They were in the mountains, hiking up to find where the pack gathered so that Klaus could not only have not just Ray but a whole fleet of hybrids. Stefan was carrying Ray over his shoulders, Klaus had offered to carry Charlotte too but the glare she gave him made him raise his hands in surrender chuckling.

"Are you okay? Is Ray getting heavy?" Klaus said with mock concern.

"I'm fine."

"You sure about that? You know we've been walking for quite some time now. Do you need some water or to sit down."

The sincerity in his words was entirely absent and both Salvatores knew it. Charlotte's hand reached out to punch him lightly on the arm, speaking up finally when his mouth opened, clearly ready to goad him once more

"Nik, is it possible to not be a dick for like ten minutes?"

Klaus ignored her comment, but he did reach for her hand, pulling her beside him. She rolled her eyes at him, secretly pleased at the way his thumb moved back and forth across the back of her hand.

"You know, I get that we're stuck together but if we could maybe skip the chitchat, it'd be great," Stefan said.

"So much brooding. Your self loathing is suffocating you my friend."

"I didn't know you had friends," Charlotte cut in, a tone of with mock surprise, giggling a moment later when Klaus shot her a glare.

"Maybe it's because I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves," Stefan was exhausted and not just physically, she knew he was miserable being here, "we've been at it all summer."

"Thanks to our pal, Ray, we've found ourselves a pack."

They were silent the rest of their journey, Klaus with an excited grin on his face while Stefan brooded and Charlotte worried. Klaus was good at ignoring what people were really saying, at only focusing on what he wanted and he was doing that now, practically skipping as he walked, tugging Charlotte quicker and quicker in his eagerness.

Their destination finally appeared in front of them, a large clearing with a dozen or more people walking around setting up tents.Klaus let go of Charlottes hand as they reached it, pushing her a little behind him as he and Stefan stepped forward, catching the attention of the pack. Stefan dropped Ray on the ground and a woman ran forward in horror.

"Ray. Oh my God. What's going on?" The woman was horrified, stroking his forehead she looked up with anger at Stefan, "Who are you?"

"The important question is, who am I?" Klaus was walking forward confidently, "Please forgive the intrusion, my name is Klaus."

"You're the hybrid," the woman said, standing slowly.

"Jeez, his ego is never going to recover from this," Charlotte muttered, she was leaning against a tree now, still behind Klaus and her brother. Klaus ignored her, Stefan did too, but he had to fight back a smirk at her snark.

"You've heard of me. Fantastic."

Klaus moved to a log further forward, sitting down easily he looked relaxed explaining his plan. Stefan joined him and after a beat Charlotte did too, sitting between them both she stayed a little closer to Stefan. She didn't like this Klaus, she was here, but she wasn't on his side today.

"It's fascinating actually. A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon. A vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid," Klaus was talking when suddenly a great gasp was heard and Ray took his first breath, now alive again, "Excellent timing Ray. Very dramatic."

"What's happening to me?" Ray rolled over with horror.

"Stefan," Klaus called. Charlotte frowned at him she didn't like it when Klaus commanded her brother like a dog.

"Are any of you human?" Stefan jumped up on the log, "Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."

Klaus stood up too, "It doesn't take much, just a sip. Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend along for the ride."

"She's not a vampire," the girl who'd run to Ray was now pointing to Charlotte, who's had breath hitched in her throat. In a blink of her eyes Stefan was beside her, hand on her shoulder and then Klaus was in front of her, blocking her from view.

"Please," Klaus' voice dripped with warning as he spoke, "try to touch her and see how many of your hearts remain. You," he looked suddenly at a man in blue, rushing over and biting his arm before throwing him to Stefan.

"No," the girl rushed at Klaus crying out who caught her easily.

"You don't drink it, Ray, I will," Stefan was holding the man to the ground, the human, holding his bloody arm out to Ray, "problem is, I don't know how to stop."

"It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us or you die," Klaus's voice was soft but steady as he addressed the woman in his arms.

