Trail
Josie opened her eyes, her body was aching. Where was he? Where was the man that had been with her? Josie stayed on the ground. She could hear the voices arguing. She couldn't make out the words they were saying.
She needed to get out of her head and pay attention to what they were saying, maybe that would give her a clue to when she would be able to go.
"This wasn't a part of the plan!" Finn shouted.
"My boy there was never a plan." the other voice replied. "The goal was simply to bring pain to those that have abandoned this family. "
"Selling a child?" Finn said. "That isn't right."
"Finn you've known about my business since you were a child. A child is no exception if anything they are a greater profit. This is the dark part of our family business."
Josie fighting was no use. She couldn't stay awake. Her body was exhausted it needed to heal, then maybe she could gather information on where she was.
Josie opened her eyes again, hearing the final words said from the man above her. Josette? Who was Josette and why did that name sound so familiar to her. Josie couldn't figure it out. Josie wanted to push away when the mane lowered down to her height but she couldn't muster up the strength.
"It's okay. I'm not gonna put the restraints on today. You're too weak. Rest this will all be over soon I promise." Finn caressed her hair.
Josie laid there. She couldn't remember the man's name. Or how long she laid on the ground, but she knew it wasn't her first day being there. Josie manager to lift herself up. She got halfway up when her hands gave up.
Josie kept trying until finally, she was able to get herself up. Josie glanced around, there was nothing but the dim light above her. Josie got herself to the wall, it helped her keep balance. She had to get out while she could.
Josie managed to make it out of the building. It was dark outside. No light in sight. She had no idea how she was going to make her way away from the building without ending lost in the unknown. Josie pushed herself off the wall she needed to try and walk without the support of the wall.
"I got you," Finn said as he caught her. She had lost her balance once again. "Shh, I need you to stay quiet for me." He whispered.
"Have you found her!" The scream caused Josie to curl closer into Finn. Finn laid her down gently. Placing her behind boxes that kept her hidden.
"No, maybe you should head to town to see if she managed to make her way up there."
This was it. There was no undoing the information her parents learned today. There was no going back. Josie tighten the grip on her shirt as she looked out to the people seated in the courtroom. She glanced back down at the paper in her free hand.
Freya had made her write out her statement. Her written statement was an insurance policy in case she broke down, in case she could not get the whole statement out. Josie read the first line in her mind. The disgust built in her, this wrote her out as a victim as a helpless and useless victim.
"Josette?" The teenager looked at the lawyer standing in front of her. "Can you give us your statement?"
"Josie," Josie mumbled under her breathe. She knew Aurora did not care about addressing her by the name of her choosing. Josie glanced at the paper in her hand one more time. She shook her head softly. "I'm supposed to read this paper. I'm supposed to tell you the events that I went through. Give you an idea, but I'm not going to do that. I am not going to read from this paper."
Josie's eyes met Freya's, she could read the confusion. "Excuse me?" Aurora got closer to her.
"My name for the past 12 years has been Josie Forbes. I want to tell you that I had a happy childhood. It's what I would like my parents to believe. I would like for them to not have suffered what they suffered but that was out of my control. I bounced from home to home. Some were good, others weren't. In some you got food in others you would starve. I left the system, I ran away at thirteen. For me, it was better to live on the streets or sleep in a park than being in a home where I feared for my safety. I am seventeen years old and I'm having an identity crisis because I don't know who I really am. Everything about me isn't real but at the same time is. I am a living breathing paradox. I am a foster kid with parents. I am safe but I feel far from it sometimes. My family, they have the idea of this little girl. This sweet innocent child who could do no wrong. Realistically that little girl died and I'm sorry I don't think she is ever coming back."
The last part wasn't for her parents, or her sister, or Hope. It was for her. Josie wanted nothing more than to give her parents their little girl back but she knew that was not a possibility.
"You said you ran away at 13?" Josie gave Aurora a nod. "You stated previously, in the trial against your former foster-father, that you ran away for your safety. That you feared for your kids in that house?"
"Objection your honor!" Freya was quick to protect Josie. "What relevance does this have to do with this current case?"
"Your honor it's to establish how accurate this is. I'm getting to my point."
"Get there quick." The judge told Aurora.
"Your kids, twins, they were born when you were 15 correct?"
Josie wanted to correct Aurora, but she remembered Aurora was right. Her kids were born when she was 15. Her birthday was in mid-March, but until recently she thought her birthdate was in January, so technically she was 15 when they were born.
"Yes, I was 15," Josie answered.
"So how is it that you ran away at 13?" Aurora had a smirk across her face. She knew she had the teenager right where she wanted her.
Josie swallowed the lump in her throat. She looked over to Jade. Jade was the only one that knew. Out of everyone in the room, Jade was the one closest to knowing her entire life. The one who knew most of her tragedies. She locked eyes with the older girl, Jade gave her a warm smile and determined nod.
"I was pregnant but I did not know it." Josie took in some air, held it for a few seconds, and let the warm air out of her mouth. "The night I decided to leave. I had an argument with my foster father. He refused to let me go. In his anger, he shoved me, which led to me falling down the stairs. He took me to the ER in a public clinic nearby. When I woke up the doctor, she told me I had had a miscarriage. Apparently, I was 11 weeks pregnant and I didn't even know." Josie chuckled wiping the few tears that managed to escape her. "That night, I left. I decided I wouldn't allow that to happen ever again."
The courtroom was filled with gasps and whispers. Josie did not leave Jade's gaze, she knew it would be too painful to meet anyone else gaze. She knew what was waiting for her in the eyes of others. They would be looking at her with sorrow.
"That will be all," Aurora said. Josie wasn't sure what would happen next, but it didn't matter the rest of the events were a blur. She watched everything happen in front of her but there was no noise. Everything was quiet and quick. People got up and give their statements. Each assuring that Finn Mikaelson was an angel, he could never harm a soul.
Freya was next to get up. Her questions were meant to make Finn look like the bad guy but all her questions did were amplify what Aurora was trying to say. Finn Mikaelson was acting out of the kindness of his heart, he simply took her to return her back to the Mikaelson property.
Josie's attention was finally caught when the next person took the stand. She looked up at the sound of Hope's voice. Josie wasn't aware Hope would be speaking at this trial. Josie had made it clear she did not Hope to relive the pain of the past.
Aurora questioned the teenager. There was no way to make Hope look bad, every word filled with buried pain as if Hope was trying to keep the tears from falling.
"Where was your Aunt Keelin at the time that Josie went missing?" Hope took a second before answering the question. She knew Aurora wanted Hope to place the blame on Keelin but Hope refused to let that happen. She never blamed her aunt. No one did, they all only blamed the person that took Josie, except they never thought it would be someone so close to them.
"She had gone to answer a call, but we were inside our property." Hope beat Aurora before the woman could cut her off. She would not let the person that hurt the love of her life gets away.
Nothing else was said. Hope made her way back to her seat.
"Alright, everyone." The judge grabbed everyone's attention. "This court is adjourned until Monday morning at 9."
Everyone walked out of the courtroom. Josie was taken out the back escorted by Klaus while her parents distracted the paparazzi who where desperate to get their pictures.