A/N: My apologies for how long this took. Honestly, I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter.

Ashes2Dust: Yes, yes they do suck. The only reason Katherine never reported them to anyone is because- and this is something that will be seen a lot later as a way of thinking for Katherine- it could be worse.

Larcian:Killing for a fictional character lol Awesome lol Just try not to turn this into a Catcher in the Rye situation, m'kay? lol

Stargazer: Jane is weird lol We all know that. And I know putting nuts in gravy sounds odd, but that's actually how some people season it. I know, it sounds strange to me too, but it is what it is. And you should totally team up with Larcian. Something tells me Katherine's parents would be totally taken care of...

Chapter Song: Lost by Katy Perry

-Please note, the song Katherine is listening to in the chapter is Irvine by Kelly Clarkson-

~I
~II
~III

"Have you ever been so lost? Known the way, and still so lost?"

~IV
~V
~VI

Katherine nestled further into her dorm room bed, passive aggressively retaliating against the sun.

With a angered sigh, she reached out to her bookshelf and snatched her phone from on top, checking the time. 8:35 am. She scowled and groaned, burrowing her face into her pillow. After a few calming breaths as she worked herself into content consciousness, Katherine threw the blankets off of her and walked to her closet. Grabbing a towel and her robe, she made her way to the bathroom.

Once her feet made contact with the disturbingly frigid tile floor of the restroom, Katherine dove into the furthest shower stall and hung her robe and towel on the hook on the outside wall.

Steam rose from the stall as Katie allowed the hot, pounding water pellets release the tension of the past week, if only for a few minutes. With the soothing sound of the shower lulling her back to the sleep she just abandoned, Katherine rocked back and forth on her feet slightly, her eyes closing as every muscle in her body relaxed. Could someone really sleep while standing up?

Sighing deeply, Katherine opened her eyes and grabbed a bottle of shampoo and worked the cleansing product into her matted hair. After running through the necessities of bathing, she turned the water off and grabbed her towel, drying her hair before wrapping the towel around her wet body. Tightly tucking the towel within itself, she made her way the fogged up mirrors. With a swipe of her hand, she was greeted with a scene from hospital-based television drama.

Her face was thin, thinner than usual. Yes, her baby fat was gone by the time she was like...seven, so the angles of her rather sculpturesque face were always more defined than other girls', but now she just looked unhealthy. Her skin was a horrible, sickly pale. Her lips were thin and pale as well, with a serious need of ChapStick. And her eyes...well, they were never really in tip-top shape. There was normally some signs of sleep-deprivation with discoloration of the skin under them, but this was ridiculous. The regular was a little bit of gray or purple, but right now it looked like she got into a bar fight.

She knew why, it was no big secret. She had done the math. In a perfect world, she would have gotten 40 hours of sleep while in Sicily. In a normal world, she would have gotten between thirty and thirty-five. In reality, she got fifteen. Maybe.

Sighing, she yanked her toiletries bag from the sink and pulled out her toothbrush.


"Katherine," Jessica called from down the hall, "I am going out to lunch, would you like to join me?"

Her muffled reply came soon enough. "No thank you."

Jessica sighed and turned to the stairs, working her way down them. Katherine had returned early yesterday morning in the arms of a young man. In introduced himself as Alec, and the crest he wore around his neck told her that he was a member of the Volturi family. The family was the focus of local hearsay, of course. Observant grandparents would tell their grandbabies of the mystery and secretive, yet oh so powerful, congregation. The city of Volterra was one of the safest and securest in all of Italy, with the lowest crime rate the providence has ever had. It had been that way for centuries, ever since the red-eyes claimed this territory as their own. No one knew what or who they were and no one openly questioned it. Ignorance is bliss and the lives of the Volterra citizens were nothing if not blissful. One mustn't bite the hand that more than likely feeds them.

Alec had easily and dazzlingly informed her of the familial problems that Katherine had suffered through, explaining her early return from the holiday. Having met the young woman's parents in early August, all of Jessica's question of the obscure, shy and somewhat foreboding girl standing in the corner of the mixer had been answered. The authoritative figures of the young girl were...putzes, for lack of a better term. Full of themselves, self-centered, pretentious putzes. Jessica considered herself blessed that their daughter seemed to despise these traits as much as she- Jessica- did, as oppose to idealizing and imitating her parents as most developing souls did.

Catching sight of the strangely beautiful young man standing the kitchen, Jessica shook her head. Katherine had not done a thing in the two days she'd been back other than sleep and barely eat. Alec and Jessica both had tried to coax her out of her room, but neither were successful.

At the confirmation of her failure, Alec sighed and thanked her for her assistance in the matter before exiting the house. Jessica, herself, felt that the thanks was unnecessary. She loved her girls, and she would do anything to help them. The Volturi family didn't have to get involved to make her care for the girls she watched over.

~8~

At the meager sound of the far gates closing, Katherine peeked out of her curtains with slightly apathetic interest. Jessica was gone and she was alone. Finally.

