I almost spelt Stake as Steak and I have no clue if I've done that in previous chapters. I literally wrote desert as Dessert a while back. I don't know where my mind goes with those simple spelling mistakes but it's fun.
13
A Fifties Dance
"Jeremy, make a salt circle," Clara quietly said to her brother.
He rummaged around the duffel bag next to him and found the large canister of salt. He dumped it and made a messy circle. He jumped when a loud screech sounded right in front of him. The spirit of a human, turned into a poltergeist, glared at him as his sister slammed her pickaxe into the wall causing debris filled with plaster to rain onto the floor. He swallowed thickly as it began to pace. It couldn't cross the salt line, but it really wanted them dead. He licked his lips and turned to see Clara slamming the pickaxe once again.
"What are you looking for?" He questioned.
"This is the spirit of someone who's body was never found but they lived in this house," Clara informed him as she slammed the pickaxe a final time and caused the wood panels to break in half, "there she is, she's been in there for a while."
"Oh my god," Jeremy said as he gagged slightly at the sight.
"Now we send the coordinates to the association and they take care of the body," She said as she moved to the side and allowed the poltergeist to see their body, "meaning a grave and tip to the police to let them know a body was found."
"What killed her?" He asked as the poltergeist slowly faded.
"Judging by her neck," She started as she crouched next to the body, "most likely a murder, there's not a sign of struggle so it most likely happened in her sleep."
"I'm starting to think humans are scarier than the supernatural," He muttered, and she gave a nod of agreement as she took out her phone and sent the coordinates and information to the association.
Jeremy blinked as she motioned for him to head out. They went back to the car, the air cleaner and less chilly than inside the abandoned house. She placed the bag in the compartment before heading to the driver's seat. Jeremy was sitting there with a strange expression on his face.
"Is it always that simple?" He asked as she began to drive them back home.
"No, sometimes a poltergeist or spirit can be so far gone that not even appeasing them will get them to stop," She informed him, "also, congrats on your first paycheck."
He gave her a confused look at that before she motioned towards a pair of envelopes on the dash. He picked them up and found the one that had his name on it. He opened it and blanched. It was a lot of money. He was going to put most of that away until the next hunt.
"Do they aways pay so much?" He asked, his voice a little high pitched.
"Not for newbies," She said with a slight smile, "since you're hunting with a hunter that's above an A-Rank, you get the boost in pay."
"Sweet," He muttered as the paycheck went into a nice journal.
He was starting his own Grimoire. It was nicer than the "family journals" that his dad had talked about, and the one he had read to write his paper on. His sister had used local documents to write hers and she had done so in less than a few hours. Her ability to research was something he was hoping to reach. The websites she gave him helped with some of his information.
The drive ended after an hour and they both headed inside to smell pizza. They also saw a grumpy Elena sitting at the dinning table. She sent them a glare and they shared a look. It was hard to imagine why she was mad at them. No, they knew exactly why. Elena didn't trust her sister anymore, and didn't like that fact that she was dragging Jeremy to places. Clara couldn't help but wonder why she believed that a change in her siblings was the worst things to happen to her. Did she want them to be as gloomy and depressed as her? To stay focused on the past and lie to everyone around them? Because, that wasn't a way to live. Clara knew her own coping wasn't the best, burying her feelings deep until she couldn't feel them wasn't a healthy way to manage them.
"All right, I'm going to finish putting together my furniture," Clara quietly said, "you two stay chill."
"Is that stoner talk?" Elena waspishly asked.
"No, it's Clara talk," Clara answered before heading up the stairs.
She didn't even react when she saw Damon sitting in the chair that came with her furniture. It was situated by the window, so no wonder he was there. She also didn't have a bed at the moment so that helped remove his choices. She placed her paycheck on her desk and popped her neck.
"What's the word?" She asked him.
"Do you know where the Grimoire is?" He asked.
"Mine or someone else's?" She questioned as she moved towards the boxes containing her bed frame.
"Emily Bennett's," He answered, and she paused in thought.
"I heard it was back in circulation in twenty fifteen," She informed him, "no one knew where it was or who found it, but since it was in circulation I can try and ask around some of my superiors to see if they know."
"Would they tell you?" He asked, his tone slightly urgent.
"Probably not," She sighed, "some angels are funny like that, they like to meddle and then they don't."
She pushed her hair back from her face as she screwed some of the pieces of her frame together. He watched as she did the labour. It was another insight as to how her mind worked. Being kept busy was good for her. She was fast too. The wood floor was done and clean, and now she had a bed as well. She looked at where she had the frame and narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
"Try against the incline," He suggested.
"Jeremy has his there, not a big fan of hitting my head," She quietly said as she paused it into a corner, "that's better I can see all entrances and exits to the room."
"You seem peppy," He commented as he got comfortable in her chair.
"I got paid and Jeremy has a taste of what hunting is like," She said as she picked up the box springs and placed them on the frame, "I like getting things done."
"And I thought Caroline had OCD," He muttered.
"Hmm, she does," She muttered as she grabbed the mattress.
