WARNING: If you don't read the note, you're going to be confused…
Hello, my lovely readers. You might take note that there is one major character missing from this fic, the canon timeline is conflated and Jenna Sommers is Elena Gilbert's aunt from S1 of TVD… On with the show…
Rude Awakening:
There is a small town called Mystic Falls. The town is hopeless. Literally. There is a girl named Hope Mikaelson, but this is not her story. She is living her own adventures, with her family, and from time to time Caroline Forbes joins them, down in New Orleans. What Mystic Falls does have are mysterious attacks from monsters which they diligently cover up and pretend—like most small-town-ers—that it didn't happen. Oh, and they have a Necromancer. And a Chad. Soon, they will have a newly-resurrected and greatly confused Jenna Sommers. That will come later...
~0~
Currently, The Necromancer was having a very bad day. He tossed things about the crypt that he was now living in, although The Necromancer didn't really "live." He just kind of existed.
"Chad!" The Necromancer shouted. He picked up a goblet and tossed it at a wall. "Chaddddddd!" he screamed.
"Yes." Chad came into the crypt. Poor Chad looked about as unhappy as anyone would be to be stuck living under the thumb of a crazed creature, like The Necromancer, who Chad still thought of as Ted, sometimes, but knew better than to say it aloud.
"Oh, how good of you to appear." The Necromancer placed his hands together, and made his way over to Chad, tilting his head to the side with a false smile that left a pit in Chad's stomach. If Chad weren't already dead, he'd be afraid that his…used-to-be-a-friend, would kill him, although Chad knew now there were things worse than death.
"What did you bring me?" The Necromancer inquired, eyeing the box in Chad's hands. His ethereal blue eyes peered into the box, and he wrung his hands, almost looking happy.
"I brought what you asked for. The books," Chad replied, setting the box down and stepping back. If he could, he would flee, but he couldn't; so he didn't.
The Necromancer reached inside the box. His smile began to twist and Chad felt worried. "Nonsense." The Necromancer tossed the first book aside. Taking out another book, and another, and another, he continued to toss them, looking more and more pissed off. This would end badly. For Chad.
Finally, The Necromancer took one of the books and let out a quiet laugh. Smiling, he walked over to Chad. "Do you know what this is, Chad?" he asked, tapping the cover.
"Nope." Chad decided playing dumber than he had been in human life would be a good idea. He shook his head and waited for the worst.
The Necromancer chuckled and stroked the cover of the book. "This is a journal of the adventures of my old friend, Niklaus Mikaelson. Sure to be some good reading tonight." He turned away from Chad. "Keep an eye on The Pit for me."
Chad sighed. He hated Pit watching, but he'd do it anyway.
~0~
Flipping through the volume the idiot named Alaric Saltzman had written about The Necromancer's old pal, Nik, he paused when he saw the name of a woman. Flipping back, he grinned to himself. Good old, Nik, killed Ric's old lady friend, Jenna Sommers. How truly awful. Letting out a laugh, The Necromancer closed the book. He had work to do.
"Chad!" The Necromancer shouted, stomping back to where Chad knelt by The Pit looking bored out of his mind. "I have a resurrection to perform!" he cried, holding up his arms and grinning happily. He'd be doing what he did best, bringing about chaos.
"Should I come?" Chad called back.
The Necromancer paused by the doorway. "No, Chad. You're still on Pit duty. But don't worry; I'll return." He thought he heard Chad mutter, "I hope not," and decided to let it go, for once.
Rubbing his hands together, The Necromancer had great plans to defeat his foe, Saltzman, with what made most humans foolish: love. Although it didn't work with Josette Laughlin… When you fail: Try, try again.
~0~
Jenna Sommers had been about to take a glass of wine to her brother-in-law, Grayson Gilbert, when something felt very wrong. A sharp light burst into the horizon. She placed a hand over her eyes, but it did not help. "Miranda?" she cried out, reaching for her sister, when she felt something tugging at her, and she felt herself being sucked into something.
Eyes opening, Jenna blinked into the sunlight. "Hello, love. Welcome back to the land of the living," a voice called to her with a giggle like Rumplestiltskin From Hell.
Jenna sat up and looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a dress she didn't remember. "Where am I? Who are you? What's going on?" she demanded. She felt cold. And she felt pissed. "I said: Who are you?"
