"Klaus," Charlotte groaned out as they passed yet another exit sign to a town, the sun setting around them.

"Nik," he corrected, now out of habit.

"Please can we get out of this car, my legs aren't going to work any more. I don't think I'll be able to straighten them ever again."

They had now been on the road for at least eight or nine days. Occasionally they'd pull into a town and she'd follow along dejectedly as Klaus and Stefan questioned people. Sometimes they wouldn't stay long, while others she'd be tugged back to the car as Stefan stayed behind to talk alone. They didn't discuss what was happening and after the school she hadn't witnessed any of it, but even without supernatural hearing she could often still hear the screaming still from the car.

"That's because you curl up," he snapped back, "if you sat properly it wouldn't be a problem."

Reproachfully, Charlotte dropped her legs to the ground shuffling up so she was straight, Stefan stirred in the back, woken by their argument. They drove a little while longer, Charlotte eventually curled her legs up again, eyes widening in surprise when not long after, Klaus turned the indicator on, pulling off to an exit.

'Welcome to Five Lakes' the sign read, it appeared as though there wasn't any specific reason they were here, instead it was just luck they chose this town. Driving around a little, they eventually pulled in to a hotel. Stefan walking ahead to compel them rooms as was now the norm.

It was several hours before they left the hotel. They had a room each, Klaus at the end of the corridor with Charlotte and Stefan either side. They'd all collapsed into their rooms, Charlotte ran a bath and lay in it until her fingers shrivelled up and the water began to turn cold. She liked watching the steam billow as she first got in, reminding her of her brothers bath when she was first revived, the relief and happiness she felt.

Sadness filled her each time she thought of Damon, and she slid underneath the water with him on her mind. She knew really that she was happy she was with Stefan, knowing that she'd be more worried if she'd been left behind, following the trail of bodies she knew they were leaving. But knowing that didn't mean she didn't miss Damon nor make it easier.

She'd thought that in coming back to life that they'd all be together, that they could all pretend their life was as it was a century ago when they were all human. Instead she was tagged along on the road trip from hell watching her brother torture himself as payment for her other brothers life.

Charlotte was laying on the bed, watching the tv when there was a knock on her door. Klaus and Stefan were there and they were going out apparently, out to have 'fun'.

She didn't particularly want to be a part of the fun that she presumed would be happening but she did wanted to be able to relish her time out of the car so she tugged on her boots and followed along.

Fun it seemed, meant drinking excessively.

They were at a bar and she'd now tasted tequila, vodka and scotch. They all burned her throat causing her to screw up her nose as she drank them. She liked tequila, the activity that surrounded it with salt and a lime was fun at least rather than the others which burned and had no positives really. Charlotte was doing her best to relax, she hadn't had the opportunity to drink much in her old life, occasionally there would be wine or even champagne at a party, but they never drank the way people drank these days. Stefan had ordered fries for the table, aware of his sisters inexperience but Klaus laughed at her revelry.

Charlottes joy at her intoxication was infectious, even broody Stefan laughed as his sister squeezed her cheeks, red and warm she could feel the alcohol in her face. They were playing some ridiculous drinking game now, it had started off as a joke, someone said something and if you'd done the thing you drank.

Innocent enough.

Charlotte expected to get off scot-free in the game, with a thousand year old vampire and one with a century and a half, the nineteen year old was sure to win. At first Klaus and Stefan were certainly drinking more but soon the game got more pointed. Statements calling out one of the companions directly.

"Never have I ever, ratted out someone to their governess for not cooking tea when they were meant to."

"Look, besides the fact that it was literally a century and a half ago, that was one time and I apologised already, " Stefan defended, downing another gulp of his drink. The three of them descended into laughs, Charlotte felt so happy, her head felt bubbly and not focused.

The bar they were at had very few tables still around, most pulled away to make room for people to dance. The people surrounding them were mainly young, it was a college town and so the bar pumped with energy and desire. Klaus watched Charlotte who was eyeing the dancing students with curiosity and so he stood, pulling her to her feet alongside him.

Charlotte grabbed Stefan and soon they were part of the sloppy dancing, hips shaking eyes shut.

The was music pulsing through her. She didn't know how to dance at first, there weren't any steps they seemed to follow but she watched Klaus and her brother. There wasn't any one way to dance it seemed, you sort of just swung your hips and moved your feet.

She was definitely drunk now. Shutting her eyes made the dancing easier, she could feel the beat around her, her dazed head calmer as she moved. She would peak her eyes open occasionally, checking Klaus was nearby, Stefan too. They were dancing, drunk as well but not nearly as bad as Charlotte.

The next time Charlotte checked, Stefan was feeding off someone and Charlottes eyes screwed shut, wishing she could pretend to be normal. She kept her eyes closed as she danced, her arms moving with her to the music. At some point she felt hands on her hips and she stiffened at the contact but her drunk brain pushed it away.

She was really feeling it now.

The hands on her hips moved up to her wrist, she felt them tugging her closer and she opened her blurry eyes. They were trying to say something but she frowned in confusion, the music too loud to hear. She could see Stefan in the corner still, the woman he was with growing limp, she presumed this was Klaus trying to ask her something.

The hand around her wrist tugged her from the dance floor and she followed along stumbling. She was used to the way Klaus would tug her places now, his grip wasn't often this tight but maybe she was stumbling too much with the alcohol and he was trying to keep her upright.

They were near the bathroom before Charlotte realised something was wrong, Charlotte was pushed against the wall and the person started kissing her neck. She laughed pushing him away, drunk Klaus was something else. He wouldn't let go, his arms trapped her against the wall and her laugh fell away as his hands gripped her top, tugging it from its place tucked in to her pants.

