Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used from The Vampire Diaries and Kindred: The Embraced. I do not make any profit from these writings.

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone that has kept up with me so far. I'm happy to announce I've finished this story and will be able to update as I remember to. By all means if you have anything you'd like to review let me know I appreciate any and all feedback.

Chapter 03

When Cash was banished from the city by the Prince for a temporary time, the Brujah smiled. There was room for plotting and they took it. When a childe of the Primogenitor Cameron saw where Cash had gone they had hired a local band of catiff to keep their eyes on him so when he could Cameron would take advantage. When Cash had shown interest in a human female the plot thickened. Cameron was thinking of the ways he could use this human against Cash, but when word reached him the Cash had broken the Masquerade by telling all too this human he knew this couldn't wait. Instead of hiring a band of catiff to kill Cash he came up with a better plan. He put it into action and with moving just a few key players, it began.

Elena had rushed off after the kiss. Cash didn't even move to stop her he was in such shock, but he was also happy. He had convinced him self that he was just protecting her because of that draw, in fact he was protecting her because he liked her.

He liked her initiative; the fear that she should have been feeling for him after her confession of what she knew about vampires coupled with what he told her of his kind didn't seem to matter. She had kissed him.

It was supposed to be quick he surmised but the spark that had hit them both urged a longer heated kissed that deepened and lasted until Elena had to breathe and pull away.

The smell of lust that had permeated the air around her had Cash barely containing his animal's need to have her right then and there. He knew better and didn't want to scare her; he also needed to have a better plan when it came to relations with her.

Elena smiled in her haze but came to her senses quickly and made her goodbye as she stepped out of the door and went into hers.

Elena screamed when she came face to face with a different vampire. She didn't know if he was catiff as Cash had explained, and therefore didn't need an invitation into her home, or what but she screamed before the monster was any closer to her.

The man was taken back that she recognized him for what he was, but his superior had said just scare her and leave. His intention was to just leave, but what happened next had him in a very bad situation quick.

The Gangrel across the hall was at her threshold fuming that he couldn't come in and that had startled the catiff for long enough for him to be distracted. Next he found him self in Tupor, the stage where he could not move paralyzed by a stake in his heart and his intended scare was above him. She had staked him.

The Gangrel growled for an invitation and the woman granted it. He would be dead if it wasn't for the rules of the Masquerade and the Gangrel gave him full warning as to stay away and for the rest to stay away for this human was his.

He had done his job and happily sauntered off to tell the Brujah that had hired him. He did however decide to leave out the part where he was staked, let the Brujah bastard deal with that on his own.

"You have stakes in your apartment?" Cash questioned with a nervous chuckle.

"Well duh." Elena said her hands on her hips. "After everything I told you, I wouldn't be caught off guard, I'm not stupid."

Cash brought his hands up through his hair and stared at her, "Of course I suppose, but you moved so fast."

"I sort of learned some self defense over the last few years, and I'm fast. I don't know, Cash, maybe its part of coming back from the dead, or whatever." She shrugged.

"No wonder I'm attracted to you, all this sweetness with a hint of venom," Cash didn't realize he spoke aloud until he saw the look of pride and surprise on Elena's face.

Cash felt awkward but Elena came up to him and kissed him on the nose. The gesture was a simple thank you but Elena couldn't know how intimate that gesture was and Cash's heart swelled with love.

"Of course now that you are on their radar I'm going to have to protect you more fiercely." He said as he looked upon her with wonder.

"Great." Elena said sarcastically.

"Catiff need no invitation as you can now see Elena. On another note I can't have whom I love being tormented by other vampires. There are rules for that." Cash confessed.

Elena caught the word love but noticed that Cash had not so she kept that to her self, and let the guy she liked do what he felt was necessary. This wasn't another Stefan she reminded her self. He wasn't going to hide her from the truth but he wasn't going to go all Damon and hand her to the darkness either. In fact Elena was finding she liked this happy medium, and liked Cash.

Cash knew this day would come sooner or later. After the catiff were aware of his intentions towards Elena, they backed off. He had taken her out several times, one of which he used his motorcycle and he had noticed how well she fit behind him on the bike. She fit the bike period and looked as if she was made to ride it but when she circled her hands around him to hold on she melded perfectly and it felt like home to Cash. He didn't follow the true meaning of the rules that he had three days to Embrace or kill Elena; actually he really didn't want to Embrace her. Of course he really didn't want to kill her either and since they were not under the rule of a Prince, Cash could bend this rule to fit how he felt about her.

Then he received a call from Julian. Cash's heart sank. On one side he was hoping he was forgiven, but on another if he was Julian would call him home.

Elena had started the routine of just walking into Cash's apartment. He had repeated to her that he could hear her there before she was able to open the door so she gave up on her manners and just walked in.

This time she walked in and Cash was on the phone but had just hung up. He dropped his arm slowly and had a pained look on his face.

"You look like someone just died." Elena joked but Cash didn't smile. She didn't know how right she was he mused. That was his Prince ordering him back to the City. That he had been forgiven of all his crimes, and he was needed back at the Conclave. Cash could not disobey.

"I think I have." Cash responded.

Elena chuckled for a moment then realized it wasn't a rhetorical joke, "You okay Baby?"

The term of endearment came from her mouth before she was able to stop it and Cash smiled. He waltzed up to her and picked her up as he wrapped his arms around her and she leaned down to kiss him.

"You make me happy Elena." He said simply.

"Funny that, I think you have grown on me Cash." She said smiling down on him. "So what's wrong?"

He put her back down and he let go so he could pace before he centered himself to tell her, "My Prince has forgiven me and wants me back."

Elena smiled and clapped, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"I can't leave you here, without me here the Catiff will come back for you and I love you, but bringing to you San Francisco could be deadly to you. I'd have to follow rules and that means, Embrace or kill you." Cash confessed.

Cash couldn't ever hold things from Elena, she was too smart for that, and she was able to sense when he tried even if it was just to hide a present from her.

"I'll come with you." She said.

The resolve in her tone and in her demeanor told Cash she meant it. He could sense the stubbornness just below the surface and he also knew what this meant, she wasn't going to back down no matter how hard he argued even if it was about her own safety.

"You are just a curse woman," Cash joked, "it's not the vampires that curse you, you curse them." Elena looked hurt for a second until Cash continued, "And I love you for every ounce of it."

Elena smiled brightly this time as she took Cash in her arms and they kissed.