It went on as well and he waited until all the fresh linen was on it. A white bed cover, and then her sheets. They were soft, and not the same expensive material as his. She stared at him as she held onto her blankets. She sighed and made her bed with him in it. Shoes and all. It was one of the few times that he could say she didn't care. She finished and laid face down on the bed next to him.
"You really don't care that I'm here," He muttered.
"You've been invited in," She said, "I could continue to throw you out, but that would be wasting my energy and time."
"Your schools having a decade dance, right?" He asked and he heard her groan, a smirk appeared on his face.
"I'm required to go, I got pulled into it by Bonnie and Caroline apparently I need to relax a bit," She muttered as she turned to face him.
He met her eyes and he smirked in amusement. Her answering glare was worth it. She brought a hand up and moved her hair from her face. That kept happening to her. He turned in the bed until he was on his side. She hadn't kicked him out yet, so he didn't mind pushing his luck.
"Right, the fifties would've been a time period you would've hated or really adored it's hard to tell," He said.
"I already lived through social issues in my previous life, I don't want to do it again," She informed him as she kicked off her shoes.
"Careful, you keep talking politely like this people might start to think you like me," He warned in a cheeky tone.
"That's unlikely, Caroline still needs to beat the crap out of you," She mumbled as she finally felt tired, "I'm rooting for her."
Of course, she was. He frowned at that as her eyes slowly closed. Days of sleeping on the couch had made her pretty exhausted, not that she allowed anyone to know. She wasn't quite asleep yet, he knew what it was like when she slept.
"Have you ever thrown pocket salt at a ghost before?" She mumbled and he raised a brow, "Because I haven't, and I've been hunting since…hmm, I believe eight to nine years. I need to do that; I should've done that to Emily."
"I think that would hurt her feelings," He said in a dry tone, his feeling for the ghost obvious, "she seemed to like you."
"I'm technically an abomination," She agreed, "I think witches like me because I stopped a necromancer, those usually kill witches."
She opened an eye and raised a brow. She was waiting for him to leave. She simply got under the blankets on her bed. She closed her eyes again. He was stubborn, she wasn't banking on him leaving. She'd just get some sleep, so she wasn't in danger of failing her classes.
"And she fell asleep," Damon muttered as he looked at the clock on her bedside table, "how are you able to do that so quickly?"
As expected, he received no answer. He heard footsteps coming towards the door and he quickly left through the window. Jeremy checked in on his sister and watched as she snuggled deeper into her blankets. He raised a brow and moved to turn off her lamp. She hated wasting electricity. He left the room and headed into his, he wanted to start writing down ways of defeating a poltergeist as soon as possible.
The next day found two tired Gilbert's nursing cups of coffee as Jenna tried to talk to them about their history teacher. She got matching looks of half-awake teenagers. She smiled sadly at them. Elena had found out that they were adopted, but hadn't told Clara or Jeremy. She needed to say something, to rectify the fact that she hadn't told them. She was afraid to, afraid that they'd hate her.
"So, Elena and I are adopted," Clara said to Jeremy, "doesn't change anything, you'll always be my baby bro."
"I can't believe you," Jeremy shook his head as he chugged his coffee, "why'd you go and spring that on me this early in the morning?"
"I'm evil, that's why," Clara answered as she finished her cup, "c'mon I'll give you a lift to school. We can jam out to my favourite alternative station."
Jeremy gave a nod of agreement as he finished his coffee. Clara rinsed the cups and placed them into the dish washer. Jenna stood there in disbelief. How did Clara just roll with things like that? She would worry about her if it weren't obvious that she wasn't bothered. She got a one-armed hug from her niece and Jeremy waved. Those two seemed closer than before, she heard them laughing as they got into her car.
"Those two are two peas in a pod," Jenna muttered shaking her head as she overlooked her thesis.
"I think you did good on the paper," Clara told Jeremy as she waited at a red light, "have more confidence."
"Easy for you to say, you could pick up a fully grown man and be unbothered by it," Jeremy pointed out and she smiled at that.
"I'm just awesome like that," She stated as the light turned green.
She waited a few seconds before driving them to school. He left her car, and she waited a few seconds before getting out and locking the doors. She headed to her locker to meet up with Bonnie. Bonnie took one look at her before grabbing her arm and dragging her to a small area outside where no one was.
"Okay, what's with you and Damon?" Bonnie asked.
"I'll help him just to get him out of Mystic Falls," Clara answered, "it's a truce of some sorts, why?"
"You haven't noticed?" Bonnie questioned with raised brows.
"Noticed what? I'm getting confused here Bon," Clara said with a frown.
"I can't say," Bonnie sighed as she grabbed her friends' arm and patted it, "just know it's going to be a wild ride, according to Grams."
"That sounds extremely foreboding," Clara said as they headed back inside and into their classes, "should I be worried about being trapped in a cycle?"
"I don't know," Bonnie truthfully answered, "see you in history."
Clara found herself bothered by Bonnies words. She knew that wasn't her friend's intention, but her mind couldn't help but focus on her words. She didn't meet up with them during lunch, giving them an apologetic message and stating that she wanted to talk about her extra credit assignment with Alaric.
