Uh-huh, that's right. I DO NOT own the Night World. Rub it in a little more why don't cha?

Two days later I was better, and ready to exchange blood with Mary-Lynnette again. I went over to her house that afternoon and prayed that her parents weren't home. My prayers weren't answered.

"Hi Ash." Claudine greeted me when she opened the door. "Mary-Lynnette's in her room."

I thanked her then headed up the stairs. I opened Mare's door with out bothering to nock, only to find her without a top on.

Her eyes widened, then she screamed "Get out!" and threw the shirt she had in her hands at me.

I closed the door quickly, managing to block the flying article of clothing with it. "What the hell are you doing half naked?" I yelled, probably loud enough for the whole house to hear.

"What the hell are you doing not knocking?" She mocked me. "And for your information, I accidentally spilt some water on my shirt, so I had to change into another one."

"Oh." I didn't have anything else to say anymore.

Eventually Mare opened her door and let me in. I looked her over to make sure she had everything on first, then entered her room. "Sorry about earlier." I mumbled.

She shrugged. "It's okay, you didn't mean to. Just knock next time, okay?"

I nodded, then we both moved to sit down on her bed. She immediately moved into the circle of my arms and tilted her head back in anticipation. I chuckled, "What, no protesting this time?"

She lifted her head back up to speak to me. "Well. I figured that since you were willing to do this for me, I would do my part to make it as easy as possible for you.

I sighed. "Everyone keeps talking about everything that I'm doing; you're doing a lot too Mare. Though I guess the choice wasn't too hard to make, you'll have to do stuff like feed everyday, and it would be best for you to come to Circle Daybreak with me while you're still an illegal vampire-"

She put a finger to my lips, telling me to hush. "Yes, but all of that was already expected, this is something new, something you usually wouldn't have to put up with."

"That's not a very good excuse." I mumbled around her finger.

"You're just saying that. Now hurry up and bite me." She leaned her head back again, exposing her throat to me.

And I complied. As soon as her blood touched my lips, our minds connected. Thoughts of love radiated from both of us, and I wrapped my mind around hers. Holding it and protecting it.

We carried on like this for a few minutes. I was almost done drinking when I heard footsteps outside of Mare's door. I prayed that the person outside wouldn't come into Mare's room, but the Goddess apparently didn't like me very much today. The footsteps stopped outside of the door, and I braced myself as it swung open.

*Mare's P.O.V. *

I was in complete bliss. Ash's fangs felt wonderful against my skin as he drank my blood. Our minds had become one, and I felt myself drifting slightly. That was, until dad came into my room.

"Hey Mare-" He started, walking into my room without knocking. When he saw the position Ash and I were in, he paused. Ash had stopped drinking and was looking up at my father; still holding me up thankfully. I felt so weak, I was sure that if it wasn't for Ash's strong arm around me, I would have fallen back on the bed. Once again, I was in a position where I couldn't move.

For the next few seconds we all just stared at each other, too stunned to speak. Then my dad exploded. "What the hell are you doing to my daughter you bastard!" Though my dad was yelling at Ash, he still hadn't moved from his spot in the doorway. Though he would never admit it, my dad was terrified of vampires.

"Dad don't. He's helping me." I tried to explain.

"How is him drinking your blood helping you?" He demanded.

"Because he's changing me." I said, raising my voice slightly. "My blood isn't good for him, but-but he's doing it anyways to save me."

He paused for a moment, thinking, then he said, "Alright Mare, I trust you." Then he turned to Ash. "But if you are taking advantage of her then I will personally come after you with a stake myself."

"It's not like that dad-" I started, but was cut off by Ash."

"I would never. I would stake myself before I took advantage of Mare. Sir." I looked over at Ash who was meeting my father's gaze evenly. My father's eyes widened slightly in surprise, neither of us had expected him to say that.

"And this is the only way to help you?" He checked.

"Yes dad."

"I wouldn't do it otherwise." Only Ash and I knew that that was a lie. Before I had gotten sick, Ash would have gladly taken my blood if I asked him. There was nothing in the world that felt the way it did when our minds connected.

