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Note: New day, more chapters. Happy reading. R&R.

Chapter 31

"She'll be okay, right?" Jeremy asked as Damon stared at the door.

"I don't know, I really don't" he said as he ran a hand through his hair and headed into the next room. He shook his head, how was this happening? Why was this always happening? He knew he was a jerk but seriously? He picked his phone of his pocket and dialed Klaus.

"So, was our favorite witch guilty of such a crime?" he asked in a humorous tone.

"This can't go on anymore, there's too many forces against us. I can't let Bonnie get hurt. I'll give you what you we have but you have to find the rest yourself, you have to find another witch" he said in rushed tone.

"I can't do that Damon," Klaus replied in his snotty British tone.

"Yes you can, don't you see what it's doing to Bonnie? She's getting hurt. She's hurting people, you have to find some other way. Please" he said, his voice close to begging.

"There's no obvious person you can think of making this big of a mess? No single being capable of such manipulation and cowardness?" he asked though Damon couldn't figure out if he was being cocky or clueless.

"I didn't tell anyone else what I was doing" Damon reminded him.

"And you're sure about that Damon, it didn't accidently slip out of your mouth in any tense situation where Bonnie's life might have been threated?" he asked.

"No" Damon said firmly, he wasn't that stupid, he wouldn't just tell someone he was gathering ingredients to help Klaus. People hated him as much they hated Damon. "But please, if you know, feel free to share" he said in a cold voice as Klaus sighed, pretended to think.

"Oh Damon, I'm sure there is someone just as cleaver out there as me" he said before Damon heard a click on the opposite end. Damon stared at the phone; did Klaus know or not? He wouldn't have kept that kind of information to himself, it meant hurting Bonnie and he needed Bonnie, in his own twisted way. But who the fuck was doing this? He asked himself as he picked up the nearest object—a glass—and threw it clear across the room.

At least she was safe with Stefan, at least Stefan hadn't called all frantic saying Bonnie ran off. He'd just give them some time. He'd go along with the plan. If anything she'd just go to her mom's, she'd be away from both of them. If anything she was just as much at risk of getting hurt with Stefan. He gritted his teeth and another glass went flying, smashing against one of the windows. Where did all these glasses come from anyway? Didn't anyone pick up this place? He wondered in irritation as he caught Rudy in the doorway.

"Yes Mr. Bennett?" he asked gripping the table so he wouldn't fling himself at Rudy.

"I don't want to say this, I really don't like you, but" he paused to let out a sigh as he walked over to Damon. "Today has really proven a good day in my book" he said as Damon gave him a look and a snort.

"Right, because your daughter thinking she killed someone really should brighten your day" he said sarcastically as Rudy chuckled a little but shook his head.

"I mean, watching you. The way you looked at her, when you told you loved her" he said as Damon stared at the table. "That was passion; that was love. Did I think you were capable of such a thing? No; but Damon, it gives me hope that you will do anything for her" he said as Damon continued staring.

"Is that all?" he asked flatly.

"Yes" Rudy replied before walking out of the room as Damon slowly looked up. It should have made him proud Rudy was fully coming around. But maybe it was the fact that Bonnie wasn't with him, or the fact that he still couldn't help her, but it somehow seemed less comforting. In fact, it seemed like Rudy was expecting something. He said he knew Damon would protect him, at any cost, or so his wording led him to believe. But, did that mean he'd part ways from her? Of course, he tried that and he killed someone. Maybe this time though he'd kill the right person. Whoever the fuck was operating this whole thing.

"You gonna answer that?" Jeremy asked from the doorway. Damon looked up and then realized his phone was ringing. At first he wasn't, he didn't want to talk anyone, but then he realized the screen was an unknown number, again. Maybe Klaus realized this whole plan was stupid and he'd give up. Granted that meant nothing for Rudy and that was really the only reason Bonnie was helping. Along with Elena and probably Stefan. She knew they wanted to be human again, maybe somewhere in her was looking to help her mom too.

"Klaus, did you change your mind?" he asked.

"No, it's Stefan, we're calling from a payphone" Stefan's voice replied.

"They haven't replaced those yet?" he asked unable to make some kind of joke, mainly to comfort himself, mainly to not jump down Stefan's throat for being with Bonnie in the first place. "What's up? Why aren't you using your cell?" he asked.

"I figured whoever is watching might think we're calling Klaus on the payphone" he told him as Damon nodded.

"Smarty pants" he said for lack of asking anything about Bonnie.

"We'll back in a few days, we just had to call, everyone is okay," he said as Damon exhaled sharply. A few days, they were going out of town for a few days. What was he supposed to do? Besides getting the ingredients.

"Be careful" he said instead of saying everything his heart wanted to say. Before waiting Stefan's typical response and judging voice he ended the call.

"Are they okay?" Jeremy asked as Damon nodded.

"You're always saying you want to help, right?" he asked as Jeremy stood up a little straighter and quickly nodded.

"I need you cover my tracks, every step I take, you cover it" he said as Jeremy looked at him questionably. "If I call or text Stefan or Bonnie, delete it, if I have anything of Bonnie's throw it away or leave it with Stefan, make any sign of connections between us gone" he said as the final pieces of his plan started coming together.

"What?" But why?" he asked, his face all screwed up.

"Because her and Stefan ran away together, he saved her, she's gone" he said as Jeremy continued to look at him with confusion. "At least that's what I want everyone to believe" he said as Jeremy squinted a little but seemed to catch on, finally, slowly nodding.

"Okay," he said as Damon met him in the doorway. "Does Bonnie know you're doing this?" he asked Damon shook his head. "I think we should keep it that way" he said.

"I think you're right" he said as he handed over his phone.

"All text messages from her?" he asked Damon nodded.

"Delete it all" he said in a cold voice, trying to mask the hurt he was planning to bring on himself.