"Why am I here?"

"She's using me," murmured Maddy, helping Lexi to her feet once she'd tucked the totem away, and The Hollow was gone. "She knows nobody in the family would ever kill me. I'm the safest person to leave this totem with."

Lexi's next question was cut off as Maddy pulled her into a hug. "But you're here," the younger vampire whispered, holding the back of the blonde's head and caressing it. "You're here... and it's been so long since I was able to hold you."

She knew Stefan had seen Lexi before the Other Side fell apart, but given that Maddy had just turned human at the time, she hadn't gotten to participate in that mission that went so terribly wrong.

Prior to that, they'd seen her when the ghosts had temporarily become visible in Mystic Falls, when Mason Lockwood had led Damon to the cave with runes outlining the history of the Originals.

Maddy sprinted to her house, and burst in, finding that Lexi and Stefan were drinking and blasting music as they danced in the living room.

"Lexi," breathed Maddy when the blonde turned to her. "You're here... you're really here."

"In the flesh," said Lexi, spreading her arms as Maddy rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Hold on, what's wrong? Are you crying, Mads?"

Maddy nodded and stifled a sob as she held onto her. "Yeah, just... just give me a moment."

Lexi had been a hell of a lot nicer than Damon when Maddy told her about her relationship with Klaus.

"Well," she said, "you're a big girl, you know what you're getting yourself into. You know you can't expect to change the guy. You know you might be in danger dating him."

She nodded, to show that she was indeed aware of this. "Yeah. I don't expect to be able to change him. I just want him to be mindful of what I'm not okay with. I communicated it with him and he's alright with it. All of us have killed and done awful things that we regret. He knows that he'll lose me if he crosses one of my boundaries."

"Good." Lexi turned to Stefan. "What about you? What's your drama?"

Stefan sighed. "Well, I'm a Ripper again. I forced myself to drink only one bag today but it was hard. Then someone got a papercut at school and I had to rush out of the room. Not to mention Elena doesn't feel connected to me anymore. I made one comment about how much I hate Klaus and she... didn't like it."

"You remember your Ripper detox course," said Lexi. "You know what helps you and what doesn't. But you also need to keep in mind that you have Originals coming in and out of town. The sister, Rebekah, saw her in passing today, she's a real piece of work. Super annoying. And Klaus? Well, he may have a thing for your sister but he's still got a temper he needs to work on. So, maybe, since you're aware of how off the rails you were during summer, maybe you can continue to drink larger amounts solely to keep safe while they're here. I can't imagine it'll be forever. How about you reread your journal? The one from after the twenties when you documented your progress. That might help you ease up on the temptation. The important thing, Stefan, is that you have a connection with your humanity right now. You lacked that a lot in the twenties. This bodes well. You have a shot at getting this under control soon, and without me."

Stefan looked down. "I don't know how to do this without you, Lexi. I need your advice on more than just that."

Lexi took their hands. "You guys know me. You have for a long time. I'm pretty sure you can figure out what I'd say. Mads?"

"You'd say," she murmured, "to take it one day at a time because no battle is ever won by rushing an attack. Something inspirational like that, at least."

The blonde grinned. "I'd definitely say something like that. Stef?"

He put his free hand over hers. "Think about anything other than the smell. Remember what motivates you to be in control."

"Good. I think you guys got it. I'm sorry that I can't be here. Really, I am."

"It's not your fault," said Maddy softly. "It's mine. I should have been here."

"No, no," said Lexi. "Mads, you couldn't have done anything. You would have outed yourself. I was stronger than Damon, I was just so dazed I didn't think he'd kill me. But hey... I forgive him even for that. Even if I'm still really, really bitter. It isn't your fault, and it isn't your fault either, Stefan. You two did what you could. I'm thankful for the time that we had."

When it came time to say goodbye, they weren't ready. But they had to take the opportunity. They hadn't had one before. This chance was something many would never have with their loved ones.

They cried a bit more. Held each other. And when Lexi disappeared, they went their separate ways. Maddy didn't want to be there when Damon came back.

"I'm still really confused," said Lexi, rubbing Maddy's back, "but it feels good to hold you again."

