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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAKKdbhpHs8P
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANA0mk6dr3lHY
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."584Please respect copyright.PENANACON0sKGu2i
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.584Please respect copyright.PENANAkxHqk6376O
He knelt down by her.584Please respect copyright.PENANAFLEjy3poHE
"I can help you."584Please respect copyright.PENANAIhFm8yotrW
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAWQ4r5HKBa7
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.584Please respect copyright.PENANAxnFkdlug1r
"I know."584Please respect copyright.PENANA2NCvzhaVPV
He looked at Elena again.584Please respect copyright.PENANA1auAXI3saT
"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.584Please respect copyright.PENANARuO05aDgn5
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."584Please respect copyright.PENANAIHzb91fcPp
"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."584Please respect copyright.PENANAxoUvppVmtC
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"584Please respect copyright.PENANAffC9QO0LyM
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."584Please respect copyright.PENANAfPaaCzt8yp
"But Katherine did."584Please respect copyright.PENANA5YEIJyjETq
"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."584Please respect copyright.PENANABowZbgK8ag
"So, wait, you were in the war?"584Please respect copyright.PENANAo7uZo7QJLK
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."584Please respect copyright.PENANAyKmRJRTYqt
"How?"584Please respect copyright.PENANAgLu83litKq
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."584Please respect copyright.PENANAw22sStKURr
"Thank you, Damon."584Please respect copyright.PENANA3LSfTT4u9M
"You are very welcome, Elena."584Please respect copyright.PENANAA2szYskWRc
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.584Please respect copyright.PENANAIGfAGjX4dm
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.584Please respect copyright.PENANAISnCsm1sq8
"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."584Please respect copyright.PENANAtGiYEIyuK1
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.584Please respect copyright.PENANA2qZNVF8DjX
"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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAJYzVgqQBvd
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.584Please respect copyright.PENANAYYAW7SZ7fJ
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.584Please respect copyright.PENANAtGaG8a5snf
"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!"584Please respect copyright.PENANAwbnsCUJrHd
"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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAyxoWUem7RX
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAJKAe2zdkhN
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAKiGMJKgcb2
He was instantly at Elena's side.584Please respect copyright.PENANAPqohdXwEcB
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.584Please respect copyright.PENANA06XrpsCwKN
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAC4j2anEB7O
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.584Please respect copyright.PENANAErQNvi7B9X
"Damon?" Elena questioned.584Please respect copyright.PENANAgKkKYbiAMB
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.584Please respect copyright.PENANAE8Fa8yWLcJ
"That's what that smell is?"584Please respect copyright.PENANAjM8izqGIme
"Yes."584Please respect copyright.PENANAo8yZPbM9lP
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.584Please respect copyright.PENANAfSSanT2MfF
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.584Please respect copyright.PENANAi4GYgNLMYu
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.584Please respect copyright.PENANAVUDCT2BK0s
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.584Please respect copyright.PENANAX72TOrvXLv
"Damon," she whispered.584Please respect copyright.PENANAs4csNOZ71O
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."584Please respect copyright.PENANAUyWh9TDYQr
"Two hours," she whispered.584Please respect copyright.PENANAkIeKHKhB1g
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAhEBt1mOfKG
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."584Please respect copyright.PENANAPkA6uVTgER
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.584Please respect copyright.PENANAVomfa1crr8
Kat groaned, as she came to.584Please respect copyright.PENANAYz1koRfLvE
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.584Please respect copyright.PENANAABJO2CD72M
"Welcome back," he greeted her.584Please respect copyright.PENANAMuZsJzWZyO
"Thanks," she replied.584Please respect copyright.PENANAHVZzsoaEfd
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.584Please respect copyright.PENANA5h63lFjfl8
Elena smiled back.584Please respect copyright.PENANAphbXBoiqXs
Damon just looked down at her.584Please respect copyright.PENANACvNAvuDmUk
"You saved my life," she added.584Please respect copyright.PENANAQQIKX9DTWo
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.584Please respect copyright.PENANAEass9ZXiPw
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.584Please respect copyright.PENANAOhWWBykoqp
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.