A/N: After two long years, I have finally finished chapter four! All I shall say up here is that I am so sorry it took this long!

I do not own the movie Pompeii or any of its rights. I am merely taking artistic liberty with the characters the writers so lovingly supplied to us (and then killed off...)

Edited: 1/31/18

Chapter IV: A Chance at Hope

Cassia was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. She kept slipping in and out of consciousness. The smoke and fire was bad enough, but her head felt like it was splitting in two. She barely heard the door crash open, but she did feel when someone turned her over and lifted her into their arms. The arms felt strong, safe, and familiar. She wanted to curl into their embrace, but all she could do was cough.

There was slight jostling as whoever was carrying her walked swiftly away from all the smoke, dodging bits of masonry as well. The noble girl felt herself being laid down gently. She could just barely open her eyes now, no more stinging smoke. She saw two of the only people she truly cared for in the world.

Ariadne, her oldest and closest friend, and Milo, the man she knew she was falling in love with. Her heart swelled at the sight of them and she managed a weak smile. Cassia tried to speak, to thank them for not abandoning her, but she ended up having a coughing fit. She had to shut her eyes briefly against the pain in her throat and head.

"She needs water." Milo told Ariadne, and soon the woman was out of Cassia's sight. He leaned over her now, ever so gently stroking up and down her face, his other hand supporting his weight on whatever he had laid her on. His touch was so gentle and caring, full of a reverence Cassia knew that she did not deserve. Yet, she had feared she would never feel it again when he had been taken back to the arena.

Cassia leaned into his caress, turning her head just enough to kiss his palm. He looked startled but glad, and she was happy to still see the man from that morning in his face.

Had it really only been that morning? It felt like a lifetime ago that Milo had taken her on a ride into the hills around the mountain.

He leaned back suddenly, taking his hand from her face and resting it on her raised knee. She was confused until she heard footsteps. Cassia was not sure if it was because he wanted to give her space to drink or if he was nervous about being seen to show affection.

"Here, Cassia, drink this." Ariadne knelt next to her and held a ladle to her lips. The water was the best the noble girl had ever tasted in her life. She coughed up some ash after the first sip, and Ariadne poured her more water. Cassia turned to look at her, never had she been so thankful for the woman she considered her sister.

"Thank you, Sis." She coughed a little more. "I don't know what I would do without you." She smiled, but coughed again. Milo looked pleadingly at Ariadne, who nodded in understanding and went to fetch more water.

Immediately he was leaning over her again, once more stroking her cheek with that reverence. She could smell and taste the blood that soaked his bracer, could see the cut on his arm still slowly oozing. She lifted a hand to it, gently touching the skin just below the wound. Milo took her hand and kissed her palm, holding it to his face, closing his eyes at the comfort for just a moment. He let go to brush her hair back from her face, but Cassia kept her hand in place.

"You came back for me." She stated, almost questioningly, her breathing still labored.

"Of course I did." He looked a little upset and confused. "Why would I not?"

"You could have been killed in the arena." He looked offended at that. "Or perished in the earthquake." He made a face that told her he knew she had a point.

"Or you could have escaped in the confusion and had your freedom." His eyes widened in shock and he opened his mouth to say something, but then the ground started to rumble. He looked up to where Ariadne was by the fountain.

"Run!" He shouted at the hand maiden, assisting Cassia to her feet as she tried to run for her best friend. Ariadne heeded Milo's command and was sprinting toward them. Milo put an arm around Cassia's midriff to stop her from running towards the falling cliff face.

Ariadne was just a step ahead of the falling rock and masonry. Cassia saw the shock and fear on her best friend's face as the stone she stepped on fell beneath her. She was merely an arm's length away, and Cassia reached out to her.

Their arms were just too short. Her fingers brushed Ariadne's. Hope blossomed and then swiftly died as they lost contact.

There was a blur of movement from the corner of her eye, and Cassia's heart leapt as Milo let go of her and grabbed Ariadne's arm. Both women screamed as Milo dropped down from the weight of Ariadne.

"Hold on to my arm with both hands! As tight as you can!" He shouted over the crashing of the rocks hitting water. "I'm pulling you up!" Then he turned his head to the side to shout at Cassia to wrap her arms around his middle and pull him back.

"I'm slipping!" Ariadne screamed, yelping as her hand slipped down Milo's blood-slicked bracer. He grunted as he braced his feet and heaved. Cassia pulled him backwards, feeling like she was barely doing anything. She had her eyes closed and could not see what was happening, but then Milo gave one last heave and they all fell in a heap.

Relief did not last long as the ground just beneath them started to shake. They scrambled backwards as the last piece of ground fell away into the sea. Milo stood first, and assisted both women. Ariadne pulled them both into a tight embrace, which Cassia immediately returned, and Milo much more cautiously.

