"I'm tired of coloring," Nadia grumbles, dropping the sky-blue crayon and pushing the color book to the side. "I've been doing it forever already," she sighs dramatically, looking at Damon plaintively. "And ever and ever…"

Damon laughs, reaching out to stroke her dark hair. "I don't think it's been that long."

"But it's all you'll let me do!" she juts out her lower lip in a pronounced pout.

"I know you're bored and I don't blame you, but you were very sick, Nadia. It takes time to get better. Before you know it, you'll be up and running around again."

"But when do I get to go home?" Nadia whines.

"Dr. Laughlin says you'll probably be able to go home tomorrow. So just a little while longer..."

The little girl regards him skeptically.

The room is suddenly filled with the shrill ringing of a cell phone. Damon reaches into his pocket, tugging his cell phone out.

"Hey," he says quietly. ""Okay. I'll come down right now then. Meet you in the parking lot."

With that, he thumbs his phone off and turns, smiling, to look at Nadia. "I've got to go run an errand," he tells her. "I'll be back in a little bit with a surprise."

Nadia cocks her head, grinning almost coyly. "But will it be a big surprise?"

Damon laughs. "You'll see. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Hey, Nadia," Elena raps on the door and comes inside.

"Hi," the little girl smiles when she sees Elena is carrying a big box.

"Brought you something," Elena grins excitedly as she sets the box on the foot of Nadia's bed. She lifts the lid and pulls out two huge dolls.

Nadia's brown eyes light up like a blue giant star. "I love Raggedy Ann and Andy!" she cries aloud.

Elena smiles, nodding sagely. "Yes. But these aren't any old Raggedy Ann and Andy, they're three feet tall."

"I love them!" Nadia exclaims excitedly as she hugs one and then the other, smiling ear to ear.

"Where's Uncle Damon?" Elena asks, finding it a little odd that he's not with Nadia.

"He went to get me a surprise!" Nadia beams at her.

"Aren't you the lucky girl! Elena remarks, winking at Nadia.

"Ah ha." she bobs her head as she hugs her dolls tightly.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she tells her and goes in search of the lady's room.

As she walks down the hall to return to Nadia's room, she notices Damon approaching and that he has a bundle tucked against his body carefully.

"A surprise for Nadia?" she asks with a smile.

He smirks. "Nothing gets past you, huh?" he teases. "I should probably get inside."

Elena nods, following after Damon as he heads for the door. As she looks at the object in question once more, she notices the bundle moving all by itself.

"You're back!" Nadia cries as soon as she sees him. "Look what Miss Elena brought me." She beams at her dolls.

"Aren't you the lucky little girl...Thank you," he mouths to Elena.

"What's that?" Nadia asks, pointing at the bundle.

He laughs as she squirms in bed, too excited to keep still. "You ready for your surprise?"

"Yes! I've been ready forever!"

Elena laughs, watching as the little girl crawls to the foot of the bed.

"Okay," Damon starts, "One very special, super secret surprise coming up."

He turns, making sure the door is closed, and then, like a magician revealing his most dazzling trick, tugs the bundle from beneath his arm to reveal a kitten.

"A kitty!" Nadia exclaims beaming with joy.

Damon sits on the foot of the bed and hands the kitten to Nadia. "This is your new pet. But you have to promise to take care of her."

Nadia can't stop giggling, it seems, the excitement is almost too much for her.

"Uncle Stefan found her at the shelter," Damon tells her.

But Nadia doesn't seem to hear, too caught up in the kitten.

"She can't stay too long," Damon tells her. "Because she's not supposed to be here at all."

Nadia nods, watching the fluffy black and white tuxedo kitten crawl around her bed.

As Elena watches the smile come across Damon's face, she realizes that it's impossible to tell who is happier at the moment: Nadia with her new kitten, or Damon, to be able to make his little girl so happy. It's such a small thing, an insignificant thing really, but it means the world to the little girl.

"Nadia, I need to go back to the store," Elena grabs her bag to leave.

"Will you tell Katherine I miss her?"

"I will and I'll also tell her that you'll come to see her as soon as you feel better," Elena assures her.

"Bye," Nadia waves with her hand as her eyes remain fixed on her kitten, laughing as it attacks her fingers.

Damon looks up at Elena, and she nods toward the hallway.

"I'll be right back, Nadia." He followed her outside.

Elena looks up at him in wonder, shaking her head. "You are…"

"Going to spoil her rotten?" Damon quips, finishing her sentence.

