𝟔𝟒

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

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑━═☆

Charlotte could vividly remember what passing from the land of the living to that of the dead felt like, it wasn't long and unexpected. One second she was dead and the next, undead.

If she could remember something clearly, it would be her choice. Charlotte didn't want to become a bloodsucking monster in order to live, if that was it then she was happy to call it the end, period. No more. However, Pearl had another opinion. She thought Charlotte deserved better and Charlotte, herself, was still beginning to understand who would deserve that life instead of death.

Charlotte knew Elena would never want to be a vampire but she thought that she wouldn't want to die either. However, she might have been mistaken.

The brunette sat on the end of Elena's bed when she gasped awake. She sat up, her eyes scanning the room anxiously as she looked from Charlotte to Stefan who stood behind the Bernard girl, arms crossed over his chest.

"Charlotte...what, what happened?"

Charlotte reached over for her hand, squeezing it in reassurance, "Hey, it's okay...You have been in and out for a while but everything is fine now," She assured as Elena raised her eyebrows, "You were in an accident..."

"Oh my God. Matt is he—"

"Alive?" Damon interrupted; he was sitting on the window seat next to Elena's bed as the three of them turn to him, "Ask Stefan. The hero."

Elena furrowed her eyebrows together, turning to Stefan who nodded, answering, "He's fine."

"Thank you," She sighed in relief, thanking him, "I thought that I – how did you—"

"Save you?" He interjected once again, revealing, "He didn't and apparently miss do-gooder doesn't know how to swim."

Charlotte was beginning to lose it from the amount of interruptions as she took in a deep breath, explaining to Elena, "Look, Elena," She used her thumb to rub Elena's hand, continuing, "When Jeremy brought you to the hospital before all this happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew. Dr. Fell made a choice, she used Damon's blood to heal you."

"And when Lina ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Elena."

She started to panic, shaking her head, "Oh, my God. Does—does that mean that I," Elena paused, finding it hard to form the words, "Am I dead?"

Charlotte looked to Stefan and Damon who had nothing to say as the brunette transitioning vampire panicked, shaking her head, "No, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

She took in a deep breath, scooting over closer to Elena, "Hey, it doesn't have to be bad. We will work it out—"

Stefan interjected, stating, "I talked to Bonnie, she says she's stronger than ever, there might be something that she can do to help you."

Charlotte's lips parted, turning to Stefan with an unreadable expression as his older brother scoffed out, "No, the only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition."

"We have all day before she has to feed, Damon," Stefan reminded him, ever so hopefully, "That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

Damon rolled his eyes, stating the obvious, "There is no way out of it. We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three."

"I was ready to die," Elena sobbed out, shaking her head hysterically, "I was supposed to die. I don't...I don't want to be," She took in a deep breath as Charlotte moved over, holding her close, "I can't be a vampire!"

"Shh, it will be okay, just take a deep breath," Charlotte said, attempting to comfort Elena but if anyone asked, she thought that it was an epic failure.

"If there's something that Bonnie can do we have to try."

Stefan nodded, speaking up, "We will. We'll try everything."

Charlotte pursed her lips together as Damon scoffed out and rolled his eyes, "Your choice, Elena. As always."

The Bernard girl rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably before rising to her feet, she took a look from Damon to Elena, "We will leave you two to talk."

"We will have more time for that later—"

Charlotte cut him off sternly, "Damon, no. You are going to sit down and talk," She pushed him back on the window seat.

She grabbed Stefan's arm, pulling him outside with her, and just as she closed the door, she turned to him with a scowl on her face, "Okay, what the hell was that, huh?"

"I was trying to help—"

"Help?" She ran over her forehead, checking that she heard him right before moving down the stairs, "Well, stop it because there's nothing helpful in giving somebody false hope."

Stefan took in a deep breath, "She was having a breakdown and you didn't know what to do."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, turning to face him when they stopped in front of the kitchen, "Me? I didn't know what to do? I was handling the situation perfectly well."

"Really? How?"

"By letting her know that being a vampire is not the end of the world, it's a start," Charlotte said, shrugging her shoulders, "But you, you had to mess it up somehow and step in. How the hell is Bonnie gonna stop something that has been there for a thousand years? No offense to her or her ancestors but I am sure those thousand long years had seen quite the powerful witches who still couldn't stop this. It's just how it is."

"How would you know?" He rolled his eyes, shaking his head, "What do you know about vampires, to begin with?"

She blinked back, raising an arched eyebrow, "Wow...you are just on a roll today, huh?"

"You know what, you weren't there the day Elena looked me in the eye and told me she absolutely never wanted this."

Charlotte pursed her lips together, "I know she doesn't want it but I know she won't leave Jeremy alone and I know that she can go through with it. So, for the love of everything good in the world, stop giving her hope that it could all go back to normal when it can't."

"Look, I know that...," He sighed, trailing off when Jeremy walked in and Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck.

