Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hope was usually a great fighter. An excellent fighter even. However, when it is her friend that is attacking her, she does not fight back as strongly. She doesnt use her strength. Which was why she lost the magic battle against Josie in which the dark witch used a spell the tribrid didnt recognize. Hope collapsed , feeling her energy leave her. When her eyes opened, she was in a bed. In a one room apartment thing. She blinked in surprise and confusion and slowly pushed herself up into a seated position.

Klaus Mikaelson walked closer to the door of Stefan Salvatore’s apartment with Stefan himself by his side after a long night at the bar. He sighed contently. “Can’t you hear that?” He smirked looking over at his old friend. “It is the sound of Rebekah not annoying us to death.” He said clearly happy his sister had stayed behind last night, doing more shopping no doubt. Truthfully he didn’t care, so long as she stayed away for most part. He was beginning to wonder why he chose to undagger her in the first place. “I never did understand what you saw in her.” He chuckled softly. “Then again, I suppose I wouldn’t. Seeing as though she is my sister.”

Stefan chuckled a little at that. "No, I suppose you wouldnt." He said, thinking back to the memories he now had of a time he had thought he had mostly blacked out. He stopped as he reached the door and heard someone on the other side. "Do you hear that?" He questioned. He knew it wouldnt be Elena since that was earlier and he had scared her away. Finally convinced her that he didnt want her. Enough at least to keep her away.

Klaus frowned as he too suddenly heard the sound of someone inside the small apartment. He signaled for Stefan to be quiet for a moment and only after a few seconds, he forced the door open with no warning whatsoever. His focused and only slightly concerned expression soon changed into a smug one as he caught sight of a girl on Stefan’s bed. “Stefan.” He playfully scolded. “Poor girl. She must have been waiting here all night for you.” He chuckled. “Apologies. My friend here apparently does not remember when he schedules time with women. He’s charming like that.” He snorted looking the girl over a little. She did look a little bit younger than the girls his friend normally pursued. But he supposed he couldn’t really judge.

Hope inhaled sharply and froze at the sight of her father. She barely even heard the words that came out of his mouth. Her mind was turning on what could possibly have happened. How was he standing here right now in front of her? How did he not recognize her. Then she recognized Stefan. Two people who were dead.

"I've never seen her before in my life" Stefan said, defensive and concerned about the girl. He wanted to find out how he could help her. But he was ripper Stefan right now. Not good Stefan. "What's your name?"

"Hope" Hope said after a moment. "My name is Hope"

Klaus glanced over at Stefan curiously when he said he hadn’t ever seen the girl before. “Well she is in your apartment. And the door was not forced open...at least not prior to my doing.” He pointed out and then focused on the young girl who was apparently named Hope. Quite an unusual name. Not to mention she looked as though she had seen a ghost. “What are you doing here then? What do you want?” He asked taking a small step towards her. Although he didn’t appear menacing quite yet, it was clear the playfulness was gone from his eyes and was instead replaced with caution and hostility.

"I... I dont know what I'm doing here" Hope said finally. "I woke up on the bed, but I certainly did not fall asleep on it"

Klaus raised an eyebrow at her words, clearly not believing her in the slightest. “Right. You were randomly transported to an apartment.” He stated sarcastically. “Let me ask you again. What are you doing here, and what are you after? They are truly simple questions.” He smirked stepping closer to her.

"I dont know what I'm doing here. All I know is I was blasted with a spell I have never heard of and now I'm here" Hope said firmly, looking at him. She could let her pain and confusion hit her later. "And I'm not up to anything. You'd think I have some diabolical reason for being in his apartment?" She raised an eyebrow. "There isnt even much in here. What could I possibly be up to?"

Klaus frowned and crossed his arms as he listened to the girl. He definitely didn’t like her attitude. She sounded entitled and worst of all, she didn’t seem scared of him. Something that didn’t sit well with him in the slightest. “Spell. Alright, let’s say I am considering that insane explanation. Who cast the spell?” He questioned looking at her. “And more importantly, why? Surely you must have done something.Witches do not normally spell others for no reason, even as obnoxious as they are.”

"I was trying to get my friend back. Dark magic and her insecurities were controlling her" Hope replied. "As for who casted the spell, that isnt important" she said.

“Hm. Let’s see. You claim to have been blasted here with a spell. You look properly upset about it. Yet when I ask you to tell me the name of the witch who casted such spell, you claim it isn’t important.” Klaus said slowly. “Suspicious don’t you think?” He smirked and then glanced over at Stefan.

"Less about its importance and more about I dont want you to know about her." Hope said with a sigh

"You want to protect your friend." Stefan observed, watching her. "Even if she hit you with the spell that brought you here"

Hope nodded, her blue eyes lowering a little as she thought about her friend. About everyone really. It was true even if it wasnt exactly true. It seemed she was in the past somehow. But how far back?

Klaus frowned, now having realized that as well. Not that he truly cared. Unless she was there to plan anything against him, which he could tell she wasn’t. There was something going on, but it wasn’t anything he should be worried about. “Right. Well if you are through being transported to places, the door is right through there.” He said dismissively as he gestured towards Stefan’s apartment door.

Hope's heart ached at that. It felt as though she was being disowned, but that was ridiculous. He didnt even know who she was. Which hurt even worse. "Where am I anyways?" She wanted to ask the year.But she didnt want him to look at her with even more confusion.

“Chicago.” Klaus answered observing her carefully. He could tell there were things on her mind, but he didn’t care enough to ask. “What was the last place you were in before?” Maybe he could get a car for her and she could be on her way.

Hope sighed and frowned a little at that. "I was in Virginia. But going there wouldnt change anything. I'm all alone now" She checked her pockets. "And cashless" she said, sighing. "Whatever. I'll figure something out"

Klaus rolled his eyes, the girl’s problems not affecting him in the slightest. He did have bigger things to worry about after all. Which is why he wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible. “Here.” He said as he pulled out a couple hundred dollar bills from his wallet and held them out for her. “Now you have zero excuses in leaving my friend’s apartment.” He said with a sarcastic smile present on his lips.

Hope hesitated and took them. "Thank you" she said softly. She lowered her gaze a little and headed out of the apartment.

Stefan watched her leave curiously. "Did it seem like she recognized us?" He asked Klaus as he walked further inside and opened the secret door bookshelf. He added the name of a victim to the very long list from the 20s and then grabbed a bottle of Klaus' favorite drink before walking back over to him.

Klaus frowned at Stefan’s words, his gaze remaining on the empty space the girl had been standing in moments ago. “Slightly. I noticed it too. Though if she wanted revenge for something you or I did in our time here, she has a very poor way of executing it.” He chuckled softly. “Either way I’m not concerned.

She looked more lost rather than angry. And regardless, I doubt a fifteen year old girl is any match for the legendary original hybrid and the ripper of Monterey.” He smirked."Oh I'm not concerned either. It was merely an observation. Look what I found" Stefan said, passing him the bottle, label side up.

Klaus grinned at the sight of the bottle of his favorite drink. He took it in his hands and looked it over. “My. I haven’t seen one of these in a long time. Unfortunately it will have to wait. Possibility until we have something worth drinking to.” He sighed and carefully set it down, his mind now going to all his failed hybrids. “Come. We should see if the witch has made any progress.”

Stefan nodded slightly, knowing it was better not to argue. He needed Klaus to see he was on his side. Not to figure out that he wasnt. He glanced back around at the old apartment and memories before heading out.

Klaus headed out of the apartment as well. He hoped there was some type of solution already. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. He finally broke his curse, only to not be able to make more of his kind. “I swear I am going to kill this witch if she still does not have anything.” He muttered.

Chapter Text

Stefan continued walking with Klaus and then entered Gloria's bar once they arrived. He looked over at the witch, who was working on a solution. Or rather faking working on a solution as she tried to figure out what she wanted to know.

Klaus walked in the bar, his gaze immediately falling on the witch. He didn’t hesitate before walking over to her. “Have you found anything yet? Or must I use other...methods in order to motivate you?” He questioned with a smirk on his lips.

"I'm doing the best I can" Gloria said, looking at him. "These things take time." Her head then turned to the front door as the tribrid walked in. She could easily sense her power. "And who are you?" She asked, straightening up, eyeing the girl warily.

Hope swallowed a little as she ran into her dad yet again. "Hope" she said simply.

"Now this one radiates power. More than I've ever seen" Gloria said, looking at her curiously and cautiously.

Hope glanced between Klaus and Gloria. "I should go" she said, looking at the two and taking a step back.

Klaus had been close to threatening the witch. He was already feared before, but now that he broke his curse, he was ten times more powerful. However, He frowned as he listened the words exchanged when Hppe entered the bar. “Not so fast.” He smirked taking a step towards Hope. “And here I thought you were just a useless young girl. It appears I was wrong. Tell me, what exactly are you?” He hadn’t been able to tell when they first met, and he usually could. Which now concerned him considering the witch seemed so cautious of her. More than with Klaus himself it would seem.

"It doesnt matter what I am" Hope said, looking at him as she tightened her grip on the sketchbook she was holding, trying to keep her emotions under control

“Oh I believe it does.” Klaus said smugly. “Especially when I consider the way you are acting right now. So very nervous.” He smirked keeping his eyes locked on hers. “I do recommend you tell me willingly. If I have to make you, I cannot guarantee it will be pretty. Though I suppose it will be much more enjoyable for me and my friend Stefan here.”

"I'm a witch" Hope said. It was 33% true anyways. 50% if you exclude the vampire side she has yet to trigger. She couldnt say she was
Gloria looked at her doubtfully. She had connections to the other side. To a couple witches at least. And none of which were saying anything but that they could sense the girl was an abomination.

Klaus frowned at the answer. He could tell there was more to it. What that could be, he wasn’t sure. But he knew he would find out. “A witch. Excellent. In that case maybe you two can possibly find a solution to my problem.” He suggested though it was clear it wasn’t up to them. He needed to make more hybrids, and he didn’t care who he had to force or threaten so long as he got what he wanted.

Hope sighed in irritation. She really didnt want to have to stop her dad. But she also didnt want to risk compromising the future.. but if she just did the same as the witch, it wouldnt compromise anything yet. Whereas making a scene and attacking her father would. She needed to come up with a plan. "Fine. I'll hold off my plans to try to figure out the spell that sent me here to help you figure out your problem"
she said as she put the sketchbook and pencils (which she had bought to help calm herself)down on a table in the bar and walked over to the witch.

Stefan was watching Hope curiously , a bit worried about what she would find, but he didnt show it. Instead he went closer to the witches. "Do you know who we are?" He asked her, wanting to hear the truth, merely out of curiosity.

Hope looked at him before looking over at Klaus, ignoring the question. "What exactly are we supposed to be doing?" She asked

"She needs Rebekah if you want her to be able to help me find the necklace" Gloria told Klaus.

"There you two are" Rebekah said, walking inside Gloria's bar. "You left me. Rude, both of you. And who is this?" Her gaze was on Hope now. "A snack for the two of you?"

"Shes a witch. Powerful one apparently. Klaus wants to see if she can find the necklace" Stefan filled her in as he walked over to the bar, pouring himself a drink.

Hope straightened herself as she looked at Rebekah. "I'm Hope" she introduced herself.

“Yes well, you were being quite the pain dear sister.” Klaus retorted with a sarcastic smile on his lips, momentarily forgetting about Hope. It wasn’t until Rebekah questioned her existence that he remembered she was there. “Right. She somehow ended up in Stefan’s apartment. Apparently another witch quote, “blasted” her in there. If such a thing is even possible.” He said rolling his eyes as he clearly still didn’t fully believe her story. “Frankly if she cannot find the necklace either then I truly will wish she was a snack.” He snorted. “Come to think of it I am getting a bit peckish. What do you say we go find someone to drain once we are finished with this?” He asked looking at Stefan as his lips shaped into a smirk.

"Mmm. I could use a snack" Stefan said with a grin as he downed his glass

"Come on. Let's get this over with" Rebekah whined impatiently, holding her hand out to Hope. "I want my bloody necklace"

Hope looked up at her aunt Rebekah before taking her hand gently and closing her eyes, trying to sense something like she has been requested. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a girl that looked like Bonnie Bennett. Younger version. She listened and heard Stefan's name. The pieces fell together about what was exactly going on. She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer.

"Do you have anything?" Stefan asked. "Or are you useless as well?"

Hope kept her eyes closed for an extra moment. She let go of Rebekah, opening her eyes quickly. She placed a quick and whispered sleeping spell both on Gloria and Stefan before standing up as the two collapsed unwillingly.

Klaus had been watching intently as Hope tried to find the necklace he needed. When she opened her eyes, he was about to question her himself but Stefan beat him to it. He soon blinked in surprise however when Stefan suddenly collapsed. “What is this? What have you done to him?” He asked threateningly as he now glared at Hope. He didn’t do anything yet, but the wrong answer would very well end with her dead.

"I put them under a sleeping spell. Neither of them are on your side. I heard some girls talking about Stefan. Yes I know who you both are. Which means, chances are, he knows exactly where the necklace is. And as for the witch, Gloria, if I can figure this all out in a matter of seconds, she should have been able to as well. Clearly she doesnt want you to have the necklace either" Hope explained, looking at her dad. "Look, if I was against you, wouldnt I have done it to you instead?" She reasoned

Klaus was silent for a few minutes, simply letting that sink in. He wasn’t surprised about Gloria, seeing as he appeared to be an abomination to all witches. Even his own mother. And he never did trust her. But Stefan...that one did surprise him. And if he was honest, it even hurt him. He considered him his friend. Yet it turns out this whole time he had merely been humoring him. But of course he refused to let any of that pain show.

“Alright. Fine. Then tell me where the necklace is. If you aren’t against me as you in fact say.”

"Mystic Falls" Hope replied, looking at him. "Neither will wake up until I remove the spell"

"Well, you're coming with us" Rebekah said. "Just in case you are lying."

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Klaus mumbled mainly to himself. Of course Stefan didn’t want him poking around in Mystic Falls. Not where his precious friends were. He didn’t think the young witch was lying, but he couldn’t afford to take any chances. “Alright. Mystic Falls it is. Come on then...what was your name again?”

Hope sighed softly, wishing she could just be left out of it. She didnt know how much she could take. "My name is Hope" she said for the third time.

Rebekah picked up Stefan easily. "What do we do with him, Nik? He lied to us, assuming the witch is telling the truth"

“Right. Hope. Strange name.” Klaus mumbled thoughtfully before being snapped out of it by Rebekah. His gaze fell on Stefan’s collapsed form. Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment before it quickly disappeared. “We leave him. Clearly he was attempting to protect one of his less than worthy friends. I say we leave him with the knowledge that doing so, will only result in me possibly murdering them all.”
He smirked at the thought. “Slowly and painfully.”

Hope sighed softly as Rebekah dropped Stefan in a booth before stabbing him in the gut as payback. She tore her gaze away, hating how this was happening to him. That it was her fault because she couldnt just go along with things. "So does that mean you want me to wake him up?" the tribrid questioned, looking at him.

Klaus thought about it for a moment. His lips curled upwards as a thought came to mind. “Yes actually. I have the perfect plan for our traitor.” He said and took a seat at the booth across from Stefan. “Go on.” Hope sighed softly at that and woke up Stefan before turning away and grabbing her sketchbook.

Stefan's eyes slowly opened, and he pushed himself up and groaned at the feeling of wood in his stomach. He pulled it out painfully and tossed it to the ground. "What happened?

Klaus smirked as he looked at Stefan, hiding away any type of hurt emotions just like he was used to doing by now. “Oh I can tell you what happened. However you already know. You betrayed me. And whilst normally punishment for such a thing is death, I have something far, far worse.”

"What are you talking about?" Stefan questioned, looking confused.

"Drop the act. The person with the necklace was discussing you. And the necklace is in Mystic Falls. So chances are you know exactly who has it. Yet you didnt tell him" Hope said.

Klaus’ smirk widened a little as he listened to Hope. He had to admit he could get used to having someone actually being on his side for once. This girl just met him and yet she was already defending him far more than his siblings ever did. “Which means you were protecting them the entire time and this whole, you are now on my side thing was nothing but a ruse.” He looked directly into Stefan’s eyes then. “See, typically I would have ripped your heart out by now. However, I think my arrangement is far better. I am going to go to Mystic Falls. You are going to stay here until I tell you you are allowed to return.” He said, speaking each word slowly as he compelled him. “Which, if we’re honest, will be once I rip the heart out of whoever has the necklace.” He grinned.

Stefan felt the compulsion sinking in. His inability to move. To leave. "Klaus, dont do this" he said, looking at him, worry obvious in his eyes

Hope sighed softly and sat down, thinking of how much she had already changed things. For all she knew, she was already on the path to erasing her whole existence. To erasing the twins from being born. Her heart sank, and she swallowed hard. "What about making him come with us but having his humanity off and under your control completely? Once the humanity comes back, the guilt about whatever he does comes back hard" Hope suggested casually as she poured herself some water and took a sip

Klaus openly glared at Stefan, hating the plea that left his lips. He betrayed him and then he had the nerve to beg him not to act on his anger? “You pretended to be on my side and now you have the audacity to ask me to have mercy?” He questioned, clearly prepared to say more. Though of course then he heard Hope and instantly he smiled in satisfaction. He liked this girl, whoever she was. “What a wonderful idea, Hope. Not only will the outcome be the same, but now I get to personally witness his guilt. I have to say I love the way you think.” He smirked once more. “Very well. Change of plans. We are following Hope’s idea.”

Hope felt guilty, but she knew it had to be done. It was what had happened last time. Things were going to have to happen right. Even if she hated it. Besides, Stefan did betray her father. But still.... he did die for the town. She finished her drink and watched.
Stefan's heart sank at that, already dreading it and what would happen to Elena because of this. He just hoped Damon and Bonnie and Caroline would be able to protect her.

Klaus smirked in satisfaction as he observed Stefan’s expression. “Come on then. I want to get to Mystic Falls as soon as possible.” After all, the faster he found the necklace, the faster he could figure out why his hybrids weren’t surviving.

Stefan got up out of the booth, already dreading what was to come. He didnt say anything. There was no point. He couldnt pretend anymore. Klaus was about to learn the truth about Elena. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. Rebekah put down her glass, fighting her instinct to hurt Stefan again. His betrayal hurt her because she still loved him. "Come on" she told Hope before leading her out of the bar. Hope followed Rebekah, holding her sketchbook close to her as they made their way to where their vehicle was. She looked over at the blonde before looking away.

Klaus headed out, his mind only thinking of what everything would be like once he had his hybrids. He would truly be invincible. “I am curious to see who it was you were protecting.” He smirked as he glanced over at Stefan. “More than that, I suppose I’m curious what it will be like for you when I kill whoever it is. Or perhaps you should be the one to do it hm? Yes. That sounds like a better idea.”

Chapter Text

Several hours later, the group had finally arrived in Mystic Falls. Hope had been sketching a couple of landscapes while they drove. It was pretty great, considering the fact she was in a car with regular pencils instead of artistic pencils. She wanted to talk her father. Or tell Dr. Saltzman. But Dr. Saltzman didnt even have much experience at this point. And telling her father wouldnt get her anywhere. 

Klaus parked the car in front of his mansion in Mystic Falls and stepped out of the car, opening the passenger door for Hope, as he had made Rebekah sit in the back to watch Stefan. “You are a quiet one aren’t you?” He questioned looking at Hope. “Here I thought we could have bonded over your lovely torture ideas.” He smirked. 

"I was busy sketching" Hope said, climbing out of the car, holding her sketchbook as she looked around and stepped away from the car. She wondered if her dad, as she knew him, would be proud of her trying not to change things. Not that she was doing a good job of that. "I prefer painting personally, but I sketch sometimes" she told him, holding the sketchbook. Her mind was turning as she thought about some parts of her life. The life she was forced to leave for the second time. 

Rebekah got out of the car and dragged Stefan out forcefully. She was frustrated. Both with Stefan's betrayal and Klaus putting her in the backseat while the witch got the front seat. 

Klaus looked at her curiously. What were the odds? He never truly met anyone else who was interested in art, which was why, for a moment, he was distracted from his vengeful thoughts and the plan to get the necklace. “As do I. Prefer painting I mean.” He said softly. “I mainly only sketch to plan out future paintings.” He wanted to say more, but as Rebekah spoke he was snapped out of his thoughts.

"So what's the plan, Nik? Did you plan to search for the necklace or should i?" Rebekah questioned, wanting both her necklace and to find out what was Stefan Salvatore's big secret.

“I will. And I will take Hope with me. Seeing as Mystic Falls has the very obnoxious Bonnie Bennett, it is only fair I have much more powerful witch with me as well.” He then looked at Stefan and stepped closer to him so he could compel him.  

Hope smiled a little at that before it disappeared, her mind going to the first time she had painted with him. The only time.... The first day she had met him.  Stefan almost instinctively took a step back, but he knew it was no use. This was his punishment. And Klaus was faster and much more powerful. 

Klaus stepped closer to him. While on the outside he portrayed a smug expression, inside he truthfully just wanted Stefan to hurt after betraying him. As he look into his eyes, he spoke calmly. “Turn off your humanity. And do as I say, until I demand otherwise.” 

Elena wasn't there to help him fight it this time around. His pained eyes closed, and when he opened them again a moment later, his humanity was off. He felt free yet restrained at the same time. Restrained by his tie to what Klaus wanted and free from the guilt and the pain and the worry. 

Hope watched, feeling a bit guilty but knowing it had to be done. Everything had to happen as close as possible. Otherwise the whole future could change. And as much as the future sucked in some areas for her, she couldnt risk it getting worse. She needed to ensure she would be born. And so would the twins.  She needed to get back to Landon. 

Klaus smirked as he watched Stefan let go of the little bit of humanity he had left when he compelled him. “Well then. Now that we have that sorted, come along Hope. Let’s find that necklace.” He settled and looked over at Rebekah. “Babysit Stefan will you? I have important matters to tend to and anyone else will simply get in the way.” 

Rebekah scowled at that and nodded, holding back remarks, before nearly dragging Stefan into the house. "Come on, Stefan" she said. Stefan chuckled softly and followed her inside. Not that he had much of a choice. She was strong. 

Hope watched them go before looking at Klaus. "Alright. Let's go then" 

Klaus watched the two in satisfaction before turning his attention back to Hope. “Right. What exactly happened when you performed the spell?” He asked curiously, wanting to get an idea on where to start looking. 

"I saw two teenage girls" Hope said, looking at Klaus. "They were both brunettes. One was black and the other had olive totoned skin. They were talking about Stefan and wondering what bad things he was doing while off with you under your influence" 

 Klaus frowned at the description of the second teenager but didn’t think too much of it. He knew Elena Gilbert was dead and Katerina took off after he let her go. “Right. Well, let’s start with the local witch, Bonnie Bennett. With the right torture methods, anyone can be made agreeable.” He smirked. 

"I dont usually torture people in my spare time." Hope said casually. "I did torture my ex boyfriend once though" She looked at Klaus. "A truth spell is always handy too. I could do one on Stefan to have him tell us who exactly he knows that has the necklace."

It wasnt much of a difference than Klaus suddenly finding Elena at least. And she wanted him to know she was on his side. He was her father after all. She loved him. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

"While I'm trying to figure out the spell that brought me to Stefan's apartment, I plan on helping you" she said, looking at him. "And I'm not necessarily asking for anything in return. Except maybe a place to stay while I try to figure out the spell. But there is something I am looking for. A magical object. If you dont want to help me find one, I get it. I'm not only agreeing to help you if I get it. But I would appreciate it. It's a prism that lets someone talk to their subconsious. If you've ever seen or heard of one" 

Klaus felt a frown forming the more he listened to her. Ever since he met her there had been something off about her. Something he couldn’t quite place. Right now she was essentially trying to tell him how to do things, and instead of ripping her heart out, some minuscule part of him actually wanted to listen. 

Granted he ignored that part, but the fact that it was there in the first place troubled him. “I have no objection to you staying in this house. I won’t be here for a while once I find the necklace anyway. As for your magical object, I may have heard whispers of something like that. However, I cannot say I’ve come across one. Still, I see no harm in assisting you with it in my spare time. You might just be the only witch in existence who’s presence I can actually tolerate.” He snorted. “In regards to the necklace...I never said you had to partake in torture. Though it is my preferred method of interrogation.” He smirked and looked towards the house. “Especially to those who have betrayed me. Thank you for suggesting I begin with Stefan.” 

She couldnt help the small smile that formed on her face as he mentioned that he could tolerate her. Considering he didnt know her or the fact he had a child, this was touching. She knew he hadn't been fond of witches before, only using them when he needed them.

"Thank you" Hope said once he finished speaking. She really just wanted it to feel less alone here. To talk to Landon, even if it is fake. "As for the topic of betrayal, it isnt something I take lightly. The ex boyfriend I mentioned? He lured me into a trap that caused the death of my mother" She wasnt holding a grudge against him anymore. She knew it wasnt his fault. He had been brainwashed by his Nazi vampire mother. But....at the time, the betrayal had affected her strongly. So much she had closed herself off even more.

Klaus’ expression softened for a split second before it quickly returned back to normal. Sympathy and pity weren’t emotions he normally experienced, certainly not to total strangers. “My condolences then.  For your mother. I am glad you got your revenge against that man. It may not bring her back, but at least you have the satisfaction of looking back and knowing you gave him hell just as well.” He said simply. He was silent for a few seconds, and eventually spoke again. “The necklace I am searching for is to communicate with my mother. When I was young she placed a curse on me. And now that I’ve broken it, there are certain aspects of it that aren’t exactly as they should be.”

Hope listened to him and nodded. "Thank you for telling me" she said, appreciating the information even though she already figured that out. "I will do what I can to help you figure out why things arent as they should be" Hope said softly

Klaus gave her a nod, truly surprised a stranger was willing to pledge her loyalty to him so easily while his own siblings were not. “I suppose I should thank you as well. For your assistance. It isn’t easy for anyone to do that when it comes to me. Certainly not witches. I am what the entirety of the world calls an abomination. A hybrid. Both werewolf and vampire.” 

"You're not an abomination. You're different. You're unique. But that doesnt have to be a bad thing."  Hope said, thinking of what her mother had told her once or twice in the past. 

Klaus blinked slowly, genuine surprise clouding his features for a moment until a small, but genuine smile formed on his lips. It disappeared just as quickly, but it had been there. “I suppose I’ve never quite heard that. Especially given the fact that the curse my mother placed on me was to keep my werewolf side dormant. Now that I’ve broken it, I want nothing more than to create more of my kind. In a way...it is my revenge towards her.” At least that was part of it. The other part being of course that he didn’t wish to be alone. But he chose not to say that. 

Hope nodded at his words. She knew how it felt to be the only one of her species. She knew it felt lonely at times. Like your existence was a mistake. A random chance. And it didnt help that the witches think neither her or her father should exis More so her than her father. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you, having part of yourself locked up inside." And to think she nearly let it happen to herself. 

Klaus shifted his gaze away from her and nodded. “It feels like...” He sighed softly. “Like being chained up in the smallest of cages. The more you struggle, the harder they grip at you, all while the cell closes in tighter and tighter.” He explained quietly, never having been that open with anyone about it. “It’s impossible to understand unless you have been through it, but that is the best way I can explain it. Just imagine how you would feel if your magic was suddenly taken from you. Knowing you are a witch, yet not being able to perform a single spell.” 

Hope nodded a little at that, frowning at the mere thought of her father going through it. "And you've suffered with that for a thousand years?" She said quietly. 
 
Klaus nodded in confirmation and slowly looked back at her. “Yes. Just a little over a thousand years. I finally broke it recently. However, when I attempted to turn werewolves into hybrids, they only died. 
Seeing as my mother created the curse, I figure she must have the answers as to why it is failing.” 

"Well, we should go find the necklace then" Hope said, looking at him, knowing they had gotten distracted from the goal by their personal talk

Klaus nodded, slowly coming back to reality. “Right. I suppose you performing that truth spell on Stefan would get us the answer quicker. I can always torture him later.”

Hope nodded and went inside the house. She went over to Stefan and casted the truth. "Did you give Rebekah's necklace to anyone?"

Stefan looked at Hope. "Yes" he said.

"Who did you give it to?" Hope questioned.

"Elena Gilbert" The vampire answered.

Klaus followed Hope into the house and watched as she performed the spell. When he heard the answer Stefan gave he blinked in surprise. “Elena Gilbert is alive?” He smirked. “Ah. Suddenly it all makes sense.  Why you wanted to keep me away from finding the necklace.” He chuckled in disbelief. “No matter. Now I get to kill her twice. Luckily for me, you no longer care.”

"Wait" Hope said, looking over at Klaus. "We should find the necklace and communicate with your mother first. That should remain our priority" Especially since Elena surviving was crucial.

Klaus frowned when he heard Hope speak. Instantly his paranoid self wanted to get the best of him, but he did his best to push that feeling away. So far Hope had proven she was on his side. And he did need to get the necklace. “Fine. Though after that, I’m having Stefan rip out her heart himself.” He muttered before heading out of the house. 

Hope glanced over at Stefan before following Klaus out of the house. "Alright. So if Elena has the necklace, where would she be?" 

  “We can check her house first.” Klaus suggested knowing even if he didn’t find her there, he could always get her there by using her family. They were her weakness. Something he learned when he first met her. 

Hope nodded at his words. "Alright then. Let's go" she said, looking over at him. "Lead the way"

Klaus nodded and held out his hand to her. “We will get there faster using vampire speed.” At this point all he wanted was to get the necklace. He could leave torturing both Elena and Stefan for later.

"Alright." She said softly. Hope nodded and took his hand without hesitation, something that was unusual for Klaus. She clearly trusted him.

Klaus blinked when Hope suddenly took his hand. He stared at her, both confused and shocked for a second, not really knowing what to say. Eventually he decided his questions would have to wait. Right now finding the necklace was more important. Which was why he held her hand firmly and sped over to Elena Gilbert’s house. 

Chapter Text

Hope looked at the house as they arrived and stepped towards it. She had never gotten to see this house since it burnt down before she was born. 

Klaus slowly let go of Hope’s hand when he reached the house. He stepped closer to the door and knocked. “You might have to go in and force her to give up the necklace. Seeing as though I am not invited in.” 

Hope nodded and waited patiently. 

Elena scrubbed her hair as she heard the knock. She headed downstairs, frowning curiously. She opened the front door and gasped, stumbling back a little in fear. "Klaus" she said, not even registering the other person there.

Klaus smirked as he came face to face with Elena. “Elena.” He greeted smugly. “Whilst I’d love to hear all about how you survived the ritual, I’m afraid I have more urgent matters at the moment."

Elena took off further into the house. Hope sighed and followed her, raising up her fisted hand until it was near her head.. "Corporis impetus!" She casted, causing Elena to freeze in her spot. Hope walked over until she was in front of her.

"Stefan Salvatore gave you a necklace. Where is it?"

"I dont have it" 

"Then who does?" Hope asked. Elena didnt answer the question. Hope then casted the truth spell. "Who has the necklace Stefan gave you?"

"Bonnie Bennett" Elena said against her will 
Klaus smirked as he came face to face with Elena. “Elena.” He greeted smugly. “Whilst I’d love to hear all about how you survived the ritual, I’m afraid I have more urgent matters at the moment

” He casually leaned against the doorframe, watching Hope do as he asked with a slightly proud expression in his eyes. She was definitely a useful one to have around. “Ah. The witch was going to be my second guess. 

Tell me, where can we find Bonnie?”

"I dont know" Elena said.

"Where is the last place you knew she was?" Hope questioned. 

Elena struggled against an answer but ended up saying. "She was in town square." 

Hope removed the spell, and suddenly Elena could move again. She moved to rush upstairs but hit a barrier spell. 

Klaus grinned in satisfaction when he heard Elena’s answer. “Excellent. Though of course I should bring you with me as...say, insurance. On the chance she does not want to give me the necklace.” He said thoughtfully as his lips shaped into a smirk. “Hope. Bring her along would you?” 

Hope nodded and took Elena's arm before undoing the spell. She led her out of the house

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping him? What has he promised you?" Elena questioned. 

"That is none of your business" Hope said, leading her out of the safety of her home. 

Klaus chuckled softly hearing Hope’s response. He found himself liking her a lot more than he thought it possible seeing as he never liked anyone. “You know sometimes people simply choose to help me for no ulterior motive. As much as that is hard for you to believe.” He smirked as he began walking towards the town square. 

Elena scoffed at that and shook her head a little. "Where's Stefan?" She questioned, looking ahead as she walked with Hope, not having much of a choice.

“In town. Not caring about you no doubt.” Klaus said smugly. “I must admit it was quite satisfying to watch him give up every sliver of humanity he had left.” 

"You're lying. Stefan wouldnt do that" Elena said, swallowing hard as she looked ahead. 

"He's not lying. I saw him do it" Hope commented, not mentioning her father's use of persuasion or the fact it had been her idea. 

Klaus smirked, enjoying the way Hope seemed to be not only on his side, but also endlessly approving his methods of dealing with Elena. He guessed this was what it was like to be around someone who was similar to him. He never really experienced it before. “Oh but he did. And you will actually see it with your own eyes soon enough. After I get my necklace of course.” 

Elena swallowed at that and fell silent, her heart sinking. She wanted to see Damon. To warn him. But she couldnt. She was stuck with Klaus and this girl. This witch.

Klaus reached the town square and smirked as he spotted Bonnie Bennett. He didn’t hesitate before walking up to her and speeding her into the nearest alleyway. “Now then. You have something that belongs to me. I’d like it back.” He said calmly as he held her tightly by her neck. 

Bonnie gasped and struggled against his grip. She knew any spell she had wouldn’t work against him. He was too strong now that his curse was broken and even before then. 

“Where is the necklace that Elena gave you?” Klaus asked as he let her go so she could speak. 

 “I-I don’t have it here.” 

“Yes I see that. Where is it? I’m not asking again.” 

Hope watched where he went even though she couldnt see much, and she headed into that direction, still holding onto Elena. She reached the alley. "You're Bonnie Bennett, I assume" Hope said casually as she looked at Bonnie. "I would get him the necklace if I were you" 

Bonnie looked towards the unfamiliar voice and her eyes widened slightly when she saw Elena with the stranger. Hesitantly she looked back at Klaus, not really knowing what to do for a second. Eventually she spoke. “It’s at my house. I can get it for you.” 

Klaus smirked. “Excellent. That wasn’t so difficult now was it?” 

Hope looked over at Elena beside her for a moment, hating that she needed to hold her like this. But it was crucial to Elena surviving in the end. She looked at Klaus. "I'm guessing you want me to go with her?" She asked

Klaus thought about it for a moment before nodding in confirmation. “Yes. I’ll take care of Elena.” He said smugly. “Perhaps I’ll take her to see Stefan. Meet me back at the house when you get the necklace. 

"I will" Hope said, hoping her father wouldn't be rash and make Elena and Stefan suffer now. She needed to confirm that Elena needed to survive."Lead the way" she told Bonnie after letting go of Elena. 

Bonnie met Elena’s eyes for a second, clearly worried about her but also knowing there wasn’t much she could do except do what Klaus wanted. She slowly turned away then and began heading towards her house. 

Klaus smirked. “Now then. Come along. I’m certain you’d like to see Stefan no?” 

Chapter Text

Elena's face hardened in frustration as she tried to force down her fear. "Why do you want the necklace so badly?" she questioned

Bonnie walked silently for the first few minutes. Once she was sure she was far enough away from Klaus, she stopped and looked at Hope. "You know you don't have to this right? If he threatened you or your family in some way...I can help you. But you have to let me."

"He's not threatening me. I have my reasons for wanting to help him, none of which I can tell you" Hope said.

She honestly wouldnt be surprised if the witch went into a speech about balance of nature and all of that. Which really bothered her. Not because she agreed but because she didnt. It was just annoying and painful to hear her father was an abomination. A monster. He's not.

Bonnie frowned at her words. "What reasons could you possibly have for helping someone like that? Whatever he promised you, I can guarantee it's not worth it."

Hope scowled at her words. "He didnt have to promise me anything. I'm helping him because I want to. Now come on. I need you to give me that necklace. And I'd really rather not have to fight you for it." 

Bonnie's frown deepened. She resumed her walk to her house but she still spoke once more. "Well than I don't understand. I don't understand what motivation you could possibly have to want to help a monster like him. Not unless you're a monster yourself. But the thing is, I don't think you are. You seem kind and honest. Two things he definitely isn't. So then why?"

"Don't call him that" Hope said as they walked. "Don't call him a monster. You barely know him. So, what, he breaks a curse that has been on him for a thousand years. And you think that automatically means you can call him a monster? It wasnt his fault he had a curse on him. Nor was it his fault that killing was crucial to breaking the curse" Hope said. At this point, Bonnie hadn't known Hope's father for long. She didnt know about his history.

Bonnie was a little surprised that Hope suddenly jumped to his defense like that when even his own brother tried to kill him. "I never said it was his fault. But he didn't even try to find another way. And more than that, he enjoyed it. He toyed with each one of us with a wicked smile on his face. He's not a monster because he chose to broke the curse. It's how he did it. Even his own brother tried to kill him.  The only reason he didn't was because Klaus promised him the rest of the family."

Hope sighed softly and continued walking, clearly not agreeing with Bonnie. "It still doesnt make him a monster." She said firmly. "But I dont care what you think. All I care about right now is getting that necklace back to him. You dont know anything about me or why I am choosing to help him. And you dont need to know"

Bonnie didnt know how much she had been forced to endure in the past four years. How much it hurt to see him again. How much she missed the love of her life. She sighed softly, thinking.

"I'm just saying." Bonnie said as she reached her house and walked up the steps. "His own brother conspired to end his life, that doesn't exactly make him sound like a hero. But you're right. I don't know anything about him. And yet he killed my best friend and her aunt. I don't know about you but when someone hurts the people I care about, I don't suddenly sympathize with them."

"Your best friend was part of the curse. There was no way around it. Besides, she's fine now. And my guess is her aunt was retaliation for one of you screwing up his original plan. As for his brother, you never should have counted on him helping stop him. That family may fight, but in the end, they are loyal." Hope said, following her up the stairs.

Bonnie sighed and shook her head. "Yeah. Well where were you a few months ago when he was around insisting he wanted to kill Klaus?" She muttered and unlocked her door. "It's obvious you're never going to share my point of view when it comes to Klaus, mainly because you weren't here to witness all he did. But if you want some advice? Just be careful around him okay?"

"I wasnt here" Hope said vaguely as she went up to the door. "I dont plan on being here long if I get my way. But if I don't, you'll probably be seeing more of me" She sighed softly as her heart longed for her to reunite with Landon. For a brief moment, it was obvious she was sad. Her blue eyes lowered slightly before looking back at the door, waiting for the witch to go in. "And believe me, I'll be careful in this town in general. I'd rather not get killed before I can get home"

Bonnie looked at her curiously, her expression softening slightly before she reached to open the door.  "Can I ask then?" She asked softly as she entered her house and held the door open for her. "What exactly are you planning to accomplish? I mean whatever it is I'm sure my friends and I can help you far better than Klaus can. And without any personal interest."

"He's not helping me with this. He's just letting me stay at his place while I figure out what I need to"  Hope said simply and walked inside the house, glancing around. "All you need to know is I was hit by a spell, and I'm trying to find out more about it. The details dont matter because I'm not asking for your help. I can handle this on my own" Besides, it was better not to get people involved.

"Right. Well, as vague as that is, I'm still offering my help to you. But if you don't want it then I can't really do much about that." Bonnie said simply and walked further into her living room. "I just hope you're able to figure out everything you need to before Klaus forces you to do something even worse  than dragging my friend along the town square like a dog." She mumbled as she reached into a small wooden box, pulling out the necklace. "Here."

"He's not forcing me to do anything." Hope said, reaching over and taking the necklace. She ran her thumb over the front of the talisman. "Thank you. I doubt you know where this is. Since you've been practicing for, what, a year? Two? But you dont happen to know where I can find a prism that let's you talk to your subconscious, do you?" She really just wanted to see Landon. Even if it was fake. "Forget it, you probably havent" Hope said, putting away the necklace safely and looking at her before heading back towards the front door.

"Wait." Bonnie called out despite her better judgment. This girl may be a witch. But she was exactly the type of witch she needed to avoid. The ones who didn't respect nature or it's balance. Not to mention the ones who helped anyone just to get something they wanted. "I haven't heard of it before. But maybe my grams had. There's still a lot of her stuff I haven't gone through ever since she passed away." Her eyes saddened a little at the memory. "Maybe there's something there."

Hope stopped and turned back to Bonnie for a moment. "I'll be back." She said and went forward. She started down the steps and turned to look back at Bonnie. "Your friend is going to live. Dont repeat that to anyone. But she's going to be fine. I'll do what I can to ensure it" She continued heading down the steps

Bonnie blinked slowly at her words, wondering how she could possibly know that or why she even cared. "How do you know that?" She finally asked as she followed after her. There was no way she was going to leave her best friend in the hands of Klaus. "I mean no offense since you seem to be permanently on Klaus' side, but he will kill her. I'll do everything in my power to stop him but...now that he broke the curse...that isn't much."

"It's not important how I know. I was trying to provide you some sort of relief, but it clearly has no impact. As long as you don't breathe a word of me acknowledging what I said, everything will turn out relatively fine. If you do, you might as well get her killed." Hope continued to walk, pulling out the necklace and holding it, She could feel the talisman's power. "I don't plan on being here long. So hopefully you all will be without my involvement very soon" she said, wanting to get back to Landon.

Bonnie frowned slightly as she listened to her. She could tell there was something going on. Something far beyond her willingly choosing to help Klaus despite the type of person he so clearly was. "I won't say  anything. I don't want anything to happen to her. But...you need to answer some things. Like for instance, who are you? And how do you know so much about what will or won't happen to Elena?"

"My name is Hope. And, like I said, that's not important. It doesnt matter how I know things" Hope said. "What does matter is getting this back to him"

She looked down at it a little and sighed softly, thinking of the talisman she had given Josie. Josie..... hopefully everyone would survive without her there to help.  Or how did time travel even work? She would ask Landon or MG, but they arent even born yet. She glanced over at the witch beside her, thinking a bit. She wished she had more knowledge of what needs to happen

"No it isn't. Maybe that's all that matters to you. But you can't just say something like what you just said and expect me to be all nonchalant." Bonnie said giving her a pointed look. "So just tell me. Even if you supposedly can't tell me everything, there has to be something you can say. You're worried about something. I can tell. I'd like to help. But I can't if you're not honest with me."

"I'm worried I wont be able to get back to the love of my life" Hope said. "But trust me, you can't help with that. So no need for you to worry about my life problems. I'm used to handling things by myself. This is no different. And I said that to try to provide you some comfort. I learned from my mistake" she scowled a little as she walked. "But you can call it a witch's intuition if you wish. Just stay quiet"

Bonnie's expression turned sympathetic at her words. It was obvious the girl wasn't used to anyone looking out for her. And now she seemed to be separated from the one person she seemed to have let in. "You shouldn't have to handle things yourself." She whispered as she walked with her. "And I told you, I can help. You just have to trust me." She said but didn't say anything else when they reached the mansion.

Chapter Text

Hope approached the mansion and walked inside, showing Klaus the necklace. "I got it." She said, looking at him.

Klaus grinned standing up from the couch and setting his now empty glass down. "I had no doubt you would." He smirked as he observed the necklace in her hand. "Come. I will need your help for what I want to do with it." He said giving her a look.

"I'll do what you need me to do" Hope nodded slightly and went over towards him, ready to follow him if he wanted her to contact Esther somewhere else.

Klaus gave her a small nod and led her further into the house, eventually choosing to step inside his art room. He left the door open for her and began to cover up most of his paintings, not only did he not feel like looking at them but he also didn't have any interest in having Hope see them either.

Hope followed Klaus into the art room and looked around a little before looking at Klaus. She then started doing what he needed her to do. She nearly grimaced at the words the witches told her about being an abomination. But she kept her face neutral and focused on Esther Mikaelson. She then opened her eyes again and set the necklace down on an art table.

Klaus was observing Hope carefully, his mind reeling with thoughts about what it would be like once he got an answer from his mother. He would finally be able to create hybrids. To make others like him. 
Perhaps then, he wouldn’t feel so alone or out of place. Perhaps then, he would truly belong.

"She said you need to kill the doppelganger to create more hybrids", she said, she said, hoping Klaus would figure out it meant the opposite. He must have last time.

Klaus frowned “Well clearly that’s not it. I did kill the doppelgänger. I did the ritual perfectly.” Otherwise the curse wouldn’t have broken anyway. “Tell me. How exactly did she tell you? Was it easy?  Did you simply ask and she answered?”

"It seemed too easy. I asked, and she answered. She said you couldnt make hybrids if Elena was alive.  But... now that I'm thinking about it, why would she want to help you create more hybrids? She put the curse on you in the first place. Wouldnt it be a cruel, dramatic irony if needing to kill her in the ritual was exactly what prevented you from creating hybrids?" She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, most 
witches think of you as an abomination. I dont. But like you said, I've been the only one so far. And most witches are all about the balance of nature. If they thought you were an abomination, why would she want to help you create more?"

“Exactly.” He mumbled, agreeing with her. “She would never give up that information. Part of me hoped she would, but I certainly didn’t think it would happen in the first five seconds you asked. I was truthfully preparing myself for some type of blackmail. However if she told you, then I know she was lying. Besides. I doubt the doppelgänger’s death would affect my hybrids. The problem doesn’t come initially.  They do turn. The problem comes with the...” He trailed off as he suddenly got an idea.

“The transition. The second I feed them human blood they begin to die. What if...” His eyes widened slightly. “I had to kill the doppelgänger to break the curse. It was the way she made it be. Because she knew that once I killed her, there would never be another hybrid to walk the earth. Or abomination as she’d call it. What she didn’t count on, was Elena Gilbert having the entire town of Mystic Falls trying to save her life.”

"So you think you need her blood to complete the transition of your hybrids?" Hope guessed even though she knew the answer. Stefan's journals hadn't been detailed about everything that had happened. But she knew that much. "I mean, I guess it would make sense" she said with a nod. "That way she ensures you would never create another hybrid. That you would be the only one of your kind forever."

Klaus scoffed softly at his current thoughts. “Yes. Well. That does sound exactly like her.” He lowered his gaze to the floor. “It’s funny. All this time I spent it trying to break her curse so that I may be my true self. Yet now I realize, that was not the real curse. Or at least not all of it. Her curse was dooming me to suffer from one of the cruelest fates. The ultimate curse. To finally be a hybrid, and yet be forced to walk the earth alone for the rest of eternity. With no one to understand or...” He exhaled softly and shook his head. “Forget it. It matters not. Now I know what I have to do and soon enough I will have an army by my side.”

Hope looked over at him, her gaze a bit soft. She knew how it felt to be the only one of your kind. To feel completely alone, like no one could understand what it felt like. She sighed softly and loooked away, nodding a little. "Well, fortunately, her plans did not go as she wished. So now you can make the hybrids you want. Assuming our theory is correct. Arent there werewolves in this town you can test it on? What was their name? The Lockwoods?"

Klaus nodded though his thoughts were still on his mother. He briefly wondered if she truly hated him that much, that all she wanted was to make him suffer. Did she not know how miserable he was? “Right. 
The Lockwoods.” He said absentmindedly before slowly coming back to reality. “How did you know that?” He frowned. “About the Lockwoods?”

"I do my research on towns with supernatural activity. And that sure includes this town" Hope replied, chuckling softly as she thought about the history of this town. "Its better to know a good bit more than necessary than to know too little. I personally haven't met any Lockwoods or anything. But I do know about them." She was slightly worried she had overstepped. That she showed she knew too much. But she hoped he would believe what she said. It wasnt the first time she had lied or withheld the truth.

Besides, it was true. In a way at least. "Its easier to find details about a small town's supernatural species than about, say, the vampires in New York or New Orleans. Or California"

Klaus raised an eyebrow as he listened to her. He didn’t know her well enough to be able to tell if she was lying or not. But he also didn’t dismiss the possibility. Everyone was guilty to him until proven innocent.

“Well. I suppose I do not disagree. However I am simply surprised. Their werewolf curse isn’t something many are aware about unless you go back a few generations. You seem so young I didn’t take you for a history fanatic.”

It was clear he was suspicious, but not to the point where he grew too paranoid. Simply to the point when he would be researching more about her as soon as he got the chance.

  "Well, you haven't known me long enough. I've done plenty of research throughout the years" Hope said, looking at him. "I enjoy reading as well as painting. And training." She looked at him, clearly honest about her words this time. She also looked a little pained. "And my family thought it was important for me to know supernatural history. But my hobbies aren't exactly what is important right now" she reminded him.

Klaus observed her curiously, noticing the slight pain in her eyes. Eyes that looked very similar to his own now that he thought about it. “Hm. It appears we have some things in common.” He said quietly. It was strange. He never identified so well with another person before.

Especially not one who was so dedicated to helping him. “But you’re right. Testing out our theory with the werewolves is what is important right now. I’ll gather up some blood from the doppelgänger.”

Hope nodded at his words and inhaled sharply before heading out of the art room, trying to keep her emotions in check. She's done it before. She had to watch Landon be with Josie. Watch Josie being jealous of her and acting hostile. Dr. Saltzman looking at her as though she was a stranger. She could handle this. No matter how much it hurt.

Chapter Text

Elena watched them cautiously before looking back at Bonnie. Her previously scared and cold look softening at the sight of her friend. "Bonnie..." she sighed softly, wishing her friend wasnt dragged into this.

"Hey, Bonnie. Long time, no see" Stefan greeted with a mocking grin before it faded as he downed his glass, feeling a bit hungry but knowing Klaus probably wanted him to stay put.

Bonnie sighed softly, feeling relieved Elena still appeared to be okay and not harmed. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked softly before shifting her gaze to Stefan for a moment. It was clear there was something wrong with him. He didn't have the same kind and caring tone he always had.

"I'm fine. Stefan's humanity is off" Elena said, swallowing a little as she looked over at her ex.

Bonnie's eyes widened slightly at the information, though she didn't have much time to process it as soon Rebekah addressed her.

"So you're the witch that tried to kill my brother" Rebekah said, looking at Bonnie.

"I did." She confirmed making sure to keep any fear out of her voice. "Courtesy of your other brother, Elijah."

Rebekah rolled her eyes a little at that. "And then Niklaus locked my brother back in one of his boxes he keeps around for us." She said and poured herself a drink. "It was rather rude of you to go and give my necklace over to another girl, Stefan. Even if you didnt remember our history together"

"Are you expecting some apology? Some chocolates in a heart shaped box? Maybe some flowers? I dont care about you. Or your precious, fragile heart. Frankly, I dont care about either of you." Stefan said.
"I'm only here because of Klaus."

"You're an ass" Rebekah said sourly. "You were so much more fun in the 20s"

Bonnie blinked in surprise as she listened to Rebekah and Stefan's conversation. "Wait. You two knew each other?"

"Throughout the 20s, yes. In Chicago" Rebekah said. "He quite enjoyed playing with his victims then, and he got along with my brother. So much so my brother didnt kill him for being with me"

Bonnie frowned, immediately disliking every word that came out of her mouth. "Well, humanity or not, it seems he came back to his senses considering how dismissive he is of you now."

"You don't know anything about me" Rebekah said, scowling a little at the witch's words. If it were up to her, she would have already ripped the girl's throat out

"You're right I don't. But you're not exactly making it easy for me to believe you're a good person." Bonnie said with a slight frown.

"I never said I was. Though neither is Stefan, based on your moral scale. Stefan was the life of the party in the 20s. He had a list of victims. Everyone he killed all written on a wall. He even taught Niklaus tricks, such as choosing a victim and making a husband drink his wife's blood" Rebekah said, causing Stefan chuckle at the memory.

"I ought to try that sometime if your brother decides to let me loose instead of ordering me around. I would be much better company" Stefan said with a smirk.

"Mmm. I'm sure you would be" Rebekah said, taking a seat beside Stefan, despite her previous frustrations with him.

Klaus' gaze remained on Hope for a few more seconds before finally following her out of the room. He headed into the basement first to get what he needed and then made his way into the living room.

He approached Elena and looked at her with a smirk. "Now then. Stay still." He ordered as her began looking for a vein in her arm.

Elena tensed up as Klaus approached. "What are you doing?" She questioned nervously. She knew there was no point fighting it. She could tell, but she was confused on why he needed her blood. And she knew it was useless to fight

Rebekah frowned slightly at what Klaus was doing, looking curious and confused. "Does this mean we can't kill her?" She asked, still a bit irritated Stefan had given her necklace away

Klaus ignored Elena's question as he carefully inserted the needle in her arm and made sure her blood was actually coming out. "Not just yet. There's something I need to be certain of." He said briefly glancing at Rebekah before turning his attention back to Elena.

After Damon searched throughout the town he finally noticed there was a car near the mansion Klaus had been staying in just a few months ago. He frowned and sped up to it, not hesitating as he went inside. His eyes widened when he saw Elena and then Stefan appearing completely casual. What was wrong with him?

"Damon." Klaus smirked but didn't take his gaze off Elena. "Take care of him for me will you Hope?"

Hope did a hand motion, and suddenly Damon was flying back against the wall as she walked closer to him. She didn't really want to fight the man that donated the Salvatore house to be the school. So she was slightly hesitant.

"Damon, I was wondering when you would show up. After all, we all know how hopelessly you rush to Elena's rescue" Stefan said, standing up and going to pour himself a glass.

Damon groaned softly as his back collided with the wall. He forced himself to ignore Stefan's comment for now, since it was now obvious to him that his humanity was off or he was compelled. Either way he couldn't deal with him right now. His priority was Elena. Grabbing the first sharp object he could get his hands on, he didn't hesitate before shoving it deep into Hope's stomach.

Klaus quickly looked away from Elena when he heard the sound and his eyes widened in both shock and concern. He normally wouldn't have cared if some random witch died, but she was different. She was the only person who didn't see him as an abomination. "Rebekah help her. Now." He called out knowing  he had to deal with Damon.

Hope gritted her teeth in pain as she felt the sharp object go into her stomach. She placed a sleeping spell on Damon and slowly pulled out the sharp object, tossing it to the side. She could feel her body starting to heal itself since the wound wasn't fatal enough to kill her before she could heal.

Rebekah scowled but went to help her. She bit into her wrist to help her but stopped before she did anything. "Nik, she is healing"

Klaus felt relieved as Damon suddenly collapsed on the floor thanks to Hope's spell, as that was one less thing he had to deal with. When he heard Rebekah however he finally tore his attention away from Elena completely and quickly walked over to Hope.

"Wait what? That's impossible." He frowned observing the wound that was sure enough, healing. "How did you do that?" He whispered meeting Hope's eyes.

Chapter Text

"It doesn't matter." Hope said, looking at Klaus, despite the fact that her wound healed faster than it would for any vampire or werewolf. It was better that he didn't know. Her wound was now already fully healed, and her heartbeat was easily strong again. "I'll, uh, go clean up the blood" Her blood didn't even smell fully human. 

Klaus blinked slowly as he watched her go. For a second he actually debated getting back to his task but as he caught the scent of her blood he knew he couldn’t do that. Clearly there was something going on here. Something he needed to figure out. “Watch Elena.” He mumbled absentmindedly to Rebekah before quickly following after Hope. “It does matter.” He said speeding in front of her, stopping her in her place. “What are you? Clearly not a witch.”

She couldn’t be. No witch could heal that fast. She hadn’t even performed a spell anyway. 

"It has no impact on what you are doing so it doesn't matter." Hope said, looking at him. "I just want to help you and figure out the spell that put me in Stefan's room in Chicago and reverse engineer it so I can fix my situation. That's all. If I tell you what I am...."

Hope shook her head and sighed softly. Everything would change. She might not even be born. Or the twins wouldn't be. The school might not be created. 
She might never get to meet the boy she loves so much. There was too much at stake. And she was stupid enough to stay. She sighed sadly. 

Klaus frowned as he listened to her, slowly becoming more confused the more she spoke. He didn’t like not knowing things, and it seemed this girl was determined to keep the truth from him. “It matters to me.” He finally said. “Look. I am pleased you are actually helping me. Not many would. In fact, close to no one would. But there’s something you are obviously hiding. I’m not asking for your life story. I am simply asking you a question. One that shouldn’t be different to answer unless what you are hiding does in fact affect me.” 

He had no idea how much it affected him, Hope thought a little. She was silent as she considered her options. She could show him she was a werewolf. Hope that was enough to keep him from finding out she was a tribrid. His daughter. If she didn't, she might mess things up further. Distract him from what he needed to do. He might do his best to figure it out and somehow come up with the right solution. If she chose a partial truth..... perhaps the consequences wouldn't be so bad. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, her eyes a werewolf gold with amber highlights. 

Klaus inhaled sharply when he saw her eyes. “You’re...you’re a hybrid.” He whispered staring at her in disbelief. “How...”

He shook his head. It seemed impossible. Though he supposed it also seemed impossible to other people when one spoke of a werewolf and vampire hybrid. Suddenly a lot made sense however. Why she wanted to help him. How could she not when she too understood the pain of being cast aside for being different? 

Tribrid, Hope corrected silently but didn't dare say aloud. It was already dangerous enough showing him she was a, as Landon and Kaleb had put it, a were-witch. If he knew the full truth, everything could be different. She nodded a little. "I am" she said softly. "I triggered the werewolf gene a few years ago, and I've been practicing magic my whole life" 

Klaus smiled a little, feeling an inexplicable sense of delight. He never came close to meeting anyone that truly under stood him. Hope seemed to, but he never knew why until now. She was like him. 

“I suppose everything makes sense now.” He mumbled. “I was confused on why you were interested in helping me. Especially as a witch. But now that I know what you truly are, I understand. We are alike you and I. Different from the rest of the world.” 

Hope nodded a little at his words. Her reasons for helping him were more personal and complicated than what he thought. "Yes we are. I know how it feels to be the only one of your kind." Difference is, she couldn't exactly make someone a tribrid. Even if she wanted to. She could make hybrids. Or heretics, she supposed, but not tribrids. "To not feel like you truly belong. Not with the vampires. Not with the werewolves. Not with the witches." She looked down slightly before looking back at him. 

Klaus gave her a small nod, knowing all too well what she was talking about. “I know the feeling.” He said softly, looking at her once more. It was the way he felt his entire life. “Try not even belonging in your own family.” He mumbled not even knowing why the words came out of his mouth. It wasn’t anything he ever said out loud, but it appeared Hope inspired trust in him. Something that was quite strange, but not necessarily a bad thing. “I currently have four siblings. However, as you may have guessed, they are only my half siblings. Ever since I discovered that, nothing has ever been the same. They all act like it is, but that is all it is. An act. To not anger or offend me. Now that I’ve broken my curse, the truth is even clearer. At least before, I could...pretend. For a second. Now, each time I turn into a werewolf, it is a constant reminder that I am different from them.” 

"For a long time, I felt like I was a cosmic mistake" Hope said after a moment, despite her mind screaming at her to shut up. "Someone who should have never been born. And the more things messed up because of me, the firmer the belief became, despite my family's assurances otherwise. But... recently that's changed. I no longer believe I'm a mistake. We both exist for a reason" Her reason just seemed to be to tear her family apart and then kill Malivore. She thought, a little bitter. Her reason for existing was to die. 

Klaus managed a small smile at her words. He supposed that was the ultimate thing to believe in. Trying to make himself know that he hadn’t been a mistake or an abomination. “Well. That’s the goal I guess. To eventually live life with that knowledge and never doubt it. That is always easier said than done, however, if you were to ask for my opinion, I wouldn’t consider you a mistake. Someone who...” He paused and looked away from her then. “I trust you. I do not trust many people, if any, but I trust you. 
And I refuse to believe that the only person I trust in the world is nothing more than a cosmic mistake simply because of the one thing that makes her similar to me.” 

Hope gave him a small smile. It warmed her heart that he believed that without even knowing she was his daughter. It was impossible to doubt it when you find your reason for existing. To destroy Malivore. But of course, she couldn't say that.

"I trust you too" she said sincerely as she looked at him. "And I dont trust many people. You should probably go finish getting Elena's blood and testing it. I'll clean up the blood I lost" she sighed softly. 

Klaus’ smile widened slightly at the mention of her trusting him. It wasn’t a sentence he ever really heard except once or twice in the past one thousand years. However he couldn’t let himself get too distracted by it. He needed to stay focused on his goal. “Right. I will see you in a second.” He said before heading back towards the living room.   

Hope got stuff to clean up the blood and went to clean it. She glanced over at Damon's unconscious form thoughtfully, wondering when she should wake him. After Tyler was turned probably. She looked down and continued cleaning up the blood. Fortunately there wasnt a good enough spell to clean things up. This wasnt Harry Potter. 

Chapter Text

Rebekah walked over to Elena and held her down the second she tried to leave. "No, you're staying here. My brother seems to need your blood. And he is going to get it" 

"Why do you listen to him? If he keeps you carted around in caskets?" Elena questioned.

"Because she hopes one day he will respect her. And because he's the only one she knows will stick around once they get to know her. Even if sticking around means daggering her or killing men to save them from an eternity of her company." Stefan said with a smirk

Rebekah sped over to a glass and threw it at Stefan, who caught it easily. "You complete arse!" She scowled darkly and went back over to Elena.

"You know its true" Stefan said and looked over at his brother's unconscious form

Bonnie blinked slowly as she listened to Stefan and Rebekah. She never heard Stefan like that. So careless about the people he was hurting. Not that she particularly cared for this person specifically but that was beside the point.

Elena tensed up as Klaus came back in. She was feeling slightly tired from the blood draining. She wanted nothing more right now than for Damon to wake up and get her out of here. Well, that was a lie. She wished Stefan would. But his humanity was currently off, so he didn't care about her.

Klaus approached Elena and looked at the nearly full blood bag. "You know. If this works I will have officially discovered your purpose." He smirked and touched a strand of her hair.

Bonnie had been trying to silently think of a spell she could use to wake up Damon, but so far she had nothing. It was clear this witch was far more experienced than her. "What are you even trying to do?"

Klaus didn't glance in Bonnie's direction as he pulled the neede out of Elena's arm and placed a small gauze over it. "None of your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Stefan, watch them will you? Make sure they don't get into too much trouble. Especially the doppelgänger."

"I'll watch over them" Stefan said with a nod and set his glass down. It wasnt like he had a choice anyways. Otherwise, he'd get the hell out of town. Go to New York or something.

Klaus gave him a nod and took the blood bag with him outside while he waited for Hope. She was essentially the only person he actually tolerated at the moment. He thought making Stefan turn off his humanity would've turned him back into the old friend he once knew. Yet it seemed he only grew dull with what was meant to be an enhancement.

Hope finished up cleaning the blood off the floor and found a shirt from one of the rooms. Klaus' shirt.  She changed into it before heading back downstairs and out of the house. "I hope you dont mind, I borrowed a shirt here. It was better than wearing one covered in blood" she told Klaus. It was a bit big on her since he was half a foot taller than her. "If I'm going to stay here, I definitely need to get new clothing."

Klaus looked over at her and smiled slightly. "I do not mind. Keep it if you'd like." He was never one to care for material possessions unless they were works of art or weapons. "If you want, I can take you out to purchase some things later after we test out our theory with Elena's blood."

"Thank you" Hope nodded gratefully. She was feeling a little more like she was at home. Though her heart still hurt a lot as she tried to do the right thing. "I would appreciate that. So where would he be?"

"You're welcome." Klaus said glancing over at her. "I haven't the faintest idea. But we could check his house. Even if he isn't there, his mother is bound to know where he is." He was hoping with all his might that this actually worked. If not, he wasn't sure what he would do. He knew he would keep trying. But he would be completely at a loss of where to continue.

Hope nodded and took his hand so he could vamp speed them there. Tribrid or not, she didn't have vampire speed. Not until after she died;. "Alright, Lets try his house then"

Klaus briefly glanced down at their hands when she grabbed his. He still wasn't used to that. It wasn't often someone willingly trusted him like that. He couldn't really think of anyone off the top of his head. He nodded at her words and quickly sped them over to the Lockwood mansion before letting go of her hand so he could ring the doorbell.

Tyler Lockwood answered the door and immediately glared when he caught sight of Klaus. "What do you want?" He asked, his tone hostile but slightly wary.

"We need you to be our test subject for a theory of ours" Hope said, silently placing a spell on the house so he couldn't run away if he tried.

Tyler frowned, only now noticing the young girl. "Seriously? You're kidnapping girls now too?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Do you have a spell to shut him up?" He muttered before his eyes suddenly changed into a golden color.

Tyler slowly backed away, not knowing what either of them were up to, and certainly not wanting to find out.

Klaus smirked and sped inside the house, pushing him against the nearest wall with one hand around his neck. "Not so fast."

"The only spell I know removes his mouth. And considering what you are trying to do, I doubt that will be beneficial" Hope said, following him inside

Klaus looked over at Hope, clearly impressed. "You know. I feel as though I have been wasting my time whenever I procure a witch. None have ever been as powerful or as knowledgeable as you, though they certainly claimed to be." He rolled his eyes and force fed Tyler his blood.

"What are you doing?" Tyler demanded to know after unsuccessfully trying to spit out Klaus' blood.

"You'll see." He smirked and with that, he snapped his neck.

Hope smiled a little at the compliment and watched as Tyler Lockwood fell to the ground, temporarily dead. "I've been practicing magic my whole life, and I had good teachers. Plus, being what I am means I'm more powerful than the average witch"

Klaus smiled a little and took a seat on a nearby chair as he waited for Tyler to wake up. "That makes sense I suppose. Still, you make every witch I've ever met look like a failure." He chuckled softly. "Is it alright if I ask you a few questions? About, what you are?"

Hope hesitated slightly and nodded. "You can ask whatever you'd like. I might not answer all of your questions, however. Depending on what they are"

Klaus nodded, not really bothered by that. He knew some things were just too difficult to speak of. Which is why he decided to start with something simple. "Did you always know what you were growing up?"

Hope nodded, looking at him. "Yes I did" she confirmed, looking at him. There was no harm telling him that at least.

"Hm. That is interesting. Even before my mother invented the vampirism spell, I never knew I was a werewolf." Klaus said softly. "I suppose at times I did feel a certain connection however. The neighboring village was run by them. And part of me always felt drawn to them." He sighed. "How does it feel? Being both a witch and a werewolf? Do both sides battle inside you?"

"I tend to get restless easily. If I dont train or let out my magic or shift, I could lose control of my magic. Though that usually only happens if something extremely emotional has happened, and I cant handle it. Mostly though, it just keeps me up at night sometimes until I tire myself" Hope said.

Klaus nodded slowly. "I can imagine. Werewolves have so much anger pent up inside and witches have loads of magical energy flowing through them. For me it is slightly different. I always assumed when I broke my curse I would be complete. And in a way I am. But at times it feels as though both sides are struggling for control. Which in the end also turns into energy I let out by shifting or killing."

Hope nodded and sighed softly in understanding. "I pretty much kept to myself for 17 years. Never really made friends until the past year or so. No one understood what I am. How I felt. Not really. And I didn't want to risk getting close to someone and hurting them. So what was the point in trying?"." Hope said and fell silent, looking away. She's already spoken too much, she thought sourly and crossed her arms before walking a little away in thought as she sighed softly. She just couldn't help but want to talk to him while she still could.

