A Cabin in the Woods
Hope needed vacation. She decided to finally take some time off. No one complained; she had lost both a captain and a close friend and her girlfriend, which is what everyone assumed Lizzie to be, had been kidnapped for the second time. So after the funeral, she packed her things and went to the countryside with Lizzie and the kids. Pedro had just gotten back from the place Hope sent them with her family. Hope had been scared that The Writer would try to hurt them again so, knowing that he had people watching them, she had specifically requested Rafael as a pilot because he used to be a people’s smuggler. So when Hope’s family boarded the plane, Rafael had actually made it look like they got on board. When the plane took off, Hope’s family was in another one that none of The Writer’s spies would have noticed. So when he eventually pulled the Flight Log to know where Hope’s family had gone, he would be looking at a decoy. Hope had actually sent her family to a state they had never been before and Hope had no relation whatsoever to so if he discovered that Hope had tricked him, he wouldn’t be able to even guess where they would be. That was why she had asked Sebastian the plane in her phone that she already suspected it had been wired by him and had sent the text to Landon of what she actually needed Rafael to do in another phone; an encrypted one she had kept from her CIA times. Lizzie had gotten impressed and proud of her fast thinking.
After Hope got Lizzie and Alyssa back, though, she didn’t ask them to come back right away. She first solved the kids’ case with Rachel and Freya. They had found the judge that had been payed to keep his mouth shut about Alyssa’s mom trying to get her back. Hope had punched him and now he had been fired from his position and was getting charged with bribery. Hope would make sure that he would get maximum time in the state jail. After they knew who the children were, Rachel was able to access their social security numbers and get their names and ages correct. Pedro was going to turn four in March and Alyssa had turned eleven in September. Their real names were Grace and Jacob and they were paternal siblings. Rachel looked for the father or other relatives to see if Hope could go forward with the adoption process, but the father had been dead for two years and Pedro’s grandmother, his mother’s mom, was too old and lived in an institution so she wasn’t an option. The judge had rescheduled the hearing for the end of January when Alyssa and Pedro’s name would be definitive and they would get the Mikaelson. One month of Hope going crazy again. She just wanted them to get her name already.
Hope needed to relax and stop thinking about what happened in the Writer’s camp house. Lizzie had agreed with her. So a vacation it is. Hope had to decline her family’s wish to come with her by saying that she needed some time alone with only the kids and Lizzie; they needed time to heal from what had happened. Lizzie, on her side, almost fled in the dark of night so her mother wouldn’t pin on her. Caroline had been fussing around Lizzie for the last week and Lizzie was so impatient that she had unintentionally let it slip that Josie was seeing someone and she hadn’t told anyone so Caroline would also pester Josie. Josie hadn’t been happy at Lizzie but Lizzie had been very satisfied with herself. Hope didn’t take sides between them because she wasn’t stupid. Hope was also glad to get rid of them. She loved Caroline but she was even more overwhelming than Rebekah was with Ricky and that was something impressive. As for Josie, she was just like Hope; she liked to get her mind into work when things got ugly and Hope knew Josie would have her time with Lizzie soon enough after they both recovered from the scare.
Now they were driving. In almost nine years of meeting Lizzie, she never had gone to Hope’s Aspen house. To be honest, Hope hadn’t come here since she was eighteen and had moved out of her aunt’s. She used to love coming here with her mom and dad and coming back without them had never felt the same. But now Hope had her own kids and she thought that it was finally time to build some memories of herself and her family in the house. Since the Mikaelsons had kept using it a lot, as they had kept using all the Mikaelson properties, Hope had never had to be worried about taking care any of it. Each house had housekeepers that lived nearby and took care of maintenance. The Mikaelsons only had to call in a couple of days before going and the housekeepers would clean the place and do groceries. The privilege of the rich, Rebekah always said. The Mikaelsons went way back in time so they had accumulated money and properties over the years. The White Oak Cottage was a perfect example of it. Although it was called a cottage, it was actually a three-story house with nine bedrooms, a movie room, a game room, an indoor pool and a library.
“Mommy, is this the hotel we’re staying at?” Pedro asked when Hope parked in front of the house. Pedro had just stayed in a hotel for the first time last night when they stopped their driving to get some rest and he had loved it. Lizzie smirked at Hope before turning to him.
“This is actually our house; where we’re going to stay. No other guests.” Lizzie said and Pedro’s eyes widened.
“And it’s called cottage?” Alyssa asked narrowing her eyes and Lizzie laughed.
“The irony was duly noted.” Lizzie said going inside with the kids and Hope shook her head following them. Hope knew Lizzie was also impressed and her eyes shone brighter when she saw the library. It had old books, a lot of first editions, but also a lot of new ones that Hope knew Nik had bought. Freya and Keelin loved to brag about how their son had acquired more than three thousand books to modernize the libraries of the Mikaelson houses. Hope was yet to see the UK house that Freya had said that Nik had asked to build a new library and the house had now two.
After unpacking their things and eating something, they spent the very first night in the movie room watching Harry Potter; something Hope had already seen a thousand times with Lizzie but the kids had never watched. The next day, they decided to go downtown to shop some winter clothes to spend the whole month here since they would just go back to the city in the very last day of January to the hearing. And since Hope’s burned down house meant burned down clothes, they end up also buying other things they needed. The day had been nice and fun and very familial and Hope and Lizzie had even walked hand in hand at some point. It was perfect. Lizzie was happy, Pedro was even happier and Alyssa had even dropped the changing school subject so Hope considered it a win. The month had everything to be perfect, until Hope heard a high-pitched voice that surprised her, annoyed Lizzie, delighted Pedro and scared the hell out of Alyssa.
“I can’t believe you’re here, Alyssa.” Clara said and Hope grunted. The Greasleys were here too.
Lizzie watched with a little bit of worry as Alyssa’s face lost all color and she looked at Hope with a pleading face. What she thought Hope would do? Magic-zap them out of there to avoid the little girl? Lizzie thought smiling.
“What a coincidence!” MG said coming to them smiling. Lizzie liked him. Not only because he had helped Hope when Lizzie was kidnapped but because he was truly happy. He even looked boyish because of it. She also liked Kym, and the fact that she was a librarian automatically got her points in Lizzie’s score. Clara was also a perfect daughter for them: she smiled a lot, was always with a book or comic at hand and dressed like a child model. They all dressed rich which spoke to MG’s success with his comics and Kym owning a library or two. Not a surprise since they lived in Hope’s super expensive neighborhood and Clara was going to attend one of the most expansive schools of the state with Alyssa. Lizzie and Josie had been kicked out of school when they were thirteen, just a little older than Alyssa and Clara, but she knew that middle school was already terrible as it was and a private middle school would only be worse. Lizzie thanked god for having been kicked of hers. Her mother, that had to homeschool them, hadn’t been happy about it, though.
“Yes, what a coincidence.” Hope said surprised, a tint of irritation to her voice.
“Since when are you here?” Kym asked already pulling a chair and sitting on their table at the coffee shop. Hope glanced at Lizzie and Lizzie had to bite her lip so she wouldn’t laugh.
