I want to thank you all for staying with me while I struggle updating this book. I have all intentions to conclude my TVD/TO/ Legacies series to the best of my abilities.
Hope's POV
Henry has the better mission at least he's not having fake Christmas being shoved down his throat. I keep trying to dial my parent's numbers but something is keeping me from getting the call out. I'm trying to do some research on what monster this could be but it's hard to concentrate with people singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. "I'm trying to work!" I snap at them. "So if you don't fa-la-la leave, I'm gonna give you all another piercing." I threaten and they scramble away.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kaleb says as he approaches my table with a bowl of eggnog. "Sounds like someone could use a little help getting into the spirit."
"You want to help? Find me an ax." I tell him.
"So that's a neg on the nog?" He asks me.
"I need to figure out what monster's making everyone so freaking merry, then kill it."
"Whoa. That's naughty as hell, Hope." He exclaims. "I got to do all I can to make it on Santa's nice list. Cause I've been asking for this one thing every Christmas and, uh I never got it. But I'm hoping that this is the year." He shares with me optimistically as he drinks some of the eggnog. "Hell yeah. You sure you don't want to hit this?"
"If I started hitting stuff now, I might never stop." I reply. I let out a frustrated sigh as I check my phone again and there's still no response from my parents or any family member which is odd. "There has to be someone around here as miserable as I am." And then it dawns on me. There is someone who would be miserable and could have some answers. I race down to the cells to interrogate Clarke.
"You're right I am miserable. So why would I help you?" He turns his back to me.
"Believe me, I wish that there was another option, but you're the only one around here that's not eating figgy pudding."
"On the bright side, me being miserable must be why I'm immune to the Christmas spirit. What's your excuse?"
"I used to love holidays. But...I lost a lot of my family partly because it was my fault. And everything changed. Everyone running around here all thankful for what they have..."
"You realize what you're missing." Clarke finishes for me and he slowly turns back around to face me. "If anyone can relate to being alone, it's me."
"That's the thing I'm not alone. I have part of my family back. My brother and I are closer than ever but things are different. I just know it and...my family used to have the best Christmas together." I share. "We have all of these traditions, but my family has spent more time apart than we have together so those traditions are always changing."
"I've never even had a Christmas." Clarke adds and then a smirk appears on his face. "That's it. You want my help figuring out your monster? Let me eat, drink, and be merry for once in my life. Go out with a bang. Now." He clears his throat. "Should old acquaintance be forgot?" He's enjoying this far too much for my liking but I have no other choice.
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3rd Person's POV
"All right, pass those ribbons around. Everybody write down your Christmas wish on them. Don't let anyone see it. Then when you're done, I want you to toss your ribbon into the fire. There you go." Dorian passes out the ribbon to all of the students.
"My bad Pedro." Kaleb apologizes as he snatches a ribbon from Dorian that was meant for Pedro. "Me and Santa got some unfinished business."
"More where that came from." Dorian hands Pedro another ribbon. Pedro takes the ribbon and spots Josie.
"What's your wish, Jo?" He asks her.
"Well, if I tell you that, it won't come true, remember?" Josie reminds him. She passes her marker over to Pedro.
Hope glares at Clarke annoyed as he just digs into all of the holiday food instead of helping her stop a monster.
"Wow, you really are the son of a bottomless pit." Hope insults him. Dorian passes a ribbon to Clarke not realizing who he was.
"Thanks." Clarke says as he gladly accepts the ribbon. "Here." He passes his unfinished place to a student walking by. "Turn." He orders Hope to turn around so he can use her back to write on the ribbon.
"Quit stalling." Hope fires back. "Tell me what I'm looking for before I run out of goodwill towards mud men and there are unpleasant consequences."
"Mm. My best guess? The Krampus." Clarke replies.
"What the hell is a Krampus?" Hope asks.
"Well, it's the monster that brought all this snow and ice to town. And think of it as the anti-Santa." Clarke explains as he leads them towards the fireplace. "Santa Claus rewards good boys and girls, right? Well, the Krampus does the opposite. It seeks out hatred and anger instead of peace and joy."
"We're literally surrounded by peace and joy." Hope reminds him. Clarke tosses his ribbon into the fire.