Klaus remained silent for a few minutes. "I know the feeling. Shortly after I turned, I stopped making any effort to be close to anyone. I shut myself off emotionally, not only from the outside world but from my siblings as well. No one understanding me being the main reason." He said softly and looked at her. "Though I now suppose it isn't as impossible as I first believed it to be." He said giving her a small smile.

Hope turned to look at him once more, giving him a small smile. "Things started changing for me when I fell in love" she said softly, waiting for Tyler to wake up. "Everything changed" She sighed and took a seat on the ground, her heart aching for Landon Kirby. She looked over at Tyler Lockwood, thinking about everything. "How long does this usually take?" She asked curiously.

Klaus nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose I wouldn't know. I've truly only loved twice and only one of those was returned but...it was a long time ago. Far too long to even be considered important by now." He said softly and then glanced over at Tyler as well. "He should be waking soon."

Hope nodded at his words, thinking of when she found out the dress she wore had been given as a gift from her father to her headmistress. She wondered how strong those feelings were. Or would be in this case. "Good" she said. "If it does work, what's your next move?"

"Oh that's easy. Turn as many werewolves as I can find into hybrids." Klaus answered simply. He waited for it long enough. If this truly worked, then he knew what he wanted. An army of people just like him.

Hope nodded at his words. It made her think of Henry. Her sort of friend she had turned that was killed.

Klaus looked over at her, noticing the change in her expression. He had been about to question it when Tyler suddenly woke up with gasp. "Ah finally." He grinned reaching for the blood bag he got of Elena's blood. "Here." He said handing it to him.

Tyler looked around, his eyes panicked until he saw the blood bag. He looked at it confused for a moment but then it was as if his body was taken over by the intense hunger he felt. He snatched it from Klaus' hand and began drinking it quickly.

Klaus watched him carefully and soon smirked when he saw Tyler's eyes turn a golden color. "Well what do you know. It appears our theory was correct after all."

Klaus smiled in satisfaction. He could finally do it. All he needed was the blood of the doppelgänger. Right now he was far too busy planning out his future that his mother's cruelty didn't even register. "Now all there's left to do is collect enough blood to travel with." He paused for a moment, thinking. He had been planning on taking Stefan again with him. But he figured he should keep him here watching over Elena. "How would you like to join me?" He asked looking at Hope.

Tyler gasped softly as he now realized what Klaus had done. He knew he should be angry and he was. But part of him actually felt grateful. If he truly was a hybrid, he didn't have to turn every full moon anymore.

Hope hesitated, debating her options. Finally, she nodded. That way she had less of a chance of screwing things up. "Alright. I'd like that. Just so you know, the witch spent the whole time I was going to get the necklace trying to convince me to go against you and go to her for help. I told her there was no way, of course. But she did say she might have the crystal thing I want in her Gram's things. So I want to check that out before we go. Otherwise I might not find one. I dont need it, but it would be nice to have" Hope told him, letting him know before hand so he wouldn't think she was betraying him or anything if he found out.

Klaus wasn't surprised Bonnie had been trying to turn Hope against him. That was expected. What he hadn't been expecting was for Hope to not only reject the proposal but also tell him about it just to reassure him. No one ever did anything like that, not even his own siblings. "Oh. No, I suppose there is no harm in you looking for it. I need to collect enough of Elena's blood anyway." He smiled a little. He was getting along more with her the more time they spent together. She seemed to know him in a way others didn't. She actually cared what he thought and about what he wanted.

Hope nodded at his words and returned the smile a bit. "Alright" she said and looked over at Tyler, knowing he should stay in town but unsure if that was going to happen this time around. "Hopefully she does have one. But either way, I'll go back to you once I've searched through her things"

Klaus smiled in satisfaction. It was still difficult for him to believe that there was someone in the word who actually wanted to spend time with him and travel with him willingly. "If she does not, I can help you find one. It shouldn't be too difficult with my witch contacts. They have all sorts of items."

"You dont need to. It's not important. I just want to talk to someone. Even if it's actually just my subconscious in the form of them" Hope said softly.

"I don't mind." Klaus said causally. "I can easily find what you are looking for if I ask. Especially now that I will have hybrids to do the persuasion for me." He smirked.

"Thank you" Hope said softly, looking at him. "I'll let you know if I find one with the witch. What's her name?"

Klaus nodded and began heading towards the door, not giving a second glance to Tyler who was looking at him almost like he had been expecting an order. The wolf had merely been his test subject. Now he could focus on finding actual packs he wanted to turn. "Bonnie Bennett." He answered holding the door open for Hope.

Hope walked out of the Lockwood Mansion after one last glance around. She trusted her father. Even when he had no idea who she was. Hope held out her hand for his so that he could speed them both back to the mansion.

Klaus looked over at her, his eyes still showing a bit of surprise when he saw her hand. Still he slowly took it and quickly sped them back to the mansion.

Chapter Text

Stefan watched over Bonnie and Elena and glanced over at Rebekah. "Can you go get us dinner? I'm feeling a bit peckish" Stefan said.

"Why cant you do it yourself? Oh right, you've been compelled" Rebekah said and stood up. "I'll be back soon enough." She walked out of the mansion and sped off to get someone for them to eat. She wasn't particularly wanting to do anything for Stefan or her brother. However, she doubted it would be good for anyone if Stefan lost control right now over his bloodlust. 

"Oh, bring a twister game too!" Stefan shouted out to Rebekah, an idea of what to do to delicious women coming to mind. Rebekah was confused but left anyways to find them food. Stefan then eyed both Elena and Bonnie, wishing he could be anywhere else. "If you're waiting for my brother to wake up and rescue you, you won't have any luck" Stefan said.

Bonnie found herself glaring at Stefan, hating pretty much every word that left his mouth. She couldn't believe just how different he was from when his humanity was on. "You know last time I checked, Klaus said you had to watch us, he never said you had to talk to us." She grumbled shifting her gaze to Damon. She was still trying to think hard for a spell that could wake him up.

Katherine Pierce stood near the Mikaelson mansion and nearly sighed in relief when she saw Rebekah leave. Both of the originals out of the house meant she had a very small window of opportunity to get Stefan out, which of course was easier said than done considering Klaus had him hyped up on blood. Still, she would try as much as she could. For Stefan. She gave herself at least another twenty seconds just to make sure Rebekah and Klaus truly were gone, and then sped into the house, her gaze falling on Stefan despite him not being the only person there.

"Believe me, I'd rather be pretty much anywhere else right now. Hello, Katherine" He said, not taking his gaze away from the witch and the doppelganger.

Katherine blinked slowly, taken aback by his casual attitude. "Stefan." She approached him curiously. She could tell something was different than when she last saw him from a distance, but she couldn't figure out what. "Let's go. I can keep you away from Klaus." She briefly noticed Damon on the floor and debated taking him with her, but she knew he'd just run back to Elena so there was no point.

"You're a little too late, Katherine. Klaus wants me to watch over them" Stefan said, sitting on the couch and picking up his glass as he watched Bonnie and Elena.

"His humanity is off" Elena said, glancing over at Katherine before returning her gaze to Stefan warily. 

Katherine frowned when she heard Elena. She figured it was almost off in Chicago, but now she guessed it was official. "I figured." She mumbled and reached into her pocket. She knew Klaus wanting something was code for Klaus compelling him, if her own experience of being trapped by him told her anything. "Here. I can't stay. And if you can't come with me then this is the best I can do." She said holding out a small vervain vial for him. "Just don't let him catch you with that. I don't care if your humanity is off. Have some sense of self preservation or I'll make sure to kill you myself."

Stefan took the small vial, though it was useless to him, and nodded slightly at her words. "Rebekah will be back soon" he said. "Oh and Klaus has a powerful young witch working for him." He warned her casually as he took a sip of his drink. "She claims to have magically appeared at my apartment in Chicago"

"She's the one that put Damon under a sleeping spell, right after he stabbed her. She healed like a vampire" Elena said. She didn't want to help Katherine. But if Katherine decided to help stop the witch, things would be a little easier. With Hope around, they didn't stand a chance

Katherine frowned at the giving information about the witch. She didn't find it strange to know Klaus had someone that powerful on his side. What she found strange was the part about her healing like a vampire would. She dealt with many witches in her past and she never heard of anything like that. "I'll take care of it. I have a couple of witches that owe me favors." She said softly and shifted her gaze back to Stefan. "If both Rebekah and Klaus end up leaving again I'll stop by okay? I know you don't care about anything at the moment but I doubt you want to be Klaus' puppet for the rest of eternity."

"You're right about that. If I wasnt Klaus' bitch, I would be anywhere else other than this small town." Stefan agreed

"Great. In that case we're in agreement. Keep the vervain hidden and don't make him suspect anything. Do anything he asks no matter what." It was the only way to fool him completely. "I'll take care of the witch and hopefully get you out of here soon." She promised and then sped out of the house, knowing she needed to get in touch with her witch contacts.

Bonnie blinked slowly as Katherine suddenly disappeared from sight. She couldn't believe this was what they had been reduced to. Waiting for Katherine of all people to help.

Stefan looked at Bonnie before turning his head just slightly as Rebekah came in with two people.

"Great. Lunch is here", he said with a grin.

Rebekah brought one over to Stefan. "Hopefully next time you can get your own lunch"

Stefan sighed. "This would be so much more fun with a twister game." He said and bit into the girl's arm 

"What the bloody hell is a twister game?" Rebekah demanded, looking at him.

Stefan pulled away from the arm and wiped his bloody lips. "Oh right. You were locked in a coffin for 90 years" Stefan said carelessly

Bonnie looked away when Stefan began feeding on the girl and instead looked at Rebekah in surprise. "Wait. You were locked up for 90 years?"

"I was. By my brother. It happens to all of us except for Niklaus. Finn has been daggered for 900 years. Kol for a century. And he daggered Elijah shortly after he broke his curse." Rebekah scowled

Bonnie's frown deepened. She didn't particularly care for the original family. But it didn't change the fact that Klaus had too much power and he needed to be stepped. "That's terrible. But what I don't understand is why you don't just leave? If he keeps doing the same thing over and over again?"

"Because he can just shove a dagger in my heart all over again. And because despite how much he can annoy me, he is still my brother. And I have stuck by him more than any other member of my family"

Bonnie sighed softly. She supposed in a way, she understood. Family was important. But that was something she didn't think Klaus understood. "Well. I guess I get it. But it still doesn't make it right."

"I never said it did" Rebekah said. "But we once swore an oath to each other. Always and Forever." She shook her head. "I dont know why I'm telling you this" she said "I shouldn't be. Clean up when you're done, will you?" She questioned Stefan

Bonnie gave her a nod. "Well. I guess that can be admired. How you stand by him even though he makes it impossible to." She may not like the woman, but she could give credit where credit was due. Not to mention, if they could have her as a somewhat ally, it would be more useful than making another enemy.

Rebekah's gaze softened at the witch's words before she shook her head a little, trying to push away her emotions. She walked over to where Niklaus kept his whiskey. Bonnie sighed softly and looked at Damon's unconscious form. She wished she knew the right spells to be able to wake him up. Maybe then they had a chance.

"Oh he won't wake up. Not until Hope wants him to. Until she removed the spell" Stefan said, taking another bite of the girl's arm

"I figured." Bonnie mumbled keeping her gaze on Damon. "But there's nothing wrong with wishful thinking I guess."

"I suppose. Though I dont particularly see the loss of him lying there. It's not like he could win against an original like me anyways." Rebekah said calmly. "My brother will be back soon enough"

"I don't think you were the target. Not even Klaus was." Bonnie said looking over at her. "He just wanted to get Elena out of here. Which is understandable considering everything."

"Still. We needed the doppelganger here. Damon posed a threat to have her taken away. Thus, he needed to be stopped" Rebekah said

"I have a name you know" Elena said.

"Was I speaking to you? No I wasnt. I dont like you. Just like i dont like Katerina, or rather Katherine as she is referred to now. Nor did I like the original doppelganger" Rebekah said

Bonnie sighed softly, not wanting Elena to get on Rebekah's bad side. It seemed this girl was more easily irritated than Klaus. If such a thing was possible. "Well that's something we all have in common. I don't think anyone likes Katherine."

 Rebekah couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Except for Elijah, of course." She mused at the thought.

Bonnie frowned in confusion. "Wait. Wasn't he trying to get revenge against her?" She asked not knowing any of their history besides that.

"You dont know the full story" Rebekah said, amused. "I wasnt around at the time, but Nik certainly expressed his annoyance about it"

Bonnie was surprised. After the dislike Elijah spoke of Katherine with she only imagined how much he wanted to see her dead. But it seemed he really was good at betrayal one way or another. "Then what is the full story?" She didn't particularly care, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do.

"My brother, Elijah fell in love with her when she was human. It drove Nik crazy, of course. Considering they needed to sacrifice Katerina. In the end Elijah had gotten an elixir to save her life. But before he could do so, Katerina fled with the help of someone named Trevor" Rebekah replied

"Oh wow." Bonnie said softly once Rebekah was finished. "I never would've guessed considering how pissed off he was at her. But I suppose it makes sense if she ran away from him for five hundred years."

Elena frowned a little and nodded. "I remember that part of the story. About the elixir. He was going go give it to me. I didn't know he loved her" she said softly, having thought he just didn't want an innocent girl to die.

"Actually, I'm quite surprised he didn't fall for you" Rebekah said, looking over at Elena. "He's already fallen in love with two doppelgangers in his 1000 years."

Bonnie opened her mouth to say something when suddenly Klaus stepped back in with the witch from earlier, causing any reply she had to disappear.

Chapter Text

"Right then. Rebekah. You're free to do...whatever it is you do. Look for another boy to fall in love with." Klaus rolled his eyes. "Stefan, gather more of Elena's blood." He ordered as he walked towards the alcohol cabinet.

Stefan let go of the person he was feeding on and walked over to Elena, setting her up again so blood would come out and into the blood bag waiting to be filled. Stefan was annoyed but didn't really have a choice.

Rebekah scowled at Klaus' words and shook her head a little in disbelief. "So you dont want me to ever leave your side but now that you've got hybrids and Stefan compelled to do your every order, you toss me to the side?" She frowned and scoffed before heading out of the mansion at vampire speed.

Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes at Rebekah's outburst but he mostly didn't pay any attention to it as he poured himself a drink. He was too busy looking forward to making his hybrids to even care. Not that he would've cared too much regardless.

Hope walked over at Bonnie. "I want to see if the crystal prism thing was in your Gram's things." She said. "So, come on. Let's get back to your house. Assuming you're still willing to let me look despite my refusal to help you"

Bonnie slowly nodded. "I am willing to help you." She debated not doing so. But she was a witch. Even if she was a witch in league with Klaus. "But you have to promise that my friends will be okay. Elena, Stefan, and...Damon." Damon wasn't really someone she considered a friend, but she knew he was important to Elena.

Hope hesitated, needing to focus on not calling him dad. "Klaus needs Elena's blood, so she will be fine, assuming she doesn't do something stupid and suicidal. Stefan is compelled to do what Klaus says, so chances are he should be fine as well. As for Damon...." Hope looked over at the dark haired man still unconscious on the ground before looking back at Klaus. "He would help protect her. And I dont plan on keeping him under a sleeping spell forever"

Bonnie nodded slowly. Even if she didn't exactly trust the witch, she knew there was logic to all she was saying right now. It was the only reason she was still agreeing to help her. "Alright. Well in that case...come with me." She briefly glanced at Elena. "I'll be back soon." She mouthed to her hating that she had to leave her alone with these people. But she would make sure not to take long.

Hope nodded and headed outside of the house, knowing her Stefan, and her father could handle a human doppelganger. Even if someone rushed to her rescue.

Bonnie looked at Elena one last time before heading outside with Hope. "Can I ask you something?" She asked looking over at her.

"Go ahead. Theres no guarantee I'll actually answer you, though. Depending on what you ask" Hope said as she walked.

Bonnie nodded. "Fair enough." She said as she walked with her. "Why do you want to help Klaus? I'm not judging. Just...wondering I guess."

"I understand him in a way no one else does. And that's all I'm saying on that matter" Hope said, sighing slightly. She hated having everyone see him as a monster, but she was used to it. She just hoped no one noticed the Mikaelson Crest she was wearing that was hidden underneath her shirt. But if she took it off, she risked losing it. She continued to walk as they got closer to Bonnie's house

"You don't even know him." Bonnie mumbled looking ahead. "I'm not questioning what you think or feel. And I'm not saying he's this evil or irredeemable person. But I am saying I haven't seen any signs that he isn't either."

"Let's just focus on getting to your house and looking for the prism" Hope said, sighing slightly at her words. "I'd rather not talk about this"

Bonnie sighed softly but nodded anyway. The last thing she needed was making her angry. "Alright.

"Well, what does it look like? The prism?" She asked as she stepped up to her door and unlocked it.

"Do you have a piece of paper I can use? I'll draw a quick sketch of it." Hope said, looking at her.

Bonnie nodded as she stepped inside her house and looked around until she spotted a notepad and a pencil on the coffee table. "Here you go."

Hope took the notebook and drew a quick but perfect sketch of the prism she had used. "This is what the one I used to have looks like" Hope said, passing back the sketchbook.

Bonnie took the notebook back in her hand and looked at the drawing curiously. "I think I might've seen something like that around but I'm not sure. I packed up a lot of her stuff but haven't really gone through it properly." She said as she led her down the hallway towards her grandmother's old room.

Hope followed her towards the room curiously. "I'm sorry for your loss" Hope said after a moment, thinking of losses of her own as she entered the bedroom and looked around at the mostly packed up room.

Bonnie glanced back and her and gave her a small nod. "Thank you." She said softly and opened up one of the boxes so she could start looking. "She was kind of the only family I had left."

Hope nodded a little and went to look in a box. She didn't say anything in fear of messing things up somehow. Any advice she could have given didnt matter. Bonnie seemed to be coping well. She paused for a moment. "Hold onto the memories of the good times you've had with her. It's the key to getting through it if the grief hits hard again" she said before continuing to look, falling silent.

Bonnie looked over at her, a little surprised that was what she said. Considering she was working with Klaus, she hadn't expected her to care. "Thank you." She said softly, giving her a small smile. "You seem like you're experience with the situation."

"You could say that" Hope said, looking at her. She then looked back at the box and went to look at another one.

"Who did you lose? If you don't mind me asking." Bonnie said as she began looking through another box.

Hope was silent for a moment before saying, "My parents" She then scrimmaged further in the box and pulled out the prism. "Found it"

Bonnie looked at her sympathetically. "Oh. I'm sorry for your loss." She said. Both her parents were alive, but it wasn't like they really raised her. So in a way, it was as if she lost them too.

"I've moved on" Hope said, turning the prism in her hand a bit as she thought. "Thank you for your help"

Bonnie gave her a small nod. "You're welcome. I'm glad you found what you were looking for." She said glancing at the prism. "What does it do exactly, the prism?"

"It lets your subconscious be in the form of someone who you want to talk to or have conversations and get their opinion" Hope said

"Oh. Wow. I must've seen my grams with that at some point but I never knew what it did." Bonnie sighed softly. There was still a lot she didn't know about practicing magic"

Hope gave her a small smile. "You'll learn more about everything eventually. I'll try to get this back to you once I figure out what I need to do"

Bonnie gave her a small smile. "I do hope so. My grams was very powerful. And, I guess I would be lucky to ever be as powerful as her." She said softly and then nodded. "Keep it for as long as you need to. It's not like I was using it."

"Thank you." Hope said, looking at her. "But still. Once I'm done. I'll bring it back to where it should be. I should get back to Klaus" she said and headed out of the bedroom, going towards the front door"

"Alright. Well. Thank you." Bonnie said and walked with her. "I'll come with you. I don't want to leave Elena alone." What kind of a best friend would she be if she just left her at the hands of Klaus?

"Well, Elena's going to be perfectly fine. But sure, come along. I need to wake up Damon anyways" Hope said, continuing to walk. 

Bonnie nodded and walked with her. She was glad she was making good on her promise. She couldn't think of anyone who worked with Klaus that actually did what they said they were going to do.

Chapter Text

Damon slowly opened his eyes and then quickly stood up when he remembered the last thing that happened. His first instinct was to find Elena, and once he caught sight of her he hurriedly went to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her cheek.

"I'm fine" Elena said, looking at Damon, looking at him in relief. She had been really worried about him.

"Alright, you two. Let's get home" Stefan said, looking at his brother and Elena, not caring that they both seemed so wrapped up in each other

Damon barely even heard Stefan as he looked into Elena's eyes, making sure she was in fact okay. She looked weak. And after noticing the blood bags, he realized why. He didn't hesitate before lifting Elena in his arms. "Okay. Now we can go."

Klaus nodded and led her to the door. "Stefan. Don't forget to watch Elena until I get back."

Stefan internally sighed. He had had a loophole until that moment. Now he was stuck being a babysitter.

Hope headed out of the house and towards the car

Damon headed out of the house holding Elena tightly in his arms. He didn't bother waiting for his brother. Right now Stefan wasn't himself and he didn't want to deal with that. His priority was Elena.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked glancing at her.

"I'm fine. I'm just... tired" Elena said, looking at Damon. "Klaus figured out why his hybrids weren't transitioning properly" she told him.

Damon walked down the street, keeping her secure in his arms. "Judging by the amount of blood he took from you, let me guess. You're not just the key to breaking the curse, you're also the key to making the hybrids." He mumbled as a sigh left his lips. It definitely made everything a whole lot more complicated. But at the same time, it did assure her safety from Klaus.

"And who's the closest werewolf we know?" Elena mumbled, looking up at him. "His witch is dangerous. She healed, Damon"

"Tyler Lockwood." Damon sighed once more, hating every second of this. Klaus was unstoppable before. Now with proper hybrids he was truly invincible. He knew he wouldn't kill Elena. Not if he needed her blood. But that didn't sit well with him either. She wasn't a human blood bag for him to use whenever he pleased. "Wait what?" He frowned when he heard her following words. "What do you mean she...that's impossible. Even if she had a healing spell it wouldn't work that fast. And the way I stabbed her I should've killed her pretty quickly." Now he needed to find out more about her. "Do you know her name?"

"Her name is Hope" Elena replied, looking at Damon.

Damon nodded as he neared Elena's house, still keeping her secure in his arms. "I'll need to see if anyone knows anything about her. Or at least how she could heal so quickly."

Elena nodded a little at his words. "On the plus side of today's events, Klaus won't kill me," Elena said with a weak chuckle. "And he's leaving town for now"

Damon gently set her down as he stopped in front of her door. "I know. I thought of that. But I don't like the fact that he plans to use you for your blood. It does mean you're safe from dying. But being under his control isn't exactly an upgrade either. We need to find a way to stop him."

"I know. Especially since he has Stefan completely under his control" Elena said, looking at him once he set her down.

"Yeah." Damon sighed and opened her front door for her. "Though I wouldn't worry too much about Stefan. Even if he wasn't under his control, his humanity is still off. Right now you're my priority, okay?"

"Okay" Elena said softly, looking at him. She tucked her hair behind her ear and stepped inside her house before turning back to face him. "Thank you"

Damon nodded slowly, looking directly at her. His eyes easily showed the longing and love he held for her. But he didn't say any of it. She didn't need to deal with his feelings now. That could be saved for another time. "Can I come in? I'm not sure how comfortable I feel leaving you alone after Klaus took so much blood." He smiled a little.

"Of course" Elena stepped to the side so he can enter. "But I'll be fine" she smiled a little

"Fine or not, I'd rather make sure." Damon said softly and stepped inside the house. "Do you want something to eat? You should get your strength back up." He said and headed for the kitchen, already set on making her food no matter what her answer would be.

Elena watched him head to the kitchen. "I guess so." She said, raising an eyebrow before following him. She felt tired from the bloodloss. But she knew she was okay. Damon was here.

Damon opened the fridge and began gathering ingredients to make her something to eat. "Good. Because I wasn't actually taking no for an answer." He chuckled softly.

"I figured that" Elena said and took a seat tiredly in a chair at the island counter

Damon looked over at her and smiled a little before focusing back on cooking for her. "Glad we're on the same page then." He said playfully. "Did you want to take a nap while the food is done? I can take you upstairs." He offered.

Elena shook her head slightly. "Im fine" she said softy. "I just want to sit here and watch you cook"

Damon chuckled a little, her words easily bringing a smile to his face. "Then your wish is my command." He grinned. He loved spending time with her like this. Away from everyone and everything. He knew it couldn't last forever. But he was always grateful for them when they happened.

Elena smiled automatically at his smile, unable to help herself as she watched him get started on the food. Despite everything that was happening, she was glad she had Damon here with her. Even though Stefan was humanityless and Klaus' slave. She paused. "Katherine stopped by. While Klaus and Hope and Rebekah temporarily left. She tried to get Stefan out of there but gave him vervain instead"

Damon frowned at that, his easy going expression fading slowly. "Can't say I'm surprised. She's everywhere." And apparently still holding a soft spot for Stefan. Though for the first time, that was actually useful. "But that's a good thing for once. At least now he can't be compelled any further." It didn't change the fact that his humanity was still off, but at least he wasn't technically fully under Klaus' control. Even if he had to act like he was.

Elena suddenly wanted to put the smile back on his face. She shook that thought away. "I dont think Katherine will be a problem for us right now." She said. "She is looking into the witch, though. Stefan mentioned Hope to her. Not that I trust anything Katherine says if she does find answers and wants to share them, but i thought you should know everything that happened."

Damon gave her a small nod. "Thank you." He smiled a little, still finding it difficult to believe that Elena actually trusted him now. He still remembered a time when their reality was far from that. "But, you're right. I think she's too focused on getting Stefan away from Klaus to properly think of anything else. And you know what they say about the enemy of my enemy and all that." He rolled his eyes. He didn't want to work with Katherine, naturally. But if it came to that, he would. As long as Elena and his brother were safe. He may be at odds with him at the moment but that didn't mean he wanted him to be Klaus' puppet forever. "I'm not saying we're teaming up with her. But if she does find something out and she can help, we should consider it." He frowned at his own words. "And I can't believe I'm the one to say that."

"I cant believe it either" Elena chuckled. "You are usually more anti Katherine than I am"

Damon chuckled. "Believe me I still am. That hasn't changed. But, I've just decided not to let my pride get in the way of helping you. And Stefan." He added. "Though at the first sign of trouble I'm stalking her myself."

Elena chuckled at that and nodded. She smiled a little despite everything Damon made her feel relaxed or tensed. The tension was usually her being attracted to him. She had spent a good bit of time with him this summer, and she really appreciated what all he did to help her find Stefan. It meant a lot

Damon continued making her food in silence, but every once in a while he'd sneak a glance in her direction. He just couldn't help himself. He loved her so much. Even if he knew it was impossible she could ever feel the same way. Not completely. Maybe she did have feelings for him. But in the end he knew she would always choose Stefan. Anyone would. "How about tomorrow, we forget all about Klaus and everything else we have to deal with, and just have a nice time out somewhere? He's out of town for now, so I think we earned ourselves a little cheat day right?"

"That sounds like a great idea. Assuming Stefan isn't stalking me. Klaus wants him to watch over me" Elena said with a sigh

Damon frowned, already not liking that at all. And not just because it meant he most likely wouldn't get any alone time with Elena. But also because he just didn't want her around Stefan when he was like this. "I'll deal with Stefan. You just focus on resting up for tomorrow, and eating." He smiled setting the plate of food in front of her.

Elena smiled a bit at Damon before starting to eat the food cooked in front of her. She nearly moaned at the wonderful flavor. How were both Salvatores so good at cooking? Though she supposed immortality had that as a perk. Years to become a pro and pretend it was all natural talent. "Were you always this good at cooking?" she asked when she swallowed a bite before taking another.

"No definitely not." Damon chuckled softly and shook his head. "I mean when I was human it wasn't common for men to cook. But when I was a kid I used to watch my mother a lot though. Sometimes she'd secretly let me help with the food." He smiled a little. "But I never made a meal on my own. Well. When I met Katherine I did cook for her once." He made a face at the memory. He remembered how much he had wanted to impress her. "I learned later after I turned. I...didn't adjust so easily at first. To being a vampire. I wanted to still feel, normal I guess. So I taught myself how to cook. I needed something to do besides plotting Stefan's eternity of misery." He joked.

Elena chuckled. "Well, you are certainly a good cook now" Elena said, continuing to eat.

Damon chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoy it then. Would you answer if I asked who's a better cook between Stefan and I?" He grinned and took a seat beside her.

Elena chuckled a little and shook her head, taking another bite of her food, smiling a bit.

"Figures." Damon laughed softly. "But I had to try." He said keeping his gaze on her, watching her eat.

Elena finished up eating her food and drank the last of her drink. She still felt a bit tired from the bloodless of the day. But eating has started to help

Damon smiled as he took her empty plate and stood up, taking it to the sink. He began to wash it then. "How are you feeling?" He asked glancing back at her.

"I'm still tired. But I do feel a bit better now that I ate" Elena said, watching him. "Thank you" It was strange knowing she trusted Damon a lot more than she trusted Stefan

Damon dried the now clean plate and put it away before walking closer to her once more. "You're welcome." He said softly and then before she could protest, he swiftly scooped her up in his arms. "Now you should probably take a nap and rest up okay?" He said as he began heading towards the stairs.

"Hey!" Elena said in protest, unable to help the small laugh that escaped her lips, despite how she was currently feeling. "Im perfectly capable of slowly walking upstairs to my bedroom, you know. Are you going to stay here too?"

Damon grinned as he walked up the stairs, keeping her secure in his arms. "I'm aware of that. But I'd rather you didn't push yourself. Especially if I'm right here and I'm willing to help." He said and then nodded at her question. "Someone's gotta make sure you're okay. But don't worry, I won't go through your drawers this time, promise." He said though his tone held a playful edge to it.

Elena didnt comment on that but instead looked up at him while she was in his arms, When she realized she was sort of staring, she diverted her gaze

Damon glanced down at her, his breath caught in his throat as he stared into her beautiful brown eyes. What he would give for just a single kiss. Gently he set her down on her bed and took a seat as well. "Um. Try to get some sleep okay?" He said quietly but his gaze remained on her.

"Okay" Elena said, looking at him as she laid on the right side of the bed. Her mind went back to the last time they had laid in bed together. She forced away the thoughts and instead closed her eyes, her mind going back to the situation with Stefan

Damon's eyes remained on Elena, as he looked at her with a gentleness and love in his expression. He wished their life was different. That she wasn't in love with his brother. But as he thought that he realized how ridiculous it was. Of course she was in love with Stefan. He was Stefan. The better man. She'd have to be completely insane to prefer him instead. He sighed softly and had been about to reach over and lightly caress her hair when he heard a noise by the window. "Katherine what the hell?" He snapped when he saw the doppelgänger standing there.

"What? I figured you'd be here." Katherine shrugged leaning against the wall.

"You know most people knock. They don't just show up in someone's house."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Please. You can resume your Elena longing later. Right now there are actual important things to talk about. Like Klaus' witch, Hope."

Elena had still been a little awake when she heard Katherine's voice. But her eyes didn't open. She felt drained of energy and knew she was safe with Damon there. Even with Katherine in the area. Besides Katherine had more pressing matters.

Damon briefly glanced at Elena, noticing just how tired she looked. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "What? What's so important that you couldn't have called me?" He finally said looking in Katherine's direction.

"Believe me when I actually tell you, you'll be glad I came here." Katherine said and stepped further into the room, looking around. She couldn't say she was surprised by her doppelgänger's decorating style. "Hope doesn't exist."

Damon raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean she doesn't exist?"

"What I said. Technically she doesn't exist. I went through every record I could find, talked to every witch I could reach and no one in the world has heard of her nor does she have any family anywhere."

Damon frowned. He was liking this less and less. "Maybe you missed something? I mean it's only been a couple of hours. You couldn't have possibly found out that much in so little time."

Katherine gave him a look. "Damon. With the life I have, believe me all I need is a couple of hours. Less even. In thirty minutes I can find out everything I want to know about anyone, from every place they've ever lived in, to their favorite color when they were three. Trust me, I didn't miss anything." She said firmly. "Besides. With a witch that powerful and working for Klaus on top of it all, everyone should know her. And yet no one in the world has heard of her. A little suspicious don't you think? So I did more digging. Birth certificates, school records, family relations, there's nothing. It's as if she just appeared out of thin air."

Elena forced her tired eyes open at that and looked at Katherine, pushing herself up in a seated position with a small yawn. "I dont think Klaus knows her well. I know he strangely trusts her. But... It seems also like they just met. Perhaps she is going by a different name. Stefan also said she magically appeared in his Chicago apartment." Elena added tiredly as she recalled what he said

Katherine looked over at Elena, frowning a little at her following words. "I thought about that. But talking about a witch who can heal like a vampire is bound to lead to something. Even if her name isn't really Hope, someone should've known something. Especially considering her age." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall a little. "I'm connected to some of the most powerful witches. And not a single one knew of anything that could cause a witch to heal like that. Nor had they heard of anyone like that currently existing."

"So, what? She just magically appeared to help Klaus like his own personal supernatural guide?" Damon questioned and rolled his eyes.

"That. Or, she's older than she looks." Katherine muttered, revealing what she had already been thinking. "The only thing that can explain no one knowing anything about her now is if she's not from this time. Maybe she was resurrected somehow. By Klaus or someone else who pledged their allegiance to him. And that makes her far more dangerous than she was before."

"Bonnie might know something from talking to her" Elena said, looking at them. "She went with Hope to go get my necklace from her house. I doubt she said much, but she might have said something to her"

Damon bit back a sigh at the thought of Hope being even more dangerous. He was already worried thanks to Klaus and Elena being the key to making his hybrids. Now they had an all powerful witch to watch out for.

Katherine nodded slowly at Elena's words. "Talk to her. Let me know if there's anything she knows. In the meantime, I'll look for a way to stop her. A witch with her power is bound to attract a lot of other witches who will want her gone. More so if she's helping Klaus. That alone is like witch taboo or something." She snorted.

Elena nodded at her words, making a note in her mind to discuss it with Bonnie tomorrow. "I will" she said, sniffling back a yawn

Katherine gave her a nod. She may not like her, but even she could admit that right now all of them needed to work together in order to save Stefan. And take down Klaus of course. She just hoped that if everything went south at least one of them would have the common decency to help her out. "I'm going to go find Stefan. Is there anything you need me to say to him?" She said now looking at Damon, who as she expected, simply shook his head.

"No." Damon answered keeping his gaze on Elena. His humanity was off. He knew there was no point in getting him any type of message. He was tempted to call Katherine an idiot for trying to go after him right now, when he cared even less than he normally did. But he refrained from doing so. Partly because she was being fairly useful for once. But mainly it was because if she was off chasing Stefan, then it meant she would be staying away from Elena. And him.

Katherine nodded and with that she was gone, jumping out the window where she came in from.

Elena sighed once she was gone. "Stefan has no humanity and is under Klaus' control, Klaus knows I am alive and is using my blood to make a hybrid army, and Hope is a mysterious powerful witch with super healing. Why can't the world give us a break?" She questioned tiredly, resting her head on her pillow once more  "Hopefully Bonnie found out something that might help"

Damon sighed softly as he nodded in agreement. "Believe me I wonder the same thing every day." He mumbled and reached over, lightly caressing her hair. "But. Don't worry okay? Stefan will turn it back on. Eventually. Klaus won't keep him under his control forever. Eventually he'll get bored. And, as much as I hate to say this but with Katherine off doing her Katherine thing, there's no way we don't find something that'll help us get rid of Hope."

Elena nodded slightly into her pillow, hoping he was right. "He brought her with him to get me. Since she could go inside. Did you know there was a spell to freeze people? Not like ice cold, but... I couldn't move except my eyes and mouth when she casted it" she said tiredly, not liking the memory at all.

Damon's eyes widened a little as he listened to her. "Seriously?" He never heard of a spell that did that. Then again he never heard of an all powerful witch that could heal like vampire either. "I wish I could've been there." He mumbled hating that she had to face him alone.

"You're here now" Elena said, exhaustion hitting her harder as she drifted off to sleep. "That's what matters" she mumbled before fully being asleep on her bed, exhausted from the events of the day.

Damon smiled a little as he watched her slowly go to sleep. He gently caressed her soft hair, simply watching her sleep. He knew she needed her rest after everything she had been through. He just hoped next time he would be able to protect her completely.

Chapter Text

Klaus gathered the blood bags in a cooler and then walked to his car. He set the cooler in the backseat and then got in, unlocking the passenger door for Hope.

Hope got inside the car and closed the door, looking down at the prism in her hands as she ran her thumb over it, wishing she could use it now

Klaus started up the car and pulled out of the driveway. "Why do you need that anyway? You mentioned your subconscious earlier." He said remembering some of what she said, but he hadn't really been paying much attention.

"There's someone I want to talk to but cant. So I'm taking the next best thing. This prism manifests my subconscious as a hologram of who I need to talk to. Technically I'm still taking advice from me. But it looks and acts like the person. And even says what they would say if I know them well enough" Hope said. "Also it can tell you things you don't want to hear. That deep down you know is true. It's also good with preparing for conversations"

Klaus nodded thoughtfully as he listened to her. It didn't sound like something he would ever go near. Not only because he was too reckless to ever think about what he was going to say to someone, but also because he had enough voices in his mind judging him already. He didn't need to add another one. "Hm. It sounds...interesting I suppose. Why can't you speak to the person you wish to speak to however? Somewhere out here rather than in your mind."

"Its complicated" Hope said, sighing and leaning back against the seat, thinking about Landon Kirby, the guy she was crazy about. The love of her life.

"When isn't it?" Klaus mumbled mainly to himself as he drove. "Does this person not want to see you?" If she was truly like him then she must've alienated a few people in her lifetime.

"He does" Hope said. "As much as I want to see him. But I can't. Not yet"

Klaus raised an eyebrow, his curiosity increasing at her words. "Why not?" He asked glancing over at her. "You don't have to tell me of course. However we are going to be in a car together for a while."

"There's a spell keeping us apart. And I can't really tell you much beyond that" Hope said. It was clear that she was sad about it. She wanted Landon to be in her arms

Klaus gave her a small nod, accepting her answer. He wouldn't push her. He knew they only just met and they both had trouble trusting people. "You must really care for him. If you are willing to settle for seeing him in your mind."

"I love him. More than i can even describe" Hope said, looking over at her dad. She sighed softly, remembrring everything that has happened

Klaus was a little surprised at that, but not entirely. From the way she spoke about him, it was fairly obvious. "What's his name? If I can ask."

Hope hesitated, but then she remembered her father never met Landon. What was the harm? "Landon. His name is Landon" she said, smiling a little sadly at the thought of him.

"Landon. Strange name. Like yours." Klaus observed as a tiny smile formed on his lips. "How long have you two been together?"

"Almost a year" Hope said, since that topic too was complicated.

Klaus glanced over at her, surprise showing in his eyes for a second. "That is quite a long time for someone your age. How old are you exactly?"

"I'm 18" Hope replied. "I met him a few years ago, but he moved away. And then I found him again" she smiled softly at the memory. "And we started dating"

"It sounds like you are both lucky then." Klaus said quietly. "To have found each other, so young as well. Love is...complex. And more often than not it never is how you imagined." He learned that the hard way. Aurora had been the first and last person he ever loved. After that, he closed himself off completely, and he wasn't planning on opening up again.

"We are lucky" Hope agreed. Despite how unlucky they were, they were lucky to have found each other and fallen in love. "The world seems destined to keep us apart" she said quietly with a sigh before shaking her head and pulling out her sketchbook she had bought. "We always find our way back to each other"

Klaus was silent for a few minutes, watching the road ahead of him. "If I can offer you a little bit of advice...enjoy your moments together. I don't believe in destiny or fate. I believe each of us carves out our own path. Love is rare as it is. Even ordinary people have a difficult time with it. The rules are different for people like us. People society do not deem acceptable. Whenever someone finds it in their heart to ignore other's opinions and care for you...you should hold on to it and enjoy it as much as you can. Because you never know when it could disappear."

Hope listened to his words and nodded a bit in agreement. "Trust me, no matter how much I get frustrated when it seems like the world is trying to keep us apart, I will do everything I can to remain with him. And he will do so to be with me. He doesn't let my worries and insecurities push him away." Hope said with a fond sad smile. She really did love Landon more than she could ever describe.

Klaus briefly glanced over at her. "I am glad then. That you cherish him. It seems as though you truly are lucky. A person like him, who accepts you and loves you for all that you are, does not come around often. If ever. I do hope you two are reunited soon." He mumbled that last part and simply turned his gaze back to the road.

Hope smiled a little at the last part that she barely heard. She pulled out her pencil and started to sketch a dock by a lake

"Is it alright if I ask you something?" Klaus asked. "I know you told me there were certain things you might not answer. However, if you do not wish to answer that's perfectly acceptable." Though he hoped she would.

"You can ask whatever you want. I just may not answer the question" Hope said, continuing to sketch.

Klaus gave her a small nod. "Alright. I suppose my first question is, you mentioned you knew what you were growing up. I want to know more about that. Your childhood. I only want to know how it was for you. Growing up different to everyone else. Did you have any siblings?" Klaus asked.

"No I don't have any siblings." Hope shook her head lightly. "Im an only child."

Klaus nodded. "And what of your parents? Did they...how did they react when they discovered the abilities you held and what you were?" He asked hesitantly.

Hope was silent for a moment. She knew he wanted to know if what happened to him happened to her. "They were there for me. My father was with me when I first turned." Hope said

Klaus' expression darkened at the memory of when he first turned. He remembered how horrified and disgusted Mikael had been. How he forced his mother to place the curse on him. Not that she wouldn't have anyway. And perhaps what hurt most of all, that the brother he trusted the most was the one who betrayed him and didn't help him. "So was mine." He said quietly, keeping his eyes on the road. "One of my older brothers was there as well. The one I was closest to truthfully. My father was the first to claim I was an abomination and then got my mother to place the curse on me. But my brother was the one who helped him hold me down whilst my mother casted her spell that bound my werewolf side." His voice was a mere whisper at this point, as he fought with difficulty to ignore the pain in his heart. "Though your experience sounds...very different. I am glad your parents were accepting of you. Believe me it is not an easy thing to come by. Not only for a hybrid but, for any supernatural being."

Hope went quiet at that. She knew the story, of course. But that didn't make it fun to hear. Finally she said "plenty of people, especially witches, considered me to be an abomination while I was growing up. Though fortunately not everyone does. My family was there for me. And in the past year I've actually made friends. Something I didn't really have much of before"

Klaus glanced over at her for a moment. He didn't think he ever really had a friend. Except for Stefan but naturally even he betrayed him. "That is good. About your family. Family is important. Granted mine would never believe me if I said that and would simply assume I'm mocking them." He rolled his eyes and looked back at the road. "You know. My siblings and I have a promise we made to each other when our parents turned against us. That we would stand by each other always and forever." He was silent for a few minutes simply thinking about all that's happened with Hope since he discovered her in Stefan's apartment. She had been the only person to actually stand by him and not immediately judge him. Even his own siblings could never do that. "It is a promise that I now extend to you." He said softly.

Hope looked at him, surprised she was included in always and forever when he didnt even know who she was. "Thank you" she said, her voice soft. She looked down, forcing away the emotions that tried to hit her again. She could afford to break when she was alone.

Klaus looked her way, easily being able to notice the struggle she had in her eyes. It was a look he recognized all too well. One that was constantly in his own eyes whenever he was hurt or betrayed in some way. "You know. If there is something on your mind...I can always listen."

Hope shook her head a little. "No, its alright. I've got the prism I can use if I need to talk to someone" Hope said. She couldnt say anything to Klaus about it.

"Alright." Klaus said not wanting to push on the subject. "However I would like to point out that does not technically count as having someone to talk to."

Hope chuckled slightly. "Well its the closest thing I've got to talking to my boyfriend, so I'll take it." She said, smiling slightly at the thought of Landon

"Fine. I do suppose the imaginary version of your boyfriend does best a perfect stranger." Klaus reasoned in a slight playful tone. "However, I figured seeing as we do have things in common, you might want someone who is more expected to share your opinions."

"Not about this" Hope said, shaking her head. "But thank you for offering. Ill let you know if I change my mind"

Klaus gave her a small nod. "Very well then." He didn't want to push her after all. They were alike in many ways, and he suspected this was another. "In that case, why don't we speak of something else? For example, besides painting and sketching, what else do you enjoy?"

"I enjoy training and shifting into my wolf form when my emotions or magic overwhelm me" Hope replied. "I enjoy reading sometimes. Though not as much as other people I know. I dont watch movies much, but I do enjoy a certain cooking show. Though that was before I actually made friends and got a boyfriend. When I was just isolating myself off from everyone."

Klaus chuckled a little as he listened to her. "It appears you and I have similar hobbies. Shifting is all I've done to deal with my anger since I've broken the curse. Or, even other times when I am not angry." He spent so long not being able to access that side of him, that now he took the opportunity to enjoy it whenever he could. "I happen to enjoy reading as well. Though I cannot say the same for watching television. It isn't something I've ever done. Much less to watch cooking shows."

"Yes, well, you are a thousand years old. I'm a modern day teenager" Hope chuckled softly. "Landon loves science fiction movies. I haven't really seen many movies. Except childish ones when I was little. Though my mom wasn't a big tv fan either." Hope said. "I mostly read and painted growing up"

"That is a fair point." Klaus chuckled. "Though perhaps I should try out this television thing at least once. Simply to say I've done it. I do like your mother's parenting methods however. Reading does edify the mind. And painting is an excellent creative outlet for any frustrations."

"Mom doesn't really like painting much. Or art in general. But she could see how much I did, so she made sure I always had paints and such" Hope said

"Hm. I suppose that is interesting." Klaus said thoughtfully, his mind flashing back to memories he definitely didn't want to have. "I never thought it possible for parents to support the passions of their children if they did not share them. My father hated my creativity and anything I made. Granted, it was a different time." But it did make him grow with that knowledge.

"It depends on how fortunate you are with who your parents are. I love my parents. I always have. And they love me" Hope said, careful to use present tense. "But Landon wasnt that lucky"

Klaus looked at her for a moment, curiosity reflected in his eyes. If Landon had a similar story to his, then he admired him all the more. Because not only could be love Hope despite everything, but he also did so all while having experienced true tragedy in his life. "It makes his love more special then. Someone like that, loving anyone is difficult for them." And he would know.

"Despite everything he has been through, he manages to have a big heart. It's one of the things I love about him" Hope said softly. It felt good being able to talk to him about Landon. She didnt have that luxury back home. "He's a survivor" she said quietly, leaning back against the chair, thinking about him. He seemed to be a constant thought in her mind. No matter what events rose, she always thought about him.

Klaus offered her a small smile. "It is rare. For someone to experience pain of that magnitude and still manage to retain the ability to love." He himself didn't lose it entirely. There was still a tiny part of him that could love, should he be open to it. But he wasn't. He couldn't be. "Only a true survivor as you say, could. It's easy to give in to the darkness and seal your heart away forever. What's difficult is finding the courage to keep it open. To keep letting people in despite the pain and misery it has brought you."

Hope knew all about that. Landon was the one that helped her open her heart back up and let people in. If he had never re entered her life, she wouldn't have. She looked down and continued sketching the docks. The water. The trees. "Ive sealed away my heart before. Landon was the one that helped open it back up again. The one that got me to let people in. To trust people"

Klaus briefly looked at her, smiling a little as he took note of her drawing. It was actually quite impressive for her being in a moving car and all. "That's lovely." He commented gesturing towards the notebook. "I am glad actually. That you found someone like Landon." He paused for a a moment, debating whether or not he should say what was on his mind. Finally after a few minutes he figured there was no harm in telling her. She did understand him better than most. "For me it was the opposite. Love is what caused me to seal my heart away. Or rather the betrayal of someone I loved. Her name was Aurora." He said softly, the name feeling strange as he said it. He hadn't said her name in centuries. "She was the first and last person I ever truly loved. One day she simply decided I was not worthy of her. That she did not love me. The cruel words she spoke that night have stayed with me forever." And he was certain they always would.

Of course, Hope knew the story of Aurora. The vampire that was under a sleeping spell in the Abattoir in her time. She knew the truth. Why Aurora spoke those words and how crazy she turned out to be. She knew it was truly Elijah that had made her say this. She wondered how different her father would have been had Elijah not compelled Aurora to say that. "Perhaps one day someone will come around and you won't be able to help falling for them as I have fallen for Landon." She knew he had cared greatly for Camille and Headmistress Forbes. Though she hadn't been old enough to remember Camille or how her father was with her.

Klaus smiled a little but he shook his head. He never had someone care enough about what he felt. In fact most people assumed he felt nothing at all. Yet Hope against all odds was able to see through him. "That is a kind sentiment. However I've long since learned that love is something I am not meant to experience. Nor do I wish to." Not after Aurora. He sighed softly. "We had been the most alike. Back then I was different than how I am now. But there was still a monstrous side to me thanks to my mother's vampirism spell. She could see it and not be frightened. We bonded. And even she couldn't stand the sight of me in the end. What hope can I possible have for someone else?" He shook his head once more. "I would rather focus on creating hybrids and finally gaining my revenge against my parents." It was the only thing he had left now.

"Just because it was like that with her doesnt mean it will be like that with everyone. My first kiss was with a 90 year old vampire who helped murder my mother" Hope said.

Klaus' lips parted open in protest but eventually he simply closed them. He could easily argue and tell her that was exactly why it would be like that with everyone else. Because even the person who was most like him still saw him as a monster in the end. Anyone better than him wouldn't even give him the time of day. However in the end he figured it was better not to say anything. "Right. The man you executed revenge towards." He said remembering what she told him previously. He hadn't known that had been her first kiss as well. "If it helps. My first kiss was with a woman who chose to date my brother the day I kissed her for the first time." He snorted at the memory. He remembered how heartbroken he was at the time. And now he couldn't possibly care less. Not about that at least. Her death...well, that was another thing entirely.

"Love triangles and unrequited love. Not pleasant" Hope grimaced a little, unable to help remembering how much her heart had shattered when she saw Landon and Josie kiss.

"No it is not." Klaus chuckled a little and then looked over at her. "You seem to have experience in the matter. Does this have anything to do with the person you love? Landon?"

"It's a long, complicated story, but yes" Hope said, working on a silhouette of her and Landon at the docks, sitting on the edge, looking out at the water.

Klaus gave her a small nod. "Perhaps one day you can tell me. If you'd like to." He said softly and smiled a little when he saw her drawing. "That is turning out well. I must say I'm fairly impressed with your ability to draw whilst in a moving car."

Hope smiled at the compliment despite everything going on. "Ive had practice" she said.

"I can see that." Klaus said with a small smile and then looked back at the road. "Have you spent a lot of time traveling?" He asked curiously.

Hope shook her head. "No I haven't." She said. "But I do sometimes have to be in the car for a bit every once in a while. It gives me something to do" Hope said.

"Hm. Well. I do admire the ability regardless." Klaus said thoughtfully. "I am the opposite however. I need to be in a tranquil space without any distractions in order to get proper painting or drawing done. In a large studio with the best window light, perhaps a balcony looking out to the city and to have some jazz music playing." He smiled at the thought. "Unfortunately unless I got rid of all my siblings permanently that doesn't seem to ever be a possibility." He snorted. "At least I do get some peace and quiet every once in a while. There are these weapons I can use to put them to sleep for a few decades or so. Or whenever I feel like waking them."

"I much prefer the peace and quiet. But sometimes I can do it regardless. Especially if I have something on my mind. And I like listening to jazz as well." Hope said with a small smile. Especially now that it held a memory of her with Landon, she thought, remembering their first dance.

Klaus smiled at that. It seemed he continued to discover new things they had in common the more time he spent with her. "Do you? I have to say that isn't something I hear often. Especially for someone so young. Typically the teenagers from this generation tend to listen to garbage...no offense." He chuckled.

"Yeah I do" Hope said, looking at him, chuckling at his words about the current generation, despite how she was feeling about the whole time travel and everything. "Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say garbage usually, but it's not the best for sure."

Klaus chuckled softly. "Well so far I have not heard anything that convinces me of that. Perhaps one day you can change my mind." He said with a slightly playful smile. "We do seem to have quite a lot in common."

"Landon sings" Hope said without thinking as she looked down at her drawing. She wanted to talk to her dad about him in the way she never could.

"Does he?" Klaus asked curiously. "Is that why you do not hate modern music then? Because of Landon?" He questioned playfully.

Hope couldnt help the small smile at that. "Not quite. Though his is my favorite out of all modern music. I've only heard him sing once" Though she still replayed it in her mind a lot

Klaus chuckled softly as he listened to her. She sounded very invested in however this boy was. A love like that was one he hadn't had in a very long time. "Why only once? Does he not enjoy it?"

"He does, but he is insecure about it. No one else has heard him sing or play his guitar. Not anyone I know at least. Except perhaps Raf" Hope said, speaking without thinking. It was easy when it involved Landon. Then a pained expression flickered across her face as she considered all of the time he probably played to Josie during the summer. She forced her feelings away and continued adding details to her art work"He writes his own lyrics too. And the question about why only once is a bit complicated" Her heart ached painfully at the reminder of the months they spent apart because of Malivore. She sighed softly and continued to sketch

Klaus briefly glanced over at her curiously before focusing back on the road. He could tell there was more she was thinking about than she was letting on. But he wouldn't push her on the subject. Not unless she wanted to tell him more. "Hm. He sounds interesting then. Your boyfriend." He said giving her a small smile. "Who is this Raf person?"

Hope paused. "A friend of his" she said, knowing she needed to at least be somewhat smart about how much she told him. She fell silent. The two talked a little more before eventually they arrived at the motel they were going to stay at for the night. Hope grabbed her small bag and headed towards the room once Klaus gave her her key.

Chapter Text

When the sun rose, Hope woke up and and rubbed her eyes a bit. She yawned and stared at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. She knew they needed to get back on the road. But she wanted to talk to her subconscious again. Even though she just had. She frowned and got dressed into the clothes they had picked up at a quick stop on the way. She grabbed her bag and sifted through it, picking up the crystal and looking down at it.

Hope sighed softly, her heart longing for her time but also desperate to spend more time with her father while she could.  Her mind drifted to the conversation she had with her subconscious last night.

Hope Mikaelson walked further into the woods, leaves crushing beneath her feet. She finally slowed and looked around before taking a seat up against the tree. It was the best place she could find where she had a very minimal chance of being seen. She set down the prism and leaned back against the tree.

"Mind if I join you?" a familiar voice questioned.

Hope couldnt help the smile that formed on her face as she looked over to see the prism version of her boyfriend. "Landon" she said, glad to see his face even if it wasn't actually him . 

Prism Landon grinned and walked over, sitting across from her at the base of another tree.  "So what's it like walking around in the past?"

"You know what it's like. You're my subconscious." Hope commented, looking at him.

"Yeah, but I'm just trying to make conversation. Besides, you know you didn't just come here to get advice. You want someone to really be able to talk to"

"Fair. And to see his face" Hope said softly. She wasn't sure she would be able to reverse the spell so she had no idea if  or when she would be able to see him again. Or her friends. 

Prism Landon smiled a bit at her. "So what's it like?"

"Strange. Strange to see my dad again. To see Stefan Salvatore alive as well. To know my mom and Uncle  Elijah are out there somewhere alive. I know what's going to happen to all of them,  and I don't know what to do" Hope swallowed thickly

"Yes you do" Prism Landon said, looking at her. 

Hope sighed, looking back at him. "Well, maybe I just want to be told what to do here. Maybe it will help push me into doing the right thing"

"Fine. In that case, you've already messed things up in this time. Events are already changing, whether it's small differences or major ones. You need to leave. Before your father finds out more about you than you already told him" 

Hope leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I know" she said. 

"I get you want to spend time with him since you never will again once you go back. But this isn't about just you. It's about the future. You don't even exist yet in this timeline. Neither do Lizzie or Josie or... me. Your existence depends on your dad meeting your mom and then having sex with her in the right place at the right time."

"And my mom was basically hate banging him so its not like I have a relationship to depend on" Hope said nervously.

"And Dr. Saltzman needs to meet the twins ' mom and fall in love. And you can't exactly erase yourself from everyone's memories because then it would move the malivore portal, and I might not end up existing"

"I don't even know how to reverse the spell"

"Well, work on figuring that out. Or create a new one. It's not the first time you have written a spell."

"And until then? I should just leave and never speak to any of them again?" Hope looked at her subconscious.

"First you need to fix the changes you have made. And then, once you feel its close enough to accurate , yes. You need to leave. And just hope it doesn't upset your father enough to change anything else"  Prism Landon replied, looking at her.

Hope nodded and sighed. "Alright. I don’t know what to say to him. I can tell he wants to know many more answers than I could give him. Its too dangerous for him to know the truth."

"You can talk to him about minor things, but it is very dangerous if you tell him any more about the major things in your life. You can talk to him about Landon. But you'll need to keep out the twins' names if you discuss them. Otherwise he will be able to figure it out once he knows their existence and then he would know their future as well"

Hope nodded . Soon enough, she picked up the crystal and headed back to the motel.

She inhaled sharply and pushed away the memory before giving her hair another brush

"Are you awake? We should get going soon." Klaus said as he knocked on her door. He was anxious to resume his journey. He knew he would likely not be arriving at his destination today due to needing to stop at hotels so Hope could get some sleep. But just the thought of finally being able to create successful hybrids had him in a better mood than he normally was. Having Hope around helped as well.

Hope opened her hotel room door and nodded, her bag in hand. "Im all packed and ready" she said, looking at him. She hadnt gotten much sleep anyways.

Klaus blinked slowly, a little surprised she was ready so soon. "And here I thought I might need to wake you up." He chuckled a little. "I suppose I shouldn't underestimate you from now on."

"Some days I do sleep in a bit more. But today I woke up early" Hope chuckled.

"Well I am glad you did." Klaus said and offered a small smile. "I hardly ever sleep." He said casually. "We do need to get going however. By tomorrow I will have an army at my side." He smirked at the thought.

Hope nodded and looked back briefly to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Then she headed out of the room. "I tend to stay up late. Even moreso when I have things on my mind."

"I do as well. Especially since breaking the curse. Before my mind was typically restless. Now it's as if I can't hear myself think sometimes." Klaus said as he headed down the hallway. "Shifting helps. So does ripping someone in half." He said causally as his lips curled upwards into a slight smirk.

"I shift or do some training usually. Letting loose my magic sometimes helps too" Hope said. "Control is harder if something is emotionally impactful. But i can handle it"

Klaus nodded slowly in understanding. "I know the feeling." He said glancing over at her. "The first time I turned after breaking the curse I was a werewolf for a while after the full moon. Though I suppose it is more difficult for you. Witches gain control over their magical abilities with their emotions. Werewolves are aggressive by nature. You being a hybrid does sound like control would be an issue."

"I can handle it" Hope said with a small smile. "Shifting every often regularly helps me maintain control if something emotional happens."

Klaus nodded. "Yes that should help. It's often how I deal with my anger as well. Ever since breaking the curse. Though sometimes I admit I do it for fun." He chuckled a little. "After a thousand years of being denied my other half, it is quite satisfying to be able to do it whenever I'd like."

Hope nodded. If it wasn't for the school restrictions, she might have as well. But it was too dangerous. Even though she usually had great control.

Klaus stepped outside the hotel and headed to his car. "Can I ask? Why did you decide to join me?"

Because I want to spend some selfish time with you. Because I want to try to keep things on track. But she said neither of those things. Instead, she said, "I dont see a reason why I shouldn't. At least until I figure out the spell"

"Well...I can think of many reasons." Klaus mumbled as he reached his car and opened the door for her. "But I suppose you are not like other people. Or witches."

"I am not like anyone" Hope said, getting in the car and setting her bag down

"Yes I noticed that." Klaus snorted and got in the car as well. "It is something I quite enjoy. If you were like anyone else you would easily hate me."

"I dont think that's necessarily true" Hope said, shaking her head lightly. "Most do. But not all would."

Klaus chuckled a little, though he still shook his head in disapproval. "That is because you are a hybrid as well. But anyone else would never see things the way you do. Not even my own siblings do."

"Youre forgetting im a hybrid that managed to make friends and find the love pf my life" Hope said. "Someone out there has the potential to be either to you. You just haven't met them"

Klaus was silent for a while. He simply started the car and began to drive. He wanted to believe her. It would be the greatest thing ever if he could. But too many disappointments told him that was just impossible. "You forget the one friend I thought I had was working against me, which is why you are here right now rather than him. The woman I believed to be the love of my life hated me in the end just like everyone else. There is no hope for me. Not anymore. The only thing I am meant to have is my army."

"One day that will change" Hope said confidently as she thought of the stories of Camille. Of her mother. Of the way the siblings got along in the end. The memory of the knowledge that Klaus had feelings for Headmistress Forbes. How he spent some of his last moments with her, "but I won't try to change your mindset now. Its something you need to see for yourself" 

Klaus blinked slowly at that, his curiosity getting the best of him. "How can you be so sure?" He asked quietly as he glanced over at her. She sounded like she knew. He wasn't sure if she simply believed in him that much or if somehow she knew more than what she was letting on. "You hardly know me." He pointed out.

"There's someone for everyone." Hope said simply. 

Klaus sighed softly and turned his attention back to the road, feeling a little relieved at her answer. "I stopped believing that a very long time ago." He mumbled. "If that was true, one would think that a thousand years would be time enough to find who I am supposedly meant to be with."

"Maybe" Hope said. "Maybe not. Perhaps you were just unlucky to have the person you are meant to be with centuries younger than you"

"Or perhaps there is no such thing." Klaus countered quietly. He didn't think he was the type of person anyone could love. Not truly. "No offense to your theory, however for there to be someone for me, I would need to be someone a person can love. Last I checked, that was not possible."

"That's a matter of opinion, not a fact" Hope said, looking at him. "Youll never know for sure unless you somehow died and no one loved you. It may have been a thousand years. But it does not mean it isnt possible." Hope said, pulling out her sketchbook. "Im not necessarily trying to change your belief. I'm just saying other people might not share yours."

Klaus didn’t say anything for a little while. He silently drove, thinking about what she said. He’d give anything to believe her. Because it would mean that someone somewhere could actually care about him. But unfortunately he just couldn’t no matter how badly he wanted to. “I’d like to believe you.” He finally spoke up. “However, there have been too many events that prove that wrong. My own family cannot love me. Not unconditionally. I sincerely doubt a perfect stranger will.”

"I havent left you yet" Hope said. "The only reason I will is if I can get back to Landon. Otherwise, here i stay. And I could be anywhere else right now if I wanted. I'd probably get my research done faster that way" Hope said.

Klaus blinked in surprise at her words, hating the strange emotion that settled in him as he listened to her. It was almost as if part of him did believe her. Or at least wanted to. He couldn’t fully. Because he had been through far too many disappointments. But this was the closest he came to ever trusting someone, even if he refused to say it out loud. “You will.” He finally whispered. “You might say you will stay now. However, eventually I will say or do something that will drive you away. It is the way it works whenever anyone tries to get close to me.”

Hope let out a soft sigh and shook her head a little before starting to sketch her prism. If anything, he would leave her.

Klaus turned his gaze to the road once more and simply continued to drive. “You don’t believe me do you?” He asked but wasn’t really surprised. So far she seemed so determined to prove he was someone worth something. Even if he couldn’t understand why.

Hope hummed briefly and continued sketching the prism. Once she had that shape, she began drawing the back of Landon, looking out at a lake

“I suppose I don’t understand why you think the way you do of me.” Klaus whispered after a few minutes of silence. “You only just met me. Yet you are so convinced I deserve good things in my life. Love. Care. A soulmate.” He scoffed. “I behave cruelly, I kidnapped a young girl and practically drained her of her blood, I bring up murder in casual conversation, and your opinion remains the same. Why?”

"Maybe I just think everyone does" Hope pointed out, looking over at him briefly before looking back at her drawing.  "And technically I kidnapped Elena Gilbert. I'm the one who went in her house, spelled her so she couldnt move, and then brought her out at your request"

“Not everyone does.” Klaus muttered as his mind unwillingly flashed back to Mikael. “I happen to be one of those people that don’t. You may have been the one to kidnap Elena. However I asked you to. And I would have done it myself had you not helped me. Frankly I am still not certain why you did. You didn’t have to.”

"It made things easier for you" Hope said with a light shrug. "You couldnt get in the house. I dont need an invitation"

“That isn’t an answer. It is a fact.” Klaus mumbled. “I want to know why you felt the need to help me in the first place. Why you would ever want to make things easier for me.”

"I need a reason?" Hope questioned, raising an eyebrow

“Yes.” Klaus answered as if it should’ve been obvious. “Anyone who helps me always needs a reason. Whether it is because you fear me or because you are interested in what I can do for you. There is always a reason.”

"Well I'm not afraid of you" Hope said simply. "And I dont want anything from you." Except maybe bits of time before she found her way back home. "All I want is to just be here while I try to figure out the spell that sent me to Stefan Salvatore's apartment'

Klaus frowned at her words. Despite her following him around everywhere, he still hadn’t expected her to say that. That she wasn’t afraid of him. While it was true that some people weren’t, she also didn’t happen to want anything from him. “Right. Well. Ignoring your obvious insanity, I still do not understand why you want to be with me when you could literally be anywhere else. With anyone else. With your family. Other witches. Werewolves. Your boyfriend. The list is endless. Yet you are choosing me. A vampire werewolf hybrid whom you barely know and has already gotten you stabbed by one of the many obnoxious people attempting to stop me.”

"You dont need to understand. Besides, I healed from the injury, so that doesnt matter either." Hope said

“Actually I do.” Klaus mumbled after a few seconds as he continued to drive. “However I do not believe I ever will, even if you did decided to explain.” He didn’t see any reality where anyone would willingly choose him. Even if Hope was telling him loud and clear, it somehow couldn’t register in his mind.

Hope watched him for a moment before looking away and continuing the sketch. She started  moving a bit faster in her drawing, her instinct and focus taking over. She made the sky dark

Klaus kept his attention on the road, his mind thinking of all she said to him since they first met. Maybe part of him did believe her. Not about him finding a soulmate or anything of the sort. But that someone could care about him. Even if that someone was only her, at least he wasn’t completely alone. “That is turning out lovely.” He said softly, briefly glancing at her sketch.

"Thank you" Hope said with a small smile as she continued working on it, memories going through her head

"You're welcome." Klaus said softly. He wanted to know more about her, but he also didn't want to push her to talk if she was not ready to. "So...is there anything in particular you would like to tell me about yourself? I, well I feel as though you know a lot about me yet I hardly know anything about you."

"There isn't much to say." Hope said. "What do you want to know?"

Klaus smiled a little. “Everything. You already know very personal things about me.”

Klaus nodded slowly at that. “That certainly sounds interesting.” He chuckled a little. “What of your childhood? Where did you grow up?”

"A few different places" Hope said vaguely as she worked on shading.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. “You don’t enjoy talking about yourself do you?” He questioned playfully. “Although normally I would share your need to be vague, I happen to actually enjoy your company and...trust you.” He smiled a little.

