Secrecy (Hosie)

Part 59: Bargaining

Each of the people around the gravesite take their turns laying white calla lilies on top of the closed casket, and they slowly break off into quiet conversations about fond memories of Raf and how much they'll all miss him.

Hope is the last to lay the single flower right beside the Mikaelson crest she laid down before.

"It was a beautiful speech," Hope turns around to face Josie, who wears a weary and sympathetic smile, "I'm sure he would've loved it."

"It wasn't what I planned to say, but...I don't know. Once I got up there, something changed," Josie gives Hope a nod, letting her take the time to piece her thoughts together for the first time since that day, "You know the past few days, I've done nothing but research ways to get him back. I searched for some sort of loophole to change his fate."

Josie hesitates, but nods to confirm that she did know. Freya told her over the phone.

Hope isn't at all surprised, she isn't mad either. Not at her family or Josie, at least.

She isn't exactly sure what she's mad at.

Is it possible to be mad at death?

Hope sighs as she finally voices a realization she came to today, "But the truth is...He died long before I reached him...He died and came back to life, and I didn't even know it." Hope feels tears falling down her cheeks, yet again, "...If the necromancer wouldn't have brought him back to life...I wouldn't have even gotten the chance to say goodbye to him. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I got that opportunity, and that he didn't have to die alone the second time around."

And then there's bargaining. Experts call it the third stage of grief. The searching for relief of pain, for ways to change reality. For one last moment with a lost loved one. But Hope already got that, and it's more than anyone else got. So she should feel grateful, right?

Josie closes the space between them, reaching up to wipe away Hope's tears with the pads of her thumbs. Her voice comes out quiet and pained, from seeing Hope so hurt and upset, "Hope...There is absolutely no way you could've known or predicted what was going to happen...We still don't really know what actually happened in those woods, and I know this isn't what you want to hear, but that's just something that we'll have to learn to live with."

As Hope as about to respond, the two are interrupted by Rebekah, "Ready to go home, love?"

"Yeah, I'm ready..." Hope turns back to Josie.

"Josie, I told your parents that you all are more than welcome to join us back at the house for lunch. I figured it would be nice to have company over..." Her tone contains a hint of question as she looks to Hope for her approval. She doesn't want to assume Hope would be okay with company.

She and Josie are both relieved when Hope gives them a reassuring nod.

"Thank you Rebekah, that sounds great."

Hope looks just past Josie and Rebekah, noticing that Landon sits on a bench a little ways away, looking down at his hands, no doubt he's struggling, "You two go ahead. I'll meet you at the car in a minute."

Hope gives Josie's hand a light squeeze before leaving the two.

Josie and Rebekah turn to see where she's headed, to Landon, and they share a brief glance to each other before heading to the cars.
—
"Mind if I sit?"

Landon looks up from his hands to look at Hope, "Uh, yeah. Sure."

She sits down next to him on the bench, eyeing him carefully and tentatively.

He clears his throat, finally turning to look at her, "You did great by the way...with the eulogy."

"Thank you...You know, I meant what I said. Raf made me promise to look out for you, and that's what I intend to do."