IN WHICH - The last thing that Hope Mikaelson expected when she came out of Malivore was to still be alive, the second last thing she expected was to be disowned by most of her living family, and the final last thing she expected was some ancient be...
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THIRD PERSON POV
CHAPTER 17
The car bumped along the dirt road, the soft rumble of the engine filling the quiet as Rick drove, Glenn sitting beside him, and Hope in the back. The night air felt heavy, thick with unspoken words, but Glenn was determined to break the silence.
"So," Glenn began, glancing over his shoulder at Hope with a mischievous grin. "You and Rick, huh?"
Hope raised an eyebrow, her fingers absentmindedly drumming on the window. "What about us?"
Glenn smirked, clearly enjoying the moment. "I've been noticing some... chemistry between you two lately. Spending a lot of time together, huh? More than usual. I'm just saying, it's pretty obvious."
Hope's face immediately hardened, her posture stiffening in the back seat. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice a bit sharper than she intended.
Rick glanced at Hope through the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. There was a slight shift in his expression—something that looked almost... hurt? But it passed quickly as he returned his attention to the road.
"Come on, Hope," Glenn pressed, teasing. "You two have been spending a lot of time talking, and I've seen you laughing, joking around. You can't hide it from me." He glanced back at Rick with a wink. "It's obvious. You know, I'd say you two are practically best friends now."
Hope didn't like the tone in his voice, and her jaw clenched as she leaned forward, her voice low but sharp. "Glenn, I don't need you making assumptions about me or Rick. We've got enough problems without you adding to them."
There was a brief silence in the car. Glenn, taken aback by the sudden edge in her voice, fell quiet for a moment. Rick kept his eyes on the road, but the tension was thick between them now. He could feel the defensive walls Hope had just thrown up, and something in him twisted uncomfortably.
"Hope, it's just a joke," Rick said softly, though there was a hint of hurt in his voice. "You don't have to take it so seriously."
Hope immediately felt guilty, but she didn't back down. "I'm not the one making jokes about my personal life," she shot back, her voice defensive but quiet, trying not to show the crack in her tone. "We don't have the luxury of wasting time on that right now."
Rick swallowed, a flicker of something crossing his face—maybe disappointment? But before he could respond, Glenn cleared his throat, sensing the tension and trying to defuse it.
"Alright, alright," Glenn said, his teasing voice turning more casual. "I get it, I get it. I just thought it was funny... But hey, no need to get all defensive about it." He turned his grin on Rick this time, changing the subject with an exaggerated wink. "Rick, on the other hand, I've been noticing you and someone else getting pretty close, too."
