Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, or The Originals in any way shape or form. I just merely enjoy playing with the characters for my own, and your personal amusement...

Author Note: This chapter has been revised and bits added to it as of 14 Feb, 2016.

~o.O.o~

The first order of business the following morning for Damon was a trip to get Bella a new cell phone and add her to his plan. He made sure that it had everything that a girl could possibly want – mainly because he hoped she would be willing to call and text him as much as her heart desired. As his heart desired, and that was a great deal.

He barely had enough time to finish that when he got word that their suspicions the night before were confirmed. Katherine indeed had gotten to Caroline in the hospital and before they could have had someone with her to help her, she had managed to keep herself together, after feeding of course to complete her transition, that she was discharged but now confined to her house until nightfall. Damon was growing more pissed off by the obstacles that his bitch of an ex was throwing at them now, for simply not allowing her to kill their new friend.

While was waiting for Liz to return to her office, he penned out a quick letter for Bella to leave with the phone and wrapped it together, but saw his friend entering with Bella's Fuck Awesome Pornstashe father. That was one discussion that was going to have to wait now, so he turned and headed out the back of the station as he tried to figure out his next move and Katherine's until the witches came up with some answers.

Gaining some cover, he called for a crow to compel and sent it over to Bella's window to keep an eye on her there so that at least there was one thing watching her, making him think about the possibility of having Alaric include her in his Buffy ass kicking classes with Elena and Jeremy one day.

Quickly, he dropped off the package by Bella's and hightailed it out of there before anyone could see him, but ran into a familiar face not two blocks away that only raised his suspicious nature. "John. How many times do you have to die that you get the picture that no one wants you around?" Damon asked with a sarcastic smirk as he tried to step around him and walk away, only to be stopped.

"Oh, you can keep trying and I'll keep coming back. I don't really care. I believe I told you that I want you and your brother away from my family. Specifically Elena," John said.

"It's not me you have to worry about with her you know. Stefan is the one in love with your doppelganger daughter. I want nothing part of that little party anymore, so aside from keeping her pretty little neck alive, that's it for my participation in her life. I got my own issues that I've got to handle like killing a certain slutpire that looks remarkably like your daughter," he replied nonchalantly.

"You're planning on killing Katherine? What? Why?!" the man demanded before looking around for prying ears.

Damon leaned against an old white fence and picked at the chipping paint. "Hm, could use a touch up. I'll have to see how much they may want for the work. I might know someone looking for some a simple job for easy money," he murmured to himself before looking at John with boredom. Grasping him on the neck painfully, he dragged him along the sidewalk to the back of the Swan property where he knew there was an old vampire holding cell. "Katherine admitted to killing my human girlfriend before she came in and played with Stefan and my heads before we were turned. For me, that is inexcusable and those feelings don't exactly go away. You're not a vampire John so you don't understand, you can't relate. So I'll try to explain the whole thirst for vengeance with relationships for you in layman terms. When we have strong emotions for someone, whether it be strong love, or strong hate, those feelings are increased when we change. Total devotion, downright enemies. You following me bud? Your friend Katherine took my human life, my human girlfriend that I had every intention of proposing to, even had my jackass of a father's approval for something with her, and she murdered her. Then she went on compelling us into her little playthings that everyone knows the story of time and time again."

Reaching the edge of the property, Damon shoved John into the wrought iron bars roughly, causing his face to get scrapes against the damaged metal. "So the girl is dead from over 150 years ago. What does that have to do with now?" he wined as he struggled to stand without support.