"No, I dont" Hope said with a small smile as she looked at him. "I like being vague sometimes. Where did you grow up?"

Klaus chuckled softly. “It is amazing how you can take a conversation about you and bring it back to me but, alright. I grew up in Mystic Falls actually. Before it resembled anything like Mystic Falls. Though after I turned I traveled all over the world.”

Hope listened and nodded, despite already knowing this. "I have traveled the country a bit, but I havent gone out of it" she told him.

“Really? Well. Why don’t we travel for a while? After I have my army and take my revenge towards Stefan, we could travel together. I could take you to all the best places in art history. Paris, Vienna, New York, London, Florence...” Klaus sighed contently. “The world is remarkable. And I want to see it again with you. Someone who can appreciate it as much as I do.”

Hope nearly stilled at the offer. Her heart ached painfully as she longed to spend time with her dad, but as she looked down and saw the light hitting the crystal, she reminded herself that she couldn't. "Perhaps we could" she said, not wanting to be suspicious even though she would hopefully be gone by then. The longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave

Klaus glanced over at her curiously. “You don’t seem very excited.” He observed turning his attention back to the road. “Did you change your mind? About...me? Do you only want to get this over with and leave?” He wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Every time someone got close to him they discovered the monster that truly lied underneath and they ran.

"No" Hope shook her head. "Nothing has changed." She promised him. "I like your company.  I like talking to you. But I do have to get back to Landon eventually"

Klaus couldn’t help but feel relieved when he heard her. He had a habit of always thinking the worst, but this time he had been proven wrong. This time there was someone in the world that actually enjoyed his company no matter what she saw or heard him say. “Right. Landon. Your love.” He smiled slightly. “Is he interested in art? I admit I would much rather have the trip be for us only, but if having him by your side is what it will take, I can tolerate him accompanying us.”

Hope looked over at her father before looking down at the sketchbook. "Not nearly as much as I am. Music is more his interest. But  I could ask him about it" Hope said

“Right. You mentioned that. So long as he doesn’t play or reference any music recorded after the 90s I believe I will be perfectly fine with his company.” Klaus chuckled a little. “Ask him.”

"I will" Hope said, looking at him with a small smile before looking down at her sketch that was nearly complete.

“Good.” Klaus said softly. This was the first time he was actually looking forward to a trip. He had never actually traveled for fun. “You know. I believe this will be my first vacation.”

"Really? Aren't you a thousand years old?" Hope questioned. "You've never gone on a vacation."

"No I haven't. I've traveled but usually for reasons other than pure relaxation or enjoyment" Klaus replied.

A while later Klaus made a stop at a hotel, deciding to continue the rest of the journey in the morning. He could’ve easily kept going but he had to keep in mind Hope wasn’t a vampire. “I figure it is about time we stopped somewhere.” He gave her a small smile and stepped out of the car.

Klaus approached the hotel lobby and booked two rooms. He handed her the card for her room. “Here you are. We should leave at dawn tomorrow. The earlier we arrive, the sooner I can turn werewolves into hybrids.” He smirked

Hope nodded and got out of the car, grabbing her bag as she did so. She definitely planned on using the prism again.

"I usually wake up early" Hope told him. It wasnt often that she didnt. "So I should be able to be ready by then"

"So do I." Klaus smiled a little, enjoying how many more things he kept finding he had in common with her. "I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight" Hope said with a small smile before heading to her room. Tomorrow they would be actually turning werewolves into hybrids, and Hope wasn't particularly pleased at the idea of forcing them. But she had to try to keep things the same

Chapter Text

Elena slowly opened her eyes as the sun came through her curtain. For a moment, she had forgotten the night's events. That is, until it all suddenly hit her. What happened to her. What happened to Stefan. Poor Bonnie in the middle of this again because of her. Stefan was under Klaus's control, and he had no humanity. And he had orders to watch her.

Damon gently draped his arm around Elena, beginning to slowly wake up. After yesterday he didn't want to leave her alone and somewhere along the line he fell asleep as well. "Mm. Morning." He mumbled tiredly as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

Elena looked to her left and met his eye contact. For a brief moment she struggled on saying anything. "Morning" she said, looking at him.

Damon couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. Waking up next to her had to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Hi." He whispered and slowly sat up on the bed. "Sorry I uh fell asleep on your bed."

"It's fine" Elena said, sitting up as well. It had been a long day anyways. And she knew he wanted to make sure she was alright. Besides he just fell asleep. Its not like anything happened. "Ill need to talk to Bonnie about Hope today. See what she knows"

Damon gave her a small nod, and despite how much he didn't want to, he forced himself to get out of the bed. He would give anything in the world to have been able to stay there with her. To hold her in his arms for real instead having to imagine it. "I'll come with you." He offered though he knew it was hardly a question. He wasn't going to risk her being all alone again. Even with Klaus out of town. "Do you want some breakfast?"

When Damon mentioned food, Elena suddenly realized she was in fact hungry. She nodded a little, getting off of her bed. "I'm kind of hungry. But we probably have poptarts or something. You dont need to worry about making anything"

Damon gave her a look. "Poptarts? Klaus practically drained you yesterday and you expect me to just let you eat poptarts for breakfast?" He chuckled. "Shower, get dressed, and I'll worry about making you an actual healthy breakfast that doesn't involve six pounds of sugar and artificial flavors."

"Hey. Poptarts is a great breakfast for people who have very little cooking knowledge" Elena chuckled and nodded.

Damon chuckled. "Well it's not a very healthy one. It barely counts as a snack." He said giving her a playful look before heading for the door. "I'll see you in a bit." He said before exiting her room and shutting the door behind him.

Elena rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle. Once Damon was gone, she let out a sigh, feeling the pain hit her again. She picked up the photo of her and Stefan for a moment, running her thumb over the photo. She set it back down finally and went to take a shower.

Damon headed into the kitchen and began his task of cooking breakfast for her. He enjoyed cooking for her, plus it was a good distraction from everything that was going on.

Elena enjoyed the hot shower, but all of the thoughts resurfaced in her mind. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her wet hair. The events of yesterday came crashing back to her. Elena got out of the shower and started getting ready, feeling a bit numb. Stefan was Klaus' slave and had no humanity. She was a human bloodbag. Klaus had a very powerful witch on his side that could heal like a vampire. And she wasn't sure if there was anything they could do to stop her.

Elena came downstairs, her hair damp but mostly dry. She took a seat slowly, still a bit surprised over dinner and breakfast. Damon couldn't help but smile when he heard Elena. "Alright. We have pancakes, eggs, bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice." He said looking over at her as he set the plate of bacon near the rest.

Elena's jaw dropped a little at the sight. "You know you really didn't need to do all of this" she said, looking at Damon.

Damon smiled and shook his head. "I don't mind. I wanted to." He said and began serving her a plate making sure to get her some of everything. "Plus it's a good distraction." He added setting the plate in front of her along with a glass of juice.

"Thank you," Elena said. "And at least one of us has a distraction. If I tried cooking by myself, this house might burn down"

Damon snorted. "Yeah I don't doubt it. Which is why I plan on cooking for you from now on. It keeps me preoccupied, it keeps you healthy, and as a bonus, it also prevents you from burning your house down."

"Well, I'm sure Jeremy and I both appreciate the last bit. " she said, starting to eat. She hesitated and pulled out her phone, sending Ric a quick message. Elena set her phone on the table after texting Ric that she wanted to get training to defend herself. She continued eating her food.

Damon chuckled a little and took a seat next to her. "I'd be glad to cook for you any time you want." Granted he figured that once Stefan was back to normal, she would have him cook instead. At least he could enjoy these moments with her in the meantime. He looked at her, smiling a little as he observed her. "Why don't we go out today?

"Well as nice as that sounds, I hate to remind you of the situation, but Klaus wants Stefan to keep an eye on me. We can try. But I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up. Or watched us from a distance" Elena said

“I know. Believe me it’s the last thing I want too.” Damon sighed softly. He wasn’t worried about Stefan hurting Elena. Not physically anyway. But all he wanted was to make Elena happy. And that wouldn’t happen if they ran into him. It was why, as much as he hated himself for doing it, he sent a quick text to Katherine, asking her to keep Stefan preoccupied for a while. “But why don’t we at least try okay? Surely it’s not going to kill us.” He grinned.

Elena sighed a little and nodded. "We can try." She said, though she did later want to figure out a way to save Stefan.

Damon’s smile widened at that. “Good. Because you need a distraction. And I’d be more than happy to give you that.” He said quietly. He felt tempted to reach for her hand, but in the end he decided against it.

Damon looked at her curiously, already having been prepared for her to protest. But when she didn’t, he couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but it seemed Elena trusted him. Even if he couldn’t think of a single reason why she should. “If you’re done, I can clean up later. Right now having fun is more important.”

"Yes, I'm done" Elena said, looking at him for a moment before tearing her gaze away and standing up

"Damon!" Elena shrieked at the cold water that hit her, letting out a small laugh, despite the emotions that were weighing heavily in her chest. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that.

Damon laughed. “What? I never got to do this when I was young. Mainly because it wasn’t a thing. But still, I figured I owed myself at least one water balloon fight. And what better person than you? Especially since I know you’ll go easy on me.” He teased reaching for another water balloon inside the cooler.

Elena chuckled. "Thanks" she said, amused as she tried to lessen the splash. Her clothes were already very wet. This was helping distract her from her problems at the moment, but she knew it wouldn't last that long.

“You’re welcome.” Damon said with a playful grin as he reached for two more balloons. “Just don’t tell Caroline we did this. The last thing I need is her thinking she can throw water balloons at me.”

"My lips are sealed" Elena promised

“Good.” Damon grinned and tossed another water balloon in her direction.

Elena continued throwing water balloons with Damon, letting her mind ease up for the first time in a while. She welcomed the distraction it provided, despite wanting to search for a solution

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

Katherine smiled brightly and slowly inched closer to Stefan, resting her head on his chest. “Mmm. Admit it. Staying here with me was so much more fun than anything else you could’ve done.”

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

Damon sighed contently as he rested on Elena’s bed, already having showered and changed into dry clothes once they had gotten back from playing with water balloons. He couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. Probably when he had been human. “Hey I was thinking when you’re done we could put in a movie?” He called out looking at the closed bathroom door.

"Okay. I need to call Bonnie first" Elena said as she got out of the shower. She still hadn't talked to her about Hope. And it was better to get that done now than later.

"Alright. I'll make popcorn in the meantime." Damon said unable to help the smile on his lips. For a moment he almost thought she would've told him to leave by now. But it seemed she actually enjoyed his company lately.

"Hello?" Bonnie answered as she flipped through another page of her grimoire. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. Currently taking a day of relaxation before dealing with everything else again. But I was wondering about Hope and what all you know or guess about her. Katherine did some searching with her various contacts around the world and says she shouldn't exist. That none of her contacts know about her" Elena said

Bonnie blinked in surprise at that. "Wait what?" That didn't make any sense. But then again neither did Hope working for Klaus. "Unfortunately I didn't really find much out. She's a very closed off person. All I know is Klaus doesn't appear to be threatening her. She just wants to help him. She seems very protective of him which is definitely a first. I mean his own brother tried to kill him." She rolled her eyes. "I remember she was looking for this magical object. A prism I think."

Elena took mental note of this information. "Is there anything else?" She asked, wanting to know as much as she could.

Bonnie thought for a moment. "She looked sad. Like she had been through a lot. But she didn't really get into detail as to what that was. She also said something weird." She said as she thought back to the conversation she had with Hope just before getting to the mansion. "She gave me a guarantee that you would live. Before Klaus found out your blood made his hybrids work. It's almost like she knew what would happen somehow."

Elena frowned at that. "I wonder how she knew about that" She said, confused. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully we can figure out who she is"

"I know. There's...I don't know. There's something about her. She doesn't look cruel. Not like Klaus. She looks kind and determined to do anything for the people she cares about. I just don't know how that's related to Klaus yet. I mean from my understanding they just met and suddenly she wants to help him more than his own family does. It doesn't make any sense." Bonnie sighed.

"Alright. Thank you, Bonnie. For everything. I'll let you know if we figure out anything about Hope or if anything else happens"

"Of course. You know I'd do anything for you." Bonnie smiled a little. "I'll keep researching on my end. If we can't convince her to join our side then we're going to have to stop her. And she's powerful."

"I know" Elena said, inhaling sharply at the idea of anyone getting hurt during this. "Ill uh talk to you later" she said and hung up the phone after Bonnie said goodbye. Elena went over to Damon, thinking.

Damon had just set the bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table when he saw Elena. "Hey. How did it go?"

Elena hesitated before filling Damon in on everything Bonnie had said about Hope. She was worried about everything that would happen. She told him about what Bonnie had said about Hope seeming to know that Elena would survive before Klaus even knew Elena's blood helped make hybrids.

"That doesn't make any sense." Damon frowned. No one could've predicted Elena's blood was needed for the hybrids. The curse was made to have the doppelgänger be killed. "But...if Katherine's right about her being an older, resurrected witch then, that's plausible. Maybe she was even around when Klaus was human and knew the real details about the curse."

"I suppose that's the only logical explanation" Elena said, looking at him.

"Yeah." Damon sighed, wishing they knew more than what they currently did. "I'll see what I can find out too. I mean Katherine's not the only one capable of doing research." He said giving her a playful smile.

"Mm. And how many sources do you have?" Elena questioned, stealing a piece of popcorn from the bowl

Damon grinned and grabbed some popcorn, gently tossing them at her. "Well not nearly as many as Katherine I'm sure, but there are a few witches I can reach out to."

"Hopefully we can figure this all out. I just wish I was able to be more helpful" Elena admitted, looking at him.

Damon's playful expression slowly turned into a more serious one as he nodded. "Hey. Right now you're only job is to relax while Klaus is out of town. We know he won't kill you. So focus on that. And in the meantime I'll do everything I can to get rid of Hope." He promised and wrapped his arms around her.

Elena slowly hugged him back, though it was somehow different than the other hugs they had shared before.

"Well, isn't this sweet" Stefan said mockingly, suddenly standing in the doorway as he crossed his arms and watched.

Elena pulled away from Damon at the sound of Stefan's voice and looked over at her humanity-less ex.

Damon exhaled softly, his eyes fluttering shut as he held her. In this moment he wanted nothing more than to tell her everything he felt for her. How much he truly loved her. If it hadn't been for Stefan's familiar voice echoing in the room then, he wasn't sure what he would've done. "Seriously? Don't you have anywhere better to be?" He muttered though truthfully he was grateful Katherine managed to distract him for this long.

"I have been busy having sex with Katherine. However, compulsion still is set, and I need to keep an eye on Elena" Stefan said, not caring how his words hurt Elena. "Despite how much comfort and protection you have been giving her"

Elena's face faltered at the announcement about Katherine, but she straightened up.

Damon's eyes widened a little at his words, but truthfully he couldn't be that surprised. He knew Katherine having gone to see him meant something along the lines of that. And without his humanity on, he also knew that Stefan was more susceptible to something like that happening. He just hadn't expected him to so casually say it in front of Elena. "Ignore him." He mumbled to Elena before glaring at his brother. "Okay well you've seen her, she's fine. You're free to go."

"She is more than fine, I'm sure, with you by her side. The one who never gets the girl yet pines after her anyways. Though I do agree you need to get rid of Hope"

Damon scoffed, trying his best to not pay attention to his words. He knew he was only trying to get a rise out of him. If he got angry then he won. "Yeah well what can I say? Maybe I got bored of you always being the hero. It was getting a little predictable." He smirked. "I gotta say I'm surprised though. You wanting to get rid of Hope. What? Are you jealous Klaus isn't your best bud anymore?"

"I dont want to be his puppet forever. If Hope's gone, it's one less person to worry about" Stefan said. He turned away to leave.

"You do realize that even if I did have an answer for getting rid of Hope, I couldn't tell you right? Right now you're the world's biggest liability." Damon rolled his eyes. "But hey maybe try seducing Katherine again. I'm sure one look with those sparkling green eyes will have her spilling all her secrets."

"I didn't say you should tell me. Just get it done" Stefan said before walking out of the house.

Damon scoffed and shook his head. The only reason why he was even listening to him in getting rid of Hope was for Elena and nothing more. "Is it just me or is he just so much more annoying now?"

"It's not just you" Elena said, watching the empty doorway before shaking herself out of it and closing the front door. "Look, enough about Stefan for now. Though we do need to get his humanity back. Right now, I need a distraction before I work on a plan to get our Stefan back."

Damon could feel the disappointment slowly settling in his heart at the sound of her words. "Right." He did his best to smile and forget the fact that once Stefan had his humanity back, she would be his once more. "What movie were you thinking?"

"I didn't really have anything in mind" Elena told Damon

Damon gave her a nod. "Alright then. Are you up for a horror movie or is that a little too close to home?" He asked playfully.

"After our lives, horror movies aren't usually scary" Elena chuckled. "Especially the old ones. But yeah, I'm up for it"

Damon chuckled. "Horror movie it is." He settled and began looking through the dvds, finally choosing one. He put in the movie and took a seat on the couch, patting the space next to him.

Elena carried over the popcorn and took a seat next to Damon. "What did you put in?" She asked curiously.

"The Shining." Damon answered with a grin. "It's a classic. And a personal favorite."

"It is? I think I've only seen it once" Elena told him.

"Of course. One of the best horror movies of all time." Damon smiled and hesitantly placed his arm around her.

Elena forced herself not to inhale sharply. She reminded herself of the other times he had done. It. Once when she was a prisoner in her own home. But he hadn't been this close and it hadn't made her feel like she was losing her breath. She shook her feelings away and watched the screen

Damon glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know if it was just him imagining things, but he could tell she looked nervous. Not to mention her heart was beating a little faster than normal. He couldn't very well confront her about it however. Not if he didn't want to ruin the little bit of hope he had. Instead he simply kept his gaze on the screen while subtly inching closer to her.

Elena forced herself to focus on the screen and watch the horror movie.

Chapter Text

"What place do you most look forward to visiting once we go traveling together?" Klaus asked Hope as he looked over at her. He had been out on the road for a few hours, and while he was focused on finding the werewolf pack he wanted to turn, he couldn't deny he was also excited at the possibility of traveling with Hope.

Hope shrugged lightly at that. "Im not really sure" she said, looking at him.

"I believe you'll like Paris. There is always something so inspiring everywhere you look. Well. So long as you stay away from all the tourist spots." Klaus chuckled. "If not then it is incredibly obnoxious."

"I'm not a big fan of crowds. Of people" Hope said with a small chuckle. "I mean sometimes its not bad, but regularly I just tend to avoid people. Though I don't do it as much as I used to"

Klaus chuckled softly. "I suppose for me it depends on the crowd. Cities are always a preference of mine. But it's tourists I cannot stand. Unless they are used as a meal."

Hope nodded a bit. "I don't mind certain aspects of the city. I just don't like being in the middle of the crowds"

"Is it a personal preference or is there a particular reason why you dislike crowds?" Klaus asked curiously.

"Personal preference mostly" Hope said, looking at him. "I prefer being alone. Though I do have some friends now. And a boyfriend as you know. Before I was a complete loner"

Klaus smiled a little. In a way she reminded him of himself. "Hm." He said thoughtfully. "Can I give you my opinion?" He asked glancing in her direction.

"Go ahead." Hope said, looking over at him

"I do not think anyone prefers being alone." Klaus said softly. "Humans have a need buried deep inside them. A need for human interaction and finding connections with people. I only believe some recognize that need more than others do."

Hope was silent for a long moment. "I didn't want to risk hurting them. Being what I am, I'm powerful. I thought if people got close to me that they would get hurt. But like I said, I have friends now. And Landon. So I don't think that way anymore"

Klaus glanced back at her curiously, her words catching him by surprise. It revealed something about her he hadn't yet seen. She was kind. Not just to people she cared for but to everyone. She cared so deeply about other's wellbeing that she preferred to stay away even if it meant she was miserable. 

"I have never felt that I suppose. That need to protect others. Perhaps I did once, when I was human. But now...those are nothing but distant memories of a past life. You are kind, Hope. You live your life thinking of ways to protect people, with no regard to how that makes you feel. I am the opposite. I don't think of anyone unless it benefits me in some way. Which I suspect you already know. Which is why I cannot understand how someone like you could want to be near someone like me."

Hope didn't reply. How could she explain it without telling the truth? Which the truth was the one thing she couldn't say. "I just do" Hope said finally

Klaus shook his head. "I hate that you do." He whispered quietly. If someone like her had the ability to see beyond his monstrous side and still see him as someone worth knowing...then what did that say about his family? His siblings who had spent the past thousand years betraying him over and over again? It said this was always possible. It was always possible for him to be loved. They just didn't agree. They didn't care enough to find out.

Hope looked at him for a long moment before finally looking away and starting to sketch a silhouette of Landon in front of trees with a white space for where his wings would be

Klaus didn't bother to explain why he felt that way. Part of him wanted to, but the other part, the part that was always closed off from everyone forced him not to. "Who are you drawing?" He asked instead when he glanced at the sketchbook on her lap.

"Just someone" Hope said, continuing to draw

Klaus raised an eyebrow, turning his attention back to the road. "Still incredibly vague I see." He chuckled softly. "I feel as though the most real thing I know about you is that you are a hybrid."

"Maybe I prefer it that way." Hope said. "Though you know a bit more than that"

"Well, I don't." Klaus said softly before giving her a look. "I know you have a boyfriend named Landon who can sing. Which isn't even a fact about you." He pointed out. "I'm not even sure where you grew up since the only answer you gave me was everywhere." He sighed. "You don't need to tell me anything that you don't wish to. However, I would like it if you did. I enjoy your company. And I would like to know more about you."

 "It's better this way" Hope said softly, continuing to draw

Klaus slowly looked back at the road, feeling the disappointment set in. For the first time in so long he finally cared about another person. The last time he felt this way was with Marcel. And he lost him. Now he met Hope, and, she clearly didn't trust him as much as she pretended to. Perhaps she had only been trying to make him feel better. 

"Alright then." He said keeping his gaze ahead.

Hope caught his look. "Its not about you. I swear. Its about a lot more than that, and even if I told you, you'd think I was crazy. I want to tell you everything. But I shouldn't" 

Klaus frowned a little at that. His first instinct was that she was lying. But when he heard her following words, he realized she might be telling the truth. That there truly was more happening that was unrelated to him. "You are, a witch werewolf hybrid. The first hybrid I have met in one thousand years. And for some reason that I still can't understand, you are willing to spend time with me. Nothing you tell me could ever be as insane as that." He sighed softly. "However, you do not need to tell me if you don't wish to."  

Hope looked over at her dad and smiled softly before looking away. "It's better if I don't" Hope said with a small sigh. She leaned back a little in her seat

Klaus sighed softly and nodded. "Very well. Like I said you don't need to tell me. Though I wish you would." He added quietly. "Perhaps not everything. Even I haven't gotten nearly that far with you. But some things. Important or personal things. You said you trusted me. You are the first person to do that in...well, it feels like forever."

"I do trust you" Hope said, looking at him. "What do you want to know? I'll answer what I feel like I can answer. Probably the less important ones"

Klaus nodded slowly, figuring that was better than the current situation. Though he did begin to wonder what exactly was going on with her, and why she was so secretive. Clearly this went beyond her simple need to not get close to anyone. And he would know, seeing as he spent one thousand years doing the same thing. "Well. Where are you from? That is not that important is it?"

"I was born in Louisiana" Hope replied, looking at him.

Klaus smiled a little at that. "Am I allowed to ask where?" He asked curiously

Hope chuckled softly and shook her head

"Alright. I suppose a girl is allowed to have a little mystery." Klaus chuckled. "Very well, what about this boyfriend of yours? How did you two meet?"

"At his job. He was my waiter" Hope replied with a light smile as she remembered her peanut butter blasts

Klaus chuckled softly, a little surprised at her answer. "That sounds so..." He paused trying to look for the right word. "Normal." He finally said. "I suppose I expected something different considering everything."

Hope chuckled softly at that. "Yeah, it does" she agreed. "I saw him several times there. And it was where he asked me out. After getting me my favorite milkshake"

Klaus smiled, trying to imagine such a normal encounter, but in the end he couldn't do much. "It sounds quite beautiful then. The way you met. The last time I had feelings for anyone was a thousand years ago. And the way we bonded was over the fact that we both killed our mothers." He never thought of Aurora now. Not if he could help it. But if Hope was opening up more, then perhaps he should too. Even if it was just a little bit. "Her mother died giving birth to her. And, I actually did kill mine. Though she did deserve it." He added.

Hope nodded a little. "From what I know, yeah she did" She looked down a little. "Landon moved away after our first sort of date. And then he moved back two years later, and we started dating"

Klaus quickly glanced over at her when he heard her agree with the fate he had given his mother. "You..." He shook his head. That was the third time she had truly surprised him. He looked over at her, the curiosity obvious in his eyes, but he didn't say anything else. Not about that anyway. "Your tale with Landon seems to support that belief that, people have some type of soulmate. If after two years you found each other once more and began to work on a relationship."

Hope smiled a bit at his words. "He's the love of my life. I can't ever imagine not being in love with him"

Klaus gave her a small smile. "Well. Based on what you've told me, I assume you will never know what it is like. You do seem quite committed to him."

"I am" Hope confirmed with a smile and looked down at the drawing. "I'm quite protective of him. A bit too much sometimes"

"Yes I know the feeling." Klaus chuckled a little. "I tend to put my siblings to sleep and keep them in coffins for decades at a time."

"I haven't quite done anything like that to him, but I protect him and keep him out of any danger as much as I can." Hope said

"I imagine you wouldn't." Klaus said. She was similar to him, but she was better. And that was not an easy thing to recognize or admit. "Does he appreciate it or is he one of those people who prefers to run toward the danger?"

"He's both. Though danger tends to find him" Hope said. "Which does not make things easier"

Klaus nodded at that, imagining it did not. "What kind of danger? If you can answer that."

"People trying to kill him" Hope replied. Sort of, at least. Get him to Malivore so Malivore could possess him. And he had been killed several times too. But Hope couldnt say this

Klaus frowned at that. "Why are people trying to kill him? Is he supernatural as well?" He asked curiously. He had assumed he was human just based on the mundane aspect of him having been a waiter. But he could've been wrong.

Hope nodded a little. "Yeah he is" she confirmed. "Though he didn't know it for most of his life."

"Is he a werewolf?" Klaus guessed, knowing there weren't many supernatural beings he could be without him knowing about it. "Or a witch?"

"His abilities were being blocked" Hope said. Which was sort of true. They didnt get activated until he died

Klaus nodded taking that as a confirmation for him being a witch. "I've heard of that. Spells that bind a witch's abilities. Similar to the werewolf curse my mother placed on me, though with a more simple and less murderous way to break it." He rolled his eyes. "At least he has you to help him. Seeing as you are a hybrid."

"I once had a bracelet that bound my magic, though I could take it off. A modified version of anti magic shackles. It just helped keep me from losing control or drawing too much attention to my magic. A lot of power draws a lot of attention."

Klaus listened attentively and nodded slowly. "That makes sense. You are a hybrid. Being able to maintain control of your witch abilities whilst having the natural aggression of a werewolf cannot have been easy. A bracelet like that would've helped until you learned control on your own."

"Yeah apparently I magically stopped a car as a baby because I sensed danger" Hope said. "Good thing I didn't have the bracelet them. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. Probably"

Klaus blinked in surprise at her words. "You magically stoped a car when you were only a baby? I must admit I'm impressed." He chuckled. "Most witches don't start showing signs of magic until they're older. One of my brothers, Kol, inherited my mother's magic and he had no idea of his magical abilities until he was about fourteen years old. But even then, there wasn't much he could do in terms of spells until he was a bit older."

"Well, I'm not exactly a normal witch" Hope reminded either a small smile. "I've been doing powerful spells since I was seven"

Hope smiled a bit at the compliment. "Thanks." she said, pleased by his words.

Hours later, Klaus stood in a bar, watching seven currently dead werewolves. He hadn't yet reached the pack he was interested in. But he found these as he was passing through, and he figured they would be perfect test subjects. Reaching for a bottle of whiskey, he refilled his empty glass and sighed softly. "Would you like a drink Hope?" He asked setting the bottle down. 

Hope walked around the bar and got herself some soda. "I dont drink" she replied. 

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You must be the only teenager on the planet who refuses to drink alcohol." He chuckled softly. "Though I suppose there is something admirable about it."

  Hope shrugged. "I just dont want it" she said simply. "Plus who knows how my magic would react if I got drunk and lost control of it"

"Well, when you bring that into consideration I suppose it does make sense." Klaus reasoned. "I tend to not get drunk either. Not that's easy for me to even get drunk in the first place. But with a life like mine, I'd rather have my mind clear and not swimming in alcohol."

Hope nodded in agreement, thinking of everything she had been through. "That makes sense" she said

Klaus looked back at the werewolves on the floor when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. "Looks like they're awake." He smirked and approached one. "Hope, be a dear and help those three transition." He gestured to the ones near the pool table.

Hope set down her glass of soda and walked over to the pool table, pulling out one of the vials of Elena's blood. She had placed a protection spell on them so they wouldn't break

 Klaus worked on forcefully transitioning the remaining four. They tried to resist naturally but he was stronger and faster. He smiled in satisfaction as he watched them. He knew they wouldn't die like the rest. He had already tested it with Tyler Lockwood. But part of him had still been doubtful.

Hope made them drink. She didnt like forcing anything on anyone, but she reminded herself of the why, Soon, they were all successfully hybrids.

 Klaus smirked and carelessly tossed each one a blood bag. A small part of him had been expecting them to start dying again. But they weren't. And they were getting stronger with the blood they drank. "Alright then. You seven will head out to Mystic Falls. No need to engage with anyone, simply await further instructions." He still needed to find an actual pack after all.

Hope watched in silence as Klaus ordered the new hybrids.

Klaus watched them, satisfied when they easily obeyed him without him having to threaten any of them. "Well then. That was easy." 

"Sire bond?" Hope 'guessed'. "Just a variation for hybrids?"(edited)

Klaus frowned slightly, considering her words. It did make sense. "Well if that is the case, it explains why I did not need to threaten a single one despite their initial desire to kill me." His hybrids being sired to him definitely solved a lot of problems.

Hope nodded a bit. "It's one less thing for you to worry about."

"It is." Klaus agreed. Things were turning out better than he thought they would. "If this happens with every hybrid I make then..." He smirked. Then he could easily have an army at his disposal while barely having to lift a finger. "Come. We need to get to the werewolf pack I am planning on turning." 

Hope nodded and headed out of the building so they could find the pack and turn them too. Klaus walked out with her and got in his car, knowing he was close to where he tracked the pack Hope got in the car as well and thought a little about everything. She needed to be away from him before she could analyze the spell further

Klaus began to drive. "After I have my army, we will return to Mystic Falls where I will have my revenge on Stefan Salvatore. Then...well, then we are free. We can travel the world together. Turning more hybrids. Seeing the greatest artworks in history. Experiencing the world.

"What kind of revenge are you planning?" Hope asked curiously, wondering what risks she was taking with this

Klaus smirked. "Oh it will make him think twice before ever betraying me again. My original plan was to have him kill Elena Gilbert. But seeing as she is important to me now, I have since thought of a new plan." He said before continuing. "I knew I needed to do something that both tortured him and taught him a lesson however. Which is why the second we get to Mystic Falls, I am going to compel him again. This time, to give me his loyalty. It is different than obeying my commands. This time he will want to do so, whilst at the same time he will hate himself for it. He will be trapped in his own mind for however long I see fit. I will force him to become the thing he so feared becoming by simply traveling with me. Stefan will be a monster. And I will be his master. I will prove he was right not to trust me." His last sentence was whispered as his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

Hope was silent at that, hating how she imagined that must feel.

Klaus slowly looked over at her, her silence bothering him. It made him instantly fear the worst. "Do you have a better idea?" He asked trying his hardest not to give in to his darkest fears. Perhaps it wasn't that she disagreed. Perhaps she simply had a different way of doing things. One that was more cruel. Just like when they had been in Chicago.

Hope shook her head a little. "No I don't" she said. "I'm not very familiar with the whole revenge and punishment type of thing. I tend to just kill enemies" The many monsters of Malivore. "I'll leave the revenge plans to you unless I do think of something"

Klaus gave her a small nod, deep down already having been suspecting that. He didn't say anything for a while, simply trying to figure out how to properly word his question. But eventually he ended up just blurting it out. "Do you disagree with my plan?"

"No" Hope replied calmly, her heart-rate steady as she thought. It wasnt like it was going to happen anyway. Somehow Stefan got free of her father's compulsion.

Klaus felt obvious relief settle in him then. He didn't say something dumb like thank her for not thinking badly of him. But his expression was clear enough. "I would not be doing this if he had simply been honest with me. Instead he lied and betrayed me. I do not have a habit of trusting easily, as you know. Therefore what he did...it is not something I can forgive." Especially when there wasn't even any guilt displayed. Not that he said that part, but it was what hurt the most. That Stefan didn't actually care. In his mind, he was doing the right thing. Saving Elena Gilbert from the monster.

Hope nodded a little at that. "Why did you want him by your side to begin with?" she asked curiously. She had read Stefan's journals, the ones that survived at least. And in the ones mentioning her dad, he was always the villain. It was hard to imagine that her father considered him a friend

Klaus didn't say anything for a few minutes. Not because he didn't know what the answer to her question was, but rather because he did. He simply didn't want to say it out loud. "Because once upon a time, Stefan Salvatore was my brother. The only one I had who was actually like me. Not in all aspects but, in the ones that mattered. He too felt rejected and distanced from his immediate family. We met in Chicago, 1922." His eyes closed for a moment at the familiar memories. "Not a lot of people like me, Hope. My own siblings don't most times. Stefan did. And because he did, I thought other people could as well. Someday. But I was wrong, clearly. I even suspected as much before I took him with me. However, my own brother had just tried to kill me. I was almost murdered by my own flesh and blood. I suppose I foolishly thought that...he would be different. That despite the time that has passed, he would remember who I was and, everything would be like it used to be. But it was not. Because he never liked me. His soulless side identified with me because I was a monster too. That was all there was to it. At least for him."

Hope turned to look at him. "You're not a monster" she said, unable to help the automatic defense that escaped her lips. It was annoying enough dealing with people at school talking bad about her father. But she wouldn't let him call himself a monster.

Klaus blinked in surprise when he heard her. He knew she had a strange desire to help him for reasons he did not yet understand. And she didn't think of him as an abomination simply for being a hybrid. But to go as far as to say he was not a monster? "You hardly know me. You do not know the things I've done. The things I have wanted to do. How can you claim I am not a monster? I very well could be. And I am. The difference between me and the rest of the world is, I have come to accept that about me. I have let go of the man I used to be and embraced who I am now."

Hope looked at her father and looked away, not fighting him on the topic. He cares. He loved her. He cared about his siblings even if he had a strange way of showing it. He had humanity. He wasnt a monster.

Klaus remained silent and then parked the car near the woods after another ten minutes. Hope was a mystery to him. And he wanted to solve it. But right now he had other things to focus on. Such as the pack he tracked down and wanted to turn. "Come. We need to walk the rest of the way." He said and got out of the car.

Hope got out of the car and looked around a little at the woods around her. She went to get the necessary bloodbags from the back to complete the transition.

Klaus watched Hope curiously, thinking back to how quick she was to jump at his defense. She didn't know him. Why would she say that? No one said that. He was a monster in everyone's eyes. Even his siblings. But somehow not Hope. And he didn't understand why. "I need to speak with you." He finally said. "Not right now. Later. However I do need to speak with you. And you need to answer any question I have. I let you keep your secrets. I'm afraid that isn't something I can do anymore. Not if those secrets are related to me."

"Well then I'm afraid we have a problem. Because I'll help you and stand by you. But the questions you want answered I'm not going to answer" Hope said calmly. "It's better that way. Now let's go make some hybrids"

Klaus stepped in front of her, staring at her intently. He wouldn't hurt her, but it was clear he was being stubborn about this. "I'm afraid this isn't a matter of choice Hope. I need to know why you insisted on helping me when we first met. Why, even after hearing what my own family thinks of me, you're still here. I need to know why you view me higher than anyone else I have ever met. It does not make any sense. And I desperately need it to."

"Why can't you just accept that this isnt something I want to discuss? I'm not going to answer your questions. Not these questions. And if you keep pushing me to, I'm going to have to leave. And I don't want to do that" Hope said, looking at him, not backing down either

Klaus felt fear grip at him at the thought of Hope leaving him just like everyone else seemed to. She was the only one who accepted him. How could she abandon him? "That is not fair. You cannot expect me to sit here and wonder all of these things whilst you not only give me zero answers but also attempt to manipulate me into letting this go." He snapped. "You told me I was not a monster. How can you know that? How can you be so sure? You are a complete stranger and yet you seem to care more about me than my own siblings do. That is not normal. That is not just brought on by your being a hybrid as well. It can't be."

"I'm not manipulating you. I'm telling you how it has to be. I can't give you the answers you want. Even if I wanted to." Hope said. "It's just better for me to keep my secrets."

"Better for you." Klaus said quoting her own words back to her. "Not better for me. Do you have any idea how many people have behaved as though I am worthy of them and then turned out to be lying, using me for information, or simply unaware of the true horrors that come with knowing me? You need to tell me why you are acting this way. Because what I am imagining is so much worse than whatever truth you believe will destroy me."

"I dont want to keep things from you, but I can't tell you. It could change everything" Hope said, shaking her head. "Im not betraying you or using you for information. I dont like keeping things from you. I just can't tell you the answers you want to know."

"You do realize that you telling me you are not lying to me does not actually make me believe you correct?" Klaus sighed. "All I want, is some piece of evidence, other than your word, that you truly feel the way you do when it comes to me. That you genuinely believe me to be good enough. To be worthy of your company. I need to know this is not another trick from my enemies or...my mother or father. If you cannot give me that then perhaps we truly are better apart."

Hope took a step back. "I'm sorry" she said softly. "I want to tell you who I am. Where I come from.. I want to tell you everything. Be completely honest with you. But it is too dangerous for me to. It could destroy everything. One day you will understand everything. Why I can't tell you. Why its better this way. But today can't be that day. I'm sorry" Hope said, blinking back tears before she turned and set the bag of blood bags in the car and grabbed her own bag. She started to walk away and stopped in her tracks. It was hard to leave her father.

Klaus frowned, both confused and hurt by her words. He needed to know everything. He needed not only to know this wasn't a trick, but also everything about her. The truth about her. He lived with enough lies in life. But Hope wasn't giving him that. Instead she was walking away from him, and the sight of it was far more painful than he expected it to be. He didn't know why. He just knew that in such a short amount of time, she became someone very important to him.

"Wait." He walked after her and reached for arm. "Don't leave." He whispered. "My entire life I have only ever wanted one thing. For someone like you to exist. I have wanted and needed someone who understands. Who does not judge. Someone who does not view me with the same cautious look the rest of the word does. I have needed you. And now that you are here, you are not leaving. Even if that means you cannot tell me the truth about you, I want you to stay."

Hope exhaled softly and nodded, wiping away a tear that had escaped despite her best efforts. She turned to look at him. "Okay. Then I'll stay" For now at least. Until things were as they should be. She didnt want to leave. She knew she would need to eventually, and the mere thought of it crushed her heart

Klaus gave her a small nod, not showing much of his emotions except for the small smile he gave her. But deep down he was so grateful. And maybe genuinely happy for the first time in forever. "Good." He said softly. "We should...get to the wolves." He said softly.

Hope nodded and set her bag back down in the car before pulling out the blood they needed.

Klaus watched her for a few seconds before he began to head into the woods, using his enhanced hearing to search for the pack.

Hope closed the car door and exhaled slowly, collecting herself. She then went to follow her father but  heard a brief sound and spun around just in time to deflect a blow from a werewolf. The two began fighting, Hope clearly skilled. Hope did a skilled flip over the werewolf and landed behind her before forcing her to the ground, pinning her there.

Klaus looked around the woods, following the direction he heard the most noises in but the commotion behind him caused him to quickly stop and turn around. His eyes widened a little, watching Hope fight against one of the werewolves. The proud smirk on his face easily showed how impressed he was with her. “Good job.” He still said out loud. “Our first future hybrid from this pack.”

Hope smiled a bit and jerked up the werewolf, pressing her against a tree, feeling guilty but reminding herself this would have happened anyways. Its not her fault. But that didn't change the fact it felt like it was.

Klaus grinned and bit his wrist, forcefully giving his blood to the werewolf before hastily snapping her neck. “I have to say your combat skills are quite advanced.”

"I've had a lot of experience when it comes to training and fighting" Hope said, looking at him as she let the werewolf fall to the floor.

“I can see that.” Klaus chuckled. “I am fairly certain you handled her better than I could have. I am not much for physical combat. I simply kill someone or compel them if killing is not an option for whatever reason. It helps that I tend to be stronger than anyone I face off against, so typically I do not need to do much.”

"Training was a good way to blow off some steam. And then I had to fight some over the past year or so, so the training came in handy. I'm also familiar with weapons" Hope said

“Still that is quite impressive.” Klaus said honestly. “I actually come from a time where using weapons was the only way to fight...and I cannot say I enjoy it or would even attempt it again.” He chuckled softly.

Hope shrugged lightly. "Your loss. I'm particularly fond of axes. Though I use all sorts" She smiled at the thought of weaponry.

Klaus couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Out of all the weapons in the world you choose one of the most difficult to wield and one of the least versatile? The more I get to know you, the more you surprise me.”

Hope chuckled a little. "It's enjoyable. What can I say? I love them. I guess I enjoy a challenge. Unfortunately I'm out of weapons at the moment. Have been since I appeared in Stefan's apartment."

Klaus smiled, already knowing what he wanted to do for Hope once he turned enough hybrids. “Well how do you feel about swords? One of the benefits of being over one thousand years old is retaining the knowledge for making your own weapons. Unfortunately I truly only learned swords, both because they were the most popular and also because I was not interested in weapon making.”

"You know how to make swords?" Hope asked, looking at him. "Can you teach me?" Her eyes were full of interest.

Klaus couldn’t help but genuinely smile when he saw the way her eyes seemed to light up with joy. It was the same way he felt whenever he picked up a paintbrush. “I do. The singular benefit of being raised by an ass for a father, is the need it provoked in me to show him I was worthy.” He rolled his eyes at his own silly human thoughts. “So I had my oldest brother Finn teach me how to make them. He was the one who was interested in the forging of weapons. You two would’ve gotten along quite well actually.” He chuckled a little. “It did not work to impress my father. He criticized the one I made, threatened to stab me with it just to prove one could not kill anything with something that mediocre, and forced me to get rid of it.”

Not to mention the beating he gave him while he yelled at him to leave the weapon forging to someone who actually knew what they were doing. And to stick to being a constant disappointment and nuisance to everyone else around him since it was the only thing he truly excelled at. Though naturally, he chose not to say that part to Hope.

“However, I did learn that skill at least. Therefore, as soon as we are finished making enough hybrids, I can gladly teach you how to make a sword.”

Hope's smile faltered at the mention of Mikael, knowing what he had done to her father. "Well, I look forward to it" she said honestly, looking at him.

Klaus smiled a little, glad she didn’t ask about anything pertaining to his past. Truthfully he wasn’t even sure why or how he managed to say any of that. He supposed he just trusted her more than anyone else. “As do I.” He said honestly and then shifted his attention towards the werewolf when she woke up. “Take care of her will you? I am going to track the rest of the pack. They cannot be too far behind.”

Hope nodded a bit at his words, pulling out one of the blood bags from the duffel bag, ready to give the new hybrid some of it. "I'll catch up with you" she said, going over to the werewolf

Klaus gave her a nod, knowing she would and continued to head deeper into the woods in search for the other werewolves. Soon enough he would have an army. He smirked at the thought.

Chapter Text

Damon groaned softly as he began to wake up. After the movie night he remembered bringing Elena upstairs and putting her to bed. He had sat by the window to make sure Stefan wasn't coming back and he guessed he must've fallen asleep. "Hey. You awake?" He mumbled looking over at Elena as he stretched, trying to regain comfort in his body.

Elena slowly opened her eyes at the sound of his voice and blinked a little, barely remembering her semiconscious state as Damon had put her to bed. "Yeah, I am. That couldn't have been comfortable"

"It wasn't." Damon grumbled stretching once more. "I was checking for Stefan. Just in case he came back." He yawned. "He didn't. But I must've fallen asleep. You're just lucky I didn't jump into bed with you." He teased as his lips curled into a smirk.

Elena's cheeks flushed a little as she climbed out of bed. "Well, Katherine must be keeping him quite preoccupied. After all, she did yesterday"

Damon made a face before a chuckle left his lips. "Okay ew. Let's just agree not to mention the she-devil's distraction techniques before breakfast. Or ever. Let's instead be grateful that Stefan without humanity will do just about anyone no matter the consequences. It means...we have more time to have fun. Like yesterday. That was fun right?" He smiled a little. "Don't worry I'm not going to drag you to another water balloon fight, but we can do something else that's equally fun."

Elena sighed and went over to her dresser, pulling out some clothes. "It was," she admitted, thinking about everything. Tonight was senior prank night. School started up again tomorrow

Damon couldn't help but smile. He knew she had fun. But hearing her confirm it made him feel a thousand times better. "Why don't...we have dinner tonight? It's not exactly scandalous but, you deserve a nice meal out of the house in a nice restaurant." He knew he was most likely pushing his luck, but he couldn't help himself. If he could have just one moment alone with her away from all this, maybe she could finally give him a chance.

"Damon...." Elena sighed softly. "I enjoyed yesterday. And im not opposed to dinner tonight. But we do have a current problem. More than one actually. Hope and Klaus. Gone or not, we need to be ready for when they come back. And Stefan, who we need to figure out a plan to make him stop being Klaus' puppet."

Damon sighed at the mention of his brother. Of course that was who she was worried about. He didn't really know why it continued to surprise him at this point. Logically he should be used to it, yet he wasn't. "Alright well last time I checked I can't undo an original vampire's compulsion on someone. But hey if you want to sit here and dwell on it be my guest." He muttered heading out of her bedroom. He wasn't trying to hurt her. But he was hurting too, and right now all he wanted was for it to stop.

Elena watched him leave, hating the way her heart ached painfully. She cared about him a lot and hated seeing him in so much pain. "Im not an idiot, Damon. I know we can't reverse the compulsion. But we can try getting his humanity back on. And don't act like i wouldn't be doing this for any of you. If it had been you, I would be saying the exact same thing right now. Same if it had been Caroline. Do you think I want to sit around and think about this? I'd rather spend time with you, eat popcorn, have fun, but I can't just not help someone that needs my help. Whether it's Stefan or someone else. Its not who I am. And you may not have been able to see that a whole lot because I'm just human and need saving, but its true. I also need to train with Ric. So I'll at least I'll stand a little of a chance if I need to fight Stefan. I need him to train me to be like a hunter"

Damon sighed in defeat as he slowly turned around to face her. He knew he was overreacting. After all, she couldn't be blamed for caring about Stefan. She wasn't used to any of this. But he was. "I know that. I know you care about people Elena. It's one of the best things about you. You'd save everyone if you could because that's just who you are. But turning on his humanity is a lost cause. For one, it could take weeks before we make any type of breakthrough and by then Klaus will have been back. And two, it wouldn't really fix anything. He would still be compelled to do whatever Klaus says. I've seen him like this before. He'll go back to normal on his own time." He sighed once more and leaned against the wall. "I know you don't want to see it. But this is Stefan. The version you know isn't him. It's who he pretends to be."

Elena fell silent as she looked at Damon. Finally she spoke up again. "What about locking him up?" She asked. "Keep him from going on a killing spree in this town, which he might do if he stops getting distracted by Katherine"

"Yeah. Maybe. I mean it could work. And technically as long as you stop by to see him every so often, he'll still be obeying the compulsion." Damon reasoned, though it was clear he didn't really care what she did at this point. Not where Stefan was concerned. "But we'd need to convince Katherine to help us." He made a face. "I can't believe I just said that but it's true. Stefan wouldn't trust us anywhere near him."

Elena bit her lip slightly, an idea occurring to her. "There's a bonfire tomorrow. I might be able to get close to him. If I'm acting wasted" She didn't exactly trust Katherine. "I just dont exactly trust Katherine to help us lock up Stefan. Especially with what she is getting from him being free"

Damon's lips parted open slightly but eventually he simply nodded. He didn't trust Katherine either. But somehow he hated the idea of Elena getting close to Stefan even more than idea of choosing to trust Katherine. "Yeah. Fine. Whatever. You're right. Even if she was the most trustworthy person in the world, she'd never agree with it. If anything she'd just tell him what we're planning. Just...be careful okay? And-" He hesitated. "Try to remember his humanity is off and he's compelled. He's not the Stefan you know."

"I know he's not the same" Elena said, looking at him. "I can do this. I can pull this off." She was silent for a moment. "Well now that we have a plan, I dont need to spend today trying to come up with one" She wasnt sure if the dinner offer still stood after that conversation. And she was nervous to ask. Because the answer would probably hurt. It already hurt seeing the look in his eyes. It made her want to go back and not say anything about Stefan, But she knew she would have said something if anyone needed to be taken care of. If any of her friends needed her help, not just romantic interests,

Damon slowly nodded, at this point having given up to convince her otherwise. Despite his hatred for Katherine, he would gladly let her continue to distract Stefan by whatever means necessary. He had been the first one to ask her to do it in the first place. Not that he was planning on telling Elena that of course. But naturally, Elena wanted to do something else. She wanted to save him. To get the man she loved back. And he had to follow what she wanted, because he was so terrified that making one move against her wishes meant he would lose any and all progress he made so far. "Okay." He said softly. "Well. We can go out to dinner if you want to. But we don't have to." He clarified. If he was honest, he was happy doing anything with her. Dinner. Movie night. Even just sitting down somewhere and talking. All he wanted was to be with her. And yet it was the one thing he could never have.

"Dinner is fine" Elena said, looking at Damon, glad her words hadn't changed anything. Damon had helped keep her together this summer. He was her friend, and she cared about him a lot. More than she wanted to admit.

Damon gave her a small smile. He liked that she was still willing to go to dinner with him, but he also knew he couldn't allow himself to have too much hope. "Dinner it is then." He only hoped Stefan wouldn't interrupt. Tonight might just be the last time in a while where he can be alone with her.

"Great" Elena said. "When do you want to go?"

"I'll get back to you on that." Damon said as he finished sending a message to Katherine. If he could know when she was with Stefan, then he could know the best time to take Elena out. "For now, you should probably practice some of that training you mentioned." He grinned. "I happen to be an excellent teacher."

"Alright" Elena said, surprised. She was going to ask Alaric. "Fair warning, I have no training. How should we start?"

"Well. Normal people say with the basics, but personally I think that's stupid. You're not going to take down a vampire with basic fighting moves. The key to successfully staking or capturing one are three very simple things. One, surprise. Vampires have supernatural hearing and speed. Finding a way to still sneak up on them even with that is important. Two, agility. Vampires also happen to have an insane amount of strength. But none of that will matter if you can quickly identify their weak points. And finally, endurance. Vampires rarely get tired in comparison to a human. So you need to be ready to keep fighting even when you think you can't." Damon explained simply and then reached for a chair. He snapped off one of the legs and handed it to her. "Now. Let's see what you got. Give me your best shot and then I'll make sure to give you some pointers." He said with a playful smile.

Elena tried attacking Damon, though obviously as an amateur she wasnt great at it

Damon easily moved out of the way, not even needing to use his vampire speed. Not that he was surprised. She did say she had no previous training. "Too slow. Also predictable. Why don't you try..." He trailed off reaching for her arm that held the chair leg and positioned it near his side. "That way, when I go to do this." He gripped her arm. "You can do this." He said tugging her closer to him as he moved her arm behind him and turned her wrist a little, feeling the tip of the chair leg pressing against his back.

Elena looked at Damon, overwhelmed by the closeness and what she felt at that moment. She looked up at Damon in the eyes. for a long moment before looking down at the position. "Alright" she said when she could speak.

Damon inhaled softly as he suddenly met her eyes. He wasn't sure he could look away even if he wanted to. It was then he realized how close they were. He would barely have to move in order to kiss her. Thankfully she managed to break their gaze, otherwise he was sure he would've given in to what he wanted. "Okay. Um." He cleared his throat and gently stepped away. "Why don't we try something else? You also need to learn how to improvise when you're out of stakes." Teaching her that was certainly better than ending in another compromising position.

"What improvisation do you have in mind?" Elena asked, moving a little away from him as well, trying to push away how she felt inside

Damon gave a quick look around the kitchen, easily spotting a few different wooden utensils. "I want to see how fast you can find a makeshift stake before a vampire kills you." He smirked and took a step back. "Okay. Time starts...now."

-----------

Katherine entered the Salvatore boarding house once more with a blonde woman, clearly compelled, trailing behind her. After having spent the night with Stefan, she snuck out early but came back with a gift. “Oh Stefan.” She called out flirtatiously as she entered his bedroom. “Look. I brought you breakfast in bed.” She grinned, stepping aside to reveal the blonde.

"Mmm. She looks delicious" Stefan observed, looking at the blonde.

“Yes she does.” Katherine smirked leading the girl over to the bed. She urged her to lie down before she too got on the other side of the bed, leaving the woman between the two of them. “And she’s all ours. Well, until she’s dead of course. But for now...we can enjoy her.” She grinned and sunk her fangs in her neck.

Stefan bit into the other side of the girl's neck and drank from it, his arm snaking around her, giving into his hunger and enjoying it.

Katherine slowly drank from the girl, savoring the blood before slowly retracting her fangs. She smirked and reached over, tearing the hideous yellow top the blonde had been wearing in half, leaving her chest nearly exposed. “What do you say Salvatore? Up for a little fun?” She murmured, now kissing along the girl’s neck and licking away the blood from the still opened wound.

Stefan gripped the girl tighter as he fed a bit more before finally pulling himself away from the blood.

Katherine smirked against the girl’s neck as she observed Stefan. She didn’t hesitate before taking off her own shirt, tossing it across the room and inching closer to Stefan once he pulled back from the girl. She quickly pressed her lips to his, while her hands worked on further undressing the girl.

Hours later, as Katherine looked around, she noticed that Stefan’s bedroom held entirely too much evidence on what had occurred. Clothes were torn and scattered all over. The previously white sheets were now stained with blood, and of course perhaps the most obvious piece of incriminating evidence, there was a dead body sprawled on the floor. "Mmm." She stretched a little, enjoying the comfort of the bed and being beside Stefan of course. "That was fun." She mumbled closing her eyes for a moment. "And exhausting. But mostly fun.” She giggled looking over at Stefan.

"It was. A little more fun than vampire twister" Stefan said. He at least got sex out if this one

Katherine chuckled softly. “I told you.” She said smugly as she turned on her side and looked at him, admiring his bare chest. “Next time you should listen to me. Threesomes are always more fun to feed than weird games.”

"Vampire twister is not weird" Stefan stated, though he didnt care what she thought.

“Yes it is.” Katherine giggled. “There is something chaotic and cruel about it, but if you want cruelty and chaos, there are ways that are so much more fun.”

"Oh yeah? Such as what?" Stefan asked, looking at Katherine.

Katherine smirked. “Such as what I like to call the servant survival games. Five contestants work to make me as comfortable as I can be. And whoever I am the most displeased with, dies. Until there’s only one person left. Then I have sex with whoever the winner is and I kill them too. It’s always fun to see their shocked ‘but I won’ face.” She chuckled. “Then there’s the classic grabbing someone in a club. And of course, all the things you and Klaus did in Chicago in 1922. My point is, the possibilities are endless. And twister is lame in comparison.” She grinned, looking up at him.

"Twister is not lame. However, those do sound...fun as well" Stefan said, relaxed against the blood soaked sheets  "Lets go to a club. After I shower" Stefan got out of bed and wiped the blood off of his lips. He didn't mind being distracted by Katherine since it gave him a hell of a lot more entertainment than watching over Elena nonstop

“Correction Salvatore, they sound more fun.” Katherine chuckled softly, sitting up a little and resting her back against the headboard. She then nodded at his following words, glad she didn’t need to suggest anything. She only hoped Damon would stop using her as a distraction tactic. She wasn’t ever going to find anything about Hope if she was here all the time having sex with Stefan. Not that she minded, but she did have things to do. “Mmm. Any chance I could join you in the shower? I could use one as well.” She said seductively before casually reaching for her phone and sending a text to Damon.

Katherine: ‘We’re going clubbing. You have approximately four hours. After that I’m gone. So make your move or do whatever it is you’re doing with Elena so I can leave.’

She hit send and set her phone back down before standing from the bed and stepping closer to Stefan.

Stefan wiped the blood off his lips. "If you want to join, then by all means, join." He walked over to the bathroom part of his room and started the water.

Katherine heard her phone buzz but she didn’t bother going to it. Mainly because she didn’t want to make Stefan suspicious, but also because she knew Damon was just going to ask her to stall for more time. She nearly rolled her eyes. She couldn’t possibly be expected to take care of the Hope problem, help Stefan with his compulsion, and have sex with him 24/7, all while staying off Klaus’ radar. It truly was exhausting to be her. “I definitely do. You owe me for this morning.” She murmured following him into the bathroom.

Stefan stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water and exhaled a bit as the water started cleaning blood off of him.

Katherine slowly stepped into the shower and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his back a little. “Mmm. This is nice.” She mumbled closing her eyes for a moment. She didn’t think she had ever bathed with him before. It would’ve been sweet. Had it not been when his humanity was off and he couldn’t possibly care less about her.

Stefan suddenly found himself considering getting rid of Katherine. In this moment it felt more like she was clingy than a hot distraction. Though he'd wait a bit to discard her. Besides she definitely did bring a hot distraction usually.

Katherine pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder, enjoying the moment just for a second before she slowly pulled away. “You know, when Klaus comes back into town I’m going to have to keep my distance. I know you don’t care about anything right now but I’d rather not die or be tortured. So you better take advantage of me now.” She murmured sliding her hands around him and lightly caressing his chest.

Stefan turned around to face her, closing the bit of gap between them as the water hit his back.

Katherine smirked, looking up at him. She didn’t hesitate before sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

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

Damon knocked softly on Elena's door, having snuck into his house to shower and change so he could take her out to dinner. He was only glad Stefan had been preoccupied when he went. Which whether he wanted to admit it or not, had been thanks to Katherine.

Elena opened the front door. "Hey" she greeted Damon with a bit of a smile, glad he was there. She wasnt sure what she would have done without him and his support. Even if he was too overprotective

"Hey." Damon couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. Despite only being away from her for thirty minutes at most, he couldn't deny he missed her. "Ready to go to dinner?"

Elena nodded. "I am" she confirmed, looking at him with a small smile. "Where are we going?"

Damon smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm not giving that away. You're just going to have to wait until we get there." He said holding out his hand for her.

Elena took his hand, trusting him completely. Even if she didn't always agree with his decisions.

Damon led her to his car and opened the passenger door for her. "I do have a little bit of another surprise, but that'll be after dinner."

"You really like having surprises for me" Elena commented as she got in the car, a bit surprised he opened the door for her.

"Yes I do." Damon confirmed with a faint smile, though his attention was currently on his phone as he typed a response to Katherine. 'Keep him longer. Go find some cheerleaders to drain or something.' He pocketed his phone and gently closed the door before getting into the driver's seat. "But you'll like these surprises I promise."

Elena nodded and didn't question further, though she was curious

Damon started the car and began to drive. "Stefan didn't bother you at all did he?" He knew he had been home when he went to shower. But that didn't mean he couldn't have called or texted.

"No, he didnt" Elena shook her head a little. "Though I'm sure he will soon enough. He's probably been too preoccupied with Katherine"

Damon gave her a nod. "Good." He didn't want Stefan ruining this night. Which was why he hoped Katherine just played her part for a while longer. "Is it really such a bad thing if it keeps him away from you?" He asked softly, mainly testing to see if he could trust her with his plans.

"I dont want to see him until I have to for the plan" Elena said.

Damon nodded slowly, relaxing a bit of that. "In that case, you don't have to worry about him showing up tonight. At least not if Katherine keeps her end of things. I asked her to distract him tonight. Since I wanted to take you out."

Elena looked at him, not quite sure how she felt about that. "Well at least I dont have to worry about him spontaneously showing up" she said, though she wasnt thrilled about the rest. But she didn't want to think about that right now. She wanted to forget about everything for just an hour or two. "Do you think she will find anything about Hope?"

Damon glanced over at her, easily noticing she wasn't exactly happy with his confession. Which was why he decided to leave it at that and not tell her the rest. The last thing he wanted was for her to get mad at him when he was trying to make her have a good time. "Probably. I mean I hate to say it, but Katherine has a tendency to always get what she wants. If she wants to find out more about Hope then she will. I just hope she ends up sharing whatever information she does find with us."

Elena nodded and was silent for a moment. "Im not mad. I'm just... thinking"

"Thinking about how you're trying not to be mad by applying reason to my actions." Damon said in a slightly playful tone, though he very much meant it.

Elena shook her head a little. "No actually. Just wondering how long one person can distract someone with no humanity before they find someone else to distract them."

Damon looked over at her, surprised. He suspected she would've been mad. Especially if she still loved Stefan. Why would she not be mad he told Katherine to distract him? A small part of him dared to hope for the impossible, while the logical side in him told him the only reason she wasn't mad was because she was also being logical and didn't want to be around this version of Stefan. "Long enough apparently." He was silent for a few minutes before speaking once more. "I was kind of the one who told her to distract him. She's been successful so far."

"Yeah, but I imagine without a humanity it wouldn't take too long to get tired of the same person" Elena said. "Though what would I know? I've never been a vampire, much less had my humanity off."

Damon's surprise and confusion only increased as Elena spoke. Those weren't the words of a jealous person. Which only increased his hope that her love for his brother really was gone. "It...depends I guess." He said, briefly remembering his time with Lexi in the 70s. "You'd only grow tired of them if they're annoying you. But if you're enjoying yourself it shouldn't really be an issue. It's just one more thing to add to your fun no humanity life."

"I suppose that makes sense" Elena said, looking over at him, thinking. She tore her gaze away, her conflicted mind thinking about everything. She sighed a little.

Damon looked ahead at the road, only glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "Does it bother you?" He finally asked, taking advantage of the fact that they had quite a bit before he reached the place he wanted to take her to. "Knowing he's not tired yet of being around her?"

"I mean if he was, he'd probably move on to some other girl he can use for a distraction or some fun" Elena said, looking ahead. Yes it bothered her. Him being involved with Katherine bothered her. It didn't help she still didn't let herself understand what she felt for Damon. Her mind finally tore away from Stefan and slipped towards a memory of her and Damon playing water balloons. How she had forgotten everything and just enjoyed herself. She forced those thoughts away. She couldnt think about that.

"That's not what I asked." Damon said keeping his eyes on the road. "And yet somehow it answers the question anyway." He mumbled to himself even though he knew she heard him. "Look, it's just until we deal with Hope and Klaus. Once that's done, I'll lock him up and force his humanity back on Lexi method and you'll have your boyfriend back. I know you don't like it, but it's either he spends time with Katherine or he spends his time stalking you. I thought I was doing what was best for you. Unless you want to see your no humanity compelled vampire boyfriend every second of every day. If so you might get your wish soon anyway." 

"I know, Damon. And we already agreed to lock him up tomorrow. Humanity can be dealt with later. But we don't need him killing people. Then we can figure out what to do about Klaus and Hope. Also technically not my boyfriend" she added, her heart aching. "Speaking of Hope, do you think we will figure out who she is?"

Damon rolled his eyes at the mention of Stefan not being her boyfriend. "Could've fooled me." He muttered under his breath but didn't say anything else on the subject. "I have no idea. I mean a witch that can heal like a vampire? Even Katherine was stumped. I'm not sure continuing to poke around is going to do much. You heard the she-devil. There's no record of her anywhere. I'm not sure there is a way to find out anything about her. Right now the only thing I'm concerned with is figuring out a way to kill her. No Hope equals no extra power with Klaus."

Elena nodded. "That makes sense. But if she is extremely powerful and heals like a vampire, then what chance do we have against her?"

"Right now? Zero." Damon said with a sigh. "But if there's a way to disable her magic for a minute at least, I can kill her. Even with her healing powers, no one can just bounce back from getting their heart ripped out." He smirked. "All I have to do is find one little weakness."

Elena felt conflicted at his words. Hope was a teenager. And Elena wasn't fond of killing anyone. However, she also knew how dangerous it was for Klaus to have a witch that powerful by his side.

"I know what you're thinking." Damon spoke up glancing over at her. "But we don't have a choice here okay? She's too powerful and last time I checked, she wasn't exactly interested in making peace."

"I know. I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it" Elena sighed, thinking about everything.

Damon sighed softly. "I know. And if it helps, I don't like it either. But what are we supposed to do? Klaus is powerful enough as it is. We can't just let him control a very powerful witch that can take down vampires like it's nothing."

"I know." Elena said and looked at him. "How close are we to where you are bringing me?"

Damon smiled. "We're almost there. Trust me, you'll love it." At least he hoped so. It was the first time he actually tried to do something romantic. With her at least. A few minutes later, he pulled up at a classy looking restaurant. "This is our first stop. I did promise you dinner." He grinned.

Elena's lips parted open in surprise. "I suddenly feel underdressed" she commented, getting out and looking at the restaurant.

Damon smiled. "Don't worry about that." He said but offered no further explanation as he stepped out of the car as well. He led her inside the restaurant which was actually empty. "I rented the place just for us. Other people tend to ruin stuff." He said with a playful smile.

Elena's lips were still a little apart as her surprise only continued. She walked inside and looked around at the empty restaurant. "It's a very nice place" she said, not at all used to it after living in Mystic Falls her whole life

Damon smiled, pleased she approved. Admittedly, he was a little nervous. This wasn't exactly something friends did for each other. But that was the point. He didn't want to be her friend. He wanted more. "It is. But this isn't where we're eating. Our table is this way." He said as he began leading her towards the stairs that led to the roof.

Elena followed after him, frowning curiously. She was interested in what exactly Damon had planned. "We're eating on the roof?" she questioned as they reached it

Damon answered her question with a grin as he led her towards a booth set up by the fire. "My lady." He said approaching the booth and gesturing for her to sit first.

Elena's lips parted open in surprise yet again and walking further onto the roof, looking into the decorations. She walked over to the booth and took a seat, lost for words

Damon smiled taking a seat next to her. "What do you feel like eating? I have the chefs compelled to make anything you want, even if it's not on the menu." He said leaning back against the seat a little. "So, order to your hearts desire."

Elena looked at Damon and was silent for a moment before she said "Do they know how to cook chicken parmesan?"

"They should. They charge way too much for them not to have that basic skill." Damon chuckled and waved over one of the waiters. He placed their order, deciding to go with chicken parmesan as well. He didn't really care what he ate. He just wanted tonight to be perfect. And with Elena by his side it would be.

"You know when you suggested dinner, I wasn't expecting... all this" Elena said, looking around a bit at everything.

"What were you expecting?" Damon asked with a playful smile. "Because this is how I do dinner." It was obvious he was joking. He just wasn't sure how to honestly tell her he did all of this for her. Because he wanted her to smile. Because he loved her. "Besides. This is just our first stop. The night isn't over yet."

