"Stay! Away! From! The door!" Damon yelled at Ash when they heard someone knock on the door that afternoon. "Last time you answered that door you died and I'm not letting it happen again."
"Ok, ok I'm backing away," Ash exclaimed with her hands in the air as she began to take steps back.
"Stefan get the door."
"What?" Stefan cried. "So you care if Ash dies but you don't care if I die."
"You're more used to danger, Stefan," Damon explained. "Whereas my daughter who is still not used to having enemies despite the fact she is a lot less merciful than I am, is most likelier to get hurt than you are."
"Fine then. But if I get killed I'm haunting you for the rest of your life."
Ash laughed at their quarrelling but soon stopped when Damon shot her a warning look.
Stefan walked past Ash and turned the door handle. It creaked open to reveal an exhausted looking Caleb standing on the decking.
"You're more stupider than I thought," Stefan spat at him as his eyes turned red and he growled through his fangs.
"Hey, hey calm down I just want to talk," Caleb said raising his hand above his head. "I have no intentions of hurting Ash or anyone for that matter."
"Well it's not really up to me what happens to you."
"What's going on brother?" Damon asked appearing beside Stefan in a split second. "Oh...it's him. You have ten seconds to get out of here or you can kiss your perfect little life goodbye."
"Please just let me talk to Ash," Caleb tried to reason with them.
"And like my brother said it's not up to us it depends on whether or not she's willing to let you speak."
"Where is she?"
"She's here. But she doesn't want to show her face."
"Can you just tell her that I saw her fighting with Cameron and I just wanted to make sure she was ok...and maybe even try and make amends."
"What?"
"I said-"
"I know what you said...just wait here for a moment I need to have a little chat with Ash."
Damon closed the door and turned to Ash who was hiding in the shadows, observing quietly.
"What's this I hear about you having a fight with Cameron?" he states folding his arms.
"Since when did you feel the need to know about everything that happens in my life?" Ash shot back at him, copying the way he folded his arms and puffed out his chest.
"Since I found out you're my daughter."
"Well it's none of your business what happens privately between me and my friends so don't expect an answer from me."
Damon's eyes turned red as he stared into hers which had also changed to yellow. It was as if they were communicating through staring into each others eyes.
After a while, Damon's eyes turned back to blue then he turned on his heel and opened the door.
"Five minutes," he informs Caleb and steps aside so Ash can walk out onto the decking. She's scowling.
Once the door is closed on the two of them there is a tense silence.
****
"What's going on?" Elijah asked as he walks down the stairs rubbing his wet hair with a towel.
"Caleb showed up again," Stefan informed him not taking his eyes off the window which faced the decking.
"What and you're just gonna let her stand out there alone with that scum!"
"Hey, calm your tits Elijah," Damon exclaimed. "If she can defeat you in a fist fight I'm sure she'll do just fine with this one. And anyway I don't plan on taking my eyes off that kid for one second."
****
"What do you want then?" Ash finally sighs getting annoyed at being in his presence.
"I know that you're a hybrid," Caleb stated. "And I'm willing to keep your secret if you give me another chance."
"And how do I know I can trust you won't do something stupid again?"
"Take my word for it."
Ash raised and eyebrow at him.
"If I do something to upset you again then...you can compell me to forget everything...I'll stop drinking vervain for three days and allow you to make me forget." Ash considered it for a moment but just couldn't say no to such a handsome face.
"Fine. I forgive you. But this doesn't mean we're back together or anything we're just friends at the moment."
"Thank you so much I-"
"I just have one question for you."
"Shoot."
"Are you a werewolf?"
"I..."
"Tell me the truth or I'll take back my apology and kill you for lying to me."
"Yes...I am."
"Have you triggered your curse yet?"
"Unfortunately. But I'd rather not talk about it. Which got me thinking..."
"What?"
"My pack is close with the Silverstone pack. Maybe I could take you there to meet them."
Caleb watched as her eyes lit up at his words.
"You would do that? For me?"
