Disclaimer: Neither Twilight nor any of its characters belong to me.

By the way, I updated two chapters today, so if you haven't read this one yet, chances are you haven't read the previous one either.

Just to make sure no one misses it:

CHECK THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOT READ IT!!!! I UPDATED TWICE TODAY!!

thanks.

The night was bustling downtown. Heckled parents and whiny children traipsed in groups, while gangly teenagers stalked the sidewalks, huddled together for image and protection. A few young adults carried suitcases and backpacks into small coffee shops, packing for an all-nighter. The older people stopped in bars for an after-work drink. The day was winding down for the humans.

But for Demetri, the day never ended. Or, a better way to put it would be his activities. The day ended and the night came often enough, but changes in time meant nothing to him. All he saw was a change in color.

Now, it meant something. Autumn was young, too young, but with every day she became closer to his own eternal age. In a few years, he could make her a vampire like himself, and she wouldn't need protecting anymore. He hoped dearly that she would decide to stay with him.

He didn't want to leave her side, but he couldn't deny that she needed a few human luxuries. He stopped in a few stores, picking up enormous amounts of clothing in each stop for himself, for Autumn, and for her sister Eve. He took care in each article he selected, making sure it was perfect in size and quality. Style, too, was something he had an eye for. Tones of gray and green suited her best, bringing out the color of her eyes and the perfect shade of her skin. Darker colors gave her skin a creamy touch, so he picked out forest greens and winter grays. Not that those were the only colors he chose; just the primary ones.

Pale pink and white for the dark-haired girl, and shades of ivory for himself, to off-set his dark hair and bronze skin.

He didn't hesitate to step into an outrageously lavish lingerie shop, picking out several different designs for Autumn, and a few of the much more modest, but no less carefully designed, selections for Eve.

He darted back to their suite, shielded by the night, to drop off the load of clothes bags. It was one in the morning, and both girls were asleep. He smiled to see dirty dishes in the sink, and took half a second's break to wash them. The smell of the food turning his stomach, but he didn't mind. One thing less for his humans to do when they woke up.

His humans...

A month ago, the phrase would have made him laugh. But now, the thought sent warmth simmering through his body that had nothing to do with the heavenly scent of their blood. Well, almost nothing...

Dashing back out the door, he returned to the shopping area. He picked out some luggage, which they would surely need now, and set about to finding the little things that humans needed.

It was pretty fun. He'd never needed these things before, but he liked taking care of his humans. He looked for things they'd like. Candy, for the little one. A shaving razor, because females liked to look nice and feel smooth. Toothbrushes and toothpaste; those weren't hard for him to remember, for he could bear the smell of mint so much more than that of food, though Autumn's sweet breath overrode the natural taint of food.

He'd been browsing through the hygiene products when his eyes landed on something that made his heart stop. Gently, his picked up a small, violet box. Fuck.

Demetri had forgotten completely about the human menstrual cycle. Holy shit, if he had a problem around her now, what would he do when her blood was exposed to the air? Even a second in the presence of that kind of temptation would kill him (or, more likely, her) for sure.

He grabbed about eight of the boxes and tossed them into the cart, and moved on, a new worry in his mind. But he pushed it back and focused on other things.

He bought fruits and vegetables, to be eaten on the long trips. He bought half a dozen shoes, because he knew that the general female population liked them, in several different styles.

What would Felix have said to this? Well, hopefully they'd found his pieces and put him back together...but Demetri was fairly sure that Felix would laugh for a few hours before killing him. Here he was, a prized member of the legendary Volturi, skilled beyond measure and lethal to any who crossed his path, shopping for two human girls, buying feminine products.

But he found no shame in it. He was caring for something, keeping it alive, and it was so much more of a struggle than killing. But he found pride in this new responsibility, he found pleasure in watching his handiwork grow under his maintenance. He liked this as much as any mission. Or, almost as much. He couldn't deny that he missed the travel, the excitement, of the Volturi missions. But he knew that he'd give it up again, if given the chance. The pull towards Autumn was so much stronger.

