Heidi was my guard for today, throwing a pair of jeans and a pale blue, silk camisole at my head to wake me up, and I reluctantly crawled into the bathroom. We were civil to one another, not quite friends, but not mortal enemies either, and she kindly handed me some crutches when I passed her on the way to the bathroom. My ankle was hurting again, I needed more pills, but I think Felix has demanded that I'm not allowed them after my cackling phase yesterday and that kind of sucked, because those were good pills. But, enough of pills I'm probably not allowed anymore, today I had 'team building' class with Alec and that was…that was just wrong.

Once dressed and ready, apart from shoes, I went back into the bedroom and Heidi held out a pair of Ugg boots, because they were probably the only shoes that would fit over my bandage. I yanked the boots on, testing my weight on my bad ankle, because I really didn't want to wander round on crutches all day. Heidi gave me a sceptical look, but left me limp out the room without my crutches and she held out a pill for me, which was just perfect. I took it happily, putting it in my mouth, and she placed a glass of water in my hand, allowing me to swallow the pill down with the cool water. Pills were good.

"Felix told me you got a little strange on pills," Heidi stated, giving me a cautious look, and I shrugged in reply as we went into the kitchen and Cookie already had my breakfast ready for me. I thanked him cheerfully, eating my food quickly, and Heidi rolled her crimson eyes at me, fluffing her mahogany coloured hair. "I heard about your fight with Alec yesterday," she smirked and I scowled.

"He deserved it," I said stubbornly and she laughed, a light tinkling sound. "He did, Heidi, calling me a pathetic little human, and I might be, but does he need to announce whenever he feels a little bit mad at me? He needs to grow up, and he's what? A thousand?"

"Not quite, dear," Heidi replied and I rolled my eyes. "He was turned in the early 1700s, Lia, but don't ask for the story, it'll give you nightmares," she told me, smoothing a lock of my black hair back, and I frowned slightly.

"Why? What happened?" I asked, even though she just told me not to, and Heidi gave me an exasperated look. "Please, Heidi," I begged, getting a spoonful of cereal, and Heidi shook her head.

"No, Lia, it's not my story to tell," she said firmly and I sighed, but nodded. "Now, hurry up, Santiago will be waiting to give you your lessons, though it'll probably only be about Spain again," she snorted lightly, rolling her eyes. "I could give you proper lessons, trust me."

"In what, Heidi?" a cold voice said. "Make up and clothes?"

"Alec, is there a reason you're in the kitchen?" Heidi responded coolly, her red eyes narrowing on him, and I repressed the urge to fling a spoonful of cereal at Alec's head. "I knew those pills made you funny," Heidi sighed, seeing my thoughtful gaze on my spoon, and I smiled sweetly, eating the cereal in my spoon quickly.

"Aro wants you to go out and bring in some…meals," Alec stated and Heidi sighed, standing, while I looked at her in disbelief and silently begged her not to leave me with him. "I'm to be her new guard," Alec's lip curled slightly and I groaned, dropping my head onto the table.

"She's a little strange on the pills, but she needs one every four hours," Heidi stated and I looked up at the rattle of a pill jar. "No more for another four hours, Lia," Heidi said sternly and I dropped my head back onto the table. "And she hasn't got her crutches, but if she starts limping too much, she needs them, okay?" Heidi said like I was a child being handed over to the nanny and I felt like it. "Goodbye, Lia," Heidi patted my head and left me alone with Alec.

Silence fell, no surprise there, and I heard the chair scrape slightly as Alec sat down and I'm pretty sure Cookie was having a heart attack. Due to how hungry I was, I lifted my head to continue eating my cereal, ignoring Alec completely, and he glared at me, obviously blaming me for the team building we had to do today. I shuddered at the thought of it, before remembering that I could make his life hell, and I giggled into my cereal, causing Alec to frown at me. I didn't do or say anything else, just ate my cereal, and my lips stayed curved in an evil little smirk. I think I've been hanging around the vampires for too long to be honest.

When I'd finished my cereal, Alec led me to the 'classroom' where Santiago was already waiting with my Spanish Armada essay on the table in front of him and he had on his usual, blank expression. I sat at the second table, ready for my long lecture on what was wrong with my essay, and I was surprised when he smiled slightly and placed the essay on the table in front of me. In the top, right hand corner was a red B, I actually got a B from Santiago, and he was really strict when it came to marking my work. B to Santiago was like an A+++++ to normal teachers and I repressed the urge to squeal and jump and down with happiness at that B.

