A knock on the bedroom door drew them out of their bubble.
"Go away," Hope breathed, not saying it loud enough for whoever it was to hear them. "We're busy."
Unfortunately, the knock came again, so Hope knew that whoever it was wouldn't be leaving without being answered and if that was the case, it was something one of them needed to know.
"Ignore it," Ryan whispered against her neck.
"It might be important." Hope tilted her head back.
"What is it?" Ryan asked, not lifting his head.
"I have the supplies you requested, Hope" Seylah called. "I'll leave them outside the door."
"Thank you, Seylah," Hope replied, fighting back a moan.
Seylah chuckled once and walked away.
"Are you trying to distract me so I don't do this?"
"Maybe," Ryan admitted.
Hope sat up, catching Ryan's cheek in her hand so she could look him in the eye. He started chewing on his lower lip, his mouth tight. The smile was gone from his eyes and something in those dark depths twisted at her heart.
"You're afraid," Hope whispered, her brows drawing into a furrow. "Why?"
"When you go home, you'll be surrounded by powerful beings, your own kind, really. And what use will you have for me? I'm just a pile of living, breathing mud."
"You're not just anything, Ryan. You gave me a reason to run and I thought you were human, so knowing that you're supernatural, it makes it so much easier, because now I don't have to worry about you getting killed permanently when I bring you to meet my family."
She pushed Ryan onto his back.
"Your family will judge me for being what I am."
"I won't let them." Hope carded her fingers through his hair.
"You can't stop them from feeling something, Hope."
"You're the father of the first Mikaelson of this next generation. Even if I wasn't in love with you, that makes you family, and family is always and forever." Hope rested her forehead against his and kissed him lightly.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest.
"If we're going to do this, I don't think you want to be sending a package to your family while smelling like sex," Ryan murmured against her temple.
"Take a shower with me?" Hope braced her hands on his shoulders and sat up slowly, trailing her fingers down his torso as she moved.
"Keep touching me like that and we won't be doing much showering." Ryan caught her hand and kissed her inner wrist.
"That's the point. I wanted you in there with me this morning, but you were busy. Now, you can make up for it."
"Is that so?" Ryan sat up, his hand lightly cradling her jaw, and he kissed her.
"I love you," Hope whispered.
"I love you, Hope Mikaelson. Now, let's get you clean so you can get this spell done and be with your pack."
Ryan swung his legs over the side of the bed and scooped Hope up. Hope wrapped her arms and legs around him so he could carry her to the bathroom. As he started the water, Hope leaned her head against his shoulder, nipping lightly at his neck with her teeth.
After the water warmed up, he set her down on the floor and the warm water washed over them. Pouring some body wash onto a cloth, Ryan slowly started rubbing it into her skin, the scent of lavender filling the steamed room.
As he made his way down her body, he lowered himself to his knees, then took her calf in his hand, spreading her legs. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the most intimate part of her, but to Hope's frustration, he moved on to other parts of her body. As he caressed her, he started becoming aroused and Hope bit her lip, wishing she could just get him inside her, right then.
"Ryan," Hope breathed.
"Shh, sweetheart. I haven't had a chance to explore your body properly in weeks, and never while sober."
"You're teasing me."
"Yes, I am." He grinned up at her.
Leaning her head back against the wall, Hope sighed, enjoying the feel of his hands, his mouth on her. As much as she wanted to have him inside her right then, having him like this, it soothed her in a way she didn't know she needed until she met him. Her touch starved body was finally being sated by his touch, by the man who'd seen her as a person when to everyone else she was an automaton.
"You're so beautiful," Ryan whispered, sucking lightly on one of her nipples as he came up.
"So are you."
Taking the rag from him, Hope started running the cloth over his body.
"You don't have to do this."
"It's your turn to be cared for, love." Hope kissed his chest. "You've been the strong one for your entire life. So you deserve to be cared for and I want to do this. I've hurt so many people, so doing this for you, it makes me feel like I can be more than a monster."
"You're not a monster, Hope. You did kill people, but you were a child, thrown into a situation where you were forced to do whatever you were told to do to survive. That doesn't make you a bad person, especially since you feel bad about it now that you're not there any longer."
Slowly, she ran the cloth over his erection, more of a caress than to cleanse, and Ryan bit his cheek as his hips gave little jerks as he struggled to keep from thrusting into her hand.
"Who's being the tease now?" Ryan sighed, then it cut off in a groan as Hope focused her attention to the tip of his arousal.
Hope kissed him softly, but that kiss quickly turned to more as Ryan lifted her up, pinning her to the wall. His tongue slid into her mouth and Hope scraped her nails across his back, causing him to moan into her mouth.
