It was three days before he returned. She came home from work and found him sitting on a chair waiting for her. She knew something was wrong the second she stepped through the door.

"Stefan?"

He looked up and her heart broke. She could feel it go, just like snapping a twig. The look on his face told her all she needed to know. He was leaving her.

"I'm sorry" he said. "I've put you in danger, it's all my fault. I should never have let things get this far"

"I don't understand. Why can't we be together? Is it Natasha?" she dropped her things and slowly sank to her knees. It had all been too good to be true and deep down she knew it. There were a lot of things about Stefan that were unanswered, anyone else would have demanded to know everything but not Charlotte. She was so terrified of driving him away that she brushed it all off and made up explanations to satisfy her own mind. He was so perfect and she was nobody, she should be grateful that he even looked at her, let alone stayed for as long as he did.

"I can't explain. Your safety is at stake and I will not allow you to be harmed" he replied.

"So it is Natasha. Are you in love with her?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't look at him and kept her eyes on the floor. She didn't hear him cross the room but the next second he was there, picking her up. His hands were on her shoulders and his eyes bored into hers. He seemed almost angry as he looked at her but she wasn't frightened.

"Listen to me. Natasha is nothing, you are everything. I've been alone for longer than you could imagine, never in all that time did I think I could find someone like you" He said passionately. Words that should make her heart soar with joy only fell flat because despite what he was saying, she knew he was still leaving.

"Then why are you going away?" she said, burying her face into his shoulder as she tried desperately to control her tears.

"I told you, you are in danger by being with me"

"I don't care. Stefan don't you see? I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid of anything when I'm with you!" she cried.

He picked her up and carried her over to the sofa. Gently setting her down, he sat beside her and held her until her sobs became hiccups. She couldn't believe this was happening, it had to be a bad dream. He looked at her with such love that she was speechless. He lifted his hand and brushed away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek.

"Beloved" was all he said. And then he was gone.

She stayed like that for the rest of the night, curled into a ball on the sofa. She cried, for hours she cried; and not the slow tears that happened when you watched a sad movie but great whooping sobs that shook her body and made her throat raw. It was not a pretty sight with the mascara running down her cheeks making her look like a racoon. Her eyes were red and her nose ran but she didn't care. Nothing mattered now, he was gone. He left her and he didn't even give her a chance to prove herself. Whatever his secret was she didn't care, she knew she could keep it. If he had just trusted her enough to tell her.

"Please come back" she whispered over and over, but it was futile. It had finally happened, as she knew it would. Her perfect fantasy was just a memory now. Night turned to day and still she lay in the same spot, her muscles were starting to cramp from being in the same position for so long but she didn't move. She relished the pain, it gave her something to concentrate on, let her know she was still there. She felt so empty inside that she felt as if she'd really become invisible, the pain told her she wasn't.

Still, one could only take it for so long and eventually she sat up and began the long, hard process of trying to live her life without him. Over the next week or so she was on auto pilot. She ate when she was hungry and drank when she was thirsty but she tasted nothing. She went to work and sat at her desk all day staring at a blank computer screen. Naturally her co-workers noticed and went to her supervisor, concerned over her actions. She was told to take some personal time and she gathered her things and left, not caring one little bit if she ever came back. She stayed in her apartment, refusing to answer the phone. She just sat and stared at nothing as her mind replayed every second she had spent with him. No one had been able to touch her the way he did, and no one ever would again. How could she lay with someone else? It wasn't possible to feel this way about anyone other than Stefan and she vowed she would never look at anyone else. Her memories would keep her warm, she needed nothing else.

Samantha came over every couple of days. She made sure that Charlotte had food and essentials and she held her when she cried and murmured soothing words. Often Sam was a bit brash and had no filter when she spoke but she saw the pain her friend was in and she kept her mouth shut. For as long as she could. That turned out to be about nine days, which for Sam showed unbelievable restraint. After that she was determined to get Charlotte up and moving again. She made her shower and get dressed and took her out for lunch. Sam wanted to sit on the patio but it had turned cloudy and overcast and there was a chill in the air so they settled for a table by the window.

