When The Devil Has a Heart

by FangedxWars

Your first love never really dies. Damon didn't want to believe that, especially with the manipulative games that Katherine loves to play. But when the opportunity arises that he must choose between her and Elena...he makes a choice he never saw coming...

4. Damon's Decision

DAMON'S POV -

Damon waited for Katherine to reply, anxiously awaiting her response but he didn't let the eagerness cross his stone features. He listened to her intently, trying to decipher whether or not it was another line or if it was the truth. But he could see it in her eyes, he could the shields drop and for once he knew Katherine wasn't feeding him a story, she was telling the truth. The story of her past love actually tugged at whatever heartstrings he had left, making him realize that Katherine truly had a heart and soul once. It was just buried deep inside; concrete covered after all the pain she had been through in her life. She was scared to love at all because of the pain, yet she readily caused others it. He wondered if it was a game to her now, who was going to devastate who first? As long as her heart was safe, obviously she didn't care who's got broken. He wanted to know so much more, but she had only agreed to one question. But Damon wanted answers. He wanted to know if she killed this man on purpose, this man and his family. Was she really that cruel, or was it an accident? Did she have her reasons? He always thought he knew Katherine better than Stefan, he felt like he knew her better than anyone in the world, but now he knew that he didn't. This woman in front of him was almost a stranger, a closed flower; her heart hidden by petals that refused to blossom. She had stories that she hadn't shared, pain she hadn't let go of, and he wanted so badly to be the person to heal her, to help her, and he didn't even know why.

Why did he want to subject himself to that type of disaster? He watched as she pushed herself up from the sofa, anger tensing her body as she moved to the balcony; flinging the glass bottle off the roof. He shook his head a little bit, rising to his feet as she started playing gymnast on the railings. He looked at her with worry, fearing she'd do something stupid and let go. He knew she was enamored with herself and probably wouldn't gamble with her own life, but he couldn't help but wonder. She liked big shows, and she would probably take this as far as she could and that irritated him. "Stop it Katherine." Damon was firm with her, his icy hues latching on to her frame as she hung over the side wildly, using just the strength of her legs to stay there. Before she knew what he was doing, he was at the edge of the balcony; his strong arms wrapped around her waist as he gazed up into her umber optics. "You're not as strong as you think you are, Katherine," he whispered softly, almost tenderly. "It's a nice act, this invincible thing you have going on, but you can still be broken." He pulled her then, bringing her on to the other side of safety as he led her back inside the apartment. "Enough games for tonight, I think we should go to sleep since we're gonna have a big day tomorrow," Damon insisted. After calling room service, he compelled them to get rid of the bodies without getting caught; tending to it to make sure that they weren't. By the time he came back Katherine was fast asleep in the plush bed. He always cleaned up her messes, but had instigated her so he supposed he owed her that; at least that once.

He slept on the sofa, and in the morning he showered; rinsing off the dirt and grime of his trip before he changed into a pair of clean clothes and shoes. Katherine took longer to get ready than he did, but she looked impeccable by the time she was done. From there he let her drive over to where Stefan's apartment was. The twenties weren't and era that he was familiar with, at least when it came to his brother. He read about his ripping ways in the paper, but avoided him at all costs; spending most of his time trying to find a way to release Katherine from the tomb that would be faster than waiting for a comet. That thought agitated him again, but he was having problems letting it go. "So this is it, huh?" He asked as they walked up some stairs. He shoved the door open, the force of his shoulder doing the trick as they walked inside. It looked dusty, yet lived in recently. "What's this wall you're talking about?" He inquired, following her to what looked like a shelf of alcohol. "Okay, we're not here to party, Kat," he muttered glumly. But instead she shifted the wall, revealing a secret door to a closet. "Oh…" he mused with a smirk as though he knew that all along. He walked up behind Katherine, his chest pressing into her back as they peered to the right at the long list of names there. He couldn't help but notice their father's name was first on the list.

His stomach twisted and churned, and then the pain of agony jabbed him from the back causing him to gasp out loud. "Katherine," he groaned; the only warning he could manage as the splinter of wood rubbed against the muscular lining of his heart. Then again! "ARRRGHHH!" He yelled out, another stake going through his right side as he kept his arms barred around Katherine so they couldn't get to her. He wasn't sure if they wanted him, both of them, or Katherine. That or the tricky fourth option: they thought she was Elena. He felt a little useless as he turned to defend the both of them, the wood digging into the muscle keep him alive as he managed to snap one of the guys' necks. There was three of them, but by the time he lunged for the second one he dropped to the floor in excruciating pain; coughing up blood. He tried to lift his arm to pry the stakes from his chest, but it was futile; any movement sent them burrowing deeper into the skin and muscle. He watched helplessly from the ground, Katherine taking action as the grunts and groans echoed in his ears from the other men. They may have been men, but they clearly weren't older than Katherine because she was conquering them without hassle. It wasn't long until the other two were dead, scattered around the apartment. "Kath-erine," Damon groaned in a raspy broken voice. "Are you okay?" He asked, making sure she was alright; though he wasn't sure why he cared—he was sure she was fine.

KATHERINE'S POV -

Katherine loved to play her games, probably too much, but it was really the only thing that she could think of that would distract Damon from what she had just said. She didn't want him to perceive her in a way that was opposite of what she wanted him to see. Katherine was strong and independent and though she did have the capacity to feel, she didn't want anyone else knowing that. Granted, she had opened herself up to the injury and she could have done something else to get him to open up to her, but it had been the best option at the time for her. She couldn't hate him for taking the liberty that he had with her, but she could hate herself and risk her own life to distract him from what she had just said. She had never opened up to anyone about her life and she had no interest in recounting those stories; they were dead and buried. The majority of her existence had been spent as though she was riding on the wind without a care in the world for anyone else, but she was so convinced that she had done enough caring as a human and where had that got her? Pregnant, disowned, nearly dead… how much could love offer if it only had heartbreak to give? Her idea of love was twisted because, for her, love didn't exist. It was a chemical reaction of the bodies that released a physical need to be with someone. She could say she loved Stefan all she wanted to, but the fact of the matter was that her love, wasn't the same love that everyone else experienced. She would never love to the extent that Elena did, she would never love anyone enough to sacrifice her life for them.

So, as she dangled on the railing, it wasn't a matter of falling over for her, it was a matter of whether or not Damon would push her over or save her from a death that only he could cause her. She was giving him a hand that she had never given to anyone else before. She could have even construed her decision to a sway of real love, that love only heard about in fairytales, but she didn't know what it was. It could have all been her love to play with Damon's head because she knew she could always get a reaction out of him. Her knees bent slightly as a means to keep herself balanced and her weight as even as possible. Being a vampire wasn't fool-proof, she could easily make a miscalculation or some outside force like a bird could come whizzing by and create just the right distraction to send her falling over the edge, but leave it to Damon to make sure that she was safe. His arms tightened around her waist before she could even blink and instead of gearing to push her over and enact the revenge she was offering him, his arms latched around her to make sure that nothing and no one could harm her. She tilted her head down slightly, her chocolate eyes coming in contact with his silky hair before he looked up into her eyes. One of her hands went to the side of his face, her fingers gently lacing through the dark strands of his hair as if she was his lover and not some bitch he hated. She tenderly cradled the back of his head with the palm of her hand, holding him as he whispered to her, before pulling her from the railing and then letting her slide down his body until her feet were safely on the floor.

Her shirt had bundled up slightly, exposing her stomach and she carefully pulled away from him with the excuse of needing to pull it back down so it wouldn't wrinkle. Katherine wanted to say something, but he didn't let her. He was then escorting her back into the hotel room with the suggestion that sleep was important even though she couldn't have given a rat's ass about it. She didn't like that he was now, ever so suddenly, being able to see right through her. For so long her façade had been a one-way mirror that she could only look out of, but it was as if someone had switched the lights in the opposite room so that now he was the one looking in and she was naked on the other side. It made her uncomfortable, but she couldn't bring herself to protest or say anything when she knew that he was right. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stop with her act; however, his words about her being broken, struck her hard. She went directly to the bedroom and pulled off her clothes before sliding into a silk number that was more comfortable than it was meant to be sexual. She didn't like this idea of being seen so she decided then to flip the light back into her favor so that she could shroud herself in darkness. She didn't want to be discovered and least of all by Damon Salvatore, but then why not him? Katherine wasn't really worried that he would use the information against her in a public way, maybe in a private way between the two of them, but otherwise he wouldn't mention it unless they were alone. In that way she trusted him, but just as unusual as that feeling was, she found herself lazily thinking about him as she drifted off to sleep in between the covers of the bed. To this day, he was taking care of her and she wanted to know if he was doing it on purpose or if it was some unconscious habit that he couldn't resist.

When she woke up the next morning, she showered and took careful time getting herself ready. She wasn't perfect, she had to make herself that way so she spent time taming her wild curls into soft waves and then doing her make-up so that she wasn't completely bare. She didn't need it and she knew she didn't, but she liked to be presentable… even though the real reason for her change was the man that was waiting for her outside of the bathroom door. She was getting ready to be seen by Damon and no one else really though she was sure others would be looking. She fit into some skinny jeans and a tailored blouse just perfectly before she went out to be greeted by the sight of a well groomed Damon Salvatore. A smile slithered its way onto her lips, "You never did give me an answer, when did you get so hot?" She purred like a kitten as she sauntered by him and out of the hotel room. She had called down for a cab earlier so when they got outside of the hotel room, there was one waiting for them. It didn't take too long to get to Stefan's old apartment complex and then they were up at the door. She nodded to Damon and then made a motion to the door, "Care to be a gentleman and open the door?" She snickered, a little as Damon used the force of his shoulder to snap the door off of its alignment in order to open it for them. "Someone has been here," she mused, cocking her head towards Damon before walking over to the shelf of alcohol. With a flick of her wrist the shelf pushed back and she opened up the wall, "Voila."

