No playlist today. However, I do pose a few questions for my readers:
1. Who do you see Charlotte with, romantically? I've heard both Elijah and Klaus, but I'd love some opinions.
2. Which celebrity do you see Lottie as? I described her a bit in the first chapter, but here's a refresher: Auburn/ Strawberry Blonde hair (from her mother's side, like Jenna's, for all of you interested in the utter accuracy) and she's pale. That's all I got. Of course she needs to be pretty, because all of the Gilberts are, and I don't want her too well known.
Thanks, dogs. Enjoy the new chapter.
"Hey, Charlotte?"
"Yeah, Jer." She spun around from her desk to face him. "Whatcha need?"
"Do you think I can have the house tonight? I've this thing with Bonnie and-"
"Say no more, little brother." Charlotte smiled at him. "I've got five hundred words left of this essay and then I'll be out of your hair."
"Thanks, Charlotte." He had a look that could be described by nothing else than a boy who had a massive crush on a girl, and the girl liked him back.
As she finished the remainder of her paper, she received a call from Jenna.
"Hey, Jenna. What's up?"
"Hey, how's the paper going?"
"It's alright, what do you need?" More interruptions, she sighed, however she accepted them.
"I won't be home for dinner, so you and Jeremy are on your own." She told her. "Damon and Andie are throwing this dinner party for that Elijah guy. Apparently they hit it off when we met them for lunch after I showed him around. I don't know. It's Damon."
"Yeah, I get it." She tried to hide the worry in her voice. Damon was planning a dinner party, and messing with Elijah when both Jenna and Andie were around? "How did that go today, anyway?"
"It was fine. Ric showed up and got all jealous boyfriend." She laughed.
Go, Ric.
"Alright. I'll catch ya later."
"Later, Lottie."
After hanging up the phone, Charlotte realized she wouldn't be able to continue her life with ease without giving Damon a very clear warning. He was not to do anything to hurt Jenna. At all. She called him, and he answered in his snarky, all knowing tone, as usual.
"What's up, Lottie Gilbert?" The easiness in his voice drove her crazy. He was about to do something that risked her family, and he was just fine with that. But she knew overreacting wouldn't get her anywhere, especially with Damon who viewed emotions as petty signs of weakness.
"Hey, how come I wasn't invited to the dinner party?" She mocked the voice of a passive aggressive house mom, a signal that Damon clearly received.
"Alright, before you get all mightier than thou-"
"Damon, let me keep this short before it's a waste of my time. If you do anything to hurt Jenna, anything to put her at risk, I will personally castrate you with a dull wooden splinter before plunging it just to the outer edge of your heart so that every breathe you take is a risk of putting you to death, got it?" The words came out fast and articulate, putting emphasis on each word.
"That's incredibly morbid, Lottie." It was a flat response, condescending and unaffected. "I'm proud of you. Anyway, don't get your knickers in a twist. I've got a plan. I always do."
Charlotte was being pushed to the edge, tired of being told to put her faith into people while she remained unable to do a thing. Elijah couldn't be trusted. If that's so, why trust John or Damon? If Elijah couldn't stop it, who could?
Charlotte.
That's who would stop it all, in the end.
"Whatever, Damon. I've gotta go. Jeremy wants me out of the house."
"Little Gilbert's got a date?"
"Irrelevant. Seeya."
She slid her phone into her pocket and shut her laptop computer. She knew what she had to do. And the consequences, she analyzed, were almost nonexistent. She needed information from someone who didn't care about protecting her, who wasn't blinded by the promise of self sacrifice. Someone who didn't care.
None other than Katherine Pierce.
Now, Charlotte wasn't stupid. She knew that Elena saw Katherine and ended up trying to get herself killed. Jeremy got trapped in a tomb. But Charlotte wasn't stupid. She was smart; she knew she was. She wouldn't be manipulated by Katherine. Charlotte was the one who manipulated others.
She had been adorned in sweatpants all day, working on homework and essays, and obviously pajamas aren't the proper attire in which to meet the famous Katherine Pierce. Changing into an army jacket, dark jeans, combat boots, and sliding a stake down her boot in case of emergencies. What else would she need to face Katherine Pierce? Blood. Gross. And it's not like there was any convenient stashes in the house. She cringed and headed down stairs, grabbing a sharp knife and a water bottle and putting them in a book bag of other supplies as she called out to Jeremy that she was heading out. Maybe after this little field trip she'd grab dinner, or go shopping.
