"So I'm confused," said Stefan, "If we were such great friends then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an altar of fire?"
Charlotte laughed at her brother, he was slurring his words a little, the one shot had been followed by several more and the bottle from earlier was now significantly emptier. Klaus shot Charlotte a glare but really he liked hearing her laugh again.
"All good things must come to an end," Klaus replied, pausing for a beat before launching in to another story about how Klaus and Rebekah's time in Chicago had come to a close.
"You compelled him to forget," said Charlotte, speaking for the first time since they'd left Stefans apartment, ending the lull after Klaus' story having finally put the pieces together.
"That's right my darling. It was time for Rebekah and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate."
"But why?" Stefan asked, "You shouldn't have to cover your tracks. Unless you're running from someone–"
"–story time's over," Klaus cut him off, his face closed off and cold.
"I need another drink," Stefan said, standing to leave with a face as closed off as Klaus' that caused a pit to form in Charlotte's stomach, "A real one."
Charlotte and Klaus were alone now, she was watching him as he grasped the bottle by the neck, pouring a generous refill into his glass. Charlotte wasn't good at staying mad at Klaus and especially now when he looked so low she didn't want him to feel alone too. She felt guilty watching him so after a moment Charlotte slid over into Stefans seat, sliding her glass to Klaus for a refill as an act of reconciliation.
"Last call," Gloria called out behind them, "Drink 'em up."
When someone slid into, not out of as they should've considering the bar was nearly closed, the seat on Klaus' other side, Charlotte looked up. She'd been expecting Stefan, surprised he'd returned so early. When her eyes locked on Damon's however her breath caught in her throat, heart pounding as he sighed dramatically and shot her a grin.
"I see they've opened the doors to the riffraff now," Klaus said without turning to look at Damon.
"Oh honey, I've been called worse," Damon replied causing Klaus to smile with amusement. He turned, looking past Klaus and smiled at his sister who he hadn't seen for more than six hours in a century and a half, "Hey Charlie, missed ya."
"D," Charlottes voice shook as she replied, "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I'd come get you didn't I?" he replied, not breaking eye contact with Klaus.
Charlotte could hardly breathe. Klaus had wanted to kill Damon when he knew he was just a few miles away, there was no way he'd react well to seeing him here and now. Terror flooded her as she wondered what she could do or promise or trade, just so Klaus would let Damon leave alive.
"You don't give up, do you?" Klaus asked, twirling a paper umbrella between his fingers.
"Give me my brother and sister back and you'll never have to see me again, take me for them."
"I'm not sure if you for Charlie is quite a fair trade. One of you is certainly a lot prettier than the other. And well, I am torn. You see, I promised Stefan I wouldn't let you die but how many freebies did I really sign up for. And clearly you want to die, otherwise you wouldn't be here, so.." Klaus trailed off, smile twitching up a little as Charlotte put her hand on his arm. He knew it was meant to calm him, to stop him doing anything rash, but he felt joy seeing Damons eyes flicker between them both.
"Nik, don't," Charlotte spoke low trying to prevent the inevitable.
"What can I say?" Damon smiled, "I'm a thrill seeker."
Klaus grabbed Damons throat, holding him up and Charlotte tightened her grip on him with fright, her nails digging into his shirt. Klaus moved quickly as he stood from his seat, he was shaking her hand from him for once as he held Damon by his throat in the air.
"Oh dear what was that?" Klaus groaned, speeding them away from Charlotte, "I'm a little boozy, so you'll forgive me if I miss your heart the first few tries."
"Let him go I swear to god–"
Klaus ignored her, speeding to the other side of the bar he stabbed Damon with the tip of the paper umbrella he'd been fiddling with, "No, thats not it. Hmm," he pulled it from him before plunging it in again, and again speeding to another corner of the bar as Charlotte approached.
"Nik stop–" Charlotte was cut off by Damon's scream of pain and she shut her eyes, willing the moment to end.
"Oh almost," Klaus taunted.
"You want a partner in crime?" Damon asked, "Forget Stefan and Charlie, I'm so much more fun."
"Nik, let him go right now," Charlotte called again, her voice furious, any trace of fright or uncertainty gone. He ignored her and she smashed the bottle they'd been drinking against the bar. If Klaus was paying better attention he would've laughed, did she forget that vampires were vulnerable to wood not glass?
Klaus threw Damon from where they were standing, a table in the corner was where Damon landed and it crumpled beneath him as he strode over.
"You won't be any fun after you're dead," Klaus' voice was cold as he ripped leg from the chair, tossing and catching it easily as he stalked to Damon.
Klaus raised the stake in the air, ready to plunge when he realised he could smell blood, a lot of blood. Charlotte in desperation, knowing that Klaus wasn't listening to her and wasn't stopping, did the only thing she could think of that might distract him.
With the splintered bottle in hand, she'd plunged the glass into her stomach. The pain was beyond anything she could've pictured, and she let out a groan of agony. She didn't think she exactly had a choice, Klaus was going to kill her brother, he wouldn't listen to her, and he wouldn't let her near. So, she did the only thing she could think of to draw his attention quickly.
"Oh, shit," she whispered, regretting her decision immediately.
The bottle fell to the floor as her eyes locked on the blood that had begun pouring from her stomach, dripping down her legs and even pooling on the ground below her. Klaus who'd turned at the smell of blood, looked around just in time to hear Charlottes muttering of regret coupled with the smashing of the remainder of the bloody bottle as she clutched her hand to quell the bleeding.
