𝟒𝟎

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

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 ━═☆

Charlotte's gasp awake rung through her bedroom. She sat up, taking a look at her surroundings, Elena was sitting right beside her on a chair but she got off, rubbing Charlotte's back as soon as she woke up.

"Paulina...that traitor," She shook her head, turning to Elena, "She has been working with Klaus all along, Elena."

"We know, we know," Elena nodded, rubbing her friend's back as Charlotte caught another breath.

"Wait...Bonnie? Is she ok? She didn't go through with the plan, did she?" Charlotte questioned, worry seeping through her eyes before Elena shook her head and the vampire let out a relieved sigh.

Elena embraced Charlotte as a way to comfort her before stating, "Damon had...an idea. They fooled Klaus, he thinks she is dead but she is fine, alive and well."

"Oh, Damon's ideas," Charlotte commented, sighing.

Elena chuckled, leaning her head on Charlotte's shoulder before she said, "I have an idea...you might not like it."

"Oh, God," The Bernard ran a hand over her face, mentally preparing herself for what Elena had to say.

The Gilbert girl pulled a paper out, writing, I will pull the dagger out of Elijah.

Charlotte's eyes widened, "What—"

Elena shushed her, pointing to her ear then, at the door, signaling that Damon and Stefan could hear her. The brunette scoffed out, taking the paper from Elena, writing down, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

Elena read before shaking her head. She rose to her feet and made her way out of the room, waving for Charlotte to follow her out.

"You are crazy," The Bernard girl whispered, getting out of bed and following her.

They descended downstairs, heading straight for the basement. Elena led the way as Charlotte checked back to make sure neither Stefan nor Damon was awake before following her down to the basement where Elijah laid on the floor, daggered.

She exchanged a look with Charlotte before shrugging to herself and walking over to him. She sat down and pulled the dagger out. Elena clutched the silver dagger in her hand before sitting aside as Charlotte spoke up, "Now what?"

"Now, we wait."

Hours passed, it was almost seven in the morning, meaning Stefan would be up for school soon enough. Suddenly Elijah woke up. Elena and Charlotte rushed over to him, hoping to keep him quiet.

"Elijah."

Elijah was in shock as he recognized mistakingly, "Katerina!"

"No, no, and this is really not the time to make noise," Charlotte shook her head, worriedly glancing at the basement's cell door.

Elena nodded at Charlotte before turning back to the Original vampire, "Elijah! It's me, it's Elena."

He closed his eyes. Charlotte stood up, taking a look outside as Elena got closer but his body spasmed and he got up, gasping for air, "I can't-I can't breathe! What's happening to me?

Elijah rushed over near the door but slammed into the doorway and Charlotte rushed over to him, holding him up, "I can't...I can't be in this house."

Elena stated, the realization hitting her, "You're not invited in."

"Then get me out of here," He barked out, slamming into another wall before disappearing.

Charlotte and Elena ran after him and straight to the front door. He was crouching outside. He got up and rushed at Elena to enter but froze at the threshold, unable to enter, "What happened?"

The Bernard vampire raised her finger to her mouth, indicating that he should lower his voice so Stefan and Damon won't hear, "We'll tell you."

Elena whispered out, questioning, "Not here. Can I trust you?"

Elijah whispered back, "Can I trust you?"

Charlotte nodded, whispering, "Yes," Just as Elena offered him the dagger and he took it.

✵ ✵ ✵

Elena was driving with Elijah in the passenger seat and Charlotte in the back seat. She parked her car at the side of the road as the vampire Bernard unfastened her seatbelt and sat up to be a part of what conversation the Gilbert was about to start.

Elijah was drinking blood from a blood bag as Elena commented, "You look better."

Elijah asked right away, "Where did you get the dagger?"

Charlotte pursed her lips in a straight line, responding, "We will talk and we will be extremely honest with you but first, we need your word."

"You two's ability to make demands has long passed," He stated, taking a look from a brunette to another.

"If you think about it, mine hasn't," She shrugged her shoulders, claiming, "I didn't dagger you and I didn't know the plan but I wasn't a very big fan of your plan to sacrifice Elena."

"But, we are starting new," Elena said, resting her hand on the car wheel as she continued, "No demands. We are offering you our help. And in return, we want yours."

"And why should I even consider this?"

"You can't kill either of us," Charlotte reminded him, ever so confidently, "You need Elena's help to kill Klaus and in return, we need you. You can't kill me because that will, somehow, ruin your engagement. Speaking of, did you know your fiancee was plotting with the enemy?"

"What?"

"Yeah—"

Charlotte's reply was cut off when Elena's phone buzzed. She answered, it was Stefan, "Yes, I'm fine."

Stefan asked on the other line, "Where's Elijah?"

