A/n: Edited on 2/25/15.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 28: Hurricane
Mystic Falls
Present - March 19, 2011
'You volunteered for this, Char. Can't go back on a promise.' Charlene reminded herself as she watched the forest go by through the window. The car ride from downtown to the Gilbert's lake house had been relatively quiet save for the low tune of an old rock n' roll song streaming from Damon's old radio. It'd been a while since Charlene had ridden in a muscle car. Though she liked the classics, she preferred more of the modern-aged convertible than those from the older days. But hey, she was happy with her Toyota Camry for now.
Charlene hated making risky moves like this, but it was necessary. It was important to have a backup plan for when Klaus decided to pull something against her. She was never the conniving type naturally, but more of these revelations about herself were becoming less surprising as time went on. She soon realized she wasn't any different like anybody else. She would go through any means to protect the ones she loved, even if it meant calling upon darker forces she kept at bay. Exhaling a heavy sigh, she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
She was too old for this.
Her stroke of luck was strangely...lucky to say the least. Never in a million years would she think she'd be able to get out of her cage. Once was challenging enough, but going out for seconds? Charlene might as well have lost her mind. Then again when she made for the front door, she could see Klaus in the distance with his back turned to her, eerily silent as the grave. He just stood there as a rigid statue staring at the body of his sister lying there before him on the dining table. Charlene left little to imagination on what happened after what she heard last night. She knew how Klaus dealt with disappointment and problems.
Charlene was glad she willing to playing the role of caged little bird for a while longer before it would drive her crazy. Playing toe to toe with an Original wasn't what she planned. However, things were different now and she refused to let him have the last say on her life. He can't have everything in this world.
Her eyes flickered towards Damon now and then as he drove. It was still surreal to her. Damon Salvatore. Sitting beside her within just arm's reach.
This was going to haunt her.
Some things remained the same with him. The arrogant, devil-may-care attitude still rolled off his shoulders so naturally. He had - no - he invented the tall, dark, and handsome type just by being who he was. It was natural. The sarcastic and smartass edge to him that she liked more than she should and how it reminded of her of too many things still existing.
"I still got it, don't I?"
Damon's voice broke through her thoughts. Charlene brought her eyes back facing forward as she straightened herself in the car seat.
"That all depends on what you're referring to."
If he was referring to his youthful features, then yes. She can be fully honest about the truth of his immortality. After all, he was a vampire.
"I still have an effect on you, and it hasn't changed since the old days. Admit it." Damon's arrogance hadn't left at all. So much for that small hope. And of all the things he had to say, he had to bring up that old demon.
"It would be stupid to be ignore it. Ignorance isn't always bliss, Damon." She replied intuitively, waiting for the Gilbert lake house to show up. "Some things never change."
"Gotta admit, there are days when I just love that truth." Damon said too happily for Charlene's good.
"Wow. Someone's been taking their Vampire Zoloft this morning." Charlene remarked, reaching inside her purse for the Advil and water bottle to sooth the pounding headache behind her skull. It felt like she gave herself an aneurysm originally set for a vampire.
Damon couldn't help the chuckle escaping from the back of this throat. "At least we know your sarcasm has remained alive wonderfully after all of these years even at your age."
Take two or three? That was the question of the day. Hmm, what to do. Figuring to be ready, she popped two pills into her mouth and washed it down and repeated the process with the third pill. Finishing, she put the medicine and water back in her purse and turned her head sending him an annoyed glare.
"Did you ever learn to properly talk to a woman or are your skills getting rusty from being on the monogamous road?"
"Whoop. There it is."
"Yeah, yeah. You keep saying that." Charlene snorted while rolling her eyes. Glancing back towards the moving forest behind them, her thoughts buzzed around with anxiety and bewilderment. How is she going to be able to deal with him and the rest of those kids under one roof was beyond her? Hell, they haven't even made to their destination yet and she was already worn out. The emotional weight of what's been transpiring was taking its toll. However, she appreciated the solace away from the insane hybrid who was wrecked with maddening grief. That was going to be a nice reprieve.
"How much further?"
"It won't long so don't overdo it on the worrying part. You know what you're supposed to do, and I'm gonna take you to Bonnie to work your magic-y stuff." The way Damon always managed to sound so blasé about everything was equally something Charlene hated yet envied at the same time.
"I can't just turn off my worrying like you can with your emotions, might I add which is nearly impossible." Charlene tried to speak in a lighter tone, but it failed in its sincerity. Hell, she was a failure at lying.
Damon kept his eyes on the road as he brought the car to a turn. "Just relax, Char. We're almost there."
Charlene's eyes almost widened to saucer plates in annoyance. Didn't he hear what she just said or was he deaf? Her hands ran tightly through her hair, messing up the already half up hairdo. The urge to tear her hair out bubbled to the surface and Charlene's emotional control slightly wavered. The combination of the lethargy, emotional strain, and all of her buttons being pushed created a melting pot of a volcano waiting to erupt. If it weren't for Charlene's calm nature, she'd lost control way earlier.
"Just a little more," Charlene always told herself. It would be over soon. Just a little more.
She let her hands down from her hair, trying to smooth it out as best she could. Letting out a tired breath, she spoke again. "I hope you're right."
'For both our sakes,' the witch mentally concluded. The sound of the moving wheels oddly soothed Charlene's buzzing mind. She leaned back against the passenger seat and let her eyes fall shut. A light nap would help her.
Damon watched her while he drove, taking her in for the first time in so long. Time really didn't matter to a vampire, and Damon was no exception. He hardly cared less about age. Hey, he was the eternal stud after all. And he wasn't always having a stick up his ass about rules too. Another bonus. Nevertheless, time still mattered when it counted for something important.
It's been eighty-nine years since 1922, and she hadn't aged a day. Witch or not, she was still the same Charlene that wouldn't go away no matter how much he wanted her to buzz off. All just to help him out because of her kind heart. And now, it was the same all over again except with the different circumstances. He wasn't in her main line of sight with her mission. He was just in the corner of her vision if she really wanted to give into the temptation to see him. But he knew her, she wouldn't lose focus.
Not when she's really willing to risk everything with Klaus too dangerously nipping at her heels.
At the lake house...
Bonnie sat down at the bar, her eyes scanning over her books for the millionth time while munching on some toast that Elena "suggested" for her to eat. With the overtime Bonnie had been punching in, she rarely even thought about anything else besides getting her magic back. There was also the added weight of trying to keep Elena and Jeremy safe. And let's not forget about Klaus crossing out names off his list of victims more quickly than they anticipated.
So yeah, just another day at the office.
"Have you finished eating yet?" Bonnie could hear Elena's voice in the background as she read over a certain spell that kept her interest over the past hour.
Bonnie looked up to meet her best friend's eyes. "Elena..."
"I'm just making sure you get something in your system. You've been pushing yourself too hard." Elena finished pouring the milk into the bowl of cereal and placed the bowl next to Bonnie's books. "Here, eat this."
"I'm fine, Elena. I've already ate two pieces of toast, and I'm full as it is." She sent the brunette vampire a grateful smile, trying to resume reading before she got interrupted again. "I can't eat anymore."
"Come on, Bon." Jeremy interjected as he passed the girls, holding his crossbow and setting it down on the bar. "You need to eat. It'll help you with your energy, and you're not going to get nutrition from eating books."
"I do not eat books!" The witch reacted with a shocked smile. "I'm actually readingas you see with all of these sprawled all around me. And there's another name for what I'm getting from reading. It's called brain food."
"Still, too much of anything is still not good." Jeremy gently reminded her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. Bonnie returned a favor and brought her hand up to meet his. She was willing to let a few things slide when it came to him and Elena. After all, they had good intentions.
Waiting for the right moment to cut in, Elena finally got to her brother. "Jeremy. Crossbow. Get it off the table now."
