"DO it again." Klaus encouraged in between groans of pain after he pulled himself up off the shattered remains of the dinning table. "Harder this time. All of that pain, that simmering darkness. You need to purge it before it eats you alive." He encouraged Hope to use her full strength against him in a stern tone.

Hope had her back to him, clutching the banister of the stairs and panting heavily as the whispering continued on in her head. "Dad!"

"Give me your anger, Hope!" He yelled loudly, blood pouring from wounds on his forehead.

Hope turned around quickly to face him and screamed at the top of her lungs before using her magic to throw him harshly against the wall. His back smacked against the wall then he fell down onto the ground with a loud thud. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned against the wall.

"It's not working." Hope groaned in frustration, shaking her head, and walked toward Ingrid, who was sitting in one of the armchairs across the room and reading a book.

"Here." Ingrid leaned over and handed her a water bottle, not looking away from the page she was on. Hope thanked her breathlessly and chugged the water. "Slow down." Ingrid advised sternly and raised an eyebrow. "You'll make yourself vomit."

Klaus composed himself and looked at their daughter with a pointed expression. "You're holding back."

"You really think I want to feel this way?" Hope snapped incredulously and glared at him. "No matter how hard I try to get it out, I don't feel any better. You're not the one I want to hurt." She admitted with a loud sigh.

Ingrid lowered her book and shared a knowing expression with Klaus. He pulled himself off the ground and walked toward them with a nod. "Give us a name."

Roman Sienna was lying on his bed, flicking a lighter back and forth and staring at the flame.. "I know my sister told you guys to watch me, but this is getting kind of creepy, don't you think? So, what? Hmm?" He questioned the two vampires standing guard and walked toward the window, staring out with a longing expression. "What, am I supposed to spend all eternity holed up in this stupid room? Will you guys just say something?" He snapped in frustration and turned around to see Klaus and Ingrid killing his guards.

Ingrid wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and stalked toward him with a dark look in her eyes. "Care to humor me on how you're still alive?" She asked curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Last I checked... I took a pretty decent sized bite out of you last time I saw you."

"Klaus' blood was on the floor and I'm not ashamed to admit I licked it up." Roman explained and stepped away from her until his back made contact with the cold surface of the window. "Get it over with." He closed his eyes and cowered away from them, unable to take the tension any longer.

"Oh, we're reserving that honor for someone we love very much." Klaus responded coldly and smirked sinisterly at him. "Ingrid." He motioned toward the vampire and looked to his wife.

She smirked proudly at him and nodded her head. "Gladly." She mused before snapping Roman's neck and watching his unconscious body fall to the ground with a loud thud.

The couple brought Roman back to the Abattoir and threw his body down in the dungeon underground. He was hung up by chains around his wrists and his body dangled amongst them. Klaus grabbed a bucket of water and tossed it at him causing Roman to stir and cough harshly. He opened his eyes to see the Mikaelson come standing before him with blank looks on their faces. He tried to back away only to find that he was bound in place and struggled against the chains.

"Have you decided how you're going to kill him?" Klaus asked loudly and tilted his head to the side with an eerie expression.

"Slowly." Hope answered softly from around the corner and Ingrid grinned in approval.

Roman jumped at the familiarity of her voice and looked around frantically. "Hope? Hope! Hey." He realized that she refused to meet his eyes and looked back at the hybrids with a face of terror.

"I want to do this alone." Hope informed her parents and they shared a look, nonverbally communicating what they thought through nothing by glances.

"What?" Roman asked in confusion and fear.

"This is supposed to help me feel better, right?" Hope asked her parents, praying that the answer was one that would relieve the pain and stress.

"If it were me, yes." Ingrid responded darkly and nodded her head.

"What's wrong with her?" Roman questioned in a panic.

"You don't deserve to play the role of concerned school boy." Ingrid snarled furiously at him.

"She has an affliction, for which your pain is a momentary comfort." Klaus replied in a dull tone and circled around the vampire.

"My pain?" Roman commented, bewildered, and turned toward Hope.

"Mm-hmm." She mused lowly with a nod of her head. "But I don't want an audience." She said sternly, looking directly at her parents..

"Hope." Klaus attempted to reason with her but Ingrid placed a hand on his chest and shook her head.

"Leave it, Niklaus." Ingrid whispered softly and met his concerned eyes.

"If you want to help me, go." Hope commanded strictly, giving him a look that read she wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Well, I was rather hoping to be part of the show." Klaus remarked in disappointment and began to guve her pointers. "Well, consider starting small, then. Fingernails, or-or perhaps the tongue. Build the suspense."

