𝟑𝟎

a/n: Cher's outfit for the chapter is above!

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 ━═☆

"I am not trying to make you not guilty or anything but vampires are already dead," Serena started, taking in a deep breath, "Does it really make a difference?"

"I didn't want to be a murderer. This isn't whom I am bound to be, is it?"

Serena rubbed the back of her neck, sighing, "Well...Caroline says that the thrill of the kill is always there but if it happened with you once and it was like this then no, this is not you becoming a murderer."

Charlotte inhaled sharply about to reply before her phone buzzed, receiving a text. She pulled it out, finding a message from Damon; Important, smth about yesterday. GET HERE QUICK.

"P.S...Damon Salvatore is a douche and I have no idea how you managed to be friends with him," Serena commented as she read the text message with Charlotte, "He should just go eat shit and rot in hell."

The brunette vampire chuckled, sniffling as she rubbed the tears with the back of her hand, "I don't know either. His intentions are mostly good, his methods? Not so much."

"I don't give a flying shit about his intentions, just tell him to stay the hell away from me," The Bernard girl rose to her feet, stating.

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What did he do exactly?"

"He told Caroline that I should stay away from Tyler because he is a werewolf now," Serena answered, shrugging nonchalantly, "I mean I am already on the outs with Tyler but that Salvatore has no business telling me what to do and whatnot, and hiring Caroline, of all people, as my bodyguard? Is he for real—"

"Woah, woah," The vampire interjected, raising her hand to stop her niece from continuing, "Tyler triggered his curse?"

"Yeah, at the Masquerade," Serena said, tying her hair up in a messy bun, "Worst night of his life."

"How did I not know about this?"

"Easy," Her niece pursed her lips in a straight line, shrugging, "You were kidnapped by a couple of runaway vamps."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte dusted off her dress, walking up to the Salvatore's foyer after vamp-speeding all the way there. She was about to knock on the door but paused as Elena's car pulled up in the driveway.

She parked her car before getting out, "Oh, hey, Charlotte."

"Hi," Charlotte greeted back, waving awkwardly, "I am sorry about yesterday...I needed some me time."

"I get it, Char," Elena nodded, leaning forward to hug the Bernard girl, "What happened yesterday was as traumatic as it is. You deserve a break."

"Probably...," Charlotte hugged her back, gratefully nodding before she pulled back, knocking on the Salvatores's door. They waited a few seconds before Damon swung the door open.

"Hello, Elena, Charlotte," Damon greeted, ever so charmingly, teasing.

"You said there was something important," Charlotte retorted, hugging her bag close to her chest, "I have school and I can't miss two days in a row, it's not like me."

Damon nodded, making room for her and Elena to pass by, "Right this way, ladies."

Elena rolled her eyes, walking in before Charlotte followed her, not sparing Damon a glance, remembering what he had done to Katherine. She turned around just as Elena muttered, "You."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows, recognizing Rose, "For real?"

✵ ✵ ✵

Damon and Stefan, briefly explained how Rose turned team good guys and was actually just here to help as they all immigrated to the living room. Charlotte and Elena were seated on the couch, each Salvatore was on a chair across from the couch and Rose was in the middle of the room.

"Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true," Rose started, crossing her arms with a subtle shrug, "It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real."

"Who is he?"

"He's one of the originals, he's a legend," Damon answered, smirking with wriggled eyebrows.

Stefan continued after his brother, "From the first generation of vampires."

"Like Elijah?" Elena asked, making Charlotte looked down at her hands, remorsefully. Barely contemplating the fact that she took someone's life a day ago.

"No. Elijah was the Easter bunny compared to Klaus," Rose shook her head, mockingly, "He's a foot soldier—"

"You weren't saying that yesterday," Charlotte crossed her arms, interrupting her, "You were practically scared to death."

Rose shrugged her shoulders, "And then you killed him. Shocker, by the way," She pursed her lips in a straight line, sighing, "Look, Klaus is the real deal."

Stefan nodded, adding, "Klaus is known to be the oldest."

Elena raised her eyebrows, concluding, "Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?"

"Yes."

"Probably."

"No."

She received three different answers from Rose, Charlotte, and Stefan, respectively before Damon spoke up, "What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true—"

"—Which it is."

"And you're not saying it so I don't kill you," He raised his eyebrow.

Rose rolled her eyes, shooting back, "Which I'm not."

Damon shrugged his shoulders, turning to face his brother and the two brunettes in the room, "Then we're looking at a solid maybe."

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even knows that you exist," Stefan assured his girlfriend, turning to face her.

The redheaded vampire spoke up, "Not that you know of."

"Okay, that is not helping," Charlotte turned to the oldest vampire in the room, shaking her head.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him," Stefan chimed in, claiming, "I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real," He scoffed, shrugging his shoulders, "For all, we know he could just be some sort of stupid bedtime story."

