AN: Before we go any further, I need to apologise for the delay, but I have a good excuse - CastorLycan is completely and utterly to blame. I have recently been introduced to her wonderful writing and I've been binging on her books - Amazing! I can assure anyone reading this fic that you will bloody love the books, and you need to get your ass on Amazon and check them out. Can't put links on here, but if you go onto AO3 and search for CastorLycan, there's links waiting for you there :)

I know I told some of you that we would be going to Salem in the next chapter set, but Chrissysmiles gave me a great idea for how some of our Volturi youth could cause a stir and I just had to get that in before I wrote anything else. We'll send our vamps to sort Salem out after this chapter set, promise!

We've had the 'inbetweeners', now we have the 'outcasts'.

1690, January - Felix The Outcast

Magnus had stayed true to his word, or rather, to Freyr's word, and hosted the New Year party. It had gone well, a few hangovers the next day, sure, but a success. Caius had stayed with Dora the whole way through. They divided their time between his friends and hers and things were good between them.

Irina hadn't enjoyed it quite so much, choosing to spend the entire time alone, scowling at her traitorous sisters for joining in with festivities. Odi had done similarly, blaming everyone in the coven from the creator down for his solitude. Of course, he could have joined in - a good many guards, not to mention his own parents had encouraged him to do so - but Odi saw their attempts for what they were… or what he thought they were. A bunch of two faced cunts who would use his involvement to prove he wasn't really a guard or wasn't really an elite. Just some no-mark coven member lost in no man's land. Felix, though! He was happy. He had Corin back and spent most of New Year in her dorm getting… reacquainted.

Whether because of the hangovers, or the self-imposed solitude, January 1st was a quiet day in the coven. It would be the last quiet day some would have for a while. From whatever position they began in, the three days following saw our once inbetweeners become complete and utter outcasts…

…

Demetri, in a well-rehearsed move, slipped into Felix's bedroom carrying two tankards of bloodwine. "If I catch for this off Dad you had better drag your ass out of that bed to bring me blood."

Felix shuffled across his bed to make space for his saviour. "Anytime, little brother, honestly anytime," he replied, gratefully taking his cup. "I bloody love you."

"It's much harder to do this without Jane's help," Demetri told him, sipping at his own tankard. "She's seriously pissed with you.

"It was just a joke," Felix huffed. "It was mom's fault."

Demetri's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "How do you work that out?"

"She smacked Jane for winding me up," Felix offered as explanation. "Don't you see?!" he pushed when Demetri looked back blank. "Jane flew off the handle…"

"I don't think I've ever seen Jane fly off the handle. She's more of a calculated conniver."

"I didn't mean physically go nuts," Felix huffed. He tapped his temple, saying, "But in here, she was flying off the handle." Too much movement. His backside burned, and he could feel every stripe of his father's belt still blazing. "Sure," he said, keeping himself still. "I might have laughed when mom smacked her…"

"Might?"

"Only a little, and I wasn't even in the room, so Jane wouldn't have known." Felix shrugged. He wasn't in the wrong, not even slightly - it was all Jane.

"Felix, brother," Demetri shook his head. "You aren't making any sense. That was a few days ago - how did you end up in here with your ass in the air again?"

Of course, you would want the full details, Felix tutted. "Are you certain Dad's not coming home tonight?"

"I told you already," Demetri replied, relaxing into his brother's pillows. Felix was about to spill the dirt and he was set for the night. "Dad's at Magnus' place having a card game."

Oh yeah, the card game. So Odi's meeting up with Carlisle and I'm stuck in here nursing my wounds. Again. I hate my life! "Right… from the top… three days ago… January 2nd…"

"Quit stalling," Dem said, jostling the bed just enough to cause his brother minor distress. "Get on with it!"

JANUARY 2ND

"Mom…" Felix drawled, creeping up behind his mother as she worked her way through the latest excuses for improper accounting from the French coven. "I know you're busy, but you haven't given me my allowance for this month…"

"That would be because you receive your allowance at the end of the month, my darling."

Damn it. Why Felix thought he could con his mother with such little effort was anyone's guess. But the boy had been grounded since Halloween, and that meant no allowance for all that time, too. Actually, as Felix had spent half of the previous year grounded, he was quite literally down to the brass buttons in his pocket.

"Could I get an advance?"

Sulpicia put down her quill and turned in her seat to face her son. Aro's seat, really, it was his desk she worked at. Felix's hopes were dashed the moment her saw her expression. It was her 'are you fucking kidding me?' face… her children knew it well.

But still, Felix really, really needed some cash. Training had been a farce that morning with Caius spending most of it kicking the shit out of Carlisle and Odi. All the guards were talking about it and the guard hall would be a buzz of excitement. Felix had to be there! Having already flushed his siblings out for all they would give him - zero, the selfish little brats - his only hope was his mother.

"I've been really good lately," he tried, bless him.

Sulpicia's features harden. "No, Felix," she said sternly. "You have not been good - you have been grounded, which affords little opportunity to be anything but well behaved unless you would like to end up on the wrong side of your father. But I wouldn't say you had been 'good'. You've only been off your restriction for two days and already you are driving me crazy…"

Felix zoned out.

He heard mention of his sisters name a few times. His darling little sister who had been driving him crazy during his captivity. You don't care about that, though, do you? he thought to his mother as she droned on.

"… but I will give you some pocket money to tide you over."

"Huh?" Felix was back in the room!

Sulpicia smiled at her son, knowing full well he had ignored every word she had said until she mentioned cash. "If you can answer a couple of very simple questions for me."

Felix nodded gormlessly, mind only on the money.

"Identify the correct way to dry towels," Sulpicia began to the sound of Felix groaning. "On the floor, in a crumpled heap on your bed, or on the towel rail in your bathroom?"

"Mom, come on!" Felix huffed, scowling in reply.

Sully continued unperturbed. "I would like to hear the reasoning behind your answer and a further five points can be gained in the discussion of who's responsibility it is to achieve the state of a dry towel, and why."

"It was just a fucking towel!"

The evening before, Sulpicia had collared the boy to tidy his room or at the very least to move the wet towel from his bed. But he couldn't possibly do it then as he was off to see Corin. When he returned, she reminded him about his room, and his towel, refusing to do it herself, but Felix was too tired. That morning, when Sulpicia had turfed him out of bed to attend training, she had been forced to strip the boy's damp bed - how have you even slept in this pit, Felix?! - and found a pile of washing that should have been sent to the laundry before new year.

