Chapter 2
“ARRGGGGHHH…”
“Hope honey.” Josie soothes her wife who is shrieking in pain from her contractions in the delivery room. “Just breathe...”
“Fuck! This is worse than shifting!!!” Hope complains.
Josie looks at their gynae, Dr Jasmine Ngan who was a close colleague of Keelin’s and she was also the one who previously delivered Keelin and Freya’s kids. Dr Ngan, who is human, knows about their supernatural background and just shrugged at Hope’s complaint.
“That’s what Keelin said too when she had her first child.” Jasmine tells them and then checks on Hope again. “You’re doing good, Hope. I can see the head now.”
“You hear that, babe? You are doing well.” Josie kisses Hope’s sweaty temple.
“When the fuck is this pain gonna end?! Why isn’t she coming out yet?” Hope cries out.
“I’m sure it’s not as bad as your first shift..” Josie cannot help but compare several hours of a 300-bones-breaking situation to a current 2-hour child birth labour so far.
“That was like 15 years ago, Jo!! I don’t plan on reliving that!” Hope then let out another cry of pain and it looked like she was pushing out the pain... Or baby to be accurate.
“Don’t push yet, Hope. Try to preserve the energy for the real push, ok?” Doctor Ngan advises.
“It is a REAL PUSH!” Hope snaps. “She wants to come out now!”
“Sorry Doc. She’s usually not like this.” Josie apologizes for her wife’s snappy behaviour.
But the doctor just brushes it off and instead now encourages Hope to push. “Good! Good then. Push when you feel it!”
Another hour passes and finally Hope lets out the final push. Josie watches in awe as the baby cries loudly in the doctor’s hands. The doctor then gestures to Josie to cut the umbilical cord with the scissors next to her. The heretic nods dumbly and cuts it where the doc tells her to.
Their baby girl is so beautiful.
Josie continues to stare at the baby in the doctor’s arms. The doctor then passed the baby to a nurse who is helping to attend to the baby, by cleaning, checking for heartbeat and finally wrapping the baby in a pink towel. She has never felt so blessed. This is her child. Well, not from her womb but from the love of her life’s womb.
“Jo?” Her love of her life calls out to her softly, tugging her sleeve.
Josie turns to see her wife smiling at her and kisses her on the lips, feeling so proud of her tribrid wife. “You did it, Hope.”
“We did it.” Hope corrects as she kisses Josie back.
“Here’s your beautiful baby girl.” Doctor Ngan approaches with the baby in her arms. “She’s a feisty one. Look at how she already has her eyes opened. I bet she couldn’t wait to see her moms.”
“Hey…” Josie receives her baby girl first in her arms and then tears up. “Her eyes are brown... like mine.”
Hope smiles at that and stretches upright as she wants to see her baby’s face too. To which Josie quickly notices and hands the baby to the birth mother. Hope takes the baby who is making cute soft noises.
“You’re beautiful, Faith Hayley Mikaelson.” Hope comments as she touches the little nose and mouth. “I’m gonna assume that’s my mouth you have there now.”
“It’s too soon to tell, Hope.” Josie chuckles.
=====
Lizzie comes to visit later.
She carries baby Faith and coos. “It’s your favorite aunt here. She’s gonna give you not one but two playmates soon.”
“She meant your cousins, Faith.” Josie adds. The educator in her can’t help it, as if the newborn already knew words.
Lizzie ignores her sister and continues to observe her niece. “Jo, for real, she could really pass off as your daughter.”
“She IS my daughter!” Josie corrects.
“I know I know.. I just can’t help it but notice some resemblance even though she has none of your genes.” Lizzie explains.
“You really think so?” Josie beams at that.
“Yeah, the eyes especially. She’s such a beauty.” Lizzie complimenting someone is such a rare thing that Josie is rather touched by the compliment.
Just then, Hope steps out of the bathroom, all dressed and ready to go home with her family.
