Chapter 10- We Can Work This Out… Together.
Sunday was a pretty slow day for the girls. Hope woke up around 7am and went for a run, leaving Josie still sleeping soundly in bed. Hope only ran for about an hour before she decided to head back home. She didn't want to leave Josie alone for too long, even though she could guarantee that Josie would still be fast asleep when she got back. Except today was different. When Hope arrived back at the house, Josie was stood in the kitchen with her back to Hope.
"Morning." Hope spoke as she walked through the door.
"Oh shit." Josie dropped a bowl on the floor, and it smashed. "You scared me." She frowned as she bent down and picked up the shattered pieces. "I wondered where you got to. When I woke up, you weren't there."
"I went for a run. I didn't want to wake you. What are you doing up this early anyway?" Hope smiled as she walked over to Josie.
"I was trying to make us some breakfast." Josie shook her head as she threw the broken bowl into the bin.
"Awe that's adorable." Hope laughed as she pulled Josie into a hug.
"Ew, you're all sweaty." Josie chuckled as she pulled away.
"I don't sweat… that much… usually." Hope frowned. "Must be because I came home and found my amazingly beautiful, gorgeous, sexy girlfriend trying to make breakfast for me, and my hormones just can't take it." Hope devilishly grinned as she rushed to pick Josie up, wrapped her legs around her waist and walked her over to the sofa, before she threw her down and climbed on top, kissing her.
"Fuck… I forgot you move fast." Josie giggled as she her head hit the sofa.
"It's not the only thing you have forgotten." Hope laughed as she rocked her hips into Josie and leaned in to kiss her again.
Josie moaned as she felt her girlfriend's weight settle onto her. She placed her hands on the back of Hope's neck and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. Josie rolled her tongue over Hope's bottom lip and slipped it inside the redhead's warm mouth. Their tongues met and flowed against each other. Josie's hands found their way into Hope's vest top and up to her breasts. Hope moaned at the sensation and pulled her own top over her head and threw it across the room, before returning to her previous position.
Josie grinned at her girlfriend's action. Her hands tugged on the redhead's sports bra, freeing the breasts trapped inside. Her hands palmed her girlfriend's breasts before she rolled her fingers over the nipples and tugged them slightly. Hope moaned but then shot up straight. "Your dad is awake." Hope whispered. She quickly released Josie's legs from around her and ran to pick her top up. She rushed to put it back on as Alaric started to walk downstairs.
"Morning girls." Alaric stated. He looked over at Hope, who was stood in the middle of the room looking like a deer caught in headlights, but he didn't say anything.
"Morning Dad." Josie smiled shyly.
"Morning Alaric." Hope waved awkwardly, then shook her head and ran upstairs.
"What's wrong with her?" Alaric asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll go find out." Josie shrugged as she slowly moved herself off the sofa and headed upstairs to find Hope.
When Josie arrived upstairs, she found Hope pacing up and down the bedroom. She hesitated slightly in the doorway before she entered the room, stopping Hope in her tracks. "Hey, what's wrong?" Josie asked as she pulled Hope into her arms.
"I just… I don't know… Argh, God. Why is this so hard?" Hope groaned. "I just feel so… messed up? Confused? Lost?... I don't know, it just feels like every time we… get close to… you know… something always happens and then I just feel like… shit."
"Why do you feel like shit?" Josie quizzed as she pulled away slightly to look at Hope.
"Because… In the moment, I really want it. I really want you. But then something stops us… And I get time to think… And I feel like shit. Partly because I hate that we got interrupted… but the other part, the bigger part is… It feels like…" Hope shook her head. "It feels like… I'm, erm, taking advantage of you."
"You're not taking advantage of me… Why would you think that?" Josie frowned.
Hope moved away from Josie and sat on the bed, she rubbed her hands on her legs a few times and stared at the floor. It took her a few minutes before she had the courage to speak again. Josie turned to face her when she did. "Because… I know everything about you. I know about your life and your loves. I know what makes you happy and what makes you cry. I've been by your side during some of your worst moments and some of your best ones… I remember when Penelope broke up with you and how you cried for days. I remember when your mom, Josette, buried you alive in the cemetery on your 16th birthday and how me, MG and Penelope found you because of a talisman I gave you. I remember the first time I ever heard you sing, and I was mesmerised by you. I remember the first time you ever used black magic, you and Lizzie did it to save me and my dad. I remember when you got shot… I have so many memories of you inside my head and it feels so overwhelming at times." Hope had started shaking and tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I know all this about you, but you don't remember anything about me. Yes, I can tell you all about me, but that will never replace the memories that you have lost. You don't know what I've been through, what I've experienced. You don't understand how mad I get and how my anger can take over me without warning. I don't know if I can keep putting on this… happy face, whenever I'm near you, when sometimes all I want to do is just breakdown and cry. If you remembered me, then you'd know that I don't get close to people, I don't let my guard down because I end up getting hurt… Just before I went into Malivore's pit, we were getting to a good place… we were friends. You were there for me, even when I tried everything to push you away…. I don't want to… start something that could be based on lies or half-truths. I don't want to hurt you." Hope wiped away the tears that were falling from her face.
