Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! In addition to this chapter, I will try and get out a special one shot in the Helen Hendricks universe from the perspective of other characters once I finish this story. We are in the home stretch leading into Book Two!
Chapter 20: The Persistence of Memory
Behind every dancer there's someone who broke her, a song that moved her, a moment that inspired her and a dance floor that healed her - Hope Alcocer
The shopping trip with Sulpicia and Athenodora had been a long and exhausting feat. It consisted of schmoozing designers who attempted to pawn them as many dresses as they could. It had simply been an amusing game for the two women to exploit and poke fun at the people there trying to earn a living.
A few hours later, Helen had been given the greatest blessing in the world and was allowed to return to her room for the night and finally let herself melt down for the first time in two days. All of her sobs and pain just flowed right out of her and she flung herself on the very expensive comforter and buried her snot and runny mascara into the fabric. Like an innocent child, Helen thought that maybe she'd be home in St. Louis, that by some miracle she'd see her family again. Today had been the first Thanksgiving holiday she had missed, and Aro and Sulpicia made no secret that it wouldn't be her last.
The memories of years before hit her like pile of bricks. Her father would take them hunting on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the weather and they'd try to find a turkey or at least a pheasant. Some years they would visit their cousins on the farm, the Hendricks-Branch family. Every so often, Richard's esteemed father, Senator Bill Hendricks, would swallow his pride and allow the kids to come over on Thanksgiving and they'd endure an awkward family dinner that would end in a fight.
When Helen was in the third grade Kathleen had even come for the holiday, during one of her spontaneous guilt episodes.
Right now, she would endure one of those if it meant she got to see her family again.
'God I hate this place! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! I hate Aro for keeping me here and making me miserable! I hate that my life is over! Most of all I hate that for the strangest reason no matter how much I want to believe it, I cannot hate either of them! I should hate either of them so why don't I?!'
Helen wiped the tears, snot and drool off of her face. She quickly undressed and grabbed a god damn fancy pajama set and took a good long look at the beautiful prison she had been given.
'Toys, games, fancy things, fancy food and pretty clothes. I am living in a fucking dollhouse! Hell, I am a fucking doll! That's all I am to these people, a living doll!'
Helen ran into her closet and began searching for the old backpack she'd been allowed to take the night she'd left her family. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, but she hoped that there was something meaningful and sentimental in there. Anything, anything at all to remind her that her life wasn't always this way. All she found was some of her favorite jeans, journal, books. Suddenly, she opened the second pocket and found a ratty, worn and desperately in need of wash stuffed elephant with a worn suit jacket and monocle. Mr. Peanut, her favorite stuffed animal that her Mom had given her a very long time ago, one of the few good things Kathleen did. God, she didn't even realize she brought him. The night she was taken there was so little time to pack she didn't pay much attention to what she grabbed.
Helen then realized that Richard must've packed him, in case she needed him even when she didn't realize it. She buried Mr. Peanut against her face and the familiar smell of home brought her to even more tears. Suddenly, she felt a stiff item in the jacket an found a blue envelop buried inside, addressed Flapjack.
Dear god, Helen didn't even know if she had the strength to read this. What if it was some other trick set up by Aro? What if Richard told her some horrible secret?
'Oh screw what ifs!'
Helen tore into the envelope and found an random birthday card with a silly cat wearing a hat. She knew it was an extra card her Dad must've had over the years and nervously opened the card. The words were scribbled, almost illegible and the opening word had been changed a few times.
Nellie bear,
I never even thought in a million years I would have to write this, that I would have to say goodbye. I wish I had more time to say all the things I should say to you. I am terrified of what this man, if that is what he is, will do. I don't know why this is happening and I promise I will never stop trying to find you, wherever Aro takes you. I know that I will forget everything in few hours, but I need you to know that you are so brave to do this. You are strong, you always have been. I hope what is in here will help you escape. I will do everything to protect you, I am not scared of this man, he has no right to do this to you. I love you and I am so proud of the young woman you are.
I hope Mr. Peanut will make things easier.
Dada bear
Helen started to sob even more. This was more powerful than any email or Facebook post that had occurred since she'd left. When she was three, that had been the names they'd called each other and she'd made him stop when she was twelve because she thought they were dorky.
