For the entire night, John was unwilling to tell them much about the sacrifice. He would only admit that he knew that it involved Elena, a fact that he learned from Isobel. Stefan had to play mediator between Riley, Elena, and John. Riley would constantly make sarcastic remarks, mocking him. She had years of repressed anger begging to be unleashed on her uncle. Even though he expressed concern for Elena, she did not believe him for one second. She was sure that he had some kind of ulterior motive for returning to Mystic Falls. Part of her wished that she continued hanging out with Elijah. It would have been a much more enjoyable night. Not wanting to leave Elena alone with John, she decided to stay at her house. She texted her father about John's arrival. To say that both of her parents were displeased was an understatement. Like Riley, they were not fond of John and his games. They had a tense relationship with John, especially when it dealt with his care of Elena. When she was younger, she had learned the truth about John being her father and witnessed an argument between her mother and John about being a proper father figure.

Riley was sitting in Elena's bed, drawing while her cousin slept. She had drawn a picture of John as a donkey, representing his true self. As sunlight shined through the window, Elena rubbed her eyes, drowsily. She checked her alarm clock.

"How long have you been up?" she asked Riley.

"An hour. You had a rough day yesterday so I let you sleep. I occupied myself by drawing"

"Is John still here?"

"I heard him moving around downstairs"

Riley followed Elena downstairs. John was in the kitchen, watching the television while pouring coffee. She heard Mrs. Lockwood giving a speech. The council had planned a memorial for the recent deaths in town. It was an excuse to keep the town peaceful while the police worked on solving all of their opened cases. Seeing them, he turned off the television.

"Morning, you two. Riley, I see you still draw"

"I do. I actually drew a picture of you"

She showed him the drawing. "This is you as a donkey and under your butt is the crap you kept telling us last night"

Elena stamped on her foot. She was attempting to be the peacemaker in Stefan's absence. Riley grabbed John's cup of coffee for herself. Elena questioned him about his reasons for returning to Mystic Falls. Similar to last night, he only said that he wanted to protect her. He was not convinced that he could trust either of them. Riley scoffed under her breath.

"I'm sorry. You don't think you can trust us? Is that seriously coming out of your mouth right now?"

"Riley" hissed Elena.

"No, this is so typical of him. He"

She was interrupted by Jenna and Alaric entering the kitchen. Seeing John, Jenna looked very confused. An tense conversation between them followed with Jenna questioning why he was in the house. Alaric turned to Riley for an explanation. Her annoyed expression told him that she was just as unhappy as Jenna. The conversation turned awkward when John revealed that he was Elena's real father. Riley glanced around, waiting for a camera crew to jump out from behind the wall and reveal they were taping them for a trashy talk show.

"I'll let you three talk. I should get home to…I'll see you later, Elena"

Jenna's eyes drifted between Elena and John. She was still in complete shock over this news. Riley headed back towards her house. Caroline sent her a text, warning her about Tyler. A second later, she received a similar text from Stefan, who was watching over Caroline. Tyler was sitting on her front porch. She sensed that he did not want to have a homework chat.

"Hey Ty. What's up?"

"Did you know about Mason?"

Thinking about Caroline's urgent text, she assumed that he knew the truth about Mason's death. She had a feeling that Jules, the visiting female werewolf, was responsible for his newfound knowledge. His eyes turned golden in color.

"Answer me. Did you know that Mason was dead this entire time?"

"Ty, listen"

Tyler slammed her against the wall, angrily. His fingers dug into her skin.

"You're supposed to be my friend, Ri. You lied to me. You knew that Damon—do you know about Caroline and the Salvatores…what they are?"

"Yes. I knew since I arrived in town. They're not the enemy"

"How can you side with them? They killed Mason! What kind of friend are you, Riley?!"

"There's a lot you don't know. Just let me explain"

"No. I don't want to hear more lies. Jules was right"

"You're going to trust some random girl over me, someone you've known for your entire life? Ty, Mason wasn't here for you. He was working with someone dangerous to find that moonstone. He's not the good guy that used to babysit us. Mason's the one that stabbed me during the volunteer day"

Riley confessed what had happened in the woods with Mason and how he was willing to kill her to catch the Salvatores. Tyler refused to believe her story, insisting that Mason would never hurt her. He believed that the Salvatores had brainwashed her to be on their side. Still angry with her, he told her that he could not stand Mystic Falls for much longer. She was surprised when he mentioned that Jules wanted to take him back to Florida to teach him how to handle being a werewolf. Tyler let go of her, staring at the ground.

