Bonnie Bennett surfed through the stacks of grimoires stacked inside the small apartment owned by Dr Jonas Martin. A single thought constantly whirled around her head. That thought ended up on a single person who had managed to become the talk of the entire gang: Maeve Williams.

Bonnie traced her finger over the spine of a particular book before her eyes roved over to another book in the stack. The door was thrown open wider than before making her jolt up in surprise. Damon Salvatore sauntered inside the apartment as indifferent as ever.

"Take whatever you want and let's go." Damon ordered the witch showing his disinterest in being in that place.

"Tell me something. Why did we not include Maeve into this elaborate plan to dagger or whatever to Elijah?"

"It's better if we keep her out of this." Damon bluntly responded. Bonnie turned to him curiously before she could mutter another word, a figure appeared at the threshold of the apartment.

Damon whirled around with his lips parted in anticipation. She strided in and walked past the two of them. Both followed her movements without saying any word.

She minded her own business and kept stacking up the grimoires. "Maeve..." bonnie called her name but she didn't respond. Maeve kept placing the books inside the box with her back turned to the two of them.

"You can't just take something." exasperated Damon making Maeve snap her head up and towards him. Her enraged sharp features silenced anymore words from Damon.

"I can and I will. You want something or you here to honor the dead for once." Maeve bit harshly. Bonnie looked as if she had just been slapped.

"Maeve listen..." Maeve waved her hand before fisting her fingers making Damon grunt in pain.

"No you listen──" she spoke with an ultimatum, "Dr Martin asked me to keep all of his grimoires with me. I am here to do what he wanted me to do."

"When did you two talk?" Bonnie asked stepping ahead to now stand next to Damon who was on his knees grunting and groaning in pain.

Maeve uncurled her fingers stopping the spell. Her eyes were stationary on Damon not looking at Bonnie, "did you know Elijah and Dr Martin had been helping me for the last two weeks with my magic?" Damon's eyes widened as did Bonnie's.

"What?" Maeve crossed her arms shifting her weight on one leg.

"Yes. Dr Martin's been helping me control my powers so what happened with the werewolves does not happen again."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you?" shot back Maeve aggressively. Before anyone could say more Maeve resumed filling up the boxes stacked aside with the grimoires.

Damon stepped ahead towards Maeve, before turning his head to look at Bonnie. "Look, I am sorry we didn't say anything."

"I'm sure you are." Maeve laughed bitterly, "why don't you leave me alone?"

"Maeve..." Damon placed his hands on her shoulder making her stop her work. "Why do you think Elijah was so up for helping you?" he asked her with a casual tone. "He must have had a plan."

"Oh really?" Maeve turned around to face Damon. He stood in place, now mere an inch away from her. "Why do you think like that?"

"Because it's exactly what I would do." Damon replied.

Maeve paused for a moment as Damon's words echoed inside her head. She doubted Elijah now more than before, ofcourse the original had a plan. Why would anyone want to help someone without a selfish motive. She smiled forcibly and stared at him, "you done? Now leave."

"Come on now, don't be like that." Damon pleaded. "I was just looking out for you."

"Since when does the Salvawhore care about anyone who isn't Elena?"

"Will you stop with that?" Damon shouted making Maeve flinch in surprise. "Yes I care about Elena but I care about you too. I know it isn't an obvious thing but yes Maeve, I care about you very much. I saw how heartbroken you were when you killed those werewolves and I also know you hid all of this because you are scared. I am not afraid of you, I don't fear you and I only care about you. I don't want you to get hurt. That's it."

Maeve stood unmoving as she processed Damon's words. "You're such a sap." she teased him immediately changing her demeanor.

"Don't put it on a poster." smiled Damon. He pulled her in a hug, wrapping his arms around her, "twice you've been in trouble because of me. Didn't want a third."

Maeve smiled again slapping his hands away. "How caring of you." She pushed him away and started picking up more grimoires.

"What exactly did Dr Martin teach you?" Bonnie asked breaking away the train if thoughts. Maeve turned to her facing her, with a soft smile.

"How to control my magic...like I said. He taught me a few more spells, about He came to me yesterday evening before I'm guessing going after Elena and said that I keep this all." she gestured around the room.

Damon blinked his eyes looking around the room before settling his eyes on Maeve. An odd expression covered her face which quickly became unreadable. Bonnie could see the faltered expression and know something bad was taking form in his head.

Maeve turned pages of a grimoire out of the dozens stacked in boxes inside her small apartment fascinated with the spells that were scribbled on them. In the past hour of her reading, Maeve had successfully made her coffee table float mid air, shattered a glass and located Damon without using blood.

The ringing of her phone echoed through the house making her flinch in surprise. She went over to the couch where she had kept her phone and picked it up.

"Hey Auntie! How's it going?"

"Maeve..." her aunt Amara croaked making Maeve stiffen, "dad is not good. His health is deteriorating. He's refused medicine too. He's asking for you. Please....come home. Only yo──you can convince him."

"I'll be there by night. Hang in there. Is Zeke there?"

