By the time Damien awoke the next morning, he was oddly and greatly comfortable.

The room was still somewhat dark, and thinking that it was still early, Damien gently kept Ella as still as possible as he reached across to check the time on his phone that had been plugged up right before he went to bed.

1:36 P.M.

Damien frowned, checking the time again.

Had his phone not automatically changed? He wasn't in the states, so why was it displaying that time?

"What is it?" Ella's groggy voice alerted him of her consciousness now.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Damien felt her remove herself from his side, turning her back so that she could find a comfortable and warm spot again.

"Did you get a phone call?" Ella murmured, almost half-asleep. Damien smiled in adoration at how she was forcing herself to stay away to check up on him.

"My phone is saying that it's 1:36 P.M." Damien murmured, setting his phone down so that he could lie back down.

"It probably is." Ella yawned, now becoming more awake.

"What?" Damien stilled. He had never, ever slept for so long. Not even when he pulled all-nighters in college preparing for exams or doing homework did he find himself waking up so late.

"What? Did you have an appointment?" Ella turned to face him now, watching as he sat up, pushing her white covers off so that he could go pull the curtain open just a bit as to not blind Ella.

"How did we sleep for so long?" Damien frowned, closing the curtains after blinding himself.

Ella shrugged, closing her eyes again. She still felt her limbs weigh down on her from how tired she was. "The others probably aren't even up yet, babe."

Damien, unable to resist her natural, almost siren-like beauty, approached her on the bed. "Still tired?" He grabbed a piece of her hair, pushing it behind her before he tucked her back into his arms.

Ella hummed a yes to his question, accepting his cuddle. She felt him place a soft kiss on her forehead before he unwrapped one arm and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Amore, you have a fever." Damien could feel a light heat emitting from her skin, and he frowned. "We ought to lock you inside a house for the winter."

Ella chuckled, moving away from him now. "I'm fine." She yawned as she sat on the bed, pulling down the large sleeves of her oversized sweater. "How do you feel about going downtown?" She ran a hand through her hair, relieved that not a lot of tangles had developed overnight since she didn't feel like she would be able to run a brush through it. Her head was beginning to develop a mini headache.

"Like this? Ella, I don't think you should be going out much." Damien was staring at her incredulously. Had she gone insane? She was sick, and here she also was, trying to go out in the cold and windy weather.

"I'll just take some medicine. Come on, I have to stop down there anyway, so I can show you around." Ella was already on her way to the bathroom, some fluffy slippers on her feet.

"If you're doing this because I'm here for a limited time, don't bother, Ella. I can always return." Damien called out to her right before she shut the bathroom door.

Damien sighed, shaking his head before he also got up. He dressed in some casual and warm clothes before entering the restroom where Ella had already finished dressing and getting ready for the day. Once they were both walking downstairs, Ella's parents were in the living room with Melissa and Erica.

"Congratulations. You guys are the second ones to come down." Timotheo joked, watching as Ella pulled Damien by his hand.

"She's sick." Damien revealed, hoping that maybe Elizabeth could talk some sense into Ella.

"Seriously? You couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" Timotheo sighed, pulling out his wallet to give the money to Erica. "Give that to Fransisco."

"Another bet?" Erica sighed, shaking her head.

"Bet? What?" The toddler quickly caught on, asking her mom about the unfamiliar word.

"We have medicine in the top cabinet. We just bought it the other day, too. I figured you'd get sick." Elizabeth stood up, walking to the kitchen with Ella following. Damien was left dumbfounded in the living room.

"Don't think it's because they don't care about her, it's just normal. At first, I also thought it was heartless." Erica winked at Damien, picking up Melissa. "Let's go wake up daddy, yeah?"

"Did you sleep well?" Timotheo asked Damien once they were alone.

Damien nodded, clearing his throat awkwardly. While everything that happened inside of Ella's bedroom was pure and innocent, he had spent the night with her.

"That's good," Timotheo nodded, noticing how tense Damien seemed, causing him to release a chuckle. "Are you guys heading out to town already?"

"Yes, sir. I tried telling her to stay in, but," Damien trailed off with a heavy sigh.

"She's really excited to see the kids." Timotheo smiled fondly, proudly too.

