Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the creator of these intriguing characters. She and the filmmakers have made a fascinating and beautiful trilogy. I wish to borrow her background and add a plot twist of my own. I also made use of the site wiki/Volturi' a fantastic site if I may say and well worth a read for twilight fans.

Chapter 43 – Freedom is the oxygen of the soul*

Caius POV

I entered the building with Riley at my side. The door was not locked so we were extra wary of what we would find. As I entered I smelt the same irritatingly sweet smell that surrounded the building; the whole place reeked of it.

We quickly went through the building room by room but to no avail "She must be here" I said "I can feel her". All of a sudden I noticed a curtain on one side of what seemed to be an alcove, when I opened it I saw a door and a large window giving a view of the observation room beyond. It was a probably a one way mirror and my Bella was lying very quietly on a bed and staring at the ceiling. Without thinking I positioned myself in front of the door and smashed it open to walk inside.

Bella was terrified and she recoiled to the head end of the bed her eyes were like saucers and she had maneuvered herself against the wall. "What the hell….." I muttered.

Bella, still tense frowned and whispered "Is that you Caius?"

Feeling that something was wrong I shouted "Riley get out!"

She didn't move as her face showed the anxiety she was felling "Is that really you Caius?" she asked

In the meanwhile Riley left the room without question.

Once he was out of range I moved towards Bella and sat next to her on the bed and took her in my arms. She clung to me like a drowning man clinging to a life raft, we crushed each other in our embrace and my relief was overwhelming as I felt her in my arms. I was checking her body over and over again and kissing anything I could get a hold of. My lover, my mate was safe and she was kissing me back of her own accord as her hand caressed my cheek. I was never one for showing any emotional bond but I just couldn't help myself. I had thought I had lost her and now I had not only found her but she was willingly in my arms showing her affection towards me. Kissing her I felt whole, something I hadn't felt since I had lost her; I could no longer dispute the fact that she was now an intricate part of me and I knew my immortal life would never be the same.

"You came for me after all! At first I assumed it was another cruel trick but then I felt your presence. I didn't think you would ever find me." She said as she clung to me.

I retorted "Damn woman, don't you ever leave me again" and then pushed her away to take a good look at her.

"Please Caius don't be angry. I made a terrible mistake I promise I will never leave your side again"

Her eyes were wandering trying to focus on my voice and when she looked at me I realized that she was blind as her eyes were covered by a milky substance. She then reached out to me in an uncoordinated movement. If I had a heart it would have broke as I whispered "What have they done to you my love?"

She bowed her head and said "I couldn't defend myself; here I am a vampire with all the powers and yet, I was helpless and hopeless."

She leaned her body against mine and held me tight saying "I'm so very sorry Caius; I never meant to leave you; please forgive me"

I had been furious and in my anger I had been constantly saying how I would make her pay for her disobedience. I however realized, now that I saw her that she had already paid dearly for her stupidity.

"Who did this my love?" I asked as I helped her stand up.

"I don't know; I was going to meet someone when I was tackled; I was then sold and since then the one who bought me put something in my eyes every day. I couldn't see him; his voice was strange and he was always covered in a strong flower smell. The same as the smell as the soap and shampoo he used on me".

"Enough" I said smelling the sweet flower mixed with smells of sex "I must get you out of here" and looked around the room in search of clothes but all she had was a dressing gown so I wrapped the belt tightly around her. She was still very wobbly so I picked her up gently cradling her in my arms as I went to what must have been a living room.

Once I laid her down on the couch she was impatient and begged "Please Caius, take me to the shower; It may hold unpleasant memories but I want to wash myself till I'm raw. I want to clean myself; I need to!"

I looked at the agonizing expression on her face and said "I understand my love. I will help" I then carried her there.

When we were in the room I set her on her feet and put a chair in the shower I then gently picked her up and sat her down in the chair. The first thing she did was lean back letting the water cleanse her eyes and I understood her need to be in control of her senses.

"It will need time to work itself out my love, give it time. In the meanwhile I have found something that you can use to wash yourself". I gave her the soap she took it from me with a smile, grateful for my care.

All of a sudden the smell hit her senses and her nostrils flared as she threw the bottle away whimpering "Please is there anything else I can wash myself with? I hate that smell!"

"I'm sorry my love but I can't find anything" I told her as I took a second look

"Then just water, now that I have a choice I won't touch that stuff ever again". She shuddered at the thought.

I undressed myself and gradually helped her off the chair as I joined her in the shower. I gently pulled her body towards me and slowly helped wash every inch of her body. She gradually relaxed in my arms as if in a trance; someone had broken her spirit and my fury grew.

She had always been a fiery type and that was something that had always attracted her to me; that and her loyalty. Now my fiery vixen had become submissive; she would heal because she was strong but I knew from experience that it would be a long road. I had been harsh towards her but at the time I didn't understand her worth. Now seeing what someone else had done to her I regretted my past actions and hoped that our new found friendship in Greece would allow her to trust me and let me help her overcome this.

After her shower I settled her in the chair putting a towel in her hand. I quickly dressed and then tried to help her into her dressing gown but she violently protested put it on saying "I don't want to wear that; I'd rather wear nothing that have to wear that" so I quickly wrapped her in my cape.

Riley was still outside waiting and once I had brought Isabella back to the living room I went to meet him saying "Comb this place out and see if you are able to find anything that we can use to trace the person that did this!"

"I will" Riley said as he filed back into the building

I quickly joined Bella while Riley was searching.

