Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Sixteen

Elena knocks on Alaric and Diana's apartment and shifts on her feet. The door opens and she brushes past Alaric who frowns at her before shutting the door behind them.

"Good morning, Elena" He comments and follows her as she moves further into the apartment. "Lovely to see you...and yes, you may come in" Elena turns to him and takes a breath.

"Teach me," She tells him, he frowns. "Teach me to fight..." Alaric frowns at her and then sighs.

"What did I miss this time?" he asks her.

"Klaus is back" She answers and steps closer to him, Alaric's eyes widen slightly. "He's back and he.....Stefan....turned off his humanity...I need to be able to protect myself"

"I think Diana would be better suited to deciding this" Alaric admits.

"I don't need her permission" Elena scolds.

"No, but I don't want to be yelled at because I agreed to this without talking to her" Alaric argues.

"Then where is she?" Elena asks him.

"She should be back later today" Alaric answers. "She and Derek went for some R and R...."

"She left?" Elena scolds slightly.

"I know you have a lot going on, but so does Diana" he argues. "She's pregnant, Elena...that's hard on anybody, even a demigoddess. I want to kill Klaus, as much, if not more, than all of you" Alaric steps closer to her. "He violated and tortured the woman that I love" Elena looks down. "Do you know she is still affected by what he did to her?"

"She never said"

"Of course she didn't" Alaric agrees. "She barely talks about it with me" He adds. "But nights when she wakes in a cold sweat, or nights when she is crying in the bathroom thinking that I don't know it's happening...." Elena looks at him sadly. "I know why....and believe me, I get it, and he will pay for it, hopefully painfully....but cut her some slack, give her a day to relax and rest with her best friend" Elena nods a little. He then sighs. "I will teach you to use the air compressed stake" He adds. "But if you want more...I think Diana would be better suited to teach you, she's had more training, she's the better fighter" Elena nods in thanks.

..........

Later, Elena's training on a training mannequin in the weapons room, the walls are literally lined with weaponry, Diana's bows, her guns, even a sniper rifle, rows of daggers and knives, Elena had no idea Diana had this much....stuff. Alaric shows her how to stake a vampire with a sleeve and two stakes in it.

"So the pressure of your punch ejects the stakes," Alaric explains.

"Easy enough." She tries but the stakes stay in the sleeve. "That's weird." She tries again but it doesn't work. "Must be jammed or something."

"You're not strong enough. Better start lifting some weights, put some meat on your bones." Diana teases leaning in the doorway, Elena and Alaric look at her. Alaric smiling softly.

"You're back" Elena states happily and runs to her, Diana hugs her tightly, Diana waves softly at Alaric behind Elena's back, he waves back at her. Diana takes a breath.

"What's with the....training?" Diana asks pulling back from Elena.

"I asked Ric to give me a few tips, it's not a big deal" Elena answers. Diana gives her a look and then presses Elena's forehead.

"Try again or I look" Diana warns.

"Klaus is back in town," Alaric tells her, Diana snaps her head around.

"I thought you were going to call me if anything happened"

"I did" Alaric reminds her. "As soon as she told me...I called you" Diana sighs a little and nods, she looks up at him.

"Hey" he smiles at her.

"Hey" he counters and leans closer to kiss her. She hums and then pulls back. She moves to a box on one of the worktops in the room and picks up a grenade. She holds it up, showing it to Elena.

"You know what this is?" Diana asks her.

"A vervain grenade. I've used one before." Elena tells her, Diana hums a little and turns the grenade around in her hand.

"Then you know the element of surprise is your only advantage when it comes to a vampire," Alaric adds and takes the grenade, he and Diana share a look, she nods. He pulls the pin out of the grenade and throws it in Elena's hand. "Surprise."

"Oh my god." Elena throws it out the open window and watches it explode. "This isn't a joke to me, guys" Elena scolds them as she angrily pulls off her sleeve.

"You think I'm joking?" Alaric asks her. "Vampires will take whatever they want. They will hurt whoever they want. And they'll do it without remorse. It's their nature."

"You don't have to use pronouns. You can say Stefan." Elena counters.

"Look, I get why you're here. Stefan hurt you. You don't want it to happen again."

"But you think that I'm crazy. To believe that I can protect myself from a vampire who's flipped the switch on his humanity." Elena offers, Diana takes a breath and picks up the sleeve.

"I think you found a way to get out of bed this morning," Diana tells Elena who glances at her. "And that makes you the strongest person I know." Elena softens a little. "I think that you can do pretty much anything." She holds the sleeve out to Elena. They share a look, Elena nods and pulls the sleeve back on. "Now....what the hell happened?" Elena sighs and pulls Diana's hand up and presses her fingers to her forehead.

"It's probably a lot easier if you just look" Elena answers, Diana frowns and then closes her eyes as she searches Elena's memories, going through the events of the night before. Klaus turning up at prank night. Klaus using Stefan as a weapon against Elena. Klaus' sister, Rebekah turning up. Tyler. Bonnie. She sees it all through Elena's eyes. Diana pulls her hand back and touches Elena's neck where Stefan's bite is.

"There are three of them?" Diana asks her, Elena nods. "Shit" Elena nods again in agreement. "Okay" Alaric and Elena frown at her. "We'll figure it out" She assures them both. "We were so close to beating Klaus before" She adds. "If Elijah hadn't betrayed us, we would have had him....we just need to find their weak spot"

"I'm so glad you're back" Elena admits, Diana smirks at her. "I could have really used your help last night....and I know you're still mad about Chicago..."

"I'm not" Diana corrects. "Totally zen right now" Elena raises an eyebrow. "I will help...But nothing physical" Diana tells her. "I can't do that anymore, not until..." She touches her bump, implying the birth of her children. "I'm on research from now on...and training" Elena nods. "There are some small weights in the cupboard upstairs...start with them."

"Thank you" Elena whispers to her and then leaves the room. Diana turns to Alaric.

"Research?" Alaric asks her.

"Deep tissue massage" she offers. "Really got me to thinking...." She touches his chest over his heart and he covers her hand with his. "You and me...and tweedle dee and dum...I have to protect that...and if that means I have to take a step back, for now....then...okay" He touches her cheek. "I'm going to be smart about this...so I'm going to teach you how to wield my bow..." Alaric frowns. "And the lasso"

"Diana..." He starts. "Zeus gave that to you...."

"So I get to chose how I use it...." She counters and gives him a look. "If I can't wield it right now...someone should...and I rather it be you, rather it be someone I trust implicitly" He smiles at her and leans closer to kiss her.