Hey guys. I know, I haven't updated my stories. Always the same thing, I'm caught up in my work which takes up all my time. No time for a social life, and I have very little free time. Difficulty having the motivation to write.
And we find Hope in a particularly emotional chapter for her. In wanting to preserve her future, she will discover that there are also consequences.
Good reading.
Chapter 7: The consequences of our acts
With a resigned sigh, Hope finally answered her phone to tell her father what had happened.
"Hello?"
"My littlest wolf" came the voice of her father on the telephone. "I got the sword and my plane just landed in Virginia. I'll be there soon. Is my hunter locked in this time?"
The Tribrid rejoices that she waited until her father found the sword in Italy to tell him of Connor's death, not wanting to risk another time incident.
"Bad news, Connor's dead," she announced. "I was able to save the hostages at the Grill, but Dean didn't make it. With Stefan, we tried to capture Connor, but the situation degenerated… We did what we could to catch him. I swear we did it your way. We didn't tell anyone about the cure. Damon was antsy. Elena worried about her brother. It ended badly."
There was a silence, then Hope heard ragged breathing, which suggested that her father was furious to hear of Connor's death, but seemed to contain himself so as not to overwhelm her. Looks like he didn't want Hope to feel guilty.
"Who killed him? Damon?" came Klaus's eerily calm voice after a silence.
"Not Damon. Elena," she replied.
"What?"
"Elena Gilbert killed Connor."
There was another silence, before Klaus resumed the communication in a loud voice.
"Where is she?"
Hope frowned doubtfully. Why did her father want so much to know where Elena was? To punish her for killing her Hunter?
"Uh… at her home. Well, I think."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, sure," answered Hope still confused. "She and Stefan had a fight after the hostage taking. So I don't see where else she could be."
"I'm on my way."
And the communication immediately ceased.
Hope wondered about her father's reasons for knowing Elena Gilbert's location. That he was angry with her was legitimate. She had killed a Hunter from the Brotherhood of Five. Even Hope was impressed. A young vampire who kills a trained Hunter of the Five. It was remarkable. She had clearly underestimated Elena. But her father wanted to see her. To do what? She knew he couldn't kill her. If he wanted to be able to make Hybrids again, she needed Elena Gilbert alive for that. So he couldn't kill her. But then why?
Elena Gilbert was going through a rough patch since she killed Connor. She had barely slept last night. Since becoming a vampire, she had resolved never to take the life of a human. And the day before, she had killed a man. No matter how comforted she was that the man in question had threatened to kill her brother, it was no less painful. And since last night, she had hallucinations where she saw Connor haunting her. Was it a figment of her imagination? A feeling of guilt? Why was she tormented by this Hunter? He was dead. He shouldn't hurt anyone anymore. She would like so much to be able to confide in someone. But who could understand her? She no longer trusted Stefan. She had learned that he was working in collaboration with Klaus. Talking to him was unthinkable. Only Damon remained, who she felt was on her side.
The hallucinations were only getting worse and had even put Jeremy in danger. Believing to fight against Connor, Elena had accidentally stabbed her brother. Luckily he still wore his Gilbert ring.
The only person she called was Damon, not knowing where to turn. And to her chagrin, he had called Stefan. Immediately, Elena had slipped away to her room. She called her friend Bonnie Bennett and was relieved to talk to her.
"I stabbed my brother, Bonnie. I mean, it's bad enough that I killed this Connor guy, but…"
"Is Stefan with you?" Bonnie asked.
"Yeah, but I can't talk to him. I think that Klaus got to him on somehow. We're in a bad place, Bonnie."
She heard her friend sigh.
"Listen, okay, I'm with the Professor Shane. He's got all these herbs, teas that can calm you down. I'll bring you something. You're gonna get through this. Okay?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be there soon."
Then a thought came to Elena.
"Hey, Bonnie, can I ask you something else?"
"What?"
"Would it be possible for a witch to cure werewolf toxin with her blood?"
She hadn't told anyone about Hope, or what she had done to save Damon. Nevertheless, Klaus' witch intrigued her.
Bonnie's response was unequivocal.
"With her blood? No. Elena, it's impossible. And I don't see how that could happen. Why are you asking me that?"
"Never mind, I slept badly last night. I don't feel very well right now.
"I'm on my way." assured her friend.
"Okay, thanks, Bonnie," she answered before hanging up.
At the Lockwood Mansion, Hayley and the Hybrids took advantage of Tyler's luxury liquors to pay their respects to the late Hybrid Dean.
Tyler joined them, stunned.
"You're still going? I drank enough last night. And then I slept, which is what you guys should have done."
"We're just paying our respects to Dean." a Hybrid named Chris tells him.
"That's great, Chris, but would you pay them at a bar instead?"
"Don't be mad," Hayley told him, standing up to him. "We're celebrating our fallen Hybrid friend."
She tried to get him to drink but he refused her drink. She wiped his mouth with her finger and then sucked on that same finger.
At that time, Klaus had just arrived. Seeing the lack of reaction towards him, he hastened to answer.
"Well, don't let me interrupt."
"I didn't know you were here." Tyler told him in a calm but firm voice.
Klaus took the bottle from her, coldly retorting:
"Clearly." (He drank the bottle before retorting.) "Thought I'd just pop 'round to celebrate Dean's successful retrieval of the vampire hunter. Yet when I arrived, Hope taught me that not only was Dean unsuccessful, but that Elena kill the Hunter."
Hayley replied with the same coldness:
"Well, maybe if you had let Dean use force on Connor instead of sending him in on a suicide mission or maybe you should have let Hope use her magic to kill him…"
"…Maybe you should mind your business, wolf girl!" Klaus retorted indifferently.
"What do you care if Connor's dead, anyway?" Tyler asked, frowning.
"I have my reasons." answered simply the Original Hybrid. "They have ceased to matter." (He raised his bottle.) "Cheers!"
And he drank it in one go.
Then there was a knock on the door. Tyler came to open it and found Caroline arriving at the Mansion with a box full of things.
"Brought your stuff. Old laptop, your Jersey, the charm bracelet…"
Embarrassed, Tyler replied:
"Care… This isn't a good time."
But the blonde vampire passed the box in her arms, bluntly.
"Just take it."
Klaus came towards them, putting down his bottle.
"Caroline. By the break-up drama unfolding before me, I assume you've met Hayley. "
Caroline remained silent, content to stare at him indifferently. Taking her silence for a yes, Klaus called his Hybrids back.
"All right, come on, let's go. Let's leave them alone. Your talents are needed elsewhere."
"For what?" asked Tyler puzzled.
"I think you've got more important things to deal with, mate." answered Klaus while leaving the house with his lackeys.
He left the Lockwood Mansion unaware that the trio of Tyler, Caroline and Tyler had just manipulated him.
Worried, Hope waited for news from her father. Since she had told him of Connor's death, he hadn't contacted her again. She hesitated to ask him why he wanted to know where Elena was. She was nervous about him learning that Damon had been poisoned and she had to heal him. If he found out, it would be catastrophic not only for her and for her future. His silence was agonizing.
After an hour of apprehension, she finally found her father at the Mansion. But he was not alone. He was dragging Elena by the body, followed by a Hybrid named Chris. No matter how much Elena struggled, Klaus led her into a room in the Mansion. They walked past Hope who looked stunned. At least he wasn't killing her. But why sequester her here?
