[3] Bloodline • Legacies ✓

xiii.

chapter thirteen.

"Natalie, can you pass me the tape."

Natalie grabbed the tape from the table and used her magic to send it up to Hope's location at the top of the ladder. They were currently decorating the Grand Hall for the party. The twins would be turning 16 and Lizzie wanted a big Sweet 16 birthday party whereas Josie didn't really care all too much about what they did so long as it was together.

Alaric wouldn't be present at this birthday celebration, but it was said that Caroline would be present. Her flight would land the day before the party, which would give her enough time to settle into the school once more.

"Do you know if the twins have chosen escorts?" Natalie asked her cousin while helping with the balloons. "Or will they be walking down together?"

"I think together." Hope told her with a shrug. "I haven't heard anything about them getting escorted, but maybe Caroline will walk them in, I don't know."

Natalie hummed and sighed as the finished the last balloon that would spell out Josie. "Let's get food, I don't want to blow up balloons anymore."

Hope laughed but nodded her head, she easily climbed down the ladder and held out her hand for Natalie to take. Natalie took her hand and the two began to make their way to the kitchen, on the way there, Natalie spotted MG and Rafael talking with one another.

"Hello boys, what's the stitch?" Natalie asked with a small smile on her face.

Hope rolled her eyes at her cousin but smiled at the two boys. "We're on our way to the kitchen to find food."

"Good luck with that." Rafael scoffed softly. "It's full of baking ingredients and when you walk in they rush you out because apparently they need all the space in there to work on what I'm assuming is the cake."

Natalie sighed. "Do you think Uncle Nik would take us into town?"

Hope shrugged. "Maybe, but he might be busy. Oh, let's ask my mom."

"Can we bug you to join?" MG asked sheepishly. "We're dying for a burger or something."

"Sure." Hope nodded her head. "My mom wouldn't mind though she might check up on you about everything, she's just like that." Hope laughed softly. "What about your brother? Will he be okay alone?"

Rafael nodded his head. "Landon's been in our room or the library studying all that he can, he doesn't want to transfer over to the academy and be one of those annoying humans that asks dumb questions, I told him not to worry but he was adamant on it."

"Alright then, let's go find my mom." Hope said and the four were off to where Hope last remembered Aurora to be.

"Oh!" Natalie gasped. "We also have to stop by the house to grab our dresses! Aunt Rebekah said she sent us dresses for the twins party after hearing that we would be here for it."

"Oh right." Hope nodded her head. "I think we're all wearing some sort of red."

"Of course, we are." Natalie laughed. "We are Mikaelson's."

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

After finding Aurora along with Niklaus, the four kids left with Aurora into town.

"Honestly, I'm quite glad you got me away from there." Aurora laughed softly as she and Hope walked around the square. "It was getting terrible stuffy in that office with your father, he works diligently but refuses to take a break in fear of falling behind Matthias."

Hope smiled at that, "Dad has always been like that honestly, it was funny to me as a kid."

"You still are," Aurora spoke softly, and Hope felt her heart clench slightly. "Just a kid." Aurora's smile was enough to tell Hope what she meant, it wasn't that they planned on treating her like a child, but that in their eyes, she was still their little girl.

"I know mom." Hope said softly while reaching to hold Aurora's hand in her own. "I'll always be your guys little girl, no matter how old I get."

Aurora looked at Hope and nodded her head in agreement, willing herself not to cry. There had been a time when she resented Hayley for giving Niklaus the one thing that she would never be able to do, give him a child, but after getting to know Hope, growing to love her as her own, that resentment faded. Hope had become like a daughter to her and to Hope, Aurora was like her mother.

Aurora would've never imagined the two being here like this, but she was happy.

"So, you and Rafael." Aurora spoke making Hope's face heat up at the insinuation.

"W-What?" Hope stuttered before clearing her throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Aurora couldn't help but laugh. "You may not, but I do see how he looks at you."

"Like a friend?" Hope questioned nervously and Aurora shook her head. "We're just friends, we haven't even talked much since the party thingy that the students had."

"It's easy to see that he's taken with you though." Aurora continued to tease. "The entire ride over, he would glance your way at least every five seconds."

Hope wondered how red her face was, it felt hot as she was heating up with embarrassment. "Mooommmm."

Hope's whining had Aurora laughing as she pulled Hope close to her side. "Oh, I love teasing you." She told the girl and Hope huffed with a shake of her head. "Still, maybe he'll ask you to be his date to the party."

Hope couldn't help but snort, prompting her to slap her hand over her mouth while Aurora laughed some more. "One, we don't talk about that." Aurora nodded while biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Two, I doubt that. Lizzie has had her eyes on him since he got here, if anything I'm betting that she's going to try and sleep with him before he leaves."

Aurora gasped and swatted Hope's shoulder, much to her amusement. "Don't speak like that."

Hope opened her mouth to speak when Natalie's voice reached her ears. "Hope! Aunt Rora!" The two looked over to see that Natalie, MG, and Rafael were back from their gift hunting. "Are you ready to eat now?" The two nodded and walked over to the three.

"Did you find something?" Hope asked her cousin.

Natalie nodded and showed Hope the two jewelry boxes in the bag. "I got them both necklaces, similar but different and I imbued them with some magic."

"How nice." Hope gave her cousin a confused look but decided not to question it.

"And yes, I will be saying it's from all of us that way we don't have to all get them something." Natalie added and then it made sense to Hope.

It wasn't that Natalie was being nice, it was that if it was from the Mikaelson's altogether, it would have to be something perfect because everyone knew that the Mikaelson's always gave lavish expensive gifts.

"How much did you spend?" Aurora asked her as they walked into the Grill and found a table big enough for them.

Natalie shrugged while MG spoke up, "Close to 8K."

Aurora nodded her head. "A good amount."

Rafael and MG shared looks of disbelief. "That jewelry store was crazy expensive, I'm surprised they can stay open with how high the prices are." Rafael said to them.

"I'm surprised they even allowed it." MG added in. "I mean, it's probably more for those that can afford it."

"Most likely because there's a boarding school here meant for snobby rich kids." Hope reminded them before waving over at someone with the uniform.

"Hi, my names Ethan an-" He paused recognizing MG. "You're from the Salvatore Boarding School right?"

MG smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, but some of us are transferring to the New Orleans Academy by the end of this week."

Ethan nodded his head. "That's cool. So uh, what can I get for you guys?"

MG and Rafael went first, both ordering double bacon cheeseburgers with fries on the side along with a chocolate and strawberry shake. Hope ordered a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a peanut butter blast shake with whip cream on the bottom. Natalie ordered a cheeseburger as well with chili cheese fries and a Dr. Pepper, and lastly Aurora ordered a caramel shake and a bacon cheeseburger.

Once their orders were taken, Ethan left them to resume their conversation which flowed easily between them all.