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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.

__________________________________________________________________________________
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
__________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER ONE
He just knew that this day would merely be a day full of bad things, he felt it in every molecule that his body was made of, things had been not good for a while now but today something deep inside him stirred, an uneasy feeling. He damned the fates for not being able to see his own future clearly. Dark-Hunters from all over the planet had been phoning him, new Dark-Hunters that is, and eventhough he understood that they had a lot of questions whilst they found out what life as a mere servant of the Goddess Artemis was like, today of all days he was not in the mood for answering simple annoying questions. Where's Strykerious when you needed to just pumble someone for no particular reason, he would even settle for Desiderius, or a Spathi Daimon but no, why should Acheron be granted a wish for once.


He instantly settled himself, eventhough he didn't speak those words out loud, he didn't want to jinx things like last time when he let his emotions run wild and Nick.... He didn't want to think about it. What's done was done, there was nothing he could do about it now. But all things aside, is was safe to say Ash was kranky. He walked among the unknowing humans down Bourban Street, his mind was setted on visiting Selena at the new age shop he recently had bought for her so she could be able to continue doing what she did best; expending her psychic abilities and running her new shop. He needed just a little ease from his mood and Selena was one of the few people who could do such a thing with her chitter chattery way of life. He looked at the different faces that passed him by and eventhough she didn't stand out fashionwise he got caught in heavenly blue eyes, hidden underneath a navyblue New-York sportscap. Eventhough he saw her just while passing by and only for a few seconds he instinctively knew she was somewhat different from other women who walked upon the planet earth. And he could tell not just by the tingling feeling he felt in his groin making him grow harder just by her scent of something similar to sandalwood but just not quite the same. He nearly got tempted to use his powers to go back in time just a little bit so he could feel that again, it had been decades if not centuries ago since he last held interest in a woman. He had Simi his Charonte Demon who he saw as his own daughter to keep him company which made the lonely days a lot more pleasant. And now that Ias had Danger, his newly wed-wife, and Xirena his newly bound Charonte Demon (as well as Simi's long last sister) to focus his attention on, he felt now more than ever what is was like again to be alone.

His life was a lot less complicated before his New Orleans Dark-Hunters Kyrian, Talon and Zarek found their soulmates who freed their souls from Artemis who created the Dark-Hunters to kill Daimons formerly known as Apollyte-people prolonging their lifes the wrong way. Apollyte people were cursed by Apollo after his lover got brutally murdered at age 27 by Apollyte people who pretended that she was murdered by animals. When he found out what had happened he cursed them to live life in the dark till their 27th birthday and on that day they would die a painfull death lasting 24 hours till they let out their last breath. The only way to prolong their lives was to kill humans by drinking their blood and taking in their soul. A normal human soul would last them a few days but whenever a human had psychic powers that was a real kick for them, those souls would last them weeks if not months and they kept whichever ability they had to use for themselves and with that they'd be stronger Daimons and thus harder to be fought and defeated by his Dark-Hunters. It was an ongoing thing Acheron got used to, but lately his will to keep doing what Artemis laid unwillingly upon his shoulders so that she could keep him in her control, was nowhere to be found. Especially after Cherise Gautier got murdered and Nick turned into a Dark-Hunter after he killed himself when he found his mother brutally murdered in her home. Pain still tore through him when he thought how many loved-ones he had lost over the past few years. He should've known better than to let people close to him, everytime the fates took them from him.

Concerning others he had clear vision on what a certain outcome could be, but for himself or those close to him it was blank and quiet. Eventhough he was over 11 thousand more close to 12 thousand years old (at his age he didn't frown upon a century or two...) no one even amongst those he held near knew what he was or who he was deep down inside. Simi knew ofcourse but he knew he could absolutely trust her as she was now a part of him. Simi eventhough she was just as old as him appeared at the age of 18 when summoned to human form, he himself appeared as 21. His origins was Greek but he was raised in Atlantis before it was destroyed, now only a handful of people were left who actually knew Atlantis from experience but he didn't feel the need to keep in touch with those. He felt uneasy, something was stirring deep inside him, it made him feel things locked deep inside and Simi felt that he was restless. She got kranky because he woke her out of her sleep. She started moving around which made Acheron itch. When a Charonte Demon was returned to its owner and on his body as a tattoo they normally rested and he wouldn't feel her being a part of him. But when they moved around they left a burning trail. It would fade after a few seconds but in the mood he was in at the moment he felt every thing times ten. In his head he told her to stay putt.
'But the Simi is restless because her Akri is restless, I needs me sleep.'
'I know Simi, I'm sorry.'
Acheron tried to calm his emotions and when he knew no-one was watching he stepped into an allyway and flashed himself to a place other than Katoteros where he felt home, instead of heading down to Selena's shop.

