A/N: So one by one, I'm going back with all of these and fixing grammar and other issues that I may have missed in order to make them the best that they can be. While of course still trying to stay on top with updating. Fixing small issues with my writing is something I do on a normal basis. I'm saying this due to the fact that its something that everything person has an issue with, so to those that decide they want to be mean and send flame messages, please don't. The problem will be fixed. It does not mean that the story is a piece of shit or that I am an imbecile. Hopefully, this hasn't made anyone uncomfortable. Thank you all and enjoy. 1/24/18

Chapter 1

Her Return

I sighed as I looked out the window, the Virginia countryside flying by. It was a place that I had left behind me four years ago after graduating high school. It was kind of sad to be honest, finally coming back now after all this time. I had my reasons though, the main one being a set of calls that I had received. One of them had been about four or five months ago I think. It had been from a friend of mine, Jenna Sommers. She'd told me that her niece, Elena, that she'd been in an accident. Jenna had told me that her sister and brother-in-law, Elena's parents, that they'd died. It was a miracle that Elena had even survived and now Jenna was left to take care of Elena and her brother, Jeremy.

That second call that I'd received had been from Elena herself, just a couple weeks ago to be honest, right at the start of school. She'd told me about Jeremy, how he was using drugs, going out late at night and getting drunk. He was completely stoned the first day of school. The kid was skipping school, going off and getting high. Apparently, this wasn't the first time though. He'd been doing it over the summer as well. Hearing this tore me apart. I'd always been so close to them, Elena and Jeremy both. They were like family to me after babysitting for so long. Now, it seemed as though I would be doing it again. I'd be making sure that they didn't get hurt, watching over them like I used to do, and keeping them close.

I had no clue how Jeremy would react to seeing me again though. Sadly enough, he had crushed on me at one point, but I never minded. After all, it had kept him out of trouble at the time though. Although, if I had to be honest, I'd say that it had also kept me out of trouble as well.

My ex then came to mind as I sat there, staring out into the late afternoon sky, colors mixing into a beautiful palette of expressions. This was something that Jason had never appreciated, his 'love' for me always distracting him from the true beauty around him. Me on the other hand, I'd always been so in tune with things, ever the watchful eye. I'd catch things that Jason would only dream of, pasting a picture in the back of my mind.

"If only things were so simple," I sighed to myself, letting out a yawn as I clutched the handles of my large portfolio, the contents of my high school and college years.

It held so much of my work, my masterpieces, my life. It was a reflection of me, something that no everyone outside my career saw. Even then, not everyone had seen my work. The kids had only seen a few bits before I left.

"This it?" I heard from the front, squinting my eyes for a moment as I looked out the window, the two-story house bringing a smile to my face.

"Yes, yes it is. Thank you," I smiled, opening the door and stepping out onto the grass.

I could hear his door opening too as he got out, detaching my bicycle from the roof of the car, and wheeling it around until it was in front of me. My bags soon followed, being placed on the ground beside my feet.

"That'll be $180, Miss," he told me, poking my arm with his finger.

"Yes, of course," I nodded, digging into my back pocket as I turned, pulling out a small wad of bills.

I'd counted everything up before hand, taking a rough estimate of how much I'd need. It ended up being slightly more than what I would have liked, but I'd live. It'd just mean watching my money for the next couple weeks is all. Along with bumming some food off of Jenna of course. Maybe I could convince her into it with some chilly cheese fries.

"Here you go," I responded, placing the bills into his awaiting hand.

He then nodded, getting back into his cab after a moment and closing the door. Seconds later, he was headed back off down the road and out of sight.

"Well, here goes nothing," I breathed, slowly making my way up to the door, feet padding against the concrete.

I then held my breath, reaching my hand out and rapping at the door, the sound of footsteps shuffling behind it.

"Hold on a second!" I heard a voice call out, a small smile making it's way to my face.

It was Jenna, the familiar voice making me smile, the door opening.

"Yes, what do you…" she stopped as her eyes fell on me, mouth twitching.

"Hi?" I said nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Kali!" she practically screamed, leaping forward and crushing me in a giant bear hug.

"Um…Jenna?" I wheezed.

"Hm?"

"I need…to breathe," I choked out.

"Oh, sorry!" she laughed, letting go a moment later, leaving me gasping for air. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked.

