Summary: Henry POV after Ashley is gone.

Rating: M for language or sex.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of these characters. If I did I wouldn't be here writing stories for you guys. =)

His legs ached from sitting in the chair for so long just staring at that piece of paper. Will told him that this would help, but in all honesty it was making things worse. How could he sum up how he felt for her in just one letter. Feelings like these were supposed to be shared and expressed throughout a life time. A life time he would never get with her. After so many things going wrong in his life she had seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. The tears fell freely from his red and puffy eyes. The tears that never seemed to stop these days. His head pounded from sleepless nights. Night that he ached to hold her, feel her, smell her and taste her. Nights that seemed to never end. And when the sun would rise in the morning he wished for night. Nights that held the memories of what they had shared only once. The night before they had left on the mission. He looked back down at the empty sheet of paper one last time before pushing away from the desk. He needed time...time to think of what could have been and of what was lost.

Using the back of his hand he wiped away the tears that were flowing down his cheeks. He stumbled his way down the hall, letting his heart guide the way. When he reached his destination, he stood just outside the door. It took several moments before he was able to open the door. As soon as the door opened her scent flooded his nostrils. With a sob he collapsed onto her bed and bunched the sheets around his nose. With the scents came the memories. He could remember the feel of his hands buried in her hair and the look in her eyes as he leaned in for the kiss. He could still taste her on his lips, he could still hear her soft sigh of contentment as he pulled her body into his. And the smell....god he could still smell her scent like she had just laid down next to him. She smelled of vanilla and lime and heaven help him he could smell her arousal at the exact moment he had pulled her pert nipple into his mouth. His whole body ached with the need to feel, his eyes burned for the need to see her smile just one more time.

Wrapping the sheets tighter around him, he closed his eyes and let the memories flood him and instantly he was back to the night before the mission. A knock on his door had changed everything between them.

One month ago:

He was lost in his computer. Mapping out the areas they needed to know. He had spent half the day making sure all their equipment was up to par and ready to go. He took one last look at the screen before heading down to the lab to double check everything. He was a worry wort, it was one of his faults. As he reached down to open his door a knock vibrated through it. Surprised since no one but Will had ever knocked on his door, he opened it slowly. Standing on the other side was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. A smile broke over his face.

"Ash..what's up? Every thing still good to go?" he asked, concerned.

"Umm yeah, everything is still going according to plans. I uh..actually just wanted to talk to you before we leave," she said in that confident tone that always made him squirm.

"Oh um, sure, come in..please don't mind the mess. You know us nerds have our heads so far into computers we don't see our surroundings," he said chuckling while leaning down to pick random articles of clothing off the floor. With the pile of clothes in his hands he made his way over to a hamper in the corner. Chucking them into the pile he turned around and found Ashley standing almost nose to nose with him. The smell of vanilla laced with lime caressed his nostrils. Her arms gently wove around his neck, sending pleasant chills up his spine.

"A..aaash, what are you doing?" he stammered nervously.

"I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago " She said softly, looking up into his eyes. She saw his shyness start to creep in. Yes, Henry was a nerd/geek but he was her nerd and something needed to be done about it. She had waited long enough for him to make the first move. She wanted him to be hers, had waited for him to come to her. He never did. He always kept his distance, always the friendly big brother type. She sought the courage to go on. She wanted this...no, she needed this.

"Kiss me Henry," she whispered. A look of sheer surprise appeared on his face. "This has got to be a dream," he thought. Ashley Magnus, the girl who haunted his dreams throughout his teenage years and into his adult years, was standing with her arms wrapped around him, asking him to kiss her. He looked at her, searching her face to make sure she wasn't playing a trick on him. From the look on her face..he could tell she wasn't.

"Ash..what sort of game are you playing at? I mean, uhh, shouldn't you be shacking up with Will...I mean, uh, don't you two have this thing going and what about..." She cut him off by quickly passing her lips over his. It was barely a kiss, just a mere touch, and yet his heart was pounding.

"You're rambling, Henry. I don't have anything going on with Will..he's not my type and never was. You are what I want, Henry Foss. Always have been. Now shut up and kiss me before I change my mind," she said without hesitation. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, nervousness and most of all need.

His hands slowly buried themselves in her golden strands and they stopped to cradle her head. He tilted her head to just the right angle and slowly leaned in. It seemed to take an eternity before their lips met. When his lips touched hers for the first time it was like an explosion in his body. Her hands moved, one to bury in his hair and the other stroking the nape of his neck. His lips moved over hers, exploring...tasting. His right hand stayed buried in her hair but the other moved to her hip and he pulled her into his body. A sigh that sounded like contentment came from her. The kiss started out slow and gentle, but before long the heat between their bodies flared and he found himself deepening the kiss. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, seeking entry into her mouth. Her lips parted for his and his tongue swept into her mouth, tasting everything she had to offer. She tasted of raspberries and yogurt. Her tongue mingled with his and he groaned into her mouth.

As the passion between them blossomed, he slowly backed her to the bed without breaking the kiss. When her knees hit the side of the bed, he broke the kiss. She whimpered at the loss of contact between them, until she felt his mouth on her neck trailing kisses from the spot just below her ear, down to her collarbone. He stopped there and trailed kisses back up until he was fused with her mouth once more. Her hands moved down to play with the piercings through his shirt. Suddenly he broke the kiss and turned away from her, with his hands over his face.

