DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!! STEPHENIE MEYER DOES!!

CHAPTER TWELVE

ARO'S POV

I dropped Marcus's hand, slowly sat down in my chair taking in what Marcus has just revealed to me. Could it be that Isabella is truly my mate? When I lost Sulpicia in the Romanian wars, I never gave much thought to a true mate. True, I never really loved her. I cared for her, but it was never love. I was devastated for Marcus when Didyme was killed with Sulpicia, but I was not affected like Marcus was. He still carries the loss with him two thousand years later.

I stood and without a word, left the thrown room. I wasn't sure of my destination, but found myself outside Isabella's room. I could hear her heart beating slowly and I knew she was sleeping. I slowly opened the door and walked to her bedside. I watched her peaceful expression as she slept. How I wish I could see what she was dreaming about.

I sat down in a chair across from Isabella and continued to watch her sleep. She moved slightly and winced, then fell back to her deep slumber. I watched her for the rest of the night. Jane came to get me when the nurse arrived. I regretted having to leave Isabella's side, but I pulled myself from her side to meet the nurse.

Jane informed me that she led the nurse to my study and left Demitri with her. I walked in and saw a middle aged, plump Italian woman looking at a Pablo Picasso painting I had hanging above my fireplace.

"I am Aro. I have asked you here today to take charge of the health of a very special person. I have had you researched and I know you are very good at what you do. You should also know this is a position for life. You will not leave the walls of the castle without the company of my guard or the guards I assign to you. Do you have any questions?" I began as the woman turned and gasped as she looked me in the eyes.

"Hello, I am Alessandra. Who is this very special person? What will I have to do for them? Why can't I leave the castle alone?" The nurse asked as she took a step back. She looked as though she wanted to cry.

"Alessandra, I do apologize for the shock, but as you can see, the things you have been told of the royal family inside these walls may or may not be true; we are indeed very secretive. Once an outsider is in, they are in for life. Her name is Isabella, and she is very important to me. Therefore, she is a very special person. You will need protection, in which I only trust my guard with. You will be well treated here and well paid. I will deny you nothing within reason. If your wonderings do not concern Isabella, do not wonder or ask questions. When you are told to leave a room or not enter a room, you will do so. Now, I would like to introduce you to Isabella and her physician Dr. Colletti, and show you to your quarters near Isabella's room." I turned on my heel and led the way out of my study. I do hope she is as good as my guard was informed when they found her and asked about her credentials. I hope she treats Isabella well.

"Yes, sir. Does this mean I have the position?" She asked shakily and confused.

"Yes, it does. If you did not have the position, you would not be here." I told her.

We walked the corridors of the castle, making several turns into different hallways until we reached the hallway housing the doctor, Isabella, and Alessandra's rooms. I stopped in front of the door across from Isabella's, and pushed open the door.

"I hope the room is satisfactory for you. The fireplace is operational, just let someone know if you want a fire and it will built for you. We have a kitchen staff available for you, just let them know what you would like and it will be prepared for you. You can take your meals in your room or in the kitchen, the choice is yours. It is alright if you eat with Isabella as well. You have your own bathroom with all amenities and there is also a swimming pool on the lower level. Feel free to use it as well. There are gardens that are about an acre large and you are welcome to stroll them as you wish. Just remember to not leave the grounds without the guard. The gate in the garden that leads to the forest is always locked." I waited as she took in all I had told her. "We have sent for your things from your home. We will arrange to sell your furniture for you. If you will follow me, I will take you to Isabella now."

We crossed the hall and I gently knocked on the door and waited for a response. "Come in," Isabella called to us. As we walked in, I found Isabella struggling to get off the bed without hurting herself. I ran over and gently helped her down. "Isabella, why didn't you call for someone to help you?"

"I don't want to feel helpless, Aro. I can still do things for myself." She answered defensively. My heart went out to her. I don't want her in any pain if it can be avoided. If she truly is my mate, she will always be comfortable and have the best of everything, including care. I let her go and she made her way into her bathroom and closed the door. I heard the shower turn on and I turned to Jane. "Jane, dear, will you go inform Isabella her nurse is here and will accompany her in the bathroom. I fear she is not strong enough to do so much for herself just yet." Jane nodded and responded, "Yes, master."

