I Never Could Love Like That

Previously...

"You have a niece, Charlie. Her name is Sarah Salvatore."

"How in the hell would I have a niece?" Charlie asked Enzo in confusion.

"Well, she's a great great, how ever many great's niece. She's-"

"Zach's daughter." Charlie said in realization. "Oh, my God."

"I know. Charlie, sweetheart, I'm so sorry I've kept this from you. At first it was just a revenge plot against Stefan, which is how I knew about her in the first place. I followed him one day when he was being all secretive, but anyway. I didn't know how to tell you. And then it just kept building up and before I knew it we were broken up and this huge secret meant nothing in the end."

Enzo squeezed Charlie's hands. "This wasn't worth it because in the end I lost you. Nothing is worth losing you. I cannot begin to say how sorry I am. But you have to know that this wasn't how I wanted things to go. I just… I don't even know what to do anymore. But you deserve to know the truth. You have a niece, and that was the secret that I so stupidly let come between us."

Before Enzo could say anything else, he was cut off when Charlie's lips pressed against his. Her hands grasped either side of his surprised face and she kissed him with all the hurt, longing and love that has been building since they broke up. Enzo responded with just as much fervor, pulling her to him as if it were the last time this would ever happened.

Charlie broke away and started laughing. "You stupid, stupid, stupid man." She said and the smacked him upside the head.

Enzo rubbed the back of his head. "Um, ow?"

"Yes, you were an idiot to keep this from me. Yes, it was something so incredibly stupid to break up over. Yes, nothing is worth losing you. But I can't help but laugh." Charlie explained.

Enzo didn't care that she was laughing. Honestly he'd do anything to see that smile on her face. As long as she wasn't yelling at him and storming away, he didn't care that she was laughing. Because in the end, breaking up over something so, in the scheme of things, stupid is laughable.

If you thought about everything they were all going through, this was nothing. And to be honest, finding out that she had a niece in a time where she feels like she's losing a mother… it's probably the greatest thing anyone could tell her.

She suddenly remembered, "Damon! He thinks he killed her." She thought for a second, "And that's why Stefan never told him. To… reign him in. Okay, that's harsh. What am I supposed to tell Damon?"

"I've thought about it. To be honest, in the grand scheme of things I don't think that Damon would care. Don't get me wrong, I think he'd be happy to know that he didn't kill the baby, but with your mother back and Stefan's humanity turned off, I think it would be best to wait and tell him. That way when he does find out, it'll have a bigger impact on him."

Charlie thought for a second. "I guess that makes sense. But if he asks me about it, I'm not going to lie to him."

"And you shouldn't. Look where that got me? See when this first started, it was just a little revenge thing against Stefan for giving up on you and Damon when you were gone. Then it just spiraled out of control. Now, Kai's back, and you found out that your mom is alive-"

"Actually, Kai's gone." Charlie said.

Enzo stopped. "Oh. Um, how do you feel about that?" He asked as much as he didn't want to.

"I think it's for the best, in the end. I mean, he could have been a good friend, and yeah we were talking more but, I think that's all Kai would ever be. A friend."

Enzo couldn't stop his heart from practically beating out of his chest. She didn't love Kai. She hadn't moved on. So that meant… "So does that mean… will you give this idiotic vampire another chance?"

Charlie stared at him silently. She placed her hands back on either side of his face. She brought her own face closer and just as their lips were about to touch she whispered 'yes' before connecting their lips again.

Salvatore Boarding House

Charlie walked into her house late the next morning and ran right into Damon.

"And where were you all night?" Damon said with a sly look as he set a glass of Bourbon down on the side table.

"I uh, I was out." She said as she hung her coat up by the door.

"Out where?"

"Just at a friend's house." She said, walking past him to the living room.

"Was this a special friend?" Damon asked right as Elena walked into the room.

Charlie threw her hands in the air. "Yes, okay. I was at Enzo's. Yes I stayed the night at Enzo's. Are you happy? Have you pried enough? Or would you like to know what we did while I stayed the night?"

"Oh, yuck, gross. Alright, sorry." Damon said, throwing his hands over his ears.

"Wait, you and Enzo are back together?" Elena asked. After Charlie's affirmative head nod Elena smiled and ran to give Charlie a hug. "Oh, my God. Charlie, I'm so happy for you."

Charlie hugged her back while laughing and said, "Thanks." Before she turned back to Damon. "So, where's mom?"

"She's getting ready to go with us to Whitmore."

"And why are we going to Whitmore?"

