CHAPTER THREE; NIGHT OF THE COMET

❝ the scariest feeling in this lifetime is the one that sinks and rots away at you while you watch those you love be hurt powerless to help ❞

˚ ༘ ·˚꒰  𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕 ꒱ ₊

˚ˑ1:35 ━━━●───── 3:47

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ

volυмe : ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇▉

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ mystic falls hospital ❞

BOREDOM, THAT WAS ALL MAYA had been dealing with since she woke up from her attack five days ago. Between that, the constant throbbing rippling through her neck and fuzzy memory of her attack she had hardly cracked a smile since awaking. Part of her had regretted waking up to begin with until she saw the relief in her family's eyes when she awoke.

May was once again reminded how she had no choice but to live, she would only be hurting them if she died. Jenna, Elena, and Jeremy were her only reason for living, as bleak as it was, May probably would've killed herself after her parents funeral had they not been around. To this day Maya didn't feel right being alive, as if she had stolen time from more deserving parties and here she had cheated death yet again.

Her one solace when the darkness came was that the light would never wake her again, but it did. And the doctors were all too happy to tell her just how much of a miracle her survival and healing was. Which almost drove her more mad than the idea of her attack being gone from memory. She had sat in the hospital for days not allowed a single visitor outside of family racking her mind for a memory that wouldn't come..

Her solace was that at least after Jenna was done with classes today she would come back and sign her out in time for the comet festival. A fate she was dying for as she dragged her pencil across her journals pages of a woman tearing her skin off leaving nothing but her screaming skeleton.

"You look like you're dying of boredom," a voice teased with a soft knock onto the door. His voice brought Maya's head up to notice Tyler grinning kindly, he lingered within the doorway waiting for her to allow him in.

"I look like death," she corrected with a small laugh lowering her journal as a invitation into the room. It wasn't until he started drawing closer to her that she realized she hadn't looked in the mirror in days. Had Elena not brushed her hair out for her the night before and left it in a braid Maya took out that morning she would've felt beyond help.

He shook his head at her utter denial of how her naturally curly hair had never failed to frame her face perfectly. Plus, Maya could've been covered head to toe in mud, guts, or sweat he would've still found her beautiful. Taking a seat in the chair next to her bed pulling it closer to her the Lockwood boy trailed off, "I think..." Her heart involuntarily skipped a beat as he finally finished his hand finding hers on the bed, "You look beautiful."

Maya sucked in a breath smiling at her ex-boyfriend before laughing slightly at him. She forced herself to pull away teasingly tilting her head, "You're lying, but the thought was sweet Ty."

Her reply made her laugh at herself and all he could think was how much it sounded like rivers of gold. It was his favorite cursed sound, he considered it a cursed beauty because there was far too many times he had not been the cause of it and rather her tears. Which, rightly so, would cost him the right to hear a sound he never understood why he couldn't live without. And he almost did have to live without it, forever.

The accident with her parents was different, he hadn't known until the next morning and he had been told instantly that Maya had survived. But when she came out of the woods cradled in her brothers arms? He felt almost as certain as the color that had drained from her face she was gone..

"I'm not lying, you look great, especially for someone who really scared everyone the other night," he told her avoiding her eyes. Maya had an ability to see him that left him feeling bare, and exposed that scared him. While he was there attempting to see her there was always a part of him he would never let near Maya. Not anymore than she would let him fully in, they loved each other completely and that was the scariest thing to them each.

"You saw me that night," questioned Maya. The memory was blurry enough that the only things she could place was Elena and Jeremy finding her, the agony of her flesh being torn apart, and the brief relief offered by the thought of death welcoming home her hold friend in Maya.

Her question made him lift his head, "Yeah, I was there. So was Matt, Caroline, and Bonnie. You scared the hell out of us," he told her his voice light as air.

Guilt, it had made Maya both want to die and need to stay alive. On one hand she didn't deserve to survive the accident without her parents, on the other her friends and family didn't deserve the grief she would cause them. It wasn't as if she hadn't caused most of them a lifetime of strife to make up for actually dying.

She had forgotten though how Tyler would be effected differently than the rest. While to others she was a friend, niece or a sister to him? She was the first love of his life, how would be feel if she became a ghost story he told people someday and was the end of their messy story? How would he feel telling his children he'd always imagined another, a woman he could no longer hold or love -- one who would have never made it to eighteen that she existed. Would he tell them? Or would she be the thing that made him into every wicked thing his father was?

