Rated: T
Summary: Every family has there dark secrets and the Salvatore's have some of the darkest secrets and so does their ancestor Charles Salvatore, Nicklaus didn't only just put his family to sleep he also laid to rest his oldest of friends. (Set Season 3 episode 14 and 15)
The ball room was flooded with the most colourful of gowns, ranging from bright colours to the deepest of blues. Charles loved to peek out from behind the banisters and watch the swirling colours of the ball gowns glitter in the bright light of the chandler. Esther had asked him to keep an eye on the ball but his mind had gotten away from him as he watched those he knew and didn't know dance around the beautifully decorated room. Charles sat against the railing of the top floor, his legs dangling between the bars of the railing; his hands were wrapped tightly around the bars as his face pressed closer in an attempt to see more of the room.
"Are you alright?" a smooth voice questioned. Charles turned his head to look back at the beautifully dressed woman; her dark brown and black gown hugged her body tightly and puffed out at the bottom, dragging across the floor with such grace and harmony. "Oh yes I'm alright. Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you," the woman before him looked exactly like Tatia; the doppelganger he quickly acknowledged.
"No, you uh, you haven't…..why are you sitting on the floor, in your pyjamas?"
"Ma Esther and Brother Nicklaus say I am still too young to attend this ball, so I have decided that I will sit and watch all of the beautiful gowns float around the ball room." Charles sighed contently, turning back towards the railing he looked down upon the beautiful ball gowns flowing gently around the woman and their partners. "You are the doppelganger are you not? Do not worry unlike Brother I mean you no harm…..Oh! Where are my manners?" in a flash Charles stood and made his way to Elena, his stripped pyjamas hung off his body loosely giving his body the illusion that he was small and lanky.
Charles bent at the waist and lifted her hand, placing a warm kiss to her knuckles "My name is Charles, you must be Elena. My brothers speak fondly of you."
"Your brothers?"
"Yes. Well we are not related by blood but I have been close to the Mikaelson family for over a thousand years. They are all the family I have left. But this is all beside the point; you must be up here to speak to Ma Esther. You must run, she doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Again Charles bowed at the waist and placed a gentle kiss to Elena's knuckles before he turned and made his way back down the hall towards the many bedrooms that had been placed along the top floor of the mansion.
The loud and elegant music hand finally gotten to the original vampire, he 'borrowed' a suit from Kol's bedchamber and made his way down stairs, the ball was still in full swing. Ma Esther had just finished her toast to the party and left back upstairs while the other roamed around the mansion. Charles found himself in Nicklaus private study where his art laid out for only him to see. Nicklaus stood alongside a beautiful blonde woman wearing one of the many beautiful gowns he had seen on the dance floor earlier that night. They seemed to be arguing and as any good brother he put an end to that. "My apologise brother, I wasn't aware you had company and such beautiful company at that."
"Charles what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed," Klaus scowled his younger 'brother' the pair had been close ever since Charles was found covered in blood, wandering through the woods surrounding their village, he had been six years old when his family was slaughtered in front of him, the Mikaelson family had taken him and his sister in and raised them. Daphne had married young and moved away with her husband while Charles stayed and then eventually he was turned into a vampire with the rest of the family. "Oh don't be so stubborn I am no longer that six year old boy who cannot wield a blade without nearly cutting my own head off, I am over a thousand years old. I will not be treated like a child, especially not by you." He turned to face his 'brothers' company taking in her gorgeous blonde hair and stunning dress "You look stunning tonight madam. Now if you will both excuse me I have Kol's love life to destroy." With a cheeky grin Charles turned and made his way down the hall to the large opening of the entrance way from this angle the ball gowns didn't look as stunning as they had a few hours before.
There weren't many places for Kol to hide especially with a ball going on. Finn was too boring to annoy, he was too serious and stone faced, Rebekah would kill him if he tried to meddle with her life and he preferred to stay alive for a few more century's, no Elijah he was much life Finn, too serious and boring but when provoked he was all sorts of fun and that ultimately left Kol the hot headed and rash member of the family thus making him the perfect person to annoy. Although none of his 'siblings' seemed to see things his way.
