Forever; The Devil's Angel

Mia sighed as she wrapped the sheet around her and got up. She couldn't sit like some crazy creep and watch him sleep. That would be just absurd and creepy like she had already established. She shook her head as she moved around the bed and picked her clothes. Running her fingers through her hair, she just wished he wouldn't wake up but then again she had to tell him that they needed to take it slow. After every thing that they had been through, going slow was the best option but how could you go slow after what happened last night?

Pulling her hair up in the band, Mia slowly tiptoed towards the door when the thought hit her. It wasn't just Damon now in the home. Her parents were residing there too, in the special guest rooms that they were all kind enough to allot them. What if she stepped out of his room and her mother was standing around the corner? What was she going to say or do? She had never been in a situation like that before and it was really weird for her to imagine that scenario.

Mia took a deep breath as she put her hand on the door knob when his chuckle froze her. She closed her eyes tightly as her heart stopped. How bad could she be looking right now running out on a guy? She whipped around to see him and he looked gorgeous lying there, his hand fisted under his head, resting on his elbow as he raised his brows at her. "Sleep and leave? Classic move, Mia," he teased her, “And people thought you were an angel,” he continued and she let out a breath.

"I was just..." she searched for the word but then closed her eyes.

"Did you not want a morning round?" he smirked suggestively.

"I was just getting breakfast," Mia blurted out and then shrugged. She had no idea why she was embarrassed to this degree but it was just awkward for her. She couldn't go from hating his guts to sleeping with him right away. It just didn't make any sense and she just felt weird that she had this little control on herself. What did it say about her?

"Did I exhaust you?" he asked, his tone turning serious with concern but his eyes were sparkling with mischief. He loved how she turned red at his comment and how funny she was acting this morning. It was not this awkward at all the first time but he understood her sentiments as to why she was feeling that way but just because he understood her didn't mean he couldn't tease her or rile her up.

"Damon," she started after a breath.

"Hmm," he was quick to respond and Mia swallowed visibly as she moved towards him and Damon gave her a little space on his side to sit.

"After all of this...drama," she started, "I just think that we might...you know," she was trying for him to understand and he did but he showed her no mercy, "I think we should just take this slow," she said and looked at him expectedly.

Damon blinked once and rose a little to place a kiss on her shoulder and Mia shivered, "I can take it slow," his lips made their way up to her neck and Mia heard the teasing in his voice as she pulled back and raised her brows at him. After a moment of staring quest, Damon let out a breath, "Haven't we slowed down enough, angel?" he asked.

The word angel from his mouth was still as magical as he said it the first time and it still had the same effect on her. He was right though. They had wasted a lot of time already but she had to make sure of things. She shrugged, "My parents are here now," she admitted in a low whisper as if sharing a vital secret and Damon leaned down to hear her but started chuckling as soon as the words left her mouth, "What if they know?"

"What if they know, what, Mia?" Damon asked her as he took her hand in his.

Mia shook her head, "This," she pointed to themselves and Damon threw his head back and let himself laugh heartily and Mia swat his forearm. "Stop it. It's not funny," she said sounding serious and really worried, "They're my parents," she said, "they don't know."

"Mia," he was still chuckling seeing the child in her jumping out, "They're parents, not kids," he stated, "They know what we're doing here," he shrugged.

"It just...feels weird," she said and made a face, "And even if they know doesn't mean I have to show by letting them see me coming out of your room," she widened her eyes to see if he got her point and Damon bite his lip to stop the laughter. He was sure that she would've been the kind of teenager that never broke a rule or snuck out of the room to attend a party or meet with her boyfriend...all because of what her parents would think of her.

Damon gave her a nod as she tilted her head, "What?" she asked.

Damon smiled, "You're right," he indulged her, "We'll make a ninja out of you," he smirked at her and Mia sighed with exasperation. "Where are you going?" he asked as she stood up to leave.

"Leaving, Damon," she was irritated and he was loving it.

"Why don't you wait here?" he pointed to the bed, "As I catch a quick shower and then I'll see if the coast is clear for you to do your walk of shame?" he asked and Mia took a moment to consider it, ignoring his words.

