Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-Five

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Caroline opens the front door to find Bonnie on the other side. Bonnie raises an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, come on in," Caroline tells her and Bonnie helps into the house.

"I got Stefan's message," Bonnie admits and follows Caroline into the main room where Damon, Stefan, Jeremy, Alaric, and Diana are gathered.

"Hey, you brought the grimoire, thank you," Stefan tells Bonnie. She sees Damon and Alaric talking and she sees that there is a lot a weapon on the table and then notices Diana out of her cell. She looks at Stefan and then points at Diana.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asks, Jeremy then walks into the room.

"We're gonna kill Katherine," Jeremy states, Bonnie looks at Stefan.

"I can explain." Stefan offers.

"Please," Bonnie begs of him. Stefan takes a breath trying to come up with a better way of phrasing it, but to be honest, Jeremy had it down.

"We're gonna kill Katherine," Stefan repeats Jeremy's words.

"And Diana?" Bonnie asks. "Why is she out?"

"Good behavior" Diana answers with a smirk.

"Not even close" Damon argues as he shoots her a look. He turns back to Bonnie. "We need her"

"Aww needs me" Diana teases as she stands from her seat and moves closer. Alaric lifts up a case from the floor and lays it out on the table. Diana's bow box. Diana's eyes light up seeing it, she squeals a little and moves to touch the top of it. She bites her lip and opens it. She picks it up and lets out a breath. She draws an arrow into the bow and turns with it, seemingly aiming at each of the people in the room. They all duck and shout at her, Diana chuckles.

"No, no" Damon takes the bow from Diana. "No ranged weapon for you, you're dangerous enough up close right now, Dirty Diana" she glares at him and steps towards him, most likely to attack him. Alaric grabs her arm and stops her.

"Come here...I have something for you," he tells her and pulls her away from Damon. He and Alaric share a look before Alaric turns his attention back to Diana. Alaric shifts slightly and holds out her blade of Artemis to Diana, she looks down at it.

"You trust me with that?" she asks him, he lets out a breath.

"Yeah, I do" He sets the handle into her palm and she curls her fingers around it.

"Mistake" she hisses and then presses it against his throat, not breaking the skin, just threatening him, but Alaric doesn't flinch, he's trying to show her that this changes nothing and that he is right here with her. That he trusts her. She stares at him, searches his eyes, but he knows what she is trying to do. He holds up his hex bag and then throws it away from him.

"Look" He assures her and takes her free hand and presses her fingers to his head. A tear slides down her cheek when she pulls her hand back. They share a look, she is the first to look away and to the blade in her hand, she then walks away from him. Bonnie moves to Alaric.

"What did you do?" Bonnie whispers.

"I showed her the woman I fell in love with" Alaric answers and looks at Bonnie. "Worth a shot"

"To shock the demon into hiding?" Bonnie asks him, he shrugs.

"Maybe more pull the demigoddess forward" He corrects a little. She hands him back his hex bag.

"Worth a shot" Bonnie agrees with a small smile. "We'll get her back" Bonnie assures him, he gives her a shrug. "I spoke with her, the other day when I was here...and I don't think she's that bad" Alaric shoots her a look. "She told me about Eva, about what she did before Diana had to kill her, the first time" Alaric nods, he knows the story. "Diana told me that was within days of them meeting" Alaric looks at her. "Days, Alaric....Diana after three weeks of being dark, not even close to Eva....."

"So why?" Bonnie gives him a look.

"You" she answers, Alaric looks at her. "And us..." she adds. "Eva was raised in the system, and it was bad from what Diana told me. Abusive home after abusive home....drugs, crime.....she had no one. And when her powers hit, Eva's first quake tore up an entire street with how much pain she was in...." Alaric looks at Diana sadly. "When she turned bad, when that demonic side of them emerged, Eva was already too far gone to be saved. Diana....she has this entire support system around her, she is, and always has been, surrounded by people who love her....who care about, who fight for her. And her good...it's proving to be so much more powerful than any darkness inside of her. That's why every now and then...she shows her old self....it's why after 3 weeks...there is more good in her than there ever was in Eva...." Alaric takes a breath. "We are going to be the ones to get her through this" Bonnie adds. "Because she still cares...deep, deep......deep down" Alaric lets out a small laugh. "We're still alive" Bonnie points out. "That proves my point" Alaric raises an eyebrow.

"Why do you think that?"

"Eva killed fifteen of their classmates, their comrades, their friends...in days" Bonnie whispers. "And thought nothing of it.." She looks at Diana. "When Diana's bloodlust hit....she killed strangers when she could have easily killed us" Alaric nods in agreement. "We all know it" Bonnie adds, Alaric nods again and looks at Diana who glances at him, her eyes meeting his, and he does see some of his Diana in her, the old Diana, there is something softer in her eyes. She takes a breath and turns away from him. "She's fighting," Bonnie tells him. "She's fighting for you" Alaric looks at her. "We all know that too" They share a look.