A/N: Sorry about the late update. This chapter was taking me so long that I had to split it in two. The second part will be uploaded in a few days. I clearly don't own TVD, I only own Maria.
The Boarding House was in chaos. Maria came downstairs to find everyone arguing with each other. "What in the world…."
"I have no idea how this happened." Elena said. "The second Jeremy and I walked in, it turned into chaos."
"Oh, man." Maria said.
"At least my closet isn't full of clothes from the disco." Caroline said.
"Excuse me? Have you seen how boring your wardrobe is?" Allison asked.
"Boring?"
"Okay, someone separate these two before it gets uglier." Someone called from the back. Maria realized it was Matt.
"At least I'm not still dating a pathetic human."
"Some of my friends are those 'pathetic humans' as you call them!" Caroline yelled. "And we are not dating!"
"Look, I told you, I'm not in league with those idiots from before. In fact, leaving them was the best decision I ever made." Nate said.
"Right, then how do explain the broken window over there?"
"I don't know, but I had nothing to do with it."
"He's telling the truth, man. I was with him all night." Tyler said.
"No one asked you're opinion."
"Hey, back off, man. That's my best friend you're talking to." Matt pointed out.
"Thanks, man." Tyler said.
"Please, don't listen to this guy. I never understood what Maria saw in you." Nate said.
"Uh oh." Allison ran between them.
"You have to go through me first." She said.
"Ali, be careful." Lauren said.
"Why defend her?" Bonnie asked. "She's a jerk if she considers herself above us."
"Don't talk about her like that! She's practically a sister to me!" Lauren said. "But you wouldn't know that since you don't have any siblings or anyone to teach you anything!"
"That is not true." She replied in a soft voice.
"Cause you have Maria? Please, Maria takes pity on anyone." Allison said.
"That's not true. She's just as connected to Emily as I am."
"Okay, that's it!" Maria got into the center of the room. "Enough!" She yelled, getting everyone's attention. "What is wrong with all of you? We're supposed to be a team. How can we work together if all we're doing is arguing?"
"We can't." Elena said.
"Exactly." Maria noticed Lauren. "Yes, Lauren?"
"Um, yeah, about the broken window, that was my fault." Lauren said. "My magic really needs some work."
"That still doesn't mean I trust this wolf kid." Damon commented.
"Please, no less than how I trust you vampires." Nate said. "I mean, Ali's different, but we're still better off without you."
"Are you out of your mind, Nate?" Caroline yelled. "Even you can't take on hundreds of vampires at once."
"Yeah, though you'd be surprised how strong he is even without the full moon." Tyler said.
"Whatever. The point is, we can't go off on our own right now!"
"Since when are you in charge?" Allison asked.
"Someone has to step up." Caroline pointed out.
"This is what I'm talking about." Maria said, intervening. "I have had it with the constant fighting. You've been arguing for two days straight and I'm not going to stand here while you all try to kill each other."
"So what do you suggest we do?" Elena asked. She looked across the room at Stefan, who'd been trying to break up a fight between Jeremy and Nate.
"Man, we really can't work together at all here." Jeremy realized.
"Because you guys don't know each other all that well." Maria pointed out.
"What are you thinking?" Allison asked.
"I'm organizing a bonding trip. All twelve of us, in the woods, together." Maria said. "I've already approved it with Sheriff Forbes."
"You invited my mom?"
"Care, do you really think I'd go on an overnight trip in the woods without having adults present?" Maria asked. "Someone's gotta be there to keep a fight from breaking out, considering how well this "meeting" is going." She headed out of the room, aware that everyone was watching her leave.
"Well, like it or not, guys, it looks like we've got some packing to do." Bonnie said as soon as she was gone.
"You mean we're actually going through with this stupid idea?" Nate asked.
"Guys, Maria's right. This is getting out of control." Elena pointed out. "We need to do this or we'll never be able to stop Katherine."
Maria was in her room, leaning against her bed. She couldn't believe how things were falling apart. There was a knock at the door. "Damon, if that's you, I'm really not in the mood right now."
"It's not Damon." She heard another guy's voice say. She got up and opened the door.
"Let me guess, checking in on me?"
"Hey, I'm always there if you need me. We all are."
"I just can't believe this mess. I never expected the friction between our groups to get so out of control."
"Yeah, I know. We had a similar problem getting Tyler on our side." Stefan reminded her.
"This better work. I don't know what else to do." Maria said.
"Well, I think it's a good idea." Stefan told her.
"You knew the whole time, didn't you?"
"I always noticed that you hesitate before going into the woods, except for that ritual."
"You guys needed me and I wasn't going to leave Elena in danger." Maria pointed out. "I still get a little uncomfortable sometimes."
"At least we'll all be out there together."
"Yeah, though it's probably going to be awkward, considering Matt's still being distant and Sheriff Forbes is still getting used to the idea of us being the good guys." Maria pointed out. "I know it's hard confronting a person who has to change their whole outlook after living with believing something else for a long time."
"Hey, we've all come a long way, though."
"You're still practicing control with Elena, right?" Maria asked. "She told me."
"Yeah. And you've become a lot stronger since after you returned to this town." Stefan pointed out. "Not to mention you've helped everyone here. Even Damon's changed a lot because of you."
"I know." Maria said. "Well, I need to start packing. This trip is going to be a little rough."
"How much further do we have to go?" Caroline asked. The group was walking through the woods in the middle of the day.
"If you're tired, you can always turn around." Allison said.
"No, we're all in this as a team." Maria said.
"I was only asking because it looks like Matt's about to pass out."
