Author Note: Thanks goes to Krys Jericho and SamanthaLyn for the wonderful reviews. I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me since the beginning of this story and all of you that new. I want to ask if there is something you would like to see happen with this? I'm trying to come up with some new fresh ideas so it doesn't seem like I'm just repeating myself in the chapters. Onto the newest installment and as always let me know what you think.

"If you're fine at the end of a lonely road

It's the light at the end of a tunnel

It's the fall goddess calling all assets, whoa

(I need your inspiration in)

It's your voice saying I've been gone too long

It's the very first words of my favorite song

It's the face in the crowd that is calling me, oh

(I need your inspiration in)

I need your inspiration in

I feel you're everything now

I feel your hesitation

No, don't let go"

'Don't Let Go' by: Delain

Chapter 15:

Finn awoke with the blinding sun shinning directly into his eyes. He was facing towards the window, the covers just covering his legs up to his waist. Rolling over, he could see Ayva fast asleep holding onto the pillow her head was resting upon. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. After everything that happened, they finally came to an understanding. She was stubborn and continued to fight for their connection, which was more than he could ever ask for despite his hesitance to believe.

Remembering the beach just hours before, the way she felt beneath him brought a sudden tightness to the core of his stomach. He continued to watch her sleep. Listening to her soft breathing, was like a serenade for the demon inside. He refrained from touching her for fear that he would wake her up prematurely.

"You're watching me..." She whispered still having her eyes closed.

"Sorry..." He replied rolling back over to face the window.

Ayva opened her eyes the second she felt him move away. His bare back was to her just begging to be touched. She slid over, pressing her chest against his back and wrapped an arm around his mid-section. Her fingers traced lines up his defined abdomen, causing him to hiss softly. The woman was going to be the death of him someday, whether it be from wanting her so badly or from the literal sense. "Are you okay?" She asked lightly pressing her lips onto his shoulder.

"I'm better than I was."

"Well good, because there is something I want to ask you."

"Okay..."

He was dreading what the question would be. He really had no idea what Sera or her father told her about him or about Aluxia. Her persistence to make him understand that she wasn't leaving was also something he thought was odd. How could someone just leave newly discovered family for people that by rights should be her enemies? It made no sense to him; but here she was, in his bed, holding onto him like her life depended on it.

"When I was in heaven with Sera...I could feel your anger...your desperation. I tried to call out to you; but my voice never reached you...until my father told me why I felt what you did at such a distance."

Closing his eyes, Finn knew what was coming. Her father had told her about the soul mates thing. He knew there was going to be questions that came along with that knowledge. It also meant that he would have to tell about Damien and what he did to her in the past. Those facts alone could easily shatter what trust he had gained from her.

He rolled back over to face her directly. There was no point in hiding from it now. The truth had to come out sooner or later. Rowana had warned him of this before and now it was time to really talk about it. "What did he tell you?" He asked softly ignoring how her hand slid down his side to fall onto the bed between them.

"That our souls are connected. Whatever you feel...I will as well."

"I was hoping that no one would tell you. I hoped that you'd decide on your own without the knowledge of that."

"Finn...this didn't sway my decision to stay with you and the others. I felt connected to you the second you walked into my life. I just could never explain it until now."

She could see the hesitation in his eyes and could feel it in her heart. She really thought that she had gotten through to him; but he was still resisting what was right in front of him. It infuriated her, so much so that she got up from his bed. He gazed at her with a confused stare. "You still don't believe me, do you? I guess that comes as no surprise to me. No matter what I say...you will always push it aside like it doesn't matter."

"That is not..."

"No! I just wanted to ask you what it all meant, cause you know way more about this world than I do; but the only thing you can do is ignore it."

Finn sat up, completely dumbfounded by her outburst in anger. He wondered how long she had been holding it all in. She wasn't wrong with all she spoke of; but there were things that prevented him from accepting the reality. All the things Damien had done to keep her from being a target of Aluxia went up in smoke the second he drew his last breath. He had arrived to late to save him as well. What if the same things happened again, only this time it was Sera? He'd never forgive himself if another person Ayva loved died because he was too late.

He never got a chance to express his worries. Ayva had left the room in a blink of an eye. Once again, he had upset her with the concerns of his mind. Now he needed to figure out how to make it up to her and apologize. "Jeez Finn, you really are a dumbass aren't ya?"

He looked up from the comforter on his bed to meet the coy smile of Sera. Her hand was placed at her hip. The look on her face was full of amusement. It irritated him to see that she found humor in his mistakes. "What the hell are you doing here? How in gods name did you even get in?" He questioned reaching across the bed for his discarded pants on the nearby chair.

"The wardings are for demons not angels."

"Tch, turn around so I can get dressed."

Sera slowly turned around so her back was to him. "It's not something I haven't seen before." She commented hardly keeping the laughter contained. It really was fun for her to torment him in his agony. Maybe that was just the angel part of her talking, she didn't know.

"That's just creepy..." He commented buckling the belt.