Josie moved and knelt in front of Hope, she placed her hands upon Hope's knees. "Listen to me, okay? You are not going to hurt me, and you are not taking advantage of me. Yes, I know that you know everything about me, and I don't know anything about you. But I want too. I want you to let me in. I want you to show me who you are… You don't have to put on a happy face for me. Whatever you feel, I want you to talk to me about it. You tell me to trust you… Well now it's your turn to trust me. I want to remember. I want to know you. I would do anything to get those memories back, because I feel like a part of me is missing, I felt like a part of me has been missing for a while but I could never figure it out…" Josie shook her head. "But I have you now and you have me. I am with you every step of the way, whatever you want to do. I am with you. We can work this out, together." Josie looked up at Hope and tried to wipe the tears from her girlfriend's face.
Hope pulled her face away from Josie's hand, she didn't want to be touched. All she did was stand up and walk out of the room, she ran downstairs and out the door. She wanted to be alone. She needed to be alone. It was what she was used to. It was what she was familiar with. Hope started running, she ran fast, and she ran far.
Hope's feet carried her until she finally collapsed, her lungs gasping for air. It took her a few seconds to figure out where she was. Hope had run to the Lockwood Manor. She made her way over to the old cellar and stripped off, placing her clothes in the corner of the room before she started to wolf out. Yes, she was fully aware that she was wolfing out in the middle of the morning, but it was a Sunday and the Lockwood Manor was practically abandoned now. The Salvatore Boarding School used it as a sort of 'safe-haven' in the past, so she knew it was relatively safe.
It didn't take Hope long to transition. She emerged from the cellar in her greyish-white form. She loved being in her wolf form. It was freeing to her; she could run for hours and not feel tired. She could clear her head and right now, that was what she needed. She slowly climbed the stairs to make sure it was clear before she jumped and started to sprint across the woods.
Josie tried to run after Hope, but she was too fast. Alaric was stood in the kitchen, frowning at the front door when Josie came down. "What just happened?" Alaric asked.
"I don't know… One minute we were talking, then she was crying… Next thing I know, she's running out. I really don't know what happened." Josie looked distraught and confused. Alaric walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.
"Just give her some time to calm down. If she's not back in 2 hours, we'll go out and look for her. How does that sound?" Alaric rubbed his hand up and down Josie's arm. Even though he had two daughters, he wasn't great at showing affection. Josie just stood there tucked awkwardly in her dad's side.
"Okay, I'm going to have a shower." Josie shifted out from her dad's side and headed back upstairs. She paced around her room for a couple of minutes before she decided to call Hope's phone. Josie picked up her own phone and scrolled through the contacts until she found Hope's name. She started the call and placed the phone to her ear. A few seconds later there was a muffled ringing in the room. Josie frowned as she unruffled the bedsheets and found Hope's phone. "Of course she doesn't have her phone." Josie shook her head as she ended the call. She sighed as she sat down on the bed and dropped her back to the mattress.
After a few minutes, Josie forced herself up and off the bed then headed to the bathroom. She took a long shower; she couldn't get Hope's words out of her head. They kept repeating themselves over and over again. She couldn't believe that Hope just took off like that. She needed to find her. She needed to know that she was alright. When Josie finished her shower, she headed back to the bedroom and got changed before she ventured downstairs. She made her way into Alaric's 'magic' study (it was his private room where he kept some of his journals from his time as a Vampire Hunter. He also kept some weapons in there and some ingredients for potions and a few planters of vervain… He had to grow it somewhere) and syphoned some magic from one of the items and grabbed a map of mystic falls before she ran back up to her bedroom.
Josie pulled a penknife out of her bag and picked up Hope's phone then sat on the floor in the middle of the room. She placed the map on the floor and the phone next to it. She stabbed herself in the finger with the penknife and let the blood pool on the paper. She recited the spell and the blood started to move across the paper. It took about five minutes for the blood to stop moving enough for Josie to read it properly. "The Lockwood Manor? What are you doing there?" Josie frowned. She gathered everything together and shoved it into her bag then headed downstairs.
Alaric was sat watching TV when Josie descended the stairs. "Are you okay Josie?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going out." She shrugged as she moved towards the door. She stopped to pull her shoes on before she walked out the door.
"Hope will be fine. Josie don't do anything… stupid!" Alaric called but his words fell on deaf ears and Josie soon left him alone.
Josie made her way to the Lockwood Manor; it took her close to an hour to walk there. When she arrived, she had no idea where to start looking. She knew that Hope was in the area, because the map told her. She started to walk around the building, it was all locked up and dark inside, so Josie figured that Hope wasn't inside. She started to walk through the woods, it wasn't long before she stumbled across the old cellar. Josie hesitated before she carefully shuffled down the stairs. "Hope? Hope are you down here?" It was dark in the cellar, so Josie turned on the flashlight on her phone. She frowned when she spotted Hope's clothes in the corner of the room. "Why are her clothes here? Why isn't she wearing them." It took Josie a few seconds to realise. "She's in wolf form… That's why the blood wouldn't settle. Stupid." Josie shook her head. She left the clothes where she found them and made her way back outside. She figured that Hope had to turn at some point, so she got settled onto the grass and waited.
