Disclaimer: I, Eri, do not own, nor intend to make money off of any characters or concepts recognized from the Night World books by L.J. Smith.  Wow. Not only do I have a plot line of my own, I have a couple of original characters.  Please don't do the childish thing and take credit for my insane ideas.

This chapter goes out to Anne, my one review.  Thank you.

Love the Night

Chapter Two:

Mary-Lynnette Carter sat at the top of her hill, watching the last of the Perseids.  It was a beautiful August night, and Mar-Lynnette once again felt a tightening in her chest, which she once associated with a longing to be nearer the stars.  A year ago, buying a new book on astronomy, or another, better lens for her telescope would suppress the longing until it reared its head again.  A year ago, she would have thought she would have wanted anything to get out of the small town of Briar Creek.

A year ago- she had to laugh at her thoughts- a year ago she still had a schoolgirl's crush on a guy who turned out to be a crazy werewolf intent on changing her. A year ago…

A bright streak across the sky caught Mary-Lynnette's attention and dragged her out of her musings.  She couldn't help but recall how often she had wished on shooting stars over the years, knowing that her wish wasn't going to just come true.

But it did, she thought, a year ago- someone to share the night with.  Slowly a tear slipped down her check.  Mary-Lynnette swiped at it, refusing to give into the melancholy. She began to repeat the reasons to herself.

He had to go back to give his sister's a chance at freedom.  He had so many things to make-up for.  I wasn't ready for a soulmate – a year ago.

But I'm ready now, she thought, almost rebelliously.

She wondered how many more nights she would have to watch the stars alone until he returned to her.

"Ok, that's it for the night."  She stated out loud, though there was no one there to hear her.  She shot a quick glance back at the sky before checking her watch.  "Wow.  Only took an hour and a half this night.  It took me three hours to break down last time I was out here.  I have got to stop thinking about him!  He will come back when he comes back."

If he comes back… she couldn't quite squash that thought out of her mind, and had to fight a new set of tears welling up in her eyes.

Making sure that she grabbed her binoculars, Mary-Lynnette started down the hill towards her home.

*** *** *** ***

"Will you at least think about coming?  It won't be the same with you, Mare!  They're even decorating the hall with shinny tissue paper and…"

Mary-Lynnette tuned out the ranting of Bunny as she continued to describe the town's current project, a farewell dance for the recent high school graduates.  All students of the high school were invited, but the graduates were being given discounted tickets to attend.  Mary-Lynnette had every intention of staying as far away from the dance as possible.  She had no close friends, except for the Redfern sisters, and Rowan wasn't a student, so she couldn't even attend.  And there was no way she was going with Mark and Jade.  Being around those two only reminded her of what she was missing…No, don't go there, she told herself.

"It will be the last bash for our class."  Bunny never even noticed Mary-Lynette's inattention.  "The whole school will be there to give us one last night before we head out of here.  Well, you head out of here.  I'm not smart enough to get into a university."

Oh yeah, she thought, I leave for college in three weeks.  Do I even want to go?

"Ok, Bunny.  I promise you that I will think about it."  Yeah, think about not going.  "Well, Rowan, Jade and Mark are meeting over at the gas station, so I've got to get going.  See you around!"  Mary-Lynnette called as she ran across the street to the gas station that held even worse memories for her.  But she was learning to deal.  She had spent the last year re-learning how to interact with people.  Knowing that there was a secret society of people, which included vampires, witches and werewolves, had made her wary when meeting any strangers to Briar Creek, which, thankfully, wasn't often.

As she approached the gas station, she saw Rowan and Mark waiting by the new, to her, station wagon, which her father had gotten for her at Christmas.  Well, not really for her, Mark was now driving it as well, and it would be his car when she left for University. 

Oh yes, she thought, back to the college issue… and the dance.

As if reading her mind, Jade ran up at that moment with a look of excitement on her face, and a rather large package in her arms, which she quickly shoved into Mark's arms.  "Mare!  It is so exciting!  I just picked up our clothes for the dance tonight!"  Jade performed a pirouette in the middle of the street as an emphasis.

"Jade, I'm not going.  I already told you and Mark that last night." 

