Chapter 7

To say things were awkward between Katie and the Salvatore Brothers, would be an understatement. Ever since she'd explained her shifter abilities to them, they'd treated her differently. Stefan avoided her during school and Damon avoided her all the time and Katie had come to believe the sometimes the truth didn't set you free or make everything better, in her case, she wished they still believed her lies.

Unsurprisingly, Matt and Tyler were the first to notice the absolutely delightful mood, the Salvatore brothers had put her in and the first to confront her about it. After a particularly uncomfortable History lesson in which Katie had a snarky comment for everything Mr Tanner said, the two decided enough was enough and when Matt took Katie to the Grill for her shift, he and Tyler sat Katie down in one of the booths, so they could finally understand why their best friend was being such a bitch.

"Okay Katie, explain to us what the hell is going on," Matt said, his baby blues never leaving Katie's brown ones. She held his gaze for a moment or two before she looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap. If Matt and Tyler weren't worried before, they were worried now. Katie's gaze was usually strong, unwavering a bit like the person herself, and to see her unable to look Matt, of all people, in the eye, meant something bad, really bad, was going on with her.

"Kat, you've got to tell us what's wrong, seeing you like this, it... it isn't right," Tyler said, sounding extremely worried. Katie took a sip of her soda and grimaced, it tasted funny. it made her feel weird.

"Ty, Matty, I can't tell you," she replied. This just pissed Tyler off.

"Well, why the hell not?!" he demanded.

"Shh, Ty. I meant I can't tell you here," Katie explained.

"Where, then?" Matt asked, being a little, okay a lot, more patient than his friend.

"Follow me," Katie stated, making her way out of the Grill, only to be stopped by Vicki Donovan.

"Katherine Louise Charleston, where exactly do you think you're going?" she demanded, causing Katie to flinch at the use of her full name.

"Please, Vic, cover for me," Vicki opened her mouth to protest.

"You can keep all the tips and I'll owe you one," Katie pleaded. Vicki sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"You love me, KitKat, okay? I am frickin' awesome!" Vicki exclaimed.

"Yes I do and yes you are," Katie said, giving her friend a hug before leaving the Grill. Tyler and Matt just shook their heads incredulously at her antics, no words could describe how... Katie like, Katie was. The two guys went towards Matt's truck, expecting Katie to follow, but they were both surprised to see her making her way towards the small pathway that disappeared into the woods. Matt and Tyler shared a look before running to catch up with her, it seemed as if her mile long legs weren't just for show, considering go fast she was moving.

It took the trio about 10 minutes to reach wherever Katie was leading them and when they finally did reach their destination, they were both surprised at where they were. They were in a clearing of about a kilometer in both width and length. The trees were placed in such a way that they could see out but no one could see in, and from where they were standing, they had a perfect view of Wickery Bridge.

"You know those days when I just disappear for hours, when no one knows where I am, those days when I just need to clear my head? This is where I am," Katie stated, sounding a bit distracted, almost... lost.
"Kat..." Matt trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"You know Stefan? The guy that moved into the old Salvatore Boarding House?" she stated, abruptly changing the subject.

"Yeah?" Tyler answered, not really knowing where his cousin was going with this.

"I've known him for a long time, since I was 11 years old. Him and his brother," she continued.

"We know that, Kat. You guys were all buddy, buddy in South Africa," Tyler interrupted her, this caused Katie to finally look at the two of them. She had been standing at the edge of the clearing, staring at Wickery Bridge as if she was bewitched, while Matt and Tyler closer to the center of the clearing.

"No, you don't know, Ty. Neither of you do. I was as close to Stefan and Damon Salvatore as I am to you. We told eachother everything, well everything we could and now? Now I can't get the two people who I thought I'd never see again, that, by the way, just popped up out of nowhere, to even look at me, let alone talk to me," she shot out, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Katie calm down, I'm gonna need you to calm down, alright?" Tyler, rather ironically, tried to soothe his cousin.

"Why, Tyler? Why do I always have to calm down? Why can't I just let off some steam? I always have to bottle it all up and I am so damn tired, of being calm," Katie exclaimed, storming away from the edge of the clearing.

"KitKat, please," Matt said, he sounded confused and really worried.

"What, Matty? What now, what else do you want me to do now? I'm not made of steel Matty, I'm sad, I am f**kin' sad, I can't pretend to not be sad, anymore, okay? I just can't do it!" Katie snapped. It was like her emotions were totally out of control, no, it was like she was totally out of control. Her whole body started to shake before her emotions burst forward in their most terrifying form. Her body collapsed in on itself as her shoulders moved back and her spine lengthened. Shifting was a rather strange experience. Katie felt her fur push through her skin, it was a bit like being pricked thousands of needles. Sharp claws pushed out from the skin between her knuckles and her hands curled in on themselves to form paws. Her eyesight became sharper as her face lengthened to form a snout. Her sharp canines dropped down and Katie the mountain lion roared.

Tyler and Matt just stared at her in shock. They didn't understand what was going on, nothing was making sense. What had Katie just become? Who was Katie? What was Katie?

