MYSTIC FALLS, SEVEN YEARS LATER;

   "Well?"

   "Ssh." Mira didn't even spare Hope a glance, as she focused on counting out the money she'd gotten from Henry.

   Their plan wasn't exactly a solid one. In fact, there was barely a plan at all, all they had was the idea they'd came up with one night. After a moment, Mira gave a nod, and Hope let out a long sigh of relief as she slumped into her desk chair. Now, after so long of planning, they finally had the funds that they needed to follow through. 

   "With the money from Henry, paired with all the money we've saved from our birthdays...it's just about enough." Mira nodded, quickly gathering the notes laid on the bed and putting them back into their established hiding place. "All we need is the stuff we have at home."

   Mira had been hesitant about Hope's plan to sell her blood to Henry. Henry was one of the kinder guys at their school, and one of the very few who knew their secret, thanks to being one apart of the Crescent wolves. They weren't just ordinary Hope Marshall and Mira Gilbert, they were Mikaelsons, and Hope was Henry's one chance of getting exactly what he wanted. Mira wasn't sure Henry knew entirely what he was getting himself into, but he seemed more certain and determined then ever to go follow through.

   Mira just hoped he wouldn't come to regret it later, as there was no way back.

   Before either girl could say anything else, they quickly scrambled to make themselves look busy upon a knock on their door. "Come in." Hope called after a few seconds, as they both made it seem as if they'd just been doing homework. The door to their dorm room opened, and they were both met with a unreadable look from Dorian. "Mr. Williams." The eldest of the two Mikaelsons stood up. "What's up?"

   "Mr. Saltzman wants to see you both." He glanced between the two girls. "It's about Henry Benoit."

   Mira bit down hard on her bottom lip, glancing at Hope who glanced back at her, knowing there was no way they could lie their way out of this one. "Is, um," Hope began quietly. "Is Mr. Saltzman calling our moms?"

   "That, and he thinks your dad should know what you've been up to." Dorian told Hope specifically, Mira unsurprised he didn't look in her direction.

   It's not like her dad would even know who Mr. Saltzman wanted to talk to him about.

   Hope let out a slightly bitter scoff, sitting back down in her seat. "Yeah. Good luck finding him."

   "Pack your bags, Hope. And yours, Mira." Dorian informed them both. "You're going home." With that, he left the room and closed the door, the two cousins waiting till he was gone to let out their small, pleased smiles show.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey Gilbert's fingers twirled the engagement ring on the chain around her neck absentmindedly, lost within her thoughts until she felt Hayley rest her hand on her knee. She glanced at the Marshall woman beside her, who raised a brow in concern, but Audrey simply gave a small smile as she shook her head in assurance. Luckily for her, Hayley didn't get to push the matter further, as Poppy approached their table with a tray in hand.

   "Okay, guys." Poppy smiled at the group, placing drinks down in front of each of them. "If these don't prep your livers for Mardi Gras, then nothing will."

   "Eh, my liver was probably dead before I became a vampire, but thanks, Poppy." Josh shrugged, earning a chuckle from the woman as she walked away.

   "Okay." Vincent rested his hat on his lap. "So we should probably get back to Mardi Gras prep."

   The Rosza vampire gave the Griffith man a look. "Oh, come on, Vincent, we got this. Alright?" He said confidently.  "It's gone off without a hitch for, what, seven years now?"

   "Josh, that's because we haven't taken it for granted for seven years." Vincent shot back in reminder, causing Josh to roll his eyes slightly, focusing his attention more on his phone as it buzzed on the table. "Let me remind you: moments of prosperity are invariably followed by times of great pain, unless we remain vigilant."

   "Thank you, Mr. Buzzkill." Freya hummed, sipping on her wine.

   Audrey shook her head, looking at Hayley, who just bit her lip to not snicker. Freya merely grinned innocently across the table at the two women she considered her sisters, all three of them avoiding Vincent's scolding gaze.

