Author Note: Thanks goes to danicrouch860 and kath0544 for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to Metalgrl29, jazzybrowne, and alibob687 for the amazing reviews. I will admit that I am a little blown away by the positive response to this. This chapter is a pretty crucial one and the song below. It's meaning is pretty significant as well, so I hope you all enjoy it and as always let me know what you think.

"I remember summer days

We were young and unafraid

With innocence we'd glide beneath the stars

It seems so long ago

Beyond the life that I now know

Before the years would have their way and break my heart

Do you feel the same

For what remained

Yesterday is gone, we can't go back again

Do you ever cry for the ghost of days gone by"

'Ghost of Days Gone By' by: Alter Bridge

Chapter 7:

The sound of crackling wood and heat from the flames awoke Finn from his unconscious slumber. He slowly rolled to his side, coughing in reaction to the smoke that filled the entire area. In the distance he could hear sirens approaching the devastation that used to be Ayva Bradly's home. He knew that he needed to find everyone before they arrived to ask questions and take them all to the hospital. That couldn't happen.

"Ayva..." He coughed loudly.

There was no reply. He figured he's try mentally. "Ayva...", still nothing. Which meant she was either unconscious or dead and he didn't even want to think about the second option. He had made a promise to protect her and he wasn't about to fail in that task. Thinking about his death made him that much more desperate to find her.

Finn had arrived too late to save his best friend. He stood looking down at the bloody body that was Damien Bradly's. His long dark brown hair was sprawled out behind his resting head on the black asphalt. His eyes were barely open. The bright blue that once sparkled with life was quickly fading away and it killed Finn to see it. "Finn..." Damien called weakly.

"Don't talk. Save your strength...we will get you some help." Finn said even though he knew there was no way possible to save him. Not without an angel's healing abilities.

Half-demons could heal pretty well on their own; but in this case, Damien was too severely damaged for his regenerative powers to even start up. The only thing he could think of was how he was going to tell Ayva. "You know there...is no help..." Damien stated reaching for Finn's hand.

"You can't leave her..."

"She's safe for now...but...I need you...to promise me something..."

"Anything."

Damien turned his head to the side and coughed harshly, spitting up more blood as he coughed. Finn knew that he didn't have much time left and it was killing him on the inside. He could remember when they met, every mission Aluxia ever sent them on, every beer they shared and when Ayva had entered the fray. His eyes stung with tears he never thought he'd feel again. "I need you to protect her...love her...she will need help learning the powers...that are buried deep within..."

"Damien, I can protect her; but that's all I can offer her..."

A small laugh escaped his dying lips, he didn't believe Finn for one minute that he couldn't offer her the companionship he was leaving behind. Aluxia may have left him brokenhearted; but broken hearts can always be mended and he had to trust in that fact alone. "As long as she's safe and happy that's all that matters to me..."

His smile started to fade as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, letting out his last breath. Finn held his hand tightly before leaning it upon his forehead, quietly sobbing with the loss. He never moved from his position despite knowing Becky and Dean were now behind him looking on the damage Aluxia's henchmen had created around them.

Finn stumbled through the debris, frantically searching for the auburn haired beauty that just may have melted away the ice around his heart. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see a white light. Somehow he knew that it was her. Flashing quickly to the spot, he noticed her prone body laying on top of a large pile of debris. Beside her, was Becky and Dean. They were wrapped in the comforting light, healed of all injuries sustained in the explosion.

Now he understood why the demons wanted her so badly. Nephilims couldn't not use angel healing abilities, Ayva was the first one in history to ever do so. The question now was, how did the demons know she would be able to do it. Then it dawned on him. They had some help in a pretty insightful way.

"Dean...Becky...come on we need to get out of here." He said gently slapping the sides of their faces.

The sirens were getting closer. Becky opened her eyes and swiftly stood up, feeling fine and unharmed; but that's when she turned her head to see Ayva laying unconscious surrounded in a beautiful light. "What the hell happened?" She asked looking at Finn.

"No time to explain now, get Dean. We need to get out of here. Humans are approaching."

Becky didn't need to be told twice. She lifted Dean up and shimmered away. Finn knelt down to scoop up Ayva into his arms and follow suit. It took a matter of seconds to get back to the living room of their massive home on the other side of town. "Is she alright?" Becky asked after laying Dean down upon the couch.

"I honestly don't know. This was the worst thing that could have happened." He replied starting to walk out of the room with Ayva's body still tightly held in his arms.

"Where are you taking her?"

"The upstairs guest room."

