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a/n: charlotte's outfit for the day and dress for the miss mystic falls party is above ⬆

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ━═☆

Living in the past was no luxury to those who have heard of it and went through with it. It becomes so normal that the present seems surreal. Charlotte had an entirely different case. Her past was her life. Every memory was what her future should have been built upon, it wasn't in the cards for her life to turn out the way it did.

But it had and ever since then, Charlotte spent every waking moment trying to accept her fate and whom she needed to be, to keep going.

It was hard but it was life.

"How is everything, now?" Elena asked Charlotte as they walked off the pavement and onto the school grounds.

Charlotte sighed exasperatedly, "Not good. I am ignoring Izadora's direct threat to leave town or she will expose me."

"Did you tell Damon?"

"Damon killed your uncle because he knew about him, luckily, John could make it back," The brunette reminded her, lowering her voice for any unwanted ears, "I am not sure Izadora can and she is one of the only people Serena and Cassie have left."

"I can't tell Damon," She finished, shaking her head.

"I understand your point but you can't live in fear of what Izadora might or might not do," The Gilbert said as Charlotte shrugged, inhaling deeply.

"But I get her point, Elena. I am a vampire, a monster. I can barely control my bloodlust," She whispered out, vigorously shaking her head, "I almost killed someone yesterday...it's not safe for any human to be around me. I understand that she is worried about her grandchildren's safety."

"You are not a monster, Charlotte," Elena claimed.

Charlotte chuckled humorously, shaking her head, "You don't even know me."

"Correct, but I like to think that I can read people," Elena shrugged, putting her hands in her jacket's pockets as she shifted from foot to another, "And if you were a monster, you would have killed me for Stefan...for what Katherine did to you? A monster doesn't have a brain or a heart, a monster wouldn't wait to understand. A monster wouldn't put anyone before themselves."

Charlotte smiled at her words softly, it reminded her too much of Paulina and how she truly missed that mischievous havoc-wreaking girl but Elena was doing just fine helping her move on and stay on track.

She saw Stefan's car in the distance as Elena turned around to take a look as well, "I will see you in class," Charlotte excused herself, walking up to her first class. History.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte arrived early, putting her bag on the table before she sat down and pulled out her notebook, by the time she wrote the date and title, the students and Alaric Saltzman had arrived. He waited until most of the students took their seats and started.

"Okay, this week we're gonna set outside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founders' Day," He paused, cracking a joke, "Apparently the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2 but hey what do I know?"

A dark-skinned girl interrupted him, walking in late, "Sorry I'm late."

She looked undeniably familiar to Charlotte like she had seen her face somewhere or felt her aura on someone else as Alaric greeted, "Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today. Welcome home, Bonnie."

Something ticked in the brunette's head as she remembered Elena, mentioning her witch friend, who assisted in opening the tomb she was locked in but in doing so, the Bennett witch lost her grandmother. Charlotte hoped to apologize but as soon as Bonnie sat down and made eye contact with her and Stefan, her smile faded and she turned away.

Elena and Stefan exchanged a look as to why Bonnie would have done that while Charlotte just frowned, keeping a mental note to apologize to her after class and give her her dearest condolences, regarding her grandmother's death.

After class, Elena and Charlotte were running after Bonnie as she was reading a few papers while walking away, "Bonnie!" Elena called, as they finally caught up to her.

"Hey," She smiled, greeting Elena but frowned, seeing Charlotte.

"Hi...I am Charlotte," The brunette introduced herself awkwardly, feeling too tiny under Bonnie's judgmental gaze, "I wanted to apologize for what happened to your family because of me. If it were up to me, I promise I would have never required anything that could hurt you or your family."

"Yeah...," Bonnie trailed off, wanting to leave already.

"Hey, I tried to grab you after class but you already taken off. How are you? How's your family?" Elena questioned worriedly.

The witch nodded, answering, "We're dealing, it's been hard."

"Everyone here really missed you."

Bonnie sighed, nodded, "Yeah, I just had so much to deal with after Grams' funeral," She paused, revealing, "And, honestly after you told me the tomb spell failed I just didn't really want to come back."

Charlotte swung back and forth on her feet, feeling like she was invading the best friend's privacy but before she could back away and leave, a feminine arm was slid on her shoulder and she looked to see Serena and Caroline had joined the conversation.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Thank god you're home!" The blonde Forbes embraced Bonnie first and Serena followed suit, "I know that we three conferenced called every day but I just missed you!"

"Exactly, being here in person feels much better," Serena added, sporting a genuine smile, "How is everything?" She asked and Charlotte noted how upset Elena seemed, it looked like Bonnie was her best friend but they had only spoken once since the witch skipped town.