Reaching back out for his hand still on the bed Maya gently squeezed it telling him, "I'm okay. I survived. I am even getting checked out later today." The last bit of her sentence made his face light up and him sit straight up. "I take it that smile means you're happy about that," she chuckled lightly.

Nodding his voice upbeat as he replied, "Yes! Does this means you can come to the comet tonight?"

The Defective Gilbert had always loved her small towns need to celebrate really anything and everything. Most of which had been spent with her friends, family, or best yet, both. The festival for comet passing over Mystic Falls was just another one of those celebrations. Chuckling at his behavior slightly Maya nodded at his insinuation, "Probably, just gotta wait to be checked out," she explained to him.

The news had elated the boy so much he couldn't find his way back to his seat. A sight that etched a grin that couldn't be fought across Maya's face as Tyler told her, "Alright then I'll see you tonight. I'd stay but I already skipped French to be here."

Maya tilted her head, she wasn't ready for this moment to end. It had been so nice she had forgotten she was meant to be angry with him. Her mind was rather stuck on the fact he was making the responsible choice without her, Matt, or his mother's prodding, "Since when does Tyler Lockwood care if he shows up to school?"

"Since I met a girl who made me want to be better," he answered cheekily having thought just a brief moment for his reply. There was an air of lightness that came from him that felt as if he lifted her from a fog.

Not even a second after he had left, he popped his head back into the room making her jump slightly, "Oh before I forget." Her puzzlement was silenced when he pull from out his coat pocket the extra phone he'd bought for her almost three years ago now. Her parents had grounded her so many times but he couldn't bare not being able to hear from her so he stole money from his father to buy her the back up. She would give it back when she wasn't grounded to ensure they didn't get caught by her parents.

The Lockwood boy had never told her, and if she or anyone asked it never happened but, Maya knew what getting caught by his father cost him. When fourteen year old Tyler snuck into her bedroom that summer night to give it to her Maya knew, the bruises on his arm and red neck told her everything. "Here, so you're not bored and you can talk to people," he offered her the phone once more.

It forced her to remember that no matter what they both were still those two kids who fell in love. Accepting the phone by taking it in her hand she thanked her ex by saying, "I'll text you." Her statement was more of a clarification, one that said to him she hadn't wanted to talk to anyone else right now, no one besides him.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝ the gilbert house ❞

Never had the air seemed cleaner or more something MJ needed to cling to than when she first stepped out of the hospital. Even if it was to just drive home, shower, and change in time for the comet. The best part about it meant that she could take her own car back to the town square, the car wasn't supposed to be hers yet, it had been her fathers pride but now it was hers. It was a 1964 Ford Mustang that had paint that was still fairly new given her father Grayson had it retouched just under five years prior.

Opening the door she was surprised to find Stefan waiting on the other side wearing a slight smile.

Somehow that slight smile made Maya's heart swell, and she gave home back a breath filled smile. "Stefan, hey. Elena's not here you just missed her," Maya assumed her sister had been what he was there for.

Stefan shook his head correcting her telling her, "I know she told me I came here looking for you."

The Gilbert twins brows furrowed at his statement -- why had he come for her? Most their life people picked their favorite between the twins, it was hard not to. The girls for the longest time hardly did much without each other so others tended to pick which one they wanted around more. Bonnie, Matt, their parents, Jenna, kids a school had all chosen Elena. Caroline, Tyler and Jeremy had all chosen Maya. The lines were rarely crossed, this wasn't to say Matt didn't care for Maya or Jeremy hated his older sister. On the contrary they all cared for both twins, they just had their favorite.

Yet, the lines never being crossed left maya utterly baffled that Stefan, one who had seemingly picked Elena, was there for her. Her voice couldn't hide just how surprised she was as she questioned, "For me?"

The Salvatore nodded assuring her of his choice, "Yeah I didn't get a chance to see you in the hospital so I thought I'd stop by to see you." His words were somewhat of a lie, he had checked on her as much as he could the whole time she was in the hospital. It took everything within him not to give her his blood, the only reason he hadn't was his brother. Had Damon noticed her healing unnaturally fast? He would've turned her the second her realized what had been done to save her.

That was not going to be his choice to make for Maya without her knowing the consequences. "Well I'm just heading out, wanna drive with me," Maya suggested grabbing her keys.

