{Normal POV}

It had been two months that Hayden has had Ashley in his care, and not much has changed. Hayden tried with all his free time to get Ashley to recall her past before the whorehouse, and it seemed blocked due to trauma. The month was June, a lot of students would be letting out for the summer soon, and Hayden knew he was going to be busier at work. Honestly, Hayden didn't like the idea of Ashley being home all the time by herself because she was suffering PTSD from what she endured. Hailey confirmed that when the guys were screwing around and clapped their hands just loud enough for Ashley to think it was a whip cracking. Ashley panicked, begging at Hayden's feet not to get whipped, and that broke all of their hearts to see happen. Hailey suggested counseling, but Hayden wanted to wait until he got through to her more. There was nothing a counselor could do when Ashley still acted like a mindless slave. As it was, Ashley didn't respond to anyone without looking for confirmation from Hayden first to speak. Hayden still worked ten to twelve hour days, and he would come home exhausted, but still try to help Ashley recover her locked away memories.

Things had been easy at night either; Ashley's nightmares consumed her, and it seemed Hayden was in there every night to keep her calm. It seemed that she could sleep peacefully if he were beside her, and that was likely because deep in Ashley's subconscious, she knew she was safe with Hayden because she recognized his voice. Hayden told his friends about that, Ashley calling for him in her sleep during a nightmare, and that she relaxed once he laid beside her. Ford said it might be time to start showing her pictures or videos of them together, see if it helped jog her memory. Thankfully, Hayden had a day off today and was willing to give it a shot. Hayden was putting on the final touches of a CD he'd burned with a slideshow of videos and pictures, hoping it might help. Hayden didn't know if he'd earned her trust, but maybe he wouldn't have to if she could see that he's always been part of her life.

"Hayden?" Ashley said, which took Hayden by surprise to see her standing beside him.

"Ash, geeze, you scared me," Hayden took a few breaths. "What's up? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I-I wanted to know if I've…made you happy enough to ask for something?" Ashley said.

"Ashley, I've told you. If there's anything you need, you can ask. You don't have to earn the right to request something," Hayden sighed, then he looked back at her. "What is it that you wanted to ask for?"

Ashley lowered her head a bit. "Ca-Can you…tell me who I am?"

"I'm sorry?" Hayden lifted his head at her question, looking at her in surprise.

"You keep saying you know me, that those friends you have know me. But…I don't know me. I can't…remember who I am. All I know is is make my master happy, and I won't get hurt. I wake up in the middle of the night, and you're holding me," Ashley began.

"That's because you call me, Ashley. I know you don't remember it when you wake up, but it's because you start having nightmares from the punishments, and you call for Hiccup," Hayden explained.

"I…don't understand," Ashley stated. Hayden scooted over on the couch and patted the spot beside him for her to sit as well. "Who is Hiccup? And why do I call for him?"

"Ashley. I'm Hiccup," Hayden informed.

"You're Hayden," Ashley corrected.

"No, listen to me, okay? My name is Hayden Hiccup Haddock. And yours is Ashley Asta Hofferson. When we were kids, probably third or fourth grade, I started calling you Asty as a nickname, and you would call me Hic or Hiccup as mine," Hayden explained.

"But…why do I call for Hiccup instead of Hayden? And why do I call for you?" Ashley asked.

"Because we're best friends, Ash. We have been since Pre-School, that's where we met and got assigned seats next to one another. Kids used to pick on me, and you would protect me by making them go away. As I got older, people gave you trouble, and I stood up for you. We promised always to have each other's backs, and keep one another safe. You recognized my voice because you know deep down, I will always be here for you. You just don't remember because you were forced only to know pleasing your master and making him money," Hayden stated.

"I-I do feel a sense of safety when you're around, but how come I don't know your face and only your voice?" Ashley inquired.

"I'm not sure why. The last time you saw me, I looked like this," Hayden said while flipping through a couple of pictures and showing her one of what he looked like as a Junior in High School; he pulled it out and handed it to her. Ashley looked at it, trying to remember. "You don't have to force it,"

"But I want to remember, Hayden. I know you won't hurt me, you've shown me that, and I-I trust you. You've done so much for me, and I don't know if I can ever repay that. But I know you're upset that I don't know you, or your friends. I-I want to remember. Will you please tell me about me? My life, my…past?" Ashley asked softly.

"Sure, if you really want me too. Where do you want me to start?" Hayden replied, surprised at her request.

"Me, who am I? All I know is…Divine Beauty, whore, slut, bitch, good girl," Ashley listed off.

"Let me guess, Virgil or the others called you those things?" Hayden asked. Ashley nodded to him as he sighed. "Listen, you aren't those things. You are a Divine Beauty, but that's not your name,"

"Y-You think I'm…beautiful?" Ashley asked.

"I always have, Ashley. Since the first time I've ever laid eyes on you, I thought you were a Goddess fallen from above, and my opinion has not changed," Hayden smiled some. "So, you wanna know about you, huh? Well, I can't speak for your years before Pre-K, but I know the rest. My parents collected a lot of things while we were in school, and when we started High School, I started working on this. A scrapbook of everything and I was going to give it to you as graduation present, but you disappeared before Senior Year,"

"Tell me who I am, everything you can," Ashley pleaded.

"Alright. Well, your name is Ashley Asta Hofferson. You were born April 29, 1996, at Berk Heart General Hospital to Asvora and Markus Hofferson. You attended Berk Elementary School in 2001 at four-years-old for Pre-School, where we met and were assigned to sit next to one another," Hayden started, showing her a picture from pre-school when they were paired next to each other. Hayden told her everything he could, with pictures from certain moments. As Hayden reached the end of elementary school, Ashley began recalling things after Hayden mentioned one of this birthdays where she brought a gift in for him.