"Ah sweet, an A," Clara said as she got the large pack of paper back from Alaric.
"I said a paper, you wrote me a book," He said in a tired voice.
"What can I say, I have a lot of information in my noggin," She shrugged as she put the paper back into her bag.
"Yeah, where did you find most of these sources?" He asked, curiosity in his voice, "Not many people would write about the supernatural in Mystic Falls."
"It's all folk tales," She said as she studied him discreetly, "most of my sources are quite easy to find really."
"Not entirely," He muttered, "do you mind if I borrow your reference sheet?"
"Sure," She pulled it from the pack and handed them to him.
She hurried to her seat when the bell rang. A smirk on her face as she had her back to him. Those papers would be gone by the time she left campus. She was slowly growing fond of the tricks she learned in hell. It was all done in black light ink, so he'd never figure it out. They'd burst into flames and they couldn't be put out by normal means. She needed to teach the markings to Jeremy. He'd get a kick out of them. She yawned quietly as the room filled up and the lesson started. It was over quickly, and she drove to the Grill behind Bonnie. Elena was refusing to get into a car with her due to obvious reasons. She couldn't blame her. Two accidents in a year had to be a record, and one of them wasn't even the fault of the driver. Just a stupid vampire.
"I can't believe you two are adopted," Bonnie stated as they all sat down to order food, "I never saw that coming."
"Well, we do look like our parents," Clara agreed, "maybe we're related to the Gilbert family through a different family member."
"The only one left is Uncle John, but I doubt it," Elena commented.
Clara felt the dislike rise up in her as she heard the man's name. She didn't trust him, not one bit. From the memories, he didn't seem that fond of her. He liked Elena better, not that she was surprised by that. Most people seemed to like her sister better. She wondered if that was the allure of the doppelgänger. She bit the inside of her cheek and ignored that part of her that wanted to get lost in her thoughts to figure it out.
"You could always ask Jenna," Bonnie suggested as a waitress came by and they ordered, except Elena got up from the table.
"True, I need to go pick up some accessories from the store," Elena informed them, "my outfit for the dance is severely lacking in that department."
"Right, see you at home," Clara said as Bonnie nodded her understanding.
Elena walked away and Clara made a face. Her twin really disliked her, and a part of her really didn't care. Elena was a busybody who liked to get in people's business and pretend she knew better. It was rude for her to say so, and it wasn't like she did the same thing. She didn't know that she knew better, she probably knew worse than others. She cracked her knuckles in thought and tensed when someone sat down next to her.
"What do you want, Damon?" She asked as Bonnie glared at him.
"Can't I say hello without the questions?" Damon asked in mock hurt.
"Not really," Clara informed him, "you're sitting at a table with two people that could both hurt, and kill you. You really want to mess with us?"
"I could always light him on fire, fire kills vampires, right?" Bonnie asked her friend.
"Yep," Clara confirmed, "now what do you want, Damon?"
Their food was dropped off and she slapped his hand away from her fries. The Grill was serving her fries with house ranch, something she appreciated. She wasn't about to let him snitch her food without a reasonable explanation as to why he was there when Bonnie was sitting with her. She may be working with him to help get him out of the town, but she was best friends with Bonnie. She refused to let their truce get in the way with protecting her friends.
"A fresh start," He finally answered as the waitress left them, "with both of you."
"You wanted to kill me," Bonnie pointed out.
"I couldn't even get close to you with Miss Organ Squisher there," He pointed out and Clara smirked, "all I'm asking for is a fresh start."
"Let Caroline beat the crap out of you, then we'll consider it," Bonnie informed him.
Clara was unreasonably happy to hear that. Damon looked at her in slight annoyance as she smiled proudly. Of course, she'd be on board with that. She was the biggest contender for Caroline getting retribution. It didn't help that she was slightly annoyed that Caroline believed that he actually liked her. It was maddening, sure he'd act on lust, but his heart belonged to his vampire girlfriend.
"You two would say that," He muttered before speaking up, "she'd be all for that too."
"Don't go around hurting people and you won't have this problem," Clara informed him in a blank tone.
He was finally able to steal a fry and he felt an elbow dig into his side. He elbowed her back, he could be childish as well. The glare she sent him wasn't as cold as it previously was. He was starting to crack her walls. He smirked inwardly; his plan was finally working. Bonnie sighed and picked up her glass.
"So, what's your deal with the vampy bartender?" Clara asked and both of them turned to look at her, "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Ben McKrittrick can't be a vampire, we went to school with him," Bonnie quietly informed her.
"How would you even be able to tell at glance?" Damon questioned as he side eyed the bartender that was cleaning a glass.
"Don't move," Clara told him, and she poked the area above his upper lip, "there, the area above the mouth protrudes ever so slightly. Your fangs have to go somewhere Count Dumas."
"What, not Dracula?" Damon asked as he moved his head away from her hands.
"You aren't that cool," She informed him as she went back to eating, "I'm sorry Bonnie, but I'd rather you know and remain cautious than have something happen to you."
"It's all right," Bonnie quietly said, "He's still cute."
"As long as you like him," Clara said with a nod.
"What, is he more you're type?" Bonnie asked.
