VD: Datherine

How To Save A Life

Summary: Set in S7, but kind of a future fic. Elena is back to going to college with Caroline now that she has awakened after Bonnie's death. Bonnie died from the pills, since they couldn't find a way to save her. What happens when Damon sees Kat on the side of the road? Will he save her, or leave her to die?

Step one, you say we need to talk
He walks, you say sit down, it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left, and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

It was a dismal night in Mystic Falls, as Damon drove back to the boarding house after a few drinks. He'd gone to see Elena at Whitmore College, since she'd ignored his calls for a few days. He had to make sure she was safe. And she was. Now he was heading back home.
Suddenly, on the desolate road, he saw someone lying down on the shoulder of the road. Usually he'd just pass by, but he had a gut feeling that he should stop, so he stopped the car by the person, close to the shoulder of the road.
As soon as he went around his car and knelt by her, he saw her familiar face, but he didn't want to believe that it was really her.
"Katherine?"
He gently got her on her back. That's when it was confirmed that Katherine was indeed alive, human, and injured. She was pale with blood on either side of her head. There was also blood pretty much everywhere. He could barely see where her wounds started and where the blood started. That's how much blood there was. He could tell that she'd lost a lot of blood. He listened for a heartbeat and breathing and if his heart could beat, it would've sunk. He didn't care what had happened to her for her to be like this. He only knew that he couldn't leave her to die. She was slipping towards it, though. Her breathing was shallow and her heart was slowing.
He rested gentle hands on either side of her head.
"Katherine, can you hear me? If you can hear me, open your eyes."
After a moment of no movement from her, he took the chance and bit his wrist, putting it to her lips, making his blood go down her throat to heal her if all possible.
When her wounds had healed and she wasn't dying anymore, he took his wrist away which obviously healed, and sighed in relief. Sure, he hated her, but whatever had happened to her, he wouldn't wish on anyone.
"Let's get you out of here," he said, and as he gently picked her up in his arms he added, "Upsie daisy." Then he walked over to his car and gently set her in the passenger's seat. He then closed the door and got in the driver's seat and started driving again.
As he drove, he looked over at her, hoping for a sign that she was going to be waking up soon. He knew she was alive and healed, so he didn't understand why she hadn't woken up yet. He figured she had been through a lot though and just needed to rest for a while. He knew that after going through a lot, it made people exhausted. He'd gone through a lot himself. If he wasn't a vampire, he would've been tired of all of this a long time ago. Even as a vampire, he wished sometimes that he could just go and take a long overdue nap and not have to deal with anything or anyone.
He rested a gentle hand on top of her left one and looked at the road again. Maybe if she knew that she wasn't alone and that she was safe with him, she'd wake up.

Let him know that you know best
'Cause after all, you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And I pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

"Katherine, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'm right here. I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever happened, I'm here for you. I promise you, you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. It's okay now. You can open your eyes," he said, as he continued looking at the road, hoping it would work. He didn't want to have to go inside her head, considering he'd been cruel to her the last time he'd done that to her.
As the minutes clicked by and she still didn't stir, he wondered if he would have to go inside her head or take her to the hospital, after all.
"Look, Katherine, I need you to wake up so that I know that you'll live. I know now that I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so cruel to you. You were dying and reliving your grief over your mother. You didn't deserve what you got from neither Klaus nor me. I'm sorry for what I did to you. If I could do it over, I'd give you peace, instead. Please forgive me," he confessed, meaning every word. Without her in his life or alive, he didn't feel whole. The moment he'd watched Stefan kill her to get her out of Elena's body, it felt like a small piece of him died along with her.

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life

After his confession and everything he'd said, which she heard through the darkness, she began to awaken half an hour later.
When she woke up, she was still weak but otherwise felt fine. The second thing she noticed was Damon driving with a hand on top of hers and a worried look. Seeing her awaken though, she saw him give her a smile, which she returned.
"How do you feel?" he questioned.
"I feel fine."
"Good," he replied.
He pulled up to the house and she couldn't help but comment, saying, "Home sweet home."
"Don't worry. It's just you and me now. Stefan left town and we broke up a while back," he assured her.
She smiled, happy about that.

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

After a year of living together in the boarding house, they finally fell back into love. And so their love story continued on. And the plus side was that she could digest vampire blood and was no longer dying. She just looked like she used to be before turning the first time. And so, after finding that out, she had Damon turn her back and he was glad to do so.

How to save a life
How to save a life...