Chapter 48
He was silent, motionless as he stared at the person standing in front of him. His mind wouldn't accept what his eyes were seeing and he blinked once, twice, three times before closing his eyes for one long moment and finally allowing them to open once more. He was no apparition, no hallucination, and Aro was at a loss for words as he realized the truth of what he was seeing. Carlisle Cullen, his Stregoni Benefici, was indeed standing in front of him. His blonde hair no longer hung free as it had in the eighteenth century, but instead was styled back to reveal more of his angelic face. The grey sweater he wore was buttoned up almost to the top, the open 'v' of the first two buttons revealing a robin's egg blue silk tie underneath and a light colored shirt. The softer tones of the colors he wore made his gold eyes stand out, the color brilliant and warm, reminding Aro of the sun. A scarf that looked to be handmade, hung loosely over his shoulders, the plush fabric made from yarns of feather grey and silver.
Stepping forward, Aro reached out to touch Carlisle. He let his hand rest upon the man's shoulder, not touching his skin as it was his intention to physically reassure himself of what he was seeing and not read his friend's mind. His eyes shifted to the left as he caught sight of a small silver object glinting in the lamplight and smiled as his eyes focused on the pin affixed to the lapel of Carlisle's shirt collar. A caduceus, Carlisle was still a doctor. The knowledge of that one small fact made Aro smile and he stepped back as he studied the man in front of him.
"You still practice medicine," he observed and Carlisle smiled.
"Yes," Carlisle chuckled. "It has been a long time, my friend."
"Too long," Aro agreed with a nod. "You seem anxious, Carlisle," he observed before glancing at Felix and seeing the same tenseness in his guard's posture though his face remained carefully relaxed. "I have come here to see my wife," he said with a nod, "and to visit with friends. I have not come to pass any judgments."
"Thank you," Felix mouthed and Aro nodded.
"I look forward to reconnecting with you, my friend," Carlisle said, though his voice held an edge of restlessness. "But please, let us get on the road; there are matters I must attend to before we may fully enjoy our visit."
"Of course," Aro said amicably and waved toward the door as he silently encouraged Carlisle to lead the way. "Carlisle," he began curiously as he slid into the backseat of the car, "how large is your coven?"
"It's not a coven," Felix chuckled as Carlisle rolled his eyes with amusement. "It's a family."
:::::
Angela groaned softly as conscious came slowly. She felt a cool hand stroke down over her hair as lips pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Blinking against the soft light flooding in from the hall, she sat up slowly with a yawn and hid her face against Emmett's shirt. Frowning at the sight of the dark sky outside her window, she turned her eyes up to Emmett and saw the concern in his eyes. It was hard to remember much of the day, she could remember meeting Felix and Suplicia, but the rest of her memories seemed somehow blurred.
"What happened?" Angela asked as she rubbed the back of her hand where a small circular bandAid covered her skin.
"You collapsed," he told her softly, his voice thick with worry. "The migraine you had was worse than any we've seen you have before. How long were you in pain? Did you feel it before you collapsed?" he asked her as he helped her to stand up from the bed, his hands remaining around her waist when she proved to be unsteady on her feet.
Angela blushed against the desire to hide away. She didn't want to tell him that she had been in pain for the past three days. She knew that it wasn't entirely safe for her to take the Toradol yet and it was the only drug that truly worked against her migraines. She heard the intake of breath of near the door and turned to see Edward standing in the entryway, his brows furrowed with worry and displeasure. Pursing his lips at the thoughts he read from her, he opened his arms and waited for her to step close enough that he could wrap her in a hug.
"You should have told us," he reprimanded gently. "We wouldn't have turned you away, Sweetheart. You're safe here, remember?" he asked as he pulled back enough to look into her eyes and cupped her face in his hands. "We won't ever be upset with you for your migraines," he promised her.
Kissing her forehead, he stepped back and let Emmett step forward, watching as his brother wrapped his arm around Angela's shoulder. He led her into the hall only to give a lopsided grin when Rosalie stepped forward and brushed her hand against the girl's cheek. Blushing and nodding when she was asked if she needed a human moment, Angela closed herself inside the bathroom. Everyone was concerned, the severity of her migraine having caused her to collapse and the bruising that had been revealed when Esme had changed her into a set of more comfortable sleeping clothes made it clear that she had fallen into the table before landing on the floor.
"She'll be alright," Edward said as he looked at his siblings and nodded for them to follow him down the stairs to give Angela some relative privacy.
"How long?" Esme asked as she stared up at her telepathic son.
"Three days," Edward sighed as he stepped onto the first floor and looked around at his family, Seth, Marcus and Suplicia each in turn. "She's been experiencing a massive migraine for three days. It just grew stronger today than she was able to manage. She may never lose her fear of revealing her pain, no matter that she is safe with us."
"Edward," he turned his attention on Seth, his jaw tightening with the request the boy spoke to him through his thoughts.
"Later," he said to the werewolf. "Not now, she's about to come downstairs."
"Jasper and Alice still aren't back from their hunt," Esme said as she looked toward the front door.
"Her thoughts are jumbled. She was in enough pain that I don't know if she truly realizes they were here or believes her memory to be a dream," Edward said and fell silent as he turned his attention to the top of the stairs. "Hey baby girl," he greeted Angela when she appeared at the top landing and descended slowly.
"There's a kitten in my room," she said with a confused frown and Edward laughed.
"Yes, that's Rain," he told her. "Do you remember Felix and Suplicia arriving earlier today?" he asked knowing how her memory would become clouded with her most severe migraines.
Angela bit her lip as she came to the bottom landing and tucked herself easily against Emmett's side when he held his hand out to her. Turning her face into his chest to hide a yawn, she felt Rosalie stroke her hair and smiled softly at her vampire sister. She could remember seeing a tall man, someone who could easily have been Emmett's brother given his height, build and hair color. His eyes were red though and while it was hard to capture the memory completely, she could hear whispers of words revolving around Rome and the Roman army. Her dream came back to her then, the images of Jasper and Alice returning and she felt tears sting behind her eyes as she wished for her dream to be true.
"It wasn't a dream," Edward told her and waited until she looked at him to nod to the front door. "They're coming back from their hunt now, Sweetheart. Jasper needed to feed after he helped you with your migraine."
"Jasper's home?" she whispered and stepped away from Emmett to walk closer to the front door.
