THE GOOD PASTOR

Basileus waited for his son to return from his hunt. He had planned to dine on animals himself whilst with Carlisle, but the two women in the local ale house had been far too appealing.

Carlisle had stormed away from his feeding father, mainly because he was finding the allure of their blood too difficult to resist in such close proximity. Basileus did feel a little guilty going back on his promise to Carlisle, but still. He's being such a damn brat about it. I dare him to come back with the same attitude he left with, he thought as he lay the second woman next to the first on the woodland floor.

"Goodnight, my dears." he said kindly, as with a gentle hand he closed their eyes.

"Why did you kill them?" Carlisle called over in annoyance as he approached through the tree line. "You could have fed without killing them!" he reiterated, now standing with his father and looking over the two drained women.

Basileus rolled his eyes. "And I suppose you only sipped from your chosen beast?" he commented sarcastically.

Carlisle huffed. "There is a world of difference between humans and animals, father!"

Basileus chortled to himself as he threw an arm around his brooding son. "Not to me, there isn't." he said quietly. Basileus listened to his son's mind for a moment as Carlisle dared himself to confront his father. His inner monologue filled with choice profanities. "I suggest you keep those thoughts to yourself, son. I would rather get to your hometown before sunlight and taking a break to discipline you for your disrespect would hamper my plans."

Carlisle heard the very clear threat even through Basileus' sing song tone. "I would rather not hamper your plans, either." he returned as he ducked his head low.

The pair moved through the night at full vampire speed. Actually, at Carlisle's full vampire speed. Basileus' speed would have surpassed his son's twice over had he been alone. Basileus noticed his son was actually slowing down the closer they came to London. Looking up to the starry sky, he knew they still had a good few hours of darkness to facilitate their passage.

"Let's take a breather, son." Basileus said as he brought them both to a halt.

"Now, Aro would make comment about you showing your age. I, of course, would never be so bold." Carlisle commented cheekily as he took a seat in the crisp grass.

Basileus narrowed his eyes to his son. "Hmmm, Aro would be very foolish to make such a comment!" he retorted playfully, taking a seat beside Carlisle.

"Why have we stopped?" Carlisle asked, though he was glad they had. The sense of foreboding grew inside him every step closer they came to his old home.

"Why were you slowing down?" Basileus asked plainly.

Carlisle looked away nervously. You know why, he thought. I have no desire to see the good pastor or any of his ilk ever again!

Basileus smiled to himself. Even in thought you are sullen!

"I have told you already, you do not need to interact with anyone if that is what you choose. But, you will be going to Spittle Feylds."

Basileus sounded stern, though not unkind. He understood how conflicted Carlisle felt about his natural father, but that was why he wanted to give his son the chance to face the man one last time - he didn't want Carlisle to feel so conflicted for the rest of his existence. "I could kill him for you, if you wish?" Basileus offered quietly, as though saying so too loudly would make the offer more menacing.

Carlisle eyed his father dangerously, knowing 'him' was the pastor.

"If you want him dead, I would do that for you." Basileus pushed.

"I have never said I want him dead!" Carlisle replied indignantly, words dripping with his offence at such an offer.

"I know you haven't. You have thought it, though ... a good many times, too." Basileus continued, paying people no attention to his son's emotions.

Carlisle looked flustered. "Well you shouldn't trespass on my private thoughts!"

Basileus smiled to himself. That won't wash with me, son. Silly boy, he thought.

"You have wanted him to suffer, too," Basileus continued, "for the pain he caused you, for the women he killed. Your own friends ... and more."

Carlisle flashed to his feet. "Stay out of my head!"

Basileus remained on the floor. He wasn't trying to piss Carlisle off, though he knew he was. He only wanted Carlisle to admit to himself that he did actually care about the pastor and seeing him would, therefore, be worthwhile.

"All I am saying is that I could make those thoughts become reality ... if you so wished." Basileus shrugged as he spoke, sounding so casual.

