Hey guys. Glad to have been able to write this new chapter. Now Hope is worried that her conception won't come. She still doesn't know why her mother Hayley came back to Mystic Falls to spend time with her father and she hopes she can get to the end of the Quest for the Cure to figure it out.
But there, in this chapter, Hope's future will be compromised again.
Good reading.
Chapter 10: Over the Edge
Hope had just gotten up. She yawned, stretching her arms. After getting dressed and combing her hair, she went to see her father Klaus who was still dressed before her.
It had been a few days since the death of the twelve Hybrids. The Mansion had become much quieter without the presence of her father's lackeys. The latter was in a very bad mood. Not only had he lost all his Hybrids, having been forced to kill them, but the Quest for the Cure had not made much progress. Although Hope told him that Jeremy wasn't ready to kill vampires, Klaus was determined that he would kill vampires so he could expand the Hunter's Mark. Hope approved of her father, but not for the same reasons he did. She couldn't wait for the Quest for the Cure to end so that her father and mother could sleep together and thus achieve her conception. Until her birth was assured, Hope felt vulnerable and feared being erased from reality at any moment. What if Hope Mikaelson didn't come into this world, what would happen to her future? What would that mean for everyone she knew? And her family would always remain broken? Would her aunt Freya remain in the clutches of her great-aunt Dahlia? And what would that imply regarding the Malivore? She had to be born no matter what. To do this, she had to find a way to expand the Mark to make it complete. She was considering using Stefan's old plan. Turning criminals into vampires so Jeremy can kill them. Although she didn't approve of the idea, she didn't see any other ways to spread the Mark. She would have gone to ask Stefan, but the vampire Salvatore had been distant since the fateful evening when Klaus had flayed his Hybrids. Every time Hope saw him, it was at the Mystic Grill with a glass of alcohol. To say Stefan was angry would be an understatement. He was even more sullen and angry than since his breakup with his ex-girlfriend. When Hope had asked him what was wrong, he had told her that Elena and Damon had slept together, before discovering the sire bond. He was angry at his ex and his brother. He was so angry and drunk that Hope hadn't dared to ask him for details and even less to ask him for a favor. So, she left him with his glass of alcohol.
Hope came to her father. The two had barely seen each other since that fateful evening. She had witnessed Carol Lockwood's death and didn't want to broach the subject with him. She preferred to keep the image of her father from the future who had sacrificed himself for her.
Klaus looked nervous at the sight of his daughter.
"Hello Hope."
"Hi," replied the Tribrid wanting to be friendly. "Are you going out somewhere?"
"I'm going to the Gilbert Lake House," replied Klaus, putting on his jacket. "I would hope that Jeremy would have already moved forward to grow this Mark so that I could have my Cure."
"We would need an army of vampires to kill to make it complete," Hope added without looking at him. "And unfortunately, not all of them come to Mystic Falls."
"I could create several and deliver them to our Hunter," suggested Klaus with a proud smile.
But he stopped at the sight of Hope. He had noticed that she was uncomfortable in his presence.
"Hope, can I ask you… why did you decide to stay? Why did you want to join me?"
The Tribrid remained inert in astonishment. She didn't expect that at all. Since her arrival at the Mikaelson Mansion, not once had her father asked her why she was staying at his house.
Because I'm your daughter from the future. Because you're my dad and I want to spend time with you. Because I am an unconscious selfish who endangers everyone by my presence at your side. Because in the future, you are dead for me. And because when I return to my future, I will lose you and Mom. That's why.
Hope took a deep breath before answering.
"Because I want to spend time with you. Because I was alone like you were. And people like us shouldn't be left alone. I'm staying here waiting to find a way home. And I appreciate what you gave me. You gave me a room, clothes, a roof to sleep under. I'm grateful to you. So, I want to help you. Recently you were betrayed. Betrayed by your family and now by your Hybrids. Betrayal is a feeling I know perfectly well. I told you about Roman and what he did to me, which led to my mom's death. So, I know how you feel. Before, I thought I would stay alone so as not to make the people around me suffer. But today, I don't think like that anymore. Now I have friends and I also have Landon. And I do everything to protect them."
Klaus was silent for a moment.
"I never really had any friends. And I never felt the need to protect anyone. I may have had it back when I was human. But now they are just memories of an ancient and gone past. I never cared about anyone unless it benefited me in some way. That's why I don't understand how a girl like you can be by my side."
"I have no intention of betraying you, if that's what worries you," Hope assured him. "I could never afford to hurt you. As I must have already told you, I had a difficult childhood. My mom and I were constantly moving to avoid drawing attention to myself. To prevent bad people from trying to kill me. It wasn't fun at all. And without wanting to rub it in, you know what it's like to live in paranoia. You lived for a thousand years with the fear of being found by Mikael."
Klaus softened, then seemed emotional at the mention of his crazy father.
"For a thousand years, I've traveled the world. But every place I went, I had the thought of my father finding me and killing me, which scared me and made me paranoid. I didn't have much time to appreciate the scenery, although I took the time when I could."
"And now that he is dead, what do you feel?" Hope asked him, curious about his answer. "Do you feel free?"
"Free and happy," he replied, inhaling. "I felt free the night I broke my curse, and it grew stronger the night I killed Mikael. I really felt free. But my family continues to turn their back on me. This is why I feel the need to have my Hybrids. And now they are no longer there. That's why I need the Cure quickly."
I wish you could understand that the death of your Hybrids was for your own good...
"And we will find it together," her daughter assured her. "I will stay by your side, no matter what. Always and forever."
Klaus seemed moved again at the mention of her mantra.
"You're really cute, Hope. With me, I will do everything so that nothing happens to you. I regret not having met you sooner. I could have protected you and even protected your family."
It was Hope's turn to be moved. It wasn't the evil father who killed people who was talking to him. She felt like she was seeing her dad from the future again.
"Thank you… I'm here with you. And that's all that matters."
Klaus gave him a warm smile, then decided to leave.
"Enjoy your day, Hope. I put some money on the table in case you want a milkshake at the Mystic Grill. I have to go to the Lake House. I'll call you if I need you."
And he left his Mansion, leaving Hope alone.
She didn't regret the times she spent with her father. But she couldn't stand having to hide the truth from him anymore. She wishes so much that she could tell him that she was his daughter. But saying it when she wasn't yet conceived was too dangerous. As long as the Cure had not yet been found. If only she knew what could have enlarged the Hunter's Mark.
Later, Hope went to the Mystic Grill to get her usual milkshake. While drinking, she saw Stefan at the same table as usual, ruminating over a glass of alcohol about his brother's recent sleepover with his ex-girlfriend. Several times, Hope had tried to talk to him to bring him out of his sullen state, but the vampire remained deaf to the Tribrid's words and was content to spend his days getting drunk.
Sighing, Hope decided to go see him.
"Hello Stefan."
"Hello Hope," he said in a very hoarse voice.
Judging by his blank look, Hope guessed he was even drunker than before.
