/PLAYGROUND/ a Night World fanfiction by dashboard

In the Previous Chapter: Ayla is finally on her way to her much deserved shower. Meanwhile, Damien Redfern begins his first day at Larson High. Three days later, in Massachusetts, where the current Circle Daybreak headquarters are located, Ash Redfern and Mary-Lynnette Carter meet up with Thierry, who unwittingly reveals Ash's mission to Mary-Lynette. Mary-Lynette becomes very angry with Ash, who makes her cry. Ash kisses Mary-Lynette on the forehead and their soulmate connection flairs up. Just as the couple are making up to each other, a very angry Rashel Jordan storms into the office.

CHAPTER 3: Settlements

/The sky was storming, and rain was falling…/

"So I'm retired now, am I, the stupid-"

Rashel looked up, stopping suddenly and almost causing Quinn to run her over.

Surprised to find two people in Thierry Descouedres' office who didn't resemble anything like the Lord of the Night World, Rashel raised a dark eyebrow.

Mary-Lynette was rapidly turning a pink hue under her healthy tan as she disentangled herself from Ash.

"What's up?" Ash stated coolly, an arm firmly around Mary-Lynette's waist as she tried to slap his hand away.

"The Lancers, that's what."

Rashel Jordan was fuming.

"What about The Lancers? I thought we were on good terms with them," Thierry commented casually as he ambled through the door.

Rashel's green eyes flashed angrily, "They've been telling everyone that I've retired! What am I, eighty?"

Chuckling, Thierry settled into his high backed leather chair.

Her hands firmly placed on trim hips, Rashel continued, "Seriously though, do I look like I have a double chin? How DARE they call me "out of shape" just because you," she pointed a finger accusatorily at Thierry, "haven't been sending me on missions?"

Quinn rolled his eyes towards the sky, or in this case, the high ceiling of the spacious office.

Without turning her head, Rashel asserted, "Don't think I didn't see that, Quinn."

When she glanced at him, he smiled innocently back at her, black eyes wide and guileless.

After taking out a couple of heavy, dust coated folders from one of his many drawers, Thierry answered, "Actually, if you're fingers are that itchy for work, Ash could—"

Quinn cut in, "No."

"No what?" Rashel questioned her soulmate. Curiosity never killed The Cat- not this particular kitten anyway.

"She's not going with Ash to that enclave," Quinn stated calmly, glaring at Thierry.

Ash grimaced as Mary Lynette's head whipped back towards him, her voice breaking against his mind with the force of a sledgehammer. You managed to tell Quinn, of all people, about the mission but not your own soulmate?

Shifting nervously under her mental scream of frustration, Ash replied quickly. Mare, even if I hadn't told him, Quinn would have found out anyway. That guy can knock out an entire room of people with his telepathic ability, let alone succeed in prying one little piece of information from me.

On the other side of the room, Rashel tied her sleek black hair deftly into a ponytail, eyes narrowed with obvious annoyance. Letting her gaze flicker between Quinn and Thierry, she assessed the situation.

"Excuse me?" Rashel's green eyes fired up as she rounded on her soulmate, "Mr. John Quinn, I think I'm able to speak for myself!"

The atmosphere in the room was quickly becoming uncomfortable as Rashel lifted a calloused hand- the old scars there reminded everyone that she was still known as one of the most efficient vampire hunters the Night World had come across for years. The Cat. Using that alias, she'd staked a lifetime of vampires, her true identity hidden. Surely, if nothing else, Rashel Jordan was more than capable of self defence… and protecting those she cared about.

Quinn grabbed her hand in mid motion, his expression softening as Rashel lifted her chin stubbornly. He knew his girlfriend had a proud streak, and her pride had been bruised by the earlier conversation with The Lancers. He needed to treat this topic gingerly so as to not hurt her pride again. Even so, Quinn's tone remained deadly serious as he contemplated the best words to use- this wasn't something he wanted to joke about.

Threading his fingers through hers, he replied, "I don't want a repeat of what almost happened the last time you set foot on an enclave. Remember?"

Rashel pulled her hand away from his, her lips set in a thin line. She replied curtly, "Yeah. And I happen to remember that you're the one who almost killed me."