"I guess I pictured something not that different from our trip to Georgia" Elena said. The one Damon technically kidnapped her and brought her on after saving her

"That was on a whim." Damon said looking at her. "This was...something more planned and organized." He admitted quietly. "I just, wanted you to have a good time."

Elena's gaze remained on Damon, still surprised but pleased. Though she was perfectly fine with Bree's Bar type of restaurant too.

Damon cleared his throat and reached for one of the glasses of water resting on the table. He took a small sip and looked at her once more. "I guess I wanted you to know that, you still have someone willing to make you happy."

Elena inhaled a bit at his words and tore her gaze away. "Thank you" she said. It was getting harder and harder for her to deny the truth that part of her has known for months.

Damon tensed a little at the way she now seemed to avoid him. Did he do or say something wrong somehow? He wondered, but he didn't ask. If it was that bad, surely she'd tell him. "Don't think you're going to get me to tell you where we're going after this." He warned playfully just as their food arrived.

"I think I'm getting used to being surprised by you" Elena said without thinking and her eyes went to look over at him.

Damon felt a small genuine smile form at her words. They also seemed to relax him and push away the thought that he had done something wrong. She wasn't acting like he had. "Good. Cause there's plenty more where that came from." He mumbled and sent out a text. Suddenly soft music played in the background. The same that played at the Miss Mystic Falls event when they danced.

Elena's eyes widened a little and exhaled a bit, of course instantly recognizing the song. The same song she was listening to when they danced together for the first time. The same song they listened to when Elena first let herself realize how sexy he was

Damon very slowly reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "I thought it was about time we hear this song again." He said trying to sound playful and lighthearted just for the sake of not overwhelming her or forcing her into a situation.

"Time for another dance?" Elena half-joked and froze at her own words. "I- I didn't mean to ask you to dance" she admitted and looked down at their hands. His touch was like igniting a flame in her. Her heartbeat was a little faster than usual.

Damon couldn't help but chuckle a little. He now found himself feeling a lot more confident with this. Maybe he was letting his low self esteem control him once more. Maybe he needed to do what he used to do before and just take a chance with her for real this time. "Tell you what." He slowly let go of her hand and stood up then. "How about, I ask you to dance with me?" He smiled warmly at her.

Elena's mind wasnt in the right place. She wasnt really thinking much about anything. Which usually she overthought everything. She usually forced herself not to do things she might have done. Forced herself not to think of Damon. But here she was, months after realizing she was in love with him. She didnt think about it but instead stood up to dance with him. "What made you think of this place?" she asked.

Damon smiled, leading her a little further from the table and placing a hand on her waist, while the other continued to hold hers. He was so completely lost in her that when she spoke, it took him a minute to actually answer. "Hm? Oh. I just...I kept looking for something you might enjoy. I needed something classy but, not too obnoxiously so. Definitely no huge crystal chandeliers hanging in ceilings." He chuckled. "I also needed one with tables on the roof so...I guess I just kept looking until I found this place."

"Really wanted this all on a roof, didn't you?" Elena questioned with a small smile as she looked at him, getting lost in his blue eyes.

"Definitely." Damon returned her smile with one of his own as he met her eyes. "How else was I going to get to do this?" He asked softly before effortlessly lifting her and spinning around with her before gently setting her back down.

Elena let out a sound of surprise as she was lifted off of the ground, her warm brown eyes widening. When he lowered her, she kept her gaze on him the whole time, now very close to him. She struggled for air and breathed out slowly, looking at him. Her lips were not far from his, and she moved a little closer naturally before snapping out of it and pulling away completely.. She walked over towards the edge where the edge was, blocked by a half wall. She looked at her surroundings and tried to collect herself. She had not been prepared for this.

Damon exhaled softly, his gaze locked on hers once he set her down. He could feel her breath on his lips and he wanted nothing more than to close the gap between them and kiss her like he's been thinking about for so long. Anyone who looked at him now could see he was completely and helplessly in love with her. But just as he was close to forgetting about everything and giving in to what he's wanted for so long, she pulled away, leaving him a little breathless. Once he managed to focus on reality again, he slowly approached her keeping his distance. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I shouldn't have..." He shook his head. This was stupid. "Come on. We can just eat dinner and head back home. Or we can head home now if you want."

Elena was silent, staring off at their surroundings. At the trees. At the night sky. This place, the dance, the music, his eyes, their closeness... It had all affected her more than she wanted it to. It was getting harder and harder for her to deny the truth she wasn't quite ready to face. She was in love with Damon Salvatore.

Damon watched her for moment, before slowly turning away and going back to the table with a defeated look in his eyes. He took his seat but didn't even touch his food. The worst part was, he was actually disappointed. Because somehow he had been dumb enough to believe things could be different. But if his conversation with her on their way here told him anything, it was that she loved his brother.

Elena breathed out slowly and finished collecting herself before walking over to where their food was and taking a seat. "You dont have anything to apologize for" she said, looking at him, hating the expression on his face. The pained look in his eyes. "I just needed some air. Some space" She was silent for a moment, thinking about everything and eating her pasta. "Thank you for everything lately" Her gaze was on him as she remembered everything he had done for her since she had fallen in love with him. It definitely didn't help her efforts to push her feelings away. Especially here, now, in a romantic setting.

Damon practically visibly flinched at the mention of her needing space. He really was stupid. He didn't know why he made a constant effort to believe she could see him the way he saw her, when it was obvious that was impossible. It was enough of a miracle that she cared about him as a person. Why couldn't that be good enough? Why couldn't he just take what he could get? Why did he have to ruin everything? "Yeah." He mumbled but it was obvious he hadn't heard a word she said. "You're welcome." He finally added and took a small bite of his food mainly just to distract himself slightly.

Elena sighed softly at the sight of his expression, hating that she was hurting him. It tore at her heart, but she wasn't sure what to do. And that feeling hurt her the most. Because she could easily make Damon's day right now if she told him. But what about Stefan? And what if she wasn't ready to get involved with someone? Especially knowing she would see Stefan tomorrow and work on locking him up. She shook herself out of her thoughts and continued eating. "This is really good" she said, wanting to fill the silence.

Damon gave her a small nod, now slightly more alert as to what she was saying. "I'm glad you like it." He said softly. He was silent for a moment, looking around just to avoid looking at her. It hurt too much. "So uh. Do you just want to go home after this?" If she was uncomfortable just with this, he was suddenly dreading taking her to the next thing he had planned.

No, Elena thought immediately. No she definitely didn't. She wanted to stay here. Enjoy whatever plans Damon had made. Forget about all of their problems. The doppelgänger let out a small sigh, frustrated with her own thoughts. Why couldn't life be simple? Or at least simpler. Especially relationships. But Elena couldn't stop thinking of him saving her repeatedly, the way she had fun with him, and now this. Before she knew it, she said "No I dont"

Damon blinked in surprise and looked directly at her this time. "Are you sure? I don't mind going back." He didn't want her to spend the rest of the night with him if she really didn't want to or if it made her feel uncomfortable because of Stefan.

"I'm sure" Elena said, looking at him. Reality would hit in tomorrow. But for now, she wanted to spend time with him. Because things were about to get complicated. She wanted to let herself do what she wanted. And she wanted to be here.

Damon couldn't help but smile at her response. In the back of his mind he knew he was only kidding himself. He knew that once this night was over, everything would just go back to the way it was before. But he couldn't seem to care. Not right now. "Okay." He resisted the temptation to take her hand but did begin to actually eat his food instead of lightly picking at it. "Then as soon as we're done, I'll take you to the next destination. Oh. But we're not leaving without dessert. It's the perfect ending to a good dinner. Otherwise it's just completely ruined." He grinned.

"Oh and what dessert will we be having?" Elena questioned with a playful smile, finding it easier to be free around him. When she wasnt forcing herself to push him away. And she was tired of pushing him away. It was hard

Damon grinned, happy to see her smiling at him again. "Well let's see." He picked up the menu, looking through dessert items. "What about this dark chocolate tart? Or do you hate chocolate?"

"No I do not hate chocolate" Elena replied. chuckling a little as she looked at him. "Dark Chocolate tart is fine" She wasnt really picky about what she ate.

"Great" Damon said with a smile, looking  at the woman he loved. He wanted her to be happy. He didn't care much what else happened. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and he was going to make sure she enjoyed the rest of her night.

Chapter Text

It was a week or so later that Hope was with Klaus, sipping a peanut butter blast whipped cream on the bottom as they walked through the woods. They had made more hybrids than Hope felt comfortable making, though she was unsure of if that was because it was against their will or because she knew that they would all be dead soon. But she had forced down her guilt that kept growing and instead focused on searching for a way back while enjoying what time she had with her father.

Her notebook was filled with a lot of scratch work on trying to reverse the spell. It was tiring, wondering if she wasn't smart enough or if she just wasn't trying hard enough. Because she knew once she left that she would never see her dad again. Not until she herself died. For good. Maybe she would see him briefly while triggering her vampire side, whenever that would be.

Suddenly, Klaus's phone was ringing, and she looked over at him curiously, listening carefully. "Portland is fantastic once you can get over all the whiney music and healthy-looking people. It's literally a breeding ground for werewolves" her father said to whoever was on the phone.

"Your father's dead" said Stefan Salvatore's voice on the other end of the conversation

"What did you say to me?"

"Oh, my mistake. Not your actual father, and not dead. Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?"

"Well, first, I want you to explain to me exactly what happened" Klaus said and listened intently as Stefan explained what had happened to Mikael. "I want to see him. I want to see his rotting body for myself"

Hope continued listening, knowing Mikael had been killed around this time but not knowing the exact details.

"Well, he's here. Come by whenever" Stefan Salvatore said, causing Hope to frown a little

"If you're lying to me, Stefan, your compulsion will expose you. So answer with your life. Is what you're saying the truth?" Klaus asked him

"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes"

"I want to talk to Rebekah."

Hope couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought of her aunt Rebekah.

"That's not a problem. She's right here"

There was a small pause before Rebekah answered on the other line.. "Hello, Nik"

"Rebekah, love. What's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run-in with a dagger?" Klaus asked.

"It's true. He's finally out of our lives for good." Rebekah replied, though her voice sounded just very very slightly off. "I miss you. I'm miserable here"

"I'll be home soon"

"Good. I'll see you then, brother"

Klaus lowered his phone and looked over at Hope, who felt a little uneasy about the whole thing. "What is it?" he asked, noticing her expression.

"I dont know. Its probably nothing" Hope said, finishing her shake.

"You feel something is off, don't you?" Klaus questioned and nodded. "I do as well. Though I still wish to return. But we will have control over time and place and take precautions, just in case. And if they do have some plan to kill me off, I will have a plan for retaliation"

Hope frowned. "Why risk going back at all?" she said, looking at him.

"I need to eventually for the doppelganger anyways, and if Mikael is indeed daggered, then I can store him away safely and find the weapon he planned to use against me"

The tribrid nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's go then"

"Not yet, I have a few hybrids I need to talk to. Go to the car, I will be there shortly"

Hope nodded and went to the car, letting herself relax against the seat, thoughts going through her mind.

Soon enough, Klaus was back and began driving to Mystic Falls, Hope falling asleep in the passenger seat. She wanted to be ready for whatever may be coming.

Eventually, they arrived in Mystic Falls, and Klaus parked at the house he planned to stay in. Hope walked inside and looked around a little.

"The plan is to move their homecoming to Tyler Lockwood's house, fill the party up with my hybrids. That way they can help if anything goes wrong. It'd be in our territory, where we make the rules." Klaus said. "It will be happening soon. Once the hybrids all get here, we will be ready. In the meantime, I need you to do something for me"

"What is it?" Hope asked, looking at her father.

"I need you to cause the Mystic Falls Highschool gym to flood. I'll take care of the rest"

Hope nodded. "Be careful. I dont know what they have planned, but I doubt it is anything good"

Klaus couldnt help but smile a bit at her concern. He was far from used to hearing anyone care about his life. Even Elijah tried to kill him a mere couple of months ago. "I know how to be careful with Mikael involved. Though you aught to be careful as well. They know of your alliance with me, which means they must be anticipating your arrival as well"

"I can handle myself." Hope promised with a small smile before leaving the house to take care of the flooding.

She went to Mystic Falls high and looked around, her mind bringing her back to the time she was a student here.

"You are a blank slate, Miss Hope Marshall. Parents Tom and Kathleen. No transcripts from your last school." Alaric Saltzman had said as she sat in his principal's office.

"I think they must've just gotten packed away or something" Hope lied again, hating  the  fact  that  he had no idea who she was. "Like I said, we move around a lot."

"Mm-hmm. Well, if you are gonna be here in Mystic Falls, you have to go to school."

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing I'm here, right?"

Her mind then brought her to another time that day. When she told her headmaster who she really was

"Um My name's not Hope Marshall. It's Hope Mikaelson. I'm Klaus and Hayley's daughter. And I know you don't remember this, but, um you're the closest thing I have to a father now. And the entire world has forgotten that I exist, and the boy I love has moved on, so I have absolutely no idea what to do next."

Hope inhaled sharply and tore herself out of the memories before turning to get herself where she needed to go. But instead she saw a much younger version of her headmaster standing in her path.

"Hi. I don't think we've met. I'm Mr. Saltzman. Who are you?"

Hope's lips parted open in surprise. She hadn't expected him to appear. "Miss Marshall" she said after a moment.

"Well, Miss Marshall, are you planning on joining our school?"

"I was considering it" Hope lied, hating that she was back to having to keep everything from everyone.

"Well, the administration office is that way. I could walk you if you'd like" Alaric offered.

She shook her head a little. "I appreciate the offer, but I can find it myself. Thank you" She gave him a kind smile before heading down the hall.

She waited a minute before turning around to make sure he was leaving before she cloaked herself and went to take care of the flooding. She muttered a spell under her breath and watched as water began filling the gym. She sighed a little before heading out of the school, thoughts going through her mind.

Was she cursed or something? Her life was never one that could be considered easy. People have been trying to kill her since before she was born, and her father was locked up for several years, causing her to only meet him when she was seven. Along with the rest of her family besides her mom. And then her family had to part ways shortly after to keep her and the world safe from The Hollow, which had possessed her at age seven. And then she gets them all back when she is fifteen, only for her mother, father, and uncle Elijah to die. Because of her.

So she closed herself off, ensured that no one else would get hurt because of her. But then Landon Kirby came around and changed everything. Despite her efforts, her walls came crumbling down, and she fell hard for him. Only to watch him die repeatedly and to find out he was destined to be possessed by the creature she was born to destroy. Malivore.

And in an effort to protect Landon and everyone else from Malivore, once he began to rise, Hope jumped into Malivore. She knew there wasn't another way given the time crunch. So she didn't allow herself to hesitate. But it didn't stop Malivore or kill her. Instead it left her inside Malivore's darkness for months, only to get out and find out the world had no idea who she was. And she had planned to tell them, but they seemed happy, and she hadn't wanted to ruin that.

And now she was back into a situation where the people she loved knew nothing about her. Her own dad had no idea she was his child. No idea such a thing was possible. And as much as she wanted to tell him everything, it was too much of a risk. If too much changed, the future could be completely messed up. And while that could be a good thing, she wouldn't know until it was too late. And if her birth was prevented, she would never be able to find a way to defeat Malivore, something she needed to finish when she got back, no matter how much she hated the mere idea of it.

Hope exhaled heavily and crossed her arms a bit, thoughts going through her mind as she walked through the woods, not wanting to go anywhere in particular just yet. She knew her emotional state wasn't the best at the moment, and she did not want to risk anyone getting hurt because of it. She pulled out her new phone and sent her dad a message.

Hope: I'm going to go shift in the woods. I've got a lot going on in my mind right now and don't want to risk losing control.

She put her phone in the pocket and waited until she was deep enough before starting to get undressed. She shifted into her wolf form, instantly feeling a calm sensation that she needed desperately. Her thoughts stopped flowing the way that they had, and she had control. It was relaxing in a way she very much needed at that moment. She ran a little, making sure to keep to the inner part of the woods.

Eventually the tribrid went back to her clothes and got changed before walking through the woods, feeling a lot better. However, then she heard a noise and turned her head just in time to see Damon Salvatore coming at her. She fought defensively and flipped him over, only to be attacked by Caroline and Stefan. Hope defended herself against the three and was succeeding as she magically threw them all back.

However, she felt a dart pierce her skin, and she turned as she collapsed, seeing Dr Saltzman standing there with a tranquilizer gun. Briefly a look of betrayal passed over her. Her eyes drifted shut as everything went dark

When Hope Mikaelson opened her eyes, she was in a bedroom at the Salvatore house. She looked around with a frown, a weapon magically flying into her hands. But the only person around was Elena Gilbert outside the door. "What's going on?" she asked, walking closer

"They wanted to take you out of the picture. I convinced them to let you live. You're spelled into the room. For the night" Elena watched Hope curiously.

"Why? What happens tonight?"

"Tonight, they kill Klaus. And we are left behind to wait"

Hope swallowed hard and went forward, hitting the barrier as lights in the room flickered. "No." she said, shaking her head as she stepped back. "You're not killing him."

""Yes, we are." Elena said, sighing a bit as she watched the girl that clearly cared about Klaus. "He's dangerous, and he has been a threat to everyone I care about as well as who knows how many innocent people."

"So has Stefan and Damon Salvatore. I mean Stefan is literally called the Ripper of Monterey" Hope pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Well, Stefan is different now. He was. Before Klaus compelled him to turn off his humanity and do whatever he wanted"

"Where's A-Rebekah? She was here. Klaus asked to speak with her when Stefan called and said Mikael was dead. And considering I'm here and you're plotting to kill my - to kill Klaus, then something happened"

"She is daggered. I couldn't trust her to follow through."

Hope scoffed and turned away, closing her eyes. She hated the thought of her family suffering. "Why did you keep them from killing me?"

"Look, I want as little casualties as possible. And our main reason for wanting to stop you is because you prevent us from getting to Klaus. But if he dies tonight, you can't help him anymore. Bonnie saw good in you, and I can see it too despite everything."

"The world isn't black and white. There is good in everyone, Somewhere inside"

Elena hesitated before stepping into the bedroom, choosing to trust her not to do anything. "I know you care about Klaus. Which is why I'm sorry about this. But he has done a lot, and it needs to stop"

"That shouldn't be your choice to make" Hope said. "Brave choice coming in here. I'm guessing you were left behind for your safety. And yet here you are. Here, with me"

"I don't think you are going to hurt me. Especially not when it doesn't change the fact you are stuck here" Elena said

Hope's face faltered, and she sighed, taking a seat. What was she supposed to do? Did this happen originally? If so, what if some small thing changed because of her and her father did die tonight? If that was the case, she couldn't live with herself, being responsible for his death twice. Then again if he did, she may vanish or die since she couldn't be born. Who knew how time travel worked.

The tribrid wasn't sure what she could do. Doing anything could change the path history is on, but not doing anything was killing her inside. She breathed out slowly as it began to rain, trying to keep herself under control. She hated the mere thought of something happening to anyone because of her.

"You really care about him, don't you? Klaus, I mean?" Elena took a seat beside her.

The Mikaelson nodded a little, for a moment struggling to find words. "I do. And nothing is going to change that"

"I won't pretend that I understand what you see in him, but I know what it is like to care about people that you probably shouldn't care about"

"You don't know anything. You do realize I could burn this place down right? Or do whatever I wanted to you"

"I do, but like I said, I don't think you will. Besides, we are both stuck here while people we care about are in danger. So why don't we just make the most of it?"

Hope sighed and nodded. "Okay" she said softly, thoughts going through her mind. She didnt want to, but she also knew she couldn't exactly kill Elena or mess up events. So this was the best she could do. Besides, she didn't WANT to hurt her.

"Why do you care about Klaus so much?" Elena asked, taking a seat.

The bedroom door magically shut, and Hope narrowed her eyes. "I said okay to making the most out of it. Not talking about someone you think will be dead by the end of the night."

"I'm sorry. I just... I was curious" Elena said, watching her. "Do you have anyone else in your life?"

"Not here"

"But somewhere?"

Hope was silent as she looked down a bit, thoughts going through her mind. She couldnt believe she was just sitting here with someone that wanted her dad dead.

"I have friends. People that are like family to me. A boyfriend" she said finally.

"Then why aren't you there? Wherever there is."

"I cant be" Hope said softly. "I dont know if I will be able to go back."

"Do you think they would get hurt because of you or that you would get hurt?"

"Is both not an option?" Hope let out a sign. "Everyone gets hurt because of me, one way or another. I thought i was over believing it. But lately... I keep failing at trying to protect everyone"

"I know how you feel a bit. Certain people, Klaus included, kept wanting me dead. And everyone kept trying to stop it from happening. But people got hurt. Some got killed" Elena shook her head. "I never wanted that. I kept trying to keep them safe. But there's only so much a human can do"

Hope nodded. "Landon tries to do the same. Keep people safe. But it has only gotten him killed repeatedly" she sighed a bit, swallowing hard. "But you can still be useful even if you can't stop them with super strength or speed."

Elena gave her a small smile. "Who's Landon?"

"My boyfriend" Hope smiled sadly. "Tell Bonnie, thank you for the crystal. Its helping out a lot."

"I will. They said you were great at fighting back."

Hope nodded. "I have some training." she said.

Elena nodded and fell silent. 

It was a while later when suddenly Damon Salvatore came over to the barrier, looking miserable. Hope straightened up, both relieved at the sight he was alive and the expression on his face. Her presence hadn't changed anything. Unless, of course, Stefan was killed in the mix of it. That would cause the expression on Damon's face. 

Before Hope could question anything, Elena spoke up "What happened?" 

"Stefan protected Klaus. I was so close, and he stopped me" Damon said. 

Elena inhaled sharply as Hope let out a sigh of relief. 

"What are you doing in there? It's dangerous" Damon said worriedly

"If she wanted to, she could kill you even though you're past where she can go"

"Exactly. Dangerous"

"But she hasn't!" Elena pointed out. "You should let her go" 

"No! Just come on. If Klaus has her in his possession, it makes him even more dangerous. Now go home." Damon said, shaking his head. 

Elena sighed in exasperation and looked at Hope. "I'm sorry about him. I'll talk to you later" 

"It's alright' Hope said before watching the doppelganger leave, suddenly feeling the absence of everyone as she was left completely alone. 

The tribrid let out a sigh and walked over to the window, where she peered out, thinking of everyone she had left in the present. Her mind continued thinking of everything she knew so she could try to reverse engineer the spell that sent her to the past in the first place. If she was trapped here, she might as well work on figuring it out. 

Chapter Text

The next day, Hope was at her new desk, writing on pieces of paper. She hadn't gotten any sleep but instead just broke down the information she knew about everything and started constructing the spell to fix everything. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was a bit hungry, having not eaten anything in around 26 hours. But she didn't ask for food. Her mind was focused on more important matters. Besides, its not like she exactly trusted what Damon Salvatore gave her.

"What are you working on?" A voice called out from the doorway.

"Just working on spells. Nothing you need to be worried about. It doesn't concern you"  Hope replied to the older Salvatore, not turning her head.

"Is it for Klaus?" Damon asked, walking inside. At the sight of her expression, his voice got more intrigued. "Oh? So it's something Klaus doesn't know about?"

"I can do my own things, you know. Not everything I do is tied to Klaus" Hope said, covering up the pages

"Well, if it's something to destroy Klaus, feel free to share."

Hope rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I figured you might be hungry" He tossed a bagged up sandwich on the desk

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Sure. Well, I also set a bottle on your dresser in case you need a drink"

"Thanks. I'll see you later. Whenever you decide to drop by and snoop"

Damon chuckled and walked out of the room. Hope continued working on the spell but then got up and walked over to the bottle, eyeing it a bit. Finally, she opened it and poured some in the glass that had been put next to it. There was only one way to test if something was in it. She raised the glass to her lips and sipped before starting to cough hard as the wolfsbane started taking effect.

She clutched the dresser and set the glass down, feeling energy draining from her. Her eyes glowed gold, and she growled a little without meaning to. She took a seat on the bed and waited for her body to quickly recover. Finally, she stood up and went back over to the desk, knowing she needed to figure this out and leave.

After finding out her brother wasn't at work and had plagiarized his entire history paper, Elena was pacing at the Mystic Grill, listening as her phone went straight to voice-mail as she tried to call her brother.  "Jeremy, the minute that you get this, call me" Elena said to the voice-mail and hung up.

"You're feisty when you're mad" Damon commented as he threw a dart that landed right on the bullseye.

"It's not that I'm mad. I'm just... I'm worried" Elena explained.

"Why? I think he'll survive, Elena"

"He's spiraling. Ever since Bonnie broke up with him, he's moody. He's not really talking to anyone"

"Well, he did cheat on her" Damon pointed out. "Can he really blame her for dumping him? I mean not everyone is okay with an open relationship"

"Says the guy that was dating Katherine the same time Stefan was" Elena commented as she let out a sigh.

Damon rolled his eyes a bit. "Just because I went along with it, it doesn't mean I was thrilled about it or didn't want her to pick one of us. And at least Katherine was open about it. Not going off and kissing his ghost of an ex girlfriend" He shrugged and walked over to the bar, ordering a bourbon as he leaned against it. "Clearly he wasnt as into Bonnie as he thought he was, so he'll move on. He'll be okay, Elena"

Elena shook her head a bit, watching him. "We need to talk about Hope"

"No there's nothing to talk about. She's a threat. End of story" Damon said.

She sighed a bit. "I talked to her a bit. She's not bad, Damon"

"Of course you would say that. If Klaus hadn't done the sacrifice, you'd probably see good in him too"

"Fine, I need to head home and see if I can figure out a way to get Jeremy to talk to us."

"Good luck" Damon said, downing his glass and turned around, seeing Klaus approach. He moved over to Elena's side. "You going to do this in the grill, in front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate. Get a round, then, would you, Tony?" Klaus said

Klaus' hybrid smiled at Elena and then went to go get drinks.

Damon looked at him "I'm surprised you stuck around town. Long enough for happy hour"

"My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out" Klaus replied

"Cute, blonde bombshell, psycho. Shouldn't be too hard to find"

  "Truth is, I've grown to rather like your little town. Thinking I might fancy a home here. I imagine you're wondering how does this affect you. And the answer is, not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want, and everyone behaves themselves, you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word"

"What more could you possibly want?" Elena asked.

Klaus looked at her. "Well, for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan"

Damon said "Stefan skipped town the second he saved your ass."

"Well, you see, that is a shame. Your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine"

"That sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem" Elena said,  looking at him.

Klaus got closer to her but Damon puts himself in front of her. He looked at the older Salvatore and smiled. "Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart. Especially considering Rebekah and Stefan aren't the only issues here." Klaus looked at Elena before turning to Stefan. "I have not seen Hope since the Homecoming at Tyler Lockwood's house. You know,  the one where you conspired with my father to kill me, but I killed him instead?"

"Maybe she got tired of helping you. Realized she couldn't get what she wanted from you" Damon said

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know? Well, I suppose she wouldn't want you thinking she has any reason other than a genuine alliance with you"

Klaus was clearly affected by his words, his heart aching painfully as doubt of his previous thoughts flooded into his mind. "She wouldn't leave" he said, thought he did not sound as sure as he did before. "Where is she?"

Elena looked at Damon and then Klaus. "I'm, uh, gonna head back home" she told Damon before leaving.

"We don't know where your little girlfriend or own personal witch or whatever is. So just leave us alone" Damon looked at Klaus before heading out of the Grill, going home.

Meanwhile Stefan was in a motel with Katherine Pierce, thinking a bit as he slipped on a shirt. "Why did you tell me about what was going to happen to Damon if he succeeded in killing Klaus? You want Klaus gone so you can be free from the running and hiding. It doesn't make sense"

"I'll tell you what doesn't make sense" Katherine said, walking over to him and pulling him closer to her, her lips centimeters from his. "A no humanity vampire choosing to save his brother" She moved her lips closer before suddenly pulling away.

Stefan watched her move away before saying "I was earning my freedom"

"The same freedom you would have gotten if Klaus was killed. Thus you did it for your brother"

"Have you figured out anything about Hope? Or do you still not trust me despite the fact I'm free and moving against Klaus?" Stefan questioned.

"Do you trust me?"

"Absolutely not. But I dont need to trust you to work with you. I just need to know you won't talk to Klaus about this. Which you wont" Stefan shrugged on his jacket.

"Fair point. I still can't find anything about her anywhere. But if she's this trusting of Klaus, she has to be close to him. And with the power she radiates, she has to be very old. I was considering a resurrected witch from when Klaus was around her age? But if you manage to get things that belong to her, I might be able to figure things out more."

"I'll see what I can do. She's currently locked up at my house. I might be able to get something"

"Klaus is not going to take that well."

"No, but it gives us time for his attention to be elsewhere while I try to get the locked coffin open." Stefan said

"I'd suggest a siphoned, but they are extremely rare"

"A siphoner?"

"A witch without their own magic. But they can take it from other sources. Like removing barrier spells or-"

"Or unlocking magically sealed coffins" Stefan  said

"I have many sources, but even I'm not sure where a siphoned is right now. I'll see if I can locate one. But the spirits of dead witches might not react well to them. They tend to be kind of judge-y about siphoners"

"Well, let me know if you find one. I should go see if the Bennett witch has made any progress"

Katherine raised an eyebrow and watched him go. It was obvious he was trying to push away his emotions and focus on revenge only.

"Stefan, be careful. You and your brother are playing with fire"

Stefan turned to face her as he reached the door. "Sometimes that's the only way to make someone burn" He turned and walked out of the motel room.

After Jeremy invited Tyler Lockwood to their house for dinner, Elena Gilbert and Alaric Saltzman realized just how messed up this whole sirebond thing was. How Tyler was willing to rip out his heart for Klaus if Klaus wanted him to. With this unsettling fact on their minds, once Tyler left, Alaric and Elena began to discuss it.

"So, Tyler Lockwood is a lunatic who has access to our house" Elena said.

"I mean, this whole sire bond thing is wild. I don't even think Tyler's fully aware of what ittle reason lies behind what he's saying" Alaric said, thinking about the reactions of Tyler and how he behaved "It's... it's his weird cult logic"

"Well, great. That's a wonderful influence for you, Jer" Elena said and turned to look at her brother, but Jeremy had disapeared. "Jeremy?"

On the counter was the ring that protected Jeremy from being killed by the supernatural. "That's his ring. Elena Where'd he go?"

Alaric and Elena exchanged looks before rushing outside. Jeremy was standing on the middle of the road.

"Jeremy? What is he doing?" Elena questioned before spotting a car driving at full speed toward him. "Oh my god!"

Before Elena could do anything, Alaric ran towards him, not wanting Jeremy to get killed. "Jeremy!"

Elena shouted "Jeremy! Jeremy, move!"

Jeremy didn't move, but Alaric rushed over him and pushed him so the car bumped into Alaric in full speed instead. Alaric crashed on the car and fell to the road, bleeding. Elena moved to rush towards him to help, but suddenly she was taken away at vampire speed.

When Elena looked around, she was at the same mansion she had been at before. She looked around a bit. "Klaus wants me again"

"You're mostly just leverage, so he can get what he wants"  one of his hybrids replied.

"And what is that exactly?" Elena asked

Klaus walked inside the room. "My family back. Stefan has them. And attacking Alaric Saltzman, well, it was supposed to be Jeremy Gilbert but, should be enough to serve as a message. But then I found out about Hope and decided I needed something stronger as well. So I kidnapped you"

"Why do you even want your family back? Its not as though they want you"

"Family is always and forever" Klaus said firmly

"If you truly believed that, you wouldn't have them daggered and kept in coffins." Elena said

"My relationship with my family is my business. I just want them back"

Elena scowled a bit and looked away, thinking about everything. About Hope and how much she did like the girl but disapproved of her alliance. About how Klaus felt about his family, which she wasnt sure of. About Damon and her feelings for him that only kept growing. And about Stefan, who sabotaged their chance to ebe rid of Klaus once and for all.

Damon Salvatore was in his living room,  thoughts flooded through his mind. He had asked Klaus to meet him here for negotiation  and was just waiting for him to arrive. The older Salvatore was pissed off that Elena was once again in danger at the hands of Klaus. He downed his glass of bourbon and threw it in the fireplace, hearing the glass shatter.

"And here I thought I had a temper" Klaus teased as he walked inside, confident he would end up getting what he wanted since he had Elena.

"Oh you do. More than anyone else in this town. You just take it out on slaughtering people instead of throwing a glass in the fireplace" Damon turned to face him. "Where's Elena?"

"Where are my family and Hope?" Klaus questioned

The older Salvatore shook his head. "You get to choose one. Your family or Hope."

"Or i could choose neither and your precious Elena will be out of Mystic Falls by tonight"

"Then we will kill Hope and dump your family where you will never find them"

Klaus scowled, looking at the older Salvatore. "I do not know why my family is a big concern of yours. Especially considering you conspired with both Rebekah and Elijah to kill me"

"And I'm surprised you want them back. I mean clearly they hate you. The only reason Elijah saved you in the first place was because he wanted the coffins too. He doesn't love you. None of them do. They tolerate you because they are afraid of you"

Klaus moved quickly, pinning Damon up on the wall as he gripped his throat and crushed it. "You do not know anything about me besides what you have been told. Do not presume to think you know who I am or my relationship with my family"

"I think your family explaining it is proof enough" the Salvatore choked out.

Klaus tossed him harshly to the side, and Damon got up quickly. The two watched each other for a moment and Klaus chuckled softly suddenly.

"I suppose the same could be said to you. It is not as though your brother has ever been fond of you since you were human. He hates you but won't kill you. Perhaps you are projecting your own feelings on me. After all, the only one that can enjoy your company beyond sex is Elena Gilbert. Speaking of which, unless you'd like to be left indefinitely alone, you ought to cooperate"

"I laid the offer on the table" Damon said. "It's up to you what you choose to do with it"

Klaus was silent for a few moments as he considered his options. His mother in the sealed coffins, his siblings who he never wanted to leave him. And Hope, who was the only person he had ever met that did not see him as a monster. And she was powerful. She could help him get the others back. Finally, he said "Hope. I want to exchange Elena for Hope"

"No problem"

"Not just for this, Damon. For everything. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here" The sincerity in her voice even surprised her. Though it certainly wouldn't have if she had been more open about the fact she knew but buried deep within.

Damon's face softened slightly bit, and he brushed a loose strand out of her face before lowering his hand. "Did he hurt you?"

"Just took a little blood from me. Not much but just enough for him to make some more hybrids. So I'm guessing he's low on his supply" Elena said

"Makes sense, considering how many hybrids I saw at that party. I didn't even know there were still that many werewolves, considering they were rumored to be near extinction"

"I doubt he will turn all of them. He'd want to be able to make more later so he'll be leaving some to be able to have children" Elena reasoned with a small sigh. Not that she had a problem with some not becoming hybrids. The sigh was over Klaus' mindset.

"Well let's hope if that's the case, his army can't get that much bigger"

"You know it is a good thing you freed Hope. I mean I want her out of Klaus' clutches, but she doesn't deserve to be a prisoner." Elena said. "And she doesn't deserve death either. There's something about her that I can't quite explain, but I like her. Sort of at least. I just wish she wasnt helping Klaus"

"Well, if anyone can get through to her, its you" Damon said, causing Elena to smile a little.  "You should know this, Elena. Stefan didn't screw us over." He paused before amending his statement "He screwed us over, but he had a good reason"

"What?"

"He saved Klaus to save me. Then he stole the coffins to get even"

"Damon, if he did it to protect you, then... Why would he even do that? I mean... Oh, what does it even mean?"

"What does it mean? It means I'm an idiot. 'Cause I thought for one second that I wouldn't have to feel guilty any more" Damon said

Elena looked at him in confusion."What are you talking about, guilty for what?"

"For wanting what I want"

"Damon..."

"No, I know. Believe me, I get it. My brother's girl and all." He le moved to leave but then stopped, turning to face her. "No. No. You know what? If I'm going to feel guilty about something, I'm going to feel guilty about this."

Damon walked quickly over to Elena and put his hand on the side of her neck.. His mouth came down on hers. And that was it. All the self-control he’d exerted since he fell in love with her went, like water crashing through a broken dam. He kissed her hard, with a kind of devouring desperation, fingers digging into her hair. Their mouths slid together. Desire hit Elena like a kick to the stomach. Everything she had been pushing away rushed to the surface, and she continued to kiss him back, unable to help herself. Her hand moved to his. Finally, he pulled away, a smile on his face

"Good night" Damon said before walking away, leaving Elena staring after him, stunned by the emotions that stirred inside her at the kiss.

Chapter Text

When Hope headed downstairs the next morning,  she found Klaus in the kitchen, pulling out baking ingredients. "What's all this?"

"Now that you are back and are working on finding my family, my hybrids are doing everything I want, and I woke up with a desire to make beignets. Have you ever had one?" Klaus asked. 

"I have. I love them" she admitted, walking closer. 

"Do you know how to make them?" 

Hope's lips parted open a little, and she shook her head slightly. "No I don't. You know how?"

A soft chuckle escaped the hybrids lips as he looked at her. "I do. I may not need to consume human food, but it is something I enjoy. And whatever I tend to favor, I learn how to cook." He informed her. "Come over here, and I will teach you"

She walked over to him and smiled before starting to follow his directions. 

"So when were you first introduced to beignets? Did your parents bring you to New Orleans? You mentioned you were from Louisiana" Klaus said

Hope nodded. "They did, and my dad introduced me to beignets when I was seven" she told him, remembering the table covered in far more beignets than she could eat. 

"So have you gotten any closer to figuring out where he is keeping them?" Klaus asked after a few minutes.  

"Magically, no. Something is blocking me from being able to find them. I might be able to write something to override it, but chances are magic isn't the answer to finding them." 

Klaus sighed. "Wait you said magically, no. Does that mean you have another idea?" 

"I do. Unless you're me with a raw amount of power, you're gonna need a good place to channel magic. Enough to conceal four coffins. I'm working on narrowing down the locations in Mystic Falls and surrounding areas. I doubt he went far" Hope said. "If we still can't find them, I'll expand"

"You are quite smart, Hope" Klaus said, pleased. 

"A smart boy once said that I should use my brains instead of punching every problem. He'd think this through. And since I dont have him here to consider these things, I made sure to take the time to try to figure this out"

"I imagine this boy is your lover, Landon?" Klaus questioned 

Hope nodded a bit as she mixed up everything. "Yes" she confirmed. "I'm gonna find your family. You're going to get them back" 

"Thank you, Hope" Klaus said. "You have done far more than you've needed to do and have not really asked anything in return. You truly are far too good to be spending time with me" But he did not wish for her to go. 

"And perhaps everyone needs some good in their lives" was her response. "Alright, I think I mixed this enough"

Klaus moved over and helped continue getting it ready. Soon the beignets were baking, and Hope washed her hands off in the sink, thinking. So if Rebekah is daggered and in the custody of Damon Salvatore. And you said there were four taken, who is in the mystery coffin? Finn, Elijah, Kol.... There's a fourth" Hope looked at him. "You don't have to tell me. I'm just... curious"

Klaus was silent for a long moment. "Follow me" he said. "I'll hear when they are ready" 

He headed upstairs to his art gallery. Hope stepped inside and looked around again briefly before focusing on Klaus. "What is it?"

"My mother is in the last coffin. Her body. I..." He hesitated. "I stored her body, but the rest of my family doesn't know about it. The coffin is sealed securely." 

"But wouldn't they have questioned it sooner?" 

Klaus shook his head. "No. It is a long story. One i will tell you in detail one day, but for now this is all you need to know. Thank you for helping me" It seemed a struggle to get the words out. Klaus was far from used to saying them. 

Hope hesitated and hugged him before pulling away. "You're welcome"

----------

After a nice, long shower, Damon headed out of the bathroom, whistling. All morning, his mind had been on his kiss with Elena. The feeling of her lips on his, the warmth in his heart that he felt as she place her hand on his. The way she had kissed him back. He knew she was still confused. But she was closer to admitting that yes she felt something. Something which he had known was going on between them for a while now. Something she had been denying to herself and to everyone else. But there it was, even for a moment. 

However, his mood faded slightly as he saw his brother waiting for him. But thinking about the kiss again brought his mood right back up. "Good morning." he said. 

"You're late. We are supposed to meet Bonnie at the witch house in ten minutes" Stefan said impatiently as he looked at his brother. 

"Relax, brother. Your hair won't fall out" Damon said. "Besides I'm not exactly late yet." He whistled a bit. 

"Would you hurry up? We have work to do. You know, Klaus isn't gonna easily self-destruct" Annoyance was obvious in the younger Salvatore's tone. "Why are you all chipper?"

"No reason" Damon said with a bit of a smirk. "Give me a minute." 

He headed upstairs, thinking about everything as he got dressed. Hope was on the loose again, but it was worth it if Elena was safe. But she still needed to be dealt with. Even if Elena wouldn't be happy about it. However,  for now this was enough to make him content. Now they just needed to get rid of Klaus for good if they could. 

Eventually he and Stefan arrived at the creepy witch place that was finally letting Damon inside. Damon looked around at the coffins, thinking. He saw one coffin not aligned with the others and walked over to it. 

"Is this thing jammed or something?" He asked, trying to raised the lid. It wouldn't budge. He moved to try to break it. 

"It won't open, no matter what I try to do to it. Bonnie can't get it open either." Stefan replied, watching Damon. 

"Wait...." Damon stepped away and looked around the room. "Klaus has 6 siblings. Rebekah is in our basement. There was one dead kid in the old world, one dead kid in the new world, which leaves Elijah and two others. Three sleeping originals, four coffins. So who is in the locked box?"

"No idea. But whatever is in here, Bonnia seems to think that it will help us kill Klaus. So the sooner she can get this open, the sooner we will know if she's right." Stefan said. "And hopefully whatever it is can take care of our Hope problem too. Because once we take down Klaus, she will retaliate.  You know that none of this is gonna do any good if Klaus's hybrid friend find our hidding place, right? They need to go away." 

"Oh yeah, great idea Stefan. Why don't you ask them just to pack their bag and take a long rest while we are on it" Damon commented sarcastically, looking at him. "How about to keep the peace? Don't attend to the real thing we are trying to hide."

"Well I'm not gonna play defence when I have what Klaus wants" Stefan replied. "He does what I say or I dump his family into the bottom of the ocean."

"And he's going to kill you and everyone you know, like, I don't know... me!"

"No, he is bluffing. His family means more than anything else."

"Does it? Because he kidnapped Elena, and I offered him a deal of Hope or his family, and he chose Hope. That doesn't sound like someone who will do anything for family" Damon snapped, looking at his brother. 

"We'll see. Now that he has her back, he'll be prioritizing getting his family back." 

"Maybe. And what if he doesnt?"

"He will."

"The only way to know if someone bluffs, Stefan, is to be ready to loose everything if you're wrong." Damon said, looking at his brother. 

"And what makes you think I have anything left to lose?" Stefan asked

"You saved my life, Stefan. Instead of killing Klaus then. And I know you still care about Elena, despite you hooking up with Katherine" 

"You don't know anything" Stefan said and headed out of the room. 

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

Elena was in Alaric's apartment, punching a punching bag as she trainer to get stronger. She knew she needed to be able to defend herself, but if she was being honest with herself, that was far from the only reason she was here. The reason that she was punching as hard as she was, was because of Damon Salvatore. 

The kiss had brought to the surface feelings she had been feeling for a while. And if she chose to be honest with herself, she knew how long.  Memories flooded back to her. His lips pressing against hers and the rush of feelings it brought back to the surface. The dinner they shared together. How he had danced with her and took her breath away. How all she wanted to do in that moment was kiss him. And now she had. 

"So, what's get you worked up?" Alaric asked her

Elena glanced at him before continuing to punch the punching bag. "I didn't really sleep last night."

She had been too busy remembering the kiss and how it made her feel. She was also preoccupied worrying about Alaric's ring and Klaus and Hope and... Stefan. No matter how much she wanted to kiss Damon again (which she wouldn't admit aloud), she still had feelings for Stefan too. And he was in vengeance mode and hooking up with Katherine. And Elena wasn't sure if he would ever get out of this mindset. Even if they killed Klaus. 

"Yeah, me neither. Probably something to do with dying."

The memory of the car crashing into him rose in her mind. "You're okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I think the ring has no longer batteries."

"Yeah, it's another reason why Jeremy has to get out of the town" Elena sighed, worried. "If those ring have a short last, he is not protected, neither are you."

She continued punching the punching bag harder, and Alaric watched her, unable to help the feeling of pride rising up inside of him at the sight of the girl that was now like a daughter to him getting stronger, even though he wished he could get her out of all of this. 

"Nice, you're getting stronger" Alaric told her

"I just evacuate frustration. I need a coffee." She declared stepping away from the training and walking over to his kitchen, where she got herself some coffee. 

"Seems Damon's compulsion worked, Jeremy was packing when I left the house, going on about his new school in Denver" 

The kiss rose in Elena's mind again at the mention of Damon, and she remembered just how good it felt to kiss him.  "Have you talk to Damon today?" she asked. 

"No. Why?"

"No reason" Elena took a sip of her coffee to avoid saying anything further or have him notice her expression. "So I was thinking about Hope. I know she's loyal to Klaus. But she's also not a bad person."

"Elena, she kidnapped you for Klaus so he could drain you like you're his own personal blood bag" Alaric said

"I know, but... while we all agree she is powerful, Bonnie and I both see that she doesn't seem like a bad person. Despite everything. She seemed... sad. Lonely. Like she's been through a lot. Which we can all  relate to" 

"She seemed sad when I first met her too. But not every sad person is a good person, Elena. Think that way, and you might end up getting yourself killed. Something none of us want." 

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

Hope was sitting at a table, ignoring the hybrids working on setting up more of the house to be more suitable for living. Klaus had previously just had essentials, including his art room. In front of her was a list of potential places. She had cloaked the paper and herself from anyone besides Klaus so the hybrids wouldn't see her plans. She knew how the sirebond worked. Relatively at least. And she wasn't sure if her dad had covered the loopholes. On the paper was a list of potential locations the coffins could be and why. 

"I have a plan, but I feel you will not particularly like it" Klaus said, looking down at Hope.

Hope set her pencil down and looked up at him with a small frown. "What is it?"

"Oh just some collateral damage with the Mystic Falls group. I need some other retaliation. Some incentive for Stefan to give me the coffins in case you cannot locate them and get them back"

"I'm working on it. Can't you wait a little longer before collateral damage?" Hope questioned. 

"If you dont do anything, people will never learn and this could happen all over again" Klaus said. "It's better this way" His face faltered. "Do you now think of me as a monster?" He was terrified that one day she would choose to no longer be by his side. Even moreso now that he considered her family. Things always ended up messy with his family, but Klaus just wanted them all close, willingly or otherwise.

"What? No!" Hope said. "I just dont want the situation to escalate and get worse before we can get your family back"

Klaus nodded and squeezed her shoulder lightly before heading out of the room. 

Tyler Lockwood walked inside the mansion and went over to Klaus. "You called? I'm here. What happened?" 

"What happened is Stefan had two possibilities and he chose the one that make me angry. I need you to help me to do something about that" Klaus replied, walking closer to Tyler. 

"Can't you just leave me out of it?"

"What would be the point of that?"

"Seriously man, can't you just ask another hybrid to do the work? I lost my friends, my girlfriend" The irritation was obvious in Tyler's demeanor. He didnt want to keep doing things for Klaus. 

"Right, your girlfriend, about her, I need you to bite her."

"What?" The word came out of both Hope and Tyler's mouth. 

Caroline couldn't die. There was too much left. She was important to a lot of things. But if a hybrid bit her, she would die. And why would Klaus heal her? Hope had no idea it this was a timeline change or something else. 

Klaus glanced over at Hope before returning his gaze to Tyler. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"A hybrid bite would kill a vampire."

"Yeah, I know exactly what it will do. Stefan push me too far so I'm pushing back."

"I'm not biting Caroline"

"Tyler, you've been supernaturaly blessed for the good fortune I've onto you. So consider me to putting your loyalty to a test" Klaus said, looking at him

Tyler stepped back, looking at Klaus with disgust and anger. "What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not hurting Caroline."

"Alright. I'm disappointed but you know, it's your choice, free will and all that. I'll find another way to strike on Stefan. You can go now."

Tyler looked at Klaus before heading out of the house, annoyed

Hope watched him go and looked back at Klaus. "He won't be able to fight the sirebond" 

"We'll see. This is the perfect test to see how strong it is. And it makes the Mystic Falls group suffer. This is the best plan" Klaus said.  "Now we still need to get my family back. There's a party tonight. And we are going to go" Klaus said. "You've just about narrowed down your list. Which we will look into thoroughly tomorrow. But we need to make appearances. You dont have to do much, but it would be best to arrive at least. Let the sheriff and mayor see you. It would also be a good break. You've been surrounded by papers since you got back"

"I'll be there" Hope promised. She looked back down at the notebook before starting to write. 

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

Later Hope was at the party, and she looked around a bit, thinking about everything that had been happening recently. She thought it was a bad idea, her being here. But her dad wanted her here, so here she was, despite the risks. However, it soon became apparent that there was nothing to do here. Hope was wearing a red dress and thinking about everything she knew.

 She needed to leave. She knew she already messed things up. And she had to go before she made them worse. But she still wasn't sure how to get back and she couldn't bring herself to just get on a bus and leave town. So she watched as her father started to get along with the mayor, knowing he wanted to make connections, especially considering he was planning on staying in town. Soon, however, Hope had joined her father's side and started to talk to him. But it wasn't much later that his phone rang. 

Klaus picked up his phone and answered it. "Stefan, how nice to hear your voice." 

Hope looked at Klaus curiously, concerned about why Stefan Salvatore was calling. She highly doubted it was  to give him his family back. She focused her werewolf hearing to hear what was being said. 

"Tell your hybrids to get out of the town Klaus" Stefan demanded.

"Well that's not gonna happen until I get my coffins back" 

"Okay, well I'm gonna drive your blood source off the Wickery Bridge" 

It unnerved Hope of how calm his tone was, considering she knew his humanity wasn't off anymore and he loved her. Her body tensed at the words, wanting nothing to happen to Elena. 

"I don't believe you, Stefan. You won't kill her." Klaus pointed out. 

There were muffled sounds before Elena exclaimed.  "No! No! No! What are you doing?"

Klaus' body stilled. "What's going on?"

Hope didnt even wait for a response. She took off towards the Wickery Bridge, shifting into a wolf as she reached the woods, knowing she was faster that way. She ran until she got near the Wickery Bridge, stopping as she spotted Elena standing alone in the middle of the road, seemingly shocked and in tears. Hope shifted back before going over to the crying doppelganger and didn't say anything but instead pulled her into a hug. 

Without thinking about it, a slightly shaking Elena sobbed a bit in Hope's shoulder as she hugged her back. The tribrid rubbed her back gently before eventually pulling away

Elena sniffles and wiped her eyes, thinking about everything. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I just-"

"I know. I heard part of what he said go Klaus" Hope said. "And I took off to try to get here in time. I'm glad you're okay"

"I'm not okay. I'm trying to keep it together. And I definitely shouldn't be losing it around you or any of Klaus' other allies, but.... I couldn't help it. You showed up right when I needed you"

"A little after, technically. But I get your point." Hope said. "And its okay, Elena. Come on. I'll walk you home" 

Elena wiped away her tears and started walking alongside Hope towards her house. 

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

After Tyler Lockwood was told to bite Caroline, he had shown up at a little party they were having because it was Caroline's birthday. Despite refusing to do as Klaus asked, while making out with Caroline, he bit her. And that was how Caroline ended up lying in bed, weak and dying because of a werewolf bite. 

When Klaus arrived at the Forbes household and knocked on the door, Liz Forbes answered.  "I'm here to help. My blood will heal her. Please invite me inside" The hybrid said as he saw her. 

"I know how this game works. You want something in return" Liz replied. 

"Just your support" Klaus said. "See, I realized, admittedly too late, that this had not been the best course of action. I realized I did not wish for your daughter to die. So here i am to kindly reverse my mistake"

Liz looked at him for a moment before stepping to the side. "Come in" 

Klaus walked inside the house and went towards where he heard Caroline. 

"Are you going to kill me?" Caroline asked as she saw him come in. 

 "On your birthday? You really think that law of me?" Klaus questioned, pain showing in his eyes as he looked down at her. 

 "Yes."

Klaus looked at the wound. "It looks bad. My apologies, you are just colateral damages, nothing personnal. I love birthdays" he admitted. 

"Yeah, Haven't you had like... a billion, or something?'

"Well you have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline. Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bond by trivial human conventions. You're free."

"No, I'm dying" Caroline said, looking up at him. 

Klaus was silent for a moment as he looked down at her, thinking. Then he took a seat beside her on the bed. "And I could let you die, if that's what you want. If you really believe your existence has no meaning. I thought about it myself, once or twice, over the centuries, truth will be told" He wasnt sure why he was telling her this. He had never admitted that to anyone. Not even to Hope or Elijah or Rebekah. Yet here he was, admitting it to this girl. Caroline Forbes. "But I'll let you know a little secret. There is a whole world out there, waiting for you. Great cities and art and music, genuine beauty. And you can have all of it. You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask."

 "I don't wanna die." Caroline said quietly after a moment.

Klaus moved to sit beside her and drew her in a little, giving her ease of access to biting his arm. "Here you go, sweet heart. Have at it" Caroline sunk her fangs into his arm and began drinking his blood, which started to heal her.  "Happy birthday, Caroline"

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

Hope and Elena reached Elena's house. The tribrid walked inside and looked around a little. The last time and only time she had been here was when she helped kidnap Elena. And here she was now delivering her to safety. 

"Look I know you probably brought me home for Klaus because I'm his personal bloodbag, but you really don't have to stay" Elena said. 

"That's not why I was at Wickery Bridge. I rushed over once I heard what was happening because I was worried about you. Not what you could do for Klaus. But about you. I want to stay until someone else gets back"

Elena looked at Hope, and her express shifted a bit. "Everyone keeps telling me that basically I'm an idiot for thinking you're a good person because you're working with Klaus. But while I wasn't sure at first, considering you kidnapped me when we first met, its obvious that you are" she said. "Despite your poor choice in alliances, it is clear you care a lot about people"

"I don't want to see anyone get hurt"  Hope admitted as she looked at her

"Then why are you working with Klaus?" Elena questioned. "He's always going to get people hurt"

"Why are you close to the Salvatores?"  Hope hoped she didnt take that in a romantic sense. But it was a valid point. People got hurt around them. Yet Elena was still by their side. 

"They don't go on mass killing sprees! Or kidnap people and use their blood to make a hybrid army!"

"Um, Stefan is the Ripper of Monterey. He slaughter villages after villages with his humanity on" the tribrid said, watching Elena flinch at his name so soon after what Stefan did to her. "Sorry. I just... I have my reasons. Please just respect that"

Elena nodded and took a seat on the couch, silent. Finally a minute later, she spoke again. "That was the bridge my parents drove over while I was in the backseat. I survived. They didn't. Stefan knew that, and he was close to forcing me to drown there too." Her breath shook as the memories washed over her. 

"Yeah well Stefan's an asshole" Hope replied and went over to the kitchen to make some tea for Elena. 

Damon came into the house and quickly went over to Elena, who got up quickly and hugged him. They both clung to each other, Elena unable to help herself from wanting the comfort of a hug from someone she... from him after what just happened. From someone that understood where her emotions were coming from. Someone that knew her well. 

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay" Damon said as he held her close. "I went looking for you the second I heard about what happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you"

"It's okay. Hope was" Elena replied, slowly pulling away. 

"She's still here?" Damon questioned, spotting her in the kitchen. "Keeping an eye on you because of Klaus?"

"No. Because she cares."

"Well, you're not alone now" Hope said, walking closer to Elena and holding out a mug with tea. "Just be careful"

Elena took the mug and watched her leave. 

"You're not seriously going to drink that?" Damon looked at her

"If she was going to kill me, she had plenty of chances" Elena said. "Besides, Klaus needs me" She started drinking her tea and let out a sigh. "I can't believe Stefan did that"

"He's out of control"  Damon said. "I have no idea what he is capable of anymore"

"Well, he's screwing Katherine. He might not care about me anymore. And now that his humanity is so driven to his hatred toward Klaus...." She shook her head. 

"You're gonna be okay?" Damon asked

"I will survive. Somehow I always do." Elena said, looking at him. 

"As much as his methods sucked and you never should have been put in that position, Stefan won this round for us today. He push Klaus at the edge and Klaus blinked." Damon looked at Elena. "Klaus have been calling on the shaft and Stefan beat him at his own game. He was the better villain."

"Don't seem so impressed." 

"Well, I can't help be a little proud" Damon said. "I mean the location was bad, and everything. But he did get Klaus to back down. It was what we needed. Really, tell me, are you gonna be okay?"

Elena nodded a bit. "I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

Damon nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Elena"

The words and action felt familiar, but she had no idea from what. So the doppelganger pushed it away and headed upstairs. 

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

Meanwhile, Katherine was sitting in front of a fancy table with papers scattered across it and a wine glass beside her. She had been contacting her sources and looking up witches that Hope couldn't be. Someone with a large amount of power that Klaus would have connections to. The only ones she was finding were Esther, the creator of vampires, and her sister who had supposedly died a thousand years ago. If she was not one of them, none of this made sense. Yet she didn't seem a thousand years old, based on what Stefan had been telling her. She seemed... young. But her power wasn't that of a young witch.

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since Hope had brought Elena home after Stefan nearly drove Elena off of Wickery Bridge. Elena had given Klaus back Rebekah's body as an attempt at a peace offering to stop all of this.  But Klaus wanted his whole family, and Stefan was being unbearably frustrating.  However, after some conflict with the Bennett witches, doppelganger, and younger Salvatore, Klaus now had his family being carted in to his mansion. 

Hope looked up, her eyes widening as she saw the coffins being brought in. "You found them?" Relief was obvious in her voice. 

"It took a bit of effort, but yes I do. And your location was right. Now I can store them safely away" Klaus said

"You don't want to free them yet?" she questioned, looking at him. 

Klaus shook his head yet. "I need to figure some things out first. I still have some unfinished business to take care of"

His hybrid that had been helping asked "What business?"

Suddenly a hand went through him and pulled out his heart. The hybrids body dropped, revealing  Elijah behind him with the hybrid's heart in his hand.  Hope's lips parted open in surprise as her gaze landed on her uncle that had died with her father. 

"So, Niklaus..." Elijah greeted, looking at his brother. 

"Elijah?" Klaus questioned, his eyes wide. 

"What did I miss?" Elijah asked. When Klaus failed to reply,  he continued. "You look surprised to see me. So it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?"

"You look like you could do with a drink. And we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?"

Elijah attacked him, and Klaus flew through a window. 

Hope magically threw Elijah back, pinning him against the wall. "Can you both sort things out in a  civilized way?" 

"Things with my brother are never civil. Who are you?" Elijah questioned. 

"A friend of your brother's. Now if I let you down, can you not attack Klaus?"

"We can attempt a civilized discussion. Do you know what he has done?" 

"I do" Hope looked at him before dropping the spell. 

Elijah straightened himself up. 

Klaus got up and looked at Elijah, glad he had the support of someone. "Easy. I just finished renovating. You know you have every right to be mad at me. But I kept my word, I reunited you with our family."

Elijah moved toward him, angry. 

Hope sighed. "Corpori impetu" She said, freezing Elijah in his place. "Civilized, remember? You're 1000 years old. Both of you. Act like grown ups" She snapped before breaking the spell. 

Klaus and Elijah both looked a bit ashamed of themselves, Klaus because Hope was the only person that genuinely liked him. And Elijah because he favored being the most civilized Mikaelson. 

"Mikael is dead" Klaus said after a moment

Elijah looked at him, stunned. "What did you say?"

"I killed him. With his own weapon. He's gone Elijah. Forever."

It was obvious how much the mere thought was a relief to Klaus. Mikael had abused him all throughout his human life and then chased him for the past a thousand years. No one deserved to endure that. And Hope too was quite glad her non biological grandfather was dead. 

"Very well. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

"Mikael did not kill our mother. I did" 

The words escaped Klaus' mouth before he could stop it. He didnt want Elijah to hear it from someone else like Rebekah had. But the only person he had told this to before was Aurora, which ended horribly. Not at the time but later. She had called him a monster. And so thats what he became. Regardless of how much Hope disagreed. 

Elijah nodded. "That is something of the past and something I had suspected. I aught to go get some blood after being daggered in a box for months" Elijah said before leaving

Klaus let out a breath he didnt know he was holding, briefly in that moment showing a vulnerability he tried to hide. He hated fighting with his siblings. But sometimes it seemed necessary. But for now Elijah was not leaving. Nor was he continuing to hit him. 

Hope walked over to Klaus and pulled him into a hug. Klaus, still not used to hugs, tensed up a bit before slowly easing up and relaxing, hugging her back. Hope soon pulled away and looked up at him. "Well that went better than you expected" she said. "So what's the plan now? Besides getting that coffin back?"

"I want to wake my family up, but... I-" He paused, not wanting to use a word in relation to fear. "I have had them daggered for different amounts of time each. Kol is... not always predictable and he will be angry with me for daggering him again. Finn has been daggered for centuries. And Rebekah.... now that she knows I killed our mother, she may never forgive me"

"They will forgive you eventually, even if it takes time" Hope said, looking at him. "But they deserve to know the truth"

Klaus sighed softly. "I feel as though today will be a long day with Elijah's return, and I need to figure out how to handle the Salvatore situation. Could you watch out for Elena?" 

"Not that I'm complaining, but why not have one of your hybrids do it?"

"They are sired to me and have to do whatever I say, but you are the only one that truly wants to help me yet is also somehow a good person as well. And I trust you to ensure things don't go wrong. You can return later if you'd like. I do not know what is  going to happen here in the meantime"

"Alright. I'll go" Hope agreed. 

"Not yet. I just... I... I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me" It was obvious Klaus wasnt used to thanking people.  But the genuine look in his eyes warmed Hope's heart. He meant it, and she was glad to be here with her family. 

"You're welcome. Maybe we could paint later. Once you've finished sorting things out with Elijah" 

"I would like that" Klaus smiled at her. 

"Right. Well, I'm gonna go keep an eye out. I'll see you later" Hope said before heading out of the house. 

----------

Elijah Mikaelson reached the woods, slowing a little as he reached the older Salvatore brother. He had far from forgiven his brother but knew better than acting impulsively and ending up daggered again. So once he saw the note in his pocket, he knew he needed to talk to Damon and see what he wanted to discuss. 

"Elijah, my favorite original, back from the dead. Clean up nice" Damon said with a light smirk as he looked at him. 

"You left something, in my jacket pocket" Elijah reached inside  his jacket and pulled out a note. 

"Oh, yeah. 'Dear Elijah, let's get together, plot the destruction of your brother, XOXO'"

"Damon" Elijah said,  wanting to get to the specifics of the meeting. 

"Was I right to undagger you or are we gonna have a problem?"

"I'm here, let's talk" Elijah said calmly, looking at Damon. 

"I'll start with an easy question. Any idea what kind of Klaus killing weapon could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin?" 

"No. Niklaus never spoke of it. My brother tends to be quite paranoid, and if there was something other than my father that could kill him, he would keep it to himself" 

"Of course he would. Well we're trying to get it opened. I'd tell you where, but I'm not sure you're trustworthy yet, seeing as the last time you agreed to help us, you ended up saving Klaus instead"

"He said he would reunite me with our family. I gave him the benefit of the doubt in case I could get my siblings back. Instead a dagger was put through my heart. I am done believing there is hope for my brother" Elijah said. "Not if his presence results in the rest of us being his prisoners" 

"Good. Did you meet Hope?" Damon asked

"I did. Who is she?" Elijah questioned. 

"She and Klaus apparently met while he was in Chicago with my brother during the summer. They've gotten so close that he chose to get her back over getting his family back. She's part werewolf and part witch"

"I have never heard of anyone that is a hybrid of two creatures besides my brother"

"I know. But thats not all. She heals faster than werewolves do. And Stefan said a witch they met while in Chicago said she was very powerful." Damon said. "As long as she is in the picture, even if we have the coffin open, it's going to be difficult. Because despite Elena's belief that Hope is good, Hope will protect your brother." 

"I will figure out what to do in regards to Hope then" Elijah said. "In the meantime, get the coffin opened. I'm going to wake up our family once you do. They all despise him, and will even moreso once they know what happened to our mother"

Damon wasn't exactly thrilled but nodded. "Alright. We need to buy time for the coffin to be opened. Perhaps we can have a meeting to fake a truce. A long dinner party."

"I can arrange that" Elijah said with a small nod. 

"Good. Then I suppose I will see you this afternoon" Damon said before leaving.  

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

When Hope tracked Elena and reached the hospital, she spotted her hugging her best friend and Hope's former (future?) headmistress who was crying. The tribrid cloaked herself, trying to figure out if it would be a good idea to go over but instead decided to do some investigating once she saw the body. She inhaled sharply and walked away before uncooaking herself, thinking about the body she saw lying on the ground,  a knife in his chest. 

Her mind was spinning as she thought about that and the other recent attacks in town. There had to be an answer. As she entered the filing information to find out more, she felt someone injecting something into her neck. Hope stumbled back as instinct kicked in and a wave of magic threw Meredith Fell back. Hope pulled the syringe out of her arm, energy a bit drained from her and her body burning a bit on the inside from the injection. 

"I'm sorry" Hope said, offering a hand to help her up. 

Meredith Fell looked at her hand and slowly took it before getting up. "You should be weaker right now. And why are you being nice to me? I attacked you" 

"Because you're just worried about the people in the town. And with the recent deaths I dont blame you. Also because I want to know what you know about them. The recent attacks"

"Not much. Besides the fact they suspected Alaric Saltzman because the weapons were his. And that they were vampire sympathizers based on the looks of it."

Hope sighed. "Alright. Well, I'll try figuring it all out. I dont really expect you to be open more to me considering I assume you know who I am. Or at least who I'm working with. But just be careful. And tell them to contact me if something big happens that doesn't involve Klaus. Since I've gathered you talk to the Mystic Falls group"

Meredith shook her head. "They dont know how much I know. And I want to keep it that way."

"Then here" Hope wrote down her phone number and handed it to her. "Just in case. I should get going. And don't try that on me again"

Without another word, the tribrid walked out of the room.

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

After talking to Caroline and Bill about vampirism, Elena left them both to help Alaric and give them some privacy. "What are you doing?" she asked as she entered her house and spotted Alaric in the kitchen with a set of his weapons. 

"Taking inventory" Alaric said "Did you bring it?"

"You mean, did I steal evidence from a crime scene? Yes." She gave him the stake.

 Alaric compared the stolen piece of evidence with his collection. "You're right. It's a match. This is from a crawl space in the foyer. Which means, Meredith knew where it was."

"That doesn't mean, she stole it."

He showed her other stakes. "This is from the loft. These are from the duffel in Damon's car."

 "Identical to the one that killed Brian Walters." Brian Walters was Meredith's ex that had been killed at a Founders party. The start of the attacks. So far there had only been two. Not enough to create a pattern. 

