╔════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ Chapter 53 – Home Without Her 🕯️🐺👶 ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════╝
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The walk back into the Salvatore School felt surreal.
Too quiet.
Too normal.
Like the world somehow hadn't realized that everything had nearly fallen apart tonight.
Hope carried Talia Elizabeth Mikaelson-Hale's infant carrier close to her chest.
One hand stayed curled protectively around the handle the entire time.
Beside her, Malia carried Andrea Lydia Mikaelson-Hale's carrier with surprising care despite the tension still radiating off her.
Hayley walked close to Hope's side.
Rebekah stayed near Malia.
And surrounding them were Lizzie.
Josie.
Penelope.
And Lydia.
No one spoke much at first.
The halls of the school were quieter than usual this late at night, but not empty.
Students still lingered in common rooms.
On staircases.
In study lounges.
And the moment people noticed Hope carrying the twins—
Word spread quickly.
Concerned whispers followed them through the halls.
"Are those Hope and Nova's babies?"
"Oh my god..."
"Did they find Nova?"
"Is she okay?"
The questions kept coming softly from every direction.
Hope answered none of them.
Not because she was being rude.
She just physically couldn't make herself talk about it yet.
Talia shifted softly inside her carrier, making tiny sleepy noises.
Hope immediately looked down.
Instinct.
Protective.
Loving.
Hayley noticed.
"She's okay," Hayley murmured gently.
Hope nodded weakly.
"I know."
But her voice cracked anyway.
A group of younger students near the lounge looked devastated when they caught sight of the babies.
One of the witches quietly whispered, "Poor Nova..."
Another nodded sadly.
"She always helped everyone too."
That hurt more somehow.
Because it was true.
Nova constantly threw herself into helping other people.
Even when she was exhausted.
Even when she was struggling herself.
And tonight she had nearly died because her ex-girlfriend and said girlfriend's psychotic aunt had kidnapped and tortured her.
The group turned another corner.
And nearly ran straight into Jed.
The werewolf alpha stopped short the second he saw them.
More specifically—
The babies.
Then his eyes shifted to Hope.
And for once, there wasn't even a trace of his usual attitude.
Only guilt.
Concern.
"Uh..." Jed rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I heard what happened."
Hope stiffened slightly.
Malia's eyes narrowed automatically.
But Jed kept going before anyone could snap at him.
"I know me and Nova haven't exactly always gotten along," he admitted roughly. "And I've kinda been a dick sometimes."
Lizzie snorted quietly.
"Kinda?"
Jed ignored her.
"But..." he looked genuinely uncomfortable now. "I do hope she gets better."
Hope blinked.
Clearly not expecting that.
"She's tough," Jed added after a moment. "And she loves those kids like crazy."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the carriers.
"She's gonna fight to come back to them."
For the first time since entering the school, Hope's expression softened slightly.
"Thank you," she whispered quietly.
Jed nodded once.
Awkward again now that emotions had appeared.
Then quickly escaped down the hallway before anyone could say more.
"That was weird," Lizzie muttered.
"Very," Josie agreed.
But even Malia looked mildly surprised.
The group finally reached Hope and Nova's dorm room.
Hope froze briefly outside the door.
Because for one horrible second—
She expected Nova to be standing inside waiting for them.
Maybe half-asleep.
Maybe smiling.
Maybe already fussing over the babies.
The ache that realization caused nearly knocked the breath out of her.
Lydia gently touched Hope's shoulder.
"Hope?"
Hope blinked.
Then nodded once.
And opened the door.
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The room immediately felt wrong without Nova there.
Too still.
Too empty.
The soft fairy lights around the nursery corner still glowed warmly against the walls.
The painted forest mural stretched across the nursery space.
The white wolf with pale blue eyes.
The black wolf with emerald eyes.
And curled between them—
The tiny painted pups.
A family.
Hope's throat tightened painfully.
Everything in this room had been built together.
Dreamed together.
Planned together.
