Disclaimer- I sadly do not own The Vampire Diaires, all rights go to the CW the only thing that is mine are the orginal characters and plot lines that are not in the orginal story.

I also want to let you know that our lovely leading lady Clara is now being played by the fabulous Crystal Reed.


Run.

Faster.

He's catching up to you Clara.

I fought for breath as I pushed my legs to run faster, tripping over the loose branches and roots on the ground; nipping at my face and exposed ankles, as I ran through the dark, misty woods of Mystic Falls, the only light coming from the full moon hovering above me.

Feeling the blood run down my cheeks from where I've been cut by the many sharp vines and twigs in my way. My vision getting more and more blurred by the minute.

I let out a shriek as I heard the predator closing in on me. The footsteps pounding against the woodland ground around me.

Taking a sharp turn to the left I sprinted behind a reasonably large, old looking tree, leaning against it, trying to catch my breath as it came in jagged pants and gasps. Those footsteps getting louder as he closed in on me, I clasped a hand around my mouth; trying to make my breathing less audible.

"I can hear your heartbeat Sweetheart. There's no hiding from me." The masculine-yet familiar- voice chuckled out through the darkness; making the last breath I had catch in my throat.

I quietly made my way around the tree getting ready to make another run for it. Peering out from behind the giant oak I looked into the clearing, the moon giving me full view of the area, I saw the dark green space I had once ran through currently empty.

Puzzled; I slowly made my way out from my hiding spot. The air around the forest was cold and eerily quiet, showing me my own breath.

"I know what you are Sweetheart...and I'm coming for you." The sinister voice whispered in my ear, I felt his hot breath tingle against the back of my neck.

My heart pumping with fear,

As I turned around cautiously,

I was met by his blood red eyes and sharp white teeth.

I let out a piercing scream as the predator lunged for my neck.

*End of Dream*

I shot up in my bed as I let out a small scream, my hand automatically flying towards bareness of my neck. I sighed in relief feeling nothing there except the smooth touch of my hand on my skin and tried to calm my erratic breathing.

My eyes began to sweep my room, until they landed on my alarm clock upon my beside table. It should be going off any minute-beep, beep, beep-...now. I sighed as I pulled back the tangled sheets off of me and made my way to the shower, groaning at my tired reflection as I passed my mirror.

It can only get better, I thought to myself.


"Listen I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying take it slow." Bonnie stated as the two of us climbed out of her car.

"Weren't you the one saying I should go for it in the first place?" I asked confused.

"...Well...yeah but now I'm saying take it slow." She added a fake smile at the end to try and convince me.

"What is with that face Bon-Bon?"

"What face? You are now single for the first time since we started high school; I'm just suggesting that now is the perfect time to play the field." Bonnie rambled on.

"Play the field? Really, Bonnie? Really?" I gave her a disbelieving look. "Come on Bonnie, what are you not telling me? We're best friends, you know that you can tell me anything right?" I grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking any further.

"It's stupid okay? I accidentally touched Stefan and I got a really bad feeling." She shrugged. What does she mean 'bad feeling'.

"Is that it? A bad feeling? Bonnie." I pulled her back once more as she tried to move away from me.

"It was 'Bad' bad." She stressed out.

"Is this that witchy-mojo thing again?" I asked sceptically.

"You know what? I'm just concerned. This is me expressing concern about my best friends' new boyfriend."

"And I love you because of that, but things are starting to seem like they are getting back to normal, before the accident 'normal', and Stefan is kinda a big part in that." I reassured her, giving her a light hug before starting to make our way back to the school.

"Morning Clara, Morning Bonnie." A smiling Stefan greeted us.

"Hey, um, I gotta go find Caroline and Elena, I can't get a hold of Care's cell and Elena said she'd meet us here so...I will see you guys later." Bonnie began walking quickly away from us.

"Bonnie wait!" I called desperately after her; Stefan shot me a confused look.

"She doesn't like me very much." He stated.

"She hasn't gotten to know you yet, but when she does, she will love you." I suddenly got an idea. "Are you free tonight?" I asked as he turned to face me.

"Yes." He grinned.

"Perfect! You, me, Bonnie and Elena. Dinner at my house. Eight o'clock. I will cook, they will get to know you and see what a great guy you are." I smiled, proud of myself for the idea.

Stefan nodded then before I could even blink, turned around in time to see and catch an incoming football speeding toward the back of his head. I peered over his shoulder to see Tyler.

Ass.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ty like a brother; the two of us had become quite close when Matt and I were dating, but still he can sometime tend to be a bit of a dick hot-head.

I chuckled quietly as Stefan threw the ball back at Tyler, causing him to stumble a few steps backwards from the force of the throw.