They talked about all kinds of things…weather, jobs, funny little things that had happened, men Samantha found attractive, etc. They talked about everything but him. Charlotte didn't really contribute much, she mostly just listened, or pretended to listen. It was in the middle of one of Sam's stories that she saw him across the street. She gasped and sprang up in her seat as she peered out the window trying to see between the cars rushing by. When the light turned red and the cars stopped, he was gone. She shook her head at her own foolishness. He had never actually been there, she just wanted it so badly she saw him anyway.

After that she saw him everywhere. She started leaving the house more and more hoping for a glance, even though she knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her. When Sam showed up at her door one evening insisting that she come out with her, Charlotte agreed. She had been cooped up for so long and the phantom glances her brain made up was better than nothing. Even if he wasn't really there, she could hope for a sighting. Sighing as she got ready, she berated herself for acting like this. Crazy people acted like this and she wondered if maybe she was going insane. They arrived at the club and being that it was a weekend, the place was packed. There was a line to get in but of course Sam bypassed it like she always did. They squeezed their way through the crowd and got drinks from the bar and then found a place to stand. Sitting was not an option with how crowded it was and Charlotte got jostled about a bit until she managed to get to a wall where she stood leaning back and looking around. Samantha had spotted people she knew as soon as they walked in and she was over chatting with them as Charlotte watched.

It wasn't long though until she started to feel a little off. The drink wasn't sitting well and the music seemed to get louder and louder. When someone near her left their table she quickly grabbed a seat, hoping she just needed to get off her feet. It didn't help and she got scared when the room started to spin. It was odd, she hadn't let go of her drink so she knew no one had slipped anything into it, but her heart was pounding and she was starting to sweat. For no reason that she could fathom, she was having a panic attack. Sam came over and sat down. When she noticed how pale Charlotte was she got alarmed.

"Oh my god, are you alright" she asked her.

"I need to get out of here" Charlotte said quickly. Sam didn't hesitate and she helped her friend to the door, propping her up as she went to the coat check. As soon as they left the crowd behind Charlotte started to feel better. By the time Sam had gotten their coats she was back to normal and so ensued a small argument. Charlotte knew that Sam had friends here and she wanted Sam to stay. She finally convinced her that she was okay.

"It's just too soon I think" She said as Sam was trying to force her jacket on. "Please Sam, I'm fine. I promise. It was just too many people and I had a little panic attack. It's better now. I want you to stay and have fun. Go have another drink with your friends and find a good looking man. Do it for me okay? I'm going to have to live vicariously through you again. Go so you'll have a good story for me tomorrow. Look, there's a line of cabs out front, I'll be fine. I'll go straight home"

"You better" Sam said. "And you text me the minute you get home"

"Oh Sam, I'm so tired right now I can't even guarantee I won't fall asleep in the cab. I'll text you tomorrow okay?"

They hugged and Charlotte left, but she didn't get into a cab. The fresh air revived her and she wasn't nearly as tired as she had told Sam. Instead she took a walk. She walked and without realizing it, her feet took her to the same streets she had walked with Stefan. She wandered and looked without really seeing. It felt so good to just be out that she could imagine her arm linked with his. She could almost hear his voice and she let the fantasy play out. For the first time in a long time, she smiled as she remembered that perfect night. How proud he seemed to have her on his arm. How nice it was to get dressed up and walk among the privileged people.

When she found herself at the entrance to the alley they had taken before she turned down without thinking. The darkness seemed to close in on her and her steps quickened. It was as stupid thing to do and she realized it halfway down. Walking around the city by herself was bad enough but disappearing into an alley was just asking for trouble. The thought had barely formed when she heard footsteps behind her.

'Oh Charlotte, you foolish, foolish girl' she thought as she started to run. She was in heels and the man behind her caught her within seconds. Grabbing her from behind he slammed her into the wall. The forced knocked the air from her lungs and she could only gasp as her diaphragm locked up. Screaming was not an option. He was ugly and dirty and she was absolutely terrified. He never said a word as he tore her shirt open, he only looked at her with an awful grin on his face. His teeth were brown and stained and several were missing and she recoiled at the foulness of his breath as he tried to kiss her. 'This can't be happening. This can't be happening' she thought over and over. She was frozen in fear and helpless. Suddenly he was ripped away from her with so much force that he hit the wall and crumpled to a heap, not moving. It happened so fast her body didn't have time to react and she stood pressed against the wall as if she was still being held there. Stefan! It had to be! He came back to save her. But it wasn't Stefan's voice that came from the shadows.

It was Natasha's.