A/N: Sorry that this chapter is a bit of a filler with not much action, I had writer's block with this chapter and needed to put in some filler in order to get the story moving along. I promise the next few will be a bit more exciting! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and favourited - please keep reviewing! It gives me motivation!

Chapter 7: The Fresh Start

"Stefan!" Caroline blurts out before she can stop herself.

His expression slides from curious to guarded instantaneously "You know my name?"

"Yeah, uh, Zach told me he had a nephew from out of town staying with him," she replies hastily.

"What are you doing down here?" He folds his arms and shifts into that Stefan stance.

It then occurs to Caroline that although she may not have her vampire strength, she still has somewhat of an advantage. She knows Stefan almost better than anyone and knows how will react to a situation. She has to tread carefully.

"My Mom's on the town council with your uncle and she left some stuff in the house. I thought I'd look down here, because, you know, it's always in in the last place you look. But I can't find it anywhere."

"I imagine you can't, what with not being able to see and all." He gestures to her eyes and she realises that she is still wearing her sunglasses.

She tears them off. "Oops! Well, I guess that's why! It's obviously not down here. I'll just go up-"

She makes to move around him and he steps in her way and meets her eyes levelly. Caroline surreptitiously slips her hands in her hoodie pocket and clenches the vervain in her fists.

"Have we met before?" he asks hesitantly.

She blinks. He's not trying to compel her, which means he's genuinely puzzled about it. This isn't good, this isn't good at all.

"Nope, don't think so," she says quickly.

He doesn't move, continuing to stare at her, perplexed. Caroline desperately racks her brains to think of her next move and then a genius idea pops into her head and she puts on her most flirtatious smile.

"Have you explored Mystic Falls at all? Let me know if you need anyone to show you around town or anything. I'm always free."

"I know this town well, but thanks," he gives her a polite, stiff smile and she rolls her eyes inwardly. She's forgotten how cold he can be when uncomfortable.

She twirls a finger through a blonde curl and decides to push it further. "Do you know how long you're staying? I know a ton of great parties that are happening. You could come…with me."

"I, uh, no, maybe. I'm not sure of my plans yet," he hedges.

Caroline feels a pang of rejection but shakes it off quickly. This is Stefan, her bff (well, not anymore, she supposes), she doesn't care about him that way. She's held the affections of the most powerful creature on the planet, she doesn't need her ego stroked by Stefan Salvatore of all people.

"Well, I should be getting home. It was nice meeting you." She gives him a megawatt smile, just to be sure he's suitably scared off, and ducks around him, hurrying up the basement steps.

Zach is in the hallway and he gives her a suspicious look as soon as he sees her.

"Where were you?"

"Still looking for the stuff but I can't find it anywhere. Guess it's not here! Oh well, thanks anyway!"

She's out of the front door before Zach can utter a word. She waits until she's a good 200 feet away from the house when she whips out her cell phone.

"Bonnie? Where are you? Good, I'm coming over. I think we've got a problem."

"You saw Stefan?"

Elena and Bonnie's eye bore into Caroline as she polishes off a cookie.

"Mmhmm," she mumbles, "his hair was so bad. 2009 was so not a good era for him."

"What was he like?" Elena asks, voice trembling a little.

"Stefany. You know, back when he was pretending to be human. God, that feels like ages ago. Kind of stick in the mud."

"What's he even doing in Mystic Falls now?" Bonnie ponders, "he shouldn't be here until August."

"Actually, he should. He saved me from drowning, remember? Well, I remember now." Elena twists her hands in her lap.

Caroline frowns. "What are you talking about?"

"Elena had a high fever after coming back. She thought everything was just a dream," Bonnie explains.

Caroline's eye widen. "Seriously? Everything? Do you remember yet?"

"Now I do," Elena replies with a sigh, "when Bonnie told me they weren't dreams it all just came flooding back to me."

Caroline puts a comforting hand on Elena's and she smiles back gratefully.

Bonnie, not wanting to break up the moment but also wanting answers, interrupts them gently. "What was the problem, Caroline?"

"Well," she takes another cookie, "I think Stefan may have somehow, sort of, remembered me."

Elena and Bonnie exchange a look.

"What do you mean, remembered you? What did he say?" Elena demands, voice rising an octave.

"He asked me if we'd met before. And then he kind of, stared at me, like he was desperately trying to think of where he'd seen me before. You don't think there's anything wrong with the spell do you?" She directs the last part at Bonnie.

Bonnie shakes her head grimly. "There shouldn't be. But I'm going to try summoning Emily tonight anyway for some answers."

"I was thinking on the way here, if Stefan's around then there's a very good chance he's already seen Elena. Or if he hasn't yet, then he will."

"Damon. Damon's already seen me."

Bonnie and Caroline's heads whip simultaneously to the guilty-looking Elena.

"What?"

"I never told you guys this but I met Damon before Stefan, on the night of the party. He compelled me to forget but it came back to me when I was a vampire. The spell brought me back to just after Damon had compelled me and left. He knows I exist."

"Of course," Bonnie mutters.

Caroline looks disgusted. "Well if Damon Salvatore knows you're here and Stefan might soon, we need to put the plan into action immediately."

"What plan?" Elena asks warily.

"We're taking you to the salon. Pronto."

Three hours later Elena is staring at a different person in the mirror. Her long dark locks are gone, replaced with a sleek bob of rich mahogany. Bonnie and Caroline appear behind her and all three gaze into the mirror, marvelling.

"I look so…not me," Elena whispers.

Caroline grins. "Precisely. You can't look anything like Katherine. This may keep the Salvatore's off the scent for a while."

"We've been given a second chance and we need to do anything we can to protect that," Bonnie chimes in.

Elena nods. "I know, I know. It's just, so much change, so soon."

Bonnie wraps her arms around Elena's shoulders. "Good change. You have your family back, your humanity. Plus, you look really sexy with that new haircut."

Elena's face breaks into a reluctant grin. "I do look sexy, don't I?"

"Hell yeah, you do!" Caroline declares, "And we're going to take advantage of it. Tomorrow night we're going out to celebrate. We've done enough moping around for one lifetime. This is our chance to be young and carefree again."

Elena stares at the mirror as she listens to them, watching her eyes starting to spark with life again. Caroline's right, they don't need to worry anymore. There's no one trying to kill them, no sorrow or sense of responsibility holding her back. It's just her and her best friends and their future stretched out ahead of them with nothing to hold them back.

She spins around in the chair to face them. "Let's start living."