She shrugged as she sat back on the edge of the bed and Damon shook his head in amusement. Damon cleared his throat as he stood beside the bathroom door and Mia turned to look at him, "You sure, you don't wanna join?" he asked pointing towards the shower.

Mia pursed her lips as she threw the pillow on him and he ducked to dodge it, his laughter filling the silence of the room, "Hey, I was being polite," he faked innocence and Mia threw the other at him as he caught it midair and clicked his tongue at her, "You're playing bad, angel," he used his best seducing tone and Mia glared at him when he quickly raised his hands in surrender, "I get it," he said, "Take it slow, take it slow. I can take it slow," he slowly backed up into the bathroom, "Wasn't it the tortoise that won in the end?" he said and gasped dramatically, "Oh, wait. I've won already," he referred to the last night as he closed the door behind him and Mia turned around, her cheeks blushing and the most huge smile on her face.

Mia had heard Elena saying that nothing is important than the bond of family but just till until yesterday, she couldn't put into her mind what she meant by that but now looking at the people around the table, the movement in the room and the continuous chatter, Mia felt herself at peace. She was content as she looked at all the familiar faces, some old, some new but all were her family and they've been all there for her in some way or the other. The only crack she could see in her nice family bond was between her parents. Her mother had taken the far across seat from her father and whenever he spoke, she scowled openly though her father was doing a good job of hiding what he was feeling.

Mia sighed as Damon came to take the seat beside her and bumped her shoulder, "How did you sleep?" he asked just to see her make the face at him and he chuckled, his head shaking.

"I'd say she slept just fine," Annalisa remarked dragging the fine, her voice taking an edge as she wiggled her eyebrows at Mia who snapped her eyes to hers and saw the smile in them. Mia tilted her head and gave her a subtle glare but there was a confusion on her face.

Taking a hint as to what was happening and Mia's embarrassed flush, Fiorella spoke up, "So, what's your favorite thing in the morning, Mia?" she asked genuinely curious, "And please, tell me you like a proper breakfast and are not like Lisa here?" she sent a disapproving look in Annalisa's direction who simply shrugged it off. She was habitual listening to the importance of breakfast from her ever so loving Aunt.

Damon shifted in his seat, "Oh," he started but Mia shut him up.

"Don't," she said warning him because she had no idea what he was going to say and she couldn't handle any more innuendoes from him in front of her mother.

"What?" Damon sounded offended as he put the pancake on Mia's plate, "She likes everything from this to that," he pointed to the table and everything on it and he had to admit he had never had a breakfast like this in more than a century and it felt comfortable, cozy, even intimate, more familial and once again he owed it to Mia for making him feel human again. A normal functioning person with family, "But I gotta say pancakes is her favorite," he said matter of factly and Mia's breath stalled as she looked at him. The words were hers from so long, she didn't even remember that morning but her heart melted that he did.

Fiorella smiled at seeing the small exchange between them and her heart soared for both. She was glad that Mia had found someone who could understand and tease her at the same time, annoy and make her smile at the same time. "What about you, Damon?" she asked turning towards him and Stefan cleared his throat. The family breakfast was gonna go to hell after they learnt his preference.

"Oh, he's not a very picky eater," Mia answered for him, straightening up, "He just takes whatever is available or," she paused as she turned to look at him, "make the unavailable, available. He's persuasive like that," Mia explained, referring to his compelling techniques for human breakfast as she gave herself a nod and put the bite in her mouth.

Damon was looking at Mia with pride in his wide eyes while Stefan and Elena tried best to hide their laughter, "She's right," Damon smiled at Fiorella, "I like everything, A to O as long..." he was saying when Annalisa cut him off, pointing the fork in his direction, her brows raised.

"You mean A to Z, right?" she asked.

Damon smirked, "Believe me, it's A to O as long as it's warm," he paused and turned his eyes to Mia, "98.6 to be precise," he finished and Mia gasped at him slightly, narrowing her eyes at him. Damon gave her a satisfied, victory smile and raised his brows at her clearly showing her that's how it's done.