Why is Dad bringing Elena here?
She followed them. There she recognized her father's art room, which apparently had been converted into a bedroom.
Once they arrived, her father released Elena into the art room.
"I apologize for the lack of windows." he told her sardonically. "It's to preserve the art. And, of course, to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun."
"I'm not going to kill myself. I would never do that." Elena exclaimed, as if Klaus was crazy.
But the Original Hybrid remained serious.
"Oh, but you'll want to. I did."
Hope looked confused for a moment. Why does her father fear that Elena would want to end her life? Then, she remembered an important fact in the Hunters of Five.
"Hunter's curse," Hope realized in amazement.
At her words, Klaus and Elena were turned towards her.
"So you know that," admitted her impressed father.
Hope knew perfectly well this curse linked to the Hunters of the Five. By killing Connor, Elena found herself struck by the curse that would drag her to her death. With what had happened to Damon and her anxieties for the future, she had completely forgotten that detail.
"I heard about that," she said. "When a vampire kills a Hunter like Connor, it triggers a curse. The vampire finds himself haunted by hallucinations that lead him to his death."
"Is this going to happen to me? Elena exclaimed worriedly.
"Yes, I did," Klaus added with a shocked look. "Problem is, I'm immortal."
"You went through this?" asked Elena shocked.
Hope then remembered that her father had killed the five original Hunters at the 12th century. Which meant that he, too, had to suffer the Hunter's curse. How could he escape after nine hundred years?
"For fifty-two years, four months and nine days," he answered in a shocked tone.
Hope was stunned. She had never seen her father with such a look. Learning that he had had to endure a terrible curse for more than fifty years filled her with dread.
"Fifty-two years? Really?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in amazement.
Klaus nodded in front of Hope with a pained look.
"Yes, I was tormented… In my dreams. My every waking moment. Relentless, never-ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time."
Amazed, Hope stared at her father. She would never have imagined that he could suffer such torment. How had he managed to escape without killing himself? And when he had had a part of the Hollow in him, what harm had it caused him? When Hope had absorbed it into her, it had nearly killed her.
"So you knew that this would happen if Connor died." Elena guessed. "That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know, too?"
"All he knew was that the Hunter had to be kept alive." Klaus replied abruptly. "You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love."
"What else does Stefan know?" asked young Gilbert.
"Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" replied the Original Hybrid with an amused grin.
"How did you break the curse?" Hope asked, still shocked. "If you could get rid of it, we could do it on Elena, too."
Klaus turned to his daughter, answering quietly:
"I didn't do anything. Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms."
Puzzled, Hope frowned. She couldn't see how it could have ended suddenly.
"You didn't do anything to stop the hallucinations?"
"Nothing," surprised Klaus seeing the dubious gaze of the Tribrid. "You look surprised."
"Yeah," Hope nodded stunned, also looking at Elena. "To my knowledge, curses don't end on their own like that. Even after such a long time. It can't just go away. Something must have happened to make it stop. It's obvious."
But her father shrugged indifferently.
"If something happened, I don't know anything about that."
Then he left the art room leaving Hope and Elena alone.
The Tribrid was again in anguish. This new event was one more problem for her. Again, her future was in jeopardy.
Oh crap! Really! Even in death, Connor continues to put my future in danger. Sequestering Elena here for fifty-two years is unthinkable. I have to think of something. If Elena did kill Connor without my presence at the time, she had to suffer the Hunter's curse and it was her friends who helped her out. So there has to be a way to fix this without having to wait fifty years.
She turned to Elena, giving her a comforting look.
"Don't worry. I'll find a way to save you."
And she left the art room and joined her father.
"We can't leave her like that." she told him.
"It's for her own good, Hope," Klaus answered without looking at her.
"Yes, obviously." assured him the Tribrid. "But we can't keep Elena here for years. We have to find a way to break the curse. To stop the hallucinations."
"You think you can find a solution to this?" her father wondered, finally looking at her.
"I can always try. Because even if you've good reason to sequester her here, it's not the best way. Stefan and Damon will never accept Elena as a prisoner here. They will try to get her out of there. They won't follow you."
"Let them come, and I'll kill them," Klaus replied, shrugging his shoulders indifferently.
"And not just them," resumed Hope. "There's also her friend Bonnie. Her brother Jeremy. And Caroline, Tyler, Matt… Everyone will want Elena free. If we want her to make it out alive, I have to find a way to break the Hunter's curse."
Klaus stared at Hope for a moment, then finally nodded.
"You can always try, Hope. But don't kid yourself. This curse is centuries old. You won't find the solution on the Internet."
"I have a lot more knowledge than the Internet," answered Hope, not knowing if she was trying to convince her father or herself.
"You're the welcome to try. Although I don't think you'll make it," Klaus replied nonchalantly as he walked away.
She was disappointed in her father's lack of enthusiasm. If only he knew how much more complicated this situation was for the Tribrid's future. She couldn't blame him for his ignorance. The downside of being a time traveler.
But Hope was determined to save Elena. To save his future, no matter what his father tells him. She moved away from her father and called Stefan to warn him that Elena was sequestered at the Mikaelson Mansion. He invited her to join him at the Gilberts.
When Hope arrived in front of Elena's house, she took a moment to admire it. She had never been able to see the house as it was before it was burned down. The advantage of being a time traveler.
Then remembering the reason for her presence, she hurried to reach the entrance. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Stefan.
"Hey Hope. Thank you for coming quickly."
"You're welcome," answered the Tribrid while entering the house. "And I promise I will do everything I can to help Elena."
Stefan nodded, pleased with the girl's determination to help him.
The two walked into the kitchen where they saw Damon with a girl Hope knew was Bonnie Bennett.
The witch Bennett was chatting with the eldest Salvatore.
"You lost her?"
"Well, 'lost' is a very strong word." Damon replied. "We just technically don't know where she is."
"I know where she is," Hope replied joining them. "And she's not lost. Klaus took her to his home."
Both had their eyes fixed on Hope now. Bonnie frowned at the new witch.
"And you are?"
"My name is Hope. I am the new witch."
"Weird witch," Damon added, frowning at the Tribrid.
Bonnie understood then with amazement.
"So you're the witch who works for Klaus."
"Not for Klaus, with Klaus," she corrected her in a firm voice.
"Stefan, what is she doing here?" Damon asked unpleased by the presence of the Tribrid.
"I came to help Elena," Hope explained before turning to Stefan. "What Klaus told you about the Hunter's Curse is true. Elena's in danger."
"We know that," Bonnie replied harshly. "Since Klaus took her."
"He's not the one threatening Elena's life," the Tribrid objected, rolling her eyes. "She's threatened by herself. Klaus only protects her from killing herself."
"What do you mean?" Damon asked, frowning. "Why would Elena want to kill herself?"
"She killed Connor, and by doing that, she triggered the Hunter's curse. When a vampire kills a supernatural Hunter like Connor, the vampire finds himself tormented by hallucinations that cause him to lose his mind. The hallucinations will continue to torture Elena, until she loses her will to live. She will want to kill herself so that her suffering stops."
Bonnie looked worried.
"She really wants to do this?"
Hope nodded, replying darkly:
"She'll want it and kill herself."
