Black Swan Princess

Disclaimer: I do not own the Night World
Claimer: I own the plot of this story and the characters you do not recognise

Vikki and Ash hated each other at school but Vikki is Rowan's BFF! As a ballet production begins and strange turn of event occurs Ash finds himself falling in love AshxOC

Chapter 10

Waking up and feeling the most refreshed she'd ever felt before, Vikki got up and did the normal before and after shower routine. She pulled on her light blue skinny jeans and white camisole before heading into the kitchen where she could hear her mum making breakfast.
"Good morning, Victoria!" Her mum's overly happy, sing-song voice in the morning could only mean one thing. Circle Twilight was doing it's ritual. Feeling mortified, she glanced at the calender. Two days to go, and her mum was already making preparations.
"Holy...crap..."
"Victoria Harman! Watch your language!" She recived a stinging slap across her knuckles from a wooden spoon. Licking the chocolate mixture off her hands, she left the kitchen, pulled on her grey ugg boots and her coat before leaving the house.
Before she knocked on the Redferns door, Rowan had already opened it, and held her arms out wide; welcoming her best friends into a hug.
"She's already making plans!" Vikki shouted into Rowan's shoulder.
"I thought as much." Came the reply. Rowan shut the door and led Vikki into the lounge where they plonked onto the sofa and began discussing Claire's overly cheerful mood.

Ash woke up feeling...mortified for some reason. What the hell was going on? He hadn't forgotten anything or lost anything and he'd eaten. So what could the problem be? He sat up as he heard voices coming from downstairs. Vikki was one of them. He quickly got out of bed and in the space of five minutes he'd showered and dressed. Not that he wanted to find out what was going on or anything...
"Seriously though, she'll want a complete dress-up thing! And hell am I going with her, I'm not part of her Circle!"
"But...Vikki...what other choice have you got?"
"What's going on?" Ash asked from the doorway.
"It's Circle Twilight's ritual in two days." Rowan stated.
Ash shrugged. "What's so bad about that?" Vikki looked at him as if he'd just shot her grandma. "It's like Halloween with kid's running around in warty green masks."
"Well, you're only offended because looking at the mask is like...like..."
"Looking in a mirror? Thanks Ash. Really nice. Smooth. Absoloutly lovely. What a nice thing to hear when you're in a mortified mood as it is." Vikki crossed her arms and looked away from the vampire. Ash rolled his eyes, in no way was he saying or even implying that!
"How fast did you say that?" Rowan asked, inbetween her giggling fit. Vikki shrugged.
Ash grinned and sighed at the same time. "Rowan...is she like this-"
"-Every Circle Twilight ritual? Pretty much."
"God, it would've been so much easier if my mum wasn't back in time for it." She got to her feet in realisation. "She planned this, didn't she. I swear to God, if she forces me to go, I'll...I'll..." Ash took a seat beside Rowan and they both watched the witch as she tried to think of the right thing to say. "I'll...flip." Ash stiffled a laugh. Of course her mum would be back in time for a ritual and she'd want Vikki to join her Circle. It was logical.
Thinking Vikki had calmed down, both vampires jumped when the sharp intake of breath from the witch signified she had an idea. "I'm going to ruin her plans so she'll forbid me to go."
Ash nudged Rowan. "She's gone mad." He whispered.
"I know, there's a spider in the kitchen, go calm her down by throwing it at her." Rowan giggled.
Ash grinned almost evilly. "Vikki...care to accompany me into the kitchen? I have something I want to show you."
"What?" She got to her feet and met him in the kitchen. He threw his hands outwards, the spider was thrown and Vikki screamed. Tucking her face into her hands and jumping away from the vile creature on the floor, she ran towards Ash and punched him. Hard. The spider made a quick escape under one of the cabinets.
The laughter from Rowan in the lounge signified that the mahogany haired witch had screamed really loud. Ash recieved an elbow in his gut, which made him double over - and headbutt Vikki.
"I'll aim lower next time." She warned, rubbing her head.
Ash noticed Vikki's eye twitch in anger and he chuckled. She turned to him and glared. If looks could kill, any normal person would be dead four times over. However, if she was trying to scare him, it wasn't working. He just thought it made her look sexy. He gave her a disarming smile before looking her dead in the eye. "If you think that scares me, you're completely wrong."
She was silent. Her face turned a little pink and she avoided all eye contact. "You're really scared of them aren't you." His statement earned him another glare, but her blush deepened. "I'm not scared of them..."
"I don't believe you."
"Maybe the big ones...and that one was huge."
Ash rolled his eyes. "So...spider's are your biggest fear."
"Besides you, yes." She crossed her arms.
"So I'll add vampires to the list." His eyes turned golden-hazel in amusement.
"Only blonde ones with everchanging eye colour..."
He grinned. "I know, I'm so good-looking."
"Only you'd say that." She rolled her cerulean eyes. "You're not scary."
"Not scary, just bad." He shrugged. "I'm just so incredibly sexy." He smirked.
She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "Is that all you wanted to show me?"
"Well, I could take off my shirt." He smirked and sat next too her.
"I don't need to claw my eyes out, thanks." She smiled sweetly, and then remembered the Circle Twilight ritual. "Maybe I'll to Las Vegas."
Ash frowned. "I didn't know you were the gambleing type."
"No, but they say all the good-looking guys are there, rich, good-looking guys." She started laughing at his expression. Rowan chuckled from the lounge.
"Isn't there any...good-looking guys around here for you?" He asked, crossing his arms on the table and staring at her face.
She paused to think. "I don't know...I suppose there's a few."
"Any I know?" 'Who's ass do I kick?' He thought to himself.
"I suppose so..."
"Names?" He asked, his eyes a heartaching hellebore green.
"Ash?" She looked straight into his eyes and frowned. "Is there something wrong?"
"No." He got up from his chair and pulled out his phone; checking the time. "I've gotta go." He picked his jacket off the back of the chair and left the kitchen.
Vikki got up from her chair and entered the lounge to see Rowan, the brunette was looking at her with wide eyes.
"You're going to Las Vegas?"
Vikki shrugged. "Maybe until the ritual's over."
"You sure know how to make Ash leave." Rowan gestured to the front door which had shut a few moments ago.
"I didn't realise he went to the gym on Sunday's. I only go to dance during the week-"
"-You must've said something."
Vikki's arms widened. "What do you mean 'I've said something'?"
"I was in here, you were the one talking to him. I heard the conversation, he's jealous."
Vikki scoffed. "How is he jealous?"
"Because you were talking about some, good-looking guys around here! By the way..." Rowan frowned in suspicion. "You don't...like Ash now do you?"
Vikki turned a little pink. "Of course not Rowan! What'd make you think that?"
Rowan grinned. "You do! I know you do! Someone's blushing...oh my God - you fancy my brother."
"Vikki fancies Ash?" Kestrel and Jade asked from the doorway.
"No!"
"Yes! She does, you can see it written clearly on her face! Which means..." Rowan covered her mouth. "It's why you didn't give him any names of people round here...and how he knows them! Oh my God, Vikki! You didn't want to say anything, did you?"
"Of course I didn't want to say anything!" She slapped her hand over her mouth as the three vampires heard her confession.
"Aww, it's so cute!" Jade hugged the witch who was currently blushing from head to toe.
"Don't say anything." Vikki warned, pointing to each of them in turn. "I know where you live." They all mimed zipping their lips and throwing away the key; still smiling.

