CPOV

The last few days leading up to the ball were filled with hustle and bustle. Heidi was spending all of her time setting things up in the ball room: fountains, the piano, lights, speakers, microphones, curtains, decorations. I wasn't involved in any of it, thank goodness, but the woman didn't stop for nothing. She worked, even while I slept. I spent my time practicing my performance, training, and, well, talking to Alec. Each night, I would ask him more questions, and he I, but he kept a better eye on my bedtime. He cut me off at a certain time, reminding me that I needed to sleep. I grew increasingly emotional and irritated, and more tired, and the dull ache was becoming stronger. I couldn't have been sick; I hadn't been outside but once yesterday, when Felix took me out for training. Alec didn't ask questions, mainly because he thought I was just going to work out. Whenever Aro needed him for something, Felix would whisk me away for fresh air.

He taught me more moves, and helped me clean up my attacks. He was teaching me to be faster and more alert, almost using vampire speed in our sparring sessions. I was still a little too slow for it, but he said it was a work in progress. I also continued to learn how to use the scary looking weapons on the wall of the training room, twisting, throwing, and even catching knives with the sheath on, of course. We successfully managed to not give me anymore injuries, though he and I both were happy with how fast I was learning and retaining everything. When I wasn't training, or when Felix had no time, I went for runs on the treadmill he installed in the room. Learning combat was one thing, but building endurance was another. I had just finished with one of my morning runs and my shower, and was now looking for something to wear.

Alec was away, doing I don't know what, but I knew he would be back soon. When I woke up alone, I decided to use my alone time for myself. Felix found me on my way to work out, and picked on mine and Alec's newfound feelings for each other.

"Sooooooo, you two are finally in looooooove, huh?" he teased, falling into step with me. I rolled my eyes, knowing that we weren't quite there yet.

"Ya know, it would be nice if we could at least have some privacy for those moments," I told him. "And we're not...in loooooove. We're just..."

"In looooooove?" he laughed, lightly slugging me on the arm. "I knew you two would get together sooner or later! So, how do you feel? You kiss yet? Are you reaching second base? Third? Have you even gotten to first-"

"Gaaah!" I exclaimed, covering my ears. "Felix! No! And, it's none of your business! We only just...admitted our feelings." I whispered at the end, as if that would save me from vampire ears.

"Ahhhh, no worries, no worries," he said smugly, flashing me his palms. "But, seriously, what base did you get to? I'm dying to know all the gossip."

"Didn't you hear it?" I grumbled, reaching the training room. I swung the door open, heading straight for the treadmill.

"Well, yeah, but I gave you some privacy at some point!" he exclaimed, shutting the door behind him. "I have some manners! I didn't hear everything. I only heard the part about him explaining what it feels like when he touches you, and then I just plugged myself into the world of opera music to drown it out."

"I'm not telling you anything else, but we didn't do...that," I said again, stepping onto the treadmill and setting it up.

"Okay, fine," he said, heading for the door. "I need to get going. I won't be far away if you need me."

I turned around, suddenly remembering something.

"How's David?" I asked timidly, leaving out his robotic behavior. I was sure he knew, and there was nothing he could do about it. "Jane isn't still hurting him, is she?"

He stopped, turning to me.

"Not lately," he said carefully. "But, I have noticed some strange behavior between the two of them."

"What do you mean?" I asked, matching his tone, not catching on.

He hesitated, pressing his lips together.

"Well, Jane has not exactly been as angry with him, as she usually would be," he said slowly. "In fact, I even saw her smile for once at him. He's a pretty funny guy. The unusual part was Jane reacting to it as such; it was very out of the ordinary for her."

Knowing David, he was probably trying to put moves on her, as he did to every woman. I took it as a good sign, as it seemed like he was still his old self in some way.

"Well, he's always been flirtatious towards women," I told him, shrugging. "Maybe she's starting to warm up to him. He's really a warm-hearted person once you get to know him. He was always cheering me up when I was upset. He did just about anything to make me laugh, and he wouldn't stop until I smiled. He's always been like that."

"Hm," Felix just nodded. "Well, that is all the news I have for you, unfortunately. He seems to finally be warming up to his new life, and even more peaceful with his choice in diet. It will take a few months for his eye color to fully change, but Aro is not fully disappointed. As long as he abides by the rules, he will fit in accordingly. You will see him in a couple of days."

David's behavior due to Aro was still very unsettling to me. It bristled me, leaving me with a cold feeling that sat like a rock in my stomach. I was glad to hear that his old, goofy self had followed him into his vampire life, but that didn't stop me from being worried about who he was becoming. I was also relieved to hear that Jane was letting up on him. Maybe David would soften her up, and she would be less frigid to us both. Alec was already softening up. I just hoped that when I got us out of here, that David would still be willing to go.

"Thanks," I said, turning back to the treadmill. I waited until the door closed soundly before starting my run.

I yanked a teal, pullover V-neck sweater that looked too low-cut for me, but I rolled my eyes and picked it anyway. It wasn't like I was going to be going outside, anyway, and I was feeling a tiny bit daring for some reason. Once I put it on, it wasn't cut near as low as I thought, but it was a little bit cropped, allowing my toned midsection to peek through if I raised my arms. I shrugged, pulling on a pair of those wonderful Nike leggings I loved so much, and took a peek in the full length mirror that I hardly used.

I was much more toned than I was before my arrival, and my clothes hugged my figure perfectly. I could see the defined shape of my legs from the tight leggings, and my new haircut made me look a few years older than I really was. My curves were defined and shown off by the cropped nature of the sweater, and the waistband of the leggings, and I looked...

Like a woman. Almost.

For a split second, I wondered if Camilla was just as curvy and strong as I was, and then shooed the thought away. No more comparing myself to Camilla. I had Alec's word, and I believed it. I just hoped that when I actually saw her, I would be able to keep it together. Since when did I even care about how my body looked? I worked out in my old life, and I was healthy. That's all that mattered.

I made my way out of the closet, and made a trip to Heidi's room next. She passed along a message that she needed me once again, and I had a feeling it was about what I was going to wear to the ball. I knocked on her door, and entered after hearing her confirmed, "Come in."

"Excellent! You are here. I have your dress ready for the ball. I think you will love it," she said proudly with a gleaming, gorgeous smile. She sauntered into her closet, and re-emerged, holding a gorgeous, shimmering gold gown.

"Now, try it on! Don't be shy," she pressed, laying it in my arms. I was taken aback by amazing color of it. It shimmered and shone against the light, the fabric obviously being satin. It was a deep V-neck, just like my previous dress, but it was floor length and would cover my bottom half, so I wasn't too upset with that. I did what she said, and tried it on. It fit me like a glove, as expected. As I looked at my form in the mirror, I had to give Heidi credit. It flattered my figure very nicely, despite the low cut, and I found the long slit in the left leg.

I was just thankful that there wasn't two slits.

I looked even more grown up in this dress than I did in the other one, and I looked, dare I say, like royalty. The dress was so simple, yet so beautiful. It suited me, and I was glad that Heidi didn't go overboard with it.

"You look stunning," she commented, offering me a genuine smile in the mirror. "I thought I outdid myself last time, but this is definitely my best piece of work. I didn't dress it up too much; I wanted the dress to speak for you. You seem to have a simple style, but you have a shining personality. You are a priceless treasure with a heart of gold, hence the color. It also suits your skin tone perfectly. What do you think?"

I couldn't help the soft smile that spread across my lips at her description. The dress was perfect for me, and I was glad to wear one for once.

"It's...breathtaking," I said, nodding. "Thank you."

"Alec will definitely be pleased," she said slyly, earning her a frown from me.