   "Okay, Freya, what you got, Mardi Gras prep?" Vincent lightly clapped his hands, getting them back on track.

   "The witches will be working on their float in the City of the dead." Freya answered simply.

   "The werewolves in the Bayou." Hayley continued with a nod, looking at a distracted Josh to continue.

   However, his focus remained on his phone, which he was now hiding slightly under the table as he replied to whoever was messaging him. All of them watched him for a moment, before Audrey took the initiative and nudged his ribs lightly, making him look up with a blink of confusion. Clearly unaware what they were all waiting on him for.

   "This is where you're supposed to say that the vampires are gonna steer clear of both." Vincent stated, giving him an obvious look.

   "Yeah." Josh nodded, clearing his throat as he placed his phone back on the table. "Uh, actually, maybe we should offer them some sort of incentive."

   Audrey immediately raised her hands in confusion, as Vincent looked at her in disbelief of his words. Between her and Josh, they'd been keeping the vampire faction of city running efficiently and smoothly for the last seven years, just as Hayley, Freya, and Vincent had been doing with the werewolves and witches. The five of them together, they'd given New Orleans the most peaceful seven years that the city had ever known. 

   "I have nothing to do with this." She quickly shook her head. "This is all him."

   "Seven years of peace and prosperity not enough?" Hayley asked him.

   "Well, it is, but we could always use more daylight rings." He stated nervously, his phone going off once again.

   "This a negotiation, Josh?" Vincent raised a brow, as the Rosza vampire hid his phone once again to reply, a look of realization dawning on the Griffith man. A look that immediately dipped into a deep frown. "Marcel."

   Josh quickly locked his phone. "You know what?" He began to defend. "First of all, reading that was very rude, and second--"

   However, Vincent wasn't giving him the chance to continue. "Josh. I don't know how many times I have told you that what goes on in this city is no longer any of Marcel Gerard's business. Okay?" He stressed, before he looked at all of them. "A-And guys, this is what I'm always talking about. Marcel means Rebekah. Rebekah means Kol and Elijah." Audrey immediately took a sip of her drink, seeing Hayley and Freya look at her at the mention of his name. "And I don't even want to think about Klaus right now, 'cause apparently, he has lost his mind."

   "Oh, come on, we don't know if those rumors are true." Freya came to her brothers defense, though they'd all been hearing the same stories about him.

   Ones that were becoming increasingly hard for them to just ignore.

   "I know that we need to make sure that they stay as far away from this city as possible." He said firmly. "And Freya, I'll be Mr. Buzzkill if it means reminding everybody here that the magic that those four carry inside of them, if we put two of them in the same place, it is a ticking bomb."

   "Relax." Hayley calmly cut in. "Okay? Marcel's in New York, Elijah's..." She began to hesitate, looking at the Gilbert girl beside her.

   Audrey closed her eyes and sighed, clutching at the ring around her neck a moment before she looked at Vincent. "He doesn't remember, okay? You know it just as well as we do."

   "Right." Hayley took her hand and squeezed it, despite the look Audrey gave her to convince that she was fine. Though it seemed Hayley knew better, like she always did when the subject of Elijah came up. "And Klaus is wherever Klaus is these days. We're fine."

   "Declan sent these over." Poppy interrupted, walking over and placing a plate down in front of Hayley. "To tide you over until your date tomorrow."

   "Oh." Josh smirked, seeing Hayley's smile as locked eyes with Declan who stood in Rousseau's kitchen, preparing orders. "Oh, my God. I swear, if you don't marry that guy, I will."

   Audrey chuckled slightly, as Hayley just gave a small shake of her head. "Baby steps. He's human. Life's complicated enough." She brushed off, as her phone began to ring. "Oh. Hope's school." She picked it up as she rose to her feet. "Like I said." And she walked away to answer it. 

   Audrey felt her phone begin to buzz in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see Caroline's name on the screen. "Give me a second." She mumbled, walking away to answer it. "Care?"