"Well done," Santiago said simply in his Spanish accent, moving back to his desk. "Today, Lia, we are learning about the Spanish Inquisition," he stated and started spilling out facts I had to take notes on, because I would have an essay about this at the end of the week.

For once, I prayed that Santiago's lessons would go on for the rest of the day, far past two, but they didn't and two came quickly. It was like because I was dreading, the lessons in Santiago's deeply accented Spanish voice went by so fast I could barely grip hold of them, and then two in the afternoon was soon stood right in front of me. Okay, so it was Alec, but it was like the devil, and Aro was sat at Santiago's desk with Santiago stood behind him with a smirk on his face. Aro hadn't actually told us what we were meant to do, apart from stand in front of one another for the moment, and I was getting a little impatient.

"Okay, we're going to do trust building," Aro smiled calmly and we looked at him, eyes narrowed. "You are to tell one another a secret that no one else, apart from perhaps Jane in Alec's case, and then you are to keep that secret, therefore creating trust between you," Aro sounded very proud of himself and we just stared at him. "Would you like us to leave for five minutes?" Aro offered and Santiago looked vaguely disappointed at the thought.

"No," Alec answered for us and I glared at him. "You go first, girl."

"Perhaps the trust thing would work better if he actually used my name," I smirked, knowing he called me girl to show he was better than me, and Alec's lips pressed into a thin line.

"Yes, I agree," Aro nodded and Alec's lip curled slightly. "From now on, Alec, you are to address Lia by her name and nothing else, unless it's an affectionate nickname."

"You mean like arse?"

"No, Lia," Aro sighed. "I'll blame that on the pill you've just had."

"Sorry, sir," I smiled sweetly and his lips twitched slightly, like he was fighting a smile. "Who goes first, sir? As you're in charge, I think you should choose, not Alec," I said, sucking up in the hopes he'd make Alec go first, and Aro smiled slightly.

"Lia, you go first," he said and my smile slipped away instantly.

"Fine," I relented and Alec smirked at me. "Um, does it count if my dad knows about it?" I asked and Aro nodded his head silently. "I used to be scared of the bathtub because I thought that crocodiles would crawl out of the plughole and eat me after I saw this thing about people flushing baby crocodiles down the toilet and they were in the sewers," I admitted reluctantly and Alec's lips curved into a smirk. "I was five," I snapped, flushing darkly. "Now, it's your turn."

"Yes, Alec, it's your turn to share," Aro smiled and I smirked as Alec's smirk slid away and Santiago was chuckling into his hand.

"As a human, I was frightened of cats," Alec sighed, a frown on his face as he admitted it, and I arched an eyebrow. Cats? He used to be frightened of cute little kitty cats? What was so scary about cats? Was it their sweet little whiskers? Or their cute little noses? Oh, what about their soft fluffy tails? "Shut up, Lia," Alec stressed my name and I was confused at the shiver that ran down my spine.

"I didn't say anything," I argued and he glared at me.

"Don't start fighting," Aro said before Alec could say something in reply and I kept my mouth shut. "Now that you have told one another secrets, you need to strengthen your trust," Aro smiled and we frowned slightly. "Lia, you're going to turn around and fall," Aro decided.

"So I can injure myself even more?" I asked incredulously and Aro chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"It's the trust fall, you fall back and Alec catches you," he stated and Alec and I just stared at him. "Get to it, I have another exercise for you to do," Aro smiled, clapping his hands to get us to hurry up, and I looked at the distance between Alec and me, knowing I'd crack my head open on the floor if he stayed where he was.

Reluctantly, I shifted slightly closer, before turning around so my back was to him and squeezing my blue eyes shut in preparation to hitting the ground. My body fell backwards at my command, tensing up, and icy hands caught my waist after a second, supporting me and keeping me from hitting the ground. Cautiously, I cracked an eye open, seeing Alec glaring down at me, and he stood me on my feet, making sure I was steady before releasing me. Aro was smiling happily, obviously pleased with whatever progress he thought we'd made, and we kept space between us, probably about an arm's length.

