6. Confusion

"Elizabeth my dear, whatever's the matter?"

Elizabeth looked up to see Aro walking over to her. She had taken refuge in the library, surrounding herself with books to escape what was happening. The kiss had been good, better than good. It had been wonderful and now she had realised that she was in love with Caius. It wasn't just raw attraction; it was love, on both sides.

After the kiss she had run, as she always did when faced with emotions, away from it all, away from him. It had been a silly thing to do, a cowardly thing. Yet she hadn't been able to face it – the fact that she loved him. Its consequences were too much. He would be able to get her to join the Volturi and live forever: just to keep him happy. For now she knew that she cared about his happiness. Caius; she loved him.

"Let's see shall we?" Aro said and took her hand in his own. So now he would know. Elizabeth looked away from him: it would be unbearable to see the triumph in his eyes. He had known this would happen all along, hadn't he; that she would become one of them, that he would get her, because of what was happening between her and Caius.

It didn't even make sense. She had always thought love was something which came with time, time to get to know one another; not something like this. It had happened so quickly, in the time of a night and a day.

"My dear," Aro said gently, "This is not a bad thing. You have found a love so strong that it will last eternity."

"Well it will need to wont it," she said, bitterly, "I don't understand how this happened."

"It's curious," Aro said, "That it has happened so quickly, but this is just the beginning for you. Perhaps this gift you have has worked in some way, allowing you to see that there is more to him."

She looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"He would die for you, my dear," Aro said, "Or at least if you died, he would die too. He doesn't want to live without you. But now, now you both can live together forever." He smiled at her, a broad creepy grin, "A happy ending I'd say," he finished, finally letting go of her hand.

"But I don't have a gift," she cried, "I don't have any special powers or anything so why on earth are you putting me through this."

"You don't have a gift yet," Aro conceded, "But your potential is more than promising. You knew there was something here. You realised we were vampires. You knew Marcus had lost a loved one."

"That's not magic," Elizabeth said, coldly, "That's not a power; that's just intuition and compassion."

"We'll see," Aro said, his eyes darting about, searching her face, "We'll see when we turn you."

"And when will that be?"

"Soon," he replied, "We're going to Rome tonight for a few days but when we return... Magnifico." He stared at her a moment longer, the desire and hunger clear in his eyes, before turning and disappearing from the library.

Elizabeth glared after him a moment, feeling helpless and out of control. She picked up an old book with a broken cover and threw it across the room, letting out a yell of anger. She then pushed over one of the many chairs.

"What are you doing?" She turned around. It was him; it was Caius.

"You," she screamed and completely lost her head, running straight at him and proceeded to hit him over and over, not even caring that it hurt her hands like hitting a brick wall.

"Stop it," Caius breathed and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"Get off me," she yelled, "Get off!" She struggled against him but his grip didn't slacken.

"Elizabeth what is it?" Caius asked, urgently, "Why are you so upset. I don't understand – you ran off..."

"Are you serious?!" She yelled, pulling away from him. He let go of her wrists and she took a couple of steps back.

"Yes, Elizabeth," he said, looking directly at her, "I am: you ran off earlier and now you try to attack me. You know that's impossible. Obviously something's wrong."

Elizabeth stared back at him and felt a tear running down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away.

"I don't want to live forever." She said, "I don't want to have a craving for human blood. I don't want to be a vampire."

"I know," Caius said gently, "I know and I'd never make you become a vampire. Clearly you don't want to, and I understand why."

"You... You do?"

"Yes," he said and came over to her, "In living forever I've lost – or started to lose – who I am. Days have become like seconds, months like weeks and years like months. The changing of the seasons happens as quickly as the changing of the moon. Or so it seems." He took a deep breath, though he didn't need to, "And I have killed more people than years I've lived. But I don't remember any of them, not individually."

"Caius..." Elizabeth trailed off, "I have to become like you, like... all that."

"What do you mean?"

"Aro told me: you'd die if I died," she told him, "And I... I love you – mad as it is." She came over to him, and took his hands in her own, "I'm sorry I ran off earlier but I was scared and being a coward."

"Of what?" He asked, "Of me?"

"No, not of you," she said, "But of what I'd do for you; of what I'd become."

"You don't have to become a vampire for me," Caius said, smiling a little despite himself, "I'd never want you to."

"But I do, don't you see!" She exclaimed and pulled away, "If I don't then Aro will kill me, leaving you..." She trailed off and Caius grabbed her hands back in his and kissed them fervently.

"Which is why we leave," he said, "We leave tonight when they've all gone to Rome."

"But they'll come after us."

"Not immediately and not for sure," Caius countered.

"But where will we go?" Elizabeth asked, confused, "I can't go home, I..."

"You know I mentioned other vampires, ones who fed off animal blood."

"Yes," she said slowly.

"We go to them, I know where they are – or where they were at least." He stroked her face gently and she looked straight into his eyes. That was when she noticed. They weren't red anymore; they were more of a honey colour.

"You eyes," she said surprised, "What happened?" He smiled a little.

"How did you only just notice?" He quickly kissed her cheek, "I'm trying to live off animal blood from now on."

"Oh Caius," Elizabeth cried out, and flung her arms about his neck, "I knew there must be a reason I loved you. I knew there was something more to you. Oh thank god I'm not just going mad!"