"What if I don't want to wear this for Alec? Can't I just wear it for me? I'm not all about trying to impress him, Heidi. You were..." I paused, looking toward the door, then to her. I whispered.

"You were right," I finished. "He does...like me."

I felt as red as a tomato. It felt so strange to finally voice these feelings after hiding and fighting them off for two weeks. Heidi smiled knowingly, a sneaky glint matching her tone. She flipped her soft, mahogany hair behind her shoulder and walked away.

"Oh, I know, my darling," she sang. "I know. It was only a matter of time before he admitted it to you. I knew he wouldn't last much longer with that dress." She turned and winked at me.

"And, yes, you can absolutely wear it for yourself. Nothing wrong with having confidence in yourself," she added. "I am just pointing out the facts. I never said you had to wear it for Alec. Although, it will attract him even more if you do not wear it to impress him. Remember what I told you about not needing his attention?"

I huffed, and went to change out of the dress. She had been right about that, too.

When I handed the dress back to her, I couldn't help but bring up her friend once again.

"Do you think your friend will show up at the ball?" I asked tentatively. "Does she ever...?"

Heidi took the dress from me and sniffed, parading herself back to the closet with her chin up.

"No," she said stiffly. "She wants nothing to do with the Volturi. And, if she did, I am sure she would not stay long. There is nothing here for her to revisit. She chose to leave, so I do not foresee her returning for any reason."

"What if she misses you?" I offered. "She could just come to say hi. Just because you have different lifestyles, doesn't mean you can't still be friends. It's not like she would come and try to get you to leave, too."

Heidi laughed, a beautiful, silky, musical, bell-like noise. It caught my attention, making me hold my gaze on her. She stood still, in front of her closet, like a statue.

"But, you see, you are correct. That is the irony of her. Unlike her gift, she would never persuade me or anyone into anything. She left on her own accord, without having to use her gift on Aro."

I furrowed my brows together, trying to piece it together.

"What was her gift? Why did Aro want her?" I asked, feeling my butt tingle. Heidi looked at me, her beautiful, crimson gaze piercing, but soft. It was then that I saw her eyes glistened for the first time, almost like she was...

"She had the gift of coercion," she spoke wistfully. "But, she did not need to threaten anybody. She had the impeccable ability to make someone change their mind about anything, regardless of free will. However, she would never use it. She always refused to, anytime she could. Aro forced her to on more than one occasion, until she decided she could no longer handle the guilt that came with it. She simply could not rob someone of their free will to choose, and she told Aro the truth. He let her go, and she has not been here ever since."

I understood, then, why Heidi compared me to her. I didn't want my voice to call to people, to draw them in against their will. I hated that my voice was so powerful to vampires, and that it drew them in, whether they wanted it to or not. I just wanted to sing; I wanted to stay small, and stick to our roots and just have fun doing what we did. I suddenly wondered why I had this gift in the first place. Why did I have to be so powerful, when I, myself, was...not? I didn't have a powerful, demanding personality like my gift portrayed. I was introverted, shy, and had terrible self-esteem. Why was I given such power when I didn't have what it took to wield it?

"And that is why you remind me so much of her," Heidi went on, turning fully to me. She looked over me, sadness marring her features. "You are an incredibly beautiful girl. You have such kindness, gentleness, compassion and humility, yet you hold such a powerful gift; one more powerful than our two most powerful members. You have pierced through the cold, bitter heart of our Alec. I can tell that you no longer enjoy your practice, because of what has been discovered. She was just like that. She was so persuasive in her human life, offering kind, helpful words to people, and her words often led people to make better choices. She held an otherworldly understanding for people, and could read them very easily. It wasn't until her placement with us, that she questioned herself, and her natural ability to help people. She wanted to use her gift, but not in the way it had been enhanced in her immortal life. She could not bear to force someone to change their mind about joining the Volturi."

The more she spoke, the more I saw myself in this girl. I could never do what she did, and I certainly didn't want to call humans to this castle, only to be eaten. I was going to be just like Heidi's friend, refusing to use my gift. I couldn't do what Aro wanted me to do; it made me feel sick to just think about it, and what I would become. I felt tears gather in my own eyes for Heidi's sadness, and I wanted to hug her. She probably wouldn't allow me, so I stayed in place.

"I'm not going to make it here, am I?" I asked quietly, shaking my head. "You're right. I don't want to use my gift on anyone. I can't sing for fun, or to blow off steam like I used to, without calling one of you to me. And the one time I actually chose to use my gift, I lured the wrong vampires to me. I almost got killed by them, for Pete's sake! So, no, Heidi, I don't like my gift. A normal human would blame you for it, since you lured my friend here, but I'm not a normal human, apparently. I can't find it in me to blame you. I actually consider you one of my friends, although you don't like me that much, and I accept that. I'm being forced to live a life that I don't even want."

We stared at each other, as she smiled sadly.

"But, Alec is the exception now, isn't he?" she said. "You do hold power, dear human. You just do not realize how much of it that you hold. I think that if you were to really dig deep inside of yourself, you could see how powerful you truly are. And not in the way Aro wants you to be. The way that you already are. I think that with Alec here, you will come to accept this life more gracefully. Now, I have more work to do." She went to the door, opening it for me.

I made my way to the door silently, keeping my eyes on her. I felt sad for her, but also angry at her final words. I would never accept this life, even with Alec in it. I would always want to go home, even if I was happy with him. Alec didn't understand; he'd always had his sister, and there was no reason for him to miss anything. Yes, I had David, but it was never complete without Travis. One didn't work without the other two. We were a team, and that's how it always was. I stopped at the mouth of the door, looking into her eyes. She had lost a friend, and I saw the brokenness she hid from it. She really had a made a true friend in this girl, and she had left for her own good. Heidi was a pretty face, but a broken soul. I saw the way she longed for a female friend, knowing that she couldn't find that in Jane, because they were so different. Besides Jane, she was the only female, with no one to relate to.

"I'm sorry about your friend," I told her. "I would help you if I could. I can tell that you miss her."

She flashed me a pretty smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She simply leaned down, placing her fingers gingerly underneath my chin before kissing me on the forehead with her glossy, blood red lips.

"I am perfectly fine, my sweet," she said, her voice saccharine. "I have more friends than you think. Alec should be arriving back soon. I am sure he is missing you terribly." She grinned, prompting me to leave with my thoughts.

I didn't know how I would survive here, but if this girl left, surely I could, too. Her story only made me more determined to get my freedom. Her gift may have differed from mine, but if she didn't need to use her gift to leave, couldn't the same happen for me? Could I simply just ask Aro to leave, once I was a vampire? As a human, I couldn't just walk out; not without immortality. It was Aro's ultimatum; become a vampire, or die. No human would be safe knowing the secret. If that was the case, then all I had to do was wait until I was a vampire, and then I could leave and take David with me. He couldn't make me stay as an immortal if I didn't want to.

However, I was still determined to leave without immortality. If Heidi claimed that I was so powerful, then how could I use my gift to escape when I hated its effect so much?

I rubbed my forehead, the information swirling around in my head. The sound of my growling stomach interrupted my thoughts, and I realized that I never even ate breakfast before my run. I went down the flights of stairs that led to the kitchen, wondering what Ray had for me today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't until the evening that I saw Alec, and I was getting ready for bed. I hadn't seen him all day, and Felix occupied most of my time while Alec was gone. It was actually kind of hilarious, as I had ended up introducing Felix to the world of High School Musical, and he was crazy about it.

I went over to the TV, popping the DVD out of the case.

"Hey, little woman!" Felix greeted. "Watcha up to?"

I jumped, nearly dropping it. I whipped my head at him, huffed, and then pushed the disc into the machine before sitting on the couch.

