𝟒𝟔

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

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐗━═☆

They were heading to Chicago, Charlotte had no idea why the sudden change of terrain and quite obviously, she didn't care. Klaus pulled over as they got out of the car, "Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan."

"What are we doing here?"

"I know how much you loved it here," He said, raising his eyebrows as though he was hinting at something, "Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?"

Stefan brushed it off, shaking his head, "Blacked-out most of them. A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur."

Paulina crossed her arms together, commenting, "Too bad. I was miles away from Chicago and your nickname still stuck around like some...plague. No offense."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows together, "None taken...I guess."

"Unless we are here to party and eat people then I am not interested," Charlotte said, smiling when Paulina turned over to her with a disapproving look, "I am embracing my nature, something you do every day, right? But, somehow, it's only okay when you do it?"

"Yeah. I am a hypocritical bitch who can't get anything right," Paulina nodded to herself, claiming as she opened the passenger seat's car door, "You hate me, Charlotte? Get in line."

Charlotte chuckled, shaking her head, "I don't hate you but I don't particularly like your undying hope to change me. I am happy the way I am."

The Gilbert pulled the car's window down, responding, "I am not changing you. I am retrieving you."

"Well, maybe this is the new better me."

Paulina shook her head before raising an eyebrow, "Remember when I told you that you will never change and you took it with offense?" Charlotte made no move to respond, showing her confusion before she continued, "That wasn't meant to bring you down. You can't change and that's the best thing about you, Charlotte."

The Gilbert could have sworn she saw an emotion pass through Charlotte's doe brown eyes before she smirked, "You are pathetic."

"Doesn't change that I am right, Cherry."

Paulina called out, "C'mon, Klaus, enough taunting with his past, yeah? I wanna see my least favorite witch."

"You don't even have a favorite witch," Klaus rolled his eyes, turning around to get it in the driver's seat.

She shrugged her shoulders, "True...but I hate her the most. She gives me a bad vibe and it's all about the vibes for me."

✵ ✵ ✵

"Rise and shine!"

Damon's voice rung through Serena's bedroom at the Salvatore Boarding House, where she had been staying all summer, as he opened the curtains wide.

"Ugh, Damon, again?" Serena turned around, pulling her blanket over her head, "I won't play baseball with you at six in the morning. Now go away."

He scoffed, taking the blanket off of her, "First, ouch," She grumbled curses under her breath before he continued, "Second, no baseball. Third, I found Charlotte and Stefan but unless you don't want either found...I can just go with Elena. She is already in the car."

"What...where did you find them?" Serena questioned right away, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Windy city."

"Chicago...oh."

Damon raised his eyebrows, mimicking her, "Oh?" The vampire rolled his eyes, "You coming or not?"

She pursed her lips together, looking up at him before shaking her head, "Not."

"Because you don't want to see her or because you can't?" He asked, sitting down at the edge of her bed as he sensed the hesitance in her voice.

Serena wanted to play dumb and ask what was the difference but she already knew. She folded her arms together, leaning back on the bed's headboard, "I don't want to see her but I need to. I won't be able to go on with my life without talking to her about her any of this."

"But?"

"I am scared," She shrugged her shoulders, replying, "I am scared that I am just going to take one look at her and I won't know whether to hug her or slap her...She has that look that just makes me feel like I can't do anything but forgive her, no matter what."

He nodded, adding, "The look that just makes you wish things were better but they are not?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Damon tilted his head back, shrugging, "It's just the mystery of Charlotte Bernard...You know that in 18 years of knowing her I don't remember a time where I was actually mad at her? Like, can't see her face ever again mad..."

"She helped me through so much, Damon but because of her...I am never going to see my sister again and I just don't know how to get past that."

"Talk to her, it won't feel better until then."

Serena exhaled sharply, "Alright, I am coming."

✵ ✵ ✵

Klaus, Paulina, and Stefan entered the bar. Charlotte following behind as she fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist that she took off the hand of her last victim. The bar was dim, quiet, and empty but it had that...cozy atmosphere to it.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?"

Stefan looked around himself, shaking his head in disbelief, "I can't believe this place is still here."

"It's an antique shit bar..." Paulina claimed as Gloria walked in, narrowing her eyes at her last comment. Her mouth formed an 'o', as she murmured, "Oops...That must have hurt your feelings."

