It's my birthday! (has been for 27 minutes!) As a treat, review me!

(DISCLAIMER) Don't own nothing but my birthday... which also belongs to a few other people........... oh well (cries)

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"Ash Redfern I hope you're not doing what I think you're doing..."

The blond young man's head snapped up and he fell backwards, landing comically on the damp grass and soil with his limbs splayed around him. The vampiress folded her arms and looked up to where her brother had been sitting moments before. She smirked.

"You're a coward Ash, you know that right?"

Angry ice blue eyes narrowed at her in the darkness. "What are you doing here?" Ash accused, "It's a little late to be paying social calls out here Rowan."

Rowan smiled serenely. "Ash."

"Yeah?"

"Stop acting so righteous. It most definitely does not suit you." She finished sweetly, as Ash stood up and attempted to retain some scraps of dignity shattered by his unceremonious fall from a first floor window, a very difficult feat. Unable to help himself, Ash glanced up and Rowan followed his gaze; there, silhouetted in the window was the figure of a young woman dressed in her nightclothes, getting ready for bed. Rowan groaned in despair and turned her large, sorrowful eyes on her brother. "How long have you been here?"

Ash looked to the floor. "Since about 5 o'clock."

"Ash..."

"Last night."

"Ash!" Rowan hissed. "She won't kill you if you go to the door and say hi!"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?" He pouted. "She's vicious! She kicked me!" He looked back up at the window. "It's easier this way, especially when I can only stay for a bit."

Rowan sighed. "Then take her with you."

"I can't do that. It would be cruel." He turned to look at his sister again. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Picking up Jade and Mark." Rowan smirked, and Ash, after a moment of hesitation, paled.

"But that would mean..."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING PEEKING ON MY SISTER?!" Ash was tackled from behind and, although the blow literally only moved him forwards a step, the idea of having a teenage boy yelling accusations at you while beneath the window of your soulmate's bedroom was definitely not the most appealing idea for Ash.

It didn't help when Jade and Rowan started laughing loudly as Ash was forced to endure being hit round the head by a bunch of flowers. The sliding sound of a window frame being opened silenced everyone however, except Mark, who only had human ears.

"Bastard, I'll show you...!" Mark was pulled off of Ash by Jade, and finally noticed his sister was leaning out of the window with one raised eyebrow and a sceptical frown. (He also noticed that he'd totally destroyed the bouquet he'd bought for Jade, and this was obviously more upsetting for the poor guy) "Damn."

Mary Lynette surveyed the small group silently, looking over their upturned faces each in turn, with her eyes lingering on Ash's face last and longest before snorting depreciatingly, shutting the window, closing the curtains and turning out the light.

There was a long silence.

"Well that went well." Jade remarked. "She didn't shout at you or anything."

"Not even a slap." Rowan said, impressed. "Either she really likes you, or you're beneath her notice now."

Mark, his attention caught once more fisted his hands. "Beneath her notice, definitely beneath her notice!"

Ash smirked. "Nah, that's impossible. I'm her soulmate remember? She has to like me." Rowan raised one elegant eyebrow sceptically. "You know it's true."

"She has to love you." Rowan agreed. "But she definitely doesn't have to like you." She looked back up at the window. "Poor girl, having you as her destiny."

Jade hugged Ash lightly. "I feel sorry for you Ash; having someone forced to be with you. It's like an arranged marriage."

"No marriage." Mark stated flatly. "No sex."

"Oh come on!" Ash whined.

"No kissing." Mark continued. "No anything! You have to be the worst person for my sister in the world!!!"

"Yeah he probably is."

Everyone turned to see Mary Lynette, still in pyjamas, standing on the grass a short distance away, with a too-large anorak keeping her warm and flip flops on her feet. Her large solemn eyes rested on Ash steadily, and the blond vampire had a hard time keeping still when he was violently torn between running up to her and kissing her, or running away as fast as he could.

Mary Lynnette sighed and stepped towards him, kicking him calmly in the shin as he flinched before turning around and walking back toward the house, stopping by the door and looking back at him over her shoulder. "Are you coming or not, Ash?"

"Not!" Mark interjected, but Jade held him back as Ash followed Mary Lynette inside hesitantly, glancing back at his sisters and kind-of-almost-brother-in-law before the door was closed.

"Well." Rowan smiled. "Shall we go?"

Mark opened his mouth to protest but Jade pulled on his arm. "I want to be on time for our dinner reservations, Mark!" And he had no more want or means to object.

