Sam's POV
I was on my way to Alec's room. He told me that I should go to him when I would be ready. And anyway I had no intention of being alone.
I hurried up the stairs and made a right until finally I found the last room at the end of the corridor. Yeah, Alec really liked his privacy. I knocked softly and paid attention to what was happening inside. I heard the rush of water, which probably meant that Alec was showering.
"Sam, you can come in, I left the door open." he said and I gasped in surprise.
"How did you know it was me?"
"I may be telepathic and I don't know that or I could have detected your scent." he told me and along with his beautiful voice I heard ripples of laughter that made me giggle too.
I looked around me. The room was almost identical to mine except for the bedspreads, pillows and curtains. Mine were a light sky blue with fleur-de-lys all over them in a lighter shade. Alec's were a light pea green with golden fleur-de-lys. The room was covered in paintings. Some were sunsets or meadows. There was a beautiful painting of Jane who was smiling a pretty and I dare say kind smile. She looked a whole lot different that the mean snicker she would give me. I noticed that the room, though kind of mysterious like Alec looked slightly messy. There were several pieces of crumbled papers on the bed and on the floor. A sketchpad laid carelessly on the bed along with many white feathers and a thorn pillow. I decided as long as I would have to wait, I could straighten up a little bit. I gathered all the feathers and threw them away along with the ruined pillow. I straightened Alec's covers and put the sketch pad and pencil neatly in the middle and picked up the crumpled papers and put them in the bin.
Then I heard the flowing water stop and Alec came out with only a towel wrapped around his hips. Drops of water fell from his wet hair and down his shoulder and torso. He looked like he had just come out of the pool after hours of training. I breathed deeply and after a swamp of lust I looked up and smiled at him.
"I see you did some cleaning." he said and came closer to me he put a lock of hair behind my ear and trailed his fingers along my jaw.
"Yeah, I never took you as the messy type." I said.
"That was not messy, that was sparkling clean for an artist." he said.
"Sure." I said. He laughed and got some clothes out. He touched the towel but before he could loosen it, I interrupted him with my shouting.
"Stop! Alec, give me some time to get out of the room!"
"Oh, that's too bad! I would have loved to see your reaction. I'll go change in the bathroom. You're very welcome to join me." he said seductively. I had to swallow to make sure that my voice didn't crack before I answered.
"I'll pass." I said weakly. He laughed and disappeared in the bathroom. I needed something to calm down. I looked around me and the first thing that caught me eyes was Alec's sketch pad. I sat carefully on the bed so that I wouldn't wrinkle the covers. I pulled up the sketch pad and opened it. The first thing I found was a picture of a girl wearing a very beautiful crimson dress. She was leaning on a pillar in a balcony with a single red rose in her hand and in the background there was the dark night sky. Her long brown hair was flowing around her and her golden eyes lit like gems. I looked at her face and saw myself. I blinked twice but the picture never changed. I must have been mistaken. It was highly unlikely that Alec would spend his Sam-free time painting my face. I turned the page and found the same girl wearing a black robe. She was lying in a bed with a very seductive smile on her lips. The sleeve was slipping, which exposed her bra and a little cleavage. I turned the page again and this time the girl was in a meadow, wearing what seemed like one of those white Victorian nightgowns. She had a rose in her hand once more. She looked happy as a bright smile lit her face and made her look unearthly. The full moon was up and it surrounded her face like a halo. I turned the page again and this time the girl was naked, except for a white shawl that was wrapped around her, covering her breasts and hips. This time her eyes were crimson. She looked innocent but sure and ready. With her hand she was staining the shawl with blood. I shuddered as I understood the naughty meaning of the painting. White is used when you want to symbolise that something or someone is pure, untouched. The picture made me think the maiden was about to lose her virginity. I had to restrain my gasp as I looked at myself in the mirror and the picture of the girl. The similarity was uncanny. I quickly turned the page and found my face, sketched to the last detail. But my eyes were burgundy. A beautifully scary burgundy. The door opened and Alec came out buttoning up his shirt. Instead of turning a blind eye I decided to face him. I love being his girlfriend and I know that he has dirty thoughts about me, just like any guy but actually painting them!
