A/N: Thank you, HermioneandMarcus, for your kind review and I hope this update was fast enough for you :) In know I'm kind of outside the 'tomorrow' range, but 1:06 AM is pretty close in my book.

Chapter Song: Oh My God by Ida Maria

~I
~II
~III

"Find a cure, find a cure for my life. Find a cure, find a cure for my life. Put a price, put a price on my soul. Put a price, put a price on my soul. Build a wall. Build a fortress around my heart. Oh my God! Oh you think I'm control, oh my God! Oh, you think it's all for fun."

~IV
~V
~VI

Katherine sat out on her deck, watching her cousin-thing Alexa and a little neighbor girl run around the backyard. Her mother and Candice were talking about some useless bit of discussion while her father and Micheal and Jim were at the grill. She had no idea where Lauren and Abby were, and she really didn't care.

William was playing with little Johnny and Adrien had gone to the bowling alley with Adam's brother, Nick. Katherine smiled a Johnny, who was thoroughly preoccupied with blowing a spit-bubble, and decided to make this trip worthwhile for the baby boy.

She hoisted herself out of her chair- grabbed another chocolate chip cookie from the table in front of her- and made her way inside, walking past an arguing Lauren and Abby without a second glance.

Jogging up the maple-wood stairs, Katherine easily took the turns that led to her room and quickly shut her door- avoiding the chance of anybody annoying her. She threw herself onto her bed with a giggle and lifted her wicker basket of knitting supplies onto the bed with her.

She yanked the soft, light blue yarn and her favorite needles from the basket, sitting up and starting her new project.


With sigh, Alec leaned back in one of the brown, leather chairs he had and gazed out his window. Jane, Felix and Demetri were all away- as was Katherine- and he was entirely bored.

Consumed by the boredom, Alec's mind wandered to the recent going-ons in the palace. Demetri had started backing off of his sister, which was good. He wasn't sure how Demetri was still sane after so many torture sessions at the hands- or mind- of his sister. Maybe he wasn't entirely sane. Maybe that was the whole reason he hadn't given up completely yet.

Along the line of relationships, Alec's mind went to Katherine. He had been trying his damnedest to contain himself around her and not jump her. It was hard, though. Every time she flashed that adorable, crooked smile, every time she openly laughed, every time she got that elfin glimmer in her deep, brown eyes when they wrestled for control in the dangerous game of flirtation, he nearly pounced. He never did, he knew that would frighten her. And after what he saw during Halloween, fear was not something he wanted induce in her.

He remembered Halloween. He hated sitting back, watching that...leech try to intimidate his girl. But he had to, it was Sulpicia's orders.

Aro and Caius were very interested in knowing how her gift was progressing, but she was adamant about not demonstrating anything. All three masters were lost as to why- the two wives just rolled their eyes at the men's density. Sulpicia had pulled the guard aside and told them to pay special attention to Katherine when she was either training or under stress, because then Aro could later see her progression through their eyes.
And few things were more stressful than a vampire ready to kill you.

So, he sat back, and he watched, and Aro was pleased. Good for Aro.


"Dude, seriously, I'm considering going to McDonalds."

Katherine laughed. "I thought you hate McDonalds, Beck."

"I do!" Her friend shouted over the phone, her voice distorted by the 'Speaker' function Katherine had going so she could sketch, watch TV and talk to her friend, "But I'm starving to death over here!"

"At least you have to choice of eating," Katherine pointed out with a laugh, "Unless you're helping to cook, no one is allowed near the kitch-COME ON! YOU COULD HAVE GOT THAT!"

Rebecca laughed, "What happened?"

"Remember last summer, when we would just watch ESPN all the time for lack of anything better to do?"

"Yeah..."

Katherine sighed and rolled onto her back, "Yeah, well, I kind of got a taste for tennis and now I'm watching it and Nadal totally just screwed up. Like, I could have gotten that pass. Jackass."

"Someone's cranky." Katherine could hear the smile in Becky's voice.

"I haven't eaten all day. Like I was saying before, no one is allowed to eat until dinner. It's ridiculous. I've locked myself in my room just because I'm too hungry to deal with the family."