Surrounding people gasped at the sight in front of them, before heading into the school for class as the bell rang.


"Okay that throw...that throw was insane, please tell me you play football!" I exclaimed to Stefan as we walked side by side towards my locker.

"I used to. It was a long time ago." He replied shyly.

"So...try out for the team, God knows they could use you." I shot a grin towards him.

"Yeah, I don't think so." He said slowly, shaking his head.

"Are you saying you don't like football?" I questioned as I opened my locker

"No, I love football. I think it's a great sport. But in this case I don't think football likes me." I shot him a sideways glance as I place the red beanie from my head and my leather jacket inside of the old blue locker before me. "You saw Tyler over there. And we both know how Matt feels."

"They don't know you. To them, you're a mysterious loner guy. Wouldn't hurt to be a part of. Make some friends...and besides Tyler's always like that." I added jokingly on the end.

He looked over at me mockingly "Says the girl who spends her alone times writing in a cemetery."

I rolled my eyes at him "Hey. Come on. There's more to me than just gloomy-graveyard girl. There's a whole other Clara you have yet to meet. She was into everything. Very busy, very...fun."

"Well I look forward to meeting her. And when will that be?" He questioned me with a head tilt.

"Hopefully soon. She seems to be working on it." I referred to myself in the third person with a grin etched onto my face. I slammed my locked closed with a 'thud' and the two of us made our way towards history...with Tanner...yay.


"World war II ended in...?" Tanner's voice sounded throughout the stuffy classroom.

"Anyone got anything? Ms. Juan?" The girl who I recognised to be Emma gave a slight shrug causing Mr. Tanner to sigh. "1945." He huffed in annoyance.

"Psst." I leaned over my desk-when Mr Tanner wasn't looking- toward Stefan so he could hear what I was about to say. "FYI, our team sucks. They could use you." I muttered sarcastically to him.

Stefan chuckled slightly "Can't...I'm a loner." He mocked my words from out earlier conversation.

"Miss Stewart? Ahem. Pearl Harbour?" Tanner's smug voice called me out of little conversation.

"Hm. Um..."

"December 7th, 1941." Stefan's voice came from behind me.

"Thank you. Miss Stewart." Tanner's voice rang out sarcastically causing the majority of the class to chuckle.

"Anytime." Stefan nodded towards the prudent history teacher.

"Very well. The fall of the Berlin Wall."

"1989. I'm good with dates, sir."

"Are you?...How good? Keep it to the year." Mr Tanner challenged. "Civil Rights Act."

"1964."

"John F. Kennedy assassination."

"1963"

"Martin Luther King."

"'68."

"Lincoln."

"1865."

"Roe v.`Wade?"

"1973."

"Brown v. Board?"

"1954."

"The Battle of Gettysburg?"

"1863."

"Korean War."

"1950 to 1953."

"Ha! It ended in '52. Ha-ha-ha." Tanner's outburst made me jump slightly out of my seat as I watched between the two of them closely.

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53." Causing the whole class to look between Tanner's on growing red face and Stefan's patient one.

"Look it up, somebody." Tanner all but growled out. "Quickly!"

The whole class- myself included- fumbled for our phones from our bags or pockets.

"It was 19...53." Elena chuckled out as she looked up from the screen of her phone to Tanner.

This being said caused a round of applause to be given out to Stefan for showing Tanner what it was like to be...well...Tannered.


"How did you know all of that?" I asked Stefan as we walked of a now fuming Tanner's class.

"Years and years of crossword puzzles. It's a loner thing." He looked at me with a mocking glint in his eyes, which in return get a rolling of mine.


As the final bell chimed I made my way out of the biology classroom-Bonnie and Elena flanking each of my sides-towards my locker.

"Oh by the way Bonnie, you are coming over for dinner tonight." I stated cheerfully toward the dark brunette on my left as I opened the locker in front of me, grabbing the jacket and beanie from inside. I had spoken to Elena earlier at lunch and decided she would be staying the night as her aunt was out of town.

"I am?" Bonnie questioned me, surprised by the sudden statement.

"Yep! You, me, Elena and Stefan." Her smile faltered at the mention of Stefan's name.

"Are you sure you're not coming to cheer practice now, because you know we are still looking for a few members and besides I drove you to school today so there's no point in just sitting there in the bleachers and doing nothing while the rest of us are cheering. Oh...and tonight's no good." She rambled out quickly.

"Miss Bennett It is quiet unlike you to change the subject." Elena quipped sarcastically from my right side with a smirk plastered to her face.