Stefan looked distraught as well.
"How to save her?"
"She should already be released from Klaus," declared Damon, staring at Hope coldly. "You may trust him, but we don't."
"The only way to help Elena is to break the curse," answered Hope. "If we stop the hallucinations, Klaus won't have to keep her."
"There's one thing I want to know," said Bonnie. "How do Klaus and you even know about this?"
"How does Klaus know anything?" Damon exclaimed as if the witch Bennett had just asked a silly question. "Guy's like a billion years old."
Stefan turned to Hope.
"He said it was a witch's curse. Do you know how to break this?"
"Yeah, we have two powerful witches, one of which is more powerful than the other. Go Bonnie! Hope! Wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever, girls."
"Slow down, Damon." Hope retorted, urging him to calm down. "Breaking a centuries-old curse is not that simple."
"You're a very experienced powerful witch capable of miracles, and you tell me that you can't break a curse?" Damon snapped.
"What kind of miracles?" Bonnie questioned, looking at Hope. "What are you talking about?"
Hope got angry at Damon.
"Hey, you think a curse is like an off-switch? It's much more complex than that! I am a powerful witch who still has limits, like any witch!"
"Why are you with Klaus?" Bonnie questioned her, eyeing Hope curiously. "What did he promise you to be on his side?"
"Is this really the time to question me?" grumbled the Tribrid, rolling her eyes.
Damon added sullenly:
"Considering what you're capable of doing, it's weird to see you caring about us, given your strange associations… Hope… Miss Weird and Incredible Witch."
"What is she capable of doing?" Bonnie wondered again. "What can she do?"
Hope glared at Damon furiously.
"What I do is nobody's business!"
"This is mine business!" retorted the vampire.
Stefan intervened in turn:
"Hey, can we focus on saving Elena?"
Hope gave Stefan a grateful look, grumbling.
"Thanks! At least someone with a brain here! I think there's more to do than wonder about me right now!"
Damon was about to coldly retort when his brother stopped him from speaking.
"Hope's right, Damon. Questioning her doesn't help us. We have to save Elena. This is what matters most. Bonnie, do you have any idea how to break the curse?"
The witch took a breath before answering:
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But even if I knew a way, the spirits won't let me do the magic I'd need to break the curse. But I can ask Shane for help, he knows everything about everything."
"Great," Stefan agreed. "You three do your thing."
And he left the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" asked his brother.
"I'm gonna get Elena back." he answered leaving the house.
Hope ran to join him outside.
"Stefan! Stefan!"
The vampire stopped in front of the entrance and turned to her.
"Stefan, I know you want to free Elena from Klaus, but it's not a good idea, especially in her condition. Until the curse is broken, it would be dangerous for her to go out in the open. Don't underestimate the Hunter's curse. Outside in the sun, she might want to take off her daylight ring and die the sun's rays. That's why Klaus took her to his house. As long as she stays locked up, nothing will happen to her."
"Hope, my brother's right about one thing." declared Stefan in a sullen tone. "Klaus is not trustworthy, no matter what you think of him. Leave me, please!"
And he disappeared at vampire superspeed, leaving the Tribrid alone in front of the Gilbert house.
"Stefan! STEFAN!"
But her pleas were ignored. The vampire must have gone far.
Hope was worried. Freeing Elena from her father would only put her in danger, and make her future worse. She had to quickly find that Shane that Bonnie had just mentioned.
Stefan called Caroline to ask Tyler to keep the Hybrids away while he freed Elena from Klaus. It was then that he learned that one of the Hybrids named Chris no longer obeyed Klaus, and that with Hayley's help, they all intended to free them from the sire bond of the Original Hybrid.
Meanwhile, Hope came back to Damon and Bonnie.
"So who is this Shane?" she asked.
"Professor Shane teaches occult sciences at Whitmore College," Bonnie explained. "What he knows is truly amazing."
"Where can we find this teacher?" she resumed, curious.
"He's coming to lecture on artifacts at Mystic Falls High School."
"Great, see you there," answered Hope enthusiastic at the idea of meeting a teacher of the occult who knows magic.
And she left the house. After the Tribrid left, Damon turned to Bonnie.
"Hey, I've a question for you."
"What?" the witch asked, staring curiously at the vampire.
"Would it be possible for a witch to cure werewolf toxin with her blood?"
Bonnie looked puzzled and frowned.
"This is the second time I have been asked this question today." (She clarified at Damon's confused look.) "Elena asked me the same thing this morning. I bet it has something to do with Hope."
"Answer to the question, Bonnie."
"It's impossible! Why are you asking me that? What's wrong?"
And Damon then detailed to her that he had been poisoned with werewolf toxin by Connor and that it was Hope's blood that had cured him. Bonnie was stunned, her eyes wide in daze.
"Damon, what you're telling me is impossible! A witch cannot heal a bite with her blood! It can't be!"
Damon shrugged with a sigh.
"Well, that's what happened. Stefan and Elena can even confirm it. Hope healed me by making me drink her blood. It felt exactly like when Katherine made me drink Klaus' blood the first time I was poisoned."
"It's impossible…"
"Not only did she heal me with her blood, but Hope is also able to regenerate like a vampire."
"What?"
And he told her what had happened in the tunnels. That he had stabbed Hope in the stomach, and that she had miraculously recovered.
"I stabbed her, Bonnie! Given what I pushed into her, she should have bled to death and died! But instead, she got up and her injury was completely gone. It was as if I didn't anything to her."
Bonnie grew more and more stunned and in disbelief.
"How could she have healed so quickly? Even if she had used a spell, it couldn't have worked so quickly. This girl is much more than a witch. She's a hybrid creature."
"Stefan thinks she has a werewolf half," Damon replied. "It would be a were-witch."
"Damon, you can't be a witch and a werewolf! Such a creature cannot exist!" objected the witch Bennett emphatically.
"I know that Bonnie, but I don't see how to explain what Hope is capable of doing," replied Damon with a shrug. "She begged us to keep her secret, because apparently Klaus doesn't even know she can do that."
"Why would she want to hide who she is, even from Klaus?" Bonnie wondered. "What the hell is this Hope?"
"You think I know?" Damon replied. "All right, we'll figure this out later, and we'll go find this Shane guy."
Hope had ended up joining Mystic Falls High School. There she found Professor Shane who had just finished his exhibition of mystical artifacts. He even told the story of Silas a powerful Immortal and a witch named Qetsiyah.
She stayed away, while Bonnie joined the teacher. They both went down the hall. Hope hastened to join them.
"Professor Shane?"
The latter turned and stared at the Tribride.
"I am, and you are, miss?
"Hope. My name is Hope."
"Hope, really?" Shane said, the Tribrid noting that his eyebrows had creased slightly at the mention of her name.
"I'm sorry, I arrived late, but what you said about Silas and Qetsiyah is really fascinating. Your knowledge is amazing!"
"It's my job to know everything," answered Shane smiling. "Are you a student of this high school?"
"No, I'm new in town," she replied courteously. "But I am passionate about the occult sciences and it is a pleasure to meet a teacher like you."
"I'm glad you did, Hope. And you know Bonnie?
"We just met," Bonnie replied, giving Hope a strange look. "I don't know her at all."
