1 hour later

Nick and the super squad were in Alaric's office. They have just finished explaining themselves of what happened.

''so, yeah that's what happened'', Nick said as Alaric looked at him with a serious face. He didn't say anything he just stayed silent.

''dr S, you good?'', Caleb asked his headmaster. Alaric just nodded. ''yes Caleb, I'm good. So, I assume Jed's in the transition cellars?''. ''yes me, Landon and Raf carried him there, then catched up with the gang'', the vampire spoke again. ''good. I'll keep him in there until tomorrow, then we'll see after that''.

Nick's pov

''Ric. Sorry dr S I mean. It isn't Jed's fault. Malivore somehow got to him. If there is someone to blame it's me''.

Everyone looked at me as I said that.

Hope came over to where I sat and kneeled. She looked at me, but I turned around to another direction to avoid her eye contact. She doesn't like when I do that, so she took her hand and turned me to be met by her eyes.

''no Nick. This is not your fault. Why would you even say that?'', she said. ''because it kind of feels like it. Since I activated my wolf side and found about me being a hybrid. Malivore has tried to come at me. Now it was Jed. Like who's next? Maybe it's my parents, sister, my friends and...''. I stopped and let out a sight ''and you''.

Hope took her hand and caressed my cheeks. ''I can assure you Nick that I'll be fine and so will the others. Right?'', she answered while she looked at the others. ''yeah right. Hope's right Nicky. We can take care of ourselves. We are supernatural too. Also, we will fight him together. You are not Alone in this'', Lizzie said as she gave me a smile.

I chuckled ''yeah I know guys, but I don't want neither of you to get hurt because of me. Because I wasn't able to protect you or something''.

3rd pov

''Nick it's not your responsibility to protect all of us. You're just a kid, son. I have learned that you all can protect yourselves, but it doesn't stop me from protecting you. I am your headmaster, and I will always try to protect all of you. I am Lizzie and Josie's father, but in my eyes you all are like my kids, and I will always try my best to protect my family'', Alaric said as he stood up from his seat.

Everyone stood up and went over to him. Giving him a group hug, except Nick. He was still in his seat, looking at the floor.

His headmaster called out his name ''Nick?''.

Nicholas took his gaze up from the floor to the gang, who was looking at him while they were holding on to each other.

He stood up while holding his eye on them. ''when I was little I always had this hero complex to help other's when I could. My parent's told me my uncle was also like that. That he would almost always sacrifice himself to save the one he loves. I'm still like that, but there is one thing my uncle didn't think about when he sacrificed himself for the last time. He didn't think about the hurtful feelings, he left for the ones who also loved him. The burden of missing him, crying, missing a part of yourself even. If I have learned something from what I have heard from my parents about my uncle. It is that I don't want that to happen for me and all of you. I mean if it gets to that I have to do something like he did. I want to spare all of you from that. I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does. I just want you all to be prepared, just in case. All of you are my family too and I care to much about all of you''. Nick stopped and took a breath before beginning again.

''Alaric you are like a second father figure for me. You have always been there for me since I was little, even when I have been in trouble and showed up to the school because I didn't want to face my parents. You took me in and talked with me and reassured I was fine, before you called my parents and told me where I was''.

Alaric looked at Nick with small tears escaping his eyes.

Nick then took his gaze upon his brother

''Landon. I know we haven't had the best relationship, but I hope that can change. I want you in my life. You are my biological brother after all. We may not have talked like very much, but there were moments when we discussed sci fi and star wars and that was fun. I hope we can try like we agreed''. Then Nick stopped again and looked at Hope then back at his brother. ''I don't know where Hope and I stand. However, I hope that it's okay for you if we start dating, I understand if it doesn't and you don't want...'', then Nick got caught off.

''I'm gonna stop you there brother. Of course I want to have an relationship with you. Who else can I talk to about star wars and sci fi, without being called a nerd. As for you and Hope. I'm okay with it. I want both of you to be happy and I can see that you two make each other happy. That's all I want for my brother, even if it's with my ex girlfriend'', Landon said as he looked directly at his brother, with a smile.

Nick smiled back ''thank you brother. I also want you to be happy''.

Landon nodded.

Nick looked up at Raf, Caleb and Mg ''Rafi, Caley and Mg. You three may not be my biological brother's but you are still my brothers. That also goes for Jed, even if his not here right now to hear this. I know we haven't either hanged out so much the last month, but it doesn't mean I don't want to. I hope we also can try with the boy's nights like we did before''.

