The first thing Hope became aware of was the soft kisses trailing over her collarbone, followed by her girlfriend's voice quietly calling her name.

"Hope … wake up birthday girl …"

Hope's eyes blinked open, Lizzie's face coming into view above her.

"Thank goodness," Lizzie murmured. "I was starting to get worried."

For a second, Hope didn't understand - then she remembered the night before, convincing Lizzie to snap her neck to allow her to complete the transition.

"It's my birthday," Hope grumbled. "Couldn't I have slept in?"

"It took you forever to start breathing again," Lizzie said, settling down beside her again. "I was worried. How do you feel?"

Hope yawned, feeling a sharp ache in her gums. "Fine. I can still hear the wolf, so I'm definitely a hybrid, I just need to …" she propped herself up on her elbows and wiggled her fingers.

From the mini-fridge across the room, a blood bag flew out and soared across to land in her outstretched hands.

"I didn't do that," Lizzie said, grinning. "You are now officially a tribrid."

"I always was, babe," Hope said cheerfully, draining the blood bag. As her veins heated beneath her eyes and her bloodlust abated, a new kind of hunger replaced it.

A hunger that, judging by the look on Lizzie's face, was more than reciprocated.

"Better?" Lizzie purred.

"Much better," Hope said, making the empty bag vanish with another snap of her fingers. "Do I get my birthday present now?"

Lizzie smirked. "What makes you think I got you a birthday present?"

Hope trailed a finger down her girlfriend's throat to the neckline of her own Laughlin Academy soccer shirt. "Well, you weren't wearing this last night. So I think that my present's underneath it. Am I right?"

"Well, why don't you find out?" Lizzie challenged. "You should unwrap your own gift, really."

Hope smiled mischievously, sliding her hands under the soccer shirt to tug it over her girlfriend's head, revealing icy blue lingerie. "Mmm, happy birthday to me."

It was two hours later, when they were curled up together, naked and slightly sweaty, that conversation continued.

"So you feel okay?" Lizzie asked, playing with Hope's hair.

"I feel amazing," Hope answered, her head pillowed on Lizzie's chest. "I knew that everything would get magnified, but I didn't realise how that would feel. I just … I love you so much."

Lizzie opened her mouth to respond, but Hope wasn't finished.

"Marry me."

Lizzie chuckled. "What?"

Hope lifted her head. "Marry me."

"You're not joking," Lizzie said.

Hope rolled away from her to root around in her bedside table. "I'm really not." When she turned back to Lizzie, she had a ring box in her hand. "I've just been waiting for the right time."

"And naked is the right time?" Lizzie asked weakly.

"Maybe not," Hope conceded sheepishly. "But I just couldn't wait any longer. The right time is any time I want to marry you. And I always want that. I want to spend the rest of our forever together."

"Always have to beat me to it, don't you, Mikaelson," Lizzie grumbled good-naturedly.

"Is that a yes?" Hope asked with a grin.

"Like you need to ask," Lizzie said, holding out her left hand.

Hope slipped the ring on to her finger and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "Love you."

"I love you," Lizzie murmured, leaning in.

Knock, knock.

"Are you decent?"

Hope smiled against her fiancee's lips. "Later," she murmured, pressing one more kiss there. With a flick of her hand, they were dressed again, maybe not properly for breakfast, but covered at least. "Come in, Mom."

Caroline poked her head around the door and immediately pulled a face. "Thanks, Hope."

Lizzie winced, burying her face in Hope's shoulder, waving a hand to get rid of the scent of sex on the air, while Hope giggled. "Sorry Mom."

Caroline chuckled. "You're an adult now, honey. My little girl - twenty-two already."

"Mom …" Hope whined.

"I remember the day you were born," Caroline said, coming over to give her daughter a hug. "I broke your Uncle Matt's hand in …" she froze. "Hope Rebekah Elizabeth Mikaelson, what did you do?"

Lizzie lifted her head. "You didn't tell anyone?"

"I knew everyone would panic a bit," Hope said. "I'm fine, Mom."