Enclosed was a two thousand dollar check and a few hundred dollars that her Dad must've taken from the emergency safe. He was helping her even when he couldn't be here.
But she couldn't leave, no matter how much money she had access to. Aro would kill them all and remind her that it was all her doing for the rest of her life. He would find her and he would make her suffer until she begged him for forgiveness.
Helen shoved the check, card and her backpack into a deep corner of her closet and took Mr. Peanut towards the absurdly comfy bed, her day once again wearing her beyond belief.
'I hope you both find him ugly, unsettling and realize that he's the only genuine thing in this entire place.'
Eventually, sleep relieved her from the world.
When Helen woke up the next morning, her head was aching and her eyes were very puffy. It took her a moment to realize what had happened last night but once she did she felt like melting down all over again. Helen briefly checked the clock, 6:10 it read. Aro would be here to get her for her lesson at seven forty-five, but Helen didn't really feel like giving a shit about it today. She had already missed her first holiday with her family and was about to miss Christmas thanks to these people. Not to mention, Helen felt like she was about to start her period too.
She had missed it last month due to how much stress she had gone through, and her schedule was already kind of hectic due to her fluctuation in diet and exercise. She also felt like maybe she was getting a migraine, too.
Instead of getting up and getting ready, Helen felt a new batch of tears coming and decided that today was a sad and sleep in day. Helen wrapped her arms around Mr. Peanut and let sleep take her away again.
A cold hand lightly squeezed her shoulder before pulling away the comforter and making the hairs on her body all stand up due to the cold air. Helen refused to open her even puffier eyes and simply curled into a tighter ball with her stuffed elephant.
"Come now, my dear." Aro said gleefully while pulling her curtains open a little, trying to coax some light in to wake her up. "We have a lesson planned and I have a surprise I want you to see."
"Go away." Helen snapped, pulling a pillow over her head. "I'm not the mood."
"Didn't sleep well, hmm?" Aro replied dryly and Helen could just picture him pursing his lips and clasping his hands behind his back like the magnificent creature he thought and knew he was. "Shame. I hoped you would be in a better mood from yesterday, I so hate our little spats."
"No, I'm upset and don't feel like dealing with this today." Helen spat back, voice like ice. Upon that sentence, Aro ripped both of her pillows away and emitted an unhuman hiss. Helen could tell he was scowling, but her own anger was blinding her reason.
"What on earth got into you? I expected this kind of behavior several weeks ago." Aro's voice was tiptoeing the line between usual serenity and blossoming anger, but all it did was give Helen a really stupid idea.
"Just go the fuck away!" Helen shouted, a fresh batch of tears brewing from her eyes. A bitter seed of regret just formed inside her belly and reminded her just how dangerous her actions were. Suddenly, cold fingers grabbed her shoulder and flipped her onto her back. Helen finally opened her eyes and saw Aro standing over her with furious black eyes and a snarl.
"You will not swear at me, do you understand?" Helen added a weak "yes sir" as the same tone that killed Adrianna entered the room; but once Aro noticed her red and wet eyes, he softened a bit, but was still quite menacing.
"Now you will tell me what is wrong." He stated curtly, his eyes watching for her reaction.
"Nothing, I'm just upset." Helen rubbed her eye and pulled her sheets back over her. Aro scoffed and sat down beside her, not buying her usual defensive answers.
"Well I can see that." He snorted, "however, as I have only been in the room for ninety-three seconds, I do not believe that to be sufficient time for you to find something I do to be infuriating. Now, tell me my darling; I promise I won't bite." Aro added with a slight chuckle.
"You're not funny." Helen retorted, annoyed.
"Oh, I absolutely do not agree with that statement." He teased back, before returning to his feathery voice. "Now you will tell me, so I can make you feel better, hmm?"
"I don't want to talk about it, if I tell you, you will get angry." Helen buried her face into Mr. Peanut's ragged ear, she was starting to get sweaty from her nerves. "I don't feel like having a screaming match this early."
"Well, in my defense, you have already screamed at me so we are well past that." Aro replied coyly, probably not getting over how wonderful he thought he was, before clearing his throat. "How about this? I promise not to get angry at you, as long as you don't get angry at me, princess."
