"This is beautiful Damon." Elena said and laughed happy.

"It is." Damon said softly with his eyes on her.

Damon's surprise to Elena was taking her on the mountain road to ML's only waterfall. The view on top was breath-taking.

"I can't remember when last I have been here." Elena said.

"Me too Elena. I find myself busy with life and not enough time to appreciate the beauty of life." Damon said with a sad look.

"Your job must be stressful carrying the weight of the town on your shoulders."

Damon sigh. "And to be accused of being a racist." Damon started telling her about ex mayor Brixton and what he said.

"You should have knocked his lights out Damon."

Damon laughed softly and said. "Believe me I wanted to but there are ways to deal with men like him."

"Thank you for bringing me here." Elena said with a soft smile on her face.

"The pleasure is all mine Elena." Damon said and took her in his arms. He rested her head on his chest and together the two watch the glorious waterfall in silence.

Dr Stephen and Caroline Salvatore's Home

Bailey was full of smiles when she came home from her first day of work. She found her dad in the kitchen and greeted him awkwardly. She was about to go upstairs when Stephen stopped her.

"Bailey wait." Stephen said. "Your mom told me you're helping out at the flower shop. How was your first day?"

"It was okay." Bailey said softly.

"I know it will take time for you to accept me in your life but I want you to know that I'm really proud of you for the way you take care of your mother and the young woman you turned out to be."

Bailey didn't know what to say. A conversation with her dad was too soon for her. She felt shy and awkward in front of him.

"Bailey can I bring Misty to Mystique Lake. We can keep her on old Mister Johnson's farm. I already asked him and he said yes." Stephen said.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you Bailey. I just thought you must miss Misty very much and having her here with you will make you happy." Stephen said quickly.

"You will do that for me?" Bailey asked softly.

"In a heartbeat if that's what you want Bailey."

Bailey ran to her dad and threw her arms around him. "Thank you." She said to him.

Stephen put his arms around her and kissed her softly on her head.

"Awe isn't this a pretty sight." Damon said behind them with a smirk.

Bailey stepped back from her father with a shy smile.

Elena looked happy where she was standing next to Damon.

"I'm bringing Misty here. She belongs with Bailey." Stephen said and smiled like a proud dad.

"Stephen that is the sweetest thing you can do for Bailey." Elena said and she too walked to him and hug him.

"Hey kid. Its the weirdo from the supermarket." Damon said to Bailey with a smirk.

"That is your uncle Damon." Elena said with a soft laugh.

"I should head home." Damon said.

"Thank you Damon. I loved the surprise." Elena said.

"Surprise?" Stephen asked confused.

"Yeah what surprise?" Bailey asked with a smile looking between her mom and Damon.

"My lips are sealed. Goodbye everyone." Damon said and waved them goodbye.

The Salvatore Home

Later that evening Bonnie were busy folding and packing Zoe's clothes on the bed. Zoe was busy sorting out her socks and underwear.

"What's on your mind Princess?" Bonnie asked. Zoe was standing with the same pair of white shock in her hand for the past minute now.

"I'm just going to miss you guys and home." Zoe said softly.

Bonnie walked to her daughter and put her arms lovingly around her. "We will miss you too Princess but I know you will make us all proud. You have overcome so much to make the team and that alone makes you a winner in my eyes. I love you so much." Bonnie said softly.

"Love you too mom. To the moon and back." Zoe said softly.

...

Downstairs in the kitchen Dylan had an amuse look on his face watching Sam and Kenzie acting sweetly with each other in front of Alex. The four of them were in charge of dinner tonight.

"Do you mind handing me that knife next to your hand Kenzie?" Sam said sweetly.

Dylan smirked when he saw the brief look in Kenzie's eyes. Pure hatred.

"Off course Sam." Kenzie said and handed Sam the knife.

Alex kissed Sam in her neck and whispered in her ear. Sam giggled out loud causing Kenzie to roll her eyes.

...

Zoe came down stairs. She was on a mission. She knew what she needed to do. She knocked softly on the door of her father's study. She opened it and walked in closing the door behind her.

"Hey dad."

"Princess." Damon said with a soft smile.

"Dad I need your help. There's this white lion cub at the zoo. His being treated with cruelty and he haven't ate for four days. Dad you should see him. His so weak and frail. I got to help him or else they're going to put him down." Zoe said with sad eyes and a pleading look on her cute face.

