Chapter 12: Raven

(Alec's POV)

"The vampire that adopted you was Caius?" I asked still dumfounded

"Yes." She said slowly as if speaking to a child.

"Caius?" I asked still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of him adopting a human child.

"I think we've established what his name is." Raven said sounding a little amused.

"I just didn't expect that."

"Obviously." She murmured.

Finally composing myself I continued my train of thought: "I just didn't expect that because he's always so cruel and hateful towards humans."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover Alec. Many people hide who they really are. You're a perfect example of that.

I pursed my lips together hating how right she was.

"So how did you come to be his daughter?" I asked.

"No one has ever asked me about my life before." She sounded surprised.

"Have you ever met someone, other than Jane and me, outside your family and your guards?"

"Good point," she said, "it's such a long story. Can I show you instead?"

"What?" What did she mean 'show me?'

"That's the other part of my gift. I can show people my visions." She reached her hand towards me and without a second though I took. My vision was soon surrounded in darkness.


When my vision came back I was standing in the middle of a busy street. With one look around I could tell I was in Rome two thousand years ago.

The scene suddenly changed to a rundown part of town where all the homeless people lived. There I saw a cloaked Caius walking along the street, probably looking for a decent meal. Following him I soon found myself outside a small old house.

Walking inside, behind Caius, I noticed a half dead looking woman leaning against one of the back walls. She looked exactly like Raven. When I got closer I noticed she was cradling a small baby, I guessed that was Raven. The ill looking woman looked up at Caius with begging eyes.

"Please sir," she said in a weak voice, "help save my daughter from this cruel world."

"I'm not some garden angel." Caius said sharply then turned to leave looking for a better meal.

The vision then changed to three days later and I was standing right outside that same home. I watched Caius walk in once again and followed. This time though Raven's mother was lying on the ground dead, still holding Raven protectively. I watched Caius walk up to the woman and check her pulse even though he knew she was dead due to his enhanced hearing.

Caius stood up and turned to leave, but frozen when the baby Raven started crying. Caius looked over his shoulder at the small child still in her mother's arms. After a few moments of not moving Caius sighed deeply and turned back to the baby. He picked up Raven and after holding her at arm's lengths for a few seconds, cradled her in one arm. When Caius stroked her cheek with a finger from his free hand she grabbed it and brought it to her lips as if kissing his finger.

I couldn't be sure because of where I stood, but I thought I saw him smile before taking off his cloak and wrapping Raven in it.

The scene then darkened and my vision was soon surrounded in blackness.


When my vision returned I was standing in the throne room. The three ancients were talking about their first victory over the Romanian coven. A thousand years later Jane and I, mostly me due the fact that my gift isn't limited to one person, would ensure victory over the Romanians leaving only Vladimir and Stephan.

Suddenly the throne room doors opened and a six year old Raven ran in with Lady Athenodora, Caius's wife, right behind her smiling brightly.

"Daddy!" Raven shouted jumping into Caius's arms, "come put me to bed daddy now."

Aro chuckled "so demanding just like her father."

Marcus nodded in agreement, "go put your daughter to bed brother, we will continue this discussion later." Marcus said standing from his throne. Caius and his wife walked out with Raven sill in her father's arms.

I watched Caius place a sleepy Raven in bed and tuck her in.

"Good night darling." Athenodora said bending down to kiss Raven's forehead.

"Pleasant dreams little Angel." Caius said before blowing out the candles by the bed.

My vision darkened again and the image of Caius and his wife sitting by the sleeping child vanished.


A moment later I was standing in the streets of Volterra at daybreak.

"Look at the sunrise it's so beautiful!" A fourteen year old Raven said watching the sun come up. I recognized the guard with her. He died in the last battle with the Romanians. I remembered him because he was the one person in the castle I could actually talk to without feeling the need to rip him apart.

"It is very beautiful Raven," he said coming up to her, "but we need to go home now before the city wakes up."

"Antonio what's our relationship?" Raven asked taking his hand as they walked back to the castle.

"You tell me." The twenty year old looking vampire asked smiling down at her.

"I think of you as a big brother." Raven said smiling brightly.

Antonio's smile grew wider, "then I'm officially you big brother and I promise I will always be here for you Raven."

Once again my vision clouded in darkness. I'm guessing Raven is doing this on purpose to shorten the story.


When my vision returned I was standing in a large bedroom. The ancients and their wives were surrounding a bed. Antonio was kneeling beside the bed his head bowed in grief. The wives were whimpering, crying tearless sobs. I walked closer to the bed to see Antonio gripping the hand of an eighteen year old Raven. She looked very ill and appeared on the verge of death.

"This wasn't supposed to happen sister," Antonio sobbed, "you weren't supposed to get deathly ill at this young age."

