Disclaimer: I do not own Legacies. I am merely playing with these amazing characters.

AN: Hello there. I don't plan on making this a very long fic, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less. I apologize for any mistakes that may have slipped through. I swear I read this chapter like 3 times.

Chapter 1: Strange feelings

Darkness consumed her, wrapping around her mind and bleeding into her soul. She tried to fight against it, tried to break free, but it suffocated her. It pulled her deeper into the dark, until the only light that remained was a pin point at the end of a never-ending nothingness.

Josie woke screaming, startling herself as well as her twin sister Lizzie, who had been asleep next to her. Her breathing was heavy and coming in pants as she tried to separate the real from the nightmare. She looked at the light streaming from her desk lap.

Lizzie was holding her closely, whispering soft reassurances in her ear. It was helping, but not enough to help her shake the nightmare completely. She tried to sleep again, curled up in the safety of her sister's arms, but it alluded her. Every time she closed her eyes, she was right back in the grave that nearly took her life.

Lizzie fell back to sleep quickly and didn't wake when Josie gently slipped out from beneath her. Nor did she wake as the brunette slipped from their room to go find a quiet place where she wouldn't disturb her sister's slumber.

Josie knew it was past curfew, but she figured she would get pass if she were caught. After all, she had just been buried alive by her dead biological mother, who was being manipulated by yet another creature. Still she was careful not to get caught as she snuck through the school and out the kitchen door.

She walked through the wood surrounding the Salvatore property slowly and as quietly as she could. The moon was half full, giving her just enough light to see where she was going. She didn't want to use the flashlight until she was sure no one from the school would see it. She needed to do this, and she needed to do it alone.

As she walked, she went through the events of the day in her head, analyzing every second of it. She had met her bio mom, which is something she never thought she wanted until it happened. She had always felt different than her sister. Lizzie was so much like their mom, sometimes she forgets they share no DNA with her, but at the same time, it made Josie feel like she was adopted. She loves her mom, and never had she felt unloved, she just didn't always see herself in either one of her parents, despite her father always joking that she was more like him than Lizzie was.

Meeting Josette, for the short time it had lasted, was amazing. She could see herself in the woman, like she saw Lizzie in their mom. But it also made her realize what she was missing. Caroline was her mother, through and through, but so was Josette. And now, instead of just missing Caroline, she was also missing Jo and the life they could have had. She felt awful, like she was cheating on her mom or something.

Then there was the fact that she had basically helped kill Jo for a second time, and that hurt even more. Realistically she understood that it wasn't she and Lizzie who killed Jo, but the look on her father's face after she disappeared, made her feel like it was.

When she arrived at the gate to the cemetery, she froze, suddenly reminded why she was on her trek. On top of all her momma drama, she also had to deal with the cause of her nightmares. Being buried alive in a shallow grave, unable to move, breath, or dig her way out.

She slowly made her way to the grave she had been buried in, carefully watching her steps for any remains still lying around from the zombie fight that had taken place. Her grave was still half dug, untouched after her rescue. She stood over it, staring mindlessly at the hole unsure of what to feel. There was so much going on inside.

Josie kneeled, laying her hand in the center of the oddly shaped hole, as if to siphon away dark feelings attached to it. When the act did little to ease her suffering, she laid down in the hole, rolling onto her side, and let the feelings out the only way she knew how, through tears.

She cried for the mother she never knew and never would. She cried for the mom she missed every day. She cried for her sister, who was beating herself up over not noticing she hadn't shown for their party. She cried for her father, who had to say goodbye to the love of his life again. She cried for herself, who had been buried in that grave, who had lost all hope of being saved.

She cried until she had no tears left,

Still she laid there. Remembering the feeling of the heavy dirt compressing her body, surrounding her in darkness, consuming her very life. Remembering the pain in her chest as she realized no one knew she was gone, no one could hear her screaming, no one was coming for her.

Josie didn't know how long she had been laying there, staring into the darkness, consumed by her own dark thoughts. She didn't hear the heavy foot steps until they were over top of her. She felt something nudge her arm, before hearing the gentle whine that followed.

She looked up at the white fur cover beast in surprise. It's glowing yellow eyes unnatural for a regular wolf, but a telltale sign that it was werewolf. She had only ever seen a werewolf's glowing eyes in that of her classmates while in human form. Never while they were transformed. Her father forbade her and Lizzie from going into the cellar.

