a trip through the country

The next evening most of the students head out to the cemetery to put their letters on the graves and mourn their loved ones Kaleb is sitting in front the cell where MG is lying on the bed, having barely been stopped from killing a human by feeding on him when he asked Kaleb to show him what a real vampire can do after he failed to help hope with the mind dive.

Lucky for them Dorian went out of his way to keep an eye on the two despite this being his only real day off ever and he managed to stop MG when Kaleb couldn't.

At the cemetery Hope sees Rafael walking over to her after he was standing at a grave with their headmaster.

"Hey. Sorry I didn't have your back today. I was too busy launching one third of the mali-pocalypse apparently." Hope apologizes to Rafael.

"It's OK. Dr. Saltzman, he had my back." Rafael replies pointing at the teacher and sees Hopes guilty expression.

"He's still mad at you huh?" The werewolf asks.

"He's probably going to be mad for a while." Hope says nodding.

"Well maybe with the knife gone we'll at least get some peace and quiet around here." Rafael says.

"Hopeful thinking." She replies and as if on response her bracelet starts glowing.

"What does that mean?" Rafael asks.

"Landon's in trouble." She says worried and hurries back to the school, packing a bag and takes the car keys from Dr. Saltzman's office.

"Ahem. And where are you going?" Alaric asks Hope as she tries to sneak to the front door.

"You know I said some really harsh things yesterday and I thought an apologetic oil change is the way to go." She tells him.

"At 3.00 am? Hope you don't have a driver's licence. You were gonna commit grand theft auto which is a fellony and while doing that you're ditching school right before the middle term exams begin? So tell me why I shouldn't suspend you this very second?" Alaric asks.

"It's like a magical compass and that it glows means Landon is in trouble." Hope answers, showing him her bracelet.

"Then we're going and I'm driving. Oh and while I get dressed, wake up Sosuke. He's coming with us." Alaric tells her.

"What why?" She asks without even knowing why she's protesting.

"Dorian is taking a break since his time yesterday was cut short and Emma can barely handle everything in my stead as it is. So we're not going to leave the one guy with emotional instability and no idea what his powers even are unsupervised on campus." Alaric tells her, before heading off to get dressed.

Hope then hurries out of the school and runs to the mill.

"Sosuke." She says loudly and looks for him, finally spotting him in a corner of the upper floor.

"Sosuke. Wake up." Hope says, shaking him.

In his half asleep mind he thinks he's still dreaming and pulls on her arm, hugging while sleeping.

Hope then casts a spell which blasts him with water.

"The hell?" He asks waking up and feels Hope tightly wrapped in his arms.

"How did you get here?" He asked confused, letting go of her and looks around confused.

"You grabbed a hold of me when I was trying to wake you. Now get up and get dressed. We need to go." She says impatiently while he slips out of the sleeping bags and puts on some clothes with her having her back to him.

"Go where?" He asks with a yawn.

"Landon is in trouble." She tells him, showing him the compass.

"Again?" Sosuke whines tiredly but Hope pulls him along by his hand firmly and drags him with her to the car while running.

"A sleepy Sosuke. That's a first." Alaric says impressed.

"Get in." Hope berates her sleepy friend and shoves him into the backseat where almost immediately Sosuke falls asleep again.

"Let's go." Hope says anxiously, getting in the passenger seat and they drive away, following their magic compass. As they leave Mystic Falls and Hope sees Sosuke still fast asleep she turns to Alarica and asks.

"What's up with him lately? He's not the same as before." Hope says, glancing back at Sosuke.

"He's not. This is his true self from what I gather." Alaric tells her.

"True self?" She asks confused.

"He didn't tell you yet?" Alaric says surprised.

"Tell me what?" She asks, getting annoyed.

"I won't get into the details since this is his secret to keep or share, but he was compelled as a kid very often. And That was what had him messed up all this time I think." Alaric answers.

"Compelled? For what?" Hope asks confused.

"I'm not telling you more." Alaric says.

"Does that have to do with what the necromancer said about him having more blood on his hands than me?" Hope asks.

"Yes. But really just talk to him about. Preferably when I'm not there." Alaric says with a half grin.

