Bound To You: Marcus Volturi

Chapter 50: Is He Nuts? No! He's Insane

A/N, may contain sensitive content.

"Bad?"

"Yes."
"How bad?"

"He was rocking."
"Back and forth?"
"Back and forth."
"Oh."
"Yeah, like..that kind of bad."

Marcus sighs, putting down his book. "Maybe...maybe he should go to an asylum?" He suggests timidly. Caius and Athenadora look up from the floor and glance tiredly at Marcus. "Maybe." She says softly.

"Being parents is hard work." Caius jokes wearily. Athenadora attempts a half smile. She turns to Marcus. "We had to go through the file with him, and talk about his feelings, he was quite fragile afterwards." She sighs. Marcus shakes his head sadly.

"I found out a bit more about Liam's history." Caius says quietly. "His mother spent time in the psychiatric ward in the prison. He may have inherited any mental disorders she had." He explains.

"All I did was go through his file, and now he's gone mad. Surely that's a bit too dramatic?" I huff, perching on Marcus's desk. "It's his history. He had to look at everything in it to make sure nothing was missing, and it triggered him." Marcus says.

The door flies open and Heidi rushes in with wild eyes. "It's Liam!" She cries, before rushing down the corridor. We all follow at lightening speed without question.

Liam is in centre of the throne room, slashing at his arms with a knife, manically laughing as blood runs down them, and of course, Aro as a vampire, is keeping well away, his hand clamped firmly over his nose to block out the smell.

"We couldn't stop him. And also, I'm still working on how to restrain." Heidi murmurs. Athenadora doesn't seem to care about her restraint for blood and rushes straight to Liam, yanking the knife out of his hands so viciously, it slides across the polished floor.

Liam peers up at her, confused, his laughter forgotten as she kneels in front of him and gently holds his bloody arms. "Demetri, bandages." She barks. "Felix, warm water and a cloth." They both jump to it instantly, throwing them in her direction as soon as they return.

Caius gingerly approaches them, kneeling beside Athenadora and taking Liam's head into his lap to keep him still and calm. Liam's manic laughter has turned to small quiet chuckles, with the occasional whimper, as Athenadora starts to gently wipe down his arms with the wash cloth.

Marcus and I stand to the side of the room, feeling weirdly out of place and concerned for Liam who is now silent. "Everyone leave." Caius orders softly, and a swarm of guards quickly exit. Aro lingers for a second before walking past with a sad look on his face. "Poor boy." He murmurs, and then he's gone.

"Lee, head to Priest and see if he has some antiseptic lotion." Mum calls over her shoulder. I'm out through the door before she can finish her sentence.

******************************

Priest is sitting on one of the many beds in the infirmary cleaning surgical instruments when I arrive, red faced and panting from running. "Lee? You shouldn't run, not with your cracked ribs." He tuts, standing and heading to me.
"Antiseptic cream? Lotion? What have you got? Quickly." I state. He narrows his eyes at me.

"Liam." I add and he sighs. "How awful. I take it from your distraught face that he's self harmed?" He asks, shaking his head.

"Yeah, please, anything antiseptic."

He bends down into a cupboard and pulls out a bottle of liquid and some cotton pads. "Apply this to wherever the wounds are. It will sting but it will work." He says. I give a nod of thanks and rush back to the throne room.

Liam is pale when I return, the water has turned red and Athenadora is looking stressed. "He's lost a lot of blood." Her lip trembles and Caius's arm wraps around her. "It's alright, 'Thena, he's ok." He persuades, stroking Liam's forehead, his head still in his lap.

Athenadora splashes the liquid onto the cotton pads and swiftly runs it down over Liam's arm, who moans from pain, pressing his face further into Caius's leg so he can't be seen. "Hush, my darling, we'll clean you up." He soothes, brushing Liam's hair with his fingers.

"I can't do it, Daddy." He murmurs like a little boy. "I don't want to live anymore." He continues. "My history. My past is too much." He cries out.

"We all have bad days. Maybe some more dramatic than others. Tomorrow is another day." Caius preaches, lifting him up and drying his clean arms with his cloak which he wraps around him.

"Let's take you to bed." He sighs. "It's too early to sleep." Liam moans, stretching and yawning. "Trust me, a good sleep will help you relax. When you wake up, we'll cook you a nice meal and we'll watch a film. It will lift your spirits." He promises.

Caius leads him up the tower steps and lays him on the bed in Athenadora's bedroom. "This way, we can keep an eye on you." He smiles softly.
I perch beside Athenadora who has Liam sandwiched between her and Caius. Caius is stroking Liam's forehead and whispering soothingly to him.

"It's ok, my darling. Everything will be ok. We'll get you some counselling. I promise." He kisses Liam's cheek who whimpers softly. He pulls back the covers and curls up beside him.
I stand back and in that moment, as I see Athenadora and Caius cuddle Liam and whisper promises to him which I know they'll keep, and then I realise.

Athenadora and Caius are true parents, who will be there for you through and through. They'll accept you for who you are, they'll pick you up when you're feeling down, and they'll give you endless love and cuddles no matter how old you are.

And that, is what parents should be like.