CHAPTER SIX; PLAN B

❝ baby the whole world could ask me to leave you behind and I will still choose to follow you down into the deepest hells ❞

 ･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ lockwood mansion [ back driveway ] ❞

BONNIE HELD ON TIGHTLY TO THE BOX of candles that Carol Lockwood had given her and sent her to place inside the mansion. She had stopped abruptly when she saw Maya at the truck bed directing people who were taking the boxes telling them where to go with it. The pair hadn't spoke since Caroline, and in all honestly, Bonnie was avoiding them both altogether. 

They all had their reasons, their justifications, and their lines in the sand they weren't going to let be crossed. Vampirism being a path to darkness and murder and nothing but was an image Bonnie wasn't ready to let go of, not even for Caroline. Maya was never one for absolutes, especially when it would require complete deciding a person nature because of something that happened to them.

Nevertheless the girls were stuck, and neither knew if they even could change that. But Bonnie knew, even if they couldn't change it they had to eventually speak to each other again. Without another choice she sucked in a breath and made her way over softly greeting, "Hey.."

Maya looked up form her clipboard, "Hi," she said shortly, "

griped the box of candles trying to take it inside, walking outside Maya saw her friend she made her way over happily saying, "You're here."

The witch gave her a forced smile repeating, "I'm here."

Maya watched as Bonnie looked around as if she was waiting for someone to pop on her. Taking some candles out of the box she was carrying Maya told her, "Caroline's not coming. I told you."

"Just making sure," Bonnie said.

As they walked the brunette reasoned dryly, "You know, eventually, you're gonna have to talk to her." 

Stopping in their tracks Bonnie scrunched her face questioning, "Could you make it a little less obvious you're on her side?"

The hope seemed like one of a fool to Maya, she couldn't help but skeptically discern, "You want me to pretend I am not on the side my girlfriend who was murdered because of us failing to protect her?" The Bennett looked as if she was a ballon that had been popped at the hit of Maya's words. For everyone else's sake the Gilbert had attempted to pretend she didn't blame Bonnie for Caroline being a vampire, but she did. The only person she blamed more is Katherine, but she still blamed Bonnie too.

Perhaps her rage was misplaced, maybe she was grieving the life she knew she and Caroline had lost together and taking that out on her but Maya didn't care. What she did care about what that Caroline had suffered directly because Bonnie's lies. If Damon still got a cold shoulder for his harm to Caroline, why shouldn't Bonnie be held to the same, if not higher standards? They were friends after all.

Attempting to hold herself back from saying so, Maya pressed her lips together nearly biting down at one point but it wasn't enough. No amount of biting her tongue was going to change what she was thinking. "I know you're hopeful Bonnie, but I never took you for a hopeful fool. I get why you did what you did, but it had consequences whether you like it or not. Caroline was turned into a vampire, she chose not to die at seventeen, sue her why don't you? Yes she killed someone when she was out of her mind and had hardly any idea what was happening to her. All things that she, me, you, and all the others share blame in. You are perfectly valid in your pain, just like I am in my anger. So no, I will not pretend I am not on her side."

Bonnie couldn't believe this is where her life had her standing at that very moment. How she would've longed for the days of dull summer boredom, but those days were long gone. And sadly for all of them, Maya never got to be there with them for it. They had barely begun a friendship and here Bonnie stood watching this one, like all her others, fall apart. All she could bring herself to say was, "I know where I stand, and I know where you stand Elena and were you stand Maya but where do we stand?"

The question was fair, and one Maya herself had been thinking about over the past days, but she had never been able to come up with an answer. Or rather, the only one she could think of wasn't an option she was willing to entertain. The best she could come up with for the witch who stood before her was, "I don't know Bonnie. All I do know is that she doesn't deserve to lose you anymore than you deserve to lose her. Why don't you just...reach out to her? I know she wants to see you."

Bonnie couldn't meet her eye at the suggestion, "Not yet, I just... she's a vampire, I can't--"

Before further convincing on Maya's part could continue, Damon, who came speeding out of a doorway locked in on the pair grabbing each by their arms. Ignoring their protest as he dragged them away from prying eyes he ordered, "Willow and Buffy shut it and come over here." 

They didn't make it farther than behind the first set of doors before their squirming set them free. Defining the vampire as she always had, Bonnie planted her feet and refused, "Okay. This is as far as we go."

"What do you want," the reckless Gilbert added on adjusting her flowing sleeves before she rested her hands waiting for the vampire to speak.

Damon gave her a bitter smirk before turning towards the Bennett explaining to her, "A favor, from you witchy."

The very thought made even the arguing pair share a knowing look before Bonnie let out a breathy laugh replying, "That's not gonna happen."

