Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Diana stares down at Jeremy who is laying dead on the couch, she cocks her head a little, and lets out a breath before she looks to Veronica in her arms, the little girl watching her back. Diana smiles softly at her.

"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" Elena begs as she paces the floor.

"Thanks for not ditching the family ring after it drove Ric crazy?" Damon asks, Diana and Elena shoots a glare at him. Damon looks at Diana. "Too soon?" she gives him a look.

"Yeah, I would say so" She answers and goes back to watching Veronica. Damon watches the two of them together. Diana is proving to be the mother Alaric knew she would be, it just sucks that he's not there to help her with them. Diana takes a breath and looks at Elena. "Alright, so now we wait" Diana tells Elena who nods in agreement. Diana moves to the pram where Ezra is sleeping so she can set Veronica into her space next to her brother.

"They okay?" Elena asks her, Diana hums as she leans back from the babies.

"Yeah" Diana answers. Elena raises an eyebrow at her. "There may have been a projectile..." Diana motions with her hand. "Vomit issue during the night, but they're fine, I just want to keep them close today, just in case....I mean, I don't think they can get sick, I never did, but they're more human than I was...."

"Both of them?" Damon asks, Diana shoots him a look.

"One after another, for two hours" She answers. "Every time I cleaned one up, the other would start, almost like they were setting each other off...I may have thrown up too" She admits as Stefan walks in the house. Elena, Diana, and Damon look at him.

"Hey." He greets and then walks over to Elena. "What happened? Why did you call me?"

"I just - I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands." Elena walks upstairs just as Jeremy comes back to life with a dramatic gasp.

"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Diana asks him.

"What happened?" Jeremy counters.

"Long story, buy the e-book." Damon answers. Jeremy looks to Diana for answers, her eyes are on the tattoo on his hand.

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

Later, Damon is downstairs, cleaning up blood as Diana paces the floor slightly, Stefan enters the room, joining them again.

"Where did Jeremy go?" Diana asks.

"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit." Stefan answers.

"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jammed a knife in his neck." Damon adds. Diana pulls her cell phone out of her pocket as it ring.

"It's Klaus." She admits.

"Oooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil."

"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you, all of you, about the cure, he'll kill us all" Diana points out.

"I told you not to say anything" Stefan defends, Diana shoots him a look.

"Do you want me to sit on you?" She asks him. "Because I will do it" Stefan smirks a little.

"Quit avoiding him, that means shady." Damon tells Diana. "Shady people get outed." Diana takes a breath and answers the phone.

"I don't want to talk about it." She tells Klaus.

"Well, I can't imagine why, what with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future." Klaus counters.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." Diana mumbles. Stefan looks at Damon. Damon nods a little.

"Well, life's full of ifs, Diana. But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of five; we'll find another. It may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?"

"You're using your calm voice today." Diana points out. "Who's getting killed?"

"Not you, if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about your beloved sister. Have the hallucinations started yet?" Diana clenches her jaw at that question. "I take your silence as notification that you already knew about the hunters curse" Stefan and Damon look at Diana.

"Yeah, I knew" She admits. "What do you know about that?"

"I'll tell you. Where are you?"

"I'm at her house." Diana answers.

"How convenient, so am I." Klaus knocks on the door. Diana hangs up her phone. She looks at Damon and then motions to the twins, he nods back at her. Diana opens the front door and she and Stefan walk outside, past Klaus. Klaus follows them. "You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside."

"It's bad enough we're out here talking to you. What do you know?" Diana asks as she folds her arms over her chest.

"I killed the original five hunters, remember? When one kills a hunter, there's a bit of a consequence."

"Yeah..." She whispers.

"What consequence?" Stefan asks. Klaus and Diana share a look.

"You or me, Luv?" Klaus asks her, she sighs and turns to Stefan.

"Because the hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires; if you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him." She explains for Stefan.

"What do you mean? Connor's dead." He points out.

"I mean, Connor's death won't prevent him from making Elena his final vampire kill." Diana admits.

"She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up, keep her away from any sharp wooden objects." Klaus adds.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Stefan warns.

"Well, if we leave her alone, she'll take her own life before the day is out." Klaus admits.

"She's stronger than that." Stefan argues.

"No, she's not" Diana counters, Stefan shoots her a look. "I'm going to be sick but.....he's right" Klaus smirks a little. "She needs to be locked down for her own good" They hear the front door open and Elena runs onto the porch and stops. Klaus superspeeds towards her, grabs her, and leaves. Damon walks out onto the porch and sees Stefan and Diana standing in the middle of the yard by themselves.

"Elena!" Damon yells following Elena out of the house. Damon looks at Stefan. Stefan looks around, worried. Diana shrugs a little and heads back inside to see to her twins.

..........

Diana smiles down at the twins as Damon and Stefan make their way back into the house.

"What was that?" Stefan asks Diana who leans up from the pram and turns to them.

"She's safe with him" Diana admits. Damon and Stefan both look at her weirdly, and to be fair, after what Klaus did to her, she is surprised herself, but at this moment in time, Klaus is right.

"That doesn't make me feel better" Damon argues and moves to Diana, he takes her face in his hands and searches her eyes, she frowns at him. "Are you feeling alright? Fever? Talking jibberish?"

"Damon" Stefan warns knowing that this is not the best way to keep Diana on side.

"Let her go" Alaric states behind her, but only Diana hears him. She closes her eyes, almost as if she can feel him at her back.

"I'm fine" Diana tells Damon. "Look, I get it, Klaus hurt me, he hurt Ric, but right now, he is her best hope, and if I have to nod along and smile to keep Elena alive, then fine, I'll do it."