"Sorry," he apologized, leaping over the couch to join me. "I thought you heard me come in."

"Just watching High School Musical," I answered him, pressing play on the remote.

"What's High School Musical?" he asked, saying the words like a foreign language. I made a face, raising my eyebrows at him in disbelief.

"How do you not know what High School Musical is? You own it!" I said, gesturing to the screen.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I've ever seen it," he scoffed, examining the scene on TV. I pressed pause, confused.

"Ever since you got here, this is the most I've even watched TV. Most of the time, I'm too busy with Volturi business to watch any entertainment. So, what is this High School Musical you speak of?" He added.

"It's about to be your favorite movie series, is what it is," I told him. "It's about these two teenagers who get forced into singing karaoke, and the girl ends up being the new student at the guy's school. Guy's popular, she's a geek, the whole school freaks out when they go against the grain. All in the form of a musical. Sort of," I explained. "It's better than it sounds. I'm terrible at explaining movies."

He raised an eyebrow at me, and then at the screen, shifting his position.

"All right, well, action," he said dramatically like a theater director. I snorted, and pressed play, giving my attention to the movie.

Two and a half hours later

"Are you kidding me?! She's dumping him?!" Felix shrieked at the TV, looking to me for confirmation. After the first film, Felix fell in love with the series, as I expected. He demanded that we watch the second one, and we had just gotten to the scene where Gabriella quits her job at the country club, and decides to leave Troy.

"Yup," I said, concentrating on not singing along with the songs for obvious reasons. I was an absolute sucker for High School Musical, but I couldn't fully enjoy it with anyone around. However, Felix's reactions were becoming increasingly hilarious, and I was enjoying myself.

"Oh," he squeaked, clasping his hands to his chest, watching the screen with rapt attention. "No, Gabriella! Troy loves you! He's just lost his way, is all! It's Sharpay's fault!"

I watched as the bridge of the song approached, singing in my head instead of out loud, while watching the dramatic scene unfold.

[Troy:]

What about us? What about everything we've been through?

[Gabriella:]

What about trust?

[Troy:]

You know I never wanted to hurt you

[Gabriella:]

What about me?

[Troy:]

What am I supposed to do?

[Gabriella:]

I gotta leave, but I'll miss you

Felix's mouth dropped open as it played out, leaning closer to the TV, even though he didn't need to. It looked like such a human response, that I almost forgot he was a vampire. I moved my attention back to the TV.

"What-You-She just q-What?" Felix spluttered. "Oh, I can't believe this! Troy can't do the show with that bitch Sharpay! She stole the song, and Gabriella's man! How are they supposed to have a good summer if she's ruining everything?! This is madness!"

I said nothing, and smiled, shaking my head.

Felix's favorite song ended up being Bet On It, and he was currently trying to sing along with Everyday, no longer sitting on the couch and instead standing and gesturing like an opera singer.

"Everydayyyyy, of our lives! ...'na find you theeeeere, hold on tight!" Felix mumbled and sang loudly, while I sat snickering at him.

"Take my hand, together weeeeeeee will celebraaaaaaaate!" He started dancing, too, pointing at the screen like a wannabe pop star. My snickers turned into snorting laughs as I clamped my hand over my mouth.

I finished brushing my teeth, and I almost thought I would be sleeping alone tonight, until I flipped the bathroom light off and was suddenly swept into a pair of familiar, cold arms. Alec spun in a graceful circle, his arms a vice around my waist as my feet no longer touched the floor. My hands rested on his shoulders as I gasped in surprise, looking at my perpetrator.

"Hi," I said breathlessly, realizing just how much I missed him. I drank him in, my hands moving to his face. He smirked at me, my heart thumping in response.

"Hello," he greeted, his voice like a caress in my ears. "Miss me?"

I nodded slowly, almost hesitantly, the action of admitting these things still new to me.

"As I, you," he replied, leaning forward to bury his nose into my neck. He breathed in deeply like always, before sighing.

"You were gone," I began, wounding my arms around his neck, letting my eyes close.

He slid his nose down to my shoulder and hummed in response. His lips moved against my skin as he talked, each movement sending warm sparks through my nerves. I shivered, but not from his lack of warmth. The icy temperature of his skin was a welcome, soothing relief to my own warm-natured body.

"I apologize for leaving you for so long. It was torturous for me to be away from you. I was around possibly every scent in the world, but none of them were yours. I would have told you where I was going, but then it would not be a surprise."

"Where did you go?" I asked quietly. "What surprise?"

Alec's lips suddenly left my skin as he maneuvered me effortlessly to carry me properly with one arm underneath my legs and the other underneath my back.

"Let me show you," he said, carrying me to my bed, and I stared at him with a frown.

"I'm not a baby, you know," I told him flatly. "I could have walked to my own bed."

He smirked smugly.

"Now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed that? I am perfectly capable of taking care of you."

"And I'm perfectly capable of walking to my own bed, with my own legs," I countered, feeling deja vu from that night again. Although, warmth flooded through my chest at his words. He wanted to take care of me?

"That, I am aware of," he mused. "However, I am saving you the trouble. Surely you are tired after your long day?"

I'd been tired enough this past week to sleep for a whole month. It was very unusual.

"It was too long without you there," I mumbled incoherently, picking at the loose fibers on his soft, black sweater. It looked exactly like the one he wore the night of my attack, just in a different color. "There wasn't much to do."

"Perhaps when you see what I have for you, you will forgive me," he smiled wryly, and with only a slight breeze, he was sitting on the edge of my bed, with me in his lap. He produced a sleek, thick, rectangular box from I didn't know where.

"It seems we forgot one little thing on our particular trip to town," he mused.

My eyes spotted the Apple logo on the front, and I glanced at him quickly before taking the box and lifting the lid.

There, nestled inside, was the newest model of the iPod Touch, strongly resembling the newest iPhone. It was sleek, shiny, and charcoal gray, the dark screen holding my reflection.

"I..."

I didn't know what to say. I had forgotten all about the reason for our trip that day, and now, with the device practically laughing in my face, I felt guilty. He had been trying to do a nice thing for me, making up for shattering my phone, and I got into a fight with Julienne. To make matters worse, I never told him the truth about that night in the club, and it bothered me. He deserved to know the truth, especially now. It made me feel sick to look at this gift; I didn't deserve it. Yes, he destroyed my phone, but I did something worse. My phone was something temporary, something that could be replaced, but lying to him about what I did the night of the attack was the ultimate betrayal.

I didn't realize I was crying, until a tear splattered onto the brand new screen. I slammed the lid back on it and shoved it back into his hands.

"I can't accept this," I rushed out, the guilt being dumped on me like a cold bucket of ice water. I moved to get off of his lap, but his hand shot out to secure my waist, keeping me in place. His eyebrows came together, more confused than anything.

"Why not?" he asked tonelessly. "Do you not like it?"

I shook my head strongly, unable to explain.

"No, it's not that! I..."

"Am I giving you the wrong impression?" His face was stony, a face I hadn't seen in a while, and I knew what it meant. He was shutting himself off from me.

"No," I repeated, shutting my eyes. "No, it's not you, it's..."

I sighed, and my forehead fell against his. The box was all but forgotten, as he crushed me closer to him, his hands cradling my face.

"Why are you upset? Tell me, cara," he whispered exigently.

Here goes nothing.

"I lied," I said, my voice breaking. "So, I don't deserve this."

He was wiping away each of my tears as they came, one after the other in a quick torrent. Why was I crying so much lately? Why was I so emotional? God, why did I have such a pain in my abdomen again?

"What is it that you lied about?" he asked in a heavy voice.