"Klaus stop," she grumbled willing her head to stop spinning and her eyes to focus.

She pushed her shirt down away from his grip and the hands trapping her moved to grab her wrists. Her chest tightened as her drunk brain finally caught on to the situation. Klaus wasn't wearing a shirt this dark, his shirt was red. Struggling, she tried to pull her hands from his, wriggling away but she was drunk and he was strong. Rough hands touched her, greedy fingers beneath her shirt and tears started to slip from her eyes in shame.

A person in a red shirt moved in the distance and she yelled out desperately, "Nik."

She hoped he could hear her.

That he would help her.

Suddenly the mans hands were ripped from her, it seemed they were the only thing keeping her upright and she collapsed into a ball. She didn't want to look up to see what was happening but she could see his red shirt in front of her. Klaus' head was at the mans throat, ripping greedily, clearly not about feeding but about causing pain. Charlotte whimpered and the man fall to the ground, Klaus wiping his face before crouching before her.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, placing a hand cautiously on her knee.

She shook her head, "I want to go home. I don't like this."

Nodding, Klaus considered his options before simply picking her up, still curled into a ball, he sped off back to the hotel. He would text Stefan where they went and tell him to clean up, for now he had other priorities.

Charlotte's eyes stayed screwed tight until she felt herself being placed onto a bed. Her arms wrapped around her waist tapping quickly as Klaus knelt before her, untying the laces on her boots and pulling them off. She was in his room she saw. He hadn't know where else to take her, he didn't want to leave her alone after that.

"Nik," her voice broke them both from the silence and he looked up, "can I stay here with you tonight?"

Klaus smiled with a softness she hadn't seen before, walking to his bag and gathering a singlet and shorts for her to wear. She took them gratefully, the answer implied in the gesture , walking to the bathroom to change. Her feet padded softly across the floorboards and Klaus noticed how small she was for the first time. Her trousers belted tightly across her waist, the now untucked shirt loose and long.

Stripping her shirt from her body, Charlotte let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding as she looked at herself. There was a bruise on her neck, fingermarks on her chest and even small red scratches on her stomach, when he'd dug his fingers in as she tried to pull him away.

She didn't want to look any longer and so turning away she pulled Klaus' clothing on, braiding her hair tightly and washing her face. She folded up her day clothes as she walked from the bathroom. Placing them on the table she felt Klaus' eyes on her, knew he could see the bruise on her neck.

"I can heal you," he offered biting in to his wrist and holding it out, now standing in front of her as she sat on the side of the bed, "Make the marks go away."

"I don't want to be a vampire."

"I'm not going to snap your neck," he retorted, softening a moment later as she flinched back at his harsh tone, "I can take the memories away."

Charlotte didn't reply, only tugging the covers up, moving into the bed and then shuffling over so Klaus could slide in beside her. He switched the lights off around them, texting Stefan to know she was safe and then sliding into the bed beside her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Klaus broke the silence between them, both laying on their backs and watching the ceiling.

Charlotte was surprised at Klaus' apology, she didn't see how it could be his fault at all. He was the one who helped her and yet he still took some of the burden. She knew she shouldn't trust, that he brother wished she'd hate him, him but right now she didn't, right now she felt safe.

"When I was fourteen, my father brought my brothers and I to a ball. It was the first time I'd been allowed to come to one and I even got a new dress for the day."

Klaus stiffened as she spoke, he knew where this was going. He'd been alive a thousand years and he knew instantly this wasn't a story he'd enjoy, that it would be one that would cause his rage to flood him.

"It was the first time I tasted champagne. Damon was sneaking me glasses and I was so happy and bubbly. I remember him standing in the corner hiding me behind him as I sipped behind his back. A boy came over and asked me to dance, it was exciting I'd never been asked before, I'd never danced with anyone but my brothers. He asked for three songs in a row and I was so happy.

The night was spent in his company and so when he asked to look at the stars together of course I was delighted. My skirt was too big of course, I'm sure you remember those skirts, so instead he felt my chest over the dress, pushing me against the wall so I couldn't leave. Not that it wold've done me any good I suppose, I'd just be stuck marrying him. I didn't even really have anything there, nobody had ever touched me like that before. I just let it happen and then we went back to the ball and I didn't say anything to my brothers."

Charlotte didn't speak again after that, she wasn't sure why she told him. She'd never spoken a word of it to anybody. She hadn't even written it in her journal that evening when she retired to her room. Instead writing of the happiness and excitement, not wanting to mar the night with her shame. She rolled to her side, facing Klaus, she watched his face, the fury he felt was clear.

"Nothing like that will happen to you again," Klaus promised, turning to his side to face her, eyes catching hers he wanted her to know this was a bond he intended to keep.

Klaus could be a cruel man, he'd take life based on a whim or a wrong turn but he didn't like the way Charlotte had called his name in desperation or the look of terror and shame in her eyes she he'd arrived. Klaus could be a cruel man but he didn't want Charlotte to get hurt like that again.

She nodded, not really believing him but appreciating the kindness he gave her and she shuffled closer.

Klaus understood what she was asking and she sighed with content as he pulled her closer to his chest. Wrapping his arms around her Charlotte felt safe and warm for the first time in a long time. She knew she shouldn't, he'd openly admitted she was a pawn in a plan to hurt her brother, she knew what he did to people without thinking. She knew that the way he was acting was likely just an act, he didn't really care.

Right now it didn't matter, right now she was just a nineteen year old girl who had had a shitty day and she wanted to feel safe.