"Nothing for you to worry about, Jenna. Now, here's a phone. You know how to work one of those, don't you? Just slide your finger. There you go. And that phone number. Yes, there. They'll help you out. Good luck. You're going to need it."
Jenna watched as the strange man in bad need of a facial walked away. Her hand shook as the line rang. "Salvatore School, how may I help you?" a voice said.
"Um. Hello. Is Damon Salvatore there?" Jenna asked, her voice trembling.
"No." The voice replied. "Is there anyone else I can find for you?"
"Um… Alaric Saltzman?" Jenna replied. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling confused.
"One moment…"
After a long couple of minutes, there was the sound of scuffling and then, "Hello?"
"Ric?" Jenna choked out.
Alaric paused. "Jenna?"
"Yeah…" Jenna replied. "Um… Some guy gave me a phone and told me to call you…"
"What did he look like?" Ric sounded all-business now.
"Um. Kind of gross. Like he'd watched Batman too often and wanted to be the Joker, only he left the makeup lying around for a century and it decayed. Or he did…." Jenna waited.
"Was he wearing a suit. Old-fashioned? Weird hair?"
"Yes. All of that."
"Right." Pause. "Okay. I'm coming to get you. And we'll deal with this."
"Okay." Jenna nodded as the call ended. "Okay." She looked around the cemetery and forced herself to her feet. She inhaled and felt air in her lungs for the first time in two decades. She could do this.
Spotting a family visiting a grave; she nodded at them. They looked at her clothes. At the open grave next to her and then began to back away. "It's okay. I come in peace!" Jenna called to them. They turned and ran. "No. I came from Peace." She groaned and her head fell. Her first day back, and she couldn't relate to people anymore. How was this going to work?
~0~
A stone went tripping over itself with a tiny push from Landon Kirby's work boot. "Where are we going?" Rafael asked. He looked at the gate up ahead. His brows knit together. Landon tended to make plans. Some of those plans did not always end well.
Shoving his hands in the pockets of his worn-a-few-too-many-times jeans, Landon nodded toward the gate. "In there. You should be safe for the day."
"Really?" Rafael stopped and shook his head at Landon. "Lan, I know you're trying to protect me, but I'm old enough to handle this." He paused to think of what handling "this" meant. Mind drifting back to the events of last night, Rafael shivered in the early fall weather, which in Virginia meant temps of somewhere between eighty and seventy degrees. "I'm good."
"No. You're not," Landon shook his head at Rafael. "And you don't have to pretend to be. What they did to you –"
"They thought they were doing the right thing!" Rafael cried, taking a few steps away from Landon. Sometimes Landon could be so damned stubborn, especially when he thought he was right about something.
"They chained you up and tried to exorcise a demon out of you! Who in their right minds does that!" Landon shouted.
Whirling on his heel, Rafael turned his brown, burning gaze on Landon. "Stop!" Landon didn't get it. Even after he'd seen what Rafael became the night before. Even after… "It might happen again," Rafael growled out, his fists clenching at his sides and his eyes moving to the ground beneath his feet. "You saw what I did to the priest."
"Wow! I feel so bad for him!" Landon replied. He moved closer to Rafael and placed his hands on Rafael's shoulders. "Okay. So, you turn into a big, hairy creature under light of the full moon. Every guy has problems."
Rafael's eyes lifted and he found himself cracking a smile as Landon chuckled. "I almost tore you apart," Rafael tried, his voice coming out so soft as to sound threatening now.
"I know. But, hey, you didn't. That deserves a treat, right?" Landon reached around his back. Pulling his backpack around his shoulder, he slid the zipper down and pulled out a candy bar. "See, I was saving this for desert, but then you reminded me that you didn't use me as a Milk Bone." Holding out the candy bar, Landon cracked a wide grin. "Promise not to try to eat tonight?"
"Promise. Give me that," Rafael could eat a cow right now. After last night, he feared that he might if he came anywhere near a farm. Tearing the wrapper open, Rafael took a bite and they continued toward the cemetery. Opening his mouth to say something, Rafael choked on his words and the nougat at the sight of a woman in a black dress with dried clumps of dirt and mud in her blonde hair.
"Hi," the woman called, lifting a hand. She waved at them and tried to smile.
"Hell-hello," Landon replied, his voice coming out maybe a little too quietly for the woman to hear.
Rafael edged his way in front of his brother. There was something about this woman that made him wary. "Are you okay, ma'am?" Rafael called out.
