✓ 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄, 𝘬. 𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯

𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚—"𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨"

———

"𝙅𝙊𝙀?"

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙍𝘼 𝙏𝙄𝙇𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝘿 with narrowed eyes as she saw the man standing aimlessly behind the counter, his eyes searching the whole record shop. However, no one was around because Clara had closed up a little bit ago, and was just finishing organizing some odd places records.

"Hey, I didn't even hear you come in," Clara chuckled a bit, feeling a little bit of adrenaline pumping in her veins from the small fright.

"You think I did this town good? Blessed them with some good old records and made people happy?"

Clara didn't like the tone in Joes voice, it was like he was trying so hard to focus on it so it wouldn't crack.

"Of course, Joe," Clara replied hesitantly, knitting both of her eyebrows at the african american man. "You're a great person, and I'm sure you've made plenty of people happy with your records."

"Good," Joe nods slowly, his eyes stopped examining the store and instead landed on Clara, who had a few records she was holding close to her chest. "Do you love records?"

"C'mon, you know I do," the blonde laughed with a smile playing out on her lips. "You can't get the same quality music from some dumb phone. Records are the real version of these sounds and beats, that's the only way they should be listened to."

Joe chuckles a bit under his breath, almost as if he was expecting that same answer, word for word. He knew how much the girl loves records, that's why this job was the best one to get her centered again.

"Then it's yours."

Clara's eyes grew wide at the man's words, and she felt her mouth fall a bit ajar. Of course, she'd love to have a shop like this, but it was Joe's, not hers.

"What?" Clara questioned, tilting her head to the side like a lost puppy.

"You care for this shop so much," Joe smiled at the blonde, his white teeth flashing. "Take care of her, okay?"

"Joe, what are you saying?"

Clara was more scared than before, Joe wouldn't give this shop away if he was still breathing. So, she was afraid this was him explaining he wasn't going to be around anymore.

"I'm back in the fight," Joe replies sadly, and Clara's breathing had suddenly escalated as she swallowed a huge pit in her throat. "And it's gonna be my last."

This was the absolute last thing the blonde feisty vampire needed, to lose yet another important person in her life that she deeply cared about.

So, after a heartbreaking conversation of Joe explaining his role in the Mikaelsons damned plan, Clara had had enough. His position was to distract a certain werewolf, the one she'd heard had taken over New Orleans after the drastic loss of Klaus and Hayleys daughter; which had pinched Clara's heart strings even though the hybrid had killed her mother. She didn't know why Joe felt as if he needed to prove himself, especially if it was to Klaus or any Mikaelson.