The very next morning, I was put into duty to clean up the mess from the dance. I didn't sleep at all last night, mostly mourning over Alaric's death.

I wanted to occupy myself and try to take my mind off of the terrible events of the previous night. I grab onto a plastic bag and start throwing empty solo cups in there.

"You look terrible."

"I'm not in the mood, Rebekah." I respond, avoiding eye contact with her. "You should be glad you are the least person I hate helping today."

I stand up and turn to look at her, "What do you mean?"

"Oddly enough, I believed you when you said you didn't want to kill my brother... and I respect you for that." she tells me and I stare at her for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"And I wanted to say I am sorry to hear about your teacher." Rebekah continues and once again I'm left speechless. "Thank you... and I'm sorry about your mother." I give her a small smile.

It felt weird being nice to her and get the same treatment in return but it was oddly comforting. I didn't mind the nice gesture though and it makes me wonder if she ever hated me at all.

"Hello?!"

Caroline steps foot into the cafeteria and joins the two of us. "Where's Matt?"

"He bailed. Got called into work at the last minute." Rebekah answers. "Are you kidding me? So, it's just us three?" Caroline groans.

"Yes, and you're late. Clean up committee started at eight o'clock." Rebekah states. "It's like 8:02." Caroline replies, looking at her phone.

"Exactly. We managed to turn up on time and I didn't even get to attend the dance that I organized." Rebekah walks past Caroline and empties out the trash.

"I'm gonna get started on the gym." Rebekah informs us and makes her way out of the cafeteria.

"She seems to be warming up on you." I hear Caroline say after a few moments. I give her a questionable look and she sighs, "I kind of overheard your conversation before I came in... you could've killed Klaus and you didn't?"

"Not my proudest moment." My lips form into a straight line and avoid eye contact with her by occupying myself with some trash to throw away.

"Okay, now I'm really confused. I thought the whole point of you getting close to him was to end him... and you've done the exact opposite."

"I don't know what to tell you, Care. I hesitated and realize he could've killed me if he saw." I give her an answer that would suit her narrative, not that it was the truth.

"Maya, all I—" Caroline stops midway of speaking when the sound of a crash enters the atmosphere. "What was that?"

Caroline speeds out of the cafeteria whereas I run behind her. A male figure has Rebekah trapped against the lockers and Caroline rushing to help. As I got closer, I realized that figure belongs to someone who I thought was dead.

"A-Alaric?"

Caroline pins him to the wall and Rebekah grabs the stake from his hand, shoving it into his skin. I gasp, configuring that he is indeed not Alaric but more like Evilaric.

I stand there frozen at the scenery especially when he starts to take the wooden stake out of his body. In a flash, I am taken away from the hallway and placed in the parking lot.

Caroline stares at me, frantically trying to take her car keys out of her bag. "Maya, get in the car." she says sternly although I can hear the panic right through her.

"It's locked!" I exclaim, already feeling myself start to panic as well. I gulp once I see Alaric standing right behind my friend.

Caroline seemed to have noticed him through the reflection of her car window and spins around only to have Alaric snap her neck. "Oh, my god!"

"Alaric, please." I beg, unable to do anything at the moment. I had no weaponry on me and considering he's a newbie vampire, I don't think testing him would be off to a great start.

The sun starts to boil his skin and I take a step backwards, but the pain he's feeling right now wants him to complete his mission fast and that's when darkness clouded my eyesight.

§

The throbbing pain in my head causes my eyes to slowly open. The first thing I come to contact with is the familiar tile floor belonging to a classroom. My eyes travel from my legs to my hands and I soon find myself tied to a chair.

I breathe in heavily, remembering my last moments before I lost consciousness. I turn my head to find my blonde friend trapped to a chair but unlike me, she has a wet cloth wrapped around her mouth. The red blisters forming made me come to conclusion that the wet substance is vervain.

A muffled scream erupts from my friend and I widen my eyes, immediately waking myself up completely. Two pencils were impaled in each of her hands and I gulp, feeling my heart beat quicken.

"Caroline!" I exclaim and her eyes go big in fear and I can catch a glimpse of her falling tears. "Hold on. I'll get us out of here." I assure her, trying to figure out a way to free myself.