"When you asked if I spoke to the girl I fought with. Julienne," I stammered, then took a deep breath, the words tumbling out faster with each syllable. "I lied. I interacted with her, but I was only trying to help her! Her boyfriend-well, ex now-was abusing her, and I couldn't just watch it happen, so I stood up for her, and now, well, let's just say his nose is broken, too. But, I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you the truth; I just knew I wouldn't see her again, so I didn't think it mattered, but I also knew you would be mad, or wouldn't understand. He was hitting her, Alec, and probably a lot more than what I saw. I'll understand if you're mad, just please don't kill her. She didn't ask anything about me, or you, or-"

Finally, Alec silenced me with a simple murmur of my name, and a sob escaped me.

"I am disappointed that you did not tell me the truth," he spoke solemnly. "But, I would never repeat my own mistake of taking something away from you. Now that I have witnessed the pain I have caused you, both physical and emotional, I have vowed to never be the reason for it again. Do not worry about Julienne. She may have nearly led you to your death, but there is no chance of you two meeting again. You were preventing another possible death, and I cannot fault you for that, seeing as you carry an absurd amount of kindness."

But it wasn't Julienne who had done that; it was Ned. Actually, Ned didn't do anything. I was the one who went out the back door, when I could have gone out the front. I just happened to be much closer to the back door. He would have surely caught me if I tried to make a run for it out the front. I shook my head at Alec, leaning away from him.

"It wasn't her," I sobbed again, the pain of walking away from Ned, from my brother and Cassie, and my freedom, rising to the surface. It was becoming difficult to speak, and my speech was coming out in gasps.

"I wasn't-trying to-avoid her. I saw-Ned. He was our-agent-and-he was the one-I saw in the c-c-club. He's-they're-still looking for me. And I didn't go, b-because..."

Alec crushed me to his chest, holding my head against his shoulder as I finally broke down, the floodgates of loss and pain opening up inside my chest. I let the sobs rip through me, not caring how ugly they were. All I could process was the fact that it was all coming out now; the pain, the loss, the sacrifices I'd made, the grief, and finally, the relief I felt from telling him the truth. Everything came out in my sobs, my gasps, and the endless amount of tears I cried. Alec tried to soothe me, whispering words in my ear that I couldn't hear or understand. All I could hear was the sound of my cries.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I finally stopped, my eyes red, puffy and raw, and my emotions drained. Alec stayed still, his fingers combing their way through my hair.

"Cara?"

I slowly lifted my head from his shoulder, rubbing the back of my hand against my eyes. I knew I looked my worst at this point, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I felt numb and empty, as if every emotion had poured out of me, and there was nothing left but a shell of me. I knew that my rational emotions were lingering somewhere deep in my brain, but I couldn't reach them, and they couldn't reach me. I felt just as robotic as he looked. His lips pressed firmly against my forehead as he held me tightly to him, refusing to let go. His smooth, icy lips moved against my forehead as he finally spoke.

"Your friend was right about you," he spoke in an empty voice. "You cannot stand to lie. I did not believe him at first, but I was clearly wrong."

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't bring myself to even open my mouth. I just nodded once, my head moving in a jerking motion. He examined my face, a look of disdain on his face. Whether it was directed at me or something else remained a mystery.

"I cannot fathom that I have caused you this much pain," he muttered to himself. "Even Aro..."

His face became defiant as he traced his thumbs over my features.

"Did you speak to this Ned?" he asked quietly, and I jerked my head to the left, then the right.

"Just ran," I croaked, barely able to hear myself. A dull ache in my chest reminded me of the decision I made, how easily I could have gone with him.

"You miss him, beyond words," he said, but it wasn't a question. "Your brother."

What do you think, Sherlock? I thought internally. Of course I missed my brother! What kind of sentence was that?

I looked at him with a facial expression to match my thoughts.

"I may not understand," he continued. "But, I can imagine the pain you are experiencing."

For some reason, his words snapped something in me. Anger. Fury, even. How would he know? He's always had his sister around. As far as I knew, they'd never been separated.

"Can you?" I spat. "How could you even know? You don't know. You don't know even one ounce of what I've been going through, Alec. Do you know what it's like to give your whole life up without having a say in the matter, and be taken away from the only family you have left?"

I removed myself from his lap, furiously wiping a stray tear with the heel of my hand, standing a few feet away from him. I was fired up, and anger that was locked away began to emerge.

"I don't have anybody left! My brother's best friend is a vampire, and he was only turned into one so that your Master could hold him for ransom and keep me here, and that's sick! I have made so many sacrifices that I never thought I would have to make! I turned away from my freedom multiple times, because I couldn't just think about myself! I've been thinking about everybody except myself! I'm being forced to get used to a life that I don't even want, and any dream I ever had of being married, or having kids, or making music, are gone! I will never see my brother, ever again! And you think you can imagine that? You've always had Jane! You never had to live a day without her! And for fuck's sake, you get to keep her! I have to live forever while my brother lives his life thinking his best friend and I are dead, and I can never tell him the truth! He was all I had left! My mom doesn't even give a flying shit about us, and I don't even have my dad anymore! He is going to be all alone! What kind of immortal life is worth that? It's not! You hate humans, so I can't even imagine that you would even put yourself in my shoes! You have no idea what it's like to be lured into a lie just so you can be fed on by people like you! You take so many lives, and you don't even care! If Heidi hadn't gone out and used her stupid gift and drawn my best friend in, I wouldn't even be here! I'd rather be anywhere but here! I can't go outside, I can't see the sun, I can't breathe fresh air, I can't do anything!"

I was yelling loud enough for all of Volterra to hear, but I didn't care. Before I could speak another word, Alec was in front of me, pressing his palm forcefully against my mouth. He looked livid beyond words, and this time, I somehow knew he was mad at me. Well, bring it on, Alec. I wasn't scared of him anymore, and if he intended to hurt me, then I would try my best to fight him. The anger came off of me in waves, and my hands were shaking from the rush of letting everything out. I felt myself breathing heavy underneath his palm, and I pushed his hand away.

"You think. I have no idea. Of what you have been through?" he hissed so low, so lethally, suddenly in my face. I felt like Liam in that moment. It sounded very close to the way he spoke to Liam that night I was attacked. He continued to step slowly toward me, as I stepped backwards with each of his steps.

"You know nothing of what I have suffered in my life, especially my human life. Do you know what it is like to be tied to a stake because of a false accusation? To be burned alive while you cannot think about anything but if you will see the only person next to you? To be ridiculed, spat on, abused, hated by every living being simply because you are a twin? To feel flames burn across your skin, to be called a witch? I have been through much worse than you can ever imagine, human. I have been given a life where I can give humans the punishment they deserved for treating us like scum. No human would dare stand against me now, and yet, here you are, defying me. How would you like to be burned alive? Maybe that would put your in your place, human."

I stood there, frozen, as I absorbed the information.

Alec had finally told me about his past.

He and Jane were accused of being witches just because they were twins? What kind of people believed that?

As I tried to imagine a human Alec and Jane, tied to tall, wooden poles, bounded by thick ropes, with flames burning above them, my stomach dropped, and my heart shattered. I felt helpless towards this imaginary Alec in my mind, but also strongly pulled to get them both out, to save them. But, if they weren't killed, Aro must have saved them just in time to...

I found streams of tears running down my face, my gut twisting at the imagery, the horror of their story. As I stared at the angry Alec before me, I tried to piece together his human features, wondering just what that entailed. I tried to picture the horror on his face as he looked to Jane next to him, two innocent children being killed because of some superstitions. I didn't even care in the moment that he called me "human"; all I knew was that it all made sense now.

