The morning after the vampire attack, Riley woke up in her bedroom with her mother at her side. Her father had been on the phone, contacting all of their nearby vampire friends. Despite being aware that vampires could be very dangerous, her parents taught her that not all of them were a menace to society. Over the years, she met many vampires who controlled their blood lust and interacted well with humans. They were like a regular person, except with a different diet. Not knowing any vampires in the town, her father hoped one of their friends could come to give Riley blood and heal her wounds. Riley refused the offer. She did not mind having the bite marks because they acted as a constant reminder to never be in that situation again. In the past, she had been an independent person, able to care for herself. The vampire incident changed life at home drastically.

Her parents would not leave her alone in the house, even if they were only going to the market. She had to go with them to every archaeological site or her father's shifts at the local hospital. If she got the tiniest scratch on her arm from a sharp branch, her father bandaged the cut before it started to bleed a tiny bit. After two weeks, she was getting annoyed with their constant coddling. She understood their concern, considering she had almost died, but did not appreciate being treated like a fragile doll. They did not listen to reason when she explained that a vampire could not enter their house without an invitation. That night had not left her mind, even in her dreams. While her parents worried about keeping her out of a harm's way, she thought of how the vampire had been barely affected by the wooden stake. She knew that she missed the heart by barely an inch but it still should have stunned him for at least a minute. That vampire was not like others she had encountered in her life.

Late at night, when her parents had gone to bed, she stayed up, reading her Gilbert ancestors' research on vampires. There was no information that explained how that vampire could stand being pierced by a wooden uncle John continued to harass her father at all hours. He was keeping them up to the date on the latest events in Mystic Falls. A few days ago, the council formed a plan to get rid of the tomb vampires because they were going to attack the Founder's Day Celebration . John used the Gilbert device to incapacitate the vampires and once one was identified, they were injected with vervain. The vampires were then taken to the basement of her uncle Grayson's old medical clinic, which he used to share with her father before he left Mystic Falls, and the basement had been set on fire. Her mother chastised John for a foolish scheme that could have put many lives in danger. She never agreed with the council's tactics in dealing with supernatural beings.

Tyler's father, the mayor, had also been affected by the device and died in the fire with the other vampires. Riley learned that the Lockwoods were one of the few families left that carried the werewolf gene. It could only be triggered if they killed a person. Her parents assured her that Tyler's father had never activated the gene before his death.

Riley was woken up by the sound of her alarm. She chucked the alarm clock onto the floor and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Seeing her parents in front of her bed, with her mother holding a breakfast tray, she jumped.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Good morning, sleepy head. I made breakfast"

Her mother put the tray down on the bed. Riley eyed the plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit and the glass of orange juice with suspicion. She picked up the toast and took a small bite.

"What's going on? Is this my last meal before you lock me in the basement to keep a mosquito from biting me? They could be deadly" she said, sarcastically.

"No. We have good news. We've been planning it for a while but we wanted to wait until everything was ready. Riley, we're moving"

"You have to be kidding me. Mom, Dad, it was one vampire. I'll admit that it was my own fault for staking him. Uncle John always said I had impulse issues. I do something without thinking. I'll work on it. Also, I think I've become allergic to airports…or any kind of transportation"

Her father chuckled. "Slow down, scamp. First of all, do not ever take advice from your uncle. I find your recklessness amusing. Second, I think you'll enjoy this move. We're going back to Mystic Falls"

Riley dropped the toast in her hand. She waited for her parents to tell her it was a joke. Both of them simply smiled. She almost knocked over the tray as she jumped out of her bed.

"Seriously? Mystic Falls?" she asked, shocked.

"Your mother and I worked it all out. I'm going to get my job back as head doctor of the hospital. I was going to work out of the old clinic but since your uncle chose to relive his childhood pyrotechnic activities, they had to tear down the building. Your mother is going to teach archaeology courses at Whitmore College. We might have to leave for her research from time to time but we thought this would be best for you. We know how much you've missed your friends there"

"Does anyone know yet?"

