Chapter 47: Old Routines and New Beginnings
Charlotte woke bleary eyed from her and Caroline's late-night giggle session when Caroline's alarm blared to life the next morning. Shuffling into the bathroom, she rinsed her face with cold water to wake up. When that didn't work, she threw her hair up in a bun and hopped in the shower. The cold water had goosebumps climbing up her arms, but it did the trick. Wearing a pale pink skirt over one of her sleeveless white leotards with lace detailing, she paired it with her comfiest pair of ballet flats. After checking herself in the mirror above Caroline's vanity, she headed towards the door. Caroline startled her when she came bustling back through the door trying to convince her to let her curl her hair or change her outfit.
"What's wrong with my outfit?" she asked, tugging on her skirt. She hadn't wanted to wake Jeremy or Kol by barging in for clothes and it was one of the few options in the laundry basket this morning, but she thought she looked fine.
"Nothing, it's frustratingly, effortlessly classic. But some pink lip gloss might make it pop." Changing direction, she tugged her towards her vanity.
"I actually want to check in with Jeremy, make sure he slept alright after all the drama last night." He hadn't wanted to deal with Elena last night, but, once again, Elena hadn't cared about what he wanted. Charlotte needed to make sure he was okay. She also really wanted to see him: hair tussled from sleep with his sleepy smile.
"But!" Caroline floundered to finish her refutation, giving Charlotte enough time to pull free from her grip and flit out the door.
She paused on the way down the hall to her room when the smell of sizzling bacon wafted from the kitchen. Peeking into the kitchen on her way, she found bacon cooking in a pan on the stove, while pancake batter baked on the griddle. She leaned against the archway and watched as Jeremy, fully dressed in jeans and a Henley, poured one glass of milk and one of orange juice. Grabbing the spatula, he turned back towards the stove, pausing when he saw her, an impish smile spreading across his face. A nice substitute for his sleepy one.
"I was trying to surprise you with your favorites," he said, making her heart melt. "Caroline was supposed to keep you in the room for a little longer."
That explained her odd persistence about outfits and makeup.
"She tried, but I wanted to see you. How did you sleep?" She crossed the kitchen, circling the island to him.
"I slept alright." Lottie's room was as familiar to him as his own, so it didn't take long for him to drift off, and he'd woken cuddling the throw pillow that smelled like her. "How about you?"
"Good, for the small amount I got," she said, shaking her head with a fond smile. "Caroline and I caught the giggles."
"As per usual when you two are together." He smiled down at her. "What had you in fits last night?"
"You," she admitted. "And me. Both of us, really."
"Us," he stepped closer. "I like the sound of that."
Wrapping his arms around her waist, her eyes sparkled as he leaned down for a kiss. He'd only meant for it to be a quick morning peck, but they got a bit carried away. The screaming of the smoke detector had them pulling apart. The pancakes were burning. Looking at each other, they broke out in laughter. Charlotte opened the kitchen window and Jeremy grabbed a tea towel to fan the smoke. Liz came shuffling down the hallway shortly after Caroline joined them, both making sure the house wasn't burning down.
"Sorry, I got distracted," Jeremy apologized to Liz, his eyes darting towards Lottie who bit her lip to stifle her smile.
She waved him off, blinking sleepily as she headed back to bed. Nothing was on fire, and she just wanted to get some sleep before she had to go back to work.
"You two are going to have to tell her eventually," Caroline said once she heard her mom's bedroom door close. "She's gonna start picking up on it, or god forbid walk in on you two kissing."
"I know. I'm just afraid she's going to make it awkward." She didn't want her mom to treat them differently. Like banning them from being alone together in her room. Or not letting him crash at their place.
"The longer you wait, the more awkward it's gonna be. Just some food for thought," Caroline said, grabbing a piece of crispy bacon from the pan. "I'll wait for you two in the car."
It didn't take long for them to clean up the mess. The kitchen still had a haze to it, but the smoke detector had settled down by the time they grabbed their bags and joined Caroline in her car.
"Hang on, where's Kol's rental?" Charlotte asked, noticing the SUV's absence on the street. She thought he'd lay low in the house until school was out.
"He wanted to avoid getting you in trouble, so he left out the window early this morning," Jeremy said, clicking his seatbelt in place. "Said he'd see us later."
"I hope he doesn't try to see Klaus alone and end up getting daggered for it." Klaus was unreasonable and impulsive. She wouldn't put it past him to dagger Kol for disappearing on him. Abandonment did seem to be his greatest fear.
