Season 2 Episode 1: The Return (Katherine's Point of View)

I was having a lot of fun today, attending a wake for the towns' mayor, pretending to be Elena Gilbert. It was amazing what could amuse you when you had been around for over 500 years. I had been floating around, making conversation with all Elena's friends, sussing out who was who. And it was as I had the "best friend" Bonnie against the wall, complimenting her on her parlour tricks that I heard his voice.

"Katherine."

My stomach turned slightly and my heart ached familiarly as he appeared at the door to the Lockwood sitting area. Dressed in a navy v-neck t-shirt and a loose pair of jeans he looked completely ravishing.

"Stefan." I replied casually with a smile in my voice. The reception he had given me back in the Gilbert house still fresh in my memory, I knew I needed to up my game if I was going to get what I was after.

"Leave her alone" he asks. No, he tells me. Stefan has definitely changed throughout the years, his face is demanding and his tone is firm. Sexy.

I shrugged, and replied with an almost too willing "Okay."

I pushed Bonnie's head back, and as she flinched away from me, giving me a death glare, I walked out to meet him. I knew the way I would have to play this. Stefan had also been the more difficult brother, why couldn't he be as willing as his brother? But then it was never as much fun to chase Damon as it was Stefan.

Trailing my finger slowly across his chest as I walked passed him. I hoped, no in fact, I knew he would follow me. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away.

"What are you doing here?" I hear him ask as he follows me through the Lockwood Mansion. I haven't completely lost my touch with the Salvatore brothers, I still knew exactly how to have them eating out the palm of my hand.

"After the way you treated me last night I thought that a public place would be less violent." I reply, reaching for a glass of wine from one of the waiters.

"Taking this a little far don't you think?" he asked as we walked into the buffet room. I was already casually scouting the room for any signs of Damon.

"I mean, Elena could walk in at any moment." I can hear him saying in the background but I'm less than concerned with his idle worrying. If his dull as dishwater girlfriend shows up then all the more fun for me,

"Mmmm, but that's part of the fun Stefan." I reply, and it was. "Damon's here, somewhere? I've been avoiding him" I say, stating the truth but hoping at the same time it would ruffle a few feathers with Stefan

I took a bite of the cherry and it was at that moment that Matt "the ex boyfriend" walked in.

"Hey guys." He's saying looking all downhearted

"Hi, Matt, I ugh, heard that Caroline's doing much better, her recovery was practically miraculous you must be so relieved." I knew for a fact that Damon had given her his blood; he really needed to learn to keep his voice down when he and his little witchy friend were talking shop. This just made it so much easier for me

"I am," he's saying, looking genuinely relieved. "Thanks Elena" I'm better at this than I thought, playing my dull as dishwater doppelganger.

I smiled at him, watching out the corner of my eye as Stefan smiled awkward at him too. Matt was cute, in fact he was super cute with the most gorgeous blue eyes but he was nothing compared to Stefan.

"Ugh, his eyes are so blue!" I'm sighing out, once again hoping to ruffle a few of the feathers on Stefan's back but not succeeding at all. It's almost like he doesn't care anymore, than I'm just another stranger from the street.

"You need to leave, now" Stefan states, coldly. My heart is aching at how he is dismissing me. I'm not impressed; this was not the reaction I was hoping for.

"You're hurting my feelings Stefan," And he is. I had always hoped that he would wait for me. "Damon was much happier to see me, but then again he thought I was your girlfriend!" I knew this would definitely touch a nerve. As I move along the table, I can't help but think back to 1864 and the relationship back then.

I looked back at him, gauging his reaction, he was bothered but trying not to let it show. I knew if my heart could beat it would be racing. This was Stefan, It was finally sinking in, and he didn't care.

"Katherine I'm not doing this with you." That cold voice is still present, holding nothing of the warmth it used to hold for me.

He's really starting to get under my skin now. What is it with this man that makes me like this? Wasn't this the one reason I had kept away from him all these years. Because he was the only person who had made me feel since I turned?

"Ok, how about we don't have a couple's fight in front of all your friends?" I reply with a hint of sarcasm towards his relationship with Elena. I'm trying to lighten the mood, trying to get him to remember what it was like before.

"Walk with me?" I ask him, genuinely hoping that he'll accept. This isn't the Stefan I remember but I'm still as much in love with him as the day I left. I'd watched over him, dropping in every few years, checking to see if he was okay. He was still Stefan.

"Just tell me what you're doing here?" he's asking and I decide to be honest, at least for the most part.

"Maybe I missed you? Is that an acceptable reason?" and I had missed him, I missed him that much that I'd almost considered turning back the moment George Lockwood had started the journey out of Mystic Falls.

"What game are you playing?" He's asking. Why all the questions? But I hear a hint of something in his voice, is it longing?

"Why? You wanna play with me?" I get closer to him, caught up in the moment; it feels almost as if we are back in 1864, before he knew of vampires, of what I was, when I was just a girl he happened to love.

"I don't know, how can I play if I don't know the rules?" he's shooting back at me, his voice is almost friendly, teasing as if he wants to play but it stung to hear those words come out of his mouth. It had been our thing, no rules. It felt as if he had just forgotten everything we had before and dismissed it as nothing.

"No rules Stefan, don't you remember?" I asked, waiting for the moment when he realises. "No rules." I state more firmly.

And it was no rules, for Stefan anyway, if he had only asked I would have taken him with me, I would never have left him behind. It was real for me, and I know it was real for him.

The look in his eyes is suggesting he is contemplating it and I can feel my heart swell at the thought of him coming back to me

I walked away and waited for him by the door, glancing back holding out my hand. I turned around as I could feel him heading towards me. Smirking, I had won.

But, he walked right past, knocking my hand as he passed.

I guess he forgot that I promised I would come back for him.