My eyes shot open and I immediately sit upright on my bed, panting heavily. Cold sweat trickles down my skin and I noticed my hand was shaking. Another nightmare about the same man originated by my guilt.

The clock reads 3AM in the morning and I was starting to get used to this newly routine; wake up with night terrors and then try to somehow fall back to sleep.

I rip my comforters off my body, slipping on my slippers to avoid the cold floors and make my way downstairs into the kitchen. Quickly grabbing a glass of water, I begin to rethink my dream.

I'm starting to accept culpability because of how I feel with Klaus. I kissed him and although it felt really good to do so, the voice in the back of my head wants to remind myself of all the bad he's done... yet I push them away. It's getting to the point where my dreams are giving me a wake up call.

I take the last sip of my water and turn around to place it in the sink. When I look back, Elena stands there with an intense look. The knife in her hand causes me to widen my eyes, "Woah! What are you doing?!"

My words didn't seem to faze her and instead she lunges the knife toward me with angry eyes. "Elena!" I scream, dodging her attack. She tries again and this time I catch her wrist, twisting it to force a loose grip and the knife eventually slips from her fingertips. The second it clatters to the floor, I kick it away from her reach.

"What were you doing?!" I shout, feeling my body start to shake. Elena looks down to the ground, trembling. Her eyes move upward and looks past me as if she was looking for someone. "Elena..."

"Maya?" she asks as soon as her eyes meet mine. She looked confused as did I. My heartbeat was quickening and I wasn't sure what to do in this situation. "You just tried to stab me with a knife!" I frantically remind her.

"I thought you were Connor..." she tells me and looks around the room once more. "He's dead, Elena. You killed him." I say and she breaks out into a sob, "I know... I know. I killed him."

"You had no choice. He was going to kill the people that we care about. It was self-defense." I rub her arms and she flinches, stepping back. "That doesn't make it okay!"

"You're right. It doesn't, but what happened, happened. I know you're feeling a lot of guilt right now but you'll get through this, Elena. You always do." I respond softly and she nods with a few teardrops slipping down her face.

"Let's get some sleep." I force a smile on my face and motion her toward the foyer. Elena pulls me into a hug, "I'm so sorry I tried to kill you. I will never forgive myself."

§

"She's having hallucinations." I come to conclusion and look at Damon with my arms crossed. The both of us look at Elena who's currently pacing back and forth in the living room. "I can't believe this happened."

"You thought I was Connor. Luckily no one got hurt." I tell my sister and sit down on the couch. For the past few hours, she's been constantly apologizing for trying to kill me and even though I tell her that it's okay, she doesn't believe me.

"You should've called Stefan." Damon says after a few moments. Elena looks at him, "I don't want to talk to him. He's been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget God knows what."

The room suddenly goes quiet as the two of them look at me. "Maya, weren't you with Stefan the other day?"

"Not recently, no." I lie to Elena and she lets out a sigh of defeat. "Either way, I can't trust him."

Speaking of Stefan, he suddenly walks through our front door. "Hey," he greets us. "P.S. I called Stefan." Damon confesses.

"What happened? Why did you call me?" Stefan asks, eyeing us all. "I just—I need to go upstairs and shower." she excuses herself and walks up the stairs.

"Elena thought I was Connor and tried to use this on me." I conclude, twirling the knife in my hand. Damon snatches it from me, "I think it'd be best if you don't play with it."

I roll my eyes and stand up from my seat on the couch. "Are you okay?" Stefan asks with wide eyes. "Yeah, I'll live."

"Alright, well I'm going to go check up on Elena." Stefan says and walks up the stairs.

"I've received news recently." Damon tells me, walking into the kitchen. "News about Connor...?" I question, not really sure where this conversation is going. I take a seat at the stool and Damon leans on the island opposite from me.

"What's on your mind?" he asks, ignoring my question and I furrow my eyebrows. "Let's see..." I pretend to ponder, "my sister trying to kill me and possibly Jeremy is definitely not what I'm thinking about. Damon, why are you asking me this?"

"I'm asking because I want to know why you make careless mistakes." he gives me a look. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Tyler might've slipped a word about your steamy day in his office."

My mouth opens slightly, unable to respond. Of course Tyler told him and at this point I'm not surprised. I avert eyes with Damon but unlike him, his eyes bore into mine.

"I... have no comment." I say after the room was clouded with silence. What I am surprised about is how calm Damon is at the moment and I'm starting wonder how long that'll last before he really starts showing his emotions.

"Hey, anyone want coffee?" Elena steps into the kitchen with her brushed wet hair and a new set of clothes. "Sure." I give her a small smile and step off of the stool, avoiding Damon at all cost.

I step back into the living room where Stefan is currently located at. Damon follows closely behind. A phone's ringtone blares in the room and Stefan pulls it out of his pocket, "It's Klaus."

Damon looks at me and grins. "Oooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil."

"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us."