The sound of footsteps makes me freeze up in fear. The last night I want is Evilaric to kill the two of us. My sister pops her head into the classroom and rushes over to us, gasping, "Maya! Caroline!"

Alaric enters the premise and my breathing hitches. "Let them go, Alaric!" Elena turns to him and he gestures to the two of us with his hand, "Free them yourself."

Elena looks at me and I shake my head, pointing my head to Caroline since she's the one enduring pain. She cautiously steps over to our friend, lowering herself and strokes Caroline's arm soothingly.

She begins to gently pull the pencil out of one of Caroline's hands, but Alaric comes up and slams the pencil back down. Caroline screams in horror and I gasp, shutting my eyes.

"You said that you would let her go!" Elena yells at him. "How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires!"

"Then why tie Maya up? She's not a vampire. Let her go." Elena demands and Alaric starts to chuckle. "Have you not been paying attention? Are you too close minded to see that your sister is the answer to everything I need?"

"What are you talking about?" Elena inquires and I furrow my eyebrows, unaware of what he's referring to.

"I'm talking about Klaus. He'll eventually learn that I've held her captive and Prince Charming will be on his way to save his princess. This way I'll have a chance to kill him."

"You would really put her at risk?" Elena asks and I notice a few tears string at the corners of her eyes.

"I wouldn't have to. I would gladly like to put her hunting abilities up to test, but I've learned something today." Alaric gets down near me, "She sympathizes him."

I inhale a breath, avoiding eyes with Elena. Of course he overheard my conversation with both Rebekah and Caroline. One of his new perks of being a vampire.

I close my eyes for a moment before revealing them. "Just let us go, Alaric. No one has to die."

Alaric grins, standing up and makes his way over to Caroline. He takes away the cloth from her mouth and dips it in vervain. "Alaric, stop it!" I yell.

Caroline whimpers, "No, no more, please, no more!"

Elena stands up, "Alaric stop!" she orders, but Alaric pushes Elena back into a seat. "Sit down! This keeps the vervain in her system. It's like inhaling razorblades with every breath."

Alaric places the cloth back on Caroline's mouth. Her skin begins to smoke and burn and her cries echo throughout the entire room.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asks, rubbing her arm. "To make it easier on you when you put her out of her misery." he replies.

Alaric picks up the white oak stake and walks towards Elena. "What?! No!" she screams.

"Isn't this what you wanted, Elena? For me to teach you how to kill a vampire?" Alaric says and holds out the white oak stake towards her. "Well, here's a vampire, Elena. Kill her."

"This isn't what I want." Elena breathes.

"Of course it is. All those hours you spent training, getting stronger, you could be a hunter, Elena. But you've never actually staked a vampire through the heart."

Elena remains still. "No? You don't feel like killing today? I knew you were the weakest link, so what about your sister?" Alaric turns to me, "after all, she's had far more practice and motivation to kill these blood sucking creatures."

"I'm not going to kill her." I tell him while he releases me from his traps. He pulls me out of my seat and grabs onto my arm, pulling me forward. "Oh, but you will. And you will prove to me that letting Klaus go was a mistake and that you're capable of living up to the vampire-hunter title."

"I don't have to prove anything to you." I retort.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asks. "Because you need me," Alaric looks at me, "both of you need me... because you two are eighteen-year-old girls without parents or guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore."

Elena walks over to Caroline, "Look at you. How is this right?!"

Alaric points to Caroline with the stake. "She's a murderer. She told me she killed someone and liked it. Now how is that right? Listen guys, your parents led the council. It was their life's mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead six months before you undid it all."

"You don't know anything about them." I sneer. "Why, am I wrong? Do you actually think that they'd be proud of you?" Alaric kneels down in front of us.

"If you don't side with the humans, you're just as bad as them. Now kill her." Alaric hands me the stake. "Or I'll do it for you and I'll make it hurt. Get over here!"

Alaric grabs my arm and pulls me toward Caroline. My fingers wrap around the stake, "Fine. You want me to kill a vampire?" I ask him and he nods. "Then let's start with you." I aim toward his heart, but his hand catches my wrist before it could pierce his skin.