"No! That's not what I was going to say."

He hesitates, blinking down at her. "Then what?"

Elena smiles. "You are a great dad to her. Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise."

The breath that trembles out of him is warm against her face, and she stretches up on her toes so she can press her mouth to his, softly and sweetly. When she presses herself against him even more tightly, he comes alive. His lips part against her and she sighs into his mouth, the taste of him a little bit dizzying. His arm wraps around her waist and his other hand winds through her hair and she can feel his heartbeat, pounding through her body.

In the quiet hospital hallway, they breathe for each other.

The house is dark, brightened only by blue October twilight and the faint yellow glow of the lamp on the end table, so it felt cave-like and mysterious, an underwater grotto with loping indigo shadows.

It is strange, but Elena can't seem to bring herself to turn on any lights. The mood she is in seems to require darkness – it is comforting, reassuring somehow, as if she's hiding herself away, not having to explain herself, and not having to admit what happened.

This is all wrong, she thinks in panic. She should be happy. She should be giddy. She should be remembering the kiss with a sense of wonder and delight, feverishly reliving each second it dragged on.

Instead, though, she feels as if her world is about to implode and she's the one lighting the fuse.

It wasn't a confused, hesitant timid kiss, it was like she was trying to devour him, trying to take all the breath from his body, and she loved it. She was fierce and demanding, wanting him to feel as caught up and swept away as she was.

She held him to her so tightly that he nearly lifted her off the ground, his hand curving around her ass and moving her against him just the way she wanted. His mouth tasted rich and dark, and she drank from him greedily, taking everything he was offering and more.

Elena looked up at him, still panting, and pressed her fingertips to her lips as if they'd been burned. She shook her head slowly as if no words would come. He'd rendered her speechless, breathless, senseless.

She couldn't imagine stopping, couldn't imagine breathing on her own again, but the need for air became too much to ignore and they seemed to break apart at the same moment.

Damon slid her down his body, so her feet touched the floor and tried to pull himself together in a hurry.

A moment later, Elena pushed him out of the way without bothering to look back.

Sighing, she rises and walks toward the kitchen.

A glass of wine might make sleep come easier.

"I can walk by myself."

Nadia's tone is haughty, almost imperious, and behind him, he can hear Stefan laughing, sympathizing with her in the face of his brother's overprotective streak.

Nadia squirms in his arms as he carries her through the front door, and the annoyed look on her face so reminds him of Katherine.

"You sure?" he teases with a smile.

"Yes," Nadia declared stubbornly.

This time, he joins Stefan in laughter. Every day, he sees more of Katherine in Nadia, her strength, determination, and conviction.

"But you were pretty sick," Damon reminds her.

"But I can still walk," Nadia insists, kicking her legs.

Stefan comes up alongside them, dropping Nadia's bag to the floor and closing the door.

"Uncle Damon's just being careful," he tells her.

Nadia tilts her head, considering this for a moment. She relents finally, nodding briefly. Still, she pouts the entire time that Damon carries her to the sofa, where he gently sets her down and helps her out of her coat.

Stefan takes her coat from Damon and waits for him to hand over his own so he can hang them up.

"I don't like the hospital. It's not a fun place at all."

Damon nods, running a hand over her hair. "When you're sick, it's not a fun place, no. But Dr. Laughlin made you all better, right?"

Nadia purses her lips thoughtfully. "I guess. I think I'm going to draw a picture for Dr. Laughlin. Where's my kitty?" she asks, searching the room.

"That's a great idea," Stefan says, sitting on the couch with her. "I'm sure she'd like that very much."

"You can go to your room, watch some TV, and play with Snickers –"

"The Little Mermaid and cartoons?" Nadia asks excitedly.

"You can watch some cartoons," Damon tells her. "And we'll have some dinner, but then it's right off to bed, okay? No stalling, begging, or pleading. Right to bed."

Nadia frowns, her nose adorably wrinkled, but then her expression changes slightly, giving her a perplexed look. "Is it a school night?" she asks. "I can't remember what day it is…"

Damon strokes her hair. "It's hard to keep track of the days when you're so sick. And it is a school night but you're not going back to school until Dr. Laughlin gives us the okay. You have an appointment at the end of the week."

He can't tell whether Nadia is pleased or disappointed.

"If I don't have to go to school, why do I have to go to bed early?"

Damon can't contain his laughter.