"Go with her, Alessandra. I will return within the hour with Dr. Colletti. Breakfast should be waiting for you here when you and Isabella are finished." Alessandra nodded and did as she was told. I can see she will work out just fine.

I walked into the kitchen and told the staff where to take ladies' breakfast and moved on to the throne room.

BELLA'S POV

I was getting ready to step in the shower when there was a knock on the door. "Just a minute." I stepped out and wrapped my bathrobe around myself and opened the door. Jane was standing there with a human woman I had never seen. "I was just getting in the shower. Can this wait?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, but we're here under Aro's orders. This is your nurse Alessandra. She's going to help you get your shower and when you are finished your breakfast will be waiting for you both in your room." Jane said, inclined her head and turned to leave.

Alessandra came into the bathroom with me and closed the door behind her. She looked very scared. "I'm Bella, the reason you're here." I said trying sound friendly and not freaked out. She seemed to relax at my words and my tone.

"Why do you need medical care, ma'am?" She asked me.

"No one has filled you in on my recent medical history?" I asked, wondering why someone would bring a nurse into a situation she has not been informed of.

"I was shot during an attempted robbery at a restaurant Aro, Jane, Demitri and I were eating at a few days ago. It happened in New York City." She looked as though she couldn't believe what I had just told her. "Aro brought me here because he feels responsible for me and is providing care for me while I recuperate. I just moved here yesterday." She nodded once and tilted her head to the side.

"Where were you shot, ma'am?" She asked in her heavy Italian accent.

"Just above my kidney. The surgeon at the hospital in New York said I was a very lucky young woman. The man who shot me was killed by an armed officer who happened to be in the restaurant." I didn't feel comfortable enough with this woman to give her the complete story. I wasn't sure if Aro wanted more than the bare facts to be told either. So I kept it short and to the point.

"It sounds like it. Now, lets get you into the shower and ready for the day. Our breakfast will be cold when we get out to it. Aro seems to care for you. He said he doesn't want you to be in any pain if it can be helped." I did not know that, and I'm not certain where she got that Aro cares for me. I'm just here to tell him my past and hope I don't die after I'm finished telling him.

After my shower, Alessandra helped me dress and we exited the bathroom. Our breakfast was waiting for us on a table in front of a set of French doors that looked out over the beautiful gardens. We had been given eggs and bacon. A true American meal. It looked almost too good to eat. It tasted even better than it looked. After we ate, I went to brush my teeth.

Alessandra and I were talking and getting to know each other when there was a knock on my door. "Come in," I called, knowing even if I whispered the welcome, it would be heard. Aro opened the door and came in followed by Dr. Colletti.

"Good morning, Isabella. Did you sleep well? Did you enjoy your breakfast?" He asked smiling strangely at me. That smile made my heart skip a beat. It was like being greeted by someone who thought the world revolved around you. That is definitely something different.

"Yes, I did sleep very well and the breakfast was absolutely wonderful. Thank you." I answered him.

"I see the two of you are getting to know one another. Alessandra, this is Dr. Colletti. He will give you Isabella's care orders. I expect them to be followed as instructed." Aro introduced my doctor to my nurse and the last part he said sounded more like a threat than anything. I was beginning to wonder why he was being like this. I definitely didn't know he cared so much. I didn't think things had changed with him that much from our first meeting. I'll have to work up the courage to ask him about it later.

"Dr. Colletti would like to examine you this morning, Isabella. After he is finished I would like to see you in my study. Jane will show you the way. Dr. Colletti, when you and Alessandra have finished with the examination, you are free to explore the castle. I have assigned you both a guard each. They will accompany you throughout the castle and will inform you of where you are not to go. Isabella, Jane will be waiting outside your door for you when you are finished." Aro gave us his orders and left the room.

"I need you to lie down on the bed and pull up your shirt, Isabella." No 'hello' or a 'how are you', nooo. He still has absolutely no bedside manner. As I made my way to my bed, I notice a small stepping stool had been place beside it so I could climb in and out of my own accord. That was very thoughtful.

Dr. Colletti removed the bandages and poked around on my stomach again. It was still very painful. He put more of that stuff on my wound and recovered it, then listened to my heart and took my blood pressure.

