"Damon. Damon! DAMON GUISEPPE SALVTORE!" I shook his sleeping form.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"We've got to go to the hospital."

"Why?"

"To pick up Alaric. Remember?"

"Hmmm? Oh yeah." He answered while turning over, fully intent on going back to sleep. I sighed.

"C'mon D." I shook him but he remained still. "Fine. But I'm blaming you if we're late." I walked to the other side of the bed and got in. Damon's arm wrapped around me and we snuggled down; it was lucky that I was still in my pyjamas.

"Char. Char! C'mon we've gotta get up or we'll be late." He shook me.

"No. I'm comfy." He laughed at my pout.

"Charlotte."

"Fine!" I rolled over to look him in the eye, "I wasn't this mean to you."

"It's called tough love." He smirked at me and I poked my tongue out.

"You need to let me go so I can get up." He looked down to see that I was still in his arms.

"Sorry." He sheepishly let me go.

"Which room is Alaric's?"

"Dunno." I shrugged.

"I thought you got the message to pick him up."

"Yeah, but I didn't enquire further."

"Well, thanks for being useful." I elbowed him in the side as we walked down the corridor.

"Look, there's Elena." I waved to get her attention. "Elena!"

"Hey Char." We hugged.

"How's Alaric?"

"Better I guess."

"Good morning Elena." Damon tried to be friendly but she shot him down with a glare. "What's wrong sour puss?"

"You forced Stefan to feed on a human! How could you?"

"I'm helping him." she scoffed.

"You're trying to destroy him!"

"Hey! Calm down! Stefan has to control his bloodlust or he'll be Ripper Stefan again." I intervened but she still glared at Damon. "Look, I promise we'll look after Alaric and make sure he doesn't go berserk. Ok?"

"Ok. I trust you Char." I smiled at her.

"So Alaric, how are you?" I asked as the four of us walked to Wickery Bridge. He looked at me with a 'duh' expression so I shut up.

"Alaric. Have you brought the sign?" Carol Lockwood smiled expectantly.

"Sign?"

"The restored Wickery Bridge sign. The history department promised me we'd have it today."

"I don't have the sign actually. It slipped my mind. I've been…busy."

"Well it's not an emergency, we'll just unveil it when the bridge is complete." I nodded enthusiastically at the idea.

"I want to leave." Alaric stated as soon as Carol was out of earshot.

"Then go." I scowled at Damon while Alaric walked off.

"Meredith, will you look after him while we're here?" I slightly begged the doctor.

"Sure. Have fun." She jogged after Alaric.

"Looks like it's just you and me then." I smiled as Damon placed his arm around my shoulders and we walked to the construction site.

"And Rebekah." I groaned as I saw her.

"Rebekah's up to something, she's been snooping around places she shouldn't be."

"Great; Another mystery to solve." He laughed at my sullenness. "Damon."

"Yeah?"

"That's Sage." I pointed to the redheaded figure currently staring at us. His eyes widened in shock and we slowly approached her.

"Damon Salvatore. Charlotte Edwards." Sage appraised us. "My favourite students." I smiled.

"Sage. My hottest teacher." Damon replied smoothly as I rolled my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through?"

"Oh come on. No one just passes through Mystic Falls." I scowled at her while I spoke.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

"Speaking about ourselves in the third person again are we Rebekah?" I raised my eyebrow at her challengingly.

"Easy Rebekah. She used to beat men for sport." Damon chided while we subtly high fived.

"She was always bad for men."

"Rebekah. What a happy surprise." I snorted at that.

"What are you doing here Sage?" Actually I wondered that too.

"Oh I heard Finn was finally freed from that casket your charming brother Klaus carted him around in."

"Ah; Finn. You just missed him. He left town and didn't tell a soul where he was going."

"He probably went looking for me." Rebekah laughed. God I hate her laugh. Hell; I hate Rebekah why narrow it down?

"Or, quite possibly forgot all about you." Sage smirked.

"I doubt that."

"No? Because he didn't seem to mention you." This seemed to hit Sage like a slap in the face but she recovered quickly. "Sorry you came all this way for nothing. Have a nice life." Rebekah swanned off.

"God I hate that elitist original bitch." Sage and I high fived.

"Finn. Really?" I asked as the three of us walked through the woods.

"He's my one true love." I smiled at Sage. "He turned me so we could be together forever. Then Klaus daggered him and locked him away and I've been waiting ever since." I looked at Sage and felt sympathy for her. She truly loves him. "Please don't tell me you and Rebekah are friends?" she asked Damon since it was clear that I didn't.

"Not unless you count hate sex." I shuddered at the thought of D and her being together.

"Good. Cause her and Klaus always treated me like some peasant whore." I frowned. Nik? He treated her like that?

"She's just lurking around because she wants something from me. I can't figure out what it is though."

"Why don't you get inside her head and find it?"

"Because it's impossible. She's too strong." I nodded in agreement.

