𝟙.𝟠: 𝕄𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖 𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕟𝕕

—Narrator's perspective—

"Since Landon is here and all fine, Can I just hitch a cab or something to go home?" Arabella questioned when she got inside the motel room, feeling a little better when Bonnie called her for old times sake. "Oh, what the hell is that?" She asked pointing at the bathroom door, the two humans looked confusedly at where she was looking.

"Bigger fish. Huge fish." Landon shouted and backed away.

For her to release some of that anger, Arabella shifted her eyes crimson red and kicked the monster back inside quickly, Grabbing a nearby dresser and blocking the door from it getting out. "This will not hold— Ric!" She shouted while holding in the dresser, the monster from the inside banging on the door to let it out.

"See?! Danger magnet." Landon shouted and pointed at the door.

"What the hell was that?" Hope asked now that she got inside the room, looking at the struggling blonde who directed her focus on keeping it away, not at Hope's voice.

"Uh, I'm guessing a Mer-Man." Alaric said and the said, Mer-Man banged on the door more furiously. "A very pissed Mer-Man."

Arabella used the right side of her body and almost lost composure of herself while blocking the monster. She panted in deep breaths, praying that the people behind her will stop talking and leave.

"You said a necromancer told you the knife was one of three keys, right?" Landon asked and pulled something out of his duffel bag

"The Necromancer. Like I said, It's a long story But why does it matter?" Hope asked and glancing at Arabella who was still using her strength to good use.

Landon showed them an urn, "Son of a bitch." Alaric whispered in anger and looked at him in disbelief.

"This was Seylah's. I picked it up, but I didn't steal it. I-I... not on purpose anyways. I don't know how it got in there, just like how I don't know what happened with the knife—"

"—Can you stop talking and start running before this thing breaks free?!" Arabella finally sneered in anger, her eyes shifted back to red and looked at them.

Landon was about to grab his stuff along with the key but Hope stopped him and told him to leave it. "No. I'm just sick of playing the same game. So let the monster have it. He'll take it ot Malivore. We follow him, we know where it is."

"I am not taking two teenagers to a covert military hiding place for a demon portal." Alaric shouted and looked at the both of them.

"You kind of have to! Seylah's going there!" Hope said back in a loud voice. She pressed the compass and placed it inside the urn.

"Ric, I am about this close on letting this thing lose and let you three get killed if you don't start running in under 3 seconds!" Arabella shouted again.

Alaric told them to move, looking at the vampire one last time before having to Pull Hope away to safety. "He's a fishman in land how fast can he be, right?" He stammered.

It was then Arabella used her Vampire speed and exited the motel to go to the car. She heard running footsteps behind her and Alaric pressed his key, unlocking the doors. Arabella hopped inside the passenger seat, besides the driver's.

☘︎︎

"Turns out he's pretty fast." Hope informed and looked at the compass on her bracelet, leaning on the middle of Alaric and Arabella to show the driver where.

"Listen, this was your idea. So is it within my bounds as the headmaster to tell you to shut it?" Alaric spat.

Arabella looked out the window, hands were gripping on the handle in anticipation. Mostly because she still had to sit in a car with a girl she liked kissing another guy. She even voiced out everything until the car stopped in front of a gate.

They all hopped out, Arabella looking at the name in front. "Triad."

"Explosives?" Landon questioned when he read a sign attached to the wall. Arabella crossed her arms in frustration and looked to the side where there was a hole in the gate.

"On the bright side, maybe this fence stopped our fishy friend." Alaric spoke too soon when they all saw what Arabella first saw.

"I don't think so." Hope said and looked at the destroyed part of the barrier. She walked past it and everyone soon followed, running over to a large surrounded building. "There." She pointed and they all stopped to see the merman.

It was snarling and inching closer to the building where they assumed Malivore is. Landon stepped forward, ready to go there but Hope stopped him.

"Hey, stay back. He's dangerous." She warnee and grabbed his arm for Landon to stop.

"I have to get in there." He snarled and turned his heels, running towards the monster. Hope called for his name and ran to him too.

"Hope— damn it." Arabella said and ran to where they were going, she heard it, the click and beeping noise of a supposed bomb about to go off.

Arabella, this time, wasn't playing games and pulled Hope's wrist, spinning her around just as the explosion occured near them. She used her body as a shield before Hope got hurt, all of them flying backwards.

She passed out in midair, something hit her face when she did and collapsed on the floor with Hope laying on her arm, also passed out. The other two was a few meters away from where they were and unconscious. Arabella was too focused on protecting Hope that she didn't notice her head hit a rock on the ground, but still didn't regret on what's she done.

