TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of suicide attempts and depression. be careful besties.

"bunny muncher says what?"

—

JOHN Gilbert was attacked the night of the Founder's Day parade, though Eden liked to call it karma.

According to Damon and Elena, he'd been the one to set off the device and after nearly killing her, she wasn't upset he'd lost some fingers.

The downside of the attack was the attacker.

Apparently, her name was Katherine, and she was Damon and Stefan's sire/ex-girlfriend/Elena's doppelgänger.

Like everything else in Mystic Falls, it was very dramatic.

Through Elena, Eden also discovered that Jeremy had attempted suicide, though he had Anna's blood in his system.

(Not enough to turn him, but enough to heal him.)

That made Eden cry in the hospital bed before Damon approached bed.

Nearing the end of visiting hours, he finally showed his face and she was overwhelmed with gratitude for him.

"Why'd you save me?" She asked as he stood at the end of her bed.

"You're important to Elena."

Eden shook her head. "Not as important to her as you are. Try again."

"You didn't belong down there," he admitted. "I couldn't let you die down there."

Eden softened. "Thank you."

"Whatever, don't make a big deal."

Then he was gone and Eden was alone with her thoughts once more.

Jenna said Tyler Lockwood had gotten into a car accident, sending Caroline into the hospital. That sucked. Eden liked Caroline.

Overall, not a great night.

—

Eden was released the next morning, though she had first and second degree burns scattered across her arms. She clung to the medicines tightly in the bag prescribed, though she could attempt a healing charm when she got home.

But Eden had always been rubbish at healing charms, that was always Draco's forte.

She met Jenna outside the building, passing by Elena and Stefan, who offered a hug and smile respectively.

"How's Caroline?" Eden asked the pair.

"She's doing better," Elena smiled, relief evident on her face. "Damon gave her some blood so she's healing up. How're you?"

"I'm better, thanks," Eden ruffled Elena's hair. "Jeremy?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I don't know how he could do that. He's home now, I'll handle it later."

"I can talk to him," Eden offered.

"That's not a good idea," Elena replied gently. "Jenna said you've...had experiences like his before."

Ah, yes. Her sole attempt to end her life just after the war. She did it the Muggle way, slit her wrists in a bathtub, how dramatic, but Ginny found her not twenty minutes later and performed basic healing charms before sending her to St. Minho's.

Harry was the one to tell Jenna. Eden didn't want to, she was ashamed. She didn't want to leave her family behind, but the pain was too much, too fresh.

Everything hurt and ached and she felt so incredibly alone. The following day was the first time George had spoken since his twin's death.

He'd told Eden that if he could stick around, she could. And if she was going to try again, take him with her because he didn't want to exist on a planet without both her and Fred.

Eden never wanted to try again, but she was stuck in a state of limbo until moving to Mystic Falls. Only now, weeks after arriving, she felt more like herself than she had in years.

"Actually," Eden countered, glancing at Stefan who appeared surprised by Elena's words. He hadn't known. "I think that makes me the best person to talk to him. I know why I wanted to die, and I know now why I don't. Do you think he feels the same?"

Elena didn't respond and Eden sighed. "See you both later."

—

Eden sent Harry a text when she arrived back at the Gilbert house, letting him know she was safe again. She changed into a fresh set of jeans and t-shirt, feeling immediately better.

She walked down the hall into Jeremy's room and knocked on the door. At his "come in," she entered with a soft smile, closing the door behind her.

"Hey, nephew."

"Oh," Jeremy's face softened and he removed his headphones. He was sketching on the bed, listening to music, looking sadder than she'd ever seen him. "Hey, Eden."

"How're you doing?"

Jeremy sighed, looking away. "If you're here to lecture me—"

"—I'm asking how you're doing. What're you feeling today?"

Jeremy shrugged, looking down. "What does it matter?"

Eden took a breath, walking towards the bed and taking a seat at the end of it.

"I'm sorry about Anna. I know what that's like. It sucks."

Jeremy scoffed. "You don't have to pretend. Elena said the same thing, but she doesn't get it."

"I lost my boyfriend," Eden confessed softly. "We were together three years before he was killed in front of me."

Jeremy's eyes widened and his jaw slackened. "I'm—I'm so sorry, Eden."

Eden nodded. "Thank you. But no apology will change it. And the same goes for Anna." She swallowed. "I tried to kill myself too, you know. Only I didn't have vampire blood."

Jeremy leaned against the headboard, looking at Eden pitifully. She hated that look. She didn't want him looking at her like that. It was a mistake telling him.

"Why?"

