'You've found hope, you've found faith, found how fast she could take it away. Found true love, lost your heart. Now you don't know who you are. She made it easy, made it free, made you hurt til you couldn't see. Sometimes it stops, sometimes it flows, but baby that is how love goes. You will fly and you will crawl; God knows even angels fall. No such thing as you lost it all. God knows even angels fall. It's a secret no one tells; one day it's heaven, one day it's hell. It's no fairy tale; take it from me, that's the way it's supposed to be.' -Even Angels Fall (Jessica Riddle)

Mila found herself back at the boarding house her mind completely blank of how she had come to be there or why. It was merely where her feet had unconsciously carried her without a moment's hesitation. She walked into the house her blurry mind recognizing the familiar surroundings. Once inside she paused in the entrance way her feet remaining firmly in place as if she were waiting for something or someone to trigger her next move.

A moment later the footsteps on the staircase drew her attention but before she could turn to see who it was descending the stairs they were standing before her in a flash. Mila didn't even show the smallest amount of surprise merely stepping back to get a good look at who it was. In an instant Damon's tall dark figure was hovering over her his wolfish icy blue eyes sparking with barely contained anger as he stood threateningly over her.

"Naughty girl running off on your own," he growled irritably speaking as if she were a child to be reprimanded. "Didn't I tell you to stay put."

Mila heard his words but they didn't register. All she knew looking upon the familiar face of the man standing before her was deep black all consuming hate. She didn't know why, only that it was. Damon... she knew him...she hated him.

Rage filled her, pure and unadulterated, with no reason for being other than the fact that it was there. Mila lashed out with well practiced ease using the element of surprise to her advantage her knee rising up to land a hard blow to the gut while her fist followed suite sending the unsuspecting Damon flying backward. Not having suspected the attack Damon's usual guard was down making it even easier for him to be thrown. As he flew through the air the force that Mila had hit him with sent him flying through the large picture window overlooking the front yard.

Damon groaned feeling his body collide with the solid ground outside feeling the shattered glass as it was crushed beneath him while slivers embedded themselves deep into his skin. Shock still clouded his mind making the pain all the more intense when he couldn't even bother to right himself before landing none to gently. It had been an annoyance to find Mila missing earlier not having a clue as to where she had gone or even if she had left on her own at all. In the time that she had been missing Damon wasn't sure with witch idea he was more angered about.

The thought of her being kidnapped by Klaus was unsettling in how much it terrified him; on the other hand if she had willingly left after they had all expressly warned her of the dangers of being on her own infuriated him all the same. When he had heard her re-enter the house relief had flooded him but that same relief was shorted lived, as his current position on his back laying on the grassy hard ground surrounded by broken glass made obvious. Mila had never been one to trifle with but the power and speed in which she had hit him was not normal. Of that Damon was suddenly all too well aware.

The sounds of battle had drawn unwanted attention as a moment later Stefan appeared from another room Elena following close behind. Both stopped frozen in their tracks at seeing exactly what or who it was that had brought them running. The moment Mila's eye caught Stefan another flare of hate went off inside her and yet it was not enough to draw her away from Damon- at least not while he was still alive. Mila barely gave Stefan another glance turning her attention once more to the current target of her rage.

"I'll take care of you later," she spoke off handedly to Stefan stepping back through the doorway and into the yard. Crushing the broken glass as she stepped across the grass Mila made her way slowly to Damon as if taking enjoyment in drawing out the moment.

Damon hadn't even had the chance to pick himself up off the ground or even find his breath after being winded by her sudden attack. Just as he began to feel his body recover from the numbness of the painful crash through the window Mila stood over him looking down at him eyes clouded with unnatural hate. Her foot to his chest kept him down pushing down painfully hard.

Her lips curled cruelly in a manner that was so wholly unlike Mila. It almost seemed as if she were enjoying the pain she was inflicting. As if to prove that very point her foot pushed harder onto Damon's chest her new strength making it all too easy to crack several ribs. Damon hissed refusing to scream at the pain racking through his body. The new pain of his cracked ribs only adding to the pain of the glass that was still biting painfully deep into the skin of Damon's bare arms and the much larger shards that had managed to tear through his shirt to reach the vulnerable skin beneath, tearing ragged wounds. Had Damon been human would have been deep enough to cause enough blood loss to kill.

