Book One: Panacea (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Five

A/N - TBH NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS CHAPTER AND THE EVENTS IN IT. BUT I NEEDED TO FILL THE TIME BETWEEN THE END OF THE LAST EPISODE AND THE START OF THE NEXT (it's about 2 weeks), SO I ADDED A BIT MORE OF X. 

Alaric sits at his laptop as he works, fingers moving over the keyboard. Having Diana in his home was actually really distracting and he couldn't get anything done. Now he has a moment he will get as much as he can do before she's back in his head and he can't think straight. It's ridiculous, the effect this one girl has on him. His fingers being to slow as she gets wedged in his head. He's not getting any more work done. He leans back in his seat and smiles to himself. He takes a breath and nods before he leans forward again. He taps a few keys, not pressing, just thinking. He types in 'Demigod' then presses enter and watches as a mass of results pop up. He knows that there is a chance that it is all utter rubbish, he went through the same thing with the vampires. He looks through a few of the first links before he realizes that he could just ask Diana about it and closes his laptop. That would probably be wiser. Actually talking to her rather than researching behind her back. His phone rings beside him and he sighs knowing exactly who it is going to be. He picks up the phone and stares at the new message notification. Another text. Another threat. He opens it up as he sits on the end of his bed, preparing himself for what is going to be on the other end. 

'This is going to hurt you a lot more then it will hurt me, but you were warned. - X'. 

Alaric frowns a little, but the text is followed by a photo, taken by someone that is actively following Diana. And it's not a photo, it's a video this time. The first video threat. And he can do nothing other than watch as the person with the camera approaches Diana where she stands outside of a store at the far end of town, she peering into one of the shop front windows, her hands in her pockets as the video moves towards her.

"No, no, no" Alaric stares at the phone. There's no sound, just video, and he can't tell when this was taken. If it's live. He doesn't want to know how close they got to her, or are getting to her. The figure bumps into her, clearly on purpose and Diana turns to glare at them. Her eyes widen slightly as she stares at the figure in front of her. She then frowns and touches her stomach before she shifts her jacket aside slightly to reveal blood pooling against her dress, her face crumples into pain. The figure raises a knife in front of the camera to show Alaric that it's covered in her blood. "No" Alaric states, his eyes wide with panic. The video then cuts out. "No" He snaps again.

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

Alaric dials Diana's phone as he hurries down the stairs of his apartment building, his jacket half over his shoulder. The line picks up and he lets out a breath.

"Diana" He states, his voice utterly filled with his panic.

"Ric" She whispers down the phone, her voice distorted with pain. Live. The video was live. She is in pain right now.

"I'm on my way" He assures her. "Just tell me where you are" She doesn't answer him. "Diana" He snaps, she hums a little. "Tell me where you are" he demands of her.

"Neon..." She whispers. "Flamingo" He frowns a little, because none of that makes any sense to him. He bursts through the front of the apartment building and looks around.

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

Alaric drives down the street Diana had been on in the video, his eyes searching for her jeep, because he knows she would have tried to get to it. she has a whole load of equipment in there and he assumes she would have a first aid kit too. He stops his car as he notes a neon flamingo sign close to the store Diana had been at when she was attacked.

"Neon Flamingo" He states and then pulls over to the side of the road before climbing out of his car and heading towards the store with the light.

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

"Diana?" Alaric asks peering into the alley around the side of the store, he glances down and notes the directional blood droplets. He takes a few steps and sees her, propped up against a wall. Her hand clutching to her side, over her wound, blood seeps through her fingers. He rushes towards her. "Diana" he states as he tears at his flannel shirt then shoves the fabric over the wound when he crouches with her. She cries out when he applies pressure. "I'm sorry" he whispers. She touches his hand on her side and stares up at him. Alaric's hands find her face. "You're going to be fine" he whispers. "It's not that even bad"

"You're a terrible liar" she breaths out, he hangs his head a little. Her fingers touch his cheek, he looks at her as he leans into her touch.

"You can't die, right?" he whispers. "You're...part goddess" he gives her a small smile. "You can do that?"

"Third-gen" she corrects him. "Not immortal" she mumbles under her breath, she then groans in pain. "Owey" she complains.

"Hold this," He tells her, squeezing her fingers over the part of his shirt on her wound. "I'm getting you to the hospital" He hooks his arms under her and lifts her up as he stands.

...........

Alaric sits in the hospital, his knee jiggling away as he waits to hear any news. Elena and Jenna are both sat closer to Diana's hospital room. Alaric is aware that he can't show too much concern. He can't show he cares about her. He is just the guy that found her. He looks down at his hands. He's still got her blood on them. And he supposes that's the point. That was the point being made by X. Her blood on his hands. Because he chose Diana, he chose to feel things for her, this happened. Because he didn't stop it, this happened. Elena stands and moves towards him.

"What happened?" Elena asks Alaric who stares at the blood on his hands. "Was it a vampire?"

"No" Alaric answers. "I don't know who it was" Elena watches Alaric who rubs at the blood now, wanting it off his skin.

"You are very upset about a girl you barely know getting stabbed" Elena points out, Alaric looks up at her. The two of them sharing a look just as the doctor leaves Diana's room. Alaric stands and moves closer with Elena as the doctor approaches Jenna.

"How is she?" Jenna asks as she stands.

"Sedated" The doctor answers. "And stable...She was very lucky" The doctor tells them. "The blade missed anything important"

"Can I go in?" Jenna asks, the doctor nods at her. Jenna hurries into the room as Elena stares at the door.

"She's tough" The doctor offers. "She's going to fine" He assures Elena before he walks away. Elena takes a deep breath.

"It's not your fault, Elena" Alaric offers, she looks at him. "Vampires don't stab" Elena nods a little. "It's probably just some mugging, you know, it happens" Elena looks away from him and frowns.