''my man. Thought you'd never ask. I miss those times'', Caleb spoke up. ''yeah me too'', Raf answered. ''me three'', Mg said. ''yeah I also miss them'', Landon said.

Nick chuckled ''good. I also know Jed has been missing those too. We can agree on that''.

The four boys nodded towards the hybrid.

''the vampwoophohy gang is back'', Mg said. ''the what now?'', Caleb asked as he looked at Mg with and disgusted face.

''The vampwoophohy gang. You know our boy's night's out name. I called it that''. Everyone looked at the vampire and just shook their head. ''why'', the hybrid asked. ''because vamp is for me and Caleb, because we are vampires. Woo is for Jed and Raf, because they are werewolves. Pho is for Landon, short for phoenix. Hy is for you because you are a hybrid'', Mg said as he smiled.

''Mg my man. When did you come up with this?'', Caleb asked the other vampire. ''like, right now'', he said giving them a shy smile.

''you know what. I like it'', Raf said. ''so do I'', Landon said too. ''it's ehm well okay. It kind of clings'', Nick said as he smiled towards Mg.

Mg smile became more bright. ''yeah, sure. Let's go with it'', Caleb spoke after.

''well, since we're done with that. Let's move on'', Raf said as he looked at Nick.

Nick then took and looked at the twins, the took his gaze upon the blond Saltzman twin ''Lizzie. Me, you and Josie have known each other the longest. You were the one who taught me how to dress myself to be noticed by girls. Kind of funny when I think about the clothes you picked for me when we were eight''. Nick stopped as he chuckled and saw Lizzie laughing at him saying about the clothes. ''either way, it was funny. You always let people think you were this cold and bitchy girl when we were about twelve years old. We drifted because of that, but when I heard people say anything bad about you I still stood up for you. I remember when Connor said something about you to Dana and his friends. I went over there immediately and kicked his ass for disrespecting you. Because that's who I am. Maybe I didn't need to turn it into violence, but he had it coming. Because I will always defend the people I love, that goes for all of you. However, after some time you started to get back to yourself. Well, I mean you're still mean, but that's something you've always have been and everyone knows. However, I have grown to like it. You may have not been my first love, but you were my first crush. Even though we dated and all that, and don't take it the wrong way, but I see you as my little sister. I also want to thank you for giving me advice and taking the note out of the trash. Thank you Liz''.

Lizzie didn't say anything. She looked at the hybrid, with tears in her eyes. She gave him a smile and nodded.

Nick smiled back then turned towards the other Saltzman twin ''Jo, Jo, Jo. You're also like a little sister to me, and you have also given me your fair share of advice. I remember when we were kids, we sat on the porch in my parent's house and talked. When I first got to know Hope. You said and I quote ''Nicholas Grays Salvatore is a sucker for the new girl, that actually isn't that new''. You laughed and laughed and I tried to deny my little crush for her, but you didn't buy it. Guess you knew me a little better than I did at the time. Either way Jo, thank you''.

Josie looked at Nick and gave him a smile. She had a tear that escaped her eyes, but she quickly wiped it away.

Nick smiled back at her.

He looked away from Josie. Just to meet up with two pair of blue ocean eyes. He gulped then he began to speak towards Hope. ''truth be told I don't know where to start with you beautiful. I have so much to say. First I want to apologies for being a crappy friend in the past. I shouldn't have pushed you away because I had feelings for you, but I was afraid of you finding out and thought it may have been a deal braker to our friendship. I know it's not an excuse, and I know that me being distant was actually the one that led us to slowly fall apart and for that I'm sorry''. Nick stopped and he noticed tears were forming in his eyes. He took breath and began to speak again.

''when I met you Hope I never would have thought that you would mean so much to me as you do. It's not a bad thing, it's quiet the opposite. However, it also scares me a little. That you have so much control of me, that no one else has. You Hope Mikaelson are someone special and I'm not saying this just because you're a tribrid, but because you are you. I can't explain it, because in my eyes you're extraordinary. No one is like you Hope, like I said you're special in my eyes. I just don't want you in my life as a friend or just as a girl I'm dating. I want you as my girlfriend and in the future as my wife maybe, because I-I.'', then Nick stopped as he knew what he was going to say could change everything between him and Hope.

He took a deep breath, then kept going. ''because I'm not just in love with you, Hope Andrea Mikaelson. I-I love you''.

To be continued