Another chapter is here. Here's the beginning of Episode 5.

Episode 5 Part 1

Aurora's eyes opened. She could a worried Marcus standing over her. And Miriam was there too. She shot up, finding herself sitting on a sofa with a blanket over her. "Where am I?"

"We're in my house," Marcus said.

"Why did you bring me here when I wanted you not to come near me?"

"Aurora…I know you're mad at me…"

"Guys! We've got bigger issues," Miriam hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Aurora demanded.

"Our lab was broken into an hour before you were attacked,"

Aurora was stunned.

"We're meeting Matthew at the lab. I called him and he said he'd come,"

"I'm not going anywhere with any of you,"

"You have to," Marcus said. "We promised Matthew we'd keep an eye on you and we need to know more than ever after what happened to you last night,"

Aurora huffed. "Fine. But don't think I've forgiven you, Marcus," she swung her legs off the sofa and walked off towards the door.

Marcus sadly.

"Give her time," Miriam consulted. "She'll understand why,"

Aurora sat in the front with her. She remained quiet and stared out the window the entire journey towards their lab. They arrived and they saw that Matthew had arrived in his car. Then to her shock, Thomas appeared too. He looked beyond repulsed still seeing her here.

Aurora stepped out of the car. "Are you all right Aurora?" Matthew asked. She nodded.

Miriam stepped out of the car. "The lab is secured. We've accounted for everything,"

"The witches tried to hack into the computers," Thomas added in. "I checked and they failed. The servers are impenetrable,"

They went inside the lab. "This is Peter Knox's doing," Matthew cursed.

"It's because of you Matthew," Miriam accused. "We've run this lab for years without being noticed, flown under the radar of humans and creatures. And then it's all jeopardized because you decide to mate with a witch,"

"You love my sister?" Aurora asked Matthew, a giddy but joyful feeling spiralling up in her chest.

Matthew ignored her.

"I told you this would happen," Thomas snapped. "I tried to warn you about this…but you didn't listen,"

"That is enough Miriam and Thomas," Matthew retorted.

"Don't even begin to deny it," his eldest son snapped. "Miriam and I have mated before and we both know the signs,"

"Domenico knows too. Ysabeau phoned me," Marcus added in.

"Domenico can go to hell," Matthew cursed.

"Who's Domenico?" Aurora asked.

"He's a vampire on the Congregation," Miriam answered. "He came to Sept Tour last night,"

"He didn't do anything did he?" Aurora tried to speak to Matthew but he turned his back and walked elegantly around the lab. He sniffed. "Diana's DNA samples? And Aurora's?"

"They're secure," Miriam said.

"The witches that attacked Aurora took some of the blood though," Marcus added in.

"Really? This is what we're worried about now?" Thomas asked.

Aurora was disgusted by his uncaring nature.

Matthew turned around and looked at him with bitter anger. "Do you not care even the slightest bit about what those witches did to Aurora? What could have happened if those witches took her prisoner?"

"No! I don't! You know exactly why I can't!"

Matthew scoffed and turned his head back around. Marcus and Miriam sent cold glares at Thomas but he ignored them.

"You honestly think this is about them?!"

"Of course, it's about them," Matthew answered back. "Wait a minute," he stopped. "I know that scent,"

Suddenly he quickly stalked down the room and out the door.

"Matthew don't!" Miriam tried to say.

Thomas went after him. "Father stop!"

Matthew wouldn't listen.

"Just for once will you just listen to me?!" Thomas tried to grab his shoulder but Matthew suddenly turned around and pinned him to the wall.

"Don't touch me. And don't try and stop me," he hissed. He then let go and he stalked off, leaving fuming and crestfallen Thomas alone.

Back in the lab, Miriam grunted in annoyance. "Call Baldwin. It's time we told him the truth,"

"No! You are not calling this Baldwin!" Aurora spoke up.

"We have to. Matthew is already in trouble with the Congregation and he is his only chance of being saved," Marcus pulled out his phone. Aurora was about to freeze but Miriam grabbed her hand quickly.

"Don't," she said seriously.

"How am I supposed to trust you two?" Aurora snapped, her respect for them turning into distrust.

