I own nothing but my own words.
Chapter 11: Us Js Stick Together, Right?
He sat, staring up into the night sky, the stars shining brightly overhead.
This was the second time he sought out his mother and she provided this setting for their discussion.
He wondered if it meant anything or was his paranoia causing him to read too much into it?
"My son," she said, "I expected to hear from you much sooner."
Clarke wasn't one to cower anymore, but he felt like he was doing just that. Hiding. He put off seeing her for a week because he was afraid. Much like he feared his father whenever he failed him, he too feared his mother. She never gave him any reason to be afraid of her, but it was ingrained in him from the very beginning with his father.
He didn't want to fail her. He didn't want to disappoint her. And he couldn't take it if she rejected him the same way his father had.
"I'm sorry," he forced himself to say, lowering his head in shame. "You told me to be cautious with my new powers and I wasn't."
"You were only curious," she said. "No damage was done."
He looked up quickly, surprised and relieved as her words definitely lacked the bite of any anger.
"But you see, do you not, what could happen if proper restraint is not exercised?" she asked.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Your Hope has the right way of it," she said. "The only way you will learn to control it is to use it. Just don't be too eager as some things can't be fixed as quickly."
"So, you're not angry?" he asked.
"No," she shook her head with a hint of a smile.
Hearing that, a real answer, he relaxed slightly. She wasn't angry with him. She wasn't going to reject him.
Not yet, anyway.
"Something still bothers you," she stated.
He searched his thoughts, trying to find the best way to explain.
Besides Hope, his mother was the only one he felt free to discuss anything and everything with. So when it came to something he needed to discuss about Hope, his mother was the only one he thought could help. That was the only reason he had braved seeing her after he made a mess with his powers last week.
"I know how important life is," he said. "As my mother, you're the creator of all life, and I'm doing my best to honor that. I know I've killed before, and that I will very likely have to kill again. I won't kill because I want to, but because I have to. If I didn't, others could suffer. But…am I wrong? Should death never be the answer?"
If so, then Hope was right.
"Nothing is truly immortal. All life ends in death," she said. "But life begins again. It's a never ending circle. The mountain lion kills to survive. Is that wrong?"
"No," he said. "So, does that mean Hope is wrong?"
"No," she said, showing amusement for the first time. "It means you disagreed, but neither of you are wrong. You both want to preserve life, just different lives."
He nodded. She made sense. But still…
"That's not the part that is bothering you most though, is it?" she said. "She kept her plans to herself instead of telling you."
"I know she thinks she had a good reason…"
"Talk to her," she said. "That is the greatest advice I can give."
"But…"
"Without communication, how are either of you to know the other's thoughts?" she asked.
How indeed, he thought.
Brrrriiiiingggg.
Students shot up out of their seats to head to their next class.
Josie took her time packing up her books as she nodded at Jade, who hurried to the front of the room to talk to Mrs. Garcia.
She noticed Maya packing her books up slowly while glancing curiously at Jade.
Darn it.
Maya would probably remember that Jade couldn't stand Mrs. Garcia. There was no way she would willingly approach the woman unless she was called up to do so, which meant Josie had to think fast.
"Oh hey, Maya!" Josie said, waving her hand to get her attention.
"Uh, Josie," Maya nodded. "Hey."
Josie picked up her books and approached her. She stood so Maya couldn't look at Jade and Josie at the same time.
Maya waited for the brunette to say something but Josie just stood there smiling at her.
"Did you need something?" Maya asked.
Maya glanced at the front of the room again. Was it her imagination or was Mrs. Garcia smiling at Jade? Jade was smiling at her too. Since she was dating Jade at the time, she knew Mrs. Garcia didn't like Jade's attitude. Jade was pretty good at Spanish, speaking it better than most of the students in the class, so she didn't take kindly to the teacher hammering her down on enunciation. Jade tried to make a joke about it, attempting to create a friendly comradeship with the teacher. Mrs. Garcia wasn't that type of teacher. She preferred to keep her students at a professional level. She saw Jade as very disrespectful. Ever since, Jade did her work and steered clear of the woman.
"Uh, yes!" Josie finally latched onto the only thing they had in common. "My Dad."
"Your Dad?" Maya asked, pulling her gaze away.
"He's still seeing your mom, isn't he?" Josie asked.
Maya shrugged, picking up her books and hugging them to her chest, "I guess. It's not like I see them together much. Not since that night at the Grill."
"Oh yeah, girls' night out," Josie supplied.
"More like, another night of work for me," Maya said.
"Right," Josie said, nodding.
"Well, I have to go," Maya said.
"Right, right," Josie nodded some more. "Go ahead. See you later!"
"Uh," Maya said, confused. "Right."
As Josie watched, Maya walked slowly out of the room, glancing at again Jade and Mrs. Garcia as she went.
She didn't like the way Maya was watching Jade. Maya did know more about Jade than anyone else at the school—like the fact that Jade was a vampire. Josie wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not. At least she had her powers back again though!
Clenching the coin last night, she never felt more relieved than she did when they returned. She immediately siphoned the wall and made her pillows float around her room. She would only be able to practice in secret—no one could know she took her powers back if she wanted to stay under the radar. And she would return the powers safely to their hiding place once Wendy was gone once and for all.
Jade was currently compelling Mrs. Garcia so the teacher would know that her cousin's daughter—Wendy—would be coming to her home after school. That she was to open up her home and her heart to the girl, allowing her to stay in her guest room. Jade also compelled the address from the woman. As soon as this conversation was over, Josie would use the burner phone to pass the location on to Wendy.
In the meantime, there was no way Maya could know what they were up to.
Right?
Jed gripped his phone in his hand tightly before tossing it in the grass, anger and frustration splayed across his face.
"Hey, J," Jade said, bending down to pick up the phone. "What's wrong?"
She tried to hand it to him but he ignored it and stalked to the bleachers. He sat and sprawled back, tossing an arm across his face to cover his eyes from the sun.
Jade sighed. Yet another thing was bothering Jed that he wouldn't open up about. Maybe she should message Josie and tell her to come back to help talk to him. Josie was being paranoid about Maya so she went to keep an eye on her. Jade thought Josie was acting a little crazy—it probably had something to do with her parents reading her the riot act over the Wendy situation—but if Josie wanted to keep an eye on Maya, so be it. She wasn't feeling completely comfortable around Josie at the moment anyway. The animal blood had mostly done its job in hiding the drops of human blood Josie mixed in, but she knew it was there. It was like an extra shot of seasoning that woke her taste buds. She was trying not to think about how much she wanted more. It did its job though—the compulsion on Mrs. Garcia would hold.
"My parents," Jed finally said.
Jade's breath caught. Was he finally going to open up? She slid onto the bleachers next to him and sat quietly, waiting.
"Or rather, my mom," he said. He dropped his arm and sat forward, glaring at the bleachers under his feet. "Spring break is cancelled. At least for me. Again."
"I'm sorry," Jade said cautiously. "If it helps, I'll be there. We can hang?"
"I haven't seen them since last summer," he muttered. "At Christmas, Mom bailed on me. She didn't need to show me off at her business party after all. Or maybe she just decided I wasn't good enough to show off anymore."
She reached out and gently clasped his shoulder in comfort.
He sank against her hand, still looking down. "I wish I could've gone. Instead I stayed and… Alyssa."
He cut off and she let the silence grow until she offered, "Do you want to talk a—"
"We hooked up," he scoffed. "By now I'm pretty sure everyone at the school knows."
"What happened?" she asked softly, knowing whatever it was, he desperately needed to get it off his chest.
"What always happens," he said bitterly. "We messed around before and it was always just that, nothing serious, but I thought since we finally went all the way, that was it. We'd officially be together, you know?"
"But it didn't mean that," she guessed.
"Nope!" he said derisively. "Because just like everybody else I've ever cared about, she didn't want me." He snorted. "The occasional booty howl, sure, but…"
"She's a bitch."
"Yeah, and I knew that," he said. "I just didn't think. Forgot who I was."
"Hey, hey," Jade reached her arm around his shoulder and pulled him into her side. She wanted to punch Alyssa a few times when he sank against her again, clearly needing someone to care about him. "You are wanted right here, J. You're one of my best friends. I may not ever want a booty—what's it?"
"Howl," he snickered.
"That," she laughed. "But you'll always be one of the Js. And us Js stick together, right?"
"Yeah," he said. He pulled away, taking a quick breath. "Thanks, J."
She nodded as he got up and grabbed the soccer ball to resume practicing like nothing had happened.
Sports was his favorite escape, she had already learned that about him. And now she was learning how lonely he truly felt. It made her question further what was causing his rift with Ethan. Jed desperately needed the pack. A wolf needn't worry about ever being alone when they had a pack. But he had opened up enough today so she wouldn't push him any further. He would open up when he was ready. And maybe then she could help him make peace with Ethan and all would be well with the pack and him once again.