My father starred at us for a few moments more, then left, leaving Ash and I to pick back up where we left off. He quickly made another small cut at the base of his throat again, and lifted me to him to drink. His blood was sweet like usual, but it had a hint of something else to it as well, something not normal. It was the faintest bit of spice, like someone had added pepper to Ash's blood.

What is that? I asked. Ash knew what I was talking about.

That's what your blood tastes like, minus the sweet stuff.

That must not be very appetizing, I thought. Has it always been like that?

Only since you got sick. You used to taste like strawberries.

Well, that's disturbing.

Sorry, I didn't mean to-

No, I cut him off. I mean the fact that my blood tastes bad now. I didn't think something like that could happen.

Neither did I . Ash thought ruefully.

When I was done we both laid down in my bed and quickly fell asleep. As I slept, I dreamed. Though my dream should more rightfully be called a nightmare.

I opened my eyes to find myself laying on my bed. I reached out to my side, but felt nothing. I looked over to see that Ash wasn't with me anymore. My eyebrows furrowed. Weird, it's not like him to leave without telling me first.

I got up out of my bed and looked down to see myself wearing a white dress. It was fitted down to my waist, then rested in soft folds down to my knees. The only strap started at the middle of the top of the dress then tied at the back of my neck. On my feet were strappy white sandals with a small wedge and a tiny golden buckle on each one. The out fit was beautiful, and very elegant.

I looked out the only window in my room to see that it was almost midday, not a cloud in the sky to block out the sun. I stood by the window for a few seconds, then I remembered something. There was something I was supposed to do. What exactly, I had no idea.

I raced out of my room and down the stairs into the living room, trying to find a clue as to what it was I was supposed to do. I expected to be alone, Dad and Claudine at work, and Mark either at school or at our sister's house. But I wasn't.

Dad and Claudine were on the couch, Claudine's face buried in my dad's chest as she sobbed softly. My father held her close, his own eyes wet with tears. Mark was sitting in a chair, no emotion on his face as he stared off into space. What is going on, I thought as I took in everyone's state of depression.

"Guys, what's going on?" I asked, but no one answered. No one ever acknowledged that I was there. "You guys, what's wrong? Hellooo?" I stood in front of Mark and waved my hands in front of his face. Still nothing.

Finally Mark spoke, but what he said wasn't directed at me. "I can't believe she's gone." Claudine gave another soft, broken sob, and my dad's breathing hitched.

"Who? Who's gone? Mark answer me!" I demanded. They all acted like I wasn't there.

"I knew it was going to happen, I just never really thought about it. I never expected-it to feel," He took a shaky breath, "like this."

And that was when it hit me. "Oh my god." I breathed. Mark was talking about me. No, I shook the thought away. I couldn't be dead, if I were dead, then what was I still on earth? I had never been too crazy about religion, but wasn't I supposed to be somewhere else by now? But then how come no one could see me?

I shook my head. I was going crazy, I had to be. I know, I'll go see Ash, maybe him or one of his sisters would know anything about what was going on with my family. I walked out of the house slowly at first, but when I got out side, I broke into a run. The weirdness of today's event were creeping me out, causing me to panic. I sprinted down the dust country road as fast as my high heeled feet would carry me.

When I finally got to the Redfern house, I was gasping for breath, and my side was pounding in pain. I hurried up the steps of the porch and knocked on the front door. I waited for a while, but no one answered. I knocked again, but still no one answered, so I just opened the door and let myself in. Only to find my blood sisters in almost the exact same position as my other family.

Jade was sobbing heavily, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she held on to Rowan. Rowan was crying as well, delicate tears flowed as she let out a choked sob every now and then. Even strong, brave Kestrel was crying. She mourned in silence, not making a sound as a constant flow of water leaked from her eyes. I stood still for a few seconds, staring in shock as my sisters grieved over me.

"We should check on Ash." Rowan said suddenly, surprising me. But then I thought, Ash. If I really was dead, well, he must have lost it when he found out.

As if to prove my point, Kestrel said, "You're right, he's not screaming anymore. I hope he didn't do anything stupid."