She drove to the Lockwood Cellar, which wasn't especially difficult to find with the maps Jenna had left out after giving Elijah his tour. After parking her car, she slit her palm, wincing in pain, and let it drop into the water bottle she emptied out. She didn't fill it up all the way, that would be unsafe, and Katherine having a bit of comfort wasn't worth that. From her bag she placed a bandage on the wound and exited the car. She had packed herself a lantern, which guided her to a section of stairs.
"Who dares awake me from my slumber?"
It was incredible how much she sounded like Elena. Charlotte almost felt the need to run towards her and comfort her as she was trapped.
But she didn't.
Charlotte descended.
"Ah, the Gilbert Twin. Or cousin. I must say, you are the last person whose presence I expected to be graced with." She leaned against a wall, not as weak as Charlotte expected. "Your other siblings have come to visit me as well, and each have ended poorly. Care to test your chances?"
Charlotte simply smirked and tossed her the water bottle. "Peace offering. Anyway, it's not a game of chance; it's of wits. And my siblings are idiots." Charlotte sat down on the ground. "As long as I don't cross the line, you can't hurt me. And I'm not as easily manipulated as one might hope."
She smiled back. "Finally, a challenged. So tell me, Lottie. What have you come here for?"
"Stop acting as if you're the dragon guarding to path to enlightenment, for starters." Charlotte replied. You're a vampire whose been rendered powerless under the confines of a little Original Compulsion." Charlotte snapped back at her, causing her to roll her eyes. "Scratch that, Kat. You're not completely powerless. You have one thing I would greatly appreciate, although you have no reason to grant it to me. Information. The Salvatores are too bent on being the heroes to afford me any."
Charlotte knew how to talk to Katherine. And Katherine knew how to talk to Charlotte. They both picked up the proper rhetoric within an instant. Katherine used flattery, giving Charlotte's ego the boost Katherine needed for manipulation by considering her above the others. Charlotte used apathy, acting uncaring to any besides her family. Loyalty to a family Charlotte didn't want to see slaughtered was something Katherin could understand.
"Naturally, those two always had a righteous disposition. I get it; you want to help your sister. But what's in it for me?" She stumbled to the other half of the room as she took her first drink of the bottle. "This is fresh, isn't it? You cut yourself for little old me?"
Ignoring the latter comment, Charlotte replied. "Other than doing it from the good of your heart?" The question was rhetorical, ironic, but it gave her time to think of a real answer. "Revenge, obviously. The Great Katherine Pierce must earn your revenge. He slaughtered your family, didn't he? And he wants to slaughter you. Now you can either try to appease him or make sure Klaus never gets what he wants most. Make sure that he dies. And you can have a part of it. You can get him back from making you run all these years, for killing your daughter. For preventing you from having the life you deserve. And once he's gone, you're free. Take on a hedonistic lifestyle without the deep seated fear that you so carefully hide."
Katherine almost fell for it. Almost.
"Sorry, Charlotte." She gave her a menacing grin. "There's nothing I can tell you. I've told it all already. You wanna save your sister? Turn her and run for high hell. Even then she won't be free, but you'll make sure that if she ever gets out of it the bloodline won't continue. I guess that'll even make Klaus more angry. But it's a sacrifice worth making, if you ask me."
Charlotte wasn't pleased.
"Yeah, that won't do. Death is the kind of thing I'm trying to avoid," Charlotte remarked as she stood up to lean against the far wall of the cellar. She crossed her arms. "Listen, I've had several deals in front of me. I want to see all the cards. Elijah tried to make a deal with Elena. That fell apart. Charming guy, of course, but apparently his deal is worthless. And then there's John. I mean, he's my uncle. He's brilliant. But he's also a maggot not to be trusted. And then there's Damon, and you know Damon. . ." Charlotte smiled at her. "So it makes me wonder: if you want something done right, do it yourself. So it looks like I'm the one who is going to have to save the day here, you know the feeling? So, Kat, I'm asking you this: any suggestions?"
"Get me out of here and I'll help you," she replied after a long pause.
"Yeah, that's a great plan!" Charlotte's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, no. I don't think so. I've learned from the mistakes of every other bloody idiot with the idea to trust you. I don't think so."
"I'm growing increasingly impatient with you, Charlotte."
"Please, I couldn't get you out if I wanted to. I really, I don't want to."
Charlotte was growing impatient with Katherine as well. They were at a stalemate, and Charlotte obviously wasn't going to get much from Katherine.
"Because you're trapped in there, aren't you, Katherine?" Charlotte was going to make her pay for not helping. Teach her a lesson. "There's nothing you can do about it."