"The kids?" Damien frowned, confused. That was something random. What kids?

"Yeah. Down at the orphanage. You know, the one she founded." Timotheo let out casually, almost as if it was something that Damien was supposed to know.

"Orphanage?" Damien wasn't sure if he had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed or what was happening to him because he just was having hard time processing many things today- and he had only been up for a few minutes, maybe an hour.

"Didn't you know?" Ella's dad suddenly widened his eyes, realizing his mistake, but before he could remedy it, Ella returned, ready to go.

"Ready?" Ella nudged Damien's shoulder. He had already sat down to talk to her father.

"Go safely!" Elizabeth walked them to the door, waving goodbye as Ella got into her mom's car that had been lended to her since neither one of her parents had plans to leave. Either way, there were still two other vehicles in the driveway in case they were needed.

Walking back to the living room where her husband was, Elizabeth almost immediately saw her husband's sour face.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Has Ella not told Damien about the orphanage? Do you know?" Timotheo asked, thinking. Not like it would be a bad thing if Damien knew, but he was sure that if Ella hadn't told him, it was for a reason.

"I don't know. Why? Did you say something?" Elizabeth widened her eyes in her husband's direction. "Seriously, honey?"

"I didn't know!" Timotheo jumped to his own defense, lifting his hands up in surrender.

Elizabeth flicked his forehead gently, shaking her head. "I guess that'll be the topic of conversation today." She murmured, settling back in her seat.

A little while later, after chatting mindlessly during their ride to the cafè where Damien and Ella were planning on having breakfast, Damien finally questioned her.

"What did you want to show me?"

Ella pushed her plate to the side, finished with her food.

"The court here." Ella's eyes shone with excitement. She knew just how passionate Damien was about the law, and Ella was eagerly waiting to show him inside the colossal building where only the best of the best judges and court system attended. "Obviously there are certain rooms that aren't accessible to the public, but most of them are open for business, so we can always go and check it out."

"Is that the only place we're going to today?" Damien tried again, seeing if Ella would reveal something about that previously mentioned orphanage.

"Well," Ella paused her explaining, talking Spanish to a passing waitress, and before Damien could even fully understand what was happening, Ella was paying. "Spending my summers here, I made friends with a couple of people. There are some that work in a nearby building that I would like to visit." Ella vaguely explained, unaware of what her dad had already revealed to Damien.

"What's that building?" Damien quickly took Ella's hand as soon as they stepped out of the warm cafè. While the streets weren't packed like they sometimes were back in Atlanta, there were still many people, and Damien felt an urge to keep her close and safe.

"It's an orphanage." Ella finally clued him in, but that was that. She didn't say anything else.

Damien, not wanting to reveal his intentions just yet, followed along. He chatted with her as she took him around the block, showing him different statues that were important and large. He was especially amazed at the royal architecture that each building seemed to have regardless of how meaningless that building may seem.

"That's the city's bank." Ella pointed to yet another grand building that had guards standing outside, protecting it. "Ever since a break-in a couple of years back, they add-"

"Ella? Is that you?" A unknown voice for Damien called out, catching both his and Ella's attention. "It is!" A man finally appeared in front of the young couple. "Guao! Estas bellissima! (Wow! You're beautiful!)"

Before Ella could even register who it was, the young and smiling man pulled her into his arms, laughing happily.

It had been a long time since Diego had even seen her, though.

"Diego," Ella chuckled when he finally set her back on her feet. She was a bit taken aback by such an enthusiastic greeting. "Hey, how are you?"

Diego frowned, confused as to why she was speaking English now when they mainly communicate in Spanish. His gaze met with Damien's, and Diego's confused gaze went back to Ella's.

"Ah, this is Damien, my boyfriend. Damien, this is Diego, a childhood friend." Ella presented them once she realized that both parties were equally confused by each other.

"Oh," Diego's smile faltered, looking at Damien, measuring him up, and sure enough, he seemed like someone who deserved to have Ella by his side. Tall, muscular, refined. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Damien tightly smiled, and Diego noticed. He couldn't deny that he rejoiced in making Damien feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Where are you guys going?" Diego continued; he had barely gotten to see Ella since she seemed to be in her set path and destination.