"What did you just say to me?"

Her tone was frosty cold and were it not for the snickering coming behind him from the twins, Felix would have retreated. As it was, hearing Jane making comments just loud enough to be heard, but not quite so loud for him to make out what she was saying, Felix stayed firm.

"Mom," he began, pulling himself to stand tall and squaring his shoulders.

Oh, Sulpicia thought, eyeing him up and down. You think you're a man, again, do you?

"I'm sorry the towel annoyed you," - he sounded anything but sorry - "But theres no need to get hysterical, it's just a fucking towel…"

"Did you hear that, my love?" Sulpicia asked.

Felix stopped speaking and looked to her curiously. She's not talking to me… or the twins… oh fuck.

"He gets that from you, you know?"

Mom! Don't make him angry now!

"He'll be getting something else from me talking to you that way."

Yup, its Dad. Like there was any doubt.

"Felix!" Aro snapped when the boy refused to turn and face him. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to?!"

Reluctantly, Felix spun on his heel to face his father. "She did say that I get it from you," he tried. Cheeky never worked, but it was always his first line of defence.

Jane positively beamed!

Aro slowly, and purposefully made his way over to Felix, saying, "Consider yourself grounded again, son."

Felix struggled to say anything out loud, but his thoughts rolled around easily enough. Oh God, no!

Sulpicia looked even more upset than Felix. "No, my love," she said, her tone verged on begging. "He is not grounded, I can't cope with him being grounded again for a while, my love. Please don't do this to me, I have so much work…"

"Okay, okay," Aro backed up a step. "He's not grounded."

Felix smiled. Maybe the Gods are real after all? And then his whole world crashed around his ears when Aro pulled out the guest chair at his desk and slapped his thigh.

"Seriously?" Felix managed to squeak out. Nothing more would come, so he took to shaking his head in disgust at his father's proposition.

Aro nodded once. "I heard your argument with you mother this morning, and I let it go. I'm not letting any more go, so get over here and take whats due."

Felix chanced a look to the twins. One twin, actually, as Alec had fled the scene at some point. Jane, though - she made a show of taking a seat and noisily scraping that seat across the floor to get a better view of her brother's smack-down. Best seat in the house! she chuckled, settling in for the show.

It's not like she doesn't know this happens, Felix told himself, trying to put on a brave face. Just get it over with, don't give her the satisfaction of being bothered. Just move! It was no good. He couldn't put a foot forward.

"You are making this worse for yourself keeping me waiting," Aro warned. "You know that."

Oh yes, Felix knew that. But he still couldn't help himself. Not with his sister there gawping. The panic started to set in. Felix could feel the fight or flee response tearing at his good sense. It creeped up his back and wrapped around his neck. Can vampires suffocate?! Fuck!

Sulpicia was at his side in an instance. "It's alright, my darling," she whispered softly to him.

Felix had to wonder what he looked like if his mother was so concerned after the way he had spoken to her. He wanted to lean into the embrace she offered, but his foolish teenage pride wouldn't allow him such comfort, not whilst Jane sat giggling close by.

The distraction Sulpicia had offered was just enough for the fight or flight feeling to leave, but Felix still, understandably, felt horrified at the idea of his father's proposal.

Sulpicia knew how Felix felt about spankings, and though he had annoyed her, she didn't want to see her boy so distressed.

"My love…" she began, only for Aro to immediately interrupt her.

"It has to happen," Aro said, tutting at his son's puerile display. "I've gone back on the grounding for you, my queen, but I'm not relenting on anything else."

"But I…"

Felix was quickly cut off by his father, too.

"Your attitude needs knocking out of you, boy!" Aro gestured to his preening princess sitting a few feet from his side. "Jane told me about the spider yesterday, by the way," he said. "Think yourself lucky I wasn't home last night."

Felix grimaced. Little witch! Yes, fair enough, he had dropped a big fat spider in her hair whilst she quietly read to herself. And yes, Jane had a particular dislike of spiders - she called it a dislike, anyone in hearing distance yesterday afternoon might have called it an acute phobia with the girl's ear-splitting shriek. Felix couldn't help himself - he turned to Jane with a sly smirk at the memory.

"Hey!" Aro snapped at his boy, knowing exactly what had made him smile in such a way. "You think scaring my princess is something to laugh about?"

Felix's face dropped as Jane's smile grew.

She had been snipping at him yesterday morning and Felix couldn't hope to get her back until his father had left the house… and then the spider was just sitting there, too good an opportunity to miss. He frowned at his sister for having Aro wrapped around her little finger, and then truly glared at her grassing on him. There was nothing lower in his mind than a grass. A witch and a grass, he said to himself. The only thing that could make his darling little sister less likable would be if he discovered she was part wolf! Bitch.

"Felix!" Aro barked at his boy. "I have better things to do than hand you your ass. If you aren't over my knee by the count of three, you'll be losing your britches. One!"

Felix all but threw himself across Aro's lap with such a warning ringing in his ears! A spanking in front of his sister was horrendous, bare was simply unimaginable.

Raising his knee a little higher and tipping Felix forward so that he had to brace his hands on the floor, Aro began. He landed his hand sharply on the back of his boy's thighs - he knew that would hurt more. Aro wasn't heartless, though. He knew how much it had taken for Felix to submit to such a punishment. That, combined with the embarrassment of having Jane so close by meant that he only gave his boy ten good smacks before hauling Felix to his feet. It was ten too many in Felix' opinion - they hadn't brought him to tears, but his frustration had.

He chanced a look at Jane, hoping to see her missing, or at least showing him an ounce of sympathy. She was there, and she wore a smug grin, too. Little witch. Felix didn't have time to wonder how he would have been if the roles were reversed before his father was back on his case.

"Now apologise to your mother," Aro instructed, giving his boy a nudge in the right direction.

"Sorry," he whispered. It was all he could trust his voice to say without cracking and Sulpicia accepted it graciously. "May I hu, hu, have…" For fuck sake! he thought, cursing his inability to speak coherently.

Aro didn't help matters, rolling his eyes to Jane over her brother's display, making the girl giggle - all in Felix's view, of course.

