Klaus, Stefan and Charlotte had been on the road nearly two months now, Klaus grew more frustrated as the time passed and they still hadn't found any werewolves. They were still driving lots on their search from one lead to the next but now rather than sleeping in the car and driving through the night they were staying in hotels five or six times in a week.
Klaus stopped getting another room for Charlotte after the third night.
If Stefan had brought it up, Charlotte would've said that she was cold and Klaus was warm. Truthfully he was, the cold reminded her of her time stuck on the Other Side and being in his arms made her feel safe as she slept.
She slept better pulled in close and warm.
She liked his hand in her hair and her head on her chest, the sound of his heartbeat by her ear. She liked how he was when it was just them too, the way he talked to her, held her, listened to her. He didn't act the same when it was just them, he was kinder and softer in the mornings, his voice gravely as he held her from leaving, holding on to their mornings together. In the evenings as they curled up they'd talk too, he'd ask about her life before or tell her stories about his as they drifted off.
She liked how it was when it was just her and him.
She didn't really mind the way his hand gripped hers or wrapped around her waist when they walked now. She wouldn't admit it but she liked being with him. Klaus wasn't tugging her along just to watch Stefan's body tense with silent rage, now it was because he liked feeling her beside him. He liked knowing where she was always, knowing she was okay if she was beside him.
Fortunately for all parties, Stefan never brought it up. He watched it all, but he knew there wasn't anything he could say that would stop it without hurting Charlotte.
And then, after a fortnight of nothing they finally had a promising lead.
Klaus and Charlotte were walking up a driveway in the dark, his arm around her waist holding her close. She had tried to protest being part of this but Klaus had reassured her she only had to be there at the beginning and then made some joke about earning her keep and after hearing the plan, she wasn't sure she wanted to wait in the car alone out here in the middle of nowhere. So here she was, about to trick and threaten someone into helping Klaus' grand plan.
"Rudy," a woman whistled then yelled, "Rudy, come on. It's too hot to make me come looking for you."
The woman was tall and leggy, she had daisy dukes and a small top, with blonde hair that was wavy and full. She looked so normal and it made Charlotte's stomach turn, this could so easily be her, unlucky enough to be outside when someone came by looking for information on her brothers.
Klaus sped them forwards, so that they appeared before the woman suddenly causing her to jump back with a fright. Charlotte dug her fingers into his side in disapproval, if he felt it he didn't flinch speaking up in an American accent that would've made Charlotte laugh in another situation.
"I am so sorry, we didn't mean to scare you," Klaus called out.
"Can I help you?" The woman bit back, the fright they'd given her made her dislike them already.
"Yeah, our uh," Klaus answered, "our car ran out of gas a couple of miles back."
"It's like we've been walking forever," Charlotte chipped in.
The woman's face softened when she spoke and a wave of regret passed over Charlotte. She knew the woman was more trusting because she was there, girls have to stick together, but here she was, currently betraying one.
"Yours is the first house we came to," Klaus took over, "I was hoping we could use your phone."
"Don't you have a cell phone?"
"Heh, yeh," Klaus pulled his phone from his pocket and tugged Charlotte close with a smile, "my battery died and this idiot lost hers last week." There was a pause as she considered the situation, "Look, I promise we're not serial killers, we just wanna use your phone."
"Sure," the woman sighed.
"So... I can come in?" Klaus had a smile on his face.
"No, I'll get the phone and I'll bring it out to you."
Charlottes face fell at that, she knew what was coming next wouldn't be nice.
Klaus dropped his fake accent, "I thought you country folk were supposed to be more trusting."
"I'm from Florida."
"Well, that explains it," Klaus unwrapped his arm from Charlotte, speeding forwards and grabbing the woman's chin with force, lifting her from the ground and compelling her, "Now, show me a little Southern hospitality."
The woman invited Klaus in and Charlotte followed reluctantly, she could see the way his hand gripped the woman's neck, she was sure it would bruise. The woman sobbed pathetically and Charlotte felt her chest clench with pain at her part.
Normally she could separate herself at least a little from what they were doing. She would wait in the car while Stefan stayed behind and 'talked' to their leads, she'd ignore the blood that would sit on his shirts and the chats he and Klaus would have. She'd pretend she wasn't involved in a supernatural world where death was easy and violence commonplace.
