Breathe {J. Saltzman & Hope}

Chapter One

I stifle a sob while I wash out clumps of blood from my hair. It should have been me- I should be dead. I twist off the water pressure and wrap a tan towel around my body. I pull a grey sweater over my head, slip on a pair of black leggings and comb through my auburn hair. She is waiting for me outside and I don't know if I am strong enough to face her alone. I push open the door once again to reveal my mother's body sprawled out on the carpet.

"Mom wake up," I say brushing her hair out of her face, "you have to wake up." My face is numb from the tears. She is dead and I have no room left for sorrow. He killed her without any regard for who she was and her family. I have no one. My breath hitches while I look around at the silent motel room. He murdered her.  A scream escapes my lips, followed my a cosmic shock throwing me into the wall.

Remains of the glass coffee table protrude out of the palm of my hand. While the rest of the room is in pieces, all except her body. I seal my mouth with my free hand and slide down against the rough wall before drifting off.

------------------------------------------------------

I hear a man's voice as I come in and out of consciousness. I force my eyes open only for them to slam shut again. "Dad, she's waking up." Her voice is sweet like honey. She places the back of her hand on my head and sighs. I take a deep breath and use it as fuel to come to my senses. No matter how badly I want to run, I know my legs won't be able to carry me.

"Where am I? What is happening?" I demand. The man comes closer to the chair I am in and kneels so he is eye level with me. He has kind blue/grey eyes.

"Hi, I'm Alaric and this is my daughter Josie. We are here to help you-" I cut him off.

"With what. How could you possibly help me? Please don't call Dyfs." My voice chokes on the last word. He frowns and holds my hand in his.

"I won't call anyone, can you take a deep breath for me?" No matter how much oxygen I take in I know it won't be enough; but he can't know that so I have to be brave. "I run a school for kids with gifts like yours. We can help you learn to control them."

"What gifts?!" I growl causing him to jump back. Josie and Alaric look at me with horror and curiosity. 

"Your eyes-" Josie says stunned, "they were yellow." This must be some kind of joke I honestly just want to be with my mom. There is nothing special about me and no point in any of this to be completely honest. I have been here before and I am not here to play games. My patience has run out for people trying to make me feel wanted and throwing me away. I start to get up as Alaric begins to pace the room.

"Where are you going? Wait." Alaric pleads. I shake my head and approach the door. Josie whispers latin under her breath, causing the door to lock.

"You can do that too. I know it." She smiles at me and for a minute the pain is bearable. "What's your name?"

"Ruby" I say shakily. Josie moves closer to me when she notices the fear in my voice.

"I am so sorry for all you have been though." She engulfs me in her arms, a sob works its way up my throat and releases itself along with all the memories of the past.

---------------------------------------------

I shoot out of bed gasping for air in a beige bedroom. Josie sits up next me flooded with concerned and shushes me. "It's okay. You're safe, I won't let anything bad happen to you." she whispers wrapping a blanket around me and playing with my hair.

"What am I?" I say softly. Josie positions herself toward me.

"You are a werewolf and witch. At least that is all we know right now." I should be afraid but all I feel is relief.

My day was tainted with an empty feeling in my stomach. The Salvatore School is a castle compared to motel hopping with my my-never mind I won't say her name. Josie's sister, Lizzie, has been showing me around for the past hour now.

"This is your room. You are bunking with Hope Mikaelson. I guess my dad figured you two would get along with the whole mystery power situation" she smirks. What is that supposed to mean? She is acting like I have some contagious disease. My thoughts are broken by a soft hand.

"Lizzie stop scaring her! Hope is wonderful, you'll love her," Josie gently pulls at my hand, telling me to follow her.

"She's a demon." Lizzie yells back at her sister. I turn my head back and send a small smile. Lizzie looks at me surprised. I know how she feels. Jealousy and abruptness mask her pain.

Josie leads me outside where the younger kids are gardening. I soak in all the sun's kisses and admire the chestnut haired girl beside me. "Thank you."

"For what?" she replies with curious eyes.

"I'm not afraid anymore." (lol tvd)

————————————————————————

Alaric ran tests on me the rest of the day to see if I possess any other supernatural abilities: I don't. I almost feel grateful because coming to terms with being a witch and werewolf is stressful enough. He said that Hope can help me best because she can control her transformation too. I have a gut feeling that she won't like me. It's probably in my head but most people don't like me after they find out who I was. Yet here we are as I'm struggling to answer Josie while she tries to get to know me.

"Tell me your story, whatever you want. I think sometimes that's easier than answering one-liners." I sigh giving her the same speech I designed to keep my walls up.

"I was born on Staten Island and raised in Virgina. My dad is out of the picture and my mom died two days ago," I take a deep breath as Josie reaches for my hand.

"If it's too much you don't have to go on" she says softly. Her touch is enough to change my mind. I shake my head.

"No I want to. I'm okay," I reassure myself, "I have been in a lot of treatment for mental health since I was 14. Hospitals, residential, rehab. The first girl I loved..uh she took her life. And it's all really depressing and morbid but I'm better now." I don't know if I said the last part to comfort Josie or me. She gazes at me with sad eyes reminding me that the worst part isn't that it happened- it's the looks that come after. I cant help but think how badly I just fucked up. I guess I was lonely...yeah it had to be the loneliness. Those eyes. My mind is a whirlwind of emotions and I feel like i'll never reach the ground.

"Hey," Josie nearly whispers taking her hand and gently lifting my head up. "You don't have to hide from me. I will never judge you now or ever." For some reason I believe her. "I know you must feel like you're weak. But I promise you if you can survive that, you can survive anything."

"I.." my sentence is cut off by a red-headed girl entering the room. She puts down her blue duffel bag and hops on her bed.

"Sorry I wasn't here to introduce myself sooner. I'm Hope."

A/N Hey!! This isn't my first fanfic but it is in this fandom. I wanted to give the gays what they deserve and give a new kind of love story. My other fanfics is an one direction one, I wouldn't read it lol. But yeah I'm gonna try and update once a week. Please read and comment anything you'd like to see happen in upcoming chapters. - Danielle