"Okay one; she has a point, no changing the subject. Please for me, come tonight. It would mean a lot to me if you just gave Stefan a chance and anyway Elena will be there as well." Bonnie's eyes flickered over to Elena's silently, and the taller brunette nodded in agreement.

"And two; I sent a text to Jenna and she dropped off my Beetle earlier today, because I, being the smart cookie I am, figured you would try and convince me to stay for practice and I am most certainly am not staying with a bunch of preppy cheerleaders." I gestured to the group of girls stretching across from us as I walked the two girls to their practice on the fields outside.

"There's no getting out of this Bonnie, you might even enjoy it if you just give it a chance." Elena said from besides me.

Bonnie sighed in annoyance "I really don't have a choice do I." She exclaimed as she stopped in front of Elena and I.

"Nope." The two of us chortled in unison.

"Have either of you seen Caroline? I've texted her like a hundred times." Bonnie asked as she and Elena began to stretch, me sitting down on the ground besides the two of them.

"No I haven't." Elena said looking toward me for an answer to which I shook my head to and shrugged my shoulders telling her I had no idea where Caroline was.

"Seriously where is Caroline?"

"I don't know. It's not like her." Elena stated looking around the field where they were practicing.

"I'll try her again." Bonnie said as she dialled Care's number into her phone and held it against her ear, waiting for an answer.

The sound of music catches mine and Elena's attention as we both glance over Bonnie's shoulders.

"Uh..." A speechless Elena points over to the car heading towards us.

"Oh, my God." We all watch on, shocked as Caroline reaches over to kiss the raven head on the lips. "That must be the mystery guy from the Grill."

"Trust me that's no mystery guy. That would be the infamous Damon Salvatore." I rolled my eyes at the two in the car.

"Salvatore? As in Stefan?" Bonnie asked on, shocked.

"His older brother." I answered her. We all got up as Caroline skipped over towards us." I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind." She sang as she went past us.

"Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy...Alright; let's start with the double-pike herkie hurdle. What do you say?" She looked toward the group of girl in front of her; I on the other hand looked toward the now smug, smirking Salvatore who merely raised his eyebrows at me and drove off.

"Clara! Finally decided to join the fun side once again?" Caroline called from her spot on the field.

"Sorry Caroline, just dropping these two off." I nodded towards Elena and Bonnie beside me, while Caroline huffed in annoyance.

I turned back towards the two brunettes who were stood silent next to me. "Now, don't get in two much trouble without me, you know how I hate to be missing out on the action." I pointed a threatening finger towards the smirking two.

"Oh we'll try not to." Elena sighed mockingly.

"You better not, but if the two of you will excuse me I have to prepare dinner for tonight-"

"BONNIE! ELENA! PRACTICE, NOW!" A boisterous Caroline cut me off.

"You heard the woman! Off with you." I mocked towards two of my best friends.

"See you later." "Bye." The two of them muttered as they walked toward out bouncing blonde friend.

I chuckled under my breath as I walked towards the car park, then stopping and walking backwards as my eye caught the football practice across the large playing field.

Stefan running across the field and catching the ball a countless number of times, so he took my advice and tried out for the team, a smug voice in my head thought as I walked back toward the old baby blue beetle in the car-park.


"I know what you are Clara...An I'm com-"

BLEEP-BLEEP-BLEEP!

A loud ringing shocked me awake from my reoccurring nightmare as I lay in a daze on the couch, only then did I remember the loud ringing coming from the kitchen.

I ran toward the burning smell and grey cloud of smoke coming from the kitchen.

"Shit!" There was heaps of smoke coming from the large pot I had left sitting on the cooker.

Rushing toward it, I grabbed a dish-towel and used it to protect my hand from the seething hot handle of the pot, moving it toward the counter and turning the cooker off.

I began flapping the dish-towel at the fire alarm to try and get it to stop its incessant ringing. Lucky after a few minute the ringing fortunately died down and I was left with the burning pot on the counter top.

I slowly lifted the lid, coughing as a puff of greyish smoke puffed out from the pot and into my face, looking inside I winced at the sight, I was sad to say the soup I had planned to cook was no more.

Pausing for a few minutes to figure out what I was going to do, I made a reach for my cell phone I dialled a number I knew off by heart.

"Elena- I need you to do me a really big favour."

"You explain it. Last night I'm watching 9-0. Commercial break comes on and I'm like, "I bet it's that phone commercial." And sure enough it's the guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back...They take a picture." The Calvary had arrived in the nick of time; Elena and I were currently listening to Bonnie ramble on while unpacking the food Elena had picked up at the Grill on the way here.

"Oh, come on. That commercial is on a constant loop." Elena explained, chuckling.

