Elena was running through the woods when she finally found a clearing. She could see the Lockwood's backyard and noticed Damon.
"Damon!" She screamed as loud as she could, hoping he would hear her.
Meanwhile, Damon was looking around when he heard Elena's voice. She sounded scared. He turned and saw her running toward him. "Elena!"
Elena ran straight into his arms. "Damon, thank god!" She breathed in relief as he held her.
"Elena, are you okay? What happened?" Damon asked.
"Katherine. Nadia put her in my body." Elena said, talking fast because she wasn't sure how much time she had before Katherine succeeded. "She's trying to take over…for good. I don't have much time…"
"Of course." Damon said, realizing. "That's why she wanted Katherine's body."
"I thought I'd killed that Traveler before I left, guess I was wrong." Elena said. "But she's getting close. It's only a matter of…"
"Elena," Damon said, cutting her off. "Elena, I promise I'll find a way to help you. You were right, what we have is worth fighting for." Elena hugged him again.
"Thank you." She felt a wave of pain pass through her and knew it was happening, so she pulled back. She was still scared, but she knew somehow she'd find her way back. She looked back up to him, his blue eyes full of concern. She got on her toes and kissed him lightly before feeling another, slightly stronger wave pass through.
"Damon, I love you." She told him.
"I love you, too, Elena." He said, understanding what was happening. Then he saw a huge wave of pain go through her body, almost making her collapse to the ground. After a few seconds, she looked around, obviously confused by her surroundings and possibly to why she was on her knees.
In that moment, he knew the girl he loved had been replaced with Katherine. "Are you okay?" He asked, deciding to go along with it. He helped her to her feet.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." Katherine said. "I must've tripped or something."
"Are you sure you're okay? That fall looked pretty bad."
"I'm sure, Damon. Look, it's been a long night. I just want to be alone right now."
"Take all the time you need." Damon told her. He watched as she walked away. Then he turned around to face Stefan, who had been nearby. "Did you hear all that?"
"Hear what?" Damon told him exactly what Elena had said.
"And you're sure that was Elena you were talking to before Katherine took over? You're sure she hadn't possessed her before then?" Stefan asked.
"I'm positive. You didn't see how scared Elena was. I saw her visibly change in front of me." Damon said. He looked really serious. "I'm worried about her, Stef."
"Then I guess it's up to us to help her." Stefan told him, putting an arm around his brother's shoulder.
"You really want to help with this?"
"Of course. I promised I'd help you get her back, and there's no way we are letting Katherine stay in Elena's body." Stefan said. "We'll get her back. I'm not sure how yet, but we'll find a way."
"Thanks, brother." Damon said.
"We should let the others know so we can figure this out." They headed back toward the party.
A/N: So that's it for this one-shot. I'm also working on another story where the Mystic Falls group discover Katherine's plan and try to bring Elena back with a few surprising allies. It'll be called Body & Spirit and I should have the first chapter up by the weekend, depending on if the Internet's up and running. You'd be surprised how often it goes out. Anyway, please let me know what you think.