"He's on his way too. Must be on the flight." Maeve's heart broke hearing the cracking voice of her aunt.

"I'll be there. I have this grimoires now that will like help him. Heal him. It's Pops we're talking about. He's as always having a bad day. That's all." Maeve ended the call not wanting to let her aunt see her break.

Grandfather or Alpha Kade Kalon was the heart and soul of the pack and life of a party. Maeve walked into the other room and packed herself clothes for overnight. She stepped back out into the living room but gasped in surprise seeing Damon standing in the living room.

"Fuck." she cursed placing a hand on her chest. "what are you doing here?"

"I wan──" he looked at her bag she held in her hand, "where are you going?"

"My grandfather is not keeping well. I didn't think it was serious until I just got a call from my aunt. He's gotten worse." maeve's voice cracked at the end with a soft sniffle. Damon stepped closer to her and pulled her in a tight hug.

"He's just having a bad day. I'm sure of it." Damon assured her rubbing her back.

Maeve pulled away and wiped away a single tear. She walked around to a stack of grimoires on the coffee table and picked up two grimoires and set them inside the duffle bag. "Why are you here?" she asked turning around to him.

"Nothing. Doesn't matter." Damon smiled before it faltered.

"Okay. I'll get going now." Maeve walked past him to the front door but Damon's voice stopped her.

"I was just wondering. Which one of these grimoires could help with the Klaus problem?" asked Damon. Maeve twirled around on her heel to face the older Salvatore.

"Haven't gone through all of them. Ask Bonnie to go through the grimoire she took. I think that one was which I used before." Maeve guessed.

"Thank you. Text me when you reach home." Damon made his way to the door, where Maeve stood, "remember I'll hunt you down in Georgia if I don't get a phone call or text that you've reached safely."

"I promise." Damon smiled at her response. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

The morning that followed after the painful night when Maeve shifted into her wolf form for the first time, Maeve made her way to the parking lot with a limp in her walk. Her muscles ached having been strained and pulled.

She unlocked her car but a soft voice that called her name made her stop, "Maeve? Maeve Williams?"

She turned her head to her right seeing an older woman staring back at her. Maeve studied the woman carefully seeing her outfit first and then the face.

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Amara Kalon. I am your aunt." the woman introduced herself stepping closer to Maeve. She stepped away from the woman on her guard. Amara raised her hands in the air stopping in place.

"It's okay. I really am your aunt. If you could just let me explain."

"Explain? What? I don't have an aunt. I know all my aunts and you are not one of them." Maeve stated with a wavering voice.

Amara looked around the place before she stared back at Maeve. Maeve watched in horror as Amara's eyes went from brown to yellow before they returned to their previous brown shade. Maeve's mouth fell agape at the sight. "You're....how did you?"

"Something happened last night didn't it? You know what I am talking about."

"I shifted into a wolf. Red eyes a...an──and black wolf. How is it possible?"

Amara tried reaching for Maeve and thankfully for her, Maeve didn't flinch away. Amara placed a hand on Maeve's and stared at her affectionately, "you look just like your father. Those honey brown eyes. It's like he is looking right at me."

"Dr George and Sasha Williams are not my real parents, are they?" Maeve softly mumbled looking down at her feet.

"Not biologically they are not." Amara told her. "Listen, I would love to tell you everything but not here. Perhaps you'd like to come to our home."

"In the afternoon. I have an important lecture to get to. So, then."

Amara reached into the side pocket of her purse and pulled out her phone. "Put in your number and I'll forward you to address. Your real family are impatiently waiting for you to come home." Amara told her.

Maeve put in her number trusting the calmness of Amara and returned the phone to her.

Maeve rode her bike on the freeway leading to Georgia smiling to herself at the memory. But it didn't come close to a cherished one as the one where she met her grandfather for the first time.

Maeve stopped her bike just inside the gated society gawking at the sight of the long road ahead of her with houses on either sides. She took off her helmet and placed it on the rear view mirror. She restarted her bike and rode it along the road feeling her insecurity creep up as people stopped in place to stare at her. She saw a few whisper to each other with their eyes still straining on her.

Maeve increased the speed and reached for the house that was built at the end of the road. She parked the bike by the footpath and made her way to the front door. She knocked on the plain white door using her knuckles she waited nervously for it to open.

The door creaked open revealing a slightly older looking man with a balding patch on his head and dressed in a Butler's outfit. "You must be Ms Williams. We've been waiting for you. Please come." He moved out of the way for Maeve to step inside.

She gawked at the infrastructure lavishly decorated with no corner left undecorated. Maeve dropped her shoulder twirling around taking in the large foyer and the spiral staircase just ahead.

The stomping of boots alerted her making her whip her head to her left. It was then she noticed the Italian marble flooring shining in the afternoon sunlight that fell from the skylight on the ceiling.

"Why is she standing on the foyer like a stupid intern? Didn't I tell you to get her in the living room as soon as she comes?" A rough voice scolding someone, echoed around the place.

