Hey guys. I come back after a long absence for a new chapter.
Good reading.
Chapter 8: At the Center of Attention
In the woods of Mystic Falls, Stefan wanted to enjoy a moment alone to exercise. He just broke up with Elena. And he had a bad break-up. Of course, it wasn't the first time he and Elena separated, but this time it was really serious. Elena had feelings for his brother Damon, and her vampirism had made her mutate. She wasn't anymore what she was when she was still human. Which reinforced his determination to find the Cure.
Stefan was walking in the woods when he looked at something strange. He discovered a pile of clothes on a tree trunk. He examined the clothes. They were girl clothes. He was alone in the forest. What could girl's clothes do in the middle of the forest?
As he looked at the clothes with confusion, a heavy animal howl appeared in the distance. Stefan went into hiding, and a large white wolf arrived in the clearing where he was. The wolf walked for a moment and took the naked form of Hope.
Hope had just spent some time as a werewolf in the woods. After the trying week she had just had, she needed to feel calm, to relax. And being a wolf helped him a lot.
She went to find her clothes that she had left on the tree trunk.
"So it's true!"
The voice out of nowhere took Hope by surprise. Instinctively, she shoved her clothes against her, hiding her nakedness. She saw Stefan join her with wide eyes.
"I knew it! You're half werewolf like Klaus," he said stunned.
"Stefan! I thought I was alone! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Hope, tightening her clothes to hide her naked body.
"What are you doing here?" replied the vampire still intrigued by what he had just learned.
"Can you turn around, please, so that I can dress in privacy?" replied the Tribrid.
Stefan seemed more intrigued to find out that Hope was a werewolf than to see her in all her glory. With embarrassment, he looked away.
"Uh… Sorrry."
Hope took refuge behind a tree and dressed abruptly. Stefan turned his back and continued his investigation.
"You're half werewolf."
"Oh, well spotted," grumbling Hope while dressing.
"So you'd be a were-witch. How can you exist? How come we never heard of you?"
"I told you, I can't talk about it. The less people know, the better. If my secret were revealed, the consequences would be severes."
"For whom?" For you? exclaimed Stefan doubtful.
"For everyone."
Stefan frowned, while Hope, now dressed, joined him.
"What are you doing here, Stefan?" she asked.
The vampire noticed the few uprooted trees with stupor.
"Did you do that?" he wondered.
"It's not important, what are you doing here?" replied Hope.
"I needed to exercise," replied the vampire. "I just want to prevent to rip into someone's artery and feed until I can't breathe anymore."
Hope noticed that Stefan was not like all the times she had met him since her arrival in the past. He seemed upset. A little worried, she approached him.
"Hey, are you all right?"
"Nope, as you can see, I'm not all right," replied Stefan, with a scowling face.
"What's wrong?"
"Elena and I broke up."
This news caught Hope off guard. Of course, she knew that Elena and Stefan would end up breaking up sooner or later, but learning it like that still shocked her. She thought she'd leave and leave him in her corner. She had her own worries to deal with, like the fact that she was always stuck in the past with no way to go back to the future and that her mother considered her a monster. Then she imagined seeing Landon and knew what he would tell her.
Be kind to him. He just broke up with his girlfriend. He needs some comfort. And you need it, too.
She knew the Landon of the prism would tell her that.
With compassion she replied:
"I am so sorry, Stefan. I feel bad for you. I know what it's like to be in love."
Stefan looked at her frowning.
"Do you have someone in your life? A boyfriend or something?"
Hope hesitated before responding with a sigh.
"Yeah, I have. His name is Landon. A great boy."
"Landon? He's lucky," the sarcastic vampire agrees. "And where's he? Why isn't he with you?"
Not knowing what to say, Hope replied with embarrassment.
"Let's say it's…"
"Complicated?" added Stefan, a bit annoyed.
"He's not with me now," said Hope. "There's something that keeps us from being together. I'm trying to find him and me. I miss him."
"Klaus is holding him hostage, right?" the vampire assumed. "That's why you do everything he asks you to do…"
"No, it has nothing to do with Klaus! He's not holding anyone hostage!" strongly objected to Hope. "I wasn't planning on being in Mystic Falls. It was an accident. Klaus is allowing me to live with him until I find a way back to Landon."
"So why are you staying with him? Why are you hanging out with him? Because he's a hybrid like you or almost like you? Don't tell me it's complicated. What's your connection to him?"
Hope wanted so much to tell the truth. She was really tired of having to hide her connection to her father. But she knew the risks of changing the past. She had interfered during the hostage-taking which led to Damon being poisoned with werewolf toxin, forcing her to heal him with her blood.
"We understand each other," she replied to Stefan. "It is not easy to live differently from others. Don't feel like you belong, whether it's with humans, vampires, wolves or witches. A lot of people tried to kill me because of who I am. Even before I was born. I'm not responsible for that. I didn't ask to be like that. But I was born like that. And I can't do anything about it."
Stefan seemed shocked. Having lived as a vampire for over a century, he understood too well what she was talking about. He had been turned into a vampire, became a ripper for several decades, desperately trying to fight the bloodthirsty monster that was in him, while adapting to humans. And it was never easy.
Hope went on with emotion:
"And Klaus understands me. I know who he is and what he did. But he understands me. Because he knew almost what I did. The difference is I don't have any siblings."
"What about your parents?" asked Stefan, intrigued. "What do they think of all this? How would they react if they saw you in his company?"
Hope rebuked a chuckle while wondering what her future parents would say if they saw her in the past interacting with their past doubles. Would her father be proud that she wasn't trying to change the past? Not that she was doing a good job.
Then she got serious again.
"They're dead. It's been a while. The people I care about have a tendency to die on me. I do what I can to protect my friends. And I'm here now."
"I'm sorry," replied the emotional vampire.
"And I'm sorry about you and Elena," Hope said nicely. "But maybe that's no reason to become a bloodthirsty vampire. You gotta sublimate this."
"It's easier said than done," Stefan replied. "How would you feel if you and Landon broke up?"
"I'll probably be at my worst," she admits.
Stefan nodded in reply:
"Elena has changed since she became a vampire. I don't recognize her at all. And she has feelings for Damon. She had them when she was still human and her vampirism amplified her feelings for him."
It was then that Klaus popped out of nowhere in vampire gear and grabbed Stefan from behind and strangled him with his arm. Hope was shocked when she saw her father angry.
"In what world do the words 'tell no one' mean 'tell your brother and every teenage sycophant in town'?" He roars between his teeth by squeezing his arm around Stefan's neck.
Hope looked anxious; so her father knew that the secret of the Cure had been revealed. How did he know? Perhaps he heard whispers between the Salvatore brothers and Elena? Did he also know about Hope? Did he also know that Damon was poisoned and that she cured him with her blood?
Hope shook her head with certainty. No, her father didn't know anything about her. Otherwise, he would have confronted her by now.
Seeing Stefan in a bad position, she dared to intervene.
"Stop! He didn't do anything!"
Klaus stares at Hope, still strangling Stefan.
"I had given instructions! No one other than the three of us had to know about the Cure!"
"Everyone would have known sooner or later. It was inevitable!" insisted Hope. "If you want Elena to be human again, they have to know at some point that the Cure exists. We did things your way when we tried to capture Connor. But eventually Damon got suspicious. And that too was inevitable! He found our behavior suspicious so he stepped in!"
Hope was trying not to be angry with her father. Keeping the Cure secret was impossible. Damon was curious and suspicious. How could he be blamed? How could Klaus expect the Quest for the Cure to go unnoticed?
If you had accepted that Damon knew about the Cure, Connor might still be alive! Elena wouldn't have to kill him and my mom and I would still be on good terms.
Klaus eventually releases Stefan and stares at Hope, still angry.
"Did you tell Damon about the Cure?" he asked as he looked at the girl.