“We just got here yesterday.” Hope answered.
“We got here two days before that.” MG said also pulling another two chairs for him and Clara. He placed Clara’s chair next to Alyssa’s and Lizzie had to control herself at the girl’s desperate face. She looked around as if she could escape somehow. Luckily for her, Pedro, that had fallen in love with Clara when she gave him a purple bear, started to talk excitedly with her saving Alyssa of small talking with Clara. Lizzie looked back at MG and Kym. “Where are you guys staying?” MG asked.
“My house is up the red mountain.” Hope said reluctantly. Lizzie knew she was afraid that MG and his family would pop there the very next day. When his smile broadened, though, Lizzie guessed that the odds if it actually happening had just increased.
“Ours too.” He said glancing at his talkative daughter that had been talking Alyssa’s ears off, and then back at Hope and Lizzie. “We should meet.” He said confirming Lizzie’s doubts. “I’ll text you guys our address and you four can come over to play some games with us.” He finished, totally unaware that three out of the four people he had just invited would rather eat dirt than spend an afternoon socializing with them.
“That seems like a plan.” Kym answered for Hope and Lizzie, that usually would get very annoyed by that kind of thing before, found it funny. To be honest, Lizzie had been really fine since Hope had saved her and told her what happened; maybe because of the fact that he was finally dead. Lizzie wasn’t foolish to think it would last, though, so she knew it was only a question of time for what happened to hit her hard. It had been like this before; she would be fine for a few weeks and then something silly like a pencil in the wrong place or a child that refused to talk would open the dam and she would feel overwhelmed. Panic attacks, nightmares and dread would increase exponentially at those times. But Lizzie would enjoy this fine for as long as it lasts.
“Now, as much as we wished to stay more, we have to go finish grocery shopping.” MG said and Lizzie again felt this weird urge to laugh at his obliviousness. No one had asked him to stay more.
“We are going to cook a seven layer cake.” Clara said also assuming that they wanted to know. Lizzie looked at her and felt something sad. Clara was a pleaser. That was probably what Alyssa didn’t like about her. Lizzie knew the type. Working sometimes with foster kids, she noticed a pattern. Foster kids would usually fall into two categories: the pleasers and the antagonists. Pleasers did anything for people to love them while antagonists would do anything for people to hate them. Clara and Alyssa were, each, in one of the categories; so Clara was trying to get Alyssa to like her while Alyssa didn’t want shit to do with Clara. Lizzie was curious to know where that would go. Especially because Alyssa was totally transparent with her feelings while Clara manipulated hers like a master. Lizzie shook her head and stopped analyzing the girls as if she were at her office. In the end, they were both good girls that had been through bad things. After they left, Alyssa was the first one to talk.
“I can’t possibly go through school with her.” Alyssa said grunting. “Can I not take the Placement Test?”
“Yes.” Hope said and Alyssa’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s up to you. I just think that you’re too clever to stay a year behind.” Hope said and Alyssa frowned.
“I get Cs and B-’s” Alyssa said and Lizzie looked at her pointedly.
“Because you like to make a show out of rebelling against your teachers. You don’t even try, Alyssa.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded agreeing.
“Think about it this way: if you do the Placement Test and you pass it, you get to skip a year and you’ll finish school earlier.” Hope said winking and Alyssa pouted probably weighting pos and cons of doing it.
“Can I take the Placement Test too?” Pedro asked making them laugh.
“You’re in preschool, Pedro. There’s no test.” Lizzie said and he shrugged and went back to eating his cake.
When they went back home, they were tired and Pedro fell asleep fast. Hope, Alyssa and Lizzie watched a couple of episodes of The X Files but soon enough they were almost sleeping on the couch so they also went to bed. Lizzie had a bedroom of her own here because, although Hope and Lizzie were definitely together, they had agreed to take it easy. Lizzie needed it to be easy. They had slept together at Lizzie’s place and then right after that, they traveled. In the hotel, they had all stayed in the same bedroom but now they were at Hope’s house. Lizzie wanted Hope to hug her through the night like she had done but she was worried about the kids. Lizzie had no idea of how much time it would take for her to snap and get into a mood and making a commitment as Hope’s girlfriend would only mean that whatever happened to her would affect them as a family instead of just as Lizzie.
Lizzie also wasn’t ready to have a family of her own. She loved Hope and the kids and she considered them hers but she wasn’t sure that she was ready for them to consider her theirs. It was scary to think about it. Lizzie argued with herself that they were living together; Lizzie had asked Hope to; and she and Hope loved each other so of course the only course of action since Hope had kids was for Lizzie to be their… Lizzie couldn’t even think about the word. It was so unrealistic for her that she would be that for the kids, so she decided to postpone this thought to another day. Like she had been postponing since Hope had gotten the kids. After rescheduling her thought, she followed Hope inside her bedroom. Hope didn’t seem to be overthinking their every breath like Lizzie was, so they only laid on bed facing each other. Lizzie’s mouth was faster than her brain when she asked Hope.
“Why did you decide to adopt them?” Lizzie whispered and Hope frowned.
“I-” Hope said and then closed her mouth to think. Lizzie watched her closely. Lizzie had known before Hope made the decision to adopt them that she was going to do it but she never understood why. Lizzie had noticed that when they talked about kids before, Hope didn’t really believe that she would actually have them one day. “Because of Alyssa.” Hope said. “She looked like you.”
“I told you she’s just like you.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded smiling softly.
“In some ways, yes. But-” Hope started and then looked away. She sighed. “She was so hurt. She was in pain and she was fighting people trying to help her.” Hope continued and Lizzie kept watching her even if Hope wasn’t looking Lizzie in the eyes. When she did, Lizzie noticed that they were shining with unshed tears. “I thought that maybe I could help her like I couldn’t help you.” She whispered and Lizzie brushed away a tear that had slipped from Hope’s eyes.
“I’m sorry that I made you feel that way.” She whispered back. Hope shook her head.
“I hadn’t noticed then that even though we were apart, we were still lifting each other up. The only reason I kept going on was you and I know that you tried your best because of me.” Hope said smiling softly and intertwining her fingers with Lizzie’s. “Why did you ask?” Hope asked and Lizzie thought about it. Maybe her thought had not been schedule to another day after all.
“I love them.” Lizzie said and Hope smiled again.
“I know.”
“I don’t want to hurt them.”
“You won’t.”
“How do you know that? I hurt mom and Jo so bad that they don’t even flinch when I do it over and over again. I totally wrecked our relationship. What if I ruin this too? What If I let them in…” Then Lizzie thought better about it. “…no, I already let them in. What if they let me in and then I hurt them by jumping out?” Lizzie said and every single second Hope took thinking before answering lasted a little eternity to Lizzie.
“Okay. So what does it mean then?” Hope asked and Lizzie gulped. Lizzie had no freaking idea what it meant. Lizzie shook her head and Hope sighed. “I’m not saying this to hurt you, Lizzie, but they already let you in. You should know that better than I do.” Hope said, her hand tracing soothing circles on Lizzie’s. “I actually think you know that.” Hope said reading Lizzie’s mind. Of course Lizzie knew; there was little about people she didn’t get at first.