Charlotte looked over around the bar, walking around with her hand in her jacket's pockets as she tried to find an excuse as to why that bar was so-called famous. It was practically a waste of space, then.

At some point, Klaus kicked Stefan out of the conversation sending him off to fix them some drinks behind the bar and Charlotte joined him, watching in amusement as he began to make a few drinks. He poured two liquids into a glass and mixed them together almost like it was a skill that he had kept quiet.

"Years off-the-rails teaches one to be such a bar man, huh?" Charlotte wiggled her eyebrows before jumping to sit on top of the bar.

"Probably."

She folded her arms together, turning her face to look at him, "What are you and Paulina hiding from Klaus?"

He frowned noticeably, looking up at her, "What?"

Charlotte smirked, "Do I need to repeat the question loud enough for him to hear?"

"We are not hiding anything—"

She got off the bar, stating, "Oh, well. I will go tell him about hearing you two whisper yesterday about something and he will have better luck getting it out of you two."

Stefan's hand curled around her wrist as he shook his head, "No, wait."

"I am listening."

"Not here but I will tell you."

She shoved her hands back in her jacket's pockets, looking behind him at a photo of Klaus and Stefan together, "You look close."

He frowned, turning to her eyesight. Stefan pulled the photo of the wall to look at it before he walked up to Klaus, "What is this?"

Klaus shrugged his shoulders, smiling, "Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place."

"But this is me...with you."

✵ ✵ ✵

Elena, Serena, and Damon walked along the hall in an apartment building as the doppelganger asked, "Stefan could live anywhere in Chicago and he chose this?"

Damon stated, walking up to the apartment door, "There used to be an all-girls high school around the corner, but it shut down for attendance issues," He paused, making face, "Weird."

Serena shook her head at him, "Years of being alive with the existential crisis of being a bloodsucking monster...it's fine to have a dark period. It would be weird if he didn't have one."

Elena nodded, adding, "Yes, if you're trying to scare us into giving up and going back, it's not going to work."

"You, scare you...I am already regretting getting out of bed," Serena sighed, crossing her arms together before Damon put his index finger to his lips in a motion for them to keep quiet.

He broke the lock and opened the door, introducing, "Here we are. Stefan's second personality home."

Elena looked around, pointing out, "He obviously hasn't been here."

"Tour is not over yet."

He went toward a wall shelf panel next to the refrigerator, put his hand to the edge of the panel, and pulled. The panel swiveled open to reveal a dark back room. Damon motioned to it, walked inside, and pulled a light cord.

The light revealed there are a lot of alcohol bottles on shelves against the back wall as Elena commented mockingly, "Stefan hid his alcohol. What a monster."

"Look harder."

Serena frowned, walking in to see a list of names as Elena shrugged her shoulders, "It's a list of names."

Damon nodded, humming out, "Mm-hmm."

Serena's eyes widened as she realized, "A list of names for all of his victims..."

"Still handling it?"

Elena was momentarily shocked before she turned to Damon, asking, "What were you doing in the 1920s? Paving the way for women's liberation?"

Damon shrugged, answering, "I was around. Chicago's a big city. Stefan was a cocky ripper douche. But I could avoid him and still indulge in a few Daisy Buchanans of my own."

She seemed disgusted but quickly got over it as Damon made his way to the door, "Where are you going?"

"His old stomping ground."

Serena nodded, shrugging her shoulders, "Okay, then we are coming with you."

"No. You two stay here and whip up an actual plan. I'll come back when I find any of them."

He walked out as Serena pursed her lips together, turning to Elena, "It's not weird to have a dark period but the list? That weirded me out, big time."

"He wasn't himself."

"What makes you think he is now? Or that we are not too late?"

Elena folded her arms together, sighing, "The same thing that makes you so sure that Charlotte didn't mean to do what she did. The same thing that got you here after so many protests."

Serena nodded, walking over to the shelf to pull a bottle of liquor out, "Think he has a screwdriver here?"

✵ ✵ ✵

Stefan was following Klaus through the warehouse, still holding the photo, "This doesn't make any sense— why don't I remember you?"

Charlotte and Paulina were walking behind as the Gilbert girl change of mood was obvious from a mile away. "What happened to you...it looks like you tripped into a jar of rainbows. It's disgusting."

"My day just got a whole lot better," Paulina replied, smiling widely.

Charlotte shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Whatever."

"No, if you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?!" Stefan asked Klaus in frustration.

