Damon had given a firm no to Maya's original plan to build a replica of the Colosseum, after she and Enzo had accidentally flooded part of the back garden in their quest to make it completely authentic. He had suggested she pick something for her project that was less messy and less likely to get her into trouble for flooding a classroom… again. aggie had given her a stack of pictures she'd taken of temples and monuments in India, during the trip she and Enzo had taken for their 50th wedding anniversary. Maya was sorting through them on her bedroom floor, trying to decide which one to choose, when she heard a knock on her door.

"Hey, kiddo. Can I come in?" Damon asked.

She nodded, still holding a picture of a majestic temple in her hands. He opened the door and came in, closing it behind him. He sat down on the floor next to her and patiently waited while she finished sorting through the current selection. Once that was done, he picked up one of the piles of photographs and examined them.

She nodded, still sorting through the pictures. He came and sat down on the floor next to her and patiently waited while she sorted through the current selection she had in her hands. Once that was done, he picked up one of the piles of photographs.

"Which ones are these?" He asked, examining the top image of a colourful marketplace situated in front of an ancient ruin.

"The probably not's." Maya answered, after a quick glance.

He laughed and pointed at the other two piles.

"What are those then?"

"The these look interesting, and the I'm not quite sure, piles." She explained, pointing to each pile in turn, both of which were significantly bigger than the selection Damon was holding. He shook his head smiling.

"Well, at least you have the whole term to complete this project." And she was going to need it, giving how long it was taking her to decide which ancient monument to build. Maybe he should just give in and let her build the Colosseum, then he recalled the letter he'd received after last year's hurricane incident and shuddered. Best not.

"Uh-huh." She nodded and went to pick up another pile of photos to start sorting, but he took hold of her hands and tugged gently.

"Can we talk first?" He asked, looking at her with a serious expression.

"Is this about that broken vase in the back parlour?"

"There's a broken vase in the back parlour?"

"If there is… and I'm not saying there is… then Enzo was the one who broke it."

Damon chuckled softly.

"That's okay, it was probably ugly anyway." He said, dismissing the matter.

"Super ugly." Maya agreed quickly.

"This isn't about a broken vase. Do you remember me mentioning that Anna and Pearl came to see me yesterday?"

She nodded.

"You said that Anna's witch didn't do the spell properly so all the vampires in the tomb got out."

"Yeah. I spoke to Sheila, and we think we've figured out what went wrong with the spell, but that doesn't really matter."

"'Cause their already put and you can't put them back in?"

"Yeah. Agent LaSalle gave Pearl his card and an offer to help resituate all the vampires who got out of the tomb."

"Resituate?"

"Help them acclimate to the new century, find them places to live other than Mystic Falls, help them get identification so that they can make it in the world." He explained, "Agent LaSalle gave Pearl his card and told her to explain his offer to the rest of the vampires."

"Did she?"

"We don't know. What we do know is two of them came here last night with the intention of killing me and Stefan if they could. They didn't make it past the wards." He reassured her quickly as panic suffused her face. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Agent LaSalle and his team placed them under arrest and spent the night questioning them. Director Picquery and Commander Graves came over today to let us know that they're going to go and speak to Pearl and the rest if the vampires directly, let them know their options and give them a deadline to decide what they want to do."

"What about the two who came here?"

"They're going to give them the same amount of time to decide whether they want revenge or a chance at a new life and they'll deal with them based on what they decide."

"What if they lie?"

"They won't be able to." He said as confidently as he could muster, before kissing the top of her head and smiling down at her. "Don't worry kiddo, we'll be okay. The aurors and the wards do a good job of protecting us. No one's gonna hurt you."

"What about you and Stefan, and Maggie and Enzo?"

"No one's gonna hurt us either. We're gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise."

"I love you babbo."

"I love you too."

She buried her head against his shoulder. He held her tight, feeling her warmth and trust. He wished he could protect her from all the dangers in the world, but he knew he couldn't. He could only hope that his promise would come true. She didn't call him out on making promises he couldn't be sure he could keep. She knew he was doing his best to keep them safe and happy. She just hugged him as tightly as she could.

