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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gpTOrkbxp
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI4vFOIKPz
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgAMFFCtru
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf71myoOwtK
He knelt down by her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyah14E0Wr2
"I can help you."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLCNNzw90s
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtF9Jr1IWr0
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzxOrFsvnW
"I know."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfL6S6ooqX
He looked at Elena again.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRUDtI5Cc1
"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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ow7ZLVadZ
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fqj4f6Q24
"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."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2dIzUewTN
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQvW9cbEe0
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPLPZxcWsC
"But Katherine did."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVyFlHSESX
"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."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs57DuX87A
"So, wait, you were in the war?"622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlKiDUjFZA
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp25Bj78kqC
"How?"622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO9L8hYuEi
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETahDBKIBI
"Thank you, Damon."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VkxxQp2hz
"You are very welcome, Elena."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUetH3jGQQL
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyL63bjtZu
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6IAQwTAZB
"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."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwl8XWvDaul
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4Yzyfd76I
"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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnutWGrnBK
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNqhopUrDb
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDM8hHprxq
"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!"622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfWSYJRzNY
"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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFV9aZqbRB
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDegQxmywVN
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZl2yONM0m
He was instantly at Elena's side.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4LEg3aj5C
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygMk8FjCfu
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IkpiGZegZ
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzx3geDEMnm
"Damon?" Elena questioned.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdcFWPTW2E
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXLt14vBCe
"That's what that smell is?"622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aTmnQj0d8
"Yes."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN7mjkHdjf
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GfDA8J4FL
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqIeoHnHHI
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIcrsaOmsX
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡml6vEQ8MbW
"Damon," she whispered.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uGSKIV4Ph
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTed1COIUSx
"Two hours," she whispered.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJrXLJdn4u
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbatiAYfNbj
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJC1ygEH5Im
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.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdUBDoob4T
Kat groaned, as she came to.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPrfQN4E3a
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSo5Q1DR1xe
"Welcome back," he greeted her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlLEwSvXgh
"Thanks," she replied.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ67qUmeUG
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNFnHiC3MB
Elena smiled back.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JxgR93ner
Damon just looked down at her.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0gegKpJlu
"You saved my life," she added.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsbs39esvW
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkl2yEwbFS
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.622Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsaAWKV64B
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
