Author's Note: Hello everyone! Here's chapter 16! I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for any and all follows/favs/reviews, or just stopping by to read! I appreciate every bit of it! Thank you!

Chapter 16: A Twist of Fate

"Lis - - Ava KNOWS this man?!" Cicero stepped up to them, with an unhappy look on his face.

"Yes, Cicero..." Ava said, holding up a hand in front of the Keeper in a silent gesture to quiet him. "I...I don't understand. I thought you were in with the others. I thought I...you know..."

"It wasn't me, I can assure you - - or else I wouldn't be standing here. I had nothing to do with it." The man held his hands up, claiming innocence.

Ava felt numb with confusion, "Then...why are you speaking to me? Did you follow me? What do you want from me?!" She began to panic.

Noticing her anguish, Cicero stepped toward the man in an intimidating fashion. "No, Cicero!" Ava grabbed his arm, alarming the jester enough to make him stay put.

"I want nothing from you! Please, I'm a travelling merchant now. I-I happen to be in Skyrim for the time being, but I still live in Cyrodiil. I just couldn't believe it was you...that's all. I'm not following you..." Myles pleaded.

"But, what I did to your family...you have to be..." Ava trailed off, her lip quivering from the trauma of her past.

"What? Out for revenge?" The man smirked. "Look, they may have been my family, but what they did to you...to your parents...it was evil. I can't defend them, and I won't. Wait, why did you leave?" He asked. "What about your Aunt Sidra, and her family? They've missed you for so long...You didn't have to come all the way out here to escape..."

"Sidra's alive?! B-but they told me they killed eveyone...the whole family, not just my parents..." Ava said, dumbfounded. Could it be that all these years, she'd believed a lie that those vicious men had told her the night of the attack? Could she have believed she'd been alone, when in truth she had part of her loving family home waiting for her return? It was all so much to take in, that Ava felt she'd faint if he told her anything else.

"Sidra is alive, and so is Albus and their children. She figured you'd survived, and she hoped you'd come back home with her. When you never returned, we all thought you may have died from an injury. I thought you were dead, too, Ava...But, I'm glad you're not." He said, smiling in relief. "You were my best friend...remember?" He remarked, causing Cicero to look back at Ava worriedly due to his comment.

"Yes...I do remember. Look, I-I don't know what to say to all this...It brings back so much pain..." Ava shook her head, trying to tolerate the immense surge of emotion she was feeling.

"Look, I didn't mean you any harm...I'm just as shocked as you are. I'll leave you be, seeing as you probably need time to let things sink in. However, I would urge you to at least go back to see your family, Ava. Let them know you're alive...I'm leaving Dawnstar today, but I'll be in Whiterun soon if you'd like to come pay me a visit. I-I don't know what to say except it's good to see you...and I'm sorry for what my family has done to you..." He apologized, his face filled with sympathy.

Ava sat on the frozen shore in front of the Dawnstar Sanctuary, her arms around her knees, staring at the horizon. She'd travelled so fast, it had been hard for poor Cicero to keep up with her. His Listener was very quick when she wanted to be!

"Listener...What was all THAT about?!" He tiredly plopped himself down beside her.

"I-I don't know...I haven't seen Myles in ten years...nearly eleven now...I was seventeen the last time I saw him..." She spoke in a quivering tone, looking down as the waves splashed in front of her feet.

"Listener is...twenty-seven?" Cicero asked curiously.

"Yes...twenty-eight, soon..." She answered.

Cicero cringed at how old he was - - so, so many years her senior! What happened to poor Cicero? He used to be so young!

"You remember how I spoke to you of the people I used to know...how they murdered my parents and tried to do the same to me?" She lifted her gaze to the jester.

"YES, Cicero remembers!" He nodded, remembering that night in Riften when they chatted in the tavern.

"Yes, well...I thought Myles was one of them...they were disguised as bandits, and some had covered their faces, so I assumed he was there. Apparently he wasn't...I know for sure his father and uncle were there...his cousins, too...Anyway, I was afraid because I thought he would harm me for killing his family...even if it was self-defence..." His Listener explained.

