The English Tutor

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."  Finn watched as the man rushed away to his car and drove away. 

Finn waited a few minutes until was certain they were alone. He picked Josie up, gently making sure not to cause her any more pain than he already had. "Shh, it's okay now Josie. You're gonna be okay." Finn rushed over to his car. He laid Josie in the back seat of the car. When he got into the driver's seat he drove off. 

Finn pulled into the driveway of the house. He grabbed a blanket from the trunk of his car and tossed it over Josie. He rushed inside. He laid Josie down on the couch of the living room. She had knocked out when he was diving. 

"Sage!" Finn shouted as he walked around the house looking for the woman. Finn smiled when the redhead came into his line of sight. "Where is she?" 

"In her room sleeping," Sage said. Finn planted a quick kiss on the woman's cheek. Rushing to the room to check on his daughter.

 Sage and him had dated briefly years ago. She was his one true love but tragically like many loves stories theirs had a tragic end. However, a few months ago Sage reached out letting him know that she had given birth to his child. Finn was shocked at first but he was overjoyed to be a father. His daughter was two, turning three soon. 

After admiring the sleeping child for a while Finn walked with Sage to the living room. Finn checked on Josie. "This will all be over soon." He said to the woman. 

"Finn you said that if you did what he said we'd be safe," Sage said. "Why are you here with her? I thought you were going to leave her close to her house and have someone find her and return her." 

"That was the plan." Finn nearly shouted, but he reminded himself of the sleeping child on the couch. "He changed plans, he wants to sell her. He wants to use her as a way to clean his debt but I won't let him. She's just a child, she should not pay the price of my family's war." 

    Josie smiled as she admired her son and daughter enjoying their breakfast. She had woken up early to make them a special breakfast. She snapped a few photos of them and put her phone away. It was nice to have a phone that she could finally take nice pictures with. Where she could go back and glance at them whenever she wished. Josie was certain when she had children she wouldn't be that mother that was always snapping photos but here she was snapping a picture every chance she got. 

"Happy birthday my loves." Josie placed a kiss on top of their heads. 

Once the kids were done eating Josie helped them off the kitchen table and made her way back to the room. Josie changed the twins out of their pajamas and into casual outfits. Josie got herself dressed and grabbed her backpack. 

"Time to go." Josie closed the room behind them and they got out of the Saltzman house. 