"Are you always like this?" Antonio asked giving Damon a critical eye and Mia blinked at her father, her hand flying to Damon's on his lap as she squeezed it and Damon snapped his eyes to her guarded one as she looked coolly at her father. As much as he knew he could handle himself with Antonio, the defensive stature of hers inflated his heart like a balloon as he bit the inside of his cheeks from giving her father an ear to ear grin.

"Only when they disagree on something," Elena chimed in the conversation diffusing the situation before Mia said anything that she would regret later and Elena knew for sure that she would. When it came to Damon, Mia was like that, "It's almost hysterical to watch," Stefan shrugged, reinforcing Elena's comment and Damon smiled as he squeezed Mia's hand back and she let herself relax, a sigh escaping her lips.

After the rest of breakfast went on without drama, Fiorella pulled Mia aside, "I'm sorry about your father," she said, "he's taking out his frustration with me on you," she sighed, "or Damon, I should say."

Mia gave her an understanding nod, "Can you not forgive him, Mamma?" she asked, "I know what he did was...wrong and unacceptable but it was long time ago," she reasoned. She wasn't taking anyone's side but she just wanted to see them both happy.

Fiorella smiled as she put her hand on Mia's shoulder and gave her a squeeze, "We will figure it out, dear. It will take time though," she took a deep breath, "Now, will you tell me why would you give the poor boy such a cold shoulder?" she asked, humor in her voice.

"He's hardly a boy," Mia snorted but Fiorella pursed her lips and Mia turned serious, "I just," she started but didn't know how to proceed, "We've just been through so much the last few months and he hid things from me and lied to me. I just can't move on like that so fast..."

"Do you not want to be with him?" Fiorella cut her off and raised her brow at her daughter.

Mia just stared at her mother for a moment, reading her expression, "Of course, I do," she finally said, "We're...just taking it slow," she nodded, assuring herself silently that it was the right thing to do.

Fiorella smiled at her, "Tell me, darling," she started, "Can he make you smile when you just want to kill someone?" her voice was so excited, Mia forgot she was her mother and not a teenager asking her that question.

Mia laughed as she thought about it. Just a few minutes before, she wanted to kill him and yes, he did make her smile if that counted. "Yeah," she shrugged, "I suppose."

Her laughter could be the best medicine for anyone, Fiorella thought but then again she was her mother and could be really biased so she put off that thought, "Does he respect you? The choices you make?" Fiorella asked the next question in line.

"Are we playing some game?" Mia asked.

"Just indulge me, darling," Fiorella asked and tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, he does," Mia answered truthfully, "I mean, if he wouldn't respect mine, I wouldn't respect his and he's just too stubborn to not do whatever he wants to do..." she was rambling now, trying to mask the truth in her words because she just had to take it slow, put him in some kind of wrong to know that her choice was the right one.

"Does he inspire you?" Fiorella asked her question putting an effective stop to Mia's onslaught.

"What?" Mia shook her head.

"Does he inspire you? Make you want to live life, break rules, enjoy and appreciate small stuff, question the world?" Fiorella smiled at her knowingly because she knew the answer all too well and Mia didn't gave her an answer to that one. Her shining eyes were all the confirmation her mother needed and the goose bumps that broke on her skin were the answer enough for her as she thought back to all those moments that he inspired in her to live, to let go of the bad and embrace whatever good she could.

"Find the balance, darling," Fiorella said, "between your head and heart. He might not be perfect but if you have fun with him and he respects you, inspires you, doesn't judge you and can put you before himself, then," she moved towards her and tucked the stray strand of hair behind her ear with an affectionate touch, "he's perfect for you," she smiled and Mia's heart went all gooey inside her chest, "Also, darling, he's a very pretty boy who clearly loves you. Don't let go of that."

Mia chuckled at her mother's attempt to lighten her guy talk and advise session but was tongue tied and had no idea what to say, "I love him too, Mamma. Very much," she decided to go with the honesty.

"I know," Fiorella sighed, "I saw it when you glared at your father when he went off on Damon," Fiorella chuckled but shook her head, "How can you take it slow after you've already slept with him anyway?" she asked and Mia almost choked as a reaction to her mother's words.

