Benjamin's POV

I stood with one hand pressed to the wall. I could imagine Tia's slender, beautiful new body on the other side of the wall. I suddenly heard footsteps, and I shrunk behind a column, wishing I could light this vampire on fire. I'd tracked her scent, noted that on the way here, it was mixed with someone else's. Then I'd peeked in through the window and seen him.

I guessed that he was from Spanish origins. The typical vampiric pallor had affected his skin tone in almost exactly the same way it had affected mine.

"Alejandro," I suddenly heard Tia stutter. I closed my eyes and sunk into the sound of her musical voice. "How long have you - ?"

"Through the entire performance," he replied. I could hear a smirk in his voice, and I felt like slapping it off his face. A silence descended and to pass the time, I imagined flinging a ball of fire at Alejandro. I heard the rustle of clothing as someone moved and then the sound of skin on skin. I couldn't stop my curiosity and I slid around the corner.

And gasped.

Dozens of feeling flooded through me in the same second - anger, hurt, betrayal, sorrow – as I stepped around the corner and saw what was happening.

Tia, twined into Alejandro and his arms pressing into her back, pushing her closer to him. Asshole. To stop myself from hitting him, I turned and stared into Tia's eyes, letting all my anger and sorrow show. "Tia?" I whispered. It sounded loud in the quiet room.

Indecision flickered across her face. Her face was so different. I hadn't missed that when I had walked in, she had acted like a stranger, categorizing my appearance.

"Benjamin," she replied.

Tia's POV

I stared across the small room at Benjamin. Alejandro, perplexed, was staring between us.

"Do you two know each other?" he asked.

Well? Did we? It was a hard question to answer. I didn't even know his father's name, yet our emotional bond went so deep. The silence lasted for several minutes.

Finally, Alejandro spoke. "I thought I smelled something different in the house, but I wasn't sure."

Neither of us said anything. I traced Benjamin's features with my eyes, that hard jaw line, the sculpted nose and the wide, expressive eyes – a face which I knew so well and yet seemed like a stranger's face to me.

No one moved.

After a silence that seemed to last hours – and who knew if it did or didn't? We were vampires, we lived for eternity, time flowed differently – Alejandro cleared his throat. "I'll er… just go get some more blood from the… yes. We'll talk over drinks. Yes." And he hurried from the room, leaving me and Benjamin staring at each other through eyes that steadily became more and more slitted.

He took a step towards me and I hissed defensively. He skittered back, like a nervous horse, and held up his hands. "Tia, Tia… calm down! Can we talk?"

"There. Is. Nothing. To. Say." I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Tia, come on. You should know that I would never do anything to hurt you." He winced. I could guess what was going through his head – Oh, sure. You would never do anything to hurt her? How about keeping your vampire-ness a secret and letting Tassara spill it for you? Oh, and what about changing her into a vampire? Sure, that was completely painless.

I bit my tongue to keep the hateful words back. "Get out, Benjamin," I ordered him.

"There's no need for that," a smooth voice interjected. Alejandro was back, cups of blood in hand. "I don't mind if he stays here. That way, you two can work out your problems and I can get to know you better." He gave me a charming smile and handed me a mug. I gave him a dark look, but took a sip anyway, so that I could avoid looking at Benjamin's face. The blood rushed down my throat, giving me a boost of confidence and strength.

"As you wish, Alejandro," I murmured. "Now, would you excuse me? I'd like to be alone."

"Of course!" they said in unison. I didn't miss the hateful glare that Benjamin shot Alejandro. It made my dislike for him increase tenfold, and I swiftly pushed them out of the room, slamming the door in their faces before I attacked him.

Turning back to my bed, I sank onto it and rested my head in my hands. Thoughts whirled dizzily through my head. What was I to do?

Benjamin. Was. Here.

In the place that I thought I'd be able to forget him and move on! How was it possible?

I mulled over it for a while, but I couldn't find an answer. Giving up, I reached for the cup of blood on my bedside table and glugged it down. Then I closed my eyes and lay back down. The bed was useless to me, since I felt no muscle strain or need to sleep, but I wanted to enjoy a minute of being human. I closed my eyes, reveling in the darkness. Being alone with myself was all I needed. Well, as alone as I could be, anyway. I knew enough about my new life to tell that both of the other vampires in the house would be able to hear my every breath.

I needed air. But I didn't know enough about Cairo to go to a place where I could find some space.

I would just have to explore.

I pulled open the curtains. I hadn't noticed that they were closed before. The darkness was comforting to me. I could see perfectly well in the darkness anyway. But as soon as I pushed the dark, heavy material aside, the room burst with light. My shift had ended at eleven last night. It looked to be about 7 am. I frowned in confusion. I must have been at Alejandro's house longer than I thought.

