Hero?

17

Several hours later they both wake up feeling a bit stiff from staying in the same position for so long, but more satisfied about life than for some time.

"Damon?" Ana questions hesitantly.

"Yes, Little One?" Damon says giving a yawn as he wakes.

"I'm hungry, and..." Ana trails off.

"And what Ana?" Damon asks, he too is hungry.

"I'm sorry, Damon, for all the drama I've caused."

Damon pulls her close to him once more, giving her another hug, "There's no need to apologize. I, we, needed the drama to bring us to our senses. If anything we owe you an apology."

Ana slides off of Damon and stretches as she stands and yawns even wider than Damon had. Damon stands as well and they both head out of the study.

There is shock as the kitchen workers notice the two step into the kitchen. Slowly the sounds in the noisy kitchen stop as more of the workers see them. The head cook shakes herself and comes forward. "Is there something I can get you sir?"

"Whatever you already have ready will do. I know you are short staffed, I don't want to cause you anymore trouble." Damon says with a soft smile.

"For just you master or for young miss as well?" She queries looking from Damon to Ana.

"For both of us, if you would." Damon replies and waits patiently as the cook nods decisively.

She goes to the fridge and brings out some food. Quickly she reheats the food on two plates and brings it to the two waiting.

Damon and Ana take the plates and thank her before leaving the kitchen to the staff.

They take their plates into the dining room and sit themselves before eating in silence. Calum finds them there as they are just finishing up. He looks them over and notices that they both look more rested than they had earlier and he is pleased to see that they have both eaten.

"Ana? Are you going to give us another chance?" Calum asks and holds his breath as he waits for her response.

Ana takes a deep breath before looking at Calum and replying to his question. She finds Damon watching her as well. "Yes, I'll be giving you all another chance." 

Damon closes his eyes in relief. Calum lets out the breath he'd been holding. A major crisis had just been averted. 

"Did you need something, Calum or did you just want to stand there?" Damon asks in a much more jovial mood.

Calum smiles cautiously, "Actually I was looking for you, to see if we need to pack Miss Ana's things. I'm glad it won't be necessary."

"Hopefully we'll be able to convince her to remain permanently." Damon says the exhaustion still heavy in his voice but he looks better than he had before.

"Miss Ana, you should go to Jackson's house when you can. He took the news of you leaving pretty hard. He's refused to talk to any of us. I think he blames us for you leaving and he wouldn't be far off the mark." Calum says to the girl in front of him.

"Thank you Calum, but why are you so formal all of a sudden?" Ana looks at him in confusion.

"I showed you disrespect earlier. I'm trying to rectify that now." Calum looks at her sheepishly.

"You don't need to do that, it makes me feel odd. I'd rather you just call me Ana like you did before." Ana says with her face scrunched up as she tells this to Calum.

"As you wish, Ana." Calum turns and leaves to tell everyone the news that Ana will be staying after all.

"Ana," Jackson says as he opens the door.

Ana runs into his arms and gives him a hug. 

"Please don't leave, Ana," Jackson pleads with his voice breaking.

"I'm not going to leave, Jackson. They've convinced me to give them another chance. I just don't know, though. People don't change how they feel so quickly."

"Perhaps not, Miss Ana, but they've taken the first step by wanting to change. That's all we can hope for really. Change isn't easy, and changing a way of life is even harder. They are trying for you." Jackson gives her another quick hug before releasing her.

"The family is wanting to see you, if you'd like," Jackson says hesitantly.

"I'd like that," Ana replies shyly. Jackson moves out of the way and Ana goes inside.

"She's staying?" Gemma says excitedly as she runs into Calum.

"Yes," Calum smiles at her. He passes her in the hall and goes about his duties. The whole house has taken a more relaxed atmosphere now that things have been resolved between Ana and Damon.

Gemma holds in her squeal of happiness and goes back to Ana's room to straighten things up.

Jacob sits by himself in the garden gazebo. He wants to talk to Ana, to tell her to not leave, but doesn't think she'd even listen to him.

He doesn't understand why he feels like this. He's cursed being her bodyguard since Damon did that to him. 

A feeling of uncontrolled rage takes him over. He makes no effort to rein it in. He wants to hit and destroy everything around him. He wants to pick a fight and beat something to pieces.

"What's wrong, Jacob?" Damon says coming up to him and sitting on the bench in the gazebo.

"Ana's leaving, sir. I'd think that you'd be more upset about that." Jacob doesn't notice just how haggard Damon looks when he says this.

Damon gives a Jacob a faint smile, "She came to talk to me right after breakfast. She was still angry and hurt. We've all hurt her so bad, I don't blame her for wanting to leave."

"So liberating the slaves didn't get her to give us a second chance?" Jacob asks morosely.

"I didn't say that did I?" Damon smirks.

Jacob sits up straighter and looks at Damon, really looks at him. "Sir?"

"She's giving us another chance, but, I don't think she'll give us another if we blow this one. Jacob, I know that you don't consider her a friend, but I'm going to ask you to make an effort on trying to be her friend. If you truly don't like her and feel that you can't ever be her friend then-well I guess you can't. She's lonely..." Damon trails off there really isn't any more for him to say. Either Jacob will be able to overcome his feelings or he won't. Damon can't force someone to feel something they can't.

"I'll try sir," Jacob says and sits up straighter himself. His rage of just moments before having melted away like sugar in water.

"That's all I ask for, Jacob." Damon sits there enjoying the peace of the garden for a few minutes before he gets up and leaves Jacob to his solitude once more.

"I'll be taking Ana out for dinner, Calum will be joining us and I want you to come as well. I'm going to leave Jackson with his family tonight."

"Ana isn't going to want to have me around," Jacob says bitterly.

"Don't be so hasty. That girl is very forgiving. She's giving us all, including you, a second chance, don't you think you should do the same to her?"