𝟕𝟖

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

A few tissues, just in case?

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓━═☆

Charlotte slid the pancake off the pan and into one of the rose-colored plates in Serena's kitchen, smiling as she poured the maple syrup over it and the few others she had made. She pushed off the plate to be right next to the glass of orange juice that she had poured just minutes ago.

"Serena!" She called aloud, "Breakfast is ready!"

Not a few minutes has passed before the brunette came running downstairs, "I am starving!" She claimed, pulling out a seat for herself, "Charlotte, you have no idea how much I love you and every tasty thing that you bring into this world."

Charlotte chuckled, turning around to put the dirty pan in the sink, "I am flattered, thank you."

"Like no kidding, in an alternate universe, you would be like...the fairy Godmother," Serena stuffed her mouth with food, "I am not sure who would be the lucky Cinderella but I am pretty sure that fairy Godmothers help everyone."

"Who?"

Serena's eyes widened but before she could question that Angelina moved past her, gasping, "You haven't seen Cinderella?" Charlotte shook her head, clueless as the blonde questioned again, "The Lion King?" Another shake of her head, "Up? The Little Mermaid? Cars? Nothing?"

"Uh...," She parted her lips, looking between the two, "Should I?"

"Of course, you should," Angelina tapped her friend's head, shaking her head in disapproval, "This is embarrassing. I am officially embarrassed of you, Charlotte."

"What did I do?" Charlotte's once happy smile turned into a pout, not understanding what was happening, "I don't know any of this."

"I can not believe this," Serena pursed her lips together, looking at her aunt, "You are a disappointment, Charlotte Bernard."

The petite brunette huffed out, "Don't say that. Tell me what is it. What am I missing?"

"Only the best movies ever known to mankind," Angelina rolled her eyes, answering.

"What movies?"

"Cartoon movies!" The youngest Bernard slammed her hand on the table as she swallowed her last bite, "How dare you not know them?"

"No one introduced me to them," Charlotte claimed, looking between the two, "If those movies are any good, I will be blaming the two of you. I will be disappointed in you two."

She finished, moving over to pour herself coffee. Serena furrowed her eyebrows together, "Did she just...?"

"Turn the tables?" The Forbes vampire pursed her lips together, "Yes, she did just that. I don't know whether to be proud or betrayed."

Charlotte turned around, leaning on the counter as she sipped on her coffee, "Well, proud, of course."

"Okay, tonight. We will start with the Disney movies and move our way through everything else. From the oldest to the newest. Because the older the better."

"Hmm," Charlotte hummed quietly, a faint smile on her face, "I like that phrase. The older the better."

Angelina nodded, a small laugh escaping her, "That and women age like fine wine."

"I don't think that phrase is exclusively for women," Serena commented, a little smirk playing on her lips.

"Nonsense, it should be," Angie claimed, pointing at herself and Charlotte, "We are perfect examples of that. It just keeps getting better for us."

The human Bernard rolled her eyes, "Of course it does, you are vampires."

"That's not the main reason—"

Angelina's argument was cut when Charlotte's phone rang. The brunette raised her hand, letting them know she should get that. She picked it up, greeting, "Hello, Caroline."

"Charlotte, hey," Caroline answered, taking in a deep breath, "You need to get to Elena's house quickly, like right now."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"They are back from the cure hunt thing and—"

She interrupted the blonde, inhaling sharply, "I told you, Caroline, I am not ready to speak with her so if you would just—"

"Charlotte," Stefan cut her off and she assumed he took the phone from Caroline as he continued, "Look something happened...and you need to be here. How fast can you be here?"

She ran a hand over her forehead, "I am with Serena. we will both be there in fifteen minutes or something," Charlotte shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Okay, but earlier, if possible."

The Bernard vampire nodded to herself, finishing, "Okay, okay."

She hung up, looking up at Serena, "What could be so urgent?"

Her niece huffed out, "I have no clue but he is usually right about urgent things, unlike Damon...so."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

Angelina raised an eyebrow, "You want me there? Emotional support?"

Charlotte smiled, rubbing her friend's forearm in reassurance, "No, it's okay. I will be fine."

Serena looked between the two, speaking up, "And she has me. I am a walking human shield. Super powerful."

✵ ✵ ✵

Serena parked her car in front of the Gilberts' house and stepped out of it along with Charlotte. Caroline was waiting at the door as Charlotte raised her eyebrows, "What's wrong?"

