Numb. that's all she felt. Maeve's breath turned long and sharp. She was still in the protective and warm embrace of Elijah. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she struggled to catch her breath. Elijah, however, was strangely calm. He held her tightly, and Maeve struggled to regain her senses. Elijah slowly let go of her. Maeve stepped back immediately but she didn't put much distance between them. Elijah looked up at her. His eyes were cloudy. His hands were in his pockets, and his eyes were still glazed over. He was waiting for Maeve to speak or something else to happen.

"Maeve..." he began with uncertainty in his voice. "if we could just talk." he paused for a moment, silently hoping that Maeve would say something.

His confession, his words, the closeness, and everything that it built up inside Maeve and clouded her any conscious thought, was a moment of realisation. It was a sweet acknowledgment, a rediscovery of emotions. "I...uh---I should go." she managed to say. Before Elijah could respond, Maeve bolted away immediately.

Elijah remained glued in place staring at Maeve as she ran away from him. His eyes were still glazed over and he was still staring at her. He didn't even attempt to follow her. He stood there. He watched her leave. He watched her until she was out of sight. He was lost in thought. Elijah felt heartbroken. Was his confession not clear? Did he not say enough? Or was it all too much? Elijah wasn't sure. But he was sure of one thing, and that was that he wanted to tell Maeve how he felt, apologize to her for what he had done to her, and that he had not stayed true to a promise he made her. He wanted to apologize for everything. Most of all, tell her that she still meant a lot to him...that had not changed.

After a few more moments of standing alone, he walked away from bourbon street to the abbatoir where he knew a problem was waiting for him.

Morning came quicker than he wanted it to, but it came. And it did with a terrifying and bitter sense of reality. "So our volatile in-house artist is drawing the images of your ex." were the words that begun the morning for Elijah.

"Yes, for some reason Davina was unknowingly painting Celeste when her magic would go out of control. We need to figure out why it's happening and stop it."

"Well, good thing I made a call to our personal advisor slash expert." those particular words from Klaus were clear enough for him to know who was arriving.

"I swear on Seline puppy, if I didn't actually find you entertaining, I would have killed you myself." he heard her complain with a groan. Her irritated tone of voice made a small smile appear on Elijah's face. He felt a surge of warmness that he couldn't quite place or understand. Elijah pushed himself off the wall and turned to face Maeve.

"Good morning, Maeve." he greeted her with a soft smile. Maeve turned to him. Elijah watched in silent amusement as she looked at him and slowly her entire demeanour changed. He listened to her heart pounding in her chest. She was standing a few feet away from him, and he could see the nervousness in her eyes. Maeve cleared her throat and spoke, looking over at Klaus,

"Did you want something?"

"Yes, I thought I could pick your brain." answered Klaus, "Drink?"

Maeve gave him a flat look, "its nine am." she said in a dull tone. "and I'm not an alcoholic."

"Coffee then?" Elijah asked. Maeve hesitated while she glanced at him quickly and turned away.

"Yes, that would be better."

"I'm sure the maid would be happy to make you a hot cup of coffee. Excuse me for a moment." Elijah said, and left the room. Maeve's face was still pale, and her breathing was shallow.

Klaus noticed the tense air lingering in the room, especially surrounding the two of them. He just looked at them, watching as the tension only rose instead of lessening. "What happened now?" he asked tiredly.

"None of your concern." Maeve snapped at him. "Tell me, what is the problem?" asked Maeve coldly.

"Davina..." Klaus explained everything that happened the previous evening and night.

"I was wondering if you had anything that could help us stop whatever is happening to her."

"Well..." Maeve casually strolled around the study room, arms crossed. "From what I know, Marcel stopped the ritual from happening, right? I'm guessing the ritual is trying to find a way to complete itself."

"Could you maybe speak in a language us commoners might understand?" Klaus requested sarcastically.

"The ritual was incomplete. Marcel stopped it from happening. This is the undoing of that."

"So the spell is tearing her apart to finish?" Klaus inquired.

"Tell me what exactly happened?" asked Maeve. Klaus caught her up with everything that unfolded the previous evening and everything that he learnt from Sophie the witch and Marcel.

"Alrighty...so basically──"

"There hasn't been an all-powerful witch until Davina." Elijah cut her off as he entered the room again. He handed a mug of coffee to Maeve with a warm smile.

"Thanks and that was offensive...what you just said." Maeve narrowed her eyes on Elijah. "Just because I'm not a witch anymore does not mean you just randomly call someone powerful."

"I'm sorry." said Elijah immediately but without any proper meaning to the word.

"But, yes...she's unnaturally powerful." Maeve hummed and sipped on her coffee. Her eyes fell on the coffee table which was covered with the paintings Davina had made.