"Not for long." Hope shakes her head.
"What did you just do?" Hope demands.
"You should be proud of me, Hope. I took a page out of your playbook. I found another loophole." Clarke thinks he has the upper hand but Hope shoves him into the empty library.
"Cloustrum." Hope casts a spell shutting them inside. "You're spelled inside this room." She tells Clarke. "Now, what exactly did you wish for?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Because you can attest, I've been a very bad boy this year." Hope closes her fist and Clarke starts grunting.
"Unpleasant consequences remember?" Hope reminds him. "Now what did you wish for..."
"A savior." Clarke answers. "You want to protect Landon right? Well, don't worry. The Krampus is coming to rescue me instead of going after him. And it'll kill anyone dumb enough to get its way." Clarke continues to gloat.
"Not if we're ready for it." Hope fires back.
"By we, do you mean the school full of idiot kids drunk on Christmas Cheer? Or the grown men running around actually drunk, believing Santa Claus is real? Good luck dampening their spirits and getting them to listen to you."
"You leave that to me." Hope takes on the challenge. She heads back to the ballroom to find everyone partying like there are no problems going on around them. "I need everyone's attention." Hope yells causing everyone to stop what they're doing. She clears her throat. "I have bad news. A Krampus is headed our way." No one is alarmed by this news. Kaleb even turns the music back on and everyone goes back to partying. Hope casts the spell Concido and aims her hand at the music player and sparks fly out of it. Sparks continue to fly as Hope destroys the rest of the party. "All right! Didn't want to deploy the nuclear option, but Santa's not real. He's a myth. And you're all acting like a bunch of children. So let's just put the partridge back in the pear tree and grow the hell up." Pedro runs away crying at Hope's words.
"She's right." Dr. Saltzman speaks up. "I...this was all too good to be true. I...I don't know what came over us." He rips the Christmas sweater off his head. "All right, you all heard her. Dorian, hit the books, and figure out how the Krampus operates. Josie, Kaleb, we need to set a trap for this thing. Everyone else, get the kids to bed and gather weapons. And someone bring me a crossbow."
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Hope's POV
After Clarke summoned the Krampus I witnessed the weirdest fight between Santa Claus and Krampus that I will never get out of my head but another Malivore monster was defeated and yet we're nowhere closer to closing the portal. "Can't say I've expected to talk to you again." I say to Clarke over the phone.
"Neither did I. But before I die, I wanted to tell you that you're wrong. I don't hate you. And that truth spell you cast on me is still working, obviously. The snow melted. I'm assuming that means the Krampus is dead?"
"Yup. Santa Claus killed him. This Christmas was surprisingly violent."
"In that case, I have a clean run to the portal." The clock tower dings signaling that Clarke's time is almost up. "At least I can enjoy the last ten minutes of my life."
"Well, if you want to talk, I'll listen for as long as I can." I offer.
"I think I'm jealous of you, Hope." Clarke shares. "Because you're just as screwed up as I am, but...your friends still love you. And your parents..." He takes a moment of silence. "They will always love you. Guess I always wanted to believe my father could do the same."
"Anything can be real if you believe in it enough." I tell him.
"Merry Christmas, Hope. Spend it with those you love."
"Merry Christmas, Clarke."
I hang up and head outside just to see Santa leaving in his sleigh. Christmas lights are still illuminating the school and just seeing this simple sight brings a pure smile to my face. I turn and Landon is walking towards me. "This is the part where you say something." I tell him. "Or run."
"It's both." He approaches me "Can you please just wait right here? I have something that I really need to tell you. I...I just can't until I've had another conversation first." Landon isn't gone for long and I'm filled with worry on what he's going to say. "I thought leaving was the right thing to do." He shakes his head. "But I was wrong. That's what I came back to say." He keeps playing with my hair. "I love you, Hope Mikaelson. I loved you when I couldn't remember you. I love you as I'm standing here right now. Hope, I loved you when I was dead. I think I always will. This is the part where you say..."