Being born of a different family never helped his situation when it came to being understood, his parents were the only ones who ever understood him and when they died his heart felt empty and numb, over the years that he lived with his 'siblings' his heart grew back piece by piece but even now he can still feel a hole in his heart, he still feels numb. "Kol! Kol are you up here?" a familiar snicker and a crash confirmed his suspicions "You better not be doing anything stupid. I promised myself you'd have a dance with me before the ball was over," Charles called through the top floor of his brothers mansion, the only people within hearing distance were vampires so it didn't matter how loud he screamed. "That way I can embarrass you in front of all your new friends," he mumbled under his breath.
Charles rounded the corner onto the balcony where Kol was pressed up against the railing with a younger vampire growling in his face. "I don't mean to disturb whatever this is but I need to steal Kol away. It's rather urgent." Damon groaned loudly, he turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder at the somewhat short boy, his thick black hair hung in tussles around his face, pale blue eyes stared back at his own intently. His eyes focused Damon's attention away from the fact that Charles suit was at least a size too big for him. "Actually I do mind so why don't you go back to playing hop scotch with the other kids?" Kol snickered loudly from his place pressed against the balcony railing. Damon peered back down at the older vampire.
"I wasn't asking boy, now move." When Damon didn't move Charles grabbed a fist full of his jacket and threw him over the railing, he waited for the sound of his body hitting the ground before moving towards his 'brother'. They both smiled cheekily at one another, pearly white fangs glistening in the moon light. Kol placed his hands on Charles shoulders, squeezing gently "I feel like killing something, care to join me." He didn't ask for his approval, Kol marly made it out to seem like he had a choice in the matter.
"Not particularly, you owe me a dance,"
"I don't think so mate, I don't owe anyone a dance especially not my little 'brother'. Now move aside I've been waiting to kill something all night." Charles wrapped his hands around Kol's elbows and pulled him closer to his body; he stood on his tippy toes and whispered ever so softly into his ear "fine but I still want a dance, or I could always dance with Finn, the girls of the village always said he was the best dancer in our family." Kol growled lowly, he always had a big head. A thousand years on and he still fell for the same trick. Kol has always wanted to show his older siblings up, as the youngest blood relative he always wanted to prove that he was better than his siblings at everything.
In the flash of an eye Kol disappeared over the side of the railing, leaving only his suit jacket behind on the floor. A familiar presence radiated from behind him. One of his favourite siblings, the same one who taught him to wield a blade and to control his hunger, "You shouldn't tease him like that," Elijah sighed
"Why not lijah? I've been dead for over 800 years and Kol provides the perfect entertainment and besides I want to make as many good memories as I can before everything is torn to pieces." Charles turned to face the one sibling who taught him to live as one of their own. They had all loved him and cherished him of course but Elijah taught him how to control himself, while the others taught him how to love again, that is the difference between his 'siblings'. "Then I suggest you stay away from Nicklaus before he forces you back into bed,"
"That would imply that I was in bed to begin with, now wouldn't it?"
Charles lay across the living room sofa with his feet in Kol's lap. His book lay forgotten on the floor, he had been interested in reading before Kol decided to sit down within kicking distance of him. It was too easy to annoy his siblings well all until Rebekah decided to come home after her late night sleep over with Damon and Kol took it upon himself to tease his big sister and of course he had to take it upon himself to join in too. "Out all night. What a scandal! I trust you did better than that commoner? Matt was it?" Kol snickered at Rebekah, she glared down at her brother viciously,
"If you don't shut your mouth the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth," She sneered. Klaus grinned from his spot by the fire place. He was leaning against the old brick structure with a glass or scotch clasped tightly in his hands. Charles wrapped his arms around Kol's waist seductively "Oh Damon," he sighed "what big muscles you have, I could stare at them all day." Kol turned around in his brothers arms and wrapped his own around Charles neck, squeezing softly "Oh Rebekah," he sighed "kiss me." The brother leant in closer; when their noses touched they burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Rebekah growled with annoyance and threw her shoe at her brothers. They retreated from the room quickly, Klaus followed slowly after them shaking his head in disappointment. "Good riddance the lot of you!"