Second chapter because it just happened. It is pretty short, but this is super important when it comes to understanding Charlotte's powers. Also, for future plot developments. So keep your eyes peeled and look closely.

Also, thank you to gg23 for following the story. I forgot to thank you in the last chapter.

xx, A

"Nice to meet you, Alaric," Charlotte responded. "Why are you here when I am trying to clear my head if not to get me to do something for you?"

"I am actually here to help you," he said.

Charlotte scoffed. "How can you help me? I don't know how much attention you have been paying to the massive mess that is my life, but I think I am beyond the help of a well-meaning spirit."

"My name is Alaric Saltzman. I lead an unremarkable life for a long time, but when I was at Duke, I met Isobel Fleming," here a look of understanding and confusion passed across Charlotte's face. She recognized the name as one of the descendants of Tatia and in that vein one of her own descendants. "We had a rocky relationship, but the point is that through Isobel, I learned about the supernatural. What really does exist in the world we live in. I ended up in Mystic Falls to kill Damon Salvatore because he had killed Isobel."

"Let me guess," Charlotte offered. "You are dead because of it."

Alaric laughed heartily. "No. Not even close. What is the point of me telling the story if you are going to try and guess the ending. No, I did not kill Damon. And it turned out Isobel wasn't dead. Damon became my best friend in the world. That is why I am still hanging around. Because I left him alone in this mess. I had dated Elena's aunt and when she died, I took over custody of Elena and Jeremy. Then, Esther warped me creating another personality designed to kill vampires, specifically her children. I died because the entire vampire race would have ended if I didn't. My life force was tied to Elena's, so Rebekah killed Elena and we ended up with vampire Elena."

Charlotte contemplated what he told her for a second. "This all sounds a little unbelievable."

Alaric gave her a knowing look. "As unbelievable as the fact that we are having this conversation in your dream?"

"What?! No. We are in the Mystic Grill."

"Then why is no one questioning why you are talking to yourself?"

"I must be making you substantial so they see that I am talking to a person."

Alaric smiled patiently at her. "Then why is no one questioning why you are talking to a very dead member of the community?"

Charlotte blushed. "How did you get in my dream? I have never had a person who I never met enter one of my dreams before."

"You are far more powerful than you realize, Charlotte. Not to mention you really need my help," he said with a taunting smile.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Think very highly of yourself much?"

"Aren't you going to ask what you need to do?"

"Nah. My recent run of dream invaders has left me untrusting."

"Talk to him about it."

"Because it is that easy!"

"It is. I have been there. Damon is a terrifyingly damaged person, but he is getting better. And I know he regrets what happened with Lexi. If he could change it, he would. But he can't. All he can do is own up to his own failings. Which knowing the family you married into, I think you can understand how big of a deal that is."

"Let me guess, Damon is perfect for me and the Mikaelsons are evil and Elijah is dumb and I should marry Damon."

Alaric laughed once more. "You're terrible at this guessing game you really should stop. I don't know what you should do about the Mikaelsons. My interactions with them have been singularly unpleasant, but I barely know them. I can only speak to what I know about Damon. Although I will say Elijah has amazing hair." Alaric paused here as if thinking about the majesty of Elijah's hair. "But when it comes to Damon, I think he deserves at least the chance to explain himself. The man is more alone in the world than you can possibly understand. The only person he has in the world is Stefan and their relationship is so damaged it might never be fixed."

"Is that my problem?" she shot back.

"No, but you care for him. As someone who also feels alone, I think you can understand how valuable giving him a bit of trust can be."

"Damon and I are alone for very different reasons," Charlotte emphasized.

"Here's what I see: two people whose siblings got picked over them often and by people who really mattered, two people whose trusted has been so beaten that it might no longer exist and two people who feel the need to take care of their siblings' messes at expense of their own feelings and health."

"I think you are giving him too much credit."

"I am the one that knows him. You have just barely scratched the surface," Alaric said with the anger beginning to rise in his voice.

"You miss him," Charlotte stated.

"Of course I miss him. You find friends like that once in a lifetime. I may not have been able to be with Jenna forever, but Damon and I could have been best friends until the end of time. Instead we got a handful of months together. He needs me and I need him."

"Do you want to come back?"

"Come back? Like come back to life? Of course I want to come back. I think about it all the time. I still in that stool next him at the Mystic Grill and wish that it was real and I wasn't some ghost. What kind of question is that?"

An eerie smile came on Charlotte's face. "I can do that," she said in a soft voice.

"You can bring people back from the dead?"

Charlotte only nodded and looked straight ahead lost in thought.