Jordan sat next to Josie in the assembly hall, waiting for Alaric to start talking. Reaching the podium the older Saltzman began, "I know we've been through a lot in the last few days. Well, months, really. Okay, uh, it's been a rough couple years, to be honest. And I wish I could say the worst was over. But no matter what comes next, I firmly believe that we will be able to get through it if we stand united as a school, a community..."

Jordan's eyes darted around the room as he tried to find his older sister, but he doesn't. Alyssa cleared her throat, "Sorry, just for clarification, does our community include your daughter, who murdered me and held the entire school hostage to stage a grotesque display of black magic power?" She asked, as other students started to murmur amongst themselves.

"Josie is back to normal and safe." Alaric answered Alyssa. "Thanks to Hope, who I'm noticing isn't here at the ass crack of dawn like the rest of us. So much for unity, I guess." Alyssa pointed out as she made a good point.

"I'm sure you all can understand, Hope was hit hard by what happened to Ruby, and she's just taking some time for herself." Alaric said into the microphone, as Rafael's shoulder shrink upon being reminded that he had killed Ruby and Landon.

"How is my boy Landon?" Wade asked, standing up. "Getting Landon back, as well as Ruby is my top priority, and I won't stop until I do. And that would go for any one of you." Alaric insisted. "Okay, so, what are we supposed to do now? And why are we all wearing gym clothes?" Kaleb asked as he stood up.

"Something you haven't had a chance to do in far too long: be kids. I want you to remember what it's like to not have to worry about something you shouldn't have to and grow closer together in the process." Alaric smiled.

Jordan glanced over at Lizzie, noticing that she seemed intrigued. "Now, before you ask me how... As president of the Student Activities Committee, I'd like to welcome you all to the first ever Salvatore School Field Day. The buses are waiting for you outside. Don't forget to bring your smiles." MG said, as he stood up.

❤︎

A knock was heard at the door, but Monica ignored it. Pushing the door open slowly, Lizzie found her girlfriend sitting on the edge of Ruby's bed, peering down at her lifeless body.

"Hey babe.." Lizzie spoke up softly, as Monica turned her head around. "Hey Liz." She replied, her tone sounding flat. "You weren't at assembly this morning... I just want to see how you're going." The Saltzman said, approaching the taller girl.

Lizzie reaches out and took Monica's hand gently. "My best friend is dead. Things couldn't be better." Monica said, voice now filled with sarcasm and misery as she peered down at Ruby's still body. "Ruby was the best of us. She deserved better than all of this." Lizzie sighed. "If only I had been there a moment sooner.. I could have stopped Rafael." Monica managed to say, in almost a whisper.

Lizzie shook her head, "No." She insisted, before placing her hand gently on the vampire's cheek, and moving her head to face her. "You can't blame yourself for this, Mon." Lizzie said softly. "If anybody is to blame, it's the Necromancer. He put Raf up to this."

Monica reached her hand up, placing it over Lizzie's. "I feel so... so numb. I haven't felt like this since.." She trailed off. "Since my Mum died." The blonde's teary eyes looked back up at the siphoner, "I don't know how I'm supposed to move on from this Lizzie.. the very person that taught me to love again... and trust others... has been selfishly taken away from not just me but all of us."

Lizzie embraced her girlfriend, as the taller blonde tried not to cry again. "The fact that you've been able to get out of bed this morning, is enough." The Saltzman assured, before pulling away from Monica.

"I'm going to go to the field day with Josie, would you be interested in coming?" Lizzie asked softly, but Monica quickly shook her head. "I didn't think so.. which is fine— but I don't want you to be alone."

As Lizzie spoke, Jordan stepped into the doorway. Monica's teary eyes glanced up at Jordan, and the taller Montgomery approached his sister to hug her. Lizzie smiled sadly at them.

Once the siblings broke apart, Monica reached out to take Lizzie's hand again. The Saltzman interlaced their fingers before Monica said, "I love you." A small yet sad smile tugged at Lizzie's lips, "I love you too."