She had already seen the wall, but she was interested to know if anyone had been added to the list since she had seen it last and there had been quite a few additions. She could feel Damon pressing up against her so she pressed back, eager to feel the warmth of him against her, "Stefan has been a very busy boy." She rolled her eyes, tapping at the end of the list, "Those are fresh, the ink looks new." Katherine was so focused that she didn't hear the footsteps coming into the room, she didn't even sense another presence until she felt Damon's weight lean heavily on her and a painful groan escaped his mouth. She made a move to turn around, but Damon secured his arms around her and she knew the only way to stop him was to break his arms and she didn't feel like that was necessary. She had the upmost faith in him, but that was before she knew where the first stake had punctured him. When he turned around, she followed the motion, but he was standing completely in front of her and then he lunged for the closest vampire and managed to kill him, but he fell to the ground, coughing up blood. "Is that really the only way you know how to fight your battles? Stab a man with his back turned to you?" She growled, a snarl ripping from her throat as she charged towards both men. The first one was easy enough, one little snap of the neck and he was on the ground and she was using his own stake to pierce through his heart. The next vampire was a little older, more skilled, but Katherine was better. He managed the tip of a vervain laced stake across her stomach, cutting her blouse, her blood rimming to the top of the cut before he used her hesitation against her and punched her along the side of her jaw. "Never hit a lady," she snapped, grabbing the vampire's arm and twisting it unnaturally at the wrist before pushing hard, sending the stake deep into his heart.

She huffed a little, tucking several strands of her hair behind her ears as she got down onto her knees at Damon's side. "I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about… stay still," she ordered. Katherine grabbed the length of both stakes in her hands and pulled hard and quick, sending another painful tide throughout Damon's body. "I'm sorry," she whispered, tossing the stakes onto the floor before she lifted Damon's head up and moved herself behind him, resting his head against her lap. "Take more than you need, you'll heal faster." She didn't give her blood to anyone unless she was siring someone or using her blood in a diabolical way to meet her own ends, but this, this was different. She was willingly given her blood to Damon in order to heal him, in order to save his life though she was pretty sure that he wouldn't actually die. She brought her left wrist up to his mouth, "If you want it, take it." she urged, not willing to run and get him any human blood. She felt his mouth wrap around her flesh and then his sharp teeth dug into her flesh until they punctured into her vein. Her precious blood flowed into his mouth steadily and she felt her energy drain as he took her blood; if they were to get attacked again she wasn't sure how much help she would be unless she fed soon. He had taken her blood last night and now today again and she had yet to feed herself to replenish the blood supply she had lost, but he was more important to her now, she didn't mind.

By the time he was finished, her stomach had healed itself over and she made him wait until his wounds had closed before she let him get back to his feet with her help. "Why did you do that? You could have gotten yourself killed trying to protect me!" Katherine wasn't happy with his decisions. She was the stronger vampire here, she could have taken all three of them on if he had only stepped aside, but oh no, he had to go and get himself staked for a second time just for good measure. She didn't want him to do that for her, she didn't want him to sacrifice himself for her, she didn't want him to experience any pain for her. He had already been through enough of that to have the pain pumping through his veins instead of blood and yet he had tried to defend her. He still cared. "I don't need you or anyone trying to keep me safe, I can take care of myself Damon." That was her not so subtle way of telling him that she cared too. She didn't want him to hurt for her anymore, especially if she wasn't the one causing the pain. She rolled her eyes at him, "I need something to drink." She didn't even bother looking at him, she just stomped out of the room, her heels clicking at the floor. She went to the room across from Stefan's apartment and knocked. When the door opened, there was a middle-aged man on the other side, he looked like a drunk, but Katherine wasn't looking for quality she was looking for quantity and he had just the right amount of blood to satisfy her. "Can I help you?" He said, his eyes on her boobs, not focused on her eyes. "Yes, you can. You can die for me." She muttered, lunging at him. Her fangs plunged into his neck with the velocity and ferociousness of a lioness, his blood pouring into her mouth like a waterfall. His body fell to the floor and hers fell with his and she drank until there wasn't an ounce of blood left in him.

When she stood, blood was dribbling off of her chin and she was wiping it away with the back of her hand and with her tongue. "It was never your choice you know? Choosing me was never your choice. I was very well aware of what I was doing to you, the power I had over you, and I used you because I wanted you around and I won't let you die for me Damon, I won't let you die period." She turned to face Damon who was standing in the threshold of the door with a look on his face that she couldn't read. "But you are right, I can be broken and watching you die would certainly break me so don't you ever get in the way of anything sharp and pointy for me again. Don't you dare defend me; let's not forget that I'm stronger than you." Her eyes were sharp as she pushed by him and made her way back into Stefan's apartment. She bent down and searched the pockets of each vampire until one offered up a wallet. She flipped it open and shook her head, "This wasn't Klaus. He wouldn't send weaklings to do a job like this unless… unless he thought that you would bring Elena… in which case, three vampires should have done the trick. The boy you killed was just that, a boy. Nineteen years old… probably changed two years ago." Katherine shook her head and tossed the wallet onto the boy's dead body. "Well, looks like Stefan will have a surprise waiting for him and we need to leave before another surprise guest walks through that door."

DAMON'S POV -

Damon felt pretty useless as he lied on the floor in agony. It was the man's job to protect the ones he cared about, and yet Katherine was always going to have the upper hand no matter how much human blood he fed on. She was older, and therefore had the advantage. He was thankful for her though, grateful that she had saved him by annihilating the men that had attacked them; though he was still trying to figure out the reason. His concern was with Katherine, only further proving to himself that he was submitting to his emotions. He was weak, and he loathed himself for being unable to fight what was taking place more aggressively. He was in anguish, but even he couldn't overlook the fact that she had actually admitted to being worried for him. He cringed when she told him to stay still, because he knew what was coming and just the slight pressure from her hand wrapping around the stakes was enough to send him groaning. He let out a yell as she yanked them loose, tossing them to the floor as his crystal orbs latched on to hers. "It's okay," he murmured in a strained voice, allowing her to manipulate his weak body so that he was laying in her lap. He looked up at her, wondering if she was angel or if she was just doing this out of obligation so they could leave. He wanted to believe it was because she cared, because there really was goodness in her. He could still remember the way she looked at him last night, the way she touched his face when he pulled her over the balcony's edge. Surely that meant something, didn't it?

He raised his brow when she offered her blood, pressing her wrist to his mouth generously. He didn't even have enough energy to take her arm in his hands, so instead he opened his mouth; spider veins webbing out beneath his eyes as they eclipsed in a dark crimson. His fangs sliced through her hard skin, breaking the barrier as the red life force gushed into his awaiting mouth. Just a few gulps in and he could already feel strength returning to his body while it diminished hers. He grasped her arm then, his lips greedily closing around the wound he had created as he sucked on her like he would a straw in a drink. He pulled away from her when he knew he had drank enough, sitting there as he waited for it to take effect. Damon's wounds slowly started to heal, the pain gradually subsiding. "Thank you," he told her as she helped him to his feet. "For helping me." His eyes narrowed on her as she started chastising him. He shrugged. "So what? I wanted to help you," Damon retorted, getting irritated with her attitude. He sighed as she walked away from him, watching as he she crossed the hall and preyed on Stefan's neighbor. He watched the animalistic way she burrowed her teeth into the man's neck; pinning him to the floor as she drained him dry. It made Damon hot all over, as he licked his lips; warding away the excitement that was developing in his pants as she waltzed back over to him. His eyes hardened instantly, his jaw tightening at her words. She always had to ruin a moment. They would take one step forward and then three steps back.

She just didn't like caring, she didn't like being nice, anytime she said something remotely kind she had to follow it up by something bitchy and he hated that about her. However despite the fact that what she was saying was irritating him, he brushed it off and didn't dignify it with an answer. The fact she said she wouldn't let him die was enough to make him hope and believe that she was putting on another front. Though Damon wasn't entirely sure why he kept digging, kept wanting to see something worth latching on to and chasing again. He wasn't a man to chase. He hadn't been in a very long time, but Katherine had this way of dictating everything that he did. Sometimes he didn't even realize that she had taken over him, sinking her nails into his skin so he couldn't get away. Both women he wanted were unobtainable, but he had convinced himself he wouldn't be happy with anyone else. It was either Elena or Katherine, and he had to choose who he was really going to fight hard for and he really didn't know. All he did know was he had made a seventeen hour drive just to be with Katherine, just to see her, and the majority of his reason had nothing to do with the fact that he was on an expedition to find his brother or the fact that Elena would've wanted him to come. He leaned casually against the wall, watching as she dug into the wallets of the dead men lying on the floor. "I'm certain he probably thought you were going to be her. I mean, she is what he wants after all," he reasoned with a sigh.

He was stupid to leave Elena alone in Mystic Falls unprotected; with just Alaric, vampire Barbie, and little witch to look after her. He was highly more capable, yet here he was…gallivanting around Chicago with Katherine. Oddly, no regrets, other than the worry that Elena was safe and sound. "I agree, lets get out of here," he affirmed with a nod, following behind her as they moved down the stairs and out the glass door. It was later that evening when darkness had blanketed the Chicago streets that Damon suggested they go out hunting together. When Katherine agreed he let the unnatural speed of his legs carry him outside of city limits as he chased after Katherine once more, enjoying the thrill as he followed her scent through the dark trees. They had been trying to decide their next plan of action but kept coming up empty handed which is why Damon suggested they feed. He had taken a hefty amount of blood from her and he knew one man wasn't going to replace the amount. Damon stopped short in a tiny clearing when he realized he couldn't see Katherine anymore, nor could he see her. "Katherine," he called out, his crystal hues narrowing on the dark row of trees as he tried to catch a flicker of movement. That's when he heard the howl of a wolf, followed by the scream of Katherine. She wasn't one to cry out in pain, she was much too prideful for that, and that's why he knew this was bad. He moved swiftly, darting between the tall frames of wood before he reached Katherine who was slumped over next to a bush, blood oozing from her arm where she had bit bitten.

