AUTHORS NOTE! IMPORTANT! So the reason I have such a hard time updating this story is because Ive grown so much since starting it. Honestly I was 15 I think when I started writing this, I'm 18 now. I really don't like how I wrote this story so I am going back to the beginning and re-writing it. It's honestly the only thing I think I can do. A lot of the earlier chapters when they were kids will be pretty much the same. I'm changing a lot about the later chapters though because honestly some of the things in this story just don't make sense to me, including how I wrote Elena's parents. I reread it and think, what the hell was I thinking. I've wanted to do this for a while but thought you guys would be mad but Ive realized I can't continue this story without doing this. It just doesn't work anymore. So I'm basically starting over but keeping the format and summary the same. I still have all the original chapters on my computer so I'm not starting from scratch thank god. I love all the fans of this story but please don't yell at me through review or pm, I'm doing the only thing I can do to finish this story.

Here's the ages and birthdays and back stories again for those who forget…

-Elena: Birthday, June of 1993 (I know in the show it's August but I needed it to be June for a reason). She is five in the first chapter.
-Damon: Birthday, March of 1990. He's eight in the first chapter.
-Stefan: Birthday, November of 1993. He is four turning five in the first chapter.
-Jeremy: Birthday, January of 1995. He is three in the first chapter.
-Caroline, Bonnie, Lexi, Tyler and Matt are all in the same grade as Stefan and Elena. Alaric, Jenna, Andie, Katherine, Mason, Vicki, Klaus and Rebekah are all in the same grade as Damon. (Most of these characters won't come along till later on.)
Elena and Katherine look similar but not identical, they look like cousins maybe.

Meant To Be

Chapter 1: The Meeting

July 7th 1998

Elena Gilbert was playing on her swing set in her front yard while her mom watched her baby brother Jeremy playing with some toys on a blanket on the grass when a huge moving truck drove up next door.

The old neighbours were an old married couple in their 70's and a huge house was just too much so they moved to a retirement home nearby and sold their house. Elena was sad they left they were like another set of grandparents and at age 5 she really didn't get why they had to leave.

Elena was swinging when she noticed a minivan pull up behind the moving truck and to adults came out of the front of the van. They looked around the same age of her parents. They then moved to the back of the van to help two boys out of the van. One looked the same age of her and the other looked a few years older. The younger one had short- close to buzz cut- light brown hair and he was around the same height as her. The one that looked a bit older had very dark brown messy ear length hair.

Elena got off the swing and ran over to her mother and 3 year old brother. "Momma! Can I go meet the new neighbours?" She asked her mom.

"Oh sweetie, not right now. They just got here and they need to move everything in. In a couple hours okay?" Her mother, Miranda said.

"Okay mommy." She said sadly. She walked up onto her porch and sat down on the porch swing. She looked over at the new neighbours and noticed the younger boy and his father weren't outside anymore but the mother and the older boy were sitting on the porch steps and the boy looked a little sad but the mother then started tickling the boy and he started wiggling around and laughing. Elena smiled because she didn't like when people around her were upset, even people she didn't know yet. The mother whispered something in the sons ear that made him hug her tightly, she then got up and walked inside. The boy was about to get up when he noticed Elena watching them. She smiled at him and waved with her tiny hand. He smiled back before turning and going into his house.

Later that night after dinner she was watching the movie Toy Story when her mom came into the room. "Hey we are going to go over and welcome the neighbours when your father gets home; you should go wash your hands and brush your hair; he'll be home soon." She told her and Elena ran up the stairs, she was excited to meet the kids next door. All she had to wait for is her daddy to get home; her daddy is a doctor and has long shifts.

After she was down brushing her hair she heard the door open and close and her father's voice speaking to her mother about his day. She ran down the stairs yelling "Daddy!" She jumped into his arms. "I missed you." She says kissing him on the cheek.

"I missed you too, Pumpkin." He said putting her back on the ground. "I heard you are excited about meeting the new kids next door, but I have to change clothes and eat something first so can you wait?"

"Yeah I guess I can wait." She whispered sadly and walked back into the living room to watch her movie.

"Why don't you go play with Jeremy?" Her mother calls out after her.

"Alright." She smiled and turned to go into the den to play toys with Jeremy.

About a half an hour later, her parents came and got them. Her mother is carrying Jeremy on her hip, her father is carrying cookies her and her mother made that afternoon and Elena was running in front of her parents anxious to meet the neighbours.

Miranda rang the doorbell and a lady in her 30's with long straight dark brown hair and blue eyes just like the older boy answered the door.

"Hi, I'm Miranda. This is my husband Grayson and our kids Jeremy and Elena, we live next door." She smiled.

"Here are some cookies my wife and Elena made today." Grayson said handing over the cookies.

"Thank you so much. I'm Elisabeth." She said taking the cookies. "Please come in." She said inviting them in.

Their house was big and nothing was organized or arranged. There were boxes everywhere. "Sorry about the house, we are still unpacking." Elisabeth said embarrassed.

"Oh that's okay. We get it." Miranda smiled.

