"wait for the calm after the storm. wait for the peace to return once more."
15 | BARGAIN
May, 2010
Charlotte had spent the rest of her day and half of the next one following after Klaus alongside Elijah, cleaning up after the newly-turned hybrid as if she were nothing more than his nanny. She was annoyed, to say the least, especially when she began to thirst for a meal of her own. Klaus was taking up all the fun, and after the day she had reuniting with her brothers, she wanted to indulge in her own monster too.
Elijah eventually allowed her to leave once it was clear that Klaus would turn back to his human—and very naked—form. Charlotte didn't hesitate to run off on her own, picking a random human on the way back to the apartment Klaus declared as his own. She made sure she didn't drink too much from the poor brunette, brushing her hair back and softly compelling the girl to forget everything. The young woman didn't seem too unsteady on her feet, but Charlotte ordered her to stay at home for the rest of the day just in case.
Once she was satisfied, she continued her journey to the apartment, wrinkling her nose at the clothes she wore. She desperately needed a shower and to change into something more suitable, so she wasn't exactly prepared for conversation by the time she eventually trudged back up the stairs and to the door.
Glancing down at the bracelet on her wrist, Charlotte opened the door and stepped inside, sighing gently to herself.
However, the moment of peace—despite how small—was ripped away from her when she stumbled upon a rather interesting sight. She blinked, her eyes settling onto Katherine and her own brother standing apart from each other, as if just interrupted in some kind of discussion. Charlotte automatically tensed upon seeing Stefan, despite how the look on his face made her want to jump into his arms and never let him go again. She refrained from doing so, and instead chose to focus on Katherine, who looked too suspicious for anything good to come from it.
"There a party going on here?" She asked, forcing the sarcasm while she crossed her arms. She noticed the bottles of alcohol littered across the kitchen's island, and she knew that Katherine must've indulged in it whilst they were gone and dealing with the aftermaths of Klaus's curse finally being broken. "I must've missed the invite."
"Charlotte," Stefan breathed, taking a moment to look over her before he continued. She tried not to feel uncomfortable under his stare, but it was difficult when Stefan's gaze felt like he was judging every decision she had made in the last century. "Is Klaus...?"
She shook her head, understanding his unspoken words. "He'll be a little longer, but you shouldn't stick around if you don't want to run into him," she warned, pursing her lips tightly. The space between her and her brother felt like worlds apart, as if she was stuck underneath tempered glass and unable to break through.
Stefan frowned, raising his hand to scratch the back of his head. "Yeah, actually, I need to talk to him," he replied, stirring confusion and curiosity in Charlotte's gaze.
Stepping forward, her eyes peered at him closely. "About what?"
Stefan's expression fell, and she wondered what happened to make him look so downcast, so hopeless for the future. It was a strange sight to see from the brother who used to smile so fondly, even in the most terrible situations. But then again, she reminded herself that the doppelgänger was dead. Obviously, Stefan—being quite infatuated with the girl if the rumors were anything to go by—would be affected by the girl's death. That had to be the reason for the pain written so clearly across his features.
But, he surprised her again. "It's Damon," he confessed lowly, shaking his head. "He's been bitten by a werewolf."
Charlotte's world froze, like she had pressed pause on a movie, or as if the very air seemed to crystallize and suffocate her in the process. Her mouth fell open on its own accord, the shock getting the better of her. Eyes widening, she shook her head, almost as if she hadn't heard him correctly. "What?" She breathed, her worry becoming overpowering. She knew what happened to vampires who were bitten by a werewolf, and to think that her brother might suffer the same fate as so many—just after she had finally reconnected with him—felt like a hole being punched into her chest. "How did this happen?" She questioned quickly, eyes pleading with her brother's.
Luckily, Stefan didn't hesitate to explain the circumstances, running a stressful hand over his jaw. "I just recently found out, but he's getting worse by the hour," he told her, and her heart ached, wondering why Damon has seemingly kept it a secret from Stefan. The girl would've thought them to be closer than that, but she'd been mistaken. "He's hallucinating badly, and he can't keep any blood down."
Charlotte shook her head again, but Katherine raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Why are you here, of all places?" She asked curiously, and Stefan's eyes briefly shot to hers before returning to the deep gaze of his sister.