"He was an utter bastard to me, he committed grievous sins against the people of our town, but I would never want him dead - he was my father." Carlisle wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Basileus or himself.

"I know that. He hurt you, Carlisle. It's not unreasonable to wish harm on someone who hurt you. Only natural, I would say. You are in the position now to do something about it ... or, I could on your behalf, if you wanted."

Carlisle flopped back to the floor, his head whirring with the proposition Basileus offered.

"But, he's still my father. I could never, not even if you did so for me. No, just no." Carlisle looked up in time to see the warmth Basileus projected through his smile.

"Do you still think you feel nothing at all for the man?" Basileus asked quietly.

Carlisle sighed and lay back in the grass. Staring up at the stars he thought about his father, his first one. Not one single happy memory. Not one.

I can't remember a single time I wasn't scared of the pastor, trying to do the right thing and knowing it didn't matter because that bastard would beat me anyway. How is it possible to not remember a single smile, a single embrace, nothing but pain and misery? But I still care ... I don't want him to suffer, nor to die. The pastor was right, I am weak.

Basileus had listened to his son working through his thoughts, but he couldn't let that last bit lie. "You are not weak, son. You care about your father because you are good, you are kind, you are considerate. These are not weak virtues. The pastor was a very misguided man. But that man was still your father."

Carlisle brought himself up to rest on his elbows as he stretched out in the grass. Basileus could see he had tears in his eyes but decided not to comment.

"I'm not saying I will speak to him, but I would like to see the pastor, please." Carlisle asked in a small, but certain voice.

Basileus got to his feet and brushed the debris from his clothing. Offering a hand to his son, he pulled Carlisle up to join him. "Let us get on with it then, yes?" he said cheerily.

Carlisle nodded as they once again took off at vampire speed.

Around an hour before dawn the duo reached Carlisle's former homestead.

"Are you alight?" Basileus asked his son. He'd heard his boy convincing himself he just wanted to look in on the pastor and be on his way, but Basileus could tell his young one wanted more than that.

"Yeah, fine." Carlisle responded curtly, eyes fixed on the pastor's bedroom window.

"You could jump up there, take a look?" Basileus pushed.

Carlisle shook his head; he wasn't ready for that. Their movements near the barn must have alerted Jethro of their presence as they both heard the old mule neighing softly and scrapping his hooves on the ground.

Carlisle's eyes lit up and a broad smile spread across his face. How had I forgotten you, my old friend, he thought as he walked over to the barn door.

Basileus left him to it, hanging back and keeping watch for any movement from the house.

Carlisle crept inside the barn, closing the door behind him. He didn't need the moonlight to see his trusty old friend. To begin, the horse was startled. Most animals had a natural, inherent fear of vampires. As Carlisle approached, Jethro's mulling increased until he placed a steady hand on the ragged mane of the animal. With a few gentle hushes and whispered words, Jethro appeared to be remembering the kind hands of the youth that stood before him and he rubbed his neck into Carlisle's touch.

Basileus listened intently to the sounds coming from inside the barn and laughed lightly hearing his son coo to the animal.

I am glad to see your blood lust is under control, son, he joked to himself.

A light coming from the small house drew Basileus' attention. It appeared that a candle had been lit.

The pastor must have heard the horse! Shit! Do I let him find Carlisle? It may be the only way for my son to face the man!

Basileus had only moments to decide, and though it felt underhand, he chose to turn a blind eye to the pastor who was now leaving his home with small torch in hand to investigate the barn.

Carlisle was so caught up with his old horse that he hadn't listened out for anyone approaching. The first he knew of the pastor's presence was the when the barn door swung open, flooding the small structure with moonlight.

Holding the torch aloft, the pastor created a menacing shadow on the barn floor, though having recognised the trespasser immediately as his long lost son, he was too shocked to speak.

"The last time I saw that shadow you had come to whip me for my sins." Carlisle said quietly.

Though he had spoken mostly to himself, he had expected the pastor to hear him. Human hearing was not as strong as vampires of course, and the good pastor continued to stare at the young man in disbelief. Carlisle considered fleeing the barn, maybe even taking Jethro with him. But before he could make to move the pastor, his father, spoke.