"As long as you're friends with those vampires, you're dead to me, Ri"

"Tyler"

Riley pleaded with him to listen to her. Ignoring her, he walked back to his house. She called Stefan, running her hand through her hair. Once he picked up, she told him about Tyler confronting her and Jules's plans for him. Stefan urged her to not go anywhere alone in case Jules or even Tyler decided to attack her for revenge. Jules had been in town long enough to see who hung around with Damon, her main target. As she entered her house, she heard her parents arguing in the living room. It did not take long to guess that John was the subject of the argument.

"What do you expect me to do, Alice?"

"Tell him to leave. You're his older brother. Use that authority"

"I don't have any power over him"

"He's not here for just Elena. You know him better than that"

"I'll figure out his plans. John thinks he's smart but he always messes up somehow"

Her mother noticed her by the doorway. Riley had to endure ten minutes of questions. Whenever John was around, her mother did not want Riley near him, purposely avoiding him during visits. It was as if she worried that John would hurt her.

"Mom, I'm fine. We barely talked. I just sent him glares across the room"

"Well the sooner he leaves, the better. Wherever he goes, trouble follows"

Following Stefan's advice, she spent the day with her parents. She stayed in the living room, attempting to call Tyler and checking for any sign of Jules. Tyler ignored all of her calls. Around dinnertime, they drove over to the Mystic Grill. They had made plans to have dinner with Jenna and Alaric. Riley was sitting between her father and Alaric. Hours had not been long enough for Jenna to process that John was Elena's birth father. While her mother comforted Jenna, Alaric and Riley discussed the situation with Tyler in soft whispers. He assured her that they would repair their friendship.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Jenna. We wanted to tell you but Grayson and Miranda decided to keep it quiet"

"It's just bizarre"

John walked over to the table, ruining their meal. Her mother and Jenna shared the same exasperated expression. He greeted Riley's parents.

"I didn't think you'd ever come back here, Brendon. It's good to see you again. Do you think I could join you?"

"Do they let dogs eat at restaurants?" asked her mother.

John chuckled. "I see that Riley got her penchant for snide remarks from you, Alice"

Her father put down his menu. "Why are you in Mystic Falls, John? What trouble are you going to cause?"

"No trouble. I'm here for Elena. She's my daughter, Brendon"

"Yes, she is…and she was your daughter for the past seventeen years. Did you decide to finally act like a father?"

"This is why we don't do family reunions" Riley whispered to Alaric.

"I'm going to protect her"

"I'm sure you think that. If you still have any brain cells left, I suggest you stay out of the matter"

John's nostrils flared. He loathed when her father would belittle him or tell him to not act foolish. Many arguments between them had started by her father insinuating that he had to clean up John's messes over the years. A fight was avoided by Damon and Elena entering the grill. Damon put on an act, giving John a warm smile.

"Always good to see you, Brendon. Alice, has anyone ever told you that blue is your color?"

Riley's mother, similar to Jenna, did not fall for Damon's charms. She disapproved of Riley's friendship with him. It had nothing to do with him being a vampire. In her mind, he was the typical bad boy.

"Well if I have to deal with two idiots in one night, I'm going to need a stronger drink. Excuse me"

Riley followed her to the bar. As they waited for a margarita, Riley asked her mother to be polite to Damon.

"Mom, he's really not that bad. He's on our side"

"I know his type, Riley"

"He might surprise you. You two can bond over your hatred for John"

Damon sat next to Riley at the bar. Her mother returned to the table with her margarita. He had been attempting to get information out of John. His attempt ended in failure. All he found out was that John knew about Katherine being stuck in the tomb, due to Elijah compelling her. He expressed interest in killing John to get rid of him.

"You won't hear an objection from me"

"Why can't Elena be like that?"

"Trust me, if John keeps up this silent routine, it's going to be either you or me that beats him up to find out what else he knows"

As they discussed who hated John more, Damon brought up the incident from last night. He thanked her for helping him. She lied that she had hidden the body herself in the woods. If Damon knew that she was with Elijah, he would freak out on her. She noticed that he was still depressed over Rose's death.

"How are you holding up?"