She stilled, every thought losing its hold on her as she saw his familiar form walk through the grass toward the door. She could see Carlisle's black Mercedes pull into the drive from the corner of her eye as she stepped outside, but her attention was focused on Jasper. She thought of him, called to him with her emotions and felt his answering brush of warmth and love as he responded with his talent. A sob sounded from her, tears glistening in her eyes and cascading down her cheeks as she looked at him and laughed through her tears when he sped toward her, his movements so fast he was unseen. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, baby girl," he said as he rubbed her back. "I thought I'd be home before you woke up again."
"Alice," she whimpered and reached out for the pixie haired vampire standing behind Jasper.
"I missed you, too," Alice told her as she offered her hand for Angela to take and smiled at the human girl enfolded in her husband's arms. "She's asleep again," Alice told Jasper, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Angela.
"She's still in pain," Jasper said as he lifted Angela easily and cradled her against his chest as he walked into the house. "Not nearly as severely as she was earlier, but she still has a migraine."
"She thought you were a dream," Edward told him as he walked to the couch and sat down holding her in his lap. "The pain of her migraine kept her from being able to form a solid coherent memory. She didn't realize that you had truly returned."
Alice smiled at the knowledge her vision gave her. Jasper wouldn't release Angela from his care until she asked for it and Alice knew that her human sister would hold onto Jasper for as long as she could. Jasper kissed Angela's hair before resting his cheek on her head and trying to identify where the troubling emotions he was feeling were coming from. He looked around the room, let his talent brush over each person as he opened himself to their emotions, but he couldn't find the person that was feeling the sorrow and shame. Someone felt that they were to blame for something and was nearly to the point of crying because of it. He looked up at Edward, questioned his brother through his thoughts and saw the sad smile that bent his lips.
"Bella," Edward called out to his human love and held out his hand for her to take. "Go on," he said before he kissed her lips and turned her toward the couch.
Jasper pushed into Bella's emotions, felt her sorrow, her shame and the doubt she held. Both his human sisters, he realized, had blamed themselves for his absence, never once blaming him. Holding Angela with one arm, he held his hand out to Bella and waited for her to step forward. He comforted her, wrapping her in his talent as he projected to her the sibling love he felt for her, the warmth and acceptance. She sat down slowly, his influence helping her to release her doubt and self recrimination. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he rubbed his hand up and down over her arm as he held her tucked against his side.
"It was never your fault, Bella," Jasper promised her softly. "It even took me awhile and one very persistent wife to realize that it wasn't my fault, either. It was an accident, and I didn't stay away because I was angry at anyone. I spent time with Eleazar and his coven, learned the control that I was never taught in the beginning. I'm stronger now than I was before and I won't be leaving either of you again."
The tears that had filled her eyes slowly fell upon her cheeks as she turned her face into his shoulder and curled her body closer to his. He kissed her hair, petting the dark brown locks before wrapping his arm around her and encouraging her to sleep. He could feel her exhaustion and he built upon it with his talent until she was sleeping peacefully against his side. New emotions broke through the focus he had on his human sisters, the strongest was curiosity, beneath it was amazement, wonder, and a love born of longing. He looked up, finding Aro to be watching him and recognized the man only from the painting hanging in Carlisle's office. He saw Suplicia move toward Aro, the smile on her face brilliant and shining with all the love that she felt.
A part of him wanted to destroy this if only for the fear he held that Carlisle's coven would become more powerful than the Volturi, but as he looked around the room, Aro realized that it had been fear and greed that had led to the actions taken against his wife. He had amassed his coven from the most talented and powerful vampires he could find, the underlying structure built from domination and a sense of entitlement. He knew that there wasn't a single member of the coven he had built who would have the strength to sit with two humans as Jasper was. He looked away from the southern vampire, his eyes finding his wife's as she moved closer and stepped into his open arms. She touched her hand to his cheek and he stared at her with wide eyes as he read through the memories she freely offered him.
She hid nothing from him and he was able to clearly see all of the pain and torment that she been subjected to over the span of her immortal life. He was the first one to hurt her, his dalliances with first Chelsea and then later Corin, Jane, and so many others breaking her heart and making her constantly question her worth to him. How often she had questioned herself, doubted his love for her and he realized that in every action he had taken, he had been the one to instill her doubts and build upon her fear and only deepen her self-consciousness. He mourned for the heartache he had caused her, tightening his arms around her resting his brow against hers, deepening his connection to her as he held her.
He saw the pain, the torment and abuse brought to her by Corin, first when she had decided to remove her influence from Suplicia and then later when she had brought Jane to further the pain she caused his wife. He felt the fire burn through her, the shame and fear caused when she had been restrained by the mix of Alec's and Jane's powers. He closed his eyes against the sorrow he felt as the memories of her violent attacks repeated throughout his mind, his talent allowing him to in a way experience what his wife had felt while being raped by the guards. He clenched his jaw against the times that she had sat alone in their room, sobbing into her pillow to stay quiet as Corin had warned her that if she drew any attention to herself for what had happened that it would be Aro who brought Jane back to visit her again.
He felt Suplicia shift, his eyes snapping open when she dropped her hand from his face, only to lean closer and touch her cheek to his as she rested her head on his shoulder. He welcomed the closeness the new position brought them and held her tighter as he tried to protect them both from the pain of her memories. Even through the darkest times, he never blocked his talent from her memories and pushed deeper when he came across her friendship with Felix. He silently thanked his guard in his thoughts for what he had done to protect his wife and stroked Suplicia's hair as he held her. He smiled sadly, almost chuckling at the memory of her kissing Felix in Seattle. He understood what had led them both to that moment and would not begrudge either for their moment of indiscretion.
He laughed softly, the sound barely more than a rolling of breath as he read through the many times that she had swam with the dolphins and run through the forests with Felix. He did laugh outright, the sound rolling from him with genuine humor as he sifted through the times that Felix had thrown her into the mud pools in Kauai as 'punishment' for getting caught when he was training her to fight and run. He pulled back, his crimson eyes wide with disbelief and awe as he stared into his wife's eyes, his hands cupping her cheeks before he turned his attention on the delicate human girl sleeping in Jasper's lap. He could feel the warmth through his wife's memories. He could actually feel Suplicia being healed by Angela, and the truth she shared with him – that the human girl had no knowledge of her ability to heal those of his kind…
"I ask that you wait until she is awake and freely offers her memories to you," Carlisle said as he watched his friend stare at Angela.
Angela moaned softly at the sound of Carlisle's voice and though she didn't fully wake, her eyes never opening, she did call out to him. He smiled at the familiar feel of her spirit calling him closer and gave in easily, moving to sit by Jasper's side as he brushed his hand against her cheek. In a little less than three minutes, Aro's view of the world had been changed, if only because of his talent allowing him to experience the centuries of emotional and physical torment his wife had endured. His attention turned at the scent he had been trying to ignore, the distasteful aroma of wet dog and he turned to look at the cinnamon skinned teen standing off to the side.