"Is it you? Have you returned?" his voice sounded soft, full of concern.

Carlisle so desperately wanted to believe that concern was for him, though he doubted the man could ever feel such depth of emotion for his only son. Gulping down the venom pooling in his mouth and leaving Jethro's side, Carlisle replied, "It is me, father."

The pastor quickly closed the distance between the two of them, though his gimp leg slowed him somewhat.

Carlisle noticed the limp in his step. That's new, he thought to himself, certain his father hadn't been in any way afflicted when he had last seen him.

The pastor stopped just a step away from his son. Lifting the light high again, he examined the man before him with his mouth hung open in wonder.

"It is you, Carlisle, you are home!" he exclaimed as he threw his free arm around his son in an embrace.

Carlisle felt the force of his father's emotions; surprise, concern(?), elation! In all his life he had never been able to elicit a positive emotion in his father and Carlisle felt floored by the embrace he found himself in. Now in shock, Carlisle found himself unable to return the gesture.

"You are cold to the bone, boy! Come, come, we have much to discuss, son." the pastor announced, pulling Carlisle along to the house they once shared. As they left the barn Carlisle looked around for Basileus, unsure of what he hoped for. Rescue? Intervention of some kind? No, he just needed to know he was there. Carlisle caught the fleeting image to the side of the house. No human would have noticed," but Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief knowing his vampire father was near.

Samuel Cullen threw open the door to his home and ushered his son inside.

"Light the lamps, son." he called gruffly as he guided Carlisle to his small study. Taking the tall backed chair at the desk, Samuel waited for Carlisle to complete his task before instructing him to light the fire that would offer heat to the small, untidy room.

Giving out orders already. I suppose my homecoming is over then, Carlisle thought in annoyance at being instructed by the man.

"Sit, sit!" the pastor called out, gesturing to a chair strewn with folded parchments.

Feeling agitated already, Carlisle was wondering if this whole thing was such a good idea.

Why didn't Basileus alert me that the pastor was heading for the barn? he questioned as he cleared space to take a seat. As he sat, he wondered what he was supposed to say to the man before him.

Carlisle didn't have to wait for long before Samuel filled the silence. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" His tone was stern and accusing.

Back to normal already! Carlisle thought as he rolled his eyes.

"What would you like me to say?" Carlisle returned, with far more attitude than he would ever have dared in his mortal life.

Samuel looked down his nose at his son and seriously considered skipping the verbal part of this session and going straight for the whip instead.

Carlisle knew that look well and an involuntary shiver coursed through his body as he looked away in trepidation.

Willing himself to stay calm and at least find out where Carlisle had been hiding for the last two years, the pastor decided to push on.

"Let us start with where you disappeared to that night, son. I believed you to have been taken by the monsters we sought to expel from our lands. But you sit here now looking well and very much alive ... so what happened?"

Carlisle felt a venom sweat come over him, he had no idea what to say to that. He was sorely tempted to tell the truth and blow every theory Samuel Cullen had ever had about vampires out of the water, but he wasn't sure if that would be allowed.

It goes against vampire law to reveal myself to a human, he reminded himself.

Carlisle looked away from his human father and nervously played with his hands. His ring bearing the Volturi crest, given to him by Basileus on his 'first birthday', caught his eye.

He wanted me to confront my old demons, I know that's what this whole charade is about. But what to tell the pastor? I wanted to leave anyway - after Rebecca, I was saving hard to leave this place.

Resolved to his reasoning, Carlisle answered. "I had to leave. I was angry about Rebecca and I couldn't stay here any longer after what you did to her," With a hard look into his father's eyes he added, "and what you did to me."

The pastor leaned back into his chair and started stuffing tobacco into his pipe. "And what did I do to you, Carlisle?" he asked with a sly smile that reminded Carlisle so very much of Caius.