"Yes." The woman nodded but her expression gave her away, and she stepped closer to them; she nearly fell over her own feet.
Landon moved around Rafael and started toward the woman when Rafael caught Landon's elbow, holding his little brother back. Shaking his head at Landon, Rafael felt annoyed when Landon hissed at him, "She needs help. We can't just leave her like that."
Jerking away from Rafael, Landon made his way over to the pale blonde and kneeled over her. "My name's Landon. That's my brother, Rafael." Landon nodded at Rafael who continued to watch them, forgetting about the candy bar in his hand.
"I'm Jenna. Jenna Sommers," Jenna replied.
"Can we call someone for you?" Landon asked. Obviously he forgot they'd ditched their phones when they decided to get out-of-town tomorrow morning.
"No. A friend of mine is coming to get me," Jenna said. Her eyes went to the candy bar that Rafael held. Seeing the look of hunger on her face, Rafael glanced at the partially eaten treat. He could feel his own stomach tighten at the idea of giving his food away but he made his way over to her.
"I only ate part of it. If you don't mind germs," Rafael said, extending the candy bar and not ending his commentary when Jenna snatched the candy bar and took a big bite of it. She continued to eat it until it was gone and then she stared at the empty wrapper with a forlorn look in her eye.
"I've got sandwiches, too," Landon said. He started to open his bag, again, when Jenna placed a hand to her mouth and then turned her back on them. "Are you okay?" Landon called as Jenna began to heave and the candy bar came back up.
Rafael looked at the sky. Man, he wished he'd eaten the thing. His eyes went back down to the woman as she turned to look at them. Her eyes had turned black and there were little veins pulsing around them.
"What the hell is wrong with your face?" he cried out. "Lan, run!"
Landon looked just as shocked but he could not seem to run as Jenna, or whatever this thing was, reached out and took hold of him, her mouth opening to reveal a set of fangs. "I'm sorry," she muttered. Landon stared at Rafael who felt his rage pouring through him like it had last night. He didn't care what this woman was; she would not be having Landon for a snack.
"Jenna!" someone called out. And then Jenna let go of Landon.
"Ric?" Jenna looked shocked. "Oh, no."
Rafael's eyes moved to take in a tall man with a gun who shot Jenna. She dropped over and Ric shook his head. "This is a mess." He looked at Landon and Rafael. "I'm so sorry. My friend gets confused sometimes."
"She got confused about the whole people bot food thing?" Rafael demanded. "And what was wrong with her face?"
Ric placed his hands on his hips. "You believe in vampires?"
Landon jumped in. "Do they come from the same place as big, hairy wolves that used to be men and only turn under the full moon?"
Ric's brows went up. "Maybe."
Landon looked at Rafael and Rafael shook his head but Landon jumped in anyway, "My brother turned into a wolf, last night."
"Brother?" Ric looked at Rafael.
"We're adopted," Landon added.
Rafael cursed Landon's desire to offer up their life stories to a man who was friends with a woman who just tried to eat him. "We've got to go." Crossing the space between himself and Landon, Rafael nodded to the road. "Our parents are expecting us."
"I run a school. For vampires. Witches. Wolves," Ric called out. "You think you might want to come check it out?"
Pausing, Rafael looked back at Ric. If this guy was messing with him…
Landon placed a hand on Rafael's shoulder. "We are very interested."
~0~
"I tried to bite a kid," Jenna said. She shook her head, her hands covering her face. "I tried to eat an innocent, kid, Ric. I hate Klaus Mikaelson!" she moaned.
"That's cool. He's dead," Ric said, and Jenna lifted her head to his crooked grin and the glass of red wine he held out to her.
"No?" Jenna shook her head. "Tell me Elena was the one who did it."
"Nope," Ric shook his head. He took a seat on the edge of his desk and took a sip of his bourbon.
"Stefan?"
"Nope."
"Damon?"
"Klaus has a daughter," Ric informed Jenna whose brows went up. "Yeah. Can't see him becoming a hero. But he did sacrifice himself for his kid. Guess that counts for something."
(In fact, Alaric was correct when he said that Klaus sacrificed himself for his daughter. However, Klaus Mikaelson was very much alive during this period of unspecified time, thanks to Davina Claire's necromancy and Caroline Forbes' intervention. But, again, this is not their story.)
"Klaus Mikaelson…a father?" Jenna shook her head. "I thought vamps couldn't make kids."
