Summary: Hope and Jacob work to ensure that this is not their final chapter. The H- find they messed with the wrong witch when they took Bonnie's love. Kai returns to join the fight, but whose side is he on? Love, betrayal, and indomitable hope will end this tale.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legacies. That would be the usual suspects: Julie Plec, The CW, etc.
Hello, my lovely readers. Sadly, this is the end of a series I really enjoyed writing. I hope you like it, too! On with the show…
Ch. 1: Welcome to the End!
Martin
Many people that walked the earth lacked vision. Others lacked faith. Some never found either. This absence had never been a problem for Martin Greasley. For, as a child, he had seen how black and white the world could be. Monsters, disguised as mere human beings, worked their will to achieve their ends. And with his first meeting of Veronica Madison's parents; Martin saw that the world could be changed. They did not have to allow the monsters power. The monsters could be defeated. So, Martin found a mission.
Today, Martin stood in the wreck of the headquarters of his life's work. It would seem that the Mikaelsons thought they could burn Martin's mission, but they lacked vision. They did not understand that a pile of bricks and paper were not the mission. The mission continued.
Narrowing his eyes, Martin did regret that any employees who made it out of the wreckage had to be terminated, permanently. Such a waste. Good men. With good intentions. However, they knew what the cost of this type of work would be. Their affairs were in order. And they had earned their way into heaven's gates, by doing God's work. Martin could take solace in that fact alone.
With a sigh, Martin turned his back on the rubble. A cleaning crew would be by soon. They would thoroughly cleanse the earth, and the land would be re-sold. No sense in wasting it. Mystic Falls should be prosperous.
Ridley, Martin's driver, stood a respectful distance away from the wreckage. His head was tilted downward. Unlike many young men of his generation, he did waste his time with his phone, and numb his brain with social media nonsense. He was the kind of man Martin liked to keep close by. A good solider: honest and aware.
Martin approached the car and Ridley opened the back door without having to be asked. "Where to, sir?"
"To Pinehurst, North Carolina."
Tipping his hat, Ridley wordlessly closed the back door and headed to the driver's door. Settling in the back, Martin straightened his tie. A slow smile appeared on his face. He felt sure there would be hope for the humanity of his fellow creatures; they just had to be willing to take it; when it was offered.
~0~
When Martin buzzed himself onto the observation deck, he noted that Ryan Clarke seemed preoccupied. The young doctor stared at a clipboard with a frown. "Something wrong, Doctor?" Martin called, using a light tone of voice. No need to chastise, until Martin was sure Clarke had made a mistake...
Turning to face his boss, Ryan's expression changed. That little smirk which tended to make Martin question Ryan's allegiance slid into place. If the boy did not show such promising results, Martin would probably fire him for being insubordinate.
"No, Boss." Ryan chuckled. "Just thinking about our old place. I had just broken in my chair. And Townsend blew up my first edition, Sherlock Holmes." He shrugged before turning to look through the glass. "Not that I have much time to read these days." His eyes lit up as he looked down.
Facing the glass, Martin, too, felt a sense of pride bloom in his heart. He quickly quashed the feeling. It was not his, Martin's will, that had delivered the girl into their hands. It was His will. She was another path-given to them as a gift, to show that their work was righteous-and soon they would be able to show the world the true way. And she would help them.
Gaze shifting to Ryan, Martin forced himself to clear his mind. "We will replace your book."
Ryan glanced at Martin. Confusion clear on the younger man's face but then young doctor shook his head. "It had sentimental value."
"Ah? I didn't know you were capable of such a feeling," Martin chuckled, to take the sting out of his words, although it was true. Ryan Clarke did not react to most events the way that many men did. Yet another reason Martin did not trust him.
A laugh came out of Ryan. "You would be surprised."
Martin did not reply. He decided to concentrate on the girl. "How are the tests going?"
Now, Ryan turned to give Martin a wide smile. "Her blood can help us with our little in-fighting problem. No more fear of wolf bites for the vamps. Her blood provides a cure. With some work, I believe it can be made into a weapon, which should be interesting." Dark eyes gleaming, that smirk appeared once more.
