Will Charlie forgive Damon? And another unwanted character is introduced.


Chapter 11

She didn't know how long she'd been there but the rain never stopped and the sky was dull now.

"Charlotte?" a distant voice yelled.

She stood up, her clothes muddy and soaking, her bare legs black from the dirty ground. In just her t-shirt and shorts she would have been freezing if she'd been human.

"Charlotte?" the same voice shouted, now closer she could tell it was Damon.

She turned around and saw him standing in the clearing. She remained where she stood, unmoving.

In seconds he was in front of her. "What are you doing?" he asked, raindrops falling from his hair.

She stayed silent, unable to speak, not knowing what she wanted to say to him.

"Come now, Charlotte," he said dragging her to the opening in the trees. Weak and tired Charlie didn't even try to break free of his grip.

His car was on the path not far from them. He gripped her arm tightly and headed to the passenger side. He placed her in and ran to his side.

He closed his door and started the car. He looked at her but didn't say anything. He turned on the heater and the wipers, the windshield instantly becoming clearer as the rain was cleaned away.

As he drove his knuckles gripped the steering wheel tightly. Charlie looked down at her mud covered hands, picking the dirt from under her fingernails. Her soaking wet hair dripping onto the seats.

"Will you stop with the pouting, Charlie," he said with a small grin.

She continued to stare down at her hands.

"You're being immature," he said in a taunting voice.

She deliberately looked out the window, facing away from him.

Damon sighed heavily. "I don't know why I even bother, Charlie," he said angrily.

She instantly turned towards him and they glared at one another.

"I don't know either," Charlie said with angry tears. "We're always going to fight, Damon, we're always going to disagree..."

"Charlotte," he began, but she interrupted him.

"Damon, do you really not see what've done?" she demanded.

He stared at her, his eyes burning with intensity. Charlie's gaze never softened, although her eyes stung with tears.

"Well, do you?" she asked again.

"Charlie, that guy was a dick; he was never going to tell you anything."

"You don't know that, I could have reasoned with him, I could have tried to make him understand. He had answers about Katherine, about my mom... But no, you and your stupid temper, and your anger and your jealousy, you had to kill him. Like normal you lost it," she said raising her voice.

"Charlie, look, I'm never going to change, I'm never going to be who you want me to be. People piss me off, I kill them, I lose it and I admit that, but stop expecting too much of me. I'm not human anymore."

"Can we stop now?" she yelled. "Please just stop the car."

Damon instantly pulled up. The rain still pounded hard on the car. They were still in the middle of nowhere.

Charlie forcefully opened the door and got out the car, Damon did the same.

"You're a stupid jerk, Damon, I don't expect you to change I just want you to see that you ruined my one shot of getting any closer to finding out the truth."

"What truth, Charlie? What difference would it make? Your mom was staked by Katherine, what more do you need to know? What do you want to achieve? What do you want to hear?" he said calmly.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know..." she whispered.

"Who are you really mad at here, Charlotte? Eh? Me, Jean-Paul, Katherine... or yourself?"

Charlie suddenly broke down. Tears falling heavily down her cheeks. "I'm so confused and lost, Damon, Katherine keeps doing this to me, messing with my head... my mom was all I had and she took her from me, I spent over 200 years feeling guilty for killing my fiancé and he wasn't dead, I felt guilty for what happened to you and Stefan but it wasn't my fault was it? She tricked all of us, everything she does is hateful and cruel and I fall for her traps every time... I've been so stupid haven't I?" she whispered turning away from him.

Damon stepped closer to her. "The only truth you need to know, Charlie... look at me," he ordered gently.

"I can't," she breathed. "I'm so tired of everything."

He grabbed her wrist, spinning her around and pulling her against him. "I'm sorry, Charlie," he said sincerely.

She slowly looked up at him. "I love you, Charlotte, that's all you need to know."

Damon leaned closer to her, unsure, but she inched closer too. He placed his hand against her skin and cradled her damp face. She leaned into his hand, her eyes glued to his. He glanced down at her lips and without hesitation Charlie allowed his mouth to close over hers.

All she could smell was him and his leather jacket which smelt amazing as the rain intensified it and she instantly felt better.

His hands braced the small of her back as her tiny hands gripped his soaked shoulders, urging him on.

Damon's hands slid under her shirt, his fingers tracing her perfect skin. He lifted her up and her legs wrapped around his waist. He pushed her up against the car so that she was straddling him.

They didn't stop kissing, a benefit of not needing to breathe. Damon moved his lips down to her neck and stayed there until she leaned back and allowed him to take her shirt off. She pulled off his jacket and seconds later his shirt. She ran her hands across his muscled chest.

