I own nothing but my own words.


Chapter Two: Friends


Happy Birthday to the Bestest Bestie in the whole wide world, Vicky! I love you, V, and I hope you enjoy this chapter even if it's one day late ;) Everyone, check out her incredible graphics on Instagram (hopeforhopan_) or on my Instagram (gleechild_fic) where she helps create amazing covers for my stories along with another friend.


"Do you think we're safe here?"

He wanted to tell his new friend they were, but he knew the truth.

No place was safe until the monster was caught… at least not for Peter.

He didn't have any reason to fear the monster. The monster couldn't kill him, but it could hurt him. He really didn't like pain.

So, he was hiding in a barn.

The barn had very few places to hide, but he found one and burrowed into it trying to make himself as small as possible.

Someone else snuck into the barn, looking for a place to hide too, and he recognized the person immediately.

Peter was a well-liked fellow in the community. His father was head of the village, a proud man who was trying to lead the men in taking out the monster that was hounding their growing home. Most of the younger men of Peter's age were eager to fight as well, though their fathers were reluctant to involve them.

Seemed Peter was more like him in wanting to hide away until the monster was dealt with. He wasn't surprised. He spent his life observing, watching, trying to understand the world he had been created to be a part of and the people in it.

Watching Peter get on with foolish pursuits in the company of his mates after village duties were finished, he felt the desire to be a part of their fun. These were a group of friends who grew together, did everything together from treks through the forest or simply getting into trouble.

Not too keen on the 'getting in trouble' part since it involved an angry father, he still longed to be a part of something more.

To be part of anything so as not to feel so alone.

Therefore, despite giving himself away and revealing his long-hidden presence, he reluctantly motioned the young man over to join him in the tiny alcove of the barn. It was either that or chance the monster coming into the barn and… yeah. He would rather the monster just move on.

That was how he found himself miraculously making his first friend in Peter who was grateful for his help.

"Have you seen it?" Peter whispered. "The monster?"

He shook his head. "Not since I ran."

"Think it'll find us here?"

"I hope not."

His voice was raspy from disuse. Most people didn't talk to him. He knew how, but no one ever thought his words were worth hearing.

"What's your name?"

He was about to speak when sounds from outside the barn penetrated and made him close his mouth and cringe.

Monsters were scary. Father sought them out on purpose, but he didn't like them.

"I think the sounds are moving away," Peter whispered, listening cautiously. "Papa said the men would lead the monster out of the village."

"Father will stop it," he whispered back.

"All the men are doing what they can," Peter said. "Papa told me to hide."

He didn't reply. He knew no one but Father could stop the monster.

Boom!

The monster suddenly burst through the barn doors with Father close behind.

The two young men watching through a tiny peep hole saw it all. They both cringed in fear.

Peter's eyes widened and he held up two fingers silently, motioning frantically between them and the two figures in the barn.

He wasn't sure what Peter meant to say, but he whispered as quietly as possible, once again, that, "Father will stop the monster."

Peter shook his head and whispered just as quietly, "There are two of them!"

Sure enough, Father made short work of the monster, consuming it before their eyes.

"See?" he said, preparing to stand. "Father stopped the monster."

"What are you talking about?" Peter said in a harsh whisper, shaking from fear. "That is the monster."

Father left the barn, probably on his way to find the next village with the next monster. Father never waited for him to follow. Father didn't want him to follow.

He usually followed anyway because he didn't know anything else, but Peter had mentioned going fishing with other young men from the village once the monster was slain. Peter invited him along, as if he wanted to be friends with him, a foreign concept, but one that made him hopeful.

One that made him think maybe this was a village he could settle in and leave Father alone as he wished.

Peter's fear compounded even though they were the only ones in the barn now.

"Oh, no," he quickly tried to assuage Peter's fear by explaining. He forgot that once a monster was consumed, everyone forgot it existed. "That's not the monster, that's Father."

"That's your father!?"

The disgust in Peter's voice made him take a step back though he nodded. He didn't understand Peter's reaction.

"What's that make you?!" Peter, seeing that the barn was clear, quickly made his way out into the open.

Away from him.

"Wait…" He trailed after him. He didn't understand. The monster was gone. Peter shouldn't be scared anymore.

"No!" Peter jumped back, holding out a hand in protest. "Don't come near me!"

"The monster is gone… did you not wish it so we could fish? To join your mates?"

Peter still backed away even though he hadn't taken another step since he told him not to.

"I don't want to be mates with you," Peter said. "Nobody wants to be friends with whatever you and your father are!"

Peter ran out of the barn and presumably as far away as possible.

Reality soaked in as the old hurt and rejection came rushing back, and with it, as always, the knowledge that this scene had happened hundreds of years ago but stayed with him just as long.

"The way this day torments you," Malivore said as the vision of the barn gave way to the darkness of the pit. "Weak and pathetic as you have always been. Tormented by the words of a child."

Father would never understand because Father never cared for others. But Father still used that day to torment him.

He learned a valuable lesson that day, one that he tried to forget but he remembered it every time he tried to make friends over the years. Peter was but one person. Surely there was someone else who wouldn't judge him for who he was, for who his father was.

There wasn't.

Not that he had found anyway.

He eventually came to understand that because of who and what he was, none of the people he observed would ever be able to accept him.

He would never have any friends, just like he would never have a family since even his own father didn't want him.

He would always be alone.