Helen hated the way he called her that, how he acted like they had been together for years and she was his little Daddy's girl, but she bit her tongue and nodded.
"Yesterday was Thanksgiving." Helen gulped. "It's an American holiday."
"Oh," Aro mused a bit, "isn't that where you join with your family and gorge yourself on copious amounts of food? Sounds lovely, I believe we have done something similar in times of celebration."
Helen didn't want to picture what a Volturi Thanksgiving would entail and put that thought away.
"It's about giving thanks for what you have and it involves tradition." Helen gulped, "family tradition." She watched Aro smile and his posture get a little stiffer, he knew where she was going with this and it infuriated him.
"I see, and that made you homesick?" A knife could cut the tension in this room, but Aro exhaled and smiled almost sincerely. "Well, what kind of traditions did you partake in? I might be able to remedy them."
"Richard would sometimes take us hunting, or we would go to our cousins' farm." Helen chose her words carefully, knowing she was walking on eggshells at this point.
"I didn't realize how much you liked to shoot, perhaps I should take you out hunting with me." He laughed humorlessly and Helen knew that he would not be hunting turkeys with her, fear entering her core as she gulped again.
"I'm a pretty decent shot, but I didn't realize how much I would miss it. I didn't know you liked guns," She was watching his reaction now, and he was smiling like a cat circling a mouse.
"Not particularly, I find them loud and unsettling." Aro tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, "Although when I found and copied some of your legal documents I did find a gun license in your name."
"It's a twenty-two rifle, he got it for my eleventh birthday. Richard did the same with Wesley and his father and grandfather did the same before him." Helen could feel the anger brewing between them.
"Such a little boy you were raised as." Aro smiled condescendingly, before composing himself. "Although I am sorry that you were homesick, I know that this may upset me but I encourage you to talk to me about it. I'll help you forget it."
"I'm a stupid kid for thinking I'd see them again." Helen stated while wiping away fresh tears, God she wanted to stop crying for once while she was here. Aro did not confirm or deny her words, but she could tell that he agreed with her.
"What can I do to make you feel better?" He asked while laying down next to her, having slid out of his suit jacket. His dark hair had spilled onto her bed like ink and instead of messing up he just ended up looking like he was modeling for an HERMÈS ad.
'One of the worst things about you is the fact that you think you are God's gift to man.'
"I don't know." Helen said dryly, "but you are going to wrinkle your clothes."
"I think I'll find a way to move on." He laughed gingerly, his eyes scanning her face as though he was counting the amount of freckles she had, an amusing game to him. "What if we did something? I can start a tradition for the family, we could do a holiday before the year is up."
"Do you even care?" Helen asked boldly, good and upset now. "I'm not interested in whatever thing you have planned to try and win me over at the expense of manipulating my emotions."
"You make me sound like such a villain." Aro roared with laughter, he had taken three of her pillows and propped himself up so that he was lounging and sitting up straight. "Perhaps my actions do seem villainous to you, a benevolent dictator who stole away something precious and kept it sheltered from the evils of the world, at the expense of your American notion of liberty."
'More like a demon who dragged me to hell.'
"You are quite possibly the most melodramatic person I have ever met, you act like we are in a Shakespearean drama twenty-four-seven." Helen said bitterly, all he was doing was getting her riled up.
"I will do it for you, although." Aro said sweetly, "I can bring a Christmas celebration to our estate. Volterra does participate in Christmas festivities, while we have not before, I think it would be an exciting affair. Sadly, it will have to be something much smaller compared to our grand events, I couldn't bring our dear ones to Volterra twice in December."
"Knowing you and Mommy dear, small events probably mean a ferris wheel." Helen giggled, laughing making her feel a little better.
"That's the wheel that people ride around, yes?" Aro asked with a child-like innocence.
"You've never been to an amusement park?" Helen replied with disbelief, genuinely surprised. "A man as well traveled as you?"
"I prefer to make my own amusement, but I do see the appeal." He admitted like a true snob would, still, Helen decided to give him an inch. "Maybe I'll show you one, someday."
Aro grinned like a child who just got the last cookie in the jar. "That sounds wonderful."