"What have you done," Klaus dropped the stake, abandoning Damon, as he rushed over to her. Catching her as she wavered he sped her to the bar, placing her where they'd once sat.
He couldn't believe she'd done something so idiotic, though he secretly admired her resolve to rescue her brother. He bit into his arm quickly and held it to her head, Charlotte tried to sit up but failed, the pain when she tried to curl up overwhelming, instead she just turned her head away.
"I don't want–"
"–don't want to become a vampire," Klaus finished for her, his arm following her, "I know darling but you lost the privilege of choice when you did something so ridiculously stupid. I promise, I won't let you die with my blood in your system today. But right now you need it, drink."
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, but she knew he was right and so reluctantly she clutched his arm, pulling his wrist to her lips.
Blood tasted, odd.
It was metallic and hard. She wasn't sure why, but she'd expected it to taste a little sweeter, the bitterness throwing her.
She didn't like the feeling of drinking blood. Feeling it pull from Klaus' arm into her mouth made her stomach turn. As the pain in her stomach at last began to recede, she pulled away with a grimace, screwing up her eyes. A little blood lay on her chin and Klaus wiped it away before pulling her up to sit.
A throat cleared behind Klaus and Charlotte looked up to see Damon with a furrowed brow. She felt embraced he'd witnessed such an intimate moment, especially considering how little time they'd spent together since she'd been resurrected. His hand reached out to her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly while the other pulled at the corner of her shirt, confirming that the wound she'd caused had stitched itself back together.
Damon was surprised when he'd smelt the blood in the air, more so when he saw Klaus' reaction.
He'd been following them on their journey of course, picking up the broken pieces that Stefan had left behind, half waiting for one of the bodies to be hers. The two phone calls he'd had hadn't quite been enough to reassure him of her safety. He'd been sure Stefan would do whatever he could to keep her safe, but he worried about Klaus and what Stefan couldn't stop.
There were dozens of scenarios he'd pictured, knowing the death trap he was walking into tonight. But never had he pictured this. Nothing could've prepared him for the smell of Charlottes blood, nor the way Klaus had reacted, rushing to catch her as she faltered. The Charlotte he knew was hardly one to do something as stupid as stabbing herself, let alone fall for the enemy like Klaus.
Damon couldn't quite get over the tenderness of Klaus' touch. The way he'd caught her, placing her down so gently she hardly winced. The way she looked at him rattled Damon, it told almost as much as the way he held her.
She trusted him. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that if she was hurt, Klaus would come.
Charlotte was quiet now, she didn't know how to talk to her brother, how to tell him he needed to leave without hurting him. Klaus had been distracted, but she knew if Damon tried asking for her and Stefan back that Klaus would try and kill them again, and she was sure this time he wouldn't be distracted. Damons only option for survival was to leave now when Klaus was distracted with her, abandon his self-sacrificial plan before it was too late.
"Damon," Charlotte said softly, her eyes on the floor, "It's best if you go. Stefan and I are okay."
She wanted desperately to look at him, to see if he was okay but knew if their eyes locked her heart would break. Her fists balled up with guilt and she squeezed her eyes shut, knowing instinctively the way his face would have fallen.
"Listen to your sister Damon," Klaus spoke watching her before turning and placing a hand on his chest, pushing lightly for the sake of Charlotte, "Now, you don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom either. When I'm done with him, he won't wanna go back."
Damon stood, eyes flickering between Klaus and Charlotte. He could see Charlotte's hands balled up as she now looked with down at her lap with determination. At last, he sighed in defeat, ruffling his hand through Charlotte's hair before turning to go.
"I love you too Charlie-girl," she heard him say as he finally walked away.
Charlotte waited until she heard the door shut behind him before she turned, her legs falling from the bar she was sitting on. Her fists unfurled and she grabbed Klaus' shirt, tugging him towards her between her two legs. When he was close enough, her head fell forwards on his shoulder, her hands still balled up in his shirt, tears slipping from her eyes as his arms surrounded her.
"Tighter," she whispered at one point.
Klaus complied, holding her tighter still, a hand gliding up to her head as he ran his fingers through her hair. That was how they stayed until Stefan returned into the bar, looking as Charlotte felt. Stefan didn't mention the tear in Charlottes shirt by her stomach, nor the blood that covered her and the floor, nor the broken glass, nor the broken table. He simply poured another drink, and waited.
Charlotte pulled away a little after Stefan returned, wiping her face and taking a deep breath. She slid down to her feet from the bar, slipping her hand into Klaus' as she stood by him. Charlotte offered up a small smile which didn't meet her eyes and Klaus returned it, worry clouding his head as he announced their departure, pulling Charlotte with a trailing Stefan from the bar.
Charlotte could see Gloria, in and out of the room tidying the bar now the fight had finished and the evening was spent. Gloria was watching Charlotte and Klaus, the way he interacted with her. She'd been listening to the commotion between Klaus and Damon, half prepared to come out and stop it when she'd head the smashing of the bottle and then soon after the clattering of the stake falling to the ground.
Gloria was curious and a little surprised at the tenderness that Klaus seemed to offer to the girl. Generally he was brusque and superior, with anyone from his Original family, to the humans he compelled to obey him. Instead he allowed her to tease him as he would taunt others, his hands seemed to pull her closer to him, concerned with her comfort. Even as they left, her hand in his, Gloria could see Klaus' thumb moving ever so slightly, stroking her hand as he held the door open for her to walk though.