eunoia, 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐅𝐀𝐍 ¹ ✔

𝟒𝟐

a/n: Char's outfit is the same as the last chapter!

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎━═☆

Damon was sitting at the bar, observing the werewolf bite on his inner forearm as Charlotte tried not to panic, "Look...maybe there's a cure and we didn't look hard enough?"

"There's no cure, Charlotte," Damon stated, turning to her, "And even holding onto hope here is pointless."

She was trying so hard not to cry, responding, "Hey, you don't get to be mad at Elena for accepting death so nonchalantly and then do the same damn thing!"

He didn't answer that, knowing that even though Charlotte could be smothering, straight forward at times, and extremely hopeful. She cared about him at some point and was not ready to let go of him.

"We can...we can look for a cure. There's books, there's just...," She shook her head, pushing off all of the liquor bottles on the bar to the floor before she sunk to the floor, crying, "There's nothing we can do...I am just stuck in here and you are going to die. Elena will die and I can't do a thing about it."

Charlotte hated grief, loss, and death. She hated feeling helpless and most of all, she hated how vampirism made pain feel like an always open wound in your heart. A wound that doesn't heal, nor does it stop bleeding. No matter what you do.

Damon sat down before her, "Hey...it's okay, Cher."

"No, no, it's not," Charlotte shook her head, swallowing a lump in her throat, "You are stupid, you make the worst plans, you mess everything up...but you are my friend, Damon. You are my brother...and I don't want to lose you."

He pulled her to his chest, making sure that the tear that escaped him went unnoticed by her. Katherine watched, standing aside. It was not a hidden truth that she didn't like Charlotte from day one and until then but that...that was an unenviable situation.

"I need to go," Damon pulled her up with him, "I'm going to offer myself as a replacement to Klaus."

"He won't take you," Katherine spoke up, shaking her head, "He saw your bite, he said that your blood is impure. I'm sorry, Damon. But Jenna's dead, there's nothing you can do about it."

Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to get rid of her tears before Damon placed a kiss on her forehead and walked out of the apartment.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte sat back on the couch and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her mind was racing, a million thoughts a mile. She was worried about Elena and whether she will live and be a vampire or do they have enough time to work out a loophole.

And if there was enough time to do that, could there be enough time to save Damon?

Katherine snapped her fingers in front of Charlotte's face, "Hello? Earth to Miss Do-Gooder?"

"What do you want?" Charlotte looked up at her, asking.

The doppelganger shrugged, offering her a blood bag, "You haven't fed since Klaus brought you here. This isn't the tomb...the fridge is literally full of blood."

"Do you think you are funny?"

She nodded with a shrug, "Hilarious, actually."

Charlotte sucked in a deep breath, rising to her feet, "I am not hungry and I do know it's not the tomb. If it were, there would be silence," She shoulder-checked Katherine, walking inside to a spare bedroom.

"I heard bodies keep crumpling with so much noise when they are hungry so it's obviously not silent..."

"Don't tempt me, Katherine. I have zero self-control right now."

The doppelganger rolled her eyes, sitting where Charlotte used to, "Last time we spoke you were having a life crisis and I personally thought you would take my advice to heart."

"I was going to but then I remembered where it got you," She retorted, folding her arms together, "An eternity of loneliness. I can't be that person. I can't be you when all I have tried to do my whole life is be the opposite."

"Vampirism can do wonders," Katherine smirked, leaning back on the couch.

✵ ✵ ✵