"Listener shouldn't FEAR that man with Cicero around. Why, Cicero would CUT his very HEART out if he laid a single finger on her..." The jester remarked - - and he would, too! Cicero didn't like this man to begin with - - trying his best to talk Cicero's Listener into leaving! Listener wasn't going anywhere without Cicero!

"That won't be necessary...I believe I misjudged him. I assumed he was like the rest of his family, but I guess I was wrong..." Ava trailed off in thought.

Cicero didn't like where this conversation was going. "Listener isn't going to run AWAY, is she? The Brotherhood MUST have a Listener..." He asked warily.

"I won't leave the Dark Brotherhood, if that's what you're worried about...I just need some time to think about all this..." She said, trailing off in thought once more.

"As you wish, Listener..." Cicero said, leaving her to her thoughts. He had a bad feeling about the way his Listener was acting all of a sudden. She spoke as if she would stay, but the uncertainty in her voice told the jester otherwise. Cicero had begun to feel fear for the first time in many, many years...

It had been a nearly a week since Cicero and Ava had returned from her contract in Solitude, and Babette couldn't help but notice something strange going on between the two. She had no idea what had happened while they were away, but it must have been rather interesting for the two to be acting the way they had.

Cicero was being his usual clingy self, only a thousand times worse. Babette didn't know how the young woman hadn't slapped him silly by now, as he seemed to be smothering the poor thing.

There seemed to be a bit of a back-and-forth between them. Cicero would follow her around constantly, and Ava would politely try to keep to herself. Eventually, she would tell him she needed to be alone, and the jester would pout for a while. Being too nice for her own good, Ava would feel sorry for the poor fool. This, in turn, would start the whole cycle over again. Babette reasoned that Ava may have gotten intoxicated and did something she deeply regretted with the crazy fellow, and he couldn't take a hint that she was no longer interested. Now she sat among her dark siblings at the dining table, watching the disaster unfold and feeling pity for poor Ava.

"Alright, it's ready." Nazir stood over the cooking pot. "Brothers and sisters, may I present the Potage le Magnifique, minus the poison." He smirked.

"OOOHHH, Cicero LOVES trying new things! Even if the Redguard DID prepare it! It may be DISGUSTING, but Cicero will give it a GO!" The jester taunted Nazir, who returned a sharp glare his way.

"Now, now..." Babette scolded the two. "Aren't you two a bit old to be squabbling about?" She secretly enjoyed seeing the two argue - - it was rather amusing to witness two middle-aged men bicker like a couple of spoiled children.

Cicero frowned, "But the REDGUARD started it...He PROVOKED poor Cicero with his FOUL-SMELLING food!"

"Do you ever shut up?" Nazir shook his head at the jester.

As soon as everyone began to eat, Babette watched the Listener and the Keeper start their dance of both smothering and polite toleration.

"Nazir, this is delicious," Ava said, taking another bite as the Redguard smiled proudly at his success.

"Oh, Listener LIKES it? Cicero can get you some MORE!" The jester instantly replied, as Ava forced a half-smile in response.

"Cicero, she's not done with her first bowl! Why in Nirn would you get her some more?" Babette intervened, feeling sympathy for Ava.

"Cicero...doesn't...know..." The jester shrugged.

"Because he's a lunatic!" Nazir remarked from the other end of the table."Why else?"

"Cicero was ONLY trying to be HELPFUL..." The jester pouted, looking defeated. Of course, as Babette noticed, Ava was far kinder than Nazir, and would feel sorry for the crazy jester.

"It's okay, Cicero." Ava said politely, trying to comfort him.

Then the jester returned the look - - Babette had noticed it time and again. His eyes would always grow wide, and he would grin so hard it seemed the poor fool would split in two.

"Are you taking the next contract?" Nazir asked, looking to Ava. "Because I'll surely take it off your hands for you. I'm itching to get out there again."

"It's fine, you can have it..." Ava said, sipping her soup.

"OH, Cicero was hoping YOU would take it, Listener! Why, he was hoping he could tag along!" Cicero frowned at her, and Babette could see her softly sigh, trying not to let the fool notice her frustration.