"I thought I taught you better than that." he taunts.

"You did."

The sound of glass breaking jolts my body. The remaining pieces fall from my hand and the vervain from the beaker absorbs into his skin. Alaric screams in pain as his flesh starts to burn. I immediately run backwards while he's distracted. Elena releases Caroline and urges us to leave.

"Get help!" Elena yells.

Caroline speeds out of the classroom and I race behind her. I hear Elena's footsteps behind me but my main focus was getting out of here without a scratch.

I stop myself in the middle of the hallway, regaining my breath. Elena was no longer behind me and I begin to feel guilty for leaving her. I start to walk back to the classroom, knowing I couldn't let her handle this on her own.

A hand covers my mouth from behind and a muffle scream comes from me, assuming Alaric had captured me again.

"Shhh. It's okay, it's okay. It's me."

The sound of his voice slowly calmed me down and I felt safer in his arms. Klaus releases his hand from my lips. "It's okay, you're safe. What were you thinking going back in there?"

"Elena needs my help." I tell him and he turns me around so that I'm facing him. "You're walking into a lion's den." he responds.

"I can't leave her there." I say, turning my head around to look at the empty hallway. Klaus' hand brings my face toward his and forces my eyes to look into his. "We'll save Elena. You go straight home and don't leave. Do you understand?"

I couldn't help but think about what Alaric said before, about how he knew Klaus was going to save his damsel in distress. I nod at his question, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you." I whisper.

When I pull away, he's gone and I'm left alone in the hallway. His voice rings in my mind and I felt obligated to listen to his instructions. I quickly run to the parking lot and into my car.

I leave the parking lot and start to drive home. My phone starts to ring from one of the cup holders where I had left it this morning. "Hello?"

"Maya! Thank God you're okay. Is Elena with you?" Caroline's voice beams into my ear. "No, but everyone's on their way to save her. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. J-just go home and please avoid any trouble and don't go back there." she says. "Can't make any promises. Bye, Care."

§

I stand in my room, giving anyone another call through my cellphone. I've been home for a couple hours now and haven't heard anything from anyone and I was growing worried.

My bedroom door opens and a certain blue-eyed resident joins in. "What the hell, Damon? I've been calling you. I even stopped by your house and surprise, no one was home."

"Why didn't you stay with Caroline?" he asks me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of my room. "Because Kl-Caroline told me to stay home where I'd be safe." I answer him, catching myself from my slip up.

The two of us rush down the staircase and out the house. Stefan sits in his car, waiting patiently for us to get in. "What's going on?" I release myself from Damon's grasp.

"Is Elena okay? What happened with Alaric?" I throw random questions out of my mouth, hoping to get a straight forward answer.

I sit in the backseat whereas Damon plops himself in the passenger side. "Your hybrid boyfriend kidnapped your sister and we're out to rescue her."

"What?! Why would he do that?" I question, my blood starting to boil. "Because he's Klaus." Damon replies sarcastically.

I didn't reply and instead I close my eyes and take in the new information that was about to be revealed. Alaric's still alive and in order for him to die, so does Elena and that's why Klaus took her. He wants her blood for his hybrid family.

"Of course." I mutter. It always goes back to his hybrids. The thing that struck me most was finding out that they were planning on killing Alaric by having Bonnie stop Jeremy's heart with the use of black magic.

In order to connect the dark magic, Stefan, Damon, or Klaus would have to take their hand on another heart in order to stop it.

The thought of Jeremy in danger gives me great pain, but I have faith in Bonnie and I was determined to do anything at this point to get my sister back.

§

My feet carry me into Klaus' home where I hear a crash and deliberately follow the sound. I find my sister unconscious on the floor and immediately come to contact with her. "Elena?" I gasp and try to gently shake her away.

I glance upwards and Klaus has Tyler on chokehold against the wall, his hand aiming toward his heart. "Goodbye, Tyler."

Tyler twists Klaus' hand before he could have the chance to reach his skin. I run over to the two, wanting to intervene but I get pulled away. "What are you doing?" I hear Stefan behind me.

