Hosie~ One Shots

The Ghost In The Mirror

Josie Saltzman ran her fingers along the edge of the old mirror, its wooden frame cool beneath her touch. She had just moved into a new room at the Salvatore School, eager for a fresh start. The mirror had been a surprise, something left behind by the previous occupant. It was ornate and heavy, with intricate carvings swirling around the edges, like ivy weaving its way up a trellis.

As she gazed at her reflection, Josie's thoughts drifted to Hope Mikaelson. Their relationship had always been complex, a dance of emotions neither of them could fully articulate. They were friends—best friends, even—but there was an undercurrent between them that neither had been brave enough to confront.

But things had been different lately. Since the Malivore crisis, since everything they had gone through together, it felt like they were on the precipice of something more. If only one of them would make the first move.

Lost in thought, Josie almost didn't notice the flicker in the mirror. Her reflection wavered, like a ripple on water, and for a moment, she saw someone else—someone with the same blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that were unmistakably Hope's. But this Hope looked different. There was a sadness in her eyes, a weight on her shoulders that Josie had never seen before.

"Hope?" Josie whispered, stepping closer to the mirror.

The reflection stared back at her, and for a heart-stopping moment, it didn't move in time with her. Instead, the reflection of Hope tilted her head, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Josie," the reflection whispered, the voice faint but unmistakable. "I'm sorry."

Josie gasped, stumbling back from the mirror. Her heart raced as she tried to process what she had just seen. This wasn't possible. Ghosts weren't real—well, most ghosts weren't. But she had learned never to discount the impossible at the Salvatore School.

"What are you?" Josie asked, her voice trembling.

The figure in the mirror looked down, sorrow etched into every line of her face. "I'm a version of Hope," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "From a timeline where things went wrong. Where I couldn't save you... or us."

Josie's breath caught in her throat. "Save us? What happened?"

The ghostly Hope seemed to struggle, as if the memories were painful to recount. "We were together, Josie. We tried to make it work, but everything fell apart. We couldn't fight Malivore. I lost you, and it broke me. I couldn't handle it, and I—I became something else, something darker. And now I'm stuck here, reliving those moments, trapped by the choices I made."

Josie's mind spun with the implications. A timeline where she and Hope had been together? A future where everything had gone wrong? She had to tell the real Hope, the one who was still here, still fighting.

Without another word, Josie fled her room, her heart pounding as she raced down the hallways of the school. She found Hope in the library, bent over a book, researching as usual. Hope looked up, concern flashing in her eyes as she saw Josie's panicked expression.

"Josie, what's wrong?"

"I—I saw you," Josie stammered, grabbing Hope's hand. "In the mirror. Or, a version of you. She said she's from another timeline, where everything went wrong."

Hope frowned, her mind already working to process the information. "Another timeline... that's not unheard of. But what does she want?"

"She's stuck," Josie said, squeezing Hope's hand tighter. "She needs our help. She said she lost me in her timeline, that everything fell apart between us. We have to help her find peace."

Hope's eyes softened, and she nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

Together, they returned to Josie's room. The ghostly Hope was still there, her expression one of quiet desperation as she watched them approach.

"What do we need to do?" Hope asked, her voice steady but filled with compassion.

The ghost looked between them, her gaze lingering on their joined hands. "You need to make different choices. Be brave where I wasn't. The darkness that took me—took us—thrives on fear and doubt. You have to fight it. Together."

Hope exchanged a look with Josie, her heart swelling with an emotion she hadn't allowed herself to fully acknowledge until now. "We will," she promised, turning back to the ghostly figure. "We won't let that happen to us."

The ghostly Hope smiled, a sad, wistful expression. "I wish I had been as brave as you two. Thank you." Her image began to fade, the light in the mirror dimming until only Josie's reflection remained.

Josie exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Is she... gone?"

Hope nodded slowly. "I think so. I think she found peace knowing we won't make the same mistakes."

They stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of what had just happened settling over them. Finally, Josie turned to Hope, her eyes searching. "She said we were together. In that timeline."

Hope's breath caught, but she didn't look away. "Yeah. She did."

Josie stepped closer, her heart pounding in her chest. "Hope, I don't want to live in a timeline where we're too afraid to try."

Hope's eyes softened, her hand coming up to cup Josie's cheek. "Me neither."

And then, with the weight of a thousand unspoken words between them, they closed the distance. Their lips met in a kiss that was soft, tentative at first, but quickly deepened as they poured all their unspoken feelings into it. It was a promise, a commitment to face whatever came next together.

When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless, but a shared smile played on their lips.

"Whatever happens," Josie whispered, "we'll face it together."

Hope nodded, her thumb brushing against Josie's cheek. "Together."

And as they stood there, the mirror reflecting their entwined forms, there was a sense of peace in the room. Not just for the ghost who had found closure, but for the two girls who had finally found the courage to embrace what had always been between them.