Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Ten

Back at the Gilbert Residence, Diana sits on the couch in the living room, a blanket around her legs as she looks over the medallion in her hand. A lot about this thing doesn't make sense to her. That it gives her more questions than answers regarding the weapon, Zeus, and herself. She sighs and sets the medallion in her lap as Alaric sits next to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. He kisses her head.

"We'll figure it out" he whispers to her, she leans into his side. Damon and Elena walk down the stairs together, Alaric raises an eyebrow at the two of them.

"So Destroyer of Worlds..." Damon starts, Diana glances at him. "What the hell?"

"I'm really tired, can this wait?" She counters.

"He's not going to leave until you answer him" Alaric answers, he's just as tired as she is, but he knows Damon is going to push at this. Diana nods a little in agreement.

"It's in reference to a prophecy" She answers with a heavy tired sigh. "Every demi has one attached to them" She adds. "It's part of being part of the Olympian structure" She rolls her eyes a little. "It's actually why Eva going dark was a surprise to Athena" She points out. "I'm the one with a dark prophecy attached to me...I am literally the one that is going to end the world"

"Holy shit" Alaric comments, Diana nods in agreement.

"How do you do it?" Elena asks.

"Don't know" Diana answers. "It's cryptic.."

"Of course it is" Damon complains.

"Athena's best guess was...that I quake the world apart" She admits as she touches her gloved arms. "Hence the need for these" she adds quietly.

"If Zeus locked away the lasso so long ago, how the hell did he program that medallion for you? With your name? To be activated by your touch?" Damon asks as she turns it around in her hand. "How did he know you would be the one to find it?"

"I don't think the Gods need to explain shit" Diana answers. "But....best guess...the Fates probably told him, they know all that has been, all that is, and all that will be....they knew I would one day be born, they know what my future is...or could be....prophecies aren't set in stone, it's just one outcome, and it is usually the worst outcome"

"So you might not destroy the world?" Elena asks her, Diana shrugs a little. "That's good, you might....you also might not"

"It's not exactly comforting, either way, Elena" Diana counters.

"When are you supposed to do this?" Damon asks.

"I don't know" She answers. "It could be tomorrow...it could be in ten years...it could be in thirty....it could be never"

"Di" Elena whispers. "How do you cope with that?" Diana frowns. "The constant fear that you could end the world at any moment?"

"It's so much fun coping" Diana teases dryly and then rests her head on Alaric's shoulder, he glances down at her and then to Damon and Elena.

"That's enough," He tells them. "She's tired" Damon nods a little and lets out a breath.

"Okay..." He offers. "Alright, Watchdog. We'll talk about this tomorrow" Diana hums a little, Damon nods and then leaves, Elena looks at Diana sadly before heading upstairs. Alaric kisses Diana's head and threads his fingers with hers on her thigh.

"If you are destined to destroy the world" Alaric whispers to her. "Why would Zeus lead you to a powerful weapon?"

"I don't know" She answers quietly and then leans up. "But I have to go after it" She admits, he looks at her. "And I think I need to do this on my own," She tells Alaric, he frowns at her. "I know" she offers. "Together" she takes his hands in hers. "And I would, but I get this feeling....that this is just something I have to do by myself" he lifts their hands and kisses the back of hers. "Plus someone has to stay here and keep Elena out of trouble"

"I think I would prefer to pursue a mystical weapon hidden by a thunder god for all eternity. It sounds easier" she laughs a little and nods.

"Probably will be" She agrees with him, they share a look. He then stands and holds out his hand for her.

"But first..." She takes his hand. "Bed," He tells her, she nods in agreement and he helps her to her feet.

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

Alaric sets Diana's bag in her jeep as she leaves the house. He smiles as he closes the trunk and waits for her to reach her jeep. She opens the driver's door and throws her handbag onto the passenger seat, then turns to Alaric behind her now.

"Call me" He begs of her.

"Every hour" She assures him, he leans closer and kisses her.

"I put your prenatal vitamins in your bag" he whispers against her lips, she chuckles and pulls back.

"I will be there and back in one day" She teases, he shrugs a little.

"Just...making sure you have everything....just in case" he holds her face in his hands and smiles at her.

"I'll be back before you know it" she whispers, he nods and kisses her again. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself closer to him.

"Okay, you have to go before you don't go" he teases against her lips. She chuckles and pulls back, she strokes his face a little and smiles warmly at him. "I love you," he tells her softly.

"Love you too" She counters and kisses him again, this time, short and sweet. She climbs into her jeep as he heads back to the house.

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

Diana climbs into her jeep, parked up at the side of the road outside of a small corner store, she had to pull over for her hourly call to Alaric. Her cell phone is pressed to her ear.

"She left a note," Alaric tells. "She and Damon got a lead on Stefan in Chicago"

"And they weren't going to involve us?" Diana asks. "That's gratitude after everything we've done for them these last few months" Alaric hums in agreement. "Maybe I should just come back" She adds.

"No, you're already halfway there, and they've already left, there's nothing you can do here" Alaric assures her as he sets a few of Diana's books in a box. "I'm sorry, I only left for half an hour to drop some boxes at the apartment and when I got back they were gone"

"It's not your fault" She stops him as she shrugs out of her jacket. "Elena is proving to be more squirely than I thought she was" She sets her jacket on the passenger seat. "Not sure how I feel about that" She shakes her head. "How's the apartment looking?" She asks.

"Great" he answers. "Walls are up, furniture has arrived and I am going to go over and start painting, seen as I have now been rendered useless"

"If I'd known..."

"I know" He stops her. "It's done now....least I can do is get started on finishing our home....hey, I found a box of..." He looks at the box on her desk. "Empty plant pots and some seeds"

"Yeah, they're mine" She assures him. "I got them for the apartment, that little space out the back could use some color"

"You garden?" He asks her, she hums and nods.

"Yeah" She answers. "Why do you sound so surprised by that?"

"I don't know" he admits. "It just doesn't seem like you...."

"I'm a woman of very many talents" She teases.

"I'm starting to see that" He offers back. "I should get the rest of these boxes taken over....I'll talk to you in a bit"

"In an hour" She assures him, he chuckles and then hangs up, Diana smiles to herself as she does the same.