He finally made notice of the ratty elephant in Helen's arms and pursed his lips together in obvious disapproval, this only made Helen hold onto Mr. Peanut tighter. He would not take this away, too.
"That thing is quite unappealing, I'll have a new one sent for you." He reached for the elephant and Helen shirked it back, protectively.
"No." She bit back, "he's my emergency elephant."
"Your emergency elephant?" Aro asked dubiously.
"Yes, and he stays." She said firmly, not budging. Helen had already given up so much for him and it set her teeth on edge. Aro paused for a second, but ultimately nodded.
"Very well, but at least let me have him cleaned. One of those ears is a breath away from falling off." He scrunched his nose up, clearly unhappy with not being able to mold Helen into the direction he wanted.
"Nope, he is perfect the way he is."
"I don't recall seeing the animal before, where on earth did you get it?" The question made her heart dance and Aro knew it, he seemed pleased that he found out something secretive without having to search her mind, a devilish look was on his face.
"I forgot I packed him." Even she could tell how stupid that sounded, and he scoffed at her. "Forgot you packed such an obvious dear thing? Oh, I really must teach you how to lie."
"I found him." She said angrily, "alright?"
"Alright, I did not come here to fight with you. I only ask that every once and awhile you play along with me." He confessed bemusedly, "I was hoping we could do a lesson today, but I can see that you're all in a tizzy and I want you to have a good day."
"Well, thank you, I guess." She admitted. Helen turned her head to look out the window and nearly did a double take when she saw the blanket of white that had covered the cobbled streets and shale rooftops of Volterra. She sprung out of bed and pressed her fingertips against the cold window, drinking in the sight of beautiful winter that always made her so happy.
"It's snowing!" She exclaimed happily, grinning from ear to ear.
"Very observant, little one." Aro chuckled, "does this please you?" Helen rolled her eyes and opened the double balcony doors, a sharp cold wind stabbing into her skin and the snow on the ground making her bare feet numb. She stepped forward and inhaled the fresh smell of winter that always pleased her about this time of year.
"You are going to catch your death out there." He spoke with an annoyed concern, "at least grab a coat and shoes, you may require your toes some day."
"Oh I'm fine!" She grumbled, "it just feels like I'm constantly hugging you."
Aro burst into a fit of laughter that even Helen had to join into.
About a week and a half later, Helen was summoned one day by Sulpicia and Athenodora into the Wives' Room and found the place littered with magazines and servants who were helping the Volturi wives decorate the room with different types of holly and ivy. A large, vibrant poinsettia was placed on the center coffee table and a batch of large and cavity inducing Christmas sugar cookies were placed on a beautiful white plate next to a large glass of milk. Helen gasped at the audacity and decor that the feminine little room had undertaken.
"No, don't touch that! Why are you touching that?!" Sulpicia hissed at one of the maids, who looked like she was about to meet her maker. She quickly beamed once she saw her daughter and the maid looked like she had breathed for the first time in a decade.
"Helen, my love!" Sulpicia sang, "I'm so happy that you finished your lesson today. Dora and I have been beside ourselves with how to decorate for the holiday and wanted your opinion. Have a cookie!"
"Must she eat in front of us?" Athenodora snorted, clearly unamused by the entire appearance of the room.
"Funny, I could say the same about you." Helen dared bravely, earning a growl from Vampire Queen No. 2.
"Now, now." Sulpicia raised a hand, much like her own husband would. "Children, let us behave. This is a holiday season for all of us and I am thrilled that we have a new celebration that Helen has brought us."
"You all never thought about trying Christmas before?" Helen asked while biting into a cookie very slowly, for dramatic effect, as it pissed Athenodora off greatly.
"Oh, Christmas has changed exponentially since its creation. None of us have ever bothered with celebration, as it would always change, not to mention that many of us are not practicing Christians." Sulpicia explained happily.
"Christmas was a holiday of debauchery and pagan nonsense and has only slightly decreased in the fact." Athenodora spat, clearly just as irritated as Caius would be.
"What happened to you in your human life, Athenodora?" Helen chirped in while taking a sip of the milk that in fact turned out to be eggnog and nearly made her puke. "You seem jaded enough."
Athenodora looked a little flattered, but scoffed and refused. "Wouldn't you like to know, little human?"
