Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

I'LL NEVER GIVE UP HOPE

JOSIE

          I had just gotten back to my dorm room, I had been in the library doing merge research when I got a note from Lizzie, saying she was free to talk. I grab the astral stone and siphon magic from the wall, I lay down on my bed and activate the stone and soon my sister appears. We make small talk for a bit, then we get down to business. "Mom didn't tell you anything else about this thing?" I ask Lizzie, while looking down at the device I got from my father's office. "Only that it's called an Ascendant, and you and I made it with Aunt Bonnie when we were five." Lizzie answers.

"Does it have anything to do with the merge?"

"I don't know. She's being cagey about it. I..." Lizzie suddenly disappears, I let out a sigh and pick up the ascendant, I walk over to my dresser and take out the red box it was contained in. "Sorry, mom almost busted me."

"You know, we can Face chat like normal people." I state as I place the ascendant back in the red box.

"We aren't normal, and we need to keep our magic sharp over the summer."

"How is therapy going?"

"Fine. There is this sexy Swedish guy whose session is after me on Tuesdays. I think he's Swedish, maybe Polish. Anyway, it doesn't matter. He is hot and crazy, and the language barrier will make it impossible for us to communicate, just how I like it." I put the box away and turn back to Lizzie. 

"You should really work on that."

"I'll add it to the list of broken pieces to glue together. What about you? Any hot summer dates?"

"Dad's been, like, my life plus-one ever since he got the headmaster boot. I honestly think he's going through a midlife crisis."

"Gross. Hair growth?"

"Bushy."

"Lady prospects?"

"Lacking."

"Are you having fun at all? What about wee willie winkle?"

"Landon's been keeping to himself mostly. He's always with Raf."

"So ditch it all and come to Europe." I walk over to my bed and lay down next to Lizzie.

"I can't. I don't want to leave dad alone. I'm honestly kind of worried he's gonna go out and buy a tiny red car."

"I thought we were taking strides to be less codependent."

"We are, but there's codependent, and then there's leaving dad with his alarming mustache growth."

"Oh, gross."

"Yeah." Lizzie and I laugh.

HOPE

          Darkness, I'm surrounded by darkness. "Hello?" I say out loud, but hear no response. "Post tenebras spero lucem." An illumination ball appears and I take a look at my surrounds. Not sure what I expected the afterlife to look like, but I definitely expected more. I start walking, maybe if I walk long enough I'll find something. As I'm walking I start to think about her, Josie. The girl I love that I had to leave behind. Because of her I let my walls down, I started letting people in, and instead of believing the worst in people, I started to think about the best in people. And Josie, she slowly stepped out of her sisters shadow, became less codependent, hell I even became friends with Lizzie because of Josie.

          I hope she recovered from her gunshot wound, and that she's happy now, even if it's without me. As I continue to think of Josie, memories begin to flood my mind, specifically the first time we actually had a conversation with one and other. Lizzie had just thrown her under the bus, and she was quite upset. When we arrived in town she chose to pick up trash with me instead of scrubbing off spray pain with her sister. We were quiet at first, and when we did begin to speak we were arguing, then I stabbed my own foot. After we shared a laugh we actually had a civilized conversation, performed a location spell together, unfortunately our bonding got cut short because Josie began feeling twin pain, which mean Lizzie was in danger.

          When we arrived at the school we discovered that Lizzie had been attacked by a gargoyle, we fought against it alongside Alaric, and after we defeated it Josie immediately went to her sisters side. I had immediately missed her presence when she left, but I knew she had to check on her sister, so instead I pulled Alaric aside to have a much needed conversation.

FLASHBACK

          I was the last to arrive in the common room. Alaric had actually taken my advice and told the whole school what was going on. Usually after an assembly I head straight to my room, but I wanted to check on Josie first. I look around until I spot Josie on the couch, sitting with her sister, she's smiling and I can't help but stare. I continue to stare until Josie looks over at me, I give her a smile, don't want her to know I was staring at her this whole time, and to my surprise she smiles back. She says something to her sister and stands from the couch. She walks over to me and stops inches from me. "How are you? That was a close call today." Josie asks concerned. During our fight with the gargoyle, it had almost stabbed in with the knife Landon had stolen, Alaric stepped in between the gargoyle and I, knowing the gargoyle wouldn't harm him. "I'm ok. What about your sister, is she recovering well?" I ask. "Yeah, she stopped turning to stone the moment we defeated the gargoyle." I smile at that, then it's quiet between us. After a beat Josie finally speaks up.