He took an angry swipe at his eyes with one hand tried to fix his hair with the other. At least his mother appeared to be taking pity on him. "Steady, my dear one," she told him, gently stroking his cheek and collecting the last of his tears.

"Insignia," Felix croaked, clearing his throat and the last of his emotion. "May I have my insignia?"

"Of course." Sulpicia reached into Aro's top drawer and gave her boy his crest. "But I want you home before dark - you must tidy your room still, yes?"

Felix nodded to his mother, agreeing to her terms.

"That was the best thing I have ever seen!" Jane could contain her laughter no longer. As she watched her brother limp to the door, her cackles spew forth. "I can't wait to tell…"

"And you!" Sulpicia barked towards her daughter. "You little madam!"

Aro's head snapped back around to his princess of darkness. "What has she done?!"

"She's winding him up, Aro," Sulpicia explained tiredly.

She called to Felix to leave and enjoy his time out of the house. Felix had annoyed her, and he'd been a brat, but Jane was the one who had tipped her mother over the edge in recent days with her mission to tease her brother into doom. It may wash with your father, Sully thought, shaking her head. But it will not wash with me.

"If Felix is foolish enough to fall for her play…"

"It isn't play, Aro." Snatching the bewildered girl from her seat, Sulpicia hooked up the hem of Jane's layered dress and added them to her grasp on the girls left arm. "It's spiteful and relentless and I'm done with it."

Jane struggled, pulling away from her mother whilst looking to her father for his help. Aro merely shrugged and turned away. You really have had a bad morning, my queen, he huffed to himself. I should have gone to the guard hall instead of coming home on time. He winced hearing the three smacks Jane received to the back of her legs. He wouldn't stop his wife from issuing her own punishments when she thought them due, but he didn't like it when her ire was directed at Jane.

"I am done," Sully told the girl. "Do you hear me? Done. The teasing ends now."

"Tell Felix that, then," Jane spat, doing her utmost to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm telling you," Sulpicia replied, adding two more stinging swats to Jane's legs. The last one really made its mark and Jane released a squeal.

Sending the girl to her room rather than her father's waiting arms, Sulpicia retook her seat at Aro's oak desk, trying to ignore the look of disdain he gave her.

"Was that entirely necessary?" Aro asked when his raised eyebrow failed to provoke a response.

Sulpicia dropped her quill and took to rubbing her temples. "Yes, it was," she said. "And much more besides, as you would know if you were home more often, or engaged more with your children…"

Aro zoned out.

Felix had listened outside the door, and his swagger returned hearing his mother was done with Princess Perfect. Time to get my own back.

And he got his own back with a real dick move.

Felix didn't go to the guard hall that afternoon as he had originally planned to do. He couldn't face seeing anyone and them somehow guessing he had his arse smacked by his father like a frikking toddler, so he went to the woods instead. With his plan already hatched before he left the castle, Felix went loaded with bottles. He had even braved the dungeons to fetch the things. Oh yes, Felix was fully intent on teaching his darling little sister a lesson in humility.

It took hours. Literally hours. All afternoon in fact and it was dark when Felix returned to the castle, but when he did, it was clutching nine bottles - because he had dropped and smashed the tenth - all full of spiders.

He had to make three trips climbing the external walls of the tower to safely deliver his hoard to his bedchamber before he could re-enter through the front door. If Felix had any doubt about his plans, Jane set them aside for him as he set foot over the threshold.

"Dad," she called, sickly sweet. "He's home."

Little witch is starting already, Felix muttered, pulling off his muddy boots and leaving them at the door. He needed to keep his mother on side and walking dirt through her living chamber would be a sure way of pissing her off.

"Do you think Dad can't see me or something?" Felix asked his little sister. "She's saying you're old, Dad," he added, smirking to his old man.

Bad move.

"Jane is simply pointing out that you are home, as we have just had a conversation regarding when you would arrive, son." Aro turned to the window and back again. "Your mother told you to be home before dark - you are late."

"Where is Mom?" Felix asked, trying to ignore his father's point.

"She is with Marcus discussing the French coven," Aro replied, tersely. "Is there anything else you need to know before you respond to me?"

"You and Jane had a conversation," Felix shrugged. "I heard."

"You are late coming home, Felix." Aro stood from his seat, leaving his book on his chair and walked towards his son. "I've had my fill of your behaviour lately. Ever since you started hanging out with that little band of misfits, you have been hard to handle. I've tried to be sensitive because I know they make you happy, but I'm running out of patience."

Now, Felix knew his tardiness had nothing to do with the inbetweeners, but he'd much prefer for his father to think it was, so he could go through with getting one over on Jane.

"You were told to come home and clean that cesspit you call a bedroom."

"I'll do it now, Dad," Felix quickly agreed. "I'll go up now, it will be spotless." He backed away from his father and headed to the stairs. "Just give me a few hours, okay?"

"You have two and then I want you in bed, boy," Aro called after him. "You clearly need an early night."

In bed? Felix checked the clock on his way past. I need to be in bed by ten?! That's harsh, Dad, he thought. But rather than arguing, Felix agreed and went upstairs.

To give Felix his due, the boy made a remarkable effort with his bedroom. Clothes that had never seen a hanger suddenly found a place in his wardrobe. The underside of his bed was free of linens waiting to be washed and dust bunnies waiting to be discovered. He even did the walk of shame bringing a collection of empty goblets and tankards downstairs. He hadn't bothered to wash them out and the congealed bloodwine had crusted in the glass, but he'd never brought his empties down before. He even took, with good grace, the ear bashing for having the cups in his room in the first place!

By the time his father went up to check on his progress, Felix's room positively sparkled.

Jane hung behind her father, thoroughly disappointed.

"Much better," Aro congratulated his boy. "I'm glad to see you've made an effort to correct yourself."

Felix smiled bashfully towards the floor. "I' know I've kind of let my friends take over," he lied. "I'm sorry about that, Dad."

Aro wasn't easily fooled, but he fell for Felix's words hook line and sinker as they agreed with his own thoughts on the matter – Aro liked nothing better than the chance to stoke his own ego.

"I expect this morning helped set you straight," he said, mainly to himself.

It was hard to keep his repentant expression with Jane giggling behind their father's legs, but somehow Felix managed it. "Sure did, Dad," he agreed.

Pulling him in close by a hand hooked around the back of his neck, Aro kissed Felix's head and told him to get in bed. "Both of you," he added, sending Jane on her way.

