Once I was sure Hope was gone, Rae and I went back to New Orleans, speaking to Klaus in the compound.

Klaus was frustrated. "What do you mean, Hope's missing?"

"A few hours ago, she took off with a boy she has a crush on from school," I answered.

"What?" Klaus asked worriedly.

"We're looking for them," I explained. "In fact, the entire honors tracking class is on it, and so is Rae."

"Who's this boy?" Klaus asked. "I'm gonna kill him."

"We can't pinpoint their location yet, but they seem to be heading somewhere just outside of New Orleans," Rae answered.

"So she's coming home?" Klaus asked. "Why?"

"We can ask her when we find her," Rae told us. "Let's go."

I gave her a look. "Rae. You know you can't be around Nik anymore than you already have been."

Rae turned to face us, sighing. "I've been trying something. And it might not work, but I need to try."

"Try what, exactly?" Klaus asked. Rae took off her bracelet so she could use her psychic powers to see into his head. Klaus was dizzy and nearly fell from the force of her power. I helped him stay standing, but the plants around us stopped dying, and the blood returned to water. "Rae? What did you do?"

"I haven't been able to test this theory since I could never be around one of the four of you for long," Rae explained. "But remember when I was little, I was able to mind control the Ancestors, even though they were spirits?"

"You just mind controlled the Hollow?" I asked.

"Briefly, yeah," Rae answered. "Klaus, do you hear the whispers?"

"No," Klaus answered. "I don't."

Rae smiled in relief. "I did it."

I chuckled in shock. "You did it."

"I"m not sure how long it will last, though," Rae admitted. "So we have to go. Now."

**********

At a place called Mammy's kitchen, we were standing outside, drinking coffee.

"With the help of the tracking class, I am zeroing in on them," Rae explained, looking every which way as she was using her power to scan whatever she was seeing. "I should have a location nailed down any minute."

"So, what, we just wait here and sip rancid diner coffee?" Klaus asked.

"Or you can think about what you'll say when you see Hope," I told him. "Or more importantly, what you won't say. It'll be tempting to lash out, but you'll regret it later."

"Rae, how long did you know that you could mind control the Hollow like that?" Klaus asked.

"I didn't know," Rae answered. "It was just something that I never got to try. And it worked, to both your shock and mine. But it's not gonna last forever."

"So we should probably hurry," I told them.

"Kaylin, you have a lot to answer for, and not just for losing one of our daughters," Klaus told me.

I gave him a look. "She's not lost."

"After all your haranguing," Klaus told me. "'Be a better father, become more engaged'."

I scoffed. "I refute 'harangue'. I am not a haranguer. I gave constructive advice."

"Which I heeded at our own peril," Klaus replied. "And Hope didn't make it any easier. Or you, Rae."

"Hey, me and Mom have been trying the best we can to be on your side and on Hope's side," Rae told him. "And we proved that by calling you about Hope's insane plan to bind herself. And we're not eight years old anymore. We don't have to look up to you now just because you're her dad and you're my stepdad. You have to earn it."

Klaus sighed. 'You know, the truth be told, it's been bloody awful. I mean, it was bad enough when I had to keep my distance, but now, the desire to keep you all close, to protect you, the constant worry. I've never known such pain."

"Well, congratulations," I told him. "You just became a father."

"And both of you bicker like you really are married," Rae told us. "At least that part's somewhat normal for you two."

Klaus and I couldn't help but smile and chuckle.

Klaus sighed. "Just as Hope's become a truant. Why? Why would she do this?"

I shrugged. "It's pretty basic. Some girls just like the bad boys. The more sheltered they are, the more likely it is."

"You say that like it's inevitable," Klaus told me. "It's not a rite of passage."

I smirked. "Oh, for some girls, it is. It was for me. I was the most sheltered girl back in 1864, and for the rest of my life, if there was a bad boy within a five mile radius, I would find him." I gave Klaus a sarcastic look. "And some where even way too old for me."

Klaus smiled. "Well, I'm sure some had very... pure intentions."

"I know one did," I answered. "Most of the time."

Klaus chuckled in agreement, acknowledgement. "Most of the time."

Rae perked up when she got a text. "Oh. The tracking class failed. But we have our location."

Klaus and I frowned. "How?"

"Psychic energy reading for a vampire and a tribrid Mikaelson," Rae answered. "Let's go."

**********

On the road, I was driving. Klaus was in the passenger seat.

I looked at Klaus. "Rae's in her own car ahead since it could get pretty bad for you two to be in the same car together for long. She just texted. We turn off in 4.1 miles."

"Do you regret the time we've spent together?" Klaus asked. "Or waiting for me for so long after being trapped by Marcel, or driven away by an evil power inside me?"

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Do you?" Klaus replied.

"Okay, if it'll take your mind off of wanting to murder your daughter's first crush, no, I don't regret our time together or waiting for you," I answered. "When we met, we were both monsters, Nik. And now look at us. You might still have the same impulses, but we've both changed for the better."

"So you don't regret meeting me?" Klaus asked.

"No," I answered. "And I know why you compelled me the first time, to forget about you, to protect me from Mikael, and from yourself. But I don't want to be protected. I never did. I was angry at you back in Mystic Falls, but I never hated you. And I know I never could. And I've waited for you for so long because I love you, Nik. And I don't think I could ever stop loving you."

Klaus was very relieved to hear this, smiling. "I never stopped loving you, Kaylin." I looked at him, smiling slightly. "I just lost my mind one too many times."

I chuckled. "Yeah. Well, welcome to the club. I've lost my mind a few times too. I guess that's why we argued in the past, but also why we got along." Klaus and I chuckled. "And I'm glad you asked me to marry you when you did, Nik. And I don't regret marrying you."

"Even if I couldn't be there with you, or for our daughters?" Klaus asked.

"I knew it was only because you were trying to keep them alive and protect me," I answered. "The whole marriage thing is for better and for worse. We've been through better, but to hell with giving up if it gets worse."

Klaus smiled. "You were always too stubborn to give up."

We chuckled lightly, almost laughing. I reached out to hold his hand, as we looked at each other and smiled.

**********

Rae met up with us on the road where she had tracked Hope and Roman. "I don't get it. They were here."

"Where the bloody hell are they?" Klaus asked.

"They were here, I just have to follow where they went to," Rae told us.

I nodded worriedly. "Why is he with her?"

"Greta is Roman's mother," Klaus answered.

"This isn't just two kid running away," Rae told us worriedly. "Hope is in real trouble." She felt something change. "Wait. I know where they are."

We looked at her in surprise but relief.

**********

We arrived outside an abandoned house. Greta appeared out of nowhere, blowing a handful of magic powder in front of Rae so that it would hit her in the face, the powder spelled to knock her out and make her fall.

I rushed closer to catch her. "Rae!" I put her down, looking at Greta, glaring. "You're not gonna touch my daughter."

"It's not your daughter we want, Kaylin," Greta replied. "And as of right now, it's not your concern."

Before I could fight Greta off, Elijah appeared to snap my neck and let me fall so Rae and I couldn't help Klaus, Hayley or Hope while we were unconscious.

**********

Rae and I woke up only when there was a hail storm starting, the pieces of ice hitting us repeatedly until we woke up, and we saw Klaus and Elijah fighting before they went inside. We stood, rushing to the house to try to help, only to see Hayley and Greta fall out of the house into the sunlight, unprotected from the sun, and they both immediately burned.

Rae screamed in shock as she tried to use her power to save Hayley by putting the fire out. "No!"

Rae's power put out the fire, but Hayley was already gone. All of us were in shock and devastation, unable to believe what had just happened.