"Jeez Ash, you scared the be-jeezus out of me,"Amanda said startled, as she nearly dropped the babybottle with formula out of her hand "When will you learn to knock?!"
Ash quinced at her words, he's gotton so used to flashing in and out of Kyrians home over the years that he somtimes forgot, waith no, he didn't forget, he distinctly remember willing himself to his own bedroom in Kyrians home.... or did he? He had so many things go through his mind over the past few minutes that he wasn't sure "Sorry Mandy, didn't mean to."
"I didn't mean to fall out like that Ash," Amanda said as she noticed his turmoil in his aura "With Marissa's powers all over the place at the moment I'm not quite sure when to expect wat anymore."
"And Ashleagh?" Ash asked, thinking lovingly about the 6 month old baby boy who was named after him and just as Marissa was his Goddaughter, he was his Godson. Marissa came running in with her arms spread out wide to Ash "Uncle Ash!"
She jumped in his arms and she hugged those small girly arms around his neck and gave him butterfly kisses on his cheek "Hey Munchkin..."
"Is Simi here too?"
"Yes she is..."
"Can she come out and play?"
'Can the Simi can the Simi can the Simi....' he heard Simi ask enthusiastic in his head 'Yes Simi you can, just don't eat anything other than given to you by Amanda or me.'
Simi jumped from his skin and Marissa giggled girly when she saw Sim. She and Simi went to the playroom and Ash said "Simi no QVC..."
Simi stood still instantly "Akri Simi doesn't like when you say no to the Simi, no eat this, no QVC. No sex with Nick..."
"Simi..." stretching each sillable as he spoke.
"Yes akri, Simi no QVC Simi didn't say she accept in silence..."
Amanda held in a laughter while she looked at Ash's tormented face. "Kids..." she said instead.
"Just waith till yours grow up... Did Ashleagh show some powers yet?"
"None that we know off and silently I applaude that."Amanda said.
"Same here," Kyrian walked into the kitchen and gave his wife a kiss. He looked strangely at Acheron "What's up with you?" Kyrian looked a bit worried at his used to be "boss" Kyrian was one of the Dark-Hunters who got their soul back but he had known Acheron for over 1500 years now and was one of his best friends.
"I'll go and feed Ashleagh." Amanda said with an arched brow looking from one to the other.
Ash asked "Can I?" he could use some quiet time alone with his just himself and his thoughts. Before they knew it Ash walked out of the kitchen up the stairs then remembered the bottle, went back downstairs and flashed upstairs only to end up in his own bedroom downstairs. It disturbed him quite a bit but then decided to walk, he passed by the open kitchen door again and left Amanda and Kyrian awestruck.

Acheron went to the nursery, picked up Ashleagh and held him comfortably in his arms while sitting down in the antique rockin'chair, to give him the bottle. The sight of this 6"8 male, dressed in black leather slacks, biker-boots, a dark t-shirt, with his black halflong hair pulled together in a dark band, and the manly features of his face softened with the love he felt for the small boy in his arms, was an odd not often thing to see. Especially not concerning Acheron. Only Amanda and Kyrian had seen him like this, and only on the odd ocassion they caught him unprepaired.

Thousands of years ago he had lost all hope on ever having a family off his own, it was a small sacrifice to make so that humanity could walk around safe(r) on this planet. He couldn't think about what would happen if he'd left his Dark-Hunters to walk around unsupervised and untrained. Chaos amongst the living for sure.

He dozed off for a while trying to relax a bit. But instead of resting he got pulled into the nightmare with the chaos and screams of Atlanteans while their isle got destroyed and drown into the Aegean Sea. Then he got pulled into another memory and found himself in pain by the hurt his lover Artemis' betrail set upon him. In his dreamstate his human-self had also tears in his eyes. He sought some peace and instead got more chaos, of remembering those long forgotten memories, bad memories that had scarred him for life and uncertainties. The pain he felt of those Dark-Hunters who turned on him, the pain of Strykerious who constantly was planning on making his life a living hell by killing (or trying anyway) those who Ash held close to his heart. He saw how Cherise got killed and felt the agonizing pain that went through Nick when he had found her. He heard his own words echo in his head, those he had spoken to Nick when he had found out Nick had slept with Simi, his emotions speaking over his rational mind 'you should kill yourself to safe me from doing so later'. In the end that was exactly what Nick had done.