Hey guys! Who's excited for season 7!?

I do not (sadly) own the Vampire diaries.

Enjoy!

She felt the bed shift beside her in the haziness of being partly awake. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. It was only three in the morning, she must have fallen asleep in Elena's room. She rolled over and was confused when she came nose to nose with Matt. Her heart took off as she counted the freckles on his cheeks, trying to remember what happened before she came here. The memories flooded back to her, the news of Jenna being turned into a vampire and sacrificed during the ritual, seeing her dad's body on the ground outside of the witches mansion, she couldn't help the whimpering sound that escaped her as they did. She had just enough time to close her eyes as Matt opened his, his hand coming up to rub the sleep out of them.

"Hope, are you up?" She did her best to pretend she was asleep, hoping that Matt would let it go, but her eyes fluttered open when his hand brushed her cheek.

"I miss them Matt."She whispered. He nodded as he entwined their fingers together under the blankets. Hope's eyes glittered like jewels in the street lamp light that filtered though his open blinds. She turned over, letting go of his hand. He hesitated, waiting for her to say something, or some sign that she was asleep, but none came. It wasn't until he was almost asleep that he felt her pick up his hand and pull it over her waist. He scooted closer to her, hugging her from behind. She stiffened for a second, but relaxed into his embrace.

She turned under his arm, her hands covering her eyes as she buried her face in his chest, Matt rolling them on his back and wrapping both arms around her. He had to admit that he did not think that the first time he got Hope into bed she would be crying in his arms, not that he had ever thought about getting Hope into bed before.

Hope took a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm herself, her eyes drying as she relaxed back into sleep, lips pressed to Matt's collarbone as a thank you. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, a warm glow in his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time returning at last.

The circumstances may have been terrible, but Matt was pretty sure that Caroline's being a vampire was not the only reason that their relationship fell apart. It had been his feelings for the girl he held in his arms that had done the trick.

Hope,

Got called into work, please help yourself to anything and everything you need.

Love,

Matt

She groaned and threw herself back on the mattress. She could not believe that she just spent the night with Matt, but as hard as she tried, she did not feel guilty about it one bit. She kept thinking about Marcus and she just couldn't bring herself to feel bad, and it pissed her off.

"Yes, hi, I'm Hope the Slut, I'll be taking numbers now." She mumbled to herself as she rolled out of bed and grabbed Matt's dirty laundry and a towel. As she entered the laundry room next to the kitchen, she stripped and wrapped the towel around herself as she threw everything in the washer. She let it run as she went back up stairs to take a shower.

She had just pulled on a pair of Matt's basketball shorts and a shirt when there was a knock on the door. She froze, her fingers coming through her hair as she tried to listen for who was at the door.

"I hear a heartbeat! Someone is in there!" Caroline's voice called out. Hope groaned as she opened the door to be met with her best friend's shocked face.

"Whoa." She scoffed, looking Hope up and down.

"Care, this is so not what it looks like. Matt's not even home and-"

"Why are you here if Matt's not home?" Her arms were crossed and her mean girl look was on. Hope's heart sank in her chest as she let her eyes fall to the floor.

"I just woke up, I came her last night after I heard the news about Jenna." She whispered. She hated the way Caroline looked at her like she did when she saw someone she didn't like, or she chastised a cheerleader for sleeping with one too many football players. Disdain and a little bit of disgust. She was surprised to say the least when arms encircled her shoulders and her face was suddenly in Caroline's neck.

"God, I'm an idiot. Oh Hope, I'm so sorry." Hope thanked whoever was listening as she hugged her best friend. She didn't want Caroline to think anything had happened between her and Matt, because nothing had.

Why did she feel so disappointed? She was still with Marcus, and Matt had just dumped Caroline, and she could never be with Matt. He had just been involved with her best friend, and he was in love with her sister for the longest time, Matt was off limits forever.