Curbing his desire to roll his eyes, Martin looked back down at the girl. "She is necessary, be careful how far you push your little experiments."
"I will." Ryan looked down as the girl's eyes began to flicker open. His hand went to the intercom. "Malone, sedative. " Malone aimed his tranquilizer gun at Hope Mikaelson and shot her, twice, in the neck. "Thank you," Ryan released the button.
Martin moved closer to the glass. "How many times has that happened?"
Shrugging, Ryan looked bored. "Once an hour."
Frowning, Martin shook his head. "Send her to a cell."
"We're not finished-"
"Do it, now!" Martin turned to glare at Ryan. "I need her alive!"
Ryan stared back at Martin. "She's stronger than the others. I need more time-"
"You've had most of a day. And you will have plenty more days. In the meantime, you have your other project to think of. How are things developing with the Salvatore girl?"
"No progress, so fa-"
These words did not please Martin. This was not part of the plan. The only reason he allowed for Ryan's experiment in human psychology on these monsters was because it seemed to be a reasonable request. Apparently, reason would not work in this case.
"Then you will need to proceed with Plan B." Martin's words made Ryan's expression freeze.
"You haven't given me enough time—them more time. Allow me more time to work with them. As you said, there will be days. If not months-"
Holding up a hand, Martin shook his head. "No."
"She has yet to give birth." Folding his arms over his chest, Ryan narrowed his eyes at his boss. "We can not attempt to harvest eggs from her until then."
Teeth on edge, Martin cursed science. "We will wait." He headed to the door. "In the meantime, begin thinking of ways to speed up the mating process."
"It sounds so romantic put in those terms." Ryan's sarcasm was not lost on Martin.
"Or schedule yourself an appointment in the termination room, Doctor Clarke." This was not answered with a snarky comeback. Good. "Good luck with the work of today."
~0~
Arriving home, Martin felt himself relaxing already. He had plans for this house, and the grounds around it. The cellar, with any number of unspeakable horrors committed within its depths, over hundreds of years; he had had filled in with cement. The fountain-where Klaus Mikaelson had drowned the former Mayor and former owner of this property, Carol Lockwood-had been taken apart. A pity. Veronica would have enjoyed it.
Thankfully, Maria Donovan had parted ways with the house, without an argument. She would be moving up in the world; what with her alliance to the cause. And she could claim a new home, in many corners of the world.
Moving to the staircase, Martin made his way upward, and down the hall, to the master bedroom. His lovely Veronica laid on the bed. She slept peacefully while machines monitored her vitals.
Martin walked over to sit beside his beloved. His hand went to stroke her black curls. She was as beautiful as she had been on their wedding day. He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Veronica, we will all be reunited, soon."
Hand cupping his wife's cheek, Martin kept the pain he felt at their separation at bay. He knew he had done the right thing. Veronica, kind-hearted woman that she was, had tried to let their boy go. She did not understand that as long as a demon resided in the body of their only son; MG was lost to them. But there was a cure. Martin felt sure that God had meant for Martin to find it. Not only to cure his own boy of his affliction, but so many others. The vision of the future made him smile. Yes! The end of the horror was upon them. Amen!
Maria
Hands splayed across the heavy oak of the Mayor's desk, Maria Donovan felt a slew of emotions. She took long, slow, calming breaths. Too long had she searched for a home, a family, and peace. Now, she had none of those things. And who was to blame for all of this? Niklaus Mikaelson! He, and his family, had created a plague that ran from one corner of the earth to the other.
The only moments Maria found solace in were when she thought of the future. A new baby. The child could not replace her Todd-no one would ever do that-but the baby would help her feel, ironically, hope. As for the poorly-named, Hope Mikaelson? That girl would find her true calling in the depths of hell.
Eyes opening, Maria drummed her fingernails on the polished wood. She needed to talk to a realtor, find a new place to call home. It would only be temporary. Just like Matt's...vacation, from the public arena. Once Martin Greasley's plan had been completed; Maria and Matt be reunited. Together, they could welcome Stefanie and the baby home.
