Her fingers gripped the edge of the porcelain sink inside the bathroom. Her eyes strained staring at her own reflections. Her mouth parted, lips chapped heaving audible breaths. Her hair fell in a curtain on the side of her face but it didn't bother her as much as the uneasiness coursing through her veins. She let go of her grip on the sink and stood up, back straightened. She rolled her lips into a thin line as an ache slowly spread over her body.

She stepped outside the bathroom, inside her room. She laid flat on the bed staring up at the ceiling. The ache slowly grew stronger taking hold of her senses. Her vision clouded and dulled before it became sharp. She sat up again feeling her body grow warmer with each second. She looked at the window in front of her. In the darkness of night, a stream of moon's light filtered inside falling on the floor. She let out a blood freezing scream falling to the floor on her knees. Her back arched making her grit her teeth. She fell forward again but placed her hands flat on the ground to stop herself from hitting the floor. She closed her eyes and opened them again unable to think straight.

She opened her eyes yet again. It struck her odd at how clearly she could see the world now. The darkness in the room didn't bother her as much as it did before. She tilted her head to look at herself in the floor length mirror in the room ahead of her. She gasped taking in trembling breaths seeing two blood red eyes reflecting in them. She shrieked as loudly as she could but no one came for her.

No one knocked on the door or barged in. She spread out her arms involuntarily throwing her head back giving away control of her body to an unknown source. The lights in the room flickered, as did the street light outside the window. She looked around panicking with each flicker. She shielded her head, pulling herself into a foetal position as the lights fused due to an unknown source.

She screamed out as pain bombarded her fragile body making her drop flat on the floor. She succumbed to the pain. Her hands fell next to her lethargically. When the eyes opened again a strange feeling bubbled inside. Heart thumped in the chest swallowing the stark silence. Her eyes went to the mirror in the room. A howl echoed inside the room. The dogs on the street just outside the window barked and howled at the sound of a wolf's howl.

Maeve walked silently alongside Elijah. She refused to look at him but only stared at the forest floor. Her bare feet felt rough now having walked on the cold muddy forest floor. She wrapped her arms around her body looking up ahead.

"What were you doing in the forest all alone in the night?" asked Elijah breaking the silence.

"I'll explain everything. Just not here. Please." Maeve pleaded glancing at Elijah. He nodded his head continuing to walk. They reached his car.

"I...I have my car. I'll see you at the apartment building across Mystic Grill." Maeve told him walking over to her car parked just behind his.

No words were exchanged after that between the two. Patiently Elijah got in his own car and drove away. Maeve drowned herself in the silence of her closed car heaving breaths through her flared nostrils.

*******

Maeve led Elijah up the creaking staircase leading to her apartment on the fifth floor. "The building isn't exactly maintained properly." she sheepishly mentioned scurrying off into the dully lit hallway to her apartment.

"It's fine. Better than the house you were kept in." Elijah bemused making Maeve giggle in response. She opened the door and stepped inside, dropping the keys in a bowl next to the door and making her way over to the leather sofa in the room. She turned around again to see Elijah still standing by the door.

"Shit! Sorry──uh, come in." Elijah strided in, looking around the place examining the entire room.

"You've got a nice place." Maeve scoffed at the compliment.

"Are you always this modest or being one because of what I did."

Elijah grinned looking at her, "a little of both, actually."

Maeve gestured to the couch in the room, "please have a seat. Would you like something?"

"Just the answers I was promised." Elijah took a seat on the couch, crossing his leg over another.

"What do you want to know first?" Maeve pulled a stool from the kitchen table and sat across from Elijah.

"How did you know a simple wooden stake wouldn't have killed me?" Elijah asked her. Maeve breathed crossing her arms and began,

"My older brother Ezekiel taught me everything I know about the supernatural. He talked about this family of vampires who came first. Like they are the first vampires in history. He mentioned that a stake won't kill him permanently." Elijah nodded his head and pursued his lips.

"And you didn't say anything to Damon." Elijah inquired.

"I...I don't know why I did that. I just let it be."

Elijah nodded his head again, "so you're a witch." he stated.

Maeve shook her head sideways denying his words. "It's not that simple."

"Then make it simple." Maeve shivered a little feeling a cold draft in the room.

