The Call
Hope was exhausted, being a single mom was the best choice she ever made but doing everything alone was exhausting. When she moved into her apartment after graduation she was shocked that she agreed to move into a place with Lizzie, however, Lizzie did not stay long. She moved out a year later when MG proposed to her.
Hope was grateful for the friendship she built with Lizzie over the years but she still missed Josie. She wondered what was of the girl. Had Josie settled down, met the person she loved, and started a family, or had something happened to her that made her leave. The thing that Hope feared the most was that maybe Josie was dead because she hadn't heard from her in years. Hope would give anything to hear Josie's voice, even if it was just for a minute.
Hope dragged herself out of bed, to get her son ready for school. Hope had given birth to what she called a mini Landon. A brown-eyed, curly-haired boy that was the light of her life. Hope left her room to go to Niklaus' room.
"Nik you ready love?" Hope asked the boy. She had laid out clothes for him last night.
"Yes, mama." The boy answered. "Can I take a snack for school?"
Hope listened to what her son wanted in his lunch bag as a snack. Hope knowing she was not going to get her stubborn son to be okay with what she has made the previous night she put in the bag of gusher candy in the lunch bag.
"You better eat your grapes too Niklaus." Hope warned the child. She smiled when her son promised her that he would. Hope smiled signaling Niklaus that it was time for them to start their walk. Hope enjoyed the morning walks she had with her son. She usually just listened to the little boy ramble about what he was excited to learn about in school. Which was not much considering he was in kindergarten.
When Hope dropped him off she made her way to Lizzie's and MG's considering she had gotten an SOS text from Lizzie.
Hope made her way into Lizzie's apartment with the spare key she had. Hope knew she had made it right on time. Lizzie was yelling at MG, from what Hope could hear Lizzie was ready to murder the poor boy. Lizzie and MG rarely fought which lead Hope to believe that whatever MG did he was going to be hearing about it for the next year.
"What is going on?" Hope questioned, deciding to stay a safe distance away from both.
"He's been lying to us," Lizzie shouted. Lizzie would have strangled her fiance had Hope not walked in when she did. She loves MG but she could not understand what gave him the right to keep such a big secret from her for nearly five years. Lizzie looked over at the tribrid. "Ask him what I'm talking about."
"MG, what did you do?" Hope gave into the blonde's demand. Hope watched MG carefully, she could see MG begin to get uncomfortable. He began to pick at his nails and looked at the floor. As if looking at her would only be an admission that he did something wrong. Something that made Lizzie want to possibly commit murder.
"I found this in her underwear drawer." Lizzie state when she realized that MG refused to tell Hope anything.
Hope took the folded piece of paper from Lizzie. Hope had no idea why her heart sped up. Had her friend's fiance been cheating on her? Hope knew if that was the case she was going to slap the vampire into the next century. Hope carefully unfolded the paper to make sure she did not rip it. Hope felt her breathing stopped when she read the paper.
"You know where she is?" Hope got closer to MG. Hope's eyes met MG's. She was looking for a hint of regret in his eyes but she could not find any. "Answer me MG! Where is Josie?"
"I don't know!" MG did not mean to yell at the tribrid. He took a second to compose himself he understood that Josie was an important part of both his fiance and Hope's life. "I have no idea where she is. Josie left me that number the night she left. She told me that I should call her if there was ever a problem that required her to come back."
"You're going to call her and get her to come back." Hope ordered.
MG did not want to make the call. He did not know the reason why Josie left but he was sure she had a valid reason. Josie would never do anything that would cause Lizzie harm. Yes, her leaving left Lizzie in pain but he figured if Josie left maybe Josie staying was going to cause more harm, MG just couldn't figure out what would cause Josie to leave with no trace but a phone number for emergencies. MG knew he had to make that call there was no way Hope and Lizzie would let him leave the apartment without making the call.
"What am I suppose to tell her?" MG argued, trying to knock some sense into the two girls.
"Tell her I'm in the hospital. That it doesn't look good." Lizzie told MG.
MG took a deep breath and dialed the number. He put the phone on speaker as instructed by Hope. The phone rang six times until there was an answer.
"Hello?" Hope felt her heart skip a beat. It had been too long since she heard that voice. That soft, sweet, and caring voice. That voice had not changed.
"Josie it MG."
"MG, what's wrong?" The fear in Josie's voice was very present. MG hated that he had to do this. He wanted to run away but his love for Lizzie stopped him.