Before Hope could answer, Stefan hurried to get between him and her.
"Leave her alone," he replied with a neutral look. "She didn't do anything. I'm the one who talked to Damon."
"You?" exclaimed Klaus furiously.
"Damon was suspicious. He didn't understand why Hope and I wanted to keep Connor alive. As much as I dodged his questions, it only made him furious and he attacked me. He was about to rip my heart out. And he would have gone after Hope. The only way to calm him down was to tell him about the Cure. I acted to protect Hope. I'd no choice. Damon would have killed me and her if I hadn't said something."
Stunned, Hope stared at Stefan, eyes wide open with horror. Stefan had just lied to her father. And there was little chance he believed him. She knew it wasn't supposed to happen that way. Was she going to be faced with another time incident?
After a while, Klaus glared furiously at Stefan. He seemed ready to kill him.
"Give me a reason not to rip your head off right now, Stefan! And kill everyone else who knows about this Cure!"
Always calm and determined, Stefan looked at his enemy without blinking.
"The secret's safe. No one who knows about the cure would endanger us. Trust me. You know I want to find it more than anyone else."
"Well," replied Klaus, always angry. "Then I suggest you find some vampires for Jeremy to kill before I'm tempted to offer you up as a victim. And try to keep this one to yourself, would you?"
He still stared at Stefan with fury, then softened in front of Hope.
"See you at home."
And he disappeared in vampire gear.
After being sure he was away, Hope turned to Stefan with nervousness.
"Why did you do that? Why did you lie to him?"
The vampire remained natural.
"You cured Damon. And you helped us save Elena. I had to save you. I owed you that."
"I didn't do it so that you would be indebted to me," replied Hope, always nervous. "I don't expect anything from you or Damon or Elena. The only thing I want is for my secret not to get out and for anyone to find out that your brother was poisoned."
"It's okay. We promised you we'd keep your secret," Stefan assured her. "And even if Elena and I aren't together anymore, she knows how to keep a secret."
"But Klaus knows that everyone knows about the Cure," remarked Hope. "It's only a matter of time before he finds out that Damon was poisoned with werewolf toxin and miraculously escaped. If he finds out, I won't know what to tell him to explain it! If he suspects, let's not lie to him. Don't take rash risks. You were lucky that Klaus didn't kill you!"
Seeing the anguish on the girl's face, Stefan frowned suspiciously.
"Hope, I appreciate your concern. I'm flattered. But I can defend myself. I'm not afraid of Klaus. Besides, he needs me for the Cure. So I know he won't kill me. And why do you want to keep us all alive? Why are you so afraid something's gonna happen to us?"
Hope calmed down and tried to justify herself.
"I don't want any casualties. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Coming from someone who lives with Klaus, that's really weird to hear," admitted Stefan. "You gonna tell me it's complicated again?"
"I promise you that one day you'll know everything," said Hope. "For now, let's focus on the Cure. You gonna use Jeremy? You're gonna give him vampires so he can kill them and complete his Mark?"
"This is the only way to get the Cure," recalled the vampire Salvatore.
"This is about a Hunter of the Five," remarked Hope. "He's not just another human hunter. We're talking about a supernatural Hunter with one goal: killing vampires."
"Good," replied Stefan, puzzled.
"A supernatural vampire hunter, Stefan! A great vampire exterminator! Someone who's really capable of killing vampires! You're a vampire, like your brother, like Caroline, and Jeremy has a sister who's also a vampire! Do you understand what I'm meant? If you go take that way, you'll put them all in danger!"
Stefan began to grumble away.
"Did you hear Klaus? I have to do it. He leaves me no choice! I have to find vampires for Jeremy!"
"Stefan!" said Hope, strong enough for the vampire to stop. "I'm not stupid. You're not looking for the Cure for Klaus. It's about Elena. You think if Elena goes human again, she'll come back to you."
The vampire froze, stunned, knowing he could not deny what Hope was saying.
The Tribrid really felt for him. Coming from the future, she knew that Elena would end up with Damon, and that it had been hard for his brother to accept it. She had to ensure that the quest for the Cure was unfettered.
Calmly, Hope replied with sympathy:
"Again, I'm really sorry you and Elena broke up. I'm sorry for you. And you're right: if it was me and Landon, I'd probably react like you. The difference is Landon's not a vampire. I'm sad for you. I really am. But even if we can find the Cure and make Elena human, there's no guarantee she'll come back to you. You can't force a girl to fall in love with you again. It doesn't work that way, Stefan. Elena has feelings for your brother. And her feelings won't go away. Whether she's a vampire or a human, she'll always have feelings for Damon. You can't change that. There's nothing to say she'll get back with you if she becomes human again. Even I don't know. I don't have to say what you need to do, but if you're determined to get the Cure for Elena, you need to consider that possibility. The point is, you can't force her to fall back into your arms."
A moment passed. Stefan was always overwhelmed, then tried to recover.
"I have to do it for her… I have to do it, Hope."
Later, Stefan had gone back to his house to get stuff that would allow Jeremy to kill vampires. He was about to leave his manor when his brother landed him.
"Where have you been?"
"Oh, you know. Out." replied Stefan, making his way to the entrance.
"Where you going?" replied Damon, intrigued.
"Out."
He was leaving when his brother followed him.
"Ok. I see. Shady Stefan is back. Please don't tell me that you're still working with Klaus."
"You obviously haven't heard." replied Stefan, turning to him. "Elena and I broke up."
Damon took a moment to take the news, and Stefan could see his brother's face slightly surprised.
"And I was right about Hope," said Stefan. "She's definitely half werewolf."
"How do you know?" said Damon, astonished.
"I saw her as a wolf in the forest in broad daylight. She can change at any time like Klaus or his hybrids."
Damon took another moment to take the news. This time he was really stunned.
"So Hope is a were-witch! Creepy!"
After a moment of stupor, he stammered.
"Oh… Got it… Uh, well, I'll be quick, then... So apparently if we want to find the Cure, we have to find a vampire hunter who can kill enough vampires to reveal the map on the hunter's Mark. Now, unless we want Jeremy to go all Connor 2.0, I suggest we find a different hunter."
"Ok. And?"
"And I was gonna ask Professor Shane, but it turns out he's shadier than you are." explained Damon. "Matt Donovan connected him and the Pastor through phone records. Apparently the two were very chatty the day that the Pastor blew up the Council."
Stefan pretended to be interested.
"Ah. So you're gonna confront Shane, threaten him, possibly kill him… that sort of thing?"
"Yeah, unless he tells me what he's up to."said his brother. "What do you say? We tag team?"
"Nah. I'd say you're on your own." Stefan replied categorically.
"Don't tell me you're planning on finding Hope and getting Jeremy into this hunter mess?" Damon continued. "And if you tell me Miss Weird Witch can turn into a wolf, that's a problem we have to deal with."
"I have no problem with Hope," replied Stefan. "You have. So far, she hasn't done anything to put us in danger. She cured you of poisoning and even helped Elena break the Hunter's curse. So stop being paranoid and accept that Hope might be an ally."
"Don't forget that we know nothing about her," said Damon again. "We don't know where she's from, why she's with Klaus, or what she wants. We should keep our distance. Maybe I should let Bonnie know so she has some idea of what we should do."
"Bonnie? We agreed to keep her secret?"
"You agreed," said Damon. "And while I'm glad I'm still alive because of Hope, that doesn't stop me from being suspicious of her, and so should you."
"Actually, I hope to gain her confidence to tell me who she is. Because there are other ways to discover people's secrets rather than threaten them with fangs."
"Or we could forget about Hope and the Cure, and we could just blow it off, then… go get drunk, brother-Bond over some tridelts if you... You know, want some quality time." Damon gently suggested.
Stefan smiled at him with a smirk before answering.
"Elena and I broke up. Let's not pretend like this isn't the best day of your life."