☘︎︎

Arabella groaned, waking up and she looked around her, sitting upwards and carefully placing Hope back down. She was still unconcious. The Vampire grew nervous and hear for a heartbeat which was beating strong. "Thank god..." She whispered and looked at Hope, not looking like she'll wake up anytime soon.

The girl stood up and the sun was about to rise from its peak. She also listened for Landon's and Alaric's, both equally beating strong.

Then, she stepped backwards, remembering everything of what happened last night. They found Landon in a motel alone, Alaric and her went outside to talk privately, when she came back Hope was on top of Landon. Her heart clenched of remembering everything that happened. Or atleast, what she thought happened.

Arabella took one last look of Hope before speeding to Alaric's jeep, finding a sticky note and a pen on the dashboard. She wrote a note quickly and stuck it to the wheel without hesitation.

The vampire looked at the triad company on last time before speeding away, feeling too many weight on her shoulder and couldn'r stand the fact she has to sit in a car with Hope all day. So she just ran and found a car a couple miles away, compelling the owner to take a hike so she can steal it.

"Thank you again for coming to help me." Landon started when they were back on the road, woke up just a few minutes ago.

Hope couldn't even hear him, she just held the note in her hand and silently beating herself to death of what she did. She sighed, closing her eyes and clutching the written note before placing it on the cupholder, not wanting to see it again.

"Work in progress..." She whispered when Alaric asked her a question. Hope looked out the window, a heavy conscious and guilty heart. "Do you think she's okay?" She asked Alaric, Looking at him with a pleading look.

He spared her a glance, "I don't think so, Hope." Ric answered truthfully and went back to telling Landon he can stay in the boarding house.

☘︎︎

"Stop calling this number." Arabella sneered and pressed the decline button quickly. Her head flopped down the pillow again after she just arrived in her dorm.

A number kept calling her which she didn't familiarise with, Arabella didn't let the person speak and just warner them to back off. Her hands were planted on her face, feeling too tired of everything.

She kept stopping over a gas station for a snack from the cashier, then back to the road with no company. It was a stop and go kind of road trip for her.

"Bella.." Hope's voice broke when she saw the blonde on her own bed. She didn't spent another waste of second when she and Alaric arrived in the school on going to see if Arabella was all right. But she wasn't, atleast, not mentally.

"I'll ask Ric for a new dorm tomorrow. Just, bare with me for tonight." She informed coldly, not even looking at the girl who just sat on her bed.

"Please... Look at me." The tribrid whispered, scooting closer to her and held her arm gently. "Look, I'm sorry for kissing Landon. I-I didn't mean to—"

"—Stop— Just... stop." Arabella sighed and sat up, looking at her seriously. "I know we are not official or whatever, Hope. But you could've just said that you still liked him."

Hope shook her head and grabbed her hand, forcefully holding it despite Arabella's tug to take her own hand back. "I like you, Arabella. That... I'm not trying to sound heartless but, I wanted to see if I was right..." She whispered the last part, leaning her forehead down to Bella's who was frozen in her place. "I talked to Landon earlier, I told him the truth— please, I'm so sorry."

At this point, Arabella didn't even care of the consequences of what she might do. All she wanted was to hug her and never let go but her mind keeps going back to the image of Hope and Landon on a bed together.

"Officially, this time, Bella. I don't ever want to lose you." Hope whispered, holding the back of Arabella's neck.

The blonde lets out a shaky breath, closing her eyes for a split second. "Then you probably shouldn't, Hope Mikaelson." She spoke and didn't let the girl speak before leaning close and capturing her lips.

Hope lets out a reluctant gasp but didn't hesitate to reciprocate the kiss. She closed her eyes and pulled Arabella closer to her, not wanting to waste another minute of not being with her right now. Without breaking contact, Arabella pulled her sweater off and Hope pushed her down the bed, sitting on her waist while leaning down.

The two knew this was awful timing since Landon just came back, a monster almost killed them all, then there was Seylah who onlyHope remembered and will tell her girl everything after what they're doing is finished. But that didn't seem like it will since Hope was too eager on unbuttoning Arabella's shirt.

"Are you kidding?" Arabella chuckled when Hope almost destroyed her shirt. The Mikaelson ignored her and pushed her hair to one side of her shoulder and planted small and hot kisses down her neck. Starting from her lip, to her cheek, jaw— "Uh, Hope." She whispered and bit her lip trying to refrain her stuttering self.

The tribrid practically ignored her and kept going. Well let's just conclude that night wasn't suppose to happen but did happen anyways. Did either regret? Ofcourse not.

☘︎︎