"Carlisle, you have a werewolf in your home," Aro said as he tried to keep his pleasant demeanor even as part of him told him to destroy the boy.
"Yes, I do," the blond doctor nodded. "He is an ally to us, a friend to my family. I know your laws; I understand what you must be thinking right now, Aro."
Carlisle met Aro's gaze when his ancient friend turned his attention on him. He knew that Aro had every reason to destroy him and his coven, but also knew that the man was out numbered. Even if Aro did choose to wait until he was back in Italy to exact his punishment on their family, Carlisle was certain that he wouldn't. Not because they were friends, he reasoned, but because he wouldn't want to chance another Wolf Hunt with Caius. He had heard the stories, knew the blonde vampire's penchant for sadistic violence and cruelty. He doubted that there had ever been anything good or decent about Caius, either in this life or his human one.
"Take my hand, Aro," Carlisle said. "Read my thoughts, know my history."
Aro looked at Carlisle and saw in him the friend that he had welcomed into his castle all those centuries ago. He missed the man he had called a dear friend and still did not understand why Carlisle had chosen to leave Volterra in such a hurry that night. He had said his reluctant goodbyes to his friend, wished him well, but had not read his thoughts, preferring not see the disgust he was afraid he would see. Carlisle had always been devoutly pure, feeding only on animal blood and refusing all offers of human blood. The few times that Aro had made Carlisle attend a 'meal' inside the castle, his friend had closed his eyes and turned his face away, refusing to watch or participate. He had always believed that Carlisle had finally become disgusted with their diet.
"He never did," Edward said as he studied Aro and watched the man turn his head quickly to look at him. "Carlisle has never once judged anyone else for their diet. Yes, I can read your thoughts, but not to the extent that you can."
Seth breathed in quickly, the sound one of surprise and anger. Turning his eyes on Edward, he waited for the vampire to nod before he jogged toward the front door and left the house. Aro moved to follow, thinking the boy had become a threat, but Edward moved to block his path. He assured him that Seth wasn't a threat to any of them and looked to Emmett and Jasper. His dark haired brother growled low, knowing what the look in his brother's eyes meant and nodded. Aro turned his attention on the others in the room, watching as Jasper and Alice moved as one and he stood while she moved into his spot with enough speed that Bella never woke. He gently set Angela in his wife's lap, kissing her before kissing both Bella and Angela on the forehead.
"How close is she?" Jasper asked Edward as he turned, ready for the hunt ahead of them.
"Skirting back across the borders," Edward answered him as Carlisle stood ready to lead the hunt. "She's injured both Paul and Embry, but not enough that they can't hunt. We need to leave now; they won't chase her on our borders."
"I won't let her hurt my family," Esme said as she appeared, having changed her shoes into something more appropriate for the hunt. "Alice you and Rosalie will stay behind with the girls."
"I'll stay with them, if that's alright?" Suplicia asked of Carlisle and Esme, both leaders of the Cullen clan nodding their approval.
"What is going on?" Aro finally asked as he noticed that everyone's actions seemed to be coordinated, even Marcus and Felix seemed to move with an easy understanding for the silent communication.
"I'll fill you in on the way," Felix told him, nodding when Marcus moved behind him to approach Angela.
"We'll be home soon, little one," the ancient vampire promised the sleeping human he had grown to consider a dear friend.
"I'll take care of them," Alice promised and he nodded once before standing to join the others.
The sharp bark drew their attention as they stepped outside and Aro saw the sandy brown wolf waiting for them, his fur standing up on his scruff and shoulders speaking of his anger. He watched with an odd sense of fascination as Edward and Emmett moved to flank the wolf before he took off at a dead run for the tree line surrounding the house. He listened as Edward asked the wolf questions, relaying his answers to the others and realized that the telepathic vampire was pulling the questions from the minds of those around him. Every move, every action was seamless and practiced as though it were a well choreographed dance that they had all performed several times before.
He heard the snarl break from Emmett before he saw the vampire speed toward a cliff edge with Felix at his side, the two large vampires jumping in unison to the other side. Seth barked at Edward as Aro followed the example set by the others and joined them on the opposite side of the cliff divided by the river nearly two hundred feet below. His fascination and curiosity gave way to frustration when he realized that he still had no more knowledge of the reason for this sudden hunt then he did when they had left Carlisle's house moments before.
"She's a threat to our family and the town," Esme said and he looked to his side to see the woman running beside him. "She's after Bella."
"Who is she?" Aro asked, wanting to read someone's thoughts, if only to understand what was currently happening.
"Victoria," Marcus answered and nodded to Esme.
Aro watched her increase her speed, moving easily to run beside Carlisle and glanced at Marcus when his brother took his hand. He could have read every thought, but instead focused on those pertaining to their current hunt and found himself enraged at the open defiance the female vampire had shown. Marcus dropped his hand a few seconds later once he was certain that Aro understood the situation and found the ancient vampire to be looking at him. He chuckled and nodded. Despite the gravity of their current situation, Marcus could only find humor in the look of disbelief in Aro's face.
"She has healed you as well?" Aro said in wonder before turning his eyes back to the hunt ahead of them when the wolves jumped to their side of the cliffs.
"Don't attack them," Marcus warned. "We are allies in this fight."
"I expect a full explanation when we return," Aro commanded and Marcus gave him a lopsided smile before nodding.
"You'll have it," Marcus assured him. "And no, Angela does not hold the same power Didyme did. I can see the question in your eyes brother," he said without turning his attention on Aro. "Her innate talent is much more…subtle. She does not make you feel docile, or take away your predatory instincts at all."
A sharp hiss broke through their conversation and Marcus turned his attention to the redheaded vampire vaulting between the trees. She was fast, agile, and had a definite knack for staying alive. She evaded the wolves easily by staying too high for them to reach while they ran. She slipped away from Jasper's outstretched arm with a quick turn, a flip and kicked out, catching Emmett in the shoulder when he tried to grab her. He watched as the vampire was thrown back, leaping to his feet and continuing the chase without missing a beat.
"Esme, get down!" Edward roared with wide eyes seconds before Victoria's fist lashed out.