"I can't keep my hands off of you, sweetheart," Ryan groaned as he thrust into her.
"Good."
Ryan set a steady rhythm, and the warm water washing over them, it added another sensation to their lovemaking.
His dark eyes never strayed from her face as he moved inside her, connecting them far deeper than just their bodies. In this moment, she felt so safe, so loved, as though no matter what happened to them, he would protect her heart. That he would always be what she could come back to when the things turned terrible, because she'd always have him.
After they climaxed, they leaned against the wall, allowing the evidence of sex to rinse down the drain. Ryan kissed Hope softly as he slipped out of her body.
"I love you and I can't say it enough," Ryan whispered.
"I love you too."
Ryan turned the water off and led Hope out of the shower.
Giggling, Hope started drying him off, loving the feel of his skin beneath her palms, even through the towel. God, he was so beautiful.
"Keep looking at me like that, and putting your hands on me the way you are, we'll never get anything done today."
"And?"
"And I have to leave to take care of some business in a few minutes. If I'm going to move to New Orleans, I have so things I need to take care of before I leave so no one follows us."
Hope pouted and he tapped her lips with his finger.
"We've all the time we'll need when I get home, sweetheart."
"I know, I know. I'm just really, really horny right now."
"Oh, sweetheart. I know and I love how much you want me."
After they dressed, Hope went to the door and picked up the bag of supplies Seylah had left for her.
"I have to leave to run some errands in a few minutes." Ryan glanced at the clock. "Do you want me to put it off 'til later so you can come with me?"
"I'd like you to be here, but we can't be living in each other's pockets all the time. You have things you have to do that don't require me around and I have things I have to do that don't involve you. Having us together all the time would breed contempt. Just because we love each other doesn't mean we should do everything together at all times."
"True. I don't want to leave the mother of my child for very long."
Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Maybe when I get home, we can figure out if we're having a boy or a girl."
"I'd like that."
With one last kiss, Ryan left Hope alone.
Grabbing her spell supplies, she sat on the floor and set out what she needed to send her message.
After Ryan left the house, Hope took a deep breath and then started to write.
Freya,
I know you don't remember me, but I am the daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall-Kenner. My name is Hope Andrea and I am eighteen years old. I was born in 2012 and am the reason why the Mikaelsons returned to New Orleans and how Hayley found her family. You fought for me, bled for me, lost friends for me. It was because of me that Dahlia came to New Orleans and how you were able to free yourself. It was also because of me that the Hollow came back, though I was able to bring her down somewhat before I was taken, though I didn't finish her off until just recently.
As to why you don't remember me, I was taken by a group called Triad and thrown into a pit, Malivore, and this pit had magical properties which erased me from the collective consciousness. Once I became pregnant with my own child, I realized that there was no way I could stay away from my family. The father of my child is being the best about this, but I need my pack and my vampire family. Please. I want to come home.
Enclosed, is a vial of my blood so you can test my claims for yourself.
Hope Andrea Mikaelson
Folding the letter up, Hope cut her palm and allowed the blood to flow into the empty vial. Once she was finished, she bound the letter and vial together, then with a burst of magic, she sent the items to Freya.
Now, all she could do was wait.
What would they think? What would they say? Would they actually try to prove or disprove her claims? Or would they just throw the letter away, thinking she was a crackpot, trying to get in with the Mikaelsons?
Then again, what person would give their blood to another witch, knowing what could be done with that blood? That would make her beyond incredibly stupid.
With a sigh, Hope got to her feet and set about putting the supplies away, trying to do something, anything to distract herself from whatever was happening with the package she sent to New Orleans. If she thought about it too much, she might curl up and start crying.
She couldn't let herself think about how they might react to what she'd sent them, because there was no point in going through whatever was going to happen twice. Either Freya tried it or she didn't, but whatever happened, Hope was no longer in control. She'd made the first step in reconnecting. Whether Freya believed her or not, she'd be moving to New Orleans soon and then she could meet Freya face to face and demand that she go through with the spell if she didn't believe her.
Ryan and her baby were her family now and she would do whatever it took to ensure their safety and survival, and that meant facing the family she'd been ripped away from so many years before. But that thought terrified her, because it meant opening herself up to the rejection of the people he loved.
To calm herself, she focused on listening to the soft beat of her baby's growing heart. This little miracle, the child Ryan thought he'd never have, proof that she was stronger than the monster that took the memories of her away from those who once loved her.
All at once, there was a burst of flames and an envelope appeared with Hope written across it in Freya's handwriting. The moment of truth had arrived. With shaking hands, Hope picked it up and opened it up.
