Disclaimer's~ Hola reader-sama! This is an LJS fan fiction, therefore all chars and related themes belong to her glorious self! Who gives little vampire-wannabe's like me, spectacular books to read as Bibles (hisss) Really, I can't say enough about her. She's my favorite author now. *waves a little GO LISA flag about* Yeay!

~*~ Chapter one~*~

Ash's face was sullen as his car maneuvered through the small city streets, deserted as the early morning hours brought no one to work nor home from such a thing.

It had been a year and some odd months, but now he found himself returning to the presence of two psychics who had effected his life greatly.

His eyebrows knitted together at the description. Sure Poppy North was a psychic, she was a witch decedent after all. But never before had he considered James a psychic, not before his prediction that fateful night at Therriory's.

'One day you're going to care for someone, and it's going to hurt. A lot.'

Well, the little brat had been right. Figures.

And now he had to confront the same couple for perhaps the worst reason, begging for forgiveness. After all, he couldn't go back to Mary-Lynette without fulfilling his promise. And wether or not Poppy was human any longer, she had been hurt by him and deserved an apology. His last dragon slay before he could return to his princess victorious.

Poppy padded around the spacious apartment, rubbing at her tired eyes with her flannel night shirt sleeve. She was tussled from sleep, everything in disarray. Especially her vivid red hair, splayed in a halo from her sleeping position last night.

The faint traces of breathing could be heard through the apartment's door, the faint raps of knocking had stopped politely some time ago.

Not thinking in her early morning haze, Poppy's hand snaked out towards the door knob and twisted it neatly.

Poppy could feel her half lidded eyes suddenly snap open, dinner plate size. Her eyebrows openly up near her hair line. "No..." She gasped mournfully.

An Apollo looking blonde man stood there, leaning against the doorframe casually with one propped arm. But he jumped to alertness when Poppy's mouth, and mind, readied to scream for the slumbering person in her nearby bedroom.

"Poppy, no, shhh!" Ash raised his hands in a defensive pose, palms up and shaking his head from side to side. "It's okay!"

"James!"

It was maybe, at most, half a second before the nimble and swift figure of Ash's cousin came darting into the room. Shaking his foot to relive it of a clinging bed sheet.

Ash grimaced as James' hand snapped out, cobra like in it's quickness and precise position. He even allowed himself to be thrown up against the wall by that hand.

Poppy was huffing and gasping for breath over James' shoulder, looking rather like a startled horse. James was positively fuming, his nostrils flaring and threatening to suck in Ash.

"Easy cuz," Ash soothed, forcing himself to stay calm. Mary-Lynette, he reminded himself sternly, I'm doing this for Mary-Lynette. "I just came to talk, like civilized people."

"Since when are you 'people'?" Poppy snapped, slowly reviving herself from the frightened trance just a moment earlier. "You're a monster."

"Yes."

Poppy's eyes narrowed, not menacingly though. For once they were just keenly studying Ash, not trying to burn him alive with her death glare.

His head was hanging limply, allowing James to slam his form into the wall every so often. And doing nothing more in resistance then wincing.

His arms swung at his sides forgotten. Poppy was sure Ash could use his hands to force James' away from his throat, but nothing of the sort happened.

"James, let him down." Poppy commanded uneasily, surprised at her own decision. "It's okay."

James eyes swung around at her, gentle yet demanding an explanation. His fingers stead fast on Ash's paling throat.

"I don't know, but James I'm telling you, he's not here for any kind of trouble."

James huffed at her, and then turned back to Ash. Ash held his gaze in a steady stream, willing his eyes to stay an innocent cobalt. Then slowly, James stiffened his entire face and allowed his fingers to release Ash one by one. Even slowing Ash's drop to the floor by guiding his hanging body downwards obligingly, just then realizing he'd been supporting the all-mighty Ash one handed an easy foot above the white carpet.

"You have five minutes."

"That's amazing."

Ash smiled gently at Poppy, raising his gaze to her's from the couch cousin that he'd been staring at through his story of woe.

James was seated next to Poppy on the love seat directly across from Ash, his hand on the small of her back protectively and his every sense in tune with hers. Yet still staring at Ash coldly.

If looks could kill I'd be six feet under, Ash thought. A hint of his old amusement shining through even if only he were there to witness it.

"Yeah, soulmate to a human. The irony's perfect." James snapped, scooting slightly closer to Poppy at the sound of 'soulmate'.

Ash smiled with his lips, "And that's why I'm here."

He shifted his body on the couch, sidling to the edge in order to stare straight into Poppy's wide doe eyes. "To apologize. I want to make amends for Mare."

Poppy gave him the kind of smile TV mothers gave their children, while James' expression slowly faded from menacing to disbelief. Ash swept his gaze from Poppy's to James'. "And you too cousin, I was a cold hearted bastard. Can you cut me a break?"

The silence that followed seemed to last for centuries as the two boys locked gazes again. Ash didn't need telepathic abilities to know the swirling vortex of emotions and thoughts in James' befuddled mind.

"You changed."

Ash sighed, scooting back against the back of his couch. "Yeah, I just stopped aging last week. So?"

"No." James shook his head and slammed his eyes shut, when he pried them open again they held a blazing calm and...respect?...for Ash. They were friendly again for the first time since infancy towards his evil lead cousin. "You're Ash again, not a 'cold hearted bastard'." Using Ash's own self describing words.

Poppy smiled, it was like watching two great battling stags form a truce. "I believe, Ash," She said gently, bringing both sets of eyes back to her. "That you are more than forgiven...on one condition." She added with a devilish grin.

Ash gave her a dazzling smile, "Anything little dreamer."

"You bring Mary-Lynette here to meet us soon."

"I can do that."