Esme ducked and rolled to the side, losing her footing but avoiding the blow that would have taken off her head. Carlisle was upon her in an instant, helping her to her feet and running beside her as he kept his wife close to his side. Felix was nearly upon Victoria when she launched again, returning to the water of the rushing river that she had escaped into earlier. Leaves, dirt and twigs scattered into the air, creating a fine dust cloud around the massive unit of vampires and werewolves that came to a sudden stop. Sam snarled his fury, lifting his face into the wind and howling before he took off to the side and gave chase to follow where the river led. Edward stilled as he watched them leave and realized exactly where Victoria was going.
"She's escaped again!" Emmett exclaimed as he stared down at the water tipped in white with the power of the current.
"She's escaping, but she's also heading back toward the reservation. If she can't get to Bella because of the wolves and us, then she plans to kill enough of the humans there to distract the pack," Edward turned his eyes on Carlisle. "She will not give up until Bella's dead. She caught Angela's scent on Esme. She knows that we have another human with us and she doesn't care which one she has to kill. She wants Bella, but she'll settle for Angela."
"She is not touching my family!" Esme fairly snarled as she trembled with the anger that Victoria's attacks inspired. "Seth," she turned her attention on the wolf and it was then that Aro noticed not all the wolves had left. "Will you head back and make certain that they are protected?"
Aro watched as the sand brown wolf wagged his tale and yipped before turning on his heel and racing away from them. Felix had been correct. There was an easy camaraderie, a symmetry that had to be experienced to be understood. He didn't fully understand it all just yet, but he was willing to listen. He caught Edward looking at him and nodded at him. He meant what he had said, he wasn't here to pass any judgments, but he had spent too long being the leader of the Volturi to completely ignore his thoughts on the knowledge that Carlisle had somehow not only amassed quite the collection of talented vampires, but also forged an unthinkable and strong partnership with a pack of werewolves.
"Carlisle," Aro spoke his friend's name as he stepped up to the man. "I do not fully understand, but I am willing to listen," he said and offered his hand for him to take.
Carlisle nodded, the caution and worry that had held him tense dissipating as he stepped up and placed his hand in Aro's, the two men looking as though they were simply shaking hands. Aro closed his eyes as he opened himself to all that his friend's mind held. He wanted to know everything, understand all of what had driven this man over the years and allowed Carlisle's memories to flow into him. Edward was right, he realized with pleasure, though Carlisle didn't begrudge anyone for their diet he chose not to drink human blood. He asked the same of his family, and Aro was able to see the differences between them with a startling understanding.
His eyes opened, his attention turning on Edward though his hand remained joined with Carlisle's. The knowledge that Edward had been, in a sense, born on animal blood and had rebelled to drink human blood only to come back to this odd diet was amazing. He breathed in sharply when he came to the attack Bella had undergone and Edward's strength to pull the venom from her blood without killing her. The things that Carlisle had witnessed, the family he had created, was unlike anything he had ever imagined.
His face fell, his eyes growing at once cold with anger and soft with sympathy as he turned his attention back to Carlisle. He read through the memories the man had of Angela, how she had come to be with his family and the ability she had given him to be as close to a true father as their kind could ever become. He saw the migraines that he had witnessed her suffer, the knowledge of the abuse she had been subjected to and the human who was hunting her.
"She truly finds more comfort with our kind than she does with her own?" Aro asked as he released Carlisle's hand.
"Yes," Carlisle said with a solemn nod. "She has far greater trust in vampires and werewolves than I believe that she will ever have in humans."
"She calls you 'Papa'," he said and Carlisle snorted with humor.
"Yes, that has been a source of amusement for the others as well," Carlisle chuckled.
"What Eleazar told you," Aro said as he looked at his friend. "Had what happened with Suplicia not happened, his warning would have had great merit. I do not know what the future holds, but I will not bring any danger to her. I admit, it would be…desirable to have a few of your children as part of the Volturi, but I have no wish to go to war with you."
"Even with the knowledge of the treaty that I have with the werewolves?" Carlisle asked, needing his ancient friend to be completely candid with him.
"In truth, that was always Caius' demon, not mine. Our kinds are natural enemies, so I do see them as threat for the most part, but it has never been my intention to openly wage war with them. Come," he said as he looked at the others. "Let us take this conversation back to your home. Your desire to return to your human 'daughters' was quite paramount throughout all of your thoughts."
"It always is," Edward chuckled, his voice low as he spoke his thought aloud.
:::::
Alice grinned, chuckling softly at her vision and smiled when Jasper came in ahead of the others simply to claim his sleeping sister from his wife's arms. He kissed Angela's forehead before asking to Bella's whereabouts as the girl was gone from where he had left her. Telling Jasper that Charlie had called Bella to let her know that he was home, the girl had gone to meet him. Nodding as he cradled Angela in his arms, he smiled at the simple pleasure of the tug when her hand fisted in his shirt. Kissing her forehead once more, he turned and made his way up the stairs with Alice following behind him. Suplicia shook her head with wonder as she watched the couple leave the room and looked back to greet her husband with a warm smile when he came to her side.
"Rosalie went to guard Bella's house while she's with Charlie," Edward said, having read Alice's thoughts. "Those are Angela's," Edward chuckled at the sight of the bear Suplicia held.
"Papa Bear?" Aro read the stuffed animal's coat with humor.
"They started out as a bit of amusement," Carlisle said as he looked at the bear. "We never knew they would bring her such comfort."
Carlisle smiled at the feel of the warmth surrounding him, the gentle pull that felt to be drawing him to Angela and chuckled silently to himself as he headed toward the stairs. Emmett was moving ahead of him, having felt a similar call and when Carlisle looked back, he found Esme and Marcus moving as well. Felix and Suplicia were both standing still, matching looks of confusion playing on both their faces and he shook his head.
"Let me guess," Carlisle said as he looked at the pair who had only just met Angela hours ago. "You feel surrounded by warmth, something akin to a hug, and you also feel yourself being tugged at or drawn toward something."
"How did you - ? It's her?" Suplicia asked and Carlisle nodded with a silent chuckle.
"It doesn't matter if she's awake or asleep, she can call you. We're not entirely certain how it works, but it does," he told her before moving toward the stairs.
Carlisle smiled as he ascended the stairs and came to a stop outside of Angela's bedroom, Suplicia, Aro and Felix having followed behind him. He shook his head as he looked inside and found Angela to already be surrounded by Emmett and Jasper, held in between her brothers while she slept. Alice lay curled behind Jasper on the edge of the bed, while Esme sat in the chair that she pulled near the bed. Edward had stopped in as well, but only long enough to see Angela before leaving to see Bella. He sighed to himself as he stepped inside the bedroom and moved closer to the bed. Every available spot on the bed was taken and he shook his head at the slight feeling of jealousy that fluttered through him before Jasper projected his humor upon him. Rolling his eyes at the southern vampire, he moved to the chair that Esme was seated in and watched as she stood and let him take the seat only to sit down in his lap.