"Okay! Look Stefan! I'm sorry to you that Elena slept with your brother. But are you really planning to spend your entire eternity in this bar getting drunk? You'll have to move on."
"Sorry, but I'm not in any condition to listen to you, Hope. I prefer to continue to take my mind off things by drinking with myself. If you want to console me, you're wasting your time! Get out, Hope!"
Exasperated, Hope withdrew from her table.
"Alright, I'll come back to see you when you're sober again."
"You can always wait until the next century," Stefan replied sarcastically.
Hope shot him an unamused look then walked away with her milkshake. In the distance, she saw Sheriff Forbes in the company of the recently elected new mayor Rudy Hopkins, Bonnie Bennett's father.
Shortly after he left, Stefan's phone rang. The vampire looked at his phone and saw unknown number on it. Irritably, Stefan hastened to respond under Hope's curious gaze.
"What?" he exclaimed outraged.
A moment passed, then Hope noticed that Stefan seemed to become serious and intrigued again.
"Who the hell was dumb enough to pull that dagger out of you?" he asked on the phone.
The dagger? What was he talking about?
Another moment passed, then Stefan hung up. He then came to Hope.
"Oh, would Stefan Salvatore be tired of drinking?" the Tribrid exclaimed sarcastically. "Finally, we're getting somewhere."
"Hope, were you the one who took Rebekah's dagger?" asked the vampire, still sullen.
Stunned, Hope stared at Stefan, her eyes wide with shock.
"Rebekah? She's back?"
"Were you the one who pull that dagger out of her?" Stefan insisted firmly.
"Of course not," replied the outraged Tribrid. "Last I heard, she was lying in a box. Who could have woken her up?"
"I don't know. But she's currently in high school and she's sequestering Elena there. I have to go see what's going on."
And he left the Mystic Grill, under Hope's surprised gaze. So, her aunt Rebekah no longer had a dagger in her heart. And she was holding Elena Gilbert prisoner at school? What was she going to do to her?
Maybe it was supposed to be this way, even without her presence. But Hope had to be sure. She needed to go to the school and see what was going on.
When Hope arrived at the school, she found it empty. She had heard that there had been a memorial service for Carol Lockwood at the gym. Not being a local high school student, she didn't see the point in attending. Especially when it was a victim of her dad.
She walked down the halls, then heard a noise. Not wanting to be seen, she cast her invisibility spell.
"Invisique!"
And she remained camouflaged by her spell and continued her way towards the school lockers.
She ends up seeing Stefan with his phone in his hand. He was writing messages to someone while looking around.
He finished sending his message when Hope noticed the presence of her aunt Rebekah a few feet away from the vampire Salvatore.
"Hello Stefan," she said in a look that was not happy.
Stefan put his phone away and walked towards her.
"I'm here. What do you want?"
"The same thing I wanted when you helped Niklaus dagger me." replied Rebekah, walking towards him.
"The Cure."
And Hope watched as Rebekah pushed Stefan with her vampiric speed against the lockers, then he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back against the lockers. But her aunt did not let herself be intimidated and retorted:
"I hope you're not waiting for Caroline to show up and stake me..."
Stefan looked surprised as Rebekah took out a long stake and showed it to him.
"... Because I already found her." she continued, smiling mischievously.
So, Aunt Bex also has Caroline, Lizzie and Josie's mom at school. Great, all I wanted more than that! Once again, my future is in jeopardy. Damon's still with Jeremy at the Lake House. So, they can't be here.
Admitting defeat, Stefan stopped fighting against her and allowed himself to be taken away by Rebekah. With her invisibility spell, Hope followed them discreetly without making a sound, hoping to find a way to prevent her future from being destroyed by the high school hostage situation.
Moments later, Rebekah, dragging Stefan by the arm, took him to the school library. Hope joined them, still out of sight of everyone. She noticed in the center of the library a table where Elena, Caroline and April Young were grouped.
At the sight of her ex-lover, Elena stood up.
"Stefan!"
"Did I say you could move?" Rebekah shouted, joining in, pulling Stefan's arm.
Elena immediately sat back down like a trained dog. Hope then understood that her aunt must have compel her so that she obeyed all her words. What was April doing here? Why was her aunt also holding her hostage? What was she doing here?
Then Hope noticed that April didn't seem to feel imprisoned, unlike Elena and Caroline.
While following the scene, Hope hid behind a shelf of books and observed everything that was happening in the library.
Stefan then joined the group against his will. Then Rebekah proudly announced:
"Class is in session. You've all been compelled; you know the rules. Answer my questions honestly, no disobedience, no one leaves. April, my sweet, take notes. This is how you get answers in this town. Let's start with a little quiz. In the year 1114, my brother learnt, thanks to yours truly, about a brotherhood of vampire hunters with tattoos that grew with each kill. These tattoos revealed what, Elena?"
"A map," Elena replied in a forced tone.
"Which led to...? Caroline?" Rebekah continued, pointing to the blonde female vampire.
"A Cure for vampirism," replied Lizzie and Josie's mom in the same tone as Elena.
"Perfect," agreed Rebekah, satisfied. "So we're all caught up." (She stared at the vampire Salvatore.) "Stefan Salvatore, the last time we saw each other, you had a vampire hunter, but in order to decode the map, you needed the location of the hunter's sword, which you got out of me using some very dirty tricks. Assuming you found the sword, you also found the cure, and yet, you're all still vampires, which means something went wrong."
She paused, noticing that April seemed to be taking notes.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, you asked me to take notes." April stammered in confusion.
"I wasn't being literal, Darling." retorted Rebekah embarrassed. "But now that you mention it... a flow chart would be nice, which means index cards and push-pins. Go, fetch."
April left the room calmly.
April doesn't seem like a hostage. Looks like she's with Aunt Bex of her own free will. How was she able to meet my aunt and bond with her? Rebekah wants to get the Cure. She doesn't know that we haven't found it yet. She goes after Stefan to get revenge for the bad thing he did to her at his home. Holding Elena Gilbert and her loved ones hostage is of no use to her.
Still invisible and hidden behind the shelf, Hope observed the exchanges between her aunt and Elena's gang. She didn't want to hurt her aunt, but if the latter attacked Elena, Stefan or Caroline, she would be forced to intervene. Unless it's already happened like that.
"You're wasting your time." Stefan declared with disinterest. "We don't know anything."
"So, you just gave up?" Rebekah wondered in disbelief as she looked at the vampire. "I thought you would do anything to save Elena? Even if it meant taking the Cure yourself, so you could grow old and die with her?"
At these words, Elena stared at Stefan with a shocked look. Obviously, she wasn't expecting that.
"Why do you look so surprised?" Rebekah continued, frowning at the sight of Elena's shock.
Aunt Bex is unaware that Elena and Stefan are no longer together.
No one answered her. Stefan resumed his scowl, while Caroline was uncomfortable.
"I'm missing something. What is it?" Rebekah said again.
