Hope rubbed her hands together as she and Ryan sat in the front sitting room, waiting. Kol was due anytime and facing her only surviving male blood relative besides baby Nik made her nervous.
A few moments later, right on the two hour mark, the door opened and two sets of footsteps on the foyer, one heavier, one in higher heels crossed the marble. Good. Maybe Davina would be able to defuse the situation.
"Hope!" Kol called.
"In here, Uncle Kol." Hope struggled to keep her voice even.
A few moments later, Davina and Kol entered the room and Hope stood up to face them. Almost instantaneously, Hope found herself engulfed in Kol's arms and the ancient vampire held her as tight as he could.
"Don't you ever do that again," Kol whispered ragedly. "I've already lost four brothers and I'm going to lose even more of my family before I'm ready to go, so don't you dare take yourself away from me too."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Hope repeated, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Pulling away from her so he could look her in the eye, Kol said, "Nik may have been a pain in my ass with his daggers, but at the end of the day, I knew he did what he did for family. Even when I was angry with him for locking me away, I knew he did it for family. Now it looks like you inherited that from him."
"What can I say? I am my father's daughter."
Kol pulled her close again as he said, "You're the best parts of all of us. Elijah's sense of honor. Nik's loyalty to family.. Finn's judgment, annoying though it was, my interest in magic, it's all in you now to carry that on. Yes, I know Freya has her son, but you are the best of the vampires in the family. Don't you dare take yourself away again."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Next time you feel that urge, you call me, and I'll help you figure things out. No one knows more about magic than I do. I can promise you that."
"I promise."
Hope returned to Ryan's side and Kol and Davina took the seat across from them.
"Speaking of your boyfriend, you take it upon yourself to remove yourself from our memories and the first time I see you again, I see more of you than I ever thought I would "
"People really should learn to knock," Hope muttered and glanced at Ryan and he had the audacity to smirk.
"Considering I just found out that my niece erased herself from my memories, I'd say my lapse in manners could be forgiven."
"Um, you're just one in a long line of people who've barged in on us at the wrong time," Hope explained. "One of them being my most recent ex, who is his younger brother." She gestured to Ryan. "Fortunately for everyone though he saw even less of me than you did."
"You mean you never-" Kol cut himself off, unable to vocalize his thoughts after what he'd seen that morning, then laughed.
"Hope, next time you feel backed into a corner, you call us. No matter what, we'll find a way around your problems without you resorting to you erasing yourself," Davina said, her voice earnest as she skillfully guided the conversation away from what Kol had walked in on that morning.
"Promise us," Kol demanded.
"I promise."
"Good." Kol nodded once, accepting her word as a done deal.
"Malivore's still around and causing problems though," Hope said. "So between you and Ryan, I'm hoping one of you can come up with a way to destroy him, permanently. Because the only way I can think of right now involves me becoming a full tribrid and jumping into the portal."
"That's not happening," Ryan and Kol said at the same time and the two men looked at her, an understanding passing between them.
"If you're his weakness, enough of your blood should close the portal. And as for Malivore himself, we'll find a way that doesn't involve you erasing yourself again." Davina massaged her husband's shoulders, attempting to get the tension in them out as she spoke.
"How much of my blood?" Hope asked.
"No more than a pint," Kol said. "Malivore doesn't get to take you away again. No matter what."
"Okay. So what, we cut my veins and put my blood into a container and throw the container into the portal?"
"It would work best with a person, but yes. Enough of your blood should do the trick." Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.
"So, cut my veins and close the portal."
A note appeared on the coffee table between them and Hope leaned over to pick it up.
"Landon and Raf disappeared," Hope sighed as she read through the note. "Lizzie wants to know if we've seen him. Which means that since we haven't, we need to head to the school and figure out what's going on, because this has got to be one of their stupidest ideas to date. Malivore bait and kid who's been a werewolf for less than a year aren't the best to trust to survive on their own."
"I swear my stupid little brother is just begging Daddy Dearest to possess him at this rate."
"Okay. Let's get the blood to close the portal before we go find out what Landon's up to."
Reaching out her hand, she caught a tumbler off of the drinks cabinet and then used magic to slice her wrist.
While Kol and Davina went to the portal to try to close it, Hope and Ryan headed towards the Salvatore school.
When they arrived at the school, snow was falling and Hope looked up at the sky, unable to shake the sense of unease creeping through her veins.
"Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks snow this time of year isn't a little odd?" Hope frowned at the clouds hanging low overhead, heavy with snow.
