Hope's mind was reeling, the faces she had just seen settling into her own memory. Of course the woman had looked familiar - Rebekah and Freya had both inherited certain facial features from their mother.

And the man … That must have been her grandfather (step-grandfather?), Mikael.

"Hope?" Landon asked, looking thoroughly confused. "Do you want me to go and get him?"

"Who?" Hope asked blankly.

"Henrik," Landon said slowly. "You just said his name."

Hope took a deep breath. "I wasn't talking about my cousin. Henrik was named after my dad's youngest brother. He was killed by wolves when he was sixteen." She met his eyes. "The memory I just saw - the woman sitting by the fire? That was my grandmother, Esther. And the boy that stormed out was my father. The man was Mikael - no wonder they were all afraid of him," she added as an afterthought.

"Wait, wait, wait a second," Landon said. "You're sure."

"I'm sure," Hope said. "I'm guessing you saw siblings as well at another point in the dreams?"

Landon nodded.

"That's why they looked familiar," Hope said gently. "You've met my family, just as adults."

"Hope, this is … You're telling me I'm your uncle?"

Hope reached out and gently uncurled Landon's hands from where they had clenched on her bedsheets. "I know it's a lot to take in. You're just a reincarnation, Landon. Same soul, different body. There's no blood here. Although that does explain why we always felt like we knew each other, even though we'd never met. Dad said it too, remember?"

"Yeah," Landon said softly. "So why now?"

"Actually, it makes sense," Hope said. "I didn't know Henrik was a phoenix, but then no one did I should think. But Esther turned the others into vampires because Henrik died. This incarnation was born about a year after me, when they were all alive and okay and - okay, not quite together, I don't think, but they were close enough. Except Uncle Finn," she added. "Then again, he hated vampirism - for him, I think being dead is being okay. Of course that could just be something everyone says to make Aunt Freya feel better. I can …"

"Hope?" Landon interrupted quietly. "Can you … Can you not tell your family right now? I need to process this and … I have no idea what it means and if it means anything and … I just need some time."

"Of course," Hope said as he got up. "I won't breath a word."

"I know it's a bit weird being asked to keep a secret by a complete stranger," Landon began, looking at Jade.

"Hey, don't worry about it," she said. "I have not understood a single thing about anything that was just said."

Hope gave her a wry smile as Landon slipped out. "Where do I begin?"

If the Emma debacle had to happen (and maybe it did, if just to get her out of the school), at least it happened on a Friday.

It had given Jenna the weekend to sort herself out. As they moved into Sunday afternoon, she should have been ready to start work the following morning: she had, with the twins' help, put together a work-wardrobe; she had set up her office to her liking; she had put together a schedule of appointments over the next few weeks that would allow her to meet each and every student.

In fact, the only thing she hadn't done was tell Alaric that she'd take the job permanently.

There were two things stopping her - and one of them was currently closing the garage door after backing her car out.

Hope was going home for the evening for a family dinner and Jenna made a decision before she had realised it, hurrying from her room to meet Hope down at the car.

Hope barely flinched at her appearance. "Hi Miss Sommers."

Jenna smiled. "You can call me Jenna, you know."

"I try and keep it separate at school," Hope said. "Otherwise I'd keep calling Dr S 'Ric' and that would be embarrassing."

"I called a teacher 'Mom' once," Jenna said, shuddering. "I think I still get nightmares."

Hope stifled a giggle. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could come with you," Jenna said. "I'd appreciate a chance to talk to your parents."

"Both of them?" Hope asked. "Are you sure?"

"Hope, I'm about to spend at least a few weeks telling the students of this school that they can't let the past define them," Jenna said gently. "I can't do that if I'm doing it."

"You mean me," Hope said with a sad smile. "Please don't force yourself to do this for me."

"I'm not," Jenna said, mostly truthfully. "I'm doing it for me. I also want to see Matt because I haven't seen him since I got back."

"Fair enough," Hope said. "I'll call Mom on the way."

Caroline met them at the door, half happy and half concerned. "Hi Jenna."

