It's unbelievable.

So unbelievable, that I can barely breathe. Good thing I don't have to.

Every inch of the room is draped in lights of different sizes, shapes, and colors. The floor is glowing underneath us, and each table has live tropical fish swimming in the vases in the center with tall lilies. It smells fresh, like a breeze. And everyone looks like they stepped straight out of a fairy tale. I grasp Derek's arm in excitement.

"Ow." He comments faintly.

I immediately lighten my grip. "Sorry. This is just... much better than what I thought my class was capable of doing."

Sail plays loudly, bouncing off the walls. We wait for everyone to catch up and stand in line for pictures, moving quickly, thankfully because there's almost no one in line.

Derek leans in, kissing me just below my ear. "I don't sense anything." He whispers.

I smile at him in case we're being watched. "Nope."

He nods and we're next.

"Chipper up." He says. "You're at prom."

"I like you, not prom." I clarify. "Not going to lie; it's cool, but I'm here for you."

"Smile for the picture... Think about all the crazy sex we're going to have later."

The photographer counts to three and I can't help but bust a smile.

"No fair." I mumble as we walk away.

The song changes to something slow, and he smirks.

I shake my head. "No."

He nods. "Yes."

"No."

"Absolutely."

"Not going to happen."

"Oh, it'd better. I didn't go to my prom; I was busy running from hunters."

"So you're playing the guilt card on me?" I ask sarcastically.

He holds out his hand. "Dance with me... Please."

I sigh and oblige reluctantly, and he guides me onto the floor with everyone else. I place my hand behind his neck and he puts his hand on my waist. We join our other hands together.

He cocks a brow and pulls me in tighter, so we're chest to chest.

"You're not wearing the ring." He comments.

"Yeah, I um..."

"You're not ready."

His assumption catches me off guard. "Um-... Of course I am. I was wearing it earlier, I just didn't want to... Risk losing it."

"Oh." He realizes what I'm saying.

"Derek, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"I know you love me and everything, but... Would you love me as much if I didn't have any power? If I were still a human?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know, I just..." I remember what Allison said about him wanting me for my power. "... I want to trust you, but you know I have to be careful who I let myself love."

He shakes his head. "Danielle..."

"You wouldn't?"

"Danielle, I've loved you since the second I saw you."

I freeze in shock. "Is that true?"

"Yes. And I've never felt so vulnerable. I haven't let myself love since Paige, and loving you- it terrified me."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I was afraid that if I admitted it to myself for even a second, that I would lose you. And I first realized it when you got out of that car. I realized that I would rather lose you loving you than lose you without ever knowing if you loved me too."

I smile. "And I did. Now that I think of it, I have for a long time."

"To tell you the truth, I would marry you right now if I could." He admits. "I want to wait. Until we're both older and more stable, but with our kind of life, you never know which day will be your last."

I can feel my throat clenching up and bite my lip, holding back tears. I try to nod, but I'm too shaky.

He pulls me in closer and I bury my face in his neck.

"I know." He whispers. "It's a dangerous time to be alive."

I let my tears fall for only a second, suddenly aware of my makeup. Then I bring my head up.

"No." I decide. "No... I'm not losing you. No matter what that means. I've decided: we're going to live. At all costs."

"At all costs." He repeats.

He slowly leans in, and I can practically taste his lips when an alarming smell fills my nose.

I pull away. "How about we go someplace more... Exclusive?"

I can see he realizes it's time, and he pulls us away from the crowd. He guides us to the place Argent showed us on the map and we exit the prom, suddenly alone.

I need to make this look realistic.

I giggle and take off his jacket, letting it fall behind him and press him against the nearest wall, not giving him time to speak by pressing my lips against his. I try to make it look as convincing as possible, running my hands up and down his flexed torso.

He begins to untie my corset as I trail kisses up and down his cologned neck.

"You can give up the facade." A shocking voice says from behind me.

I whip around to see Kate, leaning against the stucco outside wall by the door.

"I know you can sense me." She says, rolling her eyes. "Now ditch that ridiculous cupcake dress; I'd hate to get your blood on it."

I shrug and remove my dress and pull up the sleeves of my bodysuit I've been wearing underneath. "Thanks. But I was hoping for your blood to stain it."

She shakes her head. "Sorry to disappoint, but I believe it's your head I'll have over my fireplace."

"Do you even have a fireplace? Or a home, for that matter?" Derek asks.

"That's... Beside the point. The point is, you should be more careful who you let into your house."

From the shadows behind her, the berserkers emerge, one carrying Allison by her neck. Isaac falls limply behind them.

"I'm..." She chokes, struggling for air. "I didn't... Know..."

"I know where everything is." Kate says. "So we'd might as well get this over with, I mean unless you'd rather the drama."

"No..." I say simply. "I'm not much of one for cinematics."

Right on cue, I can feel the presence of all of my friends- no- my pack, behind me, ready and prepared.

Kate signals the berserker and it drops Allison roughly.

"Sorry, love." Kate says guiltlessly. "Never actually needed you- you can join your pety pack now."

