10. Six Months of Domestic Bliss Later…

Six months of domestic bliss later, Ash was really starting to grow tired of working at the butchery. He had mastered every cut of meat, he could tenderise a steak more ways than he could count and was sure he had made several thousand sausages.

There weren't very many ways to progress any further in butchery.

But until something new opened up, that preferably didn't involve sheep shearing, Ash was out of options. And at least he still had his weekends to himself… and Mary-Lynette.

Walking home from work one Friday evening, Ash was feeling disgruntled. It wasn't just the boring butchery either, there was something else. A vague sense of worry and danger.

When he arrived at the house, the worry-danger feeling began to heighten. There was a strange car sitting outside the house. It had a Massachusetts license plate.

And the front door was open.

This was not a good cut of meat.

Silently cursing spending too much time with Mr Skeats, Ash ran into the house, calling for Mary-Lynette. Mare! Mare! Where are you?

No reply.

It was then that he noticed the trail of broken furniture leading to the kitchen.

Heart in his mouth, Ash ran in to see his beloved Mary-Lynette lying on the floor, pale as a sheet, a pool of blood spreading out around her. A chef's knife was sticking out of her chest.

And Ash's father standing over her like the cat that got the cream.

Ash didn't even think. He couldn't. He dove for his father and wrapped his hands around his neck.

Hawthorn Redfern was too surprised to respond straight away. But as soon as Ash started to feel like he was in control, he was going to win this time, not his power-hungry father; he felt a lump on the back of his head. Then there was darkness.


When Ash came to, things hadn't become any better. He was tied with wooden handcuffs to a kitchen chair. His father was sitting across the kitchen table from him, Mary-Lynette's limp body in his lap.

"Get your hands off her," spat Ash.

"Ash, Ash, Ash," said Thorn with a shake of his head. "I have to say, I'm terribly disappointed in you. Falling in love with a human? It's worse than your sisters running away."

"She's my soulmate."

Ash was punched in the jaw.

"Thank you, Fox," said Thorn to the thug that Ash finally noticed next to him. This must have been the one who whacked him on the head earlier. "Now Ash, I don't want to hear anymore about that. Otherwise, Fox here will have to keep on hitting you, and we don't want that now do we?" Thorn spoke as though he was dressing down a naughty child, but his eyes glittered with fury.

Ash looked up at Fox and grimaced. He was over six feet tall, and nearly as wide. Not particularly fox-like, apart from the red hair. Hired werewolf muscle.

Looking back at his father, he winced. Thorn, as usual was urbane and cultured, completely in control. How he was going to be able to save Mary-Lynette from his father, Ash didn't know.

But looking at Mary-Lynette was too hard. Too much blood.

"What do you want from us? Can't you just leave us in peace?" Ash knew it was futile, but he had started to work the metal hinges loose on the cuffs. Good thing Quinn had told him about that.

"But you don't see, do you? It's wrong, son."

"We didn't really have much choice-"

"Fox?"

Fox hit Ash in the stomach, winding him.

When he regained his breath, Ash glared at his father. "Why bother, father? You can't change anything. Mary-Lynette and I are soulmates, whether you like it or not."

At this Thorn nodded to Fox, who reached over to a chair, where a wooden baseball bat was leaning. Fox hefted the bat a few times, patting in his hand. Fox then pulled Ash's chair back from the table, raised the bat behind his head, and swung at Ash, bringing the bat down on his ribs. Hard.

Ash fought his way through the pain. Being hit with wood took far longer to get over than being punched.

But before he could fully recover, he was hit again. And again. And again until Ash felt like he was a mass of pain and nothing else. He gave up on undoing the handcuffs; he just didn't have the strength.

When Fox finally stopped, Ash looked directly at his father. "Hurry up and kill me then."

"Oh no, Ash," replied Hawthorn. "You're my son. While you need to be taught a lesson, there's no reason for you to die. The human however…" Thorn looked over at Mary-Lynette. "Well, by the time we're through with you, she will be."

