We had taken Hope to the park in order to get a little fresh air and so that she could play outside for a while. She loved the swings, so whilst Rebekah pushed her gently to swing back and forth, I sketched the scene in my sketchpad which was already full of drawings of Hope in her daily activities. I couldn't take photos with my phone because anyone might find them, but on paper I could use magic to disguise the drawings to look like landscapes, and I wanted to give this to Hayley and Nik so that they wouldn't feel like she missed so much. We were perfectly content to spend a few hours there at the park, however Bekah and I soon sensed something ominous in the air, and I could feel magic. "Bekah."
Seeing that my eyes were fixed on a starling, I could feel it staring back, and the magic that surrounded it told me that this was no ordinary bird. We both blinked and glanced to Hope, only to look back and find an entire flock all just staring at us. Bekah had Hope in her arms without hesitation, and I cast a spell around us which made us disappear to the naked eye along with a strong gust of wind to scatter the birds and send them into a screeching flock of confusion so that we could escape. "We need to call Nik and Elijah, those starlings are my mother's. They were her signature bird back when we were kids."
"There's the emergency bag in the car, we can't risk going back to the house. We'll just have to make a run for it." Agreeing that this was for the best, I took over with Hope whilst Bekah called Nik to tell him what had happened.
"It's me. Lia and I have the baby, and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now…we've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go." There was a pause where someone answered her, and I guess it was with the suggestion to call Hayley considering Bekah's frantic yell of reply. "Do not tell Hayley! Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans." With Hope in the car, the both of us climbed in and I took off with speed, intending to get as far away from this place as possible. "How the bloody hell did she find us? I thought we were cloaked!"
"We are, so she hasn't used a locator spell. She must have used the starlings to search for you somehow. Maybe she had them search state by state. Maybe she used some kind of blood magic to track you. Either way, we need to find out how she did it so I can make sure it doesn't happen again." Both of us shaken at having nearly being discovered, Bekah relayed the plan to me when the text from Nik came through and I followed her directions as we drove as fast and as far as we could. Hope was completely oblivious, sleeping away in her carrier as at nightfall we arrived at some dingy diner where Elijah was waiting for us.
He stood up when we entered, and bringing Hope to him, we each received a hug and a kiss to our foreheads. "Long time no see Eli." I greeted warmly as I sat down in the booth whilst Bekah put the baby carrier on the table. Elijah could hardly speak, his attention now completely focused on Hope whom he lifted out of her carrier in order to hold her.
"Look at you. So big. So perfect." Continuing to admire her, I smiled briefly before opening the menu in order to look at getting something to eat since I was starving. "I can't imagine the joy of spending every day with her. It's…"
"Quite lovely. It feels so human." Rebekah admitted, the both of them coddling their niece with utter adoration that prompted me to put aside the menu and begin to sketch the image onto a page.
"Yes…some would argue the most human of experiences."
"I know I have to give her back to Hayley when the time is right. But, she's made me realize how much I want that child of my own, that I know I can't have. Even Lia here has been mellowed by our little bundle of joy here." To this I smirked at Bekah who gave me a mischievous look though I chose not to respond as Elijah rocked Hope carefully in his arms.
"It's a lovely dream. Unfortunately, it's one that's just beyond our reach, considering the curse of our existence." Letting him continue to hold Hope, Bekah made herself comfortable in the booth as we all sat down together in order to discuss what was going to happen next since we had a potentially insane and murderous Esther on our tails.
"Seems Esther's attacking with her usual fervour."
"Yes, mother tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago. My only solace was the existence of some kind of white door in which I could retreat, though I have no idea how it came to be. Then, she made an offer. To make us all mortal again." Looking at Rebekah's face, I could tell that this was something she had not been expecting. "You see, sister, mother believes that by placing us in new bodies, we can then reclaim some kind of purity. We can begin families of our own again. And, I have to confess, Rebekah…this invitation, however cruel in delivery, had a certain…appeal." As Bekah reached out to take Elijah's free hand, I placed mine on his arm to comfort him.
