Everything felt heavy and weak. That was the only thing on Hope’s mind as she struggled to pick her head up. Every muscle in her body screamed to put it back down. So she did. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” It was Kaleb’s snarky voice she heard first.

“Hope …?” Lizzie stepped forward, wrapping her fingers around the bars. Hope looked pitiful sprawled out on the floor in Lizzie’s clothes where they had dropped her and locked the door behind them as fast as they could.

“Liz …” Hope’s head lolled to the side again. She couldn’t even finish her sentence. The cell started spinning.

“What’s wrong with her?” MG asked. 

“She’s weak,” Alaric said. “Very weak.”

“A bit overkill, don’t you think?” Hope managed out, rattling the chains around her wrist. 

“We couldn’t take any risks.” Alaric stood his ground. “Those chains on your wrist keep you from using your magic.”

“So does that fountain.” Hope glanced in the direction of the Travellers’ pile of skulls just outside the bars. 

“That fountain also keeps you from transforming into a wolf.” Alaric had been thinking up this trap for a long time. He had to make sure it was tribrid-proof. 

“And let me guess?” Hope dragged herself to her feet. “The bars are made of god metal and that fogginess I’m feeling is an extra potent dose of hybrid tranquilizer?” 

“You got it.” 

Hope smirked a little, looking between the four of them. “Only  missing my dad and this is could be a party of everyone who cares about me.” Hope eyed them all. They weren’t much of a team. “ So what are the four of you going to do now? Stare at me until I flip my switch?” She laughed dryly. It hurt her throat, but she didn’t care. “I think I’ll outlive all of you.”

“You won’t keep your humanity off that long,” Lizzie said. 

Hope stepped over so that she was standing right in front of Lizzie, only the bars separating them. “Sure about that?”

“Positive.” 

“Alaric?” Hope turned her head, voice lifting unnaturally high. Lizzie bristled just at the sound. She could tell Hope was up to something. “I don’t suppose that fountain prevents me from compelling people?” 

“No magic.”

Hope looked back at Lizzie, her blue eyes flashing up and down the blonde. “That’s too bad.”

Lizzie swallowed heavily. She almost expected Hope to say something in front of everyone, but she didn’t. She just sat on the bed, crossing her legs and staring at them evenly. 

“Let the waiting begin.”

“Cool. Well.” Kaleb turned. “Doesn’t mean I have to wait here. Come on, MG.”

Lizzie glanced at her dad and quietly said, “I’ll take the first watch.”

“You sure?”

“I can’t bite her,” Hope quipped, rolling her eyes. 

“I’m sure.”

The two of them stared at each other until Alaric had disappeared up the stairs.

“You heard him. I can’t compel you,” Hope said dismissively. 

“Then I’ll find someone else to compel me.”

“Wow. You really hate me, huh?” 

“The opposite.” Lizzie sat down outside of the cell, crossing her legs in front of her. 

Hope furrowed her eyebrows, sliding off the bed and onto the floor across from Lizzie.

“I don’t hate you,” Lizzie said. “I could never hate you. That’s the problem.”

“Why is that a problem?” Hope scoffed. 

Lizzie hid her shaking hands underneath her thighs. “Because no matter how far you go, no matter how evil you become, it means I can’t be the one to stop you.” 

“Isn’t that what your squad is for?” Hope arched an eyebrow and leaned back. Lizzie wasn’t going to get her to believe that she couldn’t stop her when Lizzie was obviously a part of the plan that got her stuck down here in the first place. Lizzie had played her - and she had played her well - because Hope fell right into the trap, only for the rest of the Good Guys Squad to jump out at her most vulnerable. 

Lizzie shook her head. “They’re not my squad.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Hope, I didn’t know they were planning to make a move tonight. If I had, I wouldn’t have …”

“Waited to have me compel your memories away?”

“Well, yes, that, but the other thing too. I wouldn’t have slept with you. And I wouldn’t … I wouldn’t be sitting here telling you that … I love you, Hope Mikaelson. And I hate you. For a lot of things. But mostly for making me love you.” Lizzie blinked away tears.

“You love me?” Hope just repeated the words back. They sounded foreign on her tongue, like it was the first time she was testing them out.

“Of course I do. How could I not?” 

“Hmm.” Hope leaned back and considered this new position. “I guess that’s good to know.”

Lizzie pulled herself to her feet. “That’s why I wanted you to compel my memories away,” she said. “So that I didn’t have to keep loving you. So I could hate you.”