Deal
"We are making tea would you like some?" Caroline offered. Josie shook her head no. She approached the group. The teenager got closer. Josie could feel the tension between herself and Caroline's friends.
"How are you adjusting?" Bonnie asked her.
"Good, now that the trial is over," Josie confessed. Josie looked over at Caroline who was looking at her with so much love. "It's good to be home."
Josie smiled at the blonde wanting to say something to make the conversation turn away from her and towards something more important.
"I should check on them," Josie told the women when the baby monitor let out a small cry. She knew it was coming from Elliot. Josie excused herself and rushed to the room.
She walked in and to her surprise, Elliot was still sound asleep. She smiled, deciding to stay and admire her kids. They were innocent, they were so happy to be in the Saltzman house. They loved all the toys and they adored that she was around more. She was no longer running around and arriving home when it was pitch black and they were sound asleep. She could now tuck them in, kiss their foreheads, read bedtime stories, and sing. She was truly present no longer forced to choose between them having a roof over their head or them having a mother that could tuck them in every night.
Josie forced herself to look away from the sleeping two-year-olds and walked quickly as she could to the vibrating cell phone on her nightstand. She grabbed the phone, rushing out of the room and to the hallway.
"Hello?" Josie answered.
"Hi, Josie," The voice at the end of the line was not from anyone she was expecting. It was from the person that sentenced both her and Finn to live in a lie. "I was told it was your eighteen birthday today."
"Why are you calling me?" Josie kept her voice steady she would not show this man any weakness. "How'd you get this number?"
"I was just calling to wish you a happy birthday child, after all, we are practically family."
"We are not family."
"You are seeing my granddaughter." The man's snugness was heard over the phone. "Josette I just want to offer you a deal."
"I don't care about what you have to say." Josie moved the phone from her ear ready to click on the man.
"I'll leave your family alone." His words caught the brunette's attention. "Do I have your attention now?"
"I'm listening.'" Josie leaned on the wall letting out a sigh. She should not be listening to this man, she should hang up and go admire her children while they are still babies.
"After you graduate. You meet me. In the place where it all began, and let me finish what I started. If I get you, your children remain unharmed. I won't go after them or your parents."
Josie leaned on the wall listening to the man's breathing on the other end. He was waiting for her to answer.
"You'll leave Hope out of this as well?"
"You have my word."
"I need some time to think about it." Josie knew what the right answer was but she couldn't not yet.
"You have until your prom to give me an answer." With those words, the line went dead.
A cry shook Josie awake. The beeping of the monitors reminded Josie where she was. The twins were still not feeling well. She wanted to go home and allow them to sleep in their bed. Josie picked up the crying child.
"Mommy's here," Josie told Emerson. She rocked him back and forth. For the first time in five days, Josie felt relief. Emerson was no longer warm when she picked him up. He was back to his normal temperature. "Are you hungry?" Josie asked quietly trying her best to keep the boy's twin sister sound asleep. A small nod came from the sleepy child.
Josie made her way to her diaper bag. She grabbed a sippy cup that Josie knew had some reduced apple juice in it. She would get him some solid food when the nurse came to check on them in a couple of hours she was certain Emerson was going to fall back asleep soon.
Unlike her son, the teen did not have the luxury of going back to sleep. Josie found herself on her laptop looking over assignments and reading the emails from students she was tutoring. Josie responded to the last email, shutting her laptop closed.
So much had changed in the past few months. Josie never thought shed be in the place she is now. She never would have imagined that she and Hope would still be together. She was certain that the Mikealson teenager would have run to the hills when she learned about her past, she was certain Hope would eventually get fed up with all her insecurities and issues, but Hope Mikaelson had proven her wrong. She was still by her side not leaving her even when Josie gave her plenty of reasons to leave.
Josie glanced at her phone. It was five in the morning, no one she knew was awake, and there was no one she could talk to about how much she wanted to express her love for those in her life. Josie hated herself for not being able to tell her mother, father, sister, and girlfriend that she loved and deeply appreciated them.
Josie let out a sigh as she placed her ear on the dialing phone. Maybe she was being stupid by making the call, maybe she should have hung up right away instead of allowing the two more rings.
"Hello?" Answered the familiar voice, "Josie are you okay?" Josie didn't answer. She kept her breathing as quiet as she could willing herself to at least try and give the woman an answer. As much as Josie tried nothing came out. "Josie where are you?" The shuffling from the other end of the line finally had Josie out of her trance.
"Sorry," Josie said. "I'm here. I'm sorry I called this was a mistake."
