𝟙.𝟞: 𝕄𝕠𝕞𝕓𝕚𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥

—Narrator's perspective—

"It's nightfall and yet, here we are." Arabella whined, her back against the wall while she sat on the floor. Besides her was Hope, and Rafael was across the room, asleep, very far away from the two girls.

"We're you really planning to be Josie's escort?" Hope questioned, igniting a conversation between the two of them since all they did was sit in silence for minutes.

"Why? Jealous?" She teased and Hope scoffed in a totally not jealous way. "I'm joking. Yes she asked me. Her mom, biologically, was my bestfriend too. Treated me like a little sister and Josie remind me of her." Arabella explained while having her arms resting on her knees.

Hope nodded, "You were friends with Josette Laughlin?"

"Yeah and she's here." She informed making Hope look at her weirdly. "Ric thinks she's a monster from Malivore, and I was suppose to be talking to her right now if we aren't stuck in a gym."

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have texted you." Hope sighed which made Arabella shake her head in disagreement.

"It's not your fault." She said and looked over her. "Why did you? Rebekah will never miss the chance on teaching you how to dance."

Hope looked down on the floor for a split second before scooting closer to her. "Because I wanted to talk about what happened last night?" Arabella nodded in a tight smile.

"Right 'cause, I practically destroyed my chances on lying again?" She questioned, eyes were shining bright from where Hope was sitting.

"No." Hope answered and chuckled. "Besides, you still owe me a milkshake." She hinted making Arabella laugh nodding.

"With all that has been going on, you can't blame me for wanting to wait on a perfect day to head out." When Hope was frowning she sighed. "You thought I forgot about it." She stated in a disappointed tone.

Hope tried to evade it but instead sighed. "I expect the worse from people. Sorry." She said genuinely making Arabella nod.

"Well, you don't have to expect the same to me. Unlike anybody else in your life, I'll do everything in your best interest." Arabella looked at the clock, a minute past an hour since they've been here. "Ready to leave?" She asked and stood up, looking over at Raf who just woken up.

"Can you come with me? We still need to change for Josie's birthday, right?" Hope questioned and the two was already walking side by side. "I promise I'll let you go to be with Josie in that party."

Arabella cracks a smile, "Sure."

☘︎︎

"Dr. Saltzman. What's going on?" Hope asked once they saw Ric pinning Jo against the tree aggressively.

The two just got back from changing formally, with Arabella helping Hope with her dress and was about to go on a rescue mission.

"Ara, Hope, I need your help." Ric panted and looked at them, desperate and scared was across his features. "Jo burried Josie somewhere in the cemetery. She might not make it."

Arabella quickly got worried, she didn't waste a second on scurrying to find the siphoner. At first, she didn't know where to start but all she knows is that Josie can't be hurt.

"Hey— slow down." Hope called out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Let's go to the mill, get a shovel then we can go."

She nodded and they journeyed to the mill, with Arabella's mind filled with thoughts on what will happen if they were too late. It was her fault, if she stayed by her side then maybe she'd be there when Josie got attacked.

They saw Mg and Penelope by the stairs of the mill, the two ignored them and Arabella grabbed a shovel swiftly before continuing to follow the trail.

"You gonna howl at the moon wearing that?" Penelope remarked when she saw Hope wearing a dress besides the blonde who rolled her eyes at her.

"Sorry, no time for bitchy banter." Hope remarked but stopped in her tracks, gripping on Arabella's wrist to stop her. She turned around and looked at Penelope and Mg. "Actually... We could use your help finding Josie."

Penelope dropped her facade. "What happened?" she walked forward.

"Apparently, her possessed biological mother buried her alive in the cemetery." She explained quickly and Penelope took a shovel from the dirt besides her.

"We're coming with you." Mg spoke and the 4 was on their way to save Josie.

Arabella swallowed a lump in her throat in worry, being the one who was in front of them to lead. She couldn't even imagine on what she'll do if they were too late. Her hand gripped on the shovel tightly, voicing out everything to hear someone struggling under the dirt but she couldn't hear a thing. It was too quiet.

"Hold on, I hear something. Arabella." He said and the blonde tossed her the shovel. Mg dug on a grave quickly but a hand that was deformed stuck up and grabbed his ankle.

