Secrets can't be kept if one is blatantly showing them off and being obvious about them. In other words, Jeremy is also nosy a trait all Gilbert's share. Also, did some digging on the age of consent laws in Virginia and it's wild. 1880- 12, 1920- 16, 2007-18. Who the hell thinks a twelve year old can consent? That's messed man, I'm glad we no longer live in the 1800's.
8
Secrets Out
Jeremy eyed his older sister as they circled one another in the boxing ring. She had shown him how to do some punches and they rented some boxing gloves. Now he was trying to figure out the right move. She was good at hiding her thoughts and he wasn't good enough to read her. Oh, she hadn't been joking when she asked him if he was ready to have his ass kicked. He barely had any time to block her left hook, and he knew that she was holding back.
"What's wrong?" She asked him.
"I think I should say sorry, but I'm not going to back down," He stated.
"Good." She grinned and they delved into a proper match.
A few of the body builders took their breaks to watch the siblings. There was a bet going around, most of them were for her brother. Few were for Clara. Those that bet on her were quite pleased when she won. She took down Jeremy within a few seconds. He let out a grunt when his back hit the mat. He coughed slightly and she held out a gloved hand to him. He accepted it and they got out of the ring for the next group to use it.
They were working on strength that day and he was surprised when she gave him tips. She told him to lift with his back, not his knees. He noticed that she was able to lift far more than him and he picked up weights that he struggled to lift. She sighed quietly, but stayed silent. It was something that made sense. He wanted to show that he could keep up, even though she knew that he couldn't. She could only do this because of her abilities. Even when she was fully human, she couldn't do this. She had to work on her strength for years before getting to the point she was currently at. It was going too fast, and add in the abilities she learned in hell she felt like an inhuman freak. Her previous self would agree. She shook those thoughts from her head as they spent the next hour at the gym.
"My body burns," Jeremy informed her as they left.
"Take a warm shower, that usually helps relax my muscles after a workout," She informed him, "also, the drugs you were doing didn't help, Jer."
If he was surprised at the familial nickname, he didn't say anything. They headed back home, and he wasn't even surprised when she took a quick shower before heading out with something tucked under her arm. He waited a few minutes until he was sure she was gone before heading into her room. He'd ask for forgiveness later, but he was curious as to what caused her change in personality. She shouldn't know Muay Thai. He couldn't find her journal, but he found a large book instead. It was old. The leather face cracked in several places and the pages were yellowed with age. He picked it up and opened it.
'Hunters Grimoire of Clara Schmidt.
Years active 2015-2021.
Hunters Grimoire of Clara Gilbert.
Years active 2009-
To whoever finds this, and I'm sure it's most likely Jeremy or Elena because you two are extremely nosy when you want to be, please read the final three pages of Clara Schmidt before reading Clara Gilbert. Please note, we are the same person but the explanation behind it is tricky. Just, don't hate me for this. Bringing it up in conversation is hard. Also, have fun reading my chicken scratch handwriting.'
Jeremy stared at that for a few seconds before immediately flipping to the final pages of Schmidt. He needed to know what the hell was going on. Turns out, it was hell. He brought a hand up to his hair and tugged on the greasy strands. His sister, or at least the sister he was becoming close to, was someone who'd gone to hell. Planned the entire thing out, just to stop someone. She cited the person being Michael and that she made it so that she herself couldn't see those specific pages but knew of their existence until the time was right. She also apologized for being sour upon waking up when her soul finally transferred to her body. He was having trouble wrapping his head around that. Her soul was from the future, but also in the present. He had to call on his knowledge of science fiction and thought hard about it. Could it be a split in timelines, like Back to the Future? That sounded plausible. He liked that explanation. He read a little excerpt towards the end of the Schmidt section. Clara Schmidt didn't exist due to her making a deal, there was only Clara Gilbert though she didn't truly know the last name she'd have upon being reborn. He turned to the Gilbert section and noted that she left in the original journal while citing that she didn't think this way and that she didn't like this version of her. As he read, he was inclined to agree. He had to bring this up to her, he just had to. He didn't know how.
"Hey, Car-bro in?" Clara asked as the door to Boarding house opened.
"No one ever comes to see me," Damon commented.
"That's because you're a dick with no remorse," She informed him with a pleasant smile, "may I come in."
"You insult me and then expect me to invite you in," He pointed out with a raised brow, she simply gave him a blank look, "fine."
"Bless," She said.
"I think I need a dictionary for some of the things you say," He muttered.
"Jeremy would agree with you," She said, and she reacted when something appeared right in front of her.
Vicki Donovan found out why she shouldn't startle one of the Gilbert twins. She held her face as her nose began to heal. Damon didn't even wince at the sight, instead relieved that she wasn't that strong when she punched him. He heard her heart rate calm as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, messing with her natural curls.