"You're right," Ryan agreed. "Something about this feels a little like a monster my father would send."
"Do you happen to know any who's got the M.O. of making it snow at least a month before it's supposed to start sticking?" Hope asked, catching a snowflake on her fingertip.
"I've got a few ideas, but I don't know enough about what this thing is doing to know for certain."
"Couldn't you give us a clue what you think might be doing this?"
"I'll have to see some more of how it affects people to know for certain. I have less than five monsters my father could have sent for me or my stupid little brother, so if you'll please allow me to work through my list?"
"Okay," Hope acquiesced.
When they walked into the building, Hope stared around her in shock, then looked at her companions. Everyone at the school had apparently lost their minds to being overly cheerful, holiday making fools and Hope knew they were in trouble.
"Since when does he act like that?" Ryan asked, staring at the vampire hunter as he laughed and drank from a cocoa mug.
"So I'm not the only one seeing this."
"Hm. I know what's doing this." Ryan folded his arms across his chest and shook his head in semi-amazement. "The Krampus."
"The who?"
"The Krampus. It's an anti-Santa. Seeking out people unaffected by the Christmas spirit. Which is apparently what's happening here."
"Why are we immune?" Hope found herself wrapping her hands around Ryan's arm, tugging him closer.
"Because something in our lives either makes us miserable or makes us hate the holiday season."
"I lost most of my family. What's your excuse?" Hope raised an eyebrow.
"I've never spent a single Christmas surrounded by people who cared about me. I've always been alone, so I wouldn't know the first thing about being merry with people who loved me."
"You never had a single Christmas?" Hope looked up at the man she loved, her heart twisting for him.
"Unless you count watching the people around me make merry while I was alone, then no, I've never had a single one."
"Hope, please tell me you're still here because of my note and not to make merry and eat figgy pudding," Lizzie pleaded as she approached them.
"We're here because of the note."
"Now, could someone explain to me why everyone acting so damn happy?"
"It's the latest monster. Which means that Malivore isn't sending this one after Landon, but after one of us instead." Hope looked at her companions, then back at Lizzie. "Which also means Landon and Raf need to be found and brought back since they left for something that doesn't seem to be happening right now.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Since you seem to be the only one in this building as unaffected by this holiday cheer as we are, you're the best one to go after them. While you're gone, we'll see what we can do to figure out how to find the Krampus and kill it since it's probably coming after one of us, not overly, cheerful merry making people."
"I know how to do that. All you have to do is ask."
"Oh, good, Hope, you're here!" Josie smiled widely as she approached them, a plate of cookies in her hand.
The smell of butter and sugar mixing normally would have had Hope's mouth watering, but right now, all she wanted to to was smack the plate to the ground and grind it into pieces beneath her heel. She exhaled through her nose in an effort to keep herself from losing her temper and smiled at her friend.
"You're happy today," Hope commented, exchanging glances with Lizzie who was staring at her sister with a horrified expression on her face.
"Well, you're coming back to school, which is a very good thing and in effort to keep with the holiday spirit, I decided that no matter what happens, I'm going to accept it as being what's meant to be."
"What are you talking about?"
"Landon, he never made a decision between us."
"I made that decision for him when I started sleeping with his brother," Hope said, then whispered to Lizzie, "Run."
Lizzie nodded and slipped away when Josie glanced down at the plate in her hands.
"That doesn't change his feelings for you though. Cookie?" Josie asked, holding out the plate of frosted treats.
"No thanks. We've got a monster to kill and I'm not feeling in the mood for sweets right now."
"Okay." Josie's smile didn't fade and she turned to find someone else to give her cookies to.
"We really need to kill this Krampus," Hope said. "How do we do it?"
"To kill a Krampus, you need to stab it in its very tiny heart."
"How do you find it?"
"Put the fire out and it will show up if it truly is after one of us." Ryan walked towards the fire place, shedding his jacket as he went.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, he threw the coat across the flames and stepped back.
"Hey, what's with the fire going out?" Kaleb set the giant bowl of egg nog he'd been carrying on a nearby table.
"We're trying to catch a monster, so I suggest you get back," Hope said. "Unless you want to wear that egg nog once the Krampus shows up."
She raised her hand and the lights went out, engulfing the room in gloom.
The first sign that something was up came from the swirling dust where the flames used to be and Ryan caught Hope's hand in his, his body tensing.
"I think it might be after me," Ryan whispered. "So step back and make it look like I'm alone."
Hope looked up at Ryan, worry flooding her, but she did as he requested.
