After a few days, we go on a road trip, not too long after she realizes that she can digest vampire blood still. I don't know what's stopping her from wanting to turn back into a vampire, though. She has nothing going for her as a human. Too many enemies, no friends, and barely any allies as far as I know. I usually know when she's lying and what she's thinking, but it seems that I've lost a little bit of my touch in the guessing what she's thinking category. The one thing I haven't lost touch with though, is having fun. We're going on an unplanned road trip so that we can be alone, but also so I can distract her from whatever's been bothering her. And maybe during the trip, she'll make the decision to turn back into a vampire. I'm not going to force her. Stefan did that to me centuries ago. I know what it feels like to have your will be taken away from you. If I did that to Katherine, she'd probably think of me as an enemy for all eternity. And Katherine's better off being an ally than an enemy.
"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or do I have to guess?" I ask her, as I continue driving.
"If I said it was a lot of things, would that be satisfying enough?" she asks me.
"I doubt it," I reply. Then my curiosity gets the better of me. "You can digest blood still. I don't get why you're not jumping at the chance to be turned back into a vampire. I thought you loved being a vampire. What changed?"
"I don't know what will happen if I try to turn back. Digesting vampire blood is one thing, but trying to turn back into a vampire is another thing. We don't know if it'll work. If it fails, I'm dead for good. It would just be easier to stay human with a supernatural bodyguard. I'd rather be human with enemies coming after me than to die trying to turn back into a vampire. Yes, I loved being a vampire, but I also lost myself as a vampire. I ran from Klaus too long and did too many horrible things. And I lost people along the way that I actually did care about."
"Enlighten me, then," I say.
"You heard only bits and pieces. I didn't tell everything. Turning into a vampire wasn't something that I wanted to do. I didn't know dying with vampire blood in my system would put me in transition. I just wanted to either survive or die rather than be taken back to Klaus. When I found my village and family the way I did after Klaus slaughtered them all, it was because I was already on my way to have some vengeance of my own for everything my father put both me and my mother through. I guess when I met you, that was what made me fall for you. You were always the wild one that never obeyed his father, like myself the first time I was human. I made you believe three years ago that I didn't love you. That was a lie. I had intel that Klaus was close, so I did the only thing I could to protect you. If he knew I loved someone that wasn't someone he cared about or loved, you would have been killed. I never toyed with your feelings. I loved you both, but it was always you. I know it's too late for the truth, but you should know it just in case. There's no guarantee how long my human life is going to last," she spills to me.
As I look over at her, unlike three years ago, I can tell that she's telling the truth. All this time, I thought she'd been playing with our feelings and toying with us. Instead, she was just trying to protect me by making me hate her. After all, Katherine knows just as well as I do that my sadness can easily turn into hate. Now that she's telling me the truth, that means I repaid her protecting me by hurting and trying to hurt her when she was a vampire. I didn't even go searching for her when she first became a human.
"Well, since you're being honest now, why tell me now?" I ask her, curious as to what the real reason is that she would tell me all of this.
"Because you should know the truth. I'm not gonna live forever, after all. Not anymore," she informs and reminds me. I guess knowing that she's human has changed her perspective. This is my chance to finally get the real truth. Something I've always wanted.
"What else is bothering you?" I want to know. After all, other than enemies finding her and the possibility of Elijah's return, I can't think of anything she'd be afraid of other than death. "You said it's a lot of things."
"There's something that's bothered me since 1498. Elijah doesn't even know this. I went back for my daughter, but she wasn't in any village I could find. Everyone thinks of me as a heartless bitch, but I do care about some things. I never knew what happened to her, where she was, or if she was even alive. Before my father tore her away when she was born, I named her Nadia. Apart from freedom, all I've ever wanted was to find her. Sometimes not knowing is the worse," she admits, looking out the window, as she tells me all of this.
"Well, if she's a vampire, you'll find her eventually," I assure her. I knew she'd had her child taken, but I never knew that she'd attempted to find her. Even when she was a vampire, despite everyone else, I knew she cared about some things. Even before I started calling her heartless a few years ago. "For now, let's just try to have some fun. You've been through hell. You deserve it."
She finally looks at me.
"Where are you taking me?"
I look at her with a smile.
"New York."
She gives a smile in return.
"Sounds great."
Hours later, we arrive in New York. Then I take her to a bar for a drink. Well, as many as she and I need, anyways. As usual, the bar is crowded, as we enter and sit at the bar, music playing while humans dance and get drunk. There's probably some vampires nearby, too. After all, vampires love to use humans during nights like these.
