Charlotte had planned on rising early and she did, just not quite as early as she would've hoped. It was pathetic, but already after only a few days sleeping with Klaus again, it was tricky for her to get comfortable and drift off as she lay alone.

Finally she pulled herself awake and up from her bed, gathering a few of her preferred shirts and trousers, Charlotte made a small pile of clothes and books she intended to pack and bring on her journey with Klaus. Although there was a small tinge of sadness at the fact she was leaving her brothers, mostly she felt excited, excited to be doing something and excited to see the world. She didn't have a real bag to pack everything in so instead she piled it up on her bed with the intention of borrowing one from her brothers when they woke.

She still didn't have her phone of course, so she scribbled a note explaining where she was going, pulling her shoes on as she began the walk to the school. Fortunately the Salvatore residence wasn't far but even so, Charlotte enjoyed the walk, enjoyed watching the world go by, her heart in a contented place knowing an adventure was coming.

When she finally arrived at the school she was surprised to find it wasn't empty, she could hear Rebekah through the hallways whining as she helped to clean up the remnants of the dance. Charlotte knew she should go and say hello but first, she wanted to find her phone, she was fairly certain that Klaus would've messaged or called and she'd rather reply now than have him worry unnecessarily.

It took her a longer time than she expected to locate her phone and once she pulled it out from between the cushions of the couch she had just enough time to see the plethora of missed calls and texts before she heard a scream coming from the hallway. She was half torn on what to do when there was silence again, peeking her head out of the room she saw an empty corridor, no screams, no people. A little anxiously, Charlotte left the room, the scream had frightened her but it was silent and empty now and she put the sound to the idea students had been playing a prank on each other, pulling her phone out to text Klaus, she walked from the room, eager to leave the school and get home.

i left my phone at the school last night, i'm heading home now. i'll see you later.

Charlotte's thumb had barely hit send on her message when a reply was returned. In truth Klaus had been worried, he'd been worried she'd gotten cold feet in the hours since they last spoke and he worried that she'd been avoiding his messages and calls because she was worried about how to tell him she wanted to back out.

i'll come get you

i'm fine-

Charlotte was texting as she walked, the reply to his message half typed out when suddenly a gush of wind rushed towards her. Before she could look up she felt great pain as someone grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the lockers beside her, knocking her out cold.

When Charlotte finally came to the throbbing in her head was overpowering, the effort it took to even push her eyelids open made her eyes water in pain. Staying silent, Charlotte looked around to see she sat in one of the classrooms at the school, she sat at the front of the room by the windows in a big chair. Opposite her was Caroline who looked in worse shape than Charlotte, she had a gag around her mouth with welts surrounding it and she sat whimpering in pain with pencils stabbed through her hands holding her against the desk. Caroline caught Charlotte's eye and her gasp of surprise caused their captor to speed in front of Charlotte quicker than was possible.

"Alaric?" Charlotte stared up at him in shock, "How are you alive?"

Alaric didn't reply, staring down at her the grin his lips turned up into made her blood run cold. She knew instantly this wasn't the Alaric that she knew, instead it was the one who Klaus had hidden her from, who Stefan had to torture, who hated vampires and vampire sympathisers. Alaric was twirling a stake between his hands and when Charlotte's eyes fell on it she knew at once it was a white oak stake. Alaric's grin didn't falter even as his eyes flickered to the necklace on her neck filled with Vervain.

"Ric," Charlotte said gently, wishing she could somehow reach the Alaric she knew, the one who was her brothers best friend. Her hands fell on the arms of the chair and slowly she moved to push herself up, slowly so as not to startle him. As it happened, whether she moved slowly or fast it would've made no difference, Alaric was watching her with amusement, just as she stood to her feet his hands fell on her shoulders pushing her back down.

"Did I say you could move?" Alaric yelled so loudly that Charlotte flinched back, causing a second wave of pain to pass through her head.

Heart pounding, Charlotte fell back into the chair, shaking her head softly her eyes fell on Caroline again. Charlotte knew the pain Caroline was in had to be far greater than Charlotte but she didn't know how she could help, she knew now that the rag around her mouth must be soaked in vervain, nothing else could cause welts like that that wouldn't heal on a vampire and with each breath in she could see her wince.

"Let's see if you'll listen to whatever I say," Alaric said cruelly, hand rising up as he ripped her necklace away from her throat viciously and threw it to the floor, "Sit back down, do everything I tell you to."

Charlotte realised now she'd only been compelled once before, she'd almost forgotten the feeling but as Alaric turned away with a grin she found herself unable to push herself to her feet again. She wanted to, she was trying, trying to push herself up but it was as though she didn't have the ability anymore.