She sighed, stating, "He's right here."

"Where? I'm on my way."

Elena shook her head, dismissing, "No, Stefan, we are renegotiating our deal."

"Listen to me," Stefan was desperate, warning her, "He can't be trusted he'll use you to get to Klaus."

"Elijah is a nobleman, Stefan. He lives by a code of honor," She looked at Elijah, claiming so, "I can trust him. He knows that I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again. By removing the dagger, I have proven myself."

"You can't do this alone."

"I am not alone. I have got Charlotte with me," She shrugged her shoulders, answering as she glanced back at Charlotte having a staring match with Elijah before Elena continued, "It's my decision, Stefan. Please respect it. And make sure that Damon doesn't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch."

She hung up and Elijah held his hand out, Elena gave him her phone before he turned to Charlotte, keeping his hand out, "I didn't get."

He raised an eyebrow and she huffed out, pulling it out of her jeans' pocket, "He is acting like Miss Grey from Sociology."

Elena frowned, "You take Sociology?"

"Yeah... it's fun."

The Gilbert shook her head before turning to Elijah, "He's here."

"Klaus is here?"

"He's taken over Alaric's body," Elena added, folding her arms together.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, stating, "Yes, and Paulina is apparently his partner in crime now."

"Of course she is," Elijah said, seemingly not surprised.

Elena passed over that, asking, "Well, what is he going to do next? You're the only one who knows him."

"Yes, I am," He smiled, ever so smugly before telling Elena to drive to the Lockwood Mansion. She did as told and they arrived before he knocked on the door.

Carol opened it, asking, "Elijah, girls! What are you doing here? What happened?"

Elijah answered shortly, "I've had a bit of an incident, Carol. I'm hoping you could help."

She excused, mumbling, "Well, I'm on my way to a meeting, so I—"

He cut her off, compelling, "It won't take but a minute of your time."

She smiled, "Of course. Anything you need."

"Thank you," He said as they walked in, "Well, first things first. I'm going to need a change of clothing."

"Well, we can try one of my husband's suits," Carol suggested, stating, "I haven't boxed them up yet."

"Wonderful."

She went upstairs as Charlotte asked, furrowing her eyebrows, "I thought all of the Council members were on vervain...How did you know she wasn't?"

"'Cause I'm the one who got her off it. Right before you and your friends killed me. Twice," He revealed, excusing himself, "If you'll excuse me. I'll be down in a moment."

Elijah went upstairs as Charlotte crossed her arms together before turning to Elena, "We are dead as soon as Damon sees us."

"He knows I am doing this my way."

"That doesn't change what he is...Damon will always be Damon."

✵ ✵ ✵

Elijah, Charlotte, and Elena were sitting in the living room as he started, "So I assume that the Martin witches are no longer with us."

"No," She shook her head, "We are sorry."

"And Katerina?" Elijah questioned, raising an eyebrow, "Lina informed me that she had yet to leave town even when she was freed from the tomb," He pointed to Charlotte, "Upon her conditions."

Charlotte wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back on the couch, "Klaus took her. We think that she may be dead."

"I doubt that. Not Klaus' style," He shook his head, dismissing their assumption, "Death would be too easy for her after what she did."

"I don't understand any of this," Charlotte spoke up, glancing at Elijah, "Paulina was supposed to be on your side...also known as ours but she is defending Klaus? Hell, she snapped my neck for him and I am not getting over that anytime soon."

"There was a time...I'd have done anything for Klaus for his my own blood," Elijah revealed before stating, "But Lina never grew out of that. The two of them had been very close friends ever since she became a part of our family."

"Klaus is your brother?!"

"Yes. Klaus is my brother," Elijah confirmed, ever so casually.

Elena nodded, shaking her head at herself, "I heard that. I'm still processing."

"Yes, I'm a little behind on the times, but I believe the term you're searching for is O.M.G." He raised an eyebrow, questioning as he sipped on his tea.

Charlotte shrugged, "Try, what the actual freaking hell is going on right now?... Yeah, that would work very well."

"There's a whole family of Originals?" Elena questioned, her eyes widening.

Elijah nodded, elaborating, "My father was a wealthy landowner in a village in Eastern Europe. Our mother bore seven children."

"So your parents were human?"

"Our whole family was. Our origin as vampires is a very long story, Elena. Just know...We're the oldest vampires in the world. We are the Original family, and from us, all vampires were created," Elijah finished, placing his teacup on the table.

Charlotte nodded to herself before raising an eyebrow, "Wait but Klaus is your brother. He is family...Why would you ever want him dead?"

Elijah clamped his mouth shut. He rose up to his feet, turning to the two brunettes, "I need some air. I'm still feeling a tad... dead. Come," He gestured for the girls to follow after him.

