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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf4gUqsBxD
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvzfMTD4xY
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9UQbZQwKv
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadFxbDomaG
He knelt down by her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4CVHwEXZT
"I can help you."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU06T2dZhV
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJSUfWUDFh
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbw1c7XCxV
"I know."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslNcGqVSgA
He looked at Elena again.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzYwAcE1Hc
"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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bpLPYsXND
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdF6NDJ6vW
"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."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHN1CypFLF
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Sv4JJzK4p
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeErcFKAaAl
"But Katherine did."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6ur10dn7o
"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."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3qqJvWwq0
"So, wait, you were in the war?"666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7n72EfzRu
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbT2ZW9TvG
"How?"666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUscTGeVHO
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWsAZRlGXC
"Thank you, Damon."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wtI3WI0gn
"You are very welcome, Elena."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZrEMJzSQi
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfK8Qpb2pD
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0Iju9Wdid
"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."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YNfasaXVc
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK8Plaq6ZP
"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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JgPT9al17
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8yH1bZVeu
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYNDLq0Odx
"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!"666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxbsEcvRN7
"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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOND9OKRpNP
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFhTr93vkr
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRXhAy9XB3
He was instantly at Elena's side.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13PfDUvcTC
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFRzSCX9QH
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEdbFKQkV9
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMgoRRMsFv
"Damon?" Elena questioned.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMvWMqHevl
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElnXbptSAC
"That's what that smell is?"666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh1MfqO0B0
"Yes."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSS4EGQtO8
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTNdWeHtW3
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu9empVyiq
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMvjWkkcn2
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoqq6kKPKx
"Damon," she whispered.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsmbfrkXiW
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE0yUyjiiD
"Two hours," she whispered.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwq8KmixA8
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w0nAeftHN
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2WhAvVf84
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.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYeBuMuvyy
Kat groaned, as she came to.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNEBHh3OnN
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkcx5U6wpb
"Welcome back," he greeted her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYIbAuAbPS
"Thanks," she replied.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Mq7P2O0qX
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81kaaGQvkE
Elena smiled back.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4sx87UNP7
Damon just looked down at her.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsl9y5fLV0
"You saved my life," she added.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVddU7asgS
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKwiAwWFrR
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.666Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlq4Opd50E0
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
