Trinity Blood: Book 2: The Winter Rose
Chapter 25: Lasting Promise
Several months later:
Caterina put on Abel's glasses and frowned. The green yard of the Milan estate blurred around her, making it almost headache inducing. She couldn't make out the end of the yard and could barely see Abel even though he was sitting on the edge of the fountain no more than a foot from her. "How can you see through these?" she asked, taking them and staring at them. Looking at Abel out of the corner of her eyes, she commented, "It's no wonder you trip or run into people or hit poles all the time." A gentle wind tugged at her dress and whipped Abel's long hair around his neck.
At this Abel scowled before his thin lips twitched. At last he laughed, "Now you see the world I live in, a giant blur!" She glared at him; he'd just acted like a goof. Clearing his throat, Abel pondered in a far more serious voice, "Is there a reason you asked me out here and told William and Havel to stay in the estate?"
"Oh that," Caterina turned the glasses so they were towards the sun and closed one eye, looking through them with the other.
"Yes that," Abel said gruffly. "And don't do that, you'll go blind and then really need those glasses," he chided, almost sounding like a father for a moment there.
"You actually sounded like a father there for a second there," Caterina shot him a teasing grin before turning her gaze back to the glasses and the sky.
"I'm serious, Caterina, you could go blind doing that," Abel paused, "Who's the adult here?" he demanded.
"Professor Wordsworth and Brother Havel?" Caterina pretended to ask. She glanced at Abel to see him scowling, "You're too old to be an adult," his scowl deepened and she laughed at how comical it made him look. "Besides most of the time you act like a three year old."
"Good to know, perhaps tomorrow I'll act five instead," Abel stated bitterly. It was a false bitterness. She could hear the laughter in his voice. "Seriously, Caterina, why did you ask me out here?" his voice returned to the normal sorrow filled tones.
"Here," Caterina held out the glasses to him. Abel took the glasses and held them loosely in one hand. Taking a deep breath of the spring air, Caterina sat down beside him. "Do you remember promise you made me after we first met?"
"Of course, I don't have that poor a memory," Abel stated, "I might be old but I'm not senile." She looked at the sky, wondering if Abel knew where the vampires' moon was during the day. "What about it?"
"Nothing really, I was just wondering if you still remembered," Caterina said. She was truly glad it was spring and that Abel was with her at the moment. Breathing deep the scent of fresh grass and the roses which grew nearby, Caterina closed her eyes. "About the agency," she began slowly, "I've been thinking on who my second should be." She opened her eyes and looked at Abel. "I would like you to be my second, Abel. Out of everyone you have the most experience and—" Caterina cut off at the patient smile on Abel's features.
"No," Abel said flatly. "I promise I will help you, but I don't wish to be your second. Havel would be a far wiser choice. For one he is the one who came up with the plan to rescue you," Caterina stared at Abel. Why was he refusing? Abel's real self seemed to be a natural leader, so why? "Another reason, he his not only an excellent fighter but acts serious and his age all the time," Abel smiled at her softly. "You wouldn't want the rest of the Vatican to talk on how you chose an idiotic goof as your second, it would look weird and you'd lose face."
Caterina sighed. Looking at the ground, she knew Abel was right, but she hated it. If she could have chosen anyone she wanted she would have chosen Abel in a heartbeat. Out of the three of them Abel just seemed to know so much.
"All right, Havel then," Caterina shot Abel a smile and saw the look of utter relief on his features. "Just know I will still ask you for advice."
"As long as you know I won't always give it," Abel teased. Caterina glared at him and he cringed. "Fine, fine, I'll give advice just no dating advice, okay?" At this Caterina couldn't help but laugh. "I was being serious," Abel stated, giving her a hard look. This only made her laugh harder.
When Caterina managed to get her laughter under control, she wiped her eyes and said, "I think I would go to Sister Kate long before you, Abel. You're dating advice would be several centuries outdated," Abel pouted at this and she grinned at him. "On a more serious note," Caterina began, turning her gaze back to the sky, "in most agencies they have code names in order to stop the enemy from learning too much about them. I've been thinking on yours, Havel already has one from his time in the Inquisition and I think the Professor just fits William perfectly."
