If By Chance [Hosie]

Hold On To Your Words

The sun rose behind the clouds and the faint light glistened off the lake, as it always did with every waking hour.

One more day, Hope thought. She could stay here one more day. She could handle that. Hope already knew it was going to be difficult. She could feel that in the heavy reluctance that was already making Hope think of excuses to stay. To extend the deadline to two days, three, four, but hope would do the right thing.

Hope let out a sigh and looked down onto Josie.

Hope hadn't slept. All night she was busy both mentally and physically. Josie was sick with a fever and Hope was trying to mark sure she was okay, and that her fever didn't go any higher than what it already was. She would check it every hour on the hour. Changing the wet towel on Josies forehead when it would dry, and would rub her back in slow, small circles to help her fall asleep when she would become restless.

That, she was able to handle.

But what she couldn't were her thoughts. The thought about going to seek help and talk to someone that wasn't Josie about her problems. Just thinking about it made hope want to scream and punch the invisible man. But she knew it was the only way. She was tired. Tired of blaming herself and tired of trying to fix it only to come up short.

A long sigh fell from Hopes lips, turning to look at Josie, peacefully sleeping in her arms. She saw the hint of rose in her cheeks, but that was due to the fever, yet it reminded Hope about the time she caught herself wondering what Josie was thinking.

How when they walked by each other in the halls Josie would blush and walk away, but sometimes on rare occasions Josie would stare back, sometimes sit down and talk to her. And they weren't dating yet, and every time Josie would give Hope the same expression, even now. It was tender. When the words "NOT HER" shouted in hopes mind as students would attempt to talk to her, or simply ask her out.

That memory made Hope cringe. Josie was always Hopes girl. The girl she swore to herself to protect. Protect her from anyone and everyone.

Even now as Josie laid sick in bed, snuggling closely, Hope wanted to pick Josie up and take her to the hospital and have them preform every single medical test known to man. But even Hope knew it was just a fever and Josie will feel better soon.

But that wasn't true.

Hope knew if she wanted to get past this, she'll have to get over Josie's terrible sick tantrum. When Josie went from a mature 19 year old girl to a toddler. Because if there was one thing Josie hated was being sick, because that meant.

"Baby wake up. Time for your medicine" Hope gentle nudged Josie trying to keep a safe distance.

"No" Josie mumbled in her sleep.

"Babe you have to take your medicine if you wanna feel better" Hope huffed.

"I'd rather die" Josie said monotonously, covering her head with the blankets. Hope tried to grab the blanket, pulling it as hard as she could, but Josie held onto it tightly. "I said no!" Josie screeched.

"Josie it's just medicine stop being a little bitch" Hope huffed now getting on top of the younger girl. She straddled her stomach, still trying to pull the covers off her face.

"Then you take it" again Josie shouted.

"I'm not sick." Hope sighed soundly. She grabbed Josies wrists and pinned them down with one hand. Josie shot hope a fierce look of betrayal. Hope only laughed at the quiet martyr, who was attempting to use the good old Hope Mikaelson 'I prefer to suffer in silence' card.

Hope took the medicine bottle with her other hand and began to read the instruction. When it came to Josie, hope made sure everything was done to a 'T' and double checked everything.