"Sorry for dropping in on you," Jenna said apologetically, her eyes darting around the compound as Caroline ushered her inside. "This is …"

"It's a bit much," Caroline conceded. "I've got used to it. The Mikaelsons lived here for a few centuries before they left in 1910."

"That makes sense," Jenna murmured, her eyes catching sight of a family portrait at the top of the stairs.

"One of Nik's," Caroline said, following her gaze. "Was it me that you wanted to speak to, or him?"

"Both," Jenna said. "I'd rather speak to him first and get it over with."

"You know you don't have to," Caroline said.

Hope had disappeared, presumably to catch up with her aunts and uncles, and Jenna shook her head. "I do. Not for you, or for Hope, or for Elena, but for me."

Caroline nodded. "Okay."

It was gratifying that neither Caroline nor Hope tried to talk Jenna out of her decision, and she followed Caroline up the stairs to a closed door.

Caroline sniffed. "There's already sage burning. Let me just make sure he's in a good mood." She tapped on the door and stuck her head in. "Nik?"

"Hope texted me."

"Ah." Caroline withdrew and held the door open. "Want me to stay?"

"I'm fine," Jenna said, even though the sound of his voice had made the blood freeze in her veins.

No amount of flowers had softened her.

Caroline nodded, pulling the door closed behind her.

"So sage?" Jenna asked, her voice not quite steady. "Elena didn't cover that part."

"It's magic that even vampires can do," Klaus said. "Blocks sound from leaking out. I thought you might want to yell," he added, as though he realised how threatening that sounded.

Jenna took a deep breath, forcing herself to meet his eyes. He was standing beside an easel that was turned away from her, wiping his hands on a paint-stained cloth.

There was something human about the scene that settled her a little, but it was his eyes that caught her attention the most.

"It hurt you, didn't it?"

Klaus frowned. "That … was not how I was expecting you to start."

"Me neither," Jenna admitted. "I was going to ask why me. But … You looked me in the eye when you killed me. The curse was … It did more than just lock the wolf away, didn't it?"

"Are you trying to give me an excuse?" Klaus asked.

"No," Jenna said immediately. "Absolutely not. I just … I guess I hadn't realised why you were so desperate to break the curse. I thought it was just … I don't know … there's never enough power. But Elena said the wolf curse causes a short temper to try and make you trigger the curse; it makes sense that the hybrid curse would try and force it through as well."

"So speaks the counsellor," Klaus said with a wry smile. "Caroline says Alaric offered you the job at the school."

"He did," Jenna said. "I haven't taken it yet. I wanted to make sure that the twins were okay. I thought that was all I needed first, but … I need to talk to Caroline about Jo. And I needed to do this, because I can't help Hope deal with what happened if I haven't."

"Do you think Hope needs to deal with it?" Klaus asked, parental concern obvious in his voice.

Jenna managed a small smile. "I think she's not as okay with whatever she's been told about your history as she pretends to be." She folded her arms, reassured that she was safe - even if it was just for Caroline and Hope's sake. "So why me?"

"Because it would hurt Elena," Klaus answered.

"But Elena was already going to die," Jenna said. "Why did you have to hurt her more?"

"I don't know," Klaus admitted. "I think I was still seeing Katherine, which I appreciate was not fair on her."

"You're a parent now," Jenna continued. "And I can see how much you love Hope. I may not have been Elena's mother. I may not have even been biologically related to her. But I was the only parent she had - Isobel left her and John had never bothered. And you killed me - in front of her! And, okay, you thought she was going to die, but I was the last parent Jeremy had as well. Why did he have to suffer? I was supposed to be at Elena's wedding. I was supposed to be at their graduations. I was supposed to give them college tips. I was supposed to see her become a doctor, and help Jeremy with relationship problems, and tell Elena stories about her mom when she was pregnant, and … I can deal with the fact that you killed me, because I'm back now, but I will never get the last twenty years back."

