Soulmates
Author's Notes: OK, this is semi-AU. It's been a long time since I read the Night World books so the tone of this might be different. Anyway forgive any mistakes, and enjoy! Please, please, please review!
Disclaimer: Don't own the Nightworld. I'd like to believe it owns me XD.
One -
She stood in the midst of the crowd on a Saturday morning. Bent over, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders, her fingers picked gently at the table of face creams. But her blue eyes had lifted suddenly and her shoulders had gone still. She was watching. Watching a vampire laugh across the swarming crowd of the store.
It was Boxing Day and Mary-Lynette had agreed to accompany her friend Tanya Bassinger to the after Christmas sales. But suddenly- and the feeling was like the floor falling apart at her feet- all thought of clothing and face creams were swept from her mind. There was a vampire across the room and that vampire was laughing, head tipped back, a hand waving in the air. A familiar pain overcame Mary-Lynette, a bitter despairing feeling.
'Once,' she thought wretchedly. 'I was part of you. I knew you, and spoke to you. Oh not you, but your kind. Your whole entire stupid kind. Oh God. And now how painful it is to turn away and pretend I know nothing. How painful to know the world is different and yet to have no choice but the supress that knowledge. And you've ruined my whole week you bitch, whoever you are.'
Suddenly across the store the vampire girl turned. Mary-Lynette's heart leapt into her throat but she couldn't look away. The vampire frowned. Then Tanya grasped her wrist.
"Mare- look at this! And it's only 6.87. Mare are you listening to me?"
When she looked back the vampire was gone. And of course, the pain. Always the pain.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Did you see that girl?" The vampire girl dropped the lipstick unceremoniously back onto the table. The young man before her turned; "What Jasmine? Didn't you just feed?"
"Sade! No, it's not that!" She groused, frustrated. "She looked kind of funny. Like she was looking straight at me."
He laughed a little. "You're interested in girls, now?"
"Oh be serious!" She huffed, then punched him in the ribs with an arched eyebrow. "Though she was rather good-looking."
He laughed and moved on. As he did so, she frowned a little, becoming serious. 'She looked like she was in serious pain.'
--------------------------------------------------------
Mary-Lynette returned home loaded down with shopping bags. Most of it wasn't hers- Tanya was trying to hide the fact that she'd overspent on her father's credit card.
"You're so lucky to be living by yourself!" She groused. "I can't seem to get under my father's thumb. We're twenty for goodness sakes! You'd think he'd learn."
Mary-Lynette pushed open her apartment door, dropping the shopping bags to catch her dog, a golden retriever called Lucky as he leapt excitedly into her arms.
"You must be hungry, eh?" She asked as he ruffled his ears. He barked a little in response. Mary-Lynette laughed at the way he was trampling over all of Tanya's expensive clothing before going into the kitchen. As she did so she passed the answering machine. Pushing the button, she went to fill Lucky's bowl.
"You're out again?! Come on Mare, what happened to the bookworm pseudo- image? Was it just an act? Come on guys, if you and Tanya have gone out without me again. well I suppose it's no use telling you that I'm Will. Call me when you get home, okay? It's urgent."
The answering machine clicked.
"It's me, Mare. By the Gods, when are you going to stop sulking? It's just- hey wait!. Sorry about that Mare. Mark's just angry at the moment. It's me, Rowan. But really, when are you coming home? Everyone misses you. We haven't heard from you in so long. But of course if you need time by yourself to think, we understand. When you're ready, please come home. Call us sometime so that we know you're okay. All right that's all. goodbye and goodluck."
Mary-Lynette sighed a little, before pulling back the curtains. She half- wished that Rowan had let Mark keep yelling. Hearing Rowan's soft, melodic voice was. painful. And Mary-Lynette had thought. She'd been thinking for a long time. A long time after Ash had failed to turn up a year, two years, three years after he'd promised to. And it was not so much the Night World that she'd severed herself from. She'd only cut herself off from her past because it was painful. And once cut off from that. well she could not walk up to a random Nightworlder and say, "Yes I know all about you. And did you know that a vampire killed a werewolf over me once? Not that anyone cares anymore."
She turned and picked up the cordless phone, dialing a familiar number.
"Yes?"
"Will, it's me."
"Oh thank God, I've been looking for you all morning. Where were you?"
"Ummm. boxing day sales with Tanya."
"And did she. no, I won't ask. Listen, about that report on Vega due on Monday.."
------------------------------------------------------------
"And as moon is moving further and further away from Earth, there is the distinct possibility that the axis in which the Earth moves may become distorted." Mary-Lynette indicated the diagram on her right. Her dark hair was pulled neatly back and she stood before the great screen and the hall full of students. She was calm and collected, her voice without hitch, her hands moving gracefully in explanation. She had practiced this speech countless times.
