Hiya! I'm new to writing just regular fiction- I usually write fan fiction.
But I'm giving it a shot.
Bare with me, you won't understand the first few chapters but once I get all the people set straight it'll be a good story.
Promise!

'Rain, flooding. Another beautiful day.' Vanity sighed to herself, grabbing her phone before it could ring and piss her father off.

"What is it?" She asked quietly into the phone.

"Kat's missing," The line went dead. She rolled her eyes, why did everyone insist on informing her about something she already knew?

She placed the phone back on the desk and looked out of the window. Vanity knew Kat was missing, she knew how long, too. Thirteen minutes thirty-six seconds and counting.

But she didn't know where she was. Vanity wasn't that lucky. She only knew the woman was no longer here- among the living. Meaning she had gone to the other side, without them.

The phone was in her hand again, scrolling through the contacts and stopping on Derek. He would know.

He picked up the phone right after she had pressed it to her ear.

"Where is she?" She hissed into the phone, trying hard to keep her voice low.

"Chill, man. Chill. She's in The Forest. No big deal, more than likely she's training- you used to do that."

Vanity snapped the phone shut, not bothering with a parting word. She re-opened the phone.

"J. She’s in The Forest," Vanity yanked on a pair of freshly washed jeans over regular underwear- no need to be fancy, the clothes would just get messed up- before walking to her closet and digging through the pile of clothes on the floor. She out a weathered Rage Against the Machine t-shirt and shoving it over her bare shoulders- she had just taken a shower.

"How'd you know?" A heavy accented voice asked.

"Derek."

"Well damn, I was hopping-" He cut himself off and started a different sentence, "How long has she been there?"

"Fourteen minutes forty-three seconds."

"Getting better all the time, sweat heart. See you in a few," The line went dead just as a pair of strong arms encircled her waist.

She nearly gasped until familiar lips pressed against her temple. Vanity smiled into Jared's chest, taking in his natural smell.

"Getting better all the time," She murmured. A rough hand tilted her chin up and smooth lips met hers.

Once she struggled out of the death hug he had her in the sun shone across her face, igniting the rainbow of colors that was her hair.

"I see you've been none too happy lately," A smile graced the man's full lips.

"You guessed right. Mom came by earlier."

J. nodded, not wanting to offend her by saying something wrong.

Vanity looked out at the town below her. "Let's get going. The others are already on the other side."

Jared nodded, "Just a few more minutes," He tilted her head up and mashed their lips together, picking her up and laying her soft body on the bed. He carefully kneeled over her, not breaking the contact of their kiss.

They eventually had to, though. Breathing is important. By this time he had one hand on the small of her back, holding her body against his while the other held his weight.

Vanity smiled, it was times like this that she lived for. It hadn't always been this way, though. She used to be normal. Many years ago.

"You have such a pretty smile," He informed her, smiling himself.

She nudged his shoulder, "You know how Damion acts when he sees us right after we make love. I'd rather not deal with that today."

Jared nodded, both closing their eyes and shifting their minds to the other plain.

.:.

The first thing Vanity noticed was the look on Damion's face. Not the usual mask of happiness- but instead a look of grief flooded every inch of his brown face.

"They must've gotten together," Vanity whispered in wonder. How could someone fall in love with a woman who had recently been your cat?

'Easy, you look at who they are now instead of who they used to be.' Damion answered her unspoken question with an unspoken answer.

Vanity almost shuddered, she still found that creepy.

'Not creepy. Different. And thank you, I am not in the mood for a play by play of your last sexual encounter.'

She resisted the urge to snort. 'Outta my head, now.'

'Got it.'

"So, as you can see, Kat's not here!" Philip was ranting about his sister not being in The Forest. "Derek, you were wrong. Why do we even rely on his gift when he's wrong?"

"Oh, please. Like yours is any better," Tally rolled her eyes, the tails of her coat billowing around her in the slight breeze.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Derek sneered, totally ignoring Philip's comment. "Now, back to the problem at hand. Her presence is right...here," A transparent map of the surrounding area appeared for everyone to see- he pointed to a spot in the middle of a large clear-cut section of the forest.

Vanity and Damion nodded. "She's been here for almost thirty-eight minutes," She said.

"Her mind is ill at ease. I can not receive a correct reading of her incentives," Damion closed his eyes and leaned to the West- where the clearing was. His eyes opened after a moment and his face became strained. "She's phased. I can no longer read her."

"This is a pain," Philip grumbled. "Jared, just catch her."

"Will do," Vanity's boyfriend disappeared and reappeared just a seconds later. "I can't find her."

"What the hell!?" Damion shrieked, hands flying up to either side of his temple. Five pairs of wide eyes stared at him- he never curses.

Kat leaped lightly from a tree, triumph showing on her face- or rather the face of the snow leopard. She sat on her hunches, her head turned slightly to the West, where she had come from.

"Mo'Fo!" Derek darted into the bushes.

"Aw, not now!" Philip grumbled and looked at Damion, who was still bent over, clutching at his head.

"I'll be alright. Finish the bastard off," Damion opened one eye and looked at Philip followed by Jared, who nodded in return.

"Kat, you mind telling us what the hell's going on?" Jared leaned forward and reached out his hand to her. She hissed at him but complied.

The cat's body shimmered and shook before reforming into Kat's lethal body- of course she had no clothes on.

She placed her hands on her hips and scowled. " I was enjoying time alone, then you six have to come and ruin everything."

Jared rolled his eyes but shimmered and disappeared.

"Oh, please, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days," Tally walked over to Kat and placed her jacket around the nineteen year old.

She snorted, "I havn't died yet."

"Yet being the word of your choosing," Damion stood straight, with only the slightest crease in his brow.

"Aw, now's not the time for your beliefs, D."

"He's just relieved," Tally patted Kat on the back and Vanity jumped as Jared appeared with his arms already wrapped around her.

"Don't do that again. Not cool," Vanity muttered but stretched on tiptoe to kiss his chin.

"Now, back to the problem. Kat. Why'd you come to The Forest?" Jared moved away from Vanity and took a seat on the ground.

"I can answer that!" Derek popped out of the bushes with his hand raised enthusiastically. Not waiting for an answer he continued, "A slice in the mind warp opened. She was just trying to help out." He came to a stop next to Jared, followed his example and took a seat as well.

"Just what we need, another thing messing with our minds," Vanity mumbled and everyone let out a much needed chuckle.

Please review and tell me if I should bother continuing it...