"Because Diana will be in trouble from the Congregation if we don't take matters into perspective,"

"Please…" Marcus implored. "Trust us,"

Aurora wanted to refuse but the sincerity in Marcus's eyes made her think back to how well respectful they had been to each other these last few days. "Okay," Reluctantly she allowed Marcus to call the vampire they called Baldwin.

"Baldwin…a vampire came to Sept Tour,"

"I know. We sent him,"

"He accused Matthew and Diana of breaking the covenant,"

"What do you mean they're mating?!" Baldwin was beyond angry across the line.

"He's fighting. He's here back in Oxford and she is at Sept Tour. Ysabeau says he will respect the covenant. He just needs to get his head straight,"

"I thought this was about the book of life,"

"It was still. But there's more to it than that. Someone broke into the lab. Witches. Matthew thinks they were looking for information about Diana and Aurora. I just thought with you being a member of the congregation and the head of our family…"

"That I can save him," Baldwin finished over the line. "Matthew never destroys only himself Marcus. He always drags the rest of us down with him. If he breaks the rules, he pays the price,"

Baldwin shut the com off and Marcus sighed putting down his phone.

"What's all this talk about a Covenant?" Aurora asked.

Marcus and Miriam stared at her.

"You seriously don't know what it is?" Miriam asked.

Aurora shook her head.

"It forbids interspecies relationships," she said.

Aurora was flabbergasted. "That's barbaric. Who in the world would make up such a stupid rule saying you can't be someone you love if they're of a different race,"

"Phillipe created it centuries ago to protect us,"

"'Protect us'?" Aurora repeated back repulsively. "By decreeing that you can't be allowed to love anyone different from you?"

"Human prejudice was worse in the early first centuries. He believed that different creatures mating would upset the balance of power and cause us to be exposed to humans,"

"And just because of that Matthew and Diana can't be together?" Aurora wouldn't accept her answer. "That's what all the fuss is about?"

"It would jeopardize the peace between our races," Marcus said.

"No, it wouldn't!" Aurora snapped. "If anything, it's this stupid pact that destroying the peace. No wonder creatures can't get along with each other if they're not allowed to be together," she stalked out of the lab and up the stairs to one of their offices to be alone.

For a long while, she sat down in a chair sulking thinking about how heartbroken Diana would be. How could the governing council of all creatures threaten her and Matthew this way just because they're in love?

She heard a door opening and turned around to see it was Marcus.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Covenant when we met?"

"I assumed you knew. And you were being so open-minded about other creatures. I didn't want to crush your hopes of creatures living together,"

"But you didn't warn me,"

"You would have defied it either way,"

Aurora still refused to look at him.

Marcus knew she still hadn't forgiven. "Look…I'm sorry that I told Baldwin but I didn't have a choice,"

"There is always a choice. If you hadn't told him, the Congregation wouldn't have known…and my sister wouldn't have been threatened by that Italian vampire who's now destroyed her happiness,"

"I didn't have a choice! Baldwin's the head of our family. I cannot disobey him. Thomas disobeyed him and he's going to be punished for it. And besides, now that the Congregation knows about the Book of Life, they'll do anything to stop Knox from getting in harming us,'

"It doesn't excuse the fact you put Diana in danger. And me as well,"

"Aurora…I'm…" Marcus interrupted.

"Please. Just go," Aurora begged, not looking at him.

Marcus sighed despondently. He walked out, leaving Aurora alone again in her sorrow.

Thomas leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, sighing again. He didn't feel the slightest bit content at all. Matthew's constant brushing off his warmings had made him feel very much alone. He felt that Matthew was casting him and his family aside for Diana Bishop and her sister.

Just then, he heard loud footsteps. He heard the double doors down the corridor opening. He turned to see that it was Matthew. He was carrying a plastic bag with a phone and his lips were slightly blooded.

Thomas could detect the odour of blood from his lips. "What did you do?" he demanded gently.

Matthew purposedly disregarded his question.

Thomas grew angrier every second. He approached his father menacingly. "What did you do?!" he demanded again.

Matthew shoved him aside and walked through the double doors behind them, once again leaving him more neglected. He entered the lab and saw two worried faces, Miriam, and Marcus. They saw him and stood up.

"We called Baldwin and told him you were going to resist mating with Diana," Marcus said.

"Where's Aurora?"