And living with that knowledge as he drifted through existence in a giant dark pit of despair ruled by his cruel father tormented him even more because it hacked away at the one thing he needed to get him through.

Hope.

Without hope, how long would it be before he completely lost his mind?

How long before he lost himself?


"Well. You wanted to find her a rebound."

Lizzie gripped the edges of her breakfast tray and glared at the pair sitting across the room. "Not him," she muttered.

"I agree," Josie said, gritting her teeth

"Is it… just me or is she smiling…" Lizzie said in a tight whisper, "a lot more than before?"

"Before what?" Josie shrugged. "Before she found out Landon wasn't the one who broke up with her?"

"Oh, right," Lizzie hadn't thought of that. "Come on, might as well get this over with."

Josie raised an eyebrow. Her sister didn't actually think she wanted to join them?

"Uh, no thanks?" the brunette said. "Hope may forget he shouldn't be trusted, but I never will. I'll sit with Finch." She nodded to her girlfriend across the room, smiling and hurrying off.

"Way to leave me hanging!" Lizzie called after her.

She reluctantly walked to Hope and Clarke's seats. No matter what Hope promised him, Lizzie didn't have to call him Ryan in her head.

"Good morning," Hope said with a smile.

"Is it really?" Lizzie grumbled with a look at Ryan.

"Are you always this bitter?" Ryan asked, noting the disgruntled look on the blonde's face that seemed to be her default setting.

"She has reason to be," Hope took a bite of her eggs. "She has seen you naked."

"I have not!" Lizzie gripped her fork debating on which one to stab with it.

"From that doorway? Pretty sure you got a clear view," Hope teased.

"You know, the view I walked into was more riveting than, well, that," Lizzie flicked her hand dismissively at Ryan. "Next time you pass out, try not to do so on my best friend."

Ryan snickered, "So that's what happened."

"On that note," Hope stood, flushing slightly. "I need more toast."

Ryan watched her walk away, smirking. He wondered what happened when he fainted. He knew it had to be amusing given the way talking about it embarrassed Hope, but he had no idea he literally fell on her. It almost made him wish he was still partially awake for it.

Lizzie crinkled her nose. Why was she being left with the spawn of Satan? Whom, she will never admit to actually getting a very clear view of his naked behind.

"Hardly what a teacher, even a substitute, should be discussing with his students," she said.

"I'm not teaching, remember?" he reminded her. He was pretty sure he shut that entire idea down yesterday. He was at the school for one reason only. His teaching days were long over.

"Right." She wanted to laugh. If he thought her father was going to let him stay at the school out of the goodness of his heart, he was sadly mistaken. But he would learn later.

Now, though, he had something else he needed to learn.

"You two seem chummy, what with all the laughing and joking," she said as bitterly as possible. "Don't get used to it." She didn't like the friendship developing between Hope and Clarke. She didn't know why it seemed like Hope trusted him, but she didn't, so it was up to her to warn him away since Hope wouldn't listen to reason.

He laughed, pausing to chew before responding, "Get used to what? Soon as Malivore is dealt with, I'm gone, remember?"

She glared at him.

"Oh, more glares, tell me," he tore off a piece of his toast. "What am I not supposed to get used to?"

"Oh, you already know," she snapped. "I'm watching you." And he better not do anything to hurt her best friend or she would make him regret it.

He laughed, "I don't know anything, but thanks for the warning."

Hope came back and sat with a grin, "What I miss?"

"I think apparently I'm not supposed to get used to you laughing?" he said.

"Why's that?" she asked Lizzie.

"It's clear why you're in a good mood lately, what with knowing Landon really is alive and wasn't the one who broke up with you," Lizzie said as pointedly as possible.

"Uh, yeah," Hope said, looking down to cut a sausage, avoiding Lizzie's gaze.

Lizzie frowned. Why did she get the feeling Hope was keeping something from her?

"But, as always," Lizzie rolled her eyes, "it won't last long since we still have the problem of separating Landon from Malivore."

"Right," Hope nodded, still cutting at her sausage, eyes glued to her plate.

"Well," Ryan shrugged, "Hope seems to find great enjoyment in teasing me with threats, so at least there's that for her to laugh at."

Hope glanced up with a smirk at him which he returned fondly.

"Harsh after you were hurt, isn't it?" Lizzie said, disgruntled at their little insider exchange. Smiling like that at each other? She wasn't happy about any of this. Ryan wasn't rebound material. He wasn't any kind of relationship material.

"The harshest," he said in amusement, "Though that started before."

Lizzie frowned. Before what? Before he was stabbed in the throat?

"Your face when you got out of the car," Hope laughed. "Now that was funny."

"Taking me to the middle of nowhere with no witnesses and making threats?" he said. "Not as funny as you think."

"It was pretty hilarious," Hope grinned. "How's the wrist, by the way? Healing as well as the neck?"

"Oh, this?" Ryan held out his right wrist where the imprint of his teeth was fading slowly. "Mostly bruised, but I'm sure if it scars too, it'll be just as sexy."

Hope rolled her eyes.

"For a human, you sure are accident prone," Lizzie said, eyeing his wrist, suspecting there was more to the story but Hope and Ryan seemed more about teasing each other than sharing.

She didn't like any of this. Clarke had gotten Hope to laugh before he was stabbed which was before Hope knew about Malivore being in Landon.

Maybe Josie was wrong and Lizzie was right… Clarke was the reason for Hope's good mood. She really didn't want to be right about that.

