Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Diana turns on the baby monitor in the twins' nursery before leaving and heading downstairs where Matt is sat on her couch waiting for her. Diana sets the secondary monitor on the dining table before heading towards Matt.

"Sorry about that" She offers.

"No, it's okay" He assures her as he looks at her.

"Alright, so you said you had information about the farm explosion" She states as she moves to sit next to him on the couch, he nods.

"Yeah...." He agrees and takes a breath. "So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about Silas and the hunter's curse" Diana raises an eyebrow at him. "Caroline told me" He admits. She nods a little and motions for him to continue. "So we got the Sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane." He admits, Diana looks at him and raises her eyebrow higher.

"Knew we couldn't trust him" She comments, Matt nods in agreement. "Thanks for this" She offers.

........

"I don't know if you remember this, Caroline" Diana starts as she stretches out on the floor in front of the twins who are getting their tummy time with her. "But I have two babies....and Miss Mystic Falls isn't exactly my priority, not after last year's shit storm of a pageant." She lets out a breath. "Is that all, because you're interrupting tummy time" Diana scolds softly. Alaric smiles watching them from where he sits on the couch. Watching his wife and his children together is all he wanted to see. In the flesh, would have been preferable. "Alright then, have fun..." She then hangs up and turns her attention back to her children. Crowley heads down the stairs to join her.

"Right, I'm going to head off" Crowley admits, Diana looks at him alarmed.

"But...you can't leave, I still need you.....What if I go all dark side?" Diana asks Crowley who pulls on his jacket.

"You won't" He assures her. "You've got it all under control." Diana stands from the floor and gives him a look. "You're fine," He tells her. "If I didn't think you had this, I wouldn't be leaving..." Diana glances at the twins. "You have your family...."

"Not all of them" She whispers sadly and looks at Alaric.

"He is still here" Crowley points out. "Even as a ghost...you still have that" Diana sighs, it's not enough, it will never be enough, for him to be this close and them not being able to have anything more. He'll never hold his children, tuck them into bed, feed them, hug them.....it will never be enough. Diana takes a deep breath. "Your children will keep you sane" Crowley takes her arms in his hands and smiles at her. "You'll be fine" He kisses her head. "Now, I have to go, Aziraphale has got himself in some bother....and as usual...."

"You need to clean it up" Diana whispers and nods. He kisses her forehead before vanishing. Diana lets out a breath.

"Who's Aziraphale?" Alaric asks her.

"His angel boyfriend" Diana answers as she moves to lay back on the floor with the twins. Alaric frowns at her. She sees his look and raises an eyebrow. "Demons are just fallen angels" She reminds him. He lets out a breath and sits on the floor with his family. "Mostly those that sided with Lucifer way back when..." She shrugs.

"I was more curious about the boyfriend bit" He admits, she chuckles a little.

"Things like that don't matter to them," She tells him and looks at the twins.

"Are you okay?" he asks her, she sighs and shakes her head.

"No...and I won't be" She answers. "Not with you gone, Crowley just reminded me that..." She closes her eyes. "You'll never get to hold your own children, Ric...."

"I'd rather have this, then nothing at all" He stops her.

"You wouldn't know any better..." She counters. "Why did you stay?" she asks. "Why didn't you....move on?"

"How could I ever leave you?" he offers, she closes her eyes and fights her tears.

"But you did" She whispers sadly. "You're gone...." She looks at him. "This is never going to be enough, Ric"

.........

Later; Diana sits with her back against the couch as she watches tv, she's lost all will to do anything today. She just wants to sit and do nothing. She glares at her cell phone as it rings before picking it up from the table.

"Stefan...Thought Caroline would have dragged you into the whole pageant thing" She admits. "She already tried to get me, she must be desperate for numbers"

"Elena and I broke up. By definition, I don't need to be anywhere." Stefan counters, Diana raises an eyebrow.

"When did that happen?" She asks.

"Last night....." He answers. "She said she has feelings for Damon."

"What?!" Diana asks, loudly, which causes Alaric to look over at her from the armchair. "She can't have feelings for Damon!" Alaric pulls a face. "He's...Damon. And you're...you. And I'm – revolted, I'm going to be sick. You know what, I'm gonna talk to her. I'm going to shake some sense into her clearly diseased brain." Diana counters.

"Yeah, well I don't know what good that'll do. Elena's right, being a vampire really has changed her."

"All the more reason to cure her" Diana points out. Stefan hums in agreement. "Today is my day off from vampire problems, I'm spending it with my children, so try and keep everyone alive until tomorrow" She then hangs up and throws her phone on to the table.