DISCLAIMER - I don't own any of the Nightworld characters and I don't make
any money. Yes I know I should get out more. I do however own a sexy
vampire called Tar, so hands off!
REVIEWS ARE MUCH LOVED AND BEGGED FOR!!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - REUNION
Rowan looked up at the opening of the door and gasped at the sight of Mary Lynette in the doorway. She wasn't the school girl Mary Lynette she'd always known and she wasn't the huntress that had tried to kill her. She was just. just somewhere in between. Rowan allowed herself a small smile and because Ash hadn't noticed Mary Lynette's appearance, she whispered in his ear that he had a visitor. Ash twisted his head and simply stared at her presence. Mary Lynette looked poised to bolt at any moment, like a rabbit caught in headlights, but as Rowan detached herself from Ash and left through the far door, Mary Lynette cautiously entered the room.
"I saw you, Ash. Thierry showed me. I didn't realise. I didn't know what to do, but I ended up here. I'm sorry." She cast her eyes down.
"It doesn't seem fair to ask for your help right now, but I am." She continued, eyes flickering up to his face. "After all I've done to you, can you help me do something."
"Anything." Ash wiped the remainder of his tears on the edge of his sleeve, ashamed to let her see him like this. He stood up from his crouched position, just for a moment scared of what she might do. She walked towards him slowly and stretched out a hand.
Their fingers intertwined and she moved closer to him. When she was almost touching him, she widened her arms and embraced him. Ash was so surprised that for half a minute he didn't do anything but stare open mouthed at the piece of red hair in front of his face. He hugged her back with a fierce hunger and felt the blue fire engulfing them both.
What Thierry showed me was that by protecting myself from my past, I'm hurting everyone around me. After seeing you like that, I don't think I can carry on like that. I need you to come with me. I don't think I can deal with this by myself.
He mentally squeezed her hand, realizing how much pride she had had to let go of to say that to him and followed her deep into herself.
He was stood on the roof on the university with her looking at the stars. She was lonely he realised; she missed him. His heart almost broke in that moment when he condemned himself, it was his fault she had been there in the first place. He felt the mental Mary Lynette take his hand and a kind of warmth flow into him.
It's not your fault.
He watched her memory self spin around, gasping when she saw Tar stalking towards her. Absolute terror froze her to the spot as Tar tilted her head back and bit into her neck. The mental Mary Lynette squeezed his hand tighter.
Ash watched Mary Lynette rediscovering the memories of the three days of her disappearance. Tar raped her, used her and changed her, doing whatever he pleased with, whenever he pleased. Ash steamed with fury when Tar met her after she'd woken and fed her with hate for him. He watched Mary Lynette succumb to the blood bond and Tar's powerful telepathy. He watched Mary Lynette storm the manor house, holding her fast and making her accept the hard truths of what she'd done.
When they arrived at the present day, he felt her slipping away from him, back into the past. It seemed that all Mary Lynette's memories were flowing into her, the damns of the swollen river now broken. At first she flinched with every memory, trying to isolate herself from the pain it caused, but soon as she started to embrace them, he saw her becoming whole once again. It was beautiful.
He awoke in reality to find them collapsed on the floor, leaning forwards in each other's arms. He picked her up and carried her back into her own room, laying her on the bed, knowing her to be asleep. He turned to go, tell Thierry about everything.
Don't leave me, Ash
He walked back to the bed and cuddled up next to her. He just drew her into his arms as she recovered from watching her whole life over. He was going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow.
Ash woke up to find himself still clinging to Mary Lynette where he'd fallen asleep on the bed the night before. She was asleep still, but as he stirred to rise, she opened her eyes. Her eyes were filled with sadness once again. They filled with tears and she tried to push away from him.
"How can you ever forgive me for what I've done, Ash. I tried to kill you. I tried to kill you and your sisters. Oh God, Mark. What have I done?"
"It's alright, Mary Lynette. It's alright." He held her tightly, as if he could shield her from all the pain in the world by himself.
"No, Ash, it's not alright." She got up from the bed, pulling away from him. "I'm a filthy stinking murderer and do you know what's worse. I enjoyed. I got high on the blood of the slain and I bathed in it. How can I ever get over this, stop thinking about what I felt when Tar touched me."
She collapsed on the floor where she'd stood, choking out words between sobs.
"Oh, Mare."
Ash got off the bed and went to her. He didn't say anything. He just held her. He let her cry until the sun was well up in the sky.
"Do you want to go downstairs? There'll be breakfast starting soon."
She shook her head, eyes red.
"How can I ever look at my sisters again. And Mark, I don't even know what to do. I still don't know why you still love me after the beast I've been to you." He took her hand and drew her up from the floor. He wiped her eyes gently. "Because we're soul mates, you and I. I'll love you no matter what you do and no matter where you go." She raised her hand to his face.
"Mare, you were never evil. I've been thinking. Why didn't you kill Mark? Why just tie him up?" " I.I don't know. I just didn't want to."