Alessandra wrote everything down and smiled reassuringly at me. She is so very nice. I learned she was married and her husband had passed away of a sudden heart attack two years ago and they never had children; not that they never wanted, it just didn't happen for them. She has been a nurse for twenty eight years and was about to retire when Felix approached her and told her the royal family of Volterra needed her services. She said was astonished when they asked for her services. I can understand why they chose her, she had no family to speak of and she was retiring, so no one would ask questions when she didn't show up after a few months of being gone. I hope they don't kill her. I really like her.

When Dr. Colletti was finished, he finally spoke to me. "I don't want you on your feet for more than thirty minutes at a time, and you can sit up for as long as you feel comfortable in doing so. Next week, we will try to keep you on your feet a bit longer and work on adding time day by day until you have regained your strength. I will want to see you again this time tomorrow." He helped me to sit up, nodded to Alessandra, informed us he would be in his room and left.

"He is too friendly." I commented in a mocking tone. Alessandra laughed at me.

"I have to go to Aro's study. Enjoy your day, Alessandra." I said to her smiling.

"Yes, my lady." She turned and left.

My lady? I'm not royalty. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'll add that to the list of things to ask Aro about when I work up the courage. Before I know it, she'll be bowing her head to me. Things are definitely becoming strange with the looks from Aro and comments like that. I don't know what to think of it all.

I made my way out of my room to find Jane where Aro said she would be. She was standing still as a statue just outside my door. She nodded to me and said, "Follow me." I did as she said. We walked slowly and I was able to take in more of this beautiful castle. It was definitely something straight out of a fairytale. Too bad I wasn't in one. Although, I do have to admit I was being taken very good care of. I imagine if I asked for a chocolate fudge sundae at three in the morning I would get it.

We walked for what seemed like ages when we finally made it to Aro's study. Jane knocked on the door and we waited for an answer. "Come in," Aro called softly but loud enough I could hear him. Jane opened the door and I followed her into the beautiful room. There was a massive white marble fireplace to the left along the wall with a gorgeous hand carved mantle above it where a beautiful painting hung. There were windows along the back wall covered with royal blue drapes that hung from ceiling to floor. In front of the windows sat Aro's desk. It was dark mahogany and had lion heads carved in every corner.

Aro looked up from whatever he was working on and smiled at us. "Thank you, Jane. That will be all." He spoke softly to Jane. She nodded her head and said, "Very well, master." Then she turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Please, have a seat, Isabella. How was your visit with Dr. Colletti? What orders did he give you?" He politely asked me.

"Fine, he told me he didn't want me on my feet for more than thirty minutes at a time. And he said next week we would add more time each day until I have regained my strength. He also told me I could sit up as long as it was comfortable for me to do so." I told him everything the doctor told me. I contemplated on telling him about his non-existing bedside manner, but decided to keep it to myself. I'm sure he wouldn't care anyway.

"I asked you to my study today, not just for more of your past, but to get to know you better." He said, smiling at me. I'm not sure why he would have any interest in me other than my past.

"What would you like to know, sir?" I asked him in a small voice.

"Please, call me Aro. How long did you live in Phoenix?"

"Sixteen years. My mother moved us there after she left my father in Forks when I was a few months old."

"How long did you live with your father?"

"A little over a year until I went to college in New York City." For the life of me, I couldn't understand why he wanted to know this.

"What did you study in college?"

"Business Administration, I earned my Bachelor's degree at NYU. I graduated with honors." Where is this going?

"How did you meet your friends and Aaron?"

"You shook their hands, don't you know? No disrespect intended, I just don't understand why you're asking me all these questions." I stated, hopefully I didn't make him angry with my answer.

"I'm just curious about you, Isabella. I find you very interesting. I'd like to know more about you than I'm getting in your story of your past." He said with a smirk.

"Okay. I met Michelle when I was looking for an apartment after I graduated college. I then met Abby at work and introduced her to Michelle and Michelle introduced us to Samantha, Samantha then came to work with me and Abby at the marketing firm. We had dinner together once a month and spoke constantly. I miss them a lot."

"Perhaps I can arrange for you to give them a call today." He said and wrote something down on a piece of paper in front of him.

"Thank you, Aro. That would mean so much." I tried not to cry as one tear slid down my cheek. I was overjoyed at the thought of speaking to my friends.

"How did you meet Aaron, Isabella?"

"We met in a psychology class at NYU. We had a project that we had to work on with a partner and he chose me. He was a year ahead of me, so he graduated before me. He asked me out to dinner and our relationship started from there." I said, smiling.

