AN: I don't own bugger all :)

My lovely Beta has had such a rough time recently so we are a little slow getting these through. I am forever grateful for all the time and effort she gives to this story. Plenty more to come so stick with us :)

CLEAN UP CREW

Felix heaved when he walked into Marcus' chambers behind the master and his uncle. The stench of his regurgitated blood vomit which had been allowed to ferment for a little over a week was now potent and if felt like the tiny hairs in his nostrils were burning.

"I suggest you put every effort into not adding to the work, Felix," Marcus said, plainly referring to Felix' sickened state.

"Understood, master."

Marcus scoffed to the boy's politeness. "It is a little late in the day to be pretending you have any respect for me, Felix," he said frostily as he slammed the newly replaced door to his quarters. "I suppose I should thank you both for the new door ... though I would rather there had been no need for a replacement."

Felix glanced over to Carlisle for help.

"Marcus, I apologise unreservedly for trespassing against you. Please understand that Felix had little do with ... " Carlisle stopped talking when Marcus turned his back on him.

"You can start cleaning my quarters. Begin in the bathroom."

Carlisle bit his lip as he winced at Marcus' tone. "Certainly," he offered before retreating to the hallway.

Felix looked frantically between his uncle and Marcus. Fuck, no! Carlisle don't leave me on my own with him! Felix didn't have too long for the panic to really take hold.

Marcus took the young guard by his arm and directed him over to the rotting rug in the centre of the room where Felix' sick pile was still prominent. "Would you have broken into Caius' chambers? Or Magnus' even?" Marcus asked as he glared at Felix.

Oh fuck, this is not going to end well, Felix thought solemnly. "Well, no ... "

"Why?" Marcus snapped in return.

Felix had forgotten how ferocious Marcus used to be before he had withdrawn within himself since losing his mate. Which was my fault, Felix reminded himself, adding to his sense of doom. "I guess they wouldn't be as forgiving as you ... " he ventured, hoping to appeal to Marcus' good side.

His short explanation wasn't received as intended. Marcus erupted! "Do you believe me to be weak, Felix?!" He looked ready to tear off the boy's head.

Felix attempted to create a little distance between the two of them and backed up slowly, only to have Marcus take him roughly by the back of his neck and force his head down to his knees. Felix's face was directly above his pile of festering vomit and the smell assaulted his senses.

"No master. I certainly do not think you weak!" he rushed, wanting to quickly please Marcus.

"I have had you quaking in my presence before now. If you think that losing my mate has made me weak, you are mistaken."

Felix could feel himself tremble in the master's hold and his palms felt clammy. "I don't think that, though!" he implored desperately. He was trying to remain respectful and comply with the position Marcus wished him to be in, but bending over double was uncomfortable and the stench of the stale sick only a few feet from his face was forcing Felix to push back on Marcus' force. It was an involuntary response, but when Marcus felt Felix attempting to break his stance he squeezed so tightly on the boy's neck that his own hand turn bright white and shook with the force.

"You do think me weak, you said as much - you wouldn't have trespassed against Caius or stolen from him." Marcus didn't even sound like Marcus, not recent Marcus at any rate.

Felix thought the master sounded strong, steadfast, and very, very capable of tearing him a new asshole if he so wished. "Caius is unusually cruel," he answered, thinking it was obvious why he wouldn't have dreamed of fucking with Caius.

"Magnus isn't cruel," Marcus shot back.

"He's hard as nails," Felix said to himself, though sadly for Felix, Marcus heard him and shoved the boy to the floor ... where he landed on the rug, the rug which was a quagmire of rotting fibres from the venomous regurgitated blood.

Felix heaved. He hadn't fed since before the last time he was sick in Marcus' chambers and he was almost certain that there was nothing in his stomach to bring up, but the sensation panicked him anyway.

"So you do think I am weak, Felix!" Marcus boomed standing over the boy.

"No! Forgiving, Marcus, I think you are forgiving. Forgiveness is not a weakness, master," Felix replied, breaking off now and then to dry retch some more.

"Maybe not, but it appears to have cost me my privacy and my possessions."

There was so much hate in Marcus' tone, but something told Felix that it wasn't entirely directed at him. Nor Carlisle for that matter. He made a mental note to talk to Aro about it when he had the chance.

