Hello my dear reader chums :) I hope you're enjoying it so far. I love you all so much for your reviews and favourites.
I would like to say a big thank you to alwaysnnever who has gifted me with her wonderful reviews on every chapter of this story and to thank her properly, she is more than welcome to suggest a scenario she would like to happen and I will write it to the best of my ability :D xx
enjoy the chapter! xxx
"Damon, are you ready to go?" Elena asked her fiancé.
It was the day of the final dress fittings for Damon and Elena's upcoming wedding, and Damon had agreed to drive Elena to the Boarding House she could meet with Charlotte and Caroline before they made their way to the dress shop.
"Yeah. I'm coming now." Damon replied, grabbing his keys off the side and rushing after Elena as she left their home.
It was the first week of February and although the snow had finally melted, the weather was still chilly and Damon shivered slightly as he walked towards his car and clambered in next to Elena. Starting the engine, Damon drove away from the house and made the short journey to his childhood home.
"Klaus, you jackass, put me down!" Charlotte screamed.
Klaus had Charlotte flung over his shoulder and was struggling with laughter as he felt her try to kick and punch against him. Opposite him, Klaus could see Stefan almost in stitches as he surveyed them. Although Stefan had been the one who had inflicted violence upon Klaus when he found out the secret relationship, Stefan had accepted it much more quickly than his older brother and was glad that Charlotte was dating someone trustworthy and respectable.
"Just say it, love. That's all I ask."
"I will not!"
"Then I'm not putting you down."
"Urgh, put me down, Klaus!"
"Nope." Klaus replied, catching Stefan's eye and smirking along with him at the same time.
Stefan couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his sister. He knew how stubborn Charlotte could be but he also knew that Klaus was never one to give up easily, and Charlotte would have her work cut out for her if she thought she could get her boyfriend to put her down without giving into him.
"Charlotte, just say it. It's not going to kill you."
"Whose side are you on?" Charlotte directed towards her brother.
"I'm not on anyone's side.2
"Traitor!" Charlotte shouted out. "Klaus! For god's sake, if you don't put me down right now, I'll never sleep with you again."
Charlotte was beginning to feel dizzy; not surprising since she was practically upside down.
"Forgive me, love, if I don't take your threat seriously." Klaus smirked; ignoring the roll of Stefan's eyes.
Klaus knew Charlotte would never be able to stick to such a threat. She had not turned him down once, yet, and he was confident that she never would. Giving Charlotte's bottom a loving smack, Klaus laughed loudly when he heard her cry out.
"Ow! I swear to God, I am going to beat the crap out of you!"
Charlotte was greatly annoyed and frustrated. She hated feeling like she wasn't in control and flung over Klaus's shoulder, in a position where he had all the power, Charlotte couldn't have any less control over the situation if she tried.
"Easy there, sweetheart. You know what you have to do. Just say it and I'll gladly put you down."
"No."
"You're too stubborn for your own good, love."
"And you're too stupid for your own good."
The sound of the front door opening and shutting alerted Stefan, Klaus, and Charlotte to Damon and Elena's arrival. In her frustration with Klaus, Charlotte had forgotten that it was the day of final dress fittings and since she was a bridesmaid, she was required to attend.
"What the hell is going on here?" Damon asked, bewildered.
"Damon!" Charlotte shouted, relieved. "Save me."
Damon looked at his younger sister; her body flung over the shoulder of Klaus who, in that moment, had spun around to face him and in doing so, caused Charlotte to yelp in panic and surprise.
Moving aside to gain a view of his brother almost crying with laughter, Damon raised an eyebrow at Stefan in question whilst Elena stood and chuckled lightly at the scene that was playing out before her.
"Stefan, care to explain?"
"Don't ask me. Ask them two." Stefan managed to breathe out in between fits of laughter.
"Damon, please. Help me." Charlotte pleaded with her oldest brother; certain that since he was less accepting of her relationship with Klaus, he would ensure that Klaus placed her firmly back on her feet.
Sighing, Damon took a step forward with the intention of helping his sister. With Damon's step forward, Klaus took a step back and grinned.
"Klaus, let her go."
"I can't do that. Not until she gives in."
"I'm not going to say, so put me down you egotistical son of a bitch!"
"Just put her down."
"Like I said, I can't."
A knock at the door and the sound of Caroline's voice bellowing out a hello to all inside, stole away the attention of Elena and Stefan, who both smiled upon seeing the woman enter the parlour room.