"Sorry, I don't take kindly to bring startled," She apologized, "be glad I wasn't holding something sharp and pointy."
"I didn't know we were speaking about casual murder this early," Damon said, "I thought you were Miss Law Abiding Citizen."
"I am, she's already dead," She pointed out, "how goes figuring out the sire bond?"
"Stefan's trying to get her onto animal blood, so not well," He sarcastically answered.
"Right, I have his shirt I borrowed washed and with the blood stain removed," She said.
"How is it you got blood on it?" He asked as she headed to the living room.
"My nose bleeds, that does happen to humans," She answered.
"Ah true, but you heal too fast to be considered human." He countered.
Vicki looked between the two of them with a raised brow. There was some strange tension between the two of them, and she was thinking it was borderline sexual and hostile. She didn't know how that worked, but it was interesting to see. Clara brightened up as she saw Stefan and returned his now clean shirt.
"Hows everything going?" She asked as she took a seat across from him.
"It's difficult, but not impossible," He quietly answered, "how are you so calm around a potentially dangerous situation?"
"I can handle myself," She shrugged, "danger is also a very common occurrence around you guys. I guess I'm desensitized to it."
"Why can't I have people blood?" Vicki asked as she walked in and plopped next to the auburn-haired Gilbert.
"Because it's unlikely that you'll stop before you kill someone," Clara answered with a serious tone, "you were an addict as a human, being a vampire will make it harder to pull away."
"It's also wrong to pray on innocent people," Stefan added as he shot his girlfriends sister a look.
"If she could control her urges it wouldn't be," She muttered to herself, "feed, erase, and release. That's the rules going around the vampire circles last time I checked."
"How do you know this?" Vicki questioned and she got a secretive look from her.
"That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot," She answered.
"Okay, both of you knock it off," Stefan said as he looked at them, "can I speak with you, Clara?"
Clara gave him a nod and they went up to his study. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance for a few seconds before letting her face blank. She was preparing herself for what he was going to say. So many possibilities, so little time.
"How do you know all of this?" He questioned.
"You'd never believe me if I told you," She scoffed, "I doubt that Jeremy will believe it, and he's read my journal."
Oh, she was aware that her brother was going to snoop around her room. That's why she left the door to it unlocked. If he read the journal, then he'd also read the parts from the one she found from the OG Clara Gilbert. It was sabotage on her previous self, but necessary. She sat down in an offered chair and Stefan sat down across from her. Damon came into the room and she frowned slightly. He shouldn't have any of her information, but she wasn't going to get out of the boarding school without giving it.
"I think I have an open mind," Stefan stated, and Damon made a sound that was like a scoff.
"Right, well just be warned even I don't know everything that led up to this only bits and pieces," She sighed, "I've already lived through the two thousands all the way up till two thousand and twenty-one."
"Yeah right," Damon commented.
"Donald Trump becomes president of the United States in two thousand and sixteen and the Joe Biden follows him in two thousand and twenty," She informed them as she crossed her arms across her chest, "I was a hunter of the supernatural, and one of the best."
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked.
"I made a deal with a friend of mine, I go to hell for a thousand years and he removed a necromancer from destroying an entire town," She answered, and it was obvious that she was uncomfortable telling them this information, "and my bosses sent me back to the rebirth circle."
"Why the two thousands?" Damon asked, "Why not a thousand years from now?"
"Trust me, if it wasn't for the fact that me making that deal made a turning point in time, then they probably would've," She shrugged, "like I said, I don't remember everything. That's the price of being reborn, they also had to filter my soul in piece by piece now do you understand why I know things like this."
"What did you hunt?" Stefan asked, intrigued by the very idea that a whole society was moving around and taking down supernatural creatures.
"Ah mainly ghost and demons, and the occasional angel," She answered, and Damon downed a glass of bourbon before grabbing the bottle itself, "a werewolf when it goes after innocent cities and town. We typically stay away from Vampires if it makes you feel any better, we know how to deal with you guys but typically leave you be."
"Why?" Damon questioned, "It seems like you merry band of psychopaths would be able to take us down."
"Because we don't want to face the originals," She answered, "they are much harder to kill and if you kill one the entire line of vampires that spawned from the first victim are dead."
"Kill one, you kill them all," Stefan nodded his understanding.
"The originals?" Damon asked.
"The first technical immortals, the first vampires," She answered him, "there's some word of an immortal before them, but I haven't been able to find anything in my readings."
It was quiet as the two vampires digested that information. Damon was of the mind of killing her and ridding themselves of a nuisance. She looked at him and he shuddered inwardly, no that was a bad idea. He could see that. Stefan knew that she'd be a good ally when around, not taking cases. She crossed her legs, and he was taken aback by her likeness to Katherine. He hadn't noticed it before, she was a bit different in looks compared to Elena, but it was how she carried herself. She was smart and calculating. She didn't really make a move without a back up plan.