"They broke up, okay?" Caroline retorted. "Now let us go!"
At this revelation, Rebekah smiled both surprised and delighted. Stunned, she retorted:
"Broke up? Wait, I'm confused. I thought Elena was your epic love, Stefan?" (She took a seat in April's chair.) "I asked you what happened. You have to tell me."
Still with his scowl, Stefan replied:
"She slept with Damon."
Elena looked at Stefan, stunned, then at Caroline who had a look of remorse.
Hope felt a great ounce of pity for Stefan. While her aunt enjoyed the situation. She stood up and spoke as she walked around the table.
"So, vampire Elena is a trollop who likes bad boys, which explains why Stefan reeks of alcohol. But what it doesn't explain is why sweet, loving, innocent Elena could be so heartless towards Stefan. How could she hurt you like that? Answer, please."
Hope had never seen her aunt so sneaky towards anyone. She really seemed to enjoy torturing former vampire lovers. Had she always been like this before being with Marcel?
Stefan finally answered, despite himself.
"She didn't know it at the time, but she was sired to Damon."
Rebekah took a seat at the table between Elena and Stefan.
"A sire bond! That's fascinating! And what do you think about that, Elena?"
Wanting to appear indifferent to the sarcasm of the Original vampire, Elena retorted.
"I think you're sad and bored and in desperate need of a hobby."
Yup, she's right. Aunt Bex is just having fun torturing Elena and Stefan instead of being interested in the Cure. What's she doing here?
Annoyed, Rebekah compelled Elena.
"You're hiding something. Fess up!"
Under compel, Elena replied:
"I didn't sleep with Damon because of the sire bond. I slept with Damon because I'm in love with him."
Ouch, that hurts! Poor Stefan! He's going to have a hard time taking it!
And Hope could see that Stefan was deeply hurt by Elena's words. While the latter was shocked by the fact of causing harm to her ex-lover without meaning to.
After an awkward silence, Caroline retorted dryly.
"What does any of this have to do with the stupid Cure?"
After rejoicing over Stefan's misfortune, Rebekah regained her seriousness.
"You're right. We got off the point. Stefan, how do I find the cure? Unless, you'd rather talk about Damon and Elena all day."
Stefan replied abruptly.
"There's a professor. He knows where the Cure is."
"Thank you. And, uh, where do I find this professor?"
"At Whitmore College. Professor Atticus Shane."
Now she's gonna go find Shane and get him to tell them where the Cure is.
Hope then noticed her aunt sending a text message on her phone. So, she had someone with her. Someone other than April.
Hope considered leaving the library, seeing no reason to get involved. But the slightest movement would risk betraying her presence. She was still invisible, but vampires would be able to hear her with their heightened senses. What if Rebekah forced Elena and Stefan to tell them what they knew about Hope? It would be a disaster!
She saw her aunt Rebekah calling someone on Caroline's phone.
A moment passed, and she spoke again.
"I heard, and you're keeping all that rage bottled up inside. Caroline's worried sick about you… Hello, Tyler!"
Tyler? Why does she want to bring him here too? To also torture his relationship with Caroline?
If her aunt had decided to call Caroline's lover, it was for a reason.
Still smiling, Rebekah still spoke on Caroline's phone.
"I heard my brother made a real mess of your life. Believe me, I can relate. You have my condolences. In fact, why don't you come down to the high school so you can accept them in person?"
And she continued, staring at Caroline.
"Because I have your girlfriend. Maybe you have a better shot saving her than you did your mother. Bye now!"
And she hung up.
A moment passed, then the library door opened. Hope turned her head to see the new arrival and was stunned.
"Sister... Look at this! You're even worse than Klaus."
"Kol, finally. Did you bring what I asked for?" asked Rebekah happily.
Uncle Kol?! MY UNCLE KOL?! What the hell is he doing here? Was he in Mystic Falls at the time?
Stunned, Hope stared at her uncle Kol. And she noticed that he looked nothing like the one from the future. The Kol she saw entering the library was very different from the Kol she was used to knowing. If only not his haircut and his lack of beard. This version of Kol looked more like a rebellious teenager than an Original vampire. And this Kol was not on good terms with her father. He was one of the brothers who caused Klaus a lot of trouble during these thousand years which caused a dagger in his heart.
Kol entered the library, pulling Shane with him. The college professor stared at both Rebekah and Kol in shock.
"You must be Shane." Rebekah asked, looking at the professor.
Stunned at the sight of her uncle from the past, Hope accidentally knocked over a book from the shelf where she had been hiding. The book fell to the ground with a thud.
Everyone looked up at the noise caused by the fallen book.
"Who's here?" Kol replied with a careful look. "Didn't you say the school would be empty?"
"It's supposed to be empty," Rebekah replied sternly. "Who's here?"
Oh crap! Not again! Bravo Hope! You're really not discreet!
Hope stood still like a statue without making a sound, even though she knew she was going to get caught immediately.
Rebekah turned to Stefan, compelling him.
"Who's here? Who else did you bring in?"
"I didn't bring anyone," Stefan replied captivated. "I don't know who that is."
Leaving Shane, Kol walked towards the shelf where Hope was magically hidden. Although the Tribrid was camouflaged by her spell, the Original vampire grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the shelves. The invisibility spell broke and Hope became visible again before everyone's stunned eyes.
"Look what we have here," Kol said narcissistically, bringing her near the table.
Hope was now visible to everyone. Elena, Stefan and Caroline looked at her, all three intrigued by her presence at high school. And Hope noticed Shane staring at her with a look that looked like lust. He seemed more intrigued than usual by the Tribrid's presence.
Uncomfortable and embarrassed, the latter greeted them awkwardly.
"Uh… Hello."
Stunned, Rebekah stared at the girl in amazement.
"Hey, I remember you! The new witch who works for Niklaus! So, my brother hasn't killed you yet! You have become his new lapdog who follows him everywhere!"
"I'm nobody's lapdog!" Hope retorted with a hostile look. "And I don't work for Klaus! I'm with him! There's a difference! Glad to see you again, Rebekah."
Kol looked at her with interest as he released her.
"A new witch? Hi, beautiful! I've been friends with witches for centuries! I even taught them a lot of occult stuff! If you like it, I could make you know some! By the way, my name's Kol."
Embarrassed, Hope stared at her uncle, forcing a smile. She knew she had to act like he wasn't her uncle.
"Hi Kol. Nice to meet you. The offer's appreciated, but I already have a lot of experience with magic! However, I wouldn't say no to advice."
"That's odd, I think I see our brother's arrogance in you, little one!" Rebekah pointed out with a frown. "What's your name again?"
"My name's Hope."
Kol frowned at the name with an amused smile.
"Hope? Weird name! Where did it come from?"
Annoyed, the Tribrid gave him a reproachful look.
Seriously! Does only Mom like my name or what?
"Back on topic!" replied Rebekah haughtily. "Kid, what did you come here to do? Did my brother send you to stab me again?"