"I still don't understand why either of you care what happens to him. He's an Original." Caroline didn't trust that family. They were selfish, all about their own survival, and proved they didn't mind stabbing others in the back or heart, even their own family.
"He saved my life," Jeremy said. "And he protected Lottie and me."
"Was he the one to put it in danger?" Caroline asked, thinking of when Klaus ordered Tyler to bite her then saved her with his blood.
"No. He's our friend," Charlotte said. "He might have a questionable past, but he's proven we can trust him."
"He hasn't proven it to me. My threat to find a way to end him if he does anything to hurt you remains, and obviously extends to Jeremy as well," Caroline said, throwing the car in reverse and swinging out into the street.
"You're not going to tell us to stay away from him?" Jeremy asked, confused. When Elena disapproved of something, she typically made it obvious he'd better listen to her and stop it.
"I already told you I don't trust him. It's up to you to decide what to do with that. You're old enough to make your own decisions and form your own opinions." Did she want to prevent them from getting hurt, of course, but she also knew mistakes were a part of life. She'd just make sure she was there to help clean up the aftermath.
Pulling into the lot, it felt weird to be back to school and to a normal routine after their mini-adventure and finding out she wasn't human, and, potentially, neither was Jeremy. Not to mention the fact that a mysterious Hunter and his teleporting sidekick were after her for unknown reasons. A detail she might have skimmed over last night so as not to dampen the giggly mood between Caroline and her. She should probably mention it at some point. Maybe when they were alone tonight, instead of giggling about Jeremy, she'd tell her about the unknowable threat.
She shouldered her bag when she got out of the car, automatically reaching for Jeremy's hand when he stepped beside her and interlacing their fingers. He gave her hand a small squeeze. There were whispers and stares when they walked the halls to their lockers. She wasn't sure if it was because they'd been gone for several days, or because of their linked hands. Seeing as they normally flew under the social radar, and therefore probably hadn't been missed while they were gone, she assumed it was their hands.
"Why don't we give them something to gossip about," Jeremy whispered close to her ear.
She didn't have time to respond before he extended their arms, twirling her in the middle of the hall and making her laugh. He pulled her into his side, his arm around her shoulder and his lips turned up in a smile. Standing on her toes, she pressed a chaste kiss to his smile. The whispering seemed to grow to a low rumble after that.
"They'll be saying we ran away to elope by lunch," she said, reaching up for his hand on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine when he chuckled in her ear.
"I didn't even get you a ring," he said, brushing his fingers over her left ring finger.
"That will be the most shocking part."
"Obviously," he agreed, squeezing her shoulder.
Rounding the corner to their lockers, they paused when Kol leaned against the locker to the left of hers. He smirked when he noticed them, completely ignoring the girls trying to get his attention.
"Morning, lovebirds," Kol greeted turning to the side as they opened their lockers.
"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked, hanging her bag on the hook and pulling out her books for her first class.
"Well, I've got English first period, but I'm really looking forward to knowing how wrong your history teacher is, and I hear the cafeteria food is fairly tolerable." He unfolded the schedule he'd compelled the lady at the front desk to make for him: identical to both Charlotte and Jeremy's.
"You're joking," she said, grabbing the paper from him, her eyes scanning the schedule.
"Why would you want to go to high school?" Jeremy asked, leaning over Lottie's shoulder to read the schedule himself.
"Because someone tried to kidnap Charlotte because of what she is and ended up killing her instead. Until we find out who and why and deal with them, I'm suffering through pointless lectures and petty high school drama."
"You don't have to do that, Kol. Caroline's here, and Jeremy's in all of my classes."
"No offense, Little Dove, but I'm stronger than both your sister and Jeremy, not to mention unkillable. Besides, the more protection, the better. You wanted to come back, so this is how we're dealing with the threat."
"You're going to be bored," Jeremy warned, shutting his locker.
"I think I'll be able to find some way to entertain myself." Kol's gaze strayed to the girls sneaking looks at him around their lockers.
"High school isn't your free buffet. If you start murdering the locals, the hunter and teleporter will be the least of your problems. Not to mention my attempts at convincing Caroline and my mom that you're trustworthy will become null and void." Snapping her locker shut, she turned with Jeremy towards their first period. Kol strolled behind them at a lazy pace, unable to hide his amusement at her threat. He'd keep to dining out of town if it meant preventing her from bending her morals to defend him.
The morning passed slowly, with Kol smart mouthing most of the professors with his answers to their questions, making the class chuckle, and yet somehow avoiding detention. School might be all fun and games for him, but Charlotte and Jeremy had a pile of makeup work that grew larger with every class. Overwhelmed, she shoved the extra work into her bag when the lunch bell rang, trading it in for her pointe shoes.