Klaus was quiet for a few moments. "I am sorry, Jenna. There are certain things I can't regret because they've led me to where I am, and I would never sacrifice what I have now. But I am sorry that I put Elena through that extra pain. And I am sorry that you paid for my anger at Katerina."

Jenna took a deep breath. "Thank you. Now where might I find Caroline?"

"I assume she's in our apartment," Klaus answered. "Take a right out of here and the third door on the left."

"Thanks," Jenna said, turning on her heel.

She already felt much lighter as she followed his directions, tapping on the door and being completely unsurprised when the door opened under her hand.

Caroline was pacing the living room and she immediately changed her course to meet Jenna halfway. "How did it go?"

"He apologised," Jenna said. "I think I'm okay."

Caroline frowned. "Seriously?"

"Well, no," Jenna admitted. "Not that quickly. But he said something that struck a chord. That he couldn't regret anything that brought him to this moment. And I just thought … If I hadn't died, it might have changed everything. Not the curse breaking, no, but … What if it would have meant that Hope hadn't been born?"

Caroline hesitated. "I think 'what ifs' will drive you mad, Jenna. You told me that when I was fourteen."

Jenna smiled fondly. "And it took becoming a vampire before you listened."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Caroline asked.

Jenna hesitated. "I was hoping that you could … that you could tell me about Jo. Elena told me about her from a kind-of stepdaughter position, but you two were friends. I just want to make sure there aren't any landmines I'm going to trip over."

Caroline gave her a sad smile. "Actually, I can do you one better. Come on." She led Jenna into what must have been the master bedroom and knelt down beside one of the units. Pulling open the bottom drawer, she pulled out a box containing a number of envelopes.

Jenna watched curiously as Caroline rifled through them and extracted two, before opening one and tipping out …

"A flash drive?"

"When Jo found out she was going to die and that we couldn't do anything," Caroline explained quietly, leading her back out into the living room, "she decided to record a number of messages for Josie and Lizzie for them to watch at certain moments of their lives."

"That's lovely," Jenna whispered. "I wish my mom had been able to do that."

Caroline smiled at her, loading up the drive on her laptop. "She left one for you too."

"Me?" Jenna asked.

"Well, Ric's new girlfriend," Caroline said. "Obviously she didn't know it would be you. Do you want me to stay?"

Jenna nodded, grabbing her hand as Josette Laughlin appeared on the screen, sitting mere feet away from where she now sat.

"Hi," Jo began with a shaky smile. "I'm Jo … but you already knew that. First of all, well done. Well done because Alaric is the best guy you could hope to meet, and well done because you wouldn't be watching this if Caroline didn't approve. And she's not easy to impress. This is … This is a really hard message to record. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love Ric with all my heart. I'm the third woman in his life that's died young. He's not cursed - I checked."

Jenna choked out a laugh.

On the screen, Jo managed a slightly wider smile. "He's just really unlucky. So just … be careful, okay? Go to the doctor regularly, watch what you eat and … just be aware of anything that you could fall into, or could fall on you - if you could wrap yourself up in bubble-wrap, that would be great."

Caroline was shaking with silent laughter beside her. "She filmed herself," she murmured, apparently sensing Jenna's confusion. "I haven't watched this."

Jo's smile faded. "I'm sure you already know that Ric can be hard work, and that he's so, so worth it. He'll have moments - I'm sure he already has - when he feels guilty when he's with you. He might tell you; he might just pull away. I've been there. When I first met Ric, he was mourning the love of his life. And it must sound strange to you, for me to call someone else the love of my husband's life. I don't believe people have just one. Maybe that's a contradiction of terms. Either way, he would have these moments when he felt bad for loving me, when he was still in love with Jenna. Equally, he'd feel bad for still loving Jenna, when he'd fallen in love with me."

Jenna squeezed Caroline's hand tighter.

"And I am willing to bet good money that when he first met Jenna, he had the same struggles with Isobel." Jo paused. "Also, I'm really hoping that he's already told you about Jenna and Isobel, otherwise things are about to get really awkward. I get the feeling that Isobel changed, so moving on from her was maybe a bit easier. But Jenna … It sounds weird, but I really wish I'd had a chance to meet her. I'm sure that we'll meet on the Other Side, and I think we'll get along well." She smiled suddenly. "I'm sure we'd get along too. Ric clearly has a type."

