We'd returned to the Salvatore School a lot sooner than I thought I would. Not that I doubted Hope and the others because I didn't. I just also didn't think Alice would give up so easily. She seems the type to get what she wants, and what she wants is for me to kill her father by sacrificing myself. I didn't expect Ric and Davina to be there either. I mean, be honest, would Hope be Hope if she didn't try a mission without adult supervision? No, I didn't think so. It's just how she rolls.

Currently, I'm sitting in the window seat of Hope's side of our room, feeling the sun's warmth in ways I never thought was possible. I knew vampires had advanced, keen senses, I just didn't know how alive it made you feel, even when being undead.

Before today, I could never appreciate the essence of life present in the sun's rays and how they're ready to convey from organism to organism. Now I feel that and so much more. The splints of wood in the windowsill beneath my feet, the way my arm hairs dance to the faint breeze in the room. Even the way my own breath tickles my top lip. It's all so new and overwhelming, almost so much that I could ignore the quenching thirst continuously building up in the pits of my stomach.

I couldn't, though, and it took every ounce of my own will to not drink the blood of the next thing that walks through that door. I swear I might even be hallucinating someone's heartbeat steadily getting closer and closer, giving me more anxiety than I ever had. I even started picking and peeling at my nails.

Very rare occasion, that. I usually let them grow, do their own thing. Until, of course, I decide to get them trimmed. Or unless I get anxious and start nibbling...

As it turns out, that heartbeat I heard was real, and it was Hope's. It wasn't until she entered the room that I smelled this...sweet, thick aroma coming from the little black bag hanging from her shoulder. I dug my now ragged nails deep into the palms of my hands. I knew exactly what was in it. I craved it. But I couldn't for the life of me let it take control, even for a second, ever. Maybe I'll drink it. When I'm ready.

Hope let the bag drop into her hand so that she could reach in and grab the blood bag out of it. I could see the sadness in her eyes as she held it. It was the same sadness I felt knowing there are so many experiences in life I'll probably never have if I drink that blood. If I don't... well, it will only solidify that chance to absolute zero. I'll be dead, permanently. I'm just not quite sure which is worse, yet.

"I, uh... I don't know what to say. I-I brought..." Hope sighed lightly. She held up the blood, unsure what to do with it. I found myself focused on it intensely, slightly less concerned about Hope's presence. The only thing I could truly focus on was the sound of the thick, crimson substance sloshing around in the plastic bag. "Mel?"

My eyes trailed back up to Hope's. She stepped closer and held the bag closer towards me. I wanted nothing more than to take it in that moment, but something told me I shouldn't. Not until I was sure I could trust myself with handling my newfound heightened emotions.

"Keep it."

"But you need it..."

I shrugged loosely and went back to admiring the sun. "I didn't expect to go to a music store one day and wake up the next morning craving...that. I need to think on this new life a bit more."

Hope put the blood away and joined me at the window. "Don't you want to brag about being the official first tribrid, Melori Collins?"

"Well, Hope Mikaelson, I can't say it's exactly a flex, but... I guess I did beat you to it, huh, Princess? If I really am that, of course."

She rolled her eyes, failing to hide her smirk. "Yeah... yeah, you did, didn't you? I must really be bad at this tribrid thing."

"You really are." I turned my hand so that the palms could feel the sun too.

"Is it weird?"

"What... Feeling everything? Hearing everything? Seeing everything?" Hope nodded in confirmation and so did I. "It is. Wolf senses are one thing. They're more...limited. They're natural, relatively speaking. Vampire senses? I can hear the beats per minute of almost everyone in this school. I can hear the goddamn fly across the room rubbing its two front legs together. I see the hair follicles on your arms right now."

"That's—"

"I can tell you shaved about three days ago."

"Now you've made it weird."

"Being undead is weird," I said bluntly. "And I think everything that happened this past day or so is finally catching up to me. My brother was risen from the dead only to be used as a pawn in some fucked up plan to kill Malivore, and it's—"

"You know you don't have to talk about it if it's too much, Mel. I'm not making you. Not this time."

I hummed lightly. "We'll have to deal with it sometime soon either way, Hope. Alice's gonna come for me, possibly for Mark for screwing her over, and kill us both."

"What do you mean he screwed her over?" Hope asked, tilting her head to the side.

"She had him working for her. After trying to make him a tribrid, of course."

Hope nodded slowly. I could see the gears turning in her head as she thought up a bunch of scenarios or whatever. "Was...he the one that...?"

I sat completely upright. "I don't want anyone to blame him for anything. Alice made him shut his emotions off, probably years ago."

"So that's a yes..."

"It's not a no...but my brother isn't fully responsible for his actions in his time with that woman. His emotions were off for...god knows how long. I can imagine a lot's catching up to him too." Hope nodded slowly even though I know she won't trust him for a good while. And especially not as quickly and easily as she trusted me. Maybe because I barely had anything to hide, and unlike Mark, I grew up around the people she trusted most.

I can't blame her either. Mark died only to be resurrected and forced to work for the child of the very thing set out to destroy us. Then is forced into shutting off all emotions for years, likely to do horrible things without questions. And, well, there's me. Snapping my neck was Alice's plan. Even Emotionless Markus wouldn't kill his own sister on a whim.