   And within a few seconds, both Hayley and Audrey looked at one another in disbelief as they learned what was going on.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

    The wait outside Mr. Saltzman's office was slightly nerve wracking, or at least, Mira thought so. Hope seemed to be relatively calm about the whole thing, but she knew it was just because their moms hadn't arrived to pick them up yet. At that point, it would become a whole other story. Mira turned her head to see what had taken Hope's attention, and rolled her eyes at the sight of Roman Sienna coming down the hallway toward them, making Hope quickly away as if she hadn't been staring all along.

   "You two going somewhere?" He asked, though his eyes were on Hope.

   Mira said nothing as Hope cleared her throat. "Home." She answered. "We, uh, we got suspended."

   "Hope Marshall and Mira Gilbert got suspended?" He asked in surprise, chuckling. "Cool." Roman mused, before he headed off down the hall.

   "Cool." Mira mimicked mockingly, as Hope gazed after him. 

   "Knock it off." Hope nudged her. "I don't know what your problem is with him."

   "Maybe the fact he probably only has one functioning brain cell inside that head of his? If that." Mira gave Hope a flat look, and Hope just rolled her eyes. "Of all the guys, Hope, really?"

   "I don't know what you're going on about." Hope brushed off, crossing her arms.

    Mira opened her mouth to continue, but Henry slipping into the empty seat beside them stopped her, both girls looking at him as he gathered the courage to speak. "Sorry I got you guys in trouble."

   "I said "be discreet."" Hope looked at him in disbelief. "What part of jumping out of a tower is discreet?"

   "I had to make sure it would work." Henry told them. "If I only hurt myself, then I would have just healed."

   "Right." Hope drawled sarcastically. "Because no one's ever died peacefully from sleeping pills."

   "I'm not a person things go right for." Henry shot back, shaking his head. "You ever seen a werewolf with no pecs who quotes E.E Cummings?" He looked down as he leaned forward, shaking his head as he clasped his hands. "I can already tell I'm getting stronger. You know how good it will be not to have to take crap from anybody?"

   Mira sighed, looking at her cousin. "I told you."

   Hope rolled her eyes, but now knew Mira had a point from the start. Maybe this wasn't as good of an idea as they thought, they should have gotten the money another way. "What makes you think that?" She asked Henry. "You're a hybrid now." She pointed out to him. "You may be able to defend yourself, but they'll only hate you for being different. I don't think that you thought this through, Henry."

   Henry just shook his head. "You wouldn't understand?"

   Mira frowned at him. "Really? We wouldn't understand?"

   "That's different." He lowered his voice. "None of the students know you're Klaus Mikaelson's daughter." He looked from Hope to Henry. "That you're Elijah Mikaelson's daughter."

   "I don't know why Lisina told you." Hope looked away from him. "You and I aren't even friends."

   "Your mom's our alpha." Henry answered. "All the Crescent wolves know."

   "And so will everyone at school when they starting asking how you survived a swan dive of out the memorial library." She scoffed obviously, making him fall quiet, a slight look of guilt in his eyes.

   And then that guilt turned to fear. "Your dads aren't going to kill me for getting you both suspended, are they?"

   Mira closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the wall. "Don't worry, Henry." She smiled, a slight bitterness to it. "My dad doesn't even know I exist." 

   Hope watched her for a moment, before she looked back at the Benoit boy, holding a bitter smile of her own. "I wouldn't know. Mine can't bother to be a dad."

   The sound of footsteps racing toward them grabbed all threes attention, and soon enough, Elliot and Grace Mikaelson panted to catch their breath as they stopped in front of the three teenagers. Mira internally groaned, slumping down in her seat in anticipation of what was about to come from her younger twin siblings. 

   "Did you guys really get suspended?" Grace asked curiously, looking between the older pair, as Henry awkwardly got up and left the four alone. 

   Hope blinked. "How did you guys even--"

   "Lizzie told us." The seven year olds replied in stereo, causing Hope to just look at Mira. Mira waved it off, refusing to be drawn into yet another debate over her friendship with the Saltzman twins. "So, did you?" Elliot pressed further.

