Knocking on the door woke her and Hope threw a book in the direction of the noise. Her eyes felt sandy and her body ached from crying the night before. Ryan rubbed her arm and kissed the top of her head.
"Are you okay?" Ryan asked softly.
Hope shrugged and pressed her face against his neck, inhaling his scent. What was it about his scent that made her feel like she
"Hope?" Klaus called. "Will you open the door? I'd like to talk."
There was no anger in his voice or judgment, so Hope flicked her wrist to open the door with magic.
Klaus entered the room, followed by Elijah who shut the door behind them. Klaus leaned against it, studying Hope carefully, so she sat up. It was an awkward feeling, getting caught in bed with a man by her father and uncle, even though nothing happened between her and Ryan the night before. But the fact that it was obvious she was comfortable with him being there and it was no secret that more than just sleeping had happened when he shared her bed before, made her worry for his health.
"What do you want?" Hope asked, her voice cracking.
Klaus didn't say anything, simply staring at her, his brows furrowed.
Hope looked over at Elijah and he gave her a small smile and a quick nod, in an effort to comfort her.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Ryan said as he moved to climb out of her bed.
"No!" Hope grabbed his arm and pulled him back down so that he was sitting beside her.
"Are you sure?"
"Stay. Please." She needed him to stay. She'd lost so much that losing him now would be too much.
With a glance at the two men Hope called family, Ryan shifted so that he was leaning against the headboard.
"If you want to talk, talk, otherwise, I want to go back to sleep." Hope leaned against Ryan, desperate to hide, to avoid the potential pain talking to her father would bring.
Ryan tugged Hope more securely against him, tucking her head under his chin and she relaxed in his arms. At least he still was willing to be there for her her, crying mess that she'd become now that she allowed herself to feel again.
"Niklaus. You need to actually speak to her if you want to hear it for yourself now that you say you're calm enough to listen to her," Elijah said softly.
Trust Elijah to be overly wordy about getting Klaus to listen. Hope wanted to laugh at that, but she knew that sometimes, Klaus needed those extra words to process what Elijah was trying to get him to hear.
"Hayley's on her way up," Klaus said as he walked over to the window and looked out.
Elijah sighed, but Hope shook her head once to keep him from saying anything more. Klaus needed to process this on his own without Elijah trying to push him now that he'd gotten the hybrid and tribrid in the same room. Maybe that was Elijah's problem. He saw Klaus giving a little, then he tried pushing things faster than Klaus was ready to even try to work through what he was trying to accept as reality.
"When will she get here?" Hope asked, her heart pounding.
She'd actually be seeing her mother in a few hours? Her mother, her entire family—aside from Mary, but she was Jack's family, not hers, so that didn't really count—for her earliest memories, and she would be here soon. Her mother, the one who encouraged her talents, both in magic and art?
She'd actually be seeing her, even if she didn't remember that she was a mother? Maybe a mother's love was a real thing
"Sometime this afternoon. Her flight leaves in about an hour."
"She believes I'm her daughter? Without ever meeting me?" The desire to hope blossomed within her and she knew it was too late to try to convince herself that it was a fool's hope.
"She's not sure, but she's coming up here to find out for herself. Elijah's insistence that you are her child went a long way to convincing her that it's a possibility."
"I've got proof I'm a Labonir, in case you're wondering," Hope said, inspiration striking her, final proof to Klaus that she was who she said she was.
"How so?" Klaus's brows furrowed.
"I can show you, if you don't mind," Hope shifted so that she was on her knees with her back to her father and she unbuttoned her shirt before the back so that her Crescent birthmark was on display.
"Hayley will definitely believe you now." Klaus's voice tightened, as though things were sinking in, that Hope was telling the truth about her origins.
When she realized that the last of his doubts were fading away before her very eyes, she wanted to ask so many questions. But since she didn't trust herself to not ask something that might make him doubt again, so she bit her cheek hard. Ryan's hand on her back, reminding her that he was there, supporting her, it gave her an anchor in the storm trying to overwhelm her.
"How could I have forgotten my own daughter?"
Hope almost replied, but then held her tongue once more. The way he said it suggested he wasn't looking for an answer, at least not yet.
"Those pictures, the clothes, the bedroom, all those paintings. Why didn't we even think to find out why we had them? Why didn't we try to figure out who you were?" Klaus turned to look at her, his expression tormented. "Why didn't you come back?"
"It was easier to keep my family at a distance when none of the people I loved remembered they ever even loved me," Hope whispered. Tears threatened to fall once more and she drew a sharp breath in effort to steady herself.
Ryan kissed the top of her head and rubbed his hand up and down her arm trying to comfort her. Hope leaned back against his touch, drawing strength from her lover. She'd wondered if he'd leave if she started feeling again and here he was, taking her pain and being a harbor in the storm.