          "So, gargoyle aside today was pretty interesting." I can't help but agree. "Yeah, we actually had a conversation after ten years of silence." I add. "That ten year silence was all you though." I nod my head in acknowledgement. "Yeah I know." It's silent between us again, but this time it's me who breaks it. "So, I have something to ask you." I start nervously. "Ok." Josie says as she waits for me to speak again. "We talked about poking today, and I know that some of the pokes from you and your sister's end, are because I take up most of your dads time." Josie is ashamed for a moment, she looks down at her feet for a moment, then back up at me. "Look we get it, I know it may not seem like we do, especially Lizzie, but we really do understand why his focus has been on you." Josie explains. "That doesn't make it fair." I state. "Maybe, but my dad' s not going to stop. I don't think I have to tell you, those training sessions are his way of keeping an eye on you and checking in." I chuckle at that. "Yeah, I know, your dad isn't as discreet about it as he thinks." Josie laughs at that. "Anyway, what I wanted to ask, your father keeps telling me I need to make friends, says the sessions will only stop if I make friends so..." Josie crosses her arms over her chest and smirks at me. "Hope Andrea Mikaelson, are you asking me to be your friend." I begin to play with my hands out of nervousness. "It's ok if you don't want to, I mean we've only just spoken after ten years, I just thought if we became friends, you and Lizzie would be able to spend more time with your dad..." Josie places a hand on my shoulder to stop my rambling. "Of course I'll be your friend Hope, I've wanted to be your friend for ten years." Josie suddenly turns towards the hallway and then back at me. "And as your friend, I should warn you, a certain curly hair boy and his brother are back."

END FLASHBACK

          My thoughts are interrupted by a giant portal opening in front of me, the ball drops to the ground and I find myself getting dragged towards the portal. I'm lifted up and inches from the portal, when I feel someone pull me from the portal. "Fancy meeting you here." I look up and see it was Clarke who pulled me from the portal. "Whoa." I get myself away form his hold. "What the hell are you doing here?" I ask.

"Saving your life, obviously."

"No. I'm supposed to be in-in peace. Okay, you are not peace. In fact, you're the opposite of peace. So, where are we?"

"Come on. Do the math."

"Ok, there are freaky cyclones and blinding lights and you're here. Oh, my god, we're in hell."

"No, such thing. I think. Go on. Take your best guess."

"No." A sense of dread starts to creep up on me, I turn and start walking away, unfortunately that doesn't stop Clarke from talking.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction of telling me that I failed."

"You mean don't want to hear you're in the blackness." I stop and turn towards him. "That you've been consumed by Malivore." Clarke walks towards me and stops in front of me.

"No."

"You don't want me to point out that all your romantic heroics were for nada? That the big bad lives to see another day and all your friends have forgotten you ever existed."

"Stop talking." 

"If I were you, I'd make peace with that." I side step and walk away from Clarke again.

"Hope, wait, I can help you."

"I don't see how."

"I spend years inside this place." I stop and turn to Clarke again, he approaches me. "And while you cannonballing into the belly of Malivore didn't seem to destroy him, it has changed things, so stop being a dick to me and maybe I'll elaborate."

"Ok, I'm partially listening." Clarke smiles at that.

"Every creature consumed by my father used to exist here in total isolation, but here we are, talking to each other. Your presence here has somehow opened the cell doors. If it can do that, maybe there's a way for us to escape. So, what do you say? Partners?"

"Pass." I walk away again, there was no way in hell I would work with Clarke.

"You are such a child. No wonder you failed."

"Says the guy whose entire life has been about failing daddy. I don't trust you, ok? And I never will. You're the one who brought me into this mess."

"If you'd just let me meat-puppet my loser little brother, then we wouldn't even be in..." I stop and turn around.

"Imitanto pupulis."

"Not this again." I put my hand over my mouth and Clarke mimics me.

"Your old friend, the mimic spell." I begin to walk towards him, and at the same time he walks towards me. "You will do anything I intend you to do." We stop just inches from each other. "And it is my intention that this is the last conversation we will ever have. If I were you, I'd make with peace that." With those words I turn around, and Clarke turns opposite of me. As I start to walk away Clarke does so as well, this should prevent me from ever seeing him again.

JOSIE

          Dad and I are in town, he's going on about the possibility of Malivore consuming someone before it was destroyed. The whole time he's talking, all I can think about is that this isn't what I want to talk about. The night my father told my sister and I about the merge, that was the last time we ever talked about it. Every time we bring up the merge our parents tell us not to worry about it, that their working on it, and every time we bring up the ascendant there's this...fear in their eyes, they immediately shut down.

"I mean, there were at least two other people with Landon the night Malivore was destroyed. They left fibers, footprints, hair. I just don't know who they were." My dad explains.