She knew she should be afraid. She heard the stories of how wolves in the primal state were uncontrollable, vicious, monstrous, and yet this wolf looked harmless. Sad even. Familiar.

"Hope?" she asked, her voice rough from crying. It had to be Hope, she was the only wolf at the school who could change at will, unless there was another wolf in the area.

The wolf let out a long whine, then nudged her arm again, as if to ask if she was okay. Josie cautiously raised her hand to the wolf's snout and gently ran her fingers along the underside, before moving up to her ears.

Hope laid down and leaned into the hand, whining slightly. With each stroke of Josie's hand, the wolf moved ever so slightly towards her, until she was laying tightly against Josie's body. Hope laid her head in the arm under Josie's and let out a little whine again as she rolled onto her side to play little spoon.

Understanding that Hope wasn't going to hurt her, she wrapped her arm around the wolf, and allowed herself to relax. Josie didn't know what time it was, but she guessed it was somewhere just before dawn. The light of the moon was fading from the sky making the already dark cemetery look pitch black.

Despite still lying in the grave that almost took her life, Josie felt calmer. Though she was still afraid to close her eyes. Too afraid to be pulled back into the endless darkness. Too afraid to relive the biological mother's final moment over again.

So, she quietly laid there, cuddled up to Hope, gently stroking her hand over the white wolf's fur, soaking up the warmth radiating off her. Hope didn't move, but she did let out soft whines every now and again. Josie wondered why, wondered if she was hurt, but until Hope was human again, she couldn't get the answer.

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the gloomy graves, when Hope began to growl. It started quietly, growing in volume as she suddenly stood, positioning herself over Josie, while staring towards the path that lead to the gates. Fear overtook Josie, though not towards Hope, who clearly heard something off in the distance.

Josie was suddenly exceedingly happy to have Hope by her side. In her grief, she forgot that there was a monster out there who wanted her dead. Though she couldn't understand how she could have possibly forgotten that. Josette and what the monster had forced her to do was all she had been thinking about for hours.

Hope's growls grew louder as voices could be heard in the distance. She couldn't make out who it was, or how many there were, but Hope seemed displeased by their presence. As the voices grew louder, Hope crouched lower over Josie, so that the wolf was practically laying on her, while still ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

Josie saw her father, sister, and Emma before they saw her. It was Hope's snarl that alerted the trio that they were not alone. As one, they froze and looked toward the snarling wolf petrified.

"Shit," Alaric gulped, as he pulled his daughter behind him.

"Dad," Lizzie shrieked, peering out from behind him. "Who is that?"

"Hope," he answered quietly. "It's Hope. Don't move. Okay? Just stay here and don't say a word." He took a few hesitant steps towards the wolf and his other daughter. "Hope. It's okay. We're not here to hurt you or Josie."

Hope snarled at the man, and then barked aggressively, causing Alaric to trip backwards, falling on his back. Emma took a step toward him but froze when Hope rose from Josie's body. She put her hands in the air, and soothingly spoke, "It's okay, Hope. Josie's safe. We're not going to hurt her."

Hope laid down on Josie, who was lying very still, and let out a long whine.

Emma took a step forward, then froze, waiting to see what the wolf would do. When Hope didn't growl, she went to help Alaric up.

Alaric brush himself off, then moved towards Hope and Josie slowly. "Josie, are you okay honey?"

"Yeah dad. I'm fine," she answered shakily.

Hope jumped to her feet again, but instead of heading towards Alaric, she turned to look at Josie and then laid back down in her little spoon position, blocking Alaric from getting to Josie.

Alaric stop walking towards them. "Are you sure?" He asked while looking at the wolf wearily. He had only ever seen Hope in this form once, when she had snuck out to change and he caught her. She had been less hostile then.

"I think she's just trying to protect me," Josie answered his unspoken question. She gently stroked the wolf's ears, while murmuring, "It's okay, Hope. I'm okay. We can go back to school now. Is that okay?"

Hope whined as she looked into Josie's eyes, and then stood and circled around Josie before making her way to Alaric, her bushy tail wagging as if to put his anxiety at ease.

Lizzie took this as a good sign and made her way past her father and the wolf, to help her sister up. "What are you doing Jo. I woke up and you were gone. I was worried sick."

