Greensboro, March, 1865

Damon didn't release Charlotte until the night fell. He cradled her body in his arms as Stefan watched on. He had stood against the wall, his hands holding onto his chin as he wondered exactly what he should do. He took his time devising a plan, knowing that Charlotte would be hungry when she woke. He knew the feeling of wanting blood, but he knew that Damon would keep her on a tight leash and not let her indulge her urges.

Stefan would secure her some blood that night. He would not kill, nor would he get caught. He would ask Lexi to go with him. He took his time to think for a few moments as his brother continued to let his hand cup Charlotte's cheek gently, his thumb roaming over her cheekbone as he did everything in his power to make sure she was safe and well. He was not going to let her out of his sight.

Of course, no one could predict what would happen when she woke. Stefan had been true to his word and he had promised Damon he would find blood without drawing attention to himself. Damon had been alone when Charlotte had awoken, her eyes fluttering open. She was groggy and slow, her hands flailing in front of her as she grabbed hold of Damon's arm that was still holding her around the waist. Looking up, her eyes met his as Damon looked down to her.

"What happened?" Charlotte wondered in a whisper, realising that she was perched in Damon's lap. "Damon, what happened?"

"I am so sorry," Damon could only say as he heard the fear in her voice. He bowed his head, sniffing loudly as his grip around her waist increased and she let out a shaky breath before nodding her head, seeming to understand and remember what happened. "Charlotte, I am so sorry."

"Katherine did this, didn't she?" she asked from him. "I remember her being here."

"Yes," Damon said to her. "And I swear to you that I will do everything that I can to have revenge on her. She knew that you had my blood and she…she took the choice from you, Charlotte. She took the choice to live from you."

Charlotte nodded. "I know," she said to him, slipping from his grip and moving through the room, her arms folded around her stomach as Damon watched her move, wondering how she could be acting so calmly. "Damon…if…if she changed me…she…I need human blood, do I not?"

Damon moved to his feet and looked to her. "If you want to complete the transition," he confirmed.

"And if I do not then I die," Charlotte said and Damon nodded.

"Stefan has gone to secure blood for you," he informed her. "He should be back soon. I need you to know that it is your choice what you want to do. I will not force you into any decision."

Charlotte looked confused for a moment. "You do not wish for me to live?" she asked of him.

"Do not be foolish," Damon urged from her, moving forwards until he had her waist in his hands, holding onto it gently. "I want you to live, Charlotte, but I want you to decide what it is you want. I…I was going to die…that was my choice…but this is your choice."

"And what do you want?" Charlotte asked from him.

Damon bent down to kiss her chastely, hoping that would be enough of an answer for her. She said nothing as he pulled back and looked down to her, his eyes searching hers as he felt her hands clasp onto his shoulders delicately.

"I want you," was all he answered. "You are all I have ever wanted, Charlotte."

"Then there is no choice, is there?" she asked from him. "I need to finish the transition. I need to finish it and then I can be with you, can I not? Damon, that is what I have always wanted. You knew that before you left. You knew that I wanted to be with you and if this is the only way then so be it."

"Charlotte…this…" Damon trailed off, "you are surprisingly calm about all of this."

"Do you think so?" she asked from him, her hands running along his shoulders as she looked down and he saw her hair fall into her face. "I am terrified, Damon. On the inside I am terrified."

"I will stay by your side," Damon said to her, his hand moving to curl against her chin and draw her gaze back to his as he spoke to her in a soft voice. "I will always stay by your side, Charlotte."

Holding onto her tightly, Damon felt her bury her cheek against his chest as he kept his arms tightly around her, knowing that he had to do everything in his power to keep her safe. She was the only one that mattered now.

…

Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed as she held onto the glass bottle of blood. Stefan and Lexi stood by the door while Damon sat next to Charlotte. He had removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, his waistcoat still on his body. He moved a hand to Charlotte's back, his fingers splaying over the small of her back as he looked to her with adoration. Stefan almost felt his chest pang at the sight of his brother. He had never seen a man look enamoured with a woman before.

"It tastes better than it looks," Lexi promised Charlotte as she saw her hesitation.

"And where did you get it from?" Damon wondered.

"We are in the middle of a war," Stefan responded. "Blood was not difficult to come by, brother. Believe me, no one died for it. I knew that you would not approve should that happen."

"He would not be the only one," Charlotte whispered in a soft tone. "If I drink this then it will be done?"

"It will be done," Damon nodded his head to her. "You need to drink and then you will be like us. There might be some pain…your teeth…well…they change. I will also need to find some way to help you in the sun."