"Who is now tucked safe and sound down the hall under my protection." Klaus spoke up.

"So this is the infamous Celeste." remarked Maeve glancing at the portrait carefully. "Wow. Even in portraits she looks beautiful." Maeve noted. Elijah was not sure if Maeve's words were a compliment or they were emerging from jealousy hidden beneath. He tried studying her face but she had surprisingly mastered the poker face.

"Your Celeste was quite beautiful and a portent on evil according to our volatile artist resident." Klaus commented with a smirk.

"Hold on...your?"

Klaus had a mischievous smirk dangling on his lips immediately, "oh Celeste and Elijah were young hearts in love once upon a time."

Elijah glanced at his brother for a moment before he diverted the conversation away. "Perhaps, Davina's mistaken what she calls evil for power. Celeste was certainly very powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over two hundred years. I don't understand why all these sketches now."

"Why does any witch do anything?"

Their attentions were brought to a loud crash coming from the end of the hallway.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"Marcel is visiting Davina." said Klaus with a shrug of his shoulders. "And as you can see, it's going going well."

"If you were trying to win the girl's trust, perhaps poisoning her one true love was not the most splendid idea." Elijah had his eyes fixed on the paintings.

"Oh, are there any more inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?"

"Give me a month. I'll get you a list" Elijah mused, making Maeve chuckle.

"Oh, oh, start with mine and work your way up the decades." Maeve chirped earning an angry glare from Klaus.

"Weren't it you who told me to do so? Kill you?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, but you enjoyed that so, yes I'd like to add my name to that list." Maeve faux smiled. Before their argument to progress, a scream made them run out of the room and follow it. Maeve placed her cup on the coffee table and ran out of the room.

"What's with all the racket?" Klaus asked just as the three entered the room. Davina coughed heavily and began throwing up dirt. The entire room and slowly the entire building began to shake.

Maeve almost lost her balance as the house shook violently. Elijah placed his hands on her, helping her stand upright.

"Marcel." Davina whimpered in pain. Maeve was shocked to see the you girl being the subject of a gruesome ritual. It wasn't her fault where she was born into one of the worst covens of witches.

"I'm right here, D. We are right here." Marcel said and glanced up at Maeve. He hoped at least she could give some words of reassurance.

Maeve walked around the bed and climbed up to get closer to Davina. "You get some sleep, okay? You've just been exerting yourself, that's all."

"Will I be fine?" The young girl asked teary eyed. She was covered in sweat and instinctively she grasped Maeve's hand. Her hold became tighter when she asked for a hopeful answer.

"I will try everything to make things alright." Maeve assured. She didn't know if her words would give any results but she had to say it. She wanted to say it no matter how hollow they felt, they seemed.

Maeve and Marcel tucked her under the sheets and walked out the room.

"Mae?" Marcel looked at her. He believed that she would find an answer to everything.

"The ritual works. There's nothing we can do."

"This is madness. How can a sixteen year old rock the entire french quarter?" Klaus let out his frustration. Marcel and Maeve stood side by side with one ear on Davina's room.

"I have seen her rock the church attic before but I've never seen anything like this." Marcel noted, speaking up to them.

"How did you control her when she was in the attic?"

"I didn't have to, but I never killed her boyfriend." Marcel snapped.

"Yes. Yes. We've been over this part already. The point is in her present state, she's useless as a tool against the witches."

"She's not a tool. Something is wrong with her. Maeve." Marcel snapped.

"I said it before. Her power is unnatural. It is overwhelming, overloaded and extremely dangerous and is showing the consequences now. And if you call her a tool, one more time, so help me Hecate, I'll do something." Maeve threatened glaring at Klaus who didn't know how to react.

Elijah decided on speaking up. "She has too much power that she cannot control. That much we already knew. Maeve's journal talks about this ritual being successful and work. But, why is it manifesting her in such an aggresive manner?"

"It was never hers to keep. It belongs to the earth. Like the ritual clearly states. It passes from one to another then into the earth." Maeve explained.

Elijah got up from his seat and moved to walk out.

"And where are you going?" Klaus asked his brother.

"This is witch business. To ask a witch. A french quarter witch." saying so, Elijah took a quick exit.

"What about you, Maeve?" inquired Marcel and turned to her, "You have got books. Do you have something?"

"Marcel..." she took his hands in hers and pulled him to the couch in the room and settled down on it next to her. "right now there is only one option."

Marcel knew immediately what she meant. He knew there wasn't much to consider but the only obvious.

"There has to be something...something we can do." Marcel pleaded. Maeve shook her head.

"I'll try to reach out to Maverick and see if there's anything we can do." her words were a flicker of hope for Marcel.

"Please." Maeve nodded her head and walked out immediately.