"She's upstairs in the office. She doesn't want to talk to me," Marcus said. He sounded sad. "She's upset that I told Baldwin about the Book of Life,"

Although disappointed, Matthew knew that Marcus couldn't refuse the head of their family.

"I'll talk to her," he turned his back to converse with Aurora.

"You shouldn't have ignored Thomas like that," Miriam said. "His question was necessary. What did you do?"

Matthew placed the phone on the table beside him. "It was Diana's former friend Gillian Chamberlain who betrayed her,"

"Did you kill her?" Miriam asked. "If you have, then you have already signed your death contract,"

"No. I bit into her neck and extract her memories. She will be very weak though. But I didn't kill her," Matthew turned away again and tried to brush off the conversation.

"Go and apologise to Thomas. We both know you ignored him. I can hear his heart beating numbly," Marcus said. His words made his father stop. "Make amends with him,"

Matthew didn't answer back. Instead, he just left through the double door. He attempted to walk up the stairs when Thomas swerved in front of him in a blur.

"Get out of my way," he warned.

"No. I'm not getting your way until you put a stop to this madness. What did you just do?"

Suddenly Matthew grabbed his shift and he pinned him against the wall, bashing his head a bit.

"Why are you trying to stop me?"

"I am trying to protect you. Just as you have always protected me,"

"Well, I don't need it!" Matthew's words deeply struck Thomas in place. "If you won't accept my desire to protect Diana and Aurora, then get out!"

Just then Miriam and Marcus appeared and he pulled Matthew off Thomas.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Miriam lashed.

Marcus appalled at what his father had done to his brother checked on Thomas. He was boiled to the core but Marcus could smell adrenaline levels increasing inside him. "Then you have chosen your side," Thomas turned and before Marcus or Miriam could stop him, he vanished in a blur.

They both glared hard at Matthew.

"Nice going Matthew," Miriam rebuked, crossing her arms.

"You think this is my fault?" Matthew questioned, overlooking the strange guilt he was feeling in his gut.

"Of course, it is! He was only looking out for you. Just as he has always done. What kind of father pins his eldest son like that? And says unfatherly things too? We heard everything you said. And never before have we ever seen talk so unlovingly like that to anyone,"

"I can't believe you treated him like that," Marcus berated. "He was being a big jerk about the witches but it didn't mean you had to a nastier jerk back at him,"

Still, Matthew refused to acknowledge his mistakes. "He will never go of his hatred. All it does is tear him apart and turn him into a cynical man,"

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't forget what he's been through and how deeply it scarred him. Go after him and apologise,"

Matthew just turned and continued making his way up the stairs.

"Since you're won't be decent enough to do it yourself, I'm going instead," Marcus turned his back and he disappeared in a flash just as Matthew turned his head.

"If you don't try to fix this now…." Miriam spoke up again. "We will lose for Thomas for good and if that happens…we will never forgive you. You've raised him for over a thousand years. You stood by him when Phillipe threatened to disown him for loving Argus. You gave him comfort through his grief. And he has repaid all of that by trying to be worthy of your love and respect,"

She turned and went back into the lab, leaving Matthew alone on the steps.

Marcus made his way quickly towards Thomas's house. When he arrived, he heard shuffling like Thomas was moving things. He then heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He rang the doorbell.

Thomas opened it. "What are you doing here? Please just go," he tried to close the door but Marcus flashed inside.

"Look…I'm sorry about what happened back," Marcus noticed that there was a suitcase packed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going away,"

"Where?"

"To my hunting cabin in France. I need to get away from him," Thomas picked up a rucksack but Marcus snatched it from.

"Thomas! Wait!" he begged. "You can't abandon us!"

"It's our father who has abandoned us for some uncontrollable witch! Didn't what you see in the hallway prove enough?"

"He didn't mean it!"

"Then why are you here and not him?" Thomas challenged.

Marcus stiffened, terrified of his loud voice.

Thomas just took the rucksack back from him and finished his final packing. He beckoned Marcus outside. Reluctantly his younger brother obliged.

The moment they were outside, Thomas started packing his car. Marcus knew there was nothing he could do to say and change his mind. All he could do was say at least a few words.

"We all love you, Thomas. So does our father,"

Thomas wasn't the slightest bit swayed.

"Please don't leave us," he implored.