"So predictable," the eldest Salvatore said looking up at the sky trying his hardest not to just force the witch to help them. Glancing back at his brother who was nearing them, the raven haired man gestured to him with his chin adding, "That's why I brought him."

Maya's eyes fell to the younger brother waiting who immediately began, "I know how you feel about helping us out but since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them so just hear us out."

"Pretty please," Damon added on to the end of his brothers statement.

"Stop being childish, Damon," Maya warned him earning a snarky smirk from the vampire. That seemed to sum up Maya and Damon's relationship. Sarcastic remarks, terrible nicknames, snarky smirks or smiles, and blood from going punch for punch verbally and physically every chance they got.

Trusting in the younger Salvatore more than his brutish older brother the Bennett was left letting out a reluctant breath allowing, "I'm listening."

Stefan's phone began ringing and taking one look at it he warned his brother, "I have to fill Elena in on what's going on. Can you play nice please?"

"Sure thing," he commented locking eyes with the witch as he went on to say, "All you have to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone."

"My visions don't work like that; I don't get to ask questions," retorted the witch.

Damon hummed thinking for just a moment before he returned, "How inconvenient. Although, how about that witchy mojo you do with me. You know the fun one, when my brain burst into flames? What is that?"

Proud of herself and what she actually could do Bonnie said, "That's me giving you an aneurysm. Your blood vessels go pop but you heal quickly so I do it over and over again."

Thinking aloud, her mid going down the same track Damon's had seemingly gone down, Maya asked her, "Is it vampire specific?"

Both supernatural creatures looked to the girl before Bonnie answered weary, "It'd work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability."

Damon hummed his mind running through all the possible way he could use Bonnie to help him, "Good. Good, good." Which was a theme becoming increasingly depended on to the point Maya had to agree Bonnie was right to stay away.

"Damon, I'm not gonna help you hurt him," she told him her voice but nevertheless firm in her voice. Maya was certain that if Bonnie became any form of nature it would be the earth and trees themselves with how she could become such an immovable force. When the Bennett, right or wrong, was certain in herself there was very little anyone could do to change her mind.

Explaining the depth of the situation the Salvatore vexed with the witches stubborn attitude practically hissed at her, "Mason Lockwood's a werewolf, Katherine's evil. They're the bad guys. Really? You're gonna play morality police with me right now? Let me explain it to you another way: they're a threat to Elena. Mason actually did try and attack Maya and snap her neck. You witch, are gonna get over yourself and help us."

With each word he spoke Damon took steps closer until his chest met Maya's hand keeping him back a few feet. She may not have agreed with Bonnie's choices but the last thing she was going to do was let Damon tower over and attempt to threaten her. Just in time to stop the growing confrontation between the three, Stefan swiftly, and kindly added, "Yeah, he meant that as a question with a 'please' on the end."

Eyes locked with Bonnie he forced a bitter, "Absolutely." 

"You don't have to. Worst case they find another way," Maya softly told the Bennett despite knowing that her help would only make things easier. Damon had to resist his urge to tear at his own ears hearing how she, and no doubt, Stefan, encouraged the Bennett not to help.

And though Bonnie knew she had just benne offered the perfect way out, she couldn't walk away knowing all her friends, vampire or not, would be worse off for it. "I'll help," admitted the Bennett only to be almost instantly swept away by Damon. As the witch faded, she looked back and the hunter who offered an encouraging smile.

Before he followed Stefan asked the Gilbert, "Can you watch Elena while we do this?" Maya nodded and without saying anything else Stefan rushed to follow and she walked off to find her sister.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ lockwood backyard ❞

The Donovan boy, looking at Maya questioned, "So where's Caroline? This is like her thing. I can't believe she's not here."

Brief as she could be, Maya replied avoiding his watchful eye,  "She has something else to do." If she were honest, MJ wished she had stayed behind at the mansion with her girlfriend instead. She had only come today because Caroline insisted someone she trusted made sure no one missed her and that the decorating committee lived up to her reputation. It may have been Carol Lockwood's party, but the school was of course expected to help with the 'town festivities' even if they weren't on the property.

And though no one had Caroline's eye for detail, MJ had definitely been the best at maintaining standards. Plus, after she had seen Elena deal with the carnival she said she would quote 'rip out the throat of whoever she saw first' if she had to trust it to her again. The only thing being here offered was the chance to make sure whatever Damon and Stefan planned didn't go completely up in flames. She loved the two of them ( as much as she sometimes hated them ) but to her they were sometimes no better than toddlers running around wreaking havoc everywhere they went. 