"Well, you see," I started, only to be interrupted again.

"Kali! You're here!" Elena exclaimed, quickly making her way down the stairs and into the doorway, her arms wrapping around me.

"Hey there kiddo," I smiled, hugging her back. "Long time no see."

"You have no idea what I've been going through," she told me, pulling me inside and passed Jenna.

"Um, my bags?" I tried.

"Don't worry, I'll get them," Jenna told me, walking outside and grabbing them for me.

"Things have been so weird lately," Elena told me, pulling me into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. "There have been these really weird animal attacks too," she explained.

"I've heard," I supplied, carefully sitting myself down in the chair.

"Stefan's been telling me to be careful," she told me.

"Stefan?" I asked curiously, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, he's uh, well…" she tried, thinking of how to put it.

I smiled though, leaning forward a bit.

"Looks like you've found yourself a little someone," I mused, watching as her face turned red with embarrassment. "So, do I get to meet this Stefan?" I asked.

"Yeah. In fact, I'm supposed to meet him over at the grill in a bit," she explained, though still embarrassed.

"Perfect. I've been wanting to take a visit up there," I smiled, the memory of the Mystic Grill still stuck in my head.

It'd been so long since I'd stepped foot in that place. It was actually where I'd gone on my first date, my face darkening slightly at that particular thought.

"Caroline would flip if she saw you dressed like that though," Elena sighed, looking over my current attire.

"And what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow in question.

I mean, it's not like it was a big deal. I was wearing a pair of faded jeans, though slightly wrinkled at the moment like my shirt. The shirt though was just something that I'd randomly tossed on this morning, just trying to get away.

"Look, why don't you take a shower real quick and change into something more…appropriate," she said, trying to choose her words carefully.

I could tell that she was trying to look after me. After all, I was well aware of Caroline's quirks, one of them being her underlining shallowness and forgetfulness toward sensitivity when it came to talking to people. To Caroline, you had to dress the right way, date the right person. If you dated someone, she'd have all the gossip, just waiting to tell you all about it. To her, it was narrowed down to looks, not personality. That was one of her biggest flaws.

"Alright," I sighed. "I suppose you'll pick something out for me from that mess of a suitcase?" I assumed, pushing myself up out of the chair that I was currently sitting in.

"Of course," she smiled, standing up as well.

"Just to warn you though kid, I don't have any cash on me right now, so I can't go around buying food for everyone," I told her, making sure to voice my current position.

"That's fine, don't worry about it," she told me. "Just go take a shower and then we'll get going."

xXx

I sighed as I stood there, staring at myself in the mirror, towel wrapped around me. What I saw, it was exhaustion. Even with a shower, I still looked a mess in my opinion, unsure of what I could do here. Could I even manage to do anything for them? Elena and Jeremy? Or would I fail?

"I can't do this to myself," I voiced, pushing away from the sink and dropping the towel as I looked down at the selection before me.

Elena had managed to dig out some of my nicer stuff. Granted, Caroline would probably still pitch a fit, but I didn't care as I slipped my clothes on. It was almost a relief to feel the material of my jeans against me, the dark wash fabric hugging my skin. Next was a nice blue, button up blouse. It was simple, but still classy I suppose.

"Who am I kidding?" I asked, staring myself in the mirror as I buttoned it, leaving the top one undone.

I then reached out and pulled my necklace on, the simple chain sliding onto my neck making me shiver.

xXx

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, finding myself feeling nervous for some reason, hand clutching the strap of my messenger bag.

"Of course, come on," Elena said, grabbing my hand and dragging me inside, the sound of talk hitting my ears. "He should be here somewhere," she muttered, tugging me along.

"Elena, what are you doing here?"

I turned to find myself staring at a well-dressed blond, my brain putting two and two together to register that it was little Caroline Forbes. Granted, she wasn't so little anymore, but that was beside the point.

"Caroline," Elena greeted.

"Who's this?" Caroline asked curtly, eyeing me for a moment.

"Don't you remember? This is Kali," Elena said, reintroducing me to the blond.

"Kali?" she asked skeptically. "Wait, Miss Henderson?"

"Guilty," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

"You look…different," she said bluntly. "Oh, what is this?" she exclaimed, stepping forward and grabbing hold of my blouse.

