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

1864...

Stefan brought a pair of water over to where Damon was sitting at. They were still near the river and decided on washing their shirts because they had blood all over them.

"I bet Jonathan Gilbert has told father by now," Stefan said as they started to wash the shirts. "Wonder how he took the news."

Damon scoffed, "As if he cares. He betrayed us."

"He thought he was protective us Damon," Stefan told his brother, looking over at him. "He thought he was protecting the whole town."

Damon groaned in pain as he looked away from the sun, "God." He groaned again, "This sun is hurting my eyes."

"It's part of it," Stefan said. Damon looked at him confused and he continued, "The muscle aches, the sick feeling…Emily says it's our bodies telling us to feed, to compete the transition.

"That's not gonna happen."

Stefan looked at Damon, surprised, "Is that your choice then? To die instead?"

"Isn't it yours?" Damon retorted. "This was all to be with Abigail and Demetria. But…Abigail's gone now. I…I want it over."

Present…

Megan went back down to the basement to finally check on Stefan. She finally felt refreshed and ready to see him again.

She didn't know what she'd find down there, but she had hoped it wouldn't be finding him in the exact same spot she left him. However, luck wasn't on her side.

Cause there he was, sitting down on the cot in the cellar, looking down at his lap.

Megan sighed at the sight of him sitting there. Damon had told her the human blood had left his system by now and yet there he was still in the cell. Why? Her eyes glanced down on the ground, her sight spotting the bottle of blood Damon tried to give him.

"Stefan, you really need to eat." Megan finally spoke in a soft tone, but he didn't look up at her. "You'll die if you don't."

"Maybe that's for the best…"

Her heart skipped a beat at those words. "W-what? You can't be serious. You really don't want to survive? Don't say that, Stefan." She opened her mouth to protest more, but Stefan cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Megan." He said quietly, not looking up from his lap. "No more. After what I've done, it has to end. I want it over."

Megan didn't know what to say as her eyes welled up with tears before she rushed out of the cellar room, missing the look on Stefan's face as he finally looked up at where she once was.

Now, she was pacing the living room with Charlene and Damon watching her, the latter rolling his eyes at her.

"I can't believe he would say something like that to me." Megan grumbled. "How can he not want to survive?"

"Megan, I'm sure he didn't mean it." Charlene tried to reassure her.

"Your best friend is right." Damon agreed, making the blonde look at him in surprise. "He's just being dramatic. He's not going to starve himself."

Megan turned around to face Damon, crossing her arms. "Then why would he say that if he didn't mean it?"

"He feels bad about hurting that girl, and making Charlene feed from her too." He told her. "It's very typical Stefan martyr stuff. It will past."

She rolled her eyes. "You weren't there, Damon." She said, clenching her jaw. "He sounded like he meant it. He sounded like he was in so much pain." She relaxed and sighed sadly, slinking down on the couch next to Charlene.

Her friend smiled down sympathetically at her as Megan rested her head on Charlene's shoulder.

"Yeah, well, that will pass too, once he eats." Damon said sarcastically.

"Damon, she doesn't mean physical pain." Charlene informed him softly, running her fingers through Megan's hair.

He said nothing for a moment. "I know what she meant." He changed the subject, looking at Megan, "Look, are you gonna be okay here if I have to run out? I have to go to an errand with the teacher."

"Did you already forget I'm going too?" Charlene asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"How can I forget that pretty face?" Damon countered back with a smirk and a wink.

Charlene just rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. Megan lifted her head from her friend's shoulder to look between the two of them, confused.

"Wait, you two are going on an errand, together?" she said flabbergasted.

"Alaric's going too." Charlene said awkwardly with a cough.

"Why's Alaric going?" Megan was really confused. "So what? Are you guys friends now?" The question was directed towards Damon.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't have any friends, Megan."

"Well then, that doesn't hurt one bit." Charlene pouted, putting a hand to her chest. Damon smirked at her as she turned to look at Megan. "Anywaay, we won't be gone long. Just…just would you mind staying up here while we're gone? I don't want you down there by yourself."

"I'll be fine. He won't hurt me."

"You know…you're very trusting of him, given the circumstances." Damon pointed out.

"Well, so are you. I mean, you wouldn't be leaving if you weren't." Megan glanced at Charlene. "Both of you wouldn't."