Rose shook her head, stating, "He's real and he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot."

"Alright, we're shaking. You made your point."

Elena got up, pulling Charlotte to her feet with her as Stefan asked, "Where are you going?"

"School, we are late."

"We are?" Charlotte questioned, pulling out her phone, "But our first class is at nin—"

Elena turned to her with a glare, adding pressure on the hold she had on the girl's hand before Charlotte's mouth formed an 'o' shape and she rephrased, "Yeah, we should really go."

"Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you," Stefan rose to his feet, attempting to follow them.

Elena turned to him, stating harsher than she intended, "It's okay, we know where it is."

She practically dragged Charlotte with her outside, slamming the door after them as she made a beeline for her car, Charlotte asked, "We are not going to school, are we?"

"No, we are not."

"What do you have in mind?" Charlotte asked, closing the car door after her before fastening the seat's belt, "Because I feel like I am not going to like it."

"Probably because you won't like it very much. You don't mind me using your bottle of blood for that plan, do you?"

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte adjusted her school bag behind her back, walking faster to fall behind Caroline and Elena as they were making it to the Fell Church's ruin, Elena told Caroline, "Tell everyone I wasn't feeling well and I went home from school and Charlotte is just keeping me company."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," The blonde vampire shook her head, reminding her friend, "I'm a terrible liar."

Elena spoke up, adding, "And keep Stefan busy. I don't want him to know what I'm up to."

Caroline huffed out, rolling her eyes, "I'm even worse at duplicity and you know this."

Charlotte crossed her arms, recalling, "You managed to keep us occupied when Katherine paid Stefan a visit," She added, "And Stefan is easier to occupy than we are, just be casual."

The Forbes girl shook her head, "This is stupid...Stefan's gonna see right through me."

Elena sighed, turning around to face her best friend, "Caroline, as my friend, do you promise or not?"

She rolled her eyes, "You had to break out the girlfriend code," Caroline huffed out, reluctantly agreeing, "Okay. I promise."

"Okay."

"Why don't you want Stefan to know?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, answering, "He wouldn't want her doing this and I don't, as well but Katherine is the only one who knows the truth about Klaus, assumingly and with this," She pulled the bottle full of blood out of her bag, continuing, "She will tell me the truth about Elijah and his fiancée, who just so happens to be my friend."

They went under the church ruins, Charlotte looking upstairs with each step she takes, making sure it wasn't far enough. She hated having to do this, dreading a stupid mistake that could get her stuck in this death hole for another century and a half, "This place is a good setup for any horror movie."

"You okay doing this...being here?" Elena turned to Charlotte, asking her in concern.

Charlotte shrugged, rubbing her hands together, "As long as I don't pass the door, I am fine."

"Charlotte, I know how this place makes you and—"

She cut her off, shaking her head, "Elena, I am fine."

"You two do know that you are asking for the truth from someone who's probably never giving it," Caroline reminded them, crossing her arms, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I can't just sit back and wait," Elena answered, slumping her shoulders back, just as Charlotte made her way towards the door and opened it, lifting the stone door off the ground, "We have to know, Caroline. Please."

"Katherine?" Elena called out but her voice went hollow through the empty tomb before she turned to Caroline, "We'll be okay from here."

They heard a noise. Elena and Charlotte turned their heads and looked at the door entrance, just as Katherine arrived and stopped there, greeting, "Hello, Charlotte, Elena. You come to watch me wither away?"

"Goodbye, Caroline."

Elena turned to the blonde vampire, stating, "As long as I stay on this side of the door, she can't hurt me and Charlotte would never go inside. Please?" Caroline sighed, sparing a last glance at Katherine before she left.

"Stefan know you're both here?" Katherine asked, leaning against the door's frame.

Charlotte pulled the bottle from behind her back, stating, "We got you a few things."

She raised her eyebrows, releasing a dry chuckle, "You came to bribe me? What is it that you want?"

"I want you to tell me about Klaus,"

"And Elijah."

"Hmm, you've been busy," Katherine smirked, wetting her bottom lip.

Elena spoke up once again, "I also brought you this," She took an old book from the bag, "It's your family history. It says in here that the family line ended with you."

Charlotte shrugged with her arms crossed, turning to Katherine, "Obviously, that's not true."

She raised her eyebrows, "You think that if you brought me some family keepsake that I'd open up?"

Charlotte pulled the cap off the bottle, nearing the door as Katherine attempted to rush over towards it but she couldn't get out because of the spell, "I really didn't want to take things here but I had the feeling you won't answer us right away."

Elena sat down in front of the door, stating, "You don't look so good. How long before your body shuts down? 10, 20 years?" She asked mockingly, "It must be painful to desiccate and mummify. I can't even imagine."

"Charlotte can, maybe you should ask her?" Katherine suggested, sliding down as she sat on the floor.

