[*Chapter Twenty*]

"How could you... How could you not tell me about Her!"

A door slams in the background.

"Elena? What are you on about?"

An engine chokes to life.

"Why do I look like her!"

"Who the hell is her? I'm not a mind reader! What are you doing?"

"Katherine..."

'Oh, shit!', Darcy thought, eyes widening with realisation. What the hell was she supposed to say? Oh, you have a doppelganger, a doppelganger who happens to look like you, except more vindictive and manipulative? Technically an evil twin who's five hundred years old. Yeah, that would go down smashing. Ha-ha-ha-ha! No, just no!

"Elena...wait! Let me explain..."

The sound of the metal grates then groans and dies out. 'What the hell?'

"No! Why would you not tell me that I'm look-alike of Stefan's ex? How could you not tell me I'm adopted! Don't say you didn't know, because you did. You knew!"

"Please, let's talk about this. I'll tell you everything. Please!" Darcy begs, pacing around her bedroom as she yanks on her tresses out of desperation. In hastiness, she snaps up her car keys, runs down the stairs, wrenches the driver's door open, jabs the key in the ignition and guns it down the street towards the Salvatores.

She gathered since Elena spent the night there, that's where she's trying to run away from. Elena doesn't like confrontation, her dear sister prefers the easier way of life, avoiding pressing matters.

"Fine...my car has stalled and won't start back up...You better tell me the truth."

"I will. I'll tell you everything." Darcy assured as she hung up the call and floored the gas pedal.

What a great way to start the morning, huh?. One thing though why the hell hadn't Stefan told Elena the truth? She shakes her head, sighing at how things quickly turned into a vast mess, why can't things be easy? Why can't everything be fluffy and full of rainbows and unicorns?

Right...this is Darcy's life and not some enchanting fantasy love story, things don't work like that. No, everything has to be a colossal fuck up with asshole vampires running around and breaking hearts.

And what did she promise Stefan if he hurt her sister? She'd put a stake in his heart, maybe she's dramatic, but she sure does not give a shit, no one hurts her family, and that includes bloodsucking best friends.

Darcy finds Elena walking the streets not far from the Salvatore Boarding House. She breaks at a sudden screech and winds down the window, her gaze darkens and pulse spikes in ire as she greets Elena's crumbled tear-stained face.

A pit descends in her stomach as Elena clambers inside the vehicle, bathing the inside with suffocating stillness.

"El?" She glances at her sister after driving around aimlessly for five minutes.

"Hmm?" Elena mumbled out of lack of interest, making Darcy huff out in annoyance, then scolds herself after all the tense silence is what she deserves.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you...Ste-"

"Don't say, Stefan!"

"If you would listen to me for a second!" She burst out, causing Elena to startle and clutched the wheel with a gnawing grip. "You would know I tried...I told him to tell you, he was going to, but then everything with Lexi happened, and it's been one thing after another."

The leather seat groaned as Elena whirled around glaring at Darcy with all the hate she could muster, tears trailed down her cheeks like raindrops. "You should have still told me! How could any of you keep this away from me, huh? How would you feel if you suddenly found out you are adopted? Not by your family, no, your supposed boyfriend!"

Darcy smacked the wheel out of frustration, at the same time her booted foot thrust on the gas pedal with each rising tempo of the aggression twisting at the coils inside her, roaring to spitfire.

"How fucking dare you! Talking about how does it feel? Wake the hell up Elena, in case you have forgotten I am adopted! Be thankful you are still apart of the family and share the same blood...I don't have that! At least you had fucking parents who loved you and cared, not my sperm donors who abused me daily for seven hellish years!"

Whatever words flowed out of Elena's mouth was gone in the ear and out the other. Her focus was ahead as she drove with reckless abandon passing by evergreen trees in a blur seeing but not seeing anything due to the fury white haze clouding her vision.

A sudden yell and Elena's hand wrenching the wheel brought her back to her senses, "What the- holy fucking shit!" Darcy cried out yanking the steering wheel to the right as she tried avoiding the man standing in the middle of the road, as the car swiftly turned with the ferocious spin the vehicle jerked onto two wheels and dragged along its side on the street, ended up flipping and landing upside down.

The moment the car hit the trees, Darcy assumed she was dead. Then she kept wakening and stirring. She'd like to be unconscious rather than awake. Because when she was awake, the texture and tang of copper pooled in her mouth. Blood scraped against her teeth and saturated her tongue. The huntress could feel the aches and cracks in her bones. Each fracture felt like rocks were delving themselves into her skin.

