Stopping The Merge

Chapter Nine: Beach Break

"We're here! Let's go!" Josie sequels excitedly, getting out of the car.

"I'm coming, babe," Penelope laughs, following her girlfriend to find a good spot.

"Your daughter is a child," Caroline tells Alaric jokingly.

"She's your kid too," Alaric retorts, grabbing the rest of the beach stuff.

They all head to go find Josie and Penelope, who have already set up a good spot in the sun.

"Perfect spot for sunbathing! Good job, Jo," Lizzie compliments, laying her towel out.

"Let's go to the water, Pen!" Josie says.

"Not so fast, Josie. Sunscreen," Caroline tells her daughter.

"But mom," Josie protests.

"No buts, Josette. Sunscreen," Caroline replies, holding out a bottle of sunscreen.

Josie sighs, but takes the sunscreen from the vampire. She applies it to the spots and can reach before handing it to Penelope wordlessly. The witch does Josie's back.

"There you go," Penelope smiles, kissing Josie's shoulder.

Penelope hands the bottle to Hope next, who does her and Lizzie's sunscreen. Alaric and Caroline do theirs as well. They both settle into beach chairs, not wanting to go into the water at that moment.

"Now can we go to the water?" Josie asks her mother.

"Go on," Caroline nods. 

Josie runs towards the water, Penelope following behind her, laughing at her girlfriend's adorable childlike behavior. Hope follows them as well, Lizzie deciding to stay on her towel and sunbathe. Josie enters the water first, and when Penelope follows her, she splashes the raven haired witch who retaliates with an even larger splash.

"Hope! Help me!" Josie begs. 

"You're going down, Park," Hope says, helping Josie to splash Penelope.

"Hey! No fair!," Penelope groans.

"Get her, Hope," Josie exclaims as she jumps on Penelope's back.

Hope splashes Penelope again. Penelope yelps and manages to dunk Hope under the water for a few seconds. Hope comes up gasping for air, glaring at Penelope. 

"Rude. I'm going to see if Lizzie wants to come in the water," Hope tells the girls.

Hope gets out of the water and goes back to where Alaric and Caroline are sitting in their beach chairs, Lizzie laying on her towel.

"Baby, come down to the water with me," Hope begs Lizzie.

"It's too cold," Lizzie protests.

"It's warm, I promise. Please Liz," Hope pouts.

At the sight of Hope's pout, Lizzie gets up and offers a hand to the auburn haired girl. Hope smiles and takes it, and the pair head down to the water. 

"Penny, look! Lizzie's hear now! We can play chicken fight!" Josie exclaims happily as her sister and Hope join them in the cool water. 

"I say me and Lizzie team up and take you two down," Penelope smirks.

"Let's do it, Park," Lizzie agrees, glad she decided to come join her girlfriend in the water.

Lizzie kneels and Penelope climbs onto her shoulders. Josie does the same, and Hope climbs onto hers. 

"You're going down, Jojo," Penelope smirks.

Hope and Lizzie battle it out, but neither girl manages to make the other fall off. That is, until Lizzie reaches out and tickles Hope's stomach, which makes Hope giggle and fall off of Josie into the water beneath her. Lizzie hops down and she and Penelope high five. Hope emerges from the water, auburn locks soaking wet.

"That was a dirty move, Lizzie," She tells her girlfriend.

"It worked, didn't it," Lizzie replies, smiling.

 "Fine, you win," Hope says, admitting defeat. 

"Sandcastles anyone?" Penelope asks.

"Penelope, you know small children build those, right?" Hope asks.

"Hey, Lizzie and I won, so as our prize I demand we build sandcastles," Penelope retorts.

"Okay, okay. Sandcastles it is. I'll be right back with the buckets, baby," Josie agrees, leaving to go fetch the various buckets they purchased from a local shop on their way to the beach.

Josie returns moments later, and the four girls settle down to build sandcastles. Hope and Lizzie work on several smaller, circular ones, while Josie and Penelope work on a larger, triangular shaped one. Josie finds a shell and places it on top of the sizable castle. Lizzie on the other hand finds some seaweed and tiny shells and thoughtfully decorates each castle.

Josie spots a spare bucket, and glances up at her parents, who are still lounging in their beach chairs. She fills and bucket up to the top with water, and sneaks up to her mother, who has her eyes closed. She dumps the water onto Caroline, who shrieks as the cool liquid hits her skin. Josie drops the bucket and makes a run for it, laughing. 

She does not make it very far, however, before Caroline tackles her. Josie squeals as her mother tickles her. At the sound of Josie's squeals, Hope, Lizzie, and Penelope glance up. They watch, amused, as Caroline proceeds to bury the brunette siphoner in the sand, all the way up to her neck. Standing up, Caroline brushes herself off, admiring her work.

"Karma, baby girl, karma," The blonde vampire smirks.

Alaric watches from afar, trying his best not to laugh at the sight of his daughter buried in the sun kissed sand, Caroline still soaking wet from Josie's ambush. Hope, Penelope, and Lizzie are smirking at Josie. He can't help as a smile creeps across his face at the sight of everyone having some carefree fun in the sun. This was definitely a much needed break.