"Liquor helps"

"It'll get better. You didn't have anything to do with those dead campers, right?"

"Nope, not me"

Jenna walked over to the bar with her friend, Andie Starr. Andie was a local newscaster in Mystic Falls. Riley watched as Andie flirted with Damon, asking to buy him a drink. He rejected her, leaving the bar. She did not realize how hard Rose's death affected him until that moment. As she texted Jayden, she felt someone grab her arm. Elena pulled her into the bathroom with Damon. She had received a call from Stefan. Jules kidnapped Caroline and was torturing her with wooden bullets. She threatened that if she did not get Tyler, she would kill Caroline. Riley and Damon reacted negatively, asking why Stefan waited so long to tell them. Elena explained that Stefan did not want either of them to act reckless.

"Who's reckless?"

"Riley, come on. You would go over there and try to rescue Caroline by yourself"

"That's exactly what we should do"

Damon suggested that he could kill Tyler. Riley and Elena refused, not wanting Tyler to get hurt. He had been through enough for one day. Elena rested her hands on Damon's shoulders. She begged him not to hurt Tyler since too many people had already died in the town. Damon told her to stop assuming that he would do whatever she wanted by simply asking him. Riley could hear the pained tone in his voice. He was doing a poor job of hiding his attraction to Elena. The door burst open and John entered the bathroom.

"What's going on here?"

"We're having a sexy vampire threesome" replied Riley, sarcastically.

Elena insisted that nothing was wrong. Damon told John to watch over her and Elena. Despite Riley's protests, he left the bathroom. John stopped her from following after him. Elena and Riley paced around the bathroom. They planned to run out of the grill, thinking that John could not catch both of them. As Elena opened the door, they saw John waiting outside in the hallway. He prevented them from leaving and chastised Elena for her deal with Elijah. Riley's fists clenched when he called Elijah untrustworthy.

"He is going to keep his promise. You don't even know him, John"

"And you do?" he asked, curiously.

"He's a man of his word. Unlike you, he doesn't stab people in the back"

She clutched her stomach, bending over in pain. John looked at her, confused. She lied about having so-called lady troubles.

"I know you're lying, Riley"

Tears brimmed her eyes. "Uncle John, please let me go to the bathroom. My stomach really hurts"

"Fine but you come right back here"

"I will. I promise"

Riley went into the bathroom. Standing on top of the changing table, she climbed out the window. There were cardboard boxes stacked up outside. Damon waited for her by the dumpster. She used the boxes to get down safely.

"Took you long enough, shorty"

"It's not my fault. John was being a jerk. Thanks for the boxes"

Riley and Damon headed for the clearing near Wickery Bridge. There was a trailer in the middle of the clearing. A girl in her mid-twenties with dark blonde hair stood in front of the trailer, arms crossed. Stefan and Tyler were across from her and Riley could hear Stefan negotiating for Caroline's release.

"My brother, the peacemaker"

"What is Riley doing here?" asked Stefan, glaring at Damon.

"Hey, I need a partner that has my back since there's a very likely chance that you'll wuss out"

Damon looked at Jules, telling her that his method would be much bloodier. He made a fair point that without a full moon, a werewolf could not match a vampire in strength. Jules seemed confident that she would win in a fight. She let out a loud whistle. A dozen guys emerged from the trees, carrying stakes and a flamethrower. Riley remembered that werewolves liked to travel in packs.

"Give us Tyler"

"You heard her. Go"

Anxiously, Tyler walked over to Jules. "Which one of you killed Mason?" asked the guy closest to the trailer in an aggressive tone.

"Well, that's a tricky answer. It was kind of a double team effort between me and my sexy friend here" said Damon.

"Boys, make sure these two suffer"

"Hold on, wolf boy. She isn't a vampire. Let her go home"

"You don't get to decide that"

The werewolves made a tight circle around them. Damon sped towards Jules, who jumped on top of the trailer. Riley did not have much experience with fighting werewolves. She did not think it could be worse than staking a vampire. While Damon ripped out one of their hearts, she ran to the trailer to find Caroline. One of the guys grabbed her from behind and raised his stake. Riley elbowed him in the stomach and jammed the stake into his neck. He fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. She continued to fight though her punches and kicks had little effect on them. Stefan was laying on the ground, a stake in his side. Damon fought with the aggressive guy. Jules shot him in the shoulder with wooden bullets. Caroline hurried out of the trailer, her hands covered in blood. Before Riley could help her, Jules forced Caroline against the trailer. She pressed the gun into Caroline's neck. Riley picked up a crossbow, pointing it at Jules.

