When she saw him she knew. A beautiful man with the same gray eyes she had, the same full lips as she had and short, brown hair that lay in curls over his head stood in the doorway in less than a couple of seconds after Elijah had uttered the words of them having a visitor.
She knew who he was and she knew that he knew exactly who she was.
“Brother, have you lost your mind?!” the man spat as he approached Elijah, which caused Hope to swallow. She studied her father as he stood threatening close his brother, blood all around his lips and down his neck and long sleeved t-shirt. That was not how Hope had envisioned her father at all.
“You brought my child, my daughter, back to this?!” His voice was cold as he turned to watch his own flesh and blood. “What makes you think I want you here?” His words had her loss for her own. “I-I...” she stuttered, but her uncle stepped in and she was grateful he did.
“Niklaus, this is your daughter, the young woman you've been fighting for all these years. She's come to see you, her father”
“I'm no father!” the brunette spat before he turned to watch his daughter again. “I'm not your father. I've never been your father. You must leave and you may never return” and with those words he was gone.
That had not gone at all like Hope had wanted. The worst case scenario for her would be that she didn't find her parents or that they would say that they had given her up for a reason. She was not expecting to be yelled at and banished.
She saw Elijah open his mouth to speak to her. He seemed to be in the same shock over his brother's actions that Hope herself was, but she didn't want to stick around to hear Elijah's excuses. She hurried downstairs, but in the matter of seconds her uncle was blocking the way.
“I cannot let you leave with this being the only vision of your father. He loves you very much, Hope”
“Clearly I don't have a father” Hope stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “He's never been my father. Who am I kidding? I shouldn't have come. He doesn't want me. It's been sixteen years and I didn't even know his full name. It was stupid”
“It's not stupid, Hope” Elijah objected at once, raising his hand to silence her. “We are your family, of course you want to know of us. Niklaus has concerns”
“And I have a test tomorrow” Hope sighed. “I'm sorry I came, Elijah. I hope he won't be too angry with you for letting me in. I'll show myself out” It was a hint for him to step away from the door, and with a sigh he obeyed.
“I do not want to keep you here against your will, Hope. I just wish for you to know your father. I know him and there's nothing he wanted more during his thousand years on this planet than to hold you in his arms, no matter how long it's been.”
“He does have a funny way of showing it, don't you think?” she asked before she left the building. She never heard the door close after her and her guess was that Elijah remained in the door frame, watching his only niece leave.
Hope could easily compel a taxi to take her straight to the airport where she could catch the next flight home. Rebekah would be mental with rage and worry, of course, but she'd be thrilled she was back and relieved she was okay.
Instead of finding herself a taxi she strolled down the streets of a darken New Orleans' French Quarter as she passed a bar called Rosseau's. She wasn't anywhere near legal but she stepped inside and walked over to the bar. The bartender, a man in his twenties, threw her a grin as he asked if she wanted a coke. Hope sighed a yes. She wasn't a drinker. Drinking alcohol helped with the cravings of any vampire, but so did coffee. Hope was a huge fan of coffee, but a coke would do for now. She sat down in the bar, playing some with her finger along the edge of the glass as she overheard two men talking.
“Klaus wants all there werewolves out of the Quarter” one of them said. He had a dark voice. Hope held her breath as she listened in. Klaus? Her father Klaus?
“Of course not. He's just angry with the witches, not with us”
“He says we're taking up too much place, Kian”
The man named or called Kian laughed. “Isn't our king a little diva?” he asked and they both laughed.
Hope swallowed some at their words. King? Her father was called a king? Of the werewolves? Rebekah said that the wolves despised hybrids no matter where you came, but her father was the king of them?
“You okay?” the bartender asked her. “You look like you've had a rough day”
“Yeah, it's... been long” Hope admitted.
“I guess this is the moment I fulfill my bartender duties and listen while you tell me about it” he grinned and Hope couldn't help but to giggle lightly at that.
“It's nothing, really. I just traveled here, and, well, I didn't find what I'm looking for so I should go home”
“I'm sorry to hear that. What were you looking for?” he asked and she she gave out a little laugh at that, shaking her head.
“I don't know. Myself. I think” she nodded some at her answer, figuring that must be it. “I guess I... found myself back home all along, huh?”
“Yeah, that's tough” he smiled encouraging. “I'm Daniel, by the way” he said.
“Hi. I'm uh... I'm Hope” she smiled, completely unaware of that she now was the one being overheard.
