Sorry! I know it has been a long time since I've updated but school has been really hectic. First month of high school sucks. :P And happy Halloween!

Summary: Allegra while she is making her decision to break the bond with Charles and run away with Stephen.

Anything

Allegra POV

I walked through the busy streets of Manhattan, avoiding the business men in their suits, the shoppers with their arms full of conquests and the tourist who point to the sites of the city in awe. I had to get away. The conclave had stood there, beaming at me, at us. They all were waiting for the day we announced our bonding. Then their precious Michael and Gabrielle would be together and they wouldn't have to change their busy lives. We seem to be a stoic breed, never liking change.

The roar of the traffic and the sounds of New York faded into white noise in my head. The thought of leaving Stephen was too hard to bear but knowing I let everyone down was… less than appealing. I had always been a pleaser. Always revolved my life and actions around what people expected and wanted from me.

I turned onto 34th Street and nearly ran into the old gothic church that stood there. I looked up, wondering what made me come here. The gargoyles stood watch over the city, their twisted faces jeering at me. I pushed open the heavy mahogany doors and walked in. The familiar smell of incense and candle smoke enveloped me like a warm blanket. I sat down on the old wooden pew. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"What should I do?" I spoke to the empty room.

I waited futilely for an answer that I knew wouldn't come. I raised my face to the ceiling waiting for something.

Anything.

But He was silent.

I rested my head on the old wood of the pew in front of me.

"Easier to think in here." A voice said, echoing across the church. "More space for thought."

I lifted my head to see Reverend Grisham standing by the door. He was a kind looking man with laugh lines around his brown eyes and gray hair. He had christened me when I was born. He had been close with my family, despite being a red blood.

He came to sit down on the pew next to me. "What's the matter, child?" He said.

I shook my head. "I don't know what I'm doing here." I mumbled into my sleeve. I hugged my sweater to me tighter.

"Looking for answers like everyone else." He said, his eyes crinkling.

I nodded. "I remember being a teenager, thinking the entire world was set against me. I thought there was nothing I could do but then one day, you know what I did?" He asked, looking at me from over his glasses.

I shook my head slightly, feeling like I was back at Sunday school.

"I stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and realized that I can make my own decisions. We all have something out there that's for us. I found my calling in the church. You just need to find yours."

I stared at him, wondering how he possibly could have known exactly what to say.

I took a deep breath and thought about it. To stay with Charles and live up to the Conclaves expectations or for once to follow my own desires? The rush of memories came flooding into my head. For a moment I was drowning in them but I gained control. In Rome, Sophia had predicted our bond would break. The noise in my head all of a sudden came to a halt. I opened my eyes and saw with perfect clarity. I smiled.

I turned to see Reverend Grisham smiling knowingly, never taking his eyes off the cross on the altar. "He speaks in mysterious ways." He stood with the creaks of someone who has lived with purpose.

Looking at this church with its high ceilings and painted glass, you could see why people thought this place brought them closer to Him. The church had an ethereal quality to it. I looked up and saw the face of an angel looking down on me. His sweet face looked like he was reassuring me of my choice. I felt comforted by the site.

I stood to leave for the door when I heard the Reverends voice again. "Where are you going from here?" He asked gently.

I turned and smiled freely at him, the cool wind from outside blowing in. "Honestly, I don't know." I laughed at the freedom of just saying those words. I would run away with Stephen. It wouldn't matter where we'd go, the world was ours to explore.

I walked out onto the busy New York street, coming back to reality. And for once the crowds and the city didn't seem suffocating. It seemed liberating. I turned one last time to the church before I tunred the corner. "Thank you" I said to the wind.

I could be anything.