"As long as it's not Angel, I am fine with whatever you chose," Abel stated, shaking his head as if this code name was the worst in the world. "Or any name with angel in it. If you do then I am leaving this second."
Caterina laughed lightly. "Don't worry, it isn't Angel," she reassured him. Why would he think it was in the first place? "I was thinking Crusnik, but if you don't like it I'm sure we can think of something else entirely."
"No," Abel smiled, looking at the sky, "Crusnik is just prefect. Not many of your kind know what I am anyways and it does fit far more than Angel," he gave her a sidelong look which seemed to hold more meaning to it than she knew.
"Then Crusnik it is," Caterina smiled, looking off in the direction the tree she'd first met him at was in. In her heart she knew she'd always go to Abel first for advice then run it by Havel. No one could ever change the fact Abel had been the first to sign onto her idea or the fact he had been there for her since her parents' murder.
Four years later:
"It's hard to believe it's been four years since I last visited you," Abel looked down at the coffin and into Lilith's still, beautiful features. He placed a hand on the coffin next to her face, the armor on his left arm clanking lightly. The glove he wore was pure white with a red cross emblazoned on it. "Four years since I met Caterina and she started to create the AX. I don't think any of us believed this day would come," he smiled sadly. His eyes softened as sorrow appeared in them. "If I had known that this could be, then I don't know, perhaps I would have done everything the same and perhaps not." Abel sighed, "I don't know how long I can stay. Caterina will want us all there when the AX is announced." At this Abel smiled, "It's hard to believe how fast children grow up. Four years ago she was half my height and now…" Abel flicked his wrist up to his shoulders. "Soon she'll look older than me to," sorrow replaced the excitement of the day. Abel sighed heavily, "I wish Seth had been right about our lifespan only being two centuries. I would give anything to have—" the sound of heavy boots on the stone cut Abel off.
"Father Nightroad, request you accompany me back to Cardinal Sforza," an emotionless voice said from the entrance into the tomb. Turning, Abel saw a short priest standing at the entrance to the tomb. His short, auburn hair was messy and young face devoid of emotion. His glass eyes looked through the darkness directly at Abel.
"Coming, Tres," Abel said. Looking one last time at his beloved, Abel turned and moved across the tomb to where Tres stood. "Caterina working you hard again?" asked Abel, smiling at Tres as they started off through the catacombs. "You can't just let her push around all the time. You have to tell her to let you have a break."
Tres looked blankly at Abel before he said, "Meaning does not compute, please clarify, Father Nightroad."
"Your as much a person as any of them," Abel frowned, trying to get his point across to the killing doll, "well at least part of your brain is human."
"Negative, I am not human I am a machine."
Abel stretched his cheek, "Well, that's partly true, but still…" They had emerged for the catacombs to find Caterina and William waiting for them. "Where are Father Havel and Father Hague?" Abel asked Caterina. In the past four years she'd grown out her hair and she now wore the red robes of a cardinal. To many men she was extremely gorgeous, but Abel still saw as the child he had meet four years ago.
"On a mission," William replied, smiling around his pipe at Abel and Tres. Like Abel William now wore armored priest robes though he suspected the younger man still preferred his suit.
"Eh?" Abel looked questioningly at Caterina, playing dumb, "Why'd you do that? I thought you wanted all of us here today?" Of course he already knew why she'd done it. She had run the plan by him earlier that morning, woken him up actually to do so. He'd lost a lot of sleep for that.
Caterina smiled sweetly at him and he shivered. "Now, what use would this agency be if all of us stayed in Rome?" she asked in a voice which mimicked her smile. Caterina turned started off across the grounds towards the Vatican. Tres didn't hesitate in following.
"Come, my friend," William said with a smile, "you don't want to stay here and miss all the fun, now do you?"
"Eh, no, no," Abel followed William, not even glancing back at the tomb.
(Author's Note: Okay first note: at the start of comic 37 in the manga there is a picture of young Caterina holding Abel's glasses with Abel sitting beside her. I took the first scene in this from that.
Second note: TRES!
Third: To answer Random Reader's comment on the last chapter, yes I do write my own original works. It is one of the two reasons I no longer update every day. I started writing them again…
Fourth: Second to last chapter in this novel XD
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