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, the point of the message: I want Ric to be happy. We promised each other until death do us part. Once I'm dead, that kind of ends. And that's okay. I'm sure that I'll stay tucked up somewhere in his heart just like Jenna did, and that's okay too. Ric loves with his whole heart, even when it hurts. But I'm sure you know that. The hardest thing I have to do, is talk to you about my children. I don't want this to be a situation where you've chosen him, but have to put up with them. I need you to be their mother. I need you to love them as much as I do. I'm not just talking about my daughters; Elena and Jeremy will need you too, however old they are when you watch this."

Jo took a shaky breath, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. "But my girls are so young … I don't know how old they'll be when you watch this … I hope they've been nice to you. But please - be patient with them. And love them. I know that's a big ask, but please do that for me. Thank you."

The screen went black and Jenna wiped her eyes, suddenly realising that she was crying. "Wow …"

Caroline closed her laptop and silently handed Jenna a tissue.

"It's not a big ask," Jenna whispered. "I already love them."

"I know," Caroline said, glancing at the clock. "Come on. You're staying for dinner, right?"

"Well, Hope drove me here," Jenna said with a watery smile. "I kind of have to. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Yeah, of course," Caroline said, waving her in the right direction.

Once behind closed doors, Jenna let herself cry a bit before trying to clean herself up. The fact that Jo had compared her death to Jenna's had shaken her. After all, Jo and Ric had been together for over a decade when she died.

She and Ric had been together for a matter of months.

Then again, she had known then that what they had was special. Even when she went out with the girls, intending to get very drunk and forget about her lying boyfriend, she had wound up tearfully telling a complete stranger all about how she wanted to marry him one day.

"… and have a family, and we'll take Jeremy and Elena on family vacations, and we'll retire to Florida because I am not dealing with these winters when I'm old and grey."

Jenna took a shaky breath and checked her reflection. Her eyes were a little red, but at least her make-up had held up to the 'waterproof' claim.

Caroline was hovering when she came out and immediately held out her arms.

"Don't make me cry again," Jenna said, hugging her. "I'm okay."

"Yeah, alright," Caroline said. "Come on. I know something that'll distract you."

Jenna wasn't convinced, but was proved wrong when she followed Caroline downstairs to find a very familiar face in the dining room. "Matty!"

Matt gave her a hug that lifted her off her feet, just like Jeremy. "Jenna! Sorry I haven't seen you yet."

"That's okay - Hope told me," Jenna said with a smile as he released her. "Berlin?"

"Every now and then my wife gets bored and kidnaps me," Matt said.

"Don't be dramatic," one of the other women said.

"Babe, if I fall asleep in bed and wake up in a plane, it's kidnapping," Matt said with no bite to his voice. "I didn't say I was complaining. Jenna, this is my wife, Rebekah."

"It's lovely to meet you, Rebekah," Jenna said, somewhat surprised when Rebekah hugged her as well.

"I am so sorry about my brother," she whispered.

Jenna smiled, giving her a little squeeze. "Thank you. I get the feeling you've said that a lot."

Rebekah pulled back. "You have no idea. This is our other brother, Kol, and his wife, Davina. Our sister Freya, and her wife, Keelin. And you know Elijah, I believe?"

Jenna narrowed her eyes at him. "We've met."

"I will also offer my apologies," Elijah said quietly. "I had not intended you to become involved."

Jenna glanced around the room to confirm that Hope wasn't in earshot. "You got me involved when you lied about being in the historical society to get me to invite you into my home so you could convince my niece to let you use her in some bizarre plot that might have gotten her killed."

Elijah had the decency to wince. "You are absolutely correct."

Jenna turned back to Matt. "Elena tells me you have a daughter."

