Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.

A/N: Alrighty! This character has been with me for almost half a year and she somehow found herself in TVD. It's slightly AU, loosely follows the main plot of the show but my OC has her own thing going. Plenty of places and faces you will recognize. Oh, and possible crossover with Supernatural, since in my head, I have convinced myself that both shows exist in the same universe. Enjoy!

Love, save the empty.

Chapter 1

Joseph Conrad once said, the beliefe in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary, men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.

"You know that I could just be an emancipated teen and live on my own."

"Haven't we gone through this before?" my mom asked, glancing at me sideways. "You'll be an emancipated teen over my - and your father's - dead bodies."

"Just checking," I mumbled, gazing out the window of the passenger seat. "I'm just feeling jittery."

Mom chuckled. "Relax, babe. You'll love it here. It's a great town, with amazing people - "

"Who know people, know people, know people," I interrupted her. "Not to mention it's called Mystic Falls, which doesn't get weirder than that."

"I used to think it was weird too," she agreed.

"Sounds like something straight of fantasy novel."

"It does conjure up an image of mysticism, doesn't it?"

I watched my mother from half closed lids and I simply knew, just like I knew the back of my hand, that something was seriously amiss. I went along with her pathetic excuses and poor attempts of calm demeanour, but a big bomb had been dropped on her lap.

For a while, I had been sure it had something to do with my missing father but she reassured me it wasn't that. Or her job as a private detective. No, this was something personal and something I appearantly shouldn't be involved in. Something that forced her to uproot me from my school, friends and old life and dump me in her childhood town with some long lost friend of hers.

"I'll be damned," I heard her mumble. "This place hasn't changed one bit."

"Small, conservative, remember?" I eyed the small quiet roads, the trimmed lawns, the historical architectures. "Quasi-college town?"

"Just a tight-knitted community of barely five hundred," mom replied, reading an adress from a scrap of paper. My stomach was in knots and my palms began to sweat. It was a little after three in the afternoon but there was no sun in sight. It was humid, cloudy and everything seemed ... for lack of better words, dull.

"You know, I could be a perfect partner."

"What?"

I licked my dry lips. "I mean, I could accompany you on this kamikaze mission you're flying off to do. Just think of those long, winding roads...one could get awfully lonely when there's only a few WHAM! cassettes and some mix tapes. We could drive in shifts, and I can keep you sane through those tedious stake-outs and oh- did I mention long, winding roads."

She sighed. "We're here, kiddo."

"Here? Where? You're slowing down. Why are you slowing down? No. Keep moving. I can be the perfect Jet Girl to your Supergirl. C'mon mom."

She turned off the engine and smirked at my panic attack. I took a gulp and looked at the two storey house in front of me. Big, nice and cozey. Under any other circumstances, this would have been the perfect home. Mom got out and hurriedly followed suite, in hopes of blackmailing her into taking me with her.

"Ma! You can't just abandon me in the hands of strangers! Think of what dad would say about this? He'd be furious!"

She started for the house. "Actually, your father wouldn't entrust you to anyone but Jenna."

"Wh-wait! Dad knows her? I thought she was your friend."

"Your father's childhood friend, his best friend, my college roommate, our matchmaker, my maid of honor and your godmother."

"Whoa! Many titles. She must be very important." She rang the doorbell. "So how come we never met."

"You did meet. When you were little. You just can't seem to remember her."

"Lovely," I murmered.

The door opened and a pretty redhead whom I presumed was Jenna stood there, simply gawking at us.

"Long time no see," mom offered as a greeting before they squeeled like two teenage girls and hugged each other. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Oh my God, Jess, you haven't aged a bit."

"I could say the same."

Jenna, with bright eyes and wide smile turned to me. "And you've grown so much, Charlotte."

I offered her a smile. "It's Charlie. Nice to meet ya. Mom talks about you all the time."

"Really?"

I turned to mom with raised eyebrows. "Oh yeah. She filled me in on all of your glory days and sexcapeds."

Mom's lips tightened around the corners and Jenna's eyes widened more. "Free spirited," she explained. "Gary and I have brought her up a little too liberal. I guess I need to rethink my parental tactics."

