Unlinked- Hosie

The Link

For most of their life, Hope Mikaelson and Josie Forbes have always known their friendship is different. They have a bond unlike no other. It's a bond that nobody can really figure out. They just know that it is a very rare thing. A "soulmate bond", is its proper term, something as old as time...or as Hope calls it, an "emotional link," or "emotional connection,". The connection allows Hope and Josie to do many things. It allows them to hear each other's thoughts, feel each other's feelings, such as their pain, sadness, happiness, joy. It allows them to know when the other one is in danger. It allows them to communicate telepathically.

The connection also allows them to live through each other's perspectives. Taking the "put yourself in the other's shoes," phrase to a whole new level. They can experience what the other one does by their visions or memories. Their bond is a lot stronger than any other friendship.

At first, the connection went unknown. For a good portion of their lives, Hope and Josie never knew about the link. Until one day, Hope woke up in the middle of the night, sobbing and screaming. Nobody could figure out what was wrong. It took many nights of her just crying for people to realize that she was reliving one of Josie's memories. That's when the headmistress, Caroline Forbes-Salvatore, also Josie and Lizzie's mother, started to do some deep research. She stumbled across an old book that mentions an emotional link. Which is something that has been unheard of for many years. Over 15 millennia ago.

With the help of Freya Mikaelson, Hope's aunt, Caroline manages to explain to the two girls that they have an emotional link. The link allows them to feel what the other feels, to experience the other's memories. The link was so powerful that it was like their souls were intertwined or bound. It's unlike anything they'd ever learned about.

At first, both girls were a little skeptical. They never learned about an "emotional link," up until Hope began to relive one of Josie's memories. But after doing their own research and discussing their childhood, they realized that their link has always been there. Even as little girls, they shared that link. When Josie was seven and Hope was nine, Josie broke her arm, which required her to get a cast. A week later, Hope complains of her arm hurting. Except nothing happened to it. They just never realized what exactly it was. But after realizing they've always had a more special connection, things started to change. They grew closer than they used to be.

As the two girls get older, things start to change. New discoveries are made. Such as feelings and other forms of attractions. It's new to them, it's also very scary. Feelings for any growing kid is scary. Especially when you have a connection as strong as theirs. Feelings can be felt through others emotions.

For Josie, she starts to feel something different. Hope looks different. She's always been beautiful, Josie thinks. But wow, is Hope beautiful. She's never really taken in how beautiful Hope is until they were talking outside in the school garden and she noticed how Hope looks in the sun's rays. She realizes how beautiful Hope's smile is and the way she laughs so beautifully. She starts to feel her heart race around her. Which isn't good considering Hope can tell when her heart is racing. But she starts to feel all sorts of things. She starts falling in love with her best friend.

Hope starts to develop feelings for a classmate named Landon Kirby, eventually, the two of them start dating and begin to fall in love. Which hurts Josie, but she keeps it to herself. Which is hard, but she does it because she would never get in the way of her best friend's relationships out of her own selfishness with her own feelings.

One night, during winter, Hope and Josie are sleeping in Josie's room. Hope is cuddled up against her, her arms wrapped around Josie's waist.

That was when Josie started to burn up. Too asleep, Hope didn't notice.

"Hope! Hope, wake up!" Josie says telepathically

Hope's eyes open, startled, she sits up and looks around her. It takes her a few seconds to wake up. That's when she can feel herself burning up. She panics.

"Josie!" Hope says, shaking the brunette. "Josie wake up,"

Josie wakes up in a startle, she can feel Hope panicking.

"What's..." Josie pauses, "What's wrong?" She asks, "You're panicking. Try to steady your breathing,"

Hope focuses on her breathing as she clears her throat, "Yo-You're burning up," She says, "Do you not remember speaking to me telepathically?" She asks

Josie shakes her head, "N-no," She confesses, "I'm still getting used to that,"

"You're burning up," Hope says, "I can feel it."

"Shit," Josie says as she can start to feel that her body is extremely warm, "What the hell."

"We need to get you to a doctor." Hope says as she places a hand on Josie's forehead, "Yeah, this isn't good," She tells her. Hope places a hand on Josie's cheek, "Look at me,"

Josie looks at Hope and Hope examines her face. Taking in the details. She's pale, her eyes look like she hasn't slept in years and she looks like she's been having an untreated fever for weeks.

"Yeah, you're pale." Hope says, "Okay. Stay here, yeah? I'll go get your mom." She says as she kisses Josie's forehead, "Don't move."

Hope gets out of bed and runs into Caroline's office

"Headmistress Forbes," Hope says, "Something's wrong with Josie,"

"What is it?" Caroline asks

"We-we were sleeping, and suddenly she was telling me to wake up telepathically? And when I woke up, I could feel my body burning. She has a fever," Hope says. "Sh-she looked so pale, and her eyes were so red. It was like she didn't sleep for years." She continues, panic rising in her voice

"Okay, Hope, honey, calm down," Caroline says, "Calm down. Can you calm down for me?"

"Breathe." Josie says telepathically,

Hope shuts her eyes and finds herself breathing begin to become more steady

"Okay, I'm okay," Hope says, "You just need to come, Headmistress Forbes. I don't know what's wrong,"

"Okay, yes," Caroline says, "Let's go,"