Damage Control

Chapter Nine

Hope could barely breath as she entered the room. Dr. Saltzman was sitting on the bed with Landon, hand on his shoulder, talking to him softly. Hope burst into the room and without thinking, rushed towards Landon. Surprised, he quickly rose from the bed as she got there and they both threw their arms around each other. Hope could feel the burn of tears threatening behind her eyes as she breathed in his familiar scent, her hand finding its way into his soft curly hair as she held him close. She could feel him breathing, feel his warmth on her skin, he felt like home.

They slowly pulled away, she looked deep into his green eyes, wanting to kiss him, however there was an audience. Hope became fully aware that there were three other people in the room, well Josie was still hanging out in the doorway but Raf was not too far to her left, trying to look like he wasn't watching them. Hope felt her lips curl into a smile as she looked at Landon. "You're awake." She whispered, even though everyone could hear them.

Landon shrugged, though there was a playful smile on his lips. "It's a Pheonix thing." He gave a quiet laugh and they stepped apart.

As soon as she stepped away from him, cold hit her. Then a feeling she couldn't place surged through her when Josie moved forward and gave him a quick hug. "How are you feeling?" Josie asked Landon as he sat back down on the bed.

He shrugged again. "I feel fine, the same as I always feel when I come back from the dead." He looked over at Dr. Saltzman. "Do I look okay?" He asked him.

Alaric nodded, looking a bit concerned. "You seem fine." He rubbed his hand over his mouth. "Though considering how long it took you to come back, I am concerned about what the Necromancer did to you."

Hope didn't like the sound of that. "Yeah but he was stabbed with a golden arrow." Josie pointed out. "That may have affected how long he was out for."

"But his phoenix stone didn't start to cover him until almost twenty-four hours after the Necromancer brought him back." Raf said, still staring at Landon. "And he was dead a long time before that." There was greif behind his eyes, Hope noticed that he was keeping his distance from Landon.

There was silence in the room for a moment. "Well what do we do now?" Hope finally asked, looking to Dr. Saltzman.

He linked his fingers together. "We take it day by day and see what happens." He stood. "In the meantime I will have someone come look at Landon... medically and see if everything is okay." When no one made any kind of move, Alaric addressed them again. "Don't you guys have classes to get to?" He said mainly to Hope and Josie.

Hope crossed her arms. "You really expect us to go to class now?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

He gave a smile like he expected her to say something like that. "I think you all have missed enough class lately, finals are just around the corner." He clapped his hands together. "You can talk when class is over."

Hope opened her mouth to argue but closed it when she saw the look on Landon's face. "Go, I should rest a little bit anyway." He gave a quick glance to Raf. "We can catch up after."

Josie put her hand on Hope's arm, pulling at her gently. "We will come back right after class." She promised.

Hope didn't want to move, she wanted to stay next to Landon, to talk to him, to hear him talk, but she knew they were all right. "I will see you in a bit." She said with a small smile at Landon.

He nodded at her as he got comfortable on the bed, Raf sitting down in the chair next to him, clearly he wasn't going to class. Dr. Saltzman stayed around long enough to see Josie guide Hope from the room, then he disappeared in the direction of his office.

Josie and Hope walked toward class, somany thoughts zooming through Hope's mind, this is not how she saw this morning going. "I can cover for you if you want to ditch class." Joise interrupted her thoughts. Hope looked over at her, she looked slightly nervous, probably because this was her first class back after Dark Josie went away. "I'll make sure dad doesn't find out."

Hope gave her a smile. "I'll give him some alone time with Raf, I am sure they have some things to work out." As she did herself. She couldn't help but start to feel the way she did when she came back from the simulation, remembering that her way out of that game was not picking Landon, she never resolved her thoughts about them not being destined. After everything they fought for, were they really meant to be, or was she always meant to pick someone over him... like the person she was walking next to.

Class was already in session when Hope and Josie walked into it. Heads turned to look at them when they did, everyone went silent. Hope's eyes shifted over them all, every eye was on Josie, not her. Hope took Josie's elbow and led her to the table where Lizzie was sitting. The teacher cleared his throat and continued what he was saying before they entered.

He only got a few more sentences in his lecture before a hand went up, the owner of that hand starting to talk before being called on. "Are we supposed to sit in this class with her and act like nothing happened?" Alyssa Chang's voice rose over them.

Hope was already leveling her with a glare as she felt Josie shrink next to her. "Miss Chang." The teacher said, not sounding like he was really mad at her.

She stood and faced the class, glaring at Josie. "What? Am I just supposed to forget everything she did?"

Hope could feel Lizzie getting irritated as well. "Listen here Alyssa..." She started.

Alyssa held up her hand. "Cut the drama Lizzie, now that Josie is all normal again doesn't mean it is your turn to fly off the handles again." Lizzie's mouth hung open. "I think we have been damaged enough by the Saltzman twins." She sounded like she was trying to start a mutenty.

Hope stood abruptly. "You're one to talk, you almost killed all of the Saltzmans."

Alyssa scoffed. "And now the troubles tribrid chimes in." She crossed her arms. "Stop trying to be a hero Hope, with your past and lineage, I am surprised you haven't cracked like these two."

"Enough!" The teacher called over all of them. "Alyssa Chang, Hope Mikaelson, Lizzie and Josoe Saltzman, report to the headmaster's office immediately."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Great, let's have daddy hide your mistakes again."

Hope raised her hand at the same time Lizzie did, spell on their lips. Josie grabbed both of their wrists. "Don't make it worse." She whispered, looking into their eyes. "Please." Something in Hope's heart plummeted a bit, but she let her arm drop, as did Lizzie.

Lizzie fell into step with Hope and Josie. "That bitch will get what's coming to her." Lizzie said loud enough for Alyssa to hear.

"What are you going to do Lizzie?" She called over her shoulder. "Kill me like your sister did?" Hope looked over at Josie who seemed to be trying to disappear at will, Lizzie was right, she was going to get what was coming to her.

Before they even stepped into Dr. Saltzman's office, the doors opened and someone familiar came out. She was slightly taller than Hope, blonde hair hanging to her shoulders, she almost walked right into Alyssa. "Mrs. Salvatore?" She asked.

Both of the twins gasped and Hope could not believe her eyes. "Mom?" The twins said in unison.

Caroline Forbes-Salvatore stood in front of the four of them. "What did you girls do now?"