When she finished she signalled the technician who closed the presentation. "Thank you."
She moved from the stage as the next person began to prepare their materials. As she took the seat between Tanya and Will, Tanya leaned in, "That was fantastic, Mare!"
"Thanks." Mary-Lynette said. On her right side, Will only had time to flash her a thumbs up. He was still to busy scribbling the last of his speech.
When it was over she was moving for the doors when a hand on her arm stopped her. When she looked up she saw a face she vaguely knew. What was the name again.? Ah, Damien Price. A very good student. But she hardly knew him even though she had seen him a few times in her lectures. After all, he belonged to a much more sophisticated circle.
"Ms Carter, I wonder if I could have a word with you?"
"Yes, of course." She said. Looking up at his handsome face, she was surprised to see a faint blush on it, as though a fire burnt within it.
"That party at Nguyen's. are you going?"
She was surprised. "I'm not sure. Why?"
"I was wondering if you would like to go with me." This was said boldly with a lopsided smile on the handsome face. Her eyes flew to his, shocked. She could not help but feel. disappointed. He was handsome yes, and hadn't Tanya drawn circles around his name when they were supposed to be listening in a lecture. but his hair, his eyes, he had no wild magnetism. At least not like. she stopped. 'No,' she thought. 'I've put that behind me.'
"I." she stopped and frowned. Finally she smiled. "I'd be delighted."
------------------------------------------------------------
It was late at night when she returned home. Her long dark hair was unbound and her feet bare as she removed her high heels to walk over the cool gravel. After the excitement of the evening she felt strangely calm. She was thrilled, yes of course how could she not be, when he looked up at her in obvious admiration and gave voice to his appreciation. Yes, the music had been good and yes he had certainly been romantic..
'But?' Her mind whispered to her traitorously. 'There's always a but, isn't there?'
But her lips didn't burn from his kisses when they should. In fact she'd scorned his offer to give her a lift home, telling him she didn't live far away and she liked the night air.
"You're always so peculiar." He had laughed. "But it's part of why you're so beautiful."
Was she peculiar? She'd never thought about it. Yes, she must be. Because she was altered. She tossed back her head and quicked her pace. Well no use thinking about that now. She walked on.
The feeling came upon her slowly. There were quick footsteps behind her, running footsteps. Very, very light. As though the person wore no shoes like her. On an impulse she ducked into the side of a closed shop she saw, closing the opened gate behind her. Through the gap in the gate, she saw a figure run past. A figure in blue. Behind her there were slow, deliberate footsteps. A tall young man walked into her gaze. The vague- almost drunk expression in his eyes struck a deep chord in her. It took her a moment- a stunned moment- before she realized what she was witnessing. A vampire. And he was on the hunt.
The first feet scrambled. To her surprise there was no screams. Without thinking, Mary-Lynette ripped off a piece of the gate.
"Stop!" She called. As the vampire turned, she brandished the sharp wood in her hands. "Get off her!"
And it was a girl. A girl in a blue dress without the strangest black eyes. The vampire turned. It barred it's fangs at her.
"I'm serious!" Mary-Lynette called. "Get out!"
The vampire advanced on her one step, two step, three steps. Mary-Lynette stood without moving, stake raised in a threatening position. He was so close now that she could see his brown hair and the flecks of green in his eyes. She fought to remain unmoving. He veered off suddenly and disappeared into the shadows. She stood for a moment, waiting for the next car to pass the almost deserted road, making sure he was gone.
Then she bent over the unmoving figure. "Are you all right?"
The girl uncurled. Her onyx-dark eyes stared into Mary-Lynette's. "Yes, thank you very much."
Her eyes dropped to the stake still clutched in Mary-Lynette's hand. "You know, then?"
You know, then? What funny words. And suddenly Mary-Lynette realized that she'd been waiting, waiting to hear those words again.
"Yes." She hefted the stake in her hands. "And you too, obviously?"
The girl nodded, not taking her eyes off Mary-Lynette's face. "It is one of the reasons why he hunts me."
"I see." Mary-Lynette looked into the strangely calm eyes of the girl. But it was not so strange. After all, did she not feel the same calm?
"Come on," she helped the girl up. "Your leg's hurt. You can stay at my place tonight."
And just like that, not for the first time, Mary-Lynette changed her life completely.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"You lost her?" Jasmine Redfern didn't look very impressed at her cousin's result. "Safra's gonna murder you. What happened?"
Sade was frowning. "Some girl stopped me, with a stake."
"A vampire hunter?"
"Maybe, I don't know. I think she."
"What?"
Sade looked at his cousin. "I think she was the girl you saw in the department store today."
Jasmine's eyes widened. She thought for a moment then said quickly. "I think we should include this in our report to Safra, don't you?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
First part done. Well, how does everybody like it? Please review~! It would be greatly appreciated.