"What happened between you?" He seemed to really care.

"He wanted to be an FBI agent and was accepted to the academy while he was in graduate school. He moved to Langley, Virginia where the FBI headquarters are and we drifted apart. We fell out of love and into a friendship type of love. We broke up a month later and stayed friends. We email each other once a month and I've met his fiancé. Her name is Caroline and I think the world of her. She is very good for Aaron." I found it very easy to talk like this with Aro.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Isabella. Now, I want to share some of myself with you. I had was married once. Her name was Sulpicia. Many years ago, there was a war with some Romanian vampires and it got very violent. Sulpicia, along with my twin sister, Didyme was killed in the war. I think about her from time to time. My brother, Marcus was married to my sister. He still mourns her death today. He may never get over her." he seemed sad and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that. I wasn't told any history about any of you, just the basics." I was becoming very comfortable with him. I think I could talk like this with him all day.

"Will you tell me more of your story, Isabella?" He asked me, titling his head to the side.

"Of course," I answered and began where I left off. "He took me home as he promised he would and told me to sleep well. The next day, he picked me up for school. We had made plans to go to Seattle a week and a half later, but learned it was going to be sunny that day, so he took me to a meadow he loved to go to be alone. He said he found the seclusion comforting since he couldn't hear anyone's thoughts there, unless someone was near the meadow. He showed me the power of his strength and his speed. He showed me what he looked like in the sunshine. He actually confessed to me that he wasn't sure if he would kill me in that meadow. I never thought of it, though. I never feared him, even when he made his confession. Something in my head told me I should be terrified, but I wasn't ever terrified of him. I don't know why, but I trusted him completely.

"He told me the scent of my blood was like his own personal brand of heroine. When we decided to go home at the end of the day, he told me to climb on his back and he would show me how he got through the forest. He ran so fast, everything was a blur. That was the first time I ever got motion sick. I thought I was going to pass out when he stopped." I heard Aro chuckle at the last part. I found myself smiling at the memory.

"He took me home and told me he wanted to come in and spend more time with me. While I was making myself some dinner he told me he had come into my room to watch me sleep. I asked him when he had done that. He said just about every night for the past couple of months. He told me he liked to watch me sleep. I knew should have been angry that he was in my room and I didn't know it, but I wasn't. After that, he made his presence known before I went to bed. I stayed awake that night talking to him while we lay in my bed.

"The next day he told me he wanted to take me to meet his family. He laughed at me because I wasn't worried about being in house full of vampires but I was worried they wouldn't approve of me. He took me to his home, and it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen. It was just huge. I met his parents and sisters and brothers. He had two sisters and two brothers. One of his sisters hated the fact I was there and she made no effort to hide that fact. She scared the hell out of me. I'm sure if she thought she could have gotten away with it, she would have hurt me. She was the only one who acted that way and treated me so rudely.

"His other sister hugged me and told me we were going to be very good friends. His brothers smiled at me, but didn't say much at all.

"He showed me to his bedroom, and we laughed more. He turned on some music and tried to dance with me. I told him I don't dance and he playfully said he could always make me. I told him I wasn't afraid of him. We wrestled around a bit, and he was very easy with me, careful not hurt me.

"His sister who was nice to me poked her head in the door and asked if we would like to play baseball that evening. He said there was no way I was going to play, but I could watch. He said vampire baseball was nowhere near safe for me." Aro interrupted me then.

"Vampire baseball? What is that?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Vampires playing baseball. They needed a thunderstorm to play and I would see why. When we got to the field, his mother came over to us and told me to sit with her. She never played because it wasn't her thing. She told me of her human life, which was not a very happy one. It amazed me she was such a loving woman, given everything she went through.

"When the first ball was hit, I learned why they needed the thunder to play. It sounded like thunder. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. They played for a while, when his sister said there were others coming. When she said others, she meant nomads.

"His family formed a circle around me and tried to hide me from the newcomers. The wind blew just at is seemed everything was going to be alright, and blew my scent to one of the nomads. He made a comment that I was a snack, and when the family defended me, he became very angry.

"The nomad was convinced to leave with his friends, but he didn't go far. He began to hunt me. My friend and his brother and sister put in his brothers jeep and were trying to figure out a way to throw the tracker off my scent. I was told that's what the angry nomad was, a tracker. It seemed when I was defended it set him off, and he began to hunt me.

