so sorry for such an extended break. life has been...crazy. but i love this story and i couldn't stand not having it finished. so i finished all the chapters i had planned before even coming back (4 total counting this one) so i knew it would be done after making you all wait this long. check it out and i hope you enjoy!

"He knew sooner or later someone from his past was going to come for his daughter," line from Look After You, Chapter 29

My Last Breath

Klaus remembered the very first time he ever held Jade. Not just hugged her like the night they first met, but really held her.

A few nights after he moved in she had another nightmare about her step father. This one took a lot more soothing than it had the first night, with him picking her up and carrying her downstairs, showing her all the rooms were empty and promising to never let anything hurt her. She fell asleep that night while he held her. He fell asleep shortly after, upright in a chair while she was cuddled up in his arms.

Now he was the one living the nightmare.

Once the other side started to deteriorate things started to escalate quickly among the factions. Most notably, there was Genevieve and a few other witches that were more than happy to try to help Finn with his task. After all, the return of Esther would be enough to send the Mikaelsons running, not to mention if Mikael and Dahlia also got out.

Finn and Sage seemed to only want to find a way to get Esther out, which was actually the good news. After all, if Dahlia got out she would come for Jade and Hope; while he didn't want to help them, Finn certainly couldn't free Dahlia after what happened with Freya. Mikael would simply hunt them all down again.

The bad news though was Freya found what they needed to set Esther free. If they killed an original they, along with anyone turned from their bloodline, would die. This would in a way overwhelm the system, making it easier for Genevieve to "open the door" so to speak. Not only did they know what they needed, they also found Kol to be missing.

With Finn and Sage racing to free Esther, the family had little other focus. That made it easy for the Correa family to reveal their true intentions. Francesca didn't want to take over the human faction, she and her family were wolves looking to take over the Crescents. Oliver had been talking with them, acting like he was working with them so he could find out what they were doing; that was why he kept pushing Jackson and Jade away. He went to the house that night to warn them, but the Correas followed him, rushing in and killing him just as he got the words out.

That was when all hell broke loose. Genevieve had made rings for the Correas so they could control their abilities. It was Genevieve and her witches versus Davina and hers, the Correas versus the Crescents; and in the middle of it all, Marcel showed up with his vampires. Freya had managed to locate Kol, freeing him and preventing Finn and Sage from freeing Esther for now. Many of the witches took off as the fight seemed to be lost, the dust settling around the home as the family surveyed the damage.

"Is everyone all right?" Elijah was asking. Klaus had been healing the vampires that had been bitten by the wolves. And, though he initially refused it, he healed a badly injured Jackson as well.

"Where's Jade?" Klaus asked him.

"She went to hide," Jackson said, making his way towards the tunnels under the house; he couldn't find her though. He could hear Kol explaining something to Freya and Elijah.

"What was that again?" Jackson asked as he couldn't be hearing this right.

"They might not be able to free our mother for now but they still have to hold up their end of the deal for Genevieve helping them," Kol started over quickly. "Your little girl is going to be born in New Orleans and they practice ancestral magic."

"They're going to kill Hope?" Aiden was asking in disbelief. She was just a baby, and she wasn't even here yet!

"No, no, not if we split up first," Jackson said and everyone took off to find Jade before it was too late.

Klaus cursed that moment, he shouldn't have let Jackson go off on his own. He should have known Jackson would be able to find them first through his instincts as a father, he should have gone to help him. As he got to the church it was easy to figure out what happened. The witches had killed Jade after she gave birth before killing Jackson as well.

And now here he was, holding Jade's limp frame while he reflected on the first time he ever held her.

"No," he heard a soft voice saying. It was Kol, coming to the church now with Elijah.

"I am so-" Elijah started off.

"None of that," Klaus said as he gently laid Jade back on the table, wiping at his eyes. "We still have time to save their daughter. We-" He stopped, startled when he heard gasping behind him. He then remembered healing Jackson before they all left to look for Jade; he was transitioning.

Unfortunately, Jackson remembered all too well what happened to Jade as the witches had killed her first. He had wondered why she didn't just use her magic but then figured it had something to do with the trauma of early labor; she couldn't focus. They were quiet a minute as they let him take in what happened; it didn't help he lost one of his best friends earlier in the night. Jackson gently picked up Jade's hand, his mother's ring on her finger; he had just given it to her the night before.

"Jackson," Klaus said now, offering to feed him again. "You're going to need this, for Hope." Jackson nodded, taking it. It wasn't something he had ever considered. But, for his daughter? To save her and to be around for her? It was an easy decision. They noticed Freya running in now with Keelin.

"Oh my God," she gasped, Keelin resting a hand on her back.

"Can you help us find Hope?" Jackson was asking, needing to focus on his daughter. "With you, Davina, Vincent, and the other witches I'm sure Genevieve would-" He stopped when they all heard Jade gasping and sitting up, holding her chest as she regained her breath. Jackson helped her up before hugging her tightly.