Standing here in the house of a woman they'd tricked and threatened to help them and listening to her sob made her feel ill and gripped with guilt. She knew what was coming would end in pain and horror and she wished she was able to stop it.
How could she have let herself become like this, involved in this. She was reminded of the terror on the little girls face in the school more than a month ago when they interrogated that man for their first lead.
"I bet you a hundred dollars that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning," a woman in the kitchen called out, she had dark hair and skin with neat clothing. She might've just gotten home from work or a day looking after family, just wanting to make dinner and watch television. Turning around she saw Klaus holding the woman, Charlotte in the living room hiding away guilty, all ease left her body as her face fell, "whats going on?"
"Please don't be alarmed. I'm told Ray Sutton lives here," Klaus' voice was soft and far too calm.
"He's almost never here, he's on the road mostly," the woman answered, her tone light but confused.
"But I expect he makes it home once a month," Klaus was walking towards her, as he spoke the brunette flickered her eyes to the blonde, answering Klaus' question without meaning to. He turned his head to the shaking girl he was holding before continuing, "thats what I thought, where is he now?"
Silence.
"If I have to make you tell me, it's going to be infinitely more painful for you."
The blonde shook, there was silence and then the brunette took off with a run, leaving the kitchen from a side door she ran to the exit, screaming when she answered the door to find Stefan blocking it.
"I love it when they run," Klaus called gleefully.
Charlotte's face screwed up, she knew this Klaus, the cruel malicious one and she knew he wouldn't let them live after that.
"He's in Tulley," the brunette conceded, tears running down her face, "it's near the border. A bar called Southern Comfort, it's off highway 41."
"Thank you, my love," Klaus was pleased, he turned to the girl he was holding, brushing her hair from her face he whispered, "now, may my friend come in and play."
"Yes," the girl sobbed.
"Kill this one quickly," Klaus pushed the girl he was holding to Stefans arms, his face blank, "make that one suffer." Klaus moved to where Charlotte was waiting in the living room, her eyes were reproachful and her arms crossed as her fingers tapped, he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him and out the door, "We'll be in the car."
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut breathing deeply as she heard the girls cry out inside, "Please don't, please," they begged.
There was silence and then they began to scream.
Charlotte pulled her hand from Klaus'. She had been part of this journey from the beginning, but it wasn't any easier, the guilt didn't lessen. She felt guilt that she helped Klaus trick them and she felt guilt that Klaus was killing them even though they answered him in the end.
"Come now darling," Klaus called as she walked ahead, "no need to be so glum."
She didn't like it when he was like this, mean and mocking. He was so soft and kind with her in the night, right now all she could see was his hand on the blonde girls neck. She couldn't imagine the terror they'd felt when he'd first grabbed them and now they were dying despite telling him everything he needed to know.
"Why did you make me come," her voice was soft but she knew he could hear her, "Klaus I feel sick, I can't believe I just helped you hurt them. I don't want to be a part of this. I don't want to help you hurt people."
"Nik," he corrected, for the first time in weeks.
Charlotte just sighed, climbing into the car. The screaming was coming to an end now, there was only one girl screaming at least. Charlotte pulled her seatbelt on and curled into a ball, turning her head away when Klaus got into the car.
Klaus placed his hand on her leg, thumb running back and forth. She didn't look at him and she didn't react but she didn't push him away either. Charlotte didn't know what she was becoming, who she was turning into.
Finally Stefan came back, his face was covered in blood, and they set off, they knew where Ray was and she knew Klaus wanted her to help this time too.
He outlined the plan, Charlotte would go in and start talking to him, Stefan would compel the other people at the bar, and once they knew they'd found him Klaus would come in and take over. She wasn't pleased to be a part of it all, but she knew the plan was going on with or without her, at least if she spoke it would only be Ray getting hurt rather than someone trying to lie to Klaus and help Ray escape.
Charlotte didn't push Klaus' hand from her leg, but a little while later into their journey he reached for her hand and she pulled that away.
Stefan's brows furrowed as he watched his sister, curled into a ball in the front seat. He remembered the way she'd feel guilt over the smallest of things as children. Their father instilling such a strong sense of right and wrong in her that any bad deed would haunt her and she'd regret for days.