napalm skies <<>> kol mikaelson

13

"storms make trees take deeper roots."

13 | MIKAEL

December, 1919

It had been decades since Charlotte first came to New Orleans, and she could've never imagined that she'd still be in the lovely little city after all this time. Originally, she thought that the Big Easy would be one of many stops on her journey to wherever she ended up next, but it had turned into something completely different.

Over the years, Charlotte and Kol had grown irredeemably close; ever since she told him her story all those years ago, they had been as thick as thieves. Even Rebekah became annoyed that her brother had seemed to steal the only friend she'd made in quite a while, even if the lovebirds hardly noticed the blonde girl's plight. They were too wrapped up in one another to pay any mind.

For the first time in her life, Charlotte was able to imagine an eternity of life ahead. The past fifty-four years had flown by in a blink of an eye when she was with Kol Mikaelson, as if he could warp time and space to his will. When she looked into those deep brown eyes, years disappeared from her view, and she remained in lasting bliss that she never could've expected beforehand. She'd come a long way from the small, scared little girl from Mystic Falls, and she would never torture herself by looking back. With Kol's love and support, she'd moved past the horrors of her human life, accepting her vampirism as a gift instead of the curse she saw it to be in the beginning.

The only hard part about the passing decades was having to say goodbye to Jamie, who held Charlotte and Lola close as she passed. The woman had lived a long life, and died of old age, but it was difficult watching another mother-figure slip through her fingers. Charlotte hadn't thought of her own mother in a long time, but Jamie had filled that part of her life, the one that Charlotte never realized was missing in the first place. Lola was also incredibly thankful that someone could understand the pain of losing a mother like Jamie. She was truly a beloved woman.

What hurt worse was finding out about Lola's death. She'd been beat to death when her lover discovered her pregnancy, and neither mother nor child survived the brutal treatment. Charlotte had been so furious that she hunted the man down and killed his entire family, and even though Kol had offered to join her, she preferred to do it on her own. She needed this revenge without any outside help.

But Lola's death had been nearly thirty years ago, and Charlotte had moved in completely with the Mikaelsons after the awful tragedy. She couldn't bare to enter the old house on the edge of the French Quarter knowing that the predecessors were now gone. Klaus, out of his kindness—and as a way to make it up to Kol for snapping his brother's neck when he threatened Marcel's life—had bought the home in Charlotte's name, allowing her a way to keep it close while still giving her space to mourn. She appreciated the gesture immensely, even if it wasn't completely out of his own volition.

Despite this gift given to her by Klaus, she had been angry with him for a long time after he daggered Rebekah. The blonde Mikaelson had begun a relationship with the now grown-up Marcel—who had turned into a very handsome man if Charlotte was being completely honest. As a result, Klaus felt betrayed, and the only way that Marcel could get his longing wish to turn into a vampire was to dagger Rebekah, keeping the lovers apart indefinitely.

Charlotte had been angry, and furious, but Kol kept her from confronting Klaus too much about it besides snarky comments here and there. Kol was worried that her sharp mouth might get her into trouble with his half-brother, but Charlotte only backed down when she remembered that her actions would reflect on Kol. If Klaus got angry with her, he could easily punish her by putting a dagger into Kol's chest also. As much as Charlotte desperately missed Rebekah—having created a sisterly bond with the girl—Charlotte also knew that she had no way—and no right—to challenge Klaus. She was technically still an outsider, and she would rather keep Kol safe than to try her hardest to win a battle that's already been lost.