A/N: Another short chapter, but I promise the others will be longer. School was a little overwhelming so I don't have much writing time these days but I'm trying.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to L.J. Smith and Julie Plec
Hope's room was one of the most magnificent in the entire abattoir. It looked out over bourbon street so she could see the revelers and their partying if she wanted and as an added sweetener, she had an entire bathroom all to herself. At the orphanage, she had to share a bedroom with three other witches and there was only two bathrooms on the floor to be shared by twenty girls just like her. In short, the orphanage was crowded but here in her father's house, she had almost unlimited space all to herself.
She sat in the middle of her vast bedroom, playing with the necklace she'd had since she was a baby as she wondered what was going to happen now. She'd agreed to move in with her father but so far, apart from dropping her off in the bedroom, he hadn't even come to say hello. At the orphanage, she could have gone up to the green-house whenever she wanted and that at least gave her a sense of freedom, but here, she was cooped up in her room with no one to keep her company.
"Having fun?" A voice interrupted her train of thought and she looked up, startled to be disturbed. A man in a suit stood in her doorway, a tiny smile playing on his features.
"Does it look like I am?" She bit her lip. "I'm sitting on the floor. How much more fun could I have in this house?" The man smiled again, amused. "Who are you?"
"I am Elijah. Officially, I'm just another vampire who lives in this house, but unofficially, I'm your uncle." Hope swallowed a lump in her throat. More family.
"Oh. Hello."
"Hello, Hope. I've heard a lot about you." He was no longer smiling. "How are you enjoying your time here so far?"
"I'm bored, hungry and thirsty." She stated blithely and Elijah smiled again. "I'm pretty sure that sums it up nicely."
"Well I can fix two of those three things." He walked deeper into the room and held out a hand. "Shall I show her highness to the kitchen?" Hope giggled.
In the kitchen, he showed her the choice of cereals and the milk with a casual look that somehow managed to be filled with curiosity. She felt like an animal at the zoo but didn't really want to say anything lest she offend her new uncle and get kicked out of her new family's life forever.
She hoped that would never happen but after two years of knowing that her father was alive and that he would probably never come to see her, she still harbored severe abandonment issues.
"What do you usually eat?"
"I drink blood mostly, but Sister Erika wants me to try human food every now and then to develop my taste buds." She pulled a box from the lot: Coco Puffs and filled a bowl. He held out the milk but she only shook her head, took a handful from the bowl and ate it quite nonchalantly. When her mouth was empty, she turned to Elijah, her eyes filled with something like hope. "Did Klaus send you to keep me company?"
"He did." Elijah replied honestly. "He'll be intruding soon enough, Hope." The little girl grinned. "Were you worried?"
"That he'd left me here all alone?" The grin morphed into something a little sadder. "Yes. I was. I didn't want to be abandoned again…"
"Did you feel abandoned all those years in the orphanage?"
"Not at first." The little hand picked up a ball of chocolate from the bowl and she played with it between her fingers instead of eating. "I guess I was younger and never really wanted an explanation. It wasn't until one of the girls in my room got adopted that I started to ask Sister Erika." Her eyes looked unhappy.
"Do you miss her very much?"
"No. I'd much rather be here with my family." The little voice was filled with determination. Elijah smiled at her and nodded at the figure standing in the doorway.
"Well I am glad to hear that." Hope turned around at the sound of her father's voice. "I apologize for not coming to see you sooner."
"It's ok. Elijah was very entertaining." She laughed. "And so were the Coco Puffs."
"Good to know." The two men exchanged a look. "Marcellus is back, we didn't find anything much at the bayou, but he has one little issue that needs your immediate attention."
"I'll find him right now." Hope waved goodbye at him and proceeded to eat another handful of cereal.
"How would you like to see something interesting." Her mouth was full but she answered anyway, making Klaus raise his eyebrows.
"That sounds cool." He held out a hand for her and she took it without hesitation. Klaus vamped her to the roof where they could see the city on all sides. It was quite a view and Hope gasped when she saw it.
"Do you like it?"
"It is a great view." He led her to one section where she saw a single plant growing in a pot. "Why did you want to show it to me?"
"Because this roof can be your greenhouse." Hope's jaw dropped. "I figured you needed a safe place to practice your natural magic and…" Klaus trailed off. Hope took his hand, prompting him to continue. "I want you to feel comfortable here. I want this to be your home too, Hope."
"It already is, Klaus. I love the roof. Thank you so much for doing this for me." She steeled herself. "And I have a surprise for you to." He eyed her, intrigued. "I've decided, if you'll let me, to take your surname." Klaus froze.
"Are you quite serious?"
"I am." Hope answered with conviction. "I am grateful to finally have a family. And I've never been more sure of anything else in my entire life. I want to be a Mikaelson."