"Do you know how to play catch?" Damon asked as he entered her room. 

She was drawing something in a book but looked up hearing him, "no. What's that?" 

He first observed the scenery she had been coloring and after warmly appreciating her, he explained, "it's a game called catch. We play with a ball in such a way that one person throws it to the other who has to catch it. Want to see how?" 

She gave an enthusiastic nod so he took her out in the backyard. Stefan had just come back from his walk when Damon asked him to join as well, "hey Stefan, me and Melanie are going to play catch. You joining?" 

In a short while Stefan took out the ball, "first we'll show you how to play. Right, brother?" 

Stefan and Damon at first simply threw the ball and caught it but after a good several throws as per their old routine, Stefan ran away with the ball and Damon chased after him. Melanie was bubbling with excitement as she followed. 

Damon was about to snatch the ball away from Stefan, but he immediately threw it over to Melanie who caught the ball and ran off with Damon chasing her. 

"Caught you," he smirked as he easily hauled her off the ground. "Give me the ball, Mel," he spoke in a sweet voice as if coaxing her but the smirk was still evident on his face. 

Melanie giggled, "I won't." Her cheeks were red from healthy exertion and she appeared to be a little rosy fairy. 

He raised an eyebrow, "oh yes you will. You simply have to." 

She imitated and cocked an eyebrow at him, "make me." And then she threw the ball to Stefan.

"Hey that's not fair," Damon made a face which caused her to dissolve in laughter. 

"Oh Daynon!" she laughed and laughed as he kept making weird faces and then she was too exhausted so she lay down there on the grass. 

"You okay?" Stefan asked. 

She was still smiling, "yup. Too tired to go up the stairs. Don't wanna climb all the way up to my room. I might as well sleep here. It's so cool and nice." 

Damon scooped her up in his arms, "I can carry you to your room." 

He climbed up the stairs but she kept silent because it frightened her as she felt she would get hurt if Damon accidentally dropped her. 

"You're not gonna fall, Mel," Stefan spoke, "I can promise you that even if me and Damon played catch with you as the ball we would never have let you fall." 

She shrieked, "no no no no!!! I don't wanna be tossed in the air. Bad idea, Steefan, very bad idea." 

But there was a mischievous glint in Damon's eyes, "well... Actually Stefan's right.It's a wonderful idea." 

She squealed, "no don't you even think of that. Bad bad idea." 

Damon made a puppy face, "pretty please, Lenny. Besides it's not a very bad idea. Why don't we show her, brother?" 

And without further warning, Damon threw her over to Stefan who caught her as easily as if she was a pillow stuffed with feathers. Her eyes were wide in shock and her jaw had dropped open in a tiny o shape. 

"See we didn't let you fall," Stefan spoke but that earned him a smack from Melanie. 

"You... you... you're so bad. I told you not to do that! If I did fell down then? And you Steefan! It was your idea. Bad idea. If you do that again..." 

But Damon interrupted her, "yeah, if we do that again then what?" 

She turned over and pulled his ear, "then I won't talk to you for a month." 

He rubbed his ear with his hand, "Ow, that was rude." 

She hopped into her bed and pulled the blankets above her so as to convince them that she was really very angry. They were failing badly at trying to contain their laughter and Melanie was definitely not in a good mood. 

"Hey, Mel, you haven't even brushed your teeth," Stefan remarked. 

They heard a muffled reply, "I'm not a kid anymore. Will do everything myself." 

Damon laughed, "and how in the world are you going reach the sink? You aren't that tall you know." 

She mumbled, "not your problem, Daynon. Can't you guys see that I'm angry with you?" 

Damon led Stefan out, "okay fine. Stay angry at us. Come on brother, little baby sister doesn't even want to talk to us." 

When she had made sure that they were gone, she bounced out of the bed sheets and made her way to the toilet so as to brush her teeth. However Damon was right; she was too small to even grab her toothbrush from the cup. 

While she was still pondering over the solution to her current crisis, she felt someone lift her up and gently place her down on her chair so that she could easily reach the tap. She turned around and saw Damon applying toothpaste on her toothbrush. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked. 

He shrugged, "helping you, what else?" 

He noticed that her face was still set in an angry expression but it made her look twice cuter, "hey don't be so angry. Fine it won't happen again." 

She narrowed her eyes at him, "is that all you've gotta say?" 

He shrugged, "why? Should I have said something else?" 

She asked, "when are you gonna say sorry, Daynon?" 

He made a weird face, "a what?" 

She repeated, "sorry. When are you gonna say sorry?" 

He laughed, "but i just said I'm not sorry, Melanie. Still I won't do it again." 

She sighed, "you're so mean to me." 

He spoke, "brush your teeth, princess."

***