Struggling to suck in gulps of cramped air, made her lungs cave in on themselves, her vision reeled with dark spots causing her head to spin and feel like a sledgehammer was slamming her skull. In the distance she could faintly hear a buzzing noise, drilling her ears. She felt like she was there for hours, fading and waking, fading and waking. Her agony and the thought of her sister was the only thing keeping her alive. It was the only thing she could feel anymore.

That's when the Protectress should have died.

Instead, she stared helplessly out of the windshield watching as the person stood up when he should have been dead given with the speed of the car. A scream ripped from her raw throat, followed by a gargled cry as he magically healed and advanced towards them. Raising her bloodied and glass punctured arm, she beat her clenched fist against the smashed window.

"No, no, no! Help!" Darcy screamed.

Just as the vampire reached her side, he suddenly vanished 'Where he go?'

Attempting to twist her head side to side, but stopped when her gaze fell on Elena's unconscious form, blood dripping from the wound on her head.

A sob tore out of Darcy at the sight of her sister. She turned towards the window again and screamed as a black blur appeared at her window, wrenching the driver's door off of her car.

'My baby....' She thought helplessly watching it hurl into the trees.

A pair of leather-clad arms reached inside the car. "Hey, hey, it's me." Damon's voice filtered through her ears, making her cerulean eyes dart up and clash with worried icy blue.

"D-Damon." She croaked with a mouthful of blood.

"Shh, shh, don't talk. Let's get you out, yeah?" He soothed, his eyes darting down to the jagged glass protruding from her thigh, millimetres away from her artery, blood pooled underneath her form.

"No! No!" Darcy shook her head."

"We need to get you out Darcy...you're losing too much blood."

"No! Get, Elena, please!" She begged, gripping onto his arm.

Damon sighed at her love for her family. She would rather sacrifice her life over those she loves.

"Okay, okay. I'll get Elena." Damon assured speeding around the car, ripping the other door off its hinges and tossing it aside, all the while keeping his gaze on the ebony-haired girl who was slowing slipping away. He could he hear her beating heart slowing down, and the blood flowing through her veins begin to clot.

'Not now, come on Darcy. You're stronger than this.' His thought of the girl who's slowly turning him and his brother's life around. For good? He wasn't sure, but he was not about to lose her now. Snapping the seat belt he carefully lifted the brunette then sped over to his car, laying her in the back seat and went back for Darcy.

Darcy's eyes fluttered with a small smile tugging on her lips. She gasped out through laboured breathing before allowing the darkness to encircle her. "Thank you."

Sadly, Damon smiled back whilst assessing the glass's damage and concluding how to get her out of the car without causing her death. Deciding with his plan and praying to hell and back that it would work. He brushed away the inky strands off her face and bit into his wrist and placed it upon her pale lips.

"That's it, good girl." He coached as the red liquid slipped past her mouth. Hearing her heart rate pick up its pace her Damon quickly yanked out the glass, wrapping an arm under her thighs and the other around her lower back, then withdrew her out of the vehicle and sped over to his car, into the passenger seat. Remembering seeing the black duffle bag in Darcy's car's back seat, he rushed back and received it, then returned to his Camaro.

"What a morning, huh?" Damon spoke to himself as he drove them away from the crushed Range Rover. He chuckled hearing the thrum of Darcy's heart beating at a steady pace. "Nothing deters you, does it?" He won't admit it, but he felt relief flowing through him. The small girl has done something to him and maybe changed his priorities. Whether that's a good thing, he doesn't know.

He's got to admit, Darcy would make a badass vampire, even if Stefan killed him for turning her.

💜🖤💜

The rolling of the car tyres rumbling over potholes roused Darcy from her unconscious state. She frowned, feeling something obscuring her upper body and peeled an eye open. Her mind was trying to process why she's wearing an unfamiliar jacket, while her subconscious told her she knows who the owner is.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty." Damon chirped beside her.

Her confused stare darted to him, then widened with realisation. Vampire. Car crash. Elena.

"Elena!" She shot up in a panic, "Where is she? Is she okay?" She fired off.

"Steady, you're still healing," Damon warned, pushing her back into the passenger seat. "She's fine, in the back seat."

Darcy looked over her shoulder, shoulders sagging in relief, seeing her sister awake. However, she didn't appear happy, given the disgruntled pout and crossed arms. "Thank God, you're all right...What's wrong with your face?"

"Damon won't give me my phone and won't take us back home," Elena said, turning her pleading eyes onto Darcy.