"On that note," Lizzie pushed away the breakfast she barely touched, "think I'll make my way to Dad's office now. Get a good seat."

"We're almost done," Hope said. "We'll be there soon."

We.

Lizzie grumbled to herself as she stalked away.

Since when were they a 'we'?

"So, what's a Super Squad meeting actually entail?" Ryan asked, tossing his napkin down.

"Basically everyone offering their opinion on what they think is the best way to handle the situation," Hope said before biting into her toast. "Then we decide what to do."

"They're not all going to gang up on me, are they?" he asked. Not that he cared, but he agreed to help Hope, not the rest of them.

She swallowed and shook her head. "You know Malivore better than any of us," she said. "Whatever they think, there's no denying that."

"So… I just say my piece, then what?" he asked. "That's it?" He wasn't really sure what was expected of him, or how long he would have to stay and help. He wasn't sure how much he could help, but it was the least he could do. She saved his life… and it would actually be a huge relief for him if he could move on with his life knowing Malivore was gone for good.

"Trying to get out of here already?" she teased.

"No," he drummed his fingers on the table. "I said I'd help. Just got a lot on my mind."

"Like, what's next?" she said, picking up her smoothie. "Do you know where you're going after this?" Something else she never asked him about before, but she suddenly wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about his plans but she didn't really know why.

She took a sip of her drink.

"Making a list," he said. "Believe it or not, there are some places I've never been."

"How long have you been alive?" she teased. "Slacking, aren't you?"

He laughed, "Guess so. There are also some places I want to see again."

"So, you're just going to go on a whirlwind tour of traveling the world?" she asked a bit enviously.

"Until I decide on a place to settle down?" he shrugged. "It all depends."

"On?"

"On where I'm at when I find what I'm looking for." He couldn't deny he was excited about the possibility. He was human now and there was nothing holding him back.

"And what's that?" she asked.

"A place I belong… with people who care," he shrugged sheepishly, looking away to clear up his breakfast place.

With a pang, she remembered him trying to get her to admit she cared about him that morning. She thought he was just teasing her. After Lizzie hounded her, she was on edge about revealing her feelings to anyone, especially him… and especially to herself.

"Some people may already care…" she said, clearing her throat as she gathered her own dishes.

"Like who?" he scoffed, knowing she was wrong. He was pretty sure she did, but if she wouldn't say it, then did she really?

"Like me," she forced the words out and stood quickly to clear her place, avoiding his gaze.

Her napkin wobbled and nearly fell off the plate, but he pushed it back in place for her. She glanced up without thinking and spotted the biggest sweetest smile she had ever seen crossing his face.

Suddenly it didn't bother her at all to tell him the truth.

Not when it made him that happy.


"So, where do we start?" Alaric asked, bringing the squad meeting to order.

"First, everyone needs to know that no matter what goes down with Malivore," Hope said from her position standing behind the chair Ryan was sitting in. "He is not to know that Ryan is alive."

"Who's Ryan?" Jed asked.

Ryan raised his hand.

"Clarke," Alaric answered, motioning to Ryan.

"Ohhh," Jed said.

"As far as Malivore is concerned, he's dead," Hope reiterated, looking around and staring hard at everyone in the room. "Understood?"

Everyone nodded, even the ones giving Ryan disgusted looks. The looks didn't bother him, especially not when they mostly came from Josie. He knew he deserved it. He just needed to work with all of them long enough to help Hope with Malivore and then he never had to see them again.

"So, what's your grand plan for dealing with Malivore?" Josie asked haughtily.

Did Josie really think he had a plan? He was here to help, not do it for them. If he knew how to take care of Malivore, he would've done it long before now.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it quick," Ryan said instead. "As I've said before, no prison can hold my father for long. I think he's proven that a few times."

"Helpful," Josie bit out.

"We need to get Malivore out of Landon," MG spoke up.

"But how?" Kaleb asked.

"Maybe something that transfers one conscious to another?" Hope suggested. "Like the trident?" She glanced at Ryan.

"Except this isn't just a consciousness," Ryan replied. "This is Malivore and all of his creatures. He basically merged with Landon. In this case, we need a way to separate them without killing Landon."

At the word merge, Lizzie and Josie glanced at each other, a thought occurring to them that they didn't want to voice aloud.

Fortunately, MG had no problem saying it.

"Is Landon even still alive?" MG asked. "We don't know if Landon is still in there… he could be gone already, you know?"

"What do you think, Ryan?" Hope asked, the thought hadn't occurred to her before and now it worried her.

"I think he's still alive."

"What makes you think that?" Kaleb asked.

"Because I still am," Ryan replied, clearing his throat. "Landon isn't the first vessel he used."

"I thought he didn't use you?" Hope asked.

"He didn't once he realized I wasn't a good fit," Ryan shrugged. "I wasn't the first he tried to make and use, nor was I the last."

.

"So how is it that we aren't surrounded by these other Malivore creations too?" Lizzie asked.

"Most of the earlier ones didn't last long," Ryan replied. "The later ones he created differently from me… he discovered with me that he wasn't too keen on immortal offspring who had a mind of their own so he didn't let them have one, and he consumed them as soon as he realized they weren't what he wanted either."

"So, they all survived him leaving their bodies?" Hope asked.

"Basically," Ryan shrugged. "I know I did."

"So, does Landon know what's going on right now?" Jed asked.

"If he chooses to, yes," Ryan said. "When Malivore took over, I knew what was happening but I… didn't always want to know what he was doing. I was able to shut it out."