"Do we really have to see him?" Jade spoke up. "I'm sure he's fine. Plus, I've never seen Ash like that before. It was kind of…disturbing. I mean, I can't imagine what kind of pain he must be in right now, but-"

I didn't stay to listen to anymore, because I had to get to Ash. I had to show him I was still here somehow. And like Kestrel said, I had to keep him from doing anything stupid. I raced up the stairs and burst into Ash's room. In barely a second I had taken in the seen in front of me, and it broke my heart in two.

The curtains were drawn and all of the lights were out, making the room almost completely dark. I could just make out the figure of Ash, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. I stepped closer, trying to get a better view of him. He was sobbing heavily, causing his body to shake uncontrollably. His hands were balled into fists as he pulled at his hair. His breathing was ragged and short as he gasped for air through his sobs. It hurt me to watch him suffer like that. I had to stop it.

"Ash." I called, my voice wavering slightly. Once again, it was like I wasn't even there. "Ash. Ash please! Speak to me!" I was right next to him now, basically yelling in his ear.

"Mare." He moaned. My heart leaped. Did he hear me? If could hear me, then he could help me. Plus, if he knew I was there, then he wouldn't be so sad anymore. But my happiness deflated quickly as I listened to him say more. " My sweet, sweet Mary-Lynnette. What did you ever do to deserve this? It should have been me that died, not you. I deserve it so much more that you."

"Ash please!" I sobbed, I couldn't stand to see anymore of this. I tried placing my hand in his shoulder, but it went right through. This caused images to flash through my mind, playing like a movie in my head. They were Ash's memories.

I saw Ash, slipping on his coat as he stood by the front door of his house. He was reaching for the doorknob so he could open the door, but suddenly, he stopped. He lifted a hand to his chest, right where his heart should be, then he let out a cry of pain. His knees gave way beneath him, and he collapsed on to the floor. He continued yelling, a cry so full of pain, misery, and infinite sadness, that it was enough to make even the cruelest person filled with pity.

Not long after, his sisters came rushing in. Rowan knelt next to the wailing Ash, while Kestrel and Jade just stood and stared in shock. Ash wouldn't stop screaming, no matter what his older sister did to try and calm him down. His howls filled the house, not stopping until he had no more air left in him. After that he simply sobbed. He clutched his sister's arm as he shook, constantly murmuring, "She's dead. She's dead. She's dead." Not stopping until the pain took him under, forcing him into blackness.

When he awoke, he was on his bed in his room. His sisters most likely had carried him. The pain came back, just as quickly as the first time it happened. Raw and fresh, filled with something that made you feel dead inside. Ash screamed again, crying out as the pain over took him. He carried on like that for an hour or so, every now and then yelling out my name. Eventually he calmed down slightly. After that he just sobbed, staining his pillow with tears.

I was jerked back out of his memories suddenly, having to take in my surroundings once again. Next to no time had passed, Ash was still sitting on the bed in front of me, his head in his hand as he cried.

"Oh, Ash." I breathed. He had been through hell and back, all because of me.

Ash sniffed, then spoke again. "I know I told you I wouldn't, but I just can't live without you. It hurts too much." I racked my brain for any idea of what he was talking about based on the few clues he had given me. I watched Ash closely as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and brown. A small wooden knife. And then I understood.

I reached for the object, but my hand went right through again. He brought it up to his chest and held it there, the point touching him through his shirt.

"Ash no!" I screamed, "I know you can't see or hear me, but I'm here. You have to stop, you can't kill yourself!" I reached desperately for the knife again, but it was no use.

I watched in horror as Ash first braced himself, the plunged the knife through his own heart. Blood soon seeped from the cut, running down his chest and staining his shirt. Ash fell forward off of his bed, and I moved to catch him, but he fell right through me.

Tears came in a constant stream down my cheeks, and I sobbed just as heavily as Ash had for me. I knelt next to my soulmate as his body began to change, making him look more like a mummy than a vampire. It was a shame considering how good looking he had been in life.