   "Yes." Mira answered reluctantly. "And no, before you ask, we're not telling you why."

   Grace just shrugged. "Okay, we'll just ask mom when she comes to get you guys." She stated simply, earning a glare from her older sister.

   "What do you guys care?" Hope asked them. "You guys aren't the ones suspended. Don't you have class or something?"

   "And miss this?" Grace smirked in amusement, and Mira just shook her head at this point. Grace, was a lot of their family said, was a lot like Rebekah in many ways. All she was missing was the blonde hair. "As if."

   "It can't be that bad." Elliot said optimistically.

   "Well--"

   "Car." All four looked up to see Hayley and Audrey stood by the entrance, their eyes set firmly on their teenager daughters. Hope and Mira immediately fell quiet, getting to their feet to grab their bags. "Now."

   They knew now wasn't the right time to argue with their moms.

   "You two." Audrey then looked at her youngest pair, who smiled at her as they ran and hugged onto one of her legs. She chuckled as she bent down to their level, as Hayley took Hope and Mira out to the car. "They'll be back soon enough, okay? Will you be okay without them here?"

   "We'll be fine, mom." Elliot nodded, as he and Grace hugged her tightly. "We'll miss you though." He mumbled into her shoulder.

   Audrey let out a content sigh, hugging them back as she pressed a kiss on top of each of their foreheads. "I'll miss you guys." She said softly. "Be good, okay? And if you need anything..."

   "Ask Mr. Saltzman to call home." Grace recited knowingly, nodding. "Mom?" She asked, as Audrey pushed to her feet. "Are Mira and Hope in a lot of trouble?"

   "Go on, back to whatever you're meant to be doing." She ushered them gently, and the twins exchanged a look before doing as told, glancing back at their mother as they left.

   Audrey glanced around at the familiar walls of the boarding house, before she took a deep breath and headed out to the car herself.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   The seven hour drive back to New Orleans had been silent, with Hope and Mira not daring to try and speak first. When they did eventually get back, Hayley and Audrey walked ahead of them as they entered the courtyard of the compound, refusing to even look at their daughters at this point.

   Hope was the one to snap first, sighing in annoyance. "Can you just yell at us already?" She let out. "Seven hours hostile silence is punishment enough."

   The two women stopped walking, turning to  face them with furious glares that made Mira step back silently. She knew better than to try and speak like Hope was, as if wasn't often she saw her mom as angry as she was right now. "The whole point of sending you to that school and calling you Hope Marshall and Mira Gilbert was so that you wouldn't draw attention to yourselves." Hayley stated, crossing her arms as she looked between them both. "Why? Why did you do it? What could you have possibly needed the money for?"

   Hope crossed her own arms as she looked back at her mom. "That's our business."

   "And selling your blood is mine." Hayley snapped at Hope. "You had no right." 

   Hope let out a scoff, ignoring Mira who grabbed her wrist to try and stop her from making things worse. "You're being a hypocrite." Hope replied, and Mira sighed, letting her go as she knew now it was pointless trying. "You're the one that taught me "my body, my choice." Well, my blood, my choice."

   "You are not just anybody, Hope." Hayley stressed to her. "Do you even understand what you have done?"

   "Henry came to me." She said calmly.

   "And you should have said no." Audrey shook her head, and looked at her own daughter. "And you should never have agreed to be apart of this. You know better than this, Mira." She looked to her niece. "Both of you do."

   Mira bit her tongue as she glanced up at her mom. "He came to us...." She trailed off quietly.

   "Guys, Henry was already a kid who was struggling to fit in, and now...he's gonna be one of only three hybrids in the world, and seen as a threat to everyone in the city." Hayley told them, her words making what they'd done sink in more than it had before. "You have no idea what you've done. You cannot create something without taking responsibility for it."