"I'll explain everything, I promise," said Maddy, holding the totem up and staring at it, before drawing a deep breath. "Hopefully the long explanation buys me time to solidify my plan. I highly doubt she can hear us through the totem, so we should be okay as long as I cover all the bases."

She launched into the most detailed explanation she could manage given the stress they were under. She told Lexi about what had happened between their last meeting face-to-face and the Other Side falling apart, and then what came afterward, including every last problem and pain-in-the-ass villain they'd had to defeat. Lexi was paying attention, she truly was, but Maddy knew that it was very hard for her to focus, because the instant she learned Maddy had a daughter, she'd just about melted.

"You need to show me a picture of her," said Lexi softly once the story was done. "Oh my god... you have a baby."

Maddy managed a smile, bringing out her phone and shoving her the album she had for Hope. She checked the time, seeing it was three in the morning. Good, no one would be awake yet. And given that Klaus hadn't texted her, no one had realized she was gone, which was important for her plan because it would be much harder to keep track of everyone if they weren't home.

"She's so gorgeous," said Lexi, swiping through. "She's got Klaus's eyes, that's for sure... who would have thought you'd have a red-head for a daughter?"

Maddy laughed lightly. "Yeah, it's kinda confusing considering I don't find Klaus's hair to be all that red, but it's cute. She's a good kid, she loves to paint and draw, play with her horse, and make other people happy."

"She's got a cute name, too," said Lexi. "Hope... who picked that?"

"Enzo did."

"Good choice. Mikaelson is already a mouthful, she needed a short first name." She noticed the far away look in her eyes. "Did you figure out your plan? Because as glad as I am to be able to see you again... I don't really want to spend that time in a tomb."

"Yeah, I think I have my plan down," she murmured. "You're linked to The Hollow, and that can't stay like that, because we have to kill her, today. I know there's a spell to unlink two people... using a sanguinem knot. Freya taught Hope that spell already. And given how much Hope has been wanting to do magic, I think she might enjoy doing that, not to mention that it will ensure the magic is strong enough to truly unlink you. So, I need you to go to the Compound, and I need you to wake Stefan up first. He's on the second floor, last bedroom on the right side of the East wing. His girlfriend, Valerie, can make you a daylight ring. Or one of the other witches can, I don't know. Tell them everything. I need to get out of here with the totem. And I need them... to send someone to attack me."

Lexi blinked. "I'm sorry... what?"

"It'll keep up the ruse that I'm protecting it," said Maddy. "We already have a plan to kill her, we just need time to execute it. With any luck, when she realizes that I'm still being attacked, she will come to take the totem from me, and the others can track me with their phones to find me. I'll break the totem, and they'll kill her."

"And what if she kills you before the others get to you?"

Maddy gulped. "I don't know. I don't think she will. Please... go. Get to the Compound as fast as you can. Everything will be fine. Today, we're going to kill The Hollow."

Lexi pulled her into another hug, and cast her a reassuring smile before speeding off. Maddy drew a deep breath, beginning to make her way into Algiers, since she wasn't actually sure where to go.

She took the time to change into regular clothes, and purchased a small bag where she could hide the totem. She continued to check her phone, seeing that no one had messaged her yet. Hopefully it meant that Lexi was explaining things to them, and not that Lexi hadn't yet arrived to wake them up.

"This is bad," said Kol, once the group had spoken to Lexi. "But it could be worse."

"Could be worse?" snapped Klaus. "The Hollow kidnapped Madeleine and forced her into servitude! My wife left our bed in the middle of the night, under the influence of that witch, and I did not sense it!"

"This isn't your fault," said Stefan. "The Hollow could have made her be really quiet. At least now, we know there's a totem, and we have a weapon in mind. If Hope can unlink Lexi from The Hollow, we should be able to kill The Hollow and not have it affect anyone."

"I've traced where her magic is concentrated," said Freya. "She's in the Garden District, and according to Rebekah, that specific spot is the LaForge House."

"I recall that," said Elijah. "Dr. LaForge tortured and killed his friends and family. Claimed until his dying day that an evil spirit made him do it. That house has been derelict since."

