Author Note: Thanks goes to jazzybrowne, xSamiliciousx, brendanaparo and Metalgrl29 for the wonderful reviews. Thanks also goes to xSamiliciousx for becoming a follower to this story. Onto the next chapter and as always let me know what you think.

"I will give you anything to

Say you want to stay, you want me to

Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me

I want to know I belong to you

Say you'll haunt me"

'Say you'll haunt me' by Stone Sour

Chapter 12:

"What do you mean they are dead!" Aluxia yelled across the large meeting room.

She was seated at the head of a large table with a couple dozen of her strongest subjects. Nova cowered at the sound of her voice. If there was one thing she feared most, it was Aluxia's wrath if something didn't go her way. She hesitantly lifted her head back up to look at her queen, who was waiting for an explanation.

"The Nephilim is surprisingly strong. Finn had his hand the fight as well." Nova answered.

"This little half-breed is quite taxing. I think I may have changed my mind in taking her alive."

"My Queen...if I may..." A voice interrupted from the far end of the table.

"Of course, Seth...please tell me what you think..." Aluxia stated amused with her second in command.

He stood up with a smile on his face. His two toned hair was pulled back in a tight bun behind his head. His calm chocolate eyes were tinted red, flashing his power for all to see. It had been simple enough to fool the outside world in thinking he was human; but proving to Aluxia that he was worth the effort was easier said than done. The woman was far more demanding and needy than he first expected her to be. So far the rewards were worth all the effort in the world.

"I've been watching the Nephilim for quite some time now. She can be swayed. She's naïve to her own abilities. The problem lies with the half-demons that have taken her in."

"Finn is like a pit bull when it comes to protecting her. He won't let her go without a fight." A female voice appeared next to him.

Seth looked down to see the ebony haired vixen that he called his mate, staring up at him with concern on her face. The blue streaks in her hair fell over her shoulders in ringlets. "I'm aware, Paige; but I still feel it might be worth trying to sway her rather than just killing her. She would tip the scales in our favor."

"Think about what you're saying. You want a half-breed back in the court again after our Queen spend the last two decades trying to make that forbidden." Another voice argued.

"You both bring up good points; however, the fact is that the girl killed two of my children. It goes without saying that she needs to be dealt with. I'd rather have her dead than risk her turning against me and destroy us all." Aluxia declared.

"As you wish." Seth replied sitting back down next to Paige.

With a wave of her hand, the meeting was dismissed. The demons scattered out of the room, leaving Nova alone with Aluxia. The seeress had only seen the fight because of the demons themselves; otherwise, she wouldn't have seen anything. The warding surrounding them was indeed strong and she knew that she needed to devise a way to break it. "What troubles you, Nova?" Aluxia asking sitting back down in the large chair that could easily fit two people.

"The warding surrounding them in quite strong. I've been trying to break it without any success."

"Keep trying. They are bound to turn up sooner or later. Finn can't protect her forever, especially when Seth and Paige have eyes on her when she's outside the house."

"I must add that Sera Castello has also made herself known."

"Really? That is interesting. Maybe I should visit her personally..."

Nova shuddered with the idea of her Queen taking on Sera alone. A wicked smile was plastered on the face of the demon queen without any hope of it ever coming off. Sometimes she wished that things would be different and she hadn't been raised by her since childhood. The conscious she was getting was slowly eating her alive. At the same time she felt like she owed Aluxia for taking care of her all these years. She knew there would be innocent people that would get caught in the crossfire of a battle of that magnitude and it made her sick with numbness.

Ayva couldn't help but smile from the time she awoke to the sound of her alarm. Rolling over, she found that Finn was no longer in bed with her and that quickly made the smile fade away. Despite being stabbed in the leg no more than twelve hours prior, she was feeling pretty energetic. Tossing the blankets off, she stood up and padded across the cold hardwood floor to get into the bathroom only to find it locked. Whining, she turned back around towards her closet to find clothes.

The memory of the kiss she had shared with Finn came back full force. A smile returned at the thought of it. In that small moment, she had seen a different side to him. He was more caring that she first thought he was and their connection was no stranger to the moment. It seemed to awaken more and more often now, scaring her and exciting her at the same time. Finn was probably the most intoxicating man she had ever met; but deep down she felt like there was a reason for it all.