"No. It's going to be a big surprise. We're even going back to our old house…the mansion next to the Lockwoods"

Riley hugged her parents, unable to contain her excitement. She had always wanted to return to Mystic Falls. Her parents gave her the same excuse every time, telling her they would return when her mother did not have as much work. She did not even bother to question their sudden change of heart. All she could think about was being in her old house. Her father had inherited the old Gilbert mansion, a large estate that once belonged to Johnathan Gilbert during the 1800s. Once they packed a few suitcases, most of their belongings being taken by a moving company last night, they left for the airport with their already purchased plane tickets. During the long eight hour flight, she kept bouncing in her seat, acting like a small child. There was going to be a carnival at the high school tonight. Caroline had messaged her about it weeks ago, being the one in charge of set up. Riley decided to search for her friends there. Once the plane landed, her father rented a car to drive to Mystic Falls.

"Dad, could we stop at the hospital before we go to the house? I wanted to visit Caroline"

"I already checked with the hospital while you and your mother were getting our luggage. She was released about an hour ago"

"So soon?" asked her mother, surprised.

"I was surprised too. From what Liz said, her injuries were very bad"

Caroline, Matt, and Tyler had gotten into a car accident on the night of the Founder's Day Celebration. From what Matt told her in a quick voicemail, Tyler was the one driving and got distracted by some noise. Riley assumed it had to do with the Gilbert device. She did not expect Caroline to be healed up within two days.

"I guess I'll find her at the carnival then. She's probably screaming at some poor freshman right now for not keeping all of the prizes in a straight line" she joked.

An hour later, they arrived at their old mansion. It did not look any different from eight years ago. The Lockwood mansion was right next door. She helped her parents carry in the boxes. Without a second thought, she headed up to her old bedroom. The last time she was in there, she was nine years old. She cringed at the thought of seeing the pink wallpaper. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that her room had been repainted to match her room back in France. She unpacked her belongings and hung up her latest drawings. From her window, she could see Tyler's room. When they were younger, they would always write messages to each other and show them through the windows. She went back downstairs to find her mother taking out an expensive vase.

"You two really have been planning this move. I was expecting to see pink walls and my old dollhouse"

"We wanted you to feel right at home. It shouldn't take long to get this place fixed up"

"I'm going to head to the carnival. I promise to be home before the sun comes up"

Walking towards the front door, she ducked her head to avoid being hit by a box. Her father put the box down on the floor. He looked at the faint bite marks. Riley had covered the marks with a cute scarf.

"I wish you'd let me—Riley, I have a vial of blood from Nate"

"I don't want it, Dad. I like having them"

"No one likes to be bitten"

"It reminds me to never be in that position again"

Sighing in defeat, he hugged her. He promised that he would never let another vampire lay a hand on her. Her father had gotten so protective lately that he could stake a vampire for simply looking in her direction.

"Can we talk about it?"

"Riley, we had a long discussion after it happened"

"The way he bit me…it was like my blood was addicting"

"He must have been a newborn vampire. They're uncontrolled. He tasted your blood and it sent him into a frenzy. Your grandfather once told me about how vampires could be problem drinkers...like an alcoholic"

"And what about how he was barely affected by the stake? Isn't that weird?"

"I need to help your mother with the kitchen. We'll talk some other time"

She watched her father enter the kitchen and pick up a box of silverware. Rolling her eyes, she left the house, heading to the carnival. The carnival was set up in the back of the school with game booths, food stands, and rides. As she walked around, she spotted a banner for arm wrestling sponsored by the wrestling club. Tyler, who looked a lot more muscular than he did eight years ago, was in a match against one of the football players. He beat the guy with little effort, nearly breaking his arm. She moved through the crowd, smiling when she noticed her friend Jayden among the jocks.

Jayden was her best friend in Mystic Falls. They had known each other since diapers, their mothers being inseparable in high school. She missed him the most when leaving town. At first, it was hard to not see him every day. They were used to being attached at the hip and daily emails did not make the situation much better. While she was stuck traveling to different countries, he became a star jock in Mystic Falls, playing football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. It proved difficult to not tell him about her return. Everyone was busy cheering for Tyler's victory.

"What a shame. All this testosterone and not a sheep in sight"

"Very funny, Riley" said Tyler, locking hands with another muscular football player.

Riley smirked when he turned around. Jayden practically knocked over a few people and squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug. She had to endure hugs from everyone in the crowd. The jocks almost broke her in half, forgetting that they had muscle and she was petite. Tyler hugged her, lifting her a few inches off of the ground.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in—some country where they talk funny"

"I see geography is still not your best subject. My parents decided to move back"

"Move b—you're staying?" asked Jayden, smiling.

