Ch.3: Breaking Point

        It was a beautiful day, as Kat stood a distance away from Hope in the woods. She'd gotten the hang of her vampire abilities. Now, she was in the middle of teaching her control. She was nearly there with it, since she was teaching her how to use her anger and grief as an anchor to her magic. 

        Regina was walking down a path, alone. She'd been told by Katherine early this morning that Robin Hood was out there, in the woods. She didn't know what to do. Meet him and maybe find her happy ending, or pretend they weren't supposed to be soulmates if she saw him? She'd walked away once when she'd been younger. What could she say to him now?

        Kat left the woods, letting Hope work on control on her own, and began to head for town. When she had walked for a little while though, she saw a sight that made her stop in her tracks for a moment. Robin Hood was helping Regina up and Damon was there, obviously not the person that she knew him to be after he’d fallen for her doppelganger. However, she knew him so well, she knew he wasn’t himself.

        She rushed over to the scene and stood between them, as her elder childe pulled an arrow out and tossed it to the ground. She put a hand up to Robin Hood and Damon.

        “Stop! Don’t hurt him,” she asked of him. She saw that Regina was okay thankfully, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone right now, but her favorite Salvatore. No matter what he did or said to her, he would always be her favorite Salvatore. He was her greatest creation, and she’d always been proud about that. “What’s wrong with you?” she demanded, turning her back on Regina and Robin Hood, looking fully at him now. “These are good people. You can’t just attack people here.”

        “If you haven’t noticed, I don’t care. Not anymore,” he simply replied. “Maybe it should be you next,” he added.

        “I don’t think so,” she replied. Then she magically put him to sleep. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you hurt anyone, or anyone hurt you.” She looked at Regina. “I’m sorry for the trouble he’s caused. I’ll fix this.”

        “What’s some vampire from your world doing here in the first place?” Regina questioned.

        “I don’t know. I don’t care why he’s here. What I care about is why his humanity clearly is off. Last I saw him, everything was intact and he was still very much in love with my doppelganger. I’ll take him to Hook’s ship, but I need a few blood bags from the hospital. It’s how people like me force a vampire’s humanity back on. In the meantime, make sure Hope stays in control. I can’t worry about both of them at the same time.”

        “I’ll get you what you need,” the witch replied. Then she apologized to her supposed to be true love, saying, “I’m sorry we had to meet this way.”

        “I’m just glad you’re alright. Maybe after the crisis has been diverted, we could get something to drink,” he replied.

        Despite the situation, she gave a smile.

        “I’d like that.”

        Kat had called Hook to help her get Damon to his ship and downstairs on a bed. He thankfully had figured out the whole answering a phone thing. He’d done what she’d asked. She’d even gotten a few blood bags from Regina and had been able to get Regina to make some vervain for her. She then had put some of it in at least 2 of the blood bags, and had injected enough into him to keep him weak. Then, after she’d found a pair of handcuffs, she’d put one end on the bed and one on one of his wrists.

        “What’s the bloody point in this?” Hook inquired.

        Kat was seated on a bed that was a good distance away from Damon, waiting for him to wake up.

        “You may not quite understand this, but I’m bringing back the real Damon. He’s not like this usually. The way he spoke and acted, his humanity is off. No strings attached. No feelings. If I can get him to feel something, even the hate he’s felt for so many years with me, I can bring him back. Besides, I can recognize when someone’s humanity is off. That was how I was after I first found my mother centuries ago. A couple vampires that became my friends helped me turn it back on and deal with the pain of losing her. Damon’s had his off once before. I watched him throughout the centuries, so I know what he’s done. But I still care, no matter what. And the way he was in love with my doppelganger, it wasn’t the same as when he was in love with me, but he did love her a lot. If something happened to her, that would explain the switch as we vampires and former vampires call it. Vampires have this switch they can turn off when they don’t want to feel anymore. And whenever he has his off, he can be more chaotic than usual. He’ll come after anyone he wants without remorse. Not exactly an entire slaughter, but if there’s enough humans, he’ll feed on as many as he can. Vampires have to drink blood to survive. Without it, they die. Despite everything though, I’d do anything to keep him from getting himself killed. And I’ve always been there to help him in his time of need when no one else was, or even would help him. I’m not going to stop now, just because he wasn’t such a nice person to me the last time I was a human,” she replied and explained, hoping he understood at least half of it. “Why don’t you go upstairs. It’ll be easier if I’m the only one here when he wakes up.”

        Hook went upstairs, per her request, not arguing. He wouldn’t intrude between two people that had a ton of history together.

        A few minutes after Hook had left her alone with him, he began to wake up. When he realized he was handcuffed and weak, he tried to pull on the handcuffs to get out of there. He was too weak, though.

        “Really?” he inquired.

        “It’s just a precaution. I won’t let anyone hurt you, but I also won’t let you hurt anyone here. You weren’t this way when I died. What happened? Your humanity is gone,” she informed and asked of him.

        “You probably already figured it out, so why do I need to say it?”

        “Let me guess from your answer. Elena died? I know you wanted to take the cure with her, so I’m assuming you changed your mind the last minute. Old age?” she replied.

