thanks so much for the reviews! :) i'm so glad you liked it! this is going to be the LAST CHAPTER of this story! cannot believe it's finally finished! really hope you like this ending!

High Hopes

"Well, so much for that plan," Damon was saying that afternoon as he somehow got roped into helping Klaus secure a venue for Freya and Keelin's wedding. It had been a few days since Klaus had taken Jade to the church where Elijah had gotten all of Greta's followers together. Klaus thought that it would help Jade to kill them, letting off some of the magic. It helped for maybe a few hours; then she got worse.

"What have you been coming up with?" Klaus replied.

"I talked to Stefan and Caroline about having the girls help," Damon started off.

"Like how they took away the curse on Mason," Klaus realized and Damon nodded.

"Two problems though," Damon sighed. "The Hollow wanted a Mikaelson tribrid and it got one. Caroline thinks that the magic is going to be rooted too deeply for Josie and Lizzie to just siphon it out."

"Maybe Jade could turn," Klaus suggested. "If she's vulnerable, weaker, the magic could be pulled more easily."

"Yeah or the transition could kill Jade," Damon argued. "If her body is that weak the magic could kill her if the girls aren't able to pull it off."

"So that's the second problem?" Klaus asked.

"I guess there's three problems then," Damon told him. "Because, even if that were to work-"

"Where do we put the magic," Klaus finished for him and Damon nodded. Just then, Klaus felt his phone buzzing with a call.

"Freya in full bride mode?" Damon joked.

"No, it's Kelly," Klaus said of Jade's mother, hitting ignore. "I'll call her back later." He shrugged. "We've got a wedding to finish planning."

"Ah, we might have a problem," Damon was saying now, reading some of his messages on his phone.

"...can I talk to you?" Jade asked after gently knocking on Freya's door frame.

"Ah, yeah," Freya said, wiping at her eyes quickly. "Sure." She nodded for Jade to sit as she sat back against the pillows on her bed, Jade sitting at the end.

"Um," Jade started off. "Bekah told me what happened." At the last minute Freya called off the wedding as she realized how much Keelin wanted a child while she wasn't so sure about being a mom.

"It's not like you can disagree," Freya murmured, referencing the last time they were really around each other, the night Jade took the hollow from Hope. Jade knew that part of what Freya and Keelin fought about that morning had to do with the things Jade brought up that night.

"Do you remember when I was pregnant?" Jade said after being quiet for a moment. "How scared I was, about being a mom?"

"Jade," Freya sighed.

"You didn't really get to spend a lot of time with my mom," Jade continued. "Didn't get to know her that well." Jade shook her head. "And it's not like she hasn't gotten a lot better. But, um..." She shrugged. "Being around and a good mom to your twenty now thirty something kids is a lot different than being around for them as children." Jade bit her lip. "I was afraid I was gonna be just like her, a huge flake."

"Where are you going with this Jade?" Freya asked her niece. "That you ended up being a good mom, so I'll-"

"No," Jade stopped her. "No, that's not it at all. It's that when I was scared about being a bad mom I didn't call her to help me." She wiped at her eyes and Freya was tearing up too. "I came to you. And the only reason I managed to stay away from Hope as long as I did was because I knew she had you." She took her aunt's hand. "You're a really good mom Freya, to daughters that aren't even yours." She smiled. "Just imagine how great you'll be with your own."

The wedding went off without a hitch, with Klaus and Elijah giving Freya away while Kol officiating. It was the first time the entire family was together in too long; it was also the happiest they had all been in sometime. Unfortunately though, shortly after the wedding Jade had to excuse herself to go home, exhausted by all the magic she held. Damon tried to go with her but she wanted to go alone, leaving the rest of her family to worry about her. He told the rest of them about talking to Stefan and Caroline about having her daughters help, but he also explained the snags in the plan.

"And we don't exactly have a plan on where to put the magic," he finished.

"What if we split it up again?" Rebekah was saying. "Kol and I are here now, Jade and Mason could still stay here-"

"Splitting it up didn't work last time," Freya said. "It bought us a few years but then we were right back to where we started."

"What if," Klaus started off slowly. "Just one of us took it." They all looked at him in surprise; Mason was the first to piece together what he planned to do after.

"Jade will never go for that," Mason shook his head. "You'll never get her to Mystic Falls let alone get her to turn."

"She won't ever forgive you," Vicki cut in now before Klaus could say anything.