"Better. Better. You know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy," Bonnie answered Serena, keeping a hopeful smile on her face.

"Well, we can help with that," Caroline spoke up, meaning herself and Serena Bernard who looked more than just annoyed at what that meant, "Major wardrobe problem. You need to help us pick up the perfect dresses for the Founders' court."

"I already know who's helping with my hair," Serena smiled, linking her arm with Charlotte's as the vampire nodded, smiling, "But, you, my dear Bonnie pick out the best dresses...ever."

Elena asked in confusion, "Wait...The Founders' court? Did I miss something?"

"The Founders' court! You know, Miss Mystic Falls!" Caroline answered, bringing the girl's attention to it, "They announced it today and we three are on it," The blonde finished, pointing to herself, then Serena, and finally Elena.

"Oh my god! We signed up for that so long ago...," Elena remembered, shaking her head at herself, "I completely forgot."

"I wish I could forget, Nana Izzie reminds me every day," Serena shook her head at herself.

Caroline asked Elena, hopefully, "So, are you dropping out then?"

"I can't," Elena responded, looking at Bonnie and the human Bernard.

"No?"

"Her mom is the one who wanted her to enter, like me and Nana Izzie, except my Nana is forcing me, not that that's bad or anything," Serena huffed out, rolling her eyes.

✵ ✵ ✵

"You nervous?" Charlotte asked Serena as they were standing in front of the Founder's hall with a few other girls, including Caroline and Elena.

"I am shaking," Serena sighed, shaking her head as she faked a freezing move to prove her point, earning a chuckle from Charlotte.

The vampire sighed, placing both of her hands on Serena's shoulders, starting, "You are going to own this and be the best Miss Mystic Falls anyone had ever seen, and even if you don't, nothing will change."

"Thank you, like really, no one has ever said that to me...Mom is all about perfect grades, Nana is obsessed with our image...," Serena trailed off, shaking her head before she embraced Charlotte in a tight hug.

"Your welcome," Charlotte nodded, pulling back as soon as the smell of her niece's blood hit her nostrils, careful not to hurt her relative or even put her in a position where she might end up hurt.

Soon the girls took turns going inside and Charlotte stayed outside waiting for her friends as used her supernatural hearing, just to make sure everything went as planned. Carol Lockwood and two other women were interviewing the girls who were in the Miss Mystic Falls pageant.

"This year's queen will have the special honour of taking stage at the hundred and fiftieth Founders' Day Gala," The Mayor's wife started, pausing, "Before we crown our winner, we'd like to get to know a bit more about each of you."

Each of the contestants had separate turns and Charlotte listened on all of them, consequently, "I'm on the Mystic Falls beautification committee; I volunteer at the poor soup kitchen," Caroline started, speaking confidently and Charlotte smiled proudly.

Elena, however, didn't have much luck, "I recognize that I haven't been as involved this year that I used to be."

"I organized clean up committees to help in cleaning the town's square, playground's after matches, and other events," Serena spoke up, it wasn't her original idea but she would rather be involved with cleaning and the football players rather than the cheerleading squad.

"I implemented this year's go green campaign at school," Caroline added.

Elena apologized, "I've been distracted and I let a lot of things slide."

"I started a football team for girls as we should be as involved with athletics as the boys, and it shouldn't be just track or cheerleading," Serena said confidently, her head held up as one of the judges and Carol Lockwood nodded in agreement.

Another girl said, "I don't think it's wrong for me to win two years in a row."

"I was surprised to have been selected since I'm not from one of the founding families," Amber, Charlotte's classmate from Geometry, voiced her surprise.

"But I'm aware of what an honour this is and I want you to know that I take it seriously," Elena defended her latest statement, nodding.

Serena crossed her arms, saying, "I assisted in the school's program to make all the students aware of how drug use can destroy them."

"I worked for the recycling program and was in charge of this year's police raffle," Caroline finished, smiling ahead at the judges.

"Just because my D.U.I. made my community service mandatory doesn't mean that I was any less committed," Tina stated, shrugging.

Lastly, Serena smiled with a final sigh, "My family hasn't won this in two years but my grandmother believes it's time for us, Bernards, to reclaim our ground."

"This was really important to my mother," Elena finished, getting to the part that, she hoped, was convincing, "She believed in community, family, honour and loyalty. It's the legacy she left for me."

Charlotte sighed, meeting up with the girls. She acted clueless in front of Caroline and her niece, asking, "So, how did it go?"

"I think they are convinced, a few teachers put in a good word for me," Caroline was the first to speak up as Charlotte clapped, nudging her lightly.

