Chapter 47
It was early morning on the following Friday that the gang of hikers set off from school to their spot in the hills. As predicted, most witches and vampires opted to stay at school for the weekend movie marathon of Harry Potter (go figure). All of the wolves, on the other hand, opted to go as they did not wish to be separated from their pack or their alpha. It made Hope feel a sense of pride.
Along with the wolves a few stray witches and vampires decided to join, Lizzie amongst them, of course. And wherever Lizzie decided to go, MG was sure to follow. Not trusting MG to his own devices, Kaleb was hot on his friend's heels. Nim had also convinced Jade to join her and Josie was happy to observe what seemed like a budding romance developing between the two girls.
Alaric and Dorian chose to chaperone the group for the camping trip, while Emma stayed behind at school to lead the watchful party that would keep an eye on the rest of the school.
(…)
"Wait, so I have to carry this thing all the way up into the hills? By myself?" Lizzie stared at the hiking backpack that contained everything she would need, second-guessing her decision to join this trip.
"I'll carry it for you. No problem." MG gave his most cheerful smile as he offered, but soon felt Kaleb's heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Your ass is so scrawny, you can barely lift your own." He took a crack at MG, who was unimpressed.
"I AM a vampire." He tried to remind Kaleb, who remained unconvinced.
"You eat bunny blood, buddy…" Kaleb continued torturing MG in front of Lizzie, right to the point where she told them both to shut up and that she would carry her own damn pack.
"Why don't you guys get real blood to drink?" Nim asked Jade in confusion after overhearing the argument and the thought sent a chill down Jade's spine as she started walking, following the trail of people starting to move ahead of them.
"They're worried exposing the vamps to real blood would cause more harm than good. It could cause addictions. It could give rise to rippers." Jade sighed, unable to meet Nim's gaze where she walked beside her.
"Ripper? I've heard of Stefan Salvatore. One of the founders of the school, right?" Nim asked, genuinely and simply curious.
"Not quite." Josie answered from behind Nim. "The school building itself was once the Salvatore boarding house and home of the Salvatores, especially the Salvatore brothers – Stefan and Damon – after they returned to Mystic Falls as vampires. They were close friends with my father."
"So, you knew THEE Salvatores?" Nim asked, intrigued.
"Lizzie and I met them as little kids… Our mom was married to Stefan, very briefly. He died. Damon took the cure, he's still living with Elena and apparently they have a daughter just slightly younger than us.
"Wow, I wonder what it's like being that close to a ripper. Like… what happens when the craving hits? Everyone's fair game, right?" Nim mused as she stepped over some rocks, missing the look of dread that crossed Jade's face as she stretched her legs, walking faster and moving ahead of the conversation as if trying to escape it.
(…)
"OH MY GOD! SPIDER! SPIDER! GET IT OFF! NOOOWWWWW!" Lizzie squealed as she twirled around and around furiously, tripping over her own feet, and planting herself face-first into the dirt.
(…)
"Ninety-three bottles of beer on the wall – ninety-three bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around – ninety-two bottles of beer on the wall!"
(…)
"Do you want kids?" Hope blurted out suddenly in question, though she was unable to catch Josie's gaze as they walked side by side. She could feel her cheeks burn warm.
Josie blinked at the girl next to her in surprise, but then bit her lower lip in thought. "Yeah, I think so. Well not right now…"
"No, no… someday, one day, when I've built us a house and you've turned it into a home and there's an art studio for my paintings and a sunroom where you can read and write and there's a swimming pool in the back yard with a great big jungle gym where the kids can play and a big yard where they can run around until they're exhausted…" Hope rambled on in the cutest way Josie could ever imagine, her heart melting as this kickass young woman who held her heart within her hands dreamed bout complete domestic bliss.
(…)
"Fifty-four bottles of beer on the wall – fifty-four bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around – fifty-three bottles of beer on the wall!"
(…)
"If Superman actually managed to reach Lois Lane before she hit the ground, he'd only be worsening her death!" MG appealed emphatically.
"In what way? He just caught her from falling to her death!" Rafael scoffed.
"In the way that if Lois Lane hit Superman's arms – of steel, I might add – at that kind of speed, he'd just end up slicing her up into three equal parts." MG explained excitedly.
"Man, that's dark…" Kaleb uttered on MG's other side.
"Even if he decelerated to match her speed?" Rafael shook his head, unwilling to admit defeat in the nerdiest argument on earth just yet.
"There's no space! She's two feet above the ground when he reaches her, where must he get space and time to decelerate adequately?" MG argued furiously in return.