"I would stay, Megan, I would." Her best friend told her. "But this errand is important for me to be there for."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later." Charlene kissed her cheek. "We'll be back. I love you."

Megan said nothing for a moment before sighing. "I love you too."

The blonde gave her a hug, then got up walking out right behind Damon, leaving Megan sitting on the couch.

Pearl entered the Grill and looked around for John Gilbert. Jenna had called and said that John wanted to speak to her about the building she was buying in person, but she knew better than that. She finally saw him sitting at a table and she went over there and he looked up at her.

"Hello Mr. Gilbert," Pearl said as nicely as she could, even though she wanted to be anything, but nice to the man in front of her.

John smiled, "Pearl. What a pleasure." Pearl sat down and he spoke up again, "I must admit, I'm surprised that you came."

She kept a straight face. "Jenna tells me you wanted to discuss the sale of the building in person."

"Still, revealing yourself to me like this, it took quite a risk."

It was then Pearl was done pretending to be hospitable. "I'm not stupid Mr. Gilbert." She snapped. "You knew who I was when you requested the meeting. So, Damon tells me that you're looking for the device I took from Jonathan. I'm sure you realize I have no intention of giving it to you." She silently added to herself with a internal smug smile, 'And besides Damon already has it.'

"That's why I wanted to meet you," John said with a flirty grin. "I'm planning on changing your mind."

Pearl scoffed but she amused him, "Really? How so?"

"With my Gilbert charm," John replied still with the flirty grin on his face. "I know that you have a weakness for it. May I get you a drink?"

Pearl didn't say anything and John, taking her silence as a yes, gestured to the waiter to come over to their table.

Megan probably should have stayed upstairs like she was told to, but she knew Stefan wouldn't hurt her. She had to make him eat. She didn't want him to die, not like this.

She went down to the basement and Stefan was on the ground, this time, his knees up against his chest.

He noticed her there without even having to look up. "You know, Damon hasn't fed me vervain in a while." He quietly told her, finally moving his head up to look at her. "I could be at those bars in a flash and you'd be dead."

Megan stood her ground. "You're right, you could, but you wouldn't do it."

Stefan scoffed at her, then looked down again. "Please just go away." He mumbled. "I don't want you here."

Okay, that was the last straw. She was done with him feeling sorry for himself.

Not saying a word, Megan unlocked the cellar door and stormed inside.

"What are you doing?!" Stefan snapped angrily, looking up again when he heard the door unlock. He glared at her. "Get out of here!"

"No, I'm not leaving, not a chance!" Megan exclaimed, glaring right back. "I'm done with letting you feel sorry for yourself, okay?! Get over yourself!"

She knew it was a bad idea to get him angry, but she was too angry herself to even care.

Stefan stood up, his nostrils flaring. "You're taking a stupid risk." He gritted out. "I could hurt me."

"And I can protect myself even if you tried to, but you won't, Stefan." Megan said confidently. "And what can I say? Taking stupid risks is one of my best qualities."

"This is no time for jokes, Megan!" Stefan snarled. "Just get out!"

"I said NO. I'm not leaving until you drink this." She grabbed the bottle of blood and thrust it out towards Stefan, a stubborn look on her face.

His fists clenched at his sides. "Megan, get out of here, or you'll regret it."

She ignored him, moving forward. "I'll regret it later then. Drink."

In a flash, Stefan stood up and knocked the bottle out of Megan's hand. She didn't even flinch as it hit the wall. He was in her face now, snarling as his face changed into that of a vampire.

"I SAID GET OUT!" Stefan yelled at her. He looked like he wanted to smack her and maybe she deserved it, but he didn't lay a hand on her and she knew he wouldn't.

"And I said, NO." Megan stated strongly, straightening up to his height as best as she could.

Seeing that she wasn't going to budge, Stefan took a step back and his face went back to normal. Then without saying anything, he turned back around to sit back down on the cot instead of the ground. His fingers curled together, resting on his lap.

Megan relaxed and sighed, slowly moving to join him on the cot.

John returned to Pearl from the bathroom after calling Henry, who oddly didn't answer the phone like he usually did. "My apologizes." He apologized as he sat down back in his seat.

"No apologizes necessary." Pearl said coldly. She changed the subject, looking at him with a serious expression on her face, "Now tell me, Mr. Gilbert, why should I let you have the device?"

