Stefan looked over the crowd of teenagers who'd gathered for the party in the woods. Both Caroline, and Tyler had told him about it over the summer and insisted he should come. After the discussion on the unknown magic tying him to Elena, that they'd had last night, he wasn't too keen on being here. Damon and Maggie were both insistent though, that it was important for them to fit in with the townspeople, and since he'd made the mistake of telling Caroline he was only seventeen, that for him, meant going to the parties like this.

"Hey you made it!" Caroline exclaimed as she spotted him.

"I did."

He genuinely liked Caroline, she was a little neurotic, but she was also bubbly and sweet, and she'd been very kind to Maya every time they'd met over the summer. Caroline hadn't treated her like a little kid, more like a little sister. They'd spent a lot of time bonding over their mutual adoration of Taylor Swift, and Caroline had even helped Maya kit out the treehouse in the garden, insisting every thirteen-year-old should have their own private clubhouse where adults weren't allowed. She reminded him a lot of Lexi, with her genuine kindness, even if she did occasionally put her foot in her mouth. He'd managed to deflect her obvious crush on him, by declaring straight out that he was looking to make some good friends, and he hoped she would be one of them.

"Do you want a drink?"

"As long as it's non-alcoholic. I drove and Damon would absolutely kill me if he thought I was setting a bad example for Maya."

She laughed.

"Okay, I'm sure we can find something that will keep Damon off your back. Then I'll introduce you to everyone."

"Sounds great."

He followed her over to the wooden gazebo like structure that was housing the cool boxes of drinks that people had brought to the party.

"Cola, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." He accepted the slightly chilled bottle she held out to him and twisted off the cap, she grabbed a beer for herself from the cooler and he raised an eyebrow. "Not driving?"

"Bonnie's driving. Don't tell my mom."

"My lips are sealed." He mimed pulling a zipper across his lips and she laughed again.

"Okay, come on. Lets go find the others." She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd towards one of the bonfires.

"Hey Stef, glad you could make it." Tyler said as they joined the group milling by the fire.

"Yeah well, someone told me that I couldn't possibly miss it." He replied, aiming a grin at Caroline, who pouted back at him.

"I did not say it like that!"

"I'm not sure I believe you, Care." Tyler shot back with a grin, "So Stef, have you been introduced to everyone yet." He waved a hand at the small group.

"Briefly."

"Well, this is Matt."

"Hey man, good to see you again,"

Matt gave Stefan a short nod that he returned in kind.

"Hi."

"This is Bonnie."

"Hey," He pointed a finger towards her, "I think we have History together?"

"Along with a few other things, nice to meet you."

"And, this is Elena, who I think you already know."

"Hey… you're here."

"I'm here."

Stefan smiled, but didn't step any closer consciously resisting the draw he felt. It had been easier last night in the Boarding House, he didn't know if that was because of distance, or because whatever Maya had done was wearing off.

"Well, I'm gonna go get another drink." Tyler declared, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had fallen, "Anyone else want anything?"

"I'll come with you." Matt replied.

The two of them headed off and Caroline smiled at Stefan.

"So, Stefan how does Mystic Falls compare to the big city? Now that you've got to spend some time here."

"It's quieter, that's for sure. New York is very noisy, very busy, all the time."

"You lived in New York?" Elena asked with some surprise.

"Yeah, before we moved here."

"You and your parents?"

"No. they passed away."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"So, is Maya enjoying her new school? She started last week, didn't she?" Caroline asked, with a smile, as she tried to move the conversation past it's sudden awkwardness.

"Yeah, last Tuesday. She's really enjoying it."

"Who's Maya?" Bonnie asked, looking between him and Caroline, Elena was shooting an appraising look at Caroline, as if suddenly realising Caroline knew Stefan already.

"My niece," Stefan said,

At the exact same time, Caroline responded with:

"His little sister."

They both looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm confused. Is she your sister or your niece?" Elena asked.

"Sort of both." Stefan told her, "Maya is my brother Damon's Goddaughter. He has custody of her, and she's kind of a cross between my little sister and my niece."

"I see." Elena said, making it clear from her tone that she didn't.

"So, you live with your brother and his goddaughter?" Bonnie asked.

"And his two best friends, who just so happen to be married to each other. We moved into the Salvatore House over the summer, Damon bought it from Uncle Zach when we found out he was moving."

"That's how we met." Caroline explained. "Zach told mom he and Gail were moving out and they were moving in, and mom wanted to welcome them to town."

"The brownies were a nice touch."

Caroline flushed slightly as she laughed, and the conversation continued on from there. Stefan found it easier to ignore the draw he felt to Elena with Bonnie, Caroline, and Matt, who'd rejoined them, present. He could feel it getting stronger, but with the discussion last night still fresh in his mind he was able to resist the urge to converse with just Elena. Despite his earlier reservations it ended up being an enjoyable evening, he really did like Caroline, and Bonnie and Matt both seemed like good people too. Although he was a little wary of Bonnie given her family ties, but hopefully they could still have a friendly relationship.