"I convinced everyone to let me go back to my house and stage an argument my friend, make it look like I was leaving Forks in a different direction than I actually was, to keep my father safe. He told me I had fifteen minutes to gather my things and get to my truck. When I got in my truck and pulled away from my house, he took me back to his house. His family came up with a plane to confuse the tracker and throw him off my scent.

"His mother and the sister who hated me put on some of my clothes and ran through the woods, while his other sister and her husband said they would drive me south and keep me safe. He said when they took care of the tracker, he would come for me and take me somewhere else, just the two of us." I stopped there to look at Aro. He was looking very intently at me. I think he was deep in thought.

"If his sister hated you so much, why would she help get you to safety?" He asked, and I could tell his curiosity was sincere.

"I'm not really sure. I heard their father tell her I was part of their family now and they protect their family. That's when she agreed to help with the cover up. I knew she still didn't like it.

"His sister and her husband drove me to Phoenix and we stayed in a hotel there. I had called my mother and told her I wasn't in Forks anymore but not to worry and I would call her later.

"While I was waiting to hear something from the family, his sister's cell phone rang. The number that popped up on the screen was my mother's home phone, so naturally I answered it.

"It was James, the tracker, he told me to be quiet and walk into another room saying something meaningless to thwart off any suspicions from the people in the room with me. I did as I was told. He then told me he had my mother, and I could still save her if I went to him alone. He said if he caught the scent of anyone else with me, he would kill her. I told him I would just to don't hurt my mother.

"I waited until we were at the airport and made the excuse I needed a human moment. I knew the airport well and knew one of the restrooms had two ways out, one on opposite walls. I went through one door and out of the other, ditching the two vampires who were with me.

"I went to the place James told me to and when I went in the doors, I saw he didn't have my mother at all. The female who was his mate, broke into the high school in Forks and looked up my file. They learned my previous address and went to my mothers home and James took a home video with her on it. He also stole our video camera. He said he was going to video tape my death so he could break my friend's heart. I still have no idea what his problem was with him. I probably never will."

"Wait a minute. You knowingly went to a vampire who was tracking you to kill you? Why didn't you tell someone he had your mother? I'm sure several vampires could have stopped James before he hurt your mother. It's a wonder you weren't killed. That was not very smart, Isabella." Aro sounded like he was scolding a child. His behavior toward me today keeps confusing me more. It sounds like he's worried about me. Why would he be worried? It didn't make any sense.

'Like I said, he told me if I told anyone he would kill my mother. I couldn't take the chance he was lying. There was no way I was going to let my mother die because of me.

"James started laughing when I realized he didn't have her. He said we were going to make a little film. I was so very scared. I knew I was going to die there in that ballet studio and I prayed it would be quick.

"I stupidly tried to run from him, but his jumped over me, landing in front of me. He grabbed my by my throat and shoved me down hard. I slid across the floor into a huge mirror and cracked my head open. I saw stars. Then he stood over me, smirked at me and reached over, grasped my right leg in his hand, then broke my leg. I screamed out in pain and he yelled at me to tell my friend how much it hurt. He kept screaming at me to tell. He told me to tell my friend to avenge my death and I refused, only telling him not to. When I thought James was going to finally kill me, My boyfriend showed up and pushed James off me. He kicked him through a mirror, ran up to me told me he was sorry and picked me up. He tried to jump to the safety of a balcony that had a window in it.

"Midway through the jump, James had gotten up and grabbed my boyfriends leg and jerked him to the ground. I went rolling violently across the floor, landing in some of the glass from the mirror that was broken. A piece of it had stabbed me in my leg and severed my femoral artery. I was beginning to feel dizzy when James ran over and grabbed my arm. He bit me on my arm." I stopped, raised my right arm to show Aro the scar left from James's bite. Aro grasped my arm and ran his fingers over the scar. He looked at me with confusion in his eyes.

"My boyfriend sucked the venom out of my blood. He said he wanted me to stay human, no matter what. His father, brothers, and sister showed up by then, and his father was able to stop the bleeding in my leg with a tourniquet made from a belt , while he took the venom out of my blood.

"I don't remember anything after that. I woke up five days later in intensive care in a hospital in Phoenix. I was told the doctors put me in a coma so my head could heal. James broke my leg, bit me, split my head open, and cracked my skull in three places. He beat the shit out of me.

