Everything felt like it was falling apart.

Vincent's witches hadn't transitioned. They had died, and Beatrix had paid her respects.

She'd left Marcel while he was still grieving and took charge of contacting Davina and Kol, who were already on their way. That morning, Freya had let them all know that she and Keelin were getting married.

Hope was devastated, and she refused to let anyone see her. Klaus had gone to talk to her, but it didn't seem to have gone well.

"Where are we going?" asked Elijah as Beatrix dragged him up to the attic. "Are we going to speak about—?"

"No, we're not talking about what you saw in my mind yesterday. Everything is going to shit and I'm going to be busy today, so I'm leaving you here to look through the stuff that Hayley left behind because I think it'll be healthy for you. Don't think I haven't noticed that you're holding back the emotions that need to get out. I won't have you lose yourself just like everyone else. So keep yourself occupied, I'll be back later."

He caught her arm before she could leave. "And where will you go?"

"Well, for starters, I need a dress for the wedding. Secondly, I'm going to go pick Davina and Kol up from the airport to take them to the apartment they have here so that I can help Davina pick a dress from the ones she brought."

That was how Beatrix coped nowadays. In the past, she went on rampages. She acted like a monster. Now, she occupied her mind to not leave herself room to think of all the troubles that plagued her day in and day out.

"Thank you for the ride, Trix," said Kol as Beatrix held open the door for him and Davina to bring in their bags. "My, I never thought I'd see this place again so soon. Belize has been treating us very well."

"I've never been healthier," said Davina, though she looked sad. "There's so much to do and the environment just makes you feel in control of everything."

"Not to mention my wife has a friend group of some very talented witches, though she of course, is the most talented," said Kol, passing by Davina and giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Davina came toward Beatrix and hugged her. "It's good to see you again. After everything..."

"I know," she whispered. "And I'm so sorry."

"I-I should have come to visit him again. I was so wrapped up in the life that Kol and I made over there..."

"It's not your fault, alright?" said Beatrix. "Don't feel like you're to blame."

There was a knock on the door, and Kol went to open it. "Hello, brother," came Klaus's voice.

"Well, that's a suspiciously warm greeting," observed Kol.

"Paranoid as usual, I see. But don't worry, it's not you I'm looking for. Beatrix told me you brought Davina with you. They're still here, aren't they?"

The witches came back to where Klaus could see them. "Well, then, it must be important if you're asking me for a favor," said Davina, hands on her hips. "I'm in mourning, if you even care."

Klaus walked past Kol and into the apartment. "I'm sorry, but it's about Hope. You recall the blackened veins that Beatrix gets? She has them. We thought we'd expelled them when we had her unleash the magic, but they're back, and today, I noticed a new line on the back of her neck. I've only seen it spread that far on Beatrix once before, and it was because The Hollow willed it to be so. I need— I just need you to do anything you can to solve this. I need to know exactly what it means."

Davina pursed her lips. "Alright. I think I have an idea of what we can do. Where is Hope?"

"She's at the Lafayette Cemetery. She's been there all morning, crying over the man that she killed. She's triggered her curse, and the full moon is in a week."

Davina grabbed a coat from inside her bag and put it on. "I'll be back. Kol, Beatrix, if you can prepare the bell tower for a spell, I'd appreciate it."

"Thank you," said Klaus quietly before she could leave. "Really... thank you."

Davina half-smiled and walked out. Klaus sped off in the other direction, and Kol and Beatrix made their way to the bell tower that Freya used for her spells.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Kol asked quietly. "She's dying."

Beatrix nodded grimly. "It would seem so. But Davina definitely has something in mind so let's... see what it yields. There won't be a permanent solution but there might... be a better way of slowing it down. Hope won't let me siphon anything."

"That'd just split it into the both of you. Then you'd both be dying. It's not a good idea, Trix."

"Kol, I've lived for so long. She deserves to grow up properly. I don't want her to die."

"Nor do I. But I don't want you to die either. If there's one thing I've learned about being with Davina it's about how precious life is when we stray away from what we are. With her, I feel human again, even if I can't do magic. I can forget that I'm an Original. That I'm a Mikaelson. She makes me feel like I'm special and after all this time, she has me thinking about things I never even considered before. Like a family. A real family that we'd make. One that wouldn't have to deal with betrayal. A healthy family. And you— you've tied yourself down to my brothers for too long. You're raising your niece amidst their influence and it hasn't let you be free enough."