"They can't. It's the whole hybrid thing…" Ric trailed off. The last thing Jenna wanted to be reminded of was how Klaus turned himself into a hybrid. It began with his turning her into a vamp; it ended with her heart in his closed fist. Shaking her head, Jenna held up her empty glass for a refill.
"Dad?" a quiet voice came from the direction of the doorway.
Jenna looked up to see a teenage girl looking at Ric. "Looks like Klaus wasn't the only who was busy while I was away?" Jenna smirked up at Alaric. "Can I be trusted to wander?"
"Sure. Just don't go too far," Ric warned her. "Some of the students are wary of strangers."
"With good reason," another voice called out. And then a blonde girl came to stand beside the brunette. "Who is this?" the blonde demanded, arching an eyebrow.
"This is an old friend. She'll be staying here for a couple of days," Ric told the girl.
"Oh?" The blonde who reminded Jenna of Caroline Forbes for some reason seemed to grow bored and then moved inside the office. "We have got to talk about your taking in strays, Daddy! It's one thing to take in a red-blooded male wolf like Rafael, but to take in some hum-drum hobbit? We have standards, don't we?"
Jenna backed toward the door, mouthing, "Daddy?"
Ric placed his hands to his brow and shook his head. Yes. A lot had changed since Jenna died.
~0~
"It looks like you're a shoo-in here," Landon said with a grin. Rafael's eyes went up from a piece of paper some guy had just shoved into his chest. "Already getting invited to parties." Landon's eyes flicked to the paper that Rafael took hold of and flipped over to stare at.
"Yeah?" Rafael's eyes began to glow and Landon felt happier about his decision to take a chance on this place. "You coming, too?"
"I don't know," Landon shrugged.
Rafael rolled his eyes. "You have to. Someone has to keep the blonde's attention occupied."
"Sure. And that's me. She hated me. Just in case you didn't notice." Landon peered down the hall. "Speaking of blondes…"
Rafael turned to look at what Landon was talking about and Landon saw Rafael's body tighten up like he might spring as Jenna came toward them. "I come in peace," Jenna called, holding up her hands. "Sorry. About earlier. The bloodlust was never something I got to conquer in life. Didn't know it would still be a thing…" Jenna's voice trailed off and she looked so very unhappy that Landon couldn't help but feel bad for her.
Nudging Rafael, Landon said, "Last night, Raf, here, bit a priest. He had an excuse; he was in wolf-form, and the priest that he bit was possessed. The point being, we all make mistakes when we're under the influence of something out-of-our-control. Just, please, don't try to bite me, again, and we'll be cool."
"I can do that." Jenna offered them a smile.
"Cool." Landon looked at Rafael who did not look like he thought it was cool. "Anyway. We have somewhere to go." Landon watched Jenna's expression fall. "But you can join us."
"What?" Rafael snarled.
Landon shrugged. "Lizzie promised to take us to lunch. Thought it would be a good way to introduce us around. Jenna can come, can't she?"
"Dude." Rafael shook his head.
"It's okay." Jenna waved them off. "I was in graduate school when I died and it would be lame to hang out with a bunch of kids." She paused. "Do people still say 'lame?'"
"Whatev," a voice came down the hallway. "I could care if she has to room with Alyssa Chang this year. She's not living across the hall from us."
Landon felt dread fill his heart as Lizzie Saltzman came down the hallway. Her eyes found Rafael and she beamed as her sister, Jo, hugged a book to her chest. "And so it begins," Landon muttered.
Jenna looked behind her at the Saltzman twins. "Oh, good." She seemed as happy to see them as Landon felt. "Hello, again," she called to them.
"Hello," Jo called, waving at Jenna.
Lizzie's eyes flicked to Jenna for a nano-second before she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "So, Rafael, I see you got the flyer. Which means you'll be at the party?"
"Yes." Landon said, "And Jenna's coming, too."
"Oh, so we're inviting Zombies now?" Lizzie demanded, placing a hand on her hip. "Was I not clear on who the flyers were meant to go to?"
"Zombie?" Landon's brows went up. How were there zombies?
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Sorry. You're not on the need-to-know basis committee." Her eyes flashed to Rafael. "Did you plan on bringing a date?"
"What do you mean: I'm a zombie?" Jenna demanded.