"I thought your mother forbid you from dancing," Kol said, following her and Jeremy into the empty music room.
"Like letting you stay the night, I'm not planning on telling her," she huffed, wrapping the ribbons around her ankles while Jeremy plugged her phone into the speaker in the corner. "And I will literally go insane if I don't."
Taking a seat beside Jeremy on the foldable bleachers the choir class used, Kol reclined back and watched Charlotte move with grace he never thought he'd see from anyone other than a vampire. Her pink skirt flitted around her whenever she turned, briefly revealing the white leotard beneath. He understood her fashion choice better now as being both pretty and practical. When she leapt in the air, with her blonde hair and white leotard, she looked every bit the Little Dove.
"Ten minutes till the bell," Jeremy announced, causing her to stop, her cheeks flushed. After a quick cooldown she joined them on the bleachers, scarfing down her sandwich and chugging water from her bottle.
"I think the talent of you polishing your lunch off in a matter of minutes rivals that of your dancing, Little Dove," Kol commented when she crumpled her empty paper sack in her hands.
"She won the junior eating contest at the summer festival last year." Jeremy smiled proudly at her.
"If it wasn't for my age, I'd crush the adult contest as well."
"A girl of many talents," Kol said.
"Just don't ask her to sing," Jeremy chuckled. She slapped him half-heartedly. She couldn't be too mad at the truth. She sounded worse than Skuttle in the Little Mermaid.
"Now I'm intrigued. I was starting to think you could fail at nothing."
"I'll show you my last math test, that will prove that theory wrong much less painfully than me singing."
"It can't be that bad," Kol said, glancing between them.
Jeremy and Charlotte shared a look, recalling some shared memory as they cracked up laughing. Kol stared at them in confusion, feeling a bit left out, until Charlotte managed to wheeze out instructions for Jeremy to show him the video. Pulling out his phone he queued up the video he fondly kept of their last Karaoke night and handed his phone to Kol.
"You really can't hold a tune." He joined in their laughter.
Alaric's face was stern when the three of them walked in seconds before the bell rang, slipping into the last three empty seats up front. Charlotte avoided eye contact, opening her history book, but Kol openly stared him down with a slow smirk on his face. Let the teacher disapprove, he wasn't on Charlotte's list of people to impress.
"I want a five-page report of the economic and cultural impact of the second world war on my desk in one week," Alaric said, closing out the class when the final bell rang out.
Groaning along with the class, Jeremy and Charlotte stood, only to have Alaric stop them on their way to freedom. Kol lingered by the doorway until Ric turned to him with a pointed look when he tacked on 'alone' to his demands they stay behind.
"I'll wait by our lockers, then," he said, turning away from the classroom and sauntering down the hall.
"You two should know better than to hang around with Originals," Ric sighed, moving to lean against the front of his desk. "They're selfish and deadly."
"Did you really hold us back to discuss our choice of friends?" Jeremy asked, hoisting his backpack over one shoulder.
"No, but on the subject of relationships, I do want to put a good word in for you forgiving Elena."
"Not going to happen." Jeremy stiffened, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. "Even if she did apologize."
"Fine." Ric held out his hands in surrender. "If you won't listen to me on the first two accounts, then at least do yourselves a favor and head to the cafeteria. The dance committee is meeting to plan the Decade Dance, and I got several of your teachers to agree to some extra credit if you two volunteer to help out."
"It's already that time of year?" Jeremy complained, scrunching up his face.
"I can't stay after for the dance committee. I'm grounded. I'm supposed to be home right after school, and mom assured me she'd be calling the house phone every hour on the hour. If I don't answer, it'll be bad."
"I'll talk to your mom. I'm sure she'll understand and grant you leniency for an hour or two."
"Two hours?" Jeremy groaned.
"Would you rather do a ten-page paper for each class instead? Because that's what your English teacher proposed."
"On second thought, the dance committee isn't so bad. Maybe we could convince them to do a semi-cool era this time."
"It's between Rebecca's 'Roaring Twenties' and Caroline's 'Groovy Seventies' from what I hear." Ric said. "I would have thrown 'Rocking Eighties' into the ring. At least I could pull from my closet for my chaperone outfit. Unfortunately, because of my alter-ego, I missed the staff meeting to approve the decade choices."
"Caroline told me about that," Charlotte said. "How have you been feeling?"
"Okay, I suppose. Bonnie found herbs for me to take that are supposed to help curb my other half from becoming dominant."