" See, Mare. You didn't want to because he's your brother. No matter what your mind said, deep down you knew who he was. Just the same with me and my sisters. You left each of us on the brink of death, but you never overstepped the mark."
Mary Lynette managed a poke a small smile out of hiding.
"Now that you're back to yourself, I think we should go downstairs. You have to face them sometime, Mary Lynette; it might as well be now." She tried to draw back from his arms and stay in her room.
"I don't want to Ash."
Ash coaxed her out of the room, or perhaps dragged is a better word. He stopped in front of the dining room door. Most of the Daybreakers ate here, mainly as company to their human counter parts. He opened the door and gripping her hand tightly, pulled her inside. She tried to cower behind him as everyone's faces turned towards her. She could feel their eyes on her, burning her ears. She sat down reluctantly on a seat gestured to her by Ash trying to hide her head from the eyes that bore down on the back of her neck.
"Stop worrying."
She looked up at him and tried to concentrate on buttering a piece of bread she knew she wouldn't eat. In small groups, the Daybreakers left, but she noticed that the group from Briar's Creek showed no signs of moving. When they were the only ones left in the room, she saw them begin to get up. She found Ash's hand under the table and gripped it until she thought she might break it if she held it any tighter. Ash shoved her out of her chair and she found herself stood up to greet them.
She tried to back away, but finding Ash's solid form behind her was like finding a wall behind her. She saw the scar running down Mark's face and felt tears forming in her eyes. She saw the bruises on Kestrel's head and knew they were falling. She saw the bite mark on Rowan's neck and tried to loosen her grip on Ash's hand so she could run far away, anywhere but here. She felt Jade's claustrophobia of sealed rooms and felt her cheeks growing hot.
Please don't make me do this Ash. I'm begging you.
You're not doing this. We're doing this, remember?
Mary Lynette looked back at him, solid, secure and impossible to read. The witches had stopped about five metres away from her and Ash, like a confrontation of enemies. She could no longer see them clearly for the tears flooding her eyes.
"I'm . so . sorry." She managed to stutter out between sobs. She surely would have collapsed had Ash not been holding her so tightly. The witches exchanged glances between themselves and then they were all over her.
Everyone was hugging and kissing her, thanking the Goddess she was alright and offering prayers of thanks. She felt as light as a feather as if, by magick, all her troubles had been healed.
"Welcome home sister." Mark said in her ear, hugging her tighter. Ash looked slightly detached from the group hug and Mary Lynette pulled herself away slightly and dragged him in.
"You're a part of this family, Ash Redfern. Whether you like it or not." Mary Lynette pulled him to her and kissed him.
REVIEWS ARE MUCH LOVED AND BEGGED FOR!!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - REUNION
Rowan looked up at the opening of the door and gasped at the sight of Mary Lynette in the doorway. She wasn't the school girl Mary Lynette she'd always known and she wasn't the huntress that had tried to kill her. She was just. just somewhere in between. Rowan allowed herself a small smile and because Ash hadn't noticed Mary Lynette's appearance, she whispered in his ear that he had a visitor. Ash twisted his head and simply stared at her presence. Mary Lynette looked poised to bolt at any moment, like a rabbit caught in headlights, but as Rowan detached herself from Ash and left through the far door, Mary Lynette cautiously entered the room.
"I saw you, Ash. Thierry showed me. I didn't realise. I didn't know what to do, but I ended up here. I'm sorry." She cast her eyes down.
"It doesn't seem fair to ask for your help right now, but I am." She continued, eyes flickering up to his face. "After all I've done to you, can you help me do something."
"Anything." Ash wiped the remainder of his tears on the edge of his sleeve, ashamed to let her see him like this. He stood up from his crouched position, just for a moment scared of what she might do. She walked towards him slowly and stretched out a hand.
Their fingers intertwined and she moved closer to him. When she was almost touching him, she widened her arms and embraced him. Ash was so surprised that for half a minute he didn't do anything but stare open mouthed at the piece of red hair in front of his face. He hugged her back with a fierce hunger and felt the blue fire engulfing them both.
What Thierry showed me was that by protecting myself from my past, I'm hurting everyone around me. After seeing you like that, I don't think I can carry on like that. I need you to come with me. I don't think I can deal with this by myself.
He mentally squeezed her hand, realizing how much pride she had had to let go of to say that to him and followed her deep into herself.
He was stood on the roof on the university with her looking at the stars. She was lonely he realised; she missed him. His heart almost broke in that moment when he condemned himself, it was his fault she had been there in the first place. He felt the mental Mary Lynette take his hand and a kind of warmth flow into him.
It's not your fault.
He watched her memory self spin around, gasping when she saw Tar stalking towards her. Absolute terror froze her to the spot as Tar tilted her head back and bit into her neck. The mental Mary Lynette squeezed his hand tighter.
