Beyond school gates, the sound of a motor echoed while a silver-colored car slowly approached the entrance of the school's borders, stopping just a few centimeters before the gates.
At a not so fast speed, the driver's window rolled down, revealing the upper figure of a woman of dirt blond short hair. Through the open space of the window, she reached out her hand and pressed the intercom's button for communication.
One moment later, a voice came from its speaker. "Salvatore Boarding School. How may I help you?"
"Hello." A low-pitched, slight rough voice came from between the woman's lips. "I am here to visit my niece and deliver a few items of her request."
"May you inform me of your niece's name and yours as well?"
The woman smiled. "Her name is Hope Mikaelson. And mine is Freya Mikaelson."
…
In his office, Alaric was finishing some of the paper work for the day when the intercom he had installed on his desk received a call from someone in the school.
"Headmaster Saltzman." The same voice from the gate's speaker echoed.
"Yes. How may I help you, Jackson?"
"We have a Code M." The guard simply said.
Quite immediately, Alaric frowned and almost felt a headache coming. "Which one?"
"Freya Mikaelson."
At least the world gave me that mercy. Alaric thought, letting out an inner sigh of relief in regards the visitor wasn't another Mikaelson. Mainly a blonde one and a psychopath.
"Has she revealed her intentions?"
"She wants to deliver a few things to Hope and visit her at the same time. What do you think?"
Alaric exhaled profusely. "Jackson, one thing I learned across the years in a not so good way is to cross the path of a Mikaelson. Since she bore us with her reasons and considering she has asked through the formal ways, let her in. Hope is deterrence enough for her to not cause any problem."
"Your orders, Boss. I am going to tell her she can get in."
"Thank you for your work, Jackson." Alaric pressed a button, turning off the call.
Slowly, he leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes momentarily. "Please, God. Let my school be whole by the end of today."
[Scene Break]
"So… how is she, your aunt?"
"You will have to be more specific."
"I mean, she is a thousand-year-old witch. Despite her circumstances, she must have seen and experienced a lot, right?" John said as he walked beside Hope. "I just want to know how I should behave properly before someone like that. I don't want to cause a bad impression with the first word I say."
Hope rolled her eyes. "Just be normal. She is not some noble lady from the past or something like that. Nothing like you imagine."
John nodded. I hope so. The last thing I need is the Mikaelsons behaving like aristocrats from the past like cliché vampires. "Can you share with me the reason for her visit? By how you sounded, you weren't expecting that as well."
"Yeah, it is a surprise for me too." Hope confirmed, looking up at him while they continued to walk. "You remember I would ask someone to get my old phone here?"
"Hm." John made a sound of understanding. "Let me guess, she decided to come here herself instead of sending someone."
"Uhum." Hope took the next corner, stepping into the main hall. "But why have the trouble for all of it instead of asking someone to do it, I have no idea."
"Maybe she just wanted to see her pretty and favorite niece?"
Those words actually brought a smile to Hope's lips. "You say that because you know I am the only girl of my family's youngest generation." She said
"You could have a thousand cousins, and you still would be the most beautiful and amazing of them all." John said, sneaking a kiss on her cheek when they were right before the school's entrance.
Taking the opportunity that she was momentarily stunned by his action despite having gone past this step in their relationship, John passed by Hope's side and reached at the door first. "Come on. I really want to meet this aunt of yours." He put a hand on the knob and twisted it, opening the door and letting the rays of sunlight illuminate the entrance.
Listening to his words, Hope shook off the small surprise she had and walked forward, approaching the door. But before stepping out of the building, she stopped under the door's frame and looked up at John. "You even sound excited about it now." She commented. "What changed?"
"Maybe it is the fact that I am about to meet someone who witnessed history." John replied with a small smile. Or maybe it is the fact I am just excited to meet another person I just thought of to be fictional a few days ago. He thought. Chances of me freaking out when I meet Batman? Pretty high.
…
As Hope and John walked out of the school building, they witnessed a luxurious silver car parking just under the shadows of one of the trees planted in the school's garden.
"You know, I never touched the subject but I can't just resist right now." John commented as they walked down the steps of the school's entrance. "But considering your family has lived for more than a thousand years, how rich are you?"
Hope tilted her head towards him. "You are asking it because my aunt is driving an R8?"
John slowly nodded his head. "Yeah…"
"Well, if I'm not wrong, I think we own some land in basically every country in the world. And I'm talking about lands the size of Mystic Falls or bigger." Hope casually replied, almost nonchalantly. "How they were acquired, I don't know and prefer not to think over it. All I know is aunt Bekah makes sure nowadays everything runs smoothly without problems."
"Hm…" John made a noise of acknowledgement. "Are we already at the level where I can ask you to pay my debts?"
"Pft!" Hope stifled a laughter. "I wouldn't be bothered, but I will let you deal with that by yourself. I am really curious to see if you plan to go with that plan of yours."
