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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDuk5HdwBr
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbo1akbCER
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dBUESGN4l
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKoY8RdNA4
He knelt down by her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiKU5htsbs
"I can help you."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUinxTEjUcV
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnIXkBRbXD
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIf0BuDWD1
"I know."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs853DnzoR
He looked at Elena again.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaL53cE7oU
"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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2cje2LWmB
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubvkXPYIAl
"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."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDLbcG6gZY
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkCxWq1s8G
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3f0oAq7RG
"But Katherine did."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgMozgT54s
"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."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5I6vjhAHHn
"So, wait, you were in the war?"643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZVQrlyCUr
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR65E1TUW41
"How?"643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQf2b7JBSL
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnYRuAnVgk
"Thank you, Damon."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAmS5ud1AV
"You are very welcome, Elena."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6ufW8vhb5
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrkRnh1Juc
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbGrepzNe8
"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."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgScBrw1uq
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzS6NBpTzI
"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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTuvPMHKoj
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfjtwkejUe
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRNq8ManAD
"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!"643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFKgwU6TWE
"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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgKetBgp83
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AV1x1JWJe
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4LBybGQN8
He was instantly at Elena's side.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFY99aAmFC
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9paru0A6ul
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOYEYcWbzz
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff0yK50H5E
"Damon?" Elena questioned.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq56jzILW5
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgjiHC5Rz9
"That's what that smell is?"643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdlaoiS6E2
"Yes."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA4NffHDlZ
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGlX2KzH2c
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx3umNI55t
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC38Q23UGX
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhRy3eAKd7
"Damon," she whispered.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAUzQkMoV9
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58K7aAOIHy
"Two hours," she whispered.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqQtVynTdn
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63BPhO3Gyl
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpPgmnxtuW
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.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvaKuCJYxR
Kat groaned, as she came to.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1u2aaI8UD
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0w8jIRLHNi
"Welcome back," he greeted her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAwcTZIKms
"Thanks," she replied.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFDkMLdfTv
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSrxPumpYO
Elena smiled back.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwH9YoQVIp
Damon just looked down at her.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrNbpeu2BA
"You saved my life," she added.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JdsMR4WQs
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCpjdD6KmX
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.643Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLRsN6LLld
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