Hope didn't miss the way he refused to look at anyone when he said that. It didn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to know whatever his father did traumatized him. It made her resolve even stronger to destroy Malivore. She didn't even know half of what Malivore had done to him, but he never deserved any of it.

She also wondered if Landon was conscious to see their breakup. Did he know she believed every word Malivore said? Did he realize the truth in the words… like she did?

"Malivore said we couldn't have them back until he got what he wants," Alaric spoke up to ease the awkward tension around the room. "So, what does he want?"

No one had any ideas.

"Well, it's probably not what he wants," Ryan finally spoke up, "but you said Landon's human now, not a phoenix, right?"

"Right," Hope nodded.

"He's not going to be too happy about that," he said. "He didn't want a human solution. He wanted an impossible to kill one."

"Why take over Landon at all then?" Jed asked.

"Well, Landon was made to be his vessel…" Lizzie said.

"Because he was banking on the body protecting him," Josie said.

"Still, a human body?" Jed asked.

"Not the body but whose body it is," Josie said. "He doesn't think we'll kill Landon. Not without trying to save him first. Until then, Landon's body is the safest place for him to be."

"Maybe we should give him a new body?" Ryan suggested, wincing at the idea of giving Malivore anything, but Hope wanted his help to defeat Malivore and save Landon. Even the worst suggestions had to be made. "You fix what he couldn't do on his own? Give him the body he's always wanted? At least then he wouldn't be in Landon anymore?"

Everyone grew quiet, contemplating the idea, if they could even do it, and the possible ramifications.

"Are we really going to offer him another body?" Lizzie asked. "Won't that just make him more dangerous?"

"What about Cleo?" Kaleb finally spoke up, not being able to keep silent about her anymore. There was more than one friend at stake here.

"Getting Malivore out of Landon is most important," Hope said dismissively.

"No… getting Cleo out of Malivore is more important," Kaleb said, standing slowly.

"Saving them both is just as important," Josie rose, looking back and forth between them, shocked by Hope and Kaleb's complete disregard for the other's concern.

"She tried to kill me," Hope said, her tone allowing no room for argument.

"Hope, so did he," Josie pointed at Ryan, "But—"

"So did you!" Hope snapped at Josie with more anger than anyone expected.

Josie pulled back, shocked.

Lizzie stared at Hope, confused by the vehemence behind her words. Where had that come from? She knew Hope wasn't really angry at Josie. They had gone through too much between ending a cult and saving the galaxy together. If Hope was still harboring any anger over Josie's time as Dark Josie, she would've mentioned it long before now. No… this was about Cleo. It had to be. But, why was Hope suddenly so resistant to the idea of saving Cleo?

"We'll help both of them, okay?" MG inserted, ever the peacemaker. "Let's just keep our heads and work it through. Like we always do."

Kaleb calmed down as he realized the truth of his friend's words. Hope had just riled him up.

"I know she tried to kill you but… she had her reasons," Kaleb said. "And I know she felt bad about it."

"Everyone always has their reasons," Hope said, crossing her arms. "Doesn't mean you have to forgive them. Talk to me again after someone tries to kill you."

"He won't hurt Cleo," Ryan finally interjected, hoping to get the conversation back on track. He didn't know why mention of the other girl had gotten Hope so upset, but he knew it couldn't be good. He remembered walking into that hotel room and feeling the jealous vibes all around; but, once they all knew it was Malivore and not Landon, he didn't think there was anymore reason to be jealous. If Hope wasn't jealous… then there was more going on than he knew about.

"And you know this because?" Kaleb asked.

Ryan shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Hope. Even if the jealousy was unfounded, there was a reason for that vibe and it had everything to do with Malivore and nothing to do with Landon.

"You think he has a thing for her?" Hope asked, reading his face clearly.

"Not a… thing?" Ryan shook his head. "I think it's like everything he does… it's an obsession."

"But Malivore raised her," Josie said. "That's disgusting."

"He thinks of her as a possession. A weapon," Ryan continued. "Whatever he's thinking, it's not real feelings. He doesn't have the capacity for that. He won't hurt her though, he needs her. But, I bet her running away from him angered him. Her caring about anyone would probably anger him too. See it as a betrayal because he would want to possess everything about her, including her thoughts and feelings."

"Way to be a total psycho," Lizzie grimaced.

"This is Malivore we're talking about," Jed said as an aside to her.

"Guess it's a good thing da Vinci is long dead then," Alaric muttered, shaking his head.

"Leonardo da Vinci?" Ryan asked.

"They were… together," Josie finished with a cough.

"Not anymore though," Kaleb interjected though he was still reeling at the idea of Malivore being possessive of Cleo. He felt sick.

"Yeah, because he's dead," Lizzie supplied. "Deader than dead."

"That's about as dead as someone can get," Hope said sarcastically.

"Ha, ha, ha," Lizzie said just as sarcastically.

"I just don't understand," Hope turned back to the group. "Malivore can't consume vampires, witches, or werewolves. It physically hurts him so how is he able to keep Cleo there?"

"He only tried to get you out when you did magic," Ryan pointed out.

"How did he consume you anyway?" Jed asked.

"He didn't do it on purpose," Josie said. "That's for sure."

"I jumped in," Hope supplied.

"So, maybe if she does magic he would have to let her out? Does Cleo know that?" Kaleb asked hopefully.