"I bet I could get in there." I quirked my head.

"Sage, she's an original. It's not going to happen."

"Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Rebekah may be an original but she's a girl." Realisation dawned on me at what they were going to do. And to be honest; the though turned my stomach.

"That's debatable." I interjected. I just couldn't help it. Sage smiled and winked at me before continuing.

"Find her weakness and exploit it. And I'll walk right in." Damon seemed to be mulling it over. "That is if you want my help?" Damon smiled and we all knew that she was in.

"Look I'd love to help you both exploit the bitch, but I have business to attend to."

"What business do you have?" Damon raised his eyebrow at me.

"A man." Sage answered before I could. She always did know how to read me.

"Oh. Never mind then." Sage and I laughed at Damon.

"Don't worry honey. You're still my number one." I kissed his cheek and waved at Sage before running off.

"You're lucky. If you'd been 10 minutes earlier you'd have run into Rebekah."

"Damn. You mean I missed her. Now I regret going home to change." I retorted sarcastically.

"Don't. You look delicious." I melted. I mean it. Niklaus Mikaelson can break down my almost all my walls and soften me.

"Why thank you." I straightened out my black dress that fell to the knee.

"Now, where is it?" he asked himself while rooting through a very full wine rack.

"What are you looking for?" I asked while I looked at the art that adorned the walls of Nik's studio. It is unsurprising that he has a wine rack in here - it simply adds to the atmosphere.

"A bottle of wine that I stole from a queen." He said so blasé.

"Are you trying to impress me Mr Mikaelson?" I teased.

"Is it working?" he stood in front of me and smiled.

"Slightly." I pulled him in for a kiss.

The wine forgotten, we retired to his bedroom.

I lightly closed the door to the Boarding House behind me and took in my surroundings: a man laid out on the floor who was probably dead from the gaping hole in his neck, numerous empty wine bottles including one with a very old label and an unrecognisable stamp from a queen's court on it. I smiled at the events the loss of this bottle lead to.

I walked to the library and saw D burning the remains of what seems to be an old milling ledger wearing only a low slung towel around his hips.

"Hey D." he turned his head and smiled at me.

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"Burning an old milling ledger."

"Ok?"

"Long story. I'll fill you in later."

"Thanks. I'm going to go change."

"Ok. You look nice by the way."

"Thanks." I tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear shyly.

As I reached the open door to D's room I saw Rebekah curled up in the very sheets that I had also been curled up in this morning. Only I was fully clothed. I closed the door and refused to think of the conditions of those sheets now.

After showering I admired myself in the mirror; my blonde hair hung in loose waves to just below my shoulder, my piercing blue eyes stared back at my reflection, my skin was hard to describe; it was pale but not sickly pale, it had a sort of glow about it. D said that in the right light I had an angelic aura. I smiled at the thought and quickly dressed.

Damon was still burning the ledger when I re-entered the library at the same time as Sage.

"Rebekah just left."

"Happy I hope." I nearly gagged at Damon's smugness.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yup - 1912 the Salvatore milling company chopped down a forest. It's most valuable source of wood came from an old white oak tree that was used to make the Wickery Bridge. These aren't public records, so Rebekah's going to chase her tail for a long time." I smirked, incredibly happy at the thought of Rebekah chasing her tail.

"So all the wood stripped from the underside of that bridge is basically a weapon that could kill an original?"

"Yup." I flung myself down onto the nearest chair.

"You see how this could be a problem for me, right?" Damon and I turned to look at Sage.

"Why? Because of your true love Finn? Let me tell you something – we met the guy you're not going to miss him." Sage flew at him and I stood up in readiness to defend Damon.

"I will rip your head off in two seconds if you take one more step."

"Alright let's make a deal – we all kill Rebekah and we consider Finn untouchable." I said.

"Is that a promise?" She turned to me.

"Yes. It's a promise." Sage seemed satisfied and sat down. I left to go get some blood from the fridge and Damon went to get dressed.

"Where's Sage?" D said to me as we re-entered the library.

"Dunno."

"Sage! Let's go! We've got originals to kill." No answer.

"Sage?" I called out.

"Sage!" Damon growled.

We raced to Wickery Bridge. The car hadn't fully stopped before I bolted out of it and ran to the burning bonfire situated in the middle of the bridge.

"Your grand plans always seem to get ruined. Don't they." Damon grabbed me before I leapt toward ds Rebekah. "Sorry to disappoint you. Again." She walked away from the bridge and Damon let me go. We turned to the car and saw Sage.

"You set us up." I sneered.

"No. I'm just looking out for myself."

"I told you I'd save your creepy boyfriend!" I yelled at her.

"And you lied to me Charlotte! The originals are linked. If one dies; they all die! If I could get inside Rebekah's head don't you think I could get inside yours?" I stepped back, defeated, but Damon flung her into the car and grabbed her neck,

"I should end you!"