She pulled the knife out of her bag and slit her hand, walking towards Katherine, leaving it at the very edge.
"This is probably incredibly idiotic, but you can't exactly get out, can you?"
Charlotte saw Katherine's face change as she closed her hand.
"Thanks for nothing, Kathy." As Charlotte turned around, Katherine, full of rage, bloodlust, and hunger, rammed towards her, expecting to be caught in the confines of Elijah's compulsion. However, she passed the border and felt the largest feeling of ecstasy. "My compulsion is gone," she gasped.
Charlotte tried to pull the stake from her boot, but Katherine was too quick, pinning her against the wall. "You really shouldn't have pissed me off."
She bit her then, taking in more blood than she should have, and left her for dead.
Of course, Katherine didn't really want Charlotte dead. She had a bit of respect for her manipulative technique. She knew someone would save her, eventually. Gilberts sort of had a thing for not dying when it was convenient.
"Hey, Collin, you think you can you point me in Lottie's direction?" The brunet sophomore waltzed up to the tall senior in inquiry.
"Sorry, Jeremy. I don't know where she is."
"I just figured, since she spent the night at your guys' house last night-"
"Charlotte wasn't over yesterday." He replied. "Why, did she tell you she was going to be? Was she not at your house last night?" Collin was suddenly full of worry.
"No, she was probably at Caroline's, then." He covered up, although he knew for a fact it wasn't true. Charlotte was missing, Elena and Stefan were late, and he knew she was in trouble. It was finally her turn to do something dumb, and Jeremy had no doubt it was done the previous night. He could feel it. "Seeya round, man."
Since Elena and Stefan were missing in action, Jeremy went to Bonnie.
"Bonnie, I need your help." He said. "Charlotte's gone."
"There's nothing I can do, Jeremy. Jonas took my powers, remember?" Bonnie asked, and Jeremy nodded. "Besides, how do you know she's gone? She's probably just skipping school today or something. Probably a mental health day. She needs it."
A mental health day wasn't too out of character.
"Alright, I'm gonna call her."
Another period passed and Jeremy tried to call her. Nothing. When he met up with Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan at lunch, they were all talking about how Katherine was out of the cave.
"Guys, we have a more important issue at hand. I can't find Charlotte anywhere."
"Jeremy, I'm sure she's fine."
"No, Elena! When you two went missing we all assumed it was fine, at first. But I know it's not, okay? Something isn't right. And Bonnie can't do a locator spell."
Stefan nodded. "We'll find her. I'm gonna go call Damon, all right? She'll be fine."
Stefan walked away from the table and dialed Damon's number.
"Hello?"
"I have a job for you."
"And what's that?"
"Well, it's less of a job and more of a possibly urgent matter. Charlotte's gone missing. Jeremy can't reach her. I'm worried that when killing Elijah didn't work that he found Charlotte. I don't want to think about that. So go look for her, okay?"
"Fine, it's not like I don't have to babysit Katherine or anything."
Stefan hung up and walked back to the table. "Bonnie, all of this aside, you need your powers back. Talk to Jonas and Luka. Keep me posted."
And then Stefan walked away, ultimately to ditch the rest of the school day to look for Charlotte.
They found her four hours later, abandoned in the Lockwood cellar, blood integrated into the dirt and her hair and her wounds infected. It was Stefan who found her. When he did, he rang up Damon, telling him the search was off and that he'd be home as soon as possible with her. She was barely alive-and when he said barely, he meant it. She was the closest to death he'd ever seen and he was actually scared for her, for Elena. He bit into his wrist and gently fed her the blood, waking her up.
"Stefan? What's happening?"
"Go back to sleep, Charlotte. I've got you."
"Okay." And she drifted back to sleep as he gave her a surplus of blood, hoping to God it would help her.
He put her in the back of her car and drove back to the Boarding House. When he arrived he took her to the guest room and then returned, seeing Damon and Katherine.
"I found her in the tomb. Why do I have a feeling you had something to do with this?" Stefan asked her.
Katherine smiled. "Why ever would I harm the innocent Charlotte?"
Surprisingly, it was Damon who pinned her against the wall as his eyes turned to that of a monster. "Listen here, you bitch. If you did anything to harm a hair on her head, I will-"
"Damon." Stefan pulled him back. "What did you do, Katherine?"
"Why don't you ask Charlotte."
Stefan looked to Damon, and Damon to Stefan. The two ascended the stairs.
"Charlotte," Stefan nudged her shoulder. "You need to wake up, all right? Just for a minute?"