"Damon's car was at the Wickery-Bridge fundraiser, so was Meredith. And that was the night her ex-boyfriend, the medical examiner, was killed. The one who called her psycho."

Elena's face faltered, but her instincts were telling her this Meredith person wasn't the killer. "Well, she was trying to save Bill Forbes, why would she turn around and try to kill him?"

Alaric said "I don't know what to think either. You know, but... we'd be idiots to ignore all these facts."

"So what should we do?"

 "Well... Get this to the police" he passed her back the evidence. "As if we don't have enough to deal with in regards to Klaus and this Hope person. But now we have to deal with my newest girlfriend being potentially a murderous psychopath"

"I dont think Hope will be much of a problem. I mean she seems to genuinely care"

"Yeah, well, I thought Isobel cared about me. But it wasn't enough. It might not be with Hope either" Alaric said 

Elena's gaze lowered and she nodded. "She could be a threat. I could be wrong. But I just... I dont want people jumping onto the idea of killing her."

"I understand, Elena" Alaric assured her. 

"Good. I should probably go be with Caroline, considering everything she is going through" Elena said, looking at him before leaving

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

Hours later,  once Hope spotted Elena outside on the steps of the porch of the Forbes residence alone, she walked over to her, wanting to make sure she was alright. Not just for Klaus but for everyone. 

"Hey. Are you okay?" Hope asked softly, looking at her. 

"Not really" the doppelganger admitted. "My best friend's dad is dying today. He doesn't want to complete the transition. I was there for her. But now it's time to leave the family be. So I should probably go"

"I'll walk with you to your house" Hope said

"Do I have a choice?" 

"Of course you do. But I just want to be here for you and make sure nothing happens. I mean your friend has her mom. But clearly the death and your friend being upset is affecting you too. I'll be here and walk with you if you want"

Elena sighed and nodded. "Okay" she agreed, looking at Hope.

The tribrid gave her a small smile and started heading down the street. Elena walked alongside her. 

"I told Damon you weren't bad just because you help Klaus. He doesn't believe me. Neither does Ric. But I just thought you should know I tried to talk them out of having issues with you"

"Its okay. They're just being protective over you. People do crazy things for the people they love. Romantically or otherwise" 

"Like you with Landon and Klaus?"

Hope nodded, not wanting to talk about that. She sighed softly and looked around the streets. "And you care about the Salvatores, your best friends, and D-Alaric" 

Once they reached the house, Elena headed inside and Hope followed after. Hope was thinking about the dinner party and what could he going on with her family and the Salvatores. 

Elena tried to turn on the lights, but they didn't come on. "That's weird"

"Electricity must be out" Hope said and raised her hands. "Post tenebras spero lucem" A ball of light formed over the palm of her hand. 

Elena looked at her curiously. "That looks pretty handy"

"Yeah you have no idea. Even with wolf sight, it can be helpful."

"I'm gonna get a flashlight in case you need to do any more magic. And you really don't have to stay"

"I want to" Hope said, looking at her. "Besides" She followed her towards the kitchen. "With the dinner party between Klaus, Elijah, Stefan, and Damon, I could use something to do. And you look like you could use some company"

"I wanted to stay with Caroline after everything. But I was there for her. And now she'd rather be alone with her family. I just wish we could figure out who is causing all of -" Elena stopped, seeing a puddle of blood. "Oh my God!"

"What the hell?" Hope muttered and listened carefully,  pulling a knife out. "Someone's upstairs" 

They followed the bloody footprints out of the kitchen and went up the stairs. There here were more bloody handprints on the wall. Once Hope reached  the top of the stairs and looked around, she saw Alaric lying in a doorway with a knife through his stomach. Both the tribrid and the doppelganger  gasped and rushed over to him

"Dr Saltzman" Hope breathed out, not wanting to lose him. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be okay. 

"Ric! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Elena exclaimed, moving to pull the knife out.  Alaric screamed out in pain, and Hope stopped her from pulling it out further. 

"No, leave it in! Leave it in! He's lost too much blood."

Elena looked at him. "Ric, look at me. Who did this to you?"

"I dont know" Alaric said, wincing in pain. "You have to kill me"

"What?" Hope questioned incredulously. 

"Wait, wait, wait, He's right" Elena said. "If he dies a supernatural death, then he'll come back to life and he'll be healed." 

"What? But didn't that not work last time? He ended up coming back to life and starting to die again" Hope said. 

"I don't see another option" 

Hope cursed a little under her breath. "I do. Just give me a minute. Stay here and don't do anything"

Her voice was firm. She took off down the stairs and pulled out a glass from the kitchen. She bit her wrist and let her blood fall into the cup before cleaning off the last bit of blood on her hand as it healed up almost instantly. She rushed back upstairs with the glass and returned to Alaric's side. Hope gripped the knife and pulled it out.

"What is that?" Elena asked, barely able to see in the dark. She hadn't grabbed the flashlight she planned on getting. 

"Vampire blood. I keep some with me" Hope said and fed it to him.

She couldn't help it. She couldn't let him just die. The tribrid let out a sigh of relief as she saw the wound starting to heal, and she looked down at the blood on her hands. Dr Saltzman's blood. The blood of the man who was like a father to her. 

"You're gonna be okay. You're healing"

Elena held Alaric's bloody hand a bit, seeing him as a sort of second father as well. Not knowing that Hope too felt the same way.

"I, uh, I'm gonna go wash up. Just call my name if something happens. But he should be okay now" Hope said and stood up before heading downstairs. She went over to the sink and washed her hands, thinking. Her gaze drifted to the blood on her outfit, remembering how much blood had been on Alaric. She shook off the memory and cleaned off the knife and the glass she had put the blood in. She magically lit candles and started to clean up any blood she saw smeared anywhere. 

And as Elena sat beside Alaric, who was on a bed, already asleep the second he was changed, she pulled out her phone and hesitated before calling Damon. Thoughts were swimming through her head. About the attacks. About the kiss. About Klaus and everything else. However, instead of being able to speak to Damon, the call rang until it went to voice mail. Something inside Elena deflated as he didnt answer the phone.

 It was strange how Damon went from someone she wanted distance from to the person she called to spend time with, to help her, and to inform about everything going on. Before she called anyone else. And part of her knew it was because at some point she had fallen in love with him, and nothing had been the same ever since.

---------

When Hope made her way back to the Mikaelson mansion after cleaning up the blood, Klaus turned to look at her in shock. "You're covered in blood"

"It's not mine. Or Elena's. We are both okay. I'll explain everything later. But clearly you are preoccupied" Hope said. 

"I am" Klaus said, still holding Stefan's arm in the fire. It was obvious he had been for a little bit. The arm was very badly burnt. 

"What are you doing?" Hope looked at him.

"Getting what I want." 

"Go ahead and kill me, I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin" Stefan said

Klaus pulled Stefan out of the fireplace. "You really have given up, haven't you? Where's the fight? Where's the ripper?" He pushed Stefan. Stefan pushed Klaus  back, glaring at the hybrid. His emotions were still focused on his rage towards Klaus. Suddenly, Elijah and Damon re-entered the room.

"Elijah... why haven't you left?" Klaus asked his brother in confusion

"Where are you manners, brother? We forgot dessert." Elijah took the cover off a plate a blonde woman was holding. Two silver daggers were on the plate.

"What have you done?" Klaus questioned, his body tensing. He hadnt been ready for this. Not yet. And especially not Finn, who had been daggered the longest. He had wanted to be careful with timing and figure out the nest approach. 

"What have you done? You see I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

Kol entered the room, and Klaus looked at his younger brother in surprise. "Kol."

"Long time, brother."

Klaus started to back away. Finn suddenly appeared. He grabbed a dagger tried to stab  Klaus, but Hope pulled Klaus towards her a little magically, causing Finn to miss. 

"Finn, don't!" Klaus rushed away, but ran into Rebekah. "Rebekah?"

She stabbed him with a dagger. "This is for our mother."

Klaus fell back into Kol's arms. Kol restrained him. Hope did a spell that shocked Kol a bit into letting go. He turned over to look at Hope, angry that someone was keeping him from having his revenge.

"Stop it!" Hope exclaimed, but they ignored her.  

"I like what you've done with the new place, Nik." Rebekah threw a vase at a painting, but it stopped before it could crash into it and instead flew into Hope's hands. 

She set it down. "Externa conatus."

A wave of blue magic emitted from her, crashing into everyone around and sent them flying back, away from each other. One of the lights in the room exploded. She placed a barrier spell around Klaus as she stood beside him, standing as a physical barrier as well, her eyes narrowed. 

"I said to stop! And don't touch his art work for that matter" Hope snapped. 

"He doesn't stop to care about anything we care about or what we want in life. Why should we care about him?" Kol questioned, getting up and moving closer, hitting the barrier that was silently put up. 

Klaus pushed himself up"I wanted it to be for all of us. A place we could all call home. A place we could all be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again."

"Well you're right, none of us will be" Elijah said. 

"You're staying behind" Finch told him.

Rebekah's gaze was on her half brother. "We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you will be alone. Always and forever."

Klaus said 'If you run, I will hunt all of you down."

"Then you'll become everything you hate. Our father" Elijah pointed out. 

Hope scoffed a bit. "Not that I'm agreeing with any idea of hunting down. But Mikael hunted with pure hatred. Klaus loves all of you. In his own way. He clings so tightly, including daggering you to keep you close, because he is terrified of losing you. And you just said you were all going to leave him alone. Which he's not going to be alone, but it's the point. Always and Forever.... Family is supposed to be there for each other. Till the bitter end. Work through the problems instead of bailing"

"You don't think we've tried?" Rebekah scoffed

"No. I dont. Not in the sense of you taking the time to really understand him" Hope snapped.  

"You barely know him! You shouldn't even be here right now. This is a family matter!" 

"I know enough" 

The door opened, and Esther walked inside, causing the room to go silent as they all looked at her. 

"Mother?" Rebekah questioned in shock.

Hope watched Esther warily but noticed in the corner of her eye that Klaus was tearing his gaze away from her as if terrified to look her in the eye after he killed her. Hope wanted to assure him that it wasn't exactly a mistake. She knew Esther wasn't exactly a good person. At all. And she understood she couldn't control how her dad felt, but she wished she could help the feelings he was clearly experiencing. 

Esther walked towarded Klaus. "Look at me! Do you know why I'm here?"

Klaus had tears in his eyes. "You're here to kill me."

"Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you." She said in a kind tone. "I want us to be a family again." 

"What?" The hybrid couldn't escape the word from escaping his lips as he looked at her in shock, wanting nothing more than a family that actually wanted him.

"I want us to be a family again" she repeated kindly. "Which starts with welcoming someone into the family that has not yet admitted who she is."

Hope felt her body tense at Esther's words, already hearing what would be said before it came out. 

"Hope is your daughter, Niklaus. A Mikaelson" 

Chapter Text

"What?" The word was out of Klaus' mouth before he could stop it.

"Thats impossible, Mother. Vampires cannot have children" Rebekah said. She would know. For centuries she wished she could have a family of her own.

"Your brother is no ordinary vampire" Esther reminded kindly. "I have been watching over all of you from the other side, and I can sense the power coming from her. She is a part of our family"

Vulnerability was shown on Klaus' face despite his efforts to hid it. Tears were still visible in his eyes. "Whatever you saw on the other side was a lie. I do not have time to deal with such foolish beliefs, no matter who they come from. I would know if I had an 18 year old child"

"Niklaus-" Elijah started

"No. I dont want to hear it, Elijah." Klaus said before walking out of the room, thoughts flooding through his mind.

Hope watched him go and took a step back from the rest of her family.

"So you are truly Niklaus' child?" Rebekah questioned. "I suppose that explains why you do everything he asks of you. But how would we not know Niklaus could have children?"

"Because he can't have kids until he broke his curse" Hope said finally

"But he only did that a couple of months ago. Wait- Are you from the future? How can that be possible?"

"A spell"

"I suppose mother is far from the first witch to dabble in black magic" Kol said, relaxing on the couch now that Klaus was gone. "Though I've studied magic for centuries and have never heard of anyone moving throughout time"

"Neither had I before I was suddenly back in time before I was even conceived. And I was trying to keep anyone from finding out"

"Well as long as you don't try to dagger me in a box or get anyone else to do it, we should be fine. Are you trying to get back to your time?"

"Of course. I mean part of me wants to stay, but I need to get back" Hope said

"I could help" Kol offered. "I have helped other witches create spells before"

"Trying to get rid of me already?" Hope teased.

He chuckled a bit. "Just trying to ensure your existence since you seem far more tolerable than your father. Even if you did shock me"

"In my defense, you were attacking my dad" Hope pointed out, noticing that Esther was leaving the room. She would talk to her later. And she definitely had words to say. "Excuse me" she said and headed up to Klaus' art room, knowing that was likely where he went. She hesitated before knocking on the door.

"Whoever it is, I am not in the mood to talk" Klaus said.

Despite his words, Hope cracked the door open and peered her head through. "It's me"

Klaus' face faltered, and he lowered his paint brush before turning to face her. "Hope" he said, his voice both gentle and closed off if that was possible. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hope fully stepped inside and closed the door behind her, lifting out a soft sigh before turning to face him again. "It was dangerous for me to. Everything depended on me keeping it a secret. The future. All of it"

Klaus stepped towards her, emotions swimming in his eyes. "I couldn't believe it. Not at first. It seems impossible. And... terrifying to think I could have a child. And I'm still moments away from going back to thinking this is all a deception. Some plot used to lower my defenses"

"Its not" Hope said gently, approaching him.  She put her hand on him, only for him to pull away. She tried not to let it bother her as she stepped back to give him space.

"I know. I mean, I dont. But... I dont know how i am supposed to feel about this. There's one side of my brain convincing me this is a trap and the other is remembering all we had done together and saying it makes sense. But I also can't see myself being the good father you seem to believe me to be"

She looked at him, fighting back her own emotions that were threatening to take over. "You are"

"Hello, Elena. I came to speak with Hope. May I come in?" Elijah asked, looking at Elena. 

"Um, of course" Elena said with a small nod and stepped to the side to let him in. 

Hope looked over and saw Elijah walking in. "I'm not ready to go back, Elijah" 

"I do not know what Niklaus said to you, but he merely needs time to adjust to the news" Elijah replied

"I know" Hope said, "but that doesn't mean I want to be in the same house as he processes it. I don't want him looking at me like this is all a deception and I've betrayed him. Because I would never do that"

"I understand, but you are family" 

"Says the guy who was about to just abandon his brother forever if your mother was not back and if my truth hadn't been revealed"

"You are my niece, Hope. And I can't imagine what must have happened to bring you here, but I wish to help. We all do, despite our disagreements with each other" Elijah said. 

Elena's jaw dropped a little at the news. She hadn't fully left the room, and she had heard everything. She finished leaving as Hope looked down at her ice cream bowl. "I'll be back in the morning, Elijah" Hope said finally. 

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then. Mother looks forward to getting to know you. And we all do, so I do hope you will be willing to talk about yourself" 

Hope gave him a small smile before bidding him goodnight, and the Original Vampire left. Hope's face fell once he was gone as memories rose up inside her. She sighed and sat back down on the couch, grabbing her bowl again for the last bit of ice cream. 

Klaus looked at his brother for a moment before downing his glass and leaving the room.

"Let me guess, it didn't work for you either" Rebekah said as she walked in the room Elijah was in. 

"So let him run. Hope is better off without him. And if even the bond he already formed with her isn't enough for him to care, then that is that. We can still be there for her regardless" 

"He's not better off without her, Rebekah" Elijah said firmly. 

"Darling, kind Elijah. Our brother rarely brings us anything but pain" Rebekah said "At what point in your immortal life will you stop searching for his redemption?"

"I'll stop searching for his redemption when I believe there is none left to be found"

"We will get through to him" Esther said, walking inside. "He needs time. As much as I love your brother, he does not react well to hope. And now he has a daughter who was someone he had already been bonding with. We need him to believe it himself. To feel and care about Hope"

"Do you really think he will do that, Mother? He left me daggered for centuries. I can hardly see him caring about his child" Finn said, following her inside. 

"He will. He already does. It is why he is afraid of being there for her." Esther said. "Now, let Niklaus work through his emotions on his own. I need help getting things ready for tomorrow. I wish to have a ball here to celebrate us reuniting as a family and have the town welcome us"

"I know" Hope said with a small smile before turning back to the tv.

"You're not a monster" Hope was telling him.

Klaus had watched Hope curiously, thinking back to how quick she was to jump at his defense. She didn't know him. Why would she say that? No one said that. He was a monster in everyone's eyes. Even his siblings. But somehow not Hope. And he didn't understand why. "I need to speak with you." He finally said. "Not right now. Later. However I do need to speak with you. And you need to answer any question I have. I let you keep your secrets. I'm afraid that isn't something I can do anymore. Not if those secrets are related to me."

"Well then I'm afraid we have a problem. Because I'll help you and stand by you. But the questions you want answered I'm not going to answer" Hope had told him. "It's better that way. Now let's go make some hybrids"

But he hadnt let her just dismiss it. "I'm afraid this isn't a matter of choice Hope. I need to know why you insisted on helping me when we first met. Why, even after hearing what my own family thinks of me, you're still here. I need to know why you view me higher than anyone else I have ever met. It does not make any sense. And I desperately need it to."

"Why can't you just accept that this isnt something I want to discuss? I'm not going to answer your questions. Not these questions. And if you keep pushing me to, I'm going to have to leave. And I don't want to do that"

Klaus has been terrified at the possibility she could leave him as well. "That is not fair. You cannot expect me to sit here and wonder all of these things whilst you not only give me zero answers but also attempt to manipulate me into letting this go. You told me I was not a monster. How can you know that? How can you be so sure? You are a complete stranger and yet you seem to care more about me than my own siblings do. That is not normal. That is not just brought on by your being a hybrid as well. It can't be."

"I'm not manipulating you. I'm telling you how it has to be. I can't give you the answers you want. Even if I wanted to." Hope said. "It's just better for me to keep my secrets."

"Better for you." Klaus said quoting her own words back to her. "Not better for me. Do you have any idea how many people have behaved as though I am worthy of them and then turned out to be lying, using me for information, or simply unaware of the true horrors that come with knowing me? You need to tell me why you are acting this way. Because what I am imagining is so much worse than whatever truth you believe will destroy me."

"I dont want to keep things from you, but I can't tell you. It could change everything. Im not betraying you or using you for information. I dont like keeping things from you. I just can't tell you the answers you want to know."

"You do realize that you telling me you are not lying to me does not actually make me believe you correct? All I want, is some piece of evidence, other than your word, that you truly feel the way you do when it comes to me. That you genuinely believe me to be good enough. To be worthy of your company. I need to know this is not another trick from my enemies or...my mother or father. If you cannot give me that then perhaps we truly are better apart."

"I'm sorry. I want to tell you who I am. Where I come from.. I want to tell you everything. Be completely honest with you. But it is too dangerous for me to. It could destroy everything. One day you will understand everything. Why I can't tell you. Why its better this way. But today can't be that day"

None of it had made any sense. He couldn't understand why she was saying what she did. But now, knowing that she was supposedly his daughter, it made sense? What didn't make sense was the idea that he was a good father. It didn't make sense that he hadnt majorly messed up.

When Klaus stepped back away from his large canvas and looked at it as a whole picture rather than pieces, he saw what he had been painting. It was a painting of him and Hope. His face was mostly covered in dark colors in a way that resembled shadows. Bits of dark red blended in with the black shadows, expressing the blood he had shed over the past thousand years. And she was vibrant. Because despite her helping him achieve his goals, she was truly good. Another reason it was so hard for him to believe she was his daughter.

He needed to fix this. But he wasn't sure how.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Hope Mikaelson woke up on the couch downstairs in the Gilbert house hold. She looked around a listened carefully, but it sounded like no one was home. She sighed a little and stood up before heading towards the door, slowing to a stop as the Salvatores and Elena walked inside. 

"What is she doing here?" Damon said as his gaze fell on Hope.

"She's my guest" Elena replied. "She wanted a place to stay so I let her stay here"

"Well, its time for the grown ups to chat" The vampire said, his gaze on the tribrid. "Out"

"You don't have to go" The doppelganger said, looking at the girl she now knew was Klaus' daughter.

"It's okay" Hope said. "I should probably get going anyways. I promised I'd be back in the morning"

Elena nodded, and Hope headed out of the house, wishing that she didn't have to deal with figuring out what to do next. She hadn't expected to be outed to the whole family, plus Elena Gilbert. And while she had considered what she should say, she still wasn't sure. After all, what could you possibly say when you have a chance to save the people you love? But if you alter events, other people you love might never be born. It was a cruel fate to have to decide such things, but she wasn't sure she would be able to keep lying to them now that there was no hiding that they were family. Always and Forever. 

The tribrid wished she had the crystal Bonnie had given her with her. However, it was in the room whe had gotten settled in at the Mikaelson mansion. She couldn't get it and use it without being noticed first. Even if she walked in, cloaked by magic. So she needed to face them all without any subconscious guidance. 

Hope walked inside the mansion and looked around a bit, noticing some new decorations.

"Hope" Rebekah greeted, walking over to her. "You've come back after all"

"Of course I did. We're family. Always and Forever"

The blonde scowled a little before trying to act like she hadn't. Hope noticed and held back a frown. She knew things were complicated between them all, especially with what they consider Always and Forever.

"Well, we are glad to have you here. Though, of course, your existence brings about many questions of course" Rebekah said, looking at her.

"I know" Hope sighed softly. "I just don't know how much I should answer. Everything I do here has a greater chance of obliterating the future I am from. And I don't- I can't be sure how much I'm willing to risk that. Even if I want to just tell you everything"

"I understand. Though if you're willing, we'd like to know more about you"

"I'd like that. Though I need to speak to my dad"

"Alright. I'll talk to you later then" Rebekah said. "Perhaps we could do some quick shopping once you finish talking to him"

Hope frowned and asked "Shopping?"

"My mother has decided to throw a ball to commemorate the reunion of all of us"

"Are you going with anyone?" Hope asked curiously, unsure if her aunt had been interested in anyone while she was in Mystic Falls.

"I'm not sure yet. I have someone I'm going to invite, but I dont know if they will show"

"Well, good luck with inviting who you want to invite. Let me know how it goes. It's good to talk to you again, Aunt Rebekah" Hope gave her a small smile before heading upstairs, going straight to the art room, knowing her dad would be there because she would have been if such news was dropped.

""Elijah, if that is you, I do not wish to listen to another lecture, so go away" The Original Hybrid said as he continued to paint.

Hope hesitated and opened the door to his art room. "No, it's me"

Klaus' expression faltered, and he cleaned his brush before setting it with the others. He turned to look at his friend, who was apparently his daughter. "You have returned. I wanted to go after you, but I was... concerned I would make things worse. So I wanted to wait until today. I am glad you decided to come back"

"I knew I was going to when I left. But I wanted to give you space to work through your thoughts"

"I am glad you have returned. We have a lot to talk about. Even if some of it I may not want to hear" Klaus said. "At least as much as we can discuss before my mother comes up to further discuss the ball she wishes to throw."

"Speaking of, should I go? I mean, as a Mikaelson. The least amount of people that know is probably best. But now that you know the truth, it may never happen anyways"

"You are worried you won't be born?" he questioned, looking at her.

The tribrid nodded a little. "Yes, well, no. I mean I know you'll end up having a child. Nature needs to create a loophole, and that loophole is me. But I don't know if I'll end up being me or you'll have some other child"

"Loophole? What are you talking about?"

A pained expression flashed across Hope's face, but she quickly recovered. "It's not important. Not for you anyways. It's a problem for a later date. I've already messed up the future enough. Something like that really should not be discussed"

"Messed up the future enough. Does that mean you will not be answering my questions?" Klaus asked.

"It depends. I honestly am not sure what I will and won't answer" Hope replied. "Considering you already know the truth about me. But this particular topic... no"

"Very well. So did you mean it when you agreed to travel the world with me?"

The tribrid shifted uncomfortably. "I mean that I wanted to. But unless I'm still trapped in the past, I won't really be here to go with you. I just... I wasn't sure how to explain that too you. Because I don't want to leave you. I just know I can't stay here."

Klaus' gaze saddened briefly before he pushed it away and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. "I did not fathom that I could have a child. But I did consider you a child of mine before I knew the truth. I knew I felt about you the same way I did for a boy named Marcellus who I took under my wing while I lived in New Orleans."

Hope hugged her father back, squeezing her eyes shut as she took in this moment. She didnt want to let go of him.

"I know about Marcellus" she said, finding it weird to be calling him that rather than Marcel. It was as though she would have to start calling her father Niklaus. Though starting to call him Klaus had been weird enough, hardly anyone ever called him Niklaus, so that would have been stranger.

Klaus pulled away from her a bit and looked down at her. "Of course I must have told you about him. He meant so much to me. Still does, even though i can hardly let myself think about him."

"You can always talk about him to me. While I'm able to be here for you" Hope said sincerely,

"For now, I would rather talk about you and this newfound discovery that you are my daughter" Klaus said, looking at her. "Perhaps we could go for a walk where my siblings are hopefully not eavesdropping on our conversation"

"I would like that" Hope said, unable to help the small smile that formed on her face.

She looked down a little and followed him out of the house. The tribrid was silent as they headed into the woods, trying to figure out what she could tell him. It was a bit later when Klaus finally spoke up.

"Why didn't you just tell me who you were?" Klaus questioned.

"I haven't even been conceived yet. Telling you who I am puts my entire existence at risk. And other things put my friends' existences at risk as well. I didn't think it was safe to. It was bad enough I was still here, changing things."

Hope stepped over a root of a tree and continued walking deeper into the woods, thinking about how delicate everything was and wondering how much she had already changed. Would she still exist? If she changed the course of history to erase her existence, would she disappear? Or would she create an alternate timeline like in some of the movies Landon had gotten her to watch.

Klaus had questions in his head, but he didnt want to scare her away from answering to preserve the timeline so he was going to wait a few minutes before getting to the deeper questions. "So I was the one that introduced you to beignets at age seven?"

A small laugh escaped Hope's lips at the fact that was nearly the first question he asked. "Yes. Yes you were. We had a long table, and it was covered with beignets. We are them together. Well, not all of them"

"Sounds like a feast of beignets fit for a princess" Klaus said fondly as he looked over at Hope, thoughts going through his mind.

He had been basically a king of New Orleans when he was there. And he had been influential to other leaders in the past. So Hope practically was a princess. His princess. It was still strange wrapping his head around the fact he had a child. And he still had no idea how to be a father. But he enjoyed the time he had spent with her so far, more than he enjoyed anyone else's company. So perhaps the key was mostly just continuing that. At least since she is now an adult. Rather than internally worrying so much about how to be a father. Though, of course, that was easier said than done.

Hope smiled slightly. "I suppose it was"

"So you're from New Orleans?" Klaus questioned, looking at her. "I hadn't been back there since I lost Marcellus. Since my father burned up a good bit of the city and killed him. We ran and didn't look back, no matter how much I wanted to. It wasn't safe"

"Well, perhaps now that Mikael is gone, once you finish up here, you finally returned to your city" Hope said.

"I would like that very much. Did you know your aunts and uncles too?" Did they manage to leave me alone? The thought Klaus had but couldn't bring himself to speak. Did I have to dagger them again?

"I know them. I'm not going to say it will be an easy road to get to a point where you can truly be a family. There's conflict and pain, but they do love you. And you'll all figure it out eventually. Though it mostly took my birth for everyone to really start getting along"

"You truly are a blessing, then. Not only a miracle child for being the daughter of a hybrid. But also a miracle for being able to bring my family all together"

Hope forced herself not to flinch much at the last words, glad her hair was covering a bit of her expression as they walked. She brought them together, sure. But she was also the very reason they had to split apart. And also the reason that some of them died. Something she would never forgive herself for.

"Have you ever seen the waterfall in Mystic Falls?"

Hope shook her head a little, looking over at him. "No. I haven't. I've thought about it but never actually did it"

Klaus offered her his hand. She smiled slightly and took it, and he used his heightened speed to get them to the falls where they could truly talk alone. He let go of her hand as they arrived. Hope's lips parted open at the sight of the waterfall, already making up her mind that she was going to paint it some day. Soon if she could.

When Hope tore her gaze away from the waterfall,  she spotted her father looking at her with a fond smile.  "What is it?" Hope asked curiously

"Nothing, I just- You have that look in your eyes that shows you want to paint something in front of you. It's one I've imagined i have"

"Do you get that feeling often?" Hope asked, taking the opportunity to learn more about her father. Not about 'Klaus Mikaelson: The Great Evil' but about who he truly was. She had seen and learned some of it. But there were still a million things she had wanted to ask but couldnt.

"I am a thousand years old. I have traveled all over the world. However, each place I went, I had a purpose for being there. And I was always being hunted by my father,  which caused me to constantly live in fear and paranoia. I rarely got to genuinely stand there and enjoy beauty. Though I did make the time when I was able to"

"That makes sense" Hope said softly, wishing her father didnt have to go through that.

"Being free from Mikael... it's exhilarating. I felt great when I unleashed my werewolf side from the curse that bound it. But now, with Mikael gone, I can truly be free"

"If that's how you feel about someone hunting you down, then why did you do what you did to Katherine Pierce? I'm not judging. I just... I want to know.'

"I wanted someone to know what I've been going through. To understand what I- Even though she could never forgive me or see why"

"And considering it was Katherine, who prevented you from breaking your curse 500 years ago. Who made you think you would never be able to break your curse,  you don't want her to forgive you because you'll never forgive her. Even though you broke it 500 years later"

Klaus nodded,, looking at Hope. "And while Rebekah and Elijah stayed with me for most of it, they were never truly the ones in danger. Mikael wanted to kill me. Wanted to terrify me that one day he would succeed"

"I couldn't begin to understand what you went through or your reasoning, but I'm here for you until I return to my time."

"Do you have any idea when that will be?"

"No, I've been working on a reversal spell, but creating spells is such a delicate process. And considering I don't have multiple spells to look at for time travel or even the one Josie used to send me here... all I have is my memory of what she said. I wrote down as soon as I could, but that doesn't mean it isn't wrong. And if I try using this, i could end up in the 80s or something. And I'm really not looking to relive the outfits or the Minotaur or Froggy" Hope snorted at the thought

"Minotaur? Froggy?" Klaus questioned. "What does the 80s have to do with a mythical greek half man half bull creature? And why are you referring to a frog as Froggy?"

Hope chuckled softly. "Froggy is a game" she explained. "As for the minotaur, well, long story short, he's real and inside a labyrinth that looks like Mystic Falls  80s style. But you won't have to worry about it because its passed on as ownership through women. And clearly I made it out. With Lizzie. After we killed the Minotaur"

"Wait its real and you and... Lizzie... killed it. Who is Lizzie?"

"My... my best friend. We didn't used to get along, but once we cleared up a misunderstanding, that changed"

"I'm glad you are close enough to someone to have them considered your best friend. Do you have other friends as well?"

"Oh, yeah, we have a whole Super Squad. There's Landon, though he's a lot more than a friend to me, Lizzie, Josie, Rafael, MG, Kaleb, Dr Saltzman, even Jed is helping every now and then"

"And..." Klaus hesitated. "You said your mother died. That you trusted someone and they betrayed you and helped murder your mother"

"I don't want to talk about that" Hope said, any traces of a smile abruptly vanishing from her face. She walked closer to the waterfall, thoughts about the past consuming her.

"You can't just expect me to not ask questions, Hope. This is a lot to take in, but I want to know everything there is to know about you and what happens"

"Well, I can't tell you everything. I definitely can't talk to you about any of my past, so don't ask" Hope said.

It was like every memory she was holding back was starting to crash down at her. Every memory she couldnt tell her father about. Every detail about her life. All of her desires to tell him everything. The pressure of being silent so her friends end up existing. It was like she was drowning in it, barely able to keep her magic under control as it hummed under her skin, itching to be used and unleashed. She was suddenly wishing she had shifted before showing up at the mansion.

"Why not?"

And Hope snapped. She didnt let it all out because it would be catastrophic. However, the sky grew dark and started storming. She still had a lot built up but it was helping.

"Because its taking everything in me not to tell you everything! To not tell you everything that goes wrong so I can have a happy family! Or at the very least one that doesn't fall apart because of my existence! But I can't, and its killing me inside, but if I do, it could all go to hell and be even worse. Or my friends might not even be born. So no matter how much I want to tell you, I can't risk that!"

Hope turned and headed back to the mansion on foot, and Klaus couldn't tell if the tribrid had started crying or if it was just the rain.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The next morning, Klaus was in his art room, staring at a canvas he was working on. Usually art helped him deal with emotions, or at least help sometimes. Hope had left him. He knew she was leaving, but he had thought he would get to see her that night, alone. Instead, after the ball, he had gone to find her and found a note on the bed in her room instead. A letter. And then it had burned shortly he finished reading it.

Dad,

I assume you are the one finding this, though it could be another member of our family stumbling upon this. I know our family, especially you, wished to get to know me better before I left, but that cannot happen. If I had let you all have proper goodbyes with me, I would not have allowed myself to leave. You all mean so much to me that all I want to do is stay, but I've put far too much at risk. Every time I try to fix something, it just falls apart. If I do anything to help, my friends could end up not existing. I have to believe nature will fix the course that I disrupted. As long as I stop disrupting it.

I've left town to find a way to return to my time. There are some places that could potentially have a lead on finding answers for me to return home. To my time. No, I am not telling you where I am going. I know you have other witches you could use, though you'd be right with your lack of trust in them. However, any attempts at tracking me will only result into the blood forming a smiley face on the map. Part of me wanted to just block it and not do anything creative, but it seemed like a potentially good idea to add some art to it.

I know you want to find me, but you shouldn't. You'll see me again as a baby. I won't remember meeting you like I did, but our story isn't over. You'll see me again. Just don't change anything because of what you know. Let it play out. No matter how hard it gets, and it will get hard. I'm glad I got to meet this version of you and understand you even better than I did before. You never really wanted to talk about your past to me, no matter if I had questions. This helped answer some of them. It helped answer questions I didn't even realize I had.

I may not be able to go with you, but you deserve a vacation whenever you have a break from everything going on. Even if it's a small one. Just take a walk on a beach for no reason other than to walk on a beach. Go for a swim. Let yourself relax for a few moments at least. I know you have other enemies. But Mikael is gone. You've been running from him for a thousand years. Take a moment to enjoy his absence.

Even though I've left, you're someone I never wanted to leave. I want to go on vacation with you and learn how to create weaponry, but that seems to be something that can only be done in the future. You'll see me again in the future. And no matter what happens, we are going to be family.

Always and Forever,

Your littlest wolf

Klaus let out a small sigh as the words replayed in his mind. He hadn't really wanted to talk to anyone about this. He told them she left but didn't say anything else about the letter. The same letter he had been replaying in his head in efforts to keep memorized as much as he could. He didn't want to talk to any of his siblings, no matter how much he wanted to ensure that things were improving between them. He didn't even want to find Caroline Forbes and speak to her again. Not yet. Hope's disappearance was affecting him more than he had expected, though perhaps it was the lack of goodbye.

He loved his daughter and had grown very attached to having her around. She was the one person that didn't want to leave him. But in the end, she left him as well. To preserve the timeline. And unlike with everyone else, he couldn't find it in himself to be upset with her. He just felt... lonely. The type of lonely that couldn't be cured by being surrounded by people. So instead, he was working on a painting of his daughter where her face was hardly visible. He used dark hues around her but showed her in a bright light. This would fall under paintings he didn't let anyone else see. It spoke of his feelings in ways he wasn't sure he could completely put into words. And he didn't feel comfortable letting anyone see him that vulnerable. No matter how much it would please Elijah to see that he cared for someone other than himself.

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

Elena Gilbert headed to the Salvatore house when still neither of the Salvatores were answering her calls or texts. She needed to talk to them about all of this and attempt to get them to see reason about this whole thing. She had yet to go to Elijah, but she had attempted to find Hope and didn't succeed. So her next step was getting the men she loved to help her stop this from happening.

When she arrived, the door opened before she had a chance to knock. Damon was standing in the doorway with Rebekah alongside him. His shirt was unbuttoned, and she was wearing the same dress she had worn the day before. There was no denying what had happened between them. Her heart ached painfully at the thought of Damon with anyone else, especially a Mikaelson. She knew it was her fault for not announcing how she felt, and even more so by her reaction to his love confession. But she had been so wrapped up in several mixed up feelings that she hadn't even really thought about how to react. She just said the words that hurt him. Hurt him enough that he was sleeping with Rebekah.

Rebekah smiled at Elena, clearly enjoying the sight of her discomfort , and she walked past her and left the property. Elena watched her go and headed inside, looking over at Damon as he buttoned up his shirt. She wasn't even sure what to say to him in this moment. "So is that how it's going to be now? I hurt your feelings and this is how you lash out at me?" The doppelganger found herself asking.

The older Salvatore poured himself a drink, his expression composed as though he wasn't thinking about the words exchanged between them last night, though it was impossible to think about anything else. Even with Rebekah being a distraction. "Well, maybe, for once, something I did had nothing to do with you." He took a sip from his drink.

"No, it does because I know you. And you lashing out is exactly why-" Elena stopped and let out a sigh. "You should know that Esther is planning on killing her entire family. She's linked them all together with a spell. Whatever happens to one, happens to all of them."

Damon looked at her intrigued about the first part of what she said but didn't comment on it. Yet. "Well that's great. Klaus will finally be dead. We win." He paused for a moment, noticing her expression "Why do you look like someone shot a panda bear?"

"Uh, because to kill Klaus she has to kill all of them, including Elijah. And he doesn't deserve this!" Elena said.

"I'm supposed to care about Elijah?"

"Shouldn't you at least care about Rebekah" Elena commented, jealousy seeping into her voice.

"She's a Mikaelson. Taking any of them down is a win-win"

"And what about Hope?"

"What about Hope? She'll get over losing Klaus" Damon replied, sipping his drink. "She barely even knows the guy. No matter how much she acts like he's amazing"

"Damon, he's her family" The words escaped her lips before she could stop them. She was too desperate to get him to understand that she wasn't thinking straight. "Her father."

"Wait, Klaus is Hope's father?" Damon questioned. "When was this discovered, and where was I?"

"I found out the night she stayed at my house. I overheard Elijah mention it to Hope when he came by." Elena confessed. "I told her I wouldn't say anything, but you need to understand. I don't know if she is connected to the spell too, but if she is, she dies too. And if she isn't, she loses her whole family. And not even that, but she will never exist in the first place"

"I'm failing to see the problem. We were already planning to kill her. You wanted that too not that long ago"

"That was before I became her friend" Elena said in exasperation. "I was there for her emotionally, and she was there when Stefan left me on the side of the road. She told Bonnie I would be okay and that she would ensure it. She was there for me. And I was there for her. And I want to continue to be there for her. I never should have helped Esther in the first place, but all of you are so insistent on keeping me safe that I know if Klaus is still around, you're going to get hurt"

"Well, sorry for being a liability to you" Damon said bitterly. "You knew she was the enemy. You shouldn't have become her friend. All it did was make this harder"

"You really need to give her a chance. Though it doesn't matter. She left town. But what does matter is making sure she doesn't die"

"If you really cared, why didn't you tell her? The second you left the room?" He questioned.

"I.... I don't know" Elena said honestly. "I didn't want to betray her. I just didn't say anything about it" She shook her head a bit. "But if you aren't going to help me stop this, I'm going to someone who will" She turned to leave, but Damon stepped in her way.

"Don't do anything to screw this up, Elena."

"Why are you doing this?" Elena questioned.

Stefan walked in. "He's right, you know. Klaus has to die. They all do."

"See? It's democracy in action" Damon said.

"You're both so focused on killing Klaus and the rest of them, you're going to get yourselves killed" Elena scoffed and pushed past Damon towards the exit, spilling his drink in the process.

She definitely wasn't going to talk to Damon about everything now. Not while they had this disagreement. And especially not with Stefan here. She headed to her car and got inside to head to the Mikaelson mansion and find Elijah. But on her way there, she found herself heading home instead.

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

Klaus Mikaelson was still in his art room when he heard a knock on the door.  He sighed and cleaned his brush off before setting it down. He walked over to the door, wishing his siblings would just leave him be. His heart wouldn't stop aching painfully  at the memory of the moment he found out Hope had left without saying goodbye. When he opened the door, Elijah was turning to go. At the sound of him opening the door, Elijah stopped and looked back at his brother. 

"Elijah...." Klaus managed to say, struggling to compose himself. 

"Niklaus" Elijah looked at him in concern. "You have been in there all morning. I imagine Hope's leaving took a toll on you"

"I'm alright, Elijah" Klaus lied to his brother, though it was obvious he wasn't. 

"No, you aren't. It's written across your face. You opened up the heart you closed off so long ago. And now she's gone, and it hurts" Elijah said.

"I didn't ask to be analyzed, brother" Klaus pointed out.

"It hardly required analysis. Like I said, it is all in your expression. Niklaus, I know this is hard for you and you do not typically express your feelings in words but  rather in actions like art or violence. However, perhaps talking about it could help"

"I wouldn't even know where to begin talking about it if I wanted to. Even before I knew she was my daughter, I felt as though she was like what Marcellus was to me. And I have no interest in discussing either of them" the hybrid told his brother. "So if that is all, perhaps it would be best if you left me to my painting"

Elijah looked at his brother for a moment. "If you change your mind, I am here to listen to whatever you have to say" he said before leaving. 

Rebekah, who had been nearby and listening, looked at Klaus. "For someone that doesn't want to be alone, you sure know how to push people away that are trying to be here for you" she said before walking away. 

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

Elena Gilbert was up in her bedroom. She had invited her best friends over and was ranting about Damon as Bonnie practiced trying to successfully use sage. So Caroline was outside the room, testing the success of blocking vampire hearing. So far they hadn't had luck, but Bonnie was still trying. 

"He was gloating. Like actual gloat. Like he was proud of himself for sleeping with her." Elena said incredulously, unable to help the pain and jealousy she was feeling at the mere thought of what had happened between Rebekah and Damon. "And I know it's my fault. I said some stuff I shouldn't to him at the party. Stuff I didn't really mean. Not how it came out. So he retaliated even though he is acting like its not retaliation to me hurting his feelings. I just... I don't know what to do"

"Maybe you could talk to him about it if it's bothering you this much" Bonnie commented. She wasn't exactly thrilled about Elena potentially ending up with Damon. But with how Stefan has been acting lately, Damon could be a better choice. And in the end, it was Elena's choice, no matter how she felt about it. 

"I don't even know how to start talking to him about it.  Is it working?"

Caroline entered the room. "It's not working. I can hear every word you're saying about Damon, the vampire gigolo. Along with your conflicted feelings on how to react"

Bonnie sighed "I don't know, it's a tricky spell."

"When Esther did it, she kept the sage burning. There was a lot more smoke" Elena said, thinking back to what she had seen at the party.

"Alright." Bonnie relit the sage. "Try it again." Once Caroline left the room, the witch continued. "Speaking of Esther, you should know that she came to see me and Abby this morning."

"And all this time you let me vent about Damon?" The doppelganger questioned in confusion.

"I don't want you to worry." she replied.

"Okay, well, what did she want?"

"She wanted to introduce herself. Abby and I helped bring her back. She's channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power. I think she thought she was being polite."

"Okay, well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?"

"Even if there was, why would I want that?"

"I just keep thinking....Before the sun and the moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive. And now I'm in exactly the same position and I'm just gonna let him die? And not only him but Hope too? It just doesn't feel right." Elena let out a sigh.  

Caroline re-entered the room. "Okay. First of all, this privacy spell is totally not working. Second. Elena, you are not doing this, Esther is doing this."

"Hope is my friend. I know she isn't as  much of my friend as" the two of you, but she... she trusts me. And not doing anything feels like I'm just offering her up to be sacrificed. It's wrong" 

"It needs to be done" Caroline said. "This isn't on you. Look, I bonded a little with Klaus last night at the ball. But even still, he and his family are just going to keep causing problems until they are out of our lives for good" 

"That doesn't mean this is right" Elena said quietly. "Especially since Hope left town. She was gone. She wasn't a problem. And honestly she hasn't been one since after she kidnapped us. She's not Klaus. She shouldn't have to die"

"She's their family" Caroline said. "I don't like this either, but I doubt she would react well if she found out that the rest of her family was dead."

Elena looked between her friends and shook her head a little, dropping the subject for now. "Do we have any idea when she is going to do this?"

"No" Bonnie said. "She hasn't told Abby and I. Not yet. I think she wants to lessen the risks of this going wrong. Though you're the only one opposed to this that knows about it"

"Well just... be careful. We don't know however she is doing this could affect you since you are being channeled by her" 

"I'll be okay" the witch said, giving a small smile to her friend, appreciating the concern. 

 Elena gave Bonnie a small smile before it faded easily with all of the thoughts constantly going through her brain. 

"Alright, this is way too serious. I vote we take a little time to ourselves and just get ice cream and try to relax. Forget about boy drama. No Damon and your jealousy about that. No Stefan issues. No Tyler and his sirebond to Klaus. No Mikaelson drama. Just girls night" Caroline said

"And how long do you think that will actually happen? No topic about boys?" Elena asked

"I don't know. But we won't find out if we don't try. Now what do you say, we order pizza and enjoy ice cream and just hang out?"

"I'd like that" Bonnie smiled a bit, wanting some time away from the drama that is their lives. 

"Alright. I think we should watch the Notebook"  Caroline declared. 

Elena and Bonnie simultaneously groaned a little before laughing fondly. That was always a frequent watch when it was just the three of them. It was always either that or Gone With the Wind. Or both. Caroline's absolute favorites. 

"Alright, lets go" the doppelganger said before heading downstairs to her tv in the living room so they could hang out and just watch. 

The more time she spent with her best friends, the easier the weight in her heart felt, but no matter what they did as they laughed and ate ice cream and watched movies, Hope came to mind. Hope and what could happen to her if Elena did nothing. 

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

Esther and Finn were in a room alone as Esther burned sage to keep anyone else from overhearing them. She wanted to erase the vampire line. The abomination species she had created 1000 years ago, and she had everything she needed. Except she knew that whatever she had planned wouldn't work. Not if Hope still existed, which was why she needed to change her initial plans.

"Hope Mikaelson exists. Which means any original plans I would have created would fail. We need to wait a little longer and do it in a different location than I was originally going to" Esther said. "It is crucial to our success"

"But if we wait longer, Mother, wouldn't they have better chances to stop it? What if Elena Gilbert chooses to tell the others?" Finn questioned, looking at her.

"She won't be able to tell anyone that is a threat to our mission. None of your siblings will know about this. Elijah may have suspicions, but he won't be able to confirm anything. Even if she tries to tell him, she'll likely find herself going somewhere else or if he approaches her, not able to tell him the truth. I wish I did not have to result to such methods, but it is better this way"

"Is that a spell you created?"

"It is. And soon enough, you and your siblings will be dead. And with Hope Mikaelson out of town, she will not be able to stop us. And once this spell is done, she will be dead as well."

And then there would be no more vampires or part vampires in existence.

Chapter Text

A day after Hope Mikaelson left Mystic Falls, she finally arrived in New Orleans and got off of the bus. Her stomach grumbled a little from hunger, which meant she needed to get some food instead of just going straight home. The tribrid would rather just sticking to research, but she still needed to eat and was not a vampire that could use their enhanced speed to get what they wanted quickly. She had to do this the normal way. She headed inside of Rousseau's, despite not being the legal drinking age. It wasn't like she was getting anything to drink anyways, she thought to herself before going over to the bar.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" the blonde bartender questioned as Hope took a seat.

The tribrid wasn't paying much attention but replied "Technically. But I'm not planning on drinking alcohol and this place reminds me of home"

She looked down a bit, her heart aching painfully as she thought of everything that had happened lately. It all kept replaying in her mind no matter what she tried to do to distract herself. Not that she has had much of a chance to turn into her wolf form or hit anything, which were her main ways of burning off energy and helping with her thoughts.

The woman watched her and finally nodded. "What can I get you?"

Hope placed her order and finally looked more at the woman, her lips parting open in surprise at the sight of her and the further confirmation of the name Camille on the woman's name tag. She was stunned into silence for a moment before regaining her ability to speak. "A burger and fries and a coke to go please" A burger wasn't her usual preference, but it was a good meal to have either way

"Coming right up" Camille said before passing the order back to the kitchen before returning. "You look like you have a lot on your mind?"

"It's nothing. Just some family problems that you probably don't want to hear about"

"Well, I have a PHD in psychology" she said, looking at Hope. "Maybe I could offer some advice?"

"I don't know. It's not exactly something I want to talk about in a bar. Besides, I don't think anyone could really understand how this feels unless they lived through it"

"Well, if you change your mind, I get off in half an hour if you want to talk alone"

"Thank you" Hope said softly. "But I should really just get home."

"Alright. Then perhaps I will see you around..." Camille trailed off, not knowing her name.

"Lizzie" Hope lied, her mind going to her best friend that Camille never got the chance to meet.

Lizzie Saltzman was someone that had been a conflicting person in her life from the moment they met. Hope hadn't been comfortable with making friends when she first started attending the school because she couldn't be honest with any friends she made. She had to pretend not to be a Mikaelson. And the only people that knew her identity were Dr Saltzman, Headmistress Forbes, and the school counselor, Emma. Dr. Saltzman was there for her, which led to Lizzie being jealous. And their relationship just got worse but Lizzie never told Hope why. And then finally they cleared up a past misunderstanding and lies from Josie Saltzman, which being resolved had led Hope and Lizzie to become best friends.

"Alright. It was nice to meet you, Lizzie." the blonde bartender said, looking at the underage girl that had walked into the bar.

She clearly wanted to help Hope but was respecting her wishes not to talk about her problems. Something Hope appreciated. Even dialing down her situation to be something humans could understand, it was still a painful topic to even think about, much less speak about. All Hope wanted to do was retreat to her solitude and figure out some answers.

Finally, Hope got her food in a bag and carried it and her drink out of the bar. She heard people following after her and turned down an alley. Suddenly, two vampires jumped off of the roof and landed in front of her with ease.

She looked at them before looking at the vampires that then landed behind her. She sighed and set her bag and drink down. "What do you want?" She questioned, unsurprised she couldn't even get home without being interrupted by someone.

"Werewolves aren't welcome in the Quarter" one of the vampires said.

"And what makes you think I'm a werewolf?" Hope commented, raising an eyebrow.

"I know the scent of werewolves. Your kind have a distinct odor. Werewolves are supposed to remain in the bayou"

"Well maybe your senses aren't as sharp as you think they are. Look, fighting really isn't something I should be doing right now" the tribrid replied.

The vampires then moved to attack her all at once, ignoring her request to not fight. She kicked one and grabbed another, shoving him into the third. The first one recovered and threw her back against the wall. She pushed herself up and moved to fight the vampires that came at her. She got behind one and snapped his neck before throwing another two back magically, pinning them to the wall. The last one came at her while she was holding the other two up against the wall, and she had to let the two go to block the hit the fourth vampire was sending her way. She did a spell to blast them all back, having to quickly summon her food to her to avoid it getting crushed by a vampire. She blocked them with a barrier spell to keep them secured long enough for her to go out of there.

It was only once she finished doing what she needed to do that she noticed the blonde staring at the scene in shock.

"Camille?" Hope questioned, surprised. "Look, I know you're probably confused. But it was just a trick."

"No, that was magic. You can't just do that as a trick-" Camille said, still looking at the scene. "How did you- Magic's real?" This opened up the world to so many possibilities. She had questions following her brother's death, but this confirmed magic and opened up other possibilities. Possibilities that could make more sense.

"Look, I can explain it to you later, but I really need to go" Hope said.

"I'm coming with you"

"You just saw me attack these guys, and you want to come with me?" The tribrid questioned incredulously.

"I have questions. So many questions. And I'm not leaving until I at least get answers to a few of them" the blonde said, following after Hope as the tribrid began to leave the alley.

"I don't think that is a good idea" Hope said as she headed down the street with her food and drink.

"Please" Camille said, looking at her. "I need to know"

"You really don't. And I'm sure you will get answers eventually." Hope said. "This isn't the time to find out about it. And I really just want to get home"

"Lizzie-" Camille said, causing Hope to stop in her tracks at the sound of her best friend's name.

"I'm sorry, Camille. Just... go home" Hope said.

Finally, the blonde turned and left her alone. Guilt weighed in the tribrid's heart, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She took a deep breath and headed to the Abattoir, needing to take a look at some of the books her family likely had here, collecting dust. Except, when she got to the door, she realized her mistake. The house was already occupied. Why hadn't she considered that possibility?

She turned to walk away from the front door she had stopped at only to find herself face to face with Marcel. Someone she definitely should have made sure to stay clear of. If only she had thought things through instead of focusing on getting to books that likely were not going to be useful. If only her family had bothered to give her details about their past instead of trying to shelter her from their past mistakes. She only really knew what she had found out from what the books Camille, Dr. Saltzman, and Stefan Salvatore's diary had written in it.

"And who are you?" Marcel questioned, looking at her.

"No one important" Hope lied. "I'm just passing through"

"No, you stood in front of my front door and just stayed there. I take it you want to go inside if you aren't here to see me" Marcel pointed out with a friendly smile, eyeing her curiously. At Hope's silence, he continued. "What's your name?"

"Lizzie" Hope lied, not wanting to change aliases in the same city. Just in case Marcel happens to be around the same time Camille was.

"Well, Lizzie, if you truly want to get inside, I am having a party tomorrow, where I can allow you to be a welcomed guest" Marcel said.

"You want to invite me to your party? What if I refuse?" she questioned.

"I want to talk to you and figure out why a werewolf is in the Quarter at all. Now, we can discuss this civilly at the party or I can have my people track you down and get answers the hard way"

"I don't even have anything to wear, and you could just ask me now"

"Then I suggest you find something. I would chat now. However, I have business to attend to. The party starts at eight." Marcel said before leaving with his enhanced speed.

Hope let out a sigh and looked around before heading to find somewhere to stay and think. She needed to get into the house and try to see if she could find anything that could be useful. Which meant she needed to go to the party tomorrow. The tribrid got a few things she needed and headed out to an abandoned house. She took a seat once she got inside and put up a barrier spell, not wanting to be bothered. She looked down at her to go box and opened it before starting to eat, grimacing at the temperature a bit. But it wasn't that bad, As long as it didn't get cooler. She quickly finished her burger and fries and let out a sigh. She pulled her bag off of her back and sifted through it, drawing out the crystal Bonnie had found for her. She set it down in front of her, and Landon appeared.

"Hey" the projection of Landon greeted her.

A small sad smile formed on her face. "Hey" she said softly as she looked at him

"Need some company?"

"Yeah, I do. It is really good to see your face and hear your voice again" Hope said. "I just... I feel like the entire past is falling apart because of me. I mean I know I should have left the second I showed up in Chicago but-"

"But you had a chance to spend more time with your dad. It's understandable" Landon said, looking at her. "I'd have done the same if it was Raf. Or you. And I probably wouldn't have had the same strength to leave."

"But even leaving, I messed things up. By coming here. Now Camille knows magic exists, and she hasn't even met my father yet. And Marcel has met me. And once his people that attacked me get back to him if they haven't already..."

"He'll know that you're part werewolf and part witch" the prismatic hologram of her boyfriend finished.

"Which no one has ever been until me" Hope sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"You'll figure it out. And maybe you could get Marcel to compel Camille if you are really concerned about her knowing magic exists."

"But then Marcel will meet her early since I think she met him and my dad around the same time. I just.... I don't know. I don't know the right path, and I'm afraid I'll end up going down the wrong one up until the future is sabotaged" she explained.

"Look, things are gonna go wrong by you being here. Since you're not from this time, it's just going to keep disrupting the future even if you just sit in here. The best thing you can do is just keep trying to get back. No matter how much you want to stay"

"I know. Look, I know you're technically me and only know what I know, but... any theories on any of this?"

"With the changes you've made to the timeline, you could have either messed up your own future or created a parallel universe by disrupting the timeline. If the latter is true and you successfully return from where you came from, everything should be okay. However, you could also end up still in this parallel universe but in the time you came from. Or it could not be a parallel universe and you're screwed at this point when it comes to keeping it the same. Though if I had to guess, I'd go with the parallel universe theory"

"That sounds like a lot of possibilities" Hope said. "Even though it's only three"

"Especially when they all have a very different impact from each other" Landon agreed, moving closer to her and taking a seat beside her.

"I missed your eyes" she said softly, looking at him and not wanting to tear her eyes away. "I miss you. I miss you so much that the thought of possibly not seeing you again hurts."

"You'll get back to me. You'll figure it out. I know you will" Landon said. "One way or another, we will get back to each other. We always do. Do you know what Landon would say if this was really him?"

"I know. But tell me anyways" Hope said.

"You're going to do the right thing. You always do. And no matter what happens or what you choose to do, I'd stand by your side in a heartbeat. I'd support you as long as it doesn't get you killed. Because I love you and trust you more than I trust anyone else"

Hope smiled softly at the words said with Landon's voice. "And this is the part where if you were really him, I'd kiss you"

"I know. And I know you miss him. But you can do this, Hope. You can figure out how to get back to our time"

"I hope so. I'll probably pull you out sometime after I read it all so I can see if there is anything I missed that could be important" Hope said. She lifted up the prism and put it in her bag, the prismatic hologram of Landon disappearing in the process.

Hope let out a sigh and tried to get some rest, hoping she could clear her mind enough to figure out something useful tomorrow.

-----------

The next night, Hope Mikaelson arrived at Marcel Gerard's party, already doubting this was a good idea. She should be staying away from anybody and everybody. But Hope had come to New Orleans for a reason, and she didn't plan on leaving without an attempt to fulfill it.

That morning, Hope had opened the door to the abandoned building she had stayed the night in, only to find a box with a dress in it. It appeared as though Marcel didn't want her to have an excuse not to show up. She wondered if his vampires had told him what happened.

The tribrid took a deep breath as she stared at the party. Despite her love for New Orleans, she wasn't a big fan of crowds. Especially without a friend to talk to. And she wasn't sure how her presence could be here and not disrupt things. But she wanted to see her family's books.  Before the tribrid could better consider walking away, Marcel was there, inviting her inside.

Hope walked past her adoptive brother/uncle and further into the party, looking around. People were already drinking and socializing. Both of which were things Hope had no intentions of doing. Instead, she slowly made her way through the crowd and over to the wall, standing near the study. But she didn't go inside. Not yet. She couldn't just directly go in there. Especially if Marcel or his vampires were watching her, which wouldn't surprise her. 

It wasn't much later, just when Hope was about to detour to the library, when suddenly she heard Marcel's voice from beside her. He  had walked  over to her, carrying two drinks. "Not a fan of crowds?"

"Not particularly" Hope admitted, looking out at the party. 

"Then maybe you want to tell me what you are doing in New Orleans?" Marcel asked as he held out a drink that Hope took from him. "After all, if you aren't wanting to be in a crowd, this isn't the best place for you"

"I'm just passing through" she replied, looking over at him. "Everyone deserves to see New Orleans at one point or another."

"I don't disagree at this being a great place to visit. But werewolves aren't exactly welcome in my city." He watched her curiously, and Hope made sure to not betray any emotions at his words. Despite how much she disagreed on the whole territorial issues in New Orleans. If it was up to her, they'd all be able to live in New Orleans with minimal conflict.

"And yet you not only invited me here, you gave me this dress to ensure that I would come" 

"I did, but you are not an ordinary werewolf, are you?" Marcel questioned. "Because my vampires told me that you used magic on them, which also isn't allowed in the Quarter."

Hope didn't reply. Instead, she stared ahead at some of the people that were dancing. Her mind was trying to remember spells for memory. Something she hated the idea of using. Memory spells were dangerous, and she didn't want to tamper with his memory. She wasn't even sure if it would work. Besides, her family already knew. And he was her family too. She just wished she had avoided all of this. If she had just stayed away from New Orleans. If she had left Chicago without her father.

 "I didn't even know that anyone could be both a werewolf and a witch. I didn't know it was possible. Which brings about the question, who are you?" 

"Who I am is none of your business. I'll be out of the city tomorrow, and you'll never have to see me again" Hope replied.

"A lot can happen between tonight and tomorrow. I need to know more. Can't have unexpected werewolf witch hybrids turning about. I had enough to deal with involving the Original Hybrid in the past" 

"I thought you used to be close. Like family"

"I see you know who I am and my history. Hardly seems fair that I don't know the same" Marcel chuckled a bit. "We once were, yes. However, family doesn't mean the same to him as it does for everyone else. And eventually, how he treated others caused them to grow tired of him"

"Them meaning you"

"Me as well as others, I'm sure" Marcel said. "Are your family members werewolf witch hybrids as well?" 

"No" Hope replied. "I'm a rarity. You may never run into anyone else like me"

"Well, then maybe we should continue talking if this is a once and a vampire's lifetime opportunity" 

"Like I said, I'm leaving tomorrow, and who I am is none of your business" Hope replied before walking further into the crowd and away from Marcel

Suddenly, Hope took a step back as a strange feeling washed over her and her heartbeat started to slow. The champagne glass slipped from her hand and shattered as it hit the ground. The chattering stopped, and she vaguely took notice of people staring at her. The tribrid nearly collapsed as a wave of drowsiness hit her. Something was wrong with her. She muttered an apology and started to move away to figure out what it was, a hand on her chest. However, before she could get the chance to leave, she stumbled and fell to her knees before collapsing to the ground. Her eyes drifted shut, and her heart stopped beating.

Chapter Text

The night after Elena told Bonnie and Caroline and the Salvatores everything she knew about Esther's plan, she was in her bedroom, pacing, as guilt weighed heavily in her heart. She sighed and took a seat on her bed, thinking of everything was going on and would happen. Of everything she was partially responsible for. If she had never gone upstairs to see Esther, if she had never gone to the ball, Hope and Elijah's lives wouldn't be in jeopardy. Rebekah's wouldn't. Esther needed her blood for the spell. Elena could have prevented this, and she wished she had.

She wished she had a way to contact Hope and tell her everything, but Bonnie had made it clear where she stood on the topic. Every time Hope tried to go to the Mikaelson's house, she backed out of it, even if she wasn't sure why. And Damon was hardly any help. Neither was Stefan. Not about this. Stefan was so determined to kill Klaus, he couldn't focus on anything else. It was the reason he had helped her at the ball. And Damon... What she had said to him was true in a way. His love for her was the problem when it came to things like this. She appreciated his love and certainly felt things she didn't allow herself to say out loud or even properly think. But right now, his love for her was a drive at protecting her from the Mikaelsons. So once the damage had already been done, once she did the spell, Damon would rather the Mikaelsons all die than to listen to her pleas to help keep Hope and Elijah and even Rebekah alive.

If she had Hope's phone number, she would call her directly. Try to warn her. She would apologize and tell her she would understand if Hope hated her for what she had done. For the role she had played in the spell being completed. However Hope felt about her after that, at least it would be worth it to keep them alive, and Klaus' daughter would be able to grow up and have her family. But Elena didn't have her number and she wasn't a witch. It seemed like there was only one thing to do. She grabbed her wallet and keys and quickly headed down the stairs, anxious to get this done. She only hoped she wasn't too late to be able to save Hope and the others. However, when she opened the front door at the bottom of the stairs, she froze in her place at the sight of the man on the other side of the door. The man she had been keeping things from, no matter how guilty it made her feel.

Elijah Mikaelson.

"Elijah" Elena breathed out in surprise as she looked at the Original vampire that always wore a suit. She had no idea what to say to him now that she was right here in front of him.

"Hello, Elena. May I have a word?" Elijah questioned as he looked at the doppelganger.

"Of course" Elena said, stepping to the side to let Elijah inside.

Jeremy was not home (because he went on a compelled trip to Denver to visit friends of the family) and Alaric was at his apartment, so Elena didn't need to be concerned about who was overhearing or who could interrupt. It wasn't as though Damon was eager to be around her after what she had said to him at the ball. As for Stefan, his only concern was making sure she didn't ruin this and stop the Mikaelsons from dying. Elijah stepped inside the Gilbert house, looking concerned. Elena hoped he had suspicions but also wasn't sure she would be able to break the news to him.

"I was wondering what it was that my mother spoke to you about at the ball" Elijah said, looking at Elena.

Elena opened her mouth, ready to tell him the truth. However, when she tried to get it out, she couldn't. It was like the words weren't able to come out of her. She wasn't sure why, but at the moment the why was not important. Instead, what came pouring out of her mouth was a lie. A lie that weighed heavily in her heart as she spoke it. "She just wanted to apologize for involving doppelgangers and thus me in the curse for Klaus and vampirism. She knows how much it has led to my involvement with your family."

"Are you sure she said nothing else?" he questioned doubtfully.

"I'm sure. She was very kind. I don't know what you think she could have told you or concerns you may have, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about" The lie tasted bitter on her tongue, and it felt as though guilt was trying to drown her. But despite her feelings inside, it wasn't hard for her to get the words out. They came out naturally, and it seemed more difficult to stop them than let them roll off her tongue.

Elijah eyed Elena, still not sure if he believed her. However, the Mikaelson nodded his head just slightly. "Very well" he said, "but I would appreciate a detailed explanation of your meeting. There might have been something you-" His nearly emotionless expression suddenly shifted as a strange feeling washed over him. Drowsiness. He grabbed the wall for support and looked at Elena as his chest tightened in pain "What's happening to me?"

"Elijah?" Elena's eyes were wide with horror, and she moved over to him, guessing what was happening. She didn't want him to die, and she knew if he was dying then Hope probably was too. If not, then she was about to lose her whole family.

Elijah caught the look in Elena's eyes, horror but not surprise, "What did you-" He didn't even get to finish the sentence before he collapsed onto the ground, his skin gray as the veins became visible. He was no longer moving. He couldn't, He was dead, so Elena called the first person she thought of.

Damon Salvatore.

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

Soon enough,Elena heard a knock on her front door, and she took a deep breath before walking over to the door and opening it.Damon walked inside, uninvited.He stepped over Elijah's dead body near the doorway and turned to look down at Elijah. "Well, it looks like Esther succeeded" he commented, looking back at Elena. "So he came here to talk to you? About what?"

"He wanted to know what his mother had told me at the ball" Elena answered. "He was getting suspicious and worried."

"What did you tell him?" Damon knew it didn't matter, not now that Elijah was dead. However, it gave him an idea of her mindset. "Let me guess, you still felt guilty about it being your blood involved and worried about Hope and Elijah that you broke the news to him about his soon to be fate?"

Elena's expression faltered at that, and she looked down at Elijah's body before her gaze returned to Damon. "No, I actually told him that she just wanted to apologize for involving doppelganger in her spells, which led to me being this involved. And I told him he had nothing to worry about."

"So much for your friendship with Hope" Damon commented. "I'll take care of the body."

"Come back when you're done. We should talk."

"Have you told Stefan about this?" he asked, unsure of what to expect.

Everything was confusing. The date they had shared on the rooftop left him feeling happier than he had been in a long time, despite the fear of Elena choosing to step away from him when they were going to kiss. Then they later shared a kiss on her front porch, and for a moment, the whole world had stopped. For the first time in a long time, even maybe forever, Damon felt happy and at peace as though there was nothing that could destroy the moment. To put it simply, it had been a perfect moment that he couldn't bring himself to regret, even if it never happened again.