"Goddamn, ya'll are boring…" Kaleb yawned and rolled his eyes.
(…)
"Okay we'll take a rest here next to the stream. Find a spot to chill, grab some food and water. We'll leave again in an hour." Alaric notified the group of students as they reached a clearing that stretched rather wide along the stream on either side with lots of sunny and shady spots to lay down and relax in the soft grass. They had been hiking for about 2 hours already and had about another 2 ahead of them. Alaric stayed around the middle of the traveling band of students, while Dorian held up the rear. At the front Ric had gotten an old friend to join them for their outing (and assist with their protection) in one Jeremy Gilbert.
"WHO is that?!" Lizzie squeaked as she watched Jeremy tug his shirt over his head at the far end of the rest camp and soak it in the stream, before wiping his face and wetting his hair to help battle the heat.
"Hey, that's the guy that saved me and… well, the one time I had a werewolf hunter on my tail and that guy stopped him." Rafael exclaimed, though he faltered at the part where he would have had to insert Landon's name.
"That's Jeremy." Josie started to explain as they all dropped their backpacks in a pile. "He's Elena Gilbert's brother.
"Wait, is he the hot hunter guy?" Lizzie grew in excitement, but then paused as she observed the half-naked man from afar. "But I don't see any tattoos."
"That's because only hunters can see the tattoos." Hope aided in explanation before Josie could jump in again, offering her girl a small smile instead.
"Wait, what exactly does he hunt?" MG cast his gaze from one super squad member to the next, anxiously.
"Don't worry, he only hunts the bad ones." Josie tried to offer comfortingly, but Kaleb was the epitome of suspicion.
"Vampires? He hunts vampires?!" He exclaimed almost too loudly, some curious eyes bouncing their way.
"Wolves too. But only the ones that need hunting, okay, so relax." Hope emphasized and gave Kaleb a look that told him he really needed to shut up now.
"Wait, where's Lizzie…?" Josie asked a second later, only to look up and find her sister casually conversing with Jeremy at the edge of the stream.
(…)
"Hey listen, there's something you need to know." Josie spoke softly as she and Nim waded through the stream where its banks widened and allowed them more space to cool off in. "It's about Jade."
"Well if it's about Jade, shouldn't she be the one to tell me?" Nim arched her brow at her friend and alpha, respectfully but also in warning.
"But she won't. Look, just don't get tempted or think it's a good idea to give her real blood, okay? Kaleb tried doing that for MG once, as a friend, and we nearly lost him. The rest she can tell you." Josie strung her words together quickly, but articulately, trying to keep her voice down as to not be heard.
(…)
Hope watched as some of the wolves ran around the clearing, playfully tackling each other and getting into wrestling competitions. She smiled softly at them. They were so young and full of vibrant life and energy. She could feel the love within her heart for each and every single one of them grow stronger by the day. She understood this to be part of being an alpha and forming the alpha bond with the whole pack. She just never imagined that it would feel so strong, or make her so happy. She was everything with the pack behind her, and nothing without them. The pack was her biggest strength, but also her worst downfall. She just wasn't sure which side would come forward first.
(…)
"My dearest sister, come here for a second, won't you?" Lizzie pleaded with Josie in the sweetest tone she could muster. She was seated next to her backpack as people were slowly busy getting them strapped to their backs once more in order to take on the rest of the journey.
"Hmm what's wrong?" Josie asked as Lizzie slipped her hands into the brunette's, holding tightly onto their entwined fingers.
"Nothing. I just wanted you to know that I miss you, and I'm really starting to feel a little abandoned, and I…" Lizzie seemed to stall for time and Josie quickly caught on why.
"And you're siphoning from me?! Lizzie!" It was such a weird feeling for Josie. Other than herself, she had never felt the effects of being siphoned for her magic. It was different when someone else was doing it. It was almost like a burning sensation shooting through your veins, but then pulling back and pulling your life force with it. It was terrible. After another few long seconds Josie had to break the contact and pulled her hands away abruptly."
"Don't be selfish, Jo! It wasn't even that much!" Lizzie whined as Josie looked to Hope with big eyes. "That's what it feels like? What it has always felt like for you? We both used to siphon you at the same time! How did you stand it?" Josie could not imagine the pain Hope must have had to experience every time.
"I got used to it…for you. I had to, especially as we got older. At least I've got more to give than the average wolf or vampire."