When the nightmarish creature solidified into its body, it gaze locked on Ryan, approaching him slowly. Then suddenly, it's long tongue shot out of its mouth and wrapped itself around Ryan's neck, strangling him.
Furious, Hope threw a knife from the nearby table, severing its tongue, and shouted a spell, throwing it backwards and forcing it to drop the bag it carried. She leaped at it, punching it in the face, but before she could land a fatal blow, it crumpled and Hope looked over to find Alaric standing there with a crossbow.
"Not in my school, you don't. Now, who wants cocoa?"
"If they're still affected, it's not dead." Hope glanced back at the merry makers, then at the body on the ground.
Before she could make a step towards it, the bag it dropped started to move and a friendly looking old man climbed out of it.
Hope looked at Ryan, then at the man standing there.
"Santa?" Hope couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Merry Christmas, one and all!"
"Well, I guess Santa is real." Ryan raised an eyebrow in Hope's direction.
"Well, of course I'm real. And after spending so long trapped in the dark, thanks to that thing, I'm free, because of you, Hope Mikaelson."
"How do you know my name?"
"Everyone was a child once and I know the name of every child to ever exist. Who could forget the existence of the tribrid? Or someone with the name Alaric?" He smiled at Dr. Saltzman, then fixed his gaze on Ryan. "You though. You and I never crossed paths."
"I've always been as I am," Ryan said, his mouth twisting with a silent challenge towards Santa.
"No childhood at all. Trapped in an existence so cut off from the world that the holiday spirit never even had a chance to touch your life."
"If you know that much about me, how is it you don't know my name?"
"I can feel your sadness, the aching loneliness and pain tearing you apart."
"He's not alone. Not anymore." Hope brought one of Ryan's hands to her lips and kissed his knuckles.
The Krampus started to move and Santa turned to face it, his expression darkening.
"I thought it was dead!" Alaric readied his crossbow again.
"You missed its very tiny heart. Put that away though, Alaric. This is my fight now."
With that, Santa threw himself into the match with more speed and force than Hope had expected and the fight was on.
"Damn, dude got speed!" Kaleb shouted, enjoying the battle far more than he should have.
"How do you think I get around the world so fast?" Santa asked as he threw another punch.
After several more exchanges of blows, Santa finally stabbed the Krampus in its heart and stood up.
"Now that the beast is dead, I believe there are presents for me to hand out."
"It's October," Hope said as she silently light the lights and fire with a wave of her hand.
"Christmas is a state of mind, Hope. And I'm in the mood to make merry, now that I am free. People have wishes I need to fulfill. So hurry up, write your wishes down and place them in the fire. We will make this a true Christmas, even though it is a little early."
Hope grabbed a small slip of paper off a nearby tray and a pen. Handing them to Ryan, she raised them so he could take them if he wanted.
"I've already gotten more than I ever thought I would." He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled softly. "With you in my life, it feels too selfish to think of asking for more."
"Well," Santa cut in. "In that case, you'd better look up."
Hope and Ryan both did as Santa said and found a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the rafters. Laughing, Hope stood on tiptoe and kissed Ryan and he cradles her cheek as he responded.
"Is there nothing you want?" the old man asked, studying Ryan.
"The only thing I could think to ask for, not even you could give me, I'm afraid."
"Very well. Hope?"
Hope grabbed a slip of paper and wrote I wish Ryan would have the best Christmas ever then handed it to Santa.
"This is your wish?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"I might be struggling with getting into the Christmas spirit this year, but truthfully? There's nothing I can think of that I might want. I've got my surviving family in my life, I'm back at the only place I've ever felt like I've belonged, besides home, and I'm happy with Ryan. What else could I ask for?"
Santa smiled at her and raised his hands, and the lights and other decorations became even prettier than they were, the table where the food was extended a bit and even more food appeared on it, and people's clothing changed into cocktail party wear. When she looked down, Hope realized that she was no longer wearing jeans and a blouse. Instead, she was now wearing a dark blue, knee length dress with silver high heels.
With a wink in her direction, Santa moved on to the next person.
"What did you wish for?" Ryan asked, curious.
"If I tell you, it might not come true." Hope kissed him again and carded her fingers into his hair. "Now, come on. Dance with me."
She guided him away from the crowd and they started slow dancing to I'll be Home for Christmas.
"Today was surprisingly more violent than I was expecting," Hope said. "But it's turning out much better than I thought it could."
"Merry Christmas, Hope."
"Merry Christmas, Ryan."
