Music played softly in the background on the stereo. The Mikaelson siblings, Maeve and Caroline enjoyed the small party-like arrangement Caroline had put together. Everyone held a flute glass of champagne in hand.

"This is amazing, Care! Thanks." said Maeve pulling the girl into a tight hug.

"You're welcome." She beamed back a smile.

Maeve looked around her small living room space seeing Klaus and Kol in a deep conversation while Rebekah sat on an arm chair silently. Elijah was by the window at the far end, overlooking the empty street outside.

"Go talk to him." said Caroline looking at Elijah. "He was on edge the entire time you were unconscious." she revealed to Maeve.

"What?"

"Yeah. Didn't let go of your hand until you sat up. Go talk to him." insisted Caroline pushing Maeve off the couch. Maeve made her way over to him across the room.

"Hey." she smiled standing next to him. Elijah turned his head slightly to look at her.

"Hi." he responded with a smile.

"Are you okay?" Maeve asked feeling tensed and awkward trying to initiate small talk with the original. Elijah could only smile at her question and shake his head as he hung it low.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Maeve chuckled awkwardly hiding an embarrassed grin from coming up. "Yes...you should but it isn't my mother that wants me dead or is making me believe I am a monster."

"No, but it is my mother who is after your life and almost did manage to get to you."

"But she didn't."

"You could have died."

"But I didn't." said Maeve, her voice a bit stern than she intended. "I understand you're worried about me, I am thankful but please Elijah, don't worry about me so much. I can take care of myself."

"Clearly." he sassed. Maeve's mouth opened wide hearing the sass in his voice.

"I──I'm sorry...is that sass I detect?" she asked Elijah. He only shrugged his shoulders and finished his champagne. Maeve slapped his arm shaking her head with a beaming smile.

Her smile faltered slowly. She rubbed the back of her neck pressing on the nerves with the tip of her fingers. Elijah noticed this and asked, "are you okay?"

"Yeah...just feel a slight body ache...that's all. It's cool though, right? Got a hip story to tell in the future. Let's see, born an abomination, treated like vermin, betrayed by my friends, used for those powers, found family──sort of, you guys...almost killed by the old timer old man like the villain of the story and now the wicked witch of the west."

"Yes you are the protagonist of the story." smirked Elijah.

"I bet I can fit it to the beat of Fresh prince of Bel-Air." she joked cackling loudly. Elijah noticed the dull look in her eyes. He could see he wanted to talk about anything but the day.

"You talked about the book Hunger games yesterday. What is that about?"

"Oh it's a classic. Like the Brave New World." She paused eyeing him scrutinizingly, "you know what that novel is about, right?"

"I'm not as uncultured as you think of me." remarked Elijah with a lopsided smirk.

"You don't know the beauty that is Sirius Black or Remus Lupin so yes, I firmly agree you are uncultured and in desperate need for an education." Maeve countered with a firm nod of her head, "as I was saying..." Elijah watched Maeve explain the story and significance to the characters passionately. She related it to Harry Potter every other moment. If only Maeve could realise Elijah was only doing it to get her mind off of the awful way she had spent the majority of her birthday.

All Elijah did was listen to her and watch as the paled face of Maeve slowly gained its color back.

Across the room, once again, unbeknownst to the two, the four watched them interact. Every few minutes Elijah would say something making Maeve laugh out loud.

"I can't watch it anymore. I can't..." said Caroline shaking her head but didn't move her eyes from them.

Rebekah agreed with the other vampire taking a long sip of the last of the champagne. "Trust me, Caroline...I can't watch it either. How are they so clueless?"

"It's Maeve." replied Caroline.

"I am still processing the fact that Elijah is flirting. He can do that?" Kol asked clearly astonished with the way his older brother was acting.

"Are we really watching them like it's a movie?" asked Klaus clearly frustrated with the rest of them so invested into the two. "Has it not yet occurred to either of you that you are being watched?" he said a little loudly. Elijah and Maeve turned their heads frantically toward them. Maeve blushed taking a step back from Elijah.

To save her from further embarrassment she felt crippling on, her phone rang loudly. "good to know this survived the day too." she said attempting to joke. Maeve quickly scampered into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

"What are you watching?" asked Elijah cluelessly looking back at the four who were seated on and beside the only sofa in the room.

"You flirting." Kol blatantly blurted out. "Was quite the show."

"It's called as art of conversation. Had you picked up on any of the manners over the years you would have known." Elijah sassed the youngest siblings earning a hoot from Caroline first and then Klaus.

"Sorry. Not my place." Caroline corrected herself suddenly quite interested into the part of the bedroom visible through the open door.

"Elijah is sassing now. I love Maeve." cheered on Rebekah slapping her thighs joyfully. Elijah avoided the knowing glances his siblings threw his way by turning to the window again. He wouldn't dare to admit it to anyone let alone himself that he was in fact falling for Maeve.

"Hello? Sup' Prongs!" Maeve said over the phone as soon as she accepted the call.

"Happy Birthday Maeve!" there was a booming loud wish for her of many voices screaming at once. Maeve giggled fondly hearing the wishes she received.

"Thank you everyone! Ah it's so good to hear your voices." she said.

"It's good to hear your voice too." Ezekiel said sarcastically.

"Wow brother, I feel so much love from you! Thank you so much everyone for wishing me a birthday!" her joyous laughter boomed into the empty dimly lit hallway.

"We got a cake, Alpha! Cheesecake just like you like it." denoted Lollita over the phone.

Maeve rested her head on the wall as she slumped down and stretched her legs, "have an extra piece, Lola. For me."