He proceeded up the entire flight of stairs and down the curved hallways towards the only room in the house that wasn't occupied by someone else. The room was modernly decorated. A queen size bed was placed in the center of the room against the furthest wall. The comforter was a olive green color with black velvet designs. Four pillows rested against the headboard and below them were three decorative pillows. Two nightstands were placed on both sides of the bed, each with a lamp. Under the bed was a large area rug to hide some of the hardwood floors.

Finn mentally moved the little pillows out of the way before gently laying her down upon the bed, he pulled up the throw blanket and wrapped it around her. It gave him a moment to really look at her. It wasn't just about the promise to Damien anymore. He wanted to protect her because he wanted to, because he had hope that someday things would be different. That there would finally be peace. His fingers moved a chunk of her hair out of her face before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You will always be safe here..." He whispered before walking out of the room, allowing to rest alone.

Closing the door behind him, Becky was there to greet him with a half smile. They walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen. The silence was thick, almost suffocating. Finn just stared out the back sliding door, thinking about what to do next. There was no home for Ayva to go back to and he highly doubted that she'd want to stay with them, considering the circumstances of what happened. "So how did they find us?" Becky asked breaking the silence.

"They have to have a seeress working for them. That is the only explanation I can come up with."

"If that's the case, we have no advantage at all."

"Not unless Ayva's visions are controllable."

Becky very much doubted that. She barely had control over the empathy let alone everything else that had developed over the last few days. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms over her chest. They sat back in silence until Dean stumbled into the room. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "What the hell happened?" He asked.

"The combination of Ayva's power and those demons' power caused the house to explode." Finn explained.

"No shit! How do I not have any wounds?" Dean asked.

He couldn't answer because Finn still couldn't believe that Ayva healed them. There was still so much mystery surrounding the whole thing. Dean moved to sit down across the table. He wasn't going to leave until he knew exactly what was going on. It was obvious his elder was hiding something from him. "Finn, you might as well tell me what the fuck is going on, because I'm not going to stop asking."

"Ayva healed the both of you, okay..."Finn stated before standing up from the chair, turnng his back to them.

"There is no way. Nephilims don't have that power." Dean argued.

"Then explain to me why the demons want her so bad. There is no way they would want her for any other reason than for the healing ability."

Dean couldn't come up with any logical response, so he remained silent. As much as he hated the idea of her being around, he knew that was never going to be the case. If the demons got their hands on her, their existence would be in a some serious jeopardy. Damien lost his life protecting the woman in attempts to keep her hidden from them. It was time to set things right and do what he owed the man he once considered a brother.

"Ayva..." A warm male voice called.

"Hmmm..." She replied feeling light but heavy at the same time.

"Come on Ayva, open your eyes..."

She opened her eyes to see someone she never thought she'd see ever again. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun behind his head and his light blue eyes held such familiar warmth. Damien was standing before her, standing on a grassy hillside. The colors were hazy and disorienting. A smile tugged at her lips nonetheless, curving them upward. "How is this possible? I'm dead aren't I?" She asked softly.

"No sweetheart, you're not dead; but you are unconscious which means you can see those of the dead." He stated reaching for her hands.

"What about the others? Finn...Becky...Dean..."

She looked around wondering if she'd see any of them on the plane. Damien smiled, realizing how far she had come since his death. He never once stopped looking out for her; but now was the time to apologize for everything he had kept a secret from her from the time they met. It was time to say goodbye for good. "They are fine, hunnie." He said giving her hands a gentle squeeze.

"I miss you so much..."

"I know and I'm sorry that I'm not there for you."

Ayva remembered all the things that happened before the explosion. Finn's intense red eyes, the way he moved so fast once he knew it was coming and the way he could speak to her inside the mind. It made her wonder if Damien had been the same way. She tilted her head to side, studying him closely. "Why did you hide so much from me?" She asked.

"I guess you figured it out huh? I suppose I never told because we were so happy and I didn't want it to ruin our relationship. I'm sorry that I never told, trust me I wanted to."

Damien could see the changes taking their toll on her. Her eyes were brighter, more alive than they ever were before. She was so much stronger than a year ago; but the biggest one he noticed was the colors in her aura. The black part that had stuck with her since the time of his death was gone, replaced by a light shade of pink; which meant her grieving of him was over and new affections were forming. It made him glad that he could speak with her one last time before the inevitable moving on phase. "Damien, I am so scared. I...I don't understand anything that's been happening around me."