Which was why when she saw Stefan approaching not appearing to be horridly tattered and bloody, she felt relief. But he wasn't even able to get a word out, when Tyler, who had to have been walking up to them unnoticed at the same time asked them, "Anyone's seen Mason?"

The brunettes heart sunk a moment her eyes instantly falling back to Stefan who had already been in the process of lying to him, "He took off. He said he wasn't sure when he'd be back."

"That's so weird," Tyler muttered shaking his head before he walked away. Though Maya didn't have the relationship with the boy Elena and the other girls had developed from childhood, she still felt horrible lying to them. It never had bothered her much before, lying, but the longer she stuck around Mystic Falls the more even they began to feel like her friends. And Maya had always prided herself on being a decent friend, even if she was one who lied to the rest of the world like it was breathing.

But before Stefan could explain much at all, he received a text from Bonnie. Looking over his shoulder Maya read the text telling him to look in the well, next to the old Lockwood property. Stefan looked at Elena as if he was going to tell her something she went toward him but he told her no with his head as he backed away. 

She stood awkwardly watching him leave her eyes meeting Matt who defended himself, "I'm not even gonna ask."

"I'll be right back," she told them walking away.

Maya huffed knowing she'd most likely get her head ripped off by Carol Lockwood for leaving. Her sister didn't even know where to go, what trouble could she get into wandering around the woods? The answers were truly endless, Maya had to go with her. "Cover for me," Maya told him not even waiting for him to say anything.

As she walked away Matt called out to his friend, "Wait!" Maya didn't bother stopping before she vanished, "I don't wanna do these all by myself."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ lockwood property; the old well ❞

It had taken him a moment, but Stefan, flashlight in hand, managed to track down the old well Bonnie had directed him to but he couldn't see a thing. He had just begun to contemplate jumping in when he heard Elena calling out, "Stefan? What's going on?"

The vampire lifted his head form looking inside the well, there was a moment of pause when he pointedly glared at Maya. "You said watch her not lie and stop her from following," defended the Gilbert throwing her hands up as she slowed her run to a slower approach.

"I'll make sure to be clearer next time," Stefan said shaking his head, much like how she viewed them -- he saw the younger Gilbert much like a angry soldier who would be damned if the followed a rule or order they didn't believe it. And, as much as she would hate to hear it, she was very similar to Damon in that way. Each of them had enough rage inside them to burn the world down ten times over, they didn't mean to be so..angry but neither of them never knew how not to be. "You shouldn't be here. Both of you," he said. Even though as far as he knew Katherine didn't mind Maya being near him but he didn't want to be taking chances with her life.

As far as they understood, she was as much in danger as Elena was.  "Let me play the tiny violin in honor of your plight," Maya mocked making him roll his eyes, "Next time hide your text if you don't wanna be followed. What's going on?"

A bitter yet amused smirk he couldn't help made it's way onto Stefan's face as he offered the waiting pair, "Bonnie thinks the moonstone is down here." With much ease Stefan pulled off the heavy metal cover throwing it like it was nothing, a skill a piece of Maya couldn't help but envy. THere were many drawbacks to being a vampire but almost never feeling weak? That would never be a drawback in her eyes, not ever. Maya didn't miss how her sister looked at him impressed by his actions as he sat on the well of the wall ready to jump.

Elena handed him his flashlight telling him her voice coded with concern, "Be careful."

"I'll only be down there for a minute," he assured his girlfriend before jumping into the well. The second he vanished from sight, the girls moved to the edge of the well looking down at him. Hardly a second had passed after the splash of him landing in the water before he frantically cried, "Elena!"

"Stefan," both girls screamed down their voices clamoring for a reason for his cries. They couldn't see anything but the light in his hand hitting different rocks before it fell beneath the water. Between that, and the lack of him answering them back when they pleaded to know what was wrong had Elena wishing she could jump in after him, pain be damned as long as she could be with him.

His skin turned red and Stefan half expected to see his skin had become nothing but bone. Still, with whatever strength he could manage, he shouted his mouth taking on the burning liquid that was dragging him under, "Ver-rvain. G-god, help!"

HIs words left the twins frozen as if deer in car headlights, they didn't know what to do. Not long after they were beginning to think, the familiar whooshing sound as small gust of wind made them turn. A hand instantly found the side of her head as another rested on her shoulder, "MJ! You're alright, I heard your scream."

"And you came that fast," Maya muttered back finding her girlfriends sky like eyes scanning every inch of her with concern.