"Hey, Jeremy..."

"Am I interrupting something?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows, asking as he looked between the two.

"Nope," Charlotte shook her head, answering as she glanced at Stefan, "It's nothing," She picked up her bag from the couch, "I will be back, I gotta check on Serena, she just got back yesterday."

She slung her bag on her shoulder before turning to the Gilbert boy, "And Jeremy, for God's sake, have something to eat, please."

"Fine, whatever."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Don't whatever me, I am being serious right now," She sighed before addressing Stefan, "If he doesn't eat, it's on you."

✵ ✵ ✵

"I have missed you so much," Serena claimed, pulling away from Charlotte, "And let me just say Lina is one hundred more times smothering than you are."

Charlotte cleared her throat, nodding, "Okay...I missed you too, by the way."

Serena furrowed her eyebrows together, failing to understand the sudden change of mood as her ancestor questioned with a shrug of her shoulders, "So, what did you find out?"

It was Serena's turn to get a little nervous, sighing, "Not much."

"But you were about to tell me something in your last voice mail? It sounded important," She reminded her, folding her arms together.

The human Bernard raised an eyebrow, "I said that there's something important to say?" Charlotte nodded as she feigned surprise, "Oh, yes. How could I forget? So silly, huh...I am a hunter."

"Vampire hunter? Is that a decision or...an explanation to why you can't die?"

"I don't know, it seemed like something that will eventually happen," Serena sighed, answering before running her tongue over her bottom lip, "Do you want coffee?"

"No, thanks," Charlotte shook her head before inquiring, "What about the details behind all of that? Like how?"

"There's no how...It's just that."

"I thought you and I were okay...Did I do something?"

Serena quickly shook her head, "No, there's just really not much to say."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows together, sensing something wrong with Serena's actions. It was not like her to be shady about anything, she was the most talkative and open person Charlotte knew but all of sudden, she was turning all talks down.

"Well, umm...Elena is in transition."

"What?"

She nodded, pursing her lips together, "Lina ran her and Matt off the road, Matt survived and she didn't..."

"Oh, my God," Serena exhaled sharply, running a hand over her forehead, "Why would Lina do that?"

"Alaric's life was tied to Elena's and he was going to kill the Mikaelsons, she did what she had to do," Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, answering bitterly.

"Look, I know that there's nothing that can take that back but Charlotte, she—"

She interjected, shaking her head, "She did what she thought was right. I get it. Now can we stop talking about Lina?"

Serena was contemplating ways to approach the subject before Charlotte's phone started ringing and she rose to her feet, "Tyler? Aren't you like...dead?"

"Well...he should have been but here's the thing."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck, raising an eyebrow, "So, let me get this straight...," She paused, taking a deep breath, "You are not Tyler, you are Klaus and you are still the one who sired our bloodline," She pointed over at him and didn't wait for a response before adding, "And the Council not only took Stefan and Elena but vamp-napped Caroline and Rebekah."

"We are all up to date?" Lina huffed out before turning to Bonnie, "Put him back."

"She said she's not strong enough," Jeremy repeated, shaking his head at his ancestor.

Tyler/Klaus sighed, raising his eyebrows, "You were strong enough to put me in here. Surely, you're strong enough to get me out."

Bonnie inhaled sharply, stating, "I upset the spirits trying to save Elena. I can't use that kind of magic again. It's too dangerous."

"Bonnie, do the bloody spell!"

Charlotte turned to the hybrid, "She said she can't okay?" Noticing his and Lina's unwavering gazes, she added, "Now back the hell off. Just wait a few days until she is strong enough to do it with traditional magic."

Tyler/Klaus ripped open his shirt, took in a deep breath, and extended his claws on his right hand. He punctured his chest with his claws and grabbed Tyler's heart and began to rip it out. Charlotte's eyes widened, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ripping Tyler's heart out. I'll jump into someone else," He took a look at Jeremy, suggesting, "Maybe you."

He continued to tear out Tyler's heart as Charlotte shrieked out, "Oh, my God..stop it! You are hurting him!"

Jeremy shook his head, noticing the sudden change in Bonnie and Charlotte's ever so fierce demeanors, "He's bluffing. He needs a witch to do that."

Lina raised her eyebrow, retorting, "What makes you think we don't have one? Or hundreds of them?" She pursed her blood-red lips together, turning to Bonnie, "Your choice, Bennett. You or Tyler...He seemed like an annoying one, will anyone miss him?"

He had almost successfully torn open his chest as Charlotte yelled out, "Stop it, Klaus, please! You're killing him!"

"Fine, I'll do it! Just stop," Bonnie called out, caving in.

Tyler/Klaus took his hand out from his chest, leaving the heart inside just as Lina said, "If you try anything funny, you won't live to enjoy the victory."

"Why are you even here?" Charlotte questioned, narrowing her eyes at her former friend, "You lost the right to be any part of this."