Yes. A smile lit up Maria's face. Many years of learning to be patient had prepared her for today's work. And this was the work that mattered: not all of the charity events, and mind-numbing, social occasions she had planned. No, the work of saving the children of this town. No more would they be turned into monsters, or die at the hands of those who lurked in the shadows. The witches, wolves, and vampires had had their time. That was over, now.
Smile falling, Maria thought of the negligence of people she once thought she could befriend. The Salvatores. Elena. And Damon. She should not have been shocked to find they had once been vampires. But reading the crimes that Damon Salvatore committed, and finding that he had been rewarded with humanity? It made Maria's fingers curl. Worse yet, the Salvatores had allowed their son, Samuel, to be turned.
With a slow shake of her head, Maria looked forward to the day that Elena and Damon were found, and convicted for their loathsome behavior. Stefanie would be better off without their influence. And Sam. Sam would have a second chance...
A knock at the door startled Maria out of her inner turmoil. "Yes?" Maria called out. She was not expecting anyone. Pushing a button below the desk, she heard a soft click as a drawer opened. Her hand went inside. She withdrew a hunting knife from it.
The knob of the Mayor's office door slid open with such slowness that Maria had time to count each new breath. "Mrs. Donovan?" Matt's old secretary popped her head in. "Sorry to bother you, but you told me to remind you of the Two O'Clock speech. Such a nondescript title. But so telling. In its own way.
"Thank you." Maria did not get up.
The ever-loyal secretary bowed her head and left Maria alone. It did help how many people of this town accepted someone's sudden disappearance. The Mayor could be detained-until further notice-and the people of his town would take for granted his going missing.
A sudden laugh burst out of Maria. Hot tears wanted to pour from her eyes. She knew the work was necessary. She knew Matt's being held was necessary. He would try to help his friends. He was a good man. A kind man. A man who was loyal and brave. And incredibly stupid, when it came to people like The Salvatores, The Mikaelsons, and Caroline Forbes.
Looking down, Maria spotted a snow globe Caroline gave Matt one winter. Maria always detested it. Picking it up, she heaved it, and tossed it at the opposite wall. Imagining it were the blonde's head; Maria felt better. With a bright smile, she smoothed her skirt and headed to the door.
Fingers wrapping around the knob, Maria opened the door. She stood just inside the frame. "Excuse me, can you call Maintenance? There's been an accident with the snow globe!"
Nodding, the other woman picked up the receiver, punching in digits as Maria left the outer office. Maria would hate to be late for this event.
~0~
Maria walked through the Town's Square, flipping the collar of her coat up to shield her from the cold. She took satisfaction in the darkness of Elena Salvatore's practice. Many other shops were also closed, possibly for forever. No matter. New ones would open. Human-owned and operated.
"Maria! There you are!" Blinking, Maria frowned at the sight of Vera Lillian standing in front of Maria. For a fellow human, Vera was a vicious bitch. Maria tried to disengage, whenever possible. However, it had been hard at the best of times, given how many boards they were both on.
Plastering on a fake smile, Maria said, "Hello, Vera. I'm sorry. I would love to stay, and chat, but I-"
"Matt is coming?" Vera spoke as if Maria had not. It made Maria's jaw clench. "I've been talking to people. And not a single one of us knows what your husband's meeting is about. We know it must be important, but-"
"Vera!" Maria lost her temper. Her manners slid away and the searing disgust she felt for the woman came through. "I have somewhere to be. Now, if you will excuse me!" Making it clear she had nothing else to say to Vera; Maria took two steps to the side and marched along.
"What is your problem?" Vera shouted.
Maria kept walking. The townspeople parted way for her as Maria moved to walk up a short flight of stairs. Mounting the platform, they had raised for her husband; Maria moved to stand behind the podium.
Eyes moving over the crowd, Maria saw their looks of curiosity. Some of them still distrusted her. She did not care. "Good afternoon, Citizens of Mystic Falls!" Maria called out with a wide smile. "Thank you for coming!"
Portions of the crowd began to whisper to each other. Maria could hear the ones closest: "Where is Matt?"