Why he hated me, and why he used the word "human" as an insult. It all clicked, and suddenly, my anger vanished.

He had an unspeakable past, one that made mine seem like a walk in the park. Not that any two pasts should be compared, as times were different for both our generations, but it didn't take away the sickening turn that their human lives took. I felt anything but anger. I felt sadness, compassion, like my heart would burst from the way I wanted to hold him to chase away the horrible memories. I couldn't find words to speak. What could one say to a story like that? All I could do was cry for him and for Jane.

I saw Alec's stone hard, livid face, but it didn't register with me. I wasn't afraid that he was staring at me defiantly, the conditioned response of being threatening plastered on his face, or that he gave me an empty threat. I knew he wasn't actually going to have me burned alive.

It made even more sense, the more I looked at him. Alec and Jane had once been innocent children, with an unfair ending. Aro's teachings had turned them into shells, monsters, monsters that weren't truly them underneath. They had been transformed at the height of their trauma, prompting it to stick with them forever. And that wasn't fair. Aro had taken them, too, except they had been grateful for this life.

Or so Aro taught them.

"I'm so s-"

"Save your words, human. You are only going to speak out of fear," he said bitterly.

"I'm not afraid of you, or your threats," I told him, swiping at my cheek, but my voice broke. "I'm crying because it's terrible and heartbreaking, what you went through. I'm sad for you. You didn't deserve...to go through that. Neither of you did. And, if I had been there, I would have gotten you out. Or, tried. You're just afraid because you told me about a crucial part of your life, and you both hated humans, so you're taking it out on me. Because I'm something you hate. I understand now why you hate humans, but...they're all dead, Alec. All of the kids and adults that punished you for..."

I wanted to go on, but I was confused.

"Why did they think you were witches? It doesn't make any sense."

"During that time, humans coined a superstition that twins born from a mother were spawns of the devil. It was extremely uncommon for twins to be birthed, and more often than not, the mother would die in childbirth," he explained in a detached voice. "The children would claim that bad things happened to them if they ever crossed our paths. It was all coincidence, and we never harmed any of them. Jane grew bitter and angry, and I..."

"You turned it all off," I finished, their gifts dawning on me. He nodded robotically, his face void of any emotion.

"So you...enjoy punishing humans because you think we all deserve it for what happened to you?"

"Exactly."

"But...all of those humans are dead," I explained to him. "The ones that did this to you. Why would you punish humans who had nothing to do with it? I understand the anger, but...that's...not right. They're gone, Alec. They can't hurt you, or your sister anymore. Their mistakes came from fear of something they didn't understand."

"Yes, but you see, that is the point. Humans are so unintelligent, that it is hardly a loss if they are killed."

I stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend the beliefs that have been formed in his mind.

"So, I guess I'm just the same as the rest of them, huh? I deserve to be punished, too? For something I didn't even do to you? Simply just because I'm human, and nothing else."

"Cheyenne-" he shut his eyes tightly.

"Why didn't you kill me that first night, then? If you wanted to kill me so bad, why didn't you? You could have gotten it over with, and I would be out of your way. My life would have hardly been a loss, and you could have gone on living your life happily, without any interference from me," I said, the anger leaking into my voice.

"As a matter of fact, why don't you just do it now? You would be getting what you've wanted all along," I finished as angry tears fell from my eyes.

His eyes were somber and hard when he opened them, as he clenched his jaw. He seemed to pause, contemplating something, but he finally answered me.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, containing an incomprehensible, ancient strain. I simply stared at him, the anger rushing into my veins.

"Because when I looked into your eyes for the very first time..." he began, swallowing hard. The strain in his voice reached his eyes, and he let out a low growl, his body shooting forward to grasp me. His arm wrapped itself tightly around my waist, and I cursed the stupid, electric, tingling current that ignited my body from his touch. His hand found my own, and I found myself struggling between being angry with him, and remembering why I was angry in the first place.

He paused again, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"I refused to kill you that night, because I looked into your eyes and saw all that I was," he said hollowly, his face empty now. I took it as a defense mechanism of his, and let it be, but my anger was immediately replaced with surprise. My mouth fell open.

"Wha-"

"You exposed me; my very being, and I was not expecting that. I loathed it. I was able to see the monster that I am, the cruelty and coldness that I possessed. I looked at you, and saw your purity, your goodness, compassion...your humanity, and saw every single thing that I am not. Everything that you are, I am the opposite. I am dangerous, and you are cautious. I am serious, and you are lighthearted. I carry no compassion within me, but you hold more than enough for every living being on this planet. I am...cold, and you are warm. I cannot stand to feel any emotions, and you are the most emotional human I have ever encountered. I am selfish, and you..." he broke off, shaking his head at me.

"I am everything that you should stay away from," he whispered. "The very embodiment of me is far from what you deserve. I used to think so lowly of you, and now I cannot think a single thought without you being entwined in it in some way. I am darkness, and you are light. I am far from innocent, and you have not one single impurity that could mark you unclean. Every single time I lay my eyes upon you, I see what I am, what I have become. And, in lieu of that, I treated you poorly. I denied it in the very beginning, and vowed to keep my status as the darkest vampire. I thought that if I did cruel things to you, dominated you, that I would forget what I saw. I was not going to allow someone so below me to dictate who I was. But, clearly, my own plans failed me."

I blinked, once, twice...three times. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Me, a simple human...bringing the most feared, good-looking, dangerous vampire in the world to his knees? Metaphorically, of course. It made no sense to me; I was always the one who went unnoticed, always the one who was underestimated, ignored, overlooked, bullied...

"And, your life would mean the biggest loss of all," he pressed, cradling my face in his hands. "You haven't the slightest idea how important your life is to me. Your pain has become my own, and I cannot stand to see you upset, or angry, especially with me. Somehow, things become easier to understand around you. I am able to comprehend now that it is ludicrous to continue killing humans over something that happened long ago. I did want to murder you for that, not just because your blood sings to me. It is safe to say that the fact that you seem to be able to see right through me heightened my reasoning for hating humans."

"You just threatened to burn me alive-"

"I did not mean that," he growled at himself, leaning his forehead against mine. I felt his chest rumble against my own. "Even I know better now than to think you would fall for such an empty threat. I believe we both were consumed by our anger, and said things we did not mean. You do not really want me to kill you, correct?"

He was right; I did say things I didn't mean, and I knew that even when I said them in the heat of the moment. I was so overwhelmed by everything I had held back. I shook my head at him, and he smirked halfheartedly.

"Good," he answered. "Because I would not have been able to do it, no matter how tempting your blood is. I believe it is equally so easy, yet so impossible to kill you at this point."

I made a face, expressing my confusion.

"Your eyes, cara," he explained softly. "It is your eyes. They could stop any immortal in their tracks. I know for a fact that I cannot be the only one who has been exposed. Everything is conveyed with your eyes. I suppose that is what makes you such a compelling performer."

"What color were your eyes?" I blurted, the age old question resurfacing from my subconscious. I clapped my hand over my mouth then, feeling like a fan girl who was meeting her favorite celebrity. He was trying to be sensitive, and I just blurted out a curve ball. He straightened up, his expression amused now as he watched me.

"I mean-I'm not-I didn't mean to-" I spluttered, looking away, shutting my eyes with guilt.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"It has been so many years, I am afraid I cannot remember that simple fact," he spoke softly. "A vampire can only retain so much of their human life, depending on how recent and how much of an impact it held."

I looked at him hesitantly.

"So that's why you were able to tell me...earlier?"