"I'd rather die than be a vampire," the girl she spat back.

Charlotte's brow furrowed at her words, she felt the same. Even now with Stefan, Damon, and even Klaus, she would rather die than be a vampire. She didn't want that life for herself and she certainly didn't want that afterlife. She felt bad that this girl wouldn't have her wishes respected as she hoped hers were.

"Wrong choice," Klaus bit his wrist and shoved it to her mouth, forcing her to drink, before snapping her neck. "She'll thank me for that later," Klaus laughed a little before turning, "okay, who's next?"

Charlotte watched with disgust as Klaus turned all the wolves, one by one feeding and killing them. She knew it was going to happen, regardless of what she thought or felt but she wanted them to him to know she didn't like it.

"This so fucked up," Charlotte muttered raising her head, her voice even louder, "God we're all going to hell for this."

She wasn't sitting on the log anymore, Ray was there and she didn't feel comfortable so close to him, instead she was standing leaning against a tree, a little outside of the clearing where all the wolves lay dying.

"Thank you for your input darling but if you could hush now," Klaus called back, he was now kneeling, feeding his blood to the human forced to be his blood bag. "There, good as new. Now you relax, okay mate. We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up," he walked towards Ray who was alive but shaking in shock.

"They're dead. They're all dead," Ray was muttering to himself, arms crossed over his body as he shook, rocking back and forth in his seat.

Klaus was pleased it was all going to order and grinned at the two unimpressed siblings, "Well, he's through his transition, he should be feeling better soon."

"So is this your master plan," Charlotte was walking towards them as she spoke, "build an army of hybrid slaves?"

"No, not slaves. Soldiers. Comrades."

"For what war," said Stefan, mirroring his sisters scepticism, "might I ask?"

"Well, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that no one ever dares pick the fight."

"And what makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?"

"Nik," Charlotte tried to get his attention, she was looking at Ray now and he looked even worse than before, he hadn't stopped shaking and now there was blood pooling in his eyes.

"Hush darling," Klaus ignored her, never one to skip the chance to monologue, "It's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team. That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder."

"Thats why you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?" Stefan acted amused but Charlotte know he was frustrated by it all. Charlotte knew that if Stefan could tear Klaus' throat out and take her and himself away from all this he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Nik," Charlottes voice was frantic now, the blood beginning to drip from Rays eyes like terrifying tears.

"You'll know why I'm keeping you around when I've decided that I want you to know. What is it darling?" he turned to Charlotte, his face dropping as he saw the terror in hers, he followed her line of sight to see Ray. "Something's wrong," he clutched Rays face, tugging it to the side to examine him better.

"Huh," Stefan leaned in to look more closely, "that shouldn't be happening, should it?"

"You said it was going to feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" Ray was still shaking, more violently now.

"Some master race," Charlotte muttered under her breath, unsure if she was happy it wasn't working or worried.

"Lose the attitude, love," Klaus was grumpy at her snark. A woman gasped behind them, the first one Klaus had killed and Charlotte stepped back with shock, "Derek," Klaus summoned the human, "come feed your girlfriend."

Suddenly Ray leapt to his feet, growling like the wolf he was he leapt into the air, directly towards Charlotte. She barely had time to react, she saw him coming but couldn't move nearly fast enough to dodge. All Charlotte could do was squeeze her eyes shut, waiting for the moment of impact, the pain of his bite on her skin. She was knocked to the ground but an arm encircled her waist, catching her as they fell and no bite or pain followed.

Her heart was racing so quickly that she couldn't speak but when she opened her eyes it was Klaus who was there. Her fingers were digging so tightly into his shoulders that she could see they were turning white but she couldn't pull away.

"I've got you, darling," Klaus chuckled.

He could feel her shaking in his arms and he knew the terror that had raced through her body. Pulling them both to their feet, Klaus could see Ray was running off and so he turned to Stefan commanding him to follow. Leaving Charlotte to sit on the log, Klaus had returned to the girl who'd just woken from her death, he pulled the human over and was making her feed too.

