Disclaimer: I own nothing of Night World. Props go to L.J. Smith for her wonderful idea. Nor do I own the mentioning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
AN: First fic so please be nice.
She had been to a city, New York to be exact, but she had never in her life seen a city so brightly lit. You could walk around without a thought to tripping over some unseen object. It was so bright, she thought she would have to wear sunglasses to sleep at night here.
"It's just the strip." Quinn said to her.
"Vegas is stunning." Rashel said.
"Wow. It's beautiful." Nyala commented.
Timmy was gazing out the windows, awestruck. He had never been to Vegas and was in awe about the city. It was so lively, so bright, so colorful! He stared at monuments he had seen in other countries, such as pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. Why did Hunter want him to see these things when he could have went to one place and seen them all at once?
"Why are we here?" he asked them.
"We are looking for Circle Daybreak." Quinn answered him.
"What is Circle Daybreak?" he asked.
"It is a place where humans, vampires, witches, shapeshifters, werewolves, and everyone inbetween can be together peacefully." Rashel said.
"I thought humans weren't supposed to know about the Night World." Timmy said.
"Thier not. But in Circle Daybreak humans are with Night World people. Friends with them and even in relationships with them." Quinn told him.
"Ok." he said and continued to look at the bright lights.
They drove around a little while longer and then Quinn stopped outside of an old store. It was closed and dark in the bottom part but the top floors, the living quarters were brightly lit. Rashel could see a young dark haired woman come to the window and then leave it. The lights in the store front came on and the woman was there, she was unlocking the door.
Quinn got out of the car and the woman stood with the door open. Rashel saw he in full regalia. Beautiful and enchanting. Tall, elegant, long dark hair, full red lips in a small pout, and beautiful yet suspicious eyes. Just looking at the girl had Rashel coming out of the car to follow Quinn.
"Quinn." the woman said, disdainfully.
"Hello, Blaise. How are you?" Quinn asked.
"I've been better. What are you doing here?" Blaise asked, glaring at him.
Rashel stood behind him quietly. Obviously there was a lot of bad blood between them or something. Maybe she should have stayed in the car.
"Right to the quick of things as usual. I need to see Grandma Harman. I am in need of her assistance in a matter." he explained.
"She's not here. Grandma is at Thierry's. You know how to get there or do you need directions there?" she asked.
"I know how. Thank you Blaise." he said.
Blaise looked shocked. Did he say something surprising?
"You are different. There have been rumors that you are leaving the Night World. Are they true?" she asked softly.
"Yes they are." he answered.
"For her I am assuming?" she asked, looking straight into Rashels' eyes.
Rashel could feel the magic in the girl now as they stared at each other. She was powerful, very powerful. A witch, a true Harman, a Hearth-Woman. A daughter of Hellwise was standing before her, a night person; people she had always been disdainful of and yet she felt almost insignificant compared to this woman.
"For her. For Rashel." Quinn answered, holding Rashels' hand.
"A soulmate. I never would have thought you of all people, Quinn. Goddess, the whole family is being infected by the soulmate principle. What is it now 5 of us? Yeah. I am so, dare I say it, proud of you Quinn." she beamed.
"What are you talking about?" Rashel asked, saying something finally.
"You'll see. Get to Thierry, he is Circle Daybreak. Go!" Blaise said and she made a shooing motion at them.
Quinn pulled Rashel away and Blaise drew back into the shop. They returned to the car and got in. Timmy and Nyala asked who Blaise was. Rashel was curious a bit about her as well. He told the that she was a Harman and that she was his adopted cousin.
"So where are we going now?" Nyala asked.
"Thierry's." Timmy said.
"How do you know that?" she asked him.
"I'm a vampire. I could hear everything they had said to each other." Timmy answered.
"Lord Thierry, if I am correct." Rashel said.
"Yes. The Lord of the Night World, the very first made vampire. Made by the Vampire Queen, Maya, herself." Quinn added.