Damon was in the Living Room, flipping through one of the first editions that were stored in there as he waited for Maya to get home and tell him about her day, when the doorbell rang. He frowned, as far as he knew they weren't expecting guests, though he supposed it might be Carol again. She'd visited several times since the dinner party, telling them about several events she was in the process of planning for the town, and talking up her husbands politics. It hadn't surprised Damon one bit to discover that next year was election year for the towns Mayor, she'd clearly been doing her best to ensure the new wealthy family in town would support her husbands campaign. Though why it needed support Damon didn't know, considering a Lockwood had been Mayor for the past a hundred and fifty years and that was unlikely to change any time soon.

Dobby popped into the Living Room with a slight crack.

"It be being someone Dobby does not know, Mister Damon."

Dobby was taken the threat to Maya with an intensity that did not surprise Damon one bit given the house-elf's devotion to her. Despite the layers of wards surrounding the house, Dobby insisted on being the first one to check who was at the door, even if he couldn't open it himself for anyone who didn't know about the wixen world. If Dobby didn't know who was at the door, then that meant it wasn't Carol, which was a relief, but it also meant it was someone new.

"Thanks Dobby, I'll go see who it is."

"Mister Damon is being most welcome."

When he opened the door, he came face-to-face with, well a face, that he had personally been hoping he would be able to avoid. Since he doubted Katherine would be able to get through the wards around the property, or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part, he figured that this must be Elena.

"Hi. Sorry for dropping by unannounced, I was hoping to see Stefan, is he in?"

Damon considered his options, he could go and get Stefan, who was most likely brooding somewhere, or he could stir the pot and send her on her way, killing two birds with one stone. Oh, who was he kidding, he was definitely gonna stir the pot.

"You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother."

"Yeah, he's mentioned you. It's nice to meet you."

"Hmm, well I can see why my brother's so smitten. It's about time. For a while there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him."

"The last one?"

"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend? Oh, you two haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet."

"Nope."

"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now. Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end."

"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end."

"What can I say, I'm a fatalist." He looked over her shoulder, "Oh look, here's Stefan now."

Elena twisted round and saw Stefan walking up the path towards the front door.

"Elena, I didn't know you were coming over."

"I know. I should have called, I just..."

"Well, I'll let you two crazy kids catch-up. It was nice meeting you Elena."

Damon shut the door on both of them, hopefully sending a clear message to Stefan that Elena shouldn't be invited in.

"Who was at the door?"

Damon smiled at Maya as she walked down the hallway carrying a drink and a plate of cookies, clearly, she'd made a pit-stop in the kitchen when she'd arrived home.

"No one important. How was your day kiddo?"

He adored watching her light up with enthusiasm whenever he asked her about her day, even after living with them for over a year, she was still just as keen to share everything she'd done as soon as someone showed an interest. Damon couldn't wait for the day that he could pay the Dursley's back in kind for every harm they'd ever inflicted on her.

"It was great! I got to ride a Hippogriff."

"Tell me everything."

The town square buzzed with life, as people mingled and joked in anticipation of the upcoming event. Damon scanned the scene with a bored expression, barely hiding his reluctance to be there. He had only agreed to come because Maggie had once again made a good point about them blending in as the completely normal, new family in town. He knew she was right, but he still felt out of place among the cheerful crowd. Enzo shared his sentiment, yawning and checking his watch every few minutes. Maggie pretended to be interested in the program, but Damon could tell she was just trying to fit in. Maya was the only one who seemed genuinely curious, her eyes darting around the square, while her fingers played with the pendant around her neck.

It was the one Katherine had given her, and it reminded Damon of the real reason they were here, beyond Maggie's insistence that they do their best to blend in with the town. They'd all reached out to their contacts, Damon had even emailed Sheila explaining the situation, but none of them had had a definitive answer for what the magical bond between Stefan and Elena was, or how to break it. The only solution they had so far had come from Himiko, she had taught Maya, a spell that should work to mute the connection until a more permanent solution could be found.

Damon couldn't help but feel a pang of worry as he looked at Maya, remembering the nosebleed from Monday night when she had attempted to break the spell. Aradia had been the one to assure him that it wasn't a major spell, and the Maya should have little difficulty with it, especially if she channelled the magic stored in her amulet and the comet to power it. Agent LaSalle was on standby though, just in case, but Damon still felt uneasy. He wished they could do the spell at home, where it was safe and quiet, but Maya had explained that she needed to be near both Stefan and Elena for it to work. He just hoped they could pull it off without attracting too much attention.

Stefan's job was to locate Elena among the throng of people and lure her out of the crowd, so that Maya could cast her spell on both of them. Damon doubted that it was essential, but he figured it couldn't hurt. Besides, it was a good excuse to put some distance between him and his brother, who had been annoyed by Damon's snarky comments about his 'romance' with Elena. Damon had only pointed out the obvious: that the spell might change Stefan's feelings for Elena, or even erase them completely. But Stefan had ignored him, as if he was already under a spell.

