"Nothing is with me now but a sound,
A heart's rhythm, a sense of stars"
- W. H. Auden, Compline
In which Charlotte Salvatore wakes after a 145 year slumber and is thrust into a supernatural world before she can cope with the modern one.
(THE VAM...
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Charlotte wasn't surprised when it was Stefan that came to collect her from the classroom but she was surprised by the way he talked to her. Stefan was normally the more kind and compassionate of her two brothers, when Damon would tease her Stefan would be the one who came to her defence.
Instead, Stefan had come barging into the room, laughing cruelly when she asked about Elena and mockingly pointing out Rebekah's attack on Charlotte. He revealed the ending to the evening, Klaus had won of course. Elena didn't have to die but her blood was the solution to creating more hybrids and she was currently in the hospital making a very charitable and non-optional donation for him.
She worked out fairly quickly that Stefan had turned his humanity off by the way he talked to her.
Charlotte hadn't been surprised when Stefan came to collect her from the room, but she was when the car slowed to a stop and they arrived at their destination. She expected that they'd be back on the road now Klaus knew the reason why his hybrids hadn't been working, armed with the doppelgängers blood they'd be off to find more wolves and build Klaus' army.
She presumed at least that she'd be taken to Klaus, whatever their differences she expected him not to let her leave, so he could prove he was in control. Needless to say when they pulled up in front of the Salvatore house Charlotte took a moment to even comprehend where she was.
No humanity Stefan wasn't chatty, well he was, but only to spout out callous comments and so Charlotte hardly responded, not wanting to keep him talking. They had driven in silence aside from the occasional cruel quip about Charlotte and Klaus' now dead relationship and so she didn't understand why they would stop here. It certainly wasn't as though this Stefan cared about Damon and she doubted he cared enough to bring her to see him.
Charlotte didn't leave the car as suddenly as Stefan when they arrived home, she was stunned for a moment, staring in shock before composing herself. By the time she finally came inside she saw Elena, alive although weak, and Damon, both looking with worry and contempt at Stefan. She didn't catch what he'd said, but Charlotte knew it was something callous because it took them a moment to even notice her, standing in the doorway nervously.
"Charlie," Damon croaked out at last, shock on his face at his baby sister in the doorway.
Elena had filled Damon in on Charlotte's presence in the gym and they'd both expected after she was practically carried away unconscious by Klaus that he'd have tossed her in the back of his car and taken her with him like he planned to take Elena.
In a flash, he was in front of her, pulling her through the threshold into his arms, "Hi Damon," Charlotte mumbled out, half inaudible, overwhelmed to finally see her brother again, relieved he didn't hate her after their last meeting. His arms were tight around her and his hand was on her head pulling it closer into his shoulder, he felt relieved knowing she was home and safe again.
"Careful brother," Stefan broke their moment, "little Lottie's been sleeping with the enemy."
Charlotte stiffened in Damons arms, mortified as Stefan lazily left the room going upstairs but Damon didn't ask, instead he only pulled her to the couch beside Elena and bombarded her with questions.