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"How did you get so muddy?" Mary Lynette asked once they were inside. Ash followed her into the kitchen where she poured herself a coffee, looking up at him from the counter. "I assume you don't want coffee?"

"No... Thanks." Ash sat down on a stool by the counter as he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned his head to see Claudine, Mary Lynette's stepmother, walk into the kitchen and squeak with surprise.

"Who... Ash? Ash is that you? Why, it's been about..."

"A year." Ash smiled dazzlingly, but Mary Lynette remained silent.

Claudine nodded. "A year. Mare, are you being polite?" Claudine's eyes took in Ash's... dirtied state and narrowed her eyes. "No kicking?"

"Well..." Ash started, but Mary Lynette slammed her mug on the surface, startling Claudine and making Ash wince.

"What's wrong Claude? Do you need anything?"

"No... No, nothing. Just... checking on you downstairs." Claudine shook her head. "Behave, Mary-Lynette, this is a nice boy, and I remember last time..." She turned and left the kitchen, heading back to her room. Ash picked up a drowsy male voice –probably Mary-Lynette's father- and then Claudine's soothing words.

"She didn't ask why I was here."

Mary-Lynette shrugged. "She's a trusting person. She likes you anyway, so why would she be worried?"

"Mare, I'm covered in mud."

Smirking, "She knows how much I dislike you, so she knows nothing will happen." She sat down across from Ash, drinking the hot coffee slowly. Ash tried to hide the slight twinge if injury at her remark about disliking him, and a long minute passed before she spoke again. "Why did you spend a whole day and night outside my bedroom window?" She asked, glancing away as Ash choked in surprise.

"What? You heard that?"

Mary Lynette raised one eyebrow as a small smirk of amusement played on her lips. "I'm human, Ash, not deaf. I'm surprised you didn't wake my Dad when you were talking to Rowan." The brunette smiled into her mug as Ash looked down at the counter, shamefaced. "So why?"

Ash muttered something inaudible and Mary Lynette's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Sorry, speak up Ash." She frowned, and he smirked.

"I thought you weren't deaf- OW! Ok, ok, I get it." He rubbed his shin thoughtfully. "I wanted to see you... But I was kind of scared that you'd attack me." His eyes sparkled a mischievous green. "Crazy, huh?"

Despite herself, Mary Lynette snorted into her coffee, shoulders trembling with held back laughter. "Crazy." She agreed, kicking him once for good measure. Ash rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically, holding his shin.

"So you heard everything?" Ash sighed, laying across the countertop at an angle so that he could watch Mary Lynette's face as they talked.

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

"... So you heard what my sister said about you not liking me? Just loving me because you have to?" A long moment in which Ash fiddled mindlessly with the handle of Mary Lynette's mug, and Mary Lynette studied his face. "Is that true?"

"That actually upset you, didn't it?" She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Ash... Rowan has a point. We're two very different people. I like star watching and reading books, whereas you like... eating people." Ash winced. "... and chasing girls."

"I've not done either of those since I left." Ash defended, holding up a finger.

"Nevertheless." Mary-Lynette sighed. "Can you really say that if we weren't soulmates... if we weren't part of something beyond our control, can you honestly say that we'd still be together?" Her steady brown eyes met his evenly, and Ash swallowed.

"Are we together?"

"Answer the question, Ash."

"No. I'd still be a horrible person." He looked down. "I'm glad I met you, Mare. I really am, and I'm even more glad that you're my soulmate."

"Do you like me?"

"You can be annoying as hell when you make smart ass comments, or when you're too clever for a girl... but yeah." He looked away. "Do you like me?"

Mary Lynette smiled. "You're an inane, flighty, chauvinistic pig, but yes. I do." She met his eyes. "Deep... Deep down, of course."

"Of course..." Ash repeated, stunned. He leaned over so that his face was close to hers, searching her. "Really? Even though I did some horrible things in the past? You really mean that? But Rowan..."

"Everyone has done things they're not proud of. I can't say I condone what you've done, but you're making amends, and that's more than I could ever ask for. As for Rowan... it's kind of just a joke between us; an ongoing thing about how we're basically incompatible..." She was cut off as Ash's lips descended on hers.

For a short while, she let herself get lost in the kiss; the passionate movement of their lips attempted to communicate the things both of them were too awkward or stubborn to say. Things like how lonely they'd been, how glad they were to be together, how much they needed each other.

