Hosie~ One Shots

Welcome Home

Hope Mikaelson sat on the roof of the Salvatore School, gazing up at the night sky. The stars twinkled faintly against the dark canvas, but they didn't offer her any solace. Her thoughts drifted—inevitably—back to Josie.

It had been months since Josie left for Belgium, and the ache of her absence was like a hollow space in Hope's chest, one she couldn't fill no matter how hard she tried. She missed her every single day—missed the way Josie's presence had always grounded her, even when everything else in her world felt like it was falling apart.

Memories flooded her mind, unbidden. The first time they met, when Hope was still new to the school, wary and closed off. Josie had been kind to her in a way that few others had dared to be. Hope had been drawn to her warmth, like a moth to a flame.

Then there was Josie's birthday—one of the hardest days of Hope's life, watching her go through the pain of dark magic. But she had saved her. Hope would always save Josie. She had promised herself that, time and time again. No matter the cost, Josie's well-being had always been her priority. But now, Josie wasn't there.

And Hope had no idea when—or if—she would come back.

Just as her thoughts began to spiral further, her phone buzzed.

Lizzie: "My mum wants us in her office. Now."

Hope frowned, confused. She had no idea why Caroline would need both her and Lizzie in her office. There hadn't been any major crises that she knew of, and things had been relatively quiet around the school recently.

Pushing aside her thoughts of Josie, Hope leaped off the roof and made her way to the school's main building. As she walked down the corridors, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling in her chest. Something felt... off.

When she reached Caroline's office, Lizzie was already there, pacing impatiently.

"What do you think this is about?" Lizzie asked, looking up as Hope approached.

Hope shrugged. "No idea. Maybe we're in trouble?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "When aren't we?"

Before either of them could speculate further, they heard Caroline's voice from the other side of the door. "Come in, girls."

They exchanged a quick glance before Hope reached for the doorknob and pushed it open. They stepped into the office, their eyes immediately drawn to Caroline standing behind her desk, but then—

There she was.

Josie Saltzman stood beside Caroline, a soft smile playing on her lips, her eyes lighting up as they met Lizzie's and Hope's.

"Josie!" Lizzie's exclamation echoed through the room as she used her vampire speed to close the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her sister in a tight hug. "Oh my God, I missed you so much!"

Josie laughed, hugging her back as best as she could under Lizzie's crushing grip. "I missed you too, Lizzie," she said, her voice muffled by Lizzie's shoulder. "But I can't breathe."

Lizzie pulled away quickly, a sheepish grin on her face. "Sorry!"

Josie just smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she turned her attention to Hope.

Hope stood frozen in place, her heart racing in her chest. She hadn't been prepared for this. Josie was here—after all this time, after everything that had happened. And Hope... Hope didn't know what to do. She had hurt Josie, made choices that had driven her away. Seeing her now, standing just a few feet away, made all of those emotions bubble up inside her again.

Would Josie even want to talk to her?

But before Hope could fully process her thoughts, Josie took a step forward, her smile softening as she approached. "Hope."