"Let's say we're getting to know each other," Hope replied, noticing the witch Bennett staring at her with wide eyes.
"Bonnie was planning on taking me to her friend who's also an expert in the occult," Shane said. You can come with us, Hope.
"All right, let's go, professor," answered the Tribrid.
Bonnie seemed to want to keep some distance from Hope, but preferred to say nothing and let her follow them.
They eventually find Damon who was in Alaric Saltzman's old class. He was sitting down drinking bourbon.
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon." introduced Bonnie to the professor. "He's kind of an expert on this stuff too."
"I audited your class." Damon said from his chair. "Very enlightening."
"That's right, I remember you." Shane replied. "What's your specialty?"
Damon pretended to think before answering.
"The origin of a species."
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction." supposed the college professor.
"Not that species."said the vampire with a grin.
"You're into the monster stuff. All right, awesome."
Damon took a slip of paper from his pocket.
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."
He passed her the paper that revealed Jeremy's drawing of Connor's Hunter mark.
Shane was stunned and stared at Damon with the drawing open.
"This is the Hunter's Mark. Where did you get this?"
Damon shrugged.
"Came to me in a dream."
Seeing the teacher's pensive gaze on Jeremy's drawing, Hope asked him:
"So you know the Brotherhood of Five. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"
"Why, you got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?" Shane asked with an amused grin.
"Metaphorically speaking." Damon answered indifferently.
"Professor Shane, we would like to ask you if you have any knowledge on how to break the curse," Hope asked him praying for the professor to have an immediate answer.
Shane sighed before answering:
"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until..."
"Until…" Bonnie encouraged the teacher to continue.
"... Until the new hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called Potentials." he finished. "Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?"
"That'd be great." Damon replied, going back to the drawing of the mark. "Hey, thanks."
Shane left the classroom, leaving Hope pensive.
She understood better the role Jeremy was going to play in the rest of the events for the Quest for the cure. He was going to take up the Hunter's mark and lead them to the cure. So her future still had a chance to come true. So she needed Jeremy Gilbert to become a Hunter of the Five.
After Shane left, Bonnie turned to Damon.
"How are we supposed to find a Potential Hunter?"
"Well actually," Hope answered embarrassed. "We have potential around here. Jeremy Gilbert."
"Jeremy?" exclaimed the bewildered witch Bennett. "How do you know?"
"He was the only one who could see the Hunter's mark on Connor," Hope clarified. "And that makes him a Potential Hunter."
"So we need the services of Little Gilbert," declared Damon taking out his phone.
That evening, at the Mystic Grill, Klaus was quietly having a glass of wine, when he was joined by Caroline.
"Place looks pretty good considering your hybrid got blown up in it." she commented, amazed to see the bar intact despite the mess that the hostage-taking had been the day before.
With an amused smile, Klaus set his glass down on the counter.
"Caroline. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She settled down next to him.
"I want you to give Elena back."
Klaus remembered Hope's warnings, but kept his amused smile.
"Ah, they sent you to sweet talk me. Well, good form, but I'm afraid I can't do it."
"Why not?" asked Caroline.
"She needs my help." he answered. (Seeing her roll her eyes, he added.) "Look, I'm not gonna burden you with the gory details, I know you have enough on your plate already."
"That's none of your business, actually." she retorted firmly.
Klaus continued amusedly:
"Yes, well, just know that if Tyler was still sired to me he never would have hurt you. I wouldn't have let him. Can I at least offer you a drink?"
Caroline hesitated, then ended up accepting.
"Yeah. Thanks."
At Mystic Falls High School, Hope, Damon and Bonnie had isolated themselves in the school cafeteria to be quiet. Jeremy would soon join them. Bonnie had been briefed on what she had missed while she was away, namely Jeremy and his connection to the Hunters of the Five.
And she was furious with Damon.
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?"
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations." justified the nonchalant vampire.
"Well, now we have a solution to save Elena," Hope added confidently.
"I don't know who you are, Hope, and I don't want to be friends with anyone who's on Klaus' side," Bonnie replied angrily.
"That's not my intention," replied the Tribrid, shrugging her shoulders.
"Good." coldly retorted the witch Bennett.
Then Jeremy walked up to them. He stared first at Bonnie and then at Hope.
"Is everything okay? I heard you have a solution for Elena?"
"We figured out how to help her." Bonnie told him.
"You need to kill a vampire." added Hope.
"Great," Jeremy replied enthusiastically. "Give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."
"Easy, Van Helsing," Damon retorted, grimacing. "We'll get you one. Don't worry."
"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into." Bonnie said hastily.
"She's right, Jeremy," Hope resumed. "Once you get into it, everything will be different for you after that."
But Bonnie didn't appreciate the Tribrid speaking for her.
"Stay away from him. You're only serving Klaus' interests. So leave us alone!"
"Let her talk, Bonnie," Jeremy retorted. "Hope fought for me when Connor threatened to kill me. I don't care if she's with Klaus, I trust her."
"Are you serious?" exclaimed the witch Bennett in amazement and disbelief.
"Bonnie, you weren't at the Mystic Grill yesterday. Hope was there."
"I promise to do everything so that nothing happens to your sister, Jeremy," the Tribrid assured him.
"Except that it's not enough to make nice promises to get us to trust you, Miss Weird Witch." replied Damon coldly.
Hope was exasperated and snapped back at the vampire.
"I'm not trying to be friends with you, Damon. I don't care what you and others think of me. All I want is for no one to get killed."
"So why are you with Klaus if you have good intentions?" Bonnie said skeptically.
"I'm not asking you to understand me. I have my reasons for being with him."
Their argument was interrupted by the ringing of Damon's phone. He hastened to answer.
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."
But then he was disillusioned when he heard Stefan on the phone.
"What? Again?"
Hope suddenly joined him.
"What's going on? Where's Stefan?"
"He was freeing Elena, but he lost her," Damon replied.
"What?" exclaimed Hope horrified and frightened. "Stefan, you had to wait before you released her. The curse is still not broken."
"Hope, unlike you, we don't trust Klaus," Damon retorted furiously.
He spoke with Stefan again, then finally hung up.
"Stefan wants me to find Elena."
"So, find her quickly before she decides to kill herself," retorted Hope. "The sun will rise in a few hours. Elena is alone outside, vulnerable and plagued by hallucinations that will drive her to suicide. You have to find her before she takes action."
"What makes you think she will listen to me?" wondered the vampire.
"She's listening to you, Damon. Yesterday you told her to go kill Connor and she did. She listens to you more than Stefan. So do everything so that she doesn't kill herself. We are in charge of breaking the Hunter's curse. What are you waiting for? Go!"
Caroline was still standing at the bar, drinking with Klaus. When she received a written message from Stefan.
Uncomfortable, she smiled at the Original Hybrid, knowing he wasn't going to like what she was about to say.
"So, here's the thing, I didn't just come here to try to get you to release Elena."
"You don't say." answered Klaus with an amused smile.
Caroline added with embarrassment:
"I came here to distract you so that Stefan could go to your house and break her out, which he did. And, don't get mad... but then he lost her."
Klaus' amused smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a look of fury. With a bound, he rose from the bar.
"Klaus!" called her Caroline.
"Caroline," he retorted in a soft voice but tinged with contained fury. "You're beautiful, but if you don't stop talking, I will kill you."