"That is where Stefan is. And the faster we find him, the faster he'll turn his humanity back on and we can all start living our lives." Damon said.

Charlie just stared at him for a second. "Right. I'm gonna clean up before we leave."

"Didn't you shower at Enzo's?" Elena asked with a sly look.

"Maybe." Charlie said and sent a wink her way.

"Go already!" Damon exclaimed and Charlie just laughed while walking up the stairs.

Enzo parked the car in front of the Boarding House and stepped out of the car with Sarah hot on his heels.

"Hang on." Sarah said. "Why did you drag me out of a hospital bed just to bring me to a house in the middle of no where?"

Enzo sighed. "Like I said before. On the other side of this door is a woman who values family above all else. Said woman happens to be your aunt and also happens to be the woman I love. Her brother should be at Whitmore with their mother so she is the only one home and I wanted to surprise her. Now hush, and be welcoming. She hasn't had any good news in a long time and if you screw this up for her, family or not, I will rip your intestines out."

"I thought you said she valued family above all else?" Sarah said. "I don't think she'd be very thrilled if you killed me, do you?"

Enzo sighed again. "Just take the threat in passing and be nice." He said before knocking on the door.

Someone surprisingly un-Charlie answered the door and sent ice down his system. His face grew shocked and anyone would be able to tell that this woman was the last person he ever expected to see again.

"Hello. Are you looking for my son?" Lily Salvatore asked.

Enzo visibly gulped. "My mistake."

Lily looked at Enzo again, and for the love of all she knew she had seen him before. "I'm sorry, have... have we-"

"I've got the wrong house. Terribly sorry to disturb you." Enzo said before abruptly turning around and grabbing Sarah by the arm to lead her back to the car.

Lily, confusedly, closed the door behind them.

Enzo drove as fast as he could away from the house when his phone beeped with an incoming text. He looked down at his lap to read the new message from Charlie.

Going to Whitmore with Damon and my mom. I'll call you when we get back so we can meet up. Love you.

Enzo didn't want Charlie to know that anything was wrong with him. He knew she needed this time with her family. But later, when all this was over and the shock wore off, he and Charlie had a lot to talk about.

No worries. Take your time and be safe. I love you, too.

Enzo slid his phone into his jacket pocket and before turning back to the road. He kept glancing behind him in his rear view mirror, although he knew there was nothing behind him.

"What the hell was that?" Sarah asked. "I thought that was your girlfriend's house."

"It is. I just didn't expect her to be there." Enzo said.

"Who was that anyway? And why did you freak out all of a sudden?"

"That would be my girlfriend's mother. She's also the woman who turned me into a vampire in 1903." Enzo said with a disbelieving sigh.

"What?! Wait so why are you freaked out? Did you not know that?" Sarah asked.

"Not until two minutes ago..."

Salvatore Boarding House

Damon and Elena were sitting down at the kitchen table while waiting for Charlie. The table was covered in the various breakfast items that Lily made with Elena staring wide eyed.

"Wow." Elena commented.

Lily smiled. "This was always Damon's favorite. 'Eggie in baskie.'"

Damon took a bite of the food that was placed in front of them and said, "Doesn't taste like I remember."

"Well, you were human the last time you tasted it!" Lily said as she took her seat in front of them. "Our tastes change over time. But, Elena, you're fairly new at this, aren't you?" She questioned.

"I turned a few year ago." Elena nodded.

"You ever miss is?" Lily questioned again. "Being human?"

Damon sent her a look while Elena answered with a shrug, "Sometimes."

"So, if I understood correctly, um, in order to free my companions from that place where I was trapped, we'll need the magical device." Lily said.

"The Ascendant." Charlie said as she entered the kitchen, freshly showered and ready for the day.

"Right. The Ascendant." Lily said. "Good morning Charlotte. I made breakfast. Please, help yourself."

"Thanks." Charlie muttered, taking a seat at the end of the table. "And I go by Charlie now."

"Right. My apologies." Lily corrected. "Now, where is the Ascendant?"

Damon awkwardly said. "It's safe. Very safe."

"And we'll also need a celestial event." Lily added.

"We'll have to do some digging, yeah. Be patient, they take time." Damon said. "They're very rare."

"There's a full moon coming up. Will that work?" Lily asked. "If not, the Lyrids meteor shower is in two weeks."

"Well, look at you." Damon said sarcastically. "If you're not a one-woman Farmer's Almanac."

"Actually, I took your advice, and I've been dabbling on Stefan's computer. What a wondrous invention. All that knowledge." Lily said, happily.

