Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Park, wake your ass up! We're hear!" Hope orders, reaching over to shake her best friend, Penelope Park, awake.

"I'm up, I'm up," Penelope groans and opens her eyes.

She stretches, her body stiff from sleeping in the passenger's seat of their old beat up car. The raven haired girl looks out the window and takes in the sight of their new place for the very first time. It is a medium sized, pre-furnished house made of sturdy red brick that only has one floor. The roof is brown and the door is a bright red color.

"The place looks pretty nice," Hope shrugs as she parks the car in the driveway.

"Yeah, it does. Hopefully the town is nice as well. God knows we needed a fresh start," Penelope agrees.

"Yeah, we did. Now come on. You're grabbing your own stuff," Hope urges, hoping out of the car and popping the trunk.

The auburn haired girl grabs her own suitcases, tosses Penelope the keys to lock up, and heads inside. Penelope grabs her duffel bags and locks the car before following her best friend inside. They take in the living room and it's simple, yet elegant furnishings.

"Which room do you want? The one on the left or the one on the right with the attached bathroom?" Penelope asks.

"Can I get the one on the left? It's bigger for all my art stuff," Hope says.

"Sure. Let's unpack and then maybe we can order some pizza or something," Penelope agrees.

The pair spend the rest of the evening unpacking their stuff. They end up ordering pizza for dinner, and go to bed fairly early as they have to be up for the tour of their new high school, Mystic Falls High, an hours before they would usually have to get up for school. After tossing and turning for several hours, Penelope gets out of her bed and crawls into bed with Hope, who is like a sister to her.

"Mm. Couldn't sleep, Pen?" Hope mumbles.

"No," Penelope whispers.

"Me either. You know it's going to okay, right?" Hope asks.

"Yes. Just nervous. We should sleep though, or well, try to. Goodnight, Hope. Love you, you nerd," Penelope replies.

"Goodnight, Penelope. Love you too, jerk" Hope yawns.

******

"Park! Hurry up! We need to get going," Hope calls, pounding on the bathroom door.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming, I'm coming," Penelope replies.

She exits the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a white blouse with a black ribbon around the neck. Penelope takes in Hope, who is wearing a fitted red Henley top and some skinny jeans.

"Not bad, Mikaelson, not bad at all," Penelope smirks.

"Not bad yourself. Get your bag and get in the car," Hope replies, grabbing her own school bag, a army green messenger bag, and heading to the car.

Penelope grabs her black leather backpack and follows the other girl out, ensuring to lock the front door behind them. She hops in the car, and they start the drive to Mystic Falls High. Hope parks in one of the student parking spaces. The pair get out of the car and head inside to the main office.

"Hello. We were told to come in early for a tour? I'm Hope Mikaelson, this is Penelope Park. We're new," Hope tells the secretary.

"Ah. Yes. Go right in. The principle is waiting for you," the woman nods, pointing to a door on the left.

"Alright. Thank you," Penelope smiles.

They knock on the door, and it swings open to reveal a tan skinned women with brown eyes and hair.

"Hi! I'm Principle Tig. You must be our new students," Principle Tig smiles.

"I'm Penelope, this is Hope," Penelope replies.

"Nice to meet you. Come on in," Principle Tig says.

They enter the office. Principle Tig sits behind her large oak desk. Penelope and Hope sit in the chairs in front of her desk.

"So, I have two students coming in a bit to give you a tour. Your old school transferred your records. Here are your schedules, and a list of after school activities we offer," Principle Tig says, handing each girl some papers, "Now, why don't you tell me a bit about why you moved here? You lived in New Orleans before, didn't you?"

"Yes, we did. We just wanted a fresh start," Penelope explains.

"And your parents?" Principle Tig enquires.

"Penelope's parents aren't good people. My parents raised her as their own, so she's like my annoying sister. They passed away in a car accident a few years ago, and we really just wanted to get away from all that, so we moved here," Hope states.

"Ah. I'm sorry to hear that, but I am glad you are here. It's the start of the school year, so it's a perfect time to transfer," Principle Tig replies.

"Thank you. We are too," Penelope nods.

"Principle Tig?" Josie Saltzman asks, standing in the doorway with her twin sister, Lizzie.

Penelope and Hope turn around and take in the girls. One, a beautiful blonde with ocean blue eyes. The other, just as beautiful as her sister, but with brown locks and chocolate brown eyes. A spark goes through them. Little do they know, but the four of their lives are about to change, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Chapter Text

"Good morning, girls. Thank you for coming. Hope, Penelope, these are your tour guides, Lizzie and Josie. They volunteered to give you two a tour of the school," Principle Tig introduces.

"Hello. I'm Hope," Hope smiles, getting up and shaking Lizzie's hand, then Josie's.

"Hi Hope. I'm Lizzie," Lizzie greets, a spark going through her as she shakes Hope's hand.

"I'm Josie. You must be Penelope, then," Josie says, turning towards the raven haired girl.

"That's me," Penelope grins, shaking Josie's hand and also experiencing a spark.

"So, shall we?" Lizzie asks.

The girls nod, and they leave the office. Josie volunteers to show Penelope around, having already developed a crush on the girl, and Lizzie says she will show Hope around. Lizzie and Hope head off to see the cafeteria first.

"So, why did you and Penelope move down here of all places?" Lizzie questions.

"We used to live in New Orleans and just needed a fresh start. Have you been living here long?" Hope replies.

"Jo and I have lived here since we were babies with our dad. Our mom and her wife, our stepmom, live in Florida, so not too far but still far enough that we don't see them as much as we'd like," Lizzie explains.

"Mm. So, how is Mystic Falls?" Hope asks.

"It's not bad, pretty conservative though," Lizzie tells her, "Here we are".

The blonde throws open the doors to the cafeteria. There are lots of tables with attached benches for seats as well as several vending machines. The kitchen has two doors, one for going in and one for coming out once you get your food.

"So, it's just your average cafeteria. The food's pretty bad, so I suggest bringing a lunch or money to go off campus. We're seniors, so we are allowed to do that," Lizzie tells Hope.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Cafeteria food's never good," Hope shrugs.

"So, next I'll show you the gym. It's fairy old, but pretty big," Lizzie says, continuing the tour.

******

Penelope and Josie meet Hope and Lizzie back at the office entrance. Hope smirks as she realizes Penelope has that look in her hazel eyes that she always gets when she is interested in someone. Penelope, on the other hand, knows Hope has a crush on Lizzie from the way she keeps sneaking glances at the blonde when Lizzie isn't looking.

"So, are you two free after school?," Penelope asks the twins.

"Yeah, we are," Josie nods.

"Do you want to come over and hang out with Hope and I?" Penelope questions.

"Sounds fun. Liz?" Josie replies.

"Yeah, I'm in. What's your first class, Hope?" Lizzie agrees, turning towards the auburn haired girl.

"Uh I have math with Mr. Williams," Hope says after checking her schedule.

"Me too! I'll show you where it is! See you later, Josie. Penelope," Lizzie smiles excitedly.

Hope fist bumps Penelope goodbye and the pair head off down the hallway to math class. They arrive early, but decide to head inside anyway. Standing behind a large oak desk is a dark skinned man with short black hair. He is wearing some kakis and a navy polo shirt.

"Good morning, Mr. Williams," Lizzie greets, having had the man the previous year.

"Hello Lizzie. You must be our new student. I'm Mr. Williams," He says, smiling warmly at the girls.

"Hi. I'm Hope," Hope nods, shaking the man's hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Sit wherever you like," Mr. Williams instructs.

Hope and Lizzie sit beside each other, and soon the bell rings. The other students flow in and take their seats. A curly haired boy comes in, takes one look at Hope, and smirks at her. Hope shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"Okay everyone. Welcome back!," Mr. Williams says loudly, standing up and clapping his hands.

******

After math comes science and then English, which coincidentally, Hope and Lizzie also share. Lizzie invites Hope to each lunch with her, Josie, and their friends, and Hope agrees, wanting to spend more time with the blonde.

"Hey guys," Lizzie greets, sliding into an empty spot besides Josie, "This is Hope. She's new to the school,"

"Hi Hope. I'm MG, this is Kaleb, and that's Jade," MG introduces, pointing out each person as he names them.

"Hello," Hope nods.

She sits beside Lizzie, who can't contain her smile. Everyone but Hope and Penelope pull out their lunches and begins to eat. The boys and Jade all have sandwiches, while Lizzie and Josie have some leftover chicken from the night before. Hope pulls out two brown paper sacks each containing a turkey roll up, chips, and an apple as well as a small bottle of water and hands one to Penelope.

