Halloween
Josie ran around her apartment getting ready for her date with Hope, she was not prepared for this date mentally. All week she had pushed the thoughts about this date to the back of her mind. Josie was certain Hope was only taking her on this day because Lizzie asked. Josie was certain that Hope did not like her in a romantic way. Lizzie, on the other hand, went overbored preparing for the date. Josie was not surprised when Lizzie showed up at her apartment with five dresses for her to try on.
After a fifteen-minute debated she decided on a yellow dress with red flowers on it. Josie was determined to have a simple look but Lizzie like always won her over and Josie was sitting still waiting for Lizzie to finish doing her makeup.
"You sure you don't want to come?" Josie asked Lizzie. "We can take the kids and have a good time."
"The only way I am showing up to satan's wedding is if I can stop it from happening," Lizzie said proudly. Josie knowing Lizzie was not joking mumbled a never mind.
Looking at herself one final time in the mirror Josie walked out of the apartment to see Hope outside, leaning on her car. Josie took a good look at what Hope was wearing, she was in a black strapless dress, with her hair curled and pinned to the side and she was wearing natural makeup with red lipstick that captivated Josie's attention.
"Mikaelson, have her home by 11pm, okay," Lizzie shouted from behind Josie.
"Sure Elizabeth." Josie could not help but smile at Hope's words. She knew better than anyone that Lizzie hated being called by her full name. "You look beautiful Josie."
"You do too Hope," Josie answered. Josie waved goodbye to her friend and entered the car. "If anything call me," Josie told Lizzie. Josie smiled when Lizzie dismissed her. She wasn't worried Lizzie had babysat millions of times before. She was her kids' favorite aunt.
When they arrived at the wedding Josie was nervous. At some point, she was certain that Penelope Parks was the love of her life. She was convinced that they were going to get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. She never thought she could not love anyone more than Penelope but then she got pregnant and had her kids and she knew the instant she found out she would never love anyone more than her children.
Josie wanted to say she still loved Penelope but she knew that was a lie. She was no longer in love with Penelope she just cared for her as a friend. Josie and Hope made their way to the front row and took a seat.
"You okay love?" Hope asked. Josie looked at her date and gave her a nod. "So whose wedding is this again?"
"My ex's," Josie answered. "We are good friends, I have no feelings for her what so ever."
"Good to know." Hope smiled at the nervous brunette. "Plus I'm sure I'm prettier and hotter."
"What makes you so confident huh?" Josie teased. Josie felt her breath shorten when Hope leaned in. She could feel her breath next to her ear.
"Well you been openly checking me out since the day we met sweetheart," Hope whispered into the brunette's ear. When she pulled back Hope could not help her smirk when she saw how flushed Josie was.
The girls' attention shifted when the wedding song began to play. Josie let her attention fall on the ceremony that was going on. She watched happily as Penelope made her way to the alter. Josie sat back down and focused on the wedding.
When the ceremony ended and the celebration began Hope and Josie found themselves seated at a table next to the married couple. Josie sat next to Hope happily and listened to the girl talk about the upcoming game she had.
"Josie?" Josie turned her attention away from Hope and to Penelope. "Where's Eli and Emerson?"
"With Lizzie," Josie answered her ex.
"Oh, I wanted to dance and take pictures with them," Penelope said. "Tell them I miss them and love them," Josie assures Penelope she would tell them. Josie was grateful that Penelope did not say that Emerson and Elliot were her kids. She wanted to tell Hope herself but she first wanted to make sure Hope actually liked her.
Halfway through the celebration, Josie had to excuse herself from Hope because Penelope wanted to dance with her. Josie danced with Penelope quietly and kept her focus on her date.
"You're really on a date with her?" Penelope asked.
"Pen, don't start please."
"I just care about you Josie," Penelope told her. "Have you seen what the magazines say about Hope Mikaelson? She a hit it and quit it type of girl."
Josie stepped out of Penelope's grip and walked away. She had heard enough from her ex. Josie went over to Hope and pulled her to the dance floor. She wanted to enjoy her time with Hope. They dance together for a couple of songs until Josie decided to ask Hope to take her home. She had had enough of the judgemental stares from Penelope.