"And videos of cats riding robot vacuum cleaners." Damon added.

"Those are funny." Charlie said.

Elena's phone started beeping so she set down her fork to check it. When she read the text, she gasped in shock.

"It's Jo. Someone's been attacking people a Whitmore." Elena said.

Damon sighed. "Let me guess - one of them's blonde, and the other one liked turning people into human Pez dispensers?"

"Very accurate analogy." Charlie said to her oldest brother.

"Thank you."

"That's exactly what I'm gonna find out." Elena said while standing and sending Lily an apologetic smile. "Thank you so much for breakfast."

Lily, Damon, and Charlie were left to just stare at each other awkwardly.

On The Road

It was much longer after that that the three family members were on their own way to Whitmore with Damon driving, Lily riding shot gun, and Charlie left to the back seat.

Damon gave his phone to his mother and said, "Here. Text Elena. Tell her we're headed to campus to check it out." Lily just stared at him. "See those letters? Think of it as a tiny type writer."

Lily looked at the phone in confusion before realizing what he was talking about. "Oh! You're right." She said before speaking what she was typing. "Dearest Elena, I hope this finds you well..."

"No, no, no. Short and sweet." Damon said. "Just 'Headed to Campus.' Yeah. Then, we find them, Charlie and I will take care of Caroline, you look Stefan right in the eyes..."

"And I will return him to the man he used to be." Lily said while typing what Damon told her to on the phone.

"Exactly." Damon said.

"And once we've done that, then we will go rescue my friends?" Lily said.

"Sure. I know how terribly concerned you are about that." Damon said.

"How shall I end it? With an, "I love you?" She asked.

"Knock yourself out."

"You do love her, don't you?"

"Not that that's any of your business, but yes, I do. And she loves me. We're in love." Damon said.

Lily nodded, taking in the information Damon gave her. "What about you Charlot- I mean, Charlie? Damon told me that you've just separated from you're boyfriend."

Charlie stopped staring out the widow to glare at the back of Damon's head before turning to her mother. She was perfectly content to stay in the background. She didn't exactly know how to talk to her mother now, but she figured since Lily asked a question, she would answer. "Um, actually we got back together last night."

"That's good. Damon said he was a long time boyfriend? What's he like?" Lily asked, trying to make conversation.

After another glare sent Damon's way that he promptly ignored, she answered. "Well, his name is Enzo. He's smart, funny, and I love him very much."

Lily sent a sly look her way, "Is he handsome?"

Charlie suppressed a giant smile, "Very."

"I'm very excited to meet him." Lily said.

And for a second, Charlie thought, that things might be okay with her mother. That they could be a family again. That she could talk to her mom about boys and gossip. But, unfortunately, that wouldn't happen.

And little did she know, that Lily had already met Enzo.

Whitmore College

Damon, Lily, and Charlie were walking the halls of Whitmore, trying to decide what to do.

"If your brother's on the hunt, he won't be staying in one place." Lily said.

"Yeah?" Damon asked. "Well, we have to start somewhere. Elena said she treated some kid who was attacked coming out of modern European history." He said before his phone lit up with a text. "Well, well. Mother knows best. Elena said they're at Scull Bar. Come on."

"We have yet to discuss what we'll do if Stefan fails to remember me." Lily mentioned.

Damon and Charlie shared a confused glance before looking back at Lily. "What, are you kidding? You're his mother. Of course he's gonna remember you." Damon waited a second while staring at her. "Tell me you can do this."

"What if I say the wrong thing? A century and a half is a long time to be away." Lily reasoned.

"You'll be fine." He said before he and Charlie started walking back down the hallway.

"Yeah." Charlie added. "Just channel whatever you were feeling when you came back to get us."

Lily looked puzzled. "When I came back to get you?"

"Yeah." Damon said. "1903. You found out we were vampires, you landed in New York Harbor after a forty year romp in Europe, and you..." At seeing the even more confused and puzzled face on Lily he stopped and realized. "You weren't coming to get us."

"No. I wasn't. I'm sorry." Lily said, trying to avoid the hurt look on her children's faces.

"You can do this. All we have to do is try." Damon said.

"I have been trying, Damon." Lily said with frustration. "Since I laid my eyes on you yesterday, I have been trying with all of my heart to connect with the woman who was your mother. To remember what it felt like to mourn you and your siblings after I was banished by your father. After I was turned, the only thing more powerful than the longing I felt for you three, was the fear of what I would do if I ever saw you again. So, I stayed away. I had to find others who could help me find my way back to myself, and... bu the time my new family helped me to do that, everything I felt for my old family - for you two and your brother - was gone. I hate that I can't make myself feel more. I'm so sorry." Lily walked away from her two children with tears in her eyes.