Maeve looked to the long hallway to the left of the room to see a man striding closer to her with his arms spread open. Maeve stood frozen in place unsure of what to do.

"Look at you!" she grew more insecure when he stopped at a reasonable distance from her. She noticed the quivering lips and teary eyes first before the glad smile.

He took another step closer to her making Maeve stiffen as her heart beat faster. "You look so much like him. Doesn't she, Ross?" He turned to the butler who stood next to him.

"I do, Sir. I see Mr Jared a lot. Especially the habit of picking nails." he noted pointing to her right hand resting on top of her left hand as she kept picking at her nails. Maeve immediately set her arms on either side of her body.

"Hello. My name is Maeve Williams." The man laughed gleefully at her.

"Don't be so formal. My name is Kade Kalon. You've met my daughter Amara already. Welcome to your home, Maeve." Kade introduced and welcomed her.

Maeve smiled and took his hand to shake. "I am a werewolf, aren't I?" she asked getting straight to the point.

"Don't be silly, Maeve. You are a Lycanthrope. Much different, much stronger than a werewolf. Come along, I'd explain everything to you. Only if you are comfortable."

Maeve nodded her head. "I would like to know everything, Mr Kalon."

"Didn't I say no formality?" Kade denoted with a straight look, "you can call me Pops." Maeve smiled slowly feeling her nerves ease.

Maeve parked her bike on the side stand in front of the Mansion and leapt to her feet to the front door. The tall door was pulled open by Ross who looked at Maeve in relief and fear.

Maeve smiled warmly holding back on her own worry, "it's going to be okay, Ross. It's Kade Kalon we're talking about. He will be up and ready for a game of blackjack by morning. I'm sure." she assured the butler although she didn't believe her own words.

She made her way up the spiral staircase into her grandfather's room. She pushed open the brown carved door and stepped inside silently. Kade sat upright on his bed, with his back to the headboard. The tv in front of him played an episode of friends. Kade turned to the door hearing it open as a bright yet tired smile crept up on his face.

"Moonpie! It's so good to see you." He greeted her in a hoarse voice below coughing a little. Maeve sat down on his bed next to him and placed her hand on top of his.

"Hey Pops. How're you feeling?"

Kade raised an eyebrow, "how do I look?" he asked instead. "Tell me? I got a new haircut too."

Maeve chuckled half heartedly, "handsome as ever."

"Ding ding ding! That is the right answer. I feel good."

"What is it that Aunt Amara calls me and tells me your health is deteriorating? You better not be messing with me, Old man cause I will not tolerate this." She badgered.

"It was bound to happen. My time has come. I can feel it." He replied.

Maeve rolled her eyes looking at the wall to the right of the room, "stop acting like a wise old man from a fantasy novel. It's not your time. I just got you. You can't leave me." Maeve sniffled and looked at her grandfather again, "who's going to teach me how to be a better Lycan? Who's going to be my prank buddy? Teach me how to fight? Tell stories?"

Kade was almost in tears hearing Maeve. For him having Maeve with them again was a sunrise after years of darkness. Everytime he looked at her, he saw his son and daughter in law.

"Princesa, come here." He opened his arms. Maeve scooted closer to him and cuddled with her head on his chest.

"I'll always be there with you. Watching over you and your silly mistakes. I'll always be in your heart. Helping you make decisions. Every time you miss me just look at the sky and see me smile back at you."

"The crooked man's crooked smile from the crescent moon?" Maeve mocked making him chuckle.

"I knew you had my humor in you." He laughed, "promise me, you will take care of everyone. This pack needs a leader and no one is better than you." Maeve sat up looking at him in confusion,

"Pops are you sure? I mean, I am a hybrid. I am not a true Lycan." Kade let out a deflated sigh,

"Ezekiel told me about Damon." Kade stated making Maeve slump her shoulders. "Maeve why are you still so worried about a repeat of that thing with the witches?"

"I...I killed those werewolves, Pops. I killed them like they didn't matter."

"Whoever tries to harm you, their lives hold no meaning for you. What you did was right."

"But──"

"It is the truth. You killed those who tried to harm you and those whom you consider as pack. It was the Alpha instincts in you that kicked in." Kade told her. "It was a natural response."

"Pops I lost con──"

"If you keep nursing your past, it will keep haunting you." Maeve avoided to look at Kade. "And about Damon. Don't trust a man like him." Maeve looked at him tilting her head to a side,

"People like Damon, do whatever it takes to get what they want. He may now say that he cares about you but when time comes, which it will given who's coming to Mystic Falls, he won't hesitate to throw you under the bus."

"I'll be careful. And he apologized to me. It is not easy and common for Damon to apologise." Kade sighed seeing the hopeful glint in his granddaughter's eyes. He could see the reality of Damon's actions that which Maeve chose to not see. She was trusting and considered him a friend and he knew it would ultimately cause her more pain.

The two fell into silence after his words. Kade broke the silence with a clap of his hands, "face the other way, let's watch friends. Ross and Rachel are about to be on a break."

"They were not on a break."