Thankfully Alec and Demetri had been asleep for an hour already so Aro was very almost done with the list of jobs left by his mate. There were only three jobs on the list: Make sure Felix tidies his room; get them all to bed at a reasonable hour; do not let the tease each other!

Felix changed for bed and checked the bottles in the base of his wardrobe. The grass and leaf stoppers he had fashioned had held up against the spiders. So, all he had to do was wait for Jane to fall asleep.

Waking up to her screams will be better than Christmas morning, he thought, smiling to himself.

Somewhere close to midnight, Felix crept into his sister's room with his bottles, removed the stoppers and shook the little critters free from their temporary prison. He covered her bed, even managing to get some under the covers without disturbing the sleeping princess. The rest he spread around the room, in the wardrobe, even the bathroom. And then he returned to his bedchamber taking the bottles with him and dropping them out his window to hide the evidence.

And then he got back in his bed and waited for the screaming to start. Felix wondered how long it…

Throwing his head back into the pillows, his body became rigid and he released a blood curdling scream of his own!

Jane, awakened by critters crawling all over her face, had sent out her gift to destroy whatever it was that was attacking her. The whole top floor of the south tower became engulfed in the girl's torturous gift, her three brothers screaming their agony as their bodies set alight in their minds.

It took a while for Jane to exhaust herself and for Alec's gift to take over his sister's. By the time the boy managed it, Jane had been burning her brothers for a full half hour.

Aro and Sulpicia had been fighting their way through the burn, but both had failed at the top floor landing until Alec subdued his sister. With the girl contained for the moment, they went to check on the older boys. Demetri, understandable shocked and confused, was easy convince to stay in his bed. Felix, however, insisted on seeing Jane for himself, just to check she was okay.

When Aro, Sulpicia, and Felix arrived in the girl's room, they found a macabre seen of tiny exploded bodies littering every available surface -including Jane who lay immobilised in Alec's fog. The critters Felix released had burst with the strength of Jane's gift!

"What the hell happened in here?!"

Sulpicia seemed just as confused as her mate, but she hoped he fetch Jane for her, rather than having to drag her dress through so an array of splattered bugs.

The only thing Aro cared about was his baby girl. Dusting the dead off his daughter, he gave the nod to Alec to withdraw his gift and wrapped Jane in his arms before she came around fully.

"Hush," he cooed to the girl. "You're safe."

"They were everywhere," Jane sobbed, shaking and shivering from what had clearly been a traumatic experience for the girl. "I need to get out, I need to get out."

Aro carried his daughter out of the room and handed her to her mother, sending Alec back to his own bed.

"I can't go back in there," she sobbed in her mother's arms. "Can I share with Alec again?"

Felix released the very tiniest of chuckles, and it wasn't really one of humour, either. More of nerves. He didn't find it as funny as he'd expected. He had never intended to terrify his sister… it was just a joke.

Aro spun around to face his eldest son. "Was this your doing?!"

"Huh?" Felix took a step back. "No!" he hurried to say. "Why would you think that?"

"You seem to be finding it pretty fucking funny, son!"

Sulpicia stood between the two of them before an argument could ensue. It was obvious to her that it was indeed Felix and one of his hare-brained pranks gone too far. But she'd had a long day and she needed some down time before her children started a new day of torment.

"I think Jane has punished him enough, my love."

Sulpicia laid a hand on her mate's exposed neck to talk privately to him. 'It's so late already, my love. I just want them in bed and asleep as quickly as possible'. Aro nodded along. He couldn't argue with that. 'Felix wouldn't be seeking his own retribution if Jane didn't get away with teasing him into self-destruction'. Aro was less pleased with that part.

Sulpicia smiled when he didn't object, even if he wasn't happy hearing it. "I'll take Jane to our room for tonight, you can supervise Felix removing the spiders and swapping rooms."

"I have to swap with Jane?!" Felix scoffed. I don't think so! "She just said she'll share with Alec."

"And I said you are swapping rooms with Jane." Sulpicia held a finger up in Felix's face, daring him to continue.

Aro let the growl in his chest subside once Felix backed down. "Lucky me, huh?" he said to his mate as he'd been saddled with their troubled boy again.

"Felix is clearly crying out for his father's attention," Sully told him as she huddled Jane out of the room.

"Oh yeah?" Aro called after her. "I'll be giving him my undivided attention if this shit continues."

Felix cowered hearing that little gem, and soon shot up on his tip toes when Aro planted his hand across the boy's backside.

"I want these rooms swapped over before you sleep, boy," Aro thundered. "Get on with it!"

JANUARY 3RD

Jane had been furious the night before, but waking up to a new room, Felix' old room, which was slightly bigger than hers, she believed, had seen her mood flip to smug joy. She would have preferred if her brother had caught more than a smack for his cruel prank, but the room was a big win.

Whilst Felix slept off his very late night, Jane and Sulpicia worked on arranging the room to the girl's desire. Whilst Sulpicia was in the bathroom, Jane heard a curious noise outside her open window. It sounded… scratchy… and… hmmm. Her vivid imagination created the idea of some sort of assailant coming to send her to her doom. Fixing her sights on the open window so she was ready to blast them with her gift, Jane waited in silence.

"Erm, Mom," she soon called, wicked grin plastered on her face when she saw who her would-be assassin turned out to be. "I have a visitor."

Corin nearly fell backwards off the window ledge. "Jane?" she coughed out in her surprise. There was no time to do anything else before the girl's mother arrived.

Sulpicia eyebrows rose in disappointment when she set eyes on Corin. Quickly recovering her composure, Sully said, "This isn't Felix's room anymore." Corin could probably have guessed that looking around the bedchamber to see Jane's things, and not her lover boy's. "Follow me and I will show you out," Sulpicia continued. "Once we have made your presence known to Aro, of course."

The young guard felt her insides twist as she followed Sulpicia down the winding staircase. Over the years, during her on-off-on again relationship with the queen's eldest child, Corin hadn't so much as received a terse tone from Sulpicia - something she was incredibly grateful for. Even after the year of inbetweener mishaps, Sulpicia and Aro, who could have both taken umbrage with the girl, had stayed silent on the matter in her presence and treated her as any other guard. And now here she was, following the queen to face the king for intruding on their home with the obvious objective of fucking their son in his bedchamber. Something which had been expressly forbidden when Felix first arrived in Volterra and had been reiterated many times since then.

