After they'd danced for several hours, Hope and Ryan collapsed on the couch and Hope moved them so that she was sitting against the arm of the couch with Ryan lying in her arms. Once they were comfortable, she unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt and slid her hand beneath the material. Ryan closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her caresses across his skin.

"We come bearing food," Josie said as she set two large, heaping plates on the coffee table beside them.

"And egg nog." Kaleb set the bowl down beside the food.

"Thanks, I'm starving."

Hope shifted and Ryan kissed Hope's inner wrist before sitting up. Leaning over, he handed one plate to Hope, then took the other one for himself.

"So, will you be staying here too?" Kaleb asked Ryan.

"He'll be living with me," Hope said firmly.

"You two are going to need an 'enter at your own risk' sign on your door." Kaleb raised his brows in their direction as he took a sip of his drink. "Don't think I forgot about getting thrown out of your room so you two could have sex again."

Josie choked on her drink and coughed before saying, "Wait, you got thrown out?"

"We did. And then I had to deal with MG and Raf getting uncomfortable because we could hear them. More than once. So you owe me for that, Mikaelson. And you're going to pay me back by being happy with the rest of us and drinking egg nog until you think you might be sick."

"The happy part I can do right now. But the egg nog? The smell is making me think I'm gonna have to do a hard pass." Hope glanced over at Ryan to see that he'd nearly cleared his plate already and snickered. "You really are the son of a bottomless pit."

Ryan chewed and swallowed, then said, "What can I say? I haven't had a Christmas before, so I'm enjoying myself."

"You get two Christmases this year," Josie commented with a slight smile. "This one, and then when Hope goes to New Orleans for the holiday break, which, I'm assuming you'll be there for."

"Aunt Keelin and Aunt Freya will want to make sure you get the best Mikaelson Christmas we can give you. Though I'm not sure we can top Santa showing up and giving us Christmas."

"Hey, no one can top Santa, but being with people you love, that's a damn near close second," Kaleb said.

"I didn't know it was possible to be this happy." Ryan set his plate on the coffee table and caught one of Hope's hands in both of his. "Somehow, I found someone who's just as screwed up as I am, but she fights to be a good person and makes me want to rise above where I came from and to be worthy of her love."

"Do the right thing, for the right reasons, it evens out the rest of whatever you've done in the past out, that's what I think." Kaleb relaxed into his chair and gave a contented sigh.

"Nice party," Kol said as he walked up to them, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand.

"Thank Santa."

Hope tugged Ryan back down so that they were lying against the arm of the sofa with his head on her breast once more. She slid her hand under his shirt, stroking his chest, taking comfort in the feel of his heartbeat beneath her fingers.

"If I see him, I'll be sure to do so."

"After you've kidnapped him and threatened him with whatever you have to to get what you want?" Hope giggled.

"You know me too well." But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

After a long moment, Kol asked softly, "Do you think Santa could raise the dead?"

"More than likely not, since that's dark magic, and Santa is a being of light." Ryan kissed Hope's inner wrist. "Though I'm sure he would if he could."

"Pity."

Ryan linked his fingers with Hope's, tracing his thumb along his forefinger in an effort to comfort her.

"What happened to the portal?" Hope asked after moment, desperate to distract herself from the slowly building need in her blood that his touch ignited. Damn, but she should be sad with the mention of her fallen family, but her mind jumped quickly to taking Ryan to bed instead.

"It disappeared once we poured your blood into it," Kol replied.

"Good. Hopefully this will keep him down for a while." Hope kissed Ryan lightly on the lips.

"Oh, great. The two of you are in the merrymaking spirit too." Lizzie entered the room with Sebastian, Raf, and Landon on her heels. "I was hoping at least you'd still be safe from it."

"We've got two good reasons to celebrate," Hope replied. "Santa killed the Krampus and the portal is closed, for now."

"Santa was here?" Lizzie demanded.

"He was. And he gave people presents. I think he left some things for all of you under the tree too, so you weren't left out."

"With all of that, why not get into the spirit of the season?" Ryan smirked.

"I'm not Hope. I don't find that facial expression cute." Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"She doesn't either. That's why she-"

Hope covered his mouth with her hand because she knew he was about to say something filthy judging by the expression on his face. He looked up at her, his eyes disarmingly innocent, though she could feel him smiling against her hand.

"That's enough about that!" Hope's cheeks flamed. Too many people had walked in on them or seen them in the aftermath of their sexual exploits, for him to feel the need to talk about it like that.

"Thank you for shutting him up." Lizzie shuddered. "I do not want to know what you do to him. You are my friend and there are certain things about my friends I'd rather not know."

"Especially if it involves ropes," Kol added.

Hope shot her uncle a dirty look, accompanied by an aneurysm, sending the ancient vampire doubling over.

"Ow, that wasn't very nice!" Kol protested when she released him.

