Reversed

Chapter 4 – How did you stay alive this long?

Note: last time something strange happened to Cat. I will give you some hints in this chapter. Thank you for your suggestions. I won't involve Catherine's father in her misery though, as I plan to give a character a more important share than in the series. Cat will have sort of a dark past. ;)

I was glad that some of you like the story and hope that this will continue. Thanks for you reviews.

'JT, I am so sorry!' I apologized for the hundredth time.

'It's ok, Cat. I don't understand though. I thought this was gone. I thought you grew immune or that they stopped. Why did it happen again?' he was exasperated.

'I don't know. I was feeling weird since the attack. When I turned it was hard for me to control it. For a moment it was tempting to let go of my human side. And then back here you yelled at me and I got angry and the beast wanted to come out. I fought it and then there was the pain,' I sighed.

'There must be an explanation. Has anybody else seen you? Maybe they found out you are alive and started again!' he suggested.

'I don't think they ever stopped. Otherwise they would have stopped directly after my supposed accident. And it is not like it went away from one day to another. It just got easier day by day. I just learned to keep a cool head, to stay calm,' I explained, 'besides those men didn't look like people who understood what they saw.'

'What about the stranger?' he suspected.

'I had my back to him when I transformed. It was dark. He wouldn't have noticed that I got slightly more muscular. He just saw that I am remarkably strong and fast,' I assured him.

'Well that could have been enough. Be more cautious please,' he worried for one more time.

I didn't know what happened yesterday. But I wouldn't let myself go back to being controlled. I had earned my freedom and I was going to keep it. I HAD to find out what they were doing to me and I had to stop it. That was the only thing that stopped me from blending in. And the fact, that if they found out I was alive, they would want me back. I was their best tool after all- the fastest, the most beautiful…the most human.

It was Saturday morning. I decided to pay my stranger a little visit. I settled in the building across the road. There was an empty apartment exactly across from his- lucky me. I looked through his window. He was probably preparing for a run from what he wore. How I missed jogging in the daylight. For the past five years I have been only jogging after midnight.

Lost in my thoughts I didn't notice he left his apartment till I saw him at the entrance.

He seemed to be lost in his thoughts as well. With a dreamy look on his face he began jogging. I left the building intending to follow from a safe distance. I didn't know why. I just had the feeling that I should do so. There was a truck parked on the sidewalk in front of him blocking his way. What was he doing?

He stepped on the street to avoid the truck, without slowing down, without checking the road. I heard a car coming much too fast for this road. It wouldn't be able to stop. I processed this in a short second and I didn't waste another one. I jumped on the road. There wasn't time to push him out of the way as the truck was blocking my path. So I pushed him against the truck, pressing my body against his. The car brushed me, ruining the back of my clothes. My body was not harmed and people would ask why. So I had to disappear. But as I tried to run I felt him cling to my body.

'Not this time,' he breathed.

Excellent! That was just what I needed. Well, then we would run both. He was holding me with my back pressed to his body as he caught me after I had turned away from him. So I just lifted his legs and ran. I stopped in an alley which was in a safe distance to the accident scene.

'You know a gentleman doesn't touch a woman without her permission,' I said under my breath.

'Well I guessed that pressing me against a truck with your body was your way of giving me permission,' he snapped back.

'I don't know how you have managed to stay alive till now, but could you please try being more careful? I won't always be around,' I tried in a friendlier tone.

'Why were you around the last two times?' he challenged.

'Coincidence,' I said through my teeth.

'Twice? I don't think so. Have you been following me?' he asked.

'Don't flatter yourself. Last night was outside my favorite bar. Today I went for a walk. I like this part of New York,' I said with my best poker face.

He wanted to say something about that but then he changed his mind. He thought for a moment and then he unfortunately spoke, 'How did you do it?'

'Do what?' I played dumb.

'Save me! Scare those people away. How didn't you get hurt today?' he asked desperately.

'I was lucky I guess. They car missed me. And about the people, well I am a martial artist and I guess they haven't often seen a girl that can kick a bat of their hand. So they were shocked and this is why they left,' I had to admit I almost convinced myself that this how things actually happened.

'There is more to it! Tell me!' he insisted.

Stubborn fool…

'I don't know what story you expect to hear, but this is what happened, so deal with it. I got to go now,' I started to turn around.

'Wait,' he grabbed my arm.

'Keep your hands to yourself, buddy, if you want to keep them at all,' I warned him.

That's when JT called. He never called. I only owned a burner so this had to be an emergency.

'JT,' I spoke in the phone with widened eyes, 'what's wrong?'

'What did you do? AGAIN?! There is a live broadcast on the news- about an accident! A young woman rescued a poor passenger from a dangerously fast driving person. The driver swears that he must have hit her or at least brushed her with his car but she walked away. And he swears she took the man with her. He didn't go with her! No, she took him!' he screamed in the phone.

'I don't understand. This was just ten or fifteen minutes ago. How..,' but he cut me off, 'The driver was a reporter! A very famous one, Tess Vargas! That's how! What were you thinking?'

'Wait, Tess Vargas? That's how the bartender from the bar I discovered recently is called,' I was startled.

'You go to bars?!' he shrieked.

Ups, my bad. 'That's not our problem now. Why does she pretend to be a bartender if she is a successful reporter? And how come I never heard from her?' I wondered.

'The first one I don't know. Maybe she was working on a story? Now about the second, her career exploded only three years ago. And you don't read the paper she writes for since then,' he explained.

'What do we do now?' now that it sank in I was desperate.

'Come home now. We will figure something out,' he assured me although his voice didn't sound very convincing.

'Sure,' I said, 'get me a new phone, I am getting rid of this one on my way.'

I turned to leave.

'Wait!' a voice startled me.

'Oh you are still here. Look ..,' I started but he took advantage of my hesitation and interrupted me. 'Vincent. Vincent Keller,' he introduced himself.

I looked at him. 'And your name is...,' he tried.

'None of your business. Look..Vincent..I got to go now. So please stop bothering me,' I said stiffly.

'Ok, ok no name for now. But please tell me where to find you! I need some answers!' he begged.

As hard it was to resist I walked away leaving him behind- speechless. I guess he wasn't used to women saying no to him. As I had drawn enough attention for one day I decided to take the bus at the next station instead of walking half the city. Busses aren't very suspicious after all. And the people after me would never ride a bus. Hell, not even the people who served them would.

I had hoped that I had left all this fear behind. I was still hiding but I had hoped that I had disappeared for the world. And now was I am again, because of this man. And I couldn't even be mad at him, because if I could turn the time back, I would save him again. With his face in my head I entered the bus. For the first time in five years I was looking forward to go home, to my safe warehouse.

So what do you think of it? Will Vincent try to find out more? And what about Tess Vargas, is it a coincidence that she pretended to be a bartender in the bar Cat liked to hang out. How is J.T. gonna help Cat with the mess she caused. And why do you think he is so protective of her?

Don't be shy with your answers. It is interesting to read as I have already a rough concept of the story and it's nice to see how people interpret the way I am putting my thoughts in words.

If you guess right you will soon see. And if am going to use an idea that I didn't have before I will definitely mention your help!