The Salvatore boy agreed, Maya turned back yelling a quick goodbye to her aunt while grabbing her purse. "Sorry it's in the garage. It was my dads, it was supposed to be mine after my birthday but..." Maya trailed off her mouth forming a straight line unsure how to finish her sentence. Instead she reached for the latch at the bottom pulling up the door revealing the classic car behind it.

Maya couldn't help but laugh at how his jaw hung stunned seeing how the red paint was newly done and the black stripe down the middle glistened under the lights. Answering the questions his eyes were asking she said, "Birthday paint job and it hasn't seen the light of day other than when Jenna takes it out once a week for me. Thought I should probably let The Phoenix here see more than just around the block."

"The Phoenix," questioned Stefan with brow raised.

The girl with hair so brown it was almost black stared at him with widen eyes telling, "Only one of the best fictional women ever written? Salvatore, please tell me you know who Jean Grey of the X-Men of Marvel?"

He chuckled at her saying, "I am aware. Didn't take you much for a superhero fan though."

Opening the drivers door as he did the same on his side she replied, "Are you joking? Walk into my bedroom it's like comic con threw up in there." As the two of them were sat Maya didn't wait much longer after to drive them out of the garage. "And speaking of semi-hidden knowledge, Elena told me about your brother. Why didn't you mention he was with you?"

He couldn't ignore the pointed look upon her face as she turned down the street. He attempted to keep his gazed fixed forward as he briefly told her, "Damon. And because he wasn't, we don't get along anymore, mainly because of his habit for making people hate me. Which is probably what he's about to do with Elena and you."

It took everything to overlook how her hating him seemed to affect him, 'but this wasn't about me.' She had to remind herself of that to Maya laughed at the thought of Elena hating someone, their whole lives Elena never truly hated anyone. She disliked many but never hated, that was more of the Maya department. The younger girl was the one who usually was hateful and angry at people, but never Elena, "He can try but I promise he wont be able to make her hate you. Ever."

"You really think so," he pondered unable to believe her.

"I know so, she's my sister. I know her like the back of my hand. Short of cheating on her, abusing her, you're in the clear," she joked as they finally reached the town square and stopped her car. Pulling the keys out she added, "And speaking of those options, those are pretty good ways to make sure I not only hate you but actively rock your jaw for that shit, and I wouldn't stop there."

Part of him had went to laugh but there was a darkening of her eyes that let him no it wasn't a traditional threat of a concerned sister being leveled his way. No for the first time ever she was truly reminding him of Samara, and fitting it be for the one thing even she couldn't walk away from. "Noted," Stefan swallowed allowing the Gilbert to drop her glare but not before holding his gaze inspecting him as if he were being understood in ways he didn't grasp.

When she had finally let it drop she let it become a smile as she said, "Alright, let's go. Elena is probably looking for us both by now." The two exited her vehicle making their way towards the square. They hadn't made it more than a couple of feet before she saw Tyler by one of the cotton candy stands she remembered who had asked her to be there to begin with.

Before she had opened the door to see Stefan, Tyler was all she had thought about but the second she saw those addictive forest eyes she couldn't get them out of her head. Sensing her desire to go to him Stefan saw only how he stood in the way of her past with him. Clearing his throat he declared, "Thank you or the ride again. I'm going to go find Elena."

Maya turned back to Stefan replying, "It's no problem, really. I'll see you around tonight probably." The Salvatore boy offered a smile retreating away and as he did a thought came to mind that made her shout, "Stefan!"

"About Elena? She's an amazing girl, and an even better sister. I can't tell you how many times she saved my ass, or how many times I wasn't the best sister but she always is, without thought or question, no matter what I've done. And believe me, that's not easy for her because...I killed our parents."

It was if her words had stunned even her, Maya was forced to stop breathing. Her eyes taking her back under the dark quarry waters. As Stefan reached out her body acted without her knowledge forcing her to recoil to bring her back and her to finish with clarification, "In a car crash...I got them killed. It's my fault, and even if I can see her anger towards me in her eyes? She never let me feel it, never said angry word to me. I say this because...I've hurt her so much that she can't bear if you do more to hurt her. So if she seems scared, or closed off to feeling its because of me. Don't let her push you away because her sister is...the worse sister she could've gotten."

"Elena didn't get the worst sister," Stefan clarified without a second of hesitation. The thought made her laugh, it was rare people told her that Elena didn't pull the short straws in terms of sisters so she never believed those who did. It was a causality of being the second most hated girl in town, Vicki Donovan had beat her out simply by virtue of being a year older. Had they been the same age Maya genuinely wondered who would've been hated more.