But, until then, the Js would be there for him.
"Hey!"
"Hi…so, there's something I need to tell you," Hope said, bracing herself.
"What's up?" Clarke asked.
"I know where Wendy is," she said. "I mean, I knew where Wendy was…and I think I know where she's going now."
"Where?"
"The Lockwood Estate," she said.
"How can you be sure?" he asked, but she could hear sounds in the background. She knew he was already sending people there.
"Because she was here…before," she said. "My family owns a mansion in Mystic Falls. Josie knows the code here too since the school can use it in an emergency. You wouldn't have known about that before… Anyway, I figured out she was here and I talked to her. Kind of."
There was silence on the other line and she hated it. She needed him to say something so she knew what he was thinking.
When the silence got to her, she continued, "I tried to help her, I gave her until today… but she ran again. She didn't want help."
And still, he didn't say anything.
"Ryan, please say something?"
"Thanks for the information."
"Ryan, can we—"
"I'll see you when I get to town."
"When—"
"Friday."
"HELLO! EARTH TO HOPE!"
Hope's head snapped up completely.
"Finally," Lizzie said, with a hand on her hip, clearly annoyed. "Are you going to help me, or what?"
Hope sat up straight, pushing back her memories of the phone call from yesterday. He hung up after letting her know they would talk when he got to town. She had to wait until tomorrow to talk to him. And she had no idea what she would say.
"Sorry," Hope sighed. "Proceed."
"Nope," Lizzie stalked over and sat across from her. "Not until you tell me what's on your mind so you can get past it and pay attention. I do not need to get blown up again because your mind was elsewhere."
"Wait, blown up?" Hope asked.
"Yeah," Lizzie let out a breath. "MG had me make a moving disk of fire and something went wrong. Air got into it, I guess? It exploded. If MG hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here now."
"Oh my God, Lizzie," Hope said, horrified. "Maybe we should ask for a different assignment? This is too dangerous."
"It shouldn't be though," Lizzie said. "We're in our final year. We should know how to control the spells so they don't blow up. Literally! If I can't do this, then should I even pass?"
"Is that why you asked for my help?" Hope asked.
Lizzie nodded.
"But why couldn't we do it until after four o'clock yesterday?" Hope had too much on her mind yesterday after that phone call to bother asking then.
"Well, like I said, the spell blew up," Lizzie said. "MG was fast but not fast enough."
"What happened?" Hope said with dread.
"I burned my arm," Lizzie said, patting the sleeve covering it today. "It hurt and MG insisted I take his blood, and I nearly didn't because of your premonition but…"
"It was just a dream, Lizzie," Hope insisted.
"So I took his blood," Lizzie said. "And since he promised not to let me die, he slept on my floor and followed me around. And I didn't want to work on fire again until after twenty four hours was up. Just in case."
"I'm so sorry," Hope said.
"I'm fine now," Lizzie said haughtily. "MG might have a kink in his neck though."
"I'll keep an eye out," Hope said. "I promise. I'll stop it before it goes out of control."
"You will, after you tell me what's wrong," Lizzie said pointedly.
"Ryan's working on this case, and I insisted when he captures the culprit he try to help her instead of giving her over to the people who hired Triad to find her," Hope explained. "He said he would do what he could, but he would do whatever was necessary. Even if that meant killing her."
"Okay?"
"I figured out where she was. I offered her a choice to seek out help, I promised to protect her from Triad," she said. "And I didn't tell him."
"Of course you didn't," Lizzie scoffed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you're you," Lizzie said. "Hope Mikaelson, hero, champion, and most importantly, always right."
"That's not true!"
"Really?" Lizzie said. "You didn't think to yourself, 'I'm right and he's wrong. I just have to do it my way and I'll prove it to him.' How's that working out for you?"
"What was I supposed to do?" Hope exclaimed. "He wouldn't listen to me."
"Didn't he?" Lizzie asked. "Or did you not listen to him."
"Since when do you defend him again me?"
"Since you're upset because he's upset," Lizzie said. "That's why you're here but not really here, isn't it?"
"Yes," Hope said, tossing her head back and squeezing her eyes shut. "After I told him what I did, he didn't say anything. Just thanked me for the info and 'see you Friday'. That was it. Oh my God." Hope put her face in her hands. "He's mad at me. I ruined everything."
"Oh, for crying out loud," Lizzie rolled her eyes. "I'm supposed to be the dramatic one. Shrek may be annoyed, but he'll get over it. Anyone who's spent half a day around you knows how stubborn you are. He knows who you are and why you did it. Just talk to him when he gets to town. Everything will be fine. You'll see."
"Am I really that…"
"Narcissistic?" Lizzie scoffed. "Yeah, yeah you are."
"Takes one to know one," Hope said.
"Oh, I know," Lizzie said. "Now, before I forget, I need your help next week."
"Sure, homework duty daily!" Hope said.
"No, not that," Lizzie said. "The Mystic Falls Spring Festival is next Friday, and I will need all the help I can get. It has to be perfect if I'm going to have a prayer of impressing the judges for Miss Mystic Falls."
"Thank god I don't gotta go through that again," Hope said.
"No, but as reigning winner you do have to make an appearance."
"Rats!"
"You digress," Lizzie said. "I need help every day after school and all day Friday. Will your exams be over by then?"
"Uh, yeah," Hope answered her question hesitantly. Did she just volunteer to help by answering her?
"And if Shrek's in town by then, bring him along too," Lizzie insisted.
"He usually doesn't arrive until Friday evening, but maybe?"
"Ask him if he can get there earlier," Lizzie said.
"I will," Hope said.
"Do it now," Lizzie said. "The earlier you ask, the more likely he'll be able to."
"Lizzie, I uh…" She didn't want to talk to him until she saw him tomorrow. She wasn't sure what to say to him.
"Fine," Lizzie huffed, pulling out her phone. "Give me his number. I'll ask him myself."
Hope typed it into her friend's phone.
"Shrek," Lizzie said brightly into the phone when he answered. "Will you be in town next Friday morning?"
"No…" Clarke said, recognizing the blonde's voice even though he hadn't recognized the number. "But I can be. What's wrong?"
"Not a thing," Lizzie said. "Meet me—and Hope—at town square by eight that morning. You just volunteered to help me set up the spring festival."
"Wait, I said I can be there, meaning if it's important," he hastened to explain.
"Good thing this is important," she said impertinently before she hung up.
"He'll be there," Lizzie announced.
Hope shook her head, laughing just imagining the look on Ryan's face after that phone call.
"Now, are you going to help me with this pesky fire element, or what?"
A B C
"Anymore side effects?" Hope asked later as she and Lizzie sprawled across Lizzie's bed, exhausted from all the serious talk and magic.
"Some nausea earlier this week, but mostly drowsiness now," Lizzie said.
Josie entered the room and stiffened upon seeing Hope.
"Is Hope gracing our floor tonight instead of MG?" Josie asked, deliberately turning her head away from the tribrid and heading across the room.
"No, I'm just hanging out," Hope said, staring intently at Josie. "Are you okay?"
"I am," Josie shrugged. "Not too sure about Wendy though."
"Wendy?" Lizzie asked, confused as the name came out of left field.
"Why, what happened?" Hope asked, sitting up.
"As if you didn't know," Josie said.
"I had to, Jos."
"No, you didn't."
"I tried to help," Hope said. "But she didn't want it and…I'm sorry, but she's dangerous. I couldn't let anything happen to you."
"So you did this for me?" Josie asked incredulously.
"Yes," Hope nodded. "And for her, and for anyone else who gets in her way. But once they capture her, I'm still going to insist she be rehabilitated. I'll do everything I can to protect her."
"How are you going to protect her from them?!" Josie snapped. "They'll do whatever they want with her, they aren't going to care what you say or who you're dating. I've been helping her. I was never in any danger."
"I couldn't take that risk," Hope said.
"Welp, guess it doesn't matter anymore," Josie said flippantly. "Triad raided the Lockwood Estate yesterday."
"And Wendy?" Hope wasn't surprised she hadn't heard from Ryan with any updates. She figured she would learn everything tomorrow.
"She got away," Josie sat on her bed in a huff. "I don't know where she is, no matter how many times my parents try to get it out of me. You know, Clarke called Mom and Dad? After drilling me yesterday for her location, they finally believed me when I said I didn't know where she was. We ran out of safe houses, so she probably did what she should have done to begin with and got as far away from here as possible."
"I'm not going to apologize for worrying about you," Hope said.
"Then why didn't you just come to me from the start?" Josie asked. "We could've worked together."
"I…" Hope realized she never once thought about involving Josie, just like she never once thought about involving Ryan. She decided to handle everything by herself. Maybe there was more truth to Lizzie's words than she cared to admit.
"Because you wanted to be the hero," Josie said. "Again. I get it, Hope, but some things just aren't about you."
