Hey guys! This is my first Vampire Diaries fanfiction. It takes place between Season 2 and Season 3. If you like it, please review! Your feedback is appreciated- I'm in this to become a better writer. Thanks for reading!

The pilot's voice crackles over the intercom. "We are now approaching Mystic Falls, Virginia. Please fasten your seatbelts and turn off all electronic devices. Thank you for choosing American Airlines."

No problem, I answer him in my head. I sigh and tighten my seatbelt. Flying doesn't usually bother me, but today I can't help but feel a little nervous. After all, my parents are usually with me on flights. This time, though, it's just me.

At first, my mother and I were planning on going and renting a cottage on the lake. We had picked out a house, arranged for our mail to be forwarded there, and started packing. However, that all changed when Mom got a call from work. She's an engineer, and she's been wanting a promotion for months. Her boss told her that if she spent the summer in Colorado developing their new product, they would give her the promotion that she had been eyeing. At first she was worried about leaving me, but I had encouraged her to take the job.

"Mom, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. You can't just pass that up," I had said. She had smiled ruefully and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"I know, but I'd feel bad making you stay in some boring lab in Colorado," she'd replied. I shrugged.

"I can still go visit Caroline. I haven't seen her in forever, and I can't wait to catch up face to face. Maybe Aunt Liz and Caroline would let me stay with them for the summer," I had smiled. "I'll earn my keep. I bet I could get a job somewhere."

My mother had ruffled my hair. "Look at you, all grown up. I'll consider it, okay? But I don't think I'm ready to send my little girl out into the world just yet."

It had taken weeks to convince her to let me visit Caroline. Even now, I had to email her once a day, and call her twice a week. I had texted her from the airport, and she was already anxious about me.

I feel a jolt and jump out of my daydream. I glance out the window. The plane is touching down. As we cruise to a stop, I stand up and grab my bright green duffel bag from the overhead compartment.

I walk into the Mystic Falls airport and my face breaks into a huge smile. It's already way warmer here than it is back home in Maine. I look around me. The airport is tiny. There's a sign up advertising next year's Miss Mystic Falls competition. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows dominate the cream colored walls, letting sunshine fill every nook and cranny of the space. Bored-looking vendors sit at the usual airport stores- McDonald's, Hudson News, and so on. Comfortable-looking furniture sits just outside of the gates. It's sensible, down to earth, and it's wonderful. Nothing seems to have changed since the last time I came here four years ago.

I look around for Caroline. She's the one who's picking me up. I can't wait to see her again. We're not like most people when it comes to cousin relationships- most of my friends moan and groan when they're being dragged along to family reunions. However, Caroline and I hit it off immediately, and we've kept in touch throughout the years.

I stand on my tiptoes and crane my neck. Finally, I spot the sun glinting off of her signature blonde hair in the corner. I grin and make my way over to her.

She's on her phone, and she doesn't notice me at first. She glances up and looks back down. I laugh.

"Caroline, it's me, Emma!" Her eyes fly up and she flies towards me. She pulls me into a big hug. She pulls back and holds me at an arm's length.

"Oh my gosh, Em! It's so good to see you!" She pulls me back into the hug and I feel surprising strength behind her grip. "You looked so much older, I didn't even recognize you."

I hug her back for a while, then gasp, "Caroline-air..." She lets me go.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Emma! It's so easy to forget sometimes…" Her eyes flash, and she stops quickly. "I'm glad you made it."

I nod. "Me, too! I'm so excited for this summer. We are going to have so much fun." I study her. "You look great too. Older, somehow." I smile. "I'm just so glad too finally see you without a screen in the way."

Caroline grins and throws her arm around my neck. "Well, we should probably get your luggage."

I weave through the crowd behind her and puzzle over her quick subject change. For some reason, my sweet, intelligent cousin is hiding something from me. Why did she change the subject so quickly? What's easy to forget?

All the way out of the airport, Caroline and I catch up. I tell her about my swim meets and soccer tournaments, and she fills me in about her life in Mystic Falls. I learn about her winning the Miss Mystic Falls, her friends, and how school's been. I'm surprised when we leave the airport that we've been talking for almost a half hour. When I'm with Caroline, time always flies.

We walk through the parking lot and I ask mischievously, "So who's this Tyler you've been emailing me about?" Caroline's cheeks flush and she starts fiddling with her hair.

"It's nothing. We're just friends." I let the subject drop, and she asks me, "So how's school been for you?"

"Great," I reply, "I'm excited for high school, but I'm also pretty nervous about it. I just know that I'm going to get hopelessly lost the first day."

We reach the car. I take the handle of the trunk and try to lift it. It won't budge, and I put down my bag. No matter how hard I push, it won't move.

"Oh, here, let me." Caroline walks over and lifts up the heavy trunk as if it weighed nothing. I look at her in wonder.

"How did you do that? I couldn't even get that to move an inch!"

Caroline avoids my eyes. "It must've been stuck or something." She looks at me, and I can see a hint of desperation in her eyes. "Really, Em, it's nothing." I can tell that the subject is bothering her, so I drop my eyes.

"I'm really sorry, Caroline. I don't want to fight with you so soon." I blush. "I promise I'm not usually this hostile." Caroline slides into the driver's seat, her old brightness back.

"Don't worry about it, Em!" She grins at me and slams the door. "So you're worried that you'll get lost in high school? You'll do awesome. Oh my gosh, I remember this one time when me and Elena wandered into the senior section of the school…"

Caroline pulls smoothly out of the parking lot. As we cruise down the highway, I study her face. It's animated, describing a funny story where Elena and Caroline accidentally went to a senior class on their first day on ninth grade. As I laugh along with her and ask her questions in the right places, I try to shake off the feeling that something about Caroline is different from before.

After all, what could she possibly be hiding?