Book One: Panacea (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Eleven

A/N - I JIGGLED AROUND THE TIMELINE OF THIS EPISODE A LITTLE JUST BECAUSE OF HOW I WANTED IT TO PLAY OUT. NOTHING CHANGES, JUST THE EVENTS AT THE CARERS EVENT ARE JUMBLED A LITTLE. 

Outside of the school, in the dark, hidden away from prying eyes, Alaric stands with Diana. They lock eyes for a long moment. Then he offers a charming and disarming smile that draws a smile from Diana.

"I thought about you all day," Alaric admits, she takes a shaky breath. She had a plan. Her plan is failing. Because it is so hard to stay away from him. That was her plan, get out of his class, avoid him. It was a stupid plan. But it was her plan.

"Alaric" she whispers in warning, because...because she wants this, she wants him, but it's too dangerous. He steps closer to her, his hand touching hers at her side. Fingers lacing together as he brushes his lips over hers. She closes her eyes and kisses him back, his free hand coming up to rest on the side of her face as he deepens it. "I told myself that I was going to stay away from you" she whispers against his lips.

"How's that working out for you?" he asks her, she laughs a little and pulls him closer to her. He turns her and backs her up against the wall as he resumes kissing her.

"You want us to what?!" Someone shouts from close by. Diana pushes Alaric back from her slightly.

"What was that?" Diana asks Alaric who shrugs a little. The two of them peer around the wall to see Richard Lockwood, Tyler Lockwood, and Jeremy stood together, Jeremy doesn't look very happy. "Jeremy" Diana states worried, Alaric takes her arm to stop her from going just yet.

"I'm not gonna fight him, dad," Tyler argues with Richard.

"I don't think so, sir." Jeremy attempts to leave, but the Mayor blocks his way.

"Oh, hell, no" Diana states and shakes off Alaric's hand before walking towards the scene.

"Diana" Alaric scolds following after her.

"You don't fight in there like pansies," Richard tells Tyler and Jeremy. "You take it outside, fight your battles like men, and move on. Best lesson my dad taught me. So let's settle it. Fight."

"Come on, dad." Tyler states.

"That's not gonna happen," Jeremy argues.

"I said fight!" Tyler tries to leave, his dad pushes him into Jeremy. Diana is suddenly there, her electrified baton held out and pressed close to Richard's neck, not touching, not yet. Richard looks at the stick and then to Diana holding the other end.

"I don't think you're setting a very good example here...Mayor" She states firmly. "Now back away from my little brother before I shove this up your ass" her baton sparks with electricity again. Jeremy and Tyler look at her.

"Whoa" Alaric steps up and shoots Diana a look to stop, she reluctantly lowers the baton but glares at the Richard. "What's going on out here?" He asks looking at Richard.

"Just letting these two kids work it out. We're good here. Why don't you take Miss Gilbert and go back inside."

"I don't wanna go back inside," Diana growls slightly.

"And what I want is an answer to my question" Alaric counters. "What's going on out here?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? Do I look like a student?

"No. You look like a full-grown alpha male douchebag." Alaric answers, Diana and Tyler both look shocked and surprised by his attitude, Jeremy smirks.

"You don't talk to me like that. I can have your job like this" Richard snaps his fingers to further his threat. Alaric doesn't seem bothered though.

"Ah, you do that. Then it will be you and me in this parking lot, working things out. Or maybe I will be the one to hold you down whilst Miss Gilbert shoves that baton up your ass. You cool with that?" Alaric asks, Diana smirks a little.

"You just marked yourself."

"Okay" Alaric offers not at all threatened. Richard looks back at Tyler who starts walking away. Richard looks at Diana, the two of them sharing a look.

"I'll be sure to tell him what you've just done" Richard warns her.

"Go right ahead" she counters. Richard glares at her before he follows after Tyler. Jeremy is trying to contain a smile. Alaric looks over at him as Diana slides her baton into her bag.

"You all right?" Alaric asks Jeremy who nods, still suppressing a smirk. He glances at Diana.

"I'm going to go back inside," Jeremy tells Diana. "You coming"

"I'll be right there" she assures him, Jeremy walks away from them and heads back inside. Diana turns to Alaric who raises an eyebrow at her. "Thank you," Diana tells Alaric. "You didn't have to step in to defend Jeremy"

"It wasn't Jeremy I was defending" he whispers his admittance of that. She meets his eyes and sees the sentiment there.

"Still" she continues softer. "That was amazing"

"So...What are you doing with an electrified baton in your school bag?" he asks her, she scuffs her boot on the ground.

"Dangerous town" She answers with a smirk and a shrug.

"Would you have done it?" he whispers with a small smirk.

"Oh, yeah" She assures him. "I would have shoved it right up there" he laughs and tucks his hands in his pockets. Alaric watches her as she lets out a breath. He sobers a little, thinking about what Richard said to her.

"Who was he talking about?" Alaric asks, she sighs.

"Derek" She answers. "His oldest son....we're kind of...friends" He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Friends?" he asks her, sensing that there is more to it, she looks down and cringes slightly knowing that she has to tell him now.

"He's....my boyfriend" She admits quietly.

"You have a boyfriend" he states surprised. "Did you have a boyfriend when....?" he stops himself from finishing that sentence.

"Yeah" She whispers. "But.."

"No buts, Diana, you have a boyfriend" He scolds her. "That's it, there is no nothing else...." he motions between the two of them. "I can't believe I did this" he shakes his head and starts to walk away.

"Wait" she stops him, grabs his arm. "Alaric" she pleads, he looks down at her. "The night we met" She starts. "I was at Whitmore to see him..." he lets out a breath and steps back from her. "But he was late, and when I called him, he'd totally forgotten about...."

"So you were in that bar looking for any guy?" Alaric asks her.

"No" She assures him. "It wasn't like that..."

"Then what was it?" he snaps a little, she lets out a breath.

"I just wanted a drink" She answers. "And then you were there.....and you were talking to me, and I actually felt like you were listening." she looks up at him, her eyes damp with tears because this is actually hurting her. "And there was this connection, you know there was..." he nods slightly, because there was, he's never felt the way he did that night. But that doesn't change anything.

"I can't do this" he admits, she lets out a breath and a few tears roll down her cheek. He hates seeing her upset, but she lied to him, used him, and this is way too much drama. He can't get involved with someone already involved, it's already too hard. He wants to stay, to fix this, but he can't, it was already too risky, too hard, but now. She's with someone else. He backs up from her and then walks back into the school building. When the door shuts, Diana looks down and lets her tears fall.