Nearly 10 hours later of Alaric being in teacher mode both Hope and Alaric are getting sleepy, while Sosuke only woke up 2 hours ago.

"Come on Dr. Saltzman, we need to switch. We don't know how far we need to go, do we?" He says, looking at Hope questioningly and she shakes her head no while stifling a yawn.

"Fine." The headmasters says and pulls over, trading spots with Sosuke, who then continues to drive while Alaric tries to get some rest in the backseat.

"Why can he drive and I can't?" Hope whines half asleep.

"Because he has a drivers license, now be quiet please." Alaric says.

And with that note both Hope and Alaric nod off soon after, Sosuke looking at her compass every now and then and about 6 hours later he finds himself in a bad situation when Hope falls over in her seat, still asleep but now is leaning into his arm while the seatbelt seemingly only pronounces her breasts instead of keeping her upright.

"God no." Sosuke says, pulling over and pushes her back in her seat gently, fixing the seat belt on her as well all the while feeling like he needs to punch something or scream, realizing what this feeling might mean in his case he quickly hops out of the car and steps away from the car, glad that they are next to an empty field with no one around them anywhere, when suddenly a large bolt of lightning rips through his shirt and makes a crater in the middle of the field.

Turning back to the car he breathes out in relief when he sees Alaric and Hope both still deep asleep.

"On we go." He says to himself and starts the car again, glad he didn't fry it by accident he pulls back onto the empty road.

Not long after he starts driving again he finds himself in the same predicament, only that Hope wakes up via a small shock when he tries to push her back into her seat.

"Wha. What are you doing?" She asks him, slapping his hand away and sits back in the seat properly.

"Me? You keep falling into me while I'm driving." He says accusingly.

"I'm asleep. I bet you're taking left hand turns intentionally sharp." She replies accusingly.

"No." He protests.

"Sosuke, why is there a burn hole in your shirt the size of a volleyball?" Hope then asks him with a mirthful grin.

"All your fault." He mumbles while frowning and focuses back on driving.

"No really, what happened there?" She asks, nodding at his shirt.

"I felt this need to I don't know I thought I wanted to punch something and I figured that it might come from my new additions, turns out when I'm... Ahem when I get this feeling I blast the motherload of all lightning strikes out of my chest." Sosuke tells her.

"So, what caused that feeling?" She asks curiously.

"I'm not telling you that. It's private." He says embarrassed.

"Seriously we have to have each other's backs all the time in a fight. I would like to know when I have to run for cover." She says expectantly.

"Then maybe we shouldn't work together anymore." Sosuke says defeatedly.

"You'd rather keep your secret than fight beside me? Fine, coward." Hope says annoyed.

"That's not it." Sosuke tells her.

"Then what is it?" She presses again.

"It's you alright. When I'm attracted to you... I blast holes in the ground alright." He admits, annoyed and embarrassed.

"Attracted... Oh." She says smirking amused.

"Yeah go ahead and get it out of the way, make fun of me." He grumbles.

"Why would I make fun of you? That happens to us witches too. Well maybe not as destructive as you described... But we feel an influx of power when we're aroused." She tells him.

"Seriously?" He asks, thinking she's just screwing with him.

"Yeah. I blew up the microwave in the school's kitchen once." Hope says.

"Then how come everything around school isn't blowing up constantly?" He asks.

"It's only really a problem for strong witches like me and the twins and I have it under control by now." She says boasting a little.

"Wait what aroused you in the kitchen? And wasn't that only like two years ago?" Sosuke asks intrigued.

"Focus on driving." She says dismissively, remembering that it was actually Sosuke she was attracted to as he walked by topless after a swim without knowing it, because a towel was hiding his face, but she later on recognized his scars and banished all thoughts on the matter thereafter.

"Fine." He accepts, knowing not to overstep his welcome when it comes to Hope.

"So... when are you going to tell me about your past?" Hope asks, pretending not to care about it while looking out the passenger side window.

"Why?" He asks.

"Dr. Saltzman said you told others already before me..." He says while hiding a pout.

"I told MG about me being compelled but not more than that." He says shaking his head.