"This was never about me," Hope denied vehemently. "This was always about doing the right thing."
"Are you done?" Josie asked wearily. "I'm tired of arguing. I had enough of that with my parents."
"Jos…"
Josie shook her head and turned away.
"I guess I should go then," Hope said to Lizzie, feeling like she made a complete mess of everything.
"I'm going with you," Lizzie said, crawling out of bed to follow her. On the way out the door, Lizzie whispered, "And maybe you can fill me in on that?"
Maya really wanted to ignore what she saw at school yesterday. She probably would have completely forgotten about it by now, but Josie kept following her around. Plus, she saw Jade talk to Mrs. Garcia after class again today.
Something was up.
Her second job was to keep an eye out for anything suspicious of the supernatural variety. Thus far she simply collected a second paycheck for her internship and checked in with the mayor every Wednesday. Nothing ever had been suspicious…until the only vampire she knew at her school starting acting strange.
Because of her past relationship with Jade, and the friendship she knew her brother and cousins had with Josie, she was hesitant about contacting the mayor. Maybe it was nothing. The Mayor even told her he didn't mind if something didn't pan out. In Mystic Falls, one could never be too careful.
But she wanted more proof before she said anything.
And maybe she could talk to Ethan or Landon at Family Game night tonight and they could persuade her that she was being delusional.
"Seriously, who puts pineapple on a pizza?" Landon asked, making a face before opening the next box and spying a loaded pepperoni slice. "Score!"
Maya practically danced to the counter before snatching a slice with the delicious fruit.
"Pineapple deserves to be on a pizza!" she exclaimed around a mouthful.
"I'm with Landon," Ethan said, grabbing and passing out bottles of water. "It's a fruit, Maya."
"So is tomato," Maya replied sassily. "None of you seem to mind that on your pizza."
"Speak for yourself," Chad said, snagging a slice of buffalo chicken from a different box. "Not a tomato in sight!"
"Now that is disgusting," Maya said. "Buffalo sauce is just…nasty. And way too salty."
"Are we going to start this game, or what?" Mac called from the other room.
"Just a minute, Mom!" Ethan called out.
"What're we playing anyway?" Landon asked around his mouthful.
"Charades!" Chad said gleefully.
Landon nearly choked.
Maya groaned, "Great. This is what happens when our family goes from three to seven. No more monopoly!"
"Raf, there's supreme on the end," Ethan says, nodding over his loaded plate. "That's your favorite right?"
Rafael barely looked at him, just picked up a bottle of water and a bag chips.
"Alright, then," Ethan sighed. "Time for Charades."
"I'm on Mom's team!" Maya called back over her shoulder as they walked together to the living room.
"Oh no, you don't get to choose," Seylah said, holding up a small box. "We shall choose names."
Everyone groaned.
Seylah drew the names for each team of three—she would be the judge and timer while the others played.
The teams were Ethan, Rafael, and Maya against Mac, Landon, and Chad.
"Let the games begin!" Seylah said.
An hour later, Landon was frustrated beyond belief. "Chad, have you actually ever played Charades before."
"No," Chad said simply. "But I think I'm getting the hang of it."
"How hard is it to mime a brush?" Landon complained.
"You move a brush back and forth," Chad said as he pretended he was stroking the air around him.
"Just pretend you're putting it through your hair," Landon said.
"But there are other brushes besides hair brushes," Chad said.
"It's okay, boys," Mac said to her teammates. "I figured it out. We're still in the lead."
"Barely," Landon muttered under his breath.
Ethan was taking his turn at the moment. He spread his hands open face up in front of him.
"A book!" Maya called out.
Ethan pointed at her and moved his hand as if to say, "Go on."
"Um, um," Maya looked at Rafael who had barely spoken the entire night. "Come on, Raf, help me out!"
Rafael shrugged.
Ethan acted like he picked up the book and put it on a shelf.
"Books, lots of books," Maya guessed. "A shelf. A book shelf!"
Ethan kept putting books on the shelf, nodding.
"A library!" she shouted.
Ethan turned and motioned again, telling her more frantically to "Go on!"
"A library, um, um," Maya shook her head. "I don't know!"
Ethan started putting books on the "shelf" again and then he pointed to himself.
"Jock," Maya said. "Wolf."
Ethan shook his head and gave her a *look*.
"No, library…" Maya thought hard. "Um. Um. LIBRAR—"
"Time!" Seylah called out.
"—IAN!" Maya jumped up and then realized Seylah had called time in the middle of her answer. "I got it! Half of the word was out! I got it! I got it! I got it, right?..."
Everyone looked to Seylah to decide.
"Since you got half the word…" Seylah hedged.
"Yes!" Maya jumped up and high fived Ethan. "We did it!"
"Whew, I think I need a break," Mac said, lying back on the couch.
Rafael took that excuse to get up and leave the room.
"I'll second that," Landon said, going to sit on the comfy chair so Chad couldn't sit next to him.
"How's the academy?" Mac asked Chad.
"Oh, it's a lot of fun," Chad nodded enthusiastically. "I'm getting faster at the obstacle course. Only need to shave off ten more seconds, and I'll complete it!"
"That's great, bro," Maya said.
"Got a couple of bulls eyes the other day," Chad boasted proudly. "Thanks to Seylah, I'm more accurate than eighty percent of my class."
Landon still couldn't believe they allowed Chad access to firearms.
He noticed Seylah leaving the room in the same direction Rafael went and he wondered if he should follow…
When he made a move to get up, he saw his aunt shake her head at him.
Okay. He guessed he wasn't going anywhere yet.
"Rafael?" Seylah asked, entering the kitchen and seeing the boy pulling a couple slices of supreme pizza from the box. "Use the microwave," she insisted. "I'll get you some snacks."
"You don't gotta…" he noticed her already putting a plate together. "Do that."
"Nonsense," she said. "Now, put that in the microwave and sit and eat. I haven't seen your touch anything but that water all night."
He hesitated but sat down at her bidding.
"You are not having fun?" she asked as she sat across from him.
"Just not in much of a fun mood tonight," he said. "Thanks for everything though."
"You are upset still, I know," she said. "You will get passed it."
"Will I?" he asked, not surprised she knew everything that was happening. She always had this uncanny ability to just know.
"Yes," she said. "Because family is very important to you, yes?"
"Yes," he agreed. "Landon is very important to me."
She shook her head, "I do not mean Landon, as you very well know."
"This has been nice and all, but Landon really is my only family."
She regarded him with those wise knowing eyes and he looked away after a minute. He couldn't keep looking her in the eye, not after he said those things.
"Well," she said as she stood up to open the microwave door once it shut off. "I consider you family."
She set the plate in front of him. "And I had hoped you felt the same."
He sighed and looked up at her, his eyes sad. "I do, Seylah. I'm sorry."
She sat next to him and patted his hand. "You are going through some hard times right now, yes?"
He nodded.
"Now is the time you need family the most," she said. "And you've a house full of them."
He laughed and scoffed at the same time.
"Don't be too quick to turn away from them," she said. "Even the one you feel has betrayed you has thought only to watch out for you."
"I doubt that," he said.
"Listen to Seylah," she said. "I know a thing or two."
"Now," she continued, rising and walking to the fridge. "The time has come for dessert. Finish your dinner, then come join us. It is your favorite."
"Chocolate cake?" he asked, showing sudden interest.
She pulled out the cake platter with flourish.
"With chocolate frosting," she smiled, nodding. "And a few strawberries with whipped cream on top."
He smiled and lowered his head.
"On second thought, I will send a slice for you," she said. "Ethan will bring it."
Rafael looked up swiftly, readying to protest.
Seylah raised her eyebrows.
"Seylah, I can't… not yet," Rafael looked down. "I need more time." He knew that Ethan was a part of his new family unit, and he did like the guy before everything went down at school. He knew that eventually, given time, he would be able to get past it. But not now, not yet.
"I will send Chad instead," she said.
"Thank you," he said.
Seylah made her way into the dining room and put the cake on the table. Removing the lid, she sliced two pieces.
"Chad," she called, holding both of them out to him. "Take one to Raf, and keep him company." She said with a wink.
"Oooh," Chad said, admiring the cake. "Yes, ma'am."
"Landon?" Seylah held out his piece.
"Thanks," he said, taking it. "I'm gonna go out front with this, get some air."
"I'll join you!" Maya said, bouncing next to him and holding out her hand. "A big slice, please! Make sure there's a strawberry!"
"Of course."
Maya joined Landon on the front porch swing.
He eyed her giant slice. "Are you sure you can finish all that?"
Maya eyed him, "Never doubt my cake eating capabilities."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, taking a bite out of his cake.
"So…have you seen much of Josie and Jade lately?" she asked casually.
"Uh, no," he said, shaking his head. "I don't really know Jade, and I haven't spoken to Josie much since we broke up and I got back together with Hope."
