Katherine opened her eyes, shivering against the cold evening air. She lifted herself from the patio steps and looked towards the door. She rest her hand against her forehead, wincing when the small gesture caused some pain. Her breathing still felt rapid, as if she couldn’t catch her breath.
Katherine jumped at the sound of the front door opening. Spikes looked at her with a raised eyebrow, Damon’s leash in hand, “What the hell are you doing out here, Kitty?"
Katherine’s eyes filled with tears as she stood up, “I ran in to someone. Someone I thought I’d never have to see again.”
Spikes’s face softened as she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Katherine’s shoulders, “Let’s get inside, Kitty.”
Katherine nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped into the house. Spikes followed behind her. She whistled after shutting the door. Katherine chuckled as Damon tripped on his way up the stairs, following behind the girls as the walked into the living room.
Katherine took a seat on the nearest couch and Spikes beside her.
“What happened, Kitty?” Spikes questioned. She reached her hand out and brushed a strand of Katherine’s hair behind her ear.
Katherine placed her face in her hands and began quietly mumbling. Spikes stared at her with an eyebrow raised as she went on. Spikes rolled her eyes and lightly poked Katherine’s temple, “You know, I can’t hear you when you mutter like that.”
Katherine looked up, tears in her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, “Long story short, I ran into my ex.”
Katherine spoke quickly and grabbed one of the couch cushions a buried her face in it. Spikes stared at her with wide eyes. Katherine looked up at her when the silence continued, “What do you look so shocked for?”
“Well when we met you made a comment about how people don’t really interest you romantically. So it’s kind of a shock to discover you did have an interest at some point,” Spikes laughed, her cheeks gaining the smallest hint of red.
“Except I didn’t,” Katherine sighed and sat up straight. Her eyes were on the ceiling above her as she spoke, “David and I had been best friends practically since we were in diapers. When we were 15 he asked me out. He was my best friend and I enjoyed spending time with him so I said yes.”
“I thought you said you weren’t interested?” Spikes questioned, receiving a quick glare from Katherine.
“I didn’t know the difference then. Between romantic love, and friendship. I assumed they’d be easily transferrable or essentially the same,” Katherine sighed again, “But as time went on I realized that we weren’t like most couples. I didn’t like when he would try to kiss me. I didn’t like when he would try to touch me. He was always respectful. He always stopped. But it made me realize that… I wasn’t like everyone else.”
“So… You’re thinking you might be asexual?” Spikes cut in again.
“I didn’t even know what that was. I thought maybe it was because I didn’t love him the way books and movie describe love,” Katherine chuckled and pulled her knees up to her chest, “I know that’s pretty dumb since neither of those are real, but I just assumed that was the problem. So then I thought that… maybe the reason I didn’t love him was because I was lying to him… about what I am.”
Spikes stood from the couch, knocking pillows aside. Damon yelped as he moved away, tucking his tail in between his legs. Jynx jumped on the couches’ armrest and pressed her forehead to Katherine’s arm.
“Kitty… what did you do.” Katherine looked up at her best friend. Her hands were curled into fists, and her arms shook. Katherine’s eyes welled with tears once again.
“I told him that I’m not human. That maybe I didn’t feel the way I was supposed to because I’m a monster,” Katherine covered her eyes, “He pulled me into a hug, and he told me how grateful he was that I had trusted him with something so big. He said it was the soul that made the monster, not the species. He said it was okay that I didn’t love him yet and that he would always love me.”
“Then why did you break up?” Spikes questioned. She moved slowly as she made her way back to the couch. Her brows furrowed with concern as Katherine cried. She couldn’t even speak through the tears. Spikes sat back down on the couch and pulled Katherine’s hands from her face, “Why did you guys break up?”
“I was just a kid. I’d grown up with him my whole life, and I knew he told his parents everything. But they were our neighbors. We spent holidays together, went on vacations together,” Katherine hung her head, her voice quiet, “How the hell was I supposed to know that they were hunters?”
Katherine winced as Spikes’s grip on her hands tightened, her copper eye began to glow.
“Spikes, you’re hurting me,” Katherine tried to pull her hands out of Spikes’s grip, but she didn’t budge. Her eyes were far away, “I’m going to kill him.”
She released Katherine as she stood from the couch, reaching a hand up to her face as she made her way to the door.
“Spikes, you can’t!” Katherine screamed as she ran after her, “Spikes, he doesn’t know his parents are hunters. He doesn’t know what they did. You can’t persecute him for a crime he didn’t commit.”
