Forever the One

Twelve

Clara had just laid Mara-Belle down to sleep. She heard a knock causing her to look at the door. "Clara, can we talk?"

"Why? You think you are the boss of me when I'm older than you. You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do." She tells her. "Yet, you think because I'm around Damon that you can act like fucking Katherine..."

"I don't trust him around my sister and niece. Yes, Mara-Belle likes him, but Damon is to not to be trusted..."

"Elena, I know what Stefan said, but I'm just knowing him. You can't tell me who I can and can't talk to. That's like if I told you to stop talking to Stefan, but have I done that?" She asked. "No. Now you have an option. Stop talking to me or I can easily ground you from going to this dance."

Hearing a sigh, Clara smiled as she won that battle. Seeing a message on her phone had her seeing it was from Damon. What is this man doing to me?
~~~
Sometime that day, Clara sighed as she was tired and was ready to head home. She looked at the flyers that she hung up and how everyone was looking forward to the dance. Smiling, Clara stood up just to scream out as she saw Damon. "Damnit, Damon." She tells him. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Came to see mama." He pointed causing her to see Mara-Belle. "I got her."

"Damon, you are not allowed to compel the daycare to get my daughter." She tells him as she put a file up in her cabinet. "If you truly want to babysit, then you can ask. Not compel."

"Sorry." He says. "Are you going to help..."

"I will, Damon. I don't go back on my words." She tells him. "I wished you understand that Katherine is tricking you because you truly love the woman and yet this woman could be tricking you."

Damon looked at her as he sighed. "I know, but you are the only person I can trust Clara. My brother doesn't want her back and then there is Elena. I don't trust her one bit." He turned the oldest Gilbert around causing her to look at him.

"Damon, I promise that you will find out the truth and finally stop pinning over a woman who will never be yours."

Clara went to her daughter as Damon looked at her as she kissed her daughter's head. He knew he shouldn't obsess over a woman who Clara believes never loved him. He saw the picture of Clara and Mara-Belle causing him to think of their trip to Georgia. Remembering what Bree told him about what she saw when he was with Clara and Mara-Belle. He looked at the mother daughter duo and smiled. Maybe she's right.
~~~
Later that night, Clara had the Gilbert watch in her room as Jeremy ordered pizza. She was dressed and ready for the decade dance. Elena looked to see Clara dressing Mara-Belle up making her wish to speak to her sister, but Clara didn't want to speak to her. Elena wasn't try to boss her big sister around, but she was just trying to protect her, even though Clara has more experience.

"Elena, I know you are at my door. Now what do you want."

"To tell you that I'm just trying to protect you."

"I can protect myself and you are not the boss of me or are you like Katherine."

"What does that mean?"

"You love them both."

Elena gave her sister a horrified look. "No. I will never love them both. Stefan is the only one for me." She says.

"Then stop getting jealous over Damon being around me and Mara-Belle. That's not being a good sister, that's you thinking you should have the attention just like you did when mom and dad were alive. Mom and dad told me that I would have to watch you because you will think that you know better than the rest of us when you don't. Damon can pick who he wants in this world and yet, you can't stand the idea of it. Therefore, you are like Katherine."

Elena walked out of the room as she didn't like being called another Katherine. She only loves Stefan and she will prove it.
~~~
When it was time to go, Elena had already left as Clara had upset her. "Alright, baby girl, ready to dance the night away with mommy." She says as she walked downstairs holding her daughter.

Mara-Belle started crying causing her to get out of her mom's arms and hide just for Clara to be attacked. "Mommy!"

Clara started fighting till the door opened revealing Damon just for the vampire to get distracted and Clara killing him with a stake she had hid in her dress. "Daddy!" Mara-Belle cried out as she ran to him.

Damon walked over and shoved the vampire off her causing Clara to look at him as Mara-Belle held onto his leg. "Are you okay?" She nodded as she looked at her daughter. "Why did she call me daddy?"

"I don't know." She states. "She never had a father figure besides her uncle and grandfather, but dad is gone and Jeremy is doing God knows what."

Damon helped her stand up. "He's dead now."

"Yep and I think I know a way to help you see Katherine tricked you."

"How?"

"Find Emily's grimoire."

Damon nodded as he picked Mara-Belle up then pulled Clara into his arms. For once, Clara let herself break as she thought for once she would have died in the hands of a vampire if she didn't hide her stake in her dress. Damon just stood there holding the mother daughter duo as he was scared that he would have lost them. I think I'm in love with Clara Gilbert.