She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Henry?" she inquired softly. "Ash, we shouldn't be doing this...I could hurt you," he said with a sad note in his voice. She moved to stand in front of him. Her hands pried his away from him face. His eyes were no longer the soft brown they had always been. They were now the golden color of the beast inside of him. She knew what he was, she didn't care. He'd always been this way and she accepted that. It's what made him who he was.

Her eyes moved back to him and she saw he was looking down at the floor. She grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her waist. She placed her hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes. " Henry...You won't hurt me. I trust you, always have. I love you for you, and this is part of you. " Her eyes searched his, hoping to make him understand.

"You love me?" he asked. "Yes. I, Ashley Magnus, am in love with Henry Foss and if he doesn't throw me on that bed right this minute I might have to kick his ass." Her eyes twinkled with mirth.

His mouth took hers in a possessive kiss. He crushed her body to his with a fierceness she didn't know he had. He swept her up into arms and threw her onto the bed, his body covering hers. His mouth moved down her neck, licking and nibbling his way to her collarbone. His fingers swept under her shirt and played with her nipples through what felt like lace. Her hands dragged nails up his back, eliciting growls of pleasure from him. He soon had her shirt off and was trailing kisses along her stomach, his tongue trailing a slow line up to her breasts. With a quickness that surprised even him, her bra was on the floor. He swooped in and pulling the pert nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it slowly. He inhaled sharply as the scent of her arousal assaulted his nose. He groaned at the smell. Not wanting to neglect her, he quickly performed the same action on the other. Soft moans and squirms came from Ashley as her lavished her breasts.

She inhaled sharply as she felt his fingers on the inside of her thigh. She opened her eyes to see his staring down at her. His golden eyes were filled with passion, lust, love and gentleness. He leaned down to kiss her deeply as his fingers played with the button on her pants. Once he had them removed his eyes took in the sight of her, naked and laying beneath him. Her skin was flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses. Her cheeks had the marks of his scruffy chin. She had never been more beautiful than in that moment. His hand slowly moved down her stomach and into the juncture between her legs. His finger slowly moved over her and he felt her arousal in all it's raw form. He growled in pleasure as her hands moved under his shirt, exploring his chest. Suddenly the room was hot and he needed to feel her, really feel her. He stripped and covered her body with his.

His mouth lavished kisses on her stomach and he continued to move south. He needed to taste her, it was that simple. His hands gently pushed her legs apart and he was surprised she let him. He was in control for the moment and it was a foreign feeling to him. The scent of her arousal was overwhelming and he wanted more. His tongue darted out and ran up her entrance and over her pleasure center. Ashley gripped the bedsheets at the sudden feeling of his tongue. he hovered above her, ever so slightly darting his tongue back and forth over the small nub. His mouth closed over her and he made love to her with his mouth.

She closed her eyes and let the passion wash over her. With every flick of his tongue, every caress of his fingers, the knot in her stomach tightened. Her back arched and moans escaped her mouth. She wanted him buried inside of her, he needed him to be with her when she lost control. She leaned down and pulled him up to her mouth. Their lips fused together and she could taste herself on his lips. While not unpleasant, it definitely was erotic.

He moved to rest between her legs and she could feel the hard length of him at her entrance. She gasped in anticipation. "Henry please now!" He gave her one last lingering kiss before thrusting into her warmth with one quick movement. The moment he entered her, her world shattered in a million pieces. Bright lights formed behind her eye lids, her body tightened around him. Her nails dug into his back as she screamed his name. He didn't move, he held still while she was carried away on waves of ecstasy. When she finally came down, he was softly kissing her neck and running his hand over his leg. His gaze moved up until he caught hers and then he started to move in and out slowly, gently. He was feeling every bit of her and it felt like magic. Her hips moved to meet his with each thrust and she realized just how perfect he fit inside of her. His grunts and growls mixed with his golden eyes took her breath away.

The speed of his thrusts increased and soon he was slamming his hips to meet hers. Her hips were matching his hard thrusts perfectly, and every time his pelvis met hers he seemed to purr. He felt himself nearing climax and he wanted her with him when it happened. His fingers sought their way to her pleasure center and his fingers moved rhythmically with their bodies. Soon after he felt her breath quicken, her screams become louder. He waited, he wanted the timing perfect. When he saw her back arch and felt her release around him, he thrust into her hard and spilled his seed inside of her while calling her name. He continued moving with her until they both came down from the sensation. He collapsed on top of her and planted soft kisses along her jaw. She turned her head and caught his lips with hers, kissing him softly. Not wanting to, he broke the kiss and slid out of her, and she whimpered with the loss of him inside of her. He curled up behind her on his side and pulled her body into his. He nuzzled the back of her neck and she ran her fingers down his arms.

"I love you, Ashley. I always have you know. I just didn't think I ever had a chance in hell with you. You know, the whole Beauty and the Beast tale," he said, chuckling softly. She giggled in his arms and sighed contently. "After this mission is over Ash, I want to do this the right way. Take you on dates like you deserve. That is, if you'll let me."

Ashley could only murmur back in acceptance as sleep overtook her. Henry pulled the blankets over them and he nestled down next to her, his face buried in the back of her neck.

He sobbed into the sheets on her bed, remembering the night that held so many promises. She was gone and nothing they could do would bring her back. Magnus felt she still might be alive somewhere, but Henry knew in his heart she was gone. He felt it when it happened, felt her leave him. When the moment came it was like a bullet had ripped through his heart.

His sobs turned into wails and soon he found himself exhausted. Still wrapped up in her sheets with the smell of her all around him, Henry succumbed to sleep with the thought that now, all he had was memories.

~ FIN