Previously on His Last Hope:
Rebekah took the jacket from Hope and sniffed it. She looked at Klaus, visibly shaken.
"What?" Hayley asked, catching on.
"This jacket is practically doused in petrol mixed with wolfsbane and witch hazel."
Hope paled.
"Why couldn't I smell wolfsbane and witch hazel? She said she injected me with it. Not doused."
"Does that matter?" Hayley shrieked; she started to panic. "That mad woman wants to hurt you!"
"Hurt?" Kol spoke, "try kill."
"Mum, calm down," Hope said calmly, "She's just playing games with us. What's the worst that can happen? A few burns?"
"It wasn't made to hurt you," Elijah spoke in a low voice, "it was supposed to kill you."
******
Chapter Nine:
Hope was standing on the balcony of the apartment that she lived in as an infant. Her hands resting on the rails, she was thinking.
What was Aurora's purpose of doing this to me?
Hope could not figure it out.
Maybe she wants Dad back and saw that as the only way.
That can't be it. Whatever Aurora wanted, she took. She did not resort to pettiness.
Hope chuckled quietly. Who am I kidding? Aurora is the queen of pettiness.
"Don't you dare!"
Hope's attention was caught and she listened to her family in their courtyard. Her mother was livid while Rebekah tried to keep her calm.
"Hayley, Freya is on her way back. She can do something to slow down the poison in Hope's body."
Hayley was staring at Klaus.
"She's your crazy ex, Klaus! Why would she do this? I thought she was dead and her damn brother was rotting at the bottom of the ocean!"
Klaus gritted his teeth.
"Hayley, you've known me all these years and you think those I kill get to be roaming around?"
Hayley inhaled as she walked towards Klaus.
"Please, she's our little girl. We need to do something."
"We will." Klaus murmured.
"Please, this isn't helping anyone, least of all, it doesn't help Hope. Please understand."
Hayley nodded, looking at Rebekah.
Upstairs, Hope exhaled quietly. She felt someone behind her and closed her eyes when Aiden wrapped his arms around her waist behind her.
"Hey, baby," Aiden murmured into Hope's shoulder.
"Hi." Hope whispered.
"You're gonna be okay, you know that, don't you?"
"Hm." Hope murmured.
"You will. Your family will make sure of that, baby."
Hope nodded and leaned against Aiden.
"I'm just scared..." Hope whispered.
"So am I..." Aiden murmured. "No." He said in a stronger voice. "No. I'm not scared. There is no point being scared. Fear gets you nowhere. My father taught me that much."
Hope touched Aiden's arm.
"You miss your family, huh?"
Aiden swallowed hard.
"I knew you do, baby." Hope whispered. She faced him and smiled. "I miss them too, Aiden. They were so kind and loving towards me. Like a family should be. Maybe we should go and see them..."
"We can't. They all think I'm dead. It would cause problems for my family if I was somehow alive and turned up alive. You know that, baby."
Hope nodded.
"It was just a thought. That's all."
"A good thought, baby, just not right now." Aiden murmured as he smiled.
"At least your father, brothers and sister know you're still alive..." Hope murmured.
"Yeah...while the rest of London doesn't. Ah well, I'm sure they're missing my Black charm and chiselled good looks."
Hope snorted with laughter.
"Oi." Aiden scowled. "I am good looking, I'll have you know."
"I'm so sorry."
"What for?" Aiden asked. "Me being good looking? Hardly your fault, love, that people fancy me."
"Not that. This. All of this. This isn't what you signed up for."
"It hasn't been that bad..." Aiden murmured as he looked anywhere other than Hope.
Hope smiled.
"I can tell when you are lying."
"Damn..." Aiden murmured with a smile.
Hope chuckled quietly.
"Hey..." Aiden tucked a strand of hair behind Hope's ear. "You're gonna be okay. Okay? You have to be."
Hope nodded as she looked at her hands. They were slightly purple.
"Poison's already taking affect..." Hope whispered.
"No..." Aiden swallowed. "No. You will not die, damn it. Do you fucking hear me? I am not letting you die."
"Not much you'd be able to do about it." Hope smiled.
Aiden did not say anything as he hugged her. Hope closed her eyes as she listened to her mother cry into Elijah's arms.