"I will feel like I can be free when I find a way to save that girl. Perhaps she's only my niece but she's like a daughter to me, and she's lost her mother. She doesn't deserve to die because she just wanted to be able to hug her dad without the world going to shit."

Kol sighed. "Stubborn as ever, Trix. I suppose that's why you and I always got along so well. Once we have an idea in our heads, we stick to it."

She grinned. "Yes, we do."

They prepared herbs, salt, a bowl, and candes for Davina. She returned with a small vial of water.

"I have Hope's tears," she said, holding up the vial. She handed it to Beatrix and used the salt to make a circle, placing five candles equally spaced around it. She set down some of the grimoires that belonged to Esther (which had been stored by Freya in a cabinet) and placed the herbs and the tears into the bowl.

"I don't recognize this," said Kol, leaning onto her.

"It's a transcription spell," said Davina. "We know that the magic's basically consuming Hope. So Beatrix and I are going to use the magical signature in her tears to see if we can find an antidote."

"If?"

Davina pursed her lips. "And if there is one, then it'll be in one of Esther's grimoires, and this spell will lead us right to it."

Kol kissed her forehead. "Gorgeous, brilliant, and powerful." He took her hand and kissed it. "Remind me to never piss you off." He looked up at Beatrix. "My wife is amazing."

Beatrix smiled. "That she is. Now, you both need to be forewarned that this is most likely terminal. There's a lot that Freya and I have already tried and I don't know if any antidote will do a good enough job of slowing this down."

"We should still try," said Davina. "It might be different for Hope. She was born a tribrid but not through dark magic. She's descended straight from the Originals."

The Heretic nodded. "Alright." She and Davina stood on opposite ends of the circle and put their hands over it. "Mennen nou au sort. Ledat remedium. Mennen nou au sort. Ledat remedium."

Nothing. "Something's wrong," murmured Kol as they began to chant again.

"Mennen nou au sort. Ledat remedium. Mennen nou au sort. Ledat remedium."

The witches jumped back as the candles flared up, and the grimores all caught on fire. When the flames died down, the spellbooks were in pieces. Davina swept her hand through them and found nothing had survived. "It— it's gone," she said.

Beatrix sighed gravely. "That means it's killing her. There's nothing that will slow it down." Her phone chimed and she looked down to see a text from Rebekah. 'SOS. Wedding crisis.'

"I'll keep you updated," she told Davina and Kol before speeding off. She found Rebekah pacing the courtyard of the Compound.

"What happened?" asked Beatrix worriedly.

"It's Freya," sighed Rebekah. "She told Keelin about her not wanting kids but I believe my sister may not have worded it too well, and the wedding's been called off. I have already spoken to Freya, but I think, perhaps, you should speak to Keelin. I'm going to speak with Nik..."

"Then you should tell him that Hope is dying," said Beatrix softly. "This infection is spreading far too fast. It's only a matter of time."

Rebekah began to tear up and nodded before speeding out. Beatrix went to where Keelin was packing up her makeup. "Hey," she said. "I hear that a difficult conversation was had."

"She pulls this crap just hours before we're going to get married," muttered Keelin. "Hours... why didn't she just tell me before?"

Beatrix sat down on the ottoman beside her. "She's scared. She grew up without her mother and felt betrayed. When she found her siblings, she learned how terrible their father had been to them. I know she already told you about the child she lost before. I think that deep down, she does want a family with you, otherwise she definitely would have said something about it before. You know the Mikaelsons, they speak their mind about things they really hate."

"Well, I need her to tell me that," said Keelin, rubbing her forehead. "I love her, Beatrix. I want to marry her. But why..."

"Keelin."

Beatrix stood as Freya came into the room. Giving her a reassuring smile, Beatrix left the room, only to find Elijah about to walk out with a suitcase. "Um, where are you going?" Beatrix asked. "I thought Freya said she was going to ask you to walk her down the aisle."

"I can't do it," said Elijah, shaking his head. "I can't."

She frowned. "Your family needs you today, Elijah. Your sister wants you to be there for the happiest moment of her life. And I know that Klaus needs you, too."

"I knew you."

"What?"

