𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐄.𝐌

46. So things are worse?

Maeve spit out her coffee making it spatter onto the white linen table cloth. Caroline gasped, and flinched back. Maeve hit her chest to make it easier to breathe, and rubbed her chest. Her eyes were wide and focused on Caroline who looked everywhere but at Maeve. 

The two odd friends were catching up in the cafe in Mystic Falls. Maeve acted unlike herself all morning but Caroline only blamed it on the morning hours. 

"Cou──could you repeat yourself? He did WHAT?" Maeve said just as her breath returned to normal. Maeve stayed calm for a whole second before she bust into laughter. The rest of the customers looked awkwardly at her before they returned to their own conversations.

"So...Elena broke up with Stefan and twenty-four hours later she was with Damon? Wait...not just with Damon but she slept with him? Not to mention she is what? Sired to him?" Maeve said, amusement clearly showing in her words and expression. "You sure she is still not Katherine? Anyways──Damon let her go?"

Caroline sighed, "she couldn't help herself. She was sired...and yes, I think it was a nice thing Damon did."

"Sure. Sire bond is why she slept with him" Maeve shifted in her seat and leaned on the table to be closer to Caroline, "the thing is Caroline, being a vampire does not alter a person at such devastating speed that you cannot control your own actions. A vampire is a human at its very core. You only become a better part of yourselves. What do you think? Do you think she is still the same person? I would say so. Now the part of her life from before the transition──that loved Damon is amplified. Perhaps she loved Damon more than she loved Stefan. That is the reason that part of hers took over her. She loves Damon, and she loves Stefan. But one is stronger than the other." 

"Damon was manipulating her emotions and using her sire power to do it. You know how he is. Elena is not herself. She was being manipulated before he let her go." Caroline jumped to defend her friend.

Maeve raised her hands in surrender and leaned back in her chair. Her face fell into a different expression. Her eyes were sharp, lips slightly curled in a distaste. "I am sorry Caroline. Didn't mean to irritate you." she confessed. "But you have to admit, this is all too fucked up. Nobody here is a saint who is being wronged." Caroline felt a chilling feeling of oddness rise up her spine seeing a cold touch to Maeve's words. "Elena has always been like this. I saw it. Making you and Bonnie tag along according to her comfort. She has always been Katherine 2.0. You just never wanted to accept it."

"What do you mean you saw it?"

"Oh...last week, at Miss Mystic Falls. When Elena called you out to be the bad guy and me to be an evil influence on you...quite ironically if I may add, then I touched your hand to comfort you and I looked through your memories." said Maeve, one hand resting on the table while the other rested on her lap. Maeve dipped her finger in the chocolate syrup poured on her pancakes. At first she licked it clean, for her own amusement, before she continued doing so for a while. Maeve then, traced her finger on the tissues on the table.

Caroline scoffed angrily, "How could you do this to me? That is a total invasion of my privacy!"

"Relax, I didn't look at anything, just at Elena. Can we focus on point here? I actually secretly admire Elena. The way she made both the Salvatore brothers fall for her...not to mention, you and Bonnie as well. I mean, your excuse for forgiving Damon for being a bad guy is the fact that Elena sees something redeemable in him. Bonnie lost her grandmother because of that trio and yet she was ready to get herself sacrificed at the sixties dance. Not to mention her own mother. You have to admit, you need some manipulation skills to be able to do that. I should really take notes."

Caroline curiously and slightly frightened gazed at Maeve, "are you being sarcastic or are you actually serious?"

Maeve blinked her eyes slightly and looked over at Caroline. "Of course I am being sarcastic Caroline. I don't need notes from her for manipulating someone. I think I can handle that bit myself." Maeve continued tracing her finger along the tissue paper. "Now, thank you for the breakfast, I have to meet a Lennox. The other royal covens exist, in case I forgot to mention it t0 you. I'll pay for it, don't worry." Maeve smiled and rose up from her chair, she went to the register to pay for her breakfast. Caroline sat stumped in her seat unable to comprehend clearly what just happened. Maeve left the cafe and Caroline sat there contemplating the whole situation.