I do not own Stephenie Meyer's Twilight universe, no copyright infringement intended. Rebecca the vindictive vamp, however, is a product of my own twisted imagination.

Thank you to BforQueen, WolfGirlAtHeart and WolvesCanEatMe for all their help.

WARNING – THESE VAMPS AREN'T GOLDEN-EYED VEGETARIAN TYPES, NOR ARE THEY ORDERED LIKE THE VOLTURI. VAMPIRE IS AS VAMPIRE DOES—CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.

Written to the sound of "Betrayal & Desolation" on the Braveheart soundtrack.

When I say "Roland," think Cillian Murphy. What an illustrious line up of stars I've chosen for this fic! This is the final chapter of this short story.

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~X~

Chapter Three – Destinations

~X~

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14th Century Europe

~X~

Robert followed me to France, and once we were there, he continued to irritate me. There were no signs of Leofrid in the forests of Normandy, or Brittany, or anywhere else in France. Still, I refused to give up on my quest.

Twenty years after I had mistakenly created my annoying male companion, I had finally come to terms with the fact that he was a permanent addition. I tried to run away on many occasions, but each time he had tracked me down—doubling his efforts to get under my skin as punishment.

While Robert was a newborn, my old way of feeding had to be abandoned, and even now that he had more control of himself, it had become awkward with a man around. With two mouths to feed, I'd had to concede to allow him to lend a hand, and so it had become more of a smash and grab rather than a sweet seduction. I much preferred my own methods—vengeance made blood taste even sweeter.

One thing I could say in Robert's credit, was that he had never tried to lay hands on me. I felt safe around him despite his maleness. He was my clown and I'd grown to appreciate his ever present humor, though I preferred not to show it.

Something that had not changed was his reluctance to take baths.

Today I'd forced him to wash, and had finally been allowed to throw his ragged clothing away in favour of something I had picked out, which was far more befitting a vampire. However, he wouldn't allow me to destroy his tartan, even though it had ground in dirt and bloodstains. While he bathed in a lake, I scrubbed the cursed piece of cloth in an attempt to get it clean.

"Are you going to fetch me my clothes or not, Princess? I wouldn't want to run across these other vampires naked." His voice came from behind a tree.

I got to my feet and carried his new outfit to him. I'd taken it from an unfortunate lord we'd run across recently, and as soon as I'd seen the similarity in size, I'd begged Robert to throw away his nearly destroyed tunic in favour of black leather and bear skin.

"Here...and stay behind that tree until you're dressed. I don't want to set eyes on you until you're decent." I caught a glimpse of thigh from behind the trunk and quickly turned away, going back to my task of cleaning the detested tartan.

"Thanks," Robert growled in French. I'd made him learn my language so that we could converse in either of our native tongues, but with his natural accent it never sounded quite right. French was a delicate, beautiful language, where even Robert's vampire voice managed to make it sound coarse.

I heard footsteps and looked up. From the neck down, he cut a fine figure of a man, and could almost be a nobleman or some kind of Viking prince; his face was wearing its usual ridiculous grin and his red eyes smiled back at me through tangles of wet brown hair, ruining the illusion.

"A slight improvement, but couldn't you have at least done something about this?" Within seconds I was behind him and attempting to sort through the knots hanging from his head. "It's no good—I'm going to have to comb it. I hope you haven't got lice."

He scoffed at the idea that vampires could get such parasites, while I searched in my bag then motioned for him to sit in front of me, as he was considerably taller than I was.

"Do you really think all this is necessary? They're vampires, too. It's not as if we're meeting the Pope."

I tugged a little harder as I combed. "I haven't seen another vampire in a long time. I'm not going to socialize with a vagabond in tow. If you insist on coming with me, you will look the part."

"Whatever the lady says." He turned and winked at me as he spoke; I sighed in frustration and forced his head to face the right way so I could finish the impossible task of untangling his locks.

"The lady says 'jump off a cliff.'"

He chuckled. "I'd do it. You know I'd die for you any day."

I tugged at a particularly stubborn knot. "You already have, remember? You've been putting me through hell ever since."

"Ow! I must have taken a wrong turning then, because I thought being with you was heaven. Jesus, woman, what are you doing to my hair?"

I snorted and ignored him.

A day or so earlier, we'd stumbled upon the scent of a vampire, and not just one, but many. Here in the Black Forest, it seemed that many of our own kind congregated in a nearby chateau. I could not smell Leofrid, but wondered whether any of the unfamiliar vampires had seen him.