"Isn't that the point? If somebody went into the Malivore pit, they'd be erased from our memories."

"Yeah, well, that's what's haunting me."

"Who have we forgotten?"

"It couldn't have been anybody we've known. There'd be keepsakes, photos, an empty bed somewhere."

"Well, whoever they were, they were important to somebody." Just as I say that a pang of heartache hits me, but I don't process it because I need to find out more about the ascendant, and if it has anything to do with the merge. "So, dad, I was actually hoping we could talk about the ascendant, what it has to do with the merge..."

"Wait, is that Landon right there?" I look over and sure enough Landon is sitting outside the Mystic Grill, head in one of few books, he quickly heads towards him. I let out a sigh, of course he would continue to dodge my question. My father is already seated next to Landon, I pull out a chair and sit next to my dad.  

"I've had my head buried in books for weeks, nothing on how to turn a wolf back into a human. I keep hitting dead end after dead end." Landon says frustrated.

"Join the club." I turn and look at my dad.

"Hey."

"Landon, can you ask my dad why he won't give me answers to my very simple questions on how my sister and I can survive past the age of 22?"

"That's because your dad doesn't have any answers he's able to give you. That's why, sweetheart."

"Able to, or willing?"

"Look, there is nothing about the ascendant you need to know."

"Then why do you flinch every time I bring it up."

"Because it has nothing to do with the merge, Josette, so let's drop it, ok?"

"I'm gonna head back to campus." Landon says uncomfortably.

"Whoa, what about the fireworks?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm worried they might scare Raf. You know, I don't want him to be alone."

"I'll come with you. I'm suddenly not in the mood to celebrate anything, much less independence."

Hope

FLASHBACK

          A few days after Josie and I officially became friends, we had another school assembly, Alaric was explaining how he wanted there to be an honor council, judging from the way he was looking at his daughters, it was their idea. After the assembly I was informed that I would be running tests on Landon to determine wither or not he was supernatural. I had managed to catch up with Alaric before he left, he had just got done speaking with Raf, when I began to protest, though I didn't get to protest long, because Josie showed up asking to speak with her father for a moment. Shortly after their conversation Alaric told me that I wouldn't have to test Landon, that Josie would be doing it instead. A part of me was glad, but another part of me was curious as to why Josie wanted to be the one to test Landon, which is how I found myself in Alaric's office.

          "So, are you going to be testing my blood to determine if I'm supernatural?" Landon asks as I walk in. Both he and Josie turn to look at me. "Hey Hope, what's up?" Josie asks. "Nothing, just curious is all." Josie nods her head in acknowledgement, then turns back to Landon, he continues to stare a me until Josie clears her throat. "Sorry." Landon apologizes, I roll my eyes at his apology. "These were actually set up before I got here, they won't be necessary though." Josie stated, and I looked at her confused. Blood analysis was a typical testing tool to determine if a person was supernatural, and if they were, what kind of supernatural. "So, then how are we going to test me?" Landon asks, and Josie step closer to him. "I'm going to see if I can siphon magic from you, if I can that means you're a supernatural and you can stay here." Josie answered. I was still a bit confused, even if she could siphon magic from him, that still wouldn't be enough to determine what kind of supernatural he was. "Siphon? What exactly does that mean?" Landon asks confused. "Right, you're totally new to all this. So, there are two types of witches, there are witches that are born with magic, like Hope over there." Josie gestures towards me, Landon turns to look at me, then turns back to Josie. "Then there are witches born without magic, siphons, like me. Because I don't have magic of my own I have to absorb it from somewhere else, someone else." Josie explains. "So, just to clarify, if you can siphon magic from me, it proves I'm supernatural, and I'll be able to stay at this school?" Landon clarifies. "I'll let my father know personally." Josie promises. "Let's do this then."  Josie steps up to Landon and holds her hand out, Landon is about to take her hand but hesitates. "Is this gonna hurt?" Landon asks, I shake my head in annoyance. "Not unless I want it to." Josie answers. Landon takes a deep breath and takes Josie's hand. At first nothing happens, then the familiar red glow appears. "Whoa, that kinda tickles. Wait a minute, is it working, are you siphoning from me?" Josie nods her head yes. Landon has the biggest smile I've ever seen, Josie let's go of his hand and Landon runs his hands through his fingers. "I can't believe it, I get to stay." Landon let's out a breath and bends down, placing his hands on his knees, only to straighten up immediately. "I have to tell Raf, he'll want to know how the test went." Landon turns to Josie. "Thank you so much, you just made my day." Landon then turns and leaves Alaric's office.