"What's this?" I asked him with an icy tone. He looked up and I could see how his face hardened.
"Sam...I'm..." he stammered.
"Busted. You're busted. I know that you want to get in my pants and I told that you would have to wait. I understand your feelings and umm... needs but I'd rather you keep your thoughts locked up until the right moment. I already told you that I will not allow what we have to turn into something physical."
"I'm sorry...very sorry. It's just that... This is difficult. I really don't know what I was thinking when I drew that. Sometimes I draw stuff without really thinking them through. It's just that I've never met a person that makes me feel like this. I know you want us be truly together but you still restrain yourself. You have several morals and you respect them even though sometimes they get really annoying and I really respect you for that. I'm willing to wait a thousand lifetimes for you. I don't care what we do as long as we're together." he said. I felt like crying. What was I supposed to do? I looked at my feet but he lifted my chin. He took the sketchpad from my hands and ripped the painting in tiny shreds. He leaned in and kissed me softly and briefly, barely touching me. "Tell you what, I promise I won't touch you tonight as long as I you tell me to." he murmured.
"Okay. That makes me feel better but I doubt that you'll be able to keep your promise." I teased. He smiled a cute crooked smile.
"Yes, it will be hard but I'll do everything for you. And anyway, I'm a man of my word." he said.
"Uh-huh. So now that whole thing is over, are all these about me?" I asked him as I turned the pages.
"Of course. I have more if you want to see them." he said and went across the room. He opened a drawer and got out two more drawing pads. I opened the first one and the first picture I found bewildered me. It was me sitting on the grass with my hands crossed wearing Miranda's long disintegrated jeans, jacket and red shirt. The wind was ruffling my hair and I had a stubborn look that made my lips pout.
"It's the first time we met. Remember you stopped me to give you some explanations. It was the first time I noticed how beautiful you were. I remember thinking that destiny had sent you here for me. And I hope I was right."
"You were most definitely right." I said and hugged him. I could feel my lips aching to touch his but I was not about to tempt him. That would be wrong.
I turned the page and found myself wearing aviator glasses and a black dress. I looked really gloomy, then I realised that this was when I went to save Cam.
I continued and found more pictures of myself. Alec's paintings were simply a history of my time in Volterra. I found a picture of me rumbling with the bear and next to it my picture after the bear ruined my dress.
I turned the page again and this time I was wearing my V necklace. The others were mainly me reading or writing. Among them there was even a crumpled drawing that I had thrown away after spending half an hour trying to paint a flower that looked like a smudge.
"You kept it!" I said. He nodded and simply smiled kindly. I knew that I was a terrible artist though my calligraphy wasn't half bad.
"Alec, isn't there a picture of us together?" I asked him. He had not appeared once in the paintings.
"I'm not really good at painting myself." he said frankly. I frowned.
"Well that's not right. In fifty years from now we would want to see what happened to us when we met. And since I'm a terrible artist I think we should get a camera." I said.
"Well, I have a camera here. But I never really use it. Its a little bit outdated." he said as he scurried of to one of his trunks. He opened it and got it out. It was one of those cameras which take your picture and it comes out of a little slot.
"Let's try it!" I said and got up. I removed our V necklaces and rolled up the sleeves and unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt. He gave me a skeptical look.
"What? Now we look like two seventeen year olds, I would like the picture to be just us. No bindings." I said.
"Alright then as long as it makes you happy. So I have an idea where we should take our photo. Shall we go there?" he asked me. I nodded and I followed him out. He took my hand and we ran through the forest until I saw the most beautiful meadow with a single huge tree in the middle and a river flowing silvery water. The stars were out and the moon was full. It was one of those scenes were you really feel as if magic really exists. Some fireflies were flying around the river making it look all the more romantic. It looked more like one of my dreams than reality.
Alec's POV
"Alec, its beautiful!" she told me in complete awe. She looked as if she was in a dreamy phase.