"Yep. Just because you've got those muscles, don't think I can't still kick your butt, White"

"Bring it on, Gilbert"

Jayden kept his arms around her waist. He grabbed a cup of beer from a back table. As she took the cup, she noticed two guys staring at her. One of the guys was her age with gelled dark brown hair and forest green eyes. The other guy looked about early 20s with tousled jet black hair and pale blue eyes. He was a bit more toned and his appearance screamed bad boy. She tensed up, getting weird vibes from them. While the dark-haired guy watched Tyler in his next match, the other one did not break his gaze off of Riley. She asked Jayden to show her around the carnival.

As they went on rides and played games, she bumped into other old friends like Bonnie, Jeremy, and Matt. Elena was strangely absent from the carnival. Riley and Jayden were playing a game that involved making five baskets in a row. After Jayden made his fifth shot, he got a stuffed penguin as a prize and handed it to her.

"He's a fancy penguin. Look at that bowtie and suit" he said.

"A fancy penguin deserves an equally fancy name. Mr. Tuxedo Pants"

"Well if it isn't my favorite girl"

Riley groaned and turned around to see two guys her age. The dark-haired one was looking her up and down with pure lust in his eyes. They were Jayden's friends, Cameron Montgomery and Garret McGuire. Riley depised the entire Montgomery family. They were one of the founding families of Mystic Falls and tended to act very snooty. When she first lived here, Riley got into fights with Cameron's sister Alison, who created a popular clique called The Blondes with her lapdogs Kristen Clarke and Emma Anderson. The Blondes were the typical mean girls. Cameron was a creep, plain and simple. Even as a little boy, he would try to kiss Riley or see up her skirts. His disgusting behavior led to frequent trips to the nurses's office, courtesy of Riley punching and kicking him. Garrett, on the other hand, was very kind and compassionate. She did not understand why Jayden and Garrett hung around with Cameron, seeing them as complete opposites. Jayden defended Cameron, telling her that he could be a decent person.

She glared, noticing Cameron's eyes on her chest. "My eyes are up here, pervert"

"Did you miss me, Ri?"

"No. I'd rather be hit by a truck than see your face again"

He smirked. "Still playing hard to get, huh?"

"If you don't stop being such a creep, we'll play a new game called How far can I shove my foot up your ass. I'm going to keep looking for Elena"

"Ri, wait" said Jayden.

Riley left them at the basketball game, continuing the search for her cousin. As she turned the corner, she bumped into someone. It was Caroline, who looked a little nervous.

"Sor—Riley!"

She smiled and hugged the peppy blonde. "Hey Care. I'm glad you're out of the hospital. My dad told me about the accident. I was worried about you"

"Well I'm all better now. I was looking for you. I heard Jeremy say you and your parents moved back"

"Yea. Do you want to help me find Elena? We can catch up while—are you okay?"

Caroline was sniffing the air. She shuddered a bit.

"Do you smell that? It's the most amazing thing I've ever"

To her confusion, Caroline leaned closer, sniffing her neck. "It's you. You smell so good"

"I got this new lotion in France. Maybe it's that"

"It's—I n—need to go. I have to—go get more stuffed bears for the r—ring toss"

"I can help with"

"No! Just—I can do it m—myself. I'll see you later"

Caroline looked even more anxious as she walked away from her. Riley started to follow her until someone grabbed her arm. Glancing up, she saw the younger guy who had been staring at her during the arm wrestling matches. He claimed that Caroline was very upset and needed to be alone. She did not appreciate some stranger telling her what to do, especially if it dealt with her friends.

"If she's upset, that's the last thing she needs. Let go of my arm"

Riley wrenched her arm from his strong grip. "I didn't mean to—I'm Stefan. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new to Mystic Falls?"

"No, I'm not"

"I didn't catch your name"

"Because I didn't give it to you. I don't talk to creeps who stare at me like I'm some snack"

"I wasn't. I just"

"Don't care. I'm going to find Caroline. If you get in my way again, I'll toss you into the dunk tank"

She searched for Caroline, wondering what had gotten her upset. Entering the parking lot, she saw Tyler with his uncle Mason, who used to babysit him and Riley as children. She heard that he returned to town for his brother's funeral. Tyler was breathing heavily, his fists shaking.

