Family dinner was the usual quiet, awkward event. Across the table, Schuyler was picking at her food moodily, clearly not in the mood to tolerate Trinity's attempt at a Norman Rockwell
family dinner. Trinity asked Jack and Mimi a few questions about their day and school, Jack, as was his way, replying with a short, polite response, and Mimi either ignoring or taking
advantage of the question by complaining about her classmates or 'subtly' insulting Schuyler, who, as usual, brushed it off with a roll of the eyes. She reminded him of Allegra in that way,
Charles thought, smiling the briefest of smiles. Allegra had never been one to take the bait; she'd always just smile and laugh, no matter how nasty the comment. Charles observed his
children, and Schuyler, and quickly realized that he took great care to look everywhere and talk to everyone except Schuyler. Charles narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "So- Jack. How was
your day in school?" he asked abruptly. Trinity looked up, pleased that he was, for once, actually participating in the meager dinner conversation. Jack looked surprised too. "It was good,
Father." he answered. "Mm." Charles said. Despite his lackluster response, Trinity seemed cheered that he'd bothered to speak at all and quickly filled the silence with more chatter. Once
the dinner was over, he retired to his private study, while Trinity said something about holding a conference call with her fellow Committee members about some charity event. After filling
out some more documents and approving more files, Charles finally went to bed, ignoring his wife, who was already there. He and Trinity had become fond of each other, affectionate, like
friends, but he knew that just as he mourned the loss of Gabrielle, she also mourned the loss of her Salgiel. She knew him well enough to know when he wanted to just have some quiet
time, and made no comment as he dressed in his nightclothes and settled into bed without saying a word to her. Finally, long after Trinity had gone to sleep, he managed to fall into a
deep, and yet uneasy sleep.
Flashback
"Cassius… are you sure?" Valerius asked, deeply troubled. He glanced at him sharply. "We must not lose strength now, Abbadon. It must be carried out. For the sake of our people." he insisted,
though he felt sick thinking of what he was about to do. "But Cassius… she is just an infant… and Gabrielle…" he trailed off. "This is for her sake, too. She will be destroyed by this, knowing that
she lay with the devil." Cassius said fiercely. "I cannot do this… I cannot murder her child. She has not yet even been born, and already we speak of killing her!" Valerius whispered hoarsely. "It
must be done, Valerius. You and I both know that." Cassius insisted. They were in the small, adjoining room of Gabrielle's bedchambers. She was still in labor. They'd had to place a silencing spell
on her to quiet her screams from the pain of childbirth. Agrippina crept into the room from the bedchamber, glancing over her shoulder worriedly. "She is still in labor," she told them. "There is so
much blood… how do we know that she will not perish in childbirth?" Agrippina demanded; her eyes, usually a chilly, glittering green were now worried and haunted. "Do not be ridiculous, Azrael."
Cassius said coldly. She glared at him. "Do not pretend you too are not plagued by worry, Michael. None of our kind have ever birthed children! Ever! How do we know that the agony of it will not
kill her in this lifetime? There was so much blood… so much blood." Agrippina said faintly, a very unusual thing for her. Valerius put a protective arm around her and glared fiercely at Cassius. "We
cannot do this, Michael. We cannot commit such an atrocity." he said, and as he spoke it, Cassius could see that he had already made up his mind, that his part in the ordeal had already been fully
played out. "Go, then. I will send for Gemellus in your stead." he spat coldly. He was angry… so angry. But not because they had bowed out. But because he wished he could do the same. But who
would do this, who would commit such an act, if he did not? His question was soon answered. Metraton, or Claudius as he was dubbed in this cycle, joined him. "The Twins have left." he noted.
"Yes." Cassius said shortly. "I told you they would not be able to see it through." he said softly. "I know that." Cassius turned on his heel, striding into the bedchamber where two terrified
midwives, Red Bloods who they would be able to glom into forgetting, were, tending to Gabrielle. Her long blonde hair was splayed out on her pillow, her eyes glazed with pain and unfocused from
the effects of the glom. Blood, a shocking, dazzling sapphire color, bloomed on the blankets and sheets before disappearing. "Gabrielle." he said softly, sitting next to her. He took her hand in his
own and squeezed it tight. "It is almost over, Gabrielle. Your pain will soon be forgotten." he wanted to weep at the clear evidence of her agony, but soon Claudius and Gemellus walked in. They'd
had to conceal Gemellus's survival from Caligula after he'd ordered his execution; it had not been easy to fool the Praetorian Guard, but they had managed to. "Is your escape plan ready?" Cassius
asked Claudius when he walked back in. He nodded. Claudius was technically Caligula's uncle in this cycle; he'd been their spy from within for months, years, and soon it would be time. They would
kill the insane emperor, send Lucifer back to where he belonged; Hell. But Claudius could not remain. He must hide, Cassius thought to himself. They would try to kill him if they found him, all of
them knew. He had to hide for the rest of this cycle until he could be reborn into a new life cycle, wherein he would apply to become an Enmortal, and he, Cassius, the true leader of their people,
would grant him that which would help him survive. Cassius watched from the corner of his eye as Gemellus observed the scene, wary. He'd only been turned into a Silver Blood just a few years
before. How was Claudius sure that he'd truly reformed? What if the sight and the scent of all the Sangre Azul made him go crazy? What if he attacked Gabrielle? "I'm pleased to say that I have
learned more self control than that, Michael." Gemellus turned and looked directly at him. Cassius glared at him. "I do not doubt it, Araquiel." he said sharply. "Don't you?" Gemellus said softly,
almost a whisper. A roguish smile spread across his face, and Cassius could not help but still feel surprise. Gemellus had been hidden away for a long time; he had not seen him in years. The man
he'd known was more of a boy; weak, cowering, sniveling. "Of all the downsides of being Croatan, Cassius, the one good part is that I am now far more powerful than I was; even, perhaps, as
powerful as you." he said with a twisted smirk, then moved forward towards Gabrielle. "Peace, Cassius. Peace. We have a job to do." Claudius said gravely. The moment had finally come. The two
Red Bloods bit back a scream as finally, the babe they had all been waiting so long for screamed its first cries- and its last. "Hurry- the silencing spell." Claudius urged. Cassius waved a hand,
whispering the spell in his mind, and the babe fell silent. "Call in Macro." he ordered. Gemellus looked up at his words. "Macro?" he said. "Yes." Cassius said impatiently as he waited for the
midwives to properly swaddle the infant. "Is he not only a minor angel? Why would you entrust him with such a task?" Gemellus demanded. Cassius turned, angry at his gall. "Are you not a Silver
Blood? Do you not question why I would entrust a monster such as you?" Cassius spat. Gemellus ignored him and turned towards Claudius. "They will instate you as emperor once Gaius has been
assassinated. You must not show your true hand till you have executed all the corrupted members of the Senate. You must not tell anyone of your involvement." Gemellus said quietly. Claudius
nodded. "I trust that you are at the very least keeping our plan of Gaius's assassination to yourselves, are you not?" Gemellus asked sardonically. "Of course!" Cassius snapped. "Good. I'll take
my leave then." without saying another word, Gemellus stripped the bed of all it's sheets, Gabrielle having already been whisked off to the bath chambers to be cleaned up, and everything else
possibly contaminated. He disappeared from the room before they could say another word. A minute after, Macro arrived. "Here. When you're done… doing what you must do- burn the clothes. And
the swaddling blanket. Get rid of all the evidence." Cassius ordered. He went into the bathing chamber to check on Gabrielle. As he did, his heart heavy, Cassius thought of all that had happened.
And worse; all that was to come.
End of Flashback