"Sneak out and raid Adam's kitchen?"

"I'm actually debating whether or not it's worth the risk..."

"What risk?"

"The lattice trellis on my side of the house are covered in ivy. They're slippery as hell. But I'm hungry as hell, so it's all about which hell is worse." She explained with a laugh.

"So what is your family making?"

"It's what my aunt is making," She told her, "That's why I'm not helping. She's goes nuts when she's in the kitchen- I'm talking Joseph Stalin crazy. It's safer to stay out of her way. As long as I get some food, I'm happy."

"Oh, food. I love food. What's your favorite Thanksgiving food, Katie?"

She smiled, "Pumpkin pie. There is no greater gift from God."

"Eww, gross. I hate pumpkin pie. I love the cranberries."

Katherine's face scrunched and her stomach churned at the memory. "Oh my God, I hate cranberries. It's something about the texture. The second one of those disgusting, slimy creatures slid down my throat, I'm upchucked instantly. It was horrible."

"Good times, bro."

"Without a doubt," She laughed, "Do you like stuffing?"

"Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"I love it. But chances are I won't be able to have any." She pouted, hatred seeping into her voice.

"Why not?"

Katherine sighed, "My aunt loves nuts. She puts them in everything, I swear to God."

"You don't like them?" Her friend guessed.

"I'm allergic," She told Beck, "Tree nuts. That's basically every kind of nut out there."

"Oh...Is that why you didn't eat Mallory's macadamia nut cookies?"

"Yup," She admitted, "And chances are, Abby put some kind of nut in the stuffing."

"Wouldn't your parents tell her not to?"

Katherine scoffed bitterly, "Please. I doubt they even remember my middle name."

"Well, yeah, but your middle name doesn't have the potential of killing you...I mean, I wold think a parent would take special care to keep their kid alive."

Katie laughed bitterly. "Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you? Anyway, dude, I'm going to search through my room and see if I have any cookies up here or anything. Eat some cranberries for me."

"Only if you have an extra slice of pumpkin pie for me."

Katherine laughed, "I will have no problem with that. Later dude."

"Bye."

With that, Katherine tapped the red button on the screen on her phone and rolled off of her bed, flipping the quilt up and looking under her bed for any hidden snacks from summer.

Stale cookies were better than no cookies.

At the sight of the empty space, she huffed and sat up, leaning on the balls of her feet. She needed food. When the hell was dinner going to be- "Katherine!"

Cool.

The sounds of three year old feet stomping rang through the hall, and little Alexa popped her head into Katherine's room.

"Food's weady! Food's weady! Food's weady!"

Katherine giggled at the energetic child that ran up to her, grabbing her hand. "Come on, come on, come on! You sit nes to me an Johnatin!"

Katherine smiled, "Really? Sounds like fun, kiddo."

"Oh, it 'ill be, it 'ill be, it 'ill be!" She shouted, "Come on, come on, come on!"

Katherine laughed and followed along as the three year old tugged her down the the dining room. As the two descended the stairs, Katherine noticed a melancholy looking William motioning for her to come to him. She sent Alexa to claim their spots at the table and made her way to her cousin.

"What's up?"

Her cousin sighed and Katherine noted how he avoided all eye contact with her. She also noticed how his eyes seemed wetter than usual.

"...don't eat anything..."

Katherine was lost. "Why?"

William took a deep breath before continuing. "You see how everything has gravy on it?"

"Yeah..."

"She put nuts in the gravy."

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"WHAT THE FU-"

William clamped a hand over his cousin's mouth and pulled her out onto the deck. He felt her tears pool against his hand and anger and disappointment filled him to the brink. She was only a month his junior, but he always felt very protective of her. He could never help his own sister, and as Kat had pointed out early, they kind of fell into the role of siblings. So when their family- their own flesh and blood- upset her, they upset him.

Once on the deck, he released her and let the rant start.

"What...the FUCK! I mean...how...why...oh my GOD! I FUCKING HATE THEM! ALL OF THEM!"

