"Niklaus, we need to talk."

"And just what is it that you want to talk about, brother?"

Elijah glanced at Caroline, for one second thinking that perhaps this conversation should be taken somewhere else. But, no. Caroline probably knew the whole plan. And just might be willing to help him change that plan. "A change in your plan. Specifically, that I intend to be the one the twins put the Hollow into, not you."

"Wait. What? Dad? You said you were going to put it into something safe. You never said anything about putting it into you. What were you going to do, then? How was that going to help?"

Well, maybe not the best way to get Hope involved, but she did have the key to getting Niklaus to agree to doing things his way. "Please tell me that you weren't planning on doing this without even telling her. Tell me you at least intended to say goodbye."

"Say goodbye? Dad? Seriously, what is he talking about?"

The look Niklaus was giving him had Elijah hoping that he didn't have the white oak stake with him. "It's nothing, Hope. Don't worry about it."

"Seriously, Klaus? You're going to stand here and lie to her face? And here I was, thinking you had changed."

Elijah shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Because we aren't doing this his way. We're doing it mine. You are not going to orphan that girl, Niklaus. She just got you back. And she just lost her mother. She needs you." Both Hope and Niklaus looked ready to speak, but Elijah was through listening. "Hope, I need you to tell your father what you told me. Tell him the message your mother gave you to give to me."

"It was just a hallucination, Uncle Elijah. Don't you dare try to use me hallucinating seeing my mom while I was passed out as some excuse. Neither one of you are dying, tonight. We'll figure something else out. There has to be something we can put the Hollow into, at least temporarily to get me through tonight. Nobody needs to die for me."

"If only that were true. Unfortunately, we have exhausted all other options. There is no other way. Now, will you please do what I asked, and tell your father what your mother said. I promise that there is a reason I'm asking for that, and I will explain in a minute. I'm not using this as an excuse."

Hope didn't look convinced, but she finally sighed and turned to Niklaus. "She told me to tell Uncle Elijah that she's still waiting for that dance. I don't pretend to understand it. I guess it was just a way for my subconscious to tell me it was time to forgive him because that's what Mom would want. Or something. Why a dance, I don't know." She actually smiled, then. "Unless it's because people tend to dance at weddings, and I always figured they would…" She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's stupid."

Elijah shook his head and took the letter Hayley had written him and never sent out of his pocket and handed it to Niklaus. "It isn't stupid. And it wasn't a hallucination. Your mother came to see me, about five years ago. She told me her name was Andrea. And we spent the day together. Including sharing one dance. As we were saying goodbye, I said something about seeing her in the next life. She told me that if we're destined to meet in another life, to know that she'd be waiting for another dance."

"Right. Whatever. I'm calling bullshit."

"Hope."

"You don't get to stand here and use my own mind against me. You don't get to take advantage of me wanting my mom and hallucinating…"

"Hope!"

She whirled around. "What?!"

Niklaus handed her the letter. "It isn't bullshit. And that wasn't a hallucination. You really almost died. We almost lost you." He glared at Elijah. "Did you consider that implication of this?"

"Of course I did. But, she didn't die. Hayley sent her back. But, have you considered that there was more than one meaning to that message?"

It was Caroline that answered. "It wasn't just to let you know that she forgives you, was it? You think it was really her way of telling you…" Her voice broke a bit. "You think she was telling you it's time to come home?"

His eyes were burning as he tried to hold back tears. "I could have saved her. I stood there, and I let her die. I watched her burn. And I did nothing. I can't take that back. But, I can make it right." He locked eyes with Hope. "I can't give you your mother back. But I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and watch your father die, too. I can do that much for you."

She walked up and hugged him. "But, not tonight. Do what you need to do to get me through this. But, give the others a chance to say goodbye. They all deserve that. And so do you."

Then there was another hand on his back. "I'll tell the girls there's been a change in plans."

~In This Life Or The Next~

Klaus followed Caroline when she turned and walked away. Once they were out of even Elijah's earshot, he grabbed her arm, making her turn to face him. "You'll tell the girls there's been a change in plans? Just like that? Do I not get a vote, here?"

She yanked her arm out of his grasp, but didn't turn away. "No, Klaus. You don't get a vote. Elijah's right. Hope needs you. Now more than ever. She just lost her mother. And she just got you back."

"We all just got Elijah back, too. He'd be a better father figure to her than I would, anyway."

She just stared at him for a minute and then reached out and put a hand on his cheek. "Is that really what you think? What? That she would be better off without you? Trust me, she wouldn't be."

He pulled away from her. Her touch was the last thing he needed, right now. "Elijah has spent a thousand years cleaning up my messes. That ends tonight. He'll finally be free to live his own life. How do I just stand by and let him throw that away?" And then he remembered that he was supposed to be angry at her. "And how could you just go along with it like that?"

"Because I heard what he didn't say. I equated his death with going home. And he didn't say anything. He isn't throwing anything away. Quite the opposite. For once in his life, he is grabbing what he wants. For once in his life, he isn't thinking about you, or any of your siblings. Oh, he'll pretty it up by saying it's because Hope needs you. But really, it's because he needs Hayley. He is never going to forgive himself for her death. Even though he knows that she's already forgiven him."

He clenched his eyes closed. "And what am I supposed to do, then?"

"You are supposed to, for once in your life, be the selfless one. You are going to let him go. And you're going to let him think that you believe that keeping you and Hope together is his only reason. And then you are going to take the gift of time that he's giving you, and you are going to become the father that he always hoped you would be."

"And if I can't? If I can't just watch my brother die?"

"You were fully prepared to ask him to do exactly that, Klaus." She spoke quietly, calmly. And yet, each word was an accusation. A reminder that sometimes living was harder, and more of a sacrifice, than dying.

Leave it to Caroline to throw that in his face. It wasn't an answer to his question. And yet, it was. She was right. He thought about Elijah's reaction to getting his memories back, to remembering Hayley. In a thousand years, no other loss had affected him like hers did.

Caroline was right. Elijah was throwing nothing away. He had latched onto Hope's message like a lifeline. And there was only one thing Klaus could do. For once in his life he had to put Elijah first. He had to let him go. "Tell…" He faltered for a minute. Took a deep breath. "Tell your girls there's been a change in plans."