The walk back through the woods seemed to last an eternity. I could no longer clearly hear the sound of the birds high above me and had to find my way back without the guide of stranger's voices leading me back the populated town. The world had never seemed so quiet and it all seemed so alien to me. I couldn't remember a time when I couldn't sense every leaf that I brushed past, every terrified animal that fled me as instinct told it to run. To live finally felt peaceful and what was best, I no longer had a constant burning hunger in the pit of my stomach, a rage and unquenchable anger just waiting to emerge, I felt calm and for the first time in a long time I think that I felt happy, if I was able to remember what that was.

I finally saw the trees break as the sunlight streamed through them and followed my way down the dirt path that led me back to the Salvatore's house. I felt the wind lick my skin and felt a chill run through my newly warmed skin.

As I approached the doorstep, I considered how I was going to explain all of this to everyone. Everything had happened so quickly it seemed almost laughable to leave what seemed like a split second ago to just return and announce to everyone that my entire existence had changed. I continued to contemplate what seemed like an impossible task as I lifted the iron knocker and released it.

Stefan opened the door and greeted me with a weak smile.

'We were wondering where you had got to' he said

Damon appeared behind him 'some more than others' he added coldly. Bonnie followed Damon into the kitchen and I pondered whether Jeremy had noticed that there was something between them. I had surveyed a few longing glances between the two and Damon had seemed very cold towards me since our little altercation. I knew that Jeremy still cared for Bonnie and wondered if he had seen what I had and if it bothered him.

Stefan interrupted my train of though.

'Are you coming in?' he asked

I stepped into the entranceway and rubbed my arms in order to try and re-heat them. The wind was really picking up outside and the alien feeling of the cold of my skin was somewhat uncomfortable. Stefan watched confused.

'What is going on?' Stefan asked suspiciously 'You don't seem...yourself. Where is Kol?'

'Gone, not coming back' I said with a tinge of regret in my voice.

'What happened?' Stefan questioned

'He did what he needed to do' I answered

'Seriously Lori, what's going on?' Stefan repeated

Before I had chance to answer him, Jeremy entered from the kitchen. I could hardly read the look on his face. I could sense his relief to see me, but also his frustration after our last encounter. I wondered how I could tell him how I felt so much differently now - we were no longer in danger, I was no longer a monster.

'Jeremy...' I started

'No' Jeremy interrupted 'answer the question. What is going on? You've come back like a completely different person. I would guess that you'd been compelled but your locket is gone. So what is going on? Where is Kol? Are you leaving?'.

Jeremy's barrage of questions came at me tinged with anger and I struggled to contemplate how to explain myself. Luckily someone else was able to help me, an unexpected aid. Damon entered back from the kitchen again tailed by Bonnie.

'Her locket isn't the only thing that's gone' Damon said 'Tell me - how is it that a vampire has just walked back through the woods in the middle of the day, and she's not wearing a daylight ring?'

and with that I knew that I had to explain myself

'Because I'm not a vampire anymore' I said in a matter of fact tone.

I saw a sea of faces look at me in utter confusion. I invited everyone to sit down in the parlour room and explained to the room exactly what had happened, how the hour or so that I had been gone had saved my life and how Kol had meant to save me even before I had chose to transition and become a vampire.

I felt the whole room tense and when I had finished my story, I couldn't bear the tension any longer so I stood and entered the hallway again, intended to leave the house once and for all. I was not sure what I was expecting - I had told Jeremy earlier that day that I didn't want anything to do with him, how would he not hold some sort of resentment against me after all that he had done for me. I grabbed my coat and headed towards the door.

As I reached out for the handle I felt someone grab my hand from behind and was relieved to turn around and see Jeremy's face looking down at me. Now that I wasn't a vampire, his presence seemed so much stronger and his tall stature so much more overbearing and despite my senses no longer being heightened, I still felt a burst of energy every time he touched my skin.

'Don't go' he said simply and as he stepped towards me and put his hand on my waste, I felt that everything was right with the world. This was where I was meant to be and this was who I was meant to be. Nothing else mattered, I was free.