While Abigail could have gone onward in her quest for answers, Gloria convinced her to stay on in Chicago for a bit longer.
"Stay, Abi," the witch, much younger in reality yet her outward image would argue that logic. "Wouldn't you say you've earned a reprieve from the course you've set?" It was tempting enough to agree.
Which was how she found herself beside Gloria in the bar that night, learning how to mix concoctions with names like "Sex on the Beach" and "Fuzzy Navel". She was laughing and flirting. Smiling came easily, interacting with the patrons of the establishment brought her something that she hadn't felt in a long time.
"You look like you've been doing this forever," Gloria grinned at the tiny woman, hip checking her as she reached for a glass. "And you look a hell of a sight better than when you came in earlier."
Abi's smile didn't falter, not with the reminder of what brought her across the threshold of the bar or with the tug that came at the thought of Damon or her family lurking in the shadows of the world at large. Not here in this place where people came to have fun, or to lose themselves in a drink and company.
"It feels familiar," was what Gloria got, as Abi moved toward a raised hand at the end of the bar, her smile growing at the group of young men flagging her down for another round.
While Abigail was losing herself in something entirely different, no matter how similar it felt, Damon was dealing with more fallout from the return of Katherine and the activation of Gilbert's supernatural device than he could count. At least Stefan's detox seemed to take, that was something.
Mason Lockwood, the long wandering younger brother of the now dead and gone mayor of Mystic Falls was home. After Damon and Stefan caught sight of him doing some lifts that no normal human dude bro should be able to do, Damon realized that clearly the supernatural apple clung heavily to the family tree. With Founders' Day festivities still in full swing, because why would a little thing like fire and destruction make the celebrations stop, the carnival gave him the perfect place to have a little experiment for old Mason.
A little suggestion to one of the carnies and wouldn't you know it? A fight broke out between Tyler and him. Mason, being the protective uncle stepped in, and Damon watched as his eyes flashed gold then black. What the hell did that mean?
Unfortunately, the carny was beaten bloody enough to call out to the newest vampire in town, Caroline. Yes, Caroline Forbes, otherwise known as the control freak head cheerleader of Damon's nightmares. Created by his blood and a little help from a pillow wielded by his OTHER living nightmare, Katherine Pierce. Honestly, every single thing that he was dealing with would come back to her, wouldn't it? Caroline, for all her controlling nature, couldn't actually control her newborn vampire bloodlust and went all in, killing the poor carny. Damon wanted to go all in and end Caroline, but of course Sir SavesAlot Stefan and his damsel come lately Elena wouldn't allow it.
Enter Bonnie Bennett, the entire reason HIS blood was inside of Caroline to begin with, but with a lack of self awareness that would make all the politicians in DC envious, she blamed HIM, because of course she would. And in a spectacular display of self control, she nearly flambéed him. All because she didn't deactivate the damn device like she could have, and because she demanded he play good Samaritan and give Caroline an infusion of his healing juice out of guilt. THIS, Damon thought, as Bonnie was talked out of it by Elena, was why he didn't HELP people.
Abigail had a new routine. She slept during the day, or at least the early morning to midday, then she got up and checked in with Ric or Bonnie. Cat was still doing well. Her house was still standing. The rest was more vague, but there seemed no need for her to rush back and no one seemed to need her. Caroline was busy, that was a running theme when she asked if she was feeling up to a call.
Once those check-ins were finished, she'd grab something to eat and have a call with Marcel. He was usually more talkative. He found her tales of the bar, the patrons and Gloria, the antics and the nightlife, all very interesting. He wanted to know if she was considering relocating, but Abigail shrugged the idea off. This was temporary. A vacation.
"Only you would get a job during a vacation," he'd scoff, then they'd talk about New Orleans and what he was doing. He'd tell her if he'd heard anything about the Mikaelsons or their whereabouts and then they'd say their goodbyes, with a promise to talk again the following day.
Chicago was a different beast than New Orleans, but Abi took as much pleasure in learning it as she did the first. She walked and drove the streets. She took in the sights and she shopped. She dined out and she ordered in. While she fettered her time away, she contemplated what came next.
While there were other places on her list, the list that she and Bonnie had made after doing the locator spell with her blood and an atlas, she wondered if she should continue on? Was there still a point to it? After all, Marcel seemed to think it would be best to stay clear of the family and he'd been with them for far longer than Gloria had known them, and even the witch warned her away. Bonnie, someone who knew nothing about them, aside from the vague idea that Abi had from her family's grimoire told her much the same. Stay away, if she chose to find them, her blood would act as a beacon.
As day turned to night, Abigail dressed for another night at Gloria's, and she wondered how much longer she'd choose to stay on, because she knew that Chicago wasn't a permanent answer. No matter how much fun she was having.