Arabella grabbed his arms, pulling him away before something happens. Penelope tried to kill it with the shovel but it stayed alive making her frown.

"That won't work!" Mg informed and scurried to grab the shovel he dropped from before and stuck its edge to its brain. "To kill a walker, you got to go for the brain. Everybody knows that." He stood up and dusted his pants of dirt.

"Yeah, every nerd maybe." Penelope remarked. "Just call it a zombie."

Arabella turned her head, hearing something similar to earlier making her sigh in annoyance. "I've got a feeling this isn't over." When she said that, another zombie rose up from the dead, growling.

"Zombies. Plural." Hope said and looked around, seeing as they were surrounded by undead creatures that was supposed to be fiction. "Mg, Bella, Find Josie. Penelope and I can handle the rest." She said and grabbed the shovel off of Arabella's hand before swinging it.

"Are you kidding—" Arabella tried to argue but stopped when Hope pointed the shovel behind her to kill an incoming zombie that was about to kill Arabella, their faces inches close.

"Go." She said one last time and pulled the shovel back to her, backing away from the vampire who looked at her one last time before speeding away with Mg close by.

Arabella stopped by a deserted place, eyes closed to focus. "Pretend it's peaceful, Milton. Just listen for her breathing." She informed Mg who nodded and voiced everything out.

"Josie. I hear you. Hold on." Mg sped to a near by grave stone and dug it out.

"Milton— Wait!" Arabella shouted but it was too late when a zombie had already peaked its head out and startled him. She quickly run over, kicking it on the head and surely enough, the head got thrown across from the cemetery. "Listen, intently." She warned.

"That was badass." Penelope called from behind when she saw what occured.

Hope sighed. "We're running out of time." She was too focused on looking at Mg when a zombie was closing to her. Arabella quickly sped to her, pushing her out of the way and struggled to keep the undead away from biting her.

"Are you just gonna watch? Kill it!" She shouted at Penelope who swung the axe on its head, dropped dead. Arabella stepped back, hearing something from afar. "Got her."

Arabella sped away to the familiar voice struggling on her tone. She knelt down and didn't use anything but her hands to dug out. A hand popped out, not gross anymore meaning it's the real Josie. She grabbed it and pulled until Josie was brought back for fresh air.

Josie panted, breathing heavily once she's got to breathe fresh air and looked over to them.

"The talisman." Hope sighed in relief and panted from the tiresome of running. "It worked."

"What's it supposed to do?" Josie questioned in between her breaths and looked below her to see it.

"Make quiet things heard.." Hope answered in a comforting smile.

The vampire, Arabella, stood up tiredly, her hands behind her neck while the tried to stop her heart rate from increasing. She's never felt this kind of worry and infliction on having the need to protect someone before. That was because she never had to worry about the twins dying, they were safe before all this monsters arrived.

Hope noticed the girl struggling to keep herself together from a close distance. She was about to ask but when their eyes met, Arabella was already gone.

☘︎︎

The Salvatore sat on her bed, her hand was too fast on sketching an image. She's already changed and fixed herself to bed. Arabella already knew that Josie is safe but, for how long? The guilt will be too heavy for her if it happened again.

Then there was Jo, the woman who was there for her years ago. They had a talk earlier and she couldn't handle seeing Jo die all over again. It was too painful for her.

"Hey." Hope said lowly, she still wore her dress with dirt trailing. "Are you okay?"

The one on the bed looked up, she then noticed the tears on her eyes fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped it away and nodded. "You should change and go to sleep." The girl spoke quickly and closed the journal shut, swinging her feet over the bed and tried to get past Hope but she stopped her.

"Stay." Hope whispered, drifting closer to her in worry. "Tell me what happened."

Arabella took in a shaky breath and shook her head. "She's gone... Jo— Josie's mom." Her voice broke, walls came crashing down just like that. Hope sighed and pulled the girl to her, embracing her fragile state which the Vampire didn't complain when her tears keep falling.

"Shh... Just let it out." Hope whispered, brushing her hand over Arabella's hair in comfort. "Let it go."

For the first time in many years, Arabella felt cared for instead of being hated on. She felt comfortable around Hope, she knew she liked the Mikaelson but didn't knew how much until now.

☘︎︎