Note: I do not own TVD or any of its affiliates.

Any sort of feedback makes my day! Mary VA: Thank you! Yeah I definitely want to make it distinct in that Charlotte isn't just another playtoy for Kol (but sometimes he needs reminders). Kelly, thank you so much! He's a cheeky little bastard. Karen, thank you! Ask and you shall receive. Dark Masta, thank you so much! You seriously have my utmost respect for choosing to read my story as a non-native English speaker in your spare time. I really admire that and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


"You know how I get when someone touches what belongs to me." – Kol Mikaelson


[Alicia Keys (Solo) – Empire State of Mind]


Charlotte was surprised she didn't burn a whole through the window with how much time she spent glaring out it after the blood-high induced kiss. It made it worse because she swore she could feel Kol's smugness from the driver seat. For a long time after that incident in the parking lot, she just refused to acknowledge his existence and spent the time sulking with her arms over her chest.

That changed once they started to reach the city. They stopped in New Jersey to get rid of the rental car and opted for a taxi to take them the rest of the way. Charlotte was pretty sure Kol compelled the man to drive them for free, but she figured it was better than getting lost with him driving or dealing with the traffic.

The hostility in her demeanor shifted to wonder as she started to take in the large skyscrapers and buildings. She would have opened the window, but all the noise from the traffic and people was extra grating on her new senses. She heard Kol chuckle a few times at her reactions, but otherwise he didn't taunt her any further until they pulled up to the apartment complex.

The building was much nicer than anything she ever fathomed living in. There was a door man in a fine and fitted suit that greeted him at the door. Kol insisted they didn't need his help with the bags. He carried the cooler while Charlotte had the shopping bags and they went inside. The marble lobby with the glittering chandelier immediately made her feel out of place. She just numbly followed Kol to the elevators, hitting the button for one of the top of the floors.

The floor they went to had only two doors in the hallway. By doors, it was really a set of double doors, which Charlotte had the feeling was just the beginning of something less modest than the studio apartments she was used to. She gasped when Kol unlocked the door and they stepped inside.

The front foyer led into a hallway that branched off into several different rooms. This supposed apartment had more living space than her parent's house. It was decorated in a monochromatic modern style.

"Well, here it is," Kol declared casually, closing the door behind him. Charlotte barely heard him, she went ahead, and walking through with her mouth hung open.

"What do you think?" He smirked at her reaction when he caught up with her in the living room. The exterior wall was actually floor to ceiling windows of the New York City skyline.

Charlotte just let out a gasping swear that Kol honestly wasn't entirely sure what it meant. But he picked up on it from her inflection.

"Yes, well the bedrooms are upstairs and," He was going to keep going, but Charlotte spun on her heel to face him.

"There's an upstairs, too?" She interrupted him.

"Yes," Kol blinked as if it was obvious. "Why does all this surprise you so much?" He waved a hand around them.

"I don't know," Charlotte stuttered out, looking back to the view of the city. "I knew your family was old… I just didn't," She gestured towards her head. "Immediately associated that with rich, too."

Kol just snorted at her and shook his head.

"Yes, well, make yourself at home or make a mess – I don't care, but stay here," He ordered, causing her to give him her attention seriously. "I have some business I need to attend to immediately," He explained.

Charlotte nodded, not really wanting to know what he meant by that. They made a few stops before coming to the building and she stayed in the taxi for them. Being what he was, there were probably some acquaintances she was better off not meeting.

"Will you be good here for a couple of hours?" Kol asked.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. "Sure," She replied easily. It didn't sound like he was going to be gone long.


After Kol, Charlotte preoccupied herself with unpacking the blood bag cooler in the kitchen. She knew something was a little bit off when she opened the refrigerator and already found there was another stash. Briefly, she wondered if this was the residence that Gloria had been talking about in the motel. The one that one person already lived here, it would make sense, Charlotte thought. If this was Kol's place only, there was no way he would have been able to keep up with it from the Other Side.

With that in mind, she was careful when she went upstairs. She avoided the double doors up there that likely led to the master bedroom. She opted for one of the rooms that looked like a guest room. She didn't know where to put Kol's clothing, so she left his bags in the hallway. She unpacked hers in one of the guest rooms.

After that, she opted to soak for a bit in the bathroom that adjoined two of the guest rooms. The bathtub was oversized and ornate, just like the rest of the home. It was some bizarre luxurious dream, but she took advantage of it. She relaxed for some time, enjoying the various fragrances and soaps.

When she was done, she changed into a pair of new jeans they picked up at Macy's. With that, she threw on a simple green top. She didn't bother getting her hair wet and Charlotte spent a few minutes undoing Kol's braid. Her hair had dried into curly waves, almost like if she had spent the afternoon at the beach. She thought about brushing it out, but ultimately decided to leave it.

With everything going on, Charlotte was exhausted by then, more mentally than physically. The large bed with the extravagant comforter and pillows was calling to her. The only downside was that it was still quite sunny in the late afternoon. She wanted a nap, that she didn't care about, but she couldn't figure out how to close the blinds.

She did find some sort of remote when she heard the apartment door open again. Swiftly, she headed for the staircase to catch up with Kol.

"Hey! I'm glad you're back," She called out as she came to the bottom of the stairs. She thought she heard him in the kitchen.

She squinted at the remote and the touch screen buttons as she headed that way. "I know you're a little bit behind on this too, but do you have any idea how to –"

Her words were cut off with a gasp and a hand wrapping around her throat. Charlotte looked up, finding not Kol, but piercing blue eyes and a very angry blonde woman.

