Hey everyone, I hope you like my story! As a heads up, this chapter heavily follows the first episode of the show, but as the story progresses there will be a lot of changes, new scenes, characters, and dialogue! Strongly believe it'll get better as you read! Please be sure to review chapters if you get the chance. Enjoy and don't forget to favorite and follow for updates!

As a note: I've changed chapters 1-8 including all Rhea x Damon scenes and some small details throughout. I didn't enjoy the flow but I feel this is much more suiting to the story I wanted to tell! Sorry for the shifts, but hopefully you enjoy and find it more believable.

FLASHBACK

Rhea propped her long legs up on the beige couch, easing her head back as she closed her eyes. All she wanted was a brief respite from the constant fights she had been having with her now-ex, Tyler.

Her younger brother Jeremy sat with his back against the couch, sketching another one of his portraits. A comfortable silence hung in the air, the sound of Jeremy's scribbling soothing Rhea, providing her the hands-off support she needed.

"Why is it crazy that I don't want to hear about my boyfriend flirting with someone? Especially Vicki of all people?!"

"Are you kidding me Rhea? I've literally been nothing but faithful to you the last several months, and you're throwing around accusations all because I had a couple conversations with a girl? I can't believe you're turning into such a controlling girlfriend.

"Controlling? I had multiple people tell me that they looked like a lot more than just conversations, Ty. You don't get intimately close with "just friends". It doesn't help that Vicki has a bad reputation! I don't think it's unfair that I don't want my boyfriend opening himself up to rumors like that!"

"I don't know what to tell you. If you can't handle me talking with other girls while we're together, we should just end it right now. You're being ridiculous."

It was always like this. He had always blamed her instead of listening. Just when Rhea thought Tyler had finally changed his non-committal ways, he proved that to be impossible. She should've listened to her friends when they warned her. She deserved better. This had to end, now.

Rhea let out a deep, frustrated sigh as her last conversation with Tyler replayed in her head. Her phone began vibrating on the table interrupting her thoughts. She grabbed it in frustration, before seeing her younger sister's name on the screen.

"What is it Elena?" She asked, trying to keep her irritation out of her voice.

Music reverberated loudly through the phone's speaker as she heard Elena yell out through the bass, "Rhea! Can you pick me up? Bonnie and Caroline are still hanging out but I'm ready to head back!"

Rhea groaned. She knew if she picked Elena up, the chances of her running into Tyler were high, and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"Can you just ask Mom and Dad? They should be done with their movie by now."

"Okay - Rhea, are you okay?"

Elena, ever the empathic sister, had immediately picked up on the tone in Rhea's voice.

"Yea, I'm fine. I just really can't handle running into Tyler right now."

"Okay… I love you… I knew you were always too good for him -"

Rhea immediately cut her off, "Elena, not now." Jeremy briefly glanced up from his drawing, giving Rhea an understanding expression before ducking back down. He knew all too well how Elena's maternal instincts could kick in when you least desired it.

"Okay, okay. I'll call Mom and Dad. Hang in there Rae, I'll be home soon."

The phone screen turned black before silence hung in the air of the living room once more. No words were exchanged between Rhea and Jeremy - as always, he knew that wasn't what his older sister needed.

They had no idea their lives were about to change, forever.

–

Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were laughing merrily in the front seat of their Ford Expedition, having picked up their daughter Elena from the house party. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, a thunderstorm beginning as rain pelted down on the hood of the car, the windshield wipers working overtime. The mood however, remained unperturbed as the Gilberts were still on a high from their movie date.

Elena gazed at her parents lovingly, once again appreciating how wonderful they were. While there was no such thing as perfect parents, hers had always tried their absolute hardest to raise their three children with the utmost care, never failing to let them know they were loved.

"So you guys enjoyed the movie?" Elena asked.

"Well, I don't know about your father, but it was the romantic pick-me-up I needed." Mrs. Gilbert responded, a bright smile adorning her face.