"The white door was my doing. I couldn't break you free from Esther's hold, but I could alter what she was trying to do marginally. I've been keeping an eye on you all from time to time, though it seems like things are getting worse over there. Your mother is still crazy, you have enemies literally on your doorstep, and now your brothers are back in action being general pains in the ass." I mused as I then returned to my sketching. "As for curing your vampirism, you don't have to take Esther's deal. I'm close to finalising a cure myself, and as you know, my services don't come with a price. If you guys want to become human again, then I am more than willing to make that happen." Bekah looked at me with deep appreciation as Elijah looked a little stunned, however as Rebekah looked back at her brother, I noticed her twitch slightly.
The change in her was minute, but having spent four months living together with Bekah, I noticed it in an instant. The concern she was showing made me anxious, pausing in my sketching as Elijah misread her expression. "You needn't worry. We're safe." We shared a final look until Bekah then stood and grabbed hold of Hope's blanket whilst smiling rather forcefully. My eyes dropped to the hand where she had let go, and noticed the same she had. Blood on Elijah's sleeve. I remained still and guarded my expression as Bekah then reached for Hope. "Looks like this little one needs her diaper changed. Here, my love." She left but walked rather slowly, her head turned towards the counter and instead of immediately heading to the bathroom, went towards the kitchen. As Elijah began to turn his head, I spoke up in order to distract him.
"How is Hayley? It must have been tough for her these past couple of months without Hope." My question made Elijah turn to me instead, whereby he spoke in his usual calm, unaffected manner.
"Hayley's grief was as real as if Hope had died that day, and it did not lessen with time. She has struggled with her transition and has often demonstrated a severe lack of control over her actions due to the intensified emotions of her pain. Of course Niklaus did little to restrain her, in fact he even encouraged a few of her more violent and bloody actions, however in the end, it was he who reached through to her as they both shared an understanding that I could not hope to comprehend." I could see just how much Hayley would have struggled. Turning into a hybrid on the same day that she lost her daughter, the separation must have hurt her deeply.
I continued to maintain Elijah's focus until Bekah returned from the bathroom, having changed Hope and cleaned her up, and although she was continuing to brave through a smile, I could tell that something was still wrong. Hope began to fuss and so Elijah stood in order to help put her back in the carrier so that we could get moving and I stood up also, ready to move at any sign or word from Bekah as what to do. "Well, she is all sorted, and ready for an adventure! Aren't you, my love?"
"It's difficult to believe we were this innocent once." Elijah mused as he smiled over Hope, Bekah putting her in the carrier with care. "We mustn't let the world ever hurt her." He reached out to touch her cheek delicately and when Rebekah moved behind her brother, I saw what was coming but remained as passive and unconcerned as possible, not giving anything away as I smiled sweetly at Elijah.
"You're right. We mustn't." Without any hesitation Bekah snapped Elijah's neck with a sickening crack, whereby I then immediately gabbed hold of the carrier. "There's body everywhere in the kitchen. Elijah went full blown ripper mode, there's blood everywhere."
"Is anyone still alive?" Only the waitress had survived, so we stayed long enough in order to clear our tracks and call Nik using Elijah's phone, Bekah calling whilst I kept Hope turned away from the mess so that she didn't have to see. "Nik, it's me. Something's wrong. Elijah slaughtered a dozen people, whose only sin was their terrible taste in food. I mean, when have you known him to kill when he could otherwise compel? It's the kind of act that will draw our mother's attention." Watching her as she and Nik discussed what to do, I waited until the call ended before gathering up Hope and moving towards Bekah. "I know where to go. Come on, I'll drive this time."
"Is Nik coming?"
"Yes, looks like we don't have a choice now. We'll meet up together, but then you might have to run for it with Hope on your own. My mother is after me, she's not looking for the baby." Rebekah reasoned, and although it was the logical thing to do, I did not like the idea of running with Hope and leaving everyone else behind. I guess it will all depend on what Nik decides, though I doubt once he sees Hope he'll be able to let her go again. We fled into the night, leaving that diner behind with Elijah stuffed into the trunk with his neck broken, and I swore to myself that I would make sure that Esther paid for everything that she had put him through. Some mother. I might even turn her into a starling then snap her neck just for irony's sake.