Fight With Me

Chapter 23

Caroline's POV

"I mean, yes, she's been acting more irrational lately," Caroline said quietly, her voice wavering. "But Lizzie promised me—she swore she'd never revert back to her... true self."

Alaric sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm tired of lying to Josie. She deserves to know the truth, especially now that she's noticing how Lizzie acts. It's not fair for her to live with a sister who's basically a ticking time bomb."

Caroline looked at him, a deep sadness in her eyes. "But how do we tell her? It'll destroy her. Lizzie's her twin."

Unbeknownst to them, Lizzie had her ear pressed to the door. Her heart pounded in her chest as their words sank in. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran back to her room, panic gripping her.

Back in New Orleans – Hope's POV

The entire Mikaelson family had just arrived—Kol, Davina, and Marcel included. After the initial flurry of introductions and greetings, everyone settled into the living room, catching up as if no time had passed.

Josie and I quietly slipped away, making our way to the rooftop where we could be alone.

"Are you okay, love?" I asked, noticing the distant look in Josie's eyes.

She gave me a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." But as soon as the words left her lips, I saw her sway, her eyes unfocused. "Actually, no. No, I'm not."

"Josie?" I rushed to her side, grabbing her arm as she teetered. "Jo, baby, can you hear me?"

She blinked, her breath shallow as her mind seemed to spin out of control. Then suddenly, everything stopped, and her expression became calm but distant.

"Hope," Josie began, her voice shaking slightly, "did you know I'd get all of your memories?"

I felt a jolt of fear. "What do you mean, all of my memories?"

"Not just your current memories—your repressed ones too."

My heart sank. "What are you talking about?"

Josie swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hope... the reason your dad wasn't there for most of your childhood... wasn't because he didn't care. Marcel imprisoned him. For years."

Her words hit me like a freight train. "What?" The shock in my voice echoed, causing the ground beneath us to tremble slightly.

"And Davina... she tried to kill him. More than once."

Before I could even process the bombshells Josie had just dropped, I heard footsteps behind us. I turned to see my entire family standing there, their faces pale, having heard every word.

I looked at them, my eyes blazing with a mix of fury and heartbreak. "Does anyone want to tell me why the man who robbed me of having a normal childhood with my dad is standing in my goddamn house?" My voice rose, shaking the air around us.

Back in Mystic Falls – Lizzie's POV

The walls of the Salvatore School shook with the force of Lizzie's scream, echoing through the corridors. She collapsed to her knees, hands clutching her head as her powers raged uncontrollably inside her.

Alaric and Caroline rushed in, eyes wide with fear.

"It's happening again," Alaric muttered under his breath, fear creeping into his voice. He looked at Caroline, grimly determined. "It's time to initiate the emergency protocol."