They entered the Lockwoods' backyard, which was big and vast. Charlotte secretly admired the change of scenery, "So as you've seen, nothing can kill an Original. Not sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite. Only the wood from one tree, a tree my family made sure burned."

"That's where the white ash for the dagger comes from," Elena stated.

"Yes. The witches won't allow anything truly immortal to walk the earth," Elijah claimed, shoving his hands in his pockets, "Every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain the balance."

"So the Sun can't kill an Original," Elena recalled from his wordings before questioning, "Why is Klaus so obsessed with breaking the Sun and Moon curse?"

"Right. The curse of the sun and the moon," He smiled, commenting, "It's all so...biblical sounding, don't you think?"

"What's so funny?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows, "My best friend almost died because of this...and you find it, funny?"

"The Aztec sketches, it was drawn by Klaus," The Original retorted, "In fact, so were Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings, and other culture or continent we felt like planting in it."

"But why?" Elena asked.

"Easiest way to discover the existence of a doppelgänger or to get your hands on some long, lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout."

"So it's not Aztec at all?" The doppelganger questioned, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

"No," Charlotte frowned, realizing, "The curse is not real, is it? It's...fake. It doesn't exist."

"Clever girl," Elijah stated, confirming her assumption and answering Elena's question.

"What?!"

"Klaus and I faked the sun and moon curse dating back over a thousand years."

"But if there's no curse—"

He interjected, correcting, "There's a curse. Just not that one. The real one's much worse. It's a curse placed on Klaus."

Charlotte shook her head, multiple questions running through, "What are you talking about?"

Elijah responded, "Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years," He turned to Elena, stating, "And you are his only hope."

Before either could reply to that, Elena's phone kept vibrating in Elijah's pocket that he spoke up, "Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it, please."

He gave her the phone. She answered. It was Stefan, "Stefan...what's wrong?" Elena spoke into her phone, all color immediately leaving her face, "No. No, no, no, no. Okay, I'll be right there," She rushed over before ending the call, "Klaus went after Jenna. I have to go to her."

"I will go with you—"

"No, Charlotte will stay. I need to tell her something important."

"But—"

Elena reassured her, squeezing her hand, "I will call you if anything happens. Stay with him, get some answers and I will be back before you know it."

Charlotte squeezed her friend's hand back before Elena ran across the backyard and straight to her car. The worried look was etched onto Charlotte's face as she turned to face Elijah, raising her eyebrows, "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"It's about Lina."

She shook her head, "I don't want to hear it," Charlotte folded her arms together, "Look, I appreciate this thing where you keep me safe for her sake and how I need to be okay so she won't get mad but I am trying to pack my life together so that all of my friendships and relationships are healthy."

"And if you haven't noticed Paulina and I, we are not really having the most stable friendship," She added, letting a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding, "And that's fine. She had known Klaus for a very long time. He is family, I am not. It's okay."

"Do you have any idea how Paulina worked day and night to get you out of that tomb?" Elijah questioned her and she didn't reply, "She searched the world, left and right to find a witch that could break the tomb's spell."

"And I never said that I am not grateful, Elijah," Charlotte responded, sighing exasperatedly, "I am very thankful and I will always remember her as the closest friend I have ever had but we both picked our sides. I am not letting Elena die, she is my friend."

"And if it came down to the two?"

"You don't get to ask me that," Charlotte shook her head, poking his chest with her finger, "Okay? I won't be manipulated into a choice that will make you and your fiancee happy."

He nodded to himself before stating, "According to Lina, you have a long history of giving up your happiness for others."

"Yeah, well, that ends now and today."

✵ ✵ ✵

Elena returned back on her time, Charlotte was quieter than usual ever since her talk with Elijah before they made it back to the Salvatore Boarding House to seal the terms of their deal with an apology.

"What?" Damon raised his eyebrows.

Elijah repeated himself, "An apology."

"A what?"

"It's a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure," Charlotte clarified, pursing her lips in a straight line.

"I know the definition, Charlotte. Thanks," Damon rolled his eyes at her as Stefan walked closer to them, acknowledging Elijah.

"I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena," He insisted and Charlotte smiled shortly, rubbing Elena's arm.

"I understand," Elijah seemed to accept the apology as all eyes turned to look at Damon.

"The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon," Elena stated, turning to look at him, "Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting herself and Elijah knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way. And I did."

"Is that true?"

"It is," Elijah nodded, confirming so.

Damon glanced at Elena, asking, "And you're trusting him?"

"I am."

"You can all go to hell," He said before leaving the room as Charlotte frowned, turning to Elijah.

"He will come around...He is just not used to being wrong about something."

"Perhaps."

✵ ✵ ✵