Aro touched Marcus' hand as he looked at Carlisle's family and was amazed by the incredible strength of their bonds and depth of the familial ties between them. It didn't seem possible, but the truth lay before his eyes and he stared with wonder at the human girl lying wrapped in the arms of two vampires as she slept. He knew of no one among the Volturi who would have the strength to hold a human so close and not bite or otherwise injure them, not to mention sleep with them as they were. She mumbled softly in her sleep and he watched as Jasper smoothed her hair away from her face but said nothing. She calmed all the same, sighing with content as a small smile twitched her lips and she snuggled into him.
"Jasper's talent is emotional," Carlisle said in response to his friend's look of confusion. "He and Angela often speak without words."
"We would have destroyed you," Aro said as he stared at all that Carlisle had created. "Had you given in to my efforts to change your diet, the person you are would have been destroyed."
"I have always known who I wanted to be," Carlisle said as he met Aro's gaze. "I never regretted the time I spent with you, but I always knew that someday I would leave, it was simply the reason I never could have predicted."
"Yes," Aro said with anger only to feel a soothing calm settle over him. "Why did you never tell me what Caius did?" he asked as he looked at Carlisle.
"I was too upset to speak of it," he answered honestly. "In fact, until today, I have never spoken of it. I could never have stayed after that. Not after what he did."
Aro nodded silently as the memory once more played through his mind. He watched from Carlisle's perspective as the young child lay writhing in the agony induced by Caius' venom only to have her pain increased when the ancient vampire crushed her already broken arm when Carlisle tried to give her a peaceful death. He had tried to entice Carlisle to violence by breaking more of her bones until he had no choice but to kill her or let the change happen. He could feel the despair, the heartbreaking agony as Carlisle had been forced to watch the child suffer at the hands of someone who was supposed to uphold the laws of their kind. What Caius had done was nothing short of torture, both for the girl as well as for Carlisle. He knew exactly what Caius had been trying to do, true to the ancient vampire's sadistic nature, he had been trying to break Carlisle to make him either drink human blood or attack him. Either way, Caius had desired the same result from either action, the chance to destroy the Stregoni Benefici, whether it be in spirit or in life.
Had he known of Caius' actions, Aro thought as he smiled down at Suplicia when she tucked herself under his arm, he would have done something. He didn't quite know what, but his connection to Carlisle had been strong enough that he had refused anyone save himself, Marcus or Suplicia to be alone with him. In fact, he realized as he thought back over the time Carlisle had spent with him in Italy, the only other vampire that Carlisle had befriended of the entire Volturi was Felix. He stilled, his thoughts losing focus as he again felt a soothing warmth settle over him.
"Are you influencing my emotions?" he asked Jasper and saw the vampire offer a lopsided grin.
"Nope," Jasper said with a touch of humor. "She's happy. She feels safe and loved," he said as he glanced down at Angela before looking back up at Aro. "Before everything that happened, her warmth would spread through this house with every beat of her heart. Her spirit wraps around you, you're feeling it as subtly as we did in the beginning. For Marcus and Suplicia it was much more instantaneous and intense."
Aro stilled at the feel of something winding around his ankles and looked down to see a grey kitten rubbing against him. Sighing he looked at his wife with a pointed expression before looking down at his feet. Rolling his eyes when she smiled at and spoke the animal's name he watched her lift it into her arms and tuck herself back under his arm. Rain jumped from Suplicia's arms to perch on Aro's shoulder and he immediately turned his head to hiss at the creature only to have her bat at his nose as her purring escalated.
"You," he said plucking the cat from her perch by the scruff of her neck and dropping her into his wife's arms, "belong to her."
"You like her," Suplicia teased with a wink.
"What on earth gave you that idea?" Aro asked with wide disbelieving eyes.
"You would have killed her otherwise," she answered promptly and he rolled his eyes.
"A vampire with a kitten," he said with a sigh. "Of course it had to be you."
"Shut up," Suplicia laughed as she pushed against him playfully.
"I have missed you," he spoke to her, his voice so low that only she could hear his words. "I have missed this – us."
"The last time we were this close," she told him as she let them memories play through her mind, "was a little more than two hundred years ago."
"I remember," Aro smiled as he touched his forehead to hers in an intimate display. "It didn't last very long, but it was passionate and beautiful. Why then and no other time?" he asked as he pulled back and looked at her. "I still don't fully understand what happened."
"You refused to allow Chelsea anywhere near Carlisle, and you were never apart from him for very long. The only thing that I know for certain is that I lost you the moment you changed her. The only time before now that I got you back was when he was with us," she said as she looked at Carlisle and found him to be holding his wife against him while they both watched their human daughter sleep.
Aro's brow furrowed at her observation, "Chelsea?"
:::::
Angela breathed in deeply, delighting in the smell of the bread Esme was baking in the kitchen. She had missed this, having her vampire family so close to her and looked back over her shoulder at the soft chuckle coming from her vampire brother. Jasper smiled at her, his hand still clasped in hers as she pulled him along behind her. Brushing his talent against her, wrapping her in waves of love and acceptance, he let her know that he was happy as well. Her smile brightened, the love and happiness she felt igniting a fiery burn within him and he had no choice but to project her emotions. He felt the love and warmth of his family answering the emotions that he was projecting from her and let the human girl in front of him feel everything.
Chuckling when Angela turned and wrapped her arms around him, Jasper returned her embrace and breathed deeply of her scent. Her human ears weren't sensitive enough to pick up the conversation taking place in the kitchen between their adoptive vampire parents, Felix and Suplicia, but he could hear it just fine. It amazed the members of the Volturi, the differences between their covens. Their coven in Italy ruled by power and dominance while here Carlisle's family was ruled by love and trust. Though being near Angela and feeling her wealth of love and happiness had often been described as an addiction, it was a symptom of the heart and not the mind. There had been no pain, no symptoms of withdrawal during their time away from Angela as one would have felt from being under Corin's influence; instead it was the heartfelt longing to be near her once more.
He listened as Suplicia spoke of her surprise, her amazement that a human girl held such power. Felix it seemed would protect Angela no matter the enemy simply because she had done what he had believed was impossible – she had healed both Suplicia and Marcus. His friends were happy, free of their pain, their doubts and fears; he had never thought that they would ever be healed as they had been. He was quite a bit like Emmett; Jasper realized, moments of doubt or instances of uncertainty rolled off of Felix and were never able to affect him much. He stood steadfast in the protection of those he loved and was loyal to those he called friend, but he was guarded and chose who to put his trust in with caution and wisdom.
