Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Elena and Stefan arrive back at the Gilbert house, they both enter but Stefan grabs Elena's arm. He signals for her to stay and moves into the house. He goes into the kitchen and sees the shards of ceramic and blood on the floor. Elena closes the front door and Alaric comes downstairs, wrapping a towel around his hand and looking cheerful.

"Hey there." Alaric greets.

"Hi. Where's Diana?" Elena asks him.

"Oh, Meredith called her" Alaric answers. "Wanted to meet up for some dinner, but she'll be back later." Elena nods and looks at Alaric's hand.

"What happened?"

"Oh, I...I broke a coffee cup and sliced my hand open trying to pick up the pieces. Did Stefan catch up with you?"

"No" Elena lies. Alaric takes another step down the stairs.

"Did you get my ring?"

"I couldn't find it." Alaric comes down the stairs.

"Yeah, the apartment is still a bit of a disaster. I guess I'll just have to go get it." Alaric looks down at the bloodstained knife lying on the floor. Elena looks down at it too then back up at Alaric, who is staring at her. Alaric is about to go for the knife, when Stefan grabs him from behind and puts him in a sleeper hold.

"Don't hurt him!" Elena warns.

"I'm trying not to." Alaric passes out. Stefan lays him down on the floor. He seems to hear something and stands up. He looks up the stairs. "Elena, I need you to come upstairs with me." Stefan moves towards the stairs.

"Why?" Elena asks him.

"I'm gonna need your help." He admits.

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

Stefan and Elena hurry up the stairs together. Stefan breaks the bathroom door open. Diana is sitting on the floor with blood all over her. Elena flips on the light and rushes over to Diana.

"Di!" Elena states with alarm. Stefan's face starts to change and Elena looks at him. Suddenly, Stefan's face becomes normal again. He bites his wrist and gets down next to Diana to feed her his blood. "You're gonna be okay." Elena tells Diana softly as she strokes her hair. Stefan gets up and stumbles out of the bathroom. Elena stays with Diana.

...........

The next morning, Alaric is asleep in a bed. Damon is sitting in a chair next to him when he wakes up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alaric asks when he notices him.

Damon: Just making sure the witch didn't turn you into a toad or a block of salt. Bonnie did a little spell, it's nothing to worry about, it's just something to keep the killer in you at bay." Damon answers. Alaric flexes his injured left hand and looks at it.

"Did something happen?"

"Let's just say you've got an alter ego hell-bent on killing Council members. So we're gonna go to the apartment, just for a little bit. You know it's like house arrest. Polite."

"Wait, where's Diana?" He asks, Damon looks away from him.

"She'll be fine, Ric." Damon offers quietly.

"Damon" Alaric warns. "Did I...?" he starts. "Did she do this?" he asks touching his hand. Damon nods. "Did she have to?"

"Yep" Damon answers.

"Damon..."

"She's fine, Ric" Damon assures him. "You can call her later..." Alaric nods a little.

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

Down in the kitchen, Elena is doing dishes when Bonnie enters.

"Hey" Bonnie greets. Elena turns around. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Elena answers.

"Abby says that all the dying and coming back to life might have chipped away at Alaric's psyche, making it easier for the darkness to take hold" Bonnie holds up a glass container full of dry herbs. "These herbs are the binding element of the spell. He needs to take them twice a day." Elena goes over and picks up the container.

"I'll get you more. Abby and I are gonna work on the garden."

"How is she doing?" Elena asks.

"The transition's been hard, but I think she'll be okay. Eventually. I'm gonna go back and stay with her for a while. It'll give us a chance to work things through." Elena puts down the container and starts to tear up.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, I - I didn't – I didn't want this to happen. If there was anything that I could do to make it different, I..." Bonnie embraces Elena.

"I know."

"Please say that you forgive me."

"Of course I do." Bonnie pulls back. "How's Diana?"

"Still at the hospital" Elena answers. "Derek's with her...Meredith just wanted to make sure everything with the babies is okay, with her being so close to...popping"

"You know he would never have..."

"I know" Elena stops her. "It's fine, she's fine...so" Elena shrugs and looks at the stairs.

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

Diana is resting in a hospital bed, she does not look at all happy with the situation. Derek sits in the chair at her side.

"This is ridiculous" Diana complains, Derek shoots her a look.

"It's for the babies" he counters, she groans and sets her head back against the pillow. She can sit and be good in the hospital if she has to, for the babies.

"How is he?" She asks, Derek hums a little and shrugs.

"Still sleeping last I checked in" He answers. "So shocker about Stefan, huh? Saving your life?" Diana shrugs a little.

"Maybe Damon was right" She offers. "Maybe their humanity is more of a dimmer then a switch"

"Whatever the reason, you're alive and that's all that matters" Derek leans forward and takes her hand. "When Elena called..." she gives him a small smile.

"I'm okay" she assures him, he nods. Meredith walks into the hospital room and glances at them both. "Well?" Diana asks her. Meredith nods.

"They're both just fine" Meredith assures Diana. "It wasn't deep enough to do any damage" Diana lets out a breath and closes her eyes. "And Stefan's blood healed you up nicely. You're going to be fine"

"I can go home then?" Diana asks. Meredith sighs a little.

"Diana, you're due date is literally around the corner" Meredith warns her. "I'm talking within the week...you need to be more careful, you need to be on bed rest. As your doctor, I am suggesting that you stay here in the hospital" Meredith offers. "There is a private room available..."

"No" Diana argues. "I'm not staying here, not going to be stuck here when the people around me need me"

"Diana" Derek whispers. "Maybe you should...." Diana shoots him a look and he stops talking. He looks at Meredith and shrugs a little.