The next morning Melanie came down the stairs all by herself. But before she could step down into the living room she heard Damon call from the kitchen, "hey Lenny, stay right there. I'll just be a moment." 

She stood there as said but was rather confused. Soon Damon came and scooped her up and then carried her over to the kitchen. 

"Hey, Daynon, I can walk pretty much as well as you can," she spoke. 

He smiled, "of course you can but not just now." 

He sat her down on a chair at the dining table and laid out her breakfast. "Somebody's making pancakes," Stefan also joined them and sat down beside Melanie. 

"Yeah you loved my pancakes," Damon replied with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. 

Melanie asked, "why didn't you let me come here myself? You didn't give the right answer." 

He glanced at her briefly, "uh... Well... The living room is a bit out of order, really messy. And you could have stepped on shattered glass." 

She wondered, "why do you make such a lot of mess then?" 

Stefan burst out laughing at her innocent question, "yeah, tell her why." 

Damon glared at him but managed to keep a smile plastered on his face, "the thing is Mel, that I sometimes lose my head so things just happen and... Then there's a lot of mess. I sometimes get a bit cranky. Not that I want to, I just can't help it." 

She was confused at the opposite reactions of both the brother; Stefan who appeared highly amused while Damon who looked like he would eat Stefan alive. 

"It's a good thing that you find your head back every time you lose it. Or else you would have been really scary. Headless. Just imagining you without a head is scary enough," she shuddered. 

The innocent remark set Damon laughing too, "you know you're very cute, don't you?" 

She spoke, "you have a very nice laugh, Daynon." 

He raised an eyebrow, "you think so? Well, I do get praise from a lot of ladies but no one ever commented on my laugh." 

She replied, "I know why's that. It's because you don't laugh often." 

He looked straight in her eyes for a second as though surprised at how exactly correct she was. He gave no reply and busied himself around. 

Her face was set in a thoughtful expression as if pondering over something, "are you sad, Daynon?" 

He tried to smile, "no, not at all. I'm great." 

She narrowed her eyes, "you don't have to lie to me." 

This time though he replied in a somewhat fixed tone, "I'm not lying to you, Melanie." 

She immediately scuttled closer to Stefan as if scared of him suddenly. Damon realized that he had been a little too hard on the poor girl. 

He sighed and gently took her hand in his, "Melanie, please. You don't have to be scared of me, okay? Now be a good girl and finish these pancakes." 

At that instant the doorbell rang and both the brothers went to check. It was Sheriff. He had brought the Adoption papers and was keen to explain all the process of adoption to them. Both of them listened; Stefan fully concentrated, while Damon a little halfheartedly. 

He was thinking about something else; the last time he had genuinely laughed. Melanie had been right. Damon's life was filled with a lot of pain. He recalled the last time he had been truly happy and Rose's image formed in his mind. 

"The sun is so warm. I missed it, I missed being human," her words rang in his ears. 

"Race you to the trees?" he could still recall the beautiful smile on her face. 

"You'll lose," he had said with a sincere laugh. 

She had begun the countdown, "one... two..." 

But he was brought back to reality as the Sheriff asked him for his signature on the papers. He signed and so did Stefan and finally they were now officially Melanie's legal guardians. 

The Sheriff was about to leave when he turned to Damon and added, "I do trust you both to fulfill your duty to the little lady but one thing to keep in mind and specially you, Damon; do not let your bad habits rub off on her." 

Damon smirked, "trust me for doing that. I mean, I don't think I really have to worry about that since Saint Stefan is always gonna be there for the expert parental guidance and lectures whenever needed, right brother?" 

They had taken Sheriff to the door when they heard Melanie from the kitchen, "hi Sheriff!" 

He spoke, "oh there you are, kiddo. Why didn't you come out of the kitchen?" 

She smiled brightly, "well Daynon told me not to." 

Sheriff was surprised, "but why?" 

She laughed cheerfully, "Daynon told me that the living room is a bit out of order. Really messy. And I could have stepped on shattered glass." 

Damon rolled his eyes, "yeah, yeah fine I'm going to clean it all up myself. First Stefan now you. Yeah whatever just don't start lecturing me on my crazy habits." 

After he had left, Damon cleared up the room as he had said. Melanie was perched on the counter chattering excitedly about everything she saw. All of a sudden she asked, "Daynon, I'm just so happy with you and Steefan. I don't wanna go back but I know one day you'll have to send me away. Can't I stay with you forever? I promise I'll be a good girl and I'll never ever trouble you. Please please let me stay with you?" 

He came towards her and affectionately stroked her cheek,"but you're not going anywhere. You are going to stay with us forever." 

Her eyes shone, "really?" 

He smiled,"yes. You are our sister and you are going to stay with us." 

She spoke, "but I can't be your real sister?" 

He replied, "who said that? You are our real sister and you're not going anywhere."

***