He patted his brother's shoulder before leaving his Mansion.
At Lockwood Mansion, Caroline was in charge of organizing the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Preparations were being made. Matt and Jeremy were unloading drinks.
"So your sister's making me be her date." said Matt, putting down a case of wine. "Do I have to do that weird dance thing?"
"I'm pretty sure that's just for the contestants." reassured Jeremy.
"I heard that you're April's escort."
"Yeah."
"How'd that happen?"
"She needed a date, and apparently you were taken."replied Jeremy, amused.
Matt laughed at him. He tried to lift a barrel of beer from the trunk of the car. But the barrel was too heavy for him.
Jeremy came to the safe.
"Wait. You want to see something cool?" he said with amusement.
And he lifted two kegs of beer, as if he were lifting two kittens, to Matt's amazement.
"How did you just do that?" he exclaimed, shocked.
"I've had all this energy, like all the time." said Jeremy, excited.
If Jeremy was happy to have superhuman strength, Matt wasn't. He was worried about his friend.
"Jer, I think you need to talk to someone about this. I mean, look what happened to Connor, ok? A byproduct of this energy is that you're gonna want to kill vampires, and you happen to live with one."
"Hey, I would never hurt my sister." Jeremy assured her categorically. "I'll be fine."
But Matt was not reassured.
Meanwhile, Caroline was overseeing preparations for the contest. When Klaus joined her, having an idea behind her head.
"Now, how did I know I'd find you at the helm of this ship?"
Caroline rolled her eyes, and turned from him with indifference.
"Go away. I'm busy. Isn't your little friend with you?"
Then the Original Hybrid took the conduct of a gentleman and proposed.
"Hope isn't with me today. I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow."
"About a quarter to never." replied Caroline sarcastically.
"I was promised a date in return for one of my hybrids." Klaus recalled her.
"Yes, a date, like to a movie, where we don't have to talk and I can put at least three seats between us." retorted firmly the female vampire.
"Surely the reigning Miss Mystic Falls won't be hosting the party alone. And I assume you're not taking Tyler... not after his indiscretions with his lady werewolf friend."
Remembering that she had to act as if she and Tyler had broken up to cheat on Klaus, Caroline eventually reluctantly abdicated.
"Fine. If you insist on coming, meet me here, 2 P.M. black tie optional. And I already have a dress, so don't even think of getting me so much as a corsage. You understand?"
Klaus nodded, while Caroline walked away from him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline."
The next day, on the eve of the competition, the contestants chose their dresses. Elena and Caroline had advised April Young to wear a blue dress until the arrival of Damon who had opted for a red dress. And to Caroline's surprise, Elena had approved.
Soon after, she went to meet Damon outside the entrance to the Lockwood Mansion. It was the first time they had seen each other since Elena and Stefan's breakup.
"Damon, we need to talk," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Stefan told me about the breakup." the vampire replied gently.
Elena came to join him, while her ex-lover's brother continued:
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."
A little worried, Elena asked.
"What did he say?"
"Oh, you know." replied Damon. "Stuff. The guy just went on and on about it. Wouldn't shut up."
"So he didn't tell you why?" asked Elena again.
"Nope, but I'm sure it has something to do with you acting weird, so why don't you tell me?"
"You," replied Elena, with a little emotional voice.
Damon was speechless. For a while, he didn't know what to say. He looked at Elena tenderly, before being interrupted by the arrival of Professor Shane, invited as judge to the competition jury.
"Damon Salvatore. Looks like we're traveling the same circuit."
Damon grinned with annoyance. He was furious about being interrupted after a statement from Elena. The latter no longer knew where to go. Then the vampire looked at the university professor sarcastically.
"Professor Shane!" he exclaimed, pretending to be delighted. "Just the guy I wanted to see."
After a look at Elena, he ends up following Shane outside the Mansion. They both walked into the Lockwood yard.
"So I'm in search of another hunter." Damon asked the professor.
"Hunter with a capital 'h'? Why?" said Shane, frowning.
"Same reason anyone needs a hunter… loneliness, drinking buddy, fourth for golf." Damon answered evasively.
"I thought you said you already had a Potential." remarked the professor.
"I did, but he ended up being potentially a problem, so…"
"There's nothing I can do to help you."
Damon decided to move on.
"Hmm. Well, why don't you help me with this? Why are you here? What's in your little lesson plan there, Professor?"
"You think too highly of me, Damon." Shane shrugged. "I'm gonna go find the other judges."
"Hey, no pity votes for April young, OK?" said the vampire, standing in front of the teacher. "I mean, just because her dad blew up a house with a dozen people in it doesn't mean she should get a tiara. But you knew him, didn't you? Because I hear you two racked up a pretty impressive phone bill."
But Shane did not flinch. He stared down at Damon.
"If you want to know something about me, Damon, just ask."
"Okay. How did you convince the Pastor to kill all those people?" asked Damon.
Shane looked at the vampire as if he were crazy.
"Did you just accuse me of mass murder in the middle of a High School pageant? Why not ask yourself about this mysterious Hope who… came out of nowhere?"
"You know Hope?" Damon frowned.
"That's the thing, I don't know anything about her," replied Shane, delighted to have changed the subject. "And the weirdest thing is that she doesn't exist. There's not a trace of her anywhere. No family, no friends. No one who knows her. Hope doesn't exist. So where does she come from? Odd that a witch could come out of nowhere without anyone ever knowing about her. Especially considering what she's capable of. Like you cure werewolf poisoning with her blood or she can regenerate like a vampire."
Damon looked stunned and frowned.
"Let me guess, did Bonnie tell you about her?"
"She was worried that an unknown and powerful witch might find herself in the company of the most dangerous monster on the planet. And I'll tell you again, Hope doesn't exist. I've been through everything I can find in the records. There's no birth certificate. No school records, no family relationships. Nothing. Technically, she doesn't exist. It's like she just came out of nowhere. There are questions about her, don't you agree, Damon? So, instead of wasting your time accusing me of being responsible for a mass murder, you should investigate this Hope. If her name is Hope."
Stunned by these revelations, Damon was about to question the teacher more, when Carol Lockwood's amplified voice announced the beginning of the contest.
"Welcome to this season's Miss Mystic Falls. We are so excited to showcase our most outstanding community leaders in the making."
Shane took the opportunity to get away from Damon.
Hope had decided to keep an eye on Jeremy Gilbert. Since her dad was determined that Elena's brother would kill vampires to complete his mark, she had to make sure that Jeremy didn't kill every vampire in Mystic Falls, like Elena, Caroline or the Salvatore Brothers. She had nothing to fear from her father. He was strong enough to subdue the young hunter.
And so, Hope was at the Lockwood Mansion looking to keep an eye on Jeremy, because she knew he was April's dance partner who was one of the Miss Mystic Falls contestants. But to her great displeasure, she saw young Gilbert nowhere in sight, which worried her. What if he's with Stefan?
Wanting to be clear, she called Stefan. She was relieved that he answered.
"What do you want?"
"Stefan, do you know where Jeremy is? He was supposed to dance with April for the Lockwood Pageant. Do you know where he is?"
"Jeremy is fine, Hope, he's with me," replied the vampire in a natural voice.
"And why is he with you when he has to dance with April?" said Hope, abruptly.
"Finding the Cure is more important than this stupid Miss Mystic Falls Pageant," Brother Salvatore said to her. "I got him a vampire to kill him."
Hope seemed stunned. So Stefan forced Jeremy to kill vampires to complete the Mark.
"Where did you find a vampire in Mystic Falls?" she asked, puzzled.
"Let's say I created one for him to kill," Stefan explained as if it were normal. "And before you interrupted me, he was a murderer who liked to kill innocent people. I'm doing everyone a favor by getting him killed."
"You're not serious?" said Hope, stunned. "That's your plan? To turn every criminal on the planet into vampires so Jeremy can kill them? You know you're going down, Stefan! Even if this guy is a murderer, that's no reason to make him a vampire that you have to slaughter! You're insane!"
"Elena isn't supposed to be a vampire," Stefan replied sharply. "I have to do it for her!"
"If you think that you are helping Elena by doing this, you're delusional." insisted the Tribrid, who was determined to reason with the vampire. "You'll only put her in more danger!"
"Weren't you supposed to help me find the Cure?" reminded her of the sullen vampire.
"Not like this, Stefan! You're headed for disaster!"
"Bye Hope!"
And the communication ceased to the great distress of the girl. Stefan had lost his mind. Did his break with Elena really make him lose all discernment? She had to find them quickly before a tragedy occurred that would cause considerable damage to her future.
Meanwhile, Caroline was watching the department and the musicians. When Klaus appeared in front of her, dressed in a chic suit and a beautiful tie.
"And how am I doing?" he said gently.
Caroline froze, not being insensitive to her charm.
"You're… perfect. Just so beyond annoying, I can't even look at you."
Klaus began to look away and could see Hayley and Tyler join the competition festivities. Tyler was wearing a nice suit while Hayley was wearing a red dress.
"They didn't waste any time, did they?" declared the Original Hybrid by staring at them.
Caroline pretended to be upset and then recovered.
"Let's just get today over with."
Hayley and Tyler made their way among the guests. Then the young wolf saw a crown placed one of the tables. She pretended to be happy while being amused.
"I can't believe that I won."
She took the crown and placed it on her head while continuing with amusement.
"I just want to thank the judges for seeing past the fact that I'm a raging bitch…"
"You don't want to do that." Tyler told her. "Those girls will cut you. They have nails."
"I have claws." said sarcastic Hayley.
And she laid the crown.
Hope passed between the guests and saw in the distance her mom laughing with Tyler. She had a pit in her stomach. It was the first time she had seen Hayley since she was kicked out of the Lockwoods after saving Elena. Seeing her mother laugh made Hope unhappy. She would give anything to be able to spend time with her and laugh at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. She never knew what her mother thought of the town's competitions. She had so much to say to her. She wish she could talk to her. Not only could she not reveal anything to her, but her mother had made it clear that she no longer wanted to see her.
Hope felt tears falling as she watched her mom laugh with Tyler. Then Matt came to her in anguish.
"Hope? Hope?"
Immediately, the Tribrid recovered and dried her tears before turning to the bartender of the Mystic Grill.
"Hey Matt. What's up?"
"I'm looking for Jeremy," he said. "He's not with April, and that worries me. I'm really scared for him."
"Why? What's going on?" asked Hope, anxious.
"Jeremy's becoming a Hunter," said Matt, still anxious. "A real vampire hunter. Last night, he was having nightmares where he was killing Elena."
Hope seemed amazed at this revelation, while Matt continued with the same distressing expression.
"And when he woke up this morning, he had a stake in his hand. A stake identical to Connor's. And Jeremy doesn't even know how that stake got in his hand. I read somewhere that newly awakened hunters may not be fully conscious of their actions. Their subconscious pushes through until the urge becomes a basic instinct. I'm afraid Jeremy will turn into a new Connor."
These revelations worried Hope. The last thing she needed was a fledgling supernatural hunter who starts killing every vampire in the town, including Elena, Caroline and the Salvatore Brothers. Which would forever upset Hope's future. Because from what Matt was saying, Jeremy was becoming like Connor.
She had to find Jeremy before he attacked Elena. She immediately gave Matt her number.
"I'm going to get Jeremy," she said. "If you see him anywhere near Elena, call me right now. Until I get there, try talking to him."
"You won't hurt him?" said Matt.
Hope spoke to him with sympathy.
"I will stop him from going after Elena and no harm will be done to her. I can handle him without hurting him or killing him. Find Jeremy."
"I'll call you if I see him," Matt replied, moving away.
After he left, Hope immediately called Stefan. Unfortunately it was to fall on his voicemail. She left a message, anxious.
"Stefan, it's Hope! Call me right back! Don't make Jeremy kill vampires! The more he kills, the more he'll want to kill all vampire in the town! Including you and your loved ones! Call me back, Stefan! It's urgent!"
Then Caroline came to deliver the speech while the competition candidates were in line.
"Hi, everyone. I'm Caroline Forbes. As the reigning miss Mystic Falls, it is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic court!"
All applauded, while Caroline resumed.
"We begin the procession with Valerie Fell, accompanied by Dylan Clark. Next we have Amber Wolverton, accompanied by Hector Linsey. And here's Michelle Cunningham…"
The candidates entered the stage, followed by their riders under the applause of all.
Matt joined Elena, asking if she had seen her brother.
"He's probably with the escorts."she says.
"Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts. He's not here." said anxious Matt. "Did he tell you about his nightmares?"
"What nightmares?" puzzled Elena.
"The ones where he kills you." he replied, making Elena look shocked and horrified.
"I'll find him," she said, anxious.
Finally, April Young, dressed in the red dress, went down to join the contestants, but without her partner Jeremy who was absent. Matt offered to accompany her.
Soon after, the competition began. The candidates and their partners danced.
Caroline joined Elena to hear from Jeremy. But he couldn't be reached. While she was anxious, Damon arrived to calm her down, and suddenly, Elena stopped worrying about Jeremy, as if everything was fine, to Caroline's great annoyance.
"Damon's never right. Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?" she became angry.
But Elena remained completely indifferent.
"I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me?"
"Fine. Friend-tervention." agreed Caroline. "I think your so-called feelings for Damon are really starting to cloud your judgment, and I don't like it, and the thought of you two together really makes me want to barf."
At that moment, Klaus arrived just between the two girls. He'll whisper gently to Caroline.
"Easy, love. You're making a scene."
This seriously annoyed Elena who always replied with indifference.
"Wow. Caroline, thank you for making this very difficult time so much easier."
And she left, leaving Caroline with Klaus.
"How did I become the bad guy?" exclaimed the female blonde vampire, stunned.
"Let's get you a drink." said Klaus, with a naughty look. "I'll tell you all about being the bad guy."
To her great relief, Hope was able to get a message from Stefan. He was in the old Lockwood's cellar with Jeremy. The latter escaped after he drove a stake into the vampire's abdomen.
She found him folding with pain on the ground with the stake planted in his belly. Next to it was a man's corpse. It must have been the vampire Stefan forced Jeremy to kill.
Hope immediately joined Stefan.
"Let me help you."
She took the stake away from him and used it to cut her hand. And she made him drink her blood, to Stefan's amazement.
Then she took off her hand, as her wound closed, before the vampire's astonished eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asked, unaware of his stupor.
Still shocked by Hope's healing powers, Stefan looked at the girl in awe.
"I'm fine."
"Good. Get up. We gotta find Jeremy. Now that you made him kill a vampire, he's like Connor. A ruthless vampire hunter. We have to neutralize him fast. He's gonna kill every vampire that crosses his path. Caroline. Damon. And even Elena. And it doesn't matter if she's his sister, he won't make any distinction. He'll kill her like a vampire."
"So he's going to the Lockwood Pageant," said Stefan, horrified.
Klaus and Caroline walked out of the competition. Caroline told him what happened to Elena, namely that she listened and approved of everything Damon said. This greatly interested the Original Hybrid.
"It's just, as her best friend, it is my duty to warn her when she's making a giant mistake, right?" said Caroline after she told him everything. "And now she's taking Damon's side on everything."
"So being a vampire has changed her." said Klaus, holding two cuts glass with a bottle of champagne.
"But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are."she replied categorically. "It doesn't turn you into a completely different person."
Klaus glanced and said:
"Very peculiar."
Caroline stared at Klaus' smirking face. It was obvious he knew something about Elena's strange condition.
"What's that look for?" she asked.