Darcy's brows creased, checking her pockets and coming up empty. "Phone?" She mumbled groggily, cringing at the metal taste clinging to the roof of her mouth.

"Here," Damon said, passing her a bottle of water, "And your phone is in your bag." He signals towards the duffle bag her feet were propped on.

She unzipped the bag finding her cracked phone and bloodied leather jacket and whined pathetically. "Broke?" She questioned Damon.

"Hmm. Your jacket was covered in glass and blood." Damon uttered while keeping his gaze on the road, "You was freezing up, I gave you mine." He emitted, motioning to his jacket, Darcy's arms were enclosed in.

"Oh, thanks," She said, feeling grateful someone was able to get Elena and her to safety, even if it was egotistical Damon Salvatore. Deep down in that black heart of his, is a good person, you just have to peel back all the layers to get to it.

"Where are we?" Elena piped up as she looked between the two, not understanding how her older sister can feel comfortable around someone like him. How could she, after all the pain and devastation he's caused?

"Georgia," Damon answered, smiling as he concentrated forward.

"What?" Darcy spluttered as the watered travelled down the wrong hole.

"Georgia? No, no. No, we're not. Seriously, Damon. Where are we?" Elena demanded not all believing him.

Darcy looked at him in disbelief. Why the hell are they in Georgia?

"Seriously, we're in Georgia," He said, looking over the sisters, his gaze lasting longer on Darcy, flickering over to see if she's fully healed, "How are you doing? You're lucky to be alive, you know? You are also really stupid."

Darcy scoffed incredulously. "Stupid?"

"Yep, you were literally bleeding to your death, yet you wanted to get Elena out first," Damon said while shaking his head.

She pushed back the thought of her almost dying, "Of course, my family will always become for me. It's family before all else even if that means losing my life to save theirs."

Damon never replied as he was lost in his mind, reflecting on his once-perfect relationship with his brother. Once upon a time, the brothers were best friends and would gladly give their lives up to protect one another. What changed? A woman? A woman who came between them a ripping them apart. He shook his head at the Protectress's loyalty and nobleness. She really was a one of a kind, for she was able to dig through his burrowing resentment and slowly turn everything around, make him doubt was the eternity of misery worth it?

"The car! Darcy's car...there was a man," Elena burst out leaning between the two seats, she frowned at Darcy's dishevelled appearance.

"I hit him, but then he got up... who was that?" Darcy finished.

"That's what I want to know," Damon mumbled, staring ahead.

"Damon, he was a vampire...I saw him heal." Darcy expressed with apprehension as she rubbed her aching head. Damon nodded with a confirmation, while Elena was too busy ranting away about her phone. The question was who the hell was it?

"Give me my phone! We need to go back. Nobody knows where we are. Pullover, I mean it. Stop the car!" Elena exclaimed in a panic.

Darcy turned to see her sister turned like a white sheet. "Shit, Damon pullover! Elena's gonna be sick."

Damon complied while grumbling under his breath that they were much more fun when they were asleep. As they came to a stop, Elena hastily fumbled out of the car, and leant over at the waist, hands resting on her knees panting heavily. Darcy, her sister, rubbing her back in comfort. "Are you okay? Feeling better?"

"I'm fine." She mumbled whilst leaning against the car. Damon appeared beside Darcy the same question. "We have to go back."

"Oh, come on. Look, we've already come this far." Damon moaned.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena turned to her sister for back up. "You crashed your car. We have to go home, look at your clothes they're covered in blood!"

"Elena quit whining like a child. Take a deep breath and chill."

"Chill! We're in this mess because of you! If you were watching the road, you would have seen the man and avoided him!" Elena yelled out.

"How fucking dare you! I saved your ass! If it were anyone else, they would have left you, but no I sacrificed myself for you!" Darcy yelled back getting in the face of the brunette, ignoring Damon's burning presence at her back.

"This is kidnapping!"

"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Damon asked.

"You're not funny. You can't do this. I'm not going to Georgia!" Elena burst out.

"You're already in Georgia...Without your magical little necklace's, might I add." He said, lifting a necklace a black ring hanging on the chain swinging mockingly in a circle, "I can very easily make you...agreeable."

Elena reached towards her neck and came up empty. She panicked, remembering she left it at Stefan's, "That's not mine..." She trailed off unable to identify the jewellery, her frantic gaze darted to Darcy who had an emotionless expression on her drawn-out face.

"It's mine," Darcy said in an eerie calm voice as she extended her hand, inside she was anything but calm. "You can't compel me with that. Give it back."