"Say we believe this," Damon said, "why should we trust you?"
"You of all people cannot ask me that, Damon," She countered, "besides, I've stayed out of the way for a while, just remembering things. My goal isn't to manipulate you two I have no want or need to do that."
She sighed quietly and rubbed at her temples with a frown. She was getting a headache again. Just how many memories did she have? Over a thousand she guessed. This whole situation sucked, but it needed to happen.
"Did you tell Elena?" Stefan asked.
"No offense, but she can't be trusted with this information. If I had a choice, it would never have been told to you two but here we are." She bluntly informed him.
"Can't be trusted?" Stefan asked.
"It would be a useful bargaining chip," She said, "I know you love her, but she can be extremely selfish when she wants to be."
"You'd know all about that," Damon stated as he downed most of the bottle of bourbon in his hand.
"True, but at least I admit it," She shrugged, "now, what are you two going to do about Vicki Donovan?"
"There's nothing to do," Damon said.
"If she gets free and goes on a killing spree, my brother is one of her first targets and I won't let her live if she goes after him," She informed him, "so, come up with a plan and use that sire bond."
Damon sneered at her and she simply cocked her head to the side. He was wrong, that wasn't cute not when she was doing it in such a condescending manner. Her eyes were cold, and he watched as they studied him for a few seconds. She closed them before turning back to Stefan. His brother was looking his friend with a conflicted expression on his face.
"She wasn't going to inform us that she was dating a vampire even though we would've kept your secret," Clara quietly informed him, "like I said, it's the principle of the thing."
"Right so we have discount Artemis over there and a newborn vampire, anything else anyone wants to spring up on us?" Damon sarcastically asked.
"That guy who greeted me at the founders party is a backstabbing archangel." Clara said with a shrug, "I wouldn't worry, I scared him off for now."
"Scared him," Damon muttered, and she rolled her eyes.
Stefan looked between the two of them before sighing. He'd keep her secret; she kept his after all. She hadn't told a soul, and she wasn't afraid of him. He should be worried that she didn't seem afraid of his brother, but they could cross that bridge when they reached it. She got up from the chair and rolled her shoulders.
"Shouldn't leave Vicki alone for too long," She stated as she headed out the room, "who knows what she could get into."
"It's daytime so not a lot," Stefan answered as he followed.
Damon stood in the study for a few seconds before finishing the rest of the bourbon. His head was swirling with information, given willingly by Clara, and he frowned. Originals. Werewolves. Angels. She had to be crazy because that didn't make any sense. She wasn't even lying to them, even though it was difficult to tell when she was. His face relaxed as he headed out of the study. He'd play the situation by ear.
"Honestly, my favorite hunt would have to be a Wendigo that came from the Donner-Reed Party nasty fucker," He heard Clara telling Stefan, "liked to keep its victims alive while eating them. It still had enough humanity left in it to where it enjoyed the screams."
That was such a lovely morning conversation. He needed more alcohol. He huffed when he noticed her sitting in his favourite spot. She looked comfortable, and was looking at the books with a curious expression. He smirked to himself. She wouldn't touch them without permission. The doorbell rang and he was so tempted to mess with her sister. She tilted her head in thought before smiling to herself, pleased by something she thought. She looked at him and raised a brow. He smirked and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. She truly didn't like him, which was her loss since he's such a joy.
Elena walked in and she spared her sister a worried look and got a raised brow in return. Clara wasn't too worried; she was far too calm. If her sister knew about vampires then why wasn't she scared? Clara turned away from her and looked back at the books. She could pick out a few of the titles, some she'd never read before. Call of the Wild was one of them. It was short so it wouldn't take her long to read it. She would wait for permission before touching their books. She caught it when it was tossed to her by Damon. She didn't know what he was up to, but she wasn't going to decline the book.
"How can you be so calm about this?" Elena asked.
"I don't worry about much," Clara shrugged as she gently opened the hardcover book and saw that it was a first edition, "besides if she goes rogue she'll be taken care of."
"What, by you?" Elena scoffed.
A strange smirk appeared on Clara's face at that as she delved into the book. She was keeping an ear out for any trouble, not that she was expecting any. Vicki was very volatile, and she was prepared for that. She started reading and slowly got sucked into the story. It was wordy, something she was used to from older books. It had nothing on the communist manifesto. That had been a fun read simply due to the fact she had to read it to blend into find a particular shifter. She needed to take care of it a second time.
"Hey, Vicki," Elena greeted as she saw said girl, "how are you?"
"She's dead, how do you think she feels?" Clara questioned and Vicki was surprised by the sudden understanding from her.
"Just trying to make small talk," Elena muttered.
"Sorry," Clara apologized before turning her attention back to the book in her hands.
