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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTAdf6pP8Q
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU4bPRTYxy
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcPkbKOtC2
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOfSAl8ctk
He knelt down by her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGob5Q5fkw
"I can help you."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLcVZRb6kH
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW4iPWBuHo
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8TK56SNpr
"I know."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg48JxXoaB
He looked at Elena again.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDJBek7kue
"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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡln4UsQMh9c
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjxjpHVUYN
"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."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4s8JiWFYY
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WFA6fQ0p1
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhoI9Zhxha
"But Katherine did."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5d7c1Ja7Lk
"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."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvXkdliWaA
"So, wait, you were in the war?"625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgm9tgt54gt
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3JktT6GQR
"How?"625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQnDH7nkBm
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQi59KNLXn
"Thank you, Damon."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncKGEnF45q
"You are very welcome, Elena."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9zruJbBGx
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcf5QRD2Hn
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY7htxE3sb
"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."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTWducaYnx
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWjY4UOkAa
"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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYPutCimru
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFed2iXA2uB
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81qhRMdCPk
"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!"625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QuZXxhtu2
"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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wRtNHCoVE
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1ZHrXtS2D
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmbc3vH5HY
He was instantly at Elena's side.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xkt2QubRm
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMWkjpPnVE
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8EIh9UZsK
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyq1l8pjJ5
"Damon?" Elena questioned.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj155N5wpYp
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BY5SZQOVj
"That's what that smell is?"625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRs0TXSMm8
"Yes."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFqyVMnjl7
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODMdPeoHkq
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdZMzEUiM7
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zV0ozDbrB
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAy53wG3Yl
"Damon," she whispered.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EPO3Ii8op
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajFWAarYuT
"Two hours," she whispered.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2qv7WnKZp
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdAFYW5wuD
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1o6VAOI43
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.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoth3vCt0B
Kat groaned, as she came to.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTeKbz6nH3
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9Er6xcTS1
"Welcome back," he greeted her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SvoOPLVky
"Thanks," she replied.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSRZonaaFA
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YGufaC15U
Elena smiled back.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkmkUAkQaS
Damon just looked down at her.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nJoi3UzOO
"You saved my life," she added.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRFBNQOLYK
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD56slShq4
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.625Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulcTCeZpVq
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
