Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Nineteen

A/N - I KNOW IT WAS MASON THAT CAME BACK IN THIS EPISODE, BUT I LIKED THE IDEA THAT IT WAS EVA INSTEAD AND GOING FOR DIANA. AND WITH HER BEING A GHOST, SHE IS BACK IN HER ORIGINAL FORM, SO...IDENTICAL TWINS. 

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Elena and Damon are in his bedroom. She has a small burn mark on the cheek. He has a tube of cream on his hand and wants to treat her.

"Give it to me. I can do it." She scolds him.

"No, let me."

"Damon, come on."

"Elena, you almost got barbecued. The least I can do is apply first aid." He applies the cream on her wound with a swab.

"You played your part of the plan really well tonight." Elena points out, jealousy in her voice.

"Oh, yeah?"

"You had Rebekah drooling all over you and your marshmallows."

"Yeah, before she skewered me. I thought you were too drunk to notice."

"I was faking most of it."

"So was I." They share a look as Alaric walks into the room.

"Ready to get going, Elena?" He asks Elena who nods.

"Great work tonight, Ric. Sorry about the car, man. Bummer." Elena looks at Damon and leaves with Alaric.

........

Downstairs, Alaric and Elena are walking to the front door about to leave.

"It's okay if you want to be friends with Damon again." Elena comments.

"I don't" Alaric counters.

"I think he kind of misses you," Elena admits, Alaric glances at her just as Stefan comes out of the living room.

"Well, you got me tonight. Definitely wasn't expecting that." Stefan tells them.

"That was the point." Alaric points out.

"Yeah. You know, you can hate it all you want, but Elena needs me. I'll always protect her. I think you're both better off having me around." Elena ushers Alaric to go to the door and he starts walking. Elena goes with him. "Elena, wait. You could have let me die in that fire tonight. Why didn't you?"

"Because I still have hope."

"After everything I've done, you...You still think I'll be able to find my humanity again."

"Yes, I do. I know who you really are better than anyone, Stefan. And I'm not giving up."

"Elena, do you have any idea how pathetic that makes you?"

"No, Stefan, it makes me strong." She punches his stomach drives two stakes into it with the sleeve weapon. She takes off the sleeve and gives it to Alaric. He looks at Stefan, smiles, and closes the door behind them as they leave.

..........

Diana is at the apartment putting away a few more of her things, she is still unpacking, she feels like she will be doing it for a very long time, all the stuff she's collected over the years, all the little bits and pieces she needs to find places for. Somebody else is there with her, they break a vase. Diana frowns and looks around but finds nothing. She shakes her head and moves towards the broken vase. She sighs a little. She liked that one. She bends down and starts picking up the pieces of the vase. Somebody hits her hard which sends her flying backward. She falls on the floor and groans a little. Eva appears and steps closer to her. Diana opens her eyes to look up at him.

"This is going to be so much fun," Eva tells her with a manic smirk.

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

"You're staying?" Elena asks when she sees Alaric in Diana's old room, her furniture is still here to be used and tonight he is going to be sleeping at the house to keep an eye on Elena.

"I told Diana I would keep an eye on you tonight" Alaric comments "She's worried, and if I can put her mind at ease....so be it" Elena smiles softly and nods.

"You're not worried about Diana, after tonight?"

"She's strong" Alaric assures her. "Stronger than any of us believe, I think" He admits and shrugs. "She'll be okay" Elena nods a little. "Try and get some sleep" Elena takes a breath and heads to her own room.

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

Later, Diana is now tied to a chair. An iron poker stabbed into her thigh. Eva is watching her from the couch, one leg over the other as she smirks with her chin in her hand.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me," Diana complains as she wakes.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Eva asks her but she doesn't appear to notice her, she wiggles in the chair trying to get free. Eva stands from the couch and moves towards Diana. She rounds Diana and cocks her head before leaning closer to her. "Αδερφή" Eva whispers in Diana's mind, Diana flinches slightly and then frowns.

"Eva" Diana breaths, Eva smirks and plays with Diana's hair. Diana takes a deep breath and concentrates. She lets out a quake, shattering the chains around her, Diana then yanks the iron poker out of her leg with a cry and then stands from the chair, unsteady on her feet. Eva glares at her before she disappears. Diana moves to her cell phone on the coffee table and picks it up. "I need your help" Diana admits when the other end of the phone is picked up. She places her hand over her leg pushing on her wound. She grits her teeth and closes her eyes.

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

The front door to the apartment opens and Damon walks in, his eyes instantly drawn to Diana as she bleeds sat on the floor. Damon frowns at her, she glares back at him.

"What the hell happened to you?" Damon asks her as he shuts the door behind him.

"Just get the first aid kit from the bathroom" She scolds him as she pulls away her hand showing the wound in her leg. He nods and vamp-speeds upstairs before returning with the kit. He kneels at her side.

"I can just give you my blood" he counters.

"Don't want it" She complains. "Just..patch me up, I'll heal in a few hours" She adds, he gives her a look. "Damon" She warns, he sighs and nods, then gets started on wrapping her leg.

"So what happened?" he asks her.

"Eva" She answers, he looks at her. "She's back" she groans as he pulls the bandage tight around her leg.