[ 42 ] 2014

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"She told me I had been a good son when I was alive, and even as a ghost throughout those fifty years. She wanted to make up for the suffering I endured here. So she granted me a favor. She said it could be anything I wanted."

-

Harley was in her bedroom when she saw the woman leave over a half hour later. She wondered who she was, or what she wanted. But she had no energy to make an effort to find out. Billy and Cindy had invited her to watch a movie in his room, but she also did not have any energy for that. She only made it downstairs a few minutes later when Harleen called everyone over for dinner because she knew they would not let her skip out on it again. Billy and Cindy started eating immediately. Cindy was definitely eating more now that she didn't always have people watching her and judging her like she did at school and at home. She was gaining a little bit of weight, but it suited her, and it drove Billy absolutely crazy. But he loved her just the way she was, or every way that she would be.

Harleen ate in short bouts, every once in a while looking towards Arthur and Harley who hadn't even begun to even fathom the thought of touching their food. Harley wasn't hungry, and neither was her father. Both of them would probably have to be mind controlled by Harleen into eating something. 

Since Arthur had empathy powers, it was more difficult for him to eat. Because of that, he had lost a lot of weight and because he was so tall, well over six feet, it was much more noticeable on him. His clothes were getting a bit too loose on him, and he had started holding his pants up with belts when he hardly had that problem before. As he had entered the dining room that afternoon, Harleen had greeted him with a hug and a kiss. But she had immediately started fussing a bit sadly that he was losing so much weight. She tugged around the waist band of his pants, biting her lip and he awkwardly kind of swatted her hand away, hiding away the receding muscles of his body under the material of his shirt. There were also deep circles under his eyes from his lack of sleep, which Harleen also tried to help by mind controlling him. But it usually only worked for a little while.

He spent most of his time sitting at the table rubbing the stubble on his face, not really knowing what to do with his hands since he didn't really want to eat. Or more like he wanted to, but he physically couldn't. His body had already reached a point where his empathy towards his daughter was so great that he was rejecting food.

Billy and Cindy finished up their food and excused themselves with sad smiles. Billy knew about their powers, but Cindy still didn't. He wanted to keep her away from that until Harley was ready to explain things to her. If she was going to be a part of their family, she would have to learn about them and understand that they weren't normal humans. As soon as they left, Harleen left her seat and walked over to Harley, crouching so that she was at eye level with her daughter who was still sitting down. The seventeen year old was staring blankly at her plate of food. "Sweetheart, you have to eat something." Harleen said with a sigh, and concentrating all of her energy on that command, she bore her eyes into Harley's. "You will finish your entire plate of food."

Harley nodded her head slowly and began eating silently. Harleen straightened up and walked towards Arthur next. Doing the same thing, she placed a hand on his shoulder and crouched down beside him. He gave her a side glance, looking so tired, and he bit down on his lower lip because he knew just what she was about to say. "Love, you have to at least try to eat something. I made your favorite."

He sighed and gave a shake of his head. "I really can't."

"Please..." She begged, and that was all she had to do to get him to comply.

He grabbed a forkful of food and brought it to his lips. It was like watching a video in slow motion. He slowly opened his mouth and threw the food in. He began to chew and Harleen saw the way his body immediately began rejecting the food. He had tried to swallow it, but it wouldn't go down. He made several attempts until he reached for a napkin on the table and spit the food out into it, gagging as he did. 

Harley immediately felt bad at the sight of this. Harleen held her head down and had started crying. Harley felt guilty that this was happening to him. His powers were of emotional manipulation and empathy. He could not eat and he could not sleep because he so deeply felt what she was feeling. Indirectly, but she was essentially killing him, and that broke her heart. She wanted to be strong for him, so that he could get back to normal. But she was just in so much pain that she couldn't. She looked up and saw how frail and tired he looked, nothing like the strong leader of the hunters she had once known. 

Arthur had made a second attempt, but just couldn't keep the food down. Harley meanwhile was able to finish all of her food, just like her mother had mind controlled her into doing. She then excused herself and went back up to her room to be alone. 

When she entered her bedroom, she gasped at the sight before her. Ashton was sitting on her bed, just like he used to, and he smiled warmly at her as she pushed open the door. Harley thought she was imagining things. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her because she was in so much grief. But as she blinked back a couple of times and his image was still there, she decided that it was either real or her imagination was just too good. He saw the surprise on her face and immediately started to explain, getting up on his feet. "Hey doll--I mean, Harley. I'm sorry, its an old habit." He coughed awkwardly as he corrected himself. "All of this is going to sound really crazy, but I need you to trust me on this and do everything I ask you to do."

Harley nodded her head slowly and walked into the middle of the room, still feeling like this was all a dream or an illusion. His words reminded her of when she went to the past and she asked him to trust her and go find help, but they had been captured by Conrad Hood. Still, she wondered if he would have actually done what she asked of him even if he didn't know her. She thought that he probably would have since Ashton had a good heart and was very trusting like that. Unlike her, she didn't trust anyone and found it difficult to put her trust in people even after a while knowing them. 