"I know. This is where I drew you in one of the paintings. I loved coming here before I met you. I used to think that this was the most beautiful thing in the world. But I was proved wrong." I said and looked at her. I wanted to caress her and make a trail if butterfly kisses down her neck. But I couldn't. I was in serious self-denial. But I could resist it for her.
"That's one if the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me." she said. I smiled at her but I had to roll my fists into balls to keep my hands off her.
"Come on, let's take the picture." I said and she nodded. We sat underneath the tree. She put her head on my shoulder and I put my arms around her. She directed the camera at us with one hand and she took the picture. It came out of the slot and I took it in my hands. We looked like two young lovers, sitting under a tree. I dare say we looked human except for our eyes.
"It came out great!" she said. She got up and walked to the river bank. I followed her and she took of her shoes, pulled up her cuffs. She dipped her feet in the water and sighed gloomily.
"Why are you sad? Was the picture not of your liking?" I said as I took off my shoes and pulled up my cuffs. I put my feet in the water. She was worrying me. I hope she wasn't still upset about the stupid painting. I really don't know what I was thinking, the least I could have done was at least put it somewhere private. She was right, she deserved something true not just a bedmate. She had more than a pretty face and a voluptuous...stop thinking about it! She was smart, fierce, intelligent...
"No, it's not the picture. It's the water." she said which utterly confused me.
"What's wrong with the water?" I asked her.
"It's supposed to feel cold. But it's normal for us." she said sadly.
"Well, our temperature is lower than normal. But you knew that already."
"Yeah, I did. Alec, are you sure that there's no way to reverse this, you know, turn back human?" she asked. I sighed internally. I couldn't believe that she was still having issues with immortality.
"No, we know of nobody who managed to turn back human. Death is irreversible. But I thought that you were over that." I said softly.
"It's not that really. It's just what it stole from us. If we were human we would study at some prestigious university, get married and have kids, then they would give us grandkids and when we're old and wrinkled we would come back here and remember how beautiful it was when we first met.
"I'm sorry but it's irreversible. But that doesn't mean that we can't live eternally happy. We can be together forever. And believe me after three centuries I've tasted a slice of eternity and living it with a person special to you is more of a blessing rather than a curse." I told her and wrapped my arms around her. Her head leaned on my shoulder and she looked utterly defeated.
"Yeah, but at least if they couldn't let me rest in peace after my first life, they could at least let me have kids. I mean not now but in about thirty years from now, it would be nice to know that I can create a life rather than just destroying." she said. Ah, the maternity crisis. Jane went through that two centuries ago. It's one of the worst crises female vampires have to go through.
"But you create life when you change somebody into a vampire." I said.
"Yeah, but you kill him in the process." she said exasperatedly. I sighed deeply. I was worried. Really worried. It's not like I could do anything for her. It would have been so sweet, being able to have a child with her. The single image of child who resembled me and Sam made me smile slightly. I would go home and find Sam cooking and our little child would come running at my feet begging me to lift her up. The thought of being able to wake up and finding Sam by my side, looking like my sleepy angel made me want to fly. Perhaps being human again wouldn't be so ugly, if it was possible.
"Life's not really fair. But eventually it gets better. We may not be able to have children but at least we're together. I remember a couple, Edward and Bella Cullen. About a decade ago Edward came here, asking for us to end him. You see this Bella was human. He was a telepath; he could read everybody's thoughts, the only exception being this Bella. He came here claiming he was in love with her but he couldn't be with her as it was too dangerous. He asked us to end him. Permanently. But Masters didn't want to end him. They thought he was way too valuable to be ended. But then he decided to let the humans see him in the sunlight. But Bella stopped him before he exposed himself. We wanted to dispose of her as she was human but she mystified Aro. He could not hear her thoughts either and neither could Jane and I inflict our power on her. Anyway, they were allowed to leave but after a few months we had to go to Seattle as a newborn army was attacking the Cullens. The maker of the army, Victoria held a grudge against Bella as Edward had killed her mate to save her. Bella had to be turned into a vampire as it is not allowed for humans to know about us. After she was turned, a witness told us that she saw an immortal child, playing with the Cullens and their werewolf pack."
