aj81writing coninues to beta these chapters. Her kindness continues, as does my gratitude...

The Phones

"I wish you'd recorded it." Elena told Sarah. The witch could see Elena's disappointment, but there was something else in the human's expression. Hope?

Elena suddenly leaned forward. "Show me the number she called from."

When Sarah found the number on her phone and passed it to Elena, the human nodded. "This is it – this is the number the phone Katherine gave me calls when I try to reach her. She called you today?"

Sarah nodded, eyes fixed on Elena's changing expression. Now the brunette looked confused.

Elena turned to Damon. "She called Sarah. She didn't take my call, but she called Sarah."

They were sitting on a couch, Sarah in a nearby chair. Elena leaned back and let Damon put his arm around her. She still held the phone, was still looking at the number on the screen. "She's never just not answered me before, and now she calls Sarah?"

"Maybe it's because she released you from your pledge," Sarah offered, though she knew that it was unlikely. She had been nearby several times as Katherine and Elena interacted. Neither would ignore the other as she spoke, or called. And Sarah would never have believed that Katherine would release Elena from her pledge. Something was wrong.

Elena was just shaking her head. "She wouldn't do it like that, and anyway, what did she mean when she said 'mors'?"

Sarah shrugged. "She said her call would put me in danger. It sounds like you're in danger as well."

Elena was just leaning against Damon now, one of his arms around her, while she held his other hand as it lay on his lap. Sarah's phone was in her other hand. Elena shook her head again, obviously thinking.

"She wouldn't have pulled the 'idiots' from around me if she thought I was in danger."

"So it's just me," the witch said. "Great."

Elena sat up suddenly and looked at Sarah, then Damon, "Damon?" She asked tentatively as the vampire nodded.

He said what both were thinking. "She's in trouble. She's either trying to send you a message or trying to keep you out of it."

"Trying to keep me out of it," the doppelganger said as she pulled her own phone out. Sarah's phone had gone dark, but Elena refreshed it and turned her own phone on. The others watched her and were surprised at what she said when she spoke into her phone.

"Caroline?"

The Witch and the Girlfriend

Isobel was never all that pleasant to be around, but the vampires with her noticed that it was getting worse. Before the sun was up in the morning, she was looking for Alaric. He wasn't at his home or at the school. That left only one place he would be, in her mind anyway, and she was visibly irritated as she approached the door of the Gilbert house.

"Oh!" Jenna said in surprise as she answered the door. "Are you here to see Elena?"

Isobel shook her head and said, "No, I need to see if Rick is here," at the same time Jenna said "Because she's not here. I think she'll be back…"

"Not here!" Isobel yelled as soon as what Jenna was saying registered in her mind. "Where is she?"

"She went to see Sarah," Jenna said, hesitantly, a little confused and Isobel's reaction. "Katherine sent her."

Alaric was behind Jenna now, but moved to pull her behind him. "Isobel, what's going on?"

Isobel had been glaring at Jenna, but softened as she faced Alaric. "We need to talk," she hissed, nodding her head to tell him that he should join her outside.

Alaric looked behind him and whispered "One second," to Jenna.

"Is that not where she went?" Jenna asked, though she remained in place. "Jeremy's with her."

"I'm sure that's where they are," Isobel answered, her voice a little too harsh for Alaric. He pulled her off the porch and into the yard.

"What's going on?" He asked Isobel. "Did Elena not go there?"

"I don't know," Isobel said. She looked like she was thinking, but Alaric could tell she was tense. Had Katherine really talked to Elena?

Alaric glanced back at the door and was relieved to see that Jenna was not visible. "You can't just call you're guys and ask? Surely they have …."

"We're the ones that are supposed to be with Elena!" Isobel snapped, though she kept her voice low. "Did Katherine really tell her to go there?"

Alaric shrugged. "Elena didn't talk to me. "Stefan did. He said he wanted me to stay here because they would be gone for a few days. Then Jenna asked me to do the same."

"Stefan." Isobel nearly spat the word. "That didn't sound wrong to you? When has Stefan ever gone with Elena while she was doing something for Katherine? Or at all, lately?"

"You don't think…" he began.

"Katherine's missing," Isobel interrupted. "If Elena told your girlfriend that Katherine sent her, it was a lie."

"Why would Elena lie?"

"Because she already knows," Isobel deduced. "We need a witch," she added softly to herself.

"Just call Elena." Alaric suggested, turning back towards the house.

"No!" Isobel quickly said, grabbing his arm to stop him. "We don't know what's going on, but if it's anything like recent history…well, you're the teacher."

Alaric was going to tell her off, but nodded as he understood what she was saying. "Someone's after Elena."

Isobel nodded. "Can you get a witch to help us? Can you call Bonnie Bennett?"

He nodded as he turned around, saying, "My phone's inside."