Charlotte was watching Stefan in the distance and Klaus followed her vision to see him retuning alone. After a moment of consideration, Klaus grabbed her hand and sped them both towards Stefan, not wanting to leave her alone with the transitioning hybrids.

"Where did Ray go?" she asked.

"He got away," Stefan said, he was walking to them now, back towards the clearing, "Forget him. Let's go."

"A fatal werewolf bite," Klaus grabbed Stefans arm, examining the wound, as he tried to pass them and Charlotte gasped in shock, "Ouch."

"Yeah," Stefan was calm, "I'm gonna need your blood to heal me."

"Well, I tell you what. You find Ray and then I'll heal you."

"Nik," Charlotte said, "you can't be serious."

"You better hurry, because that bite looks nasty," Klaus ignored her speaking to Stefan, before grabbing her hand and walking back to the clearing where the wolves were waking.

"Nik," she pulled him still, she wasn't going to joke around about this.

"Dear me darling if looks could kill–"

She cut him off, "Nik this isn't funny, if my brother dies –" Charlotte couldn't finish the sentence, her breath caught in her throat. She wouldn't even be able to look at him if anything happened to Stefan.

"Not to worry love, it's only a little of motivation, I'll heal him," his hand clutched her arm before a grin broke out, "I'd hate for you to be cold at night."

The smile on Klaus' lips dropped a little as they took in the surroundings when he and Charlotte returned to the clearing where he'd been making his first batch of hybrids. The wolves around him had all fed on the human and now they were walking around like zombies. One by one their eyes began to pool with blood before trickling down their faces like Ray.

Charlotte couldn't decide if she was horrified or terrified.

"Careful, love," Klaus called to the first girl he'd turned who was now approaching them both, "there's only one Alpha here." He still wore somewhat of a grin on his face, but Charlotte didn't miss how he dropped her hand, pushing her behind him as he watched them. "Bloody hell," she could hear him murmur.

The first werewolf attacked, she leapt towards Charlotte not Klaus but it was Klaus that stopped her. Reaching in and ripping her heart out, Klaus made her fall limp to the ground. Charlotte was human and no match for a werewolf and certainly not for a hybrid, successful transition or not. Not only that but with the other boy, Derek, now dead, she was the only fresh blood source for miles.

Klaus saw another hybrid advancing towards Charlotte and he knew this was it, his hybrids had failed and he was unsuccessful. Before another could attack he did first, always the upper hand he sped around the campsite ripping each heart from each unsuccessful hybrid.

Charlotte had to stop watching after the second. All she could see as his hand plunged into their chests was the memory she'd given herself when she first tried to run, gripped into a panic attack when she'd been so terrified that was what he would do to her. She didn't say anything even as Klaus ripped the final heart from the final hybrid.

He looked so defeated when he was finally still, walking slowly to the log where their day had begun, his shoulders slumped as he stared at the chaos around him. Charlotte followed him and hesitantly sat beside him. It was always him who pulled her close for comfort and she didn't know how to do the same, she didn't want to overload him. Instead she just sat beside him, her leg leaning against his and then her hand following, tracing small circles where it sat above his knee.

"They went rabid," Klaus explained. His words broke Charlotte out of her trance and she looked up to see Stefan was back, he was carrying Ray on his back and he looked awful.

He really looked sicker than Charlotte had seen anyone look. Even Damon back at Alaric's apartment with the bite looked better than Stefan who's whole face was pale with a sheen of sweat.

"Some of them I killed, the others just bled out," with this Klaus paused, standing from the log and walking forwards before continuing, "In the end they're all dead."

Suddenly he turned, throwing the beer bottle he'd been clutching away into the woods and he let out a scream of anguish. Charlotte flinched as the bottle flew by smashing loudly, her face crumpling with sadness for him as Klaus yelled out again, distraught.

"I did everything I was told. I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelgänger."

