Chapter 10: Every Rose Has it's Thorn

Entry 1

I wish I could say I love being alone; with all the time and quietness it brings, but I don't. I used to back when I was in Chicago. Katherine would wander off to do the things she kept to herself – the things I never questioned – and I was there, alone. It had never been bad. Being alone gave me time to think, to wonder about the things going on in my life and to ask myself the questions that needed to be asked.

Taylor held the pen in her hand, hovering about the paper of the new journal she'd purchased. Looking around, she felt no reaction to being in the Salvatore household. No, she'd spent a few days there actually. She had made a promise to herself that she wouldn't hurt Elena or Jenna or Jeremy. If that meant she had to stay away until she was safe, then that's what she would do.

After being locked up in Frederick's basement and the wounds she'd obtained, Taylor was not feeling the greatest. Stefan, who'd been concerned from the moment he'd seen her wounds, was – of course – insistent on taking her to feed, in hopes that it would heal the wounds faster. Only, after seeing her go after a rather young – around the same age as herself – boy, whom she treated as trash, though not as bad as Katherine did, he decided she would go on his animal diet, too. And because her body wasn't used to it, it took longer for her wounds to heal and she became agitated easily.

But even though I feel like I'm alone here, I know I'm not. Somewhere in the house Damon's here. I haven't spoken to – or seen, for that matter – Damon since I left him standing at the car that night we came back, and I'm glad – partially. Seeing him would make me mad and sad, and a bunch of other emotions that I don't want to feel. He confuses me on a daily basis and it drives me insane. One moment I hate him and the next I don't.

I don't know how he does it, but he does, even if he doesn't realize it.

But, and I know this is crazy, there's a part of me that's sad that I haven't seen him. A part of me wants him to come to the door and apologize – as if that would ever happen with Damon. It's crazy, but sometimes I find myself standing up and getting ready to walk out the door and find him, just to talk to him. That's when I slap myself and remind myself that he loves Katherine and not me.

That I'm not important to him.

That I'm just his tool to find her.

Upset, Taylor slammed the journal shut, tossing it to the corner of the room. Journaling had always been calming for her, something she and Elena used to do together, but it was doing nothing for her – except upsetting her.

Leaning back on her bed and bringing her knees up to her chest, she let her eyes fall on the box sitting on the edge of the table: the new phone Elena and Stefan had picked up for her, after she smashed hers. Why was she so hesitant to turn it on? She shook her head; it was Katherine. Katherine was why she didn't want to turn it on. She felt stupid, but she couldn't shake that feeling of jealousy towards her.

It wasn't that she suddenly hated Katherine – that would be stupid. Taylor still had as much respect for her as she had when she last saw her. It was just that, at the thought of her brought thoughts of Damon. And thoughts of Damon confused her.

Why not, she thought, looking at the phone and standing up to retrieve it. So what if Katherine called? She would answer, like she'd answered a million times before. Katherine was just a person and she could handle that, just like she could handle to stupid emotions that were toying with her.

The light of the IPhone in her hand immediately turned on and she took no time in dialing Katherine's number, one she'd memorized by heart.

Why wait for her to call when she could just confront her?

"Who is this?" Katherine answered, the same way she did whenever she didn't recognize a number.

"Hey, it's me."

"Taylor? Why didn't you return any of my calls? I've been calling for days, now."

"Yeah, a lot happened. I'm fine now," she paused. She really wasn't, but Katherine didn't need to know that. Katherine kept secrets, why couldn't she? "My phone broke, I wasn't able to get a new one until now… But, are you okay? Last time we talked there was a crash on your end."

Katherine sighed. "That was nothing, just an irritation that needed to be taken cared of."

"Oh? As long as you're okay."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing too major. It was just a few vampires that got out of control."

"Really? That doesn't sound too bad. Are you doing okay? Any wounds that aren't doing good?"

"Yeah, I'm doing okay," Taylor mumbled, glancing down to lift up her shirt and see the slowly healing wounds.

"No cuts or stab wounds?"

Taylor scrunched her eyebrows together. Why would Katherine be asking such a direct question like that? It was like she knew Taylor was hurt and wasn't healing well and was trying to make her say it. "It's nothing that needs to be worried about."

"Get out of Mystic Falls, Taylor."

"Huh?"

Taylor walked over to her window, starting out to see the quiet road and town before her. What could be so bad that Katherine was warning her about?

"Soon it's not going to be safe for you. You need to leave."

"I can't just leave."

"Yes, you can. You have the reasons."

Taylor's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" How could Katherine possibly know about what was going on, making her want to leave, unless she was there? But she wasn't there… was she? "Katherine where are you now?"

"I have a friend and I've heard things. Taylor, you need to listen to me and get out of there."

Taylor didn't miss how Katherine avoided answering her question. "Where are you?"

"Chicago," Katherine replied, quickly.

"Don't lie to me." She argued.

"I'm not, Taylor."

"You sound like it."

"Fine, Taylor, I'm – "

"Wait," she interrupted, pulling the phone away from her ear. "Text it to me."

