DEJA VU!

CHAPTER TWO

every dance that we danced

" does she mean you forgot about me? "

Present: 1862,  December 1st     13.07 EST
Mystic Falls VA

"Miss Petrova," Damon gasped as he caught sight of her but Charlotte could do nothing but feel her own face turning red when she saw him all cleaned up and more handsome than usual.

His face was more defined as if sculpted by Donatello himself. His smile depicted one of true joy-so pure as if it was touched by an angel that graced only the best things on earth. His blue eyes were as curious and bright as she had ever seen them and the vampire wondered what it would be like if she had the chance to get lost in them for the rest of eternity. It sounded like paradise.

They were all at the Miss Mystic Pageant and as she walked down the stairs after her dear friend Margaret, Charlotte saw one Damon Salvatore just waiting to take her to the dance floor. She couldn't help the smile that enchanted her face as it grew red. Damon had asked her if he could take her to the ball almost a week after they met and she instantly agreed.

Charlotte's pink gown was simple-she had tried not to look too desperate for a place that she hardly knew but the woman couldn't help but feel like a princess, like she was actually someone special. She wanted to yell out in happiness, smirk at the girls who looked at her with eyes of envy, and just be alive for a moment- and for once in her life, she wanted to do it just for herself, not for Katerina or Rebekah or anyone else.

She would be dancing with Damon Salvatore.

"You-You look really handsome," she finally managed to say as he guided her to the ballroom, his warm hands giving heat to her very own and she felt her face turn red again.

"And you look extremely gorgeous," he told her, his smile becoming even more bright, "I can see most girls are feeling jealous of your beauty already."

She smiled at him slightly and looked around to see most people looking at her but she knew she wasn't the reason their faces were twisted in silent jealousy, "I am pretty sure they are envious because I am dancing with the Damon Salvatore."

"Then the men must be jealous because I am dancing with the most exquisite girl in the entire town."

Charlotte fake gasped, "Are you flirting with me, Mr. Salvatore?"

He blushed," I-I was just-"

She laughed softly as the dance began, "it's alright, Damon, I actually like it."

His hands hovered over her waist and the Petrova knew he was wondering if he could break the rules of the dance and touch her. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte could see Margaret look over at her with a fond smile as Christopher spoke to the Forbes girl too.

"I am glad, Charlotte," maybe it was the way he said her name, making it music to her ears- like the song you once heard and can never forget. Some people aren't lucky enough to find the song again but she hoped that she would be.

The vampire had spent years trying not be the main character of her own story- she wanted to be a good sister to Katerina and a best friend to Rebekah and she always wanted to be something to someone else.

She never met anyone who wanted to be something for her. At least not until Damon.

He was honest and kind, a man who respects them even though he was brought up in a century where men were demeaning to women. He wants more than this quiet little town and would do anything for his little brother. He was brave but still a little shy, his face turning red whenever she teased him about the littlest of things. Damon knew loss and pain but he didn't let it control him.

He was perfect.

Charlotte quietly wondered if someday he could be hers-she wouldn't want to tie herself to him for eternity, but maybe just a few years of what love felt like? She had been robbed of this emotion, every man she had ever loved had loved another woman. She didn't want to imprison Damon to damnation like she already was but was it wrong for her to want just a few years of his love for herself?

She could see herself having a life with him.

"Are you alright, Charlotte?" he asked her and she grinned at him as the dance finally ended.

"Very much so, Damon," she promised him, "Thank you for the most beautiful day I have ever had."

It was the most beautiful day she ever had in the three hundred years that she had been alive.

Present: 2010, October 22nd     19.47 EST
Mystic Falls VA

She was late.

Rebekah had already left a thousand missed calls on her cellphone and Charlotte wondered how on earth she managed to get the vampire's phone number in the first place.

The woman watched as the door opened at her arrival, a few people looking at her in her red ball gown. She didn't look like Cinderella, she knew that but the way some people looked at her made her feel like it.

It reminded her vaguely of the 1860s and the similar balls she had been to in that decade.

"Charlie?" She heard a voice and even before she could register it the vampire had arms around her, a blonde woman in a green dress hugging her tight with a smile.

"Oh Bekah," she grinned, it had been almost ninety years since she saw her last, "I have missed you so dearly."