"They're going to kill each other." I respond and he spins me around so that I'm facing him. "Go wake Elena up. We got this covered."

I stand there dumbfounded as the next few seconds pass by. Damon and Tyler get ahold of Klaus and traps his arms so he can't escape. Stefan places his hand into Klaus' chest and my eyes widen at the sight.

Time seemed to slow down and my eyes lock into Klaus'. My breathing hitched and because of Bonnie's magic, Klaus slowly starts to desiccate and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

At that moment, I wanted to help and save him. Pain consumes my body, watching his life leave his eyes. He's not dead but I know he will be soon and it hurts knowing the truth.

I turn my head to avoid the scenery. Elena starts to groggily wake up and I try my best to distract myself from the actions that were occurring a few feet away.

"Elena." I smile happily and pull her into a hug, feeling the tears leave my eyes. I cry into her shoulder and she lets out an awkward laugh. "I'm okay. You don't have to cry." she whispers into my ear and completes the hug. Except these tears weren't for her.

I pull away from the embrace and wipe away my tears before either of the three boys could witness me. "Come here." I hold out my hand to help her up and she accepts.

"Ow," she hisses and brings her hand to her forehead. Damon rushes over to us and grabs onto my sister's waist. "I got her." he tells me and I nod, letting him take her outside to the car.

I turn around and walk over to Klaus' body on the floor that has been neutralized. I gulp thickly and tear my eyes away from the sight.

§

My eyes linger on Elena for a moment, watching her enter our home. I stand on my porch with Damon and I breathe in heavily, unaware how I'm going to break this news to him.

My eyes flicker up to his and his lips slightly curve upward. "Damon," I whisper, "why did you kiss me?"

"Because," Damon starts and places the palm of his right hand on my cheek, "you and I have something."

The memory of Klaus saying almost the same thing as him flashes through my mind. I exhale a sigh and slowly push away Damon's touch.

"I—we can't do this." I tell him and confusion along with hurt washes over his face. "What do you mean?" he asks with a soft voice.

"I think you want Elena and since she wants Stefan, you tell yourself that I'm the other option... My point is that I don't want to be a second choice."

"No, no, no... you'll never be a second choice. I don't want Elena. I want you." he tells me.

I shake my head. "You and Elena have something more than you and I could ever have. You need to let go of this fantasy of us and listen to your heart. I know you love her."

He didn't seem to process what I told him, as if my conclusions were incorrect. "Maya, you're reading this all wrong."

"Damon, when Stefan wasn't here, I saw the way you and Elena developed something special. Don't break her heart, please."

"You need to stop with this annoying selfless-Gilbert thing and think about what you want. Do you not want me, is that it?" Damon questions and I gulp, unable to answer that question out loud because the truth is I wanted someone else.

"I... I think our kiss was a mistake." I tell him truthfully and look down at the ground below me. I couldn't look at his eyes, but he had to know the truth. It's better for the both of us.

He looks down and then back up at me. "I understand." he quickly turns around and left with one swift move.

I bite my lips, trying to hold in the tears that were on the verge of spilling. I take a deep breath in and out before opening my front door and entering my house.

Hearing chatter, I walk into the kitchen to investigate and find no one better than all my friends with drinks in their hands and laughing.

"What are you all doing here?" I ask them, not really in the mood to celebrate whatever they're celebrating. "Ohhh, Maya! You're the main reason we are having a victory party!" Caroline smiles wide.

"What...? Victory party? Alaric is still out there. I don't necessarily call that victory." I cross my arms with a soft chuckle.

Bonnie gives me a look, "No, she means that Klaus is finally gone and you played a big part in it. Caroline convinced us to enjoy it for the night."

I stand there motionless and feel my heart thump against my chest. Problem is, I didn't think his death was a victory and instead I'm hurting all over just thinking about him.

"You know, to be honest, I'm a little pissed none of you let me help you take down Original brother number two." Matt puts his arm around Tyler.

"Yeah, he would have taken you right down to the hospital, bro." Tyler laughs. "Please, I'm more stealth than that. I'm like a ninja." Matt replies.

"Yeah, you wish." Jeremy joins in.