Her eyes opened as she rolled over.
"How're ya feeling, kid?" Damon asked.
"My eyes are groggy."
"Charlotte, what happened?" Stefan asked.
"I'm stupid. I don't want to tell you." Her voice was filled with that of a teenager who had been sleeping for days, childish and broken.
"Lottie, tell us what you did." Damon insisted.
"It was stupid. I made a mistake. I went to talk to Katherine and I got cocky. I deserved it, really."
"Let me guess. I killed Elijah right as you were down there and she attacked you."
"I cut my hand. I was just holding it there. I was trying to, I don't know, make her pay. Because I could. Don't be mad at me."
"You almost died, Charlotte."
"I'm stupid."
Stefan sighed. "Here, you probably need more blood, okay? And then you'll be good as new, and I can take you home."
After he fed her, she shook her head. "Take me to the Harpers. I don't want to go home. I'll call them all, tell them I'm fine."
Stefan nodded and left the room. "I'll go grab you some of Elena's clothes."
Now it was just Damon and Charlotte.
"Don't yell at me." Charlotte's voice was still rich with sleepiness.
"I'm not going to yell at you, kid. It's not the stupidest thing anyone's done. You didn't purposely try and get yourself killed. Just don't do anything stupid again, okay?"
And then he left the room.
When Charlotte finished showering she drove to the Harpers. When she arrived she knocked on the door, exhaustion and desperation evident in her eyes. It was Lucy who answered. As the woman pulled back the door, she caught a glimpse of pure fragility in the girl who had become like another child.
"Charlotte, come in." She said, allowing Lottie to enter. "Mara isn't here right now. It's just me. She and Collin should be home within the hour, though."
Charlotte stopped then, glitching into a more aware state.
"Never mind, then. I'll just go home." She tried to stumble away. "I don't want to bother you."
"Charlotte Gilbert, sit down right now." Lucy ordered in the voice Lottie had only heard used on Collin when he did something idiotic. Lottie couldn't help but comply. "You are like a second daughter to me, and I've seen my way through plenty of Mara's break ups and I know when a teenage girl is on the verge of breaking. Sit down. I'll make you some tea, and you can talk to me about whatever you need. That's an order."
And so Charlotte told her what she could. She admitted that she was unable to relinquish certain truths, a factor respected by Mrs. Harper, but told a tale of stress and anxiety and exhaustion. And she cried. She revealed no details, only saying that the stories we not hers to tell, but her emotions were her stories. They told Lucy that whatever was going on at the Gilbert household was not auspicious for Charlotte, who seemed so strong but was indeed so fragile. Of course she placed little blame on Jenna. She had heard all of the gossip floating around the Counsel about her and John Gilbert and Elena and Alaric. Yes, Lucy was well informed. But she knew there had to be something more happening. Her theory?
Whatever she was going through, she was trying to save face. Keep strong. Be the one everybody could rely on, and for a few reasons. The primary reason was her selflessness, her need to allow everybody else to feel, to be the manic pixie dream girl on which everybody leaves their emotions, putting in feelings like a vending machine, receiving whatever kind words or advice she can offer in return. But the true underlying reason under it all was this: Charlotte saw emotions as weakness. And that's why Lucy had been able to coerce it out of her, because that's what mothers do best. They take what their children think it something to be ashamed of and disintegrate it, leaving only relief.
"Thank you, Mrs. Harper. For everything. Really. I don't know what I would have done for so long without your family." Lottie wiped her tears, sniffling.
"My family will always be there for you, and your siblings as well."
As Charlotte smiled in response, she heard the door open and people shuffle in. Charlotte tried her best to look like she was never crying.
"Mom! We're home! Sorry we're late, Collin had his stupid meeting-Charlotte? What are you doing here?"
"Charlotte was just waiting for you. We were catching up." She gave her kids a pointed look.
"Charlie? What's wrong?" Collin dropped his book bag and came forward, putting his arm around Charlotte's shoulder. He used the nick name only he used.
"Why don't you guys go to the Grille tonight? The band is playing; it would be fun." Lucy suggested, directly targeting Collin and Mara. Both children understood.
"Yeah. That'll be totally fun. Lottie, we've needed a night out for a while. And Collin would be a decent amount of fun too, I guess." She joked, making Charlotte smile.
"Yeah, sure, Mara. I'm the one that'll bring your good time down. I've had more fun in the past week than you've had in all seventeen of your years."
"Is that a challenge, Harper?" Mara questioned, getting into Collin's face.
