Amnesia

Chapter 3 License plate

Carter looked at the blonde man, her eyebrows in stiff straight lines, racking her brain trying to remember her supposed 'father'. She tried to remember anything she could. His smooth voice, his sharp facial structure, his silky platinum blonde hair. Nothing was ringing a bell.

She looked from him to the woman that stood beside him. She was only a few inches shorter than him, but no less beautiful. Her hair was just a shade darker than his, but still a bright blonde. Her lips were a plump pink and were pulled into a smile. Carter turned her attention back to Caius.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you." Carter's brown-green eyes slightly blurred. The morphine intensified her emotions. If she wasn't on the drug in this situation, she would've had a very nonchalant attitude about the situation at hand. However, she was high as a kite at this point. Before she could stop herself, tears ran down the sides of her face, refusing to stop.

"I can't remember you, I can't remember anything. I don't know what my own name is! I'm terrified! You could all be homicidal maniacs in some sort of cult or mafia and I wouldn't even know! All because I can't remember!" Carter was a stuttering, mumbling, sobbing, incoherent mess. It was a miracle that the queen and king could understand a single word that left her mouth. She firmly gripped the thick quilt under her, attempting to stay grounded.

Standing in the doorway, out of Carter's sight, stood the two elder kings. Sulpicia stood next to her husband while a few castle guards stood behind them, watching the scene unfold.

"Shh, shhh. Hey, look at- no, look at me. Babygirl, look at me please." Caius soothed. He dropped to his knees by her bedside and gently cupped her cheek, moving her head to face him. There were audible gasps throughout the suite. No guardsmen had seen their vicious king be so sweet. They didn't even know if he was capable of such kindness.

"There's no reason to be scared. You're home, you're safe. You're mother and I won't let anything happen to you ever again. We both love you so much and we feel so guilty for letting this happen to you, darling." He promised, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"God I hope she buys it." Caius thought to himself. It's not like he was running a scam, he just wanted to somehow prove that she was their's. That all of this was real.
With his thumb he wiped her tears away while she sniffled.
She turned her head to Athena that now stood on the opposite side of the bed. Mirroring her husband, she also had dropped to her knees. She ran her hand through the child's buzzed locks, the short hairs tickling her palm with every stroke.

"You're my mom?" Carter asked. Athena happily nodded in response.
"Yes, darling. I'm your mommy." Athena affirmed, happy tears filling her eyes. Caius shot her a look. A venomous look that clearly read: "Don't blow this".
She slightly nodded her head at him, hardly enough movement for Carter to notice.
Carter couldn't remember her either.
"What's my name?" She asked, looking back over to Caius, her eyes red and puffy.
"Carter Marie Volturi." He smiled.

While Aro spilled her darkest secrets to them, they had also found out her middle name. Athena completely fell in love with it.

She nodded her head at him.
"What happened to me?"
"Well," Athena looked over to Caius as she told Carter yet another lie that she would surely believe. "You had snuck out real late. You were mad at us for not letting you go out with some friends." She stated. She tried to make her tone sound disappointed, but it was hard to mask the glee she felt for finally having a child. Even if it wasn't a baby.

"So, I drove home drunk?" She asked, her voice cracking.
"Not exactly." Caius corrected, fueling the lie. "You were walking home. While you were crossing the street a car hit you. They had broken your femur, given you a concussion, fractured your spine, and so many other things. We found you a little while after. You nearly bled out on the road. We barely got to you in time."
Carter stared wide eyed at him.
"Holy shit." She muttered. "That's why I can't sit up? My spine was fractured?"