Angela's curiosity pulled him from his thoughts and Jasper looked up to realize that she had led them into the library. Aro was standing at the window looking at the forest surrounding the estate, his heart and mind conflicted as he stood trying to solve a puzzle that had eluded him for centuries. He heard the soft breath, the sound of amusement that came from the ancient man and realized that he had caught their reflection in the clear glass. Angela tipped her head gently to the side, lifted her hand to her face and readjusted the glasses that Carlisle had brought back from New York for her. They were identical to the ones she had had before and she was comforted by their familiarity. Biting her lip as she studied the man in front of them, a soft blush rose to color her cheeks when he turned around and met her gaze.
Her brow furrowed as she studied him. She knew this man, she thought, at least she was certain that she had seen him before. He seemed sad and she frowned as she grew concerned. She didn't like it when people felt sad or afraid, she knew all too well how those emotions could darken a person's heart, and wished only to bring the man in front of her comfort. She saw him suddenly draw in a deep breath as he stood taller and watched his silent gaze flick up over her shoulder to Jasper. She looked back at her brother, his hand still clasped in hers, as she tried to understand why the man was looking at him. Jasper met his gaze with a hint of an amused grin and shook his head slowly. When she looked back at the man in front of her, she found his crimson gaze to be on her once more.
"I'm sorry," Angela said when she realized she was staring. "I – do I know you? I feel like I know you."
"No," Aro said as he stepped closer and let a small smile curve his lips. "We have not met, my name is Aro."
"Aro?" she let name roll on her tongue and flow through her mind as she stared at him with a thoughtful frown, before her eyes widened and she smiled with recognition. "Marcus' Aro?"
He laughed suddenly and Jasper heard an answering chuckle from Marcus as the other ancient vampire remained in the kitchen.
"Well, now," Aro chuckled. "I've never quite heard myself referred to as that before, but I suppose it would be an apt description."
"I know I've seen you before," Angela said and blushed as she continued to study his face with interest. "Papa's painting," she smiled. "You're the man in Papa's painting."
Aro was used to having to feign amusement, so many years spent in the company of vampires who were only concerned with earning his favor, that he wasn't used to feeling such easy delight. The human girl in front of him was refreshing and innocent and he realized that if it weren't for the fact that she was human and his friend was quite too old to have fathered her, he would truly have believed Angela to have been born from Carlisle. She was so much like him. He smiled, his face growing lighter, younger almost as he chuckled.
"Take me to this painting, young one," he requested and he chuckled more at the way she wrinkled her nose. "Angela," he corrected and watched her blush. "You are so much like your father," he chuckled and grew silent when he saw her guarded frown.
"My father?" Angela asked upon a whisper, her eyes darkening with fear as Jasper rubbed her arm.
"Yes," Aro nodded as he looked at her in confusion, not understanding her upset. "Carlisle," he clarified.
"Oh! Papa," she said with a smile, the darkness leaving her face as her eyes brightened and he once again felt the soothing warm pulse against his spirit. "You think so?" she asked with wonder and delight.
"Most certainly," Aro nodded.
"The painting," Angela said suddenly as she remembered where she was supposed to be taking him and Aro chuckled as he followed her and Jasper out of the room.
:::::
"Edward?" Carlisle looked at his son as he stepped into the kitchen and shook his head.
"She's done it again," Edward chuckled and looked at Esme. "Jasper says she's hungry. He can feel her desire for something…sweet."
"Sweet huh?" Esme chuckled, her smile brilliant as it brought a maternal glow to her eyes. "I think we can handle that."
"What is it that Angela has done again?" Felix asked as he looked at Edward.
"Adopted another vampire," Alice giggled as she twirled into the kitchen and took the bowl of sliced and lightly sugared fruit from Esme with a smile.
"When?" Edward asked his sister as he pulled the vision from her mind.
"Soon," she smiled at him. "Perhaps a week or so, they haven't decided on a firm date yet."
Marcus stood silent, leaning with his back against the wall behind him as he had for most of the morning. He was used to reading lines of loyalty, but the bonds of love and trust in Carlisle's family often left him feeling such warmth and peace that it left him without words. It was a beautiful thing to witness and he would feel forever honored that his friend had welcomed him to meet his family. The strength of love shared between Esme and Carlisle made him think of Didyme, and though his heart longed for her, he was no longer encumbered by the pain and sorrow of her death. Angela had done that and it still amazed him that she had been able to.
"Who's coming to visit?" Esme asked her children with a grin and watched as Alice winked at Edward before leaving the kitchen.
"Eleazar and Carmen, they'll be bringing Michael with them," Edward said as he looked at his vampire parents. "They could feel Angela," he said and looked at Suplicia. "When Jasper came home and she healed you, they could feel it too."
"Alice's vision told you that?" Carlisle asked with curiosity.
"No," Edward shook his head, a bemused smile tugging at his lips. "I could hear them. For one short instance, I could hear them."
"You could hear them?" Esme asked him with wide eyes before she turned and put the pan of zucchini bread in the oven.
"You remember that flood of warmth from her when Jasper returned," he said with a nod, the statement holding a note of question. "None of that was Jasper that was all Angela. Her elation spread across the lines of every one of our kind that she knows. For one brief moment we were all connected because of her."
"Are you serious?" Felix asked with disbelief, reminding the family that they weren't alone. "How powerful is she?"
"Beyond description," Marcus said as he stood away from the wall. "I had not left Volterra when I met her. In fact, I had been…communicating with her for nearly two months before I left our home in Italy."
"How is that possible?" Suplicia asked with a confused frown.
"I have no explanation," he said as he stepped through the kitchen to the entry way. "If you'll excuse me."
He walked through the house, intent on moving up the stairs to Carlisle's office where he could hear Angela and Aro talking, but found his path blocked by Alice instead. Her smile was bright, her exuberance amusing as she held out a piece of paper and a pen to him. He took the proffered item with a nod of thanks and a grin as he realized how different and pleasant it was to have someone who could anticipate your every decision. Scribbling down the note, he handed her back the pen and watched as she bounced on the balls of her feet before twirling away. Chuckling silently to himself, he folded the note in half and carried it in his hand as he walked up the stairs.
"Angela, my dear," he called to her as he stood against the open door frame.
