Pale and shaking hands steadied the blood red teardrop necklace around her throat and her soft blue eyes landed on the matching earrings that shone in the hotel room mirror. The eyes raised to her face as she took a steadying breath. "Easy, Charlotte, nice deep breaths. He's here...after 5 years you've finally found him. Don't lose your nerve now."
The shaking hand brushed her blonde curls from her face and she stepped out of her hotel room. Taking another deep breath, she made her way across the street to the only bar in town. Based on the smell she'd engraved in her memory from that night, she knew he would be there. He'd been drunk the night he drank from her, but he didn't drain her. They'd talked between drinking episodes because he'd been so drunk. Charlotte would never forget it.
She could admit that since that night she'd been rather obsessed with him, and that's why she spent the last 5 years looking for him. She had unfinished business with him. She...she needed to see him again before it was too late. Stepping into the building, her blue eyes blinked for a moment before looking around, hoping to see...there.
He still wore the same leather jacket and was still as handsome as ever. The way his dark hair fell into his eyes...Charlotte couldn't help the smile that graced her face and the tears that filled her eyes. She saw that he was with a group of people, but she didn't care. Charlotte made her way through the crowd, his eyes widening as he took her in. Slipping through the people, Charlotte stopped in front of him, ignoring questions from the others. "Charlotte..." Her name escaped his lips in a whisper, shock evident on his face.
"Damon..." His name was a sob as it escaped her and she leapt into his arms as he held her tightly, disbelief on his face.
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Damon never expected to see her again, not for a million years. He was so sure he had left her close to death in his bender. Yet another bender caused by the bitch Katherine, but here she was, sobbing in his arms. Charlotte was a girl that he had met one night. She has a good church going girl and he thought she would make a fun toy. However, he never thought that he would end up pouring his heart out to her over several hours as he slowly fed from her.
She looked pale and more frail than he remembered and he felt his heart stutter as he smelled the sickness in her blood. "Charlotte..." He pulled back, taking her in. She was wearing a white lace sundress and red jewelry and she had dark circles under her eyes. Feeling the eyes of everyone on them, he scowled and looked to his brother. "Give me a second, little brother."
He dragged her to a corner and looked back at her. "What are you doing here, Charlotte?"
Looking into his eyes, Charlotte smiled softly and caressed his cheek. "I had to find you, Damon. I'm...I'm sick and I want to spend my time with you." Blinking at her, Damon lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "Charlotte, what we had...it wasn't...it wasn't anything. I fed on you and rambled in a drunken stupor! That's all it was. It will never be more than that."
Hurt filled her and tears stung her eyes again. "I know that...I just...I couldn't get you out of my head. I've been trying to find you for 5 years." Damon's eyes hardened and he shook his head. "You wasted your time, Charlotte. Leave Mystic Falls and go home." Damon turned away from her and walked out, Charlotte standing there and watching him leave.
Her eyes lowered to the floor as the tears fell down her cheeks. Feeling the eyes of his companions watching her, her face flamed in embarrassment and she rushed out, back to her hotel room. Pacing the room, Charlotte hugged herself, her face a wince as she cried. How could she have been so stupid? To think that he would actually be happy to see her? She was nothing to him, he'd just admitted it. Just a snack that he rambled to.
Charlotte cried out and threw a paperweight at the mirror, cringing as it smashed to pieces. Seeing the shards on the floor, Charlotte felt her heart break as she fell to the ground. She'd wasted 5 years of her life trying to find him, and for what?
Grabbing a longer shard, she placed the blade to her wrists, pressing down. As she watched the blood flow, she laughed softly, leaning against the bed. "At least this way I can choose how I die..." The last thing she remembered before blacking out was her door banging open and a man and woman coming in.
"Stefan! Help her!"
"Elena! Call 9-11!"
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When she awoke, her wrists were bandaged and she was hooked up to an IV. Looking around she saw the two people who had been in her room. "Why?" They turned to her, worry in their eyes. "Why did you save me?" She asked, tears filling her eyes again.
The girl, who she assumed was Elena, sat in the chair beside her bed, the man, Stefan, coming to stand behind her. "Why did you try to kill yourself? Did Damon compel you?"
Charlotte shook her head and wiped her eyes. "Damon never once compelled me to do anything. I went looking for him of my own free will. I was a fool for thinking he cared. I was nothing but food to him." Stefan shook his head. "No way. If that were true he would have just killed you. He left you alive for some reason."
Charlotte closed her eyes and leaned against the pillow. "Don't try to defend him. He said as much today, and to answer your question as to why I slit my wrists, I'm dying anyway, so I wanted to make the choice." Elena frowned, leaning forward. "You're dying? How?"
Charlotte sighed, looking at the dark haired girl. "I have Leukemia."
Elena and Stefan stared at her in shock, confusion on their faces. "Could that be why he left you alive? I'm not sure, this is so confusing." Stefan sighed and turned away, rubbing a hand down his face. "I have to talk to Damon about this, but you shouldn't try to hurt yourself again."
Charlotte chuckled and leaned back into the pillows. "Why would you guys care about me?"