"Aw. You do care, Mikaelson," Penelope teases.

"Shut it, Park," The auburn haired girl replies.

"So you two live together?" Jade asks.

"Yep. Best friends and housemates," Penelope confirms, "Hope's clearly the responsibility one, while I'm the fun one".

"Rude," Hope scoffs.

"That's so cool. I'd love to live with my buddy MG here," Kaleb nods, wrapping an arm around MG's shoulders briefly before releasing him.

"Hey, if you two are interested in sports, we have a great flag football team here. Liz, Josie, Kaleb and I are all on it. Meetings start next Monday and are also on Thursdays," MG says.

"P's not a sports person, but I'll check it out," Hope nods.

"Someone should add Hope and Penelope to the group chat," Jade suggests.

"I'll do it. Here. Put your numbers in," Lizzie volunteers, pulling out her phone and unlocking it.

Hope adds her and Penelope's numbers. She hands the phone back to Lizzie, their hands brushing, which causes both of them to blush. The bell rings, so everyone gathers their stuff and says goodbye to one another. Penelope, Hope, and the twins make plans to meet by the front of the school after the day ends before heading off.

"What's your next class, Hope?" Lizzie asks.

"Gym," Hope answers after checking her schedule.

"No way. Me too," Lizzie grins.

"Let's go then," Hope chuckles happily.

******

At the end of the day, they all meet outside of the school. Hope smirks as she notices Penelope gazing at Josie with love struck eyes. The raven haired girl notices Hope staring, and sticks her tongue out briefly as her best friend.

"Pen and I drove here, so we can take our car," Hope tells the twins.

"Good, because the bus sucks," Lizzie nods.

Hope chuckles at the blonde, who blushes. They all head to the car and take off towards Hope and Penelope's place to hang out. Lizzie is nervous to spend time with the auburn haired girl outside of school, but even though it feels as if butterflies are fluttering around in her stomach, she is so excited to get to know her new crush better.

Chapter Text

Once they arrive at Hope and Penelope's place, they head inside. They all kick their shoes off and go to the living room. Josie and Penelope flop into recliners, while Hope and Lizzie sit on the sofa.

"Does anyone want a drink?" Hope asks.

"Yes, please," Josie replies.

"Sure," Lizzie smiles.

Hope goes to the kitchen and grabs several Cokes. She also grabs two bags of chips: one regular and one BBQ. She carries it all back to the living room and dumps it on the coffee table.

"There ya go. Help yourself," She says, sitting down besides Lizzie once more.

They dig into the drinks and snacks. Penelope is a little overeager opening the BBQ chips, and chips go flying everywhere. Josie laughs, causing Penelope to smile.

"Nice move, Park," Hope teases as she sips her Coke.

"Shut it, Mikaelson," Penelope replies.

Penelope throws a chip at Hope. Hope glares at her, and grabs the bag of regular chips. She opens it properly and smirks at her best friend. The raven haired girl rolls her eyes at Hope. Hope eats a few chips before offering the bag to Lizzie, who takes it, smiling in thanks.

"So how do you two like the school so far?" Josie asks.

"Good. I'm excited for flag football," Hope smiles.

"I like it, because this cutie's there," Penelope smirks, poking Josie's shoulder.

Josie turns into a stuttering, blushing mess. Penelope looks very pleased with herself, while Hope just rolls her eyes.

"You'll have to excuse my best friend. She's a huge flirt," Hope says, chucking a pillow at Penelope.

"Rude," Penelope scoffs, throwing it right back.

"It's okay. It was cute," Josie replies.

Penelope blushes at that, smiling at Josie. She has an idea and digs out several Nintendo Switch controllers. The raven haired girl turns the TV on, and Mario Kart pops up.

"Any one want to play?" She asks.

"You're going down, Park," Hope grins, grabbing a controller.

Lizzie and Josie agree to play as well. They play several intense games. Lizzie is surprisingly good at Mario Kart, and wins more often than not. Tired of loosing to her sister, Josie decides to distract her.

"Hey Liz, there's a huge bug on your head," Josie smirks.

"Oh my god!," Lizzie squeals.

Her cart goes off the course, and Josie is able to pass it. Hope and Penelope try not to laugh. There is no bug on the blonde's head.

"Just kidding," Josie chuckles as she crosses the finish line.

"You are the worst. That was totally cheating," Lizzie groans.

"It worked, though," Josie says triumphantly.

Penelope high fives Josie as Lizzie continues to pout. The blonde cheers up when Hope reaches over and tucks stray pieces of hair out of Lizzie's face. Lizzie's cell phone goes off, and she picks it up.

"Hi dad,"

"Hi Lizzie. Where are you and Josie?"

"We're hanging out with Hope and Penelope. They're new to the school"

"Okay. Please start heading home. Dinner's almost ready,"

"We'll be there soon. Bye dad,

"Bye, Lizzie,"

"Dad says to start heading home, " Lizzie says, hangin up the cell phone.

"Oh. Okay," Josie nods.

The twins begin fathering their stuff. Penelope and Hope clean up the video game as well as the empty snack bags and Coke cans. They see Josie and Lizzie to the door, and bid them goodbye. Josie and Lizzie leave with smiles on their faces. Once they are gone, Hope and Penelope flop onto the couch.

"Dude, you are already so whipped for Josie," Hope teases.

"You are already so whipped for Lizzie, so shut it, Mikaelson," Penelope replies.

The pair lean back against the couch, grins on their faces. They are falling hard and fast for the Saltzman twins. Neither of them wants to change a thing, however.

******

A few streets away, Josie and Lizzie have just finished the walk home. Lizzie unlocks the door and they enter. Kicking off their shoes and putting their backpacks down, they head into the kitchen where they find their father, Alaric Saltzman, preparing some chicken, tofu (for Josie) and rice for dinner with fruit salad on the side.

"Hi dad," Josie greets.

"Hello Josie. Lizzie. Did you have fun?" He replies, turning the stove off.

"Yes. We played some Mario Kart. Josie cheated though," Lizzie nods as she sets the table.

"Oh?" Alaric questions, raising an eyebrow at the brunette.

"I told her there was a bug on her so I could win for once," Josie shrugs, setting the water glasses on the table.

"I see. Sit down. The food's ready," Alaric tells them.

They all sit down and begin to eat. Alaric is not the best cook, so the food isn't great. It's better than the cafeteria food, though, so they eat up with no complaints.

"Tell me more about your new friends," Alaric requests.

"They are best friends and just moved here from New Orleans. They live with each other in the same house. Hope and I share the same classes," Lizzie explains.

"They're both nice and fun to hang out with. Penelope's really funny," Josie adds, bouncing in her chair.

"Well, I'm glad you both had a good time. I look forward to meeting them. Do you know if they are doing any of the same clubs as you two?" Alaric asks,

"Hope is going to do flag football with us. Penelope isn't a sports person and hasn't said anything about joining any other club," Lizzie tells her father.

"Good, good. I'm glad you two are making some new friends," Alaric smiles.

The finish dinner and clear their plates. It's Josie's turn to do the dishes, so Lizzie heads upstairs. There's no homework, as it is the first day, so Lizzie lays on her bed and unlocks her phone. The moment it unlocks, she is hit with a text from Hope: Hey. It's Hope. Just wanted to say that I had a great time today. Maybe next time we can hang out just the two of us :) Sleep well, Lizzie. Lizzie clutches her phone to her chest and squeals. Today was indeed a good day, and she can't wait to see the auburn haired girl again tomorrow.

Chapter Text

"I'm heading out, Jo," Lizzie calls.

"Okay. Have fun, Lizzie," Josie replies from the living room where she is watching TV while texting Penelope.

Penelope asked the brunette out towards the end of September. Their many dates went well, and soon, the raven haired girl asked Josie to be her girlfriend. Josie, of course, said yes. Only Penelope, Josie, Lizzie, and Hope know, however, as Alaric is rather conservative and not accepting of LGBT people, so the girls keep it a secret.

"Okay I will," Lizzie agrees.

The tall blonde leaves, shutting the oak door behind her. She walks to Mystic Falls High's football field, butterflies filling her stomach. She is so excited, yet nervous for some flag football practice with Hope. The cool October weather makes it the perfect day for practicing, plus she gets to spend some one on one time with her crush. It rained the day before, but Lizzie doesn't think the slightly muddy ground will be an issue.

Lizzie soon reaches the field, where she finds Hope already warming up. Hope is dressed in some grey leggings and an oversized navy hoodie with the school's logo on the front of it, a white tank top layered underneath for warmth. The auburn haired girl looks up, and smiles at Lizzie, who is wearing black leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt in a light blue color that brings out the color of her eyes.

