Daylight\\A.I. & C.H.

<:21:>

Calum, Claire, and Veronica

Calum races up the drive way before slamming on the brakes so the car comes to a screeching halt in the garage. His hands fumble for the garage remote to close the door as Claire and Veronica squint, the rising sun burning their eyes. He finally clicks the button and the door begins to close, all three of them watching at its slow torturous speed before it clinks shut. They all release a breath and Ashton moans, his skin becoming dewy.

"We should get him inside to rest," Claire states, lifting his lip and exposing his sharp pointed teeth.

"Mikey is supposed to come help," Calum looks at the door to the house. "Where the fuck is he?"

Calum and Veronica climb out simultaneously, Calum heading to the door and Veronica to let Claire out. Calum gets to the door but its locked, the handle unwilling to go down and release the mechanism to allow him entry to his own home. He bangs his fist into it, pissed and confused.

"MIKEY!" he yells, pounding on the door. "LUKE!" he screams next, smacking and kicking the door. "Come on, don't do this!"

"What's going on?" Veronica approaches him.

"I don't know the door is locked," he looks around, his eyes landing on the garage door. "Get in the corner, I'm going to open the garage and get out to the front door."

"Claire!" Veronica shouts, waving her over as she reluctantly leaves Ashton.

Calum finds the remote in the console as the women squeeze tightly into the corner, Ashton slumped in the backseat and moaning as his Change continues to takes place. Calum's heart begins to race, worried about his friend but also the other's; not wanting Ashton to wake up while Michael helps carry him. He swallows as he pushes the button, ready to figure out why the door is locked when the garage door doesn't open.

"What the-" Calum hisses, clicking the button over and over but the garage door remains closed. "We're trapped," he calls out before running to the door and pounding on it. "LET US OUT!" he yells, grabbing the handle and pulling on it violently, sweat dewing on his brow.

Calum continues to bang on the door and jerk on the handle, loosing hope and feeling defeated he may be losing everyone in his life. He pulls out his phone and calls Michael, getting only his voicemail six times before he calls Luke. His phone goes to voicemail, too. Four times. And then Calum gives up.

The sun shines through the garage door windows, when the door unlocks and Calum stands up, the sound loud enough for Veronica and Claire to hear.

"C'mon, get inside where you can get away from the sun," Calum encourages as he opens the door and the ladies join in, entering into the house. "Mikey! I need help with Ashton!" Calum yells stepping in further as he looks around searching for Michael or Luke.

"I can hear their heartbeats," Veronica snarls in annoyance as she and Claire head in the directions of the thumps, walking into the kitchen.

"Mikey! I need your help with A-" Calum calls out before chaos unleashes.

Michael jumps out from behind the island screaming, swinging his Katana at Veronica's head, nicking her neck as she dodges. Meanwhile, Luke bounds out from the wall on the opposite side and dives into Claire, throwing their bodies before the window, where a pool of sunlight warms the cemented ground.

A hiss rings out of Veronica's teeth at the cut of the blade as she brings her hand up and slams her palm into Michael's chest. This knocks him back and breathless before she grabs his throat and slams him into the fridge, swatting the weapon from his hand. Veronica bares her teeth a him with a growl before a horrifying scream fills the whole house.

Calum stares wide eyed as Luke and Claire land in the sunlight; the rays hitting Claire's exposed cheek, neck and hand. The skin instant inflames, turning red as blister's form and she shrieks in pain and fear. Like Calum, Luke covers his ears, removing his hold on Claire and she leaps away from Luke and into the wall, panting as she shakes and weeps.

Calum drops his hands to hear a choking sound; his eyes going to Veronica watching Claire with concern, unnoticing her tight grip on Michael's throat nor his hands clawing at hers.

"RONI NO!" Calum shouts, jumping to her, "LET HIM GO!" His body slams into hers and they crash to the ground in front of the wounded Vampyress as Michael slumps down the fridge gasping and holding his throat.

"What the fuck is going on?" Luke breaths heavily, on his hands and knees.

"Ashton," Calum puffs, his adrenaline beginning to wane as he sits up and Veronica crawls to Claire, "He needs our help."

"Why are you with them?" Luke points to the Vampyress's and then flinches at Claire drinking from Veronica's wrist.

"It's a long story, Mate," Calum gets out while trying to collect his breath.

"Start explaining," Michael says, his voice hoarse and raspy.

"I'll tell you everything," Calum huffs, "But first, we need to get Ashton in his bed."

"He can't wake up alone," Claire chokes emotionally, through her labored breath.

"You both need rest now," Veronica states, moving Claire's hair to assess the burn on her cheek.

"And each other," Calum adds, looking at Claire's state and knowing she'll need Ashton's blood to properly heal. "We need to get him to you."

"Not without his consent," she shakes her head.

"Claire we don't know when he will awake," Veronica pushes, agreeing with Calum.

"NO!" Claire shouts and stands to her feet, unsteady as tears begin to fall. "Never without his consent again."

"Claire," Veronica stands and grabs Claire's shoulder, getting better at this comfort thing.

"Luke help me get Ash to his room, please," Calum stands and goes to Luke with his hand out to pull him up.

Not without difficulty or slamming Ashton's head into the wall several times, they finally flop Ashton's limp body to his bed, Claire by his side instantly as she looks him over. Calum watches as Claire begins to struggle at removing his shirt, her burned hand practically useless. He steps up to her and helps her strip him to his boxers, Ashton's body coated in a layer of sweat and his muscles randomly twitching.

"Is he going to hate me?" Claire whispers and she helps tug on his pants, Calum pulling on the hem at Ashton's ankle.

"No," Calum reassures her. "But he might be scared and upset."

She nods before taking his pants from Calum and folding them as she watches Ashton, his chest moving slowly but with big movements. Her chest fills with dread now that she finally has time to think about her mistake, her greatest regret. Even though she knows she wants him forever and she doesn't know what this Bond truly entails, she wants him to live his life. The life he wanted. And she is ruining that.

"I'll catch you later," Calum says, squeezing her shoulder before he leaves Ashton's room, leaving her with only the sound of Ashton's slow breaths and slower heartbeat.

She sets his clothes atop his dresser and climbs over him, snuggling deep down into his sheets that smell so much like him she gets blissfully high. Her body doesn't need the blankets, but his does, so she pulls them up and covers their bodies before she snuggles up to his chest. She breathes in his scent and soaks in his returning warmth as her hand rubs his shoulder, his damp skin like silk to her before her body forces her to sleep and heal.