Downstairs, Rebekah walked towards Marcel tentatively.
"Where's Kol?" Rebekah asked sadly.
"Off to find Tristan, no doubt." Marcel said. "Maybe I should help him." He made to walk off when Rebekah sped in front of him.
"No." Rebekah whispered as she looked at Marcel's lips. "You can't. Tristan will kill you faster than you can say, 'Rebekah, I love you.'"
Marcel smiled, sending Rebekah weak at the knees.
"I have to do something. Hope is my little sister and she could be dying right now."
"Vincent and Freya doing a spell as we speak," Rebekah comforted him.
"You reckon?"
"Yes." Rebekah smiled. "Us Mikaelsons are made of the strong stuff. You know that, Marcel."
"She's really gonna be okay, huh?"
Rebekah nodded.
Marcel inhaled before he sighed.
"I'm sorry," Marcel said. "I can't sit by and do nothing." Marcel sped off, leaving Rebekah there.
"He's gonna get himself killed." Rebekah said as she walked towards Klaus. "Please, Nik! Stop him."
"Marcel has his own mind. If he wants to protect his sister, so be it."
"But Hope has all of us! Marcel will be killed. Tristan and Aurora wouldn't dare kill Elijah and I as they're from our bloodlines." Rebekah walked towards Klaus and sighed. "Please, Nik. I only just got Marcel back after that vampire war broke out. Please. Let me and Elijah sort this out."
"Rebekah, I have only just got my little girl back." Klaus sighed. He looked at his sister and nodded. "I'll get Marcel to stop."
"Thank you." Rebekah smiled.
In Rousseau's, Tyler was sat at the bar with a drink in his hands. Hayley sat on his left hand side. Sighing, Tyler turned away only to see Rebekah on the other side.
"Can't a man drink in peace?"
"Why are you back?" Hayley asked.
"Because I needed to see Hope and ask for help."
"Why not come directly to my brother?" Rebekah asked. She looked at the barman, "Vodka when you're ready." She turned to Tyler again and placed her arms on the bar. "So, come on, wolf-boy, why come to my niece and not my brother? What's your agenda?"
"There isn't one." Tyler sighed. "Look, the last time I saw Klaus, he tried to kill me and said he would finish the job if I ever dared show my face again." Tyler hesitated as he glanced at Hayley. "Though he was probably pissed that I tried to kill Hope as an unborn baby."
"Yeah, probably," Hayley nodded sarcastically.
"What's the big threat then?" Rebekah asked as the barman placed her drink in front of her.
"A group call the heredics. They're vampires and witches all rolled into one, I suppose." Tyler shrugged. "Anyway, Elena's dead and they're wreaking havoc."
"Wait..." Hayley frowned, "Elena's the skinny brunette...right?"
"She was the pathetic wench who flitted from one brother to the other," Rebekah said in an unsavoury tone. "Well, she's dead and my heart bleeds. Oh, no, wait, it doesn't."
"Wow, you really hate her, huh?" Hayley asked.
Rebekah smirked before turning her attention back to Tyler.
"How would Nik be able to help?"
"He's the scary hybrid. He's older than them. They'd be scared of him." Tyler said as if it was obvious.
"Well," Rebekah sat back in her seat, "Good luck with that, Tyler. Nik is as stubborn as they come."
"And who else is stubborn?" Hayley asked.
Rebekah smirked.
"I'm guessing it's Hope?" Tyler asked.
Rebekah nodded as she ran her finger along the rim of her glass.
"Huh." Tyler looked down and sighed. "I'll sort it out."
"How? Talk to my daughter?" Hayley asked. "Well, Tyler, you've hit a little snag. Hope was attacked."
"What?" Tyler was shocked.
"Now, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Rebekah asked daringly.
"What? Me hurt...no! I wouldn't! We're friends."
"What went on when she was in Mystic Falls?" Hayley asked.
"Nothing I can say." Tyler said. "You'd have to ask Hope."
"I'm asking you."
Tyler inhaled as he looked at his half full drink.
*flashback*
"Excuse me."
A man looked up at the beautiful blonde.
"I was hoping you'd be able to help me. I'm looking for the Salvatore Boarding House."
The man's eyes narrowed.
"So...do you know where it is?"