          "While I appreciate you doing this in my place, why did you want to do it, and why didn't you test his blood. Just because you were able to siphon from him doesn't mean you can determine which supernatural species he is." I state, and Josie gives me a look that says otherwise. "Right?" I ask, but Josie is quiet. "Josie, why did you administer Landon's test?" I ask. Josie takes a deep breath before she speaks. "I knew he was a supernatural since the first day he got here." Josie quickly says, I look at her shocked. "What? How? And why didn't you say anything?" I question. "I didn't say anything because at the time I wasn't sure." She slowly makes her way towards me until she is standing in front of me. "As a siphon, since I don't have magic of my own, I'm able to sense magic better than any other witch, and since I grew up surrounded by vampires, werewolves, and witches, I learned to sense their unique magical signature. I know what their magic feels like, and when Landon first got here, the magic I sensed from him was different, I had never sensed magic like that, so I dismissed it. It wasn't until he came back, and I sensed it again that I knew I couldn't ignore it. So, when assembly ended I immediately went to talk to my dad, I explained everything to him, and he asked me to siphon from Landon to see if I could get a better read of what he is." Josie explained. "And?" I ask. "Whatever he is, he's not a vampire, werewolf, or witch. And if he's not any of those, I don't think we'll be able to test what he is." I lean back against a piece of furniture and let out a breath. "Well, first off, you are amazing. I had no idea you could sense magic like that." Josie simply shrugs off the compliment. "Second, whatever Landon is, it must have something to do with why he took the knife, why mythical monsters are suddenly appearing out of nowhere." I comment. "Maybe." Suddenly Josie get's quiet. "Everything ok?" I ask concerned. "Yeah, just Lizzie. She's anxious, I need to go. I told her I'd help her with her campaign as soon as I was finished here." Josie turns and leaves. "I'll see you later." I say. "Later." Josie says over her shoulder. As soon as she leaves Alaric's office I'm hit with a sudden realization. If she's able to sense magic, and separate the magic of each supernatural, that means she must have known what I was since the beginning.

END FLASHBACK

          "Hope, we can work this out." Damn Clarke, he still hasn't walked far enough away from me yet. "Don't do this to me." I continue to ignore him, then suddenly another portal appears, like the last time I'm being dragged. "Listen to me, whatever this is, it's gonna destroy you. I'll rip you apart. Please break the spell so I can help you." The last thing I want to do is break the spell, but I'm not sure what will happen to me, where I'll go if I don't. "Hope!" I reverse the spell, and in no time Clarke is by my side, as soon as he makes contact with me the portal disappears. "You're welcome." I'm about to say something snarky when I hear something in the distance, it must be the monsters Clarke mentioned before, he said they were out of they're cages. "Oh crap." I state realizing monsters on are the loose. "Not exactly what I was expecting." Then Clarke hears the same thing. "Oh crap, run."

JOSIE

          It's nighttime, and Landon and I are sitting at the dock waiting the fireworks to kick off, I had managed to change his mind about the fireworks. We say nothing to each other for a while, until Landon speaks up. "So, what's the deal with this whole merge thing." I turn to him. "Sorry, I know it's none of my business, it's just I've seen you in the library a few times doing research on it, and then today at the Mystic Grill...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, like I said it's not my business." Landon quickly shuts up. I look at him for a moment, then back to the sky. "Last year Lizzie and I found out we're from a very old coven called the Gemini Coven." Landon chuckles at that. "Of course your coven would be named after the twin constellation." When Landon looks at me he's smile quickly disappears at my serious face. "Sorry...continue." I don't say anything at first, then I continue. "As you pointed out, the coven was known for it's twins, apparently though, twins of the Gemini coven are cursed. On their twenty-second birthday the twins merge, one twin, the stronger twin absorbs the magic and personality of the weaker twin, until that twin dies." Landon is shocked when he hears this. "That's...that's brutal." I nod my head in acknowledgement. "So, how does that ascendant thingy play into the merge?" Landon asks. "I don't know, that's what Lizzie and I have been trying to figure out, but neither of our parents will tell us. They keep insisting it has nothing to do with the merge, but I think it does." I say. "Well, hey, you guys still have six years right? I'm sure your parents will find a way out of it in no time." Landon says trying to comfort me, but it doesn't work. "Six years isn't that long. Time flies Landon, before Lizzie and I know it we'll be twenty-two, and if our parents haven't found a solution by then, they'll lose both of us." Landon looks at me confused. "I thought you said the merge only kills one twin?" He asks. "If you and Raf had to merge, do you think either of you could live with yourselves knowing you killed the other?" I ask, and Landon shake his head no. "Neither will Lizzie and I." I say. 

