"Calum! assemble the men. Ana replied and she said to take twenty men to the warehouse district. She'll give further details later. We are to be there in an hour and a half. She said to wear body armor, but keep all weapons in plain sight. We can take as many weapons as we wish." Damon doesn't believe how generous Ana is being. She's allowing enough men and weapons for a small war. Just as long as everything is in the open she said.

Calum assembles the men that miss Ana the most. The first one tapped is Jackson. The only reason he takes any weapons is because he doesn't want trouble with Spider and he's sure that there will be.

Damon is surprised to see Jacob in the men that Calum gathers for this mission. Tony as well, he doesn't think that there is one single person on the group assembled that doesn't like or at least admire Ana. He smiles sourly, of course if there is then things would go down very fast. What's more important, those assembled are the ones Ana got along with when she lived here.

It doesn't take them long to load up and make their way to the warehouse  district. Damon holds them back from entering until he receives further instructions from Ana. He doesn't want to jeopardize this meeting in any way.

He about jumps when his phone rings. He answers it as quickly as he can get it out of his pocket. "Hello Damon, you followed the orders so far. You kept the numbers to the amount I've given you?"

"Yes, and the weapons will all be visible. I don't understand why you are allowing me so much leeway Ana." That had been bothering Damon ever since he read her answer.

"There is every chance that Spider will have followed me here. I think I have a traitor among Hawk's men. If I do, when I find him he'll wish he was never born.

"Time to go, Damon. Bypass the warehouses completely, there is a little used dirt road at the end of this road. Take it and drive for about three miles. You'll see my cars there and that's where you will need to park. On the left side of the dirt road next to my cars there is a hiking trail. Take that for about a mile and you'll come to a picnic area. I'll be waiting. Make sure your men don't make any sudden moves, I'll be having my men watching and some of them know your reputation Damon. I must say, if this is how you were  before I came into your life, no wonder your men didn't want me to leave before. I think you've been a bit harsh on your whore though. When are you going to let Jenny go home?"

"How-"

"Don't worry, Damon, none of your men are betraying you. At this point in time they are more terrified of you then they are of me and I didn't think that was possible. What happened to you not liking being with females that can't say no?"

"Ana-"

"We'll talk after your little hike. Make sure you bring water, it's going to be a long hot day and we have a lot to talk about." With that Ana hangs up. The tension in the car had climbed as soon as the phone rang. It climbed even higher when Damon said Ana's name.

"Tony let the other cars know we are bypassing the warehouses completely and taking the dirt road at the end of this road. Continue on this road for about three miles until you see other vehicles and pull over. That is where we'll be getting out. I'll finish relaying the directions once we are all there. Be on the lookout for Spider's men following us. Ana suspects they might follow us or somehow find out where we will be meeting."

Tony relays the information and everyone gets their weapons ready as Tony once more starts driving. Damon is glad he decided to take the SUV's instead of cars this time. The road is old and half overgrown. If Ana hadn't told him that she had already gone up there he would never have guessed at the road having been used in the last five years let alone the last five days.

They find the spot Ana designated and clamber out of the vehicles. Damon waits for them all to get out of the vehicles and gather round. He makes sure they all get water from the supply they keep in the back.  There are more than a few groans as he tells them they are going for a short hike. Most of them are wearing dress shoes and they aren't the best for hiking.

Damon looks for and finds the beginning of the hiking trail. Calum quickly pushes ahead of Damon to be the one most likely to be taken out.  

Damon has always considered himself to be in good physical shape but after a short time hiking the trail that seemed to be vertical he no longer felt that about himself. Finally they come to a relatively flat area that Damon hears a stream running through. He slows down and waits for the others of his group to make it to this point.

He carefully and slowly walks forward with his weapons in plain sight. The others follow his lead. "That's far enough Damon. Hello boys, nice to see you again." Ana says as she comes out of the shadows smiling.

Jackson goes over to her. He wants to run but checks himself. He enfolds Ana in his arms and hugs her. "I've missed you too Jackson. How's your family?"

"They miss you Ana. The kids are always asking if we've heard anything about you. My wife still cries because you aren't there any more. You are like one of her own kids you know that don't you?" Jackson wants to shake Ana for causing his family so much pain, but he knows she only did what she had to do. He couldn't believe it when he saw Damon take up with Jenny again after he knew about her threatening Ana.

"When are you coming back Ana?" Jackson pleads with her.

Ana smiles sadly and shakes her head. "I don't think I ever will Jackson. I can't be around those that betray me. You better go back to the others now. There are things I need to talk to Damon about."