"Don't listen to him, sweetheart. Feel out your own method." Ingrid encouraged with a wide, kind smile and nudged Klaus toward the exit. "You'll find it easier with time."

"Hey hey, wait. You're not actually gonna leave me with her, are you?" Roman pleaded desperately to them as they walked out of the room and closed the iron gate. "Hey!" He yelled out but they simply ignored him and continued on.

Klaus sat on the stairs of the courtyard, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, while Ingrid sat at his feet, finishing the book she had started earlier. They were trying to ease the silence and spend their time while waiting for Hope to finish.

"So this is the new parenting style?" Elijah questioned in disgust from the doorway. "Allowing your daughter to mercilessly torture that boy."

"Don't you think it out of your expertise to speak on matters you know nothing about?" Ingrid asked in a passive-aggressive tone, refusing to look up from the printed words she was indulging in.

"That boy held Hope hostage, almost killed her. So, if my daughter decides to end his life, then that would make her someone who vanquishes her enemies, following in the footsteps of her father, her mother... and her uncle." Klaus remarked and pointed a finger in his direction.

Elijah walked toward them and stood directly at the bottom of the stairs. "She was supposed to be better than us, Niklaus." He reminded them and watched Ingrid roll her eyes. "Ingrid was that not the whole point of our sacrifices and shielding them of this life? Of this torment?"

"Yes." Ingrid snarled out slowly and closed her book with a loud slam. "However, circumstances have changed and you are in no position to lecture us on anything."

"She's ill." Klaus explained with a worried frown. "If this brings her some relief, then nothing else matters."

"And then what? When she's done with him and the darkness returns?" Elijah interrogated with a disapproving scowl on his face.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask, as much as I enjoy your withering judgment, do you really have Hope's best interest at heart?" Klaus asked curiously and poured himself another drink.

"What are you accusing me of?" Elijah snapped defensively.

"I'm not blind, Elijah." Klaus spoke loudly, drowning out his brother's voice with his own. "If you love that woman so much, go be with her. I have my own family to worry about and that boy is collateral damage."

"You are leading your daughter down a path that will erase her humanity. And if she loses that, Niklaus, the consequences will be devastating for everyone." Elijah lectured harshly, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, my God! Shut up!" Ingrid snapped in aggravation and held her hands up with an exasperated look.

"Just don't." Klaus yelled at the same time, his eyes wide as he anticipated Elijah's behavior.

"Don't what? Counsel you against your worst instincts? A thousand years, I have desperately tried to sway you toward some kind of reason." Elijah remarked with a heavy sigh and shook his head slowly.

"And for a thousand years, I've trusted you." Klaus stated with a hurt look in his eyes.

Elijah glanced at him in confusion and tilted his head to the side. "So now what?"

"Our lives may be forever, but our allegiance is not." Klaus replied quietly and stood to his feet before walking up the stairs and leaving them alone.

Elijah watched him retreat up the stairs and scoffed softly to himself then looked down at Ingrid, hoping to try and reason with her. Before he could even open his mouth, she held up a hand and shook her head. "I think we know it's best that we don't speak unless necessary. I'm not in the mood to hear parenting advice from the likes of you." She sneered and followed in Klaus' direction.

A few hours later, Hope ran up from the dungeon with a panicked expression and yelled loudly for the Mikaelson couple. They sped down the stairs and noticed the veins in her arm deepening and crawling up her forearm. Klaus sat her down and took the seat across from her, studying this closely.

"What's happening to me?" Hope asked in a prying manner, unable to handle the tense silence.

"I don't know." Klaus answered honestly.

"It's bad, right?" Hope questioned, her voice wavering, and looked between them.

"You need to rid yourself of this darkness." He began to advise her but was cut off.

"I can't." Hope cut him off frantically and grabbed ahold of his hands. She shook her head with a sad look in her eyes. "I can't kill him. I won't."

Klaus met her eyes and glanced at her sternly. "Hope."

"Dad. He's no more guilty or responsible than me." She defended the vampire who used her.

Ingrid placed a hand on her shoulder as the corners of her mouth twitched up into a proud smile. "It's okay." She whispered reassuringly and knelt down beside them. "We'll.. We'll find another way. There are plenty of guilty people in the world."

"All that power, still merciful. You clearly didn't get that from my side of the family." Klaus joked and turned toward his wife. "You got that from your mother's side of the family. Mostly your grandfather."

Ingrid's eyes watered at the mentioned of her father and nodded in agreement. "Yeah..."

The veins continued to grow toward Hope's heart and she gripped both of their hands tightly. "This is only gonna get worse, isn't it?"