"You can't just call me Harper-we share the last name, Mars." He rubbed her head condescendingly. "I'll see you two ladies in an hour. Look like babes, and be ready to party."
And so the ladies and the gentleman parted ways. In an hour they reconvened, Mara's long, blonde hair curled and falling on her bright, red sheer top and black high wasted shorts. Charlotte stood there in her fragility, adorned in make up and some of her own clothes, which Mara had stolen long ago. All black, she wore, but in a suave way, as opposed to a rebellious, try too hard way. And then Collin breezed down the grand staircase, effortlessly wearing dark jeans, a button up, and a cardigan.
"Ready, ladies? I'm driving." He put his arms out, and both Mara and Lottie took them.
"Lottie gets shot gun."
"Score." Charlotte whispered.
A few moments later the three arrived at the Grille, packed with cars already. The trio sauntered in as if they were in some action movie, whipping off the sunglasses nobody even needed.
Life was good.
And then they saw Caroline on stage.
"Oh, no. What in the world is she doing?" Mara put her head down, clearly experiencing secondhand embarrassment.
"It appears as though she's making a grand romantic gesture. Good for her. And she's good, too." Charlotte nodded in approval. "Thoughts, Collin?"
"It appears as though it is working." His theory was confirmed with Matt walking onstage and ending the song with a kiss for Caroline.
"Drinks, anyone?"
And all was well. For a while. Until Charlotte's eyes wandered and found Jonas Martin with an angry look upon his face. And angry witch was the last thing she wanted to deal with. She spit a bit of her sprite back into her glass in shock.
"You two need to leave. Right now." Charlotte warned her friend. "Something bad is about to happen. I can tell. Leave." She was being aggressive, each word meaningful.
"Charlie, what are you talking about?" Chase asked.
"Come on. Let's go."
Her friends reluctantly followed her out of the grill urgently until all of the lights broke.
"I think we're too late. Okay. You two get out now." Charlotte tried to insist that she stay as Collin and Mara left, but it was to no avail. Then she saw her sister. "My sister is in trouble! Please!" She was begging them, but Collin was wise. As more chaos persisted, he picked her up and carried her to his car, locking the doors.
"I don't know what the hell is going on in there, but there is no way we are leaving you there, Charlotte.
That was all he said.
When they arrived back at the Harper's household, Charlotte went straight to her car.
"Thanks for tonight, I guess. I'll catch you later, but I really need to get home."
Except her night wasn't over when she got home.
"I can't believe he's dead. After what we did to him."
"Who's dead?" Charlotte walked into the room, heals clacking, and tossed her purse down. Her exhaustion had turned into apathy.
"Luka. And Jonas attacked the Grille-"
"I know." Charlotte huffed, taking a seat at the counter. "I was there. Luka's dead?"
"Yeah. That's why Jonas was pissed. I just felt so bad-I couldn't do anything!" Bonnie was still mourning the loss of her powers.
"Join the club. Not only have I always been magic-less, but Collin literally carried me out of there as soon as the light went out."
"Remind me to give Collin a gift basket," Jeremy told Bonnie.
"Screw you," Charlotte replied.
And then Stefan and Elena walked in the room.
"Thank God." Bonnie sighed.
"It's not over yet."
"What do you mean, Elena?" Charlotte asked.
"He'll explain." She nodded to Stefan before she went upstairs.
"How long ago did you guys get home?" He asked us all.
Bonnie answered. "A few minutes ago."
"Did you check the house?"
"Why would we check the house?" Jeremy asked as Charlotte got a very bad feeling.
Stefan sighed. "Follow me."
Everyone jogged up the stairs to find Jonas dead.
Katherine. Why didn't she guess?
"Your welcome."
"You didn't have to kill him!" Bonnie protested.
"Yes, we did." Then Katherine turned to Charlotte. "Nice seeing you again." She threw a smile that made Lottie shudder.
"Ugh." Charlotte walked downstairs, where Damon and the real Elena were.
"I don't care how or why this all went down. I need to go to bed. If anybody even thinks about waking me up tomorrow, for any reason, you will find everything in your room angled five degrees to the left so that you are forever disoriented. Good night."
She tried to sleep, but she ended up returning downstairs to join Elena and eating ice cream. "Wonderful plan, guys."
And then the doorbell rang.
"I got it!" Charlotte mostly wanted to moderate who entered the house. She opened the door to find a beautiful dark haired woman.
"You must be Charlotte."
Elena and Jenna joined her.
"I'm Isobel. Elena's mother."