Every supernatural person in the bar looked up at her, as if seeing her with new eyes, when they heard her name and Hope turned around with her heart in her throat.

"Aunt Freya," Hope whispered. "You're here already."

"I've been tracking you." Freya walked up to Hope, her expression awed.

"I'm here now."

"You look like your mother."

"But my dad put the devil in my eyes," Hope attempted to joke, remembering something someone had said when she was a child.

"You do have Nik's eyes." Freya cupped Hope's cheek. "I think I've got a spell to return our memories. I haven't had a chance to try it though, because it's risky."

"I don't care if you can remember me or not. New memories can be made. I just want my baby to know her family." Hope threw her arms around Freya's shoulders, hugging her tightly as she cried into her aunt's shoulder.

"She will, sweetheart. She'll know her family and her family will remember her mother," Freya promised.

Freya moved so that she still had one arm around Hope, but she could look at Ryan.

"Why don't you introduce us?"

"Freya, this is Ryan Clarke. I suppose you could call him my boyfriend, but that word doesn't seem to cover what he is to me very well. Anyway, he's the father of my baby and I'm in love with him. Ryan, my aunt Freya Mikaelson."

"It's good to meet you, Ryan."

"You as well, I've heard so much about your family over the years, I never thought I'd cross paths with any of you, at least not in any meaningful way."

Freya held out her hand and Ryan shook it. When her skin met his, Freya raised an eyebrow, but she said nothing. Hope had told her that Ryan wasn't human, hadn't she? She couldn't remember for sure. Either way, he wasn't a threat to anyone in the Mikaelson family.

"I mean your family no harm, I promise you. Hope means everything to me and hurting her or our baby is to harm myself."

"I can live with that." Freya nodded, though her expression was still one of curiosity as she regarded the immortal man standing before her. "Come on. Let's go back to the compound. Everyone is anxious to meet you."

'Meet.' The word hurt, but they wanted to be a part of her life, so she would take it. Her family wanted her back, even though they couldn't remember her. Maybe she was right. Maybe her parents' love for her was still remained as strong as ever, even if they couldn't remember who it was they loved.

When they walked through the door to the living room, Hope shrank behind Ryan, allowing his height to shadow her when she realized that every Mikaelson was sitting around the room, including their partners.

Taking in the gathered group, Hope realized that there were new faces in the crowd. Had her mother and Elijah split up? Because who was the petite, dark haired woman woman standing beside her uncle or the man with her mother? Was it her disappearance that split them up? Hope's heart twisted with that thought.

"Breathe, Hope. They know you're family," Freya said when she saw Hope hiding.

The tribrid kept herself pressed against Ryan as she came out from behind him. In an effort to calm her, caught her hand, linking their fingers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Um, hi." Hope waved at them.

Ryan wrapped one arm around her shoulders and held her close while she moved her hands to her belly, as if to protect the baby.

"Welcome home, Hope." Elijah's voice, so warm and gentle, like it was when she was a kid, it made her feel a little less nervous about being with her family.

"I know you don't remember me, but I just want you to know that I love you and I've missed you every day."

"I think we've missed you just as much, even if we can't remember you," her uncle said with a soft smile.

"Come on. Sit down." Freya gestured towards an empty love seat.

Ryan guided Hope over to the seat and she curled up against him. Even though she was a little less nervous upon seeing that they weren't going to reject her straight off, she was still scared and instinctively trying to protect the child she carried.

"Freya said that you're pregnant."

Hearing Hayley's voice brought tears to Hope's eyes and she choked back a sob as she nodded. It was her mother speaking to her, trying to get to know who she was now and she wanted to tell her everything, but she'd let her mother ask the questions.

"I can hear the heartbeat." Hayley tilted her head to one side, listening.

"It's a girl." Hope didn't bother trying to hide the smile as she talked about the tiny form growing within her.

Ryan shifted beside her, placing his hand over her belly.

"She's going to be a daddy's girl, isn't she?" Hayley chuckled when she saw Ryan's actions.

"Of course she will be. After centuries of believing that I couldn't have a child, she's proof that my creator was wrong about me."

"What happened?" Klaus finally asked. He shifted a little, as if uncomfortable with the affection between Ryan and Hope.

She didn't suppose it was easy to find out that he was a father, only to find out that his daughter was already involved in a romantic relationship and pregnant. Now to see affection between his baby girl and the father of said baby girl's baby, for a man as possessive as Klaus, definitely difficult.

She didn't want to answer his question, but she knew that if she wanted them to understand why she'd stayed away, they needed to know. So, in a halting voice, Hope told the story of how she'd been taken by Triad and how she'd ended up becoming a slave to them, about how she'd considered transitioning, just so she could flip the switch. When she talked about meeting Ryan, she couldn't resist leaning against him and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

Ryan tightened his hold on Hope, trying to lend her what strength he could. While he knew the story already, knowing how difficult it was for her to tell it it to the family who didn't remember her, he knew her well enough to know that she needed him, desperately.

For a long moment, there was no sound, no one sure what to say about the pain Hope had endured before meeting Ryan. Her family looked at each other, shock and horror written across their faces.

"Were you ever going to come back?" Hayley asked, finally breaking the silence. Her brows furrowed and she swallowed thickly.

"I um, I wanted to come back, but I didn't want to face coming home and being rejected because no one remembered me, so I stayed away. Then I found out I was pregnant and once I got over the shock, I fell in love with the baby and I realized that even if you couldn't remember me, that love you felt for me wouldn't just disappear."

Hope stared at the floor, them met her mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do."