"Yeah but your dad can't come with us because they're not exactly on the best of terms with the Salvatore brothers."
Ash pulled him in for a hug and Caleb froze for a moment clearly not expecting it.
"I take it that's a yes then?" he asked.
****
"I'm going out there," Elijah announced when he watched Ash wrap her arms round Caleb.
Just the thought of them together made him feel jealous that someone else was holding Ash as if she were there own.
****
"What's going on out here?" Elijah asked stepping out onto the decking.
Ash jumped a little at the sound of his voice and a wave of guilt washed over her at hugging Caleb. She didn't really understand why but whenever she was with Elijah her heart seemed to beat ten times faster than usual.
"Caleb's pack is close with the Silverstone pack and he offered to take me to meet them," Ash explained stepping away from Caleb.
"Caleb's a werewolf?"
"Yes and I wanted to know if you wouldn't mind coming with us because I know for definite that Damon won't let me go alone with him."
Elijah studied Caleb with a look of disgust then eventually replied with: "Absolutely not."
"Come on Elijah this is my family we're talking about."
"I don't trust him. How do you know he's not lying to you?"
"Well there's only one way to find out."
"You're not going end of story."
****
"Have fun," Stefan yelled from the front door as Ash, Caleb and Elijah sped off into the woods.
****
"Where the hell are you taking us?" Ash asked Caleb as they wandered further and further into the woods.
"Hopefully not your grave or I'll snap his neck like twig," Elijah commented.
Ash jabbed him in the side with her elbow and he let out a small cry.
"We're almost there don't worry," Caleb laughed as Elijah rubbed his sore arm.
"Caleb?" a croaky voice called out. "Is that you?"
"Hey Annie," Caleb exclaimed walking over and embracing an old woman that had magically appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are your friends?"
"That's Elijah Mikaels-"
"Oh I know who he is. Made out with him once in my early years." Elijah looked off into the distance while Ash tried to stifle her laughter.
"She's probably on the drink again." Caleb whispered to them and Annie slapped him with a wrinkled hand.
"Who's she? Wait! I know who you are." Elijah and Ash looked at each other confused. "How could I be so stupid to forget my own daughter? You've grown up so much Yasmin."
Annie walked over and pulled Ash into a surprisingly tight hug.
"Umm...I'm...not Yasmin," Ash explained and Annie looked up at her confused. "I'm her daughter...Ash."
For a brief moment Annie looked stunned and overjoyed to find out that the girl standing infront of her was her own granddaughter. But then something clouded over that emotion.
"What a bitch!" Annie yelled. "Didn't say a fucking word to me for twenty years and she had a kid but didn't bother to tell me! Your mother and her "privacy" pisses me off."
"Umm..." Caleb exclaimed rubbing the back of his neck not really sure what to do or say.
"You're welcome to stay a while dear," Annie muttered as she hobbled away to a small wooden cabin talking to herself. "Yasmin is such a pain in my ass."
"Does she know about..." Ash asked Caleb.
"She does she's just heavy on the drink so she hardly remembers much," Caleb replied.
"So much for meeting the family," Elijah muttered.
"Come on I'll take you to meet the others," Caleb said grabbing Ash's hand and pulling her towards the cabin.
Elijah followed behind with a sigh.
They came to a clearing with tents and caravans dotted around near the edge of the lake.
Lots of families roamed around the campsite. Children were running around laughing, women sat around gossiping and most of the men were wandering around shirtless some with beers in their hands.
"Awababadoobop awabamboo!" came a shout from a dark haired man approaching them.
"Tye!" Ash squealed when she recognised him.
She ran and jumped into his arms, seemingly not caring about the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt and he hugged her back, her feet hovering off the ground slightly.
When they finished embracing each other, Tye let her go and smiled down at her happily but his happiness died away when Ash slapped him across his smug looking face.
"That's for leaving me for so long without bothering to text or call," she exclaimed.
"Sorry kiddo," Tye laughed. "I missed you though."
"I missed you too."
"Mind telling me who this is?" Elijah asked stepping in between Tye and Ash.
