Hey! Sorry this one took a bit longer than usual. I had snagged a background role in Cody Faulks Crow: Days of Sodom, a Crow fan film so I went to Washington D.C to film that. Then I got a call from my son's babysitter saying he bumped his head. Ya'll this boy had a gash deep enough that I could see his damned skull! He needed two rows of stitches! He's two, mind you, and I was just told 'oh he just bumped his head on the coffee table'. SMH... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Dean's body ached worse than ever before. There were bruises on her upper arms from where Caius had grabbed her, but that wasn't the worst of them. It hurt to twist her torso, given the large purple and green bruise spread across her ribcage. Her tailbone was also bruised, though she could feel it more than see it, it hurt to try and sit down. Thankfully she hadn't broken anything, or even sprained it, though she thought that was kind of odd. The fall she had taken should have broken her ribs, and when she'd jumped from the rope, she'd been sure she would sprain her ankle.

She'd always been more hardy than the average human. She and Gabriel had rough-housed and even fallen out of trees with only minor injuries. The nuns liked to take credit for that, boasting that their dairy cows provided the best calcium-rich milk within a hundred-mile radius. A selling point they used to take and sell in town. She used to sneak into the back of the trucks for a day out, and of course, she and Gabriel would be together, so every time one got caught, the other was to follow.

Dean sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. She missed Gabriel and though her eyes stung, she refused to cry anymore. She'd finished that, allowed herself that moment of weakness, and now it was time to figure out how to make the best of her situation. And right now her situation was that she'd woken up in a room that she didn't recognize, meaning she hadn't spent the night in Athenodora's room.

The decor of this room was much more to her tastes than the warm red and golds. This room was decorated in shades of sapphire and silver, with white wood and pretty mirrors. It still gave off the air of a princess, but it felt more like her than she was willing to admit. Something she would have picked out for herself if she weren't use to the grays and whites of her room back in the convent. She bit her lip, wondering if Mother Superior knew she wasn't coming back. Wondering if the world had gone on without her and Gabriel. Wondering if the convent was quieter now, and if they missed the ruckus the two of them usually caused with the orphans.

The door opened behind her and she quickly shrugged on a black silk robe that was laid against the back of a white tuft chair, sinching it closed just as Athenodora came into view. Her blonde hair was held back in a half up do, and Dean blushed at the miniscule amount of clothing on the woman's body. She wore a black see-through dress that swished around her ankles, and nothing else. Her ruby lips parted in a concerned sort of expression as her heels quickly clicked against the stone flooring as she crossed the room.

"Dejanna, I'm so glad you're alright," she said, taking Dean off guard. She couldn't formulate a response, her body instead instinctually jolting away from the vampire. "Caius told me what happened. You're either very brave, or very stupid."

"I...I guess it depends on who you ask," Dean finally replies, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Ah, yes, I heard Sulpicia's recount of events as well," she chuckles. "Might want to steer clear of her for a while. You ruined her night with Aro."

Unease settled into her gut, not liking the idea of pissing off a vampire, especially one that didn't like her. She decided to move around the room, trying to find anything else to focus on rather than the blonde. She opened a wardrobe out of curiosity, and found a plethora of modern clothing as well as a few dresses, and in the back, she recognized some items from the trunk up in Athenodora's closet. "Who's room am I in?" She asked, her fingers brushing lightly against the clothing.

"Yours," Athenodora responds after a minute pause. Her voice was quiet, as if she were afraid someone might over hear. There was the slightest bit of envy in there that only someone acutely attuned to the woman's emotions would have picked up on. Briefly, she wondered how much she could get away with telling the human girl.

Deans eyebrows rose in surprise, a question on her lips. "Um, I have a room? To myself?"

"It was already being prepared for you. After your stunt off of the tower...you've been moved in early."

Dean winced, her hand coming up to rub the back of her neck insecurely as she read the amused judgement on the woman's face. The very human response only cause Athenodora to laugh, a sound like bells tinkling on Christmas morning.

"I admire your spark," the blonde admits. "Most humans would have allowed themselves to rot away up there. I'm surprised you're not more afraid."

"I'm terrified," blurts Dean. She didn't understand why she had admitted it to the predator. Every instinct told her not to tell her anything. To not let her into her vulnerability. But Athenodora sat on the end of the bed, a gentle look on her face that drew her in. A part of her longed to have a friend. To have someone on her side whether things went right or wrong, she needed someone. "Athenodora, I..."

"Thea."