Once I was satisfied that Robert was well-presented, we approached the small castle. As we neared the gates, two shapes materialised only inches away from us. They'd been swift even by our standards.

"Who goes there?" one of them hissed, his accent strange and not one I had ever come across before; the other vampire merely loomed and stayed silent. They both stared at Robert, waiting for him to speak, but my creation gestured to me.

"We stumbled across your scents. I was wondering if you might have seen a friend of mine lately. His name is—"

"Go inside," the hissing vampire interrupted, stepping back and allowing us to approach the main entrance. I looked at Robert, who attached himself firmly to my right side as we followed the two anti-social vampires, until we were led down numerous corridors into a cavernous wooden hall.

Both mine and my companion's eyes widened.

On the floor, were numerous bloody dead or still-living humans, and over them crawled at least four other female vampires in varying stages of undress. Their eyes snapped up to us immediately and Robert and I paused. The two guards continued on toward the front of the room, where a single male vampire sat on an almost throne-like chair, flanked by two semi-naked immortal women.

The scent of exposed blood assaulted our minds, and we were barely able to concentrate on anything but the scene before us. For a second, I managed to focus on the guards. Once they were close enough to their lord, they leaned over and whispered something in the seated vampire's ears, causing him to stand up and beckon us forward.

Robert put a hand on my arm. "I have a bad feeling about this."

I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. "Welcome to being a vampire. I told you the sexual approach was perfectly normal. What were you expecting? Monks and Bibles?" I proceeded with Robert stuck to me. As I walked forward, I noticed that the feeding females stopped what they were doing and their eyes and bodies followed our every move. I got the impression that it wasn't me they were looking at.

The vampire who was obviously in charge smiled. He had wavy, jaw-length brown hair and wore an expensive-looking burgundy jerkin, in a style I'd never seen before.

"Welcome. It's nice to have guests." He paused to assess both of us, and I noticed that his gaze lingered on me a little longer than necessary. "My name is Roland. Feel free to make yourself at home—this is a social place."

I looked around and my eyes rested on a human girl, laid on the floor with her eyes wide open, but not moving or screaming despite the horror around her. The throbbing of her heart consumed all of my attention.

"Why is she—" I began, but our smiling host interrupted me.

"Not moving? It's a particular talent of mine. Feel free...she's yours for the taking."

I tore my eyes away from the girl for a second to look at the vampire who addressed me. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw a number of the females milling around Robert, whose eyes had the familiar blood haze, and he shifted nervously.

"Away!" The male in charge shouted at the crowd Robert was drawing, and almost immediately they disappeared out of the room with low chatters that I could still hear in the distance. "Guests, please drink your fill. There will be plenty of time for introductions later. Go ahead."

Roland turned and sat back in his chair, attended by the impassive-looking women. Robert and I needed no further encouragement, and we both descended on our chosen victims.

A while later, once I was as full of human blood as I could possibly be, I sat up and could finally process my own gluttony. Robert was still draining a body, and I looked at the red sea of bodies lying around me. Not even the carnage I'd caused during my newborn days could compare; I felt elation with an edge of confusion.

I looked up at our host, who was sitting in his chair and smiling down at me. "Hello. Welcome to my castle. I trust you're enjoying my hospitality." Like any vampire I had ever met, he was attractive, and seemed to be pleasant.

"Yes, thank you."

"You look uncomfortable—as though you've never done this before. Am I right?"

I looked round again, and Robert had moved onto another body. "No. I've never seen anything like this in all of my days."

"Well, this is how my masters in the east believe vampires should be allowed to live. Have you ever heard of the Carpi?"

I blinked confused.

"I guess not. The Volturi?"

I shook my head.

"What is your name?"

"Rebecca," I replied.

"Rebecca, let me give you a little history and geography lesson. " He shifted in his seat, and I tried to ignore the alarm in my head that sounded when a male came too close without my permission. "My masters, the Carpi, are from Wallachia, which is quite some distance east from here. We are currently at war with another group of vampires, called the Volturi. We believe that vampires should be free to live as they please, and that humans exist to serve us. The Volturi want to force all vampire-kind to hide in shadows and restrict what they can and can't do. You could call what we do here a small recruitment drive for our vampire army."

"A vampire war? You mean there are many like us in the world." My curiosity overruled my mistrust, as the vampire leaned closer still.

"Hundreds of us. Although, thanks to the Volturi, that number is rapidly dropping. We're looking for fighters to strengthen our numbers. Do you think your mate would be interested? He seems to be the type that we are looking for."