Then, at the Mikaelson Ball, she had conspired with Stefan to take him out of the equation. Neither of them had taken under proper consideration the danger that Elena would be putting herself in by meeting with Esther privately. Even when it was already done and she was okay, his mind could not help but think about both the betrayal of them taking him out of the equation and talking to Esther as well as the danger that could still result in the meeting.

To make matters worse, his confession of love had slipped out in a burst of anger and concern. He had told her it before, but this was the first time that she remembered it where he wasn't dying in his bedroom from a werewolf bite. He said to her that he was mad at her because he loved her, and she had looked at him, her gaze unwavering. The words she spoke next had been telling him that maybe his love for her was the problem. That struck him worse than anything else, and he had left. He couldn't bear to be around her anymore. Not when she considered his love for her to be a problem. To pass the time, to try to get his mind off of the pain of those words to him, he had slept with Rebekah Mikaelson, which he soon noticed had gotten Elena incredibly jealous, not that she would ever admit it. Not even to herself. She told him and Stefan about the current situation, involving the Mikaelsons and how they were all linked together as one, which was a relief to Damon.

Despite the fact he was still considerably upset over his brother and the woman that he had fallen deeply in love with conspiring against him to get him out of the way so Elena could speak to Esther, Damon would be grateful to get rid of Klaus once and for all. The other Originals dying alongside him was what one could consider in the bonus category. If they couldn't kill Klaus but Esther could, he didn't see a problem with it at all. Especially if it meant Elena could finally be free from getting repetitively in danger because of them, But surely if she felt that way about him being in love with her, then she wouldn't be calling him here now. Then again, he was the best at disposing of bodies (Vicky Donovan aside, but he firmly believed it was just purely rotten luck that Caroline Forbes had discovered her body deep in the woods during the heavy storm).

Elena shook her head, not really sure what to say to Stefan. Damon's feelings about the death of the Mikaelsons was about protecting her. But Stefan... he had determination to kill the Mikaelsons. He wanted Klaus dead for revenge. He was so blinded by it. It was all he cared about, and he wouldn't be able to even understand that Elena felt absolutely awful about all of this. If she could go back in time, she never would have agreed to Esther, had she known what the extent of agreeing would result in. Elijah had a complicated relationship with the Mystic Falls group, bouncing between enemies and allies, but Elena knew that he was honorable and caring and did not want him to tie. Yet she had lied to his face and watched him die right in front of her. Damon didn't understand how she felt, especially since she had lied to Elijah, but he at least had a better chance than Stefan, who she hoped would go back to normal now that Klaus Mikaelson and the rest of the Mikaelsons had finally been eliminated as a threat.

"I haven't spoken to Stefan, and I don't know if I want him here" Elena admitted. She wasn't sure how she would feel if she looked into his eyes and saw his same distant expression even now that Klaus was finally dead, and she didn't want to get in a fight with him about the fact this was wrong.

Suddenly the Gilbert house door opened, and Stefan stepped inside. "P.S., I called Stefan" Damon said as he lifted Elijah's corpse in his arms. "I'll be back later after I dispose of his body"

He was grateful for an excuse to leave, considering he was unable to bare the thought of standing there as she and Stefan repair their relationship now that Klaus (and the rest of the Mikaelsons) was no longer a threat. It was better to tear the bandage off and endure the next heartbreak of his immortal existence that seemed to be one tragedy or problem after another (no matter how much he tried to behave as though that wasn't the case). For some moments there he had hope that Elena would choose him. That for once, someone wanted to be in a relationship with him. That unlike Katherine, she actually loved him and wasn't just stringing him along. Ever since Stefan was born, everyone has preferred him over Damon. His parents. Katherine. Anyone that knew them both preferred Stefan.

For once, he just wanted to be chosen and loved. Especially by Elena Gilbert, who he loved so much that it still shocked him at times just how much he loved her. He loved everything about her, even if her tendency to put herself in danger was something that frustrated him. Ever since he had laid eyes on her, he had seen a future with him. A small light at the end of a dark tunnel. And no matter how insistent he was of getting Katherine back, Elena had captured his interest immediately, not because she looked by Katherine but because of her goodness and her strength. The dark side she kept hidden as well as the absolute beauty of her light side. Even when she was angry with him, even when the situation involving them tore up his heart and caused it to ache in a seemingly never-ending pain of heartbreak, he never regretted any of it for a moment, no matter how this ended up.

It didn't take Damon long to bury the body, but he lingered around the unmarked grave, thinking of everything that had happened in the past several months. Everything had seemed so simple back when he was dying from the werewolf bite. He knew that Elena would be mostly safe as long as Klaus didn't know she was alive. And he was okay with the path that led him to dying because if he had chosen differently, he never would have met Elena. He had lived a long life and was sad but content about dying. Then Katherine had brought him the cure, and he had to help with Stefan. Then the Klaus situation while he and Elena became closer. Now, however, all he wanted to do was stay here with a bottle of whiskey and just set his relationship problems to the side, just for an hour or so while he enjoyed the fact the Mikaelsons had been taken care of.

And so that was what he did.

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

Meanwhile, Elena was at her house as she  watched Stefan carefully, hesitant on what she should say to him. Finally, she asked "What are you doing here?" Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked at him.

They had worked together to get Damon out of the equation, but it didn't mean she was exactly okay with how he had been acting lately. The memory of him nearly driving her off of Wickery Bridge still burned in her mind. She supposed it wouldn't have had quite as great of an impact on her emotionally if it wasn't for the fact that her parents had died going off of that bridge. She had nearly died. Just the thought of the bridge was enough to bring back her memories of struggling to stay alive within the water. And Stefan had brought all of those emotions and the guilt and everything back to the surface when he nearly drove her off the bridge. Whether or not she would admit it, she had been scared.

"Damon called and told me about Elijah dying in front of you. I came to see the body for myself."

"Well, now you have" Elena responded. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm about to go around town and see for myself if the other Mikaelsons are dead." Stefan replied. Part of him wanted to stay and talk to her, but he needed to get this done. Besides, he knew that he had lost Elena the moment he had left town with Klaus. She just hadn't realized it yet. And while part of his mind was still so driven on revenge, he needed to ensure that it was over before he could even fail at attempting to repair his relationship with Elena.

"Right. All you care about is Klaus ending up dead" She shook her head a little. "Go check around town for the bodies then. Get your confirmation that you clearly need."

"Elena..." Stefan started but was unsure of what he was going to say to her.

When it became clear, he didn't know what to say, Elena let out a sigh. "It's okay. Just go. I need to call Bonnie and Caroline and let them know about this too."

The younger Salvatore left Elena's house, and the Gilbert let out a sigh. She wasn't sure what to say to Stefan any more than he was sure what to say to her. Everything was overwhelming when it came tp the Salvatores, and deep down she knew her answer. But if she said it aloud, if she even let herself admit it for a moment, it would change everything, and she was scared that it would end up backfiring. She didn't want to lose either of them, but if she didn't say anything to either of them, she would lose them both. And the thought of losing the two loves of her life's, the two men she had fallen deeply in love with, tore her apart inside.

Just the thought of losing one of them was heart-wrenching, but losing them both was something she couldn't bear. Not after everything else she had been through. They were helping her keep herself together, even if they didn't realize it. Jeremy was gone. Alaric got stabbed and wasn't doing well. He was a suspect of murder, and he was dealing with plenty of emotions on his own. She had lost her parents and Jenna and John. Even Isobel, no matter how much of a disappointment she had been.If she lost Stefan and Damon, she would have her friends, but her friends would never understand how much it hurt. Not when neither of them liked Damon at all. She just hoped she would never have to deal with that pain. The Mikaelsons were dead, so she hoped that would mean she wouldn't lose them by death. But emotionally, she knew she needed to make a choice sooner rather than later.

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

Stefan Salvatore arrived at the Mikaelson mansion and headed inside. If they were all linked and dead, the only one left would be Esther.She was heading down the spiral staircase as Stefan stepped over the corpse of Rebekah Mikaelson. That was at least two Mikaelsons dead, but he wasn't sure if Klaus was successfully still linked to the others and dead as well. He was the Original Hybrid, and the younger Salvatore wouldn't believe he was dead until he saw the remains of Klaus Mikaelson with his own eyes.

"Stefan Salvatore. I assume you are here to confirm the deceased status of my children?" Esther questioned.

"I want to make sure Klaus is dead" Stefan replied. "Do you know where he would be?"

"His art room. He hasn't left that room much since Hope left down" she answered. "Though I imagine you would want to be spending your last hour or two with your brother."

Stefan stopped in his tracks towards the art room and turned to look at her. "What are you talking about?"

"The spell wasn't just to kill my children. It was to undo the evil that I created a thousand years ago. For when an Original vampire dies, every vampire part of their sireline dies along with them. Tell Elena that not being able to warn my family wasn't her fault. I used a spell to ensure she wouldn't tell anyone that might prevent me from succeeding with my plans."

Stefan automatically took a step back and looked at her in shock. He quickly headed out of the house and called his brother, wanting to get him and Caroline to Elena's house as quickly as possible. If this was the last hour or so they had alive, they needed to know.

Chapter Text

In New Orleans, a few hours after Hope Mikaelson collapsed and her heart stopped beating at the party, Marcel Gerard was standing in the doorway of one of his spare bedrooms, staring at the corpse of the witch-werewolf hybrid that was laying on the bed. While he looked at her, he couldn't help but think of what had happened just a few hours earlier.

Once he finished clearing out the party after the sudden death of the mysterious werewolf that also happened to be a witch, Marcel carried the witch to just outside the cemetery, which was witches territory. He was not sure how kindly they would take to accepting a hybrid into their cemetery, even in death. He knew some witches would consider her an abomination, just as they did for Klaus, but he hoped that the fact the girl was deceased would cause them to be more open about taking in her and having her join their afterlife. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that the witches did with the bodies of their dead witch members of the community, but he knew that it was important to them. This could help him create better peace between the witches and the vampires since he had no way to deal with witches of this power yet, despite his dislike for them. However, when the vampire ruler of New Orleans reached the witch territory at the gate of the cemetery, the response he received from Jane-Anne Deveraux was not one he was expecting.

"She is not a witch" Jane-Anne informed Marcel once he explained to her why he was here with the corpse of an eighteen or nineteen year old girl. A few curious witches stood at the distance, ready to help their friend and coven member if the situation occurred where they would need to intervene.

"I know she is dead, but you have traditions involving the bodies of the witches in New Orleans. She is not from the city, but I thought you might still want her here with the other witches." Marcel explained, unsure of what the teenager herself would have wanted done with her body. He usually would have just disposed of the body himself, but he wanted to continue having as close to peace with the witches as possible, and perhaps this corpse would do just that. Besides, he had liked the werewolf witch hybrid, no matter how very short of a time he had known her. There was something even more curious about her, but the king of New Orleans could not quite figure out what the missing pieces of the puzzle were.

"No, you're missing what I'm saying, Marcel" the witch replied, her gaze steadily on the vampire. "This girl that you brought to us is no witch,  not even a deceased witch. Witches can sense the power of other witches, even dead ones. This girl has none. There is no magic flowing through her. Whatever you were informed, Marcel, it is not the truth. Not unless-"

"Unless she had vampire blood in her system when she died" Marcel realized. It was the only way for a witch to stop becoming a witch, even in death, but a werewolf could not become a vampire unless they were Klaus. It was not compatible with their bodies, so Hope would likely be truly dead very soon in an unpleasant death.

"Which makes her your problem" Jane-Anne said, taking a step back past the boundary where Marcel could not cross.

There was no need for her anymore if this teenager that could have once been a witch was now a vampire in transition. If the teen was smart, she would let herself die rather than enduring an eternity of bloodlust and suffering and turning into something far worse than she likely had been before. Besides, most witches that had gotten themselves in this sort of situation did not want themselves to be disconnected from nature for the rest of their immortality after it was such an integral part of them while they were alive.

Hope Mikaelson slowly opened her eyes and winced at the sounds she was hearing in the distance. She blinked her eyes and focused, her hearing dialing down a bit as she spotted Marcel Gerard, who was both her adoptive brother and her uncle. She climbed out of the bed, feeling very different than she had when she passed out at the party, but she couldn't quite place the feeling that she was experiencing. It was as though something was wrong with her body. The body that usually felt as though it contained more energy than she could possibly need felt as though her life was drained away from her. Her body was weaker, and spotting herself in the mirror showed she didn't exactly look great either.

"And sleeping beauty awakens" Marcel commented, looking at the ex-witch-werewolf that would soon likely be dead for good.

It was a shame because he really had been curious about the mysterious hybrid, which was why he had delivered her a dress and shoes to ensure she could attend the party. He wanted to learn more about her, where she came from, and if there were any more witch-werewolf hybrids in existence or if she was the only one like Klaus had been the only werewolf-vampire hybrid until he figured out how to create hybrids. That was something Marcel had recently been informed of after being notified of an attack on a werewolf pack outside of his city. News sometimes traveled fast in the supernatural world, even if it was about events taking place in other parts of the country. A few of his vampires had grown a bit nervous at the thought of the possibility of vampire-werewolf hybrids finding their way to New Orleans. Little had they realized New Orleans would be getting a witch-werewolf hybrid that, now that she had died with vampire blood in her system, surely would be dead very soon.

Her gaze returned to her brother, and she asked him "What exactly happened last night at the party?" The memory she tried to pull out was a bit fuzzy. All she could remember was walking away from where she and Marcel had been talking. She started feeling a rather strange sensation washing over her before she collapsed to the ground, which she supposed must have put quite a damper on the party.

"You were walking away from me, and suddenly you started being disoriented and dropped your glass of champagne. I came up behind you to see if you were okay and what was wrong, but I don't think you heard me. You collapsed to the ground, and your heart stopped. You died, Lizzie. I brought your body to the witches, and they said that they could not sense andy magic coming from you, which means either my men lied when they said you did magic to cover up their failures or you died with vampire blood in your system."  

Hope took in that information, swallowing a bit hard as she thought about what it meant. If she died, if her heart stopped beating like Marcel had said, then she activated her vampire side, something she had no plans of doing, at least for a while.If they no longer sensed any magic, did that mean she would no longer be able to do magic now that her vampire side was activated? She had always known it was a possibility that it was how this worked because witches when becoming vampires didn't retain their connection to nature or their ability to do magic unless they were a siphoner, but she had always hoped that when this day came that she would still be able to perform spells like she had been doing for as long as she could remember.

The tribrid stood up and walked towards her brother, thoughts going through her mind. She knew this was going to be a difficult day for her, and merely the sounds around her were making her wince at even the quiet sounds blared in her ears as though they were being played by a band right beside her. She stumbled slightly to the left, the hallway light being blinding, and the tribrid raised her hand to block it from sight and peered past it to look at Marcel.

"Well, thank you for not disposing of my body" Hope said before walking past him out into the hall, holding up a hand to block the light coming in from the overhead lights. She wasn't sure what else to say to him or where to go, not even the location to get blood without hurting someone even if she did want to complete the transition, which she wasn't sure what she would decide yet.

Marcel walked over to the light switch and turned the light off to make things easier for the transitioning vampire while she was in her current state. He hesitated before walking closer to her, trying to figure out what to say to the teenager that likely wouldn't survive to see the morning light. After all, the only werewolf that could stand to become a vampire was Klaus Mikaelson, and he was certainly a special case.

"I think we should talk about what's coming next for you," Marcel said as he followed after her. "You're part werewolf, and werewolves can't become a vampire unless they are Klaus Mikaelson or have his blood in their system when they die, which I doubt you have. The likelihood of that is very slim"

"I don't want to talk about whose blood I have in my system" Hope said, crossing her arms over her chest,hating how vulnerable she was feeling at the moment. She was used to the supernatural strength and energy that came from being part werewolf as well as the constant magical buzz and constant connection to nature. Even when she used the bracelet to prevent herself from doing magic, it helped control her magic and keep her from doing anything, but the magic was still a part of her. She could always feel it inside of her, just waiting to be used, and it even kept her awake at night.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, and it's okay if you have no idea. However, if it wasn't Klaus', then pretty soon you will start dying rather quickly because your werewolf body is not compatible with the process of becoming a vampire. It will not be a pleasant experience, and I can make your death quicker if you want, once it starts."

Hope looked at her brother curiously, wondering why he was offering this. "Why do you care so much about what I go through and how I die? You barely know me."

"I don't know you much at all, but I want to. It's why I invited you to my party in the first place and even moreso why I delivered a dress that seemed like it would fit you as well as a pair of shoes to the place you were crashing in. I wanted to make sure you came so that I could find out more about you. After all, it's not every day you hear that a werewolf witch exists, much less meeting one that came to your city" Marcel explained.

Hope winced a bit at the volume, her hearing extra sensitive to his low voice and people she was hearing in the distance. She was used to her werewolf hearing, but her new vampire in transition senses were more sensitive and not as easily controllable, though she imagined it would be easier once she completed the transition. She looked at Marcel, trying to decide what to do, but she could barely think with her hearing all over the place.  "Any chance that there's a quieter place in this city that we can go to?"

"I know a place" Marcel said and offered Hope a hand so that they could get there at vampire speed. Hope took his hand, trusting her adoptive brother, even if he had no idea who she was. and he brought her at vampire speed to another building in the quarter. When he stopped, Hope let out an exhale of relief as all of the sounds around her suddenly were gone. "I had a witch do a spell here once to block out the sounds outside of this room, even to vampire hearing. Ut's a place I go when I want a little peace and quiet, no matter how much I love how lively this city can be."

"Thank you" Hope said gratefully, taking a seat as she looked watched her brother. She walked over to the couch inside the room and took a seat. "I'm not dying. I mean, my werewolf side won't react poorly to transitioning into a vampire"

Marcel walked over to Hope and took a seat beside her, listening intently to what she had to say. "What do you mean?"

The tribrid hesitated as she looked over at the window, out at the city she was born in as she tried to determine whether or not to answer his question. It was hard not to. After all, he was Marcel, who had been her friend since the moment she met him when she was seven years old. Her family already knew who she was because Esther had outed her as being a Mikaelson. Freya didn't know because she was still... somewhere, but Marcel was right here. She trusted him and could only hope that he would trust her as well.

Finally, she turned to look at him and decided to tell him everything. Well, not everything, she admitted to herself, but she wanted to be honest with him because she couldn't keep lying to the remaining family member that she had contact with, especially if she wasn't sure what she would do next. All she could do was hope that her subconscious in the form of her boyfriend was right about the parallel universe theory.

"Before I tell you anything, I need to ask you to try to trust me and listen before you jump to any conclusions or set yourself in a specific opinion about me, please" Hope said, watching him as she waited for a response. If he couldn't even promise to at least try, she knew she could tell him about this even if she wanted to.

Marcel's curious gaze lingered on her for a minute in silence before he nodded at her words. "I can't promise any specific reactions," he pointed out, "but I will listen to what you have to say before jumping to conclusions." He only hoped he would be able to keep his promise.

Just looking into the girl's eyes and really focusing on them and what she had to say, he could tell that she was haunted by the memories of the past, things he had gone through and how they had affected her. It was because of that, and the fact this girl had peaked his interest and he wanted to help her, that he had promised not to jump to conclusions. She clearly needed someone to talk to about whatever was weighing so heavily on her as though she was being crushed by the weight of the sky like Atlas trying to bare it in Greek myths.

"I know this is not going to sound possible, even in our world of the supernatural" Hope began, knowing how difficult it had been for her to believe it, and she had been the one thrown 20 years into the past, "but I am from the future. And before you try to say anything to suggest I'm lying to you or anything in the variation of it not being true, I promise it is. And I want you to try to trust and believe me. Because I trust you. We've been friends since the day I met you in the future. More than that, we're family."

Marcel had so many questions and doubts forming in his mind about this, but he also knew he had promised to try to trust her and not just form immediate opinions. Besides, magic did exist, and so did vampires and werewolves. Some time travel didn't seem completely out of reach. After all, it wasn't as though he was as versed in spells as witches he had met over the many years he had been alive. "I have so many questions I want to ask, and I'm sure your answers will only give me more questions."

"Five" Hope said, staring out at the city.

"What?" Marcel questioned, looking at her, confused by the number she had said aloud. She still appeared cautious but also completely exhausted as though she had fought many battles, emotional and physical, and the only thing she had to show for it was the look in her eyes and the fact she was a vampire in transition that wouldn't die, despite her werewolf side.

"You get to ask me five questions. After that, I'll figure out if there is anything else I want to tell you" she replied, turning to look at him again, wanting to see his expressions when she answered the questions, no matter how much it could theoretically end up causing her more emotional pain.

He was silent for a moment, trying to make sure to use the questions carefully and make sure he would get the answers he was currently wanting to get. "I think I know what I want to ask you first," the vampire told her as he made the decision on what he would ask her as his first two questions. "What did you mean when you told me that we are family?" Time travel was the more bizarre topic in comparison to simply being family, but he had no one he considered his family, not anymore. The only people that had ever truly been considered family were the Mikaelsons, but it had been nearly a century since had seen any of them, even Rebekah, who, while he wouldn't admit to himself, he knew deep down that he was still in love with.

Hope was silent for a moment, trying to gather up the courage to say out loud the secret she had been keeping, the secret that had been outed in Mystic Falls by Esther and then Elijah and Elena. She herself had yet to make a reveal about who she was, and she wasn't sure if it would be freeing or haunting. It was still strange knowing her father and having him know her but not being the same person that had died for her, not with those memories because she hadn't even been conceived yet. "My name isn't Lizzie. It's Hope Mikaelson. My dad is Klaus Mikaelson, who took you in as his son, which makes you my brother."

The words from her mouth shocked Marcel into silence as he took in the new found information that was a bit difficult to wrap his head around, considering time travel was involved. It has taken him a minute or so before he was able to finish gathering his thoughts and ask her what he wanted to know. "I thought Klaus wasn't able to have children? Even though he isn't just a vampire, his body is dead and, well, shouldn't be able to have a child."

"He was able to once he broke his curse holding back his werewolf side. I can't explain how it works since his body is still a vampire. But maybe it has to do with the fact his body can still change more? I don't know, and I don't really want to think about it" Hope said, looking out at the city, wondering what he would ask next.

"Okay. You're Klaus' kid from the future. How are you in the past and why?"

"My friend, who was heavily influenced by dark magic at the time, used a spell on me that I didn't recognize, and suddenly I was in Chicago near my dad and it's 20 years in the past" the tribrid replied, her mind going back to when Josie had casted the spell on her. Now all she could do was worry about how everyone in the future was getting along without her with Dark Josie in the mix if it was the parallel universe theory. "It was never intentional, and I've been trying to figure out how to get back to my time, but it's not like there are any time travel spells I can go based on. I'm not even 100% sure my memory is right for the exact incantation that she used to send me here."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Marcel wasn't sure what to do involving this information. Klaus was able to have children, and he doubted the Original Hybrid would end up being a decent father in the end, no matter how it seemed for a while. After all, he had forced Marcel to choose between Rebekah and immortality, something part of Marcel still held against him, even now as he ruled the city that once belonged to the Mikaelsons (and in particular Klaus Mikaelson). But this girl he had just met claimed to be Klaus' daughter and looked at Marcel with a look of trust he hadn't even seen directed at him by his own people. no matter how loyal they were.

He heard the honesty in her voice and the sincerity as she talked about them being family, which caused him to wonder what would happen between them all in the future, since he assumed it meant the Mikaelsons would return to New Orleans. He wanted to help her get home, no matter how many conflicted emotions stirred inside him at the mere thought of Klaus Mikaelson, who some part of him missed no matter how much his emotions and mind were trying to convince him otherwise. If she looked at him like this and trusted him while being Klaus' daughter, was she close to Klaus? And if so, did it mean that once they eventually return that things would end up being fixed between them? And what of Rebekah, the one woman that lingered in his mind, no matter if he chose to be with other women to pass the time?

"I don't know. I know you have resources that could possibly give me some answers, but I don't even know if I'm going to complete the transition" The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she swallowed hard, unsure of how she felt about admitting that, no matter who it was to. Especially to someone she considered family. And especially when she was a total stranger in their eyes beyond mild curiosity.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't you?" Marcel questioned, looking at her inquisitively. "If you were meant to be the tribrid because you're Klaus' daughter and you want to get home to your friends and family, why wouldn't you complete the transition?"

Hope looked down for a moment, unsure of how even to answer the sensitive subject to someone that was family to her but that she was a stranger to. She imagined it would be even harder than telling Dr. Saltzman who she was when she had been erased from the collective consciousness. Harder than talking to her father about herself and their lives when he had never experienced them. Though perhaps it wouldn't be. She wouldn't have to see or hear the reaction he would give had he known her for as long as she had known him. Perhaps it would be easier with him looking at her as though she was just a stranger that had turned up in his life and happened to be the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson. There was only one way to find out, by telling him how she felt.

She reached absentmindedly for the necklace that was tucked hidden inside her pocket, the set of three with her crescent moon symbolizing her pack and the Mikaelson crest that reminded her of her family, to keep them with her always and forever. She reached inside her pocket and drew out the necklace, running her thumb over her family crest before finally finding the strength to speak. "You know as well as I do, better actually, all my family had done in the past. Being a vampire never truly turned out well for any of them, no matter how good their lives turned out once they fell in love."

After all, after all the bloodshed they had caused, and after she was born, the family had grown together but Klaus and Elijah had died. She caused problems by existing even if she fixed them.

"I was never meant to be born, Marcel. The only reason I exist is because my mom basically hate banged my dad and conceived me. I exist for a reason, but I can't even bring myself to fulfill it, even if people get hurt while I don't. And each time anyone gets hurt because I can't do what I need to do, it's more blood spilled because of me. And that was before I activated my vampire side. If I feed and complete the transition, what if the worst sides of my father come out in me and the good sides just... fade away. Being a vampire... eventually you hurt people, and I don't want to hurt anyone else. It's one thing if it's a monster, but innocent people... I can't. I don't ever want to be that person."

"You don't have to be" Marcel said, taking a seat beside her on the couch, watching her with concern and sympathy. He had always wanted to be a vampire since he had joined the Mikaelson family, and that feeling only grew once he had fallen in love with Rebekah. "Being a vampire isn't just about hurting and killing people. Yes, having power is definitely a positive side of being a vampire, but it doesn't mean you have to go around killing people or torturing them unless you want to. You seem like a kind and caring girl, and that will likely only grow when you become a vampire because your personality will be heightened. Some days will be harder than others. You will end up struggling at times, but what is important is trying to do good, trying to do what you want and believe in. You don't have to become like Klaus if you don't want to, and if you truly care this much about the thought of hurting innocent people, that should remain once you complete the transition. If you need help with control, I wouldn't mind teaching you. It is what I had to do for any vampires I created and added to my group."

"Thank you" The words came out in a quiet whisper, her expression softening as a tear escaped her eye and slid down her face. She quickly wiped it away, not liking to cry if she could help it (especially in front of others), and she gave him a grateful smile before pulling him into a hug without even thinking about what she was doing. Without thinking about the fact that despite him being kind to her, she was still a stranger, one she knew he was curious about. Marcel slowly wrapped his arms around the teenager that was apparently his sister and quite possibly the most powerful supernatural being on the planet if she had magic and her werewolf and vampire sides. "I think you are right about completing the transition, no matter how nervous I am about it. It's what my parents would want if they were here with me. But I don't- I don't want to start drinking straight from someone yet if I don't have to."

"I'll get you some fresh blood into a glass. I'll be back" Marcel said before leaving. Soon enough, he came back with a glass of blood and held it out to her.

Hope hesitantly reached out, taking the glass from him. She looked down at the blood sitting there, taunting her and burning her throat as she smelled it, not liking how much she just wanted to drain the glass dry. But she knew Marcel was right about vampirism, of course she knew. Her family were vampires after all, the oldest vampires to ever exist. All she hoped for was that she would be strong enough not to give into the hunger once it started, strong enough to be able to stand next to a dying person and help them rather than kill them. Because all Hope wanted to do was help, at least as long as you weren't a threat to the people she loved.

She raised the glass to her lips, and with one last hesitation, she finally took a sip of the blood. The moment the blood touched Hope's lips and she swallowed her new dark red source of food, the sky suddenly started turning a blood red as it began to thunder. The now fully tribrid's eyes glowed gold with red a little around the pupil, symbolizing the change in her that changed the supernatural world as a whole. Even Marcel Gerard took a small step back at the sight of what her activating her vampire gene had caused on New Orleans, something he had never seen before or heard of occuring.

And whilst the sky above New Orleans showed the transition of the tribrid being completed, as tourists were pulling out their phones to take photographs and videos of the unnatural storm rather than taking cover, another dangerous force was beginning to stir at the sudden awakening of incomparable power belonging to the Mikaelson tribrid.

Chapter Text

When Stefan Salvatore got to Elena's house, Caroline was arriving there as well. He wasn't sure how to break the news to them, but he knew he needed to. An hour or two wasn't nearly long enough to say goodbye. But was any amount of time long enough? Hadn't Elena already lost so much? Now because they hadn't listened to Elena that this was a problem, she was going to lose not only him but Damon and Caroline and Tyler as well. All at once. And Stefan couldn't help but feel responsible for it. He was glad Klaus was dead, but it had been his focus on the death of the Mikaelsons that had helped it be achieved, his willingness to get Elena into that room with Esther. Now they were going to die, and there was nothing he could do but break the news and say goodbye to the one person in town that he needed to say goodbye to.

Elena was quick to open the door shortly after he knocked to let him in. "What is it? What's going on?" she asked as she let Stefan and Caroline inside her house. Concern shone in her eyes as she watched them, taking in Stefan's grim expression and the confused but curious look in Caroline's. Clearly she had no more of an idea of what this was about than Elena did. 

"Is Damon here yet?" Stefan questioned, wanting to make sure his brother was here to hear this. He glanced around to see, but there was no older Salvatore brother in sight. He knew it didn't make much of a difference for him considering they were both going to die together. But he knew Damon had goodbyes he should say even though he wasn't one for goodbyes.

"No, not yet. Though I'm not sure if he-" she stopped in her tracks as the door surprisingly opened again, and a casual, collected looking Damon strolled inside, though the Gilbert could tell that he had been drinking, which Elena wasn't entirely sure if he was celebrating the fall of the Mikaelsons or drowning his buried inside misery that he hardly let be shown.

Damon hadn't been sure if he was even going to come back once the message appeared on his phone. The Mikaelsons were dead, so that was one problem down. The only remaining threats were whoever was out killing people like Bill Forbes and Meredith's ex fiance, and whatever was going on with Alaric's ring that didn't seem to be working properly. But then he considered the fact that there was still a threat, even if it wasn't a Mikaelson, and he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to Stefan or Elena because he was too busy drinking next to Elijah's buried corpse.  He couldn't let that happen, so he took a swig of his whiskey and collected himself before speeding over to the Gilbert house, ready to pretend that everything was great and that he wasn't thinking about all sorts of things he'd rather be drowning in bourbon and sex.

"Alright, then I guess this is it" Stefan said, figuring Caroline would go see Bonnie herself, just as Damon might see Alaric and share a last drink."I went to the Mikaelson mansion to see Klaus' body with my own eyes, but instead I saw Esther." The younger Salvatore wasn't sure how to break the news easily so he would have to just break the news. "She said that because the Mikaelsons died that all of the vampires would be dead soon."

"What?" Caroline questioned, the word being the only one able to escape her lips as her body froze. Only recently had she begun to see a world of possibilities ahead of her that came with immortality. And now, she would have to say goodbye to her mother and her best friends. A life of immortality now being cut incredibly short, and she wasn't sure what to even say about that.

"Oh my god" Elena said, tears burning in her eyes as it all sunk in, but she pushed them away as she was used to doing until she couldn't help the tears anymore. Until she could no longer bare the heartbreaking feeling in her chest, the suffocating emotions caused by grief and pain that no one should have to experience. 

Damon was silent as he took the news in because he didn't really have anything to say. Months ago, he had been dying of a werewolf bite and had accepted his death, had been ready to die after a long immortal life. Then, he was cured and had gotten closer to Elena than he had thought was ever going to happen, but that was before she said that him loving her was the problem. Now, however, he wasn't sure if he was ready or not, but he would accept it without complaint because there was nothing that could be done if this was true. He only wished that his death and his brother's as well as Caroline Forbes wouldn't cause Elena more pain, as though she hasn't been through enough grief in the past few years.

"She said that we only have another hour or two left before we die," Stefan said, knowing just how short of time an hour would be, how fast it could pass and how it wasn't nearly enough time. 

Caroline swallowed thickly at the information and pulled out her phone. "I have to call Tyler. Hopefully he will answer" she said as she headed out of the room to call her boyfriend that was currently out of town, as he had been since he bit her in the woods on her birthday. 

Finally, Damon pushed past the thoughts and said casually, "How do we even know Esther was telling the truth? She's not exactly a person that is upfront and honest. I know that, and I haven't even properly met the woman."

"Why would she lie about something like this?" Stefan questioned, looking at his brother.

"Oh, I don't know? Because she finds it humorous to cause us pain and suffering?" He commented with a shrug. 

"She hates her creations. She wanted to kill the Mikaelsons to undo the evil she created. But- if she killed them, there would still be vampires. Her evil she created wouldn't be undone. She would have just been murdering her children. Unless she is telling the truth" Elena said, the truth about the situation sinking in and weighing heavily on her heart. 

"Well, you all have fun with your heartfelt goodbyes. I'm gonna head out" he said before heading out of the house, not wanting to waste the time of Elena's goodbyes that should be more spent on Caroline and his brother. 

Elena followed him without even thinking about what she was doing because all she knew was that she did not want Damon to just walk out that door and never come back. She might not be able to save him, but she was not going to just let him go die alone.  "Damon!" She called out as she hurried down the steps on the porch, but he didn't turn around. She caught up to him, grateful he was walking instead of using his enhanced speed to leave more quickly, and she reached out with her hand and grabbed his arm, stopping him. Her hand slid down to his hand as he stopped walking, not even realizing what she was doing as she pulled him around to face her and intertwined her fingers with his.

Damon looked down at her and swallowed a little, unsure of what to say as his heart rate sped up a bit while he felt his hand in hers. He wondered if she had even realized what she was doing, if this was intentional or a subconscious movement caused by her feelings for him that she wouldn't bring herself to say out loud.  He took a step closer to the girl he loved, watching and waiting for her to speak and say what she wanted to.  

"Where are you going?"  Elena questioned, stepping closer to him as well as she looked at him. 

"You don't need me here" Damon said quietly, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at her, longing to spend his last time with her but knowing it would be better if he didn't. It would be better if he was just away.

"What are you talking about?" Elena questioned incredulously as she looked at him, not understanding how he could possibly think she didn't need him here. protective, which in hindsight she should have listened to him. He tended to be more right than he was wrong unless people will get killed as a result. 

"I know you need to spend more time with Caroline, and unless I'm mistaken you seem to be fixing things with Stefan. And I just... I don't want to be a body that just drops at your house. I don't want you to have to watch me die if what Esther said is true. And if it isn't, you'll see me later." 

"I do need to... say goodbye to Caroline. And Stefan. But that doesn't mean I want you just walking out that door without another word" Elena pointed out, looking up at him, not wanting him to argue. "Go back inside. Stay. Be around people."

"If it is my last hours on earth, shouldn't I be living it the way I want to?" Damon commented, causing the doppelganger to recoil as guilt filled her heart just because she didn't want him to go before she had a chance to talk to him. 

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want how things have been lately to be how we ended things" she said softly, her gaze lowering a little before she returned it to his beautiful blue eyes. 

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I was angry, yes, but I'm moving past it."

"You weren't angry. You were hurt. And it's okay to admit that" 

Damon looked at Elena, having a thousand things he wanted to say but nothing he had enough time to express and nothing that would amount to anything anyways, no matter how much he wished it would. And if he was still tomorrow, he didn't want to have anything he said or did cause a problem or make Elena unhappy, not unless it protected her. His head lowered, and he pressed his lips against hers for a moment, taking in the scent of her, the taste of her lips, the way her free arm wrapped around his body automatically, drawing him closer to her. 

"Whatever comes next, all I ask is that you don't forget me." The vampire said as he looked down at her. 

Elena, still a bit stunned by the kiss, looked up at him in confusion at his words, but she said "I won't. I promise. And Damon, I-"

"Shh" he said, his finger over her lips. "Go spend time with the others. There is only so much time left in the supposed two hours window. Goodbye, Elena."

The vampire kissed the top of her head before vamp speeding away, leaving a stunned Elena staring at the spot he used to be, her arm still out that had been holding him and the hand that had been holding his longing for his return. She shook herself out of it and headed inside finally. 

Stefan Salvatore had been watching the events from the crack between the curtains of the window, knowing even before the scene before his eyes that Elena had more feelings for Damon than she let herself admit out loud. That she had fallen in love with Damon, and that there was no real chance for him ever since he had left with Klaus to save his life. He had known it even then, though that was partially because he never thought he would be able to see her again, not when it had been so dangerous for Klaus to know she was alive. 

Once Elena started heading back inside the house, Stefan headed to the kitchen area to give Caroline and Elena some space. Elena watched him go before quickly going over to Caroline, who had just finished getting off the phone. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"As fine as I can be for someone about to die. My mom and Bonnie are supposed to meet me at my house. I'll break the news to them then." Caroline said, swallowing hard. 

Elena pulled her friend into a hug, seeing how difficult it was for her friend that was trying not to cry. She knew it was a lot for Caroline to go from thinking she is immortal to thinking she was going to die in a couple of hours at most, even though Elena had never experienced it herself. Caroline hugged Elena back, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so.  

"I really hope Esther was lying. You deserve to live as long of a life as you want" Elena said, not wanting to let go of the girl that had been one of her best friends since they were children. 

"But you don't think she is" Caroline said, finally pulling away and wiping away the tears that had fallen, her heart breaking at the thought of leaving the people she cared about. "Like you said, it wouldn't make sense for her to lie about it. What would she gain from it?"

"Nothing. Except us suffering without her seeing it." 

"You're going to be okay, Elena. Even after losing us. You'll find a way to survive. Get Jeremy to come home. You'll have Ric and Bonnie. My mom. Matt. You still have people that love you and cherish you. And even if you didn't, you'd survive. You're the strongest person I know, and I wish Klaus and the others dying didn't lead to this. If it had, I wouldn't have been pro the spell. But what's done is done, and you need to focus on having as normal of a life as you can now that there are going to be no more vampires."

Elena gave Caroline a sad smile, wishing that she was able to do something to help them. To save all of them. And she felt even worse knowing she was about as responsible for Esther. None of this would have happened if she just didn't talk to Esther during the Mikaelson ball. If she just listened to Damon and stayed away from the whole mess. Or even if she was honest and told Elijah when it happened. Then maybe things would have worked out, that it could have been stopped. Then Stefan, Damon, Caroline, Tyler, and countless other vampires wouldn't be about to die. If she and Stefan had just stopped thinking Klaus dying was the best thing. Would humans be safer without vampires? Technically yes. But not every vampire deserved to die. And yet all of their blood would soon be on her hands. And that included one of her best friends. And she wasn't sure how she would live with herself. No matter how much faith Caroline had in her making it through this grief. It wasn't just grief. It was also guilt. Guilt weighing heavily on her heart even before they died. 

Soon enough, Caroline said "I have to go see my mom. And Bonnie. I can't risk running out of time."

"I know. I get it." Elena said, struggling to get the words out but forcing them out. "Goodbye, Caroline. And thank you for everything."

"You're welcome" Caroline said, pulling Elena into one last hug before pulling away. "Goodbye Elena. Take care of yourself." She smiled sadly at her friend before heading out of the Gilbert house to get home in time to say her goodbyes to Bonnie and most importantly her mom, who she spent so much time fighting with when she was younger. It was only when she died that she truly worked on fixing their relationship and valuing it as much as she should have a long time ago. 

Meanwhile, Stefan came back from the kitchen hesitantly, unsure of how to even begin the apologies he wanted to get out. Or if she even wanted to hear them. He knew he had done awful things, things he wasn't proud of, both for Klaus and to kill Klaus. Though perhaps for Klaus wasn't the right wording. It was for Damon living and Elena's safety that Stefan had gone to Klaus in the first place. That he had left with him and was his partner in crime for the summer. 

"Can we talk?" He asked, approaching her. 

"Of course" Elena replied, turning to look at him. No matter how things went in regards to what Stefan did to get Klaus to back down, no matter what he threatened to turn her by driving her off the bridge where her parents died... Even though what he did impacted her and hurt, Stefan was someone she would always care about, someone she would miss when he was gone whether she was upset with him or not. 

"Look, I know a lot has happened lately. I know I've done things I'm not proud of. Things I did in the name of trying to kill Klaus. And I don't regret killing Klaus or getting him to back down, but I do regret how I went about it. And I'm sorry that killing the Mikaelsons means you losing even more people you care about."

"It's alright."

"It's not" Stefan disagreed, shaking his head a little at her words. "It's easy to push things to the side and hold off conversations when you think there will be a later time. But when you don't think it will be possible, the conversations you don't want to have are the ones you need to have. I'm sorry, Elena. I'm sorry that I nearly drove you off Wickery Bridge and turned you into a vampire. I should have found another way to get to Klaus without making you go through that."

"All you cared about was making Klaus suffer. About getting to the point where you killed Klaus" Elena said, looking at him. "I get wanting Klaus to die. I do. After all, I was the one that helped Esther. That went to meet with her, let her use my blood, and didn't do anything to stop her. I could have gone straight to the Mikaelsons after when I felt guilty. I didn't. We both made choices we aren't proud of."

"About that... Elena, Esther wanted me to tell you that not telling the Mikaelsons wasn't a choice for you. She did a spell to keep you from telling anyone that would put her plan at risk." Stefan explained

"She did?" Elena thought back to the multiple times she had wanted to go tell Elijah or Hope ot even Klaus himself about all of this, about Esther's plans, but she hadn't. Was this why? The spell kept her from doing what she knew in her heart to be the right thing to do?

Stefan nodded. "It wasnt your fault. This wasn't on you, Elena. You did what you thought was right. And when you thought it wasn't, changing it was out of your control."

"Do you still think killing Klaus was the smart move?" 

Stefan was silent for a long moment. "I wish I had known what would happen after. Otherwise we could have stopped Esther and figured out a way to take care of him another way. I didn't realize it would result in all of us dying"

Elena looked away from Stefan and let out a small sigh before returning her gaze to him, knowing well that wasn't a no. But she didn't want there to be any issues between them, and it wouldn't change anything even if the answer was no. She took a step closer to him. "If by chance, Esther lied to you... What's next?"

"I don't know. I know what I want" Stefan said. "And if I live past today, then perhaps it would make a difference. If you weren't in love with Damon."

"I- Stefan, I love you" Elena said, unable to bring the words to deny his claim as she stepped close enough that it would only take leaning in to kiss him. 

"I know, but - it doesn't matter. Not now. Not your love for me, that matters. But everything else I have to say." 

"I love you. No matter what problems have happened recently. No matter how I felt about what you've done, I still care about you. And yes I care about Damon. Even I'm not sure how much. But you're here. And you could die soon. Can't all of that be behind us? Just for now?"

Stefan nodded and pressed his lips to Elena's passionately, fiercely, like it was a kiss of desperation, a final kiss to the girl he loved. A kiss he would likely never have again. Whether he survived this or not. And he likely wouldn't. There was no reason for Esther to be lying about this, which meant he was about to have to leave Elena for good. 

Finally Elena pulled away from the kiss and looked at Stefan. She took his hand and led him over to the couch before taking a seat, no longer holding his hand. She wasn't sure where they stood if she was being honest, but that didn't matter now. None of it mattered. All that mattered was she loved them and they loved her and that time was running short. 

She and Stefan started talking, just talking, but her gaze drifted to the door every so often when things went silent for a minute. Stefan glanced between Elena and the door. "You're waiting for him to show up again, aren't you?"

"Waiting? No. Hoping, yes" Elena sighed. "I just... I want to see him again before...." This whole conversation, as much as she was glad to be here with Stefan, she really wanted to see Damon again. To touch him, breathe the same air as him. All before she never could again. 

"I get it. I want to see him too. But I gather I'll have plenty of time to see him on the Other Side." Stefan said. The same place Lexi was.

At least there was one benefit of this whole thing besides Klaus dying. And besides no longer being the ripper he was. Well not so much no longer being it but no longer being tempted by blood. If he was dead, he wouldn't have to worry about it. He didn't want to die, but he couldn't say that there was no upside if he couldn't prevent it. He had spent years exploring. Living. And even on the Other Side, he could explore. The biggest downside was leaving Elena. 

Soon enough, Damon Salvatore did come inside the house, unable to help the pull he felt to see Elena Gilbert one last time. Elena stood up quickly at the sight of him and went over to him, pulling him into a hug. She closed her eyes as she squeezed him tightly, not wanting to let him go. His arms slowly went around her in surprise, and he held her back, relaxing at her touch. 

"I didn't think I would see you again" Elena said as she finally pulled away and looked at him, relief in her eyes that she could look at him again. That he hadn't just left for good. 

"I wasn't going to come back. I meant what I said about giving you more time with the others. I just couldn't resist stopping by one last time." Damon admitted.

"I'm glad you did" she breathed out, her gaze on him. She didn't want to take her eyes off of him, afraid that the second she looked away would be the moment he died, not that her looking would truly affect whether he lived or died. 

"So which one of you messaged Alaric about the situation and sent him my way?" Damon questioned as he looked between Elena and Stefan who wasn't looking at them. 

"That would be me" Stefan spoke up, getting up off the couch and walking over. "I figured it would be good for you to have a last drink with him."

"I can never say no to a glass of bourbon," Damon said with a grin as he walked over to the kitchen and pulled a bottle out from Alaric's hidden stash in the island counter.

He popped it open and poured a glass as Stefan and Elena walked closer. The doppelganger picked it up from in front of him and took a large sip from the glass before making a face at the burning taste of alcohol. She was never a fan of whiskey, but she needed it in that moment. Damon pulled another two glasses out of the cabinet and filled the three glasses before pushing one towards Stefan and one towards Elena. 

"What better way to pass the time?" Damon questioned. 

An easy answer would be sex, but it wouldn't really be true. As distracting as sex was, what he really wanted was to be around Elena, even if it was painful. As much as he had planned to stay away, he wanted to be right here with her. And having Stefan here wasn't bad either. He always cared about his brother, even if he didn't always express it. 

The three of them spent time all together, Damon laughing a little, clearly fondly, when the girl he loved made a face at the taste of the whiskey before continuing to drink more.

After a little more alcohol, Elena finally had the courage to say something she had been holding off saying. She looked over at Damon first before looking at the Salvatores as a whole.  "I love you. I love both of you. And I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt either of you. I know me not choosing has been hurting you both, and I never wanted that to happen. I just couldn't bare the thought of losing either of you.  Just the idea of losing one of you felt like I was drowning. I want you both in my life. And now I'm going to lose you both at the same time. After all that time of trying not to hurt either of you, of trying not to lose either of you, I lose you both. But I just want you to know that I love you."

Damon was baffled by the love confession that she loved him as well and was struggling to give a response when he caught sight of the time and looked around a bit. "Well, it's been well over two hours by the looks of it, and we are still here. I think it's safe to say Esther was wrong."

Elena breathed out a sigh at the words he spoke, the heavy painful weight on her chest lifting as she realized the people she loved were not going to die. She reached the closest Salvatore to her and pulled him into a hug and closed her eyes as she held him tightly, and once Damon pulled away, she hugged Stefan as well, relieved they would be okay. It was only when she pulled away from Stefan that it hit her that she had made the declaration of loving them both. Acknowledging her love of Damon meant she needed to sort things out in her mind. To let out the feelings she had been trying to bury. 

Her phone rang, tearing her out of her thoughts, and she quickly answered the phone, holding it to her ear. "Caroline? What's going on?"

"My mom's friend that lives in New Orleans called. Check the news" Caroline said, letting Elena know which channel to turn to. 

The doppelganger quickly went over to the tv and turned it on before flipping to the channel. She stilled in her tracks at the sight of the storm displayed across the screen. It was the color of blood in the sky, lightning strikes flashing through the blood red clouds. She was so busy staring at the screen before her that she didn't notice Stefan or Damon coming up behind her to see the storm above New Orleans. 

"What is going on?' Elena questioned, her expression full of worry for the people in New Orleans. 

"I don't know, but it's going to be hard covering that up," Stefan said, looking over at Elena and Damon, who turned their gazes away from the tv as well.

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that. As good as compulsion is to help with the safety of the supernatural, humans tend to be able to explain these types of things away if they don't know the truth. Especially if no one got hurt as a result. It'll pass as a rare natural occurrence. The problem is hunters that know and will likely go there to take care of the problem, whatever it is. But fortunately we won't be there when it happens."

"The question is, who caused this," Stefan said. 

And with that the three of them returned their gaze to the news. 

Chapter Text

An hour after the tribrid completed the transition was when the red sky and the storm that came with it finally faded away. The tribrid had wanted to take care of it once she noticed it, but she wasn't sure how she had created it, much less how to reverse it. It was something unlike anything she had ever seen. She knew regular humans would somehow find a way to excuse the paranormal, mark it as a rare but natural occurrence or pretend it never happened. 

It was only a matter of time. But Hope couldn't help but be concerned about the humans that did know about the supernatural already. The mere thought of that caused her to feel as though she was being crushed by a weight of guilt. Hunters would be coming here to investigate. She knew it. It was yet another problem she caused where people would get killed, whether it was supernatural or the hunters that would come. 

Forcing the thoughts out of her mind, she flipped through one of the books in the library at the Abattoir that Marcel had let her go back to. He had showed her which books he had that had belonged to her family, and she searched them for answers. However, it was hard for her to find answers to that when she still had questions on how her heart stopped beating. She knew it wasn't Marcel who had done it to her, but he was the only one she had narrowed it down from. 

She knew she didn't eat or drink anything at the party, so she knew she couldn't have been poisoned. Besides, it would be difficult for anyone other than Marcel to target her with food or beverage, considering there was no guarantee she would have been the one to eat or drink it. She also knew that it wasn't caused by a weapon since she hadn't been attacked. Besides, she healed faster than she lost blood. It would have been unlikely someone could have killed her that way, even if they tried. 

The only logical thing she could come up with was it being a spell that caused this, a spell that stopped her heart. The question was who could have done this and why? To most people, she was just a girl or just a witch. The only people that knew otherwise were Mikaelsons, Elena, and Marcel's inner circle. Though witches could sense she was an abomination, surely, or rather an abomination in their eyes. But surely the witch would either have to be at the party or have something of hers to link the spell to. It wasn't as though Hope had many belongings in this time, and she hadn't exactly been bleeding lately, not since she was in Mystic Falls. 

So how did her heart stop? 

The tribrid let out a sigh as she continued flipping through the pages, reading with her vampire speed growing more and more natural to her, the more she tried. It was as easy as breathing, though she did prefer taking her time. But she knew that she couldn't just sit here, flipping through the library until she eventually read everything slowly. It would take too much time. She could go through things slower once she found something that could be helpful. 

"Reading at vampire speed? It took me a bit to pick up that one" Marcel admitted as he stood in the door frame. 

"Well, it's not something that people generally think about when they consider vampire powers" Hope pointed out. "Though that might be due to people's lack of interest in reading these days." 

"Do you like reading?" He questioned, walking inside the room and closer to her. 

"I do. Though reading for research purposes isn't exactly on my list of fun things to do" she said as she looked up at him before continuing to read quickly and closing the book with a sigh before picking up the next one in her pile. Marcel took the book from her, causing the tribrid to let out a "Hey!"

"You're done looking at these for now. We are getting you out of research mode" her brother declared as he set the book back down in the pile. 

"But I have to figure out a way to get back to my time. And I need to figure out who triggered my vampire side" Hope protested. 

"You can do that later. You're a newly transitioned vampire, or part vampire. You deserve to be able to live a bit and explore your activated vampirism" Marcel said. 

Hope looked reluctant, used to prioritizing problems over her own happiness, but finally she signed and stood up. "I suppose giving myself a break from the research wouldn't be too bad. I can look at it all with less frustrated eyes later." Though truthfully, she knew her mind would not rest but rather continue trying to figure out who could have killed her. 

"Alright, then lets get to practicing your new abilities" He headed out of the Abattoir, and she followed after him, unsure of if she really needed practice. So far, it had come naturally to her. She was born to be this, after all. But between her family not asking to see her very much since her parents died and how she felt being the cause of their and Elijah's death, she hadn't seen Marcel a lot. The idea of her brother showing her how to be a vampire nearly caused her to smile. 

Marcel and Hope walked along the street of New Orleans, passing through the crowds. They didn't say much immediately, and Hope knew he was still adjusting to the whole time traveling daughter of Klaus Mikaelson, especially since she knew Marcel and her father were not on good terms- At least that Marcel had issues with him. Otherwise, he would have found Klaus and told him he was alive. After all, if Marcel knew about Klaus' successful hybrids, surely he had a general idea to his whereabouts. 

If only Hope could get them to sort things out. If she just had confirmation this was creating an alternate timeline, perhaps she could help a future version of herself. have the life she always wanted with her family. Maybe this... all of this... was a way to help some other version of her to be able to be happy. To not have to suffer all the time and take burdens so no one else would have to. Maybe she could create a universe where she would let herself be happy, even if it wouldn't be her. What if she gave it a little nudge? 

"What's on your mind?" Marcel questioned as he looked over at her. 

"I don't know. A lot of things, I guess.  It's strange being a vampire now. But it also feels right. Like all of my worries about becoming one were nothing and that everything is as it should be. I just..."

Marcel didn't say anything as he continued walking, spotting the conflicted expression on her face. There was something she wasn't saying, but he didn't want to push her even though he wanted the answers. Besides, despite him accepting this as the truth, he was still having trouble knowing that she was Klaus' daughter when she acted so differently than him. Even moreso, he hadn't thought it was possible for Klaus to have children, and while it was hard to believe, the proof was walking beside him. He believed her. No matter how crazy it sounded. After all, her retaining her magic, her being a werewolf witch and now a vampire still capable of using her with and werewolf side? The only logical thing, no matter how insane it seemed, was that she was Klaus' daughter as she claimed to be. 

"It's just...  Vampires can't have children. I never really gave deep thoughts on if I wanted it. I like the idea of it. I love my family. The concept of family is really important to me. And I might have wanted to build one on my own once things settled down and I graduated, but now ... I'm part vampire. So even if or when I'm ready to have kids, I can't. Not biologically. And while adoptive family is just as important and I would be more than happy to adopt, just knowing I can't-" Hope sighed softly. "Though maybe it's for the best. People are afraid of me or hate me just because of what I am and who I'm related to. I wouldn't want to burden anyone with that unless that ceases."

"Hope, it's okay to want your own flesh and blood child. I know your-" Marcel paused but only briefly "-Aunt Rebekah wanted a child of her own. So many centuries after she turned, that never changed." It was hard for him to talk about Rebekah. Betraying her, letting her think he was dead, was the hardest part. Though she had never come back to New Orleans. If she had, things would have been different. "If your father was capable of having you, then perhaps you can have a child of your own as well. After all, you are... unique."

"You really think it's a possibility for me?" Hope questioned as she looked over at her brother, hope shining a bit in her eyes at the thought of eventually being able to build a family, hopefully with the guy she loved so dearly. 

"A possibility, yes. But the only way you'll know for sure is-"

"Yeah, I know" Hope said, not wanting him to continue further. It was weird thinking about that part of the topic with someone that was her brother. Especially since she had never actually done it with anyone. 

Marcel walked over to the side and stopped at an entrance to an alley. Hope looked at him curiously and followed him over there, wondering what this was about. It wasn't as though it was to keep people from overhearing. Humans didn't typically pay much attention or just brushed things off. And supernaturals were capable of overhearing them even if they stepped to the side, if the person so chose to. Well, except for witches. They were the only one out of the main three supernatural factions that didn't have super hearing. 

"What is it?" She questioned, her gaze on him as she wondered what was on his mind. 

"You're a new vampire. And while you certainly seem to have better control over handling the sounds and lights around you than you did while you were in transition, it's still not the same as learning more control over what you are focusing on. I said we would explore your vampirism. So let's get started" Marcel said with a grin.

"Alright. What's first in my course of Vampire 101?" Hope teased, though that wasn't far off from the basic class of vampirism at The Salvatore School. 

"Controlling your hearing from here. Focus. What is that man across the street, near the window, saying on the phone?"

Hope closed her eyes and focused on where she knew the man was, her hearing finding the sound of his voice. "He's talking to his wife or girlfriend, telling her about his business meeting that he supposedly just had, though the sound of his heartbeat indicates otherwise."

He nodded a little bit. "Alright, that's good, but try with your eyes open. If something is happening, you wouldn't want your eyes shut while listening and trying to watch something as well." 

The tribrid turned to face Marcel and crossed her arms over her chest. "Down the street is a little girl asking her mother for cookies n creme ice cream, and the mother responded with telling her that they don't have time to get ice cream now because the tour starts in 13 minutes. Over there, that woman near the counter in the bakery is complaining about how the gluten free cookies are a couple of dollars more expensive than the regular cookies."

Marcel nodded. "Good" he said. "Though its harder when you're even more smack in the middle of a crowd, like at a party"

"I had werewolf hearing. Vampire hearing is better, but I'm still experienced with handling enhanced senses." she pointed out as she turned and headed out of the alley, Marcel walking alongside her. 

"That makes sense.  I suppose it is better than having to get used to your werewolf and vampire sides at the same time. "

Hope nodded and hesitated. "I never wanted to kill anyone and activate my werewolf side. I know that the werewolf gene is a part of me, but I was okay with having it locked away if it was for the best. The last thing I ever wanted to do was for someone innocent or human to be killed because of me."

"How did it happen? If you don't mind me asking" Marcel couldn't help his curiosity as he wanted to know more about her life. 

"It was an- an accident. I was killing a group of dangerous vampires with my magic, and a human got caught in the crossfire. That's all you need to know."

"Alright" He said, not prying her any further. "Well lets get something to eat. Human food, and we can just talk and maybe practice some more of your abilities."

"I like the sound of that" Hope smiled a little at the thought of spending more time with him, just hanging out. She was glad he now knew the truth about her. It was like a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She knew it was dangerous, but now all of her family, besides those that married into the family, knew who she was except Aunt Freya, who was currently asleep who knew where. 

Marcel headed over to Rousseau's and headed inside with her by his side, and they got a booth over at the side, both wanting to sit somewhere a bit more private than the bar, despite the place not being very full yet. Hope remembered coming here in the future, though she hadn't gone many times. She was suddenly grateful that Camille wasn't on shift because she didn't want to increase the chances of Camille and Marcel talking if they had yet to meet properly. Speaking of Camille, as much as she didn't want to mess with the mind of someone she knew was close to her dad, she knew it might be best to compel her to forget what she saw Hope do. 

"I was thinking we could test your compulsion on the bartender soon, see how naturally that comes to you" Marcel said. 

"That's a good idea" Hope said before ordering a water and cheese fries from the list of snacks on the menu. She looked around the place and let out a small sigh, wishing she was here on better circumstances, though what were better circumstances? She wasn't sure when it came to New Orleans. Any time she was with anyone in the past that she loved, she was happy to be around them, but there was always the heavy burden of trying to do what was right, even if it was hard. And sometimes she managed to do what she thought was right, but other moments, she had let herself be selfish and enjoy her time in this time. If she knew for sure this was an alternate timeline, she would allow herself to relax some more. 

"So when do we meet? How old were you?" Marcel questioned, snapping Hope out of her thoughts. She might have mentioned it when telling him before, but he knew he had been overwhelmed in processing that she was Klaus' daughter. 

"I mean, you saw me when I was younger, but the time I remember meeting you was when I was seven," She replied, unable to help the small smile that formed on her face at the memory of when Marcel became her friend. "It didn't take very long for me to consider you my friend and want to help you." 

"I guess trusting each other comes pretty easily to us. I mean, I don't trust your dad. And you were a werewolf witch hybrid. To species that aren't very fond of vampires. And yet since I met you, I just wanted to know more about you. And then I believe what you're telling me no matter how hard it is to believe since this has never happened before."

"It means a lot that you're trusting me. And I'm sorry I can't give you all the answers you want. I have a theory that if correct would make me be able to tell you everything. But if it's wrong, then I am messing up my timeline so much already. Even if it's just in small ways. And especially in the larger ways"

"Like me knowing who you are" he commented with a small nod. 

"Exactly. But I need your help in figuring out what happened to me. I survived so it isn't a huge deal, but if the person tried again, I need to be ready" Hope said. 

"What have you figured out so far?"

"That it had to have been a witch that killed me. More could have been involved, but magic had to have been included. It's the only thing that makes sense with what I know. But were they there? Or was there a linking spell?"

"You were the only witch invited, the only one at the party. My guys aren't exactly fans of witches, and they don't really like us either."

She couldn't help the small sigh that escaped her. "I don't know much about the feud between the vampires and the witches in New Orleans. But I do know you shouldn't just judge someone based on what species they are. I have a group of friends in the future that consists of vampires, werewolves, phoenix don't ask about that, siphoner witches, and me the tribrid. We all work together. There doesn't have to always be a constant war going on."

"If only it was that simple, Hope"

She sighed and took a bite of a cheese fry, once they were set down in front of her. "Alright, so if it wasn't a witch at the party, it had to have been done with a linking spell. Linking spells can be tricky. Youd need something of mine. Stuff I own, hair, blood of mine... It's not like I'm from here. There shouldn't be something that could have been used to stop my heart. And if it was just my heart stopping, I think it would have to be my DNA. I just don't know how they managed to get hold of it."

"You'll figure it out. And I'll do what I can to help you. I doubt you want to end up dying again. Though what can kill a tribrid"

"I have no idea" Hope said. "But I don't want someone else figuring that out either"

"If killing you was their objective" 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean" Marcel began as he looked at the tribrid, "what if the reason they killed you wasnt to kill you?"

Realization sunk in, causing Hope to frown. "You think someone killed me with the specific intent to trigger my vampire side? But who would do that and why? It doesn't make any sense."

"That's what we need to find out. Whether I'm right or not" he said as he looked at her. 

Hope opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly an uneasy feeling washed over her. Feeling like she was being watched, the tribrid looked around the bar, immediately searching for who could be causing her to have this feeling. "Someone is here. Watching me." 

Marcel instantly looked around, trying to see whoever it was that caused Hope to suddenly be alert and feel like she was being watched. "I don't see anyone watching" he said after a minute. 

"I don't see anyone either, but I feel it. Something's wrong, and someone is watching me. I just don't know who it is," she explained as the feeling grew stronger as well as her sense of danger. "Alright, we need to get out of here." She stood up and threw some of the money Klaus had given her onto the table before quickly heading out of Rousseau's. She looked around once she was outside, still feeling the same thing as before, but she wasn't able to pinpoint the source. 

"Hope, what is it? What's wrong?" Marcel asked once he reached her. 

"I don't know. Maybe it's nothing. I probably just need to get my mind off of it" she sighed as she looked over at Marcel, though deep down she knew whatever caused her feeling wasn't nothing. But it wasn't like she had any leads on what could have caused it. 

"Do you like art like Klaus does?" He questioned abruptly, switching the conversation to help her get her mind off of it. 

"Yeah, I do" Hope said as she pushed down the feeling with a small smile. "I've loved it ever since I first started trying to color when I was a little kid. I love painting and sketching. I use oil pastels and colored pencils too, though not as much as I love painting."

"I'm by no means an artist, but we can speed read. Maybe we can try speed painting", Marcel grinned at her. 

A laugh escaped Hope's lips, the previous worries forgotten as she looked at her brother. "That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"What? The tribrid isnt up for a challenge?" Marcel teased. 

"Oh, you're on. Though if paint ends up all over the place, it's not my fault"

"Fair enough"

And with that in mind, they bought what they needed from a nearby store before heading to the Abattoir to begin their speed painting activity. And surely, like Hope said, it was a recipe for disaster. Soon enough, even Hope's painting had splashes of color that didn't realistically (which realistic was her intention) represent what she had been trying to paint, a meaningless painting of two people in a meadow. And while it came out a mess, it still was clear of her intention. And so, two distorted girls in the meadow, one with dark hair and one with blonde.  

Chapter Text

After Hope woke up in transition, Klaus Mikaelson's gray skin started regaining the color as his veins became less visible. Finally, he gasped awake and immediately got up, using enhanced speed. He looked around in alert and realized he was still in his art room, his paintbrush on the ground, hardened paint on the bristles and splashed paint where it had landed.

Fear and anger washed over him, and he knocked over his canvas in frustration. His expression faltered a little at the sight of the fallen painting that depicted Hope since he wasn't sure he would see her again until she was born. His first thought of who could have caused this was Stefan as he headed out of his art room, more determined to find answers about what had caused him to desiccate than worrying about his artwork.  Except Stefan didn't have a way to desiccate Klaus that quickly unless a spell was involved. When the feeling had started inside of him, the hybrid had felt as though he was dying. While the Bennett witch had tried to kill him before and could desiccate him, he wasn't sure she would be able to unless she was close to him. 

Someone was plotting against him. And whoever it was would have hell to pay for it. 

When Klaus reached the foot of the stairs, he saw Elijah come inside the house, covered in dirt. He did not look happy at all. "What happened to you?" Klaus questioned incredulously, momentarily distracted by his current problems at the state of his favorite brother. 

"I was at Elena Gilbert's house. Something went wrong, and it felt as though I was dying. And then I needed to dig myself out of my own grave." Elijah explained as he looked at the hybrid. 

"Elena Gilbert's house?" Klaus questioned, frowning, suddenly wondering if perhaps she was the culprit behind what happened. But then another thought came to mind. "I felt as though I was dying as well. Whatever happened to you, it happened to me too"

"And me three" a very familiar voice said from across the room. Rebekah had just walked in through the backdoor. She plucked a piece of grass out of her hair and dropped it on the ground, not caring about grass being inside the house when her brother was already dirtying the house, covered in soil. "I was out feeding on a local. trying to sort out some thoughts, and suddenly I was desiccating. It was almost as though you had daggered me again, Niklaus. A feeling we are all too familiar with" She scowled, taking advantage of the opportunity to show how unhappy with Klaus she currently was. "Except instead of being daggered, it was death."

"And yet here we are" Elijah said thoughtfully. "Which brings about the questions of who caused what happened, if it happened to Kol and Finn as well, and how we are alive"

Klaus looked around, listening for anyone else. The entire mansion was empty beyond the three of them. The same three Mikaelsons that had made the promises of Always and Forever a thousand years before. The same three that spent time together more than the rest of the Mikaelsons with Klaus, though perhaps that was due to Klaus' continuous decisions to dagger his younger brother for long periods of time and keep his eldest brother daggered in a box for a very long time. At the thought of his eldest brother, Klaus spoke again,  "Where are Mother and Finn?"  Kol, Klaus expected, was off enjoying himself when he temporarily died, but his mother and the brother who he knew truly hated him were his concern. 

"I'm not sure. They left earlier, while you were painting. I didn't ask what they were doing" Rebekah said. 