"Because I can help you." John answered. "I'm connected around here. The town council's eating out of my hand. They do whatever I say." He said a little smugly and then he added, "And I know that you just want to live your life. Compete with a white picket fence, and I can help you do that."

"But the device doesn't work." Pearl told him. "Why do you even want it?"

"It's a family heirloom. Call me sentimental."

Pearl just scoffed lightly and shook her head, "Jonathan was ahead of his time."

"I read his journals, they're very extensive." John said. He leaned forward slightly, forcing himself to make his face look soft, "He actually wrote about you. You were his one regret. He loved you, and he hated himself for what he did to you."

Pearl looked at him in disbelief, her eyes narrowing at him, "You're lying."

"No, I'm not." John said as sincerely as he could. "You were the only one he ever loved…"

Pearl's face softened but the hard look returned when John burst out laughing.

"Dear God." He managed to say through laughs. "You vampires…so emotional." He laughed again before he sobered up, smirking, "Jonathan Gilbert hated you. His only regret was that he didn't drive a stake through your heart himself."

Pearl shook her head in disbelief as she stood up and grabbed her stuff quickly. Two can play at this game…

"I gave it to Damon." Pearl snapped.

John's eyes widened, "What?!"

"I gave your device to Damon." Pearl sneered at him. "Why don't you ask him yourself? I'm sure he'd be delighted to give it you." She slipped her purse on her shoulder and glared at John, who looked at her in disbelief, "And then, Mr. Gilbert, may you rot in hell."

Pearl stormed off, leaving him at the table with an angry look on his face.

Megan finally broke the silence. "Okay, Stefan, enough shutting me out." She told him softly, reaching to grab his hand. He looked up at her with hooded eyes. "Why are you still in here? You can't still be beating yourself up over what happened with Amber. There has to be another reason." She squeezed his hand, making him look down at their connected hands. "Tell me what it is…"

"I'm making the decision I should have made centuries ago…" Stefan whispered.

"Just tell me…" She told him softly. "I've told you before and I'll say it again, I won't judge you."

Stefan glanced back at her before he nodded slowly. "Okay." He agreed, squeezing her hand, and she smiled at the gesture. "You have to feed to complete the transition." The serious tone made her smile fall and she gave a nod. "It was a choice I shouldn't have made…"

1864…

Stefan entered his father's study and stood there quietly.

It took a while for his Father to notice him but when he did, he hurriedly stood up. "Dear God." Giuseppe breathed out with his eyes wide in disbelief. He wasn't supposed to be alive!

"Even in our death, you feel shame," Stefan said in disbelief too, but for a different reason than his father.

Giuseppe shook his head not wanting to believe it. It couldn't be…but it had to. It was the only clear explanation.

"You're one of them now."

Stefan shook his head as he walked more into his father's study. "No," he said softly, "Father, I came to say goodbye."

"I watched you die," Giuseppe said, moving away from his son.

Stefan was confused, "You were there when we were shot?"

"I pulled the trigger myself." Giuseppe said coldly.

Stefan's eyes widened and he looked at his Father, tears in his eyes. "You killed your own sons?" he questioned, disbelief in his voice.

Giuseppe's eyes narrowed at Stefan, "You were both dead to me the moment you sided with the vampires. I only thank God that your mother isn't alive to see the disgrace that you've become."

Stefan started walking again, holding his hands in a surrender pose and his eyes were pleading. "I haven't turned yet." He told his father. "I don't want to. I'm going to let myself die, father. Please."

"Yes, you are." Giuseppe grabbed a stake and went to stab his youngest son.

But Stefan was too quick for him and Giuseppe found himself being thrown against the wall, causing the stake to stab him instead…right in the stomach. He groaned in pain as he fell on his back.

Stefan rushed towards his Father, going to his knees on the side of him. "Father, I didn't mean to!" he cried as he started to help his Father.

"Get away from me." Giuseppe managed to say in pain.

Stefan went to take the stake out as he pleaded once more, "No, let me help you. Please."

With one hard tug, he took out the stake and immediately noticed the blood on the end of the stake and it was on his fingers. Without thinking, Stefan brought his blood covered fingers to his lips and licked them clean. He sighed in pleasure at the taste and touched his Father's wound, ignoring the look that was Giuseppe's face as he watched his son. Stefan did the same thing as last time and licked more blood off of his fingers. Then there was pain in his eyes. They were starting to change.