Both Charlotte and Stefan were silent but for different reasons. Stefan knew why the hybrids weren't working but couldn't say, Charlotte didn't care why they weren't working, but she did care about the hurt that wouldn't leave Klaus' face

"You look like hell," Klaus said abruptly to Stefan, his tone calm again.

"Last I checked, I'm dying. You don't want to heal me," Stefan held his arm out, the bite was big and red, much bigger than before. "I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice. I failed you, I'm sorry. Do what you have to do."

Klaus was silent, staring at Stefan for a beat too long before turning, "It should've worked," he muttered.

Charlotte was staring desperately at him, he had promised her, he promised her that he would heal her brother. She was trying not to interfere but her fingers fiddled faster and faster as she waited anxiously for his move. Finally he bit into his wrist, growling slightly as he allowed the blood to trickle into an empty beer bottle.

"Bottoms up," Klaus held the blood filled bottle out to Stefan. Charlotte grabbed his hand, squeezing it gratefully, "We're leaving," he told them, squeezing her hand back before turning and pulling her from the clearing, "it appears you're the only comrades I have left."

The walk back was silent and the drive as well. Klaus was the one to drive, Charlotte had expected he wouldn't want to but perhaps he wanted the distraction. Stefan was silent in the back but he watched as Klaus moved his hand from the wheel to sit on Charlottes leg, he watched as her hand met his and her thumb rubbed back and forth in comfort.

Stefan wanted to tell Charlotte everything, that Elena was alive, that Damon was here, searching for them but he didn't want to make things harder for her. He could already tell she was straddling the line between them and Klaus and he didn't want her to be burdened with the secret nor the betrayal.

The trio were quiet as they compelled hotel rooms and separated. They didn't have any plan for tomorrow, most nights Stefan and Klaus would meet up to discuss their next steps but today they didn't. Klaus didn't know what his next steps were, this should've worked and it didn't.

He wasn't hunting for werewolves anymore, he was hunting for solutions.

Charlotte was tapping her sides so vigorously when she came from the bathroom after changing that Klaus looked up from where he sat, head in his hands, on the side of the bed.

"Nik, I really am sorry."

He smiled but didn't reply, he knew she had half hoped that it wouldn't work, but he could see the guilt engulfing her as she watched him and his disappointment.

She was now standing before him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, he looked up at her and she hesitated, softening when his arms reached around her waist. He tugged her closer still and Charlotte lifted a leg and then the next, climbing onto the bed so she sat on his lap with her legs crossed around his waist.

Klaus and Charlotte were often close these days, her tugged tight to him as they walked or tucked under his chin as they slept. They were often close, but they'd never sat like this before. He could hear her heart beating quickly with nerves before she tugged him close, burying her head in his shoulder. He hesitated for a moment as well, finally he moved his arms tighter still around her waist, crossing them over so he could pull her closer and closer.

They stayed like that for several minutes, he was listening to her heart settled down and her breaths soften. Charlottes hands were in his hair, fingers moving slowly, pulling his head tight against her shoulder.

Pulled so tight, Charlotte could hear each breath he took, she could feel each breath he took.

Finally Charlotte pulled away, looking at Klaus, Nik.

There was something she wanted to do, something she knew she shouldn't, but it was clear now she was in far deeper than she'd ever intended with Klaus.

Her arms were loose around his neck now although the fingers of one hand still lay tangled in his hair, his arms were tight on her waist. She was the same height as him like this, sitting here on his lap. They were still pressed so tightly together, that to look him in the eye she had to lean her body away from his.

Klaus lifted a hand to brush Charlottes hair from her face, she was so beautiful. He would never be sick of anything so long as he could come home to this, to her arms wrapped around him, to her hands holding him, to his hands holding her. She was an angel, she was his angel. God he wanted to hold her until he died. He wanted to feel her closer, her lips on his, her hands on him.

And then it happened.

She couldn't take it anymore, she needed to know how it felt.