Completely oblivious to any sense of remorse for the pain she was inflicting Mila looked down at the pathetic man literally beneath her feet.

"What a silly girl I was thinking you would change," she hissed down at him her words so full of hate and anger. "I should have known how you would turn out. You had it written in ugly black letters all across your soul. I finally understand that- what a waste of so many years."

Mila pressed harder enjoying the hiss of breath from Damon as he struggled for breathe. As she leaned over him speaking her angry words in a near whisper to the incapacitated Damon, Mila pulled a stake seemingly from thin air taking the moment of distraction to her advantage.

Damon could only stare up at the woman standing over him allowing her weight to keep him down rather than making any move to dislodge her as he could have easily done with his superior strength. Despite his attempt to ignore the angry words it was difficult to truly do so. They were words that he knew in the deepest part of his soul would never leave Mila's lips. Whatever may be happening, no matter this woman standing over him was indeed the body of Mila but the words of hate were something different all together. So lost in his confusion, the pain stabbing deeply into his chest as if she had already staked him he did not even attempt to escape her hold.

Suddenly Mila found herself flying across the yard landing harshly against a tree the bark biting into her skin breaking open the only partially healed wounds from her initial confrontation in the woods before she slide to the ground in a graceless heap. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a rib crack painfully but still she ignored it, nothing was more important than the hate boiling within her. Growling she made to attack once more but instantly found herself slammed back against the tree with a hard bruising grip circling her delicate neck ready to snap it if she made even the smallest move. Mila struggled wildly slowly loosening her attacker's grip on her enough to attack on her own. She never had the opportunity to make the first move on the one who had dared interfere before Damon interrupted them himself.

"Don't you dare! You'll kill her!" Damon groaned angrily slowly regaining his feet the harsh intent glare he sent his brother belying the slight struggle he had in regaining his feet.

"She was going to kill you!" Stefan yelled back never glancing away from Mila as he held her soundly.

"It's Mila, Stefan we can't hurt her. She's been compelled." Damon reasoned carefully stepping closer his eyes glued on Mila as well as he spoke to his brother. It was strange to watch her in such a state seeming little more than a rabid animal in her attempts to remove herself from Stefan's hold.

"She's an immortal I thought she was immune to vampire compulsion."

"Well maybe it wasn't just any old vampire that compelled her!" Damon shot back glancing only momentarily away from Mila to meet his brother's gaze.

"One of the Originals got to her," Stefan finished for his brother catching on easily as to what Damon was eluding to. It certainly explained a great deal about Mila's strange violent behavior. He had seen her strength before but never had she behaved as violently as this, such a strange and sharp turn from her usual calm collected gentle manner. But if that was the truth- if she was compelled what could either of them do to stop her?

Mila did not require the help nor want it but used Stefan's distraction to her advantage all the same. Pushing all her strength into her arms she forced Stefan's body away from hers grasping his arm she used his faltered footing to send him flying over head leaving him laying on the ground where Damon had laid only moments ago.

Ignoring his brother on the ground Damon stepped over him his attention completely on Mila. Blue eyes met violet in a silent battle. Damon could now feel that anger, the intense rage building easily within him. He was looking straight at Mila and yet her eyes that always seemed to see so much, so much of him, there was nothing there of her now. She seemed to look right through him with eyes clouded in nothing but hate. This was not who Mila was. Just looking at her now Damon felt shame nearly overwhelm him along with intense boiling rage that threatened to consume.

He should have been watching her better, keeping her safe. Could he do nothing right? Not even for Mila? It was their fault- the Originals. They had done this to her. They had taken her from him. If he could not save her now than they would suffer greatly in return. He silently swore to himself that if he survived this he would destroy them for what they had done. He would make them suffer, he would make sure of that.

"Stay out of this," Damon spoke calmly down to his brother on the ground without even sparring him a second glance. The dark promise in his voice speaking of retribution if Stefan were to dare interfere. This was Damon's battle alone. It had been his inability to protect her properly that had resulted in her current state.

