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It was now dark outside, wolves howling and the moon shining brightly in the night sky. The Mikaelson clan exited their car, which was parked in front of the house Hayley and Hope have resided in for the last five years; at least when they weren't looking for parts of the cures for each the originals' sleeping states.
"You ready to meet your daughter?" Belle asked as they walked to the house. Her arm was looped under Klaus' as Hayley led them to Hope's bedroom.
"Not really, she's seven-years-old." Klaus looked at the ground for a moment, trying to hold back tears. "I've missed five years of her life."
"You missed five years of her life so you could save your family, Niklaus. You didn't miss everything, only five years." Belle assured. "You have her now, that's what counts, right? I mean, plenty of fathers who leave, never come back—but you did. That means everything."
"I suppose," he let out a deep breath. They were now standing outside the door to her bedroom. Hayley slowly opened the door, where a red-headed, freckle-faced seven-year-old lay, sleeping. Klaus sharply inhaled, shocked at how big she's grown.
"Do you want me to wake her up?" Hayley asked, a small smile on her face.
"No, no. Let her sleep," Klaus didn't think he was ready to truly meet her. He could barely believe that she was right there, in her seven-year-old glory. Hayley quickly went outside to talk to Elijah, leaving Klaus and Belle to watch Hope.
"She's beautiful. She looks like you," Belle commented, a large smile on her face.
"She doesn't! She looks more like her mother," Klaus denied.
"Either way, you've got a very beautiful daughter," Belle nodded, resting her head on Klaus' shoulder. Suddenly, Hope started moving. The two adults' eyes widened, their bodies stilling as they tried to be as quiet as possible. Hope only turned to lay on her back, her face looking to the ceiling. Klaus gave a chuckle, a tear falling down his face.
"Come on, I don't want to wake her," their arms were still hooked, so he easily brought Belle to the front porch, where the rest of the family—excluding Elijah and Hayley, who were having some sort of date in a gazebo behind the house—sat, talking.
"That little girl is already doing wonders. She's got Niklaus crying," Belle smiled as Klaus elbowed her side. "What? You are!"
"That doesn't mean you tell our whole family!"
"Technically, I didn't tell your whole family, Elijah and Hayley are making out in the woods and Hope is asleep in her room, so I only told—" she paused, doing math in her head. "—about half of our family, Niklaus."