"Katherine," Damon gasped as he lowered himself down to her, picking her up in his arms. Thankfully they had managed to eat a couple of campers before this happened, otherwise he knew she was really screwed; although the situation looked quite dismal regardless. The only cure for a wolf bite was the blood of Klaus and he was certain he had something to do with this. As if on cue, Stefan came out from the shadowed edge as he cradled Katherine in his arm. He could already see her wound necrosing and decaying, further confirming that this wasn't an ordinary wolf bite, but a werewolf bite instead. "Stefan…fancy meeting you here," Damon said through gritted teeth. In that moment he wondered if rescuing his brother was even worth it, because his worry of Elena ceased in the moment that Katherine became damaged. Now she was the only thing he was thinking about. "Hello Brother. I'm here to deliver a message to you. Bring Elena to Klaus tomorrow night at the Whickery Bridge or he won't give you the blood to cure Katherine. Now you get to make your final choice. Who do you really love more? Elena…or Katherine? You could let Katherine die and have Elena to yourself, finally. We both know that's what you wanted the moment you found out that Katherine wasn't in that tomb. After all, we both know you've wanted her dead for a long time. Or you can save Katherine, putting Elena in danger; knowing that Katherine won't appreciate it and she definitely won't pay you back for it."

Damon's gaze drifted down to look at Katherine, doubt seeping into his head in that moment. Stefan was right, he had always wanted her dead and he loved Elena and he wanted to be with her. This could be his defining moment. "What is wrong with you? You need to go eat some bunnies Stefan, O negative has gone to your head," he smirked, cracking a sarcastic smile. Honestly though he was a little surprised with how manic his brother was acting. He seemed like he didn't even care if Elena lived or died, and he knew he didn't care about Katherine. "Tomorrow night, Whickery Bridge," Stefan repeated, disappearing into the night. "Come on, lets get out of here," he whispered lowly under his breath. It took him a little longer than normal to get back to their hotel room, but finally he made it, lying Katherine down on the bed. He found her suitcase, opening it as he began to pile her belongings inside. He had made his choice. He was going to save Katherine. It didn't seem logical, no. But she had saved his life when he got bitten, and she could've just left Mystic Falls and never looked back. It was the least he could do for her, and then he hoped she would be honorable enough to help him rescue Elena and Stefan—or at least Elena. He couldn't just let the innocent mortal die, he did love her still.

"You're going to start hallucinating Katherine, so we need to leave for Mystic Falls now. I'll have to lock you in a basement cellar when we get there, just so you don't hurt yourself, alright?" He told her. He moved around the room in blurred flashes, not stopping until everything was packed up and ready to go. Then he was gentle as he moved Katherine down to Camaro, and the two took off into the remaining darkness; hoping to make it to Mystic Falls by noon the following day. Most the time Katherine was writhing in agony, laying down in the passenger seat, and by the time they did make it—she was asleep finally, exhaustion having settled in. He left their bags for the time being, pulling her gingerly out of the seat as he went inside and took her downstairs to a cellar. He left her on the bench there that would serve as a bed, gathering some blankets and pillows before he returned; setting it up for her before lying her back down. "Katherine, do you want blood?" He asked her. All he had was blood bags but it would have to suffice, he wasn't going to bring a human to her now that they were back home. "What do you need? Tell me and I'll do it for you," he told her, knowing that he had to call Elena soon. He wasn't going to be luring her into a trap. He couldn't very well admit to her that he was going to be taking her to Klaus. It hurt him that he had to lie but he also knew that it was the only way.

KATHERINE'S POV -

Katherine wasn't happy that Damon had stepped over a boundary that he shouldn't. She was older than him which didn't just make her stronger than him, but all of her abilities were more powerful than his. She could heal faster than he could; she could move faster than he could, it was all a part of who genetic make-up and he needed to see that before he got himself killed. "Don't confuse my anger with my gratitude, I am thankful that you care enough to want to protect, but I don't need you to look after me. I've been doing that since I was fifteen years old and that was a long ass time ago." She was the one that, after having her baby, had been kicked to the sidewalk and tossed into a new country without anyone to turn to and without any resources to get herself on her feet. She supposed that her cunning and manipulative mind had started to develop there. "Just, next time, ask me if I want your help." She was trying to let him off of the hook here and he wasn't seeing it that way. She wanted him to be able to move on with his life without feeling any obligation to her whatsoever. He didn't owe her anything, even if he did care about her, that didn't automatically make him the person who wore the pants in their relationship… whatever this relationship was. She knew that there was something going on between them, but she couldn't place exactly what it was. It was like they were playing that same courting game that they had when they first met except this time it was more complex. Back then they had been on a blank slate then and now they had a history and it was one they couldn't erase.

"Oh yes, I know very well what he wants. Let's not forget that I was once in her shoes, but I was smarter than her." Katherine started out the door, "I got out as soon as I found out what he wanted from me. I offered her the same escape, but she passed it up. Foolish little girl." After they left the apartment, Damon suggested that they feed under the cover of night and Katherine readily agreed, she was starving. Giving Damon her blood had really drained her and that drunkard really wasn't enough to calm down her insatiable appetite and, at least with Damon, she knew she could get away with killing innocent people. She knew that with Stefan she wouldn't get that luxury, but Damon was a vampire of a different kind, very similar to Katherine herself. She could see the goodness in him brought on by Elena, but he was also as fiendishly evil as Katherine was. Their devilish ways weren't on the level of Klaus', not nearly as bloodthirsty, but the two of them had their own way of doing things and she loved that about him. She loved that she could be who she truly was with him and that he wouldn't judge her… well mostly anyways. She was getting too comfortable with him which wasn't setting well with her. She was so certain of wanting Stefan and all Damon's presence was doing for her was confusing her. She found herself in that same familiar lopped cycle that she had been caught in before, that never-ending circle of loving both Stefan and Damon and not wanting to get rid of either one of them, but she didn't want to fall back there. She only wanted one of them and now the question as which one.

She trailed Damon along after her, running because she loved to be chased by a man that sent butterflies filtering in her belly, but what she loved more was disappearing and making said man wonder where she could be. She had just helped herself to two campers and was hiding behind one of the trees, peering into the clearing from the cover of the tall bark of the tree when she heard a twig snap behind her. Katherine sensed the danger and as she whipped around, she realized that she was too late to save herself. She felt the pain take hold of her arm as several razor sharp teeth bore down into her flesh, her blood oozing out as she let out a blood curdling scream. Her head snapped to the side to look at her arm and there he was, a large wolf with eyes that looked so intent on ripping her arm from her body, but then he let go of her and her body fell limp to the floor as the wolf ran away, ready to find himself another kill. Katherine could feel the venom spread throughout her entire body, her heart pumping it through her veins so quickly that the effects slammed into her like a freight train. She couldn't really focus on anything other than the sight of her arm and how, even after having drained three humans that day alone, she could feel so weak. She had never felt this way before, not even when she stabbed herself and begged for death as a human, no, this was a completely new sensation, but the worst part was that he knew there was no hope for her. This was it; there was no way she was going to get around being bit by a werewolf. She was a goner and there was nothing that she could do and certainly nothing that Damon could do to make this situation any better. Klaus wouldn't help her and even if he did it would only be to make her death 500 years long as he had promised her before. She wouldn't trade her life in for him and it was there, as she lay helpless on the forest floor that she knew that she was going to die.

She felt an overwhelming sense of calm take over her body because, even though she had been fighting to live for so long, she had prepared herself to die. She heard her name fall from familiar lips and then the warmth of Damon's touch as he lifted her into his arms and she found herself grateful that, for once in her life, she might have someone there to care for her as she died. She groaned, falling against him, every appendage falling limp in his arms. When she heard Stefan's name her senses peaked enough to listen and she knew then, after Stefan had said his words, that she really didn't care for him anymore. He wasn't the man that she had convinced herself that she loved and here he was willing to let her die and he was probably a key factor in her death as well and she couldn't love a man who would see her dead. After all, true love only exists if it is returned. And then Katherine heard the price for her life and tears started to line her closed eyelids because she knew that Damon wouldn't sacrifice Elena's life to save her own. Elena was far too precious a piece of Damon's puzzle, the center of his heart as it were, and she knew she was no longer as important to him as she once had been. The realization caused an ache in her heart not so much an ache for her life as it was a longing to be loved enough by one man. That was all that Katherine had ever wanted.

Katherine really didn't understand anything that happened after that. She was so consumed with the pain that and yet everything was so still even though she knew she was writhing in the car like there was something inside of her taking control of her body. That's when the flashbacks started. She could feel the contractions as they she was experiencing them in that moment, the pain of childbirth well and alive in her body and then nothing at all. She could see her mother lifting the child up and all of that pain had been so worth it. "A girl?" Katherine mumbled under her breathe, "Please mother, let me see her." She thought for a moment she was lifting her arms, but she wasn't sure, her head snapped to the left at the sound of her father's voice and then her mother was taking her daughter away. "Let me at least hold her once…just once…at least once…" She could hear her baby's cries and tears started to fall down her cheeks; she just wanted to hold her once. "Father, please! No, father... no!" She could feel her mother against her, holding her back and she collapsed into the woman's arms. "No, mother, please…" She didn't want to let her go, "Please, Mama…" Her words trailed, every one spoken in Bulgarian, that native tongue that she hardly used at all. The next moment she snapped out of it, the blur of scenery giving her a headache as she turned towards Damon. "Are you ready to find out who I am?" She questioned, knowing very well that she was going to divulge more than she wanted to.