"I'm just happy your mother enjoyed it." Mr. Gilbert chimed in as he reached over to squeeze his wife's hand.

"Maybe I'll go watch it with Bonnie or Caroline… don't think Rae would be into it though." Elena pondered. As fellow romantics, she and her mother had always been able to bond over shows or films of the like, while Rhea and her father had always enjoyed joking about the over the top nature of some of the scenes.

"Yea, your sister would probably rather give up running for a week than watch a romcom." Elena's father said before he turned around, giving Elena a wink.

The next few seconds seemed to pass by in slow motion.

Elena saw a huge tree trunk that had fallen onto the road due to the storm, and screamed out, "DAD! LOOK OUT!"

Grayson Gilbert immediately swerved, and the car veered right, crashing through the guardrails of Wickery Bridge, falling over the edge into the depths of the river below. The torrential rain continued to pour down relentlessly, as the SUV sunk deeper into the body of water.

Elena would often look back at this moment in the future and marvel at how quickly her life changed. How one second, she felt completely enamored by her wonderful parents, and how seconds later, they were taken from her. The cruelty of life's random moments would haunt her and her siblings as they would never stop asking, "why?"

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Dear Diary,

I feel lost. I've tried to bottle up my sorrow, but for months I've been losing my grip on reality. I've put on a façade for Elena and Jeremy which seems to be working, but it keeps getting harder. The numbness I feel continues to bleed into my everyday life, prying me away from the things that once mattered most to me. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about the night of the accident. I can't help but blame myself… If only I'd gone to pick Elena up, they'd still be here… but instead Elena, Jeremy and I are left here alone. I know the last thing they'd want is for me to carry this guilt with me, but how am I just supposed to ignore the fact that I'm the reason they were on the bridge that night. How do I stop myself from continuing this spiral? And Is Elena okay? She lived through it, while I sat back and did nothing. I know Jeremy has been coping in his own… "unique" way with smoking and god knows what else. But can I really blame him? I can feel my mask slipping away piece by piece and I know it won't be long before Elena can see what a mess I am underneath it all. As much as I want to give up, I refuse to let today be that day. It's my first day of senior year and I won't let the darkness win. I'm going to be strong and use what energy I can find to hold on. As long as I don't give up, there's still hope.

"Rhea!" Elena called out as she walked through my bedroom door. "Bonnie's here, are you coming with us?"

My younger sister stood in the doorway leaning against its frame while her long brunette hair, perfectly straightened as always, flowed over down her shoulders. Looking at her, it was uncanny how similar we looked. We both had petite round faces, with almost identical almond-shaped mahogany eyes, button noses, and a fuller lower lip to round it out. Our differences mainly lied with our bodies - Elena stood a few inches shorter than me, with a naturally slim frame and a preference for dressing in feminine, bright colors, whereas I had taken a liking to athletics at a young age due to Dad's encouragement, sporting a more toned, curvier physique, and gravitating toward shades of black, gray, or deep colors. My hair had always been wavy from a young age, so I preferred to keep my natural curls layered down my back or pulled back into a messy bun.

I nodded as I grabbed my bag and tossed my journal aside. Elena paused, scanning my face.

"You okay?"

I laughed and bumped my shoulder into hers as I walked past her, "Yeah, of course! Didn't get much sleep last night, first day jitters."

Elena smiled as she retorted, "Just one more year and you're free!"

We headed downstairs and yelled a quick goodbye to Aunt Jenna and Jeremy. As we stepped outside, the sun's warm rays cast down on my face as the autumn winds gently caressed my cheeks, wafting faint smells from the surrounding forestry. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day on our first day of the school year. Seeing Bonnie propped against her baby blue car smiling back at us was the extra nudge I needed to feel that today could be different.

Elena ran up to Bonnie first, squeezing her tight.

"I missed you Bonnie! Don't ever leave me for that long again."

Bonnie was a Junior, the same age as Elena, and being only a year younger than me, the three of us had grown up together. She had beautiful mocha skin with sage green eyes, and growing up we had always expressed our envy and admiration over how gorgeous they were.