"So, are you going to tell me?" She asks again.

"Right now?" He asks with a raised eyebrow and she nods insistingly.

"Fine." He sighs and then fills her in about what he now remembers of his past.

"Seriously?" She asks him, thinking he's pulling one over on her.

"Yes seriously. I wouldn't make this up." He snaps at her upset.

"Fine. Sorry, but you have to admit it's hard to believe." She apologizes quietly.

"Any change on the compass?" He asks, hoping to change the topic.

"Not yet." She replies.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I haven't had to deal with emotions this strong, well ever basically." He apologizes.

"I get it I think. When you first become a werewolf it overwhelms you. Your emotions, the smells, sounds, sights..." She tells him.

"So should we wake up our dear Dr. and get schooled for the next hours after I get yelled at for causing a lightning strike out in the open."

Sosuke asks.

"I think we should." She says also not sounding too excited and she leans backwards to their headmaster, poking him awake.

"Where are we?" Alaric asks.

"I think we just got to Kansas." Sosuke answers.

"Alright, let me have a look at the map." Alaric says, leaning up and reaching to the dashboard after opening his seatbelt, looking at Sosuke's ruined shirt for a moment before sitting back down and fixes the belt around him.

"Ahem, anything you want to tell me... Sosuke?" He asks, looking at the teen through the backview mirror.

"Let me start by saying... No one saw." He says calmly.

"Continue." Alaric says expectantly.

"Ahem, yeah how do I say this..." Sosuke says thinking aloud.

"He already knows about it anyways." Hope tells Sosuke.

"Ugh fine. I got aroused and blew a fuse." He admits.

"Oh. Ahem yes, good that no one saw then." Alaric says barely containing his laughter, Hope laughing outright.

"You guys suck. Why'd I have to come anyways?" Sosuke complains.

"Because if that happened back on campus then I would need to hire a construction crew." Alaric tells him.

"Yeah well it wouldn't have happened then either because ... I could have kept to myself." Sosuke says, looking at Hope and changes his mind from stating that without Hope he wouldn't have gotten aroused.

"So it's a good thing you came. You learned something." Alaric says.

"Whatever, just don't mention it to anyone else. And I'm only driving back when Hope is awake, that way I hopefully won't end up with the same predicament." Sosuke tells them.

"Oh take a left here." Hope says with a smirk, seeing the compass move.

15 minutes later the three pull up in front of a house the compass is clearly directing them to.

"Alright, before we go out there." Alaric says.

"We know. You're professor x and we're wolverine and storm." Hope says.

"I was actually a DC kid..." Alaric says, the metaphor lost on him.

"Fine, you're Batman and we are Robin and Batgirl." Hope says.

"You're calling the shots Dr. Saltzman." Sosuke tells him and gets out of the car.

"So how are we doing this? Fireball? Wind blast?" Hope asks.

"I was thinking we knock." Alaric tells her as they head over to the house. When they stand in front of the door however they hear screaming from inside and Hope blasts the door down, storming in only to see an old couple watching TV loudly.

"Oh uh... what are you watching?" She asks awkwardly.

"I'm sorry we disturbed your lunch. I promise we'll replace your door." Alaric tells the couple loudly.

"Is the compass broken?" Sosuke asks not stepping into the house however.

"No. But someone knew we were coming." Hope says, taking the bracelet out of the mailbox on the downed door.

Hope then uses a locator spell inside the car and they follow its path to a house with a dozen or so people wearing facilities companies' uniforms are swarming.

"Hi. can I help you?" One of the workers there asks Hope and Alaric who get out of the car to check it our with Sosuke staying in the car.

"Uh hi... what happened here?" Alaric asks nodding to the house.

"Gas leak. We have it under control. But you wouldn't happen to know who lives there do you?" The man says.

"Uhm, we're looking for..." Hope starts to say.

"The highway. See we tried going without GPS and well got lost so we thought we could ask you guys for directions." Alaric says, interrupting her.

"Yeah at the end of the road you make a right. Can't miss it." The guy tells them.

"Cool, thanks. Let's go Jessica." Alaric says and heads back to the car with Hope.

