Hope was sick again.

"First she was cold," murmured Maddy as she sat beside her, pressing a rag to her forehead. "Now she has a fever. Are you sure you're not in pain, princess?"

"It doesn't hurt," she said quietly. "I just feel so cold."

Maddy sighed, pressing her hand against her neck and feeling her skin was incredibly hot. "You feel cold, but your body is burning up... and I don't know what else to do." She glanced up at Klaus, who was on his phone. "Are the others almost here?"

"They won't stop by the house," he said. "Elijah is going to speak to Vincent directly. Marcel and Hayley have already offered to follow leads with the witches. Elena will bring Anita here. Your brothers are arranging for Theo's transport to the pasture here, and are helping to pack our things, because we brought practically nothing with us."

Hope coughed, and Klaus set his phone down immediately to sit on the other side of her. "Are the birds gone?" she asked him softly.

He nodded, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. "Yeah, they're gone, sweetheart. And when you're better, which will be soon, you and I are going to share the biggest plate of beignets you've ever seen. No one else gets to have them, they're all for you."

Hope managed a smile. "Not even Mom?"

"I'll get your mother a tray of her very own. She loves beignets, and could probably eat hundreds of them." He winked at Maddy before turning back to Hope. "And then, you can tell me where in this big, wide world you'd like me to take you next."

"You always say New Orleans is your favorite place," said Hope.

"It is. But being here in our home, seeing these walls, I am reminded that it is people who are best suited to fill our hearts. Wherever I am... as long as I am with you and with your mother... I am in my favorite place."

Hope closed her eyes for a moment. "Vincent was supposed to help me feel better. But I feel worse."

"I'm sorry, princess," whispered Maddy. "We're not sure why the purification didn't fully work, but we're going to figure it out, okay? Your Uncle Elijah is trying to figure it out, and so are Hayley and Marcel. Your uncles will be here later, they're just working on bringing Theo so you can see him."

"Do you know what it is?" asked Hope. "The Hollow?"

Klaus and Maddy shared a look. "No, sweetheart, we don't," said Klaus.

"It wants those other kids," said Hope. "I can feel them. I think it wants me, too."

"We're not gonna let anything take you," Klaus assured her. "I promise you that. We're going to keep you safe, always and forever."

Hope held up her pinky, and Klaus brought his to hold hers. "Try and sleep, okay?" Maddy said softly. "We'll be right here."

Surprisingly, Hope managed to sleep, her pinky still coiled with Klaus's. Maddy remained there, massaging her head tiredly, and waiting for her phone to chime with any updates.

"Rebekah's heading here," she said after a while. "Matt had to go back to work in Mystic Falls. Jenna and Ric are safer at home, given they have a bun in the oven. Caroline and Tyler are staying to watch over the Willoughby Lake house for a bit, just while everything is moved out, and while we decide whether we want to keep it or sell it. Do you think we should have my brothers bring all our stuff here?"

Klaus glanced around at all the cobwebs in the room, and a broken bit of the wall. "We'll need to fix this place up, first. If this Hollow wants Hope, I'd be inclined to say that we leave as soon as she is well. However, I do not believe that will stop it from hurting her again, given it reached her all the way in Vermont. We could stay here... see the threat reduced to ashes. I'll compel some workers to start working on the opposite wing of the house. Once that is repaired, we will transition to rooms there while we wait for this to be fixed. My sirelings showed no mercy when trashing the place. I'm surprised it wasn't burned down."

They got to their feet as Elena walked up with Anita in her arms. The young girl was asleep, likely exhausted from the journey. Maddy instructed Klaus to stay with Hope while they went to clean one of the rooms with a larger bed, so that Elijah, Elena, and Anita could all stay there.

"How is she feeling?" asked Maddy, seeing Anita was making faces in her sleep.

"She's scared," murmured Elena. "She's convinced that whatever hurt Hope is going to hurt her, too. I tried to explain that it doesn't work like a regular cold. Hope is a witch, Anita isn't. I don't think there's a risk of it getting transmitted to her... right?"

Maddy shrugged. "Right now, we just don't know." She sighed, "I haven't heard back from Keelin, so I imagine that she went back to Texas."