Klaus didn't particularly care if this was the way Jade wanted to be saved, he was going to save his daughter regardless. Part of him agreed with Vicki though, he didn't want his daughter to hate him for doing this without talking to her. Heading back to the house he went to her and Damon's room alone, gently knocking on the door.

"Come in," she said from the other side and he entered, seeing her already in her pajama pants. "Hey dad," she smiled at him as he came in to join her. "You ok?"

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about Jade," he told her seriously, though he wasn't sure where to start.

"Is it about how I'm dying?" she said lightly, though she blinked back some tears. "I'm not stupid," she informed his confused expression.

"You don't have to," he told her and she shook her head.

"You think I don't want to see Hope graduate?" Jade asked him. "Or get married, or have a baby of her own? I..." She shook her head. "I can't let you, or anyone else do this for me. It wouldn't be fair."

"Me losing you won't be fair," he snapped. "None of this is fair."

"Promise me you won't try to take this from me," Jade told him.

"Jade."

"Promise me," she insisted; he was silent a moment.

"I promise I won't take it," he said quietly. He noticed her phone ringing on her nightstand. "Are you going to answer your mother?"

"I don't want to freak her out," Jade shook her head, hitting ignore much like he did earlier. "Maybe you could tell her after..."

"No," Klaus stopped her. "No, you can't hide this from her." He rested a hand on hers. "I'm going to take you home, ok?"

"You ready to go see mom and Matty?" Vicki was asking Jade that afternoon. She had gone with her to Mystic Falls along with Klaus, Damon, and Hope. Jade had wanted Hope to stay in New Orleans with Mason but she wanted to be with her mom until the end, and time was running out. She hadn't exactly wanted Elijah to come along but she knew he was there to keep her dad from whatever bender he was going to go on once she was gone.

"Just about," Jade nodded as they sat together at an all too familiar table at the grille. She had said goodbye to Marcel and Mason before leaving New Orleans, going to see her mom and brother next. After that would be her sister, then her dad and uncle, her husband, then her daughter. It wasn't what she wanted, no, but it was what she had to do.

"You don't have to do this Jade," Vicki said softly.

"You know I do," Jade told her, reaching her hand across the table and resting it on Vicki's. "And, if you don't now, I've heard that you will soon," she said with a weak smile. She was referencing a spell that Freya and Hope has been working on for Vicki before all of this happened, before Jade even came back to New Orleans; Vicki and Marcel wanted a baby.

"That's why I need you to stay," Vicki told her, blinking back tears. "You were my mom Jade," she told her, wiping at her eyes. "I don't want to do this without you."

"And I don't want you to," Jade assured her, hiding her own tears. "But, who's going to take this from me?" After all, it did still have to be a blood transfer to work. "You? Hope? My dad?"

"Your dad wants-"

"I can't Vicki," Jade stopped her. "I'm sorry, my mind is made up." And, she silently thought. Without her turning there was no way for them to take the magic from her anyway. Across town in the house where they grew up Klaus was having a discussion with Kelly about what their daughter planned on doing.

"You can't let her," Kelly argued. "She can't do this."

"I don't intend to let her," Klaus assured her, sitting there with Hope and Elijah. "Jade doesn't know this, but Freya is in town. Between her and Hope they're going to be strong enough to force her to turn tonight."

"Won't that risk killing her?" Kelly asked.

"She's at risk for dying either way," Elijah clarified. "But at least this way Caroline's daughters will be able to remove the magic from her before placing it some where else."

"And where is that?" Kelly asked, looking between the two of them; silence.

"They haven't decided that yet," Hope murmured to her grandmother.

"After what I put her through," Elijah started to argue, thinking that it should be him.

"She's my daughter," Klaus said back.

"Who you promised you wouldn't take it," Elijah reminded him of the conversation he had just the day before.

"She's my daughter," Klaus emphasized again, this time angrier.

"She's our daughter," Kelly cut in now.

Once it was decided who was going to take the magic from Jade the rest of the day went on as planned. Jade went to the house to say goodbye to her mother and brother, though both knew she wasn't going to die. After their stop at the house they returned to the school where Jade said goodbye to her uncle and father first. Klaus held her tight, the tightest he ever held her; even though he knew she was going to come out of this safe it was still going to take a toll on her. After leaving her dad and uncle she went to the library where she found Stefan and Damon together.

"Hey Stef," she smiled weakly at him.

"Hey," he greeted her, hugging his sister in law tight.

"Can I um," she said, nodding at Damon.

"Sure thing," he nodded, kissing her cheek before leaving the room. What she didn't know was he was going with Caroline and Alaric to help get the girls ready for that night.

"Hi," she said softly, coming over closer to him.

