I Won't Give Up - Hosie

New Orleans

Hope goes back to her apartment and packs up some clothes. She makes a few phone calls and an hour later she's sitting on her plane headed back to New Orleans.

She pulls up to the Mikaelson Compound and takes a deep breath as she stands outside the large doors.

Before she has a chance to pull out her key, the door opens to reveal her aunt Freya.

"I saw your car pull in," Freya hugs her niece. "What are you doing here, little one?"

"I decided to come back home."

Hope drops her bags by the front door and enters into the kitchen, immediately grabbing a glass and pouring some whiskey.

"How are Josie and the baby doing?" Freya asks.

Hope downs all the liquid in her glass in response.

"That good, huh?"

"Josie and the baby are doing well," Hope pours herself another drink. "We found out it's a boy."

"Hope, that's wonderful news! Congratulations!" Freya gets excited only to be confused by Hope's expression. "Why don't you look as happy as I am?"

"Josie told me to leave," Hope sighs.

"Why on earth would she do that?"

"Because I-"

"Hopey!" Nik her 4 year old cousin comes running down the stairs towards Hope.

"We're not done with this conversation," Freya mouths to her.

"Nik, how are you?" Hope holds him up in the air. "You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you."

"Put me down," he giggles.

"Alright, little man," Hope lowers him and places a kiss on top of his head.

"Why'd you go away for so long?" he asks.

Nik was used to members of his family going away for work often, but Hope had been gone for weeks, far longer than anyone else.

"I had to go help a friend, but I'm back now," she tells him.

"Are you going to have to leave again soon?"

"I don't think so, buddy," sadness laces her voice.

"Hope?" a voice calls out.

Rebekah walks into the kitchen with her hands full of shopping bags.

"I thought I saw your car outside," her aunt says with a smile, placing her bags down to give her a hug. "How is my favorite niece doing?"

"I'm your only niece aunt Rebekah."

"Precisely why you are my favorite."

Hope rolls her eyes playfully.

"Did you bring Josette with you? Is she here now?" Rebekah peers around the room looking for any sign of the brunette's presence.

"No, I came alone. She told me to leave," Hope admits.

"Why did she do that?"

"Exactly my question," Freya chimes back in.

Hope glances down at Nik and then back up at her aunts. They get the hint and send Nik up to his room to play.

"Josie made me leave because I slept with someone else," she finally tells them.

Rebekah grabs a magazine off of the table, rolls it up, and smacks Hope on the head with it.

"Hey! I thought you said I was your favorite niece." she rubs where her aunt hit her.

"You are, but you're also very dumb some times."

"Why am I dumb? I pay her rent, I go to doctor appointments, I'm basically her personal assistant. I go to work, I make money for her and our son."

"You are dumb for sleeping with someone else while you are expecting a child with her. You may not be in a relationship romantically, but you're certainly connected through the son you're going to have in a few months!" Rebekah tries to knock some sense into her.

"Rebekah's right. You need to show Josie your commitment to raising your son by not playing with the possibility of having more kids with other people right now."

"But-"

"There's no debating this Hope Andrea, you owe it to your son to not treat his mother like one of your playthings. And you owe an apology to Josie for making her feel like one."

"And you're going to go back to Mystic Falls. Because whether Josette likes it or not, you are the baby's other parent, and you have a right to raise your child."

Hope ends up flying back to Mystic Falls the next day. She knocks on Josie's door and is greeted by a very pissed off looking Lizzie.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize to Josie."

"Don't bother, you've done enough damage," Lizzie is about to shut the door.

"Who is it?" Josie walks over to the door.

Lizzie steps aside slightly, revealing Josie in a robe with red-rimmed eyes. Hope can see a tub of ice cream with a spoon in it on the coffee table inside.

"Hope?"