When the sun rose, Hope woke up and and rubbed her eyes a bit. She yawned and stared at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. She knew they needed to get back on the road. But she wanted to talk to her subconscious again. Even though she just had. She frowned and got dressed into the clothes they had picked up at a quick stop on the way. She grabbed her bag and sifted through it, picking up the crystal and looking down at it.
Hope sighed softly, her heart longing for her time but also desperate to spend more time with her father while she could. Her mind drifted to the conversation she had with her subconscious last night.
Hope Mikaelson walked further into the woods, leaves crushing beneath her feet. She finally slowed and looked around before taking a seat up against the tree. It was the best place she could find where she had a very minimal chance of being seen. She set down the prism and leaned back against the tree.
"Mind if I join you?" a familiar voice questioned.
Hope couldnt help the smile that formed on her face as she looked over to see the prism version of her boyfriend. "Landon" she said, glad to see his face even if it wasn't actually him.
Prism Landon grinned and walked over, sitting across from her at the base of another tree. "So what's it like walking around in the past?"
"You know what it's like. You're my subconscious." Hope commented, looking at him.
"Yeah, but I'm just trying to make conversation. Besides, you know you didn't just come here to get advice. You want someone to really be able to talk to"
"Fair. And to see his face" Hope said softly. She wasn't sure she would be able to reverse the spell so she had no idea if or when she would be able to see him again. Or her friends.
Prism Landon smiled a bit at her. "So what's it like?"
"Strange. Strange to see my dad again. To see Stefan Salvatore alive as well. To know my mom and Uncle Elijah are out there somewhere alive. I know what's going to happen to all of them, and I don't know what to do" Hope swallowed thickly
"Yes you do" Prism Landon said, looking at her.
Hope sighed, looking back at him. "Well, maybe I just want to be told what to do here. Maybe it will help push me into doing the right thing"
"Fine. In that case, you've already messed things up in this time. Events are already changing, whether it's small differences or major ones. You need to leave. Before your father finds out more about you than you already told him"
Hope leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I know" she said.
"I get you want to spend time with him since you never will again once you go back. But this isn't about just you. It's about the future. You don't even exist yet in this timeline. Neither do Lizzie or Josie or... me. Your existence depends on your dad meeting your mom and then having sex with her in the right place at the right time."
"And my mom was basically hate banging him so its not like I have a relationship to depend on" Hope said nervously.
"And Dr. Saltzman needs to meet the twins' mom and fall in love. And you can't exactly erase yourself from everyone's memories because then it would move the malivore portal, and I might not end up existing"
"I don't even know how to reverse the spell"
"Well, work on figuring that out. Or create a new one. It's not the first time you have written a spell."
"And until then? I should just leave and never speak to any of them again?" Hope looked at her subconscious.
"First you need to fix the changes you have made. And then, once you feel its close enough to accurate, yes. You need to leave. And just hope it doesn't upset your father enough to change anything else" Prism Landon replied, looking at her.
Hope nodded and sighed. "Alright. I don't know what to say to him. I can tell he wants to know many more answers than I could give him. Its too dangerous for him to know the truth."
"You can talk to him about minor things, but it is very dangerous if you tell him any more about the major things in your life. You can talk to him about Landon. But you'll need to keep out the twins' names if you discuss them. Otherwise he will be able to figure it out once he knows their existence and then he would know their future as well"
Hope nodded. Soon enough, she picked up the crystal and headed back to the motel.
She inhaled sharply and pushed away the memory before giving her hair another brush
"Are you awake? We should get going soon." Klaus said as he knocked on her door. He was anxious to resume his journey. He knew he would likely not be arriving at his destination today due to needing to stop at hotels so Hope could get some sleep. But just the thought of finally being able to create successful hybrids had him in a better mood than he normally was. Having Hope around helped as well.
Hope opened her hotel room door and nodded, her bag in hand. "Im all packed and ready" she said, looking at him. She hadnt gotten much sleep anyways.
Klaus blinked slowly, a little surprised she was ready so soon. "And here I thought I might need to wake you up." He chuckled a little. "I suppose I shouldn't underestimate you from now on."
"Some days I do sleep in a bit more. But today I woke up early" Hope chuckled.
"Well I am glad you did." Klaus said and offered a small smile. "I hardly ever sleep." He said casually. "We do need to get going however. By tomorrow I will have an army at my side." He smirked at the thought.
