Chapter Six: Bella

Marcus ghosted away down the hallway, leaving me wondering at his last words. "We all try to be." What exactly did that mean? For some reason I thought his eyes flashed to Caius when he said those words. A sudden rush of sympathy and warmth rushed through me. I had a sudden urge to somehow make Marcus smile again. I think he could be my friend… Aro would always creep me out with his constant euphorbia and Caius just plain pissed me off, but Marcus was alright. He was easy to talk to.

Caius just stood there, leaning against the side of the doorway, looking like a skulking angel of death.

I wanted to ask about the werewolf, but I had a feeling he'd rip of my head if I asked. I decided on another topic that was bothering me. "Before in the hall, when you were sitting down…"

Caius stiffened. "Yes?"

"You looked like you were smoking."

His eyes fixed on me, the cloudy ruby irises boring into mine. "Yes, and?"

"Um… Do you have a gift?"

Caius smiled. It was creepy, just like the one that he had worn just before he attacked the werewolf. It didn't reach the eyes, yet it stretched across his perfect face, making him look sinister and evil, it was the smile of a demon before he pounced.

"So the human is not stupid after all."

I was too frightened to correct him.

"Come." Caius turned and began walking down the corridor. He seemed to be in a better mood than before, now just creepy and scary instead of irritated and pissy. Huh. I had a bipolar vampire guard.

Unlike before, Caius was now walking at a relatively slow pace, that I could keep up with if I ran every few steps.

"So in answer to your previous question, yes I do have a gift."

I remained silent, not wanting to push my luck. I was curious. He had been smoking before, and his clothes were smoldering…. "You can manipulate fire right?"

The creepy smile came back. "Yes, I can."

I hadn't really believed it truly until he confirmed it. I was actually kind of in awe. Most of the vampire gifts I'd come across were rather subtle, except for Alec and Jane, mind reading, empath, tracker…. Now the vampire that scared me the most had the scariest power.

"So, seriously? You just burst into flame?"

Caius cast me a sideways glance. "Not exactly. Why aren't you screaming and running?"

I couldn't believe he actually said that. It sounded a lot like something Edward would say, not the ALL MIGHTY VAMPIRE KING, but I replied anyway. "It wouldn't do me much good if I did would it? You could catch me in a second, sides you aren't going to hurt me."

"And what guarantee do you have of that?"

"I don't know, just the fact that your brother, who is in charge of you happened to tell you to be nice to me?"

Caius snarled, "My brother is not 'in charge of me' as technically I am his elder, and he did not, in no uncertain terms tell me to be nice to you."

Caius was Aro's elder? No way. Aro definitely looked older than Caius. "Um… Isn't Aro older than you?"

"Are we here discussing age?"

"Um yeah, I guess."

He sighed heavily before replying. "Physically Aro and Marcus are older than I, Marcus sitting at twenty seven and Aro at twenty four. However in terms of years of existence I out span them by two decades."

Wow. Okay, did not see that coming. "How is that possible? How old are you anyway, physically I mean."

"Physically I am twenty one, and it is possible because when I was changed, Aro was only four and Marcus, who I had not yet met, was seven. Two decades later, when I had managed to control my thirst, I changed Aro and our sister Didyme. We met Marcus when we were fleeing Rome and Didyme insisted we change him."

"Oh." It was creepy thinking of a four year old Aro. Also it means Caius was actually only three years older than me physically! Something was nagging at the back of my mind. "Why were you fleeing Rome?"

"One of my brothers was in the senate and he was murdered. We did not wish to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves; we left to ensure our own survival."

"I'm sorry."

The corner of Caius's mouth tugged upwards. "Do not be. He was a ruthless dictator. He did much for our country, but in the end became drunk with power."

That sounded a lot like Aro, drunk with power. The shock that Caius had actually smiled a real smile, and at me no less, left me stumbling for words. He seemed in a better mood than he had been in the whole time I had known him. I wondered if that had to do with the now dead werewolf. There was also something else, something that I'd forgotten, in history class, back at Forks High School…. Something about Rome's leaders….

"Caius." My voice sounded weird. "What is your full name?"

