Author's Note: Warm greetings to you all! While I would normally continue the story in third person when Aro is not directly present, I thought it'd be an entertaining change for this chapter to be narrated in Jane's perspective. Fair warning to you all: This chapter contains a Caius, so suggestive and/or sadistic material will be present. Enjoy!
My limbs thrashed about in Demetri's ironclad grip. I knew I was making a scene, but none of that mattered. The man who changed my life—literally—was leaving us with the disgraceful vegetarian that was to be our new short-term leader. Three days with a Cullen I could handle; three days without him I could handle; but three days both without him and with a Cullen were unbearable. My body went limp at his touch as he stroked my cheek while simultaneously checking my level of distress. "It will be alright, dearest. Carlisle has been a leader of the Volturi before and understands our way of life as well as you and I. Be respectful and mindful of him, won't you Jane?" I grudgingly nodded, though secretly doubting I could put up with this for seventy-two whole hours. "You still have Caius and your brother," he assured me before passing the authority onto the Cullen. "Best of luck to you, Carlisle!" were his final words; and in the next second, he was gone.
Carlisle's eyes glazed around the room. Caius appeared to have left before the meeting had adjourned. "Demetri, kindly let Jane go," the physician said, and the arms around me snapped away in an instant. Felix and I shared a look of loathing for our new leader. We wanted him gone whereas Demetri just went with the flow. Carlisle took out a piece of paper—his welcoming speech, no doubt—and read it aloud. "Greetings, everyone. You may have heard rumors that I will be your provisional leader for the remainder of the week. I can now verify that these were all true, but do know that I run things a bit differently than Aro." That was what angered me. He'll probably introduce us to a bunch of soft, prissy Cullen hobbies and expect us to play his little games. If he makes me change my diet, I will torture him senseless when this is all over. "First off, I value unconditional mutual understanding of each other and disregard any authoritative honorifics."
"What was that?" asked a thoroughly confused Felix. I rolled my eyes. He was at least fifteen hundred years older than me and never thought to expand his vocabulary beyond three syllables.
"It means we'll stick to a first-name basis. You do not have to call me 'Master'."
"Wasn't planning on it," Felix and I whispered in unison.
"Second, I'm advocating family-oriented decision making, which includes the freedom of opinion. If anyone disagrees with any decision made within the next few days, let them be heard so that no one feels obligated to do anything against their will." I hissed at this. He made Aro to be some kind of jail warden as if he didn't know our best interests at heart. Spreading the leadership equally only made him a weak figure head. "Would you like to share something with us, Jane?" There were a thousand things I would have liked to say, but all of them interfered with the respect part of Master Aro's last request.
"No Carlisle," I said in a low tone just above a growl.
"Alright. Good. I will get some sports equipment from my room and I shall meet you all in the lobby. In the meantime, dress appropriately for a little outside recreation. We are going to play baseball." He left with a curt dismissing nod as the rest of us loitered in the room, not exactly sure what to do next. We among the Guard exchanged blank glances until we silently turned to the next authority down the line: Mistress Sulpicia. She chuckled and raised a hand in defense.
"Don't look at me. I believe his wishes were quite clear. Go dress out." I blinked, recalling the sport. Baseball? It was most likely an American Cullen Thing he's using to see how far he can push our tolerance. I call it the ACT test.
"What do you suppose one would wear for baseball?" I asked my brother as we headed for our room. Alec shrugged.
"Anything you wouldn't mind getting dirty." I furrowed a brow. All of my clothes I packed were formal wear, not—
"Play clothes?" He smiled with amusement.
"Sure. Don't you ever want to just feel...dirty?" He laughed at my repulsed face. "This is 'Murica; dirty games is what we live fo'!" I swatted him teasingly on the arm.
"You, Brother, are incorrigible." I opened up my suitcase and contemplated what would look American. Well, they do wear less clothing...I removed my pale white tights, but I still looked too much. I scooped up one of my older shirts, a cream-colored blouse, and ripped the sleeves off. Still too much. Without my tights and only a skirt, it began to feel drafty down there. Another ripping sound caught my attention.
"Here, use this." Alec handed me the top half of his ripped pants. "Put these on first, and then layer the skirt on over it." It was not a bad idea; it felt liberating, yet secure.
"Thank you, but what will you wear?" He grinned and held up a pair of baggy shorter pants with a muddy design on it.
"I think these are called cargo pants," he informed me. "Very American to wear camouflage."
"Why?" He pondered my question for a minute.
"Camouflage has something to do with war, which is another American pastime." I nodded, still not picking up on where that made sense. From what I heard of America, war is declared on everything: drugs, terror, cancer; all social issues that will never be wholly purged. It's a bit of a self-esteem thing as I understand it. A struggling country looks better when it is "declaring war" on its problems. Then again, a declaration is merely a compiled set of words. When Alec and I were all dressed down for the Cullen's idea of fun, we left the room and started to head for the main entrance when an enraged snarl was heard from a nearby room.
