Silent Prayers

Chapter 29

Damon blinked, just to be sure that he was really seeing Katherine in front of him. It had been a really long time since he had laid eyes on her in person. "What ... uh ... what are you doing here?" he asked, fumbling over his words.

Slowly, Katherine stood from where she had been sitting. She brushed herself off and fixed her hair. "Don't I deserve a more proper greeting than that?" she asked, smirking at him.

Damon shrugged indifferently. But that mischievous smirk made him weak in the knees. It was usually something she did right before she started taking her clothes off. He prayed that wasn't her tactic now. "After seven years since you walked out on me, I'm not so sure" he answered.

Katherine continued to give him her famous smirk. "Ouch" she told him with that feisty tone he loved so much.

Damon sighed. "What do you want, Katherine?" he finally asked. He was exhausted and stressed beyond belief. Katherine showing up out of the blue was going to push him over the edge. She owned his heart, no matter how much he hated her for it.

"I heard you were doing well for yourself" she said, smiling as she motioned to the ginormous house behind her.

Damon crossed his arms. "Well, when you're single, you tend to have a lot more time to devote to working" he replied.

Katherine raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You haven't met someone?" she asked.

Damon realized his mistake. He should have never let her know that he was still single. It gave her more power to ease herself back into his heart. "I'd like you to go" he told her. "Please." He really needed a solid eight hours of sleep to deal with her. Damon walked up the steps and brushed past her. He got his key out and unlocked his door.

"How's Stefan?" she asked.

Damon closed his eyes. What he really wanted to tell her was that Stefan was none of her business. But Katherine had raised Stefan practically since the day Damon had brought him home. Still, if Katherine cared so much about Stefan, she wouldn't have walked out on him either. Katherine only cared about herself, and that would never change.

Damon ignored her question. "Goodbye, Katherine" he said, going inside and shutting the door. Damon leaned against the door inside and listened quietly. Part of him wanted Katherine to go away.

The other part of him wanted her to knock on the door so he could let her in.

XXXX

Elena could hear beeping every few seconds or so. Other than that, it was silent. She kept her eyes closed, using her other senses to take in her surroundings. It was not a welcoming place for her at all.

Someone was holding her hand though. Stefan. That was Stefan's hand. She could tell by the way his hand fit perfectly around hers.

Elena tried to swallow, but noticed her throat was really sore. She ended up coughing instead and rolling to her side, which only hurt more.

"Easy, hey" Stefan said, rubbing her back gently and trying to comfort her.

Elena opened her eyes when she started to feel nauseous. "I'm going to be sick" she said hoarsely.

Stefan was quick to grab a small waste basket to put in front of her. He made it just in time and held her hair back for her as she threw up.

When Elena was done, she rolled back onto her back and closed her eyes, beginning to cry. She was so embarrassed. "I'm sorry" she cried softly. The last thing she ever wanted to do was get sick in front of someone like that, even if that someone had been her husband.