❤︎

As Jordan prepared a mug of coffee for his sister, though he paused when he overheard Rafael's voice. "My room isn't big enough for three bodies!" Confusedly, Jordan temporarily left the task at hand to see who Rafael was talking to, realising that it's Alaric.

"Raf? Dr S?" Jordan asked, approaching them. Rafael and Alaric faced Jordan, but before they could say anything, the front door to the school bursted open as the Necromancer came inside.

"Landon?" Rafael asked. "No Raf. That's our good friend the Necromancer." Jordan spoke dryly as he stared at the Necromancer with pure hatred.

"You!" Alaric pointed at the Necromancer, a bit confused. The Necromancer grunted in annoyance, "You... you... you must deal with this lying, cheating, backstabbing miscreant." He yelled at Alaric as Jordan continued to look confused. "Get in there, you insubordinate little..."

"Can somebody tell me what the hell's going on right now?" Alaric asked. "Yeah, am I tripping or something?" Jordan blurted out.

The Necromancer looked at Rafael. "You can see him. Curious... Perhaps because you were recently attached to me in death." He said, before looking to Alaric. "I'm in possession of the phoenix's infuriatingly stubborn spirit. But the dark magic I was promised remains out of my grasp until birdbrain here returns from the dead. Now all I need to do is drop him back into his body, and we can all go about our merry business."

Jordan crossed his arms, "So what are you waiting for?" He asked boredly, wanting to go back to Monica. "The little pillock won't come back!" The Necromancer huffed. "Quit playing games."

"Are you telling me you're not powerful enough to force him into his body?" Jordan asked, as the Necromancer looked disgusted by this accusation. "Not powerful enough? I am the lord of the restless dead. The judge of all men's fates. I swim laps in the River Styx. But even I have... limitations."

He sighed, "Technically, I can only raise a spirit to life if the spirit or the host is willing." Jordan crossed his arms before he said, "Well, that's a big technicality."

"Never has a soul been so stubborn as to refuse my gracious offer to return to this realm. " The Necromancer said as Alaric sighed, "Fine. We will convince Landon, okay? But what about Hope?"

The Necromancer scoffed, "Oh, honestly, the last thing I need is Tribrid hellfire raining down on me over this, so maybe us chaps just keep this under our chapeaus until—" He was cut off as Alaric got in his face, "What did you do to her?!" He demanded, clearly worried. "What are you blathering about?"

"What's wrong with Hope? She won't wake up. And we think that it has something to do with the black magic." Alaric explained as the Necromancer shook his head, "That's not me. I haven't even gotten full use of the magic yet!"

Alaric sighed before he faced Rafael and Jordan. "You think you can work on Landon while I figure out what happened to Hope?" He asked. They nodded, "I'm gonna check on my sister first." Jordan said, before he left.

The boy walked into Monica's room finding that she was gone. He peered down at Ruby's body, feeling a chill flow through his body.

Ruby and Jordan had just reentered the school, after spending some time in Mystic falls together. "Anyway. I think it's coffee time." Ruby concluded after they'd had a full on conversation about what they'd do in a zombie apocalypse. "Yeah.. I like that idea." Jordan chuckled.

They entered the kitchen, and Jordan watched as Ruby made them coffee. She turned to face Jordan, and caught him looking at her. "You okay?" She asked. "Mhm.. I just.. thank you." The Montgomery blurted. Ruby blinked in surprise, "For what?" She asked. "For being so nice to me.. after all of my hostility."

Jordan left the dorm room, wandering to the art room where he found Monica. "Hey." He said softly, as Monica spun around, clutching a small canvas in her hands. "Hey Jordy." Monica answered.

The younger Montgomery approached his sister, before looking at the canvas. It was a painting of Ruby, done by Hope. The Mikealson wanted to practice painting hair, so she used Ruby for her model. With detailed streaks, Hope had made a very detailed painting of Ruby's brown and pink hair.

"I think.. Hope knows." Monica managed to say. "What do you mean?" Jordan asked before Monica faced Jordan, her blue eyes peering into his. "I think Hope knows that Ruby is dead.. it's why she's not waking up."