Caroline couldn't bring herself to tell her so she resorted to saying, "Elena is upstairs, Jeremy's room."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows together before commenting as she waved her hands in front of her face, "What is this smell?"

Caroline shook her head, murmuring, "God! Just get upstairs, Charlotte."

"Okay, calm down. I am going."

The oldest Bernard moved past her and upstairs to Jeremy's room. The smell she had picked up just seconds ago was getting stronger as she got closer. She stopped in front of Jeremy's room, not particularly delighted that she had to speak with Elena then.

She found the Gilbert girl sitting at Jeremy's bed, holding on to his hands. His body was covered in his blanket even though the temperature was increasing outside. Charlotte parted her lips, questioning, "What's happening?"

Elena turned to look at her and rose to her feet as Charlotte paused, uttering out, "He doesn't have a heartbeat...Why can't I hear Jeremy's heartbeat?"

"He is okay. He is going to wake up," Elena claimed, nearing her. Charlotte barely looked at the doppelganger, tears rushing to her eyes as she shook her head but Elena kept going, "He was wearing the ring. He is going to be fine."

Charlotte's eyes widened as it dawned on her what that smell was. She repeated out loud, "I can't hear his heartbeat," She placed her hand over her mouth, holding back a sob.

"No, no, stop crying!" Elena put her hands on Charlotte's forearms, "He is going to wake up! He has to, okay! He will wake up."

She shook her head repeatedly, "No, he is not," She looked from Jeremy's body to Elena's face, seeing the fear in her eyes at the possible chance that Jeremy won't make it, "He won't wake up."

"No, no, listen to me," The doppelganger held onto her, "The tattoo is gone. He is human again. He will wake up. The ring will work. It's possible."

Charlotte wanted to believe her. She really did. She wanted to believe that in a few minutes or hours Jeremy would wake up, he would make fun of her for smothering him but then he will tell her that he appreciates that she was always there for him and Elena. He will act like a tough boy and say he doesn't need anyone and still appreciate them being there for him every step of the way.

She stood there, looking at his...corpse and hoping that he will peel those eyes open and be okay but she knew better.

A small voice awoke in the back of her head, You couldn't protect him too.

Charlotte shook her head over and over again, drowning out Elena's voice as she let that sink in. She wanted to cry, scream, and break something but not feel the pain that stirred in her chest the minute she stepped into that room.

"Charlotte, listen to me," Somewhere between Elena repeating that Jeremy will wake up and Charlotte's tears the blurred her vision, Stefan had pulled her out of the room, "You need to help her."

She looked up at him, shaking her head, "Jeremy is dead...What do you want me to say?" A strangled sob escaped her as she continued, "You want me to lie? You want me to claim that everything will be okay now?"

"Charlotte—"

The Bernard cut him off, crying out, "It's not! Nothing is okay, Stefan," She ran her hands over her face, "I should have been there...If I was there, he wouldn't be dead...I would have done something. If you all hadn't lied to me, I would have been there and he would be alive."

"I know, I know," He said, nodding as he placed his hands on her shoulders, attempting to calm her down, "But we are here now and that's what's happened. Damon is not coming back until he finds Bonnie and I don't know anyone else that could get through to her. So please, Charlotte...just—"

"Just what! Just what, Stefan!?" She screeched out, stepping away from him, "Just don't have a heart, Charlotte? Just don't grieve now, Charlotte? Just bury it deep down, Charlotte? I can't do that! Okay, I am not you guys. I am in pain...I promised him."

Charlotte sobbed out, shaking her head, "I promised him...I said I would protect him," She shut her eyes for a few seconds, her tear-stained face was reddening as she held her breath, "I smelled it...His body...That was it. The minute I stepped in the house."

"I know...I know."

She held her breath, trying to collect her thoughts, "You should call Matt, he will...," Charlotte trailed off, sighing, "I mean, I hope, he will do a better job at controlling himself than I am."

Stefan nodded as the brunette took in a deep breath, and in doing so picked up that smell again, "And tell Caroline to get Dr. Fell here...the sooner the better."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte stayed downstairs, walking around the living room until Meredith Fell could make it there. Serena had gone with Caroline to do whatever arrangements or things they needed to do to prepare for Jeremy's funeral...Charlotte didn't really understand but Serena needed to keep her mind off what happened so she let her go with Caroline. She sat down on the couch, in front of the TV and looked up. It was spotless, having been the one to clean it just a day ago.