Fucked, she thought. I. Am. Fucked.

"My love," Sulpicia called as her foot hit the bottom step. As Corin crept down behind her, Sully gave a majestic sweep of her arm to gesture to the girl before returning to her needle work.

Aro stood from his desk and eyed the girl carefully. They only had guards in the towers to collect laundry in the mornings. They would do the occasionally sweep through and light the odd fire, but most of the tower inhabitants preferred to keep house themselves rather than having the guards traipsing through their homes. There was, quite simply, no good reason for Corin being in his house, as Aro saw it.

"What is she doing here?" he asked his mate, eyes fixed on Corin.

"Visiting Jane, through the window," Sulpicia explained simply, giving Aro all the information he needed.

Aro flashed to the foot of the stairs and pulled Corin aside, swinging the girl into the room. "FELIX!" he roared.

The boy appeared before him in moments and didn't see his girlfriend until it was too late.

"Oh crap," he cursed. "Jane and I have switched rooms," he whispered to the girl - not that there was much point to his whispering.

"Yeah," Corin huffed back at him. "No shit, dick head," she hissed, before immediately regretting her words in such a setting. The panic had clearly gone to her head, bless her. She tried squeaking out an apology to the queen but fell short when Aro increased his grip on her arm.

"Goodbye, Corin," Sulpicia said with an eyebrow raised over the girl's word choice.

Cursing aside, Sulpicia liked Corin, and thought she was a good influence on her son. But that did not mean she wanted the girl in her chambers. Sully had been alive a long time and she'd had Felix for centuries - she knew what her boy got up to. Limiting his activities to outside of their home was the best she could do to hold back her teenager from over committing himself to a more adult relationship.

"Make that the last time we find you here uninvited," Aro said, throwing on his best 'I am your King so watch yourself' face. "Uninvited by us," he further explained. "Not him."

Being the 'him' in question, Felix closed his eyes and shook his head. His face couldn't flush thanks to his venomous blood, but his cheeks burned all the same. He was soon awoken by his father's hand taking a tight grip of his arm, giving him a shake.

"I'm telling you now," Aro began, voice low and dangerously serious. "If I catch that girl in my chambers again, I'll be taking my belt to you. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, sir," Felix replied.

What else could he say? Other than, perhaps, that he was going to make good use of the loop hole his father had offered - 'if I catch that girl'. Note to self, make sure he doesn't catch her. His plan wasn't as foolish as it may have sounded - Corin had never been caught before, after all.

…

Corin slipped into the seat next to Felix and rested her head on his arm. "That was the most embarrassing conversation of my life," she complained.

Renata passed the young guard a drink. She'd over heard a little of Corin's private dress down from Freyr and felt bad for her.

"With Freyr?" Carlisle asked, clueless.

Corin nodded. "Aro told Freyr about me being caught in the south tower this morning. She's not happy."

Felix frowned at his girlfriend - he would have rather the discussion was a private one. Still, he couldn't be too annoyed as she had just taken an ear bashing from the shield maiden. "You know which room I'm in now," he offered to smooth things over. "So, nothing to worry about."

"I already told you Freyr isn't happy with me," Corin explained again. "She's gone easy on me, but she'll bring Magnus in next time."

It was ridiculous in Felix' mind that he couldn't have his girlfriend in his bed chamber, but it did make it much more fun sneaking her in. They had unfettered access to Corin's dorm, but it was as exciting as having his lover come through the window.

"It's alright for you, Felix," Renata jumped in, seeing the boy already making new plans. "Aro gives you a slap on the wrists…"

"He does not!" Before the words had left his mouth, Felix regretted them. "You can keep your mouth shut, Carlisle," he told his uncle. "I have dirt on you, too, remember."

Carlisle elbowed his nephew in the ribs but thought better of taunting him and pushing the boy into revealing anything embarrassing.

"Aro's your dad, so it's not like you have to go through the humiliation of facing the masters, is it?" Renata wanted to put the idea of any repeats out of Felix' mind for Corin's sake.

"But…"

"And you know what Magnus is like about rules," she said, hand held up to silence the boy. "You know what he'll do if he gets involved when you've broken one of the king's rules," she added to Corin, stressing to the young guard that it was the king's rules she was breaking - there was no greater crime in the coven before you reached Vampiric law.

All four of them winced, which said a lot for Magnus' reputation about rules and retribution for breaking them.

Renata left them then, thinking her work was done, only for Felix to tempt his girlfriend a final time.

"But Freyr's not going to tell Magnus and you've never been caught coming to my room before," Felix breezed, wrapping his strong arm around her tiny shoulders. "I'll have the bath ready and waiting for you in the morning - trust me," he said, knowing how much Corin enjoyed their private bathroom. "Don't worry so much."

JANUARY 4TH

Aro and Sulpicia had been having some very long chats since Halloween regarding Felix's involvement with the inbetweeners. The group had dislocated somewhat anyway by new year with Odi being cast aside when Caius was near - none of the inbetweeners were willing to argue with Caius, a coven master, even though they felt bad for the kid being snubbed - but they still hung out together, and Felix was still with them.

For once, Aro and Sulpicia were on the same side regarding their eldest boy. His attitude was abysmal, he was becoming lazy in the house - or lazier, they felt - and his pranks were getting out of control. Felix didn't have too much to his critical thinking arsenal as it was - he had always struggled with predicting the most likely results of his actions rather than what he would have hoped to happen. That said, they knew Felix needed careful handling. Particularly with one of the inbetweeners. Corin made their boy happy and neither Aro or Sully wanted to take her away from him. But just lately, rather than Corin being a good influence on Felix, Felix had become a bad influence on Corin.

Sulpicia managed to convince Aro that the best way forward was to simply talk to Felix, make him aware of their concerns and put the ball in his hands. In agreement, they waited for their other children to wake, and sent them out to busy themselves around the castle so they could talk to Felix alone. When their eldest hadn't shown his face by ten in the morning, Aro sought him out. (He wasn't a patient man.)

"Felix!" he called out, opening the boy's bedroom door.

"I'm in here, Dad," Felix called back from the bathroom.

Aro thought nothing of waltzing straight in there, as he usually would have. Not that he got very far. "Why is this door locked?"

"I'm in the bath," Felix replied.

