A/N: As I mentioned in on Twitter, this update is centered more on Katherine and Damon. But I promise I will get back to Stefan and Elena next time!
I apologize for the wait. Work threw a curveball at me, so I have been spending time sorting that out.
Enjoy!
He had stayed a little later at work than usual, dragging his feet in an attempt to not have to go home.
The entire day, all he could think about was Katherine and what she had told him. It was true. He had wanted kids more than anything. Raising Stefan had convinced him that there was no better feeling in the world than raising children. Katherine had said she wanted them too, but wanted to wait. Damon had been fine with that, because Stefan kept them pretty busy.
It would have been a hell of a lot easier to hear Katherine tell him that she couldn't have kids than to watch her walk out the door for good. He was still angry about that, but in light of what she had told him the night before, he really didn't feel like he could keep pushing her away. She had seemed genuinely upset. Katherine rarely showed that kind of emotion.
Katherine had come back and she had come clean about why she left. He just wasn't convinced that she would stick around very long. He hoped for Stefan's sake that she would, because he really looked up to her.
When seven rolled around, he decided he had better head home.
The kitchen light was on when he walked in, and something smelled amazing. He walked towards the kitchen, following the smell, and found her standing in front of the stove stirring something in a pan. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come home" Katherine said, keeping her back to him as she focused on what she was cooking.
Damon leaned against the entryway and watched her for a moment. "I used to wonder the exact same thing for a long time" he countered. He could see her shoulders tense, but she made no other indication that his comment had affected her.
Katherine reached over the stove and turned it off. Then she bent down and retrieved something from the oven. Damon watched her every move, waiting for her say something related to what she had told him the night before.
"Dinner is ready" she said instead, dishing up two plates with whatever was on the baking sheet and in the pan. She set the two plates across from each other on the island, along with two glasses of wine. "Stefan told me you don't have alcohol here anymore" she said, holding up the bottle of wine she had bought and already started on.
Damon uncrossed his arms and moved away from the entrance. He wouldn't turn down a meal she had prepared for him. "He's been doing really well lately" Damon said, taking a seat. Katherine sat down across from him, her facial features giving nothing away. She was very good at hiding how she really felt. "It was pretty scary there for a while" he added, picking up his fork. Mediterranean chicken, vegetables and a loaf of warm bread that was made from scratch. He hated to admit that he missed her cooking.
Katherine picked up her wine glass and took another sip. "If that woman were to show up at your door right now, you'd probably have to stop me from killing her" she told him. She never had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Damon and Stefan's mother, but she had heard enough about her to loathe her.
"You did an amazing job with Stefan" Damon said, staring into her eyes. "You had no obligation to him" he added.
Katherine looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and amusement. He was being nice to her, sincere even. What was the catch? "Small price to pay" she replied.
It was Damon's turn to look amused. "I didn't have a penny to my name when you met Stefan" he reminded. She hadn't been guaranteed anything, and yet she had stuck around to care for his little brother.
Katherine smirked slightly. "I wasn't talking about money" she countered. She had fallen hard when she first met Damon, and she hadn't cared that he was broke and trying to start up his own business, or that he had an 8 year old brother straight out of an abusive and neglectful past. She swore all of it made her love Damon even more.
"I don't know what I would have done without you" he admitted confidently. She had been a Godsend.
"You would have managed" she replied, keeping her eyes on his.
"Maybe" he said, continuing to look into her eyes. "You though, you were the one who packed his lunches and went to the school when kids were beating him up."
Katherine took a sip of her wine and then grinned proudly. "I was also the one picking him up from school after I taught him how to kick their asses" she reminded.
"His only discipline referral … Grade 2" Damon stated, pointing at Katherine, who was still grinning. "Sent home for giving a kid a black eye."
"They stopped picking on him, didn't they?" she pointed out. She had taught him not to cower when his bullies were after him. She also taught him how to throw a decent punch.
Damon raised his wine glass to her in agreement. Stefan had stopped having problems with his classmates after that day. While he had been disappointed in Stefan, Katherine had been proud. "I don't think I ever heard you raise your voice at him" Damon murmured thoughtfully. For a woman who was demanding and entitled, she sure did have patience for Stefan when he was younger.
Katherine tilted her head slightly, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What is the point of this trip down memory lane?" she asked.
Damon shrugged slightly. "I guess I'm just trying to say you would have made one hell of a mother" he told her honestly. Then he watched her eyes turn dark as they narrowed. Her light-hearted amusement was gone. Her relaxed posture stiffened significantly.
