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OH, CHICAGO

THE CRAMPED BACK SEAT OF DAMON'S CAR WAS A LAST RESORT OF SORTS FOR CHARLOTTE HENRY.

She needed to get to Chicago, after all, so she would gladly bear with the atmosphere in the vehicle itself for the free ride she had been given. Elena had all but demanded that Charlotte explain what had happened, considering the Gilbert girl herself had once gone through a 'my parents aren't actually my parents' debacle.

Only, her recount of what had gone down allowed for Damon to try and involve himself into their conversation.

"So, little miss abandoned at birth, why—"

"I don't need to be a vampire to kick your ass, Damon. Just drive."

She could bear with the older man until they got there, she supposed. Even though every little comment was just absolutely grating on her nerves.

All Charlotte left on her bed was a note, stating that she would be at Elena's for a few days to cool off in light of recent events. It wasn't like Jeremy was feeling up for the company anyway, resembling some sort of a recluse lately, so she didn't have to worry about her younger brother poking his nose where it didn't belong.

Sure, had her phone been blowing up nonstop since she left? Oh, absolutely; but she loved the silence button that came with the devices, truly.

Eventually, after what was genuinely the longest trip of her life that consisted of a dozen hours in the same car as the other two, Damon announced that they'd be there within the next two hours. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief, slumping further back into the seat that was crammed with a bunch of miscellaneous items.

Eventually, like it seemed to do by the hourly, the conversation in the car drifted to the younger Salvatore's whereabouts.

"I hope we find him," Damon mused. "It would suck if the last memento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace."

Elena huffed, staring out the window as she fiddled with said necklace. "It's an antique Damon. Like you."

"Oh where have I heard that before," he hummed, making direct eye contact with Charlotte in the rearview mirror.

She narrowed her gaze right back. "If you hear it a lot, must be true."

He rolled his eyes before his hand was reaching into the backseat, Charlotte pulling her legs away with a small grimace. Beneath a stray jacket was a weathered old book, something akin to a journal. "Read this," he said, holding the book between him and Elena. "Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago."

"It's Stefan's diary— I'm not gonna invade his private thoughts," Elena rejected firmly, handing the book right back to Damon.

Charlotte thought that the Gilbert girl should've won a girlfriend of the year award, all things considered.

"You need to be prepared for what you're about to see," Damon responded nonetheless.

Elena shook her head. "I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods. I can handle it."

Charlotte groaned. "Don't jinx it, Elena."

Damon opened the book and began to read from a page. "Oh, here's a good one: March 12, 1922." He cleared his throat before giving a half-assed impression of his brother. "I've blacked out days. I wake up in strangers' beds in places I don't recognize... with women I don't recognize—"

Elena snatched the diary away from him, evidently displeased with what he was reading aloud. "Eyes on the road, Grandma."

Damon looked back at the Henry girl in the rearview once more. "She totally jinxed it."

And for once, she had to agree with him as she grimaced. "Totally."

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Once they reached Chicago, it was time to separate. It really wasn't any of Charlotte's business as to what Stefan was up to, nor did she particularly want the likes of Damon to tag along with her on her own quest.

So, when he begrudgingly pulled into a parking spot downtown, the hustle and bustle of the city invading their ears, she begrudgingly thanked him. He looked surprised, but Charlotte was raised with some semblance of manners— no matter how much she disliked him.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Elena asked as she helped Charlotte out of the backseat.

"Positive," she affirmed, slinging the smaller bag she brought along over her shoulder. "I've just gotta find out why my freaky dreams have led me here. Easy–peasy."

Elena rolled her eyes fondly. "We'll meet back up here tonight, okay?"

Charlotte gave a mock salute just before the other brunette turned to walk back toward the car. "Roger that," she said, "and be safe!"

Elena looked at her pointedly. "That goes for you too, Charlie."

"And don't I know it," was her practiced response. "Don't worry about me— just bring loverboy back in one piece."

She saw a fraction of worry cross Elena's face before it was gone, covered up by a sort of determination that she often saw in the Gilbert girl. "We'll try our best."

Charlotte watched as the car pulled away, waiting until it was out of sight before her brain scrambled for a plan.

Now that she was there, in Chicago for the first time in her life, she had no idea where to even start. She tucked herself against a nearby building, not wanting to keep standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk like a statue, and closed her eyes.

Charlotte had had that dream over a thousand times, and every little detail could come surging to mind almost instantly. Lottie talked about her origins in North Chicago, though based on the conversation at the bar, she definitely wasn't there; no, she had to be centralized, somewhere busy enough that a bar could blend in during the damn prohibition.

Though, there was an obvious problem at hand: it clearly wasn't the twenties.

Buildings usually came and went throughout the years, so an establishment like the one Lottie seemed to frequent after her twenty first birthday was probably well and gone by now.

In the back of her mind, she knew that there was one way of obtaining information that predated her entire existence.

She needed access to a library— preferably one that had an archive of the happenings of Chicago during the twenties. She wanted to slap herself with how easy this had all sounded in her head, much less how hard it would actually be.

Her eyes opened, scanning those who were passing by until they settled on an elderly woman. She approached cautiously, with her hand out. "Excuse me," she called out, garnering the woman's attention. "Do you happen to know if there's a library around here?"

The woman nodded. "Harold Washington is just that way," she answered, and the hand that wasn't occupied by the cane she was holding pointed to the street on their left. "It's about a ten minute walk if you take Jackson, and turn left on State street."

Charlotte smiled in return. "Thank you," she replied, and the woman merely continued on her way.

She had until the evening to figure something out, and she hoped that enduring Damon for the entire car ride over wasn't all for nothing.

She couldn't afford to go home empty handed.

And she couldn't afford to be caught galavanting around the same city that Klaus Mikaelson was in, either.

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[ wyn's note ]

a smidge of elena and charlie action, cause even tho they aren't thee closest of the bunch, they'll always ride for each other :,)

next chap, things are gonna be #revealed, and thennnn we have a chapter coming called 'THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LOTTIE SAINT–JERMAINE' so, do with that what you will lololol

all my love x