But Klaus was content to reply to him always gloating:
"It'll all make sense eventually."
"Whatever. Just hurry up and find the Cure." added Caroline, sitting on a bench.
"I'm working on it." replied Klaus, putting the glasses down and opening the champagne.
"With Hope, I guess," she said.
"I'm guessing you met Hope." said the always smiling Original Hybrid.
"What's a girl like her doing with you?" said Caroline, frowning. "Did you kidnap her and force herself to work for you?"
"You think so highly of me, Caroline," replied Klaus, laughing. "Don't worry, love, Hope isn't my hostage. I didn't kidnap anyone. That's not my. And believe me, I'm not forcing her into anything. I didn't find her. She's the one who found me. And she and I happen to have a lot in common. We both understand each other."
"Another lover?" Caroline sarcastically assumed. "And I'm the third wheel?"
"No, Caroline," said Klaus, always laughing. "There's nothing romantic between me and Hope. She is far too young to be your rival." (He stopped laughing and seemed serious.) "In fact… I think of Hope as a lonely girl with a disturbing past. A past I don't know everything about. She's not very open about everything. I noticed she's always trying to dodge my questions, like she doesn't want to tell me everything. It's almost like she's scared. But not from me. She's scary of secrets she won't tell me. And I don't know what to do to get her to confide."
Caroline hesitated and then replied:
"Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it because it's too hard for her. She may have experienced one or more traumas. It's probably complicated for her. Then you should be patient. Leave her. Don't question her, and when she's ready to talk about it, she'll trust you with everything. It just takes time and patience."
Klaus reflects on Caroline's advice and eventually agrees.
"Thanks… Caroline. I've lived a thousand years, so I know patience. To be honest, I haven't talked to Hope about it, but… I consider her my daughter. There's a bond that was created right the moment I met her. A long time ago, I knew someone I considered a son. I gave him the name Marcellus. A true warrior. And I loved him like he was my son. And what I felt for him, I felt for Hope."
Caroline was troubled by what Klaus was telling her. So he had someone he considered a son? She didn't expect it.
"And what has become of, this Marcellus?"
"I turned him into a vampire, and one day my father, Mikael… (He looked fiercely at his father's mention) … Mikael killed him. Since then, I've forced myself to stop thinking about him, but ever since Hope appeared, I can't stop myself. I see Hope the same way I see Marcellus. He was my son, and Hope… she's my daughter. I haven't known her long and yet I feel like I've known her always. She would have become my daughter. Hope doesn't know about this. You're the first person I tell."
"It's very noble that you want to be a father figure for Hope," said Caroline, shocked. "It's the best thing you can do for her. And I admire you for that."
"Thank you, Caroline," said Klaus, moved.
Both did not speak for a moment, Caroline decided to change the subject.
"Would you ever take it?"
"What?" asked Klaus confused.
"The Cure," asked Caroline. "If you found it, would you take it?"
"Now, why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet, hmm?" replied the Hybrid with an amused smile.
"So there's not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human." she said with amusement.
Klaus shared her fun by getting up from the bench and pulling out of his costume a sheet of paper folded in four.
"How about you? Life used to be a lot easier." (He started to read the paper he had just put out.) "Don't you miss the days of being... 'Chair of the Mystic Falls beautification committee' and the 'director of the policemen's yearly raffle'?"
"Is that my Miss Mystic application?" exclaimed Caroline, stunned as she tried to tear the paper from his hands. "Where did you get that?"
Klaus dodged Caroline's vain attempts to retrieve the paper, while reading it aloud with amusement:
"'When I am chosen, I intend to redefine excellence'... Now, I'm really enjoying your use of 'when' here. It's very confident. 'And above all, I promise to aspire, inspire, and perspire.' Obviously, we found a shortage of words ending in 'spire'."
"Yeah. It's very funny. It's hilarious. Just…" Caroline seemed to be amused in her turn.
Then they both laughed. Further, Tyler stared at them, feeling contempt for Klaus. He didn't like seeing him with his girlfriend at all.
He joined Damon who had watched Shane offer Hayley a glass of champagne.
Seeing the hybrid, Damon came to him.
"Oh, hey. How do those two know each other?"
Tyler saw Hayley with Shane. Judging by the look of the wolf, it was obvious she knew him.
But he remained neutral in Damon.
"They don't. Paranoid much?"
The vampire continued with suspicion:
"Miss Unknown and Powerful Witch comes out of nowhere and makes friends with Klaus. The Council just got burned to a crisp. Some mysterious hunters just blew through town, and this guy just happens to know everything about everything. And he just told me that Hope doesn't exist. Like she came out of nowhere. Yes, paranoid."
"Hope doesn't exist?" Tyler was amazed.
"Yup, Professor Mystic told it," replied Damon.
Hope was looking for Jeremy in the crowd. Stefan and she split up to cover more ground. For now, the young Hunter was nowhere to be found, but Hope knew she'd find him here. All the vampires in Mystic Falls were at the Lockwood Mansion. She even saw Damon. So if Jeremy wanted to kill vampires, that's where he'd hit. She even watched Elena, who was talking with one of the contestants.
After an unsuccessful search, Carol Lockwood announced the results of the contest.
"And now the moment you've been waiting for. Caroline, would you do the honors?"
Caroline stood right in front of the microphone and said:
"This year's Miss Mystic Falls is... April Young!"
The crowd cheered the new winner. April received the crown. Hope noticed that Elena was tense quickly. She turned her eyes and saw Jeremy staring at her with contempt. It did not take long for Hope to understand that the Hunter was going to make his sister a target to shoot.
She immediately told Matt that Jeremy was going to kill his older sister.
The other people were focused on April receiving the crown, while Elena had moved away, probably to find her brother.
They had both entered the Lockwood Mansion. Hope walked away from the crowd to enter. She heard Elena screaming her brother's name. She was being attacked. Suddenly, she started running and went back to a library. She saw Jeremy there, who had just wounded his sister in the neck, brandishing a stake to finish her off. She intervened hurriedly.
"Jeremy, stop! Don't! She's your sister! She's a vampire, but she's still your sister! The only family you have left! If you kill her, you'll destroy yourself! Don't do it!"
"Go away, Hope!" said Jeremy, coldly.
"Calm down, Jeremy!" said Hope calmly. "Don't let your urge blind you. Elena is still your big sister and you don't want to kill her! Don't do it!"
Matt arrived and joined the Tribrid.
"Jeremy, you don't want to do this, OK? That's your sister. It's that stupid Mark on your arm!"
"Shut up, Matt! You and Hope, get out!"
Matt continued while begging young Gilbert.
"Jeremy, look at me. I'm human, and I'm telling you not to hurt her."
"Listen to him, Jeremy," replied Hope, holding her hands. "You don't want to kill your own family! She loves you because you're her brother! And you love her too."
Jeremy was swinging his stake straight at Elena. Instinctively, Hope reacts.
"Ad somnum."
The young hunter collapsed on the ground, under Elena's frightened eyes.
"What did you do to him?"
"It's okay" said Hope benevolent. "Your brother's fine. He's just asleep now. I put a sleep spell on him. He's all right."
Stefan arrived to support Jeremy.
"Hope, Matt, get him out of here," said the vampire.
While Matt and Hope rushed to take care of Jeremy, Stefan came to treat Elena's wound.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Hayley were chatting over drinks. Then the young Hybrid noticed Caroline still with Klaus. He heard him talking to his girlfriend:
"I never answered your question, if I'd ever thought about being human. Once. I was on a trek in the Andes, and a hummingbird flew up to me and just hovered there staring at me. Its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun... And I thought, 'What a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive, to be constantly on the verge of death,' and how satisfying every day must be that it survived... And that was the only time I thought about being human."
Caroline seemed touched by what he told her. Then Hayley interrupted Tyler's thoughts.