"Hey, gotta be ready." The hunter reminded her as he got one of his sets of arrows and began loading.
"I'm all for being ready, but the kitchen isn't the weapon department. Take that outside." His sister pointed to the front door, and watched her brother roll his eyes as he went on his way. Elena's eyes followed him until she saw the last of him out the door. Exhaling a heavy sigh, she took away the already soggy cereal and threw it in the trash. Who cared about one bowl of cereal?
Sensing the silence, Bonnie took one last look at her grimoire and bookmarked her page. She pushed herself off of the stool, walked towards the vampire, and leaned against the counter as Elena tried to finish washing the dishes. Guilt prodded against her gut as she watched her best friend stubbornly scrapped against the sticky piece of food stuck on the side of the bowl with her fingernails. Was Bonnie really so unwilling to cooperate? All just because she wasn't hungry?
"He's right, you know. About the protecting thing."
After a few stubborn tries, Elena managed to get bowl clean as a whistle. The vampire finished washing the last dish and placed it on the counter. The smiling facades both of them have put up faltered and the reality of their situation still remained.
"Unfortunately..." Elena agreed sullenly.
Not even thinking, Bonnie brought Elena close to her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. Elena stood stiff for a moment before melting into her friend's embrace, leaning against her for support. Bonnie felt the brunette exhaled a few shuddering breaths she tried to stay strong.
"This is it, Elena. You know that right?" Bonnie asked.
"I want to think that, but - I don't know. It's just-" Elena kept tripping over her words. A surge of anger coursed through her. She let out a frustrated yell. "I can't even talk without blubbering like a baby. I can't even protect my brother. Everyone is dying because of me. How much longer do we have to deal with this?!" The bowl she just cleaned broke into pieces when Elena slammed the bowl into the sink too harshly. Great. Another mess to clean.
"Elena. Elena!" The magicless witch separated herself from the emotionally charged vampire, holding the sides of her head. "Listen to me! Elena, listen to me! None of this is going to go much longer, you hear me? There's going to be no more of this."
God, why did she still have to be without her magic now?
"But Klaus-" Elena tried to speak, but Bonnie cut her off.
"No, Elena! Forget Klaus! Forget him! Forget him because you know what's going to happen? You know what's going to happen? I'm going to get my magic back, and I'm going to do whatever it takes." Bonnie held back the urge to cry her eyes and used that energy to fuel her anger. Seeing her friend in so much pain incensed the built-up of anger and determination she saved for the right day to come. Today was that day. "I promise you, I will make sure that Klaus will never hurt you again. He won't get to you, he won't get to Jeremy. He will never hurt us again."
Whatever Bonnie said must have helped Elena as she watched the brunette slowly come down from her high emotions. Elena's breathing slowed and her head slumped forward only slightly, nodding for Bonnie. The witch gave a small sad smile to her and released Elena from her hold. Aware of the tear streaks down her face, Elena wiped away the tears with her hands and recollected herself.
Turning back to Bonnie, she spoke again in a clearer tone "Thanks, Bon."
"You're welcome, sweetie." Bonnie replied gently.
"Bonnie! Elena! Damon's back!" Jeremy yelled from outside.
Hearing Jeremy, Elena and Bonnie walked outside to the front porch, seeing Damon's blue Mustang pull up and come to a stop. Elena watched Damon come out first, relief washing over her seeing him safe and sound after the trip towards the lion's den. Her brown eyes shifted to the other occupant in the car opening the passenger door. When the vampire finally saw the person come out, the sight of the mass of blonde curly hair made her heart stop.
Her mouth dropped open. The name of her buried best friend fought to escape her lips, but she fought to keep the urge at bay. She remained frozen in her spot. Raking over the Caroline lookalike up and down, it was hard to find anything that would set this one apart from seeing Caroline face to face. The navy floral dress hugging the blonde's frame accompanied with the denim jacket jogged a few of Elena's memories of what Caroline wore once upon a time. The flat brown boots on her feet scrapped against the gravel as she came closer towards them.
Reaching them, the air around them changed. Hunter, vampire, and the magicless witch can feel the reactive and spark of nature that was usually accompanied by a witch. They could feel the power. Realization and question appeared in the Gilberts' faces while knowing looks reached for Bonnie and the only Salvatore on the premises. The Caroline lookalike's eyes were covered with sunglasses, preventing them from seeing her eyes. The blonde turned her head towards the group of teenagers, taking all of them in or that's what Elena guessed on what she was doing.
"So, Bonnie. These are your friends." The witch stated.
Hearing the witch in front of them speak, Elena finally released the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Caroline's voice didn't come out. This voice was softer and steadier; it reminded her of the calm waves of the ocean, going back and forth against the sand.
"Hey, Charlene." Bonnie replied as she walked towards them. She gratefully grasped Charlene's hands and shook them in thanks. "Thank you so much for this. Again, thank you."
Charlene couldn't help the smile coming forth. "You're welcome, Bonnie. I'll be glad to be of help."
The witch didn't miss the shock coming from the siblings. Figuring to make her appearance known officially, she went for the polite approach. Taking off her sunglasses, she shook her hair out of her eyes, and she held out her hand out.
"You've probably heard of me already." She spoke in a bittersweet tone. "I'm Charlene Davis. I'm here to help Bonnie with her magic."
Elena went blank. She didn't know what to make of it. In front of her wasn't Caroline. No, there were differences now that she could see them up close. From the more refined features, the shorter height closer to Elena's measure, and the bright blue eyes. It was daunting how they were almost brighter than Damon's.
However, that wasn't the point. In front of Elena was a player from Klaus' side of the game. She participated in Klaus' vengeance, supplying Klaus the necessary ammunition to help in his schemes. All of her friends are caged in Mystic Falls thanks to her magic, and she was the only key that can unlock their prison. Still, it didn't make sense with the sudden change-up.
And now Elena was expected to shake hands with hers like they just met at Starbucks?
What?
Jeremy cut through the awkward silence and politely shook Charlene's hand. "We appreciate all the help we can get. Welcome to the lake house."
Charlene tried to keep up an uneasy smile. "Thank you, Jeremy."
She eventually let go of the hunter's hand, and let her arm fall back to her hip. Charlene shifted her eyes back and forth between the siblings, noting the similarities and the protective glances back and forth with each other. The blonde witch felt the holes being dug into her back from Elena's staring. Blue eyes met brown and the silence from his older sister didn't lift, but Charlene didn't blame her. It was an already awkward situation that didn't need to be agitated. Besides, Charlene wasn't one to play around. Handling business was the priority of her visit.
When Charlene was going to get her tote, she was met with a certain Salvatore dangling her bag right in front of her. The witch stared at him with surprise, but didn't voice her mild confusion. Since when did he used manners?
"Thanks, Damon." Charlene said grabbing her tote from him. Before proceeding on, she turned to Bonnie with a small smile. "I know I don't have the disadvantage of having to be invited in, but it doesn't hurt to use some polite etiquette if you know what I mean. May I come inside?"
Bonnie's eyes shifted to Jeremy who nodded in approval. "They're good with it." She answered referring to Charlene about the Gilberts. "Go right ahead."
"That helps things." Charlene commented.
After all the introductions were said and done, all the gang proceeded inside. Charlene set her stuff down, and her eyes caught the array of opened books displayed on the bar. As she came closer, the smell of old pages permeated her nose, bringing back a welcoming sense of nostalgia of past memories.
'If only you were here,' Charlene thought to herself as she missed her old teacher. A guiding hand could help her through this. Sometimes, the witch was truly felt alone in instances like this one, but she would never admit that. At least, she wouldn't admit to the young teenagers here. She had a certain reputation to uphold from what's been painted about her.
Some of the spells were familiar to her, and her curiosity didn't let her brush them aside just yet. From simple elemental spells to things of a more complicated nature, Charlene knew spells from front to back. Bookworms had their perks, and she used it to her advantage for the past century. It certainly helped her then, and she wouldn't that not be the case today.