"Oh don't be a fuss, Dora." Sulpicia pouted, "she's a curious thing, indulge her."
"Very well." She smiled fakely, "it'll be my gift to you, dear child. I, like Aro, Caius and Marcus, lived my youth in Ancient Greece. My family wasn't wealthy, but we were also not particularly poor. I was one of eight children and I was assuredly the most beautiful."
'Wow, humble aren't you, Dora dear?'
"My mother taught me at a very young age that my beauty would be the only thing that would take me anywhere in my life. I was very fond of the theatre and had I been born a millennia later, I would have been able to act on stage. Instead, I took to a profession that assured that I lived in luxury and companionship for my days. I was a member of the Hetaira."
"The what?" Helen asked, clearing her throat.
"A courtesan, or in modern tongue, an escort. I was an educated companion for many wealthy men, except unlike Sulpicia I was not married off to a pig. No, I had many long-term relationships with luxurious fools. I believed all men were fools, most of them are, until I met the one who bested me at my own game. I don't remember his name, but he was a wealthy and beautiful man with the most striking pair of red eyes I had ever seen. He played me as well as I played him, except our game ended with him nearly draining me dry and taking my wealth."
Athenodora grinned like a cat. "I was pleased, I had never been bested before. I had been an ornament for men. I had been an inferior, physically, to the human swine, but I had always been clever. However, I had been made into a fool that time around by falling in love with someone who saw me as an ornament all the same. My pleasure turned into hatred when I awoke from the change, and when I found him again he had offered for us to be lovers, but instead I tore his head off and made a beautiful bonfire."
"Damn, girl." Helen said in pure shock. Jeez, everyone here had such a horrifying backstory. "When did you meet Caius?"
"About a century or two later. He and Aro had already been traveling together, and he was heading to Macedonia when they were looking for a place to settle their coven. Ours paths crossed and he was taken by my bloodlust and cleverness and we spent the next few weeks hunting and making love before returning to Aro."
Helen nearly choked on a cookie at that last part and could've sworn that's why Athenodora added that sentence.
"If I do recall, Sia dear, that was also how you spent the duration of your newborn years, hunting and making love." Athenodora quipped and Sulpicia giggled in delight. "You are an awful creature, Dora dear."
Helen had never felt so red faced in her entire life. Why? It wasn't as if she didn't assume they had sex.
"I'm afraid we're scaring Helen." Sulpicia smiled coyly at her, amused. "I hope you don't think us crude, but we are proper wives to our husbands, darling Helen."
"Do you have a beautiful and expensive antique vase I can throw up in?" Helen retorted, "it's not you, I just think of parents the old fashioned way, separate bedrooms. I thought monarchies did that, the separate bed thing."
"Well, we would hate to be predictable." Sulpicia teased, although Helen could tell she was very pleased at her referring to her and Aro as parents.
"Although, your esteemed father has never cared for my presence in this coven." Athenodora laughed a dry, humorless laugh.
"That is absolutely not true, Athenodora." Sulpicia assured with a slight scowl. "Aro adores every member of this family, including you."
"Oh, if only you could lie as well as your darling husband, Sia dear." Athenodora smiled wickedly at Helen, "you see, my dear. Aro does not care for me in the fact that Caius did not create me. Many vampires who are mates are due to them being desired in their human lives. The bond between sire and creator is unparalleled, it is an intimate, unbreakable bond. You should also be aware that many old vampires, like Aro for example, have found away to use the sire bond to control their creation."
Helen could feel her heart racing. Is that why she had only received one visit from Chelsea? Just something to tide her over until Aro could control her will and break her down?
"Dora, enough." Sulpicia said with her queen-like voice. "You are upsetting her based on speculation."
"Am I?" Athenodora scowled back at her. "You only sound assured because you have never given him a reason to think you would ever betray his authority, Sia, can the child say the same?"
Helen gulped.
"I thought as much." Athenodora giggled malevolently. "I'm surprised you did not tell her yourself, Sia. You prop her up with sweets and comfort, but you don't seemed concerned that he might strip her mind away and mold her in his image."
She was shaking, she could barely breathe.