Beside her and just where it has always been was Jeremy's joystick. That wasn't its normal place obviously but every time she and Elena would clean up the house, he would always end up leaving it there until Charlotte just got used to it being there.

She remembered beating him in a game once. She was so excited that day. He kept saying that she won because of the vampires' fast reflexes and if it was just human her against human him, he would have crushed her. Charlotte just laughed and rubbed it in his face whenever she could.

The brunette vampire had a faint smile on her lips remembering that but it soon faded when Meredith Fell walked in with Stefan and she reminded herself what Dr. Fell was there to do.

"I will go with her," She told Stefan, nodding to signal that she was fine when he gave her a concerned look.

Meredith walked in first, knocking at the door, "Elena?"

"Meredith?" Elena rose to her feet, asking Charlotte that still stood at the door, "What...What is she doing here?"

Meredith sighed, answering, "I came to check on your brother. May I?"

"Yeah. Um...," The Gilbert vampire stepped away as Meredith walked over to Jeremy's body and lifted his arm, "You're not gonna find any vitals. It's the same thing that Ric used to go through. He'd just be dead until then he wasn't."

Elena sighed, reassuring herself, "Once, I remember he was gone for almost an entire day," She pointed out, running her tongue over her bottom lip, "Ric died, like, 4 times before he lost his mind and Jeremy has died a few times, too—3, I think—so we're gonna have to—" She paused anxiously when she heard Stefan step into the room, moving past Charlotte, "—so we'll have to keep an eye on him because I don't want him to go crazy just like Ric did."

Meredith glanced over at Charlotte and Stefan, the latter gave her an encouraging nod, "Elena...it looks like Jeremy died of extreme blood loss," She said, approaching the doppelganger, "His neck also appears to be broken. The lack of blood explains why there's no lividity, but his muscles have tightened past the point of rigor mortis."

"No."

"If he's left unattended to, soon he'll start to bloat. Within a few hours, his skin will discolor, and—"

"No, He's...stop, okay?" She walked over to her brother's bed, "Just stop. He's not dead."

Charlotte turned away from the door, holding her breath. She wanted to be there for Elena with everything in her but she couldn't determine what hurt more, looking over at Jeremy's body and knowing that he will never wake up again or looking over at her best friend who was nearly losing her mind and barely holding herself together.

"I need you to release the body to me," Meredith continued, walking her through everything that should happen, "We'll get him to a funeral home and prepare him for a viewing where you and his friends can say goodbye to him."

Charlotte looked up, hearing something slam against the wall. She looked back to see Elena had Meredith held against the wall, screaming at her, "He's not dead, okay?"

Charlotte ran into the room, helping Stefan pull Elena off of the doctor, "Elena, she is just trying to help us."

The doppelganger struggled against the two older vampires holding her as her voice rose in hysteria, "Now you're all about science? Where was your science when you used vampire blood to save my life, huh? There is no science here. It's just magic. We need magic. We have to find Bonnie. Bonnie can fix this."

"Somebody, just get me Bonnie!"

"Elena...," Matt's confused voice cut through the room as he stepped in and Elena stopped struggling against them. He looked over at Jeremy on his bed and his face started to crumple, reminding Charlotte of herself just an hour ago.

"No. No. No, Matt. It's fine," She walked up to him, "It's okay. It's okay," Elena hugged him as his eyes started to tear up, "Bonnie will be here soon, and she'll fix everything, and it'll be all fine. Everything's gonna be fine," He let her hold on to him, repeating to herself, "It'll be fine. It'll be fine."

Matt looked across the room at Charlotte who predicted that much like herself, no one gave him a warning of what he was walking into. She shook her head when they made eye contact.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte was right. Matt did a much better job than herself at helping Elena calm down. He let her believe that she was right and took her somewhere close to calm her nerves unit she and Stefan could figure something out.

The Bernard vampire stood in Jeremy's room, looking around herself. She knew that even if everything in his room stayed the same, she would never be able to bring herself to stand there again. Much like what happened to Cassie.

She pulled the blanket over his head, taking one last look at his face. That was it.

She let her hands rest at her sides again, taking in a deep breath. Charlotte adjusted the thermostat to a lower temperature as she walked outside, nearly pumping into Meredith.

"I...uh, I lowered the temperature, I thought it would be helpful."

"Good instincts," Meredith nodded, patting her shoulder.

