I somehow keep misspelling Michael, and I noticed that in the last chapter. Sometimes this story is written on a laptop and other times on my phone. So, if you spot any errors, you now know when I changed to my phone. Don't know why it changes some of my words, but it does. It's quite annoying really.
7
Mistakes
Clara sighed as she fixed the bikini top that was tied around her neck. It was black like most of her clothing, but she paired it with a pair of black biking shorts. The tight clothing was enough for the car wash, at least she hoped it was. She huffed and grabbed her borrowed hoodie. She pulled on a pair of Roman sandals and walked out of her room.
"Hey, I was wondering where that hoodie went," Jeremy said.
"All right, starting next week we'll be working out together," Clara said as she changed the topic, grabbing a piece of toast and biting into it, "excited to get your ass kicked?"
"I still think you're all talk," Jeremy joked.
Clara smirked at that and headed out the front door. She got into her car and drove to the car wash site. She waved at Caroline as she parked and grabbed the bracelet she had put vervain into. It was the last of her vervain.
"Nice you followed the dress code," Caroline smiled.
"Here, I got you something that should protect you," Clara said as she held out the bracelet, "it's pretty old, but goes with a lot of outfits."
"How's it going to protect me?" Caroline questioned as she accepted it and pulled it on.
"It just will,"Clara answered, before motioning towards the cars that were starting to line up, "point thy finger where I need to go."
"You'll be on the same cars as me," Caroline smiled, finding the strange humor amusing, "think you can handle it?"
"I mean, you're already pimping me out," Clara joked, "I think I can handle washing a car, just look at my baby."
"It's like Damon's car, but yours is more inviting," Caroline informed her, "less white van with candy."
"If I gave you twenty bucks would you beat the crap out of him?" Clara asked as she removed the borrowed hoodie, "and can I help?"
"Gladly, he has a lot to answer for," Caroline said as the two smiled at their first customer, an old man who gave them a pleasant smile back before heading into the nearby gas station, "I thought he was good looking, but sometimes that doesn't equal a good personality."
"Sad thing is, I think he might have one buried in the depths of his black heart," Clara admitted, "I hate the fact that I can bounce jokes with him, why'd I have to have the asshole sense of humour?"
"Because you wouldn't be you," Caroline said as she gave a friendly nudge of the shoulder as they started to wash the car, "can you reach the top?"
"At last! My freakishly long arms come in handy!" Clara joked as she washed the top of the car.
Caroline caught sight of the pentagram tattoo on her friends' shoulder when she turned around to get more soap on her sponge. She contemplated pointing it out. She had trouble looking away from it, every time she moved her arm it made the tattoo shift in an unnatural way. Clara turned around and shot her a confused look.
"Did I miss the memo to get a cool tattoo?" Caroline questioned and Clara chuckled quietly.
"If I can ever find the guy who did it, do you want me to ask for you?" Clara questioned as she went back to washing the car.
"My mom would kill me," Caroline muttered before a slight smirk appeared on her face, "yeah, I'd like you to."
Clara paused at that before quickly returning to the mindless action of washing a car. She rinsed it off and Caroline stepped back from the car and allowed her to have control of the hose. It was quite a bit of power that was given to her, she would try not to let it get to her. She tugged on the hose and she made a face as a sudden influx of water came out of it. pushed her now wet hair back from her face and looked down at the hose. It had a kink that released when she tugged on it. She huffed in annoyance before grabbing a towel to dry everything.
"Hey, no friend discounts," Caroline told the others as they arrived, "no freebies, no pay you laters. We are not running a charity here."
"No, we are not," Clara muttered to herself.
She rolled her shoulders after finishing the car and the old man paid her before heading out. She couldn't help but smile at him. She let her smile drop the minute he was far enough away to not be able to see her face. She'd most likely never get to see herself that old. Hunting killed those who did it, they never made it to forty. Her dad was a strange exception to that rule. She started another car and cursed herself for not wearing sunblock. She was going to burn in the oddly bright day. It had been overcast for a month and suddenly it was sunny skies. It was oddly frustrating and true fall weather.
"Hey, you all right?" Elena's voice asked her.
"I'm fine," Clara answered, and she gave her a strained smile, "just forgot sunblock."
