Damon

Aubrey tends to avoid her eyes from my presence when she stops by my room. Sometimes she gives me a few smiles when she changes my IV bag. I know she's trying to help me, but I can't do that with anyone. I hate when people come up to me and just tell me to relax and that Elena will be found. And I fear befriending them, taking in their comfort because I'm scared that Klaus will use them and then later kill them once they become useless in the game. That's the other thing I fear. This game, the Fate of Death is not over. So far I'm back to square one while Klaus and his damn puppets are swimming their way to the finish line. The cards I have left...I mean the only card I have left is to find Rebekah, she is the only one who knows Klaus. First, like last time, I need to pick the perfect time to find a way to escape from here. And this time, I think it won't be that difficult.

A light knock started at the door. There stood Stefan, with a bouquet of roses and a ridiculous 'get well quickly' teddy bear.

"Missed me?"

"You're still alive. I was hoping to see you on the news."

Aubrey took the flowers from his hands. "I'll put those in a vase."

Stefan removed his coat and gave her a nod. "Thank you."

She gave a quick look at me and walked out of the door. Stefan placed the bear on the bed stand with the other flowers and 'get well' stuffed animals that my fans gave me, I just wish they didn't give me so much balloons. "Well, you're quite popular. How do you feel?" He pulled out a chair from the corner and sat down closer by the side of the bed.

"Like hell. How are things back at Mystic Falls?"

He folded his hands together and silenced for a moment. "...You already know the answer to that question."

"So what's with the bear? I mean seriously, do I look like a twelve year old who fell off a bike?"

He tilted his head and sarcastically replied. "Sort of if I squint my eyes."

"Oh shut up."

He chuckled. "I just arrived here this morning. The least you can do is smile and be happy I came here to see you."

I placed a hand on my chest. "Oh I'm so touched. I think I could almost give you a kiss if you replaced the bear with a box of pizza. But thanks anyway."

"Well, if you're hungry I could stop by at a nearby restaurant on my way out."

I shook my head. "Nah. I'm good. I was just kidding, really."

The room soon grew quiet and awkward. But I know what Stefan is going to start with.

"So...I heard that Elena is still not found. Did the police tell you any information about this enigmatic submarine?"

I shook my head. "No. No they didn't. Instead everyone here is keep telling me that everything is going to be fine instead, which to be frank, is pissing me off.

"Damon that's how people are, they tend to say something comforting to loosen the situation a bit. You know how it's like being in that position, it's the same thing what you do when you save people from fires"

My fist pounded on the sheets. "I KNOW! I KNOW!...And you know what speaking of fires, I'm guessing my career is officially screwed. I'm now stained as a runaway, foolish fire fighter. And on top of that, Elena is gone and somewhere underneath the damn ocean. And its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find her because there are nearly thirty submarines as the same exact design. The words are haunting me, I feel like I'm drowning with the negative possibility of finding her." My fingers crunched into tight fists, trying to take the life out of the sheets.

Stefan grabbed my wrists. "Damon I know you're upset. But that's not what anybody wants you to feel, and I'm pretty sure Elena agrees with me. What she wants is for you to fully recover here in the hospital so the two of you could see each other again. Its what you want too, along with thousands of people in America who watched the news about you two. So, fight and try hard to swallow the agony of the possibility the two of you might not see each other again, and then just get better and be ready to accept whatever might happen in the end. The FBI is doing their best. So when they find Elena, dead or alive, be prepared. Take it as a man. As the man Elena fell in love with since the beginning."

The door opened again. The two of us turned our heads to see who it is. It's Rebekah. She looks quite well, and looks like herself again, except for the slight scar on the right corner of her temple. She walked in and placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder. She looked at me. "Feeling better?"

How is she still here? And all this time I thought Klaus took her. Good thing he didn't, she's my only and last hope.

I sighed and soften my expression with the usual look, the so called 'scram-bitch' look. "Are you seriously asking that question?"

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I told you he's fine. I guess bullets and freakishly terrifying criminals isn't enough to cut your attitude."

"Look who's talking? It doesn't take the truth of the law to prevent your family's criminal record from existing, not to mention its growing over the top now."

Stefan opened his mouth to defend her but she spoke up on time. "My family is my business, Damon. Right now, you just watch your recovery."

"Oh right, your business. The last time I checked you're engaged to my baby brother here, so really, sweetheart I won on this one. You show quite a feisty attitude toward your future-brother-in-law, yet cover yourself in your most fake lovable acts toward Stefan."

Stefan finally spoke up. "Now wait. Don't you dare talk– "

Aubrey suddenly came in the room. "Oh I'm so sorry. But Dr. Patterson needs to talk to a family member of Mr. Salvatore's health." She walked in and placed the vase down on the bed stand. I looked at her, but she refused to respond to my gaze.

Rebekah dropped her arms as Stefan stood up. She gave him a smile. "Don't worry about Damon. His insults are just not strong enough to offend me. It'll be fun."

"I'll come back as quickly as I can."

She nodded and watched him walk out the door. When Aubrey closed the door behind her, the two of us unraveled the act.

She sat down on the chair. "Let me guess, you're relieved that Stefan is here because he gives you the chance to escape from here. Well, you can't, you have to stay here."

"Wow. You're rich, live with an insane demented family, and now you're a mind reader. What an interesting life you have, Miss Michaelson."

"Nothing you say is going to avoid the fact you're trapped in here, Damon."

"Then how about you, I never knew Klaus was so generous of sparing your life."

"He wasn't. One of the men let me go. Apparently, he was an old boyfriend of mine back in France. Thank gosh Klaus doesn't speak a word of French."