"To the orphanage," Ella pointed down a narrow path with one hand, her other one now holding Damien's again.

"Oh, did you hear about Marcos returning? His grandmother needed surgery, so he's here now." Diego informed, watching as Damien seemed to get a bit more uncomfortable. While Diego wasn't a bad person, he definitely couldn't deny that he felt jealous and was enjoying how antsy he was making the man feel.

"I didn't. I'll have to invite him to a meal sometime." Ella bit her bottom lip, not knowing how to diffuse the situation now that she could feel how tense Damien had become. "Well-"

"Do you mind if I stick with you guys? I also haven't seen much of the kids either." Diego rushed, abusing of the power he had over knowing much more about Ella in this country if Damien's baffled expression was anything to go by.

Ella threw Damien a discreet and apologetic look. "Sure. Lead the way." She motioned in front of her, shivering slightly from how chilling the wind was.

"Cold?" Diego wondered, but by the time he had worked up the courage to say something to that girl he had grown to love, Damien was already wrapping his scarf around her neck.

"Yeah," Ella got a pink hue to her cheeks. "The weather is no joke."

"You're telling me. Working in this is cruel." Diego agreed, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. "What do you do, Damien?"

Damien looked at the other man, aware of how he was trying to intimidate him.

"I'm a lawyer. A prosector, to be exact."

"Ah," Diego nodded, "kind of dangerous, no? To be surrounded by criminals. Doesn't provide much a safe life for a family."

Ella chuckled. Diego had no idea.

"We're here." Ella sighed in relief, her breath coming out like a cloud from how frigid the air was. She was also sighing in relief that now that they had arrived, perhaps Diego could invest his energy elsewhere rather than making her boyfriend uncomfortable. "Come, I'll present to you the director." Ella tugged on Damien's hand, bringing him inside the place while Diego tailed them.

Instantly, two things wrapped around all three of them. The warmth of the heater was the first thing that Damien felt, and he felt relieved because now Ella would also feel warm and that reduced the risk of her health worsening. The second thing that surrounded them were the kids.

In a matter of seconds, kids from all sizes and shapes hugged Ella and Diego by their feet, clinging on until Ella was losing her balance.

"Niños, no! (Children, no!)" An older woman dressed as nun appeared, gently prying some of the kids away from Ella. "Compórtense, por favor. (Behave, please)"

Ella chuckled, amused and feeling warm-hearted by the children's genuine and pure act of affection. She loved that they felt close enough to approach her and hug her like so, even if it almost dragged her to the floor.

"Maria, how are you?" Ella approached the nun, most of the kids running away after causing a ruckus. That's usually how they were, anyway, save for the few quiet and shy ones that still clung to Ella.

"I'm doing well, darling. You? I heard from your parents about... well, everything." Maria bashfully revealed. It wasn't like she was gossiping, she actually hadn't even opened her mouth. She was just there when her parents began to rant, explaining the complicated situation.

"It's been good. I think almost everything is settled thanks to Damien here." Ella pulled away from Maria's soft hug, gesturing to her intimidating boyfriend that stood still and silent.

"Ah," Maria walked closer, teaching to take one of his strong hands into her own, wrinkled, and freckled hands. "You must be the boyfriend. I've heard many good stories about you!" Maria laughed warmly, causing Ella and Damien to laugh along with her.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Maria." Damien placed another hand on top of hers. If she was associated with Ella, then she must be a good ir kind person.

"Pleasures all mine. After hearing about everything that you've done our Ellie," Maria looked at Ella with pure adoration, "people don't like Ella don't come often, you know?" She looked back at Damien, who was also entranced with Ella. "You must cherish her while you can."

Damien saw as Ella's cheeks blushed, a warm hue overtaking her pale skin as she shook her head. Even such a simple act if blushing had Damien wondering what he had done to deserve seeing her like this: happy and care-free, stunning and dazzling.

Ella truly was one of a kind. Seeing her everyday was a breath of fresh air for Damien. She had saved him for when he felt as if there was nothing else to life but work and living in pure content, but she had made him happy. She made him see the colors of the world in black and white world, and by everything he had, he was determined to never lose that. He knew that whatever happened, he would never leave her side. He prayed that she would always have that smile on her face, that he would have the honor to always receive it.