"No...sorry." The blue eyed man made to walk away when Hope grabbed his arm. "What the-"
"That's a lovely bracelet you're wearing, let me guess, leather, steel and the magical ingredient, vervain."
"You're a vampire."
"Well observed," Hope smiled. She ripped off the bracelet from his arm and compelled him. "What's your name?"
"Matthew Donovan."
"Matt is good. So, tell me, Matt, where can I find the Salvatore Boarding House?"
"684 Abernathy Road."
"Fantastic," Hope smirked, "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Matt shook his head.
"Now, you will not remember this. You broke your bracelet and will need to get it fixed. Can't have you bring compelled. Got it?"
"Yes." Matt said in a flat tone.
"See you around, Matt," Hope sped off.
Tyler, who had been sitting in his car a few metres away, was frowning as he tried to think of who the girl was.
*end of flashback*
Meanwhile, in an unknown location, Aurora was listening to Tristan.
"Why would you do that?" Tristan thundered. "Infecting her with poison?! Whatever made you do such a thing?"
"She was rubbing it in my face, how you didn't love me anyone." Aurora snapped. "She was being a stubborn little brat and I did what I had to do."
"You knew we needed her. She's a crucial part of our plan, sister."
Aurora flushed a dark colour.
"I know, Tristan, I know. I don't see why you need to be worrying. We can still take her. She's gonna come with us willingly. I promise, dear brother."
Tristan stopped.
"What do you mean, she will come with us willingly?"
Aurora smirked.
"Patience is a virtue, dear Tristan."
"Tell me." Tristan demanded.
"I may have...slipped a little something in her drink..."
"A little something?"
"Put it this way, my name may be Aurora but she will be sleeping beauty."
Tristan sped out.
"I did what I had to do!" Aurora screamed.
Meanwhile, at the Mikaelson Mansion, Klaus was brooding alone. Hope walked downstairs and her father looked up at her.
"Hey, honey," Rebekah smiled.
"How are you feeling, love?
"I've been better," Hope chuckled wryly. "So, um...what are we gonna do about this?" Hope held up her arm, which now had blue, green and purple veins creeping up.
"That looks nasty," Rebekah murmured as she gingerly touched Hope's hand. "Can you feel this?"
"A little touch stings so bad..." Hope winced. "Can you get something? Maybe Auntie Freya can whip something up?"
"Where is she?" Klaus asked Rebekah.
"Working with Vincent."
"How long will that take?" Klaus snarled.
"She's trying, Nik, you know that."
"Evidently she's not trying hard enough." Klaus looked at his sister.
Hope gritted her teeth as she felt groggy.
"Guys..."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Klaus held Hope as she collapsed.
Rebekah sped to the other side and helped Hope onto the chair.
"Oh, my God." Rebekah whispered as she looked at her hands, they were covered in blood.
Klaus looked at Hope and saw she was bleeding.
"What the bloody hell is happening to her?" Rebekah asked softly.
"She's dying."
Klaus and Rebekah looked back to see Kol.
"What did that son of a bitch say?" Klaus asked.
"He had no idea what Aurora did to Hope." Kol said. He looked at Hope. "What's happened? Why is she bleeding?"
"She fainted." Klaus murmured.
"It might be the poison taking affect." Rebekah sighed as she rested her palm on Hope's forehead. "She's burning up."
Elijah and Hayley came downstairs and Hayley gasped as she sped in front of Hope.
"Hope? Honey? Open your eyes."
"She can't." Rebekah rested her hands on Hayley's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Hayley."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Hayley snapped. "Why can't she open her eyes?"
"She has been put into an induced coma." Elijah spoke as he walked in. He looked to his left and Taylor, Klaus' witch, stepped forward. "Miss Taylor here put Hope in an induced coma to slow down the poison."
"Will that work?" Klaus demanded.
"It has to," Hayley whispered as she held Hope's hand.
"Let's take her inside..." Kol murmured. "Away from prying eyes."
"I can help."
It was Tristan.
Klaus snarled as he tried to get to Tristan but Kol and Elijah pulled him back.
"What do you know?" Hayley asked in a low voice.
"It was me."
Everyone looked at the newcomer. It was Aiden.
Tristan frowned while Klaus' eyes were dangerous slits.
What. The. Hell????? Aiden poisoned her???