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Rising from her bed, Hope glanced around the room. As she turned her gaze towards the corner, she noticed her mother engrossed in looking at a picture.
"Mom."
Hayley's eyes met hers, and a smile graced her face. She settled herself on the bed, wrapping her arms around her daughter in a tight embrace. "I thought I had lost you," Hope admitted, her voice filled with relief. With tears in her eyes, Hayley responded, "I'm tougher than I look. I will always come back for you."
Hope started crying as she lay in her mother's arms. Once they were done Hope told her on what had happened while she was gone. Axel and Klaus stood outside on the balcony.
"It's great to hear that Hope reached out to you for help," Klaus said, with Axel nodding in agreement. "I'm here to help," Axel replied. The two of them stood quietly.
"How have the past couple of years treated you?" Klaus inquired, casting a glance at his brother. Axel responded, "Despite being alone, it has been a peaceful time for me. I can proudly say that I'm now a grandfather." Surprised, Klaus congratulated him, saying, "Congratulations!" Axel smiled back at him.
"Davina had a girl years ago. She's finally married and I am happy that she is now living her life away from everything." Looking back on the past, Axel remembered when Davina had a daughter years ago.
Seeing her happily married now and starting fresh brought him so much joy. The memory of meeting his granddaughter for the first time was still vivid in his mind, and he was thrilled that Davina had found her happy ending after everything she had been through.
Curiously, Axel questioned Klaus, "What were you and Caroline doing together yesterday?" Klaus, keeping an eye on the people passing by, responded, "We were actually searching for Hope. Caroline, as the headmistress of the Salvatore school, informed me that Hope had gone missing from school."
Axel gave a nod while Klaus flashed a smirk. "Don't stress, brother. I'm not interested in your girl. I've got too many things going on to be thinking about a woman at the moment," he reassured. Axel couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's words.
"Now that Hayley is back home safe with her daughter, I think it's time for me to head back to where I was," he expressed to Klaus.
Klaus, however, expressed concern and urged Axel to reconsider. "Are you sure? Perhaps maybe you should stay. New Orleans still has enemies, and the rest of the family can't be here to defend Hayley, Freya, and Hope due to the hollow. Nobody knows that Gods exists in New Orleans, so you'll be safe from any weapons that can kill you," Klaus reasoned. Axel glanced down at the people, contemplating his next move.
"I don't know, Klaus. Somehow, they've managed to survive without me for years," he admitted. As if on cue, the door swung open and Hayley and Hope stepped out. Klaus took a step back, wary of Hope's presence. "Please, Uncle Axel. We need you," Hope pleaded, her eyes filled with desperation.