"They figured out how to stop the hallucinations." retorted Caroline.
At that moment, Hope, all out of breath, arrived at the Grill and joined her father.
"Ah, I knew I would find you here."
Klaus was glad to see her, but still seemed furious to know Elena in the wild.
"Hope, you're cute and I'm glad to see you, but I hope you have some good news for me. I just heard that Stefan took Elena out and he lost her. Did you know about that?"
"I swear not," Hope assured him, blowing. "I even begged Stefan not to, but he wouldn't listen to me. Damon went to get her."
"Oh, Damon is coming to save the day?" Klaus said with a theatrical and sarcastic tone. "Oh, well, then it's all…"
"Don't worry. He'll find her." said the Tribrid wanting to reassure him. "And yes, I have good news for you. I figured out how to break the curse that hit Elena. And I also found a Hunter who can replace Connor."
At the Lockwood Mansion, Hybrid Chris stood with Tyler and Hayley. He had taken a huge risk helping Stefan get Elena out of the art room at Mikaelson Mansion. He had to quickly leave the town before suffering the wrath of Klaus.
"You're doing a good thing, Chris." Tyler assured him.
"Yeah, well, let's see how fast a good thing can get me out of town."said Chris rather anxiously.
"Call me when you're safe, okay?" Hayley told her, hugging the Hybrid to her.
"Yeah."
He then left the Mansion, but when he opened the door, he found Klaus who entered, staring at him with a menacing look.
"Going somewhere?" he said in a calm but fearsome voice.
He grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the railing of the stairs. Hope returned in turn, following in her father's footsteps.
"Hope, what's going on?" Hayley wondered.
Klaus began to strangle Chris, fuming.
"When I said don't let her out of your sight, what did you think I meant?"
Understanding that Klaus had discovered that Elena had escaped because of Chris, Tyler tried to intervene.
"It's not his fault, it's mine. I was distracting you. It's my fault she got away!"
"Then maybe you should be the one to die for it." The Original replied coldly as he strangled Chris.
"No one has to die!" interposed Hayley in turn.
With his vampiric speed, Klaus released Chris and rushed at Hayley glaring at her angrily, which shocked Hope. Was he going to hurt her mother? Was she going to be confronted with another time incident due to her presence? Were her parents going to kill each other?
"Did I not say mind your business?!" Klaus yelled at Hayley.
Fearing for her mother, Hope quickly grabbed her father by the arm. She didn't want to attack her father with her magic, but if he was trying to kill her mom, she would have no choice but to cast an offensive spell against him, even if it meant revealing to him that she was his daughter and Hayley's.
"No! Don't hurt her! She has nothing to do with it! She hasn't to die!" she screamed, terrified.
"Hope, stay out of this!" Hayley snapped.
"She's right, it's none of your business," said Klaus freeing his daughter's arm.
Fearless, Hayley stared at Klaus, speaking calmly.
"Tyler's covering for me! I'm the one that let her go!"
"Hayley…" cried Tyler.
"No, don't listen to her!" Hope exclaimed to her father. "She lies to cover for Chris."
"Hope, don't! I can defend myself!" (She turned to Klaus with a defiant look.) "You want someone dead, go ahead. Kill me. I'd rather die anyway than end up as one of your sired little bitches."
"Don't tempt me, little wolf." Klaus replied with a sly look.
Hope was terrified. Was her dad really going to kill her mom? Because if he killed her, she would be erased from existence, having not yet been conceived. Hope Mikaelson would never have existed, and her entire future would die with her.
After a moment of staring at Hayley, Klaus finally turns away from her, much to Hope's relief. He came back to Chris who was frozen in fear, sweating.
"Your existence is to serve me." he declared to his Hybrid in a calm but threatening voice. "To please me. Do you understand?"
Chris, shaking with fear, stammered, swallowing hard:
"I'm sorry, I won't fail you again."
Indifferently, Klaus continued:
"No, you won't. Get out of here."
He motioned for her to leave.
Somewhat relieved, Chris walked back to the exit of the Manor. At that moment, Hope waved her hands.
"Corpori Impetu!"
Instantly, Chris stopped moving and became motionless as a statue.
"Hope, what are you doing?" exclaimed a bewildered Hayley. "Let him go!"
The Tribrid looked helplessly in dismay at her mother.
"I'm sorry, Hayley! I don't have a choice! I'm so sorry!"
At that moment, Stefan returned to the Mansion by planting a stake in the belly of Chris.
"No! Stop! You two, leave him alone!" Hayley cried horrified looking at both Hope and Stefan.
Then it was Jeremy who came in, with an ax in his hand.
"Jeremy?" Tyler exclaimed in amazement and disbelief. "What the hell, man?!"
"I'm sorry," Stefan answered in a neutral tone.
And Jeremy killed Chris by planting his ax on him, under the horrified gaze of Hayley who let out a scream of horror. Blood spurted onto young Gilbert's face. And he looked down at his hand where he could see the beginnings of a mark similar to Connor's.
Damon had found Elena on the Wickery Bridge. She had thrown her ring in the water and waited for daybreak to die burning by the rays of the sun, haunted by her hallucinations. But they were gone by the time day came and Damon had to dive with her into the water to save her from the light of dawn.
Elena was out of danger. Damon had warned Stefan, who in turn had warned Hope. The Tribrid was relieved that her future was still intact. For now, anyway. She had left quickly after Chris' death, wanting to avoid her mother's dismay. Her father, on the other hand, was glad to have a new Hunter to complete the mark in order to find the cure.
Hope had gone for a walk in the streets of Mystic Falls, wanting to clear her mind. She ended up going back to the Mystic Grill, and came to order her favorite milkshake. She spotted Damon at the counter ordering himself a glass of bourbon. She came to join him.
"Hey Damon."
The vampire barely reacted and stared at her with a hostile gaze.
"What else do you want from me, Miss Weird Witch?"
Hope rolled her eyes as she downed her milkshake.
"I happened to be passing by and I wanted a drink. I love the milkshake. Peanut Butter Blast. Whipped cream on the bottom. It's my favorite!"
"Good for you," Damon retorted, rolling his eyes as his drink was served.
Hope wanted to sit next to the vampire, but the latter sternly retorted.
"This seat's taken."
"For who?" Hope asked intrigued, seeing no one in the seat.
"A guy you don't know, Alaric Saltzman," Damon grumbled. "He is no longer of this world. May he rest in peace!"
With shock, Hope pulled out of the seat and began talking to it as if there was a real person sitting on it.
"Oh, my apologies, Mr. Saltzman."
Frowning, Damon stared at her like she was an alien. She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she sat down on the other side.
"What? Is it suspicious to respect the dead? Is that too odd for Miss Weird Witch?"
"Miss Weird and Mysterious Witch," replied the vampire, drinking again.
Matt came to the counter, setting down a tray full of empty glasses.
"You're still saving a spot for Mr. Saltzman, huh?" he asked at Damon.
The vampire barely looked at the bartender, retorting:
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified. Not even Hope."
"Thanks, but bourbon is not my favorite drink," replied the Tribrid dryly. "I pass."
"Well…" Matt said, ignoring the cold looks Hope and Damon were giving each other. "I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about."
At the mention of the explosion at Young's farm, Hope's interest was aroused.