"Hi Lizzie," Hope greets, pulling the blonde in for a hug.

"Hi Hope," Lizzie giggles as she returns the hug briefly.

"Shall we?" Hope asks.

Lizzie nods, so Hope picks up the football she brought from where it is resting on the grass. The pair spread apart, and start passing it back and forth as a warm up as they talk. The auburn haired girl's checks soon turn a faint pink from the breeze as well as the physical activity, and Lizzie thinks it is the cutest thing ever.

"So Halloween's coming up. What do you want to be?" Lizzie questions.

"I was going to dress like I'm from the 80's. How about you?" Hope replies.

"Me too! We can match!" Lizzie exclaims excitedly.

"Awesome! Pen and I are going to throw a park, and you and Josie are more than welcome to come!" Hope smiles.

"We will definitely be there. I'm going to go long. Throw me the ball," Lizzie requests, tired of simply throwing the ball back and forth.

The blonde begins to run as fast as she can away from Hope. Hope admires Lizzie's long legs move as she runs. She can't help herself. Lizzie is just so beautiful and she wants to kiss her so badly. Snapping out of her trance, the auburn haired girl throws the football to Lizzie. Lizzie turns and manages to catch it. The ground is slippery from the previous day's rain, however, so the blonde slips. Hope rushes towards her, skidding to a sudden halt when she reaches Lizzie.

"Are you okay, Lizzie?" She asks worriedly.

"I'm okay, just a bit muddy," Lizzie replies.

Hope reaches a hand out, and the blonde takes it. Hope pulls her to her feet. They stare at each other, both of their hearts racing in their chests. They are so close together, and Hope just wants to lean in and kiss Lizzie's soft pink lips.

"So, uh, we probably shouldn't have practiced while the grass is this wet," Hope says, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah, you're right. Oh well," Lizzie shrugs.

"You're shivering, Liz. How about we go back to my car and you can warm up a bit?" Hope suggests.

"Yeah, okay," Lizzie agrees.

Hope grabs the ball and her backpack. They head to the car, where the auburn haired girl unlocks it and opens the passenger's side door for Lizzie. Lizzie smiles, and slides in. Hope shuts the door before climbing into the drive's side, and turning on the car. She puts the heat on, and the car soon warms up.

"Better?" Hope asks.

"Much. Thank you," Lizzie nods.

"Your welcome," Hope smiles, reaching over and squeezing the blonde's hand, "I'm driving you home, by the way. No protesting,"

"Okay, okay. Want to stop for coffee on the way? My treat," Lizzie questions.

"You know it," Hope grins.

Hope starts the car, and they drive through the nearest Starbucks. Hope gets a classic coffee with two pumps of espresso, while the blonde gets a cinnamon chocolate latte. The drinks warm them up as they sip them in the parking lot.

After they finish, Hope drives Lizzie home. The auburn haired girl walks Lizzie to the door once they reach her house. She kisses her check before bidding her goodbye, causing the blonde to blush, and heads home, a smile on her face the entire time. She knows she is falling hard and fast for Lizzie Saltzman, but she does not care. Hope enters the house, and lets out a squeal. Penelope, who is watching from the sofa, laughs at her best friend.

"Come on, dude. Ask her out already," Penelope urges.

"What if she says no?," Hope sighs, bitting her bottom lip.

"She won't say no. Hope, you encouraged me to ask Josie out and now she's my girlfriend, so I won't stop bugging you until you ask her out," Penelope replies.

"Okay, fine. I'll ask her out at the party next week." Hope decides.

"That's my girl," the raven haired girl smiles.

She knows Hope will not be rejected, as when she hangs out with Josie and Lizzie, Lizzie is always talking about how much she likes Hope. She made Penelope promise not to tell, however, so the raven haired girl's lips have been sealed.

"Shut it, Park. Now stop pestering me and go make dinner. It's your turn," Hope quips, sticking her tongue out.

"Ughh, fine," Penelope groans.

The raven haired girl heads to the kitchen to begin to prepare their meal for the night: tacos. Hope takes her spot on the couch. A smile creeps across her face as she thinks of her afternoon spent with Lizzie. She prays the blonde will say yes.

Chapter Text

"Dude! The banner isn't straight!" Hope calls as she enters the house, shutting the door behind her.

She has just run to the store to pick up snacks and drinks for the party. Hope also grabbed tons of candy for trick or treaters as well as her friends. The decorations were purchased days ago, and Penelope was left in charge of having them up while the auburn haired girl went out.

"Neither are we! It's fine, Mikaelson. Relax," Penelope replies from the kitchen.

"I just want everything to be perfect for Lizzie," Hope sighs.

"Hey. It will be, and she will say yes, even if it isn't perfect," Penelope assures her best friend.

"Yeah, okay. Help me set up the food," Hope nods.

Penelope grabs several grocery bags from Hope, and the pair head into the small but spacious kitchen. They unpack the snacks and pour them into plastic party bowls they purchased earlier in the week and place them on the kitchen's island along with the bags of candy. Hope makes sure she leaves a bowl of candy on the porch for trick or treaters so they aren't interrupted by knocking kids every few minutes. Penelope girl puts the sodas in the fridge so that they are cold. They plan on ordering a ton of pizza for dinner as well.

"There we go. Now, we need to go change. Everyone should be here soon," Penelope says.

"Yeah, okay. Are you going to tell me your costume now?" Hope agrees.

"Nope. It's a surprise. Josie picked it, though," Penelope replies.

They head upstairs, and change into their costumes. Hope pulls her auburn locks into a high pony tail with a large pink scrunchy once she is finished changing into her costume, which consists of a leopard print skirt and a short sleeved black t-shirt with a neon design on it as well as a neon pink tank top underneath the shirt. She heads into the hallway and waits for her best friend. Penelope comes out wearing a cat onesie. It is black with a pink belly, and even has a long tail. Matching black socks are on her feet as well as her black converse high tops. Hope takes one look at her, and bursts out laughing, unable to help herself. Her badass best friend is wearing a freaking onesie! A onesie! The raven haired girl frowns at Hope.

"Don't laugh at me. It was Josie's idea. She said it would go with my hair," Penelope pouts.

"You are so whipped, aren't you," Hope teases.

"Maybe. Let's go downstairs. Everyone should be arriving soon," Penelope replies.

"Sounds good," Hope agrees.

The pair head downstairs and sit on the sofa, waiting for their friends. MG, Kaleb, and Jade arrive first. It only takes a few minutes for Kaleb to raid the snacks, causing MG to chuckle at his best friend.

"I take it the onesie was Joz's idea. You look ridiculous, Park," Jade comments from her seat on the couch.

"Maybe," Penelope grumps, not liking being teased.

"She's right, you know. You look really funny," MG says as he and Kaleb comes back with drinks and snacks.

The doorbell rings, saving Penelope from the teasing. She opens it to reveal Lizzie and Josie. Josie is wearing a yellow unicorn onesie with a white belly as well as yellow socks and shoes. Lizzie is dressed in a shirt that is partly made of a black mesh as well as several colors of neon fabrics and a pair of acid washed jeans. Josie takes in her girlfriend, and squeals.

"You look adorable, baby," Josie exclaims, pecking Penelope's lips.

"Thank you, Jo. You look cute as well," Penelope smiles.

"Hi Penelope. Do you know where Hope's at?" Lizzie greets.

"In the living room with the rest of the gang," Penelope replies.

Lizzie smiles her thanks, and heads to the living room. Hope looks up as she enters, and grins at the blonde as she slides into the empty spot beside her on the couch.

"Hi Hope. You look great," Lizzie greets.

"Thank you, cutie. You look amazing as well," Hope smiles.

"Hey, are we chop liver now," Kaleb teases.

"Yeah, Liz. Are we?" MG asks.

"Very funny," Lizzie sighs, rolling her eyes at the boys.

"Okay. Who wants to watch some horror movies?" Penelope asks as she and Josie come into the room. They settle on the pile of beanbags, cuddling into one another.

"Oh! Can we watch The Ring?" Jade requests.

"Sure," Hope nods, reaching for the remote.

She turns on The Ring, and it begins to play. Lizzie snuggles into Hope's side as the movie begins to get scary. Hope feels her heart skip a beat, and she wraps an arm around the blonde's shoulders. MG, Kaleb, and Jade all smirk at each other. They know the pair have feelings for one another, but are too chicken to do anything about it. The movie begins to get even scarier, and when Samara comes out of the tv on screen, Lizzie whimpers and hides her face in Hope's shoulder.

