Forever the One

Eighteen

Jenna couldn't believe who was in her house. "I need to make a phone call." She tells John.

John nodded, but wondered where his niece was and his great niece, but yet, he didn't hear them. Seeing Jenna on the phone, he knew she was talking to Clara and telling her that he was back in town.
~~~
At the Salvatore's, Clara shook her head. "Jenna, I have nothing to do with that man." She tells her. "He is nothing, but trouble."

"I know, but you are the only one that seems to get him to leave me alone. Please come home. Damon can keep Mara-Belle since you don't want her around him. Hell, bring Damon...."

"No because he may kill John." She tells her as she felt Damon's lips on her neck. "Plus, John can leave as he has no rights in that house. It's in my name as I'm the oldest, you moved in to help me and where was he? No where's." She closed her eyes as he bit her neck.

"I know, but he can't seem to understand that. That's why you are the only one he will listen to because he knows to not piss you off."

Clara looked at Damon as his hands moved around her body as he fed a little bit more. "Well, I'll see him later." She says trying  her hardest not to moan. "Tell him to leave till I see him. There is a party at the Lockwoods and I'll talk to him then with Damon."

"Sure will."

Hanging the phone up, Clara turned around as Damon gave her blood. Holding her close to him, Damon closed his eyes. "Mommy? Daddy?"

The wound on her neck healed as they looked at Mara-Belle. "Hey, sweetie." Clara says as Mara-Belle walked to them. "What's wrong?"

"Are you hungry, Princess?"

She nodded causing Damon to kiss her head. "I'll fix you some vampire pancakes."

"Yummy!" She squealed out causing Clara to laugh as she grabbed his arm.

Clara put Mara-Belle down as she ran to the bathroom. Damon looked at her as he kissed her. "I'll make you something too." He tells her.

"Okay." She says as they kissed again.

"Mommy!"

Clara shook her head as she kissed Damon one last time before going to her daughter. Damon looked back at them and smiled. He loves that woman and that little girl so much that he may ask if he can adopt her as his own daughter. Once he finally confesses his feelings. Deciding to go downstairs and get started on those pancakes, his mind went to his brother causing him to go check on him.
~~~
After breakfast, Elena saw her sister arriving at the school. "John is back."

"I know. Jenna called me." She tells her. "I wonder why he is back and what does he want because his visit will be short and I'll make sure of it."

"He was always terrified of you." Elena tells her. "Damon have Mara-Belle."

"Yes. He is keeping her safe as he tries to see if Stefan is okay. Which, speaking of...you haven't asked about him. Is something wrong?"

Elena knew that Clara will be the first to catch on causing her to take her sister to the office. Clara watched as she shut the door causing her to sit on her desk. "I don't think I have feelings for him." She tells her. "I mean I care for him, but I don't want to be a vampire. Some will think it's because of Damon, but I swear to you that I don't want him. Never will."

"I know you don't and he definitely has no feelings for you. He doesn't want you he tells me that you are too much like Katherine...."

"God, I hate that." She says. "He loves you, Clara. I see the way he looks at you and I see nothing, but love. He also adores Mara-Belle."

"He...loves me?"

"Clara, I know you love him the way he loves you. I know he feeds off you almost everyday and gives you blood." She tells her. "You need to tell him how you truly feel about him."

Clara didn't say a word as her sister walked out. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she saw a picture of her, Damon and Mara-Belle. She finally saw what everyone else was seeing. A family and love between her and Damon. Yet, she doesn't know how to tell him. Sighing, Clara decided to show how much she really loves Damon tonight.
~~~
Arriving at the Lockwoods party, Damon saw Clara and froze in his spot. "Mommy, pretty." Mara-Belle says causing Damon to smile.

"That she is, princess." He says. "I love you and your mother."

Clara saw them and smiled as she walked over to him. "Hey." She tells him as she kissed him, but he knew the kiss was different then the other times.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out what to say to you. I want to confess something to you, but at the same time, I'm scared. You loved Katherine for so long...."

Damon took Clara and Mara-Belle inside, but he saw Elena. "Elena, will you watch her?"

Elena nodded as she knew he needed to speak to her sister. Mara-Belle ran to her aunt as Damon and Clara walked away not knowing John was following them. Finding a room that was empty, he shut the door. "I don't love Katherine. The moment I met you and Mara-Belle, was the moment I realized she didn't love me." He tells her as he moved her hair out of her face. "You have to understand all those kissing, us getting close to having sex, Mara-Belle calling me dad, I..."

"Damon..."

"I love you."

Clara couldn't believe he said it. She kissed him hard as he backed her against the wall. She pulled away smiling. "I love you." She confessed.

Damon kissed her as he was moved her dress up till they heard a knock. "Go get Mara-Belle."

Nodding, Clara opened the door just to stop as they saw John. "Clara, I have been wanting to talk to you..."

"Damon will speak to you. We're cutting tonight short." She tells him. "We're going home and watching us a movie."

Damon smirked as he watched Clara walk away.
~~~
Damon found his family and walked to them as Clara had knocked Stefan out. "What happened?"

"He confessed to not being under control." She tells him. "What is John wanting?"

"The device."

"Oh hell no." She tells him. "He can die all I care."

Damon turned her around. "Clara, he knows that we are vampires and he wants me to stay away from you and my daughter. So, I killed him."

"He has the Gilbert ring. He will be awake soon." She tells him. "For now, let's get Stefan home and get his feeding problem under control."

Damon nodded as he kissed her head. "Can we talk about me adopting Mara-Belle?"

Clara looked at him and smiled as they drove off. John watched them leave and shook his head. Clara is the only person who can get what he needs, but she won't cooperate. She's as stubborn as her father, but she knows how to get her way faster than others. How to get that device to protect these people?