"Additionally," continued Freya, "a secondary spell revealed to me where the totem is, which matches with where Maddy is located when we've tried Find My iPhone. Now, the totem magnifies The Hollow's power and protects her, which is exactly why she tasked Maddy with protecting it— she knows we wouldn't kill her to get to the totem, we'd find another way, and it would give The Hollow every advantage. Dahlia used to use totems when she was up to something particularly awful. It will render The Hollow unkillable. We will have to destroy it before we can face her. Maddy wants us to send attackers, which should distract The Hollow from whatever she is planning. The only problem is that she might decide Maddy is not fit to care for her totem, and she could kill her or give the totem to someone else, who we may not find as easily."

"What, pray tell, do we do, then?" asked Klaus.

Freya sighed. "We do what Maddy asked us to. We can send a group of vampires, that way, she can snap their necks and they will be fine. As soon as Hayley gets here, Kol and I will forge the weapon, as Hope focuses on the unlinking. It won't hurt her, and I think she'll find it fun." She turned to Elena. "I'll need just a bit of Anita's blood. I'll give you a vial to collect it. Once the weapon is ready, and once Lexi has been unlinked from The Hollow, we will see if The Hollow is still at the La Forge house. If she is, we message Maddy to break the totem just as we enter, and we will kill her. If she's gone to see Maddy, then we will find them, and have Maddy break the totem when we're all there. Kol and Bonnie will stay here to channel The Hollow's death to resurrect Finn. The rest... well, whoever wishes to go, can. And whoever does not wish to go, is free to stay here."

"Alright, then," said Enzo, shaking his head as he brought out his phone. "Marcel's vampires should be willing to participate. If they're not, then..." he glanced at the other two Salvatore brothers, and nodded. "The Hollow may not have siblings but it should still be realistic and not suspicious if we're the ones that go to attack her."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Stefan, smiling over at Lexi. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

Marcel's vampires were happy to comply. They found Maddy in a warehouse in Algiers, with the totem tucked in a corner, where it couldn't be broken prematurely. She got to her feet when the group of five vampires approached her, and she drew a deep breath.

"Well, have at it," she said, gesturing to herself. "Make it realistic."

The vampires converged on her, and put up a good fight. The totem wasn't damaged, thankfully, and it helped Maddy let her frustrations out in a safe way.

"Sorry about that," she said as she snapped the last vampire's neck. She limped only for a second as she finished healing, and went to check her phone, seeing that all was going well. The weapon was ready, Hope had unlinked Lexi from The Hollow, and the group was heading to the LaForge House. Klaus would be the one to text her exactly when she needed to break the totem.

"This feels a bit too easy," she muttered to herself as she exited the warehouse, removing the totem from the bag. She waited until she got the text, then smashed the totem into the ground. Surprisingly, when it broke, there was no explosion that knocked her back. As soon as she scooped the broken pieces into the bag and tossed it into a trash can, she made her way home.

She found Lexi in the ballroom with Hope and Anita. Apparently, the two girls were giving her a tour.

"Hey, princess," said Maddy, kneeling down to hug her daughter.

"Hi Mom," she said happily. "Where were you?"

"I was on a mission, just like everyone else." She turned Hope around to face Lexi. "This, baby, is your Aunt Lexi. She is my Anita. My sister from another mister, just like your Aunt Elena."

"I like her," whispered Hope, though she knew Lexi could hear her. "She looks like a princess."

"Yes, she does," said Maddy. "Think you can keep her company while I go check on our Sleeping Beauty?"

Hope nodded, and Maddy kissed her cheek. "Thank you for your help today. I am so proud of you."

"It was easy," said Hope cheerfully. "I could do it in my sleep."

"I bet you could." She ruffled her hair, and smiled at Lexi. "I'll be back in a bit. Sofya should be awake now that The Hollow is gone."

She went upstairs, and found that Sofya had indeed woken up, though she hadn't yet moved much.

"Hey," said Maddy, leaning in the doorway. "I'll bring you something to eat and a blood bag. How are you feeling?"

"I'm out of it," she mumbled. "What happened? Why am I here?"

"The Hollow's magic put you in a coma. Our witches were able to heal you, and given we just defeated The Hollow, I guess it was the final push that woke you up."

"When The Hollow grabbed me," murmured Sofya, "it was like... I was shoved down into some dark corner of myself. I never felt so lost. Like I was slipping away. And in that moment, after she left, it was just darkness. I wasn't sure I'd make my way back."