Ariadne was sobbing, unable to speak, but the gratitude in her eyes was clear. The noble girl started to thank him for saving her friend, but her cut her off.

"Thanks can wait, Cassia." He pulled back and cupped her face, wiping away tears she did not even remember shedding. "Right now we need to get to the harbor." He took her hand and pulled her through the crumbling courtyard. Ariadne quickly following behind and grabbing Cassia's other hand.

The trio made it back into the city proper and were running down the street when the mountain exploded once more. Rocks started hurtling from the sky, citizens running for cover were struck down, and one nearly hit Ariadne. Cassia quickly pulled her out of the way. Her friend stumbled but looked at Cassia with gratitude, even as Milo dragged them to the nearest doorway.

Furiously pulling at an immovable door handle, Milo cursed under his breath and started trying to kick the door open. It must have been barred, for it did not budge, just rattled, even with Milo's full weight thrown at it. Giving up, he huddled Cassia close to his chest and watched fire and stone rain death upon the city. Cassia could hear roof tiles shattering and she prayed that the small bit of roof above their heads would hold. She squeezed Ariadne's hand for comfort, reassuring herself that her best friend was still there.

"Is this the end of the world?" The question was out before Cassia even realized she had opened her mouth. Milo kissed the top of her head, and held her tighter, quietly shaking his own. Perhaps he was thinking that if he remained silent, the mountain would not know where they were hiding.

"Why would the gods let this happen?" She lifted her head from his chest to look him in the face as she asked this. Milo appeared thoughtful for a moment, gazing out at the destruction almost as if he was not seeing it.

"To give us a chance." A tender expression came over his face as he said this. It made Cassia's insides turn to hot jelly. He leaned down, as if to kiss her, the noble closed her eyes and tilted her head.

"Look, its stopping!" Ariadne cried, clearly not having noticed the change in mood. Cassia might have been upset, if the sun had not come out just at that moment.

It illuminated the scene of catastrophe and destruction. It was startling, and somehow beautiful.

Rays of golden light coming out from the clouds looking almost divine. Milo stepped forward, still holding onto her, appearing to be equally awed. There was a look on his face that Cassia could not even begin to describe. I6t was almost a softening of his whole being. She could see other people peeking out from doorways down the street, and Cassia felt hope swell in her breast as she looked on what used to be her home.

It did not last long however, as the sky, once more, became choked with ash, hiding the sun's rays. There was another small quake and large flaming rocks crashed down from the mountain. It was almost as if the gods were toying with them – giving them a glimmer of hope, only to take it away.

One landed behind the trio, startling them out of their reverie. Milo instantly started pulling both women along behind him, running as fast as the debris filled street would allow him.

It was a strange experience for Cassia, for here and there were the littered remains of buildings and statues that she had known all her life. She could almost see, overlaying the destruction, a vision of what the city had been merely an hour before. A place of life and joy, celebrating the Feast of Vinalia. The noble girl felt something wet on her cheeks, but did not have a hand free to discover if they were tears she shed for the memory of her beloved home.

"Milo!" The deep shout barely registered to Cassia, but when Milo let go of her hand she looked up in a panic.

"Atticus, it is good to see you my friend!" The Celt embraced the tall, dark man with great joy, which made Cassia's heart go out to the man. To be considered a friend by Milo was no easy task.

"You as well, and I see you managed to find your lady after all. I am glad for you." Atticus clapped Milo on the back, a broad smile on his face.

"Yes, but now is not the time for talk. We must get to the harbor." Milo stepped back, and started to run past his friend, but Atticus grabbed hold of his arm.

"The harbor is gone. We need to find another way to escape this cloud of death."

"The Sarnus gate," Cassia said suddenly. "The road follows the river and heads northeast, that should get us out of the path of the mountain's ire."

"How would you know that, my lady?" Atticus asks, skepticism in his voice.

"Because the winds at this time of year usually blow to the south and a little eastward. That's why I think we should be relatively safe, if we can get out of the city fast enough."

"We'll never make it, not if we're going on foot!" Ariadne finally spoke up, sounding terrified and defeated.

"We'll need horses, and I know where we can get them." Milo said, pointing to the arena, down the mostly clear thoroughfare that lead to their freedom.

"I hope you are right, my lady, because if you are not-"

"We're going to die either way if we just keep standing here, let's go!" Cassia shouted as she started to drag Milo along. He looked shocked, but proud at the same time; Atticus just looked incredibly impressed.

She did not think she would be sad at seeing the destruction of the arena, having hated the damned thing her whole life, but Cassia felt a deep sense of melancholy at the sight. One more piece of her home destroyed forever. They made it halfway across the broken field when she caught sight of the remains of the Governor's box. And the two bodies that were half-buried under the ash and rubble.