The cribs.
The blankets.
The tiny clothes folded carefully into baskets.
The stuffed animals Nova kept insisting the twins needed despite Hope repeatedly claiming they already had too many.
Now the room just felt haunted by her absence.
The babies sensed the shift almost immediately.
Talia started fussing first.
A soft whine.
Then Andrea joined in a second later.
Tiny unhappy cries filling the room.
Hope immediately moved.
"Mama's here," she whispered quickly, setting Talia's carrier carefully near the crib.
Malia did the same with Andrea.
The crying only intensified.
"They can probably feel how upset everyone is," Josie said softly.
Hayley immediately moved toward Hope.
"Go on," she encouraged gently. "Take her out."
Hope's hands trembled slightly as she unbuckled Talia.
The second she lifted her daughter into her arms, Talia quieted a little.
Tiny fingers immediately grabbing onto Hope's shirt.
Hope nearly broke again.
"She always does that to Nova," Hope whispered shakily.
Hayley's expression softened with heartbreak.
Malia awkwardly picked Andrea up next.
Andrea instantly grabbed onto Malia's hoodie.
Malia blinked.
"...Okay, that's actually kinda cute."
Even Lydia smiled faintly.
Andrea let out a tiny sleepy coo.
And suddenly the entire room softened around that sound.
For just a second.
Not because things were okay.
They absolutely weren't.
But because the babies were here.
Alive.
Safe.
A reminder of why everyone was fighting so hard to save Nova.
Hope sat slowly on the edge of the bed with Talia curled against her chest.
The tiny infant blinked sleepily up at her.
And Hope's composure shattered all over again.
"Your mommy was supposed to be here," Hope whispered tearfully.
Talia made another tiny cooing sound.
Hope smiled weakly through tears.
"She kept talking about bringing you girls home," Hope continued softly. "She spent like three days reorganizing this room because she wanted everything perfect for you."
Rebekah smiled sadly.
"That sounds very Nova."
Hope laughed weakly.
"She made Derek help build one of the cribs because she didn't trust Ikea instructions."
That actually got a small laugh out of Lydia.
"And honestly?" Lydia admitted. "Fair."
The mood lightened just enough to breathe.
Just enough.
Then from somewhere deep in the school—
A muffled scream echoed faintly upward.
Nova.
Hope froze.
The entire room went silent instantly.
Talia whimpered softly in Hope's arms as Hope's eyes filled with tears again.
And all at once—
The reality of tonight crashed back down on all of them.
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Unfortunately, the babies were still fussing.
Actually—
Now they were getting louder.
Tiny unhappy cries filled the dorm room as both girls squirmed restlessly in their arms.
Hope immediately looked panicked.
"Oh god," she whispered. "What if something's wrong?"
Hayley instantly moved toward her.
"Hope, breathe."
"This is their first night out of the hospital," Hope stressed, bouncing Talia gently. "What if I'm doing something wrong?"
"You're not," Rebekah assured quickly.
But Hope still looked overwhelmed.
Which honestly made sense.
She was a brand new mother.
Her mate was downstairs screaming in pain while her aunt witches tried to save her life.
And now both babies were crying.
Lydia tilted her head slightly.
"Maybe they need changed?"
Josie nodded.
"Or they're hungry."
Hope and Malia immediately checked the twins.
A moment later Malia looked up.
"Diapers are good."
Hope nodded shakily.
"So they're probably hungry."
Hayley immediately stepped into full mom mode.
"Okay," she said gently. "Formula time."
Hope carefully handed Talia over to Lizzie.
"Support the head," Hope said automatically.
Lizzie blinked.
"...Why does this suddenly feel like I've been entrusted with the crown jewels?"
"Because you basically have," Penelope muttered.
Lizzie looked down uncertainly at Talia in her arms.
Talia stared right back at her with wide pale-blue eyes.
Lizzie blinked.
"...She's staring at me," she mumbled.
