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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4k5dhuIym
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOzO0HLDW3
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqrUOHzElD
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzgCZ57a7l
He knelt down by her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHVIR8mV1t
"I can help you."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uGRVSwZK0
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzSt74siMO
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZXNg5adcK
"I know."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZn54EU0jr
He looked at Elena again.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uQPmd2MtJ
"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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5bWYDBWxO
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jMyGUFvdI
"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."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wtZwWehjN
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14akMOFVkp
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MbMKW84Zw
"But Katherine did."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVggKPPUMn6
"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."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHYJ0Me6qP
"So, wait, you were in the war?"688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmvtQ4XdFb
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUUXkmyXjG
"How?"688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKlSe4kglX
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAMsmvwUP7
"Thank you, Damon."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvWDSkQFj4
"You are very welcome, Elena."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXQDtLvy62
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLn8eP81qj
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvjm6iOejB
"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."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRR5H8IVYR
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L7M3pJ6sX
"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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡED5RX2dvB8
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlApyL98Kd
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvJ5wyzPff
"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!"688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xzDofPEUV
"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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMoeJTTktk
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCUm9tI73e
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozVFNSaaW3
He was instantly at Elena's side.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2yzzQ3hbt
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOZNAPF3BY
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxs5yh2ywm
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjta9PuIfs7
"Damon?" Elena questioned.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqDzR5w7bI
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilclNKQFzM
"That's what that smell is?"688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfJHx2wOij
"Yes."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF40mc5mLN
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wfFqTQ90y
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGuKZA5Mjw
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHStgF2YVeW
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewh0C9ZNXx
"Damon," she whispered.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPL1BDxLcO
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw7cgG1d2P
"Two hours," she whispered.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpQYbMnKCF
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11YNfS9NUU
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3E7SuYSHU
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.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO5udtcdoF
Kat groaned, as she came to.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf73wTrkiC4
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg9kb1XjjC
"Welcome back," he greeted her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwYdQZZs8n
"Thanks," she replied.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZStdkoKEFB
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPl24Z4md19
Elena smiled back.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaqgENrWRx
Damon just looked down at her.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGD9nZP3Ah
"You saved my life," she added.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUi2bCe80JY
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ztD9Wtwqs
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.688Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcN5culsa4T
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