"I'm also investigating what happened to the Council fire," she explained. (Seeing their confused looks, she clarified.) "When I arrived in Mystic Falls, I ran into Young who wanted to imprison me, but I managed to escape. And later I learned about the explosion. For the twelve members of the Council. Twelve people died that day. And twelve is not a random number among witches. And the massacre of twelve people sacrificed can be used as energy for evil spells."
Damon frowned, puzzled.
"Are you saying that the killing of the Council would be linked to dark magic?"
"I'm sure." agreed Hope categorically. "Twelve people who die, the same day and the same time? It is not a coincidence." (Turns to Matt.) "If you have any information, I'd be happy to hear from you."
"Thanks Hope," the bartender told her before speaking. "So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise."
Damon was intrigued and stared at Matt with great interest.
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home."
"Anything else?" added Hope curious to know the rest.
Matt continued:
"I got the Sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane."
Hope was stunned. Thus Professor Shane would therefore be involved in the fire at the Young farm. He was the last person to speak with Young before the latter committed suicide and killed all the Council with his farm. She thinks. Things were making sense. She knew Connor had been sent by the same person who coerced Young into committing suicide. Could it also be Shane? It would be logical. Shane was a professor of occultism and had a lot of knowledge in magic, as well as curses. He would be the person who would have helped Connor protect himself from Hope's magic. It was certainly he who had provided the Hunter with the means to counter the magic of the Tribrid. Then Hope remembered the way Shane had looked at her when she mentioned her name in front of him. It was obvious he had heard her name before. Probably by Connor. The question. What is Shane trying to achieve by wanting to kill the twelve members of the Council? Why do he want to do dark magic? What purpose? Certainly not something good.
Hope finished her milkshake and went to pay for her drink at the bar. Before leaving the restaurant, she spoke to the bartender.
"You know, Matt, you have investigative skills. You should consider a career in law enforcement."
Matt and Damon looked amazed at what the girl was suggesting.
"What?" wondered the bartender.
"I'm serious," Hope resumed enthusiastically. "I'm even sure you'd make a good Sheriff."
"Sheriff of Mystic Falls? Me?" Matt stammered in astonishment.
"Donovan as Sheriff?" Damon exclaimed amused and incredulous. "What a weird idea!"
"Seriously, you should think about it, Matt," Hope assured him.
Matt smiled despite himself.
"All right, I'll think about it. Thank you, Hope."
The Tribrid gave him a friendly look and then left the restaurant.
Matt turned to Damon.
"You know, for a witch who works for Klaus, I don't find her that bad."
"Watch out Donovan!" warned the vampire. "Hope hides a heavy secret! And I intend to find out!"
After leaving the Mystic Grill, Hope had gone back to Lockwood Mansion. She hoped to find her mother and tell her she was sorry for Chris' death. She feared it was affecting their relationship. But when she arrived at the mansion, she was greeted coldly by Tyler.
"Go away, Hope!"
"Please, Tyler," said the Tribrid moved. "I know you hate me, but it was necessary to save Elena. There was no other way."
"You are not my friend, and you have nothing to do with me!" Tyler retorted angrily.
"Please, just let me talk to Hayley. I want to see her. I want to talk to her. Five minutes. Just five minutes!"
"Hayley doesn't want to talk to you, even if it was five seconds! Get out of my house! Right now!"
Then she saw Hayley in the distance who had just got up. Using her werewolf agility, Hope slipped underneath Tyler and back into the house to join her mother.
"Hayley, I just want to talk to you. Please."
Furious, Tyler hastened to join her, then Hayley motioned for him to withdraw.
"It's okay. I got this, Tyler. Leave us."
Reluctantly, Tyler left them alone. Hayley glared at Hope with coldness and hostility. The Tribrid was shocked and dazed. Her mother had never looked at her that way before. It was more than anger. The look she could see on her face resembled contempt and disgust.
Shocked, Hope spoke to her calmly:
"Listen, I…"
"No, you listen!" interrupted her angry mother. "You sentenced one of my friends to death, whom I helped. He died because of you!"
Distraught to see her mother blaming her and looking at her with such contempt, Hope tried to justify herself:
"I swear I'm sorry! I had no choice! Elena was in danger! It was the only way to save her! I had no choice!"
"We always have the choice! I thought you were a powerful witch? Couldn't you do anything else?"
Wanting to convince her mother, Hope spoke to her forcefully:
"I swear to you that if there would have been another way, I would have done it. But it was the only way."
I had to protect my future, Mom! Our future! Make sure I can exist! And my friends too!
But Hayley spoke to her with hostility:
"You killed one of my friends! You helped Klaus kill a friend of mine when you told me you didn't want to hurt anyone! You who told me that!"
"Yeah, I remember. I was afraid he would hurt you, I was afraid for you!" Hope resumed, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I don't need you to defend me," her mother raged with menacing eyes. "I can take care of myself! I don't need you to protect me!"
"I'm sorry for Chris!" sobbed Hope. "I swear I'm sorry! I had already disappointed Klaus! I had to save Elena! I had to…"
"I don't care if you're sorry!" yelled Hayley with great anger. "Chris is dead, and it's your fault!"
Hope tried to hold back her tears…in vain. She lowered her head shamefully.
"Please, Mom. Listen to me… Mom…
But her mother began to scream in anger, making her jump in shock:
"DON'T! Don't call me that! I may have her face, but I'm NOT your mom! And I never will! I don't understand how I could get attached to you! Two days ago, you said we were the same, that we fought for the people we love! But it's not! You and me, we have nothing in common! You are no different from Klaus! You are a bloodthirsty monster just like him!"
The words hit Hope like a bomb. It was as if her mother was stabbing her in the heart with the pain of her words. She tried to push back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
And Hayley continued with the same hostility:
"I want to mourn the death of my friend whom you had killed. And I don't want your remorse. I want you to go, Hope. Get out! Tyler advised me to keep my distance from you and that's what I plan to do from now. I never want to see you again. And don't you dare come see me and ask me for a hand. Leave me alone! Get out!"
"Hayley, I'm really…" Hope stammered with tears in her eyes, stepping back to give her some space.
"GET OUT OF HERE!"
The harshness of her mother's words made her bang against the front door. Hope hurried out, then gave Hayley one last downcast look.
"I never wanted this to happen."
And she left the house. As she took a few steps outside, she heard her mother talking to someone.
"You were right, Tyler. Hope can't be trusted. She is exactly like Klaus. A monster. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."
Completely saddened, Hope fled into the woods. She ran through the trees. She ran as far as she could. She didn't know where to go. She didn't care about anything. From her father. From Elena. Of the cure. And especially to have to preserve the future. She couldn't take it anymore!
She ran away, passing between several trees. Once she was sure she was far from civilization, Hope stopped and broke down sobbing in front of a huge pine tree.
She thought back to what had happened over the past few days. She was trapped in the past for an indefinite time. She had made the mistake of going to see her father. Since then, she has sought to preserve her future. And that had caused her dangerous situations. She had just saved Elena to protect her future, that of her family and her friends. And all she gained was her mother's contempt and disgust from the past. Her mom had never treated her like that in her entire life. She had never thought of her as a monster. Her way of looking at her. To think that recently, her mother had taken her in her arms. This memory seemed very distant to her now.