"No at all!" Hope retorted firmly. "He doesn't even know what's going on here. I was at the Mystic Grill when you called Stefan, and he told me you were back. So, I came to the high school to see what was going on."
"And you expect me to believe you?"
Rebekah frowned and turned to her three hostages, much to the horror of Hope who feared that Elena and Stefan would reveal her secret to her aunt under compel.
"Judging by your faces, I take it that you all know this... Hope or whatever her weird name is. So, you can tell me who she is, and what she is doing with my brother."
Stefan was the first to respond.
"Hope lives with Klaus and she…"
"SILENCIO!" Hope exclaimed, raising her hand in the air.
Immediately, Stefan's mouth closed, as if an invisible gag was hiding his lips. Elena had the same fate too.
"Wow! I'm impressed!" Kol exclaimed, whistling admiringly. "Looks like you've been doing this your whole life!"
If only you knew…
Even Shane was stunned.
Rebekah turned to Hope.
"Hey, what the hell is that?"
"Sorry but no!" the Tribrid replied firmly, keeping her hand raised. "Everything about me is my business and nobody else's. You can ask them about the Cure. But as far as I'm concerned, it's no. I have my reasons for being with Klaus, but I cannot reveal them. And I'm not asking."
"So, you have a secret you don't want to tell?" Rebekah wondered, frowning. "What are you hiding that's so important?"
"As I told you, it's none of your business and has nothing to do with the Cure. Either you accept my terms, or I leave Elena and Stefan like this, and you won't get anything at all."
Kol nodded, even more admiring by Hope's tenacity, while Rebekah gave the girl an icy look.
"And if I refuse, will you dagger me?" she shouted.
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will, if you force me to," Hope retorted with determination. "I'm a powerful witch. And I don't say that to brag. It's the truth. I have practiced magic all my life. I know several spells to neutralize you. Don't make me fight you!"
She hated having to go to such extremes in front of her aunt, but she had no choice. She had to protect the future and that meant alienating her own aunt Rebekah.
After some reluctance, her aunt ended up giving up with a sigh.
"Alright. As long as I get the Cure, I'm fine! You can stay with them. I don't care! And could you undo your spell, please?"
Hope nodded and waved her hand. Immediately, Elena and Stefan could speak again.
"Good! Let's start again!" Rebekah said, taking Shane by the arm. "As for you, Professor Shane, we have things to talk to each other. Kol, you come with me."
And the two Originals left the library, taking Shane with them. Hope watched them leave, anxious. Even though she can't stand the evil professor, Shane was also important to her future. She feared that having unmasked herself in high school would lead to another time incident that would endanger her conception.
After they left, Hope came to sit at the table with Stefan, Elena and Caroline.
"Hey guys!"
"Hope, what are you doing here?" Elena asked in surprise.
"I wanted to see what was going on here and why Rebekah was sequestering you at school," the Tribrid stammered, uncomfortably.
"Did you listen to everything we said?" Stefan asked, still sullen, but this time, because of being held against his will in high school.
"I listened to everything and heard everything," she replied awkwardly.
"And you couldn't get us out of there?" Caroline suggested. "You who just said that you were a powerful witch?"
Hope gave them a desolate look.
"I am a powerful witch, but I cannot undo the compel that Rebekah has on you, I'm sorry. I don't know of any spells against that."
"Just great!" Elena replied, frustrated at being trapped in the library.
After a while, Rebekah returned, even more happy than before.
"Still glued to your seats?"
"Where's Shane?" Hope asked.
"Unfortunately, our mystical teacher cannot be compelled," replied Rebekah, joining them. "That's why Kol tortures him until he tells us where to find the Cure. While we wait for Shane to spill the beans, let's spice things up a bit. (Addressing the vampire Gilbert.) Elena, truth or dare?"
"What the hell are you doing?" Hope replied annoyed. "Your stupid games won't do you anything at all!"
But Rebekah ignored her and still talked with Elena.
"Truth or dare, Elena. You're compelled. Answer."
Forced to respond, Elena responded firmly.
"Dare."
Rebekah pretended to think before retorting.
"I dare you to tell Stefan the truth about Damon."
"WHAT?" Hope exclaimed, annoyed and frustrated at being forced to witness this scene.
"Seriously?" added Caroline, as revolted as the Tribrid.
Still forced to answer, Elena obeys:
"Being with Damon makes me happy."
"Makes you happy?" the Original vampire asked sarcastically. "Clowns make you happy, Elena. Dig a little deeper."
Elena continued against her will:
"When I'm with him... it feels unpredictable, like... like I'm free."
Hope noticed the hurt on Stefan's face and felt sorry for him for being forced to listen to this.
With complete indifference to the emotional pain she was inflicting on her hostages, Rebekah continued her questions with a sly look.
"And how do you feel when you're with Stefan?"
There, Hope couldn't help but grumble furiously.
"Oh, come on, that's enough! Are you obsessed? What's the point of torturing them? Do you want to find the Cure or make trouble between Elena and Stefan?"
Last time, she said she envied Stefan and Elena as a couple. That she envies them is one thing, but that, it turns into obsession! That is all rubbish! I regret that Marcel is not there!
"Quiet, little witch! You can leave if you don't want to hear that!" her aunt replied with annoyance.
Hope's heart caused her a heavy pain. It was as if her aunt was throwing her out like someone dirty. But it was ridiculous. She didn't know Hope was her niece. And that hurt the girl even more. She hated time travel.
Totally ignoring Hope, Rebekah insisted with Elena, to the great dismay of Caroline, who like the Tribrid, could no longer stand the Original's torture games.
"Answer the question, Elena! How do you feel when you're with Stefan?"
Elena replied, still despite herself.
"Lately, I feel like I'm a project, like I'm a problem that needs to be fixed. I think I make him sad, and I can't be with someone like that, because when he looks at me, all he sees is a broken toy."
Satisfied, Rebekah smiled as she turned to Stefan, who was hurt by Elena's words and looked away from her. Then, the Original vampire turned back to Elena.
"Do you still love Stefan?"
"Yes," Elena replied.
And that's true. In the future, Elena still continues to love Stefan. Even though she is married to Damon and has kids with him.
Hope was having trouble calming her emotions. Being forced to watch her aunt be narcissistic was unbearable torture. She would give anything to be anywhere other than the school library right now.
"Are you still in love with Stefan?" Rebekah asked again with complete indifference.
"No," Elena replied simply.
After answering that, she looked like she was about to cry. Hope could see that it hurt her emotionally to have been forced to speak ill of her ex-lover.
Smiling triumphantly, Rebekah turned away from her and stared at Stefan neutrally.
"Did that hurt?" she asked him, still sly. "Having someone you love drive a dagger through your heart?"
"Go to Hell!" Stefan retorted sternly.
Hope had to admit that she agreed with him.
"Stop, you've done enough harm like that," she said to her.
"Kid, leave us alone!" Rebekah retorted, still looking at Stefan coldly. "Did… that… hurt?"