"Hey. Want to go upstairs and watch something else?" Hope suggests.

The blonde nods, trying not to grin, so the pair head up the stairs. Lizzie's entire plan was to fake fear as she knew Hope would notice and they could go off somewhere, just the two of them. They go to Hope's room and the blonde takes a seat on the bed as Hope searches for her laptop. She checks her desk, then her backpack, and even the closet, but can't find it.

"Hope. Come sit. It's fine. We can just talk," Lizzie urges, patting the space beside her.

Hope comes over and sits beside Lizzie, loving the feeling of being so close to her blonde crush. Lizzie's heart pounds, and she wants nothing more than to lean over and kiss Hope. The auburn haired girl studies Lizzie's face, and notices some chip crumbs remain near the corner of her lips.

"Here. You have something on your face," Hope says.

Lizzie blushes as Hope reaches out and cups her check. She brushes away the crumbs, also blushing. Her gaze flickers down to Lizzie's lips, and she leans in, and finally kisses the blonde. Lizzie kisses her back, and their lips move together in perfect synch. Hope's lips taste slightly like cherry lipgloss, and are as soft as silk. Lizzie runs her hands through auburn locks as Hope rests her own hands on the blonde's hips. After a few minutes of kissing, they are forced to break apart for air, their foreheads resting together. Light blue eyes meet ocean blue ones, and they both smile.

"I like you, Lizzie, as more than a friend. will you go out with me?" Hope asks.

"I like you, too, Hope, and yes, I will go out with you," Lizzie replies, blushing.

Hope kisses the blonde once again, this time even more passionate than the first. Lizzie can't help it as she smiles against the auburn haired girl's lips. As they continue to kiss, the rest of the world falls away, and it is just the two of them. Hope is glad she finally worked up the courage to ask Lizzie out. She can't wait for their first date with Lizzie, and just knows it will be magical.

Chapter Text

"Penelope!" Hope calls from her room, where she is getting ready for her and Lizzie's first date.

"Yeah?" Penelope replies, entering Hope's room.

"Help me pick out what to wear," Hope begs.

"Okay, okay. Easy there, tiger. You could wear a trash bag and Lizzie would still be all over you," Penelope assures Hope.

The raven haired girl heads to Hope's closet and looks through her various clothing. She picks out a red flannel, tight fitting tank top, and some skinny jeans with tasteful rips in several places. She tosses them at Hope, who catches them.

"There. Nice and gay. Go change while I find some shoes," Penelope orders.

Hope rolls her eyes, but goes and changes into her outfit. She runs a brush through her auburn locks and brushes her teeth before heading back into her bedroom. She finds Penelope sitting on the bed, holding a pair of black combat boots, looking triumphant.

"Here you go, Mikaelson," Penelope states, holding out the boots.

Hope sighs at her best friend's choice of footwear, but sits on the bed and puts the boots on. She laces them up. Once they are secure, the auburn haired girl stands up and grabs her backpack with her phone, snacks and drinks as well as a blanket for her and Lizzie's date.

"You look good, Hope. It's going to be fine," Penelope says.

"Thanks. I should get going. Don't burn the place down while I'm gone," Hope replies.

Penelope laughs at that, and Hope smiles at her before leaving, her nerves calming slightly. Penelope has always had that effect on her, ever since they were little kids, and she loves the raven haired girl even more for it, even though Penelope can be very annoying at times. Penelope is like a sister to Hope, though, and she wouldn't change that for the world.

The auburn haired girl gets into the car and starts the engine. She drives off towards Lizzie's house, butterflies in her stomach. She is nervous, but also excited. The excitement ends up winning by the time she reaches the blonde's house. Parking the car, she heads up to the front porch and knocks on the brown oak door. Josie answers it, smiling when she sees Hope.

"Hi Hope! Come in! Lizzie will be down in a second," Josie greets, moving aside to allow Hope to enter the house.

"Alright, not a problem. So, how are you, Jo?" Hope asks.

"I'm good! Me, you, Penny, and Lizzie should all have a sleep over sometime!" Josie exclaims.

"We can do that. Sounds fun!" Hope agrees, smiling at her friend.

Just then, Lizzie comes down the stairs. It is an unusually warm day for the fall, so she is dressed in a yellow sundress with white polka dots. She has a jean jacket thrown on over it as well as some white flats.

"Woah. You look beautiful, Liz," Hope gawks.

"Thank you. You're not too bad looking yourself," Lizzie blushes, causing Josie to squeal at the adorableness, "And that's our cue to leave. Bye, Josie,"

Hope and Lizzie leave, closing the door behind them. They head to Hope's car, where the auburn haired girl opens the passenger's side door for Lizzie. The blonde kisses her check in thanks as she slides in. Hope shuts the passenger's side door before climbing into the driver's seat and starting the engine once more. The auburn haired girl begins to drive, one hand on the steering wheel, while one reaches over and holds Lizzie's. The blonde smiles, loving the feeling of Hope's hand in hers.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" Lizzie questions.

"It's a surprise, but I can promise you you'll like it," Hope smiles, squeezing Lizzie's hand.

The drive for about thirty minutes before they reach a secluded lakeside clearing. It is surrounded by trees and bushes, which adds to the privacy factor. They get out of the car and walk towards it. Lizzie has a smile on her face the entire time, which causes Hope to smile as well.

"It's so beautiful. How did you find it?" Lizzie asks once they have sat down on the blanket.

"Penelope and I drove by it when we were driving to Mystic Falls from New Orleans," Hope replies, pulling out the sodas and snacks from her backpack.

"Thank you for bringing me here,"

"Of course. I'm just happy you agreed to go out with me,"

"I've had a huge crush on you from the moment I saw you. I was bound to say yes, Hopey,"

"I have too, Lizzie," Hope smiles, blushing at the nickname.

Once they finish the snacks, Hope lays down on the blanket and opens her arms for Lizzie. Her checks tomato red, the blonde curls up into her side. She lays her head on Hope's chest, listening to the sound of her heart beat. It's racing, and Lizzie smiles knowing that she is the one that is making Hope's heart race this fast. The auburn haired girl cannot help her racing heart; Lizzie just has the affect on her.

"Hey Liz?" Hope questions after a while.

"Yes, Hope?," Lizzie replies, lifting her head up so she can look into Hope's ocean blue eyes.

"Will you be my girlfriend? I know this is our first date, but we've been friends for a while now and I really like you," Hope rambles nervously.

"Hush. Of course I'll be your girlfriend," Lizzie smiles, leaning down and kissing Hope.

Hope smiles against the blonde's lips, tangling her fingers through Lizzie's long locks. The auburn haired girl loves the feeling of Lizzie's lips on hers. They are so soft and warm. I could get used to this, Hope thinks to herself. They break apart a few moments later after air becomes an issue, their foreheads resting against one another's, trying to catch their breathe. Hours have passed, and the sky around them is growing darker as the sun slowly fades away for the night.

"It's getting late. We should start heading back," Hope informs Lizzie.

"Yeah, okay," Lizzie agrees, pouting as she doesn't want to go back yet.

"Hey. I have lots of more dates planned, so don't you worry, baby," Hope assures her.

Lizzie beams at that, and helps Hope gather the stuff. They throw the empty cans and snack bags away in a nearby trashcan before hopping back into Hope's car and beginning the drive back to Mystic Falls. Hope drops Lizzie off at her house, and walks her to the door. Lizzie realizes she forgot her keys, so she knocks on the door. It soon swings open to reveal Alaric.

"Hello. You must be Hope," He greets, holding out a hand.

"Yes, sir. It's nice to meet you," Hope replies, shaking the man's hand.

"You as well. Lizzie, next time be home by 10 please. It's 10:30. Go inside," He tells his daughter.

"Yes, dad. Bye Hope," Lizzie nods, heading inside.

"Goodnight, Hope. I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you," Alaric says.

"Goodnight, sir," Hope replies.

The door closes, and Hope returns to her car, frowning. The man seems very strict and cold. She's not sure how she feels about him yet, but he is Lizzie's father, so she will try to get along with him for her girlfriend's sake. Her girlfriend. Lizzie's her girlfriend, she thinks to herself. With that thought, she drives off to her own home, a smile on her face the entire time.

Chapter Text

As per Josie's request, they decide to have a group sleep over on Saturday at Hope and Penelope's house. Josie races around her and Lizzie's room, packing everything she will need. It's only 9 am. The sleep over starts at 3 pm. Lizzie is still asleep, but when Josie knocks her phone off the bedside table, she awakens. The blonde glares at her twin, who looks sheepishly at her.