"I'm 900 years old Damon – you're not capable of ending me." She retaliated and switched positions with him. "Do you really think I would risk Finn's life for one of your petty revenge fantasies?" she spat.

"Let me tell you something – your long lost love has a suicide wish." Sage shook her head in refusal to accept this. "So when momma witch linked them all together in a spell he was the one to volunteer to die."

"He wouldn't do that."

"He didn't want to live. Not for you, not for anyone. He doesn't love you Sage." I growled at her from behind. She spun around and flung me towards the bonfire. I landed (not at all delicately) beside the ferocious flames. Damon seemed torn between being pissed or concerned. He chose pissed.

"Now when we do find a way to kill those Originals; I'll start with Finn." He pushed past her and jogged to my side.

"You ok?"

"Great." I groaned.

"Good. Come on lets go." He held out a hand to help me up.

"Thanks." We walked to the car and got in before speeding away. I couldn't repress my smirk at the still stunned Sage. Nobody double crosses us!

"So where to?" I enquired.

"Home."

"Ok then."

After I spent the evening calming Damon down and prying bourbon bottles out of his hands I was ready to collapse into my bed when my phone beeped informing me that Ric went all psycho killer crazy again. Looks like D and I are taking the first watch.

Sitting at Ric's bedside is quite depressing really. We'd been here all night and I was bored out of my mind.

"I'm bored!" I groaned.

"Stop whining." Damon snapped.

"You're being mean!"

"You're being childish." I turned to him and poked my tongue out. That seemed to diffuse his temper because he laughed and wrapped an arm around me puling me close. I snuggled into his side on the couch that I demanded Stefan and Damon bring upstairs.

"You never told me that long story that leads to the ceremonial burning of the milling ledger."

"Didn't I?"

"Nope. And you told me you would, so…"

"It's hard to explain. Sage told me." Damon shifted awkwardly.

"Then say what Sage said." I sat up and looked him in the eye. "I thought we had a deal – No Secrets."

"Fine. But, you're not going to like it."

"Get on with it D."

"You sure?" I continued to stare him down.

"Damon. Tell me."

And then he did the unexpected; he leant in and kissed me! I stiffened but soon relaxed into the kiss. The fantastic kiss. The mind-blowing kiss!

Visions flashed before my now closed eyes and I saw the conversation between Rebekah and Nik, the conversation between Rebekah and Carol, and then I saw Damon finding the milling ledger from 1912.

My eyes flew open and met Damon's. There was an awkward silence between us with our faces still incredibly close. However, before anything could be said Alaric woke up,

"What the hell are you two doing here?" We both turned to face him; Damon recovered quicker than I did.

"Just making sure the witch didn't turn you into a toad or a block of salt."

"What?"

"Bonnie did a spell. It's nothing to worry about, just something to keep the…killer in you at bay." I answered.

"Did something happen?"

"Let's just say you've got an alter ego hell bent on killing council members." Damon replied smoothly.

"So we're going to pack up some of your stuff." I explained.

"And we're going to go to the loft for a little bit. You know like house arrest." Damon finished for me.

"Where's Meredith?" I looked anywhere in the room except at Alaric.

"She'll be fine Ric." Even Damon seemed strained to say this. Realisation dawned on Ric and he fell back onto the bed with an exasperated sigh.

I left the room and headed downstairs to see Bonnie give Elena some herbs that'll help Alaric before leaving. Elena saw me and beckoned me downstairs for coffee until Damon was ready to go.

I was staring into the bottom of my glass when Damon entered the library with a large package, disturbing mine and Stefan's much needed peace.

"A little early in the day for you isn't it?" I continued to ignore him while staring at the glass.

"Just having a little toast." Stefan replied. Damon looked over to Charlotte and furrowed his brow at the sight of her looking for answers at the bottom of a tumbler.

"To what?" More furrowed eyebrows.

"Control."

You're happy. I'm happy." He placed his parcel onto the couch. "Charlotte?" I was snapped out of my trance and blinked at him in confirmation that I was listening to him.

"Why are you in such a good mood? Sage double crossed you, the tree is a pile of ash, Alaric has a psychopathic alter ego." I scowled at Stefan. He didn't have to remind us. Plus to top it all off I was very confused about the kiss. I mean I know that it was a simple way to convey a message, but…well…there was something else too.

"Yeah Stefan, I'm a philanthropist – I make the world a better place." At this I snorted, earning me a mock glare from D. "Restoring bridges, landmarks, and…" he unwrapped the package; "Historical signs made from the same white oak as the Wickery Bridge." My eyes widened in shock. Both Stefan and I rose and walked to the sign. I crouched down and stroked the wood

"They think all the wood burnt." I whispered.

"I sold my rage and phew, you should have seen me."

"We have a weapon." Stefan announced.

"The game's back on brothers." I smirked evilly at the boys. "Let's go kill some Originals."