"Oh, you're going to burn," Elena joked, and Clara's smile became less tense.
"Yeah, it's not going to be fun, I'll be all peely," Clara added, and Elena laughed.
"You keep hiding in your room, everything all right?" Elena asked.
"Oh, yeah," Clara nodded, it was strange to have someone curious about her well-being, "just some heavy duty reading."
The case she was looking at. She needed all the information about the situation and late-night studying was the best way. Her memories were trickling in, alongside some of the original Clara Gilbert's. That had been a surprise, but a welcomed one. She now had names to put to faces and a list of people that hadn't liked her. She had always been rude to Tyler Lockwood, somehow her hunter instincts had been ingrained in this body. She knew what he was. Werewolf. She looked towards her car. Did she even have any wolfsbane? She was out of vervain, but she had some seeds to grow more.
Five more cars came through her and Caroline's station and they were slowly running out of towels. She sighed quietly as she thought more about her situation. Clara Gilbert, the og, was a cunt if she was to use loose terms. She could act that way, but she refused to bring back that personality. She was in control now, and she wasn't going to relinquish it. She heard some squealing and looked around to see one of the girls getting soaked by a hose. She grinned to herself, Tiki probably said something rude to someone and Bonnie heard her. Those two got on like water and oil. It was entertaining.
"Hey, we need more towels," Caroline said to her and she nodded her understanding, "I need an extra pair of arms to bring extras."
"I knew you only needed me for my long arms," Clara joked, and Caroline rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.
They headed into the school and looked around. The towels were usually kept in a room near the gym. They just couldn't find the right door. They all looked the same. Clara's eyes moved side to side as she tried to pick t her right door. She found it and quickly walked up to it.
"Hey, I just got the strangest feeling," Caroline informed her, and she turned to face her with a couple of towels in her arms, "I feel like Damon needs my help."
"I don't think he deserves it," Clara stated, and Caroline gained a reluctant expression.
"I know you don't believe me, but I want to help him," Caroline stated, and she watched as disbelief and confusion appeared on her face, "at the same time I don't."
Clara was quiet for a few seconds, conflict on her face. She didn't want to help Damon, but it was obvious that Caroline did. She studied her friends face, she hadn't been her friend before the change, and noted the hesitation. Caroline didn't really want to help him, but the compulsion on her did. The vervain was making it impossible to take hold.
"I'll go and do it if you want me to," Clara offered, "I can get a swing at him for you."
"You'd do that?" Caroline asked and she got a nod in response, "Thank you, give him hell from me."
"Yes, Ma'am," Clara grinned before heading out of the school with the towels in her arms.
She handed them towards the other girls before grabbing the hoodie and heading to her car. She didn't know where Damon would be, but the boarding school was her best bet. She was careful to use back roads where she could speed without any fear of being caught by a police officer. She reached the boarding school and crinkled her nose in annoyance. She shouldn't have agreed to this, unleashing Damon on mystic falls again was a dick move. Yet, it kept Caroline from doing it. Kept her safe. She was a hunter she could fight back. She was slightly worried about what condition she'd find him in. It was nearing Halloween and she hadn't seen him since the first week of October. If Stefan was starving him, then there could be a problem. She quietly walked through the boarding school doors and headed through a small compartment that led to a cellar.
"Hello, Damon," Clara greeted as she looked at a cell, "what the hell did you do to end up here?"
"Oh no, I was calling for Caroline not you," Damon groaned, and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm here on her behalf, vervain really is a bitch isn't it?" Clara sarcastically asked before letting out a quiet sigh, "have you ever thought to read up on the founding families? It's like some strange little cult, and I'd know about cults."
"Of course, you would, you're weird like that," He mumbled.
"That is true," She admitted before walking a bit closer to his cell door, "starvation, he's making a mistake doing that."
Damon appeared at the door and she gave him a blank look. She was unbothered by his speed. He judged the distance and knew he couldn't reach her. He sneered slightly and she simply raised a brow.
"How do you know any of this?" He asked.
"That's a secret," She answered, and she ran a hand through her dried hair.
