Disclaimer: Trinity Blood and its characters do not belong to me. This fanfic consists of monologues by the characters at their most alone. Not in chronological order. May contain spoilers for the anime. Rated for potential dark and mature themes.

Vaclav and Caterina seem to go back to way before AX was formed. I am not too certain what their relationship is like compared to Caterina and Abel's.

Vaclav: Silent Guardian

My heart sinks when I glanced out of the window and see her being escorted out of her residence and across the square. I have known her long before she became cardinal. I know her to be a strong woman but still, I fear for her. Maybe if I use my powers to…

"Vaclav, no rash moves," William throws my earlier words back at me and places a restraining his hand on my shoulder. I give a resigned nod. It was too late anyway. The procession had moved out of sight of the building. Vaclav Havel, guess you got to stay and hold the fort, even if Francesco's men are crawling all over Rome. Did I miss something? We had crawled into all the belfries and climbed every bell tower in Rome. Leon complained his ears were ringing from when he failed to exit a belfry before Mass. I sincerely hope he wasn't fooling about then.

But the bell had rung without incident last night. Poor Caterina was sent to the proverbial dog-house. We have not spoken to her since then, though her lodgings were just across the square. House-arrest indeed.

Abel Nightroad, where in the Lord's name are you? Surely you don't mean to abandon her at this time of need! Caterina is now bereft of her Crusnik guardian angel, I should have protected her. I have watched her grow from a little girl hiding behind her mother's skirts to a capable woman. She is the reason I am in AX instead of serving in the Inquisition. It seemed like only yesterday I was a disgruntled young guardsman assigned to protect the late Pope's Milanese mistress and her offspring.

"Vaclav Havel," she frowned prettily as she tried to repeat my name. "Papa sent you to watch me and mama?"

She couldn't have been older than ten then. I was younger then, and had little time to waste on a child. However, her choice of words and her serious face caught my attention immediately. She knew, even at that tender age, that her father kept strict watch on his mistresses to keep any nasty conflicts from breaking out in the streets of Rome. In fact, the cloakroom gossip had it that he kept his numerous mistresses and bastard children in near imprisonment on various estates.

"I am here to protect you and your mother," I lied. And she saw right through it. "Mama's sick, so she will not be going out that much. I suppose I can stay and keep her company…" she shrugged indifferently. "I hate it being stuck here… I want to go out and see the fireworks at the carnival."

"You can see them from here," I replied matter-of-factly. Her home was located on a hill, overlooking the town and the carnival. "It is not the same," she muttered and vehemently attacked a rose bush with a pair of pruning shears. If you must know, I took her out to the carnival secretly, got found out and got packed back to Rome for disciplinary action. Petros probably remembers that incident, as he was the one who caught us sneaking back through the back gate. She stood on her balcony and watched as the cart carried me away. It was while I was serving out my punishment in Rome that I found my special ability.

I plop myself into an armchair. Leon is pacing the office like a caged beast. Tres stands at attention, obeying his mistress' last order to him. William is smoking his pipe, an annoying habit of his. The tobacco smell's getting a bit thick in here. Caterina might get upset if she returns and finds her office reeking of Turkish tobacco. Heaven alone knows where Abel is. Sister Kate's out there searching.

The second time we met was in Rome. She had lost her mother and had taken her vows at a local convent, possibly at her father's insistence. I should have been there to protect her. I owe Abel a debt for saving her life that dark, blood-soaked night. The tragedy had tempered the steel in her. She rose quickly through the ranks to abbess, then to cardinal. When she asked me to join her AX…

"Why are you asking me to join AX? With the Crusnik…" You don't need me…

"Vaclav, please."

"I wasn't able to protect you or your mother…" I hung my head before the new cardinal. She hit me on the cheek with her fan.

"Vaclav. You weren't there when it happened. You were sent back to your other duties in the Inquisition. That attack was never your fault. I need you in AX. Wars cannot be won by a single individual. I want an organization with talented individuals, including you. Please, Vaclav, my friend, do consider my offer…"

Petros always says I was a fool to leave the Inquisition, but I have no regrets.

Now we can only watch her dream, her achievements crumble to dust under her half-brother's relentless accusations. We must do something, anything… I felt for my gun, only to find air. Of course. Those Inquisition guardsmen had patted us down and confiscated all our weapons before escorting us here. They even removed all the ammo from Tres' guns. Only Leon kept his weapon by slipping it onto his wrist and passing it off as a bad fashion statement of a bangle.

This is hopeless. I bury my face in my hands in surrender. "Excuse me… Father Hugue is back…" I barely register Sister Kate's words. She pauses awkwardly. "He knocked out the guards…" Her words are cut short by Hugue blustering into the room. The two unfortunates who had been guarding us were sprawled in the corridor outside. I wince. So much for not making any rash moves… Hugue throws a piece of paper onto the desk.

"Sister Noelle was holding this when she died…" he grunts. William immediately pores over the paper. I force myself to my feet and to walk over to the desk where my comrades are already in discussion.

Author's Notes:

I don't think Caterina-Vaclav's relationship is romantic in nature. It seems to be more platonic, or a sibling-type relationship. Caterina's definitely the dominant one, though. Vaclav is capable in his own right, but he respects her as his superior. Any comments? Vaclav does not get much of air-time in the anime and I do not know much about his character in the novel.