He stopped again at the suite to drop off the new items. It was one-thirty, and he took another break to pack. He folded the clothes into the three luggage cases, and tucked the human toiletries into a clear bag which he stuffed into Autumn's luggage. Then, after making sure everything was set for the next day, he launched himself from the window again. His humans were safe and sound, and now it was time to take care of himself.

Demetri stalked the alleys silently, watching and waiting. A young, teenage girl stumbled around the corner, mumbling into a bright pink cell phone. Her hair was silvery blonde and pulled into a messy ponytail. Her face was streaked with tears.

"Yeah...downtown, somewhere...I don't know! I don't know where they are, they just dropped me off...uh-huh...please hurry!" she sniffled and snapped the phone shut, looking up. She froze when she saw Demetri, awe and admiration wiping away any traces of fear. He stood still, the light of the moon glowing from his pale white skin. The girl was frozen, too, trapped in the strength of his gaze. The only sound was the fluttering beat of her heart.

Demetri waited a few seconds, letting her drink in his features. His intoxicating presence would only ensnare her further the longer she stared. Finally, he pushed himself from the brick wall of the back of the building and stalked towards her. He stroked her chin with one finger, and she didn't shudder away from his hand, though the night was cool. He leaned forward, his lips sliding back over his teeth in a gruesome death leer.

His breath stopped, though, when he made the mistake of meeting her eyes. They were light gray, a shade lighter than Autumn's, but all too similar. His breath pushed harshly through his teeth as he shoved himself backwards, running from the confused girl. From the life that had so narrowly escaped death.

Anger and disgust and self-loathing and the burning thirst filled him. He couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't stand the agonizing thirst, the accusations in Autumn's warm gray eyes, the bile that he smelled in her throat whenever his hand brushed hers. Her distaste for him, his distaste for himself, drove him mad. There, in the filthy bowels of the town, he purged the city of its poor, its wandering, as he slaked the thirst that burned him alive. He fed more than he ever had before. He didn't just sate his thirst; he gorged, he breathed in more blood than air, he ignored the careful dining techniques he had learned in Volterra and drank and spilled until he was nearly coated with the fragrant torture.

He didn't know who he killed. He didn't know where he was, nor did he stop to assess the fear in his victim's eyes. He never looked at their faces, for fear of seeing the only one he loved in the mass. But he drowned himself in their wet, warm blood until his insanity drove him from town.

He never passed out. Not really. It wasn't that he didn't have the right amount of will power or the madness; he physically couldn't wound his defense in such a way.

But he lay, face-down by a river in the woods, until the first rays of sun warmed his back. Then he stood and pushed his anger and his disgust to the back of his mind. He took a glance into the clear water in the river.

At first, he didn't recognize himself. Then, slowly, he saw it. He was covered in dried blood, red-brown like copper and flaking from his skin and his clothes. He touched a chunk hanging from his red-streaked hair and watched it crumble to dust.

Without another second of hesitation, he stripped off his clothes and plunged into the icy river. The cool water did not chill him; he merely felt the temperature against his own skin and decided it cold. He scrubbed his bare flesh until all traces of blood were gone, and it gleamed bright white in the rising sun. He continued to rub until all traces of the scent were gone, too. Then, he washed the clothes.

Finally he emerged, dripping wet but clean. He pulled on the soaking clothes and shook himself, sending drops of water flying in all directions. He stretched in the pleasure of being clean, and took off.

It took only a few seconds to return to the city, though he was miles away. He dashed back to the suite and ignored the staff's odd looks as he strolled at a frustratingly human pace up the stairs. Whenever he was out of public view, though, he ran.

Finally he made it to the Royal Suite. It was about five in the morning, and the sun was only beginning to shine. Well, to him, at least; to any humans, it would still appear to be pitch dark. But his incredibly advanced vision told him that the sun wasn't far.

