The ride to the unknown place was silent but it was a comfortable silence. Klaus always checked on Scarlett by looking in the rearview mirror of the car. Scarlett sensed his stolen stares but kept looking out the window.
Finally, the black SUV speeded down the driveway of the place. Klaus didn't even park before Hayley rushed out of the car and sprinted towards Rebekah, Elijah and her daughter. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she sees Hope as though she couldn't believe her eyes. Rebekah and Elijah both smiled at her as Klaus and Scarlett caught up with them. Elijah slowly handed the smiling child to Hayley.
Hayley hugged Hope tightly and let out a sigh of relief. Behind her, Klaus was in near tears and was too overwhelmed to move. Scarlett left the parents to see the young girl and stood beside Rebekah as the two watched the scene in awe.
Hayley turned to Klaus and approached him with Hope in her hands. Klaus slowly took Hope out of Hayley's grasp and held her tightly. Hope cooed happily at the two before they both laughed and smothered her with delicate kisses.
...
The group sat outside as they all discussed the newest revelations they had just learned. Klaus, Hayley, Rebekah and Elijah built a bonfire out in the front yard while Scarlett sat on a blanket in the grass. She sat down with baby Hope sitting across from her as she played peekaboo with the young child.
Scarlett could've gotten bored of the game quickly but she didn't. Hope's laugh was the cutest thing ever.
"Curse on the first-born?" Rebekah repeated what she heard. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity." Klaus explained to the blonde.
"Well, I'll kill the old witch before she gets to this adorable human." Scarlett joked, earning a slight smile from all of them.
"Is any of this true?"
"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth- our mother." Elijah answered Hayley.
"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah commented. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."
"Great." Hayley said sarcastically. "So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?"
"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah claimed as he placed more sticks on the bonfire.
"Like Esther?"
"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Klaus assured Hayley. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."
Rebekah rubbed her hands together excitedly as she returned to where her siblings are standing. "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!"
"No, we're not." Klaus denied.
"Yes, we are, Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed. "Back me up, Elijah!"
Elijah laughed at his sister's words. "I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."
"What are you all talking about?" Hayley asked them all with her hands placed on her hips.
"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck!" Rebekah explained happily. "It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids!"
"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it." Klaus continued to refuse.
"Hope's first bonfire season. I like it!" Hayley smiled. "We're doing it!"
...
For the bonfire game, Scarlett took a moment and sat alone in one of the many rooms of the residence. She knew it was stupid to think about so intensely but if she lives in a world with witches and other supernatural beings, she thought that a wish could come true.
She sat down in the chair with the small sheet on paper resting in her lap when she started writing.
"For Rebekah, I hope she finds the love she deserves and hope she can have children of her own someday. For Elijah, I hope that he finally stops putting his feelings aside and confesses his love for Hayley. For Hayley, I hope she can be the mother she wants to be for Hope and that she can be happy with someone she loves. For Hope, I hope she will stay safe and no one will hurt her. And for Klaus, I hope he can be a great father to Hope and prove everyone wrong. I also hope that he can stop fighting with his inner demons and live his life the way he wants to."
"What are you writing?"
Scarlett jumped slightly at the voice before turning towards it. She looked to see the blonde Original standing behind her with a smug smile. "Oh my goodness, Rebekah. I almost took your eye out!"
Rebekah chuckled at Scarlett's words before sitting down beside the hybrid. "So, what did you write?"
"What if I tell you and it doesn't come true?" Scarlett excused childishly.
Rebekah laughed at Scarlett's words, making the brunette laugh too. They both stared at one another in admiration before Rebekah peered at the note. "Well, I hope it's all good because this family already has enough bad luck."
...
Scarlett stood beside Klaus as they threw matches into the bonfire. Hayley watched from the side while she held Hope in her arms.
The door to the mansion opened only for Rebekah to come out with a Polaroid camera in hand. "Hey! Look what I found! I wonder if it'll work?"
Klaus turned away from his sister, placing his hands on his hips. "Oh, bloody hell."
"Come on, let's try it!" Rebekah encouraged her brothers who seemed annoyed. "Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"
"Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces." Elijah remarked, making Scarlett chuckle slightly.
Klaus glared at the woman before looking to his brother. "Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!"
"Oh, come on, just take the picture!"
Klaus obliged, sighing heavily as he took the camera from Rebekah. He extended his arm out, directing the lens of the camera towards the group of them. Scarlett stood in between Rebekah and Hayley with a sweet smile on her face.
The camera clicked, taking the photo of all of them when the photo started to come out of the camera. Klaus held it out in front of him for everyone to see the photo. Everyone in the photo is smiling except for Klaus who remained blank-faced.
Rebekah peered over Klaus' shoulder, admiring the photo for herself. "Aw, see? I wish that it could always be like this."
"If wishes were horses..."
"Beggars would ride." Klaus finished Elijah's quote before he sighed heavily. "You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does. We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands."
Klaus held out the photograph to Hayley who looked to Elijah for assistance but he did nothing. Hayley took the photo from Klaus' grasp before she reluctantly threw it into the bonfire.
"No. This isn't right." Rebekah spoke up, visibly sad. "We deserve this. We've earned this. I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther."
"Rebekah, no-"
"I'm going to take her deal." Rebekah cut Elijah off, not wanting to hear his pleas. "And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me."
...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR 30K READS ON THIS STORY! <333 IT TRULY MEANS A LOT TO ME!
Side note: I've been having a hard time getting motivation to write for any of my fanfics but I'm working on getting that back.
ALSO, 9 CHAPTERS LEFT OF THIS ACT (including this one.)
I hope y'all are ready for the next stage of this act, it's a bumpy ride. ;)