Chapter 6: Looking the Part

Elena had spent the majority of the road trip re-reading Katherine's journal over and over and over again. She studied her written voice, trying to imagine what she would sound like if she were reading it aloud. She sounded like a bitch in most of her entries, laced with that teasing lilt of a sex kitten. Sarcasm was prominent all throughout, but more so near the end.

She went on about meeting Alice, how she was mostly just annoying but connected to vampires all around through her vampire boyfriend Slater. Slater was apparently a few decades old, and spent all those years in university, expanding his knowledge...about everything. A real know it all, in Katherine's words. She never liked being in the dark; she always wanted to know what everyone else knew...which is what probably got her to where she was in the first place. Elena saw something. She knew of something larger than the world that we as humans are use to...and she needed to know more. She needed to see it for herself. Elena couldn't blame her...here she was doing the same thing. She needed to see her vampire sister for herself; needed to prove that it was real, and so did Damon.

September 13, 2010:

Unbelievable! Went to Richmond last weekend for 'girls only road trip'. Damon ate that lie out of the palm of my hand. It was almost too easy. Whatever was there with him before; that spark, the chemistry...it's fading. Clearly not for him and that's my problem. Sometimes, a weekend getaway isn't enough, but on the other hand, I can't even fathom spending another minute around Alice. I think I might shoot myself.

She's a vampire groupie; which worked in my favor, but why the fuck do I want to know about a thousand year old undead guy named Klaus? Slater was alright; kind of a know it all; been in university for 30 years. Can't say a damn thing without getting a fucking lecture on it for the next 20 minutes. So annoyi-

Elena was so focused on the words running through her head and the pages in front of her; she didn't even notice that Damon had pulled into a parking lot. "Hey...care to join me back here on Earth?" Damon raised a brow in question when she didn't respond. "Elena?"

She glanced over at him, startled, then around to their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Diner. I'm starving." He threw the car in park and undid his seatbelt hastily.

Elena couldn't let the small smile creep over her face. "Starving? We just stopped at the gas station an hour ago for snacks." She shifted her eyes to the back seat, which was littered with candy wrappers, empty pop bottles and opened chip and pretzel bags.

His lips quirked in a half grin as he shrugged casually. "I have a high metabolism." He turned around and reached into the backseat, grabbing all the garbage he could, cursing when he noticed some crumbs crushed into the floor mat. "The next stop we make is at a car wash...my poor baby." He mumbled the last part under his breath, trying to pick the miniscule pieces out.

Elena let out a full-bellied laugh knowing that she wasn't supposed to hear his last words. "Did you just refer to your car as 'your baby'?" the giggles flowed out of her mouth as she spoke, not even trying to contain her amusement.

Damon looked over his shoulder at her with a serious stare. "This is a Classic 1969 Chevy Camero..." he stated as if that's all that needed to be said.

"So...it's just a car."

He just blinked at her in utter disbelief. "Get out of the car." His request sounded more like a demand. She did as she was asked; mildly concerned that she had lost her ride for the rest of the trip. Had she really offended him? Damon got out as well tossing out the trash, and motioned for her come around to the driver's side. They both stood there, her warily glancing at him for instruction, and Damon with his arms crossed standing beside the open door. "Get in." When she hesitated, he put his palm at the small of her back and gently pushed her into the driver's seat.

He placed both her hands on the wheel, before reaching over her to turn the key in the ignition, the car rumbling back to life. She felt like she had to hold her breath with how close he was to her in that moment. She could smell his cologne, shampoo and his body wash, which was overall a pleasant combination. When he pulled away, Elena let out a shaky breath and tightened her fingers around the wheel until her knuckles were white.

"Okay..." his voice snapped her out of it, whatever it was. "Now tell me this is just a car." He raised a brow at her, happy to make his point.

She wanted to laugh again; mostly because he was taking this so seriously, but she refrained and bit her lip to stop herself. She had to agree with him. The engine had so much power, and with her hands on the steering wheel, she felt like that power was at her fingertips. Elena slid her hands around the sides of the wheel, "It is a really nice car." She mused more to herself before sharply looking up at him. "Can I drive it?"

Damon's answer was instantaneous. "Not a chance in hell." He jerked his head to the side, signaling her to get out. "Come on, let's go in." His smile was victorious with a hint of amusement at the slight pout on Elena's face.

"Fine." She grumbled. "Kill my fun." She turned off the car and handed him his keys before sliding out of the front seat.

Once they got inside, they found a small booth by the window. It was next to empty in the diner. The only people besides them were what seemed to be a truck driver, sitting at the front counter with a coffee, and the young family in the back who seemed to be on a road trip.

The waitress approached their table with a bored expression. "What can I getcha today?" her eyes didn't lift from her note pad. They placed their orders and she jotted it down, obnoxiously smacking her gum. The meal was shared in a comfortable banter, both of them trying desperately to avoid the crazy road trip ahead of them. Elena was nervous. She wasn't sure if she could get away with this. How did a vampire act? How was she supposed to convince people that knew her sister that she was Katherine?