"Yes," Stefan replied without looking at Elena.
Gloating with an icy look, Rebekah retorted:
"Welcome to the last nine hundred years of my life."
That was too much. Hope had to fight back. Calmly, she spoke:
"Rebekah. While I don't approve of Elena's choices, she's not wrong about you."
The Original vampire turned away from Stefan and stared coldly at Hope.
"What do you mean?"
Hope replied sarcastically:
"Elena was right when she said that you are sad, that you are bored and in desperate need of a hobby. Admit you can't deny that truth. You spent a thousand years in the shadow of your brothers, and every time you wanted to give yourself a moment of happiness, Klaus put obstacles in your way. So yeah, I'm sorry for you that your only brother for whom you have affection rejected you. He wasn't nice with you; I'm not defending him for that. But does that justify what you're doing to Elena and Stefan? They are not responsible for your misfortune, Rebekah. And torturing them won't erase the last nine hundred years of your life. No offense, but I think you really need to find a lover. And it's not by staying here and sequestering them that you'll get what you want. This hostage situation is ridiculous and will do you nothing. You know that. I understand why you're feeling angry about being betrayed by Stefan. And you have every right to be. But forcing Elena to reveal her feelings for Damon in front of her ex is just awful. Even from an Original like you. Why don't you try to resolve your family problems with your brother instead of wasting your time torturing them?"
"You think I haven't tried?" Rebekah replied sternly. "Every time I did it, I found myself with a dagger. Don't talk about things you don't know! I don't know what's going on between you and Klaus, but you're not part of this family! You're nothing to us! Just a weird, stranger girl who comes out of nowhere and thinks she knows everything! And I don't have to justify myself to you, Hope! Whoever you are! You are nothing!"
Hope couldn't help but be saddened by her aunt's cruel words. If only she could tell her she was her niece. She tried as best she could to calm her emotions.
At that moment, the door opened, and it was Tyler who arrived in the library. Caroline looked shocked at the sight of her boyfriend, while Rebekah greeted him with a smile on her face.
"Ah, good, you're here! It was just getting depressing!"
"What the hell is going on?" Tyler replied, moving closer to them.
Rejoiced, Rebekah addressed everyone in the room, as if she were a teacher giving a lesson.
"Listen to the rules carefully, except for Hope who isn't compelled. Stay in the building, no vamp-running in the hallways."
"Vamp-running from what?" Caroline wondered.
"What the hell are you doing again?" replied Hope, still annoyed.
Rebekah smiles evilly before addressing Tyler, compelled him.
"Turn."
"WHAT?" Elena and Hope were both surprised and horrified.
And now she wants to kill them?
Horrified, Hope stared at her aunt while Caroline replied in anguish.
"He can't, he'll lose control!"
With amusement, Rebekah explained to them:
"That's the whole point. I've exhausted all your knowledge. Now I have the professor to help me find the cure, you're just competition. Whoever finds it first gets to decide what to do with it. Use it, share it, destroy it, save it. I want that to be me."
"But if Tyler turns, he'll kill them." Hope replied in horror, hoping that her aunt wouldn't go that far.
She wasn't afraid that Hybrid Lockwood would turn into a wolf, but she was afraid that after his transformation, he would attack the three vampires she had to protect for her future.
"She's right," Tyler agreed.
"Yes, he will." retorted the Original with indifference.
And she resumed hypnosis with anger.
"Turn!"
And she left the library, leaving Tyler about to transform much to the horror of Elena, Stefan and Caroline.
Hope had to intervene. She knew how to handle Tyler. Her aunt had only forced him to turn, not to kill vampires. She could therefore prevent Tyler from attacking Elena, Stefan and Caroline.
Quickly, she cast her invisibility spell.
"Invisique!"
And she disappeared. The others were too focused in Tyler to care about her.
Tyler Lockwood was struggling with his transformation. He crashed into a shelf, knocking over several stacks of books.
"I CAN'T FIGHT THIS!" yelled the young man while trying to fight against the transformation into a wolf.
Hope knew that as much as Tyler fought, he couldn't fight forever. His wolf side raged inside him.
He breathed heavily and fell to the ground. He crawled to a table and stood up. He growled as the others could hear his bones breaking. Caroline, Elena and Stefan looked at him from afar, while keeping their distance. He slammed his arms on a table, breaking it into pieces.
Hope, hidden by her cloaking spell, undressed while monitoring Tyler's transformation.
"ELENA, STEFAN, CAROLINE, RUN, GUYS! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" she yelled at them, still undressing while invisible.
Stefan dragged Elena and Caroline away from the library. They left the large room, closing the door behind them, where they could hear Tyler's screams.
"That door's not gonna hold him!" Elena announced as she fled with her ex-lover.
Tyler grew fangs and his eyes turned an amber color. And he changed into a wolf. Hope, who had just undressed, turned herself into a wolf.
Tyler the Wolf burst through the library door and headed straight for Elena and Stefan. As the former couple tried to flee, a white wolf appeared out of nowhere, passed Tyler and positioned itself right in front of the two vampires.
Elena and Stefan stared at the two wolves, taken aback.
"It's Hope!" Stefan exclaimed stunned remembering the Tribrid's wolf form.
"So, she can really turn into a wolf…" added Elena, amazed.
After a brief exchange of glances, the two wolves confronted each other with paws and mouths. The two vampires took the opportunity to flee.
Then, Hope the wolf darted in one direction with Tyler at her heels. She walked all the way down the hall and into the gymnasium. And she rushed towards the table where the candles used for the memorial service were placed. Tyler the Wolf chased her towards the table. When the wolf's gaze landed on a large photo of Carol Lockwood, the wolf seemed to calm down and stopped its stalking.
Hope the wolf slowly moved away and returned to her human form. Little by little, Tyler regained his human form and collapsed naked on the floor in front of the table, sobbing in front of the photo of his mother.
Hope hid her naked body behind the gym door and stared at her father's first Hybrid with a distressed look.
She still didn't approve of Carol Lockwood's death at the hands of her father. Seeing Tyler overcome with grief, she saw herself in him. She remembered the moments of sadness after the death of her parents.
Still behind the door, the Tribrid murmured with a look of pain.
"I'm sorry for what my dad did to you, Tyler. I know what you're feeling."
And she walked away, leaving him to his grief. She went to find her clothes and then go looking for Elena and Stefan.
After getting dressed, she walked through the halls, hoping to find the vampires. Then she heard Bonnie's familiar voice calling for help.
Immediately, she entered the high school science lab, and found Bonnie on the floor, on top of April's unconscious body with a bloodstain on her blouse.
"Help! Someone helps!"
"Bonnie, what happened?" Hope asked as she approached them.
"What's going on?" added Stefan who had just joined them with Elena next to him.
"I did a protection spell, but it accidentally linked Shane to April." explained Bonnie horrified.
"And you didn't realize it?" Hope wondered.