"I was talking to Bonnie, and she said that Klaus is the key to saving Damon," he explained, and Charlotte blinked, briefly remembering that Bonnie was the local witch—the same one that had almost killed Klaus during the full moon. She wondered how much credibility the girl had as such a young girl in the beginning of her craft, but she also knew that she was a Bennett. Charlotte may have been younger than her lovely husband, but she could spot a powerful witch bloodline just as well as he could, and Bennetts were at the top of the pyramid in terms of generational magics.
But, she only scowled, looking at Stefan with obvious doubt. "How does Klaus have anything to do with this?" She muttered, and Stefan sighed.
"I don't exactly know," he replied sadly, looking lost and conflicted on what to do. Charlotte's gaze softened, and once more she ached to go forward and hug him. Even just grabbing his hand and offering what little comfort she could give would make her feel much better about their relationship, since against all odds, Charlotte actually felt out of place. She had always been confident after turning into a vampire, and yet, when it came to her brothers, she felt like a fish out of water. Everything was flipped upside down, and the news about Damon's impending doom certainly wasn't helping anything.
Charlotte wanted to say more, but before she could, Katherine suddenly moved quickly, grabbing onto Stefan and pushing him against the wall. The other girl stiffened, narrowing her eyes, but when the older vampire only pressed a finger to her lips instead of attacking her brother further, Charlotte knew to stay silent.
And, as if on command, the door behind her creaked open, and Charlotte slightly turned her head to see the two Mikaelson brothers waltz into the apartment. "Klaus, you're back," Katherine's unsteady voice called out, and Charlotte tried not to roll her eyes at the forced inflection. Katherine grabbed ahold of Stefan's arm tightly, gesturing to him with a jerk of her head. "Look who decided to come for a visit."
Klaus smirked when his eyes landed on Stefan, while Elijah closed the front door behind them. "You just keep popping up, don't you?" The newly-transformed hybrid mused quietly. But then, his eyes flickered to Charlotte, and his smirk grew. "Though, I suppose that has more to do with Charlotte's inability to follow simple instructions than with you."
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't be an ass," she muttered, turning away from his smug expression and moving toward the kitchen island. She leaned her back against it, hoping that the cool surface would snap her out of her trance. It didn't work; Stefan's words about Damon's condition only kept floating around her mind, taunting her with inexplicable futures that would leave her heartbroken beyond compare. She had just gotten him back, and already, she was at risk of losing him all over again.
"I need your help," Stefan declared boldly, trying to lessen the attention directed at his sister. "For my brother."
"Well, whatever it is, he's gonna have to wait a tick," Klaus responded deftly, raising his arm toward Elijah, who was stoically standing behind him, as loyal as she's ever seen him. "You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention." His smirk grew wicked, and Charlotte felt apprehension crawl up her spine while the hybrid walked past her brother and toward one of the bedrooms.
She had a feeling that things would go south, but she wasn't sure how. Klaus seemed to be even more unpredictable now that his werewolf side was accessible to him, and Charlotte was anxious when she realized that she didn't know what to expect from him anymore. Not that Klaus was predictable by any means, but now, there was a certain wildness in his eyes that made her tense.
Elijah regarded Stefan closely. "You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here," he pointed out, and Charlotte fiddled with her shirt. "My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own."
Charlotte frowned, straightening her spine as those words registered in her head. Strangely enough, Elijah hadn't told her this bit about his deal with Klaus, and she was immediately alert when the possibility of getting her husband back was right at her fingertips. She could almost imagine it.
But, of course, Klaus had to ruin it again.
"And so I shall," his voice was cold and bitter, and Charlotte gasped, hands flying to her mouth when she saw him stab Elijah in the heart with an achingly familiar dagger. She moved almost on instinct when she heard Elijah's pained yell, but she was stopped abruptly by none other than Katherine Pierce, who sent her a frigid warning glance.
"I wouldn't, if I were you," she muttered, and while a part of Charlotte knew that she was right, she couldn't help but struggle against the older vampire. Elijah was the last one of them that was still undaggered, and now, Charlotte was truly left alone with the monstrous man that was Niklaus Mikaelson. She could feel her hope depleting, wishing that for once, Klaus would've done the right thing.
