Duex: So We Meet Again…

Aspen Creek was small and quaint with weather that made you want to pick one of the many knolls and roll around in the fresh green grass. Despite the fact that summer was well on it's way, a fact backed by the 99 degree heat that New Orleans was already experiencing, it still felt like spring here. A true May for sure.

Ashton wasn't here to enjoy the lack of humidity and heat though. She glanced back into the rearview mirror of the Mercedes GL550 she had grown to love even when she had loathed trading her coupe in for it. The trade down had been necessary when she had found out she was pregnant, just like moving out of Vallhalla Manor which was an all female frat house most of the time, had been. In reality the SUV wasn't so bad because she still had her vintage '68 stingray 'vette and a new Aston Martin, for when she wanted to go really fast. It was just one of the things that had changed in her life when the kids came along, something she would never trade for anything.

In the backseat the twins, Grace and Grant, slept peacefully with headphones still on and the SpongeBob dvd still going strong. For a second she wondered if the change in climate would effect them. The air up here was thinner and they could have problems breathing. Just because they were the children of two immortals didn't mean they were born with immortality. That would be gifted to them when they reached full adulthood, until then they were just more resilient then normal children.

Just the one motherly worry opened up a floodgate to bigger problems, like what the twins would do when they met Samuel for the first time, what would Samuel say to her, what were they going to do for a compromise, would he try to steal them away from her.

The later would never happen, it would be a war of colossal proportions, so she physically shook the worries from her mind and began to look for the turn off. She ended up stopping for directions twice and each time she made sure it was humans who she questioned, even then she knew word of her arrival would reach Bran before she did.

Finally, she pulled into the Marrok's driveway frowning at the Alpha who was already waiting outside. She parked and ordered A-Dog, who was lounging in the very backseat to watch the kids, then got out as quietly as she could.

"Hello Huntress, it's a pleasure to meet you." The old wolf said formally.

"Hard to believe we've never met after all these centuries. You can call me Ashton." The Marrok was very powerful and Ashton knew that in a fair fight he would win, but then again she didn't always fight fair. She gave the man a once over noticing that the legend before her was only slightly wider and taller then her. He was also cute, in a Geek Squad kinda way.

She split into a smile of mischief, "Oh, I bet Gwynie took one look at you a sang like a canary. She always did prefer…subtly sexy."

Bran laughed a real laugh that rolled from him with ease.

"She wasn't so willing at first I can promise you that."

"Look, I'm sorry for not coming sooner I hope you don't take it out on the kids…" Ashton blurted it out and winced. The plan was to apologize to everyone at once. One sincere apology met her bi-century quota.

"I'm not the one you owe an apology to." Bran said simply.

They were so deep into the conversation that she never smelled him or heard him come out from the open garage.

Ashton jumped when his voice growled, "More than an apology."

For a second she couldn't remember how to breathe, he was just that stunning. Not in a pretty boy model kind of way, but in the ancient warrior, fierce and built-like-a-bear kinda way. His glacier blue eyes held rage but hadn't changed yet, even though power rolled off of him in waves that maddened her.

A growl broke lose from Bran as Samuel took a menacing step towards her. The look in his eyes most definitely weren't begging for a hug, more likely he was aching to throttle her.

Another step and the growled demand, "How dare you?"

All it took was that step toward her to shake her from her revere. At the threat her body acted in kind. Claws extended and straightened into razor sharp weapons and her deep green eyes brightened to the color of melted silver. Lightning laced the mid afternoon sky and thunder claps followed it, the electricity in the house flickered from her energy.

How dare he just waltz up to her like she owed him anything? She was pissed and she opened her mouth to tell him to go blow himself when she heard a voice that stopped her in her tracks.

"Daddy!" Grace was clinging onto his legs just as simple as that and Grant was standing by her side along with Alpha watching the scene warily.

At the voice of a little girl all of the anger and rage Samuel felt at the beautiful warrior before him vanished and his heart was instantly filled with love.

"How did you know who I was?" He whispered to her crouching down to take her in his arms. This must be Grace, the girl twin, at that thought his eyes searched for and found her darker brother Grant who stood beside Ashton with his armed looped around the biggest damn Doberman Pincher Samuel had ever seen.

"Don't be silly I can smell that it's you." Grace giggled cryptically and hugged him closer before turning to her brother, "Grant don't you want to meet our dad?"

The boys dark eyes shone as he nodded at Samuel and then to Bran.

"Father, Grandpiere." He spoke with a light French accent and Grace spoke with a southern drawl. Just from hearing them speak Samuel knew how different they were going to be and he looked forward to getting to know each and every difference.

At that moment Anna burst through the door with Charles, both looking at their niece and nephews excitedly as they introduced themselves. Bran looked between Samuel and Ashton who were staring at each other and decided to take his grandchildren into the house for a tour.

"Come on kids, lets go inside and get you settled down."

As soon as the kids were out of earshot Samuel started with questions, following Ash who had moved around the large SUV to remove heavy suitcases with ease.

"Why are their accents different?"

Ash smiled. "That's actually a recent development. They started preliminary school this year and I gave them a choice of going wherever they wanted. Grace opted for a public school and has a few tutors during the week to keep up with advanced studies. Grant wanted to go to a private all boy school off the coast in Louisiana that is primarily French. They are both extremely intelligent but I'm sure you knew they would be."

Samuel filed this information and was determined to find more about the kids on his own. "Why didn't you tell me that night what you were?" He pulled her around to face him.

"You weren't exactly volunteering information. You were aggressive and moody, we both needed release and provided it for one another." It was a simple explanation but he could smell the lie coming from her sweet soft skin.

Grabbing her face to make her look at him he demanded the truth.

"Don't lie to me. Why didn't you call me as soon as you found out?"

So the questions she so dreaded answering began.