Caius stopped walking, turning to face me. He opened his mouth. "Caius Julius Caesar, older brother to Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman general, statesman, and Consul of Rome."

~~~(O.o)~~~

Caius

Truth to be told I was actually enjoying the conversation with the human, or Isabella, as she so impertinently demanded. Conversations with Marcus were often short and rather dull, while speaking to Aro was both irritating and taxing with his constant unceasing childlike delight and it was rare that I could restrain myself from attacking him for longer than a few minutes conversing with him.

However this Isabella, who chattered on and on incessantly about completely useless and unremarkable subjects, was quite amusing.

Amusing? That was odd, I had not been amused for several centuries.

"So, seriously? You just burst into flame?"

What did she think I was? Besides, the last time I had done that….. "Not exactly. Why aren't you screaming and running?" Had I really just said that? For the past ages I had never said a word more than I needed to in order to get my point across and now I was asking the human a ridiculous and pointless question?

"It wouldn't do me much good if I did would it? You could catch me in a second, sides you aren't going to hurt me."

She was truly not afraid of me? I could snap her neck before she even realized it, and yet she was claiming that I would not hurt her? "And what guarantee do you have of that?"

"I don't know, just the fact that your brother, who is in charge of you happened to tell you to be nice to me?"

What? A flare of rage burnt through me. My brother was most certainly not my superior. I could do what I liked. This was merely a favor to him…. "My brother is not 'in charge of me' as technically I am his elder, and he did not, in no uncertain terms tell me to be nice to you."

Why was I arguing with her? She was beneath my notice... And why, above all, did she make me question myself?

"Um… Isn't Aro older than you?"

Ignorant human. "Are we discussing age?"

"Um yeah, I guess."

I sighed, I never explained myself to someone, much less a mortal, "Physically, Aro and Marcus are older than I, Marcus sitting at twenty seven and Aro at twenty four. However in terms of years of existence I outspan them by two decades."

"How is that possible?" The human was gapping at me, she really was irritating. "How old are you anyway, physically I mean."

Were all humans this questioning? This was exactly why they were nothing more than substance to us. "Physically I am twenty one, and it is possible because when I was changed, Aro was only four and Marcus who I had not yet met, was seven, two decades later, when I had managed to control my thirst, I changed Aro and our sister Didyme. We met Marcus when we were fleeing Rome and Didyme insisted we change him."

"Oh. Why were you fleeing Rome?"

My mind flashed back to the night, screams and yells of the Roman army, storming our house, the urge to turn and destroy them all….

"One of my brothers was in the senate and was murdered. We did not wish to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"I'm sorry." The human actually looked sorry. She was sorry for us? Clearly she needed enlightenment. Besides, the death of my brother was hardly a loss.

My mouth curved into what I realized was the first genuine smile since…. Her death. I was stunned for several seconds. "Do not be. He was a ruthless dictator. He did much for our country, but in the end became drunk with power."

"Caius." Isabella's voice sounded strangled. I realized it was the first time that she had spoken my name. It annoyed me when I realized that she was addressing me as though I was her equal, rather than her superior. "What is your full name?"

It would be rather pleasing to put her in her place. Inwardly smirking at what was approaching, I spoke. "Caius Julius Caesar, older brother to Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman general, statesman, and Consul of Rome."

~~~(O.o)~~~

"OH MY GOD!"

The girl screeched as such a pitch I could have sworn I saw the windows tremble.

"For real? You were Julius Caesar's older brother? OH MY GOD! THIS IS SO WEIRD! What was he like? Did you get to see him a lot while he was off destroying other countries? How would you describe him?! Was he a dictator at home too? Was the he reason you're like this cold hearted bastard?! Did you get to go to the senate with him? THIS IS SO COOL!"

The flow of words sprouting from the human's mouth were like a dam of water, her lips moving too fast for even I to make out the words.

Trying to speak over the chaos, I yelled, "Will you please, shut up!"

The human shut up, and looked at me smirking. "And what, may I ask, has caused you to wear that expression?"

The smile grew wider. "You just said shut up."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's not appropriate of a man of your station to beg. Especially seeing as you're my superior."

"….." I was about to reply when I realized she was mocking me. I was slightly stunned when I realized I wasn't angry. Irritated, annoyed, exasperated, but not angry.

I decided not to reply, I didn't trust myself that much, and if I ripped of the girl's head, Aro would be less than pleased with me.

I whirled around and resumed my pervious pace. I could almost feel the girl's smirk growing wider.

Eventually she had to begin talking again.

"So where are we going, all mighty brother of Julius Caesar?" She was running again, trying to keep up with my pace, and tripping every few steps. Her clumsiness alone made me want to tear off Aro's head for making me this girl's escort. I had better things to do than care for a rude, impertinent human girl. She had seemed to get over my identity fairly quickly.

My fists clenched subconsciously. "Aro's chambers, apparently my presence is requested once more. "

"Okay, but it looks like it's around ten o'clock, and we humans need to sleep."

Isabella did look tired, but that was none of my concern. "It is not my burden to have you properly rested, as it is you have already slept the whole day through previously. I hardly think it is necessary."

Of course then Isabella had to begin talking yet again. "How would you know? The last time you slept was over two thousand years ago! I've got jetlag! Once Renee went to Florida, and she slept for three days straight, I thought that she had gone into a coma, so…."

I stopped trying to listen and concentrated on keeping my pace slow enough for Isabella to keep up. I wondered as to why I was unwilling to simply sling her over my shoulder and reach Aro's chambers in merely a few seconds. By walking it would take at least six minutes. Since when did I care for others?

I decided not to answer myself.