Hope nodded and looked back briefly to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Then she headed out of the room. "I tend to stay up late. Even moreso when I have things on my mind."
"I do as well. Especially since breaking the curse. Before my mind was typically restless. Now it's as if I can't hear myself think sometimes." Klaus said as he headed down the hallway. "Shifting helps. So does ripping someone in half." He said causally as his lips curled upwards into a slight smirk.
"I shift or do some training usually. Letting loose my magic sometimes helps too" Hope said. "Control is harder if something is emotionally impactful. But i can handle it"
Klaus nodded slowly in understanding. "I know the feeling." He said glancing over at her. "The first time I turned after breaking the curse I was a werewolf for a while after the full moon. Though I suppose it is more difficult for you. Witches gain control over their magical abilities with their emotions. Werewolves are aggressive by nature. You being a hybrid does sound like control would be an issue."
"I can handle it" Hope said with a small smile. "Shifting every often regularly helps me maintain control if something emotional happens."
Klaus nodded. "Yes that should help. It's often how I deal with my anger as well. Ever since breaking the curse. Though sometimes I admit I do it for fun." He chuckled a little. "After a thousand years of being denied my other half, it is quite satisfying to be able to do it whenever I'd like."
Hope nodded. If it wasn't for the school restrictions, she might have as well. But it was too dangerous. Even though she usually had great control.
Klaus stepped outside the hotel and headed to his car. "Can I ask? Why did you decide to join me?"
Because I want to spend some selfish time with you. Because I want to try to keep things on track. But she said neither of those things. Instead, she said, "I dont see a reason why I shouldn't. At least until I figure out the spell"
"Well...I can think of many reasons." Klaus mumbled as he reached his car and opened the door for her. "But I suppose you are not like other people. Or witches."
"I am not like anyone" Hope said, getting in the car and setting her bag down
"Yes I noticed that." Klaus snorted and got in the car as well. "It is something I quite enjoy. If you were like anyone else you would easily hate me."
"I dont think that's necessarily true" Hope said, shaking her head lightly. "Most do. But not all would."
Klaus chuckled a little, though he still shook his head in disapproval. "That is because you are a hybrid as well. But anyone else would never see things the way you do. Not even my own siblings do."
"Youre forgetting im a hybrid that managed to make friends and find the love pf my life" Hope said. "Someone out there has the potential to be either to you. You just haven't met them"
Klaus was silent for a while. He simply started the car and began to drive. He wanted to believe her. It would be the greatest thing ever if he could. But too many disappointments told him that was just impossible. "You forget the one friend I thought I had was working against me, which is why you are here right now rather than him. The woman I believed to be the love of my life hated me in the end just like everyone else. There is no hope for me. Not anymore. The only thing I am meant to have is my army."
"One day that will change" Hope said confidently as she thought of the stories of Camille. Of her mother. Of the way the siblings got along in the end. The memory of the knowledge that Klaus had feelings for Headmistress Forbes. How he spent some of his last moments with her, "but I won't try to change your mindset now. Its something you need to see for yourself"
Klaus blinked slowly at that, his curiosity getting the best of him. "How can you be so sure?" He asked quietly as he glanced over at her. She sounded like she knew. He wasn't sure if she simply believed in him that much or if somehow she knew more than what she was letting on. "You hardly know me." He pointed out.
"There's someone for everyone." Hope said simply.
Klaus sighed softly and turned his attention back to the road, feeling a little relieved at her answer. "I stopped believing that a very long time ago." He mumbled. "If that was true, one would think that a thousand years would be time enough to find who I am supposedly meant to be with."
"Maybe" Hope said. "Maybe not. Perhaps you were just unlucky to have the person you are meant to be with centuries younger than you"
"Or perhaps there is no such thing." Klaus countered quietly. He didn't think he was the type of person anyone could love. Not truly. "No offense to your theory, however for there to be someone for me, I would need to be someone a person can love. Last I checked, that was not possible."
"That's a matter of opinion, not a fact" Hope said, looking at him. "Youll never know for sure unless you somehow died and no one loved you. It may have been a thousand years. But it does not mean it isnt possible." Hope said, pulling out her sketchbook. "Im not necessarily trying to change your belief. I'm just saying other people might not share yours."
