A/N - So sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! I've been super busy so it took a while to write, and then when it was finally finished, fanfiction was having a server issue, so I couldn't upload it. But here it finally is! Thanks again to everyone who's favorited, followed, commented, etc.!
"I'm not so sure this was a good idea," Caroline said softly as she surveyed the large grounds of the Salvatore estate before her. Lights twinkled from every angle, dangling from trees, bushes, the wrought iron fence, and the façade of the great house, brightly illuminating the otherwise dark night. But despite all the efforts she had made to ensure a fun-filled evening, a dark weight she couldn't explain had settled on Caroline's heart. Something felt dreadfully amiss, something she couldn't put a name to, a lingering doubt hovering somewhere in the shadows that all the lights just couldn't seem to reach.
"Earth to Caroline," Alaric was saying, jolting the blonde vampire back to reality.
"Hm?" Caroline's black-lined eyes swiveled to Ric, who was staring at her with concerned eyes while half a smirk twisted his lips.
"Maybe you're not feeling well," he commented when it was clear that Caroline hadn't heard a single word he'd uttered. "Maybe you should sit this one out."
Caroline quickly shook her head and forced a smile onto her lips, deciding not to remind Ric that her undead status prevented her from ever feeling unwell. Though, of course, he'd probably meant it in a different way…but she didn't care enough to ask.
"I can't back out now," she chose to say, attempting for a playful tone of voice. "I'm already dressed for the occasion, so I may as well see it through."
Caroline smoothed out the flaring folds of her black dress, the sheer sleeves and neck small protection from the cold night (not that it bothered her). She'd pulled her blonde tresses back in a high bun and penciled dark liner around her eyes. The ensemble was completed by strappy black heels that added at least four inches to her height.
"Let me guess," Alaric said with a small smile, not wearing anything remotely resembling a costume, "you're a vampire."
"How'd you know?" Caroline responded in a cheerful voice, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
Halloween night had finally arrived.
Part of Hope was reluctant to don a costume, seeing as how important the day was, but the practical side of her insisted she play the part. If she showed up to a Halloween party without a costume, she was more likely to draw attention, and she needed to be able to slip away unnoticed. As she pulled the black wig over her honey colored hair, Hope frowned thoughtfully at herself in the mirror. Maybe, for one night, she could pretend to be normal.
At least, until the moment came to use her magic.
But for now, she was happy with the way the dark wig helped to conceal who she really was. If she kept her back to Miss Forbes, the headmistress would never know it was her. And Miss Forbes was sure to be on the lookout for Hope, since they'd never reconciled after Hope's outburst in Caroline's office. She had fully intended to return to the blonde vampire's study to apologize and ask for stories about her father, but something had stopped her. Part of the reason was that Hope was certain Caroline knew it had been she who'd stolen Stefan Salvatore's journal from the library. It didn't matter to Hope that she'd returned it, safe and sound, to its glass case. She'd rather avoid a conversation about it at all, especially one where she was sure to be yelled at.
No, it was best to keep avoiding the headmistress, especially tonight.
Hope picked up her phone from the bed, where she'd carelessly tossed it. She quickly typed a message to Lizzie and Josie, tugged on the wig once more to make sure it was securely in place, and left the room without a second glance.
The next time she returned, she would have her parents back.
"What took you so long?" Lizzie hissed as Hope emerged from the trees.
Hope huffed a quick sigh of relief before replying. "Trying to avoid your mother," she said simply as she approached the twins. They both seemed slightly nervous, though Lizzie, at least, was trying to hide it behind a mask of annoyance and indifference.
"You guys ready?" Hope asked, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from the back pocket of her jeans. She had gone over the words she'd copied onto it a thousand times. At this point, she probably didn't even need the reminder, for the spell was ingrained in her mind as if she'd written it directly there instead of on the paper.
Lizzie and Josie nodded, though Hope didn't miss the quick glance that the twins exchanged. She bent her head to read the spell, but hesitated a moment and glanced back up.