Charlotte sighed, "I remember reading somewhere that temperatures are really low in morgues," She paused after that skipped her mouth, "A morgue...which is where Jeremy should be right now..."

The doctor tried to pat her shoulder once again before Charlotte shook her head, stepping back, "It's okay...I am fine," She looked up at the Fell standing in front of her, "Really, I am...It's nothing new."

"You can never get used to what losing someone feels like, Charlotte."

Charlotte took that in, shrugging her shoulders, "With how often it keeps happening...it wouldn't hurt to hope, yeah...One day, just one day...it will be easier?"

"No. No, it never is," Meredith shook her head, "I see this every day. Sometimes I think that denial is the worst part for people like us, because we know the truth. We can see they're on a collision course with it, and all we can do is brace ourselves for impact."

"I can't keep bracing myself for the impact...," Charlotte ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "I am tired."

"We all are," Meredith pursed her lips together, "It's part of being alive, of being human."

"It wasn't so hard before," Charlotte shook her head, "I was human before...and I remember that there were hard days but the good ones, they made up for it...they were enough."

She shrugged her shoulders, a humorless chuckle leaving her lips, "But now? Nothing can make up for any of this...Nothing."

✵ ✵ ✵

Damon had finally found Bonnie and much to everyone's surprise, she had a plan. She said she could bring Jeremy back.

Charlotte called Elena, "Charlotte?"

"Hey, this is going to sound completely crazy but hear me out," Charlotte started, her tone lightening up after speaking with Bonnie, "Damon found Bonnie and she said there might be something to do."

"She knows what do, doesn't she?" Elena questioned and Charlotte could almost see the smile pulling up at her lips.

Stefan shook his head at Charlotte, stepping in to say, "Let's just see what she says when she gets home, okay?"

"Okay. We'll be home soon."

She hung up with Elena, a smile pulling up on her lips as well as she rubbed her eyes, telling herself, "It's going to be okay."

Stefan was still reluctant to hope on that and what hurt most was how quickly Charlotte jumped into that boat, hoping that that was their chance. It hurt but he wasn't surprised, Charlotte would do anything so Jeremy could wake up, no matter what.

✵ ✵ ✵

Well, anything to get Jeremy back to the land of the living. Anything but that.

Bonnie had gotten back. She was sitting with Serena, Elena, Caroline, Matt, and Charlotte at the kitchen table, telling them, "It's called an Expression triangle. I need to complete it for Silas."

The Donovan scoffed out in disbelief, "What?"

"Bonnie, you can't kill 12 people," Serena pointed out after she had continued explaining.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only way to get enough power."

Caroline questioned, "To do what?"

She went ahead, telling them about Silas being buried by her ancestor, Qestsiyah. Who had left him buried with the cure and the choices to stay immortal or take the cure and die to eventually be reunited with her. She told them why the Other Side was formed and how she was the only one who could drop the veil.

"Once the veil is dropped, the Other Side doesn't exist anymore. There's nothing separating us. We're all just one."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, pointing out, "Yeah, we are all just one with every evil supernatural creature that has ever died and will come back for vengeance!" She shook her head, looking at the witch, "We have a long list of those...starting with, I don't know, maybe all the tomb vampires?"

"We will cross that bridge when we get there, I can do it."

Caroline scoffed, "Bonnie, you are talking like a crazy person. You are not killing 12 people."

"And you sure as hell can't invite every monster who has ever died back into this world," Serena added, folding her arms together.

Matt stepped in, sighing, "Guys, I think she knows that."

"I can do it. I have the power. We can bring everyone back—Jeremy, Alaric, Vicki."

The Bernard vampire shook her head, "You can't just do that, you can't just bring back the dead, there's consequences, there's always horrible consequences."

"It's gonna be fine..." She said, trailing off.

The phone rang, breaking Elena out of her reverie and ending the conversation, "I'll get it."

She rose to her feet just as Charlotte did, "It's okay, Elena, I can—"

"I said I'll get it," She cut her off, moving to answer the phone just as Damon and Stefan stepped back inside, "Hello?"

"Elena? It's April...Young. Um, I was looking for Jeremy, his cell phone keeps going straight to voicemail."

"Jeremy can't come to the phone right now," Elena said, shaking her head, "He's not—" She paused, looking up, "I'm sorry. He's dead."

She hung up and walked out of the room. Charlotte pulled herself out of her seat, following her upstairs. Elena slowly entered Jeremy's room, where his body lied under a blanket. She approached the bed and reached to lift the blanket from over his face with a trembling hand.