I nearly freaked as she started messing with it.

"H-hey! Stop that!" I cried, trying to shove her off.

"Always, leave the top three or four unbuttoned," she told me, pulling the buttons free of their hold. "I mean, show some cleavage, will ya?" she scoffed. "I mean, how else are you going to attract any guys?"

I felt annoyed as she said this, finally managing move away from her.

"I mean, like, how old are you anyway? 28?" she asked. "You really need to find someone," she told me. "Have you ever had se-"

"Caroline!" Elena scolded.

"Huh? Oh, sorry," she giggled, moving away to flirt with someone.

"I'm really sorry about that," Elena told me.

"Don't worry about it," I said quietly.

"Oh, look, there's Stefan!" Elena smiled, pointing him out, my eyes widening slightly.

That face. I'd seen it somewhere before, a memory trying to kick in.

"Stefan! Stefan, over here," Elena called, waving a hand at him to catch his attention.

It wasn't until our eyes met though that I realized that I really had seen him before. Eyes like that were hard to forget. Problem was, digging up the memory as to where.

"Elena, good to see you," Stefan smiled, pulling her into a hug. "Who's your friend?" he asked curiously, eyes flickering my way.

"Kali," I said, introducing myself. "Kali Henderson, a friend of the family."

"Stefan Salvatore," he greeted, hand extending out toward me.

I took it in mine a moment later, shaking it. I found his grip surprisingly strong though, his fingertip giving off a strange chill.

"You must be cold," I commented. "You're hands are freezing."

"Oh, sorry about that," he chuckled, quickly rubbing it against his pant leg, trying to create some friction.

"Have we…met before?" I asked carefully, the strangeness of it all managing to bug the crap out of me.

"Hm… Sorry, can't say we have," he told me. "I'm pretty sure I'd remember though."

"Ah, I see," I nodded. "Well, Elena, I'll be up at the bar if you need me," I told her, making my way toward the front.

It wasn't like I was going to drink or anything, I just wanted to get away. So, finding an empty stool, I sat down. I then pulled a sketch pad from my bag, placing it on the counter, along with a pencil.

"Can I get you anything miss?" the bartender asked, eyeing me for a moment.

"Just a water please."

He nodded at my request, grabbing a fresh glass and filling it up.

This left me sitting there, staring down at my hands for a moment, before my eyes drifted back to Elena and Stefan. I was so sure that I'd met that boy before, so why couldn't I remember. I mean, he had such a prominent face.

"I know I've seen him before," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair as my drink was set down in front of me. "It's not possible."

The problem with my theory was so off though. The memory was too old, so it wasn't possible. This was a young man. The guy I'm thinking off would be older by now. I mean, unless it was possibly a family member of his that I'd met before.

"Hm…" I sighed, looking back down at my sketch pad, peeling the pages away to a clean one.

There was so much around me to take in, so many people, but my eyes still managed to find someone. This someone was stuck in the back, eyes ever watchful of those around him. Like Stefan, he had something about him, something strong. What was even more curious were his eyes, the look so sharp, even from this distance. It was calculating, like a predator almost, but there was also something else there. Longing perhaps? I'd always been fairly good at reading people, but I was slightly at a loss for this one, the feeling becoming one of mixed emotions.

I didn't do all of the thinking in my head though, putting thoughts to paper as my hand glided over the page making subtle marks, before turning just a bit edgier.

"Definitely an interesting subject," I mused, looking down at my paper as I took a drink of my water, the shape of his face coming together neatly.

This was always so meticulous. It was like taking a photograph of what was in front of me, what I saw in this world. I did all of this to show people how I viewed things. Currently, I saw this man, this strong male presence. It was one so different from Stefan, but still just as eerily strong. I'd yet to even shake his hand, but still, I knew this for a fact.

I concentrated more on his eyes as I glanced his way. He was still in the same spot, eyes gazing around the room, but landing on me. When this happened, it was like a small electrical shock went through me, causing me to shiver.

"Weird," I mumbled, shaking it off as I rubbed my arm. "I swear, you'd think it'd be warmer in here."

"Maybe you just get cold too easily?" I heard a voice offer from behind me, every nerve in my body switching onto high alert as I nearly fell out of my seat, an arm shooting out and grabbing hold of mine. "Careful."