"Fine. Well, how about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14 and 22. How weird is that?"

"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena mocked Bonnie.

"Ooo, then we could run away together." I chuckled at the two "The Unholy Trio in Spain, I can see it now-the warm beaches, tanning by the pool, shopping with our new found jackpot." I remarked sarcastically.

Elena laughed out loud while Bonnie huffed at us. Thought I think I heard her mutter something along the lines of- 'who says I would share my winnings with you two.' As she managed to crack a small smile.

"Have you talked to your Grams?"

"She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch. I don't wanna be a witch, do you wanna be a witch?" she looked toward the two of us.

"I don't wanna be a witch." Elena mutters as she poured the pasta into the bowl on the counter.

I thought for a moment, "Have you ever thought that what she's saying is ever...true?"

There was a moment of silence where we met each other's eyes, looking down she sighed "You know putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody." She gestured to the bowl that Elena had just filled.

I chuckled at her obvious change of subject before replaying "It was either this or a can of spaghetti hoops between the four of us."

She looked at me and smirked, "Good choice."

"Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?" Elena looked around the kitchen for the spoons.

"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie pointed to the drawer besides Elena's head, to which she opened and produced the two wooden serving spoons.

"Okay, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times."

"Elena, I live here and I didn't even know they were in there." I looked between the two.

Bonnie was about to open her mouth when she was interrupted by the doorbell. "Okay he's here. Don't be nervous. Just be your normal loving self." I turned and walked toward the front door only to hear Elena mutter 'is it me or does she seem nervous?' and Bonnie whisper strangely enough 'Birthday candles.' In reply to Elena.

I opened the door to a smiling Stefan. "Hey." I breathed out "Come in we are just ready."

"Thanks."


To say the atmosphere was awkward at the table was an understatement. You could cut the tension with a chainsaw. I locked eyes with Elena from across the table who gave me a kick under the table and a look that said 'what the hell, say something now.'

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" I choked out; Elena has a pretty hard kick.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right." He gave a deep chuckle.

"You guys should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and-"

"Yeah, I heard." Bonnie shot out before I could finish my sentence. Elena gave Bonnie a sideways glance.

"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" I gave a thankful smile to Elena for helping get Bonnie on side.

"Um, divorced, No mom, live with my dad."

"Bonnie, I think she meant the withes." I looked at Stefan, "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use."

"Well it's certainly interesting." Stefan piped in, breaking mine and Bonnie's gaze. "I'm not too versed, but I know that there's a history of Celtic Druids...that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem."

"Really, Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

Stefan glanced at me and said "I'd say that's pretty cool."

"Really, why?"

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."

"Yeah they are."

I looked over to Elena who raised an eyebrow at me and nodded in Bonnie's direction, we agreed on one thing, mission accomplished.

The sound of the door bell broke our little conversation as we all looked toward the front door.

"I wonder who that could be."I got up from the table.

"Who else did you invite?" Elena shot me a confused look.

"No one..."

I opened the door to revile Caroline...and Damon...

"Surprise." Caroline greeted cheerfully, what a surprise it is."Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert."

"Oh.."

"Hope you don't mind." The raven head began Caroline said as Caroline herself made her way into my house.

"what are you doing here?" Stefan's voice rang out next to me.

"Waiting for Clara to invite me in."

"Oh. Yeah, you can-"

"No, no, no. He can't, um...He can't stay." Stefan declared as I shot confused glances between both brothers. "Can you Damon?"

"Uh, get in here." Caroline's obnoxious voice came from behind me.

I looked at Stefan to see if he had any objections. "We were just finishing up."

"It's fine really, come on in."

"You have a beautiful home, Clara."

"Um...thank you." I reply awkwardly as the two brothers stare each other down.


"I cannot believe Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Uh, Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it." Caroline's bubbly voice echoed throughout the living room as we all sat around on the sofas, coffee's and tea's in hands.

"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Damon spoke up from his spot situated next to Caroline.

"Yea Clara was just like that today! Dropped out of the squad –though I suppose it was because you missed summer camp I don't know how you would have ever caught up with the routines." Caroline babbled on obnoxiously.

"We would have worked with her, there're not that hard." Elena said more for my benefit than Caroline's as she glanced over at me.

"I guess we could've put her in the back." Caroline said to no one in particular causing myself, Bonnie and Elena to all look at her- as rude as she was being we all knew this was just Caroline being well...Caroline.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Clara." I looked towards Damon.

I was about to answer only to be cut off by Caroline. "Oh, it's because her parents died. Yeah I mean she's just totally going through a 'blah' phase. She used to be way more fun...and I say that with complete sensitivity." She added quickly onto the end.