There was a flash of hurt in his obsidian eyes before his face was safely passive again. When she turned to face him, Quinn looked past her as though he didn't register her existence. Rashel felt an immediate stab of guilt- it had been a low blow and she knew it. "Sorry," she muttered, looking away.

It's alright, Quinn whispered to her gently, I know why you want to lash out.

And his hand found hers again. Quinn… aren't you mad at me? Rashel demanded, confused.

She could see a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. It was a smile that shed rainbows.

Because I know you, he replied simply.

"Ahem." Thierry coughed, "If I could interrupt the moment- isn't anyone wondering why I've called you all back to headquarters on such short notice?"

There was a sheepish silence.

Checking his watch, Thierry made his way swiftly across the room, "The others should be here by now."

"Why, I see we're all in Harman-y here," Thierry wrapped Hannah in a hug before placing a swift kiss on Thea's cheek.

"Merry meet," he used the witch's greeting with familiarity.

Blaise Harman glared incredulously at Thierry's lame joke from over Thea's shoulder, before uttering, "Urgh," with a perfectly withering expression on her perfectly perfect face.

Casting a warning look at her often affronting cousin, Thea returned Thierry's greeting warmly, "Merry meet, My Lord."

"My dear, naïve little Thea," Blaise drawled, "Really, is there a need to be so formal? I'm sure everyone's well acquainted with us here. Well," she fluttered her long eyelashes flirtatiously, smoky grey eyes lingering on every face present, "me at least."

Always the brasher of the two girls, Blaise smouldered in skin tight black leather as her accentuated curves screamed for attention.

"I see you're as self-centred as ever," Quinn remarked coolly.

"Looks like not even the Convent was able to change her attitude… unfortunately," Ash added.

"Who's she?" A pleasantly mellow voice questioned with little curiosity, but rather just for the sake of input.

There was a stunned silence as everyone paused to contemplate how any Night person could not know of Blaise Harman.

All heads turned towards the trio at the back of the room. Phillip North leaned casually against a wall, whilst Poppy was frozen in the action of stuffing a chocolate brownie into her mouth. There was another brief moment of silence before Poppy choked on her overly large mouthful of brownie.

Seeing Poppy cough madly, James launched into action, grabbing her from behind in preparation to perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre.

"This is the problem with having human girlfriends," he complained to Ash and Quinn over the top of Poppy's fiery red curls, "you never know when they need to be saved."

The three boys exchanged knowing looks, but James Rasmussen never got to execute the famous manoeuvre. Wrapped securely in his tanned arms, Poppy giggled, her elfin features lighting up with amusement.

"Tricked ya!" she grinned cheekily.

James laughed, long used to her antics. Don't make a habit out of giving me heart attacks like that, my little Poppet, his warm voice murmured endearingly in her mind as he reached out and ruffled her curls fondly.

Too late, Poppy North replied, leaping onto James' back and latching there like a contented tree climber. From atop her slightly disgruntled perch, Poppy proceeded to announce, "The guy trying to blend into the wall back there is my brother. Don't mind him; he's a little shy-"

Before she'd even completed her sentence, Blaise was already sashaying towards Philip, her hips swaying seductively.

Leaning in so she was face to face with Philip, Blaise lowered her gently curved lashes indulgently. "And who are you, boy?"

She eyed the human in front of her- directly and without restraint. Not bad. He was tall and athletically built, just the way she liked them.

Without adjusting his rather comfortable position against the wall, Philip stated calmly, "Philip North."

Surprised by his unaffected reply, Blaise faltered in placing her slender hand on his shoulder. Instead, she spun around and stalked cattily towards Thierry.

"I don't see Delos here, Thierry," Quinn noted.

During the Daybreakers' friendly banter, Thierry had seated himself behind a desk. It was fine by him because he liked desks, and enjoyed sitting too. Although physically, he never aged, he was really a very old man. Ancient prehistoric Neanderthal, Hannah's light grey eyes sparkled with barely hidden amusement as she stood by his side, her straight hair pinned up behind her left ear to reveal a strawberry-coloured birthmark.

Covering his smile with a cough, Thierry replied to Quinn frankly, "Delos is looking into something for me." Running a hand through his dishevelled white-blond hair, he added, "As are Morgead, Jez and the others."

