Maria Lorde-Gilbert. The other adopted kid

42

"Chris!" Lindsay rushed from behind Maria and jumped on Cyrus, giving him a hug.
"You know him?" Maria asked her friend, gently pulling her back inside the house.
"Yeah, Maria, this is my boyfriend Chris. Chris, this is Maria. Remember? I told you about her."
"Yes, I recall." He smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"Your name is Chris?" Maria asked slowly.
"Yes, I noticed you called me Cyrus? You must have met my brother."
"Brother?"
"They're identical twins, actually." Lindsay grinned at her friend. Maria only raised a brow.
"Although, I haven't seen him in a few months. In fact, I heard he was in town, so I'm actually here tracking him."
"I'm sorry, I guess that explains a lot. You know, I'm having a party inside," Maria said, opening the door wider, inviting him in without saying the words. "We have cake?"
"You know, I'd love to, but I'm sort of searching for my brother. Have you seen him?"
"He stopped by the sheriff's station, maybe three hours ago?" Maria played along, innocently.
"Right, thank you so much."
"Are you sure you don't want a drink? I have water. And soft drinks." Maria offered. "You can tell me all about how you and Lindsay met. I insist."
"Next time. I promise." He smiled, pleasantly. "I'm afraid my brother might have gotten into a bind. He does that a lot."
"I'm sure." Maria smiled. "Well, it was nice seeing you."
"And you." He leaned in for Lindsay, who leant in as well and they shared a kiss. "I'll see you later?"
"Count on it." Lindsay grinned at him. He smiled one more time before leaving. Maria closed the door behind her, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She assure Lindsay. "He just really looks like and sounds like his brother."
"You sound like you knew him well."
"I didn't." Maria shook her head. She stood up straight. "You know, I could really go for some cake."
"Maira-" Lindsay reached out but Maria moved away. It wasn't Lindsay, not at all. Maria was delighted to see her friend. But she's just been kissing a man who either was, or looked exactly like the man who'd assaulted her.
"I'm fine, Linds. I promise." Maria walked back into the house. Kara was right beside her.
"Was that him?"
"I-I don't know." Maria shrugged. "I can't tell if he's telling the truth."
"I was going to come, but..." Kara gestured to Sara, who she was holding in her arms. "T had to go to the toilet, and Sara's fallen asleep. I didn't think you'd want me to come over."
"No no, that's good. Thank you." Maria said sincerely. "Here let me take her, she's probably getting heavy."
"You know I'm a lot stronger than you are." Kara smiled, but then saw the look on Maria's face. She needed to have her baby in her arms. "But I do need to get some soda, and I need my arms for that."
"Thanks." Maria said and took Sara in her arms, holding her tightly, but not so much as to hurt her.
"You know, I'm feeling a little offended." A masculine voice sounded from behind her. For a second she tensed, before she recognised it as Michael's.
"It's you," She breathed in relief.
"Hmm, I like that greeting." He smiled at her. "Makes me a little less offended."
"I'm sorry. How did I offend you?"
"You are yet to taste my food. I cooked for you, and I baked for you. And you know I never bake. Ever."
"You baked?" Maria fought a smirk.
"Yeah. I mean, if I'd known you weren't going to touch a thing, I would have just bought supplies. But since this whole party is for you, I decided to bake. For you."
"Well, then I guess, I have no choice except to eat." She smiled at him. He led her over to the snacks table, where there were sweet potato fries, some cheeseburgers, barbecue wings, and a victoria sponge cake, a carrot and walnut cake, as well as a some biscuits and cookies. The british biscuits, more commonly known as cookies in America, although British cookies were also American cookies. The name differences were so confusing. Maria gasped. "Oh Mikey, you didn't."
"Oh but I did." He smiled. "One Eton mess for the lady."
"Oh, I love these!" She grinned widely. Caroline watched as Maria leaned into Michael, hugging him with her body rather than arms. She looked slightly confused- wasn't Maria supposed to love Klaus? She shook away her thought but her mind kept going back to the strange conversation she'd overheard at the door, when Maria's friend's boyfriend stopped by. Was his twin brother the psycho vampire that Maria had tried to warn her about?
"Hi," One of Maria's friends- the vampire- said.
"Hi, I'm Caroline." Caroline introduced herself.
"I'm Kara." She said. "So, you seem a little distracted."
"So do you." Caroline pointed out.
"Touché."
"Are you worried about Maria?" At Kara's raised eyebrow, she added. "Hanna mentioned this was a party to cheer her up, and Maria seems to be involved in something big with my mom."
"This party is Klaus's way of apologising." Kara sighed. "He loves Maria, but she's been trying to distance herself from him. So this is him trying to be Nick again, instead of Klaus."
"Nick?"
"Yeah, back in England, he was decent. I mean, I only met him through Maria, but he was good sport." Kara shrugged. "We all liked him, honestly."
"Oh, I'm going to be sick." Caroline gagged. "Next you'll tell me he came over for barbecues."
"Actually," Kara started, but stopped as she saw the disgusted look on Caroline's face. "Don't ask if you can't handle it."