Upon seeing his face, she backed away, breathing heavily

"Elena..."

She turned around, looking at Charlotte, "He's dead, you were right. He is dead, Charlotte," She pointed back at him, involuntarily tears falling down her face, "And he's been dead this entire time, and I—" Her hand flew to her face over her mouth, "Oh, my god," Elena turned to look at her brother.

"I can smell him," She turned around to Charlotte as Damon stopped at the door, "How long has he smelled like that?"

Charlotte felt the tears she had held back for so long coming back to her as she watched Elena break down in front of her. Damon approached the doppelganger, "Hey, talk to me. I can help you."

"How? How are you gonna help me? How?" She sniffled back and wiped her hand over her face, "Okay. Okay. We—we have to—we have to take care of his body. Bring him downstairs."

Charlotte's lips parted, speaking up, "We shouldn't—"

Elena shook her head, turning to Damon, "Just carry him down, please," She left the room, walking past Charlotte. Leaving a reluctant Damon behind.

She hurried down the stairs, followed by Charlotte, "Elena, stop, you are not processing this the right way—"

She was cut off as Elena asked, "Where's Bonnie?"

"We told Matt to take her and Serena home. We thought it'd be best."

"Okay. I guess we're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way," Elena stated, moving over to the cabinets in her kitchen as she addressed Charlotte, "There's nothing to process. My brother is dead and we need a cover story."

She looked up at Damon who had arrived downstairs, "Put his body on the couch," Elena took a bottle of lighter fluid out of a cabinet and squirted it over the counter, "Got it."

Charlotte shook her head, "Elena...Elena!"

She continued to pour the lighter fluid everywhere, "We need a cover story, right? You think I didn't hear you guys talking earlier? Well, what are we gonna say—animal attack?" A humorless chuckle left her as she suggested once again, "Tumbled down the stairs? Nope, Izadora Bernard had that covered after Damon snapped her neck. We burn the house down with him inside of it."

Elena had made it to the living room and squirted the couch as Charlotte yelled out suddenly, "Elena, stop!"

"Why? Because you want me to not be in denial? You want me to face the truth? This is the truth," She moved over to Charlotte, "I heard you earlier. No, you don't need to not have a heart, you can grieve, you don't have to bury it down for my sake like he said."

"And I don't need this place. I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want these sketches," She sprayed them with the lighter fluid and kicked the Xbox as Charlotte held back a sob, "I don't want this Xbox," She threw down the empty bottle and reached into a cabinet, "Not gonna need this bourbon anymore. Alaric's not here to drink it, I mean, unless you guys are willing to bring back every supernatural creature on the Other Side to get him back."

"Would you?" Elena turned to Damon, raising her eyebrows, "I know you want your drinking buddy back," She walked up to him, repeating, "Would you, Damon? Because I wouldn't."

She walked over to Jeremy's body and splashed bourbon over him, "I don't know, I mean, does that make me a bad person? I—I have no idea," Elena shook her head, pulling the Gilbert ring off of Jeremy's finger and tossing it to Damon, "He's not gonna need that anymore."

Caroline shouted out, shaking her head, "Elena, stop it. You're scaring me!"

"What else are we supposed to do with the body, Caroline?" She asked, pulling a picture frame off the wall, "I mean, there's no—there's no room in the Gilbert family plot," She threw the frame down on the floor and the glass cracked, "Jenna and—and John took the last spots."

She threw the empty bottle of bourbon against the wall and it shattered as she grabbed a match from the mantle and lighted it.

Stefan shook his head, "No, no, Elena. Stop."

"There's nothing here for me anymore, Stefan!" Elena shouted out, breaking down in front of them, "Every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that have died—my mom, my dad, Jeremy, and Jenna and Alaric, John, even John. I mean, they're all dead. Everyone is dead."

"So what am I supposed to—I mean, how am I gonna—I can't even," It became harder and harder for her to word out her pain, "There's nothing left for me—aah!" The flame burned down on the match and started to burn Elena's hand. She dropped the match but Charlotte vamp-sped over to catch it before it could ignite on the lighter fluid everywhere.

She sighed in relief before Elena sobbed out and started to crumble, "Elena, I need you to calm down," Damon tried to approach her.

"No, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't. I—" She fell to her knees, immeasurable pain and grief distorting her face. Charlotte bent down, holding her hands, "No. It hurts. It hurts."

