Damon arrived at Maeve's place holding a bag of her dress. "Why are you still here?" asked Maeve grabbing the bag from Damon.

"What kind of date would I be if I let you come alone to the dance?" Damon replyed smugly with a smirk dangling on his lips.

"If that date is you...I prefer being the lonely one." Maeve responded ready to slam the door in Damon's face. He put a foot in the door stopping it from closing.

"At least let me in." reluctantly Maeve opened the door wide.

"For someone who just storms in at any time... especially at ungodly hours, you're being too much of a gentleman." Maeve pointed out stepping away from the door. "Please stop it. It doesn't suite you and frankly looks Ted Bundy level creepy." Damon only smiled at her words and stepped inside her apartment.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a jiffy."

The Salvatore brothers, Elena, Bonnie and Maeve walked into the gym of Mystic Falls high school. Maeve walked hesitantly, looking around in nervousness.

Teenagers were dancing around the place, their arms locked and smiles never leaving their faces. Damon locked his hand around Maeve's, silently reassuring her that it was going to be fine. They gazed around the place seeing for any unfamiliar faces that might demand their attention.

Maeve was the first one to notice Alaric who stood alone by a consation stand staring ahead to where the DJ operated the music. The unmistakable lopsided smirk made Maeve's stomach drop unlike how it ever did before since she arrived in Mystic Falls.

"Thank you for coming everyone" a girl spoke over the microphone making Maeve look away, "we have a special dedication tonight. This one is for Elena from Klaus." 

Dedicated to the one I love music erupted through the speakers.

"That was a lame cheap shot." Damon commented, looking around trying to locate a possible person who could be Klaus.

"He's trying to bait us." Stefan noted keeping a neutral face. He tightened his hold around Elena keeping her close to him.

"I know everyone here." Elena said slightly scared. Maeve glanced around and a light went off in her head. She gazed again at Alaric who shifted on his two feet.

Damon nudged his brother and Bonnie, "it's a party people. Blend." Bonnie dragged Jeremy onto the dance floor and so did Stefan to Elena. Damon forced Maeve around to face him.

"He's not going to get to you. You have my promise." Maeve couldn't say what really went around in her head. She could have tried but it wouldn't be of any use. Her idea, her plan would most certainly be rejected and thrown aside.

"I'm fine. Come on, there's Alaric." Maeve pointed out. Both made their way over to the History teacher.

"Special dedication, huh? The guy's a little twisted." 

"Not impressed" Damon replied.

"I find it rather hilarious." Maeve said fidgeting with her dress.

"Why?" asked Alaric looking at Maeve puzzled with her words.

"He's supposed to be this big bad vampire who strikes fear into so many like the boogeyman and yet here he is baiting a teenager who cannot do anything by herself without making things worse, at a teenage dance." Maeve pointed out with a snicker. "Think about it. This man has the incentive of us not knowing what he looks like, yet here he is pulling a teenage prom proposal dedicating a cheap ass song. It makes you think if the stories are even true or just exaggerations spread by him." Maeve discreetly gave a side glance at Alaric. His face grumbled slightly hearing her words before it returned to a neutral state.

"Tell me if you see anything out of the wack. Come let's dance little devil." Damon said putting his hand out.

"Absolutely not. You should be thanking me that I even came. Look around. Look at the dresses. It's like something fashion puked out. You go. I am staying here." Maeve replied with a disgusted look. Damon rolled his eyes and walked away into the crowd swaying his hips to the beat.

"You know, you got a lot of nerve talking so much about Klaus." Alaric warned looking at Maeve.

Maeve chuckled darkly hearing him. She turned face him, "let's see the bulletin points shall we? Klaus wants to complete a sacrifice. Which means he's got a witch on his side. Doesn't concern me. He wants Elena who apparently is the main ingredient in the recipe. Again, not my concern. He is after the life of Elena. Not mine. I have got nothing to lose." She raised a single eyebrow.

"Point taken. Even then, it takes guts to say something bad about him."

"It wasn't bad. It was what is happening right now." Maeve involuntarily played with her dress looking around the place to see where everyone was. Damon was dancing with two teenagers who seemed to enjoy his company. Same could be said about Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy.

"Today you said something about not wanting to go after Klaus. Why is that?" Maeve looked up at him as wheels turned in her head. "Let's talk away from the music. It makes me nauseous."

"Agreed." Alaric walked closely behind Maeve as she led him away from the gym. She walked into an empty hallway and turned around to face him again.

"I was reluctant and I still am to kill you because I am actually using the brain on the top floor as opposed to the Salvatore brothers using the head between their legs. I know it's better to stay as away from you all as possible. No one in their right minds makes an enemy out of any of you." Alaric laughed at her words, his body language changing completely hearing her.