That was all he understood before her words fell into indistinguishable jibber- jabber. He watched as her face and eyes reddened. Her lips swelled and stretched as she sobbed and screamed, and he jerked in sympathy pain when he heard her voice crack. She was going to have a hell of a sore throat later.

Out of the corner of his eye, William saw movement. He tried to get a better look, but everything looked perfectly fine.

His focus was brought back to his cousin when an earth-shattering screech ripped from her tattered vocal cords. He heard his uncle and Micheal come around the house and yell at them.

Suddenly, Katherine lifted her leg and kicked over the $500 glass deck table. With a heavy thud and a disturbing shatter, the table was destroyed. And Katherine's dad was pissed.

The giant man stormed up the stairs of the deck and yanked his daughter around to face him, burning and bruising her arm.

"The fuck do you think you're doing, you stupid jackass?" He shouted, shoving her down to the pile of broken glass.

William shot out of the seat he had taken, ready to tackle the son of a bitch that hurt his little sister.

Before he could get anywhere near him, however, something happened.

Two people he had never seen- a guy and a younger looking girl- were on the deck. The girl caught Katherine before she landed on the glass and helped her regain her balance, checking her arm for injuries. The guy was in his uncle's face.

His uncle had tried to hit the guy, but he caught the army man's hand in his own, smaller one. Will watched as the strange man tighten his grip, and his uncle crumbled to the floor. He watched the stranger snarl and growl something too low for him to hear, but it sounded along the lines of "You're despicable."

William looked back at Katherine, who was still crying and sobbing, and saw the little girl with straight, brown hair leading her down the steps and onto the lawn.

A crash drew his attention back to the two men, and he saw his uncle on the ground with the other man walking away, towards the girls. When the three were out of sight, William returned to the house without a second look at his uncle.

"Whewe's Kitty?"

He gave the bouncing and confused three year old a weak smile. "She had to leave with some friends sweety, but she wants you to save her some pumpkin pie. Do you think you can do that?"

Alexa shook her head. "Aunty Abby only made PEE-can."

William let out a long breath. "Of course. Okay, kiddo, I'll tell you what, we're going to make Kitty her very own pie, okay? We'll go out right after dinner and get all of the stuff, how does that sound?"

She smiled and nodded vigorously.

William smiled at her innocence and joy, "Cool. I have to go get something from Kitty's room, but I'll be right back. Save me a seat."

She gave him the okay and he went upstairs. While he jogged up them, he heard the commotion of his uncle coming inside with his injuries. The adults were all clucking and fussing over him, then the broken table. Never once did anyone ask about Katherine. The fuck was wrong with these people?

"Hey Squirt, what's going on?" Adrien addressed her little brother.

"Katherine's going home." He told, storming into his cousin's room.

"Home?" Adrien asked, following her little brother and watching as he started packing her bags, "You mean the school?"

He nodded, "It's a far better home than this place."

Adrien sat on the corner of the bed, "No argument here. Hey, check it out." She lifted a light blue blanket from off the bed. The name 'Johnathan' was stitched into the top.

"She made something for Alexa, too." William noted, picking up a small, pink and yellow teddy bear.

"She must have started that earlier." Adrien said, "It would definitely take longer to make that bear than that blanket."

"Or she just stayed up all night." He pointed out, continuing to throw clothes into the suitcase. "She left with some friends after shit went down. But she's going to come back later, and I'm going to give her her stuff and she's going to make her way back to Volterra."

"Don't you think her parents are going to call the cops or something?"

"Nope." He told her simply, "They're not as oblivious as they seem. They pay attention, they just don't care until it messes up their perfect little fantasies. They know Katherine is smart and courageous and doesn't give a fuck about them, and they know that she would milk every aspect of abuse and neglect and child endangerment dry until she either won or the courts dropped it."

Adrien laughed and shook her head. "That girl sure can raise hell when she wants to, can't she?"

"Raise it? She gave birth to that motherfucker."

Adrien laughed again, before being interrupted by her mother.

"Adrien! William! Come down for dinner!"

"Not hungry!" They both shouted in response, though it was totally false. Adrien didn't want to deal with her mom and there was no way in hell William would be able to face his uncle with any respect.