Guilt suddenly lanced through his body. If Autumn knew how many he had killed, how he had gorged...he shuddered. Even he didn't know, he was so crazed. But it had paid off, in a way. His throat didn't burn in the least, not even when Autumn's delicious, irresistible scent hit him. 'What a sacrifice,' he thought bitterly, 'to have died for a few days without suffering.'

But he dashed to her room, wanting to make the most of it.

She slept, warm and without worries, in her king-sized bed. Two thick comforters were cocooned around her, and three pillows encased her ruffled head. Her hair stuck up in all directions, thick and messy. He didn't mind that she snored softly or drooled a little. It was endearingly human.

He sat on the floor, not daring to come any closer. He was afraid to ruin the perfect serenity of her sleep.

And serene she was; no worry lines creased her forehead, and a little smile played around her mouth, when she wasn't snoring. Her eyelids were closed gently. He hoped she had sweet dreams.

After two hours that passed like a second, he decided to call for breakfast. Sighing a little, he leapt gracefully to his feet and into the living room. He dialed the number for the main office and listened to the slow tone.

"Diadem Suite Service, this is Evan, how may I help you?" a young man answered the phone.

"Yes, this is Keith Embers, I'd like to order breakfast," purred Demetri, and the man jumped right to task.

"All right, what would you like to order? We have omelettes, hash browns, smoked link sausages, bacon and oatmeal sides, pancakes, Belgian-style waffles, french toast..." the man just kept going. Demetri cleared his throat.

"Ah, just send up a little of everything. And put it on my tab," he said smoothly, and hung up.

Wandering towards the windows, he closed his eyes and searched.

Hm...the Cullens were splitting up. It was a little disturbing, but to be expected. Only four stayed behind. Edward the mind-reader, Bella the Shield, Alice the Seer, and Jasper, the Controller. Those who had advantages over his abilities; they had stayed behind to greet him. Lovely. At least the mind-reader would be able to catch a glimpse into his thoughts, and realize that he meant them no harm.

The Volturi had tracked him as far as the airport, and a few had searched Autumn's house for personal items that they could use to track her. But they hadn't tried to follow him yet. They were still deciding how to go about it successfully. If they sent too few, then Demetri could kill them and cripple the Volturi's forces. If they sent too many, they risked a wild goose-chase that might endanger their beloved city. They were struck helpless by the loss of their tracker. Demetri smiled grimly. It was about time they appreciated him, though it was far too late.

He was glad, however, to see Felix up and moving. Even though it had been Demetri who wounded Felix in the first place, he didn't want to kill his old friend. They'd spent too much time together, griping and traveling and hunting.

It was an hour and a half before the breakfast arrived, wheeled on a fancy silver stand and covered in silver tops.

At nine-fourteen, forty-four minutes later, someone stirred.

He heard her trip over the luggage on her floor and curse loudly. He heard the sweep of the zipper, and he heard her breath catch. Demetri couldn't resist; he was at her side in a 13th of a second.

Her expression battled with shock, surprise, pleasure, embarrassment, and irritation. It varied with each article she lifted and examined. He hovered to her right, watching her face as she reviewed his handiwork. She couldn't hide her grudging admiration for his taste...that is, until she reached the underwear section. Lifting one particularly revealing piece, she flushed red and stuffed it back into the luggage. She whipped around and glared at him furiously. Demetri was stunned. It was one little piece! Didn't the rest of the clothes count for anything?

She seemed to consider this thought, too, before she made any condemning statements. Slowly she turned and opened the case again, and rifled through the rest of the underwear. Luckily, he had picked out enough moderately styled underwear to meet her satisfaction. She hesitated, and picked out some jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt with blue designs down the sleeves. Then, she reached again and picked out some of the less-revealing underwear. Demetri was flooded with pleasure. She had examined his work and approved.

Standing slowly, she turned and smiled appreciatively at him. He couldn't stop the answering grin that completed his rather smug expression.