"He's not my mate. I'm not sure—you would have to ask him." I noticed Roland's face brighten when I admitted Robert and I weren't together.

"I will ask him once he is fed. Now...my friends said you were looking for someone."

The reason I'd come here finally sprung to mind. "I'm looking for my maker. I haven't seen him in around two hundred years. I was wondering if he had passed through?"

"What was his name?"

"Leofrid." I looked at Roland hopefully. He took a moment to think.

"Dark hair. Young. English, if I remember correctly. Yes, he came by here quite some time ago. He was quite keen to enlist."

A grin stretched across my face. "You know where he has gone?"

"Yes, he joined my masters in Wallachia a century or two previous. But, please, don't rush off to join him. Part of what we do here is to desensitize potential soldiers, as we use human blood as part of our tactics. It is probably best that you get used to this before you attempt to head out there."

I nodded.

"So, you seem quite attached to this Leofrid. Is he your mate?"

Not wanting to explain the complicated situation, I avoided the question. "I've not seen him for a long time, and I'm keen to meet up with him as soon as possible."

"Of course you are. Of course," Roland pulled back from me a little. "Well, I'm sure you are keen to clean yourself up after this afternoon's entertainment. Anna!"

I looked down to see that I was soaked in blood, and my hands were bright red.

One of the scantily clad females rushed back into the room. "Show Rebecca to a room." He then turned back to me. "We will send your travelling companion to another room once he is done. Feel free to make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa."

As I followed barely-dressed Anna down a corridor, I noticed a number of the other females rush back into the room I'd just vacated, giggling excitedly. I scowled more than a little.

A large vessel of warm water was filled for me, and I was almost clean when I heard footsteps in the hall. I had spent long enough with Robert to become attuned to the sound of his over sized feet, but recognized that he was not alone.

"Come back and play with us soon...Robert." There was a feminine chuckle. A sudden flush of rage hit me as I realized what had probably gone on since I'd left the bloody hall.

"Ah, I've got to get cleaned up."

"I could help you—" the female purred, but was interrupted when I opened the door.

"Robert," I hissed. "Hurry up and get cleaned up. I need to talk to you." I glared at the blonde female, who had her arms tangled around his neck. My companion looked sheepish, but gently pushed her away.

A while later, there was a soft knock at my door and Robert came inside once I answered. I explained all that I had been told, noticing the slight wince when I mentioned that I knew where Leofrid had gone.

"So you're going out there? To fight in a vampire war you know nothing about—just because a vampire that you met once is out there?"

"Yes. I've searched for him for two hundred years. Of course I'm going to follow him now that I know where he went."

"And what about me?"

"What about you? You're free to do whatever you want." I glared at Robert, who paced over towards the window and stared out in silence.

It was left to me to speak first. "So, are you coming with me or not?"

Robert looked over his shoulder at me. "Neh, I don't think I'm going to go fight in a war that has nothing to do with me. I think I'll head back to Scotland—I'm not into this kind of lifestyle and there's nothing here to hold me."

"Oh, you seemed quite fine with this 'lifestyle' a few moments ago, with that blonde draped all over you," was all I could manage to say. I'd assumed that my vampire companion would at least want to travel with me, and now it seemed I was continuing on alone.

"Female company is overrated anyway," Robert spat back, before storming out.

After he left, I sat in the room on my own for a while. Robert was a free agent, and heaven knows he'd not had physical female company in a long time. I shouldn't let the fact that he had urges like any other man bother me.

I tangled my fingers and fiddled with my sleeve for countless hours, before deciding that a bit of variety in the company I kept was exactly what I needed. When I got there, the hall was empty and practically clean, but I didn't have to search long before I found Roland.

"Ah, Rebecca," he greeted me enthusiastically, kissing me on both cheeks. "I'm so glad you've decided to stay. Robert told us that you intend on joining Leofrid."

"He came to see you?" I asked, as Roland linked his arm through mine and we began to take a slow stroll through the corridors.

"Yes, he told us he was leaving. Such a shame. I think that he would have been very useful for our cause."

"Robert's gone?" I froze, momentarily stunned that my friend could leave without saying goodbye after twenty years together. I felt sick to my stomach. It seemed that I didn't know him at all, even after all this time.

"Yes," Roland paused. "I'm sorry—I assumed he'd already told you. I would have informed you in a more sensitive manner, had I realised."