Jo looked slightly panicked. "My dad didn't tell you about The Necro –"
"Jo!" Lizzie cried, her blue eyes widening and her lips peeled back from her teeth like she might bite someone. "Need-to-know." Her eyes went to Landon, Jenna and Rafael. She offered them a quick smile, her nose wrinkling. "Sorry." Re-focusing, she turned back to Rafael. "About the date issue –"
"I don't date," Rafael replied. "Landon, I think we should get our stuff because I'm not living with zombies. No offense," he told Jenna.
Jenna held up her hands. "I'm not a zombie."
"Actually," Jo began.
"Jo!" Lizzie shouted.
Jo jumped and Rafael headed off while Landon tried to think of what to do next.
~0~
"What do your daughters mean: I'm a Zombie, Alaric!" Jenna demanded. Her pale cheeks were flooded with color as she stomped into Alaric's office. His head shot up. His eyes rounded as he looked back at Jenna.
"Excuse me?" Alaric replied.
Jenna scoffed. "This is just like when you didn't tell me about vampires!" she cried, placing her hands on her hips and beginning to pace back and forth. "This is so typical. I die. And then I come back—decades later—and everything is totally different and exactly the same! Who are you covering for this time!" she snapped.
"Daddy!" Lizzie Saltzman came running into the room. She bent over, huffing and puffing and held up one hand before blurting out, "I didn't tell her! I know: This is a need-to-know thing! This is all J—"
"Lizzie!" Jo came running into the room and her dark eyes widened. "Are you seriously throwing me under the bus right now?" she cried, glowering at her twin.
"Girls, Jenna and I need the room," Alaric said, moving to shoo his daughters out of the room.
Jenna shook her head. "This is unbelievable."
"I will explain everything," Alaric replied.
"I am not leaving you alone, with that!" Lizzie retorted, somehow pouting and glaring at Jenna at the same time.
Jenna waved her hands. "Don't worry. I'm already gone."
"Jenna!" Alaric called as Jenna stalked out of the office and headed down the hallway. "Jenna, please, don't go!"
Jenna continued until Alaric said something that made her stop. "What will you do if Elena sees you? Or Damon? Are you going to go home with them? Not knowing what you might be? If someone might be able to force you to hurt them? Stay." Jenna turned to face him as Alaric continued to talk and he moved closer to her. "Let me take care of you, please? I failed you once. Let me try to make up for it." He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, his eyes softening. "Please?"
All the years melted away and Jenna nodded. "Okay. I'll stay. For tonight. While we work through why I'm here."
Sighing in relief, Alaric turned back to his daughters as Lizzie and Jo stood in front of his office. "Girls, I will be fine."
"Sure." Lizzie shook her head. "Well, we have plans. But we'll be back. And you won't know when," she warned Jenna.
Jenna nodded. "Consider me warned." She walked after Alaric into his office. He closed the door behind them. She took a seat and waited for him to speak.
"We know The Necromancer brought you back. What you don't know is that you're not the first person he sent here. He sent my wife—my fiancée—the girl's mother, Jo. She came here to collect something for The Necromancer but whatever it was, we didn't have it; so we helped her return to peace…"
"You mean, you could send me back?" Jenna inhaled. She hadn't thought of that possibility.
"Well, yes…" Alaric did not seem certain about how he felt on that one. Coughing to cover up the awkwardness, he placed his hands on his knees. "Can you think of any reason that The Necromancer might want you here? Does anything seem to be calling to you?"
"No. Not a thing." Jenna shook her head.
"Great. I guess that means that I'll have to keep a close eye on you, see what he might want from us this time," Alaric stared at Jenna and she let out a quiet chuckle.
"Just like old times, huh?" Jenna cocked her head to the side and Ric let out a quiet laugh. What could they do while they waited to figure out what The Necromancer wanted from her? Grinning, she looked him over. "How close of an eye would you like to keep?"
Alaric gulped. "Well?"
Without another word, Jenna moved out of the chair and leapt on Ric, causing a number of books and papers to fall on the floor. "Ever have sex with a vamp?" she asked him.
"No," Alaric shook his head. "Right time for everything," he gulped as she stripped her shirt off.
~0~
The moon hadn't come out yet. "So, this is pretty early for a party," Landon quipped, holding a cup of beer and looked around himself.
"We host them earlier so the wolves can come," Jo told him, nodding at Rafael who was talking with some humans who were apparently wolves.