"I see," Charlotte said. "And it is either this or death."

"Afraid so," Lexi responded to her question.

"Then it is this," Charlotte said and sipped on the blood.

Damon closed his eyes for a few moments as the noises of her drinking echoed through the room. He said nothing as he peeled his eyes open and looked to her. He saw her finish the blood and place the empty jar on the floor before looking to Damon. He saw some worry in her gaze before kissing her on the top of her head, holding her to him as he knew that this was it now.

…

Thankfully Lexi knew someone who was able to protect Charlotte from the sun. She had taken Charlotte's necklace that Damon had given her and had it altered so that she could go into the sun. The first time they left the hotel, she had been hesitant, wondering if there would be some pain. But there was nothing. She felt nothing. She took hold of Damon's arm as he led her through Greensboro. Both of them had agreed to travel back home to Mystic Falls after Charlotte had told him that she needed to speak with her mother.

They had a long journey back and Damon had agreed to travel by train, despite knowing that he had super speed alongside Charlotte. They had bid goodbye to Stefan and Lexi at the train station, thanking them for all of their help and promising to see them soon again. Charlotte had smiled to them and thanked them with vigour for everything they had done. She had moved alongside him, wondering if she was going too fast or if this was the normal pace. She didn't know. She didn't understand if she looked normal.

Damon had assured her she looked fine, dressed in a large blue gown with white gloves. She had a soft blue hat on top of her head, her red curls bungled underneath it. She allowed Damon to help her onto the train, holding his hand out in a gentleman like fashion before following her up. He found their compartment and opened the door before closing it firmly and settling down on the seat across from Charlotte.

"My teeth ache," she informed him in a whisper as she moved her hand to prod at her gums and Damon chuckled before moving slowly, leaning across to take hold of her wrists and pull her hands from her gums.

"Prodding and probing at them will not make them ache any less, darling," he told her, kissing the backs of her hands as he kept them gathered in his grip. "Let me try to distract you."

"And how do you intend to do that, Mr. Salvatore?" she teased him as Damon moved to sit next to her, his arm moving to wrap over her shoulders as he kept one of her hands in his grip.

He pulled the bowler hat from his head and threw it over to the opposite seat, unbuttoning his suit jacket and then loosening his tie slowly. He took hold of her free hand back in his, resting it on his thigh as he bent down and kissed her slowly, the motion lingering and tantalising as Charlotte closed her eyes and felt herself sink back into her seat. Damon pulled back after a moment, a smirk on his face.

"Well, that did work," Charlotte whispered to him.

"I try my best," he promised her in a whisper and kiss her quickly one more time.

She pulled her hat from her head and threw it across to rest next to Damon's. Closing her eyes for a moment as Damon toyed with her fingers inside of his, she rested her head back against the seat.

"Where do you want to go?" Damon enquired from her. "We can go anywhere you want, Charlotte. We can see anything. We can do anything."

"I do not know," Charlotte admitted to him. "I have not thought about it really. All I can think about is going back to see my mother."

Damon could sense there was some apprehension as she bit down on her bottom lip. He took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head.

"What if she cannot stand me, Damon?" Charlotte worried. "What if she hates the sight of me?"

Damon shook his head. "I doubt that could happen," he informed her. "Your mother knew what I had become and she trusted me with you still. She did not look at me like a monster. She did not look at me like my father looked at me when I was human. She will feel no different about you."

"You sound so confident," Charlotte muttered.

"Because I know her," Damon responded. "I know her and I know how much she loves you. She adores you more than you can realise. She will be there for you through anything. You are still her daughter."

Charlotte inhaled a sharp breath and nodded her head once. She moved to peck him on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said to him.

"Whatever for?"

"For making me feel better…through everything," Charlotte said to him. "Damon, there was a time when I thought that I would never see you again and now I have you forever…and I need to make the most of it. I cannot see what we are as a curse, but as a blessing."

Damon continued to look down to her with intrigue. He said nothing for a few moments; instead all he could do was bend down to kiss her chastely. He squeezed hold of her hand as the train lurched forwards and he realised what he wanted to ask from her. He had known it all along. He knew exactly what he wanted and he was going to make sure he got it.

"If you are going to be with me forever then I suspect we should make it official, should we not?" he asked from her. "Marry me, Charlotte?"

Charlotte's smile seemed to widen as she nodded her head hastily and kissed Damon once again, wondering if turning into a vampire should feel like this. She only wondered if anything could stop her from feeling as though she was on cloud nine.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!