Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Seventeen

Derek sits on the couch in Diana's apartment next to Diana who is reading from a book. He cradles Veronica in his arms as she sleeps. He's rather attached to the children, he supposes this is a good thing considering he is their godfather. Diana has been taking the times when the twins sleep to read through the Aramaic book, attempting to translate it, though it's been a while since she had to read Aramaic. She's hoping that there is something in this book that will help lead her to the cure.

"So you...took the demon back?" Derek asks her, she hums and nods.

"But you're eating" He points out. "You didn't need to eat before...."

"Crowley tweaked it a little" She admits around her apple bite. Derek hums a little and still continues to stare at her. She sighs. "What?"

"I don't see you for two weeks and when I do, it's so you can tell me you're demon spawn again?" he asks her.

"Basically...yes," She answers and looks down at her book again. "Well....no" She corrects and looks up. "I need your help..." Derek gives her a look.

"Babysitting?" He asks her.

"No, no, Crowley has that covered..." She assures him and closes her book. "I need you to search the boarding house for the white oak stake" Derek frowns at her.

"The white oak..."

"Hmmm the one that Esther made for Ric," She finishes for him. "Damon is taking Elena to college to teach her how to feed properly, and I have a way of getting Stefan out of the house...so you.." she points at him and then motions with her fingers. "Sneak in and root around...."

"Why do you need the stake?"

"Because...I do" She admits. He gives her a look. "Look, if I tell you, you'll just yell at me and I'm not in the mood today, so please, just do this for me because I am asking you nicely"

"Okay," Derek offers. "But can we go out for breakfast because you have nothing in" Diana smiles at him and nods. "And we go shopping later...."

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

Klaus opens the doors to a room in his mansion, in the room, Connor is chained up to a piece of wood. Klaus walks in and stands next to his hostage.

"Looks like I'll have to beef up the hybrid security detail." Klaus points out, Stefan walks out of the shadows.

"I was gonna take him, but I figured you went through such trouble to truss him up in your red room of pain." Stefan counters.

"It's from the Inquisition. I thought it was a nice touch."

"What'd you get out of him?"

"Not enough. He's mum about the Council fire and he's not saying anything about this greater evil we're all supposed to be shivering over. What brings you snooping?"

"Well, I can't say it in front of him. As I'm sure you've figured out, our friend here can't be compelled." Stefan admits, Klaus looks at Connor.

"You're full of mysteries, aren't you?"

"I told you, I don't know anything." Connor answers.

"Thankfully, I know someone who knows plenty" Klaus walks out of the room and gestures for Stefan to come with him. "Shall we?" Stefan stares at Connor for a few more seconds and follows Klaus out. Klaus shuts the doors to Connor's prison room and turns to Stefan.

"So, what's with the home invasion?" Diana teases as she walks into the room, Klaus smirks at her.

"Diana?" Stefan asks her. "What are you doing here?"

"We're working together" Klaus answers, Stefan raises an eyebrow at Diana.

"You're working with Klaus?" Stefan asks her. She nods.

"I am" She agrees. "It's...." She blows a raspberry. "The Five" She offers in explanation.

"I should have figured out that you were up to something when you gave me that blood to heal Elena from the werewolf poison" Stefan mumbles to Diana who hums a little. "You haven't changed at all"

"Yes, I have" She counters and holds up her book. "I led you here" She points out. "Now it's story time..."

"You did not lead...." Stefan stops and sighs. "You told Damon that Connor was still alive, and he figured out that Klaus saved him from the explosion, which led him to believe that Klaus was holding him...Damon is out of town meaning....he asked me" Stefan looks at Diana who nods.

"She really is much more manipulative than I gave her credit for" Klaus points out.

"So who is this guy? What's the Five?" Stefan asks them. Klaus and Diana share a look.

"So many questions." Klaus teases.

"It's a good thing I have nothing to do today, except get answers out of the two of you." Stefan sits down and looks at Klaus and Diana.

"Fine. You might actually be useful in persuading my sister to cooperate." Klaus walks away from the door and into the room. "The brotherhood of the Five was a group of highly skilled vampire hunters. We crossed paths with them in the 12th century Italy" Klaus begins. "My siblings and I had followed the Normans as they conquered the South. Feeding, turning people as we went. "But with the bloodshed came exposure."

"So these hunters have been around for nine hundred years?" Stefan asks.

"Apparently. Though our friend in the other room is the first I've seen since then." Klaus looks at Diana.

"Same" She admits. "I thought they were just stories....heard rumors that other huntresses had crossed one but...." She shrugs.

"Kind of makes you wonder what they've been up to all these years," Klaus adds.

"And Rebekah had a thing with one of them?" Stefan asks.

"Oh, she didn't just have a thing. She fell in love with him. He told her all his secrets. Which I will gladly share with you provided you do one thing for me." Klaus answers.

"And what's that?"

"Get Rebekah over here. She's being stubborn and hateful. I need to make peace with her" Klaus gets up. "I want her to give me some very important information about the hunter which she won't do, unless she believes we've made up." Stefan gets up to join him.

"And what's in it for me?"

"Just get her here and I'll tell you. Oh, and Stefan, trust me when I say this; that hunter in there holds the answer to all your prayers." Klaus admits. Diana clenches her jaw, she hears the implication to that statement. She was trying to keep the cure to herself, but now she knows that Klaus already knows about it. Klaus then leaves the room. Stefan notes Diana's expression.

"What?" he asks her, she glares at him.

"Nothing" She answers and clutches to the book in her hand. She needs to rethink.