Charlotte cupped her face so she would face her, "Listen to me...I know," She nodded, sucking in a deep breath to try and hold her tears back, "It is hell. I know, I know," She shook her head, claiming, "But Jeremy wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want any of this. He wouldn't want a stupid cover story to be the first thing on your mind after he is gone."

A sob escaped Elena at the mention of her brother being gone but Charlotte continued, "It hurts, believe me, I know...And I won't tell you that it will stop anytime soon but one day, one really good day, it will be easier to go on with this pain...It will."

"Charlotte, he is gone," Elena repeated, shaking her head, "I did this...If it weren't for the cure and me being a vampire, he would have never...," She held back, sniffling, "He would...he would be here."

She placed her hands over her head, "Just make it stop. Please make it stop. It hurts."

Charlotte cried out, looking over at her but before she could move over and hold her or try to ease her pain. Stefan stepped in, "Damon...Help her."

He crouched down next to her and pulled her to him, "I can help you. I want you to let me help you," She shuddered as he touched her face, "I can help you."

"How?"

Charlotte was holding her face in her hands, trying to pull herself together when Damon uttered the words, "Turn it off."

"No, what are you doing?" She shook her head, trying to pull him away from her but Damon held her wrist, "Damon, no."

"Just turn it off, and everything will go away. That's what you have to do. It's what I want you to do. Just turn it off."

Damon dropped Charlotte's wrist as Elena's tear-stained face turned utterly expressionless and still. All the light left her eyes and as Charlotte looked at her, it was as though something inside of her died.

✵ ✵ ✵

"I could have, I could have made it through to her," Charlotte repeated more to herself than the Salvatores as she looked up at Damon, "How could you take something like that from her?"

"You couldn't, and you know it. This is the only way she's gonna survive," Damon claimed as Charlotte scoffed out, "We'll help her, keep an eye on her. When she's ready, I'll use the sire bond to bring her back."

She shook her head as Damon said, "Don't give me that look, not so long ago, you have done the same thing."

"Because it was my last straw," Charlotte stated, shrugging her shoulders, "I was leaving my hometown, I thought my best friend was dead and I had killed the person I loved the most. And I carry the regret of making the decision to turn it off with me to this day...and so will she, Damon."

"Her humanity, Damon, that was all she had left," Stefan shook his head, telling his brother.

Damon rolled his eyes at the two, claiming, "Humanity means nothing when you don't have anyone to care about."

"She had me!" Charlotte screeched out.

"Yeah, after what happened to Kol...and after 'I honestly don't want to see your face ever again'," Damon nodded to himself, repeating her words from her last fight with Elena, "You didn't forget that and you know what, she didn't forgive herself for that."

"She...she told you that?"

"The whole thing. Word for word."

Charlotte swallowed a lump in her throat, walking back inside as Elena put down the frame. Still expressionless, she crossed the living room to grab and light another match, "Elena...we will figure something else out."

She shook her head, dismissing her, "This is the best one. No one'll ask questions."

Stefan sighed, telling her, "Look, if you burn down the house, it'll be gone. What if one day when this is all over, you want to come home again?"

Elena watched the flame in her hand before looking up at Stefan, "I won't." She tipped the match out of her fingers and the floor immediately ignited.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte dropped her purse on the couch when they got to the Salvatore Boarding House and walked outside, needing a bit of fresh air.

She stood on the porch, hands in her jacket's pockets as she stopped holding back. She let the tears fall down her face as she looked ahead of her, sobs escaping her throat. She had squeezed her eyes shut.

She wished that she could turn back time to go back to that day to what happened to Kol...She would tell herself to suck it up and go up to Jeremy and tell him that she forgives him, that she knows, that she knows he is just a kid and he was just doing what was right for his sister. If she could turn back time, she would hug him and tell him that she is sorry.

If she could turn back time, she would have been there with them, she would have protected him. She would have done something, anything. If she was there, she liked to believe, he wouldn't have been dead.

Charlotte heard footsteps behind her and turned around, her hands immediately raising to her face to rub the tears away before she realized it was just Stefan. She shrugged her shoulders when he looked at her, "It's okay...I'm...," She couldn't bring herself to continue that sentence, pursing her lips together.

He walked over to her, embracing her. At first, she didn't know what to do but she was in too much pain to think it over. She rested her head on his chest and let him hold her as she broke down in his arms and it felt familiar. Just safe.

✵ ✵ ✵