Okay, slight change. Its going to pick up right after Klaus possesses Alaric!

And I think Empty Apartment by Yellowcard pertains perfectly to Matt and Hope and what is to come! So please, if you have time, take a listen to the song and tell me what you think!

Oh, and if you have any other song selections that you think would go along with the story, don't hesitate to tell me! I hope you enjoy this chapter:)

That's it:)

She parked the car, blearily gazing up at the house she had so missed. She had driven nonstop through the night, nine hours, to get there. She stopped only to use the restroom and to get gas. She looked at her watch, one of Lucas's, and knew they had only been home from school for about fifteen minutes. She exited her car and jogged up the front porch steps, her hand jingling the change and keys in her pocket. She knocked on the door and waited, a small strain of butterflies sweeping through her stomach.

"Yes?" She was startled to see a boy her age open the door. His face was flawless, chiseled to perfection, with dark bronze hair and forest green eyes. She raised an eyebrow and checked the address above the mailbox. This was the right place.

"Is Elena here?" Feet pounded down the stairs and then the two girls were in each other's line of vision. Elena's jaw dropped, her eyes wide. Standing in front of her was Hope, but she had never looked like that. She was no longer the soft lines of childhood, but the curves of a woman. Her clothes fit her well, and her hair hung heavy as a curtain, but as beautifully curly as ever and longer than she had ever let it grow out: to the middle of her back. Her skin was the darkest she had ever seen it, as if she had spent many hours out in the sun. Her eyes, though, were as soft and warm as ever.

"Wow. You look so different." Elena breathed. Hope tugged on a curl and gave a nervous laugh.

"Bad different?" Elena shook her head and motioned for her to turn. Hope complied and Elena laughed when she finished the three-sixty.

"You look hot, Linnet." Hope's eyes shined at the use of her middle name, and then the two girls were in each other's arms, sobbing and holding each other tight. Elena felt the hard lines of Hope's body, could finally feel the strength that emanated from Hope. She cried and smiled, her eyes landing on Stefan, the boy who opened the door.

"I can't believe you're here." She whispered, pulling away from Hope a little bit. They laughed and wiped each other's tears away.

"Me either, but I finally did it. It's been too long, I couldn't take it anymore." Hope couldn't distinguish whether she had sobbed or laughed, but she was once again holding Elena close.

"Who's the dude?" She whispered. Elena laughed heartily, a feeling of happiness settling into her stomach. Hope pulled away and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Hope, this is Stefan Salvatore, my boyfriend. Stefan, this is my cousin Hope, Jon's daughter." Hope nodded and stuck her hand out, shaking hands with a wide-eyed Stefan. She caught the look he gave Elena, and the curt nod Elena responded with. She shook it from her mind before squeezing her cousin's hand.

"Can we see everyone?" Elena nodded vigorously. Hope smiled brightly before tugging Elena and Stefan outside and to her car. She pulled away from the house and the two girls chatted happily on the short drive to the Grill, where Elena was currently texting everyone to meet. Stefan smiled as Hope said something that made Elena laugh, her smile the biggest he had ever seen. Hope was surrounded in this warm glow he associated with as motherly, and he could see how happy being around her made his girlfriend. He tried not to stare too hard, had averted his eyes when Elena had placed her hand on top of Hope's on the seat in front of them and told her how much she had missed her.

They pulled up to the Grill soon after, and the trio entered with Stefan and Elena in front, partially hiding Hope. In a back corner by a pool table, the whole gang was there. Matt, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, Bonnie, and an older man she had never seen before. He was tall, taller than Matt, with pale cerulean eyes and the darkest hair. He was an Adonis, perfectly sculpted, his smirk making Hope's knees go weak.

"Elena, what could possibly be so-" The man was cut off with a squeal from Caroline as Hope poked her head around Stefan and waved. The blonde rocketed off her chair and into Hope's arms, the two girls laughed loudly. Caroline started to cry, which in turn made Hope start to cry.