"If you do not stop this instant, I will test your theory that he doesn't care for you at all." Sulpicia hissed, her voice was menacing and dangerous. "Helen, do not let her bully you. I can assure you that this is false, I would never let him do that to you."
"But he could?" Helen asked bravely.
"He wouldn't, we've already discussed it." She repeated.
"But he could if I disobeyed him?" Helen asked again, even more scared.
"Yes." Sulpicia admitted reluctantly, "but we have moved past all this unpleasantness and I can assure you that the subject has been dropped." Helen couldn't feel her face anymore she was so shocked, she didn't even know what to say, so she reluctantly bit her tongue. However, she had one final question.
"Has he ever done it to you?" She said with a stern look, "has he ever tried to control you, the person he loves and trusts most? Tell me the truth."
"He has," Sulpicia said through gritted teeth, seething. "It was during my early years when I was grieving Cass, before Chelsea and Corin joined. I was catatonic some days, my grief nearly consumed me. Your father would have me take walks with him and tell me how I was feeling so that he could change it, he only did this to make sure I recovered. He has never changed how I felt about him or what made me who I was."
"Change the subject." Helen curled her hands in fists, "I will not let her see me cry. You will not make me squirm, Athenodora."
"Shame." She laughed lightly, "Aro said you were more fun than this."
'Fuck you, bitch! Go to fucking hell where you belong!'
"Enough, so help me, Athenodora." Sulpicia warned one last time, "your husband is going to be quite cross with you for upsetting Aro. Now, let's stop the nastiness and focus on what we are planning for the events. Based on some research I have done, I think we should do a gift ceremony for the guard and then an intimate family gathering. Helen, is it true that some families celebrate on Christmas Eve instead?"
"Yes, one of my best friends does dinner on the twenty-fourth and presents on the next day, but I always did it on the twenty-fifth." She explained, trying to control her anger and pain.
"I see, and what sort of traditions did you partake in?" Sulpicia smiled serenly.
"Yes, do share what you and your little human family did, so that we might recreate these meaningless events and bore ourselves in order to feed your childish needs." Athenodora said with the most beautiful demeaning voice in the world.
"Wow." Helen replied in fake wonder, daggers shooting out of her eyes, "I had dibs on being the bitch today, Dora."
"Helen, please." Sulpicia implored, irritated. "I think we have all had enough."
"Oh, let me play with her just a little, it's been a good while since you've had a little child to entertain us with." Dora baited her again. Sulpicia stood up and menacingly towered over the auburn haired woman, who looked at her shoes in response.
"Shut up and participate productively, or leave." Sulpicia's gorgeous face was distorted with anger and her eyes were pitch black. "I care for you deeply, Dora, you know that. I will not tolerate this from you, she is mine and you will not bully her away from me. Are we in agreement?"
"Of course, forgive me, Sia." Athenodora said to the floor, somewhat put off.
"Lovely," Sulpicia breathed and regained her beautiful maternal calmness. "Helen, what traditions did you partake in again?" Helen felt her color come back to her cheeks and her lungs begin working again.
"Well, um, we would do one present on Christmas Eve; it's pajamas to wear the next day while we open gifts." Helen felt nostalgia come back to her, those pajamas were always tacky and goofy patterns in matching sets.
"That sounds nice," Sulpicia beamed, "perhaps we could do something similar, although as we don't sleep I hope you won't mind the pajamas being for comfort."
"Vampires don't sleep?" Helen hadn't heard that before and the thought seriously disturbed her. How would you occupy your time? No wonder life was so boring for Aro and Sulpicia.
"Oh yes, I thought you knew." Sulpicia admitted honestly, "we do not sleep but we do enjoy relaxation and while our minds and bodies are very sharp, we can feel emotionally tired."
"Interesting." Helen inhaled another cookie, gosh these were good, there was some kind of spice that she liked. Cinnamon or nutmeg, maybe a little ginger. She'd be sure to ask. Since as it seemed she was going to be a vampire and there wasn't anything stopping her, Helen was going to enjoy human food while she could.
"Alec has been taken off of probation you know, and if you'd like I have talked Aro into letting you have chaperoned meetings." Sulpicia's comment got her attention again. It would be nice to see Alec, he was the only one that made her experience seem bearable. She just didn't want to get him in trouble again, not to mention that Jane probably wanted her head.