"What's he saying?"
"A bunch of B.S. about being human." he replied, glancing at Klaus. "The sooner we get rid of this guy, the better."
Elena left the Lockwood Mansion. Stefan tried to catche her.
"I have to find Jeremy." she said. "This shouldn't be happening to him."
Hope joined her.
"Jeremy's with Matt. Don't worry, he's fine. I'll try to find a way so he doesn't kill you. In the meantime, it would be best if you didn't see him for a while. Just temporary, until we figure out a way to keep your brother from trying to kill you."
"What the hell's happened?" cried Elena, stunned.
"It's my fault, Elena," replied Stefan, shamefully.
"What are you talking about?" she replied, staring at the vampire.
Embarrassed, Hope walked away from them.
"Uh… I see you guys have some things to say, so I take my leave."
She returned to the Lockwood Mansion. She saw April, ecstatic to have won the prize. She saw her father in the distance with Caroline. Seeing them both together did something and she hoped it would not change the fact that one day her dad and mom could have sex so that she could be born.
As she walked around the guests, Hope noticed her mom with Shane. They talked together and seemed to know each other well. She seemed worried. Shane was involved in the Council killings, sent Connor to Mystic Falls. Whatever his plans were, it wasn't a good thing. And Hope wanted to know what her mother had to do with him.
After the teacher left, Hope rejoined her mom, even though she knew that she no longer wanted to see her.
"Hayley!"
The young wolf saw Hope walking towards her. Immediately her jovial gaze disappeared and was replaced by anger and contempt.
"What are you doing here? Leave me alone!" she cried with fury.
Hope seemed saddened by acknowledging the same look of contempt she had cast upon her after saving the future. Her mother was always angry with her, much to her chagrin.
"What is Shane doing here?" she asked calmly. "Do you know him?"
"Why you should care? Go away, right now!" said Hayley.
"Hayley, I know you're mad at me, but this is about you," Hope begged in despair. "This guy, Shane, is not who you think he is. He's involved in the Council fire. And he's probably connected to Connor…"
But Hayley continued to stare furiously at Hope.
"Do you really think I want to listen to you after what you did to a friend of mine?"
"Hayley, I just want to…"
"Apparently, I haven't made myself clear. I don't want to see you anymore, Hope! Never again! You and me, we're not friends! And it's not up to you to tell me what to do! Go find Klaus and go kill someone else!"
Her mom's cruel words hurt Hope. If only she knew what her daughter had been trying to do since her arrival in the past.
"I swear that's not what you think."
"Go away, Hope! Get out of here!"
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." said a male voice behind them.
Hope saw Shane join them with a glass of champagne in his hand, his face happy. Hayley stopped staring furiously at the Tribrid and turned to him. Shane took turns looking at both Hope and Hayley with confusion.
"Did I interrupt something?" he asked innocently.
"We were done," Hayley said in a scornful tone. "Hope was gonna leave right now!"
"Hope?" said Shane, noticing the girl. "Definitely, we've been running into each other lately. You don't wear a dress, so you don't compete. You're not a high school student in this town, so you have no particular reason to be there. What are you doing here?"
Hope stared at Shane with a neutral gaze and then was kind to him.
"I could ask you the same thing, Professor Shane. You teach at Whitmore College. And it's not that close, so what's a professor like you doing in this town? And what's more, at the Mayor's Mansion."
Shane burst out laughing.
"Your observation is spot on, Hope. I was invited here as a judge of the pageant and I have a scholarship to award. You know everything. What are you doing here? You're not in the pageant?"
"This is not really my thing," replied Hope, evasively. "I came here for the food."
"I recognize that they make great food here," continued Shane.
Then he noticed Hayley's hostile look at the girl, and then began to ask:
"Do you two know each other?"
"Yes," replied Hope.
"No," replied Hayley, along with the Tribrid. "She and I don't know each other. And I have no desire to know her. She's a monster like Klaus. That girl must have confused me with her dead mom because apparently I'd have her face. But I'm not her mother. We're not friends and we're nothing!"
Hope gasped, saddened to hear her mother's cruel words. Immediately Hayley gave her a hostile look before taking leave.
"Excuse me…"
When her mother was away, the Tribrid took the opportunity to discuss with Shane.
"What are you doing with Hayley? What do you have to do with her?"
But Shane remained natural.
"You ask a lot of questions, Hope. Aren't you a little young to be a cop?"
"No, just curious. Hayley's an Appalachian wolf. So I'm trying to find a connection to you. I know you're involved in the Council fire and a lot of things."
"You sound like Damon Salvatore," replied the professor, indifferently. "Paranoia is very contagious right here. No wonder there are vampires in this town."
"What do you hope to accomplish by doing all this?" asked Hope with round eyes. "How did you force Young to kill himself by having all these people killed? Why bring Connor a Five Hunter to Mystic Falls?"
The Tribrid looked menacing, but the professor was not impressed. He continued to laugh as if he were addressing a five-year-old.
"You're so curious, Hope. Coming from a girl your age, I'm impressed. But I should be the one to ask the questions, because you're the real mystery. Aren't I right?"
Hope was not impressed and continued in a firm voice.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Really?" replied Shane, sceptical and amused. "What is this secret you seek to conceal from everyone. Even in Klaus. Is it because you don't exist?"
Hope appeared doubtful by frowning, which amused Shane.
"Don't pretend to be surprised. You don't exist, Hope. I investigated you after I met you in high school. There's no record of you anywhere. No birth records, no school records, no families, no relationships, nothing. No one's heard of you. You don't even exist. It's like you came out of nowhere. This is very odd. You understand my curiosity."
The Tribrid began to worry, but kept a cool head in front of Shane.
"There is not much to say about me," she replied sharply. "My parents and I moved around a lot. I think my files must've just gotten packed away or something."
But the professor continued to stare with interest. It was obvious that he did not believe a word she said to him.
"How about your powers? What you're capable of. Because you're more than a witch."
"I'm a very ordinary witch," Hope replied in a natural tone, as if she were talking about rain and sunshine.
"A witch who can turn into a werewolf, who can regenerate like a vampire and whose blood can cure werewolf venom," said Shane, gloating. "You can't call yourself a 'very ordinary' witch, Hope! Is your name really Hope? Or is that a fake name?"
Hope froze with stupor and anguish. So, Shane knew. He knew about Damon and she had to save him. It was a disaster. She looked around, watching someone who could spy on her. But the guests were busy drinking to interest themselves. Further away from them, she could see her dad walking with Caroline. They were talking quietly, not listening.
Seeing the anguished gaze of the girl, Shane smiles triumphantly.
"Obviously, I was right."
"How did you know about this?" said Hope, who became anxious. "Who told you that?"
"I am perceptive, as I am sure you know," replied the professor with a mischievous smile. "What are you doing here? Where the hell did you come from? I've spent my life studying all the supernatural creatures that exist. You're a real mystery. Because no one has ever heard of a witch who can turn into a wolf with faculties like yours. So, what are you, Hope? What are you, really?"
"There are many things you don't know in this world, Professor Shane," retorted Hope again as hostile. "And what I am and what I do is my business. I'm certainly not gonna confide in a teacher who's guilty of murder."
"I didn't kill anyone, Hope," replied Shane. "If you want to accuse me, you're gonna need solid evidence."
"What about Hayley? What do you want from her? Because if you're gonna hurt her, I'll be there to stop you!"
Shane shrugged in innocence.
"I have no ill intentions for Hayley. She works for me, in exchange for information about her biological family. I'm the only one holding what she wants to find her real parents. Once she does what I ask of her, I'll give her everything. Because if you attack me, Hayley will never get that information. Do you really want to take that away from her?"
Hope realized that her mother had come to Mystic Falls for another reason than to see Tyler, which was probably related to Shane and the mystery of the Five. And if she intervened, her future would suffer.