"But you're here now," said Maddy, with a small smile. "You're gonna be okay."

She shook her head. "I don't think she's gone."

"She is. Hayley went with them and delivered the final blow."

Sofya didn't seem convinced. "I can feel her. The Hollow's still out there somewhere, I know she is." She started to get up, but crumpled down, and Maddy only just caught her before her head hit the ground.

"Hey, stay seated," she urged. "I'll get you some food."

She fetched her a blood bag and a gigantic plate of pasta. Sofya's face gained more color as she ate, but she definitely still looked nervous. She decided that she didn't wish to stay there anymore, and after thanking her, Maddy escorted her out.

By the time she returned downstairs, Finn was alive again. He seemed overwhelmed, considering he was surrounded by people.

"Why did you bring me back?" he whispered to Freya. "I could have stayed in the pendant."

"It wouldn't have held you much longer," she told him. "If I hadn't pulled you out of it, you would have died."

He squeezed his eyes shut, and nodded. "I feel exhausted. I must sleep."

They gave him his space. It was clear to everyone that he wasn't happy to be back.

"Need anything else?" Maddy asked Lexi as she went to check on her that evening.

Lexi shook her head, remaining seated by the window. "No, thanks, I have everything I need."

"You look sad. Talk to me."

Lexi shrugged. "I relate to what Finn is going through. I spoke to him in the kitchen when I was getting a blood bag. When he was in that pendant, he found solace in the memories he had with the love of his life, Sage. And I..." she started to tear up, "I started to remember more about where I was before I showed up in the cemetery. I was at peace, I was with Lee, and I was happy. And unless I die, I won't see him again for a really, really long time."

Maddy's heart sank into her stomach. "Lexi... I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," said Lexi. "The Hollow wanted to get you to protect her totem, and she needed a good reason for you to do so."

"I know," said Maddy. "It's just... weird. It was too easy. She saw into my mind, she would have known our plan, and somehow, we still managed to kill her? It's suspicious. Not to mention that Sofya said she still feels her, somewhere out there."

Lexi frowned. "If she is out there... where would she be?"

"I don't know," Maddy admitted. "But I'll talk to my friend Vincent. He should know how to find her, if she's still in this world."

She slept more pleasantly that night, holding onto Klaus and Hope, who were glad to have her back. She kissed both of them even on the forehead when they were asleep, and did her best to stay awake as long as she could, just to see the peaceful look on their faces.

"Good morning," she told Hope the next day when she found her by herself in her old nursery. "Why aren't you with Anita? I thought you two were going to go show your Aunt Lexi the pasture."

Hope shook her head. "Anita's acting weird."

Maddy tensed. "Weird? Weird how?"

"I don't know... but she was drawing something blue. Lots of blue. No other colors. And she didn't remember our handshake." She pursed her lips. "I think The Hollow hurt her. And I think it's my fault."

"No, princess," said Maddy, "it's not your fault— why would you think that?"

"When I did the unlinking spell, she wanted to help. She said she could put her hand on my shoulder, so I could channel her."

Maddy's heart skipped a beat. Was it possible that The Hollow had expected this? That she'd used Hope to place herself inside of Anita?

"I'll talk to Vincent," said Maddy. "Go get your dad and tell him what you told me, then ask him to tell your Uncle Elijah, please. Don't go near Anita until we figure out what's going on."

When she called Vincent, he had bad news for her. "I was working with The Hollow's book," he said. "Trying to learn the spell that her mother used to put her down, initially, because I had a bad feeling. I think The Hollow may not be dead."

"That confirms it," said Maddy gravely. "The Hollow is still out there somewhere. Hope thinks she may be inside of Anita."

"Oh, no," said Vincent worriedly. "No, no... okay... listen, here's what you need to do. Get something of Anita's, something she used today. A hairbrush, toothbrush, something. Freya can do a reading on it. If The Hollow is inside Anita, she'll know."

"And then... if she is... what the hell do we do?"

There was silence on the other line. "Then... we trap The Hollow in the book. It's the only thing that can hold her. All I need is to get the spell Inadu's mother used to trap her. And... Hope would need to perform the spell."

