Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Two

Diana actually rather likes when the house is quiet, when she gets time to herself to do whatever it is she wants to do. Whether sketching, painting, writing, a little bit of gardening or knitting. As she is now. She's knitting blankets for the babies. Hopefully, with enough quiet, she'll get them finished before the birth. She glances at Damon who lets himself into the house.

"Come on in why don't you" She offers as she shoots him a look. He stops and looks at her, stares at her a moment before he raises an eyebrow at her.

"Are you knitting?" he asks her, she glances at her knitting and nods.

"Yeah, it for the babies" She answers, he gives her a look. "So I like to knit...what of it?" He shakes his head as she sets her knitting aside and then stands from the armchair. "What are you doing here?"

"Elena said you found another attack" He answers. "Memphis" She hums a little. "Wondered if there was anything you didn't tell her?" He asks, she gives him a look then moves upstairs and he follows.

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

Diana opens unlocks her parents' bedroom and then opens the door for Damon who steps in, Diana joins him and closes the door. Damon takes a breath and looks at the wall, covered with a map, notes, pins, and printouts. She's also been looking for Klaus and Stefan when she can't sleep.

"So that fluttered victim that we looked into" She offers and turns to him. "Had family in Tennessee."

"Which one? Pensacola?" He asks her, she hums in agreement. "Up for a road trip?"

"I can't" She answers. "I've got that scan this afternoon"

"Right" He whispers and looks at her map sadly, she watches his face, knows what she has to do here, Damon needs her help, need their help. Even if he won't ask for it. 

"I'm sure I can reschedule it...." She offers with a shrug. "It's not a big deal anyway"

"Thanks, Watchdog" he whispers, she nods.

"Yeah, of course....I'll just call Ric, let him know," she tells him and heads out the room.

.......

Diana paces out the front of the house as she talks with Alaric on the phone, her hand on her bump.

"I couldn't say no" She argues a little.

"Your hormones are making you baby Damon" Alaric counters. "And he's not helping"

"You know why," She tells him.

"And don't get me wrong, I am as worried about him as you are....but there are boundaries that are being crossed here" She sighs a little.

"But..."

"Diana...Did he or did he not climb into our bed the other night?" Alaric asks her, she sighs and nods.

"Yeah, but..."

"You're coddling him...and he's letting you"

"Ric" She scolds him. "We're his friends, and he needs us....so we are going to go with him...or I swear to Zeus I will name your children something really Greek...Mythology Greek" He gasps a little.

"You wouldn't dare" He teases with a small laugh.

"Oh, it'll be so Greek no one will ever be able to pronounce it" She warns him with a smile.

"Fine" He caves softly, but he was always going to go with them anyway. "Pick me up" She hums in agreement and smirks victoriously.

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

Diana's jeep pulls up outside of a house in Tennessee. Diana cuts the engine and she, Alaric, and Damon look out the windows at the house. Quiet. Damon's cell starts ringing. He checks the phone and then ignores the call. Alaric glances at him.

"Elena?" He asks, Damon makes a face. "I don't know why you just don't come clean and tell her where we are." Alaric points out, to both Damon and Diana.

"Because I don't want to get her hopes up," Damon answers, Diana hums in agreement.

"It's quiet." Diana then points out.

"Yeah. Too quiet." Damon agrees with her. Alaric turns to Diana.

"I'll be right here" she assures him. They've come to compromise over her evolvement in the search for Klaus and Stefan in the past month. She goes with them but until they know a location is free of vampires or werewolves or anything overly dangerous, she stays in the jeep. It puts Alaric's mind at ease, and Diana is still with them and still doing her part to help, which puts her mind at ease, win/win situation. Alaric leans closer and kisses her softly before he and Damon climb out the jeep.

.........

Damon tests the door with his foot but he is free to walk in, no one is here, no one living at least, is here.

"Oh yeah," Damon whispers as Alaric joins him, closing the door behind him. He looks around. There are bloody handprints on the walls. They find the bodies of the two women sitting upright on the living room couch, almost as if they were watching TV.

"Ugh. Vampire for sure." Alaric comments.

"Stefan, for sure." Damon counters.

"How do you know?"

"It's his signature; there's a reason they call him the ripper. Feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damndest thing." Damon lifts his leg and wobbles the first woman's knee with his foot. "He put the bodies back together." Her head falls to the floor.

"Back together?"

"Definitely Stefan," Damon states and then shares a look with Alaric. "There's no one else here...." He assures him, Alaric nods a little.

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

Diana is now stood with Alaric and Damon in the living room, she pulls a face as she looks around as Damon pours a tank of gasoline around.

"I really hope I'm not going to have to kill Stefan for all this" She mumbles, Damon shoots her a look.

"Hey" he warns. "Simmer the rage"

"Trust me...all my rage is saved for Klaus" She assures Damon. "This isn't about any rage for Stefan, it's preservation...." she glances at the bodies. "If this Stefan" She motions to the bodies. "Comes back to Mystic Falls...it would kill Elena...." She and Damon share a look because he knows that's true.

"What are you even doing?" Alaric asks Damon.

"Covering their tracks. Clearly, they have no interest in staying in the dark, but I do." Alaric moves to give Damon more space but the floor creaks. Each of them looks down at the rug under their feet. "Watchdog" Damon states, Diana bends over and flips over a corner of the rug covering the floor. There it is a hidden trapdoor leading below the floor. She opens it and can see a room full of chains.

"Well, well, well" She teases. "What do you know?" She asks and looks up. "Werewolves." She closes the door and stands. "Let's finish this" She offers them both. "We have to get back for Elena's party" They both nod in agreement.

..........

Diana looks up at the house as it burns before her. Alaric touches the small of her back.

"You ready?" Alaric asks her, she nods and turns to him.

"Sorry about the scan" she whispers, he touches her cheek. "I know how excited you are about finding out the sex of the babies"

"It's okay...You were right about Damon...And we can reschedule the scan." he leans closer and kisses her softly. "Come on" he laces his fingers with hers and heads towards the jeep with her.