Elena

I don't know how long I lay there. Long enough for the blood in my system to run dry. My body forcing whatever was left to make my body work. It simply wasn't enough. The hunger controlled me. Veins appearing under my darkening eyes, snarling as the pain became unbearable. I closed my eyes and fought against my the natural instinct to switch of emotions. I couldn't do that. No matter how bad the pain got. I would control it.

"Elena. Fancy some nice blood?" My mouth watered at the possibility, veins popping out, fangs slicing my gums. I glared at Katherine with so much hate even she looked surprised.

"How sweet, my little doppelgänger finally learning to stand up for herself."

I lay back, eyes closed, mind focused on ignoring the creature taunting me.

"So is that a no Elena? Remember when I told you what desiccation is like. Your body fights to stay alert, pushing the remaining blood around your system but slowly, ever so slowly, it dries up." She focused on her breathing, counting down the minutes until she would be free.

"Simply delicious." That made her snap. She bounded of the bed and in seconds was upright, inches away from her double.

"What do you want Katherine? Tell me and if I can give you it let me go." she snarled.

"Elena. It's not me that wants you." She said those words almost remorsefully, as though saddened by the outcome.

She stopped. "No." she breathed. "No. He's dead."

Katherine glanced at her sadly "He's not Elena and word of a second vampire doppelgänger has reached his ears Elena." She shook her head, she seemed truly sorry. "I really am sorry." she handed her a phone with a message typed out on it.

Compulsion. Call D, he'll know where you are. -Kat

Damon

He paced restlessly he hadn't slept properly in days, every night was haunted by dreams of never finding Elena. They had had a chance at forever and with each passing day that forever was becoming less and less likely.

Each knock on the door gave him a fleeting glimpse of hope but all he had been met with was bad news. Bonnie telling him the tracking spell hadn't worked. Caroline telling him she'd been everywhere and couldn't find her. Jeremy turning up hoping Elena would be back but had been sent away disappointed.

Each phone call was the same. Phone rang. He answered. Caller asked about Elena. He said no. Goodbyes were said. Pacing resumed. His phone rang in a distant room, he groaned and made his way to answer it. Unknown Number. His heart would have leapt if it could. Filled with a silent, furious hope he answered, every nerve in his body hoping. Waiting.

"Hello?"

"Damon?" God, if this was Katherine playing some sick joke he was going to stake himself.

"Elena? Elena, where are you? What happened?"

He heard her breathing deeply, trying to calm down.

"Damon, I don't know where I am. Katherine took me. She's under compulsion. Klaus knows." Her voice was wavering dangerously. "She said you'd know where I was." Hope filled her voice. Desperation filled his.

"Elena, did she say where? Anything other than that?" His voice sounded broken, he knew he wasn't helping but he was desperate.

"She left me a note on the phone she gave me to call you. It said : Compulsion. Call D, he'll know where you are -Kat." She was silent for a while. "How long have I been gone, Damon?"

Her voice broke his heart. She sounded completely and utterly defeated. "About a week. 'Lena, are you positive it said 'D' on that note?" It was stirring something in his brain that he couldn't quite remember.

" I'm sure. I'm so hungry Damon." Her voice cracked. "Come soon."

"Elena, it'll be okay. I promise." His mind working in overdrive to figure out where she was.

"Goodbye Damon." and then there was silence on the line. She was gone.

He sat up for hours that night before exhaustion won the internal battle and he passed out dreaming of a memory he hadn't thought about in years.

"So Damon, why did you bring me here?"

They were in a lone building, miles out into the land of the Salvatore property. He wasn't even sure it was still Salvatore property, they were so far out it had taken most of the day walking to reach it. He didn't answer. Why had he brought her here? He didn't even know.

"Dee?" He smiled at the name she had picked up for him over the last few days.

"Yes Kat?" Now it was her time to smile, she was simply breathtaking. "Why 'Dee' Katherine? It seems so unusual."

She smiled sweetly leaning closer to him to whisper in his ear.

"Because it's unique, unforgettable." He smiled.

'It's like you then."

He sat up bolt upright. That had to be it. He ran through the house grabbing clothes and blood as he went. He saw his phone and thought he might as well call for backup.

"Damon, are you actually kidding me? You call at four in the morning? This better be important."

He ignored Caroline's rambling voice and cut to the chase.

"Barbie, listen to me, I think I know where Elena is." He heard Caroline gasp, he could sense she was about to interrupt so he powered on. "Look Caroline, I figured I could use someone's help and really didn't want to call my charming brother so..." he trailed off hoping she'd get the message.

"I'll be there soon Damon." he hung up sighing in relief, maybe, by tonight he'd have Elena back.

Elena

This was the worst part. The waiting. She sat within the confines of these four walls with her ever increasing hunger forcing her closer and closer to her emotional switch. She'd been given a lot to think about. Reanalysis every action, every moment in her life. The majority were trivial things. Things she could have done differently. Things she could have said differently.

She sighed. Damon. Why had it taken her so long to realise? She'd considered it recently, but she'd been in denial for her feelings for so long. Probably because she'd felt as though something had happened between them that she wasn't aware of. Her eyes snapped open. That's because something had happened. The first night they met, the real first night they met, those feelings she had felt had been there all along. The man standing in front of her that night had truly made an impact on her. That night he compelled her to forgot his confession the feelings had remained. She'd just not remembered the events that brought about those feelings.

Her head was reeling. Had she loved Damon all along? Wait what? Love? She never said anything about love. Yes, she had feelings for him. Strong feelings. Her internal rambling went on for many hours, wrestling with her feelings for Damon, wondering how long they had been there- how much time she had wasted with him. Her mental wrestling match was interrupted by a crash outside. Her first reaction was pure fear. Had Klaus come? She had counted on Katherine finding a way around the compulsion again to let her know. She still counted on that. Her vampire hearing picked up whispered conversation outside.

"Barbie! Do you have to be so freaking loud?"

Damon. She smiled and focused her hearing on them.

"Yes Damon, I do. And incase you haven't noticed you asked me to help so you might as well shut up unless you want me to go home!"

Caroline. Damon had brought Caroline? She would have laughed if she'd had the energy but her injuries were still there from the vervain and god knows what else as she'd had no blood for them to heal.

"Barbie, for once in your life shut up! Please!"

"You shut up Damon, you're talking just as loud as I am, I bet Elena can freaking hear us."

She smiled widely and Caroline's indignant tone.

"I take it all back you're a genius. 'Lena? Can you hear us?"

She tried to respond but her throat was simply too dry. She tried again. She could hear them drawing closer to the small window in her room. She tried once more, desperation giving her energy.

"Damon?" She managed to croak out. "Care?" She heard Caroline squeal and Damon's soft 'Thank God'

"She's this way! Come on!"

She tried to smile at Caroline's never ending energy but simply couldn't find the energy. She saw her bright smile appear at the window, bright eyes feeding her silent energy. She grabbed the bars excitedly but hissed in pain, clutching her hands. Vervain. The whole scene was becoming grey and blurry. Her head was pounding.

"Move over, I'll try."

She watched Damon grab the bars, gritting his teeth against the pain and pull them clear. He slid into the room, his eyes bright with hope. She tried to smile, to say something but everything was slowly darkening into nothing.

A/N: Just another update,blah blah blah, i'm on a roll right now

comments, reviews, suggestions etc etc

love you!

-Ex