She should've known that he wouldn't, but still.
She helplessly watched as Klaus released his hold on Elijah, allowing the suited Original to fall to the floor in a lifeless heap. Charlotte pursed her lips tightly, feeling a fire of indignation burn in her stomach. Klaus smirked, as if reveling in his own betrayal, and when he raised his head, his eyes sought out Stefan first.
When the hybrid flashed forward, effectively pinning Stefan against one of the walls, Charlotte shoved Katherine away. The older vampire didn't put up a fight, as interested in the new developments as she was. "Now," Klaus whispered darkly, surveying Stefan's form. "What am I gonna do with you?"
"Klaus, I swear—"
"Relax Charlotte," Klaus replied without even looking at her, and she could practically hear the smile in his voice. "I won't be too mean."
However, unlike his words, he broke off a piece of a nearby chair and shoved the wood into Stefan's stomach, making the boy cry out and hunch over in pain. Charlotte flinched at the sound, her face screwing up as she forced herself to look away.
Klaus was enjoying Stefan's pain. "Do you feel that?" He whispered. "It's scraping against your heart." Charlotte felt the blood in her face drain away, and her body buzzed, fighting against her mind and trying to move to her brother's aid. "The slightest little movement... And you're dead."
Charlotte was about to step forward when it looked like Klaus wouldn't let up on his awful habits. However, to her utter surprise, Katherine spoke before she could. "He's just trying to help his brother." The vampire met Charlotte's eyes, and despite the Salvatore's distaste for Katherine, she found herself grateful for her attempt.
"The witches said you had a cure," Stefan choked out. He placed his hand on Klaus's shoulder and pushed back in order to stare the Original in the eyes. "Make me a deal," he said breathlessly. "Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want."
Charlotte widened her eyes. "Stefan, stop—"
"Now now, Charlotte," Klaus mused, tilting his head a little. "This was starting to get interesting." He pulled his arm back, ripping the stake out of Stefan's chest. Charlotte winced at the sound as Stefan breathed heavily, trying to regain his bearings while his body healed.
Klaus strolled over to the kitchen island, placing the stake down and picking up a glass and a blood bag in his hands. He was quiet for a moment, and the tension filled the apartment like an ominous cloud. Charlotte dreaded whether the hybrid would actually take her brother up on his stupid offer, and she hated that Stefan even suggested the idea in the first place. While she had her issues with Klaus, she knew he would never hurt her. The same couldn't be said about her brothers.
"Trouble is, I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now," Klaus began lowly, pouring the blood into the glass. "You are just shy of useless." He lifted the glass to his lips, taking a pensive sip.
Charlotte watched him carefully, using her own paranoia as an excuse to look away from Stefan's pain. Klaus set the glass of blood down, and walked around Stefan's fallen form. He bent down, so that he and Stefan were nearly eye to eye.
"I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke. Always on and off the wagon for decades," Klaus whispered quietly, and Charlotte tensed, knowing where this was going. "When he was off, he was magnificent." Stefan looked like he had a different opinion on the subject, turning his head down from Klaus's watchful gaze. "1917. He went into Monterey and wiped out an entire migrant village." Klaus smirked, standing to his full height. "A true ripper." Stefan clenched his jaw shamefully, eyes flickering to Charlotte for a split second. Klaus looked even more amused by the reaction. "Sound familiar?"
"I haven't been that way in a very long time," Stefan replied stoically.
Klaus pointed at him. "Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with." Charlotte tensed even more at this suggestion, and tapped her fingers against her side unsteadily when her arms wrapped around her stomach. "That's the kind of talent I can use when I leave this town." Stefan slowly climbed to his feet, staring at Klaus with an indecipherable expression. Charlotte frowned, wondering how Stefan could even think about accepting the offer.
"Nik, stop this madness," she advised, though she could hear the crack in her own voice as she tried to guide him in a different direction. "You already have me. Why do you need Stefan too?"
But Klaus only smirked wickedly. "The more the merrier, right love?" Charlotte clenched her jaw, but Klaus turned his head the opposite way. "Katerina, come here."