"I can't be somewhere where I'm not needed. It's better for all of us if I just…disappear until this blows over. It's obvious I'm just going to be an obstacle in your goal to protect those witches,"

"It may never blow over. Are you even on our side Thomas?"

Thomas was emotionless. "You should be asking that question to Matthew," He closed the boot and opened the side door.

"Tom! Wait!"

Thomas huffed and stopped what he was doing. He turned around and to his surprise, Marcus was pulling him into a warm embrace. He didn't hug back right away but he lifted his hands slowly to his back.

"You always have and you always will be part of this family,"

Thomas was deeply touched by his words. Despite their quarrels and disputes since they met those witches, their brother bond had remained true as ever.

Marcus watched him drive away out of sight with a despondent posture. He promised Thomas he would call and always check on him. Thomas was endlessly grateful for that.

Aurora hadn't moved from her seat for ages. She held up a photo of her and Diana and their parents when they were kids stroking it tenderly. She missed her sister. She wished she could be at Sept Tour right now, counselling her.

She heard the door open and saw that it was Matthew. He looked fairly shamefaced judging by his slight unemotional expression.

"I know what you did downstairs to Thomas and I have to say how unfatherly of you. No matter how much of a jerk he is it's no excuse to speak so harshly to your own son like that,"

"I know," Matthew managed to blabber out.

"Then why aren't you out there trying to make amends with him? Are you a coward to face him like you were a coward to abandon Diana when she needed you?"

Matthew's fragile face began to harden hearing her speak those words.

"How could you just leave her like that?"

"I had to come back and check on the lab,"

"Marcus told the head of your family you were going to respect the stupid covenant. You were going to let a narrow-minded agreement get between you and Diana. Why should the Congregation tell us whom we can love?"

"It protects us,"

"You say 'protect'. I say keep creatures from intermingling and living in peace. You're allowing all that nonsense to drive your decisions and abandon what should be important to you. You're a coward for respecting a law that shouldn't even exist anymore and submitting to the expectations of those creatures who think they have authority over everyone,"

Matthew said nothing back but already Aurora's words were beginning to affect him. He sat down in front of her.

"I know that you're angry at Marcus for telling Baldwin,"

"He could have just put the phone down like Thomas did and had been defiant but he didn't,"

Matthew was intrigued by what Aurora had said about Tom. "Baldwin is my brother. He is Phillipe's only surviving blood. To refuse to answer to him means punishment. It is the vampire law of families. Don't be mad at Marcus. He didn't have a choice. Had he disobeyed him, he would probably have been disowned or sentenced to death which Thomas may well be,"

"This is the 21st century. Why should all those outdated laws be obeyed?"

"Because those laws are what are our ancestors created centuries ago and we feel they still relate to today,"

Aurora finally understood why Marcus had to tell Baldwin. She could feel no anger towards him anymore. She wished she could apologise right now to him for jumping to conclusions. "Thank you for telling me Matthew,"

Matthew nodded.

"Who was it that invaded the lab?"

"Gillian,"

Aurora clenched her fist. "She took some of my blood when she and her accomplice attacked me,"

"I know. It's my fault for leaving you here. I should have taken it with me to Sept Tour. I've got your blood right here," Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of red blood. "I nicked her phone too,"

Aurora suddenly felt sick. "Did you kill her?"

"No. I just bit into her neck and extracted her memories. She will be weak for a long time but she isn't dead. I give you my word,"

"Okay. I'll have to tell Diana very soon,"

"I would prefer it if you didn't,"

"She has to know," Aurora was not one to keep secrets.

"Not now. Call her and let her that you're all right. When Marcus gets back very soon, you two should head back to his house. You've been here long enough already,"

Matthew stood up and beckoned her to follow him. She followed after him down the stairs. They saw Marcus just outside the lab door.

"Where's Thomas?" Matthew asked. It was at that moment that his youngest son and Aurora detected the self-shame resounding in his voice.

"He's off to France to his hunting cabin. Glad to see you finally care," Marcus answered back unforgivingly. He pushed his way into the lab.

Matthew hung his chin down a bit. He didn't cry but his face was slightly scrunched.

Aurora could offer no words of reconciliation.

Oh my! So Thomas has left and has gone off to France. What will he do? Will he join the Congregation or join his family? We'll have to wait and find out. What did you all think of the tension between everyone? Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. I would love to hear your opinions.