Wheel Inside the Wheel
Part II

There are certain souls that don't meet by accident. The universe works in mysterious ways..in a way that it makes it destiny for some souls to cross paths in their lifetime. For someone who has lived as long as Lola, there are several souls she was destined to meet.

There will be some souls that enter your life only to teach you lessons before they leave, but there are the rare few that come into your life and stay there. The ones that love the sides of you that you never thought were possible to love..a true love soulmate.

Then there will be some souls that come into your life at different points in your life but for the same reasons, to be your safe haven. Someone who understands you, someone that you could never fully explain and understand how much they mean to you. Someone who wasn't meant to be romantic with you, just meant to be..a platonic soulmate.

As Lola steps into Rousseau's, her eyes immediately go to another soul she knew it wasn't accidental that they met. Cami O'Connell. Sometimes you can't explain what you see in a person. It's just the way they can take you to a place no one else can, almost like a wonderland type of fantasy..

It can always happen like this, one day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason..you feel more connected to this person than anyone you've came across in your life. Though Lola may not have realised straight away that meeting the blonde O'Connell at a college bar two years ago was part of her destiny..she realised now that it was. Sometimes it won't just be the length of time you've known someone, maybe it's just the instant recognition that person can give you.

Lola watches Cami sitting by the bar, engrossed in no doubt one of her many psychology books. As Lola takes one step forward, Cami comes to her feet and walks into the back of Rousseau's, blissfully unaware of Lola even standing there in that exact moment.

"Lo.." Stefan's soft voice brings Lola's back to reality where it's not just herself and Cami in this bar and yet Lola's eyes don't leave Cami's direction. Stefan's hand goes against her shoulder, "Should we get a bottle?"

"Yeah, sure." Lola mumbles under her breath, "Get whatever you want."

"I'll be right back." She needed to speak to Cami, she needed to say what was on her mind and apologise for how she was acting when her humanity was off.

Damon frowns standing beside Stefan watching as their sister walks towards the back of the bar, "Where the hell is she going?"

The heretic couldn't comprehend why it felt like her heart was about to beat straight out of her chest as she walks straight towards the back of Rousseau's where the blonde O'Connell walked to. 

"Cami." Lola's voice immediately made Cami turn tense, quickly looking over to Lola who remains in the doorway with her hands up in surrender, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to at least try and make peace with you. You can tell me to go to hell or whatever but I just needed to see you."

Lola sighs softly stepping further into the back room of Rousseau's, "I needed to apologise for turning up at your apartment, listening in to your call with Davina. I just—" The heretic's eyes soften looking over to the O'Connell who seemed to be stunned into silence, "I wasn't myself and I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Cami breathes out before she scoffs, "You're—" Cami shakes her head as she closes the gap between herself and Lola and pulls the Salvatore into an embrace as Cami sighs, "You don't have to apologise to me, Lola."

The faintest smile was against Lola's lips before she shakes her head pulling out of the embrace, "No, but I do. I can't just brush this under the carpet because I hated who I became when I flipped the switch. I used you for information on Davina and that was wrong of me. It was even worse I broke into your apartment to do that."

Lola shrugs, laughing in an almost nervous way, "So I can totally understand if you hate me, or never want to see me or even have me in your thoughts ever again."

At first Cami didn't want to say what is on the tip of her tongue. She looks away from Lola, hoping that would make it easier to push back the words so desperate to leave her lips but she was still able to feel those wide, green orbs looking in her direction, "I think about you all the time, Lola.."

Her gaze slowly goes back towards Lola who seems almost shocked at Cami's confession which makes the blonde human blush slightly, "I wish I didn't, but I do."

"I think about what you're doing. I think about if you're okay." Cami leans against the table within the room, crossing her arms as she sighs, "I think about what it must have been like to be a vampire, then a human and then a vampire again. I think about how you feel when you kill someone. I think about all of the decades and experiences you've lived through, why this wall covers you whenever your home town gets brought up."

It was no secret that Lola didn't particularly enjoy speaking about her past, especially when it was anything to do with Mystic Falls. Cami's eyes soften as she sees Lola tense up at the mere mention of her home town.

Cami smiles softly, "I think about the night we first met and how you were able to see right through me and knew exactly why I was so interested in psychology. I just..I want to know everything."

Some souls just click instantly and that's how it always has been with Lola and Cami, ever since they first met in that college bar. The type of connection that makes them both feel comfort when they're around each other no matter the circumstances.

The smile against Lola's lips was so faint and yet so prominent at the same time, "Cami—"

"Sorry.." There was a small knock against the doorframe behind Lola which brought them both back to reality sharply. Lola sighs when Stefan stands beside her, he smiles over to the blonde bartender, "Cami, right?"

"Yeah." Cami breathes out with a smile before she clears her throat, "It's good to see you again, Stefan."

The expression on Lola's face was calm as she looked over to her younger brother but there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes as she forces a smile, "Is everything okay?"

Stefan scoffs looking behind both him and Lola back into the middle of the bar where Damon is drinking straight from a bottle of bourbon, "If I have to deal with Damon in his self wallowing stage..so do you."

"Alright.." Lola rolls her eyes, gesturing for Stefan to go back to the table, "I'll just be a second."

Cami's brows shoot up in surprise as she watches Stefan walking away from them both, she notices the dark haired man sitting at the table Stefan joins, "Damon as in.."

"My annoying older brother who isn't actually dead?" Lola quips in a sarcastic tone before she laughs softly, "Yeah. It's a long story, I think one of our little talks is needed so I can tell you everything."

"I'd love that." Cami smiles warmly towards the heretic, "Go!" Cami laughs softly gesturing it was okay for Lola to go back to her brother's, "Go and spend time with your brothers. We'll talk soon."

Damon looks over to the back room of Rousseau's as Lola sits beside him, "Who's little miss goldilocks?"

"Do you have to give everyone an annoying ass nickname?" Lola mutters rolling her eyes as she hits the back of Damon's head, "Her name is Cami O'Connell, she's a friend." Lola looks even more annoyed when Damon gives her a teasing look, "A friend."

Damon chuckles tapping against the engagement ring against Lola's finger, "You sure you should be wearing that ring?"

The heretic frowns looking down at her ring before back to her brother, "What?"

"I'm just saying.." The oldest Salvatore shrugs, bringing his glass of bourbon towards his lips as he smirks, "I think Cami O'Connell is making you go a little soft, sister."

Lola flashes an irritated false smile to her older brother who chuckled even more seeing how worked up his sister got over his tease. Lola glances over to Stefan who is looking anywhere else as he drinks his bourbon, knowing he'd also get the irritated look from Lola.

"I hate you both." Lola mumbles under her breath which just makes both brothers start to laugh. Lola's eyes follow a waitress walk past with two drinks on a tray, "Duratus."

The spell the heretic muttered under her breath made the waitress's feet freeze on the floor which makes the brunette gasp and the tray of drinks spill over Damon's lap who instantly stands up with an annoyed look. He glares down at his little sister who wears a smug smile bringing her drink up to her lips.