He held out his arm, and nobody moved for a moment. Katherine was eyeing the newly-turned hybrid warily, and Charlotte didn't blame her. He was the most erratic he's ever been, and even Charlotte was unsure where she stood with him. But of course, Katherine had to obey, and it was like every atom in her body was denying the movement as she slowly stepped toward the Original. Klaus didn't even look at her, keeping his eyes on Stefan with that smug little smirk of his.
Katherine placed her hand softly into Klaus's outstretched one, and faster than any of them could blink, Klaus had brought his new werewolf fangs forward and ripped into Katherine's skin with his teeth. Katherine cried out, eyes widening and trying to pull her hand away. Klaus didn't let her, taking a moment to let the venom really sink in. When he finally released her, Katherine was breathless, staring at her bitten wrist with dread.
"No," she whispered, hands shaking. "No, no, no..."
Klaus didn't pay her any mind, lifting his own wrist to his lips and biting into it. Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows, unsure what he was doing. Surely he wouldn't kill Katherine so quickly, not after all of the times he told Charlotte how he would torture her for decades—centuries even. It didn't make sense.
Klaus abruptly pressed his bleeding wrist to Katherine's mouth, and the girl struggled against his hold. After a moment, Klaus released her, his eyes still settled firmly on Stefan's face.
Charlotte stepped forward, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Katherine's wound beginning to heal. She almost laughed. Of course.
"You want your cure?" Klaus asked softly, quirking an eyebrow at her brother. "There it is."
He wiped the line of blood from his mouth, and Stefan swallowed thickly, understanding just how twisted this negotiation had become. "Your blood is the cure."
Klaus raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Gotta love mother nature," he joked lightheartedly, but Charlotte knew better. She knew that there was a demon hiding just under the surface of his skin. She tensed, glancing at Stefan and unconsciously taking a step toward him. Klaus's perceptive eyes locked onto her. "Now," he said, keeping his eyes on Charlotte as he rested a hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Let's talk, you and I."
"Nik—"
"You know, Stefan," Klaus cut her off, his smirk like the cat had eaten the canary. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and Charlotte pressed her lips together tightly. "Charlotte here has told me much about you," he mentioned casually, leaning against the island in the kitchen. "Her devotion for you and Damon rivals your own brotherly bond with each other. So, imagine my surprise when she asks me—begs me, really." Charlotte fumed, her fists clenching at her sides. "To leave you both alive, despite knowing how much you've involved yourself in my dealings." He tilted his head, and Stefan's eyes burned into Charlotte's face. She avoided him like the plague. "If it were anyone else, Charlotte would happily help me tear them apart." His face grew dark, his eyes unreadable. "Even her loyalty to me cannot break her ties to you two. You should be honored."
Charlotte glared. He was twisting the words expertly, and she had to give him credit for that. Charlotte hadn't begged for Stefan and Damon in recent years, but in the 40's, not long after she had discovered that they were both alive. Klaus had been vindictive, and Charlotte had tried to wake Kol up without his permission. As a result, he had threatened her with them, and she was forced to do anything and everything he said not only for Kol's sake, but for theirs too.
Stefan's jaw clenched, and when he glanced at Klaus was when Charlotte allowed herself to stare at him. She hated that Stefan was being introduced to this side of herself, the side that had never existed when she was human, the side that had been born from her vicious death. She hated that the memories she shared with Stefan were being tainted right before her eyes. She hated that there was a part of herself that feared his rejection, despite always having that faith in him before becoming a vampire.
The truth was that Charlotte hated how insecure she'd become under the scrutiny of her brothers. With them back in her life, it felt like she was walking on eggshells, trying her hardest to slip into her old skin, to smile the same way she used to. It was exhausting forgetting the last century and trying to revert back to their baby sister, who would never have hurt a fly. It was excruciating watching Stefan's perception of her fall apart as Klaus's words began to register.
Both of her brothers knew she was connected to Klaus in some way—her coming into town with him, exposing her survival, was proof enough. But Klaus's words solidified this fact in Stefan's brain. He knew there was something more there. He knew that there was a deeper connection tying her to the infamous Original. He knew that it must've been a hell of a connection if Klaus seemingly trusted her. He knew.
Charlotte swallowed, clenching her face and turning it away from Stefan. Instead, her eyes landed on Katherine, who had been watching her the entire time.