"I… um… I…" Josie started, but she had no clue how to explain how she ended up in the graveyard or why. Thankfully Hope chose that moment to turn towards them and growl at Lizzie.

"Alright weirdo," Lizzie said to Hope. "I won't question her. Geeze. I thought being in wolf form was supposed to mellow you out, not make you more hostile."

"Lizzie," Josie chastened.

"Yeah. I would dispense with insults before you make her angry," Alaric agreed, while looking at Hope wearily. "Let's go back to school."

Hope barked at them, then took off towards the school.

Josie watched as she left, disappointed that she wasn't going to stay by her side as they walked home. Lizzie wrapped her arms around Josie, giving her a small taste of the warmth Hope had, but not enough to ease the storm of emotions still raging inside her.

Other than the occasion howl coming from Hope in the distance, their trip back was quiet. Which gave Josie plenty of time to sort through her emotions. Unfortunately, the only thing she was sure of when she stepped into her dorm room, was how confusing Hope's behavior was and how badly she wanted her mom to come home.

Alaric told Josie to rest and that he would be back to check on her later. He had to go make sure Hope wasn't still out in the woods terrorizing the locals. His melodramatic words, not hers. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, told her he loved her and then rushed from the room.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope watched Josie walked home with her sister, father, and Emma from afar, then ran back towards the cemetery. She knew Alaric would be coming after her once he got his girls settled. She was acting aggressively, uncontrollably, and he would want to make sure she wasn't a danger. She didn't care, though. She needed time to think. Time to process what was going on in her own head, before she attempted to explain it to him.

She didn't know why she had acted so aggressively towards them. Hell, she was still trying to figure out why Josie lying on that grave, crying, affected her so strongly. Why she felt the intense need to sooth her pain.

Yes, she cared for Josie. She had always cared about her. It had just been easier to keep, not only her, but everyone at arm's length. There was so much about her life that made it impossible to get close to anyone.

For eight years, she had to keep her identity a secret, not only to protect her and the other students from anyone who wished to harm her father by getting to her, but to keep her life as normal as possible. She lived a lie for years, sitting quietly as her father was painted a monster, while knowing he had good in him. She could never have been friends with the Saltzman sisters, as much as they did try. Her father's history with their father prevented that.

Even after everyone found out who she was, she had been too broken to let herself care about anyone. The last thing she wanted was to bring death and darkness to their lives. It was just easier to keep herself locked away, avoiding everyone.

Things between them had changed over the last few weeks. She blamed it on Landon, as sweet as he seemed. He'd brought a darkness to the school when he stole that knife, shifting the course of their lives. She just didn't know how much yet.

She felt the shift happen between them. First the night she did black magic with her, and then the day she shared with Josie in town. It was the first honest conversation she had since she came to the school. What Josie said to her sunk in, made her see that she had the power to hurt people in other ways. In a very human way. Once she realized that, it was hard to not let the brunette in a little.

There was still so much about being a wolf she had to learn, and even more about how being a tribrid affects her wolf. Her intense feelings towards Josie could be a normal part of being a wolf. Unfortunately, she had little in the past to go on. Hope had only ever seen five people while in her wolf form. Her father, who had talked her through her first transformation, Alaric, who had caught her roaming the woods a few weeks after she returned to school, Landon, who she had nearly attacked when she saw him, her aunt Freya, who usually is around when she changed in New Orleans, and her aunt Freya's wife Keelin, who runs with her when she's home. Never had she felt so over protective of anyone before.

She heard him before she caught a whiff of his scent, and instead of making him search for her, she decided to go to him. He was on the dirt path that led away from the school, in his hand was a gun, which she assumed was loaded with tranquilizers. He froze when he saw her and raised the gun.

She sat down and lowered her head in the submission, making it clear she wasn't a threat. Alaric lowered the gun slowly, though kept it ready just in case. "What the hell, Hope?" he asked, and she wondered if he actually wanted an answer. He continued, so she assumed this was going to turn into a lecture, instead. "You know you are not allowed out here unless you okay it with me first. Anything could have happened. We have a monster in the cellars right now. I don't need you off galivanting around town, especially with my daughter."

Hope stood suddenly, causing him to flinch. She simply walked away from him though, and after a moment he followed her ranting as they went. When they neared the old mill, Hope stopped, turned to Alaric and growled at him, then sat. He looked at her questioningly but didn't move when she disappeared into the old structure.

