𝟙.𝟟: 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 𝕂𝕟𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕆𝕟 𝕄𝕪 𝔻𝕠𝕠𝕣

—Narrator's perspective—

Arabella Luna Salvatore was the name she used everywhere she went. She never regretted telling people of her last name— in fact she loved calling herself a Salvatore. That was because Stefan showed her how it feels like to be one. The Mikaelsons raised her but The Salvatores surely showed her everything she would have experienced in her before life, a real family.

Now she laid on her bed, tears trickling down to her cheeks while she desperately clung onto her chest. Wishing for the pain to stop so she can feel relief.

All her life she never wanted know what was going in Aurora's head when she cursed her. She already accepted that her parents hated her guts for taking her own magic away. Arabella moved on, or so she thought...

"Mother! Look of what I have done!" A cheerful and young Arabella Luna showed her mom the once dead flower grow back to life. "I did it by myself, just like how you told me to."

Aurora smiled, genuinely proud and kneeled to her daughter's height. "You will do great things, my Bella-Luna. You will change the world with great power." She cupped her cheeks and planted a loving kiss on her forehead which made her giggle, her laughter echoed in her ears.

The Vampire turned her head, looking up to the ceiling with much distaste. Her sobbings silenced by how she bit her lips so rough that it drew blood. Tears dried to her pillow as she just wished for the pain to stop.

But all she could feel was nostalgia and an emotion to forgive her mother. She was telling the truth but all that anger and hatred she felt towards the woman was suppose to be only to her father. He was the one who did this to her, right?

Arabella didn't mind the door open slowly, its hinges screeched when it did. The girl turned her figure away from the door, cupping her lips to suppress her sobs from ever coming out.

"Bella..." The voice somewhat made her feel calmer and upheld. "I just came to check up on you." Hope whispered and her figure sat down by the edge of the bed, looking at a fragile Arabella.

"Go, Hope... I don't want you to see me like this." She managed to say without breaking out of character, eyes shut as she didn't want to see anyone right now.

For now, Hope did what she was told. It pained her to see the girl in so many pain and knowing that what she was feeling heightened than the normal instincts of a vampire, it broke her heart even more. Knowing that she can't do anything to stop it.

"The pain will pass, Arabella." Hope whispered, holding her arm for a few seconds more before standing up to leave. She looked at her one last time and shut the door, leaving for her mission.

Many years of pain surged through her once that Hope left. She wanted her besides her but knew that she couldn't muster up the courage to ask. Arabella was too much afraid on taking a leap of faith with her eyes closed, mostly scared that Hope will never look at her the same way she does.

The girl sat up, feeling more calmer than before after a few minutes of breaking down. It was too long since she's cried herself to consume the pain. She fixed herself and cleared her tears away, making sure no one will find out that she wept.

Once she got outside, she planned to go to the kitchen but got stopped by Raf calling her. She turned around and had heard that his girlfriend came back as well.

"Hey, Rafi. Sorry about Cassie." She said genuinely, her hands behind her while she looks at the boy with a defeated look.

"It's cool. I heard about your mom." He started and the pair was walking alongside of each other, heading to the kitchen for Arabella to grab a bloodbag.

"It's ancient history. Listen, you should go be with her before the Necromancer does something for her to leave." She informed, pushing the door open and made her way to the cooler room.

Rafael sighed and leaned on the kitchen counter. "I needed a break. I... I killed her." He said in realisation, looking down on the wooden floorboards.

"It was an accident, Raf. Not your fault." She said and handed him a water bottle to cool down, he thanked her and grabbed it.

"N-No... I did. I got pissed because I didn't medal. I thought Cassie was flirting with the guy that beat me." He started and felt his anger rise up from his stomach. "I got jealous and picked a fight with her. I took that turn too fast. It wasn't the storm, it was never about the storm."

Arabella sighed, placing down the bloodbag to the counter and looked at him. "Mad or not, It's never your fault. You can't control that rage, It's your basic nature." She sighed and held his shoulder in comfort. "Go to her and apologize before you're too late."

