Hope Marshall's Secrets

Chapter 16: Thrown Out Painting

Hope, Dani, and MG arrived in New Orleans just a few minutes past midnight and they were deadbeat tired. Especially Hope, she had been driving for fourteen hours straight and it was a relief that she finally got to stretch her legs. Hope closed her car door and wanted to go to bed.

She looked at the manor expecting it to be dark and empty, but no. The lights were on and someone was by the entrance with his arms wide open, waiting for a hug.

Her father. Klaus Mikaelson.

"Welcome home, littlest wolf." He had the same old cheeky grin on his face. The tiredness instantly left Hope's body once she saw her father standing by the gate. He was an energy boost, a breath of fresh air.

She immediately ran towards him and hugged him tightly. She closed her and bathes herself in her father's scent. A smell of fresh paint, trees from the bayou, and a hint of bourbon and blood. Her father's irreplaceable smell. She missed this. She missed him.

Hope was so caught up with being with her father that she completely forgot about her bags and friends. Thankfully, Mg took it upon himself to grab Hope's bag and lingered behind the father-daughter duo with Dani.

When Klaus registers that they're not alone he breaks their heartfelt hug and scanned the two supernaturals standing in front of him. When his eyes land on the werewolf the grin comes back to his face. "Danielle Raulin. I must say you look weird wearing a skirt."

Dani rolls her eyes, dropping her bag and switches places with Hope, hugging the vampire tight. "It's nice to see you too, Uncle Klaus." Their hug is shorter than Hope's since Klaus pulls back and moves towards the other supernatural, inspecting him with careful eyes. "You must be Milton. Hope told me a lot about you over the phone."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you too, sir." MG nervously holds out his hand and waits for Klaus to do the same. Ever the dramatic man that he is, Klaus waits a few moments and stares at Mg like a predator. Hope can see MG's nervousness build and is about to tell her father to stop when Dani pulls her back a mischievous look on her face.

Hope lets out an unamused chuckle but she listens to Dani and watches her father and MG's interaction. Dani is silently giggling watching the two while Hope is a little concerned about her friend but she isn't too worried. She had assured Mg that his father would be on his best behavior throughout their trip but it's always a scary experience to meet your friends' parents, especially when that parent used to be a psychotic killer, so Hope understands why Mg would be nervous.

"Ah, my reputation proceeds me." Klaus shakes MG's hand and flashes his vampire veins and fangs which makes the younger vampire stumble back in surprise.

Dani laughs at MG but she checks on him nonetheless, and Hope hits his father's arm, pulling him away. "Dad, don't scare my friend,"

"I was only joking." He chuckles. Hope glares at her father and silently asks him to apologize, he rolls his eyes but does what her daughter wants and says a quick but sincere apology to MG. "Now back to business. Dani, would you be so kind as to take Hope's bag to her room and show Milton where he will be staying while I take Hope to the dining room. Oh, and when you're done settling in be sure to join us. Freya and Keelin prepared a mountain of beignets just for your arrival."

At the mention of beignets Hope quickly heads towards the kitchen with her dad leaving MG in Dani's hands, not that he complains. MG happily carried all the bags upon Dani's request and followed her to the second floor with a smile on his face.

When Hope enters the dining room, her nose is overwhelmed at the sweet scent of sugar, she closes her eyes and she basks in it. She has been craving for a beignet ever since the whole Josie debacle happened. When Hope finally opens her eyes she can see her father wasn't lying. There is a mountain of beignets in the middle of the table.