"Tyler? Are you okay?"

"He got into a little fight. I need you to take him home. I'll meet you there"

Riley grabbed onto Tyler, leading him back to his house. He explained what had happened in the parking lot. One of the carnival workers bumped into him and started a fight. Tyler felt this sudden burst of uncontrollable rage. Before the fight escalated too far, Mason intervened, knocking the guy out with a quick punch. Riley sat him down in the living room. When Mrs. Lockwood passed by, looking at him with concern, Riley lied that he had a bit too much to drink and she wanted to make sure he got home safe. Riley poured a glass of water in the kitchen and handed it to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yea, you know I've got those anger issues. They've gotten worse since my dad died"

"That fight wasn't your fault. The guy was probably having a bad day and decided to take it out on you"

"It was weird, Ri. It was like he couldn't stop fighting me, even if he wanted to…"

Her mind immediately thought of compulsion. It was possible that not all of the vampires in Mystic Falls had burned in the fire set by her uncle. A few minutes later, she could hear Mason speaking with Mrs. Lockwood. They left the living room.

"I'll see if I can dig up that stone you're looking for, Mason. It's bound to be tucked away in one of Richard's hiding places"

Mrs. Lockwood walked up the staircase. Mason ruffled Riley's hair, grinning.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, munchkin. It's a good thing you're here. You can keep this wild guy in check"

"I always do"

"I'm going to head to bed. You two should get some sleep too"

As Mason went into one of the guest bedrooms, Riley questioned Tyler about the stone. He brought her into his father's study. According to Tyler, Mason had come to town for more than the funeral. He was searching for something called a moonstone. Lifting up a floorboard, he showed a hidden safe. He opened the safe, which was filled with random documents and journals. Digging through the mess, he picked up a translucent, milky-colored stone.

"Has he told you why he wants it?"

"No. I don't get what's so important about a rock"

"Don't show it to him yet…not until he gives you some answers. I should head home. I'll see you later"

He put the stone in his pocket. "I'm really glad you're back"

"Don't get sappy with me, Lockwood" she teased.

Riley returned home, finding her father in the dining room. He was reading through some hospital documents.

"You're home early. The carnival wasn't that good?"

"No, it was fun. I saw everybody but Elena. I think she was busy keeping things in order. We have a problem"

She sat down at the table and told her father about Tyler's fight at the carnival. Like Riley, he believed that the worker had been compelled by a vampire. She mentioned Mason's search for the moonstone. Her father was shocked that Mason possibly activated his werewolf side.

"If he's looking for the moonstone, he wants to break that sun and moon curse"

"What else does he need besides the stone?"

"I haven't read about that curse in years. The details are vague"

"You don't look very surprised about vampires being here"

"Mystic Falls draws all kinds of supernatural activity, Riley. I'm not surprised that John's plan wasn't perfect. We can't just assume that they're going to harm anyone"

"Dad, I think…Caroline is one. You weren't with me at the carnival. She was really jittery and she sniffed my neck. She said she smelled something really good. I lied about wearing lotion because I didn't want to scare her. I think that's why she healed so quickly. One of the vampires turned her"

He sighed. "Riley, let's keep this between us. I want you to remember that even if she is a vampire, Caroline is still there. She'll be going through a rough time and she needs a friend like you to help her"

Riley nodded and headed up to her room. Lying on her bed, she thought about Caroline's behavior at the carnival. She was worried that Caroline would be unable to control herself. Newborn vampires always struggled with the transition. She remembered how Stefan warned her about staying away from Caroline. Deep down, she knew the truth about him and his dark-haired friend. She stayed in her bed, wondering if either of them caused one of her closest friends to become a vampire…

A/N: Thanks for reading. I appreciate all of the reviews. In this story, Jayden is going to be for Riley what Matt is for Elena, the friend that is oblivious to all of the supernatural craziness. For a while, Elena and the others will keep the supernatural business away from Riley, not knowing that she is aware of everything. It's going to lead to interesting situations and a few tense moments. One reviewer had asked who portrays Riley and in my mind, it's Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars. Promise to update soon :)