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Crave the Night by Natascha (formerly known as: Ashleagh )

This is a story based upon the Dark Hunter series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon with Acheron Parthenopaeus as main hero. The other Dark Hunters as well as affiliated characters might show up as the story writes out.
Because this story is a Fanfiction which came from my own imagination whilst reading on in this series, note that it is in no way affiliated to Sherrilyn Kenyon. Please be warned again, that this might show spoilers to the actual series but it can also follow a different path to the storylines.

This FanFic as it's written is copyright protected to Natascha apart from the pieces taken from the series as well as the characters and series idea, those are registered adn copyright protected by Sherrilyn Kenyon!!!

HAPPY READINGS,
Natascha
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CHAPTER TWO

The pain Ash felt while dreaming was excruciating, he never noticed Amanda coming in and taking Ashleagh out of his arms to change him and take him downstairs.When Ash couldn't take the emotions of this whole trip down memory-lane anymore in his dreams he cried out for D'Alerian, one of his best friends and also an Oneroi or better known as Dream-Hunter. As a son of Morpheus the Greek God of dreams, D'Alerian is a healer and helper to the Dark-Hunters. A straight forward man who never met a rule in his world he didn't like. With his eyes and focus are constantly on the Dark-Hunters he's quick at hand when one of them is in need of his aid.

D'Alerian felt the pain in Acherons cry out for him and rushed over to his dreams only to find his friend in a dark corner laying down on the ground in "feitus" position. He laid his hand gently on Ash's head to calm the storm he felt going on inside. He went through Ash's recent memories to see what his emotions got ticked off. Acheron consciously walked with him and got the vivid tingles again when the Oneroi stopped at the very memory of those heavenly blue eyes that met his earlier on today. Acheron saw that D'Alerian wanted to remove that brief moment in time to ease Acheron's pain but Ash wouldn't have it and stopped him in doing so.
"Acheron, you know I have to, to...."
"I know, but I'm not ready to forget."
D'Alerian pulled his hand back and took his friend in for a while with arched brows that told Acheron D'Alerian wanted an explanation which he couldn't give. His whole being told him that that warm embrace of the energy of this girl touching his for a short moment in time, was something he wanted to savor, to remember. The first time since.... ever, he guessed that someone could warm him with just a single second in time. That maybe the Fates hadn't given up on him yet.
"You know that, in THAT case, there's not a lot I can do for you..." D'Alerian said, somewhat confused. Acheron didn't seem to be himself. He still felt the confusion going on inside his friend but it didn't feel like the turmoil he felt before.
Acheron got back from his thoughts and said "I know, but at least I know where it came from. I think I can control it now."
D'Alerian reacted "Very well I'll leave you to it, peace be with you."
"And you dear friend..."Ash said.

D'Alerian watched over him as Acheron slept a little while longer. He really didn't know what to think of this all. It had been thousands of years since Acheron had nightmares like this and he didn't know what to do now that Ash didn't want what ticked it off errased. The irony of it all was that D'Alerian understood. His people are cursed by the Greek God Zeus to be able to feel emotions only through human dreams. He had felt Acherons emotions when his gaze had met those of the girl in question, what got him concerned was, Acheron wasn't human, so how could he have felt them? D'Alerian knew he needed advice and hoped his father Morpheus would be able to enlighten him. He knew better than to alter the destiny of Acheron for the 3 Fates will come onto him to punish him for doing so, but who's to say he's not meant to know how it could have been he felt Acherons feelings? Still in doubt what to do D'Alerian left Acherons dream state after making sure tranquility stayed with Ash for the time being.

Refreshed and rested Ash woke up only to realize Ashleagh wasn't in his arms but safely asleep in his bed. When he got up out of the chair he frowned as the pink blanket with bunny-rabbits hopping around in yellow and green on it, fell to his feet 'what on earth..?'
He folded the blanket, placed it on the chair and silently wanted to flash downstairs. Quickly he remembered that earlier on it didn't quite go well with that power so decided to leave the old fashion way.. out the door and down the stairs.
When he stood in the doorway to the livingroom he saw Simi hanging upside down on the chair feet dangling over the back and head hanging nearly on the ground, Amanda lay curled up on the sofa in Kyrians arms while they were watching the news. A longing boiled up inside him, sometimes he wanted peace like that, but it was not for him, he had other things to think about. First of he needed to see Savitar to check on how things went with Nick. First off Nick should have been trained by Savitar but Savitar didn't feel the need to take time off from surfing to do so, so Savitar told Ravyn to do so and get back to him. He still wasn't sure what to do with Nick's soul. Because Nick never bargained to revenge his mothers death in exchange for his soul with Artemis, she couldn't rightfully keep his soul, so instead she had given it to Acheron to hold on to, and although there was no doubt in his mind that Nick would be a great Dark-Hunter Ash still wasn't sure if Nick was meant to be one. Wasn't it he, himself who altered Nick's future by letting his emotions run high and speak out in anger?

