Damon parked the rental car in front of his childhood home and sighed. He looked at Katherine, watching the lights twinkling in her eyes.
"It's beautiful." She said, looking back at him. Damon walked around the car and opened the door.
"Careful, snow." He said, settling his leather jacket over her shoulders.
"Do you think that your siblings will be okay with me?" She asked as they walked up to the front door. "It's not like you ever brought me home, and I was out of town when your mom and sisters visited."
"They'll love you." He said, opening the door and ushering her in and wrapping his arms around her. "I know I do." She smiled and nuzzled into his arms.
"I love you, too." A man with sandy brown hair walked around the corner and Damon smiled.
"Hey, Ric." He said.
"Hey, Damon." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"How are they doing?" Damon asked nodding toward the living room.
"They're holding it together. Clara doesn't really understand what happened." He said. "Who's this?"
"Katherine Peirce, my girlfriend. Kat, This is Alaric Saltzman."
"Oh, God." They all laughed and Damon looked at the hallway again.
"Are they all awake?" Ric nodded and led them into the living room.
"Dami!" A little girl yelled, launching herself at him. He caught her and held her tigt against his chest. This was the first time he'd seen his little sister in a year.
"Hey, baby girl." He said. Caroline stood up from her seat next to Stefan and walked over to him. He gently put Clara on the floor and pulled her to his chest.
"It's okay." He whispered into her hair, feeling her tears dampen his shirt. "I'm right here."
"I just can't believe they're gone." She whispered.
"I know." He looked up and met his brother glare, knowing the he deserved it.
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked, standing.
"Stefan, please-" Caroline started.
"No! He doesn't get to walk in and play big brother now!" He stormed upstairs and slammed his bedroom door.
"He's still in shock." Caroline said.
"I deserve it. Caroline, I'm-"
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Damon. I now things weren't easy between you and Daddy, especially during those last few years you were here. Then you went to New York to get discovered and become a great artist. I'm okay with it." Her eyes told a different story, though. "Who's this?"
"My girlfriend-"
"So you're Katherine."Caroline's bubbly attitude broke through her mourning for a moment and Damon took in her smile. "Damon's told me a lot about you."
"He's told me about you, too. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you before..."
"It's okay...We'll have plenty of time. You're going to my sister one day, right?" Damon swallowed nervously.
"We'll see." Katherine took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"We're in no rush."
"You look exhausted, Care. Go on to bed, I'll take Clara." She nodded and Damon kissed her forehead.
"Thanks for everything Ric." He said, when she was gone.
"It was nothing. You guys are family. I'll come by tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah. Be careful, I think it's going to snow again."
"Goodnight." He left and Damon listened to his cars tires on the gravel, wondering if Ric hated him for leaving too. Clara pulled on Katherine's coat.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Will you take me to bed now?"
"Of course. Day?" He looked at her.
"Um...I'll be up in a second. Her room's first on the right." Katherine nodded and bent to pick the little girl up.
"Wait!" She ran to Damon and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Dami."
"I love you too, baby. Goodnight." The two went stairs and Damon looked around. In the three years that he'd been gone, nothing had changed. He walked up stairs and found Katherine looking at pictures. He pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her shoulder.
"Is this you?" She asked, pointing to a picture of young boy.
"Mm-hm. And that's my mother." He said pointing to a picture of his parents.
"You look like her." She said, taking in the woman's beautiful features, dark hair -curled, like Damon's after he got out of the shower- and blue eyes. She looked at the man but couldn't find any similar features to Damon.
"Let's go to bed." He said, gently tugging her hand.
"I was thinking I could take your siblings shopping tomorrow." She said as she followed him up another flight of stairs. "They're going to need something for the funeral and I thought I'd get them out of the house while the lawyer's here." He opened the door of an amazing bedroom. "Wow."
"That's a good idea." He said as he stripped down to his boxers, watching her unpack one of his t-shirts to sleep in. She curled into his side underneath warm blankets and fell asleep instantly. He ran his fingers through his hair, sadness and loneliness really setting in.
Katherine woke up alone the next morning. She sat up and looked around, noticing Damon had her bag up. She got up and got a pair of shorts out of it, and checked her phone, groaning at the five missed calls from Elijah. She tossed it on the bed and went downstairs in desperate need of coffee.
Damon was waiting, cup in hand, when she found the kitchen.
"Thank you." She said, wrapping her arms around him. He sat the cup down and held her.
"How'd you sleep?
"Okay. You?"
"Couldn't. I was too high strung." She looked up at his handsome face and touched the dark circles under his eyes.
"Isn't this sweet?" Stefan said coldly from the door way.
"Stefan-"
"I don't want to hear it." He walked away and Katherine saw the hurt in Damon's eyes. She touched his cheek.
"It's not your fault, honey."
"You don't understand, Katherine." He said, turning away from her. Usually she'd be put off by this, but it made her even more determined.
"I'll talk to him later." She promised. He was about to say something when Clara walked in, rubbing her eyes.
"What's for breakfast?" She asked. Damon smiled and scooped her up.
"Chocolate chip pancakes.
"Yay." He held her closer.
"I missed you so much, baby girl." He whispered, guilt flowing through him.
"I missed you, too, Dami." She said, wrapping her tiny hands around his shoulders as best she could. Katherine smiled, sipping her coffee, wondering if she and Damon would ever have a little girl of their own for him like that.
Damon put Clara in a chair and sat a plate in front of her.
"You want some, babe?"
"No, I'll just stick with coffee."
"But Dami's pancakes are the bestest ever!" Clara said, sending pancake mush onto the table.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Damon said, sternly, Clara nodded. He looked at Katherine, his blue eyes worried.
"Are you still up to taking the out today?"
"Of course. I love shopping."
"Shopping?" Caroline asked, walking in.
"Yeah. For tomorrow..."
"Oh." She said, her blue eyes filling with tears, but she held the back. Damon looked at the dark circles and red rims around her eyes.
"You don't have to go." He said,knowing that didn't get any sleep either.
"No. I want to go." She said, putting on a brave face. He kissed her forehead.
"Try to convince Stef to go, too, okay?"
"I will." She sat and ate, asking Damon what he'd been up to for the past three years. When they were done she took Clara upstairs to get dressed, yelling to Stefan to get ready, too.
"Do I need to get you something?" Katherine asked, wrapping her arms around Damon's shoulders. He shook his head.
"No, I'm good. Just take care of them." He kissed her again. "I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't get through this without you."
"I love you."
"I love you, too." She went to change, sighing at the long day ahead.
A little info so you're not confused. Liz does not exist in this story, Caroline is a Salvatore. Clara is an OC.
Damon- 21- Stefan, Caroline, and Clara's older brother, and an artist in New York
Katherine- 19- Damon's girlfriend
Stefan- 17- Damon's younger brother, Caroline's twin brother, Clara's older brother
Caroline- 17- Damon's younger sister, Stefan's twin sister, Clara's older sister
Clara- 5- Damon, Caroline, and Stefan's little sister
Alaric- 21- Stefan and Caroline's history teacher, Damon's best friend
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