Damage Control

Chapter One

    Josie Saltzman lay awake listening to the soft breathing of her twin sister, Lizzie, who was sleeping soundly a few feet from her. Josie wished desperately that sleep would finally take her, feeling the exhaustion of the days of no sleep piling on her shoulders. She was afraid to close her eyes, afraid of losing herself. It had only been a few days since she had ‘killed’ her dark side, since the Necromancer took the dark magic that was flowing in her veins, since Hope Mikaelson helped her slay herself, but remained in a slumber.
Josie was scared that the Dark Josie was still in there, that the second she closed her eyes, let herself relax, that she would take over once again. It didn’t help that they still had not been successful in bringing Hope back, the guilt of that weighed heavily on her. Hope risked herself to save Josie, more than once, and paid for it over again. When she did close her eyes, flashes of the things she did in her dark state came to her. Setting the school on fire, trying to Merge with her twin, almost killing Hope, at least Lizzie had shown up in time to save her from Josie. Replaying all those moments, like killing Alyssa Chang and letting her become a puppet of the Necromancer, kept her from being able to sleep.
She frustratedly pulled her blankets off and sat up in bed, knowing just lying here awake was not going to accomplish anything. She decided to go to the library, at least there she might be able to find an answer to why Hope remained in a coma. Josie wondered if it was connected to Landon, who was resurrected by the Necromancer, also remained in a coma, though encased in his Phoenix ashes. There had to be an answer, some clue in one of the many books in the Salvatore library, or in her father’s private stash. Josie managed to collect a few promising books she had not already read, unfortunately there were hundreds of promising books, and she could not read them fast enough.
She arrived outside her father’s office, books clutched to her chest. She felt her lips start to form a spell to cover her, free hand reaching for the wall to syphon some magic from it, stopping inches from it, her syphon powers sat upstairs in her piggy bank. Her fingers curled into her palm and she sighed, she’d have to do this the old fashion way. Josie turned the knob slowly, wincing as it creaked slightly. The soft snores of her father met her as she opened the door. His head was laying in the middle of a book as if he fell asleep reading. Thankful that he didn’t wake to her presence, her eyes drifted to the other side of his office. They had moved Hope from the hidden section behind the bookshelf to a more comfortable bed they placed in the corner of the room. Her father had placed a barrier spell over the perimeter of the bed, making sure Hope remained safe while they tried to find a way to wake her up. Luckily the spell did not work on Saltzman’s, considering it was Lizzie who cast the spell.
Josie took the chair next to Hope’s bed, pausing briefly to watch her. Her hair spilled over the sides of her face as she lay peacefully. Josie wished she would open her blue eyes and smile up at Josie in the way only Hope Mikaelson could, warming and somehow inspiring, the thought made a ghost of a smile raise on Josie’s lips. “You should try kissing her, maybe.” She suggested to Hope while she was in disigue, while they stood over Josie’s sleeping form, mainly just to see Hope’s reaction, curious about what the tribrid would do. A non-consensual kiss is never the answer. She could feel herself smiling more, of course Hope would answer that way, if only she knew then who was asking, maybe things would have been different. Josie wondered if a kiss would wake the tribrid from the spell she was under, but Hope’s words were right, no one should be kissed without consent, it sounds lovely in a fairytale but not real life. And in real life, Josie was starting to see Hope in a new light, one she was afraid of seeing her in because it caused some more complications in their lives.
Josie sighed and opened her first book, she had reading to do, the faster she got it done, the faster she would have Hope back by her side. Her fingers found the section she was looking for, she began to read.

“Josie?” A hand shook her shoulder. “Sweetheart?” Josie woke to the sound of her father’s voice.
Her eyes fluttered open, she was staring at a hand, Hope’s hand. Josie sat up fast, her vision going black for a moment, she had fallen asleep in the chair next to Hope’s bed, using the mattress for a pillow. Her father’s face appeared next to her. “Dad?” She was slightly confused, but the sun beaming in the room told her that it was now morning.
“Joise, have you been here all night?” He asked bending down until he was level with her. He looked concerned, Josie hated that she put that look on his face.
She smoothed her hair, looking at the open book still in her lap. “I couldn’t sleep so I came here to read.” She mumbled, sleep starting to wear off.
His lips turned down slightly, he saw what she was reading. “I told you that I’d work on a solution Jo, I want you to focus on you.” He means living with the horrible things she had done to them all, she was starting to wonder if this was the face Lizzie got when she was having one of her moments.
Josie’s defense was rising. “I can’t do nothing dad, I have to find a way to help her.” She turned toward Hope, who had not moved in three days. “Hope wouldn’t just sit by so how can I?”
Her father rested a hand on her shoulder. “We will find an answer.” He gave a squeeze. “Why don’t we go get some breakfast?”
Josie crossed her arms. “I think it is time we call Hope’s aunt.” He really frowned now, it was not the first time Josie had brought it up. He called Emma for her opinion but she had not come up with an answer yet. “Come on dad, this all has to do with black magic, Freya could help, she helped me with the memory spell.”
“I don’t know Josie.” He wasn’t a big fan of the Mikaelson family, for good reason, but this was bigger than that.
Josie crossed her arms. “Dad this is Hope, we have to do everything we can to help her, even if it means calling her aunt.” Josie had a feeling her father was slightly worried about telling a very powerful witch what happened to her niece in his care.
Finally he sighed very loudly. “Okay, I will give her a call.”
Josie smiled. “Thanks dad. You won’t regret it.” At least she hoped, but if it means that they could help Hope, she was willing to try anything.

“Hello?” a tired voice answered from the other end of the line.
Alaric felt a little worried, not knowing how this was going to go. Year ago when Hayley brought Hope to the Salvatore school he had one rule, no Originals. He didn’t do it out of hate… well maybe a little, but nothing followed the Mikaelson family but destruction and devastation, he wanted more for Hope. “Freya, it’s Alaric.” He cleared his throat.
“What happened?” She demanded, already moving on the other end.
Alaric laughed nervously. “What makes you think something happened?”
A scoff. “We have never spoken in the years since Hayley and Niklaus passed, the only thing you’d be calling me over is Hope so why don’t you just cut to the chase and tell me what happened to my niece.”
Alaric hated making this call, but Josie was right, she might be the answer they needed to get Hope to wake up. “Cliff notes version, Hope is asleep and won’t wake up.” No response. “I think it will be easier to explain in person.” He heard the nervousness in his voice and hated it.
“I will be there as soon as I can.” She answered right before she hung up. Alaric knew he was in for some trouble now.