He crinkled his nose as her scent basically filled the room. The smell of pie spices brought him to a sense of home of all things. She looked at him as he tried to get control of his thirst, he was trying to deal with her. She wasn't going to listen, until he squeezed his eyes shut when his ears began to ring.
"Free him," Michael's voice commanded her, "do it. He needs to set things in motion."
She didn't feel like it, so she'd refuse. Her right arm went numb, and it began to move on its own. Damon opened his eyes to see her grasping onto her other arm with a frown as she moved towards the bar that held the door closed. It was an odd sight. She certainly didn't look pleased.
"Something wrong?" He smirked slightly when her fingers brushed against the metal and she pulled her arm back.
"Just feathered assholes," She hissed at him.
What the hell was Michael doing? He should know better than to let someone like Damon free. If Damon went free he was going to cause a lot of deaths. She fought against the angel's control, that pentagram protected her from everything, but an angel could slip through it if they knew how. Michael was one of the few that did. She grasped onto the metal and began to pull it through.
"This sucks," Clara hissed, and he raised a brow, "I really don't want to set you free."
"But your actions say otherwise," Damon commented.
"You genuinely believe that there's nothing else going on here," Clara couldn't help but say, a strange laugh coming out of her, "there's more to this world than you could ever imagine, Damon."
"No! Don't!" A mad voice shouted behind her just as she opened the door.
Clara stumbled backwards as the door swung open. Her body tensed and she wasn't too surprised when she heard the loud snap of bones. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and grabbed onto one of the metal bars attached to the door. She grimaced and started to pull at it. It freaked and she felt the muscles tearing in her arm. She kept an eye on Damon as he stalked towards her. He was an older vampire, she needed to take him down as quickly as possible. She couldn't afford to be drained. She needed to stay awake to keep him from leaving the boarding house.
The metal creaked and screeched as she continued to pull, her strength growing. It popped off the door and she clenched it in her fist. The metal was cold, and rusty. She eyed Damon and kept her expression blank as she walked out from behind the door. It was an odd dance they were doing. It was like he wanted her to run, so he could give chase. He rushed forward and she caught him with her shoulder and used his own speed to flip him over it. Sweat went down her face as she used his momentary pain to hurry up the cellar stairs. He quickly recovered and sped after her.
She ducked under his arms and made her way towards the front door. She let out a growl when he tackled her to the floor. It was ingenious, really. He trapped her hands under her body. Few vampires had done that before, they typically threw their food around. She held in a sound of pain when a searing fire went through her neck.
"Damon, if you don't get off I'll throat punch you into the next century," She threatened as the sound of her own blood being drank hit her ears.
She wasn't as strong as she used to be, this was her fault. She should've known that an angel would interfere. Michael, she was starting to remember his bad habit of fulfilling prophecies and destinies. He did that to her, and now he was doing it to someone else. She needed to get in touch with Gabriel. He was the only one who really knew what his brother was up to, and he'd happily stop him if asked. He had the first time he started this, and that made him stop for a few years.
She started growing tired and she knew that wasn't a good sign. She moved to where she was pushing against the floor and started to push. Her muscles protested and she clenched her jaw as they tore repeatedly. She knew her skin would be heavily bruised, but she needed to get stronger and fast. She continued to push until she could free her arm with ease. Damon was still drinking from her, and she punched the side of his neck. It dislodged him and she moved away and towards the sunlight of the living room.
"Dude, you bit me," She said, and he wiped at his bloodied mouth with the back of his hand, "not cool."
"That's the only thing you can say, not cool?" Damon asked as he cracked his neck, "You pack a serious punch for someone with noodle arms."
"Gee, thanks," She grumbled, "take a seat, we need to chat."
"Not like I can go anywhere and you're hiding in the sun," Damon stated as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol and plopped down in an armchair that she kicked into the shade for him, "shoot, grasshopper."
"Right, you need to cool it with the body count," She informed him, "you alerted the council that there's a vampire here in mystic falls."
"Council?" He questioned.
"That's what the cult of wannabe vampire hunters call themselves," She scoffed, "it's made up of all the heads of the founding families."
"Why are you telling me this?" He questioned, "Because you hate me."
