Our Hope • Ava Rose Mikaelson

13. The Devil is Damned

It's the next morning and I'm outside sitting by the lake. The sun is barely rising. Someone comes sits next to me and I know it's Ileana. I left late last night and I just got back a couple of minutes ago.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked her and she smiles a small smile.

"I'm a morning person." Ileana said as she sat down next to me. "You?"

"I was already up. I just got back from... uh, um... I just had a few things I had to do." I told her. I didn't need anyone knowing where I was. "You okay after yesterday... you know with Klaus and everything?"

I haven't talked to her about the whole Nik incident when he came to the bayou last night. I didn't know what to tell her or what to tell Jackson.

"I'm fine. Jackson is still in pain. And I..."

"I am so sorry."

"It's okay, really." Ileana said and I give her a look because I knew it wasn't. In her point of view, it's my mother's husband beat the crap out of my future husband. What am I supposed to do? I hated being put in a position where I don't know what to do. "I mean it's not but... I want to turn."

"Ileana..."

"Like today." She says taking me by surprise because I hoping it'll be like in a week or in a couple of days. "I've thought about it. I've thought about it a lot actually. I want to do it not only for Hope and the wolves but for Jackson too. After what happened yesterday..."

"I understand."

"You do?" Ileana asked and I nodded.

"You want to protect the ones you love."

"Today's the ritual thing. I was hoping I could turn tonight."

"I have no experience in planned turning. Usually, when someone turns into a vampire it's unplanned." I said and she smiles. "We'll do it tonight."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I will be." I smiled as she lays her head on my shoulder. We sat in silence for a long while as we watch the sunrise. "Things get worse before they get better. Things will get better."

"So tell me. How did Klaus propose to you?"

"Well, it was a casual day for the both of us. It was about 6 in the morning. I was in bed and he was standing in front of the bed painting me like he usually did and he popped the question. I never thought about marriage and I knew it was a big commitment."

"And you ended up saying yes."

"I did and I'm glad I did." I smiled and she returns the smile.

Nik and I had our ups and downs over the years and we've always managed to work things out whether he was in the wrong or I was. These last few days have been rocky between him and I. I haven't even been home in the last few days and I barely talk to him.

"Tell me about Jackson. How this whole romance came to be?" I asked and she lets out a sigh as if she's relieved that I asked that and she tells me how they ended up together.