Emilia decided she definitely didn't want to talk to Alesandro like Damon had suggested so instead she went to her room. Now knowing she was allowed to go, she needed to find something to wear, she had no idea what to expect either.

It was at this very moment she wished she had her mother. She couldn't help but remember all the times she had heard her mother and Lexi talking about Lexi going out with a guy, of course it was a different guy each time they talked but still she wanted that.

She knew she probably could have it with her brothers or father if she really wanted too but they were too protective, they wouldn't understand.

She still didn't understand why her mother didn't love her. Sure she wasn't expected but her dad and brothers loved her so why didn't she?

Why wasn't she wanted by the person who was suppose to be there for her, the person who was suppose to love her no matter what.

At this very thought, tears began to fall. She didn't want to go to Alesandro because she knew it was a touchy subject for him. After almost drowning, he opened up about her mother a little but she didn't want to make him feel worse.

She didn't want to go to her brothers either. She was well aware her brothers, especially Matteo and Dante who would have only been 3 and 4 at the time, grew up without a mother too. She would be selfish going to them when they didn't have a mother either.

She didn't fully understand how little her brothers cared, they didn't want a mother, they hated her for what she did.As far as the brothers knew they only ever had a father.

Ever since she told Damon how she felt, he had reminded her everyday since that she was loved and wanted and not knowing what else to do, she left her room and went back to Damon's office.

To her suprise, when she knocked it was Mason who opened the door instead of Damon calling for her to come in.

Mason had a look that she had never seen before, it wasn't nice at all, he looked almost emotionless.

"It's Emilia" he spoke letting Damon know who was at his door.

Emilia didnt miss how he didn't call her Lia.

Damon and Mason had been in the middle of mafia work, they always switched off any positive emotions when doing it so when there was a knock, mason had anwsered it. He was still in work mode, but as it was Emilia, he didn't let her know that interruptions annoyed them. Emilia could never annoy them even when they were busy with work.

Damon was on the phone discussing information he wouldn't ever want Emilia to know when Mason told him it was Emilia.

"What does she want" he asked pulling the phone away so he could talk without the person on the other end hearing.

"What is it Emilia" Mason asked.

"I'm bothering you, I'm sorry, I'll go" Emilia whispered.

"You are not bothering us, now what is it" he said.

"Is he busy" she asked.

"Hes just finishing a phone call, work stuff, now what is it"

Emilia felt bad, she couldn't bother him now, he was working and she wanted to cry to him about not having a mother to talk to. She was being selfish.

"I see" Mason muttered knowing that look. He left the door open and went back inside. Emilia didn't want to disturb them if they were working so she didn't follow.

"I'll finish the call, go be with her" Mason whispered so the other person and Emilia wouldn't hear.

Damon had only been paying half attention to the call, most of his attention had been on trying to hear what was going on but Emilia never said.

"Is it bad" he asked quietly.

"I think so. She wouldn't say but she looks broken. She wants you"

Damon quickly excused himself and gave Mason the phone to finish off.

He left his office unfortunately Emilia was no longer there so he went to her room.

He knocked and walked in when he heard her tell him he could.

"I'm sorry Damon" she whispered.

"What for? What happened?"

"I disrupted your work"

Damon wasn't happy with how she felt like she needed to apologize.

"You mean more than my work, you're more important" he told her.

She looked sad even if she did smile at his comment.

He decided the only thing to do was try cheer her up before they got to what was wrong.

He sat down and patted the space next to him "come tell your stalker what is troubling you"

Emilia smiled at his comment and sat down next to him "it's stupid really" she muttered.

"It isn't stupid to me. Now spill or I'll go all stalkerish on you"

"Well you know this date tommorow, I have no idea what to wear...."

Damon couldn't help but laugh a little but stopped when he saw she wasn't happy he was laughing.

"It's not funny, I've never been on a date before and I'm scared okay. I have no idea what happens...." She sighed mostly with frustration before continuing. "I then started to think back to all the times I saw Lexi and mum talk about this sort of stuff and then I started to spiral I guess. It's stupid really, I went from thinking about a date to wanting her love to wondering why I wasn't enough, why didn't she love me" Emilia confessed.

Damon was a little taken back, he didn't expect that. He didn't exactly know how to approach this as he hated the woman and hearing how Emilia felt made his hatred grow.

