Elijah had been found.

"He's not awake just yet," said Rebekah in their next call. "Mother left him practically comatose. I recognized a rash on him, the mark of the merlock orchid she used on Mikael. Hayley is helping me retrieve the antidote."

"Good," said Klaus gruffly. "Be sure he's awake soon."

"He will be, the plant grows in the Bayou. Jackson will find it and Hayley will bring it. There is one other matter, though. We've taken Finn and Kol hostage."

"Kol? You found him at last?"

"Yes. He was with Davina. The two hatched a plan of their own. Kol's task was to use Davina to find where you all were. He couldn't do it. Instead, they were attempting to retrieve the white oak to kill Mikael– who Davina had hostage– and were also trying to unlink the sirelines. Mother's plan couldn't work if all vampires wouldn't die."

"Why do I feel like you've something else to say, Rebekah?"

"I do. I already spoke with Finn. There's something we never knew about. Our mother was barren when she first married Mikael. Apparently, she had a sister named Dahlia who helped make her fertile in exchange for her first-born. Our sister Freya didn't die of plague, Nik, she was given away. Finn remembers it, clear as day. Esther made him keep it a secret from Mikael."

Klaus sneered, "That explains why she is so cavalier about harming my child, so easily giving away one of her own–"

"No, that is not all. Dahlia placed a curse on our family, on Esther's bloodline. She demanded the firstborn of every generation. That includes Hope. Finn says that if she is alive, Dahlia will come for her. And she will destroy anyone who stands in her way."

Yara furrowed her brows in concern. "Is there any truth to these statements? Concrete proof?"

"Well, it depends how much we wish to believe in Finn. It would explain why he hates us. He lost the sister he adored and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."

Klaus clicked his tongue. "No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her. Where are you on defeating our mother? It's time for us to leave Brazil. We were found yesterday."

"Found?! By who?"

"My real father. It appears Esther resurrected him when she did herself and our brothers. No doubt to sway me to accept her bargain, yet, it appears he knows nothing of her intentions. From what I gather, he has not even spoken to her."

"And where is he now?"

"In a cabin nearby," said Yara. "He wants to help protect Hope."

"That's kind of him, but he cannot be compelled. How safe is this?"

"A question I am asking myself," said Klaus quietly. "I find myself thinking of what she did to Elijah... to what end? To convince him to take on a mortal form? Ansel may do more harm than good here. So long as he is nearby, my mother could use him to find us, she could twist him to her will..."

Yara noticed how Rebekah's face seemed to change, how she leaned away from the phone as if she'd had an idea. "She wishes for us to take new bodies so we may have children of our own," murmured Rebekah. "Children born without the curse. And then, she will kill all vampires. In a way, she is protecting us from Dahlia. And because of it, she will be pleased with anyone she can get on her side."

"Rebekah," said Yara slowly. "What are you planning?"

"I'm going to take Esther's deal. And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me."

"How exactly are you going to do that?!"

"Kol can help me. She'd be distracted during the spell, vulnerable. We can't kill her, or she body jumps. Currently, we know where she is. So we stop her from jumping."

"If I knew how to bloody stop her from jumping, don't you think I would have happily murdered her ages ago?" said Klaus. "Rebekah, this sounds absurd."

"Well, ages ago, you didn't have a Harvest girl or a Mikaelson witch. Kol knows all of her tricks. We'd stop the spell before I jump out of my body. If it goes astray, well, it's a risk I am willing to take. You could pop me back into my old body anytime."

"But what exactly is the plan?" asked Yara. "And how might Kol help with it?"

"We could turn her. If I gave her my blood and killed her... she'll come back in the same body, won't she?"

"That is one hell of a gamble and it might not even work!"

"Kol could make it work, I know he could, he's a genius. We just have to find the proper leverage and he will help me. I can't trust Finn."

"But can you truly trust Kol?"

"She's right," noted Klaus. "Kol will do what's best for Kol– we just have to meet his price. Turning our mother frees him from doing her bidding. Go ahead, Rebekah. Ask him what he wants."

Rebekah hung up. Yara turned to Klaus, who was nervous, but apparently not willing to voice it. "Well," she said, "what about Ansel? Maybe you can go talk to him."

"I won't leave you here."

"Seriously, no one will manage to hurt me now that I'm not pregnant. It was different before, having to shield my stomach. No one in this area is going to manage to inflict any harm on me. Speak with him, Klaus. This is your chance to learn more about him, to evaluate his intentions. Just promise me one thing. You'll be honest."

"Honest?"

