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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP3R5JRUeQ
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJA8lb8HCV
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNflY843yB
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsHqPjMbeZ
He knelt down by her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPpSCK7AGb
"I can help you."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8gwkq0mS0
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXDFwUvkL1
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoRnXfsL3c
"I know."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl1ynVSVwt
He looked at Elena again.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYi3Eu6qlm
"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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPJsko1s9x
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnK4ZQYHb9
"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."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGGzB0koCl
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bovatG3Pd
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfNhUwykwE
"But Katherine did."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqEsybOiXL
"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."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zioteVYUE
"So, wait, you were in the war?"689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKNZ5NDM9a
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZywoHGCdwB
"How?"689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIm0OOrrGo
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMSt200iNB
"Thank you, Damon."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vx1UYfZ8i
"You are very welcome, Elena."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivelAMxMm1
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJZEPjehrN
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeQyyZaTxX
"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."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HVjoTH7Vy
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaLusXOiJj
"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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmI2xy3A1DF
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZnKd2Zfz4
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGLuQIOrIS
"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!"689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAZYYDR28B
"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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBDSbiEmfx
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOky0QV4fFU
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7YQeIody2
He was instantly at Elena's side.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8335eXSpdf
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAuAE654Qn
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN6a2CpOHc
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpAJy7tWQs
"Damon?" Elena questioned.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKx2DV3ruGc
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZO2J8P52A3
"That's what that smell is?"689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBM8fFx6HK8
"Yes."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RCDAzrnsh
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAjhv364sG
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7W849GMcW
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9rYTvvSCD
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPM7QNMJYK
"Damon," she whispered.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmQTuLLpOa
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aPW8KyfvE
"Two hours," she whispered.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHtxiemngr
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAQOh12Zwg
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjf6ahG97cm
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDTjNzAs1t
Kat groaned, as she came to.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKSdu3rs4c
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVad1uxm80
"Welcome back," he greeted her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rTSucErCW
"Thanks," she replied.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNeQ7WG9bq
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNUvUvQ2DP
Elena smiled back.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnt8lASDqt
Damon just looked down at her.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltFhRbg7ie
"You saved my life," she added.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17bZq44iXe
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cJtVu1Yy4
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQFAnXRGFn
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
