Book Three: Ineffable (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Derek knocks on Alaric and Diana's front door and waits. The door opens to reveal Damon on the other side. Damon lets out a breath.

"Oh, it's you" Damon comments. "Thought Elena had come back to try again"

"I just came over to grab a bag for Diana" Derek admits as he steps into the apartment. Alaric grabs a packed bag from the couch and moves towards him.

"Here" Alaric hands over a bag. "I urm...I put a couple of my shirts in there, she likes to sleep in them...but tell her...you know, after what happened...she doesn't have to wear them" He rambles a little.

"Thanks" Derek takes the bag from him.

"How is she?" Alaric asks Derek who nods.

"She's okay" Derek assures him. "She misses you, but she gets it...she knows she has to stay away for now"

"What did Meredith say?" Alaric counters.

"They're fine" Derek answers. "They're all fine. Meredith actually tried to order Diana to bed rest"

"Bet she didn't take that well" Damon teases.

"No...she did not..." Derek agrees. "Look...Whatever it is that you're planning, hurry up and get it over with...Meredith is pretty sure Diana is going to give birth within the week, so..let's wrap this all up nice and neat with a bow on so we can celebrate properly...seen as we all missed out on the wedding" Alaric shoots him a look.

"None of you are ever going to let us forget that" Alaric mumbles. "Will you tell Diana....that I'm sorry about what happened......that I love her?" He asks Derek.

"Sure...but she knows" Derek assures him. "This is just a blip....everything will be okay" Alaric gives him a small nod. Derek then leaves closing the apartment door behind him.

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

In the woods, Caroline and Elena are walking through the trees.

"Alaric Saltzman killed my father?" Caroline asks her.

"I can't expect you to be okay with this. But at least these herbs that Bonnie's giving him, they're healing him and they're keeping the dark side buried."

"Yeah, and that's supposed to make everything okay?" Elena grabs Caroline's arm and Caroline faces her. Caroline is teary-eyed.

"No, Caroline, it's not okay. It's horrible and I feel horrible about it, but he's a victim of something supernatural, he didn't ask for this, it just happened to him. Just like Bonnie's mom, I mean, she didn't ask to become a vampire. And neither did Stefan or Tyler."

"Or me" Caroline adds.

"Or you" Elena agrees. "None of you asked for this, but who would I be if I just turned my back on any of you?" Caroline moves to Elena's side and wraps her arm around her shoulders. They start to walk off.

"Oh, Elena Gilbert, savior of the cursed and the damned." Caroline teases a little. Matt walks towards them. Matt appears with Derek.

"Hey. What's with the cryptic secret meeting text?" Matt asks them.

"I don't know. Stefan just said to meet here." Elena answers. Stefan and Damon show up.

"Where's Bonnie?" Stefan asks them, Caroline and Elena turn around. "I texted her too."

"Um, Bonnie's mom bailed on her. Again. So, I think we should leave her out of this one." Caroline admits.

"What are we doing here?" Derek asks Stefan and Damon.

"We found some more white oak," Damon admits, they all stare at him. "Long story, wait for the movie."

"Hang on. White oak? You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?" Elena asks.

"Nope. We all have a weapon." Stefan admits, then throws down a duffel bag with white oak stakes in it.

..........

At the Grill, Finn and Sage are sitting at a table together.

"You've never had tequila before?" Sage asks Finn.

"Mm-mm." Sage pours salt on Finn's wrist. Sage licks the salt off her wrist and shoots the tequila. Finn does the same. Stefan is sitting at the bar, listening to them. "Happy now?" Sage hands him a lime and he sucks on it. "I'm truly awed by the evolution of mankind." Sage laughs. A man approaches their table.

"Hey, Sage."

"Hey, Troy." Troy nods at Finn and leaves.

"You know him?" Finn asks.

"I turned him."

"You turned him? Why?"

"Because I'm in enemy territory. When your brother and sister called, I thought I might need a little back up. You can't trust anyone here." Matt walks up to their table. Sage grabs his wrist. "Two more tequilas?" She orders.

"Yeah, cool, I'll let your waitress know." Stefan is still at the bar. He pushes a tiny bottle of vervain to his side, which Matt grabs along with a coffee cup.

"How many people have you turned?" Finn asks Sage.

"I don't know. A lot. Don't judge me, Finn, you turned me."

"Exactly Sage, I turned you. My passion overtook my morals."

"My passions overtake my morals on a daily basis. It's called living life to the fullest." The waitress places two tequila shots on Finn and Sage's table. "Finally." Stefan gets up from the bar and leaves. "Oh, thanks." Sage raises her shot glass. "To living life to the fullest." Finn raises his shot glass and clinks it against hers.

"To living life." Sage laughs and they drink their shots. Suddenly, they spit them back up and start choking.

"Oh, what the hell?"

"Vervain." Finn answers, he turns his head and he and Sage see Stefan leaving. Stefan stops and stares at them, then walks out the door. Sage and Finn get up and go after him.

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

Outside the Grill, Stefan hides around the corner. Finn and Sage exit the Grill. Stefan goes to stab Finn, but Sage grabs him and throws him down on the ground. The stake falls down the stairs.

"Finn, the stake!" Finn runs down the stairs to grab the stake. Finn is about to grab the stake, when Diana and Derek burst out a back door. Diana shoots Finn in the stomach with her bow and Derek comes in and stabs him with another stake, directly in the heart. "No!" Sage rushes down the stairs to Finn's side. Derek and Diana go back into the building and close the door behind them. Sage cries as she watches Finn die and strokes his face. Stefan looks down from the top of the stairs and then leaves.

........

Stefan stands in front of Diana who shrugs, not at all sorry for getting involved. Stefan looks at Derek who looks away from him.

"I'm not about to apologize," Diana tells Stefan. "I'm not a substitute player" she then walks away, Derek shrugs and follows after her.