          It gets quiet again, and once again it's Landon who breaks the silence. "There's more going on with you than just this merge thing though, isn't there." I look down before answering. "I've been feeling...heartbroken? But I have no idea why." I say as I look back up at him. "Maybe your not over Penelope yet?" Landon questions. "No, I moved on from her, this...this is something else, I just don't know what. Every time I allow myself to feel that, I break down into tears, and it takes a while for me to stop crying. So, I've been distracting myself from feeling that way by doing all this research, but that feeling is always on the surface, just waiting to come back out." Landon thinks about everything I said. "Maybe it's time for a new tactic." Landon suggests. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Instead of worrying about the merge, instead of feeling heartbroken, you should try living a little." Landon answers. "And how should I go about that?" Just as I ask that, the sound of fireworks fills the air, and Landon gestures towards the fireworks in the sky. "Enjoying the fireworks is a start." I smile at him and we both look up to see the firework show.

          After that night Landon and I began to spend more time together. From playing music, to writing songs together, playing chess, watching him cook for Raf, he even invited me to movie nights. When I spoke to my sister and told her all this she called us a montage, even told me Landon has me speaking nerd. I had to admit it was nice not having to think about the merge, or the sudden heartbreak, but despite all this, something still feels off. I just can't put my finger on it. 

Hope

FLASHBACK

          Josie is waiting by the lake when I arrive. "Hey, what was so urgent?" Josie asks, but I ignore it. I show her a glass orb, she looks at it curiously for a moment, then looks back at me. "What is that?" She asks. "I'll show you. What's your name?" Josie looks at me questionably, I raise my eyebrow in response. Josette Saltzman, but I prefer Josie." She responds, and the glass orb glows bright blue and I gesture towards it. "See, that's the truth. Now, lie. What's your favorite food?" Josie thinks about it for a minute before responding. "Hamburgers." We both look at the orb, which is now glowing bright red. "So, it's basically a supernatural lie detector." I give Josie a fake smile. "Yeah." Josie seems confused by this. "Ok, why do you need it?" She asks, still confused. "Because I have questions, and I don't trust you to answer them honestly." I answer. "Ok, I thought we were in a good place friendship wise, clearly I was wrong." I dismiss what she just said and ask my question.

          "Earlier you said knew the magical signatures of vampires, werewolves, and witches." Josie nods in acknowledgement. "Yeah." "Does that mean you knew about me, knew what I was since the beginning? Is that why your sister and you always poked? Because you thought I was a freak?!" Josie raises her hands and takes a step back. "Whoa, whoa." Josie seems surprised by my questions, but I don't care about that. "First off, I've never thought you were a freak, second, the reason we were never friends is because you didn't want to be friends." The orb glows blue. "Lizzie and I tried to be friends with you, but you wanted nothing to do with us." The orb continues to glow blue, and my anger subsides. "I can't believe you called me out here just to interrogate me." Josie says, now she's the one whose angry. "If we're done here, I have to go and try to comfort my sister." Josie begins to walk off. "Why what happened?" I ask. "She didn't get the vote." She says as she continues to walk away from me. I realize then that I screwed up, bad. 

END FLASHBACK

"Where'd you wonder off to?" I turn to Clarke for a moment, then continue to look forward.

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

"Hard to say. A week, a month, a year. What difference does it make." We suddenly hear a noise in the distance, man this place is creepy. "What was that?"

"Gargoyle, I think. I killed one once, with my friends. You know, my teenage friends. So, why is a supervillain like you scared?"

"I'm not a villain. I never have been." I shake my head in disbelief. "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 miserably. I turn to look at him, he actually seems to be telling the truth.

"Papilio lux."

"You think that's our ticket out?"

"No, it's a comfort spell. It's supposed to provide peace of mind." Just as I say that, a butterfly appears, and disappears just as quickly.

"Thank you." Another portal appears, I feel Clarke grab my arm, as soon as he does so that portal disappears again. That's strange.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do, what?" We hear the noise again, but this time it's much closer, it sounds like it's more than one monster. "Oh crap."

"Invisique." The monsters begin to close in on us.

"Meaning?"

"I'm invisible to them."

"You're invisible, what about me?" The monsters surround us. Not gonna lie, I am definitely scared. It seems like an eternity before they past us. "Guess we're partners after all."

"I didn't say that."

"But you just saved my life." 

"Because you're keeping things from me, and I want to know why. Veritas temus."

"Would you stoop with the magic already, it's not fair."

"Think before you answer. Is it unfair, or do you deserve it?"

"Totally deserve it." Clarke is surprised by his own answer. "What? Wh-why-why did I just say that?"

"Because I cast a truth spell. You can only answer honestly. Now, how does that make you feel?"