Josie and Hope didn't make their way back to Josie's apartment but they first decided to get a milkshake and somehow Josie managed to convince Hope to buy her some curly fries as well that she had been craving.
Hope parked her car outside Josie's place and decided to walk her inside. She did not want to hear Elizabeth Saltzman's wrath if she did not. Josie happily opened her door.
Josie rushed inside when she heard a loud cry come from the inside. Josie quickly made her way inside to find Lizzie pacing in the living room with a crying child.
"What happened?" Josie asked the blonde.
"Eli is down, but Emerson here has been fussy for the past hour and threw up five minutes ago," Lizzie explained.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I wanted you to enjoy your date for once."
"Lizzie I appreciate that but you should have called."
Josie took Emerson from her blonde friend. She placed a kiss on her son's cheek and sighed. He was hot, Josie was certain that Emerson was running a fever. Josie made her way into her room where she quickly and quietly opened a drawer to grab a thermometer. Josie went back out to see that Lizzie was gone. She saw Hope, she wanted to panic this was no the way she wanted Hope to find out about her being a mother. More importantly, she did not want Hope to find out until she was sure that Hope likes her.
"Lizzie's dad called he needed her home, but she said if you needed anything to call her," Hope told the brunette. Josie was going to answer but a cry came from her room. "I got it," Hope told her and walked away to her room.
Josie smiled when Hope walked back into the living room and had Elliot. Elliot was going back to sleep. Josie was grateful usually when one of the twins got sick the other would too. Josie checked Emerson's temperature.
"Baby okay?" Hope asked
"Yes," Josie answered. "He has a slight fever. It's 101.7, if it gets any higher then it's bad, but for tonight I am just going to leave him in a diaper, give him some baby Tylenol and it should go down. You wanna follow me into my room to lay her back down."
"Lead the way."
Josie made her way to her room and placed her son on the bed. She gently undressed him left him his diaper. Before she could step away and try to change but Emerson once again began to cry.
"It's okay love. I got you." Josie picked her son back up and rocked him. It took Josie twenty minutes to get Emerson to fall asleep. She gave Hope her attention she was surprised to see that Hope had managed to keep her daughter asleep and she also managed to lay her on the bed without waking her back up.
"Can I stay the night? I don't really want to leave you alone. It doesn't seem fair. Two against one." Hope said.
"You don't have to-"
"But I want to," Hope cut off Josie.
Josie took out some clothes from her drawers and handed them to Hope. She knew Hope would not be comfortable sleeping in a dress. Once Hope changed she went over to Josie and took the baby. Josie thanked her and changed herself. When they managed to get into bed Josie offered to take Emerson back but Hope said no.
"So asking the obvious, these are yours right?" Hope could not help but giggle at her question.
"Yes," Josie answered with a wide smile. "I never meant for you to meet them. I mean not like this. I wanted to make sure you actually like me."
"Josie we went on a date. Did that not tell you I like you."
"I don't know. I thought maybe you went with me as a friend."
"Oh my god, Josie. No, I like you."
"You do?" Josie asked with a grin.
"I do," Hope answered and she reached for Josie's hand. "What are their names?"
"Emerson is sleeping on your chest and Elliot is sleeping between us."
"How old were you when you had them?"
"I was 15 when I got pregnant. I gave birth to them a month after my 16 birthday."
Josie and Hope went on the rest of the night talking about school and future plans. Hope asked Josie to join her for a Halloween party but Josie told her that she could not go. She had to take the twins trick-or-treating. At some time during the night, Josie and Hope fell asleep.
When Josie woke up she woke up to an empty bed. She instantly shot up and ran to the living room where she found Elliot sitting on the couch watching cartoons and Hope in the kitchen cooking with Emerson on her waist. Josie smiled as she admired Hope and her kids.
Josie walked over and kissed her daughter's forehead and went over to greet the two in the kitchen. Josie softly placed a kiss on Emerson's cheek and one on Hope's cheek as well.
"Good morning," Josie said. "Thank you for letting me sleep in."