"Me too, Charlie!" She exclaimed. Even though Rebekah was way much older than her in age, Charlotte had always felt like she was an older sister to her, "I heard you made an old woman throw rocks at Nik for daggering me-I am deeply impressed."

"Anything for you, my dearest Bekah," The Petrova winked.

She smiled but when she saw a blonde boy, Rebekah politely excused herself. The boy was cute but not Charlotte's type. More like Katrina's.

The 500-year-old vampire grinned when she saw Kol talking to Damon and a middle-aged woman. Kol was like a brother to her but not the kind that wanted to protect her. No, that was more Elijah and sometimes Klaus. Kol was the kind of brother that made her make bad decisions.

He liked Damon when he met him once at their wedding.

"Mayor Lockwood," Charlotte heard Kol speak and she assumed he was talking to the woman, "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

She hugged Kol from the side and he acknowledged her with a slight smile.

"Hello," She smiled at the Mayor, "I am Charlotte, an old friend of the Mikaelson's. It's a lovely town you have, Mayor."

The woman smiled back at her, "Please dear, call me Carol."

Damon decided to speak then, holding his hand out to Kol, "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?"

She smiled a little when Kol didn't shake his hand back.

"I've met a lot of people- you don't particularly stand out," Kol says, "I want to say maybe a wedding but then, none of my friends are actually married."

"Now, excuse me darling Charlotte while I go ask that girl her number," he winked at the vampire and then whispered, "Or better- her blood type."

That's when she saw Damon look behind her. Charlotte turned and saw Elena enter the ball room dressed in a gorgeous gown. She didn't blame him-she couldn't. She was so sweet and pretty, she didn't fight with him every time they met and well... it was just the way of the Petrova doppelgänger.

Charlotte felt like she was doomed to be forgotten when the doppelgänger was around, be it her sister or Elena. Still hurt to be casted away like that because she could remember when Damon looked at her that way- like she was the only girl in the world.

She walked off from Damon and Carol silently and stood next to the refreshment table. There was a part of her that wanted to cry but the part of her that had participated in ever movement that she could be a part of, to make a stronger woman stopped her. She shouldn't cry over men- atleast not unless she was in her bed with a glass of wine. It's acceptable only then.

"Who left the lost beautiful woman at the party alone?" Klaus said as he and Elijah walked over to her. They were dressed nicely- handsome she must really say.

Elijah hugged Charlotte and kisses her forehead as Klaus does the same. She had always been close to them-sometimes even more so than Rebekah.

"You can't be left alone when you don't have a man, Nik," she shrugged, "And as a woman who has been alive for five centuries- I must say I now prefer dogs to men. Atleast they stay."

The original hybrid frowned at her words, "I am not sure who you are targeting with your words."

The Petrova laughed as Elijah did the same, "Don't need to fret about it."

The woman watched as Klaus too turned his attention to the door and she, following his lead saw a gorgeous-looking blonde wearing an amazing dress- a dress that is particularly similar. She had an inkling that she had bought it for herself in the early 2000s for balls such as this but left it at Klaus' house when she last visited.

"Is that my dress, Nik?" Charlotte asked as the blonde looked around. She looked familiar- like she should know who it was.

"Oh details, my dearest Stanislava," he smirked and walked away from the,.

"Yes Nik, I always knew you were the one who stole my most expensive dresses."

Elijah laughed.

"But I am serious, Charlotte," Elijah said, and though the woman knew she had quite insisted he started calling her that, her name felt wrong as it came out of his mouth, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you very much," She realized that not many had commented on how she looked. If it was still the 1800s she would have been expected to feel deeply disappointed. She didn't now but then a part of her wished there was one particular person who told her that she did indeed look beautiful.

But now he had a new girl to tell that to, didn't he?

"Well dear," she turned to look at Elijah speaking, "I must go but surely stay here-I wish to be your first dance."

She smiled, her spirits lifted, "I am honoured, 'Lijah."

"Always," he smiles.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

SO THAT'S CHAPTER TWO! NEXT WILL BE THE DANCE AND I HAVE A FEW PLANS :)
ALSO PLEASE CHECK OUT THE GRAPHIC GALLERY THAT I MADE FOR THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT OF CLUES ON THIER PAST AND WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING SOON :)