Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Diana is going through the weapons room with a check list, she wants to be sure, she has to make sure that nothing else is missing. Alaric enters the room and sets down the weapons they had stashed in his car, Damon's car, and her jeep.

"Everything is there" He assures her, she lets out a breath and nods. Elena lets herself into the apartment and joins the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks them.

"Taking inventory. Did you bring it?" Diana counters.

"You mean, did I steal evidence from a crime scene? Yes." Elena gives Diana the knife that killed Bill, wrapped in a cloth. Diana unwraps it and looks at it.

"You're right. This is one of mine" Diana admits sadly. "It was taped to the underside of the dining table" She points out and looks at Alaric. "Which means Meredith knew where it was."

"That doesn't mean she stole it." Alaric counters. She moves to the table in where Alaric set the weapons from their cars.

"This is from my jeep. These are from the duffel in Damon's car." She points out as she goes through the stakes in the bags.

"Identical to the one that killed Brian Walters." Elena states, Diana nods.

"Damon's car was at the Wickery Bridge fundraiser. So was Meredith. And that was the night her ex-boyfriend, the medical examiner, was killed. The one who called her psycho." Diana admits.

"Well, she was trying to save Bill Forbes, why would she turn around and try to kill him?" Alaric asks her. He doesn't want it to be Meredith, Diana has already been through so much with her family.

"I don't know what to think either. You know, but...we'd be idiots to ignore all these facts." Diana points out.

"So what should we do?" Elena asks them, Diana picks up the knife.

"Well...Get this to the police. Then you should probably be with Caroline."

"I'm sorry, Diana" Elena tells her, Diana nods. "Please be careful" Elena begs of her as she takes the knife back from her, she turns to Alaric who nods. He will look after her. Elena then leaves. Diana runs her fingers through her hair and lets out a breath as she closes her eyes before she opens them again.

"I have to meet Tyler" She whispers. "Can you...?"

"I'll tidy them up" He assures her, his fingers brushing over her cheek. "We'll figure it out" he promises her. She nods a little.

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

Later; Diana climbs out of her jeep as Elena climbs out of her car. They share a look. Elena giving her a sad smile as she walks towards her.

"How's Caroline?" Diana asks, Elena shrugs a little. "What about you?" Diana corrects, Elena lets out a breath.

"I don't know" Elena admits, Diana wraps her arm around Elena's shoulder and Elena leans into her side. "We've all lost a lot." Elena tells her.

"It's this town, it's messed up." Diana points out. "None of us should have to live this way." They walk into the apartment building together.

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

Diana unlocks the apartment and she and Elena walk in together. It's pitch black inside. Elena tries to turn on the lights, but they don't come on. She looks at Diana.

"That's weird." Elena comments. Diana shrugs a little.

"Electricity must be out." Diana offers as she walks into the kitchen. Diana opens a cupboard and grabs two flashlights, she hands one to Elena.

"Here" Elena takes it from Diana, they both turn on their flashlights. "There should be some candles over in one of these cupboards too" Diana adds and walks over to the other side of the kitchen and sees a puddle of blood. "Gods!" Elena hurries over to her.

"What the hell?" Elena asks her. Diana moves her flashlight beam into the rest of the room. They see bloody hand-prints on the wall. Elena and Diana grab knives from the kitchen.

"Elena" Diana points out, they share a look and then follow the bloody footprints out of the kitchen. They go up the stairs, there are more bloody hand-prints on the wall. Diana gets to the top of the stairs and looks around. She sees Alaric lying in a doorway with a knife through his stomach. She gasps and rushes over to him. Elena is right behind her. "Ric!" She falls to her knees at his side, her hand hovering over the knife. Diana goes to pull the knife out but Alaric screams. Elena stops her.

"No, leave it in! Leave it in! He's lost too much blood. I'm gonna call 911." Elena pulls out her cell phone and shifts away from the pair. Diana grabs Alaric's face and looks at him.

"Ric, look at me." Diana begs, his eyes shift to her. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't know." He answers her.

"There's a lot of blood" Diana points out. "Elena"

"I know, I know, Di. I know." Elena whispers.

"You have to kill me." Alaric tells Diana.

"What?" Diana asks him.

"Diana, you-you have to kill me." He points out, she stares at him, he nods. She grabs his hand and sees he's still wearing the ring.

"Wait, wait, wait, Elena, hang up, hang up." Elena hands up and moves closer to them. "He's right. If he dies a supernatural death, then he'll come back to life and he'll be healed."

"But, how do you know who did this is supernatural?

"That's what he's saying, we don't but...I'm a demi" She takes the knife she grabbed from the kitchen. "That makes me supernatural."

"Diana! No, this is messed up!" Elena scolds her.

"He's dying, Elena!" Diana counters, her voice breaking, they share a look. "I have to" Diana then turns and stabs Alaric in the chest, killing him.