Mila did not even seem to pay the slightest attention to Stefan after she had managed to push him away. For the time being there was only Damon and her need to destroy him. In that moment there was only the two of them- Mila and Damon- in a battle for their own souls.

It was Mila who made the first move lashing out with the stake still held firmly in hand. Damon merely dodged making sure to keep his distance from her to avoid the deadly weapon but never attacking back. With each step to dodge the oncoming attacks Mila would only lash out again singularly intent on destroying Damon. It didn't even seem as if she tried in her constant onslaught against him the energy of the compulsion making any sort of fatigue fleeting driving her on the attack with everything she had.

In his avoidance of her attacks Damon not watching where he stepped nearly stumbled as his shoulder caught against a tree. Despite catching himself before he completely lost his footing the small stumble gave Mila the very opportunity she had been seeking. The stake came down in a swift arch catching Damon across the arm ripping through his shirt and bloodying him even more as it tore a long gaping wound across his forearm. A hiss of pain stuttered passed his lips but Damon simply forced himself to ignore the pain instead concentrating on distancing himself from Mila and the deadly weapon in hand.

"You need to wake up Mila!" Damon called out uncaring that he was begging now desperation overriding any sense of his usual cool facade. Now was not the time for posturing.

"Why don't you fight back!?" Mila cried angrily as if insulted by Damon's refusal to fight back against her even while his life was on the line.

"I tried to avoid telling you this. I thought I couldn't change things. But maybe I can." Damon growled feeling a renewed sense of hope fill his body pushing him forward- for her. He would bring her back even if it meant his life. And if that was the case he damned sure was going to make sure she knew the truth that he had spent years fearing- avoiding as if it weren't real- as if he didn't deserve it. Hell- he still thought he didn't deserve it but in that moment he needed her to know.

There was too much at stake- literally.

Mila lashed out again forcing Damon back and into the present situation.

This could not go on much longer. Each time Mila lashed out at him Damon could see the fatigue that was beginning to wear her down even if it did not register in her mind. Decision made he stopped dodging standing solidly in place his eyes watching Mila as she readied herself for attack waiting and watching for his own opportunity.

"I won't walk away this time because when it's real you can't walk away. I finally understand that now," Damon spoke more to himself assuring himself of what he would do- what he would risk. Never before had he ever felt so strong as he did in that moment the renewed sense of hope filling him and it was all for her. There was a freedom in those words that not speaking them had left him confused and hesitate but not anymore.

It was difficult knowing that Mila wasn't truly a threat- not really anyway. That knowledge that somewhere deep in her consciousness she was there made it difficult to figure his next move. He had to be careful of his strength in comparison to hers. Immortal she may be but as Mila had told them herself it was still a possibility. Even if she had not been immortal what could he possibly do? This was Mila- the one woman who had never given up on him- who understood him better than anyone else.

How could he possible fight her? How could he fight her if it meant hurting her? But now he had no choice finally forcing himself to fight back Damon saw the opportunity open and took it.

His speed getting the better of her as he appeared at her back his arms wrapping firmly around her slender slight frame holding her tightly so that she couldn't struggle away. The moment his arms wrapped around her Mila became rabid struggling wildly to be let free bringing him to hold her even more tightly to him.

"Get off me!" Mila bellowed fiercely never relenting in her struggles to release herself from his hold.

"You promised to fight!" Damon snapped back his grasp fighting all the more firmly refusing to release her. "You're stronger than this," he spoke more gently the words nearly silent, a desperate whisper in her ear. Still, with all his begging it barely seemed to faze the seemingly rabid woman in his arms.

"Release me you monster," Mila hissed attempting to claw at Damon's arms had he not been holding her arms to her sides to avoid any attack.

"Now let's not resort to name calling," Damon attempted to joke as usual but it fell flap even on his own lips. "Please Mila," Damon begged whispering in her ear still hoping his voice would reach her wherever she was. Still his only reply was an angry hiss from the struggling woman.

No matter her actions Mila felt- heard- saw everything- every horrible thing she did and said. Yet, even as she would move to attack or verbally tear into Damon there was nothing she could do to stop herself. It was as if there were chains holding her back keeping herself from interfering with the monster that had taken control of her body. With each moment she pulled against the chains his words drifted through the haze the surrounded her calling out to her, keeping her fighting.