I let the curtain fall again and checked my reflection in the mirror. Not a hair out of place. It sounded vain, even to myself, but I knew that my face would rival even that of the most beautiful woman in Egypt. It would rival all but another vampire's.

Standing in front of the window again, I looked for the latch and pulled at it gently. It came away easily, but with a grating sound of rust that indicated it hadn't been opened in years. Huh. It must have been more jammed than I realized with my enhanced strength.

I climbed onto the windowsill, careful of my skirts, and prepared to jump. Instinctually, I knew that anything physical would come with great ease – a polar opposite to my previous life. I inhaled and bent my knees slightly – which was when a set of footsteps quietly padded into the room.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Benjamin said.

I gritted my teeth against the desire to sigh at the sound of his voice.

"Don't order me around," I snarled. I almost regretted the hostile tone of my voice, but when I turned to look at his face, I felt waves of anger surging back. His features were almost blank, almost apathetic. If I looked closer, I could see a tinge of hurt and anger deep in his eyes, but then I inwardly slapped myself for imagining things that were against the rules.

"Tia, have you looked at yourself? You can't go out in the daytime."

Strange. What was he talking about? I looked down at the flawless skin on my arms and gasped.

The surface of my skin sparkled – literally – as if hundreds of diamonds had been embedded in the surface. It was so beautiful – a word I had never applied to myself before. I stroked my skin, wondering if what Benjamin had done to me was really a gift or a curse.

"If you had waited before leaving, I would have explained everything about being a v-vam… one of us to you. But you just left." He continued in a softer tone, "I was going crazy wondering if Alexandrians were scared out of their minds and were coming to hunt you down with pitchforks. Not that pitchforks would hurt you anyway, though," he added with an odd little chuckle. Nervous, I guessed. I glanced at his eyes and noticed them flicking around. Yes, nervous.

I smiled, pleased with myself. I had never been good at reading people. This vampirization had changed that.

I listened closely and heard Alejandro pacing in the kitchen. Tense? Pff. I could handle myself. Even while being new to this world, I could tell that there was enormous, massive strength in my arms.

I turned my head slightly to the right and almost had an aneurysm. I had somehow been so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice Benjamin coming closer to me, so close that if I turned my head a little more, our lips would have met.

As tempting as it was to lean in a little further, the rational side of my brain cautioned me against it. Benjamin? You're thinking about kissing Benjamin? Are you nuts?

Before I could say anything, Benjamin whispered, so softly that I wouldn't be able to hear with human ears. "I could show you now," he murmured. His breath whooshed into my face. It was sweet scented and seemed to be a perfectly balanced combination of some of the most beautiful scents. Orange, lilac, chocolate, sea salt… a thousand things that shouldn't have gone well together but did.

"Show me what?" I breathed, intoxicated somewhat by his closeness.

"Tell you everything about being a vampire. All the information you need to know to survive in this world. Just say yes, Tia…"

That snapped me out of my odd trance. Inwardly, I slapped myself. Outwardly, I slapped Benjamin.

"Get out of my space," I hissed. He skittered back with a startled expression. I had realized what he was doing – manipulating and lying, as always. He had wanted me to get mesmerized by him, and I almost had. Luckily for me, he had blown it.

He must have seen the thoughts on my face, because he quickly exclaimed, "No, Tia! Don't think that. I want you to know about being a vampire. I'm not trying to manipulate you." His voice was suffused with care, and what sounded like a sincere, desperate plea.

For one moment, my heart tore. I got a clear picture in my head of Benjamin and I sitting on a swing together, laughing with our hands intertwined.

"Tia?" Benjamin's voice interrupted my vision. I snapped my head around, startled.

"Sorry. I spaced out for a second there." He smiled. It was probably the first half-civil response he had gotten from me since my change.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked me, obviously wanting to push his luck. My eyes narrowed. "Wrong question?" Benjamin asked with a cheeky grin that made me feel a rush of affection.

"Get out," I said, controlling my facial expressions before they gave away my feelings.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"No." His face fell a little, but I forced myself to believe it was my imagination and turned away, even though it hurt.

I heard his footsteps going down the stairs and I sank down onto the bed again.

The kitchen door opened. I could hear the rushing noise it made while sweeping over the floor.

"Drink?" I heard Alejandro ask.

"Only if it's red," I heard Benjamin laugh. Alejandro joined in, his deep, warm chuckle making me tingle. The fridge door opened and shut. I heard something being poured into a mug and even from upstairs, I could smell it. I ignored it and the burn in my throat, holding my breath.

