𝟙.𝟠: 𝕄𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖 𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕟𝕕

—Narrator's perspective—

How can a vampire feel back pain when they're dead? Well that was the question Arabella was asking herself throughout the rest of the ride since she can't find a comfortable place so rest. Then she had to hear Alaric's personal knowledge of what he knows about biomass or whatnot. After the lecture, Hope had to be forced on answering his questions, all in while because it's almost the midterm examinations.

"And that is how osmosis works." Alaric finished just as he pulled the car on the side of the street, arrived in a house. "Is this the place?"

"Great. I felt like my mind was about to explode if you kept going." Arabella whined and pushed open the door, leaving an agreeing Hope.

"Yup. And not a moment too soon. Pretty sure you were about to tell me how babies are made." Hope remarked, looking over the house.

Arabella leaned on the car, waiting for the two others to get out as well while she stares at her phone. There was a text message from an unknown number yet, she didn't want to open and read it. Something of it felt odd.

"Hey." The Tribrid called out once they got out, pulling her by her wrist. "I feel too intelligent if Dr. Saltzman keeps telling me the importance of History wars." She shuddered and wrapped her arms around Arabella who was chuckling.

"He is trying to help. You're the only one between us three that actually needs to study." She remarked, looking over the girl who only hummed in response of her statement.

Alric eyed the two of them when they stepped up the porch. But glued his mouth shut when they still had a mission to do.

"We should come in hot. There could be a jabberwocky on the other side of that door for all we know." Hope said and let go of Arabella's arm, looking at Ric seriously.

"Nonsensical poem written by?" He asked, looking inside the house for some glimpse of humanity inside.

"Charles dodgson." Hope answered right away.

"Wrong. Lewis Carroll." Alaric looked at her and walked to the door.

Hope chuckled. "The pen name of Charles Dodgson. I'm crushing English, too." She hummed and sent a wink to Arabella who laughed in response.

From inside the house, somebody screamed and alarmed Hope who placed her hands up and pushed. "Patere." then, The door slammed open leaving Alaric and Arabella sighing. What could go wrong? The witch was the first to come in and immediately regretted it when all that consists of in the room was two old people watching their annual horror movie on live.

"Hi. I uh— What-What are you watching?" Hope asked in a high pitched voice and looked at Arabella for help who felt the tension in the room increased.

Alaric came rushing in as well and got flustered by their situation. "Oh... I'm so sorry that we've ruined your lunch. I promise we're gonna replace your door. Ara compel them— That's some compass we're in the wrong place." He stammered and looked at the two girl.

The Vampire laughed and compelled the two people to forget what happened and that they should probably consider on fixing their door sometimes. Hope looked at the door, the mailbox and the one Landon has of the compass was inside, hidden.

"Someone knew we were coming." She showed it to Alaric in a pissed manner before exiting the house.

"Call someone, okay?" Arabella smiled one last time before vamp speeding out of there in a hurry. She lets out a heavy sigh and hopped inside the car, backseat again. "So much for the compass." She huffed and Hope shrugged defeatedly.

☘︎︎

Alaric pulled over in the middle of the road, a company was investigating a house with many blocked entrance to go through. They all exited to ask questions, moreover Arabella who just wanted for this trip to be over eventually.

They managed to go here after Hope did a locator spell on Landon's bracelet.

"Can I help you?" A man asked, walking to the three figures who acted 'lost'.

"Yeah I hope so. Uh... Say, what's going on here." Alaric gestured to the many men who was waving their technologies around the property.

"Gas Leak. Don't worry though, we have it under control." He informed. "You wouldn't hapen to know who lives here, would you? We tried knocking but no one's home."

Hope crossed her arms. "Um, we're looking for.." Her words got trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"The highway." Alaric butted in and Arabella looked at him by his sudden high pitched voice. "See we're lost and we... well, we saw you guys, and we thought we'd ask for directions." Arabella sighed and played along with a nod to the man.

"Yeah, at the end of the road, you make a right. Can't miss it." He said and pointed at a deserted road, suspicious of Alaric's tone of behaviour.

"All right, let's go... Jessica, Kate." He said to the two girls. Arabella rolled her eyes and Hope just looked at him weirdly by the names.

Alaric, Hope and Bella all went back to the road, with the vampire trying to suppress her laughter by how a horrible liar Ric is.

"'Jessica'? Really?" Hope questioned, pulling the seatbelt to use.

"Better than 'kate' apparently." The blonde mocked and Hope mustered up a laugh as well by her tone.

Alaric sighed and buckled the seatbelt. "I've been part of enough cover-ups to smell one a mile away."

"Do you think they're after Landon?" She questioned nervously, all eyes were on the people by the house. Seemingly enough, people watching from the road seemed to believe that there's a gas leak.

"Well, all I know is they wouldn't have asked about him if they had him, so..." He spared a look at Hope and back to the vans. "We gotta find him before they do." With that, Alaric pulled the brakes and head out on the road.

"Who do you think took him?" Bella asked boredly, starting a conversation while her legs were propped up on the seats, back resting on the car door.

"We don't know if someone took him. Let's pray to god that's not the case." Alaric corrected, looking at her through the mirror. "Stop putting your dirty shoes on my seat." He scolded and slapped her legs making the vampire huff and sat properly.

Hope chuckled and shook her head, feeling tired from all the driving. After counless of hours with Alaric and Arabella bickering about the past, they didn't notice the Tribrid falling asleep. Her head was propped downwards, leaning on the window uncomfortably but it will do.

To say the least, Arabella felt awfully tired when her and Ric kept changing seats. She was even more remotely bored when she was driving, seeing as Hope was asleep as Alaric passed out like a dead man. Good thing that the human among them recharges quickly and changed seats with Arabella in under two hours.

"So." Alaric started and cleared his throat, looking at Arabella with an arched eyebrow. "What's going on between you two?" He asked, carefully looking out for his tone just in case Hope might wake up.

"'Going between you two' who?" Arabella questioned, looking at him with a weirded out look. "You stalking me now, Ric?" She joked and Alaric scoffed.

"I'm just looking out for you. And Hope. It's not everyday I see her all happy and smiling once in a while. Now it's like she's a completely different person." He hinted, knowing full well something happened between them.

Arabella chuckled and shook her head, "I don't know what you're talking about." She joked and Ric laughed silently seeing her grinning widely.

"Okay, okay. She's been through a lot and so have you. I've never actually seen you with a girlfriend but I'll know you'll take care of her." He said seriously making the girl snort lightly.

"Is this a speech you made when the twins will ever get a boyfriend? If so, it sucks."

Alaric chuckled and looked at Hope's sleeping figure. "Worked for Penelope." He shrugged and Arabella laughed. "Can you actually transfer her there? She looks uncomfortable."

The Vampire looked over Hope, head keeps moving from then and then making her nod. Alaric pulled over to the side of the road, letting the vampire carry Hope's sleeping figure without a worry and setting her down to the seats gently.

For a moment, Hope woke up with her eyes half opened and knew who just carried her. She tugged on Arabella's wrist making the vampire knew what she meant.

Arabella shut the front door before getting inside, Hope's head resting on her lap when she closed the door quietly. She gently played with the Mikaelson's hair, letting her fall asleep peacefully under her. Alaric smiled softly at the scene, and continued to drive without a hitch.

Then, Arabella felt her eyes get heavy, head was leaning on the window while still having her hand between Hope's hair softly. She gave in and closed her eyes, letting she darkness influence her being. Without knowing Hope slept with a small smile on her lips.

☘︎︎