"Emilia I want you to know I am extremely proud of you right now for telling me how you felt. I know it's hard for you. I want you to know that you are enough for us, we all love you" he finally said.

"But why wasn't I enough for her" Emilia asked.

"I don't know Emilia. I know you can't help but think about this sort of stuff but Alice is a bad person, she doesn't deserve children especially you. These thoughts are because you want someone to talk about this stuff with right?"

"I know you're right it's just hard and yeah"

"Well I know it's not the same but you can always talk to us about it"

"It's not the same, besides you all will just get protective and stuff"

"True. but Emilia I never want you to feel like you can't talk because you don't want to upset us or worry us. You can talk to us about anything. I know you're growing up and you won't want to discuss certain things with us but either way we are here"

"thank you Damon" Emilia said hugging him.

"You're welcome. I know it's hard for you and yes she gave birth to you but the reality is she doesn't deserve to even be acknowledged as your mum"

Emilia silently hugged him tighter, Damon returned the hug.

"Thank you for opening up Emilia"

After a long hug they both finally parted.

"Now you were struggling with what to wear, yes?" Damon said.

Emilia nodded a little confused.

"Well the anwser is simple, wear something you feel comfortable in, maybe something similar to what you wore yesterday "

"Thank you " she gave him another quick hug.

"Your welcome, do you want to go get some hot chocolate and watch some TV for a bit or do you want me to leave you to pick out a outfit" Damon asked.

"Let's go get hot chocolate " she said standing up.

Another reason Damon was her favourite, he was able to cheer her up and comfort her better than the others.

The night passed quickly and although it wasn't spoken about, Damon was constantly looking for fear or worry.

Although they had a running joke about him being a stalker he had never once stalked her, he let her come to him when she was ready, he never invaded her privacy.

He knew tommorow he would have to break that, with Alice and Henry about he couldn't let her go on a date without being watched.

He would send some of his men to watch over her, he would instruct them not to approach or interfere unless Emilia is in danger. He didn't want to do it himself as he thought it was crossing a line.

He smiled at how she was currently asleep half laid on him. He didn't understand how anyone could ever hurt her like they did. He silently picked her up and carried her upstairs. He then placed her on her bed and tucked her in.

Before leaving the room he spoke "I'm so proud of you Emilia" he whispered and then he left.

Time skip

And just like that, Emilia was on her first date with Luca. She enjoyed his company and she had even decided to actually talk. He was pretty suprised by this but didn't comment much on it.

He was nice to her and they had fun. They had gone to this diner place which most kids their age went to on dates.

Emilia was suprised at how laid back dates were, she wasn't completely unaware of her feelings either, they confused her.

She wasn't completely clueless to several men watching her, it would have normally freaked her out but Damon had told her at breakfast he had people watching and she was okay with it. Of course it wasn't ideal but they just appeared to be like any other customers except they kept glancing at her.

Time passed quickly and it was heading towards the evening. The date was over and they stood outside.

"Today was really good, maybe we can do it again" Luca asked.

"Yeah sure" Emilia agreed without thinking to much about it.

"I'm serious you know" he said.

He then leaned in to kiss her but Emilia panicked a little and stepped back "I think I see my brother, I should go" she quickly said spotting his car. She quickly left after that.

As she got closer she noted Damon had chosen the car he went to events in, it had tinted out windows to avoid the media, because despite the media not approaching him, they were always present at events.

She got in the car "thanks for letting me go Damon, it was really fun. We...." She paused as she turned and saw the man who have her nightmares, the man who tortured her.

"Did you miss me" Henry asked locking the car doors.

"How...this is Damons car"

Henry straight up slapped her "I didn't say you could speak to me" he snapped. He had let the first time go as she thought she was getting in a car with her brother.

"This isn't Damon's car, I know a guy who lent me his car, same make amd model as Damon's and all I had to do was fake some licence plates" Henry explained.

Just then several security people were running after the car, they hadnt done anything so far because the number plates matched Damons and the car was the same. Only the main one had just received a call from Damon saying he was stuck in traffic.

At this they raced out only inside the car, Henry smirked "they will never find you" he told her before driving off.

Gunshots were heard it was lucky no tyres were popped.

Emilia sat frightened for her life. They had got her.

Damon would save her though, he always did.

But this time was different, he wasn't here, they could do anything to her and he wouldn't be able to stop it as he wasn't here.