1864
To say that Giuseppe Salvatore was angry at his son, Damon, for deserting the army would be an understatement. He considered desertion a sign of weakness, the most terrible flaw a man could possess.
But none of that mattered to Damon, because he had done it out of love-which was worst than weakness in his father's standards. The opportunity of courting the beautiful Katherine Pierce was worth the humiliation. So what if Giuseppe felt ashamed of him and didn't waste the chance of telling him so? As long as he could hold Katherine, as long as he could love her deeply and passionately like he loved her; nothing else was important.
The problem was that he couldn't do any of those things because she was dancing with Stefan. All that was left to do was stare at them heartbrokenly and wonder about why had she chosen his brother to escort her. They loved each other, why would she be with Stefan?
Charlotte Pierce stood next to Damon with a bored look on her face. She certainly hadn't picture this when he asked to escort her to the Founder's Ball. It was obvious that he would much rather be with Katherine.
"May I have this dance, Mr. Salvatore?"-she bowed and extended her hand in a gentleman like way, tired of his pitiful expression.
The guests around them stared at them in disbelief. They couldn't believe that the youngest Pierce sister would have such nerve or that Damon Salvatore wouldn't had asked his companion to dance like a gentleman would do.
"People are looking at us, Charlotte."-he blushed at the attention and crossed his arms.
"So what, a lady can't ask a man to dance? Am I supposed to just wait for you to finally realize that I am dying to do so? Well, Mr. Salvatore, that seems very unfair to me. If I want to dance, I should be able to."
He shook his head at her usual feminist speeches, and took her to the middle of the room, where Katherine and Stefan danced gracefully. Katherine noticed their presence instantly and was unhappy by their proximity. Both Salvatores were hers; Charlotte had no right to be with Damon. She was supposed to accompany her and only her, she couldn't be taking interest on any man, and even less Damon!
Damon and Charlotte glided like old lovers. They looked at each other with a hint of lust, like a couple reunited after a very long time of not seeing each other. Their moves irradiated desire, their palms seemed to want nothing more than finally meet. Still somehow they managed to smile like the best of friends.
"The simple intimacy of the near touch."-Charlotte said mockingly, chuckling as their hands almost touched.
"You are beautiful."-He said simply and all of a sudden, catching her off guard.
She looked down nervously before meeting his eyes again. For the first time, he truly admired her features. She had never felt more insecure in her existence as when he gave her that scrutinizing look.
Those three words were enough to make Katherine break. If she left them together the rest of the night, she was sure that she would lose Damon. She excused herself to Stefan and gave Damon a suggestive smirk as she left the room.
"Would you excuse me for a second?"-Damon muttered to Charlotte, dazzled and went after Katherine.
Outside, making sure that she was close enough to the house to be heard by Charlotte, Katherine waited for Damon. Once he got out, she pulled him to a place they would be unseen to the guests. She pressed her lips against his fiercely, barely letting him breathe.
"How I regret choosing Stefan…"-She lied.
"Then tell him you desire to dance with me."-He frowned and caressed her cheeks.
"I am not capable. It would break his heart."
He kissed her again, this time gently.
"Will you meet me in my bedroom after the Founder's Ball ends?"
"I shall."
"Then I will be thinking about you until that moment."
"I love you, Katherine."-he whispered close to her lips.
She grinned and left him to go back to Stefan.
Damon entered the house again and looked for Charlotte, who stood melancholic next to all the other guests chattering happily.
"Would you like to-"
"George Lockwood asked me to dance."-she interrupted him dryly.-"Would you mind if I accept?"
He recognized that feeling once again burning in his chest; it was jealousy.
"If that's what you wish."
"It is."-She said with an air of arrogance.
"Then who am I to stop you?"
She nodded, afraid that if she spoke, her pride would crumble and she would burst into tears.
Later that night, Stefan walked Katherine to her bedroom after the Founder's Ball.
"I had a lovely time, Stefan."
She went to open her door, but he stopped her.
"Wait… Miss Katherine, I know we've only known each other for a short while and I know I'm in competition for your affections, but I've never met a woman quite like you. I look at you and I see an angel. I touch your skin and my entire body ignites."-he kissed her sweetly-" I kiss you and I know that I am in love with you."
"I must say good night."-she said once they pulled back.
"Have I upset you?"-he asked, worried.
"No, you haven't upset me,"-she replied quickly-"you've just surprised me... Until tomorrow."
Katherine entered her bedroom and touched her lips, reminiscing on the previous kiss, until Damon appeared.
"What are you doing here?"
"You asked me to come."
"I'm tired, you should go."-She waved him off.
"Did my little brother's confession overwhelm you?"
"You shouldn't eavesdrop."
He caught her arm and frowned.
"Is my love not enough?"
"I wish to be alone tonight. Leave, now."-She compelled him.
"May I have this dance?"-Damon turned to look at Charlotte, surprising her.
"I thought you'd never ask, Salvatore."-she grinned as he took her to the middle of the crowd, where Stefan and Elena still were the center of attention.
"Just like the old times."-he whispered in her ear-"Except now I can do this."
He pressed their bodies together and she threw her head back laughing.
"Yeah, gowns and near touching? Hooray for female liberation."
"You know, this eternal sexual frustration between us doesn't have to be eternal."-he flirted.
"Stop doing that eye sex thing."-Charlotte cut him off.
"What eye sex thing?"-he smirked.
They could both hear Jeremy talking to Caroline in the corner of the room.
"Who's the girl with Damon?"-Jeremy asked.