"I-I knew the both of you. I knew who you were." He set down the suitcase. "Hayley. And you. I knew who you were, that day. Five years ago, I met Hayley in Manosque. Obviously, I didn't know who she was at the time. Still, in the few hours that we spent together, we had... a profound connection. Then, a year later, it was you. I recognized you more. I knew the poem. I knew I'd heard the name 'Ianira' somewhere before. Even though you remained at my side for far less time, I knew you."

He walked closer to her. "You— you have to understand that when I walked into that farmhouse and I saw you both, I was just completely bewildered. In that mayhem, in that turmoil, I could only see you both— Hayley especially— as some agent of deception for the very family that I was at war with. It— it wasn't until all my memories returned that I realized..."

He let out a soft gasp and began to cry. "I could have saved her. You asked me to. I shouldn't have questioned it. I could have saved her, Itza. I... I can't forgive myself. And neither should any of you."

She caught his arm before he could walk away. "Elijah, don't you dare say that. Just as you are capable of forgiving, you are capable of being forgiven too. You didn't know. You didn't know and it's not your fault, alright? Please... don't leave. Hope is dying, Elijah. Your sister is getting married. This isn't the time to walk away. I'm begging you, don't go."

"I suspect I'm the last person Hope needs right now," he said firmly. "Itza, time has never been in our favor. There was always something that kept us apart at the beginning and now, it's never worked. Perhaps the universe has been trying to save you from being ruined by me. You— I know that you feel something. I saw into your mind and it was enough to know that the feelings linger. I'm asking you not to feel it. You say you don't want me to give you a reason to live, so I won't. I'm begging you— let me go."

She had teared up. "Elijah, I-I said that because I wanted— I wanted to die to save my niece. You're walking out when we all need you!"

"Let me go," he demanded. "Let me go, Itza, please, don't do this to yourself. I'm not the man you deserve. I can't save you. I can't save my niece. I'm responsible for her mother's death. I'm useless to this family. I'm toxic. So I'm begging you to let me go."

"I don't bloody want to, Elijah!" she cried. "I may not want you to give me a reason to live but I don't want to let you go, either! I haven't forgotten you this entire time. Every moment that I was in that prison world and even now when I've been out of it for more than a decade, you're always there in the back of my mind. I still love you, it'd be impossible not to!"

He moved faster than she could have expected. He picked her up and kissed her so hard that she got the wind knocked out of her.

Beatrix had always loved how Elijah kissed her.

Tender but rough. He knew exactly how to make her gasp for breath. His mouth molded perfectly with hers, as if they really had been a match made by all the Mayan gods.

Everything was bliss. For one moment in time, she forgot all her troubles. All she felt was love and it was all for Elijah.

But when it was over and reality had set back in, they were both crying once more. He left. This was his goodbye. Beatrix had gotten into her dress and gone to the venue feeling empty.

"Aunt Trix, are you okay?" asked Hope.

Beatrix blinked away some forming tears. "I'm fine, mi niña. Are you?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I'm perfectly fine."

She got lost in the music. The musicians played a lovely melody as Rebekah walked out. Keelin was already at the makeshift altar in a white pantsuit with an open back. Kol awaited beside her to officiate the ceremony. Beatrix was beside Davina and Marcel, on the left, where Keelin stood. Hope was on the opposite end, set to be the ringbearer.

Her breath hitched when she saw Freya.

Both Klaus and Elijah were escorting her. She was in a beautiful gown that flowed off her shoulders and swept to the ground like snowflakes coiled into fabric. Beatrix met Elijah's gaze and quickly looked away as Rebekah came to stand on the right, as did Klaus and Elijah once Freya had come to stand across from Keelin.

"What happened to your dress?" whispered Freya, smiling at her bride.

"Are you kidding, girl?" said Keelin with just as big of a smile. "I'm not taking any chances."

Kol cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved. Now, not to make this all about me, but we know how families work. Sometimes it's dinner, and sometimes it's daggers."

He chose to look over at Klaus, who perhaps might have found it amusing had he not been so worried about his daughter.

"Now, I don't know why it takes something as special as this to wake us up, to make us aware of the beauty in the moment, during the moment, or to be grateful for what we have, while we have it. Now, I, for one, am grateful for today, and I'm grateful for all of you."

He faced the left. "Keelin, when I first met you, I would have never predicted that you would become my sister. Now, you're strong and beautiful, and deserve nothing but the best in life. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are proud to welcome you into our family. And we pledge to respect you in all instances. Our sister is very lucky to have found you when she did. You two mesh well together and I think that you bring out the very best in her."

