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chapter nineteen - "See and this is why people like me better."

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"It's so hard to see him locked up like this."

"You're the one who locked him up." Damon pointed out with back against the facing wall while Elena stood at the tip os her toes to look through the bars to see Stefan. "You helped." She reminded.

"I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town was looking fir vampires, now, could I?"

"It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him." She asked looking back at him.

"Your thing, not mine." He remarked before walking back to go back up stairs to check on Clementine who was still asleep when he left.

He walked into his room seeing Clementine bawled up with the pillows over her head. He looked at her confused than pulled the curtains apart letting the sun light in.

"Keep them closed, please," She begged under eveything.

He raised a brow before walking over to her. "Clem," He said kneeling down to her level. He saw the pillows move as her head flipped to face him. "Did someone feed you vampire blood?" With out a word she pushed her arm from under the covers and lifted it up letting the sun hit it. Seeing nothing happened. He nodded before getting up and closing the curtains. He than went back and kneeled down again. "If you're not turning than what's wrong?" He asked as an arm quickly popped out holding a finger to his lips.

"Shhhh, noises make it worse," She whispered pulling her arm back. "Just call Elena and tell her it's a caffeine emergence."

He gave the covers a confused look before standing up knowing to it was probably for the best he listened to her.

"Hey," He called walking back down to the basement getting her attention, "I need your help with something.

She gave him a confused look as her titled to the side, "You need my help?"

"Clementine's upstairs and--"

"Why do you have Clem's upstairs?" She asked crossing her arms.

"Easy there Fighto, she said to call you. Said it was some type of caffeine emergence?" He said hearing her sigh. "Damn it Clementine, okay I'll be right back. Just get her an ice pack, keep all the blinds and curtains closed, and no loud noises." She listed off before walking back upstairs as Damon followed..

"Okay,"

"I mean it Damon," She insisted grabbing her bag.

"Okay Elena, I'm not going to do anything. I'm actually staring to worry about her." He said in a quiet tone.

"Just.... I will explain everything when I get there. She's going to be okay Damon. Sadly this isn't the first time she's been like this." She assured before walking to the front dooe. He took a deep breath, and then went back upstairs making sure his footsteps where light.

Some time past before Elena got to the house. She texted Clem's phone that she was here and waited. The door opened as Damon stepped aside as Elena walked inside. "Where is she?"

"My room,"

She gave him a look but brushed it aside as she went up the stairs and went straight to the room.

She opened the door as quiet as possible seeing the covers and blankets all bunched up and the room being as dark as possible. She placed her bag down and couched down next to the bed. "Clem?" She asked quietly.

"El?"

"Yeah it's me," She whispered pulling out a prescription bottle. "It hurts so bad," She cried. "I know, but these are going to make it feel much better." She replied as Clem's head popped out. "You got them, yay." She whispered whipping the dried tears off her face. Elena handed her 2 two pills, placed them into her mouth and washed them down with a coffee she had ready before going back under the covers.

Elena stood up and turned back towards Damon who was watching the whole thing. "Come on," She said leading him out of the room. Once they were far enough she sighed. "When that happens next call me, okay?"

"What exactly happened? Cause I thought she was turning into a vampire or something." He said earning a look from her. "She didn't like the sunlight, so I assumed."

She placed her hand to her forehead while letting a sigh out. "You know that she has a major caffeine addiction, right?" She said as he nodded. "It's because she has a medical condition where she gets super bad migraines. Where she's sensitive to everything. She drinks at least 5 coffees for the caffeine. So when she wakes up your gunna want to have at least 3 ice coffees."

"Noted,"

"Now, if you excuse me," She said going back to the basement but Damon stopped her, "Thank you."

"I did it because you need Clementine,"

🍊

A very hours had passed and Clementine was sitting faced down on the couch with a blanket wrapped around while Damon kept flipping the thing Pearl had given him.

Elena sighed walking into the room, "Did you ever figure out what that is?" She asked getting her things together.

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work."

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?"

"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientists. Have you spoken to your uncle lately?" He asked as an muffled groan came from Clem remembering how long she hadn't talked to her parents.

"I've been avoiding him, actually. That, and I've been here most nights."

"Ditto," She muttered slowly sitting up. "I've just not been wanting to go back."

"That bad?" She asked folding her jeans up and packing them. "Yup," She replied in a sad tone.

Damon glanced back at them, "So, you'll be here again tonight?" He asked changing the topic. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes, you're a complete nuisance." He said but quickly got a pillow thrown at him.

"Your a nuisance," Clem said giving him a look before turning back to Elena. "Text if you do because I need to get a few things from home."

"I will. I love you," She said as Clem smiled. "Love you two," She than looked up at Damon, "I'll see you later." She said pulling her bag on her arm and than walked out.

"You're a complete nuisance? What the hell Damon?" She asked after hearing the door shut.

"What I can't go soft and fluffy around everyone." He said walking over to her and leaning on the back of the couch. "I make you "soft" and "fluffy"?" She asked smirking lightly.

