Summary: Set after S8. What if Kat came back to life? When Damon finds her hurt, will he leave her to her own demise, or will he save her? What will ensue?591Please respect copyright.PENANAuU1N1Kt3q5
It was a nebulous night, as Damon Salvatore drove out of Mystic Falls, away from the pain and misery the town had given him. After they’d found a way to wake Elena up and save Damon from the evil that had gotten him inside that vault, he’d had his time with Elena but that was over with. She’d died just as Katherine had, so he was getting the hell out of dodge. 591Please respect copyright.PENANAhWt2TukzjE
When he saw someone laying in the middle of the road, he stopped the car and got out to see who it was. And when he stood between her and the front of his car, he knew who exactly it was.591Please respect copyright.PENANAgLGNv1x7xq
“Katherine?” he questioned, surprised. She’d been dead for nearly seven years, after all. What the hell is she doing here? he thought, and knelt down beside her, looking down at her. As he did, he saw that she’d come from a prison world, because there was an ascendant not far from where she lay. He assessed her with his eyes and saw blood on either side of her head, a dagger in her thigh, and saw that her lower stomach was bleeding as well as her side. He also saw that her shoulder was dislocated and she was pale from blood loss. Her breathing was slow too, but she was still alive. He gently slid an arm under her, pulling her gently into his arms, her arm around his shoulders, and slid his other arm under her legs, and got to his feet. 591Please respect copyright.PENANADGIqv22Poj
“Let’s get you out of here.”591Please respect copyright.PENANAca1zA96LuA
A few minutes later, he was driving out of town towards the next closest hospital, one hand holding a towel in place on her lower stomach wound, applying pressure to try and at least slow the bleeding. He just hoped that she would survive long enough for him to get her to the hospital. She’d been dying of old age and hadn’t been able to digest vampire blood last time she was human, so he didn’t want to try feeding her his blood. 591Please respect copyright.PENANAjulSp5lz4e
“Stay with me, Katherine. You’re going to be okay. You just need to keep fighting,” he encouraged, though he didn’t know if she could hear him. 591Please respect copyright.PENANADqPJKQoS1L
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An hour later, he was pacing in the waiting room in the next town over from Mystic Falls, Virginia. She’d been in such terrible shape when he’d brought her in that he didn’t know whether or not she would live.591Please respect copyright.PENANA414oU7nKWf
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An hour later, a doctor finally came over to him and informed him that she was very lucky. She'd had a dislocated shoulder, opened artery in her thigh, and some internal bleeding, but would be just fine.591Please respect copyright.PENANAC80YkQCn9V
A few minutes later, he walked into her hospital room and sat on her bedside. He was glad that he cared for her. Her being injured and nearly dying again made him realize something. He didn’t want her to die, because he loved her and probably never even stopped loving her. He didn’t think he’d ever feel like this towards her ever again, but here he was, sitting on her hospital bed, back in love with her. He rested a gentle hand on the side of her face, looking down at her silently.591Please respect copyright.PENANALRnXo6VSxt
He gave her a smile, when she woke up.591Please respect copyright.PENANAN5YLPGOYUN
“Hey,” he greeted her.591Please respect copyright.PENANA14OvSTtI0h
She smiled back. “Hey.”591Please respect copyright.PENANAuO7g6dwiIo
“So, mind telling me what happened? You almost died on the road,” he inquired of her.591Please respect copyright.PENANAO6vA5cVDEZ
“I ended up in a not so kind prison world and used the ascendant to escape,” she answered him.591Please respect copyright.PENANAI5bRB6sVbo
“Well, I never thought I would say this, but I’m glad you’re alive. I guess you almost dying made me realize that I still care. I realize now that I never stopped loving you, even when I was in love with Elena,” he confessed to her.591Please respect copyright.PENANA6XDZH1QyIW
She gave a smile. “What got you to stop hating me? All you ever did was try to kill me, party over my death, torment me on my deathbed, and threaten me.”591Please respect copyright.PENANAA7sYFttG0O
“I know and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I was just so angry at you for telling me that you never loved me. You hurt me more than you ever had before,” he apologized.591Please respect copyright.PENANAU57wOaGkuG
She smiled. “It’s okay. All is forgiven.” She rested a gentle hand on the side of his face. “My sweet, innocent Damon.”591Please respect copyright.PENANAZSjsqgnOo7
He gave a smile and she put her hand down.591Please respect copyright.PENANAZU8snyFT1n
After looking at each other for a few minutes, they began to make out passionately.591Please respect copyright.PENANAIfwRWWo2hb