She had only just recently returned from spending time away for the summer with her family. While that was a yearly occurrence, this summer break both Elena and I had felt the impact of her absence much more acutely, as we had struggled to recover from our parent's accident.

She let out a suffocated laugh and looked towards me, holding her arms open. I smiled and dramatically sighed in fake protest before giving in to her wishes. Despite my initial resistance, it wasn't long before I realized how much I had needed a hug.

I took a deep breath and stepped back before saying quietly, "Thanks, Bon Bon. We really missed you."

We filed into her car, Elena climbing into the back as I slid into the passenger seat. Bonnie began filling us in on all the exciting new developments she had gone through over the past few months.

"You guys will never guess this! Grams has been telling me I'm psychic! She went on about how we're the descendents of some Salem witches or something. She kept going on and on, which, we all know she's a bit crazy, but then I started to think about all the inexplicable things I've predicted recently! I predicted Obama, you remember that right? Heath Ledger? At this point, I'm still convinced Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands."

I laughed, "Sure thing, Bonnie. Whatever you say!"

Our laughter subsided and we quickly realized that Elena hadn't been listening to our conversation - looking over my shoulder, I realized she was gazing out the window solemnly.

I reached out and gently placed my hand on her thigh, asking, "Elena, what's up?"

Bonnie glanced into her rearview mirror, adding, "Yeah come on, you're doing it again."

Elena shook her head out of what seemed to be a trance, "Ah, I'm so sorry. Bonnie, I didn't mean to ignore you. What were you saying again? You're a psychic?"

Just as Bonnie was about to answer, a crow suddenly flew in front of the car and hit the windshield. We skidded to an abrupt halt and sat in silence for a moment.

In an attempt to alleviate the clear tension in the air, I tried to joke, "Couldn't predict that one Bonnie?"

Bonnie shifted in her seat to flash a playful glare at me before looking at Elena, "I'm so sorry Elena, I didn't-"

Elena quickly interjected, "No no… it's okay. I'm fine. I can't be afraid of cars forever. We're okay."

After a brief pause, Bonnie smirked and said, "Well, I predict this year is going to be kick ass. I predict all the sad and dark times are over and we're all going to be beyond happy."

I smiled and mouthed the words "thank you" to Bonnie as she grinned and continued driving towards the school.

We finally arrived and I was hit by a sudden wave of surreal confusion. Even with our world flipping upside down four months ago, seeing everyone bustling about like nothing had happened was jarring. At the same time, maybe the normality of everything would help me get back into a routine

We shuffled into the busy hallway, my sense overwhelmed with the clamor of students bustling about. Eventually we stopped in front of our respective lockers. Bonnie paused for a moment to scan the students around us, "Major lack of male real estate, eh? Oh, and did you see the shower curtain on Kelly Beech? Does she even own a mirror?"

Elena hit her on the arm, "Hey!"

Bonnie and I looked at each other before we began laughing. She sighed before responding, "Fine. That doesn't change the fact that we still need to find a man." Winking at me, Bonnie opened her locker.

Elena turned around to lean against the wall while we waited and I couldn't help but notice that she had locked eyes with her ex-boyfriend, Matt. She gave a slight wave, but instead of acknowledging her, he quickly closed his locker and trudged away.

I had to feel for Matt. He was on the varsity football team, and when he and Elena had gotten together, it seemed to be picture perfect - the star football player with the beloved, gorgeous cheerleader. They had lasted around eight months, and during that time, it was clear to everyone how smitten he was with her. They had been good friends for a while before he confessed, and Elena, having always cared about him, decided to try it out. I knew she had always felt sorry for how hard he had had it, with his dad having left him after he was born, and his mom being an alcoholic who was never there for him. I had always questioned whether her feelings for him extended beyond love for a friend, but once the accident happened, she had ended it, realizing he wasn't what she needed, choosing to take some time for herself to heal.