"Thank you," she said, with as much sincerity as she could muster.
Josie smiled, but Lizzie replied, "Don't thank us yet."
Hope's mouth set in a grim line at the reminder that this plan had the potential to fail. She focused on the spell in her hands and let the worry, anger, and yearning fill her up. It couldn't fail. If it did, then Hope wasn't sure what she would do. This was the only option she had, and the thought of it failing…
It wasn't an idea she wanted to entertain.
"La'tir reve," Hope began to chant, reading the spell before her. It had taken hours to find it, hidden within a dark, complex spell book. She read the words with deep concentration, pouring all her emotions into each line, willing them to work. "La'tir reve ad mortus, la'tir reve ad mortus, la'tir reve ad mortus!"
Hope's voice became stronger and louder with each repetition, and she felt a thrill in her heart as the wind picked up, the moon darkened, and a faint, flowing outline appeared in her sight.
"There!" she screamed in between lines.
Lizzie and Josie moved closer to the place Hope had indicated, their arms outstretched. Hope's heart felt as though it would burst, so strong was her yearning. She watched as the twins siphoned the magic of the boundary into their bodies, and she could swear she saw dark shapes moving just beyond the hazy outline…
"Mom?" she called, her voice barely discernible above the howling wind. "Dad?"
Excitement coursed through her at the reality of the situation. It was working, the spell was working.
Everything she wanted was in her reach.
"Hope?"
Lizzie's voice sounded like a whisper in the cacophony of sounds around her. Hope glanced towards the blonde, and her excitement transitioned into fear. Blood was trickling from one of Lizzie's nostrils, and her body was shaking as though a chill had entered her body.
"Hang on!" Hope shouted, glancing at Josie to see if she shared the same ails as her sister. There was no blood, but her lips were turning a nasty shade of blue…
"Just hang on!" Hope screamed as the dark shapes began to solidify before her.
Everything she ever wanted.
Almost within her grasp.
There was a deep chill in the air.
Caroline glanced up as the wind caused the lights to sway where they hung. Was she imagining it, or had the moon turned dark? Surely not, she reasoned. Perhaps the moon simply seemed darker because of the all the bright lights around the grounds. She glanced around at the teens spilled across the lawn, their laughter rippling across the yard to her. They appeared to be at ease…so why wasn't she?
"Caroline." Alaric was suddenly at her elbow, a frown twisting his mouth. "Have you seen the girls?"
The blond vampire's stomach lurched in panic. She shook her head. "No, I – damn."
Alaric followed her gaze. There, a few feet away, the air appeared hazy and dim.
"What the hell is that?" Ric murmured. He took a few steps toward it, his frown deepening.
"Ric, we have to get the kids inside," Caroline said, a feeling of unease settling in her stomach, "and find the girls."
"Right," Alaric agreed. Then, raising his voice, "Party's over, everybody inside! Let's go!"
Caroline took up the cry, ignoring the groans as she and Ric moved in opposite directions, eyes peeled for the twins. Hope popped into her mind, as well. She hadn't seen the young Mikealson for hours. There had a been a moment earlier where she'd thought she'd recognized Hope, but it was only for a split second. Caroline wasn't sure if the girl had even come to the party.
"Josie! Lizzie!" Caroline began to shout as the hordes of students had entered the school. She knew that she'd be able to cover more ground than Ric, so she moved quickly, moving closer to the woods with every breath. "Girls!"
The wind picked up, and the hazy air rippled before her. A dark shape seemed to materialize just beyond the strange occurrence.
"Lizzie? Josie?" Caroline called.
"Not exactly," said an incredibly familiar voice as the dark shape solidified with each step forward.
Caroline stared, words failing her.
"Hello, love," the familiar voice said as the lights illuminated the face that matched it.
Caroline struggled to find her voice, her blue eyes wide as they took in the person before her. She swallowed and tried again, the single word that floated out of her mouth a mere whisper, but it didn't matter. He was close enough to hear.
"Klaus."