"I never told her about that time," Hope said, shrugging. She once thought of Cleo as a friend, and she probably would've told her if they ever talked about it. But Cleo didn't ask a lot about Malivore. Of course, now she knew that Cleo already knew more than all of them and hadn't needed to ask.

"Did you talk to anyone about it?" Lizzie asked curiously, realizing she never asked Hope about it either.

"Not really," Hope said, glancing at Ryan.

Lizzie saw Hope and Ryan share a smile and had to roll her eyes. Really?

"We need to get Cleo out of there," Kaleb said.

"Out of where though?" Lizzie asked. "Are we sure she's even still in Malivore?"

"Where else would she be?" Josie asked. "She'd contact us if she wasn't, right?"

"If only there was some way to get her to use magic inside of him," Lizzie said. "If she did it enough, wouldn't he eventually have to let her go?"

"Let go of an obsession he's had for centuries because of a little pain?" Ryan asked. "Have you been paying attention at all?"

"Yeah, I have," Lizzie grumbled. "Currently thinking its too bad Malivore missed the voice box."

"Lizzie." Hope frowned at her.

"I'm only supposed to call him Ryan and not let daddy dearest know he survived," Lizzie said. "Anything else is fair game."

"Is there a way to reach Cleo inside Malivore?" Alaric asked, interrupting the teenage dramatics.

No one answered.

Hope sighed, "So, we make a deal. We give Malivore what he wants, and he gives us what we want."

"Except we want Cleo and Landon," Josie said, "But we don't really know what he wants."

"Then we'll tell him what he wants," Hope stated. "A new, invincible body. It could be enough?"

Lizzie spoke up, "Again, I say, is that what we really want to do, if we can even figure it out?"

"He just has to believe that's what we're giving him…" Alaric said thoughtfully.

"He's not going to release Landon… or Cleo unless he's sure," Hope said, her voice still showing her reluctance at Cleo's importance. "If we give him some fake illusion, it won't work."

"So give him something real…" Josie said slowly, leaning forward as an idea slowly began to form. She looked at Ryan. "What would happen if he tried to take over a body that isn't… a good fit? Like, oh say, one that's toxic to him?"

Hopes eyes widened in realization.

Ryan didn't like that idea at all.

"Wait," Jed held up a hand. "So you want him to take over…"

"Me," Hope said.

"But won't he notice?" Jed asked.

"Not if he thinks I'm the new body," Hope said thoughtfully.

"Won't he be suspicious if you aren't there though?" MG asked.

"Ooh, I've got this one," Lizzie said as she pulled out the illusion ring.

"Do you always carry that with you?" MG asked.

"How did you get that out of my safe?" Alaric asked, frowning.

"Oh, Daddy," Lizzie pushed the questions aside.

"It can't be you," Hope told her.

"Why not?" Lizzie huffed.

"It has to be someone who knows Malivore…" Hope glanced at Ryan.

"Hope…" he swallowed around the giant lump that suddenly formed in his throat. His fear was palpable.

"He'll never know it's you," she said. "I'll wear the ring the whole time since I'm stronger. You just stay far away from him. He'll only see me as the new body and you as me."

"Well, you did want to be her," Lizzie mused.

Ryan felt the nervous tick in his hand return and he pressed it against his thigh. The thought of being that close to his father again… he didn't know if he could do it. He wanted to help her but…

"Give us a minute," Hope said quickly to the team as she pulled Ryan out of his seat and off to the side to speak privately.

"You need this," she whispered.

"No, I don't," he whispered back, wondering who she was kidding whispering in the presence of two vampires. "I don't want to go anywhere near him again."

"Closure," she said softly. "You get the satisfaction of knowing you helped take him down?"

He pressed his lips together, quaking inside at the thought. The fear was very real. He wanted to leave it all up to her. He needed to leave it all up to her.

"Please?" she asked gently. "You're the only one who really knows him. Who really knows me. He'll spot any of them a mile away, and you know it."

He swallowed several times, knowing she was right. Whoever pretended to be Hope had to nail it or the entire mission would fail. He didn't think the plan was that good in the first place though, and he was pretty sure his father would never agree to it.

That thought was the one that made him finally give in to her.

Malivore would never agree, so he wouldn't have to do it anyway.

"Okay," he agreed hoarsely.

"Thank you," she said, gripping his arms in appreciation.

Her touch soothed him unexpectedly.

"He'll do it," Hope said to the group as they walked back, her tugging him along but staying close to him the entire time. He decided to stand next to her instead of sitting again. Her presence calmed him. He wondered if she knew that.

Alaric nodded, "So, you really think Malivore trying to take over Hope's body will destroy him?"

"No," Josie shook her head. "She's not the tribrid, but he'll have to move out of Landon's body to get into hers. If she can hold onto him long enough, Landon could be free."

Hope nodded. "I can do that."

"And Cleo?" Kaleb asked.

"We get him to let her go first?" Josie suggested.

"Not sure how easily he'll go along with that," Lizzie said.

"Not sure how easily he'll go along with any of this," Ryan mumbled.

"All we can do is try," Hope said.

"His patience is boundless," Ryan reminded them all. "He may believe giving her up for a little while is necessary to fortify himself. He'll come after her again, but…"

"He may give her up long enough for us to save her and Landon," MG finished for him.

"Right, so Hope, Lizzie, Josie, you go make the offer to Malivore," Alaric said, wrapping the meeting up. "Kaleb, MG, and Jed, get to class. You too, Clarke."

"Ryan," Ryan reminded him. "And I'm not teaching."