"Is that even safe?" asked Maddy. "I don't know, Vincent, if she's directly moving The Hollow from one place to another, won't it hurt her?"

"Hope is the one who unintentionally became a bridge to let The Hollow into Anita. That, along with the fact that the tribrid is the only one stronger than The Hollow leads me to believe that this is the only way we can get rid of her for good. If Hope transfers The Hollow into the book, and then we burn it, she will be gone forever. No chance of returning. The charred book, I can bury in the cemetery, and the Ancestors will keep it there."

Maddy sighed. "Only if Hope is okay with doing it. If she's not, then we have to find another way."

"I'll guide her through the spell, and perform it with her. I just need time to get the spell. I'll contact Valerie, I think she can help me."

"Alright. I'll speak to Freya about the reading."

Unfortunately, Hope's suspicions were right.

"This can't be happening," said Elena as Freya confirmed, through Anita's hairbrush, that The Hollow was inside of her daughter. "This doesn't make sense— I though Labonair blood was her weakness."

"Unless she tapped into her bloodline deliberately," murmured Freya. "Found a way to overcome the power and turned it into a strength."

"She knows we'd never hurt Anita," said Elijah. "We'd sooner die than lay a harmful hand on her. Even Hope would never hurt her."

"So what do we do?" asked Maddy. "Vincent still needs time to get the spell."

"For now," murmured Freya, "we pretend nothing is wrong. We speak to Anita normally, buy Vincent some time. And as soon as he is here with that book... I have a plan. Some powder we can knock her out with. Hope and Vincent can perform their spell, and The Hollow can be trapped permanently. We just have to hope that The Hollow doesn't figure out that we know... because otherwise... I imagine it will be catastrophic."

Elena, thankfully, wasn't terrible with her acting skills. She went to her daughter, bringing her a bowl of cut fruit and speaking to her normally, even sitting with her and braiding her hair. She pretended she didn't notice the dry and uncharacteristic remarks Anita made. Even Maddy had Hope come inside to ask Anita if she wanted to play. And when Anita was made to say no, Hope simply shrugged and said that maybe Anita was having an off day.

"I don't like this," said Hope irritably once Maddy had taken her upstairs to prepare, when Vincent had told them he was on his way. "I don't like that it's making her be rude."

"I know, baby," she murmured. "But she's going to be okay, we'll make sure of it. Are you sure you want to help Vincent with the spell? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I do want to. I want my friend back. The Hollow can't have her." She patted Maddy's arm. "Is Aunt Lexi going to stay?"

"I think she might," said Maddy. "But I don't know for sure."

"She seems sad."

"She is. She was in a very happy place with someone she loved very much. Sort of like your Uncle Finn. They both were pulled away from that, and they feel sad. So, if they decide they need space, we will be okay with that. We will help them feel better. Sometimes, if someone leaves, it doesn't mean they don't love you, it just means they need time and space to feel better. It's not always healthy for people to stay. What matters is knowing what is best for you."

"Will you and dad stay?"

Maddy nodded. "Always. We both used to be the kind of people that would leave to feel better. We'd abandon everything to give ourselves time to not feel sad. But now, we feel best when we're here with you. And we're not going anywhere." She stood up as she heard movement downstairs. "Vincent is here. Are you ready?"

Hope nodded, and took her mother's hand. The two moved to the courtyard, where Freya had already managed to knock out Anita.

"She won't be down for long," said Freya. "The Hollow will manage to break through the sleep spell, I know it. We need to work fast." She glanced at Kol, who finished making a salt circle around Anita, so that if The Hollow exited her body, she couldn't escape. Elena was inside the circle with her, cradling her and stroking her hair.

Vincent came to sit beside Hope. "Hey there." He held up a book with a red cover, and the symbol of The Hollow. "We're going to put The Hollow in here, and then, she won't be able to hurt Anita anymore, okay? When you say the spell, you just concentrate on putting The Hollow in the book."

Hope nodded, and Vincent set the book just outside of the salt circle, taking Hope's hand. "Repeat after me. Arrêter majik sa à. Arrêter majik sa à."

With her face scrunched up in concentration, Hope repeated it, as accurately as she could. "Good, you've got it," said Vincent. "Altogether now, hold my hand. Arrêter majik sa à."