"Believe me, it is not a memory I wish to have taken with me into this life," he said, smiling bitterly. "And, speaking of it for the first time since my transformation brought with it a form of my own anger. You are the first human to know of my origin, and I was more ashamed than anything to reveal it to you. I knew you would quickly catch on as to why I became this way. And, before you point it out, you are not included in the targeted group of unintelligent humans I mentioned earlier."

"I'm not the only intelligent human on this earth, you know," I deadpanned. "I don't even count myself as intelligent. I'm just observant. There's much smarter people out there. We're not all stupid."

He smiled ruefully as he leaned forward to kiss my nose quickly.

"Ah, but you are intelligent," he corrected me. "You are teaching me many things without realizing it. I might be a bit biased in my claim, but please do not sell yourself short. You continue to prove me wrong at every turn, it seems. Impressed is too scarce a word to express how taken aback I am by your brain."

"You're intelligent, too," I reminded him, pulling my eyebrows together. "You're eighteen, and you act...eight hundred."

"Technically, I am over a millennium old," he smirked, and my eyes bugged out of my head. "If the calculations serve correctly, I was born in the year 800 A.D."

My heart sped up at that information; that was such a long time ago, and he had been walking this earth longer than my ancestors.

And he was standing here. In my arms. The most gorgeous creature to ever walk the planet. And he was mine. And he wanted me.

"You are pursuing quite the old man," he mused, tucking my hair behind my ear. I blinked a few times, trying to get my train of thought back.

"Well, I gotta have someone who acts just as old as me," I rolled my eyes. "I always wondered why every single boy in my world seemed too immature for me. I was always on a different spectrum than they were."

"Because they are not worthy of you," he growled, leaning forward to take his usual spot in my neck. He inhaled, paused, and pulled back to look me in the eyes.

"Of course, neither am I. But I am here, if you will have me."

I grazed my eyes over his face, my hand reaching up to cup his strong jaw. I took in his perfect, angelic, boyish features; his cat-like, crimson eyes that were framed by long, dark, thick lashes, his straight, but slightly upturned nose, his full, pale red lips, his strong jaw and high cheekbones...

And the boy that was encased deep inside of his eyes.

He wasn't perfect, and neither was I. He came from a horrible place, and he had been taught nothing but murder and carelessness. He could be callous, but he was so protective. Not just with me, but with his sister, too. He could be a gentleman too, and he couldn't bear it if I was hurt. He had been deemed the most dangerous, but he was the most gentle with me. He saved me from three crazed vampires, and even desired to take care of me. His instincts constantly told him to kill me, but he also risked everything just to be close to me, each and every day. He chased away my nightmares, and helped me sleep when I couldn't. His eyes looked back at me, patiently awaiting my answer, softening with each passing second.

Of course I would never want anybody else. It was impossible for me to want anybody else but him.

I nodded, and his dazzling smile took my breath away. He scooped me up into his arms, swiveling in a one-eighty, where his back was now pressed against the wall. He buried his face in my neck, pressing his icy lips all over it. Each kiss shot sparks of lightning straight into my stomach, the sensation too great for words.

"Thank you," he mumbled into my neck, sighing over my scent.

"I'm sorry. For everything," I told him, hugging his neck tightly. "Especially your past."

He pulled back from my neck, pecking my nose again.

"Don't worry about my past, cara," he crooned. "All is forgiven. I would like to administer my own apologies to you as well. I did not mean any of the threats I voiced to you, and I am sorry for being so harsh. I can only hope that you forgive me for behaving that way."

"I don't know," I said slowly, inhaling. I was teasing him, of course. "You called me 'human' again. That's pretty unforgivable."

He growled extremely low, and I threw my head back, laughing. I felt his lips press into my neck once more.

"You are going to be the death of me, human," he said, his voice dropping an octave.

Oh, hey, lady bits. How nice of you to awaken at such an inconvenient time after my vampire boyfriend and I had our first fight and are currently trying to make up.

"Don't say that!" I exclaimed in horror, hugging him tightly to me; as much as I could, anyway.

"Poor choice of words," he muttered to himself, his nose venturing all across my neck, and underneath my ear. My eyes fluttered closed, and all I could do was hum in response. I could never think when he was doing this, and it was obviously his favorite thing to do.

"Do I make you nervous, human?" he teased, and I realized that I was practically hyperventilating.

His use of the word 'human' was becoming a bit too frequent.

"No. But you are practically glued to my neck, vampire," I retorted. He paused his movements, slowly pulling back to look at me. His eyes were swirling with something deep, something intense, something that darkened the bright red in his eyes.

And it looked a lot like want-no, need. And possibly lust.

"Is that how you are going to play, human?"

"If you keep on calling me 'human', then yes, vampire."

"Human."

"Vampire."

"Human."

"Vampire."

Suddenly, I was the one pressed to the wall again, with every single inch of Alec pressed up against me. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, as he easily pinned both of my wrists next to my head, hardly using any pressure. He watched me for a long minute, though it felt like several, and his voice was lower and more deliberate than ever.

"Do not move," he ordered gently, and then slowly, he began to learn forward.

Right toward my lips.

I panicked, and my thoughts became jumbled.

Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap, this is my first kiss, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, and it's with a vampire, holy...

Our eyes stayed glued to one another, before they closed, and his cold, smooth, strong lips tentatively captured my own.

If his touch ignited sparks, his kiss set my entire world, and body, on fire.

The electric current that had grown between us for the last two weeks exploded into a full on frenzy inside of me, a blazing, delicious, magnetizing, sizzling burn that anchored me to Alec's very being. My body seemed to shriek in relief that we were finally close enough to satisfy it, but it also screamed for more. Every bit of this felt right, so, so right, and nobody else could ever give me this same feeling; I was sure of it. This was something irrevocable, solid, firm, set in stone, everlasting.

His lips moved against my own with deliberate, deeply experienced skill, and I could feel how careful he was being with me, how much he was holding back. This was a giant risk to take, yet here we were; a vampire, kissing a human.

I had no idea what I was doing, but my lips seemed to follow his, synchronizing slowly and perfectly, while I tingled all over with an impossible warmth that his body did not hold. Fire spread through my veins and my nerves, an indescribable desire flooding my body, the electricity zinging through every inch that his skin touched.

One of his hands released my wrist, moving to tether itself around my waist, while the other nestled itself inside my hair. My body seemed to react on its own, knowing exactly what it wanted and where it needed to go. My hands instinctively gravitated toward his face, cradling it because I wanted to hold him here forever. I would never be strong enough, but I sure as heck could try.

I knew that I wanted this for so long, and imagined what it would feel like. It excelled far beyond my imagination, for this was something too strong and surreal to merely be conjured up in someone's mind. This needed to be experienced, and I was sure that I would never experience anything better than this.

The force of his lips bore down on mine, demanding, seeking more of me, and I gladly returned that with all the strength I could muster. The sound of a low growl erupted through his chest, and suddenly, he broke the kiss, gently pushing me into the wall, while he kept me at arm's length.

Holy...

I just kissed a vampire.

He took a few slow, deliberate steps away, his eyes filled with something wild and untamed, the red seeming to glow brighter. He stared, and I stared back, watching him struggle to keep his distance. His lips seemed unaffected, but I could see a bit more color in them. He took one more step back, closing his eyes as if he was trying to shield them from something he didn't want to see. My breathing was heavy, practically come out in gasps as the electricity slowly sizzled out of my body. My lips were left tingling and burning in the best way, and felt slightly swelled from the pressure of Alec's against mine.

"Give me a moment," he spoke, his voice just as low as before. "Do not make any sudden moves."

I obeyed, concentrating on catching my breath. I hated him being this far from me, even though it wasn't really all that far away at all. He now stood about a yardstick's length away, still as a statue with his eyes clenched shut. He looked too good for words, with that sweater, and his jeans, and...