"You doubt me of robbing a casino?"
Hope was momentarily quiet. "I want to say yes, but a voice inside me tells me not to say it since it would only reinforce that idea of yours."
"Too late." John said. "By the end of this month, I will legally rob a casino in Las Vegas to pay my debts."
The words muttered by the boy made no sense for Hope, but she decided to ignore them for now. "Okay, no more talk about robbery. The last thing I want is my family to have a bad impression of you."
Considering their past, I doubt that. John thought. Just then, he observed the driver's door opening, revealing a figure to him that was familiar but strange at the same time.
Not something hard to notice, but John could recognize that people from this world, at least those that had great presence in the story he followed, strongly resembled those that played them from where he came from.
This was already a solidified thought John had, but looking at Freya–at her shoulder-length blond hair, lean figure with sharp curves, hazel green eyes and high-cheek bones–just made him remember it in a way.
Well, I can say for sure the "beauty gene" runs in the Mikaelson family. She is gorgeous. John thought, trying to keep up a straight but still relaxed posture.
As Freya closed the door of her vehicle, carrying with her a bag of leather, she started walking in the couple's direction. Half-way through, her lips parted, revealing a beautiful and warm smile directed at one of them.
Halting her steps a bit, Freya put her bag by her side on the ground before opening her arms. "If it isn't my favorite niece." She said when approaching Hope.
The Tribrid responded in kind, stepping forward and opening her arms, letting herself be surrounded by the warmth of her aunt. At this moment, Hope showed a level of familiarity and closeness she shared with no one but one person throughout the school.
"You say that because I'm your only niece." Hope leaned back slightly, getting a good look at Freya up close.
"Still my favorite." Freya said, tightening her hug over Hope for a moment before releasing her. "You turned even more gorgeous in the short time I was away." Her words were dipped by an European accent which was starting to become overridden by her American environment. "You certainly inherited more of your mother than just her fiery temperament. Your beauty is proof of that." With her finger, the witch ran traced down across Hope's cheeks.
Such an action was far from bringing any discomfort from Hope, with the girl wishing to lean into her relative's touch more. For someone who spent most of her life away from half of her family, these interactions were something she longed for more than anything else, with the words from earlier touching a soft spot in her heart as well.
Witnessing Hope like that, an involuntary twitch came from John's lips. His eyes rested over the small changes he could glimpse through the sight in where he stood allowed him to.
When he tilted his head to the side trying to get a better look at Hope, John quickly noticed his movement was noticed by Freya, who sent a curious look his way.
"And who might this boy be?" She asked, shifting her look from John to Hope.
Retreating fully from her aunt's embrace, Hope gave out a smile that stood between awkwardness and cordiality. "Aunt Freya, he is John Neo. A… friend of mine." She pointed at the boy. "John, this is my aunt, Freya Mikaelson." She properly introduced both of them to each other.
John, offering a gentle and cordial smile, stepped forward and reached his hand out. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Mikaelson. Hope says good words about you all the time." He tried a proper greeting with the witch.
Giving the boy an up and down observing look, Freya reached her hand out and accepted the young man's handshake. "It is my pleasure to meet you, John. But please, call me Freya. Mrs. Mikaelson is also my sister. And maybe my sister-in-law depending on her mood."
A chuckle escaped the boy's lips when listening to the comment of the witch. "Ok, Freya."
"Good." She momentarily curled her lips up in satisfaction by the young man's words. Again, she turned to Hope. "Who would've imagined? My niece, making a friend. Dropped the lonely vibes?"
"John is an exception to that rule." Hope said, a little shyly.
Giving a quick look again at the boy, Freya tilted her head to the side. "He truly is…"
Meanwhile, John fidget awkwardly at where he stood. I feel like I have been being thoroughly checked. He thought, sending his look elsewhere to escape Freya's stare. Then, his eyes fell over the witch's bag.
Freya noticed that, and for the moment decided to change the topic. "Right, the things you asked." She said towards Hope, retreating a few steps to pick up her bag. "Why do you want your old phone back anyway? If you broke your current one, you could just buy another one."
"With the money you spent on gas just coming here, it sure could've been more worth buying another one." Hope commented, but not much worried about the monetary aspect. "It isn't for me, though."
Once again, Freya sent a look at John.
And once again, John felt a little awkward. "At this moment, I'm poor, Freya. Your niece has been friendly enough to offer her old phone so I don't have to live without one."
"She always was a helpful person." Freya said, taking out a phone box from within her bag. "The charger and headphones are also there as well." She handed it to the boy.
Taking it, John nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much."
"Since you are a friend of Hope, this is no significant matter." Freya breathed her words out. "Now, John. Would you mind if I share a word with my niece? I have a few things to discuss with her."
No more words are needed. John turned to Hope. "I will be going back inside. If you need me, you know what to do. It was good meeting you, Freya."