"Hates such a strong word, but it is the right one," She said as she motioned for the bottle of alcohol, she was stuck there might as well do some bargaining, "I'm telling you this because I like being friends with your brother and he genuinely cares about you…odd way of showing it aside."
"He took my daylight ring," He pointed out as she quickly downed some bourbon, "and I promised him an eternity of suffering."
"What a sad way to exist," She commented, "still, family is family even if you dislike him, you still protect him, and he does the same."
Damon looked at her and she handed him the bourbon back. He was stronger than he should've been with the little bit of blood he drank from her. He could see that the bite mark was already healed. She looked up towards the sky and brought out her phone from her pocket. She texted Caroline and informed her what happened. Well, minus the whole vampire attack part.
"How'd you heal so fast?" He asked and she raised a brow.
"I've already given you information Damon, wouldn't it be polite to give me some in return?" She countered.
"I enjoy the book Call of the Wild and Anne Rice's ideas of vampires," He informed her and he noted the slightly unimpressed look on her face.
"What, is Dracula too much of a classic?" She questioned.
"The shorthand brings up bad memories," He muttered, and she conceded, "oddly enough I find the idea of watching soap operas annoying, but watching people react is such a treat."
"Wow, it's like reading someone's online dating account," She commented as she shook her head in disbelief, "I don't know why I heal so fast, but I'm figuring it out piece by piece."
"You said something down in the cellar, that there's more to this world," He said, and he eyed her with his usual smirk, "are you crazy like the original Johnathan Gilbert?"
"No, I've just seen it," She answered, "back there, I wasn't going to free you. That decision was taken from me, but it's not like you'll believe me without any proof which is exceedingly difficult to pull out of thin air."
She leaned her head back until it made an audible thump. She was thinking, calculating all the different ways the night could go. Damon kills her, he gets out and then goes on a rampage. He kills her yet limits his victims to one person. That last one wasn't likely, but it was worth a shot. She eyed him with a slight frown forming on her face.
"You still need blood?" She asked him.
"Yours was pretty filling, but more couldn't hurt," He smirked, "you offering?"
"Hell no, just limit the amount to one victim," She said, "that might get the council to relax with their suspicions, a whole bunch of bodies would kick them into high alert if they aren't already. Might also help to build up a tolerance to vervain."
She was a fountain of information and Damon was willing to listen to whatever she gave out. It wasn't like he had anywhere to be. One victim keeps the council off his back and still get under Stefan's skin. It could work. He smirked as he took a drink of the bourbon and watched as the girl who easily tossed him over her shoulder entertained herself by thinking. Oh, he wished he could pick her brains but that wasn't part of the vampire's repertoire of abilities. Too bad she was going to be the best hostage. He watched as the sun started to slowly sink over the horizon and noticed that she was starting to eye the window.
"Don't even think about it," He warned, "I like this window."
"If you use specialty tempered glass it could help you move around without the daylight ring," She informed him, "UV protection is all the rage nowadays."
He filed that away for later as she took out her phone and started texting. He'd think she was ignoring him if it wasn't for the quick glances towards him. She was keeping an eye on him. A predator against a predator, one human and the other the living dead. She stopped texting for a few seconds and cocked her head to the side. It was one of the few things that made her somewhat cute. He got up when he was sure there was enough shadow over her and plucked her phone from her hands. The dirty look she gave him was worth the slight headache he was getting from the lack of blood in his system. He plugged in his brother's number and waited until he picked up.
"I want my ring," He said, "Oh, this is Clara's number, she's at the boarding house."
"A momentary lapse of judgment," She stated, "may I please borrow some clothes?"
Damon shot her an annoyed look and flicked his head up the stairs. Of course, his brother agreed to let her borrow something to wear. It was asked with such manners, and showed the difference between the way she treated the brothers. She scurried out of the room and easily found Stefan's room. It was obvious when she looked around. She didn't rummage about or snoop she just grabbed a shirt and headed into one of the many bathrooms to clean up her neck.
The blood was easy to take care of, but the shirt she borrowed was a bit snug around her bust. She made an annoyed look as she headed back down the stairs. Damon was pacing in the living room and made a face when she appeared. He grabbed onto her bicep and she immediately jabbed his side. She was going to make it clear that she wasn't going to be manhandled.