"You beat your sweet ass," He said leaning down and kissing her as she smiled into the kiss.

He than spun back around and went back to staring aimlessly at the watch. "Hey, can I see it for a second?" Clem asked as he shrugged throwing it to her.

She caught it and stared at it. Running her fingers around the edge, the scratches, the small dings. She opened it and saw her it, the Lightwood Family signature in the middle of the handles. "You said this is Johnathan Gilbert's pocket watch right?"

"Yeah,"

"Than can you tell me how my family's signature on this?"

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"I take it he didn't take your blood filled water bottle?" Clem asked looking up from her book to see Damon walking back into the library.

"Yup," He sighed out before answering his phone. "Hello?....Before I hang up, how did you get this number?" He said walking over to her as she sat up with a confused look. "What kind of digging?"

This perked Clem's ear up, "Who's digging what? And I swear to god you say a grave-" She started to threatened but he held up a finger as he put it on speaker sitting down next to her.

"I've got an old friend from Duke who studied criminology when we were there together. Let's just say he's become a very proficient digger." She heard Mr. Saltzman on the other end.

"Did he find anything?" He asked.

"Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He was getting a call from a number ─ the same number that Elena dialed to get Isobel. And then the number was disconnected."

"Isobel knows John, we already put those pieces together." Clem remarked.

"Well....uh, after that, he started getting calls from a new number. And I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's... It's an apartment in Grove Hill."

"Isobel's in Grove Hill?"

"I don't know. I thought we could take a look and see what we find."

"Perfect. Give me the address." Damon said as she raised a brow at him. "Oh, so you can go without me? No. I don't thinks so." He said saying what she was thinking. "I'm not going with you. You tried to kill me."

"Yeah, well you did kill me."

"I will kill both of you if you don't stop it. Your making my migraine came back." Clem said rubbing the side of her head.

"Hold on." He said hearing another call coming in. "What?"

"Can you tell Clem that I'm grabbing some clothes, and then I'll be right over. How's Stefan?" Elena asked on the either end.

"Extra broody. Hold on." He said going back to Alaric's call. "You drive. Pick me up in an hour."

"Done." He said before hanging up and Damon went back to Elena's call. "He won't eat anything."

"He has to eat. What's his favorite...kind of, um..."

"His favorite kind of what?" Both asked wanting to hear her say the words. "Type of animal blood that he prefers?" She said as the both smirked as each other. "Ew, gross."

"Heh, neither of your jokes help."

"Helps me. Now, hurry up. I'm starving and my parents will only be out for a couple more hours." Clem said leaning her elbow behind Damon's head and leaning up closer to him.

"What she said, I can't baby-sit all night. I have things to do." He remarked.

"I would say, "drop dead," but..."

"Ha ha. Stefan likes...puppy blood─ little golden retriever puppies with cute, fluffy ears. That's his favorite." He said as Clem quickly hit the back of his head.

They heard Elena scoff before hanging up. "See and this is why people like me better."

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"He's just being dramatic. He's not gonna starve himself." Damon reassured after Elena told them why Stefan wasn't drinking.

"Why would he say that?" She asked as Clem wrapped her arm around her trying to comfort her. "He's at rock bottom."

"Clem's right, he feels bad about hurting that girl. It's very typical Stefan Martyr stuff. It will pass."

"Will it?" She asked snapping her head to him as they both nodded. Clem nodded because she was hopeful but Damon knew his brother. "Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain."

"Yeah. Well, that will pass, too, once he eats." He insisted.

"I didn't mean physical pain."

"I know what you meant." He said as Clem rested her head on her shoulder. "Look, are you gonna be ok here if I run out? I have to go to an errand with the teacher."

"The teacher?" She asked raising her brows. "Alaric," Clem whispered even though she knew what he meant. "Alaric? Are you two friends now?"

"I don't have any friends, Elena." He said making Clem clear her throat. "You know what I mean," He muttered before walking to his jacket. "You should, um, you should stay up here. You shouldn't be down there by yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"You know... You're very trusting if him, given the circumstances." He pointed out fixing his jacket collar.

"So are you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving." She pointed out making him glance down. "Just don't go downstairs without Buffy and a stake. I won't be long." He said before walking up the stairs and out the house.

"Now, what do you want from The Grill because I'ma order the largest coffee possible and a BLT." She asked making her smile lightly. "And I will pick it up as long you promise me you'll stay up here." She sighed smiling lightly before nodding. "These usually burger and fries."

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"Pick up for Clementine please," She told the lady at the podium. She nodded before walking into the back as she leaned against the wall as she waited.

"Sissy!"

She turned around to see Millie run up and hug her waist tightly. She put on a fake smile knowing who would be coming next. "Hey Monkey,"

"Clementine," Prue said walking up and looking her daughter up and down before hugging her.