"Sorry, Liz," She apologizes.

"You just saw Penelope yesterday. I know you're excited, I am too, but why are you up at this god forsaken hours," Lizzie grumbles.

"I'll try to be quieter. It's going to be so fun, though, Lizzie! You know I've always wanted to do a double date thing with you and now we both have girlfriends so we can!," Josie squeals.

"You are lucky I love you," Lizzie sighs jokingly.

She knows Josie is over the moon about this sleep over, and Lizzie is too, to be honest. She gets to spend time with her sister, friend, and her girlfriend. That thought is enough to get her out of bed. The blonde hops out of bed and opens the pink and white polka dot curtains to let the sunlight stream in. It's quite rainy outside: the perfect weather to snuggle up in pajamas and hang out with the people you are closest to. Lizzie finds herself growing even more excited the more she thinks about tonight.

Grabbing her duffle bag, the blonde begins packing her clothes and toiletries as well as her favorite pillow and blanket. She smiles as she sees Josie sneak her pink stuffed elephant with her initials, EJS, on its' chest into Lizzie's bag while the blonde's back is turned. Josie has a matching one with her own initials, JOS, on it's chest. The twins have had them since they were babies and since she was able to talk, the brunette has insisted that wherever her elephant goes, Lizzie's must go to. "They're twins, like us," Little Josie used to exclaim, which he parents always found adorable.

"So do you know what Penelope and Hope have planned?" Lizzie asks once she is finished packing.

"Penny said they got a ton of board games and stuff. I offered to bring the snacks and drinks, so we should pick those up on the way," Josie replies, also zippering up her bag.

"Sounds good to me. Some cuddles better be involved though also," Lizzie nods.

"I'm sure there will be lots of cuddles. Now, it's your turn to make breakfast," Josie tells her sister, who groans as she has never loved cooking much and isn't great at it.

The twins head downstairs. Josie sits on the bar stool and watches as Lizzie whips up some French toast, the only think she can properly make without burning it. She serves it, and the pair dig in. They spend the morning just lazing around, neither able to do much as they are just too excited for tonight to concentrate on school work or anything productive. When it is finally time to leave, they grab their bags and race out the door, calling goodbye to their father, who has been in his office all day long.

******

After stopping at the grocery store for pretzels, chips, a frozen pizza, and soda, the twins walk to Penelope and Hope's house. Lizzie knocks on the door and soon it swings open to reveal Hope, who smiles at the sight of her girlfriend and friend.

"Hey! Come on in. Penelope's setting everything up in the living room," Hope greets, pecking Lizzie's lips.

Hope takes the bags of food from Lizzie and puts them in the kitchen. She makes sure the sodas go in the fridge so they will remain cold and pops the pizza into the oven. They head to the living room to find Penelope arguing with the fort she decided to build. She has taken several chairs and placed blankets over them, but one of the blankets keeps falling off. The raven haired girl turns towards Josie and pouts.

"Jojo the blanket won't stay put," Penelope whines.

"Here babe," Josie says, reaching over and fixing the blanket, "All better?"

"All better. Thanks, baby," Penelope smiles.

Hope and Lizzie try not to laugh at badass Penelope Park being a total softie for Josie. Everyone sits in a circle in the newly built fort, which Penelope has placed lots of pillows and blankets in. Lizzie immediately lays down, her head resting in Hope's lap. Hope smiles, and strokes her girl's blonde hair lovingly. Josie smiles at her sister, snuggling into her own girlfriend. The raven haired girl wraps an arm around Josie's shoulder, placing a kiss on her temple.

"So, truth or dare anyone?" Josie suggests.

"Sure, but you're going first, Jo," Lizzie agrees.

"Okay, okay. Hope, truth or dare?" Josie asks her friend.

"Dare," Hope smirks confidently.

"I dare you to go get the snacks and pizza from the oven. It's been enough time for it to cook!," Josie replies eagerly.

Hope rolls her eyes at the "dare", and goes to do as Josie asked. She returns after making the call, snacks and sodas in hand. The auburn haired girl crawls back into the fort and dumps the pile in the middle. She heads into the kitchen and returns with the pizza as well.

"What kind of a dare was that, babe?" Penelope tease, helping herself to a slice of pizza.

"A good one. I'm hungry. Your turn, Hope," Josie defends, popping open a bag of BBQ Lays.

"Peez, truth or dare?" Hope asks.

"Mm. Truth," Penelope decides, grabbing a Coke from the pile.

"Tell Josie and Lizzie about what happened to your pet butterfly as a child," Hope smirks.

"You bitch," Penelope groans, earning a laugh from the auburn haired girl.

"What happened, Penelope?" Lizzie asks.

"So Hope's mom, Hayley, got me one of those raise your own butterfly kits when I was about five. It actually turned out okay, Hayley and and I went outside to release it. I let it go, and a giant bird comes out of nowhere and eats it up. I burst into tears and refused to go inside even when it started to rain. Eventually, Hayley had to drag me back inside," Penelope sighs, blushing.

"Oh my god. That's too good. Such a softie," Lizzie teases.

"My dad thought she had gotten stabbed or something from the way she was screaming," Hope laughs.

"So cute. Little baby Penny," Josie says, poking her girlfriend's check.

"Okay, okay. I was a noisy child when upset. Thank god for Hope's parents for putting up with me," Penelope sighs.

"They had their hands full with us. God, I miss them," Hope adds.

"Me too," Penelope agrees, reaching over and squeezing Hope's hand.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking," Josie questions.

"It's alright, Jojo. My parents were neglectful and never gave me the time of day. Hope and her folks moved into the house beside ours. Hope and I became best friends right away and her parents noticed my dirty clothes and shoes. The last straw was when I knocked on the door to Hope's house and her mom opened to see me crying saying my parents hadn't been home in days. She took me inside, made me a sandwich, and called CPS. My parents didn't care and signed the papers so I was the ward of the state, sold their house, and left. Hope's family took me in and while I was never legally adopted and never called them mom or dad, they were my parents and Hope here is my sister," Penelope starts.

"About two years ago there was a car crash. A drunk driver came out of nowhere and hit our car head on. My parents were killed instantly, but Penelope and I came out pretty much unscathed except for some internal bleeding, which they fixed right away. We had to stay in New Orleans until we both turned 18 and where out of the system, and then the moment we both were 18, we sold the old house moved out here, and I'm glad we did because we met you two," Hope finishes.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Your parents sound like they were amazing," Josie says.

"Thank you, Josie," Hope replies, "They really were"

"Hayley and Klaus were the best. Anyways, how about your parents? What are they like?" Penelope asks.

"Our dad's an asshole," Lizzie says.

"Lizzie! He's still our father," Josie gasps.

"Yeah, but he's still an asshole. Our dad couldn't accept that our mom is in love with another women, our mama Bonnie, so mom and mama moved away when they came out when we were about ten. He's a conservative homophobic ass," Lizzie shrugs.

"Ah. I'm sorry. What are our moms like?" Hope flinches.

"They are so amazing, but we don't get to seem them a lot, unfortunately. They will love you two," Josie smiles, thinking of her mothers.

"So, cuddle pile anyone?" Lizzie suggests.

Everyone nods, and soon they are all cuddled into a giant pile. Hope and Penelope allow themselves to be held by their girlfriends. They face each other, Lizzie and Josie laying behind them, arms wrapped around their waists. Soon, all four girls are fast asleep, content to just lay in each other's arms and sleep.

Chapter Text

"Hi Hopey! Penelope," Lizzie greets, sliding into the passenger's seat.

"Hi baby," Hope smiles, pecking Lizzie's lips.

"Hey Jojo," Penelope grins as Josie slides into the backseat of the car beside her.

"Good morning Penny," Josie giggles, kissing Penelope softly.

"Gross," Lizzie teases.

"You act like you don't do the same with Hope," Josie replies.

Hope chuckles while Lizzie blushes. They drive off towards the school. Josie snuggles into Penelope's side the entire time while Lizzie holds Hope's free hand. Content silence fills the car, as no one is awake enough to want to talk this early in the morning. They reach school in a timely manner, and head off to their classes, making plans to meet at Hope's locker to go out for lunch since it's a Friday.

******

Lunch arrives, and Lizzie heads off to find Hope. She frowns as she sees Hope talking to Landon, who she knows has a crush on her girlfriend. The blonde can't help but listen in.

"Hey Hope," Landon greets.

"Uh. Hi Landon," Hope replies, not knowing why he is talking to Hera s they have never talked outside of class before.

"So I really like you and was wondering if you would like to go out with me?" Landon questions, fiddling with the hem of his worn out grey t-shirt.