He dearly hoped this worked, he didn't want to go back to the contentious relationship he had had with his brother in the past. All they'd seemed to do since Stefan had saved Elena from drowning was argue with each other about her. He just wanted the brotherly relationship they'd managed to rebuild over the past year since Maya's introduction to their lives, not the tension and resentment that seemed to be occurring frequently over the past few months.

"Would you like a candle, Maya?"

Damon offered a genuine smile at the blonde girl who'd just come over with a handful of candles. He hadn't been sure of her when they'd first met, thinking she might be nothing more than a typical teenager, crushing on Stefan, and looking for a way to get close to him by befriending Maya. Thankfully, she hadn't turned out to be anything like that, she had some annoying traits for sure, but who didn't, despite that though she was a good person with a heart of gold, who had made a real effort to get to know Maya. Befriending the younger girl, developing something of a sibling relationship with her. Damon was sure she still had a crush on Stefan, but it was clear she wasn't letting that dictate her actions, or get in the way of becoming friends with him, or any of them.

"Thanks, Care."

"You're welcome, Mimi."

Maya wrinkled her nose at the latest in a long line of nicknames that Caroline had been trying out on her and shook her head.

"No?" Caroline sounded more amused than anything, "Guess It's back to the drawing board then. I will find something you like."

Caroline handed candles to the rest of them and bounced off, to greet more groups of people, she seemed to know everyone. Damon wasn't sure if that was because her mom was the Sheriff, or if it was all Caroline, though he suspected the latter.

"Am I supposed to light it myself?" Maya asked, frowning down at the candle she now held.

"No." Maggie answered, looking through the programme, "Apparently someone will light your candle with their own and then once your candle is lit your supposed to light someone else's. It's supposed to signify the unity and togetherness of the community."

"No lighting it with your mind, kiddo." Damon said ruffling her hair, "No magic in public remember."

"What about –?"

"No magic in public except for the spell to counteract the spell on Stefan and Elena."

"Do you think someone will notice?"

"Agent LaSalle, said he'd cast a notice-me-not spell on us if it looked like anyone was paying too much attention, so hopefully not."

As the last flicker of flame ignited their candles, a hushed awe swept over the crowd. They lifted their eyes to the night sky, where a brilliant comet blazed across the dark canvas. Damon scanned the faces of the onlookers, until he spotted Stefan and Elena, standing out in the open. He nudged Maya gently, and she gave him a firm nod. She clutched her candle in one hand and her necklace in the other, and focused her gaze on the couple as she began murmuring the spell Himiko had taught her. Damon flanked her on one side, while Maggie and Enzo formed a protective barrier on the other, hiding her from any curious eyes.

"Tenebrarum cupiditatis vinculum frangere.

Animas infecta igne liberare.

Ut corda a malo luto emundes.

Sit tibi servator haec vox.

Muta maledictio quae stringit arta.

Muta vis obscurat lucem.

Muta vox, obnubilat uisu.

Sit tibi servator haec vox.

Sit tibi servator haec vox."

Damon watched her intently, his eyes scanning for any sign of strain or fatigue., the nosebleed from Monday still fresh in his mind. He knew how exhausting channelling could be, even for a fully trained witch. His mind flashed back to another witch who had stood beneath this very same comet with an amulet of her own, performing a powerful spell to save the woman he'd thought he'd loved. An amulet and a spell that was no longer needed. He wondered if he should retrieve Emily's amulet and destroy it before someone else could misuse it. Something to contemplate some over time.

He snapped out of his reverie when he saw her hand fall limply from the amulet. He quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side. She leaned against him, her breath shallow and uneven. He stroked a gentle hand across her hair. Enzo caught his gaze.

"We'll go fetch the car."

Damon nodded gratefully and looked down at Maya.

"All done, kiddo?" he asked softly.

"All done, Babbo," she murmured, yawning. She sounded tired, but also relieved.

"Time to go home then, you clearly need some sleep." He smiled at her, proud of her accomplishment.

She smiled back and lifted her head to look at Stefan. He was standing with Elena, gazing at the comet, and whispering to each other. They seemed oblivious to the spell that had just been cast on them, to the bond that had been weakened by Maya's magic.

Damon followed her gaze and saw Stefan break away from Elena and walk towards them. He pushed his way through the crowd, his expression curious and hopeful.

"Well?" Damon asked him quietly as he reached them.

"I think it worked. I don't feel that pull anymore, the need to get to know her, to be around her. Stefan touched his chest, as if checking his heart. "It's like a weight has been lifted off me."

"Let's hope it stays that way, until we can find a way to break it for good." Damon nodded, glad to see his brother free from the compulsion.

"Yeah." Stefan agreed, his voice relieved.

"We're taking her home now, you coming with us?" Damon asked, shifting his weight.

"Yeah. Let's go." Stefan nodded, falling into step with them.

They left the park, leaving behind the comet and the spell. They didn't know if it would last. If it would be enough. But they had hope, and they had each other. And that was something.