Return To Mystic Falls

Tough to Impossible

"Look, I'm all for you keeping tabs on him because it's one less thing I have to get done, but you need to be careful, Caroline. A werewolf bite can kill a vampire and it won't be a pretty death." I explain to blondie as she continues to peruse the vegetable aisle. I only agreed to go shopping with her as a way to get away from things for a while. Now, dealing with the inevitable death of the girl my brother loves sounds peaceful compared to the hour we've already spent in this overly crowded supermarket.

Caroline picks up a bag of grapes inspecting them for a minute before placing them back on the shelf, continuing to push her nearly empty cart, "He's going to be chained up. He won't be able to get free. I just feel bad for him. He's really freaking out about this."

"Don't start letting emotions get involved in this. He's dangerous. You aren't supposed to be there for support," I shoot back, beginning to wonder if blondie is really up for Tyler duty. We can't have any of us getting bit right now. "You aren't supposed to be his friend."

Elena's friend rolls her eyes, grabbing a ticket from the red machine sitting on a counter filled with meats, "How's the whole moonstone de-spelling, saving Stefan thing going?"

"Not great," I mumble back, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean against the glass cabinet, "Elena is trapped inside her house so she doesn't fulfill her ridiculously stupid suicide mission. Jeremy and Bonnie might as well be stuck too because we can't just leave her alone. I think Stefan has lost all hope. He's told both Diana and me that this whole mess is on us now. Who knows, maybe he likes being in there with Katherine."

Caroline nods along to my story, only pretending to listen as she begins telling the clerk her laundry list of an order, "How are you and Diana doing?"

"Better than ever," I think of the blonde vampire, left with a kiss and a promise to return home as soon as I could. The taste of cigarettes now lingers on her lips, reminding me of New York and her never-ending love for things that are no good for her. We're closer now, drawn together by our mutual concern. Funny how the threat of her long-lost family blowing into town and killing us all is what it took to get over the fear and mistrust left between us. I love her more than anything. "Look, Caroline, I have to go. Be careful with Tyler. If you need anything, please, call anyone but me."

Diana is stretched over the couch, nose buried in the book I've been trying to finish for the last few months. Soft cotton is draped over her thin frame, a deep crimson offsetting her slightly tanned skin beautifully. Olive green eyes shift from the story to me as I lift her legs, setting them down over my lap. "How was shopping with Caroline?"

"Dreadful," I answer back, snatching the paperback away from Diana, dog-earing the page she is on, an entire chapter ahead of the leather bookmark I use to secure my spot.

The woman in front of me nods her understanding, "And Stefan?"

"Equally dreadful," I let out a long sigh, wishing that anyone else could be handling the situation at hand. "He was less than thrilled about our plan to keep Elena from turning herself over to Klaus."

Diana stands, striding towards the front door, "Well, I'm sure he didn't have any ideas of his own." The vampire laces up black sandals as she talks. "For now, he'll just have to trust that we know what we're doing. I promised Bonnie I'd relieve her of Elena duty at one."

"I'll go with you," I offer, once again getting to my feet. Despite the monotony of fixing all of Stefan's problems, I won't waste an opportunity to spend time with Diana. We're growing closer, things are beginning to feel as they once did. I don't want to lose the momentum. Not to mention I loathe the idea of her spending any more time alone with Jeremy than needed.