"What about me?" Ezekiel asked her, his voice high followed by a short laugh.

"You're already getting on the larger side of the scale, Prongsie. Don't want a lousy Alpha for the pack now do we?" Maeve teased her brother.

"I love you too, Moony. I'll give you an answer tomorrow for calling me fat." She heard a click before it was only Ezekiel's voice that came, "How'd you spend the day?"

Maeve stayed silent for a moment. "You know the usual...I had my favorite breakfast. Popped open a bottle of bourbon at 11am. Rewatched Harry Potter through the afternoon and now I am at my apartment having a small party thrown by Caroline Forbes along with the original vampires." she lied through her teeth. All Maeve wanted was to tell the truth but she knew she couldn't do it.

"That is how you celebrated your 21st birthday? Wow, I thought I would have to give the whole no boys, I'm the older brother speech but I don't have to worry. Because that is how my sister spends the birthdays people make the most embarrassing regrets of their lives." Maeve let out a loud chuckle with a snort.

"Yes. Nothing to worry about. The only men I love are fictional." There was a moment of silence between the two. Maeve chose to break it with something that weighed on her since the first time she celebrated her birthday with the pack.

"Hey, listen...um, I wanted to ask..."

Ezekiel cut her off. He knew what she wanted to say and answered before she could say more. "Honestly, Moony...yes, it stings a bit but we've learnt to live with it. It doesn't haunt us anymore. You are here. Alive and safe, something every single one of us have always prayed for and hoped for. It matters but not enough to resent you."

"Can you put some lilies on their graves?"

"Already did this morning."

"Thanks I'll talk to you later now. Have a party to attend."

"See you soon, sis."

"See you soon, brother."

The following morning brought along dreadful news that Rebekah withheld from everyone because of Maeve. Rebekah, although knowing Maeve for a short time, knew it well that she would forget about her own life and help them in an instant.

The following morning, the Mikaelson siblings and Maeve sat around the breakfast table at the mansion each as grim as the other. All mirrored each other's straight fearing look not having a single clue about their next step.

"Where is this cave, again?" asked Maeve breaking the silence.

"In the forest." replied Rebekah. "Can you track it?"

"I could. I don't have anything to go on but I ca──" she was abruptly cut short as a sharp pain erupted at the back of her neck before rising up to the top of her head and cutting short her words. She winced and pressed a hand to her temple. 

"Maeve? Are you okay?" inquired Elijah turning his body to face her and placing a hand on the back of her chair.

"Ye...yeah, I just felt sudden sharp pain. That's all." she assured him. Maeve cleared her throat and continued on. "As I was saying. I don't have anything to go on. Finding the white oak stake without nothing to trace it with might be difficult."

"What about white oak Ash?" suggested Kol as he sat up in his chair. "Nik has it handy for when he wants to dagger us. Could that help with the locator spell?"

Maeve looked thoughtful, "it could...but then I would hav──no not a chance. I mean I suppose it would be easier if I just....nah too much exhaustion...what if I──nope, mental torture. There's this spell that I read....no good in theory only. Don't have much practice."

"Just pick a damn spell!" Klaus shouted slamming his hand on the table.

"Geez." Maeve cursed jolting in surprise at his sudden outburst. "I can. Get me the ash. But we need to find a way to get you guys unlinked." she fell silent immediately as she said it.

'If one goes, they all go.' those words echoed in Maeve's head. Somehow her gut feeling told her there was more to the story than what could be seen.

Before Maeve could voice her concern another sharp sting rose at the base of her neck. She let out a strong yelp of pain. "The hell?" she cursed rubbing the back of her neck.

"What's happening?" asked Rebekah placing both her hands flat on the table, leaning ahead and her eyes straight set on Maeve's face.

Maeve winced again before she told them, "someone's trying to locate me." she revealed to them. Maeve placed her palms flat on the table and closed her eyes.

"Revelare." Maeve muttered. Her breathing deepened and slowed. Maeve's body jerked and slammed against the chair back and a gasp left her lips. The four Mikaelson siblings watched worriedly as Maeve's eyes snapped open, blank white.

"What's happening?" asked Kol unable to take his eyes off of Maeve.

"This happened before." Klaus told his siblings. "When she tried that spell to find your coffins."

"Who are you?" said Maeve grabbing their attention again. "That is impossible. It's not possible." Everyone looked at each other and back at Maeve unsure of at whom she directed her words.

"Maeve?" Elijah called her name.

"How did you find me? Show yourself!" Maeve screamed gripping the seat of her chair tightly until her knuckles turned white. A few seconds passed of Maeve's lips trembling, mumbling incoherent words before she closed her eyes again.

Elijah sat back down on his seat cradling Maeve's head in his hand keeping her balanced on the chair seeing as she slumped down tiredly. Maeve blinked her eyes to clear her now blurred vision and sat up.

"What happened?"

"They...the──they are....I thought they died. But they...they found me. They are alive." She stuttered, her entire body shaking. Elijah kept a hand on her neck while the other reached out for her hand.

"Breathe first, Maeve. Breathe." he instructed her. Maeve nodded taking in a few breaths. "Good. A few more."

Maeve equalised her breaths before she announced to them. All of them looked physically shocked hearing her. "The rest of the royal covens are alive."

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Hello people!

How are you liking the story so far? Any suggestions? Opinions?

A quick note...last version had a slooow burn story for Elijah & Maeve but this one....has it too ;) but not as stretched as that one. I am not going to be that cruel this time around. Don't worry.

Anyways, please please please don't be a silent reader. Vote and comment. Tell me you like the story or hate it, whatever. Just don't be silent readers.

Take care everyone!

Raven :)