"Huh, so the girl I used to date is now dating the girl you used to date," Maya said. "Small world."
"The smallest," Landon agreed.
"So, I sorta think they're up to something, but I'm not sure," Maya said.
"Well, Josie was a great girlfriend…" he trailed off, remembering how she sometimes got a little too jealous of any attention other girls gave him.
"But…?" she prodded.
"That's it," he shrugged. "She was a great girlfriend. There was the whole black magic thing that happened, because of Clarke, but after that she put her magic away because she didn't trust it anymore. She knew she had a problem, and she fixed it. That's just the kind of person she is."
"You're sure?" Maya asked.
"Yeah," he said. "But now that you mention it, maybe I should talk to her. Just, you know, check in or something. Let her know I meant it when I said I still wanted to be friends."
"And you don't know anything at all about Jade?"
"Well, she was trapped in a prison world for ten years with her humanity turned off," he said. "But it's back on now, and, well, she's free. Everything seems fine."
"I see."
Maya did see. She saw much more than she ever wanted to.
It looked like she was going to have to help herself to the Mayor's database for the first time since she accepted her internship. She needed to find an address for her Spanish teacher and check in on her.
She really hoped everything really was fine.
Josie was almost prepared for Saturday. She just needed one more person on board to help with the plan to distract Triad so Wendy could get to her meeting without being spotted.
She went searching for Jade to help with the last detail. When she found her, she realized it was going to be much easier than she thought.
"Their name is Jordan," Wade told Jade. "I'm going tomorrow morning, taking the bus. We decided tonight to meet, so I'll buy a ticket in the morning."
"I'm happy for you," Jade said, brightening. Her friend had come a long way from the invisible or picked on misdiagnosed 'witch' to the 'fairy' who helped take down the greatest evil the school ever faced and learned that he wasn't quite as alone as he thought he was in his lack of romantic feelings. He was well on his way to finding a true companion, someone he could create a non-romantic relationship with and feel comfortable in his own skin for once. "Don't be nervous, Wade."
"I'm not," Wade said quickly. "I've not pretended to be anything other than myself. Except for the whole fairy thing. If Jordan didn't like me, they wouldn't have invited me."
"Jade! Wade!" Josie smiled as she approached to join them. "Hi, guys."
"Hi, Josie," Wade said, nodding.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Jade, I need one more person to help tomorrow," Josie said. "I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested, Wade?"
"Help with what?" he asked.
"He's kind of busy tomorrow," Jade said, giving Josie a warning look. She did not want to involve Wade in any of this.
"We're playing a prank on someone who's been trying to hurt a friend of ours," Josie said despite Jade's warning.
"Jade's right though," Wade said. "I'm going out of town tomorrow."
"If I paid your bus fare, would you be willing to go with just a few changes?" Josie asked.
"Will I still get there on time?" Wade asked.
"You will."
"Then sure," Wade shrugged. "I don't see why not."
"Wade, you don't have to," Jade said. "It's our problem, not yours."
"It's okay, Jade," Wade said. "You're my friend. I want to help."
"Thanks, Wade," Josie said with a sweet smile. "Just meet us behind the school at nine thirty tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Sure," Wade said. "I better turn in now. It's getting late."
Josie knew for a fact it was barely eight o'clock, but Wade was very different from your average student.
"Good night!" Josie said.
"Good night," Jade said with less enthusiasm.
As soon as Wade turned the corner, Jade turned on Josie.
"What was that!?"
"I needed someone else to help," Josie said.
"Not Wade though," Jade said. "I don't want him involved!"
"It's too late now," Josie said. "Besides you and Wade, we've got Garcia and Jed. Wendy will be all clear tomorrow."
"Jed?" Jade asked, her voice rising slightly.
"He was all for it," Josie said, nodding. "He said, and I quote, 'Us Js need to stick together.'"
"Of course he did," Jade said, resting her forehead on her palm. If she were still human, she knew she would feel a headache coming on.
"Relax, Jade," Josie said brightly. "Everything will work out! Don't worry."
Jade knew this was all on her. Wendy came to her, and she asked Josie to help. Josie was only doing what she asked her to… but Josie was taking it much further than Jade ever imagined it would go. Despite all of Jade's reservations though, she was going to keep following Josie's lead. She only had to put up with this craziness for a few more days then Wendy would be gone for good…not that she didn't want to see Wendy ever again… but, well, she clearly caused more trouble than Jade was comfortable with.
"You better be right," Jade mumbled.
Hope slid the key into the lock and opened the door. Stepping inside and closing the door quickly behind her, she tossed her keys on the small side table then looked around the apartment.
"Ryan?" she called out softly when she didn't see him. He should be here by now, and the alarm was deactivated.
"In here," she heard from their bedroom a second before he came through the open door tugging his pullover down over his head. He must have decided to change into something more comfortable when he got home.
"Hi…" she said hesitantly. She had never felt more uncertain with him. She argued with him, bantered with him, laughed with him, and loved him. But she had never kept anything from him like this. She knew he had every right to be angry with her. So the best way to start this conversation was probably with an apology.
"I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to make eye contact with him. She tried to read his face but couldn't at first.
He gave nothing away. The look on her face was priceless. She was clearly beating herself up and worried about his reaction. She clearly knew she should have handled things differently.
Fortunately he had a couple days to think everything through. Between his own thoughts and his conversation with his mother, he couldn't stay angry with her for long.
His face relaxed and he smirked slightly, "Just how sorry are you?"
"…you're mad at me, right?" she asked.
"I was," he said as he walked around the back of the couch and sat down. "Not so much now."
She wasn't sure what to say. Was he really letting her off the hook that easily?
"Come here," he motioned for her to join him.
He didn't have to tell her twice. She sat right next to him and immediately started talking, saying every single thing she wanted to say since Wednesday.
"I know I should've told you what I figured out, and I'm sorry I didn't sooner," she apologized again. "I handled it badly, and I know I took matters into my own hands, and I'm just really really sorry."
"You're stubborn," he pointed out while putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Yes!" she agreed immediately.
"Always have to be right," he continued while pulling her against his side.
She rested her head on his shoulder, "So I've been told already this week."
"You were trying to protect her," he said. "I get it."
"And you were trying to protect everyone else from her," she said. "I get that. I just wanted to…"
"Give her a chance," he finished for her.
"I should've talked to you," she said. "I should've trusted you would hold off until I could give her that chance."
"Honestly," he said, leaning back and pulling her more firmly against him. "I don't know what I would've done. So maybe we were both wrong…and both right."
"No," she shook her head incessantly against his chest. "I was wrong."
"Hope, look," he nodded to the painting on the wall when she glanced up at him. "You spent weeks working on that. I was right by your side when you saved that animal. I know exactly what it meant to you. I know why it meant so much to you. I saw you cry after you killed the Pixie Queen. I know you struggled with feeling like a monster. So no, you weren't wrong. You were being yourself. And, yeah, I may have spoken with my mother about all of this," he finished sheepishly.
"What did she say?" she asked softly.
"That all good relationships rely on communication," he laughed. "Imagine that, she finally gave me a straight answer."
"Had to happen some time," she murmured.
"So, I promise you this," he said. "I will do my best to preserve all life—whether in sending monsters to the pit, or capturing and rehabilitating a witch, werewolf, or even a vampire. I won't go for the kill first. I will not promise there won't be any death, but it will be a last resort. I don't really want to get on my mother's bad side there, nor your mother's."
"She would've liked you," she said.
"What's there to dislike?" he said with a grin. "I know she was probably a paragon of sainthood and protector of all life, but—"
"Actually, she wasn't like that," Hope interrupted. "She was an alpha. She fought and made hard choices, a lot like the ones you have to make. She became an honorable person who fought for her family and for her pack. She also never gave up on my father, and, believe me, I know that was hard not to do. But she didn't start out that way. She never kept anything from me. All the mistakes she made, all the senseless deaths she caused, she told me all about it, just as she never lied to me about my family—the infamous Mikaelsons. Not everyone starts out being the person they become. She strived to do better, to become a better person. Everything my mom went through made her into this incredible woman, who made sure to teach me the value of life so I never once took a single second for granted. That's my mother."
"And you still think she would've liked me?"
"As you said, what's not to like?" she grinned at him.
He smirked in reply, but then his smile dimmed slightly. "There is one other thing though."
"Yeah?"
"Since you don't work for Triad," he said, "I think its best I keep business where it belongs. At the office. Except for Lizzie's research."
She nodded slowly. She knew what he was saying. He wouldn't talk to her about missions anymore, not that he ever did much of that to begin with, but the one he did discuss involved her friends and her school. She didn't like this new decision one bit, but she pushed back the need to argue with him and actually listened to him and thought about it.
"I really want to argue," she said. "But I won't. You promised to protect her as much as you can, and I trust you. I know you will. So…okay. No more shop talk at home."
"That looked oddly painful to say," he remarked.