A few minutes later, Hope came walking out a fully dressed human again. "I found her there," Hope said, not giving him the chance to speak. "I needed a release, and knew you would be busy dealing with everything, so I went out. I didn't think you would mind. I went to the cemetery to bury the zombie remains. When I was finished, I was heading back through the graveyard and I found her there."

Hope paused and took a deep calming breath. "She was crying, Dr. Saltzman. She was lying in her own grave and crying. What was I supposed to do? Leave her all alone? I couldn't do that, so I stayed with her."

Alaric stood, quietly observing her. "Thank you," he said after a few moments. He put his hand on her shoulder. "You did the right thing. I was just a little worried because you seemed out of control there for a minute."

"I was just protecting her," Hope said, and then quickly changed the subject before he could question her further. "Is she okay?"

Alaric sighed. His entire demeanor changed from concern for his favorite pupil to weight of the world on his shoulders dad. "About as well as can be expected. She's with Lizzie now. I need to call their mother and tell her what's happened. Not a conversation I'm looking forward to. I… Just… Thank you Hope. I'm glad you were there for her. Just, the next time you head out without asking, send a note, so I don't worry or get caught off guard like today. Okay?"

"Sure Dr. Saltzman. I can do that," Hope said."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was sitting at her desk working on homework, when a soft knock sounded at the door. She looked up in surprise. Nobody ever knocked on her door. "Come in," she yelled, though she didn't know why. Two thirds of the student body had supernatural hearing.

She was surprised when Josie opened the door and peeked in. She wasn't sure why she was surprised. She had, on some level, expected Josie to seek her out. Her strange behavior as a wolf was enough to warrant her own inquiry into wolf behavior. She should have known Josie would be curious as well.

Josie stepped into the room hesitantly, closing the door quietly behind her. "Hi," she said quietly, then cleared her throat. "I… I just came to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?" Hope asked surprised.

"Yeah. Dad's freaked out by what happened. He's sending Lizzie and I to Europe to spend some time with our mom."

"For how long?

"A week. Maybe longer. He said he wanted to know we were safe from the monsters, but I think it's hard having us here, after what happened. We remind him of her… Of what he lost."

Hope stood up and went to her side. "You lost her too," she said. She gently took Josie's hand, and then glanced at her night stand full of photos before looking back to Josie. "It's okay to grieve her you know."

Josie looked down as tears welled in her eyes. She knew what Hope was saying was true. "Thank you for staying with me last night."

Hope smiled softly, "Of course. You don't have to thank me."

"Yeah I do," she insisted, then looked Hope in the eyes. "I really do. You stayed when I need someone the most. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Josie," Hope said honestly.

Josie gave Hope a soft smile. "I should go," she said shyly. "We're leaving for the airport in an hour."

"Goodbye," Hope said, and then awkwardly hugged Josie, something she wasn't familiar with doing. "Message me. If you need anything… or if you just want to talk. Okay?"

"Yeah. I will. Thank you Hope."

Josie left, leaving Hope alone with her thoughts. She went back to her work, finishing up as quickly as possible, which wasn't nearly as quick as she would have liked. Her mind kept straying to Josie. Something was different between them. She felt it a soon as she laid her eyes upon her. She just couldn't figure out what it was.

She finished her homework just as the dinner hour started. Normally she would take a book to read while she ate her food in an empty corner, but she decided to forgo her usual routine by joining MG and Penelope.

They looked surprised when she sat down next to MG, but didn't comment, even though Penelope looked like she wanted to. Instead, she shifted her pile of books to give Hope more room, then went back to explaining something to MG. It took her a minute to realize they were talking about some old show they both had binged. She'd never heard of it, but it seemed interesting.

She didn't realize Penelope was such a tv nerd, but she shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she didn't really know the girl much, or MG for that matter. They switched topics to a different show, only this time she did know what they were talking about. They froze when she added a comment into the conversation but recovered quickly and smoothly added her into the debate. By the time dinner was over and they went their separate ways, they were talking like old friends.

Hope laid in bed that night trying to sleep, without luck. Her body was humming with restlessness. She still had over a week to go before the full moon, and usually she had a few more days before the restless need to change set in. For the second night in a row, the need to change felt to great, leading her out to the old mill where she striped her clothing off and morphed into her wolf. This time with permission though.