Allison scrambles to her feet and pulls Isaac up. And as she does, she has a huge intake of breath that almost knocks her over.

"You..." She says as if her breath has been knocked out of her. "You used me."

"And with that," Kate says, "You're free."

Allison stands in the middle, looking at both sides. Then she turns to Kate.

"Free to help kill you." She says as she backs towards us. She takes her bow and unsheathes an arrow.

Kate pops her neck a few times, and when she looks up, I can see she has shifted in a mere second. "If everyone's ready..."

I don't waste a second, and neither does anyone else.

The calm suddenly breaks, and everyone charges inward.

All I see is Kate.

I feel myself go into a frenzy and I lunge at her, grabbing the sides of her face.

She buckles her knees and flips me over her, and I fly through the air and hit one of the large brick wall of the next building over, the wind escaping from me and all control out of my hands. She is waiting for me near the floor and drives me into the ground with more force.

I place my hands behind me and push off the wall, flipping backwards and onto my feet. She runs to me and I turn to kick her in the side of the face, catching her off guard and sending her sliding onto the ground, and knocking over one of her berserkers fighting Isaac and Malia. Allison shoots an exploding arrow at Kate, missing by perhaps a centimeter at most. Kate scrambles to her feet, only making it half way up when I grab her by her hair and throw her back down. I'm just about to slash her throat when something yanks me up and sends me soaring.

I see a berserker below me as I fly up, higher and higher, until I begin to come down and hit the roof. I waste no time and jump back down right as Kate has Scott by his foot. He is able to twist so she comes tumbling down easily, and I put myself between them, grabbing Allison's arrow and turning Kate over so she will be able to look at me as I kill her.

But to my surprise, she starts laughing.

"... Party's here."

And suddenly, an excruciating pain sears throughout my entire body and I'm thrown against the floor so hard, that I actually black out and can't see. It's not until I'm floating that my eyes open.

And there she is- Jennifer, as a darach, in all of her glory. She is absolutely gruesome, with the most terrifying scars covering her face.

"You're... Ugly..." I manage to squeeze out.

Her piercing screech fills the air and I am jolted back into the wall, over and over again.

"Mexico!" I scream.

"They're on it!" Allison yells back as she stabs a berserker.

I find myself pinned against the wall, and Jennifer appears in front of me, her claws bared.

"And here we are again." She says, raising her claws. "But this time, I'll be sure you don't live... Derek."

Jennifer extends one arm away from me and out of the corner of my eye I see Derek lifted from the mayhem and brought next to her.

"I want you to witness it, Derek." Jennifer says. "Your last love dying. And toy unable to stop it. Just like Paige."

Derek's red eyes glow more urgently than ever and he fights with all he has, but not able to move.

"Don't bother." Jennifer says with a growl behind her words.

Kate brings her hand to my cheek. "Such a shame... Now you have to die because of him."

"Nature..." I struggle, barely able to speak. "Demands balance. You know you won't be able to do it."

"What a tragic assumption."

And in that moment, all sound disappears. All I see is Derek's face as he helplessly watches, both pain and panic fighting for a place in his eyes as Kate's hand whips back and rips through my throat.

And then I am at release.

My body renders helpless as I fall gently to the floor and the berserker lets Derek go. He catches me before I hit the ground.

I try to breathe and feel my neck trying to heal around the new wound- and failing.

I manage to open my eyes, not able to make out the environment around me.

"No... No..." Derek's begging voice says from above me in between whimpers. "Impossible... This isn't real... Come on Danielle, get up... Danielle, please..."

I can already see his veins pulsate as he attempts to take away my pain.

"Doesn't hurt." I say.

"No." He shakes his head. "Don't say that; that's what Paige said. And you can't die. You're a were-jaguar." His eyes begin to well up.

I look up at him, no longer caring what is going on around us. "Derek... I..."

"No, you can't die. We promised- At all costs." He blinks and one of his tears falls on my cheek.

My last breath starts leaving me, so I use it wisely.

"I love you."

And then I let my eyes close.

Holy shit.

She did it.

Kate actually killed me.

I'm confused as hell, but in awe. She really did it. I'm dead.

And Derek is all alone.

The last sound I hear is a pained roar fill the air.

.

.

.

"Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday, my angel, Happy Birthday to you... Make a wish!" My mother says.

I blow out the seven candles she crammed onto my cupcake and she claps, praising me like I'd just run a million miles.

"That's my girl!" She says. "What did you wish for?"

"You and Daddy to be in love." I blurt out.

Her smile drops a bit and she begins taking out the candles from the cupcake and pushes it towards me. "Daddy and I are fine. Now eat up- I'm taking you to get that new bike you wanted so much."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, it's your birthday!" She says incredulously.

My eyes widen and I dig in, now eager to leave.

The front door bursts open and I turn around in shock to see my father standing in the doorway with a look of combined shock and outraged anger.

"Natalie, are you f****** kidding me?!"

My jaw drops. Daddy said a bad word.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" He yells.

"What are you talking about?!" She reciprocates, equally as loud.

"I found it!"