"Uh, yes you are, Mister Clarke," Alaric said. "That was the deal."

Ryan looked to Hope for help.

Hope winced, "It is the deal… and he really needs a sub."

"I don't have any lesson plans or even know what I'm teaching!" Ryan sputtered.

Alaric walked to his desk, picked up a binder, slammed it shut and tossed it at him.

"It's bookmarked, and you have," Alaric looked at his watch, "ten minutes to prepare, Clarke."

Ryan gritted his teeth, gripping the binder tightly, "Ryan."

"Students at this school are not permitted to call teachers, even substitutes, by their first names," Alaric said firmly.

"But headmasters can," Ryan glared.

"Oh, right," Alaric shrugged. "Well, hurry along. If you're more than ten minutes late—"

"They leave," Ryan muttered, flipping the binder open with annoyance. "I remember."

"I bet you do," Alaric smirked.

"Doctor Saltzman," Hope said in warning.

Alaric just smiled grimly.


"Well, Dad forgot I actually do have class right now," Josie said as they left the office. She glanced at Hope uncertainly, still a bit confused by her friend's blow up. "Meet you at the gym after? We can talk before?"

"Yeah," Lizzie nodded, studying Hope who had gone silent after the meeting and was walking away without acknowledging Josie's words.

She followed Hope outside as Josie left for class with a worried look.

"You got a bit heated in there," Lizzie prodded. "I can't remember the last time you snapped at Jo. And I thought Kaleb was going to take your head off."

Hope shrugged and kept walking.

"Where're we going?" Lizzie asked.

"Wherever I want?" Hope said. "Why are you following me again?"

"For answers. Talk to me."

"What about?" Hope sighed and sat on a bench.

"Cleo. Clarke. This whole thing. We haven't talked since you found out Malivore is in Landon. Are you okay?" Lizzie settled next to her.

"Not really," Hope admitted, leaning forward and resting her face on her hands. "I just want it to all be over."

"It will be… we've got Malivore locked up, it's only a matter of time," Lizzie tried to be encouraging.

"That whole plan is crap, Lizzie," Hope dropped her hands. "You know it. I know it. We all know it. Malivore is not going to go for it and we'll be back at square one."

"Anything is possible?" Lizzie tried again.

"Everything's a mess and I'm just so… tired," Hope said miserably. "I'm exhausted. Completely and totally emotionally exhausted and… I don't think I can take it anymore."

"Take what…"

"Landon," she whispered. "I love him so much but it just shouldn't be… this hard. I'm… tired of living this way… Is that bad?"

"No," Lizzie said softly. She was genuinely surprised, but she had to admit… she was relieved too.

"I don't even know if we can get Malivore out of him and it's just one thing after another," Hope continued. "Fate has played this trick on me so many times now and my mind's a mess. I'm a mess. When I thought he was dead and it was my fault, I was so devastated. I tried everything. Everything. When nothing worked, I just drifted… existing but not really. And then… I thought I had him back, but it wasn't him. It was a version of him I had in my mind. All the parts that I love best… or… how I wanted him to be. But the truth is, there are parts of Landon that…" Hope sighed again. "Remember the banshee? The real Landon would have never let me barricade him in his room to protect him. I should've known then, but I was so worried I just thought he was listening for once. I was relieved I didn't have to fight with him. But that wasn't him. I know how he is."

"The golem of Landon wasn't his fault…" Lizzie reminded her.

"No, and neither was Malivore pretending to be him to break up with me," Hope said. "But, again, I didn't know it wasn't him. And the devastation set in and I realized several harsh truths… Like how Josie's right! How can I even be with him if I'm toxic to him? And… he's toxic to me… I just never saw it before."

"How so?" Lizzie asked gently.

"He never really accepted all of me," Hope said. "I know I have a lot of hang-ups, I'm definitely far from perfect. My overprotective nature… it's because of life long traumas from losing the people I care about. And he wanted me to get past all of that before he would agree to stay with me, like some ultimatum. He acted like… life was just some musical that could miraculously be made all better by singing a song."

She scoffed weakly before continuing.

"But it took years for my fears to become what they are and a song isn't going to make it all go away," she said. "I just pushed it away, buried it as deep as I could for him so I wouldn't lose him. But I lost him anyway. Always and forever, always and tomorrow, none of it mattered because it… just wasn't meant to be."

She sniffled softly.

"I've known for a while that we're doomed," she said. "It just took until now to really accept it. I want to save Landon and I will do everything I can to save him. But after that, I… don't think I can be with him anymore… I can't keep doing this to myself. I think… that I need to put myself first… Do you think maybe you can help me be selfish for once?"

"I'm always here for whatever you need me for, but just know that putting yourself first isn't always selfish," Lizzie insisted. "Apparently it's actually quite healthy, or so I've heard." Not that her sister would agree. But there had to be a balance between looking out for yourself without being completely selfish. Hopefully one day Lizzie would figure it out, but for now, Hope needed to know what she wanted was okay.

"Healthy. Oh, you mean as opposed to falling into a coma and subconsciously refusing to wake up because your boyfriend is dead?" Hope said sarcastically.

"Yeah, that wasn't very healthy," Lizzie winced.

"Just another one of those harsh truths that…" Hope shook her head. She couldn't keep talking about this. It had been on her mind for a while now. Saying it out loud made it real… and maybe that's what she needed. Speaking the words made it more real. She had been so obsessed with Landon she never cared about her own mental state.