“I just don’t want them to get hurt if I change.” Lizzie explained.
“If you change?”
“I used to be funny and excited and eager to know things. Then I changed and I wasn’t funny anymore. I actually couldn’t even recognize some jokes because I was just sad. I wasn’t excited anymore; on the contraire, I just did things in order to keep going. And I never wanted anything new anymore. The thought of something new, something I would have to learn and get used to, scared the hell out of me. I used to schedule my thoughts so I would get to think over something in an appropriate time instead of just thinking it. I actually still do this.” Lizzie said. One of the things that were comforting about Hope was that she had seen Lizzie’s very worst so Lizzie’s freakiness didn’t scare her off. “I just don’t want them to see a version of me that they wouldn’t like.”
“That’s not possible.” Hope said sure and watching her closely looking for a reason that Lizzie would bring this. Her eyes searching Lizzie’s burned. “Do you wanna tell me what this is really about?” Hope asked and Lizzie sighed.
“No.” She whispered shaking her head and Hope nodded.
“That’s okay. Let’s just sleep for now.” She said knowing that once Lizzie was ready, she would tell her. Hope kept brushing Lizzie’s hair with her fingers in such a gentle way that Lizzie drifted off to sleep.
“Mommy, wake up.” Pedro said going to the bed and jumping on Hope. He laughed when she groaned like an animal. “Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.” He started to sing as Hope tried to get up but kept being pulled back by the covers that Pedro were on. “Today is Magic Day.” Pedro said excited when Hope’s head popped from under the covers and she laughed.
“Oh yeah?” Hope asked and he nodded happily.
“We just have to-” He started and then stopped looking at the other side of the bed. The Hope remembered. Shit. He pulled the covers to find a red Lizzie laughing. “Lizzie, what are you doing on mommy’s bed?”
“I was sleeping.” Lizzie said and Pedro stopped for a moment as if he were going to question that poor statement but he was more excited about what was going to happen today than why he had found them on the same bed so he just ignored it.
“Today is Magic Day.” He repeated and Hope groaned again because she would strangle Lizzie for promising to take him to the Illusionism show that they had found yesterday in town. Hope knew well why Lizzie liked to watch magic tricks.
“Is Alyssa up already?” Hope asked standing up.
“Yes, she’s tracing a plan to avoid Clara at all costs.” Pedro said and it sounded so much like something Alyssa would say that Hope was sure he had repeated every word his sister had told him. “I don’t know why she doesn’t like Clara. Clara is so amazing.” Pedro said in that dreamy voice he reserved for the things he loved. Clara was basically a hero in Pedro’s eyes: she could skate, she gave him a thoughtful gift when they first met, she was sweet and always indulged him on his babbles and she liked to read the same comic books he liked. It was scary how Clara seemed to have gotten the same excited energy that annoyed Hope so much in MG. They always smiled a little too broader than normal people were supposed to. Or maybe Hope just had spent a lot of time without a lot of reasons to smile and she had forgotten how pure immaculate happiness looked like. Anyway, she guessed that what annoyed her in the father was probably what annoyed Alyssa in the daughter.
Hope took a moment to watch as Lizzie and Pedro going downstairs hand in hand. She smiled softly at the scene before going to Alyssa’s bedroom just to find her writing in her diary. Hope had noticed that, of course. Alyssa was always writing. If Hope had been asked to guess what Alyssa liked to do before getting to know her better, Hope would never have guessed that she loved books and had so much to write. Alyssa had filled at least three journals since she had come to live with Hope and since she carried all of them anywhere she went, they had been saved from burning on the fire. Hope had asked a few times what she wrote so much but Alyssa only looked at her and said that it was private. Hope, a little more curious about it after that cryptic answer, had asked Pedro but he said that Alyssa didn’t let him touch the journals.
“Breakfast?” Hope asked and Alyssa looked at her.
“Mom, do we have to go to her house?” She asked saying her as if Clara was a weird little alien species. Hope ignored how fast her heart started to beat when Alyssa called her mom that easily. It wasn’t the first time but Hope didn’t think she would stop marveling at it anytime soon.
“It’s polite to go.” Hope said as they left the bedroom and went to the stairs.
“Lizzie says that politeness is overrated.” Alyssa said slowly and Hope smile.
“Of course she says that.” Hope said rolling her eyes.
Hope prepared breakfast while the three of them sat on the counter messing with things and throwing food. Hope loved to cook, always have loved, and to do this to the people she loved the most was something so relaxing and easy that she didn’t even care about Lizzie behaving like a two-year old with the kids. She would make them clean the mess after breakfast anyway. Hope laughed as she went upstairs to take a bath with the sounds of complain from them about having to do the dishes and clean the floor. Hope wished peace like this forever.
Hope had talked to Lizzie about everything that happened in the run to get her back. She hadn’t hidden a single detail, as nasty as it had been. Hope felt all the crushing pain and guilt leaving her at once when Lizzie hugged her and told her it was okay. Hope knew that both her and Lizzie were mentally placing bets on who was going to snap first and it wasn’t going to be pretty but as long as they had each other, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome. So Hope would just live day after day and enjoy every single piece of happiness she could grasp. She had seen how fleeting it can been and she wouldn’t postpone it ever again. Hope wished Maya was here to see it; she was always the one telling Hope to elope with Lizzie and spend the rest of their lives living happy in rich privilege. Hope smiled remembering her friend.
Hope was watching what was probably the most embarrassing Illusionism Show she had ever seen when things finally got interesting. Not that a missing person was interesting. Not that her children watching it was interested at all but everything counted to save Hope from the embarrassment of watching Lizzie say out loud exactly how the illusionists were tricking the audience. Both Alyssa and Pedro were looking at her as if she were an all-knowing goddess and not someone that just had spent hours on internet watching videos of how tricks worked. Hope still remembered the early days of their relationship when she ran into Lizzie writing an email to a magician telling him how to improve his trick.
“I swear that it wasn’t supposed to go like this.” The illusionist was saying desperately. The family of the girl who had just disappeared was screaming at the poor guy. “I don’t know what happened.” He kept shouting. Hope looked at Lizzie for them to leave the place.
“I’m calling the police.” The girl’s father said. Hope stood up and they started to walk towards the door. Just a few steps.
“Please say this is a trick. My little girl has to be back.” The mother pleaded and Hope told herself that the police would find the girl. It wasn’t her place to impose herself in this.
“Why are we leaving? I don’t wanna leave.” Pedro said.
“Why do you even want to stay? Lizzie spoiled the whole show to you.” Hope joked with him and he rolled his eyes. The eye-rolling was starting to become worryingly frequent in Hope’s house. They left the place and Hope noticed that Lizzie was glancing back as if she had forgotten something there. When they stopped at a coffee shop to buy some hot chocolate, Hope told the kids to go order something and she looked at Lizzie. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” Lizzie answered frowning. “I feel like I should do something.”
