With One Look

Chapter 9

Isabella's P.O.V.

It had been a few months since Carlisle arrival at the castle, and since my bout with Caius the last time I had hardly seen Carlisle at all. Aro kept him busy with their talks and I'm sure Caius was glad of that, but as for me I missed our little conversations even if they were short after our first time of speaking.

During the times I did see him after that first greeting we never spoke of our unfortunate turning again. Instead, we spoke of trivial things like the weather or what he and Aro talked about previously, mainly to get my take on their conversation. I was surprised to learn that Carlisle thought of going to the University to study to become a physician. I knew that he could control his thirst, but was he that good at controlling it? To be around humans that could possibly be bleeding out and to not want to drain them of what little was left in their very human bodies? I really didn't think anything would come of it even if he tried.

I was sitting in the garden reading once again after I finished my duties for the day when I heard the footsteps of someone approaching. I didn't look up to see who it was, for I thought that it might be Caius searching for me again. He had done this often since our visitor had arrived and after our little spat from my first interaction with Carlisle. I was surprised when I heard the soft voice of said vampire as he sat down next to me on the bench I was sitting on.

"Hello, Carlisle," I said, looking up at him with a soft smile.

"Hello, Isabella," he said with his own enchanting smile. "I wanted to come see you before I left," he said as my smile gave way to a frown.

"You're leaving?" I asked in a surprised voice. Carlisle chuckled with a nod.

"Yes, I think I've outstayed my welcome for now. Aro did asked me to stay, but I really want to try my hand at being a physician so I am applying at the University of London to see if I can do so. I don't know if I can do it, but at least I can say that I tried," he said with a smile.

"That's wonderful, Carlisle. I heartily wish for all your dreams to come true. I will also very much miss our little talks - and your company, of course," I said sadly.

He smiled and pulled me into a friendly hug and whispered, "I will miss our little conversations as well, Isabella. Take care of yourself and I'm sure we'll see each other again one day." Like a wisp of wind he was gone from my sight. I sat there saddened with the knowledge he was leaving, but I understood his desire to become a physician. I really did mean it when I wished his dreams would all come true, but I knew I would miss him very much.

After a few minutes I realized I didn't have the will to read any longer and closed my book and headed back to my room. When I entered I found Caius slipping on his cloak. He heard me enter the room and swung around with a broad smile on his face as he approached me and wrapped me in his arms.

"I'm glad you're back. You are needed in the throne room with the rest of the elite guard. We have a ruling to make on that vampire that exposed us to a human girl he fancied," he said, a little to happy for my taste with the fate of someone who would probably be executed.

"And this excites you, Caius?" I asked, appalled by his attitude. He looked at me and frowned until he realized what I was talking about.

"Oh...no. My happiness involves the fact that I will have you all to myself once again," he said as he smiled and kissed me passionately. I pulled away when I realized that he had heard that Carlisle was leaving and was happy about it. I turned away from him and went to the closet and retrieved my own cloak and slid it on. I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that he thought so little of my own feelings. Carlisle is my friend and it saddened me that he was leaving. I needed his comfort, not his jubilation. I started for the door to do what I was asked to do when I felt Caius's hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him and saw his smile had dissolved into sadness.

"I am sorry, my love. I know he is your friend. It was wrong of me to celebrate his leaving without taking your feelings into consideration. Please forgive me. I love you and never want to see you sad," he said pulling me into his chest and hugging me tightly. He kissed the top of my head. "You will see him again, I'm sure of it. Maybe he will even find a mate while he's out in the world," he continued. I looked up at him and smiled.

"That would be nice, I hope he does; at least he won't be alone in the world while he studies," I said. Caius smiled and pulled me to the door.

"We should go. My brothers are waiting for me, I'm sure," he said as we made our way to the throne room.

I felt better once Caius apologized, but I wasn't so sure he truly meant it. I knew he was jealous of my friendship with Carlisle and would be happy to see the backside of him, but I thought he should have some consideration for my own feelings. But he's gone now and I have Caius and all the others that live in the castle, where Carlisle would be alone and I worried about him. I hope that he does find his mate soon as Caius had suggested, or even a companion to travel with would be nice. I hated the thought of him being alone.

The days went on and turned into years as I lived in this dreary castle, with only Caius to keep me sane. Oh sure, I still traveled from time to time with my fellow guardsmen as companions as we went on missions, but Caius hated it when I left him so he pretty much put a stop to it in the end. My only security was the time I spent with Caius. I loved him so much and loved our times together, even though they were too few due to his duties as one of the Kings.

I wanted to travel to see the world and I even asked Caius if he would take me, but he refused, telling me he couldn't leave his brothers to take on all the responsibilities of their duties on their own. He said it wasn't that he didn't want to take me because he'd love to see the world as much as I would, but he was reluctant to leave. I was becoming miserable being stuck in this castle.

Even when I wanted to go shopping or into the city I had to take an entourage with me, for my safety, Caius explained. He said there were many vampires out there that would love nothing more than to have a chance to use me against him for their revenge against one of their rulings. I tried to tell him that they wouldn't last a second if they tried, for I would end them the very minute they touched me, but he wouldn't have it, and so here I am a prisoner in my own home - or so it felt anyway.

Carlisle's P.O.V.

I really did enjoy my time with the Volturi. Aro had become a very good friend and I enjoyed the conversations we shared while I was there. I also enjoyed the times I spent with Isabella. She intrigued me at first. I knew she found me attractive when we looked into one another's eyes that day at the spring dance, and I remember her following me into the woods soon after when the vampire attacked us and turned us into what we are to this day.

Spending time with her did something to me. She was beautiful of course, but she was also charming and in some ways a little shy. I found her intelligent as well, and the more time I spent with her the more I started having feelings for her.