Jackson gives her one last hug and a gentle caress on her face before returning to Damon's side.

For Damon's part he drinks in the sight of Ana. He frowns at how drawn and tired she looks.

"When was the last time you got a decent sleep Ana?" Damon asks worriedly.

"Not that you really care, or that it's any of your business, but that would be the Christmas of last year." Her words act like bullets to Damon. That was the last night she allowed the doors to be unlocked between their rooms. The last night he held her while she screamed.

"Ana-" Damon isn't sure what he wants to say next but he doesn't get the chance to find out either way.

"You said that you have some time sensitive information for me." Ana cuts him off and gets down to business.

Damon holds back his feelings, this is his fault. No matter how much he wants to blame Jenny, he's the one that made the decision. He's the one that didn't talk to Ana first. This is on him.

"We have suspicions that Spider has teamed up with the unknown that was trying to cut into our territories earlier. He's targeting you. Unless you have doubled your men you will be overwhelmed by numbers alone. Ana you aren't safe with just your men."

Ana looks at him in confusion. "So what are you saying? That just because Spider is stupid enough to team up with outsiders that I should go back to your place? Why the hell would I do that? If you can't find me there's no way in hell Spider will be able to find me. The only one that knows me is Jezey and I'd love a chance to kill her."

"If you are with me then you will have double the protection."

"I'll have double the exposure as well. My place is far more protected than yours is. Besides you harbor the enemy within and as long as that bitch is there don't bother talking to me about returning.

"You want me to trust you Damon. But your threw my trust away on the garbage truck when you brought Jenny back into your life. I don't trust you, not anymore. If all you want to do is talk about me returning back to Phoenix headquarters you might as well leave. But a word of warning, I told you before if you sign a marriage alliance treaty with Spider, I will consider that an act of war between us. The only person I despise more than Jenny is Jezey."

"Ana, can I talk to you?" Jacob breaks the silence that falls over the Phoenix group as they absorb what Ana has told them.

Ana smiles at the youth at Damon's side. "Jacob? Wow you've really grown."

Jacob gives her a smile and blushes a deep red. 

"Come on over, if Damon will permit it." Ana says, but Damon notices that she doesn't put her weapon down or lose her vigilance at watching them all.

Damon nods and Jacob goes over to Ana's side slowly. He makes sure that Ana can have a clean shot at any of them if she feels threatened.

"Ana, I know you don't believe me, but I have missed you. I do consider you a friend. Damon isn't cosseting Jenny, he's treating her worse than I've ever seen him treat anyone. That includes enemies, Ana. I don't know what happened or what his plan is, but for the sake of the rest of us will you at least consider coming home?"

Ana pulls Jacob into a hug, "My home isn't Damon's home anymore. He has plans, I know. I also know that he treats her bad, but and this is the thing Jacob, Damon betrayed me. This whole thing could have been avoided if he had confided in me like he had everything else. But he didn't trust me and he lost my trust by betraying me. There is no place for me at Phoenix headquarters. Hawk's headquarter's is my home now. Perhaps one day I'll be able to show you my home. I haven't forgotten my promise to you. Do you remember that promise?"

"You promised that one day Damon would give you Jenny and then you would reward me with her, at least for a time."

Ana smirks at him, "It won't be much longer now and I'll be able to fulfill my promise. I want you to think about something though. If Damon offered to release you from your oath's to him, would you be willing to work for me? Don't answer me right now, and I don't want you to betray Damon in any way, this is only if he offers to release you, understand?"

Jacob looks at her puzzled but nods his head slowly, he does understand, but he doesn't understand why Ana would bring it up. It sounds like she is preparing some sort of deal, but for the life of him he can't understand just what kind of deal it could be.

"Damon's getting upset, you should go back now." Ana gives him a kiss on the cheek and sends him on his way.

"Ana, might I speak with you?" Ana looks at Calum hiding her shock at his request.

"Is there anything for us to talk about? You're a liar and a cheater, you broke your promise to me and the only reason I'm not taking action against you right now is because this is a neutral meeting ground."

"Please?" Calum isn't above begging.

"I'd rather talk to Damon. If this is all you should head back before the sun gets too hot for you." Ana dismisses them.

"Ana, wait. Would you talk to me, one on one?" Damon asks. His heart had jumped at her words to Calum. He hadn't even dared hope to ask for that until her words.

"What do you have to say other than trying to get me to move back into your home?"

Damon looks at her pleading, "Let me explain why I didn't talk to you first."

Ana sneers, "There can be no good reason, however, I will give you five minutes to attempt to convince me that Santa Claus is real and there is a good reason for your betrayal."