Dean blinks at her, connecting the dots for herself, and feeling that comfort of a friend she'd just been wanting. "Thea," she says it slowly, as if testing it satisfactory. "I've never been more afraid than I have been in the last month of my life."

Thea stands, crossing the room to her smoothly and pulling her into a rock hard, cold, hug. Though she missed the warm embrace of Gabriel, this hug seemed to be exactly what she needed as she sank into the woman's arms with a heavy sigh. Thea hums lowly and pulls away, her eyes blackened where they once were a deep red. "You're right to be afraid," she says. "You're so fragile. It wouldn't take much to end your life. As thick as your skin is, I do suggest you treat your mortality with a little more respect."

The threat was carefully blanketed by comfort. Thea herself wouldn't dare hurt her, at least not entirely on purpose, but that didn't mean that others wouldn't. Though self control and discipline were heavy drilled into the guard, there were always a certain level of instability if someone had not fed properly in a reasonable amount of time. Everyone knew, besides Dean, that if they touched the girl, Caius would personally tear them apart one tiny piece at a time. He'd done it before and he hadn't allowed the attacker to properly heal for nearly a decade before starting over again.

"What am I supposed to do here? Spend every day in this room?"

"No," Thea chuckles. "You're free to explore, just make sure there's someone with you. In fact...Demetri, Felix."

Within a blink two tall male vampires were standing opposite of the females. The tallest one towered over all three, with a head full of thick brown hair, cut stylishly around his ears and bangs swept to the side. The slightly shorter one had dark blonde hair with a widows peak and deep set eyes. Thea pointed to them each in turn. "Tall, dark, and handsome over there is Felix. He's the strongest vampire in our world. His combat abilities will no doubt keep you the safest being in all of Italy."

"And I'm Demetri," smirks the dark blonde, stepping forward of his own accord. He bends at the waist, one arm folded over his stomach. "A gifted tracker. There isn't a place on this earth you could go to that I can't find you." He meant it to be endearing, boasting about himself even, but it made Dean shift uncomfortably. His smirk died a little as she clasped her fingers together, knotting them and pulling on them.

"Uh, well, um...nice to...meet you...I guess," Dean stutters nervously.

Demetri and Felix share a secretive look, amused by some inside joke they couldn't tell her. "Don't worry, you'll get used to us pretty fast. I know Jane's been dying to see you," Demetri says and Felix snickers behind a gloved hand.

"Right, well, I'm going to let the three of you become acquainted. Do make sure she is fed. If I hear her stomach growl one more time I may be forced to insanity," Thea says as she makes her way to the door. The two bow to her, and she disappears.

Dean stares awkwardly between the two of them. "So um, what now?"

"Perhaps you should put clothes on," suggests Felix. "And then we will take you to the kitchen."

Dean looks down at her robe, an embarrassed blush flushing her cheeks and causing the two to crack up. She quickly returns her attention to the still open wardrobe and pulls out the first outfit she could find that was modest enough for her life style. An all gray Henley and a pair of black slacks. Her embarrassment only grew as she looked for undergarments and found a package of brand new panties and bras tucked away in a drawer. Normally, she would have preferred to wash out new clothing, but she didn't see she had much of a choice here, as she would not be going commando.

"You're all anyone's talking about," says Felix with an easy grin as he escorts her out the door. Though he towers over her by a good foot and a half, they walk side by side down the hallway.

"Why? Am I the only human here?"

"No," snorts Demetri, a step behind her. "But everyone's sort of been anticipating you coming for a while now."

"Dimka," Felix hisses in disapproval. Dean winces as a dull ache begins to press against her skull, right behind the eyes.

Demetri winces and takes another half step away from the pair, mouthing a 'my bad' to his partner. But the damage was done.

"What do you mean by that?" Dean asks.

"Uh, well, what Demetri means is that Master Caius takes a...liking...to someone new every once in a while. It makes him slightly more bearable to be around."

Deans footsteps come to a halt and she turns on Felix, fists on her hips and a glare on her face. "I don't like that I keep hearing about how much Caius cheats on his wife. He's married! That's a sacred concept. And I certainly don't like how you...vampires keep insinuating that I'm just going to roll over and be his newest...his newest whore!" She was out of breath by the time she was finished ranting. She'd never cussed like that, and was shocked the word had even come out of her mouth.

For a moment she was able to fool herself into believing someone else had said it. She could imagine the look on the nuns faces had they witnessed her foul language. She'd be locked in confession for the day, and forced into fasting as repentance. The two uttered astonished apologies and led the rest of the way in silence.