For a moment, Maria paused. She surveyed the crowd. Finding not a single supernatural creature in their midst; she felt delighted. "Some of you might be wondering where my husband, Mathew Donovan, is?" Brows rising, Maria nodded as a few people stared at her. "I understand your concern. I am concerned, too. You see, my husband has been keeping secrets from you. As a good and loyal wife, I have striven to stand by his side. To see the goodness in his quest. However, there is a time when we must question those amongst us. Even those we love."
Now, Maria could feel the distrust of the crowd. They would turn on her soon. She expected that. Grabbing the podium, her head fell forward and her voice came out low. "Many of you remember our son, Todd. You came to his games. You cheered his triumphs. You prayed for his injuries. You wept with us, when Matt and I lost our child. But many of you did not know that our son died, being torn apart by monsters! Vampires! And wolves! My boy! They savaged him!" Lips pulled back from her teeth, Maria allowed her rage to show through. Looking down, she saw their sympathy and their outrage.
"Mathew is a good man! He is a forgiving man. But he can be too forgiving. This is why he must take time to become better, to understand that these crimes will not continue! We must fight for our children!"
"Kill the monsters!" A man at the back of the crowd called out.
Maria forced herself to calm down. "Killing? No! Please, let me speak of another way? It is what Todd would have wanted..."
The crowd quieted. "There is a cure to what ails these creatures. They can return to us: Human!" People looked from one to the other. "Yes! A cure. And with our humanity we can show these new humans compassion and kindness. Something they once forgot. We will help them rehabilitate. It will take courage and strength. But we are strong and generous, are we not?"
"YES!" The crowd cheered.
With another smile, Maria held out a hand as a man made his way behind her. "Now, please, give a warm round of applause to your new Deputy Mayor, Travis Townsend! Mr. Townsend has been doing great work to help us with our monster problem. You may ask him questions about how we will work through the next phase of Mystic Falls life."
Townsend moved to take the podium. "Hello, MF-ers!" he called to the crowd, waving with a wide grin.
Vera looked faint.
"Just kidding. You all can call me Townsend. Although Mr. Townsend does have a ring to it. Let's thank Madame Mayor!" He turned to clap. "Such a great lady! Now, you've got questions! I've got answers!"
Looking inwardly, Maria choose to ignore Townsend's foolish speech; she had other plans.
Jacob
An overhead light came on in the cell Jacob Salvatore awoke in. He'd found his index finger lacking a certain ring, of the daylight quality. He had also been given a new set of apparel. However, this would be the first sign of any kind of contact with his captors since awakening. What a cheerful thought.
"Hello there!" Jacob called, cheerily. He expected a refreshing vervain shower, or to be shot at, in response. Neither of these two things happened.
"Hello, Jacob."
Eyes moving over the ceiling, Jacob could not see even a microscopic spot for speakers. He glanced outside the cell, but something about the voice told him it did not come from that direction.
Holding up his favorite finger, Jacob waved it return.
A soft chuckle told Jacob the message had been received. So, there were cameras here. He strode over to peer into the hallway. Yes. Two cameras swept from left to right. "Spying on me? Wondering what kind of hijinks I'll get up to, then? Come to my cell, and I'll happily show you!" Jacob flashed them fang and a big grin.
Again, that chuckle. "Now, Jacob, that would not be a good way to start a new relationship."
Rocking on his heels, Jacob's brows rose. "Sorry. I'm not really looking for love. Perhaps you should try one of those sites. Just be careful, you meet the strangest people on-line."
"Oh, Jacob. This isn't a reality TV program. And we're not looking to connect you with a new love. Rather, we want you to help us with family."
"Vampires can't make babies." Jacob examined his fingernails. He waltzed over and flung himself, side-ways on the so-called bed. "Next inane comment? I have all day. This was not true. He planned on breaking out of this place by daybreak, finding The Chuckler, and ripping his spine out.
"And here I heard you were smart. But you don't seem to listening. Would you like help with that problem?"
Before Jacob could reply a scream filled the air. "Ja-cob! Jacob!" Hope's terrified screams made Jacob's stomach twist into a knot. His fingers balled and he got to his feet. Eyes on the camera, he cocked his head to side, fangs sliding out for business.