"You aren't usually so shy."

"I'm in the bath!" Felix called again, seemingly finding himself funny for some bizarre reason.

"I am aware of that." Aro listened carefully for a moment, he was sure he heard giggling. "Who's in there with you?"

"No one."

"Open the door," Aro commanded. "Right now."

"No way," Felix called back, though he sounded to be getting out of the bath. And then it sounded like someone else was doing the same.

Okay, son, Aro nodded to himself, knowing exactly what was going on. We can all play games. "I know Corin wouldn't be so foolish to come here after I explicitly warned her against it, so…" Should I do this? Yeah, fuck it. "Heidi, if I have to tell you again about being in my son's bedroom I will be telling Magnus, too."

It was very quiet, but Aro was sure he heard, "You bastard!" coming back from his boy.

You have no idea, Aro thought, leaving his son's bedchamber to inform his dear mate of recent developments.

Sulpicia was livid! She had gone out on a limb defending their son only to have her efforts thrown back in her face. There had to be severe consequences now and not only was there little she could have said to deter Aro in seeing them delivered, but she lacked the will to try.

So there they sat, both fuming and ready to tear Felix a brand-new asshole over his repeated and deliberate disregard to their rules. It was some hours later when they realised their son must have crept out of his bedroom window to safety with his conquest.

Never one to be out foxed, Aro decided it was time to call in the big guns.

"ENOUGH!" Magnus bellowed at… someone. Aro had no idea who as he stood outside the coven masters door. "OUT!"

As he sounded so busy, Aro knocked once for courtesy and let himself into the juggernauts chamber. "Afternoon," he said, appraising the room.

Caius and Odi glared at each other with Magnus between them, arms outstretched to hold the two of them back.

"Erm, Aro…" Magnus stumbled over his words trying to explain the situation.

"Trying to have them kiss and make up, huh?" Aro laughed, earning a 'fuck you' from Caius.

"Something like that," Magnus huffed. "Unsuccessfully." He turned to his son, knowing if Aro was there, Odi shouldn't be.

"I'll go to MY room and get out of your way," Odi replied, eyes dancing with his 'win' over Caius.

"Go to the guard hall and get yourself a drink," Magnus suggested. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a few coins for his boy and set them in his palm.

It was Caius' turn to smile wildly.

"You're letting him stay?" Odi asked his father, jabbing angrily in Caius' direction.

Aro shrugged at the kid. "Erm…" how could he tell Odi that he needed to kick him out of his own home, so he could have a conversation with his father about one of his friends? 'Erm' was about as much as he could come up with.

"Go," Magnus said, firm but kind. Not that Odi cared for his kindness at that point. He dropped the coins to the floor and flashed from the middle floor suite.

Magnus watched his boy leave and ran his hands through his hair with the stress he felt over the kid. "What can I do for you?" he eventually asked Aro.

"Corin's sneaking into the south tower," Aro replied, straight out.

"What?!"

Good, Aro thought. I'm glad you can see the problem. "I have spoken with Freyr about this already," he went onto explain, detailing exactly what had been going on in the south tower over the last few days. "Corin has been caught twice now, so who knows how often its happening? Felix is getting ideas above his station hanging out with the guards again so I'm pulling him back. I've spoken with the Renata already and asked her to pass it on."

Magnus had followed along, but he wasn't sure what Aro wanted him to do. He had a few ideas of his own. "So, what do you need from me?"

"I can handle Corin, if you would prefer, but as she's my sons girlfriend…"

"It's awkward?"

Aro nodded to the juggernaut. "Excessively so."

Caius had stayed out of proceedings. He'd only stayed to get one over on Odi, but he couldn't help but jump in. "And it's not just because Corin is a young woman?"

"No," Aro drawled back at him. Partly. "I'm not asking for anything on the record. Although, Freyr has spoken with the girl and the next day she was back in through the window… so…"

"I'll sort it out," Magnus replied as Aro trailed off. He'd much rather be the one to deal with Corin rather than throwing her to the king's mercies.

"Much appreciated, my friend," Aro said in relief. "Are we still on for cards tonight?"

Caius snorted. "If he can get a babysitter," he said, looking at Magnus and thinking of Odi.

"We're still on," Magnus confirmed. "Though Caius may be less an arm or two."

…

Magnus swept through the guard hall like a man on a mission. "We need to pay a visit to your dorm, young one," he announced, clicking his fingers at Corin as he passed her table.

Renata and Carlisle gave each other a quizzical look - Corin had been with them for half an hour at least and mentioned nothing that would be worthy of bringing the guard master's wrath upon herself.

"Why?" Corin croaked, knowing damn well why!

Magnus paused mid stride. He didn't turn, he didn't need to. The whole guard hall froze with him, waiting for Corin to sort herself out - guards did not question the masters. Guards obeyed without delay, without objection and without question.

Sensing the impending doom, Corin jumped to her feet. "I mean, yes, Master," she called, following the man who thankfully starting walking again.

He threw open her guard dorm door and shook his head. "Why is this room always such a bloody mess?!"

Corin rolled her eyes behind the master's back. He always said the same thing when he came to her dorm room, and he always acted surprised.It's my fucking room, she thought, childishly sticking her tongue out for good measure.

Once they were behind closed doors, Magnus cleared some space on the bed, shoving aside a worn uniform, a couple of books, and possibly some sort of plant life. He wouldn't have wanted to sit on it, let alone sleep in it as Corin had to. Or rest, rather, as she and Odi like to call it. He only needed enough space to put foot up, and that could wait for the moment.

"I believe Freyr has already spoken with you about visiting the king's chambers without his express invitation." From the sullen expression on the young guard's face, it was safe to say Magnus was correct, as he knew he was. "You chose to ignore the friendly warning you were offered."

"There was nothing friendly about it," Corin muttered to herself, scowling at the floor.

"I didn't catch that, young one," Magnus said, giving the girl chance to correct herself.

"You weren't supposed to." Another mutter.

Magnus wasn't in the mood for taking shit from Corin. "If that's how you're going to be, we can skip the chat." He put his foot up on the bed where he had made room and looked to the girl expectantly.

"Drop them," he prompted, pointing to her britches when Corin stood frozen on the spot.