   "What are you gonna do?" Hope shook her head, pushing the guilt down best she could. "Ground us...a-and lock us up? We'll just whammy ourselves out, we are witches."

   Mira stared her cousin down, growing slightly irritated. "Please stop speaking for me."

   "And we are your mother's." Hayley stated firmly, pointing between herself and Audrey. "Which means tomorrow we're gonna have to clean up the mess you've made before it gets worse." Shaking her head in disappointment, Hayley walked away, making Hope sigh and look down.

   "To your rooms." Audrey said after a moment, giving them both a warning glare before either tried to argue. "Not another word on this tonight, do I make myself clear? Bed. Now."

   "Mom..." Mira sighed, but Audrey didn't listen as she walked away herself. "Great." She mumbled.

   "It'll be worth it." Hope said quietly, making sure neither Hayley or Audrey was around to hear them anymore. "We knew it was going to be bad."

   "Yeah, and you didn't need to make it worse." Mira gave her an obvious look. "Arguing with your mom? Really?"

   "It'll be fine." Hope tried to argue, but Mira just shook her head and made her way to her room.

   She closed the door behind her, dumping her bag on the ground as she practically threw herself onto her bed tiredly. Her room was in the same state she'd left it in before they'd left for school at the start of the semester, her bed made but a mess of books and sheet music covering her desk, some of the sheet music spread out over the keys of her piano in the corner. Forcing herself to sit up, she switched on the lamp on her beside table, getting up to dig in her dresser for a pair of pajamas. 

   As she moved toward the dresser, her eyes scanned all the photos that lined the top of it in frames, smiling slightly. Some where of her and Hope, or her, Grace, and Elliot. Some of her and her mom, Freya, or photos Kol and Davina had sent from their home in Belize. There were some of Marcel and Rebekah too, ones they'd taken from their home in New York. 

   Mira paused as she turned back toward her bed, looking at the photo on her nightstand. She slowly walked over and picked up the silver frame, looking at the only photo she had of her and her dad together. They were on the porch of the house they lived in for a while when she and Hope were younger, when their family came back into their lives after five years away. She sat on Elijah's lap with a bright smile, and Elijah's concentration was partly on the camera, partly on smiling down at the little girl in his arms with love. 

   "It'll all be worth it." She whispered quietly as she held the photo close to her chest, closing her eyes.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Mira laid on her bed the next morning, trying to focus her attention on the book in her hands. She decided it was better if she left her mom to calm down, before she dared try to talk to her again. Neither she or Hayley could know the real reason they'd caused this mess, as they'd try to stop them, and they couldn't risk that. She just hoped that they'd understand in the end, even if it meant that they spent a while mad.

   "Yeah?" She called out when there was a knock on her door.

   "Hey." Hope walked in with her phone in hand, holding it out to her. "Uncle Kol's on the phone."

   A smile twitched onto Mira's lips as she put the book down, sitting up to take the phone as Hope sat beside her. "Hey, uncle Kol."

   Kol smiled at both of his nieces. "There she is." He grinned. "How are my little ne'er-do-wells?" 

   "We've been better." Hope admitted. "How's Davina?"

   Kol's eyes glanced off screen, his smile growing lovingly, making both girls smile a knowing smile of their own. "My darling wife is gorging on papaya right now. You know, Belize is beautiful this time of year." He told them. "You should visit."

   "We'd love to, but...we're grounded." Hope informed him.

   "Probably until we're fifty." Mira added on.

   "Grounded?" Kol repeated and shook his head with a scoff. "You can't ground a witch, let alone two of my three favorite nieces."

   Mira looked at him in amusement. "Grace isn't here, you know. You can just say two." She hummed, and he chuckled.

   "That's what I said." Hope replied to his previous words, chuckling slightly herself. "Mom didn't think it was funny. I don't think aunt Rey did either."

   "Well, I'm sure it will all blow over by Mardi Gras." He assured them gently.

   "I..." Hope trailed off thoughtfully. "I didn't think it was such a big deal at the time, but now that it's stirred up so much trouble I kind of feel bad."

