HopexPenelopexLizziexJosie

Chapter 13

Before school started the girls and the babies all seemed to be happy. Josie was doing exceptional with her blood lust and seemed to be thriving as the second full tribrid, but just a few days into the school year something changed, or rather reality set in. Penelope's heat had started, her first one since giving birth and just one day after her's ended Lizzie's heat started. Josie hadn't realized till then that since turning she had missed two heats and not for the reason that Penelope and Lizzie had missed theirs. She wasn't pregnant although after turning and without telling anyone she had went off her birth control. By the time Lizzie's heat and Hope's rut had ended, Josie started to pull away. She started staying at the school instead of going home with her mates and their children. She no longer held the babies, she didn't touch or kiss her girlfriends, nor did she really spend time with any of them. Her friends and family noticed, but every time someone would confront her she'd lie, she'd say that school and being a new vampire is a lot, which wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the real reason that she had pulled away. The school seems to be flying by, it's already December, Christmas and Eloise birthday are in just a couple days. Hope was fed up with Josie pulling away and had a plan in mind, but she needed to talk to Lizzie and Penelope first. Both of their heats had just passed so with that not being something that needed to be dealt with Hope decided that after Christmas and Eloise's first birthday she'd take a trip, just her and Josie.

"Hey my loves. Can we talk?" Hope walks in to the master bedroom where Lizzie and Penelope lay cuddled together while the children are napping.

"What's up Hope?" Lizzie asks sitting up along with Penelope.

"I know you both can see that Josie is pulling away, I'm worried about her."

"Yeah, she's never been so distant before. I'm scared that she is slipping away from us." Lizzie fights tears back.

"I know, princess." Hope climbs into bed besides Lizzie and pulls her into her arms tightly.

"What are we going to do, Hope?" Penelope is also in tears, she feels torn apart knowing that their family isn't whole without Josie.

"I've been thinking a lot about it and I was thinking maybe after the kids go down on Christmas Josie and I could head out. Just go for a drive and maybe spend the night in a hotel, hopefully I can get her to talk."

"That sounds good, I just hope it works, I miss her, she isn't the same. And I know she is a full tribrid now, but this is different. It's almost like she has disappeared into herself." Lizzie cries into Hope's shoulder softly, she has never felt more torn before.

"I'll figure it out, I promise."

Christmas Day

The four mothers are gathered in the living room with the kids, Eloise ripping into presents with Lizzie's help, and the twins playing in their new exersaucers. The laughter of the three little girls fill the air, but it still lays heavy on them as Josie barely smiles. Christmas had always been her favorite time of year, but this year she doesn't seem to even acknowledge it. Once all of the little one's have opened their presents, they settle them into their highchairs with breakfast. While the babies eat the girls clean up the mess from opening presents and by the time that's done the babies are done eating and getting fussy letting the mothers know it is nap time. It takes another hour to clean the three up and settle them to sleep. By that time Josie is asleep on the couch, Penelope, Lizzie, and Hope just watch her for a bit after they come down with baby monitors in hand.

"Josie? Wake up sweets." Hope gently rubs Josie's arm as she speaks softly not wanting to startle her awake. "You have presents, love." Hope smiles as Josie opens her eyes and stretches.

"Come on Jo, we can start with the biggest one." Lizzie smiles hopeful that Josie will like her present. They all make there way outside taking the baby monitors with them.

"Okay close your eyes." Penelope tells Josie as they make their way closer to the edge of the yard. She guides Josie a little bit farther before they stop.

"Open your eyes!" Penelope, Hope, and Lizzie all say together. In front of them, just on the edge of the tree line of their back yard is a green house filled with all sorts of different plants and flowers, along with a little reading nook within it so Josie can have a place to read and escape when she feels overwhelmed.

"Do you like it?" Lizzie asks after a little bit of Josie just standing there looking at the green house.

"I do, thank you, we should go back in before the babies wake up." With that Josie turns and walks back to the house.

"Josie? Please talk to us!" Lizzie pleads grabbing her arm to stop her from walking away.

"I'm fine, Lizzie. I like the green house, thank you for it, but let's go inside now." She removes her arm from Lizzie's grasp and continues her walk back to the house.

Later that day

Josie stayed distant the rest of the day just like everyday before, but once night came and the babies were all down for bed Hope gave Lizzie and Penelope a kiss before grabbing Josie and throwing her over her shoulder.

"Hope! What the fuck are you doing?" Josie screeches, and smacking Hope's back.

"We are going for some alone time and you are going to talk!" Hope says sternly. She pretty much throws Josie into the front passenger seat of the car before hopping in herself and driving off. "Talk! Now!"

"Hope!" Josie rolls her eyes.

"I mean it Josie! You are pulling away and we are all worried about you. I know its not just because of turning so talk!" Josie sits silently with her arms crossed and a pout on her lips. They drive around for an hour pretty much going in circles till Hope gives up on driving around and pulls into a hotel parking lot. "Come on." Hope says hopping out and grabbing a duffel bag from the back seat.

Josie follows, still pouting and silent. Hope checks them in and they make their way to the room. The second they enter Hope places a silencing spell on the room and from there she snaps.

"I'm done with you not talking to me, or Lizzie, or Penelope! We are your mates for fucks sake and you are going to talk about what is going on with you!" Hope screams while digging through her bag. "Now are you going to talk to me about what is going on with you or do I need to force it out of you?" Hope stands with a leather paddle in one hand and a length of rope in her other.