"No! Usually, I feel pain, or I bleed, but this time I just felt more power."
Judging by the blood mark on April, Hope guessed that Shane must have been tortured by her uncle before being killed.
If Rebekah wants to get the Cure, why kill Shane, who knows where to find it? That doesn't make any sense!
But April was still alive, which meant Bonnie's protection spell had worked and Shane was alive, too.
"Hope, you can heal her with your blood," Stefan asked insistently.
The Tribrid nodded, cut her wrist causing a trickle of blood to flow, and placed her bloody wrist on April.
Bonnie, who had yet to witness Hope's healing blood, stared at the girl healing April with wide-eyed shock.
"So, your blood can really heal…"
April regained consciousness panting in anguish.
"It's okay, April. It's okay. You're safe, now. It's over," Hope reassured her, helping her to get up. "Bonnie, take April, find Shane and get them out of here."
"And Tyler?" Stefan said perplexed.
"I took care of him. He's human again."
"What about Elena and Stefan?" Bonnie asked.
"Rebekah compelled them," Hope replied. "They can't leave the school. I will stay with them and help them. Bonnie, get out of here with April. Quick!"
Bonnie helped April, still terrified, out of the room. She looked at Elena and Hope before running away with the Pastor's daughter. Stefan closed the door behind them and locked it. He stood by the door, looking out of the door's window.
"Stefan, only Rebekah can undo the compulsion," said Hope. "I'll do everything I can to convince her to let you go."
"Thanks Hope," said the vampire gratefully.
Upset, Elena approached her ex-lover.
"Stefan."
"No," retorted the vampire without looking at her, not wanting to speak to her.
"Stefan, we have to talk about this. Please." Elena insisted.
Stefan turned away from the door and stared at her angrily.
"Talk about what, huh? How many more ways are there for you to rip my heart out?"
Hope rolled her eyes in annoyance and tried to intervene.
"Come on guys, this is a bad time to settle your troubles."
But neither of them paid her any attention.
"I'm sorry," Elena said distraught.
"You're sorry that it happened, or sorry that I found out?" Stefan replied with complete indifference to his ex-girlfriend's pain.
"I'm sorry about all of it! I'm really sorry, Stefan! I didn't mean to hurt you! I didn't want that!"
"Guys, please stop!" Hope tried to intervene.
But before anyone could say or do anything, the door opened, and Rebekah walked into the science lab with her gleeful look on her face.
"Why are my least favorite people always the most durable?" she asked, looking at both Elena and Stefan.
Exasperated, Hope stepped in front of her.
"Enough, Rebekah. You got what you wanted. You don't need to hold them anymore. And if you hurt them, Klaus will stab you again. Don't provoke him yet. It's over now."
"I find it hard to believe that the witch who is friends with Klaus is trying to protect these two vampires who are not worth it." declared the Original, staring curiously at Hope. "If you're with my brother, you shouldn't care about Stefan or Elena. And yet, you're trying to defend them, it's very weird."
"It's not your business!" Hope growled, glaring at her aunt. "Now let them go!"
"Another secret you're hiding," Rebekah grumbled. "You're so annoying me, Kid!"
And she turned to Stefan, who stared at her with a defiant look.
"Leave Elena and Hope out of this. This is between me and you."
Still cynical, Rebekah replied:
"You're still protecting her. Must I rip your bleeding heart from your chest and show you the scar tissue that is Elena Gilbert?" (She turned to Elena.) "There's a solution to all your problems, you know. I could compel him. Erase every memory he has of you...every day you spent together, every kiss, every lie, every ounce of pain... I could take away every bit of love he has for you. Give you both a clean slate. Just say the word, and I'll make you and all that misery you caused him disappear."
"What?" exclaimed Hope in amazement. "Are you serious?"
"Do it," Stefan declared to everyone's surprise.
"Excuse me," said Rebekah pretending to be surprised.
"Stefan, no!" Hope intervened distraught.
She can't do that. It would ruin my future. Stefan didn't become so desperate that he wants to lose his memories with Elena.
But no one paid attention to her. Stefan looked at Rebekah and seemed determined to lose his memories.
"Erase it all, every memory."
"Stefan, no!" Elena exclaimed, as distraught as Hope.
But Stefan insisted with Rebekah calmly.
"I said do it!"
Rebekah stared at him for a long time. Hope feared she would abdicate at the request of the vampire Salvatore. After a moment of staring at Stefan, her aunt giggled.
"No. That'd be far too easy. I refuse to make you forget her the way Klaus made you forget me."
Hope breathed a sigh of relief as she placed her hand over her heart, relieved that her future wasn't in jeopardy again.
Rebekah turned to Elena who was staring at her fiercely.
"But at least you know how he really feels." (And she turned her attention to Stefan.) "Consider your eternity of pain my revenge, Stefan. I've used you for all you're worth, so now, you're free to go."
Relieved, Hope watched her aunt leave. She could see that Elena was upset. After a few moments, Stefan decided to leave.
"Stefan, wait!" Elena said.
But he ignored her and made his way through the halls. Elena considered following him, calling out to him. But Hope gently took her hand.
"Elena, let him go."
The vampire Gilbert stared at Hope before returning her attention to Stefan who was leaving the school.
"Just let him go," Hope repeated sympathetically. "He's suffered enough today. You'll only cause him more pain. Right now, he needs to be away from you."
After Stefan leaves, Elena ends up letting him go, with regret.
Later, Hope had just walked Caroline and Tyler out of school. Rebekah had let them go as well. The presence of the Tribrid was no longer necessary. Her future was safe. For the moment.
She was about to go out too, when Kol came to catch her in the hallways.
"Hey, little witch! I need your help!"
"What do you want?" Hope asked suspiciously, knowing that this version of her uncle was different from the one in the future.
"I know Klaus is looking for the Cure because he wants his darling former blood bag to be able to recreate Hybrids. But his obsession will kill us all, including you.
Hope frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I had to kill the professor because he wanted to wake Silas. It will be hell if he is free."
Silas? So, this would be the greater evil mentioned in Pastor Young's letter?
Obviously, Hope knew Silas's whole story. The first immortal being before vampires. She knew that the Mystic Falls' gang had fought him, then managed to defeat him.
But Kol continued with a considerate look.
"Silas is the most dangerous thing on Earth. Trust me, it's better not to mess with this. My brother's obsession with his Hybrids will bring the whole world into Chaos. If you're with him, you need to convince him to give it up."
Hope stared at her uncle in disbelief. For him, Silas was the worst threat on Earth. It was obvious that he knew neither the Hollow, nor the Malivore. And anyway, Hope couldn't stop Silas from waking up. Otherwise, she would not be born.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that," she replied. "Klaus wants his Hybrids. He's been very upset since he was forced to kill the only ones he had left."
Completely agitated, Kol grabbed her by the shoulders and began to beg her wildly.
"You don't understand? Silas's dangerous! You've no idea what you're getting yourself into and neither does Klaus."
