Author's Notes: This is a fanfiction of one of my favourite novels "Stray Drop of Blood" by Roseanna M. White. While the book itself is a complete rollercoaster that features dark, mature themes and then brings us to the ultimate salvation that comes from Christ Alone, I found the friendship of these five characters incredibly amusing. Even though, the underrated novel does not focus too much on their friendship, the three men from this group have larger roles and we see enough interaction between all five of them to get a clear picture of what they are all like. So, meet Jason, Titus, Menelaus, Apidius and Lentulus and enjoy as I tackle another underrated, less-known story.

P.S: you don't have to know the novel to enjoy my fanfiction. Unlike the original, I will concentrate on the more lighthearted aspects of the story where we'll explore these five rascals! Also, this will most likely be a short story with maximum of 10, 15 chapters. But we shall see how it goes; I may come up with more. It all depends on my inspiration, after all. Feel free to share your earnest thoughts.

Chapter 1

Party At The Asiniuses

Roma, Italia, AD 32

Better wine he had not tasted. The food too was exquisite with all the delicacies present. It was no surprise to Jason; he had yet to receive anything but the best treatment when a guest in the mighty Asinius house. His main pleasure, however, came from the others, and the very fact that they were all there with him. Menelaus, for instance, had never even been invited to dine here before, nor had the other two soldiers present, Lentulus and Apidius. As a matter of fact, if they were not all soon going to Israel together, this get-together would probably never have occurred. But since they were much livelier than the solemn Titus, Jason was glad to have them join in on this particular celebration.

Titus' esteemed parents, Caius and his wife, Aquilia, were out for the evening; Jason was certain they wished to have no part of their son's party, but they had made sure he had ample provisions for it.

He had been looking forward to this gathering since Titus first announced it couple of weeks ago. That morning, Jason had decided to write a letter to his father in Israel, sharing his adventures and the upcoming news that he could no longer contain.

"I have not much time to write," He wrote "as I must go soon to the house of a friend to dine. They are an influential family, and it may serve me well to be accepted by them. Titus's father, Caius Asinius, was up until recently a consul, and a very successful one. Of course, some say it is because of Tiberius's excellent mood due to the death of Germanicus that he was met with such ease in his duties, but I will retain judgement on the matter, as I have never had cause to meet the Emperor himself. At any rate, the house of Asinius is one destined to greatness, and I am pleased to be seen as one of their friends. Actually, though, I find Titus a bit intolerable sometimes, as he seems to have the opinion that he is too good to serve as a soldier. He seems to think that his career in war will not be long-lasted, as his father apparently has other plans for him in a year or two. At any rate, it is still Menelaus Casicus I most enjoy spending my time with, but as he is of a family far below our own, originally Greek, I believe, it is not so advantageous to spend my evenings with him. On to the real news, though. I just received my assignments today, and while I am sure you will get the official word soon if you have not already, I knew you would rather hear from me: I am to serve directly under you, Father, replacing Marcus Persibia, the news of whose death has just reached Rome. So I will be on a ship to Joppa within the month, bound home. Tell Mother I am looking forward to seeing her again. Menelaus and Titus have both been assigned in Jerusalem as well; Menelaus to the palace of Pontius Pilate, an enviable post, as he has shown excellent skill in defensive combat. I am not certain where Titus will be; he only said the Tenth Legion and no more. At any rate, that concludes the time I have allotted to this letter, and I must be going to the Asiniuses' now. Give Mother a kiss for me, and know that I miss you both. Much respect, your son, Jason."

How much time had elapsed… he could hardly believe it. He was but a lad when he left his homeland, and now it was almost time to return home. But truly, how could Israel ever be his home when he felt as though he belonged in Rome? In spite of his half Jewish blood, he felt fully Roman.

"Jason, is the food this good in Jerusalem?" Lentulus asked, taking a large bite as he interrupted the young man's silent musings.

Jason laughed in response. "In my mother's kitchen, perhaps, but not where you will be. Besides," he added, motioning to the dish in his friend's hand, "you will not find that particular delicacy anywhere in Israel."

"Oh. Pork. Right." Grumbled Lentulus, frowning at that thought.

Jason nodded and tasted it himself. He did not consider himself bound by the laws of his mother's people, and had, therefore, no qualms about eating what he wished. "I know I will miss it."

"What are the women like?" Menelaus chimed with his boisterous voice, not for the first time. His hungry gaze followed one of Titus's slaves as she refilled his wine and gave him a sultry smile.

Titus shook his head. "Menelaus, your mind is on but one thing as always. Have no fear; I am sure there are harlots in Israel, just as in Rome."

Menelaus threw a chunk of bread at his friend. "Spoken as a man who has no reason to pay for what he can find in his own house."

