Blood
This is not how things were supposed to play out. They should not be in this situation. The kids were innocent in all this and they did not need to pay for anything that she, her family, or Hope did. How did she end up like this? Everything was going fine, Hope and Jade were being civil with each other, she and Hope had decided to tell their family tonight at dinner about the kids being theirs. They were going to explain that somehow for a reason that they still didn't understand or know Andrea was biologically Hope's and hers and Andrea had the mark to prove it.
Josie took a short breath. It was becoming harder to breathe and she knew what that meant. She'd soon be seeing her bio-mom, but she couldn't not until Hope arrived. Not until the kids were safe in the arms of their mother. Josie had placed a protection spell and circle around her and the kids. She knew the second she died the kids would be vulnerable although they were very powerful, they were no match for this god that had taken them.
She had managed to protect her kids but took two lighting bolts. One to the heart and the other in her lower stomach. Josie had been shot by a bullet before and the lighting bolt felt similar except with this Josie could feel small shocks across her body. Like the bullet, the bolts went right through her and left her with a bleeding hole in her. The only difference was that in this situation the blood of Hope was not around to save her. It had crossed her mind to use her kids but she knew they had not been exposed to the horrors that roamed this world yet. They were still innocent and she intended to keep them that way for as long as possible.
Josie would not cry at least not yet. She knew as long as she conserved her life the protection spell would keep him out and the kids safe, but she had to send a message to Hope something, anything that would lend her a hand in this rescue.
"Niklaus, Andrea hold my hands." She told the kids. She could see the fear in their eyes. They worried that she might stop breathing and that they would be left alone without her protection. "Hey, it going to be okay. Your mom is a badass and she will find us. I promise and until then I will keep breathing until I cant." Josie knew her words weren't as soothing as she wished they were but it was going to have to go for now.
With the help of Andrea and Niklaus she casted a spell, Josie wished for the best. The spell wasn't for anything specific just for it to give Hope the help and strength she needs to find them before anyone's life was lost. But if Josie was being honest with herself she wasn't sure she would be making it out if this situation alive. Which she was okay with as long as Hope found the kids in time.
"Mommy." Josie looked up to meet her daughter's eyes. "Mommy don't close your eyes, please. Mama is not here yet."
"Shhh." Josie soothed Andrea. "It's okay Andrea Jade. As long as I still breathe you and Nik will be okay. It's okay just let me conserve my energy my loves."
"I love you, mommy," Andrea said.
"We love you, mommy," Niklaus said after his sister.
Josie wanted to hug them but she was too weak to move. She was certain Hope was going to find them before it was too late. Josie closed her eyes to keep herself from crying. It was bad enough her kids were watching her bleed and slowly lose her life. She would not let them have the image of her crying as well.
~~~~
Hope understood that she and Josie had gotten into a small disagreement on how to handle telling everyone about the kids but she thought it as a little overboard to ignore her calls. She had called Josie five times but the brunette didn't answer. All Hope wanted to do was ask if they would be meeting at Lizzie's or if she had to meet at Josie's apartment.
Hope wanted to keep trying Josie's cellphone but she got a text from Lizzie telling her there was an emergency and they needed her at the school. Hope was thankful that Josie had taken Niklaus with her for the night which meant she did not have to worry about having to take him with her if they had to fight any monsters. Niklaus was aware he had powers but Hope wanted to keep him safe for as long as she could. She wanted him to have a happy and safe childhood. Worry-free of the monsters.
Hope stepped into the Alaric's office. When she entered she was greeted by Lizzie who had locked the door behind her.
"What the problem?" Hope asked.
"Hello, my littlest wolf." Hope heard the familiar voice. A voice se had been longing for since she was little. The voice she had been longing for when her mother died. The voice of the person who sacrificed himself for her.
"Dad?" Hope questioned too afraid to look in the direction of the voice. Afraid that if she looks over her father would not be there, which she knew was possible considering he's dead. He died years ago.
Hope looked towards the direction she had heard the voice and to her surprise there he was. Her father was standing there but not only him, her mother was also there, and Lizzie's bio-mom as well. Hope ran to her parents and embraced them.
"How?" Hope asked.
"I think it was Josie," Lizzie said to everyone in the room. "I've had this pain for the past hours or so in my heart and abdomen but it's not mine. It has to be Josie's."
"She hasn't been back home since she picked up the kids from school," Jade added.
"She took Mason with her?" Hope asked.
"No, I dropped him off in the school daycare when I got here to ask Mr. Saltzman and Miss Caroline if they had seen her."
Hope didn't understand they were supposed to have dinner tonight to tell her parents about the kids. Everything was going fine and Hope thought maybe Josie ran away again but she left Mason and that made no sense Josie would not leave Mason.
"Has anyone heard from her?" Josette asked. Everyone that was alive answered. No one had heard from Josie for two hours. Hope was starting to get worried.
"Is there any reason for her to be in trouble or danger?" Klaus asked.
"The kids?" Hope said.
"Why would they want her kids?" Klaus questioned.
"Because they're mine." Hope found herself saying before she could stop herself. Hope watched as her dad's expressions went from confused to sad to happy. Her mother's remained happy but she could see a hint of concern in her eyes. Hope did not think she would find herself in a room with her dead parents, Josie's dead biological mother, Josie's father, and Coraline and Lizzie.
"What do you mean they're yours?" Alaric asked her.
"We were going to tell you." Hope explained. "We don't know how but Andrea is mine. Biologically she is, she has the Labonair mark on her. My blood runs through her veins."
