Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirteen

Connor is in his trailer, where he's using a beaker and a bunsen burner to distill the werewolf venom he was given by Diana. He slices an apple with his hunting knife and starts to eat it while he fiddles with the distillation set-up. He then sits down at his little table, which is covered in newspaper clippings and other files, and picks up one of the newspaper articles that mention the earthquake at the Town Council memorial. Laying next to him on the table is the letter Pastor Young left for April, on top of a note Connor wrote that says "Tyler Lockwood, Vampire + Werewolf." He sets the article down and picks up three files, one labeled 'Diana Saltzman', one labeled 'Jeremy Gilbert' and one labeled 'Elena Gilbert' before starting to read the file on Jeremy first.

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

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Damon opens the front door of the house. Stefan is outside, fixing up a motorcycle.

"Good day for a midlife crisis. 164 years, I'd say you're due." Damon comments, Stefan sits on the motorcycle.

"Elena's transition to a vampire has been a little depressing. I'm gonna help her have some fun." Stefan admits.

"Oh. Those who can't do, teach." Damon mumbles sarcastically then walks out onto the porch.

"Ah, I see we're still fighting" Stefan counters with an eye roll. "Got it. Where you going?"

"Watchdog called" Damon answers. "She wants to talk so...."

"Progress" Stefan offers, Damon nods. Stefan stands up. "I'll go with you"

"I don't want your help with this" Damon counters. "I just want to fix whatever is going on with her, kill the hunter guy, and get the hell out of town. Wasn't that the deal? Whoever Elena doesn't choose leaves?"

"That was before she turned." Stefan answers.

"And I stayed to help. If I take you punching me as the first clue, I'm not wanted here anymore."

"Listen, you blood-shared with my girlfriend, and I punched you in the face. You deserved it. Why don't you stop being dramatic?"

"No, brother, dramatic would be leaving before I kill this hunter." Damon leaves. Stefan sighs in frustration.

..........

Damon glances at Diana as she moves from the front door of her apartment towards the kitchen, he frowns a little and follows her. He's still not sure why he is here, or why she called him, but she is still his friend and he's going to hear her out.

"You're looking...better," Damon tells her, she hums a little as she grabs two glasses from the cabinet.

"It's amazing what two weeks away from you and your squad of freaks can do" Diana comments as Damon sits at the table. Diana grabs a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and moves to join him.

"So why did you call?" he asks her.

"It's recently been pointed out to me that if I were to kill you all then I would have no one when I leave this..." She motions to herself and shrugs. "Funk" She settles on. Damon nods a little. "How's Elena?"

"Do you care?" he asks her. She frowns and thinks about it.

"A little bit" She admits and shrugs.

"She's fine" Damon assures her. "Is someone else here?" Damon asks as he glances around hearing footsteps on the floor above.

"Yeah" Diana answers. "I have some help with the twins..." She admits and sits with him. She pours them both a drink.

"How are they?"

"Good," She tells him with a nod.

"Guessing you didn't call me over to chit chat" Damon points out, she shakes her head.

"No" She agrees and taps her nails on the side of her glass. "The vampire hunter..." he hums a little. "He has werewolf venom" Damon lowers his glass and looks at her.

"And how did he get that?"

"I gave it to him" She answers. "But it's part of a plan" She adds before he can scold her. "He trusts me...and Ric said that I could use that..."

"Ric said?" he asks her. She groans and hangs her head.

"Yeah" She answers. "I've been seeing him....around...." She rolls her eyes, she knows she slipped up and now has to come up with an excuse as to why her dead husband is currently talking to her. "I know he's not here," She tells him. "But that he's probably a figment of my morality....my impulse control" Damon snorts and nods. "He's made some very interesting points....and I am dealing with my emotions more productively." Damon raises an eyebrow at her.

"Drinking and sex?" he asks her. "That's how I do it"

"You do it with murder" She counters with a look, Damon chuckles and nods, he can't fault her on that. "No, with writing....I've been writing a lot...and the babies help...I'm feeling better, not great, I don't think I will for a long time, but better...."

"Alright, good, so this hunter...you said you have a plan"

"Yes, he trusts me, if I can figure out what he's doing, predict his movements then...I can help" She looks at Damon. "You..." He smiles at her. "All of you" She adds. "Make up for being a raging bitch" Damon snorts a little and nods.

"And the venom?" he counters.

"I am actually going to talk to Klaus" Damon snaps his head to her. "He is the only one with a cure for the venom, and if the hunter was to....infect any of you, it would be best to have him on side....just in case"

"And just how are you going to get Klaus on side?" he asks her.

"Information" She answers. "I know something he doesn't, something he is going to want to know"

"I am assuming you don't have Klaus' phone number and you're not just going to call him to get him back in town"

"Actually...he's already back in town" She answers, he frowns at her. "After what happened, I keep my mind on auto-detect...Klaus passed through the town boundary, I felt him"

"Watchdog" he starts.

"You think I want to be anywhere near him? After everything he and his family did?" Damon sighs. "No" She answers for him. "But we need his blood...." she stands from her seat. "And he needs my mind. Connor already went after Tyler, how do you think Klaus is going to feel about someone threatening his hybrid?" She asks as she moves to get her jacket. "This will be easy...."