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A/N Please review and tell me what you think

Klaus stood in front of a large tree. Merlock orchids were growing on the branches, but dozens upon dozens of purple-flowered herbs surrounded it.

"Vervain. It's everywhere. My relentless mother has set a trap." Klaus snarled. How was he supposed to save Hope if he couldn't even save Elijah? He had been forcing thoughts of what his mother could be doing to his daughter all day, but it got harder and harder as time went on.

"I'll retrieve the merlock for you." Ansel offered.

"At what cost?" Klaus snapped at him. Ansel threw his knife into the ground and walked over to Klaus.

"Why don't you use your vampire abilities to end your doubts? Search my mind. You'll see I'm not aligned with your mother."

"I have absolutely no interest in the inner-workings of your brain."

"I'm surprised at your cowardice."

"Oh?"

"While you stand here in fear of me, your brother suffers further." And Hope, he couldn't help but think. Klaus looked at Ansel. It took him a moment, but he spoke again, nodding.

"Gather the orchids."

Hayley knew that complete concentration was key for Davina's spell, but she couldn't help herself as she crowded next to Davina, practically breathing down her neck. She stared at the map in front of them as the Rebekah, Kol and Elijah's mixed blood moved around.

Finally, the blood stopped and Davina stopped chanting. Hayley moved to get a better look at it, bumping into Davina in the process.

"There." Davina pointed. "It's on the outskirts of the city. Maybe some kind of abandoned building?" She suggested. Hayley was already moving.

"Kol, come on. REBEKAH!" Rebekah would've heard her without the added volume, but Hayley seemed to be in a yelling mood that day. "We're going to get Hope." Hayley added, looking at Kol.

"Weren't you going to wait for Klaus and Elijah?"

"It's been hours. We can't wait anymore."

"If you guys get killed and Hope gets stuck there-."

"We'll bring Hope back." Hayley cut her off. Davina took a breath and set her jaw, nodding. Hayley echoed the nod and hurried from the room.

Klaus sat across from Ansel as Ansel prepared the merlock orchids. He was cutting them up with a knife that Klaus couldn't help but admire.

"I've always seen a blade to have a very different use."

"Mikael taught you to kill, Klaus, but, you were born to create. Power lies in embracing your true nature."

"You think I should accept my mother's offer? Sacrifice my vampirism? And then what? Become a florist?" He asked.

"You wouldn't be sacrificing anything. As a wolf, you'll be king to an entire species. You would feel at true peace. And you'll be a better father."

"Don't not speak to me of Hope."

"I have known she lived since I've been back."

"Yes, apparently our attempt to keep her a secret has failed spectacularly." Klaus agreed, standing to pace angrily.

"I never told your mother this, but when you were a boy, after each full moon, I would wake closer to your village, having been drawn to you in the night. I know the call of my own blood, Klaus. I want to know you, to know your daughter."

"You had a lot of contact with my mother, didn't you?" Klaus questioned. Ansel nodded to him.

"We saw each other often…" He admitted. Klaus nodded silently. Ansel sighed and handed him a pouch full of damp merlock orchids. "This will help Elijah." He turned away, but Klaus called him back.

"Ansel." He turned back, interested in what Klaus would have to say to him. "I'd be lying if I said your offer wasn't appealing. I've never known a parent to be a benevolent force. I think I would have liked to have been your son. But, a different path was chosen for me, and I have, for the past one thousand years, been son of Mikael. Paranoid. Vengeful. And, powerful enough to protect my daughter." Ansel put his hand on the back of Klaus's head and stared him in the eyes.

"I want to help you defend her."

"I believe you. But love is what Esther twists. Long ago, she loved you. She still does, if she's brought you back… And I cannot let Esther have anything she loves after today."

"Klaus, no." Ansel was confused and hurt, but not especially scared.

"You waited too long before you came to rescue me." He brushed past Ansel and grabbed the sword leaning against a log. "I won't make the same mistake with Hope today."

"What are you talking about it, Klaus?"

"Esther has her. She took what matters most to me. I have to do the same to her."

"No, Klaus. I know you. You are not capable of this."

"That's the first lie you've told me." Klaus swung the sword and slashed through Ansel's chest with the blade. Ansel gasped, staggering forward. Klaus stepped forward and caught him, slowly lowering his body to the ground. Ansel, still shocked, reached up to touch Klaus's face with his hand before he finally fell limp. Klaus swallowed hard, looking horrified with himself, but then he steadied himself.