"If only that little disadvantage can help when it's convenient." Bonnie stated with an almost happy sigh of just imagining it. A girl can dream. And then again, some old habits were harder to break when it came to a few certain people.
"Hey, that's a little redundant considering of these few facts. Number One: Elena invited me in a longtime ago. Number Two: I actually have a purpose here. And numerous tries: All of you actually like me being here. Besides, I know all of you would miss me."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, dude, but you were wrong on the last two fun facts." That response came from no other than Jeremy, which surprised all of them.
"At least you know half of us would are going to have to disagree with you, Damon." The olive-green eyed witch quickly added, trying to dampen the situation she instigated. No need for Elena to feel any more awkward.
The eldest Salvatore snorted, closing the door behind him as he crossed over the threshold. "Heh. You just don't appreciate me enough."
Charlene raised her head to speak, but Elena beat her to the punch.
"We appreciate you. All of us do, and that's all that needs to be said." Elena reached for Damon and kissed him deep and lovingly, trying to prove the sincerity behind her words.
Charlene watched the affection between the vampires in silence with a pained smile. She was thankful no one was paying attention to her. She had better skills on keeping her emotions at bay and hiding them beneath the surface. One of the perks of being around for a hundred years she guessed. She could have been a coward and turn her head away and prevent herself from the stabbing pang in her heart. If she were to be honest, it felt like a knife stabbing her in her heart repeatedly, but she never voiced her despair. No one would ever know. However, the blonde witch kept a gentle expression, watching happily at Damon melting into the warmth of the love given from Elena. She played the role of a coward for too long.
'At least he got some happiness after all that happened.' Charlene kept the thought to herself. It wouldn't be welcomed here. There's been enough intruders in these kids' lives, and Charlene would be on her way once she was done with her task.
Giving them the ammunition to at least incapacitate Klaus gave her enough inspiration to trudge forward. The blonde witch knew she already damned herself with her own actions haunting her, but that was fine. She came to terms with that, and she was willing to die with only a few regrets.
Deciding to break away from her self-inflicted moment of misery, Charlene broke the silence.
"She is right, Damon." Charlene forced herself to use his full name. "You're appreciated here, and it's because you've done what is what you wanted to do all along. Despite that it may have been a more self-centered desire, you are Elena's protector. That has managed to help you so far, and you will protect everyone here because of her. It's for her you do that. That's why even I am going to need you before the end of this."
Every one of them had a role to play. All of the gang turned their attention towards Charlene, solidifying the reality before her. It was time to get down to business.
"I'm going to need all of you before the end of today."
{Louder Than Thunder}
Dead.
Everything was dead.
The world might as well been dead to him.
He held no care for others anymore. There were in no inhibitions to cage the monster beneath him. The black-hearted monster broke out of its cage and wreaked havoc in its freedom. In just a few months' time, what balanced between the man named Niklaus and Klaus the Hybrid was thrown into disarray. Constant chaos battled and raged inside of him. Clanging and fighting for the right of control. In the ruins of the dark, charred, and bloodied battlefield, the last piece of his humanity clawed its way for survival. To just exist after all the suffering would be a miracle.
However, there's no room for miracles for those who are dead and buried.
The dark black monster fought against his enemy before. They used to be in a balance of one another. They equalized perfectly in what Klaus was composed of. Between the villain and the man with humanity, they worked well together for the most part despite their differences. But this was different now from all the other battles. This wasn't just a scramble. It was war.
With all of its new found strength, the monster inside Klaus' soul attacked as if it were a terrible plague upon the earth. Anger, hate, despair, regret, and guilt formed into a mass hurricane of destruction. Nothing could evade its path. With one last move, this would be the trump card that would change the tide of the battle.
And it won.
With Klaus' last piece of humanity deprived of hope, it was weak against the terrible blackness that its enemy was composed of. The darkness took over and gained the throne of controlling Klaus' soul. Klaus' humanity was buried deep in within the chasms of the unrelenting darkness. Only a special kind of light could penetrate that darkness, and that light didn't exist anymore.
Only the darkness remained, and there was no way his humanity would be unearthed again.
His eyes rested on Rebekah's fallen form; her skin gray and ash while her breathing ceased. She could have passed for just sleeping if it weren't for the silver dagger in her heart. If it weren't for her head faced in his direction, it would have been easy to say that it was Caroline instead of Rebekah lying there before him dead.
Too bad, the easy solution to remedy Rebekah's current predicament would be to just take away the dagger from her heart.
Nothing is easy.
The dull ache in his gums from the lack of blood increased, prodding his teeth for release. Klaus wasn't always reckless when it came to his health, but his thirst for scotch outweighed his thirst for blood. Nothing could ever satisfy him whether it was the alcohol or blood. He was just nothing, but a black hole sucking the life out of everything. And everything around Klaus drove him mad to no end. His plans were supposed to be fluid and straight through with precision, but he always fell for the same wretched trap when it came to dealing with those insolent fools. Everything he had worked so hard was falling apart.
In his mind, he was growing soft.
He clenched his teeth. No. He can't get soft. Not now.
Stepping away from the wooden table where his sister rested, the Original hybrid paced back and forth like a paranoid animal, his mind wracking for some revelation. Finding none here, he marched out of the room and headed into the main foyer. His hard strides on the marble floor were the only sound echoing throughout the mansion with silence as Klaus' only company. Elijah was daggered and hidden in a safe spot where no one could find him except for Klaus. Rebekah was in her similar predicament, but didn't have the luxury of a coffin to shield her from her brother's rage. And, his witch-for-hire was nowhere to be found on the premises.
Heh, good riddance. Klaus smirked at the thought cruelly. It wasn't hard to figure out where she would wonder off. He never pegged her to be of the foolish type, but this would prove that statement. Klaus never condoned with disappointment well, and especially where betrayal was concerned. No problem. He would take care of her soon enough. All he would have to do is to get creative.
Walking out of the mansion and onto the paved driveway, he sped into town with his hunger taking over. His predatory eyes scanned through the routinely mundane bustle of people going on about their business in the small little town. He slithered into the crowd of humans like a snake hiding in the grass. Quiet. Silent. Ready to strike when they least expected to.
The urge to guffaw at the humans was foreign to Klaus, but he made up for it with his signature wicked smirk pulling on his lips. It was so pathetic. If they think they even had the slightest chance of being safe...well, he was going to let them enjoy the surprise. He had his sights on the busy Mystic Grill, and he was ready to make an order. A huge order for the perfect feast.
But first things, first. He needed to get his ingredients.
{Louder Than Thunder}
It felt so strange. Everyone sitting for at the dining table like they were having a family meeting. All of the chairs were filled save one. All supernatural occupied within this meeting, talking among each other with coffee offered to them like it was another day at the office. Although, the great coffee was a nice almost-icebreaker for the group, it was still filled with awkwardness that made Charlene sit uncomfortably in her seat.
It was so unsettling.
The sitting order was like this. Damon sat on the end closest to the front of the house with Elena by his side as always. While Elena sat by Damon's right, Bonnie sat on his left, which kind of surprised Charlene but she didn't voice it. Jeremy picked his spot beside his sister, which left him next to the witch. Charlene had taken up the opposite end of the table.
But it was time to get down to business, and Charlene wanted to properly discuss this like the young adults they were.
"What do you mean you need all of us?" Jeremy asked Charlene, which grated Damon's nerves for already seeing the obvious answer to Charlene's question.
The witch sensed this and shook her head at Damon, holding her hand for him to yield. She had this handled. "It means although you are the ones needing protection, you won't have to just sit there like sitting ducks. Pardon my phrasing, but it was the only way I could put it."
"So that does mean there is a plan." Damon stated with his blue eyes focused on the witch in front of him.