But she cared about it now.

One too many things had happened that she couldn't ignore anymore.

"Speaking of harsh truths," Lizzie decided to change direction, suspecting Hope needed it, "Cleo?"

Hope swallowed tightly and shrugged.

"She tried to kill you," Lizzie said, "but Josie was right. She's not the only one to try, and you aren't usually so… cutthroat even to people who try to kill you."

"She didn't just try to kill me, Lizzie," Hope said. "She made that golem of Landon."

Lizzie nodded, "She did…"

"I kissed him. A lot," Hope said, staring straight ahead, her face hard. "I slept next to him."

"Oh…" Lizzie felt a sinking in her stomach, realizing what no one else had but they should have.

"If I wasn't toxic to him, would she have even cared if I was intimate with him?" Hope asked. "None of it was real. He wasn't real. He wasn't Landon. He wasn't my boyfriend. He was some thing she created. She took advantage of me and my feelings and-and-and—"

Lizzie didn't need Hope to keep going. She understood. Cleo basically molested Hope with a fake simulation of her boyfriend.

No wonder Hope didn't care about saving Cleo as much as Landon.

"There's no excuse for what she did," Lizzie said.

"But she doesn't deserve to die for it," Hope said, looking away. "I know that."

"Doesn't mean we can't hold it against her when she gets back," Lizzie said.

Hope nodded and plucked at a piece of imaginary lint on her pants.

"Do you need… to talk to someone?" Lizzie asked. "Besides me?"

Hope shook her head. She didn't need to see a professional. She just didn't think she would be able to continue being friends with Cleo.

She remembered Cleo telling her she hoped they could be friends again after all of this was over. She had a naturally forgiving nature, but she didn't think this was something she could ever forgive.

"Times like these, I wish Emma was still here," Lizzie said.

"Yeah," Hope nodded. "I miss her."

"You could probably call her if you wanted to talk," Lizzie suggested. "Not like she'd hang up."

"I'm fine, Lizzie," Hope insisted. "I'll be okay."

"If you're sure…" Lizzie wasn't convinced, but she knew it wouldn't help to force it.

"I promise… but thanks."

Lizzie hated how down Hope seemed. In the span of fifteen minutes, Hope admitted she didn't want to be with Landon anymore and revealed how she felt being abused by Cleo.

She wanted to make Hope smile again. She knew of only one thing that had made Hope smile in the past few days.

With a deep heartfelt sigh of frustration, she trudged on.

For Hope.

"So… you and Clarke?"

Hope's mood shifted instantly and Lizzie was amazed when Hope actually laughed.

"I don't know about that," Hope said though her smile was very telling.

"Maybe the worst choice for a rebound, but at least it wouldn't last long since he plans on leaving soon," Lizzie said thoughtfully.

"Lizzie," Hope said, shaking her head in amusement. "No."

"What?" Lizzie asked innocently. "I was standing right behind you when he walked out of that bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. 'Claaarke,'" she mimicked breathlessly in a flirtatious voice. "That was you."

"It was not!" Hope denied while laughing at Lizzie's impersonation.

"Was to!"

"Lizzie, there's no point in even considering it," Hope finally said. "He's a son of Malivore. I'm just as toxic to him as I am to Landon."

"Just as well," Lizzie said. "You barely know Clarke anyway."

"Ryan," Hope corrected.

"Right, Ryan," Lizzie adjusted. "My statement still stands."

"Lizzie… I spent months with him in Malivore. I know him."

"Uh, doesn't seem like it mattered considering when he got out he immediately went after you."

"He did what he had to do," Hope explained.

"Now who's toxic to you?" Lizzie asked. "Making excuses for him?"

"It wasn't like that," Hope said sheepishly. "I dragged him into the pit, his worst nightmare, and I left him there. If I hadn't been so single-minded and, well, selfish, I could've tried harder to free him too. Of course, I didn't want to take the chance of him making me regret freeing him but… I regretted it later. Leaving him. And that I couldn't save him the second time."

"So you really were happy when he showed up at Andie's cabin," Lizzie said.

"Yeah," Hope said. "I'm glad he's alive. I thought he was gone forever."

"Not sure I'll ever understand you two at all."

"He… understands me in ways no one else does. And I understand him too."

"You sure about that?" Lizzie asked incredulously. "Was Vardemus his greatest con? Or was it convincing you he's not the devil?"

"I know it's crazy given our past but… I trust him," Hope said.

"You guys must've had a lot of fun after you hijacked my car."

"Well, you did see the mark on his wrist," Hope grinned.

"How did that even happen?"

"I used a mimic spell to make him give me his blood for a locator spell."

"So you made him bite his wrist by biting your own?"

Hope nodded, "Though I figured he'd be dripping mud on the map next to my blood. Turned out it was blood. That's how I found out he's human."

"Guess the spell worked before his blood turned to goo?"

"What do you mean?"

"When your blood came into contact with his on the map, didn't it turn to mali-goo?"

"No…" Hope said, remembering her blood spreading out as it soaked the map. It did run into his but nothing happened.

"You mean, your blood combined with his on the map and nothing happened?" Lizzie asked.

Hope shook her head, her eyes widening. That meant…

"Hope… that means you're not toxic to him…" Lizzie pointed out. "Not that I think he would make a good rebound but… "

Hope bit her lip, thinking.

"That changes things, doesn't it?" Lizzie asked.

"I have no idea," was all Hope would say.