Another hour went by before the next hallucination started. "You're meant to catch me," Katherine smiled, Elijah's face as clear as day within the crevices of her mind. "Klaus promised to spend the day with me, but he never returned home from the night." Disappointment was clear in her voice, "He's a very charming man… hard for any woman to resist I suppose," she shook her head a little, "I know not why he called me." Her voice distinctly lined with a British accent grew hoarse the further she went along, "He seems to not care about me at all… Is it wrong to want more?" Elijah sat down before her and she looked down slightly confused, "Trevor believes that he loves me, but true love is not real unless it is returned. You agree?" Her face tightened, "That is too sad for me to accept my Lord; life is too cruel, if we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?" Katherine felt her body shift and she snapped out of it, Damon lulling her back to consciousness and she nodded her head knowing, if she didn't' get locked away, she would go on a rampage. He settled her down on the bench and her gaze drifted down to her arm then looked at his, "So that's what a werewolf bite looks like?... It's not that bad." Her chocolate gaze drifted to Damon's eyes, "So that's it? You're just going to die?" Katherine shook her head, "A hundred and forty five years?... No last goodbye?" She leaned down for him and grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt, "Don't… don't leave mad." Katherine's eyes focused again and she snapped out of it, but not quite and in response to his question, she could only muster the truth, "I don't want an eternity alone…"

DAMON'S POV -

It was hard for Damon to decipher whether or not Katherine was hallucinating or speaking to him. Parts of what she was saying seemed vaguely familiar; long lost memories that he had closed up and left behind or stored away. The rest was a puzzle to him, pieces to her life he didn't recognize or see. When she reached up and grabbed his collar he bent down to be close to her, his hand cupping the side of her face as his thumb brushed over the apple of her cheek. "Katherine I'm not leaving you, it's going to be okay," he whispered to her. He sat down beside her on the bench, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to leave to get in touch with Elena. Damon didn't like this situation. He had already made his choice, he was choosing to save Katherine in hopes that she would help him rescue Elena and Stefan afterward but he couldn't even be certain she would do that. After all, she was Katherine and it was exactly like Stefan said. She was selfish and there was a big chance she wouldn't feel like she owed him anything at all. However his feelings for her was enabling him to take that risk, and so he held her close as he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket; dialing Elena. "Damon?" Her voice was echoing faintly from the receiver. "Where have you been, I've been worried sick!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I got word on the whereabouts of Stefan and so I went to investigate. It was too dangerous to take you along," he lied. His stomach knotted uncomfortably. He loved Elena, and doing this to her was the worse betrayal that he could ever put her through.

It was even worse than snapping her brother's neck out of jealousy, rejection, and anger. "I need you to come over here so I can tell you all about it. I have a plan to get him back, but it won't be easy," he continued on. "I'll be right over," she told him, hanging up. He looked at the screen of his phone, resting it at his side as he looked down at Katherine. Elena was there for him in his moment of death, and now he was here for Katherine. It's like they had come full circle in a sense, yet that wasn't offering him any source of comfort. All he could keep thinking about was what if Klaus didn't keep his word? What if he really lost Katherine forever? He had emotionally detached himself from her, yes-and it hurt. But he had never lost her for good. She wouldn't be staked. She wouldn't be able to come back, and he couldn't imagine a world where Katherine didn't exist as much as he spoke about killing her, he knew he never would. He certainly didn't want someone else doing it, especially with Stefan as an accomplice in Klaus' sick, twisted game. "Katherine I'm going to take care of you, you're not going to die," he whispered tenderly to her, not even knowing if she was lucid or not. He placed his lips to the crown of her head. "I have to go, just for a little while. Stay here and know I'll come back to you," Damon spoke tenderly, as he got up from her side. He helped her lay down, resting her head on the pillow he had brought her before he escaped the cell; locking it behind him before he went upstairs. Elena arrived shortly after, breaking through the door to the hallway as she ran up to him; her hands grasping either side of his face.

He found it hard to look in her eyes, knowing that he was about to destroy her. "Elena...don't..." he said, pulling her hands down away from him as his crystal orbs met hers. "What? What's wrong?" She asked him puzzled. "Damon, I'm over what happened...you don't need to act weird around me," she told him, referring to their kiss and the night she was locked into the cellar. "Yeah you might be, but I'm not." He was being short with her, and he knew she didn't deserve it, but he couldn't help it. "Oh..." she said faintly, trailing off as her gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm sorry Elena, I'm just stressed. Listen, Stefan said he was going to meet us at Whickery Bridge. He misses you, but he's still bound to Klaus. He wants to see you though." Damon knew this would be enough to bait her, enough to willingly get her to the bridge in less than an hour. "Are you serious?" She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with hope that she had no idea was false. "Yes, I'm serious," he responded, forcing a small smile. "Come on, lets get over there," he said, grabbing his keys as they walked out to his car. Thankfully his and Katherine's luggage was still concealed in the trunk so Elena wouldn't know he had company. The moment she was in he sped away, praying to whoever would listen that this would work. The drive was silent, filled with all the words he wanted to say to Elena but couldn't and she seemed to amped up to see Stefan to notice his unusual silence. When they reached the bridge Damon pulled over to the side of the road, seeing his baby brother in the middle of the bridge as he peered down into the water.

He knew that Klaus was probably lurking in the woods nearby with witches and other vampires as backup. "Stefan!" Elena cried out in acclamation as she ran toward him, running straight for the trap. Stefan didn't say anything until she was in his arms; his hands unnaturally moving around her until he grabbed her roughly-keeping her pinned to his side. "Stefan..." she cried out again, worried now by his behavior. "You didn't even tell her?" Stefan smirked, laughing to himself. "Coward," he muttered. Damon's face turned to stone as he stood there, watching the other thing he cherished most in his life walk into the hands of a monster. "Damon?" Elena questioned, fear resonating in her eyes as tears started to form. "Damon, help me!" She cried out. Damon felt his emotions overwhelming him, moisture collecting at the rims of his eyes as he stared at the ground so he wouldn't break in front of her. "I can't, Elena." That was all he could manage, all he could say. "Tell her why," Stefan seethed, goading him on. He was enjoying this. "No." Damon said, his eyes angered as they lifted to meet his brother. "Damon please...please...don't do this!" Elena begged, she was sobbing now; struggling against Stefan. "What is wrong with you? Stop this Stefan, STOP!" Stefan smiled cunningly, shaking his head. "He's saving Katherine, Elena. He loves that selfish bitch more than he does you," he cackled, "and if you struggle one more time I'm snapping your neck!" He threatened. Elena stilled instantly, Klaus coming out from the shadows, but Damon didn't look at him-not yet-he was watching the treachery register on Elena's features. "Stefan, Stefan, Stefan," Klaus clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"That's no way to treat our guest, wouldn't you agree?" He posed, walking over to Elena as he caressed her cheek. She jerked away from him, her eyes moving back to Damon helplessly. "Damon...please don't do this. She's only going to hurt you," she said in a defeated murmur. "Isn't that all you're going to do, Elena?" Damon finally growled, his hands clenching into fists as he looked at her; Klaus and Stefan fading away. "I love you, I'd do anything for you...but you want my brother. Have you not hurt me in some way? You're not faultless here, Elena," Damon grumbled. He wasn't sure if he was trying to prove something to her, or if he was trying to dignify his choice and make himself feel better. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Elena, I'm sorry," he told her. He couldn't very well let her know he was coming back to her on a rescue mission, so instead he tore his eyes from her; paying attention to Klaus. "Where's your blood, I need to cure her," he said firmly, taking a few steps closer to him. "Ahhh yes, you've kept your end of the bargain so I shall keep mine," he said in a British accent, pulling out a vile from his coat pocket as he handed it to Damon. His icy gaze looked at it skeptically. "How do I know this is really yours?" He asked, uncorking the top as he dumped out the crimson red that was in there. "Now," he said handing it back, "you'll fill it in front of me so I can be certain. I'm not taking risks here. Katherine will live, she will survive this, and you're going to ensure it," he demanded stiffly. "I wouldn't trust you with her life," he sneered.

Klaus grinned. "Smart man. Good man," he reasoned, taking the vile. He brought his wrist to his lips, puncturing into his life source as he dripped it into the chamber until it was completely full. Then he handed it back. "There you go." Damon didn't say thank you, he just took it; turning his back as he headed back to the car. He kept hearing Elena's cries but he drown them out, and right as he was going to get in Klaus looked up at him. "That wasn't my blood originally," he called after Damon. He ducked his head in the car, peeling away; fighting the urge to turn around. Instead he thought of Katherine, thought of saving her, and that became the most important thing. He sped back to the boarding house, hurrying down to the cellar as he opened it up and went inside. "Katherine," Damon said softly, lifting her up into his arms. "Open your mouth, this will make you better," he told her. When she did as he told, he dumped the blood into her mouth, watching her drink it as he kept her close to him. He chucked the empty vile on the floor, his arms wrapping snugly around her so she would know she wasn't alone. Once she became coherent he took her upstairs to his bedroom, holding her as he fell asleep at her side. By morning, he turned and looked over at her. She was alive and breathing and that's all that mattered to him. "You look like shit," he smirked, trying to make her laugh. "Let me go get you some blood." He disappeared, returning shortly after with four bags for her as he rested them on the nightstand where she laid. "Once you drink that, I'm sure you'll feel better," he told her. He was quiet then, sitting on the edge of the bed as she fed her belly. When she was almost done with her third bag he began to speak again. "Please don't make me regret what I did, Katherine." He would get into the fact he needed her help later, for now he just wanted to make sure she was perfectly fine.

KATHERINE'S POV -

Katherine didn't want to spend the rest of her existence alone, she didn't want to be by herself, but she supposed that it was karma coming back at her. "I deserve it, don't I? To be alone forever?" Her brown eyes were glazed over, but she knew the reality that she was in and she was worried for her sake. She believed in an afterlife, she didn't know if there was a God or if there was a devil, but she knew there was life after death. She had witnessed certain instances where spirits had come back and she knew that if she got over on that other side that those spirits wouldn't be very kind to her if she ever came in contact with them. However, she didn't think she would. She knew she would be alone for eternity, she knew that she was meant to be alone. She deserved nothing less. And yet, here was Damon, telling her that he wasn't going to leave her, telling her that she wouldn't have to be alone. It was going to be okay. And even though she wanted to be brave and she wanted to be more than what she was, she couldn't stop herself from falling into pieces. The tears fell down her cheeks, "I'm scared." That was something she would have never admitted, but she was faced with an experience she never had to deal with before. Granted, she had been close to death more than once in her life, it had never been more certain than it was now. When he sat down next to her, she collapsed against his side and clung to him like a little child as he called Elena. There was a very selfish part of her that wanted him to do this, but then there was a little voice in the back of her head telling her otherwise.