“About the missing girl?” Hope asked and Lizzie nodded. “She’s a rich girl probably trying to get rid of her overbearing rich parents. It’s not something uncommon for Aspen.” Hope said. She had came to Aspen with her family every year for eighteen years and she had lost count of how many times she had seen kids and parents fighting. Hope had been one of them when she reached the tender age of fourteen and was trying to escape her nosy dad to go kiss some other kid. She knew Alyssa would be one of them soon enough. And then Pedro.
“I know. I just feel like I should-” Lizzie started and then shook her head trailing off. She smiled at Hope. “That’s okay. We’re on vacation, anyway.” Lizzie said Hope intertwined their fingers coming closer to her.
“A very deserved one.” She said and Lizzie laughed.
“Yes.” She agreed and after Hope glanced at the kids to make sure they’re weren’t watching, she kissed Lizzie’s lips. She noticed that Lizzie stilled for just a second before relaxing and kissing her back.
“Let’s enjoy it.” Hope said and then turned back to the kids that were calling them. It had been a very nice morning and they would spend the afternoon in MG and Kym’s house. Even if Hope was annoyed that she would have to spend the rest of the day socializing, she was happy that she was having a normal day with her family. That was what she was supposed to be doing, anyway. After all, if Lizzie had never been kidnapped, by now they would probably be married and Lizzie would be trying to convince Hope to have kids. So this was supposed to be their eventual normal since they first met.
After a couple of hours of them playing quiz with MG, Kym and Clara, Hope was almost pleading to be hit by lighting. Hope had grow up in a very loud and very large family so one would assume that she was used to the screaming and the competitiveness. One would be wrong. MG screamed his answers almost more excited than his daughter and Kym laughed and rolled her eyes every time they started to compete to know who knew more. Clara, who was supposed to be sweet and gentle, became a Winning monster and MG, the ever so cheerful guy, threw the board at least two time.
“You get used with time.” Kym said when MG and Clara launched into a discussion of who get got the last question right. “When my brother, Kaleb, is here, it’s worse.” She added and Hope smiled trying not to think of how it could be worse. Kym went to the kitchen with Pedro to giving him a promised candy, when Lizzie gasped. Hope looked at her.
“What is wrong?” She asked worried; her mind already thinking about millions of things that could be wrong.
“The girl was pregnant.” Lizzie whispered shaking her head and Hope frowned.
“What?” She asked.
“The girl that disappeared. That was what I knew I was missing. Yesterday when we were in town, we crossed paths with the girl. She was talking on the phone with someone and on her hand she had an ultrasound picture. She said: You can’t stop me. I’m going to tell my parents after my brother’s engagement party.” Lizzie said and Hope’s eyes widened. Then she tilted her head.
“You just remembered that now.” Hope said and Lizzie looked at her nodding.
“We should tell them. It may help them find her.” Lizzie said. “I wanna go back in town and talk to the family, Hope.”
“Okay.” Hope said even if she actually didn’t want that. This was supposed to be vacation and Lizzie wasn’t ready to just go back to work. But she agreed knowing that Lizzie wouldn’t rest until she had seen the end of it and to be honest, as much as Hope enjoyed this little family time, she also felt this restless energy that she had to compensate. After telling Alyssa that they would just go down to the town quickly to give the police a tip, they had asked MG and Kym to watch the kids for a couple of hours and they, as the helpful people they were agreed happily. When they arrived at the police station, though, the girl had already been found. They were informed that she was at the hospital and as they drove there, Hope noticed how Lizzie seemed to be tense as if waiting for the worst. When they arrived at the hospital and Hope showed them her badge, she was informed that the girl had lost the baby. Apparently, whoever kidnapped her did that just for her to get an abortion.
“Was the abortion consensual?” Lizzie asked and Hope held her breath as she waited for the nurse to say it. The nurse shook her head sadly.
“Against her will. The police’s talking to the girl right now but she refuses to talk to anyone.” The nurse said turning around after giving them the girl’s room number. Hope looked at Lizzie that was looking around .
“I should have remembered what I saw earlier.” Lizzie whispered. Hope knew that she would say that.
“This isn’t your fault, Lizzie.” Hope said and Lizzie shook her head ignoring Hope and going to the girl’s door. “Lizzie.” Hope called but Lizzie didn’t look at her. “Lizzie, stop.” She said and Lizzie stopped on her tracked but didn’t look at Hope. “What are you doing? This isn’t a FBI case. We can’t just barge in.”
“You can’t just barge in. I can.” Lizzie said entering the girl’s room without looking at Hope.
It wasn’t Lizzie’s fault, she knew that. But she could have had avoided. If just her mind had helped her… She didn’t dare look at Hope. Hope liked to be in control; to solve things but she couldn’t solve what was happening to Lizzie right now.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” The girl’s father asked when Lizzie entered her room.
“I was informed that your daughter doesn’t wanna talk to any of the police officers. I was wondering if I could talk to her, to you…” Lizzie added looking at the girl. “I’m a FBI’s psychology.” Lizzie said knowing that throwing titles always worked on the rich and snub. She saw their faces changing right in front of her.
“Oh yes, you can talk to her.” The mother said looking at Lizzie’s FBI credentials that she carried around to moments just like these.
“We’ll give you a moment.” The father said leaving the room with his wife.
“Lizzie…” She heard Hope calling. Lizzie ignored her.
“Hello, my name is Lizzie. I’m sorry that happened to you, Lara.” Lizzie said and the girl kept looking ahead blankly. “I’m sure a lot of people came here trying to make you talk… maybe even your parents tried to make you talk.” Lizzie continued noticing that her breathing quickened just enough for Lizzie to know that the girl just needed the right push. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for her, Lizzie knew quite well about pushing buttons. Lizzie was completely aware of Hope watching them from the far side of the room. “I know how it is.” Lizzie said. Lara’s expression shifted a little and Lizzie noticed that she didn’t believe it. “I really do, you know. I, too, was kidnapped and my voice and choice taken away.” Lizzie told her and Lara glanced at Lizzie. “I know you wanted to keep the baby, Lara.” Lizzie said and Lara sniffed. “Who did this to you and to your baby should pay for taking away your choice.” Lara shook her head with tears on her eyes.
“I wasn’t going to keep the baby.” Lara whispered crying and Lizzie went to her side and held her hand.
“Also your choice, Lara…” Lizzie said. “But it wasn’t your choice to be kidnapped and forced into it.” Lizzie guessed and Lara shook her head.
“But it was all my fault.” Lara said starting to sob.
“I’m sure it wasn’t.” Lizzie tried but she knew how anything people said to you at those moments really mattered.
“It was. I was going to take it out. I’m only eighteen and next semester I would be at Yale with my best friend. I didn’t want a baby to stop me from that.” Lara said and Lizzie nodded. “But then, I saw the baby with the ultrasound. It was a girl, you know.” She said almost unintelligible through the tears and stuttering. “I decided to keep her. My best friend was there with me. She even told me that we could rent an apartment and take care of the baby and just delay our plans for a little bit; that she would be our little baby for us to spoil.” Lara said with a half laugh. “Alice would do anything for me.” She added, probably referring to her best friend. “When I told him, he got angry… told me our futures wouldn’t be messed up because of an unwanted baby. I told him that he didn’t need to be part of it; that I wouldn’t tell anyone about it.” Lara said and then she looked at Lizzie. “I guess he didn’t believe me.” She finished and Lizzie hugged her.