"This is awkward. No thanks. I don't feel that way about you," Hope answers awkwardly, wishing the curly haired boy would just go away.

"Oh. Uh okay. Your loss. If you change your mind, let me know," Landon shrugs, trying to keep his cool.

Landon walks off, and Lizzie's stomach is left in knots. Hope notices her standing there and smiles. Penelope and Josie approach the pair.

"Hey. Everyone ready?" Penelope asks.

"You guys go. I'm not in the mood after all," Lizzie replies quietly.

"Uh okay. Hope, you coming?" Josie questions.

"I'm going to stay with Lizzie," Hope informs the brunette.

"Alright. See you two later," Penelope nods, and she and Josie head off.

Hope takes Lizzie by the hand, glancing around to make sure the hallways are empty. She leads her to an abandoned classroom and shuts the door behind them.

"Liz? Is everything okay? You seem off," Hope asks.

"I heard Landon ask you out," Lizzie sighs.

"Oh. Lizzie, you're the only one I want. I said no. I'm your girlfriend, not his," Hope frowns, taking both of the blonde's hands in hers.

"I know, but I still get jealous. It would be so much easier if you were with him, not me. You wouldn't have to have secret dates. You could go out in public with him and not be afraid," Lizzie rambles.

"I don't want him, or any boy for that matter. I want you, Liz, I'm with you," Hope assures her.

"I know, it's just that it's so hard. I want to be able to kiss you and hold your hand without fear of my father finding out. I want to take you to the grill on dates. I want to be able to kiss you after flag football games when we win," Lizzie says.

"I want all that too, and we will get it someday. Here. How about this? We both have a free period after lunch. Want to go back to my place and cuddle? We can sign ourselves out," Hope offers.

"Didn't Penelope and Jo take the car?" Lizzie asks.

"According to the text Pen just sent me, they walked. Also, I still have the keys," Hope chuckles, jingling the keys.

"Let's go then," Lizzie agrees.

They grab their bags and head out to the office where they sign themselves out. Then, they go to Hope's car and clamber inside. They drive off, and Hope notices Lizzie's smile is back, which makes the auburn haired girl smile too, reaching over to squeeze the blonde's hand. They reach the house, and head inside.

The moment the door shuts behind them, Lizzie has Hope pinned against it. She kisses her roughly, causing the auburn haired girl to moan against her lips. Hope runs her fingers through blonde locks as they kiss. After few minutes of kissing, Hope breaks the kiss. Smiling at Lizzie, she grabs her hand, and leads her upstairs to her room. Hope pins the blonde onto her bed, resuming their kiss. Soon, Lizzie is tugging at Hope's shirt. Hope breaks the kiss, resting their foreheads together.

"Are you sure," Hope asks, breathing heavily.

"I'm sure. I want you, Hopey," Lizzie nods.

"I want you too," Hope grins, tugging her shirt off to reveal her white sports bra.

Lizzie blushes at the sight, and is quick to pull off her own shirt. Hope gawks at the sight of her girlfriend in a yellow lace bra, jaw dropping open. The blonde giggles, and taps Hope's jaw closed, pulling her in for another kiss. Article after article of clothing is peeled off and thrown to the floor carelessly. Soon, their bodies are bare, and soft moans begin to fill the room.

******

Hours later, the pair lay under the sheets, bodies bare. Lizzie lays in Hope's arms, head on her chest. The blonde snuggles closer to her girlfriend, causing the auburn haired girl to smile and drop a kiss to Lizzie's forehead.

"Hey Liz?" Hope asks.

"Yeah, Hopey?" Lizzie replies.

"I love you," Hope confesses.

I love you too," Lizzie giggles.

Lizzie turns and kisses Hope briefly before resuming her position in the auburn haired girl's arms. Hope smiles at the blonde, kissing her head once more. They cuddle in content silence for about an hour before dragging themselves out of bed to put their clothes on so they can go pick Penelope and Josie up from school. Later that night, Penelope notices the hickeys Lizzie left on Hope's neck, and smirks knowingly at her. Hope throw a pillow at her best friend, but can't help the grin that creeps across her face. She is so happy that Lizzie is her girlfriend, and knows they will last, always and forever.

Chapter Text

Landon is angry. He is angry that Hope rejected him. So, he decides to spy on her and Lizzie, who she is always hanging out with. He has a hunch that the pair are more than friends, and vows to figure out if his hunch is true.

The lunch bell rings, and he heads out of his math class, which he shares with Hope. He follows the girl, hiding in the crowds of students. Hope heads to an abandoned classroom, and he follows her. One the hallways are clear, the curly haired boy peaks through the window. Landon spots Hope kissing Lizzie, and smirks to himself. He snaps a picture with his phone and heads to the student copier. He makes loads of copies and tapes them up all over the school before heading to the cafeteria so as to not appear suspicious. Landon has a huge smile on his face throughout the entire rest of the lunch period.

******

Lizzie and Hope decide to leave early again, so they have no idea about the posters until Josie and Penelope come into the house after school, faces grim.

"Hey. What's wrong, Jo?" Lizzie asks.

"Someone put these up all over the school. Dad found out somehow and wants us home now," Josie sighs, handing Lizzie the photo.

Lizzie gasps as she takes it in. The picture is clear as day: her and Hope kissing. Hope frowns, anger filling her. She can't believe someone would do this, and is pretty sure she knows who it is. The suspect can be dealt with later, however. All that matters right now is Lizzie, who looks close to tears. She wraps an arm around the blonde, pulling her close.

"It'll be okay, Liz," Hope soothes.

"I don't think it will be," Lizzie whispers, wiping at her tears.

"It will be, Lizzie. You can come live with Hope and I for a while if things go badly. You and Josie are always welcome," Penelope assures the blonde.

"Thank you. Josie, we should get home," Lizzie sighs.

"We should. See you two later," Josie nods, kissing Penelope goodbye.

Hope kisses the blonde goodbye and the twins leave. Lizzie and Josie are quiet on the walk home, neither saying a single word. They enter their house and find Alaric sitting at the kitchen table, the photo in front of him. His face is a mixture of anger and disgust.

"Sit," he orders.

They do as their father says. He just stares at Lizzie for a while. The blonde shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Josie squeezes Lizzie's hands under the table to let her know that she is not alone, and that they are in this together.

"So, imagine my surprise when I get an email from your school with this photo attached. Elizabeth, I expect better from you. You know being gay in a sin. And you, Josie, you should have known about this and told your sister to stop," Alaric says angrily.

"Dad, I didn't choose to be gay, and leave Josie out of this!" Lizzie replies.

"You aren't gay," Alaric snaps, "You're just confused"

"I'm not confused! I love her more than anything. She's caring, funny, and amazing. I want to spend the rets of my life with her, and as my dad, you need to accept that," Lizzie states.

"Shut up, Elizabeth. You don't love her, and I won't accept this. My daughter is not a sinner. Your mother is already a sinner, I won't have you being one as well," Alaric yells.

"Don't tell her to shut up! She is not a sinner for being gay, and neither is mom! You're just mad case mom left you for mama. Guess what, dad? I am too! Penelope's my girlfriend and I love her! You have two gay daughters, and you need to grow the hell up and accept it," Josie replies angrily.

"Go. Both of you. To your room. Now," Alaric orders.

They both scramble upstairs and collapse onto one bed. Lizzie begins to cry, so Josie pulls her into her arms. Josie has silent tears streaming down her own face. They knew their father would not react well, but they never expected him to react this badly. Lizzie cries herself to sleep, the shock of being outed finally setting in. Josie watches her sister sleep for a while before covering her with a blanket. Josie reaches for her phone, pulls up her mom's contact, and hits call. The phone rings several times until her mom finally picks up.

"Mommy. We need you. Please come to Mystic Falls," Josie begs the moment her mom picks up.

"I'll hop on the next flight with mama, baby," Caroline soothes, "What happened?

"We'll tell you when you get here. Just please come, mommy. It's bad," Josie sighs.

"We'll be there by morning, love. It's going to be okay," Caroline promises, "Try to get some rest, Josie"

"Okay. I love you," Josie murmurs.

"I love you too. Bye, baby," Caroline says before hanging up.

Josie sets her phone down after sending a text to Penelope and Hope to let them know that they're okay, but things didn't go well and to expect not to hear from them for a bit. She then cuddles into Lizzie's side, and drifts off. Neither Josie or Lizzie sleeps well at all.

Chapter Text

"Girls, come downstairs. Your mothers are here," Alaric calls.

