Damage Control

Chapter Twelve

**A/N if you have not watched 3x02 this is a spoiler so read at your own risk**

 A New hero rises, but can be felled by the golden arrow. Those words had been ringing in Hope's ear since the sphinx said them. When Dorain initially took the arrow for Landon, she thought she had dodged the proverbial bullet. However, the arrow still found its way to Landon, and yet he still lives... at a cost.

She knew something had been different about Landon since they both had awakened, but this was too much to take it. Landon had lost his Phoenix powers. He scenced the change within himself, just as Hope did. She had to find a way to protect him now that he was mortal, the shame of their conversation burning in her mind. She didn't want him to be mad at her for this, she only ever wanted to keep him safe, but was the Salvatore school safe for him anymore? Was there anywhere safe for him? She hoped so, she couldn't bear to lose him again.

A hand waved in front of Hope's face. "Earth to Hope Mikealson." Lizzie's impatient face appeared before her. "Are you going to watch Josie and I do all of the work?" Hope and the twins started their punishment from Dr. Salzman in the afternoon. Hope had woken up early and went to talk to Landon... about other things, only to find him standing in his window, contemplating jumping to see if he still had wings. That was only the start of their argument this morning.

Hope shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Sorry," She pushed off the bookcase she was leaning on and picked up another book from the pile.

"If you're not feeling well, we can finish this up." Josie's soft voice drifted from her section of the library, she seemed to be having trouble making eye contact with Hope today.

Hope felt a smile start to form on her lips. "Um, speak for yourself Josette, I have better things to do than to be doing Hope's share of the work." She scoffed while picking up another book, though there was a softness around her eyes. "Trouble with the Hobbit?" She turned quickly, like she was pretending not to care.

Hope didn't miss the quick glance she got from Josie. Hope sighed loudly, she didn't want to just spill Landon's secrets but she needed someone to talk to about this. "Landon thinks he lost his Phoenix powers." When both girls stopped working, she gave a quick rundown of what happened. "Now I need a way to keep him safe... even if he thinks it is too much of a burden for me." She thought back to the start of their relationship, and the reasons he voted him out of the Salvatore school in their first Honor Council meeting. "I have no idea what to do, and he is mad at me, and I am mad at him."

Lizzie gave a small laugh. "Only you guys would fight over something like that."

"Is he doing okay?" Josie asked, Hope couldn't help but feel... she wasn't sure, was Josie asking on Hope's benefit, she knew Josie and Landon were still friends... even after their breakup... this was all confusing.

Hope shrugged. "It is what he thinks made him special, he thinks that I think he is weak."

Lizzie pursued her lips. "Do you?"

That was the question. Human Landon meant he could no longer come back from the dead, not that they really knew how many lives a phoenix had, but he had died more than Hope could count since they found out what he was. "I am just scared that I am going to lose him, that being unkillable made everyone more reckless and it is going to end up with him dead." She felt the sting of the tears in her eyes. "I can't lose him." Her voice cracked. "I've lost so much already." Both girls were watching Hope.

Lizzie put down the book she was holding and walked over to Hope. "If the mop head wants to start a fight over this... let him." She said very determined. "Anyone who knows Hope Mikealson knows that she fights for everyone, no matter what."

Hope's heart swelled a bit in her chest, she wasn't used to these types of things from Lizzie. "We will help you figure something out." Josie said, coming up beside her.

Hope grabbed onto both of their hands and squeezed hard. "I think this calls for some ice cream." Lizzie said.

Josie frowned at her. "We still have a lot of books to put away."

Lizzie reached over and put her hand on Hope's shoulder, pulling power from her, she muttered a spell under her breath and the books lifted and rushed to shelves. "There, all done." She turned back to them.

Josie's mouth opened. "That is how you got out of detentions so fast when we were young."

Lizzie shrugged. "Come on we deserve a treat." They followed her out.

Ice cream with the twins proved to be the distraction Hope needed. They helped her go over ideas on how to keep Landon safe... even if he didn't want her help. Lizzie brought up the prison world, pain behind her eyes, probably because she was remembering Sebastian, but Hope shut that down fast as there was no celestial event coming up and Landon already shot that plan down earlier. Josie rhymed off a couple dozen protection spells she knew, Hope considered a few of them, saying they could look over them later together.

Unfortunately. They didn't find a solution to the problem but Hope did feel a bit better about it when she parted with them. They were going off to lunch with their mother.

Hope knocked on the familiar door, she wanted to make up with Lanond, to figure this out together. On her second knock the door opened, revealing Raf, the look on his face had Hope's heart racing. "What's wrong?" She asked, almost shoving him out of the way to get into the room.

Raf took a moment to close the door. "Landon is gone."

Ice flowed through her veins. "What?" She snapped. "What do you mean he is gone?" He was human now, he couldn't leave the safety of the school, as unsafe as it was here, it was a thousand times worse out there.

Raf pointed to Landond's bedside table. "He left me one too." There was sadness in his voice.

On the table was a note, Hope's name scribbled on the front in Landon's writing. She stormed across the room and snactched it up.

Dear Hope,

I waited until I was sure you and Raf were both busy to do this. I didn't want to leave this way but I found myself faced with no other option. You were right that with everything going on, the school isn't very safe for me, I am only human after all.

I know the world is a scary place and I probably won't be much safer out here than in there, but at least this way I won't have to see the sadness in your eyes over time. I am going to find a way to get my powers back, I already have a few leads, but this is something I have to do on my own.

I know you are afraid of losing me, the girl who has already lost so much, and I have no intention of losing you either. We've parted before and always came back together, so do this with me one more time. Please don't try to track me, this is something I need to do for me.

I love you Hope Mikaelson, and I will come back to you alive.

Love Always,

Landon

Hope wanted to burn the paper in her hands. She could not stop the tears from coming, Raf wrapped her up in his arms as her vision blurred, streaks already running down her face. "We'll see him again." He tried to say reassuringly into her hair. "Landon would never let us down." It was hard to believe Raf with the sadness laced in his own words.

Hope had no words of reassurance for him, she just wished this was not the last time she was going to see Landon in this lifetime.