Wayward Hearts- Book 4

Part 1

Damon leaned against the kitchen counter of the boarding house as he sipped on his bourbon spiked coffee. He smiled as Emma walked in to join him wearing only a t-shirt and cotton boy shorts.

"Looks like breakfast came to me," he said just before kissing her, humming with delight.

"Did Jeremy make it to school okay?" Emma asked as she stole his coffee and took a sip, she made a slight face when she realized it had liquor in it.

After Damon and Emma got home from their summer road trip, they had found out that Bonnie had managed to keep Jeremy on the living side of the veil. Emma was thrilled to be able to hug him again. His life had been cut way too short by Katherine.

Damon smirked, "I cut the crust off of his PB and J myself, wrapped up his white lie about faking his death, and sent him off."

"Domesticity is kinda sexy on you."

"If you like that then you should watch me wash the dishes, and dust," Damon winked as he wrapped his arms around Emma and pulled her close, kissing her slowly.

"Only if you do it naked," Emma giggled and winked, she started to playfully walk away from him, but he wouldn't let her.

He scooped Emma up and began carrying her over his shoulder back upstairs, when they suddenly heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Stefan?" Emma asked Damon quietly, they still hadn't heard from him in three months.

Damon's brow furrowed and he shook his head as he carefully set Emma back down. As they walked to into the foyer, Damon held onto Emma's wrist and forced her to stay behind him.

"Katherine?" Damon asked, shocked to see his former vampire, now human ex at the front door.

Katherine looked bedraggled and exhausted, "It's been a long summer."

"Mortality does not look good on you," Emma couldn't help but smirk, "Elena really did a number on you when she shoved that cure down your throat, huh."

Katherine glared at Emma and took a step towards her. Clearly being mortal also meant picking fights there was no way she could win.

Damon was quick to jump between the girls before a cat fight broke out, "I'll get you a drink."

Looking smug, Katherine sat down on the couch. Emma stepped over with Damon to the small bar.

"What do you think she wants?" Emma whispered, eyeing the unwanted guest.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Damon shrugged before he picked up the glass and took it over to Katherine.

Katherine sighed after she took a sip, "Don't let me have too many, my tolerance now is a joke."

"You're miserable," Damon commented as he sat down on the couch across from Katherine, he let his guard down, as a mortal she was no longer a threat.

"Please, I'm Katherine Pierce," Katherine tried to sound confident, "I'm a survivor."

"You're a liar. Your hair's messed up, your nails are chipped. You're a sad and miserable human being and you want me to turn you. So, here," Damon bit into his wrist to make it bleed and offered it to Katherine, "go ahead, drink up. I'll kill you, you'll bite the mailman, you'll be a vampire again. Go ahead, come on."

"Damon, don't," Emma looked wary regarding the idea, "do you really want to release that beast again?"

Katherine was surprisingly hesitant and agreed with Emma, "I can't, okay. No one has ever taken the cure before. If I die there is a good chance I may never wake up."