Lost in her thoughts, still sobbing, her memories came back to her like a slap in the face. She saw her father strangling her aunt Rebekah telling her that she wasn't his sister before breaking her neck. She relives the moment when her father had stabbed her to desiccate her. And now, her mother's hateful gaze treating her daughter as a monster like her father.
She cried, grumbling.
"I hate time travel! That's it, I've had enough of this! I'm fed up of it! I'm done! I've had enough! ENOUGH!"
And she finally let out a shrill scream and brought out all her emotions. All of her feelings buried inside her caused a surge of energy that swept through the entire forest and knocked down trees and pine trees. All the leaves flew away, as if carried away by a tornado.
She might free herself from her emotions, but that wasn't enough. Hope ends up changing into a wolf. Once the transformation was complete, she raced through the woods knocking over several pine trees and screaming like a rabid animal.
After several minutes in wolf form, Hope reverted to human form and collected her clothes. She had finally calmed down.
She let herself fall through the leaves, crying again.
"I can't do it! I can't!"
And she lost her words in her sobs.
She wanted more than anything to be able to reveal the truth to both of her parents. To her father and her mother. Tell them she was their daughter. Today she had accepted her parents' sacrifice, but right now she felt like a lost child looking for her parents.
I don't want to fight anymore. I can't save my dad. Okay? I-I'm not a savior. If anything, I-I'm a murder.
… I've spent my entire life trying to get our family back together, and if anything, I ruined it, okay? I-I broke it! So please, just let me go, because I'm tired! I'm so tired! And if anything, I just want my mom, I just want my mom!
"I can't! I'm so tired…" she whispered as she remembered the words she had thrown at her uncle Elijah when she was on the edge of the abyss.
Since losing her parents, Hope had fought for her friends, wanting to preserve them. And that's where it had led her. To travel back in time, to a time when she didn't yet exist. She had lived in a world that had forgotten her existence and today, in this world, no one knew who she was. Her own parents didn't even know she was their daughter. No idea such a thing could be possible. And she couldn't say anything, because it was too risky. Not only for her, but also for her entire future. And Hope didn't know how long she would be able to hold on. Preserving the future, containing herself, paying attention to her words, her actions and gestures… that required superhuman efforts for her. Too heavy a burden.
She needed someone to talk to. To talk to someone without her having to contain herself, to hide things.
After getting dressed, Hope, holding a rose in her hand, headed to the cemetery. She was looking for someone in particular. A person she would really need to confide in. Walking between the graves, she eventually finds the tombstone where Alaric Saltzman was marked. She never thought she'd find her headmaster six feet underground. And even in front of her grave, she didn't know what to say.
Her mind took her back to when Hope had revealed herself to Alaric when the latter had forgotten her existence due to the Malivore.
My name's not Hope Marshall. It's Hope Mikaelson. I'm Klaus and Hayley's daughter. And I know you don't remember this, but, hum you're the closest thing I have to a father now. And the entire world has forgotten that I exist, and the boy I love has moved on, so I have absolutely no idea what to do next…
Hope took a sharp breath and knelt before Alaric's grave.
"Hello Mr. Saltzman… I know you don't know me. Well… not yet. What I'm about to tell you is gonna sound insane, but… I'm from the future… Yeah, from the future, really. Apparently time travel's possible and I experience it in spite of myself."
She had to hold back her tears and continued with a sad smile.
"My name is Hope Mikaelson. I'm Klaus' daughter. I am not yet conceived at this time. And in the future where I come from, you're still alive. Not only are you alive, but you also have two daughters. And it's trying to save one of them that I find myself stuck here in the past. Yes, in the future, I'm a friend of your daughters."
She rubbed her eye before continuing.
"And you and I, we both know each other. What you were to Elena and Jeremy, you are to me too. You're the closest thing I have to a father."
And she began to cry, in spite of herself, unable to hold back her sobs any longer.
"And all the people I know aren't even born yet or have any idea who I am. My own father doesn't even know that I am his child. Neither did my mom. I am a stranger in this town. Everyone sees me as an unknown witch. I'm Klaus' daughter and I can't tell anyone. Not my dad, not my mom, not even Elena, Stefan, Damon or anyone else. It would be too risky for our future. Too risky for your two daughters. I need to talk so much. Because I can't! I will not be able to continue to fight for our future! It is too hard! It's too much for me to bear! My mom hates me and considers me a monster while I do everything to protect everyone! I'm lost and I have no idea what to do next!"
Hope paused before continuing, tears in her eyes:
"If I'm here, it's because I need to talk to someone. Without having to lie or hide things. Without having to contain myself, as I am forced to do for everyone else. I'm not asking for the impossible! I just want to talk to someone! Someone who can understand me and who doesn't judge me! I'm sorry you're not alive right now. Because I really need your advice right now."
She finally dried her tears, and began to sweep with her hand the dead leaves that surrounded Alaric's tombstone.
She delicately placed her rose on the grave with a sad face.
"This is for you, Mr. Saltzman."
She finally gets up, with a saddened look.
"I don't know anything about the Other Side, but I hope you are at peace where you are. See you soon. I hope. Hopefully we'll meet again in the future. Well…I hope so."
Leaving the cemetery, she began to search her satchel for a handkerchief when she discovered something. A large crystal that was familiar to her. Then she remembered: her uncle Kol's prism. The one that allowed her to talk to her subconscious. With all the recent events, Hope had completely forgotten about it. She could use it to talk to Landon. Even if it wasn't really him. At least she could talk to someone without lying.
She returned to the woods, looking for a quiet and discreet corner, out of sight. She slowed down and sat down against a tree and put the prism on the ground. She leaned against the tree and made prism shine.
A moment passed before a familiar voice she hadn't heard in a while spoke to her:
"Hey, can I sit next to you?"
Hope smiles with delight as the image of her boyfriend Landon Kirby appears from her subconscious.
"Landon."
Landon of the Prism smiled softly at the Tribrid and took a seat next to her against the tree.
"I would have hugged you if you weren't fake," she added smiling. "I miss you so much!"
Landon of the Prism smiled at her.
"You asked to see me so I'm here. Time travel. How does it feel to be in the past?"
"You're part of my subconscious, you should know that," Hope pointed out.
"Yes, but it's to make conversation. It's part of my job."
Hope leaned against the tree again and let herself sink into her thoughts.
"It's really odd. I don't know how to describe it," she explained moved. "I can spend time with my dad who is alive. And not a victim of dark magic. It's weird interacting with Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert… Knowing that my Uncle Elijah is somewhere alive in this world. And my mom who is alive. Seeing her like this is like her death never came. When she took me in her arms, I felt like I was dreaming. Like she knew I was her daughter. I wanted so badly to tell her the truth. And now she sees me as a monster after what I did to save Elena."
"You know you did the right thing, Hope," Landon told her sympathetically. "It couldn't have happened otherwise. Your dad's Hybrids are bound to die. What you did had to be done."
"I know," sighed the saddened Tribrid. "But the way Mom looked at me. She'd never looked at me like that. She looked at me like I was the worst monster." (She spoke angrily.) "I save the future and my mom hates me. But I can't blame her! Because she doesn't know anything about me!"
"You're not angry at your mom," Landon pointed out gently. "You blame yourself for getting into this mess. It's okay to admitting."