"Next, Alec, you are going to blind Lia," Aro smiled and I stared at him, eyes wide, while Alec smirked slowly and his red eyes grew a malicious glint. "You are then going to lead her around the castle, without harming her or leaving her anywhere, and when you get back here, you may remove the blindness."

"Sir, I don't think that this is a good idea," I argued and Alec laid a hand on my shoulder.

"On the contrary, I think this is the perfect idea," he stated and Aro beamed at the praise. "Don't worry, Lia," Alec whispered, using the voice he'd used in Siena, and I gulped slightly as he ran his finger beneath my eye and he smirked at me, moving his lips close to my ear. "This won't hurt a bit."

With those words, my world went black, Alec's hand against my cheek, the other on my forearm, and I gasped slightly at suddenly having my vision ripped from me. It felt horrible, just staring at the black, even though my eyes were open, and I was too frightened to move in case I walked into something or tripped, because I couldn't see. Alec wrapped a hand around my wrist, tugging me in a direction, and I stumbled slightly, his free hand moving to my waist to support me. When I was steady, he carried on leading me out the room and I cautiously followed him, my fingers wrapping into his sleeve desperately for some sort of support.

Alec just kept walking, only pausing when I stumbled slightly, which was often, and I was frightened, really frightened at not being able to see. My hands were trembling slightly, gripping onto Alec's arm so tightly that, if he were human, he'd be bruised, and all I could hear were my own, clumsy footsteps and strangely loud breathing, because Alec was so creepily silent. The only reason I knew he was there was because I was clinging to him so tightly and he occasionally placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me. I had no idea where we were, if there was anyone around, if there were windows, and it scared me more than I thought it would.

Suddenly, I felt the floor disappear beneath my feet and a startled yelp escaped me, my grip around Alec tightening fearfully. His arm wrapped around my waist quickly, stopping me from falling down what I think were stairs, and I clutched him tightly, hating being blind. I was shaking, I realised, burrowing closer into the person I had to rely on, the person who wouldn't cared if I broke my neck, and he sighed, his cool breath ruffling my black hair. He still had his arm around my waist, stopping me from falling, but I just wanted to see again, to see where I was going, see the castle, even to see him and his arrogant smirk on his beautiful face.

"I don't like this," I whimpered, not caring if Alec thought I was pathetic, and he sighed again. "Give me back my vision, please, I really don't like this, please," I begged, turning my face up so, if I had my sight, I could see him, and I heard the rustling of clothes, so I think he shook his head. "Alec," I pleaded.

"No, Aro said not until we get back to the classroom," Alec said firmly. "I'll help you down the stairs," he muttered reluctantly, lifting me easily and going so quickly down the stairs I felt a little nauseated. "Let's go," he stated, prying my fingers free from the front of his jacket, and I latched onto his hand instead, needing something to hold onto.

Alec was silent again, but his pace was slower, something I appreciated, and I stumbled along next to him, feeling like a fool. If Felix saw me now, he'd either ridicule me for life/eternity, or threaten Alec colourfully when we were alone and comfort me when he realised how freaked out I was by it all. Demetri would just pat my head in that way of his and tell me that, one day, when I was all grown up, I could kick Alec in the arse and have him flying to Canada. Heidi would sigh, tell me to get over it, and drag me into either her or my closet to sort through clothes, because Heidi was obsessed with designer labels.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked when Alec suddenly picked me up again so my feet dangling and my arms coiled around his neck tightly as he sighed softly, his breath against my neck this time.

"Stairs," he stated simply and I nodded slightly, surprised when my cheek touched his. He didn't falter in his trek up the stairs, supporting me like I weighed no more than a feather, and his arm was tight, almost reassuring around my waist while I couldn't see. Maybe if I begged enough, he'd just carry me, because he wouldn't want me to whine, would he? So if I just pleaded, he'd carry me back to the room and I wouldn't be terrified about being walked out of a window or something.

"Alec-"

"I am not carrying you," he interrupted.

"You're a mind reader now?" I grumbled, frowning irritably, and Alec put me back on the ground.

"No, you told me," he said slowly and I shook my head.

"I thought it," I argued.

"But, I heard you," he protested.

"You are a mind reader!"

"No, I'm not, be quiet, let me think," Alec said sharply, releasing me, and I was left grasping thin air, panic flooding through me.

"Alec?" I called cautiously, reaching out, and I was surprised when an icy hand wrapped around my warm one.