A half hour later, Riley came in to report "everything has been cleaned out except Isabella's room; but there wasn't much to find. No leads that is!"

"We will burn it then!" I said as I walked back to Isabella. I gently picked her up and she wrapped her arms around my neck as she leaned her head against my chest. "It will be alright my love we are going home"

When we left the building I said "Burn it! Not a brick will stand!"

Bella sighed and leaned against me as we started our journey to the airplane.

Bella's POV

Caius held me tightly against his body as he progressed through the jungle and I couldn't help but listen to the strange sounds of the wilderness in constant fear of that strange and disturbing voice. After a while the rhythm of his pace began to relax me and I could at long last allow myself to rest knowing that I was completely safe in Caius's arms. Even if my captor would come to claim me; Caius would be there to fight him. I rejoiced in the fact that I was going home at last and could leave this nightmare behind me.

It took hours before we arrived in the plane and I heard voices all around me recognizing that of Edward and Jasper.

'How is she? " asked Edward and I heard him come close with someone else who I thought must be Jasper.

"She cannot see; the bastard kept her blind. It will not be permanent, no but he used it to keep her helpless. She's had a bad time and I think that she will need her rest most of all.

He then said "The only reason she survived this is that she is vampire; a human would never survive this physically, let alone mentally. Thank the gods I changed her"

Caius walked further climbing stairs as he entered something which I realized must be the airplane.

He walked further and then bent through his knees trying to lay me down. I tightened my grip and refused to let go as my fear escalated at the idea of being separated; even for a minute. "Please Caius don't let go, I need you; can I sit with you?"

"Your exhausted my love, you must rest" he said as he gently lowered me onto the bed.

"I know" I said still clutching on to him for dear life "but I can't lay alone, please lay with me".

"Hush my love, I will join you but first you must put something on" he said as he bowed over to put me down. He walked away but soon came back with one of his shirts and although it only went past my hips I was grateful smelling his scent around me. He then lay next to me and I clamped onto him and began to purr my contentment as he held me comfortingly.

"Have you been feed?" He asked as he caressed my cheek

"He had just left in search of food; that is why he wasn't there when you came" I explained.

"You said he bought you?" he asked

"Yes, he told me I was sold to him by my mate and owner" I told him and then went on to say "I made it clear to him that you were my mate and pleaded with him to let me go but then he would only punish me for saying it, so after a couple of weeks I gave up.

"Hush" Caius said as he caressed my face trying to relax me "First you must feed"

He gave me his wrist and I bit relishing the sweet essence of his blood and after a couple of seconds he withdrew his pulse saying "As soon as we arrive in civilization you will have a proper meal".

When I finished I again cuddled up to him and whispered "And a proper bath!" I said as began to relax "I want to get this stink off my body; if I never smell it again it will be too soon".

He then lay beside me and although vampires cannot sleep I shut my body down trying to block everything except the sense of security I felt. My body must have been overcome by weariness through the takeoff and a large part of the flight but when I came out of my trance-like state I realized that I was alone. I tried not to panic as I looked around, my eyes still useless. I whispered "Caius" but when I got no answer the fear began to creep in.

Was it a dream? No, I could hear the plane motors but I still wasn't convinced "Caius" I whispered "Caius please answer me!"

I then panicked and tried to stand up stretching my arms out trying to feel my way to along the wall of the plane. It took a while but I finally felt a door knob and opened it to walk out of the room. All of a sudden I felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around my waist and I screamed "no…." as I pulled myself away from their grip.

The whole plane was in in a state of uproar and Edward shouted "It's me Bella" but it didn't register; all I wanted to do is get as far away as possible. I pulled away from the arms and stumbled over something in my panic; I just couldn't calm down when all of a sudden I heard Caius roar "What is going on here?"

My fear vanished as soon as it had come once Caius spoke. I let out a breath of relief and turned towards his voice holding out my arms saying "Thank god, it wasn't my imagination or a dream; I was so afraid when you weren't next to me."

He wrapped his arms around me and said "You must have known I would come after you".

"Yes, but how could you know where I was; after all I was in the middle of South America. He swore I would never leave".

Caius kissed my forehead and gently pried me lose as he gradually walked me back to the bed I had laid in, again he laid down next to me and I was able to relax; impassive all the way to Alaska.

Once we were there he carried me to the home of the Denali coven and made sure I fed and I could finally take a glorious bath using something Alice brought me. To my delight I was slowly getting some light into my eyes and although it didn't help me to see things better, it gave me hope. Once I was fed, bathed and dressed I accompanied Caius towards the living room where the two covens had gathered.

I clung to Caius and heard the voices around us hush as we entered the room. Although I couldn't see I felt the stifled mood and said "I am so sorry that I caused so much trouble; if I had have known the consequences I would never have gone. I have behaved disgracefully after you had all been so kind and helpful to me, I hope you will be able to forgive me."

Alice kissed my cheek and the Olympic clan soon surrounded us as I wouldn't let go of Caius. I realized that I would be quickly forgiven by them; The Denali coven however would have more difficulty accepting my apology and I understood.

I sat close to Caius as I heard the voices around us resume their regular volume. Alice soon joined us and asked how I was doing.

"I was so foolish Alice; I never meant to hurt anyone" I said "I only wished to say goodbye, nothing more; If I'd had known believe me I would never have gone."

"I know you didn't and no one really blames you" Alice replied

Caius exclaimed "I do, and you will never go out on your own again!"

I looked towards his voice saying "Don't worry; I will never leave your side"

* Moshe Dayan