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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ666vfaqwZu
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaGXlftxAR
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0veSg7QSG4
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ937QUTN0x7
He knelt down by her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AfHgaUjn2
"I can help you."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2B06K4tdg
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZO3MGOHQSM
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9IARDlY1H
"I know."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNUhk5pQTk
He looked at Elena again.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3WPjIsbDX
"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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyno88yNiTh
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKw38dkdmY
"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."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLAUUZWI8P
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wtKNbRhFy
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl3PcQlpzF
"But Katherine did."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyMTSkgC55
"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."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXbAqEkKEu
"So, wait, you were in the war?"669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncmhAZH74H
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPe5qXI2Q4e
"How?"669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdT71NjFRj
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNBatA6mYC
"Thank you, Damon."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRV1SPO2jk
"You are very welcome, Elena."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAMPoX81Vx
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA4na6kKDW
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvWn52xWWe
"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."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uDrxj7W6J
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrskFlh6gGX
"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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSRCIKIwRZ
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2tZNu6iE0
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1peMdpTRLG
"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!"669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxu3pas3gS
"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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfffz25QN0W
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJo5EYoGxg
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygM95RA6Dv
He was instantly at Elena's side.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDAEWhbJZQ
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ApmjkNQT6
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya4KovjJuC
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEq0gGhs6g1
"Damon?" Elena questioned.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W8knqUeq9
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp6uEM6mHA
"That's what that smell is?"669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjy1nvJg2u
"Yes."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxx6h3VVEr
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ43sX0Xm0b
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcbgc4DPFZ
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQAZotGtXY
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZvktmZLC7
"Damon," she whispered.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpEEhGeQon
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjDniokBry
"Two hours," she whispered.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXQ1BsHP4q
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfKvjGvaOp
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkw2OM9E6XJ
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.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOEOj3N41m
Kat groaned, as she came to.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAvHdn7Qsc
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWddOkH8OBk
"Welcome back," he greeted her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGro1qmsV2P
"Thanks," she replied.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPcEMWAMF1
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5o2VY4t8Y
Elena smiled back.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkL4LeMs6C5
Damon just looked down at her.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4l3Ilb8bY
"You saved my life," she added.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBBIMRc5Nu
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiAkj36ibC
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.669Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4e79oVg3P
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