When he hung up the phone, he told her that he wasn't going to let her die and then his lips pressed to her head and he tried to make her as comfortable as possible, but before he could pull away to leave, she was grasping onto his hand. She wasn't strong anymore, he could have just stepped away and she wouldn't have been able to stop him, but she needed to get this out. "Don't do this Damon… just stay here, don't take Elena to Klaus. I don't want you to do something you'll regret… she'll never forgive you. I'm not worth the sacrifice." Her voice was soft like a mouse, but she was trying so hard to get him not to do something she knew he would regret. "Please?" She nearly begged, but he didn't listen and he left her there. She lost track of time, lost track of her sanity, and lost track of who she was. Her mind kept playing tricks on her and she would end up at times in her life that she didn't want to revisit. There were her hopes and her dreams and her loses and her downfalls all flashing right before her eyes as if she was living each moment and she was terrified. Every once and a while she would snap out of her hallucinations and into reality and realize just how thirsty she was. She needed blood and she was regretting not taking up Damon's offer, but even then she knew that the blood would have made her so much worse, would have probably turned her into a blood thirsty monster. And then everything just stopped and went to black and her mind was clear. It was like she was having some kind of revelation, but she couldn't tell why… maybe she was dying.

She could imagine Damon's heartbreak when he realized he was too late to save her and that he had given up Elena for no reason at all. He would have never forgiven himself for it, but then she heard her name like some kind of glorious light at the end of a tunnel. She felt Damon take hold of her and lift her frail and sweaty body into his arms and she did as he asked, she opened her mouth and took in her saving grace. The blood soothed down her throat and, like the venom, stilled every little pain that she had been suffering through. She drank until he pulled the vile away from her lips and then she curled up against him and nestled into his embrace and she fell asleep before he even lifted her up to take her into his bedroom. She slept the entire night away until she could feel her thirst becoming a little too powerful for her taste. She always filled herself enough so that she wouldn't have to ever feel thirsty to the point of being in a desert and completely parched, but now she was stirring out of her sleep because she couldn't stand the dryness of her throat. She felt the bed underneath her and Damon's scent invaded her senses so thoroughly that she knew he was next to her and then her touch, all of those sensory receptors on her flesh began to activate and become alive and she could feel him next to her. She was wrapped up against him, his arms very protectively covering over her and she sighed, relieved that she wasn't dead and that he was looking at her with amusement in his eyes, not anger. She had gotten him into a touch situation and now, even though he wasn't feeling the guilt yet, soon that consciousness of his would take over and she was sure that she would feel the brunt of it.

She expected him to say good morning or how are you or something more romantic, but no, he didn't and her lips thinned into a line as she pushed at his body to get him out of the bed. "Jerk," she muttered as he ran out of the room to get her the blood she needed to pull herself out of his bed. She reached out for the bag before he had even entered the room and she was grateful to have it. She punctured the bag with her teeth and she sucked and squeezed at it, letting the blood rush into her mouth as Damon settled on the edge of the bed. She knew he wanted to say something to her so she just drank at her bags of blood until he got the nerve to say what he wanted to and what he did say, took her back a little. Her eyebrows furrowed together at his comment as she guzzled down the last bag of blood as she thought about what she was going to do. Damon had saved her life and there was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her to help him get Elena back and help to get Stefan back to. Katherine wasn't too worried. She didn't think that Stefan had it in him to let Klaus truly hurt Elena besides, Klaus needed Elena alive more than he did dead so she wasn't worried for Elena's life, just the condition of the life she would lead. "Why did you do this? I told you not to, but you did anyways. I thought you loved her… you do know saving me has ruined any chance you had to be with her? She won't forgive you for this."

For once, Katherine wasn't too concerned with herself as she was with the wellbeing of Damon. "You make me think that this was your way of choosing me; stop me now if I'm taking too many liberties…" She hesitated for a few moments, but when he didn't say anything to her, she took that as his confirmation so she continued on with her words. "You saved me knowing full well, from my track record, that I would probably leave you and show no remorse. Even with all of that bad history between us, you still saved me… Do you love me Damon?" Her question, she thought, was valid enough to ask. Why else would he have taken such great lengths to save her life? Still, she didn't wait for him to answer her because, for once in her life, she felt like she needed to give him a reason to want to love her, to want to be with her, a reason to have saved her life. She got to her knees on the bed and crawled over to him and then looked down at her fingers as she took his hand, "Here's my honest answer, it's all that I can give to you now… I'm scared… I am scared to love you." She shook her head a little before looking up at him and into his bright eyes; her own eyes reflecting no trace of the hard Katherine that she was certain would come back eventually when she was off of this 'near-death-experience' kick. In her eyes, was that seventeen year old girl that still believed in love, that still wanted love. "I really don't want to be alone, but I don't know how to live otherwise. And I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm going to be this way all of the time because that's not me… but it is me, but… I can't tell you, in completely honesty, and say that I'm going to stay because I'm better at running than anything else, but I want to try… I'll help you get her back." With that she got to her feet and didn't wait for him to say anything to her because she wasn't brave enough to face his rejection if that was what was going to come. "I'm going to, um, shower and then I'll tell you what I know." She turned then and walked away from him and into his bathroom and shut the door behind herself. Her fingers gripped onto the counter as she stared at herself in the mirror, "Fuck, I do look like shit."

DAMON'S POV -

Damon sat there silently, the sound of Katherine's swallows echoing in his ears as he waited for her response. He didn't want her to misconstrue his statement as regret for having chosen her, because he didn't regret it. He loved her as much as he didn't want to, and at the end of the day he was always going to be there for her and help her. Maybe that made him stupid, or maybe that meant he really was in love—perhaps a little of both, but either way it didn't change the facts. He had put Katherine before Elena and he was okay with that, he just didn't want to abandon Elena now because she didn't deserve that and neither did his brother. After all, it was Damon's fault that Stefan was in this entire situation to begin with and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he had a debt to owe his sibling. He needed to get even and he needed to free him from Klaus, but especially Elena. "I do love her Katherine," Damon answered honestly, "but I love you more." The statement had already left his lips before he could retract it, and the only reason he would want to is because he knew his true emotions could be turned on him like a knife; a weapon wielded by her hand and he could die from it. "I don't need her to forgive me, I just need to get her back so she's safe," he added in a low voice, his crystal orbs dropping to the hard wood floor so he wouldn't have to look at her. Katherine continued, asking him things he didn't want to answer. Yes, he had chosen her and he knew it was obvious but he didn't want to audibly confirm it with his mouth.

Maybe it wouldn't be real if he ignored it, but he knew that was ignorant on his part. Her trailing question rung in his ears, repeating like a stereo song as he contemplated finally saying it—finally admitting to it, but he was a coward and he couldn't. Suddenly she was on the floor, between his legs again, his azure oceans having no choice but to lock on to her mocha gems. Damon was surprised at her admission, the hard features of his face softening instantly as he watched her own roughened front melt away. That honesty and sensitivity that was so rare for her shone through her bright eyes as he listened to her speak. She may not have been giving him everything he wanted, but she was giving him the truth and he took it and cherished it. He watched her get up and walk away from him, leaving him in shock as he sat on the bed. She was actually going to try to stay and help him get back Elena? He admired her for that. He knew it was hard for her, but he also knew it was the honorable thing to do and he knew she had a heart after all she just liked keeping it buried. Damon got up from the bed, opening the bathroom door to see Katherine standing in front of the mirror. "I like you the way you are Katherine. The way we use to be," he said softly, his hands urging her to turn to face him. "You and I…we made a good couple, a good team—and we'd make an even better one now. I don't want to you to change Katherine. When you care for someone, when you want to that is," he paused with a smirk, "you're the perfect combination of sweet and bitter."

He laughed a little at his statement. "Some might see that as a disgusting combination, but I on the other hand," he mused, his fingertips grasping at the base of her shirt as he peeled it over her head. "I think it's just right. You know how to make a man feel wanted, yet keep him guessing, keep him working for it at the same time. As long as I know you're not playing that game of cat and mouse with someone else…well then…you're just the woman I want and need. You don't make me feel trapped or overwhelmed," he whispered, the back of his hand brushing the apple of her cheek as he smiled down at her. "I do love you Katherine, and although I'm a good liar, I figure it's pointless to lie about something that's reflected in every action I take and the words I speak." He took a step closer, the distance between them getting shut out as his body pressed to hers. He leaned down, his lips claiming hers tenderly as he unclasped her bra; guiding the straps down her arms until it dropped to the floor. His hands rested at the curve of her waist, small groans of approval escaping him and echoing in her mouth as his tongue tangled with hers. Damon's hands drifted to the button of her skinny jeans, unclasping them as he shoved them over her hips and the swell of her ass; his hands gripping her firm cheeks as he hooked his finger under the string of her thong. He broke away from her mouth, his cerulean hues capturing hers as his hands floated down the sides of her body and then back up again. He cradled her neck and head as he continued to kiss her.

After paying more attention to her kissable petals, his mouth trailed wet kisses down her slender neck and over her collarbone as he began to descend down her body. His tongue flicked over her pink nipple, sucking it between his lips as he nibbled on it before dropping lower on to his knees. His hands tugged down her pants, taking her panties next before he helped her step out of both. Then he moved back to his feet, anxiously stripping himself of his own clothing until they were both naked. "Katherine," he groaned desperately, his body returning to hers like he would die if he wasn't close to her. Damon's mouth collided with hers as he pressed her up against his glass shower, is free hand opening the door as he inched them closer and closer until his hand grabbed the nozzle. He flipped it on, the spray of warm water washing over his arm as he held Katherine's head in his hands and gazed into her doe eyes. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmured against her lips as he pulled them under the cleansing stream of water as he shut the glass door. Steam was already billowing them around them as he pushed her against the tile walls, his mouth joining hers again as his hands moved down her chest; fondling her. He pinched her nipples into hardened pink crests, flicking them with his fingers to get a rise out of her as he pushed his knee between her legs. He rubbed his thigh over her womanhood, her drenched folds smearing their arousal down his leg before the water washed it away. "Mmmmmmmmm," he hummed, drawing away from her as he spun her around.

