Hero?

3

"There's a great deal of damage here. It looks like it has been going on for several years. And it appears that the hymen has been torn, but not completely. I would suggest removing the hymen and some of the scar tissue or she will never have a normal active sexual life."

"Wouldn't cutting the scar tissue just cause more scarring?" Damon asks confused. Ana just looks on blankly, he doesn't think that she is even hearing what the doctor has said. She had started squeezing his hand when it became painful and hasn't let go.

"I'll cut out the scaring and give her stitches. It will still scar somewhat, yes, but not like it is now. She should be able to enjoy sex, if she can get over the trauma that was done to her."

"Then do it. I'll take responsibility for the decision." Damon demands and the doctor nods her head.

"I'll have to give her a local anesthetic. When it wears off she'll be in pain. I'll order some pain meds for her. There will be further directions as well." The doctor works even as she speaks. She had come prepared. She had feared that she would need to do this. She uses the thread that will disintegrate in time so they won't have to do another pelvic invasion.

She doesn't like how Ana is taking this and does as quick a job as she can so that Ana won't have to deal with this much longer.

For long after the doctor left Ana doesn't respond. It's only when Damon, stands and moves towards the door that Ana breaks her silence. "Don't go, please."

"Just for a bit, Little One. I'll be back, I promise."

Ana nods, but she doesn't really believe him. After all she isn't anything to him, her own parents gave her away. She isn't anything to anybody.

Damon come back and finds her crying, sobbing her heart out. He carefully picks her up and holds her to him. He's just thankful that they've taken out her IV and most of the wires they had on her. "It's alright, I'm right here." He soothes.

After some time she calms down. "Why'd you come back, Damon?"

"I told you I would and I keep my promises."

Damon just continues to hold her even though her tears had stopped. "You need to make your choice little one. Tomorrow your case worker will be here and then the choice will be taken out of your hands."

"What do you mean?" Ana asks frightened once more.

"It means, you will be going into foster care and I won't have any say in it." Damon replies.

"I want to stay with you, Damon. I don't want to go into the foster system." Ana has heard too many stories of bad things happening to the foster kids to want that. She feels safe with Damon, something she hasn't felt in a very long time.

"I'll have my lawyer put in the paperwork tomorrow. It will be difficult though, since I'm not family and I'm young myself." Not to mention the rumors about him. Rumors that happen to be true, but there is no proof or he'd be in prison and not running the Phoenix group.

"I'm scared Damon. Foster care, I've heard too many bad things happen to foster kids."

"If they put you in foster care, I'll still protect you until you can come live with me. That's a promise, Ana." With that promise Ana falls asleep in Damon's arms until he wakes her to eat dinner.

"Ana, are you ready yet," Damon demands. "The judge won't be happy if we are late."

"I'm ready Damon," Ana says and gets into the wheelchair that she has to take downstairs. There had been more damage done than they had first thought. Ana's motor skills had been damaged and now she has a hard time walking. She has to do physical therapy and it has helped, but she has a long way to go yet.

"Ana Young. I have a petition from Mr. Damon Phoenix requesting custody of you. Normally I wouldn't ask someone so young, but how do you feel about this?" The stern judge asks as he looks over at the young girl. 

Ana is clutching the stuffed dog that Damon had given her and she won't let go of Damon's hand. "I feel safe with Damon, I mean Mr. Phoenix. He saved my life and I think he'll continue to protect me. I don't feel safe about going into foster care. It scares me."

"Did Mr. Phoenix tell you stories about foster care?" The judge questions.

"No. All he did was give me the choice to go into foster care or live with him. I want to live with him. He said that I would be like his sister. I've always wanted a big brother to protect me." Ana says daringly looking at the judge then she looks down again.

"Mr. Phoenix, you are only eighteen years old yourself. What do you know of taking care of an eight year old child?" 

"I know enough to not hurt or abuse her.  I have staff that have children that will help when I need it. She will be safe and get the help she needs, physically and mentally if she stays with me. I won't even need or want the money from the state to take care of her." Damon does his best to convince the judge.

"I have no doubts as to your sincerity Mr. Phoenix, but I can't just ignore your age and inexperience. You've had a loss yourself, you lost your father the same night Ms. Young lost her family. I have to deny your petition at this time. However, we will revisit the case next year if you are still inclined, or if there is some other reason to do so." The judge bangs his gavel and dismisses the court.

Damon grits his teeth to hold back his anger. He had known that this was a real possibility. Now he'll have to put his secondary plan into action.

"Miss," Damon waits patiently for the case worker to give him her name.

"Mrs. Lighten," the case worker says and shakes Damon's hand once they are outside of the courtroom.

"Mrs. Lighten," Damon gives her a smile. The females have a hard time resisting it and Damon has used it to his advantage on more than one occasion. Mrs. Lighten is no more proof than the countless other females have been. "I'd like to take Ana to lunch before you take her to her new family if I might?"

Mrs. Lighten is a bit flustered. "I have to remain with her until I've given her to her new family."

"Of course, you are invited as well." Damon doesn't lose his smile, he had expected that that would be the case.

"Then, yes, we can go to lunch. Ana, would you like that?" Mrs. Lighten asks.

Ana is crying that she will have to leave Damon. She looks up at Damon and says, "Yes, please."

"It's okay, Ana. Remember my promise?" Ana nods. "I always keep my promises. Now, where would you like to eat?"

"I don't know. I've never eaten out before," Ana says in a small sad voice.

Damon hides his anger all over again. An eight year old should have eaten out at least once in her life. He happens to know that her parents went out all the time when they were alive.

"We'll go to a diner then and you can choose whatever you want." Damon says and gives directions to Mrs. Lighten on which diner and how to get there. She nods and wheels Ana to her car and soon Calum is there with Ana's things as well.

This just makes Ana cry all over again. She hugs her dog to her tight even as she soaks it with her tears.