Chapter One – Out of Excuses

This is my first just Night World Fanfiction, I got inspired to write so I did. It is yet another 'Ash Comes Back' story, but I think mine is a bit different from them…

… I hope…

I think Rowan is the oldest; I'm not sure… well she is in this fic anyway.

DISCLAIMER- I am not Lisa, if I was we would have Strange Fate by now.

Please review and tell me what you think.

The next chapter should be up soon – ish.

So here it is:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And if you have been living under a rock for the past six months I think I had better tell you that your are all graduating in just over a months time - "

The rest of Mr. Claydon's speech was cut out by the loud cheering that came from the boys in the back row.

When they calmed down, he continued.

"And with your Prom so near too," more cheering, "some of you had better smarten yourselves up."

The boys moaned, but the girls whispered excitedly.

The bell rang.

"Dismissed."

Bags pulled onto backs as the room burst into chatter about the upcoming prom, as the seniors left their High School.

"Have you even started looking for a dress yet, Mare?" Dainty blond Bunny asked her best friend Mary-Lynnette Carter.

"I don't need a dress as I am not going."

"Mare you have to go." Beautiful vampiress Kestrel Redfern informed her, "its tradition."

Mary-Lynnette was about to say there is nothing traditional about a vampire, but remembering she wasn't in school she changed her mind.

"I don't care," is what she settled on instead, "I'm going to graduate then leave. No prom. No dressed. No making a prat of myself."

"Why would you make a prat of yourself?" Bunny asked, climbing into the front seat of her ancient Ford.

Mary-Lynnette didn't answer. She just got in the passenger side.

"Is it because you don't have a date?" Kestrel asked, sliding gracefully into the back seat, "it doesn't matter, you can come with us."

"No chance," Mary-Lynnette stated, doing up her seatbelt and gazing out of the passenger window as Bunny pulled out of the small school parking lot.

Mary-Lynnette would love to let her hair down, have fun with her friends and enjoy her final month of school, be she was far too distracted by the fact that no one had heard from Ash in over six months.

Ash Redfern was Kestrel's elder brother, and Mary-Lynnette's Soulmate. He had left over ten months ago to attempt to make up for all of the sins he had committed, he called it slaying his dragons, and in all that time he had only rang twice. The first to say that Thierry Descouedres had finally excepted him into the Circle Daybreak, and the second to say that he has his cousin, James, had made up and both of those calls were made over four months ago. No on had heard a thing from him since.

"Bright red with straps to make the back, it touches the floor, even in my new stilettos." Kestrel was saying.

"You will look amazing Kes; I wish I could get way with something like that," Bunny sighed, pulling up in front of the Redfern sister's home.

The wooden house had had a lot of work done to it over the last year. The once splintered steps had been repaired and the half built fence had been completed. Rowan spent a good part of two days painting the outside of the house a pure white, making it sparkle in the sunlight.

Kestrel got out of the rusty, red car and began to head up the steps, turning at the door to say goodbye and shutting the new door behind her.

"It can't be legal to be that perfect," Bunny always had something to say about Kestrel after she left, it wasn't to be nasty or two-faced, but to complement her.

Mary-Lynnette laughed as Bunny headed to Mary-Lynnette's house, "You mean you can't be human and be that perfect?"

"And that too," Bunny sighed, then was hit by a thought, "where's Mark?"

"Soccer practice. You only just noticed that he's not here?"

"Yes."

That was one of the things that Mary-Lynnette loved about Bunny, she was honest.

The car clunked to a stop outside Mary-Lynnette's, Mary-Lynnette got out; shut the door behind her, climbed around the car and lent thought the window.

"Thanks, I hate my truck being in the shop."

"No problem."

"How can I thank you?"

"Well…. You could come dress shopping with me tomorrow."

"You moan at me about getting one!"

"I know! Will you come?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Thanks Mare! I will pick you up at ten!" Bunny drove off before Mary-Lynnette had any time to think of an excuse not to go.

She sighed deeply and entered her house, removing her shoes and throwing her bag to the floor.

She blinked.

There was a large, flat, white box tied neatly with a black ribbon sitting on the table in the lounge.

Mary-Lynnette went over to the box and removed the plain white card that was tucked inside the ribbon.

"Mare"

There was no name.

Confused about who would send her such a carefully wrapped package, she slowly undid the ribbon and pulled off the lid.

Inside was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.

It was made of a rich red velvet, with a corset patterned with black lace in the shape of flowers. Holding it up against herself she saw that it was the perfect length, it hovered centimeters from the floor.

Delicately she placed the dress back into the box and looked at the card.

There was only one word written on it, but it had stopped every excuse of her not going to the prom from working.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oooh a secret admirer, well it's not but oh well.

I hope you liked it!

I can not write long chapters to save my life so if future ones are longer that will be a miracle.

Please review and tell me what you think.

Be mean if you like!

Queen-sarcasm

xXx