"You thought you were going mad?" He asked, incredulous, "Elizabeth you are the sanest person I've ever met."

"How could I love a killer without being mad," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. Caius closed his eyes.

"By that logic, you're still mad," he said, "What I'm doing now doesn't change all that I've done, all those I've killed." She pulled away from him, to look him in the eye.

"But all that's in the past," she whispered, kissing his nose, "You're someone better now. But I'm still mad for sure."

"Why?" Caius asked, confused. She laughed.

"I've been mad all my life," she told him, "Like everybody. Nobody's sane. And if they think they are, well, that's when bad stuff happens!"

"You are just..." Caius trailed off and began to kiss her.

Elizabeth kissed back, pulling him into her. They fell against a bookshelf, still kissing. One of her hands tangled in his hair whilst the other slipped around his waist. Both his hands were roaming over her back, pulling her into him. Finally she had to pull back for air.

She looked at him to see his eyes still closed and a look of pure contentment on his face. He looked like an angel, an angel not of death or destruction but an angel at peace. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but smile so when he did finally open his eyes he saw her beaming up at him.

"Oh god," he said and kissed her again, this time more tenderly, more softly. Then he stopped and pulled away.

"They've left," he said, "Aro, Marcus and all the inner guard."

"Should we go now?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Definitely: we'll want to be at the Cullens' by the time they discover we've gone and it'll take us a couple of days to get there. Come on."

"Who are the Cullens?" Elizabeth asked.

"They're the vegetarians: vampires who live off animals only, the ones I was talking about before." She nodded then remembered something important.

"My clothes: the ones I came in. Where are they?"

"Wait here a moment," Caius said, "I'll get them." And without another word he was gone.

Elizabeth was left alone in the library. She looked about it and then picked up the book and the chair she had thrown in her anger earlier. She had just put the book back on the shelf when the door opened. She turned around: it was Valentina.

"Hello," Elizabeth said, "Are you alright?" The Italian woman looked pale and seemed a bit off. Then she pulled out a handgun.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"I heard Aro and Jane talking before they left," she said, her voice calm and cold, "Talking about you. Jane really doesn't like you now does she?"

"No," Elizabeth replied, her eyes on the gun, "But I don't think she really likes anyone besides her brother and Aro."

"They talked about you for ages," Valentina continued, ignoring Elizabeth's comment, "You and Caius and how because you two were in love you'd join."

"Where did you hear this?"

"Oh I was pruning the roses in the courtyard and they passed by," she replied, "They act like I'm nothing so it's easy to overhear things."

"Valentina, I'm not going to be a vampire," Elizabeth said. Was this why she was here? Jealousy?

"I don't care about you," Valentina said coldly, "But the way Aro goes on about you. He can't wait for you to join them," her voice was bitter.

"Don't worry," Elizabeth said, trying to reassure her, "I'm not going to."

"Shut up and listen," Valentina said, raising the gun, "You see Aro and Jane were talking about you and then right at the end of their conversation, like an afterthought, or some household chore that needed doing, Aro asked Jane whether they kill me now or when they return from Rome."

Elizabeth swallowed: so that's what it was all about. "Valentina, I..."

"Don't." She snarled, "Just. Don't." She paused before carrying on, "In the end, guess what? Aro decided I would live a few more days because of the effort in getting a new person in at such short notice."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said, "But there's nothing I can do about that!"

"I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THIS!" Valentina screeched, "Always. And yet you just waltz on in and they immediately want you to join. You don't even want to," she sobbed, "But I do! And they're going to kill me!"

"Valentina please," Elizabeth said, still watching the gun. Valentina's hand was shaking so much Elizabeth thought there was a good chance it might go off by accident.

"Goodbye Elizabeth," Valentina said, and steadied her hand.

The gunshot was loud and clear. But Elizabeth had dived behind a table the second Valentina had said goodbye. She lay on the ground, her shoulder aching from where she had landed. Surely Caius would have heard that? But the castle was large...

"Quick move," Valentina said and sniffed. Elizabeth heard her heels clipping across the stones and looked up to see her aiming the gun carefully at her forehead.

"NO!" It was Caius. He had knocked the gun, clear out of Valentina's trembling hands, "What are you doing?"

But Valentina didn't hear him; she just shrugged to the floor in a sobbing heap. Caius didn't stop to say anymore, instead he picked Elizabeth up, and sped out of the room. In less than a minute they were out of Volterra and heading west.

Then he started to run, properly run that is: faster than a bullet or a plane, as fast as a vampire. Elizabeth clung to his back as they sped through the night.

They were going to find these Cullens, these good vampires.

A/N: Can I just thank the people who have reviewed: thank you! A review really does make my day and it's so nice of you to take the time to write what you think of this. Without the reviews I'd really be completely in the dark about what readers actually think of this so thank you alesc1209, guest and LuvinYouWasRed... if you're still reading!

Anyway, so now the story is taking a different turn. Our girl Liz and Caius are off to see our favourite American Coven, the Cullens! Woop woop.

Just so you know - maybe I should have said this earlier? - but this is post breaking dawn, about ten years after the Volturi visited... So... yeah... ;)

Thank you for reading and continuing to read (I think some people are anyway) and have a nice day/ evening/ night/ life :D :D X