Watching the awkward exchange, I shot her a look and she frowned. "He hates me, doesn't he?"

"No, that's definitely not hate. That's a, 'you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits'" Bonnie replied as she watched the angsty boy continue to walk away.

"You're his first heartbreak Elena, he'll be okay," I added, walking up to her, gently placing my hand on her back. "Chin up, no more regrets."

She smiled and tried to shrug it off. Looking up, I saw a tall, blonde girl walking up behind Bonnie, her eyes finding me as she beamed with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Caroline Forbes… My body instinctively tensed, bracing myself for what I knew would be an uncomfortable conversation. I held her gaze, responding with a half-smile.

Caroline had also grown up with our trio, Mystic Falls being the small town that it was. I had never been as close to her, her personality being a bit too high strung for my liking. It was the town's worst kept secret that her father had left the family for another man while Caroline was only in middle school, and with her mom being the town sheriff and always putting work first, I knew she had to have been starved for attention. Caroline could be overbearing and neurotic at times, and it honestly felt like the friendship we gave her wasn't enough, as she often sought out the attention of guys as a temporary salve for her faulty confidence. We hadn't seen her since the accident in an effort to avoid her overbearing concern, today marking an official end to that space.

"Rhea! Oh my god, how are you? Excited for senior year?" she exclaimed as she reached out her hand to touch my arm and console me.

Before I could even respond, she pivoted to Elena before squeezing her arm next, "Elena! How about you? It's so good to see you."

We remained silent before Caroline let go, promptly turning around to face Bonnie and speak to her, as if we weren't standing right there in obvious earshot. "How are they? Are they good? Managing?"

Elena and I both blurted out at the same time, "We're fine Caroline."

Caroline whipped around with the same unbudging smile before pulling us both in for a hug. "Ah, I missed you both! Oh, you poor things, I'm so glad you're here."

Again, without giving us time to respond, she gave one last smile before she walked between us to head to class. "I'll see you guys later?" And just like that, Caroline was off. Ever since she was in first grade, Caroline always knew how to make an entrance.

I gave Elena the side eye and she began laughing in disbelief. Bonnie raised her eyebrows, locking one arm through each of ours as she led us down the hallway. "We're not going to talk about that."

Halfway to class, Bonnie pulled us to a sudden stop. Excitedly she asked, "Hold up, who is that?"

Elena and I both looked to our left and noticed a tall, dark-haired boy that we'd never seen before. He was wearing a black leather jacket, with a matching hoodie layered underneath. To cap it all off, he had on a sleek pair of dark denim jeans adorning some long legs, but I couldn't make much else out.

"All I see is his back," Elena remarked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Well yeah, but it's a hot back."

I stifled a laugh to not draw any attention, but my thoughts were cut short as I heard an unfortunate exchange that quickly drew my attention.

"Good batch man", a random kid casually said to Jeremy. Jeremy nodded back acknowledging his remark, smiling, before he walked toward the bathroom.

'Here we go, right on cue' I thought to myself as I saw Elena immediately stomping off to chase after him, paying no mind that she was about to enter the boy's bathroom. I didn't want to get involved - Jeremy was already getting a mouthful from Elena and Aunt Jenna. Nothing I could say would make him stop or make the situation any better.

It was hard to blame him. Even I was at my wit's end, ready to try anything for the ever growing numbness I felt inside of me. Realizing I had been zoning out, I shook my head and looked back at Bonnie to see if she had noticed anything, only to see that her gaze was still locked onto the school's office.

Leaning my head on her shoulder, I checked my phone. She elbowed me and whispered under her breath, "He's looking at you."

I glanced up only to lock eyes with him, my breath catching. He donned broad shoulders on a tall lean frame, deep emerald eyes paired with brooding brows, and his perfectly styled chestnut hair. Freezing for what felt like an eternity, I finally flashed a smile his way and awkwardly pulled Bonnie towards the direction of the bathroom in a botched attempt to flee the scene.