“He knows what you are and that you’re here. What’s to stop him from telling his parents about this? What’s to stop them from hunting you down, and me with you this time?,” Spikes growled as she turned to face Katherine. She dropped the small clear lense from her hand. Her copper and amethyst eye glowedi with rage. “Besides, consider this revenge for your father.”
“You don’t think I haven’t considered that?” Katherine screamed and shoved Spikes’s shoulders, “You don’t think I haven’t dreamed about taking away what they treasure most like they took it from me? That I don’t spend every day thinking about how they deserve to suffer for what they did and haven’t?”
“Why not do it then?” Spikes shouted back.
“Because I’m better than them!” Katherine’s eyes shifted to slits and began to glow softly, “I may not be human, but I have more humanity than they could ever hope too. I am not letting you walk out that door unless you give me your word that you won’t hurt him.”
Spikes hesitated, her hand reaching for the door handle, “We have to make sure he won’t tell them that you’re here.”
Katherine nodded, “Set up a time for me to talk to him if you feel like you can’t persuade him without violence.”
“I give you my word I won’t hurt him,” Spikes rolled her eyes, but smiled softly at Katherine, “Now tell me where he is.”
…
David stared out over the cliff side at the bay and the city beyond it, the silver locket in his hands flailing wildly in the wind.
“New to the city?” A soft voice spoke from behind him, startling him slightly. He turned around and shoved the locket back into his pocket.
“New to this one at least,” He chuckled, “How’d you know?”
She walked up to him, leaning over the railing beside him, “Most of us locals don’t care for the romanticized view of the city we see everyday. This view is beautiful, but the reality of the city is not.”
David shrugged and returned to leaning against the railing, “When are things ever as pretty as they look?”
“So what brings you to town?”
“Just passing through,” He sighed softly, “I was on my way to go see a couple of colleges. I was only going to be here for one night, but…”
“But?” She asked as she nudged his shoulder.
“I found someone,” He smiled softly but he could feel tears form in his eyes, “Someone I thought I would never see again.”
“Let me guess, an ex-girlfriend?” She chuckled. She turned around and rest her back against the railing, “You must really care about her.”
“I didn’t realize it was quite that obvious, but yes,” He looked at her. He paused for a moment, startled by her two different colored eyes.
“And she left without saying anything to you didn’t she?” She inched closer to him, “Right after a tragedy, when all you wanted to do was comfort her.”
“How did you-”
“And for nearly two years now, those sapphire eyes have haunted you, haven’t they?” Spikes grinned as David began to step backwards and fell. He stared up at her with wide eyes.
“Who are you?”
“I’m your replacement,” Spikes growled, “I’m the person that helped Katherine pick up the pieces. I helped her grieve her late father. I am family to her, and unlike you I will protect her.”
“Protect her? What are you talking about?” David questioned as he stood back up, “I didn’t even know about the fire until the next day. She was already gone by then, there was nothing I could have done!”
“If you’re just here to hurt her again, I will destroy you,” Spikes growled and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He grabbed her wrist, his grip around it almost caused her pain.
“I will take a lot, but don’t you ever say I’m trying to hurt her,” His voice was low and deep. He met her eyes with a glare as he spoke, “I love Katherine, I have always loved Katherine. Nothing in this world would ever make me intentionally hurt her.”
Spikes dropped her hand from his shirt, and he let her go. She crossed her arms over her chest, “She collapsed on the steps in front of the house sobbing. I hate seeing her cry.”
“You love her too, don’t you?”
Spikes’s face flushed bright crimson. She hung her head, hoping her hair would hide some of the redness, “Of course not! Kitty is my best friend… almost like a sister to me. It’s a familial love… that’s all it ever could be.”
David nodded, “Not sure if you’re trying to convince me or yourself, but I understand. She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
Spikes nodded, her arms tightened over her chest, “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Yes,” His smile was soft, but sad, “I didn’t realize losing her father would change so much. It’s like the light of her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes anymore.”
Spikes ran a hand through her hair and sighed, “Before I came, she agreed to see you just one more time. She needs to talk to you.”
David stared at her and nodded.
“You can’t tell anyone though. You can’t tell anyone you’ve found her,” Spikes added. “That includes your parents. She’s in witness protection, no one can know.”
“Thank you,” David smiled halfheartedly.
Spikes shook her head as she began to talk away, “I wouldn’t thank me just yet.”
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