"I'm a little busy right now. Memory Lane will have to wait."

"What the hell is going on? Answer me!" Stefan lunged forward, grabbing Klaus' arm which forced him to look at him.

"Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you," Klaus answered, taking Stefan's hand off of his arm, "You and my sister were very much an item at the time."

"Wow...he and Bex?" Paulina raised her eyebrows, taking a look from Stefan to Charlotte, then from Charlotte to Stefan before grimacing at the thought, "Oh, no. Gross."

"Your sister?" Stefan raised his eyebrows, asking, "So I knew another Original vampire."

"If you can't handle it, then don't ask," He shrugged in answer before walking over to several coffins that contained the Original vampires.

Klaus opened one of the coffins. Rebekah was lying dead in it with a dagger stabbed in her chest. He smiled and gently touched her face as Stefan claimed, "I don't recognize her."

"Try not to tell her that," Paulina looked up at Stefan, advising as she patted his shoulder, "Imagine my temper combined with Klaus'? Much much worse."

"She seems like a bitch," Charlotte looked over at her, commenting.

Paulina turned to the Bernard, "Well, so are you but you don't see us spitting facts."

The Bernard shrugged her shoulders, "Because you have hope and it's quite pathetic."

Klaus pulled the dagger out of her chest, "Time to wake up, little sister," She was still lying dead as Klaus looked at Stefan, "Any day now, Rebekah. She's being dramatic."

"Wonder who she takes that after?" The Gilbert wondered, rubbing the back of her neck.

Stefan sighed exasperatedly, turning to the hybrid, "Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right?"

"Well, you have many useful talents."

Stefan raised an eyebrow, "Do I?"

"In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you," He nodded further explaining, "You sought my approval, you and Rebekah. Then, presumably in a bid to show me what you were capable of, you compelled a man to drink the blood of his wife." Klaus smiled, approvingly. "I was your number one fan."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows together, "Why should I believe any of this?"

Klaus stopped in front of the security guard, compelling, "When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's Bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die."

Klaus proceeded his way to the door as Stefan asked, "Where are you going?"

"You think I'm lying, Stefan. You and I knew each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets and now I'm going to prove it to you."

"How?"

"We're going to your old apartment," He said, followed by Charlotte and Stefan outside before he called back, "Lina, you coming?"

"Yeah!" The brunette called back, "I will meet you at Gloria's!"

✵ ✵ ✵

Back in Stefan's apartment, Elena was reading through Stefan's diary when Serena rose to her feet, "I am hungry...I think I saw some market when Damon parked here."

"Okay," Elena nodded before advising, "Just don't hang around much, we don't know where Klaus or Stefan could be."

Serena sighed, nodding in advance before opening the apartment's door. She descended downstairs, humming to herself.

At the same time, Klaus, Charlotte, and Stefan had stopped in front of a building where Stefan's apartment was. Charlotte sighed, "I am hungry...I will catch up to you guys in a bit."

She didn't wait for approval before walking ahead of them and down the street. Serena, on the other hand, was lost.

She turned around, pumping into Charlotte by mistake before ranting out apologies, "I am so sorry. I don't know anything here and— Charlotte."

The vampire was momentarily shocked before she raised her eyebrows, asking, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Serena ran her tongue on her bottom lip, saying, "I expected a different greeting..."

Charlotte chuckled, crossing her arms together, mimicking, "Something like...Oh, Serena. I am so sorry. Your sister is dead and it's my fault. Forgive me, please? Yeah, right. Like you have it in you."

The human Bernard knitted her eyebrows together, "What is wrong with you?"

"I am fantastic," Charlotte answered, smiling with a shrug of her shoulders, "But you, hell, I pity you...What do you with your life now? Do you just walk around your house and...cry? Or think that maybe I did it because you were too harsh on me?"

Serena sucked in a deep breath, feeling her eyes water as Charlotte continued, "I didn't. It was an accident or better yet, collateral damage," She chuckled at her last word, "Yeah, that one sums it up."

"Coming here was a mistake," Serena shook her head at herself, turning away before Charlotte spoke up.

"Coming here, thinking you would make me feel bad about what I did to you and that I would cry and fall apart? That? Yeah, that was a mistake."

✵ ✵ ✵

Klaus and Stefan stopped again at Gloria's bar where Paulina sat by the bar. Gloria asked them, "Where's Rebekah?"