Maeve walked up the stairs of the compound briefly catching the end of a conversation between Elijah and Hayley.

Elijah's back was turned to her but even then, Maeve knew he was upset. She knew it from the way Elijah's shoulders were straight and held up in a way. His hands were tucked in his pockets, a sign that he was not interested in the dialogue he was involved in.

"She wanted to be left in peace. When a witch's remains are consecrated, that power fuels the rest of their community. Celeste did not want her remains to be found. She made me promise to bury her where she would not be found. You not only violated my privacy, you have broken my promise to her." he informed Hayley.

From where Maeve stood eavesdropping on their conversation, she knew Hayley was teary eyed and feeling immense guilt for whatever she had done. "I thought they were just bones, Elijah."

"If you truly believed that, why didn't you ask me where to find her?" without any further protest, words or anything, he stormed away leaving Hayley in mourn of her actions.

Maeve stepped closer to the pregnant werewolf, hoping she could just walk past her. "Maeve, I didn't do it on purpose...Sophie said she could help me find my family."

"Hayley...what did you do exactly?"

"I──I looked through his journals and gave the location of Celeste's grave to Sophie. She wanted her bones to complete the ritual."

"Oh Hayley...why couldn't you have just asked him? He cares about everyone but himself. If this Celeste lady wanted to be left alone, Elijah ensured it to be like that."

"How was I supposed to know it was this important?" Hayley argued with her.

"Common sense. If the witch who threatened your little girl's life, is asking you to do something, how certain were you it wouldn't end in disaster?" asked Maeve with a significant look.

"I'm so sorry Maeve."

"Apologize to Elijah, Hayley. He will forgive you soon." Maeve assured her. "If there's one thing you need to understand is that that makes he always..." Maeve trailed off as a striking thought crossed her mind. Her eyes unfocused for a moment, pulling her away from the reality in the compound to the Bourbon Street at midnight.

"I don't know how not to miss you."

"I failed us."

"I don't know how to love someone who isn't you." his words came rushing back yet again like they did numerous times, through the night. They appeared in her short dream she had, rushed again to her the second she woke up.

Hayley waved a hand in front of her eyes pulling Maeve back to the Abbatoir. "What? What is it?"

"That Elijah always puts everyone else's wishes above his. For him a wish someone's made matters more than his own feelings."

"It's actually fucking hilarious you think this idea isn't going to come bite you in the ass." Maeve yelled at the top of her voice.

Maeve, alongside the Mikaelson siblings, Hayley, Marcel and Davina, stood in the Lafayette cemetery watching the ritual complete.

As it turns out, even Maverick had no solution to Davina's problem. The only way was to complete the ritual. And that's where the elder witch Esther came to aid.

"Maeve, we didn't have any other options." said Elijah. Under the pouring rain, he held the umbrella up to cover himself and Maeve.

Suddenly, flames started to erupt near the entrance, startling everyone.

"Fire." pointed out Sophie, her flustered worry was evident in the glow of the marshall of fire hung up on the stone wall.

After a moment, Marcel appeared, carrying Davina in his arms. As he walked toward them, flames followed them in a trail that licked at Marcel's heels. Once they got to the altar, Marcel set her down, and Sophie held the ceremonial athame over the flames before she headed toward Davina.

"Do you believe in the harvest?" asked Sophie glancing at Davina.

Davina nodded nervously, "I believe."

Once Davina said the words, Sophie raised the blade and slit Davina's throat with it. Davina gasped in shock and grabbed at her throat before she fell back. Marcel caught her and laid her down on the ground. Just then, the rain stopped and Davina's skin glowed gold as the magic left her body and flowed into the earth.

Maeve noticed the golden glow vanished into the earth only to never return again.

As if nature itself recognized the dark deed, the rain ceased in an instant. Davina's skin took on a golden glow as the magic drained from her body and coursed through the earth beneath her. All present witnessed this with a growing unease.

Sophie swallowed hard and looked up at the menacing sky. "After the Harvest comes the Reaping. Their sacrifices made and accepted. We call upon our Elders to resurrect the chosen ones."

Silence hung heavy.

The words bounced around like hollow echoes, taunting them with cruel abandon. Sophie stuttered her way through the incantation-desperation clawing at her heart. Yet, in spite of her fervent begging, nothing happened.

Tears pooled in Sophie's eyes as she crumbled to her knees-a single guttural cry escaping from her core as she wailed for her gods to heed her call. Unanswered prayers left in their wake a shattered woman drowned in mistakes and cruelty of those who came before.

Sophie's voice wavered as she began again, desperation creeping in. "We call upon our Elders to resurrect the chosen ones..." Still, nothing happened. The piercing chill of failure cut through her heart as tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. "Resurrect your chosen ones... Please? I beg..." Hope withering away like a dying ember in her chest, Sophie fell to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

"No!"

