I'm going on a writing spree because spring! And I also have a long paper I need to write, so I'm using this as a distraction. I'm terrible.


Two days later, everything came to a head. They had just finished with an execution and a feeding, and were mingling with one another. However, as had become the norm, Caius was the exception. He was sitting in his chair, minding his own business and scowling at the pile of human corpses in the center of the room.

It had been a rather tense couple of days for him, and he knew that everyone had noticed. To make matters worse, Aro's persistence was proving to be particularly annoying. He knew that the other vampire was getting a bit worried about him, but he just couldn't bring himself to say anything. Not yet.

Caius sighed, stood up, and headed in the direction of his chambers. Maybe he could slip out, unnoticed...

No such luck. Within seconds, he heard Aro run up behind him.

"Oh, for heaven's sake..." Caius groaned inwardly and turned to the older vampire. "I am going to my chambers. Will you please stop following me?"

"I am not following you, brother dear. I am merely seeking an answer to my question."

"That was two days ago."

"Precisely. I assumed that two days would be an appropriate amount of time to receive an answer."

"...That's not how this works." Caius stared at him with a bit of exasperation. "That's not how any of this works."

"In that case, would you care to enlighten me on the correct way to approach this?"

"No." Caius turned away and began to walk, until he felt something touch his hand.

"Brother, I-..."

He heard a pause and turned back around to see what it was. Aro was staring at him and looking rather horrified.

Oh no.

He knows.

"To my study. Now." Aro's expression became neutral as he ushered Caius down the hall.

Once they were sitting in the study with the door firmly closed behind them, Aro spoke.

"Why did you not tell me?"

Caius said nothing.

"Brother, you have nothing to fear. Why did you not tell me that this had happened?"

"I didn't know what you would do." Caius said simply. "Would you have listened?"

"Of course! This is a serious matter! You were attacked by Children of the Moon, and that is something I do not take lightly. Do you not recall what happened the first time you were assaulted?"

"Yes, I remember." Caius said softly, after a pause. It was almost true; He did indeed have the memories, but he'd tried to repress them in the centuries since it had happened, and they had become very foggy.

"You know as well as I that Children of the Moon are known for forcing themselves upon their victims." Aro stood up and walked around his desk until he was only a couple feet away from Caius. "There is a reason they were so thoroughly hunted: This was not supposed to happen ever again."

He walked back around his desk, reached into a drawer, pulled out a cigar, and lit it.

"I remember the state you were in when you were brought back." He continued after exhaling a large puff of smoke. "You were unresponsive for days. You would not leave your chambers, not even to feed. Until you finally ordered that the beasts be hunted to extinction, we were unsure if you would recover."

Well, I'll be damned. He really does have a heart.

Caius instinctively wrapped his arms around his midsection and cringed. That familiar fluttering sensation was back.

When he glanced over, he noticed that Aro was eyeing him uneasily through the smoke. Specifically, the stare was directed at his stomach.

He looked down at himself. His stomach was still small, but it had started to become more rounded and more noticeable.

"So, what is to be done?" Caius asked.

"I am unsure of how to proceed." Aro inhaled from his cigar once more, looking pensive. "This certainly is an unusual situation." He tilted his head to the side. "Perhaps we should come to a decision later."

"I agree." Caius nodded. "I would like more time to prepare. However, if I may, I would like to request that you speak of this to no one else. You and Athenodora are the only ones that know, and I would prefer for it to remain this way for the time being."

"I will honor your wishes, but I suggest that you find a way to announce it soon."

"It will become very obvious." Caius glanced down at his midsection one more time. "It won't be long at all."

"The others will soon begin to ask questions." Aro warned. "You must be prepared to answer them."

"I understand. I have an explanation."

"Good." The elder vampire balanced the cigar on the lip of an ash tray. "That is what's important. You have done your research." He sat back down behind his desk. "If you have no further questions, you are free to go."

"Thank you." Caius rose from his chair and exited the study.


Meh, it may be kind of boring, but what can I say? It's my procrastination chapter. No one said it'd be a good one.

Aaaaaaand now I have no idea what to do next.