"Shush," he told me quietly, letting my fingers curl into his sleeve, and I shifted slightly closer to him. "Perhaps that's what Aro sees in you," he murmured absently and I really didn't care at the moment. "You can project thoughts," he mused.

"No, I can't," I said instantly and Alec sighed.

"Then explain how I heard what you were thinking," he said with surprising patience and I frowned slightly, hoping it was directed at him. "I think, with one of your senses down, whatever sixth sense you have has amplified to make up for the lost sense, as your normal ones do, and that is how I could hear your thoughts," he explained.

"Okay, what am I thinking now?" I challenged, thinking about Skittles, and Alec was silent. "You can't hear me?" I asked cautiously.

"No, perhaps we need skin to skin contact," Alec answered. "We'll talk to Aro."

"Can I have my sight back?" I asked hopefully and he just carried on walking, leaving me stumble along beside him clumsily.

What if he was right? What if I could make people hear what I was thinking with one sense down? Would Aro take away one sense a day to strengthen it whilst I was human? I wouldn't put it past him. In the past few months, I've realised that Aro only truly cares about power, and perhaps Sulpicia, but I don't find him creepy anymore, I guess, more like an annoying uncle. Still, I was spend my last few years as a normal human, not some plaything for Aro, and I didn't want to be a freak, anymore than now, at least. I mean, no one normal would be kidnapped by vampires and have a constant vampire bodyguard, would they? Because, vampires didn't exist to normal people, vampires were just figments of people's imaginations, seen in movies, read about in books, but they weren't real and they couldn't hold you captive.

The sound of a creaking caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts, and Aro's voice greeted us cheerfully, but I just tugged on Alec's hand urgently, wanting my vision back. "Close your eyes," Alec ordered quietly and I obeyed without hesitation, disconcerted when the thick black didn't increase or decrease. "Okay, open them again," he said and I cautiously pried my eyes open.

Sparkling was the first thing I saw, Alec was sparkling because he was stood in the sunlight, and I almost gasped at how beautiful he was. His eyes were bright ruby from feeding yesterday, his features as perfect as ever, and I stared at him only because he was the first thing I saw after what felt like hours. That's also why I hugged him with a happy squeal, because I was relieved that I could see again, and he seemed to shocked to shove me off. I let him go when I realised what I was doing, giving him a glare like it was his fault, and he glared right back at me as Aro smiled at us. We stepped away from each other hastily, facing Aro with my cheeks pink, and he looked extremely pleased with us.

"I heard her thoughts," Alec announced and I glared at him for telling Aro, who looked intrigued. "I was carrying her up some stairs, because she would've broken her neck otherwise, and our skin touched and I heard her thoughts," Alec explained in a very formal voice and I frowned deeply, feeling like a freak.

"Is that so?" Aro smiled eagerly, holding a hand out to Alec, and Alec obligingly placed his hand in Aro's, whose expression turned into a wide grin as he read Alec's thoughts. "Interesting," Aro mused, releasing Alec's hand, and I felt nervous. "Once a week, you'll have your sight removed so that we can work on enhancing your ability whilst you're still human," he decided and I gulped slightly, but didn't argue. "Next week, same time, the pair of you," Aro smirked, gliding out the room silently.

Without a word, I grabbed my books and things from the desk and I left the room with Alec silently following me like a shadow. I glanced back at him, meeting his crimson eyes, and he glared at me, causing me to turn my head back round quickly and face front. My mind drifted back to my supposed ability, because it could've just been Alec guessing that I wanted to be carried and he's completely mistaken. Yes, Aro had inspected Alec's mind to see if it was right, but that didn't mean Alec could've imagined it and just made it seem extremely realistic, because I was normal, completely normal.

Thanks to Crystalkyuubi-chan, DoubleAA, Alec08, VampWolfGirl09, SecretReader2, mia, nikki, QuirkyCullen, and SkittyStarikova. Also thanks to LChandler2009, Alec08, Red Iris7963, GwenShaw56, and Crystalkyuubi-chan for alerts/favourites.

In answer to SecretReader2's question, Lia was acting a little insane because they gave her painkillers for her ankle and they made her a little loopy. Answering Alec08's question, yes, Lia and Alec are going to get together, probably in a few chapters Lia will admit she does, sort of, like him.