Author's note: I do not own Trinity Blood or its characters. This is set five years after the end of the anime.

In Which There Are a Few Secrets

Abel nervously knocked at the door to Caterina's chambers. He had a feeling that he was going to get a number of answers to some of his questions tonight, and he didn't think he would like all of them. Something had happened to Caterina while she was in Byzantium, and it had changed the cardinal. The fact that Caterina had been so hesitant to talk about the trip had set off alarm bells in his head. That no one else seemed to know what had happened there also worried him.

There was also the fact that he was rather in love with Caterina. She had given him a reason to live after losing Lilith. He had had no idea how much saving Caterina would change his life. Despite what he was she had always accepted him. Sometimes he wondered if she had come up with the AX just so he would have a place to belong. It also hadn't helped matters that he had been her sole confidant after her parents' murder. Caterina as a teenager had been charming and easy to care about. As a young woman, he hadn't stood a chance.

He was well aware that the feelings were mutual, and that neither of them could pursue a romantic relationship. He was still too hurt and scared after what he had already lost, and Caterina didn't dare show any hint of weakness to the Vatican. So they had spent years dancing around the subject instead. It was one of the few things they had never talked about. One of the reasons he had become so fond of Esther was that she reminded him very much of Caterina at times. One of the reasons he had been so hesitant to pursue his cardinal was the fact that she was human and he was not. He would outlive her, and Abel wasn't sure if he could survive losing her after he knew what it was like have her as his own.

But anymore that didn't seem as valid a reason as it had before. The last few years had brought a number of things to Abel, and healing was one of them. He would admit that he often felt far more alone than he liked, and with Cain dealt with, some of the fear that had plagued any romantic thoughts had subsided enough. His own brush with death had also reminded him that while he could out live Caterina, he could also be killed before she died. If Caterina was interested, Abel was willing to give the two of them a chance.

However, that was all speculation at this point. He needed to find out what had happened in Byzantium tonight. It was still bothering Caterina, and that concerned him. A servant admitted him to Caterina's rooms, and Abel was led to her study. He found a table set for two there and Caterina dressed in a simple habit of a sister. He hadn't seen her in something so casual in years. Once they had been served, Caterina dismissed her servants, and they were left alone.

Caterina smiled. "We can talk after we eat. I hope you don't mind simple fare. I just wanted comfort food."

Abel wasn't about to complain. They tucked into the meal, neither feeling much need for conversation. Afterwards, the pair settled in chairs before the fireplace. Caterina drew her knees up to her chest.

"I was there for a diplomatic mission. You knew that. The delegation contained some of the hardliners. We were hoping that the trip would help change their minds." Caterina bit her lip. "One of them tried to kill me."

Abel waited. Several minutes later, Caterina continued, her voice flat and emotionless.

"He pretty nearly did. Even with the best medical care they couldn't have saved me, and I have lost too much blood to survive the transition to Methuselah. Seth offered me an option. She said that it most likely wouldn't work, but it was more of a chance to live than I had without it."

It was Abel's turn to bite his lip. What Seth had offered was more than a risk. It had never worked with a regular human before. It could have killed her. Of course, it sounded like Caterina had been dying already. Both thoughts paralyzed him. He could have lost her, and he might not have known until years later. But Caterina was still talking.

"It worked somehow. So I'm Crusnik 05 now." She gave him a little half smile. "I've only ever activated the nana machines to twenty percent, and that was mostly just to see what would happen. Anyway, Seth explained my not dying away as luck and very good medical technology and put me under Viscountess Asran's care to recover. After that things went on normally except for my increased security."

She became serious again. "You're the only one besides Seth who knows."

He met her grey eyes. She was waiting for some sort of response. He wrapped his hand around hers. He understood the caution and secrecy. Francisco would use this against her if he knew. She could loose her position as Cardinal and Duchess of Milan as well as become more of a target than she already was. His heart hurt for her. He knew better than anyone the isolation that this brought with it. Caterina was not exactly human any more, but she wasn't a Methuselah either. She was more alone than she had ever been.

Impulsively, he kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you for telling me. You and I are going to have to find so time, so we can make sure you know what you're doing with your new abilities. I don't want you to find yourself in trouble and not know how to protect yourself."

Caterina visibly relaxed. Abel kept a hold of her hand. He wasn't ready to let go of her. It was comforting to have her hand in his, and Abel knew that he wasn't going to be able to let her go. He couldn't keep up this dance around their feelings much longer, and truthfully, he didn't want to anymore.

"Abel," Caterina's voice was soft and unsure, "I…I love you, you know. You don't have to say it back, but I needed you to know."

The next thing he knew, Abel had pulled Caterina out of her chair and into his lap and was kissing her. He pulled away and buried his face in her hair.

"I love you, Caterina. I never told you, but I hoped you knew."

They stayed cuddled together in the chair for most of the rest of the evening. Caterina told him some of the more amusing stories from the five years he had missed. While things like Leon getting mobbed by school children wasn't vital knowledge, it was good to know. He had missed so much in the past five years. Dealing with Cain had been necessary but Abel had missed his life with the AX. His fellow agents were as much family to him as Seth was, and he had missed their companionship and antics.

It grew later, and Abel knew that they both needed to be getting to bed. Besides, Caterina kept trying not to yawn, and she needed her rest to deal with the bridesmaids tomorrow. With a sigh, he disentangled himself from Caterina and rose to his feet.

"As much as I hate to say it, you need sleep and so do I." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She walked with him to the door. Caterina bit her lip and hesitated. "Would it be all right if we kept this between just the two of us for now? Things are just so crazy with the wedding that I don't want to add another thing for people to latch onto."

And she probably didn't want to deal with her brother's reactions just yet. Abel smiled at that thought. He doubted Alessandro would have any objections, but Francisco did consider himself the patriarch of the family, and he could do with out the standard big brother reactions to a sister getting romantically involved right now as well.

"That's fine. I don't mind having this just ourselves for a while." Abel smiled. "Good night, Caterina."

"Good night."

Abel sought his bed with a smile. The future was looking rather bright, providing everyone survived the wedding.