"Actually, she's with Freya," said Elena. "Marcel has had Lucien's penthouse boarded up for years. They're going to see what they find there. Lucien had cures for a lot of things, maybe one of his serums can work on Hope."

"Wait... Keelin is helping Freya? Why would she do that?"

"She's a doctor, and she was worried about Hope. And... I think she has a crush on Freya."

Maddy managed a smile. "Well, she was due for finding her epic love. And a doctor, huh? That would make four doctors in the family, once you get your degree. Good influence on the girls. Especially for Anita. Keelin is a werewolf, just like her, but she's also an ER doctor." She stood up as her phone began to ring. "Hey, Hayley, what's up?"

"Marcel and I have a lead," she said on the other line. "A wolf who got caught up with The Hollow."

"Wait, what? Why would a wolf be involved in witch business?"

"I have no idea, but I'm going to ask her a few questions. If we find anything, we'll let you know. How's Hope?"

"Sleeping. She doesn't feel too great."

"We think we know why she's feeling sick again. The kids were freed, before Vincent called you, but we received word that they never made it to their families. They were kidnapped again."

Maddy cursed internally. "That... makes a lot of sense, as shitty as it is. If this Hollow thing got them again, no wonder Hope fell ill immediately after the purification. Until the other kids are freed, it won't work. And, obviously, they wouldn't have taken the kids back to the Davilla Estate, so we're back on square one."

"Yep. But, if this Crescent I'm going to talk to knows anything, she might be willing to tell us once she sees me. I know who she is... this girl named Lara. She's been wanting to leave the Pack... pretty unhappy with the way Jack and I run things. But she's always stayed, for some reason or another."

"Desperation," murmured Maddy. "This thing preys on people who are... desperate... for some sort of escape. Might be why it called out to her."

"Probably. It's got me worried there are other wolves participating in this creepy cult. I'll talk to Mary tomorrow, she might have heard something. Listen, I'll get back to you later, we're heading into the Bayou now."

"Alright, thanks for the update. Be careful."

"We will be."

Once the call ended, Maddy nodded to Elena, before going back to the other room, where Klaus was now talking to Hope, even if she was asleep. She remained in the doorway, just listening.

"I know you can hear me," Klaus whispered to Hope. "I want you to listen. The heart which beats in your chest is a warrior's heart. The heart of a Mikaelson. Whatever hold this power has over you, it is nothing compared to your strength. Yours is a power greater than you know."

He glanced up at Maddy, who came closer as he began to remove Hope's bracelet. The instant it came off, Hope gasped and awoke. "I saw them," she said shakily, eyes darting wildly between her parents. "The other kids. They're so scared. Promise me, if you ever see the blue lights, don't look at them."

"I promise," said Maddy, gripping her hand. "Stay strong for us. Don't give in."

Hope nodded, before closing her eyes, and trying to drift back to sleep.

An hour later, Freya and Keelin arrived, with Rebekah in tow. Unfortunately, the search in Lucien's penthouse hadn't yielded much more than some vials of his venom that he'd kept, which were useless now. Freya decided to store them just in case, even though they weren't going to do much now that the threat had passed.

When they were meeting for a very depressing lunch, Elijah called to let them know he and Vincent had a lead. He sent them his location, asking them to meet him in the Bayou. Freya and Keelin stayed with Elena and the two girls, while the others went to meet him, Vincent, Marcel, and Hayley.

"It's good to see you again," said Maddy, hugging both Marcel and Hayley. "Thank you for your help... it means a lot."

"Of course," said Marcel. "How's Hope?"

"She's fighting it," said Klaus. "Whatever it is."

"The kids are attached to that spell," said Vincent. "If we save the kids, we save your little girl. Jo's already at Tulane, waiting for the kids to arrive. We'll have an ambulance take them there so they can be examined." He cleared his throat and pointed down a path. "Trail leads off this way, so, I guess we, uh, follow the breadcrumbs."

"Tactless savages holding a ghost-raising rave," muttered Klaus. "Best make short work of them."

"Let's split up," suggested Marcel. "I'll take Klaus, Maddy, and Vincent. The rest of you—" he pointed down a different path. "Are we expecting more backup?"

Maddy shook her head. "My brothers aren't here yet. It's just gonna be us."

"That'll have to be enough," said Vincent. "Let's head out."