"Hi," Damon echoed. It didn't take a lot of acting for him to show that he was upset. After all, while he knew Klaus's plan, he still knew how dangerous it was to have Jade turn that night and that she might not survive the transition.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked, laughing a little.

"That college bar in Florida," he recalled for her; of course he remembered.

"Did you think we would be here after all this time?" she asked lightly.

"Hope was a surprise," Damon commented back. "The best kind though."

"The best kind," Jade said back with a smile. "You'll watch out for her?"

"Of course I will," Damon assured her. Loving Hope wasn't going to change with Jade gone.

"I love you so much Damon," Jade told him, throwing her arms around him.

"Mmm, I love you too," he promised, holding her tight, kissing her head. Pulling away, she kissed him once before hurrying out of the room, unable to do this. She raced to Hope's room and let herself in before she lost her nerve.

"Hi baby," Jade said as she sat on her bed.

"Hey mom," Hope told her. Of all the people Jade was saying goodbye to Hope worried that she was going to be the one to blow the secret; they were silent for a moment.

"You know how much I love you, right?" Jade asked and she nodded.

"I don't want you to leave," Hope said, her eyes tearing up.

"Oh, I know sweetheart," Jade assured her, hugging her now. "I know that Hope, but you know what? I know it's going to be ok."

"You don't know that," Hope said.

"I do," Jade assured her. "Because you have your dad, and Damon, your grandfather-"

"They're not you," Hope argued.

"But you're me," Jade promised. "And here's something I wish someone would have told me at your age, and that's you are so much stronger than you think you are. Ok?" She got silence from Hope. "Baby, promise me you'll keep going. You'll finish school and you'll go to college and you'll meet boys. Hopefully, none of the men in this family will scare too many away," she teased, squeezing her daughter's hand.

"I promise mom," Hope said, hugging her again.

Jade wasn't sure what really happened next after she left the school.

She was walking towards the woods, planning to hide out in the caverns under the town until it was all over. She remembered falling over and screaming, feeling like she was turning. That couldn't be right though as she could control when she turned. She couldn't make it stop though, screaming as she rolled onto her back. Seeing Hope and Freya there though she realized they were the ones forcing her to turn. She remembered screaming no, knowing what they were going to do, sure that the Saltzman twins were going to move the hollow from her to her dad. It was exactly what he promised not to do and he was going to do it anyway.

"Hey," she heard a familiar voice saying behind her; it was Damon with her clothes. She took the sweater and jeans from him, pulling them on quickly. "Before you get angry or anything can we just-" He was cut off by her throwing her arms around him and he let out a breath of relief.

"I didn't want to die," she said, shuddering against him.

"I know," he promised, running a hand over her hair; he hadn't wanted her to go either, none of them did. She was safe now though, the hollow gone, her body clear of the blackened veins that had been plaguing her as well as the dark voices in her mind.

"What happened?" she asked as she pulled away, wiping at her eyes.

"Just...come with me," Damon said, leading the way back to the school.

"MOM!" Hope called, running over to her much like she did when her mom got back to New Orleans.

"Hi baby," Jade said, squeezing her tight; she noticed Freya behind her.

"I'm sorry Jade," Freya apologized, again being a part of magic Jade hadn't exactly authorized. "But-"

"It's ok," Jade promised, hugging Hope again before letting her go. "Really, I..." She trailed off as her father entered the room. And while she was grateful to be alive her mood did shift a little to where she was angry he didn't keep his promise. "Nik."

"Sweetheart," he started off.

"You at least stuck around to say goodbye to me," she commented, rushing over and pushing up his sleeve to see the veins for herself but there was nothing there. "What, I-"

"I promised I wouldn't take it," he reminded her. "So, I didn't." There was one person missing.

"Where's Elijah?" Jade asked quickly.

"He's at your mother's house, with Matt," he told her, pulling an envelope from his jacket.

"What's this?" Jade asked though she saw her name on the front in her mother's hand writing. She noticed Damon nodding for Freya and Hope to follow him to leave.

"Just read," Klaus told her, though he didn't leave with the others.

She opened the letter and read the careful writing from her mother. It explained she knew that it had to be a blood relative to take the magic, that she knew that Jade needed to be around for Hope. It detailed how her mother hoped she could forgive her, that she planned to turn so her body was strong enough to take the magic before allowing the Mikaelson brothers to take her life to keep the hollow from coming after them again.

"What did she," Jade said, not finishing the letter yet as she looked at her father.