As much as his kindness seemed real to her that became the more terrifying concept than him seeing the same thing in her as everyone else. Something about the faith he had in her to be more than some defective twin was too much for her. "You're too kind Salvatore, but you're free. Go find the good one." She hadn't allowed Stefan to say anything else, she swiftly walked to meet Tyler taking the cotton candy offered upon her arrival.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝ mystic grill [ interior dinning ] ❞

"Yes," cheered the Gilbert girl watching as her solid ball sunk into the hole giving her another win. The Lockwood boy hung his head into his hands, yet again he had lost to her. Between the pair of them competition was intense, yet with most things Maya won. It was one of the things he found most attractive about her, it was like competition brought out a spark in her that was mesmerizing.

He used to love going with her to all her competitions, she'd been a national winner a few times. Tyler couldn't forget the smile of pride on her face when she was given Achievement Award Stars Pins for shooting indoors and outdoors with her barebow, basic compound, and compound bows. Or when the schools cheer team had been lead to nationals by MJ and Caroline and had come back with their own 1st place prize.

The Lockwood boy's genuine admiration for her winnings always left other who hadn't known them better confused. It left even both sets of their parents confused, with what they knew of their children seeing Tyler take it so well was surprising. One of the reasons he did so well in school sports was because he had a drive to win but when with her it was like he remembered how fun the games could be.

And for May's parents they couldn't fathom how she hadn't been more of the sore winner she had always been with her siblings, especially with Elena. It was simple to Maya. She didn't feel that same need to shame the losers because no one had created intense jealousy between them.

Jeremy was the son Maya always wished she could've been, because had she been born a boy everything about her people hated would suddenly become adored. With Elena? She hated to admit it, but she was so damn jealous of her. She was so perfect, so effortlessly so. Elena didn't need to practice shooting arrows till her fingers bled. Elena didn't take Adderall to stay up and study all night to become her class valedictorian. Elena didn't even care to try. Maya always had to try, expect around Tyler. So there was no need for either to feel the worst of what people brought out of them.

Tyler shook his head at her childish excitement, "How is it even when you're rubbing it in my face that you won you still look cute," he asked with a grin that did what it always had, left Maya needing air.

We're just friends, she reminded herself. Tonight was a night of nostalgia she sought after because it had to be better than being trapped in her room. Her room bad become no less a prison than the car that to this day, she could not understand how she'd escaped from. Being in a moment pretending Tyler wasn't a serial cheater who, despite how he loved her, was too young to deal with his abusive father and love her right at the same time was better than reality. He could forget what his father had made him for a time, and she could ignore how angry her had left her for a while.

"I'm gonna go get us a drink," she said clearing her throat pushing her hair behind her ear. But even with her desire for nostalgia, Maya wouldn't let herself feel anything too good. After all, how could she deserve something good? The urge to bolt from him was too hard to ignore and Tyler couldn't stop her from rushing to the bar.

As the bartender walked into the back to get the soda Maya had asked for, her eyes fell upon the bottle of brown liquor left unattended. She hadn't drank since the party, and as stupid as it seemed, she still craved the destructive liquid.

Unbeknownst to the Gilbert, a man, not much younger than her aunt sat at the end of the bar watching how her eyes lingered. They both were interrupted by the bartender returning through the double doors. The bartender barely made it a few feet before the man grabbed his attention locking eyes before sending him back.

Just as she began to wonder what he had sent him for, she watched as the man stole the bottle she'd been looking at, an extra glass and began to pour one out. "Here," he said sliding it down to her. Maya was certain had she not been already looking it would've slid right off the bar, but she caught it before it could cause any real damage.

Maya held it firmly but didn't drink it, she simply stood with a raised brow waiting for an explanation. "You look like you could use one," he answered noting her pointed look.

"And why are you in the business of giving alcohol to minors?"

The man yet to be named shrugged, "Some people just want to cause a little chaos," he said with a glint in his smirk that made Maya want to listen. Not so much in a sense that she had no control but just a implanted want to impress him. She didn't even know his name and yet he felt so familiar and new it was impossible to ignore.

Which left Maya with one possible option in her mind, to knock back the liquid as fast as she could. Once she had finished she couldn't help but cough a little as she spoke through the words, "I will make sure that, stays between us."