"Darn you, Carlisle! I am trying to enjoy my vacation here...Leave!" With curious eyes, Alec and I inched closer to the open door where Carlisle was pointing to. I got just enough of Caius's enraged face to know I wouldn't want to be noticed. We listened on.
"Caius, I've had enough of this obscene profanity."
"It's none of your freaking business!"
"Tell these ladies to go home. Now." Carlisle's voice had rigid calmness to it that only an experienced father could have. Caius grumbled something in street Italian and murmured a few words to his company. Alec and I took it as a direct cue to speed down the hallway and steer clear from Caius until he got what Carlisle was holding from him. We met Felix, Demetri, and the Ladies downstairs wearing their change of attire. Demetri went all out in a white uniform with blue stripes, holding a matching cap with a visor on the front in one hand. I smirked at his evident dedication.
"Nice pants. Do they come with their own muscles too?" Demetri looked down at his noticeably stockier legs and chuckled, seeing my point.
"I believe they are called 'sliding pants' and they are built thicker on purpose to withstand the friction created between the dirt and the slide." I shrugged. That made sense, I suppose.
"What's with the skirt, Janie?" Felix taunted, his hands buried inside his pockets. I looked him over; he hadn't dressed out at all. "Are you going to show us a full moon?" I bit back a retort and tried not to think about using my power. It was a close thing and I almost lashed out when I felt Alec's hand touch my shoulder. He ran up to Felix and punched him in the jaw.
"For your information, it's a skort—sporty, fashionable, and decent." Felix bared his teeth and made a move, almost punching him back if Demetri did not intervene to pin his large arms down.
"Hey!" called a voice from the top of the stairs. It was the Cullen, and he looked like he had better days. "Baseball is about team building and having fun. No fighting allowed. If someone has a problem, then you bring it to my attention and we'll solve it maturely through verbal communication. Alright?"
"Alright," we echoed half-heartedly. It wasn't like any of us vampires would be maimed from a fistfight. Our skin was hard like diamond for a reason.
"Good," said Carlisle. He met each of our staring faces in turn and stopped when he got to Felix. "Is that what you want to play baseball in, Felix?" He shrugged, running his hands deeper into his pockets.
"Mmmm, yeah," was all he said. Carlisle sighed.
"Did you even change at all?"
"Of course. I have three other outfits exactly like this one." He spun around for effect. "Can't you tell?" Carlisle lifted a brow and the tension hung in the air like the cloudy smoke of my brother's gift. Felix was being smart, and I deduced that he was trying to push the Cullen—testing the boundaries. Carlisle strode over to him with one hand behind his back. I assumed Felix was going to get it when Carlisle placed a baseball cap like Demetri's on the top of his head.
"To protect you from the sun," he explained. "The rays are weakest at evening, but I'd rather not take any chances." Then he turned to the rest of us. "Let's play ball!" And with that, we let him show us his little game.
"Four bases make the diamond," he explained as he pointed to each of them in turn. "Every runner must touch them all for the team to gain each point." I groaned as he went on and on about his stupid American pastime. The Volturi don't play games—of that, I was certain. "Put your right hand in the center here," he said at last. We all entertained him with making a circle and stretching out our right arms. "Teeeeam break!" He threw his hand in the air and gave us a hopeless look. The rest of us still stood motionless until I caught on to the idea.
"I think we were supposed to do it all together," I whispered to Alec. "Team break," I said with mock enthusiasm. Felix, Demetri, Ladies Sulpicia and Athenodora, and Alec echoed me, hollow tone and all.
The next few hours brought me as much joy as filing taxes. I never thought of a Cullen as one to take rules seriously, but he never failed to correct every error in our first baseball game. "Felix, do not slide into the catcher! Alec, clouding everyone's vision so you can cheat is not allowed! Athenodora, stop using your hand mirror to redirect the sun into others' eyes! Demetri, that is a naughty hand gesture! Sulpicia, I'm going to have to ask you to sit out if you throw up your hat to intercept the ball again!" Finally, without fail, he got to me. "Jane, if you are 'out', please return to your line-up. Don't insist on playing." I crossed my arms and trudged to the end of the line. At least now, I had no reason to follow these shenanigans any longer. After the game, Carlisle suggested we drink to replenish our digestive system. He said there would be no need to hunt, that he would bring the blood to our hotel rooms.
"Aww, but that's the best part!" Felix and Demetri whined. They appreciated a good kill.
"No, no. There will be no killing. There are other ways to attain human blood."
"How?!" we asked in unison. Carlisle smiled knowingly.