Unlike the night before. Hope's only goal was to run, so she allowed her wolf instincts to take over. She took off towards the southern gates at lightning speed, her paws digging into the ground with each stride. After that, she lost all sense of time, allowing herself the joy of hunting wild animals as she ran.

The next morning, for the first time ever, Hope woke, not in her bed, but in an unfamiliar section of forest stark naked. She remembered running through the woods surrounding the school, but she didn't consciously realize she was heading away from it.

The sun was just beginning to rise, illuminating the forest, but it did little to tell her where she was, seeing as she didn't know which way she had traveled. She was hesitant to shift, worried that her wolf instincts would over take her again, taking her further from the school. In the end, she had no choice. Taking the risk, she shifted wolf form, and tried to pick up her own scent. It must have rained at some point, because the ground was wet, and her scent was gone. She set off in one direction, hoping it would lead her either home or to a town so she would know where she was.

Sometime later, she happened across a small house, with laundry hanging on from clothing lines. She morphed back into her human form and picked out a shirt and shorts to put on. The clothing was still damp, but it was something. She considered knocking on the house's door but decided to travel a little further. It would look strange if she showed up at their door, wearing their clothing.

The next house was just a few miles from the other one. She knocked on the door and was relieved when a tall blonde woman in her forties or fifties answered the door almost immediately. Hope explained that she sometimes sleepwalks and asked if she could call her dad to come get her. She figured it would be easier if the woman thought Ric was her father instead of just some random guy. She also asked where she was, because she still didn't have a clue. Turns out, she had been traveling north east all night, ending up in a small town called Esmont.

When Alaric answered the phone, she instantly knew something was wrong. The tone in his voice was in full blown panic mode. "Is everything alright?" she asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Hope?" he asked, suddenly sounding relieved. "It's Hope," he said, to someone. "Hope, where are you? Are you okay? We've been worried sick. When you skipped your morning classes, Emma went to check on you and you weren't there."

"I'm fine, Dad," Hope answered.

"Dad? Hope, are you okay? Where are you? Is someone holding you hostage?"

Hope had to chuckle at his questions. "No. I'm fine. I was sleepwalking again last night. I need you to come get me."

"Sleepwalk…?" he asked, though it was more directed at himself than her. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

She gave him the address, and then hung up with him before he had time to question her further. She couldn't really answer them with the woman sitting across from. She was nice, offered to make her some food, but she declined. Alaric would be there soon, and then she would leave.

When Ric showed up, he made a good show at being her dad. He gave her a hug and told her how worried he was. He thanked the woman for looking after her, and then they departed. They were barely out the driveway before he bagan questioning her. Starting with, "Why are a town over instead of at home in your room?"

"I don't know. I went out for a run and then I woke up in the middle of an unfamiliar forest. I don't remember running that far from the school."

"Has this ever happened before?" he asked, suddenly wondering if she was keeping things from him.

"No. This is the first time I ever woken up outside after a run, let alone miles from school. Usually, I shift back then head back before sleeping," she answered.

"Even when you're at home in New Orleans?"

"Aunt Keelin runs with me out in the Bayou. We never stay out all night though," Hope answered.

"Are you okay?" He asked again.

"Yes, Dr. Saltzman, I'm fine," she insisted.

The rest of the drive back was silent, which Hope didn't mind. She was trying to remember everything she thought and felt during her run. She had more control over her wolf side than most, it was the reason Alaric allowed her to roam the woods unattended, where as her classmates are forced to be locked in the school's transition cells. Still, despite having more control, she was still a wolf, and as such, had certain instincts that still controlled her at times. Like when she saw Landon in the woods his first day at the school. Her wolf saw something tasty and wanted it. If she hadn't forced herself to change back, she probably would have killed him.

All she remembered, or rather registered with her, was this feeling of intense need to run that way. Almost like something was pulling her in one direction. She still operated as she usually did when in wolf form, though she did allow more of her natural wolf instincts to take over. Still, she wasn't sure how and why she had ended up so far from the school.

When they returned to school Alaric sent Hope to get a shower and to put more clothing on. Which she gladly did. She was covered in dirt and felt grimy. When she was clean and properly clothed again, she headed back down to Alaric's office as instructed.

