The Real Me ↠ Hope Mikaelson ✓

01

𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋
you can forgive yourself now.

MILLIE MOORE HOLDS her breath as she steps out of the car, her eyebrows rising at the mansion-like building that stands in front of her.

"Welcome to the Salvatore School!"

Jumping back in surprise, Millie stares at the two girls in front of her, wide smiles on their young faces.

The taller of the two is blonde, her hair cascading down her chest in soft waves, and her big blue eyes sparkle with curiosity and mischief.

Her companion has dark brown hair that falls just past her shoulders, brown eyes, and a sheepish smile on her plump lips.

"We're your tour guides," the blonde says. "I'm Lizzie, and this is my sister, Josie."

The brunette gives a short wave. "We're twins."

Lizzie grins. "Fraternal. Obvs."

"Oh, hello!" Millie greets enthusiastically, smiling brightly as she tucks a strand of platinum-blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm Millie."

"Girls," says Alaric Saltzman—the man who found and recruited Millie—looking at the twins with a soft, fatherly look in his blue eyes. "Be nice."

"We are, Father," Lizzie chirps as she loops her arm through Millie's right arm, and Josie loops hers with Millie's left arm. "We're your tour guides for today."

"Awesome!" Millie bites her lip, bouncing a little on the spot before she and the twins start walking away from Alaric. "Where are we heading first?"

"We'll show you around the school first so you know where everything is," Josie replies, smiling. "Everybody gets along with everybody else—for the most part."

"Our dad never told us what you were," Lizzie says, staring at the blonde who looks a little too much like her and Josie's mother.

Millie looks like a deer caught in headlights. "I..." She trails off before sighing. "I'm a zombie."

Lizzie snorts. "A zombie? You're not a zombie." She chuckles, shaking her head in disbelief before she freezes at the look on Millie's face. "No way!"

Millie nods. "Yes way," she answers, frowning as she casts her eyes to the ground. "Do you not want to be my friend anymore?"

She's always had trouble making friends, especially those of her age, even before turning into a zombie.

"Are you kidding me?!" Lizzie exclaims, making the young zombie look up with wide, blue eyes. "That's so cool! You're definitely my ZBF."

"ZBF?" Millie repeats, her eyebrows furrowed, though she's smiling from ear to ear. She's happy Lizzie and Josie aren't looking at her any differently.

"Zombie Best Friend," Lizzie responds in a 'duh' tone before leaning forward excitedly. "Do you have any superpowers?"

"Lizzie..." Josie warns, looking at Millie with an apologetic expression.

"It's fine, Josie," Millie insists with a soft giggle. "I don't think it's superpowers... Not really, anyway. If I get shot in any place other than my head, it doesn't bother me, and I'll live." She grins at the excitement and curiosity on the young blonde's face. "In my full-on zombie mode, I'm pretty damn strong."

"Do you eat brains?" Lizzie asks, scrunching up her face in disgust, though her blue eyes sparkle with curiosity.

Millie nods. "Yeah, but only the recently deceased's brains. When I do, I can remember things from their life. I also absorb some of their personality traits and interests."

"Did you eat one today?" Josie inquires, frowning.

"No, I ate one like two days ago, so any effects that I would've got from that brain are pretty much gone... So that means you guys have met the real me."

The taller twin shakes in her spot with excitement. "Oh, my God! This is so cool! You're spending the night with us and telling us everything about being a zombie."

"Lizzie!" Josie scolds, looking at her sister with wide eyes.

"It's fine, Josie," Millie reassures her, smiling. "I've never met anyone this excited to know about me other than Ravi, my best friend... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy to tell you everything."

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AFTER GETTING THE full tour of the school by the Saltzman twins, Millie gets directions from a boy in the hall before making her way to Alaric's office.

When she walks into the office, her eyes immediately land on the young blonde woman talking to Alaric. "Oh... I'm sorry," she mutters, shuffling on her feet.

Alaric clears his throat. "It's alright, Millie. This is Caroline Salvatore." He gestures to the woman looking at Millie with curious blue eyes. "She works alongside me, so I told her everything you and your mother told me. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Millie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Erm, I don't think so," she says absentmindedly. "But I do have a question. What are we going to do about the brains?"

"Oh." Alaric clears his throat. "I guess we can set up something with the sheriff—he knows about us—and see if we can set up the morgue for you. We can try to do something similar to what you and Liv did."

Nodding, Millie sends the two a small smile. "Can you try to do it soon? I haven't had a brain in a few days, so I'll need to eat one by tomorrow..."

"Okay," Caroline responds. "We'll get Dorian on that soon." She purses her lips, getting a good look at the young zombie in front of her. For some reason, her gut is trying to tell her something. "Alaric said that Liv isn't your real mother?"

Crossing her arms defensively, Millie frowns at the older woman. "She's my mother—no matter what it says in my file."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," Caroline says quickly. "Would it be okay if we get some of your DNA? We'd like to get a good look at what makes you... you."

Millie furrows her eyebrows before nodding. "Sure."

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LATER THAT NIGHT, while Millie is gossiping with Lizzie and Josie, Caroline gets Hope Mikaelson—the strongest being at the school—to test Millie's DNA for anything unusual.

Of course, since Millie is undead, her DNA is different from that of a human, but she's still alive in most aspects.

Out of curiosity, Caroline also draws some of her own blood and tests it with Millie's to see the differences between a zombie and a vampire since they're both undead. What is revealed shocks her to her very core.

Millie is her long-lost daughter.