Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Later; Diana is sitting next to Alaric's body, waiting for him to wake up again, she chews on her thumbnail to try and calm her nerves but it does nothing. Elena walks up the stairs and kneels down next to Diana.

"He's still out?" Elena asks her, Diana nods.

"Will you stay with me? Until he wakes up?" Diana asks Elena.

"Of course I will, Di" Elena assures her as she shits so she is sat next to her sister. Diana begins to cry, her head buried in her hands. Elena starts crying too, seeing her sister in this much pain. Elena touches her arm and then hugs Diana tightly.

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

Elena is on the phone with Liz Forbes.

"I looked into it, Elena. Meredith Fell was called into surgery six hours ago. She's been in there ever since." Liz points out.

"She has an alibi?" Elena asks as she looks at Diana with Alaric.

"Iron-tight in an operating room full of witnesses."

"Then who could it be?" Elena counters.

"I don't know. But the attack on Alaric makes this the third member of the Founders' Council and we just cleared our only suspect. You need to keep an eye on Diana" Liz adds. "She's on the council too" Elena nods. Alaric wakes up and starts coughing, Diana lets out a breath with a sob and clutches to him. Elena hangs up her phone and moves closer to them as Alaric wraps his arms around Diana.

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

Diana sleeps curled up in one of the hospital chairs next to Alaric's bed, his eyes watch her sadly, hates that he is putting her through this.

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

The next morning, Elena, Derek, Stefan, and Damon are in the Gilbert kitchen when Diana walks in to join them.

"Hey" Derek hugs Diana tightly, she wraps her arms around her, finding comfort in her best friend. "How is he?" Derek asks when he pulls back, Diana shrugs a little and looks around.

"You're busy" She whispers. "I should go..."

"No" Elena stops her. "No, it's okay, stay...." Diana glances at her. "I'm just filling them in about the coffin, the sealed one"

"Oh," Diana whispers and runs her fingers through her hair.

"You were right," Elena tells her. "About it being a person and not a thing" Diana raises an eyebrow. "It was their mother, Esther"

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan asks her.

"What? How is she even alive? Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago." Damon adds.

"I don't know. I'm guessing she has a couple of connections in the witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus."

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Diana points out.

"Well, not anymore...at least not according to Elijah," Elena argues.

"That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds," Stefan adds.

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" Damon asks them.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us." The doorbell rings. "I believe him," Elena admits as she leaves the room to answer the door.

"Why does Klaus get a happily ever after?" Diana asks, Derek looks at her.

"Don't do anything stupid" he warns her.