“Where is Alice?” Lizzie asked knowing that a best friend that had stood by her side like that would definitely be here.
“I don’t know. I’ve been calling her since I woke up but she doesn’t answer her phone. He told me he would hurt her if I told anyone. He’s going to kill her too now that I told you.” Lara said. “Please, you have to find her.” She asked clutching to Lizzie’s hands for dear life. Lizzie pushed all her own emotions down and focused on helping the girl. She nodded.
“I’ll do my best.” She promised. “What’s the name of the baby’s father?” Lizzie asked and Lara gulped before talking.
“Andrew Lewis.” She said and Lizzie heard Hope’s gasp. Lizzie nodded and smiled reassuringly at Lara one more time before leaving going to the door. When they left the room, her parents came to them.
“Did she talk?” They asked and Lizzie nodded.
“We’re going to do anything to bring him to justice.” Lizzie said. “Now go stay with your daughter.” She told them and they, although curious to know what their daughter had said, went to take care of her because she was more important. When she and Hope walked out of the hospital, Hope stopped taking Lizzie’s arm.
“Andrew Lewis like in the senator Anderson Lewis’ son?” Hope asked and sighed.
“That’s why he did it. He knew that a teen pregnancy would stain his father’s name; would stain his opportunity of following his steps.” Lizzie said shaking her head. “I should have remembered earlier…” She whispered and Hope opened her mouth to say something but Lizzie cut her out. “Not now. Now we go talk to him.”
“And barge into a senator’s house?” Hope asked stunned.
“Do you have any other idea, Hope?” Lizzie shouted and Hope frowned.
“I do actually, Lizzie.” Hope said turning around and picking up her phone. Lizzie knew she should apologize for snapping at Hope but she knew that as soon as she started talking, she wouldn’t stop and right now was not the moment. “Hello, Miss. Lewis. Yes, I’m fine. My family too.” Lizzie heard Hope saying. Of course she would know the senator’s family. Rich people always knew each other. “Yes, I have two kids, actually. Alyssa and Pedro.” Hope answered softly. “Of course you can meet them.” Hope answered and then her tone turned serious. “I’m really calling because I need your help, Anne.” Hope said and waited for the other person the line to talk. “It’s about your nephew. Can we meet right now?” Hope asked and then smiled. “Okay, I’ll meet you there.” Hope said hanging up. Then she looked at Lizzie. “You’re the one that told me to think with your head, Lizzie.” Hope said and Lizzie sighed. She didn’t apologize though and when Hope noticed she wasn’t going to right now, she turned away and they both went to the car. When she met Anne Lewis, she wasn’t what Lizzie expected at all.
“Hello, Hope, my darling. I don’t see you since you were eighteen and rebellious.” Anne said joking and Hope smiled fondly.
“How I missed your cakes, Anne.” Hope said looking at the cakes on display. Anne, apparently, was the owner of this little bakery on the other side of the town.
“I do know you love them. Your dear father ordered the same number of your age in cakes for each of your birthdays. I still remember the fifteenth one. I had to work three days in a row baking like crazy.” Anne said and Hope laughed.
“My dad was too exaggerated.” Hope said and Lizzie smiled at the cute story. Hope had told her that, obviously, but hearing someone besides her family that had met little Hope was something that squeezed Lizzie in the heart.
“Are you going to introduce me?” Anne asked and Hope looked at Lizzie smiling.
“This is my gir-” Hope started and then her eyes widened. “My friend, Lizzie.” Hope corrected. Although Lizzie herself had asked Hope to take things slow, she would never be satisfied with being introduced as Hope’s friend.
“Hello.” Lizzie said and the old woman hugged her.
“Friend, huh?” She said making both Lizzie and Hope blush. After smiling softly at Hope for a few seconds, Anne’s face turned serious and she looked between them. “What did he do this time?” Anne asked and just the fact that she had said this time made Lizzie’s angers double.
“Do you know Lara Thomas?” Hope asked and Anne smiled.
“Yes. Nice girl, always come by my bakery with her best friend, Alice. Always has trouble choosing which cake so Alice just orders at least three of them and they spend the whole afternoon eating and giggling like children.” Anne said smiling. “What happened to her?”
“She was pregnant with Andrew’s baby but this afternoon she was kidnapped and forced to make an abortion.” Hope explained and Lizzie watched as Anne’s face turned horrified.
“And you think Andrew did it.” Anne guessed and Hope nodded.
“I’m sorry.” Hope said taking her hand. Anne shook her head.
“It’s not a surprise… It’s just that I hoped that Andrew would turn out different from his father, you know?” Anne said. “How can I help you?”
“Right now, the police doesn’t know about it but as soon as news’ out about what happened, the senator will lawyer up and he’ll be untouchable. I don’t want to let this go unpunished, Anne.” Hope said and Lizzie watched as Anne brushed away one tear. “Right now, Alice may be even kidnapped too. Can you tell me if you have any idea of where he could have gone to besides the main house?” Hope asked and Anne started to shake her head but then stopped.
“When we were little, my brother and his friends used to go to a cabin up the mountain. I don’t know the location, though.” Anne said and Hope nodded thankful.
“Its something. Thank you, Anne.” Hope said standing up to leave.
“I want to meet your kids, Hope.” Anne said changing the subject just before Hope left. Hope smiled at her.
“Only if you promise not to spoil them like you did me.” Hope answered back and Anne snorted.
“As if.” She said making Hope laugh. “If he did it, Hope… make him pay for it.” Anne say just as they left.
When they went to the car, Lizzie looked at Hope. “She’s the senator’s sister. I didn’t even know he had one.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded.
“She cut ties with her family when she was still a teenager. She didn’t like that they were willing to do just about everything to get more power.” Hope explained. “Let’s stop by Alice’s house to make sure she’s missing before we go after him, okay?” Hope asked and Lizzie nodded.
“How do you know her address?” Lizzie asked and Hope rolled her eyes.
“Her last name.” Hope said. “I came to this town for eighteen years… if I had your memory, I would get it at first but since I don’t have, there’s only another person that would recall perfectly the address of someone.” Hope said calling someone. “Aunt Rebekah?” Hope said and Lizzie smiled. Of course Rebekah would know. She probably knew every single name of every single person that lived in every single town the Mikaelson had houses at. “Do you remember the Chens from Aspen? Specifically, Alice Chen.” Hope said and her aunt’s voice filled the car.
“Alice Chen? Of course I know her. Nik and her younger sister had a thing last time we went to Aspen. Why?” Rebekah asked suspiciously.
“Nothing. We just found a…” Hope looked at Lizzie for help. Lizzie shrugged. “…a journal with her name and we wanted to give it back.” Hope lied. Very badly, Lizzie grimaced.
