Drew pushed herself to get up in the early morning hours. She slapped the off button for her alarm clock. Friday finally arrived. She'd been swamped with organization and menial tasks for the last few days. She was looking forward to the weekend. This time in the lab was really cementing her want to either remain in the field or a more solitary career in the future.

She looked herself over in her vanity mirror. She removed her bonnet.

Had she really found something in her dream career that she disliked? She blinked a few times. Even dreams had some boring parts. She bit her bottom lip. Her foster mother would be smirking. She'd always warned Drew that no matter the career there was something to dislike. Even if it was her dream job.

She rolled her eyes, while she began to refresh her curls. Finishing with a bit of mascara, brow gel, and lip stain. She headed over to her closet.

She pulled forward, a comfortable long sleeved black shirt, with a lavender cashmere sweater vest. She stuck with dark leggings for comfort. Fall weather had finally set in for the Italian city. That or she'd finally given in and mentally admitted the laboratory was cold.

She grabbed her needed things of wallet, ID badge, cell phone, and made her way to the kitchen. She paused in her hallway holding her bedroom door. The kitchen light was on. She had a straight sight to the fridge and island counter seating. Nothing beyond that though.

She frowned. She'd need to sneak further up in the hall to peer around it. Her stomach flipped. She took a slow deep breath.

She'd turned off all the lights. She was one hundred percent sure. Her Gran made damn well sure she didn't waste power. A force of habit she'd retained well into her adulthood.

Metal upon metal clinked. A distant whirring sound… dripping…

Someone was in her flat and they were cooking? She sniffed. A savory smell, of eggs.

She tiptoed forward, making sure to step heel to toe to quiet her steps. She reached the edge of the hallway.

Aro stood facing the stove, she saw a few shells on her counter near the coffee pot. A few eggs remained broken around the other shells. That and the coffee machine's light was on, she saw the pot full of enough coffee for her to fill her cup.

She pursed her lips, relaxing slightly.

How had he gotten in? What was he doing here in the first place. Question after question flew around her head.

"Aro? It's six in the morning. What are you doing?" She spoke up stepping closer.

He glanced over his shoulder, giving her a toothy grin. "Good morning, Doctor. Sleep well?"

"Quite. What are you doing? How did you get in?" She made her way to the counter seating.

"I thought I'd make you a nice hearty breakfast. It is Friday after all. Last day of work before a weekend." He replied. "I used the front door."

"I locked the door. I also used the latch." She muttered rubbing her temples. "Did you pick the lock?"

"No I have a master key dear. These flats are owned by us." He replied not turning around. "A latch is quite simple to pop off."

"That's terrifying and good to know you did not chance someone seeing you pick the lock."

"Your friend sleeps soundly in her flat still." He responded. "I also would be quick enough no human would see me. Key or not vampires could easily remove the door."

"Thank you for respecting the common courtesy of not breaking my door down. You can hear her?"

"Yes." Aro turned placing a full plate of an omelet with peppers, spinach, and ham. He handed her a cup of coffee. "Does it look correct?"

Her stomach rumbled. "Indeed, it does. Thank you, for this."

She took a bite, chewing before swallowing the warm dish. She hummed. The spices were perfect, spicy but still mild enough not to make her stomach hurt. It was familiar.

"Taste?"

"Really good. Do you cook often? I mean you did say vampires only consumed blood…"

"I was relying upon your memories. It is not common I find myself utilizing a kitchen. Merely for invention, drinking blood for centuries does become repetitive after a while. So, I looked for ways to change it up. We've achieved a few things but surely more to come as technology advances." He answered directing her to sit.

She did as directed settling on one of the stools. "These do taste familiar. Thank you for this, really. You weren't watching me sleep, were you?"

She took a few more bites while he began to clean.

"No, I did not linger. Merely began cooking for you. An attempt to apologize in some sort. I also had a question for you."

"Oh?" she perked up.

"Next weekend, will you join me for a trip?"

"Where to?"

"I was thinking sometime in the north. Would you humor an old man in accompanying me?" he asked.

She tilted her head. "Can we travel far in a weekend? Two days isn't a long time… Nor is it enough warning to the staff that I am going to be away from the labs. We are already down a senior Archeologist."

"We can make this a longer trip if you wish for it." He assured.

"What about the site? I'm watching over the project for the next few weeks. It'll be nearly November before Kingston is back. I can't just abandon it." Drew questioned.

"Think of it as a late Canadian Thanksgiving gift." He shrugged. "Surely you deserve a makeup for the missed holiday."

"We don't give gifts on thanksgiving." She rolled her eyes. "I'll agree if you give the whole team time off and paid."

"Done."

"I really need to remember you don't blink an eye at spending money." She shook her head, finishing her breakfast. "Walk with me to work?"

"It would be my pleasure." He finished blurring around the kitchen setting the dishes away. Aro turned to her with a travel mug steaming.

She grabbed her things quickly tossing them into her bag she usually carried. She slid into some sensible boots and grabbed her outer windbreaker. Aro took the scarf off the hanger, with one hand he slung it over her neck.

"It is a little chilly."

"I'm Canadian we're a hardy bunch." She waved him off.

"Still."

"Yessir." She finished wrapping it over her shoulder, so it covered her mouth.

