Hope woke up the next morning draped across Ryan's chest, her leg draped over his torso. Ryan traced patterns across her back with his fingertips and Hope kissed his sternum in response.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Ryan murmured against her hair. "How are you feeling?"

"I get my family back, for real, then we'll find a way to save you from Malivore and destroy him for good. I couldn't be happier."

Ryan flipped them so that Hope was lying on her back and he palmed one of her breasts as he sucked on her neck.

"Ryan," Hope sighed, drawing one leg up his side.

"I love you, Hope."

Ryan thrust into her drawing a moan from her. The pace he set was slow, almost leisurely, and Hope carded her fingers into his hair to secure his lips to hers. Sighing into her mouth, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along hers.

As the coil in her lower belly tightened, Hope rocked harder beneath him with a whimper. But all he did was grin down at her and when he didn't do what she wanted, she flipped him beneath her and started to ride him.

"Yes, Hope. Oh, damn." Ryan threw his head back, his lips parting.

Now that she was in charge of things, she took him as hard as she could and it didn't take long before the coil snapped and Hope cried out, slumping across his chest. Ryan groaned, thrusting up a few more times before he climaxed.

As he caught his breath, he pulled Hope against him, kissing the side of her hair.

"Sex with you is the best way to start the day," Ryan whispered.

Someone banging on the door cut off whatever else he was about to say.

"What?" Hope called, annoyed.

"Hope!" Kol shouted through the door. "The two of you had better be dressed in ten minutes, because I'm coming in!"

"Uncle Kol!" Hope sat up, grinning.

"Come on. We can finish this later."

Ryan climbed out of bed and Hope was momentarily distracted by the sight of her lover standing bared in the morning light. With his pale skin turned golden by the suns' rays and his dark hair glistening, Hope wanted to throw him back onto the bed and ride him again.

"You're staring, sweetheart." Ryan grinned as he grabbed his pants off the floor.

"What can I say? You are a beautiful man." Hope looked up at him from under her lashes.

"Keep looking at me like that and your uncle may just walk in on something he doesn't want to see." Ryan smirked and caught his lower lip between his teeth.

"Maybe later." Hope sat up, allowing the sheets to fall down to her waist, exposing her breasts.

"Offer me that deathless death, good God, let me give you my life." Ryan walked over to her and pulled her up to him, so he could kiss her.

"That song again?" Hope tapped his nose lightly with her finger.

"Get dressed and tonight, I'll show you just how much I like that song, and why it makes me think of you, because everything I've ever hoped for and dreamed of is staring back at me right now." Ryan brushed her hair out of her face.

"I think I'd better get dressed. Kol's not exactly known for his patience." She kissed the corner of his mouth,

No sooner was Hope decent and brushing her hair out that the door opened, to reveal Kol standing there, with tears in his eyes.

"Hey, Bunny." Kol raced over to her and pulled her tightly against him, hugging her.

"Uncle Kol."

"I've missed you. Every day, I knew something wasn't right and then, when Vincent did his spell, it all made sense."

"I've missed you, so much."

"The entire family has been in pieces since you were taken and now that you're here, we're coming back together again."

"When's Rebekah coming in?"

"Her flight lands a few hours."

"Is Davina here too?"

"She'll be on her way as soon as she ties off a few loose ends that I dropped when I came here. So two days, hopefully."

"I've spent the last ten years alone and now you're all coming back into my life." Tears filled her eyes and spilled over.

"Don't cry, Bunny. Today's supposed to be happy."

"I'm not sad, Uncle Kol. I promise." More tears spilled over. "I haven't been this happy since we were all in that farmhouse together, right before the Hollow attacked."

"You're home now, Bunny. You're home." Kol rested his cheek on top of her head, inhaling her scent, then leaned back, his nose wrinkling."You smell like sex."

"That's what happens when I'm woken up and not given a chance to take a shower when I spent the night with my boyfriend," Hope said with a grin

"I probably should have given you a little more time to get ready." Kol laughed.

"Now you know better."

"I was just so used to thinking of you as seven years old, I forgot that you grew up."

"Just because I'm grown up doesn't mean I don't need my family just as much as I did when I was a kid, if not more so."

"I think I'll give you a minute to shower and redress. You smelling the way you do makes me want to punch your boyfriend since I'm still struggling to accept that in my mind, you grew up overnight." Kol ruffled her hair and left the room.

"We don't have time for anything, do we?" Ryan whispered, catching her ear between his teeth

"I'm afraid not." Hope glanced towards the door and pouted.

"Let's get your family put back together before our hormones run away with us."

"If that's the case, maybe you shouldn't take a shower with me." Hope ran her hand down his chest. How could any man be so beautiful? Yes, she knew Malivore had created his face, but it was Ryan who put expressions on that face. "I might be tempted to make Kol wait a while longer."