“Okay. So this call had nothing to do with the fact that Alice’s best friend, Lara, is in the hospital after being kidnapped?” Rebekah said and Lizzie smirked at Hope’s grimace. Rebekah was amazing. “Because you should be on vacation, you know.” Rebekah pointed out.
“I am. Like I said… only looking out to deliver her this journal.” Hope said and Lizzie could virtually see Rebekah rolling her eyes.
“I just texted you her address.” Rebekah said.
“Thank you.” Hope said hanging up and giving Lizzie a pointed look. “Aunt Rebekah earning every penny she gets as a house designer. She knows everything.” Hope said. Lizzie smiled distractedly. Lizzie knew she was forgetting something just like she knew that she knew something when the girl first disappeared at the Magic Show.
“Where’s the magician that made Lara disappears?” Lizzie asked.
“At the police station. They’re trying to crack him but he was probably just payed to choose her from the audience and who kidnapped her was waiting. They will only will release him tomorrow after 24 hours. That’s what happens when a rich kid goes missing around here.” Hope said with just enough intensity for Lizzie to know something was wrong with her. She wanted to ask; not ask really because she suspected why Hope was like this; but to just talk to Hope but right now they had more important things at hand and with Lizzie’s brain not working correctly, any distraction threatened to make Lizzie snap.
“Can we talk to Mr. Chen?” Hope asked when someone led them inside the house. After Hope and Lizzie waited for a couple of minutes, two men came to them.
“I’m Victor and this is my husband, Terrence. How can we help you?” He asked and Hope looked at Lizzie before talking. Hope always conducted the talks with suspects and victims.
“My name is Hope and I’m from the FBI.” Hope said showing her badge. “Can you tell me where is your daughter Alice?” Hope asked and the men looked between themselves before looking back at Hope worried.
“She’s at the hospital with her friend Lara. We asked her if she wanted us to come but she said that more people there would only overwhelm the family and we agreed.” Victor said looking at Lizzie and then back at Hope. “She’s not there, right?” He asked, his hand going to his mouth. “Oh my god, where is she?”
“We don’t know but we’re looking for her.” Hope said and Terrence, that had stared blankly at them as if he didn’t believe that was happening finally spoke.
“What happened to her?”
“We don’t know yet.” Hope said. “We would appreciate your discretion about it. We’re dealing with a time-sensitive approach right now and if word is out that she’s missing…”
“Whoever took her could hurt her.” Terrence finished and Hope nodded. “We won’t tell anyone for an hour. After that, I’ll send this whole town after my little girl.” He informed them.
“Thank you.” Hope said and they left the house. As the seconds passed, Lizzie anxiousness increased and she could barely breath. After driving up the road to the Red Mountain, Hope stopped and looked at Lizzie. “Breath. Lizzie, talk to me.”
“I should remember.” Lizzie started.
“That again, Lizzie? It isn’t your fault.” Hope said shaking her head. Lizzie tried to explain that it wasn’t just for the first time; that she was missing something important right now but Hope wasn’t finished. “Didn’t you stop to think that I’m feeling guilty too?” Hope asked and Lizzie flinched. She had noticed, of course, but she hadn’t let herself dwell on that. “You told me something was wrong and I just told you she was just probably a rich girl with a rebellious streak. As I told you that, that girl was being drugged and taken to get her baby out against her will. “ Hope said shaking her head. “I feel guilty too, Lizzie.” Hope said and that was it. Lizzie knew that talking would lead to herself talking too.
“It wasn’t your fault.” Lizzie said and Hope snorted.
“I know that.” Hope said. “I also know that you know that it wasn’t yours. The guilt doesn’t know that, though, right?” Hope asked and Lizzie nodded. Hope waited for Lizzie to talk.
“Today I- I tried to- I don’t know what happened to me. I-I-I-” Lizzie tried and then then she started to take shallow breaths. A panic attack forming.
“Hey, hey, hey. Breath, okay.” Hope said, her hand traveling up and down her back. Lizzie nodded and tried to take a deep breath. After taking her time, she looked at Hope with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry, Lizzie.” Hope said. Even though Lizzie said she didn’t know what happened, she knew that they both knew what was it. “Just take your time.”
“That’s just it. We don’t have time. Our work is to save people before it’s too late. We have to save this girl before it’s too late. How will I help her, them if I- If I can’t do what I’m supposed to do?” Lizzie exclaimed and Lizzie knew that Hope could feel the pain in her words. “They just keep in the FBI because I’m supposed to be that good. No one likes me, Hope. The only reason they do what I want and they tolerate me it’s because they know that at the end of the day, they’ll get congratulated over me solving the cases.” Lizzie said and Hope sighed. They both know it was true. The FBI’s director that had gotten Lizzie to come back to work only did it because her job was at the stake and ever since Lizzie had started working for them, the director had gotten three new promotions over the high percentage of solved cases. “I should solve things, Hope. I should’ve realized that that bomb was about to happen.” There was it. Out loud for the universe to hear. Hope wasn’t surprised, Lizzie noticed. “I should have realized and now people are dead.”
“We don’t have to do the it’s not your fault speech because we both know it isn’t.” Hope said sighing. She took Lizzie’s hand and Lizzie trembled. “Is this why you think you’re gonna change?” Hope asked bringing back their last night conversation. Lizzie nodded.
“People expect things of me. I expect things from me. If I’m not this genius that I’m expected to be anymore, who am I?” Lizzie asked and Hope tilted her head smiling softly.
“I could say that you’re the love of my life.” Hope begun and Lizzie narrowed her eyes at her.
“That’s seems rather restrictive. No one wants to be just the love of someone’s life.” Lizzie said and Hope smiled quietly; Lizzie knew she was trying to make Lizzie feel better as she could. They already had talked about this; Lizzie always said that people couldn’t be satisfied just being someone’s love. Hope would laugh about it.
“That’s why I said I could say, so I won’t. I could also argue that you’re the softest person I have ever met.” Hope said and Lizzie frowned.
“I would definitely counterargue. So would everyone that ever met me.” Lizzie said. Hope’s smile widened.
“Of course you would. What you are is strong.” Hope said pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Strong to pick yourself up when you needed. Strong to go face-to-face with danger every time you decide to walk out of home to go solve a case. Strong to fight for your patients; specially the little ones that have trouble to find their voices. That’s who you are: strong enough to answer that question yourself. I don’t have to answer that question for you, right?” Hope asked.
“I guess you don’t.” Lizzie said sighing and they both stared at the blackness of the road ahead for a few minutes. “I know that I’m suppose to remember something; something that would help us right now. It’s just beyond my reach.” Lizzie said and then half laughed. “Funny enough, I know all the psychological explanation for what I’m going through. It’s my subconscious reacting at what happened with the bomb. I should have realized it before it was too late so my brain is locked right now. That’s what happens when someone goes through a traumatic situation.” Lizzie said and Hope looked at her. “We both know quite a lot about traumatic situation, don’t we?” Lizzie asked and Hope nodded snorting.
“More than I ever imagined possible.” Hope answered.
“I know all the rational explanation and I try to analyze it over and over trying to bypass this problem but I just can’t.”
