Chapter Fifteen: Caius

I saw her.

She was standing statue still by the river that ran straight around the town, and as soon as I set eyes on her, it was as if the past five centuries had never happened.

I had exited Volterra, barely patient enough to conceal myself in the shadows before I broke out into a full run.

My vampire speed was could not carry myself to her fast enough.

She was just as perfect as ever, down to every last detail. She was- even as the other vampire had told me- wearing the necklace in the image of a swallow that I had given her when we first met almost two thousand years ago in what was now called England.

Some part of me was clamoring for attention- yelling that it was not possible that she was here right now- I had seen her burn before my very eyes… But right now before those same eyes- I could see her- Athena.

Happiness, intense, powerful, all consuming, devouring and complete happiness. It was like the centuries had fallen away from me, and I was meeting her for the first time, a young ignorant fool hopelessly in love.

She turned to face me as I was only a few meters away, her beautiful hair shimmering in the noon rays of the sun- her skin glittering faintly- falling away from her face.

Her delicate features curved upwards in a gentle smile.

I staggered back.

"Athena?"

The word escaped my lips before I could pull it back, and a wall of fury reared up inside me.

It wasn't her.

The features were the same true- and she was the Athena I remembered in looks, but her ruby eyes held none of the fire the Athena I knew had, and her smile had none of the mockery and haughtiness that Athena did.

"What?" asked the woman confusedly, and as I struggled with myself, the voice was most certainly Athena's but…

The woman's form flickered. One second it was Athena down to the very last detail, and the next it was…. Not.

As I concentrated, Athena wavered, and before my eyes, stood a vampire who was not Athena.

The breeze changed direction, and several different scents assailed me.

A trap.

"Ah Caius, you are awfully easy to predict."

I snarled, but the sound was hollow even in my own ears. Despair hung over me like a cresting wave, and the hope that had been in my dead veins leeched out of me (no pun intended) leaving me empty.

A trick?

All that hope, all that wretched happiness was a lie. Of course Athena was not there, she was dead, I was a fool to believe otherwise. Now the long buried emotions turned rancid, and ate into me from the inside out.

I struggled to find the anger inside me that had supported me for the past centuries.

A group of seven vampires stepped out of seemingly thin air around me. Undoubtedly one of their gifts.

Stefan and Vladimir were at the front.

"And some of us thought that you would not take the bait dear Caius. I do believe you have met our Bianca-" he gestured towards the female who blinked, and suddenly she was Athena again, then myself, then Aro, then Jane, then Sculpia…

I lowered myself into a defensive crouch. Yes I was confident in my own abilities, but myself against eight other vampires- all trained I supposed- would not be at all in my favor.

"I would keep gloating-" continued Stefan, and I tried to breach the gaping hole inside me to find the heat and anger…

"…but I am in a hurry to get this over with, lots of tasty humans to drain you understand?" Stefan nodded as if it was the most obvious thing. "Goodbye Caius."

His self-centered smirk did it, and focusing solely on an image of Athena- my Athena, the flowing hair, arched eyebrows, finely carved cheekbones, deep clear brown eyes… I flung myself into the fight.