I can't go after Shane. Mom needs this information so that one day she can go to New Orleans to look for her family. If I step in, I may cause another time incident that could jeopardize my conception. I have to let Shane do his Machiavellian plan.
Hope nodded.
"All right, do what you have to do. I will not object to that. Everything about me is my business and mine alone. And if you tell anyone, I'll come back to you and it won't be friendly. So leave me alone and in exchange, I'll leave you alone. I'll let you do… whatever you want."
Shane frowned.
"Really? Would you just let me go?"
"Yeah, just like that," approved the Tribrid categorically.
"If I may ask, who is Hayley for you?" asked the suspicious professor. "You seem very attached to her."
"Just a friend," replied Hope, even if it hurt her not to be able to reveal the true relationship between her and her mother.
"The way you looked at her, she's much more than a friend to you," remarked Shane, always suspicious. "You became attached to her because she has your mother's face? Where is she, anyway? Where are your parents? If you have any…"
"Enough with the questions," said Hope, moving away. "We're done. Have a good day, Professor Shane."
She walked away, while the teacher greeted her aloud, raising his glass:
"It was a pleasure, Hope. It was very informative!"
Hope meditated in her thoughts. She had a new problem she had to deal with. Shane. The man responsible for the Council killings and Connor's coming to Mystic Falls. He knew some things about her and knew that she had healed Damon with her blood. How could he know? Only Elena and the Salvatore Brothers knew about her. There was no way Shane could find out for himself. Someone must have tipped him off. But who? Stefan? He assured her that he would not endanger her secret. And on top of that, he put himself in danger of his full sandstone in front of her father, to protect her. It couldn't have been him talking. Not Stefan. Who is it then? Elena? With Connor's death and the Hunter's curse, she couldn't have told Shane about her. Then she didn't know him well enough to confide in him. But Shane was spending time with Bonnie Bennett. What if she told Shane? And who would have told him? Elena or Damon?
She must have known that. She found Stefan, who had just been rejected by Elena. She ran towards him.
"Stefan! Stefan!"
"What else is there, Hope?" he asked.
"Who did you tell about my secret?" she asked, making sure she was not heard by anyone else. "Who did you tell about Damon and my blood?"
"No one," replied Stefan, frowning.
"Are you sure?" insisted Hope, almost desperate.
Quietly, Stefan spoke to her with sympathy.
"No one. I swear, Hope. I swear I didn't tell anyone. I covered for you in front of Klaus. I wouldn't have done it if I talked about you. Why are you asking me that?"
"Shane knows about it," she said anxiously. "He knows my blood can cure werewolf toxin."
Stefan seemed stunned.
"How did he know?" continued Hope. "The only people who knew about me were you, Elena, and your brother. So, one of you three must have talked to someone who told Shane."
"I know Elena, she knows how to keep a secret," replied the vampire. "Damon must have told Bonnie. And since she's spending time with Shane, she's probably talking about it now."
"You should have warned me," said Hope, anxiously. "No one can know about my blood or we'll all be in danger!"
"I didn't think Damon would confide in Bonnie," said Stefan."I'll talk to him."
"Don't bother!" said the Tribrid in a cold voice.
So Bonnie knew about her, too. She was gonna have to deal with that, too.
Damon was getting ready to go back to his car. Just then, he was thrown against the hood of his vehicle. He was even paralyzed, couldn't move at all. Hope had cast a spell on him to immobilize him against his car. She waved her hand, Damon felt oppressed as in a shredder. The vampire grimaced with pain, while Hope looked furiously behind him.
"In what world do the words 'tell no one' mean 'tell Bonnie so she can tell Shane everything'?" she roars, feeling like her father.
"I don't know what you mean," cried Damon, wincing in pain.
"I know you told Bonnie about me, you don't have to deny it," Hope went on furious. "I said no one else should know about me. I saved your life. I take risks for you and your loved ones and that's how you thank me?"
"Because I don't trust you, Miss Weird Witch," said Damon, leaning and oppressed against his car.
Hope made him go back with his magic, so he could look her in the eye.
"I'm not trying to be your friend, Damon! Whether you trust me or not, I don't care! I'm capable of killing a vampire without any effort before he even understands what's happening to him! Then don't try to hurt me! It would be useless! Who I am and what I do is nobody's business but mine! I'm not your enemy, Damon! This is Shane! He's up to something! Something that's probably related to dark magic! You better find out about him instead of focusing on me. If you ever talk to anyone about me again, I swear you'll regret it! Got it?"
Hope clenched his throat with her powers. Damon couldn't express himself, couldn't breathe. He only gasped for incomprehensible words.
"What's that? I can't hear you." replied Hope, always indifferently to the vampire's pain.
After efforts, Damon managed to articulate, despite his strangulation.
"Fine! I get it!"
Hope immediately stopped torturing him, released him. Damon leaned on his car taking deep breaths and massaged his neck.
"Good," replied Hope coldly. "Next time you talk to someone about me, I'll make you a lot worse than what I just did to you! Put that in your head, if you decide to expose me."
And she let Damon catch his breath, recovering from the attack he had just suffered, while Hope walked away from him.
The day was drawing to a close. In the early evening, Jeremy was preparing a bag to leave. He was joined by Matt and Hope.
"What are you doing?" asked the bartender.
"I can't keep living here if I want to kill my sister." replied Jeremy.
Very calmly, Matt came to him.
"Elena knows that. That's why she moved out and asked me to move in."
"What?" said Jeremy.
Hope added with sympathy.
"Elena has moved to the Salvatores until we find a way for you."
"Do you know a spell to prevent me from killing my sister?" he asked.
"No, but I can help you manage your hunting urges," she assured him. "I know a lot about losing control. I'm the right person for you. With Matt's help, I'm sure we can make it."
After reassuring young Gilbert, Hope returned to the Mikaelson Mansion, while talking on the phone with Stefan.
"You don't have to worry about my brother, Hope. I talked to him. I made him clear he had better keep your secret safe."
"Did you give him an ultimatum?" asked the Tribrid.
"Something like that," replied Stefan.
In fact, he had a discussion with his brother, reminding him of what they had said to each other a few days earlier. That if Hope were to hurt them, they'd have leverage against her. "If Hope really turns out to be a threat to us, we'll expose her secret and see what happens. That's a leverage against her. As long as she doesn't hurt us, we keep her secret." "She went after me, Stefan. I thought she was going to kill me," his brother said, still shocked by what had happened to him. But Stefan replied that she just wanted to intimidate him so that he would shut up. "I saw what she's capable of, Damon. If she can control a Five's Hunter, she's perfectly capable of killing a vampire in no time."
"Thank you Stefan for keeping my secret," said Hope, grateful. "I promise you someday you'll understand everything."
"All right,"the vampire nodded.
"So you left home while Elena moved in with you and your brother," replied Hope sympathetically.
"Yeah, temporaly," replied Stefan, and Hope could feel in his voice that he was embarrassed.
"I feel bad for you. I would have gladly invited you to my house, but I'm not sure Klaus would agree. Living under the same house as your worst enemy is not a good idea."
"Indeed," replied the vampire, laughing. "I'll take care of myself. Don't worry about me. Thank you Hope. Good night."
"Good night," said Hope, before cutting off communication.
She joined her father, who recounted her day at the Lockwoods with Caroline. He spent time with her. Hope was happy for him.
In return, she told him what had happened to Jeremy and that he had almost killed Elena.
"His urges take over when he kills a vampire. The more he kills, the more he wants to. But the problem is, he could kill every vampire in this town, including Caroline and Elena without distinction. Not to mention your hybrids."
"It's complicated," commented Klaus. "So Elena can't stay with her brother."
"She left her home and moved in with the Salvatores while Matt moved in with him. I intend to help Jeremy control himself so he doesn't kill everyone. And I'm in the best position to help him."
