CHAPTER SIXTEEN | DO NOT GO GENTLE

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PREPARATIONS FOR THE DECADE DANCE WERE WELL UNDERWAY. Klara and Caroline walked through the gym hall, while Caroline held a clipboard in her hand. The Forbes girl was now in charge of the preparations considering Rebekah hadn't shown up.

"You did, what?" Caroline's eyes flickered between Klara and the decorations that were being hung behind her. "Why the hell would you sleep wi—"

"—Sh!" Klara lunged forward and placed her index finger over Caroline's mouth. "I didn't tell you that so you could tell the entire gym, Caroline." The blonde vampire looked around at the dozens of students in the gymnasium with them. 

Caroline took a breath the moment Klara removed her finger from her lips. "Okay. But, you still haven't explained the, why?"

"Does there need to be a reason?" The Adams girl looked at Caroline who didn't seem to be satisfied with Klara's vague response. "Everything in that department is very complicated and I needed a distraction. Kol served as a distraction—nothing more."

"What's Stefan said about it?" 

"Nothing because he doesn't need to know." Klara grabbed a feather boa from a box and threw it around her neck. "Look, the whole reason I slept with Kol was to try and distract myself from whatever I feel for Stefan, okay?"

"Did it work?" Caroline pressed for more of an explanation.

Klara exhaled and threw the feather boa back into the box with a sigh. "Nope."

"Okay." Caroline shrugged immediately as she placed her clipboard down onto the table. "Then, ask him to the dance tonight."

 "Care, I can't—"

"Why not?"

"Because of Elena!" Klara exclaimed as she flapped her arms around her. "Look, I don't know what's going on with them. To be honest, I don't think either of them knows what's going on with their relationship but I can't just go around stealing my friends'  boyfriends."

Caroline rolled her eyes and grabbed Klara by the hands. "Ask him, Klara. What have you got to lose? Apart from your dignity."

"Thanks, Care." Klara sarcastically rolled her eyes as she walked out of the gymnasium, she heard Caroline's voice call out that she loved her, but Klara just chuckled. She headed into an abandoned classroom as she yanked her phone from her pocket to call Stefan.

"Hey. I didn't see you this morning." Stefan spoke the moment he answered the call. Klara swore that she could hear the smile on his face as he spoke. 

"Yeah, no." Klara hummed. "I had to meet with Caroline to sort out some stuff for the dance tonight."

"Slave labor." The Salvatore chuckled.

"You're telling me." Klara exhaled deeply. She was terrified to ask Stefan to be her date to the dance but Caroline was right, what did she have to lose? "So, I have something I wanted to ask you and you're more than free to say no, it's just— I know we're in a weird situation and all but, the dance is tonight and I wondered if maybe you would go with me."

"Um—" Stefan's voice made Klara instantly panic. "Elena already asked me..."

"Oh." Klara breathed out almost instantly. She felt defeated and not only that, she felt stupid. "Sorry, I—"

"—But I said no because I was meaning to ask you." Stefan immediately cut her off and suddenly a small moved back onto her face. "She's taking time to work out what she wants, and I'm doing the same. So, I'd be more than happy to be your date to the dance, Klara."

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The Decade Dance was in the theme of the twenties, which made Klara gasp as she stepped into the gym with Stefan Salvatore. Klara's eyes drifted over to Elena, who gave them a half-hearted smile before she walked in the opposite direction. "I figured she'd be here with Damon."

"Yeah, let's not discuss Elena and Damon tonight, okay?" Stefan lightly chuckled to himself, but Klara understood. It must have been difficult for him. He didn't know where he stood with Elena, what Elena felt for Damon, or what he truly felt for Klara.

"Okay, fine. Then let's dance." Klara shrugged immediately as she tried to tug him onto the dancefloor by the hang, but he seemed reluctant. "Show me how they did it in the twenties."

"Oh, no, no. I blacked out for most of this decade, remember?" Stefan tried his best to wriggle out of having to dance, but Klara knew him too well. 

"Guess we'll have to learn from each other, then," Klara smirked as she pulled Stefan into the middle of the dancefloor and they instantly began to dance. A smile formed on Stefan's face, and it was probably the first time Klara had seen him genuinely happy since he turned his humanity off. 

The upbeat music had changed to a slow song which left Klara feeling rather awkward until Stefan extended his hand for her to take. "See, this. This I can do." He wriggled as eyebrows once Klara placed her hand within his. "Bonnie seems happy."

Klara's eyes fell on the Bennett witch who's date was Jamie, the boy her mother had been looking after. "Yeah. I mean, I think she's just working through it, you know?" 

"I think a lot of people are doing that." Stefan hummed as he looked down at the blonde within his hold. "Klara, I can't lie and say I don't still love Elena, because I do. But, when I'm with you I feel—" 

"—Alive?" Klara finished for him. Alive was how she felt whenever she was around him, and she only hoped that he felt the same with her. "I mean, that's exactly how I feel when I'm with you."

"Yeah. I feel alive." The Salvatore nodded. "There's something between us that I can't ignore anymore. I think we've both been ignoring it for far too long." He dipped Klara down as they danced and they stared into each other's eyes but as he brought her up, Damon appeared behind her.

"We three need to talk. Where's Elena?" Damon raised a question as alarm bells began to ring within their minds.

