Disclaimer - I don't own any of the characters from the show, the only thing that is my creation is Cassandra.

Thank you for taking the time to check this story out. Klaus will make his first appearance around the fifth chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1 - Home Sweet Home

June 2010

"Where do you want this, sweetheart?" Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes stood in her garage holding a box marked Kitchen.

"Just put it next to the others," Twenty-two year old Cassandra Forbes instructed her mother as she set down the box she had in her arms. "Thanks again for the help, mom. It would have taken twice as long without you here."

"Anytime, honey. I'm sorry I can't stay longer and help you get settled in," the Sheriff hugged her oldest daughter after setting down the box she'd been holding.

"It's okay, mom. I know they need you back at the station," Cassandra hugged her back.

"We'll do something tonight for dinner," the pair walked out of the garage and made their way to Elizabeth's police cruiser.

"Sounds like a plan," Cassandra nodded. She watched as her mom climbed into the car and drove off. Turning on her heel, Cassandra walked back up the driveway and grabbed the remaining bags from the back of her white Honda Accord before heading inside the house.

"Welcome home, Cass," she murmured out loud as she shut the front door and headed up the stairs to her old room. It felt strange to be back home after being away so long. She hadn't been planning to return to Mystic Falls, but circumstances gave her no choice. Choosing not to dwell on the negatives, she took a quick shower to freshen up after all the driving and unloading she'd done and threw on a pair of comfortable jean shorts and a loose fitting coral tank top. She quickly tied her long blonde hair back into a messy bun, slipped on her favorite pair of brown flat sandals, and grabbed her purse before heading back out the front door.

As bummed as she was about the circumstances that led to her returning home, she couldn't help smiling at the thought of being near her little sister, Caroline, again. She would have felt completely disconnected from the town if it hadn't been for Caroline constantly filling her in on the goings on. Most of it was just teenage drama nonsense, but some of it, like the car accident that led to her baby sister becoming a vampire, was vital. Yes, she was privy to the knowledge of the supernatural presence in Mystic Falls. Being part of a Founding Family, and having a vampire sister, did have its advantages.

She could feel the excitement bubbling in her stomach as she pulled into a parking spot near the Mystic Grill. As she got out of her car, she spotted a pretty, blonde girl sitting at one of the tables outside the restaurant with a dark-haired boy and felt her lips curling into a grin as she carefully crossed the street and made her way over to them. As Cassandra neared the table, she could hear the sound of her sister's voice.

"That's crazy," Caroline laughed, shaking her head slightly.

"Right," the boy sitting across from her nodded in agreement.

"What's crazy?" Cassandra came to a stop in front of the table her sister sat at, a huge grin on her face. She watched as her sister looked up and made eye contact with her, grinning back.

"Cass! Oh my god!" Caroline squealed as she jumped to her feet and pulled her older sister into a tight hug. "When did you get here? How long are you here for? Why wasn't I told you were coming?"

"Woah, slow down, Care," Cassandra laughed. "I got here about an hour ago. Mom helped me unload my car. I asked her not to tell you because I wanted to surprise you, and, as it turns out, I am back in town indefinitely."

"Wait, what?" Caroline rested her hands on her hips. "Why would you be back in town indefinitely? Aren't you supposed to be—oh my god. You didn't get the job. Oh Cass, I'm so sorry. I know how badly you wanted it."

"Yeah. They picked Toby," Cassandra nodded slowly. "It wasn't meant to be. But hey, it was an incredible learning experience. And it's another thing to add to my resume."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you chose to come home," Caroline hugged her older sister again.

"I am too, little sis," Cassandra smiled. As she pulled away from hugging Caroline, she caught a glimpse of the dark-haired boy who'd also been sitting at the table, only now he was standing with a grin on his face as he waited to be noticed. She felt her jaw drop when she realized who he was.

"Tyler Lockwood, as I live and breathe," she grinned as she stepped over to him and engulfed him in a big hug. "Good lord, when did you turn into a stud. Look at you!"

"It's good to see you too, Cass," he grinned back.

Cassandra looked from him back to Caroline as something struck her. "Wait. Are…are you two…is this a…" she pointed back and forth between the two of them.

"Why does everyone think we're dating?!" Caroline threw her hands in the air. "This is not a date. We're just two friends grabbing a bite to eat."

"Okay, okay. Sorry I asked," Cassandra held her hands up defensively.

"It's fine," Caroline sighed as she sat back down. She reverted back to her peppy nature as a new thought jumped into her mind. "Oh! We're having a birthday party for Elena tonight. You have to come, Cass. She'll be happy to see you too."

Cassandra bit her lip. She'd been hoping to lay low and relax on her first night back in town, but the look on her sister's face made saying no next to impossible. Plus, she had to admit, it would be nice to see Elena.

"Alright, I'll come. But only for a little while," Cassandra gave a small nod.

