Work Text:
“I've been avoiding part of the battle plan because… I didn’t wanna know who we were going to lose” Hope said looking down at Lizzie from her perch against the desk, this was a conversion she had been dreading since she had figured it all out. “But I asked myself the question…I hate this but”, no turning back now.
“I think you should know who it is” said Hope a weary look on her face as she stared at Lizzie, choosing who had to set the explosives off was something Hope had been avoiding all day but she had finally figured it out, figured out who had the best chance of not only setting it off but also surviving. Hope turned to face the desk as she picked up the sheet of paper that would determine the possible end for one of her friends. Handing it over to Lizzie she could help when her hands began to shake, the anticipation of Lizzie’s reaction was getting to her more than she thought it would.
Lizzie took a hold of the sheet of paper, then pulled it towards it scanning the names until she fell upon that dreaded name.
Hope.
Lizzie immediately looked up to the girl in front of her, tears already brimming at her eyes, this was the worst thing she could imagine. Hope was going to sacrifice herself. Again. And Lizzie was having none of it as she rushed forward in an attempt to grab at Hope “No way, no fucking way am I letting you sacrifice yourself again! Hope I just got you back? How could you do this, there-there has to be another option!”. There was no calming Lizzie down now, Hope was glad she had locked the door and sound proofed the room, she didn’t want anyone to interrupt this moment.
Lizzie was clutching at Hope’s shoulders hard enough to leave hand shaped bruises, Hope gently moved her hands from the desk to hold onto her wrists. She carefully caressed her as she explained her reasoning “It has to be me. I'm faster than everyone else, I know how to set off the explosives and I’m the least likely to die, you just have to trust me”. Lizzie went from horror to rage with the flick of a switch, “No! You’re doing this because of the guilt, the guilt that I know eats at you everytime you look at me. So what killed me? Move on, I’m not ready to lose you, ever” she was shouting now as tears streamed down her face, her body shaking with anger.
“I can't live with the pain Lizzie? Can’t you see that? It burns my heart everytime I’m around you, that I ruined any chance you had of a normal life, of having a family! So you have to let me do this, let me make it up to you”. Hope herself was now crying, her heart-breaking over and over again from the look, the pain on Lizzies face. Lizzie began to tug away from her, looking back at the door in desperation, “I might not be able to stop you, or change your mind but they can!”. Lizzie shoved Hope back into the desk and quickly sped over to the door but somehow Hope had gotten to the door first, positioning herself to be guarding the exit.
“ I can’t let you do that Lizzie, this is my decision and I honestly don’t fucking care about any of the martyr crap anymore. It’s my life and no one can stop me”. Hope was frustrated, at Lizzie but more at herself. She should have seen this coming, Lizzie would never let her take the fall. Lizzie really couldn't see beyond her need to keep Hope alive so she once again tried her hand at opening the door, trying to shove Hope away.
But she didn’t get far. Hope quickly and efficiently grabbed onto her arm and hip, pushing her up against the door, keeping her still. “I hate that I have to do this, but I can’t have you warn everyone, I can’t have you stop me from doing the right thing. God if we still had our sirebond this would be a whole lot easier,” Hope said with a sad chuckle, her hands gripping onto Lizzie.
Lizzie struggled to escape from their position, not that she was trying too hard. Something about Hope’s dominance sparked something in her; she quickly shoved deep down, that was a thought for another time. “You know? I sometimes wish I hadn’t broken the bond? I miss that heat in my chest, ever burning. Feeling connected to you, it was…well nice”. Her face was begging to redden from slight embarrassment, she didn’t mean for it to come out that way but it’s not like she was really hiding anything . Their sire bond was romantic in every sense of the word, as plain as day.
“I never said anything because my humanity was off but…when you left it hurt.” Lizzie couldn’t look away from Hope’s ocean eyes, radiating affection, affection that she never expected to be directed at her. “It broke something in me, and my humanity flipped on slightly. Your…betrayal opened my heart for a moment. If anything I should be thankful for that. Because…if you hadn’t I never would have gone back to school, i never would have come back at all”. Hope had used her words as not only a distraction but as her way of finally confessing to Lizzie her feelings, before it was too late. Even if she wouldn’t remember this moment.
“And that’s what makes this so much harder”, Hope moved the hand that was holding Lizzies waist to cup her face, keeping their eyes locked. “I wish I didn’t have to take this away, but it’s the only way I can save you, even if eventually you’ll hate me for it”. Lizzie frowned, eyebrows furrowing as she processed Hope’s words, but it was too late. Hope tightened her grip on Lizzie’s neck and looked into her eyes, compelling her, “As soon as you walk out of this room you’ll forget we ever had this conversation, you’ll go about your day without the knowledge of my impending sacrifice”, tears began to fall from Hope’s eyes, “But deep down, you’ll feel it, you’ll feel my love for you, for eternity. And you will not blame yourself for my death. You’ll be happy.”
Hope pulled away, eyes looking anywhere but Lizzies, quickly rubbing them with her shirt in an attempt to hide her crying. Lizzie looked up at her with a look of slight confusion there but quickly dismissed and turned to open the door and exited with one last look at Hope, what type of look, well Hope couldn’t determine but she hoped it had worked.
Just as the door shut softly Hope stumbled back into the closet chair, gripping the armrests in the hopes of keeping it together, holding her tears at bay.
On the other side of the door Lizzie ran, out of the hall, out of the school and into the woods. And screamed, magic sending twigs and leaves flying. She kept her eyes closed, replaying what just happened over and over in her head. She would not let Hope do this alone, even if she had to play along with her little compulsion attempt.
It’s a good thing she had begun taking vervain, otherwise she would have lost Hope forever. Lizzie straightened up, steadying herself with the trees beside her and began walking back into the school. If Hope wanted to put herself in danger then so be it, she’d be right there with her.
Whether she liked it, or not. After all, they were together until the bitter end.