Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Stefan re-enters the parlor room where Bonnie, Diana, Derek, Artemis, Jeremy, and Damon wait for him. He has a picture of Katherine in his hands.

"This belonged to Katherine. Found it with her things after I thought she was dead, but it was hers." Stefan holds out the portrait of Katherine and Artemis who takes it. Artemis motions for Bonnie as she throws the photo into a bowl.

"In the water," Artemis tells her, Bonnie dips her fingers in a glass of water and lets the water droplets drip from her fingertips into the bowl. "Good, that's good" Artemis praises as flames sprout from the bowl. "Now, just as I told you" Artemis pushes. Bonnie shuts her eyes and begins to chant a spell in Latin.

"What will this do?" Derek asks, Bonnie opens her eyes, watching the picture burn.

"It will turn the metal into ash." Artemis answers. "Blow the ashes on her, and it'll incapacitate her for a minute or two. Long enough for you to get in, get the moonstone, and get out." Suddenly, Bonnie's nose starts to bleed. Bonnie raises her hand to her nose and wipes it away, she shares a look with Artemis who touches her arm and curls her fingers around to keep Bonnie upright. They share a look.

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

Bonnie pours the ashes from the bowl onto an end table. Stefan and Damon re-enter the room with supplies for the excursion.

"Still gotta get the torches." Stefan counters.

"I got Dirty Diana's wooden bullets and her gun from her jeep" Damon answers. "Bonnie?"

"Go ahead. I'm almost done." Stefan leaves the room. Damon packs a few more things in a bag and follows Stefan out of the room. Jeremy waits until they are unable to hear him before he speaks to Bonnie.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh!"

"Hey, you're not strong enough." Bonnie places a finger to Jeremy's lips to quiet him. When he doesn't try to talk, she lowers her finger.

"I'll be fine."

"You could get hurt." Jeremy counters.

"And Elena could die. I'll be fine. Promise. I promise."

"Here, I got this okay? Go get me, um, go get me something to put this in. All right?" Bonnie and Jeremy smile at each other and Bonnie leaves to get a holding container for the ashes. Jeremy glances over his shoulder before pulling out his wallet and taking out a card. Jeremy uses the card to carefully scrap a handful of ashes into his wallet without Bonnie noticing.

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

Artemis holds out a pouch of herbs to Bonnie who frowns at them.

"Make tea," Artemis tells her. "It'll keep your strength up" Bonnie takes the pouch. "It's nothing hallucinogenic, but it will help" Artemis then walks away, Bonnie looks at the pouch.

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

Diana stands at the window as the sun sets and the sky turns dark. She's been stuck inside all day, yet again. Mostly alone. Derek's been in and out whilst running errands for Artemis. Artemis has been preparing her tea and everyone else has been at school. Derek drops into the armchair behind her, she hums a little and looks at him.

"Don't freak out" Derek starts, Diana cocks her head.

"Why would I freak out?" she asks him, he takes a breath.

"Urm...Jeremy went off plan" She frowns at him. "Attacked by Katherine" Her eyes harden. "Saved by Stefan" he assures her. "Elena actually ran off with Rose...contacted Klaus and got Elijah"

"Dead Original Elijah?" she asks, he nods.

"Saved by Damon" Derek answers. "Urm....what else? oh...Stefan is trapped in the tomb with.....Katherine"

"By Hera!" Diana shouts and then glares at Artemis across the room. "If I wasn't stuck in here, none of this would have happened!"

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

Derek sits on the steps out the front of the house listening to Diana yelling at Artemis inside. He had to get out before it exploded. Alaric's car pulls up the drive and stops before he climbs out of his car and approaches Derek.

"Yeah, I wouldn't go in," Derek tells Alaric who frowns. "It's been a bad day...go team-wise"

"What happened?"

"A lot of stuff...Di's pretty pissed actually" there is a crash from inside and Alaric raises an eyebrow. "Not at us though, at Artemis for keeping her locked up.....I got out before something hit me" Alaric turns and sits next to Derek. "I don't know how they do it" Derek whispers. "Any of it"

"Yeah" Alaric agrees. He doesn't either. All the crap that gets thrown at them and yet they still keep going. He's exhausted all the time, and he only gets through all of it with Diana at his side, knowing she's got his back, usually, helps him get through it all. "How's college?" Alaric asks him. "You were studying architecture, right?"

"Yeah, I was" Derek answers. "Not anymore" Alaric frowns. "I couldn't go back. 6 months worth of classes jumbled in my head, friendships that I couldn't relate to..." Derek shakes his head. "I couldn't do it"

"So what are you going to do now?"

"No freaking idea" Derek admits. "All I ever wanted to do was become an architect." They share a look, Derek shrugs and shakes his head. "Shit happens"

"Diana says that" Alaric points out, Derek nods, they share a smile. 

"Yeah..." He agrees. "She's not wrong though....she's going to be okay, right?" Derek asks. "This is going to work?"

"It has to" Alaric answers, his fingers playing with something in his pocket. "I can't lose her" he pulls a small box from his pocket and looks down at it. "That's why I got this" He opens the box and shows it to Derek who glances down and frowns. Inside that little box, is an engagement ring. Small but beautiful and totally Diana.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" Derek teases.

"No" Alaric argues. "Not you...."

"Oh my god!" Derek shouts, Alaric shoots him a look to be quiet. "Oh my god" Derek whispers alarmingly. "Four months" Derek points out. "You've only known one another four months...."

"I know, but...." Alaric argues. "She's it for me...I know that" Derek smiles at Alaric. "I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life"

"This isn't your...dead not dead wife's ring, right?" Derek asks.

"No" Alaric assures him. "I got a new one....and I know it's not the biggest rock but...I'm a high school teacher" Derek nods a little.

"When are you going to ask her?"

"After we fix this..." Alaric answers and closes the box. "When this is over and she's....my Diana again, I want her to know that I'm with her, that I've got her back, no matter what...for the rest of our lives, however long that may be"