maybe, someday | hosie

[ 06 ] Let's Do This Thing

MG brought the girls all some breakfast, with the help of Rafael and Landon. They were happy to see the girls awake and in human form. Hope greeted Landon with a hug.

"Glad you're alive." She told him with a smile.

"Yeah, it was mostly thanks to you. Your special alert bracelet thing probably saved my life." He told her as he pulled out of the hug.

Hope watched as Rafael brought Lizzie and Penelope their food and MG sat and chatted with Josie while she ate. Then her eyes wandered back toward Landon.

"Why? What happened? We heard there were complications, but we missed the details." Hope talked over her shoulder as she walked back into the cage and sat beside Josie.

Landon followed her inside. She felt Josie stiffen beside her, so she took one of her hands in her own and held it while Josie ate contentedly with the other.

"We kept getting attacked by monsters. You name it, and they actually exist...I swear to god. Giants. A cyclops. A crazy humanoid lizard thing. That one was scary."

"And they're all heading this way?" Josie asked after she finished chewing her bite of waffle.

"They were...we were able to kill most of them." He looked at Hope and then Josie. "Dude...the chicks in your family are hardcore. You should have seen Rebekah and Caroline in action."

The girls smiled at that. And as if she were conjured up by his words, Caroline walked into the basement.

Josie's eyes widened. "Mom....we can explain."

Caroline waved her off. "I heard all I needed to to know that I'm so proud of both of you."

Lizzie stood up and walked to the cage door, so she was closer to the conversation. "Really? You're really proud of us?"

"Of course I am, honey." Caroline smiled at her and walked over to hold her the best she could through the bars.

"And dad...how mad is he?" Lizzie wondered as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"You're dad is coming around. He'll be down here shortly. As will Freya and Keelin. We don't want to postpone training just because of your current predicament. We thought of a way that might still be beneficial to all of you."

"And what's that?" Rafael wondered.

"Hope's going to train the girls down here. Keelin wants to see where their strength and control are at the moment. And Freya intends to test the limits of your magic. Raf, MG and Landon---you can train with me and Emma, as well as the other students we put on guard duty. Alaric will be up to help us when he's finished down here. And Rebekah is helping Dorian fortify our school as well as continuing with research. We don't think we have to keep mapping out possible locations of the seals since we're sure the monsters are heading this way. So the seals and veil will have to wait; but they are trying to figure out who might be behind it all. What monster has the power to jumpstart your merge, or mess with your dreams, or basically control an unlimited supply of monsters."

The kids nodded in understanding. They knew they had their work cut out for them. Hope was happy to be kept busy so she didn't have to worry about Josie and if the merge problem was solved and if she could ultimately control her change. Her mind began to wander until Freya, Keelin and Alaric walked into the room.

Alaric's eyes scanned the room and settled on each of his daughters briefly. The look of relief in them was visible even from a distance.

"How're my girls?" He asked as he more fully entered the room.

Caroline was still by Lizzie, so he made his way toward Josie.

"We're good, Dad." Josie told him honestly. "A bit restless. Still starving. And somehow, even after a really good night's sleep, still exhausted."