"Have I told you lately how amazing you are?" Josie swooned a bit over her girl as she walked up to her with a bright smile. Hope matched her smile as show steadily wrapped her arms around the taller girl and meshed their lips together in a soft and slow kiss.
"Eww! Get a room, god!" Lizzie gagged dramatically at the two.
"Why were you siphoning anyway?" Josie implored a few moments later once she had untangled herself from her mate.
"I wanted to levitate the bag, but I'll run out of juice pretty quick." Lizzie sighed, defeated, right before River stepped into the space in front of her that only her bag occupied. "I'll carry it for you." He smirked at Lizzie and lifted the bag, carrying it in his arms with his own pack strapped to his back, and doing it all as if it were absolutely nothing. He casually walked off as the group started to move.
"Oh, there must be a God…" Lizzie sighed dreamily as she watched River's backside, leaving Josie and Hope to chuckle and roll their eyes at the hopeless blonde.
(…)
"Thirty-five bottles of beer on the wall – thirty-five bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around – thirty-four bottles of beer on the wall!"
(…)
"I've got to admit something to you." Jade muttered under her breath as she walked the winding path next to Nim. Their road into the hills was getting steeper and more narrow now, allowing both for intimate conversation just as much as eavesdropping opportunities.
"You're a ripper?" Nim asked her nonchalantly, Josie having said enough for her to figure it out. She wasn't crazy about the idea, but it was hardly enough to cut the girl loose, especially since it was out of her control.
"How'd you…?" Jade asked, her voice small.
"I'm clever like that." Nim smirked. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was insensitive. And I'm sure you take great care."
"I swear I do…" Jade smiled and reached for Nim's hand.
(…)
"Girls or boys?" Josie asked out of the blue as she glanced to Hope beside her, the hands clasped tightly within one another as they walked.
"What?" Hope had been lost in thought, so the question caught her off-guard.
"The kids, running around the backyard and climbing the jungle gym. Boys or girls?" Josie tried to clear up the confusion.
Hope blushed, but grinned broadly. "One each. A boy with unruly dark hair and dark eyes, but the sweetest smile you can imagine. And a girl, with bright blue eyes and auburn hair and a will of her own."
Josie giggled and lightly bumped her shoulder against Hope's. "Sounds familiar. I love it."
"I love you…" Hope cooed in response.
"I love you too…" Josie whispered.
(…)
"Eighteen bags of blood on the wall – eighteen bags of blood! Take one down, pass it around – seventeen bags of blood on the wall!"
"Shut the fuck up, Kaleb!"
(…)
"Okay, we've made it guys!" Alaric exclaimed excitedly with a tired sigh as they reached a large grassy clearing in the top part of the hills. The stream was still trickling past nearby and off to the side, where it sprung from a larger pool of water at the bottom of a beautifully broad waterfall only bout 35 feet high. It was perfect and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.
"Boys can set up their tents over there to the left. Girls, set up over here to the right. Twins, can I get you to please set up a protective barrier in about a 5-mile radius around camp? Everyone get settled in." Alaric clapped his hands for everyone to hop to their tasks.
"I'll set up our tent while you and Lizzie do the barrier." Hope gave Josie a chaste kiss on the cheek, causing the taller girl to smile warmly and contentedly.
"And by 'our' you mean the one for the three of us, right?" Lizzie arched a brow at the tribrid, very seriously.
"Ah, you're not sharing a tent with us." Hope arched a brow to match the blonde twin.
"She's MY sister. I need company and comfort! You get her all the time!" Lizzie screeched indignantly. It made Josie feel a little guilty as she rubbed her hand over her face.
"Fine, share a tent with us. Just don't mind what we do while you're asleep." Hope wagged her brows and caused Josie to flush red in embarrassment at the insinuation.
"Gross Mikaelson! You're not having sex with my sister in that tent!" Lizzie squealed, mentally scarred, and raised her voice far too loud. A few people stopped and stared at the trio, including Alaric. Josie wished the ground would just swallow her now.
"Josie, you're sharing with Lizzie. Hope can sleep by herself, being alpha and all." Alaric scoffed and gave the girls his best warning glare. He felt about as scarred as Lizzie, if not more so.
"Goddamnit Lizzie!" Hope ground out through her teeth and sighed in exasperation. "Fine. If I don't get my girl, you don't get ANY of my wolves."
Lizzie paused, thought for a second, then pulled a disappointed face as if she only realized then that she had passed up an opportunity for sneaking any boys into her tent during the night.
"Damnit…" She snorted, contemplating her plans for the night ahead.