Titus shrugged but smiled, not hesitating to put his hand on the thigh of the slave as she moved to refill his glass. The woman kissed his proffered lips before moving off to tend to Jason's drink.

"I will miss Rome." Apidius sighed, sounding like a romantic, which he was, even though he tried to hide it. "And I do not mind saying so. Nowhere else can you find the culture and opportunity. Art. Civilization. Freedom."

"Drusilla," the rest added in unison, which quickly turned into a merry laughter.

Apidius flushed crimson as he thought of his sweetheart but joined in the laughter. "Aw, you are all just jealous that I have a woman who is worth being a wife."

"And a lot of good it does you." Menelaus stifled his mumble with a gulp of wine. "You are getting shipped to Israel with the rest of us."

Apidius rolled his eyes. "Feel free to stop mentioning it at any time."

"A lot of good that would do, as well."

"Menelaus, you depress me."

The insulted Greek held up his glass in salute before tossing its contents down his throat, then kept the empty vessel in the air to be filled yet again by the smiling maid.

The woman looked at her master silently, awaiting for his command. When Titus nodded, she proceeded to descend into Menelaus' lap, setting her pitcher on the side table in the same motion, and capture his receptive mouth with hers.

"Well, at least one of us is happy." Lentulus sighed, his eyes skirting to the couple and then back again to the wall as he contemplated his loneliness.

"Why do you two not go elsewhere to spare the other poor gentlemen?" Only disinterest coloured Titus's tone.

Jason watched his rowdy friend and the tempting slave get up and move out of the room. He took a deep breath, telling himself to be glad Titus – the arrogant young Asinius –was finally accepting Menelaus. But, as that man himself would say, a lot of good it would do now, two days before they left Rome. Even with these thoughts, though, part of his mind was remembering his own pleasant experience with the sensuous wench now entertaining his friend.

Another slave entered at that moment, one Jason had seen less frequently. She was beautiful, graceful, tasteful. Her clothing was not the sheer and barely-covering material of the other women serving them, but it still showed the curves that put all the others to shame. She went directly to Titus, whispered a word in his ear, waited for his equally short murmur in reply, then departed again without even glancing at the other men.

Jason had seen her before. He did not know her name, since Titus never referred to her or spoke loudly when she entered, but he knew who she was. She was the one maid in this house that Titus would never share; she was his, and his alone. He knew that much, from previous visits where they had exchanged a kiss in addition to the whispers.

He was suddenly glad to be going home to the land he had grown up in, where his family was the one with the influence, where these friends of his would have nothing that he himself either did not have or could not get with greater ease than they. It was not that he wanted them to be without, or even that he wanted to be better; he was just ready not to be in the deficit.

It was at least two hours later when Jason decided he had taken his fill of the refreshments and company and sought fresh air in their stead. His retreat led him to the gardens in the rear of the house, probably his favourite place on the estate. The more frequently he was entertained by the Asiniuses, the more appreciation he had for their remarkable grounds.

There was a cool breeze blowing, but the temperature was still warm enough that he was not chilled, simply freshened. He chose not to go to one of the benches, opting instead to walk the maze of paths. The stars were lustrous tonight, dazzling, in fact, in their clarity. There was Venus, now the Evening Star, and there was Saturn, retrograding, as he had learned in his studies.

And there was a noise disturbing his solitude.

"Jason!" It was Caius, Titus' father, so the younger man opted not to be perturbed by the interruption.

"Lord! You are returned earlier than we expected."

The ex-consul moved in closer. "I wanted to catch you before you left. I have an offer for you."

Both curiosity and eyebrows raised, Jason leaned on the stone wall beside him. "Of what nature?"

Caius, too, leaned on the wall. "We both know that the solder's life is not an easy one, Jason. Even if not involved in an active campaign, one still faces dangers."

"I am aware of its risks, sir." What he did not know was his host's point.

"Titus is my only son, and he is my heir. I did not act fast enough to keep him here, but I have every intention of getting him ordered home as quickly as possible; but it could take a while."

He was beginning to catch on. "Lord, your son is an able soldier. He is in little danger."

"In battle, perhaps," the man agreed. "But Titus has a strange disposition that I have never understood. His temper can be unriled when he is greatly insulted but then flares up with no provocation." Caius paused to take a breath. "To be honest, I do not trust him to stay out of trouble in a foreign land. Which brings me to my proposition. You are a man of sound and dependable manner, Jason. And, since solders' pay is nothing to brag about, I would like to satisfy both of our needs. I am prepared to offer you a comfortable monthly stipend in exchange for your keeping an eye on my son."

Jason was tempted to laugh but settled for a smile. "Lord, as Titus is my friend and your family has welcomed me so warmly, I will do all I can to safeguard him. But there is no need for payment. Especially since there is no guarantee we will be near each other in our assignments or that he will even find himself in a position to need my aid."

