Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Seven

At the Grill, Diana is talking with Tyler at a table. Alaric watches them from the bar. Ever vigilant over his pregnant wife. He smiles to himself at that thought, always smiles at the thought of Diana being his wife.

"A lot of us like to keep to ourselves for the full moon, chain ourselves up," Tyler informs Diana. "But there are some werewolves that like to gather in places where they don't have to do that, where they can enjoy it." He offers, she already knows all this but she can let him think that he's helping, she is looking for a more specific location anyway.

"What kind of places?"

"Mountains, state parks, deserts, that kind of stuff."

"Anywhere in Tennessee?" She counters.

"Yeah. Here. Give me your phone. I'll try to pull up a map." Tyler offers, Diana gives him her phone.

"Thanks for this. I know it's asking a lot."

"As Caroline likes to remind me, Stefan's in this mess because I bit Damon. I figure I owe you guys one. Have you talked to her today?"

"No. Why?"

"Just curious. Here." He gives her her phone. "That's your best bet."

"Thanks" She offers as she looks down at the phone before she stands and heads to Alaric.

"Did you get anything?" He asks her.

"How do you feel about a little hike through the Smoky Mountains?" She asks him.

"You wanna hunt down a pack of werewolves on a full moon?"

"We'll be out of there before the moon is full." He gives her a look, his eyes flickering to her bump.

"Are you sure you're up for a hike?"

"I feel great, Ric...full of energy today" she answers. "If you are uncomfortable with me going...then fine, just say so....I'll stay here, boss Derek and his contractors around" he smirks a little. "Either way I have fun" he kisses her softly.

"Okay...." He offers as he pulls back a little from her. "But we take it slow..." he adds, she nods.

"Oh...Plus...there is something I need to do in Nashville, so I figured we could take a slight detour on the way back" he raises an eyebrow and nods.

"You know Elena is going to want to come too, right?" he points out, she sighs.

"Yeah" She nods. "Get halfway there and text Damon?" she asks him, he nods and they high five one another.

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

"This thing in Nashville?" Alaric asks as he loads a weapons bag into Diana's jeep, she takes a breath and looks at him.

"A possible weapon against Klaus" She answers, he turns to her and stares at her.

"Then shouldn't we go there first?" He counters, she sighs and hands him another bag.

"We'd end up doubling back and it would take too long, the full moon is tonight, we can't detour on the way, and it's only a possible, I don't know if it's actually there..." He sighs a little, he still thinks going there first is the best idea. Even for a maybe. "This is what my dreams are telling me"

"Your dreams?"

"You think my dreams meaning something too" She points out, he stares at her.

"When did you figure out I knew that?"

"When you asked about the symbol on Jupiter" She answers.

"I didn't want to worry you with it" He defends.

"I'm not mad you didn't tell me, Ric" she assures him. "I get it...it's the same reason I didn't say anything, we have so much going on, neither of us wanted to worry the other with more weird" He smirks slightly. "But those symbols...Zeus' and Athena's...the way they are intertwined, I've seen it before"

"In Nashville?" he asks her, she nods.

"Yeah, they've got an exact replica of the Parthenon" She answers. "Almost exact..." She corrects. "First time I learned about my heritage, my Dad took me to Nashville to see it, just to...I don't know get my head around the whole thing, and when I was in Greece, I went to the real Parthenon....the one difference is that there is a medallion welded into the center of Athena's shield at the one in Nashville that is not in Greece, and on that medallion....is the intertwined symbol of Zeus and Athena...The same symbol I have been drawing for months, and I am so pissed it took me so long to remember where I'd seen it"

"Your dreams are telling you to go to Nashville's Parthenon" He realizes. "And you think there is a weapon there?"

"I don't know, but....yeah maybe" She admits. "What other reason is there? And I know how crazy this is...But I think it's her" She tells him. "I think it's Athena...she's been telling me to go"

"Okay" he assures her. "We'll go check it out" he sets the bag into the jeep as Elena approaches them with her own bag.

"Thanks for this," She tells Diana. "I know you're...worried about me"

"Yeah" Diana agrees. "But I also know if I didn't bring you with us, you probably would have just followed us" Elena nods in agreement. "You got the baton?" Elena nods and touches her sleeve, Diana had sewn in a compartment in Elena's jacket for Elena to hide the baton she'd given Elena to protect herself. "Remember, if you're going to attack...." Diana starts.

"Go low. Go for the balls," Elena finishes, Alaric barks a small laugh and shakes his head. "I remember" Alaric closes the trunk and touches the small of Diana's back.

"We're all packed" he assures her. "You feel up to driving?" Diana nods and holds up her hand, he sets her keys into her palm.

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

"How's the new apartment looking?" Elena asks after they've been on the road a while.

"It's good, we're almost finished" Alaric answers as he looks down at his phone. "Derek just text...they've started on the walls upstairs"

"That's good," Diana tells him. "We can get started on painting tomorrow" he nods.

"Have you guys got a color scheme?"

"No" Alaric offers. "No, we didn't choose one, Derek did though...but he actually, he got it pretty spot on" Diana nods in agreement. "Maybe he should go back to college," Alaric tells her.

"Yeah, he would make a great architect" She agrees. "Hell, even an interior designer..." She then glances at Elena in the rearview mirror. "He went with whites and blues for our bedroom" Diana offers. "Very...Santorini-esque. Very clean and crisp....."

"Very you" Elena teases, Diana smirks a little.

"And the nursery is a little more blue than white, and a grey-blue at that, very nice" Alaric offers, Diana hums. Elena smiles watching them. Everything is coming together. They're on their way to get Stefan back. Diana and Alaric's relationship is progressing nicely. Her pregnancy is going well. Next stop, a dead Klaus.