Damon furrowed his eyebrows in hurt as his eyes followed his mother until he could no longer see her. He turned his attention to Charlie to see her also staring after their mother, her eyes wet with tears and a heartbroken look on her face.

"Charlie..."

"Don't. Let's just... go find Stefan."

Charlie walked into Alaric's classroom to see Damon hand Lily the Ascendant and say, "Showtime." As confused as she was to see her brother give over the Ascendant, she trusted him enough to have a plan behind it.

"So what are we doing?"

"We're gonna test Lily's acting skills." Damon said and waved a hand from Lily to the door. "After you." Lily made her way from the classroom with Charlie about to follow but Damon stopped her. He made sure that Lily was out of hearing distance and said, "Are you okay?"

Charlie sighed. "Are you?"

"I asked you first." Damon said.

Charlie sighed... again. "It doesn't matter Damon. No matter how we feel, it's not gonna change anything."

Damon though back to what Elena told him and said, "It's okay to hurt, Charlotte."

She knew he was serious when he used her full name. "Like I said, we can hurt all we want Damon. It's not gonna bring back the mother we once knew." She said. "Let's get Stefan back, then we can deal with this okay?"

Damon followed Charlie's lead and sighed. "Okay. But you know that I'm here if you want to talk right? And you know how serious I am. I mean, I'm getting all sappy here."

Charlie laughed. "I know. Thanks bro."

"No problem, sis." Damon said and he and Charlie went to follow Lily to Scull Bar.

Scull Bar

"Who's that?" Caroline asked, seeing Stefan staring at an unknown woman after their fight in the bar between Matt and Tyler. Damon, Charlie, and the stranger had gotten there just in time.

"It's my mother." Stefan answered.

Lily helped Stefan to his feet and saw that he was just looking at her. "I'm sure you have many questions..."

Stefan scoffed. "Well, the fact that you haven't aged a day answers the big one." He tried to flash in the opposite direction but was stopped when his twin sped in front of him to block his exit. Stefan tried to read the look on her face but didn't get the chance before Lily blurted out-

"I'm a Ripper." Stefan turned back to her in some surprise. "All the guilt you've carried for your lack of control? It's my fault, not yours. You get it from me. That's why I had to leave. I was so new to the bloodlust, I was afraid I would hurt you and your siblings. That last time I saw you was the day of my funeral. You weren't imaging it. I was your angel."

Unbeknownst to Stefan, everything that Lily was saying was given to her by Damon.

"If only I'd been there to see you grow into a young man, to protect you from your father's temper. But, I was so ashamed of the thins that I'd done, of what I'd become, and by the time I got my appetite under control and was coming back for you and your brother, I was hunted down and banished to a prison world by the Gemini."

Stefan's gaze didn't leave his mother the entire time she was talking. The hope grew in Damon as he watched his brother slowly make his way back to himself. To the broody, caring, hero-hair wearing Stefan they all loved.

Damon's gaze then drifted to Charlie and saw that she had her head down, avoiding the scene, because she knew it was all a lie. But he also knew that Charlie was hurting, just as he was, and just as Stefan would when he found out the truth about Lily. The truth that she wasn't the person, the mother, they all knew and loved. That she would never be that person again. And as much as he and Charlie wanted to believe the lies spewing out of her mouth, which was hard not to since she was a good liar, they knew that that was all they were... lies.

This was how it should have been when they found her. Lily should have ran to her children, embraced them, told them how much she missed and loved them and then explained herself and her absence. Then she should have vowed that she would never leave them again, and that she would try her hardest to make up for all the time that was lost.

But that wasn't their reality. And soon they would have to face the fact that the mother they knew and loved died when they buried that empty casket all those years ago. But the three of them would face the reality of it together, as a family. As the same dysfunctional family they had been for the last hundred and sixty some odd years. Because despite the fighting and the anger and the separation between the three of them, that's what they would always be, a family. A family that would do anything for each other, and that would, no matter what, be there when they needed each other most. One of those times was now.

So they would find their way to face and accept this new difficulty... as a family.

"The one thing that helped me get through being trapped in that awful place, was the hope of seeing my children again." Lily placed her hand on Stefan's cheek, "I know there are no words that make up for me abandoning you, but we have all of eternity for me to try. Your angel has returned to you."