"Do you remember her trying to call us the last few days?" he asked and she nodded, recalling how she ignored her mother's calls to keep the truth from her. "She had gotten some news from the doctor. Cancer," he clarified. "She didn't have a lot of time left." Jade eyes skimmed over the rest of the letter.

I know I wasn't always the best mom to you Jade. I hope that you can forgive me for this and let me make it up to you the only way I know how, by making sure you can keep being there for your own daughter.

All my love,

Mom

3 years later

"Hey," Jade said, poking her head into the nursery that afternoon.

Not long after Kelly's funeral they all returned home to New Orleans. After all that time apart Hope hadn't wanted to go back to school in Mystic Falls and her parents couldn't help but agree that they should all be together. Knowing Hope should still go to a school that met her needs though, as well as understanding the supernatural population of New Orleans, they decided to open a Salvatore School New Orleans campus with Freya teaching magic, Jade and Mason teaching the wolves, and Damon teaching young vampires.

It was now after Hope's graduation and, as a graduation gift, her grandfather was funding her summer trip around Europe. Jade hadn't been overly thrilled about it, but she knew it was time for her daughter to leave the nest and adventure a little; the men in the family were less thrilled about who was going with her though.

"Hope and Landon are getting ready to leave," Jade said as Hope and her boyfriend prepared to go to the airport to start their trip. "Vicki, Marcel, and Carter already said goodbye," she tacked on about her sister, brother in law, and two year old nephew. Vicki and Marcel hadn't been the only ones to use Freya and Hope's fertility spell to have a baby though. Like she knew it was time to say goodbye to her sister, Damon and Jade's newborn daughter Cecilia woke up, blinking her eyes up at her father who had been looking in on her.

"And I'm pretty sure my dad and Mason already threatened the poor kid," Jade laughed a little as Damon picked the baby up. "So, maybe go easy on him," she tacked on.

"Cece, mommy doesn't know me at all," Damon told their little girl jokingly as she rested her head on his shoulder, tiny fist in her mouth.

"Hmm," Jade laughed a little, watching them together.

"She can't leave the house till she's thirty," Damon told Jade, following her out of the nursery.

"Noted," Jade laughed as they went downstairs.

"Hi Cece!" Hope grinned, taking her baby sister from Damon to hug her goodbye. While she hadn't been excited when her dad thought Olivia had been pregnant a few years ago she was more than thrilled about her mom and Damon getting a chance to have a baby, with Damon getting to officially be the great dad she always knew he was.

"Whatever they said to you," Damon was saying to Hope's boyfriend referring to Klaus and Mason, though Klaus was the only one in the room. "I'll help."

"Damon," Jade and Hope said at the same time; he just shrugged.

"Ok, come here," Jade said, hugging Hope before taking Cece from her. "Call me as soon as you land, ok?"

"Ok mom," Hope obliged her, though she was exasperated.

"What time does your flight land in London?" Jade asked again.

"Ten o'clock your time," Hope reminded her.

"Come here kiddo," Damon said, hugging Hope tight.

"All right, dad and Erin are out front with the car," Jade was saying of Mason and new girlfriend Erin as they were driving Hope and Landon to the airport. "Have fun," she encouraged them as they grabbed their bags.

"Thanks Mrs. Salvatore," Landon told her.

"Not too much fun!" Damon warned, calling after them; Jade elbowed him.

"You're ridiculous," she laughed at him, handing Cece to Klaus as he came over. "Did you know Cece can't leave the house till she's thirty?" she told him sarcastically.

"Sounds more than reasonable," Klaus agreed as he held his second granddaughter, which made Jade roll her eyes playfully.

"I have some stuff to set up over at the school for the summer session," Jade was telling them. She looked around the room, thinking about how far they had come and what all they had seen since her father first came into her life. At times it seemed like more than the family could take, but it was always worth it to stay together.

"Are you guys ok?" she asked, preparing to leave them with the baby.

"Definitely," Damon told her, Klaus nodding in agreement.

"Ok," she smiled, kissing him once before kissing Cece's head then her father's cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," Damon told her as she was leaving.

"Don't corrupt her!" she called over her shoulder as a joke.

"Don't know that we could," Damon commented to Klaus as Jade was gone.

"She's perfect," Klaus agreed. "Like her mom and sister."

thanks for reading! :) i so hope you liked this ending! please let me know what you thought!

if you haven't had enough of klaus and jade there's still my AU version of this story "in another life" where they have a completely different dynamic since he's been around since she was five in that story. it's not a full story just one shots, but i hope you'll head over there and let me know what you think :)