The man shrugged leaning in towards Maya saying, "What's a couple of secrets between friends, huh, Maya-Jane?"

It was the mention of her name that reminded her just how careless she was being talking to the man trying to get the minor drunk. Worse was the overwhelming cast of a shadow that came over her when their eyes met again. Flickers of monstrous fangs, and the thumping of her torn flesh brought a racing to her heart that made her want to bolt.

She didn't know exactly why, but she learned a long time ago that when your body was screaming for you to run, there was generally a good reason behind it. "I'll be right back," Maya said offering an almost believable smile.

She slipped off the barstool making her way into the bathroom thinking that was far enough from the man for now. Her feet brought her to the sink her eyes locked on her hands seeing her own blood upon them. It wasn't real, I am fine, Maya reminded herself a she nevertheless rushed to wash it off.  Her mind wasn't hers, granted it never was but this? This felt worse, like there was someone wreaking havoc on what little bit of peace of mind she created within her fragile mind.

Maya grunted her heart nearly falling out of her chest as she watched the blood disappear down the drain. As relief started find its way to her and her eyes trailed back up her adrenaline flooded her as if an instant drug injected.

Piercing eyes of ice were lurking in the mirror becoming bloodshot as the man greeted, "Was it something I said?" Her voice tried to scream out for help but it was silence by him gripping Maya by her head slamming her with just enough strength to knock her clean out.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝ town square [ post office rooftop ]  ❞

The first thing Maya felt when she woke up was pain in her head that felt as if she needed to crawl up into a ball in order to cope. Slowly her eyes opened and she saw Damon standing by the edge of the roof not paying any attention to Maya. Slowly Maya began to move trying not to alert him as she stood.

Maya had stood to her feet and was just about to turn to make a run for it but before she could he turned around seeing her. The Gilbert's breath caught in her throat as he frowned at her with a small level of pride for her attempt. He hadn't heard her moving at all, not even her heart beat gave her away. Had he not turned when he did, Maya might've made it to the door.

He couldn't help but tell her, "Well aren't you the clever one?" Instincts went into override for her and she knew she had to run now or she wasn't getting away. She turned on her heels bolting for the door but she barely made it a few steps before he had lifted her clean off the ground.

His face was buried in her neck as he mocked, "Ah ah ah, I still need your help a bit longer." Maya's legs twisted and her hands attempted to pry him off but it was as if everything she'd ever learned rom her father vanished. She couldn't protect herself, he was too strong and she was too scared to think clearly and she hated it.

She hated how weak ad powerless she was the man of unbelievable strength dragged her to the rooftops edge. He left bruises on her arm as he dragged her up to stand on the ledge beside him. Suddenly, Maya prayed he would never let her go. Down below were the small ant like figures of people walking around enjoying the festival. Yet not a single one of them could hear or even notice her, for the first time since she came up from the water, wanting to live.

The man hushed her pushing her curly hair out of her face, "I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna drop you," he laughed at her forcing her to turn her back away from the drop below. Pulling her back to the point she was forced to lose her balance Maya shouted out making him cackle in the face of her fear.

As she was allowed to stand again, she saw the blurred figure of Stefan arriving his eyes locking on Maya.  "Not bad. Have you been eating bunnies," the man asked sarcastically forcing Maya to look upon him with furrowed brows. What was he? What were they?

If Stefan, who had seemed to arrive uncommonly swiftly, was anything like his brother, they were surly far from human. Her memories, and mind though distorted and beyond her control told her the truth of it. That Damon at very least, was something less than human and more monster. But Maya wondered if that had to do with what he was or rather, who he had chosen to be.

She only wondered because waves of danger came off Damon in waves, but with Stefan, who presumably was a similar monster, never did. If anything, Damon felt like fire mainly capable of destruction while Stefan was the very earth beneath your feet. Perhaps he too like the earth could crack under pressure and leave nothing but mayhem in his wake, but that wasn't the default of him.

There wasn't much of a reason to back the feeling, it was after all only a feeling, yet in this moment it was the only thing she was certain of. And it was the stability and safety offered in his forest eyes that let Maya know Stefan wouldn't let her die.

"Let her go, Damon," Stefan demanded as Damon snaked his hand around the Gilberts throat making her struggle for air as he gripped tighter. The pressure was almost like his finger nails were claws and they were piercing into her neck.