Hope was running through the woods when a familiar scent hit her snout, causing her to stop in her tracks. What was Josie doing here? How did she find me? Hope thought to herself. She wanted to carry on running, but she had an urge to check on Josie. She padded her way over to Josie and tried to use the trees for cover, but she snapped a branch, startling Josie slightly. "Hope? Hope is that you?" Josie slowly stood up and apprehensively approached Hope. Hope shuffled backwards and growled lowly, forcing Josie to stop moving.
"Hope… I was worried about you, that's why I'm here. I did a locator spell to find you. You moved around a lot, so I only got a general area… But I am here for you. I will always be here, whenever you need me. It's what I do. I take care of people. So when you are ready to talk… I will be sat here, waiting for you. No matter how long you take, I will not leave you." Josie spoke softly.
Hope retreated back into the woods. She didn't go very far though; she didn't know who else was out here and she wanted to make sure Josie was safe. She padded around for another hour or so before she finally turned back and trotted to the cellar. Josie didn't move as she approached, she just watched Hope. Hope entered the cellar and transformed back, she got dressed then joined Josie upstairs. Hope sat down next to her but didn't say anything, she just stared off into the distance for a while.
Eventually she took a deep breath and took Josie's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. "I'm sorry." Hope barely whispered.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Josie replied.
"I shouldn't have run away earlier. I heard everything you said, and I got overwhelmed. What you said… I wanted to hear someone say it for the past three months. And when I heard you say them, I freaked… I didn't mean to make you worried." Hope sheepishly smiled.
"You don't need to explain it to me. I'm just glad that you are safe." Josie leaned her head into Hope's shoulder. They sat there, contempt, and not speaking for roughly thirty minutes before Josie shuffled. "We should probably head back soon…"
"Do we have to? I'm perfectly happy here." Hope frowned slightly.
"I mean we don't have too, but I do have to go back to school tonight, and it's starting to get pretty late." Josie pouted.
"I'm sorry that I ruined our weekend."
"You didn't ruin our weekend baby. Don't even think that. Yesterday was fun and today you needed space. It's completely normal. We haven't been together long, so we just need to find our rhythm. It will get easier and we will get better." Josie placed a simple kiss on Hope's cheek.
Hope finally relented and stood up, pulling Josie up with her. "Thank you for your patience." She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and kissed her. "I really mean it. Thank you… for everything."
"You don't need to thank me. You mean so much to me and I will do anything for you." Josie smiled. "Right we should really be going, otherwise my dad will start to freak."
Josie grabbed her girlfriend's hand and they walked back home. Alaric was sat watching TV when they entered. "Glad to see you're safe Hope." Alaric smiled.
"Thanks." Hope replied.
"Josie, I should probably take you back to school soon." Alaric stated.
"Yeah I know, just let me grab my stuff and then we can go." Josie squeezed Hope's hand before she dropped it and headed upstairs.
Hope made her way over to the sofa opposite Alaric and sat down. "I'm really sorry about running out like that. I don't usually do that. I just needed to clear my head." Hope shook her head.
"It's okay Hope. We are human after all… Well, you're not but you're a teenager, nonetheless. Just… next time, let me know… I'll be able to tell you where it is safe to go." Alaric smiled.
"Thank you. I'll try and keep that in mind. And thank you for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it." Hope half-smiled in return.
Alaric nodded his head. It wasn't long before Josie came downstairs with her bags in hand. "Right, I should probably take Josie back now. Are you coming?" Alaric asked Hope.
"Erm, yeah I can do." Hope smiled as she stood up from the sofa and walked over to Josie. "Is that okay with you?" Hope asked Josie.
"Yeah that's definitely fine with me." Josie smiled as she dropped her bag on the floor and pulled Hope into a hug. "If you need anything, just call me. Okay? Even if you don't need anything you can still call me." Josie placed a simple kiss on Hope's lips.
"I will do. The same goes for you as well. You can call me any time." Hope picked up Josie's bag and the three of them headed out the door.
The drive to the school was a quiet one. Hope and Josie sat in the back with their fingers interlaced. It didn't take long for them to reach the school. Josie unbuckled her seatbelt then turned to Hope and hugged her. "I'm gunna miss you. Call me okay?" Josie whispered.
"I'm gunna miss you too. And I will do." Hope placed a chaste kiss on Josie's cheek, making Josie smile.
"Thanks for dropping me off Dad." Josie spoke.
"It's okay, be safe. Love you." Alaric stated.
"Bye Dad." Josie smiled as she climbed out the car, she turned briefly to wave at Hope before she walked up the school drive and disappeared from view.
Hope felt a sadness overwhelm her slightly, but she shook her head and pushed the thoughts out the way. She wanted to focus on the good time she had spent with Josie this weekend and she knew she would see her again soon.