"Bathroom is yours!" Becky shouted from other side of the door.

"Thanks!" She shouted back quickly grabbing a pair of yoga pants and a lime green tank top.

She bolted to the bathroom with the intention of a shower. Opening the door, Becky was standing in front of the mirror brushing out her long wet hair. Ayva turned the knobs to the right water temperature before stripping down to nothing, not caring that her best friend was in the room with her. Her smile didn't go unnoticed. Becky saw the happiness on her face as she stepped under the spray of water. "You're glowing, FYI!" She commented with a chuckle.

"I don't know what you mean..."

"Why are you so happy? Did something happen last night?"

The question actually made her think. What did that kiss really mean? Sure, he had been afraid that he would have lost her and in the heat of the moment kissed her. What if it didn't mean a thing at all? Her silence was a red flag to Becky. Sitting the brush back in the drawer, she turned around to looked at the closed curtain. "A, are you okay?" She asked softly.

"I don't know...I thought I was; but now...I don't know what it meant."

"Don't know what what meant?"

"Finn kissed me last night...and I was beyond thrilled that it happened; but now that I think about it...I have no idea what it even meant..."

Becky understood where she was coming from, remembering how hard it was to get Dean to open up to her. Even now, it still was sometimes. Finn was torn to pieces when he was betrayed by the woman he thought he could love forever. After having years of time to mend, he still struggled with the thought of opening up. "I think it's going to take some time for him to open up completely. You are just the person to make that happen. Just be patient."

"I am patient, because I think he may be the missing piece in my life. Even when I was with Damien...I felt like there was something missing and I could never put my finger on what that was. When I'm with him...I don't know...I just feel complete."

Listening to Ayva confess her feelings, a smile tugged at her lips. There was so much that has happened to all of them over the last year and the best part of all of it was the growing affections between Finn and Ayva. There wasn't a better woman for him, despite how forbidden it may be. The silence between them escalated until the water shut off, ending the shower.

Sliding the curtain across the rod, Becky handed her a clean towel. Ayva quickly wrapped it around her naked body before stepping out of the tub and onto the soft rug below. The look on her friend's face was something she couldn't ignore. "You know I've been secretly hoping that you'd fall for Finn."

"Why?"

"He's been like a brother to me all my life and the only thing I've ever wanted for him was happiness. Whether he shows it or not, you are his happiness."

Words left Ayva's mouth. What could she possibly say to that? Rationally, it felt wrong to feel so strongly for someone after loosing Damien a little over year ago; but emotionally, it felt right. Everything about their relationship felt right to her, not caring about his warnings of it being against rules.

Closing her eyes, she walked out of the bathroom with her clothes in hand. Stopping at at her dresser, she grabbed a bra and a pair of panties. Becky never bothered to follow after her, knowing that maybe she had said too much. She never moved from the open doorway of the bathroom and her bedroom.

Finn sat alone in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. His mind wandering back to the night before. He wanted to know how the demons were able to track her, unless they weren't after her at all but after him instead. When she went looking for him, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It didn't change the fact that he easily could have lost her. The scarlet colored blood that soaked her jeans and rolled down his arm haunted him. No matter what she told him, it was his fault that it happened.

Hearing footsteps, he snapped out of his trance to look to see who was entering the room. Ayva's bright blue eyes connected with his for a brief moment as she turned towards the counter where the coffee sat. He could see the confusion on her face and wanted to address what happened; but he honestly had no idea how to approach the conversation.

"Morning..." He greeted warmly.

"Morning..." She replied pouring the dark liquid into a travel mug.

He noticed immediately what cup she was using. She intended to leave the house and the panic started to settle in. A flash of that demon plunging a knife into her leg appeared behind his eyes, causing him to drop his cup onto the floor with a sound of shattering glass. Ayva instantly turned around to see him bending down to clean up the mess. His anxiety rolled off him in waves, attempting to suffocate her.

Instinctively, she grabbed the dishrag and walked over to help him clean up the mess. Finn picked up a large piece of porcelain. The sharp edge slit open the palm of his hand. The blood started to pour out of the wound in a matter of seconds. "Damnit..." He cursed softly.

"Finn...let me..."

"No...I'm fine..."