I knew it was impossible to share my feelings for her. She was Master Caius's mate. I didn't stand a chance with her unless I had a death wish, which I did not, but I couldn't stand to be very far away from her, and the more time I spent with her the more I would hurt knowing she would never be mine. That's when I knew I had to leave.

After telling everyone goodbye, including Isabella, which was the hardest thing I've ever done or probably will do, I hurried to gather my things and left. As I stood at the gate of the city I turned and looked back at the castle and whispered.

"I love you, Isabella Swan," and then ran, away from the Volturi and the one woman I knew I would love for eternity.

Caius's P.O.V.

I was in Aro's office going over the details of a vampire that had exposed us to a human girl he had fallen in love with. Once he explained to her what he was, she fled and rejected him. We found the girl, and after making sure she hadn't exposed us further we ended her and put the vampire on trial. We had just finished interrogating the vampire and were discussing what was to be done with him when our visitor, and the bane of my existence, knocked on the door. Aro called for him to enter and he walked into the room apologizing for interrupting our meeting, but he wanted to say goodbye before he left.

I was shocked to hear this. I didn't even know he was thinking of leaving. I wondered why Aro hadn't told me of this before. He knew how it upset me that Carlisle was here and ingratiating himself with my Bella. Why hadn't he told me? I thought again.

"You're leaving?" I asked with a shocked look on my face. He smiled at me and nodded.

"Yes, I have told Isabella goodbye, and now I must take my leave. Thank you, Aro, for allowing me to be a part of your coven these last few months, and I wish you and Isabella all the best, Caius," he said, which shocked me.

"I still wish you would stay, Carlisle, I will miss our conversations," Aro told him.

"I will miss them as well, my friend, but we will see each other again one day. The University awaits me and I long to learn my desired profession. Be sure to wish Marcus my best and extend my farewell to him. Goodbye, my friends," he said as he turned and exited the room. It was quiet for a few minutes when I looked over at Aro questioningly.

"Why didn't you tell me he was leaving? You knew how I felt with him being here, and you still left me to my misery...why?" I asked.

"Caius, don't be so melodramatic. I told you before, Carlisle was no threat to you, you are the one who made it harder on yourself. I told you he and Isabella were only friends," he said as he sat in his chair and sighed. "I will miss him though. There was an easiness about Carlisle that made him my friend and I will miss our conversations very much. I only wish I could have found a way to make him stay, but I could not. He is set on becoming a physician and is stubborn enough to see it through, I am sure," Aro said sadly.

"I am sorry you lost your friend, Aro, but I can't help but be happy to see the backside of him. Now maybe I can have my beautiful Isabella all to myself again," I told him. Aro only shook his head at my happiness.

Once we had resolved what to do with our prisoner, Aro told me to gather the elite guard to witness the vampire's execution. I left his office and went straight to Demetri and ordered him to gather the elite guards and meet me in the throne room immediately.

"Yes, master," he said and he ran to do my bidding as I went to change my cloak. I was just putting on said cloak when Isabella entered the room. I looked over at her with a big grin, not even noticing the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm glad you're back. You are needed in the throne room with the rest of the elite guards we have a ruling to make on that vampire that exposed us to a human girl," I told her, not explaining any further, still wearing the same grin.

"And this excites you, Caius?" she asked solemnly.

"Oh...no. My happiness involves the fact that I will have you all to myself once again," I said with a smiled and kissed her passionately. She pulled away and must have realized that I had heard that Carlisle was leaving and that I was happy about it. She turned away from me and went to the closet to retrieve her own cloak and slid it on. I couldn't help but see the disappointment on her face. After placing on her cloak she turned and started walking towards the door. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the loss she must be feeling at the losing of her friend, and here I stood gloating of his departure.I stopped her by placing my hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at me and it broke my unbeating heart to see the sadness on her face.

"I am sorry, my love. I know he is your friend," I said pulling her to my chest and hugging her tightly against me. I apologized and hugged her, sorry for her sadness but secretly happy he was gone." I kissed the top of my head as we stood there for a short period. "You will see him again, I'm sure of it. Maybe he will even find a mate while he's out in the world," I continued. She looked up at me and smiled.

"That would be nice, I hope he does, at least he won't be alone in the world while he studies," She said. I smiled and pulled her to the door.

"We should go, my brothers are waiting for us I am sure," he said as we made our way to the throne room.

As time went on Isabella seemed to be getting better, we were happier than we had ever been, or at least I thought so. She started joining the elite guard on missions again and that upset me dearly. I missed her when she wasn't around. I became more grouchy and terrorized the guards and my brothers I'm sure, until they agreed that Isabella shouldn't go on any more missions at least for a while.

That made me happy, but not so Isabella, she moped around the castle, bored to unshed tears. She even asked me to take her on trips around the world - and as exciting as that sounded, I could not leave my brothers to bear all the responsibilities of our duties alone, and told her so. She nodded sadly. I tried to make her as happy as I could but she just seemed so out of sorts lately. Oh, she enjoyed our time together of course, but her duties as a guard were failing to amuse her as they once did.

She was really upset when she wanted to go out into the city and do some shopping or to enjoy her time away from the castle and I told her she had to take a few of the guard with her to secure her safety. I explained that there were vampires out there that would love nothing more than to have a chance to use her against me for their own revenge against one of our rulings.

She tried to tell me the moment they laid one finger on her they would meet their end, and I knew she was right, but I asked her to please allow this for my own peace of mind. She sighed, but agreed.

The thing that happened within the next few day shocked us both, and probably, well it did devastate Isabella.

A/N: (This update was short, but it also sets up the next update. Sorry.) Let me know what you think...thanks for reading, huggs.