With her tears falling Stefan's mind race with ways to reach her, but each attempt ended with her neck snapped before he moved hardly at all. His brother was faster, and her life couldn't be risked. Especially not when the possibility of Damon having sicker plans to make her like them was too real an outcome.

Taking him literally Damon shrugged, "Really? Ok," he pulled on Maya's arm tilting her over the ledge. Maya shrieked trying not to fall digging her nails into his neck as she attempted to keep herself up. The pain of her pulling his skin forced him to throw her onto the ground.

Unable to raise herself to her feet Maya began to crawl to freedom. "I don't need her to be dead, but... you might. What attacked you the other night," Damon asked grabbing Maya by her her hair asking, "What did this to you?" The prodding was all that was needed to push the limits of her fractured mind shielding her.

"A vampire," she sobbed as he finally relented and released her hair.

Leaning down closer to her he asked further, "Who did this to you?"

"You did," she screamed at him wanting nothing more than to hurt him worse than he had hurt her.

Deviously Damon yelled back slightly, "Wrong!"

Stefan, realizing what he was about to do, nearly begged his brother, "Don't."

The older Salvatore lifted Maya off the ground looking directly into her eyes compelling her, "It was Stefan," he told her making the younger vampires heart sink, "Stefan Salvatore did this to you," he repeated.

Even though she knew it wasn't him she started to believe it actually was him who attacked her as she repeated back, "Stefan Salvatore did this to me."

"He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous monster," he told her, compelling her to believe his lies even though in the back of her mind Maya knew it wasn't true.

Pleading with his brother Stefan stepped closer, "Please, Damon. Please don't do this."

Damon ripped Maya's bandage off her neck telling him, "If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now."

Maya let out a scream as Damon threw her into Stefan's arms, she wanted to pull away but she didn't wanna risk being in Damon's arms next. "Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power that you could have, that you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that."

Taking notice of what Damon was telling him to do Maya shook her head looking directly at Stefan. "Please Stefan, don't," she pleaded tearfully in her brown eyes, "Don't do this, you're my friend."

"You have two choices. You can feed and make her forget. Or you can let her run, screaming 'vampire' through the town square," Damon told his younger brother.

Trying as hard as he could to fight the urge to feed on Maya he threw her to the ground surprising Damon. His brother has never been good at self control, so for him to not kill Maya right where she stood was shocking. "That's what this is about? You want to expose me," Stefan questioned.

"No! I want you to remember who you are," Damon groaned annoyed that his brother wasn't understanding what he was trying to do.

"Why? So what, so I'll feed? So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again? You know what, let her go," he told him.

Maya looked up from her spot on the ground still scared as he added, "I'm not gonna hurt Maya, Damon, so let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you."

Damon gave his brother a look of surprise before he moved towards Maya telling her, "Wow. Come here, sweetheart."

He leaned down picking Maya up ignoring her protest and her fighting for him to leave her alone. "Don't remember any of this," he whispered in her ear, "The only thing I want you to remember is that you are still going to do whatever I want, and be completely under my control."

Slowly her tears stopped and Maya looked around confused seeing both the brothers, "What happened? Where am I?" She went to rub her neck feeling blood on her hand, "Oh, I ripped my stitches open, disgusting."

"You ok," Stefan asked her , worried.

Maya thought for a moment before she answered him her voice shaky, "I-i think so. W-why am here, Stefan? The last thing I remember I was playing pool with Ty, and kicking his ass."

She looked up at Damon who explained, "You wanted to get a better look at the comet but you didn't wanna go alone so I went up with you."

Maya nodded trying to form the memory but she couldn't, so instead of fighting about it she got up off the ground and walked back down to the street.

As soon as she's in the square she hears, "Maya!" Her head whipped around and she saw Tyler running up to her, "Where the hell did you go? We've been looking for you for like a half hour."

"I was on the roof getting a better look at the comet," she defended. Maya pointed to her neck wincing at the pain of her bloodied neck, "And somehow my stitches ripped open."

Closing the distance between them to examine her wound he insisted, "Come on let's get you cleaned up and I'll take you home." Maya nodded walking off with her ex into the grill so he could fix her bandages. Watching as she vanished with Tyler into safety Stefan was realizing the gilbert crash took their already unstable mess of a child and made sure there was no way she would be nornal again. Her rage poisoned everything, herself, her sister, her brother, and anyone else who dared to love her. And the Salvatore brothers? Meeting them had just the marking of eternal madness that would never let Maya Jane go."

maya's outfit for next chapter