"I am here because Klaus is here."

The Bernard vampire nodded, turning to Bonnie and Jeremy, "I can't stand either of them so I will be waiting outside," She squeezed Bonnie's shoulder on her way out, "Good luck."

She excused herself before walking out of the Lockwood's cellar. Charlotte took in a deep breath before someone spoke up, "You are mad at me."

"Wow...and she can see, too," Charlotte rolled her eyes, remarking sarcastically, "Even a blind clueless man can see that, Lina."

Paulina inhaled sharply, "I get it, Char. I do but—"

"No! You do not get it!" Charlotte interrupted, raising her voice with a harsher tone, "Lina, you get nothing, okay? You killed my best friend! Because of you, she has hours before dying or choosing to live as a monster for the rest of her life. It's your fault."

The Gilbert vampire shrugged her shoulders, "Well, now you know how I felt when I watched my friend burn to death in front of my eyes."

"So, that it's it? You were hurting and you want me to hurt just as bad?" Charlotte concluded, raising her eyebrows as Paulina quickly shook her head but it was too late, "You know what, Lina? You are selfish and insensitive. You don't care about anybody but your family, everyone else is nothing to you."

"Me? I am selfish?"

She nodded, folding her arms together, "Yeah, you are. I wish there was a word that could fit more but unfortunately, this is it. You just had to be the winner, right? If you are in pain then you lost—but you can't lose so you had to put me and everyone else through even more pain so that you would come out good and shiny," Charlotte spat out, her eyes burning with anger as she looked back at Lina.

Lina ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "That's rich, coming from you."

"What have I ever done to deserve this, huh? I did nothing to hurt you but in your sick mind knowing someone who wants to hurt your family is enough, right?"

"Charlotte, I wanted to help! I genuinely wanted to help!" She claimed, staring back at her but she knew it was done, Charlotte already made up her mind.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, "Look at that...you and your family survived, came out without a scratch and everybody else just has to live with the consequences of your selfish actions."

"I can't believe you are saying this to me. Charlotte, I—"

She rolled her eyes, letting out a huff of her lips, "—gave up your life to look for me? I get it. One selfless action and suddenly you are on my side? You are not," Charlotte stated, shaking her head at the brunette vampire, "That's just the Mikaelson way, isn't it? Family above all? Anybody else is just a waste of space."

Lina's lips parted, "I had no idea you always thought that way of me."

"I felt it since you came back but I brushed it off," Charlotte tsk'd, shaking her head, "I told myself...c'mon, no, that's Lina; your best friend. No, your sister; she would never hurt you or anyone you love. She changed but she is still in there...Well, I hoped you were."

Lina's eyes were involuntarily full of tears she wouldn't let go of as the Bernard girl continued, "I was wrong. You have changed. In the sense that I look at you and I see a carbon copy of the girl that I knew but on the inside?" She walked closer to her, shaking her head, "On the inside—It's just so...ugly and dark. I had to stop looking for anything worth fighting for."

"Charlotte, don't go there. Stop—"

"I begged you to stop!" She shook her head, yelling out, "You knew how much she means to me but you didn't care enough about that or me! So, no, Lina, this time, I am not the bad guy, here. I am the wronged one and I am done with it and you."

Charlotte didn't know where it came from or how she could stand there, walking all over hers and Lina's friendship but it needed to be done. Seeing Elena breakdown over the realization that she had to choose whether to die now or live forever—just ticked off something inside of her.

She sighed, reminding Lina, "Almost a year ago, you told me that you changed and you can't always forgive. You said that I would never change that I would be the same ol' naive, trusting, and easily manipulated Charlotte."

"You were wrong because I don't want to see you anymore. I don't care about your reasons and I sure as hell don't want to be your friend."

Lina walked closer to the brunette, stating, "Look, I am sorry that the person you chose to be your friend finds herself in the worst situations. I had to protect my family."

Charlotte nodded, pursing her lips together, "Great. Stay with them, they suit you. They don't care about anyone but themselves and you have developed the same lovely trait."

"Charlotte, wait. I will fix this. I always do."

"Not this time. This time, I am telling you that I don't want to see your face ever again."

Charlotte turned her back on Paulina, finishing but as soon as she did, she held back a few tears threatening to spill. She had nothing to feel bad for. That once, all she did was react in the most rational way possible.

✵ ✵ ✵

Damon had retrieved Elena, Stefan, and Caroline from Pastor Young's farm and Elena had completed her transition. Charlotte was more relieved than surprised as she greeted the Gilbert girl.

"You okay?"

Elena nodded, sighing, "The hunger subsided."

"I don't mean physically," Charlotte stated with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, emotionally, to quote a very inspirational person I know," She took in a deep breath, the hint of a smile on her face, "I am getting there."

The Bernard vampire chuckled, asking, "Hmm...so inspirational, do I know that person?"

"Oh, you wish."

✵ ✵ ✵