Damon kissed her pale bare skin which was glistening with the rain. He wanted to make her forget about all the bad things she was going through, to make her feel better. He couldn't compel away her pain like he could a human but he could show her that he loved her. He knew he was in love with this girl; he'd lied to himself for so long, when they were together like this, nothing else mattered, all he wanted was her.

"I'm losing control, Damon," she admitted, kissing down his bare shoulder.

"Charlotte, I never have control when I'm with you," he said, grinding against her showing her exactly how much control he'd lost.

Charlie automatically moved her hips in a slow rhythm against him.

"Please, don't break my heart, Damon," she said shivering as he kissed down her neck and shoulders.

He didn't answer but instead he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.


Mystic Falls, Fall 1863

Charlotte couldn't believe she was doing this, but it wasn't about her, only he mattered, she had to keep him save. Katherine wanted her, and staying here was not only putting Damon in danger, but the whole of Mystic Falls.

Damon would be leaving for the army the following day, and she would be long gone by then. And that was for the best, he could live a human life, a one free of suffering and pain. And keeping him unaware of the dangerous creatures that haunted the night was the right thing to do.

Until the end of her long existence, Charlotte would remember his soft kisses, his deadly blue eyes and his perfect smile. She would never forget him. She would love him until the end of time.

Her mother was already heading to their carriage which was hidden on the path just outside the Salvatore grounds. Her mother's long dark hair, pinned up on her head was falling out as the strong night wind blew around them. Charlotte put her long cloak over her gown and pulled up her hood. She took one last look at the house she had come to love. Her home for over two years now. The place she had found her human heart again.

She took a deep breath, holding back her tears and joined her mother in the carriage. Seconds later, the compelled man told the horses to go and the Salvatore Boarding house disappeared.

Charlotte looked away from her mother, staring out the window, watching the night.

"I know how hard this is for you, darling, but he's leaving tomorrow, and we can't risk them finding out about us. By leaving you are protecting him. He can move on with his life, he is twenty years old, in a few weeks he'll have forgotten about you."

Suddenly, Charlotte was looking at her. "Is that really all you think I meant to him? He asked me to marry him, mama, marry him! When he left me at my room earlier tonight, he said that he will love me until his dying day." Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Charlotta." She went to touch Charlotte's face but she shrugged her away. "Darling, don't. I am sorry."

"No you're not, that's exactly what you wanted. You hated me for being happy when you were not," Charlotte said through her tears.

"You know that's not true how could you suggest that? How dare you speak to me that way. If your father..."

Charlotte cut her off. "Papa has been dead for over 100 years, mama, so much has happened since then, I may not have aged biologically, but I have so much knowledge of this cruel world now. No human could ever know the extent of the pain I feel, of what I've seen."

"Charlotta, I know that. Don't you think I don't feel it too. I spent all that time with Katherine just like you did. I killed people too, Charlotte."

"Not in the same way, Katherine took me to England with her; you have no idea what it was like there. You and Pearl and Annabelle, you got an escape, I never did," she shouted.

"You are strong because of that, leaving tonight is proof of that. And your father would have been proud of you."

"Don't dare bring papa into this. His memory will never be tainted by the vampire world, he was a good man. But then again, all those years ago it was you who enforced everything, you who chose the path of my life. Father allowed me to live, he educated me in the arts and math, he taught me Latin and English, I was a woman but he treated me no different than my brothers. But you, you knew fine well, I didn't like Jean-Paul, but as soon as I was sixteen you were ready to give me away."

Violette slapped her face. "It didn't stop you from sleeping with him, or when you were fifteen with that carpenter boy, Richard."

Charlotte looked at her mother confused.

"Don't act surprised, Charlotte, I knew everything. I watched you sneak home in the early hours of the morning. Everyone thought you were pure and innocent, but I knew different. Imagine what would have happened if you'd bore a child out of wedlock. It's not worth thinking about. And now, I know being a vampire you can't have children, but Damon didn't know that, and you still slept with him."

"I learned from the best," Charlotte said bitterly.

"What?"

"Oh, don't act dumb, mama," she said mocking her mother's tone. "I knew about your affairs, I remember playing out in the gardens as a child and you sneaking those men home."

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching horse stopped their bickering but they continued to glare at one another.

"Charlotte," a voice shouted in the distance. No human could have heard it. "Charlotte, please, I love you, don't leave." Damon.

Her mother snorted. "I knew he would follow. I told you not to go back to his room. I told you to keep the engagement ring or just leave it on the table in the hallway. But no stupid as ever you disobeyed me.

"I had to see his face one last time. I didn't think he would wake."

Charlotte laughed out loud and her mother gave her a black look. Charlotte ignored her grabbing the door handle.

"What are you doing?" her mother said disapprovingly.

"Going back, he came for me, that's true love, mama, I deserve that, after all those years, I deserve him. I am going to tell him everything and if he still wants me then I am going to change him. I want this man I don't care anymore, mother."

