Severity

<12>

Josie rejoins the group to see Lizzie drinking from a tequila bottle causing her eyes to widen and look around to see her parents just arriving to the ball.

"Lizzie." Josie tilts her head towards their parents and Lizzie immediately hid the bottle then signed 'thank you' while the other two snickered.

"We'll take that though." Hope took the bottle and started chugging then handed it to Mg who does the same.

"That was hard to acquire you know." Lizzie gave them a playful death stare while the other two shrugged.

"Let's get this party started finally." Hope gestures, grabbing Josie's hand and taking her to the dance floor where some people were ballroom dancing.

In the mist of their dancing, Hope tragically bumps into someone was definitely out of their queue. Once the duo set their eyes on who it was, Hope eyes immediately began to glow gold.

"Woah, what's with the hostility? That was an accident." Jade put up her hands with a small smirk when her eyes rake down Josie's figure.

It genuinely made Josie uncomfortable that she crossed her arms over her stomach and back away slightly which Hope took notice of, letting a growl slip through her lips.

"Hope can we go literally elsewhere?" Josie pulled Hope closer towards herself to block Jade from seeing her.

She didn't know whether it's because Jade is her ex or because she just had recovered but she definitely didn't like when people looked at her. It looked as if they could see the scars and fear she received the day of the attack.

"Don't be shy, we should talk—" Jade was immediately cut off.

"You're not talking to her." Hope laughed, finding the blonde's words humorous.

"Mind your business tribrid." Jade flashed her veins.

"Hope please." Josie tugged again and as much as she wanted to rip the blonde's heart out, her wolf was complacent.

"Okay." She sighed and let herself calm down as Josie dragged them away from the blonde. "Sorry." Hope scratched the back of her head nervously and Josie shakes her head.

"It's okay, I was getting a bit nauseous anyway." She sighed and Hope immediately sat her down.

"Do you need some water?" Hope wondered in worry.

"Please, if you will." Josie tells her and Hope nods, pecking Josie's forehead then scurrying off to get some water for the brunette.

As Josie clears her head and let the nauseousness subside. The vampire didn't get the message as she takes a seat next to Josie.

"Will you allow me to speak for just a second?" Jade asked.

"Your fling is here." Josie decided to mention.

"Don't be like that." Jade rolled her eyes.

"I was wondering where I knew her from and it didn't click until now, she is pretty." Josie avoided looking at Jade.

"Forget about her, I'm sorry and I want us to restart." Jade tried to reach for Josie's hand but Josie kept them tucked under her arms.

"I'm okay, I'm happier now and you should try to move on." She finally locked eyes with the blonde.

"There's no way you moved on in just a month." Jade huffed.

"Jade please, just leave me alone." Josie pleaded, the air already was thick when she was standing now it feels thicker.

"You said so yourself, that you believe in second chances." Jade says and Josie didn't respond making Jade continue. "Josie, I just want us to talk." She placed her hand on Josie's lap and Josie felt sick, really sick.

"You must have a hearing problem, ironic since you're a vampire." Hope growled and Josie shot up.

She grabbed the water and chugged it down before grabbing Hope and dragging her back to the auburn's room, only receiving concerned stares from both families. Josie went out into the balcony and took a shaky breath while Hope rubbed her back with a very worried expression.

"Just—I need silence for a minute please." Josie tells her as calmly as she could and Hope lays her hand on Josie's shoulder.

Hope waited until Josie began to make her way back her room and sat down to speak once again.

"I feel like I screwed this night up for you." Hope sat down as well and Josie shook her head.

"The problem wasn't you or Lizzie or Jade. I just have felt so tired this past week and I thought today would be different but it wasn't." Josie reveals and Hope flashed her eyes in worry.

"Did something happen?" She wondered.

"Not that I'm aware of. I'm not acho sick but I feel sick." Josie pouts.

"Maybe you should tell my aunt while she's still here." Hope suggests.

"I already kept her here for a month Hope, I don't want to burden her." Josie fidgeted with her fingers.

"Nonsense, we are like family now. And the Mikaelsons always look out for their family, always and forever." Hope took Josie's hands and kissed them.

"Always and forever...Okay. Just let's move slow." Josie instructed and Hope nods.

"Of course." She stood up then helped Josie up slowly and walked her back out of the room.

They made their way through the halls and back to the ball where they search for Freya and spotted her laughing at Keeling and Nik ballroom dancing.

"Cute." Josie says and Hope chuckles.

"You two okay?" Caroline asks after vamping to the two.

"Just need to discuss something with aunt Freya." Hope briefly explains and Caroline nods as she hugs Josie.

"You look so beautiful, Lizzie looks amazing too seeing how she's wearing my dress." She jokes lightly making the two nod and laugh. "But I'll grab Freya for you two, since it's her that you have to talk to, I guess something is off or happened with my daughter." Caroline put together and they gave each other a small look which Caroline could slightly read.

She vamped to Freya and it didn't take long before they returned back to the duo. Josie had sat down for the time being and was drinking water when Hope had an query.

"Are you about to get on?" She questions.

"I'm like 4 days late Hope." Josie reveals and Hope eyes widened.

"Are you active?" She asks nervously.

"No Hope, I haven't and I only been with women." Josie tells her and Hope blushes slightly.

"Just making sure you know." Hope mutters then look up at her approaching aunt.

"So what's the matter?" Freya asked in concern.

"I have been feeling sick and nauseous for the past week and no I'm not on my period." Josie explains.

"We can run a magic scan to see if something is wrong." Freya suggests and they nod.

"I don't want to burden." Josie says.

"Nonsense." Freya waved off, summoning her grimoire.

"You two really are two peas in a pod." Josie shakes her head, remembering Hope saying the same thing.

"You must be really sick because you sound 100 years old." Hope jokes making the older woman laugh while Josie gives her an annoyed glare.