Damon was engrossed in a lively conversation with Jenna, whilst Elena hovered looking uncomfortable. He wasn't sure just what it was about his friendship with Jenna that Elena didn't like, and he didn't really care. Jenna was one of the few people who could make him laugh and challenge his opinions. The fact that she, like him, had no romantic intentions whatsoever was even more rare, and made him cherish their bond all the more. He had no intention of letting go of this friendship, no matter what Elena thought.

"… so, there I was, covered in mud from head to foot, Maya just looks at me and goes 'oops.'" Damon recounted, his eyes sparkling with good humour.

Jenna threw her head back and laughed, a melodious sound that drew the attention of several guests at the party, after a moment Damon joined in.

"Oh god, what did you do?" she asked, eagerly.

"Vetoed their efforts to build a historically accurate, fully functioning Colosseum, and went to have a shower. I mean what else could I do?" he said with a shrug.

"Well, I for one am just glad Jeremy and Elena have never flooded the garden. Mud… Not a good look on me."

Damon chuckled and clinked his glass against Jenna's.

"Not a good look on anyone." He agreed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elena's expression relax as she turned to Jenna.

"History teacher three o'clock."

"How do I look?" Jenna asked smoothing her dress slightly.

"Beautiful." Elena answered, at the same time Damon replied.

"Stunning."

Jenna grinned at both of them and then turned and smiled at Alaric.

"I was looking for you."

"Here I am. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, uh…" he glanced at Elena and Damon, "Things have been a little crazy."

"Oh, this is Damon Salvatore, a friend of mine. Damon this is Alaric Saltzman, have you two been introduced yet?"

"Briefly." Damon told her, whilst Alaric coughed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Damon is the co-founder of our, I've suddenly found myself raising teens and have no idea what I'm doing support group."

"Which is just another name for us getting coffee and gossiping." Damon added, with a grin, mostly enjoying how uncomfortable Alaric was. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see Damon here, let alone as Jenna's friend.

"I see." Alaric said his voice strained. He turned to Jenna, "Would you, uh… would you like to get a drink?"

"Sure. I'll see you Thursday Damon?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

Elena waited until they were out of earshot before turning to Damon.

"Jenna really likes Alaric."

"Okay."

"He really likes her too. And he's good for her. So please don't screw this up for them."

"What's the view like up there on your high-horse, Elena?"

He didn't wait for an answer, just strode away through the crowd, without looking back. He spotted Liz in another room and made his way over to her.

"You know I love a woman in uniform," he said flirtatiously, "but I have to side with this one. You look… you look smashing."

She laughed.

"Thank you, Damon. Cheers!" She held up her glass and he clinked his gently against it. "I needed that. No Stefan with you tonight?"

"He's at home, supervising. Maya has some friends from school over for a sleepover. What about Caroline? Or have I just not spotted her yet?"

"She's at her dad's for the weekend. She'll be her next weekend though for sure."

"Ah yes, the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Maya has demanded to go to that one as well, she wants to, and I quote 'Watch Caroline ground everyone else there into dust.'"

Liz laughed again.

"Well, I'm sure Caroline will be delighted by her support and in a few years' time it will be Maya's turn. It's nice to know she's settling into small town life."

"Yeah, we like our life here in Mystic Falls, it's starting to feel like home, you know?"

"Well, you're not gonna like what I have to tell you. Johnathan Gilbert's claims check out. Blood bank, the missing people, all of it's true. We might have a problem."

Damon frowned; it had probably been the vampires from the tomb. But it should have stopped a week ago. Director Picquery had kept her word and the deadline she'd given all the vampires who'd gathered with Pearl. All those who'd accepted the offer, everyone except the two that had attempted to attack the house, had been moved away from Mystic Falls by her team. They were currently being taught how to blend in to the 21st century, how to control themselves, feed without killing, everything Agent LaSalle had promised them. By all accounts it was going well.

