"Good morning." Hope kept her eyes closed, but she couldn't fight the smile.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" He pressed his lips to her shoulder.

"You're staring." She stretched her hands above her head, her back arching with her movements.

"Yes, I am."

Ryan trailed his fingertips over her stomach, then kissed her temple.

"How long do you think it will take before Triad and Greta are no longer an issue?" Hope asked, rolling onto her side to face him.

"You're a powerful witch, the most powerful I've ever encountered, so with any luck, it won't take long."

"I just don't want our baby brought into the world with the threat of them hanging over our heads."

"Even if they're still an issue when she's born, she'll be protected and loved, no matter what." Ryan brushed Hope's hair out of her face and kissed her softly.

Hope's stomach started growling and they both laughed.

"Sounds like you need to eat."

"Are you hungry?" Hope asked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"I can always eat, you know that."

"Bottomless pit," she teased.

"The only trait I got from my father that I'm not angry about." Ryan rested his head on his arm, watching her.

"I need to talk to my aunt about possibly finding a way of severing your connection to Malivore and to see if we can find a way to destroy him permanently." Hope pulled out a set of clothes as she spoke.

"We can deal with my father after the baby's born. You've already dabbled in darker magic more than is healthy for the baby," Ryan objected.

"Fine. I won't go after him right away, but that doesn't mean we can't get ready. Because once the baby is born, I'm gonna kill your father."

"It's unnecessary stress on your body."

"Worrying about Malivore finding a way back is causing unnecessary stress on my body!" she snapped.

"You don't know what he's like!"

"I may have only spent a few minutes in the pit, but I think I remember the eternal blackness just as well as you do. Having that thing come for you or our baby, it scares the hell out of me!" Hope turned on the shower, letting the water heat up.

"Fine. Do what you want."

"I plan to."

"You always do. No matter what it does to other people," he said spitefully.

"What are you talking about?"

"You erased yourself from everyone's memories, and I thought-"

"I did that so I could come back to you, you jerk!" Hope shouted.

Furious now, she stepped under the spray and tipped her head back, allowing the water to flow down her body.

How dare he? After everything she'd done for him, he was still upset about that?

Then again, he didn't know she was supernatural, so of course it hit him hard when she vanished from everyone's memories. Once the realization hit her, the anger faded from her. The man in the other room loved her and he thought he'd lost her, so of course he'd be afraid she'd do something to take herself away from him again.

As she massaged the body wash into her skin, Hope kept expecting Ryan to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. But she remained alone.

"You're not joining me?" she called.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."

"Why wouldn't I want you to?"

"Because I made you angry."

"I was annoyed, but that doesn't mean I don't want you in here."

The bed creaked as he moved and a moment later, the man she loved joined her in the steam filled room.

"I'm not angry with you." Hope kissed him softly. "I know you're worried."

"You're carrying my baby and-" he broke off, his brows furrowing.

"And getting involved in the fights is endangering the child you never thought you'd have."

"Yes." He lowered his gaze, swallowing thickly.

"I'm used to fighting. It's how I've survived. But, I will try to take your opinions into consideration and try to find a balance between what needs to be done and what will help your peace of mind and will keep the baby and me safe."

"Getting to know each other, while worrying about a third person we're entirely responsible for, it's a lot of stress."

Hope cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb across his full lips. Ryan kissed her thumb and nuzzled his cheek against her palm.

"I love you, Ryan Clarke, and we can do this. We can make this work. I just have some bad habits that need to be broken, but I'm in this, with you."

He nodded, a tremulous smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"I love you," she said again.

"I love you, so much, Hope. So please, don't leave me."

"I promise to do everything I can to avoid taking myself away from you."

"I can live with that."

With that, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ryan's lips parted, his tongue brushing against her lips. As she allowed him to explore her mouth, Hope whimpered, clinging to him tight enough that had he been human she'd have left bruises.

She needed him, needed his touch, needed to soothe the agitation their argument had wrought in her soul. After the hell she'd endured, the slightest upset in her new foundation, it left her feeling completely unsettled and the only thing that she could think of to calm this still healing part of her was to have the man who'd saved her make love her.

"Is this gonna be a thing?" He pressed her against the wall, sucking at her throat. "Whenever we argue, we have sex after?"

"I like having sex with you, so any excuse is fine with me." Her head fell back and she moaned.

"Will we ever talk it out, or just have sex?" He tugged at her earlobe lightly.

"Did we talk it out? Or do you think there's more we need to say?"

Hope wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her nails into her back.

"I think we've talked it out, for now." He caught her earlobe between his teeth.

"Until something else comes up that we haven't thought of or it hasn't happened yet. Just promise me you won't keep it in."

"I promise, just so long as you do the same for me."

"I will."

He bit down lightly on her neck, drawing a moan from her. In response, she tugged his hair, guiding his mouth back to hers. As they kissed, she wrapped her hand around his erection, positioning him so that he could take her, then arched towards him, desperate. She didn't want to talk or think about anything other than him making love to her.

"I love you," he breathed, and with one smooth motion, he was buried inside her.

Hope kept her eyes on his and rocked against him, biting her lip at the burst of pleasure.

