Maya rubbed her head and slowly sat up. She looked around the cellar to see it was all the same only Bonnie and her mother were waking up.
"What happened?" Bonnie groaned.
"Original mother got the jump on you," Maya explained standing up.
"What?"
"The thing in the coffin that's supposed to help kill Klaus? Not a thing, a person, and it's his mother."
"How do you know that?"
"Doesn't matter, I have to get home before my mom notices I never went home."
"There's mail for you, Maya!" Mayor Lockwood shouted from the kitchen.
"What is it?" Maya shouted back.
"Looks like an invitation."
Maya groaned before getting up and joining her mom in the kitchen. She opened it up and read aloud, "Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration."
"Who are the Mikaelson's?"
"The Original family," Maya said when she noticed a note on the back that read, 'It's time we have a proper meeting. - Esther'
"I have to go, but if you need me to pick you up a dress, I will."
"Yeah, I don't think I'm going."
"It's up to you but I think you should go," she said before leaving the house.
She heard a knock at the door and opened to find no one there. She looked down and found a box that had her name neatly written on an envelope. She opened the envelope to find the same invitation she had gotten from Esther, only this time when she flipped it over it was a note from Klaus. 'Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus.' Rolling her eyes she removed the lid to find a beautiful dark red, almost maroon dress. She admired it for a moment before quickly putting the lid back on the box.
She then called Elena to ask if she had been invited to the stupid dance but was sent to voicemail. Sighing slightly she looked at the clock to see that it was three so she had a while to decide if she truly wanted to go.
Elena had managed to convince Maya to go so that she wouldn't have to deal with Esther alone. As she skims threw her closet in an attempt to find a dress she noticed, from the corner or her eye, the box that Klaus had sent her slightly ajar, revealing the red dress. Picking it up she decided this would be the dress she wore, not because it meant anything, but because she didn't have another option.
She looked at herself in the full length mirror. The dress hugged her waist and flowed out onto the floor. It was perfect.
She drove herself to the party, she finally had the car to herself seeing as Tyler left to deal with his sire bond problem.
She approached the door, letting out a sigh, before entering. Klaus noticed as soon as she entered and joined her from across the room.
"Good evening," Klaus said with a cross between a smirk and a smile.
"Yeah, I need a drink," Maya said before walking away and joining Finn and Elena who were standing by the drinks.
"Elena Gilbert, I presume? I'm Finn Mikaelson. You're here to see my mother."
"Is she here?"
"Her request did not include your friends," he said shooting a look toward Maya.
"Actually, I was invited by both your mom and brother so apparently Mama dearest doesn't tell you a lot of things."
"They're protecting me. You may not know but your mother's already tried to kill me once."
"If you want to see my mother, you'll need to be alone."
"You aren't going alone," Maya said, "not if I can help it."
"Uh, if everyone could gather, please," Elijah said to the room.
"Excuse me," Finn said before joining his family on the stairs as Esther walks down.
"Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. So please, join us."
Maya planned on just watching as Elena left her to dance with Damon and Matt was dancing with Rebekah when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to be greeted by Klaus who put his hand out asking for a dance. She reluctantly agreed as she followed in his step.
"I'm glad you came," he said with a small smile.
"Hmm, well I wasn't planning on running into you. I'm here on business."
"Business?"
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Very well. On to more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress."
"Only thing I had."
"And the bracelet I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that?" he said with a smirk, "You know, you're quite the dancer."
"Well I am the mayor's daughter I've been dancing since I came out of the womb," she said ignoring the bracelet question.
"I know."
Maya looked at him, really looked at him. He cleaned up nice. She couldn't look away from his eyes but she was suddenly spun into someone else's arms. Partner change.
"What are you doing here? Elena knows what she's doing, it's why I'm here," Maya said glaring at Damon.
"What was I supposed to do, let her go on a suicide mission? And why the hell are you here with Klaus?"
"I'm not here with Klaus, I just happened to bump into him."
"Uh-huh, then who invited you?"
"Klaus and Esther."
"Two invitations? Am I dancing with royalty?" he mocked but then his joking expression dropped when he saw Stefan and Elena dancing with each other.
"It means nothing, they are friends you know."
"He's been on a ripper binge, he's killed people, almost killed her, yet she still loves him. They always choose Stefan."
"If you're referring to Katherine, you should be glad she didn't want you. She was a manipulative psychopath. I know Elena, she loves you even if she doesn't know it yet. Trust me."
The song ended and they stepped away from each other. "I have to go make sure Elena doesn't do anything stupid."
After Damon left, Maya went to get her drink when someone stopped her. "My mother will see you now," Finn said before walking up the stairs. A few moments later, Maya followed hoping no one had noticed.
She joined them in what looked like an office and Esther greeted her with a smile.
"It's nice to see you again, Maya."
"Wish I could say the same," Maya responded crossing her arms over her chest. "Why am I here?"
"I need your help."
"With what exactly?"
"I made a mistake with my children."
"You're telling me," she said with a scoff.
"I should never have made them the way they are and now I have to fix my problem and for that, I need you."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not at my full strength and I need something to draw from."
"That's not happening," Maya protested as she went to the door but Finn blocked her.
"If you don't help, there will be consequences."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I do wish I didn't have to."
"What exactly do you plan on doing if I leave?"
"I heard your brother was out of town. Wouldn't want there to be an accident."
Maya had been sitting and watching as Finn sharpened a dagger and Esther burned what looked like sage for what felt like forever when someone knocked at the door.
"That'd be the girl," Esther said as Finn walked over to the door and Elena was there.
"You're alone. Wise choice," Finn said with a nod of approval.
Elena joins Maya and Esther by the table and she looked at the sage in confusion.