"Damon, you know me the longest out of everyone here. Aren't I already a woman who looks before she leaps? Surely, you would know me well enough to agree." Charlene replied smoothly as she took a sip of her coffee, trying to drink the edge off. Doubt wasn't going to help anywhere in this, and she preferred for them to have some faith in her before they tossed her aside.
Hell, she had little faith in herself.
"People change throughout the years, and it's been a long time since we last chatted. You've been known to throw logic into the wind and not caring about the consequences. In fact, I remember you ended up bashing a bourbon bottle to my head. Remember that?"
Stupidly brave or generous. Those words rang in her head with perfect clarity. Charlene chuckled softly as she remembered that night. Damon hadn't changed from the egotistical drunk that tried to bite her head off. Vampire or not, he was still the same dangerous man who isn't afraid of taking a life. But he was right. People do change, and both of them did. She was surer of how much Damon changed than she did herself. Charlene wasn't pleased with some of the things he did over the years, but she was glad there was some piece of humanity in him that remained alive. That gave her some hope.
"Yeah, I remember. But I also remember something else too." Charlene clarified. "You asked me a question that night. What was I capable of? Well, I do know now. I know fully what I am capable of, and that's one of the reasons why I am here."
"Before we go over the plan, I want to uphold our part of the bargain." Bonnie jumped into the conversation. Right by her chair, she stood up holding her messenger bag, taking out the old leather-bound journals that had been in her possession for so long. After all her time, her research, and a few other tricks up her sleeve, Bonnie managed to piece everything together. "What I am giving you is what Klaus promised you, but that promise was empty, wasn't it?"
Silence filled the room as Charlene struggled not to bite back the regret threatening her self-control. The mention of Klaus still brought shivers of fear down her spine, and greater demons whispered in her mind. No. Not now. It's not the time for this mess. Releasing a heavy breath, she nodded. "That promise was going to be filled at his own convenience, but I was foolish to believe him."
It was weird talking about Klaus so easily. He was so linked to everything in all of their lives. Not one person could say that Klaus wasn't tied to them or otherwise it would be a lie. The world had enough lies in its abundance. Truth was rare and precious. Charlene's wishful thinking of being numb to it all might have helped after all. She wasn't afraid to die now. When it was all said and done, Klaus could rot in the lowest grave for all she cared. Charlene wasn't going to leave this world without making a few preparations.
The stupidly brave and generous parts of her helped her for once.
Bonnie nodded to her Charlene's answer, acknowledging with similarity. Empty promises. Twisted lies. Bloody misery. There's been enough misery. Setting the books on the table, she began to explain. "These journals in front of you belong to an ancestor of mine named Emily Bennett. You know who she is, right?"
Of course, Charlene knew. Who didn't? "Yes, everyone has heard of her. It's common knowledge. What does this have to do with me?"
"What do you know about her then?"
The blonde witch arched an eyebrow, but she played along with the twenty questions. "Emily Bennett was born during the early 1800's, along the Bay Colony of New England. At some point in her life, she became the handmaiden of a vampire named Katherine Pierce. She was also one of the most powerful witches of the Bennett bloodline. She had children, and promised Damon Salvatore that she would cast a spell to protect his beloved Katherine in exchange for protecting her lineage because she feared for her children. She died by burning at the stake."
Listening to the witch, the words sounded like she reiterated them from an encyclopedia. While everyone seemed a bit interested, it was Damon that was confused. Did Charlene keep tabs on him so much that she even dove into his past more so than he thought?
The Bennett waited until the witch was finished before correcting her.
"That's where you're wrong." Bonnie explained slowly, sitting down by the empty chair beside Charlene, pushing the journals closer to Charlene. "Emily Bennett didn't die at the stake. She actually died as a very old woman who lived way past her time."
Everyone watched the blonde witch's reaction with curious eyes. Only confusion appeared in her face, but there was apprehension as if she was waiting for the ax to come down.
"What are you telling me, Bonnie?" Charlene struggled to get the question out.
The magicless witch raised her hand and gently placed it on the blonde's shoulder. Charlene turned to look up at the witch, confused about the foreign yet familiar glint in her eyes. It was gentle and filled with a sympathy that Charlene received only from a select few. Klaus would never have room for any emotion as selfless as that. It never fitted him, especially now with a target painted on her back. Charlene waited for the teenager to answer.
"What you've been looking for was your biological information. You couldn't find any since the sources weren't available for you. That was due because of your father's doing."
"Bonnie, just spit it out, will ya?!" The male vampire snapped. "We're not waiting until Christmas."
Bonnie turned to Damon, her olive-green eyes narrowing at him with a hard look. "This isn't something you can just rush, Damon."
"May I remind you that we don't have the luxury of forever? Oh, and you know what's really great? Wait for it. There's a mind-fucked Original with his plans involving an entrée involving kill and torture with a side of vengeance. And guess who the main course is?" The mocking tone in his voice pushed everyone close to edge. Some reactions pushed some towards worry while others were hitting more on the angrier ends.
Jeremy wisely kept his silence while Elena glanced warily between Damon and Bonnie, noting palpable anger and fear radiating from him. This was the worst time for one of Damon's outbursts, and he wasn't helping things at all. She tried to calm him, but to no avail. "Damon, please stop. Just sit down."
Her words fell on deaf ears. Damon wasn't going to listen. He couldn't. There was no way in hell he could now. He was stubborn and too angry with his frustration with everything hitting an all-time high. The eldest Salvatore ignored everything else around and only focused ahead with his eyes sighted on the two witches in front of him. He stood there at the end of the table, rigid and iron budged with his hands itching to stake Klaus where it would hurt most. His dark and twisted mind kept imagining Klaus fallen from his high horse, looking up to Damon with desperate eyes. Begging for the mercy of his life whilst Damon held the cards.
Damon wasn't going to be fucking charitable. He never was a charitable man.
He could see it now. With the white oak stake in his hand, Damon would stab Klaus in the face first. He wants Klaus to suffer. He wanted to paint him red like Klaus had done to his baby brother once upon a fucking time.
An eye for an eye.
The last thing he wanted to give to Klaus was the relief of death. Not a damn chance.
He was so fucking sick of this.
Everyone had their struggles with everything that transpired for the past few months. Pushed to the edge of paranoia combined with the grief and anger towards the man who was causing hell for all of them. The desperation followed them and it drove them to work to the point of exhaustion in trying to find a solution. Being stuck in a cage with all the emotion weight on their shoulders didn't help the strain. They couldn't afford random outbursts of breaking down. They couldn't break down now when they were so close to setting themselves free.
But snapping like this without thinking was basically putting a gun to your head.
Klaus must be cackling at their misery right about now. Playing them like a puppeteer and its strings, and he left them nothing but pain to be their company.
The strings needed to be cut.
"You know what, Damon? Thank you for pointing out the obvious as always. You know, it really didn't come to mind until now so I'm glad you're reminding me once again." Bonnie's sugary voice didn't match her growing hot temper. The false sweetness evaporated just as quickly as it came, and pure hot anger bubbled up to the surface with Damon as its target. "And you know, I don't even know why you're here, sometimes. Besides protecting Elena, what else are you good for besides running your mouth when it's not needed?"
Damon's mouth moved into a knowing and arrogant smirk. "I'm here because without your magic, you're just like the rest of these kids here. You're in need of protecting whether you like to admit it to the audience here." The vampire replied coldly.
"I can protect myself just fine." The hunter protested.
"Jer, please. Not now." Elena tried to quiet him, but none of her actions helped the situation.
"No! No! This is just great. It's actually perfect timing because the evidence is right here." Damon's laughter border-lined close to madness almost. "Because even after I tried training the genius here, that got screwed up pretty damn bad. And not only that, Elena can't handle being a vampire with the sire bond still tangling things up. And now here we have your case, your magic takes a one way trip to god knows where because your guardian angels look down on rebellious witches. Welcome to the Damsels-In-Distress club. You're being welcomed with open arms."