Elijah entered the room from behind them and Klaus placed a hand on Hope's cheek as he stood to his feet. "Stay here." He ordered softly and pulled Elijah across the room.

Ingrid slipped into Klaus' seat and grabbed Hope's face in her hands, leaned over to kiss her daughter on the forehead. When Ingrid pulled away, Hope beamed happily at her and held onto one of her hands. "What was grandpa like?"

Ingrid smiled widely and rested her chin down on the palm of her hand. "Well..."

Klaus glared at Elijah with furiously and snarled in the same manner to match. "You shouldn't be here, brother."

"Niklaus, I think I have a solution." Elijah informed him.

"You really think you can act as counsel when you're sleeping with the enemy?" Klaus snarled on betrayal.

Elijah placed a hand on his chest and shot him a serious look. "I'm not speaking for Antoinette, nor am I speaking for Roman. This is about Hope."

"Oh, so this is about Hope, now. How touching you remembered her plight." Klaus replied sarcastically with a bitter smile.

"She's faltering, isn't she, Niklaus? That rage, consuming her from within." Elijah commented in a knowing tone.

"And yet, you've taken me from her side again." Klaus pointed out angrily and glared over at him.

"You might not trust me right at this moment, Niklaus do you really have any other choice?" Elijah asked curiously and Klaus' face fell in realization.

Klaus returned to his family to see Ingrid sitting in his chair with Eirik next to her as the three of them were laughing about something Ingrid had said. He put on a brave face and approached them with a curious expression. "What are we talking about?"

Ingrid looked up at him with a happy smile and spoke in between chuckles. "I was telling them about the time you met Alexander and Jorg."

Klaus made a face of recollection and sat down next to them. "Ahhh.. your big brothers." He commented with a smirk and licked his lips. "What did you tell them?"

"How when you were trying to convince grandpa Eirik and grandma Viola to let you marry mom, Alexander and Jorg refused because you weren't quote-on-quote "strong enough to protect her." Hope responded with an amused laugh.

Ingrid laughed loudly again and threw her head back as she replayed the memory in her head. "You challenged them to a fight to prove that you were worthy." She reached over and placed her hand on top of his. "You were so determined to win them over. You would have done anything."

"I love you more than anything and I was going to marry you." Klaus replied with a smile, a slight blush creeping across his cheeks. "It was only a matter of when you were going to marry me." He quoted her from a few days ago and she chuckled at him.

"I would have married you in my wash day dress on a Monday had you asked." Ingrid commented with an affectionate expression.

"What happened after dad challenged uncle Alex and uncle Jorg?" Erirk asked in anticipation, wanting to hear more.

"No... we don't need to rehash that." Klaus rejected, shaking his head.

"Come on, dad!" Hope whined and pouted her lips at him. "We want to hear more!"

"Yes!" Eirik agreed in excitement and glanced over at Hope, the two sharing a mischievous look before they both pounded their fists against the table and chanted more.

Klaus rolled his eyes and held his hands up, wanting to quiet them. "Alright. Alright! After Alex and Jorg agreed to my challenge... they practically beat me to a pulp. I broke my orbital and a few ribs but even then with broken bones and hemorrhaging, I got back on my feet and looked them in the eyes and said---" He explained emotionally, staring straight at Ingrid as he spoke. "I love Ingrid more than Odin loves Frigg and I intend to love and honor her until my last dying breath and even when my soul reaches Niflhiem or Valhalla. I will protect her with all of me and shed every ounce of blood should she ask. I swear to never hurt her or Thor shall strike me down where I stand. If you allow me to marry her, I will never let her go for she is the love of my life."

Ingrid stared back at him with tears in her eyes and she reached over to wipe away a stray tear that had fallen down his cheek. "I love you, Niklaus."

"I love you, Ingrid." He whispered back emotionally and used the pad of his thumb to catch her tears before they could fall.

Hope gaped at her parents in amazement, her light eyes glistening against the light. Her heart swelled in her chest from the sight and it was reassuring to see that after a millennia, her parents still loved each other all the same.

Klaus dismissed the children so he could go over Elijah's plan with Ingrid, who immediately told him to ask Hope for her opinion. Knowing she was right, Klaus nodded in agreement and set off to speak with their daughter about her options.

At St. Anne's Church, Antoinette and Emmett gathered their allies to create a plan to rid the world of the hybrids and Elijah played his part by pretending to join their side.

"Now, Greta died in the name of purity, and thanks to the unwavering conviction of her followers, particularly those of you who chose to lead when she was gone, her message lives on. So now, for those who stood by her, you will share her fate." Elijah stood at the head of the alter and spoke to the crowd with narrowed eyes.