They went their separate ways. "What's the deal with the blue light?" asked Maddy as they walked. "Hope told us to promise not to look at the blue light."

"That's the 'Fifolet,'" explained Vincent. "New Orleans legend says that a spirit might present itself in a bright blue ball of light."

"And how do we kill it?" asked Klaus.

"We'll find out soon enough," murmured Vincent.

The sky was dark overhead as they found their way to a clearing. Five men stood in front of a circular slab of wood, atop which rested four little bodies, covered from head to toe. Behind them was a chilling altar made of bones, the biggest being the skull of an alligator. There were small fires all around them, and Maddy had a feeling that if she had a bird's eye view, she'd see it all shaped like the Ouroboros.

They remained silently, watching as another man approached the five acolytes. She recognized him, having seen him in passing. Will Kinney, a detective for NOLA PD. Vincent's friend.

"Now that you've returned, brother," the head acolyte told him, "you may join us as we claim our power. Our rightful place. And lay waste to all who would deny our master. Are you prepared to prove your loyalty to The Hollow?"

"I know what I have to do," said Will. "I'm not afraid."

"We should begin," said the head acolyte, drawing a blade.

"Enough with this circus of sadists," sneered Klaus, grabbing a bone that hung from a nearby tree branch, before throwing it at the head acolyte. The bone lodged into his throat, killing him instantly. The other acolytes drew some small knives, but they were no match for the vampires that descended upon them seconds later.

Maddy, Hayley, and Rebekah jumped to get the children, speeding them off to the side and uncovering their faces. "They're not waking up," said Maddy, seeing Vincent getting the last kid. "Vincent, how do we—?"

But Vincent was currently occupied. Will had brought out a strange necklace, and was chanting a spell. "Will!" yelled Vincent. "Will, come on, man, it's over."

"No, Vince," said Will darkly. "It's only just begun."

Klaus sped to him, seizing him by the throat. Will wheezed out, "You can't stop what's coming," just before Klaus snapped his neck.

"No!" yelled Vincent. He leapt back, still holding the last of the children as flames burst up around them. Marcel managed to jump out to help him, but when Klaus and Elijah tried to leap away from the circle, they found themselves blocked. The two Originals looked dazed as they were forced to their knees, staring ahead at the alligator skull.

Vincent and Marcel stumbled to where they had the other children, laying the four down side by side. "Oh, man, we got this all wrong," said Vincent shakily. "They wanted us here."

"What?" said Rebekah. "Why?"

"They wanted to channel your power, and anchor The Hollow to the living world," he said. He knelt beside the children. "Okay, they're alive. These kids are linked to that ritual. We can't free Elijah and Klaus unless we break the spell."

"Then how do we stop it?" asked Maddy worriedly. "What... what is even happening to them? They're just staring at the skull!"

"I don't know," said Vincent frantically. "It's a sacrificial ritual. I can't break it unless I kill one of the kids."

"No, no," said Hayley immediately. "There has to be another way."

Vincent hand shook as he rubbed his chin. "Yeah, um so these kids are powering that ritual. But there might be a loophole, if I link it to you," he pointed at Rebekah.

She blinked. "And what, you'll kill me instead?"

"I'm suggesting we stake you with wood. You die, temporarily, and that might be enough to break the spell."

"Alright, then," said Rebekah. "Do it."

Vincent knelt down, taking the hand of one of the children before offering the other to Rebekah. She took it, albeit hesitantly, and he began to chant, while Hayley went to grab a branch.

"Mare," said Vincent. "Mare leurs. Mare leurs esprits. Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits! Hayley, do it now!"

The hybrid drove the branch through Rebekah's heart, causing the blonde to gasp as she sank down, desiccated grey veins rising in her face. Maddy shot up the instant she saw the fire go out. She rushed to Klaus, helping him and Elijah to their feet. "Are you okay?" she asked them.

"I feel fine," said Klaus, though he looked exhausted. "Are the children—?"

She turned back, seeing that the kids were waking up. She breathed a sigh of relief. "They're okay."

"You go home," said Vincent, patting the hand of one of the children. "We'll get them to the hospital. Check on your little girl. She should be alright."

"Thank you, everyone," said Maddy before grabbing Klaus's arm and rushing home alongside him.