The twins rush downstairs and into their mom and mama's arms. Caroline's blue eyes fill with worry as Lizzie clings to her in a way she hasn't done since she was a small child. Bonnie strokes Josie's hair as the brunette hugs her, and frowns at her wife. The witch can feel the girl trembling slightly in her arms. She knows Alaric has something to do with it, and the thought angers her that he somehow has done this to the girls she has raised as her own since they were newborn babies.

"Go get your shoes and we'll go out for lunch and talk, just the four of us," Caroline tells her daughters.

Lizzie and Josie go and grab their shoes and phones before heading to the rental car with their moms. The girls sit in the back seat while Caroline drives. They decide on a quiet dinner a little ways outside of town and sit. Once they have ordered (pancakes and eggs for the twins, French toast and omelets for the adults), Caroline begins to question the pair, curious about what is wrong with her babies.

"So, who's going to tell me what's going on?" Caroline asks.

"I've been seeing someone. Her name is Hope. She's caring, funny, and so amazing. I love her, moms," Lizzie confesses.

"Oh honey. We love you no matter what. I take it your dad found out?" Bonnie sighs, squeezing Lizzie's hand.

"Yeah. Someone distributed a picture of me and Hope kissing around the school... He said the worst things to me and then Josie defended me and he got even more mad," Lizzie explains.

" We will deal with him. Don't you worry," Caroline growls, ever protective over her babies.

"Moms, I'm gay too. I told him after Lizzie was outed. I'm also dating someone. Her name's Penelope," Josie informs the women.

"Alright, love, that's perfectly fine. Now, while we're here, how about we take you and your girlfriends out for dinner?" Bonnie suggests.

"Sound fun. Can we please stay at the hotel with you two?" Lizzie begs.

"Of course you can, my babies. They assumed your mama and I were just friends so we have two giant king sized beds in the room. Once we finish up, we'll go home and you two can pack your bags. We will deal with your father once we've dropped you off at the hotel," Caroline agrees.

"Can you drop us off at our girlfriends' place instead? Dad's kept us home from school and we haven't seen them in days," Josie questions.

"Oh honey. Sure thing," Bonnie nods.

The food arrives, and they eat in silence. For the first time since her father found out, Lizzie feels like things are going to be okay. Both girls know their moms are going to go full mama bear on Alaric the second they see him next and are looking forward to seeing Penelope and Hope.

After they eat, they head home and quickly pack their overnight bags. Alaric is not home from the store yet, so he is spared from the wrath of Caroline and Bonnie for now. The girls get back into the car, and Caroline starts the drive towards Penelope and Hope's place.

******

"I got it!" Hope calls to Penelope, getting up to answer the door.

She swings the door open to reveal Lizzie and Josie standing there. Lizzie immediately throws herself into Hope's arms. Hope catches her easily, holding her tightly as the blonde begins to sob.

"Penelope! Come here!" Hope exclaims.

Penelope comes to the door. Her hazel eyes widen as she sees Josie, and she pulls the brunette into her arms. Josie clings to her, fisting a handful of Penelope's t-shirt. She feels safe and secure in her girlfriend's arms, and lets herself to cry, the stress and pain of the past few days just too much to handle. Penelope and Hope glance worriedly at each other as their girls cry. After a few minutes, the twin's tears cease and they are content to be led to the couch and held by Penelope and Hope.

"Do you want to tell us what happened, love? We've been worried sick," Hope asks, kissing Lizzie's head.

"Dad found out about the photo and freaked out. He knows about us, and about Josie and Penelope as well. Jo called our moms and they flew right out last night. They're talking to our father now and we will stay at their hotel room for a while," Lizzie explains.

"Oh Jojo. Your moms are here now though, and I'm sure they'll take care of it," Penelope soothes.

"They will. They're probably going full of mama bear as we speak," Lizzie nods.

"Good. You have a very angry girlfriend as backup as well," Hope replies.

"Yeah right. You're so tiny," Penelope teases.

"I may be short, but I am feisty. You're pretty short too," Hope scoffs.

"Taller than you still," Penelope pouts.

"Aw don't pout baby. I think your height is adorable," Josie coos, kissing away Penelope's pout.

"Gross," Lizzie winces.

"Yeah, yeah. You act like you and Hope don't do it too," Josie sighs, rolling her eyes at her twin sister.

"She's got you there, Lizzie," Penelope chuckles.

"Okay, okay. You win. Anyways, our moms want to take us all out to dinner so they can meet you. Would you two be up for that?" Lizzie questions.

"Of course," Hope nods.

"I'm in," Penelope agrees.

"Yay! It'll be fun! Mom and mama are the best," Josie cheers happily.

Penelope chuckles and begins to tickle Josie, who squeals. Soon, Lizzie and Hope join in and they all have a massive tickle fight. Just being silly with their girlfriends without a care in the world is exactly what Lizzie and Josie needed, and it gives them hope that things will work out alright in the end.

Chapter Text

Alaric enters the house. Heading into the living room, he freezes when he sees Caroline and Bonnie sitting on the sofa, glaring daggers at him.

"Alaric. Want to tell us why the hell you have been making our daughters feel like shit for being gay?" Caroline questions.

"Because it's a sin, and I don't want them going to hell," Alaric shrugs.

"Yeah, no. Stop being a religious asshole for once in your life,
Bonnie tells him.

"Maybe you should go. You aren't their real mother, after all," Alaric states, who glowers at the man.

"I raised them just as much as you did! Hell, I did more for those girls than you ever did! While you were out putting your business over your own family time and time again, I was there to wipe their noses, to hold them while they cried, to patch up scraped knees and elbows and read bedtime stories. So, don't you dare imply that just because they aren't biologically mine that they aren't my daughters, and don't even think about treating them badly again! Sure, they're gay, but so am I! They're still your daughters and you need to grow the hell up and love them for them!" Bonnie growls.

"She's right, Alaric. Remember when you missed their eight birthday? I sure do. They cried all day long and only stopped when Bonnie came by with the biggest rainbow cake for them. She has been there more times than you ever have, and is as much as a parent to those girls as you and me are. Though, I hardly think you qualify as a parent," Caroline yells at Alaric.

"At least I didn't turn them gay! You two clearly influenced them to be that way," Alaric replies.

"Uh, hate to break it to you, but they were born that way," Bonnie says, sighing at the man's idiocy.

"Enough! It's wrong to be gay, and that's that," Alaric states, "Now get the hell out of my house."

"Come on, babe. He isn't worth it," Caroline sighs.

The women leave the house, and head back to their hotel. Caroline lays on the bed and opens her arms for Bonnie, who snuggles into them. She rests her head on the blonde's chest, sighing.

"What are we going to do, baby?" Bonnie asks.

"Well, if he doesn't grow up and accept them, we'll move here and take them in. They're 18, so he can't ship them off anywhere. Even if they were underage, we would never let him do that. Now, how about we just lay here and snuggle for a bit until it's time to pick the girls and their girlfriends up for dinner?" Caroline replies.

"Sounds like a plan," Bonnie nods, allowing herself to fully relax for the first time all day.

******

At about six o'clock, Bonnie and Caroline knock on the door to Penelope and Hope's house. Hope opens it, and smiles at the pair.

"Hi, I'm Hope. You must be Lizzie and Josie's moms. Come on in," Hope greets, stepping aside to allow the women into the house.

"Hello Hope. I'm Caroline, and this is my wife, Bonnie," Caroline replies.

"It's nice to meet you. Penelope should be around here somewhere. Hey Park!" Hope calls.

Penelope comes rushing down the stairs, dressed in a red flannel button down and some black jeans. On her feet are a pair of black converse. She smiles at the two women, heart racing nervously in her chest. The raven haired girl refuses to admit it, but she is very nervous to meet her girlfriend's moms.

"You must be Penelope. I'm Bonnie, and this is Caroline," Bonnie states.

"That's me," Penelope smiles.

"Do either of you know where our daughters have gotten off to?" Caroline asks.

"Upstairs getting ready. They should be down soon. Can I offer either of you a drink?" Hope replies.

"No thank you. So, are you two okay with going to the Mystic Grill for dinner?" Bonnie questions.

"Of course. It's only the best," Penelope nods.

"Good, good. Oh! There you are, girls," Caroline smiles as her daughters come down the stairs.

"Hi mom. Mama. How did the talk with dad go?" Josie asks as her mother, then her mama, hug her and her sister.

"Not well, but don't you two worry about it. Everything is going to be alright. Now, if everyone is ready, let's head out," Bonnie tells the twins.

"Okay. Let's go," Lizzie agrees, taking Hope's hand in hers.