"We're family," Stefan said stiffly. "Though, I'm not sure if you understand what that means." His words were veiled with accusation. He was alluding to Elijah being daggered.
Charlotte tensed, like her bones were ready to pop out of her skin. She wanted to tell Stefan just how wrong he was. She wanted to defend Nik, because despite all of his insane tactics—and really, they were nuts—he truly cared for each and every person he considered family. Charlotte knew because she wasn't capable of being daggered. Nik was forced to put up with her. And even though she got on his nerves constantly—and he got on hers—he would protect her always. That meant something. Stefan just didn't see it yet.
But her unease didn't fade. She avoided Stefan's eyes and focused on Nik, who was staring at the kitchen countertop pensively. She hoped he wouldn't react too harshly toward Stefan's words, especially since all it did was prove how little her brother actually knew.
Luckily, the universe granted her a break. Klaus changed the subject.
"Well then," he mused, swiping a knife from the counter and a small vial. Without hesitation, he slashed his palm and turned the knuckles white, milking as much blood before the skin healed over again. "There it is." Stefan watched the vial of Klaus's blood with narrowed eyes. "You want to save your brother?" His lips twitched, and Charlotte knew there was a price to pay just before he confirmed it. "How 'bout a decade-long bender?" He stared at Stefan, raising his eyebrows expectantly like a kid on Christmas.
Charlotte scowled, turning her gaze onto her brother softly. "You don't have to do it, Stefan," she said, hoping that he could tell that she would do anything to save Damon. She just didn't want him to get roped into Klaus's world—her world—too.
"Don't listen to her, mate," Klaus snipped, a smug smile on his lips. "I have big plans for you when we leave this town."
Stefan seemed to take Charlotte's words to heart. "I'm not like that anymore."
Klaus's grin turned wicked.
"Well, that's too bad," he muttered, leaning toward the kitchen sink. "You would have made a hell of a wingman." He started pouring the blood out, and Charlotte's bones throbbed painfully. She glanced at Stefan. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything.
"Wait," he whispered, as if the word was hard to get out. Charlotte closed her eyes painfully.
"Now that's more like it," Klaus replied, but his gaze abruptly shifted to Charlotte. "Love, why don't you leave me and Stefan alone to have a chat. Man-to-man." His grin was mocking, and Charlotte fumed.
"No," she bit out, her eyes like blue fire. Klaus's grin fell immediately.
"Sweetheart," he said, his voice smooth like silk. Except she knew better. Klaus stood up, turning toward her completely with a face made of steel. "I won't ask again."
Just as Charlotte was about to yell at him for putting her in this position in the first place, Stefan stepped forward, as if trying to get between them. "It's alright, C," he told her quietly, and her face softened at the old nickname that she hadn't heard in over a century. It was much better than her other one, and she wondered if Stefan had noticed her distaste with it the day before and changed his tactics. He had grown perceptive as a vampire. He arched his lips up into a facade of a smile, but Charlotte could see the grimace underneath. "I'll be fine."
Charlotte took a small breath, analyzing Stefan's features. He wanted her to go; he didn't want her to see what he would become if Klaus led him down this path. He didn't want her to see the ripper that he had been suppressing for so long. He didn't want her to see the monster that lived just under his face.
And for some reason, Klaus didn't want that either. For some reason, he wanted her gone for the transformation of her sweet brother into the horrid ripper they knew him to be. Klaus didn't want her to see it and somehow, it was almost sweet of him to do so.
But, she still narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at Klaus. "I swear, if you do anything to hurt him—"
"Don't worry, darling," he said, and Charlotte froze, her eyes turning into knives at the pet name that only one person in the world was allowed to call her. Klaus smirked widely, pleased by her anger. "We'll be perfectly fine. Right, Stefan?"
Her brother nodded, but didn't add to the topic. Charlotte pursed her lips together, not really liking how things were playing out. But, she knew what Klaus using that pet name meant. He was making a point. He was making it clear that she had to obey him, or else he would make her life a whole lot harder.
Huffing a little, she rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sneered, grabbing her purse and her phone. "I'll be back in an hour, and whatever is going on better be done when I get back."