She was referring to Damon and Clara knew that. She gained a thoughtful look before glancing quickly at him. He was stealing her fries again; it was a losing battle and she sighed before pushing the plate towards him. He smirked in victory and her nose crinkled in annoyance. She looked back towards Bonnie and got a strange look out of the other girl.
Bonnie watched as a look of dawning realisation and horror appeared on her friend's face. Clara really was oblivious to some things for someone so sharp. She fought the urge to sigh and question her fiends' taste in men. She heard one thing that made her want to laugh.
"How can I have daddy issues when my fathers clearly loved me?" Clara quietly asked herself as she tried to figure out why she would be attracted to Damon of all people.
"Isn't that the million-dollar question," Damon quipped, and he got a light slap to his arm.
That was tame. He let his smirk show on his face. His little plan was working wonderfully. Bonnie shook her head at the two. Clara was mentally and spiritually older than her physical appearance, so it honestly made sense to her why she would be attracted to someone who was in a similar situation. She had to give the situation a little leeway. Vampires and someone who was basically reborn couldn't be placed in the same category. Her's was a very special exception. She watched as a slight frown appeared on her friends face.
"Would you leave me some of my fries?" Clara griped at Damon, "or are you going to pay for half my meal?"
He simply popped another fry in his mouth, and she shot him a dirty look. Bonnie could see it. Those two got along far too well for her liking. It wasn't like Damon could corrupt Clara, no her morality was still a bit too strong for that. She hoped it would be the other way around, where Damon gained some morality back. She heard a quiet sigh as Clara checked her phone.
"Caroline might murder me if I don't get a move on and start the preparation for the dance," Clara muttered in slight annoyance, "how'd I get roped into a high school dance?"
"You're friends with Caroline," Bonnie said.
"Oh yeah," Clara muttered in slight amusement before grabbing her wallet and paying for her food, "I should get going, I have no clue how I'll pull this off but wish me luck."
She stood up and Damon refused to move. She made a face before blanking her expression and stepping onto the booth seat and stepping over him. He didn't even react to her. She was a bit miffed by that, but sent him a raised brow. She wasn't going to let him stay around Bonnie if she wasn't there. She liked her friends being happy. He rolled his eyes but got up anyway. He'd walk her out to her car; he had a few questions that were better off asked away from witchy ears.
"What do you want to ask me?" She asked him as she fished her keys out of her pocket, "Normally you wouldn't be so kind as to walk a lady to her car."
"Now that's an insult to my upbringing," He muttered, and she smirked slightly, "where's the Gilbert compass?"
"With Jeremy, I can ask him to borrow it," She shrugged, "he might say yes, he might say no."
Damon stopped her from opening her car door by placing his hand on it, and she turned to look at him. She was curious as to what he really wanted. If he wanted her to donate him some blood, she was going to punch him in the face. He seemed to search her face for something, and she gave him a look of unamusement.
"Is any of this truce real?" He asked and she was pleasantly surprised, "Can I trust you?"
"You can always trust me to give you a truthful answer," She informed him, "yes, you can trust me. Just how many times have you been stabbed in the back?"
"Probably less than you," He said as he drew his hand back, "that's a given."
"Now, how about I turn your question back on you," She stated with a slight scoff, "can I trust you?"
Damon stared at her for a few seconds as he contemplated his answer. She just stared at him blankly, though her eyes showed that she was genuinely curious as to what his answer would be. There was a slight glimmer that showed she was prepared for a negative, she was anticipating rejection. He nodded and her brows raised slightly to show her surprise.
"Right," She quietly asserted, "I'm going to head home, enjoy the rest of your day Damon."
She quickly got into her car and started it as she pulled on her seat belt. He moved to the sidewalk and watched as she pulled out with years of experience. She didn't even look back at him as she drove off. He smirked slightly; she was bothered by something.
Clara brought a hand up and rubbed at her temples. She found out one thing. She did find Damon attractive; she just didn't want to. He was part of a cycle of never-ending hurt, and she didn't want a part of that unless he could somehow clean up his act. Also, Caroline had to get a few good hits in. She wasn't even aware of driving to her house when she saw it coming up. Did she even abide by the law? She didn't really want to know; she was just glad she made it home without causing another crash.
She parked and headed inside. She had a few hours to get ready, and she needed that time to do accurate curls. She removed her shoes and sat down at her vanity and patted her hair before putting it into curlers to get the desired curl and not her wild curls. She was about to turn on her hairdryer to try and add heat to get the desired style when her phone rang. She paused for a few seconds and pulled it out of her pocket. She didn't recognise the number.
"Hello," She answered as she moved to her closet and pulled out her outfit.
She fixed the Peter pan collar on the dress and unbuttoned it a little. She was waiting for whoever called her to answer. She felt some Russian insults on the tip of her tongue but refrained from using them.
"Hello, Clara," A male voice greeted, and she narrowed her eyes, she didn't recognise it.
"Who is this?" She questioned.
"You hit me with your car," He answered, a mocking tone present, "is that a new one? You got away last time, but you won't next time."