"Coffee is our friend," Stefan said as he came in with a couple mugs, "It's the caffeine. It circulate through our veins, and it warms our body so we're not so cold to the touch."
"Thank you," Clara quietly said as he placed one next to her.
"Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?" Vicki questioned, taking a sip of the coffee.
"You're going to have to learn to live with that urge and fight it on a daily basis, one day at a time," He answered and Damon snorted.
"Oh god! Don't even start with that whole twelve steps thing," Vicki groaned, "School counsellor has been down that road, and it never works for me."
"One must be willing to change for change to be in effect," Clara stated as she turned the page of the book.
"What does that mean?" Vicki hissed.
"That it's your choice if it works or not," Stefan answered.
"So, you've never tasted human blood?" She asked and all eyes turned towards Stefan.
"Not in a long time," He answered.
"How long?" She pressed.
"Years and years," He admitted before clearing his throat, "I'm not proud of my past behaviour."
"Does this sketchy feeling ever go away? It's like I have a massive hangover." Vicki started to ramble, "This daylight thing is a bitch. I need more blood. Where's your bathroom? I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead."
Vicki left the room and a strange sound of amusement came from Clara. She pursed her lips and tried to keep it from showing on her face. Stefan was pleased that she was trying, and succeeding. The glare from her sister was a bit worrying not that Clara seemed bothered by it. She could take care of herself. Damon muttered to him about her stunt the day she let him out of his cell. Tearing muscles and reforming them immediately, gaining enough strength to push both her weight and Damon's weight up. It was an impressive feat.
"You make a good cup of coffee," Clara complimented without even looking up from the book.
"I'm going to, uh, I'm gonna make more," He muttered before pressing a kiss to Elena's forehead.
Clara spared him a glance before returning to the book. Damon rolled his eyes at the strange scene before heading to a different room to fill a glass with something to drink. At this point, he didn't even care what kind of alcohol he was drinking. He just wanted something to numb his mind.
"False alarm," Vicki said as she walked back into the living room, "my body's feeling really funky. A good funk, but it's really weird."
"So, who've you been texting?" Clara questioned as she finally closed the book, she was halfway through it but she wouldn't have the time to finish it in one sitting.
"Jeremy." Vicki answered.
"Vicki, you can't see Jeremy anymore," Elena said.
"Oh don't you start," Vicki hissed, "I'm gonna see whoever I wanna see."
"Even though you could hurt him?" Elena and Clara asked in unison.
"I would never hurt Jeremy," Vicki defended, and Clara snorted at that.
"You've been playing with his emotions for the whole summer, excuse us if we don't believe you," She stated.
She was prepared for the attack from Vicki. She grabbed the charging vampire as she reached for her throat and flung her over her shoulder. A boot was pressed into Vicki's shoulder blade as she turned her head to look up at the girl pinning her down. Her lungs began to hurt and she started to cough. Oh, Clara was well aware of what she was doing, but she wasn't in the caring mood. This Girl was a danger to her brother, and she would protect him. She cared about him.
"I don't have much patience for your antics," Clara informed her in a cold tone as she pressed down with her boot, "you come after my brother and I will end you, am I clear?"
"Y-Yes," Vicki gasped out in pain as her lungs seemed to squeeze even more.
"Good." Clara said with a pleasant smile, releasing her, "Now, please excuse me. Caroline and Bonnie invited me out to buy a halloween costume for the dance."
She walked out of the living room and sent Damon an annoyed look. He was acting like he was showing her out. A faux gentlemanly move. She inwardly sighed and removed that expression from her face.
"Sexy nurse?" He suggested.
"Try vintage military uniform," She said, "I think I saw one in a thrift store near the Halloween store."
"Which war?" He asked.
"It's a surprise, Damon," She sighed.
She shook her head as she headed out of the Boarding house. Something was pressed into her hand and she looked down to see the book she'd been reading. She was confused for a few seconds but a sarcastic smile from Damon was her answer. He was being nice to her, and she didn't know why. Maybe he felt it would be better to be on her good side. He'd be right about that. She got into her car and headed to the shopping centre to meet up with her friends.
Sometimes it baffled her at how normal her life was. Clara Gilbert had friends and could go and shop with them. Clara Schmidt couldn't do that, she had to keep everyone at a arms length so they wouldn't get hurt. Even when she became one of the best she had to do that. She shook her head of such thoughts and parked her car.
"Clara!" Caroline greeted as she saw the darkly dressed teen walk up to them.
A simple turtleneck covered by a heavy tactical jacket that had been a gift for good behaviour from Jenna, and black pants. She could appreciate an outfit that was pieced together with a particular style in mind. It was the combat boots that threw her off. Well, not everyone had a perfect sense of fashion like her.
"Everything all right?" Bonnie asked.
"Damon's trying to butter me up with books," Clara informed them, "I don't know what his game is."