"So, you're cured?" She asked a bit too hopeful. The possibility that she'd develop an insane alter-ego if she died too many times weighed on her since Caroline mentioned it. It'd be nice if there was a cure for it; one less worry to carry.
"It's not a cure, but it is a viable treatment. And it's all I've got."
It was hope, and hope was all she needed. She'd have to shove her stubborn resentment towards Bonnie aside enough to ask her which herbs she used and where she got them. But first, they had a committee meeting to get to.
Kol met up with them as promised, and they entered the cafeteria to utter chaos. Rebekah and Caroline were face to face, fighting over which decade to use. Dropping her bag by the door, Charlotte immediately went to her sister's side. Nobody else seemed to want to get involved in the two blondes' bickering, more interested in watching the drama unfold.
"Why don't we put it to a vote," Charlotte suggested. "Everyone who wants the twenties, stand on the left side of the cafeteria. All in favor of the seventies, go to the right."
She stayed beside Caroline, supporting her choice. Jeremy immediately joined her in solidarity beside Caroline, even though the 70's meant bright colors, loud patterns, and big hair. Students shuffled to either side until the whole group stood behind one of the girls, like two queens leading an army. The numbers were even, and Charlotte looked towards the door where Kol still stood, in between the two sides. Rebekah and Caroline followed her gaze.
"Come on, Kol, pick your side," she said, haughtily, expecting him to stand with her.
"I'm sorry, Beks, but I'm abstaining." He didn't really care about the stupid little dance. And even if he did vote, Bekah wouldn't like his answer. Though he didn't consider the 70s the better era, he also wouldn't want to cross Caroline, one of the VIPs on Charlotte's list.
When the doors creaked open to reveal Matt coming in late, Rebekah latched on to her opportunity to win the deciding vote. Poor Matt looked like a startled animal, glancing between Caroline and Rebekah as they made their case for their decade. In the end, he sent Caroline an apologetic look as he stepped over to Rebekah's side. She smiled victoriously at Caroline, who rolled her eyes with a huff and turned on her heel to organize the supplies needed for the posters.
Silently stewing, she used Silver and black paint on the posters, meticulous to get every swirling letter right even though she wanted to hurl the paint on the paper. Her perfectionist side wouldn't allow her to mess up, and she had to set an example as the president of the committee. Charlotte joined her, grabbing a paint brush and adding little stars around her words, while Kol and Jeremy started on another poster beside them. Not halfway through the two-hour meeting, Kol's phone rang. Excusing himself to the hall, he never did come back inside. His disappearance wasn't missed by Rebekah, Jeremy or Charlotte, who worried it had been Klaus on the other end. She feared the outcome of that conversation but forced herself to push those fears to the back of her mind when Caroline yelped at her to pay attention. She'd let paint drip on their poster, but she managed to salvage it by turning it into a champagne glass.
"Come on, Care, cheer up. It's the decade dance. We love the decade dances," Charlotte said when their two hours were up, and they were headed back to their house.
"Speak for yourselves," Jeremy chimed in from the backseat.
"I used to love the decade dances, before the She Devil commandeered my dance committee."
"So, we're doing Rebekah's decade. That just means we have an excuse to shop for the dance, or online shop since I'm on house arrest for the next two weeks." If there was anything Caroline liked more than planning dances, it was shopping. Since they didn't have the wardrobe for a 20's dance, that meant they needed to procure it.
"True." Caroline mulled it over and a slow smile spread across her face. "And at least you'll make your jailbreak in time for the dance."
"Yay," Jeremy cheered sarcastically from the backseat, though his sarcasm faded to a tender smile when Lottie lit up at the revelation.
"And that gives us plenty of time to learn how to swing dance."
Jeremy had a feeling he'd be included in those dance lessons. He also knew how easily Lottie would pick up the moves, because dancing in its many variations seemed as natural as breathing to her, and he determined he'd try his best to learn the steps, for her.
Caroline's laptop perched on the side table, Jazz music buzzing from its speakers, as her and Lottie mimicked the dance moves from the video. He'd cleared the furniture in the living room for them and they'd been practicing for the better half of an hour, only pausing when Liz called to check in. Lottie had the moves down within a half hour, her feet and arms moving with a confidence she rarely showed outside of ballet. The two of them smiled so wide their cheeks had to hurt, and his heart felt lighter watching Lottie. Meeting his eyes, the skin by her eyes crinkling as her smile impossibly widened, she pulled him off the couch and into their dance space.
