Everyone mingled having soft conversations with each other at the reception organised. Maeve smiled and engaged in small talk with people she had never seen before. Ezekiel stood by a table glaring at Damon who sat by himself at a table nursing a glass of bourbon.

"He showed up after a phone call." he heard Maeve comment as she took a place next to him.

"I don't know Maeve, the way he acted back then and now this."

Maeve turned to face her brother, "you said you know people like Damon. Did you know he apologized to me? He was also the one who proved it to me that perhaps Elijah was only helping me get better at my magic was because he wanted to use me ultimately to kill Klaus." Ezekiel snapped his head at Maeve hearing her words.

"He's the one who's been...."

"Yeah. Dr Martin was the witch who was helping Elijah. When he recognised me and told Elijah, the original immediately offered to help me. All he told me was he wanted to help me because I am a myth they have heard about the years they've been vampires." Ezekiel processed her words with a gentle nod of his head.

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

Maeve let out a dry scoff, "sorry was a bit busy losing my grandpa!" she whisper yelled.

Ezekiel rolled his lips into a thin line, "sorry."

"It's fine. Can you just give him a chance." Maeve beseeched her brother.

"I'll try."

The conversation shifted when more people poured in offering their condolences to the Kalon'.

Ezekiel went around the crowd before he made his way to the older Salvatore. "Damon."

He looked up to meet Ezekiel's eyes. He straightened his back and gave his usual smirk, "Ezekiel was it?" he asked conceitedly.

Ezekiel took a seat in front of the vampire and sat with his hands on his lap. "Nice to meet you again."

Ezekiel chuckled darkly, "better conditions certainly." Ezekiel noted gesturing the setting. He leaned ahead before he took a look at Maeve. "I'm surprised you showed up."

"Maeve called me up at six in the morning distort and blaming herself for her grandfather's death. I had to be here." Damon told him. "I know I haven't exactly been welcoming of Maeve since she killed those werewolves but I am sorry." He told Ezekiel.

Ezekiel maintained a straight face void of any emotions listening to Damon. When the Lycan didn't say anything Damon decided to continue, "Maeve was this human girl with a sharp mouth I liked to hang out with. I just got so shocked seeing her being this thing that could kill me in an instant and I reacted the only way I knew."

"Victimise yourself, tantrumous yelling, make her feel less about herself?" quizzed Ezekiel.

"I see you two have a shared quality." Both men chuckled at Damon's words. Ezekiel licked his lips looking at the floor. He finally looked up again at Damon contemplating his next words.

"Maeve genuinely cares about you. It is her fatal flaw. I don't want a low life vampire such as yourself who doesn't care about anyone but himself hurt her. Please don't hurt her. The last year before Mystic Falls, Maeve did something she hates herself for, something that makes her fear her own shadow. I don't want her to go back to the survival mode."

Damon's eyes softened hearing Ezekiel. He now knew the past that Maeve feared after her speech. "Look, whatever happened, happened in the past. Nothing I don't have. I care about Maeve and me being here is the proof. I don't care about her past. I want to be her friend. Just like when I thought she was a badass human."

Ezekiel hummed at Damon's words, "she trusts you and so will I. One mistake Salvatore and I will end you faster than you can blink."

"Quite frankly I think she'll get to me first." Damon denoted with a raised eyebrow pointing at a tired looking Maeve.

"True. She does harbor strength twice as much as an average witch. Being an Alpha contributes even more to it." Ezekiel agreed.

Maeve sat silently in the passenger seat of Damon's car as they drove back to Mystic Falls.

"So let me get this straight. You come from a bloodline of two thousand year old witch ancestry that is like royals." Damon began listing, "and you are a born Alpha to one of the strongest Lycan packs in America."

"Yes."

"You are the last living descendant of, what was it? Serene witches? All powerful with privileges." Maeve hummed in response, "and you didn't say anything."