Stefan groaned at the pain in his mouth. "Oh God!" he moaned. "What's happening to me?" He lifted his hand that didn't have blood on it to touch his teeth and his eyes widened when he felt the fangs.

He had completed the transition.

Present...

"How can you even look at me right now?" Stefan questioned, but didn't look at her.

Megan cracked a smile. "It's not that hard to look at this gorgeous face." She joked. He didn't laugh. Okay, probably not the time to joke, but she brushed it off. "I'm sorry…but I'm glad you finally told me. We have to talk about this stuff, Stefan. I don't want any secrets between us even if it's something so bad that you don't want to tell me." He said nothing and she went on, "Just…just come upstairs. We can talk about this more up there, and we can keep talking as long as you need to."

He looked up at her, his eyes pained. She reached up her free hand and touched his cheek softly.

"You're so sure I'm ready?" Stefan stated, but made it sound like a question.

"I am." Megan said confidently. "But obviously you're not…but when you are…I'll be upstairs waiting for you." She pulled out Stefan's ring and gently sat it down on the cot next to him.

He took a look at it, then glanced up at her. Megan gave him a soft smile, leaning in a giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Then she patted him on the shoulder before leaving the cellar.

She hung out in the living room for a while, reading and patiently waiting until Stefan joined her. She suddenly heard a noise causing her to perk up, thinking it was her boyfriend, but it wasn't.

It was just Damon and Charlene.

"We're back." Her best friend said brightly, moving to sit down on the couch.

Megan moved her legs so Charlene could sit down before resting her legs across the blonde's. "Hey, welcome back." She greeted with a smile, even though she was a bit disappointed that it wasn't Stefan. "How did the errand with Alaric go? Which I still want to know what it was exactly."

"I will." Charlene promised. "As for how it went…"

Damon cut her off, "It was futile. Although, I think we witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis."

"It was interesting." Charlene finished with what she was about to say.

"Ah." Megan nodded, turning back to her book.

"Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"Oh my gosh Damon, you actually care?" Megan mocked as she smirked at Damon.

Charlene snickered while he rolled his eyes.

"Chalk it up to morbid curiosity." He corrected.

Megan shook her head. Of course, he wouldn't admit it.

"Well…" she started. "He's still feeling a lot of guilt."

"It wasn't his fault…what happened…" Charlene said. "I don't blame him for it…"

"He's not just feeling guilty about that." Megan told her softly. "There's a lot of stuff he feels guilty about. And Damon, you know, it's not helping that you keep blaming him for Abigail's death and her getting caught."

Damon looked at her, annoyed, "This is my fault now?"

"She's not saying that." Charlene tried to reassure, not wanting a fight to break out.

"I kind of am." Megan said, staring at him with a hard expression. "You made it your life mission to make him miserable for the last 145 years. So, it's no wonder he feels so much guilt for what happened."

Damon glared at her, moving towards her. Charlene stood up and grabbed his arm to stop him before he did something stupid. As soon as she touched him, he shoved her hands away.

"Damon…"

But he ignored the blonde. "Let me ask you a question." He gritted out. He didn't step any closer to her. "In all this important soul searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?"

Hearing that, Megan sat up on the couch, placing the book down with a look crossing her face. "I mean, no, but he did tell me there was more to the story."

"Yeah. That's an understatement." Damon bit out, turning around to walk away.

"Damon, wait!" Charlene let out before grabbing his arm. He stopped, but didn't look back at her. "Tell us. What's the rest of the story?"

Megan stayed quiet on the couch as Damon looked at the blonde. She was surprised to find a pained look on his face.

Charlene reached up and touched his face. "Please."

When the story was finished, Megan ran to check on Stefan, but he wasn't there.

Her eyes went wide especially when she spotted his ring still on the cot. Oh no!

It didn't take long for her to figure out where he was at. He was at the quarry.

Megan hurried there and sure enough, he was there.

"Stefan!" she cried out in desperation.

His head moved so she knew he heard her, but he didn't turn around to face her.

Megan breathed heavily. "Damon told me and Charlene the rest of the story." She informed him. "I knew I'd find you here."