They all head out to the rental car and pile in. Luckily, it's a fairy large car so they are all able to fit inside comfortably. They arrive at the Mystic Grill shortly, and all sit down at a table. Bonnie and Caroline smile as they watch Penelope and Hope pull the chairs out for Lizzie and Josie. They know their girls have chosen well.

"So, Penelope, Hope, what are your intentions with my daughters?" Bonnie questions once the food has been served: cheeseburgers for all but Josie, who gets a veggie burger.

Penelope and Hope nearly choke. Lizzie and Josie try not to laugh. Both their girlfriends look like they are about to pee themselves. The twins know that Bonnie's shovel talk can be quite scary, having spied on Bonnie giving it to Rafael when he and Lizzie had a brief summer fling a few years ago.

"Uh. To love them? Please don't hurt me," Penelope whimpers, hiding behind Josie.

"Relax, Penelope. My wife's bark is worse than her bite. She just want to make sure you aren't going to hurt our babies, because if you do, my bite IS much worse than my bark," Caroline chuckles, causing Penelope to come out from her hiding spot behind Josie.

"I love Lizzie, ma'ams. More than I've ever loved anyone, and I know that Penelope feels the same about Josie," Hope tells the women.

"I do. Josie's the best thing that's ever been mine," Penelope adds.

"Aw. Baby, did you just quote Taylor Swift?" Josie swoons.

"You've had quite the influence on me, Jojo," Penelope shrugs, earning herself a peck on the check.

"Gay," Hope teases.

"Hopey, I love you, but you're just as gay as they are," Lizzie tells Hope.

"You know it, love," Hope smiles, pecking Lizzie's lips.

"Okay, okay. Just because we like you two doesn't mean we want to see you getting all lovey dovey with our baby girls. PG please," Caroline scolds jokingly.

The four girls blush. Throughout the rest of dinner and dessert, they chat casually about all sorts of things. Bonnie and Caroline learn about Hope's parents, and by the end of the meal, they have essentially adopted Penelope and Hope as their own. The shovel talk threat still stands, however, as no one hurts Bonnie Bennet and Caroline Forbes' babies and gets away with it. They drop Penelope and Hope off at their house before heading to the hotel room. Once changed into pajamas and teeth brushed, they all pile into one of the beds, wanting to be close together. As Josie and Lizzie drift off to sleep in their mothers' arms, they know that everything is going to be alright.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Caroline, Bonnie, Josie, and Lizzie head to the house. Lizzie unlocks the door nervously. The house is empty, and a short note lays on the kitchen table.

Girls, your life choices are a sin. I love you, but I do not love your sin and thus cannot support it. You're 18 now, so legally I have no responsibility to care for you. I don't care what you do with the house. It's yours now. Do what you want, but do not contact me again until you have fixed your sins.

Sincerely, your father, Alaric

"He left us," Josie states in shock.

"Oh loves. I'm so sorry," Caroline sighs, pulling her girls into her arms.

"He's gone..." Lizzie whispers.

"I know, baby, I know," Bonnie soothes as she joins the hug. She knows her daughters are hurt and confused right now and wishes she could take away their pain, but she can't.

"Hey, your mama and I were talking about selling our house and moving down here to be with you two before this all happened. Now, we'll see the house as soon as possible and make the move down here. Sound good?" Caroline asks.

"Yeah," Josie nods.

"Lizzie bear?" Bonnie questions.

"Sounds amazing. Can we have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast? The kind you always made when we were little," Lizzie replies.

"Of course we can," Caroline chuckles, kissing both her daughters' foreheads.

The rest of the morning is filled with laughter and chocolate chip pancakes. The kitchen is a mess by the end of it, but no one can seem to care. While Lizzie and Josie are still hurting from their father's abandonment, they are excited that their moms are moving back to Mystic Falls and are over the moon that they can finally be themselves without fear of Alaric finding out.

******

"Hey baby. Come on in. House is empty. Penelope said something about taking Josie for a long drive and a picnic," Hope greets as Lizzie enters the house.

"Hi Hopey," Lizzie replies quietly. The blonde is still in shock that her father is gone.

"How about we go to my room and cuddle? Okay, love?" Hope frowns worriedly.

She has heard bits and pieces about what happened, and knows Alaric is gone, but not the full story. The auburn haired girl does know her girlfriend is hurting deeply however. Hope wishes she could just make it all go away, but she can't, so she simply vows to be there for Lizzie, no matter what. They head to Hope's room and lay on the bed. The blonde lays with her head on Hope's chest, Hope's arms wrapped around her securely.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hope asks softly, kissing Lizzie's head.

"He left. My father wrote a note about how we were sinners and he couldn't be a par of our lives until we 'fixed' our sin. He's gone," Lizzie explains, "I know he's not the best man, but he's my dad, and it hurts."

"Oh love. I'm so sorry," Hope whispers, "I'm here for you. Always and forever."

At Hope's sweet words, Lizzie bursts into tears. Hope holds her close and just lets her cry, knowing that the other girl just needs to let it all out. The auburn haired girl strokes Lizzie's hair as she sob and hums softly to her. Soon, Lizzie's sobs turn to sniffles, and she glances up at Hope.

"I'm sorry," Lizzie mumbles, embarrassed by her tears.

"Hey. None of that. Don't you ever apologize for being upset, love. I meant what I said earlier: I will be here for you no matter what," Hope tells the blonde.

"Okay. I love you, Hopey," Lizzie nods, dabbing at her blue eyes.

"I love you too, Liz," Hope replies, "It's all going to be okay."

Exhausted from all the crying, Lizzie soon falls asleep in Hope's arms. Hope just lays there and watches her sleep, light blue eyes filled with love for the blonde. She hears a soft knock on the door and it creeks open to reveal Penelope.

"Hey Park. Where's Josie?" Hope questions.

"She fell asleep in the car. I carried her in and put her in my bed," Penelope replies, "Is Lizzie okay, because I know Josie is not."

"She will be. They're hurting, Pen, and I hate that all we can do is be there for them," Hope sighs, brushing long blonde locks out of Lizzie's sleeping face.

"Yeah, I do too. If you're all good here, I'm going to cuddle my girl," Penelope tells her best friend.

"I'm good. Go do that," Hope nods, "And Pen?"

"Yeah, Hope?" Penelope asks.

"I love you, idiot," Hope informs the raven haired girl, who smirks at Hope.

"Love you too, nerd," Penelope replies, leaving the room.

Hope returns to gaze down to Lizzie, who remains asleep. She pulls the blankets over her and kisses her temple. It's growing late, so Hope is soon fast asleep as well, Lizzie safe and sound in her arms.

Chapter Text

They graduate in June. As they each walk across the stage (Hope, then, Penelope, followed by Lizzie and finally Josie), Caroline and Bonnie cheer the loudest, thoroughly embarrassing the girls. After the ceremony, checks still red, the twins scold their mothers, who simply shrug and embrace their daughters and their daughters' girlfriends and tell them how proud they are.

After graduation and a long, fun filled summer, they head off to college together. Even though it is only a few hours away, Caroline cries as if she will never seen them again as they drive off. Bonnie has tears in her eyes as she holds her wife, waving goodbye to the girls. Little do Josie and Lizzie know, but the night before, Penelope and Hope asked their moms' permission to propose, which of course, Bonnie and Caroline gave without a second thought.

They propose only a few months later, and both Lizzie and Josie say yes with tears in their eyes. They get married that summer. Alaric is not invited, needless to say, but surrounded by the rest of their family and friends, the twins don't notice his absents. The twins fall asleep later that night in their new wives' arms, wide smiles on their faces.

Kids come when they are in their early thirties. Hayley Andrea Mikaelson-Saltzman is born in July. She is the spitting image of Lizzie, but as she grows, it is clear that her personality is all Hope's. When Hayley is three, Hope gives birth to her little brother, Niklaus (Nik) Caleb Mikaelson-Saltzman. The boy looks just like Hope, but unlike his older sister, acts just like Lizzie. Their cousins, Laine Josette Park-Saltzman, who is Josie's spitting image in both looks and personality, and her two year younger little sister, Charlotte (Charlie) Penelope Park-Saltzman, who resembles Josie, but acts just like Penelope.

They lives right across the street from each other, and when the four kids and their moms all get together, fun times are had by all. Hayley and Laine are quite the little pranksters when together, always pranking their moms and younger siblings. As Hope jumps out of her chair after being air-horned, she can't help but smile to herself. She can't wait for the rest of her life spent with Lizzie and their children, and will forever be grateful that she and Penelope made the decision to move to Mystic Falls all those years ago.