Across the room, Malia looked over while still holding Andrea.
"Mine is better," Malia declared confidently.
Andrea was still fussing lightly in her arms, so Malia immediately started trying to make funny faces at the baby.
According to Lydia, the faces were horrifying.
Then Malia flashed her glowing steel-blue werecoyote eyes.
Lydia stared.
"Malia, those are somehow even scarier."
But Andrea immediately quieted.
The tiny baby blinked up at the glowing eyes in complete fascination.
Malia looked smug instantly.
"See?" she said proudly. "She likes me."
Hayley gently guided Hope toward the small kitchenette area.
"Come on," she said softly. "I'll show you how to make the bottles."
Hope nodded quickly.
Trying very hard not to look like she was two seconds away from another breakdown.
Rebekah moved beside her as well.
"You're doing fine, sweetheart," she promised.
Hope laughed weakly.
"I literally have no idea what I'm doing."
"Welcome to motherhood," Hayley replied dryly.
That actually earned a tiny smile from Hope.
A few minutes later, bottles were finally made.
Warmed.
And tested.
Hayley handed one to Hope while Rebekah passed the other toward Malia.
"Okay," Hayley said encouragingly. "Now just tilt it slightly—"
Hope carefully brought the bottle toward Talia.
Malia did the same with Andrea.
The babies immediately started squirming.
Turning their heads away.
Making louder unhappy noises.
Hope frowned.
"Why don't they want it?"
Andrea shoved weakly at the bottle with surprising determination for someone so tiny.
Then suddenly—
"Boobs!"
Malia shouted.
Everyone jumped.
The babies startled violently.
And immediately burst into louder cries.
"Malia!" Lydia hissed.
"What?" Malia defended.
"You scared them!" Lizzie exclaimed.
"And why did you yell boobs of all things?" Penelope added incredulously.
Malia looked completely unbothered.
"Maybe they want milk from the source," she said like this was obvious.
The room stared at her.
Blankly.
Malia gestured toward the babies.
"Maybe they want Nova's boobs."
The silence somehow deepened.
Lydia blinked slowly.
"...They're babies," she deadpanned. "I don't think they care."
Malia scoffed immediately.
"If you had the choice between a bottle and a nice perky set of boobs, which would you pick?"
She pointed at herself proudly.
"I'd choose the boobs."
There was one second of stunned silence.
Then Lizzie snorted.
Josie immediately covered her face laughing.
Even Penelope cracked.
Lydia groaned dramatically.
"Oh my god."
And finally,
Despite everything.
Despite the fear.
Despite Nova being downstairs fighting for her life.
Hope laughed.
A real laugh.
Small.
Broken around the edges.
But real.
And for one tiny moment,
The room didn't feel quite so heavy anymore.
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Back downstairs in the infirmary—
The atmosphere had become suffocating.
Magic crackled through the air in violent waves.
Freya and Davina continued chanting from opposite sides of the bed, their voices growing stronger with each repetition of the spell.
"Venenum expellimus. Corpus purgamus. Vita maneat."
(We expel the poison. We cleanse the body. Let life remain.)
Nova screamed again.
Her body thrashed violently against Kol and Elijah's hold.
The cut Kol had made across her wrist continued to pour blood.
But now—
The blood was wrong.
Thick.
Dark.
Almost black.
It oozed steadily from the incision and dripped into the basin Freya had positioned beneath her arm.
The wolfsbane leaving her system.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Kol's grip tightened on Nova's shoulders as she nearly arched completely off the bed again.
"Easy, sweetheart," he muttered, though there was tension in his voice now too.
Nova sobbed weakly.
"Hurts..."
Elijah looked visibly disturbed hearing that broken sound come from her.
"We know," he said softly, helping hold her still. "But you must endure a little longer."
Time blurred strangely inside the infirmary.
Minutes stretching.
Magic thickening the air.
Nova's screams slowly turning hoarse from the strain.
Then the infirmary doors opened.
Derek entered.