   "Yeah..." Mira nodded slowly in agreement. "Me too."

   "Darlings, you can't get your knickers in a knot every time you have a little kerfuffle." Kol told them both, and the two had a feeling he knew better than most what they were going through. "You'll never have a moment of pleasure. And I, for one, thought you showed some real entrepreneurial spirit."

   "Mom would kill you if she could hear you right now." Mira told him knowing, Kol just smiled with a look of innocence, pressing his finger to his lips.

   "Yeah, that's us, your friendly neighborhood blood dealers." Hope hummed with a slight smile.

   Kol gave his nieces a look. "I'm sure you've noticed by now the best people are black sheep."

   Hope tilted her head curiously. "Like my dad?"

   "I was referring to me." Kol corrected her. "Niklaus is in a league of his own."

   "Seen him lately?" She then asked, though her look showed she didn't expect much.

   "Well, thankfully for you, no." Kol shook his head. "Don't worry. Sooner or later, something will blow up in New Orleans. Some crisis or other always brings us back."

   Mira watched her cousin carefully as she took the phone back, seeing the thoughts running through her eyes. She raised a brow, and Hope just gave a discreet shake her of her, clearly not wanting to say a word in front of their uncle. Mira held a sinking feeling as she watched Hope leave the room, already knowing she wasn't going to like whatever plan was forming inside her head.

    "You want me to track him down?" Caroline Forbes-Salvatore questioned, as down the hall, Audrey paced the floor of her room with her phone to her ear. 

   "If you don't mind." Audrey told her, running her fingers through her hair. "Klaus, of course, isn't answering Hayley and I. There's no one else can ask without risking--"

   "Biblical style disasters from having any of of those four Mikaelsons in the same place?" Caroline cut her off.  "Got it. I'm in France anyway, I'll find him and talk some sense into him."

   "He should know what's going on with Hope, even if he is determined to avoid her till the end of time. I thought I'd try and handle this for Hayley, while she's handling the mess this has caused with the wolves." Audrey said with a sigh, laying down on her bed. She stuck to the side she always slept on, her eyes glancing at the side that once used to belong to Elijah. "While you're there, do you think, um..." She struggled to let the thought her mind out.

   "Rey..." Caroline sighed, and Audrey could imagine the worried look on her face. "Is that a good idea?"

   "Yes...no...I don't know." Audrey let out a frustrated groan, reaching for her ring with her free hand.  "I just wish he was there to talk to and know what is going on." She sighed. "Mira could use her father right now, he'd be able to get her to talk about what's wrong. Grace and Elliot need him. I..." She let out a breath at the lump forming in the back of her throat. "It just sucks, you know?"

   "I know." Caroline told her softly. "I don't know exactly how you feel, but I know what it's like to miss that person. I still miss Stefan everyday." She said wholeheartedly. "I'll drop in before I leave, okay? Just to check on him."

   "Thank you. I owe you." Audrey told her seriously. "I'll come to you, or next time you're going to be in New Orleans, wine is on me."

   "I'm holding you to that." Caroline said seriously. "I love you."

   "I love you too."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey leaned in the doorway of Mira's bedroom, watching as she trailed of her fingers across her piano keys, pressing at random notes to try and form a melody. Clutching the passport Hayley had found hidden with Hope's, she knocked on the doorway as she made her way further inside, causing Mira to look up from what she was doing. The second she saw the passport in her hands, her face fell and she looked away.

   "Mira..." Audrey gently touched her shoulder. "Come on. It's time we talk."

   Mira sighed as she moved from the piano bench to her bed, watching as Audrey sat down beside her, giving a small smile at the picture she saw on Mira's nightstand. "You know." She said after a moment.

   "I put the pieces together when Hayley found these in Hope's room." Audrey held up the passport, placing it down on the nightstand. "That's why you both wanted the money, isn't it?"