Elijah was silent for a moment. They all were. But when the eldest of the three spoke again, his expression was concerned. "Elena Gilbert was hiding something from me in regards to the conversation we were having about if mother was up to anything. She wanted to speak to the doppelganger alone, and Elena wasn't very convincing when she told me that everything was alright."

"You think mother did this?" Rebekah questioned, looking at Elijah with a small frown, not really wanting to believe the mother that turned them so many years ago to protect them would want to kill them.

Klaus was silent, but his mind was racing. Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus hadn't been together when they all temporarily died. It wasn't far of a leap to assume the same thing had happened to Finn and Kol as well if they were all connected. Anger washed over him once more, and he wanted to make his mother suffer, but then a thought occurred to him that sent fear through him. A fear that wasn't for himself but for someone else. Hope. Hope who wasn't an Original Vampire like they were, and Klaus wasn't sure if she could have managed to survive that like they did, if vampire blood inside her saved her or if she was dead. Suddenly, at the mere concept of his daughter, whom he had only known for a short time, being dead, a blinding rage flooded his vision, focused on one individual, his mother. If Hope was dead because of her, he wanted to tear her apart, to do far more damage to Esther than he had done the first time he had killed her. He didn't care that his siblings had been upset with him for killing her the first time. This was different. She had tried killing all of them. She had potentially succeeded in killing his daughter. All he knew was that he wanted to make her pay. 

Elijah and Rebekah saw Klaus' expression as it shifted to blinding rage, and Elijah opened his mouth to try to calm his brother, whilst Rebekah was worried about what her brother would do. However, before the older of the three Mikaelsons in the room could speak, Klaus was gone.

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

Shortly after the news of the red sky in New Orleans, Stefan left the Gilbert household, trying to see if he could find out more about the reason they were all still alive. Were the Mikaelsons dead and Esther lying? Or perhaps somehow they had evaded death once again. Damon, with similar concerns, stayed at Elena's house, wanting to be there in case anyone showed up at her house asking questions. 

"You don't have to stay with me, you know" Elena said as she carried the glasses over to the sink and started washing them. Damon walked over to her and stood on the other half of the sink, taking one of the glasses and helping her wash the dishes. "I know you're still here to be my bodyguard in case they are still around"

"Yes" Damon admitted after a moment, "but I am also here as your friend. And I thought I was going to die but by some miracle we are still here, probably because the Mikaelsons might still be alive, but either way, I'm enjoying the fact I still get to see you."

"I'm glad I get to see you too" Elena said, her voice a whisper as she slowly turned to face the older Salvatore, unable to even put into words just how happy she was that they didn't die. "I really thought I was going to lose you. All of you." 

"I know" Damon said, not even noticing as he put his hand on her cheek. Elena relaxed against his hand and looked as though she was about to say something. "What is it?"

"I-We need to talk about what I said before. When I thought you were both going to die" Elena said.

Damon was silent for a long moment. "If you're going to retract it, tell me now. And we can forget it ever happened, even though I don't want to." 

"I don't want to take it back. I mean... part of me does because I'm terrified of what's coming next, of what could change, but I said what I said. And its time to live with the consequences" she said, her gaze lowering to his lips for a moment. If she was being honest, she had a bit too much of Damon's bourbon. Just a little bit. She wasn't drunk, but she did feel a small buzz from the alcohol, the same buzz that had caused her confession to spill out from her mouth just an hour before. Her hand moved up to his that was still resting on her cheek, and she held it, not pulling it down. Her thumb ran over the back of his hand, and she breathed out slowly, overwhelmed by the emotions she was feeling at the moment. The unshakable pull she felt towards Damon even though her mind was trying to convince her otherwise. Even though she knew a relationship with him was risky. That it would change everything. In this moment, she didn't care. 

"And what kind of consequences do you want to live with?" Damon asked her. He wasn't sure if he could take it if she chose him and then later went back to his brother. 

Elena stepped closer to him, and Damon's head lowered down to hers, but he didn't move further. She needed to be the one to make the move this time. She tilted her head up automatically, but before their lips could meet, the phone rang. Elena pulled quickly away from him the sound of his phone, and Damon let out a small sigh, stepping away from her. 

He walked out of her kitchen and answered his phone, forcing himself to concentrate on the call rather than what had nearly occurred. "Hello?" He was silent as he listened to the other end of the phone, and Elena wished that she had super hearing to be able to hear what was going on, what was said on the other line. "Wait- what? I'm on my way." He hung up his phone and turned to leave.

"Wait- Damon, what's going on?" Elena questioned, quickly following after him. When he didn't reply and shrugged on his leather jacket, she pressed further. "Damon?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about. I'll handle it" Damon said, turning the knob and starting to open the door. 

Elena put her hand on the door, stopping him from opening it further, even though he could, and she stepped in the way. "I deserve to know, Damon. If its about anyone I care about, I have to know."

"I know you care about everyone and want to help them, but we have enough to worry about with the Mikaelsons potentially not being dead anymore. Stay inside the house. Keep your phone close, and if any of them show up, call me." Damon said. 

"Damon" Elena said as Damon, started trying to open the door moor, causing her hand to drop, but she stood defiantly in the doorway. "I'm serious. Tell me, whats going on." When he still didn't say anything, her expression softened, and she said "Please." 

Finally, Damon let out a sigh. "Ric is in jail. They arrested him  an hour after I left him to come see you. Liz called to give me a heads up"

"Jail? What- why? It doesn't make sense. He hasn't done anything wrong." Elena said, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. 

"People have been dying. The murder weapon is from Ric's stash. I'm guessing that was enough."

" Are they forgetting the part where Ric was a victim? He nearly died. If it wasn't for Hope, he would have." Elena eyes were wide. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're staying here." 

"He's the closest thing Jeremy and I have to a father. Damn it,  Damon, I'm coming." she snapped, looking at him with a determined expression on her face. 

Finally, the older Salvatore let out a sigh and nodded in agreement, and he and Elena headed to the local jail so that they can figure out what was going on. Once they arrived and reached the building, Damon turned and stepped in front of Elena, who looked at him in confusion. 

"Damon, move out of my way" Elena said, looking at the older Salvatore, trying to step around him but failing to succeed because he moved as well. "What are you doing?"

"Let me go in alone. She called me, not you. I'll try to get this sorted out. Just stay here." 

Elena watched him for a moment. "Alright, fine," she agreed, "but tell me everything once you get back out here. I mean it, Damon. Everything." 

"Alright, fine. Stay here" Damon said before heading inside. 

Elena watched him enter the building with a small frown before she pulled out her phone and messaged Bonnie and Caroline to let them know what happened with Ric. Bonnie wasn't responding, which Elena knew she might be caught up with her witch stuff. But Caroline replied quickly, sending questions faster than Elena could text. None of which Elena could really answer, so she just let her blonde vampire friend know that she would let her know once she knew anything. 

Eventually, the older Salvatore brother walked outside of the police station, and Elena straightened up from the wall she had been leaning on while waiting, and she quickly followed after him towards the car. "So what happened in there?" 

"Ric's fine. Sheriff wants me to stay out of it," Damon explained. 

"But you're not going to. Are you?" Elena questioned, knowing how much Damon and Alaric were friends, despite anything that ended up happening between them. 

The vampire kept walking past her, not even looking over at her. "Seems just as good a plan as any."

"Your friend's in jail for murder. You have to do something." 

"Well, I guess I could rip out Dr. False Accusation's throat. Maybe her tongue," he said. "You know, I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels." He mimed chewing like a squirrel.

She wasn't amused. "Stop it, Damon!"

"Guess me staying out of it suddenly sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?" Damon commented bitterly, thinking of how she had pulled away from their near kiss so quickly. How she seemed relieved by the sudden interruption like she was grateful something had prevented her from kissing him. He didn't want her acting like he was someone he wasn't, and his walls were shutting down defensively, despite the fact her words before had already hooked themselves deeply into his heart. 

"Don't do that. Don't push me away. Don't push everyone away. If you do that, you're going to end up alone, and I don't want that" The doppelganger rushed in front of him and grabbed his arm, keeping him from pulling away since she knew he wouldn't forcefully make her let go, not with the grip she was holding to keep her from letting go.

He wasn't looking down at her when he said "Let go of me."

"Damon, look at me" she said softly, staring up at him. The vampire lowered his gaze down to meet her eyes. He didn't say a word, feeling a mixture of emotions: closed off so he wouldn't have to get as easily hurt by her and she wouldn't have to see it, fear that she would choose his brother, and love because despite him choosing to act a bit like a dick when his walls are moving back up, he loved her more than he could put into words. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what? A vampire?" 

"No, we nearly kissed and now you're bringing back up your walls, and I don't understand why." Elena said. It didn't make sense to her. She had seen Damon looking saw raw and vulnerable when she was about to kiss him, but now it felt as though he was closed off from everything, even though she knew it was just  a show. But this was exactly why dating him would be a bad idea. It was one of the main reasons she kept burying her feelings down. "I don't think I did anything that might have upset you" 

"We can talk about this later. I've got some research I need to do about the last time this was happening," Damon said. " Come on, I'll drive you back home. "

Elena shook her head. " I'm going out for a run. I need to clear my head."

"that's not exactly the safest decision" he pointed out. 

"I'll be fine. Go get your research done. We'll talk about this and about Ric later" Elena said before pulling her hair up in a ponytail and starting to jog. 

When Damon had clearly driven off, the Gilbert slowed to a stop and pulled out her phone and sent a text to Matt, telling him shee needed his help and told him where to meet her. She chose Matt because she both knew he wouldn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do and he could enter without needing an invitation. They were going to sneak into Meredith Fell's apartment and get some answers, to see if she was framing Alaric. 

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

It took Klaus a bit before he finally located his mother and Finn in the woods on the other side of town. Finn was suggesting they leave town to try to finish their plans. The Original Hybrid was furious when he saw them conspiring against them and even more so at the implications that this was indeed not only his mother's fault but his eldest brother's as well. Did Finn truly hate him this much? The mere thought pained Klaus and intensified his anger. He sped forward before he had the time to come up with an actual plan, ready to kill his mother for a second time, but before he was able to, his body flew backward into a tree as his mother turned to him, and excruciating pain filled his body. He yelled out and shoved himself off of the branch with difficulty before collapsing to the ground. His werewolf eyes glowed gold, and he looked up at his traitorous family members, struggling to stay even on his hands and knees with the searing pain radiating through his body. 

Finally, the hybrid crumbled fully to the ground and the pain ceased. He gasped in relief as the pain stopped, despite enduring worse than this in the past, and he looked up at Esther and Finn, anger and tears of betrayal burning in his eyes. "Why?" It was only one word, but his voice was cracked, showing the pain in his eyes slowly 

"You left me in a coffin for 900 years, Niklaus, daggered. Do you have any idea what that is like?" Finn questioned furiously, glaring at his brother as the memories that would never fade were immediately fresh on the surface. "At first, its like a deep dreamless sleep. But over the centuries, consciousness slowly returns and its as though you are awake again but unable to move at all, remaining desiccated, lifeless, but always constantly aware of your surroundings. And if it wasn't for the fact that we are all abominations that should not exist, I would have searched for a way to make you endure the same hell you forced upon me for nearly a thousand years."

Klaus was grateful for the long speech, despite hating the words being said. It was buying him time to recover more and prepare for yet another action against them. "We are not all abominations. You tried to kill all of us. Yourself included. I know I've prevented you from finding a way to get more accustomed to being a vampire, but it is not as horrible as you and our mother seem to believe it to be."

"You say that, Niklaus, but you yourself have killed countless people, continued to make others suffer and even more generations to suffer as a result of your behavior the past a thousand years. It is not only you. Every vampire has hurt someone, and all of the blood spilled is on my hands for creating such a creature. It must end. Every vampire in existence must perish" Esther said, looking at her son.

"What about my daughter? Hope? Was she bound to the spell just as I was?" the hybrid hated having to ask, but he needed to know if his only daughter had perished in the events that had unfolded against the Mikaelson family and the vampire population as  a whole. 

"I needn't have bound her to the spell at all because if you die, so shall she. But I couldn't risk the possibility of her not disappearing from existence. Yes, she was a part of the binding spell. Though I am unsure of if she died and did not return like the rest of you or if she was the source of my failure and came back as humans do with vampire blood coursing through their veins" Esther explained.

'You don't know if she's dead or not." Klaus said quietly, both afraid that someone would find her dead and utterly relieved it wasn't confirmed, that there was still a possibility she was out there somewhere. Confused about what had happened to her but living life fully the way she was meant to.  

"No. Though considering all of you are bound as one, I assume she survived as well. But not for long. Soon enough all of you will be dead." 

At the mere thought of Esther succeeding in killing him and his daughter and his siblings again,  Klaus was up in an instant at a speed too quickly to be viewed by the human eye. He pinned Esther to a tree before she could even utter a spell, and he choked her, forgetting for a moment, in his blinded-by-anger focus, about his brother that, too, played a large role in the events that had occurred and that they were planning ot have a more final occurrance once more.He squeezed on her throat, all too ready to kill her once more. "You would think having a grandchild would change your views on our family. On what we are. Even if it wasn't by much. But you're still the same heartless woman that bound my werewolf side a thousand years ago. There was a time you were a good mother, but that ended the moment that you turned us into vampires and then hated what you created rather than loving us and treating us as the family you had tried so hard to protect by turning us into this." 

Esther gasped for air that couldn't get into her lungs. She could feel her body growing a bit weaker, but her eldest son finally made his move and snapped the neck of his brother. Klaus fell to the ground, temporarily motionless. "We should go" Finn said, grabbing hold of his mother's arm. "Before he wakes up." He used vampire speed to get them out of town for the time being, not wanting her to end up getting killed by his wrathful brother. 

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

After a short detour to the hospital, Matt and Elena went to Meredith's appartment and began searching for any evidence she didn't hand over, anything to prove it was Meredith doing these killings and not Alaric. Elena HAD to get Ric out of jail and out of this mess he was currently in. He was family even though they weren't biologically related. And she had been the one to drag him back in to everything when he wanted to quit. She owed him this. 

"You're sure it's her we should be investigating?"  Matt couldn't help asking as he looked around the apartment that he had broken into. 

The doppelganger turned her head to look at her childhood best friend, wanting to make sure he took her seriously when she spoke next."I know him, Matt. He's innocent. And I know that Meredith's a Fell, founding family. Which means... " She opened the closet door and looked inside, searching for anything that was likely to contain some incriminating evidence. She turned on the light and continued searching until she found a hidden panel at the back of the closet. She knocked on it. It was hollow. "Skeletons in the closet. There's got to be something in there that is what we are looking for."

Matt followed her inside and pulled out the panel. He took out the cardboard box, and they both began digging through the folders inside. Elena frowned as she saw names she recognized on the names of the folders. "Brian Walters. Bill Forbes." she said, focusing on the names that had been the victims killed by the mysterious murderer. 

Matt pulled out a file and showed her. "Alaric Saltzman."

Elena took the folder and began flipping through it, furrowing her eyebrows a little as she saw everything Meredith kept records of. "She's got his medical records, old court documents, and more." She finally set it down continued riffling through the box, spotting a small piece of paper folded up on the side. She pulled it out and looked down at it, skimming what she said as Matt opened up a journal. She shoved the small piece of paper into her jacket pocket as Matt spoke up.

"This is an old Gilbert journal. Why does she have one of your old family journals in her closet?" Matt questioned.

"I- I don't know" Elena said, taking it from him and flipping through it as he pulled out another file. 

"Didn't you say the medical examiner's time of death was between one and  three am? The county coroner's office says that's wrong" Matt said, looking down at a paper and passing it to Elena. He took the journal from her as she looked over it, and he put the journal back in the box.  "What did you put in your pocket? Is it smart to take anything out of here? She'll know."

"I wouldn't if it was about anyone else" Elena said. "I'll talk to you about it later. Right now, we need to-" She stopped short as footsteps were approaching the apartment.  "Oh my God." The two quickly scrambled to put stuff back in the box and turned off the light, trying to hide. Elena's heart pounded a bit as she kept quiet, not wanting to risk Meredith realizing they were there. When it sounded as though Meredith was gone, Elena let out a breath of relief and turned the light back on. When Matt  opened the closet door, Meredith was standing there, clearly displeased. 

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

While Stefan was home after getting his confirmation that the Mikaelsons were alive, he sat at his desk, pondering what to do as he flipped through his book from the 1920s, trying to ignore the regret he was feeling for everything he had done. It was easy to fill in the blanks in the diary with his compelled back memories. He was trying to decide the best way to eliminate the Mikaelsons without risking the lives of himself and every other vampire. Stefan had killed so many people in the past. He wasn't going to be responsible for killing an entire sireline of vampires, especially since he didn't know where his own originated. 

"Wow. It took you all of five minutes to get back to working on your journals" A familiar voice said from the doorway. He didn't even have to look up to know it was Katherine who had made a sudden appearance in his bedroom. 

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since-"  Stefan started but she interrupted before he could finish speaking. 

"-since you just walked out of the motel room?" Katherine questioned. "I'm over it. I've been doing research on Hope and staying away from Mikaelson business in town. I only came back when I heard they were dead. But it didn't take long for that to be proven false and now I'm headed out again."

"Do you ever get tired of looking over your shoulder for Klaus? You know he probably doesn't give a crap where you are. He's just messing with you." Stefan pointed out as he turned the page in his journal, uninterested in what she was doing here and wanting her to leave before he found himself feeling guilty about what happened there as well. 

" I'm not taking that chance. I'd much rather be in Paris than this small town anyways. You've got nothing to do here. The malls are horrible" Katherine pointed out. "The only reason I've been here since Klaus broke his curse was to keep an eye on you two idiots that seem keen on getting yourselves killed to protect my boring doppelganger, Elena."

"And I repeat, what are you doing here? If you want to be in Paris, just tell me what you want to tell me and go" he pointed out. 

"Fine. Hope is from the future-" Katherine began. 

"That's old news. She's Klaus' daughter and supposedly only exists because he can have evil spawns when he is no longer just a vampire"

"And she's extremely powerful. More powerful than anyone else in the world. Which means either she can be useful to have on your side. But she really is deadly to have as an enemy. If she comes back to Mystic Falls, you're going to need to be careful and smart about what you do when she shows up. Well, unless you'd like another Salvatore to be kept in the Salvatore Crypt. Whether it's you or Damon, it doesn't really matter. I suggest you stay clear of her. It's just better that way."

Stefan was silent as he listened to her, heeding her warning but also still focused on the problems at hand that he wasn't sure he cared if he died. It'd probably be for the best anyways. So he didn't become that monster again. But despite his many issues with his brother, he knew he needed to make sure Damon survived this. 

"There's one other thing. One of my witch contacts told me that something is brewing. Something dangerous. I don't even think they knew what it was, but whatever it is, it can't be good" Katherine said. "If it does lead back to this town like everything seems to, then good luck. And don't get yourself killed" 

And with that, Katherine was gone.

Soon enough, Damon arrived and headed to the library to start working on figuring some things out, but before he had the chance, his brother entered the room and filled him in on the unexpected house guest. Katherine Pierce. 

"So you're telling me, Katherine came and went with just a vague cryptic warning about something brewing when something is always brewing? You'd think with her contacts that she could pick up something more useful to tell us. Maybe a bit at what that something could possibly be. As if we don't have enough to deal with: the murders and the Mikaelsons not being dead and Elena out to put herself in every possible danger. If you're going to go out and bang your ex, you might as well get something out of it besides the sex" Damon said, downing the last of his glass of bourbon. 

"I didn't have sex with her this time" Stefan rolled his eyes as he looked at his brother, who always seemed to know the right ways to just get on his nerves. Talking about his hookups with Katherine was the last thing he wanted to do. Right now they needed to focus on finding a way to stop the Mikaelsons without dying and figure out who it was that had been killing people so that they don't come for Elena next.

Damon picked up a bottle of whiskey and started pouring it in his glass when suddenly everything started shaking, and the bottle of whiskey shook as well, getting his bourbon on the couch. The older Salvatore groaned as he stopped the alcohol from pouring out. "Not on the couch" he complained as he looked around, trying to figure out what could be causing what felt like an earthquake.

"What's going on?" Stefan questioned as he looked around as well.

Damon looked at him incredulously. "i don't have any idea. I doubt its an earthquake. It's probably magic related. Beyond that, I've got no clue what is going on or who is causing it."

Stefan opened his mouth to retort when suddenly a bright light flashed in the center of their library, and three teenagers appeared, two girls and one boy.

The blonde girl sighed. "Well, that was a bust" she said.

"I don't think so" The curly haired boy said as his gaze landed on Stefan and Damon. "But I don't think it worked exactly right either.""

Damon?" The word was out of the other girl's mouth before she had to stop it, clearly recognizing the Salvatores.

"And who the hell are you?" Damon demanded.

Chapter Text

After Hope was sent back to the past (to 2010) and disappeared from the present, Josie Saltzman's dark alter ego was nearly about to kill another student (like she had killed Alyssa Chang), when Lizzie Saltzman interrupted her, arriving with Milton Greasley by her side. The blonde siphoner agreed to do the merge that was likely to kill her. If it didn't get anyone else killed, she didn't have much of a choice, despite the fact she had been close to running away. 

"Siphon me. You've got to be at full strength." Milton Greasley, MG, said as he held out his hand for Lizzie to take. He needed to do whatever he could to help her. 

Lizzie ignored the hand and put her hand on the back of his neck as she pressed her lips to his. Her other hand moved to his cheek as she continued to kiss him, ignoring the crowd that was still around the match. Her lips lingered on his as she siphoned some but not too much, unable to help herself from wanting this to be part of his last memory of her. But she also wanted it to be part of her last memory if this went south and she died. It was bad enough that she had seen Hope disappear in front of her eyes, but she was now about to die herself, and this had been her last opportunity to kiss MG, something she had forced herself to believe she hadn't wanted but was something she had since he came to the school. She knew she wasn't good enough for him, though she was getting better, becoming a better person, if she was about to die, which she was sure she was, then she didn't want to go out without kissing him. 

When she finally pulled away from him, the siphoner made sure her facial expressions were composed as the lie escaped her lips. "Just for the record, that was for me and not you," she said to MG, who was shocked at what had just occurred. She knew she only had a minute before Josie forced her to get started, so she quickly added. "Whatever happens next, once it's done, go get the hobbit. Tell him Hope disappeared. That the evil hot topic version of my sister did something to her."

"I will. I promise" MG said. 

Lizzie gave him a weak attempt at a smile before heading over to Josie. "Now it's time for me to kick your ass" 

The Saltzman twins did the Merge, and they both collapsed, the room now dark. It didn't take long for Alaric Saltzman to rush into the room with horror over what had occurred, and soon Josie Saltzman woke up, black veins still visible on her body. She left the school, satisfied by the turns of events, and MG carried Lizzie to the headmaster's office, where they waited for her to wake up. 

"Go find Landon." Alaric finally said. 

"But Lizzie-" MG began, not wanting to leave her side until she woke up. 

"-would want you to tell him the moment he wakes up. You can come back after. And remember, don't tell anyone she might come back. Not unless we are having the discussion here. Things didn't go according to plan. He needs to know" 

MG swallowed hard and looked at Lizzie's temporary corpse before quickly heading out to find Landon. The sooner Landon woke up and MG could pass on the message, the sooner he could get back to Lizzie. He found Landon's temporarily dead corpse on the dock with Rafael standing beside it, and MG arrived just in time to see him burst into flames. When the flames settled down, Landon burst free of the ash casing around his body and stood up. Ignoring the ash on his body that was all too familiar to him, he looked around and blinked in surprise at the sight of MG. 

"What's going on?" Landon questioned, confused at the sight of MG. "Aren't you supposed to be with Hope and Lizzie?"

"We need you back at the school" the vampire replied. 

"Now? I'm kind of dealing with another issue too" Landon said, glancing at Rafael, who hadn't said a word since Landon came back from the dead. Not since they were no longer alone. He wasn't sure if it would be a good or horrible idea to tell MG. He didn't want Rafael getting hurt. 

"It's about Hope. Things didn't go according to plan, and now she's missing. We have no idea where she is or what Josie did to her" 

The phoenix inhaled sharply and looked between Rafael and MG, forcing himself not to immediately take off in the direction of the school. Why couldn't there be only one problem at a time? Now he had to choose between helping his brother and helping the love of his life. He wasn't sure there was anything that could be done for Raf, considering he was already dead. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try. 

"Put him unconscious," Landon said under his breath to MG, who shortly sped behind Rafael, confused but did as Landon asked. And shortly the werewolf was in MG's arms, unconscious. "Put him in the cellar for now," he said hesitantly. "I'll explain later. I promise."

Once MG sped Rafael to the cellar and locked him up, Landon took off towards the school to the headmaster's office. He had to at least figure out what happened to Hope before he could go downstairs and figure out how to help Rafael from being tethered to the Necromancer. There had to be something that could be done to save his life and something to get Hope back from whatever it was that happened to her. He went inside the office and shut the door behind him, and Dr Saltzman was explaining to Lizzie why she wasn't dead. 

Lizzie looked over at him. "Thank you," she said. She hadn't had a chance to say it earlier and it wasn't something she often said, but now that it worked and she was alive, she felt the need to say it. 

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you survived. What about Hope? Did either of you see what happened to her?" Landon asked, cutting straight to the point. 

"No. MG and I got there just in time to see Hope disappear" Lizzie said, letting out a sigh. "I don't know what incantation was used or if Dark Josie-mort used a nonverbal spell to make it happen so no one would be able to figure out what she said." 

"Which would mean that if it was nonverbal then only she knows exactly what happened." Landon realized. "So we have to help Josie before we can start to help Hope" 

Lizzie nodded, trying to figure out if there was a way they could handle her sister without hurting her. She would never forgive herself if her sister got hurt because of her in any way, which was one of the reasons she stood no chance of surviving the Merge without Landon's resurrection assistance. 

"There's another problem we have to deal with. Rafael isn't in control of himself anymore. He's dead and he's a puppet of the Necromancer. I had MG lock him up so I could hear about what exactly happened with Hope, but there has to be something we can do to help him too" 

"If there is something we can do to save him, we will" Alaric assured him. "Our biggest priority at the moment is Josie and the Necromancer. Lizzie, Josie thinks you are dead, so we can't risk her seeing you yet. If we fake a funeral for you, it will seem like our focus is on mourning you instead of stopping her. I have an idea on how to at least handle some of this, but you've got to keep her thinking things are how they would be if you had died."

Lizzie sighed and nodded. "Alright, no one will see that I'm alive except those in here right now" she promised her dad. " Go work on your plan and let me know if there is anything I can do to help"

"I'll need your help if this goes the way I hope it does," Alaric said before heading out of his office to start arranging the funeral. Once that got in motion, he left the school secretly to work on his plan to make a deal with the Necromancer. Because as he learned over the years of working with Damon Salvatore and everyone else in that time frame, sometimes you had to make a deal with an enemy to handle another situation. 

Meanwhile, Lizzie went over to her dad's supplies in his office, pulling out Clarke's ring that she knew Hope had stored there. 

"What are you doing?" MG questioned. 

"I'm no use here. I might as well pretend to be someone I'm not so I can actually do something." Lizzie said. 

"And who are you going to be? Because you're supposed to be dead. And Hope's who knows where instead of being asleep like the plan was"  MG pointed out. 

"Rafael's locked up, right? I can just pretend to be him for a couple of hours" Lizzie said with a small shrug. 

"You're going to pretend to be Rafael? Your ex kind of fling?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl he loved, unsure of if he should comment on how much he thought this was a bad idea. 

"It can't be difficult. Relax, I've got it handled" Lizzie said and slid the ring on, her body appearing as Rafael.

The vampire sighed softly, not wanting to protest too much. "Alright but try to keep a low profile, please. And keep the ring on unless you're in here"

"I'll work on planning my funeral while the hobbit here does research on how to help Rafael, you help with my funeral and help my dad with whatever he needs. The sooner we get Josie back, the sooner we can help Hope. And hopefully, Rafael  can get saved in the process." 

"Hopefully?" Landon frowned at Lizzie, not liking how casually she said that. 

"Well, he's already dead. The Necromancer is keeping him alive as you said. I don't what exactly we can do for him. Not that we shouldn't try, but I don't know about you but I don't have any ideas"  Lizzie pointed out, taking off the ring for a moment. It was really weird being someone else.

Landon sighed. "Alright. Let me know if Dr Saltzman comes up with something to help Josie" he said, wanting to be able to help Hope but knowing they couldn't without Josie being back to normal so they could find out what on earth Josie did to her. In the meantime, he was going to help try to find a way to save Rafael." 

"I don't know if Rafael would work on planning your funeral;" MG said, looking at Lizzie. "You two barely spoke after your 16th birthday party. You might have to trust me with that"

She groaned and sighed dramatically. "Fine. But only because I don't have someone else to pretend to be. And it better be great"

"It will be" He looked at her for a moment. "Help Landon out. Look at some of the books on witchcraft and sit by Landon in the library. Hopefully, together you will find something to help Rafael. I'll see you later. And Lizzie-"

"Yeah?" the siphoner looked at her friend curiously, wondering what he would say, wondering if his mind was on the kiss as hers was (not that she would admit it). 

The vampire was silent for a moment before he finally spoke. "I'm really happy that you're okay"

Lizzie smiled brightly at him. "Thanks MG" 

MG smiled back at her before leaving the office. 

Lizzie slid her ring onto her finger and turned back into Rafael, her gaze lingering on where MG had left. She looked over at Landon. "Let's go" And with that, the siphoner headed out of the room. Landon took a deep breath before following after her, ready to get to research. 

Eventually, Alaric Saltzman got a solution resolved, and Lizzie, once they managed to get Josie unconscious, magically transferred the dark magic from Josie to the Necromancer by using her siphoning abilities and the same spell she used to get the Hollow magic out of Hope and into Klaus Mikaelson. 

Josie, now back to being the person she was before being taken over by her dark alter ego with dark magic influence, didn't feel comfortable even lighting a candle with her magic, so she stored it into a coin and put it in a piggy bank. Then she headed downstairs, back to the library where she knew the others had headed to do research. It was time to tell them what exactly she did to Hope... And to break some not so pleasant news. 

Lizzie looked up as her sister entered the library, concerned about how she was doing after everything that had happened. She knew she wanted to make time to ask Josie how she was doing, something she knew she should have been doing all throughout her life but hadn't (trusting that Josie would just tell her if something was wrong).  

Alaric and Landon were at a different table, but Alaric stood up at the sight of his daughter, who he had been very worried about ever since he saw her as her alter ego. It had brought far too many memories back to the surface, seeing his daughter with an alter personality willing and wanting to hurt people she loved. It was all too a familiar situation, something he partially wanted to tell her about and partially was too ashamed to tell his children that truth about him, especially since it still existed buried deep within. 

"Hey, how are you doing?" Alaric asked, walking towards her a bit. 

Josie rubbed her arm a little, still uncomfortable and overwhelmed with memories of what she had done and nearly done. "As good as I can be, I guess" she said softly. "How I'm doing isn't what's important. We still need to help Hope" 

"What did you do to her?" Landon asked, looking at Josie. "I mean, what was the spell?"

"It- it was a spell I saw once that I wasn't sure would even work. It sent her back in time. I have no idea how to reverse the spell or where to even begin" she explained. "I don't even know what year I sent her to. The point was to get her out of my way permanently, not risking her finding a way back." 

Landon inhaled sharply. "There's got to be something. Some way to get her back. She can't just be stuck in the past" He said, his voice full of determination.

"Where did you see the spell?" Lizzie spoke up, looking at her sister 

"In one of the books Clarke let me look at when he was getting me to use dark magic" Josie said. 

"And who knows where that ended up" Lizzie said with a sigh. " Alright, tell me everything you know about the spell. We'll fix this, Jo" she promised her sister, who she knew was feeling really guilty about everything she did. 

After Josie explained what she knew, everyone began to research. Lizzie and Josie worked on trying to reverse the spell by rewriting a new spell. But as weeks passed, their spells usually ended up in a disaster or only sending them back a few seconds, which going back in time hadn't even been their goal to begin with. 

Alaric, MG, and Landon was hitting the books on anything to do with theoretical time travel, hoping they would find something that would help them all. Landon hadn't been getting much sleep, too worried about what could have happened to Hope. He knew she was a powerful and soon to be an immortal being, but that didn't mean she couldn't get hurt. And what if the spell had gone wrong to begin with and that was why these weren't working? 

And with Rafael now living out his life in a prison world because he would die due to the Necromancer removing the magical strings keeping him alive, Landon felt a sense he didn't belong at the school. Josie wasn't really talking to anyone, much less him, and Wade had left for the school break. 

Eventually, Josie and Lizzie created a spell they were pretty sure would work. Lizzie headed over to the library, where a tired Landon Kirby was flipping through yet another book. Alaric and MG were out getting more books from a friend of the ex vampire hunter. The phoenix looked up at the sound of her approaching. "Did you find anything?" Landon questioned. 

"We are pretty sure we figured out how to reverse engineer the spell and then manipulate that to what we need" Lizzie said

"How much is pretty sure?" Landon questioned.

"More than 50 percent"

"I'm not sure how comforting that is" he commented, thinking of the fire she had accidentally caused during the last attempt. "Alright, let's do this. What do we need?"

"Candles. Josie is going to get them. It's a strong spell, being time travel and all" Lizzie said. "Some extra support would help" 

He nodded a bit at that. "So what is the spell supposed to do exactly?"

"It anchors to Hope and the time she is in. Then it pulls her to our time and location. Anchoring to Hope helps ensure we don't end up time traveling ourselves to the 80s or something."

"Is Josie still not helping?" 

Lizzie shook her head. "She's scared to touch her magic. To use any of it. She's worried she will get too attached to using it and hurt people again. And it doesn't help this spell is a bit of dark magic." Josie arrived with the candles and began setting them up in a circle in the Salvatore library. " Alright, come on, Hobbit. You're up" the blonde siphoner said. 

Landon stood up and headed inside the circle, taking Lizzie's extended hands. She began to do the spell, siphoning magic from him. Suddenly, it seemed like light was swallowing them whole. And the Salvatore library looked very different. But even moreso the two people standing in the library with them now. Landon's gaze lingered on them as his mind went to where he had seen them before. Josie was staring at the two strange men in shock, recognizing them.

Lizzie, who had yet to turn around and notice, sighed. "Well, that was a bust."

"I don't think so" Landon said as his eyes on who he recognized to be Stefan and Damon Salvatore. "But I don't think it worked exactly right either.""

"Damon?" The word was out of the other Josie's mouth before she had to stop it. Damon was so familiar to her. She knew him and Elena and their children as though they were family, been though she didn't see them we often these days. But Damon looked younger. 

"And who the hell are you?" The older Salvatore demanded as he stared at the three newcomers in shock

((I know this isn't my best work. I'm sorry it's taken so long. I've been trying to make and sell stuff))

Chapter Text

After spending some time just having fun with Marcel and speed painting, Hope knew she had to collect herself and figure out what her next move was. She took a seat at the kitchen counter and thought about everything that had happened lately. What loose ends she could actually take care of. She had told Camille she was a witch, and that was a problem she needed to fix. And there was a possibility she would need to try to compel Marcel (but truthfully she wasn't sure she could bring herself to compel family). Someone did a linking spell to kill her, possibly just to activate her vampire side and possibly as an attempt on her life.

She let out a small sigh and looked out of the kitchen, at the wall where Marcel had hung her unsigned painting. The painting of a blonde and a dark haired girl that kind of reminded her of Lizzie and Josie. She wasn't sure who else she could have had in mind. It wasn't as though she knew a lot of people. However, with their faces hidden, it was impossible to tell.

One thing at a time, she thought to herself, and she got up before heading out of the Abattoir and going to the bar she knew Camille worked at. She headed inside, guilt already starting to sink inside as she knew what she was going to do. She walked over to the bar and took a seat. Marcel suggested compelling the bartender. Hope knew this wasn't what he had in mind, but at the moment it didn't matter. This needed to get done whether Camille was working or otherwise.

"Hey, Lizzie" Camille greeted, watching her, her body a little tense in a way that made Hope know she wasn't sure how to react. The two had been on good terms, but that was before Camille found out about witchcraft, and the blonde had come up with plenty of questions mixed with nervousness. "It's good to see you. Can we talk after my shift? About... What happened last time?"

"Yeah." Hope lied as she looked at her. "We can talk about whatever you'd like. Do you mind getting me a drink? Just something small"

Camille looked hesitant but finally poured her a glass of something not very strong. "Here" she said, setting it in front of her.

"Thanks" Hope said and took a small sip before setting her glass down and looking at it. She wasn't sure she wanted her first compulsion on the girl that would end up being compelled numerous times by her father and who her father would fall in love with one day. It didn't feel right. But Camille wasn't supposed to know about the supernatural yet. Hope didn't really have much of a choice but to compel her.

"Are you okay?" Camille asked as she looked at Hope in concern.

Hope nodded. "I'm fine. I've just got a lot of thoughts in my head, and not all of them are all warm and fuzzy"

"I get that. And I imagine they would be in a" Camille lowered her voice to a quiet whispers "magical world"

"The nonmagical world can be very dangerous to" she said. "It all depends on who is involved and what they are willing to do."

"You're right about that" Camille said. "Reminder, I have a psychology degree. I could be a good therapist if you need to talk about those thoughts in your head"

Hope downed her glass, forcing down the thoughts that had stirred up inside her. It was time to just get this over with. "My thoughts are usually better kept inside. But thank you" she told her. She hesitated before looking at the blonde in the eye. "You're going to forget ever meeting me. You're not going to remember that time in the alley when you found out that the supernatural is real. I was never in New Orleans."

And with that, Hope sped out of the building, leaving no trace that she had ever been there. That she had ever existed. One compulsion down. Another one to go if she could bring herself to do it. She wasn't sure that was something that she could do.

She walked along the streets of New Orleans, taking in the sights around her. The first memories she had of this place were from eight and a half years in the future. Eight years made a difference. A lot of it was similar, sure, but it still felt different. Considerably less cellphones out, barely any screens inside the restaurants, more tourists. She wondered what Landon had thought of New Orleans when he had made a brief stop there 18 to 19 years from now to get help from Vincent. She had planned on asking him if she ever saw him again, but their reunion involving the danger of Malivore and the monsters and the secrets she had kept after that distracted her from getting around to asking. If she ever made it back, she should ask him since he had always wanted to go.

Hope reached into her jacket pocket and held her necklaces that she had been forcing herself not to wear most of the time she had been in this timeline. She missed her family. The family that she knew existed. The family in the future that had memories of her life and her father in this timeline that she wishes was still a part of hers.

She reached the Abattoir and headed inside and to the library. Marcel wasn't inside, she realized as she listened at what was going on in the house (which was nothing). Hope assumed that he was probably doing his business as king of the city or whatever dramatic title he currently might have.  She wasn't sure if she was grateful he wasn't in the compound or if she wished he was here so she could get it over with. He was her family. And she knew he'd eventually remember. The compulsion would break. But that didn't mean she liked the idea of tampering with the memories of someone she knew and loved, nor did she like the idea of him looking at her and seeing a stranger if they ran into each other again before she went back to her time.

Hope sighed and sat down, closing her eyes and thinking about what she knew about how she died. She knew it had to have been a spell, but could it have been a linking spell? Those spells needed something of hers to link to her, DNA, something. And Hope had made sure not to leave anything behind in Mystic Falls, and she had the only thing she properly owned, her necklace. But there was her family, her family that she had left behind. If whoever killed her linked her family together, if they got ahold of the tiny bit of her left behind to link everyone together, then when she died, it meant someone from her family must have been killed. She needed to get back to Mystic Falls. Now.

She opened her eyes and put away the books she had looked at while trying to figure things out. She cleaned the glass she was using while she waited for Marcel to return. Once he did, her work here would be done. It took about 30 minutes, but finally Marcel returned from whatever business he had been attending to.

"You're back" Marcel said, walking over to Hope.

"Yeah, I went to take care of some unfinished business. I compelled someone to forget about me. To forget about magic." Guilt tugged at Hope's heart, but she pushed it away. She knew it was what she had to do.

"You did the right thing. It's better not having anyone that doesn't have to know about this." Marcel said, easily noticing the conflicted feelings written across the tribrid's face.

"I know. It still doesn't really make it much easier. Messing with people's mind isn't something I really want to do, especially those I know that were or are important to my family later on."

"You're going to try to compel me, aren't you? See if you can compel vampires like your family can? Well, I'm on vervain. Just in case any of the Mikaelsons show up" Marcel said

Hope's heart ached as he singled out himself from their family. How he didn't consider himself a part of it. "I don't want to. I really don't, but it might be the best thing to do"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Hope. Your secret is safe with me" Marcel promised her. 

Tears burned in her eyes, and she looked away. She took a deep breath and looked away, thinking. "I need to head back to Mystic Falls. Some stuff is going on. I think I know how I died, but I don't why or who did it. So if you're on vervain, I can't take care of this, which means I have time to figure out if I can even bring myself to do it and if I have to, But either way, I need to leave town tonight. So if I decide to come back, I'll see you later."

"You're leaving now?" Marcel questioned. "The only sleep you've probably gotten in days is when you were dead." 

"You're not wrong. But I'll be fine. Excessive amounts of energy is kind of part of the package deal." Hope chuckled. 

"Pick a room. Take a nap. You can leave when you wake up" Marcel said, his gaze on Hope. 

Hope was silent for a long moment before she shook her head, standing up and walking over to him. "It's better I go now. But thank you for the offer. And for helping me while I was in transition. It means a lot"" She reached out and pulled him into a hug. Marcel hugged her back after a moment. It had been a while since he had a hug that lasted longer than a second.

The tribrid finally pulled away and left at vampire speed. She reached the bus stop and got on the next bus that headed in the direction of Mystic Falls. She sighed softly as she looked out of the bus window, trying to think about what she should do and how she could have died. Who could have used her family's blood in order to target and kill her? Or kill her family as a whole because with the right spell work, blood could tie to blood. The only person she could think of that would be able to do the spell and likely to was Esther, Hope's grandmother. 

Technically others could cast the spell if they had everything they needed, but Esther was the most likely choice. Hope knew that she had tried killing the whole family more than once, even if Hope didn't know the details of it. This could have been it, and Hope was included since  Esther knew about her.  She should have known, but she was so focused on trying to not let the future be destroyed that she had blindspots. 

She focused on what she thought she shouldn't do rather than helping deal with the threats at hand. Maybe she was here for a reason. Maybe she could make things better and still make sure they were on the path for her friends to be born. Change things for the better but do everything to make sure things don't become worse. Maybe just maybe that was what she had to do.

With those thoughts in mind, the tribrid leaned against the window and looked out at the scenery, her hand reaching up and touching the necklace that she had put back around her neck. It was time  to go back to her family and to the place she had spent most of the past 11 years of her life.

Chapter Text

"Well, that was a bust."

"I don't think so"  Landon said as his eyes on who he recognized to be Stefan and Damon Salvatore.  "But I don't think it worked exactly right either."

"Damon?" The word was out of Josie's mouth before she could to stop it.  Damon was so familiar to her.  She knew him and Elena and their children as though they were family, though she didn't see them often these days.  But Damon looked younger.

"And who the hell are you?" The older Salvatore demanded as he stared at the three newcomers in shock

Lizzie turned to look behind her at the sound of Damon Salvatore's name, wondering why he would be there and how he wouldn't know who she and Josie were, but once she faced him and noticed his younger features, she realized what was happening. It was as Landon had said. It didn't work exactly right. Instead of bringing Hope to their time, they must have ended up in the time period Hope had ended up.

When no one answered his question, Damon repeated himself, growing frustrated and confused about the sudden arrival of three teenagers that he didn't recognize. "Who are you? And how do you know my name? You're not going to like if I have to ask again. I'm already having a bad enough day already."

"We can't tell you" Josie said after a moment, wanting to be honest but not knowing what would happen if she was, especially since she doubted he would believe her even if she tried.

"What do you mean, you can't tell us?" Stefan questioned, stepping closer to them, though if he was being honest, he had little interest in them. His priority was finding a way to kill Klaus without getting the rest of them killed in the process. Still, it was probably best to have at least some knowledge of the mysterious newcomers.

"We shouldn't be here. I'm sorry we interrupted whatever you were doing." Landon said, his gaze on the guy he recognized from a photo at the school. Stefan Salvatore. The man who died saving Mystic Falls.

"That's still not really an answer" Stefan said, but he found he didn't really care about whether they answered or not. As long as these three teenagers weren't going to attack them or do anything to jeopardize his plan, he could care less if they showed up. He needed to keep his priorities in check. It was all he really had left, despite Elena's efforts to insist otherwise.

"I know, but we can't really give one either" Josie said. They needed to go figure out what to do and see if they could track down Hope.Together, surely the four of them would be able to get back to the future again. She wanted to be able to help Hope, especially considering she was the whole reason the tribrid was even here in the first place. If Josie hadn't cast that spell on her, all four of them would be in their time right now.

"That's not really good enough" Damon said, walking closer to her so that he was right in front of him. "See, I've had it up to here with the problems that have been occurring in this town recently, and the last thing I need is three unnamed teenagers showing up in my house without an explanation. So tell me who you are, or things are about to get bloody" He doubted they were human, considering strangers rarely showed up in Mystic Falls unless they were supernatural beings.

"Okay that's enough of this pointless Q and A" Lizzie said, placing a hand on Landon's shoulder and siphoning from him before putting Stefan and Damon Salvatore under a sleeping spell. "Lets get going before we end up in a darker version of Back to the Future with our no longer deceased step father and our non-biological uncle"

Landon looked at Lizzie as she mentioned Back to the Future before nodding in agreement and heading out of the Salvatore Boarding House, the twins following after him. "Where should we go? I mean we are in the past, and we don't have anything that would let either of you be able to track Hope. It wasn't as though we were planning on ending up in the past."

"Lets just head to the Mystic Grill first and talk it out while they're under a sleeping spell. Then we can find some place to hide out in. Maybe the Old Mill if its still old enough. Or one of the houses that are for sale" Josie suggested after a moment, hesitant about the Grill but knowing they should probably get something to eat before hiding out at a place where they likely wouldn't be able to refrigerate anything.

Her twin made a face at the mere thought of it. "Yes because squatting at the Old Mill or an old house for sale is exactky what I wanted to do today" she said sarcastically. "Why can't we just get a motel room to crash in for the night? At least that usually ensures a clean bed, even if its stiff" she sighed.

"Because a motel person is more likely to check the year on the money than the Mystic Grill. But even if they don't, we still only have so much on us right now. And we don't know how long it is going to take us to find Hope"

"Maybe we could channel the Hobbit in a way to be able to track down Hope? Considering their connection" Lizzie suggested, desperate to find her friend and get back home, even though she was curious about the idea of meeting her mom while she was younger and exploring the town. It was better that they at least found Hope. Then they'd be able to stay wherever they wanted.

"Lets just get to the Grill and then we can decide our next move" Landon said after a moment. "Wherever that leads us."

"He's right. We can figure out where we are staying and how to find Hope later" Josie agreed. She knew that she wouldn't be helpful with the actual spell casting part, but she wanted to help Hope get back to their time. She had to. But for now, they needed to get food in their system before Lizzie's spell on Stefan and Damon wore off.

Once they arrived, she noticed that it looked very similar to how it was in the futre, minus commemorative plaques for Jenna Sommers and Stefan Salvatore. Along with a few small decor items that Damon had added when he bought the place from the current owners.

The three teenagers took a seat at one of the tables for four. Josie looked around the restaurant, trying to find something to signify how far back in time they had gone, something she should have done at the Salvatore Boarding House if she hadn't been so distracted by the time travel and the threats directed at her from someone that was practically family. However, the only thing she could determine was that it must be somewhere between 2009 and 2013.

"Okay, if Hope landed in Mystic Falls in the past and was tied to her bloodline, then we must be somewhere before she was born. Pre 2012" Landon reasoned after a moment. "Unless there was a small mistake in the spell like there was with this one."

"I don't think there was. I had planned this carefully. The reason this went wrong was because we were trying to get Hope back and were rushing things to help her" Josie explained. "If we had taken our time, we would probably still be in our time and have Hope back." A small sigh escaped her lips.

"Housing options aside, it might be cool to stroll around in the past. Maybe we can see what Mom and Dad were like back then" Lizzie said thoughtfully as she tried to picture her parents younger before they had them. Her mom would have been an actual teenager at this point rather than an immortal 17 year old. Well, she would have been an immortal 17 year old, but she was still a teenager.

"We can't, Lizzie" Josie said. "It's bad enough we are at the Mystic Grill, but to actually interact with them while in the past? It's not a good idea."

She let out a sigh. "Fine. No talking to Mom or Dad" she agreed reluctantly.

A waiter came over to ask what they wanted, and Josie ordered an appetizer for them to share (knowing both of their preferences out of the options available) before either of the others could order a meal for themselves. Once the waiter was gone, she looked at the two. "We need to be careful about how much we spend."

Landon nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we find Hope soon, but it could be a while before hand. We don't even know if she is still in town. Especially considering the few times she tried to leave town when she thought it was for the best during our time. Do you think she could have talked to her family? I know she's usually cautious and everything, but she has been grieving and misses them a lot. And now she has a chance to see them."

"It's possible. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if Hope interacted with them, then we could possibly approach her dad and ask about her. What harm could it do?"

"What harm?" Josie repeated and shook her head a bit. "You have no idea the damage it could do. Even if we set aside possible timeline chaos, Klaus Mikaelson is not a good person. If Hope hadn't interacted with him, then he will be confused and likely suspicious. And if she has, he will be paranoid about why we are asking about her. I don't know him personally, but I've heard stories and have read the books dad wrote about Mystic Falls. And if she's really spent time with him and he got attached to her, he will probably threaten us while interrogating us. We can't just approach him. And he's the one she most likely approached. Especially considering how he died."

He fell silent at that, though he disagreed with her. Even if she was right, which he wasn't so sure about, Hope would have done the same for any of them if she was here. If the roles were reversed. He couldn't just sit back and do nothing. He had to find her. Even if he wasn't able to use magic. If roles were reversed, she would hunt them down and wouldn't stop until she found and helped them.

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

After breaking in and getting caught in the closet in Meredith's apartment, Elena and Matt waited nervously inside Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes' office, waiting for the inevitable lecture that awaited them. Elena looked over at Matt, feeling guilty for dragging him into her breaking and entering investigation during her efforts to clear Alaric Saltzman's name. But she needed help and knew neither of the Salvatores would be particularly happy with the idea of her getting herself involved. Well, she was sure Damon wouldn't. Stefan was still a strange mix of old Stefan and bad Stefan in a way that made Elena feel unsure of exactly how he would react. It was one thing to make assumptions when it was in regards to stopping Klaus, like they had agreed on at the Mikaelson Ball, but trying to clear Alaric's name was something else entirely.

However, despite feeling guilty for potentially getting him in a lot of trouble, Elena couldn't help but enjoy the fact that she had spent some time with him. They hadn't spent nearly as much time together as they used to ever since her parents died, and she hadn't realized just how much she missed him. It was like things might become how they used to be between them before the vampire stuff and before they had gotten into a relationship. But if they did get into a lot of trouble here, if it didn't just get settled by their connection to the sheriff, then she would have gotten someone that used to be her best friend into legal trouble when he already had enough on his plate and had already been through enough in his life.

"I'm sorry" Elena said after a moment. "I didn't mean for us to end up here."

"It's alright, Elena" Matt replied after a moment. "Honestly, as much as I don't want us to be here sitting in the sheriff's office, I'm glad you came to me for help. And I know how much Alaric means to you. At least it helps prove your suspicions about Meredith."

"I know. I just... I know how much you don't like being involved in all of this, and you shouldn't be. You deserve to be able to live a life outside of everything that's been going on" She couldn't help the tugging feeling of guilt inside her as she thought about how much Matt had lost and how she was here dragging him into more problems.

"Yeah, well, when you live in this town and all of your friends are involved, its kind of inevitable to end up in a situation like this" Matt said. "Besides, this isn't about vampires. It's about Alaric Saltzman, our teacher and practically you and Jeremy's guardian. He's in jail for a crime you are pretty sure he didn't commit. I want to help."

Elena didn't say anything to that, but she looked at him gratefully. Then Liz entered her office, and the two teenagers watched as she walked over to her side of her desk. "What were you thinking?" the sheriff asked as she looked at the teenagers.

"I know that we had no right," the doppelganger said as she looked at her.

"No right?" Liz questioned incredulously, disappointment heavy in her expression. "You broke the law."

She felt guilty at the look on her face but didn't let that stop her from continuing "But, we found something that clears Alaric. It gives him an alibi in the Brian Walters murder."

Liz picked up a piece of paper off of her desk and held it up to show them. "You mean this?"

"What is that?"

"A letter from the county coroner's office correcting the error in the time of death of Brian Walters" she replied, not liking that not only did they break the law, but the only thing they found was something that would have prevented it all from happening in the first place if they had just been patient. "Meredith Fell received it today. She brought it to me several hours ago, full of apologies for accusing an innocent man."

Matt frowned slightly. "Why would she have a copy hidden in her closet?"

"I can't ask those questions, Matt, because the very fact that you broke into her home to find it" she explained in exasperation, looking at them with disappointment. "Do you know how much I'm already protecting both of you?"

Guilt weighed heavily on the doppelganger's heart as she looked at the sheriff, regretting breaking into the apartment even if it did raise some more suspicions in their mind in regards to Meredith. She had never wanted to cause more trouble for Liz. "I'm sorry."

"Just...get out of my office and go home. Please. Alaric will be released as soon as the letter is authenticated. Go."

Matt and Elena looked at each other and then at Liz Forbes apologetically one more time before heading out of her office, both wishing they hadn't been caught. The two talked a little once they left the station and agreed to head to Elena's house for a bit.

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

Caroline Forbes entered the Mystic Grill, thinking about recent events and newfound knowledge that supposedly killing the Originals would kill all of them. She wished she knew exactly how that would happen so that they could find some kind of loophole to get rid of the Originals without killing the rest of them. These thoughts had been most of what was going through her mind all day until her eyes fell on a table with three teenage strangers. With how small the town was and how involved Caroline was with activities, she knew most of the people in town, knew their faces at least, especially teenagers. And yet these three were around her age, and she had no idea who they were. The only newcomers they ever really got were all bad news. Well, except for Stefan.

She headed over to the table of teenagers and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Caroline" she greeted, noticing how all three of them looked surprised at her arrival, especially the girls, who had something else in their expression that Caroline couldn't quite interpret.

The girls were rendered speechless, so the teenage boy introduced himself. "Hi. Um, I'm Landon. They are Lizzie and Josie."

"It's nice to meet you" Josie said, finally speaking up after being caught by surprise. Despite knowing they were in the past and at the Mystic Grill of all places, she hadn't expected her mom to be the first person that spoke to her after their arrival with the Stefan and Damon incident.

"Yeah, it is" Lizzie agreed, now looking at her mom with interest once the surprise had worn off. She suddenly just wanted to talk to her mom and see what she was like back then.

"Yeah, its nice to meet you too" Caroline said. "So, you're new to town? We don't get a whole lot of new faces around here. Where are you coming from?"

Landon and Josie exchanged brief looks, and Josie, who was all too familiar with lying to her family, said "A small town a long way away from her. Sorry, we aren't really comfortable sharing any specifics. We're just passing through."

"Passing through? Are you on some kind of trip? If you're staying the night here, I could recommend some places for you to go, though we don't have anything really great in this town. It's kind of boring"

"Yeah, we might stay the night here and head out tomorrow" Landon said, wanting an excuse if they were seen again.

"Well, the mall isn't anything great" Caroline admitted, "but I shop there a lot. And they have a store for clothing throughout the decades because our local high school has decade themed dances. So if that's your sort of thing, you could check that out."

"We might" Lizzie said. "I love shopping, and I tend to drag Josie with me sometimes so we could get some new outfits."

"Then you should definitely check it out. Well, I should get going. But I might see you around" She smiled at them before heading out of the Mystic Grill. Once she was outside, she pulled out her phone and called Stefan. A frown formed on her face when he didn't answer the phone. She knew he was fixated on the Originals, but he wasn't a prisoner of Klaus' and they were friends. His humanity was somewhat back. He should have answered the phone. With that in mind, she headed to the Salvatore house, wanting to find out what was going on and share what she had found out about the newcomers.

"Well, she was definitely fishing for information" Landon said after a moment. "Though I guess newcomers isn't really common in Mystic Falls when there isn't a big private school accepting students from all over."

"Yeah, the only newcomers we generally get at all are supernaturals. So it makes sense that she was asking us questions. Hopefully we sounded normal enough" Josie agreed, worried about if her mom would be inquisitive and determined to find out more. She knew that it was a trait Caroline and her daughters shared, determination when they set their mind to something.

"Hopefully" he replied and watched as the waiter put their food in front of them. He thanked her before taking his portion of the appetizer. The three of them ate before heading out and finding a place to stay.

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

At another table in the Mystic Grill, Rebekah had met with the mayor to speak with her for information about the oldest trees in the community. Now that Rebekah was made aware of the white oak tree being replanted, she was trying to discover which tree it was and if there were still any remnants of the tree left. Especially now that all of their lives were bound together.

"A long line of Lockwood women used to keep those records before qany of them had actual jobs" Carol said, looking at the teenage girl that she knew was far from harmless. Still, Rebekah's family was the reason Tyler did not have to be in such agony every full moon, forced to endure a curse because of an accident.

"I've been to the Founders' archive" Rebekah said, having already searched through town records prior to this conversation. The least amount of people knowing she was digging into this, the better. "But I cannot seem to find any record of the tree I am looking for."

"It probably got cut down. Big old trees built half of this town in the 1900s."

The original thought about that for a moment before asking "Do you happen to know who kept the milling ledgers during that period?" If she could find what was built with the tree, she could burn it down to the ground.

"Back then, all the logging mills were owned by the Salvatores"

At least Rebekah knew where she would likely be able to find it, but getting that information without alerting the Salvatores of her intentions unsettled her. She'd have to be careful. Despite knowing she could easily win against them in a fight, she didn't want them to discover the weakness of theirs that remained somewhere within the town. If they found a way to sever the bloodline connection and keep themselves from dying, she knew all of the originals would become targets for them. And she quite liked this town. And it also meant talking to Damon Salvatore again for more information in a way that would keep him from asking too many questions in return.

"i heard that your sister moved out of town" Carol said after a moment.

She was confused for a moment before realizing who the mayor must have been referring to. "You must mean Hope. She is Niklaus' daughter that we recently became aware of. Though it is easier to refer to her as a sister or a cousin, considering most people do not know of our true ages."

"I did not know he could have a daughter. I thought vampires were unable to bare children."

"We are" Rebekah said after a small grimace at the reminder of that. She always wished she could have a child, but that is something she will never be able to do. Not without adopting at least. And she didn't want her child to endure Niklaus, who she simultaneously both loved and hated in ways most people couldn't possibly understand.

"Oh, I know that look" Carol said. "Have you ever considered adoption?"

"I have, but it is not quite the environment for a young child, is it? Surrounded by 1000 year old vampires?"

"Perhaps not, but you do not always have to remain with your siblings. At some point you need to start living a life for yourself, wherever it takes you. If you want to adopt, then adopt. Fall in love. Travel by yourself. Do something you've never tried before because you thought it was silly."

If only it were that easy, Rebekah thought to herself, her heart aching as she remembered her many attempts at doing just that. It always ended with her grieving or daggered in a coffin. There was no happy ending when you were siblings with Niklaus Mikaelson. But maybe, just maybe, things could be different if he had Hope in the picture.

Her gaze shifted over to past Carol's shoulders as she spotted the annoying perky blonde approaching three teenagers she didn't recognize. She listened in on what was being said, but it wasn't anything particularly interesting, though it was clear they were being evasive. However, once Caroline left the table, the conversation got interesting.

"Well, she was definitely fishing for information" the teenage boy said a moment after Caroline Forbes had left. "Though I guess newcomers isn't really common in Mystic Falls when there isn't a big private school accepting supernatural students from all over."

"Yeah, the only newcomers we generally get at all are supernaturals. So it makes sense that she was asking us questions. Hopefully we sounded normal enough," the dark haired teenage girl agreed.

"Rebekah?" The sound of her name caught her attention again as Carol looked at her in concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Actually, I was wondering if you knew them?"

Carol followed her gaze and saw the three teenage strangers. " No, I've never seen them before. We don't get many outsiders here. Not human ones anyway" She said as she looked back at Rebekah.

The vampire nodded. "What was it you were saying?"

"I was saying it must be difficult having just found out you had a niece, only for her to leave so soon.

"Yes, it is. None of us wanted her to leave, but she thought it would be best. And she left during my family's ball so no one would try to convince her otherwise."

"And it must be even harder for Klaus, considering she is his daughter?"

"He has hardly left his bedroom or his art room since she left town," Rebekah said. "I thought perhaps if Hope stayed, then she would be a positive influence on his life."

"Well, maybe she will come back" Carol suggested. "And then you all can get to know her better."

"Maybe" The original agreed, though she wasn't so sure. Still, she appreciated the human's strange effort to console a 1000 year old vampire. She continued talking to Carol a bit more about the town before heading home, wanting to talk to Elijah about what was going on.

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

Once Matt and Elena arrived at the Gilbert house, he headed into the kitchen to make some tea, thinking about what he should say in regards to everything. He knew it couldn't be easy for her, having Alaric in jail, even if he wasn't technically her father or legal guardian. He was still a part of the Gilbert family after everything that happened. And now he was in prison, previously suspected of murdering a few people and stabbing himself. Though at least with the new coroner's report, it cleared him of the charges. And he wanted to stay with her until Alaric was freed.

Once the tea was ready, Matt poured it in a mug before bringing it over to Elena, who was sitting at the dining table, thinking. "hank you" she said gratefully, taking the mug and sipping it.

"You're welcome. What's on your mind?" he asked, taking a seat at the table, looking at her.

"A lot of things" Elena admitted after a moment, a small sigh escaping her lips. "There's so much we don't know and so much that can happen."

"In this town, that is always the case. The only way you'll really get away from that is to get away from the town like Jeremy did. Well, after Damon compelled him." They were both silent for a moment as Elena took another sip of her tea. Then Matt spoke again "Why don't you tell me what exactly we don't know and what you're worried about? It could help."

"We still have no idea who is killing people. I mean, Meredith has shady information about the victims and the coroner's report in her closet at her apartment, but that doesn't mean that she is the one killing people. It just means she might know more than she says" Elena looked over at him, wondering what he thought about the situation.

"Well, we'll keep trying to find answers until we get them, though hopefully with less B&E this time." He grinned, and they both chuckled a bit at the reminder of the trouble they had gotten themselves into this time. "I miss this. Hanging out with and getting into trouble with you," he admitted after the laughter died down.

"Yeah, so do I" she confessed, loving how easy it was with Matt when his feelings and her lack of weren't in the way of their friendship. They had known each other their entire lives, even shared a crib together at some points when their moms were hanging out. He was an important part of her life, a part that she had missed while caught up in all of this vampire stuff. "I just have been trying to keep you out of stuff as much as I can, especially since I know how you feel about vampires."

"You mean, you know how I feel about Stefan and Damon" Matt said. Her gaze lowered as she thought about her current situation with them. Her recent confessions and everything else that has happened. "Look, I can't say I'm crazy about it. It hasn't exactly been a good thing in my life, having vampires in this town, but I've accepted Caroline being what she is. She's still Caroline, for the most part anyway. But Stefan and Damon have killed a lot of people. So, no I don't really understand your thing for them."

"It's not like that- I mean... I know it doesn't make sense, but at the beginning, after my parents died, there was something about being with Stefan that just felt safe."

"Safe? Elena, he's a vampire."

"I know, believe me, just saying it out loud it sounds crazy, but it's like I knew that he would never stop loving me. Like he would never..." Elena trailed off, remembering how it had felt and how much she had needed him at that point of her life.

"What?"

"Die. Like he would never die."

Matt's expression softened at her words, knowing how hard it must have been, worrying and knowing at any point that someone could die. He knew he had certainly felt it for a time after he lost Vicki. It was understandable why she would want to feel safe with someone considerably less likely to die, even if he wasn't crazy about the fact it was a vampire she was involved with. It did help him understand the situation at least a little. "Like your parents did. And Damon?"

"Damon just sort of snuck up on me. He got under my skin and no matter what I do I just...I can't shake him."

"Once you fall in love with someone, I don't know if...I don't know if you can ever shake them." he said, looking at her.

Elena was silent for a moment, knowing what exactly he meant by that. She knew she should stop there but couldn't help the next sentence that escaped her lips. "I told them both that I love them, while I was a little tipsy and thought they were going to die."

"That's... big. I mean, Stefan knew you loved him, but you can't really step back from that line with Damon now that you've crossed it."

"I know. I just wish I knew what to do about it. Part of me... part of me wants to give Damon a chance. I know I've wanted it so badly. But when things go wrong, he lashes out. And I don't know if- I don't know what to do about it. But Stefan...." She let out a sigh. "I know he'll always love me, like I said, but he also nearly drove me off of Wickery Bridge. And he's been acting so different lately. I don't know if its someone I want to be with. But on the other hand, he still respects my life threatening decisions to try to get things taken care of, unlike Damon who just wants me out of harms way, no matter what I have to say about it. Sorry I shouldn't be talking to you about this. I know its weird."

"No. Not really. I don't mind. It sounds like you've got a lot to think about. And, while I can't help you with the Stefan and Damon situation, I might be able to help with something else. I got you something." Matt reached into his jacket and pulled out the Gilbert journal he had stuffed in there while they were in the closet at Meredith's apartment.

Elena took the journal from him. "The journal?"

"It's your family's, you should have it. Meredith and that idiot deputy were too busy questioning you to give a damn about me. Sometimes it pays to be the only normal one in a town of vampires. I'm practically invisible," He gave her a grin, and she looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you, Matt. And not just the journal, for everything today. It means a lot."

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything else"

The front door of the residence opened, and Alaric Saltzman walked inside. Elena stood up immediately before heading over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright' Ric said, and Elena pulled him into a hug, taking the moment to appreciate that the man that was like a legal guardian to her was no longer behind bars, and Matt left them alone.

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

When Caroline arrived at the Salvatore house, it somehow felt as though it were quieter than usual, perhaps because even with her vampire hearing, she didn't hear anyone talking or moving around inside. For a moment, she considered leaving and trying to find them elsewhere, but that was when she caught the sound of their beating vampire hearts. She headed inside, expecting to find Stefan sitting down somewhere and slowly reading something, but when she entered the living room, she saw Stefan and Damon both unconscious on the ground, near the couches.

Without even thinking about what to do, Caroline was next to Stefan in a flash, using her vampire speed without even thinking about it. "Stefan!" she said, trying to wake him up. He was unresponsive, and she bit her wrist before pressing it against his lips. It wasn't exactly the same as if she was giving the blood to a human to heal them, but blood in general helped vampires, especially if it wasn't animal blood. She waited for a reaction as she pulled her wrist away, anxious about whether or not he would wake up. It wouldn't make sense if he didn't. He was alive, and she could hear his heartbeat, so he wasn't temporarily dead. "Come on, Stefan. Please, wake up."