"Well Thierry," Blaise interrupted snarkily, "You're certainly keeping everyone busy while you hide here like a coward-"

"Blaise!" Thea glared at her cousin. Sighing, Blaise sat back down, crossing her long legs to show off how perfectly proportioned they were. She pouted- Thea always managed to spoil her fun.

Eric Ross had an arm protectively around Thea's shoulder, and Blaise scoffed at the sickeningly happy couple. Eric was a mutant, of that she was sure. After all, not only had he NOT been affected by her love concoction, but more importantly, he hadn't even been swayed by her delicious looks. This fact was something she would never be able to forgive.

Bored, Blaise stretched lazily, letting her tight top slide up to reveal a milky smooth, slate flat stomach.

The phone on Thierry's desk rang, and looking down at the caller I.D., Thierry appeared bemused as he pressed the loud speaker function. Ah, the advances of technology, he lamented to Hannah.

Yes, Hannah responded, her dove grey eyes focused on Thierry's face, never in my previous lives would I have thought that this quaint little gadget can transfer voices from one side of the world to another, if necessary.

"Thierry Descouedres speaking."

An angry voice from the other end of the phone interrupted everyone's thoughts.

"THIERRY DECOUEDRES, just how the HELL do you expect me to find this legendarily invisible and supposedly invincible pin cushion maker-ER?! I'm not a part of the Fantastic Four you know, I can't undo the special effects to reveal the bloodsuckers- not when they prefer to remain hidden." The voice paused to take a breath, "So. Explain yourself. Oh and save me a couple of hundred years and cut down to the important stuff, will you? We humans don't have as much time as you do."

Ash chuckled and Mary-Lynnette cast him a quizzical look.

"Why, that's a wonderful greeting, Ayla. Now say hello to the rest of the gang."

"What?"

"You're on loudspeaker lemony-lemony-lemon-sucker," Ash ended her confusion with a sing song voice.

"Vdkfjalfjssdklaf;!"

"Ah… did everyone quite catch that?" Thierry looked around with an air of overly optimistic expectancy.

"Care to explain… again?" Blaise prompted idly, holding her hand up to her face and inspecting her newly manicured nails.

An uninterrupted stream of profanities and an amazing eight generations of names from the Redfern clan seared through the phone and echoed around the room.

"This," Thierry confirmed, nodding sagely as though he had actually had a clue what the girl on the other end of the phone was talking about, "is what we're here to discuss."

James guessed that The Lord of the Night World had, in fact, no clue about anything. He was just there for display. It was fascinating to see a 30,000 year old vampire run on automaton. Shaking his head, James exchanged a pointed look with Poppy, who had removed herself from his back and was now standing with both feet on the ground. Miracles do happen.

"What, exactly… is the "this" you're alluding to?" Philip North contributed his ever helpful input. Blaise Harman gave him a look of thorough disgust, a look that clearly said: do you know nothing?

"Glad to hear you still swear like a man, Ayla Rousseau." Quinn smiled wryly.

"Hey Quinn, ohhh, one sec, let me check. Yahuh, yup, still the emotionless bastard you always were. Thank God that Rashel's keeping you sane- she is by FAR your better half. Or your better half by far, depending on your preference," cutting into her own sentence sharply, Ayla stated, "Oh and by the way Mary-Lynette, I'm afraid I'm going to have to apologize to you beforehand."

"Why?"

"Ash called me a lemon-sucker."

A chorus of knowledgeable "ahhhs" filled the room.

"I'll give you three seconds head start," Ayla warned.

"Poor thing," James muttered in Ash's general direction.

"One."

"Bad luck man," Quinn punched Ash's shoulder, "your tongue slipped at the wrong time."

"Two."

Blaise contributed, smiling darkly at the doomed blond vampire, "Buh-bye Ash-y."

"Three."

Ash pleaded at Mary-Lynette with his eyes.

"Try to be gentle on him A," she remarked with little pity.

A/N: Aw, yes I can already hear the frustrated sighs... no Damien in this chapter. But that just means he's going to be hogging the next chapter like the hog he is (grins). Hopefully everyone enjoyed revisiting the soulmate links between many of L.'s wonderful Night World characters in this chapter, it's a kind of set up for the next chapter (with both Ayla and Damien -gasp-). Oh and lastly, if you guys want updates faster, feed me some food/reviews. I'll adore you for it. And type up the next chapter whilst chewing on the reviews.

Cheers,

dash