Our Hope • Ava Rose Mikaelson

9. The Map of Moments

Nik and I are on our way to Arkansas, where Rebekah and Elijah are waiting with our daughter. The whole ride over I was so nervous and Nik held my hand which calmed my nerves. After six long months, I'm finally going to see my daughter. My baby girl.

After a couple of more hours of driving, we finally reached the house. I immediately saw them outside and I couldn't wait any longer. I got out of the car before Nik can even park the car and I ran over to them. I stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw my daughter in Elijah's arms. She looks so beautiful and she's so big from the last time I saw her.

"Hi." I whispered softly as Elijah hands over Hope to me. "Hi, baby."

I hugged my daughter tightly as  I closed my eyes and I breathe out a sigh of relief. Holding her in my arms is one of the best feelings. I still can't believe I have her here in my arms. My beautiful baby. My daughter.

I turned around and I saw Nik behind me and he's in near tears. I walked over to him and let him hold her. "Look how beautiful she is." I said as I held her tiny hand as did he.

Nik placed a kiss on her tiny hand and one on her forehead. I looked at the beautiful baby Nik and I made. Our Hope.

***

Nik, Rebekah, Elijah, and I are still outside. Rebekah is assembling firewood to make a bonfire. It was a Mikaelson tradition that we celebrated from time to time. Nik had just told us why Esther wanted to kill our baby.

"Curse on the first-born?" Rebekah asked as she's just as confused as I am. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague." Nik informed us. "She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity."

"Is any of this true?" I asked, glancing between each of the Mikaelsons.

"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth, our mother," said Elijah.

I looked at my daughter, wondering if any of this is true. I can't let anyone take her. I won't. I just got her back.

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah said. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."

"Great. Now we got another lunatic running around. She's probably twice as crazy as Esther and she is crazy." I said and I looked at Elijah. "Is there any chance of us running into your aunt Dahlia any time soon?"

"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah said and I gave him a look.

"Like your dead mother?" I asked and my tone becomes sarcastic. "Oh, wait, she's not dead because she resurrected her own self from the dead six months ago."

"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Nik told me before looking at his sister. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

Rebekah rubs her hands together excitedly as she walks over to us. "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient."

"No, we're not." Nik said as he shook his head.

"Yes, we are, Nik!" Rebekah said and looks at her oldest brother"Back me up, Elijah."

"I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."

"Are we talking about what I think we're talking about?" I asked and Rebekah smiles.

"Yes, we are." Rebekah said. "Before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck. It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids."