Much to Stefans dismay, there was a little less animosity between Charlotte and Klaus after that night. They still seemed to bicker like children, snapping unnecessarily at one another, but Charlotte didn't seem to hold the same distrust and disgust of a few days earlier and Klaus seemed less likely to snap her neck.

They'd made a few more pitstops since the school, but Klaus hadn't made Charlotte attend any of them. It hadn't even been a question, it was a statement.

The day after the incident school they had another lead to chase before moving on to Florida. Charlotte had known it was coming but when they met in the hallway of the hotel she was confused to only see Klaus waiting for her.

"Shouldn't we wait for Stefan?" she asked when Klaus began leading them down the corridor.

"Stefans gone ahead, love."

"But, without us? I thought that we were all going and–"

Klaus cut her off, with a cruel quip he knew would annoy her. "Yes, but darling we can't have you pass out every day."

"I passed out once, because I thought you were going to rip my heart out."

Klaus turned at this, Charlotte was so close behind he had to reach out his arms to stop her falling. He looked down at her, his arms still held her, he was so close she could feel his breath on her face as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I'd never rip your heart out darling," he could hear how fast her heart was beating, "No, I'd tear out your pretty little throat."

Charlotte stepped back, she was flushed and terrified again, her arms clutched her sides and she broke eye contact with Klaus. Taking a moment to compose herself, she looked back up to see Klaus striding away, proud of himself for her panic.

She didn't want to let him know he'd won so after a deep breath she quickly began to follow again, "Well what are we doing then?"

"Getting you something other than a gas station worker or college girl."

It was later that day now and Klaus and Charlotte were at another diner along a highway, it was nearly two am and they'd been sitting here for more than three hours.

She'd been sleeping in the front seat of the car when she felt it pull to a stop. Her eyes blurry as she saw Stefan leave the car whilst Klaus took his place in the drivers seat, pulling away from the curb before Charlotte could react. When they'd finally been seated and she'd asked where Stefan was Klaus only rolled his eyes and asked her what she wanted to eat. She didn't know if Klaus avoided her questions because he didn't want her to know or if he just liked how frustrated she got through not knowing.

They ate and Klaus continued to dodge her questions, finally conceding when he watched her fingers tapping nervously on the table they were at.

They were sitting in a booth at the back, Klaus was fiddling around on his phone and ignoring Charlotte who sat opposite him with her knees pulled to her chest, resting her head on them. They were waiting for Stefan to return from his most recently assigned chore and Charlotte was both bored and exhausted.

She was watching Klaus, taking the opportunity to study him from the corner of her eye as she pretended to watch the waitress behind the counter. Klaus was tapping a pattern on the back of his phone as he typed, impatiently at first, and then with rhythm, like how Charlotte would tap her fingers along her sides to soothe herself. He so often looked threatening, a growl covering his face, ready for a betrayal, but now, here and distracted his face lay calm.

"Stop looking at me," he snarled out suddenly.

Charlotte turned her eyes to the waitress, blush spreading across her cheeks taking a deep breath as she pretended she hadn't just gotten caught.

"What else am I supposed to be doing right now?"

"Go to sleep."

She rolled her eyes, "Klaus we're in the middle of a diner and I've been sleeping for a hundred and fifty years."

"Nik."

"Niklaus," she mocked, remembering the name his brother called him, "I'm bored."

"Shut up."

Charlotte laughed at him. She liked when she won their arguments through his acquittal, Klaus returned to his phone and Charlotte returned to watching the waitress as she lazily cleaned tables. Klaus' phone had been beeping for much of the evening so when it beeped and caused Klaus to stand she didn't notice.

"I thought you were bored, love," Klaus quipped when Charlotte didn't react and stand instantly, "Lets go, chop chop."

Rolling her eyes Charlotte followed him, secretly pleased to return to the car where she could sleep at last.

Charlotte expected Stefan to take over and drive when Klaus and she picked him up but he only tugged the back door open and slid inside. Turning anxiously in her seat, she watched as Stefan curled up like she often did, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his legs to sleep. His eyes were shut, she could see how much he hated himself right now and she wanted to take all of his worries away. She wanted to growl out at Klaus but she was worried it would make things worse for Stefan so she settled for a frown and her own nap.

Their next few days passed much the same, Charlotte mostly sat in the passenger seat now, both Klaus and Stefan preferred her by their side than each other. It meant the one not driving could lay out in rest Klaus had explained once when she tried to protest.

She'd acquired a sweater of Klaus' at one point, the car still blowing air too cold for her, she had been shivering as she slept, curled into a ball when he'd draped it over her body. Stefan pretended not to notice, his eyes ahead on the road and then none of them acknowledged it when she woke.

She didn't return it, keeping it by her side, alternating between wearing it, sleeves rolled up, and laying it over her curled up legs.

Charlotte and Stefan would chat softly when they thought Klaus was sleeping, she'd talk about the Other Side, how it felt, what she'd seen of his and Damons lives. He'd tell her about how it was being a vampire, update her on the bits of his life she hadn't watched.

Sometimes Klaus would pretend to sleep when he didn't need to, just so the two siblings would talk freely. They chattered with a familiarity that wasn't there when they thought he was listening. He liked listening to their experiences, he liked the way the siblings cared for each other and were interested in one another for who they were, it wasn't something he had with his siblings.

Stefan acted differently when Klaus was there, he pretended to be more detached, even with Charlotte he was colder.

Klaus knew it was an act, he watched the way Stefans knuckles whitened around the steering wheel when Klaus gave his sister his sweater. Whenever Stefan returned to Klaus and Charlotte his eyes would rake up and down her body, checking for any harm, checking for her necklace. He pretended he was indifferent and he did a good job, but Klaus rarely got played for a fool and watched knowingly.

Charlotte pretended not to notice the tension between Stefan and Klaus. She knew Klaus liked to wind Stefan up and that Stefan hated Klaus for what he was putting him and by extension, her, through.

Klaus would pull her places, his hand tugging hers as they left to get breakfast or between the car and the hotel. He'd tug her around and watch as Stefan's knuckles went white with fury.

She disliked it of course, but she knew he was only doing it to make Stefan mad and she knew if she'd tried to push back that he'd only do something worse. She wasn't as frightened of him anymore. Whist she wasn't exactly a fan, she did know he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

There had been a night where Charlotte was waiting outside an alley whilst Klaus and Stefan fed. It was late and dark outside and the streets were empty aside from drunk college kids or teenagers sneaking by sloppily. She had to stand within their eye line and she wasn't really even outside of the alley just near the exit but she was turned as far away as possible so she could pretend that they weren't feeding.

Stefan had killed the girl he was feeding on and Klaus' goading convinced him to go find another so it was just Charlotte, and Klaus, and the girl he was feeding on. Some men had driven by calling out to her and she'd pulled a face and turned away. Not quite sure how to react she let it go.

A little while later one of the men returned, he'd left the car and approached Charlotte alone.

"Hey baby," he'd slurred.

He was drunk and stumbling, reaching out for her hand with a sloppy smile on his face. She stepped back and turned away but the man reached out again, this time forgoing her hand and grabbing her butt greedily.

Charlotte only had a chance to push him away before suddenly Klaus was there and had forced the man to the wall beside them by his neck, blood still dripping down his chin.

"Don't hurt him," Charlotte said, grabbing his arm and tugging, hoping she could pull it away from the man.

She didn't want the man touching her or even near her, but she didn't want him dead for her either. Klaus' grip seemed so tight his fingers were white and the man in his arms was gasping out desperate, choked, breaths. He was doing this for her but she didn't want it, didn't want her conscience having this strangers death on it forever.

"Ahh but darling, he's got to know that's no way to treat a lady."

The man was clutching desperately at Klaus' hands now, clawing for breath and Charlotte tried again. She'd do anything to save him at this point, her heart pounding fearfully.

"Nik, please. Just compel him and let it go."

Stefan had returned by this point with his second college girl now and looked on with shock to see Klaus holding a man against the wall with Charlotte begging him. He was surprised when Klaus did in fact let the man fall to the ground clutching his throat and coughing. Klaus had compelled the man easily and snatched Charlotte's hand, dragging her to the car.

None of them talked about it afterwards, Stefan had joined them in the car a little while afterwards. Charlotte was in the front seat looking out the window as she tried to process what'd just happened whilst Klaus leaned again the drivers side door on a phone call. Stefan had slid in asking if Charlotte was alright, which she was, and nothing more was said of Klaus or the incident.