Forever; The Devil's Angel

"Oh, good to see you here," Mia sighed and looked as Cam got up from the stairs he was sitting on. It was eerily quiet at the gate of the Heavens as the sun was setting in giving the orange-pinkish hue to the surroundings. Mostly, the angels were all flying about, chatting, working.

"What happened?" he raised his eyebrows and Mia shook her head. She wasn't sure how to proceed. It wasn't easy at all, to tell him what had happened, to tell him that Damon made the drink for her and mostly to admit that the death of those creatures was intentional and not an accident as she thought out to be.

"I just...it's just," she shrugged, "Well, it's not good," she gave him a nervous smile.

"Mia, with you. Believe me there've been lot less good news so, I'm kind of habitual. What's wrong this time?" he asked amused.

Mia choked out a laugh, "Was that an insult?" she asked and looked at him from under her lashes, her eyebrows drawn up.

"Nope," he sighed, "It always keep things," he paused to look at her, "interest-ing," he said in a low whisper as he regarded her with seriousness, his brows scrunching up as he met her eyes in disbelief.

"What?" Mia asked conscious of herself as he stared at her. She looked at herself but seeing nothing unusual, she raised her brows, "Cam, what's wrong?"

"What are you here to tell?" he asked urgently, impatiently.

"Cam, what's wrong?" she asked worried, looking around.

"Nothing, Mia. Just tell me what's wrong?" he said and Mia's heart raced. He never talked to her like that. It wasn't like him and it was weird. She took a step forward.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yes," he took a deep breath, "Yes, it is. What happened?" he asked again in a calm tone.

"Katherine has the immortality drink," she said quickly, her eyes closed.

"Ok," he said, "Wait! What?"

"Uh, yeah," she smiled a little, "My first reaction," she flashed her eyebrows.

"Who did it? How did she get it?"

"It wasn't his fault..." she started but Cam interrupted her. “Damon, damn it. Whenever you start with 'it wasn't his fault', it is. He did it didn't he?" he asked as he thought about it, joining all the dots, connecting them together. "He...he killed thoses people. For power, to carry out the spell," he said almost to himself and shook his head, "Mia, I told you..."

"I know, Cam. I remember but he did it for me," she started, trying to defend him and his actions. She knew it was wrong but he did it for her, not only for what he wanted but also for what she wanted...needed.

"It doesn't matter, Mia. The reason he did it for. The thing is that he killed those people, that those people are dead because of something he wanted, because of something he did. I don't know why you keep justifying his actions?" he said as he looked at her carefully again and blinked.

"I don't..." she started again but he shook his head, looking around. “Mia, go."

"What?" she shrieked.

"Please, just go. You have to leave now and don't return back until I tell you so," he said.

"What's wrong, Cam? Tell me," she said, her eyes pleading, “Is it because I’m justifying…” she took a deep breath, “Cam, he was only…”

"Mia, you need to get out of here. I'll come, tell you, ok?" he asked urgently, pushing her along.

"But..." she looked around as he pushed her gently away.

"Later, Mia. Later," he said and Mia gave him a single nod, her eyes worried and concerned. Her heart rate was crossing the normal pace as she tried to calm herself. Something was very wrong, she could feel it. She had never seen him like that ever before. With her life, she was very sure that something could be wrong but what? She couldn't know anything unless they don't tell her but when will they?

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He hadn't talked to her in so long, he felt weird at just walking to her now. It was hard for him to face her...ever since he found out that she had lied to him all those years when he thought that she was the only best friend he would ever have and she betrayed him. He still couldn't get over it. He knew Ariel was fine now after Mia made her choice but the thought that she suffered the curse, the woman he loved suffered while the one at fault had been playing best friends with him gnawed at him.

Samantha was sitting beside a lake, her fingers lightly grazing the midnight blue water, humming a tune to herself. She was used to the calm now, the loneliness. There was nothing she could do about it. It was a lie whenever she told herself that she was happy to be at home, the Heavens because she wasn't. Earth had become a far more welcoming home for her.

Of course, while being there she never thought of it but she missed it. She missed those petty things humans did, how they tried to enjoy their short span in the world, the way they struggled and fought to live better. That was life, a continuous movement, never stopping unlike hers...constant, monotonous, doing the same thing over and over again.

"Samantha," he said as his voice wavered a little but she kept playing with water, oblivious to all and Cam felt sorry for her, for the very first time.

"Sammy," he said again in a loud and stronger voice which snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to look at him, her raven hair framing her petite face as they tumbled to her waist.

"Cam?" She asked trying to let go of the illusion as she ran her hand through her hair. He wasn't really there...he couldn't be. She must be hallucinating because he hated her.

"Uh, how are you?" he asked noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"You look good," she said and then sighed, "You always looked good," she said and closed her eyes, trying to keep his illusion with her, to hold him for a little while.

"Uh, Sam? Yeah but you don't look so good," he commented as he took a step forward and Samantha opened her eyes and shook her head.

"You never came, Cam. I know you hate me but," her voice crack, "I needed you, Cam. I lost her too."

"Hey," he said softly, genuinely worried for her. Why was she acting so strange?

"And now you'll be gone again because that's what you do. You just show me your face and then leave me hanging," she said, "I can't even make you forgive me. I don't know how you will if..."

