WHAT HAPPENS AFTER.

CHAPTER 4.

"No, I do not want to be human or die a human death. Perhaps the other timeline Rebekah did but I do not, I want to live Nik." She told him passionately.

"I am pleased. I would not have gone against your choice but living has many opportunities and at this time in our existence it is not to say we will not have any enemies, but we all have a chance to live fuller, happier lives. Any children we have now will never have to face the life Hope had to face." And Rebekah sat down again and studied him.

"I understand why you chose to not have Hope again and I agree with your choice, all I want is for your happiness," She told him honestly, "Tell me what of you and Elijah? I have seen the review but watching your life and living it are two separate matters."

"I spent seven years away from the family to keep Hope safe. I do not regret the choice I made at all to keep her safe. I did not always live comfortably within myself at that time I was angry, lonely more often than not paranoid. I missed Hope. I made so many mistakes with her that I cannot change but dying to save her was fitting. A Father dying so his cherished beloved child could live, I did that willingly Bekah. I needed no counsel on dying to save her and the years after in the void and the afterlife..... I suppose I eventually cut the apron strings finally with Elijah. I am my own man. He will always be my Brother and I will always love him and should we need to do battle as a family I will listen and heed his advice, but when it comes to living my life, then I will without interference. Kol's words of creating one's own family have always stayed with me, that is what you intend to do with Marcellus and you should build your own family and life together and we meet up as one family for dinners. It is time we walk away from the dysfunction that makes the Mikaelson's toxic." Rebekah looked at him thoughtfully.

"Is that why you have embraced your wolf in this renewal?" She asked.

"Yes and to make up in some small way for killing Ansel. I did kill him to protect Hope, but Hayley was right, I did also kill him because I was paranoid and trusted no one and I think I feared not living up to the image he may have had of me. So by embracing my wolf this time, giving the pack a home, that will be there for the pack always, I am trying to make amends."

"Hayley has still not accepted your decision," Rebekah confided.

"She will in time and she has Elijah he was always good with her," Klaus remarked and Rebekah left it. There was no point bringing up the issues at the compound Nik had moved on. Klaus got up to the knock on the door and Rebekah watched as a chef and waitstaff appeared and started setting up the kitchen.

"You are a wonderful Brother," She complimented him, seeing him go to all this trouble for their get together, he gave her a grin and took her hand kissing it. They sat in comfortable silence looking out on the forest as the staff worked behind them.

Hayley sat at the bar drinking bourbon in the late afternoon and gazing up at Hope's painting and Marcel sat beside her at the bar.

"Hope was incredibly talented, this is so lifelike and quintessentially Josh and Aiden, he never loved again like he loved Aiden, a part of him died when Aiden died," Marcel said sorrowfully, "I wish Bonnie had been able to bring them back also," Marcel whispered wistfully.

"I can see the love they shared. Hope has captured it beautifully. She was as talented as her Dad," Hayley replied softly. "Who knows maybe Davina, Freya and Vincent can pull them back from the afterlife? You have plenty of originals to channel and Kol is a genius when it comes to harnessing the dark energy of the dark objects."

"I might just whisper that in D's ear soon," Marcel grinned at her taking a sip of bourbon, "How you doin Hayley?" Marcel asked and she looked at him, her hazel eyes veiled knowing she was on her own in this crusade of getting Hope back and she didn't want to tear the family apart with her obsession with having Hope, nor did she want to make enemies of the Mikaelson's or Klaus. She still had to decide on her relationship with Elijah.