With a groan of minor pain, Katherine slid from her bed and opened up her window, letting the bitter autumn air bite her skin and fill her darkened room. The curtains were redundant on this day, the cloud covered skyline complimenting her mood. Mood...what was her mood?

Nothing.

That was all she could think of. Nothing. Her mood was nothing, her thoughts were nothing, her life was nothing. At least right now. It would get better in a few days, maybe even a few hours, but right now, she was nothing. Her mind was blank. Unbelievably blank. It was like a white board after the janitor came in with that special wash and cleaned off all markings. If someone took a snapshot of her thoughts at the moment, it would come up empty. If she was strapped her up to some brainwave reader, the line would be flat. Well, technically, it would be within the Theta and Alpha- 4 to 13- hertz, but now was not the time for technicalities.

Gray light filled each corner of the small room. Soft, acoustic music bounced from her speakers to the bleak walls. Katherine fell to her knees in front of her small bookcase. She was worn out, worn down, and destroyed. Her muscles were sore for no reason, her head was perpetually pounding and everything about her was running on autopilot. She didn't even have control over her own body anymore. Most people didn't, but she always had. And now she doesn't have that anymore. Her shoulders slumped and she scoffed mentally. Hell, she didn't even have her posture any more.

She fell backwards, lying on her cheaply carpeted floor.

"I know you're busy, I know I'm just one. But you might the only one who sees me, the only one to save me. Why is it so hard? Why can't you just take me? I don't have much to go, before I fade completely."

Katherine took a labored, shaking breath and rolled onto her stomach. She braced her palms on the floor and pushed up, lifting herself from the floor. Sluggishly, she crawled on all fours to her door, grabbing onto the antique styled knob and pulling herself up.

~8~

Katherine leaned against the marble counter top, her forearms braced against the cold stone. Her fingers- nails chewed to the nubs- were picking at a piece of cinnamon swirl bread. Each time she thought of popping a piece into her mouth, her stomach churned and her throat tightened in protest. She needed to eat, but her body kept telling her no.

With a sigh, she dropped the pebble-sized piece of bread and delicately captured the slim, silver handle of her stirring spoon between her thumb and index finger. Absentmindedly, she stirred her now cold chocolate as she racked her brain for an explanation to her strange behavior. No appetite, always sore and the only time she wasn't tired was when she was sleeping- which was often. In the back of her mind, she knew what was wrong. In the back of her mind, she knew exactly what this all added up to. In the back of her mind, she knew the word. But the word, that one word, wouldn't make it's way up front. No, she refused to believe it. Not until she did specific research on the subject.

Katherine tried one more time to eat something. She took a piece of the bread and forced it in between her lips. In the quickest motion she's made in the past two days, she spat the bit of food out.

Her head fell into her palms. Fuck.


Limp tendrils brushed Katherine's face as she sat hunched over her desk. She stared at nothing, only her long, thin fingers and chewed up nails. A knock on her door brought her back to the conscious world. The sound of the knock worsened her headache slightly, but she hardly noticed. The door opened and Jessica walked in.

"Get dressed." The native Volterrian demanded. "We're going out."

Katherine looked down at her clothes. A light blue tee shirt and blue and purple plaid pajama pants. Without a sound, she stood up and shuffled to her closet.

Jessica nodded and stepped out, leaving the teenager to dress herself.

The girl selected a pair of curvy fit jeans first. She had bought them just as "curvy" fit became a regular thing, so they weren't very stylish, but they fit and they were comfortable. Next was her favorite sweater. A miracle fabric in her opinion. Light enough to not suffocate her, but heavy enough to drape around her, like a constant hug. It was maroon in color and tight around the waist and arms, without putting her in a strangle hold. She slipped on a white camisole before pulling the sweater over her head. Sighing- aware of the impending pain- Katherine tipped her head down. As if the meninges around her brain weren't swollen already. Ignoring the agony, she shook out her hair and pulled it into a loose bun at the crown of her head.

She flipped her head up right- ignoring the rush and dizziness- and made quick work of her shoes. Well, quick in consideration. She grabbed her wallet and phone and tucked them into her back pockets before leaving the room.

Her mom had texted her yesterday, around noon. The woman had asked about her daughter's well-being. Where was she, was she okay, why did she leave, was she coming back, things like that. A conversation started and Katherine- always one to read between the lines- soon became aware that she wasn't wanted back. After bringing this point out, her mother confirmed that her father was less than pleased with their daughter. However, her mother had promised that she understood and supported her daughter, no matter what her husband said. So, at least she wasn't cut off. She still had her mother's "love" and funding. And frankly, she probably cared more about the funding. But the "love" was nice, too.

Katherine shrugged at her thoughts and wisps of hair fell against her forehead as the shorter parts of her bangs came out of the elastic while she jogged down the stairs, keeping her hand wrapped firmly around the handrail. She was still dizzy and seeing spots, but that normally happened when she got a headache.

"Ready to go?" Jessica asked as Katherine descended the stairs into the foyer.

"Mhmm."

Jessica nodded, "Then let's go."

~8~

The two women walked down the streets of the city in silence, each too involved in their own thoughts to try and make conversation.

"Come on." Jessica directed, ushering the younger girl into a boutique. Jessica knew that Katherine liked classic styles with a modern twist. It wasn't hard to figure out. Katherine was a classic girl, no matter how much she tried to hide it. It was no secret to anyone that knew her well enough that Katherine believed in soul mates and true love, regardless of how on guard and cynical she acts. The girl had three favorite items in her room: her stuffed cat she's had forever, a small jewelry box that was her great-grandmother's, and a handwritten book of classic fairy-tales that her...grandfather made her before he died. Simple, meaningful, and classic. Like Katherine. Expect for the simple. That girl was more complex than a Japanese puzzle box.

As the entered the small shop, Jess got the reaction she was hoping for. Katherine's brown eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth tugged into that crooked smile that she hadn't seen in days. Soon enough, that grin broke into an all out smile as Katherine wandered around in amazement, as if she were standing in a vault of gold and she could take as much as she pleased.

The young girl made her way to the clothes and started combing through. She pulled out a coral pink dress with black polka dots and her smile widened. The next thing she lifted from the rack was a white blazer.

She went on like that through the shop, happily picking and choosing items from the racks and shelves.

Jessica sat back, leaning against the far wall, watching her little girl love life again.


Katherine walked into the game room of the Volturi in her new pastel peach chiffon and silk tank tip and black ruffle skirt. She unbuttoned her coral pink cardigan and tousled her curls.

With a yawn, Katherine stretched out her arms and slid down onto a small couch. Yes, she had been feeling better since Jessica forced her out of her cave and into the impromptu shopping spree, but she was still tired and not nearly as hungry as she should be. She didn't want to eat, although she could eat a little bit, just nothing too filling. No carbs. And, by God, did she love carbs. Or, she use to. That's when you knew something was wrong: when Katherine Jensen didn't want carbs.

The door opened and four vampires walked into the room, one after the other.

"Did you guys just exact justice upon a delinquent vamp?" she asked with a smile and a yawn.

Demetri smiled and Felix shouted "You're damned right we did!" as they veered off to the pool table.

Is that all those two do?

When Jane walked past him, Demetri whipped out an arm and hooked it around her waist, pulling her to him and kissing her cheek lightly.

Katherine's eyes widen as she was sure she was about to witness a vampire die. However, she was sorely disappointed.

Ouch. That sounded bad.

Okay, so Katherine may have been little bit twisted, but Jane's reaction wasn't. One would expect the girl to torture Demetri into oblivion and yet...she only shoved him. Not even a big get-out-of-my-face shove. Just a light little push and a giggle. A freaking giggle. Jane Volturi, one of the most feared vampires on the planet (so Katherine had been told), was giggling.

Dear God. The Mayans were right.

"Don't stare." A smooth voice whispered behind her, "Jane will kill you."

A soft, cold hand gingerly turned her face away from the first sign of the apocalypse to look at a much more pleasing sight.

Alec smiled at her gently, his eyes shining with amusement. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I think I'm going into shock."

Alec laughed, the sound drowning Katherine in a pool of warming honey. And she didn't even like honey that much. But if it was in relation to Alec, it was perfect.

"Ha. Ha." Came Jane's bitterly sarcastic laugh from across the room. Katherine turned around and saw Felix biting back laughter, Demetri smiling with pride and Jane leaning against the pool table, watching the game. When Felix went to hit the cue ball, she snatched it off of the green and threw it at his head. Demetri chuckled and grabbed the smaller vampire's hand, bringing it to his lips.

Katherine turned her attention back to Alec.

"I feel like there was a major plot development that I missed."

Alec chuckled and sat down next to her, spreading his arms on the back of the couch.

"My twin sister and my best friend are now dating." He informed her.

"Hey," Felix shouted, "I thought I was your best friend."

Alec laughed and shook his head, "Nope. That would be Demetri."

"It's alright, Felix," Demetri started, "You're my best friend."

"Hey!" Alec cried, sitting up and staring at Demetri in awe.

"It's okay, Alec," Katherine told him in mock sympathy, brushing her hand on his arm, "You can be my best friend."

Instantaneously, his eyes flashed darkly and a smirk graced his face as he settled back against the couch.

"That'll do." He nodded, leaning in close to her. His forehead was nearly touching her's and his eyes bore into her own. "For now."

Katherine sat stone-still, completely in shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open slightly. Her heart was pounding in her chest as Alec brushed a loose curl behind her ear. A blush rose to her pale cheeks and she bit the inside of her lower lip.

Off to the side, the three other vampires watched the love birds in delight.

"Plot development, anyone?" Jane asked with a smirk.