And with that, Thorn pulled out a wooden baton and both Thorn and Fox pounded their weapons on Ash's already aching body.

When he finally lost consciousness, all Ash felt was relief.


When Ash came to, his father and the werewolf were gone. His body blazed with pain and his hands were still cuffed uncomfortably behind his back. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was Mary-Lynette.

She had been left lying on the kitchen table. Ash could see marks at her neck where his father must have bitten her. She was very pale, only just breathing.

It was this vision that spurred him to action. He rose up, regardless of bruises and broken ribs, pulling the cuffs apart with strength he didn't know he had.

"Mare…" he said gently as he reached out to touch her face. Her eyes fluttered briefly and she gave Ash the sweetest smile he'd ever seen. Then her eyes rolled back in her head.

"No, Mare!" Ash grasped her hand frantically. There was still a pulse but it was very weak. "Mary-Lynette, wake up!" he said, shaking her, but she didn't respond.

"Shit," Ash muttered to himself. What the hell was he going to do? There was no way he could get to a hospital for a blood transfusion in time to save her life. Either Ash had to save her, or let her die.

What would happen if she died? Would Ash ever find her again? Thierry might have managed to find Hannah, but there was no guarantee that Ash would have the luck that Thierry did. And even if he did find her, there was the waiting. He'd already had to wait a year for Mary-Lynette. Ash didn't think he'd be able to do it again.

How did Thierry do it each time? How could he just let Hannah die? "Well I'm not Thierry," Ash said to himself quietly. He took a deep breath, then brought his wrist to his lips and nicked the blood vessels there with his teeth. Angling back Mary-Lynette's head with the other hand, he held his bleeding wrist to her mouth.

Drink, please drink, Mary-Lynette. It's the only way I can save you.

She didn't respond, but she did start to swallow the blood. Ash just sat, holding her head, tears streaming down his face, hoping that his plan would work.

If it didn't, he would be alone, forever.


Ash woke up sometime later. He'd let her drink until he passed out, not knowing how much of his blood she would need. Mary-Lynette was just as he'd left her, but no longer breathing. If he hadn't been able to feel the tenuous soulmate link, he would have sworn she was dead.

Sitting up and looking around, Ash realised he needed to feed and to clean up. His head was starting to ache from all the blood he had lost, giving it to Mary-Lynette. And then he needed to clean up.

The last thing you want to do after discovering that your boyfriend's turned you into a vampire is clean the house, right? Besides, cleaning would stop him from thinking too hard about what to do if she didn't wake up.

When he had finished, Ash took her up to bed, and sat beside her, waiting.


Mary-Lynette was having strange dreams. I should be dead, shouldn't I? Maybe I am dead. Where's Ash? She could remember the fight, then Ash standing above her, and then this strange world of swirling grey mist, where she wasn't quite awake, but wasn't quite asleep either.

I'm sorry Mare… So sorry… She tried to grab the thought with her mind but it wouldn't stay.

Ash! she called. Ash, where are you? But there was no reply. Mary-Lynette's mind lapsed into darkness again.


Next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes. Ash was sitting next to the bed she was lying on, looking at her intently.

"Mare?" he said, not quite believing she was real.

"Hello Ash."

Ash pulled her into a tight embrace. "I was so worried Mare, I didn't know if you'd pull through. Oh, Mare, I love you so much."

Mary-Lynette patted him on the back, somewhat confused. "I love you too Ash, but why aren't I dead? I'm sure I'm supposed to be. I feel a little woozy, but not dead."

Ash looked at her, the guilt plastered all over his face. "Mare, I made you into a vampire."


Sorry for taking so long to update. I'm a bit over this story, and feeling like it's full of cliché's. Never mind, only one more chapter to go! Huzzah! I might even finish it this year!

I have no idea what Ash's father's name is, but as their family seems to like tree names, I went with Hawthorn, Thorn for short. I was trying to go for something sinister, but refined. If anyone has any other suggestions, I would be happy to hear them.

Thanks to Polished Gem, Siese (sorry, a bit more suspense for you), and blackhairdye for reviewing.