"Woah calm down lad," Tye exclaimed in his strong Scottish accent.
"This is my uncle," Ash told him. "Elijah this is Tye."
"Pleased to me ya," Tye grinned offering his hand for Elijah to shake.
"Are you sure he's your uncle?" Elijah asks Ash as he shakes Tye's hand.
"Well...in some twisted way yeah, the accent fools most people," Ash replied sharing a knowing smile with Tye.
"What do you mean by twisted way?"
"Yeah I'd rather not go down that road."
"Oh."
"Come on Ash there's someone I want yer to meet," Tye says grabbing Ash's hand and pulling her over to one of the white caravans. "Elijah, Caleb you can tag along too if ya want."
"I'm good thanks Tye," Caleb called out from where he lay on the floor rugby tackling another boy around his age.
Elijah followed Ash and stepped gingerly into the small, cluttered caravan.
A young woman sat at a tiny table typing away on her laptop and didn't seem to notice them step into her home.
"Dee, this is my niece Ash the one I told you about," Tye said to the woman leaning over and kissing her cheek.
"Oh, hello," the woman smiled looking up from her work. "Sorry I'm just really bust at the moment."
"Is she awake?"
"I'm pretty sure but you leave her alone if she's asleep."
"Who are you talking about?" Ash asked confused.
"Follow me," Tye grins leading them to the bedroom with Elijah following close behind.
Ash watched as Tye reached down into a cot beside the bed and lifted out a small baby girl probably only about six months old. She had her dads' firey amber eyes and her mothers' button nose and wavy hair line.
"Ash I would like you to meet me daughter Jasmine," Tye announced handing the baby over to her to hold. "Named after ya mother."
"She's beautiful," Ash whispered as the baby curled its tiny fingers around her index finger.
"She gets her good looks from me."
"Yeah you wish. She looks more like Dee and I'm kinda glad about that."
"Hey!" Ash laughed at him.
"Shh!"
Elijah watched from the door way and noticed that for once in the past couple of days, Ash was actually happy. It made him smile to see her like this.
****
Later that day, as the evening began to settle, a huge bonfire was lit and Ash sat between Tye and Elijah as Tye told her stories about her mum.
"We went out clubbing one night and that's when she met Damon," Tye explained. "She always fell for the bad guy that girl. He was absolutely hammered and that somehow attracted her attention. After that night they went out on a couple dates then I woke up one morning to find she had up and left. Then two years later I get a phone call from her telling me about the baby and how Damon and his brother had been reported missing and most likely dead." Tye took a sip of his beer. "It took awhile but we managed to get a house and I helped raise ya until yer mum was emotionally stable enough to take care of you on her own."
"I can see how you and Yasmin are alike when it comes to always chasing after Mr. Wrong," Elijah laughed, growing more comfortable with his surroundings as he sipped from a bottle of beer.
"What ya mean ol' Skatty Boy over there?" Tye pointed over at Caleb who was preoccupied playing football with some of the other kids in the pack.
"Made out after knowing each other for only thirty minutes."
"Sounds exactly like Yaz."
"Shut up," Ash exclaimed pushing Elijah off the log they were sat on, causing him to spill his drink.
"Yeah he's trouble alright that Caleb," Tye laughed as Elijah struggled to get back up. "The rotten apple of his family. Caught him trying to steal from my caravan once and that's how we met and became mates."
"What a messed up world we live in," Elijah commented sitting back up on the log.
"Cheers to that," Tye exclaimed clinking glasses with Elijah.
"Hey, you guys ready to go?" Caleb asked running over to them gasping for air. "I need to get back before sunset if I'm gonna make it to the party on time."
"Yep, let's get going," Elijah agreed downing the last of his drink and handing the empty bottle to Tye who chucked it in a black bag.
Ash stood up and embraced her Uncle, this time he had a shirt on.
"Come back and visit soon," he said ruffling her hair.
"I'll see what I can do," Ash replied as she followed Elijah and Caleb back into the woods waving goodbye.