STARLIGHT CONFESSIONS

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DINAH DIDN'T EAT AND SHE HARDLY MOVED THE whole day that she waited for her family to get to the house. Over the course of the day, she heard the knocks on her door and soft calls of her name from outside as her friends all tried to check on her. She ignored them all, even Stefan Salvatore. She didn't want to see them, she didn't want to see anyone unless it was her parents. But she knew that wasn't going to happen.

She knew they were just worried about her, but part of Dinah didn't care. Nothing they could do would make her feel better. Her parents were dead, nothing could fix that. She didn't need their comfort, their hugs and soothing words. It wouldn't help.

The hours that followed featured Dinah crying on and off as she lay on the couch, staring at the wall and trying to wrap her head around it all. Sheriff Forbes hadn't told her any details of what had happened to her parents and she hadn't asked, either, too shocked to even think about things like specifics. But as she lay there over the course of the day, she thought about what she had been told a lot. After a few hours, Dinah was sure that her parents had been murdered. She couldn't say for sure and wouldn't know until she got a chance to talk to the Sheriff again — assuming, of course, that she could ever make herself get off the couch — but it was the only conclusion that really made any sense at all.

Dinah watched from the couch the reflections on the walls as the sun passed across the sky and it started to get darker. And in the slowly dimming hours of evening, Dinah heard the front door open. For a moment, she forgot that it was foolish to hope she would sit up and see her parents coming through the door with smiles on their faces. Instead, as the teenager got up and looked over at the front door, it was her Aunt Lucy, Uncle Steven and cousin Selena that she saw.

Dinah jumped up immediately and rushed over to them. They dropped their bags right there at the door and enveloped her in a hug, holding her tightly as she began to cry once more. No one said anything, just simply held her.

"How are you doing, Dinah?" Lucy asked, brushing some hair out of her niece's face.

"It just doesn't feel real," she admitted.

Steven reached for the light switch on the wall next to the door, flicking it back and forth a few times, brow furrowing when none of the lights came on.

"Is there something wrong with the lights?" he asked.

"Oh, uh..." Dinah looked between her uncle, aunt and then cousin. She knew she'd been the one to cause all the lights to burst but she didn't know how much Selena knew about magic. "I think there was some kind of surge in the night. None of the lights work."

"I can fix that," Steven decided.

"Have you eaten today?" Lucy asked. Dinah shook her head. "Alright, why don't you order some pizza first, Steven and I'll take these bags upstairs."

While both adults went in opposite directions, Selena stayed there next to Dinah and hugged her again.

"I'm so sorry about everything," Selena said, still hugging Dinah. "Did they tell you what happened?"

"No, I honestly didn't even think to ask," Dinah admitted, resting her head on her cousin's shoulder. "But... I think there's more to it and the Sheriff is just waiting for me to be ready to hear it."

"When do you think that'll be?"

"Honestly? Probably never."

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THE NEXT NIGHT, DINAH WAS SITTING ON THE ROOF outside her bedroom window, staring at the stars, getting a little bit of peace and quiet. She'd always found solace in the stars, in just staring up at them, finding familiar constellations and making up her own patterns. She couldn't count the number of nights she'd spent on the roof of the Boarding House with Stefan, just laying in each other's company and watching the stars. There was a knock on the window behind her and when Dinah turned to look she saw Selena with a small smile, just poking her head out.

"What are you doing?"

"Just... watching the stars," she admitted, gesturing vaguely at the sky.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure."

Dinah scooted over a little as Selena climbed out the window and then sat down next to her. As it was the beginning of July still, the night air was warm, only a small bite from the occasional cool breeze. Dinah was wrapped up in a hoodie, the one item of clothing she'd hardly taken off. She found comfort in it, though she wasn't sure why.

"Your friend Elena was just here," Selena said.

"Did you tell her I didn't want to talk to anyone?"

"Yeah," Selena admitted sadly. "Just like everyone else that's stopped by to check on you."

"Good. Thank you."

"You shouldn't shut all your friends out, Di," Selena told her. "You shouldn't shut everyone but my parents and me out."

"I don't want to hear the same 'I'm so sorry's over and over again. That's not going to help me or change anything."

"And being alone isn't going to help or change anything either."

"My parents were alone," Dinah said, staring up at the stars.

"What?"