He turned to the right. "Freya, when I first met you, I had no idea you were my long-lost sister. Now, I have grown to value my family because of how welcomed you made me feel. You were the big sister I had always needed, and I had no idea. I see how you smile around Keelin and it warms by heart knowing you found someone that makes you this happy. You two, in my opinion, are really meant to be." He looked over at Hope. "The rings, please."

Hope took a cushion with the two wedding rings and handed it to Kol. She took the bouquet Freya had been holding and each woman took a ring.

Keelin held hers up first. "With this ring," she said, smiling, "I, Keelin, take you, Freya, to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us."

Freya had teared up as Keelin slipped the ring on her finger. "With this ring," she repeated, "I, Freya, take you, Keelin, to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us."

Kol clapped. "See, they didn't even have to repeat after me," he joked, making the others laugh. "Now, for your vows. Link hands."

They did. "I, Keelin," began the wolf, "take thee, Freya, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"And I, Freya," said the witch, "take thee, Keelin, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Kol handed the cushion back to Hope. "Now, by the power vested in me by a Franciscan monk in the 13th century, and by the Internet a few hours ago, just to be on the safe side, I now pronounce you married. You may both kiss the bride."

The two came together in the center and the attendees clapped. Beatrix watched as her niece turned her head, exposing the blackened veins that were indeed rising up her neck. The young witch looked up at the archway of white flowers. "Tomar lento. Namaz amor."

The flowers burst into hundreds of small white butterflies that flew into the sky. Again, Beatrix and Elijah seemed to subconsciously look at each other, but neither spoke a word.

The instant evening hit, they had a marvelous feast. Everything felt wrong. They chatted as though everything was okay when it really wasn't. And, of course, once they'd each had quite a bit of champagne, they began to dance under the light of the lanterns that'd been set up for them, trying to act as though there was nothing to be worried about. They all wanted to make Freya and Keelin's day special, and they held back from being pessimistic.

Keelin and Hope were together, swinging each other around. Kol and Davina were dancing a bit more traditionally, though with quite a bit of twirls. Off to the side, Rebekah and Marcel were having what appeared to be a serious conversation. Freya and Klaus were on that same page.

Beatrix noticed that Elijah had isolated himself. Without hesitation, she walked over and extended her hand to him. "Dance with me," she said.

Elijah took her hand without protest. "Your words were ringing in my head during the hour leading up to the wedding," he said as she pulled him into the center. His hands went on her waist as she draped hers around his neck. "I knew I had to be here."

"And I'm sure that Freya and Keelin really valued that," she whispered. "I'm proud of you, Elijah."

"I love you, Itza," he whispered, bringing his forehead to rest on hers. "I didn't say it back earlier and I should have. And as much as I respect that you choose what to do with your life just as I choose what to do with mine, I do not wish for you to die any more than you wish for me to leave."

"I know," she murmured. "We need to find another way to save her. It's imperative. If we can't, then I will take that magic in. I have to. This illness will destroy her."

"But Itza—"

"What will happen to Klaus if she dies?" she whispered. "He'll lose his mind if he sees her take her last breath. He won't be able to handle it. That little girl— being a father— has made him a better man. Losing her would throw us all into chaos. And realistically, I will die soon after anyway and it's just too much. I don't want for anything like that to happen."

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah."

They whirled around as Keelin managed to catch Hope as she stumbled against her. The Mikaelsons all rushed forward. "Is she alright?" asked Klaus urgently.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," said Hope, straightening herself up.

Keelin just smiled. "My medical diagnosis is too much champagne."

The others awkwardly smiled, because they knew this was not the case. "Sure," said Beatrix. "I may be an OB/Gyn and not an ER doctor but I second that..."

Hope brushed her hair out of her face. "Speaking of, I would like to make a toast." She held up her glass. "This has been the best day ever. And you know what? You guys got a thousand years of moments like this one, and being a part of this one really made me feel like I'm part of 'always and forever,' too. So... cheers."

They halfheartedly answered with a 'cheers' and downed the rest of their glasses. Clearly, they were all still quite worried that Hope had collapsed because of the dark magic and not because of the champagne. Rebekah looked like she might cry as she stepped back with Marcel to give Hope her space.

"See what I mean?" whispered Beatrix to Elijah as Klaus walked off, holding his head like he was afraid he'd lose his mind. "She's terminal, Elijah. She's not going to survive the full moon."