"I realized it a long time ago...but I never said it," Damon panted gritting in pain as he forced himself to keep his hold strong still having more to say before his arm gave out.

Even as she fought to free herself from the compulsion her body moved of its own accord continuously targeting Damon intent on death. She sensed the moment of momentary weakness his arms flexing. Sensing that weakness Mila swung around her nails biting into gaping wound of his arm. Instantly Damon screamed in agony the red hot pain shooting up his arm as her nails dug painfully into the wound forcing him to release her. Smartly Damon pushed her away as she finally struggled free of his hold just missing another lash from the stake she still carried in her hand. It was more difficult now to dodge her attacks; the fiery pain that originated in his torn arm now coursed through his body the lingering effects of the vervain intensifying the pain all the more. Lash by lash Damon dodged Mila's constant movements keeping himself on the move. Gritting back the pain he refused to turn and run.

Unknown to Mila the tears she shed in her mind were very real flowing freely in reality. Even as she continued to mindlessly attack Damon, her features were set and unperturbed in any way as if completely oblivious to their presence.

"I love you Mila!" Damon called out refusing to stop what he had already started, the words ringing clear reaching through the haze clouding her mind. As Mila attacked Damon's hand shot out taking hold of her wrist that held her weapon forcing it away as he brought her body close his eyes meeting hers as he whispered his next carefully chosen words to her. "I choose you."

The sincerity in his voice touched her deeply breaking through deep into her core like an arrow of warm blinding light. Mila fought, pulling at the chains holding her captive in her own mind; reaching for the warm light that Damon had always provided even in the darkest times of her life providing her that one small hope that there was more than the dark and loneliness. With tears burning in her eyes she let them fall her entire focus set in forcing her way back to the surface of her mind holding onto that ray of light to guide her. This would not happen- not now. The words she had so longed to hear set her free giving her the strength to fight.

"No!" Mila cried out desperately breaking through the terror of control. Memories of her actions exploding in her mind like a bright light leaving her dazed. But it was too late to stop herself twisting free from Damon's grasp the deadly stake already embedded deeply into his shoulder pulling an agonized cry tearing from his lips as he was forced to release her.

Mila pulled herself from the haze watching Damon stumble to his knees barely seeming to hold himself up the stake still embedded deeply its vervain soaked surface burning away each second it remained there. Yet, he did not move to attempt to remove it his intensely blue eyes looking to her the usual veil that hid so much no longer there. Everything was right there on the surface for Mila to see telling her the truth of each word he had uttered to her risking his life all the while.

Taking the risk of her weak body she stepped forward needing to touch him- to speak to him. Barely managing a single step of a few inches her legs gave out beneath her forcing her to the ground. If not for the action of Damon she would have hit the grassy ground not that she would have noticed in her state with the pain already wracking through her body. Despite that pain she felt Damon's arms surrounding her so different than his hold on her while she had been trapped inside her mind. Now he held her like a previous gem that would break at the slightest movement holding her close to his chest offering warmth to her shivering body. Her head fell back against his shoulder allowing their eyes to meet. She needed to see him, to look into his eyes for what she needed to tell him- for him to see the truth in what she spoke, just as she had seen in his.

"Love you," she spoke offering a tremulous smile wishing so much that she had the strength to embrace him- kiss him as she so longed to do.

Suddenly Mila felt as if her head had exploded with a dazzling light and agony that winded her before leaving her collapsed in a boneless heap as she slipped into darkness. As she began to drift away into the pleasant void of numbness she thought she could hear Damon his voice sounding far away drifting further and further until there was silence.

AN: So no I didn't forget about this fic. Honestly I just lost inspiration and maybe distraction from my MARVEL fic with Avengers having come out when I started it. I also got on a Doctor Who binge...its hard to stop. But now that Vampire Diaries is back with a new season I am feeling the juices flowing again. Maybe not for this chapter...I had to rewrite it twice due to stupidity on my part for not saving correctly. I personally don't think its great but it was a hard chapter to write since I didn't want some epic battle. I guess whether its good or not will depend on REVIEWER opinion.

By the way if you haven't heard the song take a listen its a great song of how I think it is between Damon and Mila at times.

REVIEW!