Charlotte bit her tongue, not finding it in herself to say anything in return. She could just feel bad that her worst nightmare, inflicted by Katherine Pierce, was said doppelganger's very own truth now.

Elena put some blood in a glass on the ground and pushed it towards her with a stick. Katherine took the glass and drank. Her skin regained some of its color as she said, "You have the Petrova fire."

"More blood?" She offered as Katherine placed the glass on the floor.

"It's a long story, Klaus and I. It goes all the way back to England, 1492, after I left Bulgaria. Or was thrown out," Katherine sighed as Elena poured her more blood.

"Thrown out?"

Katherine continued, shrugging her shoulders back, "My family, your true ancestors, they disowned me. My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby out of wedlock," She sipped on the blood, rolling her eyes, "The shame."

Elena assumed, "It was kept secret?"

Charlotte sat down, furrowing her eyebrows as Katherine went on, "Mhmm. My baby was given away. I was banished to England and I had to learn to adjust. So I quickly became English."

"It was there that I caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. I was taken with him at first, till I found out what he was and what he wanted from me," She turned to Elena, emphasizing her every word, "And then I ran like hell."

"So, what did Klaus want?"

Katherine crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, "The same thing that he'll want from you. He wants to break the curse."

"By sacrificing the Petrova doppelgänger," Elena realized, exchanging a look with a belwirded Charlotte.

"He wanted to drain every single drop of blood from my body."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte poured Katherine a glass of blood, asking a question that had been on her mind ever since forever, "What does the Petrova bloodline have to do with Klaus?"

"It's really tedious but...," She drank and crushed the cup, having regained more of her color, "The curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells. The doppelgänger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell," She shrugged her shoulders, finishing, "Once the doppelgänger reappeared, the curse can be broken."

"So you ran before he killed you?"

"Something like that."

Katherine continued telling Charlotte and Elena how she ran and Trevor told her to find Rose but the redheaded vampire was more than ready to throw her back to Klaus. Charlotte deduced, raising an eyebrow, "Rose never ended up taking you back to Klaus, did she?"

"No, but not because she had a change of heart."

She soon revealed how she faked a wound to die before Rose healed her and then she killed herself, becoming who she was nowadays.

"You killed yourself?!" Elena questioned in disbelief, rising to her feet.

Katherine shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Klaus needed a human doppelgänger. As a vampire, I was no longer any use to him."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows, realization dawning on her, "But it didn't work. You didn't really escape, you've been running from him ever since. How could any live like that?"

"I underestimated his spirit for vengeance but living in a suitcase is better than dying so you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock," Katherine claimed, resting her back against the wall.

"What does all of this has to do with me?" Charlotte questioned, turning to Katherine.

The vampire doppelganger sighed, "Can't hold it for longer then? Your friend is looking for you."

"What friend?"

"Your only friend?" Katherine shrugged, raising an eyebrow, "You are too boring to have many but looks like someone stuck around. It's Paulina. Paulina Gilbert has been looking for you."

"You...are lying. She is dead," Charlotte shook her head, denying, "You saw me standing at her grave!"

"It's pretty easy for a vampire to fake their death over and over again."

She paused, messaging her temple with her fingers as she questioned, "Why would you protect me for Lina...You are older than her."

"Your friend has evolved," Katherine retorted, adding, "Klaus, whom we were speaking about a few seconds ago, happens to be her best friend. She has been keeping the company of the strongest vampires to ever live."

"This can't be true...if she was alive she would be here with me at this very second but she is not," Charlotte replied, shaking her head at herself, "Which means you are just lying."

"Do you really think that? Because your face tells another story."

✵ ✵ ✵

Katherine Pierce was a liar, a manipulator, a murderer, and a monster but she was broken. She wasn't born like this. She didn't make herself as whom Charlotte, Elena, Stefan, Damon, or Caroline saw these very days.

Charlotte truly pitied her and felt a deep need to help her. It wasn't right that she spent her whole life running to be locked up and imprisoned in a tomb, left to desiccate and rot. She did do that to Charlotte but the Bernard girl didn't believe in the act of returning the wrong with an even greater wrong. That was why she couldn't afford to look at Damon after what he had done to Katherine.

The brunette vampire arrived back home quite late, opening the door with her key. All the lights were turned off that she almost tripped over Ginger as he came by, meowing hungrily, "Easy, boy, I am not getting you anything. I know Cassie already fed you four times today."

She ruffled his hair before walking past him and descending the stairs down to the basement. She turned on the light, fiddling with the necklace around her neck.

Charlotte opened one of the boxes stashed away, labeled as 'Bernard Photography'. She looked into a few pictures, naming all of her cousins and sisters before going through other pictures with the Bernards and other founding family members. She paused upon something, quite dusty, and rusted.

✵ ✵ ✵