She stood eventually and grabbed her half-finished plate, taking it to the sink and setting it down with a crash. Then she gripped the countertop, closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep her anger in check. Or was it heartbreak masked by anger? "I didn't want kids" she said, turning around slowly after she collected her emotions and kept them at bay. "I would have had them, for you, but I wouldn't have been happy being a mother" she said hurtfully. Those words were the only way for her to accept what would never be.
Unfortunately for her, Damon saw right through her denial. "You never were a very good liar" he said, pushing his plate forward and out of his way. He continued to sit and watch her from across the kitchen. He wasn't entirely too sure what he was trying to gain from this conversation, but he knew he had nothing to lose. The worst thing that could happen is she would walk back out that door.
"Screw you" Katherine said angrily. She pushed off of the counter and walked quickly out of the kitchen. She almost made it to the stairs when she felt him grab ahold of her arm. "Let go of me!" she demanded, spinning around and ready to fight him if she had to.
But the moment she turned around and saw his eyes full of concern, she lost all the fight she had in her. "Stop running from me" he said, barely above a whisper. He could slowly feel her start to relax as he leaned in closer. He let his lips linger in front of hers for a moment or two before kissing her.
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She had set her book aside a while ago. As the sun sank down, it was getting harder to see the pages while she was sitting outside on the balcony, enjoying the cool ocean breeze and the sound of waves crashing in the distance.
Fishing boats had been going by for a while, but as the evening wore on, they too settled in for the night.
Elena slipped her bare legs up under Stefan's sweatshirt she had been wearing, trying to get warmer. She couldn't convince herself to go inside because staring out at the water was so peaceful.
The sliding glass door Stefan installed slid open slowly and then closed after he stepped outside. He set a cup of tea down in front of her, right next to her book. Then he unfolded a blanket he brought out and placed it over her.
Elena looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you" she told him. She appreciated the gesture.
"I figured I wasn't going to be able to talk you in to coming back inside" he said. Stefan watched Elena stand up with her blanket and motion for him to sit down in the chair she had been occupying, so he did. Then she sat down on his lap and curled her body against his. Stefan wrapped his arms around her and listened to the sound of the waves with her. "There's no place I'd rather be right now" he murmured softly against her ear.
Elena closed her eyes and sighed contently. She felt the same way again and it was a wonderful feeling. "We should do this all day tomorrow too" Elena whispered.
Stefan kissed the side of her head, keeping his lips pressed against her hair as he breathed her in. "I'm definitely on board with this" he smiled.
Elena snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Good" she sighed, closing her eyes and giving in to sleep.
He pressed another kiss to her head. "Goodnight" he whispered, leaning back in the chair and looking out over the water. He absentmindedly ran his fingers along Elena's back, listening to her breathe and letting his mind clear.
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They lay there, side by side facing one another in the early morning hours. They hadn't said a word to one another, content instead with the silence and being close. Her brown, curly hair was everywhere, untamed and beautiful like he remembered.
God. He had missed her.
He couldn't take the silence anymore. He had to talk to her, tell her how he was feeling and what he was thinking. "Katherine" he said quietly.
"I need 1500 dollars" she said, cutting him off before he could get another word out.
Damon blinked, caught off guard by her abrupt request. He didn't even know what to say. His suspicion had been correct. She had come back for money. It was stupid to think she would have come back for any other reason.
Katherine studied him for another moment or so before she sat up. She didn't smile or say another word, just simply wrapped the sheet around herself and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Damon heard the shower turn on a few minutes later.
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Elena stretched out in bed in an attempt to wake up, but she would have much rather stayed asleep. She recognized that she was not in her chair outside anymore, and figured Stefan must have brought her inside at some point.
She reached out across the bed for him, but found the space next to her empty. She blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes. Elena sat up and looked around for Stefan.
"Morning" Stefan said, walking into the room pulling a clean t-shirt over his head. He stopped next to the bed and bent down, kissing her good morning.
When he tried to stand back up, Elena grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him on top of her. "What are you doing out of bed?" Elena asked, smiling at him looking down at her.
"Stupid decision on my part" he whispered, leaning down and kissing her again. He would have stayed lost with her in bed for a lot longer, had they not been interrupted.
"Well well" Katherine's voice echoed inside of the bedroom. She had let herself in, finding no need to knock and wait for someone to answer the door.
Stefan rolled off of Elena quickly, falling onto the floor just in time to see Katherine grinning as she leaned against the doorway. Elena had quickly sat up, pulling the covers further up her body even though she had clothes on.
"I hate to interrupt what I'm sure would be delightful morning sex" Katherine announced, causing both Elena and Stefan to turn slightly red from embarrassment. "But, the day is already half gone and I thought I would take Elena out shopping for some new work clothes" she explained. "You are starting work in a couple of days, no?" she asked.