"I am so sorry." The waitress' voice was shaky, eyes were wide seeing the drinks spilled across the Salvatore, "That was completely my fault."

"Don't worry about it." Lola wears a fake empathetic look towards the waitress before her eyes gleam with smugness up at Damon who looked like he was two seconds away from fighting Lola, "It was his fault. Stop being a dick."

Damon muttered curses aimed at Lola under his breath when the waitress comes back over with napkins for him. He sits back down, giving Stefan a sharp glare as the youngest Salvatore didn't even bother to hide his amusement as he laughed.

"Oh I forgot to tell you, I met your old roommate." Lola says nonchalant as she pours her and Stefan another glass of bourbon before looking towards Damon, "Enzo. Twice actually."

"Yep, I heard." Damon scoffs snatching the bottle out of Lola's grasp and pouring his own. "Snapped his neck?"

Lola shrugs, unfazed by that memory of when Caroline came to New Orleans a few weeks ago which ended with Lola pretty much ruining her friendship with the blonde vampire and also breaking Enzo's neck as he tried to interfere.

"Apparently during your roommate days—"

"—When we were being tortured." Damon rephrases Lola's sentence with a blunt tone giving her an unamused glare.

The heretic narrows her stare at Damon, gesturing her glass towards him, "You apparently said to him that we'd make a good match."

Stefan scoffs loudly, mumbling into his glass of bourbon, "Like he'd be able to put up with how chaotic our sister can be."

With an unimpressed raised brow, Lola glances over to her younger brother, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh.." Stefan purses his lips as he shrugs, "You're chaotic."

Damon scoffs shrugging his shoulders, "I thought he would be better for you than Klaus."

Lola's face twists with confusion on why her brother would think this about her and Enzo. Especially when Damon always acted like an ass if Lola was ever close to a guy throughout their history, "You didn't even know my history with Klaus back then."

"Yeah but I knew your mysterious ex was a massive dick regardless." Damon flashes a smug grimace towards his sister, "My point got proven right."

There was about eighty percent of Lola's mind that was happy Damon was back but seeing that annoying smug expression makes the percentage drop down more and more.

Her lips part like she is about to snap back at him until Hayley walks in and stands by the sibling trio, "Hey, good you're here. We're gonna go and speak to Marcel, come on."

Lola takes on last chance to hit Damon against the back of his head before she walks out of Rousseau's with Hayley. Stefan stands to join them until Damon stands, grabbing Stefan's arm to stop him as the older Salvatore frowns, "Who the hell is that?"

"Are you seriously that much of a dick?" Stefan deadpans with an unimpressed glare towards his brother, "It's Hayley. You've met Hayley."

Damon's face twists with confusion even more as he tries to remember Hayley, "The wolf that randomly appeared back home?"

Stefan rolls his eyes, he scoffs as he nudges Damon's shoulder, "You're an asshole."

Outside of Rousseau's, Lola glances behind her shoulder to the entrance to the bar before her attention goes to the brunette hybrid, "Where did you go earlier?"

"I went to see Ade. I haven't seen her since everything happened with..you know.." Hayley sighs not wanting to bring up these past few months in detail to the still fragile heretic.

As much as Lola would say to anyone that she's okay now her humanity is back..that couldn't be further from the truth and she wouldn't be happy until she was back with Hope. Hayley clears her throat as she shrugs, "And I wanted to clear the air with her seen as though I've not spoken to Ade for months. I also sort of told her about your humanity being back."

Hayley's eyes soften noticing the panicked look in Lola's eyes as the Salvatore shifts in her spot slightly, "Lo, you need to talk to her."

"I know I do, it's just—" Lola closes her eyes for a moment, exhaling a slow breath before looking back over to Hayley, "I've never been able to keep secrets from her. Ever." Lola glances over her shoulder towards the bar again making sure her brothers hadn't came out of it yet before she shrugs, "How am I supposed to move forward when I'm hiding the biggest secret ever from her about Hope?"

"You're Lola Salvatore." Hayley smiles softly, nudging Lola, "You'll figure it out just like you figure anything else out. Ade won't mind me saying this but there's things she's not told you either and it's eating her up."

Lola narrows her stare at Hayley immediately picking up on the nervous like stance the hybrid has suddenly got, "What things?"

"So.." The obnoxious voice of Damon approaches behind the women, he smirks at Hayley wrapping his arm around her shoulder, "Do we say you're our great, great, great niece or something like that?"

Hayley rolls her eyes, face squirming with disgust as she pushes Damon's arm away from her, "You don't call me anything but don't worry..I have several things to call you."

"Oh, feisty." Damon chuckles as he follows Hayley who starts to walk down the street, "You've definitely got a small percentage of our DNA with that attitude."

Lola stays in her spot as Damon and Hayley carry on walking. Stefan stops a few steps ahead of Lola and frowns towards his sister, "You coming?"

The heretic flashes a smile to him as she nods, "Go ahead, I'm right behind you."

Stefan hesitates for a moment before he nods and catches up to Hayley who keeps hitting Damon with insults. Lola sighs as she takes her phone out of her pocket, clicking on the first number on her speed dial. Best friends are important, they're the closest thing you'll ever have to a sister. Lola smiles faintly looking at Adrianna's contact in her phone and remembers every single time Lola and Adrianna would introduce each other as sisters to people.

She couldn't say what she wanted to say over the phone, especially when Lola doesn't even know how she can face this entire situation or how to even begin apologising to the one person who has never turned their back on the heretic. Lola's eyes turn glossy staring at the last message she sent to Adrianna, it was a photo of Adrianna's cat, Willow, resting against Lola's heavily pregnant stomach. It felt like a punch in the stomach rereading Adrianna's reply for the hundredth time: My three favourite girls.

Lola knew she needed to clear the air sooner rather than later with Adrianna but right now wasn't the right time. She swallows harshly putting her phone back in her pocket to catch up to Hayley and her brothers.

The heretic only takes one step before a hand grips around her wrist and pulls her down the alleyway outside of Rousseau's. Lola frowns when she sees it was an angry looking Scott, "What the hell are you playing at, Lola?"

"Scott, what the hell!"

Lola pushes Scott away from her before Scott pushes Lola back against the brick wall as his tone becomes more harsh, "No, you're not the one who can have the attitude, Lola! You broke Adrianna's heart!"

The guilt that's been stuck in the pit of Lola's stomach becomes overwhelming again. Her tone was calm as she sighs, "Scott, just—"

"And Cami! Breaking into her apartment!" Scott had never been this harsh towards Lola, ever. But Lola didn't fight back, she knew she deserved his anger, "I was the one who had to calm her down after that while Nate was consoling Adrianna after all the bullshit you threw at her! I don't care what it takes but I want our Lola back—"

"Will you just shut up and let me speak!" Lola unintentionally snaps, her eyes were full of desperation towards the ripper, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry! You don't think I feel enough guilt as it is for everything I did? I don't need you—"

"You.." Scott breathes out, stepping back from her as his eyes go wide. His smile was so faint, "You're back?"