He pinned her chest to the wall, his hands moving away her soaked locks over her shoulder as he kissed down the nape of her neck; his tongue leading the way before his lips closed over it. Damon's palms moved to her front, guiding down her wet belly until his fingers were teasing in the tuft of her pubic hair creating the perfect landing strip to the promise land. He smirked when she naturally spread her legs without him having to ask. Katherine knew what was coming, and he was glad because he had no intentions of stopping. His digits dipped between her heated slit, more of her moisture collecting on his fingertips as he moved up and down. His cock beat to life against her ass cheeks, hardening vigorously against her smooth skin. "Stick your ass out," he ordered her passionately, as he backed up; giving her some room to do so. He positioned his engorged head at her tight entrance, pushing his way in with a grunt as her muscles stretched over him slowly; clamping down on him and leaving him panting against her back as the water continued to rain down on him from behind. "Katherine," Damon moaned out, his arms tightening around her so that her back was pressed tightly against his chest. It increased the pressure on his dick, making him growl out in anticipation as he bucked forward; feeling her pussy spasm around him like a flickering light bulb. His hand moved back between her legs again, intent on getting her to moan out his name and pleasure her as he pressed the pad of his digit against her pulsating nub. He was quick and relentless as he manipulated her aching center. "Talk to me Katherine," he mumbled in her ear, his tongue tracing the contour of her earlobe as he began to take her quickly from behind.

KATHERINE'S POV -

Katherine wasn't sure what to do. It was as though she was trying to grab and hold onto water that kept passing through her fingers. Here he was, confessing to her that he loved her more than he loved Elena and really she didn't need him to tell her that, she had witness his affection for her in the way he had sacrificed Elena for her. However, him saying the words made her feel the consistency, as if the water she had tried to grasp had suddenly turned to ice and now she could hold it. His words were a lot more solid than his actions were to her and she knew how off that seemed, but everything about the two of them didn't make sense. She had come back to Mystic Falls with a mission to get Stefan back… well that was the second half of her mission aside from ruining the vampires in the tomb to keep them quiet. She had her mind set and she wasn't using to swaying decisions and now she felt like a fish out of water. She had just committed herself to saving Elena and she stood there, staring at herself in the mirror, wondering if Damon was using her to save Elena. Yes, her mind would go there. She sighed a little, shaking her head. He wasn't as cruel as she was, he wouldn't do something like that to her; after all, she had seen the honesty in his eyes. Those beautiful sky blue eyes that looked deep into her soul with every unintended glance and she knew she couldn't doubt him. However, giving herself to Damon was a different story. She was a wild woman with a fiercely independent spirit and she wasn't sure she could stick with just one man for the rest of her existence.

When she had been with Damon the first time, she had Stefan with her as well, she always had her options open. She had never actually been with a single man for any length of time beyond her human years. She wasn't in search of love or a life partner, she didn't want to have anything to do with it and yet the idea of living without it didn't appeal to her either. She wanted to be with someone she cared about, she wanted that companionship, but who knew how long she would want it? And by it she meant Damon, but couldn't get herself to even begin to comprehend that kind of name transition. He had told her he loved her and in her own weird way, staying meant that she loved him to. Katherine knew what love was, she had felt it once before in her life and she knew the brutal honesty of it. Love was unconditional and desperate, it could make you or break you in the most beautiful and horrendous of ways, but Katherine had never known real love because she had never had someone to return the love she felt. And now, she was being offered her chance, that possibility of maybe experiencing what her heart had been longing for for centuries, but had neglected to realize in the many years of her existence. She had always saw love as being her greatest weakness, it never made her better or stronger, it always brought her down. How could she trust it not to do the same thing to her now? She knew then that she wasn't going to be able to say the words if Damon wanted to hear them and it wasn't so much her not wanting to say them or that her pride was getting in the way, it was the finality of the words that made her want to turn and run.

She didn't know why she hadn't predicted that Damon would come into the bathroom after her, but he did and she felt very weak and exposed standing there both physically and emotionally. She didn't like being read like an open book and there was no doubt in her mind that he could do that now if he so wished. She just stood there, not wanting to move, but finding it difficult to deny his urgings to turn towards him to look at him. She wanted to come out and tell him that they could never go back to being what they once were because Katherine hadn't been fully invested in that relationship at all. She had been playing a game and she didn't want to do that again. Her affections had been shared then and now she was ready to give herself over to him and him only so no, she wouldn't even contemplate going back to what they once were because that had been fake and she wanted this to be real. "I always cared about you in my own twisted way," she muttered. She had cared for Damon, but she had cared for Stefan too. One of her eyebrows rose at his use of antonyms to describe her, but she knew the words were completely fitting to her personality. She then realized what he was trying to get at, he didn't want her to change. She could feel a weight being lifted off of her chest within the next second because she wasn't going to change, she knew she wouldn't. Granted, she would make a few adjustments, but she wouldn't have to become Elena to make Damon love her. Katherine could still be Katerina Petrova, that silly girl with a venomous tongue and flippant personality because he liked her that way, he accepted her that way.

Katherine lifted her arms above her head as Damon pulled her dirty shirt from her body, her entire body hanging off of every word that left his lips. Her body pressed into him, her head tilting slightly into his hand, the warmth of his fingers against her cheek making her flutter her eyelids closed as she savored the feeling. She hadn't been this enamored since she was fifteen years old and she hadn't been expecting it then either. He was saying so many heart-stopping things, words that had her heart swelling and bursting in repetitive cycles that refused to stop and yet she was still hesitating. As soon as his lips pressed to hers, her body flooded with warmth. This kiss he was giving her wasn't nearly as hard and passionate as the last kiss they had shared before she had left him, it was gentle, tender, and soft, everything that he had once given her when he was so certain that he loved her. This was the Damon that she had missed, the Damon she thought was boring, but was longing after at the same time. This was the man that she had once fallen in love with and now he was the best of both worlds for her. He was as compulsive as Stefan used to be when he was human, but as sweet as the gentleman that she remembered him to be. He was what she had been searching for and, in that moment, there was no question for her. Her lips responded to him instantly, moving lightly over his as though she was breathing in his soul with every pucker of her lips and with every inhale she took. She was so involved with the movement of his lips that she didn't notice him unclasping her bra until he pulled down and the straps caught at her arms because she was so eagerly reaching out for him. Her arms dropped until the ridiculous garment was on the floor and then her arms were wrapped around his neck.

Her body arched forward into him, going on tip toes as she pulled him down to her until they were bent slightly so that his tall frame was coming down to her, his hands taking her jeans and pushing them down her hips. He pulled away from her lips and her head naturally leaned forward to capture them again, but he was touching her, distracting her. She stomped her foot at him, grasping onto his shirt with both hands, pulling him to her with the urgency of one who was dying. She had nearly lost her life and if it hadn't been for him, she would be gone from this world and probably burning in the pits of hell; she had a lot to be thankful for and each blessing came in the form of Damon and his love, that generosity that he kept giving her even though she didn't deserve it. When his lips met hers again she was determined never to let him part from her. She moaned, her lips opening as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, entangling his wet muscle with her own until he moved his mouth down her neck and then lower still. She cradled the back of his head with her hands, pressing him to her body as she threw back her own head, savoring the sweet feel of his tongue running along her sensitive crests. Her nipple hardened underneath the warmth of his mouth as he suckled on her like a babe, pulling her jeans and panties down her legs until there wasn't a stitch of clothing on her body. She reached down for him, urging him back to his feet and to her mouth, her fingers pushing his unbuttoned shirt down his arms as he ridded himself of his clothing.

She felt the cool of the glass against her back as he pushed her up against the shower before opening the door and guiding her backwards, further and further until he could turn on the water. She felt the hot water bath against the backs of her legs as he looked deep into her mocha hues and told her that he was happy she was okay. She found the words oddly peaceful knowing that all of his threats to kill her had been, as she suspected, completely false. Within the next moment, his lips were claiming hers, her back colliding with the tiled wall, his hands massaging against her breasts. She pressed her chest into his palms, her bosom forming to the palm of his hands, her nipples tightening into small diamonds between his fingertips. His knee wedged between her legs and she parted them happily, settling herself down against his thigh. Her hips rocked against the firmness of his thigh, her wet folds parted against his skin, her clit aching with every touch as she slid along him, completely ready to get off right then and there, but he had other plans. He pulled away from her and twisted her around, the front of her body plastering up against the wall as the warm water cascaded down her back, wetting her dark curls dampening them straight as he moved them over her shoulder so he could kiss down her neck. With her eyelids closed, she paid particular attention to the way he caressed her, to every single touch of his lips, his fingers, and his tongue. A shiver rolled down her spine, her legs opening up for him as he invaded her senses, his fingers dipping into her wet folds. She hissed, her body visibly shaking at the feel of his fingertips and his hardened cock pressing up against her ass. "Please," she begged, tired of waiting for him. She needed him desperately; she wanted him more now than ever.