It was only later that I wondered at the eyes. Athena, when she was human, had had blue eyes.

~~~(O.o)~~~

Bella

I walked slowly up towards Marcus, wondering whether Caius's two thousand eight hundred + years had gone to his head. "Is… Is he alright?" I asked Marcus, glancing back to where Caius had vanished to. For someone who said they were going to talk to Aro, he was going in the wrong direction.

Marcus's features seemed to become less bored as he stared at me. "He merely received some good news."

"Oh."

I didn't know what Caius would classify as good, apart from mass genocide, and mass extermination of humans in general, but seeing as I hadn't heard of either of those things happening I guessed it was something I hadn't heard about yet.

"Keeping my brother entertained I see."

I shrugged slightly. Yes I did love F.R.I.E.N.D.S- something Edward never could understand- he said that it was a degrading show highlighting all of the worst human traits, but even five hours of it non-stop did do my head in a bit.

"Well he's easy to distract," I muttered.

Marcus chuckled.

Chuckled?

Yes I had been making progress with him, but had he just almost laughed? It was a miracle from above. That, or the world was ending. First Aro obsessed with F.R.I.E.N.D.S, then Caius all smiley, now Marcus almost laughing.

"That he is." He said while shaking his head.

I shrugged slightly, and plonked back down of the steps in my previous position. "Where'd he go then?" I asked curiously. I did like to think that I knew Caius, well a bit better than most other people, but he didn't seem like the type to run out of the room in the middle of the day almost happy.

Either he was drunk, or someone had hit him really hard over the head with a sky scraper.

"Where'd he go anyway?"

"Oh to the next town to meet someone." There it was again with the slight smile.

"Meet someone?"

"I imagine you'll see when he gets back." Marcus glanced at me suddenly, as though trying to gauge my reaction. I didn't know why he would imagine I would mind. Probably it was some vampire rebel who they had been hunting for centuries who had suddenly turned up, and Caius was overjoyed to go and destroy them.

I didn't know at what point I started treating deaths with such indifference, but I had watched Caius kill a vampire in front of my very eyes, and him drain a human dry not three meters from me, so I guessed death wasn't really a new thing for me. After all, millions of people died every day, and millions lost loved ones of natural causes. Too bad for the ones who died early.

I mentally began banging my head against a wall. Caius was rubbing off on me. Something I shuddered at.

Some more vampires came and left, glancing curiously at the two empty thrones. Marcus seemed resigned to the fact that Aro obviously wasn't going to be leaving my room anytime soon, and Caius obviously wasn't returning.

Offhandedly I wondered why Aro was the leader- I mean I knew they had said that they were all equal rulers, but it was kind of obvious that Aro was the one who was mainly in charge. Why though? I mean for all Caius's sadistic nature, he did seem more like the leader type, Aro… he was just too- Aro. And Caius was older than him anyway.

I drummed my fingers absentmindedly against the marble steps, feeling… Bored.

Well more bored than usual really. I tried to find the difference. Before was just as boring yes, and so was the other time I had been present in there 'council' sessions, but now was just downright suicidially dull.

With some chagrin, I realized that without Demetri's calm presence, Felix's subtle jokes, Alec's boyish attitude, Jane's bubbliness (although when she entered the throne room she became a cold-hearted bitch for appearances), Aro's…. Physco…ness, and Caius's constant orderings for execution, the days were very boring.

Wait… what?

Did I just say I missed Aro?

Screw that, did I just say I missed Caius?

I held an internal debate. Caius? Caius? Caius? Caius? Caius? I mean that in itself was the whole argument. Caius?

Why the hell would I miss him? Sure he was entertaining when he blew his top at the smallest things, smashing walls and roaring at anyone who came near, but then I was just as amused when Felix threw temper tantrum fits after Demetri beat him when they sparred. It was amazing, watching vampires fight each other. They all moved so fast it looked like two black blurs whipping around the room, until suddenly one was pinned beneath the other.

I'd even seen Jane verse Felix, without her power, and I couldn't help but worry about her, but a minute later I wasn't worrying anymore as she succeeded in pulling off both Felix's arms, and slamming him into a wall.

But still. Really? Caius?

Yes he had saved my life, but it was hardly the Prince Charming rescuing princess from the dragon- type scenario.

More like bipolar pissy Prince Vampire Lord rescuing the pathetic lousy human from the vampire who wanted to kill her to spite the other vampires living up in Dracula's castle- classic story.

Whoa. When did I start comparing my life story to a fairy tale?

Caius?

FREAKING STOP THINKING HIS NAME! I yelled at myself.

Yeah, stop thinking his name! It wasn't like it was going to be changing anytime soon. I mean we argued all the time, like all the time.

I smiled inwardly. Fun.

WHAT?

Um, since when was it fun? And why hadn't I even used sarcasm? I didn't have fun arguing with Caius! We just both basically yelled for a bit before he either stormed out of the room, was dragged away by Aro, or I lost my voice from screaming.

Yeah see? ABOVE- three different reasons why I should not be missing Caius.

But it was still boring.

After Marcus had dealt with the last case, something about an exposure somewhere in Africa, he dismissed everyone, seeming just as bored as I was- and if it was possible for a vampire- tired.

I stood and stretched, feeling my joints pop and crackle like I was ninety years old. "So what do we do now?" I asked. I didn't really have anything to do, I didn't feel like going back to my room where Aro was, and most of the guard was busy.

Marcus shrugged, a motion that seemed very out of place and… human, on him. Of all of the vampires I had met- apart from Carlisle, Marcus did seem like the only vampire who still acted partly human.

"I have no preferences as of now, what do you do, my dear, at this time during the day?"

What do I do?

"I'm up for anything," I said truthfully. Really I didn't have much else to do- and if Marcus could put up with me then great. "What would you be doing?"

I couldn't see Marcus really doing what the other members of the guard did with me- stuff like pillow fights, mattress surfing, watching TV like Aro was now, playing video games… Absentmindedly I wondered if the reason why so many of the guard liked doing childish things with me was because it reminded them of when they were human, and sometimes it was just fun to do stupid stuff for no reason at all.

But Marcus… I imagined him to be more of someone who like to read quietly, like me most of the time.

"I usually am in the library, or in the gardens."

Ah. See? I was becoming an Alice. "Cool! What's your favorite book?" Probably one of the classics, Marcus wasn't the type to be reading new contemporary books. Heck, the classics probably were contemporary for Marcus.

"I do enjoy Shakespeare's works." Marcus said, turning and beginning to walk out of the room at a human pace so I could follow.

Ah, what did I say?

"..and on occasion I paint a little."

Paint? That was interesting. A sudden image of Marcus, up to his elbows in paint, tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration as he painted the outline of a sunset.

I had to choke back my laugh.

We had just passed my room, the echoes of laughter and Aro's weird high-pitched but at the same time loud and booming chuckles drifted over to us, when all of a sudden, Demetri rounded the corner, walking towards us at vampire speed- little more than a blur, and addressed Marcus, the speed and volume of his words an almost soundless hum to my human ears.

I didn't hear the words, but Marcus's face dissolved into pure flat fury in one second.

One second ago he had been half-smiling, his hazy ruby eyes gleaming slightly, and now his face was dark and angry, while his eyes were an obsidian black.

The door to my room banged open with a thunderous crash, and Aro appeared next to Demetri, hand outstretched, palm facing upwards, an odd gesture that went oddly with his closed off expression.

Demetri touched his index finger to Aro's hand, and just as suddenly as Marcus, his expression was just as angry, the lack of maniac energy and demented happiness frightening me.

He stayed that way for around ten seconds more, ten seconds in which I was getting increasingly frustrated. What was it that Demetri knew that Aro and Marcus were acting so strongly to?