"Yes! Ask him your real questions, tell him your real feelings. Be open. But do try and give him a chance, if you can. This opportunity... it's a rare occurrence. Almost as rare as the chance to have a daughter. If he really isn't part of Esther's plan, he won't have any reason to hurt Hope. If Dahlia is coming... if she's even real... won't we need everyone on our side? If things were to go sideways, couldn't he take care of Hope somewhere safe, completely anonymous, while we fight? There are endless possibilities. And all of them start with you giving him a moment of your time to see... what you missed all these years."

He hesitated. "You once told me you wished I could have had a parent like yours."

"Yes. I only had one, but she was good. She loved me so much. I hated knowing how yours treated you. Ansel... could be a fresh start. Could show you what a parent is supposed to be like. Not because you don't already know how to be a father, but I think maybe a part of you doesn't know what it's like to be a son. To be someone's pride and joy. Empathy is an important part of raising a child."

He took several moments to consider it, perhaps also thinking that Yara was going to be left to deal with whatever was going on in New Orleans until he came back. "Where is this cabin?"

"Half a mile North of here."

Klaus leaned over to kiss Hope's cheek, tickling her chin. "Then I will be back later. I will try... to have an open mind."

"Good luck," she whispered, making Hope wave at him as he left.

The situation in New Orleans was complicated enough that she had to make a small chart for herself to keep track of who was where and how each task was being divided.

Marcel was keeping an eye on Finn, who was being kept prisoner and was subjected to questioning when it had been discovered that Cami's body was being prepared to host Rebekah, something Kol and Davina were currently trying to undo. Hayley and Jackson were both looking for the merlock orchid to heal Elijah and also trying to find a way to get the wolves to stop listening to the witches, which apparently involved an arranged marriage. Which was something they learned from Ansel, who'd mentored Jackson briefly before coming to Brazil, and would benefit Klaus, Yara, and Hope through a fortified alliance with the wolves.

"Okay, so Kol wants the Fauline diamond," muttered Yara to Hope, making a note under Rebekah's column. "In exchange for having helped Cami and also turning Esther. But he also wants the white oak stake because it's one of the things Esther wanted him to retrieve, and if he shows up with it, she won't question anything. But if he takes it, they risk Rebekah being killed on the spot if the body switch happens, which means Cami's soul disappears...?"

Hope babbled incoherently, perhaps agreeing that this was confusing, or perhaps telling Yara that she needed to hurry up and wrap her mind around everything because she was of no use sitting down making pie charts.

"You're right," said Yara, deciding to indulge her, patting her back. "If Rebekah trusts Kol, we ought to trust him, too. Davina thinks they can keep Cami safe if they give Rebekah a different destination. That could work. And if she body jumps, as long as someone is there to whisk away Rebekah's body, it could work. Maybe if they really restrained Finn, Marcel could be there. And Elijah, assuming he's awake by then..."

She relayed her ideas to Rebekah, who passed them on to the rest of the group and let her know they were almost ready. Elijah was conscious again, and though he wasn't happy with Rebekah's choice to trust Kol, believed that they could, in fact, manage to defeat Esther tonight and be left with only Mikael to deal with.

"Hey," she said that evening when Klaus returned with a small piece of wood in his hands. "How did it go?"

He set down the piece of wood, revealing it was a tiny wolf, carved very finely. "How beautiful," she said, letting Hope examine it. "Did you eat already?"

"We did," he murmured, seating himself on the couch as if he'd seen a ghost. "What happened with Rebekah?"

"It worked, mostly," said Yara, offering for him to hold Hope. "Your mother is officially a vampire. One slight hiccup, though... while Cami is okay– I'll explain that one later– Rebekah didn't exactly wake in the expected body. Marcel offered up this woman named Angelica Barker so she'd arrive somewhere safe, somewhere not Cami. But she's not there, so they're trying to find her. Elijah's doing somewhat okay, it seems like he's having a bit of a rough time adjusting to... uh, shall we say, a normal volume of things after that tormented screaming in his head. Davina's working on finding Mikael but not to worry, he's unarmed and it seems, according to Finn, was going to form an alliance with your mother that fell through given she's, well, a vampire. We dodged a bullet there. Technically, Mikael can be hunted down to be killed another time. The problem with the witches has passed. Finn is still stuck in the Compound, unable to do magic. Kol is on our side now. The white oak is in our possession. And Hayley and Jackson are getting married. The last of the wolves serving the witches ditched their moonlight rings in exchange for a Unification Ritual where they'll get Hayley's ability to turn at will. Marcel will broker a truce between them and the vampires as soon as he can. Technically... we could return to New Orleans."

