AFTERMATH [ 2 ] | LEGACIES

E I G H T E E N

I woke up in a cold sweat, sitting up fast and panting. Arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Roman. My mind felt at ease even if my body was still in panic mode.

"Roman," I panted, trying to press myself closer to him. "Baby."

Small sobs escaped my lips as I thought about the events. Elijah, a coward. Lorelle, alive. Malivore, a problem. Hope, till acting hopeless.

"Shhh, I got you. Shh, Liles. I'm here," Roman attempted to soothe me, rubbing a hand up and arm one of my arms.

I could feel the goosebumps as he did so. I focused on my breathing until I started to relax.

The door opened, the Mikaelsons. Freya, Kol, Rebekah, Keelin, Marcel, and Davina, all staring at me with wide eyes. I waited for Lorelle to walk through the door, too, or at least Hope, but she didn't. I wasn't sure why I felt disappointed by it, considering I didn't really want her presence in the first place.

"Who'd you see?" Freya asked in her soothing voice, sitting at the edge of my bed the way she always did when I wasn't doing alright. "In the other world?"

"It was Stefan," I said honestly, getting a smile from Rebekah. One thing she and I had in common for sure, even before knowing each other, was our taste in Stefan, but we never talked about that.

"He said some things that really hit with me," I said honestly, sitting up away from Roman. I brought my knees up to my chest. "There's a lot going on in my mind and in my life right now, I don't want to sound so selfish, but I'm not sure how much I can handle this Lorelle mystery right now. I can barely handle the Malivore mystery, I can barely handle knowing Elijah didn't want to be my dad."

My aunts and uncles frowned at my words, especially at the last thing I said.

"Maybe we take Lorie," Kol said softly after a moment of silence, staring at his wife. "Leave my poor niece to try to regain her sanity so that I can keep being the only homicidal maniac left."

Daivna nodded, "I'm fine with Lorelle coming back with us on our travels, babe. It'll give me more time to look into that coven, and maybe she can help me fill in the gaps."

Kol looked at me, "Is that what you want, Lilah Rae?"

Tears filled in my eyes as I thought about how horrible of a daughter that must make me. I was finally getting the parents I wanted, the mother I wondered about, and I want to send her away because her presence was making my mental health deteriorate at a faster rate than it already had been.

"For now," I said in a choked voice, forcing myself to say it. "Just until I can get myself situated."

"As you wish, my love," Kol said, walking over and kissing my forehead before leaving with Davina. Freya patted my knee.

"You guys can go back home," I said, looking at the rest of my family. "I'll be fine here."

"We're worried about you, kid," Marcel said honestly. "But New Orleans is always ready for you, and we're always ready to come to Mystic Falls for you. Are you sure you guys got this Malivore thing?"

"You guys spent so long being the heroes," I said, looking at each of them. My family, my sign of strength in dark times. Proof that the worst can come, and the Mikaelsons will make it out, we'll find ways to prevail, always and forever. Signs of sacrifice, endless protecting each other, endless love. Unconditional, no matter our differences. "It's Hope and I's turn to live on the Mikaelson legacy. Be the heroes, even when sometimes we can be the villains."

"Okay, Elijah 2.0," laughed Marcel. "You stay safe, cousin."

"You, too."

I stood up from the bed, giving hugs to my family members while my body still felt out of place. It felt like my mind wasn't there, and I was forcing body parts to move, my lips to smile, my mouth to let words come out. I felt like I was still slipping through the cracks, unable to get myself out of this gloom. I didn't want to go ripper mode, I didn't want to turn off my humanity, but I did want the overwhelming pain and despair I was feeling to end.

And I didn't want the people who have only ever been strong for me, to see me in a space where I couldn't be strong for any of us.