. "What are you doing here, John?" Damon asked.
"I'm here to help Elena."
"I don't want your help."
He stared at her for a moment before turning his attention to Damon. "Isobel and I both agreed that Elena would have been much better off if you and your brother were no longer part of her life. If it weren't for Alaric, you both would have died in the fire."
Damon's lips twitched as he tried to keep his rage under control. It was hard as the memories of that night started to replay in his mind. "I would have never forgiven you," Elena said.
"You've made it very clear that you hate me," he said without looking at her. "I should have staked you right after Anna."
"If it weren't for Elena, I would have no qualms about ripping your throat apart in front of everyone here."
"Damon..." He sighed and turned to look at her. She knew the look on his face meant he wanted to talk to John alone. "Play nice," she reminded him and left the table.
John inclined his head and took another drink. "I still hate you and all of your kind, but I'm here because my daughter is in danger. I'm willing to put everything behind us to keep her safe. Tell me Damon, are you willing to do the same?"
As much as it pained him to say it, Damon had no choice but to agree. "I would give my own life to save her if that's what it comes down to."
"I'm assuming that the two of you are together now," he said, finishing off his beer.
"And if I were you, I would leave it alone. We're happy."
"How long before you break her heart? How long before you decide that you want to move on to something else because you're bored?"
Damon shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere and she knows it. We're not here to talk about my relationship with Elena. We're here to talk about why you're here and why I should trust you."
"Part of keeping her safe is keeping her away from vampires and the rest of the supernatural world."
"Elena's capable of making her own choices. If she wants to leave all of this behind her, I'll let her. Why are you here?" he asked again, wanting to get off the topic of him and Elena.
John smirked and shook his head, leaning forward. "I know you're itching to kill like you used to. Who's to say you won't kill me after I give you that information? When I know that I can trust you, I'll let you know. Let's face it, Elijah's deal with Elena isn't as great as she likes to think. In the end, he'll hurt her even more and I won't have that."
Damon studied him and nodded slowly. "I don't like that deal either."
"Good. See, I told you we're on the same page when it comes to Elena."
Before Damon could say anything else, his phone rang. Stefan's name was displayed on the screen and he answered it with a sigh of annoyance. "Yes, Little Brother?"
As Stefan explained the situation with Caroline, Damon cursed under his breath. "What's going on?" John asked when he hung up.
"Apparently there are some wolves in town and they kidnapped Caroline."
"Are you going?"
His eyes glanced over to the bathroom that Elena had just entered and nodded. "I just have to fill Elena in." He got to his feet and then looked at John. "If you say you're here to help, prove it. Make sure Elena stays here or goes straight home. I don't want her trying to help us."
John nodded and followed him to the small hallway where the bathrooms were. He waited outside while Damon slipped into the women's restroom. Elena looked up from washing her hands and stared at Damon in surprise. She looked around and then back at him. "This couldn't wait til I came out?"
"No."
The tone of his voice made her heart skip a beat. Something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"
"It's Caroline," he said and hated the way her eyes immediately shone bright with unshed tears. "She told Tyler about Stefan and I. She told him that I was the one that killed Mason. Apparently, Jules invited a friend or two to Mystic Falls and they kidnapped her. They're torturing her for information."
"Oh my God," she breathed, her hand covering her mouth.
Damon moved to embrace her. "We'll get her back."
"But-"
"No. We will get her back and we'll all come home as alive as when we went to get her, okay? Come on," he said and led her out of the bathroom. He let go so that John could block her from leaving the hallway. He hated the way she looked at him then, but it had to be done.
"Move," she demanded.
"Elena, you're not going with him. This is too dangerous for you," John said.
"But- Damon-" she looked past his shoulder to see that Damon was already gone. When she looked back at John, she shook her head and shoved him out of her way.
"I'll take you home," he offered.
"No thank you."
"How did you get here?"
"I'll walk," she answered.
"Elena-"
"You may be my father, but I will never be your daughter. So please, stop trying," she said and headed for the door.
John followed her and grabbed her arm once they were outside. "You can hate me all you want, but there are people in this town who want to kill you. Don't be stupid, Elena. Let me take you home."
"Fine," she mumbled, yanking her arm from his grasp. Reluctantly, she got into the car. Once she was home, she did her best to ignore him, biding her time until she heard from Damon on how things went. She was more nervous than usual because this time, Caroline, Stefan, and Damon were in danger. It was wreaking havoc with her system as she moved restlessly throughout the house. After a couple of hours, Elena began to truly worry, still waiting to hear from anyone. Just as she was about to head to the boarding house, John came into the kitchen.