It was a fairly transparent attempt to change the subject, (especially since she'd met both Mariella and Henrik the day before) but Matt and Rebekah's faces both lit up, and she knew it was going to work.

Hope pulled into the school garage a few hours later. "Are you okay?

Jenna smiled at her. "I'm fine, thank you, Hope. I feel a lot better. Do you know where Josie and Lizzie will be?"

Hope checked her phone. "They're with their dad, so his office."

"Thanks," Jenna said, hopping out of the car.

"Jenna?" Hope called, before she could go and find them. "Dad asked me to give you this."

Jenna tried to hide her wince. The flowers had been lovely, but he did go a little bit over the top.

When she turned around, Hope was holding a large square package.

"He said to tell you that you were right, but that hopefully this would help a little bit," Hope said, frowning a little. "But I'm really not sure what it is."

Jenna hesitated. "Do you mind dropping it off in my office?"

"Yeah, of course," Hope said.

Jenna thanked her again and made her way to Ric's office. As she knocked, she could hear Josie and Lizzie giggling inside.

"Come in," Ric called.

Jenna stuck her head in. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not at all," Alaric said. "It's Sunday night; we have a catch-up after dinner."

"Well, I just wanted to come and tell you that I'd really like to take the job," Jenna said, a little nervously, "if it's still open."

"Of course it's still open," Alaric said, with a relieved smile. "I'll talk to Caroline about the paperwork."

"Thanks," Jenna said, digging in her pocket. "Also, Caroline asked me to give this to you two."

At the sight of the second flash drive, the girls' smiles faded a little.

"It's from Mom, isn't it?" Josie asked quietly.

Jenna nodded. "She had one for me as well."

The twins exchanged a look, before Lizzie took the flash drive. "Thanks, Jenna. Dad, we're going to …"

"Of course," Ric said, watching them leave. "Jo left you a message?"

"Well, not me specifically," Jenna conceded, dropping into Lizzie's abandoned chair. "For someone who had … come into your life … who Caroline approved of."

"Can I ask what she said?" Ric asked, pulling a bottle of whisky from his bottom drawer.

"Should I be worried you keep that there?" Jenna asked.

"It's the only one with a key and I don't trust certain students not to come snooping for party supplies," Ric said, pouring them both a drink. "Don't worry; I'm not spiralling."

"She told me to be patient with you," Jenna said. "And to be careful. Actually, I was mentioned a lot more than I expected." She picked up one of the glasses and took a sip. "She called me the love of your life. One of them," she added.

"That's bad, isn't it?" Alaric asked, lips twisting into a self-deprecating smile. "Fairly sure your wife's not supposed to think that."

"When we met, you were still mourning Isobel," Jenna said quietly. "And I know that she turned out to be a vampire and a bitch and all, but I didn't think for one second that you met me and suddenly decided you never loved her. You did love her. Part of you still does. You just moved that part of you out of the way and let me in."

"Jenna, I moved on from her," Ric said.

Jenna smiled. "I know that, Ric. As pissed off as I was when she turned up, I never … Okay, there was part of me that thought you might go back to her."

"I wouldn't have," Ric said, reaching across the desk to take her hand. "Jenna, I wouldn't have. Even if she reappeared human and the same woman I married, I would have chosen you. She left me and I moved on."

"My point is," Jenna said, "I did not expect you to stop loving me when I died, and Jo certainly didn't expect you to stop loving me. Just as I wouldn't expect you to stop loving her when she died. There's enough room in your heart for both of us." She paused. "Of course, I'm assuming that Jo was right. She might have been wrong, in which case this is about to get exceptionally awkward."

"She's not wrong," Ric said, his eyes boring into hers. "But it's complicated, Jenna. You know it is. I have two teenage daughters. And I don't want to put you through that."

"Through what?" Jenna asked, bristling slightly. "Your daughters?"

"No, grief," Ric said. "You're immortal, Jenna. I'm not."

"Well, I'm still not sure about that," Jenna muttered. "You haven't aged a day, Ric; come on."

"So I'm ageing well," Ric said.