You cannot hurt me anymore, old man, Carlisle reminded himself as he spoke quietly to his father. "You beat me ... regularly and without reason. You made my life a nightmare. Gutter rats had a better existence than I did."

Samuel didn't acknowledge his son had even spoken. He continued preparing his pipe and once ready, lit the tobacco and pulled deeply on the smoke.

The smell of that pipe transported Carlisle back to his youth. It would always be the smell of his human father. He grimaced as the smoke hit his nose, as though the very sent assaulted his senses.

How many times did you empty that pipe out onto my skin? One of my earliest memories is having to put out my own smouldering hair when you emptied it on my head.For what? Disobedience? I can't have been more than a toddler, for god sake. Carlisle could feel his father's hard glare boring into the side of his head. I will look at you, you bastard, and I will have an answer from you, too.

"Why did you do it? How could you treat your only son so awfully? What reason could you possibly have had?"

Samuel raised his eyes to the heavens and asked for god's guidance in dealing with his ever disappointing son.

Carlisle felt incensed as anger and frustration flooded his body.

Samuel could see the rise he was getting from his boy and he enjoyed it, it proved him right in his own mind. "You are, and always have been fueled by evil spirits. I did god's work in trying to rid you of your demons!" Samuel replied sternly, sounding like a schoolmaster giving a valuable lesson rather than the abhorrent abusive father he was.

The pastor continued to heap his vitriol onto Carlisle. "You are an evil brat! You killed my wife, your own mother! You murdered your own mother!" his voice drawled and his words were delivered through gritted teeth.

Carlisle had heard that tall tale so many times before, and all other times before had succumbed to the ravaging guilt he felt over the loss of his own mother. Living in Volterra and having access to Marcus' many medical texts had supplied Carlisle with the knowledge that no, he had not killed his own mother as the pastor had always told him. She died, most unfortunately, through childbirth. Most likely an infection due to lack of proper medical care.

"She died giving birth to me, it was never my doing!" Carlisle retorted as he got to his feet. He loomed over the pastor who was still sitting dispassionately in his tall backed chair and pulling on his pipe.

"If you hadn't been born she would have never died! Having you killed her and I was left to raise my wife's murderer!" Samuel growled out.

There was no feeling in Samuel. None for Carlisle, as expected, but Carlisle realised that there was no feeling for his dead mother, either.

You don't even believe your own revilement of me. It's an excuse, it's always been an excuse. You no more loved her than you loved me.

"Fuck you, you callous old cunt!"

The pastor leapt to his feet and tried to push Carlisle back. He was surprised that his usual force on his boy had no effect and Carlisle stood tall. Samuel was outraged as his son's defiance.

"Who in god's name do you think you are to speak to me with such venom?" he spat.

Carlisle laughed in his face. "Venom is right!" he said slyly.

"What are you talking about now?!" The pastor was genuinely confused. 'Venom is right' simply made no sense to him.

Before Samuel could say any more, a loud thumping at the front door drew the attention of both men.

The pastor shoved past his son, and this time Carlisle allowed himself to be moved by the old man so he could answer his door.

He listened from the study, but he knew it was Basileus already as he'd seen him flash past the window. Carlisle paced in the small room as he heard the pastor question who the mysterious stranger was.

"I'm here to collect my son." Basileus replied as he pushed Samuel out of his way and walked straight into the study.

"I think you must have the wrong house." Samuel blustered, following Basileus into the now cramped study.

Carlisle ran straight into his vampire father's arms.

"No, I am quite sure my son is here." Basileus replied to the pastor, eyeing him dangerously from above Carlisle's head.

Basileus whispered to his boy. "Venom!" he said pointedly. "If you go any further I will have to kill him, Carlisle."

Pulling out of their embrace Carlisle looked to the pastor with disgust.

"Good!" he said.

No single word ever uttered had ever been delivered with such hate.

Basileus put his hand around Carlisle to grip his shoulder and turned him back to face him. "Don't say something now that you will live to regret later." Basileus sounded concerned.