Ash nearly floated back to his car, giddy and light headed with pleasure for himself. Finally he had mended the majority of his mistakes in one miserable life. The dragon wasn't slain, it was dust in the wind. Quite frankly, he didn't know what was possessing him, but just short of his car door his legs quivered under him. Sending him into a happy leap in the air.

~*~ Chapter Two ~*~

"And with a full collage scholarship to the University of South Dakota...Mary-Lynette Ridel. Also, with the highest honors of any graduate this year of two thousand one!"

A girl from her graduating class nudged Mary-Lynette from her seat, shoving an elbow into Mare's side. "Mare, they called you! Go!"

Mary-Lynette stood into a dazzling sea of a standing ovation, the entire community had turned out for the senior graduation and their shouts of approval for each graduate was deafening. Mary-Lynette gave an unsure and nervous smile, blushing to her dark brunette roots as she hiked up her robing and made her way down the isle of folding chairs to the stage.

Once atop the platform she seized her small tightly rolled diploma, giving the crowd polite bows and a sparkling smile as they chanted 'speech, speech!'

She took a deep breath, then spotted a face in the crowd. Mark. And then to both sides of him were cheering vampire sisters, even Kestrel was raising fingers to her lips to emit loud whistles of approval.

With the approval of her family Mary-Lynette lowered her stately pose to the small microphone, taking a comforting breath and last glance at the quartet before beginning. "Thank you, thank you so much."

That was as much as they were getting, she gave up the confident pose and was reduced to a giggling fool. Covering half of her face desperately to hide the blush there. When she peeked out through the small split her index and middle finger formed the giggling stopped instantly, turning instead to a wide mouthed gasp.

Amongst the back of the many rows of dull tan colored chairs was a tall head of blonde hair.

Ash blonde.

And when he'd realized his presence had caught her eye at last, he gave her a cool and casual wave with simply his fingers.

Mary-Lynette was shoving people bodily aside, almost to the point of tears.

Why won't you people let me by? She thought madly, only wanting to get to that simply beautiful man at the back of the huge congregation.

But people would sweep up to her in great masses, all wanting to distract her. She'd never been furious at these people before, but now she was reduced to a smug arrogant tornado who toppled over living obsticals.

Finally, after receiving glares and huffs of disapproval from her offended fans, she reached the glorious spot that had revealed Ash.

"Hey, congratulations."

Suddenly Mary-Lynette was on the ground, hovering over a wide eyed and childish looking Ash in the grass.

He recovered though, amazingly enough after just being tackled by the love of his life. Not seeing her for so long had increased the pink haze, it burned every square inch of his awareness now. And the live wire wrapped about in his insides was ten fold worse, it spazamed his strongest muscles. And he could feel hers doing much the same as she lay on him, her stomach muscles jumping against his the worst. A vibrating effect.

"Hey there, miss me-umph!" His smooth casual voice was silenced as oven hot lips covered his cool ones. Her hair had grown and now curtained the scene, some strands coming to rest on Ash's exposed face and neck.

One trembling hand reached up from the slim robe covered waist Ash'd been holding, coming to rest at the back of Mary-Lynette's head. Pulling her closer to his begging lips still. Cool guy act lost for his true feelings, he longed for her more than air and he wanted to show her.

Her own hands cupped both sides of his face, the thumbs brushing his squared and moving jaw line. Small splashes of salty tears found their way past the moving lips and covered Ash's face, along with her hair it gave the effect of Ash belonging to her completely. Covered in her, engulfed by her love.

Rowan searched the filtering throb for any sign of the new graduate, Jade was at her side with Mark. Kestrel was a ways away with Bunny, who shook her head when Kestrel asked the whereabouts of Mary-Lynette.

"Umm, there they are."

Rowan glanced at the stuttering Mark sideways. "They?"

Jade knew though, following Mark's gaze with her mouth flopping open to resemble a wide O.

Mark continued with a deep throated giggle, "Yup." He pointed with his free hand, Rowan followed the outstretched limb.

There sprawled out amongst the green grass of the emptying football field was Mary-Lynette and Ash. Enwrapped with each other, and holding on to one another like lifelines. Of course they were kissing, or trying to swallow one another. She couldn't really decide.

Kestrel's husky voice sounded next to Rowan's ear suddenly, "Awe, how cute."

"That's not cute, that's porno. Think we should break em' up?"

"Yeah, Mare's turning an interesting blue color. Air is a good thing."

Sighing happily the two marched over, each grabbing under one of Mare's arms and heftily bringing the squirming teen to her feet.

Ash's eyes fluttered open, perhaps just then realizing that he was no longer twined with nor kissing Mary-Lynette. He smiled up sheepishly, and for possibly the first time he could remember his cheeks grew warm with blush.

But covering any complications with an act was hard habit to break, "Did you all see that? This crazed woman jumped me!"

Mark chuckled, then threw out a hand to Ash in ofference for help to his feet. Ash grinned and rose to his feet alone, ignoring the hand but in a manner that kept Mark's smile.

Mary-Lynette had her rightful composure back and was glaring at Ash, "Crazed woman?"

"Yeah, crazy for loving me?" He tried desperately, will soulful eyes.

He outstretched his own arms and Mare glided into them against herself, hugging him and allowing any stares. Ash bent down close to her ear, "I've slain my dragon, m'lady."

~*~ End ~*~

Author's rants~ Awe, how cute! Okay people's read and review! Chop, chop! I know this one could've been better, and I'm SURE I got some thing's wrong because I let Tara borrow my book and did it all from memory. *blush* But I need encouragement and tips so I can write more! I'm currently working on Night World stories for every one of my friends, like my very own little series!

Those will be up ASAP, before Tara eats me!