He smiled, maybe because of the news, maybe because he was holding Hope and she'd just let out the sweetest little sneeze. "We could," he mused. "If Finn is contained and my mother is gone... Mikael will not be able to enter our house if we were to put it in someone else's name, someone like Ansel, who he may not know is even alive... why are you smirking at me?"

Yara tried to pretend she'd been serious the whole time. "No reason."

"You're pleased I want to bring Ansel back with us."

"Is that what you meant? I had no idea."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "You were right. The chance was... very nice. I didn't realize how many traits I had from him. He sketches and paints, he knows how to carve. I suppose I'd never considered all that it meant to be a wolf. I've only turned twice, once when I first triggered my curse and once when I became a hybrid again. I realized our daughter will have a transition in her future... she may even choose to turn at will the way I hear Hayley now does. I will be able to talk her through it."

"I'm so glad to hear that," said Yara, trying hard not to overwhelm him with her excitement, but feeling like she was failing anyway. "I'm happy for you, Klaus."

"I can see that written all over your face. You are not at all good at hiding your emotions." He sighed. "I may have another idea. We would still return to the United States but I am not entirely sure about Hope living with us."

"Because of Dahlia?"

"Yes. Until we know more, she must stay hidden. That being said, it is not ideal to still be here. I, frankly, need to go and see what the bloody hell Rebekah's gotten herself into and if what you say is true and Elijah is struggling after my mother's torture... what would you say to Elijah taking Hope to a safe house over there? Perhaps the one we... we fled to in 1919."

"You want Elijah and Hope to go hole away in the house where you and I screamed all those awful things at each other?"

"Not because of what happened there but because it is close enough to New Orleans that we could rush there if anything, but it is still hidden. You and I can get back into the city and handle business there, ensuring that the wedding and the brokered peace go off without a hitch. Find out what we can about this witch and see what can be done about Mikael before we bring our daughter home. Esther was the most immediate threat that kept us out here. I am not sure it is wise to remain here as we hide from Dahlia."

"But if Elijah is... forgive me for saying this... not all there, would we want him to be watching Hope alone?"

"Certainly not. Given my mother targeted Camille and that Finn is still trapped in that house– something we need to solve, too– I was imagining she could keep them company. Aid Elijah in working through whatever is going on internally and ensure Hope is safe."

"It could work. We do, after all, really need to find out where Rebekah ended up. We have to see what's to be done about Kol and Finn. Davina can help us get to Mikael and with the white oak we could kill him. Where does that leave Ansel? The safe house... or with us?"

"I haven't decided yet. But what do you think?"

She hesitated, kneeling down beside him to look at Hope, who was now dozing off against his shoulder. "We'd have to part ways with her. I don't know if I can do it. How safe will she be with Elijah and Cami? I know your brother can protect her, it's not that I don't trust him, it's just I don't... I don't think..."

"I know," mumbled Klaus. "You and I both believe we're the only ones who can keep her safe."

"I'm well-aware how strong your family is, really I do know it, I just know she's safe when she's with us. She's so little, she might be confused why we're not there anymore. If Mikael's not in New Orleans, if Dahlia isn't confirmed to exist yet... shouldn't we give it time? I know we don't want to make the house a fortress and be kept prisoner but it needn't be that way. Once we find out where Dahlia is– if she's around– and how best to protect ourselves from her, then we can figure out where to put Hope and who to leave her with. I don't feel comfortable not leaving her with a witch that could at least try to trade blows with that woman. I'm– I'm– I'm scared of letting her go. We let Marcel go and things weren't the same after that war, Klaus, he came back and everything fell apart and I know it wasn't our fault but I'm afraid. That we'll separate and she'll forget us or she'll be hurt and we'll be far away..."

Klaus took her hand. "We could compromise. You wish to keep her close until we know more, while I wish to keep her hidden until we know more. We both want to return to New Orleans to see how Rebekah is and we also wish for Camille and Elijah to be safe and potentially separated from the group to deal with any lingering side effects. What if... what if we do have them leave? Have them stay at that safe house where Elijah can heal and Camille can be hidden in case Finn has any other sinister intentions. That way it is prepared and cleaned for Hope if she must be sent there. If our enemies are watching and they know Elijah and Camille leave..."

"They'll think we left Hope with them," murmured Yara, "and they won't suspect she's with us..."

"...and therefore we will not be making the home more of a fortress than it needs to be. You and I can roam around as long as Hope is inside and out of sight..."