Not the tiiiiiiiiime!

Oh, but I couldn't stop.

He looked exactly like he walked out of an Abercrombie ad, maybe even GQ. His form was so strong, lean, perfect. He looked both like a boy and a man at the same time, and I suddenly remembered exactly what was hidden underneath that sweater...

"Breathe," I heard him say, and inhaled, tearing my eyes away from his body.

Man, how often am I gonna keep doing that?

He opened his eyes, finally, looking calmer and more in control now. I watched him shyly, unsure if it was safe to move. My heart thudded mildly in my chest, as my entire system calmed down from what just happened.

"Are you hurt?" he asked carefully, sweeping his eyes over me. I shook my head.

I am far from hurt. I feel like I just took a trip to heaven and back, and I secretly wish you'd push me up against the wall again.

He cleared his throat before speaking, and I wondered why he was being so distant all of a sudden.

"I did not intend to lose control like that," he spoke formally. "If I am not careful enough with you..."

"It's okay," I said quietly.

More than okay! That was the single best thing I have ever experienced in my nineteen years of living!

"I seem to lack manners, when I should have asked for your consent first," he said. "I did not plan on doing...that."

"You don't have to ask," I said, though I was completely melted by his chivalry. It was something no male ever seemed to think about in my day and age. "I just never thought it would...happen."

"Oh, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to do that," he said suggestively, his eyebrows raising slightly. "I am finding it increasingly difficult to resist you, which is why I must be fully aware of my actions. I could have killed you, if I was not in control of myself."

"You didn't, though," I reminded him. "But, you kept calling me 'human'. It was irritating me. It's really annoying when you do that."

He smiled, despite the heaviness his face seemed to carry. He motioned for me to come forward, and I immediately left my spot from the wall. I slid my hand into his waiting one, and he pulled me right up against him, his arms anchoring around me. I felt safe again, like I was home somehow.

"I know," he murmured. "If it makes you unhappy, then consider it done. It became a habit of mine after meeting you. Using your name was not something I wanted to get used to."

"Is that on the list with hating my gift, too?" I asked, and he raised his eyebrow.

"You are very talented at what you do, if that is what you are implicating. I am not particularly fond of your gift and its function, but I am highly impressed with your skill."

"Really?" I squeaked excitedly, my eyes widening. Then, realizing how childish I sounded, cleared my throat and blinked.

"I mean, uh, thanks," I backpedaled, my cheeks blazing with embarrassment. I averted my eyes away, and his sounding laugh made me blush even more.

"You truly care about my opinion on your vocal talent?" he mused. I shrugged sheepishly.

"I didn't want you to hate me just because of that. I can't control it. I didn't even know about it until...all of this happened. And now, it's honestly very hard to enjoy singing when I can't do it whenever I want. I have to go into a certain room, when I would rather be on a huge stage with blinding lights, and a screaming crowd. It...sucks. I can't even enjoy what I do, because it lures any of you in, and I hate that. I hate my own gift, if that's even what it is. It doesn't seem like a gift; to me, it's more like a curse."

"There has been one question burning in my mind for the longest time, now that you speak of your gift," he murmured. "How did you end up here, in Volterra?"

I exhaled, again being reminded of my brother and this entire mess, reminded of Ned, and how I had to escape him in the club. The pain wasn't intense this time, but instead a dull ache as I remembered that day.

"Perhaps I asked too soon," Alec stated, watching me. "You do not need to ans-"

"We got noticed by an agent," I said, my voice hard. "A talent agent. He said we were incredible, and that his boss, Cassie, would like us. Those were whose text messages you found on my phone. We were given all of these opportunities and extravagant offers, but I told him we didn't want to be big, that we didn't want to be signed. He was going to give us a record deal. Cassie was so impressed with us, that we were going to fly to Rome the day that..." I took a deep breath.

"You do not need to explain any further, cara," he said softly.

I shook my head, adamant about getting this out of my system. I needed to feel this grief, to process it so I could finally let it go. Whether I saw him again or not, I couldn't hold it inside any longer.

"We were supposed to leave, but David never came back. We waited for him, and my brother was getting mad, so I..."

That day came back to me, clear as a ringing bell. My very last normal moments of life, disappearing with each step I took in town square to find David.

"Cheyenne," Alec tried again, more firmly this time, but I kept pushing through.

"I said I would go look for him, and I found him in the crowd, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late..."

I couldn't bring myself to look at him. It had been easy to push all of this back when I had the mystery of Alec right in front of me, but now the two were colliding in one room. I still wanted to get out of here, more than anything, but now, Alec was one factor keeping me here. I wanted him, but I wanted to go home, and I couldn't have both. I knew that if I left, Alec most likely wouldn't come with me. He would never leave Aro, or his coven, his sister.

Alec pressed his forehead against mine, taking my face in his hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but I spoke first.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said firmly. "I'll answer anything else, but I can't cry anymore."

"I think it is time for you to sleep," he decided, lifting me into his arms effortlessly. He carried me, and I didn't argue this time. I let him place me in bed, and slip the covers over my lap. He reached over slowly to the forgotten iPod box, and placed it in front of me, kneeling down so we were level with each other.

"I will not force you to accept this," he told me. "But, I thought you would enjoy it, since I robbed you of the last piece of your former life. I was able to salvage your SIM card, and restore all of the music inside. Please know that I am not trying to buy you, but am simply trying to make up for my past mistakes. I treated you unfairly, and strayed from my professional duties."

My eyes widened, grabbing the box and lifting the lid off.

"You what?" I asked incredulously as I pushed the power button and waited for it to power up. I chose all the appropriate settings, and automatically clicked on the music library.

There, on the screen, was my very long list of songs. All nine hundred thirty of them.

"Everything is here," I breathed, scrolling down the list, seeing all of my favorite artists.

"I take it you are happy with this," he inquired, and I nodded dumbly, my eyes glued to the screen. I snorted, responding late to his earlier sentence.

"Good job staying professional," I said sarcastically, teasing him. "Do you kiss every human that you're assigned to guard?"

"Just you," he replied smoothly, taking my hand in his own and pressing his lips to the back of it. My heart skipped, and my stomach flipped at his smooth response. I was speechless as I finally ripped my eyes away from the screen.

Dang, he's good.

"Did I fluster you, tesora?" he asked complacently, flashing a charming grin at me.

Oh, now he's just doing it on purpose. Now I want to kiss him all over again.

I shook my head to clear it, and plucked my hand away.

"No."

"Liar," he accused, raising an eyebrow, and I copied him.

"I'm not the one who kissed a human because he couldn't resist her," I sang under my breath while giving my attention back to my new favorite item. "You said you salvaged the SIM card?"

He growled at me, but responded anyway.

"Yes."

Something flashed across my mind, and I quickly left the music library and went to the photo gallery.

My hand flew to my heart as I gazed upon the pictures I took of the trip, before we got captured. I found the photo of David and me on the stage, during warm-ups. With his tongue stuck out in KISS fashion, and each of our hands held up in the classic rock gesture, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was so jarring to see him, how he used to be. Brown eyes. Light brown hair. Tan skin. Human.

"I found those. I thought you might like them back, as well," Alec told me quietly.

I said I couldn't cry anymore, but seeing this picture broke my heart, and tears landed onto the screen with a splat. We looked so happy, so carefree, and it was crazy to think how fast everything would change in the twenty four hours after that. This was David; goofy, careless, funny, wild. Now, he was being put in a box by Aro, creating him into something I didn't even recognize.