He pulled her into his arms and held onto her tightly, smoothing her hair down with the palm of his hand. "Shhh, I know. I felt the same way you did. I think we all did, especially Becky. She's the youngest of us and it took her a long time to master it all. Dean is a little rough around the edges but he is loyal and probably one of the toughest son of bitch I've ever had the pleasure of calling a friend."

"You are saying goodbye aren't you?" Ayva asked cutting him off for a moment.

"You're intuition is a little scary now; but yes, I am saying goodbye."

"Please...please don't go...I need you..."

He chuckled a little even though he did enjoy knowing she still needed him. Lifting her head up by a single finger under the chin, he just stared into her beautiful eyes for a moment. "You don't need me. You are one of the strongest women I've ever met. If you let them, Finn and the others will take you in. You know that I've been watching over you this whole time. I know that he has wormed his way in, so don't push him away now."

"How can you say things like that? No one will ever mean more to me than you..."

"Maybe not; but I'm dead. You can't be alone forever."

It was not a conversation she wanted to have with him; but no matter how much she wanted to deny her connection to Finn. Damien was right, she didn't want to be alone forever. As much as she wanted to ask him questions about the things that were a reality now, she couldn't bring herself to ruin the last moment she had with him. "Ayva, I will always love you and I don't know how; but I will see you again." He stated sounding suddenly more saddened than before.

"Damien...please..."

"Goodbye...stay strong..."

He leaned down, capturing her lips with his own. Her body felt heavy, like it was being pushed down. She fought against for as long as she could, just to savor the last moment. His touch was comforting, allowing her to separate from him without too much of a struggle.

Her eyes opened again. She moved her head around to take in her new surroundings. The room smelled of apple cinnamon and the beautiful artwork hanging on the wall caught her attention immediately. Pushing the blanket off her heated body, she slid off the bed to stand on the plushy area rug. It didn't take long for everything to come back in a rush that sent her backward onto the bed.

Flashes of the explosion, Finn loosing his grip on her hand, and him calling out her name fearfully. Once she regained her balance, she stood back up and walked over to the large mirror hanging on the closet door. The image reflecting back at her was someone she barely recognized. Her eyes were intense, her hair was shinier, everything about her was different.

"Finn..." She mentally called.

"So you're awake. How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice lighthearted and sincere.

"I feel different...powerful..."

He didn't answer back, instead he shimmered into the room. She opened her eyes, somehow knowing that he was behind her. The intense red of his eyes was gone, only the blue remained. The urge to ask questions was making it difficult to focus on anything else. "That's because you are powerful, Ayva..." He finally responded to her words.

"I've pretty much put the pieces together since the attack. I've seen what those demons looked like and how you share the same intense red eyes when threatened; but no odd black markings on the skin, so what does that make you? Half?"

"You are smart. Yes, we are half-demons. One of our parents was a human, which makes us look more human-like compared to pure bloods. They have another side entirely."

Ayva understood what he was telling her as odd as it may seem. She then began to question everything she had even known. Demons were evil, so why didn't Finn and other others feel evil to her. Was it because of their human half? As if he could hear all of her inner questions, he took a step back away. "I understand your skepticism; but we were slaves to them before the four of us got away. We are half human and its a part we embrace the most."

"You were a slave?"

"It's not important right now. That was the past, this is the here and now. They are going to keep trying to take you away."

Letting out a sigh, her legs carried her back to the edge of the bed. Finn pivoted his feet a couple inches to continue watching her. He wanted to comfort her; but knew that he couldn't. The closer he got to her the harder it was to accept the fact that it was forbidden. "Why am I so damn special Finn and please do not lie to me..."

"Ayva, are you sure that you're up for this..."

"Please..."

He hung his head low, not really ready to tell her any of the secrets just yet. Lying to her wasn't going to solve any of the problems they now had either. Finn sat down on the large area rug, trying to figure out exactly how he was going to explain it all.

Ayva wanted to tell him about Damien coming to her. She figured it was because she didn't want to face reality that demons were gunning for her without even knowing why. She looked down at him and the fear clearly written on his face. "After we left the inner circle, we heard of a rumor that a daughter had been born from the most powerful angel known to us. A human angel combination that would be stronger than anything we've ever seen."

"How long ago was that?"

"Twenty-six years ago. We never thought anything of it, because we were so set on trying to survive on our own; but as time passed things changed. Demons were killing human angel combinations in search of this one child. With no success, they went underground for a while and haven't seen them until three years ago."

"That's when Damien met me."