"Oh come on, you think I've haven't been looking in on my niece since she moved in here."

Finn rolled his eyes, not at all amused with her behavior. He had better things to do than listen to her nitpicking. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled out a dark red button up shirt and white tank top. He quickly put them on with the white one going on first followed by the red. Her smile never left her face. "What do you want, Sera? If you can't tell, there is some things I need to do."

"Yes, I'm aware; but Rowana would like to see us."

"So you've become her messenger now?"

"Shut it! I just thought you'd want to know. It's either me coming to you or her summoning you. I doubt that you wanted to go through that pain."

That was a true statement. Rowana's summoning spells were indeed painful. Sera turned back around to face him. He could feel Ayva's anger from her bedroom. The urge to go to her was just as overwhelming as it had been the first day he saw her. Knowing her like he did, he knew she needed a cool down period before attempting to apologize. It gave him enough time to find out what Rowana wanted from him.

"This better be good." He grumbling placing his hand onto hers.

"She'll be fine. What trouble could she possibly get into?" Sera asked before using her powers to transport them to Rowana's sanctuary.

Ayva paced along the cool wood of the floor. She cursed at herself for being so irrational and impulsive. It wasn't Finn's fault for being wary of things neither one of them understood fully. Of course, she let her emotions get the better of her and unleashed a load of anger on him that was completely undeserving. Although it hurt her to know that he still was hesitant in believing they were soul mates, she could understand where he was coming from.

Quickly changing into a pair of jean shorts and a black crop top that hung low in the back but super high in the front, showing off her flat stomach and a sparkling silver navel ring. Not thinking twice about it, she quickly got down to the basement. The cold concrete floor underneath her bare feet sent a shiver up her spine. Her eyes went straight towards the wall where Finn had been shackled. It had been the same place he had forced her to see her mother's death.

"What would you do, mom?" She asked softly, knowing that she wasn't going to get an answer in return.

Her hand went straight for the broken chains danging from the wall. Convincing herself that the she wasn't afraid of the demon, she had touched him. Remembering his hungry eyes staring a hole right through her, she turned away. The frustration she was feeling was about to explode within her. Clenching her hands into fists, she swung into the hanging sand bag above the dark colored mat. Again, she swung and the burning of tears alerting the senses of an overload.

Ayva knew that she needed to calm down or things were going to get ugly. Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it back out. The only sounds that tickled her ears were water dripping from a leaking pipe at the far corner of the room and a set of soft footsteps from above in the kitchen. She didn't expect them to get closer, descending down the wooden stairs.

"Ayva..." Dean's voice interrupted her forceful mediation.

"Hey..." She replied trying to give him the best smile she could will herself to give.

"What are you doing down here?"

"Trying to get my thoughts together. Finn and I had an argument this morning."

"Ah..."

He nodded before continuing his descent of the stairs. Not knowing why he felt like he needed to console her, he stood at the edge of the mat water dripping from his wet hair onto his bare chest. Becky had known that things were different. He easily could see Ayva as part of the family and thought of her as a sister. Maybe that was why he felt the need to cheer her up. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Why can't he believe that some things are just meant to be?" She asked sitting down pulling her knees up against her chest.

"I'm not trying to make excuses for him; but you have to remember that he spent a good fifty years loving Aluxia and getting nothing in return. When he finally did leave the circle, he took with him twelve others. Becky and myself included. She tracked us all down and slaughtered all of us just for the fun of it."

Twelve. Finn had taken twelve half-demons with him when he fled. Ayva couldn't wrap her head around the idea that he had lost so many comrades all for sport or spite. Dean sat down across from her, pulling a leg up for his chin to rest upon. He watched her reaction and saw the astonishment in her eyes. "What about Damien?"

"Damien was different. He did everything he could to keep you safe and off the radar, even did some questionable things; but when it came right down to it, he loved you enough to fight her head on. Finn arrived too late to save him and that scar has never healed."

"How many people has he lost because of her?"

"Too many...we all have...and that's why we need all the help we can get in eliminating her. Our freedom depends on that."

Ayva listened and understood everything he told her. Aluxia was someone that needed to be removed from their world and she vowed that she would be the one to do so. Dean stood up and offered her his hand, which she accepted. He lifted her back up to her feet. She appreciated their talk and enjoyed the feeling of someone she could call a brother. "Thank you...for everything..."

"You're welcome."

Aluxia burst into the chamber of her seeress. Her long ebony hair was pulled up into high ponytail. Diamond pins were neatly placed in her hair for accent, showing off her power within the demons. Nova's eyes were pure white as she stood over a large crystal ball. "What was so urgent that you felt the need to pull me out of a meeting?" She demanded.

"I've broken through Rowana's warding. We should be able to locate anyone that was under her protection." Nova answered looking up from the ball.

"Oh my dear child...you have no idea how happy that makes me. Locate the Nephilim...I need to draw out Sera."

"Yes, my queen."