"What's going on?" Camille asked, trying her best to keep the teenager on the line.
"It's stupid."
"I'm sure it isn't. Tell me what has you up as this hour?"
"The twins are in the hospital." Josie did not wait for the blonde to say anything she kept going, "They're okay. I just don't like hospitals. I don't know why?" Josie let out a soft chuckle.
"Many people don't like hospitals," Camille told her. "You, however, have a fair reason not to like them. A lot of traumatic things have happened to you in hospitals. Is that maybe why you are in your head?"
"I was okay last night," Josie mumbled. "Then I tossed and turned and kept waking up and Emerson woke me up because he was hungry." Josie took in a breath. "I'm just running from thought to thought and every thought is worse."
"Would you like to talk about the thoughts?" Camille knew she was playing a dangerous game. One wrong move and the teenager would hang up leaving them to deal with whatever she was going through in their session. Josie had been making progress but Camille knew they were only at the surface of everything she went through. Josie was barely starting to accept that she has been through some traumatic events and she was justified in being hurt about her past. Josie was opening up but Camille couldn't help but think that every time they opened a door to the past Josie revealed several other locked doors that carried something harmful to keep bottled up.
"I'm actually graduating." Josie started on a positive note. "Lizzie wants to get an apartment and move out and study and I don't know if I can. Hope, she deserves someone who isn't as broken as me and damaged and my parents, they can't know me."
"Why can't they know you?" Camille decided that was her starting point. She'd work her way through the others in time.
"I'm not her." Josie wiped the tears that silently escaped her.
"Can you explain that a little bit more for me sweetie?"
"I am not the little girl they long for. I am an adult now. I have my flaws. I'm not perfect and I sure as hell am not sweet or innocent."
"Have you talked to them?" Camille asked.
"No, because I can't break their heart again. I've already hurt them enough."
"Josie you didn't hurt them. You were a child, you were kidnapped and that was not your fault-"
"I told Hope I loved her." Josie was quick to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about her parents, she didn't want to. She wasn't ready, not yet.
"How'd that go?" Josie could hear a hint of disappointment from Camille. Josie had to admit she was a bit disappointed herself.
"It felt right. I have never told anyone but the twins the words 'I love you' and truly meant them. But I meant them, I love her and I want what's best for her. Even if I'm not it."
"Why wouldn't you be it?"
"Because I'm a walking time bomb," Josie confessed. "I am okay one day then not the next. I feel at the top of the world one minute and the next I am debating if life is worth living. I have so much trauma loving me must be exhausting."
"I'm sure if it was exhausting she would let you know. You are partners and from what you've told me you lean on each other."
"I gotta go. I'm tired."
Josie ended the call.
Prom shopping had not gone as well as Josie would have hoped. She wanted the shopping to be over three hours ago, on the other hand, her sister, mother, and girlfriend were happily walking into the ninth store to find what they all called the perfect dress Josie was happy with any dress but the three women shopping with her all insisted she needed to feel it in her soul that the dress was the one.
Josie sat in the chair trying to muster the energy to go and look at some of the dresses but she decided to sit this store out. She would glance around in the next store. Josie allowed the tiredness to take over, it was beyond her how these women could shop for three hours. Which was a shock because Josie knew Hope hated shopping but prom had brought out a whole new love for shopping in Hope.
The brunette looked up when she felt someone hovering over her. Josie gave Keelin a warm smile. She happily took the pretzel that the woman offered her.
"You okay?" Keelin asked.
"I would like to go home," Josie confessed. "We have been at this for three hours. How are they not worn out?"
"They are on a mission." Keelin softly chuckled. "Be grateful the rest of the Mikaelson clan isn't here if not they'd never actually find a dress."
"You weren't told. Your wife, Hope's parents, and Elijah are meeting us at the next store."
"Wanna get out of here?"
Josie would have loved to jump up at the idea. She wanted nothing more than to leave the store but she was sure it would break her girlfriend's heart. Both of them turned around when they heard a yell. Hope wanted Josie to look at the dress she found.
Keelin and Josie walked over. Josie stood patiently waiting for Hope to step out of the dressing room.
Josie admired Hope's beauty. The dress was perfect for Hope. Red truly did complement the girl it made her eyes pop. They took her eyes a shade lighter making them shine.
"The dress gets better!" Hope nearly shouted. "It has pockets." Josie smiled watching Hope slip her hands into the side of the dress and turn to give them a better view. "What do you think?"
"I think you look stunning." Josie stumbled over her words. "You are breathtaking."