o-0-o-0-o Here's the new chapter. Thanks to David Fishwick, laugh4life, Marie, and celia for reviewing. I love hearing what people think so please leave a review for this chapter. I hope you like it o-0-o-0-o
"Call your boyfriend, Witchy. The kid keeps calling your phone," Damon said, passing Bonnie her phone as she began to sit up. "I'm heading out now, by the way- so no more psycho witch trances for you today."
"Crap. He called four times," Bonnie said, looking at her phone.
"I told you when he did, but you were all absorbed in your magic," Damon said. "And by the way, just so you know, I don't think I buy your line about wanting to get stronger just for the sake of getting stronger, completely. There's a reason for all this, and I'll find out sooner or later."
"Making up scenarios in your head now, Salvatore?" Bonnie said with a grin. "I think you might be getting paranoid. I want to get stronger, why does there have to be more to it than that?"
Damon just shook his head and headed for the door. "You should probably eat something. I imagine your body probably wants some food after practically being dead three times."
"Speaking of food," Bonnie said more seriously, "Make sure you stick to the blood bags."
Damon rolled his eyes as he opened the door. "Bye Judgey."
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"Jeremy, can I talk to you for a minute? Please," John said when Jeremy walked back into the house.
Jeremy looked to Elena, seemingly asking her silently if he should say yes or no. Elena nodded at Jeremy.
"Okay," Jeremy said, taking a breath.
"I have an opinion on vampires and I can't change that. I wish that you and Elena did not have any involved in your lives. I wish you had never met a vampire, but please believe me when I say that I am sorry for the pain I caused you where Anna was concerned. I know you cared about her a lot. I even think you loved her, and I'm sorry that what I did hurt you. You're my family. You and Elena are my family, and whatever my feelings are for the vampires, I have never wanted either of you to hurt. Please know that," John said, getting up from where he sat at the kitchen table.
"Where are you going?" Jeremy asked.
"I'm going to head out. I'm a bit tired. I think I'm going to stay at the hotel for the time I'm here. I think you two have had enough of me for today. Call my cell if you need anything," John said as he walked out the door without another word.
"What was all that about?" Jeremy asked his sister.
"I think there's something going on with him. I think there's something he wants to say. I think he regrets making us hate him," Elena sighed.
"How was he with Stefan?" Jeremy asked.
"Not too bad, but I think that's because I told him if he trashed Stefan I'd leave just like you and Jenna did," Elena said.
Jeremy just shook his head. "I think there's something going on with him, too."
"The question is, what is going on?" Jenna said, making Elena and Jeremy turn around.
Jenna was standing in the doorway. "Dear old John was actually just nice to me. It was very weird."
"What's weird?" Damon asked, strolling into the kitchen.
"You don't believe in knocking?" Jenna said, turning to Damon.
"Sorry,"Damon said and Jenna rolled her eyes.
Jeremy's phone rang. "Finally," he said, seeing that it was Bonnie. "Sleep in much?" he said with a laugh, answering the phone and walking out of the room.
Damon tried to hide a grin. Bonnie definitely hadn't been sleeping.
"John's acting nice. That's what's weird," Elena explained.
"Maybe he finally realized what an ass he is," Damon said. "He's probably just sick of you guys hating him. That, or he's got some kind of agenda."
"Enough about John," Jenna said. "New topic while I'm still in the room, please. I don't have the energy to think about what's going on with that man. I already have a headache."
"How about I take Elena out of the room altogether, then you don't have to think or hear about anything we say," Damon said, taking Elena by the arm and going outside.
"What's up, Damon?" Elena asked with a laugh.
"Nothing. I'm just bored. Haven't talked to you in a bit. Figured I'd have some fun and come bug you."
"You're not bugging me," Elena told him, giving him a little nudge.
"Sooooooooooo," Damon said dramatically, "did you have a nice time on your little getaway?"
"I did," she said, smiling.
"That's good," Damon said, meaning it. He loved seeing Elena smile. "Where's my broody baby brother?"
"He brought me back here and stayed for a bit, but we both thought that there was something that John wanted to say and we figured he wasn't gonna talk with Stefan here, so he left for a bit."
"I wouldn't have thought that John would come back, at least not this soon," Damon said.
"Me neither, which makes me think even more that there's a reason for it," Elena said with a sigh. "Anyway though, I'm with Jenna, new topic time... Oh, this is pretty big stuff. Stefan's not too sure if he agrees with me, though."
"What is it?" Damon asked.
"Remember the guy Stefan told you about yesterday?" Elena asked.
"Yours/Katherine's stalker guy?" Damon said.
"Yeah."
"What about him?" Damon asked.