"Trust me. I'm a doctor." Just then, a phone rang from somewhere in the room. I scanned all around and detected the tone to emit from Carlisle's pocket. He pushed a button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?" I recognized the voice from the other end at once. It was Master Aro! The Cullen cast me a warning look and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He had a problem with me, I just knew it.
"Did you hear that?" I asked the rest. Everyone nodded, all faces curious.
"What do you think he's doing with them?" Alec piped up. Felix smirked. He opened his mouth to say something when Lady Sulpicia cleared her throat.
"I know my husband would want to show them how to live as a proper vampire. Perhaps he would humor them and buy them all coffins." We laughed at the thought of Edward lying alone in a dead man's box six feet under the ground, with Bella in the next grave plot. That was a cruel and unusual method of torture...I liked it.
"What do you think of Carlisle so far?" inquired Demetri. Felix and I scowled, whereas the other three shrugged in indifference.
"He's a bit bossy," Alec admitted. "But he's not a total jerk."
Carlisle reappeared in a little less than an hour with jugs of blood in his arms. The sight of the red, sloshing liquid triggered my dilating eyes, but as hungry as I was, I didn't trust it. He held out the first gallon to me. "It's human blood, Jane." I reached out and took it from him. Never before have I seen blood carried about in such artificial containers. It looked disgusting; I'd much rather eat Las Vegas dumpster babies than this poor excuse for a meal. Alec twisted off the cap and held it to his lips, tasting it carefully.
"Well?" I asked him. He tilted his head, eying its contents.
"I'm not sure. Everything is different. It's not fresh blood, but it might be human." I looked down at my own jug and decided it was better than nothing. My hunger took over and I gulped it all down before I could stop myself. My brother was correct; this was an entirely different taste than what I was accustomed to. Carlisle smiled when I put the empty hunk of plastic down. Then, I watched his face change; the approving smile dissolved into an anxious straight line. He dug inside his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. He read the contents and a telltale flash of shock crossed his wide eyes. He hastily pocketed it and hid it from view. Whatever he examined, he didn't want anyone else to find out. I narrowed my eyes; I will find out.
"Has anyone seen Caius?" Carlisle asked out of the blue. The rest of us exchanged blank looks. Nobody had seen him for hours on end. "Let's set up a search party for him then. Demetri and Felix can scope out the south end, I'll take Sulpicia and Athenodora to Central, and Jane and Alec can stay around the north part in case he returns while we're out." Felix made a move to argue that Demetri alone could track him down, but I shot him a look to keep it secret. I needed Carlisle out of the resort. "Let's change back into something casual before we split." We did so and the others set off to find our missing leader. I felt my brother's eyes on my face, watching me smile.
"What are you up to now, Jane?" I absent-mindedly meandered over to the bedrooms.
"It's not what I'm up to. It's what he's up to." He followed me into the Cullen's room and grimaced when I picked up the pants he was wearing. I shrugged, dug into his pocket and closed my fingers around the paper inside. It was a receipt for six gallons of blood. Animal blood. My stomach felt queasy and if I could, I would've thrown it back up all over his carpet. My purity, my natural diet, my tolerance with the man—all gone. The paper fell to the floor, only to be picked up by Alec.
"He lied to us all!" he growled as he read it. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him."
"Imagine all the innocent creatures who were harmed as they were robbed of their blood!" Alec somberly nodded in agreement. I care nothing for human sinners, but animals are different: innocent, pure, peaceful. They did not start wars or make bombs or kill for sport. Their blood in my veins made me feel like a monster among monsters. Alec didn't try to calm me down; he was beyond hurt too. It came through the door within the next twenty minutes, the ladies behind him.
"Well, no luck in our part. He must not be one for sight-seeing." He raised his eyebrows at out narrowed glares. "What?" Alec held up the receipt, much to Carlisle's guilty surprise. He closed and locked the door with his hands out in defense. "I can explain." My patience wore out and my glare became deadly. Sorry, Master Aro, I thought silently as my power came into play. Alec moved behind me, spraying his senseless smoke around the women before they could make a move. Carlisle's head twitched in a seizure as he fell to the floor. The rest of him vibrated to the rhythm of my rage. When he began to scream, I withdrew the pain. Calling human security on a vampire never bodes well. That's when the situation became worse. Felix broke the lock off the door and Demetri led Caius inside.
"Found him, Carlisle. Right next to a whorehouse," announced Demetri. Caius shoved him out of his way and stared at Carlisle's limbs planted on the ground. He caught sight of my brother and I a little ways away and made the connection. With a wave of his hand, Felix and Demetri helped Carlisle up and placed him in a chair. Caius marched toward us with scorching eyes and clenched fists. It was the story of my human life all over again.
"Master, he deserved it, He—" Caius wouldn't hear it.