"Okay, sure… I'm sorry, you know I have my reasons."

"I know. It's fine," it wasn't, but she'd get over it. "Goodbye."

She hung up the phone, sighing. Taylor could still hear Damon. She'd been so focused talking to Katherine that, at first, she'd almost missed it. But he was there – listening, no doubt, trying to gather information.

Angrily, she picked up her phone when it beeped and read the message. What she saw confused and surprised her. She froze, dropping the phone to the ground.

"She's… she's – " here, she thought, shocked.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

"Come on. Pick up!"

Ring… Ring.

"Damn it, come on!"

"Hello?" Elena's calm voice answered.

"Elena, where are you now? Is Stefan with you," she added in, though she was pretty sure he was.

"I'm at school and Stefan's right next to me. Taylor, what's wrong? You sound worried. Did something happen?"

"Just get home, I need to talk to you. Stefan, too. I'll meet you there, okay? I just have to do something."

"Wait! Taylor! What's happening?"

She sighed, "I'll explain it later, okay? Just get home safely and stay there."

Elena must have sensed the urgency of her sister's situation, because she agreed, hanging up shortly after. Immediately, Taylor set off about her room in the Salvatore house. She changed out of her sleeping clothes into a pair of jeans and a tank top, putting her boots on as quickly as she could. She didn't know why she felt such urgency for Katherine being there, but she did, and that worried her. Not for herself, because she knew Katherine would never hurt her; but for Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna, because she knew that Katherine would.

Once she'd gathered her things and thrown them into her bag, she dialed another number.

"Jeremy, where are you right now," she asked, once he answered.

"I'm at the grill. Why? You sound worried."

Taking a breath to calm herself, she paused. "Could you come home? I just found out something and I want you to be home. Okay?"

"Tay, what's happening? Is something going on?"

"Listen Jer, I'll answer all your questions later. But for now, no questions okay?"

There was a pause, then a sigh. "Fine. I'll head home."

"Thanks, Jer. I love you. Hurry."

Quickly, she hung up the phone. Facing her door, she took a long, deep breath preparing herself. Taylor could still hear Damon standing there, just listening, and she knew she'd have to walk past him to leave. After his presence had been missing for a few days, it would be weird. But she had to go. She reached out and swung the door open, rushing down the stairs, avoiding eye contact as she passed Damon.

Just as she reached the door, he spoke. "Where are you going?"

Taylor didn't turn around, much to his dismay, as she answered. "Home."

Without waiting for him to say anything else, she left, using her speed to her advantage. She couldn't face Damon, in fear – amazing how he was the only one in a year to really make her feel that – that she would fall harder. Or maybe she would have grown to hate him more, as she had first begun to do. She wasn't sure.

In a matter of minutes, Taylor stood at her front door. She swung the door open, stepping in with a giant relief of being home enveloping her.

"Elena, I'm – " she stopped, midsentence. "Uncle John?"

Jonathon Gilbert turned slightly to smile at his niece – the smile she found creepy. "Taylor. I haven't seen you in years. I heard you ran away. Where too? And I didn't know you came back."

"I went to Chicago to find someone. I just recently came home."

"Oh? Who'd you go to look for?"

"A friend."

"Do I know your friend? What's their name?"

"No, you don't. Her name," she paused, unsure if she should tell him. But why would he have any knowledge of who Katherine was? "It's Katherine."

"Does she have a last name?"

There was something in the way his eyes glinted when she said Katherine's name. And the way he turned to face her more, his eyes analyzing her more than before. Like he knew something and he was looking for some kind of reassuring sign.

"Pierce. Katherine Pierce."

"Pierce, huh?" He smiled again. "Did you know that name goes back years, back to the founding families time?"

The way Jonathon Gilbert spoke, like he knew something and was trying to subtly tell her, worried her. She wondered if she had made a mistake telling him that. Yes, she thought, studying him as he was studying her. She had made a mistake. She just couldn't figure out why or how he was connected to Katherine, for that matter. But she would need to find out.

Behind her, the door swung open, and Taylor knew it was Elena the moment she and Stefan walked in.

"Uncle John? What are you doing here?"

"What a welcoming greeting." He teased.

"Sorry, It's just been a long time…" Elena didn't like Uncle John, Taylor knew that, but her uncertainty was caused by the tense figure of her sister before her. Something was off.

"Oh, no, its quite alright. Taylor and I were just talking about her interesting choice of friends. You know Taylor, you are who you hang out with."

Taylor smiled politely, turning her head to Elena and Stefan. To their confused faces, she muttered, Katherine. He knows I know her. But how does he?

In an instant, worry set on all three faces.

No, something didn't feel right.

Alright, another update out! Lots and lots of drama coming up. You have that to look forward to ;) I must warn you though, from here it's not really going to follow the television show or the book exactly. (: I kind of want to end it my way, cause I've had it planned for some time now.

Anywho, review and let me know what you think please. I love to hear it.

What do you think will happen next? And how do you think Damon and Taylor's relationship will end?