"Don't tell your girlfriend." Isobel said quickly as he walked towards the door.

"Of course not," Alaric said sarcastically. "Why would I tell her that her niece is a liar and her entire family is danger?"

"Just get the witch here," Isobel called to him as he stepped onto the porch.

The Stupidity

"Remind me never to get into your car again," Bonnie said, trying to stretch herself while pulling the passenger seat into an upright position.

"Sleep well?" Stefan asked.

"No!" Bonnie said. "If my dad knew I was sleeping in a car with some guy while I was supposed to be with Elena…"

"You're near Elena," the vampire said. "And I'm not just 'some guy'."

"You are to my dad."

Stefan smirked – something she had never seen on him before. "Worried about what he'll think?"

Bonnie snorted. "Even he knows you only have eyes for Elena, but if he finds out where I am right now, he'll go after you – and I'll help him take you down."

"Just keep it between us," Bonnie added, releasing a breath and shaking her head. She looked through the window at the house she had visited a few weeks ago with Elena and Alaric. "Anything?"

Stefan shook his head. "Not yet."

"I should just go talk to them," Bonnie muttered.

"We weren't invited," the vampire said. "We're not…" He was interrupted by Bonnie's phone.

"Alaric," she said, pulling the phone to her hear after glancing at the screen.

"Hi" Bonnie answered a little tentatively. Alaric had called her before, but it was rare.

"You OK?" he asked

"Sure," the witch replied. Then when he hesitated briefly, she continued, "What's up?"

"We need a favor, Bonnie. A spell."

"Spell?"

"A locator spell. We need to find someone – Katherine, actually"

Bonnie looked at Stefan as she processed the information.

"But I'm with Elena," Bonnie said, stretching the truth. She knew he wouldn't know where she was. "She hasn't asked me for a spell," Bonnie added, wondering if Elena was inside asking for one from Sarah.

"Not Elena," Alaric said quickly. "Isobel needs the spell." Then her statement that she was not with Elena registered in his mind. "You're with Elena and Jeremy?"

"Jeremy's here?" Bonnie asked Stefan in surprise, speaking softly and holding the phone so Alaric would not hear. He just shrugged and said, "Not that I know."

"Look," Bonnie told Alaric "I'm at Sarah's house. So is Elena. If Isobel wants Katherine, she should just call her."

"She's with Elena." Bonnie heard Alaric tell someone.

"Then we're done here." Bonnie heard Isobel tell Alaric. "We'll have to go to Elena. You coming?"

Bonnie heard a hesitation, then Alaric said into the phone. "Got to go," and was gone.

Stefan looked expectantly at the witch as she put her phone away.

"Isobel's coming," she said flatly.

"Elena tried to call Isobel earlier. She didn't answer."

"We'll she's coming now," Bonnie said, then, getting out of the car, she added, "This is stupid."

"You're not invited!" Stefan called after her as he watched the witch walk towards the Proctor house. He remained in his car, watching her from a distance.

Civility and Surprise

"Sleep well?" Damon asked, standing as Elena emerged from the hall and entered the Proctor living room.

Elena nodded and pulled him into a hug.

"The sheriff called." Elena whispered. "She was able to trace the call from Katherine to Sarah. It's time to go."

"Good," Damon said, still hugging her. He wasn't going to let her go until she released him.

"I want Sarah to come with us, but we need a way to make Jeremy stay." Elena finally released him as her phone rang.

"Where did Liz trace the call to?" Damon asked as Elena looked at the screen. She didn't answer Damon. She just scowled and pulled the phone to her head.

"I called you hours ago. Where have you been?"

Isobel's response was icy. "I suppose it's too much to expect for you to be civil to your mother."

Elena sighed, then turned to look at the door as Sarah opened it. She had heard the knock somewhere in the back of her mind, but had been paying so much attention to Damon, then her phone, that she hadn't noticed the witch entering the living room or walking past her.

She was startled to see who was at the door, though it was Sarah who spoke to the visitor.

"Bonnie?"

"Elena!" the doppelganger heard from her phone as both witches looked at her.

What he Has

Katherine moved at top speed towards him as soon as the door opened, but she just hit the wall of the spell again as he entered the room. Though she was frustrated, she managed to match the smirk on the face of the other vampire.

When he just looked at her for a few seconds, she asked "What?"

"She's gone to the rebel Proctor witches. Everything is falling into place."

Katherine knew she was giving away too much as she sighed and lowered her eyes, because he said. "She should be here anytime now."

She managed to return her face to a glare as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "So why aren't you afraid?"

His smirk remained. "Of Elena Gilbert?"

"You've sent vampires after her before. Did any return to you?" She thought his smirk faltered a little. "Any humans or witches that returned did so because she let them go. I would think you would be terrified."

He was glaring back at her now, but turned to leave. "This time I have you."

Katherine wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that, but she was sure she wouldn't like it.