Rafael looked at her, knowing she was right. "Thank you, Ara." He said and stood up properly, already backing away to leave.

"I'm sorry about Landon. If I could protect him in this school, I would've chosen to let him stay." Arabella said genuinely and he nodded smiling sadly before leaving.

Then, she heard Mg's cries to help. She dropped the blood and Vamp sped to where he was in a concern way when she hears Hope's name mentioned. "What happened?" She asked and Alaric didn't say anything but to rush to the cellar with Mg and her as well.

She saw Hope breathing heavily behind the Necromancer, her eyes shot open when she got back to reality, tears rivering down her cheeks. Arabella's eyes turned to the Necromancer in anger but never said a thing.

"Oops. Daddy's home." He laughed but everyone ignored him seeing as Arabella was too much worried on what just happened.

☘︎︎

"I mean, how could you be so reckless?" Alaric started and swung his office door open with Hope and Arabella behind him.

"You weren't getting anywhere." Hope remarked and closed the door behind her. Arabella crossed her arms, leaning on the door while she listened to this.

"And so you took it upon yourself? And how did that go?" He turned to her in furious of their situation.

"Not well."

"Yeah? Well, I have it under control, Hope." He spoke loudly and glared at her.

Hope scoffed unbelievably. "Oh, really?" She walked to his desk and reached for something under it. "Then you want to explain this? Or this?" Seh pulled many bottles of alcohol and placed it on the surface for them to see. "Or anything else that would explain your utter lack of progress?"

"I am grieving, Hope. And Maybe you should try that sometime instead of pushing everyone away." He broke and the confession made Hope softly laugh. "Look, I am trying to protect you. That thing is a master manipulator it resurrected my fiancée! It raised a cemetery of zombies and it brought back Rafael's dead girlfriend and Arabella's Deceased mother, so let's just talk about the ways in which it could torment you. Starting with your dead mother, ending with your dead father, and how about all the ghosts of all the people that you killed in between, huh? I can't believe tou would do this."

There was something about Hope that snapped inside her which caused her to act on impulse and madness. "Don't do that. You don't like that I broke your rules as a headmaster? Fine, punish me. But don't you dare play disappointed dad, because you are not my father." She turned her heels and turned around making Alaric scoff.

"Oh I know that. And Where are you going?" He asked and she already opened the door making Arabella jerk forward by her sudden strength to do so.

"To finish what I started." She turned around once more and exited.

"Hope, don't you dare!" Arabella shouted but before she could even follow and stop her, the girl shut the door spelled. "Hope!" She shouted and banged on the door with her hand.

Arabella turned to look at Alaric who looked as equally as mad as her. "You didn't have to do that, you know? She's already been through much you're just piercing the knife further." She angrily said and walked around to calm herself down.

"She could get herself hurt! You saw how Mg looked, he was frantic and when we arrived, Hope almost broke!" He shouted in frustration.

"I know that, Ric! But she has a point and we are getting no where with this Necromancer." She argued and almost flipped the chair towards him in rage.

☘︎︎

"Why are you still here?" Arabella questioned, jotting her pen down on the paper harshly when she felt her mother's presence walk to her. She just gotten out of Alaric's office and she didn't even talk to Hope, given how pissed she was at her.

"I don't know, Luna." Aurora spoke softly and sat down besides her. "But, I do know we have such little time all in which I want to say how deeply, sorry I am." She held the girl's hand who didn't bother to pull herself away from her grip. "I watch over you, everyday until I got pulled to life. I regret everything, My daughter. I never wanted to steal your magic from you and I was trying to rationalise with our coven of not sacrificing you."

Arabella looked at her, disbelief and tears already swelled up her eyes once she heard it. "You didn't?" Her voice broke and Aurora nodded also tearing up. "Oh god— I'm sorry.

I-I'm so sorry."

"Shh... It's okay." Aurora hushed softly and cupped the girl's cheek like how she used to when she was a child. "I forgive you. I will be here everyday by your side, Bella-Luna. You my daughter, will do great things for the rest of eternity. I am glad that I have the chance to speak to you again." She gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "It's my time to go... I love you, Arabella."