"I know you. It does change things."

Hope shook her head. "It doesn't. I like Ryan, okay? But I'm not looking to jump into another relationship, plus he's leaving, remember? Also, our blood mixing on a map isn't enough to take that chance. I would never do that to him. He would never take that chance either, okay? So, no. It doesn't change anything. We're just friends and that's all we'll ever be."

"Well…with him leaving, he might actually be good for a rebound if you took that chance, I mean considering you don't really want a relationship."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Lizzie was quick to say, realizing it was ridiculous to suggest something like that to Hope when she was already dealing with so much. Hope didn't need a former mudman muddying her mind even further.. "You're right. Not worth taking a chance. He's taking off once Malivore's dealt with, off to some new human life. Good riddance."

"I admire him for that," Hope said, smiling softly, thinking about Ryan. "Knowing what he wants and taking the steps to get it. He doesn't have some huge destiny holding him back. No expectations…. He's free."

"Well, yeah…" Lizzie wasn't sure how she became privy to Hope's thoughts about Clarke. Maybe he really was the devil manipulating her best friend.

"He couldn't live up to his father's expectations, so he created his own narrative," Hope said. "I wish I didn't have expectations to live up to."

"Your parents didn't expect anything from you," Lizzie frowned.

"My family sacrificed everything for me, Lizzie. Their lives, even. And, it's like… there's this huge weight on my shoulders to make it all mean something. To be better. To… be the greatest witch the world has ever known or something, and I just…"

"Want to create your own narrative," Lizzie finished, finally understanding what Hope was truly going through. And, she had to admit, it made perfect sense that Hope had become friends with Clarke. They did understand each other

Maybe just being friends with Ryan was exactly what Hope needed.

Lizzie still didn't trust him.

Hope shrugged. "Instead, I have a duty to the world to rid it of Malivore. Maybe then I'll prove that I was worth all the sacrifice."

"Hope, you are worth so much more than that."

"Guess we'll see, won't we?"

A B C

He was trapped in Malivore. Again. This time he had company though and that… made it so much more bearable.

She made it more bearable.

"How long do you think we've been here?"

"Hard to say," he replied "A week. A month. A year? What difference does it make?"

There was a sudden screeching, a terrifying sound that instantly had him on edge and pulling back. "What the hell was that?"

"Uh, a gargoyle? I think?" she replied. "I killed one once with my friends. You know, my teenage friends. So why is a super villain like you scared?"

"I'm not a villain. I never have been. I'm just a kid who's afraid of his father and will do anything to get away from him. My entire life's been about figuring out how. And failing," he gave her a side look, reminding her of her earlier jab. "Miserably."

She must've seen something in his face or heard something in his words that struck a chord in her because the next thing he knew….

"Papilio lux," she said as her hands glowed and slowly a golden butterfly formed before rising into the air.

They both watched it fly away.

"You think that's our ticket out?" he asked.

"No. It's a comfort spell," she said begrudgingly. "It's… it's supposed to provide peace of mind."

He focused inside and realized he wasn't feeling quite so messed up anymore. She had done that for him.

Like… a friend would do…

"Thank you," he said with a real smile.

When she returned his smile with a small one of her own, he felt hope for the first time. Hope that maybe this trip to Malivore would turn out okay. Hope that maybe they would somehow get out of there together.

He forgot about the lesson he learned over and over through the years and dared to hope that this time things could be different. She knew his history, she knew about his father, but she never turned from him in disgust for that reason. She was mad at him for unlocking the pit, yes, but they had been stuck together long enough now that she actually offered him comfort. She did something nice for him.

Maybe, for once, he could have a real friend who accepted him completely for who he was.

How long had he lived? He should've known better by now. He knew he would only end up being hurt by hoping, but he did it anyway.

Everything backfired on him, of course, because he was lying to her. This time, he couldn't even blame her for it. Maybe if he had told her the truth from the beginning she wouldn't have turned on him.

Maybe she wouldn't have left him behind.

The wind whipped up as it did every time the cyclone started.

"That's my ride," she said unapologetically.

"Hope, you can't leave me here!" he pleaded.

"I can't leave with you, okay?" she said. "I have to get back to my friends. I have to get back to Landon."

"I can't lie, right?" he said desperately. "So you know I'm telling the truth when I say that if you help me go back too, you'll never see me again. I promise."

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "But do you understand why I can't take that risk?"

"Yeah, I would do the same thing if I were you." The truth spell reared its ugly head again and he clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head. "God!"

"Good luck, Clarke," she said, leaning back into the wind, letting it pull her up and away.

"Screw you, Hope!"

The wind stopped, the vortex closed, and she was gone.

He was alone. Again.

And it hurt. It hurt a lot.

Then came the overwhelming terror that drowned out the hurt.

The terror that echoed on and on as he realized that it was all just a memory. A memory that Father was present for and took great pleasure in making him live through again to remind him of the one time he nearly made a friend who didn't mind who he was, but he was the one to screw it up with his actions.

He blamed her at the time, but he shouldn't have.

He just couldn't see past his own fear.

Now, he would give anything to do it over again, to do it all over again because she was the only one who would have ever truly given him a chance.

She was the only one who had ever made him feel like he wasn't alone, even if it was only for a brief period of time.

He wasn't sure what hurt more: when he was always alone... or, to have someone only to find himself completely alone again.

He didn't have to choose though, because they both hurt.

And Malivore would gladly continue to torture him with both.


To be continued…