Vikki got home about half past six that evening, Ash hadn't arrived home from the gym and - although she wouldn't admit it - she was worried. She also felt bad that he'd gone out because - like Rowan said - she must've said something.
Vikki sighed and unlocked the front door. "Mum! I'm home!"
"Dinner's on the table!" Came the reply. Vikki pulled off her ugg boots and jogged up the stairs.
"Thank you." The mahogany haired witch said as she sat across from her mother at the table.
"Where've you been all day? I say one thing about Circle Twilight and you pull a mood swing. You're not getting your period are you Victoria?"
Vikki sighed and rolled her eyes. "No mum, I had it last week." Actually, she hadn't. After Steve had almost drained her, she had very little 'normal' blood to actually use to have a period. Infact, one more bite from a vampire would surely be all it took to become one!
"Hmm...I would like you to come to the ritual, Victoria."
"But mum, I'm not part of Circle Twilight...I wouldn't be welcome."
"Don't be silly!" Claire chuckled. "Of course you'd be welcome, you're a wildpower, Victoria. You don't need to be part of the circle to go to a ritual...although it would look better for our family if you were."
Vikki rolled her eyes, of course, reputation had a part in the whole 'Daybreaker' issue. "Mum." Vikki sighed. "How much do you want me to go?"
"I don't think I understand what you mean Victoria?"
"How badly do you want me there?"
Claire's eyes looked pleadingly. "I would love for you to be there."
Vikki sighed. "Then I'll go...just for you."
"I love you darling." Claire beamed.
"Love you too mum." They finished their meal in relative silence...until...
"How old is your Soulmate?" Claire asked.
Vikki chocked on a mouthful of lasagne and downed half her water. "My age..." Vikki answered after her coughing fit.
"Are you an item?"
"Mum, it's not like that. We're barely even friends..."
Claire put down her knife and fork. "Oh...how so?"
Vikki sighed. Had she said something wrong? "Mum...he's Rowan's older brother...don't you think it's a little...I don't know...wierd?"
"Use proper English, Victoria."
"Strange. Awkward? What if something bad happened between us and I still went to see Rowan? What if Rowan and I-I can't even think about that happening." If Vikki lost Rowan, she would most definately think about committing suicide. Rowan meant everything to the mahogany haired witch and more...if Vikki was a lesbian, she would.
Claire thought about it for a moment. "I suppose you're right, Victoria. Now, how's work?"
"I handed in my notice a week ago so I could focus more on my dancing."
"So you're not earning any money?"
"I'll be paid for being in the ballet production."
"Right, of course." Claire nodded in understanding. "So, this boy...he seems...nice."
"Specify the word 'nice'?" Vikki asked, quite amused. Someone who didn't know about his past called Ash Redfern nice?
"Well, he's handsome, young, and very polite." Vikki could've chocked on her water. But then again he had been curteous towards her mother...on two different occasions. "What's so funny about being polite?"
"Nothing. Inside joke."
"With who?"
"Rowan. I'm off to bed, mum. Thanks for dinner."
"But honey, it's only seven o'clock!" Claire exclaimed, eyeing the silver watch on her wrist in confusion.
"I know but...I've been having late night and early mornings." Vikki replied. 'Understatement of the century, but we'll go with it.' She thought as she placed her plate and cutlery in the sink. Although it was getting dark, she could see perfectly. Thinking nothing of it, Vikki headed to bed.

(A/N: Special Thanks:

Sportyno1 - I think the Jace quote suits Ash's personality, that's why I used it lol (also because it made me laugh, lol!) Ah, Ash was wrong about the dance teacher lol, so very wrong, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEW! x

No Flames please :) Please Review ^^ xx)