Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Five

Diana hides at the memorial for Richard Lockwood, she's not in the mood and she wants to be away from Jenna and her judgemental disappointed looks. So she slinks off with a bottle of whiskey to drink. Finds an empty room, plants herself on the floor, and mopes. Jenna is going to try and stop her seeing Alaric, but she won't, she's not letting Eva do that so why would she allow Jenna to do so.

"You look happy" Derek points out sarcastically as he leans in the doorway, Diana looks at him.

"It's a memorial" She counters. "Don't think I'm supposed to be" He leans up and walks towards her.

"What happened?" he asks. "Cause that frowny face is not for my dad"

"Told Jenna about me and Ric" Diana whispers, Derek looks at her. "Sorry, this....you don't need to hear about this, not today"

"No, please...unload, I'm sick of hearing how great my dad was and how sorry everyone is" Derek admits as he sits next to her on the floor. She holds out the bottle of whiskey to him. He raises an eyebrow at her, she sighs.

"Jeremy punched Ric"

"Oh man, didn't think the little punk had the balls" Derek teases, Diana smiles a little and rubs at her cheek. Derek looks at her sadly. "And how'd Jenna take it?"

"Oh, she yelled," She tells him. "I've never seen Jenna lose her temper before...It's going to be bad"

"Di, it'll be okay" he whispers, she looks at him.

"How can you be so sure?" She asks him.

"Because...of the way you look at him" Derek lets out a breath. "Because of the way he looks at you" he adds. "Because you both seem to really care about one another...." She leans against his arm and lets out a breath. He kisses her head and then takes a drink. Diana wiggles her feet as she takes a deep breath. "So...why are you still sat here?" Derek asks her and gives her a look. "One of us might as well get a happy ending out of this day" he nudges her with his knee. "Go see him" She looks at him and then hugs him tightly, he wraps his arm around her.

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

Diana doesn't just let herself into Alaric's apartment, just in case he doesn't want her there because her brother punched him in the face. He opens the door and gives her a look.

"You don't need to knock," he tells her. "You have a key" he reminds her.

"I wasn't sure..." She starts and then stops with a small smile. "Hey" She greets, Alaric smiles at her and lets her into his apartment. "I'm really sorry Jeremy hit you," she tells him as she closes the door behind her.

"Yeah, I know...." He assures her and shrugs a little. "It's not that bad" She moves closer to him, he looks at her and touches her arm. She touches his face and looks over his split lip. His hands find her waist, drifting up under her shirt.

"You shouldn't have told Jenna the truth" She scolds him. "You should have just stuck to what we agreed on"

"It was going to come out eventually" he argues. "And like you said...better from us...and you never know, being honest might work in our favor" She gives him a look. "I said might" he pulls her closer to him. "If Jenna being this upset about our relationship is too much for you" She shakes her head.

"I love you" She assures him. "And when you love someone, it's worth fighting for. No matter what the odds are." he takes her face in his hands and kisses her. "I told you we'd face anything together" she whispers against his lips. "Even Jenna's wrath"

"You know...I meant what I said" he promises her. "I am in love with you" he lets out a breath. "And I probably should have told you before I blurted it out to your family, but it wasn't till that moment that I realized that I was...I knew I cared, deeply for you, that wasn't in question....but I didn't know I had already fallen....that deep" he pulls her closer and looks down at her. "I love you" he whispers warmly, she smiles up at him.

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

Jenna takes a breath and looks at Diana as she sneaks in quietly, trying to be stealthy and silent. And it would have worked, if Jenna wasn't waiting for her. Diana sighs as she closes the door, sensing Jenna behind her.

"You going to yell at me for sneaking in?" Diana asks as she shrugs out of her jacket and turns to face her aunt.

"Technically, you cannot sneak into your own house" Jenna points out.

"Oh." Diana breaths. "I am going to remember that."

"Were you with him?" Jenna asks her, Diana takes a breath and then nods.

"Yes" Diana answers, Jenna clenches her jaw.

"Diana" Jenna starts. "Do you have any idea what you are doing? Your teacher?"

"I'm 18...it's not illegal" Diana defends.

"But it is morally grey" Jenna counters. "He's older, in a position of authority"

"I didn't know that when we met" Diana defends. "It was...at a bar, and we got talking...." Jenna shakes her head. "I've never met anyone that makes me feel the way he does, Jenna. He makes me happy. Treats me with respect. If he wasn't my teacher, then you would have no issue with this"

"Because there would be no issue" Jenna counters. "The issues is.....he is your teacher"

"Was" Diana argues. "He was my teacher...he's not anymore"

"Is that why you dropped out? For some guy?"

"No" Diana answers. "Not all of it." Jenna shoots her a look. "It wasn't working, being back there after my year away...It felt...wrong being stuck in a classroom" Diana steps closer to her. "You don't have to like it...just accept it," Diana tells her. "Accept that I am with him, and that I love him"

"No" Jenna argues. "I can't...I just...I can't even...begin to be okay with this"

"Jenna" Diana pleads, Jenna shakes her head and heads up the stairs, Diana presses her hands into her eyes and lets out a groan before she stops. She can hear crying. She frowns and looks up the stairs. "Elena?" She asks and then hurries up the stairs.