"What about you, Serena?"

The human Bernard crossed her arms with a nonchalant shrug, "I think it depends on my dancing skills and my look at the pageant, now."

"Well, you leave the looks to me and the dancing skills to whomever you are taking," Charlotte smiled positively, high-fiving her niece.

"Elena?"

"I don't know," She shook her head, sighing, "I just don't want to let my mother down."

"And you won't."

✵ ✵ ✵

"Blue or green?" Charlotte asked Serena as they were looking through dresses in the closest and only boutique in Mystic Falls.

"No, Elena is wearing blue and Caroline took the green and I won't be caught dead in either," Serena replied, twirling around in a dress that she had just tried. It was a scarlet red, illuminating her dark green eyes perfectly.

"Why can't you take this?" Charlotte asked, looking at her niece in the dress, it looked perfect like the dress was exceptionally made for Serena Bernard.

Serena shrugged, sighing, "There's this weird thing about how the first dress doesn't always fit or must have a flaw somewhere."

"Well, throw that thing or saying in the trashcan because we are getting this dress!" Charlotte insisted, "It absolutely fits! Who's your date, again?" She asked curiously.

"Tyler...Lockwood," The younger Bernard answered hesitantly as Charlotte raised an impressed eyebrow.

"Twice in a row...mhm...so are you two...dating?" She picked out her words carefully, questioning teasingly.

Serena rolled her eyes, huffing out, "I don't know. We went out, kissed a few times but we haven't labelled it or anything."

"Well, it would be stupid of him not to ask you out, you are amazing," Charlotte smiled at her niece, caressing her cheek, "Plus, his mom is one of the judges," She winked, chuckling.

"Look at you getting all wicked, I am rubbing off on you," Serena laughed melodically, nudging Charlotte back.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte, as unbelievable as it was, was dressed in a modern day's soiree dress and curling ( failing to ) Serena's hair as Caroline did the last of her make up across the room and Jenna curled Elena's hair.

"Can you make it straight from the top and little curls at last?" Serena suggested, glossing her lips slowly, careful not to move and put a strand of hair out of its place.

Charlotte sighed, shrugging, "Why don't we have it straight? I mean we still got time and I am not really into this half curly, half straight thing."

"That's cool with me, too. It would definitely fit the dress and the accessories my Nana got me," Serena agreed, tightening the ribbon of her robe with a satisfied glance in the mirror. Soon enough, Jenna and Elena were done and they left the room before Caroline stood up and used another hair straightener to do the other half of Serena's hair and help them finish early.

"You look miserable," Serena commented and noticing Caroline's reaction, she rephrased quickly, "Not in that way! I mean you look beautiful! Brilliant, even but that whole sad girl face is ruining it."

"I don't think I can win this," Caroline sighed.

Charlotte raised an unconvinced eyebrow, "No one worked for this harder than you and judges put in work before feelings."

"And you look like a model from those lingerie magazines," Serena added as they laughed out. Charlotte put down her hair straightener, having finished her part.

"I will go get your dresses," She said, walking out of the room. Charlotte got lost in a few rooms before finding Amber walking out of a room, "Hey, Amber, is this the room the dresses are in? This house is just too big," She chuckled, asking.

"Yeah, it is," Amber agreed, nodding, "But that's the room, yeah."

"Why aren't you in your dress already?" Charlotte questioned, raising her eyebrows.

Amber stammered, shrugging, "I just...I need some air."

"Okay, good luck out there," Charlotte patted her shoulder, smiling before going into the room.

"Oh, Char, you scared me. Knocking?" Elena chuckled, holding her dress in her hand.

"Sorry, I just thought no one was in here," She apologized, taking Serena and Caroline's dresses out of a cupboard, "God, I have already wished almost everyone luck on this competition. I wish you could all win."

"I mean Caroline worked so so hard for this," She started, turning to face Elena, "Serena wants to make her grandmother proud and you want to make your mom proud...Why can't everyone win?"

"It's just how pageants work," Elena shrugged, sighing. A soft gasp left her, noticing Damon appear behind Charlotte, "Damon, you can't be in here."

Charlotte turned around finding him, she gasped, "How is it that even when a vampire I have to be scared of this?"

"Not now, Cher," Damon shook his head, "We need to talk."

"Does it have to be right now?" Elena asked, holding up her dress.

Damon ignored that, continuing either way, "Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you two but since it could really inconvenience me, I'll squeal."

"What are you talking about?" Charlotte raised a confused eyebrow, standing next to Elena.

"Stefan's still drinking human blood," He blurted out as Charlotte's eyes widened. Goodbye restrain plans it was, Stefan was almost her role model when it came to self-restrain.

