Crimson Flower

Prologue

I never thought about how I would die. Some say death is the next greatest adventure. 

Okay, sorry to include weird ass Twilight and manipulative old Dumbledork in this, but both those things are true. I never did think about how or when I would die and so far, this has been an adventure. 

My name is Charlotte Josephine Wyatt, but everyone called me CJ. I was a nurse in the pediatric ward at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana and engaged to my wonderful fiance, Ryan. I did have a guilty pleasure of thirsting over the characters in the Vampire Diaries, but that was hardly an offense worthy of punishment. 

That is, until I got into a car accident and died. It was after a long shift, and I was on my way home when I was t-boned on the driver's side and died a few hours later from the injuries I sustained. Just driving home and BOOM!! Everything changed for me. It was dark, but I could hear whispers and soon I was opening my eyes to see an older couple smiling down at me. I opened my mouth and to my embarrassment, a loud cry sounded. Was that me, I thought, as I looked around for the baby and not finding anyone else who could have made the noise. 

"She's adorable, what should we name her?" The older woman asked the man. Oh, no. I was the baby and that meant I'd have to grow up again. I did not want to do through childhood and puberty again, it was embarrassing and awkward enough the first-time round. 

"We should let Miranda and Jenna help." The man said. Miranda? Jenna? Those were two names I had heard of before; both were not names of people I knew, but of characters in the vampire diaries. The man, I guess he was now my dad, walked out of the room and came back with a 16-year-old and an 8-year-old. 

"Miranda, Jenna, this is your new baby sister. What should we name her?" The woman, mom I guess, asked. 

"Carina." Miranda suggested, sitting down next to the bed and smiling at me. Carina wasn't bad, it was rather pretty, and it was unique. 

"I like it, Carina Sommers. Jenna, you pick the middle name." The man suggested. 

"Jade." Jenna blurted out. Carina Jade, I was ending up with CJ as a nickname again. 

"That's such a beautiful name, Carina Jade Sommers." The woman cooed at me, and I yawned, it was exhausting being a newborn. I don't remember it being this exhausting. I went back to sleep and that was it for the first day of my new life. 

Being a baby was boring, all I did was sleep, eat, and do my business in a diaper. People say babies have it easier, but they don't realize how freaking boring it is. No wonder they sleep all the time, otherwise they'd have nothing to do. 

I couldn't wait until I was 21, then I could legally drink, party, and have sex again. Until then, all I had was the mind-numbing boredom of babyhood. 

My relationships with Miranda and Jenna were different, Miranda got married when I was six to Grayson Gilbert, something I knew was happening because of the tv show. What they didn't mention is how in love the two were, like giving Lily and James Potter runs for their money. I was the flower girl and Jenna was an honorary bridesmaid. When I was four, my new parents died, and Miranda was made my legal guardian. I had been left a sizable inheritance that I already knew what I was going to do with. A smaller part would go for a car and the bigger part would go for college. 

Jenna and I were closer than I was to Miranda simple because we were closer in age. Jenna was fun and taught me how to break rules and have fun. I had already hated her death in season 2, but now I was determined to make sure it didn't happen.

A few months after my new parents died, Miranda and Grayson brought home Elena. Right from the moment she came in the door, I knew she was trouble. All I could see was her selfishness and how it led to the deaths of John, Jenna, Finn and Kol Mikaelson and their vampire sirelines. How it fractured Stefan and Damon's already strained relationship, how she hurt both of them. I resolved to try and make sure that she didn't end up that way, but that was for nothing. Even though Grayson and Miranda raised her (and me) to be hardworking, she still ended up the same. Okay, not able to change her, but I can at least try to change outcomes for the people her selfishness hurt. 

When I was 8, Jeremy was born, and he was immediately my favorite. All I could think of were ways to make sure he stayed safe and happy. After many years of boring and dull childhood, I finally turned 18 and off I was to college. In my old life as Charlotte Wyatt, I had originally wanted to be an artist so that was what I pursued now. I did become quite good at it and sent money to Miranda and Grayson often as well as sending presents to Elena and Jeremy. When I was 20, I moved back to Mystic Falls to stay close in case Miranda and Grayson still died. And on May 23, 2009, it happened. I was at the Gilbert house when we got the call, and it was an emotional moment for all of us. I had been an only child in my past life and the death of the third set of parents I had made me think of how my first mother felt when I died. Not only that, but I could just feel the pain of Jeremy as he lunged for my arms, and I wrapped him into them. 

The feeling of failure was present as well, this wasn't a good precedent for the other lives I wanted to save if I couldn't even save Miranda and Grayson. 

The wake was difficult for us all and I offered my support and comfort to my niece and nephew. Afterwards, I didn't have custody because Jenna was older, but I moved back in to help take care of them. 

It's been a wild first season so far and now we come to the second season where I get to see Elijah and Klaus in person. Wish me luck. 

Sincerely, 

Charlotte Josephine "CJ" Wyatt/Carina Jade "Rina" Sommers.

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What do you think so far?