This was for Hope. This was for vengeance. It was necessary. He didn't need a father in any case. He needed to be a father.

Hayley, Kol and Rebekah approached the run-down building wearily. No doubt Esther would know they were coming already. There were no witches or werewolves standing guard outside, so they hurried forward to the rusted door. Hayley studied it.

"Do you think she spelled it shut?" She questioned. Kol kicked it off its hinges.

"No."

"Subtle." She shot back. She started to step in, but was knocked back a good six feet, landing hard on her back. Rebekah ran over to her.

"Hayley!" She stood over, looking down in surprise. "Are you alright?"

"Uh… Yeah. I think so." Hayley pushed herself into a sitting position. Ahead of them, Kol reached out to touch the doorway with the tips of his fingers. It threw him back, though not as violently as it had when Hayley had run into it. He groaned and sat up.

"Now that is a strong boundary spell." He pushed himself to his feet as Rebekah offered Hayley a hand. Once all three of them were upright again, Hayley looked between them.

"Should we call Davina?"

"Yes." Rebekah said immediately.

"It's a strong spell, I'm not sure she could take it down." Kol put in. The women looked at him.

"Then what do we do?" There was an underlying tone of panic in Rebekah's voice that neither of them missed.

"Esther has to be able to get in and out and Cami said she saw Finn, right? So they've been leaving and coming back." He pointed out.

"How does that help us?"

"It doesn't affect witches, probably not humans either."

"Davina could walk right in, but we're stuck out here." Hayley understood.

"Suggest to the little witch to bring back up. Esther's not going to give up her newest prize possession without a fight."

"Concerned for Davina?" Rebekah teased halfheartedly, glancing worriedly at the building.

"Don't want to lose two witches in twenty-four hours. It makes us look unreliable." He told her with a smirk that looked a bit forced.

Inside the building, there was a gut wrenching scream that could only belong to Hope. The three of them turned towards the building and Hayley put a hand over her mouth to muffle a cry of her own. Without looking at Hayley, Rebekah spoke tonelessly.

"Call Davina. Now!"

Elijah woke up with a gasp. Klaus smiled at him weakly.

"What happened?"

"Well, that is a long story, brother."

"Klaus!" Davina appeared in the doorway and both brothers turned to look at her. "We found Hope. I expect you want to come?" She asked impatiently. Elijah looked at Klaus.

"What happened to Hope?"

"Mother happened." Klaus replied, grabbing his jacket and following Davina out of the room. He paused in the hallway and turned back as Elijah struggled to get onto his feet. "Stay here, brother. Regain your strength." It was more of an order than anything else. He turned and hurried after Davina. She was down the hall, talking to one of Hayley's werewolves. Klaus made a sound of annoyance and impatience.

"Come on." Davina said without looking at Klaus.

"Who is that?" Klaus demanded as they hurried past him.

"Dylan. Un-triggered werewolf. He's going to help me and Hope where you can't." Davina told him pointedly, knowing that her wording was going to make him angry. "Are you coming or not?" She added as she and Dylan hurried down the stairs. Klaus rushed after them.

Hayley, Rebekah and Kol were still waiting outside the building when the other three got there. Dylan and Davina moved into the building immediately while Klaus turned to Hayley. She was sitting on the ground, hands over her ears.

"She's torturing Hope." She didn't even seem able to use Esther's name as she ground out the short explanation for her behavior.

Davina stepped over the broken down door, glancing over at her shoulder at Dylan. Dylan wasn't all that tall, but he still towered over her and he kept close to her. Somehow that was reassuring, though she wasn't sure if he would be able to do anything, if it came down to fighting. She flexed her fingers, preparing herself for a fight as they quickly searched the building. At the end of one hallway, a door was standing ajar. Davina nudged Dylan in the ribs and jerked her head towards the door. He nodded and moved ahead of her, a silent command for her to stay behind him.

He shouldered the door open further and they both looked in. Hope was on her knees, arms chained above her, covered in blood. Her clothes were burned and falling apart in places; there was a tell-tale hole in her shirt that meant she'd been stabbed through the heart, possibly more than once. Davina and Dylan sprinted over.

"Hope, Hope, are you okay?" Dumb question, Davina knew, but she had to ask anyway. Hope had her eyes closed; she mumbled a response that Davina couldn't make out. It didn't matter; she had healed from any injuries and she would be fine once they got her back to the compound. Davina got to work taking the shackles off her and Dylan caught her as she fell over. He turned her over onto her back and propped her up on his knees.