"Giuseppe! We have guests." She yelled upstairs. "Sorry he's in the study, he's a business man." She explained.

A man in his 30's came downstairs. "Hello." He smiled.

"This is Miranda and Grayson and their kids Elena and Jeremy." Elisabeth smiled.

"I'm Giuseppe." He said shaking both the adults' hands. "Elena and Jeremy can go in the den; the boys are playing in there while we go in the kitchen and chat." He suggested.

"Okay!" Elena smiled before taking her brothers hand and walking into the room the parents directed her too. When she walked in she found the room was big with a fire place and a big television and multiple leather couches. She saw the younger boy playing while she saw the older boy sitting on the couch watching a Disney channel sitcom. They both turned to her when they heard the door open.

"Hi! I'm Elena and this is my little brother Jeremy." Elena smiled big. Jeremy waved to them and looked down at his feet shyly.

"He's shy. We live next door." She explained.

"I'm Stefan." Stefan said. "Wanna come play?" She looked at the toy cars he was playing with.

"Yeah sure come on Jeremy." She said tugging shy Jeremy over.

After a few minutes of playing she noticed the other boy hadn't said anything. She stood up leaving Stefan and Jeremy and walked over to the other brother and sat beside him on the couch. "What's your name?" She asked smiling.

"Damon." He answered still watching the television.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Eight."

"I'm five."

"Like my brother, but he's turning five in three months. You act a lot older than him though." He said looking at her for a second before turning to the television again.

"Girls mature faster than boys. Plus I am an older sibling. My momma said older siblings tend to be more mature for their age." She smirked.

"You use a lot of semi-big words for a five year old." He smiled at her.

"I'm one of the smartest kids in my kindergarten class." Elena smiled proudly.

He didn't say anything or look at her he just kept watching the television. "Whatcha watching?" She asked.

"Just some show."

"You're kind of rude." She said angry. He laughed. "Momma says when you have guests you are supposed to stop what you're doing and engage in conversation with them." She said acting like an adult in a five year old body.

He laughed. "Again with the big words."

"Well I'm trying to be nice and talk to you and you're too focused on the television."

"I'm just tired and bored. I don't like it here."

"Well you have the whole summer to get used to it here before we go back to school." She said trying to cheer him up but it didn't work; he just kept watching the television. She went back to her brother and Stefan to play again.

"What's up with your brother; he's cranky." She asked Stefan.

"He right here." Damon said calmly from the couch.

"He just doesn't like it here. My ma says he's already acting like a teenager even though he's only eight." Stefan said playing with his toys.

"Well he'll just have to get used to it. So what do you like to do?" Elena asked Stefan.

"Play cars, watch t.v, play video games, play sports and go swimming." Stefan said listing things.

"I like all those things too." Elena acted shocked.

"Let's be best friends." Stefan suggested.

"Okay!" Elena laughed and they played cars for about an hour before her parents told Jeremy and her that they had to leave and go to bed but they could come back tomorrow.

Earlier in the kitchen…

The adults walked into the kitchen. "Would you like anything to drink; we have water, wine, beer, fruit punch, orange juice, soda?" Elisabeth listed off while looking in the fridge while the others sat at the island.

"Water is fine for me please." Miranda smiled.

"I'll take a beer please." Grayson said.

"One for me too, Hun." Giuseppe said.

Elisabeth passed everyone a drink and got herself a glass of wine. "Well what do you two do?" Elisabeth asked after sitting at the island as well.

"I'm an inspiring author slash stay at home mom." Miranda explained.

"I'm a surgeon." Grayson said proudly. "What do you two do?"

"I'm the president of my family company; Salvatore Publishing Industries." Giuseppe says proudly.

"Woah, I've heard of that. You own like a million newspapers and Internet magazines." Miranda said shocked.

"I'm a high school Art teacher. I just got a job a Mystic Falls High." Elisabeth smiled.

"That's awesome. How old are your boys?" Miranda asked.

"Damon is eight and Stefan is almost five." Elisabeth answered.

"Aw those are good ages. Elena is five and Jeremy is three." Miranda smiled.

"Where did you guys move here from?" Grayson asked.

"New York City. That's where the Salvatore headquarters are and we've lived there since we were married but we are opening a new office building for SPI in Richmond and since Elisabeth's mother grew up here in Mystic Falls and it's only a thirty minute commute to Richmond, she wanted to move here." Giuseppe explained.

"Yeah I've seen pictures of my mother growing up here and it looked to be such a beautiful place. My mother left after she finished high school because she never liked the small town vibe and since I grew up in New York City, I wanted a the small town vibe." Elisabeth giggled.

"Well, we both grew up here, we're high school sweethearts and it really is a beautiful place." Miranda described.

They talked about everything and anything and they all became great friends right away and after an hour Miranda and Grayson knew they had to get the kids home and in bed but they all wanted to hang out again sometime.

AN: So I've changed a few things including Damon's age, he's now three years older not two years older. This will change a lot in the story. I also changed the writing and made it a bit more detailed and clear. Thanks for reading!:)