Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Fourteen

Diana walks into the backroom of the Lockwood mansion where Damon is gathered with the rest of the secret vampire hating council are together. She makes her way to Damon who glances at her when she stops and crosses her arms over her chest.

"There have no been no incidence of question since spring. It's been quiet." Liz informs the council.

"Anyone else have anything to add to the minutes? Damon?" Carol asks.

"Ah, no, I think the sheriff covered it, Mayor Lockwood. Looks like we've made it through the worst." Damon answers, Diana sighs a little.

"Well, I have nothing new to add, so thank you all for coming." Carol tells them before everyone begins to leave, except for Carol, Diana Damon, and Liz. Carol walks over to a table where Damon is fixing himself a drink.

"Carol" Damon greets.

"Damon" Bill appears in the doorway.

"I have a question. Do you four think that everybody on the council is clueless...or just stupid?" He asks them, they look at him, surprised.

"Ooooo" Diana states. "Shit" Damon shoots her a look.

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

Elsewhere in the mansion, Elena and Caroline talk together.

"Did Stefan ever tell you where he got the necklace?" Caroline asks Elena.

"No. And I never asked. Hopefully Bonnie will be able to figure it out." Elena admits, Alaric walks towards the two of them.

"Please tell me it's time to go." Alaric begs of them as he texts Diana to join them.

"Beyond. Where's Damon?" Elena asks.

"Probably off somewhere doing bad things to good people." Elena shoots Alaric a looki. "Consider me the honesty police." Caroline suddenly she looks upset.

"What is it?"

"What the matter?"

"It's my dad." Elena and Alaric turn around and see Bill in the adjoining room.

"Why would he even show up here?" Elena asks.

"I don't know. But I can't..."

"I get it. I'll call you later." Caroline leaves and goes upstairs.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Alaric asks her.

"Speaking of doing bad things to good people..." Elena tells him, Alaric frowns at her as they leave the mansion together.

........

Outside, Damon opens the door behind Alaric and Elena and walks down the stairs to them.

"Wait, wait, Houston, we have a problem." Damon tells them.

"Where have you been?" Elena scolds Damon.

"Managing Bill Forbes. Apparently he's impervious to compulsion." Damon answers.

"How?" Alaric asks him.

"I have no idea. But he threatened to out me. Don't get me started on the irony of that."

"What did you do to him? How do you know the compulsion doesn't work?" Elena asks him.

"That's not the most important piece of information I mentioned, Elena."

"What does he want?" Alaric counters.

"He wants to control the council. Says it's been compromised." Damon comments.

"It has!"

"He wants to put vervain in the town's water supply."

"Maybe it's not a bad idea. I mean, it'll help you keep yourself in control now that Stefan's not here to..." Elena offers.

"To what? To keep me in check? Make me behave? I should have killed him this morning."

"He's Caroline's dad, Damon."

"Yeah, and when I kill him, she'll have one more parent than we do."

"Oh, come on, Damon!" Alaric scolds.

"You're repeatedly killing my buzz today, Ric. Step aside."

"Yeah, it's not going to happen."

"Your temporary funeral." Damon scolds and then goes to attack Alaric, breaking his neck, Alaric falls unceremoniously to the ground. Damon is pulled back by Diana's lasso around his neck, she yanks and drags him to the ground hard. Damon chokes slightly and reaches up for the rope. Diana then moves to stand over Damon.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asks him. She then lets the lasso go and moves to Alaric, she kneels in the grass and touches his face. Damon stands and walks away from them. "Help me get him to my jeep" Diana tells Elena who nods.

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

Diana sits in her armchair in her bedroom as she waits for Alaric to wake up again, her fingers attempting to knit but she keeps dropping stitches and having to go back and do it again. She sighs and looks across at Alaric, still motionless on her bed. Damon appears in her doorway and she stands instantly.

"Get lost" She snaps at Damon.

"Watchdog" Damon starts, she steps up to him and glares at him.

"Get out" she pushes at him slightly, he knows she's just making a point and not actually making him leave. He doesn't even know her real strength yet, but a quake will send him flying, that he knows.

"Diana" He scolds.

"Yeah, I get it, you're pissed about Stefan and Elena and whatever" She mocks. "But don't take it out on your friends, Damon....especially considering that they might actually be the only friends you have" They share a look. "Keep going...and we won't be"

"That's the problem" he tells her. "People telling me how to behave"

"I'm not telling you how to behave, Damon" She scolds. "I'm not saying change everything about yourself....just evolve...a little, so the people around you, the people that care about you, don't stop" He glances at Alaric and lets out a breath.

"He should have woken up by now" Damon points out.

"Yes" She agrees sharply and sighs. "He should have" She whispers. Damon moves closer to the bed and leans over Alaric.

"Wake up!" Damon jumps back a little when Alaric wakes up gasping deeply.

"It took a bit longer than usual, huh? Might want to get that ring checked. Hope it's not going bad." Damon comments, Diana shoots him a look as Alaric does.

"You killed me." Alaric argues.

"You pissed me off."

"You killed me!"

"Ric, no hard feelings, all right? I was on a bit of a tear. Everyone was trying to tell me how to behave."

"Well, maybe they finally realized you're just a dick." Alaric argues as Diana climbs onto the bed to look him over, her hands on his face. He closes his eyes and leans into her touch.

"Out" She tells Damon. "It's time for you to go" He looks at her and then nods before leaving.

"Did it really take longer?" Alaric asks her, she nods.

"Yeah" she whispers as she pulls him closer, his head settling on her chest. He wraps his arms around her back and takes a shaky breath.