Author's Notes: OK, this is semi-AU. It's been a long time since I read the Night World books so the tone of this might be different. Anyway forgive any mistakes, and enjoy! Please, please, please review!
Disclaimer: Don't own the Nightworld. I'd like to believe it owns me XD.
One -
She stood in the midst of the crowd on a Saturday morning. Bent over, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders, her fingers picked gently at the table of face creams. But her blue eyes had lifted suddenly and her shoulders had gone still. She was watching. Watching a vampire laugh across the swarming crowd of the store.
It was Boxing Day and Mary-Lynette had agreed to accompany her friend Tanya Bassinger to the after Christmas sales. But suddenly- and the feeling was like the floor falling apart at her feet- all thought of clothing and face creams were swept from her mind. There was a vampire across the room and that vampire was laughing, head tipped back, a hand waving in the air. A familiar pain overcame Mary-Lynette, a bitter despairing feeling.
'Once,' she thought wretchedly. 'I was part of you. I knew you, and spoke to you. Oh not you, but your kind. Your whole entire stupid kind. Oh God. And now how painful it is to turn away and pretend I know nothing. How painful to know the world is different and yet to have no choice but the supress that knowledge. And you've ruined my whole week you bitch, whoever you are.'
Suddenly across the store the vampire girl turned. Mary-Lynette's heart leapt into her throat but she couldn't look away. The vampire frowned. Then Tanya grasped her wrist.
"Mare- look at this! And it's only 6.87. Mare are you listening to me?"
When she looked back the vampire was gone. And of course, the pain. Always the pain.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Did you see that girl?" The vampire girl dropped the lipstick unceremoniously back onto the table. The young man before her turned; "What Jasmine? Didn't you just feed?"
"Sade! No, it's not that!" She groused, frustrated. "She looked kind of funny. Like she was looking straight at me."
He laughed a little. "You're interested in girls, now?"
"Oh be serious!" She huffed, then punched him in the ribs with an arched eyebrow. "Though she was rather good-looking."
He laughed and moved on. As he did so, she frowned a little, becoming serious. 'She looked like she was in serious pain.'
--------------------------------------------------------
Mary-Lynette returned home loaded down with shopping bags. Most of it wasn't hers- Tanya was trying to hide the fact that she'd overspent on her father's credit card.
"You're so lucky to be living by yourself!" She groused. "I can't seem to get under my father's thumb. We're twenty for goodness sakes! You'd think he'd learn."
Mary-Lynette pushed open her apartment door, dropping the shopping bags to catch her dog, a golden retriever called Lucky as he leapt excitedly into her arms.
"You must be hungry, eh?" She asked as he ruffled his ears. He barked a little in response. Mary-Lynette laughed at the way he was trampling over all of Tanya's expensive clothing before going into the kitchen. As she did so she passed the answering machine. Pushing the button, she went to fill Lucky's bowl.
"You're out again?! Come on Mare, what happened to the bookworm pseudo- image? Was it just an act? Come on guys, if you and Tanya have gone out without me again. well I suppose it's no use telling you that I'm Will. Call me when you get home, okay? It's urgent."
The answering machine clicked.
"It's me, Mare. By the Gods, when are you going to stop sulking? It's just- hey wait!. Sorry about that Mare. Mark's just angry at the moment. It's me, Rowan. But really, when are you coming home? Everyone misses you. We haven't heard from you in so long. But of course if you need time by yourself to think, we understand. When you're ready, please come home. Call us sometime so that we know you're okay. All right that's all. goodbye and goodluck."
Mary-Lynette sighed a little, before pulling back the curtains. She half- wished that Rowan had let Mark keep yelling. Hearing Rowan's soft, melodic voice was. painful. And Mary-Lynette had thought. She'd been thinking for a long time. A long time after Ash had failed to turn up a year, two years, three years after he'd promised to. And it was not so much the Night World that she'd severed herself from. She'd only cut herself off from her past because it was painful. And once cut off from that. well she could not walk up to a random Nightworlder and say, "Yes I know all about you. And did you know that a vampire killed a werewolf over me once? Not that anyone cares anymore."
She turned and picked up the cordless phone, dialing a familiar number.
"Yes?"
"Will, it's me."
"Oh thank God, I've been looking for you all morning. Where were you?"
"Ummm. boxing day sales with Tanya."
"And did she. no, I won't ask. Listen, about that report on Vega due on Monday.."
------------------------------------------------------------
"And as moon is moving further and further away from Earth, there is the distinct possibility that the axis in which the Earth moves may become distorted." Mary-Lynette indicated the diagram on her right. Her dark hair was pulled neatly back and she stood before the great screen and the hall full of students. She was calm and collected, her voice without hitch, her hands moving gracefully in explanation. She had practiced this speech countless times.