"What do you mean I'm back? I've always been here, dumbass." Lola scoffs to herself before she shrugs, "I'm just not as much of a bitch as I was a couple days ago."

Her gaze softens towards Scott as she takes a step closer, "Scott—"

Scott stops Lola from saying anything else as he pulls her in a bone crushing hug. "I've missed you, Lo. You have no idea how much." He pulls away from the hug, his hands against her arms as he looks at the smiling Salvatore with a cautious look in his eyes, "Are you okay? Are you sure?"

"Scott, I'm fine. I promise!" Lola laughs softly before swallowing down the lump in her throat that was making her on the verge of crying with happiness seeing Scott again, "I've missed you too. I need to help Hayley out but I'll call you, okay?"

This was the exact moment that Scott has wanted for the last six months..to have the missing piece of his unorthodox family to come back. The girl who started it all being back to her usual self that everyone loved. Scott nods faintly wrapping his arms around Lola again, kissing the top of her head, "Love you, Lo."

Lola smiles tightening the embrace, sighing softly, "Love you too."

—✤—

Lola was feeling more positive than she has in a long time. Things were starting to seem brighter in the heretic's life, her brother was back. Yes, he may be annoying but Lola's life would always feel incomplete without Damon in her life..she just would never admit that to him.

Sometimes when you are in a dark place, it feels like you've been buried. When in actuality, you were planted. In the darkness that Lola was in, she was planted in the soil and the light guiding her out was each petal that grew back within her soul from making up for what she did while in the darkness.

She had mended bonds with some of the people that she hurt while her emotions weren't intact and there was something in the pit of her stomach that grew after each one..true and raw happiness. Although hearing Damon nag in her ear pretty much ever since he arrived in New Orleans didn't help her feel positive. So she took any moment she could to get some peace from her older brother and right now..that was telling Damon and Stefan to wait outside of Marcel's loft as she followed Hayley inside.

Oliver wasn't exactly Lola's favourite person in the entire world, nor would he ever be considered anything close to that. However, he was important to Hayley regardless of his irritating personality so Lola agreed to helping her find him while Klaus went on a solo mission to find Elijah.

"Just a little distraction." Lola hears Hayley's voice within Marcel's loft speaking to Marcel and Gia, "Esther's son, Finn, he's the one that's controlling the werewolves. If you can keep him out of the way, I can go get Ollie myself."

The hybrid turns to leave Marcel's loft but he vamp speeds in front of her, blocking her from leaving as he wears an amused grin, "You can't take on all those wolves by yourself. You'll get killed, and then I'll get killed for letting it happen."

"Do you honestly think I'd let her go in this alone, Marcel?" Lola's tone was laced with smugness as Marcel turns to see her smirking back at him stepping into his loft.

Marcel's smile beams looking towards the heretic as his hands clasp together, "There she is!" Marcel steps beside Lola, wrapping his arm around her shoulder before gesturing towards the newly turned vampire, "Lola, this is Gia. Gia this is.."

"Lola Salvatore." Gia wears a genuine smile holding her hand out towards Lola finishing Marcel's sentence, "Marcel never shuts up about you."

Marcel chuckles at Gia's quip, "Gia is one of the new vampires."

Lola smiles at Gia taking her hand and shaking it, she narrows a stare towards the brunette, "I think I heard Elijah speaking about you before actually." Lola glances away missing the way Gia's expression soften slightly at the mention of the original vampire. Lola shrugs, "But I didn't care because well..I was being an emotionless bitch."

"I was wondering when you would join in on all this chaos." Marcel's smile towards the Salvatore who he classes as family drops when he looks over to the doorway to see the two other Salvatores walk in, "You brought company."

Lola scoffs rolling her eyes, she glares over to them, "Company who I said should stay outside."

"You never listen to what I tell you to do." Damon mocks with a sarcastic tone frowning at his sister, "Why should I listen to you?"

Stefan sighs in an exasperated manner pushing past Damon, "Ignore him. Marcel." The youngest Salvatore smiles over to Marcel, shaking the fellow vampire's hand, "Good to see you again."

"Marcel Gerard.." Lola steps between her older brother and the not so pleased looking Marcel, "Damon Salvatore. Not actually dead."

"So, you're Lola's older brother." Marcel's arms immediately cross against his chest, jaw tightens looking over to the oldest Salvatore, "I've heard plenty about you."

Damon's ego was too suffocating to pick up on the irritated tone that laced Marcel's words. All he heard was that Marcel knows about him. He smirks holding his hand out to him, "All good things I assume."

Marcel doesn't even bother to hide the displeased look on his face looking down at Damon's hand reaching out, "If they were good then I wouldn't be leaving you hanging."

Stefan sighs softly, hands against his hips as he glances away. Lola had to look away biting her lip to stop herself from laughing in Damon's face as his brows pull in confusion to the icy cold introduction to Marcel.

"As I was saying.." Hayley says sternly, rolling her eyes, "The werewolves may be answering to the witches, but they still have an Alpha. I just have to find him."

Everyone within Marcel's loft watches as Hayley begins to step away when Lola walks out with her, "I'm coming with you.

"We're coming too."

"No." Lola looks at her older brother, giving him a knowing look, "More vampires is just a recipe for disaster. Especially ones Jackson hasn't met before."

"Then what do you expect us to do, Lo?" Damon tone was full of irritation, shrugging his shoulders, "We didn't just come here to sit around waiting for your ass."

"I know that, D." Lola mutters, starting to get even more impatient towards the eldest Salvatore, "But everything happening here doesn't just pause while you're here. I won't be gone long!"

"You can help Gia and me." Marcel suggests with his jaw clenched, already kicking himself he's suggested being close by to Damon, "I'm guessing you guys have dealt with Finn Mikaelson before in your home town. Well, he's back. In the body of a witch, Vincent Griffith. We gotta find him and distract his ass."

Stefan's face fills with concern but also confusion that the original vampire Matt Donovan killed over a year ago was back, "What do you need us to do?"

"No. No way!" Damon scoffs, shaking his head and thrashing his hands through the air before gesturing to an annoyed looking Marcel, "Who the hell is this guy?"

Marcel's eyes darken, stepping closer to Damon, "The guy who is gonna kick your ass from here back to Mystic Falls if you don't shut the hell up."

"Alright, we get it." Stefan sighs stepping between them both, "You don't like each other. That doesn't mean we can't work together to do something about yet another Mikaelson who decides to come back from the dead whenever they feel like it."

Damon rolls his eyes, glaring at his brother, "I met the guy five minutes ago and straight away he's here with an attitude."

Marcel laughs loudly in a mocking way, "Yeah I've only known you for five minutes and already you're the most annoying guy I've ever met."