"Don't ask me, I haven't heard from him since I broke it off with him," Caroline stated, "just let me know when we gang up on him and beat him up."
"We will crush him like bug beneath our feet," Clara stated, using a phoney Russian accent to accentuate the meaning behind the words.
Caroline smiled at that and she got one in return. Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. Her best friend was a weird one, but she was like that to cheer others up. They headed into the Halloween store and Caroline instantly began to search for costumes for them. Clara was amused and allowed herself to be dragged through the store. Bonnie was easy, she'd be going as a witch. Caroline was torn between a sexy angel or sexy demon. She looked at the two costumes while biting her lip in contemplation.
"The angel would suit you," Clara stated as she picked up a pair of devil horns and held them up to her head, "you have that innocent nature about you."
Bonnie easily hid a snort. Not much was innocent about Caroline, but the air she gave off implied that there was. Caroline was judgmental, but had her back when she needed her. Clara looked at her with a spark of amusement in her eyes, of course she knew that she was amused.
"I'm going to head to the thrift store for a few seconds I'll be right back," Clara informed them.
Caroline waved her off as she picked the angel costume. Bonnie was slightly excited to see what Clara was going to get. Her costume wouldn't have much meaning but it would be interesting. She lived to both blend in and stand out. She returned with a bag over her shoulder, hiding what she found from them. A slight secretive wink was all she got.
"You girls ready?" Caroline asked, "Because we won't be hanging out until the party."
"We'll make jaws drop," Clara quietly stated with a slight smirk.
Caroline bumped shoulders with her and they turned to Bonnie with smiles and Bonnie shook her head. She couldn't help but smile and motion for them to go. They needed to get ready. It wasn't like last year where Clara had simply worn her cheerleading uniform, with the front pulled down more than usual, this time she was participating. Schmidt hadn't gone to a Halloween party, Samhain was the best time of year to go hunting for ghosts and demons. Clara wanted to experience one before she was forced to the field. That was coming, and she knew it.
She was glad to see that Jenna was home and she paused at the at archway to the living room. She didn't know if the older woman was busy. She needed help styling her hair for the era of the uniform she saw. World War 1, motor corps. She tapped against the archway and Jenna looked up.
"What's up?" Jenna asked.
"I was wondering if you weren't too busy," Clara said with a slight wince.
"I could use a break," Jenna said as she got up from the couch, "what do you need help with."
"Doing my hair for my Halloween costume," Clara admitted.
Jenna gained a smile at that and they both headed up to her room. Jenna wasn't surprised by the old military uniform. She was surprised at the condition it was in. A uniform like that should've been in a museum, the fact that it slipped under the radar. She looked at the picture Clara had and tilted her head. The other girls curly locks were short, but she could work with it. She was glad that Clara didn't complain while she pinned her hair back and styled it in the correct manner. She was such a good aunt that she even did her darling nieces makeup. She missed doing this for her sister-in-law. Like mother like daughter, the two seemed to love period dress, though her niece gravitated towards Edwardian styles while her mother loved the Victorian age.
"Wow, you look like you stepped right out of an old war movie," Jenna said as the cap was gently placed on her nieces head.
"I would've totally joined the military at that time too," Clara said, her strange habit of speaking with a transatlantic accent made the outfit even more believable.
"You looking to hook up with someone, because you are dressed to impress," Jenna pointed out as she put away all the makeup.
"Just me, myself, and I," Clara joked, "all of us are a two alone, but put together we become a solid six."
Jenna stared at her niece before shooting her away with an amused sigh. Clara grinned at her as she picked up her clothes and headed to her room. Jeremy was sitting at her desk, still reading her hunters Grimoire. She was amused at the naming of it but understood that it was similar to a witches Grimoire. He was pretty invested by it, and hadn't noticed her walk in until she pressed her hands against his neck.
"And boom, you're dead," She teased him as she loomed over him to look him in the eyes.
"How…nothing about you makes sense anymore," He grumbled as he closed the Grimoire, "you Backed to the Future Two yourself."
"That's…that's a damn good explanation actually," She said as she gave him shoulder a pat, "anything else you'd like to know?"
"Do you actually care or are you pretending?" He asked, his tone highly bitter and she tilted her head in thought.
"I genuinely care," She admitted with the smallest of smiles that showed her vulnerability, "I always wanted to be an older sister, but well my father was gay."
"He seemed like a good guy," Jeremy said, slightly uncomfortable with the topic.
"As did your father, I guess I could say ours," She said with a strange expression on her face, "it's easy to tell which personality is more dominant…but I can remember our father being kind to me and always giving me second chances even if I didn't deserve them."
"So, you do remember," He said as he leaned back in the chair, "the plot thickens."
"Aha, I'm rubbing off on you," She teased before her tone became serious, "you can understand why I didn't say anything, right?"