"I think he's related to me. I'd bet on it actually," Elena said.
"How do you think he's related to you and why do you think that?" Damon asked her, looking skeptical.
Elena told Damon about her conversation with Anthony. "Wow," Damon said, with a snort. "The guy who knocked up Katherine."
"I think so," Elena said.
"I didn't see that one coming," Damon said. "Stefan could be right, though. Maybe this guy is just a liar."
"I don't think he is, though. You didn't see him when he was talking about her," Elena said, moving her hair out of her face. "This guy loves her."
"That doesn't necessarily mean he is who you think he is, though I think you could be right."
"Part of me wants to tell him where she is," Elena said.
"If the guy really is who you think he is, I'd love to see the look on her face when she comes face to face with him," Damon grinned.
"Stefan doesn't want me to say anything. And a tiny part of me thinks I should keep my mouth shut too, just in case something else is up."
Damon shrugged. "Personally I don't care what the guy wants with her. I don't care what happens to her anymore."
Elena looked at him for a moment, examining him. She was pretty sure that he meant it, to a certain degree.
"If it came down to it, and someone was after her for no reason, you would still care. I think," she told him.
"I don't love that snake anymore, Elena. Me and baby bro were quite willing to kill her at the Masquerade Ball if you don't remember."
Elena smiled a bit. "You guys thought I was in danger then, though," Elena pointed out.
"Your point?"
"I'm not in danger from her anymore, if I ever even actually was," Elena said with a sigh. "Even if you hate her now, I don't think you'd really want anything to happen to her."
Damon rolled his eyes. "I really, truly, finally, am over her, Elena. Maybe you're right, though. Maybe I don't really want to see anything bad happen to her, even if she deserves it- and trust me, she would deserve it."
"You don't think I should tell Anthony anything then?"
"I guess not," Damon said. "And if this guy comes around again, do me a favour and let me or Stefan know. If this guy really is a liar, I'm not exactly excited about the idea that some guy who's probably over 500 years old is stalking you."
Elena just smiled.
"You think it's a bit funny, but you are aware that you're a magnet for trouble, right?" Damon asked.
Elena grinned.
"If I was still human, I'd say the trouble that finds itself your way would be giving me gray hair," Damon said.
Elena laughed at that, picturing Damon with gray hair. "It's a good thing you're a vampire, then," Elena said. "Because you with gray hair would just be all kinds of wrong."
"I totally agree," Damon said dramatically.
"You seem a bit tired, though," Elena said. "What did you do last night?" she asked.
I nearly killed a girl, but only stopped because I suddenly thought about you. Then I drank some more and semi-stalked your best friend and got her to kick my ass and nearly kill me.
"Not much," Damon said with a shrug. "You wanna walk? I'm in the mood to walk."
"Sure," Elena said. "Let's take a walk."
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"Katherine, come on," Stefan said. "Come back here."
"I'm tired, Stefan," she answered, not moving.
"Who is he, Katherine? What's wrong?"
"He's no one, Stefan. Nothing's wrong. Don't worry about it."
"You're freaking me out," Stefan said.
"There's no need for you to be freaked out. Everything's fine. That guy is no one. I have no interest in seeing him."
"That guy is clearly someone, Katherine. You don't have a reaction like you did to a person who you don't know," Stefan said, getting frustrated.
Katherine was back at the front of the tomb, inches from Stefan's face within a second. The only thing separating them was the spell that held her inside.
"For the last time, Stefan. He's no one. Just forget about it. Please."
"Is he a danger to Elena?" Stefan asked, ignoring her. "You know him. Somehow you know him. And fine, you don't want to tell me who he is, I can't make you. But you owe it to me to tell me if I need to be worried about him coming around Elena. If there's ever been one second that you cared about me, even one measly second, you'll tell me that much."
Katherine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Elena's in no danger from him. You don't need to worry about that... I just don't want to see him, okay? Keep him away from me."
"Okay," Stefan said quietly.
"And do me a favour, Stefan," Katherine said, voice louder, clearer.
"What?"
"Don't pull that 'if you ever cared about me' stuff again. It's not fair. I'm not going to keep saying this. You know I cared about you in the past. You know that I care about you now. You know that I loved you and you know that I still love you. I've said it more than enough. I'm not going to keep repeating it, and I'm not going to keep trying to prove it to a guy who doesn't love me back anymore," she said firmly. "If he was a danger to your girlfriend, I would tell you."
Stefan didn't know what to say to that.
"Again, thank you for the pillow, Stefan," Katherine said, once again, making her way to the back of the tomb.
Stefan stood at the front of the tomb, feeling something very odd and unfamiliar at Katherine's words to him. She had just made him feel like absolute crap.