"I'm being a good girlfriend and learning to communicate and compromise," she grumbled. "Don't make it any harder than it has to be."
He laughed out loud.
"Stop," she groaned into his shoulder.
"Okay," he said. "How about we go for a ride?"
"Where to?" she asked.
"Well, we started something last week, and I've since spoken to my mother on the subject and she wasn't angry," he said. "So, I'm willing to experiment more."
"With your powers?" she said, her interest piqued.
"Just don't let me blow up the planet," he said.
"Ha, not like you can do that," she said, then looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Right?"
They didn't bother hiking a trail this time. Instead he drove her as far into a covered forest area as he dared before they got out and looked for a good spot to sit and work.
"So, I've been reading ahead in my Chemistry of Magic textbook," she said, clasping his hand as they walked.
"We've been studying the elements of magic," she said. "It's a lot easier to remember the four of those compared to the normal human chemistry class with an entire periodic table of elements."
"I bet."
"We've had water, air, and we're working on fire—which Lizzie is horrible at and might beat you in blowing up the planet first if I don't supervise," she joked. "After exams, we're going to finish up fire, and then work on the final element."
"Earth," he guessed.
"Yep," she nodded. "And while I was glad I didn't read anything about cracking open the ground, there were spells about growing things."
"I can't do spells," he reminded her.
"No, but you have power over the earth," she said. "You can just emote and make it grow."
"So, where do you want to start?"
"How about with something small?" she said. "Try to grow a flower?"
"A flower."
"Yes!"
He shook his head.
"What's the point? Am I supposed to fight a monster by throwing a bouquet at it? What if it caught the thing?" he smirked. "Would I be forced to attend the next monster wedding?"
"Yeah, and make sure to check their registry at Monsters R Us before buying a gift," she rolled her eyes. "We're just starting slow with a flower. Maybe next we can try a whole tree. I bet a monster wouldn't like a giant fern shooting up under it."
"Sounds rather uncomfortable," he said.
She stopped and pointed, "There."
"It's a dead patch of ground," he remarked. "Not even the grass is growing. It's not getting enough light because it's too surrounded."
"Exactly, which makes it perfect to try," she said. "So make a flower grow out of it."
She said to use different emotions, he remembered. So which one should he use?
"Love," she said as if she were reading his mind. "Use love this time."
It was amazing how easily it came to him, much easier than anger and fear. Loving her was as easy as breathing, which is why he focused on everything he felt for her before he pushed those feelings out gently, using it to mold the earth and bend it to his will.
She grinned as a flower grew out of the ground, tall and vibrant and beautiful.
"You did it!" she said, bouncing. "How did you know irises are my favorite?"
"I didn't," he said. "They're mine. It means hope." Knowledge was something he would always have in abundance, down to the meanings behind most flowers. He never bothered to pick a favorite though, not until she came into his life.
"It's also the inspiration behind the fleur de lis," she said.
"I knew that," he said. The fleur de lis symbolized royalty, power, honor, grandeur, faith and unity. Being from New Orleans, she would be quite familiar with the symbol.
"So how about that monster bouquet?" she asked.
Looking at the ground again, he focused his emotions and pushed a bit more than before until the flowers started growing in abundance.
"Keep going!" she encouraged.
Still not sure how this could ever be helpful in a fight, he indulged her until they were practically standing in a valley of irises.
"Can you do a different flower?" she asked.
"I've got a better idea," he said. He wanted to have a bit more fun with it.
Focusing, he added a dash of sassiness to that love emotion, then commanded something quite different to form.
"You're not funny," she said, stepping back as a lush green vine ran across the ground and started climbing up her shoes.
"It's better than making flowers," he said with a smirk, pulling the vine back and practiced making it snake up and around a tree trunk. "Now this could be useful."
She walked up to the tree and pinched a piece of the vine.
It immediately snapped in half and hung limply.
"Might want to work on the strength of those vines before trying it out in the field though," she said with a wink.
He made a face at her.
"How about a tree?" she said, looking around. "What else can you grow?"
The thought of trying something bigger made him wary.
"Last time we went bigger, I splintered the ground," he said. "Leave it there for now."
"Okay," she said with a smile while squatting to pluck a few of the perfect irises from the ground. "We'll keep working on it, but…progress!" she exclaimed, standing up with a small bouquet in her hands.
Most of the way home, she held the bouquet in her right hand and his hand in her left. She was so happy everything had turned out okay with the Wendy situation she didn't want to let go of him, which prompted her to make a snap decision when they got home.
Since he didn't make time to cook or pick up anything to cook for dinner, they stopped at a drive-thru on the way home. She sipped her vanilla milkshake and munched on her fries while feeding some to him because he was starving.
When they got home, he still had to eat but she was done. And she needed to have a very important conversation.
"Eat," she insisted. "I'll be right back."
She took her phone into the bedroom with her and started texting as she looked through the drawers for something comfortable to sleep in.
You know how you owe me?
*I* owe *you*!? As if.
Hope rolled her eyes at Alyssa's reply. Yes, she owed her for flirting with her boyfriend. No matter her intention, she definitely did.
I'm staying out tonight.
Your funeral if you get caught.
I won't get caught, especially since I'll be returning from a jog in the morning with my dearest roomie.
Fine. Town square. 8:30AM. Do not be late.
Hope tossed her phone on the dresser top and grinned.
Enlisting Alyssa's help was unfamiliar territory but thus far it had worked in her favor. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Knowing he would hear the shower sound and probably figure out what it meant, she wasn't surprised to find him sitting on his side of the bed on top of the covers with his sketchpad when she returned to the bedroom.
"You're staying?" he asked, looking up.
"Well," she said, pulling up the comforter and sliding underneath. "I figured it out with Alyssa. I have to meet her early at town square, but… yeah, I wanted to stay."
She turned on her side to face him, "Will you hold me?"
He smirked, tossed his pad on his night stand, and slid under the covers too.
Sliding up close to him, she rested her head on his chest with her arm stretched across. He had only removed his pullover, and she loved cuddling with him in his t-shirt. It brought back some of her favorite memories.
Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head.
"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling he way she clung to him.
"I was worried," she admitted. "That you would hate me. Because of what I did."
"It doesn't matter what you do, Hope," he said, repeating the same words he said the first time he told her he loved her. "I will always love you, no matter what you do. I love you. Always and forever."
"Are you sure? Because who knows when I might screw something up again," she said.
"Give me time," he laughed. "You won't be the only one."
"Well, whenever you do, just know I'll always love you too," she said, gripping him tighter. "No matter what."
This was exactly what she needed—a night spent holding onto each other, especially after the emotional week she had. She loved him so much. She never wanted to lose him. And no matter how self assured and strong she was, she still needed his reassurances.
She needed him.
"Just don't forget who messed up first," he said with a smirk.
"Oh, you," she laughed, poking him.
It was too early for sleep, but it didn't matter because they spent the next couple hours talking and snuggling together until she finally did fall asleep feeling safe and loved, wrapped in his embrace.
"Nice outfit," Lizzie remarked.
"Shut up," Hope mumbled under her breath as she moved into the next pose on her mat. She usually wore something a bit more form fitting to yoga. Instead, she was in pajama pants and one of Ryan's simple black t-shirts.
By the time she stumbled out of bed, she had fifteen minutes to get to town square. So she left her current pajama pants on and grabbed the t-shirt he laughingly pulled over his head and tossed at her. She couldn't wear her pajama top to convincingly jog in, so it was either his shirt or spend time she didn't have trying to find something else.
"It works for jogging," she grumbled before forcing herself to breathe the way their instructor told them to.
"And to hide what you really were doing this morning," Lizzie said, smirking as she copied Hope's movements.
Alyssa snickered.
"By the way," Hope whispered to Alyssa. "Don't wait up tonight either."
"Again?" Alyssa said with an eyebrow raised.
"Guess that means all is well in the swamp," Lizzie said, actually happy to know everything worked out between them. She knew how worried Hope was, and if Hope's answering smile was anything to go by, he didn't hold her actions against her.
"Nice," Josie said with a slight glimmer of resentment. "Meanwhile some of us are grounded and can't go anywhere." Then she thought about how Clarke's plans would probably be changing during the day, and she hid her smile.
"Well, I'm going to start working out the details of the festival," Lizzie said. "I need to be prepared when everyone shows up to help on Monday."
"Maybe Alyssa could help with that?" Josie suggested, glancing pointedly at the witch. If Alyssa wanted to become friendlier with Lizzie that would be a good place to start.
"So not interested," Alyssa said. "Working on college applications today."
"Just don't apply to Roanoke College," Lizzie said.
"I thought you were going to Wytheville," Hope said.
"Wytheville is only a two year, might as well start at a four," Lizzie said. "And the curriculum is far superior at Roanoke."
"You mean they offer a more rounded study of witchcraft," Hope said.
"That too," Lizzie said.