My shock burned away into anger at Robert's immediate abandonment, and I held back a number of violent urges. Making my excuses to Roland, I dashed outside and into the forest to let loose my rage.

Eventually, after spending three months with my new found friends, my bitterness over Robert had melted more into disbelief and sadness. Other than my internal anguish over losing him, I easily slipped into a routine with my new lifestyle. Roland was always attentive, and more and more I found myself identifying with the rest of the females in the coven.

There was always blood, lots of blood, and no rules or any hold barred. As a vampire, it was remarkably freeing to let your instincts take over and not have to worry about petty, insignificant worries. There were some issues, however, that did not go away. Some days, Roland was overly attentive, but if he attempted to get a little too friendly while I fed, I snarled to keep him away. Only I decided when and where I allowed a man to touch me.

One day, I lay on the floor after a particularly satisfying feed, when he got off his throne and lay next to me.

"You've taken to all this remarkably well. You barely even reacted to spilled blood this time. Are you sure that you want to head east and find this Leofrid? Won't you stay?"

I looked up at Roland and smiled. "I appreciate the offer, and I am tempted, but I have to go. I've searched for Leofrid all these years. I can't give up now."

Roland's mouth lifted, but his red eyes didn't share the sentiment. "I know. He's a lucky man."

Unsure of what to say, I gave him a sad smile in return.

"You know, this ability to make men fall in love with you might even be strong enough to consider a talent. You know I care for you, don't you?"

"Yes, Roland. I can see, though I belong to someone else."

Roland sighed. "Yes, to Leofrid. To see how much you care for him, it makes me want to go out in the woods, find a damsel in distress and turn her, but I'm sure I would not find anyone who could even hold a torch to your perfection."

"You flatter me," I whispered in reply, feeling awkward that I was obviously causing my host so much pain. I already knew I was less than perfect.

"Not at all. I guess I shall just have to enjoy the memory of your company and hope that we meet again. At least, I will be sure to give you a memorable leaving party and make sure I say my goodbyes. I cannot understand how Robert could have wanted to end his time with you prematurely."

I winced.

"You obviously had quite the effect on him, too. I've never known a guest refuse my girls when they've made an obvious offer."

"He refused?"

"Yes." Roland looked at me with sad eyes, but I barely paid attention in my distracted state. "He said that he couldn't...because he loved you. Another broken heart left in your wake."

"He said he loved me?"

My mind whirled, and Roland's confirmation only shook the foundations of my world further. From the cold, still cavity in my chest, I felt a twisting sensation that took my unnecessary breath away.

I had turned Robert as part of my retribution for how I had been treated when I was alive. As far as I had been concerned, all men were filthy beasts who only wanted one thing from me. Initially, Robert had fit the pattern exactly, but other than the one and only time I'd allowed him to touch me intimately, he'd never even made an attempt to possess me sexually, despite his obvious physical prowess. Over time, I'd become comfortable, until contact with him was no longer an issue.

I thought about our many conversations, how he took my prickly demeanor with good humor, and his acceptance of my hatred of men. For twenty years he had wandered with me, knowing my heart was set on finding another—all the time loving me, yet never pressuring me into giving anything more than my company.

"I'm sorry, Roland. I've got to go."

I got to my feet and rushed out of the room, then out of the castle. I was already miles away before I realized that I had no idea where Robert was; I already knew that finding a single vampire in Europe was like finding a needle in a haystack.

All longing thoughts of Leofrid were suddenly wiped from my mind. He was still the honourable and kind bloodthirsty knight that had saved me, but I now realised that the noblest man I'd ever met was Robert, the vampire I'd created and who had stuck with me for twenty years. Robert had respected my wishes, made me feel safe, and had accepted my difficult nature without question—getting nothing in return.

He had loved me, and I could see that the man I had needed had been beside me all along.

Robert had said he was returning to Scotland, so I decided that would be the first place I looked. I headed straight for the coast and crossed the Channel to England, heading north as soon as my feet hit dry ground.

I ran, still clothed in the exotic outfit I'd worn when I'd bolted—wearing less clothing made for swifter movement. Eventually, I came across his scent on the North-East coast of England, where undulating green hills rolled down towards the grey North Sea.

Barely taking the time to taste the air and know I was heading in the right direction, I sprinted, until rocky cliffs hampered my progress. Once on the dark sand, and pausing briefly to decide whether I was headed left or right, I saw him sitting alone, throwing pebbles at the sea, as the occasional rare glimmer of light through the clouds reflected off of him.

A beam of sunlight also caught me, and he looked up. Neither of us moved, and I saw soundless lips mouth my name.