For the next two hours, William and Adrien stayed holed up in their younger cousin's room. Each one of them had the sneaking suspicion that dear old Katherine wouldn't be seeing that room again.


Katherine curled up in the leather seat of the train.

Didn't think I'd be back here so soon.

After her father had nearly killed her- God only knows what could have happened if a shard of glass nicked her carotid artery or rummaged her spleen or became imbedded in her heart or one of her lungs- Demetri and Jane had stayed with her. They took her out for some dinner and sat with her at a local park while she sobbed out her pathetic life story, peppered with a couple curses on her family and old friends here and there.

Once the sun had gone down, she had snuck up to William's window- on the ground level- and, sure enough, he had all of her stuff waiting for her. That includes a piece of pumpkin pie he and Alexa made especially for her. It definitely made her smile.

Now, however, the smile was gone. Now, she sat- alone- on a train at one in the morning. She was, for all intents and purposes, running away from home. The police would probably be on her ass soon enough, dragging her back to her parents. Then she would probably have to go to therapy and deal with a whole bunch a stupid shit from people who think they know everything. Yes, they may know a lot, but they don't know her. But they wouldn't understand that, and she'd have to kiss some serious ass to end the hell that was coming her way.

However, as her eyelids became heavier and heavier, she found it harder to care. Right now, she just wanted...she just wanted a hug. She didn't even care if it was from some random stranger a few cars down, she just really wanted a hug.

More tears stung her eyes as she continued to mull over how much she craved the simple sign of affection. All she wanted was for someone to actually care about her, her feelings, her well being. No body ever cared about her. She was always the strong one, the smart one, the unflappable one. No one ever worried about her because no one ever had to. But right now, she really just want a hug.

Katherine groaned and rubbed her already sore eyes.

Seriously, how was she not dehydrated yet?

A few minutes later, as Katherine was drifting in and out of what promised to be a restless sleep, the sound of a sliding compartment door awoke her. No one else had been in the car when she got on (which is why she chose this particular car) and who would be just getting on a long-distance train this late?

When she opened her tired eyes, she got her answer.

Standing in the doorway was Alec Volturi, dressed to the nines in a perfectly tailored, deep brown suit and partially unbuttoned golden dress shirt. He gave her a careful smile and she felt more tears beginning to form. Seriously, this crying thing was getting ridiculous.

Putting up the arm rest divider, she slid out from the two leather seat on her side of the table and walked up to him. Without a word, she wrapped her bare arms around his torso- taking the hug she so desperately. He happily obliged and held her closely.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her questioned muffled s she held onto him for dear life.

"Jane called," He told her easily, nuzzling his face in her chocolate curls, inhaling that magonlian lily scent he seemed to love so much, "She told me everything and figured you'd need someone you're close to. Naturally, I jumped at the chance."

She smiled weakly, chuckling to herself. "Big picture wise, you are probably the person on this planet I am closest to, all things considered."

He chuckled as she began to pull away, grasping a hand on his sleeve and leading him to where she had taken up residence on the train. Picking up her fallen shawl, Katherine scooted in first and Alec benevolently took his seat next her. She wrapped her red, knitted shawl around her chilled arms and snuggled up next to her vampire. She should probably be worried about it, be worried about how dependent she seemed to be and the risks that came with it. She should probably worry about whether or not she'd regret being so emotionally open later. She should probably not be snuggling with anyone, considering it was always to 'intimate' in her mind. Right now, in her mind, what she was doing was like sex, only more emotional. Both parties were in it willingly, one or both because it felt good. This action put both parties at extreme risk of developing an emotional attachment that could later be used to hurt them. This was risky. Far too risky.

But she didn't care. It felt good, it felt right. And right now- so emotionally raw and mentally and physically worn out- Katherine didn't give a rat's ass about the future or the risks it holds. All she cared about was right now. All she cared about was having Alec hold her while her world came crumbling down around her. Because, as long as he was there, she felt safe. She felt taken care of. She felt cared about.

And all she wanted, in her entire conscious life, was to be cared about.