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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbwVQGZnJ4
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5n1ZUnZCYZ
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY5hnBhubc
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c6H7tsUMl
He knelt down by her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauPbTFHVO1
"I can help you."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YSas9Vg4G
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW90mN4GhLv
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbyBFKPOYC
"I know."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXg5IL8KD4i
He looked at Elena again.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaW2Ac53y8
"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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzM4UHKA6J9
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBWpNJ1o6s
"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."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01ac35hUuj
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVFGxQbdnd
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC2BYBaK3h
"But Katherine did."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWH6iEmIQU5
"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."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUA8zKD2ek3
"So, wait, you were in the war?"585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmgBPoj8We
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp73HhQBC5E
"How?"585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgULDiki0Ff
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkyXpzjFEb
"Thank you, Damon."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE0rTe7vL1
"You are very welcome, Elena."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQffdtRGSmE
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxuVDGLGpt
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDETDCZkvN
"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."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXSNWdmEWG
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROZLwOba6M
"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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3babLwJ3MI
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy6W3I1k6j
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4pjYy4ivJ
"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!"585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVdLMNgQ4J
"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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdnvWkIC4q
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2FR997k9T
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XNZmtkUNi
He was instantly at Elena's side.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBetCDLdYJi
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfNDvIkCiX
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFJqTUQO9x
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQhPUQz0iC
"Damon?" Elena questioned.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡix07sMihzD
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4n8SdRGam
"That's what that smell is?"585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjXo7vj8Um
"Yes."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNLmtr9w9q
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ueM14cHHo
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEfdBFwVb9
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtfUkl5BYa
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaPSsoJJas
"Damon," she whispered.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUx3hZCTEMy
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNx4kFMJmo
"Two hours," she whispered.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCair0pLABH
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZlAFjCJM6
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUuvIefB5V
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkPH9aSUO8
Kat groaned, as she came to.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItmNfWFBjX
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCktJzABxV
"Welcome back," he greeted her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iecI5GmgB
"Thanks," she replied.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6UU97QyUd
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBPmlm1xwl
Elena smiled back.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5MIuEp1Na
Damon just looked down at her.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8o6NuLwPh
"You saved my life," she added.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDzpVi3uAU
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3gdYZH3qA
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8jud7mn4m
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