"I feel lost, broken, disoriented," resumed Hope with sorrow. "I don't know what I should do."
But Landon shook his head.
"Of course you do, you know that. You didn't call on me to tell you what to do. You brought me here because you wanted someone you can really talk to. What you should do, you already know."
"I have to find a way to go back to the future,"answered Hope, not liking the turn this discussion was going to take.
"And before you put it in even more danger. This is about your existence, Hope. And that of many people. Everything you do, the gestures you make and the words you speak could be catastrophic. Like when you had the idea of going to see your father when you arrived."
Hope replied angrily:
"I screwed up, yeah, I know! I never should have gone to see him, but I couldn't have known that my Aunt Bex would destroy Elena's blood bags and that would cause my Dad to snap her neck! I can't leave town! Too late for that! I would attract too much attention! I'm a selfish, careless idiot."
"No, you're not selfish," Landon told her softly. "You just wanted to see your dad. No one can blame you for that. Someone who lost their parents would have done the same thing as you. The problem is that your action had consequences. You caught your father's attention and now everyone's. Look what happened with Connor and Damon. You came close to disaster. And I understand that you want to spend time with your parents, since you know you won't be able to when you return in the future. But the longer you stay with your father, the greater the risk of changing the future. Your father's already curious about you, and now you've caught the attention of Elena and the Salvatore Brothers."
Seeing Hope's annoyed look, he hastened to add in a soft voice:
"I'm not making you feel guilty or burdened. I tell you things as they are. It's important that you know that your presence in this time puts everyone in danger. Not just you, but also Lizzie, Josie, Rafe, even me. You're not even conceived yet. You must make the Quest for the Cure go exactly as it's supposed to. So that in the end, your mom and your dad having sex together at the right time."
Hope sighed before leaning against the tree again.
"I know," she said wearily. "But I don't know if I'll be able to find the strength. Having to spend time with my dad, without being able to tell him that I am his daughter. Face the gaze of others who treat me as if I were the Devil."
"I didn't say it would be easy," Landon said softly. "I know it's hard. But you are Hope Mikaelson. You always find the solutions. And you are strong. If there's anyone who can handle all of this, it's you. So, even if it's desperate, you have to hang on. For you, for us and for our future. Be very careful, Hope."
Hope nodded with a sigh, then looked at Landon from the prism sadly.
"Even if you're not the real Landon, I'm happy to talk to you. I feel much better now."
"Prism Landon at your service," Landon told her proudly, making a military gesture.
"Can you stay a little longer?" Hope asked him kindly with eyes of tenderness. "I want to see your eyes for a while."
Bonnie had gone to Withmore College, to Shane's office. The professor greeted the young witch.
"Did your, uh, did your friends, Damon and Hope, did they get everything they were looking for in my files?"
"Yeah. Thanks," Bonnie replied, smiling embarrassed. "Hope is not a friend of mine. I – um - I have to ask, how do you know all this stuff?"
Enigmatic at first, Shane stared at her without saying a word, then sat right in front of her, speaking to her seriously.
"Bonnie, look, I've been around the world ten times over. I've studied every supernatural creature known to man; and for the record, witches are hands down the most powerful so, I'm in your corner all the way, I'm your biggest ally. But let me just say one thing, when your new hunter – and I know you have one – when he completes his mark you're gonna want to come to me. 'Cause I'm gonna be the only one who can help, trust me on that, okay?"
"Okay," Bonnie said. "Since you are my ally, there is one thing you should know about Hope. Apparently she's a witch but…there's something about her that's…really not normal. Something that is impossible and shouldn't exist."
Frowning, the teacher encouraged her to continue.
"What do you mean?"
Bonnie hesitated, then finally revealed:
"My friend Damon was poisoned by werewolf toxin, and… it was Hope who cured him. By making him drink her blood. Her blood would have cured the werewolf toxin."
"Really?" Shane exclaimed, his eyes widening in amazement.
"And there's more," Bonnie continued. "She can even heal like a vampire. Hope's able to do things witches can't. Damon's brother thinks she's half werewolf. But it's impossible! You can't be a werewolf and a witch at the same time. It can't exist! Do you agree with me?"
Shane looked dazed and then remained curious.
"Technically, a witch who can change into a werewolf is impossible. This kind of hybrid creature cannot exist. But if what you say is true, then this Hope upsets the balance of nature. She's an abomination. She must have a lot of powers if she is able to do what you say."
"She works for Klaus," replied Bonnie with anguish. "It's not good news that he has such a powerful witch by his side. I fear for my friends."
Shane gently put his hand down with a mischievous smile.
"Don't worry, Bonnie. Whoever this Hope is, I promise we'll figure it out together. We will find out who she really is and where she comes from."
After a while in the woods, Hope eventually returns to the Mikaelson Manor. She was welcomed there by her father who was in a jovial mood.
"Hey Hope, you had a nice walk?"
"Yes, very nice, I wanted to change my mind," she told him.
"So good for you. The day is good. I no longer risk losing Elena Gilbert and I have a new Hunter to compensate for the unfortunate loss of Connor."
"It's great," answered Hope pretending to be delighted by hiding her disappointment.
You won a new Hunter and I lost my mom.
"I'm glad for you," she told him, forcing a smile.
"Hope, I wanted to thank you," Klaus said in a serious voice.
"For what?"
"For finding a way to break the Hunter's curse. You succeeded when I had my doubts. You impressed me. I regret not having known you sooner."
"I didn't do much," Hope told him not wanting to give herself all the credit.
"This means to me." resumed her father.
Hope was touched by her father's words. Being complimented by him when he didn't know she was his daughter was a big upset.
Then he stared at her sadly.
"As for what happened at the Lockwoods, I wouldn't have killed her."
"Who are you talking about?" Hope asked doubtfully.
"Hayley. I wouldn't have killed her." Klaus answered. "I understood that she was trying to save her friend. You told me she has your mother's face. You are the best person I have ever met in these thousand years. You understand me better than my own family. And you told me so much about your mother and her kindness that I refuse to tear the image of her from you, even on another person. I wouldn't have killed Hayley. I wanted to apologize if you thought I was going to."
"I'm very touched," she told him softly. "Thanks for telling me all that. And I'm relieved you didn't kill her."
"Long time ago, my siblings and I made an eternal vow when our parents stood against us. To protect each other, always and forever. And I'm making this vow to you now, Hope. Always and forever."
The Tribrid stared at her father in amazement. She was included in the "Always and forever" vow even though he didn't know who she was. Hope made an effort not to cry with joy. She may have lost her mom, but her father seemed to really accept her into his family. She did everything to push back her emotions, and answered with joy.
"Thank you."
Klaus resumed with a beaming smile on his face.
"You lost your mother and your father who were good parents. Parents I wish I had. I lost everyone who loved me. But I do know this, my littlest wolf, I will always be there for you. And I will never allow anything bad to happen to you. I promise you. Always and forever."
"Thank you so much." answered Hope ecstatically, wanting to hide her tears of joy.
Klaus looked even more jovial at the sight of Hope smiling happily. He felt so good in her company. Better than with his siblings.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Hope realizes that protecting her future means having to carry a very heavy and difficult burden. And the time incidents only continue.
See you soon for a new chapter.