Wicked Hearts

He wasn't sure as to how it happened, but Damon had managed to make his way to the foot of the bed. At the sound of tiny feet pattering down the hardwood floor, he tossed the feathered comforter off of his head and took note of his bedroom posture.

No shirt, he thought to himself.

Not that it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to do that. He was just certain he fell asleep with his clothes on last night. Although, his current state of being proved him to be fairly wrong. It was then he realized who had made him this way. Her, his mind furiously whispered and he threw himself off of the bed, landing graciously on his feet.

"Adella McCullough!" He shouted from his bedroom, leaning down to pick his clothes up off of the floor. Tiny feet scurried from outside his bedroom and he rolled his eyes as he pulled his shirt over his tousled head.

"I know you're out there," He sang.

The pace of the feet quickened and then stopped with a sudden thud. A tiny outbursts of giggles errupted from the hallway and curiousity snagged the best of Damon. He walked toward the door to open it, only to have a somber Adella walk in, her auburn hair and porcelain skin covered in red.

"Your daughter," She growled in response to Damon's quizzical look.

"Why is she my daughter when she does something like that?" He asked. Adella glared at him and he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Point made," He murmured. "What is it anyway?" He questioned, reaching for Adella and swiping the red with his fingertip.

"Paint," She replied. "Who's idea was that anyway?" She thought mostly to herself as she grabbed a dirty towel off the floor and began to wipe her face. Her face grew aggravated once more as her eyes locked with Damon's. He was backing away to the door, anxiety creeping on his face.

"Oh yeah," Adella scoffed. "Her daddy's!"

Damon turned to her, his brow furrowed. "Why do you have to say it like that? Her daddy?" A small smile dazzled his face. "I could be your daddy too." Menace flashed behind his icy blue eyes and he gave Adella a wicked grin.

Much to his dismay, Adella wasn't buying it. "Go tend to your daughter," She growled. Damon rolled his eyes and opened the bedroom door. "Get off your high horse, Adella," He warned. "At least you woke up with your clothes on."

At his words, Adella flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about," She whispered, her head lifted in superiority.

"Sure you do," Damon teased. "You've been reading your dirty books again." His eyes flickered to Adella's warn out copy of Fifty Shades of Grey and winked. "I can barely keep up anymore." He put a hand to his stomach and winked. "Now if you'll excuse me...Chelsea Madden Salvatore!"

The door closed behind him and he smirked, feeling superior standing up to Adella. All too quickly, though, he felt inferior as a tiny toddler came barreling around the corner. Her blue eyes were all too big for her face, but that only added to her adorable factor. Her auburn hair fell in ringlets to her shoulder and her toothless smile gave her charm. She was a tiny ball of beautiful, a perfect combination between Adella and Damon, although she belonged to someone else.

"Daddy!" She screamed with a grin. Damon knealed down and lifted the tot in his arms, cradling her close.

"Madden, we've talked about this," He took his tube of paint out of her hands. "We paint paper, not mommy." He shook it back and forth between his fingers, waddling it in front of Madden. She only giggled. Damon was never good at punishing her for her wrongdoings. It was much like trying to punish or be mad at Adella. It was almost impossible.

Since Stefan's disappearance, Adella had been the glue holding Damon's fragile pieces together. It wasn't until Madden fell into his lap did he realize that it was the both of them that gave him the courage to find his brother and Klaus. That was much to Adella's dismay. She didn't interfere, though. Damon knew she liked the normalcy she had gained over the last year. Being a housewife and mother suited her.

He had been holding out, though. Darkness was blooming, interferring with the light that Adella had worked so hard to create. It wouldn't be long until it consumed everything. Looking at Madden, his wide-eye wonder, and her uncanny resemblance, he knew the darkness was almost eminent.