Ash no." I murmured once again through my sobs. "You stupid, stupid vampire. Why did you have to do that? Now I'm the one that's all alone." Finally the pain came, starting first in my heart, then quickly spreading to every inch of my body. It felt like someone had taken a large knife and shoved it in to my chest.

I woke up screaming.

My piercing shriek filled the house for all of two seconds before a hand shot out from under the sheets and covered my mouth. I kept screaming though, tears slipping down my cheeks as I wailed. I felt arms around me tighten, and I looked over to my side to see Ash. He watched me with eyes filled with worry and slight panic, because he had no idea what was wrong with me.

I simply stared at him for a moment, trying to get the idea of him still being alive through my thick, unbelieving skull. When it didn't work, I turned hysterical. As fast as I could, I wrapped my arms around Ash's neck and pressed myself to him. He reacted almost instantly to my panicked state, holding me as tightly as he could without hurting me.

By then I had stopped screaming, but I continued to sob. It was clear that Ash was alive. I could feel his every breath through the movement of his chest, and hear his every heart beat. I could hold him as tightly as I wanted, but only a living man could hold me back. All of these things were proof, but in my mind I kept hearing over and over again, Ash is dead. You watched him die with your own two eyes.

"No, he's alive. Ash is alive." I said to myself, in hopes that I would believe it.

"Yea Mare, of coarse I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. I couldn't see Ash's face, but his tone of voice told me that he was starting to freak out.

"Because I saw you die!" I sobbed, burying my head into his chest.

"What?" He asked. "Mare, was this a dream you had?"

"But it felt so real!" I wailed

"Mare, calm down. It was just a dream."

"No it wasn't. You died. You died and left me all alone!"

"Mare please!" Ash's voice had slowly gotten shakier and shakier until finally it broke, Ash was shaking ever so slightly as he tried to reason with me, not knowing what else to do. "I'm not dead, I'm right here. I'm not gonna go anywhere, I promise."

I continued as if I hadn't heard a single word that he said. "I don't want to be alone Ash! I need you here with me. But you weren't with me, you left. You left without even giving it a second thought."

Ash pulled away from me, and my rant ended when a usually gentle hand slapped me across the face. My cheek stung, but I didn't say anything else. I didn't turn my head to look back at Ash, but I could still him out of the corner of my eye. He bowed his head, dropping it so it hovered directly over mine.

He swallowed, then said. "Mare, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean-. You just wouldn't stop panicking. I couldn't bare to see you like that. I had to stop you. I'm sorry."

I took a deep breath. "Ash, it's okay."

No, it's not. I shouldn't have done that. It's just that you were so scared, I had to do something, but I shouldn't have done that."

Finally I turned my head to look at Ash head on, then I reached out with my hand, placed it on the back of his head, and brought his lips down on to mine.

At first his lips were still, but I soon coaxed him into moving them along with mine. Ash was on top of me, but I felt none his weight, just his body covering every inch of me. Our jean covered legs tangled together, and my hands knotted themselves in his hair. His sent was all around, intoxicating me. He ran his tong along my bottom lip slowly, causing me to shiver in pleasure.

We continued like that for a while, tongs tied, limbs tangled, bodies so close together that from a distance they could have been mistaken for a single person. Finally we broke apart, gasping for air, causing our breath to mix together. Ash rolled over on to his side, taking me with him so we stayed locked in each others embrace. I rested my head against his chest, leaving it there for a while.

Finally I forced myself to look up and cheek the time on my alarm clock. I groaned and slumped back down into my bed.

"What?" Ash asked, pulling me back into his embrace.

"I have to get up in about half an hour and get ready."

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked, loosening his grip on me.

"No." I replied, grabbing his arms to keep them locked around me. "Stay. Just-just hold me."

His grip tightened around me, and he whispered in my ear. "Anything for you, Mary-Lynnette."

Aren't they just like, the cutest couple ever?

I know, I know, none of you expected Ash to slap Mare, right? She was freaking out though, so he had to do something, right?

I'm really sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, I expected it to be much shorter, but then I ended up making it very very long. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and remember to review.