He fumbled as he tried to match her steps. She slowed it down a half-step for him and kept her hands in his as she led him in the dance. Once he found his groove, she released her hands from his, freestyling with her arms. He wasn't confident enough to freestyle, so he mimicked her movements, occasionally glancing at the laptop screen for inspiration. He was clunky, and a bit awkward, but he had two weeks to work on it. If he could learn Lottie's favorite segment from The Nutcracker, he could learn this.
"Looks like I'm missing a party," Kol said, letting himself in to find the swing dancing session in full stride.
"Got any moves you can teach us?" Charlotte asked as he came to stand on the edge of their dance floor.
"I'm afraid I was in a coffin during this decade. Not that you seem to need any pointers. Jeremy on the other hand." He smirked when Jeremy flipped him off.
"Dancing isn't my thing."
"Clearly," Kol chuckled. "But your dedication to learn is admirable."
"Like you could do better," Jeremy said, wearing a good-natured smile to let Kol know he wasn't taking anything he said seriously.
"Yeah, put your money where your mouth is and join us," Caroline offered, stiffly holding out her hand to him. She didn't particularly like Kol, but Charlotte did, and she'd resigned herself to try with him.
He hesitated a moment before joining her. They danced in stiff silence beside the giggling Charlotte and Jeremy. Clearly, they were having more fun than Kol or Caroline, but still the two continued to dance for the sake of the blonde to his right.
"I think my brother would disembowel me if he saw us dancing," he said to break the awkward silence.
"Actually, I'm currently considering a dagger to the chest, much less messy."
Their dancing came to an abrupt halt as they turned towards the door where Klaus stood. The upbeat music still played in the background, a stark contrast to the tension between the brothers. Charlotte quickly side-stepped so she was in between the two, Jeremy following behind her. Klaus' eyebrows rose.
"I see you've made some new friends, not the brightest lot, getting between an Original Hybrid and his brother, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers."
"What are you doing here, Nik?" Kol asked, using his speed to move around Jeremy and Charlotte.
"I came to welcome my baby brother home. Such a shame I had to find out about your homecoming from my hybrids. Makes me think you don't appreciate your family."
"Maybe I'd appreciate you more if you stopped shoving daggers into my chest and making me black out for centuries at a time." Perhaps he'd know how to swing dance for this stupid dance if Klaus had let him walk away instead of daggering him, again.
"Maybe I would if you stopped disobeying me like a petulant child."
"Not everything revolves around what you want, Nik. And I did as you asked, I got the Bennett witch to unlink us, with the help of one of the friends you disparaged."
Charlotte matched Klaus' glare when his gaze flicked to her before returning to Kol. He clenched his fists.
"Then you disappeared off the face of the earth!" Klaus stalked forward into the living room. "I had no idea what trouble you were getting yourself into or if you were coming back."
"And your dysfunctional brain thought threatening to dagger me upon my return was an appropriate response?"
"Caroline hugged me," Charlotte said, poking her head around Kol's back till she could see Klaus. "But if you're not a hugging family, a handshake or loving pat on the shoulder would be comparable."
Sharing an intense stare, Kol offered his hand first, knowing Nik would never be the first to metaphorically bow down. Everyone breathed a little easier when Klaus accepted it.
"Now you can come home," Klaus said.
"If we want any hope of evading our dysfunctional trend towards attempted murder, I think it's best we reside under separate roofs."
"I spent months renovating our house, and you're spitting in the face of my hospitality?" Klaus asked.
"I need some space. I've recently acquired an apartment in town. I'll still be here, Nik." Honestly, it wasn't too much to ask. After centuries, some space would be appreciated. It wasn't as though he was moving to another continent or country like he had back in the 1700s.
"I think it's a great idea," Caroline said, causing both Kol and Klaus to turn to her. "What, he won't be crashing here anymore, and it might curb your family feuding and keep it from affecting the town."
"The whole point of undaggering you was so our family could be reunited. I at least want monthly dinners." Klaus relented.
"I'll bring the champagne," Kol agreed, causing Klaus to smile. And just like that, the tension in the room dissolved.
"Shall I show you all how it's done?" Klaus offered, nodding his head towards the make-shift dance floor as the laptop moved onto the next track.
Caroline reluctantly let Klaus spin her around the living room. Too distracted by the music and dancing, none of them noticed Liz's cruiser pulling up outside until the front door clicked shut.
"House arrest doesn't mean throw a house party," Liz snapped from the front all. Her hand went to her holster when she realized two Originals stood in her living room with her daughters and Jeremy.
"It's my fault," Caroline took the blame. "I asked Kol and Klaus to come over after the dance committee meeting and give us dance lessons for the decade dance. Partly to soften them up for donations for decorations and costumes."