"Like this isn't gonna end well for me."

JOSIE

          Landon had called me earlier, it sounded urgent, I arrived at the spot where Landon was keeping Rafael, when I got there Landon was all over the place, freaking out. "I bring him dinner ever day at 5:00, I mean, sometimes he doesn't come out of the woods, but he's always here." Landon says as he looks around.

"Well, that doesn't mean something happened, Raf's a wolf, it's not like he wears a watch."

"But everyday, Josie, for months, and it's been three days, and maybe I'm just assuming the worst, but the worst is usually what happens, and it's bad enough that he's stuck as a wolf, but if-if he's lost , he got no one. I can't let him be alone."

"Landon." Landon continues to look around and freak out. I grab his arm and turn him around to face me. I put my hand on his chest, like I did with Raf last year to calm him down. "It's gonna be ok, we're gonna fine him. I'll do a locator spell, and we're gonna track his movements ok? I'm gonna help you." I place my other hand on his cheek, and he pulls me into a hug, I hug him back.   

HOPE

"This entire time, I've been working on a theory, you know, trying to figure out why the vortex comes, and then I realized, it's always after I do magic. Am I getting warm?" I ask.

"Scalding." Clarke replies.

"You know, it makes a lot of sense when you thing about it. I thought that I was wrong about me being the only one who could destroy him, but I think my actual mistake was that I wasn't a fully activated tribrid when I dove into that pit. I've never died, so my vampire side hasn't been activated yet, and what I'm realizing now is that Malivore doesn't want me here. I'm toxic to him. Finish that sentence please?"

"Malivore's trying to expel you. To send you back from where you came, and every time he tries-I grab hold of you to try to get expelled with you, but as much as my father wants you to leave, he wants to keep torturing me here even more."

"Then it's official, all we have to do is wait."

"For what?" Just then a portal opens.

"That's my ride."

"Hope, you can't leave me here!"

"I can't leave with you, ok?" I have to get back to my friends, I have to get back to Josie. "

"I can't lie right? 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, but do you understand why I can't take that risk?"

"Yeah, I would do the same thing if I were you." Clarke gets annoyed with himself. "God!"

"Good luck Clarke."

"Screw you Hope!" I allow the portal to take me, leaving Clarke behind.

JOSIE

          I'm sitting cross legged, laying out a map in front of me. "Think of my blood like the red line crossing the map in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It'll flow wherever it senses Raf, and it'll show us the path." I explain as get a needle to prick my finger. "Thank you for this." Landon says, and I look up and smile at him. "It's honestly child's play, it's how I used to cheat at hide-and-go-seek. I prick my finger and let the blood drip on the map. "And just give it a second."

"Are you happy?" I look up at Landon's question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, since we started hanging out, until Raf went missing I think I was finally starting to be happy. It's honestly been a while since I felt that way."

"I'm definitely happy-ish, I just don't know if I can be fully happy until I know that Lizzie and I are gonna survive past the merge."

"Yeah, look, I don't want to cause problems, but I think that your dad is lying to you about the ascendant."

"How do you know?"

"When you lie as much as I used to, you develop a gut feeling, I just know."

           To say I was mad was an understatement. When Landon confirmed what I had already suspected, I excused myself and did another locator spell to look for my dad. He was at the bar, he's been going there a lot since he got the boot. I made my way over there, as soon as I got there it wasn't hard to spot my dad. He was seated at the bar, with the evidence he collected from Triad in front of him, speaking to a...is my dad actually speaking to another woman. Any other day I would have waited until later to speak with my dad, but this couldn't wait.

"You're a liar." My dad turned around

"You can't be in here." My dad said.

"She can't be in here." The bartender stated.

"I'm aware." My dad stood up and approached me. "What's going on?"

"All summer I've been worried about you. 'Got to take care of dad, make sure that he doesn't fall into a depression or by a motorcycle.' I gave up my summer with mom to make sure that you wouldn't be alone, and this entire time you've been lying to me about the ascendant? How could you?" My dad turns around, pays his tab and gather's the evidence, he leads me outside and places his evidence in his car.

"Look you're right I haven't been honest with you, but I wasn't lying when I told you the ascendant has nothing to due with the merge."

"But it does have something to do with us." My dad get's quiet. "Look, we don't know why, but it seems familiar to Lizzie and I, so please, just tell me about it." My dad lets out a sigh.

"Do you remember when your mom and I sat you girls down, told you that Caroline wasn't technically your mother, that your biological mother died, and you and your sister were transferred from your biological mother, to Caroline, and she became your mother."