Stefan closed his eyes tight, and when he opened them, his eyes watered and they knew that he was back.

"Mother." Stefan said and hugged Lily.

"My sweet, sweet boy."

"How'd you find her?" Stefan asked later that night as he stood in front of a store display with several 'Missing Person' posters.

"On the list of thing to be worrying about, she's not one of them." Damon said as he and Charlie stood behind them. "You get a night, Stefan. One night to beat yourself up, do your shame-spiral, and then you have to after Caroline."

"I don't need a night. I'll find her." Stefan said and started to walk away before Charlie called after him. He turned back around and almost fell over when Charlie ran into him.

"It's good to have you back." She said to her brother as she hugged him.

Stefan smiled and hugged her as well. "Love you too, Charlie."

Sarah Salvatore's Apartment

"After feeding on the charlatan, I searched all over that ship for that woman, but she was gone. Her promises of a new life and a new family were lies. She made me a monster, and then abandoned me." Enzo wrapped up his story on how he was turned into a vampire.

"For what reason?" Sarah asked.

"Who knows? Probably some sick game."

"Like the one you were playing with me?" She asked again.

"In a way. At first you were revenge against someone who couldn't let go of my past so I could be with his sister."

"Well can you blame him? From what I know of you, I agree with his decision to keep you away from her." Sarah said.

"I made her happy!" Enzo turned back to Sarah in a flash of anger. "We were happy. Finally. But all he saw was a murderous vampire. Yes, I'll agree with his decision to protect his family, but after he saw how... how we belonged together, he should have let it go and let his sister be happy. But no. Every time I turn around, there he is either trying to kill me or warn me away from Charlie.'

"So yes, it was a game. You were revenge, but in my effort to get said revenge, I lost the person who has meant the most to me in my entire existence. Charlotte Salvatore."

"Sooo, you two broke up? I thought that's who we were going to see this morning?" Sarah said trying to move past his outburst. Despite everything that he had done to her, she could see that he was a man in love. And a man in love is one of the most dangerous things in this world, because he will do anything to protect and keep that love.

Enzo sighed. "Yes we did break up. The worst months of my life. Thankfully, she is a very understanding and forgiving woman, when she wants to be. Alright, I'm done spilling my life story to you."

Enzo made a cut on Sarah's palm and tasted her blood. "Good. No that the vervain's out of your system, how does South Hampton sound? Well, I may as well compel you a nice place to disappear to."

"Or, you could give me the choice you never had." Sarah bargained. "Look, you said it yourself - you do this, you're only making it worse."

"Ah, but you'll be safe." Enzo argued.

"What if I swore never to seek out the Salvatores? From what you've told me, I don't want any part of my real family." Sarah said.

Enzo could've argued. Said that knowing her real family would be one of the greatest things to happen to her. That if she met the Salvatores, over time, she would be protected, happy, and loved.

But loving vampires came with risks. That risk was death. It was a risk he, and Charlie as well, did not want to take. So instead, he walked up to her, tore the restraints from her wrists and said, "Have a nice life, Sarah Nelson." And he left, hoping to never see her again.

Enzo's Apartment

It was late that night, or early next morning, that Enzo walked into his apartment. After trying to call Charlie for the millionth time, he had decided to go back to his place and just hope and pray that she was there.

He opened the door and saw her shoes thrown to the side and smiled to himself. She had probably passed out a long time ago after the day that she had. He didn't know the details, but he knew it was going to be a tough day on her. He hoped they were successful in getting Stefan back, but he hadn't had the chance to talk to her since she left that morning.

He threw off his jacket and stripped down to his boxers before walking into his bedroom to see Charlie already in bed, her back towards him. He made his way onto his side and glanced over her to see tear stains on her cheeks and his undead heart clenched in his chest.

Charlie stirred awake after feeling movement in the bed and turned her head back towards Enzo.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Enzo asked, although he already knew the answer.

Charlie simply shook her head and rolled over to face him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as she buried her face in his neck, thankful that he knew what she needed - comfort and silence.

Enzo kissed her forehead before whispering, "I love you." Charlie returned the sentiment before the two fell asleep, dreaming of a world where things were so much simpler.

So it's been like 5 billion years since I've updated but... Tada! I'm not super crazy about this chapter and sorry it's a little short, I feel like I could've done better. But I'm hitting some major writer's block when it comes to these final episodes of the season. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions please let me know, I would love some input.

Review and let me know your thoughts. Again sorry about the late update. Much love to you all. :)