"Yeah, I don't think you'd be here if you did," He admitted, "still it's hard to even think about. The sister I've known for years hated me, and now all of a sudden I have one that cares."
"That's the hunters life," She shrugged, "weird shit happens constantly we just roll with it."
"Can you teach me how to hunt?" He asked with pleading eyes.
"That's why I'm teaching you Muay Thai," She said with a raised brow, "it's a fighting style that uses most of the body, so it's versatile for a hunter."
"When do I move onto actually hunting?" He asked.
"When I have a case I know you can handle," She informed him, "just know that we typically don't go after vampires unless truly threatened."
Jeremy nodded his understanding and he felt as though he understood the person who was his sister. The same face and person, but with memories flooding in. He wondered what would've happened if she hadn't made a deal. She probably would still be living in two thousand and twenty twenty-one. The though made his stomach churn uncomfortably. He shouldn't be this okay with her, but he was. She tilted her head at him as she started to put together a bag.
"What's with the bag?" He asked.
"I've got a feeling that somethings going to happen tonight," She answered, "whatever happens don't hate me, all right?"
He gave an unsure nod and she smiled sadly at him. Whatever was going to happen would be because of Vicki Donovan and Damon Salvatore. Jeremy headed out of her room to get ready just as Elena walked in, fixing her small hat on her head. She looked at her twin and was confused to see her in military regalia.
"I thought you were going as a nurse this year," Elena said.
"Caroline thought about it, but Bonnie vetoed that idea," Clara answered as she finished putting the bag together, "I'm heading over with Jeremy, want a lift?"
"I still can't believe a friend gifted you a car," Elena said as she nodded her agreement to a lift.
"I'm awesome like that," Clara smiled.
"Sometimes you remind me of Damon," Elena muttered, thinking her sister didn't hear her.
Clara paused outside of her door and took in a deep breath. Elena was in the right here, as much as she hated to admit it, she was like Damon. Still, she was actively trying to be a better person whereas he wasn't. Or at least, he seemed like he wasn't. It was hard to tell with him sometimes, and he genuinely threw her for a loop.
Jenna wished them a fun time, along with a subtle threat to be safe if they split up. Jeremy called shotgun and Elena crossed her arms as she sat in the back of her sisters car. It smelt like aftershave, the expensive kind. Her sister was a good driver, following all the traffic laws though finding back roads to speed on. Jeremy enjoyed the smooth ride and turned the radio on. The station that was on was one of his favourites and Elena groaned at the familiar music.
"What? You can't beat Panic at the Disco," Clara said as she looked at her sister in the rear view mirror, "they're classic."
"In a few years maybe," Jeremy pointed out giving her a discreet pointed look.
"Classic to me, excuse me misspoke," She grumbled before the two began to take turns singing the song much to Elena's displeasure.
"I think we annoyed her," Clara stage whispered to Jeremy as Elena got out of the car and marched away from them, "is it aways this easy to mess with her?"
"Oh yeah, it was worse before the accident," Jeremy informed her and she nodded her understanding, "I'm going to go find someone."
She waved him off before heading to the trunk of her car and opening the compartment. She grabbed a few wooden stakes that had steel rods on it to help keep it from snapping. She tucked a few under her skirt before closing her trunk and heading into the school. The fog machines made her chose slightly and the ambience made her uncomfortable. She heard the full roar of students and even a few wolf whistles as she walked the halls. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she couldn't tell where the nervousness was coming from.
"Look at you, Miss Soldier," Damon's sarcastic remark caused her to turn and look at him with a frown.
Damon was a bit taken aback by the authentic uniform. She went all the way to do her hair and makeup to match it. He didn't let it show on his face, but he did stare at her for longer than usual. All likenesses to Katherine was gone and a different girl stood there. Her light coloured eyes were staring at him with a calculating look, though there was some form of nervousness as well.
"Here," She muttered as she discreetly brought a stake out from under her skirt and pressed it into his hand, "I have one for Stefan as well."
"How are you holding onto these?" He couldn't help but ask as he hid his in his jacket.
"The belt has more use than a decoration," She informed him as her eyes scanned the crowd, "so, what's the story? How's they let a guy like you in?"
"I'm a chaperone," He shrugged, "just looking after my little brother."
"Hmm, same here just minus the chaperone part," She muttered before eying him, "just…don't try to seduce any of the kids here. The age of consent is eighteen in Virginia, keep that in mind."
"Ah, it's changed then," He muttered.
"Do…do you guys not keep up with the law?" She asked in disbelief, "I only do it so I know what I can do and not do during a hunt, which is all illegal by the way."
"Last time I checked it was sixteen," He pointed out.
"Yeah in the nineteen twenties," She countered in an exasperated tone, "seriously, Damon. Please keep up with the times."