"Jessica really?" Hope asks, looking at Alaric while fastening her seatbelt.

"I have been part of enough cover ups I can smell one a mile away." Alaric tells her.

"Do you think they are after Landon?" Hope asks.

"All I know is that if they had him they wouldn't have asked where he is. So we gotta find him before they do." Alaric tells her and they drive away, following the locator spell again.

About 3 hours later they reach a motel and follow the locator spell to a specific room.

Sosuke is the first through the door after picking the lock.

"Uh... Are we sure Landon's here?" Sosuke asks, the lights in the room all turned off with nothing looking like it's been touched.

As Sosuke steps into the room he feels a blade sink through his shoulder from behind and coming out the front. A woman steps out from behind the door, still gripping the weapon while pointing a gun at Alaric and Hope who are standing at the door, using Sosuke as a meatshield.

"What the hell, who stabs first and asks questions later?" Sosuke yells, the woman getting zapped through her grip on the handle when Sosuke's anger sends little sparks flying around him.

"Stay where you are." The woman says from her spot on the ground, still aiming her gun at them, only for Hope to levitate it over to herself and aim at Seylah.

"Where is Landon. We're bringing him home with us where he'll be safe." Hope demands to know.

"You must be Hope." The downed woman says getting up while Landon steps out of the bathroom at hearing Hope's voice.

"Hope!" Landon says happily and the two meet in a hug.

"Could you be so fine and spring for a room? I didn't have time to bring cash." Sosuke asks Alaric, leaning with one hand next to the wall, sweating profusely and Alaric nods, leaving to get them another room.

"Uhm. Sorry about that." Seylah apologizes awkwardly.

"Yeah it happens." Sosuke says sarcastically.

"Maybe you have super healing?" Hope says hopefully.

"Doesn't feel like it at the moment." He grunts amused.

"Hi. Sosuke. This is my mom." Landon says, pointing to the woman awkwardly.

"Yeah, seems about right. Causing me injury the first time we meet. You're definitely related." Sosuke says half laughing while fighting down groans and screams of pain.

"I wouldn't wait too long with taking the sword out of you... It's not exactly a normal sword." Seylah tells them. Not knowing the background herself, only that it can kill a lot of creatures.

"Even better." Sosuke says giving the woman a thumbs up.

"Want to do the honors then, since you so graciously stuck it into my body?" Sosuke asks while huffing sharply.

"I like your friend." Seylah tells her son and pulls the weapon out of Sosuke's back.

"I'll be taking that then, in case I need to know what exactly you were warning me about." Sosuke tells her, grabbing the still bloody weapon and moves over to the door, Alaric jingling a key while standing in the doorframe.

"Thanks." Sosuke grunts, taking the key and goes to the room next door, opening it with a shaking hand and stumbles inside, the headmaster fetching their car's first aid kid.

"Are we really not going to call an ambulance for Sosuke?" Hope asks Alaric, joining him while Landon and his mother talk by themselves.

"It's his call. But I wouldn't suggest it. I mean he survived getting shot 4 times. So a stab should be OK right?" Alaric asks unsure himself.

"Landon mom just said that it's not an ordinary sword though." Hope says worried.

"Damn." Alaric curses before he and Hope hurry to Sosuke's room and treat his wound as best as they can.

"We can't do much more. At least with how many pain killers I gave him he should be feeling pretty good right now." Alaric tells Hope who was basically assisting him during the patch-up job.

"OK." Hope says looking at the sweating Sosuke worried still.

"We should start asking our neighbors some questions before they disappear again." Alaric says and heads to the door, Hope about to follow but Sosuke has a tight grip on her wrist.

"Go ahead. I'll be right over." Hope tells Alaric.

"I should give you some blood." Hope tells him.

"Does that even work on me anymore? And why do you like to see me in pain so much?" Sosuke asks with a smile, hopped up on painkillers.

He then offers him her wrist after biting in it with werewolf teeth and drawing blood.

"Mhh." Sosuke says taking the hand, caressing it for a bit before realizing that he's supposed to drink the blood and does just that.

"Whoa I'm burning on the inside." He says, not showing any pain though.

