Book Four: Solitude (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Diana does get the whole day to herself with the twins, which in her life, is actually nothing short of a miracle. Then before she has even given them their morning feed her phone is going. Jeremy. This leads to her calling Derek to look after the twins whilst she runs to her brother's aid. And ends with her sitting on Jeremy's bed, a notebook in her hand as Jeremy is getting ready for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant in the bathroom.

"How do you wake up with a knife in your hand and not remember how it got there?" She asks him. "It's that hunter's mark, Jer. It's messing with you." Jeremy leaves the bathroom and looks at her.

"What if I'm turning into Alaric?" He asks her, her features sadden slightly. "I've probably died too many times with this ring on my finger and I'm developing an alter ego like he did." Diana shakes her head.

"No" She argues as she opens the notebook and reads aloud from a page. "Newly awakened hunters may not be fully conscious of their actions. Their sub-conscious pushes through until the urge becomes a basic instinct." She sets the notebook down on the bed and gets up. "You're not having a psychotic break, Jer. It's your body, mind, and soul adjusting to your new reality....it's going to take some adjustment, but we'll figure this out" He smiles softly at her. Diana's phone beeps. She's received a message from Stefan which reads 'Meet in Lockwood Cellar. Bring Jeremy. Don't tell anyone.' Diana raises an eyebrow and holds the phone out to Jeremy.

"Let's go" He tells her.

...........

Diana's jeep stops close to the old Lockwood Cellar, she cuts the engine and takes a breath.

"I'm sorry I pulled you away from the twins" Jeremy tells her from the passenger seat.

"It's okay, Derek is with them" She assures Jeremy. "You're my brother, this is important" He nods a little.

"I just don't want you to miss out"

"They're four weeks old, Jer, they poop, eat, and sleep...that is the extent of their day" He smiles a little. "I can take a few hours for you"

"Are you sure?" He asks her, she nods.

"You're important too, and this" She reaches over and takes his tattooed hand. "This is important....come on" She climbs out the truck and Jeremy follows her.

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

Diana and Jeremy walk down the steps and into the cellar. He stops in the doorway and looks at Stefan, who has walked over towards them.

"What are we doing here?" Diana asks him.

"Klaus contacted me yesterday" Stefan answers. "He wants us to complete the map"

"Klaus figured it out" Diana points out. Stefan nods.

"Figured what out?" Jeremy asks, Diana looks at him. "That I now have the tattoo?"

"Who else did you tell?" Diana asks.

"Matt, but..."

"No, Matt wouldn't have told, but maybe one of Klaus' hybrids overheard, told him" She counters. "So why are we here?" Stefan nods for them to follow him before heading deeper into the cellar. Diana and Jeremy follow after him. Further in there is a man chained up against the wall.

"Who is that?" Jeremy asks.

"Oh, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you're a vampire hunter and he's a vampire." Stefan answers and then pulls out a knife. "Well, almost." He opens the blade, grabs Jeremy's wrist, and cuts it. Jeremy yells. Diana steps forward to help before stopping, sensing that this is going somewhere. Stefan drags him by the wrist over to the murderer and makes him drink Jeremy's blood. After a few seconds, Stefan releases him and Jeremy backs away. The murderer's eyes have changed into that of a hungry vampire. Stefan pulls out a wooden stake and holds it out for Jeremy to take.

"What is this? All so I can stake him?" Jeremy asks.

"You think I want to do this, Jeremy? Look at me, I hate this, I don't want to do this. But your sister isn't supposed to be a vampire and we need to help her. Now, he's a murderer and he will gladly kill again, so do it, Jeremy. Kill him." Stefan forces the stake into Jeremy's hand and then walks over to the man. He breaks the chains from the ground and picks them up, holding the man by the chains like a horse. He slowly walks the murderer over towards Jeremy.

"Stefan, what are you doing?! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Jeremy scolds him.

"Do it, Jeremy or I will rip the chains off for real! Do it!" Stefan snaps, Jeremy looks at Diana, she sighs and steps closer.

"The only way to find the cure, is to follow the map..." she looks at him. "We have to complete the map" She whispers. Jeremy nods a little then thrusts the stake into the man's heart. Stefan drops the chains on the floor. The man keels over and Jeremy stabs the stake through the man's back over and over again. "All right, enough. He's dead." Diana scolds slightly. Jeremy is breathing hard. He rips the stake out of the man's back and stares at Stefan. "I'll wait at the jeep" Diana tells Jeremy who nods, Diana glances between him and Stefan and then leaves them alone. She knows she probably shouldn't but right now, Stefan is more on Klaus' side than she is.