Authors Note: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This starts immediately after the end of the last episode of season one. I am going to slowly build up a Damon/Elena romance, but it is going to be a slow process that hopefully would be similar to how the show itself develops this romance. Please review!

Sometimes things happen so fast, too fast. In the blink of an eye everything can change and your life can be turned upside down and inside out. And what does that leave you with? What does that leave anyone with? How is a person supposed to know when a decision she makes will change everything as she knows it to be.

It was in this moment that Elena Gilbert's life was about to change. The moment that she found her father's body in her kitchen, laying lifelessly on the kitchen floor. What she didn't know was that life was about to get more complicated than she thought it could.

Elena knew better than to follow strange noises. Even though Elena was in her own house, Jeremy or Jenna would have answered her. It was at that point that she should have ran, but Elena, always curious was determined to investigate. When she walked into her kitchen it was unlike anything she could have ever imagined. The man that she just found out was her father, John Gilbert, was laying dead in the middle of the room. Her senses were filled with the sight and smell of blood. She had never seen so much blood before. Immediately she screamed out of shear fear, but before she could even let a sound out a hand enclosed around her mouth.

"Now, now," Katherine Pierce said softly into her ear, "You wouldn't want to wake your family."

Elena was absolutely terrified; she knew immediately who was holding her hostage even though she couldn't see her face. She had no choice but to calm herself. If Katherine wanted her dead, she would be dead. An attempt to free herself from Katherine's hold would only make the situation worse. Elena nodded slowly and stopped struggling.

"Ahh, much better," Katherine said as she released Elena from the tight hold that she had on her.

As Katherine circled around Elena so that they were face to face Elena couldn't believe her eyes. This monster looked exactly like her, even more so now that Katherine was dressed in Elena's own clothes.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Katherine asked, "They said that we were similar, but I could have never imagined anything like this." Katherine gently touched one of the strands of Elena's hair and paused to look her over once again.

"Clearly, I am the prettier one, though" Katherine said as she bounced back to where the pool of blood was slowly filling the room. She idly swirled a finger around the blood of Elena's dead father and savored the flavor as she put it to her lips.

Elena had enough of this, she wanted answers and if Katherine wanted to kill her she would have done it by now.

"Why are you here, Katherine?"

"Are you not happy to see me Elena?" Katherine rushed to Elena and quickly pinned her against the wall by her neck. "Because I am absolutely thrilled to meet you! I have been ever so anxious to meet the girl that my boys are making such a fuss about."

Elena, now choking, did not know if she was going to live or die. There was fear in her eyes and she knew it. Katherine could immediately sense the fear coming off of Elena in waves.

"Tell you what," Katherine said thoughtfully, loosening her grip on Elena's neck slightly, "Why don't you send a little message for me. Tell Stephan and Damon that I'm here," Katherine lowered Elena and leaned in and whispered in Elena's ear, "Let the games begin…"

With that Katherine slammed Elena into the stairwell and disappeared out the door. The words that Katherine spoke to her rang in her head, Let the games begin…