I hear Katherine give a sigh, before she looks at me.
"What are we doing here, Damon?"
"We're here to drink and have fun," I inform her, ignoring the fact that she clearly doesn't want to be here. Then, when the Bourbon shows up, I slide a shot glass of it in front of her. "Come on, Kitty Kat, lighten up. Have some fun. What are you so afraid of?"
Clearly seeing that I'm in a mood for having some fun, even if she's not at the moment, I hear her comment, "Oh, what the hell," before downing the shot glass of Bourbon. She then looks at me, as she says, "You brought me here, so might as well keep them coming. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. I did tell you my tolerance is a joke now."
"I'm well aware," I answer her. "You need some fun once in a while, though," I remind her.
Twenty minutes later, she proves to be right about her drinking, since she's officially drunk off her ass, while I'm sober-ish. She's a lot more fun and amusing when she's not so, well, herself.
I get to my feet, finished with drinking, knowing I need to be at least somewhat sober in case an enemy of hers sees and tries to grab her. I then put a hand on her arm.
"Let's go have some fun," I offer, and she agrees, getting off her bar stool. I then lead her to the dance floor, which is where we begin to dance. For her, it's the best of her ability, since she's so drunk. But she was in need of this. She's been through hell since becoming human again. She needs to have as much fun as she can take. If getting drunk is something she needs, then I'm willing, even if this means I have to protect her even more than when she's sober. And I admit, I like this version of her. I don't think I've seen her actually happy since she showed up on my doorstep. Until now.
An hour or so later, all the lights suddenly turn off, which makes the humans scream. Then there are real screams of fear, but it takes a little while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, not fully sober, so I'm not certain what or who's attacking.
"Damon?" I hear her inquire somewhere close by, but by the time my eyes adjust, I notice a familiar someone leaving the bar, but not alone. Azazel. With Katherine. I know with the crowd of humans though, I'll never make it in time to save her at the moment. Especially, when I'm not at my best. The only thing I can do is hope that she'll last long enough so that in the morning, I can go find her. I know that Azazel can be vicious, because he's an old enemy of mine. A vampire enemy.
The next day, I head out of the hotel to go find out where Azazel is, as well as where he has Katherine. If anything happens to her, I know that it will be my own fault. And despite the history we have together, I'd never want something to happen to human Katherine. I care too much. Even if I don't love her anymore.
When I finally find them, Azazel has her in a chair in an abandoned warehouse.
"It's been a long time, Damon," he says, as we stand a distance from each other, him not that far from where human Katherine is.
"If you want your vengeance, you're gonna have to do better than this," I tell him. "Going after a club of humans? Capturing a human Katherine just because of our history? You want your revenge, here I am. Leave Katherine out of it," I reply, trying to reason with him. I don't want her to get into trouble.
"I see you still care about her," he replies. "Even after everything. Yes, I want my vengeance. Now that you're here, the real fun can begin," he adds.
After a few more minutes of chatting, the real battle begins. Then it's Azazel and I fighting it out, Kat tied to a chair with rope. Despite the situation though, I can tell that she's not really afraid. I don't doubt it, since I've never known her to be very afraid of anything. Then, after a few more minutes, I succeed in killing him. Just like any enemy, if he was allowed to live, he would have come after me for eternity and probably kill Katherine and anyone else I care about to get his revenge. It was the only thing I could do.
A moment later, I'm instantly in front of her. I then snap the ropes in two, freeing her, and we soon head back to the hotel we've been staying in.
Later that night, after a while of me having to save her left and right, we share a moment. Then, without meaning to, we start to make out, soon going to third base.
The next day, after packing our stuff, we get into my vehicle and I begin to drive us back to Mystic Falls. Despite the little fun we had together, I know that not even I can change her mind. Unless she changes her own mind for one reason or another, she's going to stay as a human. And I've learned my lesson with Elena when she was human. Don't force a human, much less a doppelganger, to stay human or be a vampire or do what you want. They'll just do whatever the hell they want, and if you make the mistake I did when Elena was human, there's a chance they'll hate you forever for taking away her choice. Besides, I know Katherine pretty well. You don't want to get on her bad side, whether she's a human or not. She's pretty good at holding a grudge for centuries on end. We're alike that way, despite me not wanting to admit that she and I are, and always will be, the same. She made me in her image. There's nothing that will ever change that.