To all of my faithful readers, I am so, sincerely sorry that I took so long with this chapter and am working on the next one as we speak. I hope you do enjoy this one (I thought it was pretty fun to write). I had a lot of fun with the confrontation between Nikolai and Neil. Anywho, feel free to review, but I do ask that you keep the brutality to minimum. Please enjoy *Theatric bow*

In the month and a half that Freddy had decided to stay away, things had started looking up for the seniors of Springwood High as well as the citizens of the town.

Maggie and Neil had decided that they worked better as a couple and got back together. He had moved some of his things into the house, much to his daughter's annoyance.

Nikolai had thrown himself into his schoolwork and extra research about dreams. Without Kit around, he wasn't as distracted and his intelligence had started to show.

Julian had started dating Kayla, which took the school by surprise. The Meadows's had been a little disappointed that Nikolai hadn't started dating her, but was happy to see one of their sons choose a girlfriend with a bright future.

Then, there was Kit. Neil and Maggie had decided to keep her locked in her room until they figured out what was wrong with her. She didn't talk to them without being prompted, and even then it was in her usual monotone and one word responses. She basically spent her time lying on her bed silent.

"Oh, Nikolai, what can I do for you?" Maggie asked one Sunday afternoon as she clipped a couple of roses from the rose bush in front of her.

Nikolai gave her a small smile. She looked rested and rather youthful compared to the last time he'd seen her.

"Um, I came to see Dr. Gordon. He said something about a possible internship with him at Westen. I wanted to get more insight on it." He said.

Maggie nodded and gestured to the house.

Nikolai followed the walkway up to the house and quietly slipped inside. As he passed the staircase that led to the second floor, he felt a bit of temptation to climb the stairs. After a moments debate, he gave in and went upstairs.

He stopped in front of Kit's door. On a hook beside the door was a key ring with a single key on it. Taking the key off of the hook, Nikolai unlocked the deadbolt and entered the room.

On the bed lay a sound asleep Kit. Her hair fanned out over her pillow while her left hand was poised up by her head, fingers almost curled. She looked completely at ease and peaceful.

"Kitty." Nikolai said quietly as he sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and petted her hair, twisting it around his fingers before gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. He missed her and wanted things to return to normal as soon as possible.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened further and Neil stood in the doorway.

"Niko? What're you doing in here?" he asked.

Kit's eyes fluttered open and she looked around at Nikolai and Neil. When her gaze met with his, Nikolai caught a glimpse of the old Kiterina Renee. But then, her eyes darkened when she realized who it was.

"Get. Out." She seethed.

At the dark tone of her voice, Niko got up and left the room. As he hung up the key, Neil locked closed the heavy padlock on the door.

"What were you thinking? Do you not remember what happened?" Neil demanded.

Niko pursed his lips.

"I was hoping that if she saw me, she'd remember the good things and return to normal." He said quietly.

Neil nodded in understanding.

"We all want her to return to normal, Nikolai." He said, placing an arm around Niko's shoulders in a fatherly fashion.

"Any idea what's wrong with her?" Niko asked.

Shaking his head, Neil led the teenager into his home office and shut the door.

After a moment's silence, Neil cleared his throat and sat down at his desk.

"You came here to talk to me about Westin?" he questioned.

"Yes. I need a job after graduation and I think working at Westin Hills would be a perfect fit." Niko said, occupying one of the chairs in front of Neil's desk.

Neil studied him.

"What about college?"

"I've been accepted to a few different places. My parents are hoping that I'll go to one far away from here." Niko explained.

Neil nodded and tented his fingers.

"I think that would be best. What's the point of you wasting away in this town? Especially when Kit will be admitted to Westin for God only knows how long." He said nonchalantly.

Niko's eyes widened.

"What'd you mean 'when'?" he asked.

"Well, Kiterina isn't getting any better. And she did try killing you. I'm using my status at Westin Hills to have her admitted into a private room where she will be monitored full time." Neil shrugged.

"That's your daughter!" Niko spat, rising to his feet and glaring.

"And as her father, I am doing what is best." Neil retorted.

Shaking his head, Nikolai stomped to the door.

"Kit and Maggie were better off without you. You were never there for Kit growing up. Now, you're back in her life and are going to have her locked away so you won't have to deal with her. Face it, Dr. Gordon, you never wanted Kit." He said in disgust.

As Neil started to speak, Niko pointed a finger at him.

"Mark my words, Dr. Gordon. When Kit gets better, which she will, I will take her away from Springwood and make sure you will never see her again. Think of it as me doing both of you a favor." He spat before turning and leaving the room.

On his way out of the house, Niko found Maggie carrying a vase of flowers inside.

"Niko? What's wrong?" she asked.

"I thought you loved your daughter, Maggie." Niko said coldly, catching Maggie off guard.

"Of course I do. What would give you the idea that I don't." she demanded.

Niko looked into her eyes.

"You're letting Neil send her away." He said before pushing past her and exiting the house.

That night, Kit stood in front of her mirror staring at her reflection. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she took in the pale complexion and sunken in eyes. Her hair now lacked its usual shine.

"I look like death." She lamented, reaching up and gently touching her cheek.

At the sound of arguing, Kit made her way to the door and pressed her ear against the old slab of wood.

"You are not sending her away, Neil!" She heard Maggie scream.

"This is what's best, Katherine! She is a danger to everyone and sending her to Westin Hills would do her good. This is to help her." Neil retorted.