"Yes! It's at the Salvatore Boarding House. You know where that is, right?" Caroline told her.

"Yes, I know where it is," she nodded. At the mention of the name Salvatore a flash of memories reared their ugly head in her mind. She squashed them back down as she focused on her sister and Tyler. "Well, I've kept you two from eating long enough."

"You're family, it's more than fine," Tyler gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, join us, Cass," Caroline started to look around for an empty chair.

"That's okay. You two enjoy yourselves. I apparently have to go shopping for a birthday present now," Cassandra grinned at them. "I'll see you two later at the party."

After successfully finding a small birthday present for Elena, a charming bracelet with a letter 'E' charm attached, Cassandra made it back home with plenty of time to spare before she had to get ready and leave again. She used the extra time to unpack her suitcases, hanging up certain items in the closet and putting others in dresser drawers. She let out a satisfied sigh when she was done.

"If only I could unpack the rest of this stuff that easily," she muttered softly as she gazed at the boxes around her room. She went over to one marked Fragile and slowly pulled the flaps open. Her fingers glided over a black, rectangular leather folder with silver embossed lettering. She pulled it out of the box and carefully opened it.

"'Richmond University. In recognition of successful completion of the prescribed course of study, and on the recommendation of the faculty Cassandra Elizabeth Forbes has been admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with all the rights, honors, and privileges appertaining thereunto.'," Cassandra read aloud. "For what good it does me now."

She shook her head as she walked over and placed her college degree on the desk in the far corner of her room. She was still frustrated with how things had turned out. She had an internship with one of the prestigious newspapers in Richmond during her final two semesters. She and a few other students had been vying for two coveted positions with the paper, and unfortunately for her, she didn't get either of them. The internship had provided housing, and when it ended, she no longer had a rent-free place to live, leaving her no choice but to return home to Mystic Falls. She had nothing against her home town, she just felt she'd never find the career she longed for within the confines of a small town.

"Chin up, Cass," she told herself as she went to her closet to pick out a dress to wear to Elena's party. "You'll find that dream job. You just have to stay here in Mystic Falls while you look."

Half an hour later, Cassandra was ready to go. She'd chosen a flowy, white and blue cotton dress and wore the same sandals she'd worn earlier in the day. She left her hair down and dabbed on a little mascara. Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her purse and the small wrapped gift for Elena and left.

It had been a long time since she'd made this particular drive. It felt like another life time now. As she pulled up to the Salvatore Boarding House, she could already hear the thumping of a bass from inside her car. Once she had parked and was outside, the music was significantly louder. She wondered how long it would be before her mother showed up to end the party. Hopefully after she'd come and gone.

Cassandra spotted two adult figures on the porch among the scattered teens as she approached the front door. She hadn't expected the rush of emotion that flashed through her at the sight of a face she had hoped she wouldn't see that night, but given it was his house, she knew the odds were against her. Still, the unexpected emotion caused her to act without fully thinking it through, and the next thing she knew, she was marching straight up to the two adults.

"Damon Salvatore," Cassandra glared at the dark-haired vampire she now stood in front of.

"Cassandra Forbes," Damon lowered his glass. "When did you get back to t—"

Cassandra cut him off by slapping him across the face.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" he brought a hand up to his cheek.

"That was for taking advantage of my little sister, making her your personal blood bag last year!" she snapped at him. She knew he probably hadn't felt a thing, but boy did it feel good to finally give him a piece of her mind. As she turned to finally address the older man sitting next to Damon who wore an amused grin on his face at the scene he'd just witnessed, her face softened. "You must be Mr. Saltzman. My sister has talked my ear off about you. Nice to finally meet you."

"Call me Alaric. And all good things I hope," Alaric smiled as he brought his glass up to his lips.

"Oh yeah," Cassandra nodded. "All good things. She holds you in pretty high esteem."

"Wow. I'll have to remember to thank her," he chuckled.

Damon rolled his eyes and was about to comment when Elena suddenly came walking up to them.

"Drink," she extended her arm towards Damon's glass. She hadn't noticed Cassandra.

"Hello Birthday Girl," Damon smiled as he handed her his glass.

Cassandra arched her eyebrows as she watched the underage girl take a long sip of whatever Damon had been drinking. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that since it's your birthday," she shook her head slightly.

"Cass! I didn't know you were back!" Elena nearly dropped the glass before quickly handing it back to Damon so she could hug Cassandra.

"Yeah, I got in this afternoon. Caroline told me about the party," Cassandra hugged her and then handed her the gift she'd brought. "Happy Birthday Elena. Good lord, I still can't believe you're eighteen. Where the heck did the time go?"

"Oh. You didn't have to get me anything. Thank you. This means a lot," Elena smiled as she took the small present.