She hummed her curiosity and he smiled as he watched her stand from her seat on the couch. She had been seated as close as possible to Jasper without actually sitting in his lap. He knew that her closeness to her vampire brother was due to her elation to having him near once more and nothing at all to do with any nervousness or fear of anyone else. She simply was not going to let the southern vampire out of her sight and the tight sibling bond that she had forged with them amused him as it humbled him. Her bond with Carlisle and Esme was just as impenetrable, their relationship of parent and child tying the family of vampires together with a strength he had never seen before. He knew that even if Aro did someday decide to try and separate the bonds of family to have Angela with them, Chelsea would be unable to even attempt to break them apart. Angela's bonds with every single member of the Cullen coven was simply too strong.
He nodded to Angela as he handed her the folded note. His eyes shined with mischief as he looked at Aro before kissing Angela's forehead, a universal sign among their kind that he had granted her his protection. His brother nodded, a lopsided grin pulling his lips up at the corner. He understood what Marcus was saying, Angela was happy and Marcus would not allow her to be forced into anything. Angela bit her lip as she read the note and looked up at Marcus only to watch him grin at her and nod. Her eyes widened, her curiosity and passion for history ignited beyond imagining as she spun away from him and tucked the note into her jeans pocket before fairly skipping back to sit next to Jasper.
Angela grinned, trying to hide her excitement from her face even as Jasper chuckled at the feel of it. Blushing as she met Aro's eyes once more, she did as Marcus' note advised and offered him a trade.
"You've told me how your talent works," she told the ancient vampire with a slow nod to herself. "If you would like my thoughts, then I want something in return."
"Oh?" he asked feeling at once both curious and vexed by the turn of events. "And what could I offer you in return, my dear?"
"It has been mentioned that you knew Alexander the Great," she said and he frowned at what he perceived to be a change in subject.
"Yes," he said as he tried to understand the looks of amusement on both Marcus' and Jasper's faces.
"What was he like?" Angela inquired further as she tried to downplay her excitement as much as possible.
"He was…playful," Aro said, "he was ambitious and ruthless. He knew what he wanted and knew who to align himself with to reach his goals. His parents believed him to be a child from the gods and in such only encouraged his effervescent nature. He was a favorite among the ladies and enjoyed being known as a 'divine's child'. I only met him for a few moments, enough to read his thoughts, but was never able to have the full conversation with him that I desired." Aro shook his head and wondered just why she had changed the subject to that instead of naming what she desired in trade for letting him read her thoughts. "Now, as to what you wanted in trade for your thoughts," he said and saw her look of confusion.
"No, that was it," Angela grinned and held out her hand for him to take.
"That was it?" he asked with amused incredulity. "Alexander the Great?"
"I like history," she shrugged and watched him take her hand.
He felt delicate, she thought as she looked at their joined hands. Perhaps not delicate, so much as brittle, the stonelike feel of his skin was closer to shale rather than the smooth marble of her vampire family. She saw him tense, even as his grip never tightened beyond the gentle hold he kept on her hand and she looked up to see the heavy frown in his face. Biting her lip as she studied him, she wondered why he seemed so upset. It was just her thoughts that he was reading wasn't it? His power was like Edward's, but he needed to touch a person, that's what she had understood from what he had told her. But if that was so, why did he look so upset?
Aro had been able to sense that there were things about Angela that no one had been willing to tell him. Even with all that he had read from Carlisle about the girl whose hand he held, he was unprepared for the depth of what he read from her. Her human parents had done all they could to crush her spirit from the earliest memory she held on, and he was amazed at the strength she possessed simply in her ability to retain her innocence and trusting nature. There was so much she hadn't told the Cullens, so much that he could see she never would. The bits of food her parents had given her in the beginning years of her life had been less than what one would have given to the slaves back in the ancient days of his human life.
They had locked her in closets, yelled at her constantly, refused her even the most basic of comforts. She had been forced to sleep on the floor more than once, or denied sleep all together when her grades had been deemed subpar. When she was seven and her father had seen her playing with a loose tooth he had slapped her face to knock it out. He watched through her eyes as she was constantly berated, told innumerable times of how much of an unworthy disappointment she was, how much shame she brought them only to watch as her mother would sit and dote on a friend's infant. She was never given love, affection or anything resembling care. He felt her migraines, watched as she was locked in a closet too tight to move or breathe in until she stopped talking about the pain.
He felt her fear, her terror of the migraines that nothing seemed to cure and saw how she had begun to believe her human father when he repeatedly insisted that her pain was a divine punishment. He saw her illnesses, felt her knowledge that it had been induced by her parents, and felt her sorrow at not being able to understand why. Her life had been filled with the pain of unworthiness and the despair of being a 'shameful and unwanted mistake' as her parents had continuously called her. What they had done to her wasn't abuse, he thought as he read through her memories, no what they had done could only be described as torture. Pure and simple, she had been tortured.
He saw how close she had been to giving up, even as she remained hopeful for the escape of college and then, when he could tell in her memories and thoughts that she had been near the point of no return, she had been paired with Emmett. There was a shift, a light that had been introduced into her the more time she spent with the guardian of the Cullen coven. His easy going nature and protective brotherly treatment of her had given her a safe harbor in the storm. The night that Alice had brought her home for a girl's weekend, her world had changed. Carlisle's benevolence and Esme's maternal love had awakened the love within her, allowing her heart to shine through with a power he had never believed could have existed.
The fear she felt at the mysterious notes left by her stalker had been overpowered by the safety she felt when the Cullens had taken her in and offered her a place in their home. She had never known love or affection until she had met Carlisle's family and he realized in that moment, as he sat holding her hand and reading her memories that she would never see his kind as being monsters. It had been vampires who had offered her love and acceptance. It had been vampires who had shown her what the word family meant and given her the protection and care she had never received from her human parents. He looked at her with amazement; it had been vampires who had healed the damage done by her human parents. She still had a ways to go, he knew as he held her hand and stared into her eyes, she wasn't completely healed from the memory of her parents' mistreatment, but she was far closer than she would be given any other environment.
He followed through her memories of all the time spent with her vampire family. The warmth of her memories infused him, the gentleness of her spirit called to him and before he realized what was happening, Aro felt the centuries of anger and fear lift and leave him as though they had never been there at all. He may always desire power, he knew, it was a part of him that was a part of his innate personality but he was no longer obsessed by it. He could clearly see now all of the time and effort Chelsea had spent manipulating him with her talent. She had made it so subtle that he had missed seeing it until it had been too late for him to fight against it and as his memories played over him, he realized how many times she had looked at Caius and not at him. Caius had been using Chelsea to manipulate him since day one, but it had been done in such a way that it had not been obvious to him before now, before one delicate human girl had healed him.