Her father and mother.

She moved towards them, wishing to just see them one last time, but Milo's hand was on her shoulder, turning her to face away from her parent's corpses. The other two kept walking, letting the couple have their moment.

"It is thanks to your mother that I found you at all." He said it almost off-handedly, looking past her. "We can all go pay our respects once we've got the horses, but we must prioritize our escape from the mountain's wrath."

"You are right, of course. But it does sadden me, to see them lying there uncared for." She tried a different tactic than outright begging. Allowing her emotions to reign her for just a moment, she let tears roll down her cheeks. "I could go alone, and you and the others can fetch the horses?"

"We will have time to mourn them, once we all have fetched and saddled the horses. I'm not letting you out of my sight, Cassia. Never again." He reached up to wipe the tears from her face, and leant his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes, and she could see every line of worry and regret on his face.

"Neither shall I let you out of mine, dear Milo." She put both her hands on his face and pulled back slightly to kiss his brow. Taking his hand from her face, she tugged him along to catch the others who had gone down below the arena.

"Atticus?" Milo called out when the others were not immediately visible. Large hands covered both their mouths. Cassia almost screamed, but Atticus drew them both back against him, whispering for them to be silent. It was then she noticed the sounds of voices and clanging further down the hall.

"Get the chariot for the Senator!" A loud voice rang down the halls.

"That bastard is still alive?" Cassia did not like the tone of Milo's voice as he said this. He almost sounded excited, and there was a fire in his eyes. It scared her, seeing this part of Milo, she knew that so much of his life had been governed by violence. He wanted vengeance for his people, for that life of violence that he was forced into.

The noble girl called his name to try and get his attention, but it was like he was in a different world from the rest of them. Eventually she put a hand to his chin, gently turning his face towards her. He looked almost startled to see her, then shame briefly crossed his face.

"Milo, I know there is nothing you want more in this life, than to kill that man and avenge your people. I would love nothing more than to help you." The words came easier than she thought they would, committing to killing a man. "But escaping this city has to be our priority, you said so yourself only moments ago."

The Celt looked conflicted. His life and the lives of the only people he's cared about since his family was killed, or vengeance on the man who had massacred his family.

"I can't make any promises not to attack him, Cassia, especially if he gets in the way of our escape. But, I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure you, and the others, are safely away if it comes to that." He put his hands on her shoulders. Cassia stepped forward, letting her own hand slip to his chest.

"No, you-"

"I would stay and fight alongside you, my friend, whilst the women escape to safety." Atticus cut off Cassia's outburst.

"Would it not be for the best, Cassia?" Ariadne, her best friend who had almost fallen to her death already this day, pleads with her. Cassia almost relented, knowing that her friends were just worrying for her safety. But it felt too much like giving up to her. So she hardened her gaze and turned to look Milo in the eye.

"If you think I'm going to run and leave you behind, when you would not do the same for me, then you are a fool, Milo."

He opened his mouth to protest, but he must have seen the look in her eye because he stopped. He closed his mouth, and one corner lifted in a half-smile, an impressed look crossing his face. She smiled back, but their moment was interrupted by more shouts from the Roman soldiers, and the whinnying of horses in distress.

"They have no idea how to properly treat horses." Milo muttered under his breath as they all turned toward the noise and started running.

They reached the entrance just as the last of the Roman soldiers walked out onto the field, and they sidled quietly to the sides of the entryway. Cassia saw Milo survey the scene and nod his head, like he had come up with a plan.

"You two," he pointed at herself and Ariadne, "will run straight for the horses and start undoing the harnesses. Atticus and I will distract the soldiers. Do not stop what you are doing, no matter what you hear, do you understand me?" She nodded reluctantly.

"But you must promise me you will not do anything foolish. Do not go after the Senator unless he's coming for one of us and you have no other choice." He made a face and opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Promise me this now, and I will promise to do as you ask."

He looked torn, once again, but Cassia was determined not to give in. He finally nodded, after a long moment of staring into each other's eyes.

"I promise you, Cassia." She smiled up at him. Milo's returning smile was a little strained, but she chose to ignore that. He turned to Atticus, nodded and got ready to run out. She caught his shoulder just as he was about to spring, dragging him toward her for a heated kiss. His arm automatically came up around her waist, to haul her in closer.

Cassia pulled away and stared into his eyes. "Good luck, and don't you dare die."

So this is where I shall attempt to explain myself... As I said in that annoying author's note, I got very busy at work, and when I got home all I would wanna do was vegitate and not do anything actually productive. I would have fits and starts with this chapter (and creativity in general), but I would always get stuck and I wasn't really sure how I wanted the scene to proceed. But now I have made a decision and the stuff I was stuck on has been moved to the next chapter, so I could get this up ;)

Hope you like it! Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know :)