Ash watched Mary Lynette rediscovering the memories of the three days of her disappearance. Tar raped her, used her and changed her, doing whatever he pleased with, whenever he pleased. Ash steamed with fury when Tar met her after she'd woken and fed her with hate for him. He watched Mary Lynette succumb to the blood bond and Tar's powerful telepathy. He watched Mary Lynette storm the manor house, holding her fast and making her accept the hard truths of what she'd done.
When they arrived at the present day, he felt her slipping away from him, back into the past. It seemed that all Mary Lynette's memories were flowing into her, the damns of the swollen river now broken. At first she flinched with every memory, trying to isolate herself from the pain it caused, but soon as she started to embrace them, he saw her becoming whole once again. It was beautiful.
He awoke in reality to find them collapsed on the floor, leaning forwards in each other's arms. He picked her up and carried her back into her own room, laying her on the bed, knowing her to be asleep. He turned to go, tell Thierry about everything.
Don't leave me, Ash
He walked back to the bed and cuddled up next to her. He just drew her into his arms as she recovered from watching her whole life over. He was going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow.
Ash woke up to find himself still clinging to Mary Lynette where he'd fallen asleep on the bed the night before. She was asleep still, but as he stirred to rise, she opened her eyes. Her eyes were filled with sadness once again. They filled with tears and she tried to push away from him.
"How can you ever forgive me for what I've done, Ash. I tried to kill you. I tried to kill you and your sisters. Oh God, Mark. What have I done?"
"It's alright, Mary Lynette. It's alright." He held her tightly, as if he could shield her from all the pain in the world by himself.
"No, Ash, it's not alright." She got up from the bed, pulling away from him. "I'm a filthy stinking murderer and do you know what's worse. I enjoyed. I got high on the blood of the slain and I bathed in it. How can I ever get over this, stop thinking about what I felt when Tar touched me."
She collapsed on the floor where she'd stood, choking out words between sobs.
"Oh, Mare."
Ash got off the bed and went to her. He didn't say anything. He just held her. He let her cry until the sun was well up in the sky.
"Do you want to go downstairs? There'll be breakfast starting soon."
She shook her head, eyes red.
"How can I ever look at my sisters again. And Mark, I don't even know what to do. I still don't know why you still love me after the beast I've been to you." He took her hand and drew her up from the floor. He wiped her eyes gently. "Because we're soul mates, you and I. I'll love you no matter what you do and no matter where you go." She raised her hand to his face.
"Mare, you were never evil. I've been thinking. Why didn't you kill Mark? Why just tie him up?" " I.I don't know. I just didn't want to."
" See, Mare. You didn't want to because he's your brother. No matter what your mind said, deep down you knew who he was. Just the same with me and my sisters. You left each of us on the brink of death, but you never overstepped the mark."
Mary Lynette managed a poke a small smile out of hiding.
"Now that you're back to yourself, I think we should go downstairs. You have to face them sometime, Mary Lynette; it might as well be now." She tried to draw back from his arms and stay in her room.
"I don't want to Ash."
Ash coaxed her out of the room, or perhaps dragged is a better word. He stopped in front of the dining room door. Most of the Daybreakers ate here, mainly as company to their human counter parts. He opened the door and gripping her hand tightly, pulled her inside. She tried to cower behind him as everyone's faces turned towards her. She could feel their eyes on her, burning her ears. She sat down reluctantly on a seat gestured to her by Ash trying to hide her head from the eyes that bore down on the back of her neck.
"Stop worrying."
She looked up at him and tried to concentrate on buttering a piece of bread she knew she wouldn't eat. In small groups, the Daybreakers left, but she noticed that the group from Briar's Creek showed no signs of moving. When they were the only ones left in the room, she saw them begin to get up. She found Ash's hand under the table and gripped it until she thought she might break it if she held it any tighter. Ash shoved her out of her chair and she found herself stood up to greet them.
She tried to back away, but finding Ash's solid form behind her was like finding a wall behind her. She saw the scar running down Mark's face and felt tears forming in her eyes. She saw the bruises on Kestrel's head and knew they were falling. She saw the bite mark on Rowan's neck and tried to loosen her grip on Ash's hand so she could run far away, anywhere but here. She felt Jade's claustrophobia of sealed rooms and felt her cheeks growing hot.
Please don't make me do this Ash. I'm begging you.
You're not doing this. We're doing this, remember?
Mary Lynette looked back at him, solid, secure and impossible to read. The witches had stopped about five metres away from her and Ash, like a confrontation of enemies. She could no longer see them clearly for the tears flooding her eyes.
"I'm . so . sorry." She managed to stutter out between sobs. She surely would have collapsed had Ash not been holding her so tightly. The witches exchanged glances between themselves and then they were all over her.
Everyone was hugging and kissing her, thanking the Goddess she was alright and offering prayers of thanks. She felt as light as a feather as if, by magick, all her troubles had been healed.
"Welcome home sister." Mark said in her ear, hugging her tighter. Ash looked slightly detached from the group hug and Mary Lynette pulled herself away slightly and dragged him in.
"You're a part of this family, Ash Redfern. Whether you like it or not." Mary Lynette pulled him to her and kissed him.