"The night they... That night. They were alone. I'd snuck out to see one of my friends," Dinah clarified. "They probably would have let me go if I asked, they usually did. But sneaking out was more fun. Plus, then I'd get to try and sneak up on Stefan. He's hard to sneak up on."

"I know a couple people like that," Selena said.

"Plus, sneaking into the Boarding House was always so much fun. Have you seen it any time you've been here? The Salvatore Boarding House? Big old house, crazy driveway, huge property around it," Dinah asked.

"I think so," Selena said.

"That's where Stefan lives. Well, Stefan and his brother. His dick of a brother. I... I spent a lot of time there this summer. Well, I spent a lot of time there in general. Stefan and I were always really close and there was this whole thing with him in May that..." Dinah sighed. "That's really complicated but we thought we might never see him again."

"What does this have to do with your parents?" Selena asked.

"They were home when I left and the car was still here when I got back. Whatever happened, it started here. Somehow they got to the town square from here before they— before. Maybe they agreed to go because they thought I was upstairs and were trying to save me. Maybe if I had been here, I could've—"

"Could've what, Dinah?" Selena questioned her. "Gone up against their murderers with your dad's baseball bat?"

Dinah fixed her eyes up at the stars as tears threatened to fall. She'd imagined how things could have gone differently more times than she could count since Sheriff Forbes had first delivered her the news of what had happened. Her dad's old baseball bat hadn't even figured into any of the scenarios she'd thought up. She knew the kind of power she had, if she had been there, between her magic and her mother's... Or if she'd given in to the voices, there was no way that her parents would have died.

But Selena didn't know any of that. And Dinah didn't want to admit just how much more she could have been to blame for what happened to her parents.

"I could've done something," Dinah insisted, turning her tear-filled eyes to Selena. "And then maybe they wouldn't be dead."

"You can't blame yourself for the what if's and could've been's," Selena said. "You can't change the past."

"I snuck out to see my friend and now my parents are dead. Do you still wonder why I don't want to see my friends?"

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THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED THE MURDER OF Thalia and Everett Barnes were anything but calm which was why Dinah took time at night to sit outside and stare at the stars for a brief moment of peace. They had to arrange the funeral, file for Lucy and Steven to take legal custody of Dinah, prepare the house to sell and pack everything in the house they wanted to keep up into boxes, everything else into separate boxes to be donated.

Dinah packed up her room slowly, too many things sparking memories of her parents that she never expected. Going into packing, she thought that the photos of her family and friends she had posted everywhere would be the problem. And then she had a breakdown over one of her t-shirts and that expectation had gone out the window.

Selena was happy to help. She took care of the photos and after comforting her over the t-shirt, she'd taken the item of clothing slowly and packed it away where she couldn't see it. From that point, whenever Dinah stared at an item for too long and looked like she was getting misty-eyed over it, Selena swooped in and took it away gently.

"You'll like Beacon Hills," Selena promised her one day as they packed. Music played softly in the background, a playlist Selena had put on that she said Stiles had made for her. "It's quiet and a little boring, honestly. Perfect place to get away from... everything."

"I believe you," Dinah agreed non-committally.

"And I'm sure all my friends will love you. Especially Scott and Stiles. You remember them from your last visit, right?"

"A little."

"Stiles is a bit of a spaz some days, but he's so sweet once you get to know him. He's always been so protective, and he's such a nerd," Selena gushed. "You'll definitely get along with him once you both spend time together."

"He sounds nice," Dinah said.

"And I still think that you and Scott would be so cute together."

Dinah choked, caught off guard by her cousin's statement. Selena started laughing as Dinah started coughing before turning to look at her. She had really thought Selena had let go of that idea after they'd come back from Beacon Hills the last time.

"I'm serious," Selena continued. "He's... he's like a puppy some days! Scott's genuinely one of the kindest people I've ever met. He always knows how to make us smile or feel better, and he easily gives the best hugs. He wants to be a vet, so sometimes he lets us come into the clinic he works at to see all the cute animals."

"Huh," Dinah said. "Kinda reminds me of someone."

"Who?" Selena asked.

"Doesn't matter," Dinah said dismissively, turning away. "He sounds nice, though."

Selena stood up and crossed over to where Dinah was standing and stood in front of her, giving her a serious look that made Dinah's brow furrow.

"You'll get a fresh start in Beacon Hills, I promise. We'll get you through this and you'll come out stronger."

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an. ha, what? something in part one be happy? I don't think so.