Previously on Flightmate...

E, C and B's plane crashed, D&E are stranded. They bond, E escapes to get to J. E meets A seduces A for information. D reenters, E&A fall apart. D takes E to carnival to cheer her up, they share a passionate dance. 1x19. D&E head to someplace alone.

Chapter 20: Couldn't Take Her Eyes Off Of Herself

As they walked in silence, Elena focused her eyes on the ground. She tried not to get hyperactive like she usually did when nervous or excited. She did risk a glance at Damon. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Elena looked away quickly and decided to pretend she didn't catch that smirky yet burning look.

Damon decided another thing entirely.

'I saw that.'

Elena looked at him incredulously. Why would he say that? Oh right, to annoy her. Of course he did.

'I know you did. I was just checking to make sure you weren't getting bored.' Elena was surprised by her own honesty. Kay, that was enough self-conscious pity partying for one day.

Damon didn't make fun of her, surprisingly to Elena. He put a hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer. A sign of understanding rather than mockery.

'Elena, I hate to bring this up right now,' she shifted her head to get a good view of him. 'I haven't forgotten that you want to... how to put this delicately - escape. And I know you'd rather be with your brother right now. But you need to know that I can help you.'

'How? I don't think you can ask a witch the way out, can you?' asked Elena, skeptically. 'That's why I went after Aaron. But clearly that failed, so I'm stuck here for all eternity.'

'Don't give me the pouty face. It's not such a bad thing you know.'

Elena knew not to say anything she'd regret. Her mind fluctuated from lustful to hateful in less than a second about that man.

'Well, the point is: I know a way out.' As he noticed her eyes widen, he held up a finger. 'Now, no need to get your hopes up. This may lead to nothing for all you know.'

'Tell me.'

Damon remained thoughtful.

'Damon? Can you tell me what you know?' and then she added: 'Please?'

He looked up at her face and Elena knew immediately that he knew that she was trying to butter him up. He gave her an are-you-kidding-me-I-invented-that-trick look that Elena also didn't respond to. She just looked hopefully at him.

'There is a boat that arrives here every Saturday with vegetables, groceries and witchy juju materials. The person in charge of that ship is a guy named Klaus. We have to get past him and all the other witches, get on that boat, and hitch a ride home if we want to escape.'

Elena considered. 'Saturday? That's only two days from now!'

'I know. So you better get ready if want to get out of here and back to your brother. I sure as hell am done with this place.'

'Wait, how do you know all this?'

'I had my sources.'

Elena cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Damon, if we're going to be honest with each other, you need to tell me everything. I don't want to get tricked again.'

'Fine. Okay. I wasn't idle while you decide to canoodle with Whitmore,' he continued, a sort of arrogance in his eyes. As though he was proud of his doings. 'I started looking for a way out. I asked around and got nothing. No one wants to share confidential information with a random stranger. Apparently no amount of flirting, charm and good looks have any effect on witches.'

Elena nodded her head, sarcastically. 'Right.'

'Getting back to the point, I eavesdropped on two witches in the market. They were talking about how they thought the current method of receiving goods from the outside world was faulty and it wasn't hard to piece together the rest of the story, based on what they were gibbering about.'

'Okay then, we are out of here in two days,' said Elena smiling to herself. 'But there is one thing I don't understand.'

'What has managed to escape your clever mind, do tell.'

Elena rolled her eyes. 'Why would you help me? After all that I did to you, after our long hate-hate relationship... why would you bother? You could have left without telling me!'

Damon didn't hesitate in answering, which was not what Elena was expecting. 'The Klaus guy is a hybrid.'

Elena could not have looked more confused.

'He is half-werewolf, half-vampire. And if he even gets the slightest inclination that you are doing something that you're not supposed to, he will kill you without flinching. From what I've heard,' Damon leaned towards her dramatically and whispered, 'They have a torture chamber for people who upset the witches. A.k.a. bad news for you and me, if we get caught. I had to avoid making skin-to-skin contact with the witches, meaning hands in your pockets at all time, to conceal my identity. Let's not blow the cover in the last minute.'

'That still does not explain, why you are helping me? Fine, okay, this Klaus is evil and he might kill me. Bad for me. Why would you care? Why help me escape? Wouldn't it be easier to worry about yourself instead of both of us?'

At this, Damon grew annoyed. 'What do you want me to say Elena? You don't want me to be a decent person? Alright then, you can't come with me. Happy?'

Elena reached out for his shoulder. 'Hey,' she said softly squeezing it. Damon's eyes widened. He fixated on her palm. Elena didn't move away.

'I'm not saying that. I just want to understand your motive. I need to know that you won't abandon me, if I do something that renders me useless in your eyes.'

Damon's eyes darted to her face, narrowing to tiny slits in skepticism. 'What. Elena, of all people, why would you be useless? Unless a witch - I don't know - curses you to become dumber or slower or even worse, a spy,' he paused. Elena waited to hear what she heard in her head.

He never completed the sentence.

''I didn't leave you in the ocean to drown. Or leave you to starve in the forest. I didn't know much about you. You make me do nice things. You appeal to the nice parts, the decent parts of me, I guess. I don't know how you do it and god knows, I hate myself for being so weak and mouldable but yeah. I don't regret meeting you and I definitely care whether you live or die.'

