“Dad?” Josie pounded on the door. “Dad!”

When Alaric finally got to the door, eyes barely open, Josie pushed her way in without waiting for a response. She was too upset to wait any longer.

“Sure. Come in,” Alaric mumbled sleepily. He dropped back into the still-warm spot on his bed. 

“Dad!”

“I’m listening,” he said to his pillow, eyelids growing heavier. 

“Lizzie’s been sleeping with Hope!” 

Alaric nodded along. “Mm-hmm.” 

“And she also knows that MG is the one who has been going out and murdering with her!”

Alaric shot straight up, eyes wide open in the dark. “What?”

Josie flipped on the light and crossed her arms. “Lizzie was at the Mikaelson Academy tonight.”

“Why would she be there?” Alaric furrowed his eyebrows. Both of his daughters knew better than to be caught over there. Salvatore students weren’t exactly welcome there. Much less the daughters of their headmaster. If Headmaster Vardemus had caught them …

“For Hope! Can you believe it?”

“I - Well …” Alaric tilted his head as he considered how to break it to Josie delicately. “I know Lizzie has been looking into how to get Hope’s humanity back.”

“What?” 

“Which I’m guessing you didn’t know?” 

“No.” Josie scowled. “Actually, she promised me not to drag Hope Mikaelson back into our lives.”

Alaric sighed and rubbed his palms over his face. He patted the bed for Josie to sit beside him. “If your sister didn’t tell you, I’m sure it was for a good reason.”

Josie let out a huff of air. She didn’t want to admit it, but her father was right. Josie had spent the last week saying how much she didn’t want Hope around. Why would Lizzie tell her about it? She’d given her every reason not to. “I just wanted to move on from Hope and … everything.”

“I know.” Alaric wrapped his arm around his daughter. “But Lizzie’s not ready to give up just yet.” He didn’t say it, but Lizzie wasn’t the only one.

Josie rested her head on her father’s shoulder. “Do you think Lizzie can do it? Can get Hope’s humanity back?”

“She might need a team to help her out … but if she plays her cards right, I think so.” It was possible. Alaric wouldn’t lie to himself about that. It sounded like Lizzie knew more than he did, and if she was right … Hope was already breaking. It wouldn’t be hard to give her that extra nudge she needed.

But he wasn’t sure Lizzie could handle any resistance if Hope decided to fight back against it.