Here is a new TSC story based on the books and an odd pairing-Nick and Diana. I was re-reading The Power and this story kind of came to me.

Hope you like it!

I don't own The Secret Circle

Xoxo H

It was a few weeks after the Circle had defeated Black John at Number 13 and that Diana had let Adam go. She tried not to be too upset, as a connection between Adam and Cassie is rare and she would not deny them their one true love even if it meant she would be heartbroken. Diana was a lot tougher than the group knew; she did a great job hiding her heartache behind kind words and a soft smile. She knew that this was what best for everyone else except for maybe Nick, who was also heartbroken over Cassie, though he never faltered on his cool, nothing-can-hurt-me façade but Diana saw through that. She could see the pain behind his deep, mahogany eyes though she would never approach him on it. It was hard enough to get Nick to participate in Circle business in the first place that she wouldn't dare put him on the spot.

As Diana sat on the beach, alone in thought, she remembered the night of the hurricane. The night the Circle came together and saved their little town of New Salem and the moment that she heard Adam whisper to Cassie "I love you". She remembered the day so clearly, it was the day after they won the fight and the group had gathered together and Diana had given Adam and Cassie her blessing. When Adam and Cassie linked hands and the silver chord appeared, Diana glanced towards the rock wall where Nick was sitting, puffing on a cigarette and she saw his head go down. If she didn't know any better she would swear that she literally saw his heart sink. There was a part of her that wanted to go to him that day. To tell him that it was OK that she felt the same way but she thought against it.

Diana felt bad for not telling Cassie that the chord was real right away when Cassie had said that her and Nick were going to try to be together. Maybe if Diana had opened her mouth, it would have spared everyone the pain for which Diana felt responsible, especially Nick's. She wanted to make up for that but she didn't know how. Her and Nick were never great friends, though he respected her as a leader and she knew that he had something special inside of him. She also knew not to push him, though she could really use a friend that could understand her at that moment, she wasn't sure that was what Nick needed.

Diana was interrupted by her group of friends that were barreling down the beach with coolers and chairs for the bonfire celebration they were going to have for the birthdays that they had missed. They even had invited Sally and the outsiders that believed them to try to keep the peace. When she had the idea to invite the outsiders there were scowls and grumblings from the group until Nick spoke up. "I think it is a great idea. It has been unseasonably warm so we don't have to use magic and it will show that we are not the evil baddies that they seem to think we are" he smiled towards Diana and she smiled back. It was the same as always, when Nick spoke, the group listened and no one went against what he said, to everyone's surprise even Adam was in agreement.

Diana got up and brushed her jeans off and waved as she ran towards her friends. The boys right away started making a fire and Diana helped Cassie set up the chairs and logs around the fire, while Melanie, Laurel, Deborah and Suzan laid out blankets and the food. "How have you been, Cassie?" Diana asked awkwardly. It was odd because before Adam and Cassie, Diana and Cassie spent a lot of time together and she had barely even spoken to her in days. "Pretty good, I know we haven't talked much and I am so sorry for that" Cassie said looking up into Diana's light green eyes. Diana just shrugged "I get it Cassie but I miss you" Diana tried to fight the fear she felt about losing her best friend to the boy they boy loved. "Sleepover. Tomorrow just you and me my house" Cassie smiled and Diana beamed. "I would love that" Diana smiled and Cassie smiled "Me too".

As soon as the fire was roaring they heard voices coming from behind the rocks it was Sally and a small group of friends and Diana swore she heard Nick say "let the games begin" so she shot him a look and he just shrugged.

Everyone said their hellos and Sally placed a portable CD player on the rock wall and cranked the tunes. Diana just watched as her coven mingled with the small group of outsiders and smiled. Her and Nick had been right, this was a great idea. She watched some of the girls dancing goofily with the Henderson twins, Deborah and Sean were talking with one of the guys who was in the AV club about computers and she noticed Cassie and Adam were away from the group sitting on the shoreline kissing and Diana turned away at the pain that hit her heart. She noticed Nick sitting on the rock wall drinking something from a can that she knew wasn't soda and without thinking she went up to him.

"Hey Nick, got any more of those?" Diana asked and Nick looked at her with widened eyes, which meant Nick was shocked and then he relaxed and smiled as he reached down into an ice filled cooler and handed her a can of beer "I didn't know you drank" he said with a wry smile "I usually don't" Diana said as she flipped her blonde hair back and chugged the beer. She tossed the empty can into a garbage bag that was on the ground below the rock wall. Nick looked at her and smiled even wider. "Want another?" he laughed and Diana nodded. "Just pace yourself, I don't want to have to carry you up the bluff" he joked and Diana smiled as she opened the second can. "You can just leave me here and let the tide was me out to sea" she laughed. Nick turned from Diana and noticed what she had seen earlier- Cassie and Adam wrapped up in each other's arms, he turned away and a light bulb went off in his head. He knew what Diana was trying to do- she was trying to forget and he knew from years of experience that chugging beers would never work. "That isn't going to help" he said with coldness in his voice as he noticed how Diana's lips wrapped the edge of the can. "Will anything help?" Diana asked acknowledging that she knew what Nick meant. Nick just shrugged "time, maybe" he said as he sipped his beer a little faster. Diana didn't respond she just sat there with Nick, as they drank beer and watched everyone else from the outside.

After the second beer, Diana was feeling a buzz come on and with that buzz, came a smiley, and silly side of her. She got bold and struck up a conversation with Nick about cars and he was laughing the entire time, as Diana had no idea what she was talking about. She started laughing as well "I am trying to make conversation, Nicholas" she said, her cheeks getting red and Nick nodded. "I appreciate that but I really don't have much to say" he said as his eyes wandered over to Cassie and Adam who were dancing with a group of outsiders. Diana sighed and Nick noticed her green eyes darken with seriousness "I am happy for them, really it's just…." He voice trailed off as Nick handed her a third beer. "It hurts" Nick said finished her sentence for her and chugged the rest of his beer with a pained look "I get it Diana but there isn't anything we can do about it" his voice was distant. Diana nodded, unshed tears glazing over her eyes. "Ah Diana, don't be sad, there is someone out there for you. What about him?" Nick said trying not to laugh as he pointed to a very short, very acne covered outsider who was clamoring for Faye's attention. Diana smirked "as there is for you" she scanned the crowd until her eyes fell upon a chubby girl who resembled Doug Henderson with shaggy blond hair and blue green eyes and she pointed "right there. You are used to the Hendersons so it won't be much of a change" she giggled and let out a small burp and Nick laughed a full on belly laugh. He was surprised at how laid back and funny Diana was. She was very pretty but definitely out of his league. She was good and pure and he was the bad orphaned boy living in a run-down peach house that belonged to his aunt and uncle. He shook his head in disbelief of the thoughts about Diana that were coming to his mind. He figured it was the beer talking so he slowed it down. After that, the conversation between the two of them flowed and Diana was happy that her and Nick were actually becoming friends.