"Klaus…" Elena began. "Will you please put Charlotte down. We'll be late for the fittings otherwise."
Klaus looked at Elena and sighed. He knew he had no choice but to let go of Charlotte. The wedding was important to Elena and Klaus knew enough from growing up with his own sister, that interfering with a woman's plans could be dangerous. Reluctantly setting Charlotte down on her feet, he held her in place for a few seconds to ensure that she would not fall to the floor in a dizzy state.
Feeling her dizziness pass, Charlotte looked up at Klaus and smirked; his irritated expression making her feel superior. Pushing past him, Charlotte made her way over to Elena and Caroline; grabbing her jacket off the back of the sofa as she went.
"This isn't over, love." Klaus stated, teasingly. "I will make you say it."
Charlotte ignored Klaus; instead; focusing her attention on Damon and Caroline who were engaged in conversation with one another.
"So, what are you doing while we're away?" Caroline asked.
"We're going to drink. All three of us."
Charlotte stood, open mouthed. Klaus may have been Damon and Stefan's best friend for longer than she had been alive, but she did not trust Damon to drink and remain calm in front of Klaus. She still did not know Damon's true stance on her relationship with Klaus.
Turning her head to look at Stefan, Charlotte pleaded with him.
"Do not let him kill Klaus."
"You have nothing to worry about, Charlotte." Stefan responded.
"Hey, why so little faith in me, sister?" Damon asked, mockingly. "I may not like this thing you've got going on, but I'm not a total dick."
"I know you, Damon."
"I think you'll find it was Stefan, not me, who punched Klaus."
"Just be nice, please."
Damon stared into the eyes of his only sister; her face displaying how concerned for Klaus's safety she actually was. It occurred to Damon that he had never seen his sister act in such a way before. They were so alike, he and Charlotte, and Damon was beginning to realise that Klaus might just be to Charlotte what Elena was to him; he might be the person to show Charlotte not to be afraid of love.
"I promise, I'll be good."
"So, what was going on between you and Klaus?" Caroline asked Charlotte, admiring her bridesmaid dress in the mirror.
Charlotte grimaced.
"Klaus was just being an idiot."
"Well, why wouldn't he let you down?"
"Because he's a stubborn jackass."
From the corner of the room, Elena shouted over.
"That's not entirely true. You were being just as stubborn."
"I had good reason to be. The man had me hanging almost upside down!" Charlotte shouted back, before turning her attention back to Caroline who was standing before her with her hands on her hips.
"What was he trying to get you to say?"
"He wanted me to say 'I love you'."
Caroline looked at Charlotte as the girl rolled her eyes and felt confused. Everyone was completely aware that Klaus was in love with Charlotte; having declared his love just over a month before, and Caroline could see that Charlotte loved Klaus. However, she could not understand why Charlotte was so seemingly set against saying the three little words that would make her boyfriend happy.
"Do you love him?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why won't you say so?"
Before Charlotte could answer, Elena joined the two women, still in her wedding gown, and stared at Charlotte.
"She already did tell him. The day after the party. I was stood right there."
"That was different, Elena. I didn't specifically tell Klaus I loved him. I told Damon I thought I was in love with Klaus."
"Wait, so you haven't said it to Klaus since? Not even once?" Elena questioned.
"No. I don't see what the problem is. Everyone knows I love him."
"Charlotte, you have to tell him. Klaus obviously wants to hear you say it." Caroline chimed.
"It's just three words. He knows I love him."
Caroline and Elena glanced at each other and sighed.
"Is it because you haven't been together that long?" Elena asked.
"I've known Klaus my entire life. I don't think the amount of time we've been a couple is really relevant."
"Then what's the problem?" Caroline added in. "Stefan says it to me all the time, and I bet Damon says it to Elena too."
"Actually…" Elena piped up. "It took Damon more than six months into our relationship for him to say it."
"Really?" Caroline replied, shocked that Elena had never told her such a thing.
"Yeah."
Turning to Charlotte, Elena smiled sadly at the young girl.
"You are too much like Damon sometimes."
Elena understood why Charlotte had not said 'I love you' to Klaus yet, despite telling everyone who asked her that she was indeed in love with the man. She remembered Damon explaining to her that growing up with two parents who constantly fought and had affairs took its toll and led him to believe that love was pointless and would only end in disaster. It seemed, to Elena, that Charlotte was suffering from the same delusion and she intended on speaking with Damon about it once she returned home.