Book One: Panacea (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-One

At the Gilbert house, in the kitchen, Elena is combing through Diana's boxes of old family memorabilia. Stefan sits at the breakfast bar, watching her, watching what she finds. Her entire family backstory is in these boxes.

"Do you think Damon really believes us? That we're both trying to help him?" Elena asks him, Stefan lets out a breath and shrugs slightly.

"I don't think Damon knows what to believe. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him."

"You know...I really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love. It's twisted, but kind of sad." Elena admits softly.

"There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has no regard for human life. He enjoys inflicting pain on others. For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again." Stefan explains to her.

"So what do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets Katherine back?"

"I think that no matter what Damon promises, a lot of people will die." Elena exhales loudly and picks up a photo from the box. Stefan gets up and stands behind Elena, examining the photo. "That's Johnathan Gilbert" Elena looks down into the box, puzzled.

"What's this?" Elena opens up a wooden box. What appears to be a muzzle is contained within it. Stefan looks as if he recognizes the device, but doesn't explain as Diana enters the room shortly after and glances to what they're doing, notices that it's from her bedroom.

"Do you go through my room?" Diana asks, Elena looks up, caught up. "Are you serious?" Diana snatches the box from Elena and gives her a look.

"You weren't...here to ask, Di" Elena defends.

"And that makes it okay?" Diana counters. "I don't go through your stuff, prying into your things..." Diana lets out a sigh and shares a look with Stefan who shrugs a little. Diana looks back at her sister. "It's bad enough you've invited vampires into this house," Diana tells her, Elena's eyes widen. "I don't want them in my bedroom"

"You know" Elena points out, Diana nods.

"Yeah, I know..." Diana agrees. "I've been waiting for you to tell me since I found out you knew. We shared everything, Elena....what happened?"

"You went away!" Elena reminds her. "You left....you were my best friend, Diana, and then you were gone, and no one would talk to me about it, no one would tell me why you had to go, they just shared these looks......" Diana looks at her sadly. "And when you came back...you were different" Elena adds.

"Our parents had died, Elena" Diana points out. "I wasn't going to just be the same after that, you and Jeremy weren't...."

"It was more than that and you know it" Elena argues. Diana nods a little and sighs. She touches the counter and draws her fingers over the top. She has to take the first step here. She has to tell Elena the truth.

"Do you want me to leave?" Stefan asks Diana who shakes her head. She is a little grateful that he asked her that, she still hates him but it was still a nice thing to do. She lifts her head and looks at Elena.

"I was sent to a specialist school" Diana admits, Elena frowns. "A school that trains....hunters"

"Hunters?" Elena asks. "Like Bambi?"

"No" Diana shakes her head. "A school that trains kids to kill vampires" Diana elaborates, Stefan raises an eyebrow. "That's what I was doing..."

"You..." Elena struggles to think of something to say to that.

"I was supposed to be there until I turned 21." Diana continues. "I would still be there if mom and dad hadn't died. But I knew you needed me more than I wanted to train" Elena looks down sadly. "I came home....and then vampires started turning up in the town...so..." Diana shrugs slightly.

"Did you kill Logan?" Stefan asks her.

"No" Diana answers. "But I know who did" She glances at him. "Can I have that space now"? Diana asks Stefan who nods and leaves the two sisters alone. "Elena" Diana starts. "I don't like who you are around him" Diana closes the box as she nods towards the door implying Stefan. "Keeping secrets. Lying to your family. Stealing."

"It's not stealing" Elena argues. "This is Dad's stuff"

"You went into my room, Elena," Diana tells her. "Through my stuff...I have weapons up there, you could have hurt yourself" Elena looks down, understands now why Diana has been secretive about her bedroom and not allowing people in it when she's not around.

"I'm sorry" Elena whispers, Diana nods and takes a deep breath to calm down.

"What are you even looking for?" Diana asks her.

"Dad had this old family journal from years ago," Elena answers looking back at her sister, Diana sighs and shakes her head. She already has a feeling she knows which journal. The journal everyone is wanting to get their hands on.

"Johnathan Gilbert's journal?" Diana asks her, Elena seems surprised but nods.

"Yeah, where is it?" Elena asks her.

"I gave it to Alar..." She stops and swallows a little. "To Mr. Saltzman." She answers with a shrug. "He wanted to see it." Elena stares at her.

...............

Alaric is sitting in a dark classroom at his desk, poring over the contents of the Gilbert journal. Only a single lamp lights the pages as he reads from it.