⋆·☆·⋆

chapter seventeen - "Is this a date?"

⋆·☆·⋆

An alarm started to ring as Clem's arm reached over onto the nightstand next to her she shut it off. She yawned pulling the blanket off herself and going to stand up. That was until Damon pulled on the oversized shirt and wrapped his arms around her and pulled the blanket back over them.

"Damon I have to get up."

"Noo," He whinned kissing her neck repeatedly making her laugh at the tickles spot.

"Damon! Damon stop it!" She squealed lightly hitting his side because she was to short to reach anything else. But he didn't stop, "Okay! Okay! Truce! Truce!"

"Truce?" He asked as she smiled at him over shoulder. "I'll show you truce!" He said pulling her under him and started kissing her over her body. She squealed moving around under him laughing and smiling so much that her cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Wait, wait, wait," She said hitting his side lightly as they both started looking around. "You hear that?"

"Stefan's playing music," He said like it was nothing and went to going back to kissing her.

She placed a finger to his lips, stopping him. "Stefan's. Playing. Music." He shook his head lightly not understanding what she was getting at. "Your type of music Spike,"

"What's wrong with my type of music?"

"Nothing..nothing when you listen to that type of music it's fine. But when he listen to that music everything is wrong." She explained as she watched his face fell showing his expressions of understanding what she meant. "Oh my god..Stefan's playing my type of music."

"Thank god, I thought I was gunna have to spell it out for you." She remarked watching him get up and walk out the room to check on his brother.

🍊

"He said his trip is open-ended."

"Uncle John?" Clem asked raising a brow shoving books into her backpack. "That's the one," Elena agreed as she groaned. "He's the human embodiment of a 'rate your pain from 1-10' chart. I mean I look at him and I feel like I'll puke all over him."

"Why does that make the most sense?" She asked leaning on the locker next to the short Lightwood.

"That's because you are talking to a girl that was in and out of children hospitals all her life." She reminded shut her locker door and zipping up her bag. "Look if you need to run away my bedroom is always open." She said feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled down at it.

"Or maybe your bedroom will be locked." She remarked seeing the girl gushing down at her phone. "Clementine?"

"Huh?" She asked looked up smiling from ear to ear.

"You know I've been wanting to know who has you all smiley?"

"Nobody," She smiled shoving her phone back into her pocket just as her phone started to ring. "Hi, dad. Is something wrong?"

"I'm picking you up earlier, they called a meeting." He said as she nodded. "I'm ready when you are," She than hanged up and shoved the phone into her pocket. "Apparently my dad is picking me up earlier because they called an emergency meeting."

"You're not gunna..."

"Tell the council that the Salvatore brothers are vampires and unleashed a tomb of vampires from the 18th century? No I was going create a power point about it."

🍊

"The coroner's office has officially ruled Vicki Donovan's death a drug overdose. Her family has been notified. The truth will stay in this room, and we can put this behind us." Sheriff Forbes said as Clem glanced over her shoulder to see who had just walked in. Damon. She than remember that her father was right next to her so she quickly looked straight ahead.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Mayor Lockwood said taking her place infront of the group. "And on to a more pressing issue. John Gilbert has asked to say a few words."

Her heart stopped as she took a long silent sigh. "Didn't know he was back," Michael whispered towards his daughter.

"Elena said something about it this morning." She said glancing at him for a moment.

"Oh, this is going to be great," He remarked through a fake smile.

"Welcome back, John. It's good to see you." The mayor said as John walked up next to him. "Thank you, Mayor. Hello, everyone. It's wonderful to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances. As a founding family member, to find it's my duty to report some very distressing news."

Both Lightwood's looked at each other confused for very different reasons. "A hospital blood bank in the neighboring county of amherst has reported several break-ins over the past 2 weeks. 7 hunters, 4 campers, and 2 state employees have been reported missing as well, all of this within a 75-mile radius of Mystic Falls."

"O-ok. No need to get alarmed right at this moment." Mayor Lockwood quickly shut down.

"Meaning he doesn't wanna cancel the Founder's Day kick-off party." She heard Sheriff Forbes muttered which made her smile as Michael nudged her lightly.

"You think all of your problems are over, but I'm here to tell you nothing's been solved." John said looking towards the Lightwoods'.

🍊

"Clementine, wonderful to see you again." John said making the two turn towards him. "Uncle John," She said with her best, fakest smile. "I'm ─ what a surprise! Just so happy to see you again..... help me," She said whispering the 'help me' part.