Ah! Finally. It made sense now. She was hallucinating and he thought...That's when he thought about it, her words, how she felt and how she had been feeling since so long. For the first time, he wondered if he had pushed too far, if she didn't deserve that much of ignorance from him. Being friends and only companion for more than 2000 years and this was how they both were, with her hallucinating about him, asking for his forgiveness while he never bothered to see her being so busy with Mia.

"Why aren't you going away?" she asked, trying to push his image out from her mind, "I have work to do," she said because that's what kept her busy, sane. That's when she could focus on the assigned task and not feel guilty or alone. She took a deep breath and rubbed her temple when Cam came forward to her with sympathizing eyes.

"Sam, it's really me," he said in a soft, gentle tone and saw her flinch as she got out from her trance like state and looked at him...really looked at him, her eyes wide as she took him in. Real and standing in front of her while she was just babbling...Ugh, she wanted to slap herself. She just didn't say whatever she thought she did. It was so damn embarrassing, her cheeks were flushed as she lowered her gaze, "Oh," she said in a small voice and Cam chuckled despite himself.

Hearing him laugh at her did nothing but embarrass her more and she raised her face to look at him, "Uh, hey. Didn't see you there?" she commented causally as Cam suddenly composed himself just for a moment to regard her seriously before shooting into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah, I get that,” he commented in between his laugh as Samantha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart hammering inside her chest.

"Well, I should go," she said mostly to herself as she walked past Cam.

"Wait," he said as he held her by the arm to make her face him. He quickly sobered under her wide gaze but still couldn't help the small smile on his lips, "I'm...I think we should talk," he said looking at her seriously.

Samantha took her moment but gave him a small nod, her eyes boring into his. "Uh, sure. What...what do you want to talk about?" she asked hoping against hope that he wouldn't bring it up because she couldn't take anymore guilt or the pain it brought.

"Look," he started but didn't know how to proceed. He wanted to forgive her but at the same time he couldn't. He wanted her help too and didn't want her to suffer anymore but then again, there was that negative part of him that just wasn't ready. "I...uh."

She knew it was coming, the same thing she didn't want to talk about but the urge to apologize rose in her as she took a step towards him, "Cam, I'm so, so sorry. I know...but, it's just...I don't know. I'm sorry..." she was stuttering and mumbling, her eyes pooling with tears as he gently took her hand.

"Hush, it's ok. I understand and its fine, Sammy. Its fine," he cooed in a gentle tone and she looked at him as if he had grown a pair of horns above his head, surprised and unbelieving.

"But..." her voice broke, "How can you after everything that I've..."

"I'm not saying what you did was right," he said, "I'm just saying that we should move past that. Ariel has found her peace now. She has moved on. It's time we do so too."

"You forgive me?" she asked in an almost squeaky voice, her eyes narrowing on him, concentrating.

"I, uh," he almost groaned but bit his lip as he looked at her tear strained face, "I'm trying, Sam," he finally said trying to be honest with her and trying to not hurt her anymore.

She nodded, "Of course. You can't just..."

"No, no. It's not about that, Sam. Really, I want to hash it up but it'll take time and I'm sure we can figure it out," he paused, "I want it to...work out."

She nodded quickly, almost eagerly, "Sure, I'll do whatever it takes. Whatever you need, Cam. I promise not to ever do that again." Other people never mattered as such but his forgiveness was a necessity to her, something she required, needed.

"Ok," he smiled at her and took a deep breath. "That’s why I sought you out actually. I need your help with something," he added hesitantly trying not to hurt her again but she didn't mind in the least as she nodded.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Uh, it's about Mia," he said and clenched his eyes shut for a second, hanging on to his whirling emotions.

"Oh, Mia. You know I'll do anything for her. She has suffered at the expense of our freedom. She's a great person who didn't deserve what she got," she said remembering how Mia had to sacrifice everything and mostly Damon to make sure that Ariel got freedom from her curse and they both could return to their home again.

"This time, it's a little complicated," he said.

"Complicated how?" she asked confused, her eyebrows knitted together.

Cam shook his head, "You wouldn't believe if I told you," he chuckled without humor.

"Try me," she flashed her eyebrows and put her hand on her hip, her head tilted to a side.

"We have to keep her safe, now more than ever," he said, "No one can find out about this because if they do...all the hell will break loose."

"Anything. We'll do whatever it takes," she said, "What do I have to do?" she asked, still not knowing what was the great problem.

Cam groaned and stomped his foot in exasperation, "That's the problem. I have no idea what to do. I can't trust anyone at all," he said.

"What about Damon?" she asked, "He'll do whatever it takes to protect her, to keep her safe."

"Even if it means letting her go?" Cam asked, his eyebrows raised.

Samantha paused to formulate a reply. Could he? But the answer was crystal clear to her. She didn't know what could be so horrible that Cam was taking such steps but she knew that he will take her into confident if he needed her help. He just needed a little time to trust her again. "I guess, we can only find out," she said and nodded as she raised her eyes to see him looking at her with wide eyes.

"Are we going to ask him? Tell him?" he corrected himself, baffled at her advice to tell Damon the truth. She didn’t even know what he was talking about.

"Yes," she said, moving past Cam, "What other way there is?"