"When did it even change?" He muttered with a frown.
"Two thousand and seven, two years ago," She answered and she grew a little uncomfortable when a football player brushed up against her.
"Not a fan of parties?" He questioned, "You seem like you would be."
"To be fair the last party I went to was my twenty-third birthday, and six people died," She scoffed, "kind of hard to move past that."
"You died in you early twenties?" He was intrigued by that, "How's it feel to be a teenager again?"
"It sucks, can't buy booze or weapons so I'm stuck scrounging around for recycled metal to turn into bullets," She answered with a frown, "though it is nice to have some normalcy, I didn't really have that the first time around…Jeremy says I pulled a Back to the Future Two."
"Never seen it," He said as they began to walk the party and she looked up at him in disbelief.
"How? Dude it's a great movie trilogy," She pointed out as they passed the snack table where she easily picked up a plate with sweets and some punch.
"Well, at least you're consistent with the amount of food you eat," He said with a smirk.
"I burn a lot of calories," She shrugged as she bit into a cookie, "I could eat a whole thanksgiving meal and still retain my figure, and be hungry."
That was terrifying if he was being honest. She didn't look like she could eat that much. She looked up at him with a blank expression and a slight smirk appeared on her face. She was amused by his silence. He narrowed his eyes at her and sneered slightly. She looked away and brightened up at something. She left his side and ran to her best friend. Bonnie was slightly surprised at her sudden appearance but accepted the hug.
"You look great," Clara said, "the witch costume suits you."
"So does the military uniform," Bonnie said with a smile, "why were you talking to Damon?"
"Because I didn't see my friends and I made my twin mad," Clara answered, "we were discussing consent laws."
"Why? Clara he's never going to change," Bonnie quietly said as she snuck a cookie off her friends plate.
"You never know," Clara quietly admitted, "I think he thought that the age of consent was sixteen, and truthfully it had been up until two thousand and seventeen."
"Doesn't make it right," Bonnie said.
"Oh, no yeah, I agree," Clara stated as she scanned the crowd again, "it just made things fall into place. Where is Caroline anyway?"
"She's a bit late," Bonnie stated, "I haven't heard anything from her."
Damon stood a few feet away from them and listened in. He noticed that the witch was wearing what he had gone to the founders party for. How it ended up in her hands he'd never know. He needed to think of a way to get it back. He heard quiet laughter coming from them and he listened in on the conversation. Ah, so Clara could partake in regular girl talk. His lips curled slightly. Boy talk, and she was pretty bad at it.
"How is it that you don't seem attracted to anyone here?" Bonnie asked in amusement.
"I didn't I say I wasn't," Clara sounded equally amused, "it's just that I don't think you'd approve of who I do find attractive and neither do I. It's extremely complicated."
She grew distracted for a few seconds before excusing herself with a slight nod to Bonnie. The other girl knew what that meant, which meant that they shared their secrets. Yet, she never shared their secret. It was such a twisted sense of loyalty. Her scent vanished from the room and he followed at a leisurely pace, it wasn't like she was going to run into trouble.
Clara felt like ice had started to run through her veins as she watched Vicki try to attack her brother. If she was being honest, she felt everything shut down in her head. The only thing that remained was a protective thought. She needed to take care of the girl.
Jeremy wasn't surprised when Vicki was quite literally pried off him. He looked to see his sister looking down at the vampire with a cool expression on her face. There was nothing else there, no rage or hint of joy at seeing he was okay. Just coldness, like she wasn't really feeling anything. He grabbed onto his sisters arm in an attempt to get her to run but she simply gave him a shake of her head. He felt his heart stop for a few seconds.
"You can't, not Vicki," Jeremy tried to plea.
"Jeremy, she's had a taste of your blood and has been invited in," His sister quietly informed him as Vicki got up at charge again, only to fall to the ground with blood spurting from her lips, "do you think she'll be able to ignore the cravings for you?"
It was a logical question, but his kind wasn't thinking logically. She turned to him and placed her hands on his face. She gave him a sympathetic look. She knew what he felt, and she didn't want to kill Vicki. If the girl had stayed human there wouldn't have been a problem but as a vampire she couldn't be trusted. Jeremy began to cry and he was tempted to slap his sisters hands away. She simply brought him into a gentle hug.
"I won't kill her," She informed him, "but the others will have to, because she won't stop. I will keep her down until they appear."
"But why Vicki?" He couldn't help but ask, his voice thick.
"Because the person who sired her is a remorseless dick," She stated, "but I can't really go after him for a lot of reasons."
Jeremy was conflicted by that and simply stayed out. He wanted to thrash the area to let out his emotions, but he couldn't. Not when someone was genuinely caring about him. Elena cared, to a point but her mothering rubbed him the wrong way. Jenna was the cool aunt and didn't know how to do the whole motherly thing. Clara was a nice in between. Motherly but no overly so, and cool but not too cool. He felt tears going down his face and she gave his shoulder a gentle pat.