My heart pounded in my chest, warmness flooding my cheeks as I replayed the embarrassing moment in my head. It felt like he recognized me from the way he had looked at me… Should I have said something?

I was jolted from my thoughts by someone bumping into my right shoulder while trying to squeeze past me toward the bathroom. The person lightly touched my elbow and gently apologized, "I'm so sorry, I should be more careful."

I automatically responded without looking, "Don't worry about it!"

Glancing to the side I spotted a familiar black leather jacket. My heart jumped the moment it clicked that it was him.

Slowly scanning my way up his features, my gaze eventually reached his forest green eyes that were already focused on me as he waited for my response.

Letting out a half smile, I added, "If I didn't know any better I might have thought you'd done it on purpose."

He grinned, "That's a bold assumption."

My eyes flicked to Bonnie, catching her eagerly watching the exchange. She nudged me before I managed to look back just in time for the mystery man to run smack into Elena as she burst out of the bathroom entrance. Bonnie and I watched as she froze and struggled to find the words to say.

"He seems to have a knack for running into people." I chuckled, grabbing Bonnie's arm to continue our way to class.

"Lets ditch her," Bonnie laughed as we hurried down the hallway leaving Elena to fend for herself.

–

The final bell rang and I could officially check surviving the first day of school off my list. Surprisingly, I was thankful to be back again. Today was the most normal I had felt in months.

We found out the guy's name was Stefan, as he was in my history class with Elena. They had sat near each other, exchanging smiles and giggles throughout class. I hadn't seen her this full of life since the accident. It wasn't hard to believe since there was such a calming aura around Stefan that made you feel giddy yet comfortable… A simple purity in his eyes. Deep down I'd hoped he was a sign that things were changing for the better.

–

After class, Elena and I arrived home in high spirits. Elena had grown accustomed to taking her journal to visit Mom and Dad at the cemetery every afternoon and today was no exception as she began getting ready, grabbing some snacks as well.

Before she made it out the door I quietly asked, "Do you want me to take you? I was thinking about going for a run today. You can have your privacy, and I'll just jog around the surrounding area 'til you're done."

Elena looked at me in shock, responding, "You haven't gone to see Mom and Dad in months, are you sure? And you're running again?"

I could hear the underlying hope lining each of her questions as she searched my eyes. She was right though; for months, I hadn't been able to face the truth that they were gone, let alone pay them a visit. Whenever Elena had asked if I wanted to accompany her, I had always refused, staying in my room.

Losing them had been like losing a part of myself. While Elena had been extremely close to our mother, our father had always been my best friend. He was the one that taught me how to be strong, motivating me to go to the gym and enroll in various fighting classes. He claimed it was helping me "prepare for the world's secrets", whatever that meant. Maybe it was because I was the oldest and already played the protective role with Elena and Jeremy, but it felt like a secret club that only we were a part of and I loved it. So much of my confidence and personality had grown as a direct result of his neverending belief in me.

That all ended the day they were taken from us. Every time I thought about the accident or tried running, an overwhelming wave of guilt would wash over me, suffocating me. Every fiber of my being blamed myself for their death, and instead of confronting reality, I had chosen to block them out completely. Frustration consumed me whenever I thought about how much there had been left to learn, to experience together. What could I do about all of the questions left unanswered? The gaps in my knowledge only served as a painful reminder of the future that had been robbed from me - from all of us.

Today though, I was determined to make a change. I'm done with living in the past, letting the darkness devour me. For the first time in a long time, I felt ready to find myself again.

Grabbing my car keys off the side table, I smirked and put my arm around her shoulder, "Yep! New school year, new me right? I think it's time I finally paid them a visit. And what better way to remember Dad than to pick up my training from where we left off?"

She squealed and looped her arm around my side as she pulled me along with her, skipping to my car.

Lowering myself into the driver's seat, I took a moment to breathe in the familiar smell of warm leather. It had been months since I touched my mustang. Every time I had tried to get behind the wheel, it had only been an excruciating reminder of my father - he had gotten it for me on my 16th birthday, and I could still remember how excited he was when he had presented it to me; I could've sworn he was happier about it than I was.