"I don't understand," Klaus said, though he was beyond grateful.

"Your blood was always in her system," Elijah realized.

"Either mine or Hope's," Klaus said as he offered to feed her; with the way she got sick they knew they were going to need Hope to officially save Jade.

"Once we get to Hope I can-" Jade was saying, though the thought of using her daughter's blood made her stomach turn.

"I think we should stay here," Freya stopped her.

"You're joking," Jade accused. "Aunt Freya, my daughter is out there."

"I think she's right Jade," Jackson was saying now. "Our one advantage is that they think you're dead."

"Can you still practice?" Kol asked and Jade answered by making a candlestick go flying. "Good, because we're going to need all the magic we can get."

He then detailed his plan to them. He knew what Finn and Sage's plan was; kill Jade to punish Klaus, kill Hope to pay back the witches, and kill him to free their mother. But, what if they did the spell in reverse? Rather than use an original's death to open the other side up, what if they used it to tear it down?

"Once Freya found me I wasn't leaving without this," he said, revealing the white oak stake and handing it to his brother.

Jackson promised to save Hope and bring her back to Jade, all of them racing to the cemetery where Davina had tracked her. They knew that in order for this to work they needed to go after them all at once. Once the element of surprise was gone they risked someone getting away. After what happened to his daughter, Klaus wasn't allowing that.

Jackson, Marcel, and Keelin went after the witches, narrowly saving Hope in the process. Elijah and Kol went after Sage, leaving Finn for Klaus. They had raced around the cemetery, but as Finn got to the gate he realized that he couldn't leave.

"No," he murmured. "No, no!" he realized, turning to see his younger brother there.

"Our sister is good," Klaus informed him, figuring Jade and Freya had thought to trap them at the cemetery.

"If you do that," Finn said, noting the stake. "Do you know what you'll be doing? Who you'll be setting free?"

"Freya is good," he repeated, rushing his brother now. "But Jade is better," he said before killing him. He could kill him a thousand times for what happened to Jade, but could only have this once. He was barely standing fully again before he felt the ground begin to quake. He rushed back as quickly as he could to where the others were gathered, all struggling to maintain their balance as the cemetery seemed to shift all around them as well as under their feet. Then, almost as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

There was silence.

No one knew what to say, or how to tell if it worked. It seemed like they were all looking around over their shoulders, like they expected the beings from their nightmares to come around the corner at any moment.

"Hello?!" Keelin answered her phone quickly as they wanted an answer, but also the sudden ringing had startled them all.

"It worked," they heard Freya's massive sigh of relief.

"Oh wow," Keelin said as she breathed out as well now, feeling like she was breathing for the first time since the fighting had started that night; the sun was just starting to come up. "Tell Jade we're on our way back," she promised as she hung up.

While everyone was grateful beyond belief that this worked and wanted nothing more than to celebrate many held back at the church, knowing the new parents needed time alone; Jade hadn't even held Hope yet. Jackson spotted Jade and Freya near the front where he had left them, Freya nodding for Jade to look. She took off down the aisle, Freya slipping out of the church quietly.

"Oh my God, hi," Jade said softly as Jackson passed the baby to her; Hope was fussy for a second but quickly settled. "Shhh, I have you, mommy's here," she soothed.

"Come here," Jackson said as he slipped an arm around Jade, kissing her head. He used his free hand to rub Hope's back. It wasn't long ago he thought he lost them both, thankful now they were both in his arms.

Everyone seemed to split up to give the new family their space at the church. Freya came outside to reunite with Keelin, taking her home. Kol offered to walk Davina home, to which Marcel couldn't help but glance sideways at; he had his vampires to check on though and, unfortunately, many dead. Aiden had a brief reunion with Josh before going to explain what he could to the pack. Klaus turned to Elijah, who nodded at the street as if to tell him where he should go; he took the hint, making his way to a familiar apartment, one he had Freya seal off when things had started to get bad.

"You all have some nerve!" Cami accused with a shove as he got to her place. "Locking me in here, while...while..." She was at a loss for words, motioning at the tv. "Gang violence," she quoted the news sarcastically. "Really? Is Jade-"

"Alive," he stopped her and she breathed out. "She's...transitioning," he told her honestly and Cami's eyes went wide. "Jackson as well."

"They died?!" Cami demanded. "Is everyone else-"

"We're all right," Klaus assured her. "The Correas, Genevieve, the other harvest girls...they're all gone. They can't hurt us anymore," he assured her.

"Ok," Cami exhaled. "Ok...the baby-" She started, though assumed she was fine as Klaus had yet to tell her otherwise.

"Healthy. Beautiful," he added with a soft smile. "Looks just like her mother." He smiled. "Do you want to meet your goddaughter?" he asked as it had been previously discussed; Cami was godmother and Aiden was godfather.

"Absolutely," Cami grinned, grabbing her bag, though they both hesitated to leave. Cami stepped forward first, a now or never type move as she went to kiss Klaus, who pulled her close as he kissed her back.

