✓ 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄, 𝘬. 𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯

𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙬𝙤

"Are you talking about Marcel Gerard?" Kol interrupted, taking a step forward to question the vampire sick on the couch.

Clara knitted her eyebrows as to how Kol could possibly know this unknown figure, but she kept her mouth closed in awaiting Josh's reply.

"Yeah, big, buff vampire guy."

"How do you know him?" Clara questioned, tugging on Kol's arm to pull him so he would look at her instead of Josh.

"Let's just say he's not my biggest fan," Kol shrugged, one of his infamous smirks on his face as he did so. Clara rolled her eyes for the hundredth time today, and figured she could ask him about it later.

"Look, what can I do to help, Josh?"

•••

"You look good with a baby in your arms."

As of right now, Clara was in the upstairs compound with baby Mikaelson cooing in her arms. When she glanced up to see who had spoken, a friendly smile appeared on her face when she saw Hayley waiting in the doorstep.

Clara thought the woman was incredibly strong and powerful for going through birth, dying, coming back to life, and transitioning into a hybrid. All for her little baby girl, and the blonde was almost envious.

"Sorry, I saw her in her crib and she looked so cute I couldn't help but hold her," Clara pinched up her face apologetically, looking quite awkward.

"No worries, she isn't crying like she cries with the boys," Hayley laughs, smiling brightly with her white teeth. "You're naturally great with her."

"Too bad I won't ever have one of my own," Clara sighed deeply, glancing from the brunette to the baby wrapped in a white blanket. She raised her finger, and softly stroked the baby's cheek with a sad smile played on her pink lips.

"Why not?" Hayley questioned with knitted eyebrows, taking a few steps so she was standing in front of her baby and Clara.

The blonde adjusted her arms so the baby was better positioned in her arms, and she glanced from the sleeping baby to Hayley.

"You don't—you don't know?"

"Know what?" Hayley asked, scoffing softly as she folded her arms over her chest with curiosity.

"I died," Clara stated, her eyes fazing a bit when she thought about the way she died to protect one of her best friends. "When I was seventeen, I was lucky enough to die with my friends blood in my system, I guess."

"God, Clara, I'm so sorry," Hayley pouted her lips a bit, placing a hand on her chest as she did so. Her eyes trailed to the cooing baby in her hands, and Clara nodded for the girl to take her back. "Having her. I've never been more happy in my entire life."

The way Hayley stared at her little girl resting in her arms reminded her of her own mother, and the love she had for Clara. With sad eyes, Clara blinked a few times to make sure no tears were going to fall.

"I had a chance to be human, there's a cure out there," Clara explained, bitting down on her lower lip as she thought about the time where the cure was offered to her by Damon. "And I chose no, because of Kol, because I didn't want to grow old without him, I didn't want to have a family without him, I didn't want to be human without him."

"But you feel different now?"

Clara's eyes flickered, she wouldn't ever admit this in front of Kol, but it was the truth. The vampire wanted to be anything except for a vampire, she wanted a chance at a normal life with a normal job and a normal family.

"Yes," Clara said, her voice breaking near the end, and she knew she was close to tears. "I want to be human."

"Can you still get it?" Hayley asked, and she seemed to genuinely care about what the girl wished for.

In truth, the now hybrid liked the soft yet feisty blonde. She reminded her of how she once acted, when she was younger and in her teens, and Hayley smiled on that.

"What?"

"Can you still get the cure?" Hayley questioned, raising both at her eyebrows for the blonde to respond.

Clara stood there for a second, thinking about it, surely if she asked Damon for the cure he'd give it to her in a second. But she loved Kol, with her entire heart, but she didn't want to be a vampire for the rest of eternity.

"I couldn't do that—I couldn't do that to Kol," Clara responded after a bit of hesitation, her eyes swarming with wetness.

"Lara," Hayley states, taking a step forward to place a gentle hand on Clara's shoulder with baby Mikaelson in her other arm. "I think you should do what you need, because in the end, it's your life."

"And if I lose Kol?"

Hayley sent a soft look, because Clara already knew the answer. She narrowed her eyes as she was deep in thought, and she sent Hayley a friendly smile as she exited the room; leaving the mother and her baby.

Little did Clara know as she paced out of the small bedroom, Kol was waiting right outside the doorframe while listening in to the entire conversation. He sped away as the girl exited, making sure she knew he hadn't been listening. But the words she and Hayley shared sank in deeper and deeper as the boy paced in a room down the hall a bit.

Kol was going to lose the love of his life, just because he wouldn't be a weak human. Can't she understand being a vampire is completely better than being a pesky human? The boy hissed to myself as he stormed into an unknown room, and he growled under his breath as the anger was only getting worse.

"That's it."

a/n: starting on s2 of the originals pretty soon! i think only one chapter left before it's the next season :-). also yay an update so fast!!