"Yeah, that was the first time you talked about Jo, it was the first time Lizzie and I saw your wedding photo. You said I looked just like her." I couldn't help but smile at the memory, or the memory of meeting Jo.

"What I didn't tell you was she died on our wedding day, during her vows." My father's expression turns sad, tears begin to fill in his eyes. He places his hands on my shoulders and rubs them up and down. "She was killed by her twin brother, Kai. Your uncle Damon killed him later on, but he came back to life a five years later. It was a thing at the time, for people to return from the dead, anyway when he came back, instead of killing him again, we made his greatest fear a reality. The coven you and your sister come from, was known for two things. Cloaking spells, and creating prison worlds."

"Prison Worlds?"

"It's an alternate plane of existence, the ascendant is a lock to that prison world, you can't get in or out without it. You and your sister, with the help of Bonnie, created the prison world Kai's in now."

"So, the reason it looks familiar is because we made it?"

"Yes." 

"Why have you never told us about him?"  

"Because Jo and Kai weren't like you and Lizzie. Kai wanted to merge, he wanted power, even killed his siblings to get it." I'm about to question him when he raises his hand. "Another time, for now all you need to know is, the ascendant is a lock into a prison world that is currently holding Kai"

"One more question." Dad nods his head at me. "You said he and Jo were twins, which means he knows about the merge..."

"He does, he even survived it." I look at him confused. "Kai is a long story, the point is, he's a last resort Josie. He's extremely dangerous, your mom and I don't want to involve him unless we have to." I let out a sigh.

"Ok." I siphon some magic from my father's watch, he looks at me confused. I hold my hand out and summon the ascendant. "Please, no more secrets, especially if it has to do with Lizzie and I. We may still be young, but we're not kids anymore."

"Ok." I hand him the ascendant.

"I'm sorry." He looks up at me. "That must have been horrible for you."

"It was the worst day of my life, but when your sister and you were born, I saw a little bit of her in you, so in a way she's not really dead." I smile at my dad and give him a hug. I then make my way back to the school and inform Lizzie to contact me as soon as she gets a chance. She astral projects herself to our room shortly after.

"Dad told me everything. The ascendant is a lock to a prison world. It's a long story, but we have an uncle that is trapped down there, and he is the only other living member of our lunatic family, and he's been through the merge, so he's got to have answers."  

"Well, then let's go the minute I get back." Lizzie stands from where's she's been sitting.

"Lizzie, I gave the ascendant back to dad." 

"You what? Why?"

"This guy that's trapped down there, killed Jo, on her wedding day with dad. I mean, this guy murdered his twin. Dad said it's a last resort." I turn and sit down, Lizzie follows. "So, in the meantime you should enjoy your speed trains and hang out with hot Swedish guys and have your summer fun."

"Listen, I'm in therapy three hours a day. When I'm not with a shrink, I'm with a doctor, and when I'm not with a doctor, I'm with a healer. I'm doing everything I can to get better, like, really better...I should have told you that. I don't know why I didn't, but promise me you will make the most of the rest of this summer, ok?

"I promise."     

HOPE

          The gates to Salvatore open and a car exits, as soon as the headlights shine on my face, the car comes to a sudden stop. The gates close, and Dorian steps out of his car. "I didn't see you, are you ok?" Dorian asks concerned. "Yeah, Dorian, I'm ok." I reply. "Glad to hear it, but how did you know my name?" Ouch, I forgot no one remembers me, that's going to make things difficult. "Your parking pass." I gesture towards the parking pass hanging from his rearview mirror. He turns to look at it, then back to me. "Always hated that picture. What brings you here tonight?" Josie. "A girl." I say. "Well, we're all locked up in there. Everyone's gone for the summer." Not everyone. "Ok, thanks. Uh, sorry to bother you." I turn around to walk away. Dorian gets in his car and drives off, I turn back around and enter the gate code, luckily that hasn't changed. As soon as the gates open I pass through them, I know she won't remember me, but I have to see her, I have to tell her, if I can get her to believe me, I know she'll help me to regain everyone's memories of me. Once everyone remembers me, things can go back to the way they were, and we can face Malivore together.  

JOSIE

          After my talk with Lizzie I went to find Landon, tonight was movie night, but when I arrived he was already sitting watching a movie. "You started without me." I say as I sit next to him. "Your map worked. He's right here." He says as he hand me the map. "What's the problem?" I ask. "He was, but then when I came out here to find him, that appeared. Raf's not missing, he just doesn't want to be here anymore. I knew this going in. I mean, uh, the longer he's a wolf, the less human he'll be, and at what point does a wolf no longer need a human best friend, and movie nights?" Landon asks as he stands. I place the map down and stand in front of Landon. "Maybe he moved on, cause he saw that you have someone who makes you happy." Landon places his hand on my cheek, and rubs the pad of his thumb over it, he then leans in and kisses me, it's a short kiss, but then I lean towards him to kiss him, the both of us ignoring the movie.  