I began to rethink things. If I was doomed to a life of only night, it complicated matters. I knew there were places on Earth that hardly ever saw the light of day, always under the shadow of ever-present clouds but every fibre of my being rebelled against leaving Egypt, or even Africa in general. I loved the sunlight and the heat that beat against my skin. I loved the flies and the dusty roads and the smell of the bazaar.

And now I couldn't have any of it, thanks to Benjamin. Great. Mentally, I notched up another black mark on his list.

The sound of voices coming closer jolted me out of my trance.

"Tia?" I heard Alejandro. "I'm going out for a while. I'll be back soon, but you have Benjamin for company."

Oh, sure. The person I was trying hardest to avoid was now my babysitter. But another thought occurred to me:

"Alejandro, it's daylight. How will you go out without causing car accidents?"

He had entered the passageway outside my room by now, and was standing outside the door, as was respectable. He winked at me. "I have my ways."

'Teacchhhhh meeeeee,' I wanted to whine, but instead I smiled back at him and wished him a good time. He nodded his head and withdrew. I heard the front door open and close softly, leaving me alone with him.

I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, becoming as still as a statue. I heard Benjamin's quiet breathing, and his murmured "Tia?", but I didn't acknowledge him besides adopting what I hoped was a stony and dismissive demeanour. He lingered outside my door for a while but eventually withdrew, leaving me alone with a suddenly crushing depression.

Suicide seemed stupid. What was I thinking, to abandon life so carelessly? That was one thing good about my new life, one gold star on Benjamin's chart. I had another chance at life, and this time I would life it right.

I don't know for how many hours I stayed locked in a foetal position, but at length, when the shadows were becoming longer and the room was much darker, the front door opened and closed and I heard a murmured greeting from Alejandro to Benjamin and vice versa. I roused myself carefully and straightened my hair and clothes in the mirror.

Making my way downstairs, my throat began to burn again and I sped up, thirsty again. It was partly because I could smell it – they were drinking it – and partly, I suspected, because I was a new vampire.

"Can I have some?" I asked, running a hand through my thick hair as I walked into the kitchen. Both the men laughed and I was handed a full mug which I gulped down in about two seconds.

"Why am I still thirsty?" I asked, frowning. Benjamin looked up from his feet hopefully, but I was looking at Alejandro and from the corner of my eye I saw his face fall. I felt a twinge of regret, for some reason, but I pushed it away.

"Because you're young," Alejandro replied. "And by the way, it's dark out. Your shift at the café is in two hours, but now's the time that everyone's waking up from their siestas. You should probably head out now."

I raised a questioning eyebrow and he winked. "I saw the employee board behind the counter."

"And you memorised my shifts?" I asked incredulously.

"Not intentionally," he said after a second's pause. "I spotted it and it became imprinted on my memory."

"O-ka-ay," I said slowly, thinking about whether this should bother me. I decided that it shouldn't, and pasted a smile on my face before Alejandro asked any questions.

"Alright then," I exclaimed brightly. "I'm off. See you at night."

"You don't need to change clothes or something? Are you really allowed to go to work in trackpants and a shirt?"

As always, I stiffened at the sound of his voice. It had a richer quality than Alejandro's, and sincerity rang in every syllable. It was a voice that was impossible to doubt, a voice that commanded trust. And his face – the angles of it were softer, somehow making him more approachable.

Another one of his tricks.

Taking a deep breath in to prevent myself from snapping, I tried to reply as civilly as possible.

"Yes, I should. Thank you for reminding me." In a rush, I sped up the stairs in about a sixteenth of a second. I kicked the door shut – it splintered, and I winced. I'd have to reimburse Alejandro for that. Then I pulled the curtains closed. Didn't want anyone spying on me again. It had disturbed me a bit last time… something was off about Alejandro. Maybe he was too nice?

That's ridiculous, Tia. You're doubting him because he's too nice? You're just messed up because Benjamin is here.

That was true. I was probably stressed out due to Benjamin's unwanted presence. That would be my mission then: finding out what Benjamin wanted, then evicting him.

I slipped on some black clothes – slacks and a sleeveless shirt – and strode out the door. The only dress code for employees was black and an apron. The apron I'd pick up at the café.

Actually, this apron was one of the things I loved about the place I worked at. It covered the front of my body – thus protecting me from the lecherous glances of coffee-drinking men. Plus, if I didn't get any glances, it meant less hatred from the other waitresses.

Instead of facing Benjamin again, I decided to climb out my window. It was quite a long drop for the first floor but I jumped before I had time to think.

Despite my heeled shoes and the drop of possibly eight to ten metres, it was very easy. My cloak billowed out around me as the air rushed through it, and I sped through the city taking the fastest routes to get to my shift on time.

Cracking open the door, I inhaled the warm smell of coffee (unappetizing, again) and let the warm air wash over me. I didn't feel cold outside, but had brought the coat with me as an afterthought. It would look odd to humans to see someone out in the cold without a coat.