"Niklaus, please, remember that Hope has been alone, without a single ally for the last ten years, until she encountered Clarke. So try to be gentle."
"Of course, brother." Klaus gave Elijah an annoyed smile.
"I miss you, Dad," Hope blurted out. "I miss you so much. We didn't have a whole lot of time, since I was taken not long after you were freed from the dungeon, but I miss painting with you, I miss talking to you, I miss being your daughter."
Klaus walked slowly over to the bed and sat down beside her and leaned forward, studying her face carefully. The closer he got to her, his scent invaded her nose and it took everything she had not to hug him.
"Your coloring is mine," Klaus murmured after a long moment. "Though you favor Hayley."
"I look like my mother, but my father put the devil in my eyes." Hope gave him a watery smile.
This drew an amused snort from Klaus and his lips curled up in a smirk.
"May I hug you?"
Shock crossed Klaus's face at her request and he drew a sharp breath.
"Please. Please let me hug you," Hope begged, terrified that he was going to reject her, even now, knowing that she truly was his daughter.
He nodded and Hope threw her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she could. To her relief, Klaus returned the hug and pressed his cheek against her hair.
"You smell familiar." Klaus drew back, brushing her hair out of her face, a tear trickling down his cheek. "I've been searching for a scent for years and I could never find it, now I know why. I've been looking for you."
"Hi, Dad," she choked out.
With that, Klaus pulled Hope tightly against his chest and she started to cry all over again. Her father was becoming her father once more.
"I've missed you, Dad, so much." Hope dug her fingers into his shirt under his jacket.
"Hope." Klaus ran his hand over her head and Hope felt his tears falling against her skin. "I know you. I might not remember you, but I know you."
Elijah wrapped his arms around the both of them and with his brother's support, Klaus finally broke down, the tears she'd felt earlier flowing in earnest now.
"I love you, Dad. God, I can't believe I get to say that again."
"You're home, Hope," Elijah whispered. "You're home."
"Thank you, Clarke, for bringing her to us," Klaus murmured against Hope's hair.
"Of course."
Hope looked back at the man sitting on her bed and he smiled up at her, though there was a hint of something in his eyes that she knew she'd have to talk to him about later. But right now, she'd just revel in her father hugging her, holding her, loving her the way she'd ached for him to for the last ten years.
"I want to remember you. I should remember you. I can feel it. It's driving me crazy that I can't. The shape of you is in my mind, but nothing's there. I want those memories back." Klaus's grip tightened on her and he pressed his face into her hair once more.
"I'm here now, Dad."
Before he could reply, a soft knock drew them out of the moment, then Caroline entered the room.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt," Caroline smiled apologetically in Hope's direction, "but Klaus, you're needed downstairs. Our elf prospect's parents are here and they're demanding to speak to you since you're technically not one of the protected species."
"Did you tell them I was busy?" Klaus asked, annoyed.
"I said that some personal issues came up in your family that you wanted to be there for. But things are getting unsafe for both the child and for the people around them."
"Go, Dad. I'll be here." She was reluctant to release her hold on him though. If he walked out the door, there was a chance he could change his mind and not want her anymore.
"Hope."
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Hope kissed his cheek and let go. Her heart crumbled with the knowledge that he was going to walk away, but she comforted herself with the fact that he believed her now and that he was leaving to try to save someone else from becoming like her. That mattered more, keeping others from knowing her pain.
"I'm so sorry, Klaus. I've fended them off as long as I can, but they're desperate," Caroline said as she and Klaus left the room.
Elijah kissed the top of Hope's head and said, "I'd better get down there and try to keep Niklaus under control. His annoyance at being taken away from you will make him likely to say something to make the situation worse"
"I'll be here with her." Ryan wrapped his arms around Hope.
"I feel selfish for wanting you to stay, but he needs you right now. Besides, I'm not alone." Hope lay back and allowed Ryan to pulled her against him.
"Thank you, Hope." Elijah squeezed her arm.
With that, Hope and Ryan were alone once more
"Why can't I stop crying?" Hope whispered as tears fell once more.
"You locked everything away, even before you turned, so now, you've got years of pain you need to feel and sort through." Ryan kissed the top of her head.
"I'm sorry I'm such a mess right now." Hope scrubbed her hand across her face in a useless effort to keep herself from crying even more.
"I knew that bringing your family in, especially if they were what made you feel again, things would be difficult for you, so don't apologize or feel like you're too much." Ryan ran his thumb beneath her eye, catching a tear.
Unsure of what to say, Hope stretched up and kissed him softly on the lips. Ryan cradled her cheek and deepened the kiss, the salt from her tears heavy on his tongue.