Throughout the years that Lola spent in New Orleans a hundred years ago, she shared many stories with Marcel about her infamous older brother. And since she's came back in present time..she has shared many more and it was safe to say..Marcel hated Damon.

Both Lola and Marcel had always been protective over each other despite the rocky start to their friendship beginning again when Lola first returned to New Orleans. They'd always be there to defend each other, especially when the other wasn't there to stand up for themselves. And right now, even with Lola's older brother..Marcel would be there to defend and protect Lola.

"Well.." Lola drawls out, her eyes were shining with amusement as she tries her hardest not to laugh at Marcel's irritation towards Damon, "This is fun!"

She grabs Hayley's hand, "Run."

—✤—

"I'd be lying if I said seeing Marcel hate your brother straight away wasn't amusing to watch."

Lola laughs at Hayley's remark as they walk through the midst of the Bayou, "Marcel has heard all of the stories of the crap Damon has pulled throughout my life." Lola wears a teasing expression as she shrugs, "I think I should force them in close proximity more often."

Both heretic and hybrid's smiles drop when they hear a cracking sound behind them. They freeze, listening for more movement before they quickly turn around as Hayley catches an arrow midair that was shot towards them.

Lola catches the second one that came straight after before she snaps it in half throwing it to the ground to see a man walk out of the shadows, "We've been back ten minutes and already we're getting men with their little wooden toys being annoying."

"Is that your best shot?" Hayley calls out, glaring at the stranger as she throws the arrow to the ground, "You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you're gonna kill either of us."

"They need to be sharper next time, asshole!"

The man opposite them scoffs as he throws his bow onto the ground and pulls out a machete out of it's sheath. His eyes are dark as he storms straight towards Hayley and Lola before he stops when he hears a loud, raspy voice, "Stop!"

Hayley's eyes widen when she looks behind her and Lola to see Jackson, her tone softened and sounding more hopefully looking towards the wolf, "Jackson?"

"What are you both doing here?" Jackson approaches both Hayley and Lola, narrowing his stare at them before gesturing to the man behind them, "I see you met my friend Ansel."

Ansel frowns glancing between the two women and Jackson as he approaches all three of them, "You know them?"

"Yeah, actually. I do." There was a faint smile against Jackson's lips as he looks over to where Hayley stands, "Hayley here was supposed to be my wife."

Lola rolls her eyes, shoulders slump as she leans closer to Hayley as she whispers, "I like the guy but does he have to introduce you like that all the time?"

"Shut up." Hayley mutters, nudging Lola with a stern glare.

"Lola, it's good to see you." Jackson smiles genuinely at the heretic which makes him receive a thin smile back from her, "I guess you both want to talk about everything, huh?"

"Yeah.." Hayley sighs, "We need your help, Jack."

Jackson guides Lola and Hayley towards the area of the Bayou where he's been in hiding. Lola sits beside Hayley on a large log, she tries her hardest not to show her displeasing look as she glances around the camp site, "This is very..cozy."

Lola can feel a glare on her, she looks over to Ansel who is sat close by, sharpening his arrows. Lola purses her lips pointing at the arrows, "I was just joking when I said for you to sharpen them—" Ansel stops, his glare becoming even more prominent towards the Salvatore which makes her scoff, "You know what? Never mind."

Hayley gives Lola an unamused look before the heretic rolls her eyes and listens to Jackson speak, "After Francesca Guerrera took over the wolves, she offered me a moonlight ring as long as I'd call her Alpha. I declined. So, a couple of her brothers dragged me out here and left me for dead."

Jackson's eyes soften looking over to Lola with a sorrow look, "By the time I healed up, word had spread about what happened to you, and to your baby."

The air between everyone became thick, everyone turned silent and all could be heard was the flickering of the fire between them all. Hayley looks over to Lola was a sympathetic expression when she notices the blonde Salvatore shift in her spot avoiding anyone's gaze. Including the expression from Ansel like things became more clearer for him.

Jackson sighs delicately, "So, I knew it was over, and I just drifted. And that's when I met Ansel. See, he's been teaching me the old ways, the traditions. What it means to be a wolf."

Lola felt suspicious of Ansel, she always does whenever she sees anyone new that's just who she is as a person. She catches Ansel looking over to her like he knows who she is which just added to her suspicions even further. She catches a small glimpse of a large, thick black tattoo on his inner arm. Lola's eyes tightly shut when flashes of white cloud her mind and a sharp pain hits her when another vision floods her mind. She's seen that tattoo in a vision before, and again this morning when she was with Klaus.

Sounds of a baby crying, a vision of a young blonde in viking clothing holding an infant surrounded Lola's entire thoughts before her phone ringing in her pocket makes her jump out of her thoughts. Her eyes are wide, Hayley looks over to her with concern.

Lola clears her throat immediately standing up, "I'll be right back." Glancing down at her screen, she sees it's Marcel calling her. As Lola walks away from the group, she glances over her shoulder to Ansel who watches her walk away when she brings her phone to her ear, "Do I have to grieve my brother again?"

"Trust me, Lo. I'm holding my tongue." Marcel scoffs on the other end of the call, "But that's not why I called, we found out more information about Vincent and I know you'll wanna know this. Turns out he's pretending to be a psychology advisor. Who's studying psychology?"

"Cami." The heretic's blood ran cold, grip tightening around her phone, "If he's done anything—"

"He hasn't." Marcel sighs reassuring Lola, "We don't know if he is just using Cami to get information, use her as bait or whatever. It doesn't matter. We've got a plan and need you here."

"I'm on my way." Lola didn't hesitate, she never did when it came to someone she cared about being in any potential danger, especially when that someone was Cami.

She sighs, turning round about to go and speak to Hayley again when she frowns seeing Ansel standing behind her, "Are you going to try and use those arrows on me again? Or just stare at me like you're lost."

The werewolf showed no expression as he takes a step closer, his tone was monotone and plain, "You know who I am."

Lola couldn't fight back exhaling an humourless breath, "You've got me confused with someone else because I have no idea who you are."

"You're lying." Ansel snaps sternly blocking Lola from stepping away from him, "I watched your reaction when Jackson spoke about me."

"Actually..it just made me think of my first dog." Lola quips in a dull, sarcastic tone making Ansel roll his eyes, "Would you believe me if I said my childhood dog was called Ansel? Now that I think about it..was that you? Because Ansel ran away.."

She wears a fake pet lip as she sighs dramatically, "I just figured he ran away because he was sick of baby brother pulling his fur.."

Ansel's lips twitch with amusement, hands on his hips as he looks to the side, "I can see why Niklaus is so fond of you."

Any form of sarcasm or amusement Lola felt was evaporated instantly as her eyes darken towards the man, "What did you just say to me?"

The amusement twitching at Ansel's lips only become more prominent as he looks over to Lola, "Let's cut the act that you don't know who I am anymore, Lola."

