Questions

Marcus came to her later that evening, looking as forlorn and withdrawn as the first day she'd met him.

"Hello sunshine", she said wistfully, "come to make my day even brighter with your welcoming and ever chatty self?"

"No", he replied, standing off to the side with an inhuman stillness. God, can't a vampire take a joke?

She looked about the room uncomfortably; slowly one minute turned into two, which turned into three, and still Marcus stood looking at her with his unchanging face, nothing less than a human statue.

"Well", she finally asked, if not a bit shrilly, "why are you here?"

Pause.

"Aro would like to see you".

It was the answer that she'd been afraid of; throughout the afternoon she'd been anticipating the time she'd need to confront him again. Though not knowing how many other vampires would be there, she doubted the other two paper-faced vampires would be without their guard.

"Why can't he come to me", she sniffed, "he doesn't seem incapable of making the trip". She eyed Marcus up as she spoke. "It would be much more efficient than sending you to do his bidding".

"Aro did not send me", was the reply. "I had assumed that of the others here, I would seem less…threatening to you. I apologize for my mistake, it will not happen again". He dipped his head in her direction, but not before she'd caught a look in his eyes that had never been there before. Adriane couldn't quite put a label on it, but if she'd had to guess she'd of marked it as frustration.

"No", she started to say before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. She hesitated, trying to phrase her words carefully, "I…appreciate the sentiment". She shifted her gaze to the floor, for it wasn't often that she was made to feel disrespectful and unappreciative, which is exactly what she was feeling at this moment.

"If there is a next time, I….wouldn't mind it if you came for me". Adriane could feel her face go slightly pink, and cursed herself for it. It's not like you're asking him on a date or anything, for Christ's sake he's a vampire that's bringing you to a bunch of other vampires who may or may not want to eat you!

He took a moment before answering, which Adriane was beginning to realize was his normal manner of speaking. "If that is what you wish".

Now it was her turn to pause. "It is", she said quietly.

He gave a small nod before straightening to his full height, which Adriane had only just realized was much taller than her own. She knew that she was tall for a woman, but Marcus all but towered over her. She judged his height to be about 6'6, 6'7, which was quite remarkable for someone who was probably born in the 16 to 1700's.

"If you won't get offended by me asking, exactly how old are you?"

Her question was met by silence. He regarded her for a minute. Apparently seeing something in her eyes, he decided to answer her. "I will soon be marking my three thousand, four hundredth and eighty-seventh year".

At this Marcus turned and began to exit the room, leaving the door open behind him as a symbol that she needed to follow. Adriane's brain had currently undergone a state of shock. She was unable to wrap her mind around the endless procession of years that Marcus must have seen.

3,487 years??? How could anyone live that long and not suffer a day of age? Though if she thought about it, Marcus did look somewhat older, for a vampire of course. The papery skin and cataract filled eyes must have been a sign of how old he was. Marcus, Caius, and Aro are the only ones who look like that, she thought, the others must all be much younger. She had been right in her assumption of which were the most powerful in the group; however they also appeared to be the weakest.

Pondering this, she rushed out of the room and ran headlong into Marcus, who had apparently decided to wait for her instead of going straight back to the others. It was like walking into a solid stone wall. A very big, human shaped wall. She bounced back from the collision with a sharp exhale of breath. "Sorry", she squeaked, daring to look up at him with her shocked eyes.

Not only was he incredibly hard, he was also ice cold. She assumed that's where the whole dead body thing came in, though it was still unnerving to actually witness. Marcus looked down at her with a blank face; however, she once again caught a flash of emotion in his eyes before it was gone again, lost in the emptiness of his thoughts.

"Yes", was all he said before turning around and walking away. Adriane noticed that he kept the same stride he'd used with her the night before, obviously remembering that her pitiful human legs could not keep up with his own.

"Okay", she said, "are you really as old as you say you are?"

Pause. "Yes".

"Hmm", she muttered. "You must have been around during some pretty amazing points in history then?"

"Yes".

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

She sighed. "Why are you so withdrawn?" she asked, "It's not like I…" She paused, unwilling to go on. She was about to say 'It's not like I have anyone else to talk to', though she didn't want to give any of them the satisfaction of seeing a weakness in her. Adriane followed Marcus in silence for the next couple of minutes, having retreated inside of her mind.

Even though she hadn't said it out loud, Marcus must have guessed what she had been getting at. "I" pause, "do not wish to be a…party favor?" He ventured.

Despite the sour mood she was in, Adriane had to laugh at his comment. She had the distinct impression that that was the first time he'd ever said those particular words before.

"No, I suppose you don't. I'm sorry". What was even more surprising to Adriane was that she actually meant it.

They walked in silence for a while. Marcus led her through the small sitting room they'd entered the previous night, and turned down the hallway that would lead them to the elevator.

"Perhaps" he said quietly, "you would tell me about yourself?"

She looked up at him in surprise, continuing to stare at his face long after the question had been asked.

"You…have hobbies, no?" Doubt seeped into the end of his words.

Adriane blinked and looked away. "Yes", she snapped, "of course I have hobbies". She swore loudly in her mind, annoyed at again looking like a fool in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she continued on in a more reasonable tone. "Umm, well I like to read. That's probably my most profound interest. I have a huge library at home that's filled with books, ranging from all different genres and ages." Her face brightened as she told him about her favorite authors and the books that they've written.

"Jane Austin is probably one of the best", she mused, "I didn't have much patience with Sense and Sensibility; the girls were all lacking a certain appeal that I had seen in her other works. But Pride and Prejudice is a classic. The first time I read the book, even before I'd found out how it ended, I'd all but fallen in love with Mr. Darcy. Despite his crude nature there was something about him that kind of drew you in. Do you know what I mean?"

She paused because she had the feeling that he could not, in fact, understand her infatuation with Mr. Darcy. A smile appeared on her face at the thought. No, most definitely not.

Her thoughts were confirmed with the quiet, "No", that followed. "Though I have read the book."

Adriane looked up at him again. "Really? You don't exactly strike me as the type to read Jane Austin".

Pause. "I have read many books. It is a way to…pass the time".

"Ahh", she replied, "well, on top of that I like to draw, listen to music, and play sports, although all of this is assuming I have any time on my hands. My mentor keeps me busy with my studies".

"Your" pause, "mentor?"

She proceeded to tell him about her parents, and how they had died, leaving her with her crotchety old tutor. Marcus would make a small exclamation every now and then, but he mostly just stared straight ahead and never did he offer any information about himself.

"…so that's how I grew up" she finished, having told him the barest details of her life.

"And your mentor, he did not come with you to Volterra?"

"No, though maybe if he had I wouldn't be in this trouble", she sighed.

"Perhaps", he said. He looked as if he were pondering her previous comment.

"It is also possible that you would be in the same position".

"Yes, overall I'm glad he's not here. I would hate it if something happened to him. At least this way he may think I've been kidnapped, not taken hostage by a group of vampires".

"He will miss you", he said. It was not a question.

By then they were walking through the lobby towards the door that led to the stone turret. Adriane shivered as she came to a stop before the entrance. She looked to her side at Marcus, who gave her a faint nod. Pushing aside the door, he made room for Adriane to step around him before following her inside.

"Ahh Adriane, we've been waiting."