"So?" he couldn't resist asking. Autumn smiled a little wider and ducked her head.

"It's...nice. They're very nice," she admitted, holding the bundle of clothes a little closer to her body. "You must have spent a lot of time getting these. Thank you." She seemed to understand the total lack of necessity money held for him, because she didn't mention it.

All he could manage was a nod. He was delighted that she accepted his offering. But there was a quick burst of conflict in her eyes. Before he could interpret it, she leaned forward on her toes and gently kissed his cheek. Heat burst through his body, and it was like he had no control over his body. Her tender, chaste kiss had unleashed something completely primal in him, something completely dangerous and completely lethal. It would take so little to hurt her...

But suddenly her face was in his hands, and he was kissing her fiercely, and nothing in his existence had ever been so wonderful and perfect. Her mouth was molded to his and his hands moved through her soft, tangled hair and the way her body moved against his was so sensual that he nearly lost his mind.

Until he pulled it back enough to realize what the motions were.

She was pushing and gripping at him frantically, her desperation growing the longer he held her to him. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. While he didn't need to breathe, Autumn most definitely did. And what probably began as anger had developed into a struggle for life. He released her immediately, holding her up before she could collapse. She gasped wildly, her hands on his shoulders to keep herself steady. Her eyes clenched shut as she tried to calm her frantic breathing.

And when they opened again, they were terrifying. Her face twisted in rage and fear, and she fought wildly to escape from his arms. But he didn't let her go, because he knew she would run from him. Instead, he braced himself to ride out her fury, because it was exactly what he deserved.

"YOU ASSHOLE! YOU PERVERT, YOU COMPLETE ASSHOLE!! HOW DARE YOU!! HOW DARE YOU!! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH WANTS BECAUSE ALL MEN ARE RULED BY THEIR DICKS!! YOU COMPLETE AND TOTAL DICKHEAD! LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!! LET GO OF ME!!" she screamed, and she raised her fists. Seeing a disaster in the making, Demetri dropped her and grabbed her wrists. If she hit him, she'd surely break a few bones. And they wouldn't be his.

She yelled for a little longer, then finally screamed herself out. Breathless, she waited furiously for his response. Demetri took a deep breath himself, then let her go. She didn't run, and he was relieved; she was willing to hear him out.

"I'm sorry. I deserved that. I definitely deserve more, and I'd be happy to take it once you catch your breath. That was extremely stupid and rash of me, and I'm so very, very, very sorry. I'm sorry that I did that to you, and I'm sorry that I can't let you leave, even though you deserve so much better than me. I don't deserve you, but for some reason I can't make myself give you up. So yeah, you're right, I am selfish and I am most definitely a dickhead. But I'm your immortal, loyal, defender dickhead who is yours to do with as you please." At the last phrase he knelt and took her hands, and kissed them each tenderly, and pressed his forehead into them, a sinner awaiting judgment. It was quiet for a moment.

"Boy, you sure know how to apologize," murmured Autumn, pulling him to his feet. He smiled a little ruefully; years of practice, love. She sighed and placed her hands on either side of his face, stroking his silk-smooth skin gently. That conflicting look came into her eyes again, and she gave him a hard look and clenched her hands in his hair a little to caution him. Demetri tried not to let his joy overflow.

Autumn pulled him down and kissed him ever so lightly on the mouth. She quickly pulled away, watching his face like a deer watching a lion. After a moment she smiled a little and smacked his cheek with a fond warning.

"That's it. No more."

She turned and wandered into the kitchen towards the smell of breakfast with Demetri shadowing her, a tall, tamed menace.

Heh heh, who here caught the role-reversal? Notice something funny about their relationship? Like how Demetri is more like Bella, and how Autumn is more like Edward lol

I figured most of you fans would be sick of the typical vampire weak-girl head over heels for powerful-guy, so I left Autumn with the reins. Even though Demetri is stronger and, well, a vampire, he sure wants Autumn a lot more than she wants him!