CLARA, ACCOMPANY JACOB ONCE HE LEAVES THE LOOP. WE WILL ATTACK TODAY. BE READY, THERE WILL BE VIOLENCE. Barron's last letter said. It was in the handwriting of her previous ymbryne. Clara couldn't help but stop herself from crying quietly. This is it. The moment I'm here for. She took her brown coat and hid the letter inside. She made sure to leave something for Enoch on her desk since she knows he'll look for her.
Recently, Miss Avocet, a friend of Miss Peregrine, got her loop raided by Barron and none survived but her. They were both having tea inside Miss Peregrine's office. She rushed downstairs, to find Jacob ready to leave.
"Jake!" She called him, "Leaving so soon? Let me walk you to the loophole." Clara offered, "It's dangerous out there. You heard what Miss Avocet said." She reasoned.
"You can't leave the loop. I'm the only one who can." He told her, she could feel his discomfort in the ambiance, "It's okay, I'll be fine." He knows she's up to something.
"No, I insist! I'm not leaving, just walking you until the loop. It's been a while since we've talked too, don't you think?" Clara told him. Jacob sighed, "Alright, Clara. Come on." I'm sorry for this.
✧ ✧ ✧
ENOCH WAS LOOKING FOR CLARA, BUT SHE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Enoch arrived to the kitchen and asked, "Olive, seen Clara anywhere?" Olive turned to him and smiled, "Enoch, hi!" She greeted him
He scoffed, "Answer the question, Olive. Have you seen Clara?" He repeated himself.
"No." Olive answered, "I haven't." She looked down. Enoch was about to leave when she said, "Why are you always looking for her? I'm here for you, too, you know?"
Enoch turned around to look at her, "You're not Clara, and I think that explains it." He said.
Tears were forming on Olive's face, she walked closer to him, "What does she have that I don't?"
"Everything," Enoch said truthfully, "She has everything that you don't." With that, Olive smashed her lips against him. He felt shocked, froze for a moment, and pushed her away. "Why would you--"
"Because I love you! I love you and you don't see it!" Olive was sobbing now, "Why wouldn't you pick me? Am I not good enough for you?" She asked him, anger and pain in her tone.
"You're good enough, Olive. But not for me." He told her, "You may love me, but I love Clara. I really do. If you really do love me, you'll let me be with her. Right?" Loving Clara might be his best decision yet, but realizing it now that she's missing was not good timing.
Olive wiped her tears but said nothing. "We need to find Clara, she's in trouble, she needs--" Before he could say something, he was knocked out. Everything went pitch black for him.
✧ ✧ ✧
"I KNEW IT, YOU WERE LYING ALL ALONG!" Emma said to Enoch's unconscious body, huffing after she swung a frying pan over his head. "I don't care if Prescott's in trouble, you failed our plan!" She added.
"Emma--? What? Why would you do this to him?" Olive cradled Enoch's body, luckily there was no blood anywhere, "What plan? I don't understand." She added.
"We have to tell Miss Peregrine that Clara's a fucking traitor. I knew it!" Emma said in anger.
"I can't leave him here, not when he's unconscious!" Olive protested, "Go on your own!"
"Leave him here! He's an idiot who fell for the suspicious bitch!"
"How dare you say that to him, Emma? Shame on you!"
"Are you coming or not?" Emma asked, pissed. Olive shook her head, making Emma groan. "Where's Jake?" She asked her, "Have you seen him?"
"He's off to go back to 2016." Emma's eyes widened, "A-and Clara's not here too?"
"Yes." That's when Emma knew, almost instantly, she was too late.
✧ ✧ ✧
BARRON REVEALED HIMSELF TO JACOB THAT HIS THERAPIST WAS ONLY HIS DISGUISE TO SHOW HIM THE WAY OF MISS PEREGRINE'S LOOP. "J-Jake! Stay right here, I'll go get help!" Clara told him, and showed him an altered version of her running away from the loophole. In reality, she stayed behind his back. Barron laughed, "You thought you can get away, Portman?"
"What do you want? Leave me alone! Didn't you hear what she said? She's getting help! You're gonna die!" Jacob told him, "It's over, Barron." He laughed again, this time, harder.
"O-Oh," He panted, "Clara, dear, would you shut him up for me?"
Clara appeared behind him, and held both of his hands at his back."C-Clara? What are you doing here? Let me go!" He said, sounding as if he pleaded, trying to look at her but failed. She held him tighter. "Go get us help!"
Jacob faced Barron, "Leave them out of this! Take me! Take me instead! Clara! You have to let me go! Clara, please!" Clara wanted to apologize so bad, but she knew she couldn't do that. She could feel Barron's burning gaze, so she held him tighter. "Let's go catch a bird, shall we?"
They walked back to Miss Peregrine's loop. Having Jacob captive, they were strong. Barron knew losing Jacob was like losing an eye. Without him, they have no power against Barron and his hollows and wights. "Clara!" Jacob started again, "What about everything you've told me?"
"You shouldn't bring that up now, Portman, or do you want to be accused an accomplice?" Barron said, "Everything you told Clara helped me catch you. She told me what you told her."
"How could you? How could you do this to us?" Jacob asked Clara. Clara didn't look at him. She felt guilty, but shrugged the emotions away, it's too late for that now. "I have to, it's the reason I'm here now." Barron laughed, "You've clearly grown, Prescott! Now you know your roots."
"I knew it, I shouldn't have trusted you! I shouldn't have!" Jacob continued to struggle in her grasps. "You betrayed us! All of us!" Clara ignored this for now, but she knew to herself that she cannot ever forget that.
They barged inside the children's home, only to find Miss Peregrine waiting for them, as if someone told her. Emma's always been suspicious about me, I'm sure it's her. She thought to herself.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Peregrine," Barron greeted sarcastically, "I brought two gifts. The most precious peculiar you've ever had and," He wriggled the bird cage he was holding, "And, a place for you to stay!" He let out a harsh laugh.
"I know what you want, Mister Barron. I will come with you, but only if you won't hurt my children." Barron pretended to think, "What do you think, Clara dear?"
Clara gulped, "A-accept her deal. We won't lose anything if you don't kill them."
"Very good. Okay then. Children? Children! Come down here at once!" Barron shouted.
"Don't you command them! I am the one superior here." Miss Peregrine said. Barron sarcastically bowed down, "Call them then. Call them this instant."
Miss Peregrine called them. All of the peculiars went down. Clara looked at Enoch, who looked at her shocked. That moment, she betrayed him. Her heart broke. "Clara? How could you?" Olive asked, "You traitor!"
"Shut up! You never liked me anyway!" Clara retorted.
"Now, now, control your children, Miss. I'll give you a short time to say goodbye to your precious children." Barron did give her a short time to say goodbye. When everyone was inside the living room, Miss Peregrine looked at Clara, "I hope you rethink your decisions." She transformed herself into a bird and willingly went inside Barron's cage. He let out a joyous laugh and locked the bird cage.
"Throw the Portman kid in the living room. Let's celebrate," Barron told her, "I will wait outside." He left her and Jacob. Jacob continued to fight her grasps but she didn't budge.
I hope you rethink your decisions. She thought, and immediately, she spoke, "Listen to me, Jake--" Clara was cut off by Jacob, "Just leave me already! I'm done listening to your lies!" He told her.
"Use your peculiarity and think as fast as you can. I'm sure he left something here to make you all perish.. That's all I can tell you!" Clara pushed the living room doors open and pushed him inside. She quickly pulled the door back and left. Just like that, her betrayal was successful. She succeeded with her mission, but she also succeeded into breaking a lot of people's hearts. Especially Enoch's.