"I will let my people look into this first and make sure that what you are saying is true before I take action."

"But than it will be too late Daddy. He needs my help." Zoe said.

"I am bind by law to follow the right procedures Princess I can't just remove the lion without a proper investigation and paper work. I will handle that first thing tomorrow morning."

"We can buy him for forty thousand dollars from the zoo. I have saved up twenty two thousand dollars please lend me the other half. I will work it off for the rest of my life daddy." Zoe said with hope in her eyes

Damon's eyes softened. "His a wild animal who needs proper care taking and a home to live in. We cant buy it what will we do with it and where will we keep it Zoe? I know you want to save this animal and believe me I too want that but we got do it by the book."

"His alone in that empty cold cage. To weak to eat. His body to frail to provide him any heat. I got to help him." Zoe said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Damon rose from his chair and quickly walk to his daughter. "We will help him Princess and I will get him the best medical care there is but I need you to give me time to do it the right way."

Zoe closed her eyes for a second and nodded her head yes. She walked out of her dad's study feeling more sad and depressed.

...

Later that night in her bed she could not get herself to sleep. She threw her bed sheet off her and walked to the big sliding doors and slide it open. The cold chilly night air hit her warm body hard.

She turned back with a determined look on her face. She quickly dressed herself warmly and quiet as a mouse she sneaked out of her room down the hall and stairs. She opened the front door very slowly waiting with a fast beating heart for the alarm to go off but it didn't go off and if it did go off she had her excuse ready in her head.

She found her bike outside near the pool where she left it earlier today.

ML Zoo

She hid her bike near a tree outside. She observed today where all the cameras are so she had a pretty good idea where to climb over.

As light as a cat she landed softly on her feet. She quickly ran with the dark shadows to where the cub's cage was. Out of breath she stopped in front of the cage. The cub was still laying on the exact same spot. Zoe quickly entered the pin. She secretly saw the pin when Owen entered it in earlier today.

She pushed the door immediately open when it said unlock and rushed to the cub.

She took her only warm jacket off and picked him up wrapping him carefully in her jacket. "Its okay you are safe." She said softly.

She was freezing but she kept her hands on his body rubbing up and down to provide him heat.

The cub slowly opened his eyes.

Zoe laughed softly and said "Yes its me little one." She put her finger in his mouth as soon as she did that the cub started to suck softly on it. "You must be starving don't worry I will keep you warm and safe."

She almost shrieked out loud when she felt something warm going around her freezing arms and a hand on her mouth.

"Do not scream. You should know better than to sit in the light where a guard can see you and speaking of the guard. He will make his rounds in this direction soon so we need to leave." Cayllum said softly. His eyes were scanning the paths and other nearby cages.

Zoe closed her eyes. Her heart singing a song of love when she heard his voice. "I can't leave him here Cayllum." She said with wide teary eyes.

"And I'm not planning on leaving him here. I will carry him for you." Cayllum said wit a smirk.

"Oh Cayllum." Zoe said and threw her arm around his neck. She spontaneously kissed him on his mouth.

The kiss was sweet and pure. She felt his tongue slipping through her lips exploring her sweet mouth. This was the first time she and Cayllum kissed like this.

"I have to get you both home safely before we get caught." Cayllum said to a shy Zoe.

The Salvatore Home

Zoe opened her bed and Cayllum lay down the cub gently on her bed. They cover him with the sheet.

"Shouldn't we take off my jacket?" Zoe asked.

Cayllum smirked and said. "Keep it around him. He can smell you all around him now and its your smell that will bring you two closer and make him feel warm and protected. I'm going down to heat up some milk for him."

"Cayllum thank you for everything for saving me and my little cub." Zoe said softly.

"I will do it all over again just for you Zoe." he said and kissed her on her cheek.

...

Cayllum and Zoe looked on with happy smiles as the cub took small sips from the bowl of milk. Zoe had tears in her eyes and a beautiful soft smile. The cub was drinking his milk on the bed as Zoe and Cayllum lay on each side. Zoe stroked the cub's head softly.

"You will make a great mother one day Zoe. You didn't think twice when you took off your jacket in the cold to put it around him."

"You did the same for me Cayllum. You gave me your jacket." Zoe said with a soft smile.

"You have a heart of gold Zoe and I'm proud to call you my girlfriend."

The two later fell asleep with the lion cub snuggled warmly under Zoe's arms.

...