"I feel the same."
With those words said, John turned around and walked back to the school, toning down his hearing so he wouldn't pry on their conversation.
As he opened the door and walked back into the building, John cast a curious look at a certain group gathered by one of the windows in the main hall which gave sight to the school's parking and garden.
He recognized every one of them and knew about them. They were witches, some who were part of covens from beyond the school and decided to study here, while others were the first tapped by magic in their family and thus were recruited into the school without having a coven beforehand, thus deciding to join the school's coven or simply going about themselves.
Are they looking at Freya? John thought. At that time, he also noticed someone in the group turning their eyes to him.
This person, a young witch of the grade below him, walked slowly towards John's direction. The people from the group around her noticed her movements and followed her with their eyes.
"Excuse me." Her first words directed at the boy were slow, with her acting a little reserved toward him. "It's John, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Can I help you, Lorraine?" John asked.
Noticing the young man already knew who she was, the girl took a moment before nodding. "Ah, well, I just wanted to know if the person talking with Hope is Freya Mikaelson."
John raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "May I know why you are asking me that besides the obvious?"
"Curiosity, mostly…" Lorraine looked back at the window, though she couldn't see the Mikaelson witch from where she stood now. "Since she is an old witch. We know of her stories, we are just a little… awed. Hardly there is one of us that reaches such a level by theirselves."
"I thought you witches hated the Mikaelsons." John commented, crossing his arms. "Be they vampire or witch, I thought you all hated them."
"You can say I in particular am aware and fear them. But my coven never suffered in their hands, so hate is a feeling I still don't experience towards their family." Lorraine calmly said.
Well, that's something unexpected to hear. I thought the hate was something widely spread. Good moment to be wrong, I guess. John's eyelids flicked in surprise. Her heartbeat is normal, her breathing is not erratic and I don't feel a bit of malice coming from her nor the others there. I guess there is nothing wrong in answering her. Taking a quick deep breath, John nodded. "That's Freya. If you want an autograph, you better wait a little. She is talking with Hope and they don't want to be interrupted."
Very softly, Lorraine laughed. "My admiration for her doesn't reach that level. If my parents find out I got close to a Mikaelson, they might freak out."
"Hmph, thought so." John humorously said, turning around. "Bye, Lorraine."
"Bye, John."
[Scene Break]
"So…" As they distanced themselves from the school building a little more, Hope turned her words at Freya. "What did you want to talk about? Is it something personal?"
Freya immediately nodded. "It is related to our family, so I thought it would be better if we talked alone. One of the reasons why I came here personally." She halted her steps, facing her niece. "Unless he is something else than a friend, then I think we can discuss if he might take part in this conversation." A playful smirk bloomed in the witch's lips.
Ever so slightly, a red hue took Hope's cheeks before she shook her head. "He is just a friend, really."
"Other things tell me differently." Freya just smiled broadly at Hope's reaction.
Averting her look from one side to the other in mild embarrassment, Hope decided to change topics quickly. "Why did you decide to come here? What did you want to talk about with me?"
Seeing Hope's wish to change topics, Freya knew she needed to follow along. I will find out more later. "Okay, if you are in such a hurry. First, it's not good news but they aren't exactly either."
A sigh escaped Hope's lips, as if she was expecting it. "Shoot it. What is the problem?"
"Rebekah and Marcel might be a little occupied for the next few days." Freya promptly said. "They faced a few problems in New York. Some they can't deal with in no short time." She added.
Hope held the bridge of her nose. "What is the problem exactly?"
"Vampire problem, a large group of it. They probably thought it was a good idea to take over New York since no one else has officially taken over it and let the witches rule it." Freya said, sitting down onto a stone bench in the garden. "From what they gathered, it seems to be a group composed of strays all over from Illinois to the outskirts of the state of New York. They thought it was a good idea to attack your aunt and Marcel since they were technically the 'biggest dogs'-" Freya flexed her fingers in the air. "-in the city."
Still standing, Hope crossed her arms. "Intelligence is not their forte, is it?"
"It doesn't seem so."
"Okay. What else?"
"There isn't anything else." Freya threw her body a little back, letting the sun wash over her. "That's it. There wasn't much else to be said."
"You know you could have said that over a call, right?"
"I know." Freya nodded. "But then, I wouldn't be able to have dinner with you. I told you I came here for more than one reason, right? What do you think, should we find some place to eat?"
Hope smiled broadly. "I would love that." She said. "Let me just tell John that then I won't be able to have dinner with him."
Freya silently looked at Hope for a moment. "You like that boy, don't you?"
"I mean… he is a friend, of course I-"
"You know what I meant, Hope. We both know you are smart enough to know what I wanted to say with my words." Freya exhaled profusely at the end of her words. "Come on, sit with me. Let's talk a little longer." She tapped the empty spot on the stone bench.
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A/N
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