"Ah. Yes. Now, I believe I have your attention!" That chuckle would haunt Jake's dreams, for months. "We have your cousin: Stefanie! Problem is, we need her to do something for us. Sadly, she won't listen to reason. We hoped," chuckle, "you could have a chat with her. Help her see the error of her ways."
"You're asking the wrong vamp for help in that regard. Fan hates me. Something to do with almost killing her. Seems to not instill deep, heartfelt love between people these days. Such a sad thing. Really."
"Maybe. But she's been awfully lonely. And family means quite a bit to our little Fan. Doesn't it?"
Rolling his eyes, Jacob did not reply. "I suppose I can talk with the girl. Twisting the Chuckler's words around in his head, Jacob could put aside feelings of dread. Something felt off. From the moment Jacob got word that Stefanie had been taken; he'd wanted to demand from his aunt and uncle answers. However, he also knew how not-forthcoming they could be. Secrets. The great un-doing of families world-wide.
Re-focusing his attention Jacob narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. Using a tone far too casual for the topic of conversation, Jacob said: "What is it you want from her?"
"Just trying to help her make a connection."
With a sigh, Jacob ran a hand over eyelids. This idiot would do nothing but give him a headache. No. This would be a dead end. Obviously, whatever this group wanted from Stefanie, it wasn't for her to join the Girl Scouts of America and sell Thin Mints.
At least his cousin might help Jacob get some damn answers. On the other hand, her distrust of everyone might keep her lips, figuratively, sewed shut. Fan could be a stubborn, willful child. If only Jacob was able to contact Sandra. She would help him gain Fan's trust. Fortunately, Sandra was still on the outside; where she belonged.
Plan B was for Jacob to get Stefanie out of this dump, without gaining answers he sought…
Jake's mind took him to another problem he needed a resolution to. "I want to see Hope. Make sure she's alright."
"Done. You can even have lunch together. But I need something from you, first. Call it a trust exercise; if you will."
Jacob listened. And he found himself smiling. That he could do with relish.
~0~
"Breakfast!" A guard called. "Put your hands up where I can see them!" The guard called out. Jacob moved back from the door. He held his hands above his head like a good boy, wiggling his fingers at the guard who glared back.
Smirking, Jacob stepped out and into the hallway. Looking to his right and left, Jacob found all the cells on his block were empty. He must be special that they waited to clear the place for him. It made Jacob grin.
The guard led Jacob the way up a set of steps to a new door. There was a little metal box for the guard to swipe his card. He kept his gun on Jacob while sweeping it. The door buzzed. Pushing the door open, the guard nudged Jake forward with the butt of his gun.
"Hey! I'm going in!" Jacob called, waving his hands above his head. Some people had no patience at all.
The guard grunted in reply to Jacob's words. He did not seem to expect it when Jake took hold of the end of the gun and tossed it backward. It let off a round that missed Jake, and the guard, only because Jake had the guard by his collar. Jerking the man over his head, Jake tossed him across the room. The human fell on the floor. The guards' eyes went 'round the room as his head turned to take in a room full of angry monsters. Weaponless, he seemed to realize what kind of danger he was in.
Running forward, Jacob jumped on a center table. "Breakfast, boys and girls! Get him while he's still fresh!"
The vamps could barely restrain themselves. But the guards were moving forward. "Don't even think about it!" they shouted. One shot Jacob twice in the chest with vervian darts. They hurt, but Jacob did not mind. He didn't even mind when another one hit him in the back of the head. He was grinning as he lost conscious.
~0~
"Good job, Jacob. You will be rewarded. Get some sleep," the idiot Chuckler told him as Jacob laid in his cell. Jacob wanted to ask if the reward would be never having to talk the fool, again. But he figured he might get shot, again.
Jacob laid on his back. He would not be sleeping. No. He would be planning. There was much to do in this place. Yes, unraveling it would not come overnight, like he had hoped, but it would be an exciting new adventure. And, for better, or worse, he would have Hope to help him accomplish his goals. This made a slow smile appear on his face.
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)
Be safe,
-J