Landon nodded. "And that girl, over there, giving me the death-stare-of-my-life?" He nodded at a pretty brunette with curly hair and a glare that might be the literal death of him.
"That's my ex." Jo muttered behind her cup of beer.
"Satan," Lizzie added, appearing beside her twin. She glared back at Penelope who now smirked and raised her cup in Lizzie's direction. "Who invited her?"
Jo shrugged. "No idea."
Landon looked at the twins and then decided that maybe being somewhere else would be good. "Okay. I'm going to go…somewhere else."
"Bye," Lizzie called, flashing him a faux smile.
"Lizzie, be nice," Jo chastised her sister. "He didn't do anything."
"He was hanging with the zombie, plus he's just so, so, so…what's the word I'm looking for here? Oh, yeah, lame!" Laughing, Lizzie's head turned in Rafael's direction. "Raf, I didn't see you there! You look lonely!" she shouted.
Rolling his eyes, Landon shoved his hands into his pockets and he headed for the gate. Maybe he really didn't belong here.
As Landon made his way across the school's lawn he found he wasn't alone. "Hello," he said to the young guy who moved toward him with a purpose. Hopefully this wasn't more of the welcoming committee.
The blonde man grabbed Landon by the shoulders. "You need to hide. He sent her to find you. He doesn't know that I know. But I know. And as long as he doesn't know that I know who you are you'll be safe. Go inside and hide."
"Hide?" Landon shook his head. "Who are you? What are you talking about? And why are you dressed like you're part of some kind of blood cult or escaped from a fraternity for future politicians?"
The man blew out a breath. "Man, I thought this would be easier."
"Hey! What's going on?" another voice called out. Soon Raf stood beside Landon. Then the twins came to join them.
"Oh, man, someone else for MG to compel. How is it that humans keep showing up? Is there a flaw in the barrier spell or something?" Lizzie demanded, hands on her hips.
The red-hooded guy shook his head. "Sorry. I'm just a drunk human. Got to go."
"Oh, no you don't!" Raf caught the guy by the back of his cloak and whirled him around. "Who are you?"
"I'm no one," the guy told them with a friendly smile. Then his smile faded. His head fell. "Okay. I'm Chad. I work for Te—The Necromancer. Please, don't tell him what I'm about to tell you. He'll do something terrible to me."
Lizzie let out a scoff. "The Necromancer only used dead people. So, whoever you really are, try something else."
"Lizzie, he might be dead," Jo stated.
Lizzie frowned. "Are you?"
Chad nodded. "I died in Texas. And Ted—I mean, The Necromancer, well, he wasn't The Necromancer, then—"
"No one cares. Fast-forward, Chad," Lizzie snapped with an eye roll.
"Right. Okay. So, The Necromancer wants Landon so he can get revenge on Malivore."
"What does Malivore want with Landon?" Jo demanded.
"Who cares? Let's just hand him over," Lizzie argued.
"No one is handing Landon over," Raf snapped.
Lizzie smiled. "I was kidding."
Landon did not believe her. "What is Malivore?"
"A pit of un-ending darkness and torment. But it wants to be human. Or in a human form?" Chad looked confused. "Anyway, he wants to be you. Like use you. Like a pod-person."
Landon gulped. "I get it." Chad nodded and smiled. Normally they could talk sci-fi, but not with some kind of body-snatching pit of goo and some kind of Necromancer after him.
"We should get out of here," Landon said.
"You'll be safer here," Jo told him.
"How?" Rafael demanded.
"We're witches. We can protect you," Jo told him.
Rafael shook his head. "We've lasted this long. Thanks. But no thanks."
"Let's talk to Dad," Lizzie suggested.
Landon nodded. "I can do that. Thanks, um, Chad."
Chad nodded. "I've got to go guard your brother-pit."
"Brother-pit?" Landon felt even more confused.
"Ted-Necromancer talks in his sleep," Chad said before turning, lifting his hood and running off at human-speed. Weird.
~0~
"Daddy, there's a new problem. It looks like The Necromancer wants The Hobbit to—Oh, ew!" Lizzie cried and then jerked the door closed again.
"What is it?" Jo asked.
Lizzie's face was squished up and she looked like she might vomit. "Sex…"
"Who?" Jo asked.
Lizzie just shook her head. "Dad…and the zombie…"
"Oh?" Landon's eyes widened. "At least she won't be taking me to The Necromancer."
Lizzie shuddered. "Daddy?" she called out weakly.