"Well you were acting oddly after learning that I am a hybrid, how do you think I thought you would after the entire truth?"

"Touche." Damon nodded his head sideways. "More importantly, you're rich? Like filthy rich?"

"Inheritance, you bitch. It's called an inheritance." Maeve bragged to him. "I inherit half the estate along with Zeke."

"Little old Maeve with a tacky style and a small apartment is rich. Who would believe that?"

"First my supernatural power became unbearable for you, now this? When are you going to start treating me like you did before?"

Damon pursued his lips before he tilted his head sideways to look at Maeve, "let's see when we reach Mystic Falls? How does that sound?"

Maeve narrowed her eyes before she broke out into laughter, "thank you. Again."

"You're welcome." Damon responded changing lanes as he drove more closer to Mystic Falls. "How are you?"

"I'm getting to okay. I'll need time to get to okay." Maeve sighed looking ahead at the road. "Tell me, what's the news from Mystic Falls?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I mean, clearly it is important if you decided to leave as soon as breakfast was over." Maeve yawned mid word.

"Nobody told you to join."

"Will you ever accept help as it comes?"

Damon smirked tilting his head and looking at Maeve through his brows, "are we meeting for the first time."

"Clearly not." said Maeve checking her boots, "my gun is still loaded."

Damon took a second to think about what she said, "oh ha ha, funny." Both laughed for good few seconds before it died down.

"Also how did you find out where I lived?"

Damon chortled, "come on, compulsion, obviously."

Maeve hummed in response shaking her head. "Now on a side note, what's the news?"

"None. Haven't been in touch with anyone." Damon pulled out his phone, "as a matter of fact, let's talk."

Maeve took his phone and dialed Stefan's number. "You called? That's a surprise." came Stefan's startled voice.

Maeve cleared her throat away from the phone, "this is Elijah. Surprised the brothers didn't check up on each other for the past...what is it now? two days."

"How is it possible?" Maeve bit her lower lip holding back her laughter hearing Stefan's uncertain tone.

"I am not pleased, Stefan with the way you not only went back on my deal with Elena but also how arrogantly you chose to disrespect me. I am an original and I demand respect accordingly." Maeve muttered into the phone. Damon smiled shaking his head at the scene playing out.

"What do you want?"

"Simple. The rare edition Bourbon this older Salvatore has stacked up in his collection in exchange for his life."

A long silence followed her words before the silence was filtered by the scold of younger Salvatore, "MAEVE! Are you crazy?"

"Come on now little brother, you could have just went and checked in the cellar where he's been kept to be sure. How gullible are you?"

"Too much if I couldn't guess it was Maeve impersonating the original."

"How's Mystic Falls?" Maeve asked still laughing at the prank.

"Just got home. Listen, Klaus is here." Damon and Maeve looked at each other startled with Stefan's news.

"What? When did this happen?"

"During lunch. He asked Elena out to the dance tonight." Maeve let out a short laugh but covered it with a cough immediately.

"A dance? He intends on killing Elena at a teenage dance?"

"How long till you get here?"

Damon looked ahead at the road before he leaned closer to the phone again, "we'll be there soon, I see the welcome to Mystic Falls sign."

"Get to the boarding house." The call ended.

"What's our play here? How should we go against Klaus?" asked Damon as Maeve shifted in her seat in an upright position.

"I have a play for us. But you won't like it."

"Come on, try me." challenged Damon making Maeve sigh defeatedly.

"Let Stefan and Elena deal with Klaus. You and I can save our asses by playing protection." Damon hummed.

"Yeah no, I hate that plan. Come on Maeve really? Where's the fighter?"

Maeve shifted to stare directly at Damon, "this is me fighting. The stories that I've heard about Klaus aren't exactly Disney tales, Dee. He's not someone you mess with unless you want to die. Why don't you see I want you to live?" pleaded Maeve.

"We'll all survive this Maeve. Don't worry. Klaus will die and we all will go back to our normal lives." Damon assured her taking her hand in his.