She was being very passive with him and she knew it, but she wanted him to have that masculine power, that knowledge that her body was his own and he could do whatever he wanted to her and she would play like a puppet, attached to his strings. She stepped backwards, her forearms braced against the wall as she did as she was told, sticking her ass out towards Damon, her legs widening as she did so only just enough to give him access to her pussy, but not without him having to work against the tension of her muscles and her tightness to do so. A low groan developed in the back of her throat as he pushed into her tight entrance. Her pussy tightened, her muscles pulsing around his thick dick as he buried himself into her until all of him was nestled inside of her. His arms tangled around her, bringing her body up against him so that her body formed to every dip of his own muscular frame. Her jaw dropped, her mouth opening as a sharp pang of pleasure erupted in her lower abdomen and flared out throughout her entire body. His hand snaked back to her front and down between her folds until his heated fingertips rubbed against her aching clit, hardening it at his touch until it swelled with blood. Her knees quivered as he thrust into her, her arm reaching upwards, grasping behind his neck in an effort to keep her stable as he tore into her body with a sweet agony that erupted like a volcano throughout her petite frame. Her entire mind was blank as he pounded into her from behind, his cock piercing into her molten core as she drove back down against him, her fingers twisting into his wet hair, gripping onto the only sanity she felt she had left.

She shook her head, squeezing her eyelids shut as she struggled to grasp onto her words, but she couldn't think. There was only one thing that she wanted to tell him and it ran through her mind like neon lights scrolling along like an advertisement, blinking and flashing in big, bold, capital letters. She sucked in a deep breath that then refused to leave her until a long, drawn-out moan poured out of her lips. And then, very suddenly, she was pulling away from her, twisting around until her back was firmly plastered against the tiles. Her chest was rising and falling with such desperation, the confused look on Damon's features making him that much more strikingly handsome to her. She reached for him then, taking his hand, pulling him to her body with a smack. She lifted a slender stem around his waist and hoisted herself up, wrapping her other leg around him until he was supporting the both of them. She reached down for him, grasping onto his dick before rubbing his swollen head against her cunt. She purposely grazed his dick along her clit, gasping for breath every time, her body squirming with each glorious sensation. "Damon," she whispered, knowing that she couldn't give him what he wanted to hear because she wasn't there yet. She did love him, but she wasn't ready to tell him that. She just couldn't open herself that way because it always damaged her in the end. She couldn't give him that piece of her yet and she hoped that he would understand. As of now, her actions would just have to prove to him that she was in this—whatever it was—she was ready to find out what he had to offer her.

"Show me how much you love me," she purred, guiding his length into her pussy. Her arousal coated over his dick, lavishing him in her love. She pressed her upper shoulders against the wall, arching her back against him, using the angle as leverage to drive his dick deeper into her core. "You always were the best I ever had." A mischievous smirk etched onto her full lips before her hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him to her. Her mouth opened before their lips locked, her tongue intruding into his mouth with a feverish urgency, their muscles tangling together as she moved her hips up and down, burying his dick into her cunt over and over again until she could feel her muscles tightening deliciously. "Mmm, fuck… yessss, right there, right there, FUCK!" Katherine nearly screamed, the entire motion of her body stopping, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his upper arms, drawing blood. "Slower, slower... oh yes, just like that," she moaned, hugging herself to Damon. Her tongue slid along his neck, to his ear, her lips pulling his earlobe into her mouth as she sucked on him gently. "Cum with me Damon, please?" She begged, "I want to feel your cock twitch in my dirty cunt… hmm, cum inside of me Damon, let me feel your pleasure." She whispered into his ear, her hips drawing small circles against him. She squeezed her pussy, her muscles tightening around the base of his cock, just before she started to thrust her hips against him hard until she could feel his dick begin to quiver inside of her. "That's it, yes, yes, YES!" She screamed. She felt his orgasm ripple along his lower abdomen, sending his cum plummeting deep into her depths. All it took was the feel of his stringy cum hitting her sensitive patches of skin for her to let go. Katherine gripped onto Damon hard, her legs and arms tightening around him as her body froze as she reached her peak and then she tipped over the edge and her body convulsed against him.

His name fell from her lips repeatedly in breathless moans as she came all over his dick, but the moment the last ripple of pleasure coursed through her body, she was dismounting him. Her legs dropped down to the wet tiles, that devilish look in her eye lighting like a flame to lighter fluid. "You wanna know what I miss," she purred, her pointer finger drawing down his chest until she could wrap her fingers around his dick. She pulled on him, pumping her hand along his length as she looked deep into his crystal eyes. She could feel his cock getting harder and harder in her hands until he was completely stiff and she knew that, even though each tug of her hand brought him pleasure, it was also giving him a little discomfort. "I miss," she licked at her lips, "your dick in my ass." She chuckled a little, turning her body around, purposely pushing her heart shaped ass against his cock, rubbing her ass cheeks against him with deliberate slowness. "Come on Damon, I want you to fill me up… tear me open. If I remember right, you used to be really good at it; after you got over your nerves of course." Katherine laughed lightly. She had always been experimental in bed and back in the 19th century the only sex position that existed was missionary style. She was the one that convinced Damon to expand his horizons, even if that had taken a little coaxing. Katherine loved a cock in her asshole, a cock down her throat, a cock in her pussy, a cock between her boobs; she had done it all. She was a fucking dirty whore and she wasn't afraid to show it and she wanted Damon to take full advantage of her. Katherine bent down low, her ass sticking up into the air as she pressed her hands up against the glass. She shook her ass a little, "Take me or I'll take you."

DAMON'S POV -

For Damon this moment made everything worth it, including sacrificing Elena. It wasn't in a perverted means, either; although he always loved fucking Katherine this was different. Each of them had dropped their own guard in some form and there was honesty being exchanged between them as he buried his cock deep within her strangling pussy. Every slam into her behind sent him deeper into her cunt, his fingers ardent and attentive to her swollen bud as her pants and noises echoed in his ears. He kissed down her neck, loving the feel of her arm wrapping around the back of his head and pulling him closer; reflecting the desperation that he was already feeling toward her. Damon cocked his head to the side when she pulled away from him, his erect dick bouncing as he looked at her with curious eyes. He knew there was no way she was done, so it was just a matter of what she had planned for next. He smirked at her, this boyish twinkle resonating in his glacier pools as he watched her intently and lovingly. He moved into her with a wet slap, their skin slipping against one another with the moisture and rain from the shower as she lifted her leg; her calve pulling him further into her as she hoisted her body up around him. Her lengthy stems wrapped around his waist, as his arms ran up against her waist; supporting her weight in conjunction with the tile walls as he gazed into her chocolate gems. Katherine was perfect to him in that moment, and nothing was going to touch what they were sharing; even though the doubt lurked in the back of his mind that tomorrow would not bring the same experience. Damon loved her, and he intended to show it through his actions.

He let her palm wrap around his thick girth, watching as she guided it up her wet slit and against her raw clit as she squirmed in pleasure. He smirked, enjoying the show as she murmured his name. "Yes Katherine," Damon replied in a husky voice, as he drown in her mocha oceans. He smiled instantly at her words, his mouth connecting to hers instantly as his eager tongue parted her addictive petals. "Katherine," he breathed against her, his lips forming to hers again and again as she guided his throbbing cock back into her soaked walls. He hummed against her open mouth in anticipation and pleasure, thrusting his dick deep inside of her as he worked her pussy with intensity. He chuckled at her remark, glad that she had finally admitted it. He always knew that he was a better lover than Stefan, and for Kat to actually come out and announce that fact was a stroke to the ego that he truly needed. His thick digits ran through her wet hair, pulling her lips roughly against his while his other hand stayed wrapped around her back, supporting her as he drove into her repeatedly until her muscles were straining against him. He could tell she was close and so was he. The moment she broke their kiss and began to cry out he watched her. His crystal optics followed the contours of her mouth, watching the shapes her lips made as she drew closer to ecstasy-the pleasure that he was bestowing upon her. "That's it Katherine, enjoy it," he murmured, his hand stabling the position they were in so his dick could rub over her muscles in just the right spots until she was purring for him. Her visage turned him on, sending his boys tightening as he slammed into her; only slowing when the sting from her nails and her words was telling him to.

His hands ran down her spine then when she pulled close to him, his movements intentionally slow until he was torturing her and she was begging for him to release with her. "Katherine," Damon murmured, the throaty noise escaping his throat in a tone he didn't recognize as she sucked on his ear and nibbled there. His arms crossed at her back, hugging her as close as humanely possible as she began to slam her hips against his, the friction of her spongy walls more than glorious as his dick began to jerk and twitch inside of her. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he panted in her ear, pressing his lips to the top of her shoulder as he furiously bucked his pelvis into hers as he unloaded his thick seed in her juicy cunt. His orgasm served as the catalyst for her as she squirmed against him, her hips gyrating over his dick as her heady nectar rolled over him in thick sugary waves. He held her convulsing body against him, her hard nipples digging into his chest as the water continued to pelt against their skin. Damon let her legs drop down the tile, loving that she was still able to stand after that. "Getting off of me so soon?" He mused with a devilish grin, noting her own mischievous countenance as her finger drug down his wet chest. "What's that?" He asked, a shiver rippling up his spine as her hand wrapped around his dick. The mix of pleasure and pain had him hardening in her expert palm once more, it didn't take much from the likes of Katherine. He was ready for round two, desperate for it as his cock began to ache. "Kat..." he groaned, his eyes fluttering closed as she released him. When Damon opened his eyes again her ass was rubbing up and down his shaft, making his eyes bug out in angst for her dirty words dripped from her tongue.

"Oh really?" He laughed a little, shaking his head when she brought up the past. Katherine had only been the second woman that he had slept with. Out at war he had slept with one young girl he met at a bar, but it was awkward missionary sex. He remembered it as clear as day, the pretty little red head had cried through the entire ordeal. Then came Katherine, a little sex kitten who loved to have wild romps between the sheets. He remembered the first time she had demanded he stick his dick in her tight little asshole, he was certain he had blushed. He was so naive and gentlemanly, and women didn't talk like Katherine did back then. His cock was already pounding in excitement, he wanted to take her again. "A lot has changed since then Katherine, I've learned a thing or two over the past century or so," he mused with glittering icy pools. He shook his head at her statement, giving her no warning whatsoever as he slammed into her tight ass. He felt her tissue stretch, warmth rushing around him to let him know he may have torn some of her tissues. It was ruthless, but this is how him and Katherine were which was one of the bonuses of being with her. She wasn't breakable, at least not in the bedroom and he could lose all inhibitions and have her as roughly as he wanted to knowing with certainty she would enjoy it and wouldn't hold it against him. In fact, when the vixen before him demanded malicious sex if you didn't deliver you were a disappointment and in for a world of pain. However Damon had no intention of disappointing her, he knew he physically couldn't. "Like that, Katherine?" He growled in her ear, reveling in the sensation of her ass tightening around his thick girth before he pulled out of her.