"When did you figure out?"

"You didn't call me Kiddo like Alaric likes to do." Maeve began crossing her arms. "Besides how else would you have...you know, done this whole 'know thy enemy' bit."

"I'll give it you...you are smart, albeit a complete mystery. Katherine had very little to say about you. All she could say was you were as mysterious as someone can get."

"True. True. I am the town's mystery girl. Now, I didn't get you here to discuss me."

"Then why did you?" Maeve uncrossed her arms and stepped closer.

"I want to strike a deal with you."

"Oh, so we're negotiating now."

A glint of maliciousness sparked in Maeve's eyes. "Yes we are. You want something and I want something. It is a win-win situation."

"How so?" Alaric or as it was Klaus crossed his arms listening intently.

Maeve licked her lips and began, "you want to kill Elena in that sacrifice. I want to protect a few others who might become collateral damages."

"So you really don't want to kill me."

"Please...like it is possible without having the one and only white oak stake." Maeve raised her arms in surrender and took a step back when a raging look formed on Alaric's face. "I have not told about this to anyone. Well, except Elijah."

"And why may I ask."

"I love my life which might not continue along──done so by you if not your brother." Alaric prowled dangerously closer to Maeve. Her back hit the lockers. Alaric bent down a little meetinf Maeve at an eye level.

"You know a little too much about me and my family. Don't you?" he asked her in a threatening whisper.

Maeve daringly stared back at him, "yes I do. All that information has not seen light of the day. I only told this to Elijah. Now are we going to strike a deal...or not?" Klaus remained silent. "If I had said anything to anyone. They would have scoured the earth to find this white oak stake. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Very well. What do you want from me?"

"Keep a few people out of this whole sacrifice thing." Maeve told him firmly. "These people will or might try and get in the way of the sacrifice but I want you to promise me that you will not hurt them or kill them. And in return to that I promise I will not interfere in the sacrifice."

"And why should I shake on this deal?"

Maeve stepped closer to him, her eyes turned red with warning "because I am a hybrid...last living descendant of a powerful witch line. I single handedly can sabotage your sacrifice and walk out of there like nothing happened. So, do we have a deal or not?"

Klaus stood silent for a few seconds, "why do you care about this particular people?"

"They are my people. I don't want them to get hurt because of Elena. She is sole reason so many lives are on the line and a few of them I just so happen to care too much about." Klaus looked as if he was considering her deal.

"Wait, something's wrong." Elena noted pausing her steps. Alaric stopped walking and started laughing. He had led Elena and Bonnie into a secluded hallway, away from the dance.

"I just had to get away from that dance." He turned around and stood facing the two girls. "The sixties, ugh. Not my decade." He chuckles. "I mean, whose call was that, anyway? I much prefer the twenties. The style, the parties, the jazz." He smiled. His posture different than usual.

"Alaric, are you on vervain?" Elena asked cautiously eyeing his every move.

"Now why would you ask me that question, Elena?"

"He's being compelled." She concluded looking at Bonnie.

"He's not." a voice stated walking up to them. Maeve stumbled upto them holding a hand to her head. Alaric after agreeing with Maeve slammed her head against the locker behind and walked away as Maeve slowly lost her consciousness.

"That's Klaus." Maeve said pointing a finger at him.

"Surprise." Elena stepped back shocked to hear it.

"Don't worry Elena. You are not on my hit list tonight. Neither are you Maeve. But you are." He pointed at Bonnie.

Bonnie used her magic and flung him to hit the lockers. Klaus laughed rising up to his feet again, "did I mention I have a witch on my side? You have to try harder than that. By all means, fire away. I'll just posses another body. Maybe Jeremy."

"Run! Run." instructed Bonnie panicking at his words. All three ran away from the corridor as much as they could before they stopped again seeing Damon appear in front of them.

"Klaus is in Alaric's body." Elena let out. "He's possessing it or something."

Damon turned to Maeve who looked equally shocked. "Get Stefan." he told Elena who ran away immediately.

Damon turned to the two shaking his head, "no. Klaus doesn't get to win tonight." he stated firmly.

"Are you still willing to do whatever it takes?" He asks Bonnie who nodded curtly.

"Fine. But we are doing this on my terms." Maeve added crossing her arms.

"I thought you didn't like―" Bonnie began but stopped being cut off by Maeve,

"Yes, I don't like Elena but you on the other hand, not so bad. Besides, just because I hate you doesn't mean I want you dead. So, my terms or I leave." Maeve retorted.

"Do what you must." Damon told the two who turned and walked back to where they trapped Klaus.

