Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty

On the Lockwood estate, Stefan is walking behind Damon, who has Bonnie's arm in his grasp as they move away from the volunteers and helpers.

"Okay. This is as far as I go." Bonnie scolds and stops, Damon lets go of her and moves to stand in front of her.

"Okay."

"What do you want?" Bonnie asks him.

"A favor." Damon answers.

"Like that's gonna happen." Bonnie counters.

"So predictable." Damon looks at Stefan. "That's why I brought him." Damon points out.

"I know how you feel about helping us out, but since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them so, just hear us out."

"Pretty please." Damon adds.

"I'm listening." Bonnie tells them as Stefan's phone starts to ring.

"I have to fill Elena in on what's going on." He looks at Damon. "Can you play nice, please?"

"I guess." Damon mumbles with a shrug.

Stefan walks aside and answers his phone.

"Hey, what are you doing? You shouldn't be calling me." Stefan scolds.

"I know, but I have no idea what's happening." Elena counters. "Damon's got Jeremy into something and you've got Bonnie with you, Alaric's dealing with Diana, and I'm sorting stupid masquerade masks for Mrs Lockwood."

"Alright, it's okay. Hold on." Stefan walks away to talk on the phone and leaves Damon alone with Bonnie.

"All you have to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone." Damon explains.

"My visions don't work like that. I don't get to ask questions."

"How inconvenient."

"I can do it" They spin to find Diana and Alaric behind them. Diana raises her hand and waves. "Telepath..." She reminds them.

"Nope" Damon scolds. "I don't trust you right now" Diana raises an eyebrow at him. "You've gone banana balls crazy...." Diana rolls her eyes.

"Kill a few people and suddenly you're banana balls" Diana states.

"When you aren't the killing type.....yeah" Damon points out.

"Christo" Bonnie suddenly states, Diana flinches, hard, her eyes flashing black.

"What the hell?!" She growls at Bonnie and then lunges forward, Damon catches her and stops her from attacking Bonnie who stumbles back from them.

"What was that?" Damon asks Bonnie as he holds Diana back.

"A hunch" She answers as she stares at Diana. "I don't think Diana has been completely honest about what that thing inside of her is" Diana smirks darkly at her.

"One problem at a time" Damon tells them both. "Bonnie, you're not comfortable getting involved...fine. The Watchdog can do it and to be honest, right now, I think she'd enjoy it more than you" Diana nods in agreement. "We'll deal with Mason and then deal with..." Damon motions to Diana as he pushes her back from Bonnie. "All of this..." He nods to Alaric who takes Diana's arm, she glances to the hold and then at Alaric.

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

Mason walks down the front steps and towards his jeep. He stops when he sees that Diana is leaning against his jeep, she waves at him with her fingers.