What Does This Mean?

A Talk

As soon as Hope exited the room she sucked in a breath to calm down. She quickly made her way downstairs before she bumped into Freya at the bottom.

Freya gently took Hope by the shoulders to stop her momentum as she spoke.

"Woah, slow down there." Freya spoke, her smile quickly fading away as she looked at Hope. Something was clearly bothering her.

"You okay, honey?" Freya asked.

Hope couldn't help but tense at that question and before she could properly reply Freya guided her to the kitchen and sat her down at the table to which Hope didn't protest. 

"What's going on?" Freya asked softly.

Hope stayed silent for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. The truth? She was sure Freya would most likely be able to tell if she was lying. She was always good at reading right through Hope.

"It's Josie . . . isn't it?" Freya asked when she could see that Hope was struggling with speaking.

Hope's eyes flicked downwards to the table and she nodded.

"I thought it might be." Freya replied. "You've been having trouble with your magic too . . ."

"How did you --" Hope started.

"Josie actually told me . . . and I felt something was off since I was able to wake you up. I thought it would pass, but it doesn't seem like it has." Freya replied, concern washing over her features.

"Oh." Was all Hope managed to reply with.

"I think I have a solution for that, but I can already tell you you won't like it . . ." Freya spoke.

Hope looked up at her aunt, curiosity in her eyes.

"I know a way that Josie can siphon the dark magic out of you." Freya spoke.

"Yeah. No way." Hope immediately replied. "It wouldn't even work anyway, Josie locked away her magic."

Freya stayed silent for a moment which Hope found suspicious.

"What?" Hope asked.

Freya let out a small sigh.

"Josie has her magic." Freya responded.

Hope gave Freya a confused look.

"No she doesn't. Josie told me--"

"Josie called me not too long before you guys came here. She has her magic and told me about how you were struggling. She knew I could teach her how to help you . . ." Freya interrupted.

Hope stayed silent. Of course Josie and her aunt were conspiring with each other. Since when did they get so friendly?

"She cares a lot about you, you know." Freya spoke. "And I think you're afraid of that . . ." She added.

"I'm not afraid." Hope replied defensively.

"Hope. I know you. You push away the people that care about you and you avoid your care for others because you think it protects you from losing anyone else . . ." Freya spoke.

Hope didn't have a response to that. Like she thought, Freya could see right through her.

Freya soon gave Hope's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Just . . . think about letting her help you, yeah? And tell her how you feel." Freya spoke.

"I-" Hope started.

Freya could tell that Hope was about to deny almost everything Freya knew to be true. She had known her niece long enough now that she knew Hope wasn't one to admit to her feelings, just like her father. It was one of the many qualities Hope and Klaus shared.

"Believe me, Hope, she feels the same." Freya interrupted. "If you are worried about that, don't be." She added.

"That's not -- wait. How do you know that?" Hope spoke.

"By everything she is doing for you, by what she's sacrificing for you. Hope, honey . . . are you really that blind?" Freya teased.

"No I--" Hope started before she was cut off again.

"Then you walk up those stairs and you tell her. You'll feel much better once you do." Freya spoke.

And at that Freya stood, gave Hope a gentle kiss on the head, and headed off towards her room.

"Believe me, you'll see that I'm right. I had to push through my own doubts and fears with Keelin and look at us now!" Freya spoke as she rounded the corner.