Maeve walked inside the Boarding house wiping her nose. One hand gripped Damon's who helped her inside the Parlor of the house. She looked ahead to see Elena settled on a chair by the fire place with Stefan right next to her.

She looked up as the two walked in. With tear stained face, Elena held a strong scowling look. She marched upto Damon, "what'd you do to her?" she demanded an answer.

"Will you calm her down?" said Damon looking over Elena over to his brother.

"Don't talk like I am not standing right in front of you." Elena replied shifting to stand right in front of Damon making him look her in the eye.

"Elena, Calm down." Maeve pleaded still feeling a little drained from the events of the night.

Elena walked and stood in front of Maeve, "You. You say that you're strong. No one is like you. Yet, you stood there next to her doing nothing."

"Don't act all hail and mighty, Elena when you don't know shit!" warned Maeve as slowly rage began to built up.

"You were against this from the start. I get it. We all did but you let her die. You didn't do anything to save my friend."

"How dare you! All I did tonight was protect these people when you have done nothing so far but put them in danger. If you did give so many fucks about her...your so-called best friend you wouldn't have let her get so much power in the first place. You wouldn't have made these two idiots run around errands for you while you kept adding more problems for them. No Elena. I am not going to stand here and listen to you bark about how you lost your friend when she sacrificed herself for your ungrateful ass! And I was the one who made sure she didn't go through with it."

Elena fumed in rage and slapped Maeve across her face. "I didn't want her to do it. But you have the power to stop anything and yet you didn't save her. Damon is right to call you devil. You're evil."

Damon placed himself in between the two. He looked Elena dead in the eye. "How dare you!" he enraged staring right at Elena who stepped back seeing Damon be protective over Maeve.

Maeve snapped her head up and walked past Damon closer to Elena. Her eyes changed to a blood red and a low threatening growl emitted from her throat. She grabbed Elena by her elbow and brought her closer to her.

"You listen to me carefully you ungrateful piece of shit. I saved Bonnie. I protected her against Klaus and whoever his so-called strong witch is. I am the reason you didn't die that day at Richmond. I am the reason your boy toys are alive to tell the tale that they almost got ambushed by wolves. I want you to keep this in your mind. Engrave it like a tattoo on your head, I don't care. I am the reason you, Bonnie and these two unthinking fools are still here. If you, ever again...slap me or doubt me or in any way disrespect me──I will do good on showing you of just how much evil I am capable of. Clear?" threatened Maeve keeping her voice low and venomous.

Elena nodded her head frantically. Maeve turned around to look at Damon who stared back at her with a softened gaze, "I did this for you. But from this moment on. I am going with my original plan. I don't care if it hurts your heart. This is my decision."

Maeve stormed out of the house leaving the three top stunned to speak. "She saved Bonnie." muttered Elena breaking the silence.

"Yes, Elena. She did." Damon shouted enunciating every syllable. He listened in carefully to hear the purr of Maeve's bike. As soon as it was away he rubbed a hand over his face and turned away from Elena and his brother.

"Do you have any idea what just happened?" he asked. His words directed straight at Elena. "Maeve is a powerful witch. Last in the line of this witch ancestry considered practically royals. An Alpha lycanthrope. Her power is immeasurable. And because of your drama, we just lost our one chance at beating Klaus."

Stefan nodded his head as wheels in his head turned. "You went to her grandfather's funeral not because you wanted her to have a friend but because you wanted her to trust you like before again."

"No. I went to the funeral because I wanted her to have a friend. I have known about this power thing for weeks." revealed Damon shocking both, Elena and Stefan. "She got so buddied up with Elijah before we daggered him that after the tea party, they had this big conversation about her in the grill. I listened in. "

"And you started planning on how to keep her from leaving our side." Stefan connected the dots.

"Now with Elena's slap, she's reverting back to her plan of only saving herself and handful of us from Klaus." Damon grumbled annoyed with the turn of events.

"We don't need her. We have Bonnie." said Elena.

Damon turned to face Elena with a single raised eyebrow. "Really? Because if it wasn't for the Maeve, Bonnie would be dead right now."

"Look. It's been a long night. We can talk about this in the morning. Let's call it a night." Stefan suggested before the conversation could escalate into an argument.

**************************************
Here's a little thing,

The previous version of this book didn't establish why Maeve began to hate Damon as much as she did. Thought I'd give her a strong reason to do so.

Is it strong enough or can you handle what I've in store for the future chapters? lol ;)

Hope you're liking this new version of this book and to the new readers, you are liking this story thus far.

Please don't forget to vote comment and share

Take care everyone!

Raven :)