"As I told you, I can't help you," the Tribrid replied in a loud voice. "This Quest for the Cure is very important to me."
Kol looked stunned and furious at the same time.
"Are you serious? Did my brother bewitch you or something? Do you really want to help him get his new Hybrids and are you willing to put the world in danger for it? You are a witch, right?"
"I don't care about Hybrids! That's not why I do it!"
"Explain yourself!" Kol exclaimed, outraged. "Why would a witch seek to cause chaos by bringing Silas back?"
"There are other threats worse than him in this world!" Hope said, struggling against her uncle. "Silas is nothing in comparison!"
You have no idea what really threatens us! Like my presence in this time of past which could destroy our family and the future! Your future with Davina!
Which made Kol even more furious.
"For a so-called powerful witch, you're very dumb! I killed Shane! And I will kill anyone who has the misfortune to raise Silas!"
Thus, Kol was against the Quest for the Cure which would lead to the awakening of Silas. And unfortunately, Hope couldn't explain to her why she had to let this happen.
"NO!"
Immediately, a wave of energy emerged from Hope and sent Kol being thrown several feet away from her. She took advantage of the fact that her uncle was on the ground to escape.
It was obvious that Kol wasn't going to be an ally in helping his niece return to the future. If he was determined to prevent the Quest for the Cure which involves the return of Silas, Hope was going to have to fight her own uncle much to her chagrin.
She had to tell her father about his brother.
She took out her phone and called Klaus. A moment passed before the latter responded.
"Hello my littlest wolf! Did you have a nice day?"
If you knew…
"Quite eventful," Hope replied abruptly. "I'm calling to let you know Rebekah's back. I don't know who removed her dagger, but she's back."
"Has my little sister come back?" Klaus's voice came in surprise. "This is unfortunate."
"And there's more," continued the Tribrid. "Today, I met one of your brothers. Kol."
"Kol?! Kol is to Mystic Falls?" her father's voice came again, and Hope could sense that he was surprised by this news. "What did he come to town for?"
"His presence is not good news for us. He is ready to kill anyone who wants to find the Cure."
"My brothers' annoying habit of wanting to sabotage everything I do! Do you know why?" Klaus asked.
"According to Shane, finding the Cure involves raising Silas," Hope replied. "Kol fears Silas. And he said he would bring the Apocalypse to the world. This would be the greater evil that Young mentioned in his letter."
"Silas never existed!" Klaus' voice retorted. "It's just a fairy tale made up to scare children into eating their vegetables. I have heard of Silas over the course of ten centuries, but he has always been just a myth."
Except Silas is as real as you! And it is your enemies who will defeat him.
But she couldn't tell her father that. Instead, she replied:
"Anyway, Kol doesn't seem to think he's a myth. He will do everything so that we cannot reach the Cure. And he's ready to kill for it!"
A moment passed. Judging by her breathing, Hope could sense that her father didn't like this news.
"Of all the brothers I have left today, Kol is the one who brings me the most trouble," Klaus replied, sighing after a silence. "I come home soon. I still have things to do with Jeremy. Until I return, stay at the Mansion and don't go until I return."
"Okay, sure. I can't wait for you to come home."
"And don't worry about my brother, Hope. I'll take care of him when I get back. He won't bother us for long. See you later."
Hope was making her way to Mikaelson Mansion. She was about to walk through the front gate, when she felt something behind her. She turned around and looked around but saw nothing. But she was sure of being followed. Frowning, she took a few steps in front of her, brandishing her hands, ready to cast attack spells.
"I know you're there. Show yourself! Whoever you are, you're making a serious mistake if you seek to defeat me! I can't be defeated! I advise you to go back where you came from, otherwise things will go very badly!"
She heard the rustling of plants. Someone was hiding. But why? Who and why would seek to reach Hope?
The Tribrid took a few steps, when a quick shot was fired. A tranquilizer hits her neck and Hope lost consciousness as she collapsed to the ground.
When Hope Mikaelson opened her eyes, it was to find herself in a chair. Thick chains imprisoned her hands. And she was in a dark room that looked like a teacher's office.
She looked around, then tried to free herself from her chains.
"Uanascar!"
But to her surprise, nothing happened. She was still imprisoned. Then she heard a familiar voice coming towards her.
"Spelled shackles that neutralize a witch's power. They were given to me by an old friend in Tibet."
Hope looked up to see Shane coming towards her. He was happier to see her again. Hope had never seen him like this before. She was grateful to Bonnie that he was still alive. And she didn't understand why he had taken her away.
"Shane! If this is an attempt to become friends, you messed up this." she shouted with a hostile look. "Leave me! Let me go!"
Shane looked amused and retorted:
"You're a very strong girl. I respect you for that, Hope. But tonight, I'll get my answers. Thanks to you. Hope… Hope… Now, who are you? I mean… who are you really?
"I'm Hope, the new witch who arrived in Mystic Falls," replied the Tribrid, pretending not to understand the professor.
"Don't take me for a fool," continued Shane, still amused. "You are much more than that! Is your arrival in this town a coincidence or is it a twist of fate?"
Perplexed, Hope frowned, while Shane continued:
"You are strong at hiding your identity! Being forced to hide and lie to others! You inspire me, Hope! I have never been so impressed by anyone! After all the risks and all the effort to hide your secret! A secret that I'm about to unlock! As I told you, I have spent my entire life studying all the supernatural creatures that inhabit our world. But you're unique, Hope! Because you're not from here! I mean... You're a time traveler!"
Hope felt a shiver run down her spine but ended up being narcissistic.
"Time travel? Come on, Professor! You know that it only exists in movies!"
"Drop the act, Hope," Shane said with a grin. "I know everything. You don't exist, because you don't exist yet. You aren't yet born. And I guess your conception hasn't arrived yet. Which explains why I can't find anything on you at all. You don't exist because you come from the future. Don't denying it. I know it's true!"
Hope looked shocked and horrified. So, Shane knew about time travel. How could he know? The one and only person who knew about it was…
"Was it Bonnie who told you everything about me?"
"No, no, she didn't betray your secret," replied Shane, smiling happily. "I found your complicity with her at Lake House strange. Bonnie was evasive when I asked her about you. All I had to do was look at her phone and read the messages you two sent each other. And that's how I understood. You have gone back in time and are looking to return to your time in the future. This is amazing! So, time travel is real! And you are living proof!"
Hope was shocked to know that the professor responsible for the slaughters knew her secret. Despite all her precautions, her secret was discovered by the wrong person. A consequence linked to the fact that she had treated Damon with her blood. By saving his life, she had unknowingly created a new time incident. Without her magic, she didn't see a way out of this mess.
"The moment I found out that you were a time traveler, I immediately made several hypotheses about you," continued Shane, more and more delighted. "You show up out of nowhere at Klaus. You bond with him. You live under the same roof as him, and you are with him constantly. And I made the connection with your powers. You heal quickly. Your blood cures werewolf venom. You're half werewolf. I know Klaus is half werewolf, half vampire. And the only explanation that came to mind regarding you is that you are his child. You are Klaus' daughter. He is your father. Or your future father!"