As Sophie wept harder than before, both Hayley and Rebekah couldn't hold back their own tears. They had been invested in this ritual just as deeply as Sophie had.

Elijah and Klaus both look depressed, but not as much as Marcel, who shot Klaus a look of hatred before vampire-speeding away. Maeve dropped on her knees crying. Elijah was by her side holding her to his chest as she wept. Without any thought, she welcomed the support from Elijah, weeping into his hold.

Maeve knew something terrible had happened. The ritual, however sinister was straight forward.

Elijah had his entire attention on Maeve who walked in front of him on the empty streets of the French quarter. Maeve hugged herself as her mind replayed the entire ritual. It wasn't just the sight of Davina dying but also the words from the previous night that haunted her.

Elijah didn't pry on her. He didn't ask her if she was alright or if she needed anything. He let her be.

"Elijah..." she called him. Her voice was barely a sound sounding through the air. He covered the distance between, in two fast strides and was right next to her.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. "This ritual...something is terribly wrong." her brows furrowed and fists clenched, lips quivering. "The power flowed the way it was supposed to, in the earth and yet it didn't come back up. It should have don't you think?"

Elijah considered her words, "that power returned to earth, Maeve."

"It returned to the witch death hole in the cemetery. Something decepted the spell."

Elijah glanced at her curiously, "perhaps, someone." Maeve's head shot up with a terrified expression.

"Could be. The spell's power can be controlled by a skilled and trained witch. What if one of the present witches did it? Take it upon them the power of the ritual."

Elijah noticed the curiosity boil in her eyes with a determination. He placed his hands on hers, as if softly and without any words asking her to look up at him.

"We can worry about that tomorrow."

"Elijah──"

"Today look after yourself. Look after Marcel. That's all." He protested her next words with a shake of his head. "Maeve...understand that when you walk into this trouble, you cannot escape. We have learnt it the hard way. Please, this time. Consider yourself. Not your friendship with Niklaus or Rebekah or Marcel. Put yourself first."

"You didn't include yourself in the list."

The corner of his lip curled gently into almost a smile, "I haven't earned my place there yet now have I?" in he said with sincerity.

"Did you mean it?" she whisper hesitantly. "What you said last night? About loving me."

Elijah licked his bottom lip, weighing his words he thought of. "I meant every single word. I meant my apology. I meant it when I said I cannot move on. That I love you."

Maeve froze again. She didn't know what to say to him. She kept looking at Elijah. Their eyes met, and suddenly the cold night didn't seem as cold. A sense of warmth spread between them enveloping the two in a welcoming ambience.

Elijah confessed that he loved her. It hit her hard and fast that a man she had forced herself to hate for so long was not even remotely close to being the subject of her hatred she held. Maeve realised something so strong and confusing she shut down immediately.

She loved Elijah. Maeve never hated Elijah. She simply stopped focusing on the feelings she had for him, anything that reminded her of him and folded herself a blanket that kept her protected from confronting the idea that she never had any hate for him. Just pain.

Maeve's gaze met Elijah's, lingering as they shared a tender moment. Hesitantly, she whispered, "Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"Will you be honest?"

"I give you my word Maeve that I will be completely and absolutely honest with you." he said in his usual manner.

"Did you want to come back to help me when I pushed you away?"

Elijah stepped closer to her. He gazed into her eyes, building a strong sense of connection. "I didn't want to leave. But the way you said it, I felt responsible and so I chose to take the responsibility and leave. Hoping that perhaps with me gone you could fight more-better-stronger."

"And you decided that on your own?" asked Maeve slightly rudely.

"Maeve, please listen to me. I aided you with everything you could need to become better with your magic. I helped you in having control that ultimately caused you only pain. You have protected, saved and fought for me and my family and in return all that I have given you is more pain and death. If having to force distance from you was guaranteeing me that you would survive then I was willing to take that decision."

"It wasn't your decision to make!" her voice echoed into the quiet night marching the agony of finally listening to the side of the story she had been longing for.

Elijah kept silent. "I talked to Hayley today after you left." she confessed. Maeve sniffled lightly. "I realised something. You valued my decision over your own."

He remained silent still. Maeve waited for him to argue or protest but he stayed still. "When will you put your own feelings first?"

"When you will do the same." that was Elijah's response. Maeve's gaze was transfixed on his, unmoving and unblinking. Her fingers were intertwined with his and a warmth clouded around them, their intimacy protecting them from the coldness around.

A bitter end before could possibly be the reason for a sweeter start.

************************************
I'm not crying you are :'(

How do you find The Originals Act of the story?

Let me know what you think.

Until the next chapter

Peace our bitches :)

Raven.