"How?" Came from all the parents but Hayley.
"Do you really wanna know?" Lizzie questioned. The parents shook their heads no as they continued to process the information they had received. It was too much for them but they knew that they should not ask any questions until they figured out where Josie was.
Everyone remained silent when the door opened it was Dorian he apparently had an emergency that required Alaric's immediate attention.
Hope caught up with her parents as Mr. Saltzman was outside. She told them about her kids. She was about to tell her father what she named her son when Alaric came back into the room with a look of despair on his face.
"Dr. Saltzman, what is it?" The tribrid asked.
"Dorian told he looked into the recent attacks that had happened in town and he realized who is responsible for them," Alaric explained.
"Well spit it out!" Klaus shouted.
"He believes is Zeus."
"As in the man that ate his children Zeus?" Lizzie questioned disturbed by what her father had said. Alaric confirmed.
"That's not good," Klaus told the group. Apparently, they had bigger problems than to figure out how the hell they were in their bodies again despite them being dead. "If I remember correctly centuries ago I heard a legend about Zeus." Klaus took a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention to him. "The legend said that when Zeus was defeated, the witch that cursed him was not powerful enough to destroy him, instead she imprisoned him. However, the prison he is in open every three hundred years where he gets the chance to break free permanently and rule the earth again but to do that he needs to kill the three most powerful creatures of the current time."
"So me and my kids?" Hope could feel the lump in her throat as she said those words. Maybe Landon was correct she was only bringing kids into this world to have creatures come after them. Hope could feel the tears building up she was the reason the people she loved the most were in danger once again like when she was a kid, like when she was a teenager and her mother died.
"I don't think it's you," Hayley told her daughter. She knew her words weren't going to give her daughter peace but she had to tell them what she was thinking and what she remembered. "He would have come for you already, but he didn't. He took Josie and your kids. I think it's them because think about it. Hope I died giving birth to you because people desired you." Hayley wiped her tears away, she still remembered that day vividly. "If Josie's daughter like you said is yours, she never died giving birth. This brings me to our pack there was this tale passed down from generation to generation that Jackson told me. Eons ago the first female alpha had a soulmate that was a human girl. The pack was terrified that she would never have an heir to lead the pack but she imprinted on her soulmate. She marked her, she bit her which was never done before but that somehow lead to her human soulmate being able to shift and give her an heir. Did you ever mark Josie?"
Hope took herself back to the night she and Josie were alone after Landon left. She had but they did not talk about it Hope just thought it was nothing of importance. She dismissed it as simply getting caught in the mood. Hope looked at her mom and gave her a nod.
~~~~
Josie wanted to smile but she couldn't. She could hear several familiar voices. She could hear Hope, her father, her mother, and Lizzie. She was so grateful to hear their voices because she was slipping away and she knew it, but she was proud of herself she held on. She did not let go, at least not yet.
"Josie!" Hope shouted, she was trying to get near the girl but there was a protection spell. Her parents, Josie's parents, and Jade were taking care of the god. Dr. Saltzman had the weapon to imprison Zeus again. She, Lizzie, and Josette had been left with the task of finding the kids and Josie.
"Mommy she hurt," Niklaus shouted to her. Hope heart was breaking as she heard the fear in her son.
"Josie please, it's me, love." Hope pleaded. "We're here for you put the protection spell down." Hope looked over at Lizzie who was trying to siphon the barrier down. Hope sighed in relief when the spell went down. Josie had heard her or Lizzie broke through it didn't matter. What mattered was that they were going to get Josie and the kids to safety.
Hope rushed over to her kids and hugged them. She looked them over and they had no injuries on them. She looked over at Lizzie and gave her a nod letting the blonde know to take Niklaus and Andrea away.
Hope turned her attention to Josie who was being examined by her Bio-mom. Hope watched in horror as Josette did CPR on the woman she loves. She watched as Josette had tears running down her face and begged her daughter to stay with her. It seemed like Josie heard the pleads because the girl opened her eyes. Hope got closer to them. She pulled Josie in as she looked over at the older woman.
When Josette shook her head no Hope knew what that meant. She couldn't save Josie. She got her back this time but Josie was slipping. Hope bit her wrist, she moved it quickly next to Josie's mouth.
"No," Josie managed to say as blood rushed down her lips. Repainting her skin red from the blood that had dried up before. Hope wiped her tears and met the brown eyes she loved so much. "You need to know her." Josie fought to get the words out. "Our daughter is strong but you need to know her really know her."
Hope understood what the siphon witch was telling her. She placed her free hand under Josie's head and looked deep into her eyes. She could feel Josie opening her mind up. She went as far back as Josie allowed her.
Hope watched the memory play as in her mind like a movie. She saw the night Andrea was born when she took her first steps and said her first words. Hope saw everything she has missed in the past years.
Hope sobbed as the memories came to an end. Josie was gone. Hope looked up at Josette when she heard Alaric's voice. She watched as Josette shook her head and the sobbed escaped the people she was certain were standing behind her.
"Let me take her," Alaric told the crying tribrid as she got closer to her.
"Don't touch her!" Hope growled, she could feel herself about to lose control, they didn't have to tell her for her to know that her eyes were probably gold. Hope placed her arm under Josie's legs and stood up. She would carry Josie, no one else. She walked with everyone out of the cave they were in.
Hope had no idea how she was going to do this without Josie. Josie was her light, her happiness, and the mother of her children she was not ready to be the mother of three kids all on her own. She needed Josie, but too late to save her. She had failed the woman she loved once again. Most importantly she had failed her kids.