He ignored the blood flow and finished cleaning the coffee mess. Ayva threw the shattered pieces into the garbage can. Out of the corner of her eyes, Finn attempted to leave the kitchen. It annoyed her in the fact he was purposely avoiding her again. With a want to get in front of him, her body shifted through the air to get in front of him.

His eyes widened out of surprise to see her appear before him. She was getting a better handle on her powers and the more she wanted something the more she was able to do. Her eyes were narrowed in annoyance. To the point that he couldn't even make eye contact with her anymore. "You want to tell me what the problem is this time?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"There is no problem."

"Like hell there isn't. Every time you get close to me, you back away...avoiding me. Why is that?"

"You know why..."

"That's not good enough anymore. You kissed me, Finn...what am I supposed to think now that you are avoiding me again?"

She lowered her head slightly, letting her arms slide down to her sides. Finn understood her frustration, because he was the one causing it. He didn't know how to answer her, nor did he want to leave her hanging without an answer. Gripping his hands together, he felt that the blood had stopped flowing. The stinging of the healing process had begun.

Her mind was a chaotic swirl of questions and the wall inside her head was crumbling, allowing Finn to hear all of them. What did it mean? What if I'm not good enough? Why does he make me feel so complete? "I know...and I'm sorry that it's all confusing for you. It's confusing for me to."

"Finn..."

Her words were cut off by a sudden gasp of air. He watched her eyes turned pure white. It was the same look she had the day saw the man die at the hands of Aluxia's men. Her frozen body made him panic even more. He yelled for Dean and Becky. A blur of red orange appeared next to him and Dean wasn't too far behind. "What's going on?" He asked.

"She's having a vision..." Finn answered.

Inside her mind, Ayva could see Sera standing alone at one of the abandoned loading docks in Miami. Her long brown hair blowing in the night breeze. A familiar laugh made Sera shiver a little. Aluxia appeared with three men. All with eyes glowing of an intense red. "I'm hear to listen that's all." Sera stated sternly.

"Of course..."

"What do you want?"

"I think that would be obvious. I want that little Nephilim dead."

"That won't happen. She's protected."

"Not from you..."

Sera snorted out of laughter. Aluxia didn't seem amused by the sudden outburst in hysterics. Her hazel eyes grew red as the seconds passed by. Ayva wanted to scream out, warn Sera of the danger; but like every vision she had, she couldn't say a word. "I'm not going to do anything to Ayva. We are kin and if you thought that I would, then you are more brain dead than I gave you credit for."

Finn had to watch the violent screams of pain all over again. Ayva collapsed to her knees holding her sides. Becky bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying herself. She hated seeing her in such agony. Dean pulled back and held her close, pressing her head into his chest so she couldn't see. Finn reached for Ayva; but was pushed back by a wave of energy. The door frame between the living room and kitchen expanded outward from the pressure.

"Ayva..." He called out hoping she'd hear him.

"Sera..." She replied coughing once, blood rolled out of the side of her mouth.

Finn once again tried to reach out to her. Getting passed her waves of energy, he took a firm grip on her shoulders ultimately pulling her into his embrace. Her body was trembling uncontrollably. He looked up at Dean and Becky. "Sera must be the next target." He stated before kissing Ayva's forehead.

"Do you want us to find her?" Dean asked.

"Yeah...keep an eye on her until we can catch up."

Just like that, they were no longer in the room. It left Finn able to concentrate on just Ayva trapped inside her own mind. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he had been avoiding telling her. Sera Castello's identity being one of them. She had no idea that she was a Nephilim like herself.

With a gasp of air, Ayva cried out in terrified sobs. Finn held her close, trying everything to soothe her. "Shhh...it's okay...I'm here." He said softly. The warmth of her tears coated his hands. Her silence wasn't unexpected. It had taken a while to speak after the last vision she had.

"Finn...I saw Sera's death. Aluxia is going to kill her."

"Did you see when?"

"No; but if felt like it was soon. She's like me. She's a Nephilim..."

He helped her up to sit down on the oversized chair in the living room. Kneeling down in front of her, he took both of her hands into his. Rubbing his thumb across her knuckles, he realized that maybe it was the best time to tell her the truth about Sera. She deserved to know regardless if she never spoke to him ever again.

