Seven years later...
"Keep trying. You can do it," I huffed out.
"God, this is impossible!" Hope cried out, "I am so stupid. I...I actually thought that Roman liked me."
"Hope, if...if we all judged ourselves by the mistakes we've made with the men in our lives, we would never, ever get any peace," I chuckled.
"Nowhere to go but up, I guess," Hope lamented, "I just-I hate that I can't get us out of here."
"I'm sure Freya is looking for us by now-"
"I cloaked Roman and me, so there's no way for her to find us," Hope informed me, looking away from my undoubtedly sunken expression. She sniffled, "and I can't do magic with these stupid chains on. It's hopeless. I'm so sorry, Annie. I'm so sorry for all of this."
"It's not your fault."
"I did one stupid thing. I've done everything else you've ever asked of me. I've been the perfect daughter. The perfect sister. The perfect student. I have worked so hard to make sure I'm less of a massive burden to you! I messed everything up!"
"You are not a burden to me!"
"Come on, I was dumped in your lap at 19! I'm the reason you can't be with the love of your life. You had to give up everything, and I'm not even your kid!"
"You are mine!" I told her, definitively, "you are my kid. Austin is my kid. You are everything to me. I love you, Hope. I love you so much, and I would forgive you for anything. But, hey. NO. Look at me," I implored of her, "this...this is all Greta. This is not on you! Hope, promise me that whatever happens here...you won't do that binding spell, that you won't ever deny any part of yourself. Promise me."
"Why are you saying that?" Hope whimpered.
"I guess I wasn't too hot on the idea of you triggering your werewolf side; having all 206 bones crack in your body doesn't sound super fun," I told her, honestly, "but your mom said…when you're running through the woods, under a full moon, with no thought of pain or...or trouble, just pure freedom...she said there was no greater feeling in the world. So, do not be scared, okay? You protect Ozzy, and you tell him, too. Okay? Okay. Now, come here, and give me your hand, I've been saving up enough energy, let me try to channel you."
The final surge of power I felt was reminiscent of the force that propelled Hellfire back to the depths; the chains and ropes that bound us snapped.
"You did it!" Hope exclaimed, and hurried them off.
I wasn't entirely certain I had; I figured my borrowed sisterhood had the greater hand in it. I could hear their voices, as clearly as though they were standing whispering right in my ear; they were calling me home. My fight was over.
"No," I groaned as Hope struggled to help me up out of the chair, "you need to run. Now."
"I'm not going without you," she said, definitively.
"I will be fine, Hope," I assured her, "I'm just bait. It's you that they want."
"I don't care. I can take care of myself."
"No," I said, firmly, and took her face in my hands, "it's not your strength that they're afraid of. You are a Mikaelson witch with a werewolf mother and an Original father. You are the one that could finally unite all the factions. And that goes against everything that they believe in. They thrive on hatred, and you...you, my sweet girl, are their worst fear. Which means you have to go. YES. You have to go. You have to leave now. I love you. Now. Go!"
Hope turned to leave but Greta was standing right behind her. She blew sleeping powder into Hope's face and she hit the deck with a thud. I scorned at the woman and went for her, "if you lay one finger on her…"
She slammed me back, square in the chest, I went flying back into the wall and collapsed in a heap.
"I'd say you're not in a terribly good position to make threats," Greta spat back.
"Mom?" A teenage boy whined behind her, and ran over to Hope's lifeless body, "what the hell did you do to her? Hope? Hope?"
"It's easier for her this way, my sweet boy," Greta assured him, and caressed his face.
"I don't understand what's happening," he cried.
"If we want peace, we cannot allow an apex predator to exist," Greta stated, plainly, without a hint of emotion.
"Hope is going to do the binding spell. She said she would," he pleaded.
"Klaus Mikaelson was bound, but he found a way to break it. There are always loopholes," Greta informed her spineless son. She turned her attention to me, as I struggled to get back up, "we cannot afford any more hybrids, Roman. We cannot forgive the sympathizers who helped them on their wicked way."
"But you said if she just bound her werewolf side, they could go-"
"Oh, darling, we can't take the risk," Greta soothed him, "you mean too much to me. Our family means too much to me. I can't take their word. It's not enough."
There was some kind of fight burgeoning on outside; the splintering of wood, punches landing solidly, dirt thumped, scattering. Thunder rumbled and crackled outside. If the sky was falling, that could only mean...at least one other Mikaelson was here.
Greta took out a stake, and presented it to her son, "you know in your heart this is the right thing to do. Show me that you believe."
"Roman, you don't have to do this," I implored of the boy, as I staggered to find my feet, "she's not a werewolf or a hybrid, she's your friend, and you care about her. I know you do!"
"Please, Mom, please, don't make me do this. Please, don't…" Roman wept.
"Give that to me!" Greta scorned, and snatched the stake out of his hand.
"Mother, no!"
Pure hatred set that stake alight and seared Greta's hand. I dropped to my hands and knees, drained, and screamed out Klaus' name, hoping like hell it was him outside. Greta groaned out in heated frustration, and snatched me up. She shrieked in my face, "you traitorous witch!"
In my weakened state, I was absolutely no match for her; she completely pummeled me, and she slammed me into the wall with such force the panels shattered beneath my body. Klaus burst inside the house, and my heart soared. It really was him. He came for us. And then...Elijah followed right behind him, and I actually thought, for one fleeting second, about that damn SOS radar. I thought that my pain had broken through and had called him to me, one last time, for old times sake.
I called out his name. He looked over me. Elijah looked around the room once, assessing the situation, and then he rammed a stake through Klaus like a kebab, preventing him from intervening. He stepped over Hope's unconscious body and went over to Roman, and he asked if the boy was okay. I looked at Klaus, looking back at me; his eyes full of hurt, and anguish. No one was going to save me now. This was it. I was going to die.
Greta picked me up by the throat, and hissed, "you lost, witch. Accept your fate."
She hurtled her hand inside my chest; her eyes fixed into mine, fixed on the last look of horror. The voices were so loud in my ears; I could feel their hands pulling at mine, pulling away my grip on Greta's wrist; it was okay; they were there for me; they were there to take me home.
"I accept it, bitch," I seethed in Greta's face and in one fell swoop, I ripped her finger clean off; her daylight ring skittered across the floor; my parting intent was heard clear as day, the magic was granted, the sisterhood of voices were elated to oblige; I launched us both together, smashing through the window, outside into the light of day, completely unprotected. Our bodies were engulfed in flames instantly. My heart beat its final beat; Greta pulled it out on impact. I heard Klaus' guttural roar, and then there was nothing.
And so...here I am, retelling my story, every goddamn detail, to you.