Gleaming with pride, he dangled the keys in front of my face, "Care to take it for a spin with me? Should match your edginess."

It felt foreign to sit in the driver's seat again, and as I turned on the ignition, I couldn't help but smile as memories began to flood my mind with all the times my dad and I went on roadtrips. Those days were always full of his nostalgic classic rock and never ending banter as we made our way to the family cabin.

Before long, we arrived at the cemetery, the car filled with comfortable silence. Elena quickly picked up her bag and was on her way, waving over her shoulder before shuffling through the grave sites, now extremely familiar with the area. Getting out of the car, I took a deep breath and looked up at the brisk autumn sky. 'He's here' I thought to myself as I smiled and closed my eyes, soaking in the warmth of the afternoon sun. I had thought coming here would feel suffocating, but in this moment, it felt freeing. Grabbing my earbuds, I messily tossed my hair up in a bun and made my way towards the forest.

My footsteps gradually picked up speed and I felt the wind begin to dance around me. I smiled in wonder at how easy it was to get back into the swing of things. Running had been my favorite hobby prior to the accident since my dad had trained me from a young age. I felt empowered as my lungs and legs seemed to effortlessly remember what to do, a warm tingling in my core spread throughout my body as my adrenaline kicked in, my breaths coming out in regular spurts.

Hopping over logs and ducking through the trees, I reached a clearing full of amber fall foliage, the rays of the setting sun greeting my face as I maintained my pace. Lost in my thoughts and music, I made a sharp right, when suddenly, I crashed straight into something hard that knocked me to the ground.

Groaning in pain, I pulled an earbud loose, brushing the dirt and leaves off of my legs. When I finally got a chance to look up, I saw a guy standing there watching me, a smug look on his face. Mixed feelings of confusion and frustration swirled inside of me as I attempted to make sense of what happened. What could he be doing out in the middle of the forest? Where did he come from? He stood there unfazed looking down at me, his lips curled back in a smile that didn't meet the corners of his eyes.

Extending his hand to help me up, he jokingly said, "Should watch where you're going, sweetheart. You're gonna end up hurting yourself."

Confusion won out as my leading emotion before I blurted out, "I-... I'm Sorry. I could have sworn you weren't there a second ago, guess I was a bit lost in my thoughts. Are you okay?"

Still jumbled from the collision, I clumsily grabbed his hand and pulled myself up, brushing away the strands of hair stuck to my face. Now at eye level, I was able to take in his features. He stood several inches taller than me with tousled, jet-black hair, icy blue eyes, and an extremely sharp jawline. He looked to be around my age, maybe a few years older… a college student perhaps. As if to match his hair, he was wearing an inky leather jacket and a clean cotton black shirt underneath. He had an enigmatic air to him, though that smirk playing on his face definitely hinted of cocky arrogance. I had to admit he was easy on the eyes, but something about him sent a twinge of trepidation through me, his eyes glittering with mirth.

"Don't worry about it. It'll take a lot more than that to hurt me, but you can sure take a hit."

Embarrassment flushed my cheeks, "Hah, that's what my father used to say to me. Anyways, I have to get back to my sister, sorry again about my lack of awareness!"

He cocked his head to the side, his smirk widening as he analyzed my face. Reaching out, I felt my breath catch briefly as he lightly brushed my cheek before picking a leaf from my hair, "Was a pleasure meeting you, Dear."

I raised my brow at him, still confused by his charm despite the sudden collision. I flashed him a smile and shook my head, attempting to rid any remaining debri before breaking out into a jog again as I made my way back toward the direction I had started from.

Finally reaching the car, I climbed into the driver's seat as I caught my breath. Knowing Elena would be back any minute, I adjusted the rearview mirror and attempted to fix the mess my hair had become due to the fall, trying in vain to tame the stray strands of hair that were now flying in every direction. I groaned, realizing I must have made quite the first impression on that guy earlier. I abruptly caught myself - why does it matter, I'll never see him again. He was just a cocky stranger that happened to cross my path... literally.