Felix could feel his knees becoming damp and knowing what the moisture was only served to turn his stomach again. Oh, for fuck sake, I will never be able to get the smell out of my clothes. Shit! These are Aro's clothes, he's going to go crazy! "Please master, I give you my word that this will not happen again." He was desperate to get off the floor - even cleaning the sick up would be better than sitting in it!

Marcus scoffed to Felix. "Your word doesn't mean very much at the moment, boy." As Carlisle had appeared in the doorway, Marcus turned his eye on him. "That goes for you both," he said with great disappointment.

"Perhaps in time we will be able to regain your trust, Marcus," Carlisle offered gently before asking what he should do next.

…

"Hello?" Eleazar called out as he rapped gently on the chamber door.

"Come in Eleazar," Marcus replied from his window seat.

"Where are they?" Eleazar asked as he looked around Marcus' main chamber. It was immaculate. It's never been so tidy in here, Eleazar thought.

"Are you here to collect them, El?" Marcus asked in return.

"I am. Well, Carlisle anyway. Aro will be along for Felix in a moment, I believe."

Marcus nodded. "Well, they have done a grand job. They are cleaning themselves up now, I believe."

Eleazar whistled as he moved around Marcus' living room. "Forgive me, my friend, but I never realised how big this room was before." Marcus laughed lightly, though he had to agree. "Aro has said I will be hosting one of the visiting covens so I have made a little space. Or rather, Felix and Carlisle have!"

Aro entered the chambers, happy to hear Felix had done his duty. "Why are all your books in the hallway? Surely you aren't throwing these away?" he asked.

The piles of books usually strewn around Marcus' living space were stacked neatly in the hallway at the top of the stairs.

Marcus smiled, feeling quite pleased with himself. "They reek of your son's vomit, Aro. So, I have decided Felix and Carlisle can copy them out fresh for me."

Eleazar burst out laughing. "Well, Carlisle did say he wanted to learn ... this sounds ideal!"

Aro, too, was most pleased with Marcus' genius ... and rather appropriate ... idea. "As punishments go, it is unusual. I am happy with that, Marcus," he said, congratulating his co-master.

"They will also have to go and beg Caius for the parchment and ink," Marcus added with a coy smile.

Aro guffawed at the very idea. Brilliant! "So, you are going for cruel and unusual discipline, brother. I will oversee the 'begging'." Oversee ... I wouldn't miss it for the world!

"I'm coming, too!" Eleazar spluttered out between laughter.

Carlisle and Felix had heard the conversation ... they couldn't drag out 'washing their hands' any longer.

"Come on, we need to get this over with," Carlisle prompted, pushing Felix out the bathroom door.

"There you are," Aro sang out happily as they came into view, though the smile soon fell from his face when he saw the state of Felix's clothes. MY clothes, he corrected himself. "Couldn't you have kept him clean?" Aro whined to his co-master.

"I could say the same to you about my apartment!" Marcus replied in jest.

Aro offered a coy smile. "Touché, brother."

Aro felt his heart lift hearing Marcus' playfulness - the time away from coven life had done Marcus a world of good. As he glanced around the living space, he noticed many of his sister's things to be missing. Didyme was as much as a hoarder as Marcus and their large, eclectic collection of trinkets and souvenirs from their regular travels had once filled the walls (and much of the floor space). But it was all gone. Aro felt a deep sadness at seeing his sister's removal from his coven, but he didn't blame Marcus. Indeed, if it would help with his brother-in-law's mood, Aro was all for it. Still, it's sad, he thought.

Aro beckoned his son close and held out a hand.

Felix huffed. "I haven't done anything," he whispered, feeling embarrassed.

"I can't trust you anymore," Aro said flatly as he waited for his boy to comply.

When Felix thrust his own hand into his father's he glared at Aro.

Aro ignored him as he read through the boy's mind. He saw nothing to concern him, and no conspiring with Carlisle either, thankfully.

"See?!" Felix sneered when Aro released him.

Aro merely raised an eyebrow to his boy before turning to Marcus. "Are you sure you don't want to slap him around a bit?"