"Wow. Vicky told me about him. Said he was the oldest vampire, next to Maya. Is he really a couple thousand years old?" Nyala asked, amazed.
"Yes but he doesn't look a day over 18." Quinn answered.
"Wow, again!" she said.
"When do you think we will arrive?" Rashel asked.
"To his house or his lands?" Quinn asked.
"What?" they all asked.
"To his house 5 minutes. To his lands, we are already there. He owns most of the north east side of Vegas and has a penthouse right on the strip. He owns the whole building." Quinn answered.
Silence resounded. Quinn sometimes loved to read minds. Shock was firmly rooted in their minds at how someone could own so much. But hey, he was a couple thousand years old so he had a lot of time to make his billions. Quinn saw the building and turned the corner and parked right out front.
"We're here." he announced and got out.
Rashel got out and looked around before she slammed the door shut. Nyala was reassuring Timmy as she got out of the car and Timmy slid out behind her. The two looked around and then followed Quinn and Rashel to the building. They were met by a doorman, dressed very spiffy. He reminded Rashel of a CIA agent but he was a vampire.
"We are here to see Lord Thierry." Quinn said.
"Do you have an apointment, sir?" the doorman asked.
"Not an appointment. We are here about Circle Daybreak." Quinn said and gestured to Rashel, Nyala, and Timmy.
"Very well sir. I am Nilsson." he said.
"Thank you." Quinn said and went in, the others followed.
They went straight to the elevator and went up to the top floor, the penthouse. When they arrived, they could hear voices as they stepped off the elevator. Quinn was shocked at the voices he heard. A few were Redferns and Harmans! That was what Blaise meant about running in the family. No wonder Hunter had been very pissy as of late.
Quinn led them to where the voices were and stopped just outside of the room to knock. The room silenced and he heard Thierry call for them to come in. The reactions were the usual to Quinn. The vampires and witches that knew him were about to pounce on him. He knew he deserved too. But before they could attack him, Rashel spoke out.
"Lord Thierry! Please call them back." she said moving in front of her soulmate.
Thierry nodded at them when they looked at him for approval and Rashel continued.
"My Lord, I am Rashel Jordan. I am a vampire hunter. I'm better known as The Cat." she said and stopped when hisses sounded, "These two are Nyala and Timmy. You all know Quinn."
"I see. What is it that you are here for?" he asked.
"We are here to ask to stay. We have nowhere else to go because the Nightworld will never accept us being together. Nyala and Timmy are victims but want a chance to make things right and do some good between our worlds. We also seek the help of Grandma Harman for Timmy. Please." she pleaded.
"Of course you can stay. What is the nature of your reasons for being here?" he asked.
"Timmy was turned into a vampire by Hunter Redfern. We need Grandma Harman to help us to see if Hunter has messed with his mind. Nyala wants to put the death of her sister behind her. Because of Quinn she learned that not all vampires are evil. She was a vampire hunter and now she wants to make amends and do good along side of them." she said.
"But what does that have to do with you, Ms. Jordan and Quinn?" he asked.
"We are in terrible trouble. Quinn and I are soulmates." she said.
Stunned gasps resounded around the room. Then laughter followed.
"What's so funny?" Nyala asked, confused.
An ash blonde haired boy with ever changing eyes stepped forward to explain. Looking at the boy, Rashel likened him to a pale lanky tiger, graceful and elegant yet with feirceness hidden beneath the surface.
"Quinn is... or well was, Hunters' left hand and he has hated humans almost as long as he has been alive. Wanted to rid the world of them and was a stickler for Night World law. But he is now breaking the most sacred of laws and is the soulmate of a human and not just any... a vampire hunter. That is what we all find so funny." he said.
"I could say almost the exact same thing about you, Ash. What are you doing here?" Quinn said.
"I am in the same boat as you, my friend. I am in love with a human, my beautiful soulmate." Ash explained and his eyes changed to a depressing gray color.
Quinn saw the sudden change in mood in his friend. Either the girl was dead or they were seperated.
"We are all like you, Quinn." a beautiful light haired girl said.