"Vottur, do you still have your last contract?" Ava asked the Vampire, who sat silently beside Nazir, and stared into his now-empty bowl.

"Yes, Listener...I'm heading out tonight." Vottur answered.

"I need you to do a favor for me...I want you to take Cicero along, since I don't have a contract. He's a bit stir crazy, and I know he wants to go." She said, pushing him off on their newest member, much to Babette's surprise. She had to admit, she didn't think Ava had it in her.

"As you wish, Listener." The Vampire showed no emotion, but remained compliant to Ava's wishes.

Nazir scowled, "Now what did Vottur do to deserve that?"

"This is none of Nazir's BUSINESS!" Cicero snapped at the Redguard. He turned pitifully to Ava, "Is Listener ANGRY with POOR Cicero? Why is she trying to get rid of him?"

"It's nothing bad, Cicero. I'm not taking a contract, and I know you want to go. That's all..." Ava gently explained. Babette could sense it was a white lie to avoid hurting the jester's feelings.

"Yes, but Cicero wanted to go with YOU!"

"But I'm not going, Cicero. Vottur can keep you company." She remarked, now visibly frustrated.

"The hell he can!" Nazir scoffed, "I told you he was your problem. Why do you have to put him off on my new initiate?"

"Nazir, she's our leader. She can push him off on whoever she wants. Would you rather it be you?" Babette scolded the Redguard. There he went, trying to push the poor girl around again! Babette had seen Nazir buck up to the Listener ever since she had come to be leader, and it didn't seem as if it would stop any time soon.

"I'm sorry, Nazir. I just need a break from my contracts...please understand." Ava pleaded with the grumpy Redguard.

"Fine, then!" Nazir huffed. "But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." He looked to Vottur.

"As I said, I will obey the Listener." Vottur repeated, emotionless.

"Good luck, then. You'll need it." Nazir remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ava sat on the edge of her large bed, thinking about the twisted turn of events that had taken place. Cicero was finally out of the Sanctuary for a while, and that gave her some time to finally think. Cicero was her dear friend, but the poor fellow just hadn't left her alone for a second since her run-in with Myles. Ava could tell that the jester was terrified that she'd run off to Cyrodiil permanently, and he'd be once again without a Listener.

It wasn't that she wanted to run away - - she didn't know what she wanted anymore. If Myles was being truthful - - and he seemed to have no reason to lie - - part of her family was still alive. She could never bring her parents back, but it brought her great hope that Sidra and her family were still around. Truthfully, Ava began to think that if she knew they were alive, she'd probably have never traveled to Skyrim in the first place.

Her emotions seemed to be all over the place after her trip with Cicero. First she felt happy knowing that her family was alive, and then she felt great despair in knowing what she had become. Would they even accept her back? How could she leave the Dark Brotherhood, anyway? She was the Listener after all, and if what Cicero had told her was true, she was probably crazy on top of it. It most likely took a lunatic to know a lunatic, after all. There had even been times when she wished she'd never run into Myles, for the sheer fact that it seemed she was too damaged to return.

Then her mind trailed to a darker train of thought - - she didn't have to tell her old family about the Dark Brotherhood. Maybe she could go visit for a while, and pretend she was fine - - they were in Cyrodiil, so how would they know the difference? Then the guilt would creep in again, because she felt wrong in leaving her dark family. The more she thought, the more confused she became. It seemed like there was no winning, as she would fall short either way she went.

One thing Ava was certain of was her need for answers. She wondered how the lives of her loved ones had progressed once she was gone. More importantly, however, she wanted to know why these traitors murdered her family in the first place. Myles was supposedly there through it all, so he'd probably know the answers. She knew finding the answers wouldn't change what happened. She also knew that she'd missed her old life so desperately, and for so long that it didn't matter. All she ever wanted was to regain what she lost so tragically over a decade ago, and this was possibly her chance to do that in some way. She knew she had a responsibility to the Brotherhood, but the force of her life in Cyrodiil was pulling her back in, like a moth to a flame.

Ava stood up, grabbing some supplies and thrusting them into her knapsack. She shut the door, walking briskly toward the front of the Sanctuary.