Damon titled his head as he noticed the glazed look of fear on her face. "Hey...everything's going to be okay. They're alive! At least we know that now, right?"

Elena let out a bitter chuckle. "Are they really alive, Damon? Because Katherine and Mia can't possibly be the siblings we remember them to be."

Damon threw some cash on the table when they finished eating and Elena stood, dropping the subject for the time being. They still had a ways to go and they needed to hit the road.

...

As they got back on the road, Elena turned to her phone and looked up Katherine's old facebook profile. Scrolling through the pictures, mostly of her and Mia, or her and Damon, Elena tried to mimic her facial expressions and body language.

Damon glanced at her from the corner of his eye and tried to contain his laughter. "What...are you doing?"

Caught, Elena quickly recomposed herself. "I'm trying to be Katherine."

He was full on laughing now. "By making duck faces at your phone?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm studying her mannerisms. I need to make this convincing Damon." Elena put her focus back on some older pictures of Kat, looking a lot like herself.

Damon's smile was reassuring. "You will. When we get to the motel we'll pick out some clothes that are a little less...girly."

Elena frowned glancing down at her outfit. She wore a high-waisted white skirt that fell mid-thigh, with a navy blue tank top tucked in and a long beige cardigan that nearly hit the back of her knees. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Katherine was always in dresses when they were growing up and Elena was always rocking her jeans and converse, only donning a skirt or dress when forced to for some kind of event. Elena picked this outfit thinking this was as close as she was going to get to Kat's style.

"You look like you just jumped out of an H&M catalogue." He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure you look the part."

When they finally got to the hotel, it was dark. They had been driving for so long Elena's ass was sore from sitting for such a long period of time. They checked in and picked their beds settling in after the long drive. They had another few hours of travel ahead of them, but sleep was a must.

Elena looked through her suitcase as Damon took a shower. She needed to get Katherine's style down. Based on what Damon had told her, she barely wore dresses, loved her heels and hated wearing her hair straight. Biting her lip, she pulled out a very formfitting low cut beige camisole covered with a black lace overlay. She opted for a pair of her tightest black skinny jeans and ankle high-heeled boots; but laying it out on the bed wasn't doing it for her.

She listened; making sure that Damon was still in the shower before quickly stripping off her skirt and tank, and slipping on the 'Kat' outfit. Just as she was standing from pulling on the boots, Damon walked out of the bathroom, a white towel hung low on his hips. They both stopped, looking at each other uncomfortably for a brief moment that felt like an hour, before returning to what they were doing. Elena busied herself with looking at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair; lifting it to demonstrate a messy bun, and dropping it to fan around her shoulders. Elena tried to decide what was better as she watched him find his clothes through the reflection.

He looked good. It was like watching a car accident. You should look away and keep driving...but something drew you in.

Damon went through his suitcase for a pair of plain black pajama pants to sleep in. Seeing Elena dressed like that took him off guard. It was the first time since meeting her that he saw Katherine. He looked to the side to glance at her, and caught her eyes in the mirror. It was uncomfortable; he didn't look away and neither did she. The only way he felt he could ease it, was to break the tension. "You going out?"

Elena shook her head, turning around and tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'm just trying on my outfit for tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure it looked okay." She tried not to stare at his glistening chest as he stood again.

He nodded. "It's pretty spot on. Wait," he frowned, then walked to her suitcase and pulled out the leather bomber he'd seen when she first unpacked. He held it out for her, and she turned around, slipping her arms into it. As Elena adjusted it over her shoulders, Damon grabbed her arm and pushed the sleeves up her arms to her elbows. "She'd always wear it like that. Looks perfect." Taking a breath, he stepped away. "I'm going to change."

As soon as he left the room, Elena plopped back on the bed, and dropped her head in her hands in humiliation; tunneling her fingers through her hair. She was embarrassed for getting caught staring at his half-naked body, but it had been a while since she'd had the chance to appreciate a man…especially one that looked like Damon.

After five years of being locked up…of course, she had some unresolved sexual tension. Elena was always the kind of girl that didn't have a problem with going for what she wanted. The old her would have left that loony bin and found a bar to let loose and have some fun. But years of isolation, years of unneeded medication…years of no visitors, and no one to love her, was enough to break down the spirited and carefree woman she once was.

Elena sat there, staring blankly at the floor, wondering; will I ever be that woman again?

"Hey…" she snapped her head up to see Damon, crouched down in front of her. "You went somewhere else for a second there. You okay?" She was shocked by the concern that creased his face.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just…I'm scared, Damon." Elena laughed through the tears that seemed to push through her eyes.

He nodded, cupping his hand over her knee. "Me too. But we're gonna get through this…okay?"

Elena forced a smile. "Okay."