Madeline and Johan didn't stay long after the engagement party. Two weeks after their surprise return and they were leaving again. Jessa didn't say it out loud, but it was partially relieving to say goodbye. Having her parents home was nice, but at the same time, she needed to process their reappearance.

Damon felt the same way. He loved getting to know Johan better, but Madeline was another story. She showed, clearly, that she was judging him. Every movement he made, whether it was in helping Jessa make dinner or in choosing something for the house, she was making a mental note of whether it was up to snuff. He couldn't find it in his heart to say he was going to miss her haunting the hallways of their house.

They were sharing one final lunch before her parents took their leave. As they sat around the less formal kitchen table, Madeline was asking for the final dates of the wedding.

"The last week of October?" She was asking, her nose wrinkling. "Honestly, Jessica. Are you attempting some sort of ill placed humor?"

Jessa didn't attempt to hide her giggle. "It's not ill placed, Mother. I'm marrying a vampire. I, myself am some type of supernatural. Plus, I happen to love autumn. The changing colors of fall makes a beautiful backdrop, especially since we're using the side yard. All those trees will change to differing colors and they'll be absolutely breathtaking. My two bridesmaids are going to be wearing red and burnt orange, and the groomsmen are going to be in a deep brown. It'll be perfect."

Madeline thought about what her daughter was saying and gave a small nod. Appeased that Jessa wasn't going full on Halloween themed, she moved on to her next issue. "Now about the honeymoon, are you sure you don't want to go somewhere romantic? Your father and I adore Paris in the fall." She shared a longing look with her husband, and Jessa nearly snorted her orange juice up her nose.

Coughing, and clearing her throat while simultaneously trying to get the image of Damon and herself consummating their marriage where her mother and father had, she shook her head. "Mother, rarely do people on their honeymoon truly appreciate the appeal of the location that they're visiting." She hoped her tone was heavy enough on the innuendo.

Damon was shaking with laughter beside her. Even her papa was grinning widely. Madeline realized that her daughter was probably right, for once.

"We'll be back for the wedding festivities, of course." She promised. "We couldn't miss our daughter marry the man of her dreams." She looked at Damon fully for once. "Or as the man of her dreams married the woman of his destiny."

And there it was, the proof they'd been waiting for. She'd known all along.

"Mother," Jessa began, but Damon's hand on her arm stopped her. This was his question to ask.

"Madeline, did you send me that vision when I first met Jessa?" He asked, shocked that his voice didn't have the edge he'd expected. Instead it held a hint of fear, fear that Jessa wasn't his by design of fate, but only by design of her mother's tricks.

Madeline looked deeply into his eyes, a ploy he's seen Jessa use to show that she was being entirely truthful. She maintained eye contact as she spoke clearly.

"No." She said, and it rang true. "I could see it as clearly as you could. And I knew as you did that you both were meant for each other, but I didn't make it so. That is the basest earth magic. It's older than even me." She took his hand in hers. The only time he'd ever touched Jessa's mother and knew now what Bonnie had felt the first time she'd touched Jessa. Such immense power. "It's how I knew that I could leave her, you know. That she'd be safe with you. I also knew it wouldn't be easy for the two of you to get to this point."

She released his hand. A calmer silence settled over the four of them. The strain was lessened, not gone but not as tight. They continued their lunch with a lighter conversation talking about the next visit, closer to the wedding and how they'd keep in touch with phone calls and emails. Then it was time to say goodbye.

At the door, Jessa hugged her papa tight. It was easier now, she knew it wasn't a final goodbye and that in a few short months he'd walk her down the aisle to the man beside her. And that was all she needed. Saying goodbye to her mother was just as simple. She reminded her of her promise, self-care was important, even to very powerful beings. Jessa watched as Damon and her papa shook hands, laughing as her papa pulled him into a hug. Her mother shot Damon a warning look that she knew was accompanied by a conversation that only the two of them could hear. She knew she'd know soon enough. And then they got in their car, and were leaving in a cloud of dust.

As they closed the front door and walked back to the library, Damon held her hand. The house was silent around them and Jessa found herself smiling. She was home.

They both fell onto the sofa at the same time, laughing as their bodies seemed to know exactly how to fit. He was sitting against the arm, and she was curled into him. Her head against his chest. She felt his lips against her hair, something that was as natural as their current position.

"Alone at last," she said, sighing.

She felt his lips curl into a smile against her head. "I liked their visit, but I have to agree. It's nice to be back to the two of us." His arms moved to tighten around her. "I missed just holding you. Plus it'll be nice to be able to go back to the list." He chuckled.

She gave a laugh. "Ah, the list. I'm not sure we'll ever be done. You keep renovating, which means we keep adding new surfaces. It's almost like the Winchester Mystery House." She said.

"The what?" He asked, running his hand through her hair.

"The Winchester Mystery House. It's a house that was built in California by the widow of the firearms magnet. She was heavily into the occult. One of the mediums told her that she was being haunted by those killed by her husband's guns, as long as she kept building onto her house, the ghosts wouldn't find her, so build she did. Now the house is a huge thing that goes on and on. There are stairways that lead to nowhere. Doors that open to nothing. And so on." Jessa said, looking up at him. "Pretty soon, that list is going to be like that house."

Damon gave a slight laugh, and kissed her nose. "I'm not adding rooms. We're just fixing things. You're just a quitter." He turned her gently in his arms. "We could just take it nice and slow today. After all, it's been awhile since we've been able to really take our time."

Jessa looked at the man she loved, and thought about it. He was right. While her parents were visiting they'd had to steal time. Quickies were fun, but they'd not had the time to truly just make love. She wanted to take her time. To explore every single inch of him. And they finally had all the time in the world.

She pulled herself up and kissed him slowly, letting him know that she was absolutely game to his plan of taking their time. For once, Damon and Jessa were going on their time.