I narrow my eyes at Stefan, crossing my arms. "You told him?!"

"You knew?" Damon questions with frantic eyes. "Yes, but I'm sure you're not surprised anymore." I respond back sharply.

Damon rolls his eyes and turns to Stefan, "Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."

Stefan answers his phone, "I don't want to talk about it."

I sigh, sitting back down on the couch. "Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." I hear Stefan reply. I decide not to listen to their conversation and let my mind wander off about what happened a few minutes prior with Damon.

A few minutes pass by and someone knocks on the door. I stand up to answer, but Damon pulls me back. "What are you doing?"

"Stefan has the door." he tells me. I yank my arm back, "Would you stop acting weird for just one minute?"

"You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside. Where's Maya? I want to see her." Klaus' voice echos from the foyer.

Damon speeds over to my front door. "Why? So you can manipulate your way in her house?"

I stand there for a moment. I know Damon's right about that statement. Klaus will try to let me invite him in and I wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

Elena walks out with a cup of coffee in her hands. "Your coffee is ready," she tells me and I nod, entering into the kitchen alone.

By the time I finish getting my coffee to my desired taste, I hear Damon calling out Elena's name. I rush over to the porch due to my front door being swung open, "What's wrong?"

"Klaus took Elena." Stefan responds with a face full of disappointment. "Why the hell would he do that?" I frown, feeling annoyed at his methods to kidnap my sister. "Because he thinks he can protect her from killing herself."

"And this is due to the hunter hallucinations?" I ask, crossing my arms. He nods and I sigh, "Didn't Klaus kill the fives? Wouldn't he have gone through the same thing?"

"Yeah, that's what he's been trying to tell me." Stefan replies and I purse my lips, "If he's had a first hand in this, then we should see where this goes."

Damon narrows his eyes, "Oh, you make out with him and now you want us to be close with him so we can make out with him too?"

"I'm trying to help her. Do you have any other ideas?" I retort, glaring into his eyes. Stefan steps in, "Damon, don't."

"No, no! Are we going to let this slide? For all we know she could be passing him our information in order to get into bed with him." he says and as soon as those words fall from his lips, my hand smacks across his face.

"I never slept with him, Damon." I tell him, growing upset. "So? You're probably going to soon."

"Damon, what the hell?" Stefan pushes his brother, "Don't treat her like that." I scoff, turning back and walking away from Damon.

§

I sigh deeply as I stare at my nonalcoholic beverage on the countertop of The Grill. Nighttime lingers in the sky and I'm doing my best to avoid a certain Salvatore after our little spat.

"Maya!"

I shift in my seat, staring at my drink. I felt a presence sit next to me, "What's wrong, love?"

"Damon's being a dick," I answer truthfully, not wanting to go into detail. "And why's that?"

I debated whether or not to tell him the occurrence but I decided against it, not wanting to stir up anymore complications. "It's nothing... what brings you here?"

"Looking for you..." he gives me a small smile, "I think it's time we bound to have a rendezvous that's not in my very home."

"Good. Then we can start by telling me why you decided kidnap my sister." I question with a raised eyebrow. Klaus looks at me then at the bartender to order us two drinks.

"Do you trust me?" he says a few moments later. "Yes." I answer him and this time those words were true to my heart.

His eyes linger on mine for a few seconds before he takes a seat next to me. "Then you'll know I am only trying to help Elena rather than incite more problems."

I nod once, slowly drifting my eyes away as soon as the bartender comes back with our drinks. "Now, tell me why you're upset."

Another sigh escapes from my lips and I take a small sip from my new drink. "Damon... found out about us and he's not handling it in a good way."

"Hmm, I suppose I was right then." Klaus responds causing me to raise my eyebrows in question. "Right about what?"

"About Damon's feelings for you."

I purse my lips and swallow thickly. "He's been clear about that before... but I don't reciprocate those feelings for him since they belong to you."

His lips curve upward and he suddenly leans in to close the gap between us. Our lips touch and I smile into the kiss until a voice interrupts us.

"Maya. Can I have a word with you alone?" Caroline comes to view once I pull away from him. I notice a hint of exasperation in her eyes and I was not ready to be scolded by yet another friend. "Yeah." I nod and excuse myself from Klaus and follow my blonde friend to the corner of The Grill.

"You know, I thought you'd interrogate the devil-spawn to get your sister back instead of locking your lips with him." Caroline crosses her arms while glaring her eyes at me.

"I'm a little more informed about the five than you are, Care. You should've seen Elena this morning. She was going to kill me and possibly Jeremy. If keeping her locked away to protect him and prevent her from harming herself, then I'll take it. Otherwise I'd be trying to rescue her just like everyone else."

Caroline lets her hands fall down to her sides and a wave of guilt becomes noticeable. "Caroline... what happened?" I ask almost immediately.

"Well, I came here to make sure Klaus stays put while Stefan goes into his house and breaks her out." she confesses.