"I'm already tempted."

With one last kiss to his lips, Hope headed towards the bathroom. She scrubbed down quickly, trying to erase enough of the scent of sex from her body. Her cheeks burned when she remembered that Klaus and Elijah had already smelled the evidence of what she and Ryan did most every night.

When she left the bathroom, clad only in a towel, Ryan sighed, and came up behind her. Brushing her her hair over one shoulder, he cupped her breasts and kissed the back of her neck.

"We're supposed to be hurrying up." Hope sighed, tilting her head to one side so he had better access.

"Tonight, sweetheart."

"You'd better go ahead take a shower. I want my uncle to meet you properly." Hope kissed his cheek, then stepped out of his embrace to dress.

A few minutes later, they found Kol waiting for them in a small alcove, pacing.

"Hey, Uncle Kol." Hope hugged him again.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?" Kol teased.

"This is Ryan Clarke. He's the Monster Lore instructor here at the school and the one who figured out what I needed to feel again."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Clarke. Thank you for returning Hope to us." Kol shook his hand.

"I love her and making her happy matters more to me than anything else."

"Good. Knowing that my bunny has found someone who cares about her the way you do, I have to worry just a little bit less."

"You don't have to worry at all, Uncle Kol."

"I've missed out on worrying about you for the last ten years. So, please bear with me while I catch up."

"Just so long as your worrying doesn't extend too far into my relationship with Ryan." Hope rubbed Kol's back and laughed.

"I'll always be worried about you, Hope. But the fact that I've heard he's a good man and since he makes you smile, I'll be less concerned." Kol ruffled her hair.

As the sun set, Vincent stood in the center of the remaining Mikaelsons, minus Freya, with the people who cared about the Mikaelsons not far away. Hope gripped on Ryan's hand tightened as Vincent started chanting.

"Breathe, sweetheart. Soon, your family and everyone you love will remember you."

"Except for Freya."

"She'll remember you just as soon as the baby's born." Ryan kissed the side of her head. "Then, you'll have your entire family with you."

"I'll have my family and you." Hope kissed his shoulder.

"Always."

Everyone who'd been affected by Malivore erasing the memories of Hope collapsed then and Hope helped the men lay them out more comfortably. When Hope situated Hayley so that she was lying on her back, she leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Soon, Mom, you'll remember me and you'll love me for real."

Once everyone was lying in less painful positions, Hope sat down and pulled Hayley's head into her lap, so she could stroke her mother's hair.

"For what it's worth," Vincent said as he squatted down in front of her, "Freya tried convincing me to perform the spell on her as well, because she wants to remember the girl she has pictures of, but can't remember. However, I won't be responsible for harming the child she's carrying."

"Your child."

"I simply helped out a couple who wanted to be parents. The child might be mine biologically, but he is theirs in every way that matters." Vincent shook his head, a faint smile playing around his lips.

"Doesn't mean you don't care a little more about it because it's the continuing of your bloodline, even if you don't claim the child is yours."

"You're a smart woman, Hope and you're not wrong, I care about their son and I'm happy they've agreed that I can be a part of his life."

Suddenly Hayley sat up, at looked around wildly before she saw Hope, her eyes going wide as she searched her daughter's face.

"Hi, Mom," Hope whispered.

"My little girl, all grown up." Hayley cupped Hope's cheek as tears streamed down her face. "You're back. You came back."

"I'm back."

"Hope," a male voice

Hope looked up to find Klaus on his knees, staring at her, blue eyes filled with tears.

"Dad."

"My littlest wolf." Klaus pulled Hope into his arms, burying his face into her hair. "I'm so sorry, Hope. I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Hope caste about in her mind for why he would be apologizing, but drew a blank.

"For how I treated you before."

"You didn't know who I was and I didn't exactly endear myself to you or anyone else. I was always looking for a fight."

Hayley wrapped her arms around Hope then, and she finally felt the pieces of herself come together as her parents held her in their arms. Here, with their arms around her, and her lover standing behind her, with the other members of her family nearby, she was finally home.

"Hope." Rebekah knelt down behind Hope and kissed the back of her head.

Rain started falling then and they got to their feet, heading towards the school. Klaus and Hayley refused to let go of their daughter as they walked, so she smiled at her lover over her shoulder and he grinned in response.

"You can introduce us later," Hayley whispered when she caught who Hope was looking at.

"He's the one who saved me," Hope said. "From the first moment he saw me, he actually saw me, not who I was pretending to be."

"He sounds like a good man."

"He's the best."

"I've only just found my daughter again, only to have lost her before I ever found her," Klaus griped.

"I'll always be your little girl, Dad, and I'm always going to need you. Being in a relationship with someone doesn't mean I love you any less, I promise."