"So I'm not in trouble?" She asked as her mom pulled away from her. "Well sorta, but we talked about it and understood why you did what you did. And than Elena told Melissa that you were helping her with a family emergency." She started to ramble off making her daughter's face flash between confusion before going back to her smiling.

"Right, which is why I'm picking some food up. She couldn't so I told her it's one less thing for her to worry about." She quickly lied as the women came back with the bag handing it to her.

"Look Melissa will come back in a complete of days for Founder's Day but just know we miss and can't wait for you to come back." Prue said pulling Millie onto her hip.

"I'll be back before you know it." She said before kissing the side of Millie's head and kissing her mom's cheek.

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"Question, why the hell would you go into the place both Damon and I told you not to?" She asked watching as Elena unpacked everything while she still tried to figure out what made her do it.

"It got him to explain everything." She said in a it's not a big deal tone.

"I'm sorry come again," She asked grabbing the straw and stabbing it into her coffee.

"What's going on with you and Damon?" She asked changing the subject making her nearly choke on the coffee. "Huh?"

"I asked what's going on with you and Damon?" She repeated.

"I uh, don't actually know. I just know he makes me happy and he cares about me in ways no one has." She said staring off before blinking coming back to reality. "But then again what do I know about relationships." She said grabbing her coffee and sandwich and walking off.

She sat on the floor pulling her backpack closer, pulling her laptop out and starting it up as she fumbled around for the USB drive.

She eventually found it and plugged it in as she started her search. The search on where she had recognized the pocket watch from.

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"Ugh. God. You two are still here?" Damon groaned seeing the two girls. Elena sitting on the couch writing in a notebook while Clementine sat against the couch going through her computer that was sitting in her lap.

"Were you expecting anything else?" She asked glancing up from her book. "No." He replied picking her feet up and sitting in their spot.

"So, how wad the 'errand'?" Clementine asked not looking up from her screen.

"Futile. Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis." Damon remarked as she finally looked up at him. "This morning I was having an existential crisis and you didn't say anything," She pointed out before going back to her screen.

"Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"I thought you didn't care." Elena reminded fumbling with her pen.

"Chalk it up to morbid curiosity." He replied getting a quiet gross from the Lightwood on the floor.

"I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught." She explained as Clem stayed silent knowing it was a very touchy subject for him. "This is my fault now?"

"No, it's no one's fault, Damon. I'm just...saying you're not exactly innocent." These words quickly made Clem clear her throat and stood up holding her laptop. "I'm gunna make coffee." She muttered wanting to get out of the room.

She placed her laptop on the kitchen counter top knowing what he was telling her. He told her the story when he had picked her up.

"I just don't think I'm an actual person anymore." She muttered laying on the ground looking up at night sky that was pitched black with only the north star in the sky.

"What do you mean?" He asked glancing over at her.

"It's like I wanted to be able to turn these emotions off and just not care about anything or anyone every again." She rambled off getting a concerned look from the vampire next to her before she let out a heavy sigh. "But than you would have to live forever. And watch every single person you love about slowly grow old and die in front of you. And you can't do anything about it. I mean I don't wanna be somebody in America just fighting the hysteria. I only wanna die some day."

"She stormed off," Damon announced snapping her from her trace walking in, drink in hand.

"What's new," She muttered before going back to her laptop.

He leaned his chin ok her shoulder as his brows frowned at her screen. "What are you doing?" He whispered making her laugh a little. "Figuring out where I saw the pocket watch before. When the age of technology hit they made all the journals into PDF files. I've been going through Johnathan Gilbert's journal and his invention book-"

"Invention book?" Damon asked leaning his palm on the counter top.

"Yeah, he gave it to the Lightwood's after figuring that an iron smiths could figure out how to make his pieces." She informed.

"The Lightwood's helped make the pieces for the watch?" He asked clearly confused.

"Before being a family of vampire hunters we were original iron smiths and a family full of superstitions. So when they found their first vampire they staked it as soon as possible. Which gave us the Hunting name." She said before going back to her screen. "Jonathan Gilbert gave Grant Grandpapa Lightwood his journal, and I swear I've seen it before."

He looked up before sighing lightly, "Welp, now she's actually gone." He said taking a sip of his drink.

"That makes sense, she went down to see Stefan by herself and left the door open." She said as he started to cough almost choking on the alcohol in the cup. "What?"

🍊

The two looked up hearing the door open seeing Elena holding the hand of a better looking Stefan. "Little boy lost."

"I'll be upstairs, ok?" Elena asked making it clear to Clem for the two to be alone. "And I will join you." She declared standing up and walking towards them.

"Welcome back we've missed you," She said smiling at Stefan sweetly. "Even if some people won't show it."

She than walked up the stairs hearing Elena follow. The two sitting in a hall waiting on the boys. Elena fumbling with her fingers while Clem stayed her laptop. Her eyes widened as her lips mouthed each word she read as her excitement kept growing. "Oh my god. Oh. My. God." She exclaimed getting a confused and considering look from the girl next to her. "I found it! I know what the pocket watch is for!"