"Charlotte, an old vampire friend of Damon."
Jeremy scoffed as his eyes met Charlotte's when Damon twirled her.
"Since when does Damon have friends?"
Damon rolled his eyes at their conversation.
"This town is just filled with appreciation for you."-Charlotte said, a little annoyed that she seemed to be the only one treating Damon like a friend there.
"Wait until you meet the rest."
"Are you really that bad?"
He remained quiet, thinking about his answer.
"Apparently, yes. In this town it's all about extremes. You're either the good, tormented vampire, always fighting what you are… Or the terrible killing machine."
"You're hurt."
Charlotte wanted to kiss him there and then. How could she be the only one noticing how incredible he was? How was she the only one who looked right through his bad guy facade?
"No, Char. Hurting means feeling and I couldn't care less."
"I know you better than that. If Elena can't see the amazing man you are then she doesn't deserve you."
"Don't ever say that again."-He stopped dancing and grabbed her wrists, giving her a hard look-"The one who isn't worth Elena is me."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, I'm warning you."
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, not going to obey him under any circumstances and even less when he was being ridiculous.
"She. Doesn't. Deserve. You."-she pronounced each word slowly, taking it as a challenge.
"Take it back."-He pulled her, almost making her lose her balance.
"I'm not taking it back."-Charlotte spat out, pulling her wrists from his overly strong hold-"You see Goddess Elena. I see another Katherine messing with your head, once again."
"Screw you."-he hissed and tightened his grip.
They stared into each other's menacing eyes.
"Damon."-Elena's voice broke their competition on who backed down first.-"I asked Caroline about Bonnie and she isn't answering her calls either."
"And I should care because?"-Damon snapped.
"She's our friend."-Elena frowned-"I'm worried."
"Our? Bonnie is your friend! The witch gives me like ten aneurysms per day!"
"She has saved our lives and put herself in danger for us many times."-Elena put her hands on her waist, scolding Damon like a little kid.
"My dear Elena, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps she needed a time off and she doesn't want to be reminded that the human best friend she had left is now also a horrible vampire?"
Elena considered his words for a moment, but he didn't let them sink in before speaking again.
"Or maybe she just died and no one has found her body. Anyway, it's none of my business, though I sort of hope it's the second one."
"How can you be so selfish?"
Damon's heart tightened in his chest at Elena's disappointment; although he was too furious to care.
"It's an art. I practice everyday."
"That I know you do."
Charlotte felt herself getting riled up. How could Elena of all people call him selfish?
"Excuse me, but I think-"-Charlotte intervened.
"You are not excused, or allowed to think, in fact."-Damon snapped this time at Charlotte-"So shut the hell up."
"Well, screw you, too."
Hell, Charlotte had no idea just how much she pissed him off with her two seconds snarky rebound every time he said something. There had to be some wooden spoon in the kitchen he could stake her with!
"I'm going to look for Stefan."-Elena announced.
"Good, old Stefan; always the hero. If only he had the chance to save you when... Oh, right. He did."
Elena glared at him disapprovingly again before leaving. She bumped his shoulder in the process, provoking their eyes to meet. His face fell when he saw the sadness in her gaze.
"Please just kill me now."-he growled and clenched his fists, wondering how could he possibly keep making everything worse between Elena and him.
"Trust me, if none of them do it soon,"-Charlotte nodded her head at the other guests-"I will."
"Well, that's reassuring."
"Why do you let Elena-"-Charlotte began but Damon raised his hand, motioning her to stop.
"Not now."
"Fine,"-she sighed-"but I won't apologize, and I know you won't either. So let's just skip to the part where we forget this whole thing."
"Seems fair to me."
Silence fell between them before something came back to Damon's mind.
"When you first saw Elena, you said the last time you heard about her she was still human."-she nodded, so he continued-"So you must have informants. Who are they?"
"Well…"-she looked up, thinking-"Emily tracked you for a while, then I didn't know anything for some years, until my good friend Sage came into the picture."
"Great sex."
"She was always very proud of her work with you. She said you were her best apprentice."-she shook her head, remembering her friend.-"Such a shame she's gone."
"And then?"
"I heard mostly rumors from other vampires-especially of Stefan and his ripper phase."
"Why didn't you just… show yourself?"
"I don't know, we didn't really break apart in the best terms."-she shrugged-"I did see you one time."
"When?"-he furrowed.
"Guns N´ Roses in the eighties… Leather jacket, head banging, the whole deal. But I couldn't bring myself to go there and I didn't know what should I say, I just turned into a complete mess and watched you from my place the entire concert."
"That concert was pretty amazing."
"Hell yeah, it was badass!"-he smiled at her little outburst-"Anyway, once you moved to Mystic Falls and the whole Klaus thing began, Elijah contacted me."
"You're friends with Elijah?"
"We were a little more some decades ago."-she shrugged-"He found me after I escaped Mystic Falls, helped me get on my feet. He was the one who told me the truth about Katherine."
"Elijah? Do you know how old he is? You're disgusting."
"Didn't you have sex with Rebekah?"
"We are disgusting."-he made a face.
Thank you for reading!
Sorry for not updating sooner, life got in the way...and a bit of a writer's block too.
Thank you to Tvdlover87654, GleekStarKid, and Cassie-D 101 for reviewing! Also to everyone who followed and favorited. I hope you continue to like this story!
And to answer Cassie-D 101's question: Does tyler/klaus know who charlotte is?- No, Katherine was running away from him during that time and he didn't know that the Petrova line continued with Liliya :)