"Yes, honey!" Alaric called through the door.
"Landon needs to talk to you." Lizzie moved away from the door and waved for him to go in while she continued to look like she ate a rotten egg.
Landon inhaled before he opened the door. Thankfully Alaric and Jenna were dressed. "I have a plan. Sort of."
"Oh?" Alaric looked at Jenna. "Okay…"
Landon inhaled and then told them while they stared at him like he'd suggested they buy a small island and bring all of their supernatural friends to live there as one, happy family.
"That's insane," Ric said.
Jenna shrugged. "It might work."
"And you might both die," Alaric argued.
"Well, it's all we've got for now," Jenna replied.
Landon looked from the zomb-pire to the human. After a moment, Alaric nodded. It looked like they were going to try the plan. Landon just hoped it didn't blow up in his face.
~0~
Night fell. The last of the party-goers who did not fear a wolf bite could still be heard cheering to the strains of a soon-to-be-forgotten pop song. A number of the students of the Salvatore school had gone to bed or were studying. Some were lurking around the kitchen, looking for munchies after smoking something that might have been organic.
Jenna wandered the school, her sight-less eyes following a path. Some part of her mind knew where she was going. However, the part of Jenna that made her who she was, was dormant while this other thing searched for what it desired.
Stopping, her head spun and she caught sight of a boy in a dark blue hoodie moving down the hallway. A slow smile that was nothing like Jenna crossed her face and she strode after the boy. He led her to the front door and she watched as he moved for the gate, hitching a bag and she followed him. "Landon," she called out.
The boy turned and Landon did not seemed as surprised as the thing that wore Jenna's face thought he should be. "You must be The Necromancer," Landon replied.
Clapping Jenna's hands together, The Necromancer took a bow. "At your service, Mr. Kirby. It's been a long time, trying to track you down. And here we are."
"Here we are," Landon replied, dropping his bag. "So, you're here to take me to Malivore?"
"Yes. I am. Sadly, you're just a piece of the puzzle. One of the sharp little corner pieces that gets stuffed under the family sofa so you can't solve it in good time." The Necromancer smiled. "But here we are. Finally. And I can take you to your father. Doesn't that sound delightful?"
"Yeah." Landon did not sound enthused. "And what, exactly, does my father want with me?"
"Just to wear you like I'm wearing the lovely Miss Sommers," The Necromancer held up his arms. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure when he's done with you, off he'll pop."
Landon continued to frown. "Sounds like there's more to the story…"
"Right then, well, you've got me. While your daddy's human, I plan on killin' him." Shrugging, The Necromancer offered Landon a mock-sad face. "Sorry, my lad, we've all got our roles to play. And you are collateral damage in this story. Now, best to be moving on. Don't want to wake the school and end this bit with a lot of bloodshed and misery." The Necromancer let out a laugh that said he'd like that a lot.
Landon glanced over The Necromancer's shoulder. "I think you're trying to cut to The Big Finale a little early."
Turning around, The Necromancer eyed Alaric Saltzman and his twins. "Ah, how cute. The Saltzmans have come to fight for their new friend. Touching, really. But, as I said: I've got to get going. Don't want to be late. Only been working on this plan since that one was born," he hooked a thumb at Landon.
The blonde twin stepped forward. "We don't care what you do to Frodo Hobbins, but hell will freeze before we let you take him to make an even bigger monster."
"Oh, my dearie, I don't plan on making a bigger monster, I plan on killing Malivore once he's in this one." Again, The Necromancer hooked his thumb at Landon. "What do you say: Deal?"
The brunette one jumped in. "No!" she cried, holding up her hands.
The Necromancer felt annoyed Jenna came down with one hell of a headache. Then Alaric moved to shoot her with an arrow. "Not today," The Necromancer threw his borrowed body out of the way and pushed through the pain. "Come, boy, we've got a party to attend." He caught Landon by the shirt collar and made to speed toward the gate when the boy let out a cry of pain and his head spun and snapped.
"What did you do, Lizzie?" The little brunette cried out. Her round eyes moved to her sister and the blonde one began to shake, a look of horror on her face.
"Blasted hell!" The Necromancer roared, dropping the broken boy to the ground with a groan of disgust. "You fool! I could have ended this whole thing!" he shouted. Shaking his head at Lizzie. "You'll regret this stunt."
~0~
"You think he really bought it?" Jo asked, peering around the table at the others. Landon laid on his back on the floor as they waited for him to wake up.