She laughed. She couldn't help it. This Vampire…this stupid vampire thought he was a threat to her. She could kill him before he even had the chance to touch her. She heard a low growl on the other end.
"Oh, that was funny, továrišč," She said as she plugged in her hairdryer, "but if you come after me, my family, or those I care about, I will kill you. You will never be able to run from me, and I will make sure you pay ten-fold."
He hung up on her. She smirked down at her phone before flipping through the numbers. She paused on Damon's. She contemplated calling him to inform him that the other vampires were making moves. She found herself pressing the button and winced.
"Can't get enough of me, huh?" Damon's arrogant tone asked her.
"No, that guy I hit just called," She informed him, "I told him that if he tries to make a move on anyone, I'd kill him, thought you might like to know that the other vampires in town have their own agenda."
"Of course, they do," Damon's voice sounded right behind her and she turned to see him reading in her chair, "those curlers aren't it."
"No, I'd have never guessed that Damon," She dryly commented as she flipped her phone shut and put it on her vanity, "why'd you make an in-person appearance?"
"Curiosity," He said as he eyed her dress, "you really do stick to blacks and blues."
"I look best in those colours," She shrugged, "you aren't planning on appearing at the dance, are you?"
"Why not, we'd make best dressed," He stated in a false cheery tone.
"True, but I like going stag to these things," She said as she started to use the dryer, "makes all the boys nervous, and contemplate if I'm gay. That's my favourite one so far."
"You would," He muttered to himself, "this guy, what did he really say in his call?"
"Just the usual, you won't get away next time," She stated, "I think he doesn't understand who he truly messed with."
Damon had to agree there. He put his thumb in the book and kept his spot as she continued to use the hairdryer to add heat to her hair. She looked bored while doing it, but the pay off was what she wanted. She needed to fit in with the other students, and wearing the dress and doing her hair was the best way. She finished and pulled one of the curlers out. Her curls were now a wave, but it was the desired effect.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked Damon as she went to pull another curler out, "I doubt hanging out in a seventeen-year-olds room is fun for you."
He left at that and she gave the spot where he'd been an annoyed look. He would show up and then leave, it was his thing. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed something sticking out from between the cushion of the chair and its arm. She went over and plucked it out. Pride and Prejudice easily stood out on the cover. She let out an amused sound before gently placing it on her bedside table. Of course, he was continuing their strange, unmentioned book borrowing trade. It was nice to have something that was unique between them, sure Elena was borrowing a book from Stefan- more like he had gifted it to her- but it wasn't really the same thing. She was pretty sure that Damon had borrowed a few books from her slowly growing collection of different books of mythologies and demons.
She heard Elena greet her as she walked past her open door. Clara simply made a sound that showed she heard as she started on her makeup. She could do it; the classic fifties look. It wasn't that hard, and the magazine she found online had clear directions. Elena was faster at getting ready than she was, and she hated it. She really did. She wanted to make sure she fit in and struggled with doing her hair and makeup a different way compared to how she typically did it. She forwent makeup for the most part and didn't mind her hair being messy.
"Is Damon here visiting?" Elena questioned as she looked around her sister's newly decorated room.
"No, if he was, I would've kicked him out," Clara responded, "I'm not a big fan of changing in front of people I just met."
Clara wondered what kind of girl her sister took her for, it was genuinely insulting. She shot her retreating sister a dirty look before moving towards her dress and removing her shirt. She pulled on the dress and rolled her shoulders at the way the material clung to them. It wasn't as comfortable as the Queen Anne neckline she had worn for the founder's party, but it would have to do. She pulled on a regular pair of converses, the classic design of course. She headed down the stairs and paused as she noticed her sister on the phone.
"Where is he?" Elena asked and Clara rolled her eyes.
"I'm guessing you're talking about Stefan," Clara stated, "what did he do, forget his phone?"
"That's what Damon says," Elena frowned at her twin.
"God, he's such an old man," Clara joked as she went to grab a glass to get a drink.
"I was getting worried because the compass was spinning," Elena said to Damon, "Stefan must be here, thank you."
Clara paused for a few seconds. Stefan wasn't here, he would've rung the doorbell or knocked already. He didn't live for the theatrics like Damon did. She was suddenly on high alert and moved closer to her sister. Elena seemed surprised for a few seconds before noticing her expression.
"What's wrong?" Elena asked, still on the phone with Damon.
"That's not Stefan, he would've knocked or rang the doorbell already," Clara stated as she did a quick visual sweep of the house.
The unknown stupid vampire wasn't anywhere easily seen, and that caused a sudden thought to appear in her head. If she were playing mind games with creatures she was hunting, what would be the first thing to do? She'd hide above them and make noise. She'd try to psych them out before they could even figure out what was going on. She tilted her head up and there it was, the stupid vampire. He jumped down and Elena let out a yell of surprise.
Clara readied herself and watched the vampires every move. His body tensed in preparation to run and she quickly brought her arms up and grabbed him. He had been trying to get to Elena. What was with it with her twin and vampires? It was odd that it kept happening, and it all seemed centered around her. The curse of the doppelgänger. She brought her attention back to the vampire she had in her hands. He was thrashing against her hold and still trying to get to Elena. She wasn't even struggling, something that was scaring Elena more than the vampire.