"You were supposed to live out her teenage years and then be turned at a more mature age." Athenodora sobbed into a pained looking Caius's arms.

"Angel?" he whispered loud enough for Raven to hear. My heart broke at the sound of Caius's voice. It was so pained and vulnerable. This wasn't the cruel Caius Volturi that I had known and lived with.

"I don't want to leave any of you," Raven said in a weak voice forcing a warm smile, "fate has chosen for me to die at eighteen, so I give you permission to turn me."

With that the vision faded out again, but not before Raven's screams of pain reached my ears as the venom spread through her body.


When my vision cleared again I was back in Volterra. By looking around I could tell it was about one hundred years before Jane and I came to the Volturi.

I saw Raven walking back to the castle from the city, alone. She was about to enter the castle gates when someone attacked her. She screamed in terror and tried to escape, but her attacker was stronger. I ran to help her, but no matter how many times I tried to grab the attacker my hand just went though him. Right this is just a vision, but I hated just standing here not being able to do anything.

"I'm sure the Volturi leaders will do anything to get their precious princess back." Her attacker said in a deep Russian accent.

However, before he could take her away Antonio came rushing towards them with four other guards on his heels. Antonio attacked the guy, freeing Raven in the process. Through their struggle Raven was able to escape into the castle with the four guards.

Despite Antonio's best efforts to stop the attacker, he managed to get away.

'Where was Demetri?' I thought 'he would never let this guy get away.'

Then I realized that this must have happened right before the Volturi acquired him from the Egyptian coven.

When Antonio returned to the throne room, with me following behind him, I saw Raven surrounded by the ancients and wives. Caius was trying to sooth the trembling, terrified girl in his arms. As soon as Antonio entered the room he showed Aro what happened.

"It would appear," Aro said softly so as to not startle Raven anymore than she already was, "that our Raven isn't safe anymore."

Caius spoke to his still terrified daughter, "from now on Raven you will be accompanied by at least two guards. We can't afford to lose you." Through her trembles Raven managed to respond with a 'no.'

"Little one," Marcus said stepping forward, "it's for your own safety."

"I mean no I'm not leaving this castle again," Raven said composing herself a little, "I'm going to stay hidden here. I don't want your enemies using me to over throw you. I don't want any of you to worry about my safety. So I'm going to stay hidden here where no one will know about me."

When the vision begun to fade I could see the sadness written over everyone's faces at her decision, especially Caius.


When my vision came back I knew exactly what time I was in. it was about one hundred and fifty years later. Fifty years after Jane and I had joined. It was also right after our final battle with the Romains.

I was suddenly standing in some lounge area that was unfamiliar to me. I figured this was in Caius's wing. When I looked to my right my heart shattered at what I saw.

Raven was on her knees on the floor clutching Antonio's cloak to her chest, her tearless sobs echoed through the room. Caius came in then with his wife kneeling beside her holder her close to him. She continued to sob, clutching the cloak closer to her dead heat.

"H-he promised he would always be here," Raven sobbed in her father's arms, "he promised to never leave me. P-please come back brother don't leave me, you can't. You promised you would always stay."

Aro and Marcus walked into the room followed by their wives, their faces holding tremendous grief.

The scene ended with the wives weeping silently at Raven's heartbreak. Aro and Marcus looking like they would break at any moment, and Caius rocking the sobbing Raven back and forth with a pained expression.


When my vision returned I was back in the garden looking at Raven. She had let go of my hand and placed her hand in her lap. For the first time since I met her she made no attempt to smile. Raven always seemed fragile to me, but seeing her like this made her look like a glass doll that with one wrong touch she could shatter into a million pieces.

"I'm sorry." I said not knowing what else to say to her.

"Why are you sorry?" She asked still not looking up.

"I'm not sure," I said, "I just can't imagine what it would be like to lose Jane."

Raven didn't say anything; she just continued to stare at her hands.

"I guess I didn't give you enough credit then." I said softly.

She finally looked at me confused by my statement.

Before she could ask I continued, "I mean I could always see sadness in your eyes, but never knew just how much you were suffering and for so long too." Raven tried to smile but I stopped her with a shake of my head

"You don't have to smile for me I know the truth now, I saw just how much you were hurting."

Before I could register what was happening, Raven had moved closer to me and placed her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you Alec." She murmured

I don't know why I did what I did, but before I knew it I pulled Raven closer to me lying back onto the grass allowing her to bury her face right above my dead heart. Her quiet sobs slowly broke my heart once again.


Author's Note:

So what do you think?

Throughout the story I plan to have Raven show Alec some scenes that she left out.

Review Please :)

Chapter 13 is almost done but I would like at least two to three reviews before posting it.

Thanks for reading :)