Carlisle wanted nothing more in that moment to go back to Volterra and forget this entire fiasco. "What makes you so sure I will regret it?" he asked, though he couldn't make eye contact with Basileus as he did.

Taking hold of his son's chin, Basileus forced his son to look into his eyes. "I think you might, son." he said knowingly.

Carlisle pulled away. This is too intense, I don't want to be here, I never wanted to come here. I might bite the bastard myself and let him turn into a vampire - he could spend the rest of eternity despising himself.

"You know our laws. If he knows about us, he dies." Basileus commented plainly. He wasn't against killing the pastor but he needed to be sure that's what Carlisle wanted.

He's acting in haste because he's hurt, I don't want him to regret this, Basileus thought as he listened to his son's thoughts turning darker and more dangerous.

Their conversation lasted only a few human moments as both conversed at vampire speed. Pastor Cullen had only seen a few blurs of movement and heard a buzzing sound as they spoke.

Pushing out his chest, Samuel confronted the intruder who had barged into his home. "Who in all of hell are you? What are you doing in MY house talking to MY son?!"

Basileus shoved the pastor backward until he fell back into his chair. "He was your son, now he is mine." he said dangerously.

Basileus was an extraordinarily large and intimidating man but the pastor didn't seem to register the danger he was in. Basileus laughed at the blustering imbecile. "We are leaving, NOW!" he said to Carlisle as he placed a protective arm around his boy, cursing his own arrogance for believing this would be a beneficial visit for his son.

"You are not taking him anywhere," the pastor called out as he made to get to his feet.

"Like hell I'm not!" Basileus said darkly, pushing the pastor back down before he had fully stood.

Samuel felt the force of Basileus' palm in his chest and stayed down, but he didn't stay quiet.

"He has making up to do. That treacherous, ungrateful reprobate left me in the lurch, abandoning my mission to save good souls! The spineless ingrate deserted our vampire hunt ..."

"I AM A VAMPIRE!" Carlisle roared at the pastor, unable to take anymore.

"Oh son ... " Basileus sighed as the pastor scurried to his feet and reached across his desk for his cross.

Holding it with outstretched arms, Samuel seemed to go into a trance as he recited the liturgy, calling on the power of the saints to rid the evil in the room.

Carlisle stood to the side of his vampire creator, his growling increasing with every prayer the pastor said. He appeared to be rage personified.

"Carlisle," Basileus called, shaking his boy to break his eye contact with the pastor, "I could turn him instead, if you wish."

Carlisle knew what that meant. Basileus was about to kill the pastor and was giving Carlisle the option of saving his life.

"No!" Carlisle replied forcefully.

"I'd rather die than live as an ungodly creature like you!" the pastor interjected, spitting as he spoke.

"We could turn him and leave him," Basileus offered. He knew his time was short here now.

"That's against the law." Carlisle replied, ready to see that evil old bastard die.

"Well yes, but I am the law ... the pastor as a vampire would offer no threat to vampire kind. I cannot let him live as a human with knowledge of us. You do understand that, yes?" Basileus pushed, he needed to know his son understood the ramifications of the choice he was making.

"Kill him." Carlisle ordered. And it really was an order.

Basileus listened for a moment to his son's mind and he heard that if he didn't kill the pastor then Carlisle would do it himself. Basileus knew his son was going to regret this, he knew it. Not wanting the pastor's death on his son's conscience for the rest of his existence he replied, sadly,

"As you wish."

Basileus ripped the cross out of the pastor's hand and turned it over his own. "You think this can harm my kind?" he said mockingly, as he threw it to the floor.

"I will meet my maker with a proud and honest heart. I have lived my life serving god, I will be welcomed into heaven with an applause." the pastor crowed as Basileus coiled his powerful hand around the man's throat.

"There is no heaven, no life after this. Your god only exists in your imagination." Basileus whispered into the doomed man's ear. "I would like to be sorry for this, but in all my immortality I have never found another so deserving of death."

With a simple twist of the wrist, the good pastor was dead.