When she finished she signalled the technician who closed the presentation. "Thank you."
She moved from the stage as the next person began to prepare their materials. As she took the seat between Tanya and Will, Tanya leaned in, "That was fantastic, Mare!"
"Thanks." Mary-Lynette said. On her right side, Will only had time to flash her a thumbs up. He was still to busy scribbling the last of his speech.
When it was over she was moving for the doors when a hand on her arm stopped her. When she looked up she saw a face she vaguely knew. What was the name again.? Ah, Damien Price. A very good student. But she hardly knew him even though she had seen him a few times in her lectures. After all, he belonged to a much more sophisticated circle.
"Ms Carter, I wonder if I could have a word with you?"
"Yes, of course." She said. Looking up at his handsome face, she was surprised to see a faint blush on it, as though a fire burnt within it.
"That party at Nguyen's. are you going?"
She was surprised. "I'm not sure. Why?"
"I was wondering if you would like to go with me." This was said boldly with a lopsided smile on the handsome face. Her eyes flew to his, shocked. She could not help but feel. disappointed. He was handsome yes, and hadn't Tanya drawn circles around his name when they were supposed to be listening in a lecture. but his hair, his eyes, he had no wild magnetism. At least not like. she stopped. 'No,' she thought. 'I've put that behind me.'
"I." she stopped and frowned. Finally she smiled. "I'd be delighted."
------------------------------------------------------------
It was late at night when she returned home. Her long dark hair was unbound and her feet bare as she removed her high heels to walk over the cool gravel. After the excitement of the evening she felt strangely calm. She was thrilled, yes of course how could she not be, when he looked up at her in obvious admiration and gave voice to his appreciation. Yes, the music had been good and yes he had certainly been romantic..
'But?' Her mind whispered to her traitorously. 'There's always a but, isn't there?'
But her lips didn't burn from his kisses when they should. In fact she'd scorned his offer to give her a lift home, telling him she didn't live far away and she liked the night air.
"You're always so peculiar." He had laughed. "But it's part of why you're so beautiful."
Was she peculiar? She'd never thought about it. Yes, she must be. Because she was altered. She tossed back her head and quicked her pace. Well no use thinking about that now. She walked on.
The feeling came upon her slowly. There were quick footsteps behind her, running footsteps. Very, very light. As though the person wore no shoes like her. On an impulse she ducked into the side of a closed shop she saw, closing the opened gate behind her. Through the gap in the gate, she saw a figure run past. A figure in blue. Behind her there were slow, deliberate footsteps. A tall young man walked into her gaze. The vague- almost drunk expression in his eyes struck a deep chord in her. It took her a moment- a stunned moment- before she realized what she was witnessing. A vampire. And he was on the hunt.
The first feet scrambled. To her surprise there was no screams. Without thinking, Mary-Lynette ripped off a piece of the gate.
"Stop!" She called. As the vampire turned, she brandished the sharp wood in her hands. "Get off her!"
And it was a girl. A girl in a blue dress without the strangest black eyes. The vampire turned. It barred it's fangs at her.
"I'm serious!" Mary-Lynette called. "Get out!"
The vampire advanced on her one step, two step, three steps. Mary-Lynette stood without moving, stake raised in a threatening position. He was so close now that she could see his brown hair and the flecks of green in his eyes. She fought to remain unmoving. He veered off suddenly and disappeared into the shadows. She stood for a moment, waiting for the next car to pass the almost deserted road, making sure he was gone.
Then she bent over the unmoving figure. "Are you all right?"
The girl uncurled. Her onyx-dark eyes stared into Mary-Lynette's. "Yes, thank you very much."
Her eyes dropped to the stake still clutched in Mary-Lynette's hand. "You know, then?"
You know, then? What funny words. And suddenly Mary-Lynette realized that she'd been waiting, waiting to hear those words again.
"Yes." She hefted the stake in her hands. "And you too, obviously?"
The girl nodded, not taking her eyes off Mary-Lynette's face. "It is one of the reasons why he hunts me."
"I see." Mary-Lynette looked into the strangely calm eyes of the girl. But it was not so strange. After all, did she not feel the same calm?
"Come on," she helped the girl up. "Your leg's hurt. You can stay at my place tonight."
And just like that, not for the first time, Mary-Lynette changed her life completely.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"You lost her?" Jasmine Redfern didn't look very impressed at her cousin's result. "Safra's gonna murder you. What happened?"
Sade was frowning. "Some girl stopped me, with a stake."
"A vampire hunter?"
"Maybe, I don't know. I think she."
"What?"
Sade looked at his cousin. "I think she was the girl you saw in the department store today."
Jasmine's eyes widened. She thought for a moment then said quickly. "I think we should include this in our report to Safra, don't you?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
First part done. Well, how does everybody like it? Please review~! It would be greatly appreciated.