"How did..." Mia wasn't even sure how to frame her question.

"Come on, darling. I'm your mother and your awkward exchanges were very obvious," she swat her hand as if it was the most obvious thing. She turned serious as she looked at Mia, "You don't have to put brakes because of us, Mia. You were doing so well on your own before we came into your life. Keep it that way. I just want to know my daughter as she is and not with all those restrictions," she let out a chuckle, "I'm not the ground your children kind of mother anyway," she winked.

"Listen, Mia," she turned around, "You don't know which hand life will deal you next and we don't know how much time we have," her voice broke at the words and Mia felt the burden coming onto her heart as she went to Fiorella and put her arm around her shoulder, "I just want you to avail it, alright? I just want to see you happy and I want to share all of that happiness with you. If you truly live the life you're given no matter how hard or tough, you'll have no regrets, you wouldn't be scared at the end."

Mia opened her mouth to say something when Damon walked in the room, "Are you telling her how awesome I am?" He smirked at Mia who looked at him with gleaming eyes, a small smile forming on her lips and she sighed, shaking her head. "I walked in on something, didn't I?" he turned serious but Fiorella shook her head.

"Nuh uh," she mumbled as she came towards Damon and rose on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. Damon was stun into silence, his mouth hanging open as he processed the moment, his eyes were wide and his heart frozen. Mia gave him a bashful smile, twisting her fingers. "No, you both need to talk," Fiorella said as she patted his shoulder and moved towards the door, "And Damon," she called him as he turned to face her, "I know how awesome you are."

Damon gave her a hesitant smile and just when she was out the door, Damon called her back, "We need to talk," he said, pointing her with his eyes towards Mia, "it's important."

Fiorella came curious and Mia raised her brows at him asking him silently if everything was fine. Damon gave her a nod as he thought about it all again, "We were all just discussing it outside," he said, "and I think we need to hide Mia's condition before she starts to show," he pointed towards her, "because the whisperers will be all over her and...we can't afford that," he said.

Mia shook her head slightly, "Hide my condition?" she asked confused.

Fiorella nodded, her eyes deep in thought, "You're right, Damon," she said, "How can we do it?" she asked.

Damon looked at Mia, asking her silently if she was ok and Mia pursed her lips together but gave him a nod to continue anyway, "Bonnie," he said, "She put a spell on Mia's necklace so that people wouldn't be able to see it which is why she can't be recognized easily as an angel," he explained, "We think...Bonnie thinks that the same spell can be used on Mia completely to hide the pregnancy from the whisperers when you start to show," he pointed to Mia.

"Is it important?" Mia asked as she took a step forward and Fiorella looked at her like she had lost her mind, "I mean how much more are they going to control me," she paused, "or my life?" she tilted her head. Fiorella blinked at her. Damon just looked at her with a frown because he knew her. He knew she would react like this which was one of the reason he and Cam didn't want to tell her the truth because she would just want to rebel.

"Like you let them," Damon commented, narrowing his eyes at her and Mia snapped her eyes at him and he sighed, "All I'm saying, Mia is that we can't afford to fight this war. It'll be hard and..."

"We wouldn't be able to win it," Fiorella put in her word.

"And it's not just you anymore," Damon continued, "Don't you see that?"

"I..." Mia wanted to say something but everything that made sense in mind, she knew wouldn't make it once the words were spoken aloud. She was just tired of running away from the Heavens and duties and all. She just wanted to live peacefully but that was never her destiny and she had to accept that.

"You have to stick around for all this, Mia," Damon said, a hint of desperation in his voice, "I can't handle all of it on my own," he said, "You know me. I'll just screw it up. I always screw it up," he said with a self-loathing tone and Mia felt hurt at his words.

"You'll do fine, Damon," she said confidently, "We'll figure this out..."

"I've never felt this human before, Mia. Never and as exhilarating as it is, I'm scared as hell," he confided in her, his wide eyes conveying his helplessness and Mia's heart clenched inside her chest. Seeing this side of Damon, Fiorella was sure, her daughter had made the best choice in choosing the one. She just smiled contently as she made her exit. It was something they had to talk about, something personal and they needed space.