Pure white anger exploded within Bonnie as Damon's words cut through her like knives. Clenching her teeth, she slammed her fist on the table with the loud bang quickly following. Everyone around her except for Charlene and Damon flinched at the magicless witch's angry display.
"Where were you, Damon? Hmm? Were you there when Klaus and Tyler fought it out?" Bonnie asked a simple question. "Were you there when Caroline got caught in the crossfire? Did you watch her as she fell to the ground with a goddamn white oak stake sticking out of her chest? Did you try to save her with everything you had only for your source of what could help her to be taken away? Did you try to do something right just for once to try to save someone you love?" However, she refused to give into pain. She used pain as the gasoline for the real fight that was ahead of her. Damon was nothing compared to the Klaus. The Salvatore didn't instill fear into her and never brought out this unbridled fury aimed towards the Original Hybrid. However, Damon was doing a hell of good job of pushing her there. "Do you even know what it's like to have something like your soul stripped away from you?"
"No, I don't. I was doing what I was told in trying to get the professor and these two." Damon answered as he pointed to Elena and Jeremy. "And, no. I'm not a magical time bomb so I don't know what it's like. And to be quite honest, I don't care. The only thing I care about is protecting Elena from the half-bred asshole that wants her dead." Damon answered callously as he returned the glare aimed to kill him.
"That's the thing, Damon." Bonnie gritted out as she trembled. "You don't know anything. You've got no right to talk to me when both of us know you would not have done what I tried to do. So don't you dare patronize me when you know that you would have left Caroline for dead!"
"I wouldn't-AHHH!" Damon's words were cut off when his knees buckled from beneath him, his body succumbing to the torrent of pain coursing through his body.
The lake house fell silent. The only sound heard were Damon's grunts and moans against the pain. Bonnie backed away trembling, her eyes slowly shifting around the room, confused about what could've brought the Salvatore to his knees. It wasn't her as much as she desperately wished.
"No! Damon!" Elena cried out as she tried to go to Damon, but she was hoisted into the air by an invisible force, pressure building around her throat. Her body hung there like a ragdoll, her dainty hands clawing to remove the invisible steel fingers. Her doe eyes scattered frantically left and right, finally landing on her best friend as she tried to use her voice. "Bon...nie..."
Bonnie's eyes followed the direction of Elena's hand, landing on the source. Charlene.
The situation only got worse as Bonnie heard the loading of an arrow into Jeremy's crossbow. The hunter held the crossbow steadily with his eyes set on the one harming his sister. The familiar predatory look that usually accompanied him didn't make its presence known like before. There was an aura of protectiveness radiating from him. Vamp or not, no one harms his sister. Even if the one harming Elena was about as human as he was.
"Charlene!" Bonnie gasped. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Charlene ignored her. "Jeremy, if you want your sister unharmed, lower the crossbow or else she's going to get hurt."
Elena still struggled under Charlene's grip. Every twinge of hurt emitted from Elena stabbed everyone in the heart like knives, especially for Damon and Jeremy.
"Let me my sister go!" Jeremy yelled at the witch, his voice trembling with anger and anxiety.
"Stop it, Char! This wasn't supposed to happen!"
Charlene still continued to ignore them. She stood there away from the group, her right hand controlling Damon with her fingers facing towards the ceiling. Her fingers were tight and twisted like claws sinking into Damon as she held him there. The witch's other hand was lifted into the air more freely, suspending Elena into the air for everyone to see. As much as she hated it, Charlene wasn't afraid of administering her magic if it was necessary. She just wasn't going to let anyone attack her. She was going to protect herself from all contingencies.
It would be so easy. Just to let her magic take over and do what it would naturally do against a vampire. Charlene could end Elena's life with just a snap, but she had a gentle heart. It was her gift and curse. She didn't have it in her to do it, and she was a fool not to end it here.
"I'm not going to let myself be unprotected, Bonnie. I've been threatened enough by stronger monsters, and I would like to go through one day without vampires trying to hurt me."
Damon still remained on his knees rendered helpless. Invisible chains wrapped around his frame, and he struggled to get out to try to help his girlfriend. "If you hurt her..." he growled with his eyes glowing red.
Red vampire eyes met darkened blue ones. "You'll do what, Damon? Threaten me? Hurt me? Tear me apart? Kill me? Do me a favor, and just shut it. If you actually want to threaten me, use some originality unlike every other damn vampire I've met."
"Please, Charlene. Just put Elena down." The magicless witch pleaded.
"Not until Jeremy puts down his crossbow."
"Dammit, dumbass! Throw the damn bow away before your sister dies!" Damon yelled before the pain won out again in the fight.
The sight Elena's imprisonment continued without relief. Jeremy shook his head and hesitated with all the loud voices yelling at him. Out of the corner of her vision, Elena nodded slowly to her brother, barely whispering. "Please, Jer. Just...do it."
Finally after what seemed to be an eternity, Jeremy slowly placed the crossbow on the ground. Once the crossbow was down, along came Elena with it. She was gingerly laid upon the floor; the female vampire gasped and coughed into a fit as air finally went into her lungs. Jeremy was by her side in an instant, holding his older sister against him as he lent a hand. Bonnie reached to her friend's side, trying to lend comfort too as well.
Charlene couldn't help, but watch with quizzical eyes. 'That girl is the center of it all,' she thought quietly. Everything made the difference with her life. She didn't know whether to be scared or just not care. Both reactions are daunting either way.
Focusing on the bane of her existence, Charlene stepped away from the group and made her way towards Damon. Today has been a very long day, and she was so tired of the crap. She felt his eyes upon her back and burning holes right through her. He didn't know what effect he had over her, or that's what she thought from time to time. Even with her magic, she couldn't read minds. It wasn't part of the package. However, she wasn't going to let him interfere with what needed to be done.
The blonde finally stood before him, her head held high, no once of fear showing. She was too angry and fed up to feel anything else. Her hand still remained in its tight place, determined not to let Damon move an inch. Give him an inch, and he'd go for the mile. In all honesty, she had given him too much.
"Let me ask you a question. Do you know what the secret of your prison is, Day? Do you know how I am able to control you so easily?" Charlene inquired as she stood in front of him.
"Gee, I don't know. Why don't you enlighten me?" Damon quipped with a half of his smirk tugging his mouth.
'Gladly,' Charlene didn't voice her thoughts. Let's have Damon see that actions are louder than words. Everything about her froze. Her anger wasn't like hot and burning as fire would. She was colder. Preferring silence to show what she felt when she heard nothing but the lifelessness of winter. Usually, she was afraid of silence as a child. Silence meant void of life, but why not use that to her advantage? Use her fears as weapons towards others. Maybe Klaus taught her something after all.
Concentrating, she envisioned Damon's body in front of her. Both of his legs were accounted for as she took care of them earlier. He couldn't move without her permission, but she wanted to take it up a notch. Her familiar darker side began to drip into her mind, circling around her and whispering about what she could do. The barest form of a wicked grin festered and grew. Turning to Damon's arms, the blood vessels within began to burst, one by one.
She was the only one who was silent to Damon's grunts and moans as he tried to fight against the agony. She could hear Elena's struggle in to keep quiet. Bonnie trying to calm her down and to hold her still. Jeremy keeping Elena back from hurting herself after the display of the witch's power against vampires. Charlene held the urge to snort as she watched Damon's torment. This was nothing compared to what she did to Klaus the last time.
Bending down, she wordlessly lifted the Salvatore's face, facing him directly. She didn't know whether to just stay silent or laugh at his face. Both sounded tempting. "At least I won't get interrupted like you did earlier because I am so giving and prevented anyone from doing so. You're going to be the star of this little show...at least in this one. I don't put on many of them."