Marcus pretended to consider Aro's offer whilst Felix whined about how unfair his life was. "I think I'll leave that for you to do, Aro. But," Marcus turned to Felix and Carlisle, "I do expect my books to be rewritten perfectly ... and quickly."

Carlisle agreed. He was looking forward to writing them out and he hoped he would learn something along the way. He was sure Eleazar would help him with the reading if he struggled. His penmanship wasn't perfect, but it had improved immeasurably since his human attempts.

"I will want my originals back, of course, so I can check your work," Marcus added, resulting in Felix scowling.

I bet he throws our copies out, I bet he does. Bastard. This is pointless! This is the most Aro-like thing you have ever done. Maybe even Caius-like. For fuck sake!

Aro could see his boy was getting restless and it was time to leave. "Are you done with them, brother?" Aro asked.

"For now, Aro," Marcus replied, seeing them out.

"I'll send someone for the books," Aro sang out as they headed down the stairs.

"To Caius then, I suppose," Eleazar suggested.

"This will be fun," Aro replied happily.

Carlisle and Felix scowled to each other but kept their mouths shut.

They made it to the dungeons in silence, apart from popping to the guard hall to send some guards to deliver the books from Marcus' chambers to Eleazar's. That was the only benefit of Basileus not forgiving Carlisle - he had booted his son out to Eleazar's chambers. Eleazar hadn't been overjoyed, but he could see that his father was still genuinely hurt over Carlisle's actions so he had to suck it up for the time being.

"Will you ask, Dad?" Felix broached as they headed down the stone steps.

"Nope," Aro replied happily. He knew he was taking far too much joy from this but then again, why shouldn't he. He'd already taken the shame of explaining the whole fiasco to Marcus so he felt the pair of them bowing and scraping to Caius was justified.

"But, he won't say no if you ask!" Felix implored, sounding desperate.

"He won't say no to you either, if you ask properly."

Eleazar nudged Aro. "I don't know, they may have to offer some sort of recompense. They will be needing an awful lot of parchment, after all."

Aro nodded. "You may be right there, brother."

Carlisle saw Felix start to sweat. "What sort of services?" he asked, praying it would be nothing sordid ... they all knew Caius' inclination for pain and humiliation. Fucking sadist, Carlisle thought.

"Well you are qualified cleaners now, and you even have a work reference ... " Aro had to stop talking as both he and Eleazar nearly fell down the last few steps in their bellyaching laughter.

"You are both bastards, you know!" Carlisle said as he shoved past them.

Oh, how Felix wished he could have gotten away with saying that.

"Caius!" Aro called out when they reached his playroom.

"I'm not having them, Aro! Find another babysitter," Caius answered when he saw Felix and Carlisle.

"They won't be staying, they have work to do," Eleazar said, giving his youngest brother a nudge with his shoulder.

"Go ahead," Aro prompted, pushing Felix forward.

Felix sighed shakily ... he was scared of Caius. Hell, everyone is scared of Caius, he thought. Truthfully most of the guards were scared of all of the masters - they all had the power, not to mention the skill - to end their immortal lives at will. But Caius was particularly cruel in his ways - fear of his rebuttal always had just cause.

Feeling a jab in his back from Aro, Felix steeled himself for the begging to commence. "Master Caius may we borrow some parchment and ink?" he said, with Carlisle quickly adding on a 'please' for them both.

Caius leaned back into the damp stone wall and folded his arms across his chest. "What is this about, Aro?" he asked.

"Nothing to do with me, brother. Marcus wants the two of them to rewrite his entire library. So …" he said simply, trailing off and giving a shrug.

"His ENTIRE collection?" Caius questioned in shock. "That will take all the supplies we have!"

"Well, we can't do it then can we?" Felix stated more than asked, turning a smug smile on his father.

"I didn't say that," Caius corrected the youth. "But how am I supposed to replace it?"

Felix and Carlisle gulped. They both knew how Caius made the parchment ... they didn't fancy replacing it with their own skin.

"Can they pay for it?" Caius asked, looking to Aro and Eleazar.

Aro shook his head and left Eleazar to reply.

"I suggest a trade of some kind. Services they could provide, perhaps."

Caius cupped his chin with one hand. "They won't work for me, they will be more trouble than they are worth!"