"I might have agreed with Ric to let you two join the dance committee to keep you from failing your classes, but I never agreed to continuing the 'meeting' at our house. I'm going to have to ask you both to leave. Jeremy, can you go to Charlotte's room? I need to speak with Caroline and Charlotte, alone."
Squeezing Lottie's hand once, Jeremy retreated to her room, Kol and Klaus following behind him and turning off at the front hall. Of course, Kol circled around, crawling in Charlotte's window just as Jeremy closed the door behind him. He sat on the window seat just in case he needed to make a hasty getaway. He didn't want to get Charlotte in anymore trouble than she already was. And from her mother's stern tone as she laid into her from down the hall, she was obviously in trouble.
"I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore," Liz said to Charlotte. "Running off without telling anyone, befriending an Original, breaking the rules I explicitly laid out for your grounding. You never used to lie to me or withhold information."
Charlotte looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, as her mother's guilt trip sunk in.
"She did the first two so she could find Jeremy," Caroline reminded her. "You should really be blaming Elena for that."
"You didn't have to lie about it. You could have come to me," Liz insisted, her eyes on Charlotte.
"I did," she said, meeting her mother's gaze. "And you told me there was nothing you could do. Nobody would do anything, so I did something myself. I found a witch, and trusted Kol to drive me to meet her, and I'm not going to apologize for any of it, because I found Jeremy."
"There were better ways to go about it. I know he's your best friend, but—"
"He's not just my best friend," Charlotte interrupted, her palms sweaty at the hesitant look her mom sent her. She released a rush of air through her mouth before pressing on. "We're, sort of, together now."
"What? What do you mean together? You're dating?" Liz knew Caroline had insisted there was some underlying feelings between the two, but Charlotte never mentioned anything to her.
"We kissed. Several times." Her face grew hot at the admission. They hadn't used the word 'dating' but it felt like that was the logical next step.
"And you refrained from sharing this information when I agreed to let him sleep in your room?"
"It's not like I was sleeping in there with him." She'd bunked with Care. It was no big deal. Or at least, that's what she thought. Apparently, it was a very big deal to her mom.
"That doesn't matter. If you two are together, I'm sorry, but I don't feel right about having him staying in your room."
"You're going to kick him out? He hasn't done anything wrong."
"It's not as if he could stay here indefinitely. Eventually he was going to have to go home." As selfish as it was for Elena to send him away, she was still his family. His only living family.
"He doesn't want to live with Elena. She violated his boundaries too many times." Her mom knew this. And yet, she still wanted to send him back to Elena.
"He can stay one more night, but after tonight, he's going to have to work it out with his sister."
Kol tuned out of the conversation, turning to Jeremy who sat on the bed. Even with his human ears, he had to have caught on to what they were talking about. Their voices weren't exactly soft, and they carried down the hall.
"Maybe Matt will let me crash on his couch," Jeremy sighed. He was running low on options. It wasn't as though he had a vast array of friends. It had pretty much always been just him and Lottie. Though Matt was Elena's friend as well, he was his only choice; he couldn't live with Elena.
"I have a better idea," Kol said, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. "That apartment I told Nik about is a two-bedroom with two baths and a decent view of the town square. Now, I was planning on using the second bedroom as a home gym, but seeing as you're a bit desperate…what do you say, want to be roomies?"
"I don't know how much I could contribute to rent," Jeremy said, taken aback at Kol's offer.
"Don't worry about the money. I've got quite a large sum thanks to interest and my family, who never left me alive long enough to spend any of it." He wanted to help Jeremy, who unlike him didn't have the means to escape his manipulative sibling.
Jeremy considered the offer. If it'd been given to him even a few days ago, he would have laughed in Kol's face. No way he'd trust an Original enough to live with him. But things were different. Kol had proven to be more trustworthy than he originally believed. They'd shared a room and he hadn't even attempted to kill him. If they could share a room, maybe they could survive sharing an apartment.
"Thanks," Jeremy accepted the offer. "I really appreciate it."
Kol leaned back, fighting a smile. After centuries of feeling on the outs with his family, the black sheep in their 'always and forever', perhaps he wouldn't be so alone anymore.
…
The man paced in front of his desk above the abandoned warehouse, not even looking at the men before him.
"Do either of you want to explain how a Hunter and a teleporter let a sixteen-year-old amplifier who doesn't even know how to use her powers slip through their fingers?"
"She wasn't alone," the Hunter said.