"Thea Harman, you too?" Quinn asked surprised.
"Yeah and not just me. Almost every one of us in this room." she explained.
Quinn looked around as saw a couple of familiar faces. He saw James Rasmussen with a little elf like red headed vampire. He saw Thea was with a sandy haired guy and he looked a couple of other people he didn't recognize. The small platinum blonde was a witch and the guy she was with was human. The power she emanated from her had the feel of a Harman.
"Is she?" Quinn asked nodding towards the blonde.
"Yes. She is Gillian Lennox and she was a missing Harman baby. The guy next to her is her soulmate David Blackburn." Thea said.
Quinn nodded. Rashel was curious about them all. She truly was a cat. Hopefully the saying curiosity killed the cat, wouldn't apply to her.
"Who are the rest of you?" she asked.
"I'm James Rasmussen. This is my soulmate, Poppy North." James said and motioned to the red head.
"Hi, we are going to become the best of friends. I look forward to shopping with you and introducing you to Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Poppy said.
"What?" Rashel said, surprised.
"Sorry about that. Sometimes I talk before I think. I'm a witch/vampire. I sometimes see things that can occur." she explained.
"Oh, am I going to like Buffy?" Rashel asked.
"Actually you'll be quite critical at some parts and then romanticizing over how much you are like her. Especially in the romance department." she said with a huge grin.
Rashel gave her a confused look but Poppy brushed her along to meet the others.
"As you already know I'm Thea Harman but this my soulmate, Eric Ross. He's human." Thea said and Eric shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you." Rashel said to them and she moved on to Ash.
She wanted to know why he was so sad. His eyes had turned that sad gray color when he mentioned his soulmate to Quinn and they still hadn't changed from that color.
"Is she alright?" she asked him.
"My Mary-Lynnette is fine, just lonely without me." he said and the gray deepened.
"I'm sorry for asking." Rashel said.
"It's fine. I like to talk about her and when I do the pain dulls." he said.
"Why isn't she here?" Nyala asked suddenly.
"She wants to finish growing up first. She also wants me to make some amends for the things I have done. I was almost as bad as Quinn but when I met her I did a complete 360* in personality and thinking. Also Quinn is another reason I'm not with her." Ash said and sent a glare at Quinn.
"What did you do?" Rashel asked Quinn and he shrugged, "What did he do?" she asked Ash.
"He had to show up in her hometown, Briar Creek, to check up on me and my sisters." he said.
A look of dawning came to Quinn's face and he had the decency to look a little ashamed.
"That was why you were so quick to get rid of me and had everything laid out for me when I arrived. I should've known but the evidence was overwhelming." Quinn said.
"I'm glad you didn't figure it out! You would've killed her, her brother, my sisters, and me! Probably the whole town to make double sure. I had to make it all convincing." Ash said.
"I have changed, Ash. You have changed. But you're right. I would've done that and I have. Until I met Rashel I was this... dreadful person." Quinn admitted.
"That's alright now. I was almost as bad as you. If not for Mare I would never be what I am now." Ash replied.
"You need to go see her." Rashel said with a sad smile on her face.
"I can't. I promised her I would stay away from her for a year to let her grow up and try to make my amends." Ash explained.
"That was stupid." Rashel said.
"I know. But I promised and I really don't want to be kicked again." he said.
"Kicked?" James asked, obviously Ash never told him this.
"When I misbehave she kicks me in the shins. She did it the very first time I met her. It really hurts, she has a powerful kick for a human." Ash said and sent glares at his cousin for snickering.
"Atleast she only kicked you." Quinn grumbled.
"Why? How did you two meet?" Thea asked.
"I was ambushed, knocked unconcious, tied up, wooden handcuffed, and when I woke she was sitting on me about to stake me." Quinn said.
Rashel blushed bright red as everyone turned their gaping looks at her. Then everyone turned the look on Quinn and the room shook with the hysterical laughter.
"Oh, wow! I can't believe it." James said between laughs.
"Better believe it. I was there, I helped." Nyala said.