"Seriously, where are your manners?" She asked as he held onto his side in pain, "I'm stronger than I look."
"I know that, you tore your muscles to shreds," He hissed through clenched teeth, "I heard them tear and reform each time you pushed."
"What do you want?" She asked him.
"You're my bargaining chip," He smirked, "you'll be coming with me."
"Am I driving?" She questioned, "because my ride is great."
He relented and she got a look that told her to keep to his instructions. She was curious as to what he was going to do, and she could always stake him if he tried to go too far. He looked at her car as she grabbed the borrowed hoodie and raised a brow. It was just like his, but in even better condition. She motioned towards the passenger seat and he got in.
God, he thought the cell was bad where her scent had flooded it. It was even worse in her own car. She got into the car and started it before driving off. He switched on the radio and found that it was on a station that played alternative music. Paramore was blaring and he was about to change it when his hand was slapped.
"Diver chooses the music, and the passenger doesn't touch the dial," She informed him, "rules of the road, Damon."
"Never heard them," He said with a sarcastic smirk.
"Hey, mind if we make a quick pitstop at my house?" She asked, "I have something I want to get if I'm going to be stuck as a bargaining chip."
"Hm, think you could get in and out without my brothering knowing?" He countered and she gave a secretive smirk.
"Possibly."
They did, they stopped at her house and she quickly got out of her car. He sat there for a few seconds and waited until she was gone to start snooping. A girl like that had secrets upon secrets. He opened the glove department and rifled through it. It was mostly important papers for the car itself, but he found a small book that was tucked away in the back. It was held there by tape of all things. It had a rosary wrapped around it. He reached again and found another one. A bible this time, written in Latin. The driver's door opened, and her scent hit his nose.
"Hey, look at that," She said, "you found something even I didn't know was in here."
She had a large book tucked under her arm. She didn't seem surprised that something would be hidden in her car. She started up the car and drove away from her home. She didn't seem too bothered.
"Where to?" She asked.
"Graveyard," He said.
She went to the graveyard and he watched her expression darken. She could count the people around, and knew that this could end so many ways. The possibilities made her restless. She got out of the car with him and moved towards her trunk as he scanned the crowd for his victim. She opened it, and went into the compartment. A metal stake was in her hand and she slowly walked after him in case he went off script. A hand wrapped around her arm and she was tugged away.
"Michael you asshole," She hissed at the angel and she grimaced as pain went through her skull.
"You aren't doing your job," He pointed out, "that spirit in Texas needs to be dealt with. What's taking you so long?"
"I have obligations here, I have school I can't just up and leave," She pointed out as blood began to leak out of her nose, "the pay isn't even that good for my rank."
"You aren't in the S rank anymore," He said with a raised brow, "try hunting more."
"Dick," She couldn't help but insult him and he increased his mental attack, and she was brought to her knees.
He stopped when Damon did what he needed to do, but frowned when he left the other drug users alone. He gave a theatrical sigh when she slowly got back onto her feet and glared at him. He would have to try harder to get everything to fall into place. He looked over at his oldest friend and wondered if this was her doing. Damon wasn't supposed to be able to redeem himself, too self-centered.
"Stop trying to fix Damon," He warned Clara and she looked at him as though he was stupid, "he needs to remain like this."
"You've overstepped your boundaries," She informed him as she realized something, "you aren't supposed to dip your hands into fate and destiny, not when free will is a thing."
"What are you going to do about it?" He challenged and she paused for a few seconds as something hit her.
"This."
He vomited blood when he felt his lungs squeeze in his chest. He looked at Clara as she simply tilted her head to the side. Her pupils were small as she continued to squeeze his lungs. Ah, she was tapping into what she learned in hell. Blood continued to fall from his lips and he fell to his knees.
"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore," She informed him in a cold voice, "you are to give me my assignments and I will have the right to decline or accept them. Do I make myself clear, Michael?"
"Crystal," He gasped, and she let him go.
He quicky left, fear was real. He didn't know what she learned while in hell, but it was obvious that her skills were strong. She looked at the spot where he had been and quietly tapped the stake against her thigh before heading back to her car. The drug users were still alive, and she could hear them talking. She tossed her stake back into the compartment and got into the driver's seat. Something was tossed into the back seat and Damon got into the passenger seat.