=====
It was 4 in the morning and Josie had finally put a crying Faith to sleep. She has to leave for work at 6 in the morning but she doesn't mind one bit for the lack of sleep as she looks with contentment at the peaceful sleeping baby in her crib.
Josie remembers that day when she found out that Hope was pregnant. It was the same day her epic love returned to her after they were separated by two worlds for close to four years. It was a tearful reunion where Hope suddenly appeared one night at the doorstep of the Salvatore School where Josie works now. They hugged, kissed and cried buckets.
It was a weird night for Josie too. How does one deal with reuniting with the love of their life only to discover their love of their life was impregnated by someone else? All the revelations in the same night. Hope was hysterical that night. She was so worried Josie would not want her as soon as she got her back. But Josie stayed. Besides, the baby’s real father would never appear in their face since he was from an alternate world. Except they had to face the alternate version of him in the real world. Rafael in their world is still their friend. Still Landon’s “brother” and he is happily engaged to a mutual friend of theirs. So, basically, he is hybrid Raf but not werewolf Raf whom Hope had a drunken one night stand with.
Josie was not mad at Hope for that act once she actually sat down and took in the news. First of all, she was never in that alternate world where Hope was for more than three years. Her girlfriend was stuck in a world where Josie never lived. In that world, the twins were killed in their mother’s womb and were never magically moved to Caroline Forbes’ womb. Hope admitted to Josie she felt like she was mourning her death everyday in that world. As for Josie, she was mourning too when the high council witches took her Hope away from her.
As much as they tried to find ways to get each other back from another world, they did at some point give up and thought of moving on. Hope had that one casual drunken night but Josie actually went on a few dates with a vampire teaching staff. It was nothing serious. So, when Hope appeared back in her life one fateful night about a year ago, Josie had chosen Hope over everyone else simply because Hope Mikaelson is her only epic love and is irreplaceable.
Indeed their love persevered and Josie wasted no time to propose to Hope when Hope was in her fourth month. Within weeks, they got married in the Mikaelson Mansion courtyard in Mystic Falls(where they now lived).
So, how did Hope explain her pregnancy to their friends and relatives? Only Josie, Lizzie and Freya knew who the real father was. To others, it was just a random sperm donor.
Most importantly, Josie is and will always be Faith Hayley Mikaelson’s mother.
=====
“Josie!”
Josie jolts to her mother calling her. She realizes she was actually dozing off in the headmaster’s office at work.
“Sweetheart, if you’re tired, you should have called in sick or taken a day off.” Caroline advises.
“It’s fine, mom. Didn’t you go through the same thing? Sleepless nights when we were 3 weeks old too?” Josie yawns.
“Yeah but I wasn't a headmistress then and surely not a teaching staff like yourself who had to wake up especially early to go to work.” Caroline counters. “Besides, I don’t want you falling asleep teaching witchcraft halfway in a class and accidentally burning the school.”
Unlike Josie, Lizzie doesn’t work in the school. Hope doesn’t too. In fact, her wife and sister are business partners. They run a museum, carrying mostly Hope and her father’s past artwork in the art gallery section. The other section carries artifacts, contributed mostly by Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. Some artifacts were also brought in by Landon who has been working as an archaeologist. Something Alaric Saltzman is extremely proud of. That his son-in-law is an archaeologist. Josie’s dad has retired from his headmaster role for some years now. He now lives with his wife in Arizona. So, Caroline is handling the school, with some help from Josie who readily took up a teaching job at the school since she got released from the prison world(for the crime of turning herself into a heretic and indirectly cheating the merge system).
“Right.” Josie duly notes. “Good thing I don’t have any classes later today. I can head home early for some sleep.…..or not.”
“Don’t head home. I know you’ll fuss over Faith again and not get to sleep in the end. Just head upstairs to my room and take a nap now.” Caroline suggests.
To which Josie accepts the offer.
Josie does not know how long she slept in her mother’s bed when she is woken up by Caroline’s excited nudges.