"Well, Uncle Damon, her logic is pretty solid," Stefan points out.

"You have to go to bed early because you're still recovering. Dr. said you need lots of rest to make sure that you get well."

"But I'm all better," the little girl pouts. "Dr. Laughlin let me come home."

"I know, but just because you don't feel bad doesn't mean that you're 100 percent better."

She eyes him skeptically. "I don't feel sick anymore."

Damon shakes his head. "Your body hasn't healed completely yet." He looks up at his brother with a wink. "I bet you can convince Uncle Stefan to read you a story."

"Can you?" she asks him. "Can I have a story before bed?"

"If there's no fighting about bedtime…I'll read you a story," Stefan confirms.

Nadia bobs her head enthusiastically, not even arguing when Damon suggests that they go upstairs so she can change into her pajamas and be more comfortable. He sets the Raggedy Ann and Andie dolls in a chair at the bedside and hands her Joe.

He finds her Chip and Dale with Donald Duck DVD and starts it for her while she plays with her kitten.

"What am I going to do?" she asks abruptly. "If I don't go to school…"

Damon strokes her hair. "Uncle Klaus is going to be here. I have to run to work to do a few things but while I'm gone Aunt Bonnie will be here to keep you company, okay?"

"Owie!" Nadia jumps when the kitten stretches, poking her claws into Nadia's skin.

Damon smiles, nudging her with his shoulder. "Snickers didn't mean to hurt you. She was just stretching."

Damon watches as she bends to press a kiss to Snicker's head. "I'll come to get you when Uncle Stefan has dinner ready," he tells her over his shoulder as he leaves her room.

Despite her protests, Nadia falls asleep easily, after about ten minutes of Stefan reading to her. He eases his way off of her bed carefully, and Damon flips off the lights as they leave the room.

Damon pauses, looking back at her tiny form in the bed, lovely and fragile in the shimmering indigo nightlight. He'd come so close to losing her and that thought alone haunts him.

He'd been terrified of screwing up this child's life that he never considered the depth of love that it involves, the total and utter devotion to another person. Nadia is truly the most amazing and unexpected gift that he's ever received in his life.

Closing Nadia's door behind him, he finds himself standing in the dark hallway with Stefan.

"You must be exhausted yourself," he said inanely.

Damon nods. "Yeah," he agrees. "It's amazing how you can run on nothing but adrenaline and fumes for so long and the second you stop to catch your breath, it just all hits you."

He yawns as he walks down the hallway to his room. Damon pauses for a moment in the doorway, looking back at his brother. "Goodnight," he says and enters his room, pushing the door shut behind him.

A few days later, Damon locks up Bad Habits for the night. He has a gift basket on his arm and he walks down the street to Tale Spinners.

He peeks into the window and notices her tallying up the receipts. Damon raps lightly on the window causing Elena to look up and smile at him. She walks over tentatively to open the door.

"Damon, hi."

"For you getting Nadia to speak," he says and hands her the basket.

"She was ready to speak," Elena replies as she looks over the contents.

"There's a gift card for a free meal at my place, some specialty coffee that I like, chocolate and sea salt caramels, a bottle of my best wine, and a packet of wildflower seeds since you seem to like them so much."

"I do love wildflowers. See that quote," she points to the picture hanging up behind the checkout stand.

"You belong among the wildflowers," Damon reads it. "Tom Petty."

"Yes, it is. I've always loved them and thank you for this, Damon. It wasn't necessary."

"Yes, it was," Damon contends. "I wanted to ask you something, too. Since Nadia is on the mend, I know a local spot that keeps its kitchen open late. I could swing by tomorrow, after we both close, and pick you up..."

Elena laughs quietly and takes a deep breath before responding. Although against her better judgment, she agrees.

They chat for a few more minutes before Damon leaves her bookstore. Elena watches him go, feeling a mix of emotions. She knows she shouldn't have kissed him in the hospital. She got caught up in the moment...

And now she can't help but wonder if she made the wrong choice again.

Thank you all. So. Much.

Chapter title: Then He Kissed Me – The Crystals.

If any of you are interested in Stefanie Salvatore's exploits, you might like The Bourbon Diaries by wattskerrylou. Be sure to check out Florencia7's page. She's the best DE writer in my opinion. She could make Humpty Dumpty sound romantic. And Eva's Christmas Carol. She had a stroke and it's difficult for her to write now. I do hope with encouragement, she will return to finish it.

Have a wonderful day and a happy week ahead.