Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jeremy opens Bonnie's car door for her. They look at each other with a smile as she gets ready to leave.

"Thank you." He tells her. Bonnie hugs Jeremy. Jeremy embraces her back and closes her eyes as he holds her. Elena and Damon exit the house together. Jeremy and Bonnie pull apart and Jeremy smiles at her. Bonnie gets in the car and Jeremy closes the door for her. Jeremy walks back towards the house and waves goodbye to Elena. Elena smiles at him and turns to look at Damon as Jeremy walks in the house.

"I was ready to fight you on this, but suddenly every part of my body is telling me that I need to get in this car and leave you," Elena admits to Damon.

"So do it." Elena looks up at him for a moment then gently kisses Damon's lips. Damon opens the passenger side door for her and Elena gets in. Diana watches this all from her jeep, appearing rather melancholic. She looks into the jeep at the twins waiting for her. Damon watches Elena drive away before approaching Diana. "What about you, Watchdog?" He asks her.

"I'm going to go home," Diana tells Damon. "Derek is going to have the twins tonight, I am going to have a bath and a really, really long nap" She offers. Damon nods a little. "Thanks for letting me rant" She offers.

"We're friends, so...." he assures her. "And after Ric...." He shrugs a little.

"Well, this is all really touching but...I would like to go home and soak away the crap from today" She offers, he smiles and nods. "Goodbye, Damon," she tells him, he frowns a little as she climbs into her jeep and starts the engine.

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

Derek closes Diana's apartment door behind him as he enters, she's standing in the centre of the room on her phone. He cocks his head.

"Thank you" Diana states into the phone and then hangs up. Derek raises an eyebrow at her, notes the packed bags, the twins in their pram ready to go.

"What's going on?" Derek asks Diana who lets out a breath before turning to him.

"I'm....going back to Greece" She admits.

"What?" he counters.

"I can't do this any more, Derek....." She tells him. "I just can't be around these people....every time I think I am catching a damn break....one of them calls.....help me with this, Diana, please do this, do that...I just...can't..." He moves to her and pulls her into a tight hug, she slumps against him and closes her eyes, her arms wrapping around him.

"Then go" he whispers in her ear. "If that's what you need, then go...." She pulls back from him, he nods and brushes the tears from her cheek. "Do you have to go now?" He asks her as he takes her hand, she shakes her head.

"My flight leaves in the morning..." She answers. "But I was going to stay at a motel closer to the airport" She admits.

"Alright, well instead of that....You and me are going to eat crappy food and watch a movie, for old time's sake" She gives him a sad smile and nods. "Okay, then I am going to run home and pick up that really bad comedy you like...." he gives her a smile and pulls away before leaving the apartment. Diana closes her eyes a little and takes a deep breath.

.........

Diana has set the twins in their baskets and shrugged out of her jacket to wait for Derek. She knows she has made the right choice here, she needs to think of herself and the twins, and Greece will be a great place to raise them, culture, good food, good people, lots and lots of sunshine meaning not a lot of vampires. Athena and Artemis and others like Diana. Derek bounces over to the couch when he returns and drops down next to her. He holds out a small box to her, Diana frowns and looks up from it to him.

"Merry Christmas" He offers, she swallows a little and takes the box from him.

"It's not Christmas yet" She points out.

"You're leaving" He offers. "So...not going to be here for actual Christmas" His voice breaks a little at the thought of her going away, of him never seeing his best friend ever again.

"I have to go" She whispers. "They are going to get me killed" She looks up at Derek, he nods a little.

"At least tell Elena and Jeremy that you are going" Derek scolds her.

"No" She argues and shakes her head.

"Why not? They're your family...."

"Because they are the ones that have the power to talk me out of going" She stops him. "And I can't stay here any more..." She brushes her hands over her cheeks. "Greece is what is best for the twins. It is what is best for me...to be away from all of this crap....and pain and...." she swallows a little.

"Ric" Derek offers. "He's everywhere here" She nods. "I'm not going to try and stop you, Di" He assures her. "I know better than anyone how stubborn you are, and if you are going to do this, then you are going to do this...." He gives her a smile and then sets at DVD in her lap. "Chinese or Italian?" he asks as he stands and heads towards her kitchen. "And open your gift" He points out. Diana looks down at the gift box and then opens the lid to reveal a new necklace, no crystal but a tri-link charm hanging from the end. She smiles sadly at it as she pulls it through her fingers.