HOPE

          I find Josie, but she's not alone, she with...Landon? I guess they became friends while I was away.  As I approach, I notice Josie and Landon are standing close together, so I stop. They talk, and then Landon kisses Josie, and it wouldn't be so upsetting, if she didn't kiss him back. The tears fall from my face, I knew things would be different, but Josie and Landon? I turn around and walk away, I can't look anymore. I know I shouldn't be this upset, she doesn't know I exist, and besides this is want I wanted. I wanted her to be happy, to move on. Although in all fairness, at the time I thought I was gonna die. I have no idea what to do now, Josie's moved on. I finally stop and look to see where I'm at, I'm at the bus stop. Must be fate.

          I sit on the bench, maybe I could go back home to New Orleans. My family wouldn't recognize me, but I didn't tell them to get rid of any evidence of my existence, so it wouldn't be hard to explain who I am to them. Freya could help me to regain everyone's memories, maybe then things will go back to the way they were. I sit back on the bench, as I'm contemplating what to do, thoughts of Josie creep into mind.

FLASHBACK

          I find Josie sitting alone by the docks, I sit down next to her and join her. She looks at me briefly then turns back and looks at the water. "I hear congratulations are in order." I say, Josie doesn't say anything back, she just remains quiet. I place the orb in between us, Josie looks down at it, then back up at me. "Another interrogation?" She questions. "No, an apology, this is just so you know I mean it." Josie turns to face me completely. "I'm sorry, I never should have bombarded you like that, it wasn't right, especially since everything you said about me was true." I stop, and we both look down to see the orb turn blue. Josie looks back up at me. "Continue." I take a deep breath. "For a while it was just my mother and I, then I was reunited with my family, but even then I felt a bit lonely because while I had my family, I still didn't have any friends. Then I came to this school, and I wanted nothing more than to make friends, but then I realized something." I stop. "What?" Josie asks. "I'd be lying to them, I'd never be able to tell them who I really was, and I didn't want to do that, I didn't want to have to lie to my friends, so instead I just kept everyone at a distance. And then when my parents died I just shut everyone out completely, because if I didn't have anybody, then nobody would be able to leave me again." We look down at the orb, it's glowing blue. "

I'm sorry." I shake my head. "

It's not your fault."

"Still, you never should have felt that way."

" Well, that's all in the past, and if I haven't screwed up too badly, I have a friend now." Josie smiles at me.

" It'd take more than bombarding me with questions to get rid of me."  

"So, what are you doing out here, shouldn't you be celebrating?" I ask.

"I would, but I can't celebrate when I feel bad." Josie says.

"What do you have to feel bad about?"

"Lizzie really wanted this, but Penelope interfered and got the witches to vote for me instead of Lizzie, she wasn't even runner up."

"Ok, first off." I grab both Josie's hands. "Lizzie should be happy for you, so she didn't get elected, but you did and your her sister, she should be happy for you." Josie gives me a small smile. "Second, you would be better at it, and I think you know it."

"Penelope said something similar."

"Besides, even if your sister had won, you know you'd be doing all the work anyway." Josie laughs at that. "So, take the win, be happy." Josie looks down at the orb, she picks it up and hands it to me. I give her a questioning look.

"You asked me something earlier, I never answered."

"Ok, but I don't need this to know you're telling the truth."

"It's ok, I want you to."

"Ok? Uh, which question didn't you answer?"

"If I always knew about you."

"Alright, did you know about me when I first came to this school."

"I did sense you were different, but I didn't know how different." The orb glows blue. "At the time I thought it meant you were special, which is why Lizzie and I wanted to be friends with you in the first place, but we both know how that turned out." The orb continues to glow blue.

"You thought I was special?" I ask surprised.

"Yes." The orb is still glowing blue. "We should get going." Josie stands. "It's almost curfew." Josie begins to walk towards the school. I stand up. 

"Wait." Josie stops and turns around. "Do yo still think I'm special?" Josie simply smiles at me and continues to walk towards the school. "That's not an answer Josie." I say as I make my way towards her.

END FLASHBACK

           That was the first time since my father had died that anyone made me feel special, I don't think there's anyone else that could make me feel like that. I suddenly hear the bus approach, I stand and wait for it to stop. As I'm waiting the bus suddenly flips over, I walk closer to get a better look, when I do I see a monster. I guess I wasn't the only one who made it out of Malivore. "Oh crap."