"Oh my God, Hope! You look so hot!" Caroline twirled her around, loving the sound of Hope's laughter. She was amazed by the transformation, was proud of her best friend, and was so happy they were reunited that she forgot the anger and hurt she was harboring for not having any contact with her for the last eight months.

"Caroline don't be a hog!" Jeremy said as he swooped in and bear hugged Hope, swinging her in a circle. Yet again her peals of laughter rang out, making those around her laugh. She kissed Jeremy's cheek and hugged Bonnie and Tyler before she looked at Matt. His heart was beating fast, his palms all of a sudden sweaty.

He had always thought she was pretty, but now she was absolutely gorgeous. It had nothing to do with the weight loss, which he saw wasn't a lot, but enough to dramatically change her appearance, but she held herself differently now. She was sure of herself, was comfortable in her own skin. She glowed, absolutely glowed with happiness and contentment.

He was angry though, and hurt, that she hadn't contacted him. He had left voice mail after voice mail, text after text, and she had not answered a single one of them. He grabbed his jacket and walked away, his pride holding him from looking back and sweeping his best friend up in a hug.

"Matt? Matt, come on!" Elena called after him. Hope tried to act as if it didn't bother her, as if her one of her very best friends in the whole world had looked right at her and then left without a single word. She knew he was angry at her for not contacting him, but she literally couldn't. Her father had told her she needed to separate herself from everyone to focus. Her dad was an ass. She turned back to the rest of her friends, brushing it off. She had gotten really good at that, acting as if things did not affect her.

"Hope, this Damon, Stefan's older brother. Damon, this is Hope, Jon's daughter." Elena had introduced Hope to Damon much like she had introduced her to Stefan. What did her dad have to do with them? Did they know him? Damon's eyes widened a little bit before he smirked and took her hand, kissing it softly.

"A pleasure, Hope, I've heard so much about you." He was pleased to see her blush as she took her hand back.

"All good things I hope." She grinned at her cousin.

"Yep, Elena went on and on how close you guys were, almost like sisters!" He said, and she felt a little uncomfortable with the way he looked between her and Elena. Her magic spiked as she had made contact with Damon. Was he a witch like her?

The group enveloped her in conversation, begging her to tell them where she had been the last eight months, and why she had left. She threw some excuses around about her dad pulling her through some road trip, and how she had not had her phone, having lost it somewhere. Elena knew she was lying, could remember the brief phone call a few months before. What was Hope keeping from her?

"Wait, if you were with your dad, then why didn't you come with him when he showed up yesterday?" Bonnie asked. Hope's eyebrows screwed together in confusion and then a look of comprehension passed over her face, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"I wasn't aware he was in town, we had been staying with a friend when he said he had to go away for a couple days." She excused herself to the bathroom and immediately pulled out her phone.

"Hope, why are you calling." She sneered at her father's voice, anger spiking her blood.

"You are a true and total asshole, you know? How dare you, how dare you, keep me from my family, holed up in the country, and come back to Mystic Falls without telling me. Who do you think you are? And don't pull the dad card, because you've only just earned that title and I'm not in the mood for that bullshit." She waited, one hand clutching the phone to her ear, the other raking a hand through her curls. She watched her reflection in the mirror, could see the red rimming her eyes, a tell tale sign she was going to start crying.

"Are you in Mystic Falls?"

"Yes, why?" She snapped. She could feel the aggravation practically roll off her in waves. She was seething, barely able to control her emotions and magic as they swirled inside of her.

"Damn it, Hope. Where are you?"She hated him in that moment, something she hadn't done if five years.

"No, screw you Jon." She hung up and braced herself against a sink. She splashed some cool water on her face and dried it. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and found her center. She smiled and walked back out.

"Sorry, quick call, but everything's good now." She grinned at everyone, and the grin looked so real everyone let the call fly over their heads, even though the Salvatores and Caroline looked uneasy.