Mary Lynette placed her hand on Ash's cheek, breaking the kiss and opening her eyes to see Ash's bright, honest blue eyes wide and searching, almost panicked as his breaths came in shallow, rapid pants. With a soft, warm smile, Mary Lynette let her fingers spread over his cheek, lifting her other hand to hold both sides of his face. She then slid her arms past his face, around his neck and moved to rest against his chest, ignoring the countertop digging into her abdomen.

"I love you."

He smiled and buried his face in her hair, sighing gratefully. "Thank you." His voice was deep and rich with emotion, he tightened his hold on her waist. "Thank you."

They stayed in a tight embrace for a long, comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's presence and the hazy tingling sensation where their skin came into contact. Eventually, Mary Lynette moved back and kissed Ash briefly on the lips.

"Stay the night?" She suggested, shifting so that one of her hands found its way into Ash's. He smiled softly and twisted his fingers into hers; her shoulders were slightly hunched and he could tell that she was uncomfortable asking him, but she had asked him. She had. He tried to quell the bursting swell in his chest as he thought about what it meant.

It meant that she had missed him just as much as he had missed her. Even if she didn't want to say it out loud.

So, rather than proceed to declare how much he loved her and had missed her, he answered with a small nod and a "Sure. Of course." She sighed and he took the chance to kiss her again, softer than before, simply savouring the moment with his soulmate.

As they parted, she took his hand and led him upstairs, softly padding up the wooden staircase to her room, where, once they were both inside, she closed the door with a near silent click of the latch and turned to face him in the darkness.

Ash swallowed dryly and stepped close to Mary Lynette, lifting a hand to the strap of her pyjama top and pushing it slowly down her arm.

Mary Lynette's reaction was instant; one hand batted his out of the way and one foot came onto contact with his shin- again. He'd lost count of how often that had happened tonight. "What was that for?!" Ash cried, reeling away and standing warily with one hand holding his shin as he hopped in pain. "You asked me to stay!"

Mary Lynette pushed her top back into place. "I didn't think that automatically meant you could have sex with me." She said smoothly. "But I should have figured that you'd assume that. God, your sister's right about you."

Ash frowned. "Which one? They all have very different opinions of me."

Mary Lynette smirked and the Blond boy got chills. "Guess."

"Jade? Jade likes me." He smiled a wobbly grin and Mary Lynette laughed, shaking her head. "You're so optimistic."

"One of my many charms." He grinned, a little more confident now.

"Modest, too."

"Why be modest when you look like a god?" He stood upright and walked over to her, pulling her into another kiss and holding her tightly, muffling whatever her next clever remark was before she'd made a noise. She lifted her hands to push him off but he released her mouth and moved to her neck and shoulder, wrapping his arms tighter around her, almost desperately holding her in place. "Don't make me let go." He whispered, and her hands stilled on his shoulders. "Please."

Sighing, she allowed herself to relax, letting him lift her in his arms before setting her down on the bed and crawling under the covers with her.

"I'll be good." He promised, and she shook her head slightly in disbelieving mockery, resting her head on his chest and putting one arm around his middle.

Closing her eyes peacefully, she mumbled "You're cold." Into his chest, tightening her grip on his woollen sweater. "That's what you get for sitting outside someone's window for so long." Smiling, she relaxed against him as he began to play with her hair. "It's really all your fault..."

Ash chuckled lightly and smiled down at her as her breathing evened out, absently stroking her dark hair as she drifted into her dreams, muscles turning slack as he body curved against his side.

What he wouldn't give to be able to spend every night this way; peacefully together in bed, with her soft, curvy frame moulded perfectly against his own, harder body. Of course, he had no doubt he'd enjoy (understatement) actually making love to her but... well, she'd slapped and kicked him, so that usually meant no.

He hadn't yet asked her the big question; the one that would decide everything... Did she want to be a vampire? Or did she want to remain human? And then there was the other one; did she want to join Circle Daybreak? She probably would; she loved new discoveries and that sort of thing... and he couldn't deny that he wanted the others to meet her, and he wanted to show her off.

Stroking her back, Ash smiled to himself as she squirmed in her sleep, mumbling an almost incoherent "Ash..." Before falling back into silence.

Tomorrow could bring whatever the hell it wanted; Ash could take it all.

He had his soulmate.

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MIGHT make this a multi chappie... but not until I finish my other story (smile) review and you make me a very happy 18 year old!

WAH! 18!