"What?"

"Happy me! I'm just so happy," She quickly lied before her eye's lit up seeing Damon walking over to them. "Damon, crazy seeing you here." She said quickly walking over to his side. "Please save me,"

"I got this, just follow my lead. Mr. Lightwood happy to see you again." He said making her smile lightly.

"Damon Salvatore. Touch any of my daughter's and I will hunt you down, strip you naked, cover you in honey and leave you tied to tree in the middle of woods and wait for the bears to come out." Michael threatened staring him down.

"Yes ─ yes sir. Um, Clem ─ Clementine I need your help with that thing." He said correcting himself trying not to piss of her dad.

"Right th-that-that thing, that only involves us." She added stuttering lightly.

"You two really don't want to be here do you?" He asked as both nodded.

"I really want a milkshake and coffee..." She said before gasping looking up at him. "Do you think someone could make me a coffee milkshake?"

"Good question, I have no-"

"Let's find out!" She said trying to get the hell out of this awkward situation. She grabbed his hand before dragging him away. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She said looping his arm through his.

"I think your dad really likes me," He remarked walking her to his car.

"Weirdly enough that's not the heaviest, creepiest, most detail threat he as made." She said making his eyebrows rais as he opened the door for her.

"How about you can tell me all about it over milkshakes?" He asked as she broke out into a smile. "I'd love to."

🍊

"So I just thought maybe if I acted like I wasn't good at archery maybe he would like. Thinking in my 11 year old mind I still hit the lowest part. But he, uh..." She trailed off.

"He was that bad?"

The two sat in the farthest booth in The Grill. They sat sat across from each other just stuck in there own little world.

She smiled taking a sip of the milkshake in front of her, "Bad isn't the word I would use. I mean he hit a target."

"What target the ground?" He asked laughing which made her smile even more seeing him happy. "No, the hay bails behind the target."

"Okay, okay, there as to be something that makes me hate you or run for the hills?" He asked leaning back against the booth seat.

"Why would I want you to run for the hills? Besides you can't hate me, nobody can hate me ... but Robin Quinn does actually hate my guts."

Damon scoffed, "What did you do to make Robin Quinn hate you?" He asked raising a brow. "I may or may not have water boarded him with vervain." She said crossing her arms on the tables while seeing him nearly choke on his drink, "What?"

"To be fair it was Halloween and he was dressed as a vampire, a very believe vampire. His mom was a special effects artists and..." She trailed off glancing off the side.

"You ravined the poor kid?" He asked leaning forward.

"My dad told his mom that I watched a few to many horror movies, and I was a scared eight year old."

"Wait you were eight," He asked with wide eyes. "Yes, and made it so people would dare each other to ask out the weird girl. But than Caroline came along and we become friends. And than Elena and Bonnie," She explained before playing her straw looking down as silence filled the two.

She sighed lightly just coming out and asking the question. "Is this a date?"

He looked like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. "Uh, I mean ─ if yo-you want it to be." He said as Clem quickly started talking at the same time. "I mean I would like to but I just wanted to know if you wanted to."

He smiled lightly to himself, "If you want it to be than it is a date."

She leaned closer to him putting her finger out and used it to motion him closer to him. "I want this to be a date." She said softly pulling his hand to her and intertwining their fingers. "Good, cause i didn't know what I would have done if you said no,"

🍊

"Oh, good. You're here...both of you," Elena breathed out opening the door to see both Damon and Clem standing next to each other.

"You ask, we come. I'm easy like that." He said walking smirking towards Clem.

Elena placed a finger to her lips telling them stay quiet motioning towards Jeremy eating in the other room. Clem nodded before shutting the door behind her and following to the stairs. "No, Elena and Clementine I will not..go to your bedroom with you." He said dramatically.

Clem rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm and throwing him in front of her and up the stairs. "Idiot," She muttered shaking her head.

They walked towards Elena room and Damon opened the door as nodded, "Ah...just like I remembered."

Clem hit his shoulder lightly walking into the room. "Be quiet you ass."

"You have a great ass, wait..."

"Stop messing around." Elena said shutting the door behind them as the two looked around the trashed room. Damon picked up the teddy bear off Elena's bed and laid down in it's place. "You know, did you know that your uncle's been kickin' it with The Founder's Council?"

"Clem told me,"

"What?" He asked looking at the girl sitting on the bed by the footboard.

"Yeah I told her I would just add it to the growing list of how everything's falling apart." She remarked as Clem gave her an empathic smile.