"Silence, Jane!" He seized both of our wrists and dragged us out the door, down the hallway, through the front of the building, and into an abandoned section of a dark alley. I knew what was going to happen, the same fate that happened to any other guard who attacked a leader. I was going to miss having a head. He threw us toward a cement wall and took out his torture weapon of choice: a short, thick stock whip. He uncoiled it and let the tip snake below him before snapping it up for a practice-crack. Alec and I tensed; it looked painful. "Jane, come here," he ordered, pointing to a patch of ground in front of him. I forced my legs to walk, knowing he wouldn't listen to my plea. Alec leaned his forehead against the wall, not bearing to see me get hurt. "Alec, turn around and face me." Slowly, he did. I whisked away the fear in my face; I had to be strong for him.
"Jane, from where you're standing, torture him." My eyes enlarged and my jaw dropped in shock. I wanted to pull my own head off.
"What?" I whispered weakly. Alec looked just as terrified.
"Torture. Him. Now." Caius turned my shoulders around so that I witnessed the suffering I was about to cause him. I'm so sorry, Alec, I conveyed through my eyes. He understood and braced himself for the worst. I locked my eyes on his head and sent weak waves of my power into his body. His mouth flinched a little, but that was all.
"Your pinnacle strength, Jane," Caius said in an almost bored voice behind me. I wished to get it over with and targeted all I had in me at my brother. He screamed at once and beat his limbs on the ground in a violent seizure. I knew he must be close to death, and couldn't stand the sight. Against Caius's wishes, I blinked to break my concentration. CRACK! His whip licked the small of my back, causing me to yelp out.
"I didn't say you could stop!" he snarled. Alec opened his eyes and shook his head, not bearing to see me in pain either. I grinded my teeth together and refocused my stare on his poor form. The seizure continued and I could sense the satisfied smirk of Caius looking on. My eyes shutter-clicked like an automatic camera the tourists sometimes carried with them.
"I-I can't do it!" CRACK! This one fell behind my left shoulder and stung like a red-hot rod being gouged into my skin. Caius showed no mercy.
"You know the penalty for insubordination, foolish girl. Consider yourself lucky to still be in one piece. Concentrate! We will be here all night if need be." I drew in my breath and held my eyelids open for the last wave of misery. Alec's screams and dry sobs continued, as did mine. It seemed like an hour in Hell before he gave the order to stop. I rushed to Alec and held him close. He patted my back in the non-tender area to assure me he was alright now. Caius put away his weapon and pulled us apart.
"When we return, both of you will apologize to Carlisle for what you have done and implore for his forgiveness. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Master," we automatically responded.
"One more thing: Aro will hear about this." He released us from his grip and we were lead back in shame—a rare occurrence. Stupid girl, I chastised myself. I never gave Carlisle a chance to explain himself. What would Master Aro think of me now? I hoped I would never find out.
We passed through the hallways of our hotel in silence, predicting to what we would say to Carlisle once we had to face him. Caius opened the door and we soon had an audience with the Cullen-I mean, Carlisle. He lie on his bed and turned off the television set once he saw us in the doorway. "Jane, Alec, do come in," he said in a calm voice. Alec and I shared a supporting look before striding closer and kneeling at his bedside in the same fashion a guilty vampire would pay respects to Master Aro or any of the leaders.
"Carlisle," Alec started for me. "My sister and I have acted in the most reprehensible manner tonight. We distrusted you, disrespected you, and couldn't be more ashamed for the trouble we've caused." I touched his arm.
"In short, we are so sorry. Could you ever forgive us?" Carlisle smiled and took us up on his bed for a warm embrace.
"Of course, Jane. All is forgiven." His eyes glazed over a familiar piece of paper Alec must have dropped earlier. "You two were under the impression that I set up your meals on purpose, and naturally perceived me as a liar." We cast our gaze to the bed sheets. "I admit that I am guilty as well, but not for dishonesty. It was a mix-up of orders from my supplier. I usually put in a request for animal blood, so it was a mistake to be expected. What I should have done was to read the receipt to be sure you were given what you wanted. That was my error. May I ask for your forgiveness?" We nodded without a second thought. "Thank you." He smiled and rose from his sitting position.
"If you'll both excuse me, I still need to speak with Caius." We trailed behind Carlisle when Caius threw open the door to escape. "Hold it right there, mister!" Caius muttered a few choice words and closed it shut. "Where were you all this time while we played baseball?" The inquired crossed his arms and remained silent. "Felix, could you please empty his pockets?" Felix pried away Caius's arms and removed his cloak, taking out a multitude of accessories: his stock-whip, a smaller whip, a riding crop, two pairs of fluffy cheetah-print handcuffs, nylon rope, and a handful of plastic packages containing multi-colored elastic pouches. Carlisle boldly walked up to him and half-heartedly punched him on the side of the head. "I've had more patients than I could count over the last couple thousand years, but you, sir, are sick!"
