Chapter 11: Sapphire Blue and Blood Red.

A/N:

Thank you to Krystal and LittleDragonRider for your suggestions and understanding the delay. I tired to incorporate the suggestions, sorry if that's not what you wanted. Thank you to AbiiL for reviewing as well.

DISCLAIMER: L J Smith owns The Night World, its dialogues, plot-lines and character names. All other plot lines, characterizations, and details belong to the author: xForbiddenLoveBitesx.

As soon as you hit the first - x – it changes to Mary-Lynnette's POV and the second is still in her POV but a little later on.

Ash

I watched as Mary-Lynnette was dragged out of the room by her captors, intent on inflicting some kind of torture that Mary-Lynnette just wasn't used to. It was hard to watch her leave again and I tired to hide the reluctance and distraught under an aloof manner and faked mirth at the situation. As if seeing into my soul, Mary-Lynnette's eyes softened as she looked deep into mine, and I knew understood all too well. Her eyes held a thousand different meanings messages and feelings but one was pushing the others to the side, dominating all her features. The message that told me she would always be there now shone in her eyes moulded her lips into a curved smile and softened her face in understanding. I tried my best to keep the smile plastered on my face like a protective film but the smile slipped ever so slightly as she was dragged out of the door. I exhaled a sigh slowly as the sound of the door closing reverberated off the walls. Looks like it's going to take me a while to let her out of my sight, I thought, strangely giddy at the unbidden thought that toyed with my emotions.

"I was like that for a few months after you kidnapped Poppy." James empathised and I chuckled at the slightly aggravated tone that crept into his voice as he said 'kidnapped'. I looked up to meet his eyes and was pleased to see the mirth hiding in them.

I grinned. "I told you I was sorry," I joked along, widening the grin as he responded in kind with a smile of his own.

"You kidnapped my Soulmate who – might I add – had only just been changed into a vampire. Then you took her here, of all places. I mean, seriously, taking an illegal vampire to an Elder's house? You knew that was asking for trouble." He protested, trying – in vain – to hide the smirk on his face. It turned abruptly cold as he finished his sentence, contemplating something, turning into a menacing grimace that would've curdled the blood of a lesser being. "Probably flirted with her too."

I chuckled again at the utter disgust and horror on his face. I pinched my fingers in front of my face so there was a little gap in between then and said, "Just a little bit."

He shook his head in disgust. Then, out of nowhere, a mischievously wicked grin spread across his face. "I wonder," he started, tapping his chin as if in thought, "If Mary-Lynnette knows about all this?" he asked. Eric stifled a laugh under his hand. David, however, was not as gracious and laughed out loud at my predicament.

I felt my eyes widen in a rare display of fear. "Don't. You. Dare." I warned levelly.

He laughed at my expression and words. "Poppy will probably tell her anyway."

I groaned. Stupid hyperactive vampire, I cursed in my head. James hissed at the insult towards his Soulmate and I shot him a look full of retaliation. "You did ask for it," I countered, reminding him of the fact he started all this.

James glared at me, a challenge to demonstrate what the look on my face suggested. "Can you not start a fight, please?" Thierry pleaded, his voice carrying over the both of us, seeming to float over our bodies and engulf us in its commanding presence. Although it was not a command and need not be obeyed, we both acquiesced out of respect for our leader.

James and I looked at each other with a grin. I shrugged at him and he nodded in understanding. We would both drop the subject.

We – we being James, Thierry, Delos, David, Eric and I – sat in silence for the seconds that followed, awkwardly looking at the floor or anything but the other people in the room.

"Hey, where'd your sister's go, Ash?" David asked, suddenly interrupting the silence.

I sighed in relief, the silence was getting suffocating. Looking around the room, I realised, with a start, that David's assessment was correct. In my moment of reluctance and despair at Mary-Lynnette's departure, I hadn't even seen them leave. "I… don't know," I answered honestly.

"I think they left with the girls," Delos spoke up, which earned him a shocked look form everyone in the room. "What?" he asked, shrugging. "I'm not always a mute that refuses to talk to everyone." He defended.

Silence fell again and it seemed almost palpable, stealing the breath from our lungs and halting the words on our lips.

"Does anyone else feel slightly lost now?" asked Eric after a while.

James chuckled wholeheartedly. "Yep." He admitted, popping the 'p' in delight.

"Surprisingly so." Delos said, frowning.

"Yeah." David admitted with a smile on my face.

James looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "You knew I was lost the moment she walked out of the door." I countered, rolling my eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest, slightly embarrassed I was admitting to such primitive forms of possession and loss.

We all turned to Thierry, who had a wistfully sad expression on his too-young-for-his-age face. "I was always lost without Hannah."

We all looked at each other, torn between laughing and groaning at the clichéd sentence. A small smile flirted with my lips as I tried to keep my composure, a laugh sure to escape.

David pursed his lips. "Wonder how much torture Poppy's putting them though?"

- x -

"Come on, Mare." Poppy whined. Apparently she had taken a leaf out of Jade's book and also adopted the nickname that Mark called her. I didn't mind that much though as Poppy was now undoubtedly a friend, despite the torture she was trying to inflict. "If you don't wear them too, I'll be the only one wearing heels." She complained. "Please." She pleaded, one last time, the pout in full effect now.