"And you do?"

"Of course not, but those two years with that boy was amazing. Who knew it's fun to be in bed with a man who doesn't speak a word of English."

I sighed. "Okay. You know what, I have no interest in your pastime love life, and I bet you a hundred dollars Stefan will start crying if he heard this."

"I still love him, Damon. I guess he grew too soft from your rude sarcasm."

"Or it could be because of your motherly behavior toward him. Oh, not to mention that poor sick cat of yours now resulted for him to scream like one."

She crossed her arms and released an unpleasant shiver. "That phone call was an accident okay, and I can't believe you made the immature decision to post that online. But since you take that incident to heart, I might as well tell you that the cat died after that Thanksgiving dinner...Anyway, shall we discuss business or not?"

"Love to. So tell me about these submarines."

"I know nothing about the submarines nor do I know where Klaus is going with my brothers."

"Brothers? You mean every one of the family is involved, well except you and your parents."

She shook her head. "No. Both dead. And yes, I was shocked too when I heard that Kol and Elijah was involved, along with twenty other half-brothers I never knew of."

I nearly choked a long snicker. "Of course, I'm not very surprised about that."

Her eyes shot daggers as she continued. "But I do know the reason why Klaus is hiding safely underwater. And this is going to sound crazy so...Well, just try to believe me once I tell you."

"Rebekah, I still can't believe many things from what I heard about your brother so far. I can't think of anything worse than having your psychotic brother brainwashing a teenage kid and now under water in a submarine that cost twice as much as this hospital. So what is it?"

"Damon, before I start off with anything, you need to know something first. Klaus and Elijah were in Bermuda for a vacation, this is where they both met Katherine and Klaus started off with his flirting. But that's not all, other than the fact of their love life, there's another surprise to this vacation my brothers went to. They a met a scientist at a bar. Now this scientist is the reason why Klaus designed those submarines. The scientist introduced a compound that results to a transformation of...Don't laugh. Promise?"

"I promise."

"The compound results to immortality once it is injected into the body. But the scientist somehow disappeared after the day of my brothers had to depart back to America. Klaus and Elijah tried to look for the ingredients to make the compound but the scientist burned every trace of evidence of the experiment, except a copy of the ingredients survived, yet half of it is burned. Klaus has been trying to succeed to make that compound again, but I'm guessing nothing is successful other than –"

I sat up a little straight. "Wait, hang on a minute."

Rebekah dropped her arms. "I know everything sounds too ridiculous to believe. But I swear everything I said is true."

"You mean to tell me that Klaus is trying to make immortality possible."

"Well, technically it is possible, he's just trying to make the compound again. And this part I'm going to say next is going to alarm you."

I scratched my chin. "Are you kidding me? Just listening to this already alarms me."

"Damon. I don't know for sure, but I think Klaus is getting close to making the compound. And if he does then he'll inject it to himself and Elena."

I dropped my hand and nearly got off the bed. "What?! I will never let that happen!"

"Damon that's the depressing part, nobody could stop him. Even if the FBI somehow gets through the submarines, Klaus probably will discover the compound by then. I know all you're concerned about is Elena, but mine is Klaus. Imagine the damage Klaus will cause if he lives forever."

"Well, since the two of us are on the same page, perhaps there is a way to catch Klaus' attention."

Rebekah frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean perhaps we surrender ourselves to Klaus with the ingredients that make the compound, and then let the FBI finish off the rest."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, I'll remember to pick out the coffins for our future funeral. Do you like roses or lilies for your boutique?"

I eagerly got off the bed, pacing back and forth, dragging the IV pack hanging on a rolling stand. Rebekah quickly got off the chair and tried to put me back on bed. I grabbed her arms to keep her steady. "Never mind about me going back to bed. Just listen to me, all we need to do is to find the scientist and get the ingredients, then we announce on television what we have. I doubt Klaus will ignore that. After that's finished, we're going to have a long discussion with the FBI. So are you with me or not?"

"Oh I'm with you alright. But I have only one question, and I hope you have an answer to it. How in the hell are we going to find a scientist who hasn't been heard of from the past fifteen years?"

I stopped. "I don't know. I haven't thought of that."

"Well, fortunately for you, it won't be hard to find her."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Her? Huh. I didn't expect this scientist to be a woman. And I don't understand how easy it is to find her. You just told me she disappeared years ago."

Rebekah took my hands and pulled them off me. She suddenly stepped closer to me until her nose almost touched mine. "It is perfectly easy to understand because the scientist you speak of is right in front of you."

I took a step back. "What? Stop kidding around, Rebekah. It isn't funny."

"Actually, its Katherine. There is no Rebekah. Well, there used to be...But um, its just me."

Before I can say another word, her body suddenly started to transform. I gasped at the sight; the color of her pale skin replaced to a light tan, her dirty blonde hair color now changing to dark brown, and her eyes that are pearl blue now transformed to chestnut brown.

I pointed at her with a shaky finger. "Um. How did your hair – how did you... What the hell is going on?"

"Damon, I'm the very first person who injected the compound and tested it if it works...I'm immortal and this is how Klaus believed me of my discovery. I must stop Klaus immediately before he get his hands on them. Although I hardly know Elena, and not exactly a fan of her since she is like - well the double me. But I do know exactly how Klaus is treating her right this moment and I want to save her from that. I had the chance to escape from Klaus, but Elena doesn't have a very clear opportunity. So I'm willing to help you both in every way. So this time, let me ask the question. Are you with me, or not?"