"I warned you," Clara stated, and the vampire gnashed his teeth at her in a snarl, "that if you came after anyone I cared about, I would end you."
She began to walk towards the front door, and his feet dragged against the wooden floor. She opened the door and physically threw the vampire out of her house. He seemed surprised by her actions as he jumped back onto his feet. He went to rush the house, but was thrown back. He looked around in confusion before looking up at the honey-eyed woman with the slightest hint of fear. He hadn't taken her threat seriously, a woman her size couldn't possibly do anything to hurt him. He had information that said different, the fact that she stopped a vampire with just her hands scared him. Who could do that?
"Damn it," He hissed as Stefan appeared and started to move towards him.
The stupid vampire left, and Stefan looked towards the Gilbert house to see Clara staring in the direction where he had gone. Her expression was guarded, but he felt a shiver go down his spine. She was angered, and ready for a fight. He could see it in the way her shoulders were tense, and her expression was stony. He thought that when she faced Damon her expression was scary. The lack of fury in her eyes left him feeling unnerved.
"I'll call Damon," Stefan quietly said as she looked towards him, "he'll help track down the other vampire."
"Why? He has no true holds here and another vampire dying keeps the council off your backs," She said in an uncaring tone.
Stefan wanted to point out that it was the fact that the unknown vampire was targeting Elena and her. Damon wouldn't admit it, not even if tortured, but had a slight soft spot for the taller twin. Clara tilted her head at him and motioned him inside. He jogged up the stairs as she brought out her phone.
"Lexi says hi, by the way," She told him, "apparently she and her beau are enjoying drinks with Steven Tyler."
"Of course, she is," He muttered in amusement, "you keep in touch with her?"
"Of course, she's pretty awesome," She nodded as she smiled at the small screen on her phone.
Lexi was finding it ironic that all these troubles were happening around her twin. She knew why. She went and hunted down the supernatural, while Elena had the misfortune of attracting it. Speaking of her sister. She was getting looks of disbelief and fear. She took a seat on the loveseat and watched as Elena sat as far away from her as possible.
"What are you?" Elena finally asked.
Stefan and Clara shared a look. He wanted her to tell her sister and she really didn't. She bit the inside of her cheek in thought. She didn't trust Elena with any information about who she was and what she could do.
"Very tired," She finally answered, "and I don't trust you with that information."
"Yet you obviously trust Damon with it," Elena backfired.
"Because he knows what I can do to him of he breaks my trust again," She pointed out, "I also trust Bonnie, Jeremy, and Stefan with this information."
"Why don't you trust me with it?" Elena finally questioned as the hurt leaked into her voice.
"Information is power, my dear sister," She explained as she crossed her legs and intertwined her fingers, "you also keep a diary with everything you learn or hear. I know it would make it into it, even if I asked you not to."
Elena looked ready to argue when Damon appeared behind her sister. Clara didn't even flinch or acknowledge him. Damon took offence to that and plopped down next to her on the loveseat, mimicking her pose. She slowly looked over at him and gave him an annoyed look. He simply smirked at her. He then turned serious and looked at the two Gilbert's.
"How did this vamp get in?" He asked.
"That's what I'd like to know," Clara muttered.
"He was invited in," Elena answered shooting her sister a glare, "he posed as a pizza guy last night."
"Who the hell invites a pizza guy inside their home?" Clara asked in disbelief.
"I'm giving him points for that," Damon commented, "did he say what he wanted?"
"No, he was too busy trying to break Clara's hold to speak," Elena answered.
"You need to calm down with the physical assault there Artemis," Damon told Clara and she rolled her eyes in slight amusement.
"That's hypocritical coming from you," She countered.
Elena felt like she'd entered an episode of the Twilight Zone as she watched the two interact. It was borderline friendly compared to how icy her sister had been a few days previously. She didn't like it, an odd sensation appearing in her chest. Clara looked towards Stefan before sighing.
"There's no idea as to who it might be?" Stefan asked as he looked at the two.
"It's not Ben McKrittrick, he's too short to be him," Clara stated as Damon raised a brow, "I've seen Vampires passing through the town, but they never stay."
"Does the council know?" Stefan asked.
"No, the towns just a stop surrounded by trees, the suns not as bad," Clara answered before frowning, "this wasn't done by someone passing through, this is a group of people with a mission."
"And we don't know who they are," Stefan said as it hit him.
"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked her sister.
"I think there's more going on here then there should be," Clara shrugged as she sat up straight, "this vampire has to be taken care of, he's been invited in."
The two vampires nodded in understanding and Clara got up from the loveseat with a frown. Looked like she wouldn't be going stag to this dance, and it annoyed the hell out of her. She needed to distance herself from Elena. She could see people getting too caught up in her, and brought into her problems.
"C'mon," She said to Damon and he reluctantly got up and allowed her to auger him outside, "I've got some stakes for you."
"You really know the way to a man's heart," He dryly commented.
"Yeah, through the sternum," She said with a nod.
"Most of the time no, but you would be able to do so," He said.