"I won't let you send her there! What if Freddy gets her? He's gotten to people while they were being helped in that place. Don't you remember them, Neil? Taren? Will? Jennifer? Nancy? I will not let you send my only child away." Maggie spat.

Tears started to fall more rapidly down Kit's cheeks as she went back and sat on her bed. Soon, her breathing quickened and she fell back onto the bed. The crying lulled her to sleep.

"I need to snap out of this. I need to snap out of this. I need to snap out of this." Kit chanted before opening her eyes to the twisted dream realm she was becoming more familiar with.

"What's wrong, Princess? Tiring of your new found internal strength?" A familiarly demonic voice asked.

Spinning around, Kit glared at her grandfather.

"What strength?!" She demanded. "I look like shit! I am being sent away! I've lost the people I love!"

"Mere sacrifices for this power, girl." Freddy said casually.

"I don't want it anymore!" Kit cried.

Before she knew it, Freddy had her pinned to a wall with his non-gloved hand around her throat.

"NO?!" he roared.

Kit frantically clawed at his hand, tearing burnt flesh as she did so.

"No. I want to be normal. I miss my mom. I miss my pictures. I miss Niko." She managed to squeak.

"You are a stupid girl. I thought you would be different from your cowardly mother." Freddy snarled.

"Please don't make me kill anyone." Kit pleaded.

Freddy pressed a claw to her right cheek.

"You will do whatever I want you to do, Kiterina. Anything." He hissed.

Kit closed her eyes as tears rolled down her face.

"I'd hate to think of what I could do to your dear boyfriend, kitty." Freddy added.

At that, Kit's eyes snapped open and she was once again in her prison.

Meanwhile, Nikolai sat at his desk researching personality changes. His eyes scanned each page rapidly hoping that he'd find a clue as to what had taken his Kit from him.

He'd gotten so enthralled by his reading that he jumped when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"What, Mom?" he called out, annoyed.

"Wrong parent." Alonzo said, entering the room.

"Oh. Thought you were mom coming here to make sure I wasn't losing focus on my studies." Nikolai muttered.

"So, doing things like researching what might be wrong with a certain seventeen year old photographer?" Alonzo quipped.

Nikolai fought a smirk as his dad sat down on the bed.

"Kayla seems like a sweet girl. Maybe she could set you up with Desirea." Alonzo suggested.

"Never." Niko spat.

"Nik, level with me. Why are you obsessing over Kit? She tried to kill you. She doesn't have a goal for her life. What is it about her that has you so attached?" Alonzo said with a sigh.

"Why don't you level with me and tell me why you married mom? She's a cold, judgmental bitch." Nikolai retorted.

Alonzo ran a hand through his short sandy blonde hair.

"This obsession is unhealthy, Nik! Kiterina wasn't even your girlfriend. Why are you so worried about her?" he demanded.

"Because I love her, Dad! Kit is the only one who ever gave a damn about me! From the age of five, she has been there. It is killing me not to see her. I miss my best friend." Nikolai yelled, starting to break down towards the end.

"Nikolai, listen to me. Kit is a sweet girl when she's herself, but I don't know if I'd want you to date her or continue being her friend." Alonzo sighed.

"Never mind, dad." Nikolai muttered, getting up and storming off. On his way out, he grabbed the keys to his dad's porche.

"Nikolai, darling, where are you going? It's a school night." Matilda said as she and Julian watched him approach the front door.

"I need to be alone. And since nobody will leave me alone here, I'm going for a drive." Niko said, grabbing his coat and leaving.

Nikolai stopped the car in front of the Crave Inn diner fifteen minutes later. He entered the place and sat up at the counter.

"What can I get you, Hon?" the waitress asked sweetly.

"A slice of pecan and coffee, please." Niko said, rubbing his face.

"Aren't you a little young to be out at this time for coffee?" a voice asked.

Looking over, Niko shot a dark glare to a dark skinned woman in nurse's scrubs.

"I wasn't aware there was an age limit." He said coldly.

"Suit yourself, kid." The nurse shrugged.

The waitress set the pie and coffee down in front of Niko, smiling as she did so.

"Here ya go, sweetie." She said.

Niko nodded and started pouring cream into the cup.

"So, what brings you here?" the nurse asked, curiously.

"Haven't been able to sleep." Nikolai answered.

"SATs?"

Niko chuckled at her question.

"Honestly, the SATs would be an accepted distraction. No, I've been having nightmares lately." He said.

The nurse pursed her lips.

"What kind of nightmares?" she questioned.

After a moment to study her, Niko leaned in and lowered his voice.

"I always dream that I am sitting in my friend Kit's room and we're studying. Then, I lean in and kiss her. That leads to her stripping down to her bra and panties, sprawled out on the bed. Just as I start to take things further, I hear a demonic laugh and open my eyes to find this burnt-to-a-crisp man in a red and green striped sweater in Kit's place. After we exchange words, he backs me into a wall and tries to kill me with this bladed glove. That's when I wake up." He explained.

The nurse's hands tightened around her coffee cup.

"Have any of your friends had these nightmares?"

Niko remembered Kayla explaining about her and her brother having similar dreams. That's when he remembered how Johnny had died.

He nodded.

"Look kid, I have to go, but get your friends together and come by my house sometime this week. My friend Alice and her son are going to be in town. She might have a solution to this." The nurse said, scribbling down her name, address and number onto a napkin and sliding it over to Niko.

Niko watched her leave before turning his attention to the napkin.

'Yvonne Miller

1748 East Oak Street

Springwood, Ohio

277-0681'