"That I love you, too...Landon Kirby." I finish for him. "God, I loved you when you didn't even know it. Despite the way you've looked in a football uniform." We both laugh at my comment. "I dreamt of having a love like my parents and when everyone forgot about me and I was free from Malivore the first person I wanted to see was you. You're the person I want to experience everything life has to offer."
"Then there's only one thing left to say. Look up." I look up and spot mistle toe and Landon crashes his lips to mine. We pull apart and I just smile at him.
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"Whoa, what is with..." I look around my parent's new home which is decorated with tons of holiday decorations. "I do..."
"Well since your father and I only just received your message about another Malivore monster. One that brought Christmas early and it dawned on us that this family has been given thousands of second chances and yet we don't take the time to celebrate the little things in life." Mom explains.
"But it's not Christmas."
"Tomorrow isn't certain. And besides no one needs a holiday to gather family." Mom and I look at the family we have gathered in our home. Everyone is here. Uncle Kol and Aunt Davina flew in from Belize early this morning and are planning to stay in the States for a bit.
"I summoned them all here and they didn't hesitate to show up." Father states.
"As if we needed to be summoned to be with family. Honestly Niklaus do you learn anything?" Aunt Rebekah argues.
"We don't take orders from you brother. Never have." Kol adds.
"Pretty sure I remember a couple of centuries where you couldn't do a damn thing without me telling you want to do Kol." Father fights back.
"Both of you. Enough. Niklaus please let us at least break bread before we begin to act uncivilized." Uncle Elijah scolds his brothers.
"Ah, the ever-honorable brother here to make us realize we're beneath him." Father continues.
"If this is how all of your family gatherings are then I'm glad I brought the bourbon." Uncle Damon says.
"Please let's sit and eat before the food gets cold." Mom herds everyone to the dining table which is enormous but perfect to fit everyone there. There's enough food to feed a small country and that says a lot since a majority of the members in our family don't even eat food. Catching up with everyone was easy. It's like no time has passed.
"You're telling us that you watched Santa Klaus kick some demon elf's ass?" Uncle Marcel asks me.
"More or less. Sadly it wasn't the strangest thing I've seen." I admit.
"That is true. We've fought a zombie, sphinx, keeper of games, mud man." Henry lists off just the small amount of monsters we've encountered.
"And you two pay how much money to send your kids to a knockoff Hogwarts?" Uncle Damon asks.
"Ric assured us that the Salvatore School was the best thing for supernatural kids." Mom defends.
"Sounds like a hot mess to me. And I'm all for hot messes but whew. Niklaus you should get a refund." Uncle Kol tells Father.
"Better yet let me just kill Alaric and be done with this whole thing."
"NO!" Henry exclaims and everyone looks at him. "I mean...killing it'...I thought we were stopping that." He sits back down.
"He's disposable and useless."
"He's my best friend." Uncle Damon argues.
"I thought that was reserved for me?" Uncle Kol jokes and Uncle Damon flips him off.
"We're not going to kill Ric? Right?" Aunt Elena asks.
"I'm not opposed to offing him. He did try to kill all of us at one point." Aunt Rebekah adds.
"And we've all tried to kill each other so let's not make that the reason." Mom argues.
"My wife does make a sound point. Fine, the imbecile can live for now."
"Ri..." Uncle Kol's eyes widen and he looks at Henry. "Isn't he..." He gives Henry a look.
"Shh..."
"Is he what?" Everyone wants to know what Kol is talking about.
"Spit it out Kol!"
"Isn't Alaric the father of the girl you're dating?" Uncle Kol asks.
"Yes, but that..."
"Wait you're dating Caroline Forbes' daughter?" Uncle Damon asks.
"More like fully in love." I add.
"Little Henry is in love?" Marcel ruffles Henry's hair.
"Stop it."
"He writes songs about her." I add.
"Hope!"
"No shame in it. I think it's sweet." I state.
"Wait. Which daughter of Caroline are you dating?" Aunt Rebekah asks.
"Lizzie."
"Hugh." Aunt Rebekah groans.
"Beks she's a nice girl." Mom defends.
"She's just a lot like Caroline before she became a vampire." Aunt Elena adds.
"Which means what?" Uncle Elijah asks.
"She's an annoying perky blonde and my nephew could do better." Aunt Rebekah declares.