I heard the passenger car handle sound as Elena finally stepped into the car, tossing her bag over her shoulder into the backseat.

She glanced at me before her eyes took in the disarray of my hair - it was evident I hadn't done such a good job of fixing it. "How was your jog? Did you get into a fight with a bush or something?"

Slapping her arm, I scoffed and winked, "Hey! You should see the other guy."

She let out a laugh as I buckled my seatbelt. After a moment I asked, "So how was your journaling?"

She hesitated for a second, before responding, "It was good. Some weird stuff happened near the end, but I'll tell you about it later. I did run into that new guy Stefan though, and somehow lost my journal in the process of hurting my leg."

My jaw dropped, "No way, here? How is that even possible? You need to give me the full details later. Also - seems like I'm not the only one who's a hot mess right now- I can't believe you lost your journal! And what do you mean you hurt your leg?"

She shoved my shoulder and turned to look out the window, resting her chin into her palm to pout, "Stoppp, don't rub it in. I'll tell you all about it later. Let's hurry up and get home, I gotta meet Bonnie and Caroline at the Grill tonight. You're coming with me by the way." She added, giving me a glance.

Nodding with a small smile, I said, "Sounds good, whatever you want."

I turned the keys to the ignition and felt my smile linger. It seemed like pieces of normalcy were returning to our lives, and it felt great.

–

Once we arrived home, I took a quick shower to rinse off any remnants of dirt and sweat from my run, blow drying my hair afterward so that it fell into its natural wavy curls. Lining my eyes with my signature smoky look and tossing on some mascara and nude lipgloss, I gazed into the mirror, feeling more like myself than I had in a long time.

Stepping into my closet, I decided to throw on a low-cut, ash-gray fitted tank, skin-tight denim jeans, and after looking around, my eyes stopped at the cropped, charcoal leather jacket I used to wear all the time. Feeling inspired from earlier events, I pulled it over my shoulders before clambering down the stairs to wait for Elena.

After mindlessly spending time on my phone for close to half an hour, I felt my patience grow thin as I shouted, "Elena, hurry the hell up! I'm-"

I stopped my words as I finally heard Elena hurriedly descend the stairs, wearing a burgundy sweater and floral scarf. She shot me a death glare before she suddenly opened the front door, much to my surprise.

Elena turned to look forward again, then paused as if she had seen a ghost. I leaned my head back to see what she was staring at, only to see Stefan Salvatore standing on our porch, shyly standing there wordlessly. He slowly extended his hand, and I realized he was holding Elena's journal - he had found it and was returning it to her.

"What a sweet guy… saving the day" I thought to myself. Knowing the two needed some time, I gathered my things and decided to say bye to Aunt Jenna in the kitchen.

"We're about to head out Jenna! Just wanted to let you know."

Glancing up from the sink, she leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek before replying, "Have fun you two! Oh, and don't stay out too late, it is a school night!"

She winked and I playfully rolled my eyes, quipping back, "Of course! Always the authoritative figure, Aunt Jenna."

Jokes aside, Elena and I were incredibly thankful to Jenna - after the accident, she had moved into the house with no complaints, taking on the difficult role as guardian for the three of us. She had always been the cool, chill aunt that we looked forward to seeing, as she and our mother had been close. Although she liked to remind us of the rules sometimes, overall, she was extremely easygoing, balancing studying for her graduate school thesis on top of trying to keep us straight.

Adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder, I turned around to head back toward the door, when I saw Elena still chatting with Stefan. She had pulled out her keys from her purse, dangling them as she said, "I'll drive, Stefan is going to come with us!"

Raising my brows at the two, I nodded without saying anything, smiling as I walked out the door. Deciding to let lover boy get Elena's undivided attention, I opted to sit in the backseat, so that he could sit up front with her. As I approached the car, Stefan reached the car door first and opened it for me, gesturing that I should get in.