Hope just remained hostile, despite being trapped in a chair.
"Let me go! You've no idea what you are doing!"
"Oh, yes, I am!" sneered Shane amused. "I think I know what I'm doing. To me, there is no doubt that you are Klaus' daughter. A child who shouldn't exist, and yet here you are not even conceived. And I bet your mother is Hayley. I observed you at the Lockwoods on the day of the pageant. And in the Lake House. You seemed attached to her, to the point of wanting to protect her. And then Hayley told me that you revealed to her that she had your mother's face. It's because Hayley is your mother. Klaus and Hayley are your future parents?"
"If you know that I come from the future, you should know too that I cannot tell you anything about the future," replied Hope coldly. "Holding me prisoner won't do you any good."
"If you come from the future, then you should know everything about Silas," Shane continued. "You mentioned his name the day we met in high school. You know Silas, don't you?"
For the first time, it was Hope who smiled with amusement.
"So, yes, I know Silas. I know everything about him. I know he's the very first immortal before vampires. I know his whole history. But like I told you, I can't tell you anything. Spoiler alert! No revelations about the future!"
"Oh, but you're gonna tell me everything I want to know." continued Shane, who suddenly seemed threatening. "If you know him in the future, it means he will appear again soon. That my plan worked. Did it work, yes or no?"
Hope then understood the reason why Shane had kidnapped her. He wanted to know if his evil plan would succeed in the future.
Amused, she burst out laughing, much to Shane's surprise.
"So that's it?" she exclaimed after a laugh. "You kidnapped me so that I could reveal your future to you! And if I refuse to tell you anything, will you torture me?"
"I have several artifacts and ways to make you talk. Even to a powerful witch like you, Hope."
Shane tried hard to be intimidating, but the Tribrid continued to be amused.
"Let's say I want to tell you what you want to know, for that, I need to know what your real plan is. You forced Young to commit suicide with eleven people on his farm. You forced Hayley to manipulate Klaus into killing his own Hybrids. Are you looking to create the Expression Magic? Is that why you're bringing Bonnie into this? I know that a slaughter of several people creates energy that is used in evil spells. Like the Expression? Why are you doing this? Why do you want to wake Silas?"
Shane seemed lost in thought.
"A few years ago, my wife and I lost our son, who was killed in a car accident. My wife... Caitlin tried to resurrect him with magic, using Expression, but she lost her mind and died."
"Your wife was witch?" the Tribrid asked curiously.
"Yes... She was... After that, I heard a rumor about a well located on an island two thousand miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, where a drop of blood allows you to see the person who we liked it the most. Explorers searched for this well to see if it existed. And I found it a year ago. I offered up my blood and waited. I saw my wife Caitlin. As real as you are. I saw her look at me, I saw her smile at me. My blood had allowed me to see her again. And that's when she explained to me what I had to do. Complete the Hunter's Mark, to access the spells and empower a descendant of Qetsiyah to perform it."
"So Bonnie," replied Hope knowing that Bonnie had Qetsiyah, Silas's love, as an old ancestor.
"Yes. My wife revealed to me that if Silas woke up, he would bring back all the dead people to the Other Side. Including my son and Caitlin. And for that, I needed Bonnie, the Hunter's Mark, Silas' Tombstone and the Expression."
He turned to her with a pleading look.
"Tell me the truth, Hope! Did Silas bring back my dead family?"
Hope seemed stunned by these revelations. So, Shane was doing all this to resurrect his dead family. And he was willing to manipulate anyone to get what he wanted.
"Professor, I know Silas, I heard about him in my future," she replied softly. "But I don't know anything about you, Shane. My history books don't tell anything about you at all. So, whether your plan succeeds or not, even if I wanted to tell you everything, I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry, Professor Shane. I don't know anything at all about your family. And it's not by keeping me here that you'll get your answers. You'd better let me go, for your own sake."
Shane looked disappointed and angry.
"You're lying! I'm sure you know that Hope!"
But she continued to shake her head.
"I have no reason to lie to you. You unmasked me. And I can't tell you anything, because I don't know anything about you, or your wife or your son. What I can tell you is that Expression is dark magic. And nothing good comes of that!"
"That's not what Expression is!" retorted Shane dryly. "It's a way of doing magic that isn't monitored by nature or the spirits. It isn't good nor bad. But it also has no limits, so how Bonnie use it is up to her. That's why I'm here. For help. I can guide her on the right way."
"You're making her a bomb," Hope replied harshly. "I have practiced magic all my life, and I know that Expression is dark magic."
"That's the only way to bring Silas back," Shane insisted. "You know it. You helped Hayley slaughter the Hybrids. You didn't do it for me, but for your future. So, you know that to achieve the Cure for the vampires and Silas, we need the Expression triangle. So you know what's going to happen."
"I don't know all the events," the Tribrid corrected him. "Just the great moments. And again, I don't know anything about your family. Whether your wife or your son came back to life, I don't know. Now let me go!"
"What makes you think I'm going to release you?" replied Shane cynically.
"If you keep me here, Klaus will notice my absence," Hope pointed out to him with amusement. "And when he finds out that you are holding me here, he will hunt you down and kill you. He's been very angry since he killed his Hybrids. So, if I were to disappear, his anger would only get worse. I know that you are a smart man and that you aren't crazy enough to suffer the wrath of Klaus Mikaelson. Even Bonnie won't protect you from the Originals forever. What Kol and Rebekah put you through today will be nothing compared to Klaus. Because he won't just torture you, he'll kill you. You already have an Original who believes he succeeded in killing you. Do you want to have a second on you? This is about Klaus! Are you foolish enough to suffer his wrath? No? So let me go! Because I can't do anything for you! Keeping me here prisoner won't make you close to Silas, Professor Shane! I tell you again: let me go!"
Shane sighed in frustration, not knowing what to do now. And he had to admit that Hope was right. If he was going to bring back his wife and son alive, he didn't need two Originals after him.
"And then, what you know about me, you will have to tell anyone," added Hope.
"Why should I keep your secret?" Shane asked perplexed.
"If you leak my secret, it could compromise your plan," explained the Tribrid. "I don't know if you'll see your family again anytime soon, but if you persist in raising Silas, please don't tell anyone about me. And you will have a chance to see your wife and son again. Assuming Silas brings them back."
"He will bring them back," retorted the professor dryly. "I'm sure of that."
"Well, I hope you're right," Hope said casually. "Now let me go before Klaus finds out I'm missing!"
Thanks for reading.
I hope you liked this chapter and that it wasn't too rushed. I tried to go into as much detail as possible. I will try to do even better in the future.
Hope continues to see a dark side to her family that she hadn't seen before. And it's going to get worse. The fact that Kol wants to stop the Quest for the Cure will complicate things for her, given that the events related to the Cure are important to her future and her conception.