WOW. I just got like six reviews in like under two hours, so I am scared and honored at the same time. This is just a quick oneshot 'WHAT IF?" I got after rereading one line in Ptolmeys Gate. Weird, its not really NatxKitty And two things: 1. WHY THE FREAK WILL NO ONE POST NEW STORIES!? Okay I checked, and the number WAS 308, now its 306 stories. THE FRICK?! It went DOWN?! How is that even possible?! Sheesh. 2. Which of my stories do you hate the most? I want to delete one…

Kitty walked down the bust street London street, clutching her groceries in a brown sack like a cross. Her senses were on overdrive this fine rainy morning. She kept checking over her shoulder. Again. There was that feeling. Dread. Fear. Anxiousness. She checked again. Nothing.

She felt a certain electricity. Like a rabbit stalked by a lion. A greater power. Something that was after her. Hungered for her.

Kitty never believed herself to be a weak woman, but her heart was pounding in her skull, screaming out a warning. Her jelly knees were locked with determination and adrenaline, and her hands trembled ever so slightly. She looked again. A fleeting shadow.

She made her way rapidly down to her flat. Dropping the bag, she fumbled for her keys, digging through her purse as they kept falling out of reach. She groped faster and faster in frustratation as she felt the fear quicken. Hurry. Hurry. Keys. Somethings coming. Hurry. Something reach out for her. Swiftly she turned, her eyes alight with fear and fire.

"Stay back!" She snarled, holding her hands up in fists.

"Whoa, Kitty, it's me!" A slightly pudgy man said, running a nervous hand through his mottle hair.

"Jakob?" She said, letting her hands fall to her chest. "Oh, okay, it's you."

"Are you alright? You seem pale…"

"I'm okay…just a little jumpy, I guess, after the-"

"Oh yeah," Jakob shuffled shyly for bringing up such a delicate and raw subject. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want…"

"No, I'm okay." She repeated, firmer. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if maybe tomorrow we could get a cup of coffee or something, chat a bit,"

"Oh sure! Sure, yes, of course." She fumbled for a notepad and pen. "How about that deli down near that new park things…?"

"Sure, maybe 11 sound good?"

"Wonderful."

"Okay, well, see you then Kitty." Jakob said, turning to leave. "Its great to see you so cheery."

"You too Jakob," She said, waving as he left. With a deep breath she inserted her keys into the lock and turned with a click. It was if a ten ton weight had left her throbbing chest, the tension dissolving from her stomach like vapor. She picked up her groceries and headed inside to her gloomy apartment.

Setting the groceries down on the counter she froze. The air was thick. Cold. She strained her ears as she loaded a can of soup into the cupboard, her ears almost pounding with the effort to hear when there was no sound beyond the rush of her own blood. She started to move again. Something was wrong.

With a sudden clatter, she turned and found herself staring into the eyes of darkness,: a pale, cruel face, with eyes blacker than the deepest of midnights. With no time for a cry, she felt warm, sweaty hands press against her mouth and hands as with the speed of a jaguar he pinned her to the counter.

"Hello Miss Jones." The panther purred dangerously. "I thought you had forgotten all about me…" He said, tracing her cheek with the thumb holding her lips shut. "Luckily, I hadn't forgotten about you at all…" Something gleamed in his eyes. Dark. Animal. Hungry.

She growled and tried to test the restraints of his hands. They were strong, and uncomfortably tight, pressing her thin wrist to the cold stone of the counter. "Thinking of escape, my dearest?" He growled, her back now digging painfully into the counters edge. "Or perhaps wishing for some heroic little magician to save you? That sorry excuse for a boy maybe?"

Kitty's blood boiled, and her vision clouded with spots of pure hate for the man, no, monster that held her there. She bit his hand, causing it to recoil with a curse.

"You say one more word about him and I will murder you." She snarled.

He smiled, a look of pure malice and caused her to flinch. "My only regret," He said, leaning in to whisper warm breath against her ear. "Is not being able to finish him with my bare hands…hear him scream for mercy…" Kitty knew in that moment what hate was.

In one motion, her knee jerked up, causing him to fall forward onto his sensitive and now bruised area, releasing her hands from the counter. In a fluid stroke, she had connected face with her fist, smashing her hand into bone and cartilage. Her mistake was not running.

Within moments he had recovered and pinned her again, fueled by anger and pain, he ground uncomfortably into her, causing her to squirm and cry out.

"You will pay for that." He growled then began to look her over. "You will pay…" He said softer, his eyes looking up over her until his eyes met hers. She trembled. Those eyes. So dark, so cold, consuming all light until all she could feel was fear, and all she could see was black…so dark….

-*-

Kitty woke up panting in her bed, a cold sweat clinging to her skin. She leaned up again her headboard and pulled her knees up to her chest as she trembled. It had been almost a year, and yet she was still so afraid.

She buried her head in her hands and took a deep and shakily breath. He was gone. He was dead. He would never come near her again. But she couldn't forget.

"She and I may live…and together flourish…" His cold touch…so cold…

"Nathaniel…" She whispered, her eyes becoming cramped and warm, as she sat alone in the dark room, waiting for the morning to come.