Alyssa followed their conversation with interest. She was eyeing Randolph-Macon College, which was on the other side of Virginia, but maybe she should consider other options…
"Roanoke is where I'm hoping to go," Hope said. It was close enough to the Salvatore School just in case, and she loved the campus. Plus, as she mentioned to Lizzie, the secret witchcraft curriculum that only supernaturals were aware of was superior. She had a lot of power, and Aunt Freya felt the witches working there were best equipped to help her develop it even further. It also had plenty of human courses as well, she only needed to pick a major.
"Really," Lizzie said with interest. "Well, I'll put you down for room assignments then."
"Not staying on campus," Hope said.
"Even better," Lizzie said. "I grew up in a dorm. Anything has got to be better than another dorm."
"Uh, I'm living off campus with Ryan," Hope said.
Josie involuntarily scoffed under her breath, but she wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear her.
"And listen to the heinous sounds of your midnight couplings?" Lizzie made a face. "Pass. Never mind."
"You know, Roanoke has perfectly good human studies too," Josie mentioned. "You know, for me? So maybe I could—"
"But you want to do pre-med," Lizzie interrupted her.
"Well, yeah," Josie said.
"Didn't you apply to Virginia Tech?" Lizzie asked. "They have an actual medical school attached to it. Going somewhere else makes no sense, especially when you don't have your magic anymore and I'm picking a college for their magic program."
"Right," Josie said. "But I can take classes anywhere to get the credits I need to be accepted into medical school."
"She's right, Lizzie," Hope said. "She can do that. And, I mean, who's to say she won't decide to eventually take her powers back?" She smiled at Josie encouragingly. She really did wish Josie would take them back. She knew it was a struggle to control the darkness, but she firmly believed Josie could learn to control it with practice.
Josie returned Hope's smile, feeling for the first time in a long time like she wasn't on the outside looking in.
"Do what you want," Lizzie said with a shrug. "But let it be known that I, Elizabeth Saltzman, did absolutely nothing to hold you back from pursuing your dreams. That you, Josette Saltzman, decided on your own to follow me to college—if that's what you do."
"You act like I'd blame you if things didn't work out," Josie said.
"Wouldn't you though?" Lizzie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey," Hope said quickly in a bid to put a stop to the impending argument. "With Josie there, it'll be much easier for us girls to get together."
"Speaking of," Alyssa spoke up, "All these favors I keep doing, when do I get my reward? Girls' night is when?"
"You really think karaoke is a reward?" Lizzie asked, amused.
Alyssa and Hope both made a face because she had a point.
"And why," Lizzie said. "So we can watch you suck face with guy after guy again? And you judge me for my choices."
"At a karaoke bar?" Alyssa scoffs. "I'm sure the guys are a different breed there."
"Still human, at least," Lizzie deadpanned. "But!" She looked hard at Josie. "I'll tell you right now, there will be no Pat Benatar."
"What?!" Josie nearly lost her pose. "You can't just—"
"I'm sure Mom wouldn't agree," Lizzie said. "But pick something from this decade. It's been years. Everyone already knows love is a battlefield."
"Too far, Lizzie," Josie said, shaking her head. "Too far."
Hope laughed.
"What?" Lizzie looked at them both. "Don't even try or I'll hit you with my best shot."
"How about next Friday?" Alyssa asked, getting back to her original question.
"No go," Hope shook her head. "That's the night of the Spring Festival. I think we'll all be too busy for that."
"The week after that then?" Josie suggested.
"Works for me," Lizzie shrugged.
"Same," Hope said. She made a mental note to let Ryan know she wouldn't be available that night. He might decide to come in on Saturday instead.
"You're picking the place, right?" Alyssa asked Josie. "Not like any of us have ever been."
"Well, it's a bar," Josie said. "So I haven't been yet either. But I'll pick one."
"And I'll figure out what we'll be doing for the after party," Alyssa smirked.
"The what?" Josie asked.
"Not like we're gonna spend the entire night listening to randos droning on about their boring love life," Alyssa said.
Hope and Lizzie grinned at each other. Since Alyssa said it, they didn't have to. Hope was hoping they could all get away with one song before moving on. She really didn't like singing, especially not publically. She might actually need a drink to get through that one.
Josie sighed. She knew the other girls weren't as into the idea, but she was sure once they got there they would have more fun than they thought they would.
"You'll like it," Josie insisted. "Just give it a chance."
"Ladies," the instructor called out. "Can we hold the chit chat until after class, please?"
"Yes, ma'am," they all said at once, trying not to laugh.
"You'd think she would've said that sooner," Lizzie whispered.
"Shh!" Hope hushed her while grinning.
Josie tried to relax into the next pose and clear her mind, but she kept remembering the way Hope jumped to defend her choices. Two days had passed since they argued about Wendy. While Josie had no intention of changing any of her plans, she thought that maybe she could say something to let Hope know she still wanted to be friends and set the tribrid at ease.
As they were leaving class, Josie caught up with Hope away from everyone else.
"Hope, I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I handled everything, especially with you," Josie said.
"Its okay, Jos," Hope was quick to forgive.
"I know I went about it all wrong," Josie said.
"I know you only wanted to help her," Hope said. "Believe me, I get it."
"So we're okay?" Josie asked.
"Of course," Hope said, giving her a quick side hug and a smile.
Josie returned her smile before leaving quickly with a big wave.
She had to hurry up and meet with everyone. Her father had only allotted her enough time to get breakfast after yoga before she had to report to his office. She couldn't be late or she would raise suspicion.
And that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Jed looked at everyone and snickered.
This was one helluva prank.
Where Wade and Jade once stood, there were now two identical figures of a familiar man with dark brown curly hair, standing somewhere over six feet. Jed knew he also looked the same.
"Why does this guy look so familiar?" Jed asked, pulling out his mirror to look at his new face. He guessed he wouldn't be able to do anything to smooth the hair out since it was all an illusion. They all 'wore' different clothing and he had a dark hoodie over a t-shirt with blue jeans. The hoodie was pulled up over his head, but the curls could still be seen at the front.
"Don't worry about that," Josie said, pushing his question aside. "I made these for you guys."
She passed out a vial of herbs to each of them, along with two cards—identification cards to be exact. She gave an extra set to Jade to pass along to their fourth 'volunteer' when Mrs. Garcia arrived.
Stepping back, Josie almost laughed out loud.
Three different versions of Ryan Clarke stood in front of her.
Apparently her powers were working better than ever.
"Why don't I feel any taller?" Wade asked, looking down. "Even though I am taller?"
"Because you're not taller," Josie said. "It's just an illusion, Wade. Everyone sees you as taller, but you're still really short."
"Not that short," Wade corrected.
"Right," Josie was quick to agree.
"Loafers?" Jade looked down at her feet where her combat boots were but the illusion hid them from everyone including herself. At least the rest of the outfit wasn't terrible. A long sleeve forest green button up opened at the top over black jeans—she got the feeling Josie picked that outfit because she knew Jade would be more comfortable in it, even with the illusion.
Josie shrugged and winked. She had to come up with four different outfits to make four different people blend in with the same face. Loafers seemed like a Clarke thing.
"What about the bus ticket?" Wade asked, then pressed the center piece of his glasses up on his nose. "Does the illusion wear glasses too? I don't want to look like I'm poking myself in the face."
He could see that his outfit consisted of a light grey polo shirt over khakis, but he couldn't see his face. Maybe he should borrow Jed's mirror.
"Yes," Josie nodded, before looking through the fence, hoping Mrs. Garcia would hurry. She knew the rest of them could easily jump the fence and get out of there without her help, but she had to put the illusion on their teacher before she could leave to meet her father. "We have help from one more person," Josie said. "She'll be here soon to pick you guys up."
"Who?" Jed asked.
"A teacher of ours," Jade said. "She's pretty cool."
Luckily, Jed didn't take Spanish with them, especially since she was going to have to compel the woman right in front of Jed and Wade. She needed to do it in a way neither of them realized what she was doing. She already compelled most of the details to the woman but there were a few things she needed to do to get everyone where they needed to go today.
"She'll give you the cash for the tickets," Josie explained. She felt a little bad about having the woman use her own money to help them, but Wendy had promised to reimburse her when she finished her business that day. Josie just had to help her first.
"So look, use this ID when you buy the ticket," she held up the one with Clarke's face on it.
When they read his name, they might recognize it, but they already agreed to everything so hopefully they were well on their way before they noticed. She knew neither boy had been around Clarke much. They were all in different places when fighting Malivore and everyone left separately. The only time they were probably in the same room as each other was the Sweetheart Dance, and Clarke definitely had not taken the time to talk to either of them then.
"Wade, buy the ticket to Roanoke, but get off at the Lynchburg rest stop and go visit your friend then," Josie instructed, sending him west. "Jed, buy a ticket to Richmond, but get off at Appomattox." The wolf would head east.