"That's right, she had a vampire with her. Remind me again what your job as a Hunter is? Right, to kill vampires. And yet the girl ended up dead instead."
"He was an Original." Kol Mikaelson: the wild, psychotic maniac. The Mikaelson's were notorious, even among their group. Past members had crossed paths with them whenever the Originals discovered an amplifier. Of course, they never did grasp the full potential of the amplifier's powers. If they had, they wouldn't have run from their father for so many centuries.
"I don't care for your excuses," the man bellowed, slamming his palm on his desk before finally turning to face them. "There hasn't been an amplifier in centuries, even longer since a female amplifier resurfaced. She could turn the tide in the supernatural world, and we need to make sure she turns it in our favor."
"You really think the Priestess' soul would choose to reincarnate in a nobody girl from Mystic Falls?" The teleporter spoke up. Past reincarnations had all been of high standing: queens, tsarinas, empresses, pharaohs. Someone who would learn at an early age what she was and could strengthen her powers. Charlotte Forbes was from a middle-class family whose only claim to fame was being one of the founders of their tiny town.
"Perhaps her soul has grown wiser, picking someone we wouldn't have expected. If it wasn't for her meeting with the professor, she would have glided under our radar indefinitely. Unless you find another female amplifier, I'm apt to believe the unbelievable."
"What about the boy?" the Hunter asked.
"I already told you I don't care about the vampire, Original or not."
"No, the potential hunter."
The man sighed. He always had a soft spot for other Hunters.
"Recruit him if you must, and if he gets in your way, kill him."
A/N: Hello everyone! Wow this is a long one. I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it really means a lot and I love hearing from you all. I think I'm the most nervous to post this chapter than I've ever been. It sets in motion a plot I haven't planned out 100%. I have some ideas, but I have no idea if they'll mesh well and I also have no idea if anyone will like them. Hopefully you do. If not, well, this story might just crash and burn a fiery hot mess.
Anyways, I'm going to be uploading quite a few videos to my Instagram (gracelesslyfalling) because that's how I spent my free time other than writing. I hope you guys check them out and enjoy them (keep in mind that many of them are AU/not following any plot points. I just make them when I get story inspiration for a plot that I might not write here but want to create in some way regardless.)
FUN QUESTION:
Please, please, let me know your favorite, and least favorite characters of the Originals. I'd love to know your opinions if I am to send my characters to New Orleans eventually. ALSO: any of your favorite or least favorite ships in the Originals? I am not partial to any ships in that show as I haven't watched much of it and so I'd love to accommodate your favorite ships as much as I can in this story.
I hope everyone is doing okay amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm in South Dakota, where we don't have a lot of cases and my grocery store still has food, but I know others are much less fortunate. I do work in health care as a pharmacist, so I am still working my regular 40 hour week, but I am self-quarantining during the weekend (in reality my lifestyle didn't have to change that much since my husband and I are both introverts) and diligently washing my hands. Hope you all are keeping safe!
Onto Guest Review Responses:
Mimi: Yeah, Elena didn't have a problem with Damon man-handling Charlotte mostly because she's only thinking about getting to her brother and she doesn't really care about anyone else right now. She's also mad at Charlotte for bringing Jeremy back to possible danger. (I love the way you refer to Lottie as the love of Jeremy's life, it made my heart smile). I'm glad you stan Caroline, so do I, she is totally a better protective big sis than Elena. Thanks for letting me know you're all for Charlotte and Jeremy joining Kol on TO. Don't worry, if Jer and Charlotte go I can guarantee Caroline will be tagging along. Because nothing but death will separate my favorite sisters. Good to know you hate Hayley, I'll take that into consideration when I write. I don't really have an opinion of her right now, but I always did like Klaroline (though to be honest I ship Caroline with almost every love interest they've thrown at her because the actress has great chemistry with all of them). I do have a fun idea that would work around the whole Liz thing, so don't worry about her. Thanks so much for leaving a review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Starlight: I love your nickname for Kol. It's adorable. Elena does need a brush up on what it means to be a good sister, she should take Caroline's example. Glad you loved the cuteness between the sisters and Jelottie last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed the bits in this one as well. You literally read my mind with the apartment thing. I had that in my head since the road trip, thinking Jeremy and Kol would make kickass roommates. Though I haven't seen much of the Originals, I do have an idea on why Charlotte, Jeremy and Caroline would go down to New Orleans. Its tying them into the plot once they're there that might be tricky. I agree, Lottie needs a girl friend around her age, it would do her some good. Don't worry, you won't lose the sister bond. If I move them to TO then Caroline will definitely be going with them. I'm glad you love the sister bond so much! I also love how you left a second review (and that you read others reviews and commented on it!) Yeah, Elena wanted an apology, because she feels justified in everything she did. I loved how you said 'his Lottie.' I just am enjoying how much people ship them, because of course I do since I'm writing them but to have them be and OTP for others is so nice. Yeah, Caroline is pretty much done with Elena at the moment. After everything Elena's done to her sister, she'll side with Charlotte every time. And It's gonna take A LOT for her to forgive Elena. I'm gonna have some fun having Caroline becoming the surrogate big sister to Jeremy. Show Elena how she should have done it.