"Hope," said Maddy, coming to a halt in the doorway of the room, seeing she was smiling and talking to Freya. "You're okay—" she drew her into a hug, holding the back of her head. "You're safe... you're okay..."

"We're not cold anymore," she said happily. "It worked."

The night was thankfully more peaceful than the one before. Maddy and Klaus slept with Hope between them, comfortable and healthy. She even had a dream that she was able to make Theo sprout wings and fly, which allowed her and Anita to have an adventure in the sky.

"That does sound like a fun dream," said Maddy as Hope finished telling her after breakfast. "But, just because we're going to see Theo today does not mean you have permission to try and make him grow wings. If there is a spell for that, you need to research it thoroughly before trying it out on him, okay? We don't want you, or Theo, or Anita getting hurt. Understood?"

Hope giggled. "It was just an idea. Anita wants me to make her fly again."

"Excuse me, again?"

"It was only for a little bit," said Hope, shrugging. "I made us float, barely off the ground. We didn't get hurt."

"You may not have this time, but it could have gone badly. If you wish to try certain spells that you haven't done before, you ought to speak to one of your aunts, or your Uncle Kol. They're all witches, they can help you do things safely."

"Even if I'm stronger than them?"

"Yes, even if you're stronger than them. Being powerful doesn't mean you're knowledgeable. You've had issues controlling your magic in the past, princess. If you don't learn how to do potentially dangerous spells the right way, it could be catastrophic. Once you learn a lot about all sorts of magic, then you can start inventing spells. All when you're older, okay?"

Hope nodded. "Okay. Can we go see Theo now?"

"Yes, let's go get your dad." She took Hope's hand, leading her into the next room, where Klaus was drinking a glass of bourbon on the balcony. "Ready, Nik?"

"Can I have apple juice, too?" asked Hope, seeing the drink.

Klaus tucked it behind him. "This is grown-up apple juice, sweetheart."

"You mean bourbon."

He raised a brow. "Er... yes." He glanced at Maddy. "Go on without me, love," he said. "I will catch up with you later."

Maddy frowned. "But I thought you wanted to be there when we introduced Theo to the new pasture."

"I need to make sure the threat to Hope is over. My siblings and I will remain here awhile longer, seeing what we can find out about The Hollow. If all, in fact, is well, then I will meet you at the pasture."

She pursed her lips. "Alright. Well, we better get going, my brothers will arrive soon, and given how loud they claim Theo has been, it's best we're there before them."

She drove Hope, Anita, and Elena to a pasture about ten minutes from the Compound. It was closer to the Bayou, and Liv had already gone ahead to spell the borders so that Theo couldn't escape, and wouldn't be vulnerable to any wild wolves that came looking for food at night.

They waited right by the entrance, until a truck pulled up, with a large horse trailer attached to it. They could hear Theo neighing inside, likely agitated and unhappy with how long the trip had taken.

The car parked, and Damon, Stefan, and Enzo climbed out, before helping Meredith and Valerie out to stretch their legs.

"Theo!" said Hope, going to the horse trailer. She removed her bracelet, waving her hand to unlock it. The door popped open, and Theo relaxed as soon as he saw her. She giggled, going to hug him, before leading him into his new pasture.

"He's going to hate it here," muttered Maddy to Elena. "He's used to being able to pop his head into the window and see us eating breakfast."

"This place is bigger than the pasture at the Willoughby Lake house," said Elena. "Maybe he won't let that bother him. After all, I expect Klaus and Hope will come here... literally every day."

Maddy glanced at the abandoned house beside the pasture. "I'll start fixing that place up. Knowing them, they'll want to make this the main home. Which means you and Elijah get the Compound mostly to yourselves."

"Awesome, I'll get started on ordering a pool and an air hockey table."

Maddy snorted, before going to stand with her brothers, who she'd only just noticed were all wearing flannels. "You got into costume to bring the horse to his new home?"

"Fuck yeah we did," said Damon. "Stefan wanted cowboy hats but I told him he was overdoing it."

"The cowboy hats would have been great," argued Stefan.

Maddy shook her head. "Nah, that would be a bit much. Also, which one of you told Hope about bourbon? Klaus and I have been incredibly careful to hide our alcohol and use code words so she doesn't get drunk on accident, and Elena doesn't drink anymore, so Anita couldn't have been the one to tell her."