Suddenly, Stefan and Damon's eyes opened as they woke up from the sleeping spell, and Damon got up immediately, not wasting any time as he looked around, frustrated and wondering once again who those teenagers were. He was reminded once again of why he didn't like witches. At least this time it wasn't an aneurism pain inflicting spell, but now he had no idea where the teenagers were. He couldn't hear them in the house, which meant he would have to go find them and get some answers.

Meanwhile, Stefan looked at Caroline in surprise as he slowly sat up. The blonde was relieved that he was okay, and without thinking about it, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. He hugged her back, almost automatically, his throat burning with hunger. That was when he could taste the blood that was on his tongue, and he pulled away from her. It wasn't the same as if he had been fed human blood, something Stefan was addicted to, but it still did affect his hunger a bit, like a small reminder that he could go and get exactly what he wanted elsewhere. And he didn't exactly want a reminder of actual human blood when he had been trying to get back on animal blood. "I'm alright," he said, looking at her. "I'm guessing you gave me some of your blood?"

Caroline nodded at that. "I wasn't sure how much it would help. If you didn't wake up, I would have gone to get a blood bag. But I didn't want to just leave you lying there."

"I didn't need blood. It was a sleeping spell" he told her as he stood up, looking at her. Part of him buried inside appreciated the notion of her trying to help him, but it was somewhat covered by the fact he didn't want any kind of blood except animal blood right then. And he didn't want to focus on any kind of friendship or romantic relationship while he was having to do things that people in this town might not necessarily approve of.

"Oh. I was just trying to help" Caroline said, looking at him.

"I know," Stefan said, his gaze on her, not thanking her for trying, but it was close enough with the way he looked at her.

"Okay if you two are done making googly eyes at each other" Damon said, "then maybe we should talk about the giant elephant in the room."

His brother stepped away from Caroline, who looked between them both. "What exactly happened to you both? There's a new witch in town?"

"Yes. Three teenagers just magically appeared out of thin air in this room. I don't know if it was a cloaking spell or just suddenly appearing, though I didn't hear any movements prior to. But now we've got two girls and a guy, all somewhere around 16 to 20 ."

"I saw them" Caroline said. "They were at the Mystic Grill just before I came over. They're probably still there right now. I figured Stefan would want to know about newcomers and see if he knew anything about it."

"Knowing you, you probably talk to them" Stefan said. "What did you find out?"

"According to them, they're on a trip of some kind. They might stay the night and they might not. They arent from anywhere around here, but I don't know where. And their names are Landon, Lizzie, and Josie. And Lizzie likes shopping."

"Did you find out anything useful?" Damon questioned in irritation, wishing she had been able to find out more about these three. "Because they magically appeared out of thin air in our house, and I highly doubt they are just three supernatural friends on a road trip."

She narrowed her eyes at his words, not appreciating them in the slightest. "They were very evasive about where they were from or what they are doing in town. But they weren't lying about what they said. I listened. We've had enough surprises in this town."

Damon headed towards the door, but Stefan blocked him. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To get some answers" the older Salvatore replied, moving to go past him.

"Our focus is Klaus" he said, blocking him again. "That's our priority. Not three teenagers that probably only put us under a sleeping spell so they could leave.

"Yeah? And how's that going? Right now, we have no white oak stakes, they're all bound together, and if any of them die, we all die. Klaus won. What we can do is make sure this town doesn't go to hell just because the Mikaelsons get to live."

"So you're just giving up?"

"That was your revenge, brother, not mine. I wanted them gone so he would quit using Elena as a blood bag. But I'm not just going to risk all of us dying. We'll figure something out eventually, but for now lets focus on a current problem. These three teenagers."

"Fine. You do that. I'll go see if I can figure out a way to keep us all from dying. Because Klaus needs to die." Stefan glanced between them and headed upstairs.

Damon rolled his eyes at his words and looked at Caroline. "You're on Stefan duty. Make sure he doesn't get the rest of us killed" He headed out of the house, causing her to let out a sigh. Then she headed upstairs to where Stefan had retreated.

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

After Rebekah left the Mystic Grill, she returned home and looked around for Elijah, preferring to talk to the brother that was less paranoid but also not too careless. Instead, she found her brother Kol on the couch. "And where have you been? Enjoying your time with the Salvatores again?" he grinned teasingly, knowing his sister's night with Damon after the ball and her history with Stefan.

Rebekah scowled at the thought of being involved with either of them again. "Not that its any of your business, but that is not going to happen again. And I could ask what you've been up to, but I'm sure you've been occupying your time with women. Have you seen Elijah?"

"He left the house after trying to convince Nik to leave his art studio, with no success I might add. It seems the only thing that will get him to leave is a plot against him." He chuckled, though he supposed there was currently a plot against them all, considering their eldest brother and mother were still out roaming free. He wasn't sure how they would be able to stop their mother with Finn standing in their way. Between their mother's power and Finn having their abilities, it would certainly be difficult. What they needed was to find a way to unlink themselves. That way Finn would not be able to do something foolish and suicidal that would get them all killed. She sighed in frustration at Elijah not being available for her to discuss this with. Kol noticed the serious expression on his sister's face, more serious than usual, and he frowned a little. "What is troubling you, dear sister?

"Perhaps the fact that our eldest brother is on a suicide mission and our mother bound all of us together with a blood spell so that if one of us dies, the rest of us do as well."

"It's more than that," he said, watching her.

"Mind your business and enjoy your whiskey. Once I speak to Elijah, then I can tell you what I've got on my mind."

"Can't. Nik has me heading to Denver. I'll be leaving pretty soon. Just enjoying one last glass" He raised his glass of whiskey in the air before taking a sip of it.

"Denver? Why?"

"Precautions, considering we are all bound together as you said. You know Nik, he likes to have backup plans in place in case people are not cooperative and need some persuasion." Kol said. He had no interest in getting daggered again and did not mind getting some space from the rest of his family, even if it meant befriending a human that Niklaus wanted him to get close to.

"The Gilbert kid" she realized after a moment. "They sent him away to keep him safe from all of this, and now you're going so Nik can threaten his safety to get what he wants. As he always does, especially with how many people here wouldn't mind seeing him dead."

"And I hear a certain Bennett witch was involved with him, so Nik could use him as leverage if he needs a spell done."

"Interested in the town gossip, I see" Rebekah was a little amused, despite the situation at hand.

"I find it entertaining. I need something to do besides worrying about whether Finn and mother will succeed. Especially if we are in such a small town for an unknown length of time." Kol shrugged and chuckled. He downed the rest of his glass and rose from his comfortable position on the couch. Then he left the mansion at vampire speed, glad he was going to be staying in a bigger city for a little bit, away from the brother he loathed.

Once he was gone, she headed to Klaus' art room and went inside without knocking. His hand jerked slightly to the side at her sudden arrival, and a sound of aggravation escaped his lips."Rebekah!" He set his brush down for the moment and turned to face her. He didn't like to be disturbed when he was in his art room unless it was very important, and he certainly didn't like it when it caused him to make an error in his artwork.

"Usually, you are more alert, Nik," Rebekah said, used to her brother being subtly cautious about if Mikael was on their tail. "Or have you gotten comfortable now that our father is gone?"

"I was thinking about Hope" Klaus said after a moment, working on cleaning his brush. "What is it, Rebekah? I messed up my art work because you came in. You might as well get to what you came in here for."

"Before he left, Kol mentioned you were having him go to Denver, where the Gilbert boy is currently living. What are you up to? It's bad enough that our mother and Finn are doing who knows what in an effort to kill us all. The rest of us do not need any more things to be concerned about."

"I know what I am doing. Things aren't ready for to me to fulfill my plans, but I can at least set my pieces in place for when its time to move them."

"Kol isn't a chess piece" Rebekah said. "He's your brother."

"My brother, who was more than pleased to get out of this small town for a little bit and have something else to do. He is likely glad to get away from me without worrying about repercussions."

"Considering it means he is away from the constant impending risk of being daggered by you, I would say your assumption is correct."

Klaus didn't say anything, despite his desire to retort. He just wanted to be left alone. "You'll know about the plans once it comes time to enact them. In the meantime, perhaps you too would like to be away from the constant impending risk of being daggered and would leave this art room before you cause another damage to one of my paintings. Leave me to my thoughts. I have every intention of handling our situation with mother, but for now I need to think."

"Hope is gone, and she will find a way to return to her time. You can't just spend the rest of your time wallowing in your art room, painting. Or maybe you could. At least that way, you wouldn't damage all of those around you." Rebekah said. Klaus grabbed one of his pencils quickly and threw it at her almost instinctively, anger rising in him at her words. She easily caught the pencil thrown at her and dropped it on the table. "You're only proving my point." And with that, she walked out of his art room and headed back down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, relief flooded through her at the sight of her rational brother walking into the mansion. She headed over to him, trying to figure out what she should start with. "Rebekah" Elijah greeted at the sight of his sister approaching him and noticed her expression. "What is it?"

"I believe I know how we can find out where the remaining white oak is. I spoke with Carol Lockwood, and she explained how old trees were probably used in construction and that the family keeping the records of that were the Salvatores. We need to be careful getting the information, but we can take care of it before they get their hands on it."

Elijah listened intently and nodded a bit at her words. "Thank you for informing me, Tread carefully when trying to get the information. They may not have the white oak yet, but we do not need them to discover that there is a weapon they could use to kill us all at once. Is there anything else you have found out?"

"There are three newcomers in this town. I saw Caroline approach them when I was speaking with Carol Lockwood. They were being very vague in their responses to Caroline's questions, and when she left" Rebekah paused for a moment, trying to word it properly. "It was as though they were familiar with a version of this town not like the current one. A version where there is a school for supernatural beings all over. I believe they were from Hope's time."

"Then they likely arrived trying to find her" Elijah said. "Can you show me what they look like? I'll see what I can learn while you focus on the white oak."

Rebekah nodded, and he opened his mind to her, just enough to allow her to show him her memory of what she had seen at the Mystic Grill. Once she was done, he built up his boundary around his mind. "I'll come back here or let you know if I find anything." Elijah agreed before heading to find the newcomers. Rebekah left the mansion as well, though she had a different destination in mind.

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

Damon had gotten to the Mystic Grill in time to see the newcomers leaving, but he decided not to interrogate them yet. He knew he still needed to do research on the murders in 1912 that were similar to the murders going on now. So instead, he followed the three of them at a distance, watching as they ended up at the local motel. Once he knew where they were currently residing, he headed back to the Grill, wanting to get a drink as he thought back on 1912, trying to make sure he remembered as much as he could so that he could efficiently research beyond just Stefan's journal.

Back then, he only really fed out of necessity and lived miserably day by day, waiting for the day he could free Katherine from a tomb she apparently was never in. Just the mere idea of hurting someone unnecessarily, of enjoying himself with another woman, felt as though he were dishonoring Katherine and being a terrible person. That was, of course, before he had met Sage, a redheaded vampire who had taught him how to enjoy his Immortal existence. She had been the first person he was involved with since Katherine had been put into the tomb.

The only reason he had returned to Mystic Falls that year was because of the death of Zachariah Salvatore, his and Stefan's nephew. At first, he had temporarily suspected Stefan as the culprit behind the attack, seeing as how he had killed their family members before, but the death was not that of a vampire, certainly not of Stefan who clearly all too eagerly drank the blood of humans deeply once his hunger took over. He had planned to leave after the funeral of his nephew, but Stefan had insisted on getting a drink and catching up after not seeing each other for about 48 years. Then he had met Sage while watching a boxing match and then again in an alley where she had led him back into the match and taught him how to enjoy himself. How to live an existence other than misery.

Damon had tried showing his brother what Sage had taught him, tried to get him to enjoy himself rather than being in a constant state of self loathing. He did not want his brother to continuously try getting Damon to drink animal blood, which the older Salvatore was sure was not only disgusting but also damaging in the long run. Once he succeeded in convincing his younger brother to feed on someone, it was the first time he had witnessed something so horrific and concerning as he saw his brother continuously feeding until the head fell off of her body. Stefan had both been ridden with guilt and blame towards Damon for pushing him to feed on a person that he fled the scene, refusing to accept help from him anymore.

In comparison, the Founders' Council killer had nothing on Stefan. By the end of the decade, they were calling him the Ripper of Monterey. Damon had led him walk away and didn't do anything to stop him. He hadn't wanted to. He hadn't wanted to either make things worse or have to deal with handling something he barely had any experience of, especially not to that extent. He didn't want to have to console his brother or listen to Stefan blaming both himself and Damon every time a victim died. So he had let him go. And as a result Stefan had torn through so many villages, racking up a body count that Damon didn't want to know the number of. And he knew that it was his fault.

Stefan had needed pushing because animal blood was only making things worse, but he also needed someone to be there with him every step of the way. And now, especially considering Damon had killed Lexi who was the one that frequently helped pull Stefan back over the edge, he knew that he needed to do that now. He couldn't make the same mistake he had once before. He wanted to be there for his brother, no matter what Stefan had to say to it. And whenever he go too far, Damon would be there to pull him back. Every second, every day, till he didn't need him.

By the time he had tried to help Stefan, he had even less interest in who exactly it was that was going around killing members of the Founders Council, which certainly didn't help his modern day problems. The council had questioned many men about it, any of whom could have lied, but Damon doubted they had interrogated the women about their whereabouts during the times of the murders. Perhaps, after reading Stefan's diaries to see if he knew anything else about it, Damon should check the history of the women around those times. See if anything tied what was happening then to what was happening in modern day. He knew he might not find anything, but it was worth a try. 

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

When Caroline entered Stefan's room, he was already exercising, pulling himself up to the bar of wood that went across the top of his room. She watched him in concern, for some reason being reminded of how she cleaned when she was stressed, though she knew she didn't have a good reason to make that connection besides it seeming as though something were bothering him.

"I'm fine" Stefan said before Caroline could even get a word out, continuing to exercise as he tried to work out the blood lust that had continuously been bothering him ever since he decided to suddenly switch back to animal blood again. He didn't need any lectures or advice from his friend. It was better if he just kept his focus on the task at hand, which was trying to come up with a way that would get Klaus out of their lives for good, whether it was by finding a way to kill him without killing other vampires or if it was.

"Are you?" Caroline questioned, her arms crossing across her chest. "You don't seem fine." He seemed like he was trying to work out whatever was bothering him, something she was sure if he talked to her, she would be able to find some way to help him.

He did not say anything to her as he continued to exercise, hoping the silence would be enough to convince her to leave him alone. He had too much on his mind that he needed to sort out and the burning in his throat he needed to quench. He had already gone hunting earlier today, so this craving needed to be dealt with the other way he usually dealt with this kind of thing. 

"Come on, talk to me. I know we haven't exactly been bonding lately with you off with Klaus, but we are still friends. What's bothering you?" She kept her gaze on him, not letting it waver until he finally let go of the wooden beam and dropped to the ground.

He let out a sigh and looked at her with a bit of annoyance, wanting to just be left alone by everyone at the moment, but it seemed as though he was not going to get his wish. Especially considering he knew well how stubborn his blonde friend was. It reminded him of Lexi in a way, except Caroline did not have the same experience as Lexi did to be able to help him with this kind of thing.  "I've been getting off of human blood and going back to animal blood."

"And I tempted you again with my blood even though its not human blood." Caroline said, looking at Stefan as realization about what he was going through hit her. "I'm sorry. I really was only trying to help you wake up."

"I know it wasn't your intention, but it still is difficult getting that kind of reminder of what I'm trying to get myself off of. But I'll be okay. I just need to focus and exercise, and I can work past it."

"You don't have to just cut yourself off cold turkey" she said. "We can work together to find a way you can tolerate human blood without tearing into people the way you do. And even if you do wish to just go to animal blood, I could help you get cleaned up. Keep you from getting off track."

"I don't need help. I just need to be left alone to handle this." He sighed, wanting to just be able to think and concentrate in peace.

Caroline raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "I'm student council vice president, Miss Mystic Falls, head of the prom committee, not to mention I single-handedly organized this town's clean up campaign. And you're really going to turn down my help?" she questioned, her hand now on her hip as she thought about how out of everyone still around, she was probably the best person capable of helping Stefan, given her planning and organization skills and how she was someone Stefan trusted, even if he was being infuriating a bit at the moment. "I could be your sober sponsor. Except for blood instead of alcohol or drugs."

"Alright, fine. You can be my sober sponsor. But I don't want you constantly trying to talk me out of plans involving the Mikaelsons that I want to get done."

She frowned at being told not to speak her mind if she disagreed with what he was planning, but she knew Stefan needed help. "Okay, I agree, so long as the plan isn't extremely dangerous to the point it will likely get you killed."

"I suppose that is fair enough" He said after a moment, causing his friend to smile with satisfaction. He knew it could still disrupt his plans, but this was better than the alternative, which was being alone to deal with his blood lust that he was already struggling to maintain. And he wasn't even around fresh human blood. 

"What else is bothering you? I can tell its not just the idea of drinking human blood again."

"Elena is in love with Damon," Stefan said after a long moment.

"What? She can't be in love with Damon! He's... Damon" she said in disgust, "And you're... you" Her tone shifted to affectionate briefly as she spoke the word you. "And I'm... revolted."

"She is. She said as much when she thought we were all going to die. And I think they kissed too. I didn't see it, but it felt like there was a shift between them. With everything else going on involving Alaric and the murders and the Mikaelsons, I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to her about where we stand."

"Well, I'm going to talk to her and see what I can find out about where her head is. She may have feelings for him, but how can anyone love him? I think you two just need to sit and talk about everything and how you feel about one another. I think that's long overdue and it will help her realize things and come to terms with the emotions she is feeling."

"I don't know. I knew I would lose her the minute I left town with Klaus. I just... didn't think I'd be here having to see it." Stefan admitted after a moment, thinking about how it felt seeing how the two had gotten closer in the time that she was gone.

"You haven't lost her yet. We haven't even properly talked to her. For now, I think you need to get your mind off of everything that has been going on lately, your fixation on Klaus included. So lets get out of the house for a bit and do something to distract you."

Before Stefan could protest, Caroline grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the room and out of the house. He wasn't sure what awaited him, but he had a feeling it would successfully manage to distract him even if it was for a moment and even if he didn't want to be distracted."

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

Meanwhile, Hope was asleep on the bus that was heading towards the town of Mystic Falls, restless from the nightmare she was currently experiencing. Above her head were storm clouds, raining down strong in a path that was seemingly following the bus and had been for the past hour, not lightening up at all. Her grip tightened a bit on the bag on her lap. Her dream consisted of Landon, Lizzie, and Josie, three of the people she cared about most (as well as her family of course) lying dead on the ground in the snow. In the dream, a devastated Hope fell to her knees, a sob escaping her lips, when suddenly a song began to play from a music box in front of her.

Chapter Text

It was a long bus ride from New Orleans to Mystic Falls, and the tribrid couldn't wait to get there. She knew she could have used vampire speed, but that was easier when you knew where you were going. Hope didn't have a full sense of directions of the long way from New Orleans to Mystic Falls memorized in her brain. And if she wasn't suddenly so tired, she would have stayed awake and tried to remember it. Yet at some point during the ride, the tribrid fell asleep, her bag on her lap, tight in her grip. 

The dream began in a suffocating fog. Hope stood in the ruins of the Mikaelson compound, the air heavy with the scent of ash and blood. On the ground laid her necklace, just out of her reach. The room was dark, dreary and silent except for a quiet hum of a lullaby. Hope tried to run, but her feet wouldn't move. The fog thickened around her, constricting her like invisible chains. The harder she struggled, the tighter it bound her.

 "There is no escape, Hope. You were always meant to be mine."

Hope woke up gasping, her heart pounding, unsure if the dream was simply a product of fear or a warning of something yet to come. She sighed and closed her eyes as she sat near the back of the bus, her head resting against the window. The hum of the engine and the quiet murmur of a few scattered passengers were the only sounds. That and the sound of rain hitting the bus as it moved down the street. She didn’t look up when the sharp click of heels echoed down the aisle. The sound stopped beside her seat. Without asking, the stranger slid into the seat next to her. 

Hope stiffened slightly, glancing out of the corner of her eye.  The woman had an air of confidence about her, the kind that came with someone who was used to commanding attention. Her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders, somewhat blocking her face. For a moment, Hope thought it was her friend Elena, but it definitely didn't have the same feeling as it would if her friend was beside her. 

Hope hesitated before asking. “Uh, can I help you?”

The woman smirked, leaning back against the seat. “Not really. But you looked like someone worth talking to.” Her tone was smooth, practiced, as if she were sizing Hope up with every word. “And the name Mikaelson carries a certain… reputation.”

Hope turned to face her fully, frowning. “You know my family?” She finally really saw the woman's face and just how like Elena she looked. Realization began to sink in about who was sitting beside her. 

“Oh, we’ve crossed paths,” the woman said casually. “Mostly your charming father. Klaus and I had… history. Let’s just say we didn’t part on the best of terms. Though I certainly wasn't expecting him to have a child. And I doubt he was prepared to find out he had a child either. He isn't a parenting type of guy"

“You're Katherine Pierce.” She sat up straighter, her mind immediately pulling memories from the Salvatore School. "I’ve seen your picture at the school.” The words escaped Hope's lips before she could stop them. "As for my father, he can surprise you" She had good memories with him and only wished that he could have both been able to be with her throughout her life and that he didn't die just when she was able to finally get to spend time with him. 

Katherine raised an eyebrow, confused.  “They keep a photo of me on the wall? How flattering. What school are you talking about exactly?" 

Hope’s lips pressed into a thin line. “it's not important. I've heard about you. Manipulative. Self-serving. Dangerous.”

Katherine laughed softly, the sound low and unbothered. “Such flattering descriptions.”

The tribrid leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. “I’m not one to blindly follow what people say. Especially not considering how people view Klaus. How do you know who I am?”

“The supernatural world talks. A lot. And I've done my research into figuring out who you are as much as I have been able to. It was tricky figuring out if you were from the past or the future, though you don't exactly seem like you'd be old and wise"

Hope’s frown deepened. "And I'm guessing you've also talked to the Salvatores? Considering your mutual dislike of my family"

“A few times,” Katherine said. " And I had some allies contact witches on the other side to see what they knew. And you radiate with power, from what I hear."

“So, why are you on this bus? Heading to Mystic Falls too?”

Katherine shrugged, toying idly with the hem of her jacket. “Maybe I missed the place. Or maybe I have unfinished business there.”

Suspicion flared in Hope’s chest, and she turned to fully face Katherine. “Unfinished business like what?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know,” Katherine teased, her tone dripping with amusement. “But what about you? What’s a powerful little thing like you doing on a bus? Shouldn’t you have a car or a plane  for transport or family bodyguards?”

Hope hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should share anything. But something about Katherine’s tone—half teasing, half genuinely curious—made her speak. “My family was attacked in Mystic Falls,” she said quietly, her voice tinged with frustration. “I’m going there to figure out what happened.”

Katherine’s brow arched slightly, though her expression remained calm. “Attacked? Any idea who’s behind it?”

“Not yet,” Hope admitted, though she did have a few ideas, just none worth sharing. “But I will.”

For a moment, Katherine said nothing, simply studying her with that same amused glint in her eyes. Then she leaned back against the seat, crossing her legs. “Mystic Falls is a dangerous place,” she said finally.“ That town has a knack for pulling people into its chaos.”

Hope turned back toward the window, her gaze distant. “I’m not scared of chaos.”

“Brave,” Katherine said with a small smirk. “I like that. Why did you leave town anyway? I know you were there before."

"I was trying to keep the future from changing, but that seems impossible now." She hesitated. "You don’t seem as bad as people say. Not yet, anyway.”

“Here’s the thing—you intrigue me. You’re not like the other Mikaelsons. Giving people the benefit of the doubt? That’s not exactly a family trait.”

Hope shrugged, leaning back in her seat. “Maybe I’m trying to break the pattern.”

Katherine’s smile turned sharper, her dark eyes glinting with something unreadable. “Good luck with that."

The bus rattled on through the darkened highway, the hum of the engine filling the silence between them. Hope leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed as she mulled over Katherine’s words. She wasn’t sure what to make of the woman—she was manipulative, that much was clear. But there was something about her that felt oddly genuine, even if only slightly. She couldn't help but wonder what the woman would have been like if she hadn't been on the run for 500 years. If she had been able to live freely like most people could. 

Katherine, meanwhile, stared out the window, her thoughts her own. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. The Tribrid was sharper than she expected, and there was a fire in her that Katherine couldn’t help but admire. And yet also this unexpected gentleness, this Hope and a look of the world weighing down on her shoulders at every passing moment. She knew it had been risky getting on the bus with the powerful tribrid, especially considering she still had to be on the run from Klaus, and yet her curiosity of the time traveler had overcome her. She just needed to make sure she played her cards right. If the tribrid liked her, then maybe she could get her freedom after all. 

As the bus continued its journey, the faint lights of Mystic Falls began to appear on the horizon. The quiet tension between them lingered, both women lost in their own thoughts, preparing for whatever awaited them at their destination.

Chapter Text

Inside the motel room, Landon took a seat on the couch and sighed, trying to think about what could have happened. He knew Hope and knew that she would try to make the right choice to walk away, no matter how much it hurt her. But he also knew that her family was alive here and Hope likely would have spoken with her father before she forced herself to leave. Maybe even spent a little time with him. 

The thought gnawed at him. If only he could track Klaus down himself. But with Josie watching his every move, it wasn't that simple. She had already made her feelings clear. She didn't approve of him running off to chase ghosts or anyone else from this timeline, and he wasn't in the mood to fight her on it. Not tonight, anyway.

Landon sighed deeply, running a hand over his face a bit as he tried to process everything. Hope had been forced to disappear because of a time travel spell-one that she didn't choose but was  thrust upon her by dark Josie. Now, he, Lizzie, and Josie were tangled in the same mess, stuck in a time decades before their own, trying to figure out how to find her and bring her back. 

Josie sat cross-legged on the bed, flipping through the spell book that had been with her when they traveled back in time.  "We're running out of ways to find her"  she murmured, her brows furrowed as she traced her finger down a page. They had already tried a couple of spells. But without anything personal of Hope's or a family member,  the remaining options were dangerous, leaning into dark magic Josie wasn't willing to touch. Not again. Not after last time. "And if we're really back in this timeline, we have to be careful. The last thing we need is to accidentally mess something up."

Lizzie rolled her eyes from her spot on the bed. "Right, because we haven't already messed everything up just by being here.  Honestly, can't believe this is our life now-chasing Hope through time like we're in some second-rate sci-fi movie. Weren't the monsters bad enough? We don't even get to go exploring and spending time with our mom because we're worried about messing things up. This so isn't as fun as it could be." 

"Can you not?" Josie shot back, glaring at her sister. "This isn't a joke. If we don't find Hope and figure out how to get back, we could be stuck here. Forever. And it will be my fault. All of it." 

"You were consumed by dark magic" Landon said. " It wasn't your fault"

"He's right. You weren't yourself. You were a hot topic Josie-mort. And now you're back to the same Josie we all know and love" Lizzie pointed out. 

"I'm pretty sure most of the students at the school would disagree" Josie said.

"Well, they're not here, are they?"

"It's getting late. Maybe we should rest and head out in the morning?" Josie said after a moment, still feeling the guilt weighing down on her about what she had done, suffocating her. She hated the idea of doing any magic at all right now, which was why she had been more than happy to direct Lizzie on doing the spells rather than doing them herself. "None of us have gotten much sleep lately while trying to figure out how to get her back, and we aren't going to solve anything by being exhausted. We aren't going to find Hope, who probably isn't anywhere near Mystic Falls by this point" 

Lizzie nodded. "And in the morning, we can try to use the Hobbit to try to track Hope down." 

"Do you think that will work?" Landon asked. 

"No, but we need to do something. And if we can't approach the Mikaelsons, then you're the best we've got. Considering how close you two are" 

The twins fell asleep quickly, their exhaustion from days of worry finally catching up with them. Landon stayed on the couch for a while, staring at the cracked ceiling and listening to the muffled sounds of passing cars outside. His thoughts raced-about Hope, about the Mikaelsons, about how much of this felt like it was on him to fix. Finally, he made up his mind. Moving as quietly as he could, Landon slipped off the couch and grabbed his jacket. He glanced at the twins to make sure they were still asleep before tiptoeing to the door. The hinges creaked softly as he opened it, and he froze, holding his breath until he was sure neither Josie nor Lizzie had stirred. 

Once outside, he exhaled and started walking. He didn't have a solid plan-just a determination to find the Mikaelsons, no matter how dangerous or reckless it might be. If anyone had a chance of helping Hope, it was them. And Landon couldn't sit around waiting anymore.

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

"So you don't have any idea who the newcomers are?" Elena asked as she held her phone to her ear with her shoulder  while she kept reading Samantha Gilbert's journal with interest. She needed to figure out what was going on in this town, and she hoped this journal would help them figure out what was going on now. 

"No" Damon replied. "Though they recognized us. It was strange. I found where they are staying, so I was thinking I'll confront them later, once we find something more about our current problem. 

"About that, I'm currently reading Samantha Gilbert's journal from 1912 to see if it has anything that ties to what is going on now. It might be a long shot, but at this point, we've got to do something."

"Where did you get it?" Damon asked Elena with a small frown on his face, wondering if she had found it in her family's things or somewhere else. He recognized the name. 

"Oh, um, Matt and I kind of broke in to Meredith's apartment to see what we could find out to clear Ric's name." 

"You broke into the apartment of someone that could be the killer? Seriously?"

"I had to do something. Especially since you weren't. Besides, it's not like you could get in without an invitation. Matt and I are human."

"Did you get caught?" Damon asked. After a moment, he pressed. "Elena?"

"Yes, okay? We got caught. Ended up in Sheriff Forbes' office." 

He let out a heavy sigh. "Consult someone with actual supernatural abilities before you do something else reckless and stupid. She could have killed you."

"She didn't" Elena said. "I'll let you know if I find anything useful in the journal." She hung up before he could say anything else. 

Damon let out a sigh and continued looking through the family archives now that he was back home after some much needed drinking at the Mystic Grill. He flipped through the pages, reading with some vampire speed, wanting to find the information sooner rather than later if there was a chance this would be able to help with what was happening now. Maybe there was some records left about what exactly happened in 1912.

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

While they were on the bus, Hope Mikaelson and Katherine Pierce talked a bit more before finally the bus arrived near Mystic Falls. Hope grabbed her bag and headed off of the bus. "How long has your vampire side been active?" Katherine asked as she followed Hope off of the bus.

"Why do I have the feeling you already have an idea on what the answer to that question is?" Hope questioned as she headed towards the small town of Mystic Falls. 

"It was while you were gone, wasn't it?" Katherine asked. "You went to New Orleans, and there you triggered your vampire side."

The tribrid looked over at her. "How do you know that?"

"I have connections all over the world, considering your father has me on the run. One of them informed me of the sky turning blood red in New Orleans. it would make sense that a powerful and unique phenomenon was what caused it. And you seem different than when I saw you before. From a distance."

"Well, you're right," Hope said. "I - I don't know how I died. Nothing happened. It was like it wasn't happening to me but rather as a result of something else. I came to make sure nothing happened to my family. If someone linked bloodline, I could have been connected to that."

"They did. The night of the ball. I thought for a moment that the Mikaelsons were dead, but  it turned out they were merely desiccated before returning to normal, despite the fact Esther wanted them to remain dead. I think that was because of you. They're only alive because you hadn't yet activated your vampire side. So when you came back, so did they." Katherine explained.

Worry etched across her expression. "I have to go and help them, make sure they're alright and that they don't get killed. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome. I should go. I don't exactly want certain people to know I am in town. Everyone thinks I left and am staying gone. Would you-"

"I won't tell anyone. I promise. It'll be as though we never spoke." Hope gave her a small smile. Until the woman actually proved to be a problem, she couldn't help but be glad to have met her. Katherine had provided her with important information, and she was good company. She was just someone that had to constantly be on the lookout because her father was somewhat committed to chasing her enough to scare her. Just like Klaus had to deal with Mikael for so long before he finally killed him. 

Katherine nodded at her words and disappeared at vampire speed, leaving Hope alone. The tribrid sighed softly before heading through the woods towards the Mikaelson house, trying to figure out what she was going to do about her grandmother, who seemed bent on killing all of them. What had happened last time? Clearly they had survived whatever happened. So what made this time different to where they would have been dead without her?

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

After about fifteen minutes, Landon heard a faint gust of win, a sound that normally wouldn't have been surprising considering he was outdoors, had it not been for the body that appeared beside him. His heart raced as he turned to see who it was. Despite having spent a year at a school full of vampires, Landon was far from used to their unnervingly quiet arrivals, especially when it came to someone practically materializing right next to him.

The face was familiar—instantly recognizable, even though they'd only met once before. Landon had memorized every member of Hope's family from the photos she'd shown him over the years. But even if he hadn't, this face was unforgettable. Elijah Mikaelson, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit as if he'd just stepped out of a high-profile business meeting, stood with the same calm, composed demeanor Landon remembered from their first encounter years ago.  They had met when Landon and Hope had been fifteen years old the day he had asked  Hope Mikaelson  out for the first time and had been the person that gave him nearly a three hundred dollar tip.  

Landon wasn't sure what to say to him. He knew that he had to speak with the Mikaelsons, but he hadn't been expecting it to be right at this moment out of nowhere. He had been expecting to have to arrive at the Mikaelson mansion before he interacted with them. 

Elijah spoke first, saving Landon the trouble of breaking the silence. "I've been following you since you left the motel," he said, his tone casual yet pointed, his gaze ahead as he started to walk. 

Landon blinked, caught off guard. He scrambled to catch up, falling into step beside the old vampire. "If asked why, would you tell me?"

Elijah was silent for a moment, long enough that Landon wasn't entirely sure he would respond. "I know you have traveled into town alongside two teenage girls. After suddenly being approached, anyone else in your position would have asked me who I was, but you seem to recognize me."

"I do," Landon confirmed, stopping in his tracks. He turned to face Elijah directly. "l'm traveling with two friends, and we're looking for someone you might know. My name is Landon Kirby" He extended a hand, more relaxed than before. 

Elijah paused, his sharp eyes studying Landon's face for a beat before clasping his hand in a firm handshake. "Elijah Mikaelson" he said smoothly. "I assume the person you're searching for is Hope?"

"Yes" Landon said with a sense of relief, glad that meant he at least had a possible lead about where she could be.  "I wasn't sure if you met her or if she had left before you had a chance to be able to."

"I met her, though she was only in town for a day after I got the pleasure of meeting her." He wished he had gotten to spend more time with her. However, as long as they prevented their mother from killing them, the Mikaelsons would not only be able to meet her again, but they would be able to spend the rest of their lives with her. 

"I was actually headed to your family mansion when you arrived" Landon said, his heart sinking a bit at the confirmation she had left town. "I wanted to know if you had any idea where she might have gone. Did she say where she was going?" 

"No." Elijah's gaze grew thoughtful. "She wanted to leave without telling us her destination. She slipped away during the ball my family hosted recently. You seem to be quite fond of her" The Mikaelson said, recognizing the look in Landon's eyes. 

"I love her" he said. "Is there any chance Klaus knows something?"

"You could speak with the rest of my family" Elijah said, though there was a note of skepticism in his voice. "Though doubt any of them will know more than do. Certainly not Niklaus." 

Landon hesitated, unsure if he was about to overstep or mess up the timeline like Josie was so worried about, but it was Hope. That was all that really mattered, finding her and bringing her home. "Still," he said slowly, "I'd like to make sure." 

Elijah's lips curved into a faint, almost smile. "Very well" he said. Without another word, he gestured for Landon to follow him, and the two set off toward the Mikaelson family mansion. 

The two walked in silence for a while, Landon doing his best to mask the growing anxiety swirling in his chest. It wasn't the fact that the Mikaelsons were centuries-old vampires that made him nervous- Landon had spent enough time around the supernatural world for that to barely register. No, what unsettled him was the simple fact that this was Hope's family. Meeting them felt monumental, even if this wasn't exactly a formal introduction. Even if Hope herself wasn't able to be here for this.  The weight of that realization hit him again as the Mikaelson mansion came into view, its silhouette outlined against the moonlit sky. The place felt like it had stepped out of a storybook, equal parts majestic and foreboding. He really hoped someone there would have answers that could help him find her. 

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

"Welcome back. So while you were out partying with blondie,  I dug into the old family archives from the 1900s. Which is a really weird turn around if you think about it" Damon said, thinking about the fact he was the partier and Stefan was the one more likely to dig through this kind of thing. And yet here they were. 

"I needed a distraction, and Caroline was more than happy to provide one." 

Damon made a face at that. "I knew y'all were friends, but since when did you retreat into the distraction category?"

Stefan shot him an unamused look. "We're friends. Not everyone sleeps around for a distraction. Now, come on. What'd you find?"

Damon chuckled a bit, momentarily finding humor before having to face what he just read. "Well, nothing from 1912, they never did arrest anyone for the Founders' murders. But, they did get a confession ten years later."

"They did? Who?" 

"Johnathan Gilbert's granddaughter, Samantha. They assumed she was crazy. Locked her up in an insane asylum." Which didn't make sense. "The trail ends there. I mean, she was a Founder, you know how they like to look out for their own. But that's not the strange part. I'm pretty sure I had already killed her."

"So you think Samantha Gilbert is still alive, running around Mystic Falls, killing Founders?"

"It's not possible, if she became a vampire, we'd know about it, right?"

"Then she must have had a ring that brought her back to life, I mean she was a Gilbert, right? Those rings were passed on for generations.

"Yeah, but even if she had a ring, she wouldn't be alive today. Doesn't protect her from old age. Johnathan Gilbert only made two of those rings. Jeremy has one of them and the other's.... Alaric's"

"Damon..." Stefan trailer off, unsure of what to say. "We don't know that is what is happening here. " 

"No, but it's likely" Damon said. "Look, I'm going to work on dealing with this. You focus on the newcomers." 

The younger Salvatore blinked at the direction a little. "Why do they matter to you?" 

"Because I don't like the idea of people just showing up in our town out of thin air and putting us under a sleeping spell. Look, you wanted a distraction. Here's a distraction. They're at the motel," Damon said. "I'll let you know what happens on the  Ric front."

Stefan nodded. " I'll let you know what I find out." 

"Good" his brother said before leaving. 

Stefan watched him go and let out a sigh before heading over to the motel to find out what he could about the new people in town, despite how much he'd rather be finding a way to kill Klaus without dying as well.

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

Dread and horror was sinking into Elena Gilbert as she read more of Samantha Gilbert's journal. Then she reread some of it to make sure it had been processed correctly. Her finger traced over the drawing of an all too familiar Gilbert ring. This couldn't be happening. And yet it was the only thing that made sense. She had opened this journal, looking for answers, and by the look of it, she found them, no matter how much she wished it wasn't the answer. She flipped the page and continued reading, hoping desperately that Samantha found a way to stop this from happening. 

The ring. 

All of the deaths Alaric had endured from the moment Damon killed him the first time. Everything led to this, to him losing himself to the dark magic imbedded into the ring. The same kind of ring Jeremy currently had with him in Denver. And now Ric was killing people and had stabbed himself, no matter how hard it was to believe. Stabbed himself to make him seem innocent. To make her nearly have to- To make her have had to kill him if it wasn't for Hope being there with her.

She marked the page she had left off at and closed the journal, holding it close to her. It took her a moment, but finally she stood up and headed downstairs, knowing this needed to be talked about. As she headed downstairs, she heard voices. Meredith was there with Alaric, talking to him. And by the sounds of it, she had figured it out from reading this journal as well, and that was why she had it and the letter from the medical examiner in her closet. The letter was probably forged. But why have someone arrested and then clear their name? Elena shook herself out of her thoughts before quietly walking closer to where they were talking.  

"You're insane" Alaric was telling Meredith, unable to bring himself to believe what she was telling him was the truth. He couldn't be the killer. He just couldn't be. He felt normal. But part of him couldn't shake the feeling, the itching reminder inside about the blackouts he had, about the phone call he and Meredith had that he couldn't remember. 

"No, but I think you might be. You wear a ring that lets you cheat death, Ric. How many times can you die before it changes you?" Meredith asked as she followed him over to the dining table.  Alaric sat down, needing a moment to process the news, and Meredith sat near him, looking at him in concern. "I think you're sick and I want to help you. This has happened before, almost 100 years ago." 

Elena finally stepped into view, the journal clutched to her chest. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ric, I think she's right."

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

When Stefan reached the motel, he listened carefully before approaching the motel room.  It wasn't hard to know which one was being used, seeing as no one else was currently staying at the motel. He tried the doorknob, and it opened, unlocked. Josie, who had just recently gotten up, panicked and annoyed about Landon's absence, spun towards the door, hoping it was her ex-boyfriend entering. Her heart sank a bit as she realized it was Stefan Salvatore, someone from the past that she shouldn't be interacting with. Beside her, Lizzie looked at Stefan curiously, having fuzzy memories of him from their childhood rising to the surface. This was the man their mom had loved, someone they had gotten to spend time with when they were too young to remember vividly anymore. The man that had died to save his brother and the rest of the town from Katherine Pierce.  She hadn't gotten a chance to really see him earlier when she put him and Damon under a sleeping spell. 

"What are you doing here?" Josie asked, looking at him warily. She knew he was a good person, one of the best her mom knew, alongside Bonnie. But they were in the past and Josie knew the two of them shouldn't even be near him. Even though part of her longed to spend time with the man from distant memories that her mother had fallen in love with. 

"I'm not here to cause any problems. We have enough going on in town at the moment without needing to worry about newcomers. Who are you? Where's the third one of you?" Stefan asked, walking closer to them. 

"Probably off to talk to the Mikaelsons. He snuck out while we were asleep" Josie said. 

"I'm Lizzie." Lizzie introduced herself with a smile, not as worried as her sister was about changing everything. "This is my sister Josie. And the missing hobbit is Landon." She ignored the look her sister shot her. "Sorry for the sleeping spell, but we really have things to do and discuss. And you two clearly weren't going to let us leave."

"It's fine. I wasn't worried about it. I just am here to make sure you three are just regular, albeit supernatural, teenagers." Stefan explained. "And better it be me than my brother."

"What's going on in this town?" Lizzie asked. 

"Nothing you need to worry about if you leave town." 

"Which we are going to be doing tomorrow," Josie said. "And it's getting late. We need to get back to bed. We've got a long drive tomorrow."

"In what car? You appeared out of nowhere. And it didn't seem like a cloaking spell." Stefan pointed out.

"We'll figure something out. We don't need help or information exchanged. It's better for you to just leave us alone." Josie said reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just want what's best."

Staying to the side and trying not to get involved was never something Lizzie was interested in, so she couldn't really bring herself to even try to stop the next words from leaving her mouth. "Have you met someone named Hope recently? We are looking for her" 

Stefan wasn't really that surprised. Everything seemed to go back to the Mikaelsons, and they had mentioned their friend was likely visiting the Mikaelsons. "I have. We first met in my old apartment in Chicago. And then again at Gloria's Bar, where she outed my lies to Klaus and gave him the idea of turning off my humanity and forcing me to do whatever he wanted." 

"What happened after that?" Josie asked, unable to help herself from asking. If it could help them find Hope, maybe asking Stefan was the right call in ways talking to the Mikaelsons wasn't. 

"We all came back to Mystic Falls. Long story short, my humanity is back, and so is my free will. Hope left town after the ball the Mikaelsons held. It didn't sound like she had any interest in coming back, from what I heard. But I wasn't exactly someone that really spoke to her. That would be Elena."

"Thank you. We aren't here to cause trouble. Just leave us be, and we'll be out of town tomorrow to go find Hope" Josie said. 

" Have you tried a locator spell?" 

"Several, but it's a dead end. We don't have her blood or her belongings. And the only real possible working other method is dark magic, but that's out of the question. We don't practice dark magic."

" You could always approach the Mikaelsons and get blood from them. That's family's blood, which is useful in most scenarios when it comes to tracking. Though they aren't exactly the best people to approach unless you have to. I know I'd rather if they were out of our lives for good."

"Are you that familiar with locator spells?" Lizzie asked, taking a seat on the bed. 

" Not particularly" Stefan admitted. " I'm not a witch after all. However, I have known a few witches over the years and seen a few locator spells done. Maybe we could help you find her as well. It must be difficult in the past."

"Is there anything Hope didn't tell you?" Lizzie questioned, amused as Josie let out a heavy sigh. 

"No, but thank you. We'll manage" Josie said. "You should go."

"Alright. Well, you clearly know where to find me if you change your mind" Stefan said. He didn't really want to spend time arguing with these teenagers to get them to let him help. Besides, he knew Damon wanted them out of town, and Stefan had to focus on figuring out how to deal with the Mikaelsons. These kids weren't a problem. 

With that in mind, Stefan left and headed back home. 

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

Hope's thoughts swirled with memories of her family—the struggles, the triumphs, and the relentless pressure of being the tribrid, the only one of her kind, the struggle of being in the past but not knowing what she should do. What was she supposed to do to her grandmother? Kill her? Was she even capable of killing someone that didn't look like a monster? And if she did that, she couldn't take it back. Not without devastating consequences of some kind. But she had to help her family, no matter how it affected the future. Even if she couldn't stop the inevitable conclusion later, she could help with now. 

It was those thoughts that were the reason she hadn't used her vampire speed to get home. But the deeper she walked, the more she felt the weight of her own mind. For a moment, the world seemed to blur, and Hope shook her head, as if trying to clear the fog that lingered in her thoughts.

Her footsteps slowed as a strange chill crept over her, the temperature dropping abruptly.  her senses immediately alert, a strange knot forming in her stomach as her instincts told her something was very wrong.  Mist began to form at the ground  and swirled in front of her, thick and unnatural, as though it had a life of its own. With each breath, she felt her strength begin to drain away.

"What is this?" Hope whispered to herself.  She tried to cast a spell to clear the mist, but it was as if the mist itself was suppressing her, blurring the connection she had always had with her powers. She took a step back, trying to push through the fog, but it was everywhere. Her limbs felt heavy, as if the world itself was pressing down on her. Despite that, she continued to try spells to clear it, but nothing was working. 

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the mist—a woman with long dark hair.  Hope's heart skipped a beat, and she took a step back, narrowing her eyes. Something about the woman felt... wrong. She didn't belong in Mystic Falls, in this place. She wasn't someone Hope recognized, but the energy she radiated was unmistakable, even though she had no memories of her, having been too young the time they had met in her timeline. 

"Dahlia," Hope whispered, her voice barely audible as she barely had a glimpse of the memory of her painting of the blonde and the dark haired girl in the meadow before it faded away. The name felt foreign on her lips, but it tugged at something deep inside her—a memory that was just out of reach. She knew this woman was dangerous. Someone she should stop or be afraid of, her mind going to her Aunt Freya and her history. 

"Yes, dear Hope," Dahlia replied, her voice smooth, yet laced with a coldness that sent shivers down Hope's spine. "I've been waiting for this moment since I woke up.  You traveled back into time and activated your vampire side. It caused a surge of power. I followed, waiting for you to be alone and vulnerable enough for me to claim what is rightfully mine. You are a powerful tribrid, but even the strongest of us have weaknesses. And yours is the very thing that makes you who you are—the memories of your past, of your family. Those memories hold power. And I intend to take them from you." She had seen as much even when she was asleep, sensing the presence of Hope before it was strong enough to wake her. 

Hope struggled to keep her eyes open as she fell to her knees, her vision blurring as the fog pressed in around her. Her memories, her life—her father, Klaus, her mother, Hayley, and the family she'd lost—they felt so far away, slipping through her fingers like sand. She could feel her own identity fading, like the edges of a dream that was slowly being forgotten.

"No..." Hope gasped, her voice trembling with fear. "You can't... you can't take them."

Dahlia crouched down in front of her. "Oh, but I already have, dear Hope. It's already begun. Every memory you have—the love, the pain, the joy—will be wiped away. You will forget the very essence of who you are."

Hope could feel her mind starting to unravel. The memories of her childhood, the pain of her parents' deaths, the bond she had with her friends at the Salvatore School—everything  was slipping through her grasp. She let out a desperate scream of magic, blue waves of power immitting from her and sending Dahlia crashing further back into the woods, but it wasn't enough to stop the spell that was already taking place.

She saw flashes—the faces of her family. Klaus, her father, the powerful Original Hybrid she had barely gotten a chance to know. Hayley, her mother, the woman who had fought for her until the very end. Landon, the love of her life who she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And then there were her friends at the school—Rafael, Lizzie, Josie, and MG,the people who had become her family. But each memory, each face, began to fade into the mist, lost in a sea of empty fog.

"No..." Hope whispered again, the word escaping her lips like a final plea. "I won't forget..."

But Dahlia only smiled as she walked back from where Hope had thrown her, her body having a few scratches from the impact of the magical throw. "You will, Hope. It's already done."

With a final, soft incantation, Dahlia's magic twisted through the air, sealing the spell. The mist faded as the forest returned to its natural stillness. Hope's body slumped to the ground, her mind now a blank canvas. The memories that had once defined her life—her struggles, her victories, her very sense of self—were gone, erased by the ancient magic Dahlia had woven.

With a final, satisfied glance at Hope's unconscious face, Dahlia rose. "Sleep now, dear Hope," she whispered, her voice cold and devoid of warmth. "When you awaken, you will be free from the burdens of your past. Ready to embrace the path I have chosen for you."

Without another word, Dahlia vanished, leaving the woods silent once again. The peaceful atmosphere returned, as though nothing had transpired, while the only trace of the encounter was Hope, lying unconscious amid the fallen leaves, her memories erased, and her fate now in Dahlia's hands.

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

When Hope woke up, the forest around her seemed unfamiliar, and though she couldn't place it, a deep sense of loss gnawed at her, filling the air with an overwhelming emptiness. She pushed herself to her feet when a woman emerged from the shadows.

"You're awake," the woman said softly.  "How do you feel?"

Hope took a cautious step back, wariness creeping into her chest. "Who are you?" she asked.  "Where am I?"

The woman smiled gently, though the warmth did not reach her eyes. "I am Dahlia," she replied, her tone serene. "I am your aunt. You are safe now, in a place where no harm can reach you."

Hope's brow furrowed in confusion. "My aunt?" she repeated. "I don't remember... I don't remember anything."

Dahlia's expression softened with a calculated sympathy. "You've been through a great ordeal, dear one. Your memories were clouded by dark magic, but I am here to help you reclaim your true self."

Hope searches Dahlia's face, desperate for answers. "Why can't I remember? What happened to me?"

Dahlia placed a hand gently on Hope's shoulder. "Evil forces sought to control you, to use your power for their own gain," she explained, her voice steady. "I intervened to protect you. But in doing so, your memories were affected. Together, we can restore what was lost and ensure your safety."

Hope's mind was a blur, and though part of her hesitated, she had no recollection to hold her back. "How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, the doubt clear in her voice.

"I am your family, Hope. I will help you through the darkness that wants to consume you."

Hope paused, the emptiness in her mind overwhelming. She could find no solid memory to hold onto, nothing to challenge Dahlia's words. Inside, she felt the loss of whatever memories she did have, but she was also free from the burdens she constantly felt from having to make the right choices.

"Trust me, Hope," Dahlia said softly. "I will help you find yourself again."

Reluctantly, Hope nodded, the sense of loss still hanging over her like a cloud. With Dahlia's promise, she took the first tentative steps toward the uncertain path ahead.

Chapter Text

Elena still had Samantha Gilbert's journal in her hand like it was something she didn't want to set down. As though even though she had read through it, it could still hold the answers to how to save Ric. It still felt crazy that this was happening. Meredith had been right about Alaric being guilty. Elena pushed the idea away because she knew and trusted him. But this journal... the way it talked about her ring, the same ring Alaric had died wearing numerous times... it pretty much proved that it's protection was causing him to kill people. That his mind was now poisoned by the dark magic in the ring and each death he had been resurrected from. Just as Samantha Gilbert's had. 

Alaric sat hunched on the couch, the revelation like a shadow pressing down on him. Meredith stayed close, steady, and Elena finally forced herself to lay the journal down on the counter. Not because she wanted to. Because she needed her hands free. Because she needed to do something. Tea. It was not Alaric's preferred drink, but it was something soothing he could drink. Samantha's journal was beside her where she stood in the kitchen.  Damon entered the house without knocking, wanting to see his friend and break the news. But when he glanced around and took in the expressions, it was clear they had already known. 

Elena looked over and saw Damon before finding herself going over to him, the journal forgotten for the first time since she started reading it. "You're here," she said softly, the words catching on her breath.

Damon's gaze flicked from Elena to Ric, then back again. The corner of his mouth twitched—not quite a smile, not quite sorrow. "Yeah. I'm here," he said, low and steady.

Before Elena could stop herself, she pulled him into a hug, seeing the look in his eyes, no matter how much he tried to keep his emotions from his expression. And the way he had looked around showed that he knew the truth. The truth that meant there was a good chance they would lose Alaric. Damon's arms slowly wrapped around Elena and hug her close, taking comfort in each other's touch. I how it felt being around each other when it felt like other things were falling apart. But Damon knew he couldn't do this, couldn't be holding her like this. And there was more that needed to be done. He pulled away from her and looked at the girl he loved. "I take it you all know about Alaric and the ring?" 

Elena nodded. "Meredith had Samantha Gilbert's journal, and I read it. It makes sense" she sighed, "even though I wish it wouldn't.

Alaric let out a humorless laugh, rubbing his forehead with both hands. "So I'm doomed to turn into some lunatic  murderer every time I come back from the dead? Because that sounds like a really screwed up fate."

Elena headed back into the kitchen and poured the tea into a mug. She then carried the tea over and set it carefully on the coffee table in front of him. "We're not saying doomed," she insisted, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her. "There has to be a way to stop it. To reverse it or fix it, somehow. The journal didn't end with Samantha... it ended with her being locked away, not saved. That doesn't mean the story has to be the same for you."

Damon watched Elena as she said it, the desperation in her tone. He wanted to believe it for her sake, but the hollow look in Ric's eyes told him his friend didn't. "Elena..."

"No" Elena said firmly. "We aren't losing anyone else. There's always a way. We just have to find it."

Damon wasn't so sure, but he wanted it to be true as much as she did, so he didn't push. "Alright then lets see if our friendly neighborhood witch has any ideas  in how to make this work out the way we want it." 

"First, I think Alaric should do an MRI" Meredith suggested, "Just to see how it has medically affected his brain." 

"Yeah you three do that. Call me with any updates. Between this, the newcomers, and the Mikaelsons, we're pretty spread thin. I'm gonna see what I can do on my end and let you know how it goes" His gaze was on Elena, who nodded. 

Ric stared down at the steaming mug as if it held all the answers he didn't want. He didn't reach for it, just leaned back against the couch with a weary sigh. "Great. An MRI. That'll fix my homicidal tendencies," he muttered bitterly, though there was no heat behind it. Just exhaustion.

Meredith gave him a steady look. "It won't fix anything, but it might tell us how bad the damage is. Knowing what we're working with is better than fumbling in the dark."

Elena sat on the arm of the couch near him, her hand brushing his shoulder gently, wanting to give a little comfort to the man that was practically family at this point. "We'll figure this out, Ric. We're not going to let history repeat itself."

Damon watched them for a moment before heading out of the house to find something that could help any situation they were dealing with. 

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

Hope sat quietly in the dim room of a house on the outskirts of Mystic Falls that Dahlia and she were currently residing, her eyes vacant and unfocused as she stared at nothing in particular. She remembered nothing of who she was supposed to be, no clear sign of the life she'd left behind. Part of her felt... free in ways she couldn't explain, in ways she couldn't make her aunt understand.

The door creaked behind her, and Dahlia's voice broke the silence. "You're safe here," she said, kneeling beside her. Her hand brushed over Hope's hair, light but possessive, a reminder that she was not alone. "No one will hurt you now. You're with family."

Hope's lips parted slightly, but no words came. The question in her eyes was wordless, a silent plea for something just beyond reach. A name, a face, a memory lost to the void.

Dahlia's smile deepened. "There's no rush to remember. Sometimes forgetting is a gift. Life can be brutal"

Hope blinked slowly, the restful emptiness within her, but somewhere deep, a faint stir of something undefined lingered beyond the spell's reach. "Part of it feels like one. I dont know how to explain it" she said. "Like i finally get to rest, but that doesn't make sense. Why would my body feel any sense of relief from forgetti/ng. No matter how brutal life can be. "

Dahlia's eyes softened as she reached out to gently squeeze Hope's hand. "Sometimes, Hope, the mind protects us in ways we don't understand. It shields us from pain until we're ready to face it."

Hope hesitated, then asked, "Do you think I'll ever remember? Or am I just... lost?"

"Memories are threads," Dahlia said carefully. "Even if the tapestry has been torn, the threads remain. We just have to find them again, gently."

Hope nodded and looked at the spellbook Dahlia had given her.

"Rest now," Dahlia murmured, watching the tribrid holding the spellbook. " Let yourself heal in time. I will tell you more once you have rested. And we can perform some magic together as well. That should at least help you start feeling like yourself again, even if it is without memories" She took the grimoire from her.

Hope nodded after some hesitation before returning to her room. It took her time to get some sleep as she peered out of the window curiously before eventually getting in her bed and rolling over. Hope's fingers traced patterns on the blanket, searching for a thread to hold onto. Maybe tomorrow, she thought. What would she ask Dahlia in the morning? So many questions pressed against the edges of her mind, but she didn't want to burden her aunt. It wasn't Dahlia's fault she had lost her memories . But that didn't mean Hope didn't want to get some answers about herself.

--------

The doors of the Mikaelson mansion closed softly behind Landon as he stepped inside. Elijah glanced toward the second-floor where the others awaited. "Klaus is on edge. The binding spell weighs heavily on all of us"

"What binding spell?" Landon questioned, looking at Elijah in alert, concern growing inside his heart.

"All of the Mikaelsons are bound together. If one of us is killed, we all will be unless we can remove the binding spell."

Landon's expression was grave as he thought about what that meant for Hope and her family. Did this happen last time? Was this something that happened last time? Knowing how important it was to find Hope, Landon pushed his thoughts and fears away the best he could. He nodded.

Meeting Klaus was intimidating for most, but Landon had always believed in seeing past the legend. Though if he was ever going to magically time travel and meet her father, he would have preferred she be there. But this wasn't about him and first impressions. It was about locating Hope.

"I want to find Hope," Landon said. "And soon."

Elijah gave a small, approving nod. "As do we all, but she chose to leave. There is a chance we will be unable to find her, even with the most talented of witches."

"We have to try" Landon said. "My friends didn't want me to come here, but I knew that you all were our best lead at finding her."

Klaus came down the stairs, shoving his phone in his pocket after getting off of the phone with Kol. "Elijah, who is this guest you've brought to our door? I highly doubt you have delivered him as a snack"

"This is Landon-" Before Elijah could continue, Klaus interrupted, his focus now on Landon entirely.

"You're Landon? You are the one my daughter is in love with?"

"I am" Landon said with a small smile at the thought of Hope. "I am trying to find her. It's important"

"I suppose you are trying to return to your own time with her?" Klaus assumed as he stepped closer to the boy.

Landon nodded. "We aren't supposed to be in this time, We need to go" Guilt tugged at Landon's heart at the thought of Hope having to leave her father. He wanted her to be able to spend as much time with him as she could. But he also knew how Hope would feel if messing with the past got someone else hurt in the future.

"Hope left in order to ensure she wouldn't further mess with this time. She left days ago. I have tried getting a witch to track her for me, but she seems to have done a spell to create art with the blood from a tracking spell."

"Do you know some other way we  could track her?" Landon questioned.

Part of him had a feeling he knew where she went, but that didnt mean she was still there. Especially considering what things from the past she could change just by being there. And he knew how she was bound to be feeling about that. Conflicted. In some ways she wanted to change things because then she wouldnt have to experience so much loss. But then she wouldn't risk the damage it could cause others, the uncertainty of the future in a time when her friends werent even born.  But the main thing he cared about more than any of that was finding Hope and making sure she was okay.

"There are always ways to find someone, no matter how clever they believe they are at hiding" Klaus said. "Take Katerina for example. To this day, she still believes she managed to allude me. In reality, I knew where she was but favored scaring her and having her continue to run"

"Like you did because of Mikael" Landon said, remembering Hope mentioning that to him.

"Yes. It seemed only fair to inflict my own suffering onto the person that had ensured I would not be able to break my curse. Until, of course, I found out about Elena Gilbert" Klaus said. "Come, Landon. I shall pursue more efforts into locating my daughter." He already needed to check with some allies in regards to binding spells. Not that he was admitting to his allies that he and his siblings were linked. But any information about binding spells could help him figure out what precisely was needed to remove the link.

Landon looked around as he stepped into the living room and hesitantly took a seat after watching Klaus pour drinks and sit. The original hybrid pulled out his phone and began speaking with contacts while Landon waited anxiously as he took a sip of his drink. The phoenix's eyes drifted around the room and landed on the painting on the wall . He wondered if Klaus had painted the painting. It felt similar to the way Hope painted and yet so different. But he couldn't put it into words.

"Landon" Elijah spoke up as he walked inside the living room. "The phone calls will probably take a little while if you want to get something to eat or find something to do while you wait" He was offering Landon a chance to be around Klaus less, but Landon didn't accept it as he shook his head. 

"I'll wait. I want to be here as soon as we know something" Landon said, "And if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I'm good at research, and I know Hope very well."

Klaus' gaze fell on Landon as he continued to speak with an ally, curious about the teenager that seemed naturally a bit nervous but not nervous in a way most people would be if they had known things he had done as he was sure Landon would have by now. He hung up the phone. "I've spoken with one of my allies. I have a few more I need to get in contact with. Some of the best trackers I have ever met in my lifetime. But whilst they are busy tracking her, we can do some tracking of our own. Just give me a half hour to speak with them" Klaus said.

"Do whatever you need to do" Landon said. "I'll still be here when you finish."

And so Klaus Mikaelson continued with his phone calls to get people to search for Hope, only his best people that he knew were willing to help. Meanwhile, Landon Kirby sat in his chair with the slowly emptying glass of whiskey and a map on the table in front of him as his mind filled with questions and trying to figure out if he was right about where she would have gone. And if she was still there. But his heart and mind told him that something was wrong. And that he needed to find Hope before it was too late.

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

Josie and Lizzie sat together on the worn motel bed, a grimoire and notes scattered between them. Josie's brows knitted with worry. "Every time we try something, I get more afraid of what we could break. Time travel isn't a game-it's fragile. One wrong move and everything we know could unravel."

Lizzie sighed, her tone more relaxed than her sister's. "I get why you're worried, Josie. But stressing won't fix Hope's disappearance. We're already here. Changing things is inevitable. Especially since Hope has been here for a while. The best we can do is be smart about it." She said, despite her deep desire to go find their mom and interact with a younger version of her again.

"I know. It's just after everything recently, I don't want my spell to have caused even more problems" she let out a sigh.

"Look... Maybe if I had someone to cast the spell with, we could actually make some progress" Lizzie said, unable to hold back the thought any longer. It was hard enough holding it back as long as she had, given her tendency to speak without thinking things through.

" Lizzie, I can't — I can't trust myself around magic. Not anymore" Josie said. "And you've already exhausted the regular locator spells. Anything else at this point would require dark magic. And we know what happens then."

"I think you can handle it better than you think. You're not the broken one here. You were manipulated into using a lot of dark magic and lost control of yourself after breaking the hourglass full of that dark magic. All that magic is gone." Lizzie told her. "And now you're not even letting yourself do regular, natural magic"

"Lizzie, I said no" Josie snapped, shutting the grimoire and getting up. She took a deep breath and headed out of the room, needing a break from everything magical. Maybe then she could come up with a solution on how to find Hope.

Lizzie watched her go with a frown and sighed before looking through everything again. This was so not her preferred method of studying and problem solving. But after everything Hope did for her and this school, she had to find her, no matter what methods or problems she had to deal with.

She grabbed everything and made a stack of it before peaking out of the motel room window, spotting her sister going over to a vending machine. Lizzie stepped out of the motel room and headed off with the books in her hand, needing to find someone that could help them, no matter the consequences. If her sister couldn't help her with magic, she would find someone that could.

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

After the MRI, Elena went into Alaric's hospital room, where he had just finished getting changed. She hated that this was happening to him, that it wasn't something she could definitively solve. "Well, everything is normal" she said as she looked at him, unsure of if there being nothing visibly wrong on the MRI was better or worse. It was hard to treat an invisible magical problem.

"Because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach" Alaric said defensively before falling silent for a moment, his gaze landing on the ring that was currently on a small table. "Or I did, and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor, who... wore that ring."

"Look, Damon's right. We should call Bonnie. I'll talk to her. The rings were made by a Bennett witch. Maybe a witch can reverse the damage" Elena said, hoping it was possible. There had to be some way to help him.

Alaric nodded slightly, but he didn't seem to believe her. He picked up the ring and held it out to Elena. "Take it. I don't want it anymore."

Elena nodded. "I'll let you know when I hear back from her. It's going to be okay, Ric"  she said softly as she took the ring and gave him a reassuring smile before leaving the room.

Once Elena was gone, a small smirk was on Alaric's face before it disappeared and he headed out of the hospital room to go home.

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

Dahlia stood close and spoke softly, guiding Hope through the words of a simple spell. "Say it with me," she said, her tone patient but firm. "Feel the energy, let it flow naturally."

Hope repeated the words hesitantly, unsure of what she was supposed to feel. She could reel the magic stirring inside. It felt as natural to her as breathing, but something about this felt new. Dahlia watched her carefully, nodding encouragingly.

After a few simple spells to get started, Dahlia had given her a more complicated one for them to cast together. Dahlia had called it a protection spell, but something about the words scratched at Hope in a way she didn't understand.

But Dahlia was family. She could trust her family. A phrase popped into Hope's mind, but she wasn't sure if it was a memory or something else.

Family is always and forever.

The spell they cast involved their blood, herbs, and something else Hope wasn't sure what it was, but something held her back from asking. The spell was strong and powerful, but even after the spell, Hope still had strength to continue practicing for a while. How powerful was she?

Hope was both interested in the question and terrified to find out.

"Are we going to practice again?" she asked after a long silence.

"In a bit," Dahlia said. "Rest first. Magic takes focus. Here" She held out a glass of blood to Hope.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" The tribrid asked, though the hunger burning in her throat told her she knew exactly what to do. Just how part of her had told her the protection spell wasn't a good idea.

"I think you know, child" Dahlia said "I have to step out for a bit."

Hope didn't reply. She watched Dahlia leave, the door clicking softly behind her. She raised the glass to her lips and drank from it, the burning sensation in her throat soothing considerably now that the blood was in her system.

Alone, the quiet pressed in. Her mind spun, trying to catch hold of something. Anything. What was she supposed to remember? Who was she supposed to be? The emptiness stretched wide, swallowing thoughts and leaving behind only questions. And though part of her reached for the glimmer of memory deep beneath the surface, there was another part, quieter but stubborn, that didn't mind the silence.

It was easier like this. Without names. Without guilt. Without memories of the past. She didn't know who she was supposed to miss, so she missed no one and everyone all at once.

Maybe this was freedom.

And maybe that was the most terrifying part.