Elena nodded, that being the only response she could give.
"Alright, chop chop then" she said, clapping her hands. "If you two need to finish your … business … by all means, please do" she encouraged. "I can keep myself occupied downstairs." Satisfied with the embarrassment she had caused them, Katherine turned on her heels and made her way back down the stairs.
Stefan ran his hand over his face. "I'm really sorry about her" he apologized.
Elena couldn't help but smile, despite being embarrassed. She leaned over the side of the bed, getting as close as she could to him. "She was really good to you, so I can put up with her" she assured him, pressing a kiss to his head. "I shouldn't keep her waiting" she added, winking at Stefan before she climbed off of the bed and made her way into the bathroom.
Stefan sighed before getting up off of the floor. He headed back downstairs and found Katherine sitting on his couch, flipping through a home décor magazine that Elena had bought.
"You should buy this clock" she said, turning the magazine over and showing Stefan.
Stefan came and sat on the table in front of Katherine, their knees touching. He took the magazine from her and set it aside. "Katherine" he said, looking her directly in the eyes. "You have to tone it down a bit with Elena" Stefan told her.
Katherine laughed. "There's no toning me down" she reminded him. "She'll learn to love me."
Stefan couldn't help but crack a smile. She was loveable, once you accepted her for who she was. Passionate, outspoken, and a force to be reckoned with if you crossed her or anyone she loved. "Please don't scare her today" he said. "And please remember that she'll be working around a bunch of men, so take that into consideration when you help her pick out clothes" he added.
Katherine smirked. "Someone's a little protective" she teased. She saw how serious he was though and decided to let up. "Fine, fine" she said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'll dress her like an old lady" she promised.
"Thank you" Stefan said, patting her knee and standing up. "Do you want any coffee or something else to drink?" he asked, wandering into the kitchen for his own cup.
"No thanks" she replied, picking up the magazine again and flipping through it.
Elena came down the stairs half an hour later, looking way more awake than when Katherine had found her. "Is Stefan down here?" she asked, grabbing Katherine's attention.
"Kitchen" Katherine answered without taking her eyes off of what she was reading.
Elena made her way into the kitchen and was greeted with a cup of coffee from Stefan, which she drank quickly. "You don't have to go if you don't want to" Stefan told her quietly, so Katherine wouldn't hear.
Elena shrugged. "I think it would be good for me to get to know her a little more" she replied. "Katherine was a big part of your life growing up" she reminded.
Stefan nodded. "Okay" he said, smiling. He grabbed his credit card off of the counter and handed it to her.
Elena looked uneasy at the card being held out to her. She couldn't afford new clothes without it though. "I'll pay you back when I get my first check" she promised, taking it from him.
Stefan leaned in and kissed her before she could say anything more. He decided not to argue about it. "Have fun" he told her, kissing her forehead before leading her back out to the living area.
"Drive safe" he told them, watching Katherine walk out the front door, with the love of his life not too far behind.
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"Stefan give you his credit card?" Katherine asked as she pulled into a parking spot at the mall. She had borrowed Damon's car for the day. Well, she had taken the keys, but she assumed Damon wouldn't mind. She had also grabbed the envelop of money he had left for her on the kitchen counter.
Elena nodded, clearly still uncomfortable with the situation. She was only going to buy a few things to get her started for work on Monday.
Katherine picked up on Elena's reluctance. "Marrying a Salvatore has it's … perks" she said.
"I didn't marry Stefan for his money" Elena was quick to reply. It was a sensitive subject for her, because she hated being viewed as that type of girl.
Katherine chuckled softly. "Relax" she told her. "I didn't marry Damon for his money either" Katherine confessed. She saw Elena looking at her like she didn't believe her. Katherine rolled her eyes. "He didn't have any money when I met him" she replied. Then she gave Elena a knowing smirk. "I married him for the sex."
Elena was sure her cheeks had turned red for a second time that morning. She was thankful that Katherine had gotten out of the car.
"Why don't you go in and start without me" Katherine told her, nodding toward the mall entrance. "I'll catch up with you."
Elena thought that was odd, but she agreed anyway. "Okay" she shrugged. As she started to head inside, she turned around and saw Katherine walking the other direction, across the street to a hospital clinic. She thought it was strange, but she also knew it was none of her business.
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Katherine let herself into Damon's house close to 10:00 PM that night, having dropped Elena off and stayed for dinner. She had hoped that Damon would be asleep, but he was sitting in his chair, waiting for up for her. "You're home late" he mentioned. He didn't seem upset, but rather, wanted her to know he had been thinking about her.
Katherine shrugged. "I didn't realize I had a curfew" she remarked.