To the guest who pointed out the heartache and worry Damon and Elena put Charlotte through and how ironic Damon's statement was: Yes, that was a serious statement. Damon cares pretty much only about Elena and what Elena cares about. And Elena feels she can justify what she did to Charlotte as protecting her brother. The reason Stefan didn't say anything is he's still trying to be distant, no feelings involved Stefan who only cares about revenge.
To the guest who can't wait for Jelottie Miss mystic Falls: he he I'm definitely gonna have some fun with that.
RiRi: I'm so happy you are enjoying this story. I'm sick of Elena too. I'm trying not to take her too out of character, as I really feel she became more controlling at the end of the third season and started thinking her way was always the best way. Don't worry, Caroline will be adopting Jeremy as a surrogate little brother now. Protecting him and whatnot. Thanks for voicing your opinion on the whole Lottie/Jeremy/Kol thing. Maybe they did mean as friends, I wasn't sure what they meant. Don't worry, if I move them to the originals Caroline will be going too. I can't separate my favorite sisters. Ah, a fellow Klaroline shipper (to be fair I ship her with almost everyone because she has great chemistry with a lot of her co-stars on the show). I like the idea of Kol/Jeremy/Lottie being mischievous matchmakers in helping Klaus woo Caroline in a better way.
To the guest who thinks Damon and Elena were lucky Liz wasn't there: yes they were. She even has wooden bullets in her gun and wouldn't hesitate to use it against Damon when he man-handled Charlotte.
To the guest requesting a video of Lottie and Jeremy's journey using Sam Smith's Fire on Fire: check out Instagram. I couldn't' resist. Thanks for the recommendation. If you have anymore let me know. I love making videos and I'll try to accommodate requests.
Jules: haha yeah, Charlotte definitely took a page out of Caroline's book when it comes to rebelling.
Oz: Wow, you were recommended this story! That's amazing, welcome! I'm glad you gave it a shot and are enjoying it so far. Let me say, I think your comment of Jelottie having the 'most adorable and healthiest relationship' you've ever seen is probably the nicest comment I've ever read. Seriously, I've worked so hard to build their relationship and I'm so glad you like it! I'm all for hearing suggestions. I love trying to work them into my story and a lot of times they help me write myself out of whatever corner I write myself into. So feel free to share. I'm still going back and forth on whether Caroline gets pregnant. I have another way to get her down to New Orleans as well as Charlotte and Jeremy, but that's not to say she won't get pregnant anyways. I love the reincarnation idea. Not in a doppelganger way, but in a different looking body, but same soul as past people way. As you can tell, I'm toying with the possibility of a version of that idea at the end of this chapter. Thanks for that! Yeah I can't remember what happened to Jeremy after the five also, I haven't re-watched that far yet. I think Charlotte having a potential girl her age as a friend is a fun possibility. I haven't seen much of the Originals so any insight into that would be appreciated. Thanks so much for reading on Starlight's recommendation and for leaving your review. It was a joy to read!
Guest who told Damon to STFU: I agree lol
Guest who doesn't want threesome: roger that, was just testing the waters. Seeing what people wanted.
To the guest who is seriously against the threesome pairing: thanks for letting me know your opinion. I hadn't planned on it, I just read some reviews and was curious how many were for it.
To the guest who waited so long for Jelottie: I understand, and thanks for letting me know you want the OT3 to remain friendship with Jelottie as OTP. :)
Shadow: I was gonna write back in French, but it wouldn't make sense grammatically at all seeing as I last wrote and spoke French in high school. Thank you for letting me know you like the idea of them going to New Orleans and that you prefer Charlotte and Kol to have a brother/sister bond or friendship bond.
To the guest who says caroline will have to go to New Orleans too: don't worry, I won't separate the sisters.
To the guest mentioning their biggest issue is that Damon is friends with Liz: he's not as necessarily as close with Liz in this story due to some plot points that strayed from the original TVD. But I agree, Damon doesn't care at all.
Rach
xoxo