He has a point, Aro had to admit it. He leaned into his son's ear. "You had better convince him you will be a pleasure to have down here or you will be asking Marcus for a different punishment. I doubt he will be so gentle a second time, son."

Felix closed his eyes. He was tempted to take a thrashing from Marcus instead of writing out all those books.

Aro heard his boys wavering thoughts. "Perhaps Marcus will just have you whipped again, and now that he is here to deliver the strokes I have nothing against it."

Felix's head shot up and he began rambling off every offer of help in the book with ... promises of perfect behaviour and even a vow of silence whilst under Caius' direction.

Caius was loving it. He let Felix continue for a few minutes before he turned to Carlisle and gestured for him to join in, too.

"Please, Caius. We need to do this for Marcus, we owe him. We will do whatever you want to cover the use of the parchment and ink."

Caius laughed. "You are looking at skinning over 100 vampires to replace the amount of parchment you need, Carlisle. Are you going to help me with that?"

Felix started dry retching again. I can't skin someone, he thought desperately.

"You may be better suited to working on the parchment process, Felix. He's gone green, Aro!" Caius mocked the boy to his father.

"If only misbehaviour could illicit such a reaction, eh!" Aro returned.

"If Felix helps with the parchment process I will help with the skinning," Carlisle eventually offered, feeling faint at the very thought.

"Wonderful!" Aro exclaimed and clapped his hands together.

Caius went and opened the storeroom. Deep shelving lined the back wall, upon which were stacked piles of parchment, already cut and arranged in quires and prepared to be written upon.

"But ... " Caius said sickly sweetly, "you two assisting with the replacement of my stock is only payment for the use of the goods. How are you going to convince me to let you have it?"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Felix asked, perplexed.

"Not at all," Caius scoffed. "It will take a few years to replace all of this," he said as he gestured to his stock. "If you are happy to wait those few years then there is no further payment necessary. If, however, you wish to take the parchments and ink today, you must offer me something else on top."

Carlisle cringed. I should have guessed as much, he thought.

Felix scratched the ground with his foot, hoping someone else would sort it all out for him.

"Well!" Aro half shouted at the petulant youth. "What will you offer?"

Fuck off, Aro! Felix thought, like the moody teen he was. I've just spent all afternoon scrubbing for Marcus, I'm not doing it for Caius, too!

"What do you need doing, Caius?" Eleazar asked. It had been fun watching the troublesome pair and their awkwardness but he wanted to get back to Carmen now.

"Basileus has told me I need the dungeons in pristine condition before Aro's little conference. I was going to have the job put on the guard rota and pay for the service ... but I would accept it as payment from these two instead."

Felix shot a disgusted look to his father who had happily answered 'yes' for him and Carlisle.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Felix asked Caius, hopefully.

Caius would have said yes, it was no difference to him, but Aro butted in before he had the chance.

"No!" he said forcefully. "You can do it tonight. I am not having you ruin another set of my clothes tomorrow."

Caius laughed. "Why is he wearing your clothes again?"

Shaking his head wearily, Aro replied, "it's a long story for another day, brother. We will take their writing supplies now, Caius. Please keep them within your sight and they will be collected at midnight."

"That doesn't leave them much time ... " Eleazar said, thinking it was already late in the evening.

"They had better get started then, hadn't they, because if I have to wait for them to finish when I collect them I will not be pleased."

Though Aro's underlying threat was aimed at his son, it equally applied to Carlisle. Since Aro had whipped him, Carlisle believed Aro would think nothing of punishing him again if he had to and there was no way on god's green earth Carlisle was going to give his brother just cause.

Felix and Carlisle scurried to the cleaning cupboard, much to the amusement of Aro and Eleazar.

Caius loaded a basket with the parchment and gave it to Eleazar whilst Aro collected ink pots and a huge bundle of quills.

"I will see you tonight, Caius," Aro called over his shoulder before leaving the dungeons. He knew when he checked Felix's thoughts later that they would be full of expletives for the lowly position of coven scrubber, into which he'd been forced, and Aro knew those expletives would all be about him! But, as the coven king had spent the last week with Felix hardly talking to him, and Sulpicia moaning at him, he really didn't care anymore.