"I know." Hayley smiled sadly. "But you're a survivor and you fought back. Now you're here and whatever happens from here out, we'll face it together."

Hope smiled at her mother.

"You can't compel an Original," Klaus muttered, his face darkening. "So whatever is powerful enough to erase our memories has to be destroyed."

"We'll deal with it, Niklaus," Elijah assured him.

"After Hope has had her baby, because it seems she is this creature's weakness. Fighting monsters while pregnant is never a good idea. Your daughter is going to be protected and safe while she's carrying your grandchild, Nik," Rebekah cut in.

"Of course." Klaus deflated.

"And we'll have to break it to the people here that Hope is a tribrid and that the father of her child isn't human either." Davina glanced at Ryan as she spoke..

"After we've brought back our memories, so we can answer the questions people will have," Kol added.

"Right. We will need to handle that carefully."

"We'll get through this the way we've gotten through everything else," Elijah said. "Together."

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Rebekah asked.

"Uh, no. Everything's just happening so fast, we haven't had time to talk about names or anything beyond the fact that I'm pregnant."

"Well you do have a few months before you have to worry about that." Rebekah smiled gently.

"With the way things seem to be going, we won't have a name until the day she's born," Ryan joked.

Hope elbowed Ryan's ribs even though she knew it was true.

"Ow." Ryan rubbed his side, but the smile on his face told her that she hadn't actually hurt him.

"We'll try to keep that from happening," Freya promised.

"Is there anything you want? Anything you're craving?" Hayley asked. "Keelin got a few things that are the most common."

"But if there is anything I didn't get, I will be more than happy to go out and get something for you."

"Um." Hope thought about it for a moment before saying, "A peanut butter milkshake, whipped cream on the bottom and mangos."

"We've got everything we'll need for the milkshake, but I'll have to head out for mangos." Keelin stood up, heading towards the door.

"You don't have to go right now." Even as she spoke, her stomach twisted in rebellion.

"Pregnancy cravings are no joke and I know a place that'll have the fruit ready when I get there. I'll be right back" Keelin smiled, sliding her purse over her shoulder.

"She really didn't have to do that." Hope felt horrible that her cravings sent someone out just to satisfy them.

"You're pregnant and you're home. Get used to being taken care of," Rebekah called over her shoulder.

Silence descended and Hope started playing with her hands nervously. Ryan placed his hand over hers.

Hope leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder.

"There you go." Rebekah placed a tall glass on table in front of her. "Peanut butter milkshake with whipped cream on the bottom."

"Thank you." Hope took a sip and smiled at her aunt.

"Now, tell us about the sort of monsters you fought."

After talking for several hours, exhaustion finally caught up to her and she leaned into Ryan more. As if knowing what she was feeling, he kissed the top of her head and pressed his cheek against her hair as he wrapped his arm more securely around her.

"I think Hope is about to go to sleep on us," Freya remarked.

"I don't want to sleep though," Hope mumbled. "I don't want to miss anything."

"You're not going to miss anything, I promise."

Hope yawned, and nuzzled deeper into Ryan's side, wrapping herself more tightly around him.

"I'll carry her." Klaus tried reaching for her, but Hope wouldn't release her grip on her lover.

"She doesn't seem willing to let him go, Nik," Freya's gentle voice cut through.

"She's my daughter."

"And right now, you're strangers to each other," Elijah spoke up. "You need to give it time, get to know each other again, because right now, he's the only person she knows and trusts."

"Please. Don't fight. Need your memories first," Hope struggled to speak, but she wasn't sure if she actually said it, or if she just thought it. This point between dreams and waking was such a strange place to be.

"Wait, Niklaus, please. After everything she's been through, she's scared to trust us because she's afraid we can still reject her."

Hope heard Klaus step back and sigh heavily.

"Take care of my daughter, golem. Because if you hurt her, I will find a way to end you," Klaus swore in a dangerous growl.

"I will do everything in my power to make her happy and keep her safe," Ryan promised.

"Think you can carry her, Ryan?" Freya asked.

"Yes."

Ryan picked Hope up and she wrapped her arms more securely around his neck. With a contented sigh, she drifted as he carried her through the house she'd only seen a few times. She'd need a map to get around, because they'd taken so many turns, she had no idea where they were anymore.

She must have said it out loud because, Freya laughed, "It won't take long for you to know what is where."

Hope drifted again, only waking up when Ryan laid her on the bed and pulled her shoes off.

"You're staying with me," Hope grabbed his arm and tugged him down beside her.

"She's already carrying your child, so Klaus can't say anything about you sharing a bed with his daughter."

After a moment, Ryan lay down beside her. Hope draped herself across him, faintly registering that he'd removed his shirt before he'd climbed into bed with her.

"Goodnight, Hope," Freya said. "When you wake up, sweet girl, hopefully, we'll remember you."

"You're gonna try the spell?" Hope mumbled. It was a risk, possibly erasing the locked away memories of her from their minds completely, possibly including the remaining love they had for her.

"You're family and family is always and forever. I'm willing to risk it for you. I'm strong and I know what I want. I want to remember the niece we fought so hard for. There's no indecision in me, no second guessing, so don't worry about me removing you completely from our minds."

The door shut behind Freya, leaving the couple alone.

Nuzzling her head under his chin, she inhaled, the scents of home and Ryan mixing together, wrapping around her like a blanket, caressing her, cradling her in a cocoon. She was home and when she woke up, her family would remember her. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to look up.

AN: I'm so sorry I'm so late. I'm a trucker and they've had me hammering down. I hope this makes up for it