“I try to punch my problems away, so I’m not good at giving advices.” Hope said and Lizzie grimaced. The lawyer Hope punched had filed a complain about her. So had Mrs. Clarke, the kids’ other social worked that had terrified Alyssa. Lizzie wouldn’t judge Hope; she had quite a few retraining orders against her.
“I guess we both do.” Lizzie said looking at the clock. “Half an hour before Alice’s fathers call the police and the whole town will know. If Andrew gets stressed, he could kill Alice Hope. Lara wouldn’t handle losing her.” Lizzie whispered.
“I’ve never heard about the cabin up the mountain.” Hope said shaking her head. “I guess that Rebekah could have but it’s unlikely, she never liked senator Lewis so she wasn’t close enough to know about it.” Hope said. The cabin up the mountain…
The cabin up the mountain…
“Little cabin in the woods.” Lizzie said and then looked at Hope. “Where do people hunt around here?” Lizzie asked and Hope frowned.
“Up the mountain they can find mountain-lions.” Hope said looking at Lizzie. “What’s a little cabin in the woods?”
“I kids’ song that have been playing in my mind all day for some reason.” Lizzie said. “Why?”
“Here in aspen we have a different version of it.” Hope said. “Little cabin in the woods up where was formed a brotherhood, with their blood they swore an oath near the creek and the old white oak.” Hope sang shaking head.” Something like that, I used to hear some children singing when I was young.”
“That’s it.” Lizzie said and Hope’s eyes widened.
“Did you remember something?” Hope asked and Lizzie nodded.
“Why is you house called the white oak?” Lizzie asked and Hope opened her mouth surprised.
“Because it was all built of it. The Mikaelsons that first built it practically used all the white oak trees around here.”
“Practically?” Lizzie asked smiling.
“Yes, there’s a protected reserve up the Hunter Creek Rd.” Hope said and then her eyes widened. She started to drive. “Where?” She asked and pieces of things that Lizzie were supposed to remember started to fit together.
“To the Trail’s guard’s cabin.” Lizzie said.
“Why?”
“The guard will know of a cabin like that.” Lizzie said and Hope drove fast. They had less than an hour before it was probably too late.
“Why do you think he’ll help?” Hope asked.
“He’s our magician’s father. He’ll probably want to get the blame out of his shoulders.” Lizzie said and Hope only raised an eyebrow for Lizzie to explain. “I noticed that the pocket watch he used on his trick had an engraving. Although you didn’t follow the honorable profession, we still love you. The watch was styled to look a compass. Also, he was wearing a Hunter Creek Trail t-shirt.” Lizzie explained. She hoped she wasn’t wrong in her assumptions. When they arrived at the place, they left the car and ran to the Guard’s cabin.
“My name’s Hope Mikaelson and I’m with the FBI. Are you the magicians’ father?”
“No, I’m the mother.” A woman answered and the guard that had let them in left them alone. It was a mother then. “They put the FBI on it?” She asked and Lizzie saw Hope glance at her before looking back at the woman.
“We know your son just accepted some money thinking it was just a joke and we want to put the real guilt beside bars.” Hope started. “Can you tell us if there’s any cabin around here? Next to a creek perhaps?” Hope said glancing at Lizzie again to be sure.
“I don’t know if I should believe you but it’s a cold Friday night and you two are here actually doing some police work rather than interrogating my son until he cries so yes, I know one. It’s about two kilometers into the woods. It’s almost always empty at this time. Some boys come and go during summer, though.” She answered and Hope looked at Lizzie relieved. “But the snow is too thick for you to cross at foot from here right now. Get your car and circle it to the other side of the road to get there. It will take longer but at least you’ll get there alive.” The woman said writing down exactly where the place was. After they left the Guard’s cabin and started to drive, Lizzie’s heart started to hammer inside her chest. If they got there too late…
“It’s going to be okay.” Hope said and Lizzie nodded. It took them almost thirty minutes just to get there and Lizzie knew that by now everyone knew about her being missing. When they saw the cabin from afar, Hope turned off the car’s light and after driving a little more, the left the car and went the rest of the way on foot. There were two cars there. Hope looked at Lizzie and they both went to the window. There were people talking inside inside. They stopped and listened.
“What were you thinking?” An older voice asked. “Kidnap the girl and force her through an abortion? Didn’t you think that she would tell people?”
“That’s why I kidnapped her friend. To send her a message. I was going to free her tomorrow just so she knows I’m serious about it.” A younger voice answered and Lizzie heard a slap.
“Now, we’ll have to get rid of both of them, you inutile.” The older man said. Lizzie knew it was the senator and his son talking. “You’re luck that your little bitch didn’t open her mouth to the police already so we can get rid of her before she says something. Now I’ll have to get my hands dirty because of you, Andrew.” The senator said and Lizzie heard another slap. “Go kill the girl. I’ll call one of my men to get rid of the other.” He said and Lizzie looked at Hope desperate.
“Wait here.” Hope mouthed and Lizzie nodded. She watched as Hope took a gun from whatever place she always kept them hidden and shot the door handle making it open.
“Stop where you are.” Hope said and Lizzie kept watching from the window. “Where’s your son? Call him here.” Hope shouted and the senator shook his head when his son came back to the main room.
“Go kill her.” He ordered and Andrew looked stupidly between his father and Hope before going back to the place he was going. “Do you think you can try something, girl?” The senator asked Hope and Lizzie knew Hope was about to shoot him somewhere that wouldn’t get him killed and then go after his son, when Lizzie felt a gun to her back.
“Get up slowly.” The person behind her said and Lizzie did it. They led her through the door Hope had just gotten broken.
“Drop your gun or I will kill her.” The voice beside her said and Hope looked at Lizzie bored.
“What is it with you that you are always getting caught?” Hope asked and Lizzie shrugged. When Lizzie felt the trigger of the gun behind her getting released, two things happened in a very short amount of time. Hope, faster than any human being should be allowed to be, turned her gun to the person holding Lizzie and Lizzie only felt the gun to her back falling. She looked behind her to find the guy with a perfect shot between his eyes. Dead. Looking behind, though, she lost the second thing that happened but when she looked back at Hope, she had kicked the senator’s kneecap so hard that the bone had cut through skin. He was screaming. They heard a shot from the back of the cabin and they looked at each other before Hope punched the senator leaving him unconscious and they ran to the back of the cabin. Lizzie’s heart was crying and begging that it wasn’t Alice. She knew Lara would never recover if Alice wasn’t there by her side; if Alice had died because of her.
When they got there, though, Andrew was on the ground, blood all over him and a girl stood there with shaking hands holding a gun. Hope went to check on the guy and Lizzie went to the girl.
“Hey, it’s okay now. You’re safe now.” Lizzie said taking the gun away from her and giving it to Hope. “It’s okay.”
“How is Lara? He said he would kill her.” Alice whispered as if her voice wasn’t strong enough to say that horrific thing out loud.
“She’s fine. She’s waiting for you.” Lizzie said and Alice nodded relieved beyond measure; Lizzie knew the feeling. Lizzie noticed that she didn’t shed a tear. Lizzie followed her look to the man on the ground.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” She asked and Hope nodded.
