Maria Lorde-Gilbert. The other adopted kid

37

"Oh my god, Maria! Where've you been?" T attacked me with a hug.
"Sorry, I went to the sheriff to check up on her. And tell her she could stop looking in on the case."
"Did Klaus tell you?"
"About him or the party?"
"Wait, he told you about the party?" T asked.
"Glad to see your priorities are straight!" I laughed. "I saw him. He was watching me, so Klaus didn't think it was a good idea to have people jump out at me."
"Klaus said his name was Cyrus." T frowned. "Where is he anyway?"
"I don't know. I sort of lost it on him. He was being so Nick-like, and I can't have that."
"Jenna's here." Hanna skipped into the room. Jeremy froze.
"Jenna?"
"I forgot to tell you, sorry, Jer. Really. Hanna can see the ghosts who've made it into peace. So far, she's only made contact once that I know of."
"How?" He asked. "I had to die to see ghosts and that's only on the other side."
"You died?" Hanna scrunched her nose.
"Yeah." Jeremy shrugged. "How is Jenna?"
"She says hi." Hanna paused. "And that she misses you."
"Jenna." Jeremy said. Hanna looked down at her hand before reaching out and grabbed Jeremy's hand. A haze of golden light shined around their hands and Jeremy gasped. "It is you."
"You can see her?"
"He can already see ghosts on the other side." Hanna explained. "I'm just bringing him further inside."
"How are they?" Jeremy asked into the air.
"He's asking about your adoptive parents." Hanna said. "Jenna says she she sees them every day. She also says she's giving John another chance."
"Gross." Jeremy said. "Didn't you hate him?" Jeremy laughed. "Yeah, sounds like her." He paused and let go of Hanna's hand. "I'll be right back."
"Jenna says you have to tell him." She said once Jeremy was out of the room.
"Tell him what?" I replied innocently.
"She says you know what. Also she's glaring at you. She says, he's going to figure it out sooner or later, with him here. You might as well tell him."
"Jenna." I said. "I can't."
"You have to." Hanna was repeating. "It's bad enough that he feels helpless, unable to fully help you while everyone around him knows. That Klaus knows but he doesn't." I looked away.
"I'll see." I replied. Hanna nodded at the empty air.
"She's gone." She said. "What was she talking about?"
"It's nothing to worry about." I told her. Jeremy walked back in.
"Who's Cyrus?" He asked.
"Some guy." I said vaguely. "No one who matters."
"He has my number." Jeremy said. "A little creepy don't you think?"
"What do you mean he has your number? Did he call you?"
"No, he just sent me a text. Ask your sister about twelfth of December 2008." Jeremy read. "Cyrus."
"Let me see that." I snatched his phone. My hand shook for a second before I straightened. An idea came to me as I pressed the call button.
"What are you doing?" T tried to grab the phone but I moved.
"Hello, Maria."
"Listen to me. I am not afraid of you. Not anymore."
"Is that so." He laughed, manically. "So why don't you come out here and face me?"
"I'm not afraid of getting hit by a car, but that doesn't mean I'll go walk out into oncoming traffic."
"Just listen close, Maria dear. I want to meet my daughter. I think I have a right."
"You have no right." I hissed. "So leave town or I swear I will make you regret it. You've been a vampire for less than three years. That makes you the least of my problems. You think being a vampire makes you all big and strong? It doesn't. Your daylight ring might protect you from the sun but it won't protect you from me." I hung up, furious. Jeremy stared at me.
"Mia, who is he?"
"Believe me, Jer. You don't want to know."
"Yes." He stepped forward. "Yes I do. You're acting like Elena, but this affects you so it is my business."
"That's not fair." I said.
"What happened on December twelfth?" He pressed. T put a hand on my shoulder and nodded at me.
"Hanna, let's let them have a few minutes."
"I want to know!" She said, crossing her arms.
"You are way too young,"
"I'm thirteen."
"Exactly." T wrapped an arm around her and guided her out.
"Tell me." He insisted. I sighed and walked over to the couch.
"I was on my way home from Sara's. We were celebrating her birthday. And, it was dark and no one else was out and a man stopped me to ask for directions, I helped him but when I looked down at the piece of paper, he put a cloth against my mouth. It had chloroform on it."
"You were kidnapped?" He asked.
"I woke up later that night, I don't know how long it was. But when I came to, this guy just looked at me sadistically. I was tied and in some sort of basement. I had no power, I was just stuck. He, uh-" I broke off. I looked at Jeremy who looked at me with pity in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. Please."
"Like what?"
"With pity." I said. "Please don't."
"Sorry, carry on," He said, putting on his poker face.
"Well, he assaulted me that night. All I could do was just sit there. He'd go and he'd come back. I was there for hours. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't say anything, I couldn't move. He untied me, but all I could do was sit there. I finally got the energy to move when the sun rose. I went straight to Liz's house. I begged her not today anything to anyone. Especially not mom and dad. She wouldn't agree at first, but I told her I'd deny it if she did. So she promised. She opened a case that only she and I knew about."
"That time you were out all night. And you let us all think you were rebelling and partying?"
"Yeah. I didn't want you guys to know. Part of me felt like it was my fault. Why didn't I fight harder? Why did I decide to walk and reject Sara's offer? I should have covered up more. I didn't want my family to look at me that way. You looked up to me, I didn't want you to see me like that. Vulnerable. The only two people who knew were Liz and Jenna. In England, I went to a therapy group- It's where I met T. And Klaus. When he was Nick."
"It wasn't your fault." He paused. "Wait Klaus went to therapy?"
"Uh, not exactly." I shrugged. "It's a long story."
"We should've been there for you."
"It wasn't your fault any more than it was mine, Jer." I said. "Please, don't tell Elena."
"I won't but you should tell her. She deserves to know."
"I can't trust that she wouldn't use it against me." I told him. "Promise me?"
"Pinky promise." He gave me a smile and hugged me. "Just so you know, it's okay to show vulnerability every once in a while. You're the strongest, most badass person I know. And this just makes you even more badass. You went through crap, and you came out on the other side, stronger. I'm always going to be here for you, Mia, please don't doubt that."
"I would never. This is why you're my favourite brother."
"I'm your only brother."