Arabella held her wrist and looked to meet her eyes. "I love you too, mom..." She whispered and the woman shed a single tear upon hearing the three letter word that made her heart whole. Aurora closed her eyes and her figure started to disintegrate until she was no longer there.

For the first time, Arabella picked herself up and knew that she will get through everything. All she needed was closure and when she got it, She'll never be grateful enough. The girl wiped her tears away and stood up, collecting her breath before heading back to her room with a heavy heart.

Once she did, she saw Hope about to leave as well, wearing the Salvatore jacket. She looked restless and apologetic towards Arabella who could only look at her sighing.

"Bella—"

"—That was stupid of you. You knew that, right?" She questioned and closed the door behind her. Arabella crossed her arms in anger.

Hope sighed knowing this will bound to happen at some point. "Can we not do this, right now? I already have to hear it from Alaric."

Arabella took a deep breath. "You could have gotten hurt for all we know. Or rather, use Nik and Hayley as bargaining chip for the knife which we lost in the end." She frustratedly brought her hand down besides her.

"I know that already! I made a mistake— I screwed up." Hope stepped closer to her in anger. "But you cannot judge me for wanting to know what happened to my dad."

"I am not judging you for wanting to know what happened to Klaus." She started and the two were already inches away from each other. "If I was you, I would've done the same thing but you gotta understand, Hope. He could've gotten you killed."

"But he didn't." Hope spat, glaring at her with much distaste.

"For all we know he could." She replied in an angered disposition.

Hope scoffed. "So what? You can't blame me for wanting to get answers, Bella."

"It was stupid. And reckless." She leaned forward in a warning way but Hope didn't seem to back away, neither didn't mind at how close they were.

"Stop treating me like a child!"

"I'm not treating you like one."

"You might as well did!"

Hope and Arabella stopped talking, only their heavy breathings echoed in the room and other than that, their ridiculously close lengths to one another. Due to the very tense and heated tension the two created, Hope grabbed Bella's shirt collar and pulled her to her with much force until their lips collided.

The two acted like nothing else mattered in the world. Especially to Arabella who took off Hope's jacket swiftly and throwing it somewhere in the room without breaking the kiss. Once that was done, Hope jumped and Arabella quickly carried her and pushed her against the wall.

Hope's legs was wrapped around her waist, holding onto the girl's shoulder tight and not wanting to let go. She felt like something broke free inside her, it all felt right in the moment.

"Wait wait." Arabella pulled away and panted, still having the girl against the wall and carried her. "Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not." Hope sarcastically retorted but Arabella didn't seem to take the hint.

"Wait really?"

Hope rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of her neck before pressing their lips together again, this time was much more gentle and pulled away.

"Do you remember when we were on the roof and I told you I liked someone?" Hope asked, her arms resting on the girl's shoulder when they stayed in that position.

"You are not seriously talking about another girl after we just kissed?" She complained making Hope laugh, shaking her head.

"It was you." She shyly said making Arabella grin teasingly.

"You like me?" She raised an eyebrow and her look got Hope to blush under her stare. "Oh you do!"

Hope slapped her shoulder and the two laughed. "Weren't we just arguing about my lack of responsibility?" She questioned.

"Would you rather I scold you for what just happened between us?" She questioned and gave a look to Hope who chuckled and shook her head. "Look, I really do like you so I better not screw up my chances." Arabella carefully backed away and let the girl on her arms get back to her feet.

"Who said you were screwing things up? I like you too, Bella." She said seriously and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck again, looking at those captivating eyes. "I don't think I would want you to screw things up between us."

Arabella closed her eyes and smiled. "You have no idea how much I'm relieved to hear that." She whispered and Hope looked at her adorably-like.

The two shared eye contact for a little while until they parted, but not permanently seeing as something just started between them. It will be then Arabella's greatest mission to never let Hope Mikaelson slip through her fingers.

☘︎︎