"I didn't see a point," Eden said gently. "I've lost a lot of people. More than just Fred," her voice cracked on his name and she cleared her throat. "The point is, you're sixteen, Jeremy. You haven't even graduated high school. I know you love Anna, and that won't ever change. Those feelings will always be there, whether she's alive or dead. But you almost threw your life away."

"I would've come back—"

"—as someone else. You would've come back as a vampire. You would've had to drink blood to survive, you would have had intense emotions, heightened to a degree that we can't comprehend. All of that pain, that rage, that guilt, it would be amplified tenfold. You would have to be separated from Elena and probably hang out only with Stefan until you control your blood-thirst. You couldn't see Jenna until you had everything under control, Bonnie would hate you, you couldn't go back to school—"

"—yeah, I get it."

"I'm not blaming you," Eden said. "I get the appeal. You can shut off your emotions, feel nothing. But then you wouldn't care about me, or Elena, or Jenna, or Anna. You would just be alone surrounded by your own hatred and guilt and pain. I don't want to see you hurt like that. If you want to become a vampire, great, I'll steal Stefan's blood myself and help you turn. But just—hold off. Until you're doing it for the right reasons. Am I making any sense?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Thanks. And thanks for understanding, Elena just said it was stupid."

"It's not stupid," Eden argued. "It's understandable. It was reckless and not planned very well, but it wasn't stupid. You made a choice and I support you in any choice you make, but I just want you to think before you choose and make them for the right reasons."

Jeremy nodded and Eden held up her pinky finger, doing the same that George had done to her many moons ago.

"Pinky promise me that if you go, you'll let me know. We go together. Double homicide."

Jeremy laughed, wrapping his pinkie around hers. "Sure, yeah, okay."

Pulling her hand away, she ruffled Jeremy's hair playfully and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. He waved her off with a laugh and she stood up.

"I'll see you around, Remy."

"Remy? No one calls me that."

"Good thing my name's Eden, then," she winked, hovering at the doorway. "Get changed, we gotta go to the Lockwoods and apologize for the Mayor's death."

"Oh yeah," Jeremy nodded. "I forgot about that. Okay, meet you guys downstairs."

—

"Looks like the whole town has turned out," Jenna comments as they arrive at the Lockwood Mansion.

"Yeah," Elena nods. "Well he is...he was the mayor."

"Why don't they save it for the funeral?" Jeremy asks.

"That's what people do," Jenna said, clutching the Tupperware container. "The Lockwoods were here for us when we went through this. It'll be quick; we'll drop off the food and pay our respects and go."

Eden and Jeremy exchanged a look.

"In and out?" Jeremy asked.

"Sounds like a plan," Eden shrugged.

"You guys go ahead," Elena said, spotting Damon a little ways off. "I'll be right there, okay?"

As she walked off, Jenna and Eden exchanged a look.

"I told you," Jenna rolled her eyes. "He's trying to get with her and it's weird."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Eden smiles softly at her sister. "Damon wouldn't hurt her, that much I know. But he's selfish and arrogant and that's not a great combination."

"My point exactly."

Tyler Lockwood stands at the front of the building, smiling at the trio kindly.

"Hey, thank you guys for coming." He looks to Eden. "I don't think we've met, I'm Tyler."

"Hi," Eden smiles, shaking his outstretched hand. "Eden Sommers. I hope you're drinking lots of water."

Tyler's face morphed into confusion. "What?" He asked with a small smile.

"When my sister died, I stopped taking care of myself. Basic human functions. I got dehydrated and passed out. Just don't forget to drink water. Take care of yourself and your mom. It'll be okay."

Tyler watched her for a moment, the smile softening. "Thank you. I will. You guys can come on in, Jenna, you can put the food with the others."

Eden walked in with her sister and nephew, spotting a few familiar faces, but none she knew well enough to approach.

"Oh," Carol Lockwood greeted the trio. "Thank you so much for coming, Jenna. Hello, Jeremy." Her eyes flickered in surprise at Eden's presence. "Eden Sommers, I haven't seen you in years. How are you?"

"I'm good, Carol," Eden smiled kindly at the older woman. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Carol softened. "Thank you," she said. "Excuse me, I have to greet someone. Thank you all so much for coming."

"Of course," Jenna nodded as Carol walked away.

—

"Damon!"

Eden opened the door to the Salvatore Boarding House, craving a drink. Jenna had gone out with Ric and Elena was out with Stefan.

Eden didn't want to leave Jeremy, but he said he was going out with friends and she let him. She trusted him.

Walking inside, Eden found Damon standing in front of the sofa, staring into a glass of bourbon.

"Damon?" She asked quietly.

He didn't look up.

"Damon, what happened?"

"She never loved me."