I huffed and Kestrel snickered at my obvious defeat. "Fine, I'll wear them, but if I fall, I'm taking you down with me." I warned, watching I amusement as Poppy's face lit up. She crossed the room and enveloped me in a hug, nearly lifting me off the ground in her eagerness.

"Yay." She squealed happily, running to fetch the shoes that accompanied my outfit.

I looked down at the clothes bag draped across my arm. The bag was black and zipped up all the way to the top, so I had no idea what colour, style or length the dress inside was. Poppy had made sure of that. I cast a sideways glance at Maggie, who was also staring at the bag in her hands in horror. She saw me looking and grimaced. 'Why did we agree to this?' she mouthed. I shrugged and replied with 'We didn't'. I was rewarded with a smile and a giggle of agreement as Poppy rushed back in carrying a shoe box.

"Right, ladies, go get dressed and meet back here in my room in ten." She instructed and I was amused to discover that she sounded much like a Commanding Officer giving orders to its troops.

Maggie, obviously on my line of though answered audaciously, "Sir, yes, sir." Finishing it off with a salute, she marched out of the room before Poppy had a chance to respond.

Hannah, Thea, Gillian and I broke down in giggles and hurried after her out of the room. I was pleased to note that we all had rooms next door to each other. Thea's was the first; Poppy's room followed, then Hannah's room after her, Gillian next door, Maggie closing the next door in haste and then my room. Shutting the door behind me, I headed for the bathroom. I hung the bag on the peg protruding from the door's back, placing the shoe box on the floor, and stared hesitantly at them. I sighed began slowly unzipping the packaging and groaned when it had opened all the way. Poppy, I cursed in my head.

The dress was – it looked like – about knee length and was a vibrant sapphire blue. The dress had no straps, but a thick band at the empire line that was the same colour as the dress.

Dragging the dress over my head after removing all my clothes apart from my underwear, I stole a peek at my reflection in the mirror. On, the dress didn't look too bad. My assessment had been correct on the length and I was glad Poppy had provided me with transparent tights, as I was not used to wearing a dress. It flared slightly at the empire line and settled mid-thigh to knee length. The dress also had, much to my delight, built in support. At least Poppy had thought of that.

I picked up the shoe box and carefully lifted the lid, pushing back the flimsy tissue paper. I gasped and decided that, even if the dress was a bit short and I didn't like dresses anyway, the heels made up for everything. They had – at a guess – 3.5 inches of pointy heel on the sole. They were a patented silver colour and fitted like a court heel around my foot. Up the side, staring from the front was an array of glittering silver stars which reached up the length of the shoe and to the back. They were beautiful.

Taking one last look in the mirror, I headed back to Poppy's room, almost running in delight but stopping short when I nearly tripped due to the added 3.5 inches to my stature.

I opened the door and heard Poppy gasp. I looked down at my body self-consciously. "What?" I asked.

"You look amazing." She gushed, clapping her hands in delight. "Aren't I just the best?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Poppy."

She twirled like a dancer in front of me. "What do you think?" she asked.

Poppy's dress was much like mine but just a different colour. It was a dark green that brought out the colour in her eyes and had about an inch of black at the hem. Her heels were a nude colour that set the outfit off quite nicely.

I grinned. "Amazing."

"Hey, what about us?" Thea asked with a smile in her voice. She was wearing an amethyst dress that flowed out to almost touch the ground, held on her body by just two thin straps on her shoulders. A splash of black could be seen poking out of the bottom of the dress.

Maggie was wearing a dress that was a mix between red and orange, making her look like she was autumn personified. Her dress flowed from the empire line to just below her knees and had only one strap that hung wide on one shoulder. She wore nude flats to accompany the dress.

Gillian's dress was a cream colour and looked much the same as Thea's apart from the wider straps that kept the dress in place. Pale pink flats poked put from beneath the dress.

Hannah's dress was a light coral colour that fitted her body until it came to her waist, where it billowed out to the floor. Her flats were barely visible but, when she moved, I could see brown paint them.

"You're all amazing as well, obviously." I answered, rolling my eyes.

"Right." Poppy announced suddenly. "Makeup." She said, with an excited grin.

- x -

Poppy linked her arm through mine reassuringly. "You won't fall, Mare." She assured as we rounded the corner to the staircase.

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you have hold of my arm?" I countered.

Poppy grinned. "Fair point."

We came to a stop at the top of the stairs and I searched desperately for Ash's face. Although the whole makeover thing had helped, it was still hard when I had to stay away from him for a prolonged amount of time. As my eyes locked with his I saw several emotions flicker across his face. Relief, then shock, then an emotion I couldn't quite decipher and the, finally, he broke into a grin and watched as I tried to descend the stairs. Poppy's grip on my arm tightened as we walked. I shot her a grateful look and she winked. I shook my head in amusement. A few more paces and we were at the bottom, a few more paces and I can finally walk without fear of tripping, a few more paces and Ash is within reaching distance again. My foot found the last step and Poppy let go of my arm. I looked back at Ash's face and found the smile no longer there, replaced by a confused expression. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms stood up and a shiver ran through my spine. This was all too familiar.

A piercing scream ran through the mansion. I took one look at the girls and Ash, slipping the heels off my feet, before we all broke off in a run, heading towards the origin of such pain.

A/N:

So, here is chapter 11. We had a bit of girl banter last chapter, so I thought it only fair some of the guys got their turn. Thanks for all the support guys!

Please review.

xForbiddenLoveBitesx