"Elijah there is a reason I haven't told anyone about myself."

"When Rose kidnapped you alongside Elena, I noticed you weren't exactly human."

"I'm not. I mean not entirely in the sense of being called one." Maeve waited a few seconds for Elijah to say something but he remained patiently silent. "Elijah no one is aware of me, at least not in this town. I'd like to keep it that way."

"How have you? Bonnie is a witch. Surely she knows."

"No. I use these spelt herbs to keep my identity a secret. That day when Rose kidnapped me, my ring broke causing the spell to be weak. That is why you sensed something off about me."

"Why go to such great lengths?"

Maeve licked her lips, gulping before she let out breathily, "I am a hunted being."

"Maeve I assure you I will not pose as a threat if you give me a proper explanation as to what I saw in the woods and how you know so much about my family." Elijah told her in a cold tone making Maeve's blood run cold. Elijah noticed color draining from her face first before the twitching of her fingers. He understood how terrified she was of him and even uttering a single word about herself.

"I am a witch and a werewolf." Maeve felt her mouth go dry as she muttered those words.

"You're a hybrid." Elijah concluded before he gave a knowing look. "Which would also mean that witches have not been welcoming towards you."

"They haven't. Please, Elijah...no one can know about me. I saw how you reacted when you noticed me that day and I knew I had to explain it. I feared you might ask Damon or someone."

Elijah understood rather well about her dilemma. She didn't want anyone to notice her. She didn't want them to find out who she truly was. "That letter you addressed to me was to just..."

"Ensure you'd come directly to me for answers you wanted that day. I invited you here because I didn't want them to find out." Maeve took a pause before continuing, "for the past two years──since I found out about this part of me, I have only known one thing...survival. This town has so many supernatural people and every day something new happens. I decided it was best to stay here until I know I am safe."

"Interesting." Elijah noted, "do you know what does kill an original."

"Yes. It's a White oak stake." Maeve informed him. "But I haven't told this to anyone. Take my word for it."

"And why haven't you? You have known from the start about me, my family and what can kill us, why keep it a secret?" Maeve laughed at his question shaking her head.

"I know better than to make an enemy out of you or your siblings." Maeve enunciated. "Zeke took an oath from me...lol, he did that if I ever cross paths with any of you, I won't do anything to make an enemy."

"Wise decision." Elijah smiled again.

"This calls for Bourbon. Wouldn't you agree?" Maeve slapped her knees and got up to the kitchen.

Elijah followed behind her watching her move around the place still slightly scared of him. He noticed her hesitation in answering about herself. He knew then that she was not being honest with him. Elijah let it slide. He saw the need and desire for survival burning in flames in Maeve's eyes. Her terrified face seeing his anger burnt like a tattoo in his memory. He could sense she had a past that she didn't want to recall. So he let it slide.

"Another thing: if you go to such an extent to hide your identity why use magic on me? Surely it could have been anyone from your band of friends."

Maeve chuckled darkly at his words. She placed a glass of bourbon in front of him and replied, "Stefan is trapped inside the tomb with bitchy-woo. Elena's on house arrest. Caroline was helping Tyler with shifting. That leaves only Rose who already saw something fishy about me. She's far too scared of everything that moves to try and persuade anyone to look into me. As for Damon...he knows better than to sneak up on me. He's learnt his lesson."

"I'm curious to know why." Elijah smirked before taking a sip of the bourbon.

"I kneed him in the balls and shot him with vervain laced wooden bullets the last time he tried to sneak up on me." Both chuckled at her reply.

Elijah finished the bourbon and stood up, "thank you for telling me what you did Maeve and not saying anything to the rest of them."

"Hey...just looking out for myself." Maeve responded before looking at him with softened eyes, "Elijah can I trust you to not say a word to anyone else."

"I give you my word that I will not repeat this conversation to anyone."

"Thank you Elijah. I appreciate it." Maeve took a notepad discarded on the table and scribbled her number on it. "This is the Salvatores we are talking about, in love with bitchy-woo's face again. Something's bound to go to hell. Perhaps I'll be of help."

"I will keep this in mind. Take care Maeve."

"You too Elijah." Both smiled at each other. Maeve followed Elijah to the door and closed to the door behind.