darling - n.mikaelson

19

"You can come in."

"Stefan," Rebekah gasped as he appeared.

Klaus sped over to Stefan, touching his shoulder and leaning in to compel him, "Now, you remember."

Klaus stepped back towards Charlotte again, just in case his sister wanted to take another shot at her. She was after all, still covered in blood and however pleased Rebekah was at the sight of Stefan he wouldn't put it past her taking Charlotte out to annoy him.

Stefans memories returned like a tidal wave, unsure of even how to process the emotions that flooded him. 

"Rebekah."

"Stefan," she said, a grin rising to her face.

"I remember you," Stefan told her next turning to Klaus with a frown, "we were friends."

"We are friends," Klaus replied. 

He seemed happy that the plan he'd clearly been brewing for a while had finally worked out. Charlotte felt him squeeze her hand tightly, shooting her a smile before walking towards Rebekah again.

"And now, the reason you're here. Gloria tells me you know how to contact the Original witch."

Rebekah's face screwed up in annoyance, "The Original witch?" 

"What do you have that Gloria needs?" 

Rebekahs hand went absentmindedly to her neck and her face changed, "Where's my necklace?" Fear flooded her face, and she circled where she stood before speeding back to the coffin she'd risen from, "What did you do with it? I never take it off."

Charlotte backed away from the arguing siblings, touching Stefans arm softly she looked up, "Are you okay?" she asked.

Stefan smiled weakly at her. He was overwhelmed by all of it, of course, but something more seemed to be causing him to spiral as he listened to Klaus and Rebekah. Nodding to the door, he called out to Klaus that Charlotte and he would wait outside. Klaus nodded absentmindedly, missing the furrow on both Salvatores faces as they slipped to the cold air. 

Charlotte had expected they'd stop near the doors to talk, well within earshot of the argument between Klaus and Rebekah that only seemed to be gaining volume. Instead, the moment they were clear she felt Stefan grab her hand, speeding them a block away down an alley.

"What's going on?" she asked.

She'd known since they left Mystic Falls that Stefan was unhappy, it was no surprise considering what Klaus made him do. But now he seemed even worse, yet somehow more terrified than miserable. They'd hardly spoken since the incident with Damon at the bar, but he hadn't seem this stressed when they'd first left and the concern pulsed through her body. 

"If I tell you, you'll get caught in the middle."

This, while true, was an inevitability and they both knew it. There was nothing either of them could do about their roles in this all, but while Charlotte accepted the hurt that might come with it, Stefan felt guilty just at the thought of putting more on her. His hesitation came as he wondered where the truth would leave her when they returned and she took her place beside Klaus for another night.

"I'm already in the middle, Stef. Tell me what's wrong, I'm worried about you." 

She could see his resolve crumbling as she stared up at him. Even as children Stefan was hard pressed to keep things from Charlotte and now as she looked up to him with so much concern he knew he needed to be honest with her.

"There's things about that night in Mystic Falls you don't know. Things I didn't tell you."

His voice cracked and he broke off, turning away and running his hand anxiously through his hair. When he turned back around Charlotte was still silent, a frown on her face as she nodded to him to go on.