The doors flew open and they turned to see Ingrid and Klaus, being lead in by Hope, storming into their gathering.

"Hello!" Ingrid greeted them with wide open arms and a sinister smirk.

"What are they doing here?" Emmett sneered in disgust, turning to Elijah for answers.

"The road to redemption is long and winding, but worthy." Elijah quoted with an amused look

"You betrayed us." Emmett yelled angrily after Hope destroyed the glass vials in his backpack.

"We told you what my mother thought." Antoinette argued sternly.

"And we never said we agreed." Elijah added, throwing an arm out in front of her.

"You can leave them to us now." Klaus remarked with a smirk and Antoinette and Elijah sped off without a moments hesitation.

The crowd tried to run away but Marcel blocked their path with a grieving look in his eyes. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"Agreed, darling." Ingrid mused happily and cracked her knuckles.

"Go on, sweetheart, let it all out." Klaus encouraged darkly and Hope turned toward Ingrid, who nodded in agreement.

Hope slowly walked toward the crowd and unleashed the dark magic of the Hollow, killing the vampires with a lethal pain infliction spell. She shrieked at the top of her lungs as a bright blue light emitted from her body. After everyone fell to the ground, she calmed down and breathed heavily. She began to carefully walk around them, studying the bodies. "Are they all dead?"

"Immortality isn't for everyone. You should consider what you did an act of public service." Klaus explained, trying to ease her guilt.

"Sweetheart, they were fascists. Hell bent on ridding the world of people like us." Ingrid answered calmly and gestured between the four of them. "Half-breeds. They deserved more than what you gave them. You gave them mercy compared to what I would have done." She sneered angrily, staring down at the pile of bodies in disgust.

"Hey, kiddo, you okay?" Marcel asked in concern, walking toward her.

"I... I'm, um, numb." Hope replied with an off expression.

Ingrid's face softened and she glanced at her daughter in worry. "It's okay." She assured the witch softly and held out her hand. "We can go home and you won't have to think about it anymore."

Klaus approached Marcel and spoke in a hushed tone. "Marcel, why don't you and Josh gather up some vampires, get them to clean up this mess before anyone gets wise." He recommended then noticed the heartbroken look on Marcel's face. "What is it?"

"Marcellus, are you okay?" Ingrid asked, concerned for her eldest son.

"I'll tell you guys tomorrow, okay?" He requested quietly, his voice breaking, and turned around to walk out of the church.

"Yeah." Klaus breathed out and watched him go in confusion and worry.

Hope looked down at her arm to see it blank and sighed in relief for a moment before anxiety settled in again. "Are they gonna come back? The lines and and-and the whispers?"

"I... I don't know." Ingrid answered honestly with a sigh and grabbed ahold of her hand. "But we'll deal with it."

Suddenly they all heard a noise upstairs and moved to investigate. A man was lying against a file cabinet, bleeding profusely from his head. Hope stared at him in horror with wide eyes. "Oh, my God, Declan."

"Who?" Ingrid asked in confusion, studying the human intently to see if he looked familiar.

"He works at Rousseau's." Hope answered frantically then gaped at the hybrids in panic. "Is he gonna live?"

Klaus knelt down beside Declan and stared at him intently, fear swirling around in his light blue eyes. "I'll take care of this. Get out of here."

"Dad?" Hope pressed further, terrified tears falling down her cheeks.

"Now!" He ordered firmly and Hope backed away slowly, understanding the severity of the situation.

Ingrid looked at Hope with a collected facade and spoke calmly. "Go downstairs. I will meet you there." She ordered causing Hope to nod and run out of the room. Once she was gone, Ingrid whipped around to Klaus and whispered harshly. "Just kill him. If you do it, it won't trigger her curse."

He bit into his wrist and was about to feed Declan his blood but Ingrid smacked his wrist away. Klaus looked at her in surprise but his face softened when he noticed her terror. "Ingrid, we have to save him."

"No. Because then there's still a chance. If we kill him, she won't know that pain..." Ingrid explained frantically, trying to convince him not to let Declan die at the hands of their daughter. "Niklaus, please."

"Love..." He trailed off, unable to form the words necessary to talk her down from this ledge. "We have to."

Declan began coughing beside them and wheezed out for air, breathing unsteadily. "Where's Bill?" He asked after looking around the room and both Ingrid and Klaus' faces fell in realization.

Klaus stood up from his position and began aggressively searching through the boxes for this Bill and found him trapped underneath a cabinet, dead in the floor. Ingrid sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall, running her hands down her face. "Fuck."

---
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