“Yes.”
“Good. This way he’ll never get close to Lara again.” Alice said and then looked away brething harshly. Lizzie looked at Hope and then back at Alice.
“He tried to hurt you but you’re okay now.” Lizzie said and Alice nodded. She hugged herself and Lizzie knew she was holding herself not to break in front of people she didn’t know. “Let’s get you home, okay?” Lizzie said and Alice shook her head.
“No. I want to go to the hospital.” Alice said and Lizzie knew that she wasn’t going to change her mind. And it was also the right thing to do; Alice had a few wounds here and there and a purple eye that made Lizzie angry at someone that could hurt someone else like this.
“I called the police, they’re coming here. We should wait outside.” Hope said and they all went outside. Lizzie noticed that Alice didn’t even flinch from the bodies on the ground. The unconscious senator’s leg was bleeding out and Hope stayed inside to wrap something around it to stop the bleeding. After only thirty minutes, the police was here. They talked to Hope and Lizzie and they explained what it had happened. Then they started to talk to Alice. Hop stood by her side as Lizzie was interrogated by another police officer. When Lizzie’s interrogator decided that she had enough for the report, she dismissed Lizzie. Lizzie watched Hope and Alice. She knew that the girl was still in shock. She answered all the questions steadily and rationally giving details when one of the officers asked.
“Does it get better?” Lizzie heard someone asking from her side. She had been so focused on Hope and Alice that she hadn’t noticed that both girls' families had gotten here. Lizzie frowned looking at Lara; she wasn’t supposed to be out of the hospital. Then Lizzie sighed because of course Lara would be here for her friend. “This pain and the hollowness and the hopelessness?” Lizzie thought about it. She never lied; she wouldn’t start with this girl. She looked at Hope that was accompanying Alice as she explained what had happened to the police. She thought about all the times she had asked herself this same question.
“You see that one with your friend? She was with me earlier. Her name is Hope. She’s my person.” Lizzie explained with a soft smile. “As long as you hold on tight to your people… your family,” Lizzie pointed at her mom and dad that were just waiting to take Lara home and take care of her. “…your friend…” Lizzie pointed at Alice and noticed that Lara was looking at her as if the only thing in the world she wanted to do; she needed; was be next to her best friend. “…it’s going to get better even if it doesn’t seem like that right now.” Lizzie finished and Lara nodded. She started to walk towards Alice and, just like Hope seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Lizzie, Alice also seemed to have when it came to Lara, because she completely turned away from the police officers talking to her and ran to her friend. Lizzie watched as both girls hugged each other, as Alice whispered something in Lara’s ears and she nodded crying. As Lara traced with her fingers over her friends wounds with so much care and as Alice held Lara’s face telling her that she was okay. Lizzie felt Hope’s hands slip on hers while she watched the girls taking in each other with both sad and hopeful eyes. Changed eyes. They would never be the same.
“You did good today.” Hope said and Lizzie smiled softly.
“You too.” Lizzie said turning to her. “I’m sorry for today.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded.
“It was a good day, Lizzie. They’re both alive.” Hope said pointing at the girl with her chin. They watched for a few moments as their families came to them but they only wanted to be next to each other. They seemed to understand because as they entered the car to take them home, the girls went together and the parents shifted couples so Lara’s mom and one of Alice’s dad took them home in the car. The other two followed them in another car. Lizzie smiled softly at Hope.
“Yes.” She said, then “Just because we helped in this case, it doesn’t actually mean we’re in our workplace, right?” Lizzie asked and Hope frowned.
“Not really. Even though we solved it all and delivered it in a silver plate for the local police, this isn’t actually work.” Hope said. “Why?”
“Because then I can do this.” Lizzie said holding Hope’s head and kissing her. She noticed with amusement that Hope gasped surprised into the kiss which only made her smile.
“So we’re public now?” Hope asked delighted and Lizzie nodded.
“Yes. And…” Lizzie started taking Hope’s hands. “If you’re okay with this… I want the kids to know.” She said and watched as Hope’s face lit up and she nodded eagerly.
“If I’m okay with this?” Hope asked smiling and kissing Lizzie again. “You know I am.” Hope said and Lizzie smiled.
“Let’s get the kids and go home.” Lizzie said and Hope nodded smiling. They went to the car and drove all the way to MG’s house. After they arrived there and Hope and Lizzie apologized for taking so long, they finally took the kids home. Pedro was already almost sleeping and Alyssa wanted to have a “talk” about abandoning her with Clara for the whole day. When they were almost home, Pedro spoke.
“Mommy, Lizzie.” He started in a dead-serious voice. “Clara explained to me what the two of you were doing on the bed together.” Pedro said and Lizzie heard Hope choking.
“They were on the bed?” Alyssa asked and Lizzie tried not to blush at the slow way she had asked it. “Together?”
“Yes. Today morning when I went to wake mom up.” Pedro explained still all seriousness.
“What did Clara tell you?” Hope asked and Lizzie looked away from her face or else she would burst out laughing.
“Everything.” Pedro said and Hope choked again.
“I told you she was the devil in a cute dress and round glasses desguise.” Alyssa muttered in her I-told-you-so smug voice.
“Everything? Like, literally everything?” Lizzie asked shifting on her seat to look at Pedro. Hope gave her a look.
“Yes. She told me to tell you not to get angry at her that she ruined the surprise.” Pedro said and Lizzie frowned.
“The surprise?” She asked as Hope parked in front of their house. She also shifted on her seat to look at Pedro.
“What surprise?” Hope asked.
“About the dog you are getting me. Clara told me you two had spent the whole night looking at pictures of dogs to choose one for me.” He said, his eyes shining. “Thank you, mommy. Thank you, Lizzie.” Pedro said. Hope opened her mouth and then closed it. She looked at Lizzie and it was exactly what was needed to make Lizzie’s neutral face drop. She started to laugh. Then Hope joined her and then Alyssa. Pedro looked at them as if they were crazy and it only made them laugh more. When they left the car with Pedro’s whispers of “Girls", Alyssa smiled as if she had won the lottery.
“Now you know the Clara I know.” She said laughing and walking inside happier than ever. Lizzie looked at Hope and shrugged.
“Well, now we get him a dog.”
NEXT CHAPTER
"What do you think when you hear the word sex?" The woman asked and Hope breathed slowly. She thought about a lot of things; all of them Lizzie-related. Hope tried not to look at the responsible for her thoughts right now. "Now let's make an exercise. I want you to pair-up and look into your partners' eyes. Now I want you to say what you like the most when you're in bed." She said and Hope noticed that both her and Lizzie were avoiding each other's eyes. They knew they would break out laughing if they did. It wasn't even funny; Hope was more than five years without... No, no thinking about that. Lizzie said slow.
"You two are not looking into each other's eyes. I feel a lot of tension coming out from you. How long have you two been so disconnected physically?" The therapist asked and that was it; the last thread of Hope's self-control. She started to laugh and then Lizzie started to laugh and then a lot of other couples started to laugh too.
This was a hell of a couple's therapy.