Alaric wasn't alone when she entered. Her aunts Freya and Rebekah were both sitting across from Ric in the armchairs. Excitement coursed through Hope, propelling her forward for hugs, only to be stopped by Freya. "Sorry, kiddo. We're not really here."

Disappointment filled her, but she was careful not to show it. She didn't want to show how much it affected her. She smiled at them instead and sat on the corner of Alaric's desk. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's alright love," said Rebekah, who was closest to her. "We're just glad you're alright. Though we could do without the scare again."

"However, we would like to know what happened," Freya said.

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I was running like I always do. Chasing squirrels and other small creatures, and I ended up in Esmont. I remember feeling this pull toward that way and going with it. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in unfamiliar woods with only a vague idea of how I ended up there."

Freya sat forward. "Pull? What kind of pull?"

"Um… I guess like something was telling me to keep going in one direction. Like a gut instinct or something."

"Do you think one of these monsters you've been dealing with is doing something to her?" Rebekah asked.

"It's possible," Alaric stated. "Although, they usually only come one at a time and we still have the last one in the basement being a pain in the ass."

"You said it was a necromancer?" Freya asked.

"The Necromancer according to him, as though he is the only one. He's a bit of a drama queen."

"Well Hope's alive, so he shouldn't be able to do anything to her. It's just…"

"It's just what Auntie Freya?" Hope asked, pushing for her to finish whatever it was on her mind.

"I was just thinking about something Niklaus told me once," Freya said hesitantly, then looked to Hope to gage her reaction. Freya was no stranger to Hope's pain, being the one who spent the most time with her since her father's sacrifice. "You were just a baby. Your mother was still under the spell that kept the crescent pack wolves except for the full moon. Rebekah was off searching for a way to bring Kol back, and Elijah was still angry at Klaus for placing the curse on your mother. It was just Klaus and I alone with you most of the time. He confided in me one day, how he was surprised Haley wasn't kicking down the compound doors. He said, the pull to be near you as a wolf was the strongest feeling he ever had."

"How would he know that, Nik never bothered to embrace his wolf side," Rebekah said.

"He told me about something his father Ansel said to him. How when Klaus was a child, he would wake closer and closer to his village every full moon, and when Mother pulled him from the other side, Ansel would wake closer and closer to Hope. The blood of his kin called to him. That's how Ansel knew Hope was alive. That's why Niklaus killed him."

"How did he know Ansel was telling the truth?" Hope asked.

"He didn't. Not at the time anyways."

"That wasn't in dad's memoirs," Hope said.

Freya sighed, "No it wouldn't be. Your father did a lot of horrible things, but killing Ansel haunted him. He spent a thousand years wanting the love of his father, and when he finally had that chance, he took it away from himself and from you. He did tell me that Ansel was right about the pull of family. He tested the theory a few times before you came home. He said it was like a song in his head leading him to you."

"Well that all good, except one thing. Hope has no children. Unless of course, you have some explaining to do," Rebekah said, and looked at Hope seriously.

Hope's eyes widened comically. "No," she practically yelled. "No Auntie Bex, I haven't even had sex yet. That not possible."

Freya chuckled at her niece's reaction, while Alaric looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "I think we can safely rule that out. Is it possible she's being drawn to someone else?"

"Maybe," Freya said. "Have you ever felt like this before?"

"No. This is the first time I've felt anything like this," Hope said.

"Then we need to keep the possibility of outside magic being at play, open. Until we are sure what is happening, no shifting, Hope. I don't want to get another call saying you're missing."

"I can do that," Hope agreed.

"I'll look into magic that can affect wolves, while you stay out of trouble. Yeah?"

"Yes, Auntie Freya," Hope sighed.

"Yeah, like we believe that," Rebekah chuckled. "I'll come see you soon, Darling. We love you."

"I love you too," Hope said. A few seconds later, both her aunts disappeared. She moved off the desk into the chair Rebekah had occupied. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Alaric answered. "Can't fault you for something that wasn't in your control. For now, you should go have lunch and attend your afternoon classes."

"Sure, Dr. Saltzman," Hope said. She left, heading straight to the dinning hall, where students were just beginning to arrive. She got her food and made her way through the mess of students to her new spot among her friends. MG and Rafael were already sitting there talking. She sat across from them, and once again received strange looks. She was quieter than she had been the night before, but she still contributed to the conversation here and there. It was nice having people around to distract her mind from what happened.

Even if it was only for a little while.