Damon was too spellbound to utter a word. This woman in front of him wasn't the one he remembered from all those years ago. Yes, he remembered she was a witch. Yes, he knew that she could hold her own. However, this scarce darkness didn't fit in place with her yet it looked so natural. Primal and cold and instinctual. It was so easy to just think he was too stupid to believe that she was capable of something so reminiscent in himself. That unholy glint in her eyes that bubbled to the surface unsettled him, rendering him into silence.
"The secret is the water in your blood. Blood is mostly composed of water to be honest. Although I work with the elements as a witch, water is primarily my preferred favorite. It's the only element that can transform so easily. Solid, liquid, gas. It's effortless and quick. One thing at this moment, and it can turn on you in an instant. That's why it's so dangerous. I can manipulate it to my liking. Like now, I can make you choke on your own words."
And not a second after, Damon's throat constricted and he regurgitated on his own blood, sprays of blood leaving his mouth and staining the floor. Charlene stepped back, frowning at the droplets of blood now caked into her boots. Great.
"Not every witch can do what I just did, but I'm sure Bonnie did the same. She just didn't know the inner details of it. It allows a witch to hydrokinetically take hold of and manipulate the various fluids within an organism's body. In this instance, you."
And with her extensive medical knowledge, Charlene knew where every vein and blood vessel was located within the body. In this case, she knew exactly where to administer her attacks, how to disable her opponents to her advantage. She may not have been a vampire for hundreds of years, but she definitely had tricks up her sleeve that made her prepared. She wasn't a fighter naturally, but she'll defend herself if need be.
"Please, Charlene." Bonnie asked in a soft tone. "That's enough."
Bonnie was right. This was enough for now. Relinquishing her magic, she let her hands relax from holding Damon in his prison. The invisible chains that were wrapped around him evaporated, and he slumped to the floor around the witch's feet. Hearing his heavy breathing, Charlene sighed heavily.
"Elena, you can go to Damon." She dismissed the vampires, and proceeded to the kitchen. "Bonnie, can you help me find a knife please? I need it real quick."
Elena didn't need to be told twice. She sped over to her boyfriend's side, offering her aid to him in an instant. "Damon. Damon!" She gently slapped his cheek, trying to gather his attention. His blue eyes were opened, but unfocused to the world around him. "Damon, listen to me. I'm here. I'm here." Elena called out to him. "It's over now. Are you okay?"
Her voice echoed through his head, bringing him back to reality. He tried to open his eyes only to see blurry shapes in front of him. He turned his head to the side, his attention towards the sound of Elena's voice, cracking his usual nonchalant smile. "Hey, I've been through worse scrapes than this. It'll take more than that to bring this bad boy down." He managed to say before he coughed heavily.
Worried sick about Damon, Elena tried to steady him. "Take it easy, let's get you sitting up." The vampire brought her boyfriend against the wall with his limbs hanging against his sides.
Jeremy hung out in the background with his crossbow steady by his side. He took turns between watching his sister tend to Damon and Bonnie helping out the questionably crazy blonde witch. At least, the witch ranked on the crazy scale in his point of view. Elena managed to get Damon sitting against the wall, holding her wrist out for him to drink from.
"Careful, Elena." Jeremy warned.
"I'll be fine, Jer." Elena reminded him. She brought her wrist closer to Damon's mouth, urging him to drink. "Come on, Damon. Drink."
Damon didn't say a word with his eyes so fixed upon Elena's wrist, his sensitive ears hearing the blood pumping through the veins and arteries. His supernatural features flickered and his fangs released themselves from their prison before breaking the skin. His heavy thirst ruled his actions, and he withdrew from Elena more than she anticipated. Damon held her wrist tightly with both of his hands; the knuckles of hands turning white in the process as this went on.
The brunette held back a groan as Damon drank from her. She offered her blood, and she was going to help him. But as he drank further, she began to lose color in her skin, turning paler by the minute. Grimacing, she struggled to pry her hand away from Damon's mouth.
Before Elena could say a word, Charlene spoke out. "That's enough, Damon."
The Salvatore tore his fangs away from Elena's wrist, leaving two bloody holes in her arm. The vampire met up to the witch's firm stare as she held a plastic cup in front of him. The smell of the contents from the cup wafted towards him, his attention shifting to what could be inside. It smelled so tantalizing that it made his throat run dry. Swallowing thickly, without a second thought, he snatched the cup away from her and downed the liquid in one swoop. It soothed his aching throat and other pains throughout his body combined with the blood he received from Elena.
Everything about Damon changed back to normal once he had drunk enough to heal. Charlene took back the cup from him and inspected him further before she stood up. She knew she had done the damage to him, and the least thing she could do is help him back to health.
Charlene donated a cup of her blood to Damon to help heal faster. It's rare she did that because of the potential dangers involved, but she took the risk. It really wasn't that much of a secret, but it wasn't the main reason that witches had their animosity towards vampires. Besides vampires upsetting the balance of nature, there was another concern for witches. Their blood wasn't like regular humans. In a way, it was like a last secret weapon for a witch. If a vampire decides to drain a witch, there's the potential of making the vampire who drained them addicted to their blood. Like with any drug, they would be consumed with getting their high. Without the witch's blood, the withdrawal symptoms were dangerous.
Despite how kind Charlene was, vampires were still vampires. Bloodsuckers. Damon wasn't no exception.
"You should be back to normal in a little while. The last batch of blood ought to do it." Charlene said as she tossed the cup away into the trash. She wiped the blood away from the healing wound from her wrist. "Thanks for helping, Bonnie."
"Why?" Damon struggled to find his voice again despite being healed. He stood up from sitting down, and straightened himself out. "What was the point of almost trying to kill me? I thought you liked me better than that."
"I wasn't trying to kill you, despite how tempting it maybe sometimes. It may come as a shock to you, but I can't stand fighting." She said the last word with disdain. "Besides, you and Bonnie were getting into it pretty badly, and I took precautions. Think of it as a warning of what I can do if you decide to do anything rash like that again. We can't afford to do that. I'm not going to let you jeopardize what we need to do. It's like I said earlier, I need all of you work with me."
What happened next shocked everyone.
"If that's the way it is, then so be it. Let's just get the show on the road then." Elena stated with a determined look in her eyes. As scared as she was, she was a point where she was ready for a change. She needed to toughen up. No more tears. Change wasn't going to come with her sitting around feeling sorry for herself.
Jeremy walked towards his sister, standing close to her side protectively with his crossbow in hand while his other hand clasped Elena's. "She's right. We can't stay here doing nothing. It's time we do something."
Charlene saw this, and the little to nonexistent hope inside her chest grew. Looking at the group in front of her, she knew there was a chance. Small it maybe, but dammit she was going to take it. A grateful smile lit up her face. She can work with this. There's potential.
Charlene knew it was time to get down to business. Putting her hair into a high ponytail and taking off her denim jacket, the witch began preparations. "Alright, everybody. This is how things are going to be. I'm not going to lie. It's going to be dangerous, and I don't need to reiterate on what the risks are. What I need you to do is follow my directions to the letter as I'm going through this. The main priority here is getting Bonnie's magic. Without it, she doesn't have a chance in withstanding against Klaus. This spell is already difficult with everything that's involved. Every one of you has a job to do."
She turned to the Damon first. "Damon, your job is just like usual. You need to protect them, but you're the only vampire closest to fight off someone like Klaus so this makes things more difficult for you. I won't be able to protect myself since I'll be busy focusing on the spell. I'm counting on you to keep us safe long enough until Bonnie has her magic back."
"Crystal clear, ma'am." Damon responded with a wink.