"Ava, where are you going in such a hurry?" Babette questioned Ava, causing her to pause for a moment.

"I-I need to get out for a bit...I'm going to make a trip to Whiterun. I just need some time to myself, that's all..." Ava explained - - not going into the exact details of why she needed to go to that particular city.

"I don't blame you, actually. It's quite surprising that you didn't leave sooner, since Cicero's been at your heels constantly." Babette shook her head.

"I'll be back in a few days. If Cicero gets back before I do, please don't tell him I'm in Whiterun." Ava said, with a desperate look on her face. She didn't want to hurt the jester, but she knew he'd be popping up to follow her around if he knew her whereabouts. She did feel a bit guilty for hiding things from him, but she needed to work some things out - - serious things that he just wouldn't understand.

"Don't worry, Ava. Your secret's safe with me. I know as well as you do that the poor fool will come after you if he knows where you are." Babette agreed, much to Ava's relief. "What did you two do in Solitude, anyway? He has been awfully clingy." Babette gave her a sly look.

"Not that!" Ava gasped, appearing mortified.

"Tell me, Vampire, how does it TASTE when you BITE their necks? Is it sweet like WINE, perhaps? Or is it more a sort of FOOD...like a rabbits haunch...or maybe HORKER LOAF, hmmm?" Cicero sat tapping his fingers, waiting for a reply.

"Like blood..." The ominous Nord sat staring into the campfire, unblinking.

"Oh, the Nord is no FUN!" Cicero pouted. This big Vampire wouldn't laugh at poor Cicero's jokes. Why, he would barely speak to poor Cicero! "Cicero is CERTAINLY glad Vottur fed on his TARGET tonight...Heh...Cicero isn't willing to become DINNER for you..." The jester nervously clutched at his neck.

Cicero looked the Vampire up and down. Oh, he was a quiet one - - more so than the soft-spoken Listener, even! At least she would talk with poor Cicero. How he missed her already, but she wanted him away so he could not refuse! Now he was stuck with this unyielding silence, and Cicero hated silence.

"Why does the Vampire not SPEAK?!" Cicero barked, becoming frustrated.

Vottur glared at the jester, his lips moving slowly. "Because I have nothing to say."

Cicero began to feel his temper flare up. If the Vampire wouldn't move his lips and say words on his own, then Cicero would make him! The jester smiled deviously at Vottur, "Cicero hears that you have a WIFE! Hmmmm..." Cicero rubbed his chin, exaggeratively. "But he has never SEEN nor HEARD this woman. Could it be that the wife LEFT, perhaps? Maybe the woman was BORED because the big, STUPID Vampire never SPEAKS! Hehe!" He laughed heinously, trying his best to provoke the Nord.

Before Cicero knew what hit him, he'd been jerked up by the collar of his motley with a hulking Vampire in his face! "Fool! Don't speak of things you know nothing about!" He hissed at the jester, who grinned foolishly.

Oh, how humorous it was for foolish Cicero to watch Vottur's pasty skin grow red with anger! Seeing the boring Nord get angry tempted Cicero to provoke him further. "NOW the Vampire SPEAKS!" The jester spat. "Tell Cicero...is she PRETTY? Hm? Does she have BIG - - " The fool cupped his gloved hands in front of his chest suggestively.

In an instant, the Nord reared back and punched the jester in the face with tremendous force, knocking him on his rear. "YOU FOOL! SHE'S DEAD!" The Vampire yelled viciously, pulling the jester off the ground, and shaking him violently. "IF I HEAR YOU SAY ANOTHER WORD ABOUT HER, YOU'LL BE NEXT!" He growled, shoving Cicero away.

Cicero stumbled back from the Vampire, nearly falling again. He regained his footing, and hobbled over to his seat by the fire once more, rubbing his throbbing face. He sat quietly, glaring at Votture, who now sat silently watching the fire once more.

Babette stood over her alchemy table grinding away at her ingredients, when she heard some footsteps heading her way from entrance of the Sanctuary. She turned around to see Vottur come into view.