"If you leave this carriage then I want nothing more to do with you."

"Then I guess this is goodbye, mother." Charlotte opened the carriage door and jumped out.

There at the top of the hill on his horse was Damon. Charlotte took one last glance at the carriage then turned back towards him. She smiled and tears rushed to her eyes. She held the sides of her dress and hurried up the hill. When Damon saw her running, he got off the horse and did the same.

"Why would you leave, I can't lose you," he said when they were face-to-face. Just inches from each other. "You're my fiancée, I never what to lose you." His voice was all breath from running.

"I never wanted to leave you but my mother... and then you're leaving tomorrow"

He placed a warm hand on her right cheek. "I won't be gone forever."

"I know that but you don't need to worry about a woman. One who is not right for you." She tried to look away but he held her face stopping her.

"Charlotte, you are perfect. You are beautiful, I will always love you," he said simply, not breaking eye contact. He ran a hand across her cheek cupping her face in his hands and she closed her eyes.

"As I love you," she breathed. They stood that way for several moments. She felt him slide the engagement ring back on her finger.

She opened her eyes again and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him so deeply that when he moaned she could feel the vibration of the sound and it sent a shiver through her own body. She kissed the nape of his neck and the small space between his neck and shoulder. Then she pulled away so there was only an inch or two between them.

He pulled away completely and started back up the hill. He turned holding his hand out to her. "Let's get back home," he said gently.

She took his hand and they walked back up to his horse.

After sneaking past his father's study, they went straight up to Damon's room.

She stood in the middle of the room. Her long red curls lose around her pale skin and her beautiful pastel gown with a corset brocaded with flowers accentuating her perfect body.

Damon stepped forward and cupped his hand on her cheek. His touch made her shiver, but his touch she was sure she could never live without now.

He leaned back and gently turned her. He slowly loosened the back of her dress. He kissed her and then lifted her up so her legs wrapped around his waist, he lay her down on the bed and his eyes never left hers.


"Charlotte?" Damon whispered.

He was stroking her head with his hand. Charlotte's head was on his chest. Outside, the sky was pale; it must have been early morning.

"Yeah?" she replied sleepily.

"Promise you'll wait for me."

"Promise," she whispered, sure that she would fall asleep again in moments. "Damon?"

"Mm-hmm?" he said, moments from sleep himself.

"Promise you'll come back to me."

He laughed so hard that her cheek bounced up and down on his chest. "Promise. There's nowhere else I'd want to go."

A few hours later, the morning light shone through the bedroom window curtains.

Damon was still asleep; she slipped away from the bed as quietly as she could. She put Damon's shirt over her head and headed to the bay window in his bedroom. She looked over at Damon; he was stomach down, so only his bottom half was covered by the bedcovers. She laughed lightly to herself.

Hours passed as she sat on the window seat. She looked out at the beauty of Virginia below. She thought about how she would tell him what she was. Would Katherine ever come back? And her mother? Would she ever see her again? Then she heard the sheets rustle behind her.

"Charlotte?" Damon asked still sleepy.

Charlotte turned her body to see him in the bed. His hair was messy, and his chest was bare. He got off the bed and held the sheets over his bottom half and joined her on the window seat. Charlotte turned back and kept staring out the window. He looked out the window and then back at her

"What is it?" he asked confused.

She turned her head to meet his eyes. "Here, it's just so beautiful, and this place, my home now, it's changed my life," she said, returning her gaze to the trees and horses, her vampire vision making everything even more amazing.

"But?" he asked knowing there was more.

Charlotte placed her hand gently on the glass of the window. "Mama, she left, I have no idea where, what if I never find her again?" she said quietly.

"She'll come back, she's your mother. But if she doesn't you'll always have me. Forever."

If only he knew what 'forever' meant for her. "I know," she whispered. Should she tell him now?

Damon spoke stopping her thoughts. "I love you, Charlotte."

She sighed. The timing wasn't right. How would the timing ever be right to tell someone you love that you're a blood drinking monster. She turned to face him. "I love you, too."

Damon leaned forward and wrapped her in the sheet with him, holding her close.


Present Day

Elena and Stefan were sitting on the couch in the boarding house living room. Elena snuggled up in his arms.

"I still can't believe Damon killed Jean-Paul, from what Jeremy said he seemed awful, the way he talked about human life, but he didn't deserve to be dead. He'd been corrupted by Katherine," Elena said. She absentmindedly ran her fingertips across Stefan's arm. "I wonder how long Charlie will be mad at him?"

"I can believe anything, he's Damon," Stefan said slightly annoyed. "Yet, I know Charlotte, she's so in love with Damon, she'd forgive anything he did."

Elena turned to face him. "How do you know he loves her and her him? I mean, they haven't seen each other for 146 years, surely they've both changed now, especially Damon. She loved him when he was human."