Lola raises a brow at the man, taking a step closer as her tone becomes more low and harsh, "How about you cut the act thinking you can speak to me like that."

"I saw the look on your face when you seen this."

The Salvatore's face twists with disgust watching as Ansel raises his sleeve to show more of the tattoo on his arm, making her scoff, "I was just taken aback by how ugly it is."

She rolls her eyes as she sighs, "I know you're linked to Esther Mikaelson somehow. I keep having visions and this morning I had one of that ugly tattoo on your arm. Then when I seen it again I seen Esther's face."

Just by looking at Ansel it was obvious who he was, it was obvious just by the colour of his eyes..but it should be impossible. However, if Lola didn't think things like this were possible in her life then she would be down right naive, "My gut is telling me who you are but I really hope it's not true."

"And why's that?"

"Because if you are who I think you are..you shouldn't exactly be running around the woods chasing your own tail like dogs do. You should be looking for your son." The amusement on Ansel's face disappears at Lola's words which just makes her want to push even further, "Why did Esther bring you back from the dead?"

Ansel's posture stiffens at the mention of the original witch, "I am not part of any cruel games Esther has been planning, I know nothing about them."

"That wasn't what I asked." Lola tilts her head, narrowing her stare towards him, "You know nothing and yet you are part of her games because she brought you back from the dead. I highly doubt she brought you back just so you can sit around a campfire and share dog tales with Jackson and going around sniffing trees."

The werewolf was growing impatient with Lola's attitude, he scoffs, "If you are quite done with the mockery.."

"He has your eyes, you know?" Lola's tone had turned more calm..almost soft towards the man, "Klaus."

She knew Klaus doesn't know his father is alive..he'd have told her there was no mistake in that. There was a part of Lola that hated she was the one seeing him before Klaus was and she wanted to protect him. No matter what.

"If you are part of Esther's cruel games then I suggest you stick to hiding in these woods scratching your fleas because if Klaus sees you and thinks the same thing about Esther.." Her face was blank but Ansel could see her serious Lola's words were from her eyes, "He won't hold back."

Lola looks behind Ansel to see Hayley approaching them. The hybrid frowned, picking up the tension between both Lola and Ansel. Lola's eyes soften towards Hayley, "Marcel needs me. Are—"

"I'll be fine, Lo. Don't worry." Hayley nods gesturing towards the wolf who's remained quiet, "Ansel is apparently joining me."

Lola glances towards him before back to Hayley giving her a knowing look, "Be careful."

—✤—

By the time Lola got back to the Quarter, Cami had already spoken to Vincent aka Finn Mikaelson in Rousseau's. Stefan and Damon were sat within the bar, hidden and on standby in case Finn tried anything. Marcel was doing the same outside of the bar when a werewolf came and attacked him and Gia and bitten them both.

"Do the hallucinations take a while to leave?" Gia mumbles, sitting on the concrete floor outside of Rousseau's as she watches Lola siphon away her wolf bite. Gia laughs softly, "Because that whole red glow around your hand was hot."

Lola chuckles at Gia's tease, she stands up holding her hand out for Gia to take, "The hallucinations are gone, you've just got good taste." Lola helps Gia up to her feet before she steps over to Marcel and siphons the wolf bite from his neck, "I hope spending the day with my brothers wasn't too painful for you."

"Nah, well not in regards to Stefan anyway." Marcel chuckles as he shrugs, "He's a good guy. They've cleared the bar, they're in there now with Cami."

"I should go check on her." Lola sighs, once she has finished siphoning Marcel's bite she steps to the back door of Rousseau's before giving Marcel a playful look, "Be on standby later, I'll probably wanna sneak away from Damon wishing he was back in the prison world."

Marcel didn't even bother to hide his amusement towards Lola as he nods, "You and me both."

As soon as Lola walked through the back door into the bar, she was greeted with a glare from Damon, "I heard that, dumbass."

Lola rolls her eyes knowing Damon would've listened in to her conversation with Marcel but she didn't care. She hit the back of his head as she walked past him slouched by the bar, "Shut up."

Her tone immediately softens when she looks across the bar to Cami who was pouring Stefan a drink, "Hey, sorry I should've been here for all of this. You okay?"

"Yeah." Cami breathes out with a smile, "To be honest, not the worst date I've had in this city."

Damon scoffs glancing down at his glass before giving Cami a teasing look, "From where I was sitting it seemed like you had creepy Mikaelson wrapped around your finger, goldilocks."

"More than that." Cami shakes her head before passing Lola a drink, "Vincent, Finn, whoever he is, I think he likes me."

Stefan's brows furrow, not bothering to hide his look os disgust, "I wouldn't call that good news."

"Yeah, I'd call that disgusting news." Lola's disgusted expression matches her younger brother's, "The type of news that would make me want to get plastic surgery and change my identity."

"Don't you get it?" Cami deadpans with a smug expression, "I'm his blind spot! If he's distracted, he's vulnerable, which means I can help take him down."

"No way." Lola abruptly stops Cami from saying anything else, shaking her head, "It's not happening. Tonight was dangerous enough."

Cami sighs as her shoulders slump, "Lola, come on."

"Cami, it's not happening." Lola was adamant she didn't want Cami to be part of whatever it is they needed to do against the Mikaelson, "I don't trust Finn, I don't trust that he won't hurt you. I don't want you getting involved in this."

"Lola, I'm sorry but it doesn't matter if you want me involved or not." Cami scoffs, she didn't want to get frustrated but it felt inescapable, "Being in this city and being close to the supernatural automatically makes me involved. I'm too far gone now. I can't just carry on being terrified of this life I've been dragged into because if I wasn't terrified in the first place, I could have uncovered Francesca Guerrera's secret."

Lola's lips part about to say something back but Cami's tone turns more stern and frustrated, "And, the wolves would have never taken over the Quarter, and your baby would still be alive, so don't tell me to not get involved!"

This was the second time today that Lola was in the middle of stunned silence when Hope was mentioned and her heart sank even more than before. She closes her eyes, exhaling a shaky breath before turning her head slightly towards Stefan, "Can you just—"

"Yeah.." Stefan says softly as both he and Damon get out of their seats instantly, knowing Lola needed a second alone with Cami, "Uh, we'll be outside."

Lola's eyes softened towards the O'Connell, not even blinking as she waited to hear the door close behind her brothers. Once she does, she steps closer towards Cami, "Is that what you really think? Do you truly think if we found out about Francesca's plan that everything wouldn't have happened? Cami, everything that happened six months ago would've happened regardless. It was inevitable."

"It shouldn't have been inevitable, Lola!" Cami didn't intend for her voice to be as loud as it was as she walks around the bar and moves closer to Lola, her eyes were full of guilt towards the heretic, "Losing your baby shouldn't have been inevitable. I'm so sorry."

Lola hated that Cami's face was full of guilt over something that wasn't even true..everyone just had to believe it was the truth. It was killing Lola that she had to keep the secret of her daughter's life quiet, especially to some of the people she cares about most.