"You wouldn't screw up," Mia said softly as she came to stand right in front of him, her hand on his chest feeling the beat of his heart as she looked at him.

"I will,' Damon whispered, looking deep into her chocolate depths, "I always do. I don't know how to love, Mia," he pointed to himself, "I don't know how to be a good brother, a good friend...a good lover. I just..."

Mia hushed him as she held his pointing finger in her hand and raised it to her lips as she kissed it. Damon sighed, "Just look at how much hurt I've caused you. I don't know how to be someone worthy of loving. I don't how to be a...father," he admitted with a deep sigh and closed his eyes like the confession was the most difficult thing he had ever done and in ways it was. He was reminded of his childhood, his father and he could not recall a single good moment, "I had a sick father," he told her.

"Just be who you are," Mia said as she cupped his face and leaned in slightly, "You wouldn't do wrong, Damon," her words were soft, understanding but aggressive at the same time, "I wouldn't let you screw up," she said and Damon opened his eyes to look at the face of his angel.

"Which is why, I need you here," Damon went out to his last point, "Which is why you can't go like Ariel," the words came out as a harsh whisper because it was really hard to think of the same fate as Ariel's for Mia.

"You don't need anyone, Damon," Mia said, "You're strong, brave. You 'care' and you 'love' hard and unconditionally," she smiled up at him, "You can do whatever you want, Damon. Just don't give up, ok?"

Damon cupped her cheek and Mia leaned in to his touch which Damon found vitalizing, "Don't let me. Ever," he punctuated each word and let it hang between them as he raised her face with his index finger under her chin and kissed her softly and tenderly trying to convey that he wanted to believe her words and honor her thoughts of him.

"You'll do great, Damon," Elena said as she entered the room and gave him a bright smile. Damon pulled Mia to his side, his arms going round her shoulders and she went willingly, encircling her arm at his waist as she rest her head on his chest, her eyes misty but her heart was full and she complete.

"I hope so," Damon said kissing Mia's head and she smiled.

"I know so," Mia raised her head and offered him a smile, "I'll be there every step of the way," she assured him.

Damon smiled back, "And I'll follow you every step of the way," Damon replied flashing his eyebrow at her suggestively, "Everyone have needs," he defended himself when Mia frowned at him.

Way to be sweet and romantic, Mia thought as she tried to bring him back on track, "I want you beside me, Damon. Hand in hand, not follow me or keep things from me by staying behind my back," she said and Damon let out a sigh. Yeah, no way she was gonna let go of that anytime soon. "You're not the only one who needs someone."

Damon heard the complaint in her voice, the hurt it masked and he wanted to curse himself, "You'll never see me faraway," Damon said with a smile and it was obvious by his voice that he was apologizing in his own way and Mia acknowledged it as she hugged him tight.

"I don't want you to be faraway," she said and Damon understood that she was talking both in emotional and physical sense.

"I'm not going far away," Damon reassured her and promised himself not to close off on her again. He had always tried his best but something always stood in his way but this time, he promised himself, it would be different. He'd just let everything screw themselves but he wouldn't put Mia through what he just had put her through.

Elena mumbled something and the bubble popped as Mia and Damon both looked at her and she shrugged, "Just break it up, ok?" she said, "It's just getting weird," she pointed out.

"And I thought after a hundred and seventy years," Stefan entered, "He'd know how to flirt," he gave his best version of smirk to Damon and Mia laughed as Elena joined in. Damon just scowled at him.

"Look who's giving me a dating advice," Damon scoffed at his all righteous brother.

Stefan chuckled, "Dating's 'faraway'," he said putting emphasis on faraway as was evident by the last few sentences between Damon and Mia, "I'm telling you how to flirt," he flashed his brows and instead of coming up with a witty, Damon-ish remark of his own, Damon put his arm around Stefan's neck as he playfully slapped his head and Stefan proceeded with his own move until both the brothers were wrestling each other in the living room, their laughter filling the gloomy air and Mia let herself feel hope as Elena came to squeeze her shoulder, Caroline, Bonnie and Annalisa smiling from the other side and her parents standing together looking at the brothers with adoration in their eyes.