"Our…birthdays, they were two months apart," Ashley said.

"What? Yes, they were. You're April 29th, I'm…February 29th," Hayden informed softly. "How'd you-," he started.

Ashley was looking down a bit, her eyes closed. "It was snowing that day, a-and you were upset that no one remembered your birthday because it wasn't a leap year; there was no 29th day. It was your…fifth birthday. I split my cupcake with you at snack time. It was a cherry filled one chocolate one with vanilla frosting, and that was the day we found out you were allergic to cherries, because you…broke out in a rash, and had to go to the nurse. On my birthday; no one remembered, but you and you shared your cupcake with me; strawberry filled white one with chocolate frosting. And learned I was allergic to strawberries, ending up in the nurse for a rash too,"

"You remembered that on your own," Hayden stated as Ashley looked at him, surprised. Ashley didn't know where it came from, but she remembered that detail from pre-school.

"Ke-Keep telling me more! Ple-Please?" Ashley asked. At that moment, there was a knock as Hayden got up and answered it to find their friends there.

"Hey, guys, come on in. Ash and I are just looking through the albums," Hayden greeted.

"How's she doing?" Roxanne asked. Ashley looked at the album in her lap, then at the friends.

"Well, she asked me to tell her who she was, so I've been going through the years and showing pictures. I think it's working," Hayden smiled. Ashley glanced over things, then she got up and approached Seth, leaving him wondering what was going on. Suddenly, Ashley punched him in the arm.

"Yow!" Seth yelped.

"That was for trying to kiss me in middle school, jerk!" Ashley glared. The room went quiet as she saw Hayden blinked in surprised. Ashley backed up quickly, covering her mouth. "Oh, Gods. I-I'm sorry, Seth," she said.

"Y-You know my name?" Seth asked. Ashley seemed nervous, afraid she was in trouble now.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're not in trouble, Ashley. Just…How did you know his name?" Hayden asked.

"I was…looking at the picture from the book. We were…all dressed up as Vikings for some play, and that came forward," Ashley replied.

"Do you know who the rest of them are?" Hayden inquired. Ashley looked at them now, trying to think back. Ashley grabbed the album, matching faces, but there were no names.

"He's…Seth Jorgenson. And…those two…are Roxy and Travis Thorston. That's…Ford Ingerman," Ashley said as Hayden's eyes widened.

"D-Does she know us?" Hailey asked with hopeful eyes. Hayden took the book, flipping towards the back to show pictures of the friends when Hailey and Devon came into their lives.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't," Ashley frowned.

"No, no. It's okay. It will just take a little more time," Hailey told her.

"C-Can you still tell me more?" Ashley asked Hayden.

"Of course," Hayden nodded. "I just don't want you to overdo it, Ash,"

"I-I'm okay," Ashley said. Hayden took her back to the couch.

"Maybe some videos would help?" Ford offered. Hayden filed through a few things, then put a DVD in for her to watch.

"You'd think I'd remember being that girl; it's like looking in a mirror but not knowing who you're looking at," Ashley sighed.

"Hey, it'll come back. You remembered the cupcake allergy thing on your own," Hayden offered. The video kept playing and Ashley just watched intently. It was a slideshow of pictures and videos, and Hayden would point certain things out if she asked.

"What…year is this?" Ashley asked.

"I believe this was Freshman Year when we met Hailey and Devon," Hayden told her.

"Why is there so many of her hitting me?" Seth grumbled.

"Maybe because you didn't know when to quit. I'd told you since middle school that I didn't like you and wouldn't be with you, Seth. Oh, and it was hilarious," Ashley remarked, then her eyes widened. "D-Did I just remember something else?"

"I'd say so. Seth was always hitting on you, and you'd punch him for it every time," Roxanne smiled.

"See, I told you it would come back. This is your life, Ashley, and no matter what those assholes did to you; you won't forget what has made you, well, you," Hayden told her gently. Ashley stared at him a moment, then smiled nodding at him before looking back at the video.

"We did a talent show together?" Ashley blinked.

"Yeah. You, me, Hailey, and Ford," Hayden informed. "Sorry, there's no sound. This was…right before you disappeared in Junior Year," he added.

Ashley watched the movements; then she closed her eyes. "I got a lot of things I have to do. All these distractions-," Ashley started singing as Hayden's eyes widened.

"Our future's coming soon. We're being pulled a hundred different directions, but whatever happens; I know I've got you," Hayden sang with her as her eyes opened, looking at him.

"You're on my mind. You're in my heart. It doesn't matter where we are. We'll be alright, even if we're miles apart! All I wanna do is be with you. Be with you. There's nothing we can't do! Just wanna be with you. Always you. No matter where life will take us, nothing can break us apart. I just wanna be with you," Hayden and Ashley sang together. Roxy, Hailey, and Alicia clapped their hands together in joy.

"You know how life can be; it changes overnight. It's sunny, then raining, but it's alright. A friend like you, always makes it easy. I know that you get me, every time! Through every up, through every down; you know I'll always be around. Through anything you can count on me!" the two continued, both smiling at one another.

"All I wanna do is be with you. Be with you. There's nothing we can't do! Just wanna be with you. Always you. No matter where life will take us, nothing can break us apart. I just wanna be with you. Oh, I just wanna be with you…" Hayden and Ashley finished as Hayden raised his pinky to her. Ashley stared at it, then she lifted hers, and the two linked their finger. Ashley knew she hadn't remembered everything, but she knew that Hayden was her best friend, and it was thanks to him that she was started to remember her life.