“It’s Lizzie!” Caroline announces. “She’s in labour!!”
====
Hope went through a 3-hour labour but Lizzie was not so lucky. The blonde went through a 7-hour labour in the delivery room. Poor Landon looked more like the tortured one who went through labour instead. He looked so stressed whenever he came out of the room to take a break or leak.
Josie pitied her brother in law but when the twins finally popped out of Lizzie, he looked like the happiest man ever. Josie knew that feeling well.
Alaric arrives from Arizona to see his grand-children. When Lizzie arrived home from the hospital with the babies, Caroline decided to throw a family dinner at the Kirbys.
Hope and Josie arrive with baby Faith to join in for dinner as well.
“So, with Hope and Lizzie both on maternity leave, who’s gonna run the museum?” Alaric asks during dinner.
“I am.” Landon announces.
“Landon, you’ll need to help Lizzie with the babies too. At least for a week or so.” Alaric highlights.
“That’s what I told Lizzie too. I suggested we could close the museum for a week or two but your daughter insists that I keep the business open.” Landon adds.
“Just because Hope and I are gonna be full time nursing moms for weeks, doesn’t mean our business operations have to close.” Lizzie explains. “Landon just needs to postpone his trips by a few weeks to help us oversee the museum.”
“Lizzie’s right. Our museum is just less than a year old.” Hope agrees. “It can’t close down for weeks. Besides, I think I can get back to work in a couple of weeks.”
The last part earns a surprised stare from Josie. “Excuse me, you did not discuss this with me?”
“Jo, I’m a tribrid. I heal fast and I can get back to work already. I’m bored to death at home anyway.” Hope adds.
“How are you bored? You have Faith! And you’re still breast-feeding! Who’s gonna…”
Before Josie can end her sentence, her wife adds. “I will bring Faith with me to work. I have my private office and can breastfeed whenever. It’s no big deal.”
“Really? Thanks, Hope!” Landon brightens at that. “That means I can go back to my actual job earlier.”
“You going back to work earlier means you’re travelling! You can’t!” Lizzie protests. “I have twins, Frodo. I need you near me!”
“I thought we’re getting a nanny to help, Liz. Look, my trip is just less than a week. It’s not even longer than my usual trips. This is an important one which I really hope I don’t miss.”
“This is not how co-parenting works, Mr High-Flyer.” Lizzie bobs her head at her sister. “Jo’s always around, especially in these heavy times of parenting newborns!”
Hope nods in agreement. “My wife does juggle her job and mommy duties well.”
“Liz, I’m not leaving like right now. It’s in three weeks time, ok. I promise I’ll be a full-time dad for those weeks.” Landon swears.
“And husband as well!” Lizzie reminds Landon to which Landon nods and kisses his wife’s temple.
“You know you kids are wasting your time arguing about this when you have me to help anyway.” Alaric speaks up. “I’m retired and the most available person here. I can take care of the museum while all of you focus on my grandchildren.”
Everyone looks at Alaric wondering why he only brought that up now.
“What about Arizona?” Josie asks her dad.
“I had a talk with the wife and...we are moving back here. At least we’ll be near our grandkids.” Alaric shares the good news.
“Mama Mac finally wants to move back here?” Lizzie asks of their step-mother.
“Yeah, that’s why she couldn’t join us today. She’s busy making arrangements for the move. We got a place a few blocks away from here.” Alaric adds. “We’ll be moving in within the month.”
“That’s awesome, dad!” Josie applauds at the news.
“Is Mama Mac good with babies?” Lizzie asks.
“She loves babies, Lizzie. That’s the main reason why she doesn’t mind moving back here.” Alaric replies.
“Hey, I’m good with babies too.” Caroline self-compliments. “Don’t forget I brought up twins too. Two powerful siphon baby witches.”
“Oh, is there a way we can diagnose if my twins are siphon or non-siphon?” Lizzie asks.
“Well, did you almost get killed during child-birth?” Caroline asks her blond daughter.