"I thought you said he was a quarterback." Allison said.
"I am." Matt said. He stopped by a tree. "But it's hard to keep up with all of you sometimes."
"You all need to calm down." Nate said. "The campsite's only a few miles away from here. We should see the clearing ahead soon."
"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Tyler asked.
"I've spent a lot of time in the woods before." Nate said.
"Well, we'll be there soon." Maria said. "Whoa, Ric, Sheriff, think you can give Matt a hand?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're hurt." Maria said. "I can tell. Ali, you, Nate, and Care go on ahead. I'll wait for the others."
"Good idea." Allison said. The three of them went into the woods.
"I understand why I had to leave, but why did you?" Caroline asked.
"The scent of blood makes her sick." Nate explained.
"It's true." Allison said. "Just the smallest amount makes me want to throw up. I drink from bags, like Maria. I never feed off humans, so when they get hurt, I get sick."
"Wow." Caroline said. "Good thing you weren't planning to be a doctor."
"When I was little, I wanted to, but I was an art major." Allison explained. "I did fashion design a few years before I turned."
"That explains so much." Caroline said. She was always wearing designer clothes, but they always seemed to be handmade.
"Yeah, she always was the creative type." Nate said.
"You okay?" Elena asked as Maria, Liz, and Alaric helped Matt with his leg.
"Nothing I can't handle." Matt told her.
"Well, at least the bleeding's stopped." Liz said.
"Good thing you had that first aid kit on hand." Alaric pointed out.
"I like to be prepared for everything." Liz told him. Maria shot her a nervous glance. Even though she trusted the Sheriff with their secret, she was still worried for everyone's safety.
"Here, I think I can help." Maria said. She handed Matt a box.
"What is that?" Elena asked her.
"They're healing herbs." Maria explained. "They'll help you heal faster."
"How do you know so much about…right."
"Actually, I worked at the Botanic Gardens for a while before returning to Mystic Falls." Maria told them. "I did a lot of research on plants that can help heal others and cure even the most impossible things."
"Is that how you managed to develop the cure when Tyler…" Elena began.
"Yeah, I'd been working on that one for a long time." Maria said, cutting her off. That was one moment she didn't want to relive. "I used it to heal Allison several years earlier."
"You mean she got bitten by a wolf before, too?" Elena asked.
"We encountered another one in the woods after saving Nate. I wasn't going to lose my only vampire friend in years because of some stupid werewolf." Maria said. "I remembered reading something in Emily's spell book once."
"So that's how you created the cure or potion or whatever."
"Hey, I heard what happened from Ali. Anything I can do?" Tyler asked, joining them.
"Yeah, he might need to stay off that leg for a while." Elena said. The others looked at her. "It was in Maria's medicine journal. She lent it to me when we were studying biology."
"She's right." Liz said. "It might be painful to walk on."
"But we have to get him to the campsite." Maria said. "I'd offer, but he's still getting used to this."
"I can help him." Tyler said.
"Ty…"
"Don't, Matt. Let me help you out here." Tyler said. "You helped me when I broke my ankle during try-outs. Let me help you this time."
Matt looked at his best friend. "Okay."
"Alright, guys, go easy on him." Maria said. "Elena, you get on his other side, help Tyler out." A few minutes later, they were helping Matt walk to the campsite. Elena and Tyler were on each side of him. The others followed behind.
"You know a lot about medicine." Liz said.
"I've had a lot of time to study." Maria pointed out.
Lauren and the others had fallen a bit further behind. "Well, that's just great. We lose sight of the others and fall behind." Jeremy said. "I'll bet even the guys had made it to the site by now."
"You need to be more positive, Jeremy. Not everything is hopeless."
"Bonnie's right, Jer. You need to think about more positive…" Lauren began. Just then she tripped, however, she was caught by a pair of arms in front of her.
"You okay, little one?" Lauren looked up at her rescuer.
"I'm only five foot two." She pointed out. "And I'm fifteen."
"That explains why you're always with Ali and Nate." Bonnie said. "Aside from the family bond you guys have."
"And why she's so defensive about them and herself." Jeremy said. "She kind of reminds me of a younger version of Elena, only with powers."
"Is that a good thing?" Lauren asked them. She knew Elena was stubborn and would protect her friends like her life depended on it.
"It depends on the situation." Damon said. Bonnie glared at him.
"Don't insult my best friend."
"Or my sister." Jeremy added. They glanced at each other, blushing.
"You two are a couple, aren't you?" Lauren asked them.
"You know?" Damon said, surprised she picked up on that.
"I've always been able to tell when two people are in love with each other." Lauren said. "It's part of why I trust you. You love Maria and I know you wouldn't let anything happen to her or the others. And I'm usually protective of her, she and Ali are like the sisters I've never had."
"Wow, for someone a few years younger than us, you're pretty wise for your age." Jeremy said.
"She's only younger than you by a year, Jer." Bonnie pointed out. "But you are pretty smart for your age."
"It's a gift I guess." Lauren said, shrugging.
"You know, you're a lot like Maria was when she started learning magic."
"You would know." Bonnie said.
"Anyway, you know where the campsite is, right?" Jeremy asked. "Cause I think we're kinda lost." He looked at the map again.
"Don't you use a compass with these things?" Lauren pointed out.
"We didn't have one."
"Anyway, the campsite's just ahead of here. You need to turn right at the end of the path." Damon told them.
"If I were good with tracking spells, we would've made it there by now." Lauren said.
"Hey, you're still new at it. It took me three months to learn that one." Bonnie said as the four of them headed off in the direction he'd indicated.