With furrowed brows Caroline dismissed any notion of another possibility by saying, "Of course I did." It had been second nature for Caroline to come not for Elena who's cries she had to hear with her own, no, she had come for Maya. She wasn't used to people choosing her, after all she was the daughter her mother decided didn't deserve to be in the same safe place Elena would know. No, her selfish three week attempt at being a young mother ended with her leaving a new born Maya in front of a fire station declaring her a ward of the state. A state in which she would stay for sixteen years before she found her way back to Alaric, the first person to genuinely take care of her. 

But here she was, a little over a year later with this girl who would cross woods in seconds, and probably farther distances if need be, for Maya in a instance. Her moment of appreciation came crashing back down as Elena grabbed the blonde's attention by explaining, "Caroline, Stefan's down there and the chain is rusted." 

Caroline automatically tried to go into the well but Maya stopped her before she got the chance, "No, no, no! You can't, it's full with vervain. We will get him out but not at the cost of you."

Looking around for a brief moment, Caroline grabbed the chain and as Elena went for it Maya gripped her hand asking, "Can you swim?" The moment of pause was enough to tell her that thought she could probably survive in pools and lakes, she wasn't a swimmer per say. "That's what I thought," she said taking the chain from her hands. 

Maya didn't have much to do other than find things outside to do, during the summer pools are cheap and you can swim there all day if you want. And Maya did, for the last three years she was in foster care. Her foster parents weren't mean, unless they were drunk which was saved for the night so days were oddly pleasant in comparison. And if Maya spent the whole day gone by the time they began to drink they would forget she was even someone who lived there. Like she was a ghost within someone's walls and she would slip and and out of? Nevertheless, it had created fairly decent swimmer out of Maya to the point she knew she could go into the well and be better off treading it than her sister. Knowing she didn't have the time to argue with her sister Elena agreed by helping her to wrap Maya in the chain herself. The younger twin climbed up on the edge getting ready to go in when Caroline locked delicately firm eyes confirmed, "I got you okay?"

Nodding in attempt to cover her fright over what other traps laid in wait Maya teased, "I'll scream if I need you." 

Caroline tilted her head giving her a playful warning glare when Bonnie, very much out of breath, came running up to them. Near panting by this point, she huffed out, "What's going on? You took off in a blur."

"I heard Mj screaming. Help Elena, now," Caroline demanded of her friend who took one of Maya's hand while her sister took the other to help slowly lower her into the well, "Are you ready?"

The younger twin nodded focusing on the water below knowing they were running out of time, "Yeah." Carefully the three girls lowered Maya down only letting go when Maya was too far into the hole for them to hold on without falling in.  As she was being let down Caroline lost control of the chains for a moment where Maya let out a scream she was sure could've shattered glass the same way it shattered her heart, "Sorry!"

"PLEASE DO NOT EVER DO THAT AGAIN," Maya pleaded loudly, she was brave, she admit that, but falling from any height? No amount of bravery could take away the fear. After another apology, Caroline restarted slowly lowering Maya into the water. The Gilbert quickly untangled herself from the chain swimming over to Stefan. It amazed her how much deeper and wider the well was than she thought it was, "Can't leave you alone for two seconds can I Salvatore," she teased grateful for her still hands as she wrapped him up.

When no one heard anything Elena shouted down, "May!? Are you guys okay?"

"We're good," she shouted fastening the final bit of chain before she told them, "He's hooked up, pull him up, quickly!" Maya's eyes squinted as she looked up with sunlight blaring down only being covered by the increasingly smaller silhouette pf Stefan who was being pulled to safety.

While they were just about to pull him over Maya was forced to look away from the sun and back into the water where she remember what they had even come there for. "I knew they'd need me," Maya grumbled remembering earlier thoughts of the Salvatore's as she began shifting through the water for the stone.

"Mj! Ready for you," Caroline shouted down below for her girlfriend.

"Hold on," Maya told her almost endlessly searching through the water, "I need to find the stone!"

"Hurry," Bonnie warned.

Maya ignored her for a moment her hand hitting something hard under the water, she pulled it out seeing it was tied to a string. "Hold on! I think I found it," she pulled on it finding a wooden box and taking it in her hand but she quickly let it go seeing a snake making its way up her arm.

She flung the snake away from her body letting out a somehow worse scream than when she thought she was going to fall. Which only worsened as more snakes came out trying to get on her making her.  The hysterical shouts made Caroline scream down, "Mj! What's going on?! MJ!"

Frantically sloshing around the water making sure to grip the box holding the stone carefully after attaching herself to the chain once more. "I'm on the chain! Pull me up! Pull me up! Caroline please," she cried her hands shaking as she felt herself being swiftly pulled up from the water. The second she could, Maya threw the box onto the safe ground desperately pulling herself over the ledge only to be engulfed in the safety of Caroline's arms. 

maya's outfit next chapter