Maeve scoffed curling her fingers about Damon's that held her hand, "what's that life like? Stefan and Elena being mushy with each other and you pining over her from a distance?" Damon remained silent after her words.

Maeve rested her back on the back rest of the car with a deflated sigh. Goddess Seline protect these idiots!

Damon parked his car in the driveway of the Salvatore house. Both got out and made their way into the house. Maeve pushed open the door and sauntered inside waving at Stefan. "Hey Bunny! So the top' blown up on this one?" she commented.

"It looks like it." Stefan chuckled darkly. Maeve turned her attention to Bonnie who stood weary of her while Elena simply glared her way.

"Uh, guys? Why can't I get in?" Damon asked still standing in the doorway.

"I put the house on Elena's name. As a safe house." Stefan informed him before turning to his girlfriend, "Elena."

"You can come in, Damon." Elena said half heartedly.

"You can come in? You do know that this house is his birthright, right? Just because your name is now on the lease doesn't mean you can boss him around." Maeve defended Damon. Damon strided in taking a place behind Maeve and wrapped a hand around her shoulder,

"Always so defensive over me, little devil." he flirted making Maeve scoff and fake a gag.

"Get over yourself. I spoke for both of you brothers."

"Where were you?" Elena asked Damon ignoring Maeve.

Stefan turned to face Maeve completely, "I'm sorry for your loss, Maeve. Are you okay?" he offered her a small warm smile.

"Thanks Bunny." Elena gulped her eyes softening. "I may be getting there."

"Truth be told I was surprised when Damon stormed out saying he was leaving for Georgia." Stefan snickered and so did Maeve.

"Yeah, me and Zeke were pretty much in shock seeing him standing there." Maeve chuckled. "Should we get back to the topic of return of the original or anyone else would like to say more?"

"I'm sorry for your loss, Maeve." Elena offered her condolences, "I'm here for you if you need to talk."

"Thank you Elena, I appreciate it." Maeve clapped her hands drawing everyone back to the matter at hand, "now, Klaus. He's here. What's your play?"

The door opened just then and entered inside Alaric. Maeve furrowed her brown seeing the cautious expression marring on his face.

"Sorry I'm late." he said making Maeve raise both her brows in surprise. "What'd I miss?"

"Klaus made his first move. Like I was saying, our play is simple. We go this dance, we find him." Maeve forced Damon's arm wrapped around her shoulder away and turned to face him.

"You want to go blazing at a teenage dance? To find an original you know nothing about how he looks; try to fight him knowing nothing about his strength and possibly kill him without knowing what can kill him? Because let me refresh your memories, a normal stake doesn't do shit to these originals."

Damon pursued his lips staring at Maeve, "little devil is right. But something tells me he's not going to be sixteen and pimply. We go to the dance and kill him." Damon turned to Alaric before continuing, "I want you to put me and dear little devil down for Chaperone."

"Hold up. Are we forgetting what I just said? We don't know how he looks like, how strong he is and how the fuck are we going to kill him? Because the only person with an answer to all these questions is currently being Aurora inside that cellar of yours." She pointed at Damon, "seriously do you even use it for anything other than trapping people, hiding bodies or torturing each other?"

"There's a vervain plantation also there." Damon told her incredulously.

Maeve snapped her fingers pressing her lips together, "that's why I hated you. Thanks for reminding me. What's the plan mushy couple?" She asked turning to Stefan and Elena.

"Me." Bonnie spoke, "he doesn't know just how strong I am. I can kill him." Bonnie strongly worded.

"Are you sure? I mean he is the biggest baddest vampire out there." Alaric notified. Maeve looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She could sense a bad or weird vibe from him but couldn't put a finger on what.

"Not to mention Little devil here is twice as powerful." Damon boastfully told everyone. "She'll take on Klaus faster than he can blink. I'm sure."

