Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Eighteen

Klaus is standing next to Connor who is still chained to the torture device. Connor groans in pain. Klaus smirks mockingly at him.

"You feeling alright, mate? Are the shackles too tight? Welcome home, sister." He turns his head and looks at Rebekah and Stefan who enter the room.

"Is this a trick? How do you know he's one of the Five? Where's his bloody tattoo?" Rebekah asks.

"Oh, the tattoos aren't visible on this lot like they were on the last. But thanks to my new friend...I know he has them" Klaus points out. "Let's eat." Klaus walks out of the room and into another. Rebekah follows to see Diana. Diana waves her fingers at Rebekah from where she sits waiting for them.

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

Stefan, Rebekah, Diana, and Klaus are now all sitting around a table. A pretty girl is serving them food. Diana strokes the cover of her book as she plans in her head, adjusting her Cure plan to fit the changing situation. There has to be a reason Klaus needs Rebekah involved in this. Something she has or knows where something is that is needed. She knows the tattoos are the key but they're images, perhaps something like a translator. Or a codex. Or something like that. She guesses that's her new mission, find out whatever it is that Klaus needs.

"Thank you, my lovely," Klaus tells the serving girl, the girl walks off and Klaus turns to Diana. "I could kiss you for burning up all the vervain in town," Klaus tells Diana who turns a glare on him. "You've made my life so much easier." Klaus then turns to Rebekah. "Rebekah, love, eat your veggies."

"I'm not eating until you apologize," Rebekah argues.

"For which indiscretion? There have been so many."

"You broke my neck."

"You threw away Elena's blood so I can't make any more hybrids."

"Because you took me for granted."

"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart!"

"Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be having dinner with right now," Stefan comments flatly.

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry. I often forget how delicate you are. Forgive me?" Klaus asks Rebekah.

"I'll take it under consideration." Rebekah offers.

"Okay, good. Now, why don't you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?" Stefan asks.

"Right, Alexander. Nice chap foregoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings." Klaus explains.

"So, that's what this is about? A weapon?" Stefan asks

"Not just any weapon." Rebekah counters.

"Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story." Klaus scolds her.

"How is a weapon the answer to all my prayers?" Stefan asks. Rebekah and Klaus look at each other, but don't say anything. Stefan glances at Diana who wiggles her eyebrows a little.

"Okay. Why don't we just skip with the theatrics and get right to the point?"

"Not quite yet, because in order to find this weapon, we need to solve the puzzle. Which seems to have disappeared." Klaus complains.

"What puzzle?" Stefan asks, Klaus raises an eyebrow. Diana sighs.

"The tattoo." Diana points out.

"What is it?" Stefan asks her.

"A map" She answers.

"Leading us to its treasure," Klaus adds.

"Fat lot of good a tattoo's gonna do, if we can't see it," Rebekah complains.

"We can't, but she can" Klaus motions at Diana.

"And you want me to what?" Diana asks him.

"Draw them," Klaus tells her, Diana smirks.

"I can't draw" She admits with a shrug. Stefan and Diana know that's a lie, but she's not wanting Klaus to have the map. He turns to a girl behind them.

"Why don't you tell the hybrid to bring him in, love?" The girl walks out of the room. "You will draw the tattoos," Klaus tells Diana who clenches her jaw. "Because see...I kind of figured that you would only help as long as there was something in it for you, clearly you want the map" Diana raises an eyebrow at him. "But you do not want me to have it...so I can assume you know exactly what it leads to..." Rebekah looks at Diana. "And you know more than you are sharing...And you see, the hunter was so eager to get to the bottom of his mystery tattoos that he mentioned there are only two people that can see the tattoos...You....and..." The hybrid walks back into the room. He has Jeremy in his grasp. Stefan super speeds out of his chair towards Jeremy. Klaus rushes past Stefan and stands between him and Jeremy. Klaus looks at Diana. "Your baby brother"

"You're overreaching" Stefan points out. "Diana doesn't care about Jeremy anymore"

"I think she does" Klaus counters. Diana stands from her chair and moves towards Klaus.

"I'm not helping you with anything," Diana tells Klaus. The hybrid grabs Jeremy's hand and takes his ring off. He tosses it to Klaus who catches it. He holds it up for Diana to see.

"Well, then...I guess you are about to lose someone else you love" Klaus tells her, Diana glances at Jeremy who stares at her, his eyes pleading. "It's either you or him" Klaus states. "And I'd much rather it you, given your knowledge base on the Five is far greater....making you the more valuable asset here...."

"I do this and you let Jeremy go...with his ring," She tells Klaus. "And you tell me why you need Rebekah here...." Klaus raises an eyebrow. "You already know that the tattoo is a map, you know what it leads to.....so why do you need her?"

"Smart little thing" Rebekah comments with a smirk. "I think I actually rather like her..."

"Easy with this one, sister" Klaus warns. "Her bite is just as bad as her bark...." Klaus then holds out his hand to Diana. "Deal" he offers, she glares at his hand before taking it.