"I guess being a vamp is better than being the devil's meat suit," Lizzie said with a shrug.
Alaric watched the boy carefully. Jenna sat in a chair. She hadn't said anything since The Necromancer left her body. "You okay?"
"No. I was invaded by that creep and now I turned a kid into a vampire. I am beyond not okay." Jenna ran her hands through her hair and watched Landon closely. If he wasn't okay…
"Is it supposed to take this long?" Lizzie moaned. "I'm losing beauty sleep here, people!"
In answer, a puff of smoke emitted from Landon's body. Everyone became quiet as a series of disturbing things they'd never seen before happened.
"Did some one order a volcano?" Lizzie muttered.
Jenna leaned forward, holding her breath as the smoke continued and then the shell that been created around Landon began to crack as his body broke through. "Ric, what's going on?"
"He's a phoenix," Ric said, his eyes flashing to Jenna.
"So, not a vamp?" Lizzie added, looking around. "Coffee, anyone, 'cause this just got a tiny bit more interesting."
Jenna nodded. She found herself smiling. This meant two things. One, Landon was not her first turn. Second, Landon would be useless to The Necromancer if he couldn't kill his foe using the boy.
Landon looked around at them. "What's happening?"
~0~
Six months later, Jenna stood in the Salvatore kitchen. She felt lost. What was she forgetting? Oh, yes, peanut butter. "Landon," she called. "Don't forgot your bag!"
Landon entered the kitchen with Rafael. "Just because the kitchen staff aren't on duty doesn't mean you have to pack us lunches. We're just going for a trip to Richmond."
Rafael nodded. "Although it is nice of you." He took a bag and peered inside. "Orange slices. You remembered?" His smile made Jenna's heart swell.
Somehow, Jenna had struggled so much with trying to be a mom to her niece and nephew when her sister and brother-in-law died, but this felt like a second chance. Two parent-less teens who just needed people to love them and Jenna, a woman who had decided that the afterlife could wait a little bit longer...it seemed a fitting match.
"Be careful," Jenna told them, following the boys out to the front door.
"We will." Landon replied, leaning over and kissing Jenna on the cheek before glancing at his shoes and smiling before he and Rafael hurried away.
"Wait for us!" Lizzie shouted, coming flying down the stairs. "Bye, Jenna! Promise we'll be back for the ritual this weekend!"
"Be safe, girls!" Jenna called as Jo ran past her.
"Never!" Lizzie called out cheerfully. "Landon! Are we flying this time!"
"That's not conspicuous!" Rafael shouted.
"And you're turning into a wolf on the beach last month was?" Lizzie shouted back.
Jenna closed the door on the squabbling teen's drama. She moved up the stairs and found Ric in his study. "Hello, Dr. Saltzman," she called with a smile. "What are you up to?"
"Just the usual. Trying to figure out how to defeat The Necromancer, Malivore, and a host of mythical creatures and take care of all of these hormone-filled supes. Nothing new." Ric sat back in his chair. "Care to distract me?"
Jenna nodded, walking over to plop down on Ric's lap. "Every. Single. Day."
Alaric pulled back. "You're still going through with the ritual this weekend?"
"To make sure I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon and make sure The Necromancer can never use me for his nefarious purposes?" Jenna looked thoughtful before she shot Ric a grin. "Duh!" She began to kiss him until his phone rang.
Pulling back, Ric rolled his eyes before he pulled out his cell phone, "Alaric Saltzman…"
"Hello, Alaric, I would like to know if you be interested in a bit of funding in exchange for some help with a problem, here, in New Orleans?" Alaric looked at Jenna whose eyes rounded at the sound of Klaus Mikaelson's voice.
"Sorry. Wrong number," Alaric replied, hanging up and then he looked at Jenna as the phone continued to ring.
Jenna shook her head. "One problem at a time, Ric," she said, reaching down and took his phone, dropping it into his unfinished coffee. "One problem at a time."
And so the town of Mystic Falls continued on with the addition of one once dead-dead vampire, a phoenix and another werewolf—as if they didn't have enough of those—a troublesome Necromancer, a Chad, and a Hybrid booking a flight, to annoy a certain former-history-teacher-turned-headmaster-of-a-school-for-witches-vampires-werewolves-a-phoenix-and-some-other-yet-to-be-discovered-things.
The End
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Peace,
-J