"Who are you?" She hissed at Charlotte in a thick British accent. "You have a lot of nerve breaking into here."

Charlotte heard her, but she was too preoccupied with the pain and discomfort of feeling her windpipe crushed. She gasped, losing the little oxygen she did have. The remote dropped to the floor and she felt herself rising up on her toes from the domineering blonde. Immediately, her strength told her that she wasn't just an ordinary human.

"Well?" The blonde snapped out impatiently, seeing the woman trying to grab at her wrist in vain. "How did you get in here?" Clearly the lock wasn't broken, so someone must have let her in or she had gotten a key somehow.

"K-k-uh," Charlotte tried to respond, but she felt the stars dancing in her vision instead from the deprivation. The more she tried to speak, the tighter she felt the grip on her throat.

"That's enough," A third voice interrupted from behind the blonde. A voice that Charlotte was relieved to hear. "I suggest you let go of Miss Davidson," He warned darkly. He didn't like seeing the way she was raised up in the air by her neck.

The hostility in the blonde's expression deadpanned into shock. Her fingers began to loosen a bit and lowered Charlotte back to her feet. She heard his voice, but it was clear she was in disbelief if she really had.

"You know how I get when someone touches what belongs to me," Kol flashed a predatory smirk towards the blonde.

Charlotte gasped for air when she was finally released. She doubled over, her shoulders heaving while the blonde ignored her. She turned to face Kol with wide baby blues.

"Kol?" In comparison to the blonde's shock, Kol's expression was pulled into a tight and controlled one, the dissatisfaction evident in his eyes.

"Hello sister," He addressed indifferently. Charlotte made a face. This was supposed to be his sister? Rebekah, she vaguely recalled him mentioning the name.

"How…" The blonde stepped closer to him while Charlotte coughed a few times behind her. "You're here, how… How can I see you?"

The tears at the corner of her eyes didn't move him last time and they certainly wouldn't this time. He still remembered how viciously she yelled at him to leave. "The Other Side is falling apart and with it the veil," He declared shortly.

Rebekah blinked a short nod, barely digesting that information with her shock. To Charlotte's surprise, she didn't go over and hug her brother. If anything, the tension was unbearably stifling. It didn't seem like this would be the warm reception she assumed most families would have.

Rebekah took it for what it was worth. He was here, as a ghost, like the last time the veil was down. He would come and leave again before too long. "And her?" She nodded towards Charlotte. "Who is she?" She wondered.

Charlotte opened her mouth, but Kol beat her to it.

"This is Charlotte," He began to introduce but then paused. What should he call her? She definitely wasn't an acquaintance at this point. Not a friend either. "She's… a souvenir I brought back with me from the Other Side," He smirked playfully at Charlotte before looking to Rebekah.

Charlotte stood up straight and gave Kol an indignant look behind Rebekah's back.

"Brought back?" Rebekah latched onto those two words, fixating on Kol. "What do you mean brought back? You're here to stay?" She dared to wonder, feeling her hopes lift.

"Alive and no intentions of going anywhere," Kol confirmed in a calm tone, but then added on in an acid tone. "No help from you… Elijah… or Niklaus."

The sting of his words showed in Rebekah's reaction, but Kol didn't care. He was seething on the inside and he had a right to.

"Kol, if there was any way we could have known –" Rebekah began to plead her case.

"Save it, sister," Kol snapped, cutting her words off harshly. He stepped up to go nose to nose with her, looking down at her because of his height.

Charlotte wanted to stay and watch, but also wanted to disappear into the walls at the awkwardness of observing this.

"Let's not repeat the same tired lies of family and loyalty," He suggested, or rather threatened. He had already been through it with her before how little she mourned his death. He wouldn't listen to her try to pretend that she would actually try to bring him back if given the option.

"Especially when I know you three's idea of family these days," He lowered his voice, no longer hiding the disgust in his expression and tone. "Is fawning over some bayou werewolf spawn," He spat out.

Rebekah recoiled from the harsh words, but he wasn't finished there.

"So know this, Bekah," Kol declared, making himself very clear. "I didn't come back for you. I didn't come back for Elijah. And I certainly did not come back for Niklaus."

Rebekah squared her shoulders, lifting her chin defiantly. "Then why did you come back at all?" She accused stubbornly.

Kol gave a dark noiseless chuckle. "Isn't it obvious?" He sneered. "I came back for myself. I wanted my life back… And I'm going to start right here in New York."

"No!" Rebekah protested immediately. "Absolutely not, I was here first." She knew it was the family's penthouse that they were in, but she had gotten here first. "I am finally free to have my own life, I'm not trading one controlling brother for another."

At that, Kol jerked his head back a bit. His eyes narrowed on her thoughtfully. Truthfully, he had checked in briefly with New Orleans on the Other Side, but he couldn't bear to hang around there long. He certainly didn't bother to keep up with all the events.

His tone shifted into a softer one. If anything, he was a little offended by the accusation.

"Have you forgotten so easily?" He wondered aloud. He reached up towards Rebekah's face, pulling one of the long curled locks away from her eyes.

Charlotte wasn't sure to make of the intimate gesture between the siblings. With how they looked at each other and spoke, it made her wonder how far apart and how close they had been throughout the centuries.

Rebekah didn't answer him or know what he meant. She had never been good with hiding her emotions, especially when she was confused and scared.

"Elijah and Niklaus may have tried to contain and control you," Kol admitted before his eyes darted back up to his baby sister. "But I never did."