"That may have been my fault," said Enzo sheepishly. "Not on purpose, though, I was asking Kol about whether liquor is ever used in spells. She may have seen me opening that hidden compartment behind the television and bringing out a bottle."

"Huh," said Maddy. "I always thought it would be Damon that would expose her to that."

"Don't worry," said Damon. "Once she's able to come to the Boarding House, I'm sure she's gonna wander into the wine cellar and you're gonna blame it on me. Which... may actually end up being my fault if I forget to make that door less obvious."

Maddy wasn't sure what he meant, so Meredith explained, "He leaves it open and he put a huge neon sign that reads 'Wine and Liquor,' because one time, we had a gathering and he was too lazy to get up and get more drinks, so he kept sending the guests to fetch it. It was supposed to keep them from getting lost."

Maddy just smirked. "Typical Damon."

"If it makes you feel any better," said Damon, "nobody got lost."

"That makes it so much better." She held up her hand. "Freya's calling, I'll be right back." She walked off to the side to answer. "Everything okay?"

"Not really," she admitted. "Klaus and Elijah are... not well."

"Umm... what happened?"

"Did Klaus tell you what he saw? When he was trapped in that circle of fire?"

"No... I asked him and he said he couldn't remember. He seemed to be telling the truth."

"There have been some peculiar side effects. They both got... rather angry at each other just now, for something that made no sense. And then, one of the mirrors in the house was cracked, in the shape of the Ouroboros."

"Fucking hell," muttered Maddy. "I never want to see that stupid serpent symbol ever again. Would a purification work? Do you think Vincent could help them?"

"I can purify them. And I will. But they're insistent that they want time to see if they can figure out what The Hollow is, and what it wants."

"I'm sorry, what? How the hell are they gonna do that?"

"Klaus says that if The Hollow can look into them, they can look back at it."

"But it might not actually work like that! Surely you told them that's absurd."

"I did. They didn't listen. For now, we're giving them one hour to see what they can find out through these hallucinations. And then, I will purify them."

"Are they sick? Or are they just having their tempers flare up?"

"Just the temper flare ups for now. Don't worry too much. Just stay where you are, let the girls enjoy their day. If anything, I will let you know."

Maddy was reluctant to allow that. She wished Klaus had just told her that he was feeling off. Then again, he still tended to keep his pain secret to not be a burden.

Hayley called her later that afternoon, once Freya had told her that the purification worked, and the two men were now asleep.

"I went to speak to Mary," the hybrid said. "And I learned something interesting. She gave me this journal that belonged to her husband. He filled it in the months before he died. Most of it is revolutionist garbage. Plots for an uprising. But there's stuff about my parents in there. Ramblings about how they were traitors for dealing with vampires. His writing deteriorates throughout, and in the end, there are no coherent sentences. I think The Hollow made Mary's husband kill my parents. When we met, Jackson told me that tragedy always followed my family around. Executions... people dying in floods, fires, or just vanishing... what if The Hollow was behind those deaths, too? And if it went after the Labonairs before, what if it wants to finish what it started?"

"Oh my god," said Maddy softly, lowering the phone slightly to look at the two little girls in the pasture. "The only living Labonair aside from you... happens to be the tribrid's best friend. If this thing had managed to awaken using Hope as a sacrifice..."

"It would have gone right for Anita," said Hayley.

"Shit. I need to tell Freya. Maybe she can put a protection spell on her. Elijah was infected by The Hollow. He may be better now, but if that thing makes its way back into him... he might be made to kill his own daughter. I'll call you back."

She dialed Freya's number, and initially, the call didn't work, so she tried again. "Freya," she said. "Hayley just told me something really concerning."

"I was just about to call you," said Freya. "Elijah woke up... he had some visions... The Hollow wanted him to kill Klaus and Anita."

"That just confirms it," said Maddy. "The Hollow is trying to get rid of the last two Labonairs. Reckon you can whip up a Protection Spell? Where's Kol?"

"He and Bonnie are following another lead that Vincent sent them on. They will be in the city soon." There was a clattering sound, then cursing. "No... oh no..."

"What is it?" asked Maddy urgently. "What happened?"

"The venom," said Freya. "Lucien's venom— it was right here! I set it there! Someone was in the house. Someone took it."