Suddenly yanked forward by an invisible force, I covered the sand in impossibly wide strides. Robert got to his feet just in time, as I leaped up into his waiting arms. Winding my own arms around his neck, I almost knocked him over with the force of my greeting. Immediately, I pressed my mouth against his, as he pulled me closer with wide hands on my back.

I broke the desperate connection between our mouths, and his eyes flicked over me.

"Are you alright? What have they done to you?" he said, his eyes running over my diaphanous uniform which had helped me fit in with Anna and the others. I was still bloodstained and worse for wear from my swim. "I swear I'll kill them—"

"I'm fine," I interrupted, looking up at his familiar but confused face. He took a moment to process what I had said.

"Did you find him? What did he say?" Confusion twisted into hurt, and I felt his grip on me slacken.

"I never went...Robert, I love you." An imaginary heart-beat pounded while I waited for his response. It felt like a century before he spoke.

"You found me because you wanted to?"

"Yes. I want you. I need you—I just couldn't see it until you'd gone."

Another eternity passed, until Robert's mouth lifted in a smile. He barely had time to growl "I love you" before his mouth connected with mine. This time, his enthusiasm sent both of us tumbling to the ground, and I did not complain as I found myself laid on the sand beneath him. Then Robert pulled away.

I grabbed the back of his neck and prevented him from moving away. "Please," I whispered, as we searched each other's eyes. When he returned to me, I relaxed my grip.

His hairy chin bushing against my jaw, I laid back on the sand, while tugging at the black leather outfit I'd chosen for him months earlier. I cursed myself for not finding something easier to open, as the garment was no longer in pristine condition once Robert was naked.

I took a brief moment to appreciate the perfect, masculine form that I'd taken for granted over the years. He was built like a soldier—the type of male I hated most—but he'd thoroughly conquered my heart and I now willingly surrendered. In fact, I was impatient for him to take me, and I roughly tore off the inconsequential and bloodied clothing I barely wore.

Sand covered hands ran over my body—my breasts, my thighs, my stomach—while his mouth never moved from mine. I took time to touch every inch of him within reach, as if for the first time, as I'd never before appreciated the hardness of his muscles, and how firm buttock curved perfectly into broad back— how strong shoulders and thick arms led down into hands that wanted only me.

"Robert, I love you," I told him again as my need for him became almost painful in its intensity, and seeing my anguish, my love pulled a thigh around his waist.

"Rebecca—I've loved you from the second I laid eyes on you," he said, and then guided himself into me.

Closing my eyes, I let out a gasp. Robert froze, but when I opened my eyes again, I smiled and ground my hips against his. All the worry melted from his face, and he began moving, one hand supporting him on the sand while another held my hips steady.

As I looked up at his impressive physique and felt him deep in me, I felt complete and whole. As my burning release began building between where we joined, my chest also glowed, and when my orgasm took over, my entire body imploded with pleasurable sensations.

I collapsed into welcome oblivion, and a short while later, Robert joined me. He whispered in my ear as his body trembled.

"You're everything. You're my everything."

He collapsed onto me and for a while we laid there, saying nothing—just smiling.

~X~

For the next two centuries, we continued to roam the British Isles. We were free—both physically and emotionally. He was my mate and a moment's separation was more than I could bear, so I never let him out of my sight.

When the New World was discovered, we stowed away upon a ship, surviving on the blood of sailors, we finally arrived on undiscovered shores. I never did hear of another vampire who stepped foot on that land before we did—maybe we were the first?

The country was vast, and we explored it for many centuries, living as we had since our reunion.

One day, after stumbling across other vampires, we were told that small items from our past could be sold for unbelievable sums of money. Now, it seemed that vampires could live amongst humans, with the convenience of a fixed abode, near rapidly expanding cities full of our natural food source.

Robert's sword bought us our first ever home together, as well as many other fine things, and we made the decision to end our nomadic life. I soon became accustomed to our new life of luxury, and my beloved did all he could to ensure it remained that way.

We lived and loved each other for countless human life spans and I was thankful everyday for Leofrid's gift, as without it I could never have found Robert. With him by my side, I was truly blessed, and I could not conceive of a time where we could ever be apart. Two halves of the same whole, he was the best part of my immortality and without him, I would surely die.

IF YOU WANT A H.E.A. FOR REBECCA AND ROBERT, THE STORY ENDS HERE.

I WILL DO AN EPILOGUE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE TIE IN WITH RED EYES.