Summary: Set in S4 after Jeremy was killed. What if Damon hadn't had her turn her humanity off? What happens when Katherine shows up in person at the boarding house?
"No, no, no, no. I can't. I can't," Elena Gilbert sobbed.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1rk1w3HbA
The match she held burned her and she let go. Before it could hit the floor though, Stefan Salvatore caught it and put it out.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCBIn6ZX77
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRPvnL2Or6
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12U1hXbDfK
He knelt down by her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCCz3FB3l2
"I can help you."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbk5V4UNpH
She wrapped her arms around Damon Salvatore and sobbed into his shoulder. As she did, he wrapped gentle arms around her and looked up at his brother.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pzENlwPeB
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAO5VGo5gJ
"I know."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWemryD76s
He looked at Elena again.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTeG2DOArG
"I can help you, Elena but right now, I want you to come home with me."
Half an hour later, she and Damon were in Damon's room. Elena was seated on his bed and Damon was seated beside her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSStfFmEZFk
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZKyo364tW
"Have you been like this before?"
"Well, not like you are, obviously but I have some experience with losing someone close. You know the basics, but you don't know what happened before Katherine."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9OqjtLUrO
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMsvWuYbOf
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2xVEZyOBr
"But Katherine did."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEobuyYyLif
"Yes. But not until after I met her. Stefan met her while I was fighting in the war. I met her after I came home on leave to see Stefan."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrIySKsVVO
"So, wait, you were in the war?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVYigBCFEA
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTJUauvRtv
"How?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhDhLpN8bQ
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5IVIGFtlW
"Thank you, Damon."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqzcmE6tVC
"You are very welcome, Elena."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tlgQh9osx
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkGOMq1xEq
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVXJEfSwB3
"I assume you want this. That's why you're looking for me. We can give Elena half and I can use the rest to Klaus. Assuming Elena wants the cure. Or shove it down either Klaus' or Silas' throat. Pick either one, but I vote for Silas. He's awake and that's bad news. Klaus can be dealt with another time."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5taJytBTu
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48vXVtdZzn
"It's not my fault Silas killed him. All I needed was the cure. I didn't know he was going to kill him. But I wanted to get it and then go," she explained.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXkhdydZ5a
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0IP2XBQjf
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SfgpGK1S0
"Don't," Elena growled in warning and anger. She wanted to rip her head off, but knew they needed answers and she had them. "You have no right to come in here and talk about my brother!"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaGMH1lIeh
"I was trying to apologize. I know what it's like to have all your human family killed," she explained through the pain from Elena's too tight of a hold. "Elena, please," she added in almost a whisper.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBblz9Cm9L
She knew Elena was upset, but she didn't need to be so rough. She knew if Elena didn't let go, she was going to black out. She was already hurt. Now she couldn't breathe and her vision was dim and gray.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOXrCJb9VB
Damon saw that Elena had too tight of a hold on her and saw Kat's reaction. Then he smelled the mixture of hybrids and her blood. That's when he knew he had to help her. She was dying. No wonder she had said she didn't want Klaus dead yet. She had been apologized.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANoobNwSf4
He was instantly at Elena's side.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsNQsMumWS
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaLrpHf1fz
Elena let go and stepped back, as she wondered what was wrong. As she did, Katherine slid down the walk with her back up against it. She coughed and gasped as she sat there with her eyes closed.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZYH7ChRqz
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqIYTJwkTg
"Damon?" Elena questioned.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtfhFCbFLX
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiCpSthZfg
"That's what that smell is?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFdiIWvYWo
"Yes."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjCAlBaHBk
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8PrJcoSPw
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8W4KnJQIC
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpXO1TRRBJ
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HPns2vUS8
"Damon," she whispered.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9L0gZD5kM
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLX3nXYHyiO
"Two hours," she whispered.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxknhHxL5V
As he picked her up in his arms to get her on his bed, she went limp as she blacked out.
Once he had her on his bed, he sat on her bedside and looked at Elena.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssvjjYIRsm
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYFBStNHpR
He watched her vanish to go obey him.
Half an hour later, he had given the cure to her and they both were standing at her bedside.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNvDpEQyPM
Kat groaned, as she came to.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpzTOuxfIZ
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrqGlW8zDE
"Welcome back," he greeted her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErUrygoTp4
"Thanks," she replied.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL6vSEwvUK
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJepuw9twFF
Elena smiled back.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC5WlE6Q6Y
Damon just looked down at her.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLr9jJgmjw
"You saved my life," she added.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hlQWGOuMD
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sH93MgWZv
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtQSNygUg8
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