Finn nodded his head. It was getting even harder to tell her about everything, because there were things that would break her heart. It would shatter her image of the man she loved with every fiber of her being and the best friend she had ever known. "Him and Becky were sent to keep an eye on you, because your name had shown up on the demon's radar. Becky bonded with you fairly quickly and instantly loved you. Damien kept his distance until he miss calculated and you caught him spying."

"So what you're telling me is that they were playing me, because there was a chance I'm this powerful creature."

The anger in her voice was like needles against his skin. It wasn't just anger that laced her voice, it was betrayal. He looked up from the floor to meet her gaze. It broke his heart to see her like that. He wished there was something he could do that would ease the pain of it all away; but he was completely helpless to do any of that.

Ayva felt his helplessness caress her skin and it made her get up to sit down next to him. No matter what happened in the past, the present was always going to come to pass. This way, they may have prevented her capture all these years and still could. "Becky never played you, she loves you like a sister. Damien fell in love with you almost immediately. There was absolutely no fake feelings there, because he turned his back on us to marry you."

"Why would he turn on you?"

"Because a demon and angel relationship is forbidden. He was advised against it, though I supported him because he was family. Dean did not."

Finn avoided her gaze. He felt like he didn't deserve any of her sympathies. She placed her hand on top of his as she pushed her doubts away. He curled his fingers through hers, accepting the comfort she was willing to give. All of his emotions were weighing heavily on her shoulders. There was no way someone feeling those things could be evil and she trusted in that alone. It gave her the courage to tell him about Damien.

"Damien came to me when I was asleep...he apologized for keeping everything a secret."

"Ayva...you don't need to tell me this..."

"I do, because he trusts you to keep me safe."

There was more to it than she was willing to admit. He was no fool on that. Her mind was an open book and the images flooded inside his own. The entire conversation was like a video and the play button was stuck inward, unable to be stopped. "You don't need me. You are one of the strongest women I've ever met. If you let them, Finn and the others will take you in. You know that I've been watching over you this whole time. I know that he has wormed his way in, so don't push him away now." Damien's words echoed.

Finn continued to watch her deny it until he could see things from her perspective. Damien was giving her his blessing to move on with her life. It was the one thing he needed to do before he moved on himself. Seeing the kiss goodbye, he snapped out of her head. Looking up at her, he untangled his fingers from hers to trace a line down her cheek with a single digit. "You are safe here. The entire house is warded against psychic interference. I plan on keeping his promise. Nothing will ever happen to you. You have my word on that."

"Finn...there is no need to ever feel helpless."

"Ayva..."

She hushed him by placing two fingers against his lips. He reached up to take her hand into his grasp, kissing her fingers before moving them away. His gesture stunned her a moment. It wasn't what she had expected. "The past is over. Let's move on from it. I don't want to be used anyone and I sure as hell don't want to die any time soon. Teach me to control this power I have, so I can fight back." She said with determination.

"I think its something all of us are going to have a hand in this time. This is your room from now on, if you want it."

Finn stood up from the floor and took several steps towards the closed door. Ayva got to her feet with a smile. She could feel his conflicting feelings in a swirling turmoil. It made her feel good to know that it wasn't just her that was feeling that way. "Thank you...for everything..."

"There is no need to thank me. I'm not going to let them take you."

With that said, he walked out of the room leaving the door cracked open. She looked around once again, getting comfortable with her new room. She realized that she had lost every item in her possession. Her clothes, phone, money and maybe even her car. Starting from scratch never seemed more hopeful than it did right then. "Becky!" She mentally called.

"Holy crap! Ayva, is that you?" She replied.

"Yeah, I've learned to talk mentally."

"I hear that. What's up? Do you need something?"

"No..no...I was just wondering if you wanted to help a girl out and accompany me to get some new clothes?"

There was no response. It didn't take long before Becky was inside her room with a hand on her hip. Her orange red hair was straight and neatly placed over her shoulder. "I think I can convince Finn of that. Oh, he wanted me to ask you just how many more days off do you have from work?"

"Three why?"

"He's going to have to acquire a ward that you can take with you, so the demons can't find you with their seeress."

"That is if I still have my car. All my camera equipment is in there. If I don't have that, I don't have a job anymore."

Becky smiled widely and wrapped and arm around Ayva's sore shoulders. They began to walk out of the room together. The hallway was elegant and designed with old fashion in mind. It was so breathtakingly beautiful with the cherry wood flooring. She wanted to know what everything was and where everyone's rooms were; but figured it would have to wait until later. "Welcome to your new home."