Elena stared right back the whole time. Damon sensed her shock.

'Yippee! Vampires have feelings. Guess we're not just, bitty, bloody living dead creatures.'

It was Elena who narrowed her eyes, shaking her head because he was doing so well until then. As swift as lightning, a forgotten memory took over her mind.

As she stared at the spot where the crow crashed into the ocean, she noticed the small dark shape of the bird which was increasing in size. Elena thought it was her eyes playing tricks on her. But as noticed two muscly arms and legs sprout from the bird, she knew it was real. She watched the bird transform into the body of a… man, but as soon as the metamorphosis was complete, Elena found herself inching slowly towards unconsciousness. It was too much to process and the water seemed to be making her numb by the second. As her eyes closed, she noticed a black head, followed by pale skin rise out of the water. As Elena watched in horror, a handsome man emerged from the ocean waters, his hair and black outfit dripping wet. Elena wondered semiconsciously if she'd seen the man before but when he opened his eyes, after wiping his face dry with his black leather jacket sleeve, she knew she was right. With eyes as blue as the ocean around them, she would have recognized them anywhere.

Eyes that were looking at her with shock and alarm.

Eyes that were looking at her.

'You-'

Elena stumbled back, her hands flying towards her mouth, pressed to lips in speechless fright. She stared at Damon, feeling like someone'd painlessly given her a new set of eyes.

'What is it?' he asked, panicked. Elena couldn't speak. He turned into a crow. He actually-no, no, no. 'WHAT DID YOU SEE?'

Elena peeled her hands off her mouth and tried to speak. No words came out and this did nothing to calm Damon.

They were interrupted by a loud bang from the door outside the house they had stopped in front of, which was Gloria's. Two struggling figures flew in the air and crash-landed a mere few feet from Damon and Elena.

As they stared at the two bodies, Elena's vision turned haywire. She was sure she was dreaming. Turning to look at Damon, who had then turned ghostlike, Elena was certain. Not a dream then.

But how is it even possible?

How can I be seeing myself holding Aaron Whitmore in a stranglehold?

'No...' she heard Damon say.

The two bodies stopped when they realized they were being watched. Elena couldn't take her eyes off of... herself? They looked exactly physically alike - same body, same face, same eyes. Everything except the hair and the outfit. She also looked curvier. Dressed in a black leather jacket and skintight black jeans, the woman was staring back at her. She looked at Damon and back at Elena. The smile grew wider... wickeder.

Releasing Aaron's neck, the woman who looked uncannily like Elena, got up and strutted over.

'I was definitely not expecting you two - definitely not you Damon. It'll do. What a lovely surprise! I never thought I'd actually meet you… Elena Gilbert.'

She seethed the last words to her teeth. Elena would've gathered she didn't like her, if she hadn't had that evil glint in her eye and fake warmth in her smile. How she knew Damon was an entirely different can of worms. Elena's throat forgot how to function.

Thankfully, Damon's didn't.

'What the hell are you doing here, Katherine?' His voice got quieter, more personal, more hurting. Elena's brain hurt as the image of his face burned into her memory. She knew instantly that most of Damon's personality was a result of this woman standing in front of her.

Definitely a can of worms.

'Oh I was busy. I needed an escape Damon. You were boring me,' she said, sauntering over to the two of them.

'How do you know my name?' Elena said softly, cautiously finding her voice again. Katherine turned. Elena didn't like the way she felt violated as she skimmed her form, judging her solely with her eyes.

'Oh honey, I've been around longer than you. I don't miss anything. Not when someone, who has my gorgeous body,' she pointed to herself casually while Elena's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief that someone so vain could exist, 'is walking the planet while people think you're me.'

Before Elena could retort to that, Damon stepped in. Colder. 'Katherine, you need to leave now. You have nothing for you here.'

Katherine raised her eyebrows. She inched closer to Damon, her hips swinging... seductively?

'Actually Damon, I do. I am here to teach you a lesson. Also, I need to teach another one of my lovers the consequences of fooling around with my doppelgänger.'

Elena didn't know whether to punch her or kill her. Thankfully, she knew neither would be wise since she was stronger and faster than her.

'Kiss me Damon. Or kill me,' she whispered closer to his lips, one hand snaking around his neck.

'We both know you're only capable of one.'

Elena saw red.

Sorry, I didn't update last monday. I was dying from stomach pain. My mind was in no condition to function.

6x04: THE PILOT MAKES SENSE NOW. "It's been 15 years Damon."

6x05: HE CAME BACK HE CAME BACK HE CAME BAAAAAAAAAAACK GUYSS BUT- Bonnie didn't :( Why must you do this TVD... Honestly, I thought they'd stretch the storyline longer but I'm glad it stopped where it did. We missed him and Stefan was being a douchebag. Hey, if you get a chance to make fan videos, please do so. The amount of symbolism you notice in the show as you plan the video out and/or stare at the screen will boggle your mind.

P.S. Speaking of the last word of the chapter being "red", if you want the 1989 Deluxe album by Taylor Swift, leave me a review down below and PM me your gmail. I'm not kidding, I have it. I can share it with you guys. ^_^

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