Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries and never will, but I do own Charlene Davis and Megan Swann and any other characters I come up with.

Author's Note: Hope you love the updated version! :D

Charlene was startled awake by someone jumping on her bed.

"Charlie!" the voice squealed happily as she sat up in bed. She wiped her tired eyes before opening them to find herself staring into her best friend's grinning face.

"Megan!" Charlene immediately cried out. "You're back!"

"Hell, yeah I am!" Megan cheered happily, pulling her best friend into tight hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too!" Charlene grinned as she hugged Megan back just as tightly. "It's been horrible without you here."

Megan's grip on her tightened even more. "I know…I heard about what happened." She pulled back, frowning. "I can't believe Damon killed our aunt."

"Don't remind me." Charlene shook her head sadly. "I really thought he changed…"

"Honestly, Char, I don't know why you thought he did. He's Damon. He's never going to change."

Charlene didn't say anything. She knew Megan was right.

"But I know you always try to see the good in people, especially in those you really care about…like Damon."

"I don't care about him." Charlene denied.

Megan gave her a look. "Charlie, you're my best friend. I know when you care about someone. I was the first one to know about your crush on Tyler Lockwood. And you care about Damon, even if you don't want to admit it."

"It's not that I don't want to admit it…" Charlene started softly, pulling out of Megan's grip to stand up to her feet. "I can't."

"I know." Megan stood up too and patted her best friend's shoulder. "And you don't have to. Let's just go to school and try to live a normal life, and maybe this time, pretend that there is no such things as vampires."

Charlene turned to face Megan with a slight smile. "Easier said than done in this town. Especially when your best friend and boyfriend are said vampires."

"I meant vampires other than you guys, duh." Megan rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm making an exception for you two." She clapped her hands together. "So, get dressed before we're late. I'll be waiting for you in the car."

Charlene laughed softly. "Okay. See you there."

Megan flashed her a grin before skipping out of the room. Her best friend seemed to be doing okay with everything but of course, Megan was always good at pretending.

Shaking her head, Charlene went to her closet and got dressed before going downstairs to the kitchen where she saw Elena making coffee.

"Do you need a ride to school?" she asked her sister, grabbing her backpack. "Megan's waiting outside."

Elena shook her head. "No, it's okay. Caroline's picking me up in a little bit."

"Okay…are you doing okay?" Charlene hadn't really talked to Elena about the phone call to Isobel since it happened.

"I'm fine." Just like with Megan, Elena was good at pretending she was okay.

Charlene decided not to press her as she nodded. "Alright, if you're sure. I'll see you at school."

"Okay."

She gave her sister a small smile before heading outside to join Megan outside in the car to get to school.

"Hey Mom!" Matt called, knocking on his mom's bedroom door twice. The door swung open revealing Kelly, who looked like she had gotten ran over by a cab.

She rubbed her eyes. "What?" she grumbled. "I'm trying to sleep."

"I was just making sure you were alive."

Kelly gave her son an exasperated look before she heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It was a late night. My head is throbbing." She closed the door and headed to the kitchen as Matt spoke and followed her.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring the party home," he said. "And I'm pretty sure the neighbors would appreciate it too." He went to sit down on the small kitchen table.

His mom rolled her eyes as she went over to the coffee pot where there was already some in it. "It wasn't a party; it was one guy." She protested. "Don't be so judgy." She poured coffee into her cup.

"Well, I talked to Roberta at the Grill and there's still bartending job open if you want to…you know…get a job."

Kelly sat down across from Matt as she took a sip of her coffee and sat the cup down on the surface before she spoke up. "I figured she would still be pissed about the last time I worked there."

"I think she's desperate." Matt said with a shrug.

Kelly nodded. "I'll check it out."

He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"

She laughed. "Don't act so surprised."

"Well, I mean…" Matt paused for a moment. "I didn't know how long you planned on sticking around."