"Clara," Her name was said in a quiet tone, "I'll take it from here."
"Thank you," Clara quietly said as she brought out a stake and handed it to Stefan, "I'm taking my brother home, can you flee I've Elena back?"
"Yeah," Stefan nodded.
She gave him a thankful smile and began to lead Jeremy away from Vicki. She wanted to protect him from the sight of death for as long as she could. She wouldn't be able to do it for long, his expression informed her of that much. She took him home and made him a cup of tea. He looked at it for a few seconds before moodily drinking it.
"Elena knew, didn't she?" Jeremy asked.
"Yes, but the secret of vampires was not ours to tell," Clara answered as she picked up her own cup, "at least, not the ones here in Mystic Falls."
"It hurts," Jeremy said as it all crashed down on him, "why does everyone have to die on me?"
She moved to sit next to him and allowed him to cry on her shoulder. She made a sad face. No, she couldn't blame him for thinking that way. It was how she thought for years when her dad died. They were united in that front, dead parents and dead loved ones. She heard a car appear and she narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"Jeremy," Elena quietly said, "do you know what happened?"
Jeremy gave a nod and gently dislodged himself from his sister. He gave her a thankful nod before heading up to his room. Stefan entered the house and gave a nod to Clara. The deed had been done. He handed her, her stake back and she looked at it with a frown.
"Keep it, you never know when you'll need it," She quietly told him and he nodded his understanding.
"Is there a way to make him forget?" Elena asked.
"Elena," Stefan quietly said, there was a hint of warning to his voice.
"Stefan, please. I don't know how he'll ever get past this," Elena said as tears gathered in her eyes, "I just want him to forget everything that happened."
"That is not your choice to make," Clara hissed at her sister, "if he wants to forget then fine, but you do not make that choice for him."
Stefan watched as the two began to argue. Elena the heated arguer and Clara the cold. He turned his attention to the front door when Damon came in. His brother seemed amused by the two arguing. It increased when Clara won, and honestly he agreed with her points. The compulsion wasn't always fail proof especially when it came to the amount of memories and feelings that Elena wanted him to forget.
"I can't believe you would rather he remember and spiral downwards then let him forget," Elena stated.
"Again, that is his choice and Jeremy has every right to his memories," Clara stated in a tired voice, "you cannot take that away from him. There are things that I'd like to forget and can't, I grew from them and I know that Jeremy can as well. He's stronger than you give him credit for."
Damon looked up at the stairs and noticed the littlest Gilbert standing there. He seemed touched that his sister thought that highly of him. She really took that title seriously. He inwardly scoffed, she'd soon realise that being the older sibling wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Clara got up and cleaned her empty tea cup before heading to her room. Jeremy quickly scurried to his own when she neared the stairs. Damon spared a look towards his brother and watched as he shared a sweet moment with Elena. He wasn't going to stick around for that.
"Go away, Damon," Clara stated and he paused as he noticed that she was removing the uniform, "seriously, I would like to get dressed without someone in my room."
"If I see something I haven't seen before I'll throw a dollar at it," He said and her hands fell from the buttons of her dress shirt.
He was a bit startled when he was dragged my something and found himself in the hallway as the door closed. She had evicted him from her room, and he had no clue how she did it. He waited for the door to open, a frown of annoyance on his face, and eventually it did. She seemed amused by his predicament and she gently untangled her hair.
"That's what you get for not listening," She informed him, "I'm not a pushover, Damon, don't forget that."
"What are you, one of the women suffragettes?" He sarcastically asked.
"Oh I am pro-equality," She stated, "I just know my worth, must be strange for you to come across that."
He plopped down on the other side of her bed and she gave him the stink eye as she continued to work out the large tangles in her hair brought about by the pins. He relaxed with her teddy bear on his stomach. She didn't seemed embarrassed by the stuffed toy, more or less finding comfort in it.
"Do you not care that your actions have consequences for those around you?" She asked him as she finally finished with her hair.
"You mistake me for someone with remorse," He stated.
"I suppose I do, silly me thinking that you might have a shred of remorse," She said in a blunt tone, "I'll try not to make that mistake again."
That was ominous. He didn't like the sound of that. She got under the covers of her bed and shot him a look that said to go away. He rolled his eyes and laid on his side to face her. He was going to annoy the crap out of her until she gave him more information. He placed the teddy bear in front of him.
"Don't go through my shit," She grumbled to him as she turned the light off, "I'll break your fingers."
She'd go through with it too, he had no doubt about that. He laid there as she drifted into an unhappy sleep, a frown on her face. He didn't have anything better to do, and Stefan wasn't about to face her wrath. He just wanted to see what she would say when he always still there in the morning.