"Now this is a story I will never get tired of hearing." Thea gasped out.
"Ha ha ha ha. It's not that funny." Quinn said.
"Yes it is. What happened after? Since he is alive he must've escaped." Poppy said.
"No, I let him go, sorta. I took the ropes off and let him rip the cuffs off. He was going to kill me and then we touched and that whole... I don't know..." she said.
"Pink hazy thing happened." Ash said.
"Yeah that! Then the other hunters came back and I blocked their way and let him go." she said.
"That's it? Man, I was hoping that she knocked you out again." David said.
"I did. But I'm not telling you that. What happens after that is private and I believe poor Quinn has been embarrassed enough for one night." Rashel stated.
"I'm sleepy." Timmy yawned.
"Ok, um, Lord Thierry where may I take Timmy to sleep?" Rashel asked.
"Lupe!" he called out and a werewolf girl came into the room.
"Lupe would you show them to some rooms?" Thierry asked her.
"Of course. Come on I'll show you." Lupe said.
"You can see grandma in the morning." Thea said as they left the room.
Lupe showed them all to the hall that they would be staying. She pointed out each room that was already occupied and whose they were. She showed Nyala to a room and then Timmy to one right next to hers. She then moved on to a hall around a corner, saying those were the last rooms in the hall.
"Now, will you be sharing a room or sleeping seperately?" Lupe asked.
"Um, we.. we will be..." Rashel stammered, truly at a loss for words.
"Sharing." Quinn said quickly.
Rashel shot him a nasty look but erased it as Lupe showed them into one of the rooms.
"There will be clothes already in the drawers if you didn't bring any. You'll have to look for something in your size though. I need to tell the other two that. I forgot. See you tomorrow, maybe." Lupe said.
The werewolf grinned at her as they entered and shut the door behind them. The room was nicely decorated, too expensively done in Rashels' opinion, but if you had money you could always afford the best of everything. One set of her many foster parents had always told her that.
"Do you want to take a shower or go to bed?" Rashel asked him.
Quinn didn't answer her but he did come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Holding her back to his chest, he sniffed her neck and ran his tongue over the same path. Rashel stiffened and then relaxed when nothing happened but knew that he was hungry.
"Go ahead. Don't take too much." she said.
"Are you sure? I can go catch..." he said.
"Do it. I'd rather it was me than some poor street girl getting between you breathing or suffocating." she said.
He nodded. She had a point. Even with the pressure that was in his chest he wasn't just going to bite into her, he was going to coax her. Love her a bit. She was his soulmate and deserved to be treated better than those... other girls he had entertained with thoughts of love. She had his love; whole and pure.
Slowly and lazily, he kissed her neck and nipped along it. Laving each place with precise pressure with his tongue. Then running one of his hands up from her waist to run it through her hair. She leaned her head back and let a low moan slip from her lips. She turned her head to see his face and he captured her mouth, searing her very soul with his kiss.
Releasing her so she could breathe and before he gave in to the urge to bite her then. She panted lightly and her breath hitched when he scraped his fangs down her neck. Her back arched and she tangled her hand in his hair just as he bit down, sinking his fangs into her flesh.
A small scream escaped her throat that quickly morphed into a groan and she jerked his head lightly. They sank to their knees then. Rashel was as limp as a boneless fish and the only thing keeping her from being sprawled on the floor was the strength of Quinn's arms.
"John." she whispered.
"Thank you for loving me." he said back to her in her head.
"I love you." she said and blew at one of the dark places in his mind.
Shivers raced up his spine and he released her, temptation was coming on strong to keep drinking her sweet blood. Both panting, they leaned on each other for support. When they caught their breathe and emotions had wound down; they stood and then collapsed on the bed together, falling straight and deep into slumber.
Holding each other tightly and securely through the night. Each stronger after another affect effect of the Soulmate principle. Love stronger than ever and both ready to face the new dawn that awaited them to guide them to their fate and the fate of their worlds.
AN: I have finished my first fic!