        “You were always too smart for your own good,” he commented.

        She sighed, having gotten a little bit of answers.

        “I’m sorry that you lost her. I can’t say I’ll personally miss her much, but I wouldn’t want you in pain. I also wouldn’t want to see you like this. Your self-destructive as it is without your humanity off when you’re hurt. No humanity is even worse. Why don’t we just skip the unpleasant routine you and I know so well? Turn it back on. Let the pain in. I’m here. I can help you through it if you’ll just let me.”

        “I’m not doing it. Besides, I don’t trust you anymore after all you’ve done,” he replied and reminded her.

        “You may not trust me, but let me ask you this. Would Elena want you this way? She worked so hard to make you better, despite the damage I did to you, and then you turn into this. You’re the same person you once were,” she said, giving him some tough love, as well as something to think about. “It’ll be easier if you turn it on. Please. If not for me, do it as an honor to her.”

        "Since when do you know what honor is?" he inquired.

        “I learned it from the centuries I was in love with Elijah. You have to honor your loved ones. I did for Nadia. She didn’t want to be saved. She just wanted me to be happy. I honored her wish, because Elijah would’ve done the same.”

        "Where was your honor with me, then? You hurt me over and over." 

        “I chose, Damon. I decided I’d rather hurt both of us and for you to hate me, instead of risking your life. I was afraid Klaus would kill you when he came to town, if he found out about our love. I was protecting you. I didn’t think I could live if you died. It was always the same with Elijah.”

        "Maybe I was better off dead, then." 

        “Damon, I lost everyone I loved. I couldn’t bare anyone else dying. You always had someone there. I didn’t. Elijah was too loyal to let himself fully dive into love. He was only there if he wasn’t busy or had to save my life. No one was there, apart from you and Enzo. I asked him to not tell you if he met you, though.”

        "Why are you telling me this?" 

        "So you can understand." 

        Eventually, after a lot more conversation, she got him to turn it back on. Then she informed him of everything Storybrooke.

        Kat went to the diner later, sitting in a booth, Hope across from her. 

        "I think I'm ready to tell you everything I didn't earlier," Hope informed her. 

        Damon went to sit by Kat, looking at Hope from across from them. 

        "I think some of that news should be left up to me. I know they were your family, but you don't know Katherine very well. I do. Sorry, kid."

        "Whatever," Hope replied, leaving. 

        Kat looked at her ex. 

        "Cryptic much?" 

        "Why don't we get out of here? Go somewhere that doesn't have anyone else around," he offered. 

        "The woods," she replied, sensing he needed to tell her something important. 

        They both got up from the booth, heading out of the diner. 

        Once in the woods, she stood a smell distance away from him. 

        "Okay, Damon. Enough with cryptic. It doesn't suit you well. Or me."

        Damon gave a sigh. He knew more than Hope, how close she’d been with Elijah. He’d wanted to save her the humility of telling her in front of everyone. He knew telling her would break her.

        "It's not good, Katherine."

        "If it's about Klaus, Hope already told me. She was vague on the others. What's wrong?" 

        "I'm sorry. I know how close you two were." 

        "Don't," she replied, not wanting to actually hear it if it was about who she thought it was. 

        “I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it,” he continued, starting to close the space between them. “Elijah died with Klaus. He couldn’t deal with Hayley’s death. And he didn’t have a purpose without Klaus.”

        She shook her head, upset, and tried not to show any weakness. She was failing, though.

        Damon put a hand on her right arm.

        "Hey," he gently said to her. 

        After another moment of trying to stay in control, she finally gave in, allowing him to be there for her. 

        He put an arm around her, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. She had the right to. He was good at holding it in as a vampire like Katherine, but he didn’t think he could as a human. He felt like Katherine for his own other half. He’d just had the ability she didn’t anymore. Flip the switch.

        That night, Kat sat in the corner booth, drinking as much as she could as a human. She felt helpless like the first time she’d been human. She had the ability to put herself out of her own misery, but she’d learned the first time that pain was a part of being a human. And dying. Stefan had taught her that, when Nadia was trying to find a way to make her non-human again. The pain was just as painful as when Nadia had died of Tyler’s bite, but the plus was she’d been able to say goodbye. Elijah she didn’t know about. Maybe it was for the best. If it had really been his wish, it was best that she hadn’t known. She knew she would’ve stopped him if she’d been there.

        She was looking out the window, shot glass in hand, when she looked over to see Hook sit by her. For some reason, she expected Damon.

        “Now, what’s got you so down, luv?”

        “One of my exes, Elijah, died without me knowing. Instead of turning it off or trying to deal with his grief, he died with his brother, Klaus. I should’ve been there to stop him. Give him a purpose to live. I know it was his choice, but it was wrong. Dying for someone is noble and honorable. Klaus did that for Hope. Dying with someone because you’re overwhelmed with grief isn’t noble at all. He always lived, as long as I’ve known him, as noble and with honor.”

        "Perhaps he chose a different path," he suggested.