"I never want to hear you apologise about that ever again, okay?" Lola says sternly and yet her tone was still soft, "Nothing that happened all those months ago was your fault. None of it. I just.."

A deep sigh escapes her lips, closing her eyes briefly before looking back at Cami, "I just wish the people I care about weren't involved in this type of life. I try, you know? I try to make sure people I care about don't get dragged into this mess but.."

Visions of Adrianna being turned into a vampire, Nate, Scott and Hayley flood Lola's mind. None of which would've happened if none of them ever met Lola, "It never works out the way I intend it to. Can you do me a favour? Talk to me or Marcel before anything else happens with Finn, okay?"

Cami's lips part about to respond until she gets a text and her demeanour changes slightly but not enough for Lola to notice. Cami flashes a smile at Lola before she nods, "Yeah, of course..there's somewhere I need to be."

Later on that night, Lola walked around Jackson's Square with her brothers, not paying attention to whatever conversation they're in the middle of.

Damon notices Lola's quietness making him sigh as he throws a quarter into the water fountain before nudging his sister, "Okay, out with it."

Lola jumps out of her deep thoughts, looking over to Damon, "Huh?"

"What's with the sour face?" Damon taunts before his expression softens towards her, "You okay? Is it something to do with that heated conversation back at the bar?"

"Shut up, Damon." Lola snaps before shaking her head, "I'm fine."

Damon looks over to Stefan, mentally indicating his brother to help him getting Lola to speak but Stefan knew what he wanted, but he stays quiet. Damon rolls his eyes, perking up slightly when he sees a familiar face walking over to them, "Oh, hey. Look who it is."

Lola frowns at Damon before following his gaze to seeing Adrianna walk towards the trio. Lola groans as she tries to turn away, "Oh god."

"Adrianna!" Damon calls out before forcing Lola back to face her best friend and nudging Lola, "Hey, do something for me, will ya? Turn this sour face into something a little less bitchy looking?"

The fellow vampire notices the scowl on Lola's face towards Damon before Adrianna scoffs, "I doubt she'd even want me to considering she acts like I don't exist."

"Adrianna, you know that's not true." Stefan sighs, trying to being the voice of reason between the two best friends who haven't spoke in months, "Lola was just—"

"Just stop!" Lola snaps, interrupting Stefan. She didn't want to be like this in front of Adrianna, but she also couldn't keep secrets from her. Lola scoffs, "I really don't want to do this right now, so if you don't mind I'm going home."

Adrianna's brows pull inwards, her eyes full of hurt as she watches Lola starting to walk away, "What the hell has happened to you, Lola!? Hayley told me your humanity is back and yet you're still going to act like an emotionless bitch to me! I just want to help you!"

"Well you can't!" Lola recoils, looking back at Adrianna with a harsh glare, "No one can help me, Adrianna. Don't you get it!? You can't just keep thinking you can fix me all the god damn time! I'm not your little project you can change into someone who is worth your time!"

Adrianna's eyes burned with tears stepping closer to Lola and shoving her backwards, "Screw you, Lola!"

"Oh, we're doing this?" Lola laughs spitefully as she shoves Adrianna back, "We're really at this stage, huh?"

"Woah, hey." Stefan stands between the two women, his arms reaching out to back them away from each other but their glares to leave each other, "Enough. I think you guys just need to take a breath, calm down and speak tomorrow. Okay?"

"Lo, come on." Damon's tone was soft, wrapping his arm around Lola to guide her away.

Stefan gives Adrianna an empathetic glance before he follows a few steps behind Lola and Damon. Adrianna watches in irritation, she felt so much anger and frustration but it wasn't aimed at Lola. It was just aimed at the tension between them both that's never happened before.

She couldn't even control herself with what she did next. She scoffs when a stranger walks past and Adrianna grabs a beignet from the stranger before throwing it to hit Lola directly at the back of her head.

Lola comes to a harsh stop, slowly turning around to face Adrianna who has her hands against her hips with a smug expression, "You did not just do that." Lola seethes when the smug expression doesn't leave Adrianna's face. Lola nods, wearing a sinister smile, "Okay. Fine. Game on."

With a sharp jolt Adrianna had gone over the edge of the fountain, but just before she hit the water, she seized hold of Lola's arm dragging her down with her. Adrianna shrieks as she does until she's full submerged in the water. With two huge splashes the two friends were soaked.

Lola's eyes were wide as she stands up in the middle of the water fountain, glaring over to Adrianna who kicks water towards the heretic, "What's the matter, Lo? Is the wicked witch afraid she's gonna melt?"

The Salvatore's eyes darken, jaw clenched as she takes large steps in the water towards Adrianna, "Not before I drown your sorry ass!"

Stefan and Damon both froze, eyes wide as they watch the two women try and drag each other down into sixteen inches of water. Stefan sighs, eyes not breaking away from his sister attempting to drown her best friend, "Do we stop them?"

"You already tried and it resulted in this." Damon mutters, shrugging his shoulders, "I feel like we should just let them work it out."

"You're such a bitch!" Adrianna screams out trying to push Lola down into the water.

Lola grabs Adrianna's hair pushing her down into the water first, "All you need is a little bit more water in your lungs then you'll be able to see Elvis again!"

"Hypothetically.." Damon drawls out, "If someone dropped a quarter in there do you think it's appropriate to ask them to grab it?"

Stefan scoffs rolling his eyes, "If you do then your wish for Elena to remember you won't come true."

"Actually, you know what?" Damon wears a smug grin towards his brother, breaking his gaze from their sister, "I decided to be selfless and use my wish on you."

Stefan's brows furrow, giving Damon a deadpanned glare, "I thought selfless wasn't in your vocabulary?"

It was as though they had completely drowned out their sister and her best friend arguing with each other in the middle of the water fountain. Instead, the two brothers started to argue with each other.

"Funny." Damon scoffs, shoving Stefan, "I actually wished that Caroline finally lets you out of the dog house and talks to you again."

"What the hell is going on!?" Nate rushes over to the chaos happening in the middle of the square with Scott standing beside him. Nate narrows a confused stare towards the dark haired Salvatore, "Damon? You're not dead."

Damon rolls his eyes, "Always being captain obvious, Nate." He watches as Nate pushes past him and runs straight towards the water fountain where Lola and Adrianna are fighting and jump in without hesitation.

"You didn't think to stop them!?" Scott glares at the two Salvatore brothers before running after Nate and jumping into the fountain to pull Lola off Adrianna.

"Well, Damon was going to." Stefan mutters to himself watching the two men pulling the women apart from each other, "But he was concerned if he got his leather jacket wet then it would shrink."

"Just like you weren't going in there either because then your hero hair would deflate." Damon quips back still glaring at his brother before he narrows his stare towards Scott watching as he wraps his arms around Lola pulling her off Adrianna, "Who's the shaggy hair guy?"

"That's Scott."