"Caroline!" I gasp, rubbing my forehead with my hand in disappointment. From afar, I can already tell Klaus was eavesdropping by the way he stands up from his seat and scurries closer to us.

"And that's not all... he did release her, but then he lost her." Caroline tells the whole truth and my mouth opens in shock. Klaus joins the two of us with a clenched jaw and angry eyes.

"They figured out how to stop the hallucinations." she says quickly before Klaus could utter a word out. "You have ten seconds to tell me."

She explains to us that after one of the five is dead, a new hunter forms. The only person that would be a new hunter is Jeremy, since he saw the hunter tattoo. The way to stop the hallucinations is for Jeremy to kill a vampire.

"There's no way Jeremy is going to kill someone," I state, crossing my arms for the millionth time today. "It's the only solution we've got to save Elena." Caroline informs.

Klaus exits the building once he claimed he had a plan and left the two of us stranded alone. "Well, that's just great." I deadpan.

"Our plans always work," Caroline claims and I throw her a questionable look, "well most of the time."

§

I knock on the Salvatore's door, patiently waiting for an answer. My breathing was shallow and my heartbeat was quickening as I stood on the porch.

Damon swings the door open with his usual glass of bourbon in his hand. He doesn't greet me with a smile or a smirk like he usually does and I had to force myself not to frown.

We don't say anything for a few moments and I make my way inside once he opens it more for me. I set my purse down on a nearby small table and turn around to face him.

"I owe you an explanation." I tell him and he walks past me into the living room while taking a sip from his alcoholic beverage. I follow after him and take a seat on the couch as he stares out his window.

When he doesn't respond, I continue. "I have feelings for Klaus."

"Duh," Damon turns around, "I didn't think you'd kiss just anybody without a reason." he says sarcastically and I roll my eyes. Why can't he be serious just for one minute?

"Damon, I wanted you to hear it directly from me." I say. "Well, thanks," he clears his throat and I can sense how uncomfortable this conversation is making him.

Silence fills the room and I began to question if I should leave or not until he speaks again. "You broke it, you know?"

"What? Broke what?" I question, unfamiliar with what he was referring to. "The promise. You told me you would keep those feelings fake."

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"No, you're not. And do you want to know why I don't believe you? Because we wouldn't be having this conversation right now if you had killed him. Instead, you let him and his family roam freely."

"It's not as easy as you're making it out to be. I... I couldn't bring myself to stake his heart." I whisper lowly, remembering that very moment where I could've ended all of this if I was in the right mind set.

"And was this before or after Bonnie unlinked them?" Damon inquires and my eyes shift away from his and I look down at the ground, "Before."

My body flinches when my ears pick up the sound of glass breaking. I look up and see his cup and bourbon smashed against the wall. "You're telling me Elena would be human right now if you didn't let your feelings for Klaus get in the way?!"

I open my mouth in shock, letting that perspective get to me. Tears coat the brim of my eyes and I swallow thickly. "If you put it that way, yes." I whisper once more.

My breathing was rapid and guilt consumed my body. I was already feeling bad enough for how I felt with Klaus, but knowing that I am the very reason my sister is suffering right now makes my heart ache.

"Elena died!" Damon yells and I flinch again, letting the tears fall down my cheek. "Do I need to remind you?! Rebekah killed her. My blood turned her. She's trying to kill your brother. This could've been ALL avoided."

At this point I was hyperventilating and my vision was foggy. My hand covers my chest at the aching pain in my heart due to the extreme amount of guilt I was feeling. I breathe in sharply, "I'm... I don't know what to tell you, Damon." I say through tears, covering my face with my hands.

My head moves upward and Damon stands there with his eyes focused to his window, completely ignoring my breakdown. "I'm sorry I ever disappointed you." I tell him and get up from my seat, grabbing my bad and exiting his home by slamming the door shut.

The tears continued to rush down and my throat was beginning to go sore from all the crying I've let out.

"Maya?" I hear a voice call out. I wipe my tears, finding Stefan in front of me with worried eyes. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he questions, running over to me.

He holds me into a hug, rubbing my back and gives me soothing words. "It's all my fault." I choke out, holding him tightly.

"What's your fault? What happened?! Did Damon say something to you?" Stefan asks and I pull away from the hug, stepping backwards.

"It's nothing." I step backwards and begin to wipe away my tears yet they kept falling. His fists turn into a tight ball and he quickly storms into his home before I had a chance to protest.

I stand there in the cold briskly night staring at nothing but the ground. Minutes later, my breathing has calmed down and the tears no longer fell from my eyes. Stefan steps out of the house, slamming the door shut and walks out of his porch toward me. "Get in the car." He gestures to mine and holds out his hand for my keys.

I do as instructed with no words and enter my passenger seat in silence. He repeats my actions on the opposite side and I notice his knuckles were coated in red substance that can only belong to Damon. I didn't mention it and looked out the window the entire ride home.