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15

"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.