"You really are a miracle, my littlest wolf," said Klaus, in admiration. "I'm glad I met someone like you."
"Thanks," said Hope, blushing.
She regretted not being able to reveal to her father her connection to him, but enjoyed the moments with him.
The next day, Hope was taking her usual milkshake at the Mystic Grill. Slightly anxious, she waited for the person she wanted to see and would have to deal with if she wanted to be careful not to destroy her future.
After a moment of waiting, Bonnie Bennett joined her, staring at her with a black look. Hope inspired before calmly greeting her:
"Thank you for coming. It's important to me."
"How did you get my number?" Bonnie replied firmly, staring at the Tribrid like a predator on its prey.
"Stefan gave it to me," replied Hope. "We need to talk, Bonnie."
"Why is Klaus sending his all-powerful witch to speak to me?" asked the witch Bennett, always with a hostile look.
"It has nothing to do with Klaus," the Tribrid assured him. "He doesn't even know I'm here. What I have to tell you must remain secret. And I don't want him to know. Not him, not anyone but the two of us. I have a problem and you're the only one who can help me."
Hope sat down at a restaurant. After some hesitation, Bonnie ends up sitting in front of her, always staring at her with hostility.
"I don't know what you want me to do, but if you hope that we become friends, you are completely mistaken," replied the witch Bennett. "You and I are not friends, and we will never be friends. Stefan may trust you, but I don't. I don't want any connection with a strange witch who lives with Klaus."
Hope sighed, annoyed. She hoped she wouldn't make another mistake trusting Elena Gilbert's best friend.
"Bonnie, I didn't bring you here to be friends. And I don't care if you like me or not. I'm not asking you to trust me or understand my choices. The reason I live with Klaus is my business and nobody else's. And I can't explain it to you."
Bonnie took a moment, not leaving Hope's eyes, then replied.
"Fine. Why did you bring me here?"
"I know Damon told you about me and you told Shane about me. I have very good reasons to hide things about myself, and I don't want this spreading all over town. So, don't tell anyone what I did to save Damon around you, because it could have horrible consequences you can't even imagine."
"And why should I keep your secret?" said sarcastic Bonnie.
"Because I'm not supposed to be in Mystic Falls right now," said Hope nervously. "I don't belong here. I came here by accident. And I made a mistake that led me to take risks to protect Elena and everyone you know. I want to go home, and that's when I need you."
Frowning, Bonnie now seemed intrigued.
"What are you talking about? How can I help you?"
Hope hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Do you know a spell to travel time?"
Bonnie opened her eyes with stupefaction. She did not expect that at all. She was speechless for a moment, while Hope continued.
"I know it sounds insane, but you have to believe me. I have no existence here, simply, because technically I'm not born yet. Because I'm from the future. Years after that time."
"Time travel?" said Bonnie, stunned and speechless. "Are you serious about this? As in 'Back to the Future'?"
"That's about right," replied Hope, still anxious. "Except I don't have a DeLorean. And I wish. Honestly, I didn't even know it existed. I would never have believed it had I been told that one day I would travel back in time to a time when I was not yet conceived. But it did happen."
"This is crazy! Are you really from the future?" replied the witch Bennett, still shocked.
"Yes, I come from the future. I know it's hard to believe, but I have no reason to lie to you. I swear it's true. I want to go home and you're the only one who can help me."
Bonnie seemed more dazed. How could Hope imagine she could help her?
"What do you want from me? Why… why me?"
"Because you're a Bennett witch. One of the most powerful of your coven. I'm trying to work out the spell that brought me here, but I find myself at a dead end. As much as I look through Esther's books so far, I can't find anything that will help me. Having a second witch might benefit me."
The witch Bennett took a moment to recover her spirits and finally answered in a low voice:
"Hope, even if I wanted to help you, I don't know what I could do to help you. I've never heard of a spell that travel through in time. Even my grams probably never heard of it. I don't know what to do. How did you find yourself in our time?"
"I was trying to save a friend of mine who was corrupted by dark magic. I wanted to help her and she put a spell on me that I didn't know… and then I'm in Mystic Falls years ago. Before I was born."
"So it would be a spell of dark magic," Bonnie concludes, thinking. "Your corrupt friend had to have an insane amount of magic to be able to send you back in this time. Honestly, I don't know how to do the same thing or even reverse it and send you home."
"I tried to find a reverse spell of what she did," Hope replied. "But I couldn't get anything from Klaus' books. Maybe you can help me create a spell that will take me home."
"Hold on," said anxious Bonnie. "Hope, even if we can get a reverse spell to what your friend threw – which is unlikely – there's no guarantee that it will bring you back to when you left your future. You could end up in the Stone Age or in a future that doesn't look like the one you know. Because you changed things in the past just when you appeared in Mystic Falls in our time. If I'm gonna be able to help you send you home, we need an expert in dark magic. Your spell… time travel is beyond my level of knowledge or skill."
"Do you believe me when I tell you that I am from the future?" asked the Tribrid, frowning, puzzled.
"I would have taken you for crazy if you had told me earlier," replied Bonnie. "But Shane told me he didn't find anything on you. No sign of you anywhere. Like you didn't exist. Like you came out of nowhere. And your time travel explanation explains a lot. But that doesn't explain why you're staying with Klaus."
"That's my business," said Hope categorically. "I can't explain my relationship with him."
"Because otherwise it would ruin your future," said Bonnie, frowning. "And if you saved Damon, and you're trying to protect us, then we're important to your future?"
"I can't tell you about that," replied the Tribrid, sighing. "I've already drawn too much attention to myself. The more I expose myself, the more likely my future will disappear into dust. I have friends in the future, and here, they're not yet born. My presence may erase them at any time, and I don't want that to happen. I want to protect my future and everyone I love. If you were in my position, you'd be doing the same as me."
"Probably," replied the witch Bennett. "Does Klaus know?"
"No. And I want it to stay that way. Everything I just said to you has to stay between us. No one else can know. Even Stefan doesn't know. And I don't want him to find out. No one. Not even Shane."
"Why not?" said Bonnie. "He could help us."
"I don't trust Shane," Hope replied in a firm voice. "And I don't want to involve him in my problem."
"He has knowledge…"
"I don't care. I don't trust him. Less people know, the better."
Bonnie sighed a little over the top.
"Hope, I wish I could help you send you home. I really do. But we may never get there. You may be stuck in the past for an indefinite period of time. Or forever."
The Tribrid was distraught. She wanted so much to confide in someone. She needed so much advice from someone who knew about her current situation. She couldn't tell her father or mother. She needed allies.
"Bonnie. I am so desperate. I need your help. I'm begging you. Help me get home. I know you have no reason to trust me, but can I trust you? Because I can't discuss it with Klaus. My friends aren't born here yet. I can only tell you. As a witch, you are aware that my presence here endangers my future, your future and that of many people. If you don't help me send me home, there's no future for anyone in this town. Not even for you. Bonnie, please help me."
Bonnie had always considered Hope to be an evil witch working for Klaus to harm her friends. But now she's moved by the girl's distress. She no longer saw herself as an evil witch. More like a lost child who wants to go home.
Troubled by her, Bonnie gently placed her hand on Hope's with a sympathetic voice.
"I promise you nothing. Like I said, there's no way we're gonna find a way to get you home, but I'm gonna do everything I can to help you. You can trust me, Hope."
She dropped a tear responding with emotion.
"Thanks Bonnie."
Hope felt a relief. Although she hadn't become friends with Bonnie, knowing that another person was going to help her find a way to make her go home feeling better.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
I hope this chapter will have you more. The future looks increasingly uncertain. Shane wondering about Hope, he's a real threat.
For Klaroline fans, I hope you enjoyed these passages where Klaus confesses to Caroline what Hope means to him.
Hope entrusts part of her secret to Bonnie to be able to limit the risks of time incidents.
See you soon.