First off, this story reached 500 views since I posted chapter 6 last night. I am awestruck. I am so excited, that I am planning to make this chapter and extra juicy when it comes to details of Charlotte's life. I am not planning on giving everything away, but you guys are inspiring me to share more than I originally planned.

I would like to thank everyone who put the story on alert. Dear CalligraphersNib, lets-not-go-there, Man-Suz-She, MarygenLynn, SilentlyDeadly, WriterGirl911, it makes my face warm to know that you like the story this much.

To those who favorite, jasminahmed, Man-Suz-She, Mishi-boo, WriterGirl911, let's be best friends. This kind of stuff is why I can update so quickly.

As for the reviewers:

Man-Suz-She: Here's another update for you!

KK: I hope I answered a few questions for you about their past.

Mishi- boo: Your review made me smile so hard that my face hurt. Seriously, thank you so much for motivating me.

Extra note: last chapter was 1,864 words. A special portent for what is in store for this chapter.

Lisolotte

Damon wished he could describe to another person what seeing Charlotte fight was like. He really did try and pay attention so he could explain it when they all reunited. It seemed like vital information. The thing was, she was far too good for him to be able to get an idea. She was out the car first and before Damon could blink, she had killed the three surrounding the head vampire. The man snarled and stepped back, immediately betraying any sense that he wasn't intimidated by Charlotte.

"How did you find us, Karl?" she snarled at him. Damon was amazed to note that she was covered in the blood of the men whose hearts she had ripped out, but she was not in vamp face. In spite of her obvious anger and bloodlust, she was able to maintain control.

The other vampire did not answer, so Charlotte walked up to him and ripped of his left arm. She held it close to the wound. Damon watched in horror as the arm tried to reattach itself. With the tenuous healing started, Charlotte ripped it off once more.

She stepped closer to the vampire, whom she had identified as Karl, and his composure cracked. She trailed a blood soaked finger down his cheek as he began to cry. "Just tell me and it will all be over," she whispered to him. He began to shake. "Big bad Karl stops us on the road and reduced to tears in under a minute. That doesn't suit. Come on," she goaded. "You were bad enough to stop us. Make a move. Try and kill me. Or is it something else you want?"

Genuine tears began to stream down his face. "I didn't know it was going to be you, Charlotte. I would never have come if it was you."

A truly disturbing smile bloomed across Charlotte's face. "So, you remember me. Just tell me who sent you."

"I don't know, Charlotte. I don't."

"If you won't be useful, then," with that, Charlotte removed his head from his body for him. She turned to Damon. She took his hand and upon their physical connection, he heard her voice in his head. "Follow my lead. I have a feeling I know what's going on. Don't say a thing aloud. No one knows who can hear us."

"Damon," she said out loud. "I guess we should keep going. We will have to deal with what we encounter as we go along. We need to get as far as we can tonight."

They both returned to their seats in the car. Damon had insisted on driving still. He was definitely trying to calm himself down. He wasn't scared of Charlotte, he was just amazed at the violence she contained in her small body. She was leagues beyond Katherine. Katherine was all cunning and tricks. Charlotte was the real deal. She fought those men by herself and won handily.

"Do you mind continuing?" Damon asked gently.

"Of course," Charlotte answered. "As I said, Rebekah and I separated. She returned to her brothers, to deal with her father, and I decided to find myself. I had been raised to be a wife and have children. I had done both and failed miserably," here she paused. "I had this amazing opportunity to go beyond that. I had all of eternity to heal those wounds, but I needed to know myself first. It sounds hokey, but it was cathartic. I didn't even establish a home for the first 100 years. I was a pure nomad with nothing to my name. For a while, I didn't even use my name. It was like I left that whole life behind me. I learned to fight. Ruthlessly."

Here Damon let out a noise that was somewhere between laughing and scoffing.

"So you noticed," she said with a small smile and Damon nodded in assent. "I studied any warrior I came across. It was easier to learn from them now that I had to powers of a vampire to aid me. I learned every muscle in my body. Weapons were not relied on at that time, they were an aid. With my increased strength, hand to hand combat was vital.

"Then, word came to me about the dire situation with Finn. He and I had never been close, but I loved the Mikaelsons dearly. Inspire of all my issues with them, I couldn't hide from the fact that there was a serious problem coming up between them. I mean, how could Finn be sure that he wanted to die forever? So, I went back to them." Tears formed in her eyes once more. "I almost fell for it. With my sister dead, I could almost forget that Elijah had betrayed me so. His presence was like a salve to my wounded heart. I wanted to drink him in and never leave him again. But," her voice cracked here. "I can never forget, Damon."

"What do you mean, Charlotte?"