        “You shared your story with me, but you don’t know what it’s like loving the same person for over 500 years. Yours died early on. Mine didn’t. I was loyal to him my entire life, even though he was more loyal to his brother. I get it, but I never understood his insistency to redeem him. All Klaus needed was what I needed. Someone that loved unconditionally when no one else did. A kid. He could’ve left, but he chose to honor his vow from a thousand years ago, instead of keeping his word to me. And his word meant everything to him. Like my promises mean to me,” she replied.

        "Well, if you're looking for answers, luv, I don't think you'll find them at the bottom of that bottle. I've tried," he replied. He'd never been all that great at comfort, after all. It wasn't his strong suit. 

        "Maybe, but I can try," she replied. 

        "At least, take it easy," he suggested. They hadn't known each other for long, but that didn't mean he wanted anything to happen to her.

        "That's not my strong suit. You're lucky I'm human, though. Anyone that told me what to do that wasn't Elijah or Damon when I wasn't human, well, let's just say it never ended well."

        "Is that a threat?" he inquired. 

        "At the moment, no. Here's some advice, though. Leave. I'm better off alone."

        He put his hand on her arm that was on the table. 

        "Luv, I know you're in pain, but none of this helps any," he reminded her.

        "It doesn't matter. You don't know me all that well, so let me explain something. This is how I am when I get hurt. And if you're trying to make a friend in me, find someone else. Maybe reconcile with the former Evil Queen or something," she replied.

        She got up and grabbed the rest of what little was left of the bottle, taking his hand away from her arm.

        "Where are you going?"

        "Anywhere that's not this diner. If I'm lucky, away from you," she replied, before making her way towards the door, leaving him there. Then she left the diner and began to just walk and drink, not caring where she ended up at. This was all she could do, since she wasn't a vampire anymore. Feeding on people and causing mayhem was something she couldn't do anymore. And that's what she'd always done to help with the pain.

        That night, she sat on a hill in the woods, looking at the moon, the empty bottle not far from her. All she could think of was Elijah. Her past with him. How she should've been there to stop him. Most of all though, the pain she felt. Next to Damon, he'd been her world, even if she hadn't acted like it when she'd been a vampire. No matter what he ever did, she'd always been loyal to him. She'd always loved him for who he was, both the version the world and his siblings saw and the version she knew. She didn't know how she could move on from a love like that. 

        She sighed, when she heard footsteps. Unlike elsewhere in this world, in this town, she just couldn't be left alone for long. It didn't matter who it was. 

        She looked over to see the Captain. 

        "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" 

        "That was earlier. Besides, no one should be alone in their darkest hour. Don't you agree, luv?" 

        "I guess," she answered.

        "In my experience, being left alone can be the best or the worst for someone. Especially, in their darkest hour," he replied, still leaning against a tree a small distance away from her. "Mind if I join you?"

        "You're going to do it anyway, so go ahead," she replied, having gotten to know him well enough to know he'd do just whatever he well pleased. Like her at times. 

        He went over and sat beside her on the hill, as she looked at the moon again. 

        "I'm not good at comforting anyone luv, nor will I ever know who he was, but everything you've told me about him. I'd like to think someone like him found peace in the end, unlike most people. Besides, I don't think there was any way you could've known or stopped him. There's no peace in thinking of what you could've done better. Mila's not the only person I've lost in my hundreds of years on me ship. I had a brother. We ended up in Neverland together. He ended up being poisoned. Pan found us and told me what the cure was, which I agreed to. When we sailed away from Neverland though, the dreamshade killed him. He was only cured from the special water in Neverland. As soon as we left, it killed him, because the water didn't work if he wasn't in Neverland. Since then, I've hated Pan. Like you, I kept thinking there had to be a way that I could've saved him. There was no way, though. The only thing I could do was to live on like he'd want me to. Survive. And that's what I've done time and time again. Survive," he informed her. 

        "I've been a survivor of a lot of things, but I'm human now. I can't live like I used to. Whenever I was in pain, I went on killing sprees and caused chaos. As a human, I can't do those things. I can't even turn off my humanity so I don't have to feel the pain. My only reason for living was getting my vengeance on Klaus for my mother's death. And then it turned into living for Elijah and then Damon, because they both loved me. Me dying would've broken Elijah and tormented Damon. He's always played the hero to anyone he cares about. Even if it means getting himself almost killed in the process," she replied, deciding that he was good enough company, and that he wouldn't spill her secrets to the other fairytales. None of this was a secret to Damon. She assumed he already knew all of this, even if she hadn't told him everything. 

        "There are always other ways to cope with loss, Pierce. You'll have to just figure it out. However long it takes for you to do that. It took me a while too, to figure it out," he told her. 

        She gave a smile at how much he cared and was trying. It had been a long time since anyone had done something like that. Truly, actually cared and tried to make her feel better about whatever situation she was in. She then looked at him. 

        "Thanks," she replied to him. "I might know something else that might help. If you wouldn't mind going back to your ship." 

        He gave a smile, assuming what she was hinting at. After all, there was only one thing entertaining that they'd be able to do on his Jolly Roger. 

        "That, I'm never opposed to, Pierce."

        She gave a smile, as he got to his feet, holding out a hand to help her up. She then took his hand, letting him help her up, and they headed back to his ship for a night of privacy.