A wicked smile upturned Aluxia's red lips as she turned to walk out of the room, her heels clicking against the tiled floors. Nova retracted her hands away from the object that would give her queen the information she wanted. The internal struggle to do what she felt was right continued and the same question that came to mind ever time she thought about leaving. How could she betray the person who had taken her in, raised her and gave her everything that she ever wanted?

Finn and Sera stood in front of Rowana. The silence was thick and neither one of them knew what to say to break the awkwardness of the situation. The red haired witch finally opened her eyes and removed the hood from her head. A look of solemnity was presented on her face. Finn knew that whatever the woman had to say it no doubt was important. "Rowana, mind telling us what's going on." Sera stated shifting her feet a little.

"My warding is broken."

"What! What do you mean it's broken?" Finn asked the terror etched on his voice.

"That seeress under Aluxia's control finally found a way to break it. It's only a matter of time before Ayva is found."

"Well, can you create something stronger?" Sera asked desperately.

"I can; but it will take some time."

Finn looked over at Sera. Her playfulness long forgotten. All that remained was a desperation that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He knew the entire house was no longer protected and the bracelet around her wrist was just a piece of jewelry now. "How much time?" He asked placing a hand on Sera's arm.

"At least until midnight tonight."

"Alright...I'm counting on you Rowana...please..."

"I will do my best not to let anything happen to her; but you will have to keep her safe until I can finish this."

Finn nodded, trying to ignore his new sudden urge to leave and find Ayva. The argument they had earlier than morning didn't seem all that major now that he knew that her life was in danger again. Sera watched him out of the corner of her eye. Without a second of hesitation, she took his hand and left the sanctuary.

Ayva stood at the edge of an abandoned pier of a loading dock that used to run freely a few years back. The water below was bright and clear, smelling of salt. A feeling of dread washed over her being without a single reason as to why. Turning away to walk back, she stopped mid-step feeling a sharp pain in her head. "No...no... not now..." She told herself aloud slumping to her knees on the gravel.

Flashes of Sera's ambush appeared, only this time it was different. Her vision was changing and it wasn't the same flow as usual. It was blotchy and just images that made little sense. The pain didn't last as long, nor was it as intense. She got back to her feet, brushing her legs from the gravel dust. "It's a lot easier to find you without all the protection." A familiar voice sounded.

Looking up from her legs, she came face to face with Paige. Her eyes tinted red, revealing that she was a demon. Standing beside her was Seth, the boss she had grown fond of over the short time working at the magazine. The realization that they were both demons robbed her of the fond memories she held close to her heart. "Surprised aren't you?" Seth stated taking his hands out of the pockets of his jeans.

"Nothing surprises me anymore..." Ayva replied tensing up.

"So knowing that we are demons doesn't bother you in the least." Paige asked placing her hands on her hips.

Ayva frantically tried to deny what she was seeing. It had to be an illusion of some kind, didn't it? When they weren't leaving and their eyes weren't changing back to normal, she accepted the reality of it all. Paige, the woman who pushed for her to live again after Damien's death. Seth, the man who gave her life a meaning again. "Give the girl some time to adjust, jeez..." Another voice interrupted the conversation.

A woman with long black hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail walked between them. Her face was rounded, her lips were full and her eyes were the purest red Ayva had ever seen. Her beauty was unlike anything matched in history, which meant that the queen had finally appeared before her. Aluxia was standing only a few feet away.

A cold chill ran down her spine. It was her, the woman that had taken everything from Finn. "The woman that had been everything to him." She reminded herself. Thinking about it left her feeling numb on the inside. "You are a pretty little thing, aren't you." Aluxia commented taking another step forward.

"What do you want with me?" Ayva asked trying to sound unafraid.

"I think that should be obvious. You are in the way of what I want."

"Finn..."

"Smart girl..."

Out of instinct, Ayva took a step back. The fact that Aluxia wanted Finn was more than she could bare, because there was that chance that he would want the same thing. She didn't know if she could handle watching him leave. "I think you need to back away from her!" Finn's voice erupted in a loud bellow.

A smile tugged at her lips as well as Aluxia's. Both women turned to see him standing next to Sera on the pier. His eyes were glazed with red as hers were tinted blue. To Ayva, it was good to see them working together. Aluxia raised her hands up submissively and took several steps away from the woman in question. "It's so good to see you again, Finn."

"I'm not buying that. What are you doing here?" He countered.

"I wanted to see the girl you gave up royalty for."

Finn narrowed his eyes, the hatred was beginning to suffocate Ayva. If that feeling didn't answer her question as to whether or not he would go back to her, then she had no idea what would. Standing firm in her position, she allowed herself a free second to feel good about his choice. It gave her some hope that maybe he would come around to the idea that they really were meant to be.

He vanished for a moment and reappeared right next to Ayva. His hand touched her lower back, urging her to stand behind him. Aluxia's smug expression quickly left her face, replaced by a searing anger. With a snap of her fingers, Paige and Seth were at her side. They stared down Finn, Sera and Ayva awaiting for the command to attack.