In the kitchen she was greeted by a human cook, Alonzo. He had black curly hair cut close to his head, and deep brown eyes that were framed by laugh lines. Demetri and Felix took places by the door as Alonzo handed her a cup of water and two small pills 'for her pain' he said in broken English. She replied her thanks in Italian, making the man grin at her as he began to prepare her eggs benedict.

"So," she said over a bite. "What is there for a human to do around here?" She asked the cook in their native tongue.

"There's a game of Monopoly going on in the breakroom," Alonzo joked. She smiled in good nature.

"I'm afraid I don't need any enemies on my first full day here, Alonzo," she teases back. "I'm a beast at Monopoly."

"Challenge accepted," he replies, before going serious again. "There's a small garden for the humans use in the castle atrium that you're welcome to. We grow fruits and vegetables...some flowers."

"That sounds lovely. Thank you." She finishes her food off and walks it to the sink herself, ready to wash it on her own when Alonzo shakes his head, hastily snatching the plate from her with a slightly panicked look on his face as he glances towards the looming vampires. She gives him a weird look and opens her mouth to ask if he were alright, but he shakes his head once again and waves her off.

"He was afraid of you making him look useless," Felix explains when we are out of ear shot.

"By washing my own dish?"

"Yes," he nods. "You have to understand. All humans here are kept around based on their usefulness to the coven. Once they are no longer useful..." he slides his thumb over his own throat. Dean swallows and nods, understanding, but also feeling like she should go and apologize to Alonzo. She hadn't known, though she probably should have. "Would you like to go to the atrium now, my lady?"

"Yes, please," she replies, stepping a little further away from the vampire. The two remained at a respectful distance from her, with Felix leading the way towards the gardens and Demetri taking up the rear. She felt like she were someone important, having her own personal guard. It was as much a stroke to her ego as it was uncomfortable for her. At least the two seemed to have a decent sense of humor and she didn't feel like they were too imposing, despite their height differences.

Two glass double doors opened up to the atrium. It had a high glass ceiling went up several floors with black vinelike patterns carved into the frosted glass. The sun was muted, but shone through onto the various plants. It was humid like a greenhouse, which made Dean roll up the sleeves of her Henley. The stone floor was lined with wooden boxes containing tulips and chrysanthemums. There were stone tables with attached benches in a rounded fashion, a water cooler, and vending machines.

Along the far side of the atrium were more wooden boxes that had small strawberry bushes growing in them, tomato plants as well, and various other shallow growing fruit and vegetables. It was small, but pungent with the sweet smell and she quite liked it in here.

"I'm not surprised to see you in here," said a voice from behind her. She stood up so fast her knees cracked, and spun to see Caius standing there, looking down at her, amused.

"Are you stalking me?" She asks bluntly.

Caius snorts. "Simply passing by when I caught your scent. I came to enquire into how you are feeling."

"I'm fine, thanks." Though it was a small lie. Her body still ached, despite the pain killers she'd taken a few minutes ago. "No doubt it'd have been worse if the bed wasn't as comfortable as it was."

A smirk plays on his lips. "Yes, I am sure that helped your delicate bones recuperate."

Dean went to move past him, and he followed. He was amused to see how easily she turned her back on him, though he could see the goosebumps along the sliver of exposed flesh behind the strands of her long hair. She whirled to face him unexpectedly, her eyes narrowed in on him suspiciously. "Why does it feel like you're not telling me something?"

Caius hid his surprise, maintaining his composure by only allowing a single eyebrow to raise. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Everyone talks in circles around me. They slip up, and they don't think I notice, but I have. You made me believe I would be staying up in that tower, only for me to find out that you had a room being made up for me. Everyone keeps talking to me like I'm someone to you, but that can't be right, considering every time you're around me you look like you want to tear my head off. Not to even mention the fact that you are married, and I have zero intention of touching you like that." She ticked each point off on her fingers, steam practically floating out of her ears.

Caius couldn't help himself. He reached out and grasped those slender, gorgeous fingers. She stopped her ranting, staring at their joined hands before slowly dragging her eyes up to look into his. Something she couldn't explain made all her protests die on her lips and she just wanted to know why. "We should stay away from each other," he says lowly. He knew that was for the best, for them both, but it caused his undead heart to clench in his chest painfully.

"Let me go home," she pleaded softly. "I won't tell anyone about you. We can forget this whole thing happened."

He chuckles darkly, releasing her hand and stepping away from her, the coldness seeping back into his expression. "That is an impossibility. You will remain here. Get used to it." He hissed the last part with shocking venom, before turning around and storming out, the glass shaking in their frames as the doors slammed shut.