Drew cursed looking through her borrowed office. Where were her head phones? Had she not brought them today? She checked her bag for the third time. Nope the white demon tangled ball of wires, was no where to be found. She'd need to traverse down to her office two floors down. She huffed.

She really didn't enjoy needing to leave after just sitting down. It was her afternoon task time. She was free to type up progress reports and zone out. Nope she needed to get back up and fetch her headphones. She grabbed her cell phone.

Dav, do you have headphones? :( -Drew

Let me check -Davina

A minute passed before she got a reply.

Nope, sorry :/ -Davina

Damnit I need to go downstairs :( :P wanna go for me? Plz? :) -Drew

I'm in the loo. I've got a hole to crawl back into :P some of us still get to play in the dirt. -Davina

Boo :P -Drew

Awe muffin :P you can always play the music out loud. Shocking concept I know :o -Davina

Not the same. You're buying wine then since you can't assist your favorite human :P :3 -Drew

Pfft. You should be buying it all for tonight. To say sorry to me for ditching me Sunday :P I had to snack by on myself. Thought Canadians were supposed to be nice :'( -Davina

FIIIIIIIINE. Damn using the Canadian Oath against me. :P -Drew

Drew quickly switched contacts to select Azrael's number.

I wish to file a complaint :( -Drew

What happened? -Az

Davina refuses to go get my headphones :( -Drew

-.- Drew. Girlie. We are on site. -Az

Davina's in the 'loo' :P -Drew

Still. Go get them lazy butt. OR you can text your man 3 :D :3 -Az

-.- He's busy running an empire. -Drew

He has two brothers, surely, he could make the world wait 5 mins for you :P -Az

FINE. I will force myself downstairs. -.- :'''( -Drew

Lmao. See you tonight Danvers, wine night :P XD -Az

Drew chuckled shutting off her phone. She knew it was a long shot getting either of them to go for her. She slipped her phone in her pocket and grabbed her badge.

She made her way down the hall towards the elevator. She slid inside, tapping her fingers on her thigh. She made her way down towards her office.

It'd been a few nights since they'd done a wine night. It'd been Friday nights at the bars lately. She'd have to break out the board games from her closet. She knew the few people would turn into a good eight people or more. She was glad it was at Davina's flat this time. She'd been cleaning for hours after the last one. That had more to do with the edibles someone had brought.

She smirked. They had had fun that night. Siobhan had declared they needed to play strip truth or dare. It had led to the two of them having a really good night.

She smacked into something hard.

"Ah." She hissed pulling back immediately.

She blinked rubbing at her nose. Pain shooting around her head. Tears whelmed in her eyes.

There standing in a three-piece suit, a sneer pulling at his thin lips. Caius. He eyed her over, he looked as if he'd smelt the worst thing.

"Watch where you walk, harlot." He snapped.

"So original, gramps." She rolled her eyes. "Seriously for someone with supernatural abilities, you're pretty slow. Is your age getting to you?"

He stepped right up to her. His long legs brought him within inches of her within a few steps.

She gulped, mouth dry.

He leant down into her space.

The firm, cool surface of the wall hit her back.

He placed his hand on the wall beside her face. He caught her chin between two cold fingers.

"Another old joke and I will rip your tongue from your mouth." He snarled.

"I fucking dare you." She snorted. "You're all bark. Like a rabid dog they need to take you out back."

Crack!

She looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. His fist was surrounded by multiple fissures in the solid stone. Her heart picked up speed.

She gulped. Sometimes she really needed to watch her tongue. This was a vampire for fuck sake's.

"I am not beyond teaching you multiple lessons. You have been nothing but a wild unruly woman." He seethed. "What my brothers see in you, I haven't the faintest clue. I would have ended you the moment you opened your mouth in that club."

"Aro said you can't physically hurt me, because of this supposed bond." She snipped. "I would rather drink acid than ever fathom an eternity with the likes of you. Let it be known, I didn't choose your dusty ass either. I would rather never know the pleasure of an orgasm ever again than ever touch you."

"I should end you here. You uncouth wench, you are unworthy of even consumption. I would not even feed you to my enemies. Know this girl, I would rather spend eternity looking for each body part than ever lie with you. I would walk into the pits of hell before I ever kissed you. My brothers lie."

"The pits of hell aren't that hard to make you know." Drew threw back. "It is seriously easy to make a flame thrower. Your kind is rather flammable, better watch yourself. The fact you're crusty and dusty, just adds fuel to it. I carry hairspray and a lighter all the time. Don't test me."

She gave him a toothy smile, not dropping his glare.

He wanted to toss his weight around like an oversized douche canoe, she'd gladly show him how much of a bitch she was. Why did the fates require her to have three mates? Aro had to be pulling her leg. She would rather toss herself into a wood chipper than ever be near the man before her.

She was more than willing to light his ass up as if it was the Canada Day. If she wasn't allowed to carry a flame thrower at all times, she wondered if Aro would allow her to take Thing Addams out to hit Caius. Did she need to have vampire speed, and strength to land a punch? She really needed some answers.

Caius pushed off the wall from her. in a blink he was gone.

She let herself fall against the wall, taking a shaky deep breath.

Good lords above, let her not burn the university to the ground.

A/N: Day 2 of Holiday Posting! :D :) Caius really shouldn't push Drew.