As I looked up, I found the very man of my obsession standing there, an amused look on his face.

"I…" I was at a loss for words, mouth hanging open as I sat there, eyes wide with shock.

This man had just been on the other side of the bar just a second ago and I wasn't drunk, so I knew how weird this was.

"I apologize if I startled you," he said, inclining his head.

"N-no, y-you're fine," I stammered, pencil gripped in my hand.

"What's that?" he asked, leaning over my shoulder to take a look, my eyes widening in response.

"Um, I, it's just," I tried, tripping over my own words, a look of amusement appearing on his face.

"Hm, well, hope you don't have a crush on me then," he teased, getting close to my ear, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up on end. "Now, why don't you tell me your name," it was more of a statement than a question, something that I hesitated with for a moment.

"And why should I give you my name?" I asked curiously.

"Because you should," he said, staring at me with those icy blue orbs of his, his eyes dilating slightly for a moment.

His brow furrow a moment later, blinking a few times as he rubbed his eyes.

"Alright, how about this? May I please know the name of the lovely lady?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"Well," I started, fiddling with my fingers for a moment. "Since you asked so nicely, it's Kali, Kaliandra Henderson," I told him, not seeing any problem with giving him my whole name since we'd likely meet again in this small town. "Yours?" I asked, holding my hand forward to shake.

He took it a moment later, grasping it tightly, but not too tight to actually hurt or anything.

"Damon Salvatore, at your service," he grinned, bowing his head, before placing a kiss chastely upon my knuckles.

"Salvatore?" I asked curiously, turning my head to glance toward Elena and Stefan.

"Are you related to Stefan Salvatore by chance?" I questioned.

"Actually, he's my baby brother," he informed me. "Boring as ever though and a complete drag," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Hm, I see," I mused, noticing his eyes on me once more.

"You don't seem like the type of woman to leave so many unbuttoned," he pondered, making me squirm in my seat.

"I'm not," I told him firmly.

"Then why?" he asked, staring at me intently.

"Caroline," I said simply, feeling my face heat up as I began to button it all the way to the top out of embarrassment.

"Oh, I see," he chuckled. "Vain little girl, isn't she?" he asked as though already knowing her.

"Unfortunately, yes," I nodded, tugging at my blouse slight once I was finished.

"Here," he chuckled, reaching forward and sliding the first two buttons loose from their hold. "Don't want to choke yourself," he said with amusement. "How about I get you a drink?" he offered.

"Um, no thank you, I don't drink," I told him, shaking my head.

"Please, I insist," he said, still trying to persuade me.

"Then offer food and I'll take your generous offer graciously," I said boldly, before adding, "I haven't eaten anything today."

"Ah, so that's it. Alright then," he nodded, turning to the bartender. "Two burgers and a scotch," he announced.

"Of course, sir," the man nodded, eyeing me for a moment like he had done when I'd first come in. "I know you from somewhere," I heard him say, turning to look at him.

"I said the same thing to someone earlier," I told him, looking back down at my pad as I roughed it up a bit more.

"No, seriously," he told him, causing me to sigh.

"Look, I graduated after you did, hun. So, I don't think so."

"No, not that, from a buddy of mine," he told me, my attention now peaking.

I watched as he poured Damon's scotch, waiting for him to continue.

"Henderson, right?" he asked, glancing my way.

I nodded slowly, eyeing him for a moment.

"Jason's girl," he grinned.

My eyes went wide as I heard this, hands shaking slightly as I pushed myself away from the counter.

"That was a long time ago," I said curtly, grabbing my pad as I walked away, water in hand.

xXx

Damon growled lightly as he stood there, watching his prey walk off somewhere else within the establishment. His eyes then turned to the man behind the bar.

"You're going to tell me all about this, Jason," Damon said lowly, hand gripping the edge of the as he leaned forward about an inch in length.

"I'm going to tell you all about Jason," he nodded.

"And make my order free for your behavior," Damon told him, staring at him intently.

"On the house," the man nodded, before going into his story.

xXx

I sighed as I set outside, head in my hands. I'd hoped that no one in this town would remember me that way or my relationship with Jason.

"Jason," I breathed, shaking my head. "The one that I tried to get away from," I sighed.

