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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAhsY6VJXAo0
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAcLKFk7FHFG
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."485Please respect copyright.PENANA8SOSFTKJgI
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.485Please respect copyright.PENANAiFB5Mhk33Q
He knelt down by her.485Please respect copyright.PENANA9v35SHXHMd
"I can help you."485Please respect copyright.PENANAdG9FVkFQFY
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAw2uVVMpd67
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.485Please respect copyright.PENANAcFRerxxvYh
"I know."485Please respect copyright.PENANAgqeksPhfBW
He looked at Elena again.485Please respect copyright.PENANAAVWA8FqJ6h
"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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAi9z8h5o7sh
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."485Please respect copyright.PENANAt5A4d1FTkU
"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."485Please respect copyright.PENANANKCheQV96s
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAXkV6kmwYgr
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."485Please respect copyright.PENANAZE3Z46bBwM
"But Katherine did."485Please respect copyright.PENANAVkJeuccFSW
"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."485Please respect copyright.PENANA2WSyfjxGFB
"So, wait, you were in the war?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAMZbAj66tJA
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."485Please respect copyright.PENANAamqctbC8NV
"How?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAiEGmOMjTkX
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."485Please respect copyright.PENANALLLasepppr
"Thank you, Damon."485Please respect copyright.PENANAG13lj0t4Bd
"You are very welcome, Elena."485Please respect copyright.PENANA8Lmri9Hspd
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.485Please respect copyright.PENANAS0A3bdSTIL
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.485Please respect copyright.PENANAElxk8Jrhx1
"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."485Please respect copyright.PENANAa54ONnX736
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAF9LmMg4iBw
"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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAmYPE9Xf2sU
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.485Please respect copyright.PENANAWa1GnOc6Ic
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.485Please respect copyright.PENANA0m4t3jbROp
"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!"485Please respect copyright.PENANAMV6oIqYyal
"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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAtZJugfPxMO
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANA4HGVVFVs26
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANA9QzfNpiHeb
He was instantly at Elena's side.485Please respect copyright.PENANApF6rvJySdz
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAqSwkSqJs8E
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANA1rsgPSyLmv
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.485Please respect copyright.PENANAAmIwB74kF1
"Damon?" Elena questioned.485Please respect copyright.PENANAwB4ImVaZTy
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.485Please respect copyright.PENANA5rqgZ38PSQ
"That's what that smell is?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAWmbTA69P3S
"Yes."485Please respect copyright.PENANA68KlTslFN6
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.485Please respect copyright.PENANAyTI2D2yqZk
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.485Please respect copyright.PENANAb7Lpd7exEy
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.485Please respect copyright.PENANAG2a7z28Mj5
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.485Please respect copyright.PENANAAyC3R19g7K
"Damon," she whispered.485Please respect copyright.PENANARpnrqelP8U
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."485Please respect copyright.PENANAtRet3P13PS
"Two hours," she whispered.485Please respect copyright.PENANATWc7eN5Brz
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAor2N0j1bNX
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."485Please respect copyright.PENANADUk7bG3m7D
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAVxwnWUNs4E
Kat groaned, as she came to.485Please respect copyright.PENANA7lG6sCNi77
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAlcWLeK65SF
"Welcome back," he greeted her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAoO2WTz3ojg
"Thanks," she replied.485Please respect copyright.PENANAFCvlbJdLCD
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.485Please respect copyright.PENANAEHbap1dVPR
Elena smiled back.485Please respect copyright.PENANAsEdqKzZ7cB
Damon just looked down at her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAWFKcm6HRRy
"You saved my life," she added.485Please respect copyright.PENANAoe9WiN4z0d
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.485Please respect copyright.PENANA0nATTtn7Jb
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.485Please respect copyright.PENANAbBNUA4Eu1V
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.