"Immortal child, as in biting a human toddler?"
I nodded. "Well, we all went to end them. All of us, the wives included. But it turned out that the vampires where the biological parents of the child."
"What! How can it be? I thought vampires were infertile." she said in utter bewilderment.
"So did we. But the truth is that female vampires can't have children because our skin is not like that of a human. It doesn't adapt to changes to the body. On the other hand males have no problem. Apparently, the couple made intercourse while the woman was still human. The human carried the child in her womb until the child had to claw its way out of the woman. That's when Edward turned the woman, just as her battered body was slowly dying."
"God! That must have hurt like a bitch! How in the world the he manage to get that close to the human without turning her right there and then?"
"I seriously have no idea." I told her. "But the point is that when things seem bad, you'll always find a way to make them better. And truthfully, as long as we are together, I don't see how things can get any better." I said. I actually surprised myself that my words were seriously true. I liked being with her. I liked having someone to care about except for Jane. And speaking of Jane, she hadn't talked to me in some time. I instantly felt bad. Sam was taking every minute in my life. When I was not with her I could not stop thinking about her so I end up painting about her. I had to talk to Jane, a normal conversation were we didn't end up in a fight.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked me.
"Jane. She won't talk to me anymore. Its like every time I try to talk to her it ends up in a fight and I have no idea why." I told her.
"Oh god! I'm sorry Alec. I'm here boring you with my problems when right now I'm your biggest problem. I'm afraid Jane won't talk to you because of me." she said.
"Well, perhaps she needs some time to cool off. I know! We can go somewhere just the two of us. Just until she calms down. Once she'll realise that we're together permanently, she'll have to accept you." I said. Not one of my brilliant ideas but being away will relax Sam. I knew she wanted us to have some quite time together without the Volturi.
"Erm, okay. So where should we go?" she asked me.
"It's a surprise. You'll find out when the time comes. I'll need to leave for at least a day to get everything ready. Think you can stand that?" I asked her. Her eyes sparkled as I mentioned the surprise.
"Oh, come one! Just a little hint. Tell me at least what I should pack." she said eagerly. I knew what she would really like. I could build a small cabin next to the pond. A few miles from here there was a deep pond. We could swim in the moonlight, I could paint and she would really like it there.
"Bring your most comfortable summer clothes." I told her. I would have to buy her swimsuit, because if I told her I would give the entire plan up.
"Well, okay. When will you leave?"
"Tonight after I pack a few things and do some research. You should be ready by the next day. Be in my room at noon the day after tomorrow." I told her.
"You seem really excited, please don't go overboard with stuff." she said. I smiled at her and we got up.
"Don't worry. Leave it all to me." I said. We ran back to the clock tower. It was a quiet run as we rally didn't keep up a conversation.
Sam's POV.
We arrived in front of the clock tower. "Hey, you managed to keep your promise." I told him. He smirked.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind if you give me a farewell kiss. I won't see you for a whole day." he begged. I laughed at him. He was putting on the puppy dog face and it was just so cute. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a sweet little peck of the lips. He looked disappointed and unsatisfied but he knew that that was all he was going to get.
"Well, farewell my consort. I hope you won't miss me to much." I told him.
"Yes, I think I will." he said as we entered the clock tower and went into separate ways. I wanted to go in my room and read a good book but my gut told me that I had some unfinished business to take care of. I willed the fog to come and cover my eyes. It showed ms just what I wanted to see. I went to the feeding rooms were Jane was along with some other vamps. Chelsea was there with Afton and Heidi was there too. They were all feeding so all the humans where dead. The smell of blood hit me but it didn't send me berserk this time. I was in complete control of myself. Still everyone gasped at me. I walked over to the blond vampire who was wiping her mouth clean of blood. I was surprised how such a cruel person mike Jane could look so angelic.
"We need to talk. Now." I said with a strong tone. I really didn't know what I was doing, but I knew that if I followed my instincts it would always turn out alright.