He read through her memories as they continued to cascade over him. Her fear drew her talent forth with the accompanying burn of her migraine, but always, always it drew her vampire family to her. He saw her attack first in her home, and then once more when she had been abducted from her school. He was able to see the viciousness of her vampire family as they protected her and instead of frightening her, she was comforted by it. He cupped her cheek, leaned close and kissed her brow when he came across her memory of the box, the child's heart held within and later the incident during Bella's birthday party. He whispered to her, promised her that neither occurrence was her fault. He smiled at the memory of her nights curled up with Seth, the way she had formed as easy a bond with the werewolf as she had with Emmett. He gasped, unable to believe what he was feeling when he read through her memories of Jasper returning home to her only a day and a half ago.
Aro sat back, her hand still held gently in his as he felt the burning warmth of her elation and love surround him and fill him to overflowing. His eyes grew wide; his lips moving though no sound came from him as he stared in wonder at the human girl before him. He was able to see everything so clearly that it was unimaginable and he knew that he would never have believed the power she held without sitting with her as he was. His life came into sharp focus as memories played through his mind so fast that if he hadn't been a vampire, his mind never would have been able to process them. He could see now, the subtle nuances that had been too indirect for him to read from the thoughts of others, he could see now as Angela's ability to heal also allowed him to see the truth that others had tried to hide from him.
It had been Caius from the beginning. His brother had been the one to introduce him to Chelsea, the one to encourage him to change her. His brother had taught Chelsea how to mask her thoughts from him so that they weren't strong enough to be firmly read by Aro, and he realized then that Caius had used Chelsea to manipulate him from the very beginning. He had wanted power and was willing to do anything to get it, even letting someone else have the apparent control while he ruled from behind through deceit and manipulation. He had been clouded by his own desire for power and Caius had used it against him, brining Chelsea into his plan and only encouraging his destruction of Didyme. Aro would never know if he would have taken his sister's life on his own, without their influence, but he knew now that he had done so because of them.
Chelsea had separated him from Suplicia, manipulating their bond apart easily because of the tragedy that had broken his wife's heart when Didyme had been killed. Caius had then used her to complete the separation of their bond, while not destroying him with her death as he had done to Marcus. It had been Chelsea's influence and Caius' plotting that had turned him away from Suplicia and into the arms of Chelsea, Corin and even Jane. He realized then, that Caius' continued outright distrust and hatred for vampires with talents had only been to thrown him off from knowing what he was truly doing. His brother had used Chelsea, Corin, Jane, Alec and even Athenadora against him from the very beginning! His brother, someone that he was supposed to be able to trust, had been waiting for the day when he could assume control of the Volturi and Aro realized that he had given it to him by leaving Italy.
House cleaning needed to be done and he knew exactly what to do, he thought as he released Angela's hand. He thanked her for sharing herself with him, and found himself endeared to her by the sight of her shy delicate blush and her nod. Looking up, he found that the rest of the vampires in the house had joined them in the study, realized as he saw the anguish and worry on Carlisle's face, and the faces of his family that Edward had shared with them the memories that Angela hadn't revealed to them. He nodded to himself as his eyes came to rest on Felix. He knew now why Caius had always seen the guard as such a threat. Aro trusted Felix as completely as he did Marcus and Carlisle. When he took back control of the Volturi, it would Felix who took Caius' seat among them, but Aro knew that he couldn't act in haste. If Caius knew that Aro had discovered his treachery, he would prepare for a battle and Aro would lose.
Although he knew that he had enough supporters of his own inside of Volterra, he still wasn't entirely certain who he could completely trust yet. The only ones he was willing to put his unfailing trust in were here with him inside Carlisle's home. He would need their counsel to be able to plan how to undo all that Caius and Chelsea had done over the years. He saw Edward look at him, Alice's gaze steadfast upon him as well and realized that they both had seen and understood his decision. He wasn't certain what it would mean yet, but he did know that even if Carlisle's coven aligned themselves with him in the battle, they would never return to Volterra. This family who fed on animal blood, led by his Stregoni Benefici, would never willingly drink from humans. They would not give up their home or all that they had accomplished for a seat upon his court.
He began to understand, Aro knew as he looked across the room at the vampires present that the reason Carlisle's coven was as strong as it was wasn't simply due to their unnatural diet. No, he thought as he stared at his dear and trusted friend. It was Carlisle's leadership, his benevolence, compassion and understanding that had formed such a tight bond of love and trust between the vampires he had come to call family. His glance slipped to the side, his crimson eyes coming to rest on Marcus' face and he gave a silent chuckle as his friend's words came back to him.
Leave what you do not know and look back on what you do know. The answer often hides in plain sight.
Marcus had been trying to warn him all along hadn't he? Aro stood from the couch as he moved to stand before the painting on the wall, the oil canvas that depicted Carlisle's time with the Volturi. Yes, he realized, Marcus had been trying to warn him all along, but he had been too arrogant and stupid to notice. Aro had believed himself to be untouchable for too long and had not taken heed to his brother's warnings before now but perhaps, he thought as he looked back on the human girl sitting on the couch with Jasper, perhaps it simply hadn't been the right time or circumstance. As cliché as the old saying was, it was engraved from truth and wisdom. Everything happens for a reason.
He smiled to himself and heard Edward's chuckle and Alice's answering giggle as they pulled the thoughts and decisions from his mind. He knew how to thank Angela for her unintentional revelation. Her love of history and the fascination she held for the way Carlisle was dressed in this painting had given him the answer. He would contact Giuseppe, an ancient vampire who had always served as his personal tailor. He knew that the man still had much of Carlisle's clothing from the time he spent with them in the late eighteenth century, including the suit that he was dressed in when this painting had been commissioned. He would ask for the man to send him the suit along with a dress befitting royalty from the same era. The colors would be similar but slightly darker than Carlisle's suit, denoting her relation as his daughter the way colors of clothing often did in those times, and he would find someone here who would have the skill with which to render a portrait of them. It would be his gift to her for what she had given to him.
He turned to Carlisle, saw the smile twitching the man's lips and realized that his children had informed him of his choice. Carlisle nodded once, the tilt of his head regal and graceful, reminding him of the night they had met at the opera so many years ago. He turned back to look at Angela, found her to be engaged in a quiet conversation with Felix about his time spent with the Roman army and shook his head. One little human, how was it possible that she held so much power and what would she be like when she was one of their kind?
