(CHAPTER SEVENTEEN :
A BROTHER'S APPROVAL)

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TEARS, BURNING TEARS, STREAMED down my face. I had my hand in my chest — my heart in my hand! There were two voices in my mind, the dominant one enticing me to 'end it all' and the meeker one reminding me that I was 'stronger than a spell.' It was battle, and not a fun one. Inside my bones, an impulsive urge I couldn't suppress, demanded I died for all my unforgivable sins. All it would take was a minuscule tug.

With such an immense speed that I couldn't comprehend it, a vampire catapulted my body into a wall of lockers. "What are you doing?" He demanded, the fierce authority in his voice covering up the meagre traces of concern that lurked beneath his words.

Slumped against the lockers, I didn't have the energy to move. "Esther." I wheezed our after a minute or two, desperately attempting to stabilise my breathing pattern. "Your Mom spelled, or cursed, me." I explained shortly, a part of me thankful for his interruption because it snapped me out of my trance. Not that I would ever admit it out loud, but Klaus Mikaelson saved me.

"I wouldn't exactly call that witch a Mother of mine when she is trying to kill me now." Klaus noted dryly. "But, she is smart and I doubt she would be as anticlimactic to send you on a suicide mission." He reasoned, to which I agreed with. Like I said to Kol earlier, it would be too easy. "Not that I can say the same for that little boyfriend of yours. Jeremy Gilbert, is it?" Per usual, the man had an ulterior motive to his good deed, intending to interrogate me, I'm sure. However, this didn't register immediately, my concern for the teenager consuming me.

"What?" I blurted, my posture shooting straighter. "I haven't been able to see him all night because I was caught up with the spell and other things." I supplied casually, curious as to what I could have missed.

Klaus had a knowing look on his face, but my features remained vacant and unrevealing. "Whilst you were attending to other things, Esther found some different targets to amuse herself with — I wouldn't feel too special, love." He mused, almost gaining pleasure out of my unease. I had to bite my my tongue, resisting spluttering a sarcastic comment because I knew he didn't owe me this information. "Ah, she possessed Rebekah, poor girl missed the dance. Now, she has the doppelgänger and history teacher held captive. So, the local humans went on a jolly old rescue mission." As if a child, he clapped his hands together, a mischievous glint in his vibrant eyes.

I clenched my fist until my knuckles turned white. "And why would you send the humans?" I shouted, knowing he had just signed their death sentence without a second thought. "You may be the 'big, bad hybrid,' but if Jeremy or Matt come back with even a single scratch, I will find a way to put you down. In fact, I'll put you all down." I seethed in my flaring rage, unsure if the intense sizzling in my stomach was a result of my hatred for the Original in front of me or the spell. Could it be a side-effect, the next wave?

"You haven't changed at all, Charlotte." He snapped, aware that using my full name irritated me greatly. "Brave, yet oh so foolish. Do you really you think you can threaten me?" Klaus hollered, inching closer to where I was still sat on the cold floor.

"You haven't changed at all, Niklaus." I mocked him harshly. "You sent two teenagers to fight for you because you're scared of your parents after a millennium." I accused, daring to keep eye contact. "Pathetic." I continued to chastise, pushing him to limits as he always did with me.

Klaus yanked me to my feet. "I wonder if my brother would still fancy you without that pretty little face to look at." His eyes flickered to amber in warning. "Wait, I almost forget you've moved on with the Gilbert boy now. A rather short and bittersweet 'always and forever' with Kol." He commented, guilt unknowingly seeping onto my expression when I remembered that I never told Kol about Jeremy. Truthfully, I didn't know if there was an etiquette to the situation — my romantic relationship with Jeremy was unrequited whilst Kol and I unofficially broke up when he was daggered.

"Watch your tongue before I rip it out, Klaus." I snapped. "Jeremy and I are nothing. He is like a brother to me, not that your tiny brain would be able to comprehend the idea of family." Forcefully, I folded my arms over my chest, a stand off between the two of us commencing. "I may have broken my promise of 'always and forever' to him, but, he was apart of it all the same, and that's more than your family can say. Long before I was born, he was excluded from your sacred vow. Despite having access to immortality and riches, he chose me because I offered him the one thing your monstrous family is incapable of," I hesitated before dropping me voice to a low and dangerous whisper, "love."

"Whether he knew it or not, we cared." He breathed, radiating a deadly sense of calm as he spoke. "In fact, all of us still care for him, more than any of us would like to admit. After a millennium of isolation and abandonment, family is all that I — we— have." Klaus took the liberty to explain his point of view, a strange and under appreciated occurrence from my side of the situation.