Josie remembers her mother related her life-threatening ordeal when she was giving birth to Josie and Lizzie 28 years ago.
“Of course! I almost died. Seven hours of pain, mom!!” Lizzie rants.
“No, Lizzie. I mean, it’s worse than contractions. Like they are absorbing your energy. All of your magic.” Caroline shakes her head. “I think it’s hard for you to tell cause’ you’re not a vamp. I practically felt like I was being desiccated when I was in labour.”
“I think we can only tell when they are older, Lizzie.” Josie tells her sister. “When Lucas and Seylah start doing magic unknowingly.”
“I could do magic at six months. I practically stopped a car and saved lives.” Hope recalls with a shrug.
Josie shakes her head as she hides a smile at that. Hope could never stop bringing up that story. Her wife can be subtly boastful sometimes.
“Oh! I almost burnt Lizzie when we were four!” Josie brings up, remembering how as soon as she learnt the fire spell Incendia, she tried to use it on her sister who had thrown a tantrum at Caroline.
“Seriously, girls. Your kids are going to use magic carelessly so you need to keep watch on them more than ever, alright?” Caroline advises.
“We know, mom. Hope has precautions all planned." Josie assures her mother. "When the kids start using magic accidentally, we have magic control bracelets ready-made for them. The kind they can't just remove it themselves."
====
Josie enjoyed the dinner so much she might have drank too much wine. And because Josie drank so much, Hope decided not to drink that much and be the responsible driver to drive them home safely after dinner.
“Babe, you comfortable there?” Hope asks her wife next to her as she drives. She also checks on their child at the back through the rearview mirror.
Josie is still fuzzy from her wine but manages to respond. “I’m good, Hope. You know, my family dinner is way more fun than your family dinner.”
“Are you still worried about what Freya said?” Hope sighs.
Josie remembers the dinner with the Mikaelsons when Hope gave birth to Faith three weeks ago. Rebekah, Marcel, Freya, Keelin, Kol and Davina were all there. Everything was so joyous at first as they celebrated the birth of a fourth generation Mikaelson.
Until Freya got into the serious discussion about Faith's safety. That they have to stay extra vigilant and careful from now on because their new Mikaelson first-born will face several threats from the supernatural world. Especially since Faith's just a baby and might be easily kidnapped or harmed. Josie was really upset upon hearing such news. As if she and Hope had not faced enough life-threatening situations in the past. She even went to the prison world for god's sake. And now their daughter is not free from all this extra danger crap that comes with being the next powerful tribrid? Freya had shared with Josie about Hope facing some dangers as a baby as well so this is expected of her own child and the following Mikaelson first-born of every generation.
It isn’t fair. When Hope was a baby, all the Mikaelsons were alive!! Now, they don't have at least three of the strongest Mikaelsons with them!
“C’mon, our child has her tribrid and hybrid moms, her siphon witch aunt. Her very powerful witch grandaunt and her werewolf wife. Her vampire granduncle and his witch wife. Her…” Hope tries to name as many protectors she can think of to Josie.
“Hope...I know.” Josie sighs. “It’s just...why can’t we finally live like a normal family in a safe place? I’m just a very paranoid mother now.”
“Jo, I survived as a baby! Our baby will be fine, ok?” Hope assures.
“Lizzie believes the coven and the high council of witches will protect our baby. We both know they are only protecting our child for a reason.” Josie continues.
“To use her.” Hope adds. “We need to play the game carefully with them. They obviously have plans to turn our child into a weapon in the future.”
“Damn it. She’s just a baby.” Josie turns to look at their baby girl falling asleep in the baby seat at the back of the car.
Thankfully, the next day, the couple receives some news which makes them feel a little more relieved.
The Mikaelsons will be moving in with Hope and Josie at the Mikaelson family Mansion in Mystic Falls, except for Rebekah and Marcel who still needed to stay in New Orleans to take care of the city.
At least, most of the protection squad will be closer to them now.