His voice was quiet, faint, barely above a whisper, but Eden heard it clearly. Her heart broke for him. Was he talking about Elena?

"I'm sorry," Eden said quietly, approaching him like a wounded dog. "I'm sorry, Damon."

"She never—!" he tossed the glass against the wall, shattering it into pieces. "She never even loved me! I did everything for her, my entire fucking life I have loved her and she—she..."

He looked away from Eden and she knew he was trying not to cry. The room was heavy with emotion, with pain and loss and darkness. She walked closer, wrapping her arms around his middle and tucking her face into his back.

He stiffened against her touch before shaking slightly, breaking into a heart-wrenching sob.

"Why doesn't she love me?"

"I'm sorry," was all Eden could respond with. She didn't know who didn't love him or why. She didn't need to. It didn't matter. Damon needed love, he deserved it. It's all he ever wanted and it wasn't fair that he was so unloved and untrusted by everyone else in his life.

She saw herself in him, then. Unloveable. Used. Unloved.

He turned around in her arms, pushing her back and resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Why are you here?" He asked, face hardening. "What do you want?"

"I came for a drink. Stayed for the drama. Who doesn't love you?"

He glanced away, closing his eyes before opening them back on her. "Katherine."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "You'll find—"

"—No, I won't. It's Katherine or my brother's girl, what are my odds?"

"Someone will make you happy," she said quietly. "I know your soulmate's out there, Damon. And it's not Elena. Is not Katherine. If anyone in the universe has a soulmate, it's you."

His face softened and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"You really think so?" He mumbled quietly, pulling back.

She rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes."

He snorted at her answer and they both burst into laughter.

"You came for a drink?" He asked.

"You're my favorite supplier."

"Here," Damon sighed dramatically, walking to the bar cart and grabbing a glass and bottle. "Let's get wasted, sister. Only fair since we almost died and all."

"Cheers," she grinned, clinking the glass he offered with his. "To narrowly escaping death."

"To never finding love," he added with a wink.

"My two life mottos."

—

Getting drunk with Damon was dangerous.

Not in the sexual sense, because even though there was a hint of attraction between the pair, it just felt like a line neither wanted to cross. A wide girth of space that they both didn't want to step into.

It reminded her a lot of Harry.

"And then, and then, and then—you'll never, you'll never guess what happened then," Damon was rambling next to her, snorting into her shoulder.

She was trying not to laugh herself, but failing miserably. "What?"

"I ripped Stefan's pants down and left him there in the middle of the concert. He had no clue who dunnit, but it was me!"

They both burst into laughter, her drink sloshing over his clothes. The act only made him laugh harder.

"You—you spilled a drink on me."

"We should clean that," Eden said seriously, her vision blurry, words slurring together. "Right now, c'mon, I can go clean it, let's go."

He nodded, following her as she stood up. She downed the rest of her glass and he followed quickly behind her, tripping over her when she stopped, staring at the door with wide eyes.

"Elena!" She cheered, jumping up and down. "Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon—it's Elena! My pretty niece! I love her," she gushed. "Elena is so nice to me even though she is mean sometimes," she rambled.

Elena watched the pair with wide eyes, Stefan next to her looking equally as surprised.

"Oh-em-gee, it's Stefan! Stefano! Stefanie Tanner! Where's John Stamos?"

"I love John Stamos!" Damon exclaimed. "He's a great kisser."

"OH MY GOD!" Eden squealed, leaning into Damon with a giggle. "You like boyyyyyys."

"So do you," he argued. "And we both like girls."

"Stefanie, do you like girls?" Eden asked with a frown, stumbling closer to him.

"Uh, I'm dating Elena," he said with a frown, glancing to Eden's niece. "So, yes?"

"I knew it!" Eden fist-pumped, grinning back at Damon. "Stefan is gay-gay-gay-gay-gay—"

"—Eden, I'm a girl. That makes him straight."

"I'm not an idiot," Eden scoffed at Elena's words. "I know he likes girls, I just confirmed that."

"So he's not gay."

"But—but," Eden frowned, looking back at Damon. "How can we be a bisexual tricycle with only two wheels?"

Damon thought for a moment, which looked incredibly difficult before he rushed to Eden, stumbling over her and laughing into her hair.

"We can be a bi-cycle! Because we're both bicyxual!"

They both burst into laughter, high-fiving at the joke, before Damon gasped.

"Eden!"

"Damon!"

"I bet that I can outrun a moose."

"Are there meeses here?"

"Yes and I am faster than them."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"What is happening?" Elena asked Stefan as Damon and Eden continued.

"Wait!" Eden shouted. "Oh Merlin, I forgot, I forgot, I forgot!"