"She showed up. She didn't even have the good grace to allow us to heal. Tatia began haunting me. I couldn't look at him after that. Once I saw Finn safely daggered, I ran for the hills once again. Did I think daggering him was the best choice? Certainly not. I couldn't allow him to assist Mikael in murdering all of us though. I know, it sounds like I am justifying all of this. Maybe I am. All I know is that 900 years ago, it was the only choice. It was something I had to accept about being what we are. As a vampire, it comes down to do or die sometimes. No matter how distasteful the choices can be. After that, the Mikaelsons were mostly at peace with one another. Kol went off on his own to do whatever it is that Kol does. And Rebekah stayed with Elijah and Klaus to look for the doppelganger. They left me alone for 200 years. I spent that time experimenting with my powers.

"Did you know, Damon, how much a vampire gains by using his powers frequently? Age does wondrous things and grains new powers, but use makes them more potent. It is true for all powers that vampires possess. I spent 200 years learning about being a psychic, if you will." She stopped to glance at a road sign. "Have we really gone that far already? Do you mind stopping, Damon? I am awful hungry."

Damon obliged. They pulled off at a gas station and he began to fill the car.

"Where was I?" she asked. "Oh, yes. The thing about me is, I am not actually a psychic. My powers run deeper than that. I have learned so much since then." She reached out and grabbed something. Slowly Katherine came into Damon's view. "I can smell a ghost a mile away."

"Katherine?" Damon asked.

Charlotte smiled and shook her head at him like he was a child who asked a silly question.

"Tatia," he stated.

"I had a feeling that someone was feeding information about us," Charlotte told him gripping her sister.

"How are you containing her?" he asked.

"I have made her just substantial enough that she cannot leave. Useful trick. As I was saying, someone was talking. I didn't assume it was anyone of your ilk. It made no sense. Why risk their own lives and those of all their friends? But I know about ghosts. If inclined to help, the ghosts can make a marvelous spy network." She looked her sister full in the eyes for the first time. "What are you trying to betray me once more, Tatia?" she asked with venom.

"I was trying to help."

"Lies."

"I was only giving them half information, Lottie. I swear it. I figured better me tell them a doctored truth rather than find a ghost who will tell them everything. I want to make things right."

"Don't," Charlotte said in the same hard voice she used with Elijah. "Have you been listening to all the secrets I shared with Damon?"

"I don't need to listen, Lottie. I have been following you since I died. Just far enough away for you to not notice me on a good day, but close enough for me to keep watch. I already know all your secrets."

"Do not, Tatia. It is not fair. Stay the hell away from me. Tell them I caught you. I don't care what you have to say. Tell them sending another ghost to follow me is a death sentence. The dead are mine to command, Tatia. You certainly must know that."

"I would rather stay with you, Lottie."

Fresh tears rather down Charlotte's face and she allowed Tatia to fade. Damon crouched down next to her and just held her. He stroked her hair gently until she calmed down. "Have you ever talked about this before?" he asked her in his smallest voice.

Charlotte just shook her head at first. "No, I have kept it all inside. I could be mad at all of them, but it would just be a drain on me. I just cannot forgive Elijah and Tatia. I trusted them most in the world. They were the people closest to me."

"I understand, baby, I do."

Charlotte ignored his term of endearment because it felt so good to be comforted by him. He brought her a young man and they both filled up just enough to keep going and send him on his merry, if dazed, way.

Damon placed Charlotte in the passenger seat and told her to sleep. When she woke up, they had already reached Virginia.

Charlotte woke up slowly and saw the familiar land. It was not the same place it had been when she was human, but in her bones she felt home. This was the place her life took meaning. It was also a place of unbearable pain.

"Almost there. Then back to the big bad Windy City for more magic and yelling," Damon offered seeing that she was finally awake.

Charlotte noticed that he had reverted to an impassive attitude towards the whole trip. She couldn't figure out if it was because he was trying to respect her feelings or if his tenderness with her had shocked him. Maybe it was both of those reasons.

"But Peter," she said in a startlingly strong British accent, "I don't want to go home. I want to stay in Neverneverland with you forever. We shall just airmail them the body and then travel together until we get sick of each other's faces."

"As nice as that sounds," Damon said in his regular voice, "we did promise to see this through. We should probably just get Klaus back to normal. Then we can have the real fun," he said to her with a wicked grin. "Here we are. God help us if the body isn't here."

They walked into the storage facility carefully. It seemed normal and safe, but that didn't mean a thing. As they neared the designated storage locker, they grew more and more cautious. As Damon was opening the door, Charlotte heard a thump within. Rather than be caught off guard, she dove in and got the offender by the throat.

"Tatia?" Damon asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "Katherine."