"Yes, Josie, sweetie can you take down the spell please."

So she does but she doesn't move from my side, which she is cuddled into.

"Are you okay with her seeing us like this?"

"Of course I am. Mom, you can come in."

In walks Caroline Forbes. I wasn't really old enough to notice it before but she is like a spittin image of Lizzie.

"Hello Cy, I can't say this is what I was expecting to come back to." She says as she makes her way to a still sleeping Lizzie.

"It is good to see you Ms. Forbes."

"You as well. Liz wake up." She starts shaking her shoulder lightly. In her sleeping state she tries to get away from the touch. When she realizes she can't she groans.

"Five more minutes mom." Her eyes shoot open in realization. "Mom?"

"Yeah sweetheart I am right here."

Lizzie jumps out of bed faster than anyone I have ever seen move before and develops her mom into a hug.

A slight smile pulls at the edges of my lips when I realize Josie should also be in this family reunion.

I look over to her and her jaw is dropped slightly almost like she can't believe it. I poke her side and shoo her away towards her mother.

She gets up and jumps on the pile.

"What are you doing here Mom?" I hear Josie ask through tears.

"I tried to call to tell you I was coming back but no one answered. I took a plane anyway."

"I missed you Mom." I hear Lizzie muffle out because her face is buried so deep into the material of her mothers shirt.

"I missed you too." She kisses the top of both of their heads.

"Mom, come sit and talk with us, let's catch up." Lizzie says.

"Liz, it's not polite to invite people into other people's rooms."

"Clifford doesn't care, do you Clifford?"

"No I don't. Please make yourselves at home. I will go downstairs."

"Nonsense this is your room you can stay, I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind. Right girls?"

"Right." Josie answers immediately.

"Yeah I don't mind but I am hungry, kick in that people pleaser side and get us some food would you." Lizzie says with a smirk on her face so I know she's slightly teasing.

I laugh at that. What? She's funny.

"Anything in particular?"

"PB&J please." Lizzie says.

"Some chips please." Josie comments.

"Of course I will be right back." I say as I walk over to Josie and kiss her cheek out of habit. Before my mind even has the idea to worry about the fact that I did that in front of her mother I practically ran out of the room.

Josie POV

"And when did that happen?" My mom asks in a slight teasing tone. I hide my bashful smile by turning away.

"Don't worry mother I also only found out about it today. Jo seems to be a sought after item in this school."

"Rude." Caroline scolds.

"It was really only concrete today."

"What happened to, hell what was her name? Flinch... no um shit."

"Finch?"

"Yes, Yes! Her."

"She challenged Cypress to an alpha fight and said some not so great things about me in the process."

"And from what I heard Cy kicked her ass in your honor." Lizzie says.

"So Cypress is the alpha now?"

"Yeah, so is Jed. Cypress is new at this and thought it would be better to lead with two different styles." I say.

"Hm seems like she's already living up to the Merrick expectations." My mom says with a slight smile on her face. "But I was more asking how we got to you and her."

"Oh um, she's been there for me for longer than I've known. She even made a whole romantic gesture and danced with me, like a proper dance. She gave me a night I won't forget."

"With my help of course." Lizzie says as she throws a piece of her hair behind her shoulder.

"Seems like she's quite the charmer."

"She is, and I think you will really like her if you give her a chance, Mom."

"No need, I already like her. Your father and I always have. She's been the balance for that pack as long as I can remember and she has always been levelheaded and graceful, studies could use a bit of work and don't think I can't smell the weed in this room, but we will hit the heavy topics later. For right now I just want to catch up with my beautiful girls."

She pulls us over to the bed so Lizzie is on the outside and she's in the middle of us. I make sure to leave room for Cypress next to me.

Almost as if on cue she walks through the door with a lot more things than we asked her for.

Cypress' POV

I walk in with my hands full to see them all on my bed. Lizzie and Jos have beaming smiles on their faces. I can't help but smile with them.

"A PB&J for you, and chips for you." I say as I hand it out.

"Are you sure you don't want anything Ms. Forbes, I could go grab something really quick."

"No need, traveling makes my stomach weird. Please call me Caroline."

"I mean this with all the respect in the world, but I can't. If my parents found out I would be dead."

She laughs at that. "Good parenting."

I go to lay down at the side of Jos and she immediately intertwines our hands.

"I am more concerned about why I smell blood on your breath though Cypress."

My eyes go wide, and I tense up. Josie squeezes my hand in comfort.

"She pissed off scary Hope, and Hope being part of her family, followed through with her damn word and killed her."

"How do you know that Liz you weren't even there?" Josie says and Lizzie gives a light shrug like we should have known she would find out.

"Yeah but I had to make sure Josie was safe so we made a deal, it was a backup plan."

"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe. How are you handling it?"

"It has had some ups and downs but Jos made a suppressor for me so I can take it at my own pace."

"I'm glad you all are okay. Now since it seems as though I have missed a lot, you should catch me up."

We end up talking for hours. It's about 12am when Josie lets out a long yawn and Caroline takes that as a sign to wrap everything up.

"Thank you for letting us occupy your room."

"Anytime."

I see the torn look on Josie's face, like she doesn't know where she should sleep. I walk up to her.

"Go. It's okay, I will see you tomorrow." I give her a light kiss on the lips before practically having to usher her out.

I walk back into my room and take a shower before I go to bed. I forgot how much talking with new people drains my mental capacity.

I can barely keep my eyes open and when I lay down on my pillow I can still smell Josie. I fall asleep quickly.