"Hold your race horse, demon." Maeve stopped him. "I am not going to kill him. Frankly it's absolutely impossible to do that." she told him, indirectly everyone. She could have just told them about the White Oak Stake but that would mean going back on her word to Elijah.

"I am channeling a hundred witches. It doesn't matter he is an Original. I can take him, Elena. I know I can." bonnie reassured her best friend.

"Really? That makes you strong does it?" conceited Maeve with a delirious laugh. "That simply makes you a conduit. Learn the difference sweetheart."

"And you are strong?" Elena sharply asked her, "I mean, are you really? Did you really kill those werewolves that night?"

A shudder ran over her spine at the memory of the night. "She protected us, Elena. Maeve did what needed to be done." Stefan defended Maeve. Elena scowled at Maeve seeing as her boyfriend defended Maeve almost immediately as the words left her mouth.

"Yeah like a badass she took on those werewolves." Damon added on.

Maeve smiled boastfully looking at Elena who cowered. She turned her attention to Alaric who was already staring at her but blinked away immediately having being caught. Maeve felt an onset of a bad gut feeling but chose to let it slide.

"So settled then. Maeve will help Bonnie kill Klaus." Damon patted Maeve's shoulders.

"Are you strong enough?" asked Bonnie judgementally. Maeve furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes turning to face Bonnie.

"I am a lycanthrope, sweetheart with witch strength unimaginable to your bloodline let alone you." Maeve condescendingly told her.

"That just means you're a werewolf. We saw that." Stefan said with confusion in his voice.

"Exactly! You saw it. Despite of it not being a full moon." Maeve hung het head low and looked back up, her eyes now blood red and fangs protruding out. Elena gasped audibly stepping back while Bonnie stood stunned at the sight. Alaric on the other hand looked at her with fascination.

Maeve returned her features to their usual human form and started again licking her lips, "this still doesn't guarantee that I'll help."

"Why?" asked Damon.

"He is coming for Elena. I am in the clear and from what Ezekiel, my brother has explained, it's better to stay on the good side of an original than bad side. It doesn't end well. I mean, think about it. Just because we got Bonnie and if I agree, me on our side what do we know about him? What kind of a strategist he is? What are his parlor tricks if not complete hardcore planned attacks? What are his go-to moves? Do we know anything? Nope. We are just chickens with out heads cut off running around in circles. I would prefer to stay on the clear." 

"Either you are with us or with him." assertively mentioned Bonnie staring at Maeve.

"Listen up Bennett. I am not entirely fond of this attitude you have got going on. Cool? You don't want to know what I can truly do...the extent and reality. Trust me, get on my bad side and I'll show it."

"Then just come. Be our watch patrol. If things get out of hand you can help. Otherwise enjoy the dance."

Maeve scoffed turning to face Damon, "don't you understand? I don't want to fight Damon. I offered you a solution you didn't like it. I am doing it now, yet here you are acting using the brain between your legs rather than the one on top of your head."

"We're friends here Maeve. Come on." Damon tried reasoning. "Don't you think Klaus would want to kill you too? You're powerful, perhaps better than Bonnie──"

"I am better than Bonnie!"

"As I was saying...he would want you out of the way. Let's get rid of him." Maeve remained silent following Damon's words. "Why would you even come here if you didn't want to help?"

"I just wan──"

"Wanted distraction, right? This is a distraction." Maeve hummed in response. Damon looked at Maeve tilting his head to a side, "help us save Elena."

Maeve nodded in response. "You're buying me a dress." she told him lowly.

"Only if you promise to be my date."

"Ah ha ha, let's not get ahead of ourselves here." Maeve laughed.

**************************************
Has anyone caught onto Damon's manipulation or is it not clear?

I am trying to add a bit more to the story so there's a justification for what will soon come into the story. Those who read the previous version would know what I am referring to.

Please don't forget to vote comment and share!

Would love love love to hear your views on the story, characters etc.

Take care everyone!

Raven.