The scent of iron and salt invaded his nostrils, causing his gaze to drop down to see the red tinge sheathing his cock before he barreled back into her again. His hands braced himself as they landed on her waist, guiding her heart shaped ass back and over his cock every time he'd shove it into her. The intense position was sending him to his climax much quicker than he wanted, but it didn't cause him to slow down; he was enjoying himself far too much. He hammered into her consistently, the sound of her whimpers and moans spurring him on as his hands danced along every inch of her flesh that he could reach. He fondled her breast and placed kisses down her skin, his upper body reflecting tender loving movements while his lower half ripped into her with conviction and dominance until he was about to explode. Her warm blood was oozing around his dick now, rushing out of her asshole and down to the water that was spinning around the drain. He wasn't being gentle, but that didn't seem to affect her because she was moaning with just as much passion as he was. When Damon couldn't take it anymore he pulled out his cock, his hand moving over it in quick motions as he jerked himself off; his seed squirting against the shower door and down into the water. He let out a grunt, his breathing rapid and concentrated before he got down on his knees. His hands moved over her ass cheeks, red from where he had been ramming into her like a wrecking ball. He placed kisses there before dipping his tongue in the widened hole he had created, her blood seeping on to his taste buds as he let out a low hum of satisfaction. "You're gonna be sore for the next few hours until you heal completely," he murmured against her olive colored flesh, his tongue trailing over her bum and back into her asshole.

"Did you think I was done with you?" Damon mumbled. The water in the shower was starting to cool, but he hardly cared. He pulled her pussy into his face from behind, his tongue snaking out and moving up her slit. "You're going to cum for me again and it's going to be directly into my mouth," he demanded in a silky tone before he twisted her around, slamming her back into the tile as his lips and mouth dove on her like she was his air. His wet muscle probed into her tight channel, down to her ass, and then back up until it circled repeatedly under her taut bundle of nerves. It pulsated against his tongue; Damon so sensitive to her needs that he knew right where to curl his pink muscle to get her to scream. "Ride my face Katherine, let me taste that cunt," he demanded, and she instantly did what he asked. She grinded down against him, his nose and chin getting smeared with her arousal until she screamed above him. Her sugary nectar ran around his tongue like a generous fountain, and he didn't get back to his feet until he had cleaned her up.

After that the two actually showered, Damon tending to her with tenderness and devotion before she returned the favor. Once they were out both of them dressed before heading downstairs. Damon took to the cellar, grabbing more blood bags for the both of them before he handed her one; seating himself on the brown leather sofa as he crossed his legs and looked over at her. "You're amazing, you know that?" He smiled, actually smiled, momentarily forgetting that they had a rescue mission to begin. He sort of wished he could let it fall by the way side and him and Kat could go off together, but his conscience wouldn't have allowed that. So as much as he didn't want to, he brought up Klaus. "Katherine...what do you know about Klaus? I'm not in a rush to get it over with, but in a sense I am," he stated, his hand catching hers as she walked past him. He pulled her down into his laps, his free arm circling around her waist as he held her close to him. Damon brought the glass of blood to his lips, downing it before he gazed into her eyes. "I want to be done with it because I want to leave Mystic Falls and go off with you. I have no reason to stay here now, and I see that now. So..." he continued, "the sooner I can rescue Elena and my brother the quicker I can be off with you," he murmured hotly, his lips melting into hers.

KATHERINE'S POV -

Katherine was daring and loved to be violated, but only by someone who knew just how to tear her open. Damon had always been good at pleasing her which was one of the reasons why she was asking him to appease her… not that she would really give him a choice. Katherine had never given Damon a choice; she had only made him believe he was making the decisions where she was concerned. She was always very well aware of her power over him and she was a master manipulator. Did she regret the things she did? To some extent. Would she ever want to take it back? No, she wouldn't. Damon was who he was today because of her and she loved that. So as he shoved his dick into her ass, she found herself getting even that much more turned on. She hissed through clenched teeth as her flesh tore, those sensitive tissues ripping at the seams as he filled her. Katherine didn't like mercy so it wasn't any surprise to her that Damon was ruthless with her. She reached behind her, her hands gripping onto the backs of his thighs as he rammed into her, pounding into her so fast she hardly had time to recognize that he was thrusting at all. She could feel a warmth gush around his dick and the scent of her own blood wafted into the air and she smiled, her arms reaching out for the tiled walls as she made a desperate effort to stabilize herself. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She nearly screamed, a growl vibrating deep within her throat as she felt his dick harden and twitch in her ass. "God, yes!" She moaned, her fingers dipping into her slit, the water and her own arousal covering her fingertips as she ran her digits over her precious jewel.

She could feel him ready to cum when he pulled out of her. Her chest heaved up and down, her fingertips still rubbing over her swollen clit as she watched him jerk himself off. His cum shot out, dripping along the glass door of the shower, mixing with the water as it fell down the drain. She wanted so badly to lick him up, swallow his delicious seed, but Damon didn't take orders from her anymore. He knew what he wanted and he was going to take it from her and she was more than willing to hand herself over. She felt Damon bend down, his hands gripping onto her ass cheeks as he spread her apart. She hummed as his tongue licked along her ass, her blood dripping onto his tongue as he cleaned her up. She did think then that their fun was over, that they would go on and shower and start their little search and rescue mission, but Damon had other plans. "Hmm?" An involuntary shiver dribbled down her spine as his tongue slithered down her cunt until a tremble had her legs growing shaky. He flipped her around then, her back resting along the tiled wall as he dipped into her treasure again with his mouth. Her fingers laced into his hair, her hands adding pressure to the back of his head to keep his face buried in her twat. He was lavish with his tongue, doting on every patch of sensitive flesh she had until she felt her body start to slide down the wall.

Katherine was strong, but there was something about his sweet torture that had her crumbling at the knees. She couldn't quite comprehend anything that was happening other than the sound of his voice telling her what to do. She nodded her head, thrusting her hips upward, rubbing her pussy all over his face. Every groove along his nose, lips, and chin sent her muscles into a spasm, tensing uncomfortably as his tongue massaged her slippery muscles, reaching every pleasure point until she was screaming. Her back arched off of the wall as he forced her body to hurtle towards her orgasm before she could push it back. She screamed, her body snapping into a fit of quivers as her climax spread from her lower abdomen all the way through her body until she was shivering with the motion of his tongue as he flicked along her pussy until she was clean of her arousal. "Mmm, you make me feel like jello," she whispered, leaning up against him as soon as he was on his feet. She held onto him for a while, using him as a balance as he tenderly washed her body, she returning the favor once she could stand without worrying about tipping over. When they were done, relatively dry, and clothed, Katherine went into her room and grabbed the one journal she kept that she had never had any intention of showing to anyone. She didn't want to open it up to Damon because it was her only defense, but it would get her where she wanted to go and she had to accept that Damon was going on this journey with her whether she liked it or not. Once she had it, she went downstairs to find Damon coming from the cellar with several blood bags. She watched him pour some blood into two glasses before he handed her one. "Thank you," she said as she watched him sit on the sofa.

His comment made her smile, her shoulder lifting slightly in a modest gesture that was obviously very cocky, "I know." She laughed lightly before attempted to move by him, but instead, he took her hand and pulled her back against him so that she had no choice, but to sit on his lap. "You're pretty amazing yourself." His arm wrapped around her waist and she knew then that he was getting attached to her and that didn't settle well on Katherine's mind. Worse still he had to go and tell her that he wanted to run off with her. In an ideal world she would be okay with that, but she wasn't. She didn't like the idea of having someone with her that she had to worry about. Damon was reckless and his track record proved that time and time again. Katherine, on the other hand, thought about everything before she came out and did something; Damon had the potential to ruin all of that, he had the potential to get her killed. "You're cute," she leaned back a little, letting Damon support her body as she brought the journal up onto her lap and the glass to her lips. He wanted to run off with her and she didn't want to say no because a part of her wanted that too, but she wasn't allowing herself to be receptive to it. "Alright, so basically after Klaus killed my family I made it a point to always know where he is. I have friends, but sometimes I have to do the tracking myself. And what better way to remain safe than to be close enough to him that he wouldn't suspect me of being around. Over the years of watching him, I learned quite a few things about it."

Katherine opened up her book then and flipped through a few pages. "While I was tracking Klaus in the 20s, he and Stefan crossed paths, but that wasn't really the most exciting part of that venture. What I noticed is that Klaus likes to keep things that are important to him very close to him. So one night while Klaus and Stefan were entertaining themselves, I snuck into a warehouse and discovered something interesting." She brought the glass to her lips and sipped on the blood, feeling the flow of it electrify every nerve in her body as it cascaded down to her belly. "Now, when I first met Klaus, he was introduced to me by his brother Elijah. At the time, I thought it was just the two of them, but their sister, Rebekah, was never very far away. All three are originals, but I know from several stories that they aren't the only ones. You have his parents, presumably, and some more siblings, possibly. Interesting thing about it all is that, over time, those siblings were talked about less and less. I didn't have any theories until I went into that warehouse and stumbled upon four coffins. One wouldn't open, one was empty, and the other two held two vampires with a danger in the heart. I assumed they were originals because they weren't dead. Anyways, that night I'm pretty sure he locked his sister in the empty one… as I'm pretty sure he's probably locked Elijah up in one too." Katherine set her now empty glass to the side, "My idea is pretty simple. Steal the coffins and strike a deal. Get Elena and Stefan back and be done with it. And then run of course. I underestimated Klaus' need for revenge once, I won't do it again. All we have to do is track them down and figure out how to get the coffins when Klaus keeps them pretty locked up and safe."