"Hi sweetheart," Klaus greeted Jade as she came down the steps late that evening, though she quietly shushed him as she was trying to get Hope to sleep. After the violence that plagued them the home was back in order, everything as it should be. Kelly, Theo, Rebekah, and Matt had come from Virginia to see the baby; everyone else was at home as well. With as much fuss as Hope made though, Jade was surprised no one else was up at this hour.

"She doesn't need fed or changed," Jade was listing. Hope rested her head against her mother but her eyes were wide open. "She's just wired," she sighed.

"Your mother said you were like that," Klaus told her. "Ever curious, just taking in the world."

"Mmm, karma," Jade said lightly, rocking Hope again as she swayed back and forth. "Have you settled on what you want to be called yet?" she asked him. He had had plenty of fun over the last few months referring to Kelly as grandma but hadn't given too much thought to himself. It seemed strange sometimes still to have Jade call him dad, let alone be referred to as someone's grandfather.

"Not yet," he admitted. "But, you know me, whatever my favorite girls decide they want they'll get."

"Well, we," she said, giving a small nod to Hope who was starting to fade. "Have decided Cami will be Grami," she smirked at her play on words.

"Don't push it," he warned though he smiled, Jade making a playful face. "Get her to sleep so you can rest," he said, noting Hope was finally asleep.

"Night dad," Jade said as she kissed his cheek, quietly heading up the stairs with Hope. She tip toed into the baby's room, gently placing her in her crib; her breath caught as this seemed to always be the most delicate part.

Hope was just breathing softly.

Jade felt a bit like a cartoon character as she tip toed out of the room and gently shut the door. She did the same with her and Jackson's door before quietly slipping into bed.

"Is she-" Jackson murmured tiredly.

"Shhh," Jade said as she fully let herself relax into the soft bedding. All was quiet. Then.

"Ahhhhhhh!" came Hope's shrieking from her crib.

"No," Jade complained, pulling the blankets over her head. "How does someone so small make so much noise?" she asked as she threw the blankets back but Jackson caught her from getting out of bed.

"I've got her," he assured her, urging his fiancee to rest. Hope stopped crying as soon as she was picked up; sighing, Jackson ventured back downstairs with the baby. Klaus hadn't even had the chance to leave yet.

"I see our littlest wolf isn't fond of sleep," he said lightly.

"Not at all," Jackson yawned, taking a seat, grateful Hope was ok with this as she usually wanted rocked.

"I never had the chance to ask you how things went today," Klaus said as Jackson had a meeting in the bayou.

"Fine," Jackson had nodded and he had expected it to. After all, even though he and Jade turned it didn't change who they were really. Jackson was going to stay alpha until Hope was old enough to have the responsibility passed to her like it passed to him.

"Did you settle on a middle name?" Klaus asked curiously.

"...Olivia," Jackson admitted. Though he was happy with the name, he wasn't happy with the reason he got to choose it.

"Hope Olivia, that's beautiful," Klaus admired.

"For a beautiful girl," Jackson nodded, looking at Hope who was still wide awake. They were silent a moment.

"I am sorry," Klaus was saying. Not that they flaunted it in anyway, but the Mikaelsons had everything they wanted while losing nothing; Jackson had lost so much though.

"It's ok," Jackson assured him, though the tight feeling in his throat and tone in his voice told a different story. Oliver had died to try to discover threats to their pack, threats to him and his young family. With everything magnified now as a hybrid Jackson wasn't even sure how to manage.

"...I lost a brother once," Klaus cautiously offered. "It was a long time ago, before we ever turned, but..." He knew he didn't need to get into it all now. "I only mean, I'm here, if you needed to talk to someone."

"Thank you," Jackson told him appreciatively; they had come a long way.

"Here," Klaus said, offering to take Hope.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked as he passed him the baby.

"You're exhausted, you and Jade both need some sleep," Klaus told him. "That, and I have many sleepless nights to make up for," he added lightly.

"Thank you," Jackson said, going back upstairs, head barely hitting the pillow before he was asleep again. Klaus held Hope close, walking her around downstairs.

"Just you and me little one," he said quietly and she adjusted her head on his shoulder. "What do you think, now that you've met everyone?"

Hope yawned in response.

"Maybe a little boring, but after the nearly 2 years we've had we could use some of that," he told her. He went into her room, settling in the rocking chair with her. "You're going to have the best mom in the world. She had the best mom," he said, knowing Kelly was up and eavesdropping.

"I couldn't sleep either," she admitted from the door. She frequently caught him sitting up with Jade like this when she was small. "Jade had two good parents," she reminded him.

"Ready for our next adventure?" Klaus asked Kelly.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "All of the fun and none of the hard parenting, I'm in," she said with a grin. Hope was finally asleep, staying out as Klaus put her into her crib.

"Good night Hope," he told her as he turned off the light.

i am so hoping this was worth the wait! what did you think? the next chapter will be when hope is older and ready to go to school. leave me a review on what you thought of this though please and thanks!