Her smiled could cut glass.

"Oh, where are my manners. C'mon on in."

"Cute," my mom whispered when Jenna was out of earshot. "Just make sure you don't let your mouth run away with you here. This is not Staten Island and they won't get your sense of humor."

"When did anyone ever."

"I'm just sayin'."

"Don't be strangers. Charlie, get comfortable. This is your new home. And Elena and Jeremy are just so excited to finally meet you."

When she saw my perplexed expression she said, "My nephew and niece. The Gilberts."

"Ah." I nodded sagely. "The Gilberts."

"School just let out a while ago so they will be here pretty soon. Do you wanna see your room?"

"Sure."

I followed her up the stairs to the second storey and she opened the door at the far end of the hallway. Right next to the bathroom. Sweet. The room was fairly large, with a king-sized bed, a vanity, a walk-in closet and a study desk. In short, the room was perfect. Which bothered me because I was trying hard to stay detached. The last thing I wanted was to plant roots here, because honestly, I hate goodbyes. My plan was to keep interactions to the minimum, do my time and just get the hell out of here.

Sometime, during my musing, Jenna left the room and I began to unpack my backbag. I heard muffled voices floating upstairs, accompanied by footsteps, one set heavier than the other. I checked my reflection. Curly hair tamed, mascara not smeared and I was presentable.

"In here, Jeremy," I heard Jenna say.

"Did she pack her entire house?" a young man's vocie replied. He was grunting with effort.

"Jeremy!"

Jenna entered first, her face set in a disapproving frown, and behind her, among my heavy luggage was a cute boy around fifteen with brown hair that screamed for a barber's attention.

"Let me get that," I mumbled and reached for a suitcase.

He smiled. "Nah, I got it. " He sized me up. "And you could use the help, no offense."

I could feel my hackles rising. My greatest disadvantage was my height and throughout my life, I've heard people commenting on it. From girls who look down on me, to boys who think petite is synonymous to cute, to the elderly "who just wanna put me in their pockets".

He dropped them near my bed and stretched his muscles.

"I'm Jeremy Gilbert."

"Charlie Sanders," I said, shaking his hand.

"Jenna has been talking about you for the past... month. I was beggining to think you were a mythical creature. Since she had zero photo evidence to back up her case."

I chuckled. "Well here I am, a living legend."

A knock on the door interrupted us. A pretty brunette was leaning against the doorframe.

"She's real," she said to Jeremy in mock surprise, but smiled at me. "And a mere earthling."

"And oh so tiny," he added. I sent him a glare and his grin grew.

"And she's standing right here. Elena, I take it."

"Charlotte, isn't it."
"Uh... Just call me Charlie. Charlotte is just on official documents."

"Noted. C'mon, Jenna is setting the table and she will blow a gasket if we hog you for ourselves."

"It's no secret that you're her favorite, you know. Blood relations mean nothing to her," Jeremy joked as we went downstairs. "So the lady who came with you, she your mom?"

"Yep."

"Oh."

I could see the wheels running behind his eyes so I put him out of his misery. "Interracial."

"Ah."

"My dad's black."

"Of course," he agreed hurriedly.

I laughed. "No worries, bro. You're not the first nor will you be the last."

"You have her eyes," Elena commented.

"As far as physical resemblance goes, that and her cheekbones. The rest is all original. Hmm, something smells delicious."

"That would be Jennna's famous meatloaf. It's to die for."

"Only made for Christmas, upon someone's death and apparently the arrival of the legendary goddaughter," Jeremy said.

When we entered the kitchen, the table was ready and set as if we stumbled on an all you can eat buffet.

"I wasn't sure what you liked," Jenna explained. "So I made a little bit of everthing. Wait, you're not vegan, are you?"

I exchanged a bewildered glance with my mom. She shrugged and took a seat.

"Uh, no. Jenna...this...you didn't have to." I was at loss for words, which is very rare.

"Nonsense. C'mon. Grab a chair and let Mystic Falls welcome you."

And what a warm welcome it was.

So what do you think? Reviews would be appreciated a lot. Constructive criticism too.

xoxoxoxo