Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Four

Alaric follows Diana out of the hospital, she's basically fleeing now that she told them about the whole quaking thing. But he wants to talk to her, to assure her that this doesn't change anything, he knew she was different and yet he still wants her, wants to be with her.

"Diana" Alaric states as he jogs to catch up with her.

"It's okay," She tells him. "I get it, you can go now..." Alaric grabs her wrist to stop her walking away from him, she closes her eyes and turns back to him.

"You told me you have trouble being open about yourself" He reminds her. "I knew what that meant. That there was, and probably is, so much I don't know about you and probably won't ever know about you....." he gives her a small smile. "Still here" he assures her.

"Why?" she asks him. "All this....trouble I've caused. The lies. The secrets. Why are you putting up with this? With me?" He smiles down at her and cups her face in his hands. He lets out a breath and shrugs.

"Because despite all that, I met you, this amazingly strong beautiful young woman," he tells her softly. "And I can't imagine my life without you in it now" he admits, she smiles at him. She doesn't deserve him, that much she knows. She then seems to realize something.

"You're touching me" She whispers, he nods. "In public" he nods again.

"You're not my student anymore, Diana" he reminds her. "I can do this" he brushes his fingers over her face. "And this" he leans closer and kisses her. She smiles against his lips and clutches to the back of his jacket. Their kisses deepens, heats up. They press themselves against one another. "Still can't do that in public" he teases pulling back, she laughs a little. "You want me to go with you to this Lockwood thing?" he asks as he brushes her hair back.

"Or...we can go back to yours" she offers.

"Diana" he starts. "You have to go..." She holds up her hands and weighs her options.

"Sex with you.....or depressingly boring memorial for a dead guy I didn't like?" She asks him, he smirks.

"Derek is your friend," he tells her. "He needs you"

"I think I liked it better when you didn't like him" She grumbles.

"I don't like him" He assures her. "But I know you do" she smiles at him and pulls him closer to her. "I know he means a lot to you" she takes a deep breath.

"Speaking of people that mean a lot to me.....Maybe we should tell Jenna about us" She offers. "Before she hears it from someone else?" he tilts his head slightly, she's right, they need to be the ones to tell Jenna about their relationship, and not X, or anyone else.

"Okay," he agrees. "That's a good idea, if that's what you want to do...."

"But" She stops him. "Maybe we should be a bit liberal with the facts" He frowns at her.

"Lie?" he asks her, she shakes her head.

"No" She answers. "Just...twist the truth, a little...to protect you" She looks up at him. "I don't want you to lose your job because of this," She tells him. "Because of me"

"So we started dating after you dropped out of school?" she nods. "Okay, yeah, that's...fine"

"To protect your job" She assures him, he takes a breath and then nods.

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

Jenna is rushing around the living room as she gets ready to leave. She moves to the stairs.

"Jeremy, come on!" She shouts up the stairs when Diana and Alaric enter the house. "There you are" Jenna states. "We're already running late..." she turns and notices Alaric. "Hey, what's going on?" Jenna asks them. Elena leaves the kitchen as she pulls on her jacket.

"Before you go we need to talk," Diana tells Jenna who frowns at her.

"About what?"

"Sit...sit down" Jenna frowns at her but does sit on the couch. Elena looks between them and then moves to Diana.

"Are you really doing this?" Elena asks her, Diana nods.

"Yeah, better it comes from us then X..." Diana answers, Elena takes a breath and takes her hand.

"I'm right here" she assures her, Diana smiles at her. Elena sits next to Jenna. Diana and Alaric share a look, she tries to give him a reassuring smile, but she's worried, they both are. Alaric takes a breath and turns to face Jenna.

"I wanted to clarify something." Alaric starts and then looks at Diana. "We wanted to tell you something important." He corrects himself, Jenna looks between them as she waits. "I'm in love with your niece, Jenna. I love Diana." Alaric admits, Diana's eyes widen slightly because....the L word was just dropped. They haven't even said that to one another and here he is telling Jenna that he loves her. "We met before I began teaching at the school." Diana shoots him a look, because that wasn't the plan, that wasn't what he was supposed to say, why is he saying that? Jeremy comes down the stairs, Jenna looks at Jeremy.

"Jeremy, you should go back upstairs," Elena tells him, Jeremy doesn't do that, he stays to listen.

"I want you to know that this started before I was assigned to Diana's class," Alaric assures Jenna.

"What started? Wait, what do you mean, before you were 'assigned' to her class?" Jenna asks him.

"She wasn't my student...Then." Alaric answers.

"She wasn't your student then?" Jenna asks him as she stands, she then lets out a breath and starts to pace. "This can't be true." Diana moves to Alaric's side and threads her fingers with his, he clutches to her hand.

"It is." She tells Jenna. "I love him." Alaric looks at her softly, relieved to hear it back from her.

"This was going on... This happened while you were her teacher?" Jenna asks.

"Yes."

"Do you understand what you're saying?" Jenna asks Alaric.

"Yes, I do." Alaric answers.

"No, I don't think you do, because if you did, you wouldn't be standing here. You wouldn't dare! Diana, go upstairs. Take Jeremy and Elena with you."

"No. No, I'm staying here." Diana argues.

"If this is true, what you're telling me..."

"It is," Diana tells Jenna.

"No!" Jenna snaps.

"What I'm hoping can happen is that..." Alaric starts.

"No. What is gonna happen is, you are gonna leave this house right now."

"Jenna" Alaric tries.

"End of conversation," Jenna tells him.

"Jenna...just..."

"Diana, no." Jenna scolds and turns to Alaric. "I am not asking you. I am telling you." Jeremy looks between them all and then pushes himself between Jenna and Alaric before he punches Alaric in the face.

"Jeremy!" Elena shouts and pulls him back. Diana touches Alaric's face and shoots a look at Jeremy.

"Maybe I should go" Alaric whispers to Diana who looks up at him. "I should go"

"I'm sorry," She tells him, he nods. He knows. He went off-script. Told the whole truth. This wasn't exactly going to end. He takes a breath and then leaves. Diana hangs her head.

"We're already late" Jenna states. "So we are going to stow our crap, and go and pay our respects." She looks at Diana. "And we will talk about this later"