Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Five

It's now night time. In the living area, Elena and Shane sit across from each other, while Damon stands next to the couch Elena is sitting on with Diana. Shane unwraps an old rock from a cloth.

"It's a rock." Damon points out.

"It's not just any rock." Shane counters, Diana rolls her eyes.

"Hm, so is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit?" Damon asks as he shares a look with Diana, she gives him a look back. Damon walks over to the bar behind the couch and grabs a bottle of alcohol.

"Right, long story short: Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl, who wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell and then Silas' best friend witch got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal," Shane explains, Diana scoffs a little. "Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell and then before he has the chance to take it, his former friend buries him underground, leaving him and the cure to rot."

"So, it's a cure for immortality?" Elena asks.

"Human blood is the life force of an immortal. No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood. You dig up Silas and you've got your cure." Shane offers. Elena turns to Diana.

"You were right all along" Elena points out, Diana nods.

"Yes, I have been right rather a lot...." Diana counters. "His story is a little wonky but...basics are there." Shane frowns a little and looks up at Diana. "Sorry, Silas told you the version where he's not a cheating a-hole..." Diana offers and then looks to the baby monitor in her hand as Veronica starts to cry. "I have to see to her, that's her 'I pooped and it stinks' cry" Damon smirks a little as Diana walks away.

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

The Hunter's mark that Jeremy had drawn of Connor's tattoo is lying on the table and Shane is telling Elena and Jeremy what parts of the mark mean. Diana comes down the stairs to join them and Damon who raises an eyebrow at her.

"This is the mark of the Brotherhood of the Five." Shane points to the part of the tattoo on the hand. "And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch. The symbols in the vines are your map, which obviously, you no longer need. When this mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas."

"And where'd you say he was buried? Oh, I forgot, you didn't." Damon points out.

"You and your....friend" Shane looks at Diana. "Threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week." Damon nods.

"Yeah"

"The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods."

"And what's in it for you? If not the cure, then what?" Diana asks him.

"I'm in this for Silas, all right? Up until this point he's only been myth."

"So write a thesis." Damon points out.

"Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's Ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Shane stands up and folds the paper with the Hunter's mark drawing. Damon has his hand out for the drawing and he looks down at Elena as Shane places the drawing into his open hand.

"I'm not buying it," Damon admits.

"You don't have to buy anything" Shane counters and turns to Elena and Diana. "You just have to believe that I can fix your brother. And when his Hunter's mark is complete, I'm gonna take you to the cure." Shane tells them and then walks out of the room.

"So why does he really want it?" Elena asks Diana.

"Silas promised to bring his dead wife and kid back" Diana answers as she looks down at her wedding ring.

"Can he do it?" Elena counters.

"No" Diana offers. "It took Bonnie a hell of a lot of power just to bring Jeremy back...there is no way Silas can just..." Diana shakes her head. "No, he's manipulating Shane using the thing he wants the most" Diana offers.

"You sure he won't remember you prodding in his head?" Damon asks her, she shrugs.

"I've never used my powers to wipe anyone before, not like Eva did, but I think it should work" Damon raises an eyebrow at Diana, she shrugs a little.

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

Later, Elena pulls out a box of holiday decorations from a closet. Damon is sitting on a table. Elena places the box on a table.

"Di, Jer and I should take these decorations home with us. We could use the holiday cheer." Elena admits.

"Look at you, suddenly poly optimist." Damon counters.

"Diana's gonna get us through this. I trust her" Elena admits, Damon looks at her softly and nods. "Should have listened to her more" Elena admits. "About..."

"Everything?" Damon asks, Elena laughs a little and nods.

"She's been right a lot more than she has been wrong" Elena points out. Jeremy and Bonnie suddenly enter the room with Diana. They all look at them.

"Elena." Damon gets up and walks closer to them. Jeremy has a stake in his hand. "It's okay. I think we've got this." Bonnie walks towards Elena.

"Elena, don't move, okay? No matter what." Bonnie warns her. Elena sees the stake in Jeremy's hand and seems nervous.

"Jeremy, remember the detour. Choose the right path." Shane offers from the doorway. Jeremy nods and starts to walk towards Elena. Damon intercepts him, blocking his way. Jeremy looks over at Bonnie who smiles at him. Jeremy looks down at the stake, then holds it up for Damon to take. Damon takes it from him and lets him walk over to Elena. Jeremy stops in front of Elena and wraps his arms around her. Elena wraps her arms back around him and smiles. Bonnie smiles at them as well. Shane looks at them for a moment then takes his phone out of his pocket. Hayley has sent him a text saying 'I'll fix it. You'll get your twelve.' Diana snatches the phone from him. "Hey" Shane warns. Diana glances down at the phone and reads the text.

"Fascinating" She mumbles dryly and walks away.

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

"Caroline, it's Diana" Diana states into her phone as she straps the twins into the jeep. "Listen to me, whatever you do, don't trust that Hayley girl...She's working with Shane....I'm on my way...Oh," She stops a little. "She snapped your neck?" She listens to Caroline as she rants a little. "Find Rebekah's body" Diana interrupts her. "Make sure Hayley doesn't screw this up...She's working with Shane, she's going to kill them all....you have to save Tyler..." She hangs up and sets her phone away again. "Argh!" she complains and clenches her hand around her phone, the screen cracks a little but doesn't break.

"What are you woofing about?" Damon asks from behind her, Diana shoots him a look.

"You, all of you, none of you are capable of looking after yourselves" She argues then turns back to unstrap the twins again. "Constantly calling or dragging me into your crap..." She lifts up Ezra. "Over and over and over and over....never stopping, never considering that I have anything better to do...."

"Okay, you need to stop," Damon tells her. "At least to take a breath" She turns to him. "Are you okay?"

"No" She answers. "No, I'm sure as hell not okay, Damon...why would I be? My husband is dead, my sister is a vampire, my brother is losing his freaking mind and turning into a vampire hunting terminator...I haven't slept in like a month...I don't really have time to eat, or shower, because when I'm not taking care of the twins....I'm taking care of all of you and every time I take five minutes to myself, one of you guys goes and screws up...." Damon raises an eyebrow.

"Finished?" he asks her, she takes a breath and then nods.

"Yes," She answers quietly. He holds out his hands and takes Ezra from her.

"Give me him" He offers. "And her" He motions for Veronica in the car. "And go get something to eat" She looks down as she starts to cry, she nods a little and turns to take Veronica from the car, she hands her over to Damon who nods towards the house.