Klaus immediately looked toward him.
His expression hardened slightly.
"You should not be here for this," Klaus said quietly. "She is your sister."
Derek's jaw flexed.
"I know."
Nova cried out again.
Derek visibly flinched.
Then forced himself to keep moving closer.
"I might be able to help," he said.
That caught everyone's attention.
Kol looked up first.
"How?"
Derek's eyes never left Nova.
"Our kind can use pain absorption," he explained quietly. "It's an altruistic ability. Some supernatural creatures can absorb another person's pain to help them recover... or at least comfort them."
Klaus frowned slightly.
"I've heard of that."
Derek nodded once.
"But it comes with risks."
His expression darkened.
"Alphas can lose their spark doing it."
A beat.
"And sometimes people die."
Silence followed that.
Klaus slowly looked toward his brothers.
Kol met his gaze first.
Then Elijah.
Both nodded.
They trusted Derek.
Klaus exhaled slowly.
Then stepped aside.
Derek immediately moved toward the bed.
But before he reached Nova, he looked back toward Klaus.
"Kate, Scott, and Allison are locked in the dungeons," Derek said grimly.
Klaus arched a brow slightly.
"And?"
Derek's eyes darkened.
"Stiles, Isaac, Ethan, and Aiden are currently taking turns beating the shit out of Scott."
Kol looked mildly impressed.
Derek continued flatly.
"They left Allison alone for now."
A pause.
"And Kate..."
Something cold flashed behind his eyes.
"We saved her for Hope."
Klaus simply nodded once in understanding. As Nova's mate, Hope had every right to decide Kate's fate herself.
Then another scream ripped from Nova.
And every conversation immediately died again.
Derek finally stepped beside the bed.
And carefully reached for his sister.
Nova barely seemed aware he was there.
Her entire body trembled violently against the infirmary bed.
Sweat soaked through her shirt.
Her breathing came in ragged gasps between broken cries of pain.
The blackened blood continued dripping steadily from the incision on her wrist.
Kol adjusted his grip again as Nova twisted weakly.
"She's exhausting herself," Elijah said quietly.
Derek nodded once.
Then slowly sat on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Nova," he called softly.
Nova whimpered.
Her eyes fluttered weakly toward the sound of his voice.
"D..."
Derek's expression cracked instantly.
Because she sounded so small.
So young.
Not like the fierce little sister who constantly challenged people twice her size.
Not like the True Alpha who stood in front of monsters without flinching.
Just hurt.
Terrified.
Derek carefully brushed damp hair back from her forehead.
"It's okay," he murmured. "I'm here."
Nova let out another shaky cry as another pulse of magic ripped through her system.
Freya and Davina's chanting intensified immediately.
The lights flickered harder.
The air growing heavier with every passing second.
Derek swallowed.
Then placed one hand carefully against Nova's chest.
Right over her heart.
And another against the side of her face.
His eyes closed.
Nothing happened at first.
Then suddenly Derek inhaled sharply.
Like someone had shoved a knife directly into him.
Nova's body jerked once.
And Derek physically flinched.
Klaus's eyes narrowed immediately.
The pain absorption had started.
Derek's jaw clenched violently as he absorbed the first wave of agony from Nova.
A low growl escaped him.
His fingers tightened slightly against her skin.
And slowly—
Nova's screams weakened.
Not gone.
But quieter.
Her body stopped fighting quite as violently.
Elijah looked genuinely impressed.
"She is calming," he observed.
Derek's breathing shook.
"Yeah," he gritted out. "Because I'm taking part of it."
Another pulse hit.
Derek doubled forward slightly.
Kol immediately looked concerned.
"You don't need to prove anything, mate," Kol warned.
Derek ignored him.
Nova whimpered softly.
"Hurts..."
"I know," Derek whispered immediately.
And for the first time since this nightmare started—
Nova relaxed slightly beneath their hands.
Not fully.
Not even close.