Clara looked at him as she opened the trunk of her car. That was almost a compliment, she was impressed. She reached inside the trunk and opened the compartment. Damon looked over the arsenal of weapons and picked up a nicely whittled stake and placed it in his jacket. He doubted they'd need them while they had little miss hell-power on their side. She was on a war path, and he could tell from her little stunt in the house.
"Are you always that mean to Elena?" He asked.
"No," She answered and then frowned, "why?"
"No reason," He said, and she shrugged.
She didn't care. He picked up a second stake and placed it in his jacket. She shuffled around and found one for Stefan as he walked out to talk to Damon. He caught the weapon as it was tossed to him and he was a bit impressed by the amount of them she had. She was out of vervain, but the scent still lingered on her weapons. There was an even stranger scent to them.
"What else did you have in here?" He quietly asked, "There's another herb mixed with the lingering scent of vervain."
"Aconite, or more commonly known as Wolfsbane or monkshood," She answered, "I have a few dried sprigs of it left, I might start to grow some."
"Are there werewolves in Mystic Falls?" Stefan asked.
"There were a few back before English settlers came here," She answered, "back with the vikings, but there hadn't been a known record until your times as humans, and then it goes cold for a good century."
"Who was a recorded werewolf?" Stefan questioned; his curiosity peaked.
"George Lockwood," She answered, "seeing as the Lockwoods aren't turning every full moon, the gene is dominant."
"That aside, Elena's still going to the dance," Stefan informed them as he tried to move past a surprising revelation, "she wants to try and get this unknown vampire into the open."
"And she wants to do that around a large group of people," Clara sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'll keep an eye out from my wallflower activities."
"It's not like you're going without a date," Damon commented as Stefan went to go get Elena, Clara was designated driver for the night.
"I didn't realise I had a date," Clara stated as she closed the compartment with a raised brow, "who's the unlucky Schmuck?"
"I take offence to that," He quipped as he leaned against her car.
"Good, that's for making decisions without asking me," She stated, "if you had asked there might've been a chance I would've said yes."
He paused at that as she headed to the driver's seat and started her car. She turned on her radio and he quickly slid into the passenger seat. He turned it down and she gave him a dark look. He would never fully turn off the radio, it was an instant banishment from her car. While he liked messing with people- and she had some of the best reactions he'd had in a while-he wasn't stupid.
"So, you have a thing for me?" He asked, a sly smirk appearing on his face as he raised his brows.
"No, I just like pleasantries and respect for my life choices," She bluntly informed him.
"Didn't one of your choices end you in hell?" He pointed out.
"I didn't say they were all good," She said, not even really defending herself, "just needed."
Going to hell needed to happen? He somehow doubted that. They waited a little longer for Stefan and Elena to come out of the house. They were taking their sweet time. Clara turned the radio up a little bit and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.
"Can you even dance?" He asked.
"No," She truthfully answered, "it was never a necessity."
A quick answer, and one that was entirely to the point. Such as it was with her. Dancing? She internally scoffed. It was a waste of time, and something she never needed. She could fight and play an instrument. She had two left feet, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that. She pulled herself from her thoughts as Stefan and Elena got into the back seats. She pulled away from the curb and began to drive to the school. It was uncomfortable in the car. Elena was a bit jumpy, and would react whenever she took a turn.
The dance was what she expected. People were slow dancing with one another as old 1950's music played overhead. Clara waved to her brother and he gave one back before filling another glass and handing it to someone. Elena and Stefan walked past her; their arms linked. Elena was looking for Bonnie and Caroline. Damon looked down at the taller Gilbert twin and watched as she did a quick sweep of the room. She moved away from him when she saw her friends.
"Oh my god," Caroline said when she saw the strained expression on her friend's face, "how come Damon's with you?"
"I told you, he likes her," Bonnie stated, "and she's still willing to hold him still so you can beat him up."
"Caroline Forbes victorious," Clara stated, "that's all that matters."
"You think I could take him?" Caroline asked in surprise.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Clara questioned with a slight frown.
"You've never been this supportive before," Caroline pointed out, "it was the opposite, actually."
"Hey, let's just enjoy our time here," Bonnie said as she spoke up to distract the blonde, "these looks took way too long to let them go to waste."
"I'll try and keep Damon away from you two," Clara informed them, "I want you two to have fun."
Caroline gave her a strange look, equal parts knowing and a slight frown. She knew there was something going on with Damon and Clara, but the other girl would always refuse it. Bonnie agreed with her, and she knew it. She didn't know how she felt about the possibility of Clara and Damon becoming an item. Clara would always refuse it until Caroline was able to get some form of revenge on him for how he treated her, the apology she had been given still wasn't enough in her eyes. The respect he showed for the changed twin was baffling and extremely insulting. Caroline watched as Damon said something to Clara and got an annoyed look out of her. It seemed to be the reaction he wanted out of her. It was odd, and it hurt to watch.
"Don't bother Caroline or Bonnie," Clara hissed at Damon, and he smirked in response, "I'm serious, Damon."
"I know, that's what's sad," He stated before looking up at the DJ as the music changed to a somewhat slower dance, "would you like to dance?"
