I Won't Give Up - Hosie

I Won't Ever Give Up

After a tense dinner, the family gathers to give Lucas his birthday presents.

Josie's family goes the more conventional route with stuffed animals, rattles, blankets, and toys. Though Damon goes a little rogue and gives the infant a bottle of bourbon, to be had once he's 21 of course.

Hope's family goes more the "Mikaelson" route.

Luke has to have gotten at least ten literal silver spoons, a family tradition.

Marcel gives him a whole chest full of toy soldiers. Rebekah gifts him shares in her clothing company, which Hope graciously accepts but silently wonders what the little boy is to do with that.

Kol and Davina give him a kids' book series about a young witch and vampire who become friends, supposedly their personal favorite from when they were kids.

Nik shows his love by teaching Luke how to play with toy cars, which is more like Nik playing and Luke just picking some up and occasionally tossing them, though he seemed happy.

After the celebration is over and everyone has retreated to their respective rooms, Hope and Josie lovingly tuck Luke in to sleep and then get ready for bed.

Hope slips out of her clothes and into a t-shirt and sweats. Josie, who has already changed into her pajamas, is seated at the edge of her side of the bed taking her earrings out.

"Love, will you tell me what's wrong?" Hope crawls onto the bed and slides her hands around Josie's waist.

"Don't do that," Josie swats Hope's hands away and stands up. "So now you want to talk to me?"

"Yes, I've been wanting to talk to you all night, but you're the one that didn't seem interested in talking."

"Only because you've been completely blowing me off lately for such a dumb reason."

"What?" Hope looks really hurt.

"Yeah, I know why you've been acting so weird. And honestly, it's really immature how you're reacting."

"You think I'm being immature?" Hope asks. "I'm nervous, I think I'm having a totally normal reaction, and you're just blowing this all way out of proportion."

"Really, is that what you think?"

"Yes."

"Fine, then when you wake up tomorrow Luke and I will be gone and you won't have to worry anymore. I'll find somewhere else to raise my kids."

"Kids? Plural?" Hope blinks.

"Yes, why do you look so surprised?" Josie can see confusion written all over Hope's face.

"I had no idea you were pregnant," Hope reveals. "You never told me, how could I have known?"

"I thought you had seen one of my tests or something."

"How long have you known?"

"A little over a month," Josie answers quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," Josie pouts and looks away.

"Don't lie to me, love," Hope begs.

"I didn't want you to leave me. That's what I thought was happening."

"Like how you just said you'd leave me?" Hope raises an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't have actually done it," Josie sighs and collapses onto the bed. "I would've just stayed with my sister for a while."

"I left you before and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. Listen to me," Hope gently cups her cheeks with her hands. "You and Luke and this new baby are my family. I will never leave you again."

"Then why have you been so distant with me lately?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise that I was going to reveal during the party, but then we were fighting and the timing didn't seem to be right," Hope starts. "I was planning to propose to you in front of our friends and family."

"Propose?" Josie is stunned.

She went from thinking Hope might leave her to finding out Hope wants to spend the rest of her life with her.

"Yes, that package was your ring that I had custom made so I had to run it upstairs so you didn't see," Hope nods her head. "I've been trying to avoid being alone with you because I was scared I'd spill the surprise."

"So you were avoiding me?" Josie wants to confirm once again that she didn't make it all up in her head.

"Yes, but only because I love you," Hope says. "I'm so sorry you thought I was going to leave."

A silence falls on the room as they both process the night they've had.

"Now that we've got all that cleared up," Josie finally says with a bit of embarrassment. "The night's not over yet, if there's a question you wanted to ask me."

Hope's face lights up at the invitation.

"Josette Saltzman," Hope takes both of Josie's hands into her own and dramatically gets down on one knee. "Will you make me the happiest woman in the world and marry me?"

"Yes!" she happily accepts as Hope slides the ring of her dreams onto her finger.

Hope circles around her and embraces her from behind, her head nestling in the crook of Josie's neck while her hands rest on Josie's barely-existent baby bump.

"I love you, Josie."

"I love you, too."

"I won't ever give up on us."

A/N

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