"I've met her and I agree with Sofia. She's a wonderfully nice girl." Aunt Freya defends.
"I'm sorry. I'm very confused, but isn't Caroline the one who was married to..."
"My brother Stefan who died on their wedding day." Uncle Damon answers.
"And Elena and Sofia are twins so Caroline was married to your brother so wouldn't that make her daughter family?" Aunt Keelin asks Henry.
"Okay let's not get technical about who's related to whom and such." Henry exclaims.
"I mean son it is a little strange. Hope and you call their mother Aunt Caroline." Father states.
"And you adopted Uncle Marcel as your son when he was a child. Raised as your child. We even slip between saying uncle and brother when greeting him. And he's now with Aunt Rebekah." Henry lists off.
"Well, the Mikaelson's do like to double dip..."
"And don't even get me started on the weird love triangle between you and Mom with Uncle Damon." Henry adds.
"To clarify for everyone. There was no triangle. Damon and I were completely over when..."
"When you and Dad jumped each other's bones." I add. My mom's jaw drops.
"It did not happen like that."
"No there was a little literal stabbing in the back and a few killings but yeah." Aunt Elena adds.
"Thanks, Lenny."
"Let's not forget the doppelganger shit that involved everyone. Yes, I'm in love with Elizabeth Jenna Saltzman and when the time is right and she will have me, I will ask her to marry me." Henry declares.
"WHAT?!" Our parents ask in disbelief.
"You're sixteen. You're not ready for marriage." Mom tells him.
"Not that we're getting married tomorrow. I mean we only just slept together last n..."
"You did what?!" I interrupt my brother's rambling.
"What?" He looks at me wishing he didn't say what he said.
"You and Lizzie Saltzman had sex?"
"Hope this is not an appropriate dinner conversation." Henry whispers to me.
"When were you going to tell me?"
"Am I supposed to tell you when I have sex?" Henry argues.
"YES!"
"You didn't tell me when you slept with Lover Boy!"
"Because we haven't!"
"Excuse me?! That creature touched you?" Our father is now standing. "I will kill him." He rushes to the door but Mom speeds at him and stops him from leaving.
"Nik, calm down."
"He touched our daughter."
"Landon has done nothing to me." I shout needing my dad not to kill anyone.
"It's not like he can die. He's a phoenix and he'll just come back to life eventually." Henry adds.
"Excellent. So I can find the perfect way to kill him no matter how many tries it takes.
"He did try to sleep with Josie." Henry adds.
"He cheated on you! That's it. I'm taking off his head." Father declares and he takes off again but this time Uncle Marcel, Kol, and Elijah jump in to restrain him.
"Wow. Wow. Wow." Uncle Damon joins in. "Let's not go acting like we're all perfect angels in relationships. If I recall you killed most of Rebekah's suitors."
"Not helping Damon." Aunt Elena whispers.
"And you tried killing me a handful of times." Uncle Damon argues.
"Let's not get into who's killed who because we've all been guilty of that." Aunt Davina states. "Me included. I've definitely killed a few of you here."
"So our connection besides being family is who we've killed..."
"Who we've fucked." Uncle Damon states finishing Aunt Freya's train of thought.
"I was just going to say kill." Aunt Freya corrects him. He puts his hands up and shrugs his shoulder.
"No shame. I own up to the fact that I've slept three people here." Uncle Damon continues as he winks at Mom, and Aunt Rebekah and then kisses Aunt Elena.
"Only two for me." Aunt Rebekah fesses up.
"Same for me." Mom adds.
"One." Aunt Freya, Elena, and Davina say.
"None." Henry and I add and everyone looks at us.
"As if the answer would be anything else. Hope everyone here is family to you." Mom scolds me.
"Yes darling we may kill each other but we are all above incest." Father adds.
"Not completely true." Uncle Damon clears his throat. "Kids, fun fact. Once upon a time I also slept with your grandmother Isobel whom your father compelled to kill herself. So cheers to that."
"Damon!" Mom and Aunt Elena scold him but he drinks his bourbon with no care in the world.
"Beignets anyone?" I change the subject.
Did you enjoy the end of this chapter? Would you like more moments like this?