Caius waved off his objections. "If I wish to waste my money on a deserving friend, then I will. And so long as you simply speak with him on occasion and keep abreast of his social life, which is my main concern, I will be content." With that, Caius put a fatherly hand on Jason's shoulder. "One of my men is a merchant in Jerusalem. I have already sent him instruction. He visits your father's camp monthly. At that time, just relay any information that you think I need to know. But even if there is none, which I honestly hope will be the case, he will dispense your stipend."

"Really, Lord, I have no need of–"

"Then save it for your future or spend it on your friends. I will hear no more arguments." He smiled, apparently quite happy with himself. "I will probably not see you again before you leave, so have a splendid eve and a pleasant trip. It has been a delight to call you a friend. Be sure and return to Rome, son, and when you do, I will give you all the aid you need in whatever endeavors you plan for yourself."

"Thank you, Lord." Sincere gratitude rocked him. "Truly, it means much to be numbered among your friends."

They clasped hands, then Caius moved away, back into his house, leaving Jason staring after him with a slightly confused expression. Truly, what had just happened? He always knew that the Asiniuses were bit on the strange side, but he never guessed this. Catching his thoughts, he reproached himself. He had no business calling other families strange when his own probably topped everyone's. A Roman father, following Jewish law and a Jewish mother, married to a Roman soldier. Yes, he came from a strange family indeed. Smiling softly to himself, he realized that the new adventures were just beginning for him and his friends. And he would enjoy sharing his homeland with them.

When he returned to the others, they were already getting ready to leave as Titus bade them goodnight.

"Titus, my friend, you have outdone yourself. It was a ravishing celebration to mark our final days in Rome." Lentulus praised him.

"Indeed, I do not think I ever had this many amusements!" Half-drunk Menelaus exclaimed, earning an eyeroll from Apidius. "And that slave of yours…she sure knows how to excite a man." He grinned, almost sluggishly tripping as Jason grabbed his left arm to steady him.

"Easy, friend. You had too much to drink." Jason supported the loud Greek.

"I am glad you had fun." Titus said, sounding monotonic and bored, but there was a faint smirk on his otherwise expressionless face that showcased that he too had enjoyed himself.

"I suppose when we see each other again it will be to board a craft, carrying us to Jason's foreign land." Apidius spoke, sounding like one of the actors from famous plays.

Lentulus shot Jason a teasing look. "Then it will be your turn to play the host."

"Indeed, it will." Grinned back Jason. "Have no doubt, it will be sure to top Titus' party." He jested, trying to poke the otherwise stoic young Asinius, who merely responded with another smirk.

"We shall see about that."

Suddenly, Menelaus let out a load groan and in a swift motion, emptied all the contents of his stomach. The others recoiled with disgusted faces but then burst into a chorus of laughter when their friend began to sink on the ground and started singing a ballad from his country, which was terribly out of tune.

"I shall retire before my ears begin to bleed." Announced Titus, which caused another roar of merry laughter amongst friends.

The five comrades were indeed an interesting bunch. All of them different in appearance, background and personality. Jason, the half Jew from his mother's side, was of average, muscular built, with greenish blue eyes and brown, wavy hair which was cut short after a Roman fashion as were the others'. He had a confidence about him that was charming, but not without a streak of insolence. He seemed to be the glue that bound his group of friends together. Lentulus was a bit shorter than Jason, with hair of a lighter brown. He was also of lighter build but had a look of agility about him, resembling a feline able to bound effortlessly onto a wall. He was the closest to Apidius, and was more or less the most rational, strategic one whenever his preference to remain quiet, didn't hold him back. Apidius was the tallest in the group, but also looked to be uncomfortable with that fact. His shoulders were rolled forward, his head inclined slightly. His dirty blonde hair hung in curls over his head, and his face had a gentility the others' did not. He was the romantic and the peacemaker, always the one to easily get embarrassed. Menelaus, the lighthearted Greek, closest to Jason in both height and build, was the most jovial. He was slightly stouter than the others in appearance, his eyes held a hazel colour and whenever he was not drunk or chasing after women, he enjoyed telling ridiculous stories and making his friends laugh. Titus, the stoic of the group, always moved with long, strong strides that accentuated his muscled frame. He had a proud demeanour which was with merit, considering he came from a senatorial class. He was taller than Jason but shorter than Apidius and had those strong, classical features that the Romans were wont to worship. One could not readily imagine what his handsome face would look like with an honest smile cracking the chiseled countenance. He resembled one of those cold, hard sculptures that his people were so insistent on putting up everywhere.

Thus, the party at the Asiniuses ended, and the five were ready to depart for new adventures in the tumultuous land of Israel, where the most extraordinary and strange people lived. Even Jason would feel out of place there.