The blonde witch resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she went to discuss Jeremy next. "Okay, Jeremy. Your job is going to be about the same as Damon's, but a little more precarious. You're both a protector and a moving target. You will still do what you do naturally as a hunter if it ever comes for the need to kill some vampires. However, I want you to run and protect yourself if need be. I don't want Elena to lose another family member. Therefore, you'll be protecting the girls and me while I do the spell."
Jeremy nodded. "Sounds easy enough."
Elena was next on the list. On her way towards the vampire, Charlene cleared off the wooden table and brought the grimoires and books to set them up near the edge. When the witch was almost finish setting up, Elena strode over with wonderment. "What am I supposed to do then?"
"Your role in this is more of a supporting one. I am going to need you to be an anchor for Bonnie to hold on to while I am doing the spell. With the state she's going to be in, there has to be something on this side of reality to bring her back. While the boys are handling the gritty stuff, you can stay and help Bonnie. Besides, I didn't want you to think that you were useless because you're not."
"But what is it that I'm supposed to do, Charlene?" Bonnie questioned her with confusion. "You're telling everyone what they need to do, but you've never told us on what exactly what you've got planned."
'Here goes,' the witch thought to herself. Turning her attention towards Bonnie, she gently grasped the Bennett's hands into her own, squeezing them reassuringly. "Bonnie, you're the most important piece to the puzzle. By the time we're finished with this, you're going to better than you ever have imagined. However, you need to finish what you were telling me earlier as I prepare. I'm not going to let that deal slide so easily. After I've got what I needed, we're essentially going to do this: I am going to send you to the Other Side to get your magic back."
{Louder Than Thunder}
Was it possible that he was in hell?
The screams of terrors filling his ears were loud enough to indicate such a place. Blood ran through his hands like water from the bloodbath that was just beginning. Klaus was enjoying torturing the poor souls that were in his clutches. He held no sympathy for them. Nothing existed for the poor humans that were in his domain. It was too bad that there was only a limited number that he could fit into the room, which he used to store them. He gazed throughout the area, admiring his handiwork with his masterpieces hanging helplessly from their imprisonment. Well, sadly that was a gentler way of putting it.
After his last session of picking and prodding at Stefan, he had to admit that he became rather fond of the bear traps that were used last. It was fortunate that he found a stash of them hiding within the basement. They did very nicely indeed.
Klaus possessed a twisted way of looking at things. When he decides to get creative, he takes it to a level that's indescribable. In all honestly, he really wasn't all that bad despite his flaws. However, if he was pushed hard enough, the ending result wouldn't be so pretty. Well, it wouldn't be pretty for the victim of his creativity. He smirked in delight at bloody memories coming to the surface. Katerina Petrova. His twelve traitorous hybrids. And now, the ones that he was planning for the future and the one that was about to begin. He heavily sighed. Everybody is a critic.
He firmly believed that this was only for his participation. Klaus wasn't going to let anyone interfere with the bloodbath he was creating. This was all pleasure and gratification for him. He didn't utter a word of the underlying reason buried inside of him. There was no way he was losing control. Not ever again.
His eyes landed upon his beloved sister sitting in the ornate chair in a slumped manner. Her skin still grayed as ash and veins protruded to the surface thanks to the silver dagger in her heart. The Original Hybrid sauntered slowly to his sister, burning her face to his memories. With an unusual gentleness, the back of his hand caressed her gray cheek, leaving a bloody smear behind it. It was always her that stuck by his side. Through thick and thin, it was always her that he could rely on when things got hard. And despite everything that transpired, she never betrayed him and that was noteworthy to him in so many ways.
Klaus couldn't lose her now. He could lose Finn, Kol, and Elijah a million times over if he had to, but he couldn't bear to go with through her loss. It would break him.
The last thrum of a heartbeat stole his attention. He turned around to watch the last of the woman's life fade away, her last breath escaping her body as it succumbed to blood loss. Klaus pulled the brunette's hair away from her face, imagining a certain doppelganger's face morphing into the dead woman's face. Soon.
"It will be soon." Klaus stated with finality in his tone.
It's a good thing he had all the time in the world today. He can go out of this hell he created and add more to put on the rack. And that was exactly what he was doing. When he turned his back to his victims, he stopped for a moment. He gave a last lingering glance to one certain human male stilled by the bear traps. Seeing him struggle, seeing him squirm like the pathetic human he was, it was almost pitiful. It left a dull nauseating feeling for him. Klaus will see how long the lad will last.
A wicked smirk worked its way into Klaus' features. Think of this a favor towards the gang who were nothing against him. After all, Klaus would only be getting rid of the dead weight in their little circle. There would be no more humans when the day is out.
{Louder Than Thunder}
Damon Salvatore was so glad to be a vampire. Being a vampire was relatively was simple. Undead humans who feed upon the blood of the living. Immortal and ageless. Indestructible against what could most likely kill humans in a blink of an eye. Not to mention, the advantages of a little mind control that spice the vampire life just a bit. Yeah, being a vampire was pretty great. He didn't have to deal with the difficult law of supernatural physics and theory that came with witches and God knows what.
Then again, he wasn't so lucky in having a simple day.
"So what's this crap I need to get again?" Damon asked, his eyes scrutinizing the names on the list and the pictures that represent them. Like seriously? How do witches memorize all this crap? "First there's this Chinese sounding plant called dong quai, some witchy brew stuff called skullcap, and - oh! Get this! Lemon balm! This crap actually exists?! There's actually a name like this?"
Charlene sighed for the fifteenth time that day. Does she always have to explain everything to him? Stopping in the midst of preparations, she made her way over to him. "Yes, oh lost one. It's pretty self-explanatory, Damon. I did you a favor of giving the names and what they look like. I could have looked for it myself, but we don't have the luxury of time on our side. That's why your vampire speed comes in handy, and as you can already see, I'm busy."
"Woman, I'm practically Speedy Gonzales." The Salvatore boasted. "I can get this done within a heartbeat if it were that easy. However, you just had to ask for the plants that aren't growing outside of the window sill."
Charlene had no choice, but to acknowledge silently to Damon's statement. Looking out towards the window, she could see the expansive green forest that surrounded the lakehouse. It would definitely be a maze for Damon, but she had no one else for the job. She was preoccupied with preparing the spell, Elena going out there was out of the question, Bonnie was the same, and someone had to stay to at least give some protection, which was left up to Jeremy. The witch didn't have many options to pick.
"Damon, you're the fastest vampire here. I'm just trying to do what works for everyone, and trying to go on your terms. This isn't just a plan I thought at the last minute. I thought through this carefully, and as you can see I'm trying to cover every contingency." Charlene told him.
Listening to the witch's words, he had no choice but to agree. He had known the risk of using her for this, but his instincts won in his favor. She proved to not have a hidden agenda with twists and turns that bring chaos everywhere she goes. The Originals were enough with all the baggage they bring with them. Now, there was a chance to get out of their hair for good. Damon knew that once he got out, he was going to take the cure for Elena and hide her away from Klaus for good. He would never be able to find her again. He was selfish enough to just take her away from everyone else, but the only reason he hadn't done that now was because of her happiness. She was happier with her family with her. Jeremy was the only one left.
Only for her was he willing to make that exception.
"I see that." Damon admitted.
He fell silent for a moment as his eyes wandered towards Elena's direction as he watched her with Bonnie. He could hear what she and Judgy were talking about, but he chose to shut it out. All he did was watch the scene before him with Elena looking into one of the grimoires with curiosity shining in her brown eyes. His mouth twitched slightly and he cracked a very small grin seeing Elena openly laughing at whatever Bonnie just told her.
God, Elena was so beautiful. Just to hear her laugh, it was enough to give him hope for her to be happy.
It furthered his determination.
A tentative hand touched his arm, making him break out of his thoughts. He turned his head in meeting Charlene's kind eyes. Sometimes, he really didn't get her. Despite how simple she was, there were occurrences where he didn't understand her actions. She always threw him off guard.