"It's only sage. I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard. That'll be all Finn, thank you," she said as he left, "You must have a million questions for me Elena. Please." She led Elena to the sofa where Maya already sat and the two joined.
"How are you alive? Are you a ghost? Or..." Elena asked trailing off at the end.
"Not exactly. When I died the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your friend Bonnie."
"So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket."
"They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side."
"So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?"
"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."
"You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?"
"One thing at a time Elena. For now, I simply need your help."
"I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."
"She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves."
"It's true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."
"How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal."
"It will take time, magic, and your assistance."
"What do I have to do with it?"
"My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?"
"No Elena, don't!" Maya shouted but it was as though Elena couldn't see or hear her.
Esther held the dagger in her hand and Elena looked confused. After a moment, she made up her mind, she removed her glove and face her finger to Esther to prick. Esther picks it and squeezes the blood into the glass that has all of the other ingredients in it.
"Elijah is more suspicious than the others, so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink at the toast in order to be linked as one," Esther informed Elena.
"What do you mean 'linked as one'?"
"You said it yourself Klaus can't be killed. But tonight's spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go."
"What?" Elena said taken aback.
"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them," Esther said as Elena left the room.
Maya turned to Esther, "What the hell have you done?"
"Oh not me sweetheart, us." She then gripped Maya's wrist harshly and began chanting something in Latin. Maya tried to rip away but she slowly grew weak.
"What...What's happening?"
Esther ignored Maya's questions as she continued chanting in Latin when the liquid suddenly caught on fire and she let go of her hand. The fire died down and Esther spoke, "It is done, you are free to go."
Maya walked to the door but grew lightheaded so she grabbed the frame. She pulled herself together and managed to walk out. She went downstairs and found Elena.
Grabbing her arm and pulling her away to the foyer and immediately asked, "Do you even know what the hell you just did?"
"I di-" Elena began but was cut off by the arrival of Elijah.
"So how was my mother?" Elijah asked.
"Intense."
"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" He then offered her a glass of champagne. Esther was looking down from the staircase at Elena and Maya.
"Elena? Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"
"She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed."
"So it's true, then? She's forgiven Klaus?"
"It's true."
Esther then addressed the guests, "Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" everyone repeated. Maya turned down the champagne finding it gross to drink Elena's blood. She looked around the room and saw that all of the Originals drank from their cup. She made eye contact with Klaus and quickly disappeared, feeling guilty for the role she played in his death.
Maya wandered around the house and stumbled upon a room full of beautiful works of art.
"Woah..." she whispered and awe.
"It's quite an extensive collection."
Maya immediately whipped around at the new voice in the room but sighed in relief to see it was just Klaus. She continued looking around the sketches when she noticed something, "Did you do these?" Maya asked slightly shocked.
"Yeah, um...actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"
"I've never really been anywhere."
"I'll take you one day, wherever you want."
"Be careful what you promise I might just take you up on that, I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower," Maya said half joking, half serious.
"I hope you do."
"It must be nice, always getting what you want. Is that why you have hybrids? So they can do your every will?"
"No, you-"
"Why not let Tyler be? He was just collateral damage, he never wanted this. I get it, your dad never loved you and now you think no one else could possibly ever love you. So that's why you have your hybrids and you try to buy people's affection," she said before taking off the bracelet he bought her and putting on the table, "But that's not how it works. The reason why no one truly loves you is because you don't know how to have a relationship with anybody, at least not a healthy one."
His face flashed with hurt but it quickly changed to a state of confusion and worry.
She furrowed her eyebrows but felt something dripping out of her nose, she quickly took her right glove off and touched it with her hand to find blood.
"What's wro-?"
"I'm fine. Just my normal nose bleeds, it happens all the time, I should go clean up."
He looked at her as though he didn't believe her.
"You're not the best liar."
She looked down at her hands before quickly mumbling, "I have to go." She then left the room before he could ask anymore questions.
She was headed to the front door when she noticed Damon and Elena arguing.
"Now you're mad at me for including Stefan?"
"No, I'm mad at you because I love you!"
"Well, maybe that's the problem," Elena shouted back. Damon was taken back by this. "No. That's not what I-"
"No, I got it, Elena. I care too much. I'm a liability. How ironic is that?" Damon then stormed off past Maya.
"Way to go Elena, you're really on a role today," Maya said before following in pursuit of Damon.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Damon said as Maya joined him to find Matt on the floor screaming in pain. "Easy on the hand. Guy's a quarterback."
Damon rushes to Kol and pushes him off the balcony, jumping down after him. He then took his anger out on him and snapped his neck. Stefan came running out the door, Matt and Maya right behind him.
"Damon! Are you crazy?" Stefan shouts at him as the rest of the Mikaelson family and Elena come out to see what was going on.
"Maybe a little," he turned and looked at Elena before continuing, "Far be it from me to cause a problem." He then walked away from everyone.
Maya quickly glanced at everyone before running after him. "Damon, stop!" Maya said finally catching up to him.
"What do you want?!"
"I want you to stop walking away from me, I'm kind of drained. Now, how about I drive you to my house and we can raid my Dad's liquor cabinet. My mom won't be home tonight and I think we could both use it."
He looked at her, debating the offer, eyes narrowed, "Fine."
They enter the mansion and Maya was heading to her father's old study when she noticed something in the kitchen. "You go ahead, I'm gonna grab something to eat."
She walked over to the box and opened it, another gift from Klaus. She pulled out the scroll and unrolled it. It was a sketch of her next to the Eiffel Tower and at the bottom Klaus had written 'Thank you for your honesty, Klaus.'
Damon came back to the kitchen, "You coming?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there," she said quickly hiding the drawing. She then joined Damon in the study ready to drink away all of her problems.