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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAszV4gnuZpv
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAdDcfFmymgL
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."491Please respect copyright.PENANAxVpoaWxo2e
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.491Please respect copyright.PENANALqjPaqmFhn
He knelt down by her.491Please respect copyright.PENANABgbLGtlUrE
"I can help you."491Please respect copyright.PENANAPL2gbV3h6e
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAKMlKEbvGgU
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.491Please respect copyright.PENANAo8XZ42SAxT
"I know."491Please respect copyright.PENANA5jwP8BOsyU
He looked at Elena again.491Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9shHhvl5S
"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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAgvp1H69cur
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."491Please respect copyright.PENANAT9wXNliM5o
"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."491Please respect copyright.PENANAHkhNOspjIu
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"491Please respect copyright.PENANAeZYLBLm2Zy
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."491Please respect copyright.PENANAj5posuUA40
"But Katherine did."491Please respect copyright.PENANAQYbg4TAvIL
"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."491Please respect copyright.PENANARWjy897Uky
"So, wait, you were in the war?"491Please respect copyright.PENANAYttNPKx5Uh
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."491Please respect copyright.PENANAWxAZMJX9hZ
"How?"491Please respect copyright.PENANAQsicHpc7Do
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."491Please respect copyright.PENANAjWBReyl1a1
"Thank you, Damon."491Please respect copyright.PENANADGyyx2rfju
"You are very welcome, Elena."491Please respect copyright.PENANAfkHEHfU6eD
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.491Please respect copyright.PENANAzpRTBdzBjQ
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.491Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZpLcc1Kdp
"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."491Please respect copyright.PENANA8JjaKmjAiL
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.491Please respect copyright.PENANA72pD15us2l
"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.491Please respect copyright.PENANA8WXan8IdzY
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.491Please respect copyright.PENANAncdEF6NZ23
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.491Please respect copyright.PENANA5IZv1IB9N0
"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!"491Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3ZFc1YwJJ
"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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAurX7iwUgdh
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANA64T81iJ63o
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAF3Dax04xTo
He was instantly at Elena's side.491Please respect copyright.PENANACNTw0J8v3j
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.491Please respect copyright.PENANAJzdHhnyDDu
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANA2e6GU9y1mS
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.491Please respect copyright.PENANAklvnuFi2RZ
"Damon?" Elena questioned.491Please respect copyright.PENANAorRzDoCWca
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.491Please respect copyright.PENANAUmcydNQTeH
"That's what that smell is?"491Please respect copyright.PENANA6XU5jQpETp
"Yes."491Please respect copyright.PENANAKPaBO9pi4s
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.491Please respect copyright.PENANAHXX5ptk0nS
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.491Please respect copyright.PENANAdzCN8802RR
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.491Please respect copyright.PENANAWa9AXCE0pg
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.491Please respect copyright.PENANAipqttCymAJ
"Damon," she whispered.491Please respect copyright.PENANAEsujZS99Ui
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."491Please respect copyright.PENANA7mwmoQPcms
"Two hours," she whispered.491Please respect copyright.PENANApkAOKQqkk8
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAQCU3FXHi5J
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."491Please respect copyright.PENANA3v8mJndrCQ
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.491Please respect copyright.PENANAUXxN6IDUG2
Kat groaned, as she came to.491Please respect copyright.PENANA1BXFbNNRJC
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.491Please respect copyright.PENANAIzExSwfPIk
"Welcome back," he greeted her.491Please respect copyright.PENANAGThlCM5KCm
"Thanks," she replied.491Please respect copyright.PENANAK4MUWtHufa
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.491Please respect copyright.PENANAfm8QBXUXv8
Elena smiled back.491Please respect copyright.PENANAbAWfd9RgMA
Damon just looked down at her.491Please respect copyright.PENANANapbn3rwod
"You saved my life," she added.491Please respect copyright.PENANAum5kKbv92b
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.491Please respect copyright.PENANASrzkGnaJW4
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.491Please respect copyright.PENANAFQp4g21oa1
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.