She shoved her emotions down as the timer for the washer went off. She pulled away from Caroline sheepishly as she went to throw the clothes in the dryer. Caroline entered the house, her eyes sad, and sat down at the kitchen table. Hope pulled down two mugs and poured them some coffee, plopping two spoonful of sugar in each mug and stirring them.

"Why did you come to Matt last night and not me?" Care asked as Hope gave her one of the mugs. Hope took a sip of hers as she tried to come up with an answer totally beside just wanting to see Matt.

"I don't know, I just felt bad for the way I talked to him and then I heard about Jenna...I still can't believe she's gone." Hope felt her lip quiver and she groaned as she tilted her head back.

"Hope, it's okay. Cry. You need to."

"No, what I need to be is strong. Elena and Jeremy need me. I was taught how to deal with my emotions, and the last few days in Mystic Falls have totally tested that. I feel like that helpless girl I was before I was dragged to Lucas's. I hate feeling helpless, so I learned to fight. I hate feeling weak, so I learned to fight. I hate feeling vulnerable, so I learned how to fight. I can't fight my grief, Care. They don't teach that at necromancer boot camp." She hadn't realized she had begun to pace until Care had stopped her.

"No, Hope, what you need to do is stop trying to fix everything and take care of everyone when you are entitled just as much as Elena and Jeremy to fall apart. Your dad died, Hope."

"Yes Caroline I'm very much aware of that." She said stiffly, her eyes prickling, and the ball of held back tears forming in the back of her throat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way." She apologized. Hope nodded and wiped at her eyes.

"I cried yesterday, I gave myself that. There are bigger things at stake here, bigger problems than my own."

"All of which will be taken care of by the Salvatores." Caroline followed Hope into the living room as Hope laughed humorlessly.

"I don't trust them as far as I can throw them."

"They're good people." Hope raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"They're vampires."

"So am I." Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and watched as Hope clasped her hands in front of her. They were about to get into it, they had taken their positions. The battle stations have been manned.

"You're different Caroline. We grew up together. You're my best friend. I don't know them." The two were silent for at least five minutes, both stubborn as mules. Caroline was the first to say something, and they were right back at it.

"I've killed people, I've done bad things."

"I'm aware, you're still my best friend."

"That's hypocritical!"

"Don't care, I love you, I don't love them. I will not put the lives of the people I love in the hands of people I don't know or trust. I will do what I can to take care of Elena and Jeremy, they're my family. They're not the Salvatores, they're mine. They always will be." They stood toe to toe for a minute, the silence only being broken by the buzzer of the dryer going off. Hope looked away first and began to fold the clothes that were Matt's and placed them on the couch. She grabbed her clothes and headed up the stairs, knowing Caroline would follow.

"Hope, please, I beg you, let the Salvatore's handle it."

"I can't Care." She said as she left Caroline in the hallway and turned to the bathroom, leaving the door open so they could hear each other.

"Why are you and Elena so suicidal!? I don't understand why the both of you have to be martyrs and throw your lives on the line! I can't lose you Hope, I can't. It will be the very thing that destroys me. So help me God, for me, please let the Salvatore's handle Klaus!" Hope was quiet as she got dressed in Matt's bathroom, mulling over what Caroline said. She came out dressed in her own clothes and threw the ones she had been wearing in her bag.

"I'm sorry, Care. I can't do that. Please understand that this is-"

"'Something you have to do'. No one is telling you to do anything."

"I'm sorry Care." She looked defeated, standing there watching Hope pull on her shoes and acting like this may be one of the very last conversations they might have.

"Please." She whimpered. It absolutely broke Hope's heart to hear her like that, but there was a stony resolve inside of her. She squeezed Caroline's shoulder as she passed, stopping before the stairs to turn back to her.

"I love you Care, you know I do. You're my best friend, but there is a bigger picture, and I can't be selfish." She jogged down the stairs and back home.

"Why does everyone sound like their saying goodbye to me?" Caroline said aloud to no one as she let herself out of Matt's house.

Another chapter! Please let me know what you think in a comment, or you are more than welcome to PM me for specifics! I hope you guys enjoyed it!