He was glad his guards all wore the same uniform – britches were only worn by guys in the human world, but as Volturi guards had to be battle ready at any time, they all, male and female alike wore the same shirts, tunics and britches. It made Magnus' job easier when he had cause to tan their hides. No complicated dress layers to get in the way.

Corin wasn't quite so pleased. "But, but…"

"Drop them now and get up here or I'm taking my belt off."

There was something so degrading about stripping yourself down and then attempting to hoist yourself up and over the knee of doom with your britches tying your knees together. Seeing she was struggling, Magnus grabbed hold of the back of Corin's guard tunic and helped her up. Just as Corin got her bearings, feeling secure, she was suddenly tipped further forward. From her new position, she saw her legs dangling fruitless behind her, her head level with her knees. The only thing worse for Corin than the view she had, was knowing the view Magnus had - her bare arse presented for his attention.

How will I ever look you in the eye again?! she thought, horrified. She always thought that, though. This wasn't their first dance, but every time felt like the worst time.

And then it began. There was no warm up - there never was. Each smack landed firm and hard. At least being a girl, Corin felt no need to hide her reaction to the sting, then burn than came with every strike. Hell, half the guys didn't bother hiding their reactions when Magnus had hold of them, let alone the women! The guys had more reason to be bitter, of course, as their punishments were rarely private affairs. But Magnus felt it improper to expose his female guards in front of the male cohort, so they were always dealt with in the dorms, or a spare room before the dorms had been built. Magnus had been keeping Corin on the straight and narrow since they arrived in Volterra, occasionally taking the girl to the woods for the minuscule privacy it afforded them. Not that Corin wanted, or indeed could focus, on a trip down memory lane at that point. She had Magnus bear sized paw raining down on her backside and his words ringing in her ears.

She felt particularly annoyed that he broke down every word into syllables and then punctuated those syllables with a smack:

"Don't. You. Dare. Step. Foot. In. The. Tow. Ers. Un. In. Vite. Ed. A. Gain."

Fifteen when it could have been ten… how unfair is that?!

She didn't even notice when he stopped, having long since gone limp across his knee.

"Corin, love," Magnus called gently, checking she was alright.

"I'm okay," she eventually whimpered through snot and tears.

He lifted her up and gently set the girl back on her feet, wobbly legs nearly giving way before he steadied her. Magnus averted his gaze and gave her the nod to redress.

"You're confined to your dorm for a few days," he said, offering a distraction. "Which should give you time to straighten it out."

"Yes, sir," she groaned, looking around her room. Half of this mess is from Felix.

Magnus bobbed his head and checked she had redressed. Corin left her britches undone. Pulling them up had been painful enough. Still, she was decent at least so he could turn back around. He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her face up to look him in the eye.

"I expect you to make a point of apologising to Aro and Sulpicia once you are released."

Corin rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?!" Magnus barked at the girl, pinching her chin a little.

Idiot! I'm spending too much time with Felix pulling shit like that, she cursed herself. "Of course, Master."

Happy that she had corrected herself with haste, Magnus sighed and wrapped his arms around the young guard.

"I hate doing this with you, so don't go giving me any more cause for a while."

For a while, Corin repeated to herself. There was no doubt in Magnus' mind that they would repeat the event, and to be fair to him, there was little doubt in Corin's, either. But she made him the same promise she always did as she soaked up his comfort, "I won't give you cause ever again."

With a chuckle and a final squeeze, he made to leave her, kicking a woollen blanket clear of the door so he could open the thing fully. Renata stood, head bowed, waiting for the all clear to check on her young friend.

"I haven't killed her off yet, Ren," Magnus told the guard, bumping his fist on her chin as he spoke.

Renata rolled her tongue around her cheek. "My ear drums would beg to differ, master."

"Oh!" Magnus replied, feigning offence. "Do we need to pay a visit to your dorm…" a sudden flash of memory hit Magnus between the eyes. Halloween. Renata's dorm. Certain… reactions. "Forget I said anything," he bustled, walking quickly down the corridor, mortified! Never again.

He was greeted at the foot of the stairs by Felix, about to go up, no doubt seeking his long-lost lover.

"Do not step foot on these stairs, young one."

"Any reason why I shouldn't?" Felix asked, being a cocky know-it-all brat with his foot hovering above the first step.

Oh, that's how you want to play it, is it? Magnus thought, bobbing his head and going for his belt buckle.

"No, no, it's okay!" Felix rushed. Backing away from the stairs with his hands held up in front of him. "I heard you!"

"You shouldn't even be in here," Magnus told him, though he looked less annoyed, he didn't sound it. "Get your ass home," he added before returning to the masters' office.

Odi waited for his father to fully retreat before leaving Irina and Kate at their table and flashing to Felix. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea!"

Renata placed her hand on the boy's shoulder from behind. Corin was okay, but she hadn't wanted company.

"Corin asked me to pass a message on," she whispered into his ear. "Aro told Magnus about the bathroom."

"Oh, shit!"

Renata gave him a disapproving 'hmmm'. "Corin's on restriction for a while," she explained. "Don't make things worse by sneaking into her dorm."

Renata widened her eyes as a small smile started to creep onto Felix's face.

"I'm serious, Felix," she hissed. Renata wouldn't humiliate her friend by telling Felix and Odi that Magnus had punished Corin for her repeated misuse of the king's chambers, but she wouldn't give Felix the chance to get any stupid ideas that would see Corin suffer again, either. "Corin is in serious trouble with Magnus over all of this. Be fair to her and give time for the dust to settle, okay?"

Felix nodded his understanding - serious trouble with Magnus meant only one thing. Felix hated knowing that Corin was suffering in her dorm and he couldn't go to her, but he suddenly understood why Magnus was so pissed with him.

"You can't follow me, either," Renata told the boy. Carlisle, Dora and Caius were at the bar, which was where she was heading, but Felix was no longer welcome there. "Aro has asked us to give you a break for a while," she explained. "He said… he said your behaviour has shown your immaturity and it's inappropriate for you to hang around with us."

"He's done what?!" Felix felt a fury over taking his concerns. "That utter bastard!"

"Aro hasn't spoken to me about him," Odi said, clearly questioning why he had been excluded.

"Well…" Renata didn't really want to spell it out to Odi, but it was clear he was going to force her to. "You aren't really hanging around with us anymore, are you?" she said gently. "And you're younger anyway, I guess…" she broke away seeing Odi looking so crushed. "If it helps, you aren't missing too much. We're having a girls' night at Dora's tonight, so you wouldn't have been going to that anyway."

