Searching for Always and Forever

Chapter 43

Lucien left the room and there must have been another witch, because the room was magically sealed as soon as he left... although it didn't seem like Klaus wanted to leave without the cure and it was obvious for Hope, who he was going to choose.

Klaus was beside Elijah, holding his head on his knees, examining his wound. It was bad. The wound looked huge and infected, and black veins ran from his neck to everywhere, to his entire body... Hope wondered if that was how hers looked. She lifted her arm, and saw the black veins up until her elbow. She was pretty sure, as soon as it reached her heart, she'd be dead. She felt it. The pain was excruciating. Burning her from the inside out. It was difficult to keep her eyes open, and soon she decided to rest. Just let go, lay her head down and close her eyes. She was waiting for death to come quickly. To take the pain away. She thought about her happiest memories in the cabin with her parents, with her siblings. The pain was slightly bearable with nice thoughts and she hoped she would see her parents after she crossed to the afterlife.

Hope felt her body being lifted from the floor. She opened her eyes as Klaus laid her on the bed. His eyes were red from crying and tears were staining his cheeks. He stroked her hair as he looked into Hope's foggy eyes.

"It's going to be okay. You're gonna be alright." He whispered as he tried to hold himself back from crying. He kept stroking her hair. Hope saw the pain in his eyes... pain, and love. She didn't mind his closeness. She didn't want to die alone. If it was her estranged father who held her hand through death, then she had to take it. Hope reached for his hand and he squeezed hers, and couldn't keep himself from crying anymore. "You're gonna be okay." He kept saying.

"Have you decided, my friend?" Lucien came, bursting the double door open. He was with another woman, another witch perhaps... What a coward.

"You have to save my daughter, she is only a child." Klaus cried as he still held Hope's hand. She was confused at first. Why would he choose her?

"You already gave up on Elijah?" He asked as he looked at his motionless body on the floor.

"I gave him peaceful memories while he passes... he bagged me to save Hope. He and I both would do anything for her. You can kill me, but only after you cured her and let her go." Klaus added passionately.

"Are you making demands now?" Lucien laughed. "There's no cure my friend. I just wanted to see your last hope crumble right in front of me... literally." He kept laughing. Klaus let Hope's hand go and launched at Lucien, knocking him across the room, to the wall, then the witch tossed Klaus to the other end.

"You are still weak Lucien! Weak and a coward! No serum will ever change that!" Klaus said and Hope agreed with him wholeheartedly. This new witch wasn't as strong as the old one, she didn't even bother to immobilize Klaus and he attacked Lucien one more time, but before he reached him, he stopped.

"Send him home to our family. He deserves to die surrounded by our loved ones not in one of your filthy layers. Do at least this for him." Klaus stared at him furiously, then Lucien rolled his eyes and nodded. Klaus kneeled down beside his brother and whispered something to him, then Lucien called some men in and they took Elijah away. Hope didn't understand. If she was going to die no matter what, she wanted to be with Grace. She wanted to say goodbye to the little ones, she wanted to apologize to all three for not being able to keep her promise.

After Lucien left, Klaus aggressively hit the door with two knuckles as he screamed, then turned to Hope. He walked to her and sat down by her side again.

"I'm so sorry... it shouldn't have been like this." He apologized and grabbed Hope's hand immediately. Hope wanted to say something. She wanted to say thank you for choosing her, even though there was no cure. She wanted to ask why he sent Elijah away and not her. She wished she could say something, anything... but speaking became impossible as the poison was burning everything inside of her. "I can help you... take some pain away..." Klaus said and Hope begged with her eyes. Anything but this agony. Klaus closed his eyes as he held Hope's hands tightly.

Hope opened her eyes and she found herself on a street that was completely unfamiliar to her. The street was beautiful with old buildings, colorful decorations all over them. She heard jazz music playing in the background, then she saw him, sitting on a bench. Hope walked to him and sat down by him.

"Are you feeling better my darling?" He asked as he looked at Hope with deep pain in his eyes. Hope nodded.

"I don't feel the pain anymore." She said, and Klaus grabbed her hand. "Am I dead?" Hope asked, unsure where she was exactly.

"No." Klaus shook his head. "You are in one of my memories, in New Orleans. One of my favorite places." He explained and Hope had no idea how it was possible.

"It's pretty." She whispered knowing it wasn't real and soon she would really be dead.

"I'm sorry I didn't come and find you sooner." He said but Hope didn't reply. "I should have looked harder. I wanted you to grow up with me, to know what it means to be a Mikaelson, but I was a coward... I never thought I deserved you, perhaps that's why I never found you. I am so sorry."

"You found me now." Hope shrugged and saw the tears in Klaus's eyes. "Why did you send your brother away?" She asked curiously.

"I was hoping Freya could find a way to kill Lucien, from the venom inside Elijah... but that would take time." He said with a sad expression, probably thinking it would be too late for Hope.

"You can still escape somehow, you don't have the poison. This new witch seems to be weak. You can get her easily, and Lucien is just an arrogant fool." Hope said really hoping he would get out and kill Lucien for good somehow. He had to, Klaus was her only chance of finding peace. He just smiled and nodded.

"When I do, I'll make sure your siblings will never be in need of anything. They will be taken care of." Klaus said. Hope didn't expect him to care about any of them. Him mentioning them made her truly emotional. She hated that they had to bear another loss.

"Thank you." Hope whispered as she was choking on her tears.

"Would you like to tell me about them?" Klaus looked at her, they both had tears in their eyes. Hope nodded with a sad smile.

"Jack... his full name is Jackson after our dad. He's five and he's full of life. He has the cutest little face that I have a hard time not to shower with kisses all the time." Hope chuckled as she thought about her little brother. "Riley... She's seven and she is a tough cookie. Very stubborn and she is not afraid to say what's on her mind." Hope smiled. "But she is a very sensitive little girl and perhaps she'll have the hardest time..." A sob broke out of Hope. Klaus placed a hand on her back and stroked her lightly. "Grace..." Hope was crying hard. "She is my best friend..." she was sobbing so hard, she wasn't able to continue. Klaus pulled her into a hug and he kept stroking her back and head like that. Hope hugged him back... she didn't know why, she never liked this man... she hated this man... but then why was his closeness so comforting? She didn't want to think about it, not in her last moments. She just wanted to be held by her father as she slowly passed away.

"I love you, Hope. I love you more than all the days and nights. Deeper than the oceans and the skies." Klaus whispered as he held her tight, and it was the last thing she heard.