His Responsibility (part 1)

Ashley remembered that night on her way home from work. She remembered everything she saw clearly and it was so disturbing.

She remembered running away from Damon that night and after he stopped her she had suddenly forgotten everything until now. That was odd.

Ashley slowly opened her eyes, her vision was a bit blurry before it cleared and she just stared blankly at the ceiling.

"You're awake." Ashley suddenly heard a voice from her side which startled her. She turned to look and saw Damon watching her. He had a concerned look on his face.

She sat up hurriedly in panic and moved further into the bed, away from him. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hands around her legs.

He brought her to his home again. She didn't want to be here. He shouldn't be concerned about her. He was probably saving her and keeping her alive just to hurt her later. This man was a killer and she didn't want to die. At least not yet anyway.

She was beginning to doubt that part of her that told her he meant no harm to her. He would have killed the man at her house this evening if she hadn't stopped him. Why did she even stop him? The man could have killed her too. He was no ordinary man.

The man she had witnessed Damon kill, that faded away in ashes what was he?

What was Damon too? He had claws that day. Perhaps it was just her eyes. God, please deliver me. She prayed silently.

"Don't panic, it's just me. You're fine now." He said.

Just him? Hell, she didn't want to be with just him.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked as she hugged her legs tightly.

Damon looked at her questioningly.

"You blacked out and I couldn't just leave you there."

Ashley almost thought the man that disguised as Betty to come to her home was the man from her dreams, that he had finally come for her as he promised.

But they didn't have any facial resemblance. But then again he could disguise as anybody. What if he was really the one that came to her disguised as Betty first, then as the man?

No that didn't make sense. He would have changed into himself straight up if he was really the one. Instead of some other man she had never met with before. But this one was going to hurt her too.

"You... you killed him." She said accusingly to Damon, remembering the incident that occurred the night she was walking home from work again.

"If you're talking about the man at your house, I didn't kill him."

"No. That night!" Her body began to shake. "You had a heart in your hand."

*************

Damon was a bit surprised that Ashley remembered what happened. Days had passed already.

He looked at her where she was on his bed hugging her legs and shaking like she had just caught a cold. He didn't know what explanation or excuse he was going to give for what he did. Compelling her again was not an option. It seemed like the compulsion wasn't strong enough on her. She wasn't supposed to remember. Besides how long was he going to keep doing that.

"That night, I killed the man because I had to."

"By ripping out his heart?"

"It was not a good sight for you, I know. But I had to kill him that way. It was the only way he could die."

Ashley shook her head, tears starting to come out of her eyes.

Damon stood up and sat on the bed. She flinched and moved further away from him.

"Stay back."

"Listen. I'm here to protect you okay not to hurt you just trust me. The man at your house today was there to hurt you and would have if I hadn't stepped in."

"Who was he and why do they keep changing forms?" Ashley asked amidst tears as she looked up at Damon.

"I can just tell you that he wasn't a human being."

"Why are they after me?"

Because they suspect you're my mate, Damon wanted to say.

"They won't hurt you again."

Ashley didn't talk for a while and he wondered what she was thinking.

"What did you do to me?" It came out almost as a whisper. "After you killed the man, what did you do to me? Why didn't I remember until now?" She half yelled.

Now this was a hard question.

"Ashley calm down." He told her trying to keep his own calm but she was not having any of it.

"I can't calm down. I need an answer to my questions. What did you do to me?" She yelled.

"You might as well calm down if you want to know the answer to your questions."

Damon tried to come up with something fast. Telling her that the people after her weren't human beings was okay for now. How would he explain that he made her forget?

She tried to calm down and then watched him expecting him to say something.

"You're not calm enough. You should sleep I'll explain tomorrow."

"I'm not sleepy. Even if I am, I'm not sleeping here." She said adamantly.

"If no here then where do you have in mind?"

"I have an apartment." She snapped.

"You can't go back to your apartment. It's not safe." He said maintaining his cool expression.

"And it's safe here?" she raised a brow.

Damon was amused. This lady was crying minutes ago and then suddenly she's demanding answers and talking back at him stubbornly, even yelling.

"Yes it is." He let her know.

"I'll leave you alone. Have some rest" He said standing up from the bed and walking towards the door.

"I said I'm not sleeping here. I can't trust you. How do I know you don't have bad intentions for me too." She yelled and got off the bed also.

"Listen young lady," Damon said turning back to face her. "If I had bad intentions I wouldn't be just talking to you. You do as I say. You're sleeping here and that's final." He told her sternly.

But as her stubborn self, she still wanted to protest and Damon hushed her. "Goodnight." he said and walked out of the room leaving her speechless.

Damon paced back and forth outside the room. He heard her stamp her foot on the ground inside the room and hiss obviously frustrated and angry. The lady was really one of a kind.

Damon went to his balcony where he loved to stay, he mindlinked Sephirah immediately asking her to come over.

In a short while, she appeared.

"Is there a problem?" She asked.

"Yes. I...."

"Wait." She cut him off. "She's here? Seems like the dinner wasn't needed again." She smirked.

"She was almost hurt by one of them." Damon said ignoring her comment. "She even remembered the night I killed that demon."

Sephirah was surprised. "I thought the compulsion worked."

"It turns out it wasn't strong enough on her."

"What do you plan to do now? Especially as she's not safe outside again."

Damon sighed. He needed her to trust him first. Right now she was nowhere near trusting him, especially after remembering what she saw that night.

"I'm not sure yet. But right now, she doesn't trust me. It's not safe for her anywhere, Zuka will be keeping an eye on her and I need you to let me know anything new you find out."

"Yeah about that. I got news that the SAGE have started prepations to come to earth finally. We would have to let Ashley know the real deal sooner than later."

Yes. He would have to give her an answer to all her questions. Just how would he explain it all to her?

"We also have to be prepared for whatever tricks they may come up with."

"One of them came to her in her dreams. I'm guessing it's Sebastian." Damon said starting to get furious again.

Ashley had to be the one. This strong urge to protect her wouldn't just be there. She had to be his woman. He hadn't just found proof yet. Or maybe this was proof. Everything happening now was proof that she is the one.

"How did you know?" Sephirah asked shocked again.

"She talked to her friend about it." Damon replied.

Sephirah was silent.

"I already let her know the man at her home today wasn't a human being."

"How did she take it?"

"Not so bad." He shrugged.

"This must be very hard for her." Sephirah said in a whisper.

It was.

He remembered her apartment door that had broken because of his anger. He needed to fix it.

Teleporting to her home, he looked at the mess he made. Goodness, he had been really mad. If he hadn't been watching her he might have been late again.

When he saw Ashley bring a stranger to her house he was surprised. What was she thinking? And then watching closely, he knew she was no normal person.

He wanted to step in before Ashley could let her get inside but he held himself back. He would wait for the right moment, so as not look like a pest to her. He stayed, watching the two of them, waiting for any sly move from 'Betty'.

While listening to their conversation he couldn't help but shake his head.

What a very constructed made up story the man told. He wished he could know what Ashley was thinking. He heard her asking a few questions surprised too.

Then after some time, the demon decided to do what it came for. But Damon stepped in when he felt he had watched enough. And then in the process broke her door.

He used his strength to raise the door up and put it in place. Then using his powers, he made it stay firmly attached to the wall.

Ashley couldn't stay here any longer. She had to be with either Sephirah or him.

No! It was his responsibility so she had to stay with him. They won't reach her easily if she's with him. Zuka would also be needed to watch her all the time at her work place.

Those beings could come to her disguised as any body so one of them had to be around her all the time. He or Zuka or Sephirah.