"Oh." Damon's brows shoot up, chuckling as he watches the chaos in the water fountain, "Your ripper competition. Ripper 2.0."

"That's enough!" Nate snaps at the two women completely soaked still glaring at each other.

"Both of you just calm down!" Scott's eyes are wide looking between Lola and Adrianna who are being blocked by both men, "What the hell is wrong with you both?"

Adrianna laughs spitefully trying to move closer to Lola until Nate blocks her, "She started it by being a bitch!"

"You know what—" Lola's eyes darken with rage towards her best friend as she too takes a step closer.

Scott attempts to pull Lola away but ends up slipping in the water himself. Nate rolls his eyes before stepping up to Lola, blocking her from going closer to Adrianna, "I said that's enough!" Nate snaps in a blunt tone as though he was disciplining a child, "I'm tired of this!"

Nate looks over his shoulder to see Adrianna rolling her eyes looking away, he looks at Lola who does the same thing at the exact same time as Adrianna. Nate couldn't continue having these two not speaking, he would force them in a room together if he had to. They needed each other but were both too stubborn to admit it.

He glances towards both women, giving them a stern glare, "You're both talking this out and I don't give a shit how long it's gonna take!"

—✤—

The best kind of people are the ones who come into your life and all of a sudden you can't remember life without them. The kind of people who feel like sunshine in human form after days of endless rain. The kind of people who love you for everything you are, who believe in your so much it leaves you with little doubt within yourself.

Lola Salvatore and Adrianna Miller were that person for each other, from the moment they met. And both of them were tired of not being like that with each other. They've gone weeks and months without seeing each other in person, but they'd always keep contact in any way possible. To have the last six months not seeing each other and no form of contact, killed them both. Both keeping secrets from each other and neither of them having the courage to reaching out.

They both sit in the courtyard of the compound, hairs dripping wet still from their fight in the water fountain. Lola closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, "I was so close to calling you today."

She flutters her eyes open to look over to Adrianna sitting on the couch beside her, wearing the same weary expression. Lola blinks away the sting of tears in her eyes, "But I stopped myself thinking how the hell am I going to apologise for what I said. Ade, I said the worst things I could've said to you and I'll never be able to take back what I said."

Lola's voice cracked, the emotions of guilt and sadness overcloud everything as she sifts in her seat, facing Adrianna more and takes hold of her hands, "But I just want you to know that I will literally apologise to you every day for the rest of my life."

"You don't have to apologise, Lo." Adrianna practically whispers due to the lump in her throat she was trying to fight and not break down in tears, "I know you didn't mean any of it."

"But even before that, before I turned my humanity off." Lola swallows harshly, attempting to make her voice sound less fragile than it does. Her grip against Adrianna's hands tighten, eyes are full of guilt, "I cut you off and isolated myself—"

"Lola, you were grieving." Adrianna's tone is soft and calm. She moves one hand out of Lola's grip, wiping away the fallen tears against her best friend's cheeks, completely ignoring the tears against her own cheeks, "Everyone grieves differently and you should never be harsh on yourself over how you grieve." Lowering her head, Adrianna exhales a shaky breath, "You're not the only one who isolated themselves. Things happened and I didn't want to bring them into your life just yet because you were hurting."

"Hayley said things happened." Lola frowns remembering her earlier conversation with the Marshall girl, "What things?"

Adrianna gave a half smile, tears shimmered in her eyes, "We adopted a little girl."

Lola's jaw slacks, eyes widen, "What?"

"We went to see Sal a few months ago and while we were there we seen O'Malley." Adrianna's tone was quiet, her smile not fading as she wipes away tears against her own cheeks, "His daughter and her husband died in a car crash and he couldn't look after her on his own. She's just a baby, ten months old and O'Malley couldn't take on such a big responsibility. So he asked if Nate and I would raise her."

Lola's eyes swarmed with even more tears, her eyes were bright and full of joy, "Ade.."

"It's been killing me keeping this from you." Adrianna exhales a shaky breath, tightening her grip against Lola's hands, "But I didn't want to tell you because of your baby girl. I would've looked like the worst friend in the world adopting a baby when you were here heartbroken!"

"Is that really what you thought?" Her tears shone in her eyes as Lola's brows furrow, "Ade, I'm happy for you. So happy. This is what you've always wanted, a family of your own. I'm heartbroken knowing that's what you thought."

"That's exactly what Cami said you'd say." Adrianna smiles softly before her face fills with guilt again, "I hope you're not upset that Cami knew."

"Why would that make me upset?" Lola smiles looking down at their intertwined hands, "I'm glad you had Cami throughout all of this. What's her name?"

"Ophelia. Lia for short." Adrianna's smile was one Lola had never seen against her best friend's lips before, but it was a familiar smile..the same time of smile that any mother has speaking about their child, "I know she really wants to meet her aunt Lola. Don't feel pressured, Lo. If you don't want to see her—"

"Ade, of course I do!" Lola's smile fades ever so slightly, "But.."

"You call the shots. I'm never going to force you into it." Adrianna nods, not wanting to push her best friend into something if there's even the smallest possibility she would feel uncomfortable.

Adrianna's eyes soften, she tilts her head slightly to catch Lola's eyes, "Also, a little reminder? No one prepared you for what you were going to go through. There was no way you could've been prepared and you still handled it the best that you could, Lo."

"By turning my humanity off?" Lola scoffs softly, shaking her head, "Right.."

"I'm serious, Lola." Adrianna's grip tightens against Lola's hands, "You survived all of your worst days and you are still here. I don't care if you are low right now, I don't care what stage you are at. You are still here, after all of that. I am so proud of you."

Lola felt such a warm sensation building up in her chest as her smile beams to her best friend and tears stream down her face, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." Adrianna's tone was high pitched as she cries seeing her best friend cry and pulls Lola into a hug, "So much."

The pair don't even know or care how long they stayed hugging each other as they both sobbed with happiness that things were getting back on track with them both. There was still a feeling of guilt in the pit of Lola's stomach as she continues to keep the secrecy of Hope being alive from Adrianna. But she knows that when the time is right to talk about Hope..Adrianna wouldn't feel any negativity about the secret.

"Thank god!" Nate breathes out dramatically as he and Scott walk into the courtyard which made Lola and Adrianna break out of their hug. Nate sits between both Adrianna and Lola, wrapping his arms around them as he smiles at Lola, "Our dysfunctional family is finally back together. I've missed you, Salvatore."

Scott's hands are on his hips, smiling down at his three best friends on the couch, "It's not been the same without you, Lo."

Lola smiles softly glancing between the three of them, "Have I missed anything else?"

"The biggest thing ever." Scott scoffs, looking dramatic as he points over to Adrianna, "Ade doesn't appreciate my art."

Adrianna groans obnoxiously loud, getting off the couch and pushing Scott, "Do not bring up the box!"

"There's your reoccurring mistake, it's not a box!" Scott playfully glares at Adrianna before glancing back at Lola, "I made Lia a submarine and Ade threw it in the trash."