"Well maybe you should stop using Vervain then." She tells him.

"Alrighty, but you'll have to remind me when I wake up." He tells her with a nod.

"Ohh, I'm super now so I should be safe from being compelled. Good thinking. I knew I didn't love you only because you're beautiful." Sosuke tells her with closed eyes.

"Stop with the jokes and get some rest." Hope tells him sweetly.

"It's no joke. I can't tell you until you let me in though so shhh." He says with a shushing motion.

"Get some rest." Hope tells him, finally able to take back her hand without resistance from the nodding off Sosuke and she leaves his room confused by what he just told her.

When she joins the others in their room Seylah tells them about her past as a military operative who started working for a clean up crew making sure the supernatural stays hidden. She then tells Alaric that she was consumed by Malivore for 2 years and spat out suddenly pregnant. She also tells them that Malivore is a black pit hidden in a military facility.

After telling them about it she takes off, intending to sacrifice herself to Malivore so Landon has a better life and no one will come looking.

In the meantime Hope, Alaric and Landon get attacked by a merman and Hope decides to let him steal the next key, which is an anubis urn while she hides Landon's bracelet in it so they can track it.

When the three are coming to after an explosion from a mine knocked them over Landon and Alaric look around confused, having their mind wiped of anything remotely to do with Seylah and only Hope remembers everything clearly much to her surprise.

"Where are we?" Alaric asks, standing in a field with Hope and Landon, A large explosion hole in front of them.

Hope secretly collects the urn which fell onto the ground after the merman carrying blew up and then she leads them back to their car.

"Anyone remember how we got here?" Alaric asks confused while he's starting to head back towards Mystic Falls.

"I don't remember anything. I know I was in Kansas looking for my mom and that's it." Landon says.

"We were in Kansas looking for you, but now we're in Georgia?" Alaric says checking the GPS.

"Hope. Any ideas what happened?" Alaric asks.

"Nope." She lies, thinking it's best if she first discusses with Alaric in secret what they should share, regarding Landon's origins, the fate of his mother and where Malivore is.

"Well OK." Alaric accepts this.

"Oh, yes there's a bus stop up ahead, you can let me out there." Landon tells Alaric, pointing at the stop.

"We got it. We'll bring you." Alaric says in response.

"Bring me where?" Landon asks confused.

"Home. To school." Alaric says and Landon beams happily on the backseat.

"Uhm. Dr. Saltzman you're forgetting about someone." Hope says.

"Oh yeah. But where is Sosuke?" Alaric asks confused.

"I can use a locator spell" Hope says hurriedly, not knowing what state they left their friend in when they took off after the urn and feels a mountain of guilt washing over her, especially since she still remembers him telling her that he loves her while high on painkillers.

"Do we have anything of his?" Alaric asks.

"The shirt." Hope says, pointing at the shirt lying in the back next to Landon with the large hole in it.

"Why is there a hole in it?" Landon asks.

"That's a long story." Hope replies and uses the locator spell, looking at her map half relieved, since he still seems to be at the motel, but she doesn't know if he couldn't leave because he's still badly wounded or worse.

3 hours later they pull up at the motel and Hope points them to the room they booked yesterday.

After knocking on it Sosuke opens the door, still half drugged.

"Dr. Saltzman. Why did I wake up with a blood soaked bandage on my arm?" Sosuke asks, hugging the man overly excited.

"I don't know. Why are you so happy?" Alaric asks concerned.

"I think I took some pills." Sosuke replies, making a shushing motion.

"This is the first aid kit of our car. And there's a bloody sword here. What the hell happened?" Alaric says wondrously and tries to turn on any of the lamps in the room, but none of the electrics are working.

"We should get out of here." Alaric tells them and Landon helps Hope, who remained mute intentionally the whole time bring Sosuke to the car. once he's sitting in the back she uses a spell to make him fall asleep.

"I don't get it. We were in Kansas and then Georgia and lost Sosuke in Kentucky?" Alaric says majorly confused and starts to drive them back home.

"Something must have happened with Malivore to make us forget." Hope says but doesn't go any further than that.