"What if you hadn't been?" Caroline asked. "What if it hadn't worked?"

"Hope said that her own blood would sire her," Lizzie said.

"Well, I didn't … I mean, I was certain that was true," Hope admitted, "but we never actually confirmed it."

Lizzie sighed. "You're lucky I love you."

"I know," Hope said, lacing their fingers together.

That had the dual effect of placating Lizzie and distracting her mother as the sunlight glinted off her new engagement ring.

"Is that what I think it is?" Caroline asked, smiling from ear to ear.

Hope smiled. "We're getting married."

Caroline perched on the edge of the mattress, enveloping them both in a hug. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both. I won't say welcome to the family, Lizzie, because you've always been family."

"Thanks Caroline," Lizzie said.

Caroline kissed them both on the forehead. "I'm making breakfast and the whole family's here, so sooner rather than later please?"

"Of course," Hope said. "Just let us finish getting dressed."

They shared a shower - just to save water of course - before dressing quickly, trading soft kisses and touches as they did.

No sooner had they stepped out of the apartment than Lizzie stifled a giggle. "You owe me five bucks," she whispered, pointing down the hallway.

Hope followed her gaze, groaning when she saw Henrik, his hands braced against the wall, pinning in a rather dishevelled Jenna-May Salvatore, while he - apparently - tried to give her an oral tonsillectomy.

"I give him a nine for enthusiasm," Lizzie said, not bothering to whisper anymore. "Four for technique."

Completely oblivious to their presence, Henrik shifted his hands to her waist. When she hiked up one leg to tug him closer, Hope decided to be a bit more obvious and loudly cleared her throat, sniggering when the couple sprang apart as though they had been burned.

"Pay up," Lizzie said smugly.

Hope shook her head. "I owe you."

"You were betting on us?" Jenna-May asked, sounding a little wounded.

"Not you, sweetie," Lizzie said. "Just him. I said he'd get his act together before Christmas. Hope said that you'd end up losing patience with him sometime around spring break."

"Hope!" Henrik protested.

"In my defence, my first bet was that you'd make a move on her eighteenth," Hope said, "given how much you were moping about her before then. And you didn't, so I had to revise."

"How do you know I didn't?" Henrik asked.

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "If you two have been doing that for three months, then you need more practice."

Jenna-May blushed, muttering something about not seeing each other that often, now that Henrik wasn't at the Academy anymore.

"Are your parents here as well?" Hope asked, rescuing the two from their embarrassment.

Jenna-May shook her head, still pink-cheeked. "They're flying in today with Uncle Damon and Aunt Kat. Ariana's downstairs with Uncle Ric and Aunt Jenna."

"We'd best get down there then," Hope said, taking Lizzie's hand. "Behave yourselves and don't do anything we wouldn't."

"Of course not," Henrik said, reaching out to brush two fingers against a spot on Hope's neck. "You're welcome. Also, what did you do?"

Now it was Hope's turn to blush, realising that he had just placed a concealment charm against her skin. "Thanks. Also, I'm properly a tribrid now."

"I can tell," Henrik said, shaking his hand off. "A bit of warning next time would be nice."

Hope rolled her eyes, tugging Lizzie downstairs to the dining room, since they had far too many people to have breakfast in the kitchen.

Her father met them at the bottom of the stairs and Hope released her fiancée in favour of hugging him.

"Happy birthday, little wolf," he whispered.

The whole family had gathered for breakfast, including Jade, who had tagged along with Alaric and Jenna, who had now been married just over eighteen months.

Hope greeted her former dorm-mate with a smile and a hug. "I'll pretend it's me you've come to see."

"It's your birthday," Jade protested. "Of course I'm here to see you."

"That would be more convincing," Hope said, "if you and Landon weren't glued at the hip."

"Hello pot," Landon greeted. "Meet kettle."

"Lizzie and I are not that bad," Hope said, a split second before Lizzie's arms slipped around her waist. "Okay, maybe we are. Where's Raf?"

"He and Mariella went for a run," Landon answered, taking a sip of his coffee. "I think they're taking a leaf out of Sophie and Elijah's book."

