8

Chapter 8

Ava's P.O.V

Finally she dared to look at him, and to her surprise he was smiling. A big genuine smile, not one filled with sarcasm, but one full of pure happiness and hope. She almost couldn't believe it. What was going on?! Why were the demon's eyes lighting up like that?! And how could his lips have formed into such an innocent smile?! Ava's brain began racing at such a speed she feared her head would explode and she would lose all sanity. But before she could ask anything, he spoke.

"How are you doing?" His voice sounded unusually soft; and for once, Ava had no idea what to say.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, how are things with your parents? Have they managed to get along alright? Are you feeling better? Are they treating you like a princess? Is there anything you're worried about?" the demon asked in rapid succession. "They must be treating you pretty well. You're finally free to live your own life. They should give you the world," he chuckled slightly and looked down. "Well…almost," he whispered, chuckling once more.

Ava was shocked. It was difficult to keep up with the barrage of questions, so she simply blurted out her answer without thinking.

"Yes…yes they are…really great," she murmured.

"Are they treating you alright?" Crowley asked again, raising his head to meet her gaze. Ava smiled warmly and nodded.

"Of course. Thank you."

The demon looked visibly surprised by her response. "Wait, seriously? That's great!" he exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy.

"Why are you happy? I thought you didn't care about me at all," she frowned confusedly.

Crowley froze at her question and glanced at the floor for a brief moment. "I never said I didn't care about you," he muttered quietly and looked directly at her.

Ava's face started heating up again, and her heart hammered in her chest like a runaway freight train. 'Oh no…this cannot be real. Please tell me this isn't real. This doesn't make any sense at all, and yet here I am, sitting next to the devil himself and wishing desperately that it were true! No, no, this is impossible,' she kept repeating to herself. "I…I don't believe you…" she breathed out sadly, lowering her gaze again.

"Look, Ava, you know I care about you, right?" the demon said carefully, moving in closer.

"And you know I only ever wanted to help…that's all I've ever wanted. And that's all I've ever dreamed of…to be a mother. All this time, I've always wished to give birth to a little human being, a child who deserves the best life possible. When I saw that there was no way to be born anymore…and then, after seeing you, it all felt as though it had been ripped away from me, completely and utterly. And to be honest, I'd rather die than to lose you too," he continued softly.

"But, I'm not a little human baby…not anymore. I'm not that little girl who cried for days and nights because she didn't feel normal, or sick, or tired. I'm not that poor orphan who lost her parents to the demons. I'm someone, a fully grown adult woman, who lives in New York City and has no idea who she is. I'