"Anytime," Hope said. "I think you will be happy to know that Emerson's temperature is back to normal no more fever and I checked Elliots are well just in case and she's fine." Hope handed the boy to Josie. "Also, I hope you don't mind I dug through your fridge and I'm making blueberry pancakes."
"Thank you."
Josie went to sit down and wait for Hope to finish cooking. When Hope joined them helped her with the four plates she had in her hands. Josie took two and began to cut the pancakes. When she finished she sat on the floor and moved her daughter down along with her son.
Josie pated the free spot next to her for Hope to sit next to her. Hope joined them on the floor. While the kids enjoyed breakfast and cartoons Josie and Hope spoke about Halloween plans.
After breakfast, Hope left and Josie was left alone to figure out what she would dress up for tonight's trick-or-treat adventure. Josie looked at her kids and sighed they needed a shower. Breakfast was great but it had gotten them sticky.
"Alright my loves, we are going to shower, and then we will get you two changed into costumes and we will head to Aunt Lizzie's," Josie explained. "Which Aunt Lizzie said costumes are set, you Eli my princess you are going to be a knight and Emerson, my prince," Josie took a second to check the text messaged she had with Lizzie. "it says you want to be a fairy doctor."
Josie looked at her son who smiled widely and nodded. Lizzie had done the costume shopping all Josie had to do was dress them and get to Lizzie's so they can all go to get candy together. Apparently one of Lizzie's aunts was going over and she had kids so Lizzie thought Josie should join.
Once Josie was out of the shower and wrapped in her towel she got her kids out and took them to the bed where she had towels laid out to dry them. Josie knowing that Emerson was the calmer one she got her daughter dried and changed first. Once Elliot was in back jeans and a black shirt she gave her a teddy bear to play with while she got Emerson ready. Josie dried him off and put the boy in the scrubs that were in the bag of clothes.
Josie got herself dressed quickly and tossed on some jeans and a white tang-top. She went back into the bag and took out the knight armor that was in there. Josie got her daughter into it and placed the plastic sword that came with it in the back of the armor.
"Eli, you want your hair in a ponytail or down?"
"Tail mama." Josie smiled at Elliot's pronunciation. Her kids were definitely getting better at talking. Josie fixed Elliot's hair and let her roam free. She went over to Emerson and finished getting him in his costume. She put on him a white coat that had embroidered on it Doctore Emerson, Josie smiled her best friend really went all out for her kids. Once the white doctor coat was on Josie took the wings out of the plastic wrapping and put them on him.
"How do you want your hair love? Naturally messy or combed back?" Josie chuckled when Emerson hopped off the bed and ran to play with his sister. "Well, that answers my question."
Josie smiled as she took out the final costume. It looked like Lizzie went shopping for her as well. Josie took the note the was taped on it placed the crown on her head.
Keep your head up queen. Read the note. Josie felt the tears break free and she wiped them away. Lizzie was truly a great friend to her. Josie went to the closet and got put on a black blouse. She was in no mood for a dress she was going to be a modern queen.
Josie went grabbed her back that was full of diapers, back-up clothes, and snacks, and made her way out to her kids. She got their attention and let them know they were going to be leaving.
"Mommy a wueen." Elliot told her. "I you knight mommy."
"Yes, you are my love."
"You pretty mama," Emerson added.
"Thank you, Emerson. Let's go to so we can make it to Aunt Lizzie's before the sun goes down."
At the Saltzman house, Josie was surprised to see how all-out Lizzie's parents went. Josie made her way around the house and greeted everyone. Josie stopped her greeting of everyone once she got to MG and Lizzie.' The couple was dressed as Superman and Louis Lane.
"Josie you've met my Aunt Bonnie and her husband Enzo. This is my cousin Nathan." Lizzie introduced them once again. Josie greeted the couple.
"Well, we are all ready to take the kids to get candy," Bonnie told them.
"Cool, Josie did you get a picture of you and the kids?" Lizzie asked her.
"No, but I'll get it later."
"No, I'll take it on my phone and I will send it to you later," Lizzie told her.
Josie agreed and leaned down to her kids' height. They took the photo and they were off to get candy. They agreed they would not stop until all the kids were tired.