Hope glanced over at her aunt and uncle, who were still 'not dating', despite the fact that the entire family knew they definitely were. "Oh, we don't need that."

"I'm going to lock them in a closet," Landon said. "You with me?"

"You are not locking my daughter in a closet with her boyfriend," Rebekah said, chiming in from across the table.

"They're not dating," Landon said.

Rebekah frowned. "Are you sure?"

"They say they're not," Landon said.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Alright, lock them in the closet. Nobody's got time for that."

"Bekah!"

Hope turned away from her Uncle Matt's protest to hug Alaric and Jenna.

"Hi Mama Jen," Lizzie greeted.

"Morning sweetheart," Jenna said with a smile, raising an eyebrow at Hope. "You've taken the final step then?"

"It felt time," Hope said. "We were reaching the point where I was going to look too old for Lizzie."

A sudden hush across the room told her that her mother had not made the announcement.

"Oh, yeah, I transitioned this morning," Hope added, to the room in general. "I'm a tribrid now."

"That's my girl," Klaus said with a smile.

"There's another piece of news," Caroline prompted, bringing out a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes.

"Mom, you're spoiling me," Hope said with a grin. "I feel like a little kid again."

"What news?" Freya asked, catching her son before he could reach for the pancakes. "Birthday girl first."

Lizzie smiled, taking Hope's right hand in her left and lifting them in the air. "We're getting married."

Rebekah and Josie squealed, descending on the couple, very swiftly followed by the rest of their family.

Once the initial excitement had died down and Josie was exclaiming over the ring, Penelope snagged Hope's arm and pulled her into a quiet corner. "Really?"

Hope smiled sheepishly. "I wasn't planning on it. Transition causes your emotions to go haywire and … it just kind of … happened."

"Hope," Penelope groaned. "I love you and I'm happy for you, but what am I supposed to do now?"

"Stick to the plan and propose at Christmas," Hope said. "Look at it this way - she definitely won't be expecting it now."

"Just as long as she doesn't say no so as not to steal Lizzie's thunder," Penelope grumbled good-naturedly.

"She won't," Hope said, giving her a hug. "Not even Lizzie could still be milking it after three weeks."

"Can I have pancakes now please?" Little Finlay asked loudly.

"Finn …" Freya began.

"It's okay," Hope said. "We can always make more."

"You mean I can always make more," Caroline said, putting an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "But she's right. Dig in, everyone."

Finn's cheer made everyone laugh and Hope rested her head on her mother's shoulder for a moment.

"Sorry I transitioned without telling anyone."

"No you're not," Caroline said mildly. "Otherwise you wouldn't have done it." Squeezing her daughter's shoulder, she gave a sigh. "I can't believe you're getting married. I suppose you and Lizzie will be moving out."

"Not far," Hope said. "Probably just across the street. I'm not going anywhere, Mom. Ever."

Caroline smiled. "I know, baby girl. I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic, that's all."

"Mom," Hope said slowly. "I was wondering …"

"Uh oh," Caroline said.

Hope sniggered. "Funny. Seriously though - if the kill-switch is created by the immortality spell, and I just sired myself without one … does that mean I'm completely immortal?"

Caroline was quiet for a few minutes. "I don't know. Possibly, but let's not test that theory, okay?"

Hope smiled, watching her family having breakfast together, blood and love combining to create a group of people that might be dangerous, ancient and a weird combination, but were, first and foremost, hers. "No," she said quietly. "Let's not test that one."

Caroline pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Get some breakfast before this lot eat it all."

Hope nodded, twisting to give her mother a hug. "I love you."

Caroline hugged her back just as tightly. "I love you too, sweetheart. Always and forever."

AN: Well, that's it. This series is - officially - finished. If anyone has any requests for missing scenes or oneshots, let me know in the comments - I can't promise they'll get written, but I can promise that they will all be considered.

If you enjoyed this series, please take a look at my profile and check out my other works - they might not be in fandoms you're familiar with, but I try to make it so they can be read without an intimate knowledge of the original media.