"Ric, you run a school for supernatural kids," Jenna said. "I've been here two days, and I can already tell that this place would turn most people grey. Plus, you were teaching self-defence out by the lake this morning."

"And?" Ric asked. "Also, were you watching us?"

Jenna smiled. "Maybe. In any case, I saw that kid get a hit in. You should have at least a black eye."

"It wasn't that bad," Ric said weakly.

"Ric," Jenna said sternly.

"I'll contact Keelin," Ric said with a sigh. "I'm sure you met her this evening; she's Freya's wife."

"I did," Jenna said. "She's the doctor, right?"

"She is; she also studies the effects of the supernatural on the blood," Ric said. "If there is something going on, she should be able to figure it out."

The door burst open again and Josie came to a stop in front of Jenna, Lizzie close behind her.

"Josie! Sorry, Dad."

"It's alright," Ric said. "Josie? Are you alright?"

Josie didn't answer, her eyes fixed on Jenna. "Did you know what it was about?"

"No," Jenna answered. "Caroline didn't tell me. The message she left for me was for someone who had come into your dad's life, so I assume it was something similar."

"Mom wants Dad to be happy," Josie said, a little breathlessly. "And we want Dad to be happy. And she said that the only dealbreaker would be that it was someone who would love us and be a mother, rather than just our dad's girlfriend."

"Actually, she said she'd really like it if it was someone who could love us as much as she did," Lizzie said, looking at the floor. "But that's probably unrealistic."

"Girls …" Ric began.

"It's okay," Jenna said quietly, turning her chair to face Josie. "Lizzie, come here please."

Almost reluctantly, Lizzie moved forward to stand next to her sister.

Jenna took their hands, looking up at them. "I can't promise to love you as much as your mother does," she began. "Because she does still love you, I can tell you that. Love is such a subjective thing - I would never presume to claim that I can love you as much as she does, any more than I would claim to love Elena and Jeremy as much as Miranda does. But I can tell you that I love you, both of you, and I think I started before I ever knew who you were." She smiled. "Miranda once told me that when she first met Elena she fell in love instantly, even though she was fully intending on helping Isobel and sending them home. I never really understood until I walked into that crypt a month ago."

She released Josie's hand in favour of reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheek. "The only thing I can promise you is that, no matter what happens between me and your dad, I will always be there for you, whether that's in two years, or two decades, or two centuries."

Josie's lower lip wobbled a split-second before she threw her arms around Jenna, almost collapsing on to her.

Jenna caught her, only just managing to free an arm before Lizzie did the same thing, both girls clinging to her. She hugged them back just as tightly, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened her composure again.

How she had come to love these girls as much as she did, she didn't completely understand.

Vaguely, she heard Ric saying something, and Lizzie and Josie pulled back.

"We know," Lizzie said. "Curfew."

Jenna chanced a look at Ric, somewhat relieved to see that he was smiling. "Goodnight, girls."

"Night, Jenna; night Dad," they said, more or less in unison.

Once they had left the office, and their footsteps had faded away, Jenna turned back to Ric. "I'm sorry if I overstepped the mark there."

"You're sorry if …" Alaric shook his head, standing from his chair and rounding his desk.

Jenna let out a little squeak of surprise as he pulled her to her feet, and then he was kissing her. She melted into him - it had been far too long - she was dimly aware of his hands gripping her waist, of hers tangling in his hair - longer than it had been, but yielding the same pained groan into her mouth as it always had.

"Did you mean what you just said?" He asked breathlessly against her skin.

"Of course I did," Jenna whispered. "I would never lie about that."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ric asked, pulling back a little to talk to her properly. "If you're wrong, and I'm just ageing gracefully …"

"Then I'll enjoy what time I have with you and then look after the girls," Jenna said calmly, although the very thought pained her.

"Stepmom isn't an easy role," Ric warned.

Jenna smiled. "Ric, it's not the first time I've unexpectedly inherited two teenagers. Of course there's going to be issues. I'm giving them two months before the first 'You're not my mother'. We'll be okay."