"God sent me here, and she--" 

She stopped him mid sentence, the pronoun catching her off guard. "God is a woman?" She raised an eyebrow at him in question. He had been as equally surprised as she was when he first met her.

He gave a nod of his head. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Since women are much smarter than men." At that, she managed to crack a smile. He then continued explaining his reason for being there. "She has decided to grant Calum his life back. But you must go to the cemetery at St. Genevieve's at midnight tonight and place a wooden cross atop his tomb. Then she said to wish for it with all your heart and trust and she will bring him back to you."

"But...why?" Harley wondered.

As much as she loved Calum, he had once been a horrible person and surely did not earn something like this. Harley instead thought that Ashton had advocated for him. But at what cost?

Knowing she wasn't just going to accept the favor without knowing all of the information first, he decided to tell her the truth. He was never much one for lying anyway. "She told me I had been a good son when I was alive, and even as a ghost throughout those fifty years. She wanted to make up for the suffering I endured here. So she granted me a favor. She said it could be anything I wanted." And with that, she knew exactly what he meant. 

"And you used that favor to help Calum?" She finished for him.

He nodded his head.

Though she was overjoyed that Calum was coming back to her, a part of her felt bad that Ashton was so self-sacrificing, even in the afterlife. He had probably so easily surrendered that favor to Calum without question. Harley would get her boyfriend back, but that meant Ashton would never get to experience a full life. He would never get to grow old. He would remain nineteen forever. The same was the case for Calum, but this favor was meant for Ashton and he wasn't even using it. Harley was conflicted on how to feel. She wanted to be happy for Calum, but she couldn't help but feel bad for Ashton.

"You don't have to do that." She told him, her blue eyes brimming with tears.

He smiled a small smile. But it was genuine and warm, like he wanted them to have this favor, and he did. He didn't mind helping Calum. His own purpose in the world of the living was done. Calum still had a full life ahead of him with Harley and other people who loved him. Ashton was perfectly happy in his little piece of heaven with his family and friends. 

"I want to." He assured her.

"What if I just go back in time again and do things the right way?" Harley suggested, an idea coming to mind. Her blue eyes brightened.

"No." He replied firmly. He remembered when he and Calum had gone up to the mount to see her. She said that Calum almost didn't earn himself heaven because he had tampered with a human life and time travel. With powers like the shifters and the hunters had, it was nearly impossible not to tamper with anyone or anything. But if he could prevent her from doing so, he would. "She doesn't like it when people mess with the lives of others."

Harley almost thought the whole thing was contradictory. Why would she and the others even have powers if they could not use it to help people? Then her question was answered by her own thoughts. She had heard from Calum that the shifters had gotten their powers by the native Gods who ruled over the people of what was now present day Canada. The hunters had been created by the native Gods in Mexico to counter the inbalance that had been created in nature. Like fire and ice, oil and water. One could not exist without the other because it caused chaos. The shifters had powers to manipulate and rule over the humans, and the hunters were there to regulate everything.

Producing a wooden medium sized wooden cross from his jacket, Ashton handed it to her. "I kinda borrowed this from the World History classroom at St. Genevieve's. So please do me a favor and put it back once you're done." He said to her and she held the cross in her hands, looking down at it with some disbelief. 

She was afraid that this would not work and she would be disappointed. And it wasn't that she didn't trust Ashton, she trusted him alot. She was just afraid that God would decide that Calum really didn't deserve to come back and would change her mind, leaving him in the afterlife. That was something Harley knew she wouldn't be able to bear because it would be like losing him twice. 

Harley nodded and looked up at him as he placed a hand over hers. "Everything is going to be okay. And I wish you all the luck in the world."

Harley set the cross on the bed to the side of her and threw her arms around Ashton. It had been so long since she held him that it was almost a foreign feeling, the way his skin radiated a cold feeling like she was in a freezer. He froze at her touch slightly before slowly drawing his arms around her too. 

"Thank you, Ash." She said into his neck.

"I would do anything to see you happy again." He told her, and he meant it.

-

this one is slightly shorter. so i hope you all enjoy it. and its also kind of filler. but we're getting towards the end. so only about ten chapters left. i hope you've all liked this story. it has been a pleasure writing for it.

short author's note tonight because i have to go to bed like now.

im going into work at 5am tomorrow and i am not looking forward to the next two days. my crush asked for the whole weekend off (friday-sunday) because his birthday is on saturday and he said he just wants to stay home and rest. but since i dont have the day off tomorrow or saturday, ima be bored without him. he's literally the one person i talk to most at work.

but whatever. i'll see him on sunday bc we're all going to the beach. and i'll see him on monday at work.

-clary