   "I know he won't know who I am." Mira said quietly, her fingers picking at a loose strong on her blanket. "And I--I know we shouldn't be in the same place, I just... I want to see him, mom." She bit her lip. "I want to see my dad, even if it's just for a few minutes." She chuckled dryly as she looked down. "It sounds so stupid."

   "No, it doesn't." Audrey said honestly, gently tilting her chin up so their eyes met. "Sweetheart, it's okay to miss him." She said softly. "I miss him too, so much." She tucked her hair carefully behind her ear. "But he did this to protect you. He knew being around you meant you were unsafe, and he also knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from us, because he loves us that much."

   "I took him away from you." Mira's voice cracked. "I took him away from Grace and Elliot. They never even got to meet him."

   "No, Mira." Audrey took her shoulders. "Listen to me. What happened, it was not your fault. You and Hope were victims of a very evil witch, and dark magic." She told her. "No one regrets anything that has been done to protect you both."

   "It's not fair." She whispered as some tears fell, and Audrey pulled her daughter into her arms.

   "I know." Audrey whispered as she rubbed her back, letting her cry into her shoulder. "I hope more than anything, that one day, we'll have him back without fear of consequence. That you, Grace, and Elliot will be able to have time with your dad, but until that day comes, we just need to be patient. Until that day comes, we will always have each other." She promised her softly. "What do we say?"

   "Family sticks together as one, always and forever." Mira said the words she knew so well.

   "Always and forever." Audrey repeated, kissing her forehead as she wiped her tears gently.

   "HOPE! MIRA!" The screams of Henry's voice quickly got the pair to their feet, rushing out onto the balcony as Hope and Hayley came out, all of them stunned at what they saw. Henry was on his knees in the courtyard, covered in blood that wasn't his own, with Poppy's desiccated and blood coated body in his arms. A clear bite mark on her neck, that could have only look so bad due to added wolf venom. "I...I made a mistake." Henry's terrified voice choked out.

   Hope and Mira looked on with wide eyes, and both Audrey and Hayley could see the clear fear and guilt on their daughters faces. Hope breathed heavily as she took into the sight, quickly gripping onto Mira's hand who held hers just as tightly. 

   "Take Henry in your room and stay there, all three of you." Hayley said calmly, as she and Audrey picked up on the sound of a crowd approaching. "Go on."

   The girls slowly nodded and took a panicked Henry with them, as Lisina walked in, with Josh and a herd of angry vampires following behind them. Respectfully, Audrey laid Poppy's body down on the table and covered it with a sheet, before she went to stand with Hayley and Lisina, and Lisina glared at the vampires, clearly ready for a fight at a moment notice. 

   "No one wants any trouble, Hayley, Audrey." Greta Sienna, a vampire Audrey and Josh had come to known as louder than the rest, spoke calmly. "We just want the hybrid."

   "You're not getting Henry!" Lisina snarled angrily, her eyes flashing gold.

   Hayley held her back with her arm, shaking her head. "Let me handle this."

   Josh turned to look at the group of vampires, who he was trying his best to keep under control. "Remember that hybrid is just a kid." He then turned with a sigh, looking at Hayley, Audrey, and Lisina. "But Poppy was just trying to walk home from work, and she was our friend."

   "He's not going anywhere!" Lisina snapped stubbornly.

   Josh glanced at Hayley with a regret. "Hayley, you might not have a choice."

   Meanwhile, Henry paced beside Hope's bed frantically, as Hope stood near the door and tried to listen to what was being said in the courtyard. Mira made her way out of Hope's bathroom with a wet cloth in hand, trying her best to get Henry to stay still so she could clean up the dried blood that coat his mouth and hands. 

   "I didn't even know that girl." He let out.

   Hope didn't look at him, trying to focus. "I can't hear."

   Mira sighed as Henry once again pulled away from her. "Henry, please--"

   "She just bumped into me, and I--I just...I got so angry." Henry stammered, running his fingers through his curls as he rubbed his face with his hands. "They--they want... they want to kill me, huh?"

