Maria Lorde-Gilbert. The other adopted kid

46

I had Elena get her boy toys to pick her, because though I totally hated them, I knew they were her best chance as long as Cyrus was out there. Klaus had been by, guarding my house, rather than heading to search for Cyrus. He thought it'd be the best way to keep me safe. Just in case Cyrus came round again, so that Klaus could be around to take him down. As much as I hated it, he made me feel safer. A lot safer. Jenna made another appearance, and I was yet to tell Elena about her. I knew I should've, Jenna wasn't mine, but when people found out Jeremy could talk to ghosts, he was kidnapped by Katherine and Damon. I had decided I'd tell her the next time she came over. But she didn't come. The next morning, Caroline had come over.
"Oh my god!" We're the first words out of her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"
"Caroline?" I asked. "You're doing that thing where you think everyone knows what you're talking about but no one really knows anything, again."
"Elena told me about your conversation yesterday and it makes sense. What actually happened. Why my mom was involved. Why you never told anyone. And I just realised how much of a bitchy move it was for us to try to pry into your personal life when it wasn't our business. When you didn't want us to know for a reason."
"Caroline-"
"I won't tell anyone, I promise, I just wanted to say sorry." She gave me a hug and walked out.
"What just happened?" Mabel asked walking over to me.
"I don't know." I frowned. I knew Caroline was smart, but would she really have pieced it together?
"Maria-" she started.
"Seriously, I don't." I lied. "But I'll ask her later."
"Why not now?"
"I have to give Sara her lunch." I said, closing the door and walking back inside.
"Maria," Mabel grabbed my arm making me stop. "Are you okay? You know you can talk to me, right?"
"Yeah, of course." I shrugged her off. "I know. But I'm fine."
"I know you're not, Maria."
"Mabel, I'm fine." I insisted. "I really do have to feed Sara now."
"Sure." She stopped. "Of course."
"Thanks." I smiled and walked into the kitchen. The doorbell rang again. "T, would you get that?" I called.
"Yeah!" She called back and I heard her walk down the stairs and to the door. I busied myself with preparing Sara's food. She came into the kitchen ten minutes later and I sent her a questioning glance. "It was nothing, just some kids doing a survey for school."

***********

Later that day, Elena came over.
"What did you tell Caroline?" She demanded.
"Hello to you too."
"What did you tell Caroline?" She barged in.
"Elena, you realise you're not actually welcome in this house?" I told her. I wasn't going to just brush off the facts that she was the reason my friends were dead.
"What did you tell Caroline?"
"I told your friend nothing. Now get out of my house."
"You must have told her something because she just closes up any time I bring you or Cyrus up. And Caroline's bad with secrets."
"Elena, I told Caroline nothing. Now leave my house. You're the reason my friends are dead, which means there's no space for you in this house."
"You can forgive Klaus for killing Aunt Jenna and me, but you can't forgive me for killing an original you don't even know?"
"I haven't forgiven Klaus. Our aunt is dead, because of him. And honestly, you're no better. Killing his brother to try to kill him."
"Did you actually just compare me to Klaus?"
"Leave, Elena. You aren't welcome."
"I'll get it out of Caroline soon enough. I just wanted to give you a chance to come clean."
"Leave, Elena. Before I make you."
"Is she bothering you?" Kara sped up to us, glaring at Elena.
"Yeah, actually."
"I want my sister back." Elena folded her arms.
"The same sister you've betrayed over and over? I'm sorry, Elena, but when things like my daughter or my friends getting hurt, or killed because of you happen, I have enough sense to step back. I won't be another pawn in your game. And I definitely won't be another of your victims. So you might want to leave before Kara makes you. Because trust me, she hates you and for good reason." Elena glanced up at Kara who was still glaring at her.
"Fine. But this isn't the last time. I'll find out what's going on, even if I have to go to that Cyrus guy myself."
"I'm telling you to stay away from him because if something happens, I won't be there to save your ass."
"She wants to go to-" Kara started and I nodded. "You bitch! Elena, if there's anything inside you, any minuscule part of you that even cares about your sister or your niece, you'll stay away from Cyrus."
"I do care. That's why I want to know."
"No, you want to know for the sake of knowing. There's a difference." Kara said. Elena just shook her head and walked back out of the house.
"Sorry, Kara." I apologised, closing the door. Kara had taken the loss of our friends worse than I did. I mean, that could have easily been her, dead, and it would have been my sister's fault. Kara had known some of those vampires for over a century. That kind of loss wasn't easy to get over. It didn't help that she knew she was definitely a part of Klaus's sire line, my sister's main target. And if Elena were to ever go after Klaus and succeed, she'd die.
"Maria, it really isn't your fault. She's the one who murdered Finn. She's the reason I'm never going to see Kaleb again. Not you. She might be your sister, adoptive sister, but you're not responsible for her."
"She stopped being my sister when she told me it was my fault that Esther threatened my daughter." I spat. "And then even more when she tried to pin the deaths of Finn's sire line on Klaus, refusing to own up to the fact that she killed thouands of vampires."
"You grew up with the girl. No matter how much you dislike her, there'll always be a small part of you that loves her."