He was the reason that I left, much like Jenna. The only reason I was even back was because of Elena and Jeremy. If she hadn't asked me to come back, then I never would have returned to Virginia.

The first place that I'd actually gone had been Tennessee, merely milling around the place looking for a job. I'd found one in a club for a short time, singing no less. I mean, not that I minded, it just got tiring after a while. Now, I was back, my Bachelor's nearly finished. It was probably the only thing that I was actually proud of. It was something that I had pushed myself to do through grants and scholarships. I was barely scraping by. After all, what was I going to do anyway? I mean, it's not like there was any real job for me here anyway.

"Why did I even come?" I asked myself, running a hand through my hair.

"Burgers anyone?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned to look at the person behind me, a smug look on his face as he stepped forward, setting the plates down on the table.

"You scared me!" I exclaimed, holding a hand over my pounding heart.

"My apologies," he grinned, taking a seat across from me as he leaned back into his chair, lounging as he took a bite of his burger. "It's fairly decent. You should try it," he told me, before taking a small drink from his glass.

"Thank you," I said quietly, carefully picking the sandwich up in my hands, mouth hovering close by. "I'd thought perhaps…"

"That I'd forgotten?" he assumed. "No, I didn't forget. I just figured that whatever it was, you needed a moment or two," he said simply as though he knew how my mind worked.

"Thanks," I replied, taking a small bite and swallowing, tasting the first bit of food I'd had all day.

xXx

"Hey, Stefan, have you seen Kali anywhere?" Elena asked, looking around.

"No, I haven't. I'll help you look for her though," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Unknown to her though, he was trying to pinpoint her as he stood there, concentrating on his hearing. Voices went in and out, bouncing around. It wasn't until he caught the sound of his brother's voice that he frowned, walking toward the front of the establishment, Elena following behind him.

"Stefan, what's wrong?" Elena asked, taking his hand in hers.

"Nothing, don't worry," he told her. "I just figured since I don't see her anywhere in here, then maybe she stepped outside."

His answer was simple and seemed to satisfy her as they stepped outside.

"-then he fell off of the table and spilled beer all over the place," Damon finished, watching Kali laugh.

"I'm sure that caused such a mess," she laughed, a smile on her face.

"Oh, it did, trust me," Damon nodded, taking a gulp of his drink.

"Damon," Stefan called warily, stepping toward his brother.

xXx

"Damon," I heard Stefan call out, voice slightly wary for some reason, almost like he was unsure at the moment for one reason or another.

"Ah, Stefan, my dear brother," Damon grinned, standing from his seat and throwing an arm around Stefan's shoulders.

He pulled the boy close, smirking as he pulling him toward Kali.

"The two of you have already met, yes?" Damon asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "We were introduced earlier," I told him.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Stefan asked quietly.

"Nothing that need concern you," Damon said simply, letting him go.

"I think that you should leave Damon," Stefan hissed.

"Actually, since the two of you are busy," he said, referring to Elena and Stefan. "Why don't I take you home?" Damon asked. "After all, I'm sure that you're tired and Elena and my brother will be out for a couple more hours no doubt," Damon told me.

"Um, yeah, sure," I nodded, standing from my seat. "I need some sleep anyway," I told him, letting out a small yawn.

"Perfect," he grinned. "I'll pull the car around," he told me, giving me a small wink, before disappearing.

"Miss Kali," Stefan started, seeming slightly frazzled.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I don't think that going with my brother is such a good idea," he told me.

"Stefan, listen, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself," I assured him.

"Yes, but…Damon can be a bit reckless in his driving," he told me, his voice a bit hesitant as though trying to come up with a good excuse.

"I'll be fine," I promised, picking my bag up and placing it on my shoulder.

I was more tired then I realized, another yawn escaping me.

"I'll see you at the house," I called to Elena, walking toward Damon as he pulled up, a grin on his face. "And I'll call you when I get to the house if it makes you feel any better."

This was said to Elena, even though I suppose it was for Stefan. After all, they'd be together a while longer tonight, so that way he'd know that I was fine.

"Here you go," Damon said, opening the door for me.

"Thank you," I smiled, sliding into the car, the door closing after me.

"Buckle up," he chuckled, before stepping on the gas, the car moving forward smoothly.