"Being a vampire doesn't stop you being you. Damon is still Damon, well, even though he doesn't show it at times." He sighed. "I just know, Elena, they both sacrificed everything for each other, my father and her mother didn't approve of their relationship, yet, it never stopped them. Charlotte left her mother to stay with him and Damon even came back from the army for her, but as you know, Katherine ruined that."

"Maybe finding each other again is destiny," Elena smiled. "Like soul mates."

"Maybe," he said lightly.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Stefan was instantly on his feet. He headed to the hallway with Elena following behind.

"Hey, Stefan, is Damon and Charlie here?" Alaric asked.

"Um, no, I haven't seen Charlie all day and Damon went to bury Jean-Paul hours ago and he hasn't returned. Um, why?" Stefan said.

"I have some news for Charlie. Well, more like some information."

They both looked at him confused.

"Someone contacted me asking me if I'd seen or heard from a Charlotta Annemarie Adeline Dubois. I guessed since she was Charlie Dubois that that was her original name, so I..."

Before Alaric could continue, the front door burst open with Damon and Charlie laughing, soaking wet and covered in dirt. They instantly went quiet when they saw the serious and surprised looks on Alaric's, Stefan's and Elena's faces.

"Um, hi, everyone," Charlie said slightly embarrassed, hiding her face in Damon's shoulder.

"What's the little party in the hallway?" Damon asked nonchalantly.

"Um, I need to talk to Charlie, but this doesn't look like a good time for you," Alaric said.

"Nah, its fine, we've only been having sex in the woods. Just give us a few minutes to get cleaned up and we'll be right with you," Damon said with a smirk.

Everyone went silent, staring at the floor. Charlie could feel her cheeks burning. Damon laughed breaking the silence and he dragged Charlie up the stairs.

Showered and dressed, they joined the others back in the living room.

"So, what news do you have for my girl?" Damon said putting his arm around her shoulder.

Alaric turned to Charlie. "Charlotta Annemarie Adeline Dubois, I didn't know you were from France," Alaric said.

"Yes, that's old news but how the hell do you know my full name? I've never even told these two," she said confused.

"Do you know a man called Brice Alain Cabot?"

Charlie's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Oh, my God, it can't be, he can't be still alive, he worked for my father, my father trusted him, he cannot be a vampire."

"I'm guessing he is alive, honey," Damon said with a smirk. He faced Alaric. "So, what did he want?"

"Simple. Charlie. He said, he'd do anything to speak with her. He'd heard about her mother and knew about her past here with you. And somehow he knew Isobel and found me through her. He definitely knows his stuff. Also, he gave me this address." Alaric handed her a piece of paper.

"I don't get it, after all these years, why now?" Charlie said confused.

"That's the thing with vampires; they only act when they want something. And that something never turns out to be a good thing. So no way in hell are you going to see this guy," Damon said sharply.

"I have to; he was the last man to speak with my father before he died. I need to know if he was a vampire then or if he was turned after. I mean what if he was working with Katherine, what if he helped kill my friends and family?"

"Exactly, what if he did, you can't go see this guy, that would be incredibly stupid of you," Damon said raising his eyebrows.

Charlie got off the couch. "I'm 260 years old, Damon, if I wish to go see him I will. You can't treat me like a child." She stormed across the room.

Damon was suddenly in front of her and grabbed her arm. "Well, you're acting like one. This man hasn't said a word to you for 250 years and now he's suddenly dying to speak with you, I wouldn't trust him."

"Let go of me," she said fighting his grip.

"No, I'll tie you up if I have to, but you are not going."

"Fine," she said annoyed and she ran up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Seconds later there was a knock on her door.

"I don't want to talk to you, Damon," she shouted, not lifting her head from her pillow.

Elena opened the door and slowly walked into the room. "It's me."

"Ugh, go away, Elena."

"Please, I'm on your side, and I have an idea."

Charlie sat up. "What?"

"If I was you, I'd want to speak with this man too, so, I'm saying, I'll help you," Elena said sitting beside her.

"How can you help me?" Charlie scoffed.

"Well, first, you need a reason to leave this house, they'll not let you go alone but if I go with you, say we're going shopping..."

"We can go see Brice," Charlie finished with a sly grin. "But why would you help me?"

"Like I said, if I was you, I'd want to know what he wanted. And I also have another idea, what if I pretend to be Katherine, we can see how he acts with her, then you'll really know if he was with her or not."

"I can't let you do that, you cannot come with me, Damon and Stefan would kill me if anything happened to you."

"No, I want to do this, you can't go alone, and if he thinks I'm Katherine, you have some kind of backup."

"If I agree to do this, you have to promise to not blame it all on me with those two."

"I promise," Elena smiled genuinely.

"I take back what I said before, you are nothing like Katherine."


So are you worried about Brice? Do you think Elena's plan is a good one?