Jade didn't even acknowledge the statement.  Grabbing Mary-Lynnette into a hug, Jade continued her very fast, and hard to understand monologue. "Isn't it so nice of the town to throw you graduates a going away dance?  I hope they do one every year now!  Of course just going to this one for you will be fun.  I know that we will have a great time tonight!  I can't wait to see…"

Jade suddenly broke off as Rowan interrupted her, "…how pretty you'll look in the dress we bought for you.  I present from the Redfern's."  Rowan glared at Jade then continued to talk Mary-Lynnette into going to the dance.  "Just go to the dance tonight, Mare.  It will be the last time you will have this chance.  Also, we are not going to let you sit out on that hill, alone, one more night.  You are not going to turn into some depressed, lovesick fluff.  You are our blood-sister, and we will not tolerate this anymore!"

Mary-Lynnette was taken aback for an instance.  How could Rowan know that she spent her lonely nights star watching crying more often than she could ever remember? 

Except when her mom died… or a year ago…

Mary-Lynnette gave herself a mental shake, and reminded herself that even she didn't like to dwell in the past.  And that is when she changed her mind.  "Alright, I'll go."

Mark was obviously prepared for more of an argument.  He gaped at his sister, "Really?  Just like that you're giving in?  We didn't even have to bribe…" Jade's elbow to his ribs stopped him mid-sentence.

"Yes, just like that.  I didn't realize that my sulking had effect you guys as well.  Maybe a night at the dance is just what I need."  Mary-Lynnette doubted her words, but if it would appease her family, her brother and her blood-sisters, then she could suffer at the dance for one night.

"Perfect," was all Rowan replied.

"Yipee…we can do each others hair and make-up and take pictures and…"

Jade was off in her own little world of happy preparations, with such a smile on her face that Mary-Lynnette couldn't help but laugh.  "Ok, time to get home if we all have to get ready from the dance.  Get in the car everyone."

*** *** *** ***

"How is she?"  Rowan had just answered the phone, and was not surprised at the caller.  Her brother was not known for patience.  But then, he was also not known as a particularly friendly person with humans: until he met his soulmate.  Rowan preferred the new Ash, even the impatient new Ash, to the evil bastard she had hated in recent years.

"She's sad.  She misses you." Simply put, but it tore at something inside of Ash.

"I know how she feels.  I can't wait to see her, hold her in my arms, just knowing she's still mine."  Ash had never expected to feel this way about anyone, especially not a human girl.  Huh, he thought to himself, I don't even think of humans as vermin anymore.  That shows my change more than anything else.  He had spent the last year trying to right some of the wrong that the Night World had created; that he had created.  He had made his peace with his cousin James, and that little pixie Poppy.  He had even saved a lost witch from one of the more violent Black Iris clubs.  But the biggest change, he had joined Circle Daybreak, admitted to his peers he had a human soulmate, and actively fought for the end of the Night World Council's terror against humans.  That last was the hardest.  In the beginning, he had to pretend to still belong to the Night World, for the sack of his sisters.  But then it had become too much; he couldn't stand the posing anymore.  The actions of the council sickened him so much that he had openly, and quite obviously, left the Night World for Circle Daybreak, actually walking out of a Council meeting with his father calling after him, ordering him to return.

All Ash had been able to think about was getting back to Mary-Lynnette.  That had been last week, and now he was back, in Briar Creek.  Not more than a mile from his love, yet unable to run and hold her; it would ruin his wonderful surprise.

"She doesn't suspect anything?  It's all set for tonight?"  Ash already felt his heart constricting at the thought of being re-united with his soulmate.

"She's at her house, with Jade and Mark, getting ready for the dance.  I'll be heading over there in half an hour to take pictures, and then they are leaving for the dance.  Kestrel will still be here at the house, and she knows you're on your way.  When will you be getting here?"  Rowan's voice brought Ash back to the reality of being this close to seeing his Mare again.

"I should be there in about ten minutes.  See you soon, Rowan."  Ash hung up the cell phone and turned down the gravel road leading to his great-aunt's old house, and his soulmate.

"Bye, Ash."  But Rowan realized she was just talking to the dial tone.