But enough that the frantic tension slowly began leaving her body.
Freya looked toward Davina briefly.
"It's helping stabilize her."
Davina nodded while continuing the spell.
"Then we keep going."
More black blood poured from Nova's wrist.
The poison continuing to leave her system.
Derek hissed suddenly through clenched teeth.
The pain clearly hitting harder now.
Veins stood out sharply along his neck.
His eyes glowed bright blue.
But he refused to move away from her.
Klaus studied him carefully for a moment.
Then quietly:
"You love her very much."
Derek looked almost offended by the question.
"She's my little sister."
Like that explained everything.
To Derek—
It did.
Another violent wave of pain ripped through Nova.
Derek gasped sharply as it slammed into him too.
But Nova only whimpered this time instead of screaming.
And downstairs in the dungeons beneath the school—
Scott McCall was having a very bad night.
The old stone dungeon corridors echoed with every impact.
Every curse.
Every painful groan.
Scott hit the ground hard again after Ethan shoved him back into the wall.
His body should have healed.
Normally it would have.
Broken ribs.
Bruising.
Cuts.
A werewolf healed from all of that quickly.
But now?
Nothing.
The curse had stripped it all away.
Scott curled slightly on the dungeon floor, breathing unevenly as blood dripped from his mouth.
Across from him, Stiles looked absolutely furious.
Not emotional.
Not conflicted.
Furious.
"You stabbed her," Stiles snapped.
Scott tried to push himself upright.
"I—"
Isaac punched him before he could finish.
Hard.
Scott crashed sideways into the stone wall with a cry of pain.
"You don't get to explain yourself," Isaac growled.
Ethan crossed his arms nearby.
"Honestly?" he admitted. "This is kind of therapeutic."
Aiden nodded in agreement.
"Very therapeutic."
Scott coughed painfully.
"She, she came to Allison,"
"Wrong answer," Stiles interrupted immediately.
Isaac grabbed Scott harder by the front of his ruined shirt.
"We all saw the security footage," Isaac snapped. "Allison was stalking Nova around town before they grabbed her."
Scott looked away.
"And then Kate jumped her in the alley and drugged her," Isaac continued furiously. "So no, Nova didn't 'go to Allison.'"
His claws flicked out briefly.
"She made it a point to avoid Allison after everything," Isaac growled. "Blocked her number. Blocked her socials. Avoided her completely."
He kicked Scott sharply in the ribs.
Scott screamed.
Upstairs, far above them, Nova whimpered weakly as another pulse of pain moved through her body.
And downstairs,
Scott screamed again.
Like something unseen had connected the suffering together.
Isaac grabbed Scott by the front of his shirt.
"You left her down there with Kate," Isaac snarled. "You know what psycho did to Derek in the past and you left that bitch alone with Nova."
Scott looked genuinely sick now.
Whether from guilt.
Pain.
Or fear.
None of them particularly cared.
"She was my friend," Scott whispered hoarsely.
Stiles stared at him.
Then laughed.
A horrible sound.
"Your friend?" Stiles repeated incredulously. "Nova was your best friend."
Scott flinched.
"And you still handed her over to Kate because Allison picked her instead of you."
That landed.
Scott's face twisted.
Shame flashing briefly across it.
Aiden looked disgusted.
"You really are pathetic."
Scott's breathing shook.
"I didn't think..."
"No," Isaac cut in coldly. "You didn't."
Another scream echoed faintly through the ceiling.
Nova.
Everyone in the dungeon froze.
Even Scott.
Then Derek's words from earlier replayed in all of their heads.
Kate touched Nova.
The atmosphere turned deadly again instantly.
Stiles looked at Scott with pure hatred.
Then punched him hard enough to knock him flat onto the floor.
Scott cried out again.
This time no one stopped it.
Not even slightly.
And locked several cells down—
Kate Argent sat alone in silence.
Listening.
Waiting.
Knowing eventually—
Hope Mikaelson was coming for her.
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