Ever since Charlotte returned to Mystic Falls after the summer she'd been drinking vervain. Every morning when she woke she'd make tea with vervain in the water, it'd been Damon who suggested she drink it each day when they realised humanity less Stefan had little stopping him from using her but she'd continued the practice even after he returned to normal.

The first thing she did each and every day when she woke was drink vervain, but not recently, she'd stopped when she first spent the night at Klaus'. Rolling over in his arms, she simply hadn't thought about it and when she got home she didn't remember either.

She still did try and drink it the mornings she did wake up at home, but the events of the night before had scrambled her head and in her rush to pick her phone up before too late in the day, she'd skipped her tea presuming she could just have one when she returned home. It hadn't really been much of a concern for her, she wore her necklace filled with vervain anyway and no one would go against her brothers or the Originals to compel her, no one but Alaric.

Now she was stuck here listening to every command Alaric gave her, his compulsion effective until he released it or until he died. Alaric looked between Charlotte and Caroline with a cocky confidence, considering them both for a moment, he quickly sped over to Caroline, slamming her head against the table causing her to fall unconscious.

"Little Lottie Salvatore," Alaric goaded, approaching her slowly, "Vampire brothers, vampire boyfriend, you're a lost cause who should've died a hundred years ago. What am I going to do with you."

Charlotte didn't know what to say, she was fighting to keep from shaking and she had to push to steady her voice, frightened for herself and for her friend, "Please just let Caroline go at least. Let Caroline go and I'll do whatever you say."

Alaric let out a laugh like a bark, "You'll do whatever I say regardless."

This seemed to give him and idea and his lips turned up into a snarl as he walked around her to the desk at the front of the room. Pulling open a drawer she could see him rustling around inside before finally he stood, whatever he'd grabbed was concealed until he presented it to her dramatically.

"Charlotte honey," Alaric held the knife out towards her, handle first, "take this knife, and plunge it directly into your leg."

"No, no, no no," Charlotte whispered as her hand involuntarily reached out to grab it, "please don't. Please don't make me do this," she was holding it in the air now, tip pointing to her thigh. Her hands felt like they should be shaking but instead they were steady as she plunged the knife directly into her thigh, a scream ripping itself from her throat as she did.

"Good job," Alaric commended, "now you and I are going to have a little chat."

-

Charlotte had stabbed herself twice more, the third time had been into her abdomen and the wave of pain that it caused made her eyes blur and she passed out for a moment, finally coming to to see Elena in the room, sitting beside Caroline looking terrified as Alaric yelled at her as he had Charlotte.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked desperately

"Because you need me," Alaric answered, "Because you're an 18 year old girl without parents or guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore.

"Look at you. How is this right?" Elena gestured to Caroline whimpering beside her.

"She's a murderer. She told me she killed someone and liked it. Now how is that right?"

"And Charlotte?" Elena asked.

Charlotte was awake again but she wanted less attention drawn to her, the wounds on her leg and head felt minimal compared to the one she'd created in her abdomen. Each breath she took caused it to move and a gush of pain would pass over again.

"What's Charlotte done that I haven't?" Elena asked again, "Ric, let her go you have me, you have a vampire why do you need her too. Why are you doing this to her?"

"Listen, Elena," Alaric glanced at Charlotte for a moment before turning back to her, "your parents led the council. It was their lives mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead six months before you undid it all."

"You don't know anything about them."

"Why, am I wrong? Do you actually think that they'd be proud of you? If you don't side with the humans you're just as bad as them, as her," here Alaric turned to Charlotte in disgust. Clearly this was why she was here, because of her brothers and because of Klaus, she was a lost cause and couldn't be counted on to fight for the humans. Alaric turned back to Elena holding the stake out towards her, "Now kill her. Or I'll do it for you, and I'll make it hurt."

Elena didn't react when Alaric wanted her to and he grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet so aggressively that she was flinching away in pain. She was standing above Caroline now and she had the stake in her hand, holding it up as though to stake Caroline.

Charlotte let out a gasp of surprise when she turned and attempted to drive the dagger into Alaric instead, her and Caroline freezing while Alaric's rage bristled through his body in disgust.

"I thought I taught you better than that," Alaric growled disdainfully when he caught Elena's wrist.

"You did," she replied, grabbing the beaker of vervain beside him and smashing it across his face. As Alaric fell to the floor screaming in pain Elena ran to Caroline, undoing her bindings and removing her gag. Helping her to her feet they both rushed to pull Charlotte along too, "Take her and get help," Elena told them desperately.