"What happened right there?" He asked pointing with the bears arm to a corner of the wall that had a broken shelves. Along with clothes and a broken lamp.

"Uh, nothing." She said slowly as him and Clem looked at each other thinking the same thing. "Look, guys, I-I'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's ok, but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he's back to normal?"

"Few days, give or take."

"It's been a few days."

"Give, then. I don't know. What's the big deal?" He asked getting off the bed.

"He's not himself, Damon." She explained as her walked passed her handing her the teddy bear before walking to her dresser.

"Well, maybe his problem is he's spent too long not being himself." He said as Clem quickly pulled out her ringing phone. "And Mel is freaking out once again with her own incubo vivente that is Founder's Day." She said standing up. "Call me if anything goes wrong before the party."7th

🍊

"What's the crisi di mezza età about now?" Prue asked running into the oldest bedroom clearly stressed. Every Lightwood knew when Prue was stressed when she would start speaking Italian. The same thing Clem did when she was stressed.

"I literally can not figure out which polish looks better with my dress." Melissa asked holding up two different bottles of nail polish.

"They look the same love,"

"What I've been telling her for the past fifteen minutes." Clem called from the floor. Sitting in front of the mirror doing her makeup.

"They are not! Mamma, please, I need your help." She pleaded putting on her best puppy eyes. She sighed before pointing to the left one as Mel broke out into a smile. "Thank you,"

"Now if you excuse me, Millie is trying to wear her Cinderella costume instead of her actually dress." She said before walking out the room.

Mel shut the door and sat down next to her sister. "So...how's you and lover boy?"

Her face slowly broke into a smile, while she looked up at her. "He took me on a date yesterday. It was cute, and slow, and chill but it was really good." She gushed as Mel started to smile as well but than fell. "Was this yesterday after the meeting?"

"Yeah,"

"That's why dad was pissed when he got home." She said starting to paint her nails. "Wait, really?" She asked raising a brow going back to her doing her makeup.

"Mom dragged him into there room after he was yelling about getting something from the basement and quote, "Killing her and that boy,"."

Clem's arms slowly fell, "Mel," She hummed looking at her. "He's gunna be at the Founder's Party."

"Oh no,"

"Look you distract him and I'll find him and explain everything and just not look in his direction the whole night." She rambled looking off into the distance.

"Better idea. How about I distract dad and you and Romeo ran off and hide in a closet."

"And leave you alone while you're living your worst nightmare. No way. You'll drown someone in the sink before your done with your first glass."

🍊

"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?"

"I've been telling you guys for months that we have officially entered The Twilight Zone." Clem remarked walking over the two and standing on the other side of Elena.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Elena asked as the three watched Stefan dancing.

"Eventually. One way or another."

"Don't panic he will be fine before you know it." Clem said to try and help the situation. Elena smiled lightly before walking off to find Jenna.

Clem's smile fell before she hit Damon's arm just as he was about to take drink, "Hey!"

"You shouldn't have done that you dickhead,"  She said tilting her head to the side. He smirked before leaning in closer, "Yeah but I'm your dick."

"Shut up," She muttered shaking her head looking around for any of her sister's. "Mack!" She called motioning for her to come her.

"What?" She asked crossing her arms.

"Where's Mel?"

"Said she was getting wine and just upped and left." She informed. "Damn it, if you find her just sit her into a corner and keep her drinking nothing but water. Tell her it's white wine I don't care. Just call me and start filling her up." She said as Mack nodded before walking off.

"That goes for you too." She said turning to Damon clearly starting to stress.

"Hey, it's okay," He said placing his arm on either side of her.

"No you don't get it. Mel hates everyone and while drink double her weight in wine just to get through an hour with everyone." She said picking at her nails.

He noticed that and moved his hands to either side of her face. "You look beautiful tonight." He said making her smile and getting her mind off it.

🍊

She watched as the bartender poured him some bourbon into a glass before walking off to the next order. "You sure you don't want some?"

"Yes,"

"Have you noticed what your brother's been up to?" Elena asked walking up to them.

"Nope. Been to preoccupied with yours." He said making both girl's look at him. "Jeremy's been asking questions about Vicki Donovan's death."

"He knows that her death was ruled an overdose." Both pointed out.

"Really? 'Oh, but, Sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?' I know. I know. Me. I mean, I could compel him, but he's wearing vervain." He suggested making Elena snap towards him.

"No. I don't want you to compel him." She quickly said.