Elena and Stefan looked at each other before looking back at her. "I'm Elena and this is Stefan. Stefan is Damon's brother and also a vampire. I am a human girl that's dating Stefan."
Charlotte looked at them both with wide eyes and her mouth open. "How?!" Elena looked up at Stefan as he frowned. "I have a blood addiction and only drink from animals." Looking at Elena, he sighed. "It's complicated." Charlotte looked between them for a moment and nodded. "I can tell you two are good for each other though."
Stefan smiled softly at Elena before looking to the door as the nurse came in. "Oh good! You're awake! You gave us all quite a scare. Thankfully the cuts weren't too deep. Just be careful before running with knives. We've secured your release and you can go whenever you like." She disconnected Charlotte from the IV and left.
Elena stood, smirking at Stefan. "Nice play there." Stefan turned his eyes to Charlotte and blinked. "You can come with us to my house if you'd like. We have plenty of room for you to stay there." It was Charlotte's turn to blink at him as she sat up. "Will Damon be okay with that?" Shrugging, Stefan moved towards the door. "I honestly don't care what he thinks. It's my home too."
An hour later, Charlotte found herself sitting in their living room in front of a large fireplace and looking like a deer in the headlights as Damon walked through the door and saw her. He froze for a moment before turning his icy blue eyes to his brother. "Stefan..." He started, but Stefan cut him off.
"Damon, just talk to her. Elena and I will be upstairs."
Charlotte looked to her hands in her lap as they left, leaving Damon to sigh and move to the couch across from her. "Charlotte, why are you here? I finished what I had to say in the Grill." Charlotte swallowed and couldn't speak for a moment. "You were vulnerable with me that night, Damon. You can act as if you didn't care all you want, but your actions that way say otherwise. That and the fact that you didn't kill me."
Damon scowled and moved too quickly and before Charlotte could react, his hands were on either side of her, trapping her to the couch and his ice blue eyes were burning into hers. "Is that what you want, Charlotte? You want me to kill you?" Looking into his eyes, she felt no fear. Shaking her head, she brought her hands up to his face. "No. I know you know that I'm dying, Damon. I just...I just want to spend some time with you. If everything works out, then maybe..."
"I can't." He cut her off as he dropped his head and his chin fell to his chest. "I can't save you, Charlotte. Vampire blood can do a lot of things, but it can't make your cancer disappear." His whispered words seem to echo across the room and Charlotte froze, her tear filled eyes taking in the space behind him. "I see..." Her hands moved to fall back into her lap. "So that's it then...in 6 months..." She couldn't finish the sentence as her lower lip began to tremble. "Stupid me...for relying on a doomed hope. I wish...I wish they hadn't found me..."
Her words caused his hands to clench into the leather couch on either side of her. "Don't say that." He whispered, his tortured eyes lifting to meet hers. "I'm glad they did." Confusion filled her eyes as she looked into his. "Why? I was just a meal, right?" Damon lowered himself to his knees before her and shook his head. "No, you weren't. I said that to push you away. You deserve better for your final time here. You shouldn't have come...there are better ways to spend your last months."
Charlotte smiled softly and caressed his face. "I've thought of nothing but you for 5 years, no way are you going to get rid of me that easy." A matching smile appeared on his face and he sighed. "To want to spend your last months with me of all people...Charlotte, you're certifiable." Her smile grew and she shrugged. "I never claimed to be sane."
Chuckling, Damon stood and held out his hand to her. When she took it, he grabbed her bag and led her up the stairs. "Will you be wanting your own room or are you wanting to bunk with me." Her face flushed crimson and he laughed softly. "Still innocent, I see." When he stopped at a door, he looked from him to the wood before them. "Is this your room?" She asked.
He turned to her, his gaze piercing. "Is that what you want? You trust me that much?" Lowered her head, Charlotte nodded, biting her lip. "I want to be near you." Watching for a moment, Damon smiled softly before leading her down the hall into his room. Her eyes took in the space and she let out a long breath. "Wow. It's gorgeous." He set her bag down on the bench at the foot of his bed and rubbed his neck. "You must be tired." His thumbs traced over her bandaged wrists and he sighed, stepping back. "The bed's comfortable, so...make yourself at home."
He was turning away when he felt her grab his shirt from behind. Turning to look at her over his shoulder, he saw her looking at the floor again. "Could you...could you stay with me?" Considering his options, he nodded, turning back to her. "Sure. I'll stay." He moved to the bed and pulled back the comforter and sheets. "Come on in." While Charlotte climbed in, Damon looked at her for a moment before removing his shirt. "Are you alright if I take the jeans off too?"
Looking at him with wide eyes, Charlotte blinked, causing Damon to smirk. "I won't try anything, Charlotte. It's just uncomfortable to sleep in jeans." Lowering her eyes to her hands, she nodded and laid down in the bed. He climbed in next to her and she turned to him, burying her face in his chest. When they got comfortable, Damon wrapped his arms around her and breathed her in, holding her close. "Charlotte?" A sleepy lilt answered him and he smiled against her hair. "I'm glad you're here."
Not long after, she was asleep.
(should I continue?)