I held my tongue in disbelief. From what I knew, Kol was only a Mikaelson when convenient and I wouldn't allow myself to fall fool to his stretched tragic tale. "Your loneliness is a choice." I decided unquestionably. "Look around, Stefan, Damon and I managed to live, despite the curse. Vampires are predators, we've all killed and watched people we love die, and it sucks, Klaus." I raised my voice, remembering my victims and lost companions. "But, we didn't let our actions define us. You've lead the lifestyle of a villain and never tried to be better — no wonder you're so tense." I lectured him. It was a concept I devised a decade or two ago, to be a vampire, a choice had to be made, one more complex than life or death. One could embrace the darkness and legends passed through the ages, or they could take it as a second chance, a do-over on living.

Clenching his fist, the thing growled in my direction. "I don't need a therapist." He snarled, incredibly defensive.

"I disagree." I shook my head, heat rushing to my cheeks. "You claim family is important, yet they are carted around like cargo. Nobody is in your life by their own will, not even your precious family." I flailed my hands in the air, intensely involved in the conversation. "You're a liar, and deceitful, and hold people hostage to your toxi——" I raised my leg, aiming to kick him to gain some satisfaction for the pain he put my friends and I through, but it was a grave mistake. Sharply, I yelped as he grabbed my leg and flung me across the corridor.

The Hybrid hovered over my crumpled body, speeding to my side. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Charlotte." He gnashed his fangs at me and I instinctively closed my eyes, bracing myself for a bite that never came. When I opened my eyes, Klaus was gone.

Somebody cleared their throat, resulting in me tilting my head upwards and noticing an outstretched hand. Gladly, I accepted the help.

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PORTLAND, OREGON [1908]

In his long lifetime, few things successfully left Kol Mikaelson scared. He was an Original — almost indestructible — and that meant he had no valid reason to feel mindless human emotions like fear. In a way, he felt secure as a member of the undead, only a handful of beings could match his strength and malevolence. However, his weakness being exposed to his big-mouthed sister was one thing that left him scared. It had been such an extensive period of time since he last courted a woman, by his own will, that he forgot he had to protect another now.

Tap. Tap, tap. I perked up at the sound of the noise, the sense of urgency in his movements exciting me rather than alarming me. "Kol!" I squealed, clambering from my bed to open the balcony doors. Lately, the man's nighttime visits became more regular and I refused to complain.

"My sister found out about us." He bluntly stated, the lack of his expression on his face startling me. It was uncharacteristic of him to be frightened, usually he would dive into a kiss (or more) when he entered my bedroom.

"Okay." I hummed, expecting him to continue. Yes, I knew of his family, but had yet to encounter them. If Rebekah finding out was such a calamity, I would be dead, according to what I gathered from my lover's stories.

Kol's nostrils flared. "Okay?" He echoed in an exaggerated manner, always being the melodramatic one. "It certainly is not okay because my little sister is too far up Nik's arse for her own good and will expose our relationship. There will be no mercy from him if my loyalty is thought to be at risk, Charlotte." He spoke with a seriousness that was abnormal for him, but it still managed to hold the venom that I had grown familiar with. "Tomorrow, we will stage a disastrous break-up in front of her and you will need to convince Thomas to push forward the wedding. You're no longer safe with me." The Original insisted, bowing his head.

Cautiously, I pressed the palm of my hand against the cold skin of his cheek. "I've never been safe with you and never will be." I reminded him, the words stinging the vampire more than I had anticipated. "But, it is alright as I intend to love you, always and forever."

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"Thank you, Stefan." I said as the two of us strolled along the vacant corridors. He did something that provoked Klaus to spare me and I was grateful for that. Amongst other things, I was grateful that the spell Esther cast subsided. I could only hope that meant she died in battle and my friends survived.

"I don't need a thank you." He stopped abruptly, his voice plain and even. "I need a favour." Stefan elaborated, puffing his cheeks out as he sighed. Although his typical brooding look invaded his features, there was something wrong about him. Truthfully, I didn't know the younger Salvatore well, but I did know the manipulative undertone that soaked his words seconds ago was odd. Regardless of my suspicions, I agreed to his request, considering he saved my life. "I heard it all, Lottie. I didn't want interrupt unless necessary, but now you're safe, I want you to tell Jeremy the truth about your relationship, or I will." He didn't beat around the heavy topic, rather divulging immediately. The revelation that he heard everything was unnerving.

Perplexed, I pulled my eyebrows together. "It sounds more like an ultimatum than a favour." I mentioned with an empty chuckle, not having the energy to interrogate the man on why he was listening in on my argument.

His features appeared worn out and sunken, he was visibly tired, therefore not in the mood to deal with me. "Do it tonight. It isn't fair on him, or Elena." He finalised, stalking off in search for Bonnie Bennett.

"This is why you're my least favourite Salvatore!" I called after the dispersing man. Even though I was being playful, my words were void of sarcasm as I stood, unmoving, with a single tear escaping. I only ever wanted to protect Jeremy, I thought, where did I go wrong?

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A.N: This was very off episode but it went with the general plot because the second half of the episode revolved mostly around Alaric and I couldn't find a way for Lottie to be there.

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