Since she spoke to her before yoga, Jade already knew she was going south to Durham. Jade was taking a train instead. She wouldn't need to wait for a stop. She could jump off and vamp speed back to Mystic Falls, no problem. Jade would compel Mrs. Garcia to head north to Waynesboro. She would get off at Sweet Briar.
"Once you get to your stops, make sure you're alone then sprinkle the herbs in the vial over your head," she continued. "The illusion will go away. Then you book your fare to come back to Mystic Falls using the other ID. Make sure to use the names on those cards, not your own."
She was glad she paid attention when Hope was making fake IDs for them on girls' night. She made fake cards for each of them with Clarke's name and face, as well as fake cards with their own faces but with different names.
"When you get to the service center, do not all go in at the same time. Quadruplets would draw too much attention. When you're coming back home, try to keep your heads down so no one will see the real you on camera. We want the prank to work, but we don't want anyone to know you were involved."
"Taylor Young?" Jed read the second card. "Do I really look like a Taylor?"
"It doesn't matter," Josie said, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the car pull up right where it was supposed to. "There's your ride! Now, go! Thanks again!"
She waited until Mrs. Garcia got out of the car as instructed to repeat the incantation for the illusion spell. She went with the old tried-and-true this time: dress shirt, black slacks, and black blazer.
"You got this?" she called out to Jade who had already hopped the fence using her vamp powers.
"Yeah!" Jade called back.
"Good luck!" she said and started running back to the school.
Jade quickly made her way to her teacher and compelled her, repeating everything Josie said while giving her the cards and vial.
Fortunately, Jed was too busy climbing the fence to notice Jade's compulsion.
He was distracted even further in fascination as he watched Wade fly over the fence.
Watching what was essentially Clarke fly with fairy wings was actually pretty amusing, but she was too nervous to laugh.
As they all climbed into the car, Jade crossed her fingers. Anything could go wrong. She knew there was a chance Triad could catch up with any of them though Josie had thought of pretty much everything. She still wished Josie hadn't involved Jed or Wade, but it was too late to change anything now.
She swore that if Wendy wasn't out of town by this time next week, she would kick her out herself.
"Sir, you… haven't made plans to travel today, have you?"
Clarke raised an eyebrow and spoke into his Bluetooth, "No. Why?"
"We've been keeping an eye on the manifests for outgoing buses, trains, and planes for any mention of the target or anything that may raise suspicion."
"Standard procedure," Clarke stated.
"The same name showed up on four different manifests. Yours."
He stood up and grabbed his jacket, "Video?"
"Video confirmed the tickets were each purchased by you…or someone with your face."
"She's making a run for it," he said, leaving the apartment. "You said four different ones?"
"Three by bus, one by train. All heading in different directions."
Clarke cursed internally. With the two operatives that were killed, they didn't have enough man power in town to send teams of two after each and maintain ops in town too.
"Destinations?" he asked.
"Richmond, Waynesboro, and Roanoke by bus. Durham by train."
"I've got Roanoke," he said. He would have to go alone. At least he would survive if attacked. He didn't need backup like the rest of them. "Send teams of two to Waynesboro and Richmond. See if Agent Evan's team in North Carolina is anywhere near Durham."
"If not?"
"Then I guess you're heading south," Clarke said, wanting to curse again. He didn't want ops to leave Mystic Falls, someone should stay, but Durham being by train meant it was moving faster and could very well be the one Wendy was on.
But really, she could be on any of the four.
"Evans isn't available."
"You know what to do."
Hopping into his car, he put it in drive and took off for Roanoke.
Pressing a button on the dash, he waited for the Bluetooth to connect then found Hope's number.
"Hey," she said sweetly, "I just finished sparring with Ethan. I'll be there soon."
"Plans changed," he said. "I won't be back 'til late."
"Wendy?"
He hesitated. He told her he wasn't going to tell her about missions anymore. He had to stick to it.
"Right," she said with an accepting sigh. "You can't tell me. Do you know when you'll be home?"
"Not sure."
"I'll help Lizzie for a while, then go home. I'll be there when you get there," she promised.
"I'll try to be quick," he said.
"You do that," she said. "I love you."
"I love you."
"Do you need a ride?"
Hope put her phone down and shook her head.
"Thanks, but no," she said. "I'm not leaving yet. Plans changed."
"So you don't have to go?" Ethan asked. "Want to go a few more rounds?"
"Not really," she huffed, sitting down in the grass. She had more energy before Ryan called. Now that she knew she wouldn't spend much time with him that day, she was disappointed. He couldn't help it though.
Ethan flopped in the grass next to her, "Something on your mind?"
"Not really," she repeated.
When he gave her a look, she sighed and laughed to herself, "It's just been a really long week."
"You can say that again," he said.
"The wolves giving you trouble?" she asked.
"Only two," he said. "But those two, man."
"You'll figure it out."
"Jed, maybe," he said. "But Rafael?"
"Ah, I see our weeks had a common denominator," she said.
"Raf still causing you trouble too?" he asked. "Hopefully he breaks the bond soon."
"I'm…actually worried about that," she admitted.
"Him breaking the bond?" Ethan asked. "Why?"
"I know with the sire bond he's completely loyal to me," she said. "But I feel like its worse with him than any other hybrid. He told me this week he didn't want to break the bond because even though he couldn't see me, he could feel me. Like, he knows where I'm at and likes its, and isn't that kind of…creepy?" She looked at him in question. Before he could reply though, she shook her head. "That sounds so silly now that I've said it out loud. Rafael has always been nice and sweet. He's my friend."
"You think it sounds silly because he's never acted like that before, but he's also never been a hybrid before," he said. "I will say since the one thing we do know about hybrids is they are sired to their creator until they break the bond, he's only feeling what he's feeling because of the bond. Once it's broken, I think it'll go away. He'll go back to being Raf, just with a bit more of a bite."
"You really think so?" she asked.
"I'm banking on it," he said. "I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for beating him as alpha until he breaks the bond and can think straight again."
She nodded. That made sense. She didn't know why she got so worried this week. Maybe it was Ryan's paranoia getting to her.
"Surprised you're talking to me about this though," Ethan said. Usually he was the one to open up to her and ask for advice, not the other way around. "Not that I mind. I figure it's because I'm worried about him too."
"That…and if I told Ryan I had misgivings he would tell me to stay away from him forever, and I can't if I need to help him," she said. She promised Ryan full disclosure on all things Rafael, and she had told him everything that happened. She wouldn't make things even messier by letting him know some silly thoughts she had that she wasn't sure about. "And the last time I told Lizzie anything about Raf, she accidentally told Ryan. So…"
"It's alright, cuz" Ethan said, reaching out to ruffle her hair with a laugh. "I'm no stranger to girl talk. Sister, remember?"
"Hey!" she exclaimed, wacking his hand away. "Hair destroyer aside, she's lucky to have you."
"And she knows it!"
"I'm lucky to have you too," she said. "Thanks, E."
"That's what family is for," he said with a wink. "Anytime."
Clarke was frustrated.
His operatives were better than this but not today. Today they were outsmarted by a thieving, murdering witch.
The "Clarke" decoys weren't at any of the destination stops, though they did miss Richmond by mere minutes.
They hadn't picked up on the names until all transportation had already departed, which meant they also couldn't reach any of the mid-way stops before they were hit either. His contact operative somehow made it to Durham before the train arrived but found no one either. The crystal was used at all locations and, still, nothing.
If it were a government related job, he could have rerouted local law enforcement in the areas or put a halt to the buses and train instead of playing catch up. Since it was a private job, he couldn't call for it no matter how much he wanted to. Triad was his. The government gave it up though they were none too happy about it, but there were strict rules he had to follow—such as no using government resources for outside jobs. It was a pain in the ass, but then they wouldn't even have the Wendy job if he hadn't broadened Triad's customer base.
He could have tried to overstep his bounds and told the police about a murderer on the loose. Except there was every chance they would consider his organization—without the government backup—acting too much in a vigilante capacity.
He also didn't want four different cities searching for his face as a murderer. All he needed was an APB put out statewide and things wouldn't be too much fun for him.
So, they had to do it the old fashion way and try to get there first.
Now they had to figure out which decoy was Wendy and track her until they found her new location.
Four different decoys meant four different people had to be involved though. There was no way Wendy was powerful enough to create those illusions without help.
No doubt Josie and Jade were involved. If he had to guess, Jed was the fourth.
At this point, he was pretty sure there were two people other than Wendy who knew where she was. Before he started searching the areas, he needed to see what he could learn.
And he knew exactly who to start with.
"Clarke, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Alaric said, answering his phone.
"Tell me, do you know where your daughter is? Because Wendy led us on a wild goose chase today and I'm pretty sure I know who helped her."
"Sitting right across from me, just like she has all day," Alaric said, with a glance at Josie across the room. "She's grounded."