"Oh, my god," Lizzie groaned when she realized what Kol was talking about.

"Kinky." Kaleb nodded once as if in approval.

Ryan shook with silent laughter but Hope refused to move her hand from his mouth. Reaching up, he grabbed her wrist and kissed the palm of her hand.

"You know I love you," Ryan murmured against her skin.

"Doesn't make you any less of an ass."

"But you love me anyway."

Hope leaned over, pressing her lips softly into his, and he smiled into the kiss.

"Hope." Landon shifted from one foot to the other, nervous. "Can we talk?"

"It's a Christmas party, and I'd rather not fight with anyone tonight." This was Ryan's first Christmas with someone who cared about him and she was determined to make sure it was good from start to finish.

Hope combed her fingers slowly through Ryan's riotous curls and he closed his eyes, his breathing slowing a little as he relaxed. She traced one fingertip down his cheek and he turned his head to try to keep her touching him for as long as possible.

It saddened her how something so simple as this had such power over him. Just how much affection had he experienced in his long life? Hope wagered that it wasn't much, and whatever he got more than likely came at a price. So for him to have her touching him now with nothing being demanded in return, of course he'd want as much as he could get. With that thought in mind, she became even more determined that he would never know a day without at least a hug for as long as she lived.

"Fine. I don't want to fight. I just want to say that I am still in love with you and I believe in us. So I'm going to keep fighting for what we had."

"Landon." Hope exhaled into Ryan's hair. "There isn't an 'us' to fight for anymore when it comes to you and me. I'm not who I was when we first met. Nor am I who I was when I went into the pit. I can't go back to that and I don't want to."

"So, you're just going to shack up with my brother and forget you ever had feelings for me?"

"Keep talking to my niece like that, and I just might decide to find out if there truly is no way to kill a phoenix." Kol smiled at Landon and raised his glass in a salute.

"Kol," Davina scolded, though there was no real censure in her voice.

"What? As the last of Nik's brothers, being in his daughter's corner falls squarely on my shoulders. And while I know you can fight your own battles, Hope, people tend to take me more seriously, because I've got the deeds and the mountains of bodies in my wake to back up my threats."

"Hope's not like that." Landon paled at Kol's chilling words and he stepped back just a little

"Actually, I am," Hope shook her head and exchanged a glance with Kol. "Now, since it is a Christmas party, get some food, something to drink and leave me alone."

Landon shot her a wounded look and Hope felt a pang of guilt for the pain she caused him. She had loved Landon and he had loved her, but she'd grown differently than he had and that created an insurmountable chasm. Landon, for all his boyish enthusiasm and affection for her, couldn't see that Hope was a woman now, not the girl he'd fallen for.

"Here are the presents Santa left for you." Josie set the stack down on the coffee table next to the empty plates, then started handing them out. "Lizzie. Sebastian. Raf. Landon."

Josie shoved the last gift into Landon's arms roughly and turned her back on him quickly.

She'd hoped that they'd get back together after Landon realized he was a better fit with Josie and that Hope was with Ryan and not interested in going back. But as she watched them, Hope realized it was a vain hope.

"Wonder what Santa gave you," Lizzie commented to Sebastian, drawing Hope's attention away from her ex and her friend.

Something in her voice had Hope raising an eyebrow. Sebastian grinned and Lizzie ducked her head in response.

Well, looked like she wasn't the only one who'd fallen for the bad boy and something definitely happened between the witch and vampire while they were on their road trip. Maybe this would be good for the both of them, acknowledging their feelings for each other.

Though if Sebastian did anything to hurt Lizzie, Hope would make him pay for it. Hope met his gaze, her mouth set in a firm line and Sebastian nodded once as if acknowledging her silent threat.

"Love is the greatest destroyer," Alaric said softly as he looked over the scene.

Hope looked up at him, startled, but the headmaster shook his head and put his finger to his lips.

"Later," he mouthed.

No one else seemed to have heard him, so she nodded once and tightened one arm around Ryan's torso. What sort of destruction did Dr. Saltzman see coming? Was it just the falling apart of relationships? Or would something even worse come about?

Suddenly, Hope realized what he had seen to make him say that. Landon and Raf watching Hope and Ryan, their faces sad, and Hope staring down Sebastian, threatening him if he hurt Lizzie, their alliance hanging by the barest thread. One wrong step and they would turn on each other, especially if romances fell apart or drove a deeper wedge between friends and former friends. Love could be the greatest savior, but in this case, it truly could destroy everything they'd worked so hard to create and save.

"This has been better than the best Christmas I could have ever dreamed of," Ryan whispered.

"I love you, Ryan Clarke." Hope pressed her face against his hair and breathed deeply, taking in his scent and allowing it to soothe her. He was here and free of Malivore, so anything else, whatever the sphinx saw coming for them, they could deal with together.