Klaus smiled smugly. "See, that's wasn't so hard, now was it?" He played with a strand of her hair, and Charlotte smacked his hand away, glaring again.
She didn't bother with a response, only staring at Stefan to make sure this was what he wanted. If he wanted her to stay, then she would. But if not...
It was clear in his gaze that Stefan would prefer her to leave, so she did.
But not without flipping Klaus off, rolling her eyes at his loud laughter when she sped away from the apartment.
<<>>
It had been exactly an hour, and Charlotte stood in front of the apartment door again. She didn't know what to do with her time off except worry over Stefan and what Klaus might be doing to him. She had been so stressed that she barely remembered to compel the poor boy she had snatched off the street and bitten into. His blood was a nice distraction, but she couldn't stop thinking about her brother being with her brother-in-law. Not to mention, Stefan didn't even know the true extent of her and Klaus's relationship to one another. If he did, she imagined that their little discussion would be going very differently.
But, time was up, and she knew she couldn't handle the not-knowing any longer. So, she reached out a hand, intending to open the door.
Before she could, it opened on its own, and Charlotte's hair flew back from her face with the force of whoever ran past her. She saw long russet hair, and knew it to be Katherine.
Eyes wide, she stepped into the apartment. "What was that all about?" She asked, her eyes on Klaus. He looked pleased with himself, which was never a good sign. Her eyes slowly travelled toward Stefan, and she had to school her features to hide her true reaction.
Stefan was on the ground, piles of blood bags scattered around him. His face was a mess, covered in red and dripping onto the wood floors beneath her feet. His eyes were helpless, staring at the front door as if he were looking completely through his sister. Charlotte swallowed thickly. He looked like an animal.
"She'll never take it to him," he whispered, and Charlotte's eyes flickered back to Klaus. She knew what he did, and she was shocked that he had let Katherine go so easily. But, she also understood that Klaus would never let that vampire truly get off scott free. He would always be watching, and Katherine's paranoia was a much better game to play for the long run.
Charlotte frowned. "I can check to make sure Damon is okay—"
"No," Klaus cut her off before she could even finish, hopping down from his throne on the island countertop. "We're leaving."
Charlotte felt her chest deflate. She didn't want to leave, not yet, not when she had just found her brothers again, not when Damon could be dying if Katherine didn't get the cure to him in time. She hated this town with a burning passion, but she missed her blue-eyed sibling. She missed his sarcasm and the way he could make her laugh until her lips hurt from smiling, and how he would always tell her everything would be okay.
She needed that reassurance now. She needed him to look at her and to smile that small half-smile of his, hands on her arms, and whisper that things would always work out as they were supposed to. She needed him to make some awful joke about Stefan so that she could laugh and forget about everything else. She needed him. After so long...
But Damon would only try to make her stay, to get her away from Klaus and his world. He would only try to protect her, not knowing that she no longer needed his protection to survive. He would get himself into too many messes in order to pull her away from a life that she had chosen. He would get hurt, and Charlotte hated the possibility.
It would be best to leave without a goodbye. Rip the bandaid off and all that. Though, even with this logic, Charlotte felt disappointed.
The difficult part was going to be Stefan, who it seemed had accepted Klaus's proposition. She didn't know why Klaus wanted him so badly, but she was terrified of Stefan tagging along with them. He didn't know this version of her at all; what if he didn't like what he found?
She swallowed, glancing away from both her brother and her brother-in-law. Talk about an awkward group.
<<>>
Charlotte didn't know where Klaus was taking them, and she could feel Stefan's eyes landing on her every so often. It was like bird circling a tree, guarding it from a more terrifying predator. She gritted her teeth, remembering the days when some would label her just as bad as Klaus—or even worse, just as bad as her husband. Stefan didn't know anything about who she was now, and pretending was tiring. She knew that as soon as they left Mystic Falls, she wouldn't be doing it anymore. She just had to prepare herself for whatever he might think.
Considering Charlotte had never been particularly patient, she just wanted to get this over with, and was confused when Nik prolonged the trip. They stopped by a warehouse, and as they got closer, Charlotte tensed, stumbling in her tracks. Nik continued walking, but Stefan noticed, and brushed his knuckles against her upper arm. He'd cleaned himself up after the bloody explosion at the apartment, so the blood was just a memory. Though, Charlotte could see it clearly in his eyes like they were a projector at a car drive-in.