"What?"

"Your mom!"

Damon and Eden both burst into laughter again, collapsing on one another, before Eden tripped and fell where she stood, laughing from the ground. Damon reached a hand down to help her up, but she pulled him down and they laughed together.

"Let's stargaze," Eden suggested.

"I think that looks like a rabbit," Damon pointed at the ceiling. "Stefan, you should eat it." He burst into another fit of giggles.

"You're inside," Stefan reminded them. "There are no stars."

"Fine then," Eden pouted. "We'll cloud gaze."

"You're inside," Stefan said again. "There are no clouds."

"Bunny muncher says what?" Eden joked, tucking her face into Damon's shoulder and pointing up.

"What?" Stefan asked and the pair erupted into giggles again.

"That looks like a giant asteroid," Eden pointed out after a minute, looking up at the ceiling.

"Woah," Damon breathed. "I see it. You're so smart."

"You too," Eden nodded. "Katherine's an idiot."

"Yeah, she's the dumbest."

"The worst."

"You haven't even met her."

"Yeah, but I just know. Everyone should pick you, Damon, you're the best."

"I know."

"Let's," Stefan grabbed Elena's hand. "Let's just leave them here."

"Will they be okay?"

"We're grrrrrreat!" Eden shouted. "Timmy the Tiger says so."

"I thought it was Tommy."

"No, it's Timmy."

"It's Johnny."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Okay. If you say so, paradise."

—

Hangovers were the worst.

Hangovers with Damon, missing pants and sleeping in one of the cars in the garage were an entirely different type of hangover.

Blinking tiredly, Eden grimaced at the headache and sat up, looking around for her clothes.

"What the..."

She found Damon leaning against another car, holding a bottle of water.

"Morning sunshine," he smiled at her. "Need a pick-me-up?"

"Please," she exited the car, still looking around. "Where are my pants?"

He shrugged. "I have no clue. Last thing I remember is running across the yard screaming we are the champions and you on my shoulders. After that, it's all black."

"We didn't sleep together, right?" She asked the obvious question.

He made a disgusted face. "I'd rather drown in my own vomit. Which, you almost did. Cleaned that up this morning."

"Gross," Eden's nose crinkled up. "You could've just waited. I have a cleaning spell."

"Without a wand?"

"Fair point," Eden nodded. "Wait," she looked him over. "How do you know I need my wand?"

"Honey, you're not wearing pants in my garage, we bonded last night. Practically soul sisters."

"Sweet," Eden nodded. "Next time let's get matching tattoos."

"Only if they're bicycles."

"God," Eden's head ached at the memory. "I remember that. What a stupid joke."

"We thought it was hilarious."

"Where are my pants?" Eden asked again, looking around.

"You threw them from the banister onto the chandelier, screaming 'fuck the patriarchy!'"

Damon and Eden both looked to the entrance of the garage where Stefan stood with raised eyebrows, holding Eden's denim jeans.

"You're both terrible drunks."

"We're funny, whatever do you mean."

"If by funny, you mean dialing someone named Draco Malfoy in your contacts and comparing dick sizes between him and Damon, then sure."

"Shit," Eden grimaced. "Damon, did I see your dick?"

"I would never let you see the goods."

"He was pitching in the conversation."

"Were you there all night?" Eden asked.

"No," Stefan shook his head. "But I dropped Elena off around eleven and came back and I figured if you were left alone you might accidentally kill each other."

"Nice," Damon and Eden said together, high-fiving.

"I bet I could kill you first," Damon smirked. "Super speed and all."

"No way, asshole, I could tear you to shreds before you could cry out for mommy."

"Jokes on you, my mom's dead."

"What a coincidence, so is mine."

They both smiled in mirth and Stefan watched them oddly. "You guys are weird."

He tossed Eden her pants. "Get dressed, we have to talk about Katherine."

"Oh, yes, the bitch who hurt my new best friend."

"I'm honored," Damon put his hand on his chest over his heart. "You'll never reach that level."

"Right, because you have so many other friends who fill that spot."

"Exactly."

—

plot points that have changed: Damon did not kill Jeremy. He respects Eden and would never hurt Jeremy again.
Also, they were too busy getting shwasted. They really weren't supposed to be friends but I'm really liking their friendship.
Also he didn't abuse Caroline either!
Also this is SUCH a cringe chapter I hate the drunk sequence sorry if you hate it lmfao. I can't write funny drunks for shit I'm just a cuddly drunk myself.
Next chapter is the carnival I'm so excited omf. I love that ep idc and also I'm so pumped we're getting closer to Elijahhhhh.
lmk your thoughts see u next time!