"I should have died that night, just like I had chosen." Stefan said softly, finally turning around to face her. She saw the sadness on his face and in his eyes and her heart broke. "I should have let Damon die too."

It took her a moment to find the words she wanted to say. "But you didn't, and you don't need to now." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Nothing's going to change if you die now…it's already happened, and you can't go back to change it even though I know you want to, and I don't blame you one bit."

"Every single life person that's been hurt…every single life that's been lost, it's because of me." Stefan said woundedly.

"You're not a bad person, you've made mistakes. Everyone makes them." Megan told him, wanting her words to help. "And we have to live with those mistakes…"

Stefan looked down at the ground, shaking his head lightly as he looked at her again. "I made a choice, Megan. And because of that choice, a lot of people got hurt."

"That's not the only choice you made; you made the choice to be good!" Megan exclaimed to try and make him see. "To be the man you know you are, not the man the blood makes you!" Her voice shook with emotions.

He shook his head. "No…" He looked up at her and she saw the tears in his eyes, which only made her eyes well with more of them. "Please don't do that."

Megan started walking towards him. "Do what? Try and make you see that you're a good man. I'm sorry, but you are, Stefan. A good man that jumped into the water to save Charlene and Elena's family!" Her tears finally streamed down her face.

"Please." Stefan begged her tearfully. "Don't make this all okay."

"I have to, you're the man that I l-love." Megan's voice broke at the end. "I have to make everything okay."

"You don't understand!"

"Then help me understand!" Megan shouted, more tears coming down her face as she stopped in front of him.

"It hurts me, Megan!" Stefan cried out tearfully. "It hurts me knowing what I've done, and that pain…that pain is with me all the time. And every day, I think if I just…if I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy, and every day, I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day, I'm not gonna want to fight that anymore, Megan. And the next time I hurt somebody…it could be you."

"You wouldn't…" Megan tried to keep more tears from falling, but it was no use.

Stefan shook his head and closed his eyes, letting his tears drip down his face and to the ground. "You don't know that, Megan." He whispered.

"Yes, I do!" She said confidently. "I know you wouldn't." Her face turned sad again. "But if this is what you really want, then I won't stop you, but if you do this, you can't come back. You'll be dead. But if you really want to fight this, you can choice to take this ring." She held up Stefan's daylight ring. "You can take this ring and put it on and keep fighting. For me. For us. And more importantly yourself." She moved closer to him and pressed her lips against his in a gentle and soft kiss, then she slowly broke the kiss to meet his gaze with her soft one. "But it's your choice." She slid the ring into his hand, letting their fingers tangle together and bringing his hand up to kiss the back of it.

Megan broke apart, letting their hands slide away from each other. She slowly walked away as she wiped her face. She didn't get very far when she heard her name being called. Megan whirled around only to find Stefan slipping on his ring and it made her finally break down.

She sobbed as she ran and tossed herself at Stefan, burying her face into his chest. She didn't even care if she got tears on his shirt. After her crying fit was over, Megan pulled back and he pulled her into a passionate kiss. She automatically kissed him back, closing her eyes in relief that he made the right choice.

Once the kiss was over, they returned back to boarding house and went into the living room where Damon and Charlene were.

"Little boy lost." Damon commented, making Charlene roll her eyes and nudge him in the side.

"So…is everything…?" The blonde trailed off, and Megan nodded. Charlene grinned. "Good to have you back, Stefan."

He smiled at her. "It's good to be back."

"I'll be upstairs." Megan told her boyfriend. He nodded at her, kissing her head, before letting it go. She gave Charlene a point look.

"I guess I'll be upstairs too." Charlene said as she turned to Damon. "Goodnight Damon." With that, the two best friends headed upstairs, leaving the two brothers alone.

John threw the vampire weapons in the trunk of his car. Served that Pearl bitch right for giving his device to Damon Salvatore… After closing the trunk, John pulled out his cell phone and called Liz Forbes. It took take long for her to answer.

"Sheriff Forbes, it's John Gilbert," John said to Liz on the other end of the phone. "Sorry to call so late. I have an update about the vampires…"

Alaric was just sitting in the bar at the Mystic Grill drinking when he suddenly froze the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hello Ric."

Alaric slowly turned and looked at the person beside him and said the word that he didn't think he would say ever again,

"Isobel?"

TBC...

In...

Isobel, Part 1...