"Hey, open your eyes, come on." He urged.

"Dylan!" Davina cried out a warning, holding her hand out. Esther was behind him, watching them. Dylan managed to get to his feet, holding Hope up against him.

"You're smart children, aren't you? If she lives, everyone here will die." Esther told them calmly.

"I'll take my chances." Davina snapped at her.

"Oh, darling, you don't have a chance."

An arrow sunk into Esther's shoulder from behind and she let out a yell of pain. Davina lowered her hand in surprise and Dylan tightened his grip on Hope's shoulders and waist. Esther mumbled something under her breath and disappeared. Davina looked at Jackson.

"Cloaking spell. She's already gone." She reported, looking around the room anyway. Jackson cast a glance around too, then lowered his bow and rushed over to them.

"You alright?" He questioned. Hope raised her head slightly.

"Well, don't I feel loved." She mumbled. Jackson cracked a smile.

"Sorry about my timing."

"Your timing was pretty awesome, actually." Hope assured him, putting her head back against Dylan's shoulders.

"Come on. Let's go." Davina urged, already edging back towards the door. Jackson ducked under Hope's arm to help support her and the boys followed Davina out of the room.

They made good time getting out of the building, which was a good thing because Hayley and the Mikaelson's outside looked ready to stroke out. Hayley jumped up from the ground as she saw them, beating anyone else as Hope was practically attacked with hugs. Jackson and Dylan moved out of the way; Hope was acting stronger without the shackles on her and Klaus and Hayley were supporting her anyway.

After a few minutes, Hayley turned to Jackson.

"Thank you."

Hope was curled up on the sofa in Klaus's study. Hayley was on the other side, watching her. Klaus walked in and went over to sit on the coffee table in front of Hope. She was awake, just looking miserable.

"Are you alright?" He'd asked that question before, as had Rebekah, Kol, Hayley, Davina, Dylan and Elijah… But he had to ask once more to be certain. She nodded against the arm of the sofa.

"I'm okay now." She assured him. He echoed her nod.

"So is Elijah going to be okay?" Hayley asked after a moment of silence.

"The merlock orchids worked; the worst has past." Klaus explained.

"So I take it you found them alright. Never knew how many weird things grew in the Bayou…" Hayley mused, taking Hope's hand in her hers. Klaus hesitated to reply and both looked at him, suspicious and weary of what he was holding back. He sighed.

"I spent the day with Ansel. My real father."

"What?" Hayley sat up straighter, jerking her hand out of Hope's with the movement. Hope, as exhausted as she was, sat up straighter too.

"Esther brought him back from the dead, believing he could convince me to renounce vampirism. The thought of what I could be, had I been raised by him. Had I been nurtured. This was his." He handed a leather bound notebook to Hope, who hesitantly flipped it open.

Inside was a drawing, the style reminding Hope of Klaus's own. It was of a much younger Klaus, that much she could tell. Hope looked up at Klaus again, waiting for him to continue, because she knew there must be more.

"Esther loved him. And I… I wanted to trust him more than anything in the world. I… I wanted to, but..." He trailed off, standing up to pace. Hayley got to her feet as well, looking tense, as if she was ready for battle. Hope looked between them and focused on Klaus again.

"Dad…"

"Esther had you! She was hurting you! I had to take something she loved!" Klaus's voice rose steadily until he was almost yelling. "I couldn't let her get away with what she was doing. I couldn't let her live in peace simply because of my selfish desire for a father. So, I killed him. Without hesitation. I killed him."

"Dad!" Hope jumped to her feet, swayed, and steadied herself, staring at Klaus. Hayley's mouth at popped open, but after a second she shut it again, her jaw getting tight.

"You killed him… He was Jack's friend, he helped us, he helped you-!"

"She had Hope!"

"Mom, dad-." Hope tried to cut in.

"He was your father, Klaus!"

"HEY!" Hope's shout finally seemed to get through to them and they both stopped, looking towards her. "Enough, both of you." With a huff and a dirty look aimed at Klaus, Hayley stormed from the room. Hope looked back at Klaus after the door had slammed shut behind her mother.

Klaus looked back at her, his expression unreadable. Hope heaved a sigh and fell back onto the couch. Hesitantly, Klaus joined her, obviously wondering what she was going to say to him. For a minute, she said nothing at all. Then:

"Next time you want to break your enemies, try to do it without hurting your family." With that said, she leaned against him and closed her eyes again, trying to pretend the entire day hadn't happened…