Klaus and Maddy, who'd been standing off to the side, both moved forward, sitting with their daughter and placing their hands on her shoulders, allowing her to channel them to minimize any discomfort she might feel. Klaus caught sight of a slight smile on Hope's face, and kissed her cheek as she continued to chant.

Slowly, everyone mimicked them. Elijah held onto Klaus's shoulder. Kol grabbed onto Elijah, and pulled Freya with him, the two of them chanting the spell under their breaths. Rebekah stood behind the two witches, holding onto the both of them. On the other side, Maddy's brothers linked themselves to her, one by one, with their respective partners holding on tightly, hoping that with all their power combined, it would be enough.

No one dared to blink, watching as Elena held onto Anita tightly as a blue ball of light burst out of her, illuminating the entirety of the courtyard.

Vincent guided Hope in pushing her hand down toward the book. The blue ball shot down into it, and the book jumped for a second before going still. "Now," said Vincent, motioning for Maddy to cover Hope's eyes, "say 'Incendia.'"

Maddy placed her hand over Hope's face, and the girl said, "Incendia."

Klaus immediately yanked both Maddy and Hope into his arms, shielding Hope's body entirely and allowing Maddy to clamp her hands over her daughter's ears as a horrible screaming radiated through the house. The ground shook furiously, and everyone standing was knocked down.

The air cleared, and when they pulled away, they saw Vincent was holding the book, which was charred beyond recognition. "You did it," he told Hope softly. "You got rid of her."

Anita gave a gasp, and Elena helped her sit up. "Hey, sweet girl," she told her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm hungry," said Anita simply. "Can we go see Theo now?"

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

Maddy went to see Lexi, once they'd ensured both Hope and Anita were okay following the spell. "Hope asked if you're going to stay," she said. "And I want you to know that I will support you in whatever choice you make."

Lexi breathed deeply. "I spoke to Stefan, earlier. We... worked some things out. It's funny, because I was always the one doing it for him... helping him process his feelings. Now, he has more control than ever, and he's the one helping me get my shit together." She laughed lightly. "I spoke to Finn, too, to see what he'd decide. He met Keelin today and he liked her. He wants to be here, to see Freya grow in this relationship... to see her be happy. And both of us want to be present as Hope and Anita grow up. We both like kids, and they... are really sweet. So we made a pact. We'll both live here, as vampires. We will help those girls, we will teach them what we can. We will be good vampires, and make peace in the land of the living, even if it isn't ideal for either of us. We will live until... our time comes again. Most likely, if it comes down to saving someone's life, if we find a good reason to die, we will do it, and we will both go to peace."

She took Maddy's hand. "There's just something we both thought of, that we think you need to know. As of today, the world will have seen the power of the tribrid in action for the first time. Witches everywhere will know of this, and they will realize just how strong Hope is. We need to be ready for what will come from that. Because based on what you told me, they thought she'd bring death to all witches since the moment they learned you were pregnant with her. And given she just killed the second-most powerful witch in the universe, they're going to be threatened."

A/N: Wanted to share that I saw this amazing TikTok by @s1redtomikaelsons about the Most Powerful Witches in the TVDU and it's something I find quite accurate (based on a realistic standpoint, and not based on who my faves are). The order went 1. Hope Mikaelson, 2. Inadu Labonair, 3. Dahlia, 4. Qetsiyah Bennett, 5. Freya Mikaelson, 6. Esther Mikaelson, and the list stops there. Just thought I'd mention it here given that canon has changed a lot in this story. It feels like I got the TVDU in the form of a body and just went 'hehe' took a scalpel and dissected the fuck out of it to pick the parts I like. Which is funny because I want to be a surgeon but anyway, I'm getting off-track.

Hope you liked the end of Season 4 of TO! One more season to go, and I have no idea how many more chapters there will be so if I suddenly tell y'all "next chapter will be the last" then I'm sorry in advance because though I plan ahead, it doesn't always end up being the amount of chapters that I expect it to be. I will not be going into Legacies solely because it's not finished and I don't really like writing for things that aren't fully solidified (I like to know which events affect others! It's very important). Additionally, there aren't any Saltzman twins and there is... not really a reason for there to be a Salvatore Boarding School unless one of you gives me an idea so... yeah. Comment for more!