The only vampires who had stayed in Mystic Falls, were Anna, Pearl, and a vampire named Harper, a former soldier that Pearl had turned and personally vouched for. All three should have enough sense not to draw attention to themselves, and were still being monitored by aurors to be sure of it. So, either John Gilbert's news was outdated, or their were some other vampires close to Mystic Falls.

"Might?" he asked.

"Well, the last blood bank robbery was a week ago, and it's not unusual for their to be an increase of missing people this time of year, especially hunters and campers. The weather can be incredibly unpredictable and all it takes is one bad fall. I don't want to say we definitely have a problem, but I still think it's worth looking into."

"Of course, if there's anything I can do?"

"Thanks Damon, if there is anything I'll be sure to let you know."

They chatted for a while longer, sticking to lighter topics before going their separate ways, Damon wandered out onto the balcony to get a bit of space and some fresh air. Or at least that was the goal, until he heard someone walk up behind him.

"Damon, right?"

He turned and put on a fake smile.

"John."

"We didn't get the chance to meet at the council meeting."

"Yeah. It's a pleasure. Are you enjoying the kick-off?"

Damon quietly assessed John Gilbert as he continued the conversation, sweeping his gaze over the man as surreptitiously as he could. His gaze landed on a familiar looking ring on the other man's finger, before quickly sweeping along.

"Oh yeah. I forgot how much fun these small-town celebrations can be."

"Yeah. When was the last time you were here?"

"Hasn't been that long, my brother's funeral. How long have you been in town?"

"Oh, not long. We moved in back in August."

"So, what do you think Damon? You know this vampire problem is real, right? It's a potential blood bath."

"I wouldn't overreact John. From what the Sheriff said, sounds like your information is a little outdated."

"Well personally, I think it's like 1864 all over again, vampires running amok. I guess we're just going to have to hunt them down, throw them in a church and burn them to ash."

Damon had seen that look in John Gilbert's eyes before, many times. The man knew who Damon was, what he was. Which could be a problem considering he had that suspicious ring on his finger. Damon considered his options, he could take the ring and kill him, risky but doable, or he could walk away, let him live and do some research. The potential risks that came with killing him far outweighed the definite risks that came with letting him live. He needed to find out about the ring though. He wasn't going to ask John about it, not yet, but the Teacher might be more willing to answer questions.

"That's the story huh?"

"Part of the story, yeah."

"Oh, there's more?"

"Oh, there's a lot more. See, it seems there was a tomb under the church, where vampires were hidden, waiting for someone to come along, and set them free. But then you already knew that didn't you?"

Damon just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

"I mean, you're the one that did it."

Damon laughed. John looked surprised by his response, as if he'd been expecting something else, an admission of guilt, maybe.

"That's some fanciful storytelling John. You might want to recheck your facts though. It seems you've got a few things wrong." He smiled, "It was nice meeting you John, we'll have to do this again, some never."

Damon headed back inside, he caught up with Maggie and Enzo and warned them about John Gilbert, and then wandered around chatting with different people as he waited for the Mayor to give his speech, so he could finally go home.

It was as he was joining the crowd for the speech that he caught sight of the teacher again; and headed his way.

"Thank you all, thank you very much, thank you." The Mayor said as the clapping subsided. "Thank you all for joining us tonight in just a few moments we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming Founders' Day celebration and it's a very special one this year. The one hundred and fiftieth birthday of our town. And...and I would like to welcome back one of our towns favourite sons to do the honours of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?"

"One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other, protect each other." He smirked at Damon, "It's good to be home."

"Look at his right hand." Damon told Alaric as the crowd applauded along with John.

"Whose?"

"Towns favourite son. Look at his ring."

"Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, I'm thinking not a coincidence. Where did you get that ring."

"Isobel, my wife."

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr Grayson Gilbert, John's brother."

"Do you think John knew Isobel?"

"I think John knows a lot of things." Damon stared at John, for a moment before turning back to Alaric. "Thanks for the information."

He went to find Maggie and Enzo. He wanted to go home. He wanted to hug Maya, and pretend, if just for a little while, that everything was okay. Even though it wasn't. It seemed that every time they solved one problem, a dozen more cropped up to replace it.