I didn't notice Hope had positioned herself to hug me until her arms were wrapped around my neck. I didn't expect it to be as warm or as comforting as it was, but who am I to complain?

I relaxed into the hug, returning it with the same gentle courtesy Hope gave. It felt like there were little bugs dancing around in the pit of my stomach as the skin of our cheeks touched. The feeling was frightening, yet somehow familiar to me, and it only amplified by the second. But where our faces touched was where it burned, as if my skin was jumping out to reach hers. As if it couldn't get enough of her touch, her warmth. And if only for a second, I found myself craving something more than just blood.

"I'm gonna join Dr. Saltzman. Make sure he doesn't torture your brother," Hope broke off contact and turned towards the door.

"Take the blood with you, Princess." Hope stopped in her tracks as she passed the bag, nodding to herself before picking it up.

I waited for her to leave and close the door, then watched as the barrier went up at the door. The same spell blocked my access to the window as well. I may be able to sit here, but I can't touch the window itself. I smiled to myself, pleased that she honored my request.

I sighed heavily as I looked around the room for something to occupy my mind. At least until the moment I have to make a choice; live or die.

My eyes stopped at the sight of one such beauty sitting next to my dresser; Gwenivere. The very guitar I spent a butt load of money on. It was worth it, trust me on that.

Even though technically I'm in debt now. I'll have to remember; if this is my last day alive, I absolutely have to pay Scotty the rest of his money.

But I still have at least 20 hours to make that decision. In the meantime, Gwenivere and I have time to kill.

Hope entered the dungeon where they held Mark. Alaric and Davina were both there already, waiting for Hope, only, she didn't expect them to be there.

Ric turned as she entered. "About time."

"What's...going on here?"

"We figured you'd want to ask questions. We do too," Davina answered.

"But after that stunt last night, we're sure as hell not letting you do it alone. I already talked to the others. You're next."

Hope pursed her lips and nodded in response. She turned her attention towards Mel's brother- which that on its own is enough to raise suspicion. It shouldn't even be possible for him to be alive... and yet, Mel herself is convinced it's really him. In his preteen body, no less.

Mark waited patiently for them to ask what they wanted to ask. And because he willingly cooperated, he was able to roam the cell freely.

"You, uh... you understand why we're not really buying you being Mel's brother, right?"

Mark nodded at Davina. "Yes. But it's a genuine fact."

"I'm still surprised she even had a brother," Ric scoffed.

"Two, actually. Me the other triplet, Mason."

"But you died. In the vampire attack," Davina said. "I was at your funeral. I saw you dessicated in your grave, so...?"

"Alice found a way to bring me back, to use me."

"But the other side was destroyed a long time ago," Hope thought aloud. "To bring anyone back from the dead... that'd require-"

"Black magic," Mark confirmed. "And a whole lot of it. It required a human sacrifice, but Alice didn't care."

Ric raised his hand slightly. "Who's Alice again? Was she that woman?"

"Also apparently one of Malivore's creations," Hope sighed. She shook her head in dismissal when Davina and Ric looked at her in shock. "I don't know, don't ask."

Mark leaned against one of the bars. "She tried to make me a tribrid but I'm not a viable candidate. So she thought Mel B was, hence the kidnapping and... the turning..."

"And you were working for her. And something is telling me you're the reason Melori's in transition right now." Mark avoided their gazes, feeling the guilt a million times over. Davina shook her head in disappointment. "How could you do that to your own sister?"

Hope sighed internally as she placed a hand on Davina's shoulder, grabbing her attention. "His humanity was off. Alice forced it on him, okay? Go easy on him."

Mark lifted his head to meet Hope's gaze. Clearly she was defending him, even though he was the one that killed his sister. Mark was confused as to why she wasn't more upset, and why Hope had just defended his actions. Regardless, he silently thanked her by nodding slightly.

"Look," he sighed. "There are a lot of things Allison made me do. A lot of people she made me hurt, and yes that includes my sister. I didn't ask for it, okay? I'm definitely not proud of anything I did. The only reason I stayed is because Alice brought me back, and gave me a home and for a five year old, that's everything to be grateful for. It was until the point where she forced my turning that I would have done anything for her. But once she realized that wasn't the case anymore, post transition, she made a witch force me into flipping the switch." Mark motioned towards himself. "Obviously I've been that way for years."

Alaric pulled a hand over his face, sighing to himself. "With Mel being turned now... does she think it worked? Is Melori an actual tribrid?"

"I don't know. Alice won't know either until she tries tossing Mel B into a pit...again. But—" Mark intervened before anyone could say anything else. He then looked Hope directly in the eyes with unwavering contact. "Before, I overlooked the fact that you and Mel B are close. Since you went after her, Allison now knows it too and- I'm fairly certain she'll try to come for you too."

Hope inhaled deeply. It's always the same thing every time; someone wants Hope dead for some reason. The main reason right now being that she has the means to destroy Malivore. Only, one party is trying to not die. The other is trying to do the killing. It's a little too much at once.

And now go top it off, the person she cares about the most is suffering at her expense. Currently the only person Hope can think to blame is Alice.

Hope slightly smiled as she thought of all the ways to release some frustration on the blonde woman.

"Then I'll be waiting."