"She'll be here. I can't just conjure her on demand," He took a drink before looking over at Paulina, "Where's Charlotte?"

"She didn't call but she was with you guys, wasn't she?"

Within minutes later, Charlotte walked into the better. Smiling at them all, "Hey, guys. Drinks? I am feeling oddly positive."

Paulina frowned, not trusting the sudden change in mood. Klaus continued his and Stefan's story to the Salvatore before he turned and saw Damon outside, who motioned for him to come over.

The Gilbert covered for him, turning to Klaus, "So...did Gloria ever say what she needed from Bex?"

Stefan walked outside before suddenly lunging at his brother at vampire speed, pushing him against a car. He held him by the collar, "What is wrong with you?!"

"What is wrong with you? You kill Andie one day, you save my life the next. What are you good, bad? Pick one!" Damon questioned, pushing him back.

"Klaus almost saw Elena today. You have to get her out of Chicago."

"She's not going anywhere until she's got you checked into vampire rehab and on the mend," Damon sighed, stating, "Trust me. I've tried."

"She is the key to everything. Klaus can't know that she's alive."

His brother frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"She was supposed to die in the sacrifice and she didn't. Now Klaus can't create any new hybrids. His witch is seconds away from figuring that out," Stefan sighed, concluding, "Tell Elena to go home and forget about me."

Damon paused a few moments then looked to his left, "Tell her yourself."

Stefan looked to his left and saw Elena standing in the parking lot before Damon rejoined Klaus at the bar.

"Last call. Drink 'em up!"

Klaus clenched his jaw, finding Damon in the bar, "I see they've opened the doors to the riff-raff now."

Paulina pursed her lips together as Damon swiftly retorted, "Oh, honey, I've been called worse."

The hybrid raised his eyebrows, asking, "You don't give up, do you?"

"Give me my brother and Charlotte back...You'll never have to see me again," Damon shrugged his shoulders ever so nonchalantly.

"Well, I am torn," He replied, sighing, "You see, I promised Stefan I wouldn't let you die, but how many freebies did I really sign up for? And clearly, you want to die, otherwise, you wouldn't be here, so..."

"What can I say? I'm a thrill-seeker," The Salvatore replied as Klaus extended his hand and grabbed his throat.

He lifted him off the floor by the throat with one arm as Paulina stepped in, placing her hand on Klaus' arm, "Okay, stop it, Klaus...He will leave, just stop."

Klaus shrugged his shoulders before stabbing his stomach with a toothpick, "I don't know, he doesn't seem to get the hint."

"The bullseye is a few centimeters higher than that!" Charlotte called over from the bar, "But keep going, yeah! That's progress!"

Paulina gritted her teeth, failing to restrain herself before she ripped Klaus' off of Damon and throwing him to the end of the room, "I am sorry but you took it far," She shrugged her shoulders when Klaus narrowed his eyes at her.

He adjusted his jacket, rising to his feet before looking over at Damon, "You don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom. When I'm done with him, he won't want to go back."

✵ ✵ ✵

Serena got in the backseat to find Elena already inside. They both couldn't manage to question one another about what happened. They just sat in silence, waiting for Damon.

He got in the car, asking, "You okay? Both of you?"

When neither replied, he turned to Serena, "You talked to Char? Because she—"

"Just drive, Damon."

✵ ✵ ✵

They went back to the warehouse. Rebekah's coffin was empty and the guardsman laid dead. Klaus looked over, noticing another coffin open and empty beside his sister's.

Before he could process that, there was a rush and Rebekah stabbed him with a dagger in his chest before Kol pushed him over to the ground, "You shouldn't be here..."

Paulina walked into the warehouse, shrugging her shoulders, "Yeah...I had another say in that matter."

Stefan and Charlotte walked inside, the latter commenting, "What...attractiveness is like a gene in the family?"

The hybrid took the dagger out of his chest, gritting his teeth as he turned to the grinning smug Gilbert standing beside the two recently awoken Mikaelsons, "You are going to regret this."

"Actually, you are."

"Missed us, Nik?" Kol raised his eyebrow, asking.

"Not quite," The hybrid replied, shaking his head.

Charlotte folded her arms together, smiling, "This is really awkward but like...entertaining awkward."

Paulina shrugged her shoulders, looking at Klaus, "You wouldn't leave Elijah's coffin where I could get to it but you left Kol's so..."

✵ ✵ ✵