Ayva could feel the guilt wash over her. It was flowing off him like a waterfall. She pulled one of her hands away to wipe her mouth from the blood that had dried to the corner of her lips. She wanted to tell him that everything was fine, that they would be fine; but it would be pointless if he didn't believe it.

"There is something you should know...about Sera..." He started out.

"You knew didn't you. You knew she was like me..." She stated tilting her head to the side to get a better look at him and his guilt.

"I did. I've known her for a long time..."

"How long is a long time?"

"About forty years give or take..."

Her eyes went wide, unable to comprehend what he was telling her. He couldn't look more than thirty; but here he was claiming to be at least seventy. A smile slid over his lips at the look of confusion on her face. At least explaining the age thing was less painful than explaining Sera. "I'm half-demon. I stopped aging at thirty. I'm 134 years old. Once you hit thirty, you will stop aging as well. Sera is well over a hundred years old, Ayva."

"So we are immortal?"

"From illness and human frailty, yes; but we can be killed as you've seen first hand."

"Why didn't you tell me about Sera?"

"I wanted to and I was going to; but things just kept happening..."

She leaned forward, placing her free hand on top of his. The iridescent look in her eyes captivated him. The call of her essence was intoxicating. The demon inside was clawing at his cage, begging to claim her. She was his angel, whether his human side wanted to believe it or not. "You need to trust me more with things like this. I can handle more than you give me credit for."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"What's so special about Sera? Why would Aluxia target her?"

"For starters she's one of the reasons I left the inner circle all those years ago; but I think the most important reason is because she's kin...family..."

"Yeah we are both Nephilims...so was the all the others they killed."

"Sera is blood related to you. You're aunt if you want to get specific."

Ayva was completed dumbfounded. Never in a million years did she think that someone from her absentee father's side would show up in her life. If she was honest with herself, it felt good. There was a chance to finally get some answers she's always wanted to know about her father, who she now knew was an angel. "Where is Dean and Becky?" She asked looking around the room, trying to sense their presence.

"They went to look for Sera. I told them to keep an eye on her until we could catch up."

"Thank you..."

She stood up and proceeded out of the room to find her shoes by the front door. He followed her wondering why the sudden cold shoulder. He understood why she would be angry at him; but she wasn't yelling at him. It was worse. "Are you okay?" He asked coming to the door.

"I'm going to find my aunt and get some answers. Maybe she can enlighten me about some things."

"Ayva...just listen to me for a minute..."

She turned around to face him. She was obviously tired from the vision, her eyes were more dull that her usual shimmer. He was searching for the right words to say. He didn't want to anger her further for saying something wrong. Her auburn locks were still damp and disheveled from the energy exerted out of the vision. To him, she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in all his years of life. "That kiss...meant more than you think. I know you feel like it meant nothing and that you aren't good enough..."

"How did you..."

"I heard your thoughts. The point is that it meant something to me. Everything means something to me. Sometimes I just don't know how to express it and for that...I'm sorry."

Walking the several feet that separated them, Ayva wrapped her arms around his neck. He held onto her, resting his head in the shallow of her neck. His warmth was comforting and it was exactly what she needed to make it through another rough moment in her life. "I really don't like the thought of you being angry with me." He admitted.

She pulled out of his embrace and looking directly into his eyes, blinking a couple of times before leaning in closer. She was waiting for him to back away. When he didn't, she pressed her lips onto his. It was over before he had time to grasp what had happened, so he took another taste. Dancing his lips over hers, holding onto her lower back to close the miniscule distance between them. It feel like he could never be close enough.

Ayva was drowning in the sheer bliss of it all. His skilled lips were memorizing and they were on hers in a beautiful display of affection. Her tongue swiped his once waiting for him to answer her back with his own. She never realized that he had pushed her up against the wall next to the front door, holding onto her hips tightly.

"Finn..." She called breathlessly.

"I'm sorry..." He replied pulling away instantly.

"Don't apologize for that. That was amazing..."

He let out a soft chuckle in attempts to hide his embarrassment. Amazing was an understatement. She brought out the desire that was buried deep within him. Maybe Sera and Rowana weren't so insane after all. Maybe after all of this, Ayva really was meant for him. "You are the amazing one, Ayva. Everything single thing you do, reminds me what it's like to be human and not some monster."

"You are not a monster Finn and someday I will prove that to you. So until then, lets save my aunt from your crazy bitch of an ex."