"Welcome back...did you have a good trip?" Babette asked the stone-faced Nord.

"No." He answered bluntly, walking past her.

"Where's Cicero?" Babette inquired. Surely the jester hadn't gotten on his nerves so badly he'd murdered him.

"Cicero is here..." Babette saw the Keeper limp in with a badly-bruised eye.

"What in Sithis' name happened to you?" Babette asked the wounded jester.

"The big STUPID Vampire is what happened to Cicero...He HIT poor innocent Cicero! KNOCKED him to the GROUND, he did! The fall hurt poor Cicero's leg too!" The jester whimpered, pointing to the injured limb.

Babette gave Cicero a suspicious look, "What did you do to him?" Babette knew the fool better than he realized. Cicero was anything but innocent.

"Cicero was only trying to strike up a conversation with that BORING Nord! How was he supposed to know the Vampire's wife was ROTTING in the ground?!" Cicero huffed.

"His wife is dead? Well, that explains a lot...I'd wondered about why he never spoke of her..." Babette replied. "Either way, you probably deserved it. I know how you like to provoke others. "

Cicero made a pouting face at Babette, "What? Is the UN-CHILD going to be MEAN to Cicero as well? Give him a potion to make him SQUAT his backside over a BUCKET all night?"

Babette rolled her eyes. "No, Cicero...Unless you do something stupid again. Here, this might help." She grabbed a healing potion off of her table, handing it to the jester. "I'm low on ingredients, so it's not very potent. It should help with the pain, though."

"Ah, Cicero THANKS you!" The jester grinned. Babette noticed that he paused for a moment, as if something had just occured to him. "Where's Listener?" His eyes narrowed.

"She's not here." Babette replied, trying to sound casual and disinterested.

The jester's brow furrowed, "What does Un-child mean 'NOT HERE'?!"

"Exactly what I said. She took a trip to Winterhold yesterday. She said she'd only be gone a few days." Babette tried to lead the jester astray. He may have been clever, but Babette had three-hundred years of lying under her tiny belt. She'd grown quite good at it.

"Winterhold? What's Listener doing in WINTERHOLD?! Did Listener take a contract WITHOUT poor Cicero?" The jester asked, with a desperate look on his face.

"No, she didn't go on a contract without you. She said she just needed to get out for a bit. She wanted some time to be ALONE." Babette emphasized, hoping the jester would take a hint and quit bothering Ava.

"NO! SHE CAN'T LEAVE CICERO!" The jester burst out in a fit of panic. "CICERO'S GOING TO WINTERHOLD!"

"Ugh! Fine, but she'll probably be back here when you get there. It's a complete waste of time, if you ask me. Haven't you been smothering her enough lately? The poor thing can barely breathe without you in her face." Babette attempted once more to discourage the jester. He was quite the persistent one.

"Cicero doesn't CARE...He's going to Winterhold!" The jester turned back around, marching out of the Sanctuary. Babette shook her head, thinking of how pathetically obsessed he was with Ava. At least he was headed in the wrong direction, so she figured she'd accomplished her task.

The black door shut tightly behind the jester, as he limped a few steps forward. "Hehehehe..." He laughed darkly. Oh, how foolish it was - - the Un-child's attempts to lie to clever Cicero!

The Listener must have put her up to it, thinking stupid Cicero would forget where that idiotic man would be. Why, he was right there when the scoundrel said it! Whiterun was the place, and Cicero would make sure to be there to stop his Listener from leaving! Listener could never leave the Brotherhood - - all Cicero's hard work and pain would be for nothing! His years of the brutal silence and desperate searching would go up in flames!

He couldn't let that moron with his honied words persuade her to run away! The Listener was precious - - without her the Night Mother would never commune with her dark family. Without her Cicero would lose his dearest companion...

"HORSE! Where are YOU?! Cicero needs a RIDE..." The jester looked about scratching his head. Why, she'd taken the horse as well!

Cicero dug around in his satchel. He quickly glanced at his coin, seeing that he had enough. "Ah, Listener...You can run, but you can't HIDE..." He grinned, heading off to hitch a ride on a carriage.