Kyrian looked up and said "Had a nice nap?"
The grandpa clock down the hall chimed 9 and made Ash weary, he'd been asleep for 4 hours "I have to go, Simi return to me..."
Simi opened one eye and jumped up happy "Akri is awake, Simi is hungry." Simi hopped to him playfully "Why Akri sad?" and tilted her head.
Amanda looked up and saw it too in his whole being. The phone rang so she picked it up only to hear her twin-sister Tabitha Magnus-Devereaux on the other line. No 'hi how are you sis' or 'what's up?'but the words that came out of Tabby's mouth sounded worried "What's wrong with Acheron?"
"Simi..."Ash asked a bit agitated and without another word Simi returned to Ash's body as a dragon-shaped tattoo wrapped around him as to comfort him. Before Kyrian could say a word Acheron flashed out of the house hoping to make it to Katoteras, where Savitar awaited his arrival being annoyed because he had to pass on many a good wave while waiting for Acheron to come back home again. He actually pondered on how to take each wave as he saw them going by. 'How hard was life on him' he thought, as he saw wave number 11 going by. Ias and Danger came walking in at the same instant Ash flashed in. Despite the fact Danger only lived there for a few months she knew something was different with Ash, she couldn't pinpoint it out but it was clearly there. He released Simi and she went about her own way and jumping to her room to go and watch QVC after she got her plastic-card-thingies from Ias. "I swear one day we need to teach her the value of money a bit...." Ias's slightly curled mouth and sparks in his eyes told, he knew that that would never happen.
As Ias had been with Ash for Aeons he knew when not to bother him so he and his wife retreated to their own private chambers.
"So who crawled up your butt..." Savitar said.
"Don't start with me, tell me about Nick." Now that was the Acheron Savitar knew, authority reaked from the man.
Lethal.
Straight to the point.
No bull.

Tabitha was rambling on about Ash and how signs were bad, stars alligning to make a portal for God knows whichever energy or change. Everybody was talking about it on the internet, some whispering about the great evil that came to bring forth Armageddon. A change so drastically that the world as they knew it would seize to exist. Amanda kept her calmth the whole time while Tabitha continued to ramble till she was finished "So Mandy, what do you think, you're awfully quiet, it's bad isn't it? Ash said something to you about it and told you not to tell me, I mean...."
"Tabby be still, I think you're overreacting, who is your source of information?"
"A guy called Lucifer on the net, but that's beside the point. Lanie laid her cards for me and confirmed a major energy-shift right!" she took a breath, drank some tea and went on "With that war still ongoing in the middle east and all those people being sacrificed it must be a build up to something really bad. I feel it!"
Amanda laughed "Yeah and Bush is the devil incarnate..."
"You think? Now that does make sense, after all he started this whole war in the middle east!" Tabitha pondered on that.
"Tabby, I was just kidding."
"Owh, but you know..."
"You know what I think?" Amanda said while focussing on her twinsister's aura "I think you should go and make Valerius a happy hubby."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Tabitha asked wearily. Why the change of subject, the world as they knew it was about to end and...
"You're pregnant sweety and your hormones are clearly making you overreact a bit, I'm not saying nothings going on, it might, but it might not be as bad as you think...."
"How can I be? I'm on the p.. and I've had my..."
Amanda smiled as in her mind she counted to three then feeling the news kick in and all she heard was "I'll call you later..." followed by the beeping sound of disconnection.

Kyrian asked what was going on seeing the amused look on his wives face and wondering what Tabitha had called for.
"Tabby warning us about the end of the world...." Amanda laughed at the stunned expression on his face "Don't worry baby, she's pregnant..."
"Ahhh...." Kyrian said, knowing how pregnant 'Devereaux-women' tended to overreact a lot whilst being pregnant. The things he had to go through.... But in the end it all was worth it. He felt sympathy for Valerius, his once enemy-to-the-core for over 2000 years but ever since he and Tabitha grew fond of eachother he had learned to tolerate him. Especially since he found out the truth about the past. A grudge held over 2000 years wasn't hard to let go off but he had to admit that Valerius was an okay-guy. He did empathize with him but not so much as to feel the need to warn him about the pregnancy hormones... yet anyway.

He silently laughed in himself as not to allert Amanda about it. She'd only deny and make him regret even thinking what he thought. Last time he made the mistake in telling her, he ended up sleeping on the sofa and with him being 6"4 and the sofa only 6" in length it wasn't very comfortable. He knew his way around those 'evil' thoughts now, so he kept himself to himself.