Hope drifted to the waking world slowly and she stretched languidly. As she shifted, she became more aware of Ryan lying beside her and warmth pooled in her lower belly. Ryan sighed in his sleep in response to her movements and pressed his face against her shoulder blades.

She listened for a long moment, but heard no one in the house. Were they actually alone?

Sitting up, she pulled the sheets down his hips and unzipped his pants. With a small smile playing around her mouth, she pulled his cock out and ran her hand up and down the length. As he hardened in her grasp, she bit her lip, suddenly uncertain. She'd never done this before, so she only had a theory and could only hope that she brought him the same pleasure he brought her.

Hope hooked her hair behind her ears and leaned over, taking him slowly into her mouth, then hollowing her cheeks out as she lifted her head. When she had just the tip between her lips, she caressed it with her tongue, before taking him back into her mouth.

When Hope tried to swallow him, he was so thick and long that she gagged and even when she tried to work past her reflex, she just couldn't fit him down her throat. So, she brought one hand into play, stroking what she couldn't fit into her mouth.

As he started to respond more, Ryan's lips parted and he sighed, twisting his head from one side to the other, though he remained asleep.

The taste of him was salty and strange and her jaw ached, but she pushed those aside and focused on the fact that this was for the man she loved, to bring him pleasure. Everything he did during sex had been for her pleasure, so now it was time for her to do the same for him.

As he neared consciousness, Ryan moaned, rocking a little into her mouth.

"Damn," Ryan mumbled, still more asleep than awake, then he exhaled in the softest, "Oh," when he focused on her, almost as if he couldn't believe what was happening.

Hope looked up at him, smiling around his cock when she met his gaze. With another whispered exhale of pleasure, he carded his fingers through her hair, as his hips jerked, though he didn't thrust up fully into her mouth.

With one hand, she tugged his pants down a little more, then raked her nails along his inner thigh.

"Sweetheart, please."

Hearing the man she loved beg for more while she had him in such a vulnerable position, it made her feel powerful, sexual. She was a woman, bringing the man she loved pleasure.

"Hope." Her name came out in a strangled cry. "Oh, god."

For not knowing much about what she was doing, he was certainly responding, and a rush of pride flooded her. This was what she wanted, to learn what he liked, and right now, it seemed he liked being woken up like this.

Ryan started tugging on her hair, trying to pull her head up.

"I'm gonna cum, sweetheart." Ryan made a keening sound in the back of his throat and his stomach muscles quivered.

Determined to see this through, Hope refused to let him pull her off him.

When he realized that she wasn't going to release him, he threw his head back, a groan tearing from between his lips a he climaxed. Hope choked at the rush of his release filled her mouth, but she somehow managed to swallow it.

As he started softening, Hope finally lifted her head and licked her lips.

"Good morning." She smiled down at him.

Ryan fixed his pants and then tugged her down so that she was lying with her head pillowed on his upper arm.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Thank you for the lovely wake up."

"You've been so good to me, that I figured it was time I started doing the same for you."

"You don't owe me anything." Ryan's brows furrowed.

"It's not about owing. It's about wanting to make you feel as good as you've made me feel." Hope cupped his cheek. "You've already helped introduce me to things I like, so now I want you to teach me what you like."

Ryan rolled onto his back, so that Hope was sprawled across his chest.

"So, you want to explore what I like."

"I do. You're so good with me, so I want to make you feel the same way."

"And we'll figure out if there's something you like that I haven't done, so we can explore together." Ryan hooked her hair behind her ear.

"You've had other lovers, so you know so much more than I do."

"Just because I know how to bring you pleasure doesn't mean that you can't teach me what you like."

"I like what you do to me."

With that, he kissed her deeply, not seeming to mind the taste of him on her tongue.

Hope moaned, sliding her leg up his side. As his tongue caressed hers, he unbuttoned her pants and pushed her panties aside, plunging his long fingers into her. As he stroked her, his movements mimicking making love, he shifted them so that she was lying more across his body.

"I love you, Hope," Ryan whispered against her lips. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too." Hope whimpered.

She'd already been so worked up from what she'd done for Ryan that the coil started tightening right away and she writhed against him.

"You're so beautiful, Hope, so damn beautiful," he murmured before kissing her once more.

The coil snapped and she cried out into his mouth.

"Now, it really is a good morning." Ryan grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Hope tucked her head under his chin and sighed.

"We should probably take a shower and get dressed soon. My family won't be gone for much longer." Hope nuzzled his chest.

"They're performing the spell to return their memories, aren't they?"

"Yes!" Hope leaped off the bed and Ryan started laughing as he followed her.

Her family would remember her when they came back! Her heart pounded with excitement and she felt giddy. She'd finally have her family and she could call herself a Mikaelson without feeling like an impostor.

Tears suddenly started forming and she slid down the wall, sobbing.

"Shh, shh, sweetheart."

Ryan knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

"They're my family and they're going to remember me."

"I know. I know. Come on. Let's get cleaned up so you're ready to meet them." Ryan brushed her tears away with his thumbs.

Hope nodded and hiccuped.

Ryan stood up and held out his hand. Hope took it and got to her feet. He cupped her cheek, then kissed her lightly on the lips.

"It's just so much," she whispered.

"I know." He hooked a curl around his finger and then turned the water on in the shower. "Come on, sweetheart, a warm shower will help you feel better."

Hope nodded. "Pregnancy hormones suck. They make me an emotional wreck."

She rubbed her face roughly.

"I think anyone would be a bit emotional if they were in your situation, whether they were pregnant or not."