Josie looked up but went back to work, trying to keep a straight face. The not knowing was killing her, but she wasn't allowed to be on her phone during this study torture session. It sounded like Clarke was calling to talk about her. To tell on her again. Well, tough luck. Try convincing her parents she was involved this time.
"I find it hard to believe she wasn't involved," Clarke argued. "Four different decoys, heading in four different directions, all made to look like me and all got away. Which also tells me there's a good chance Wendy got away too."
"Then I guess you can leave my school and my daughter alone now," Alaric said, turning away from Josie and speaking lower. "I'll handle my business. You handle yours, Agent Clarke."
Alaric hung up before Clarke could say anything else.
"Everything alright, Dad?" Josie asked.
"Yes," he said.
She went back to studying but he couldn't stop thinking about the conversation. He hated to admit it, especially since it was because of Clarke, but for the first time he didn't trust her.
It didn't sit well with him.
He didn't have proof, just a gut feeling.
And he never ignored a gut feeling.
After spending far too long combing the streets of Roanoke, followed by an equal search at the Lynchburg stop, Clarke decided it was time to head home. The other teams were reporting the same thing on their ends. They needed time to rest and regroup, and then come up with a new game plan to track her.
And he was in desperate need of some quality time with the love of his life.
She was waiting for him when he got home, leaning against the door jam of their room, and watching him with that smile of hers that took his breath away when she directed the full brilliance of it right at him.
The slight dampness of her hair that clung to the fabric of one of his dress shirts she wore indicated she showered before he arrived. Her bare legs on display with her black panties peaking through his shirt tails signified she was as ready for bed as he was.
"How was your day?" she asked with that gentle smile.
"Rough," he said.
He went to her, reached out, and leaned down into a hug. She held him tightly as he rested his head on her shoulder until the height distance gave him a kink in his neck. Only then did he sink to his knees and wrap his arms around her waist, resting his head against her stomach.
"That bad, huh?" she said, tracing her hands back and forth along his shoulders.
"The worst," he exaggerated. Not really, he had much worse before, but he was frustrated.
Correction, he had been frustrated. Holding her was wiping it all away.
She ran her fingers through his hair, and he leaned his head back to meet her eyes.
"Wanna talk about it?" she offered.
"Not really," he said. "I just want to…"
He fell silent as he slid his hands up her backside, beneath his shirt, and found the top of her panties. He slid his fingers slowly around the top edge to the front.
Her breath quickened at his gentle touches, but he let go and instead slipped his fingers up her stomach beneath the shirt, bunching the material along with it.
Resting his lips against her stomach, he pressed soft kisses to her skin.
She let out a breathy sigh and leaned back more firmly against the door jam.
"I love coming home to you," he whispered, thinking about all the long days he usually spent working during the week. He was experiencing for the first time what could be waiting for him if she were with him every day.
"Welcome home," she whispered, caressing his shoulders once more.
Sliding his fingers again, he hooked them into her panties, dragging them down. They dropped to the floor as soon as they cleared her hips.
He took a hold of her thighs next and nudged them apart.
"Ryan…" she gasped his name as she widened her stance in anticipation of what would come next.
His fingers caressed her inner thighs, inching higher and higher until he found her core. Exploring her warm folds, he spread her open for him, continuing his caresses, and leaving her begging for more.
Her legs felt weak, so she grasped hold of him tighter.
"Yessss," she moaned, attempting to widen her stance further though she wasn't sure at this point how much longer her legs would support her.
Taking her left leg in his grasp, he pulled it up and rested it over his shoulder, effectively exposing her even more to him.
She held onto his head since she could no longer hold onto his shoulder, and would have fallen back against the door jam for purchase if she wasn't already pressed completely against it. He slid two fingers inside of her and leaned forward to kiss the pulsing nub of her desire. She felt off balance though she knew he would never let her fall. She also felt her need for him growing and if he didn't take her to bed soon, she might scream.
"Ryan, please," she dug her nails into his curls, knowing she was pulling him against her more firmly, but she couldn't help it. His mouth, his tongue, his fingers, it was like they were made for the purpose of giving her more pleasure than she ever thought possible. "I need you inside of me. Now. Please."
She may say that was what she wanted, but her grip on his hair was saying something else completely. So instead, he added a third finger, spearing her open even wider as his tongue continued to work its magic. Loving her, tasting her, listening to the sounds she made as he pleasured her, he adored every minute of it. He would never get enough of her.
At last, she must have realized he couldn't give her what she wanted if she didn't let go, so she loosened her grip and begged again, "Please."
Dropping her leg to the ground, he grinned when her limbs very nearly did go out from under her.
He stood and immediately grabbed her waist, lifting her up. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, his hands sliding down her hips to help guide her thighs in place.
Intending to carry her to their bed, he changed his mind when she let go of his shoulders and reached down between them.
Turning her around so he could press her against the flat of a wall instead of the door jam, he watched as her fingers found the buttons and zipper on his jeans and quickly undid them. Sliding her fingers further south, she didn't have to go far to reach her goal.
Having his jeans constrict him no longer, he grew as impatient as she was to get inside of her. Holding her in place against the wall, he pushed at his jeans and boxer briefs just enough to release him from his confines.
She stroked him firmly, needing to feel him like this, hard and pulsating and ready for her, before she shifted up against him.
Grasping his shoulder with one hand while holding his hardness with her other, she maneuvered her body to bring him to her opening.
And then he was inside of her.
"Finally…" she breathed out with a moan, making eye contact with him.
Smirking, he grabbed her hips and yanked her hard against his. She cried out as she tightened her legs around him.
"Oh God, don't stop," she groaned out.
"Why would I?" he asked, pulling his hips back slightly only to surge forward again while yanking her hips against his once more.
"Stop talking and do that again," she demanded.
"Gladly," he said, and then kept going, slamming into her, pressing her against the wall again and again, harder with each thrust. "You know," he said between panting and thrusting, "there's a bed over there we could—"
"Don't. Stop." she demanded again, gripping him harder as her head tilted back against the wall, the pleasure overcoming her.
Watching her, her mouth dropped open in ecstasy as her body was rammed against the wall in a hard steady rhythm, he decided he didn't care about a bed either. Not as long as he could be with her in this moment.
So he didn't stop—at least not until she bit down on his shoulder and screamed her release.
And then, giving into the raging fire flooding his groin, he found his own release as well.
It was good to be home.
Josie tapped her foot impatiently, waiting to hear from Wendy.
She couldn't believe how well everything was turning out!
Everyone left and returned without one problem. Unless you counted Jed who was bored out of his mind and made sure to complain about it over dinner. But she didn't.
Jade had even stopped frowning at her, though Josie was pretty sure that had more to do with Wade returning from meeting his friend safe and sound.
Jade really did have a big heart, and watching her with Wade only confirmed that even more.
She loved that about her.
Wait. Did she…?
No. She didn't love Jade.
At least she didn't think she did.
She glanced around the bathroom and silently begged Wendy to hurry up and answer.
She couldn't afford her sister knowing about her second phone—the burner phone she used to contact Wendy—in case she mentioned it to Mom or Dad. She also didn't want Lizzie to return to their room and overhear their conversation. Texting Wendy would take up too much time, so a quick phone call to get the pertinent details was in order.
"You did it!" Wendy exclaimed excitedly when she answered the phone. "Not one Triad agent in sight. The meeting went off without a hitch!"
Wendy couldn't believe how well everything was going since the Lockwood mess. She should probably thank Hope Mikaelson. If she hadn't shown up with her preposterous idea and sent her on the run again, she would've never ended up where she was. And she might not have the duffle bag full of cash sitting in front of her.
"And Garcia?" Josie asked.
"Reimbursed and making us a steak dinner as we speak," Wendy confirmed, knowing the girls had been worried about using her host too much which was further proof they were still too good, even while they were helping her. Fortunately Josie was proving more diabolical than Jade. She knew her bestie probably didn't approve of half the things her girlfriend talked her into.
"So what's the plan now?" Josie asked.
"Garcia's driving me to Salem tomorrow," Wendy said, smirking at the irony. She found a vehicle on Craig's List she would purchase there, and then she would get the hell out of dodge—and then the country.
Tomorrow, with a short drive to a neighboring town, and everything would finally be over. Josie was glad, but not nearly as glad as she was to actually beat Clarke in this game she had been playing with him.
"Let me know if all goes well," Josie said. "Then get rid of the burner."
"Will do," Wendy said, knowing that meant she wouldn't be able to contact either of the girls again. "And, hey. Thanks for everything. I couldn't do it without you."
"No problem."
"Take care of her," Wendy said. "She'll spend all her time taking care of everyone else and forget about herself. So you have to do it for her."
"I will," Josie said with a smile. With Wendy finally leaving, she was looking forward to focusing completely on Jade. There would be many date nights in their future. She would see to it.
"Take care, kid," Wendy said.
"You too."
To be continued…