"Because it was trash!" Adrianna argues back.

Nate rolls his eyes, his arm still wrapped around Lola as he leans closer, "They've been like this for weeks."

This was honestly the most peaceful Lola has felt in months, just like she always did when she was with these three. There was never any underlying danger when it came to these four, they wouldn't even act like they were supernatural. They were just four people who felt like they didn't belong anywhere until they all joined together and became a dysfunctional but lovable family.

It felt like a fantasy that vanished the second Lola's eyes catch Klaus walking into the courtyard, holding up an unconscious Elijah. Lola's smile drops, concern floods her face as she rushes over to the two Mikaelsons, "Elijah."

—✤—

To say Klaus felt overwhelmed after today's events would be an understatement. He had spent a torturous amount of hours with his mother as she attempted to get him to accept her offer of a new life. Every time Klaus closed his eyes, he's greeted with the image of his real father standing before him in the middle of the cemetery. His feelings overwhelmed him, feeling suffocated with so many different emotions regarding this.

Klaus sighs heavily, closing the door to his brother's bedroom leaving Elijah practically comatose. He needed Elijah back, but how? His mother had casted one of her irritating spells and Klaus couldn't figure out how he can wake his brother up.

The sound of familiar footsteps approaching him partially calms Klaus' thoughts. He looks over to see Lola walking towards him, with one of her grimoires open in her hands, "I've been going through all of Cora's grimoires and I think—"

"You've been going a hundred miles an hour, love." Klaus sighs taking the grimoire out of Lola's hands, closing it and placing it on the floor.

"Nik, if you tell me to stop, I swear—"

"Elijah is home." Klaus' tone was soft, taking hold of Lola's hands, "He's safer than he was and we will work together to wake him up." He frowns slightly, noticing Lola's current attire, "Should I be concerned that you're wearing Scott's jacket?"

Lola raises a confused brow glancing between the navy jacket she was wearing and Klaus, "Should I be concerned that you know this is Scott's jacket?"

Klaus chuckles before glancing around the compound, "Well I don't see any more destruction that's been caused since this morning..where are your brothers?"

"They gave me some space to speak to Adrianna." Lola smiles softly feeling like a tonne has been lifted off her shoulders after finally clearing the air with her best friend, "We cleared things up but before we did that it involved me pushing her into a fountain and her dragging me in with her, hence me now wearing Scott's jacket. We had the talk we've needed for months, said almost everything."

Klaus' eyes soften knowing almost everything meant Lola leaving out the truth about Hope. He sighs pushing Lola's hair back from her face about to say something until Lola speaks up again with a happy look on her face, "But she told me some good news. Her and Nate adopted a little girl. Only a few months older than Hope."

The happiness on Lola's face fades slightly, sorrow overcoming her as her brows furrow, "Your best friend telling you something like that, you should automatically feel happy for them..and I did. But then I felt envious. That Adrianna gets to live the life she's been dreaming of since before she even met me. Meanwhile we don't even know where our daughter is."

Lola scoffs to herself moving away from Klaus and leaning against the railings looking down at the empty courtyard, "Saying that out loud made me realise how selfish I sound right now."

"That doesn't make you selfish, Lola." Klaus leans on the railing beside Lola, pushing some of her hair behind her ear, "Missing our daughter will never be selfish."

"I know we're waiting until the time is right to see Hope again but.." Lola sighs heavily, standing up straight as her eyes fill with tears, "I just feel like there's never going to be a right time. She could be walking and talking before we see her again, Nik."

Klaus immediately stands straight with a determined look on his face as he cups Lola's cheeks, "I'm confident that we'll be reunited with Hope quicker than you think. When we do I think she'll be smiling and she'll have your smile."

He smiles warmly as Lola, his thumb brushing against her lips, "She will instantly recognise you as her mother and will show off her beautiful smile."

Their small moment of a fantasy was shattered when they hear someone clearing their throat below them in the courtyard. Their wide eye stares look down to see Nate looking awkward, "Ade left her jacket."

Lola was panicked, she glances at Klaus who's eyes were dark as he was about to do something. Lola's hand goes against his chest, she shakes her head at him before she looks down at the courtyard to see Nate quickly grabbing Adrianna's jacket, "Nate!"

The heretic vamp speeds down into the courtyard, her eyes were full nervousness as she blocks Nate from leaving the compound, "Let me explain."

Nate shakes his head stepping past Lola to leave, "You don't need to explain anything, Lo. That was a conversation I wasn't supposed to hear."

He was just about to leave when he stops in his spot, shoulders sink and grip tightens against Adrianna's jacket in his hands. Nate turns back to face Lola, his face full with a mixture of emotions, "Your daughter is alive?"

"Nate," Lola's voice was shaky just like her entire posture as she cautiously steps closer, "You can't tell anyone."

"Of course not but.." Nate practically felt his heart break seeing how fragile and vulnerable Lola looks in this exact moment, "Lola, what happened?"

Explaining everything to Nate felt comforting to Lola in a way..finally being able to speak to someone about this that wasn't someone who has knew from the beginning. Nate stayed silent as he sat in the courtyard, listening intently to everything Lola said. He was patient, taking hold of her hand as he listened to one of his closest friends explain everything that happened six months ago.

"So..Rebekah is taking care of Hope." Lola's tone was shaky throughout her entire explanation to Nate but she takes a deep breath feeling the weight of everything leave her chest, "I don't know where they are, or how they are..nothing. It's been killing me, but I know this was the right thing to do."

Lola's tear stained face, glossy eyes glance towards her friend who was staring down at the ground with furrowed brows as he processes everything he's just heard. Lola sighs, gripping his hand tighter, "Nate, please. I know it's wrong that I've been keeping this from everyone but I need to protect my baby girl."

Nate shakes his head, letting go of Lola's hand before he wraps his arms around her, "Listen to me, Lola. It's not wrong, not in the slightest."

His hand goes to the back of Lola's head, pulling her into his chest, "You are being an amazing, selfless mother by protecting your little girl this way. And I promise you, I will never tell anyone about this. I'm just.."

Nate's eyes prickled with tears, wearing a faint smile as he pulls Lola out of his embrace, "God, I am just so happy to hear that Hope is alive. I'll protect you and your daughter by keeping this to myself..I swear."

"Thank you." Lola breathes out, wrapping her arms around Nate and pulling him in a tight embrace, "Thank you so much."

—✤—

"okay guys, we're backkkkk.. did you miss us? because we've missed you."
MY BABIES ARE BACK

NOW LETS TAKE A SECOND TO BOW DOWN TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND HER TALENT

evanschris-
ily hoe x

there's just one more iconic duo to be reunited and this one will make me sob the most as i write it i already know </3

eeee..nate knows about hope
lola and nate are massively underrated..if you read my one shot book, you'd know how iconic these two are together so they need more screen time and i'm here to deliver