"Yeah, yeah that would be good." She admitted meakly.
"Wonderful, I'll arrange it for you."
Sulpicia had the meeting set up for that evening before his patrol and the guards Santiago and another guard, Afton, were stationed in Helen's sitting room. The entire situation was hilarious to her, like they were secret service agents.
"I feel like I should offer you refreshments, or are you sure you don't wanna sit down and hang?" Helen insisted as she lounged on her couch, both of them positioned at her door.
"Lady Helen we are your humble guards, not guests." Afton stated respectfully.
"Okay, seriously drop that, too. It's too Downton Abbey for me, I insist you call me Helen." She explained while drinking her evening coffee, suddenly she worried if she shouldn't drink it so she wouldn't have coffee breath.
A sharp knock tapped on her door and Santiago answered and gave Alec a curt nod before closing the door behind him. Alec was just as smoldering as she remembered, his hair tousled just right and beautiful square jawline that was carved from marble. His eyes lit up a little and he had his usual cute grin.
'Oh my god, I look like a potato compared to everyone here.'
"Good evening, my lady." Alec smiled and she melted.
"Not you, too," Helen whined, she hated the formalities in this place. "Okay, new rule, this is an executive order from me. No one adds 'Lady' to my name or in general, period. Now, I actually don't know if I have the authority for executive orders, so we're all going to table that. However, for now, there is an executive order, cool?"
"As you wish." Alec chuckled, "sorry I watched The Princess Bride like you recommended and I couldn't resist."
"You're just as awful as I remembered, I don't know why I thought this was a good idea." Helen teased, tongue sticking out. Alec chuckled back, his laugh was absolutely addicting, "careful or you'll catch flies."
"Do you want to sit down?" Helen offered.
"Alright," he shrugged and sat in the adjacent chairs, studying her with a cat-like look. "You're awfully nervous around me, I hope I didn't accidentally hurt you when we...that night." He picked a spot on the carpet and stared.
"No, I'm sorry if I got you in trouble, I wasn't thinking." Helen replied sincerely, "it wasn't your fault."
"Neither was it yours." He assured, "I apologize if my sister has been harsh, she may seem awfully protective and likes to look for a scapegoat. I just wanted you to know that I didn't intend to develop feelings, and I understand if you don't posses them in return."
"I was about to say the same, this whole thing just got so fucked up." Helen admitted, "I missed you, you almost made this place feel normal."
Alec smiled like the Calvin Klein model he could pass for, "I missed you too."
"Are we even allowed to see each other? I mean, without the Men in Black duo. No offense, guys, just setting some boundaries." Helen could've sworn that Santiago's lip almost twitched into a smile.
"I'd like that if we can manage, I heard you managed to bring Christmas to Volterra for the season." Alec teased at her. "I haven't had a Christmas feast since the end of my human days in England."
"Oh, so you're a true brit, do you remember where you were from?" Helen asked, taking another sip of coffee.
"I never told you my story did I?" Alec tapped his fingers against the armrest a little shyly. "I do not remember the name, but it was a little Hamlin town in the dark ages. My father had died during the crusades along with my elder brother, and my mother had always worried about Jane and I. We were sensitive to our talents, even as humans, and the villagers despised us. We were accused of being witches and unholy creatures, responsible for the lack of harvest and livestock being lame. One day, everything came to a head when young men cornered my sister and nearly beat her within an inch of her life, until they all disappeared."
"What do you mean? What happened to them?"
"I do not know and neither does my sister, perhaps we'll never find out the extent. The oldest of the group was the priest's son and he condemned us to be burned at the stake. The smoke took away all of my senses and I wanted nothing more than to stop feeling the pain of the pyre as I burned, while Jane wanted others to feel the pain she had received all of her life leading into the stake."
"You're both bookends." Helen stated. "How did you survive?"
Alec's eyes grew in awe of the memory, "people from many lands had heard whispers of us. Gifted and dangerous twins on the cusp of potential, one who had taken an interest and knew that they would grow into powerful immortals."
"The big ol' puppetmaster himself." Helen snorted back.
