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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAHNWVgXuhLY
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAJZhYcXqATL
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."490Please respect copyright.PENANAvUZ0N3McPS
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.490Please respect copyright.PENANAHuPpF00oZx
He knelt down by her.490Please respect copyright.PENANAQWQjstQLoQ
"I can help you."490Please respect copyright.PENANAqytbFhkCFB
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAfHW9iEzCTg
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.490Please respect copyright.PENANAqcFPBmj6vE
"I know."490Please respect copyright.PENANAC3A9uzIeMe
He looked at Elena again.490Please respect copyright.PENANAI8ZNRPRQ2m
"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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAuivvskqAvw
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."490Please respect copyright.PENANAEQSg0iTqOL
"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."490Please respect copyright.PENANAKp6aqnbW79
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"490Please respect copyright.PENANAR1x7wckijc
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."490Please respect copyright.PENANAp4for2Aolq
"But Katherine did."490Please respect copyright.PENANALVQDI4NBRe
"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."490Please respect copyright.PENANAyW6h4hWidM
"So, wait, you were in the war?"490Please respect copyright.PENANAXqjRNZMX8A
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."490Please respect copyright.PENANAlrxwnDRZRD
"How?"490Please respect copyright.PENANAMnMI5sEDsh
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."490Please respect copyright.PENANAPpu3mbcIIu
"Thank you, Damon."490Please respect copyright.PENANAvJufSLFIqm
"You are very welcome, Elena."490Please respect copyright.PENANAlC01x10PVm
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.490Please respect copyright.PENANABd9mbkiCQI
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.490Please respect copyright.PENANAnhqMrRGz4U
"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."490Please respect copyright.PENANAblfdcgLdAd
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.490Please respect copyright.PENANANnyiXmBqxz
"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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAS7YUhGZdCZ
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.490Please respect copyright.PENANAAab7re938Z
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.490Please respect copyright.PENANATftGwWjwZ0
"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!"490Please respect copyright.PENANAN2HBMJpDRb
"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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAthI6EuRaCV
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANA2Sjh0sApTC
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAEp7UPhJIVy
He was instantly at Elena's side.490Please respect copyright.PENANAPsNDA50rfR
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.490Please respect copyright.PENANArDpuM2q8cB
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAYszihlOvKE
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.490Please respect copyright.PENANAovUJfopK3c
"Damon?" Elena questioned.490Please respect copyright.PENANACtrIlKurJV
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.490Please respect copyright.PENANAYY8nJoXvTp
"That's what that smell is?"490Please respect copyright.PENANAuCm5yJQpvi
"Yes."490Please respect copyright.PENANAIgcNHIQkX1
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.490Please respect copyright.PENANAR4af21RMx2
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.490Please respect copyright.PENANAD7MneP8sUS
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.490Please respect copyright.PENANAuuzTcGe2WY
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.490Please respect copyright.PENANAm2roz6ieXm
"Damon," she whispered.490Please respect copyright.PENANA0bjZto1lam
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."490Please respect copyright.PENANAlbUCTUIfAa
"Two hours," she whispered.490Please respect copyright.PENANAcjaTTID1Gm
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANAgNsXZ9R3AR
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."490Please respect copyright.PENANAiT0g9RF55K
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.490Please respect copyright.PENANA1c4qobalYL
Kat groaned, as she came to.490Please respect copyright.PENANAD7U2vcJHhP
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.490Please respect copyright.PENANAf3zZ4gMrs0
"Welcome back," he greeted her.490Please respect copyright.PENANAb8W9zRNl9X
"Thanks," she replied.490Please respect copyright.PENANAmaQqnskMUK
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.490Please respect copyright.PENANAWYwniKH59Z
Elena smiled back.490Please respect copyright.PENANANuY90WIowE
Damon just looked down at her.490Please respect copyright.PENANAjaHzT6m7F9
"You saved my life," she added.490Please respect copyright.PENANAuUuvuXMbkd
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.490Please respect copyright.PENANAzYUwiPdPZ6
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.490Please respect copyright.PENANA9APo25RUNj
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.