"Did…did you just kidnap someone?" She asked.
"Just drive," He said.
"Fine," She grumbled as she started the car and drove off easily returning to the boarding house.
She was laying on a couch with her journal. Damon had chosen Vicki Donovan as his victim and had nabbed her on a whim. She sighed in annoyance as she tried to concentrate on what a physically older version of her wrote down about her current case. Damon was drinking and would shoot her a raised brow every so often. She had taken all the books he had found and confiscated them. That had annoyed him, but he didn't do anything about it. She knew his curiosity was staying his hand.
"Did he FedEx your ring to Rome?" She questioned as she turned the page and looked at the coordinates of the resting place of the ghost.
"I asked him that while you were changing, did you somehow hear that?" He asked.
"No, we just have a terribly similar sense of humour which is terrifying if you think about it," She commented as she looked up from her book, "I think she's bleeding on your sofa."
Did she feel bad about this? A little bit, but at this point she was just grateful that he didn't kill everyone in the graveyard. Pointing out that there was a group of people that knew his tactics was enough to get him to stop them. She wanted to lower the body count, and this did that. It didn't change him, honestly that wasn't her job. If he wanted to change it was his job. Fixing another person was an annoying thing to do, and never truly worked.
"Don't get blood on the couch," He said to Vicki as he walked over to her, "I got you good, didn't I?"
"It's not like she's going to answer you," Clara muttered as she brought a hand up to rub her eyes, she was getting tired.
He ignored her and bit his wrist instead before pushing it against Vicki's mouth. Clara was alarmed by that, but watched as her wounds healed. She was quiet for a few seconds and Damon looked up to see her giving him a judgmental look.
"You take two steps forward and ten back," She informed him, "unbelievable really."
"Thank you," He said with a smirk.
"There's multiple bedrooms here right?" She asked and he nodded, "Great, I'm going to find one and sleep. I'm not being a part of this, because if you kill her and turn her. She's your responsibility as per the rules of the sire bond."
"Sire what?" He questioned.
"Sire bond, its what happens when a vampire turns someone," She answered with a frown, "it makes you more inclined to be fond of your sire and follow their orders. Didn't any of the vampires around you tell you that?"
"No, none of them thought to bring it up," He answered, "where do you even get this information."
"Old books, you need to dig into lore to find this stuff and sift through the bullshit," She shrugged, "good night, or good morning…whatever."
She was woken up after a few hours by Stefan. She glared at him from her cocoon of blankets, and he held up a placating hand. She grumbled something and he raised a brow. Right, this girl was not a morning person by any standards, but was usually cordial to him. She sat up in the bed and gave him a slightly apologetic look.
"He did what I think he did, didn't he?" She asked.
"Does that involve turning Vicki Donovan into a vampire?" He questioned.
"That idiot," She sighed, "he makes it hard to like him, is he aware of that?"
"It's part of his charm," He sarcastically answered and that got the smallest of smiles out of her.
"Want my help with her?" She asked, "She's an addict, so I doubt that Damon knows how to handle her behavioral changes."
"That would be helpful, but unneeded," He answered, "what can you tell me of the council?"
She informed him of everything she knew. Oh, she had learned this from the gossip and founder's party. Michael, as angry as she was with him, had given her some information through that torture of reminded her of her thousand years in hell. They were going to make things difficult for the Salvatore brothers, and seeing that she liked one she was inclined to play spy and get the information. She couldn't help but feel vindictive towards her ex-friend. He wanted to dip his hands into fate again? Fine, but she would be there to enact her own free will on the entire operation and ruin his plans. She didn't approve of his actions. She didn't even approve of her own. The whole situation with Vicki was messy, and unavoidable due to Damon's nature. She got Caroline out of it, and that was enough for her. He did one thing right, and then did another wrong. Was it such a hard concept for him to do the right thing?
She didn't know anymore; it was hard to calculate. She just knew what she needed. She needed to head to Texas and take care of a ghost, but she would stay in Mystic Falls to keep an eye on the Vicki situation. That was messy and she refused to step back, her baby brother was in danger. She refused to leave him like that, even if he didn't know it.