Klaus didn't say anything for a little while. He silently drove, thinking about what she said. He'd give anything to believe her. Because it would mean that someone somewhere could actually care about him. But unfortunately he just couldn't no matter how badly he wanted to. "I'd like to believe you." He finally spoke up. "However, there have been too many events that prove that wrong. My own family cannot love me. Not unconditionally. I sincerely doubt a perfect stranger will."
"I havent left you yet" Hope said. "The only reason I will is if I can get back to Landon. Otherwise, here i stay. And I could be anywhere else right now if I wanted. I'd probably get my research done faster that way" Hope said.
Klaus blinked in surprise at her words, hating the strange emotion that settled in him as he listened to her. It was almost as if part of him did believe her. Or at least wanted to. He couldn't fully. Because he had been through far too many disappointments. But this was the closest he came to ever trusting someone, even if he refused to say it out loud. "You will." He finally whispered. "You might say you will stay now. However, eventually I will say or do something that will drive you away. It is the way it works whenever anyone tries to get close to me."
Hope let out a soft sigh and shook her head a little before starting to sketch her prism. If anything, he would leave her.
Klaus turned his gaze to the road once more and simply continued to drive. "You don't believe me do you?" He asked but wasn't really surprised. So far she seemed so determined to prove he was someone worth something. Even if he couldn't understand why.
Hope hummed briefly and continued sketching the prism. Once she had that shape, she began drawing the back of Landon, looking out at a lake
"I suppose I don't understand why you think the way you do of me." Klaus whispered after a few minutes of silence. "You only just met me. Yet you are so convinced I deserve good things in my life. Love. Care. A soulmate." He scoffed. "I behave cruelly, I kidnapped a young girl and practically drained her of her blood, I bring up murder in casual conversation, and your opinion remains the same. Why?"
"Maybe I just think everyone does" Hope pointed out, looking over at him briefly before looking back at her drawing. "And technically I kidnapped Elena Gilbert. I'm the one who went in her house, spelled her so she couldnt move, and then brought her out at your request"
"Not everyone does." Klaus muttered as his mind unwillingly flashed back to Mikael. "I happen to be one of those people that don't. You may have been the one to kidnap Elena. However I asked you to. And I would have done it myself had you not helped me. Frankly I am still not certain why you did. You didn't have to."
"It made things easier for you" Hope said with a light shrug. "You couldnt get in the house. I dont need an invitation"
"That isn't an answer. It is a fact." Klaus mumbled. "I want to know why you felt the need to help me in the first place. Why you would ever want to make things easier for me."
"I need a reason?" Hope questioned, raising an eyebrow
"Yes." Klaus answered as if it should've been obvious. "Anyone who helps me always needs a reason. Whether it is because you fear me or because you are interested in what I can do for you. There is always a reason."
"Well I'm not afraid of you" Hope said simply. "And I dont want anything from you." Except maybe bits of time before she found her way back home. "All I want is to just be here while I try to figure out the spell that sent me to Stefan Salvatore's apartment'
Klaus frowned at her words. Despite her following him around everywhere, he still hadn't expected her to say that. That she wasn't afraid of him. While it was true that some people weren't, she also didn't happen to want anything from him. "Right. Well. Ignoring your obvious insanity, I still do not understand why you want to be with me when you could literally be anywhere else. With anyone else. With your family. Other witches. Werewolves. Your boyfriend. The list is endless. Yet you are choosing me. A vampire werewolf hybrid whom you barely know and has already gotten you stabbed by one of the many obnoxious people attempting to stop me."
"You dont need to understand. Besides, I healed from the injury, so that doesnt matter either." Hope said
"Actually I do." Klaus mumbled after a few seconds as he continued to drive. "However I do not believe I ever will, even if you did decided to explain." He didn't see any reality where anyone would willingly choose him. Even if Hope was telling him loud and clear, it somehow couldn't register in his mind.
Hope watched him for a moment before looking away and continuing the sketch. She started moving a bit faster in her drawing, her instinct and focus taking over. She made the sky dark
Klaus kept his attention on the road, his mind thinking of all she said to him since they first met. Maybe part of him did believe her. Not about him finding a soulmate or anything of the sort. But that someone could care about him. Even if that someone was only her, at least he wasn't completely alone. "That is turning out lovely." He said softly, briefly glancing at her sketch.
