The Vampire Diaries: Natalie Gilbert

122. Elena's Back*

Stefan's POV

"Hey! Morning, sleepyhead." Damon smirks as Natalie walks into the living room, wearing one of my shirts as she rubs her eyes tiredly. "Piss off, Damon." She grumbles as she climbs onto the couch and cuddles up to me. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her closer as a small, cute yawn leaves her lips. "Morning, baby." I whisper, pecking her head.

"Why so tired, hm?" Damon teases. "You really want me to answer that?" Natalie replies tiredly as she moves her hand under my T-shirt and starts tracing the lines of my abs. "Ew. No thanks." Damon grimaces as I smirk. "How's our prisoner doing? Did she already try to seduce you and play 'Prison Break'?" Natalie questions sarcastically and my lips tilt up as Damon sighs.

"She's the calmest desiccating vampire I've seen." He admits, before he looks up at me. "I remember when you left me down there for three days. I would've wept at your feet for an orange peel." He says dramatically making me and Natalie chuckle. "Look, she's not gonna beg for blood. Begging means desperation, emotion. She's still in the no-humanity zone." I explain and Damon raises his eyebrow.

"How hungry does she have to be before we can torture some feelings back into her?" He asks and I sigh, rubbing my hand up and down Natalie's back. "A lot hungrier than she is now, apparently." I reply. "So, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" He wonders when the front door opens and Kathrine saunters inside.

I feel Natalie tense making me hold her tighter as she glares up Kathrine. "Maybe I can provide a little excitement." Kathrine smirks. "You've got some fucking nerve showing your face." Natalie spat viciously and Katherine looks away from her glare. "So, when's the welcome home party?" She asks and the three of us scoff at her audacity as she starts to pour herself a drink.

"Wow, look who went and got bold. Last time I checked, Klaus was plotting your eternal demise." Damon utters sarcastically. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore because Klaus is gone." Kathrine replies. Me and Natalie already know that as Klaus came to see Natalie before he left and explained why he was going. "Wait, what do you mean he's gone?" Damon inquires curiously and Kathrine smiles.

"Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing we needed to get Klaus out of our lives- for good." She explains and Damon turns to me and Natalie. "What's she talking about?" He asks and Natalie sighs. "Don't worry about it, Damon. It's not our business." She tells him before suddenly speeding over to Kathrine and throws her out of the house.

"You ever come here again without permission, your heart will be beating in my hand." She warns, as Kathrine looks up at her with genuine fear in her eyes. "Why is she so hot when she threatens people?" Damon whispers as me and him just watch the scene calmly. "She just is." I smirk, watching Natalie slam the door shut before she saunters over to us with an innocent smile on her face that's makes me and Damon chuckle.

******

"Anything?" Natalie asks as I walk over to her and I shake my head, wrapping my arm around her waist as she sighs. "Damon's still trying." I inform just as Caroline storms inside the house. She pecks Natalie's cheek in greeting before she looks around. "Where is she? I wanna see her." She demands.

"We're not letting anyone see her, that's the whole point. Isolation leads to misery, which leads to emotion." I explain. "She's been here for days. She hasn't improved at all?" She wonders, looking between me and Natalie. "She doesn't want to." Natalie replies, sighing. "She's devastated. She lost one of her siblings, she attacked her friend, she was a bitch to her sister, she killed an innocent woman." I list.

"You said Damon knew how to help her." Caroline scoffs and I nod sheepishly. "I did say that. And him and Natalie are trying." I reply. "What, how? By torturing her?" Caroline wonders as she folds her arms across her chest. "It's not torture, Care. It's an intervention." Natalie corrects, running her nails up and down my back subconsciously.