"What is wrong John, is that she is back. We're thinking it's a reincarnation and it's the best bet considering the reaction that Katherine earned just from her scent on my house last night. Now John...If I let you go, will you promise to stay the fuck off my back in regards to Elena? I want her safe just like you but I always want to keep this other girl safe as well and I can't be in two places at once, so I need Stefan to watch Elena when he is with her. I'd have others do it, but the vamps I know of are young, not yet stable enough for that kind of duty. And the others I know that have control, would rather feed then worry about the work later. So unless you have someone that these girls can trust to get close enough to their inner circle, then yeah but otherwise, you know damn well we are their best bet...On second thought, I think not. You can sit in here and rot for awhile," he said as he pulled at the chains of the tiny private family mausoleum that only had a stairway entrance to a secret holding cell of cages. Thankful that he chose to wear his leather jacket, he was careful in opening one of the cage doors and threw John in unceremoniously. "By the way, the metal is soaked in vervain and wolfsbane. Super concentrated stuff that I don't even think Katherine's little immunity trick can handle. Have a nice life!"

Damon's mood was growing more sour as the afternoon rolled on, especially since every time he wanted to go to check on Bella, something else kept coming up to draw him away that needed to be dealt with. He sent another text message to Bonnie, asking for an update, but there wasn't any response from her and that just added another concern piled onto his ever growing list that he didn't want to have to deal with.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy voiced up, making Damon look around, wondering how or why he was at the Gilbert house.

"Dunno. Just – dealing with shit. School let out?" he asked the kid.

"Yeah. Head's up though, Elena's not too happy with Bella," he said as he lead the way into the house. Before Damon could question him, Jeremy beat him to the the explanation. "Evidently, she tried warning her away from you last night when she took her home and Bella went off on her, so now she's thinking that Bella is too naive for our world or a massive bitch. I think that she just didn't like whatever truth that she might have heard."

"Do you know what was said?" Damon asked darkly, the urge to go find the doppelganger and rip her throat out himself was growing strong.

He shook his head. "Nah, but I'm sure I can see if I can find something out if you want. Bella is supposed to start school with us tomorrow. I don't think she'll want to sit with Elena at lunch if she's riding her bitch fest."

"Good. Do some sleuthing and fill me in on that chick fight. I want all the details," he grinned back as his phone beeped with a tone he had reserved for someone special in case she ever contacted him in any way. He couldn't help but laugh as he read her text, shaking his head while he sent back his response.

"Bella?" Jeremy asked with a small smile, eying him with curiosity.

"Yeah. I've still got some things to do to make sure that Katherine isn't lingering around but I have to find Bonnie first to see what she knows. Catch up with you later. Call me if you hear anything or text me if you got my brother listening around. I don't down that Elena has him dropping eaves for her. If you also hear from Bonnie before I do, send her my way. We seriously need to know what we are getting ourselves into. I'm not changing my mind about protecting Bella, no matter what the situation is. Just making that clear," Damon said as he looked back at him.

Jeremy met his gaze with one of his own, equally concerned about everything going on. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

~o.O.o~

On his way back home, he sent another message to their resident witch for an update, as he hadn't heard from her all day. Less than pleased as he walked into the boarding home, he went straight to his liquor bar to pour himself a drink when his phone rang.

"It's about time you called back," he snapped.

"Well, I haven't had the best of luck with the spirits out here," Bonnie admitted. "They don't want to talk about the girl."

He wasn't pleased with hearing that and his fingers clenched around the glass he held. "They have to give something. Katherine wouldn't have targeted her for without a reason that they wouldn't know of. I doubt whatever it is, there's gotta be some stupid balance loophole that you could exploit!"

He could hear her sigh on the other end, knowing that it would be a stretch. The spirits were largely uncooperative when it came to working with vampires, but in rare circumstances, their hand could be forced. "I will try again tomorrow. I need to get home and get some sleep. I have school tomorrow."

"Fine. Whatever," Damon muttered, throwing back his drink, emptying it.

"I said I'd do it, Damon."

"I know! I just - I'm just worried about her…" he admitted, falling into an armchair to stare into the fireplace.

"Get yourself some rest. You won't be any help to her if you're going to be drunk most of the day. We'll find answers somewhere. It just may take time."

Damon nodded, even though his judgemental witch acquaintance couldn't see and hung up. She was his best alliance, aside from Stefan, when it came to Bella and he knew well enough to tread lightly with her. Pursing his lips and cursing Katherine, he threw his empty tumbler into the fireplace before storming up to his room.