Katie stalked her prey, her tufted tail twitching from left to right, and her golden eyes never left Tyler and Matt's form. She snarled and hissed at them, not recognizing them as her friends, as her family. Katie the mountain lion didn't see anyone but prey, she saw nothing but food. But Katie Charleston, the shifter, was screaming at herself to stop, begging herself to turn away from the people she loved. But she didn't listen. Katie launched herself at Tyler and Matt, her deadly claws ready to rip away their flesh but it didn't happen. She felt a body collide with her own and tackle her to the ground. She thrashed and growed but the grip around her kept tightening, she was caught. But that didn't stop her. She was moving too much, she was going to get free... large hands gripped the fur near the base of her neck and twisted, hard. Katie heard a something snap before everything went black.

Elijah stood, moving himself away from the mountain lion. He watched with sadness in his eyes as the body shrank to reveal his god-daughter, her neck twisted at an odd angle. Even though Elijah knew that she would not stay dead, it still pained him to see her so still, so lifeless. Elijah turned his attention to the two mortal boys that were staring at him with a mix of shock, fear and outrage. The blonde one rushed over to Katie's side, the brunette one was hot on his heels. Elijah felt sorry for the boys, but not sorry enough not to roll his eyes.

"You two, Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood, correct?" Elijah carried on without waiting for an answer.

"You must remain calm, she is not dead," Elijah compelled them one at a time.

"Katie led the two of you out here to talk. She explained that she felt uncomfortable and sad because her mother had come to visit. Katie told you that her mother wanted her to stay with her for a while and she doesn't want to leave, least of all with her mother. But, she is willing to give her a second chance. that is all you remember. Katie did not transform into a mountain lion, she did not die, she didn't attack you and you have never seen me and will not recognize me if our paths cross again. Now go home, and sleep until tomorrow morning," Elijah said to Matt and then to Tyler. Almost like robots, the two boys disappeared into the woods, heading back the way they came.

Elijah lifted Katie into his arms and ran to the apartment he'd been staying in for the last three years. He laid her gently on his bed. He stood there for a while, trying to understand what had made her go crazy like that. He cautiously lifted Katie's wrist, before biting down in order to taste her blood. The flavour of a shifter's blood was awful, it made Elijah gag at it's almost poisonous taste. But Katie's blood tasted worse than usual, it had and almost rancid undertaste. It was like, she had tetanus or rabies, like her body was infected or something. Katie had not done this on her own, she'd been poisoned and she was endanger. He had to find a way to protect her, to keep herself away from Mystic Falls, to a place where she'd be safe, to a place where the people she loved would be safe. Elijah sighed and looked at his goddaughter with sympathy, she wasn't going to take this well.

"I almost killed them," Katie whispered, staring at her hands in shock and despair.

"Katie, you didn't mean to, you were poisoned, somebody wanted you to lose control," Elijah explained to her. Katie shook her head.

"No matter what caused it, I-I can't be here anymore, it's not safe for my family, for my friends. It's not safe for Mystic Falls if I'm here," she murmured, causing Elijah's head to jerk towards her.

"So you're not going to fight me on this?" Elijah said incredulously. Katie, once again, shook her head.

"I know that you are right, what's going to be hard is saying goodbye, not knowing if or when I'm going to see them again," she stated, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"You can tell them tomorrow," Elijah said, in an attempt to calm her down, but Katie shook her head.

"I can't face them, I can't look them in the eye knowing that I almost killed them," her voice shook.

"Write to them. I don't mean text them, I mean write them letters. It is abit old fashioned but I believe that when we write out own words, when we feel a pen moving smoothly across rough paper; that's when we truly allow our thoughts and emotions to make themselves known," Elijah told her, gently mussing her hair. Katie nodded in agreement and shifted into a hawk before flying out of the open window and heading towards her aunt's house.

Katie looked everywhere for a pen and some paper but she only found a pen. She quietly snuck into her uncles office and stole 10 envelopes and a small pile of blank paper. She went back into her room and sat down at her desk, placing the paper in front of her and staring at it, as if the words would just suddenly appear. And after about half an hour, they did.

Dear Matty, I'm sorry.

Dear Bon, I'm sorry.

Dear Vic, I'm sorry.

Dear 'Lena, I'm sorry.

Dear Jere, I'm sorry.

Dear Stef, I'm sorry.

Dear Day, I'm sorry.

Dear Aunt Carol and Uncle Richard, I'm sorry.

Dear Ty, I'm sorry.

Dear Care, I'm sorry.

A/N: I can bet that wasn't what you were expecting! Because it sure as hell wasn't what I was expecting. I was just thinking of a way to skip all the boring stuff in Season 1 of TVD so I could get onto the much more interesting Season 2 and onwards and then this kinda just happened. I mean, Katherine, Klaus (love those dimples!), Jeremy gets hotter (those arms, mmm), and last but not least, it means we're one step closer to Enzo, Kol and Elijah getting rid of the mop he calls his hair in the Second season(*shiver*).

Anyway, until next time, adieu

Love ya, Becca

P.S.: REVIEW!REVIEW!REVIEW!