forever & for always {a connor stoll fanfiction}

Chapter 26

a/n: hey guys! just a quick warning. Ashton shares her back story this chapter so it gets pretty intense. sorry! (nothing inappropriate, however she does mention a party with drunk adults.) 

xoxo,

m.

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Connor

I grabbed Ashton's hand and led her to the stables.

"C'mon hurry up!" I laughed, and dragged her in. We both stopped, and breathed in the wonderful smell of horses, and the barn. Ahhhh. 

"Why the hurry Stoll?" She laughed. 

"No matter. Just c'mere." I led her over to two stalls, where there were two Chestnut Geldings, not Pegasii, just regular horses. 

"How.... How are there regular horses? I thought we just had Pegasii." She was smiling from ear to ear. 

"Chiron let me bring my cousin's horses in, just for a special day." I grinned, and led her into the stall, still hand in hand. "That one over there is Kittredge, and this one is Spike." 

She laughed. "Who names their horse Spike?" 

"Ouch! Awesome people like I do." 

"Wait, I thought you said these are your cousin's horses." She looked up at me puzzled. 

"They are, but my cousin Josie let me name Spike, and she named Kittredge." 

"Well, Kittredge thinks he has an awfully girly name." She giggled. 

"What?" She was really confusing me now.

"I can talk to horses, it's a-"

"Poseidon thing." I laughed. "Again. Anyways, since they're all tacked up - why not take a ride?"

"Really?! I would love that." I let go of her hand, and we lead the horses out of their stalls. 

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Ashton

As we galloped along beside the strawberry fields, I caught a glance of the Demeter kids working. I reached up, and waved, balancing myself. I looked over at Connor, smiling from ear to ear. 

"BEST DAY EVER!" I shouted, and laughed. I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. 

When we finally stopped, we were in the woods at the edge of camp. 

"So, enjoying yourself?" Connor laughed. 

"Totally." We smiled, and tied the horses to a nearby tree, unclipping and sliding off our sweaty helmets. 

"So," Connor said as he grabbed my hand. "You hungry?" 

"Yeah, but I don't want to head back to the dining pavilion." I groaned. 

"We don't have too." He grinned, and started leading me towards a clearing where there was a red checkered blanket, and a picnic basket. 

I grinned. "Fooood!" 

We sat down giggling, and opening the picnic basket, ready to chow down on whatever food Connor had packed. 

There was PB&J, Grapes, and Juice. It reminded me of the meals I used to have when I was kidnapped. I must have cringed, because Connor looked at me worried.

"Everything okay?!" Yup, he was definitely worried. 

"Everything's great Con." I smiled. "Just some old memories I need to sort through." 

"Wanna share?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around me. 

"Not really. There's a lot in my past that I'd rather not re-visit."

"You sure?" He looked worried. 

"I have to do it sometime..." I realized aloud.  

"I was 1, so I don't remember being kidnapped. Though the people that kidnapped me changed my name, and held me until I was 7, trying to find my family and get a ransom. I'm still not sure why they thought I was worth so much. I eventually found the papers, and read them, how my name was changed. Then I ran away one night, never turning back. I lived on the streets for awhile before a family found me, and took me in. They turned me into Social Services, and I was in and out of several homes before I finally came to the home I was in when I stumbled across camp. They just had me for the paycheck, and it was awful." I started to tear up, since I had never told anyone this before. "I ran away the night before I came across Camp Half-Blood. We were camping along the beach, so my foster parents could party, and I decided to ditch, I didn't feel like being around a bunch of drunk people just so they could beat me up. I grabbed my backpack and ran. They were all too busy dancing to follow, and it was pretty easy to get away. That home wasn't even the worst though. There was the Magilys, who just had me until they had twins of their own. After the twins were born, they were treated like royals, and I their servant. The foster system found out about them though, and took me out, sending me to the Kitons. They were the scariest. I had to sleep in their dingy basement on the floor, they would throw scraps down from their meal just for me to eat. All the while collecting the paychecks. That house was the worst. It was a living nightmare." I cringed, not able to bring myself to say anymore. 

"I had no idea. I'm so, so sorry Ash." He pulled me into a tight hug, and kissed my forehead, just holding me there for a second. I pulled back just the slightest bit, so I could see his face. 

"I've never told that to anyone before. Not even Social Services. They thought my parents died." I was sobbing at this point, trying to wipe off the tears, but crying too hard to be able too. Connor cupped my face with his hands, wiping off the tears. 

"I love you Ashton Jackson, never forget that." He kissed me, and then pulled me into a tight hug, just holding me and letting me cry it all out. 

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a/n: HARDEST THING TO WRITE EVER. Omyword, I almost sobbed. (and I don't cry. like ever.) so.... 

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xoxo,

m.