Deciding to take this outside, he ushered Charlene by grabbing her hand and leading outside on the porch and closed the door behind him.
"What the heck, Damon?!" Charlene exclaimed. "Where are we going?"
"Skinny dipping in the lake while we talk about how gorgeous I am." The vampire jested in a sarcastic tone. Looking out of the corner of his vision, he didn't missed the red blush surfacing in Charlene's face. That made him smirk in victory almost. "For someone who's supposed to be the sarcastic one, you don't grasp it well sometimes."
Charlene gave him an annoyed look as she swiped her hand away from him. "I knew you were being sarcastic, you jackass! As for me blushing, you were just seeing things. Besides, who hasn't seen how you look? Every woman surely has."
"I'll admit, I don't remember Charlene Davis having such a foul mouth. How did that come about?"
"Bad influence and bad habits."
"Sounds like something I would have done."
"Oh, I'm sure you had something to do with it, but you weren't the cause of the majority of it." Charlene clarified with a bit of a smile. She turned her back to Damon, picking up her feet, and stepped towards the end of the wooden deck. She could feel his eyes on her back as he watched, but she didn't care. Letting the world fade away for a moment, the witch closed her eyes and raised her arms into the air, almost like a pair of wings. The fresh freeze blew through her and permeated her nose. All the life and nature around her. The water gently sloshing against the wooden deck was her lullaby. The wind swirling around her became her blanket. The sun high above gave her life.
It felt like home.
"I know people have hounded you with this question, but I'm not like most people." Damon broke Charlene out of her tranquil state. "I need to know before I'm taking any risks. Why are you doing this, Char?"
All Damon heard was the water beating against the deck and the birds in the distance. He observed from behind, taking note of how the blonde witch bent down scooping water from the lake with both of her hands. Somehow managing to get up from her knees, she turned around and walked back towards Damon.
Damon's eyes shifted from Charlene's hands, back to her face, and then to her hands again. Before his own eyes, the small body of water began to lift into the air, floating there effortlessly. It manifested and began to transform in front of him. The vampire couldn't help, but watch in bewilderment. The water began to solidify and take shape, resembling on what he could guess to be a flower. It landed in his hands.
"Wow." Damon mused aloud. "You can do this?"
"It takes more concentration, but I can manage to pull it off. Combining two elements is trickier than just using only one." She answered with pride.
He could feel the chill from the ice in his palms. "Is this a rose?"
"No, but nice try." The witch corrected him. "It's a peony flower."
"A what?" Damon asked in confusion. "Seriously, Charlene. I may pull off the genius act most of the time, but I'm admitting defeat here. You're gonna have to explain to me."
Charlene laughed. "You're definitely going to need to brush up on history when you have the spare time. However, I'll tell you what I know. The peony takes back to the Ancient Greeks. The flower was named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil so Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower."
"Should I worry about you turning me into a flower any time soon?" He inquired with a smirk.
She shook her head. "No, I'd do something cleverer. Besides, turning you into a flower wouldn't do you justice."
"Are you going to answer my question any time soon?"
He watched her closely as silence fell upon them again. It was like that, sometimes. He never knew what to say to her at times. Damon always knew what he had to do with Elena. Always protect her. Keep her safe from harm. Keep her happy. He always knew what to say to her. However, between him and Charlene always made him wonder. He was questioning what was going on behind those blue note sapphire eyes. How could someone be so open yet so closed at the same time?
Maybe between her and him, she didn't say much without a reason. Other than business, Charlene hardly spoke out casually. It was rare.
Charlene released a heavy sigh, shivering slightly from the cool wind brushing against her arms. She wished she brought out her jacket.
"I'm just tired, Damon. I'm tired of hurting people." The witch answered slowly, looking out to the water to avoid his gaze. She didn't need his judging gaze now. "I know it's part of our nature as part of the supernatural, even as a witch, that people will get hurt regardless. I made mistakes that got people I cared about hurt, and I'm paying for them now."
"What did you do?" Damon's curiosity was peaked.
Charlene shook her head, waving the question away. "It doesn't matter. All that matters now is that I'll be able to help all of you and give you a chance in stopping Klaus."
Deciding to let her be from the question before, he handed her back the sculptured flower and hesitantly grasped her shoulders, making Charlene look up at him in surprise. "Why are you so eager to help us take him out?" he asked in a tone that surprised Charlene even more.
She glanced at her creation in her hands and looked back up at him again. "Because I don't want to hurt more people under his employment. It's sickening. I'm just tired of him and his insanity. People get hurt. People die all the time." The truth coming from her hurt more than she realized. "What gives him the special right to play the God when he's already miserable and has terrorized other lives?"
"Charlene..."
"I made my decision, Damon. I can't change it now."
"Just let me finish, will you?!" Damon raised his voice for a second before he calmed down again. When he came back to Earth, a rare grateful smile lit up his features. Charlene could only count on one hand on how many times she'd seen that kind of smile from him. It was a novelty. "I wanted to thank you personally. You doing all of this, we wouldn't be able to make this possible. Just...thanks for everything."
The witch tried in vain to hide the small flutter in her hummingbird heart hearing this from him, but she knew the effort was wasted. Vampires can hear practically anything within the distance. Sometimes, Charlene couldn't help the jealously in yearning for the special little perks they possessed. Biting back a wide happy grin, Charlene handed back to the ice sculpture to Damon.
"Thank you for saying that, Day." She said tenderly as she tried to keep her voice steady despite how much his words affected her heart. God, it's been a long day. "It means a lot coming from you."
It was time to get back to the lake, and enough time was wasted. Charlene made large strides towards the lake house as a woman on a mission. She was almost towards the shore when Damon yelled her name.
"Charlene!"
Craning her head, Charlene looked behind her. "Yes, Damon?"
"Don't you want this?" He referred to the ice sculpture, holding it high for the witch to see as the ice glistened in the sun.
"No, I made it for you. Well, it was more for you and Elena. I also used a small spell for it to never melt so it can still have its shape." Charlene yelled her answer to him with a knowing smile. She picked the flower for a reason. 'Consider this is as my blessing,' she thought as she gazed at Damon in the distance.
"What does the flower mean again?"
Rolling her eyes again, she gave his answer. "Healing!"
There was a lack of healing in this little town of Mystic Falls, or that's what Charlene had come to think. There hadn't been a lapse of time for this place to properly get the care it needed. Knowing the melancholy of loss, it lingered over this town as a never ending storm. Looking out to the presently clear horizon, Charlene frowned at the gathering clouds nearby. She may not have been a vampire, but she could clearly discern the smell of ozone in the air. Coming to terms, she hastened her pace back to the lake house with their time now shorter.
"Move it, Damon! We need to get those herbs now, and we don't have much time." Charlene yelled as she marched back to shore only catching someone coming towards the Gilbert family home in the distance. The figure looked familiar as it tried to speed down the gravel driveway, only for it slow and stagger towards Damon's car. Squinting her eyes, Charlene's heart quickened when she recognized who it was.
"Stefan!" Charlene yelled his name. She sprinted to the fallen vampire while he held on onto the bumper of the car to steady himself. The witch was pummeled with the smell of blood caking his clothes, and her eyes widening in horror when she saw the multiple stakes sticking out of his body. "Damon, get over here quick!"
Hearing her call, he flashed over to Charlene's side, shocked to see his brother once again in such bad shape. "What the hell happened, bro?!" Damon questioned him as apprehension filled his gut. "Did you go on a ripper binge or something?"
"No." Stefan gritted out. "Klaus happened."
I'm caught in a hurricane
I'm leaving here dead or alive
And I know that I'd be willing to feel the pain
If it got me to the other side
Cause I only hurt
Oh, hurricane
Yeah I can feel it hurt
Oh, hurricane
- "Hurricane," by Theory of the Deadman