Hero?

58

"What are we going to do for your birthday this year?" Damon asks in the quiet that settles once Ana sends the dogs on their way.

"I can't do anything in the city, it's too open. I thought horseback riding and we could do a picnic lunch at the creek. I'll have some work in the morning, last minute instructions. I'd like for you to be there. I'll need your help in watching over Spider. Jonah is going to be stretched rather thin."

"Of course, I'd be happy to help in whatever way I can."

"Are you going to take Michael with you?"Damon searches for words to keep the conversation going. It didn't use to be so hard.

"I'm still undecided on that. I'll know by my birthday." Ana shivers slightly in the cool air. Damon takes off his jacket and sets it over her. Ana smiles at him as she snuggles into it. "Thank you, Damon.

"How's your new girl friend?"

"Teresa?" Damon queries with a snort. "She is jealous that I have you here. It doesn't matter to her that you are my ward. She's just like the other bints. She just wants my money and my body."

"Why do you always date the girls you know are like that? You are usually a better judge of character, at least with the males you are."

Damon chuckles, "It's an excuse really. A reason to dump them after I get my money's worth back from them. If they want to act like whore's then I'll treat them like one."

Ana rolls her eyes, "Isn't there any female out there that you want that isn't after your money and/or body?"

"Yes, there is one." Damon says softly, "But she isn't interested in me."

Ana looks at him puzzled, "How could she not?"

Damon changes the subject, "When we get back from the picnic, what do you want to do?"

"That's my tactic Damon. I'd like to go out to eat, but it isn't safe.  So I guess we'll just eat here?" Ana says thoughtfully, but Damon detects some sadness. Ana loves going out to eat and trying new places. He thinks it has something to do with her early childhood and never having gone anywhere.

"Are you going to stay out for very late? I'd say the stars are lovely and all, but with the storm clouds covering them that makes it hard." As he hoped that gets a small giggle from Ana.

"No, I guess I'll go on in. The storm will be starting soon. And Damon, whoever that girl is, she would be foolish to not want you."

"We both know that I'm a bad man, Ana. She's better off without me."

"I recall you saying something along those lines when you offered to be my guardian. It wasn't true then and it isn't now."

This makes Damon laugh bitterly. "You can say that when you saw what I was like after you left? Ana, just how bad do I need to be before you'll believe I'm a bad man?"

"You'd have to be worse than me." Ana says softly.

Those words make Damon stop still. "Ana, I've done far worse than you have any idea of, you still aren't as bad as I am. You have no idea how much I regret bringing you into this life."

"I've told you before, It wasn't you that brought me into this life, it was my father. May he rot in hell." Ana's words are cut off as Damon kisses her.

"Enough Ana. You should never have been exposed to this life. But you've taken to it like you were born to it. Better actually," Damon says bitterly. He misses his innocent young ward. "This life has corrupted you too much, I never wanted this for you."

Damon leaves or tries, but Ana catches his hand, "Damon-" Damon gently pulls his hand out of her hold and continues walking away.

"You said you'd never leave me." Ana cries out.

"You left me." Damon replies as he continues up the stairs.

"You left me no choice."

"That's why you are better off without me." Damon says as he enters his room. Ana just stares up the stairs where Damon left.

"Michael, I've debated about what's best for you. If I take you with me, it shows my lack of trust and it limits your growth. If I leave you here, I won't be able to watch over you properly. So after much thought and debate I'll be leaving you here under Jonah. He'll be overseeing your progress and growth. I want you fully trained. You are my brother now and you should know the full workings of what we do. When your father comes after me something might happen to me and you'd need to be able to help run things."

Michael stares at her stunned. "I'm your brother?"

Ana thought that was obvious when she had him take her name. "Yeah, you're to old to be my child, you are after all a couple of years older than me. So you're too young to be my father and to old to be my child, that leaves brother."

Michael is to shocked to hear much at this point, but something she says brings him back. "Forgive me, my father may not know where Hawk's nest is but he is fully aware of the old Headquarters where Jonah and the others live. Since he won't be able to attack you directly he will enjoy taking your people you care about."

Ana starts swearing viciously. Snakes attack from the dark when you don't expect them to. She should of thought of that before.

"They can move here with my men. Bring in some of Spiders people as well. Jonah and I can work out a schedule for using the study and if necessary we can turn one of the unused bedrooms into a secondary study for his use." Damon offers.

Ana goes to reject the offer when Michael speaks again. "Snake knows all of the holding other than Hawk's nest. He knows of all of Spider's holdings. He will go after Phoenix if he can't get you directly. He may not know of your affiliation but he knows that you are allies. Having a stronger force here will deter him from attacking Phoenix or Spider. He doesn't have the men at this time or rather at the time I was thrown out, to attack head on. Combining Phoenix and Spider will make it so he's less likely to attack."

Ana looks at Michael and smiles. Michael by this time has learned to be wary when Ana smiles. "Very good Michael. You're growing already. Jonah, I want him fully trained."

"Yes, boss. Shall we move in here then?" Jonah hopes so. Trudy is expecting and he doesn't want anything to happen to her.

"Yes, as long as Damon is comfortable with this arrangement. How many men will you allow?" Ana asks this last bit to Damon.

"Send as many as you wish. If my security is doubled then there is greater safety."

Ana nods, "Very well, unless there is any more business? Michael, you're free for the rest of the day. Jonah will be taking over your instructions as of tomorrow. I expect to hear great things about you."

Indeed since he's joined Hawk Michael has changed and from what Trinity, Jacob and Damon can see it's only been for the better.

Once Michael has left the others ask her, "What are you planning for him?"

"He'll be taking over Snake when his father dies. I'm not sure if he'll be the one to take Snake down or not, that hasn't been determined yet, but he'll be taking over unless Damon takes out Snake first." Ana knows that Damon is hunting Snake assiduously. If he can he'll take him down on his own. Ana doesn't have a problem with that either.

With that they all file out and Ana goes to change for her time with Damon.