With a soft kiss to her lips, Ryan braced one hand above her head and started to thrust slowly.

"You're an angel," Ryan groaned. "You say I saved you, but you saved me too. You gave me a reason to live for myself."

His faced twisted with his pleasure and he pressed his face into her shoulder.

As the pleasure coiled tighter through their bodies, they moved harder against each other, each eager to make the other tip over the edge before they did. Hard and fast now, they rocked together, not caring who heard the sounds they made.

All at once, her back bowed and the fire of her climax raced through her veins.

Unable to hold back, Ryan buried his face into her neck and groaned with his release

"I love you, so much," Hope whispered, combing her fingers in his hair.

"I love you."

Ryan set her back down and, with a soft kiss to her lips, he reached for one of the sponges. As he poured out a little body wash, Hope picked up the other one. Taking the bottle of body wash from him, Hope squeezed a nice amount out onto the sponge in her hand.

A soft smile played around his lips and he massaged the sponge across her back. With that, they started bathing each other tenderly, neither saying a word. Then again, no words were needed. They knew each others' bodies too well to need to speak, even if they were still learning to trust each other.

After rinsing to soap away, Ryan turned the water off, then led them towards the bedroom. He was being so gentle, and the worry in his dark eyes made Hope feel the need to speak up, to remind him that she wouldn't be angry if he didn't bottle his feelings up.

"Are you scared that I'll change my mind and fight?" she asked, drawing him to a stop.

"Family is always and forever and you've been separated them for so long." Ryan hung his head.

"I made a promise and I keep my promises, please, trust me."

"I do trust you."

"But I'm Mikaelson and we have a bad habit of going back on our word if it involves family." Hope caught his hand and placed it on her belly. "But, this baby and you are my family now too."

Raised voices from downstairs caught her attention and she frowned.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. But I think we'd better get dressed."

"Hope-"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to get into a fight, but I'd rather not be naked if there's a confrontation of any kind."

Ryan kissed the top of her head and turned towards the closet.

"Do you know who's down there?" he asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans.

"Some witches, I think. At least that's what it sounds like."

Hope dressed quickly then, throwing her hair into a loose braid.

"What do they want?"

"They're furious that I'm being kept from them."

"Do they know you're pregnant?"

"I don't think they care. I'm powerful and I'm in the vampires' mansion, so they think that they're plotting to use me against them."

"You're Niklaus's daughter. What else were they expecting?"

Hope shook her head, exhaling sharply through her nose. "It's been my experience that the New Orleans witches, particularly the French Quarter coven, are some of the most unreasonable people out there. Small wonder Marcel used Davina the way he did after he tried to save her."

Ryan snorted.

"Maybe I'm just extra bitter because I blame their stupidity for why the Hollow was released in the first place to attack me."

After they were completely dressed, Hope caught his hand in both of hers and led him towards the stairs.

"I won't fight, I promise. But they need to know I'm not being kept here against my will and that yes, I am Klaus Mikaelson's daughter and I've come home."

When they reached the balcony, Hope looked down at the gathered crowd, exhaling sharply through their noses.

"Are they insane?" Ryan asked, loud enough for those gathered below to hear him.

One of the younger witches stepped forward, hand raised in preparation for a spell.

"I wouldn't," Hope snapped. "I am Hope Mikaelson and I am with my family. If you have a problem with that, I really don't care. I'm not one of you. I never have been one of you. Why would I want to be, when so many of you have tried to kill me in the past?"

"We don't remember you, so why would we believe you?"

"Have you heard of this little thing called magic? It can erase memories." Hope raised an eyebrow.

Behind her, Ryan started snickering.

"Now, if the only thing you're here for is to try to convince me that I'd be better off with you than with my own family, feel free to leave." Hope turned on her heel and caught Ryan's arm, leading him away.

"I believe she's dismissing you," Elijah said, his voice so dry, the humidity dropped a few degrees.

Raising onto her tiptoes, Hope kissed Ryan's cheek. Hopefully, that would be the end of the witches who refused to believe that she was Klaus's daughter.

"I'd thought you'd like to know that Triad lost all their government contracts and many of Greta's army is deserting her," Freya said as she fell into step beside them. "Your spell is working. It won't be long before they'll be easy to take down without any risk to ourselves."

"Thanks for letting me know." Hope smiled at her aunt.

"And no, Hope, you're not going to be fighting. We'll handle it."

"I already promised Ryan to stay out of the fighting until after the baby is born, so I promise to behave."

"Good. I'd hate to have to lock you in your room."

"It's been done to me, and it's not fun," Elena remarked as she walked towards the courtyard.

"When?"

"Before your dad killed me. The Salvatores thought I couldn't think for myself." Elena shrugged, then disappeared through the door.

"They sound fun." Hope shook her head.

She couldn't imagine that woman being anyone's victim, but then again, Elena had been human at the time.

"I'm not a fan of them," Freya said, then walked away.

"So what now?" Ryan asked once they were alone once more.

"Now, we just enjoy getting ready for our baby, because the immediate threats are being handled by people perfectly qualified to handle them."