"My boyfriend's family made it look like I fell down a flight of stairs in a hotel after arguing with him so no questions were asked. It was believable because I have a problem with staying vertical. Sometimes gravity hates me and pulls me down. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it still happens." Aro stopped me again and told me I needed to eat lunch. He called for Jane, I thought he was sending me back to my room.

"Jane, could you get Isabella's lunch and a drink for her. Have it sent here to my study. Is that alright with you, Isabella?" I couldn't believe it, Aro was asking me to have my lunch with him.

"Yeah, sure." I answered simply.

We sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. My lunch finally came, I was given a plate of fettuccine alfredro and a coke. The food was outstanding again. "Who is the chef? Are they a vampire?" I asked, taking a drink of my coke.

"No, he is a retired chef from a restaurant here in the city. He showed up one day, looking for work and for some reason he was given the position as the head chef here. I think he's here to keep up pretenses with the tourists." He answered, smiling at me. "Human food has no appeal for vampires." He said, I guess making small talk.

"I know, I was told that. Although, his mother always cooked for me. She was pretty good at it considering she never ate it." I said with a smile, he smiled back at me.

"After I was released from the hospital, he took me to prom, and I hated it. I hate dancing, no matter the reason. He picked me up and put me on his feet. I thought he was joking at first, but then he started to dance.

"We had the best summer of my life then. That was the wettest summer on record in Forks. We started our senior year of high school and had a lot of fun. Things didn't get easier with his sister, though. No matter what I did, she still hated me. I just made sure I wasn't in the same room with her alone.

"Then on my eighteenth birthday, his family threw me a party. A party I never wanted. That was the night I saw the paintings of you and your brothers. Anyway, I was opening the gifts I told them all not to get me, I got a paper cut. One of his brothers lost control at the scent of blood and took a snap at me. I never once blamed him for it. I mean, I knew the risk I was taking when I was with this family. I knew how dangerous it was for a human to be in a house full of vampires. Nothing ever happened before that night.

"After that, my boyfriend was acting very strange around me. He wasn't at school and he didn't come by my house after I was in bed. Then one day, when I pulled into my driveway after school, he was there waiting for me. He asked me to take a walk in the woods with him. We walked a few hundred feet into the forest, I could still see my father's house, when he stopped and began talking to me.

"'We have to leave.' He told me, and I said 'Why', he told me they had been in Forks too long and people were starting to notice they weren't showing age'. I nodded and told him 'I have to think of something to tell my father.' He only stared blankly at me. That's when I knew something was wrong, very wrong. 'Wait, when you say 'we' I trailed off and he picked up 'I mean myself and my family'. He said this flatly. 'You don't want me?' I asked him. 'No. You're not good for me.' 'You mean I'm not good enough for you.' I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. Then he actually asked for a favor, I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I just stared at him. 'Don't do anything reckless for Charlie's sake.' Charlie is my father's name. He kissed my forehead, then left. I tried to follow him, yelling his name, but I couldn't. I got lost and I was found in the middle of the night by someone with the search party that was looking for me.

"I was told I was nearly hypothermic. I spent the next year in almost a zombie state, just going through the motions. I didn't get better until I moved to New York City. I got better a little each day, until I didn't think about him so often. I made friends, had a boyfriend, and experienced a life I never thought I would enjoy without him. Then I met you. That's the end of it." I can't believe I made it through without using his name once. By the time I was finished, I was crying. I haven't cried for Edward Cullen in eight years.

Aro looked at me, stood up and walked around his desk. He stood in front of me, put his finger under my chin and gently raised my face to look at him. He gave me a sympathetic smile, taking my hand. He shocked me even more when he knelt down in front of me. He was looking at me, eye to eye.

"The boy's father is Carlisle Cullen, isn't he?" Aro said quietly and soothing.

A/N: THE IDEA OF SULPICIA'S DEATH ALSO CAME FROM BrOkEn'WiNgEd23. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME USE IT.

I KNOW IT WAS LONG, BUT I COULDN'T FIND A GOOD PLACE TO STOP. I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAPPY WITH THE RESULT. WE STILL HAVE

A WAYS TO GO, SO DON'T WONDER TOO FAR.

THANK YOU FOR READING AND ENJOYING MY WORK.