Forever the One

Fifteen

"Clara Gilbert." She heard Mrs. Lockwood call out.

Clara turned and smiled. "Mrs. Lockwood, what brings you by?" She asked.

"You know the annual bachelor will be tonight and I know you and Damon Salvatore are good friends. Would you see if he will join?"

Clara slowly nodded as she felt like this was pressuring him, but she had to check on Mara-Belle. Pulling her phone out as Mrs. Lockwood watched. "Hey, Damon, Mrs. Lockwood wants to see if you would join the bachelor charity thing they hold every year tonight?"

On the other end, Damon looked at Mara-Belle, who was sound asleep in his arms. "As long as you have my number, then I'll join."

"Yes, Mrs. Lockwood."

Damon wondered what was bothering her. She didn't seem too happy about the idea of him being in that bachelor night, but he knew that she will get his number. She seemed stress causing him to look at Mara-Belle. "Mommy has something going on in that mind of hers and we are going to fix that." He stated. "Starting with tonight."

Mara-Belle stirred a bit causing Damon to lay her down on the blankets he laid out for her. Damon looked at her and smiled as he liked to claim her as his daughter.
~~~
"So, Damon is Damon. Not upset?"

"No. He seems fine and has been watching Mara-Belle a lot lately. He also has been around Clara."

Elena sighed as she looked at her sister. "Somethings bugging her. She's got so much going on and I can tell. She just...won't tell me or anyone. I think she feels guilty for what happened to Shelia."

"That wasn't her fault. That was Damon's."

Elena shook her head. "I don't know. Hopefully Damon can figure it out."
~~~
Later that day, Jenna saw Clara helping at the grill. "You have your number?"

"Yes." Clara stated. "Damon should be coming with Mara-Belle."

Jenna looked at her niece. "Clara, do you have feelings for Damon?"

Clara looked at her wondering what she was getting from this. "Why the sudden question?"

"Mara-Belle calls him daddy, you are around him more than being at home, which is good, but I worry. Damon doesn't seem like the type to have one woman."

"You're jumping to conclusions." She tells her. "Damon was hooked on one woman till he find out she lied to him. She never loved him and no one never took their time to know Damon Salvatore. Yes, he can be an ass, he has this sexy bad boy vibe, but deep down, he is this caring guy who deserves a life, a family, and someone who will support him through think and thin."

She didn't know Damon was standing there listening. "Wow." Jenna says. "You really do like him."

"Shut up." Clara says laughing. "God, you are so nosy."

"See, I told Miranda I thought we were always sisters."

"Yeah." She sighed as she saw Damon with Mara-Belle. "I hope they are proud of me."

"I think they are. Just like I'm proud of you."

Clara smiled as she looked to see her daughter running to her. Picking her up, Clara smiled as she had her happiness right in front of her. Damon looked at them and knew that her number had to be for him. He sat beside Alaric as he remembered hearing Stefan and Elena talking. He was going to piss someone off.

"Mommy. Daddy." She pointed at Damon causing Clara to look as he was looking at them.

"Oh no. He is going to do something to piss someone off. I have learnt that look."

Caroline walked over to her and hugged her. "May I have this little one? Matt and I will watch her."

"I want some time with her, but maybe some other time. Damon had her all day."

"Damon?"

Clara didn't say a word as she listened to each bachelor. Damon was last, but hearing what he said, she pieced the puzzle together. He killed Isobel, but he didn't say what happened to her, meaning he probably turned her. Seeing the look on Alaric's face had Clara glaring. "Now for the numbers."

Damon looked to see the pissed off look on Elena's face as she walked straight to her sister. "You do not leave her around that monster..."

"Let me tell you right now, Elena. You are not the one who carried Mara-Belle around for nine months, you didn't breast feed her, change her diaper, struggle with studies, work, and raising her!" Clara says loudly causing everyone to watch. "You don't get out of my face and stop calling someone a monster when no one knows the true story as he just said that he was pulling people's leg! I will slap the shit out of you. Now go home and stay there."

"Daddy!" Mara-Belle started crying causing Damon to run over to her and Clara.

Taking her in his arms, Damon looked at her. "You don't really know what truly happened to Isobel, but I do. Stop jumping to conclusions before it gets you killed." He says. "Plus, you don't tell a grown ass woman to stay away from someone that she is knowing. Or are you jealous?"

"Eww. God, no." Elena says. "I'm worried about my sister and niece, but she spoke her peace and I will leave."

Clara watched her leave as Mrs. Lockwood decided who won Damon. "Bachelor number 4 automatically goes to Clara Gilbert."

She looked as she saw that Damon was number four. "Lucky me."

Damon smirked. "I think I should be lucky."

She rolled her eyes as Mara-Belle had her head on Damon's shoulder. Jenna along with the rest of Mystic Falls citizens who were in the grill saw what Mrs. Lockwood saw. Love and a family.