"That doesn't help," Odi said, looking like a puppy who'd just taken a boot to the ribs.

Renata tried to wrap arm around his shoulders, but he pulled away too quickly. "Theres a card game tonight," she said, revealing some inside info. "Your Dad's hosting it for Basileus and Aro, Eleazar and Caius, but not Carlisle. Why don't you arrange to see him tonight?"

That sounded like a minor sweetener to Odi. He offered a half smile to her attempts to help him out, but he still felt like the coven pariah.

With that, Renata left them to their brooding.

Felix knew he wouldn't be able to get out of the house to meet up with Carlisle and Odi after hours, so he was truly cast aside.

"So that's it?!" he turned and spat out to Odi. "I'm an outcast. Just like that I'm a fucking outcast!"

Odi shrugged at the boy and looked over to what was left of the inbetweeners. Carlisle and Renata gave him a quick wave before returning to their conversation. Renata was working on Odi's behalf setting him up on a play date with Carlisle, but Odi didn't know that, so he scowled. Then he caught the contemptuous expression on Caius' face. He'd been giving Odi the same look since his return to the coven after Halloween. Cunt. You weren't even an inbetweener in the first place.

Seeing Afton and Chelsea joining the ranks came as a bitter pill to swallow. Not only had Caius taken Odi's place in his group, but Caius - the miserablestist fucker in the Volturi (and no, Odi didn't care a jot that miserablestist wasn't a real word) - had even brought new friends into it. Older friends, making sure Odi could never return to the inbetweeners because now the group wasn't in between anymore. They were the grown-ups and Odi was an outcast.

Worse than all of that, was the fact that Odi missed Caius most of all. For all the horrible things the kid had been thinking about the coven master, his heart ached for the friend he had made in the man, and he missed him.

"Odi?!" Felix gave the kid a jab in the chest to get his attention.

Forgetting his troubles for the moment, Odi gestured to the table where Irina sat with her sister, waiting for him to return. "Join the club, buddy."

"With her?" Felix asked Odi from the corner of his mouth.

Odi shrugged again. He wasn't particularly happy about hanging out with Irina, either, but she was all he had, depressingly. "It seems the three of us are all outcasts. At least we can be outcasts together. Kate's okay."

"Felix!" Magnus bellowed into the guard hall. "Home, now. I'll take you myself if I have you, young one."

That was enough to see Felix scooting out of the guard hall, narrowly missing the swipe Magnus took at him as he passed.

No sooner had Felix walked through the door, Aro set in on him. "You have some nerve going out after what you've done."

"I've got some nerve?!" Felix shot back "What about you?!"

If Aro wanted to go at it, Felix was ready. It had only taken the short walk back from the guard hall for Felix to wind himself up nice and tight like a coiled spring. Felix released all his energy at his father.

"Why did you do that today?!" he asked. "You knew it was Corin so why pretend it was Heidi and embarrass us both that way?! And now you've set Magnus on her?! Any need?!"

"You and Corin both know not to use my home as a knocking shop." Aro had feared his boy would return a volatile mess, and he did his best to keep himself calm under the circumstances. "Corin has her own quarters, use them."

Felix laughed, but there was no humour there. "I won't be using anywhere after what you did. You and Magnus."

Aro matched his boy's sarcastic chuckle with a sardonic comment of his own. "Would you like me to have a word?" he asked, patronising his boy.

"No!" Felix had to force himself to unclench his fists. He would have loved to punch Aro in that moment, but he knew if his father even caught sight of a clenched fist Felix would be paying for it with his hide. "I would like you never to speak to either of us again. You are so embarrassing."

Dragging both hands down his face Felix knew the news would be around the guard hall soon. They would all be jeering about Felix breaking the rules, and Felix being a child who needs rules in the first place, about Felix being a child who needs rule and gets his ass handed to him for breaking them. Gah!

"Well, we need to speak to you," Sulpicia explained, patting the chair at her side. "Take a seat, my darling."

"He's made my friends un-friend me," Felix directed at his mother with an angry stab of his finger in his father's direction. "Did you know about that?" he asked, assuming his mother wouldn't have known about such cruelty and that she would take his side in such a matter.

"Yes, my darling." Sulpicia offered her mate a pair of narrowed eyes momentarily before returning to her son. "I know, and I understand why your father has pulled you out of the group. They are too old for you…"

Stupid bitch! Felix had just enough clarity to keep that thought in his mind.

"Sit down, Felix," Sulpicia tried again.

He couldn't. Felix was too angry. Angry and embarrassed and frustrated. Not a great mix! He paced around the chairs, shaking his head and huffing as he went. "I'm not sitting with you pair, and I'm not talking, either."

"I'd sit down now if I were you." Aro didn't wait for Felix to oblige. Instead he grabbed hold of his son and forced the boy into a chair. "You know what I promised if I found that girl in these chambers again."

Aro removed his belt and dropped the implement in his boy's lap. That should focus your thoughts through this conversation, he said to himself, pleased with the effect such a simple gesture had generated - Felix's anger suddenly, and visibly dissipated to be replaced with clear dread. Seeing his son turn to his mother in the hope of her defence, Aro quickly set the boy straight on that score, too.

"Don't even try it!" he growled. "We're on the same page with this one."

Felix still tried. "But, Mom…"

"I'm sorry, my darling," Sulpicia said, resting her hand on Felix' leg. "You've gone too far. There is only so much disobedience we can take before some sort of punishment is called for."

Felix paused before diving into the gory details that had seen Demetri bringing him bloodwine that night. He looked over his shoulder to his little brother. The boy had clearly bored of his brother's story some time ago and slept soundly, cuddling into the pillows whilst his tankard spilt the last sips of bloodwine onto the bed sheet. My bedsheets, you dick, Felix huffed, taking the tankard and dropping it off the side of the bed - with no thought to his floor.

Looking back at his brother, Felix realised how little time he had spent with Demetri over the last year or so. He'd been so wrapped up in the inbetweeners that he'd forgotten about his partner in crime.

"Tomorrow, Dem, you're joining the outcasts," he whispered, settling himself down to sleep.

He never did explain why it was Jane's fault that Aro had belted him that night… but Felix was sure it was, somehow.

AN: Odi the Outcast next…