I placed my hand on my chest in exaggerated surprise, "Oh my! A true gentleman."

He grinned and fake bowed as I entered the car, "My lady."

Once I was settled in the backseat, I watched as he made his way around the car before doing the same for Elena, solidifying himself as a well mannered guy in my eyes.

–

As soon as Elena finished parking in front of the Mystic Grill, I decided to hop out and head inside first while Elena and Stefan continued their conversation behind me, taking turns shooting shy glances at one another.

Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately noticed Matt seemed to be in a serious conversation with Bonnie at a table by the fireplace, his eyes furtively shooting over to the door every few seconds. Remembering the awkward state he'd been in, I made my way over and shuffled around him, leaning in to hug Bonnie to avoid whatever they were talking about. Matt similarly ignored me as his eyes remained glued to the entrance, just as Elena and Stefan walked in together. I could immediately sense his mood change as his brows furrowed, the heartbreak plain on his face for the world to see.

Through his obvious disappointment, he managed to mutter some words out as he scowled at Bonnie, "More time, huh?"

Ouch. Bonnie and I exchanged looks, before Matt suddenly stood up, making his way toward the two.

Whispering to her, I said, "What the heck was that about? Is he still that hung up on her?"

Bonnie stayed quiet as we watched Matt finally stop in front of Elena and Stefan, briefly glaring at the latter before his gaze landed back on Elena. I could feel the awkward tension from across the room as Elena seemed to say hi, before Matt abruptly pushed past her, his shoulder bumping into hers. Not saying another word, he joined his best friend Tyler at the pool tables. Just like Elena and I had grown up with Bonnie, Matt had been close friends with Tyler from a young age, and we had even gone on double dates in the past when Elena was still with Matt and I hadn't ended things with Tyler yet.

Homeboy was definitely still hung up on her, hard. Oof.

After that extremely tense exchange, Bonnie and I waved our hands drawing Elena's attention. She and Stefan made their way over to our table, sitting across from us just as Caroline plopped down on a spare seat, having wrapped a conversation she had been having at the bar. I reached out across the table for Elena's hand, giving it a slight squeeze and meeting eyes with her to ensure she was okay. She gave me a small smile back, as if to reassure me she was fine. I felt relieved she wasn't letting her ex ruin her night. Stefan for his part, looked completely unfazed, looking as collected as ever.

Despite the fact that she had just joined us, Caroline's eyes were immediately fixated on Stefan, practically ignoring everyone else as she asked, "So, were you born in Mystic Falls?"

Stefan replied, "Yeah, moved here when I was still young."

Bonnie joined in, "Parents?"

I saw Stefan hesitate for a moment, glancing at Elena before looking back at Bonnie to respond, "My parents passed away."

Elena and I immediately looked at one another, knowing the grave weight of those words better than anyone else. She spoke softly, "I'm sorry. Any siblings?"

His eyes flit over to mine as he answered, "None that I talk to… I live with my Uncle."

It was clear Stefan Salvatore had a story behind him. I could feel Elena, Bonnie and I itching with curiosity to learn more but Caroline, ever the sensitive conversationalist, changed the subject, "So Stefan, since you're new, you must not know about the party tomorrow!"

Ignoring the fact that it was Caroline who asked, he looked at Elena, "Are you going?"

Bonnie and I both chimed in, "Of course she is!"

Elena looked down at the table, smiling at our behavior before she looked back at Stefan, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear shyly, "Well it looks like I am now."

He smiled back warmly as if that was all the encouragement he needed before finally confirming, "I'll see you there then."

Watching this back and forth, I had to admit - Stefan Salvatore had the kindest smile I'd seen in a while. But it was his eyes that really surprised me… there was a deep pain there, as if he had experienced sorrow well beyond his years. But what kind of secrets could someone as young as him be carrying? What could he have possibly been through?

Regardless, I couldn't help but think that this made him perfect for Elena. Maybe she had finally found someone who could understand.