Tiberius Salvatore: The eldest brother

21

Another two months had passed, yet Klaus had not yet restored Charlotte's memories as promised. Klaus, Stefan, Rio and Charlotte traipsed through yet another neighbourhood.
"Rio, would you like to do the honours?" Klaus spoke up.
"Just like the last however many houses, I think we'll stay in the car. Can't stop you, but there is no way I'm joining you."
"Oh, well that's upsetting. The sooner you say yes, the sooner Charlotte can regain her memories."
"Don't make me do this Klaus. I'm not a killer. You respected that once before, please leave it alone."
"You're a vampire. It's in your nature to kill. By not doing so, you're going against everything a vampire should be."
"Maybe so, but it's my decision. I'm not killing for you."
"Aren't we all supposed to be friends? If getting my memory back means Ty should kill, then you can forget it." Charlotte said. She'd started calling him Ty about a month or so ago, feeling more comfortable with him.
"Even now, you still protect his virtue, Charlotte." Klaus smirked.
"Virtue? Stop making me sound like a virgin. I'm not a killer, Klaus. You of all people should know." Rio said.
"Come on. Just one person." He tried to convince.
"I'm not killing." He replied. Klaus flashed up to him.
"Oh, yes you will."
"Don't Klaus. Don't you dare try to compel me." Rio said moving away. "Why the need to make me kill?"
"You're a vampire. Time to embrace your true nature." Klaus smirked, yet again.
"I'm not killing." Rio repeated.
"Alright fine." Klaus went to Charlotte this time. "What do you remember of the past two hundred years?"
"Random flashes. Nothing definite." She replied.
"Think harder. What happened in 1864?"
"I- I don't know."
"Focus. 1864. What happened?" He said, more firmly. Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to think.
"I can't remember."
"Yes you can. Think back to 1864."
"I- I was wandering the street-"
"Yes then what happened. Think, Charlie."
"It was dark. Nighttime. Moon was out, higher than I'd ever seen it. There was Ty. I saw Ty." She said. Rio stared at her.
"What was he doing?" Klaus asked. She didn't look at him and tried to remember. "Look at me. What was he doing?"
"Feeding!" She exclaimed. "He kept on trying to stop. He couldn't."
"Then what happened?" Klaus asked. Rio stepped in. It was clear that it was taking a toll on her head.
"Maybe we should carry on tomorrow."
"Oh, come on mate. She was just starting to remember. If we go at this rate, we'll never uncover her memories." Klaus said.
"He's right. It's two hundred years worth of memories, I have to get more than just a day." Rio, defeated, took a step back. Stefan looked at him sympathetically.
"What happened next?" Klaus asked. Charlotte tried to think, but failed. "Let's try this another way, shall we?"
"What are you going to do?" She asked him.
"Don't you worry, love." He smirked. He looked deep into her eyes. "I'm going to hypnotise you."

An hour later, Charlotte had some of her memories. Since Klaus started from the point when she met Rio, rather than the last time she could remember, he worked backwards. She now remember up to and including the point in time she met Rio, and a decade or so onward from there. Rio, noticing a shadow, stopped.
"Stefan, Klaus- go easy. Lottie- keep them in line please, I've got to go check something out." He said, before rushing away. Not long later, Charlotte followed him, though he remained oblivious.
"Ana, what's wrong?"
"It's my fault." She said. Rio stepped closer to his step-daughter, in an attempt to comfort her, not realising Charlotte in the shadows.
"No it's not, sweetheart. It's not your fault, and as soon as Lottie remembers what happened she won't blame you."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know her. She could never hate you. And it was all an accident."
"Why didn't you tell her about me?"
"She's lost a lot of memories. If she doesn't remember soon, we'll tell her, but Klaus's method is working. She'll remember you soon enough." Rio brought her into a hug.
"Thanks, Rio. I'm glad she has you." Anya said. He smiled down at her but then he heard a yelp.
"Hello?" He called and moved to the sound. He saw Charlotte on the ground holding her head. "Ana, come here. It's Lottie."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Why don't you try to see what's wrong?"
"I might hurt her."
"I have faith in you." He replied simply. "You can do this."
Hesitantly, Anya moved her hands over to Charlotte's head. After a few more minutes of concentration, Anya stepped back. "She'll wake up soon. Take her home, I'll find my way."
"Alright. Anyone gives you trouble, you make them regret it, kid." Rio told her and rushed away.

Rio checked his phone, only to find a text from Klaus (yes, an actual text) telling him to meet up at the hotel they were staying at afterwards. He hated his brother having to get blood on his hands, but he also knew Stefan was doing this not to let Elena be found out. Charlotte suddenly sat up from the bed he'd lain her in. "Welcome back to the land of the living. And undead." he added.
"I remember, Ty." Was her first words. "I remember it all. I remember Anya and what happened. I remember the past 200 years, Ty. And I am so sorry."
"Why are you sorry? It's no-one's fault."
"Yes, but I forgot you. I blocked out 200 years worth of memory, including you because I didn't want to relive my worst moment in life, but instead I also forgot a century and a half's worth of memory of you."
"I don't blame you. It was a pretty bad period for you, from what you've told me. Now stop beating yourself up." There was a knock on the door, and Rio opened it to see Anya there.
"Anya-" Charlotte breathed.
"She remembers?" Anya asked Rio.
"Yes I remember. Oh my God. How could I have forgotten you as well?" Charlotte was near tears as Anya walked closer to her. Awkwardly, she put her arms around Charlotte pulling her into a hug. "I heard what you said in the forest, earlier. Anya, sweetheart. Look at me. It wasn't your fault. I promise. Magic is a very irksome thing. You were alive for almost 800 years, but you only lived 16."
"Yeah, dad left me to sleep for the first 500 years after I turned 12 then I was awake for a year, before I slept for another hundred years, and then woke up for another year when I turned 14, then slept for another hundred, was awake for another year and slept for another hundred before waking up for a year. Now, I've woken up and I should turn 16 in 2 months or so."
"See- that's why you're magic is so volatile. It's never been properly contained. You were alive for the 500 years you were asleep, so your magic continued to grow. The older you are, the more powerful you are. But you never got to properly harness it. It grew in each of your hundred-year naps, so it needs to be stabilised."
"Oh." Was Anya's only response.
"I'll help you. My magic is more or less the same as yours. I think I can find a way to link them together to give your magic something to hold on to."