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

<:28:>

Ashton and Claire

"So once you lure him here, we will attack," Michael says, pointing to a clearing on the map he printed of the abandoned shacks.

"With all of our strength," Luke gestures to everyone, "We should be able to apprehend him and then tie him up.

"That is when you ladies need to drain Ashton," Michael states, "With both of you it should happen fairly quick, so pay attention."

"You don't want to kill him," Calum says softly.

"Then get him over to Neb immediately," Luke says urgently, reinforcing the importance.

"Without your three's added strength, it will be harder to hold him down," Calum explains.

"Okay," Veronica nods with Ashton and Claire.

"And I have to drink his blood?" Ashton grimaces, though his teeth throb.

"All of it," Veronica says emotionless before Ashton looks at Claire, her honesty of sharing who and what Neb is, still making his stomach sick.

"All of it," he nods, looking back at Veronica and hoping she knows she has his sympathy too.

"And then we hope this works," Luke exhales, looking over the notes and the map.

"What if none of it is true?" Ashton whispers, fear creeping up in him, "Or what if our theory is wrong?"

"We won't know until we try," Calum stands firm to him.

"We're risking all of our lives," Ashton says shakily, looking around at all of his friends, "because of me."

"No," Claire croaks, "because of me."

Ashton turns to her and grabs her shoulder, willing her to not cry. Her eyes lock to his, seeing the warm wonderful man still within behind those gold halos and she cracks. She falls into him, shaking against his warm chest as the room goes quiet, the gravity of their future surrounding them. When she looks back up, his eyes have shifted to their caramel color, obscuring the gold and he looks like his human self again. A sob rips up her throat before she covers her mouth and runs out of the kitchen, going to the second level.

Ashton follows her, pulling her into him once he makes it into his room where she breaks down, crying hysterically.

"I'm so sorry," she weeps, "I am so sorry."

"Claire, stop," he says gently, "No one blames you."

"But this is all my fault. I did this to you," she pushes away, feeling unworthy of his affection.

"Stop," he says hurt as he grabs her arm and gently pulls her back. "If anyone should be upset and angry it would be me, but I'm not."

"You can't, we're bound," she deflects his words.

"I can still think for myself," he says offensively but kind, his brow pushing together. "I'm scared to be human. What if you don't want me anymore? But also, I know it's the right thing to do to keep everyone safe."

"No, me. To keep me safe," she counters. "It all revolves around me because you don't have a choice. The Bond forces that on you."

"Not everything is about you," he smiles at her, "This is about all of us, Claire." He grabs her under the ear grateful to see the reason in her eyes before he continues quietly, "And I am grateful you have entered my life. Regardless of that fact that I'm half human currently, or that I have to kill a vampyre by sucking his blood, or that my friends lives are going to be in danger." She huffs at him, her brows pushing together before he giggles, brushing his lips against hers, "It was all worth it because I want you. I just hope you'll want me when I'm back to human. For more than my blood I mean."