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Esther had taken Elena from the Decade Dance and placed a boundary spell around the school that ensured that no vampire could step over it. They were trapped.  Bonnie had been enlisted to break the barrier spell that kept everyone bound. She had several candles lit around as her as she chanted. Damon, Stefan, Klara, Klaus, Jamie, and Jeremy watched impatiently.

"What's taking so long?" Klaus called and immediately cut Bonnie's attention which caused her to stop chanting. "All boundary spells have a loophole."

The sound of the door behind them opening caused Klara's eyes to avert in the direction of Matt who walked into the room. "People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier."

"Well, if Matt and I can leave, we could stop Esther ourselves," Jeremy suggested with a hopeful look. "We just gotta find out where she is."

"You're not serious." The blonde vampire shook her head, with arms folded against her chest. "You're talking about two humans going against a thousand-year-old witch. It's suicide and you know it."

Klaus sped straight over and grabbed Jamie by the throat and began to strangle him. "Suicide would be disappointing me! Now work your magic, witch, or I'll start killing people you fancy." The human choked out quietly in Klaus' grip which caused everyone's eyes to widen in fear.

"Let him go!" Bonnie yelled toward him.

"Not until you get us out of here." Klaus glanced between Bonnie and then Jamie. 

"Ah, don't be stupid, Klaus. Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us. The only reason she's helping right now is to save Caroline and Tyler. If you start killing the people she cares about, she'll tell us all to go to Hell." Klaus knew that Stefan had a point, so he immediately released his grip on the human. 

"I need to find Caroline and tell her what's going on." Klara breathed out immediately. She was worried about her friends, especially Caroline, who never seemed to be informed of what was happening. Klara pushed through the double doors as Stefan followed after her. "God! We can't even have one simple, normal night without some psychotic dead witch trying to ruin everything!"

As Klara and Stefan walked into the empty gym, their eyes were fixed on Caroline and Tyler who were the only two left. "What's going on?" 

"Esther took Elena." Stefan exhaled. A small flood of guilt ran through him as he spoke of Elena's disappearance. "They're at the Old Cemetery. Jeremy and Matt are headed there right now."

"You let them go?" The Forbes vampire skeptically looked between Stefan and Klara. "They're gonna get themselves killed!"

"We had no other option, Caroline, we're all useless in here because none of us can get over that damn boundary spell," Klara yelled out in a frustrated tone as the blonde placed her hand on Klara's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about what Esther wants with Elena."

Stefan nodded. "She led Klaus here for a reason. If she succeeds in whatever she's doing—"

"—Klaus could get killed." Tyler finished off for Stefan as all three sets of eyes moved to the Hybrid. He was sat on the bleachers looking down at them. "And I die, along with him."

"No one's gonna die, okay? Bonnie's still looking for a way around the boundary spell. It's not too late."

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The boundary spell was broken by Esther's death and the group felt relief, but they were not prepared for what was next to come. Esther had every intention of turning Alaric into an Original vampire to hunt vampires, but instead, he decided to not go through with the transition—he wanted to die. He said he would rather die himself than let his alter ego take control. They had to respect his decision, no matter how hard it was to take. 

After that all went to the Old Cemetery to pay their respects to Alaric one last time, Klara stood over Wickery Bridge. She looked down into the water as a single tear slid down her cheek. "Klara." Stefan's voice broke her stare as she turned around to look at him.

With bloodstained cheeks, her eyes fell to his. "It feels like we're always saying goodbye to people—losing people. It's not fair, Stefan."

"I know. Come here." The Salvatore grabbed Klara by the wrist and pulled her into his embrace. He held her while she whimpered in his grip. "I am so, so sorry. For everything."

Klara looked up at him just as he stared down at her. Stefan brushed a strand for her hair out of face as his thumb danced against the skin of her cheek. Their lips were inches away until Klara stepped backward. "Wait..."

"But, I thought you felt the same. I thou—"

"—I do." Klara vigorously nodded. "God knows, I have felt so much for you. I mean, maybe it even started before we spent that summer with Klaus, I don't know. It all just kinda crept up on me. But, I don't want you to see me as another option now that Elena's got feelings for Damon."

Stefan furrowed his brows as he grabbed the blonde by the hand. He shook his head. "What? No, Klara, I would never think of you like that."

"I know, but I just need to make sure." She breathed out finally. Everything inside of her wanted to let his hand graze her cheek or his lips touch hers, but she needed to make sure that she wasn't just an option to him. That it was real. 

"Klara, please—" Stefan called out to the blonde who had turned her back on him and began to walk away. He wanted her to stay, and he only knew one way of doing that. "I know you slept with Kol Mikaelson!" Klara's heart dropped instantly as she turned around with wide eyes. "Caroline told me, by accident. Why didn't you say anything to me? We're supposed to be best friends."

"Best friends that have just decided not to kiss each other." Klara scoffed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I slept with Kol because of you. Because I needed a distraction and some time not to think. Since I realized the way that I felt about you, it's all I thought about. So, please, don't jud—"

The Salvatore's hands were in the air, almost as if he were surrendering. "No, no. I'm not judging." Stefan nodded slowly and he began to lower his hands as he looked at Klara, who's eyes had welled with tears. 

"It's right, Stefan," Klara admitted as she saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he looked at her. "Just, I don't think it's right, now. Not yet." And with that, Klara was gone.

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