   Hope eventually turned around to face him, walking closer. "Henry, relax, for God's sake..." She glanced at Mira, who nodded, and softened her glance on the Benoit boy. "Just...feel better."

   His breathing slowed down to a normal rate as he slowly began to calm down, lowering himself to sit on the edge of Hope's bed. "Okay. That-that's weird. You...you said "feel better." and I actually feel better." He spoke in confusion.

   "Because my blood made you a hybrid." Hope explained to him, as Mira was now able to get the last of the blood off him. "So you're sired to me."

   He blinked as he took this in. "I have to do what you say?"

   Hope managed a weak smile, nodding. "Pretty much, but don't worry, I believe in personal autonomy." She assured. "But for now, stay here." She said, before she left to try and hear what was going on better.

   "Trust her." Mira told him gently. "You're going to be okay, Henry." She promised him gently. "I give you my word."

   Downstairs, Hayley took a deep breath as looked at them all calmly. "We need to be rational."

   "Should they go back and tell Poppy's mother her daughter's killer's free, but at least we were rational?" Greta crossed her arms.

   "No." Audrey gave the woman a look, who's attitude wasn't changing anytime soon. "But you should hear what Hayley has to say."

   "Peace is complicated. We haven't had it all this time because we've been perfect. We've had it because we haven't overreacted when we're not. Revenge isn't justice. Do we really want to sacrifice a... a kid to assuage our fear?" Hayley asked them all.

   Greta gave a look of disbelief. "He's not just a kid. He's a hybrid. With the power to kill all vampires her chooses." She looked at Audrey. "You can't possibly side with a killer who'd put your life as risk just as much as ours."

   "No, I side with peace." Audrey shook her head. "Hayley's right. This isn't going to solve anything. You want to kill a innocent kid, who made a mistake. Who is trying to wrap his head this new side of himself he doesn't fully understand. That isn't justice."

   "My sister is right." Hayley agreed with her, looking at them pleadingly. "I'm a hybrid. I'm not a threat to anyone. And after I teach Henry self-control, he won't be, either. Look, every death is a tragedy. And I'm truly sorry for Poppy and her family. But we've evolved beyond an "eye for an eye" mentality. This is a test. Don't... throw away all we've accomplished."

   But even as this seemed to get through to some, Audrey got a sink gut feeling this wasn't going to be resolved so easily.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Once the mob had been dispersed, Henry was sent back to the bayou with Lisina, under the assurance nothing was going to happen to him. With their moms having left to make some calls, Hope and Mira made themselves comfortable down in the courtyard, Hope sketching away as Mira continued to read her book from earlier. 

   "Hey, jailbirds." Freya said gently as she joined them.

   "Hi, auntie Freya." Mira gave a small smile as she looked up.

   "I've got some news about me and Keelin." She announced, perching herself on the arm of a chair. "Where are your moms?"

   "We don't know." Hope answered, looking a little concerned. "They said they'd only be gone a few minutes, but then they never came back."

   "Where'd they go?" Freya asked in concern.

   "Outside to make--" Mira paused, her eyes widening as she noticed something behind her aunt. "Aunt Freya." She nodded, and both Freya and Hope looked to see what Mira had, the water in the fountain having turned into blood.

   Immediately, Freya made her way outside to try and find Hayley and Audrey, leaving the two teenagers examining what had happened to the fountain. When Freya came back inside, she looked at her nieces worriedly. "Someone found these in the street." In her hands, she held up both Hayley and Audrey's phones, both of them with shattered screens from being dropped.

   Hope swallowed hard as took hold of mom's phone, and Mira shakily took Audrey's, the screen coming on to show her lock screen. A picture of Mira, Grace, and Elliot all together, and her heart sank her chest.

   She wasn't sure on what they'd done anymore.

Okay, so I didn't include the phone call from Klaus, but here's the first episode of season five, and it was a long one. I think all of these chapters will end up being rather long, so I apologize in advance. 

I hope you all enjoyed!