~~~(o.O)~~~

Aro

Ah the delights of human's entertainment systems. These characters- Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross, ah they would be wonderful to meet one day!

I had to introduce these people to Caius and Marcus! Perhaps they would brighten up my brother-in-law, and bring the edge off Caius's death-and-more-death's personality! Joey would get along splendidly with Felix, while Ross would be excellent with Afton and Demetri. Chandler and Santiago, and perhaps he would go quite well with me too. Rachel could be sisters with Heidi and maybe Jane, although Jane would like Phoebe too. Monica would like Alec perhaps…!?

I was considering paying these characters a visit and changing them so we could be entertained by their antics for longer! Ross and Phoebe, and maybe even Chandler did show promises of rather potent gifts if they were changed! Phoebe perhaps even would take after young Alice.

Young Alice… The possibilities of her gift were endless.

Also young Bella. She would do excellently when she becomes an immortal! I had such hopes for her, never in my two thousand and fifty eight years had I met a person- immortal or otherwise, who would confound my gift.

Speaking of which, I could hear her heartbeat drawing closer, and above the delightful sounds of Rachel screaming verbal abuse at Chandler, who apparently with an unforgivable lack of social etiquette had chanced upon her unrobed after straightening up from the contents of a wonderful object called a fridge, I could hear Marcus talking to Demetri.

"…the mind Master Caius told me to trace a few days ago, it had vanished, but now I can sense it again, a few miles south, along with seven other unfamiliar minds surrounding Master Caius… I am uncertain of what exactly this means, but it is doubtful that this is a-"

"Indeed, however, Caius had just had news of Athenadora- this may be-"

I jerked to my feet, the door to Isabella's room banging open with a thunderous crash, and I sped to Demetri's side, my hand outstretched impatiently.

Caius had left Volterra without informing me?

Athenadora- my sister in law was possibly alive?

Demetri touched his hand to mine, and images instantly flashed before my eyes. I was used to this, so I merely sped past eight hundred years' worth of memories, and focused on the past few days.

Yes it was true, Demetri seeking out the minds of Stefan and Vladimir, but their minds seemed to have vanished, brilliant points of light disappearing from the field of the bright sea of minds that Demetri could see. They were invisible just like young Isabella's mind.

Was it possible that the Romanians had acquired a gift like Isabella's? That her gift was not entirely unique to her?

Then not only a few minutes ago, Caius's mind had sped west like a demon hell-bent, towards a new point of light whose tenor was wavering like unsure of what form to take, a few seconds more, then seven more minds appeared, surrounding Caius. Two of the minds were Stefan and Vladimir's.

I yanked my mind out of Demetri's, snarling slightly.

My face hardened into a furious mask- and Marcus touched my shoulder, and his memories rushed through my mind. I focused on the meeting of him and a vampire named Mark who claimed to have seen Athenadora.

Impossible. She was dead, torn to pieces before Caius's very eyes, but apparently Caius had forgotten so, and he had rushed from Volterra filled with renewed hope.

I pulled away, feeling a mixture of pity and anger at my brother. I knew if I lost Sculpia I would be pretty much the same, hungering after the slightest hope that she might have survived however implausible the idea was, but angry that Stefan and Vladimir dared play such a cowardly trick, luring Caius out of the castle to ambush him, using a vampire that obviously had a gift to imitate others, although she could not confound Demetri's gift, hence the mind that flickered in his sight.

"Gather the remaining guard," I snapped at Demetri, knowing that many of them were off on separate missions in Asia, something about an immortal child. "We must hurry to Caius's aid."

Ok, so now that it is summer I have time to write and update more. Yay.

Answers to some questions I have gotten:

Yes I do know where this is going. I figured the story would stay the same as much as possible considering so many people liked it.

Yes it is a love story but considering Caius has spent so much time hating humans, why would he instantly love Bella? Besides Bella's a OOC in this. I figure I will make her a bit more in Character after her change.

Important:

So I have gotten at least one comment on how I shouldn't kill everyone off like DaughterofHadesandNyx did. I would like to warn you that not killing them off would make it like almost every other Caius/Bella story out there (or Aro or Marcus or anyone else in the guard) because the Cullen's would come back to Volterra, Edward would get mad that Bella loves Caius, getting him destroyed either then or now. The other Cullen's would probably go home, Victoria would come for revenge and they would kill her. Also, Bella would have a normal change.

Everything has been resolved involving the "plagiarism", so now I have can keep writing this.