Even if the case had just ended a couple of days ago Josie needed today to be perfect for her kids. Before anything Josie was a mother, she would not be the reason her kids had a horrible second birthday. Everything in her world was upside down, the one thing she was certain would remain consistent was her kids they were hers and nothing could change that. They were her happiness and not even the horrible memories of her past could dampen her happiness. 

~~~~

Josie walked through the gates of Saltzman's house. There were multiple cars parked outside. Josie didn't think much she was certain that her parents and sister probably had people over for Valentine's days. Josie was just going to excuse herself and head to the room. 

"Mommy. I tired." Elliot tugged on her mother's cardigan. 

Josie sighed, Emerson had fallen asleep, Josie had carried him most of the way back but Elliot had insisted on walking. They just had to make it up to the house, however, by the looks of it, Elliot wasn't going to last the walk up the driveway. Josie fixed her son making sure he was still asleep. Josie pulled Elliot up. She knew this was going to get harder as they got older. 

When she made it to the door, Josie carefully kicked the door gently hoping someone would open the door for her. Josie was regretting not taking the stroller with her. 

"Josie oh thank god!" Josie looked up to see Keelin with relief written all over her face. "Where have you been all day? We have been worried." 

"What are you talking about Keelin?" Josie asked. She was glad to accept Keelin's help when she took Elliot from her. Keelin and she left the twins in the room. 

 In the living room, Josie could not help but feel the concern that radiated off everyone. 

"Why is everyone looking at me as if I'm covered in blood or something?" 

"Where have you been?" Caroline was trying her best to keep her cool. 

"I took the twins out." 

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Alaric asked her.

"It died a few hours ago." Josie pulled her phone out of her back pocket showing the people in front of her that she wasn't lying. "Why is everyone freaking out. I went out for the day, with my kids. You shouldn't be freaking out. It's not like I was kidn-" Josie stopped herself from finishing the sentence. 

"We were worried." Caroline offered the teen a warm smile. "You just never leave the house alone, or without letting us know. We thought you ran-" It was Caroline's turn to stop herself from finishing her sentence. 

"It's the twins' birthday." Josie changed the subject. "I took them to the park because they love it. I have been so focused on the trial that I wanted today to be about them even if it was only for a few hours. I wanted the day to start off well because they deserve a great day." 

"Wait I thought it was the twins' birthday tomorrow?" Lizzie asked her sister. Josie did not answer. "Last year we celebrated the 15th?" 

"I didn't have the heart to tell you," Josie confessed. "We were fighting that day and the labor with the twins was exhausting." Josie didn't say anymore. She kept quiet, there was a lot that her family still did not know. 

Josie watched her sister shrug off the pain and tell her she understood. No one else said anything and sat down. Josie was right they were having a valentine's day dinner. Josie looked around but Hope was nowhere to be found. Josie knew Hope was probably out somewhere letting out her anger. Hope had wanted to take her out for Valentine's day and have dinner, Hope had planned a whole romantic evening for them and Josie let her know she wasn't available the entire day. 

Josie watched as everyone talked over dinner but she could not bring herself to sit down with her family and enjoy the dinner. Josie was a stranger, she knew that. They all had an idea of who she was or who she was supposed to be but she never fit in with them at least with the idea of her they had. She could not simply act as if she'd known these people her whole life because she didn't. They were all strangers until she became friends with Lizzie her freshman year. The Mikaelsons she knew less than a year now. 

She made her way outside the house, making her way to the huge backyard. Josie sat on a pool chair glancing at the sky. There was so much going on. The trial had ended but Josie had a feeling the real battle had just begun. 

"May I sit?" Josie looked back to see her grandmother. Josie gave the woman a nod. "You wanna tell me what's on your mind?" Elizabeth asked her. 

"Nothing." Josie returned her gaze to the barely lit-up sky. 

"Then why are you out here? Looking at the sky as if there is a war going on inside you." 

Josie couldn't hide the small smile on her lips. Elizabeth was the first one to talk to her like is she wasn't something fragile. Her grandmother was the only one who wasn't afraid to ask the difficult questions. Josie appreciated that. 

"I needed to breathe." Josie kept looking at the sky. 

"I'm going to tell you something," Elizabeth tapped Josie, waiting until the teenager looked at her. "You need to let your mother in." 

"I'm sorry?" 

"No one has the heart to tell you, because they all think you can't handle it. They think it'll break you, but I think you are tougher than they know. You have probably lived through pain we can barely even imagine. Your mother. She suffered, losing you; she lost a part of herself. She kept it together for your sister, however, behind those closed doors she was in pain. She was devastated. I know you are hurting too, but as her mother, it is my job to take care of her. You are hurting my daughter and I think the worst part is you're not even aware of it." 

Josie wiped the tear that fell. She shook her head no, she was not aware that Caroline was suffering. She thought Caroline was happy that she was back. She knew she had some pain when they first found out about her but she figured Caroline would have been okay, but it made sense.

"I don't wanna hurt her." Josie took a deep breath. "I love her and my sister and my father. I just never had someone love me. I didn't get that growing up. I don't know how to be her daughter." 

"Just let her care for you." Elizabeth kneeled next to her granddaughter. She pulled the brunette into a hug. "Let yourself be a kid for once." Elizabeth kissed the girl's head. She knew Josie wasn't crying but she knew the girl needed tough love. She needed someone to tell the brunette the reality that her mother was living through. 

"I will try," Josie promised.

Josie pulled away from the hug. They made their way back into the house. Josie smiled when she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist from behind. She turned around to see Hope. Josie planted a chaste kiss on Hope's lips. 

"I thought you were mad at me?" 

"I was but then Lizzie filled me in. You should have told me it was the twins' birthday."

Josie looked around the house to see that the decorations had changed. In the hour she sat outside her family decorated for a birthday party. Josie looked over to see Landon who was holding a box as he walked in. Josie was sure it was a cake. Josie thanked everyone. 

"Daddy!!" Josie jerked her head in the direction of the voice. It was Emerson. He was awake. He had made his way out of the room. Right behind him was his twin shouting for her. Josie lifted the girl into her arms kissing her cheek. 

The rest of the night Josie watched in awe as her family celebrated her kids. Josie was home. Josie let everyone capture photos of the twins as they blew out candles and as they opened gifts. It was their first real birthday, it was huge compared to what she did with them for their first birthday. 

The night ended up with the twins falling asleep due to a food coma. Josie didn't have to put them to bed Landon volunteered, to tuck them in. 

After that everyone that didn't live in the house left. Lizzie had Alaric gone to bed early. Josie had tried but couldn't. She made her way to the kitchen. 

In the kitchen Josie found the stove was on, there was a kettle on it. Josie glanced into the living room and saw Caroline. 

"Did I wake you?" Caroline asked concerned. Josie shook her head no. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Yeah." Josie made her way to the kettle that was beginning to scream. She turned off the stove and grabbed two mugs. Josie poured the water careful not to overflow the mugs. Once the teabags were in she walked over to Caroline and handed her a mug. 

"Did you not want us to know about the twins' birthday?"

"I did want yall to know," Josie answered.

"Then why didn't you tell us?" 

"It because." Josie thought her words through. "Caroline.... when the twins were born I was fighting with Lizzie. I didn't call her till the day after. That day as well my labor was complicated. I guess I was scared. Today in a matter of an hour yall pulled together such an amazing party something that I couldn't manage in a year of planning." 

"What do you mean?" Caroline eyed her daughter.

"Today Emerson and Elliot had a real cake, and presents, and family, and anything a kid could wish for. They even had a father this year. For their first birthday, I couldn't afford a cake. I had to bake brownies for them and their gifts were beanies that I crocheted. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be their mother regardless of the financial situation. Because they deserve the best." 

"Sweetie, they're kids. None of that matters." Caroline placed her tea on the small table in front of the couch. "Love is what matters and those kids know you love them. Anyone who has eyes can see you are willing to do anything for your kids, love is what makes childhood, not money." 

Josie smiled. She thanked Caroline. She needed to let herself off the hook, her kids would love her always. She made sure they were happy even if she didn't have all the money in the world. She always did what was best for them.