"Well, there's back rent due…"

Matt chuckled a bit. "There's back everything mom."

"Like I said, I'll check it out." Kelly told her son with a smile. Then, there was knock at the door. "Who's that?"

"Uh…it's Caroline." His mother made a face, and Matt gave her a look. "Easy." Kelly raised her eyebrows at him but didn't say anything. "Yeah, come in!" He turned his body towards the door.

Caroline opened the door and closed it behind her, smiling at Kelly brightly. "Hi Ms. Donavan."

She ignored her as she got up from her seat and left the kitchen leaving Matt and Caroline alone.

"Well, we're going to be late," Matt said quickly, breaking the awkward silence. He headed over to Caroline. "So, let's get going."

"Yeah…"

"Hey." Matt greeted her with a smile.

Caroline forced a smile, pretending Kelly giving her the cold shoulder wasn't bothering her. "Hey."

He kissed her cheek. "How are you?"

"Good." Caroline said as she took a hold of his hand and they left his house to go to school.

Once her and her best friend got to school, Megan separated from Charlene to find Stefan. They might have talked on the phone every day, but it wasn't the same as seeing him in person, so she was over the moon about seeing her boyfriend again.

He was at his locker and she grinned as she tiptoed behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?" Megan sang happily.

"Mm…I don't know…" Stefan teased, even though he clearly did. "Is it…Charlene…the best friend of my girlfriend, whose out of town?"

Megan rolled her eyes at his response, however, she grinned as she cocked her head to the side. "Do you really think my best friend would be trying to surprise my boyfriend like this?"

"Probably not. Can I get another guess?"

"If you get it right this time." Megan said, laughing. "Then yes."

"I won't. Is it my girlfriend?"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Megan cheered, giggling as she removed her hands from Stefan's eyes. He turned around to face her and she moved to kiss him. She smiled into the kiss, and she felt him do the same.

When they pulled back, Megan hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest as she took in the smell of it. It had been hard being separated from him, even if it hadn't been a long time. It definitely felt like it, especially with everything that happened while she was away. Megan hated the fact that she wasn't there for her cousins, but it was nothing she could have done about. She had to be there for Bonnie too even if the Bennett witch was currently pissed off at her, blaming her for being apart of Grams' death.

"I've missed you, Megan." Stefan mumbled into her hair.

"Mm…I missed you too…" she sighed happily before they pulled back from their hug. "So much." She smiled as she caressed his face and kissed him again briefly. "I don't even want to ask, but how your psychopath of a brother?" She was equally pissed off at Damon for what he did. How could she not be?

Stefan frowned, but not because of what she called him, since he knew it was true. "Damon hasn't said a word to me. Every time I try to talk to him, he shuts me down."

"Mm…well do you know if he's still trying to find Abigail?" Megan questioned curiously, leaning against the lockers beside her.

"I don't know. He waited a hundred and forty-five years only to find out that Abigail could not care less. I mean, it's gotta hurt, right?"

"Yeah, to someone who has a caring bone in their body, which Damon does not." Megan grumbled, rolling her eyes. He stared at her and sighed. Before he said anything, she spoke up. "Sorry. I'm just so mad at him for what he did. I know I wasn't there when all of it went down…but I'm just as mad at him as Elena and Charlene is. He killed our aunt, Elena's mom…yeah she's a vampire, but it still hurts, and it hurts me to see what it did to Elena and to Charlene…and…"

Stefan stopped her, placing his hands on her shoulder. "Stop. I know." He told her softly. She smiled at him weakly.

"I hate that I came back here, and everything is just as worse as it was when I left. I really just want to just forget everything for a moment, act like normal teenagers, and have fun. And try to get through the day without having to deal with it all. No vampires."

"At all?" Stefan teased, putting an arm around her shoulder as they walked to class together.

Megan grinned as she leaned into Stefan's side and put her arm around his waist. "No vampires, but you and Charlene."