"If he keeps asking questions..." He trailed off raising a brow. "You won't do anything but ignore and drink your bourbon before I shove it down your throat." Clem threatened.

"No Damon, I'm serious. I'm not gonna do that to him again. I'll handle it."

He sighed, "Okay....don't say I didn't warn you." He said leaning over Clem picking a rose from the vase next to her and handing it to Elena. Than looped his arm through Clem's and walked off with her.

"The flower was a nice thing." She said holding onto his arm.

"Good, cause I got you one too." He said placing a rose behind her ear. "You are full of surprises aren't you?"

🍊

Clem sat in the corner with her sister's. They were focusing Melissa to drink water. Mack was eating cake. And Millie was playing was trying not to fall asleep in Clem's arms.

"Monkey?" She asked shaking her lightly getting a groan. "Here play with this," She said pulling the rose out of her hair and handing it to her.

"Melissa Evie Lightwood drink this damn water before I shove my foot up your ass." Mack threatened with her mouth full of cake.

"Inside voices." Millie corrected.

"Hey, Clementine can I talk to you for a moment?" Damon asked walking up to them.

"Sure, I will be right back. Keep waterboarding her-" She said pointing towards to the oldest. "-and keep her awake." She said pointing to the youngest before turning to a very confused Damon. "Don't ask."

He lead her to and empty closet making sure no one was looking before shutting the two end. They were chests to chests since the space wasn't as big as either had thought. "Do you wanna hear the bad news or the really bad news?"

"I leave for like almost an hour. What did you do?" She whispered staring up at him.

"Let me rephrase. Do you wanna hear how the council's back in vampire mode or how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert?"

She closed her eyes sighing heavily. "Right, so you thought the best idea after finding out the council is back to hunting, you kill someone on the council?"

"I could have made it two for two and slept with him since I'm already sleeping with someone on the council." He remarked.

"Technical not on the council since I'm not eighteen."

"Why aren't you made at me? I mean normal Buffy would be made that I killed someone."

"Because I actually hate Uncle John with a burning passion." She informed making him raise a brow. "Clemmy actually hates someone?" He asked as she leaned up to him. "I hated you remember?" She reminded giving him a quick kiss before quickly walking out and going back to her sister's.

🍊

"Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you all for joining us tonight." Mayor Lockwood said as Mack uncovered Millie's ears after everyone stopped clapping. She was asleep on Clem's back and everyone was doing there best to make sure she didn't wake up.

"In just a few moments, we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming Founder's Day celebration, and it's a very special one this year, the hundred and fiftyth birthday of our town." He said as Mack quickly cover Millie's ears again. "And ─ And I would like to welcome back one of our town's favorite sons to do the honors of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?"

And that's when Clem saw him. A few much alive and breathing Uncle John standing next to the Mayor. She looked around seeing Damon near the door. Trying to figure out how she was going to murder him.

"A hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, look after each other, protect each other. It's good to be home." He said.

She rolled her eyes before looking towards Mack, "I'm taking her outside," She said over the people clapping.

"Okay, I'll find you afterward?" She asked as her sister nodded before walking off passing Damon and Alaric on her way out. "Look at his right hand." She said to them.

"Whose?" Alaric asked as Damon knew what she was getting out.

"The town's favorite son. Look at his ring." She heard Damon say before quickly to walk out hearing the bell ring in the distance.

🍊

"Is she still asleep?" She asked as Damon looked over to a sleeping Millie. "Yeah,"

"Good. Did Alaric finally put the pieces together?" She asked in a whisper as Damon helped her take a drink of her water.

"Yeah, I mean he has to know who Isobel was the ring was the exact same." He explained whipping the corner of her mouth. "And my Dad's," She muttered looking down making Damon's eye's widen. "What? What do you mean the same as your dad's?"

"It's not the exact same like John's and Alaric's but it's like similar." She said pulling her sister up a little.

"Well have you seen him with out it?" He asked as she nodded her, "Everytime we run he takes it off. When he gets home he takes it off."

He thought about it for a moment before nodding, "It's probably nothing, and we'll deal with it in the morning.'

"But-" She started but her placed his hands on the side of face making her look up at him. "You haven't had a coffee in almost seven hours. You have a sleeping munchkin on your back. We'll deal with it in the morning. I'm helping you get her in the car, and than I'll find Mack and Melissa and you four will come home and get some sleep." He said making her smile lightly. "Okay,"

"Okay?"

"Okay," She confirmed nodding her head. "Good, now come one it's starting to get cold." He said smiling lightly to her.