"I know you don't like me, but we're still family. Your parents were Grayson and Miranda and nothing will ever change that," he said, holding something out for her. "This belonged to Miranda. She used to wear it when she was little. I think her father gave it to her before he passed. I found it in one of the boxes Grayson left me."
Elena studied him for a moment before her eyes dropped to the charm bracelet. She had seen her mother wearing it in almost every picture of her childhood. Slowly, she reached out and took it from him, her eyes misting over with tears. "Thank you."
"You may not like me, but we're still family. As I told Damon, I'm here to help you. I'm putting aside my hate to keep you safe. When all of this is over, if you still hate me, I'll leave, but I promise not to do anything to harm your supernatural friends this time around. It's all about keeping you safe," he assured her, his eyes going past her shoulder to see Damon.
Elena took a deep breath and followed his gaze. When she saw Damon, her eyes went wide at the bullet holes in his shirt. Immediately, she left her place beside John and practically ran to Damon. She started inspecting him, but he simply looped an arm around her waist and held her close. He stared at John over her head and he gave a tight nod before leaving them alone.
"How's Caroline?" she asked.
"Not good," he answered and winced as she pulled back quickly with a look of fear on her face. "She's fine physically, but mentally...she's not good."
"What happened?"
Damon hesitated, not sure if he should tell her. In the end, he knew she would be angry if he didn't. "They sprayed her with vervain and shot her with slivers of wood. They wanted to know what she told Tyler. They were going to kill her unless Stefan brought Tyler to them. Apparently he went to talk to the wolf about what Caroline had told him. They thought he was holding him hostage and that's why they took Caroline. When we got there, Jules summoned all the friends she invited and they started coming after us. If it weren't for Elijah's warlock I don't think we would have made it."
"See, he's keeping his promise."
"For now."
"You're alive, aren't you?" she asked. "I know he's an Original, but so far he's kept his promise."
As he opened his mouth to reply, Elena's phone went off. "Next time, we shut that damn thing off," he muttered, tired of it always interrupting them.
"It's Bonnie," she said and excused herself to the back porch.
The moment she slipped outside, John entered the kitchen again, holding a few items. "What's that?"
"This is me trusting you," he said, putting the items down on the counter. "This is how you kill an Original. You have to dip the stake into the ashes of white ash wood that dates back thousands of years then plunge it straight into their heart."
Damon took the stake as John moved it a little too close to him and narrowed his eyes. "Where did you learn this?"
"Isobel."
"And where is Mommy Dearest?"
"She's finding out a way to keep Elena safe."
"How?"
John smirked. "When the time is right, she'll let you know. For now, this is all the information that I'm willing to share," he said and left the room.
Just as the front door shut, the back door opened and Elena came inside. "What did the witch want?"
"She said Stefan came to see her after taking Caroline home. He said that she needs us more than anything and I agree. We're both going over there to be with her."
"If you have to," he said with a smile.
"You can drive me to Bonnie's if you want and she'll take us to Caroline's from there."
"I can do that," he said as she stopped right before him.
She smiled. "Thanks."
He nodded and gave her a little push towards the stairs. "You go get your stuff together before I change my mind."
While she was getting ready upstairs, Damon brought the ashes and the stake to the car, hoping that John was right and it would kill the Original on the first try. He had already staked Elijah once and it didn't take. It would only anger him more if Damon tried again and was unsuccessful.
Elena put her duffel bag on the last step by the stairs and wandered back into the kitchen to find Damon staring out the window. "You okay?" she asked. She was still a little rattled seeing the bullet holes that marred his shirt. It was a reminder that she had almost lost him.
"Yeah," he answered, turning to look at her.
She stood in front of the island, facing him as he leaned against the sink. In the blink of an eye, he was hoisting her up to sit on the island, wedging his body between her thighs. She cupped his face and lowered her lips to his, his hands gripping her sides tightly, almost as if he were afraid to let go. Elena kissed him hungrily, wanting nothing more than to finish what they had started earlier, but at the moment, Caroline needed her.
When she broke the kiss, Damon buried his face into the crook of her neck, continuing to place small kisses onto her skin. "We should go."
"I know," he breathed, his breath tickling her skin.
They remained there for a few more minutes before he stepped back and helped her down. "I'll make it up to you later."
"Good. I already have something in mind."
"Such as?" she asked as he picked up her duffel bag before opening the front door for her.
"You'll see tomorrow," he replied and followed her out to the car.