Caroline had rushed to Charlotte and pulled her up, even after being vervained she had strength enough to pull Charlotte's arm over her shoulder and pull her from the room. The pain of moving was so great that Charlotte struggled to focus as Caroline pulled her away and rushed them from the room. She could hear Alaric had caught Elena and she was yelling in fear and Charlotte wanted to help, feeling terrible they were leaving her behind.

Caroline had rushed them down a corridor but already she seemed out of breath and they'd turned down a hallway to breathe for a moment when suddenly hands grabbed their arms and pulled them back.

"Shh, It's okay. It's okay. It's me," Klaus whispered. He'd released Charlotte's arm and moved to wrap his hand across her mouth when he felt her about to scream out in fear, Caroline beside her was equally terrified, her heart racing though she held her tongue.

"Nik," Charlotte whimpered out, tears falling on his hand that loosened now.

"It's okay. You're safe," Klaus told them, spinning Charlotte around so she was standing beside Caroline as they both faced him, "We'll save Elena. Caroline, will you take Charlotte to my home? Then you go straight home. You both stay inside, do you understand. Do you understand me?"

They both nodded, "Thank you," Caroline whispered.

Klaus didn't respond, he pulled Charlotte towards him, pressing a kiss to her forehead before speeding away. Caroline and Charlotte stood for a moment in shock before Caroline grabbed her hand again, pulling her arm over her shoulder so she could help Charlotte stand, speeding them away.

Caroline sped them both to Klaus' mansion and helped Charlotte lay on the couch, both girls were still shaken from the ordeal, Caroline didn't leave her but she was popping in and out of her room. It felt like hours before they had company but really it wasn't, Klaus and Stefan rushing into the room only a little after the girls.

"Why is she still bleeding?" Klaus demanded loudly as he stormed into the room, Charlotte had refused Carolines attempts to heal her and she'd soon given up, pilfering Klaus' blood supply to heal herself.

Caroline stood to her feet suddenly, holding her hands up defensively, "She wouldn't let me heal her."

"Thanks for staying with her Caroline," Stefan said softly. He could tell she felt frightened by Klaus even after his help in rescuing them today and he wanted to know at least one of the was grateful, "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"It's okay," Caroline replied softly, giving Charlotte's hand a tight squeeze before rushing from the room.

"Enough of this, stop being stubborn, darling," Klaus said, his voice was harsh at first but it softened when he approached her. Biting into his wrist he held it out towards her, "Drink, Charlotte."

"No," Charlotte shook her head, wincing at the wash of pain this caused, "Where's Damon."

"He's taking Elena home," Stefan told her, "Charlie we won't let Ric get you again, you'll be alright you just need to heal."

"No," Charlotte protested, "Damon needs to be here, I need him here to explain."

"Charlotte," Klaus growled when Charlotte refused to meet his gaze.

"Nik," Charlotte whispered softly, "Please, just get me my brother."

The defeat in her voice make Klaus' chest clutch in pain, what had Alaric done that had broken her so badly. He'd clearly done something to her that struck the fear so deeply into her she was terrified he was coming to kill her. Klaus still resolved to heal her but he'd let her have her moment to decide, however much it hurt him to see her in this pain, he didn't want to be the one to force her again.

"What're you waiting for?" Klaus snapped at Stefan suddenly, "Call him!"

Charlotte's heart was still racing by the time Damon turned up. Klaus was sitting beside her and while she leant her head against his chest he ran his fingers through her hair to comfort her. He was so frightened of causing her pain through the wound on her head that his fingers moved so gently she could barely feel it.

"Why's Charlie still bleeding?" Damon demanded when he finally entered the Mikaelson mansion. Like the others he'd smelled her blood the moment he came in and being able to smell how much was clearly seeping out terrified him.

Charlotte took a deep breath in as she felt all eyes turn to her, she knew what she was going to say would cause chaos to reign and she worried about one of them doing something terrible in fear or anger. She knew she'd caused anxiety in Stefan and Klaus by forcing them to wait for Damon before she'd explain but she knew how much she'd struggle to get the words out, she couldn't tell them more than once.

Her eyes were on her lap as she finally spoke the words that would break each person in the room. Klaus was tensing beside her, his fingers frozen as he waited with bated breath for her answer. Stefan had finally stopped pacing and Damon was standing in front of her with his arms crossed, there would be pandemonium in the room when she finally said it and squeezing her eyes shut, she did.

"I'm going to die tonight."