"...kept safe most likely by Ansel, who would be the barrier that keeps unwanted guests, namely Mikael, out of the way, and is perhaps strong enough to keep people like Finn trapped..."

"...which ensures we have him for questioning, our daughter is close by, but a hiding place is secured if she must be whisked away suddenly. You can take her first and I will meet you there, or vice versa if the situation calls for it."

She leaned in to hug him, which apparently caught him off guard. Hope let out a hiccup when Klaus flinched, disturbing her nap. "Thank you," said Yara, kissing his cheek. "For listening to my concerns and working with them. I know I can be pushy, I know I want things to be my way as much as you want things to be yours..."

"Ansel spoke to me today about that. How Esther forced him out of my life, how she ensured her secret was kept while denying me a father who wanted what was best for me. We are both Hope's parents. We both wish for the best, for her to be healthy and loved. Your opinion matters to me, love, it will always matter."

They were on a flight to New Orleans within a day. Ansel chose to return on foot because he had absolutely no desire to be in a metal tube cruising through the air.

Hope was calm during the whole flight, waking only when they landed and she heard Yara beginning to gather their bags. The same way they snuck out, they got back in. A car to the Bayou, the tunnels to the Compound. Quiet as possible upstairs where Davina was waiting to cast silencing spells over Hope's room and the rest of the Compound.

"It's so good to see you again, sweet girl," said Yara, sitting with Davina while Elijah, Cami, Marcel, and Hayley had their time getting to know Hope. Elijah and Cami would be leaving soon, and while the elder Original was seemingly against it, Cami felt it would be good for him, as he had complained of minor blackouts in the past twenty-four hours.

"It's good to see you, too," said Davina. "School is boring but it's a lot better than being part of the coven. It's been nice to have Kol teach me magic."

Yara struggled to cast her a genuine smile. "Just be careful around him, alright?"

"Marcel said the same thing."

"Trust us, it's for a reason. Kol can be unpredictable. And he is quite a bit older than you. You're only seventeen, Davina, it's... inappropriate."

"Don't worry, it's not like that. He's just helping me be stronger. He knows I still like Tim."

"She's so sweet," said Hayley gently, bringing Yara's attention to her. "Hi baby. Hi... I'm your Auntie Hayley."

It nearly broke her heart, knowing full well that Hayley was probably wondering about what might've been, of what she could have had if she'd chosen differently. Still, there was an excited air about Hayley that Yara knew couldn't exist if Hope had still been her daughter. There was freedom, there was possibility. She would still know her daughter but she wouldn't have to worry about being so young and bearing so much weight on her shoulders while also trying to raise a child with Klaus, who seemed to mildly respect Hayley but didn't appear to like her as more than an acquaintance, borderline friend.

"Well then, shall we?" said Elijah, sighing as he handed Hope over to Marcel. "We still wish for them to see us with the decoy."

"Don't worry," said Marcel to Yara, who raised a brow, "the fake Hope will be handed back to me so I can take it to the hospital where a nice family is waiting to adopt it."

"Good," said Yara. "So, what are we doing about Finn?"

Klaus snorted. "I'd like to kill him, but he'd only body jump."

"Maybe we could get started by preparing a human body for him? One where he can't do magic so that if we do have to kill him, we can put him somewhere that we can control? At least then we can compel him to forget certain things or to leave well enough alone. Unless you think there is still a chance of twisting him to our side–?"

Elijah and Klaus shared a look. "Speak with him," suggested Elijah. "See what else you can learn about Dahlia, about his intentions. We have deduced he did, in fact, wish to help my mother to either kill Hope before her birth or find her and kill her after it, to prevent Dahlia from coming close. If anyone stands a chance of convincing him... perhaps it's a fresh face."

Yara nodded. "Okay. So Marcel is taking Cami, Elijah, and decoy baby out of New Orleans so they can head to the safe house. Klaus and Kol have to find Rebekah, Hayley has to focus on her wedding, and Davina... well, I don't want to force you so you can say no but if you would like to keep the maids company watching Hope, that might be nice."

"I'd love to," said Davina. "And meanwhile I can see if I can find out anything about who Dahlia even is. And track Mikael, who's gotta be roaming around somewhere. He knew he couldn't beat us and he knew he couldn't find you, so he left, and is probably looking for other ways to kill you."

"Good, then, we all have our tasks," said Yara. "I hate to sound pushy but time is actually of the essence here. The sooner we figure out what's going on... the better we'll be able to prepare."

Hope chose that moment to squeal in emphasis.

.

A/N: Happy 200 pages! Comment for more.