"You like being able to walk normally?" She asked with a raised brow, "I can't dance, and I'm not joking about that."
He did not believe her about that. She seemed to be good at anything she put her mind to, and she was musically inclined if her ability to rhythmically tap to the radio was anything to go by. He tugged her onto the dance floor, and she shot him a dirty look before watching her feet. She was trying not to stomp on his feet, it wasn't like he didn't deserve it. It was second nature to look down while dancing. He smirked at that and brought her into a spin dipping her slightly at the end of it.
"Okay, what did you do go to clubs in the fifties and dance all the time?" She asked him as she tried to regain her bearings.
He made dancing seem easy and simple. She wasn't the best, but he was keeping her from stomping on his feet. She had a death grip on his hand as she tried to watch her footwork. She was annoyed at her sloppy work. He made her look inept, and she hated it.
"Mind releasing my hand a bit?" Damon questioned and she lessened her grip immediately.
"Sorry about that," She apologised, and he seemed surprised by that.
She knew when she was in the wrong and took accountability. She started to grow uncomfortable when his expression stayed constant. Did she not apologise that much? She used to get yelled at by her teachers for apologising too much. Her discomfort hit a low and she looked over the sea of students. She couldn't pick out the stupid vampire that had attacked her twin. He was blending in with the students. It didn't help that there were nonhumans in the mix. Nephilim's mainly, a half angel was the most common type of supernatural creature she ran into. The few shifters in the crowd were those that would never wake up to their abilities. That was just a sad fact of life.
"I'm getting a drink," She grumbled, "maybe Jeremy'll have seen something."
"You trust the littlest Gilbert with lookout?" Damon questioned as the song ended.
"Of course, the punch bowl is the best place to survey the crowd," She answered with a raised brow.
She left him after that, and she watched as he thought about it for a few seconds before heading over to talk to Alaric. She narrowed her eyes in thought at that before accepting a glass of punch from her brother. He seemed nervous, and his eyes were scanning the crowd. He knew what was going on, the stupid vampire had been obvious enough that a novice hunter had picked up on him.
"Anything?" She asked.
"No, nothing," Jeremy answered, "what about you?"
"Too many half-humans in the mix," She admitted, "about ten of our fellow students are Nephilim's and the others are unawakened shifters."
"How can you possibly tell that?" He asked with a frown.
"You'll know once you keep studying and writing your Grimoire," She said, "now, please excuse me."
She headed out of the gym and welcomed the silence of the hallway. She walked down it and sipped at her punch. If she was too relaxed, no one was around to say anything. Her head tilted to the side when she heard the swishing of fabric. She smirked and turned to face the stupid vampire. He was thrown to the floor and she walked up to him as he struggled to get up. She wondered if a Godfather quote was appropriate or not. It would be, but she couldn't remember it in its entirety.
"So, you come onto my turf on the day of our school dance?" She asked as she knelt next to the struggling vampire, "You come into my house and disrespect me."
"Oh, god you're one of those people," The vampire hissed.
"You are in no position to speak," She coldly informed him, "I have ways of making people talk, and you're going to talk."
He tilted his head and she allowed herself to delve into that hellish power that she had picked up. His mouth was open in a scream and she sipped her punch with a noncaring expression. The way she was taught to torture was to shut down all emotions except for curiosity. She needed to stay curious to come up with different ways to get her answers. She let up for a few seconds and the vampire panted.
"So, ready to talk?" She questioned.
"Screw you," He spat.
"Not interested, sorry," She chirped.
He went back into the world of pain that she created for him. She was surprised at how much punch Jeremy was able to give her in one cup. She still had plenty to drink. She looked up when Stefan appeared at the door. She gave him a slight wave before looking back down at the silently screaming vampire that was writhing on the ground in pain.
"So, what do you want with my twin?" She asked the Vampire as she let up again, "I would suggest answering because I could do this all night."
"She looks like Katherine," He answered, and she raised a brow.
"Is that all, what a piss poor reason to head into your death," She stated as she knelt again and peered at him with a thoughtful expression, "because if you had left my family alone, I wouldn't have to kill you."
"Clara," Stefan warned and he frowned at the uncaring look on her face.
"One thousand years is a long time to pick up fun ways to get answers," She informed him as the vampire on the ground went back to writhing in pain, "right now he's feeling as though hot pokers are being shoved through his body in all of his organs, yet the body isn't harmed in anyway."
"How?" Stefan asked, though he really didn't want to know.
"The nervous system is such fun." She answered as she finished off her punch, "Tell us about the tomb."
"You need the Grimoire," The vampire answered, "It should be in Johnathan Gilbert's journal."
"You working alone?" She questioned.
"You'll have to kill me," He spat at her.
"Loyal, I can admire that," She said with a slight nod of her head.
He stopped moving when his head snapped to the side. Stefan looked at her and noticed the uncaring expression on her face. It reminded him of when a vampire flipped the switch, but it should've been impossible. She gave him a slight nod of the head before slowly exiting the school. She spun her empty punch cup in her hands and looked around at the parking lot. She sent a message to the other group of vampires.
If they came after her family and she'd kill them.