ANGELS AND DEMONS [THE ORIGINALS]

one

"Hi, this is Diana, leave a message and I'll call you back." 

"Hi Diana, this is Elijah Mikaelson. Sorry I didn't get back to you last night, but I got your messages, all seven of them. I know you're nervous Diana, but this is what I get paid for." Diana's eyes widen as she realises the voice on the machine was her hired escort date. Her eyes surreptitiously move to an article she had found that was authored by this escort.

"Now I'm running a little late, so I sent a messenger to pick up my ticket. Diana, stop worrying. Your ex-fiance will wish he never left you and your family will think we're in love. You're gonna have to trust me. I'll see you at the airport. Can't wait to meet you." The machine beeps, and Diana's jaw hangs slack as toothpaste froths at the bottom of her lips, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.

The buzz of the doorbell startled her, and she places her hair in a ponytail, before spitting out the residue of her toothpaste, she clambers towards the door, pulling it open to reveal the messenger, sweaty and leaning against his bike.

"So sorry, I wasn't quite ready for you yet." Diana smiles, clutching her robe tighter against her naked torso. The messenger nods warily, while Diana runs back in to grab an envelope, scrawling Elijah's name on the back. 

She hands the envelope to the messenger, however, her tight clutch didn't seem to let go. The messenger attempted to pull the envelope while Diana pulls it back slightly, engaging in a slight tug of war, Diana sent the messenger an awkward smile, as she continued tugging on the envelope, "It's a plane ticket, for a date, my date, for my sister's wedding in London."

"You need to let go." The messenger points out, pulling the envelope harder.

"You're gonna have to help me." Diana replies sheepishly, the messenger moves his hand to Diana's and pulls it off the envelope before cruising his bike out of the apartment hallway.

Diana closes the door and hurriedly peels the robe off before diving to open a drawer to take her passport and documents out. She squats by a small cupboard and pulls out a few boxes, and lifts the lid of the biggest one, revealing mementos and photographs of her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Henry. She smiles sadly, as she pulls out a string of photographs they took at a photo booth.

She drops the photographs and pulls out a card green velvet box, popping the lid, and sighing as she notes the Harry Winston engagement ring inside. She huffs, and dumps the contents back in the box, and closing the cupboard door, before running across the apartment again, she yelps in pain as she stubs her toe on a table leg, hopping back into the kitchen, with a hairdryer in hand.

She dashes across the living hall to place her plants by the bay window of her apartment, to get the optimal sunlight, she finally grabs her Tiffany blue suitcases and stumble down the steps of her building to a parked yellow taxi. The driver loads the luggage in the back and they set off to JFK.

"British Airways flight 356 to London Heathrow. All remaining passengers, please make your way to Gate 22." 

"Harry, I'm not working today, I'm going to my sister's wedding. General Surgery will just have to survive without me." Diana barks into the phone, as she pushes the trolley down the line.

 "Diana, we have three delayed surgeries and only two attending on call, and an emergency appendectomy that just came in. And oh, Dr Bailey said you were supposed to take over her cases." Harry, the intern stammers back.

"Harry I'd love to help sincerely but I haven't seen my family in two years, and my flight leaves in 15 minutes." Diana replies, her breath ragged as she pulls the heavy trolley to the counter.

"Diana please." Harry begs, and Diana purses her lips guiltily, "I'm begging you."

"Bump 1414 to three o'clock, get Yang to cover it, " Diana sighs and crawls onto the loading belt, before dumping the rest of the luggage on the belt. "Get the other interns to help you, an appendectomy is 45 minutes at the most, don't screw it up."

Diana sat at her seat in business class, the safety card held firmly in her grasp, covering her face, every so often glancing at the aisle, waiting for Elijah to come waltzing down. "Your first trip?" A lady next to her asks.

Diana turns, mouth slightly apart, she sighs and shakes her head, "My sister's getting married, and the best man's my ex. In case I chicken out, I want to know exactly where the exits are." The lady smiles amused.

Diana folds the card and places it back in the holder before she corners the flight attendant in the pantry, "I'm not a knuckler, I fly all the time." Diana gulps, and grabs the two glasses of champagne from his hands, and downing them both in one gulp, "The reason I can't feel my legs is that any second my date is gonna sit down in 3B and I need him to look really, really, really good today."

"Hello 3B." The flight attendant wiggles his eyebrows, and raises his eyebrow, curious, Diana turns and looks to find the most handsome man, she had ever laid her eyes on. It was as if he was Adonis himself, from the chiseled jawline, to the mesmerising brown eyes, he was perfect.

Diana inches herself back to her seat, standing with his back turned, was Elijah who grabs two glasses of champagne from the stewardess and turns around to face Diana. "Hey." Diana squeaks.

"Diana." His lips tugged into a rugged smirk, and he leans in to kiss Diana's cheek while Diana moved back slowly, "Let's sit."

Diana's hands intertwined with Elijah even after she had taken his seat, it was a while before Diana pulled her cold clammy hands, out of Elijah's warm ones. "I'm glad you found it okay, the airport, the plane-- I mean."

"I'm sorry we couldn't leave sooner. I know you wanted a few hours before to get settled for the party." Elijah apologised.

"Work must be crazy." Diana starts, Elijah frowns slightly, and Diana gulps and looks away before she could humiliate herself any further. "Oh I should warn you," Diana continues, turning around, "You know those families where everyone's out of their mind but at the end of the day, they're your family so you love them?" Elijah nods, "Mine's not like that, I love my Dad. But since he's my stepdad, he's technically not family. He's more like a hostage."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be arriving at London Heathrow. On arrival, please remain seated until the seatbelt sign has been switched off. Local time is 4:22 PM, and temperature is a warm 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We would like to thank you for flying with us today, and look forward to seeing you again."

Diana stirs awake at the sound of the announcement, and slides up further from where she was slumped to look behind at Elijah who simply smiles, amused, "Good morning sunshine." Diana smiles back and slumps back into her chair, and grabbed her pocket mirror, only to see that her dirty blonde hair was haphazardly organised, and her mascara was smudged, she groans slightly, not liking how this week had started.