"Put that down, little girl"

"Let go of Caroline"

"You think you're faster than me?"

Tyler was standing in the doorway of the trailer. Riley had expected him to help Caroline. He did not move from his spot, avoiding any eye contact. Riley shot Jules in the leg with the crossbow. She let out a loud yell, dropping the gun. Riley kicked her in the face and kept the crossbow pointed at her head. Suddenly, all of the werewolves, except Tyler, clutched their heads in pain. It reminded Riley of Bonnie's spell that caused aneurysms. Jonas entered the clearing, his hands raised. Within a minute, they were all unconscious on the ground. Damon and Stefan stood up weakly.

"Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see that it's upheld. You need to go"

Riley walked with Caroline. To her confusion, Jonas put his hand on her shoulder.

"Stay"

Caroline looked reluctant to leave her alone. He assured her that he would not harm Riley. She followed Stefan and Damon down the dirt path.

"When your friends awaken, give them a message. They need to get the hell out of this town" he told Tyler.

Jonas led her out of the woods. "Elijah wanted me to escort you home"

"I don't need—he's not going to take no for an answer, is he?"

"Afraid not"

They walked back towards her house. It was not far from the woods. Elijah was standing on her porch. He thanked Jonas for his assistance. She stepped onto the porch, questioning how Elijah knew that she lived there.

"Are you stalking me?"

"It took great deduction skills. This is the Gilbert mansion and I guessed that a Gilbert would live here"

"The vampire Sherlock Holmes"

"Are you hurt, Riley?"

"Physically, no. Emotionally, a little"

Elijah took off his coat, putting it around her shoulders. They sat on the white porch bench.

"I was worried about you"

"How did you know there was a fight in the woods?"

"I didn't. I had a feeling that you were in danger and sent Jonas to find you. For a moment, I felt a pain in my side"

Riley remembered how one of the guys kicked her during the fight. She thought about the pain in her chest after Elijah got staked by Damon in the abandoned house. It seemed like a weird coincidence.

"Well, he showed up at a good time. I could've taken on those werewolves by myself but it's always good to have a backup"

He smiled. "I'm sure you would have instilled fear in their hearts"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not"

"Thanks for sending help"

"I'm glad you're safe, Riley. I should get going"

"Don't forget your coat"

"Keep it. It's chilly out and I don't want you to catch a cold"

Elijah vanished from her porch. She kept the coat around her, deciding to stay outside.

"Well, now I can see why you stuck up for him"

John was leaving her house. "Is he compelling you?"

"I can't be compelled. My dad taught me how to fight it"

"Then you're purposely being stupid"

Riley glared at him. She would not let someone like John ever call her stupid. He told her that Elijah only wanted her for her blood. She did not want to listen to him trash Elijah, who proved to be more of a man than him. John moved his arm over the door.

"I am trying to protect you"

"Well that would be a first, John"

"Riley"

"Elijah's not going to hurt me. I can't say the same for a certain uncle who abandoned me in a room with hungry vampires"

When Riley was seven years old, John visited Mystic Falls. Her parents had a work trip and he promised to watch over Riley for a couple days. A group of vampires arrived in the town, looking for him. He brought Riley to her uncle Grayson's clinic for protection, claiming that he would return for her once it was safe. The vampires broke into the clinic but when she tried to leave, she discovered that John locked the door. She was trapped with a dozen hungry vampires. It was the first time that she ever felt truly helpless. She hid herself in a supply closet and eventually blacked out, afraid that the vampires would find her. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bedroom with her mother crying beside her and her father screaming at John for his lack of responsibility. That incident led to the animosity between her parents and John.

"You were never in danger"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because bad things happen when you get very emotional. Didn't you ever wonder what happened to the vampires that night? I know more about you than you think, Riley. When you decide to put the past behind you, I'll help you understand"

"I don't want to hear your cryptic bullshit"

"Like I said, I can help you but you need to trust me. Once you do that, I'll tell you why your blood is special and how Elijah knew you were in danger"

"Just stay away from me"

Riley slammed the door in his face, not willing to trust him…

Thanks for reading :)