"Hey, eighteen is huge, and you're like another little sister to me, Elena. There was no way I was showing up empty handed. You can wait til later to open it though, if you want." Cassandra didn't want her to feel obligated to open it right then and there.

Elena nodded slowly. "So how are long are you in town?"

"I don't know," Cassandra shrugged. "However long it takes to find a job, which given my field of study, in this small town could take a while."

"There's always the Mystic Grill. Matt and Jeremy work there now," Elena grinned.

"Ha ha, very funny," Cassandra shook her head laughing. "Although, now I have a reason to make sure I stop by there so I can see those two in action. How is your brother doing these days? Not getting into too much trouble I hope."

"He's smoking again," Elena sighed. Cassandra was disappointed to hear that. She had too many fond memories of him as a kid, watching him while her sister and Elena ran around playing together.

"Is his stash any good?" Damon looked at her curiously. Cassandra felt the urge to slap him again, but she refrained this time. She was smart enough to know she wouldn't get away with it twice.

Elena glared at him. "You're an ass." She turned to Alaric. "Talk to him, please. He looks up to you."

She turned and hugged Cassandra again, thanking her for coming before walking away.

"You're screwed," Damon said to Alaric once Elena was out of earshot. Alaric groaned softly. Cassandra couldn't blame him. She wouldn't look forward to that kind of conversation with Jeremy either.

"Well on that note, I'm going to go find my sister so she can see that I came, and then I'm calling it a night and going home," Cassandra said goodbye to Damon and Alaric and headed into the Boarding House to look for Caroline.

She hadn't been prepared for the sea of people and had to quickly hug the nearest wall before she was trampled on by a drunk teenager. Once she was sure it was safe, she ventured deeper into the house in search of her sister. It didn't take her long to spot the blonde who was walking towards the stairs as she took swigs from the bottle she had in her hand.

"Caroline!" Cassandra called out to her sister as she weaved her way through the crowd towards her.

Hearing her name called Caroline snapped her head around looking for the source and smiled brightly when she spotted her older sister approaching her. "You made it!"

"Yeah, I was just talking to Elena outside, actually." Cassandra smiled. "Listen, I just wanted to catch you before taking off. I'm beat after the long drive and unpacking all the stuff from my car, so I'm gonna head home."

"Aw, okay," Caroline gave Cassandra a quick hug. "I'm glad you came by. We'll do lunch or something tomorrow and catch up."

"I am too," Cassandra nodded. "Absolutely. It's a date."

They laughed and hugged once more before going their separate ways. Cassandra carefully made her way back through the crowd as she headed to the front door. She was a few feet away when a voice started speaking behind her.

"Hey Caroline, have you seen—" Cassandra turned around to find a teenage girl who instantly realized the mistake she made. "Ohmygod I totally thought you were Caroline. My bad."

"It's okay," Cassandra laughed. "I was just talking to her. I believe she was heading up stairs."

"Thanks!" the girl skirted away to look for her. Cassandra shook her head with a soft chuckle as she turned back around and finally made her exit from the house. She gave Alaric a nod and smile as she passed him. Damon, she had noticed, was no longer beside him. Shrugging it off, she continued on to her car, sighing in relief once she was back inside where the music was muffled.

Once she was home, Cassandra took a quick shower before climbing into bed. It felt weird being in her old bed in her old room, though she was grateful her mom hadn't done much of anything to her room while she was away. She stared up at the ceiling thinking about the drastic turn her life had taken. She didn't like that her future didn't have a clear picture anymore. She had been so certain that she'd get offered the job, but then she supposed everyone else in the group must have felt the same way. Her heart swelled as she thought about much she was going to miss seeing them every day. She felt a stray tear trickle down her cheek and brushed it away as she rolled onto her side and waited for sleep to overtake her. When it finally did, her dreams were filled with the very people she'd recently said goodbye to.

Middle Of The Night

Caroline took one last look at Tyler's sleeping form before grabbing her shoes and quietly leaving the bedroom. She tiptoed down the stairs began heading towards the front door when a noise coming from behind her caused her to turn around and gasp as she found the form of the one person she had hoped to avoid.

"Mrs. Lockwood. Hi," she spoke softly.

"Leaving so soon?" Tyler's mother, Carol Lockwood, eyed her as she flipped the lights in the room on.

"I…I didn't mean to be so…I mean, we were just…I'm going to just…get my purse. Okay?" Caroline answered nervously as she turned and went to grab her purse from the table she was standing next to. When she placed her hand on it, her skin began to sizzle and burn. She pulled her hand away hastily and screamed in pain. In that same moment, Carol raised her arm, revealing a gun filled with vervain darts and fired it at Caroline's back. Caroline fell to her knees as the vervain shocked her vampire body. Carol took that moment to reset her dart gun and fired two more darts into Caroline's back. She fell face down on the floor a moment later as the vervain-induced darkness overtook her.