Maya, Sora, and Kamala snuggled on the floor of the den, enjoying the cookies that Dobby had brought them, and the heartwarming adventure of Up. Stefan sprawled on the couch behind them, his book lying forgotten on his chest, as he watched the movie with a smile. They were all startled when the door opened, and Maya turned her head, hoping to see Damon's familiar smirk. But instead, she saw Tyler, a bruise on his cheek, jaw clenched tightly and hurt in his eyes. She felt a surge of anger and sympathy, knowing what he had endured.

They had figured out the Mayor's dark secret soon after they had moved to Mystic Falls. Carol Lockwood had been eager to include them in her social circle, unaware of their keen eyes and ears. Their family was not like most families. They had three survivors of abuse, one mind reader, one psychologist, and one escapee from a nightmare. They could spot the signs of domestic violence from a mile away. And they had seen them all over Tyler and his father.

Maya had wanted to curse the Mayor, but Stefan and Maggie had vetoed that idea. She had settled for jinxing him whenever she got the chance. The Mayor seemed to be very clumsy around her, spilling his drinks, tripping over his shoes, and tearing his clothes. Damon had taken a more subtle approach, offering Tyler a safe haven at the Boarding House. He had not confronted him about his situation, just let him know that they understood, and that he was always welcome.

Tyler hadn't taken them up on it straight away, preferring to keep a quiet distance. But the longer Carol Lockwood's persistent attempts to get Damon to support the Mayor's campaign had continued, the more often Tyler had found himself pushed into Maya and Stefan's company. He'd gradually become more comfortable with them, enjoying hanging out with people who didn't judge his interest in art and in fact greatly enjoyed discussing it with him. He still hadn't taken Damon up on his offer though, not until he'd been let in on the secret.

Maya had been outraged that Stefan had told Elena about vampires, but she wasn't allowed to tell Tyler anything despite that fact he was an untriggered werewolf. The laws around supernatural's and when and how they could be informed about the wixen world, were very clear. Anyone who was a supernatural was allowed to know about their society, but they had to be introduced to it by a wixen who had come of age. There were entire bloodlines of channelers who petitioned for their children to be informed of the wixen world as soon as they tapped into their own magic. Since she wasn't old enough to tell Tyler herself, she'd brought it up with Himiko, who'd simply shrugged and told Maya to leave it to her.

What that had meant became apparent when Tyler had come over a few weeks later looking shell-shocked and muttering about crazy old women kidnapping him and teleporting him to the top of a mountain. Himiko had apparently decided Maya was right and that Tyler could be let in on the secret, and had then seized the first opportunity that presented itself. Grabbing Tyler when he was alone, apparated him to the top of a mountain somewhere and explained everything. Magic, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings.

Since then, Tyler had felt more comfortable about taking Damon up on his offer to come to their house whenever he wanted to or needed to. Spending time with them on weekends, learning more about the supernatural world in general, and their family in particular. In between helping Maya decorate the treehouse, playing soccer with her, and practicing the meditation techniques Himiko had taught him. He'd had a few wigged-out moments, like when he'd met Dobby for the first time, but overall, he'd taken it all well. Much better than Elena, who'd only been told about vampires and then hadn't spoken to Stefan again for like two months.

This was the first time he'd come over with visible evidence of the abuse his father subjected him to on his face though. Maya stood up and crossed the room to Tyler's side, placing a palm lightly across the bruise she whispered a mild healing charm Himiko had taught her.

"Aza ga naoru"

Tyler put his hand over Maya's own and smiled gently.

"Thanks, but you didn't need to do that."

"I know, I wanted to."

She wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, he stiffened at first but after a moment he relaxed and hugged her back. She saw Damon over his shoulder, and he sent her a proud smile.

"Come on," She said pulling back, and grabbing Tyler's hand, "We're watching Up, well Stefan's pretending to read, but he's secretly watching it to."

She tugged him over to the cushions and blankets; they'd laid out on the floor and pulled him down on to the floor next to her. Damon followed them into the room and claimed his own seat in one of the armchairs.