The Immortal Queen

Giving Fate a second chance

****** Catherine's POV ******

I got out of Stefano’s car without waiting for Antonio to open the door for me.

- Catherine, I know it has been awhile but you must abide by the security measures: wait for me to check if it’s safe and open the door for you. – Antonio doesn’t hide his distaste for me because I have abandoned his master… I mean, boss.

- Please. For your safety, of course. – He adds as an afterthought. – Maybe he remembers his place.

To be honest: I wasn't listening to him (much). I was busy looking at Stefano’s house and thinking of all the memories it brought me… All the happy memories. Bittersweet, that’s the taste in my mouth. I feel like weeping for renouncing love and the possibility of a happy ending, but I can’t. Weeping is a luxury I haven’t allowed myself for a while now. If I let myself feel everything that I went through in the last six centuries…

- Catherine! Are you listening to me? – It seems that annoying man was still going on about… something.

- Antonio. – One word from Stefano was all Antonio needed to shut up. After all, Stefano was his master and I was just some pesky human that disrespected his master. Or so he thought.

I reluctantly take my eyes from the beautiful mansion that was once my second home and look at Stefano and Antonio. They seemed to be involved in a silent discussion. Maybe mental discussion is more appropriate since vampires from the same clan can mind talk with each other.

I take the opportunity to think of what to do and what is the best course of action to follow…

Sigh.

Silly me.

I know or have known what I was going to do since I agreed to go in Stefano’s car to his house. By not bringing my car here, I am left without an exit strategy, especially since his house is in the middle of nowhere and there’s all the security. Not that they are any threat to me, there are perks to being an Immortal, you know?

Am I really going to give us a second chance? I guess I am.

Will I let Fate dictate my choices again? I guess I will.

And for us to work this time, I will have to tell him who I really am. Damn it.

- Stefano, it’s ok. I understand Antonio’s attitude. – I say in a calm tone. Too calm.

- You do? – He asks, surprised. He remembers my intolerance for disrespect.

- Yes, I do. I also understand that he will soon regret his attitude to whom he considers a puny human.

- Are you threatening me? – Antonio takes a step forward in what he thinks is a menacing way. I wanted to laugh in his face. I guess he totally missed the point.

- That’s enough Antonio! – Stefano holds him back without taking his eyes off me. He got the point. – You know what we are…? – he asks me, cautiously.

- What? Boss? – Antonio seemed confused.

- Are you deaf? She just said that she knows you consider her a human. Get it? – Stefano keeps looking at me and waiting for an answer.

- Oh… What do you know? – Antonio asks me.

- I know that it isn’t any of your business, Antonio. It is a conversation between me and Stefano. In private. – I say never taking my eyes off Stefano. He is all that matters. I’m tired of Antonio and he should leave my sight as fast as possible if he knows what is best for him.

Obviously, Antonio doesn’t know what is best for him. It took Stefano to order him to leave.

We are now in his private living room looking at each other, waiting for the other to speak first. I always thought it interesting how Stefano had a living room for visits and one for private use. In fact, he had that for each division of the house. Very compartmentalized, his house and his life. I believe that is his mechanism to deal with all his roles: vampire, clan master, mob boss, average criminal to the human authorities and human lover for me. I understand. I have way more roles to play than that…

- You know what I am, don’t you? Is that why you ran? – He seems very relaxed leaning against the back of the couch but his tight grip on the fabric gives it away. His breathing increases and it looks like he is struggling to say something…

- Are you afraid of me?

- No, no Stefano! I am not afraid of you and you being a vampire has nothing to do with why I ran away. I already knew what you were when we started dating and…

- You already knew??? Why didn’t you tell me? You watched me make an effort to act human in front of you and to hide half my life from you. Why? Was it a show for you? Did it amuse you? – Stefano was a rollercoaster of emotions, from relief to anger. I didn’t know what to tell him, since I really couldn’t defend my actions. I know I acted wrong.

****** Stefano's POV ******

I’m watching her face while I wait for her to give me a reasonable explanation for all the lies and why she left me. Even though I have a feeling she is struggling with something and is indecisive, I can’t see it in her face or body language. How have I not noticed before what an incredible actress she is! I’m a vampire and I’m old for my kind! I mean, I have seen a thing or two and it seems I was blinded by love. I have let this human fool me… Or perhaps… She isn’t really human either…

If his heart still worked, it would be running a mile right now with the possibility that Catherine wasn’t human. It clicked in his mind and some very small details that he chose to ignore started to make sense all of a sudden. He needs to be sure before, but if it is true, then does that mean she is the one for him? He always suspected, but you can never tell with a human. Only if you transform her and bit her afterwards do you know and even then, that’s rare. A vampire’s soulmate is almost never human, it would be cruel and inhumane of Fate to give partners that can’t survive alongside you. If he bites Catherine, he will know if she is the one. It only works if she is a Supernatural.

- Stefano, I really didn’t mean to hurt you. It was never a joke to me. That’s why I ran because it got too serious for me…

- Are you se…?

- Wait! Let me finish, please. I love you and I knew you were a vampire. The fact that you are a vampire opened up a lot of possibilities between us, but I didn’t tell you that I knew because I have my secrets as well and I didn’t want to move our relationship that fast by revealing them. I need some time, Stefano. I have been hiding who I am for such a long time, for longer than you have… - She looks me in the eyes trying to convene the meaning of her words. She is long lived as well, older than me even. What is she?

- I understand. – I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to spook her away now that I have her with me again. She is not human! I’m trembling with the need to bite her to know if she is my Soulmate.