In fact, looking at this picture of myself now, I didn't even recognize me. I looked happy, yes, but I also looked lost, young, and...well, normal. Too normal. The fact was, I wasn't normal. I held feelings for a vampire, who also held feelings for me, I had somehow managed to survive this long in a castle ruled by a power-hungry psycho, and I was not only physically stronger, but mentally, too. I was still determined to escape, and if I survived, maybe I would come back for Alec? I could never persuade him to come with me, but I knew that I didn't want to live the rest of my life without him in it somehow.

I wanted him. Forever. Whether I was immortal or human.

And seeing this photo made me that much more determined to get David back, our lives back. He might not be human ever again, but as long as he was here, he would never be himself.

"I will give you a moment," Alec said, rising to his feet. I swiped at my eyes, using the hem of my shirt to wipe my stray tears off the screen. I shook my head at him.

"It's fine," I said. "How did you manage to do this?"

"The employee at the Apple store did all of the work," he smirked ruefully. "I have been cruel enough. I could not only give you back one thing that you love."

"Thanks," I whispered, spotting a brand new pair of ear buds in the box. I grabbed them, shoving the plug into the earphone jack. Pressing the shuffle button in my music library, my ears were filled with a much newer song of Halsey's, the music mimicking that of heart monitors, sonogram machines, and a warbled voice that could be heard from inside of a mother's womb.

Wooden floors and little feet
A flower bud in concrete

Feeling so incomplete

Wonder will we ever meet?

And would you know it right away
How hard I tried to see your face?
A little screen, a photograph, mine to take

I had listened to this song a few times when it came out, but it never applied to me until now. I would never be able to have children, something that was high on my list. I had wanted them ever since I entered adolescence, knowing fully that it was something I would never change my mind about. I always knew that I held a strong, maternal instinct inside of me, and that it would one day be used in my adult life. I wanted to care for something that was my own, to feel the nudge in my abdomen, to hold that tiny person in my arms and hear them speak to me. I wanted to hear their laughter, to clean their faces when they made a mess, to hold them when they were scared or upset, to share that life with the person who would be my husband one day. I wanted them to shout with joy when their favorite uncles came to visit and see the happiness on their face when they ran into their arms.

But, now that had all been robbed from me. It would never happen.

For the slightest second, I imagined it: a human life, with Alec, where we could both age together. I saw two little figures, both with dark hair, one with my green eyes, and the other with what I could only guess was Alec's eye color. I could see both of them, running toward him, Alec spinning them around, kissing their little heads, their squeals of laughter as he tickled them and wouldn't stop...

"You planned to be a mother one day, didn't you?" Alec asked quietly. I nodded slowly, the agony in Halsey's voice mirroring my own sadness. I stared at nothing, not gibing my attention to anything in particular.

"Why?" he continued. My voice came out robotic, as I tried not to feel the emotions that came with my words.

"I just always wanted them," I answered. "It's not something I can explain. I just always knew that I wanted to be one, and that I was...meant to be one. Sort of like you said with your own instinct for me. It's something that's instilled in me. But now..."

"I wish I could say that it will be possible for you," he said, his tone matching mine; empty, robotic. "But, I would be lying. Female vampires cannot reproduce."

"I know," I barely uttered before he finished. I forced out my next words. "I'll get over it. No big deal. Who wants to deal with the pain of childbirth, and having morning sickness, and eating weird food combinations, and mood swings, and seeing a tiny person that holds half your DNA grow inside of you on a tiny little screen with a tiny heartbeat, anyway?"

I pressed the skip arrow without looking at the screen, but my own words made me want to puke. I wanted all of it. I wanted every bit of morning sickness, to see just how worth the pain my child would be.

"Even I know that you are blatantly lying," he answered in a hard voice. "I cannot offer you any words of consolation, cara. I can only tell you that it is a sacrifice that is going to have to be made, given the fate you have been dealt."

He kissed the back of my hand, but his words made me feel even more bitter. Alec had everything he could ever want, while I had to give up all of my dreams. He had finally found the purpose for his own instinct, but what about mine?

"I'm not going to live the rest of my life without it," I retorted, pulling my hand away. "If your instinct had a purpose, then so does mine."

I laid myself down, turning away from him. I shoved the comforter up to my chin, and blasted the volume on my iPod, not waiting for his answer. I couldn't live for eternity, letting this maternal instinct of mine lie dormant. I had to have kids somehow, or at least be a mother. I refused to believe that it would just be wasted like that.

I shut my eyes, allowing the old comfort of music to carry me under.

I pushed the screen door open that led to a spacious back yard, hearing peals of laughter somewhere in the distance. The grand patio was shaded from the sun, as my eyes involuntarily searched for something. It was quite warm today, almost much too hot. My feet moved into the grass, rounding a corner of the house, where three figures stood.

Alec, holding a water hose in his hand, drenched from the water, playfully sprayed two children. They both laughed and squealed, using their arms to shield themselves from the water. They spotted me, their eyes widening with joy, and took off running towards me.

"Mommyyyyyyy! Mommymommymommymommy!" they yelled in unison, their voices anchoring me to this Earth. My arms automatically opened for them as they gripped onto me for protection.

"Help! Daddy's spraying us!" the boy exclaimed, tugging on my summer dress. I heard a laugh escape my lips as I held them close, kissing both of their heads.

"Mommy, mommy! Daddy got me wet!" the girl told me in the sweetest soprano voice. As I gazed at both of these children, I recognized them as my own.

And they were both carbon copies of Alec.

Both held dark hair, nearly black, the boy's hair straight and short, while the girl's was unbelievably wavy, the ends of her hair falling in ringlets down her back. The girl's eyes held the brightest ocean blue, clear and open, and the boy's held my own green, if not holding a bit more blue than mine. Their identical, cherubic faces had me looking up to the man who held these genes. I frowned at him.

"Alec," I chided. "What did I tell you? They need their swim suits first if you're going to be playing in the water."

I snuggled my children closer to me, as Alec came and joined us, wrapping his much bigger arms around me.

"Sorry, my love," he grinned mischievously, the dampness of his T-shirt soaking through my own clothing. "I was watering the plants like you asked, and they wanted to help."

"Nuh-uh! You started it first, daddy! You sprayed us!" the boy yelled. "You know mommy is a lie protector!"

"It's lie detector, baby," I corrected the boy lovingly, leaning down to kiss his wet forehead, feeling a heavy weight in my middle that made it not so easy.

"Okay, let's get you all inside," Alec told them, supporting me. "Mommy needs to rest, and you need to change your clothes."

As I straightened up, I felt my hand go to my abdomen, feeling a very large swell. My eyes landed on my stomach, seeing the protrusion that was our growing third child. He or she kicked and bounced inside of me, clearly loving all of the excitement going on out here. I whipped my head back toward Alec, seeing his face for the first time as he brought my left hand to his lips.

His eyes were the same shocking, ocean blue as the girl's, his skin flush and slightly tan from the sun. He looked older by a handful of years; he couldn't have been more than twenty seven or twenty eight. His features were more defined, and age clearly served him well. He gazed at me in such a loving way that made my heart stop, and my eyes landed on the two rings that sparkled in the sun on my ring finger.

"I love you," Alec declared to me, his signature smirk coming into play before pressing his warm, soft, but strong lips to my hand. "Only a couple more months."

"I love you more," I heard myself say, having no control over my mouth.

Thought I'd give you guys a sweet dream for once. What do you think of everything so far? Please review, I love reading them! The ball is up next, so hang tight! I know I keep saying that, but I mean it this time lol. The time has come. Also, I just recently had Lasik, so the next chapter might take a bit before it's up, as I cannot look at screens for too long and it hurts my eyes. But, I finished this one up, and I hope it will satisfy you until the ball chapter is up! I also have another third person POV coming your way, so be prepared for that!