"Josie I'm sorry." MG apologized. He needed to work those words in. Just to make sure he did show his regret. "Uh... It's Lizzie she not doing well. She needs you."
"I'll be there soon." Lizzie smiled, it looked like her sister was still the same selfless girl. She did not ask much she simply agreed to return. "Thank you, MG for calling me."
The line went dead. MG looked up at the girls and left the apartment. He was already late for work.
~~~~
Josie looked around the hotel room she was not happy with it. They were supposed to arrive to an apartment but the apartment was not ready it was still being furnished and painted. She was back in Mystic Falls. Based on her conversation with MG, Josie was hoping that she did not have to stay but when she talked it over with Jade, Jade mentioned the possibility of them needing to stay in Mystic Falls permanently.
Josie knew Jade was right. Now was good a time as any to stop running and deal with her issues head-on. Josie did not want to run anymore, she was tired. She would face Hope and Landon which she was certain of were now married, with their second child on the way.
Josie had enrolled her daughter in a public school in Mystic Falls. She knew she had to tell her family about Andrea but first she needed to figure out how exactly to break the news. Josie had dropped Andrea off at school in the morning. Jade would be picking her up, while Josie went to meet with MG to get an update on Lizzie.
As Josie made her way to meet with MG her phone rang. It was Andrea's school apparently she had gotten into a fight with two other kids. Josie did not believe it but she left to go pick up her daughter. Josie texted MG letting him know that they would meet up before the day ended.
Josie sighed as she entered the school building. Her daughter really owed her an explanation it wasn't like her to fight. Josie walked into the class and saw her daughter sitting on the floor next to a curly-haired boy. On the other side of the room, there was a kid that seemed older than the other two but you could tell that the boy had been crying.
"Miss Jimenez," Josie said getting the blonde teacher's attention. "We met this morning. I'm Andrea Saltzman mom."
"Yes, Miss Saltman." Josie paid close attention to what the woman was saying. "Your daughter punched a boy. We are waiting for the parents of the other two boys."
"What I don't get it why she would punch. Andrea knows better than to use her hands when she can use her words." Josie was a firm believer in self-defense. She had taught Andrea how to defend herself but she told Andrea never to use violence unless absolutely needed.
"Well." Josie could see how uneasy the teacher was getting. "From what we gather Andrea was getting picked on by an older boy. One of her classmates stepped in to defend her but the boy was shoved down by the older boy, Matt. After that Andrea and her classmate fought the boy together until they were pulled off."
Josie turned around when she heard the door open. Josie could not believe her eyes when she saw who entered. It was MG, Lizzie, and Hope. Josie's eyes met with Hope but she wasn't sure if she should run and hug her friends and sister or if she should grab her daughter and run as fast as she could.
"I am Niklaus' mother." Hope's eyes never left Josie's. Hope wanted nothing more than to run to hug the girl it had been too long, but she knew that right now wasn't the time considering they brought her back with a lie. Also, the fact that her son had gotten into a fight.
"Josie." MG greeted with a smile.
"MG." Josie smiled back. Even if she was upset with them, she was more relieved to see her sister well. "Hope, Lizzie." Before anymore conversation could go on their attention went to the door once again.
"Sorry, I'm late. My wife had to call my office and pull me out of a meeting because she out of town." An older man explained.
Well, now that you're all here I can explain." Miss Jimenez decided to explain. "As I explained to Miss Saltzman, her daughter Andrea was being picked on by Matt. When Niklaus saw he interfered. Matt shoved Niklaus down. Then both Andrea and Niklaus fought the boy until we pulled them off. Both Andrea and Niklaus refused to apologize which can't be tolerated because this school does not tolerate fighting." Josie and Hope looked at the teacher in disbelief. They were both ready to argue with the teacher.
"Wait so you're telling me that our kids stood up to a bully and they are getting in trouble for throwing a couple of punches?" Hope questioned. "Yeah, that not happening. My son will not apologize for doing what was right."
"I'm sure we can reach an agreement." Mr. Kim, Matt's father, told the teacher. Who seemed to agree with him. After a few minutes of more fighting between the adults, they came up with an agreement. Since Josie and Hope refused to make their kids apologized that teacher thought it was fair that all three kids get a two days suspension.
Everyone left the classroom and went outside. Hope and Josie agreed that they needed to talk. Josie agreed but told Hope that it would have to be another day because she needed a day to settle in. Hope wanted to argue but she knew that if she pushed too hard Josie might leave again. Hope agreed, they would meet for dinner at Lizzie's where Josie would see her father and mother again and they could all have a peaceful conversation.