Damon squinted his eyes, identifying the edgy look hiding behind the calmness. He nodded wordlessly passing the necklace back. The Salvatore vampire observed as her features relaxed the slightest bit. He gathered by the jittery movements and avoided her sister's gaze; she didn't want her to know the item was important. Something he'll ask about when miss little nosey isn't around.

"What are you trying to prove?" Elena demanded whilst keeping her stare fixed onto her sister. Both girls heads snapped up, hearing a familiar ring tone.

"That's Elena's" Darcy declared, while Elena glared hatefully at the dark-haired male.

Damon smirked, reaching into his pocket, "Mmm. It's your boyfriend." He said, showing the flashing screen. Elena turned her head away, not wishing to talk with him. He turned to Darcy and laughed when he received her middle finger.

"Make sure you tell him when I see him next he's a dead man." She veered away, getting back into the Camaro, leaving behind her protesting sister and a man-giggling Damon.

"Elena's phone." Damon sang with glee.

Darcy rolled her eyes at his obvious amusement as he put the call on speakerphone.

"Where is she? Why do you have her phone? Is she okay?" Stefan ranted.

"Elena? She's right here. And, yes, she's fine." His icy orbs are piercing Darcy's silent form his eyebrows furrowed with concern, not enjoying the girl's quietness he's never witnessed her vacant...staring lifelessly out of the windshield, "Darcy's fine, too. Thanks for asking." He quipped, knowing it would get a rise out of his brother.

"Darcy? What's Darcy doing there? Why do you have them both? Have you hurt her? Damon!"

"Calm down, Jackaroo, she's fine."

"Where are you? Let me speak to them. Put Darcy on." Stefan said, sounding like he was losing his patience.

Darcy circled her index finger, "Tell him; he can swivel on this."

Damon tried again with Elena, but she only shook her head in refusal, "Yeah... I don't think they want to talk to you right now." He said, feeling smug. Whatever Stefan replied, next replaced the look with annoyance. "Mm-hmm. Bye-now."

Once he finished the call, Elena followed behind Damon. As he got back into the driver's seat, he ignored her persisting need to go home, focusing his attention on her sister, who she should be more concerned about instead of yapping about nothingness.

He didn't want to send the ebony-haired girl home not in her current state; she looked wiped out, mind far far away. Besides he had a witch to see, maybe Darcy will perk up a bit.

"Look. No one knows where we are. Can we please just go back?" Elena pleaded.

"We're almost there," Damon exclaimed already fed up of her shit. 'Should have left her behind.' He thought.

"Where is there?!"

"ELENA! WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET IN THE CAR!" Darcy's loud yell caused Damon and Elena to jump...

"But..."

"No buts. No Ifs. GET. IN. THE FUCKING. CAR." When Elena remained standing, Darcy kicked open the passenger door and stalked over to the girl. Grabbing Elena's arm, she dragged her to the rear of the car, throwing the back door open and shoved her inside.

"There? Was that hard?" She didn't wait for a response instead slammed the door and got back in the passenger seat.

"You good?" Damon asked her while hiding his amused smile with his hand as he caught Elena's sullen look.

"All good." She confirmed with a forced grin. "Now, where are we going?"

"A little place right outside of Atlanta."

Darcy whirled around in her seat at Elena's grumbling under her breath. "If I were you I would shut your mouth unless you want to be left here...alone without no phone or a car. Choose your pick, Elena, shut up and comply, or your ass can kiss the ground when I chuck you out of the car and leave you behind."

"Fine." Elena scowled, crossing her arms.

"Perfect! Now be a good girl."

"Besides you don't want to go back now, do you? What's the rush? Time out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home, " Damon said as Elena glared. "Look. Step away from your life for five minutes. Trust your sister's judgment. She wouldn't allow you in the same car as me if she didn't trust me a little."

"All right, you can come out of my ass now." Darcy huffed with a small smile playing on her cut mouth, "Serious, time. No messing around. Are we safe?"

Damon looked at her as if she was dumb; he threw his hands her when she didn't budge. "Yes."

"No head-fucking will happen?"

"Nope.." He said, popping the 'P'.

"Can we trust you?" Darcy said gesturing between her and a grouchy Elena."

Yes. Now shut up, we need to get a move on." He said, starting up the motor and driving down the vast deserted road.

~

So, so sorry for the wait guys! Things have been hectic...My country is currently on another full lockdown 😭

Please bear with me as updates may be slow while I help my family at this challenging time 💔

Working on part 2 as I type this! 💜🖤