"What did you need the money for?" he asked abruptly.
Katherine faked a small smile. "Nothing illegal" she replied, refusing to answer his question. "See you in the morning" she added, walking past him.
"Katherine" he said. He stood and reached out to grab her arm to stop her, but grabbed her purse instead, knocking it loose from her hand and sending it falling to the floor with the contents spilling out of it.
"What the hell!" she said angrily, bending down immediately to pick everything up. He snatched a medication bottle before she could grab it. "Give that back!" she said, reaching for it.
Damon moved it out of her reach, swatting her hand away as he tried to read the label. It was a name he could barely pronounce, but the orange medication bottle was completely full, telling him she had just picked it up recently.
Katherine finally snatched it from his hands, adding it to the other collection she had in her purse. "You're a bigger pain in the ass than I remember" she huffed, standing back up and storming off up the stairs.
Damon sat down on the floor where she had left him, looking at the stairs as she disappeared up them. She wasn't telling him something, and it worried him. It worried him a lot.
He gave her an hour to cool off before he went to her room. Damon tapped on the door lightly before letting himself in. She was dressed for bed in a flirty red silk nightie that barely covered her hips. It was too bad he wasn't in the mood, because she was a sight to be seen with her long brown curly hair tumbling down her back. "Can we talk?" he asked.
"I'm going to bed" she answered, still irritated with him from earlier.
He ignored her though and came to sit down on her bed while she remained standing, taking her earrings out for the night. "I'm worried, because I think there's something you're not telling me" he said quietly.
She paused momentarily, caught off guard by his sincerity. She quickly recovered though and deposited her earrings on the nightstand. "I'll pay you back for the money I borrowed today" she told him, avoiding his question.
"I'm not worried about the money" he said sadly.
Katherine sighed. She knew she was going to have to tell him sooner or later if she planned on sticking around. She had just hoped it would be later on, so that they could spend some time together having fun and remembering what they used to be like together.
She opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out the various medication bottles Damon had seen dump out of her purse. Then she went and sat down next to him. "You sure you want to know?" she asked, giving him the opportunity to stay in the dark about something that wasn't going to be pretty.
Damon nodded though, his chest tightening and his throat becoming dry.
Katherine held up the biggest bottle in her left hand and examined it. "Blood thinners, to keep the blood clots out of my blood vessels" she explained. She had always had trouble with those, even when she was with Damon.
She picked up the next bottle and held it in front of her. "Beta Blockers" she said. "To prevent heart attacks" she explained.
"Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor" she said, holding up the last bottle of pills. She studied it intently.
"What's that one for?" he asked hesitantly. She seemed fairly preoccupied with that one in particular.
"Heart failure" she said neutrally, turning her head to look at him.
Damon's hand found hers instantly, squeezing it so tight. They sat in silence for a long while before he managed to say something. "When …?" he asked, unable to finish his question.
Katherine tossed the bottle of pills in her hand aside. Then she looked straight ahead at a painting on his wall. "I was never completely 100% when I left you seven years ago, but I was better" she told him. "About six months ago, I started getting chest pain again, and shortness of breath and I just felt really weak" she answered. "The doctor told me I was suffering from heart failure, again, and that I had better get my affairs in order" she explained. Then she shrugged. "I had all the tests done and they don't really know what my prognosis is" Katherine added. "They just said to start back up on my medications again and to come in for my checkups." Then she looked down at her hands, and her voice shook slightly when she continued. "I think it is pretty bad this time Damon" she admitted.
He had listened intently to her tell him about what was going on. It all brought back so many memories of him being by her side, supporting her all those years ago through the doctor appointments and surgeries. Damon brought his arm around her back and pulled her closer. He rested his head against hers and took a much needed moment to figure out what to say to her. It was devastating news, and he was absolutely terrified about the future.
"I used the money to buy the meds. No health insurance and maxed out credit cards left me with no other options" she told him.
Damon pressed a kiss to her head and then closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. "Charleston has an incredible cardiology center" he reminded her. "And if they can't figure something out, we'll go somewhere else" he promised. He'd take her to Europe if they had options that the States didn't have.
"That's all really expensive" she told him.
"I'll marry you" he said suddenly, slipping down off of the bed and kneeling in front of her. "My health insurance should cover most of it."
Katherine looked at him, a little surprised by his answer to her problem. "You'd marry me again after I left you?" she asked.
Damon grabbed her hands in his and held them tightly. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you get better" he promised.
"And if I don't get better?" she questioned. That was a terrifying possibility for her.
"That's not an option" he said quietly, yet confidently. He leaned towards her and kissed her gently. He rested his forehead against hers and waited for her eyes to open and look into his. "That's not an option" he repeated.