"Well, good." He smiled down at her. "Because I hate to miss out on all the fun we're going to be having. So, when do we start?"

She laughed, hugging him to her. "God, I missed you." She leaned up, kissing his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

He shook his head at her, smiling, as he kissed the top of her head.

Finally, it was the end of the school day and Megan stood at her locker with Stefan. Caroline was there too, trying to convince the both of them to go on a double date with her and Matt. She honestly didn't know why the blonde was asking her and Stefan, but she figured that she and Stefan were the only couple that Caroline knew personally.

"I'm thinking nothing huge, just dinner at the Grill, maybe a late movie." She said, almost pleadingly.

"Caroline, I don't know." Megan told her, leaning against her locker. "I just got back…and…"

"Please Megan." Caroline pleaded. "I really need this night out with Matt, so I won't be stuck watching a movie at Matt's house with his mom in the other room."

"Kelly's back? When did that happen?" Charlene failed to mention that.

"Meg, don't change the subject, please just go on this date. For me?"

Megan hesitated.

"I think it's a great idea." Stefan said.

Her head snapped over to him, surprised. "You do? Seriously?"

"Yeah. A nice evening out with friends. Sounds fun, and normal."

This is what she had been talking about. "Okay." Megan relented. "A double date it is, then."

"Thank you!" Caroline cried out in relief, grabbing her into a hug. She laughed a little as she hugged her back.

"Yeah, yeah, don't say I don't do anything for ya."

"Trust me, I won't." Caroline giggled, and pulled back from the hug before looking at them. "Okay, we'll see you tonight?"

Megan nodded. "Tonight." She confirmed.

"Okay!" she beamed at them again, then she turned on her heel and walked off down the hall.

"Well, I guess we're going on a double date." Megan said, looking over at Stefan.

"Guess so."

"Okay."

Charlene would have stayed far away from the boarding house, but she realized that she didn't have her phone with her, and the last time she remembered having it was at the boarding house, so here she was.

Hopefully she was in and out quickly and that she didn't run into Damon. The last thing she needed was to see him.

She went inside without knocking, and headed in the direction of the living room, but she had to stop at the sound of Damon's voice. Charlene winced. Great, she was hoping he wasn't here. She could have left then and there and just waited to find her phone some other time when he wasn't here. And she would have, but the sound of unfamiliar voice stopped her. It was then Charlene decided to really pay attention to the conversation that was going on.

"An invitation wasn't necessary." The voice said in an oddly calm voice. "I'm surprised no living person resides here. Is it just you and your brother?"

"Yeah." Charlene recognized the voice this time. It was Anna, so she guessed the other woman was her mother. "How do you keep out unwelcomed vampire? Like the one hiding behind the wall over there?"

Charlene winced as she said this. Well, her cover was busted.

"What are you talking about?" Damon questioned. Slowly, she moved away from her hiding spot and he blinked, "Charlene?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Er, hi. I'm, just here, for uh…my…" she spotted her phone on the table in front of the couch. "Cell phone, sorry." She quickly crossed over, grabbed her phone, and started to leave but stopped, noticing Pearl staring at her. It made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Damon seemed to notice her discomfort as he turned to face Pear and Anna. "Well Charlene is a special case…but normally, I kill them." He automatically charged towards Pearl and tried to strangle her, but it barely did anything to her as she shoved him off her and onto the couch before her.

He looked up at her, and Pearl just stared at him.

"Have a seat, Damon." She finally said. "I was hoping we could have a word, and your more than welcome to stay." The last thing was directed towards Charlene and it was unexpected.

But she decided to agree to it, just because Pearl kind of scared her. She settled down next to Damon and forced herself not to look at him, but she felt him glance at her. However, it was brief as he returned his gaze back to Pearl. Since she was shoulder to shoulder to him, she felt him shrug his shoulder.

"Sure." He agreed.

TBC...

In...

There Goes the Neighborhood, Part 2...