"What?!" The human shrieked out.

The Salvatore sighed, nodding, "Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced but with the council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle."

Elena ran a hand over her face, saying, "I know he's been a little edgy but he said that was normal."

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house," Damon supported his words as Charlotte gasped from behind him.

"There's a fridge full human blood in our house?" Charlotte questioned, turning to Damon.

"Yeah, you have been ditching on Salvatore drama," He shrugged, answering.

Elena took a seat on the couch to calm her nerves, "Oh my god."

"This is too bad, right now," Charlotte shook her head, "Even worse than Izadora blackmailing me," She blurted out mistakingly and almost on cue, the brunette raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"Izadora is blackmailing you?" Damon turned to her almost instantly and she refused to answer, "Charlotte."

"Look, this is not the time," Charlotte shook her head, huffing out.

Elena sighed, looking up at her friend, "He was going to find out either way."

"I am the last person to know this?"

Charlotte shook her head, speaking up aloud to shut either of them up, "What matters right now, is getting Stefan back on track!"

As if on cue, Stefan walked into the room, asking, "Getting me on track?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and luckily Damon was the one to speak up, "I was just filling Elena and Cher on your extra-curricular activities."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan laughed out, shaking his head.

"I know about the blood, Stefan," Elena inhaled sharply, looking up at her boyfriend.

"I am going to give these to Caroline and Serena," Charlotte excused herself, walking past Stefan quickly.

"Oh, no, you are not," Damon followed her out, down the hallway as she kept striding until he stopped in front of her, "Why wouldn't you tell me that Izadora Bernard is blackmailing you?"

"You would have dealt with it the way you always do!" Charlotte whispered out, raising her index finger in his face.

Damon raised an eyebrow, "I mean would I be wrong? She is a council member, she is on vervain and can't be compelled. Killing her is the right way."

"No," She shook her head, correcting him, "It's the easy way."

"Yeah, what's the right way for you?" He asked her, crossing his arms.

Charlotte exhaled sharply, knowing his possible reaction to her answer, "Convincing her that I am a good person and she doesn't have to expose me."

"You are talking about the oldest vampire hunter in Mystic Falls' history, she might be too old to chase you down but not too old to trick you and stake you," Damon shook his head, elaborating to which Charlotte raised an impressed eyebrow.

"She is still my family and Serena's and Cassie's, there's no way in hell that you are killing her!" Charlotte shoved past him and into another room where Serena and Caroline, waiting impatiently.

"What took you so long?" Caroline asked, taking her dress from Charlotte's hands as Serena followed suit, getting behind a dresser.

"Sorry, I was talking to Elena," Charlotte apologized as she fixed her hair and makeup in the mirror, "She was a little shaken up."

"I am going to wait downstairs for your entries," She said, walking out the door and practically sprinting downstairs, stopping in front of Cassie, who stood with a beaming smile on her face and a flower in hand.

"Can I see Serena? Is she ready yet?"

Charlotte smiled, bending to Cassie's height, "She is still getting ready but you can't get upstairs now or you will miss her introduction."

Cassie nodded, offering Charlotte the red flower she had in her hand, "For me?"

"It matches your dress."

"Thank you, Cassie," The vampire smiled, taking the flower from her youngest niece. Cassie smiled, wrapping her small arms around Charlotte's neck to hug her.

"Nana Izzie says I shouldn't talk to you but you are really nice," The youngest Bernard smiled, pulling away.

Charlotte smiled, "Thank you but you should listen to your Nana, she knows best."

"Don't tell her I said this but you should be this year's Miss Mystic Falls," Cassie whispered in the brunette's ears, "Bye, Cherry."

Charlotte stood up, straightening her dress as Cassie ran off. The brunette smiled at her niece's retreating figure, walking off the stairs to stand beside Jenna and Alaric, awaiting the contestants to make their entries.

"Miss Tina Fell, escorted by Bartholomew Whitmore," Mayor Lockwood started and the attendants lightly clapped along with Charlotte as said contestant descended downstairs.

"Miss Serena Bernard, escorted by my son, Tyler Lockwood," He said as Serena descended downstairs, the claps getting a lot louder as the brunette smiled confidently.

Mayor Lockwood introduced once again, "Miss Caroline Forbes and her escort Jeffrey Lockwood Hamilton," Charlotte smiled, watching her friend descending downstairs. She looked exactly like Angelina Forbes on the founder's day back in 1864, just beautiful.

The vampire Bernard snapped out of her trance, noticing that Stefan was nowhere to be found and Elena was next. She turned to Damon, panicking and the Salvatore went up, standing where Stefan should have been.

"Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore," Elena stopped downstairs, taking Damon's hand as she whispered, "Where's Stefan?"

"I don't know," He whispered back.

Charlotte moved between the crowd, landing besides Jenna Sommers again in front of the dance floor as the couples stood there in front of one another, "What is she doing with Damon?" Jenna asked.

"Stefan is nowhere to be found," Charlotte, sort of, answered.

The brunette kept looking around frantically but as the dance started, she couldn't help but enjoy watching Elena, Serena, and Caroline dancing and having the time of their life, competing to win that plastic crown.

"They look...wow," Charlotte commented, originally to Jenna but as she looked beside her, she found none other than Izadora Bernard.

"Don't they," She agreed, looking at what Charlotte had between her finger, "That's a nice flower you have."

Charlotte's heartbeat picked up as Izadora continued, "So, when do you plan on leaving town?"

"I don't."

"Excuse me?"

"I am not leaving Mystic Falls, this is my home," Charlotte spoke up, standing her ground, "I was born and raised here. Mystic Falls is the only place for me."

Izadora shook her head, crossing her arms, "It was, now as an immortal vampire, the world is an open place for you. Just leave."

"Give me a chance, I don't plan on hurting anyone," Charlotte turned to Izadora, her doe eyes practically begging the old lady.

"Yet, you don't yet."

Izadora finished, walking away as the dance was over and all the girls walked over to the stage, the brunette only now noticing that Amber was missing. "Before I crown the winner, I'd like to offer a personal thank you to all of these young ladies for their efforts to better our community," Mayor Lockwood started as everyone applauded his statement.

"So, without further a due it is my honour to announce our very own Miss Mystic Falls, Miss Caroline Forbes!" He spoke up, clapping with the rest of the judges as she, Elena, and Serena shared a laugh, the three friends embracing one another.

"Congratulations!" Serena and Elena said in unison, clapping.

Caroline beamed out, "I actually won!"

She smiled as the Mayor put the banner around her shoulder and placed the crown on her head, "Where is Stefan now?" Charlotte turned, nudging Damon.

"I don't know, he is missing and so it that girl, Amber," Damon answered as Elena walked off the stage, joining them.

"Then we have to look for him. I know he won't hurt her, he won't," She assured herself more than them.

"Alright, go get your coat, both of you," Damon told them.

They soon enough got their coats and left, Charlotte and Damon peaking up the pace as soon as they heard Amber's high pitched scream. Charlotte, Elena, and, Damon arrived to see Stefan biting through her neck, "Stefan!" Elena shouted and Stefan instantly released her.

"Stefan, come on get control. It's okay, come on. Breath through it man," Damon was nearing Stefan but the younger Salvatore caught Damon and threw him against a tree.

Charlotte was only focusing on her control, backing away from them as the smell of Amber's fresh blood hit her nose, "Stefan stop it!" Elena yelled out again when all of a sudden Stefan held his head, Charlotte looked behind her to deduce that Bonnie was casting a spell that hurt him.

She stopped as Stefan came to his senses, Charlotte looked up at the blood covering his face and she was mortified, noticing her look and what he had done, the vampire sped away.

Within a few minutes, the police had arrived and Bonnie, Elena, Damon, and Charlotte were still there, the Sheriff told Damon, "She doesn't remember what happened."

"It's a good thing the girls got here when they did, she lost a lot of blood," Damon stated.

"You didn't see anything?" The Sheriff asked them and after a long pause of Elena and Charlotte looking at Bonnie, she sighed.

"No, we just found her and then called Damon," Elena answered for the three of them.

Before Bonnie could speak up, the brunette vampire asked, "Is she going to be okay?"

"It looks like it yeah," The Sheriff nodded, assuring her as Bonnie looked at Charlotte, sceptically, "Why don't you girls get back to the party? Damon and I can take it from here."

"Okay," Elena nodded and Charlotte chose to walk on the other side of the road, leaving the best friend's some privacy. She arrived at the party and found Izadora Bernard waiting at the Lockwood Mansion's door.

"You know I almost trusted you for a second," She started, shaking her head and Charlotte frowned, "Why did you hurt that girl?"

"I didn't—"

Charlotte was about to defend herself before Izadora cut her off, "If it wasn't you then who was it, aren't you the only vampire in town? Is there more?"

The Bernard had a lot of thoughts in her head at the moment, she couldn't out Stefan and Damon to a retired vampire hunter but she wasn't ready to lose Izadora's trust as well then she made a choice.

"It was me. I am the only vampire in Mystic Falls."

✵ ✵ ✵