"Found what?!"

"Our damn neighbor."

Mommy turns almost white. "Not in front of her."

"Kitchen. NOW."

They practically run to the kitchen and start screaming at each other. It always scares me when they do that, and I run upstairs to my room and cuddle up under my blanket, shaking.

I eventually fall asleep but awaken to a familiar hand on my shoulder.

"Danielle, wake up honey..."

I open my eyes to see Daddy, forgetting at first how scary he was being, but remembering and shrinking back.

"Don't be afraid." He says. "I'm sorry I scared you. But we need to go."

"Where?" I ask.

"We're going... On vacation. Just you and me... For your birthday."

"What about Mommy?"

"Mommy needs to go away for a while." He says, with a strange look on his face.

"What did Mommy do?"

"I'll tell you later. But right now we need to go."

"Where?"

"To... Disneyworld. I'll take you to Disneyworld."

I spring up. "REALLY?!"

"Really. Pack a bag."

I practically jump out of bed and grab my pink suitcase from my closet.

That was the night Daddy told me that Mommy left us. I didn't say goodbye, and we went to Disneyworld like he said, just me and him. It wasn't until we moved back that I heard that someone killed our neighbor the day before.

"Danielle!" My Dad's voice says from downstairs. "I am not buying you feminine products! I am a man!"

"Oh, get over yourself!" I yell as I pull on my beanie before heading downstairs. "It's not like I can friggin' drive!"

He turns around from the T.V.. Uh-oh.

"Don't you say friggin' in my house!"

"Geez." I say innocently. "You drop f-bombs every other sentence, and I'm-"

"Yeah, I know, now come on, you're missing the game."

I turn around to join him, but I'm suddenly on a track, being passed up by my classmates.

"Come on Danielle!" My PE teacher yells. "Or you're running two miles today!"

I join in with my classmates and follow some familiar folks closely, confused. From the corner of my eye, someone sprints from behind me and catches up. They grab my arm and yank me back.

Tears stream down her face, making her thick eyeliner run.

"YOU'RE JOKING. YOU HAVE TO BE, AND IT'S NOT FUNNY, DANIELLE, IT'S NOT... FUNNY!" She screams, fighting tears.

I know who she is- my best friend, from my old home.

"It's not up to me." I say. "I'm sorry, but... He won't budge."

"So?! Move in with me! Screw whatever your Dad says! You can't just leave!"

"It's not up to me!"

"But... What am I gonna do?! Get a new best friend?!"

"I already tried everything, " I say, fighting tears of my own, "I can't beat this dead horse any longer."

"I can." She counters. "Please. I'll do anything for you to stay."

"I'm sorry, I have to move."

"All the way to Beacon Hills?!"

"I told you, I can't-"

I hear my PE teacher's voice behind us and turn around.

I stand on a balcony, overlooking the city.

"Danielle."

I don't have to look to see it's Derek behind me. His hand covers mine and his lips are at my ear.

"I love you."

I want so badly to believe this is heaven and have one more second of bliss, but I still feel pain and know it's not over. I can't move on until I say my goodbyes.

"I love you too." I say. "But I have to go."

"Danielle. Look at me."

"No."

"Look at me."

"I can't-"

"LOOK AT ME!"

.

.

.

Suddenly, my eyes flash open.

I gulp in air like it's, well, air, and see Derek's face above me. His arms hold me close and his wet eyes stare at me with an unreadable emotion.

I grip my neck- no wound.

"Wha-"

He doesn't let me speak- he kisses me harshly, briefly before releasing me.

"Never do that again."

"But how-" I begin to ask, but remember something everyone knows. I stand up out of Derek's lap and rise, feeling even stronger.

Damn, this is crazy.

"Kate." I say calmly.

I turn my head to see her stare at me in shock.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you..." I say disapprovingly. "Cats have nine lives."

At first, she raises her brows and looks at me like I'm crazy. Then she shrugs. "Go figure... Jennifer."

Jennifer starts walking towards me and raises her hand. I brace myself for the worst.

But when her hand comes down, nothing happens.

Instead, she falls to the ground, and a pool of blood gathers underneath her. Kate rushes to her side and turns her over.

Three deep red marks show her throat ripped from her neck.

"The ruins." I say. "They did it!"

"But," Allison says, "How am I alive?!"

We all stare at her, dumbfounded for a second.

"Good question..." Kate ponders.

"Hm..." I mumble. "Go figure."

I am behind Kate in a split second and I grab her by her throat. I take the arrow Allison missed with and prepare to dig it as far into Kate's throat as I can.

"WAIT!"

We all turn to see Lydia running as fast as she can, cell phone in hand.

"EVERYONE STOP FIGHTING! DANIELLE, DON'T KILL HER!"

"Why the hell not?!" I ask, not breaking eye contact from Kate for a second.

"Yeah, kill her!" Derek prompts me.

"Because, we might need her!"

All eyes are on Lydia.

"Your father just called me." Lydia says, a terrified look in her eyes.

"And?!"

"Jennifer lost power because when they blew up the ruins... Peter absorbed all of it."