"I'm sorry, Clara. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In face Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." Damon said sympathetically.

"We don't need to get into that right now Damon." Stefan's narrow gaze focused on his brother.

"Oh you know, your right Stef, I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is to bring her up."

The six of us had broken up, and I was on clean up duty.


"One more." A voice called from behind me.

I turned from the sink to see Damon approaching, glass in hand. "Mh. Thank you." As I reached out to take the glass from him it dropped quickly, only to be caught once again by Damon.

"Nice save." I giggled quietly as I took the glass from him.

"I like you. You know how to laugh and you make Stefan smile which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Earlier did you mean Nikolett?" I asked curiously as I passed a plate over to him to put in the dishwasher.

"Mm-hm"

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

He looked thoughtful for a second before answering. "In a fire. Tragic fire."

"Recently?"

"It seems like it was yesterday." He said avoiding the question directly.

"What was she like?" I pressed.

"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. She was also very complicated and selfish, and at times not very kind but very sexy and seductive, she didn't like to show her soft side that often."

"So which one of you dated her first?" I asked, handing him another plate.

"Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine."

"But I'm asking you." I raised an eyebrow at him as he put the last plate in the dishwasher before closing it. I made my way over to the kitchen table and began folding napkins.

"So why is it that you don't do cheerleading anymore?" He must not know the answer himself – I concluded in my head seeing as he decided to skip giving me the answer.

"Honestly? It just wasn't for me anymore. I used to love it. It was fun and it made my mom happy. She was a cheerleader to in her day. But things changed and everything is different this year. Everything that mattered doesn't anymore."

"So what is it that you do?" He looked up at me.

"What?" I was slightly confused.

"Well you have to do something in your spare time- and that obviously isn't cooking, seeing as you got all this food from the grill- so what is it that you do?" I looked at him disbelievingly as he smirked.

"H-how did you-you?" I stuttered trying to get past my shock.

He chuckled slightly at my wide-eye expression. "Well for one the burnt pot you were cleaning, I also saw some of the forgotten packaging on the side." He gestured with his head to the brown paper bag which had 'Mystic Grill' written on the side in green. "Not to mention the distinct smell of burning." He smirked knowing he had caught me out.

"Okay-okay!" I threw a napkin at his face, which he intercepted and folder neatly. "So cooking isn't my forte, drawing and photography however..."

"So you're an artist?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I like to think so, it runs in the family. My dad taught me and Jeremy, his dad taught him and so on."

"Don't let what Caroline said to you matter."

"What if she's right though? What if I'm going through a 'blah' phase and everything that I've given up starts to matter again?" I rambled starting to doubt myself.

"Maybe it could happen. But it seems a little unrealistic to me." He shrugged smiling slightly.

"You know, I'm sorry." I blurted out after a moment of silence causing he to offer me a confused look.

"About Nikolett, you lost her too." He seemed a little shocked as we stared at each other- did I say something wrong?

"Hey. Need some help?" Bonnie's voice broke our staring contest as she and Elena made her way in.

"Sure, why not?" Damon answered politely, while Elena sent a questioning gaze my way mouthing 'Later' to which I nodded subtly to.


"You know tonight wasn't so bad. I had fun." I looked up from where I was curled up next to Stefan.

"Mm-that makes one of us." Stefan mumbled slightly as we sat on the couch watching T.V.

"Oh come on. Your brother isn't as bad as you make him out to me." I stated, though my last few words getting quieter as Stefan leaned in- his lips meeting mine in a heated session

I pushed him backwards so I was straddling him- though if we moved an inch or two to the left we would most likely fall towards the hard-wood floor- and met his lips once more. I breathed heavily as I ran my fingers through his hair.

Removing my shirt, to reveal my black lace bra, sighing in pleasure as he ran his hand up and down my back, he then stopped and started to remove his own shirt over his head.

Moving the hair from my eyes I looked down at him once again as he moved his shirt over his head only to let out a piercing scream, as I saw it was not Stefan I was straddling but Damon instead as he smirked up at me. I got up and stumbled backwards screaming

*End of Dream*

I gasped as I sat up in bed, a slight groaning alerting me of Elena's presence.

"You okay." She mumbled quietly in her sleepy haze.

"Y-yea just a bad dream."

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" She slurred.

"N-no. I'm just gonna get a drink, you go back to sleep."

"M'okay." Within seconds I could hear her faint snores as I grabbed my glass from the side of my bed and stumbled my way into the bathroom.

These nightmares were going to be the end of me...

Though what Clara didn't see as she made her way into the bathroom was the large, black feathered crow perched on her windowsill looking into her bedroom.