"Thank you" Hope said with a small smile as she continued working on it, memories going through her head
"You're welcome." Klaus said softly. He wanted to know more about her, but he also didn't want to push her to talk if she was not ready to. "So...is there anything in particular you would like to tell me about yourself? I, well I feel as though you know a lot about me yet I hardly know anything about you."
"There isn't much to say." Hope said. "What do you want to know?"
Klaus smiled a little. "Everything. You already know very personal things about me."
Klaus nodded slowly at that. "That certainly sounds interesting." He chuckled a little. "What of your childhood? Where did you grow up?"
"A few different places" Hope said vaguely as she worked on shading.
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You don't enjoy talking about yourself do you?" He questioned playfully. "Although normally I would share your need to be vague, I happen to actually enjoy your company and...trust you." He smiled a little.
"No, I dont" Hope said with a small smile as she looked at him. "I like being vague sometimes. Where did you grow up?"
Klaus chuckled softly. "It is amazing how you can take a conversation about you and bring it back to me but, alright. I grew up in Mystic Falls actually. Before it resembled anything like Mystic Falls. Though after I turned I traveled all over the world."
Hope listened and nodded, despite already knowing this. "I have traveled the country a bit, but I havent gone out of it" she told him.
"Really? Well. Why don't we travel for a while? After I have my army and take my revenge towards Stefan, we could travel together. I could take you to all the best places in art history. Paris, Vienna, New York, London, Florence..." Klaus sighed contently. "The world is remarkable. And I want to see it again with you. Someone who can appreciate it as much as I do."
Hope nearly stilled at the offer. Her heart ached painfully as she longed to spend time with her dad, but as she looked down and saw the light hitting the crystal, she reminded herself that she couldn't. "Perhaps we could" she said, not wanting to be suspicious even though she would hopefully be gone by then. The longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave
Klaus glanced over at her curiously. "You don't seem very excited." He observed turning his attention back to the road. "Did you change your mind? About...me? Do you only want to get this over with and leave?" He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Every time someone got close to him they discovered the monster that truly lied underneath and they ran.
"No" Hope shook her head. "Nothing has changed." She promised him. "I like your company. I like talking to you. But I do have to get back to Landon eventually"
Klaus couldn't help but feel relieved when he heard her. He had a habit of always thinking the worst, but this time he had been proven wrong. This time there was someone in the world that actually enjoyed his company no matter what she saw or heard him say. "Right. Landon. Your love." He smiled slightly. "Is he interested in art? I admit I would much rather have the trip be for us only, but if having him by your side is what it will take, I can tolerate him accompanying us."
Hope looked over at her father before looking down at the sketchbook. "Not nearly as much as I am. Music is more his interest. But I could ask him about it" Hope said
"Right. You mentioned that. So long as he doesn't play or reference any music recorded after the 90s I believe I will be perfectly fine with his company." Klaus chuckled a little. "Ask him."
"I will" Hope said, looking at him with a small smile before looking down at her sketch that was nearly complete.
"Good." Klaus said softly. This was the first time he was actually looking forward to a trip. He had never actually traveled for fun. "You know. I believe this will be my first vacation."
"Really? Aren't you a thousand years old?" Hope questioned. "You've never gone on a vacation."
"No I haven't. I've traveled but usually for reasons other than pure relaxation or enjoyment" Klaus replied.
A while later Klaus made a stop at a hotel, deciding to continue the rest of the journey in the morning. He could've easily kept going but he had to keep in mind Hope wasn't a vampire. "I figure it is about time we stopped somewhere." He gave her a small smile and stepped out of the car.
Klaus approached the hotel lobby and booked two rooms. He handed her the card for her room. "Here you are. We should leave at dawn tomorrow. The earlier we arrive, the sooner I can turn werewolves into hybrids." He smirked
Hope nodded and got out of the car, grabbing her bag as she did so. She definitely planned on using the prism again.
"I usually wake up early" Hope told him. It wasnt often that she didnt. "So I should be able to be ready by then"
"So do I." Klaus smiled a little, enjoying how many more things he kept finding he had in common with her. "I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight" Hope said with a small smile before heading to her room. Tomorrow they would be actually turning werewolves into hybrids, and Hope wasn't particularly pleased at the idea of forcing them. But she had to try to keep things the same