Ryan ran his thumbs along the top of her pants, then tugged her shirt over her head.

"I don't think I want sex right now, believe it or not." She didn't want to turn him down, but she knew she wouldn't be able to focus on him or what they were doing, with her mind so twisted into knots the way it was.

"This isn't about sex, sweetheart. It's about taking care of you, about ready to see your family again."

With that, Hope allowed him to strip her naked while she undid his pants.

It really was a shame that she wasn't in the mood for sex, because he was a beautiful man, and seeing him naked tempted her to try. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on it, and that wasn't fair to either of them.

With the warm water flowing over them, they started running soap filled sponges over each others' bodies. Like this, she could lower all her guards, let him behind her walls, and be completely vulnerable with him.

His dark eyes were intense, yet gentle as he bathed her, his long fingers massaged her tense muscles, caressing her, soothing her. The tension finally started fading from her body and she leaned into him, resting her head over his heart.

With her head right beneath his, Ryan poured some shampoo into his hand then rubbed it into her hair.

"You know they love you."

"I know. I just feel like I failed them by staying away."

"You didn't fail. You were trying to protect them and yourself."

Ryan tilted her head back to rinse the shampoo out, then smoothed some conditioner into her hair. He carded the conditioner through the strands with his fingers, before guiding her head back under the spray.

"You're a strong woman who survived hell and they've got no reason to feel anything except for pride and love for you."

Ryan turned the water off and grabbed a towel out of the cupboard.

After they finished dressing and getting ready for the day, they reentered the bedroom. Catching her hand, Ryan turned her towards him, then caught her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"Thank you," Hope whispered.

"For what?"

"For being you."

Someone banged on the door just then and Klaus shouted, "Hope! Open the door!"

Taking a deep breath, Hope walked over to the door and turned the knob. When she swung open the door, it revealed Klaus's tear stained face.

"Hope," Klaus whispered.

"Hi, Dad."

Klaus pulled Hope against him, pressing his face into her hair.

"My littlest wolf, come back to me."

"I didn't want to stay away," Hope whimpered. "I wanted to come home."

Klaus started to cry then and tightened his grip on Hope.

"You're home now. My beautiful little princess, all grown up."

"Hope!" Hayley shouted from down stairs and a moment later, she too was hugging the tribrid while crying.

"Mom."

Her mother. She was there, with memories of her. Hope broke down, sobbing hard. Finally, she could be the little girl she'd been forced to abandon when she'd been taken, and allow her parents to take some of the hurt and loneliness she'd endured.

"My little girl. Oh, my little girl."

"I missed you, Mama, so much." Her mother had been her entire world before she'd been kidnapped and now, she was back in her arms.

After a long moment, her parents stepped back, though they still kept a hand on her.

"My baby is having a baby," Hayley murmured.

"Yeah." One of Hope's hands moved to her belly. In just a few weeks, she'd be obviously pregnant, and everyone would know that she was carrying Ryan's daughter.

"The supernatural element now knows you exist and Freya is making sure that people know that your child and Ryan are under our protection," Klaus informed her.

He tugged her against him and kissed the top of her head.

"Come here, Ryan." Hayley held out her hand, encouraging him to come closer. "You're the father of Hope's child and you're both clearly in love with each other, so that makes you family."

Ryan shoved his hands into his front pockets and approached them slowly. Once he was standing directly behind Hope, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands over hers, as if in effort to shield the child growing within her from the outside world.

"Are the others downstairs?" Hope asked, leaning into Ryan's embrace.

"Yes. They just wanted to give us a few minutes with you first." Hayley squeezed Hope's arm and smiled at her.

Like this, with her parents and Ryan, she felt whole, like she could face the world.

"Come on. I want to see them."

Hope wrapped her hand around her mother's as Ryan released his hold around her waist and stepped back so Klaus could tuck her other hand in the crook of his elbow. Hope looked back up at him and smiled.

When they entered the living room, Rebekah raced across the room and hugged her tightly.

"Aunt Rebekah."

"You have no idea how much we missed you. Just because we couldn't remember you doesn't mean we didn't feel your absence." Rebekah stepped back and brushed Hope's hair behind her ears, tears streaming down her face. "Because we did miss you, every day. Our miracle baby, lost and now home."

"Hey, Bunny." Kol came around Rebekah and pulled her against him.

"Hi, Uncle Kol."

"So, my little nerd is having a little nerd."

"She's all but guaranteed to end up being a bit of a nerd, considering who her parents are," Ryan commented.'

Kol laughed and said, "Good. Someone else to teach all I know about magic."

"Hope."

She smiled when she saw Elijah and he hugged her tightly.

"Our Hope, come back to us."

Hope pressed her cheek against his chest and sighed.

"You're home now, little one. You're home." Freya joined the hug then and that seemed to be what everyone needed to wrap their arms around her.

"You're going to make me cry again," Hope said.

"I think we're all about to start crying," Freya commented. "Our little witch is home, with her boyfriend, and she's about to be a mother. That's an excuse enough for tears, because we're so happy that our family is finally complete."

"Speaking of your boyfriend, I think I've got a few spells that may help with his predicament, being bound to the monster we plan on destroying," Kol spoke up.

"We'll deal with that later. For now, all that matters is that she's home." Hayley kissed Hope's temple.

Hayley guided her daughter over to a couch and she and Klaus took a seat on each side of her while Ryan sat on the floor at Hope's knees and the others gathered around them. Once they were all comfortable, Hope started combing her finger's through Ryan's hair.

This was home. This was family and they would face the monsters plaguing them, all together.