"Hey, you okay?" Stefan tilted his head and observed her worriedly.
She didn't know what to say for a moment. Things had suddenly shifted. "Um, yeah, it's just...okay," she replied.
Stefan raised an eyebrow, but Nik was turning around. "Come now, Charlotte," he called, his arms splayed out as some minion rolled in Elijah's coffin, with Elijah settled nicely inside. Her veins darkened, deepened, melted against her insides. "No need to dilly dally."
Her eyes shot toward the storage unit—one that was currently being opened by another of Klaus's faceless minions. She knew what lay inside, and it was like a force stronger than any gravity. She ignored Stefan eyeing her, and walked forward toward the storage unit. When her brother tried to follow, Klaus stopped him short, and began talking to him quietly about being a ripper and joining his team. He brought a human girl out, taunting Stefan's slipping control. Charlotte didn't care to pay attention, her body drawn to a single coffin.
She placed her hands on top of the wood, and the rest of the world faded into the background. She could almost feel him under her fingertips, like he had been waiting for her to return to him all these years. Her chest clenched, and her teeth gritted against each other, trying to fight off the immense pain she'd been in ever since he was daggered.
Kol's coffin looked exactly like the rest of the Mikaelsons', but Charlotte knew it to be his, knew it with such sureness that she could practically see his face, as if the hard surface had become translucent. But, her mind conjured a far better picture than the desiccated body that would meet her should she open the coffin up. She saw his smile, the good kind and the wicked kind. She saw that little light in his eyes, just as bright as the stars she loved so much, just as bright as the ring on her finger. It was beckoning her closer, begging her to rip the lid off and tear the dagger out, consequences be damned. She'd thought about it countless times over the centuries, and now, the chance was—quite literally—at her fingertips.
She felt someone step next to her at the same time that a piercing scream echoed through the warehouse. Stefan must've taken a bite out of the girl.
Which only left—
"Come along, sweetheart," Nik told her, as if soothing an animal away from fresh meat, trying to call it away from the temptation that was ingrained into its very instincts. Charlotte's hands turned into fists on top the coffin, her body coiled to spring. Anger flared again inside, and such heated indignation rose in her that she could feel it probing at her throat, ripping itself out of her before she could stop it.
"I could do it," she whispered, not looking at him. Even without her attention on the hybrid, she could tell that he'd narrowed his eyes at her words.
"You know what would happen if you did."
This time, she did look at him. Disgust and annoyance and frustration circled throughout like a constant loop, like she was stuck on a clock, tied down to the numbers, unable to stop the incoming collision.
She stepped closer to him, raising her chin to keep her eyes staring at his. She wanted him to see exactly what she was feeling. She wanted him to see just how much this anger of hers would come to bite him in the ass one day. Her look was not just one of anger, but also one of a promise. She was promising to be visceral once his little leash on her neck finally disintegrated.
His eyes narrowed further, and he grabbed her upper arm, as if afraid she would actually do something.
Without saying another word, he dragged her from the storage unit, and when the door slammed shut, so did Charlotte's face. The emotion vanished, the past stories hidden away. Stefan was none the wiser, but Nik's eyes kept returning to her, even when they were miles away from Mystic Falls.
<<>>
dang, it's been a while!
i'm so sorry for how long it's been since the last update. i've been super swamped with school and i was working on my mercy mikaelson series a lot more than this or my lovely lightning story. however, now that mercy's series is almost complete, i can focused back in on this story as well as the marvel one. i hope you guys aren't too mad! : '(
either way, i'd love to know what you guys thought of this chapter! another reason that it took me so long to write is that i don't like writing episode dialogue. it gets so overused and annoying really quick, but i felt like it was necessary for the context of this chapter. either way, any comments or reviews or suggestions are very welcome, and i'm excited to know what you think!
with that out of the way, i'm super excited to have charlotte and stefan together. it's definitely going to be a weird dynamic, especially once stefan realizes just how dark charlotte has become. i'm pumped!
now, i'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon, so hopefully i won't keep you guys waiting too long!
thanks for reading!
—kay <3