I shrugged out of it and slung it over my shoulder. Hooking an apron off the back of the kitchen door, I hung up the coat in its place. I flashed a smile at the cook (who winked back) and tied my apron on in two seconds. Retrieving my order pad from a pile in the corner, I squeezed back against the wall as another waitress came through the doors bearing a tray loaded with dirty plates. A big company of people, obviously. I hadn't been paying attention when I walked through the door, so I hadn't noticed any such group.

"Where were those people?" I asked her, nodding to the plates.

"Upstairs. Some birthday party. Bloody rich people, ordered everything on the menu and left half of it on the plates." She spat on the ground and dumped the plates in the wash before coming back with a wet mop and wiping up the saliva. "They think they the top in the world, them. When there are starving people all over Egypt, them walk in and leave the food like it trash."

I could understand her point of view. I'd seen starving, begging children too many times before. Still thinking about her words, I pushed through the kitchen doors, pad and pen in hand and started to take orders.

The minutes ticked by. Too slowly for my liking. It became routine. Take orders, flash smiles at men, compliment ladies, tell them how adorable their children are, go to the kitchen, bring food, put it down, leave. And after they're done, collect the dirty plates and take them to the sink. Ignore other waitresses' dirty glares.

Heaving a sigh when my shift finally ended, I swapped the apron for my coat and flicked all the lights off. I was the last to leave so I checked the windows and locked the doors, putting the keys under the mat.

I'd taken notice of the route on the way here, so I'd noticed some back-alleys that I could use as shortcuts. I had just slipped into one and was about to break into a run when the sound of quiet footsteps sounded behind me. I waited for the beads of sweat to break out on my forehead, for my heart to start pounding, but there was nothing. Nothing except the thought, Don't run. It wouldn't do for anyone to see your true power.

The footsteps sped up, even though I wasn't moving faster. I could tell it was a man, because he stunk of sweat, cigarettes and exhaust fumes. Perhaps this is a little sexist, but I'd like to think that females have a better sense of hygiene. And besides, every now and then he'd let out a little grunt of effort.

I waited for the inevitable.

Needless to say, when a hand landed heavily on my shoulder, I wasn't surprised at all. More amused, especially when the hand in question struggled futilely to push me back against the alley wall. Spinning around, and making the man lose his balance slightly, I found myself face to face with a stocky, fair-haired man with bristles sprouting from random places on his face. Foreigner. Probably kicked out of a bar when it closed.

"Hey, baby," the man slurred. His fingers stroked my hip bone, stoking up my temper. "You know," he mumbled, "you remind me of someone. You look like somebody. Have I done you before?" He frowned at me blearily and was just opening his mouth to say something when my temper snapped.

I pushed him off me in one smooth motion, and he smacked into the wall behind him so hard that a puff of dust rose up from the old brickwork. He was still alive though – I could hear his heartbeat. He stirred slightly and said, "I've done a hundred girls in the last two months and you're the best one I've found yet." He stared up at me with a dazed look on his face.

I couldn't stop the revulsion and hatred that rose up inside me. People like Raphael, like this guy, deserved to die for what they did to girls. I knew I wouldn't regret it.

Bending down, I picked the guy up in one hand, holding him by his throat.

Then, in one quick motion, I twisted his head and heard a snap.

Disgusted with myself and the –now dead – rapist, I dusted off my hands and stepped back. And when I started for Alejandro's house, something new rose up in me – power. I could feel it in my limbs, coursing through me like fire. No more would I be tormented by the creatures of the night – I was one.

And I was fearless.

Disclaimer: If you recognise anything from the twilight series, it's not mine. But you know that already ;)

A/N: Hey. See, I uploaded. I looked at all the reviews and I just felt SO GUILTY that I finished the chapter and posted it. Hope you like it. I do. :) There's not really much drama or anything, but Tia does some thinking and she begins to question her choice.

Sen: Thank you :)

QuirkyCullen: HAHA. Not going to reveal any spoilers, but you'll get your wish. Because that's how it is in the original books - Tia and Benjamin are together - and I don't like to change the original couples. That's why I don't write Bella/Edward stories, because there's not much I could do with them.

Fiery-Cherry-Princess12: Yay, ily! That is one of the best compliments I've gotten - and the one that kicked me into action to finish this chapter! I tried to make it awesome for you and the other readers, so I hope you enjoy!

Ms. New York Haha a username change I see. :) Really sorry that it took forever to update but well... you know. I doubt you still bother to read this since you had to wait so long, but if you do then I'll be ecstatic :)

As usual, thanks to: Mitali, Saloni, Mridula, Neliz, Alyaa.