"He encountered us as children, but the laws of the immortal children had already been passed and he waited until my sister and I had matured to the age of sixteen, the fateful day we nearly died. Master Aro slaughtered our entire village and took us away to Volterra for a new life."
"Did he kill your mother?"
"No, she had been murdered by the villagers in front of us." Alec's teeth were on edge, "it was 'the price she paid for loving wicked children', was their reasoning."
"I'm sorry." She admitted, not meaning to upset him.
"Thank you, I can tell you mean that." Alec smiled again, "I apologize but I have to start patrol in a few minutes."
"Of course." Helen stood up as he did and gulped when he walked towards her, "thanks for stopping by." Alec chuckled and put his hands on both of her forearms, goosebumps already shooting up her body.
"I'm glad I could see you again." He admitted happily, "I like you and if it's alright I'd like to kiss you again." Helen could feel her cheeks flush and felt his lips press against hers in a familiar action. This time, the kiss was deeper and more meaningful. It was different, the feeling of her soft body against the hard and cold stone that made up a vampire's physiology. She felt his tongue press against her lips, but pulled away, and Helen knew that the only reason she pulled away was because Alec let her.
"Thank you." Helen blurted out without thinking and quickly felt the urge to crawl under a rock.
"Did you just thank me for kissing you?" He snickered or was it a giggle? Did guys giggle? She couldn't tell anymore she was so mortified.
"Yes, I'm being polite, I'm nice like that." She admitted, trying to regain herself.
"Oh, yes." He captured his hand around the nape of her neck, his fingers were like damned silk. "You are very nice."
"You're gonna be late." She snorted, "big meanie weirdo."
"Maybe you aren't so nice, Helen, but I forgive you." He kissed her lips lightly again before heading to the door. "I'm glad you seem happier, I hope you don't change too much in your new life here, though."
His words haunted the room. Change? How had she changed? No, she was still the same Helen Hendricks she had been a month and a half ago, before she came here. She was still the same down-to-earth dancer, she was still the same. Yet, Helen found herself rushing to her bathroom mirror to take a good long look at herself.
Her hair was glossier and softer, a side effect of the fancy bath products she had been given. Her skin was clearer and healthier looking, probably due to the fact that Aro upped the protein in her diet. Her diet had also made her belly get a little softer and rounder and her boobs had gotten a little bigger, and she just now took notice of the slight tightness from her bra strap. Her muscle definition had decreased a little do to how little she had danced lately. Why hadn't she danced? What was wrong with her? For some reason, she felt a little taller, at most she had only grown a quarter of an inch. Helen angrily kicked her feet out of the expensive suede pumps on her feet and ripped her panty hose open at the sole and inspected her toes. Her blisters and bruises had all but healed and her toenails didn't seem as banged up and bloody from her pointe shoes.
Her shirt and skirt were incredibly expensive looking and she had begun wearing the Volturi crest unconsciously, she hadn't even realized she put it on. She angrily yanked it off and threw it on top of her jewelry box. Helen ran into her closet and began ransacking it looking for anything cheap or casual and found a pair of what were probably two hundred dollar boot cut yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt that she had packed away for pajamas. Helen ruffled her fingers through her shiny curls and got it as messy as possible, she washed her face of all the Sephora make up she had on and despite everything to make her look as homely and plain and normal as she could, it just made her look like a Neutrogena actress, albeit with messier hair.
'I have not changed, I will not let this place make me into something awful.'
Helen grabbed Mr. Peanut from her bed and began another internet search into her hometown. All she really wanted to do was call Syd and Aggs and tell them all about her first kiss and Alec; hell, she wished she could tell them everything.
'You guys would keep me grounded, you would make sure this place didn't break me.'
Helen closed her computer in a huff after not finding anything meaningful. Today had given her a lot to think about and she was very concerned with what was going to happen to her in just three short weeks. Aro was going to have the option to control her, and she would finally have to decide if she should resign herself to the temptations of the Volturi or stay true to her strong will and risk everyone. If she went back on her deal, it meant that Ruby's effort was all for nothing. If she stayed in Volterra, it meant that Aro was right about her all along and he would win everything. Yet, breaking her deal would mean winning, but staying offered her a life of comfort that she had never known.
Decisions, decisions.
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